Kansas City

I’ve had trouble getting posts to publish and sort of gave up after that. I’ll give it another shot though because...well, because blogging is something I need to do.  

We took a little temple trip a few weekends ago in early February. Here’s the post! 















Our last temple trip attempt involved me getting very sick and hurling most of the day.  I’ve tried and tried to schedule a do-over for weeks, but plans fell through to the kids needs, or work travel schedule, or stake activities, or snow. But Friday was the day the stars aligned! Aaron had been traveling since the previous Saturday for Walmart YBM and flew in at 10:30 Thursday night. Aaron starts a new position at work, on Monday, so Friday was the ideal opportunity to take a day off.  I tried to call a few college aged girls but being a last minute trip, they were booked up!  Kasey took Friday off and stepped in as Mama all weekend!  My parents helped a lot too and tag teamed bringing kids home from school, b-ball, play dates, etc. and Jimmie ran operation human jungle  gym/fun coordinator. I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity to slip away.  

A few hiccups. Sloane woke up at 2am Friday morning and refused to go back to sleep. I also had an 8mile memorial Run for Jennifer event I had committed to attend on Saturday. Esme cried all morning that she was going to throw up.  Aaron realized early that morning that it was a new month and his recommend had just expired.  I had a lot of anxiety about leaving the children, even though I knew they would be in wonderful and safe hands. It sounds silly, but good grief, can’t a set of tired parents just go to the temple?  Satan really did not want us to go, and threw every opposition at us, knowing full well that sick kids, anxiety, and lack of preparation might be enough to cause us to postpone yet again. The twins have an important hearing this week, we had things to discuss, and really have poured every ounce of energy into the children and fire recovery that we needed to reconnect and plan and worship and receive peace and instruction that can only be felt within the walls of the house of the Lord. 

Aaron made a couple calls and our local leaders were incredibly accommodating and Aaron interviewed and renewed his recommend. 

Kasey and I knocked out an 8 mile run on Friday morning. It wasn’t the same as #run4jennifer, but hey we got it done. The kids are fine. We need the temple and we know it and nothing was going to stop us. 

We drove straight up to Kansas City and grabbed a late lunch at Noodles and Company, then spent 5.5 glorious, non-rushed hours in the temple doing initiatories and an endowment session. 

We stayed at a boutique hotel at crowne plaza called The Fontaine and we checked in, then ate dinner at 11pm by a fire in the house restaurant like a couple of childless grownups. 

On Saturday, Aaron hit the hotel gym, I slept in, we found out there is a Kneaders in Kansas City. 

I repeat, THERE IS A KNEADERS IN KANSAS CITY.  That was the obvious thing to do next and once we were filled with French toast, we felt like going back to the temple for sealings. So we did! It was so wonderful. We checked into The Sheraton and were upgraded to the concierge floor. The rest of Saturday was filled with window shopping for furniture in the fancy shops in the city. I drooled over the ginormous lululemon store and Aaron drooled over the Teslas. We made a mandatory stop inside Moosejaw, an outdoor adventure clothing brands recently acquired by Walmart. Aaron destroyed me on a round of ping pong, I tripped on uneven floor and busted my face on a window display. We FaceTimed the children, priced pots and pans at Sur le Table, eyed pretty fountains and sculptures, talked and laughed and planned and cried and ate the best mashed potatoes ever at Kona Grill, got lost in the maze shopping for replacement essentials at IKEA, and had free cake from the concierge at midnight and a continental breakfast Sunday morning before heading home to meet up with our family at church. It was so good and we promised to not let 2 years pass by again before we take a night away together. 

Mother Daughters Date Night

On Friday, we went to the Garth Smith fireside. It was wonderful! We were inspired by his talent, by the live performance and testimony shared. 

After, we took a hard detour when we noticed there is a smudgies in Springdale! 

And after smudgies, we walked outside to realize we were parked at tacos for life. So we grabbed a bite there, too, and took a fierce selfie. 

Me: ok but why are we making this face? 

Reese: because we take our tacos very seriously 

Love these girls. Boy oh boy are they night and day! 

Walmart Shareholder Concert: Collective Soul

Friday Saturday Sunday

Friday:

Everyone is well enough again, so Friday starter with  a make up day for preschool. Fly me to the moon!

I pulled some "standing toys" from storage and this cutie bug loves them. 

Sloane loves baby dolls. She giggles with delight and kisses them and pats them and says, "awwwww" before biting their arms or feet. 

I went to bed, exhausted, at 9:30. I'm an up until midnight girl. Going to bed means less tired the next day, but I also wake up to things like this: 

So it's still kind of depressing! I think I'd rather be sleepy than wake up to grossness. Before you think it, the children and Aaron do help...this is from one meal. Big family = nonstop dishwashing. I loathe doing dishes, but not as much as I loathe getting behind and watching them spread across the countertop and accumulate on every surface on the kitchen. An empty sink is my thing. 

Reese attended Madi Z's 11th birthday party. It was a cupcake decorating party, and she brought home 6 adorable cupcakes to share with very happy siblings. It was a pleasure to catch up with sweet Michelle. 

Saturday: 

I signed up for the Bentonville Half Marathon. Not totally sure what I was thinking, other than, "that will get me running again!" I should be running 3-4 times during the week, plus long runs on Saturday. That isn't happening. And it is ok. I go after bedtime one night a week, and I go earrrrrrrly on Saturday mornings--which are my favorite, except the early part.  

Even going to bed early does not make me a morning person. 

The training group meets in the Downtown Activity Center for a workshop  on all things running (fuel, pace, stretching, aid station etiquette, hills, gear, breathing, etc) then sets out in a huge group of all speeds/abilities on a course marked by volunteers for the long run as the sun rises. I ran 6 miles in 16 degrees on Saturday. It was so cold I had icicles in my eyelashes and the water in my fuel belt was slushy ice when I finished. It was not easy, but I did it and I loved it. I ran 5 miles last night with Kasey, and I think that the first time maybe since Soren was born that I put in 10 miles within the same week, let alone 3 days! Felt great. Pics courtesy of a fellow trainee on the fb group. I'm sitting on the floor, 7th in from the top left, in a Green Bay packers beanie. 

Being with a group is really fun. It is inspiring to hear everyone's stories, encourage one another, and being in a pack gives a "race day" feeling that just makes me move a little faster, so my pace is picking up, too. This Saturday marked the halfway point, and it's literally all up hill from here. February and March will be intense, but worth it on race day! Even though I have done this and much more, before, It was two kids ago. I'm in a different body and have different time commitments in my life. It's been so long since I was a "runner" that the added distance reached each week feels like a brand new victory. It's thrilling. 

Corbin lost his 2nd tooth! I will miss his baby smile. He received a quarter, a dime, and a nickel from the tooth fairy and was quite pleased. He thinks it is cool to have "a bloody hole" in his gums. 

Corbin helped me harvest some fresh spinach and kale for a smoothie on Saturday. 

Aaron took the big kids to see star wars a second time. Soren was supposed to nap, but batted his eyes at me and asked me to please make him some "spreckled" eggs. It was too cute to resist, so spreckled eggs, he had, and then I practiced making an omelette for myself. Are you an omelette master? Teach me your skills! Aaron loves them and I'm trying to learn how to make them, but usually over cook the eggs. I need help. At least It tasted good. 

We had a sitter for a long awaited date night on Saturday and went to...a baptism! We are romantic like that. ;) It really was beautiful and I'm so happy we could attend and support the Hiligrass family as well as enjoy the Spirit's presence there.  We had gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and some incredible Gouda, green onion, and bacon loaded sweet potato fries at Hammontrees after. And Aaron was stalked by a Teredactyl hanging from the ceiling while we dined ;). 

Sunday: 

Sundays are long. I told (bribed) the children that if they could make it through two hours after church without arguing, we would make homemade personal pizzas. They made it (barely! Haha) and pizzas were devoured. 

Here is Pizza Reese, pre baking. In the past, I've always used cornmeal to dust the counter surface and paddle for easy sliding into the stone. Parchment paper is the way to go! No mess, no fuss, and no deformed pizzas.

After dinner, Aaron and I destroyed the kids at hi ho cherry-o. No mercy. 

I worked on pinning down some details for our upcoming relief society retreat. 

Then went to bed early for the third night in a row--who am I???

Weekends, you are so good to us. Stay here a little longer, next time.

Kansas City Temple

Friday was our stake fill the temple day. Leaving town for 12 hours is a complicated task when you have a large family!  Thanks to Kasey for taking the afternoon off to pick up and care for my children. This selfless act, plus Jill S.  hosting a play date for Soren in the morning made it possible for Aaron and I  to go to the temple. We went up to Kansas City, thinking it would be easier to  take turns going (we had Sloane with us), but after an hour late start in the morning (it's always something. Satan will stop at nothing to place stumbling blocks to slow the Lord's work) we arrived in KC in time for me to attend the session, but then they closed until 5. We arrived feeling rushed, and that hurried feeling is not the ideal way to enter the Lord's House. 

Beautifully, I was attended to by an entourage of temple matrons, who when I discovered I had grabbed the wrong bag from the car, and had Aaron's things instead of mine, quickly gathered clothing  for me. I felt like Cinderella as they slipped a white dress right over my head, one tied the bow, one held my hair while another fixed my collar. And another returned with slippers and asked, "7 or 8? I took a wild guess." Either pair, I'm a 7.5." It was a powerful experience to be so lovingly cared for and doted on by these women, who don't even know me. I knew I had arrived with only a few minutes to spare and rather than focus on or judge my tardiness, all they had to say was, "we're so glad you're here." And "what a nice day to be in the temple." I felt cherished and like it really did matter that I was there.  One thing I struggle with during stressful moments as a mother, is invisibility. I know that seems opposite of how I should naturally feel, with children who need me so much, but being pulled and stretched in so many directions all the time often wears me down to a threadbare state, with each child needed so much from me at the same time. What if I stretch so thin that the faded remnant each child receives  just unravels right into oblivion?  The downside to being everywhere at once is never feeling whole. I imagine that's where the phrase "put together" came from. One who's mind and body are not fractioned off in 100 distant places. 

Anyway, on Friday afternoon in the temple, I was gifted the experience of feeling very whole and very put together. I was confident that my children were well cared for in the loving arms of friends, Sloane had a lunch date with daddy, and I was far from invisible to the matrons who each felt impressed to tell me my presence was noticed, wanted, and needed.  The blessings of attending the temple come in many forms. Friday emboldened my feelings of self worth. Those wonderful matrons made me feel the way I know Heavenly Father feels about me.  I hope I will take the opportunity to do the same for someone else, some day.

After the temple, we had a late lunch at Cheesecake Factory before coming home. Sloane LOVED playing the role of spoiled only child for the day. We celebrated our day with an inaugural slice of pizza. She's a true Willardson, now. 

The dimples on her cheeks and knuckles are enough to get just about anything she wants. My mom teases me for propping her bows obnoxiously right on top of her head, instead of off to one side, like the accessory was designed to be worn, but I can't help it. The bow on top makes her look just like a tiny little present. I look at her and think, "a gift? For me?! Don't mind if I do..." 

It was a perfect Friday. 7 hours in the car to just talk with Aaron. I read out loud for awhile to us. We answered the discussion questions in the parenting book we are reading. We talked and talked and talked and it was just so nice have one another's attention for a lengthy spell.  

I feel terrible that he drove all day and didn't even have the chance to do any temple work. The KC temple closes for lunch from 2-5. Any work that has started before 2 continues to finish until 3, but no new sessions begin until 5.  Those sweet temple matrons went out to the parking lot to try to find Aaron and offer to watch Sloane so he could go in before 2 and start initiatory work. Incredible, right? Aaron was at the store with Sloane so they didn't find him, but I still think the gesture was generous, thoughtful, and grand. And he didn't say a word about missing out. Instead, he said, "I'm just glad it worked out for you to go." He is the most selfless person I've ever known.  I'm inspired to be more bold and intentional in serving and uplifting others. 

 

Shareholder Concerts: Lifehouse and Train

Shareholder's week is super fun. Last night, we went on our first date without Sloane. I was really nervous and called Aaron to cancel twice. In the end, we left the kids at home with a babysitter and I pumped a bottle for little Sloane and she went over to Kasey's house. We skipped dinner and arrived at Bud Walton arena just in time for Lifehouse's first song. Excellent timing. 

There's an indescribable energy during shareholder week. I love the crazy cheers and dances from the different international sections (shown above in varying colors). It's a warm feeling of togetherness and excitement. And nothing beats the swell of patriotism that rises inside you when you join the crowd in "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!". Great fun. Shareholder week really is a rally of encouragement. 

Lifehouse was good. Train was incredible. What a performer! It was a good show, and songs took us back to the year we were dating and engaged, when both Train and Lifehouse were blow in' up the radio. We had a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and really liked the new stuff and cover songs they performed, too. 

Kasey gave a report of "perfect baby!"  When we picked up Sloane. This was a relief, since she had cried and coughed a lot that day. I'm glad she was an angel for Kasey and took her bottle no problemo! Thank you Kasey for keeping my baby happy!

Date Night(s) with the Willys

Rogers Little Theater presented Les Miserables and one of our friends was in the show. We got lucky and nabbed the two very last general admission seats to a sold out performance. It was incredible. Well done, Ron! I was also particularly impressed by the kids who played young Cosette and Gavroche. Wow. I've been to broadway and other big productions where the child actors were not nearly as talented. These kids were nothing short of amazing. Well done on the casting, and vocals, RLT! The entire performance was wonderfully done and a real treat for the ears. We will be seeing a Les Mis performed again this summer when we go to Ca. My sister is the musical director for the San Bentio production, and my brother in law will be playing Javert. That alone will make it a great show. Josh has the perfect voice for Javert and any musical Amy does the music for is guaranteed to be good.

 I was just talking to a friend of mine about how I don't even know the story behind a lot of musicals because there are so many I haven't actually seen, but grew up listening to the music for. Music has filled my life from the plays I was in as a young child and sitting in on my sisters' rehearsals and performances. we all spent years listening to Amy share her gifts as she taught voice lessons for hours after school in our living room, and I eventually attended many piano, voice, and violin lessons of my own. Our family was constantly on a schedule for SVCT plays when I was very little up until the Odyssey Theatre Company, GHS productions, and Chamber Choir when I was older. I definitely feel the void of theatre arts in my home now, but I'm thankful to have a few places to attend quality live theatre locally. If RLT ever does Into the Woods or any of my other all time favorites, I'll be there with bells on toes to audition ;) but it's funny how quickly a talent leaves you when you're not using it. My violin is honestly of more use holding dust bunnies, my feeble piano skills are gone, and just last week I had the opportunity to speak in front of a room full of women and I ended up reading what I had to say and avoiding eye contact on purpose. Give me a room full of four year olds, any day instead of adults, please. Or just let me write what I have to say and I will happily hide behind my pen and paper.  I do miss music though and and currently trying to get more of it into my home when my children are little. 

On Friday night, Aunt Kasey made a wonderfully grand gesture and brought pie over for pi day (3.14) and then tucked our loveys into bed so Aaron and could go on a dinner date. Did I mention she is the best friend ever? She is. But don't get any ideas, she's taken! 

We had dinner at one of our favorites, Table Mesa (new to Bville friends: have you been there, yet?) Here's what you need to order: chips and guac or hummus platter to start, along with two orders of sweet potato fries with the caramel praline sauce. For dinner, split the pork flautas. If you're a dessert person (if you're not, consider changing your ways, because you should be) go for the key lime tres leches. Killer. 

We usually have our dates on Saturday night, but since it was Friday we remembered the art museum was still open, so we headed over there to walk around sans the littles. The new exhibit was sold out but we had a good time soaking up the permanent collection and talking about our favorites in the company of just each other. 

We talked a bit about how much better the options for culture in NWA have gotten since we moved here. Our parents  did a good job exposing us to many kids of music and performing arts and as our children grow, we are grateful to have enough available locally to do the same service for them. 

Three cheers for the arts and date nights!