Summering

I took Sloane, Bear, and Esme, to see Toy Story 5 today. Super cute movie. I loved the message and the kids were inspired to play more. On the drive home, they said how lucky they are to have each other because they always have a friend to play with. The kids in the movie were all single children. My littles have been fighting with each other a lot lately, so it was nice to hear them acknowledge what a blessing they are to each other. 
 

Esme is such a little foodie. I love her taste. Today’s avocado toast was on sourdough with cottage cheese and a citrus everything blend topping. Yes ma’am. 

Quincy was given a Korean name by some members. 

This is a really big deal. Receiving a Korean name from locals is an act of cultural acceptance, inclusion, and respect. I am not surprised at all that even though Quincy has a communication barrier where she is lacking in language fluency, she is finding ways to connect and be adored by the members. And her name is the cutest of cutes! 

Reese and Logan with Ammon and the Abernathy brothers visiting from Kuwait at SDC. 

Logan and I had a lil’ thrifting date one evening. He almost bought matchie flannels for him and Aaron to “redneckify” (crop, remove sleeves, fray edges) for the Post Malone concert. I think he should’ve done it just for the plot. Would Aaron be on board? We both have our bets. 😂

The triplets and I are taking ukulele lessons together this summer from Papa Steve in Bella Vista. They come home and play cute campfire songs. I need to look up uke tabs for primary songs, I think they’re available online. Sloane is really taking off in chord progression skill. This has been a fun thing to do together. 

I’m currently learning to play The Maze by Manchester Orchestra.  

Metfield pool. The (mostly) stress free pool days I always dreamed about have finally arrived. I could read a book while the kids swim if I wanted to! I mean, I haven’t yet, and instead have been IN the pool with the kids…but knowing it’s an option makes me me feel like I’ve really arrived or something 😂

We’ve been getting creative in the Makerspace at BPL Bear loves the snap circuits 

Willy Lore: Year of the Rat

A few years ago, Quincy and Reese started using the moniker “rat” to describe when someone (a sibling typically) is …being a rat. It’s a specific brand of action that I can’t really group into a larger category, which is why, I suppose, it got its own nickname. It’s directly associated to their social connection. Like they might say to a sibling, “your friends are rats” if they think the friends are being exclusive and leaving their brother out. But it is usually a name they throw at each other. They use it semi endearingly and also defensively, if that makes any sense at all. I guess the best way to describe it is when they are behaving selfishly within the family cohort. 

Examples of “rat activity” are borrowing clothes or the car without communicating first, eating someone’s takeout leftovers, ghosting a text, getting food/a treat with aaron and I without inviting the other sibling, changing the timing of a family activity to serve one’s own social agenda, or leaving after hanging out without saying goodnight. 

My older kids all call each other out on this for it and will text them a 🐀

The Irish goodbye or going dark for days are peak rat activity and the worst offense. Especially while the kids are at school. 

Sometime around Chinese New year, one of the kids was called out for rat activity a few times more often than the other kids. The response to allegations was that this particular rat king/queen announced it was “year of the rat”. 

Once night during a busy Sunday dinner, the same rat said, “this meal is a chefs kiss. Well done. Look around at all these people. You feed a rat once and they’ll keep coming back.” 

Truth. 

I usually take it kind of easy on dinners during the summer months. One evening this summer, I looked around at everyone gathered at my table and felt a confirmation that the same gratification of warmth and togetherness that I am drinking is what my adult children are seeking when they gather for dinner. Home.

Sometimes it’s only 20 minutes and then they are off again, but those 20 minutes are precious to me—and to them. So I’ve tried to enrich my offerings with killer dinners. It’s for the rats. 😂 Comfort food in July? Everyone is here for it.  Last night, I made Cajun turkey legs, homemade mashed potatoes (Reese’s fave —and a good week to make them since Corbin is out of town and he does not like potatoes), honey butter cornbread, and bacon greens. Punch the ceiling good. 

It was kindly brought to my attention Brogan has never had Meg’s enchiladas. 

Correcting that major oversight today. 

Other rat activity: the lunch run or dessert adventure 

We finally made it to Maison bakery when they were open. We went early before my littles were even up and there was a line out the door. Fortunately for them, we were NOT rats and brought 2 boxes of goodness home to try with everyone.   

Do yourself a favor and pull a full stop on whatever you have going on tomorrow. This place is LEGIT. Best pastries I have eaten on American soil. No contest. 

Night rats. We considered Waffle House, but caught Canes right before they closed. Only the drive thru was open, so we ended up at a local park and ate in the crows nest of the playground. I love summertime. 

A family FaceTime instigated by Corbin one evening to call us out for rat activity when Aaron and I left them with frozen pizza and went to float the Elk without inviting any of them. The discussion was whether we should be cut off of his post-shift Crumbl cookie supply until there is more “Corbin Appreciation” expressed in the house. 

It’s all a bit, but it’s our bit. 

Year of the rat. 

Happy 25th Anniversary: the Quarter Quell

Reese thoughtfully had her camera ready to catch a 25 years later temple pic of us last night and I love her for it. The kids made a cute poster m with felt and markers for us while we were gone. 

25 years ago, I made the best decision of my life. 

Today was full of ordinary things. Work, gym, meal planning, grocery shopping, Aaron met up with Brendan for lunch, and I took Bear, Esme, and Sloane to Metfield pool. 

We left the kids with frozen pizzas for dinner and grabbed a bite just the two of us at Table Mesa. I love that conversation with Aaron never grows stale. He is equally a good talker and listener. We originally had movie plans, but our boy Ammon invited us to the temple as he received his endowment tonight. Reese and Logan met us there and we loved sharing this special evening with our people. 

Happy Anniversary, Aaron! I love you endlessly. I love our family, and I love our beautiful life together! 

Independence Day

 

Happy 250th Birthday, America! 

Aaron took time off Friday to spend with the family. He and I went to a morning class at the gym together and had our buns absolutely spanked by the instructor. 

We took the kids out for bagels, and then decided we need a lake. Lake Ann is forever our favorite, so we parked at the dam and set up a few chairs in the shade on a fishing dock. It was great! The “lake holidays” are always when it hits Aaron how badly he wants to live on the lake or own a boat.  I don’t doubt he will buy one soon if he can find what he’s looking for. 

On the 3rd, we went to the Murray’s America 250 bash. It was wildly patriotic. Randy puts on a great show and killer potluck. Always fun to see old friends from Bella Vista. There was a flyover, a helicopter landing, and a hilarious patriotic costume contest with a hot dog stand, Mr Rushmore, and all the Washington mall monuments. 17 year old Hank deploying huge fireworks as “rocket man” is always just the right amount of unhinged.  One guy sitting in front of us pumped his fists in the air and belted out, “yes America! Hell Yeah America! After every firework. We were all dying over the excitement and Corbin has been quoting him for days. 😂

I love Arkansas summer. 

On the 4th, we grilled tri tip, the boys went to hit buckets of balls, and girls went to metfield pool. 

We lit fireworks at the Primrose Lane block party. Long live this kitschy little street of mine. 

One noteworthy thing that happened this year was Sloane being more brave about fireworks. Our neighbor boy Elliot was freaking out and Sloane decided to be brave. She took off her headphones and took them over to him. I was proud of her for being brave and for serving her neighbor. Way to go Sloane! 

Mother Nature ended fireworks a little early as a thunderstorm powered through, but the Lost Boys have been lighting them all week and loving life with lighters and free will. 

Senior Sunday 2026

 We are missing Madi D here, but since the rest of the class was in town, we decided to hit go on the summer photo. 

Sugar Creek Seniors:  vino fL-R: Sarah Allred, Bethany S (BYU then a mission), Me. Ammon J (was ordained an elder on Sunday, has mission call to Brazil), David S (El Salvador, then BYU to cheer), Neal R (graduated a year early, mission papers in soon), Bryce A, (Mexico, then BYUI), Hyrum J (Brazil). 

It’s good to be Meg Willardson

When I walked into Sunday school yesterday, my students told me I smelled good. I thought that was so nice. Until Hyrum moved his chair next to me and asked what I’m grilling, because the “nice smell” was from my bbq smoker. 💀💀💀.

I put 4 racks of ribs and some cheddar jalapeño sausage on my smoker before church yesterday. I suppose there are worse things to smell like than good bbq. I also made homemade french bread, and had watermelon and garlic and brown sugared bacon wrapped green bean bundles. I made a lemon cream cheese no bake pie with a graham cracker crust and fresh peaches on top for dessert. Killer meal. I love Sundays. 

And my people love ribs. Look out Hal-B-Q, you’ve got some competition! 

My signature eau de Baby back ribs fragrance was a siren call, I guess, because in addition to my family + Ryan, we also had Neal, Hyrum, Noah H trickle in for ribs and World Cup soccer. Between games and during half time there were rounds of code names, FaceTime with Elder Ratsachack and Jamine Willardson, some light hoops out front, a rogue firework, and a post HXP/pre FSY haircut for Noah. Instruments were practiced, scriptures were studied, a few kids joined the missionaries for a discussion, and some naps were taken as well. A perfect Sunday.

These boys have started a tradition of 4:30am hoops before leaving for FSY. Corbin and Soren (and Neal) went to FSY  with Bentonville stake this morning. But first I woke Corbin up at 4am to pack (why do they wait until last minute?) and then they joined Hyrum, Ryan, Ammon, and Bruce, for some early early morning basketball. I went back to sleep after they left, and woke up to two very sweaty sons on my bed. I think Corbin and Soren know I’m going to miss them this week, so they offered a parting gift of waking me up with sweaty snuggles and boy farts. I’m sure is an intentional act of affection. Definitely.

I had clean bedding packaged up for each of them and sent them to Missouri via Dan Grover with beef jerky, sour patch watermelons, and a few charges of motherly counsel. 

Quincy’s mission presidents post pictures or a video of the missionaries on a private Facebook page for the families after interviews every transfer or zone conference.  Usually I just have to scroll through and try to spot Quincy because everything is in Korean. But this month, she made a cutie video turned everyone into little AI keychain people and it’s the most Korean thing ever 😂 

 I spent several hours out in the garden pulling weeds and pruning my over grown tomato vines. I am getting a little impatient for summer tomatoes. I’m making fresh pesto with the basil and we roasted some zucchini last week. 

A cute YSA sat with us on Sunday. Corbin was very interested in meeting her after church and blew up my phone from the other end of our pew.  Then there was a small commotion when she suddenly got up and slipped out right before the end of the meeting. 

We went over and visited HolleeAnn and Gigi on Friday. Her adorable cleaning lady met us at the door and exclaimed “wow, you are beautiful!” when HolleeAnn introduced me. Listen, I don’t determine the way I feel about myself based on the opinions of others, but I’ve never in my life just had a stranger just randomly tell me I’m beautiful like that. And the way she said it felt so genuine. I think I am already a generous giver of authentic compliments, but that little powerful experience resolves me to tell even more people they are beautiful. Or at least make sure I say it in a way that they believe  me. 

Heres cute Corbin giving Dolly doggo some love. Thank you Corbin for taking one for the team. Holleeann gave us a bunch of Georgia peaches she ordered and they are out of this world delicious. 

We set out as a family on Aaron’s day off to get French desserts, but they were sold out. This place will make an appearance on the blog in the coming week for sure. 

My body does not like the extreme heat. The new garments have been an imcredible blessing this summer. I’m still swelling up in my underarms and hands. The vibration plate at the fitness center has provided so much relief! I try to stand on it anywhere from 3-10 minutes  a few days a week and all the influencers are correct. It really does help with lymphatic drainage. I love this thing. 

I also really love my mahjong group. We played two games and I won one of them, this week. The set I ordered finally arrived. I’m going to teach my family how to play—-um as soon as I am confident in all the zillions of rules 😂

Our coach, Jenny, teaches me a couple new Chinese words every time we play, and I get to practice my Spanish skills with Lily and Cristina. And Lisa is Korean, so it’s always a cultural experience. I’m just happy there. 

Reese and Logan came with me to pick up Soren from the temple on Wednesday night and we decided to walk around the north forest. This is super fun to do in the dark. Soren and Logan took an alternate path at one point and managed to disappear into the darkness even though they were only 10 feet away. Reese was startled by a bunny and the boys took that same moment to jump back and frighten her when she already had her guard down. It was a sensational jump scare.

I took the triplets to the Gravette pool to meet up with the Geddes, Pezeley, and Ammon’s families. Good times! I’m thankful that my younger kids have friends in our ward to play with. Bear especially loves having boys to wrestle and rough house with. 

George Washington hair for independence week 😂