January

I have realized that I have very little, if any, alone time, and that makes it difficult to write. But it has been quite a month. It started with a wonderful New Year's Day where my family just relaxed and watched the Rose Parade and a movie and played games. Then it was back to school and back to work. In years past January has been quiet and I tend to hibernate and just enjoy its calmness after a busy December but this year we got right back into it. We celebrated a birthday one weekend, then the next we went to Philadelphia to attend the temple. We decided last minute to make a go of it and it all worked out, but it was pretty stressful. We drove up Friday afternoon but with traffic, we didn't make it to our hotel until almost 6:45 pm. We checked in, scarfed down some dinner and then changed so we could make it to the last session of the day. The Rays came and met us at our hotel and stayed with the kids while we went. They swam and watched a movie and were perfectly happy. We made it to the temple with seriously seconds to spare. The minute we sat down though I was enveloped in this incredibly peace. I had been anxious all day about how the whole weekend was going to work out, especially as I was driving us up there, and it was such a relief to be there and to have made it. I love being in the temple. The calm, peace, joy and glimpse of eternity makes my spirit feel whole. I love learning more about the plan of salvation and my Savior and serving others and being in such a holy and sacred place. It was especially nice to be there with Josh and know the kids were being well taken care of too.

It did make for a bit of late night but I was hoping my kids would sleep in. Nope. All of them were awake at 6:30 am, which I found super annoying. But we had breakfast, got ready and then headed to the Franklin Institute. We spent all morning and the early afternoon there, watching the Ray girls while Matt and Michelle went to the temple. My kids love this museum and even though we have been many times they enjoy it each time. At 2pm we all headed over to the temple and then because we could only get one baptismal appointment, Michelle took in our big girls and I waited with the little kids while Addie got baptized, then we switched and I got to go in for Lily's baptisms and confirmations. It was sweet to be there with Lily and she loved it. She said the only thing she didn't like was how short and quick it all went; she would have liked to have stayed longer. I am so grateful she felt that way in the temple and that she is anxious to go back. She really is such an amazing girl and each day I'm impressed with her thoughtfulness, maturity, and resilience. It was snowing and cold so we took a quick picture when we were done and hopped back in the car to head home. It was a tough drive in the rain for awhile but then it stopped and we made it home with no problem. It was a lot of stress and driving and juggling but it was totally worth the sweet experiences we had in the temple.

The next weekend I took a girls trip to Orlando. Back in June when Kori was moving, Michelle and I helped her pack up and got talking about how fun it would be to come visit Kori in Florida. That idea germinated in my head and by October I decided to book a ticket and make it happen. Michelle and Sarah decided to come and we had so much fun. It took a lot of coordinating and a lot of people's help to make it possible for me to leave for a few days, but it was so worth it. Thursday we flew down there, went to lunch, went to Sea World (Kori has a pass and could get us in for free!) and I really liked riding Mako, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, and seeing the turtles and manatees and the dolphin and orca shows. It was rainy and a bit chilly but it didn't matter; we were kid-free and able to just relax and have fun. We went to a mall and got milkshakes and walked around for awhile; again, another simple pleasure that I never get at home.

Friday was the big day though. We went to Universal to see all of the Harry Potter stuff. It was amazing and so much fun; it was exactly the magical day I was hoping it would be. We did all of the rides and ate anything that came in butter beer flavor, we talked and laughed and took the day at our own pace. I absolutely loved the new Hagrid's Motor bike ride, which we got to ride twice in a row because of a small technical difficulty. Wootwoot! Then the castle ride was a bit too much for me but I liked the line. The Gringott's ride was awesome and we rode that one twice too. I enjoyed the train and all of the food and we even did the Hippogriff ride which was fun but short. We rode a few rides outside of Harry Potter (the Mummy was okay, I didn't love the Jimmy Fallon one though the line was fun and lastly Kori and I rode Dr. Doom which was amazing!) but mostly the day was about the magic of Harry Potter and I loved it. My kids are too little for those more intense rides so I didn't feel bad going without them at all and I loved feeling young and independent and able to freely do what I wanted to do. It was nice being called Alecia all day; most days I am only called mom, a title I love and appreciate but it is so nice to take a break! Saturday we went early to the temple, got to see Lana, whom I really respect and admire, and then we went to Disney and rode the Skyliner around. We walked around some hotels that are on a pretty little lake and ate a bunch of ice cream (a highlight of the trip for sure; we were laughing so hard) and just soaked up the sunshine until we had to head to the airport.

I loved every second of this quick little trip and I'm so grateful my husband was incredibly supportive and juggled a lot while I was gone. I do the same for him when he travels for work or has a lot of church responsibilities so it was nice to be on the other end for a change. I am so grateful for Kori for hosting us and making it all possible and for Sarah and Michelle for being fun and willing to go with me. They are all wonderful friends.

This last week of January has been quiet, which has been nice. I've read a lot of Harry Potter (I had hoped to read them all before we went but only made it to number 4) and taken my kids to their activities and cooked and exercised. Sometimes my life feels very simple, but it is a good simple and I'm grateful. 2020 has gotten off to a good start!