Memorial Day

Today was probably one of my favorite days. Ever.   I have 122 pictures just on our last 7 hours.  I could create 2 Chatbooks!   And I just might.   It started off with Trent begging me to go on an overnighter with him.  We would leave Sunday and get back Monday night.  I didn't want to go.  I know.  What wife tells her husband no when he asks to go on an overnight, rent a hotel, and explore. This one. This one right here.   But I am really just a homebody.  I am SO busy that when I have a day off, like Memorial Day.  I want to literally do absolutely and positively NOTHING. Which being a Mom, that is down right impossible.   So after begging and persuading, he finally got his workaholic, negative, bum girl to consent to going Mountain Bike riding and sightseeing on Monday. No overnighter, but a couple of hours on Monday.   It was a blast!!   First, we went to Johnny Sack's Cabin.  THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE COOLEST THING! Basically, this guy just said, "To heck with the world," and went and built a cabin in the middle of the woods at the base of a mountain.  He used the river to create a little water wheel system to create his power and energy.  Now, it's a historical site.  It was absolutely amazing.  

 I think Trent felt like he could connect with this guy on a personal level.  Live off the land, build your own cabin and be completely self-reliant.  Yup. That's my husband.

 

This is the back of the house. Unfortunately, we couldn't go inside.  It's closed until July 4th!

 

Look at this porch!

 

 It even has an outhouse. This guy thought of everything.

Our first attempt of a family picture.

 

Our second attempt at a family picture.

 Our third attempt at a family picture.  We were trying really hard.

 

 Porter was LOVING all the plants. He kept hitting them. 

 

 

 I think this was a door that led to his cellar/basement. It wasn't very tall, though!

 

 There is Trent and Porter in front of the door.

 

 This is Portmaster looking through the window to get a peek inside!

 

 Did your heart just melt like mine did?!

 

This is that water wheel that he used for electricity and power!   Oh and by the way, the water was SO clear.  Everything in the picture below is covered with three feet of water.  But the water is so clear, you can't even tell!

  Okay, so then we went and found a picnic spot to eat our lunch.  Porter had a Lunchable - because everyone feeds their 10 month old Lunchables, right? - Trent's idea.  And we went for a bike ride. Except for it started to rain... but nothing rains on Trent's parade and I promised to be optimistic, so off we went! Here was Porter after our ride.  

  After our bike ride, we decided to head to Mesa Falls.  But along the way, we saw a large sign that said we could the scenic route, so we thought, "Why not?!"  

  IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Porter was asleep the whole time. So he stayed in the car while we took some pictures.  

 I love him more than I can put into words.  He is such a goof.

 

  Next, we went to Mesa Falls and saw this waterfall.  

  We went down to hike by it, but we had to pay $5 in cash, and we didn't' have cash! Lame!   So we were off to find our next adventure.   We ended up somewhere... we really don't know where.... and there was a bike trail so we thought, "Why not?" Even funnier is that I ran into one my students there.  He was riding ATVs with his family.  On our bike ride, we found a railroad from the early 1900's that was closed down! We also had the MOST BEAUTIFUL river rushing majestically along our entire bike ride.  We also found one of the nails used for the railroad buried in the ground on the side of the mountain.  Of course, Trent had to dig it out and seriously started geeking out.  He kept saying, "Chels. This is a CENTURY old? Can you believe we found it.  This is so cool."  It's a nail.  But of course, I was excited because he is just so dang cute when he gets excited.  

 

  Oh. And someone came literally 8 feet from hitting us head on. I am not kidding. They were trying to pass cars, came into our lane and barely missed us. My heart stopped. I thought for sure we were going to collide.  Also, less than 1 minute later a Moose came into the road, and almost created a collision between several cars.   We are lucky to be alive. Blessed to be an eternal family. And privileged to live in America.  It truly is the greatest country.

Bless This Mess

I don't even know what to title this mess of a post.   So I am going to title it the phrase that I have said about a hundred times in my head this week.   Bless This Mess.  

  Apparently, people still go on field trips in college.  And it's super lame.   Trent was gone for four entire days to Utah/Arizona on a field trip for Geology.  He left Saturday at 7 a.m. and he will be back today (Tuesday) at around Midnight.   Some crap went down at the apartment complex and things got pretty sketchy around here.  I won't go into details, but I will just say I slept with a gun on my right and mace on my left.  I also brought Porter's crib into our bedroom because I was TERRIFIED/CERTAIN we were going to die.   I have literally had maybe 6 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours.   And the best part is the person I needed to talk to the most for reassurance and guidance had no cell service and was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.   I don't care where you are.  This is the freaking 21 century?! How is cell service not everywhere?!   But amidst this mess, we were so blessed.   Heavenly Father protected us Sunday and Monday night through His grace.  He helped me function how I needed to, and He heard my never ending pleads and prayers for peace and safety.   Also, Porter had to be babysat for 8 HOURS while I worked on Monday/Tuesday. He has only been away from us for 4 hours max - like absolute max.   I completely bawled all the way to work Monday morning and pled to Heavenly Father that He would make up the difference for my absence and weaknesses. Porter had been a terror starting Saturday night went Trent didn't come home.  The poor kid sees his Dad more than anyone, and then he was just gone and Porter didn't understand.  He just kept saying "Dadadada and Mamamama" over and over again.  I told him that Mama would stay here, but Dada would be gone for a few days. He totally understood.   Kidding.   So when I dropped him off on Monday for 8 hours to a friend, but someone unfamiliar to Porter, I was certain it was going to be disastrous.  Which led to me crying on my way to work, which led to a long, pleading prayer in the parking lot, which led to me finding out it was Faculty Picture Day and I was in a sweatshirt, messy bun, and absolutely NO make-up because I had to get me and Porter ready by myself.   But miracles happen people.   1. Porter was an absolute angel for our dear friend.  He went to bed easy, followed his schedule, and played happily the entire day.  2. We are ALIVE and no one came back for revenge which is also a very happy miracle. 3.  Every year I have been in the front for faculty pictures because I am short. But this year I was in the back! Which meant you couldn't really see my sweatshirt-nomakeup-puffedupfromcrying face!   Also. For the record.  A dresser, vanity, queen size bed, and crib do not belong in the same room.  But when you are desperate and paranoid, this Mama bear will do whatever it takes to protect her cub.

Sunday Best

All I wanted was to take cute pictures of Porter in his Sunday best.  That was clearly too much to ask for. 

 

  On a different note, go out and buy these two books: Love is a Choice by Lynn G. Robbins and To My Friends by Jeffrey R. Holland.  I have only read the first fifty pages of both (in one day), and I am seriously hooked.   Also, I guess I did get a few cute pictures.  

 

Keeping Things in Perspective

"As you create a home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family.  Don't dwell on your failures, but think of your successes,  Have joy in your home.  Have joy in your children.  Have joy in your husband. Be grateful for the journey."  - Marjorie Pay Hinckley.   I need this somewhere that I can see every day.   I have always had an issue with wanting nice things.  But it is at an all time peak right now. I am getting so antsy in our apartment. I want our couches cleaned professionally, an entertainment center, new wall art, a new bedspread, a headboard, a new dresser, (our DIY project FAILED for that dresser. So now, I just want a new one.) all new kitchen ware (plates, bowls, baking sheets, pans, etc.), an over the toilet storage space, and a new crib set for Porter's room.  And I want it all NOW.    And then Trent says, "Okay, let's buy it." Like yesterday when we went to DownEast Home to buy an entertainment center for my Mother's Day gift.  But when it comes down to it, I can't.  Because I have a serious problem with not being able to spend money.  I can spend $20 all day long. But if it is over that amount, I can't do it. I can't justify it. I would rather save it for a rainy day, like schooling (which graduation is in EXACTLY 11 months).   The other part of that quote I love is the joy part.  That has been missing from the Thompson home these past few weeks.  It is all work and no play around here.  I keep telling myself that it will get better once we are on summer break, or once Trent is done with school, or once I stop working. But let's face the facts, people.  You create your own happiness.  And life is not meant to be tolerated, it is meant to be lived.   Welp, at least I know the topic study for my scripture journal this week. Finding Joy in the Journey.