An Interlude

About now I’m sure Mom and George are regretting ever suggesting it, but they offered to take the kids back with them to St. George for a couple days over their Christmas break while Derek and I stayed back home to work.  They loaded all the kids and the dog into the car and seemed to make it down there without a hitch.  

Babi and Papou recently bought a golf cart, and the kids got a kick out of riding around in that.  I guess they loaded all 3 kids and the dog into the golf cart and rode over to the dog park to play which everyone loved. 

Somehow they convinced the kids they could only use their iPads in the morning, and the kids listened!  Here’s a cute pic of Carter and Papou in the am doing their allotted screen time. 

Mom took the kids to climb around the Veteran park, train park, and another park for a picnic lunch.  

They took the kids to see the award winning Christmas light displays around town too. 

Back at home, I worked all day at the family practice office on Wednesday.  I haven’t worked a full day there in forever.  Two of the PAs wife’s were having babies that week and had the week off, so I was filling in.  During my lunch break on Wednesday, I got to meet Debbie and Becky for a roommate lunch.  

It was nice to visit and reminisce on old times.  That night Derek and I went to dinner at the Outback and then went to see a 3D showing of the new star wars movie, which I quite enjoyed actually.  I hadn’t been to the theatre by the mall (or any theatre) in forever, but that theatre has replaced every single seat with a recliner seat.  It was a quite a comfortable way to watch a movie.

Thursday AM, I went on a very icy hike with Annie up Rock Canyon.  

We eventually threw in the towel.  Hiking down the icy was even scarier than hiking up, so we ended up hiking down the snow covered creek bed instead.  Then, I went home and took a bath and a nap in peace.  That afternoon, I worked at the family practice office again.  Then, Derek and I went to dinner again at the California Pizza Kitchen, and then to a BYU basketball game.  Oh the way to the game, I was telling Derek how nice it was to go to the movie the other night, so he suggested we take advantage of our kid free night and go to another one after the BYU game.  Annie and Tyler joined us and we saw the Greatest Showman which was an interesting musical about PT Barnum, the circus guy. 

The next morning, Derek and I quite painlessly drove to meet up with our kids in St. George.  I usually don’t have any trouble being away from our kids when we are on vacation, but I found it actually very unsettling to be home with all the kids and the dog gone.  I would come home to a quiet empty house and it honestly felt so lonely.  It made me reflect back to the days before Derek and I had kids.  We both worked every day and then came home and I honestly don’t recall how we filled all our nights.  I don’t remember being bored or particularly busy or even feeling like life was lacking.  However, those couple days coming home from a day at work to an empty kidless home felt all wrong and definitely lacking.  I didn’t know what to do or how to fill the silence, but we managed ok.  Nonetheless, it’s always good to have a little reminder like that about how much I love those crazy kids of ours and am grateful for the opportunity to be their mother.  The second we pulled into Babi and Papou’s driveway we had 3 excited kids run out to the car so excited to see us.  They jumped onto our laps before we even had a chance to get out of the car and showered us with hugs and kisses and told us how much they missed us.  So, I guess the feelings are mutual.