Tan and Chan's StayCation

Posted by Chandra August 14, 2018

Tan and Chan's StayCation

Jon and I traded babysitting! Since I watched his kids on Monday night, he watched MY kids on Friday night! He came to my house because it was just easier that way and as soon as Tanner got home we headed out to a wedding reception. It was still hard leaving my kids, especially Ella because she is not feeling well. My kids were not on their best behavior before we left and I was just a stress case about leaving them with my poor brother. He had HIS kids too so I knew 7 kids would be a handful. Parker was a huge help and called me around 8:30pm because he was trying to get the baby ready for bed and she was crying and crying. Oh man, it made me think twice about leaving my kids.

But the wedding reception was gorgeous. It was for Christian Davis who married a beautiful young woman from Amy Jorgensen's hometown (small world). The venue was Soka University outside near the Peace Lake. The food was amazing and it was so fun seeing so many sweet old friends. It's always a treat when we can attend these events together with my parents! I just love President Davis- he always makes me feel so important and special.

We used our free Marriott night to stay in Irvine and we basically just crashed when we got there. Jill and Paul were able to sneak away for the night too and stayed there as well! We got them into the concierge lounge for a super yummy breakfast the next morning and it was such a fun way to start the day! I tried not to stress about Jon and the kids.... We checked out of the hotel and went to the Montage for a little beach sesh. It was Saturday so it was crowded so we walked to the far side and then hiked over some rocks to access a more secluded beach. The tide was up so it was a challenge getting to the other side but totally worth it to escape the crowds. We all jumped into the ocean because it was sooo hot and it felt so good! It's such a nice treat to be able to swim because normally when we have our kids, we can't do that! We sat on the beach and dried off and were talking when Parker called me in tears. Well, he actually called Jill because I didn't have my phone on me and missed his 10 calls. Jon had to leave at 10am so I arranged for Isaac to come over and babysit. Well, the baby threw up in her crib and was acting sick and sad when she woke up and he was so worried about her. We left right then and pretty much got home when we said we would be home. We made a plan for Tanner to take the boys to lunch while I stayed with the girls because we were SURE we'd come home to total chaos. But it was actually really calm and nice. Isaac did a great job, Jon left my house spotless, Ella went down for a nap, and Rayleigh just wanted to snuggle and watch a show.

I later took Parker to run some errands with me and he was able to use his birthday money at Target which made him super happy.

Sunday was my first day serving in my new calling in the nursery! Tanner and I are BOTH supposed to be in there but Jack and Ella both have runny noses and coughs so he kept them home. It was actually really fun in there but I was sad to miss relief society. We had chicken and rice and swam and I made chocolate chip cookies... we watched Ella's birth video on the big screen and Rayleigh loved it. She wanted to watch it over and over. So sweet.

Today is my grandpa's birthday. He would have been 102. So, for FHE, I took the kids to Polly's Pies (they each earned a free meal from the library's summer reading program) and we talked about him. I need to ask my mom some questions and get some better stories. But the kids actually did really great eating out and I was proud of them. We brought a chocolate pie home and ate a slice before getting ready for bed. They thought that was the best!

And here I am sitting on the computer at 10:45pm and Tanner just texted me and said he's on his way home. I guess I'd better get to bed.

Even though it's hard to leave the kids, one on one time with Tanner is so important! We are NOT good at it. We are not good at a lot of things. I know in more ways than one I can be a much better wife. But I'm learning and growing. I'm trying to live in my season and not look back with regret or longing or look to the future for some fantastical relief. Right now is where my feet are planted and I need to make each day the best it can be. Today, it was cleaning the house, listening to a good church book, taking my kids out to dinner and talking about their great grandpa, and supporting my spouse's long working hours. Each day is a gift and I am so thankful... even when it's tough.