14 minutes of my life I never want to relive. And some other stuff too.

One of the most depressing things about summer is the fact that it is so jam packed with stuff that it makes it completely fly by. I wish I could just sit on my patio out back from about April til October and stare at the leaves on my glorious trees and watch them subtly change day after day. Maybe it would go by a bit slower.

The month of June was a complete blur. Celebrating Father's Day and Jason's birthday in the same week almost put me into a coma. We spent 4 days in Nashville as well. But more on that in a minute! I have to tell you an awful story. When it happened the cop told me it happens all the time so maybe this has happened to some of you.

I'll rephrase that, an awful story with a happy ending. So don't let me scare you. So last week my mother came down to stay with our two little girls while Jason, Isla and I went to Nashville. We came home on Sunday and went to my Uncle's wedding on Tuesday so spent the day Monday running errands. We pull up to Winco, mother dear and I get out of the car and start unloading the girls. I help Scarlett get her shoes on, walk her around to the other side of the car where my mom already has Lucy and let her join her sister in Grammy's shopping cart. I turn around to get Isla out and the car doors are locked. I suddenly can't find my car keys. Pat down my body, empty my purse searching and a sick sinking feeling of complete panic quickly sets in. It's 90 degrees outside. Isla is locked inside a black denali baking in the sun along with the keys. I tell my mom, still searching for my keys, "Mom we have to call someone." She tells me to call 911. I immediately call and have things relatively under control until I the second I tell the dispatcher, "I've locked my keys in my car and there's an infant locked in there, too." I burst into tears. I spend the next 10 minutes pacing back and forth next to the car in complete hysterics trying to open the door over and over as if one of these times it's going to magically be unlocked. LONGEST 10 minutes of my entire life. I can't write this out or talk about it without crying again. I had no way of knowing how hot the car was getting inside. I couldn't see her either, because she was covered by a car seat cover. I was searching for something to put through the window but the only thing there was a shopping cart. Contemplated trying to put it through the windshield over and over again. I was having a total breakdown praying constantly in my head to Father in Heaven. And I did feel an underlying sense of peace that things would be okay. But still I had a really hard time keeping it even remotely together. My mom was just standing there with the other girls in her cart, trying to calm me down and though she was crying too she kept telling me help is almost here Mera. But I'm not kidding, I couldn't really hear her. Strangers came and asked if they could help, there was one whose husband was a locksmith and she was on the phone with him trying to get him there. The police officer along with paramedics showed up actually pretty quickly in hindsight. But it felt so long. I watched the cop wedge in through the window with a long wire and watched through the opposite window as he tried over and over to push the unlock button only to watch the end of the wire slide off of it over and over. I told him to bust the window in. I felt pure and complete insanity setting in. Honestly. When he finally was able to unlock the car, I bolted over and inside and yanked that perfectly-at-peace snoozing babe out of that car seat so fast. She wasn't sweaty at all. She wasn't even mildly distressed. The car was hot but felt much cooler inside than I had built it up in my mind. Poor itty girl was jolted out of a perfectly comfortable nap and obviously had no idea what was happening. I just stood there still crying my eyes out holding her while the officer told me we did the right thing to call right away and then he tried to give me suggestions I could do for if this ever happens again. But he might as well have been speaking Chinese. I seriously stood there looking at him and could not make out a single word he was saying to me. He gave me a good pat on the back and told me to take a deep breath and that everything was just fine. I do remember him saying that.

The panic I had felt turned into debilitating nausea at that point, and I had to go into the bathroom in Winco and dry heave for a good 10 times. The paramedics (thankfully) weren't needed and so they decided to head on inside and get some shopping done as well, which for some strange reason brought humor into the whole thing for me. I couldn't really smile just yet, but I knew I felt amused by it somewhere deep inside my psyche. I think it was the nonchalance of all of us doing something like grocery shopping immediately after I had almost put my head through my car window in a hysterical fit. We kept inadvertently crossing paths with them and my mom would thank them and I'm not sure why but I couldn't really say anything. I would just stand there with my big swollen puffy eyes and make-up smeared all over my face and look shifty eyed around like a serious mental case. And then I continued to cry the rest of our time at Winco. And then when we went home I took Isla into my bedroom, closed the door, and we both collapsed into a serious narcoleptic nap for a good hour.

I couldn't figure out why the car doors had locked, and it was really chapping me because nothing like this had ever happened before. But later that day we realized that my mom had Lucy's shoes up in the front seat with her and once I helped Lucy get unbuckled and started getting Scarlett out, Lucy had crawled up to my mom in the front through the middle console of the car. She loves pushing buttons. (I mean, it is fun isn't it??) And she had casually pushed the lock-all-doors button before hopping out with Grammy. I gave her rear end a good sound paddling several hours later when we realized all this. Oh my gosh, kidding! But I did do it in my mind.

So the wisdom I learned from all of this is to call 911 immediately if this ever happens. Especially in the summer. Don't mess around. And not to let your little kids climb out of the driver side or passenger side of the car. And that paramedics need their eggs and milk, too. And if you see them at the grocery store, hi-five them when you walk past them. You don't even need to say anything or make eye contact, just hold your hand up and give a good solid hi-five.

Phew. Okay, onward onto lighter and fluffier stuff. Back to our crazy June. Jason and I went to a surprise party of a good friend of ours Kacy, and her husband happened to arrange a flash mob to Bon Jovi's "You give love a bad name". It was a dream come true to be a part of. So fun. And here are a couple shots we got from the photo booth they had set up. Scarlett saw these and asked if Jason was Grandpa (Jason's dad). So, Grandpa, if you're reading this, now you know what you look like through the eyes of a 2 year old.

 We also saved two baby hawks that had fallen from a high nest in our trees. We have raccoons and all sorts of varmints back there in them woods, so really, we did save their lives! Aren't they adorable?! Coolest thing ever. Turned them over to wildlife rescue and heard they're doing just fine. The girls cried saying goodbye. 

 Our snap peas have been Scarlett's favorite this year. And there's a strict, "you can only garden in your underwear or a diaper" rule enforced at our house. The neighbors love it.

We took the babies to strawberry days in pleasant grove for a day. They loved every second. But Lucy thought I was pretty lame for freaking out when she started rocking the seat on the ferris wheel. Look at the condescension in her eyes.

Father's Day began like this:

Jason was gifted a new karaoke machine. And this clip is what goes on anywhere from 7 to 35 times a day in our house:
 

Later that week we celebrated Jason's birthday. But I'm still waiting to get pictures back from that, and it definitely deserves it's very own post. So stay tuned, it's coming soon!

Isla is now 2 months old. What??? Yes it's true. I guess I have to stop counting her age by weeks now. She owns my heart.

I still like her sisters too though. And they love her.

So, the annual SDM 100 gala brought us to Nashville. (Jason's work related.) And it was 1940's themed! So fun! 

Except only like 4 couples dressed up out of an entire ballroom full of those old stiffs. They think mormons don't know how to have fun?! Oh, we know. No, we didn't get all inebriated so we could really get down and jump, jive and wail with a bunch of strangers, but we did dress in theme, which, as everybody knows is where all the fun really is. Actually you know I don't need any liquorin' up to jump, jive and wail, but I do need to be kid free. And Isla accompanied us. So I remained a proper lady throughout the event. And that was that.

 I won't tell you about how when the whole place was dead silent listening to the MC welcome everyone to the event how Jason pulled Isla out of her car seat and totally mashed her head on the bar of her seat and sent her into a wailing fit. I won't tell you how I awkwardly scurried out of there all flushed and sweaty with every eye on me, everyone in their black tie attire thinking, Someone brought a baby to this?!? I won't tell you how there was nowhere to nurse so I had to go sit in a bathroom stall cursing my husband's name. I won't tell you about how 99% of everyone I spoke to only has 1 or 2 kids at most and if they do have 2, they are like 7 years apart. And I won't tell you how then I'd tell them we have three that came at a rapid fire pace, and we want more, how their eyes bugged out of their heads. I won't tell you how a whole group of them started singing zero population is the answer my friend and danced in perfect choreography whilst singing and how I grabbed the lead singer's glass of champagne and splashed it into his face and ran out crying. I won't tell you all of that.

No, people were really nice about it and if they were looking down us for bringing a baby, we couldn't tell. At least not with most of them. After she had her fit at the beginning she was an absolute jewel the remainder of the evening, and got oohed and ahhed over a whole lot.

The next night we went to the Grand Ole Opry. And I loved every second of the show. I wish I was a country singer. Bad.

  Nashville is such a cool city. It was my first time and we stayed right downtown. Live music around the clock everywhere you go. Everyone was so nice. That Southern hospitality gets me every time! We went to eat dinner at this place and I think the waitress there was one of my favorite people ever. She was a little feisty black lady who kept calling Jason baby. He ate it right up. And of course spoke to her in a southern accent all night without realizing he was. The best thing she said was when she was clearing our plates, "Y'all did real good. Out of 'bout 50 percent, I'd say y'all ate about 25-35 percent of y'alls food". No one knows why 50% really meant all of our food, but we went with it and loved her so much, heck, she's comin' out for Christmas this year! 

Thank you for taking care of our kids mommy. You are the greatest Grammy. And the get-away was so excellent for Jason and me.

Another current happening in our home: potty training. 

 We're actually sortof trying not to potty train yet because I'm not really ready to commit to the energy it requires, but she's so dang thrilled with sitting on the pot that it's hard not to let her. I hope it's always this exciting for her.

And lastly, I'll add on our 4th of July celebration. I'm sorry this is like 8 blogposts in 1 but I have to do what I can. Finding the time for this is becoming more sparse in my life, and so far this morning I've already consented to let my children tear the house down room by room so I can sit here and I don't know when I'll feel so giving again.

Independence Day began with seeing this handsome mug on the TV. Good morning Utah did a little ditty on Coney's along with a hotdog eating contest. So that was fun. Isn't he cute? I have the biggest crush. Seriously the way he's holding that microphone and looking all professional anchorish. Who am I kidding? You know I mean that fine piece in the wee little apron. I think my favorite thing that he said while on air was, The Sonoran dog is a fiesta for your tastebuds. I couldn't agree with you more honey.

Our neighbor and friend Kacy (flash-mob Kacy is how she will forever be known on this blog henceforth) gave us these ridiculously adorable dresses when Isla was born. My heart might burst out of my chest. Little girls are my very favorite. At least until we have a little boy, and then maybe I'll like boys as much. But for now, no question. These dresses! Scream out loud if you must. Go ahead. Scream bloody murder, wherever you are right this very second.

 I was lame and stayed home while Jason took the two older girls to the parade in the morning. But being out in the hot sun with a newbie is no fun. They get all fiery hot with anger and want to be held, which only intensifies the sweaty mess. I stayed home and snuggled Isla in the AC of our home, so I don't feel so lame. I just mostly felt happy. Scarlett and Lucy are mystified by parades as of late. Love this shot hubby got.

  And there you have it folks. There are more things I could tell you with what's going on in our family but my goal in beginning this blog post was to have it a few lines shorter than Les Miserables, the novel. So I have to end here if I want to keep my goal.

Back to not so light and fluffy: I'm so grateful for our little family and every day that ends with my children and husband safely tucked into bed is accompanied by an outpouring of thanks to Father in Heaven from me. I know that He is aware of me and mine. Little things like the simple push of a button that locks all the car doors make you think. A lot. I'll try not to let that turn me into a paranoid mess for the rest of my days. I guess this is a wrap then. I bet if this here blog post is about 50%, y'all probably actually read 'bout 25-35%. Y'all did reeeeal good. Thanks for tuning in.