Swingin with the boys

On April 9th I had the chance to babysit Issac and Aaron while their parents went to a dance concert. Isaac, Aaron, and I started out playing in the park. The slides and swings were the best part but running hither and yon was fun as well. After a long time in the park we went back home to eat peanut butter sandwiches, milk, and oranges. After eating we painted on poster board, then ate ice cream and watched a movie. I attempted to get them into their pajamas but it didn't happen before their parents came home. It was a lot of fun.

Excellent pasta and company

Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? I did on Friday night. I wanted to have fun with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron and I wanted to be taking pictures of it. While I did have fun, I did not take one single, solitary picture of any of us. I probably made the right choice.
Earlier in the week I received an e-mail from my youngest brother informing me that he had a few days off and he and his family wanted to come down to see me. It was decided that Friday was the best day. He and Alison decided to cook dinner and I offered to buy some ingredients for the occasion. Jordan told me what to buy, which I did that very night. At work on Friday I could scarcely think of my work as I was preparing to see my family. I originally wanted to leave work at 4:30pm but didn't get away until almost 5pm (darn that busy boss of mine; I couldn't abandon him in his time of need though.) I stopped by Gloria's to pick up dessert and then raced home. On my way there I spoke to Jordan and discovered that they were running late due to rush hour traffic. They arrived at my house just a minute or two ahead of me. The whole family got the grand tour and the dinner preparations began. All in all we ended up with amazing mushroom pasta, salad, garlic bread, broccoli, and cake for dessert.
After dinner, which was excellent, Alison went shopping while Jordan and I took the boys on a walk through the park to the library. We walked around looking at books, movies, and the various pieces of art. We also ran up and down a small hill and checked a statue's ears to see if they were dirty or. (They were. Isaac told a reference librarian who promised to clean them with a Q-Tip.) We didn't leave until almost 8:30pm, which is past the bedtime of at least one little boy. The boys were changed into pajamas once we returned to my house and began jumping on couch cushions. They were then whisked away by their parents, much to the dismay and sadness of their Aunt Jess.
It is times like these that I hold precious. My one regret living down here is that I don't get to see my nieces and nephews as much as I would like. The closest one is 40 miles away. While 40 miles is nothing to someone who lives several states away from their family, I think it a very long distance. Despite the time and effort, I think I am going to make more of an effort to visit all my nieces and nephews. What a great night.

Bowls for Isaac and Aaron

The more time I spend at Color Me Mine, the more time I want to spend there. I was able to finish the bowls for Isaac and Aaron. What do you think?

Seeing family (and a museum)

Today I got the chance to spend some time with Alison, Aaron, and Isaac at the Springville Museum of Art. To be honest, I found out that Alison and her Mom were coming down to Utah County by accident and managed to invite myself along. I'm not proud of it, but it remains a fact. After a quick trip to the library, I drove to Springville. Isaac and I spent quality time in the gift shop looking at fake ice cream magnets. It was pretty funny to see him making a joke about licking a plastic ice cream cone. He so enjoyed my laughter that he laughed himself, and then made the joke five or six more times. Isaac and I also entered a drawing to win a free quilt. (As a side note, I also entered a few of my family members into the drawing as well. If anyone gets a call saying they won a quilt from the Springville Museum of Art, it's my fault.) I wrote on the papers and folded them and Isaac put the papers in the container. Isaac was full of energy today. His zest for life is astounding and his ability to constantly move makes me jealous. As usual, Aaron was as cute as ever. He is quite the wiggle-bug.

The museum was having an exhibit on quilts. They were pretty impressive. I did notice that two quilts were made by a neighbor of my parents. I always knew that Mary Tibbitts was a quilter, but I had no idea the true talent she possessed. I spent two glorious hours in the presence of beloved family members. It ended with Issac showing us the statue of St. Francis of Assisi outside. In fact, he even sat in the statue's lap and put something in his hand for him to read. It was pretty cute.

It seems like forever since I've spent time with any of my siblings or nieces and nephews. It's only been a month since I've seen everyone but I miss them. I'm so glad that Alison and her mom let me tag along for the afternoon.

Aaron's blessing

Aaron Wyler was officially blessed and named on the church records on March 30, 2008. I skipped out of my own church to drive up to Weber County to watch my younger brother bless his third son. It was a beautiful blessing with family and friends in attendance. I am very proud of my brother. After the blessing, we traveled to Mom and Dad's house for food and good conversation. It was great to see everyone and Jen managed to get a cute picture of Aaron and I. Enjoy the pictures:

Meals with others

I will admit that sometimes I get so busy that I forget to eat. This week however, I have had the chance to eat two meals with people I love. The first one was Monday night. My friend, Jen, had a birthday. One of her roommates contacted a bunch of us and arranged for all of us to meet at Wingers to surprise her. When she rounded the corner, her face was priceless. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get a picture of her eating popcorn. We had good food and great conversation. It was fun. After dinner, we went to a great Gelato place on center street in Provo. I highly recommend it.
On Tuesday afternoon I was able to go to lunch with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron. I had such a wonderful time. I wish all my lunches were so great. Usually I eat at my desk while I'm eating. On Tuesday I walked over to Macaroni Grill to meet everyone. Isaac drew on the table, talked up a storm, and was generally darling. I wrote his name on the table. After eat letter, he would look at me and say "more?" He also enjoyed sharing the whipped cream off my drink. Aaron slept, ate, cried, had a dirty diaper, and looked around. In an act of charity, they offered to walk me back to work. I held Aaron while Jordan held my purse, jacket, and food. (I think Jordan and Alison realized how much I love spending time with their sons.) Isaac got some of his wiggles out while walking on grass, crossing a bridge, and looking at a river. They came into my office. While Alison used the restroom, I introduced the boys to my co-workers. I gave Isaac an apple juice for the road. For the rest of the day, I had a smile on my face. Even my co-workers noticed the difference. I wish all my meals were so much fun. Speaking of fun, tomorrow night I will go to my first play at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. Thanks again Mom and Dad for the great Christmas present (the tickets.)

Saturday with Isaac and Aaron (and other people who aren't as little and cute)

On Saturday, I was able to drive up to my parent's house to see Isaac and little Aaron. I managed to arrive by 10:15, after passing through many a fog bank in Utah county. Isaac was awake after spending the night with his grandparents and we played for a couple of hours. One of the funniest moments was when he discovered my boots and decided that he needed to wear them and walk around in them. He could barely lift this feet and couldn't really keep his balance without holding on to a wall or person's finger. Later that day, Mom, Dad, and I took him shopping. We took a little shopping cart from home and he pushed it all around Sam's Club, much to the amusement of all the rest of the shoppers. He and I also danced in the music aisle. He went down for a nap quickly after all the fun.

I got to see Aaron for a little while in the morning before we left to go shopping. When we took Isaac home to his parents, I was able to hold Aaron for an uninterrupted 40 minutes. I was in heaven. I can't believe how light he is. I am used to holding Tanner, who is almost a year old. There is quite a difference in length, activity level, and weight. Holding an 18 lb baby is much different from holding a 7 lb baby. Aaron slept the whole time and I had to do my best to wake him up so Alison could feed him. I then drove back to Utah County, my arms aching. I do love my current life, but there are times that I can't help but yearn for a family of my own. It will come in time, but it can be hard to be patient in the meantime.

Aaron Wyler

I would like to announce the birth on my newest nephew. Aaron Wyler was born on January 4th, at app. 12:12pm. He weighed 7 lb 2 oz and 20.5 inches long. He is in excellent health, according to his parents. (see their blog entry at http://thejohnsenfamily.blogspot.com/) I haven't seen him yet but am very excited to this weekend. Yea!