It started during the week when I knew I needed a sitter for you and Quinn from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Dear me that is a long time. You guys started daycare with Shelly on Friday, so it was already breaking my heart a bit to leave you again, and then to make matters worse, I just couldn't get enough sitters. I split you guys up and got sitters in shifts, but it still did not cover the day.
I was headed to Cassie Westover's (Hammer) wedding. The sealing was at 9:40 a.m., the luncheon at 1 p.m. and the reception at 6 p.m. all in Salt Lake. I really wanted to go to everything, but it was mostly no kids allowed. It got sticky in the end.
I dropped you off at Melissa's house at 8:30 a.m. (Quinn had a sitter at home). It was a fast drop because I was running late. Then there was a road closer in town that slowed me down. I was sure I was going to be late for the wedding. I hauled butt, parked illegally, ended up with a $30 ticket but made it to the wedding in time.
It was beautiful. I am very in love with your dad, and I enjoyed the time in the sealing room to reflect on how grateful I am. In the past, there has been sealings where I was not so delighted with my current state of life and love. But this time, the stars where aligned. They are aligned. Ups and downs are part of life.
It was hot for pictures outside the temple. I had arm pit sweat rings. Not cool. I eventually headed to my car to find the ticket, got a legal parking spot, and then headed into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to pump milk since you were far away. You were at Melissa's barely taking a bottle, you little bugger.
Lunch was yummy, and I loved talking to Austin and Mana all about their wedding that I missed. But the whole time I was still trying to figure out what to do with you girls for the night. I had planned to skip the reception since I never found a nighttime sitter, but everyone made that sound like a horrible thing to do. I got the vibe that it was fine to bring you guys to the party if the alternative meant not coming.
So, the plans changed fast. I headed to Alpine, picked you up, and headed home. I found you a black velvet formal dress that was too short, but still cute. I found myself my only formal option. Lots of black AND pantyhose. I was still sweating from the morning, so this was not cool. And I was wearing heels, which was even less cool. But I had to have us all looking perfect because I already felt like I was breaking a formal event rule by bring you guys, and I didn't want to add "cheesy morning church clothes at a formal event" to the list of major faux pas I was making. I also grabbed a few formal dress options for Quinn and then headed to Aunt Sue's to pick her up and get her ready.
I was not in the car 2 minutes before I wanted to die. I was so hot and so uncomfortable, and Sue called to say that Quinn had really bad diarrhea. I looked at the short stack of Quinn's Pull Ups next to me, and although my heart told me to go home, change and get more Pull Ups, I just kept driving.
We got there early. I was still hot. The Valet guys were really nice as I unloaded you and a ton of entertainment options for Quinn. I loaded up the stroller and then dragged it up 20 stairs. The minute I got inside, I knew that this party was NOT kid friendly. It was a three story old house, and the party was on ALL three levels. No elevator. I started to ask a guy who looked in charge if there was a place to set up camp for the kids, and he cut me off before I finished to tell me that there was no place for my stroller. He was a big jerk. I got all paranoid. I decided to regroup at the car and leave the stroller in the Jeep.
But when the nice Valet guys went to get the car, it died!!!
No joke the car died at the party. Honestly, if I had had a car, I probably would have loaded you guys back up and gone home before it even started. But we were stuck. (And in the end, I am SOO glad we were.)
So hot, so tired, and Quinn just wanted to hang out with a new family she had met inside. I let her while I figured it out. Daddy was working on calling a tow truck, and I was trying to not freak out AND find the time and space to feed you.
Things got worse as more people showed up. It got crazy crowded. I had no help. Quinn was all over, you cried, and I had to hold on to my phone so I could feel when the tow people called. I missed their calls anyway. When I finally got to the front of a food line, Quinn screamed that she had to go poo-poo. We left you with someone, got out of line, and ran upstairs to take care of business, which had of course already been taken care of in her Pull up. One down.
Eventually, we decided the car was out of gas. Daddy came and filled it, and it work. We thought the problem was solved, and the party was just getting good. Daddy headed home, and I kept you guys to dance and play a little before going home. Quinn had a blast dancing at the party. For about 45 minutes, the last 2 hours or torture had seemed worth it. Eventually I dragged Quinn downstairs so we could leave before you'd have to eat again.
But the car died again. For real.
We headed back upstairs. I was all sweaty all over again, and then, of course, you had to eat. When I called Daddy, he about flipped out. He was only a few minutes from home by then. He was really mad. But of course he turned around and headed back to Salt Lake to get us.
When he pulled up, I about fell into the car I was so tired and so done. My whole body hurt from our adventure. Then daddy looked at me with a guilty expression and said, "I booked us a room at the Grand America."
Dear me. I always bug him to take me there. It is really expensive. We made a deal that we would go as long as we never talked about how much it cost. He said he just didn't have the heart to drive all the way home.
Knowing we were going to the hotel made it easier to deal with all the towing stuff. But it was also stressful because I knew that I didn't have shoes except my heels, and no clothes except a formal dress.
We ended up in a big suite with plenty of room so that I did not have to hear you snoring or moving around in the night. Daddy and I got room service, and then we called it a night. You were great all night, angel.
In the morning we played, and then headed to brunch at the hotel. I wore a formal dress and flip flops that I bought at the hotel. The brunch is famous as a local favorite, and now we know why. SOO GOOD. and SOO expensive. But remember.... no talk about money.
The car wasn't ready once we left Salt Lake, of course. We headed home, took naps and then packed up the car to head to a concert in the park in Lehi. Daddy's friend Brandon was playing with his country band.
We danced like crazy, and had a great time. You stayed awake for most of it, and seemed to like it. Normally you freak out when it is windy, but you were very relaxed in spite of the breeze tonight, and when we got home you laughed for me a bunch.
So, it was a long and crazy 28 hours. But it had all the charms of a good life. A celebration, some drama, spontaneity, tears, love, food, family, music, a fast shoe purchase in a hotel, a fit from a 2 year old, a sleeping baby during brunch, a free newspaper on the door step, a bubble bath, a fulfilled fantasy, good wedding cake, dancing and more dancing, laughter and Valet parking.
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