Farewell Summer Break

 After our big trip to Idaho and Ella's week of birthday celebrations, we had 2 more weeks of Summer break. For the most part, I took Rayleigh to school every morning and went for a walk around the soccer fields to pray and work out my anxiety. Tanner was home and desperately searching for a job. He took Jack to see the new Spiderman Movie and got passed over for a few jobs. He's working on an app to help SNFs admit patients and he's very excited about it. On Wednesday, I took the girls to visit my parents. My mom had a little gift for Ella and Cami had sent a gift over, too. We stayed for a little while and then went to the Montage. Ray was feeling tired and didn't want to go but we are all so glad we did. It was magical. The Montage was gorgeous. The water was warm and calm like Hawaii and we spent about an hour just swimming in the ocean together. It was perfect. Then the girls snuck into the pool while I sat on the beach and chatted with Shelley. Her birthday Dad is in the hospital and not doing well. Her Dad is not doing well either and she is struggling with it all. After a while, the girls came back down with Montage cups filled with ice cold water. Bougie girls. We used the bathroom and a sweet older lady complimented the girls on their cuteness and good behavior. That made us feel good. We got ice cream and Chick fil A on the way home (using points because we are poor now) and it was an all around magical evening with my beautiful daughters. 

I took Ella to Disneyland again and we stayed until 11:30pm. We got beignets because we were starving and we have no regrets about that. I love being there at night. We rode Thunder Mt during the fireworks and Astro Orbitor during the parade and it was a great time. Jack had Noah over to play all the next day and I was so glad because poor Jack has gotten the short end of the stick this break. Ray goes to school and Ella has been going to Disney and celebrating her birthday but Jack's just been sitting around watching screens most of the time. ugh. 

Saturday was busy. Ray had a lacrosse scrimmage and Jack had soccer pictures at 8am so Tanner and I had to divide and conquer. Then, Tanner helped Tanya move and I took Jack and Ella to piano lessons, get my car washed, and get gas. When we all arrived back home, we went to my old neighborhood for a pool party at Pat and Diane's. I spent most of my childhood in their pool and it was so nostalgic to go back. All my siblings (but Josi) came and Courtney brought pizza for us all. Diane has alzheimers so she is not the same lady she used to be but the love and the joy was still there for us all being together. Tanner took my Dad home after about an hour because their TV stopped working and we had a new one delivered that Tanner needed to set up. The day before, my Dad had gone through some rigorous testing at the neurologist and it was a very hot day, so it was good for him to get home and rest.

My Dad is not doing well. His short term memory is getting worse and he's physically weakening. He has a hard time walking so we also ordered a walker but he will need to use it for it to be effective. My mom said when the doctor asked how many kids he had, he had to count us off one by one and when he asked the date my dad said it was 1995. He's having a hard time finding the words while praying and today he took the sheets off his bed and put them in the dryer without ever washing them. After the doctor he fell in the bathroom but because he's relatively fit, he was able to pull himself up by the bathtub. This is a LOT for my mom to process. It's a huge life change for her- not being able to work in the temple so suddenly, my dad not able to drive, having to watch everything he does (one time he left the fridge open and once he cut up and apple and just threw it away without eating it) She doesn't want to him leave him alone but also gets stressed and frustrated. She can't be expected to be his full time care giver but what do we do? I wish we could win the lottery and move in down the street. My siblings have all been very compassionate and we have a group text dedicated to supporting my parents during this time. We all love my Dad so much and are ready to help in any way possible. 

After the pool party, Tanner and I took Rayleigh to the temple for Youth Baptisms. She really wanted us there and it was a little awkward at times... I wish the other girls pulled her in. The new Young Women's president is trying so hard and I want Ray to meet her half way. We are trying! The temple was good- it was the first time we'd been to Yorba Linda since it opened and it was nice! I felt a lot better after my In n Out (using the last library gift card I had) and we took Ray to Chick fil A after we got home.

We had a nice day at church and brought cookies to some people in the ward who are struggling. Billie had hip surgery, Valerie had knee surgery. And Tanya moved. It felt good to do a little service. Then we continued binge watching Outer Banks. Thank goodness for Vid Angel. I didn't realize how much these kids swear!

One more week of Summer break!