some Sundays are better than others

Yesterday started out rough. Getting four kids ready for church when you aren't feeling well is never fun. Simon emptied an entire bottle of conditioner in the bathtub, which made for a slippery clean up. I threw up before I ate a piece of toast and immediately afterward. After a long Sacrament meeting, most of which I spent out in the foyer, Simon and I left church and went to Taco Bell. (shh! don't tell anyone.) Sometimes when you're feeling sick, the only thing that sounds good is a bean burrito without onions.

After church, Simon was long overdue for a nap. The kids and I were able to play a good game of cards while dinner simmered. Dad arrived home shortly after 3 and we had a nice meal. Too bad Luke couldn't join us because he was SO sick after fasting for 24 hours. Poor kid. I should have taken him to Taco Bell with me and all problems would have been solved.

While Luke slept on the couch, the rest of us played another game of cards. When Luke woke up (and after he ate) we called Grandparents. My parents were set apart last night as full-time missionaries! I wish so badly I could have been there to officially say goodbye. I cried on the phone and my mom reassured me that everything was going to be okay-- like she always has. They entered the MTC this morning and will fly to Chile in two short weeks. crazy!

After our phone calls, I was emotional and wanted to get outside. We backed up our bikes (in both cars) and headed to a nearby elementary school parking lot. Not our typical place for a Sunday bike ride, but it was Zack's first lessons without training wheels and it's hard to concentrate on him, the crazy baby, the hyper dog and the other boys while riding out in the neighborhood. And this way, Sunny could be leash-free and run as fast as her heart desired. Simon doesn't want to ride his trike anymore because he knows it's for babies. He didn't tell me that, but I knew. He absolutely loved riding on Dad's lap, holding on to the handle bars. He felt like such a big boy and would wave his hand while casually saying, "Hey!" as he passed by. Zack did great job without training wheels. He's not a pro yet, but he will be soon.

When it was dark, we packed it all back up and started to head home, when Luke asked if he could drive the car. An empty parking lot is an awesome place for driving lessons. Of course, none of them can reach the gas pedal, but they can all steer, so we spent another hour letting our kids drive around the parking lot. Are we terrible parents? Probably. But it was a lot of fun. Zack hit a curb and Ben drove over a cone, but all in all it was a successful night. Sometimes all you need when you're feeling crummy is to get out as a family. The dog was drooling with her head hanging out the window, the kids were in heaven pretending to be race car drivers and I was happy to be surrounded by such cute little people. When we finally arrived home (way past bedtime) I made everyone pose for a picture. This is one of those nights that could easily be forgotten about unless I document it. We tried to get Sunny in the shot, but she was too busy trying to drink from our broken sprinkler.


I went to sleep with the dishwasher running, the kids sleeping peacefully in their beds, a handsome husband laying next to me and an anti-nausea pill dissolving in my tummy. Some Sundays are better than others.