The Nitty Gritty

 We had so much fun being with our family and loved ones this summer. We even got to see the Davies from Scotland!! It is so hard living away from family so being able to spend 3 weeks in Utah was heaven! The trip started in LA California where Isaac presented at a conference. We stayed with aunt Tina and Uncle Jim in Glendora. Caroline came up and stayed with us too. One day we met up with Alex and Nixon at Seal Beach. It was the perfect beach for families!  After LA we drove to St. George and spent the night with Grandma and grandpa Bickmore. That is always a treat. Then we drove to SLC, stopped at Lana's for an hour, and drove to Doug's cabin. What a trip! Linda wanted me to paint the step by the hippie bus since I sprained my ankle last year coming off the bus and there was nothing to step on. I named it "Lesley's misstep". Van wanted to help and sign his name too.  We got to spend a lot of time with The Lewis's in the beginning. We did a water party for t...

This morning Van walked to the table and found a plate of hot and ready to eat pancakes. He yelled, "yummy!" And then asked, "whose birthday is it today Mom?" This week William and I celebrated our birthdays and with Van's being just two weeks ago, I'm sure he felt like we should be celebrating his Dad's birthday today!  Pictures of Will's big day! Alien balloons, a Lego building party, and blueberry muffins were the big hits! Yesterday I turned 33!! Wowsers! I came home from work to a clean, shiny kitchen, birthday cake, flowers, lucky Charms and cards and packages from friends and family. I felt so loved!! Isaac also bought me a new yoga mat which I've already used because once you reach your 30s it's essential you stretch your body to get your blood flowing. If not, you feel stiff and sore! 

Happy 6th Birthday Son! William turned 6 yesterday! On his birthday eve, we were cuddling on his bed and I told him his birth story. It felt like it all happened yesterday as I recounted the details of how he came to our family. Towards the end, our conversation turned into literally HOW he came and he thought it was funny when I said, "birth canal".  It's crazy how fast Will is growing and learning. Last week I was feeling pretty blue about having a demanding full-time job. It was tearing my heart thinking about how much I missed being a stay at home mom. I attended the Saturday Women's Meeting and left feeling inspired, but also guilty and questioning myself if going to work everyday is truly the best thing for me and my family. Then, on Sunday we learned of a family in our ward that was being evicted and the mom was checking into a hotel and waiting for an interview at Fry's Grocery. It was devastating news, but it was news that was necessary for me...