We are here.

New house gets Internet on Friday and then we will return to regular blogging goodness. Be excited! 

"They're all chickens, Frank. The rooster has sex with all of them."

Q: (while watching charlotte's web) Are they ducks? 

R: No. There's a geese and a goose. The geese is the girl one. 

Q: So the duck is the boy? 

R: There is no duck, they're all gooses. 

Moving Day is here!

We pick up the moving truck at 5pm this evening and will be moving tomorrow morning at 8am.  I took a couple of loads over to the new house today and when I walked inside I had an overwhelming feeling of pure joy. I can't believe this is my home. I can't believe how lucky my children are to have such a lovely neighborhood to grow in.  The neighbor actually came over to offer her 12 yr old daughter to help babysit tomorrow. I've already made arrangements for the kids for tomorrow, but for real?  The other neighbor has been watering and mowing the lawn.  There is a community picnic area and a fire pit and a basketball hoop in the middle. of. the. road.  There are children on bikes in driveways up the street.  It is charming and happy and surreal. We are so blessed!  100 pictures and a recap of our trip to come as soon as we hook up to the internet at the new place.  

If you're available tonight or tomorrow morning, come on ovah!  Many hands make light work!

Jumping through hoops

The past 2 weeks of vacation were wonderful.
We are home, and instead of being suffocated by moving boxes and vacation laundry, I'm sitting at the picnic table in our backyard calling a zillion roofers, electricians and foundation specialists to give bids  so we can close on time.  It is stressful and chaotic. Don't move, guys. Ever. Just don't. It's not worth the stress.

Who am I kidding? It's totally worth the stress. We have outgrown our space and are ready for a new adventure.  The house buying/selling process is just a part of it and I need to embrace the chaos.   At least there is a light breeze out here, it is not humid or disgustingly hot like it normally is when we return from our summer trip, and Aaron and I both have a peaceful feeling that everything will work out.   A few days from now, we should be sitting in our new home.  That feeling of hope is just enough to get me through the next week without a nervous breakdown.  To quote Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I need to keep my "Eye on the prize Violet. Eye on the prize."

Today, I'm thankful for bubble guns that have served as entertainment for the children while I made 100 phone calls, and for disposable dishes and the microwave friendly American way that is providing my family with instant meals because "I can't be opening and closing all kinds of jars."

"Mmmmm, lunch and no clean up....could life get any better? I submit that it cannot!" -Brian Regan

Willardson Family 2013

All 28 of us together in one place. We are having a wonderful trip. 

Some highlights so far have been:

-Lindon aquatic center

-wheeler farm

-Monsters University

-the temple

-cafe rio, in n out, jdawgs, noodles&company, Cheesecake Factory, blue lemon

-Scott and Kristie's and meeting baby Benjamin

-a sweet Fourth of July package from auntie HolleeAnn waiting for us at grandma Lynda's house

-playing with all of the Willy, Lowe, and Schauss cousins

-Daybreak pool, lake, and parks

-gelato and the toy shoppe at Soda Row

-dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point

-horse riding and seeing the animals and big tractors at Yardley Farm in Beaver, Ut with Mark and Melinda's family

-Stadium of Fire with Carly Rae Jeppson, Kelly Clarkson, and Cirque du Soleil at Cougar stadium

-meeting Claire and baby Avery

-Provo Fourth of July parade

-BYU, UVU, Y mountain

-picnic with the Beck aunts, uncles and cousins in Lehi, Utah where we introduced Corbin and looked to to find him peeing under the slide. Keeping it classy, Arkansas. 

We are headed to Irvine today for a few days to soak up some Southern California goodness. 

A dozen

We spent out 12th anniversary on the road from Aaron's folk's house in South Jordan to Irvine, Ca, stopping in Vegas for the night. We made a pit stop in Beaver, Utah for a few hours to visit my brother Mark and his family at Melinda's family farm. When we arrived at the Yardley's this cute note was waiting for us. 

I have to say, I agree! We do make a pretty great team. There's no better way to celebrate an anniversary than on a road trip with the family we've built together. Ok.... never mind, a relaxing day at the beach would absolutely be a better way to celebrate together. We'll be sure to do that tomorrow.  Newport Beach or bust! Happy Anniversary, Aaron! 

By the way, Vegas is GROSS.  We didn't even drive down the strip and still there was porn everywhere. On the backs of trucks, on billboards, sides of buildings, everywhere. What a sad, disgusting place.  We stayed in a pretty nice Marriott with the kiddies and Sorens legs and feet were BLACK within minutes of crawling around on our hotel room carpet. McNasty!