Spring Break Days 3&4: Church and Dinos!

Sunday Morning, Sara and I got up and got everyone ready to go to church at the Petersen's ward in Lehi. We had a nice meeting and visited with Jill's friend, Lisa, after the meeting. While the kids were in Primary (we left everyone there with Drew), we ran back to the hotel to clean up and get play clothes for the kids so we could go straight out to mom's house after church and cook a nice Sunday dinner (sadly, mom was still not well enough to enjoy it).

We took Ally and Belle with us out to Nana's house--here are all the kids except Marshall after church.

Heidi, Addie, and James at Nana's house 3/28.

We had a nice dinner then went up to Murray to meet up with my Layton sisters, Erin and Rhonda, for Erin's son Max's first birthday. It was so great to see all of them! I didn't take any pictures, but I am hoping Laura will hook me up!

***
Monday was our big activity: The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. We checked out of the hotel and headed to Lehi at 11am.

Heidi, James, and shark!

Heidi, Addie, and James ready to watch the awesome IMAX movie!

Papa Post, Addie, James, and Heidi.

Papa stopped by to see us after the IMAX because he was right in the neighborhood.

More dinos and crazy kids....

Addie made a fabulous dinosaur world while playing at the "Erosion Table" (a long, winding tub of sand and water and dino figurines).

We loved this display of insects (and other things) stuck in amber

Dino-Scale!

YAY! The T-Rex room!

Awesome Turtle Skeleton!

A tiny prehistoric elephant skeleton--he woulda been the perfect pet for Heidi!
***

After the dinosaur museum, Aunt Debbie (our Livingston friend, Heidi's special buddy) wanted to meet up for treats at the TG Point Ice Cream shop...

Addie loved her float!

Heidi got a mint-chip cone

Haylee and James waiting for treats

Heidi with Deb and her SIL, Cara.

The decor at the shop was so cute!

Easter-rific!

James with a chick

I kind of fell in love with these chicks and ducks in the Emporium!

***

We had such a good time there with Aunt Debbie, we decided to bring the cousins there the next day! Monday night, we headed back to Nana's house to eat Chinese food and have FHE (sorta) with Aunt Sara and The Grays--Aunt Janet, Rachel, and Christa. It was such a nice night, and we slept well in Nana's guest room!

Spring Break Day 5: Pack It Up, Pack It In

On Tuesday morning, Papa Mark took Aunt Sara to the airport early in the morning, so I got up and got Abby and Marshall off to school and did our laundry. I cleaned the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms while my kids slept in. Later Cousin Autumn came over and we had a nice visit while I fisnished the laundry and fed the kids some microwave soba noodles for lunch. I made an extra dinner and stuck it in the fridge, and then loaded up my kids to head to Idaho for the night. But first we had a treat stop with the Petersen cousins...

Ally, Addie, and Belle at the Thanksgiving Point Ice Cream Shop.

James and Ben loved their ice cream cones!

Jack and Heidi shared a root beer float

"sluuurrrp!"

Ally and Addie split a shake

(isn't that a great deal? you pay the regular price, but they put it in two glasses each with its own whipped cream and everything!)

Isabelle has raspberry yogurt with gummi bears

Belle is so cute!

Three Cousin Pals!

***

After treats at Thanksgiving Point, we said good bye to our cousins and headed north to Papa Jim's house. It was a stormy drive, but we made it...1/3 of our way home!

Spring Break Day 6&7: Idaho & Chico

Tuesday night we drive from Lehi to Pocatello and slept over with Papa Jim & Grandma Becky. My step sis Kaycee is staying there for a few weeks, too, while her house is getting renovated, so we got the see her cute girls Becca and Abby, and her new red-headed baby boy, Rhys (soooo cute!). We arrived just in time to watch American Idol--I was surprised and delighted that my dad watches and has favorites! I failed to take any photos there, but took this one as we drove away:

Beautiful view of Pocatello from Dad's neighborhood.

This is what Bozeman Pass looked like around 2:30 on Wednesday 3/31, about 20 miles from our house....more snow!
***
On Wednesday night, my bro Matt and his family came to sleep over and go to Chico the next day. Aunt Amie's birthday was coming up on Saturday 4/3, so we made some chili and a bday cake and they brought cornbread and salad and we had a delightful dinner (when I laid down on my bed, I thought of my Grandma home alone that night, my heart broke--I called her and we talked for a long time, and that's when I learned that Grandpa had been diagnosed with lymphoma and wouldn't live much longer--it was a conversation I will always remember). Then we had a sleep over, and yummy breakfast, and headed out to Chico to swim.

Chico Hot Springs
Jacob Post

Sam Post Matt Post with James
My Darlin' Heidi
Heidi with a snow ball

Addie

Sam and James on deck

We went inside for some hot cocoa...James and Addie shared

Heidi and I shared...yum!

Such sweet sibs!

Happy Little Spring Romp

This album--Humroot by Shelleyan Orphan--was the soundtrack to the summer before my mission. I was surprised I still knew all these lyrics as I haven't listened to it since, I think...

Some Links For You

My mission bro, Randall, posted this link about our mission president last month (here's another one). I have renewed gratitude for President Hickman, not just for taming me in the mission field, but also for inventing catheters and pioneering dialysis machines and things that are keeping my loved ones alive right this minute. He is a great man. A tiny, great man.

Also, my family fell asleep early last night which left me with some time for catching up on conference (watching it on DVR is my personal study time this week) and blogs. My dear Kacy Faulconer (yes, the one who was quoted in the Ensign article about blogging last fall) had me laughing so hard, I produced tears. Actual tears. I enthusiastically recommend her whole blog, but her new series called "Obvious Tips for Not-Very-Good-Homemakers" will SLAY you. Click HERE for part one and HERE for part two, and wait with baited breath for part three. Remember to leave your own tips. The image of Kacy in PJs at 10:30am eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos will delight me for days.

And even though I am feeling a little tired of commercial blogs (because let's face it, much of the realness evaporates in the glow of all that compensation), it's MAN WEEK over at cjane and there are some really great posts there. I hope all of you will click over and read what the menfolk have had to say all week, but I am begging my brothers/brothers-in-law to do so. Also, my amiga Stephanie Ingermanson "FINGER CHUCK" Lund has been on a roll at her blog and you will not be disappointed if you click over and catch up.

And now, adieu. I have a few more yearbook pages to make.

Birthday Dinner

Heidi chose Rotini Alfredo with sausage and garlic bread for her dinner. Afterward we had chocolate cupcakes and gifts. Here are the photos...

Heidi with her gift from Addie Heidi with her cupcakes

Three silly Melin boys
(Uncle Mike, James, and Daddy Rich)

Birthday Cupcake!

Heidi with her family gift (gum).

Heidi's gift from Nana Lyn and Papa Bill--THANKS!

Heidi's gift from Uncle Mike...

...a sparkly jump rope!

Heidi with her gift from Mom and Dad...a princess nerf baseball & bat.

Heidi's Birthday Gift from Nana and Papa Mark from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

"Happy, Happy Birthday, Heidi-Dear...

...Happy days will come to you all year!
If I had one wish, then it would be
A happy, happy birthday to you from me!"

Baby Heidi, April 17, 2004

Heidi, 19 months old, having a sink bath

Today is the day she's been asking about for 5 months (since Addie's big bash)...Heidi's 6th birthday! I still don't quite have my mommy mojo back, but I'm fakin' it til I'm makin' it. So this morning, it was a birthday breakfast ("I want six pieces of bacon cuz I'm six!") and opening a fun card from cousins...

The happy birthday princess eating her breakfast, wearing her "Birthday Girl" Tshirt
(click for details)

Look at my gorgeous six-year-old (chompin' on bacon ;))

***
Saturday, she is having a "Jungle coloring party with elephants and flamingos" (I think this was inspired by her visit to the zoo last week, because until then, she had been asking for a Monsters vs. Aliens party with a Blob cake...yikes)

This is her party invite,

whipped up Tuesday morning after getting home from AZ at midnight!
***

As for me, I wrote this this morning to my sisterfriend:

I am still in a fuzzy funk..I feel better (body & spirit-wise), but I just don't quite have it together yet, know what I mean?...

Holy cow, I am really thankful for you! Your soup was "just the thing"--I've eaten it for 2 days and never get tired of it--YUMMY! The Elders are super lucky to eat dinner with you tonight! Having you three sisterfriends over, even for just a few minutes the other night was one of the most healing, loving, special times of my life. I know you think it was just dinner, but just like our lunch for your birthday, being with you guys after a hard trip home is soooo good for me. Even Rich said, "Man, you are so lucky to have them! They are such good friends!" And I agree wholeheartedly. I hope I can be here for you the same way.

I agree it has been a crazy week. I spent all morning til 1pm catching up on PTO stuff--I am 6 days late on the yearbook deadlines, so I was making yearbook pages til my fingers bled yesterday and it just sucked the life outta me! But I got to snuggle my Lynners to sleep last night and we got up and made her a yummy bday breakfast which included her requests: Papa Bill's oranges (check) and "six pieces of bacon cuz I am six!" (check--hope she doesn't have a tummy ache). I sent pinkalicious rice krispy treats and capri suns to school today, and baked the party cupcakes yesterday, so now I just need to wrap some gifts and focus on the party. FUN WEEKEND!

Oh, life is soooo good. I hope I am not wearing you out with my neediness! :) Thanks for thinking of me and taking time to send a note this morning. I'm gonna finish up some PTO stuff and go play with James...HUGS, dear amiga!!!

...and I'm still daydreaming of this:

(although today is a gorgeous day in Montana...I'm not complainin'!)

Quick Update

We are finally home. I am a useless lump of sadness and sinus infection today!

I've had some questions about the exact medical situations of Grampy and Mom, so here's what I know:

Grandpa was sick for a few weeks and didn't tell anyone. On Saturday, March 27th, my brother went to take him out to lunch for his birthday (his 85th bday was March 29th), and found him in bed (unheard of), unshaven (even LESS heard of) and ill. Grandma had called my uncles to come bless him. They did, and then they called the paramedics, who took his vitals and whisked him away to the hospital. He was diagnosed with bleeding ulcers, but then when they did the UGI scan, they found lymphoma in his spleen, pancreas, and kidneys, and found him to be in borderline renal failure (this was last Friday, 4/2--they gave him a few days to week to live). After some debate, he chose to do a round of chemotherapy, though the doctors admit there is no precedent for successful treatment of an 85-year-old. Each day last week, he had a different drug with a different reaction, and his kidneys have pulled through (barely) without dialysis. It has been a rollercoaster ride, the doctors saying he's well enough to go home tomorrow, then saying he's crashing for one reason or another. I kept thinking of that 70s TV theme song--"Just take it like it comes: one day at a time." Poor little Grandma...sigh...poor BOTH OF THEM!

My mom is still a little anemic and weak, and still has blood clots in her lungs. She is on oxygen and taking a rituximab/prednisone infusion each week (Thursdays). She is with a new doctor at the Huntsman Cancer Center now and I think she will get the help she needs to get better. Mark and the kids are holding up well. My sister who is in recovery for opioid addiction seems to be doing better, too, and got to spend some time with Grandpa this week. Hopefully this experience will be a catalyst for a season of better things, progress, hope, improvement, for all involved. Onward, ever onward, y'all.