Grandparent Retreat

I'm a bit behind in my journaling. Most of the posts I'll be doing have happened what seems like an eternity ago. This year was the first annual grandparent retreat. Not sure, but I think I blogged about Line leaving. I'll have to look back at my past posts to check...but Naki and I were lucky enough to be the ones to pick up Line and Addison. We met up with all the crazies from the retreat (and a bit exhausted crazies, I might add) at the Boise Temple. It was hilarious. They were truly dead on their feet. But before we left to get them, I was in charge of the Primary Activity Day. We met at the park. During a very hot week we had an unexpectedly cool day. Fine with me! We talked a bit about the pioneers and the seagulls and that whole very amazing experience that they had. We then played some fun pioneer games. This was by far the most favorite game, a pioneer journey bean bag toss. We mapped out the pioneers' journey and put holes at some of their stops, ending up in Utah. In this pic you can't really see the trail, but you get the idea.

We enjoyed some fudge popsicles at the end, some a little bit more than others...


Every time I think of fudge popsicles I think of eating them by the pool as a kid. I have a memory of a photograph of Cass as a baby covered in fudge popsicle sitting on the diving board at the pool. Just can't beat a yummy fudge popsicle. After the activity was over Naki and I dropped Malia, Lose and Eli at Uncle Junior and Auntie Mona's house for safe keeping until we returned from our whirlwind trip to Boise and back. Thank you guys for watching them...they had such fun and we felt so much better leaving them knowing that they would be kept safe for us.

After dropping off the girls, instead of getting on the road we ended up turning around and heading back home. Ane was already screaming a fit just in the few minutes we'd been in the car, and we realized that there was no one sitting in the back for her to look at or talk to and she was absolutely not going to make an entire road trip with sane parents at the end. So we decided that it was time to make the big car seat switch. We'd been talking about doing it for a little while, but just hadn't done it yet. It's crazy...they still seem my little baby as long as I'm still putting them in their little baby car seat. But as soon as I switch them to forward facing it's so bittersweet...where did my little baby go? She totally enjoyed it. I won't say that she was thrilled to be in the car all day, but she was definitely happier to be able to see signs of life throughout the day.

Here they are starting out the drive. May I add that it was so so weird to only be driving with 2 children in the car, and on top of that 2 children that really didn't talk that much..But I think Boo made up for that with the strongly opinionated crying. Mostly she cried because she wasn't sure how to put herself to sleep sitting up, but she eventually figured it out.


Eventually, we did have some peace and quiet. It was a bit strange to be "alone", so to speak, for such an extended amount of time. It was wonderful for Naki and I to spend that time together.

At one point I turned around to take a peek and found this.

I just love baby footsies. They're still cute at this point! And they don't smell, either. Just love 'em. Later in the drive, can't remember if it was on the way there or on the way back, Naki looked back and told me that I had to get a picture of Eva's lip. It was sticking way out. By the time that I got the picture, she'd adjusted it a bit and so this isn't quite the way it was, but we adore her little bottom lip.


Here was the last group photo of the retreat. If the kids were tired, how did the Grandparents feel?


We're so used to our Polynesian ways, Addie included. She spends such a large amount of time with the girls and their Maile cousins here in Utah that the Brousseau kiddos are hugged and kissed so much by all the Maile Aunties and Uncles just as much as my own kiddos are. So when it was time to leave, I told Line and Addie to give hugs and umas. Ummm...apparently I hadn't introduced the concept to the boys in time to clear a bit of the awkwardness...they'll get the hang of it. We hug, squeeze, kiss, knuckle, embrace, uma, mwwa, and all other terms involved with such actions so much around here that it is second nature to the kids to give 'em as much as they receive 'em.

This is Line's and Sheldon's "hug"... notice all the observing going on? So silly...


This is Line and Kaden's "hug"... Again...Sheldon's observing makes me laugh. I think he was enjoying Kaden's awkardness as much as Kaden enjoyed Sheldon's.


And then this is Paige's hug.


The girls weren't sure that they wanted to come back! Apparently they've got some pretty great grandparents. Thanks for making the retreat so memorable, Mom and Dad. The kids had such fun. I know that Line had fun, but she enjoyed all the more because she was able to spend that special time with both of you. Umas to you all!!