Like any trip down to Salina, we leave with the plan to come home the same day. Down and back, is the motto and although we always end up staying longer then initially planned, we always stick to the game plan.
HOWEVER, this time... I woke up with a thought in mind, and found out it is true that your day is set with the thoughts you put out. I woke up Saturday at 6a.m. to Aaron telling me I needed to get going. I think I looked at him with the "one eye" stare/glare that said "I don't think so". All I did was snuggle up to him and sigh as I thought "why rush?" Well that is exactly how the rest of the morning and day went... a "LA TEE DA" sorta mood. Although I got up at 7:30, and didn't stop the entire time, we didn't leave the house until nearly 11, and we had to be in Glenwood by noon. NOPE...it wasn't happening, even IF we could go as fast as we wanted, especially beings Utah has to be doing road construction on every road in the state all at once!
It all works out though, we arrived safe, but not all in one piece. The little 3 were all a mess again, and I now have officially decided that doing their hair before traveling a distance does you no good & I will for forever now on, get them dressed, and WAIT till we reach said destination, this will cut down on A LOT of time wasted.
We had our traditional casserole in a pumpkin meal together, & let the fun begin. I had decided after contemplating what would be best for 30min, to sneak off while every one finished up lunch, & prepared to go onto the pumpkin patch there in Elsinore. I headed instead to meet up with my mom in Monroe where she was taking care of some things with my grandparents. We decided to talk over lunch, & took our time doing it. I felt rushed because I knew my kids and husband were going to be having fun getting pumpkins, and what if I missed a moment, but at the same time, I just didn't wanna rush moments and time anymore. So, I just let go off it all, and enjoyed the moment I was in. Works out tons better this way always.
I had intended to make it to the pumpkin patch before they left, but I didn't make it & I'll leave out the part where I tried but ended up southbound on I-70 somehow. BLAH! It all turns out though. I missed out on the entire pumpkin patch with m y girls, but I got a good visit with my brother Chad, and Grandma Lloyd. She's so funny & stubborn. She is so confused as to where she is at, and when she is going home. Chad and I convinced her she must be staying in a huge mansion. A caregiver kept passing by her room, and she'd say "who is that lady that keeps walking by, is she the wife? she's probably wondering why all these people are taking over her house" LOL! She also kept insisting Chad was hungry, and needed a sandwich. When we were little and even after we were grown, if we visited, she always felt the need to feed anyone who was there...this apparently has not stopped with her age cause she still worries over it. Chad kept telling her "Grandma I'm fine, I ate already" Grandma blurts out "OH BOLONY" Chad with his wit, came back and said "THATS right Grandma, I had a bolony sandwich" She laughed with her "your such a smartass" look on her face. IT was great seeing her, she looks so much better then she did before & a bonus visit with my brother made it even better. I left her room, & went directly to my Grandma and Grandpa Wheelers room, and said a quick hi and bye small conversation with them, and headed back to Sandy's where everyone was meeting back up to now carve their pumpkins they had gotten. I didn't want to miss that too, so I had to go. The whole way over to Glenwood I just kept thinking that this is the very thing I hate every time we our down south to visit or be at a family get together, is the rush! Go here, go there, run in, run out, never enough time, & we always leave feeling guilty, tired, & not looking forward to the next time even though we enjoy the time spent, its just never enough, and someone always get short changed, and we have to split up, its all just stupid. I had decided I'd bring up the possibility of just staying the night, and putting an end to the rush at least for this visit.
All my thoughts quickly stopped when I got back to Glenwood and walked in to a sea of pumpkins, and little kids busily working on their creation. Some painting, some carving, but everyone was doing something. Derian had decided to paint her pumpkin up like her "6th grade theme character" COOKIE MONSTER, and it just went from there. Ash did Elmo, & we were just one big Sesame Street bunch. I'll have to take a picture once we finish up the details on their faces.
The kids had a great time, as they always do. My girls enjoy their time with their cousins, which doesn't happen often enough it seems. It was getting later after we got everything cleaned up & after everyone left to head over to Michael & Grandpa Keiths for dinner we sat down & discussed staying or going. Why does one simple question that only requires a "yes" or "no" answer take so much thought and contemplating? If we decide to go home it means rushing over to say good bye to my parents quickly, and over to Redmond to hurry and eat with the rest of Aarons family, & then head back to Payson. If we stay, we take the "rush" out of it, & enjoy some time with family members that we don't get to see often enough these days. So, instead of rushing here and there to fit everyone in, we did decide to stay and take in more. It worked out great.
We left & headed over to my parents house where both my sisters were there, & of course had a good laugh. There's always shock therapy for them two when I'm around. I let it be known to them in a very blunt way after waiting for the perfect opportunity that in fact I have NOT had a booby job. I love watching their faces turn a million shades of red, although it don't take much for that to happen with those two, just the mention of "booby" outta my mouth & they instantly think "O NO, what is she going to say...do...ahhhh" NO! I did not expose myself, all I had to do was start to pretend to pull my awesome bra out from underneath my shirt and they run off holding hands screaming NO NO, put it away. Mom and I got a good laugh over this one... she'd been waiting sense lunch for me to give them shock therapy. Phewwwww glad we got that cleared up, lol. Never a dull moment.
Back to Glenwood we headed to let the kids have a sleepover with their cousins from Mesquite. It was a very loud house, & there Aaron and I were in the middle of all the little bodies spread all over the living room. We ended up making it to a bed about 1a.m. after the last of them finally fell asleep. Morning came to quick, but we got up & got moving, & headed for our last stop in Redmond to see Michael and Grandpa Keith. We had a good visit with both of them, & it felt nice just to sit & talk as long as we wanted to.
The decision to not rush & enjoy just spending time with family was the best decision. We still didn't get to see everyone & I don't think its ever enough time, but at least when you learn to take the rush out of things you take in more & just overall enjoy the time spent so much better. We ended up leaving our visit, unlike other visits, feeling at ease and in a better mood. Lessen in it all: DON'T RUSH through anything, make the time to enjoy every moment your in!
