Archibald Family Reunion Bear Lake 2020

We rented a big house on the Idaho side of Bear Lake.  COVID cases were low enough that everyone felt comfortable gathering together. It was a lovely break from quarantine mode.  We went to the lake on two different days, did a cave tour and swam in the pool on another day. We also had fun cooking, eating, exercising (some bike rides, some runs, some zoom workouts inside), playing games, making bleach/tie-dye t-shirts, watching the welders work on the giant, cool, metal, play, boat thing attached to deck, and just talking together. On the last night we watched a slide show of all the pictures people took during the week and sang primary songs (at GG's request).  Watching the 4 babies (5 if you include Max) eat and 'play' together was so fun. Eddie and Kayla brought these push/ride on toys that they all loved. Also we got raspberry shakes a lot of nights. Trying to manage all the delicious food with my 4 insulin shots a day was tricky and heartbreaking sometimes. 

Since GG's presence wasn't anticipated when reservations were made we were a bedroom short and it was a little uncomfortable figuring out which couple/family would share a room with her... and for a few minutes it was looking like Chris and I would need to do it as we were the last ones to arrive and get a choice despite having the most kids sleeping in our room with us but Brittany and Thom made the sacrifice to switch rooms with us and got the smallest 2 queen bed room to share with her and have Davis sleep in pack in play in the closet. It was such a kind and selfless gesture that not everyone realized they made. I felt a little bad for grumbling. Not the only time I sort of had a melt down. I had a couple of hard moments this trip, personally. It was my first time traveling since having diabetes and it just makes everything complicated. I hated arriving late, after everyone was eating but we had to unload our entire car first to get to the cooler that had my insulin in it before I could eat. By the time everyone finished eating, they all left to go swimming (my kids begging to go with them) but we still had to eat and figure out where we'd be sleeping. The whole reason we were late was because we made a long detour to stop by Herriman to borrow kayaks and paddle board for everyone to enjoy.  We had to stop to figure out how to get the ties from vibrating in the wind so they wouldn't make an extremely loud and atrocious noise while we drove.   Then half-way during the week I got an email from a medical supply company asking me about my preferences for my pump that was in the process of getting ordered.  I had no idea clue about any of the preferences and felt pressure to make non-reversible decisions about the device that would keep me from dying! I emailed my doctor to get his opinion and yet didn't hear back from him for a couple of days.  This brought home the concept that my life was about to change forever. I would be getting a pump and have to be connected to it, 24/7... for the rest of my life. I was grumpy about it and really felt the lack of privacy to really process all these emotions. It was a rough week for me, but Chris is patient and loving and his family really is wonderful and supportive. I went on a long walk/run with Brittany and cried and vented. 

Inaugural Anniversary at the Ridge - 16 years!

Happy 16th Anniversary to Chris and I! Ever since the Coronavirus stopped all our travel/ trip plans, I've been ITCHING to go away somewhere. I usually get pretty 'claustrophobic' when I'm nursing since we don't usually do bottles and I have to be tied to nursing and my baby every 3 hours for a whole year.  This past year was a doozy on many levels so I'd been planning and dreaming about this trip away for a long time. Chris and I stayed at my parent's 'shabin' (shed mixed with cabin) up on the Ridge for 2 nights.  We spread out the kids amongst a lot of family: My parents took Theo, Max and Charlie stayed at Jared and Ashley's, Alec at Tiff and Todd's, Gwen at Jess and Ryan's, and Freddy at Thom and Brittany's. I think it was a good plan and everyone did great.  Chris and I have learned from past trips away that the keys to success are planning, balance, restraint, and flexibility!  

We worked on our plan for a month to figure out the basic schedule of activities balanced with rest time, entertainment balanced with physical exercise, spiritual uplift and mental stimulation.   Also we planned out a unique way to give gifts. Historically, we don't really do gifts for our anniversary. Usually Chris has pretty much used up all his good ideas for gifts on my birthday 2 weeks prior and either we decided together to buy something 'extra' like a nice blender or trifle bowl or we don't do anything. This year we decided to gift each other the stress-free experience of not having to think of a gift for the other person, instead we'll surprise them with gift for the other person to give.  That sounds confusing... its like this, "Hey honey! surprise! look what you got me for our anniversary!" 

The key to be flexible was used fairly early on in our trip, like a week or so before it even started because Chris found out that the qualifier for the State Amateur Golf Tournament that he'd been planning on playing in all summer long was the morning of our first day. We had to keep our plans flexible depending on how long play went and if Chris would be needed to stay longer for a play off tie-breaker.  So our plan was going to be that while Chris was golfing, I was going to be treating myself to a haircut and maybe shopping or something.  Turns out, most of my morning was spent getting kids packed and driving around the Valley, and dropping them off. Also my haircutting person couldn't do it that day, so instead I got my hair cut and styled the day before.  I had just enough time to get my present that Chris was going to give me ready to surprise him and finish packing myself.  Turns out Chris played really amazing (one under) and tied for 4th in the qualifier (the top 8 would go on to the State Am tournament 3 weeks later.) He was on cloud 9! I can't remember ever seeing him so happy. 

The gift I surprised Chris to give to me was a bed makeover! New covers, pillows, blankets and pictures. I love it! :) 

The gift surprised me to give to him was, a new bike helmet! haha. He loves it. And we decided to use it right away and change our plans up a bit so we could go on a bike ride before leaving for the Ridge. We rode up to the temple to the spot where he proposed 16 years and 5 and a half weeks ago. 

Then we drove the 2 hours (including an extra 40 minutes for stop and go traffic around the reservoir for no apparent reason) up to the Ridge, grabbing burgers and shakes at Dairy Keen in Heber on the way up for dinner.  We got to the Ridge at dusk and took a walk around the property along the mountain bike trail my brother made this past June. 

We played a new Exit card game where you try to solve all the puzzles like an Escape Room.  It was intense and we were getting tired so we paused around 11:00 and went to bed without even eating the dessert we had planned. (using the Restraint Key by not eating ourselves sick with treats just because we planned it.)

The next morning we got up early for Chris to play golf at a beautiful Park City course. We had fruit and nut bowls on the way for breakfast.  It had been a VERY long time since I've been able to sit in the golf cart and watch Chris play. I love doing that. Its a beautiful fun drive with some interest every now and then as I watch him play the game he's pretty good at. There were 2 fun older ladies and a nice guy a little older than Chris, maybe that he played with. I had brought a book along in case I got bored but I never did! Chris didn't play that well. The course was beautiful but really narrow and short and he felt like he couldn't every fully swing. 

We had planned to play tennis afterward at a local court somewhere, go back to the ridge for a nap, and then drive back to Park City for a special dinner on our Anniversary but we forgot our tennis rackets at home! We were even going to go buy some rackets just so we could play, but everything was taking a little bit longer and we weren't able to even eat lunch until 1:00, and we decided if we wanted to keep a relaxed feel we'd have to make some changes to our plan. We ended up going to a grocery store to buy something 'fancy' that we could make easily at the Ridge with whatever cooking supplies were up there. 

We got back to the Ridge around 3:00 and fell asleep despite it being pretty hot! We turned on multiple fans and had the door open but since we forgot to re-open the window we had shut when we left earlier that morning, we didn't get any cross breeze and it was fairly roasty. I couldn't take it around 4:30 and just pulled a chair out in the shade to finish writing my talk. We had planned to connect spiritually by preparing and giving talks to eachother on a topic that the other person picked out. This was a really cool experience and I learned a lot in my preparation but also the parenting discussion that followed our talks. Chris spoke on signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ and I spoke on faith vs. fear.  By 7:30 it was getting colder and darker and we were hungry! We quickly made our 'fancy' surf and turf dinner of salmon and stake, with cooked carrots, string beans and bell peppers...topped off with a Martinelli. Very delicious and diabetes friendly. We moved a picnic table to the top of the Ridgeline so we could eat with a pretty view.  Even though it wasn't the fancy dinner in Park City that I had been hoping for, it turned out really great. 

We ended the night with a movie and the cake in a mug dessert from the previous night that we didn't get to.  Also we had fun dancing and of course kissing.  The next morning we woke up kind of early again,  to break camp and go for a long hike before it got too hot. Chris surprised me with 16 stones written with some kind of lovey message that we then walked around and hid together.  

We had picked out a hike before hand and it took us to a place we both have never been before! Brighton, UT. We hiked to three lakes, Mary, Martha and one other one we can't remember. We hiked all the way to the top of Sunset Peak. It was about 6-7 miles round trip and super steep in some parts.  It. Was. GORGEOUS. Seriously one of the most stunning hikes with tones of pretty vistas at almost every turn that either of us had ever hiked before. The wild flowers were everywhere and so vibrant,.. but totally uncapture-able on camera. 

It was a little tricky to manage my blood sugar levels and I was really tired at the end but the 360 degree views from the summit were amazing. 

After the hike we drive straight home, showered (for the first time since leaving our house due to a water problem up at the Ridge), and then it was time to go pick up all the kiddos.  I was determined not to let small stupid things ruin my attitude or my ability to enjoy myself the whole time.  I really needed this break and I wanted it to be only positive! I had to remind myself a few times not to let some of our unexpected deviations get me down and turns out I can control my feelings after all...it just takes LOTS of effort and prayers. We had a wonderful time and I love being married to Chris.  He is so good to me and for me.  Kinda crazy to think where 16 years have taken us: Utah, California, Alberta, Mississippi and back to Utah. 10 different houses, 6 kids, 2 miscarriages, 2 cancer battles, 3 different diabetes diagnosis’s, 7 years of schooling, 1 PhD degree, 1.5 home purchases, countless house remodels/projects, 5 trips away, 8 new jobs, 1 home business, 2 trips to Disneyland, probably a million miles driven, many tears followed by many hugs and kisses.  What a good life. 

 

Theodore's Golden First Birthday

Our darling Theo turned 1!! Wow, that went by so fast.  First birthdays are always so fun, but this one was especially special since it was also his GOLDEN birthday. We had all the right party supplies since Gwen's Golden birthday was just a few weeks prior.  Theo enjoyed his birthday cake and ate quite a bit before throwing it on the floor. He was pretty tired and we were at Thom and Brittany's house with most of the other Archibalds so it was a pretty big gathering and I think he was a little intimidated. 

He loved being stripped down and playing with the water in the sink!

We actually had cake and ice cream the day before his birthday, so on his actual day we had fun opening presents up first thing and singing all the birthday songs. Theo-bawani has been a master walker for a while, so he didn't need a walker toy to help him with that part, but he loves to push this little walker 'puppy' around and hear the songs. Theo loves to dance. He bounces up and down in one place with a huge smile on his face. 

All of the kids were excited to pick out something special for him. Max chose a big red firetruck (mostly because I think he wanted it... ) Freddy knew how much Theo loves pouches, so he wanted to buy him a whole box of pouches. Alec wrapped up his old glasses, because he knows how much Theo loves to pull them off of his face. Gwen helped me pick out a water table for him. Charlie knew how much Theo loves to hold long skinny things....the bigger the better. He likes toy swords, golf clubs, long sticks, the vacuum hand attachment, even humongous (at least compared to himself!) brooms and wood planks. Charlie and I came up with a 'scepter' that was padded (as much for everyone elses' protection as for Theo's!) and had bells and ribbons on the end for fun. He LOVED it. He loved everything. He is such a happy baby. 

Theo really brightens up everyone's day. He has the most winning smile. The first time Chris or I (even Grandma's sometimes!) walk into a room he'll give us such a grin, his whole body kind of shakes with happiness and then he sometimes will cuddle into your neck for some kisses. Oh! its the best.  He loves cars and makes a car sound. He likes to clap when he does something cool. He likes to go down slides (even big scary ones!) He tries to jump on the trampoline. If Chris or I are ever sitting on the ground he likes to get close, then turn around and back up a few steps at a time until he's sitting on our lap. He's pretty easy to put to bed, with a bottle of milk and some rocking and he's a champion sleeper for naps or night time.