Something So Normal!

On October 20th we had such a nice normal day. The kids finished their schoolwork and then I needed to run to some errands. 

My first stop was at the library to drop off our ballots.

Then I headed to Kohl's to return a couple Amazon purchases. I must say I absolutely love being able to do that and the fact that I don't even have to box the return up....it's amazingly easy! 

I then went over to the candle section to buy another fall candle. These Sonoma Candles are my favorite and they are $10. When you return anything from Amazon to Kohl's you get a 25% off coupon for Kohl's so I usually only end up paying $8.75 total for these candles. 

On my way home from Kohl's I went on a back road that took me by a park. All of the parks near us have been closed, plus with school starting and the weather being all yucky it hasn't made it easy to go to a park. On this particular day the weather was gorgeous and the park was OPEN!!! I drove home and told the kids to get their shoes on we were going outside to play. 

It was so awesome to see other families out with their kids enjoying the nice weather. 

This park has this awesome zipline. Normally when we come it's so crowded the kids only get 3 trips. There were so few kids there they were able to go on it probably over a dozen times! 

Happy to be outside in the sunshine! 

My girl sweet girl just hanging out! 

Riding the zipline! 

Sweet boys! 

Ella kept putting off going on the zipline, but then she finally decided to go. 

I think she enjoyed it! 

Of course the older two had to make it a competition and tried to race. 

Zeke's turn! 

Eventually Owen got so warm he took his coat off....miracles do happen! :) 

One happy boy! 

And photographic proof that Owen beat Jack! 

It was such a blessing to be outside and be able to do something that just a few months ago we wouldn't have really thought twice about. It's amazing how your perspective can change. I'd like to say that we won't ever take these little normal things for granted ever again, but I also know that we're human and will most likely do just that once things go back to normal....if that ever happens!

A New Sink & Papa Pig's Castle!

We are planning on making some changes in the backyard, but due to the weather we probably won't get those projects finished until springtime. We did go to Lowe's and buy some of the materials that we'll need just in case we end up with a nice weekend that allows us to work. While we were at Lowe's I wandered over the kitchen sink section and found the sink I wanted. Michael told me to buy it, but I decided it was silly we didn't really need a new sink...I just wanted a new sink. 

A few weeks later, we were in Lowe's because our shower had started leaking and Michael needed to buy materials to fix it. I wandered back to the kitchen sink section and decided that yes...I'd like to buy the new sink. 

Michael had to finish up fixing the shower so he wasn't able to install the sink for a little over a week.

On Saturday, October 10th was install day! It was a bigger sink than our old one so Michael had to make the hole bigger so it could fit. 

At first I had been looking at the cheaper stainless steel sink that was one big hole. I've wanted a one hole sink for a long time. I have some bigger cookie sheets and it's awful trying to wash them with the two smaller separate holes. I always end up dumping water all over the floor. Plus I hated it when the kids would put their dishes in the left side of the sink with food on their plates. The right sides was where the garbage disposal was. I would tell the kids to put their food in the right side, but they are kids and they would forget and then I'd have to scoop out yucky soggy food from the left side to the right side. Now with one big sink I don't have to worry about those things. I changed my mind on going with stainless steel once I saw this beauty. I'm not sure what the material is, but it's like concrete. We've always had stainless steel sinks and I love how they can shine, but they can also dent and scratch. This sink is definitely not going to dent or scratch. Plus I love that it's more square inside. Most stainless steel sinks are rounded on the bottom so you lose out on space at the base of the sink. 

I don't think we could fit a bigger in our cabinets. 

Of course it gave Michael some troubles....he had to change the plumbing from two drains to one and then trying to re-install the garbage disposal was a pain. It is nice now that there's only 1 drain I actually had a bit more space under the sink for my cookie sheets fit. 

I also love the color. Our dishwasher is the brushed stainless steel color and we hope to change out all the appliances one day to be that same color. I love that the sink will just blend right in. 

It's 9 inches deep! I swear we bathe Zeke in this sink! It's huge!! I can completely lay down my biggest cookie sheets and wash them no problem! 

Side Note: We got our half of cow and now my freezer is full of meat! We love the meats!!!! 

And just for smiles....enjoy Owen's Papa Pig Castle he created the other day. 

The overview of the long hall leading to Papa. 

The inside view of the long hallway leading to Papa. 

Papa Pig on his throne! 

Then Owen decided there wasn't enough defensive measures.

The solders posted out front...confronting Red. 

The new view of the hallway. 

The ice wall protecting Papa Pig! 

Papa Pig protected by the indestructible ice wall. 

I love his imagination!  

Wyoming Road Trip 2020 - Day 6

Day 6

Our first full day in Gillette we took the kids to Bicentennial Park to play. 

Another rock star park! Wyoming knows how to do parks right! 

They had these fun spinning bars. 

We had just watched a Mark Rober video on how this all works....when your arms are outstretched you go slower, but if you pull yourself in tight you go faster. It's just like ice skaters when they spin really fast. It's all physics it's so cool! 

It was SOOOO hot that day. I felt like I was roasting when I was in the sun. These cute bathing beauties decided to rest in the shade! 

Oh this merry-go-around! 

I was trying to be a child and have fun with my kids, but what this merry-go-round taught me is that I'm almost 40 years old and I should stay in my lane! I still have a dark spot on my shin to prove it and it's been over a month. 

Owen is a merry-go-around pro! 

It was good for these kiddos to get out and play. The last time we came to Wyoming I got frustrated with them because I felt like all they did was watch TV and play on the Xbox at Aunt Linda's. We didn't really go and do anything though....she used to live in Cody, Wyoming and there wasn't as much to do there. Here in Gillette there is plenty to do! I made sure that we had something planned every day so that when we got back to Aunt Linda's house I didn't mind if they wanted to chill out and watch TV. 

It really was a nice balance for them and me! 

This picture was a miracle! Alli and I were swing at different speeds and we weren't in sync with each other except for a fraction of a second. I ended up getting this perfect shot! 

Later that night we went and visited the cemetery where my grandparents are buried and my Uncle Lee. 

My Aunt Susan had bought these cute Angel solar lights to put next to the grave. They even change colors when they light up. Unfortunately we'll never get to see them light up since the cemetery closes at dusk every day. 

3 of the 5 kids....Ga-Ga, Uncle Clif & Aunt Linda

Just a few feet away is where Uncle Lee is. The grave also has Aunt Linda's info on it just minus the date of death of course. It was hard seeing that there and seeing Aunt Linda's name on it too. Knowing one day she'll be buried right along side him. Of course I cried being there. I miss them all so much! I have faith I'll see them again one day!

Wyoming Road Trip 2020 - Day 5

Day 5 

This was the morning we packed up and left the Big Horns and started the second half of our road trip.

First stop was Buffalo Wyoming which was only 15 minutes away from South Fork. On our road trip in 2012 when Zeke was just 6 weeks old or so we had to make lots of stops for nursing sessions. We had just gotten our first smartphones prior to that trip....life saver! Whenever Zeke would start to cry or it was close to his feeding I would start looking for nearby parks we could stop at. I would feed Zeke in the van while Michael would take the older 3 out to burn off some energy. We were on our way to Thermopolis, Wyoming when Zeke was ready to eat so we stopped at a park in Buffalo. It ended up being one of my favorite memories from that whole trip. It was just such a great find and totally off the beaten path we would have never stopped there if Zeke hadn't cried. The fun thing was we actually found not one, but two parks. The kids played at the first park and then we went on a walk and found the second one. It was crazy busy and the kids were super small then so they weren't brave enough to play at the second park. I really wanted to have a redo and find the park so the kids could play at it. 

Isn't this amazing!!!! 

The kids didn't remember this at all and they were so excited to play on it! 

Of course it was SO hot...almost 90 and it was only 11am! 

We were almost the only people at the park. I'm sure all the locals don't come unless it's early or late in the day. 

This kids still had a great time though! 

I even had fun running around with them. 

I love how almost all the kids have decided that wearing sunglasses is a good thing. I couldn't function without mine! 

Jackers is the only one that doesn't wear them. I'm not sure if we just haven't found a pair he likes or if he just doesn't want to be bothered by them. 

These slides were crazy fast and they threw you around. They don't look like they would be, but man that turn is brutal. 

Ella's face says it all! This yellow slide was the only one that was partial shaded the other slides were way to hot to go down! 

This tire swing merry go around was the coolest thing I've ever seen at a park. 

It wasn't even moving that fast and it was so much fun! 

I wish they had one of these at a park near us. 

Maybe Pa could make my kids something like this in the backyard....you'll get right on that right Pa? ;)

I'm a giant kid at heart and I love playing with my kids! 

Once we were out of breath from pushing the tire swings around I figured we should make our way to the original park we stopped at in 2012. But first you have to go across a stream.

The kids wanted to cross over on the rocks, but I used the bridge. 

Here is the picture of the park from 2012. I took this picture sitting in the van while I was nursing Zeke. You can see Michael right at the base of the enclosed slide. He's taking a picture of a kid coming down. 

The other reason I wanted to visit this park was to capture comparison pictures. I've seen so many of these on Facebook and I thought this would be great 8 years later! 

Look at this sweet Owen...only 5 years old! 

A lot has happened in 8 years and the toy that Owen was on in the original picture isn't there anymore. So we made due. You can actually see the toy he's riding on in the current picture behind on the left in the original picture. 

Look at those cheeks on Jackson. He has the best squishable cheeks. 

He's just gotten slightly bigger in 8 years! :) 

Ella and her curls! She's a gem that girl! 

Girl loves to strike a pose! 

Zeke was such a cute bald baby! 

I just noticed that we didn't put him on the right toy he should have been riding on the same one Owen was in the current picture. Oh well! I love how he balled up his fists like in the original picture. 

And since we will probably come back one day in the future the kids wanted to take some more pictures to recreate someday! 

I'm so happy the kids humored me and went along with these pictures...it was great fun! 

It's so crazy how fast 8 years has just screamed by and how much they have changed! 

Cute stair steps! 

After this we were all hot and thirsty and ready to get on the road. We walked back to the bridge and I wanted one last picture. The kids were done by this point though! 

We got drinks filled up in the van and hit the road. It was only about an hour and a half drive to Gillette to my Aunt's house. 

This picture was actually taken by my Dad on a previous trip. I didn't take any pictures of Aunt Linda's house. Her house is connected to another house on the left, but you'd never know it. I never once heard the neighbors next door. 

This is her staircase! It's so gorgeous and since this picture was taken she's added a runner on the middle of her stairs. It's so much safer now. 

This is the upstairs media room that the kids and I stayed in and this is only half of the room. There is another single bed just outside of view on the right. Also where the chair and end table are in this picture is now a queen size bed. I slept on the queen, Owen and Jack both got to sleep on the single beds and Ella and Zeke slept on the floor on the other side of the single beds. 

After getting all our stuff out of the van the girls....Ella and Alli really wanted to go swimming so Aunt Linda, the girls and I went down to Walmart to see if we could find a pool. No such luck...we honestly weren't surprised. I did find Ella a new bathing suit and thankfully it fit since the dressing rooms weren't open for her to try it on. We did go to Home Depot and get the girls a sprinkler to run through. While the girls were running through the sprinkler the neighbors granddaughter came over to play. The three girls had a blast playing together.