Grandma Camp

I had promised Connor, at the end of our last Utah trip, that we'd come back for a do-over.  We felt like we hadn't spent enough time with family in June, so this trip was much better planned.  I came up with tons of activities we could do without leaving Levan, and we named it "Grandma Camp."  There were board games, outdoor activities, crafts, walks, cooking, and field trips.  It was totally relaxed, meaningful, and fun.
   

Scrabble

We watched these baby birds learn to fly.

One day, we set up a Slip N Slide.  The kids had never seen one before, mostly because we've never had enough grass where we live.  After they had gotten the hang of it, Grandma joined them!
  

Irrigation Water

We spent a lot of time just hanging out in the shade.

On Wednesday, Kelli brought her kids down to spend the afternoon while they went to a play.  They came back late, and ended up spending the night with us.
  

Connor organized "Little Kid Kickball"

  

We went to the Juab County Fair to watch my mom's neighbor kids show their 4-H lambs.  I was so in love with this activity.  I worry that my kids are missing out on character-forming projects like this by living in the city.  After an hour or so, we all got kind of antsy, so we went for a walk and got some pictures.
  

   
I felt very blessed to get to be in Utah during the week that Grandma Cloe moved into assisted living, a few minutes from my parents' house.  Although she's still healthy, her mind is starting to fade, and she isn't safe to leave alone, even for an afternoon.  This home is the answer to prayers.  In such a small town, everyone knows everything, and there has never been a negative thing said about this facility.  I was actually surprised that, although recently built and designed for this purpose, it really just looks and feels like a large home with lots of bedrooms.  There are about sixteen residents, and everyone has a private room with their own furniture and other belongings in it.    My mom, Chuck, and I helped get Grandma Cloe's things moved in, while the kids visited with the other residents.  It was a bittersweet situation, and I know it was hard on both my grandma and my mom, but Grandma Cloe agreed that it was a nice place and the best choice that could be made given the situation.  I hope she has been able to settle in, and that her room and house are starting to feel like home.
      

      

In the process of moving Grandma Cloe out of her house several months ago, my mom realized that she had very few pairs of pants left.  Attempts to take her shopping hadn't gone well, so we spent one night on the internet, where my mom was able to track down the company that made Grandma Cloe's original favorites.  It was neat to get to buy her new things that looked just like her :-)
   

  
Our last day was Corinne's third birthday!  I was busy getting things packed and ready to leave, but my mom treated her to a birthday sign, with a few small gifts underneath.  Then they watched Corinne's birthday e-card about a thousand times.  It featured some colorful little-girl penguins dancing to hip-hop birthday music.
  

Our friends' daughter, Jill, needed a ride home in time for school to start, so we took her with us on our drive back.  I was worried it would be a bother, but Jill was actually super helpful.  It was like having a babysitter and entertainer on board the whole way!  We got home a little after dark.  This was truly one of the best Utah visits we've had since moving to California.
    

Pioneer Park, Mesquite