NEWPORT BEACH FOR FALL BREAK!

 Over the summer my friends asked me if we wanted to go with them to Newport Beach for fall break with a bunch of families. We said no because we had big plans to be up in Provo with Emma so the boys could see her, see her place and we could hang out - it would have been about a month and a half since she had left so it seemed like she would be due for a good bit of family time. Then as break got closer and closer and  Provo became the hot spot for Covid, we were feeling uneasy about staying at Ashley's and possibly getting her family sick, things were closed, not a whole bunch to do, plus if we stayed home we could attack are hideous year that needed a lot of work, so we just decided to cancel Provo - with Emma's approval. 

The day I flew out to surprise Emma when she needed me, it was so last minute and Jared was in a very important work meeting he couldn't get out of, so I called Kati and she took me to the airport and on the way she told me, you should just come to California with us. Adam can't come till Wednesday and you can share my room with me and my boys would love it. This actually seemed like the perfect solution. Jared could stay home and take care of the yard and all the people who were supposed to come and do work on it, I could take the boys for a much needed vacation for them and we still got to be with our friends. 

So we did! And I am so grateful we did. So grateful Kati talked me into it. We caravaned out to Newport with them on Sunday and came home Wednesday morning - which happened to be Eli's birthday. The kids had the GREATEST time! They just ran around for 3 days straight with 5 million kids they knew from our stake. Eli ran around with Braxten, Jake, Kate and a new friend and then the twins ran around with Mikey, Nash, August, and whoever else. They would just run from beach house to beach house, playing in the ocean all day, playing 9 square on the beach, surfing on their boogie boards down a sandhill into the ocean, boogie boarding, seaweed jump rope, riding in a red floating couch, Eli and his crew rode bikes to a donut shop one morning, the twins snuck off to August's beach house and played video games for a little bit, it was just back and forth all over and everyone LOVED IT!! I already said - we are going again next year!!!! 

SURPRISE EMERGENCY TRIP TO SEE EMMA!

After a long 72 hours of nothing going very good (chemistry lab issues, Sodalicious drink breaking inside her backpack and drowning her new MAC book Pro, being hit by a car on her bike heading to the bus stop (TOTALLY fine just a headache and sore neck) this chick was done! She hit rock bottom. 

We had talked to her that morning after she was hit and sounded super annoyed but fine. Then while at work she sent me a text that she was trying to pull it together, but that she was just done.  My mom gut told me I needed to get up there and help her! But Jared had just talked to her on the phone and said she was fine. It still wasn't sitting right with me. 

By the blessings of Heaven and a few very special friends and family members - I was able to buy a plane ticket and 2 hours later I was in the sky flying to her! I texted Stephanie at work and asked her if she could come in for me and she did, She showed up at 11:15am and then by 11:20am I was driving home and told Jared to by me a ticket. I called Kati Hall and asked her if she could drive me cause Jared was stuck in a meeting he had to go to. She showed up 15 minutes later ready to take me and had made me a sack lunch! I texted Ashley and knew she was heading to pick up Emma at 4pm to take her to Best Buy so she could buy a new laptop and asked her to swing by the Provo Airport and grab me because my flight landed at 4pm. 

We got to her apartment and I surprised her. After the shock she gave me the tightest hug ever, sobbed in my shoulder and her little body shook! We took her and she got a new laptop, we hung out that night and even stayed up late eating Chipotle and watching a movie with Maddie (I promised the girls I wouldn’t post their pic so they are unicorns now 🤷‍♀️)and then Emma slept on the couch and gave me her bed. I woke up to the sound of a Hot Air Balloon right above her apartment complex - so random.  Then the next day while Emerson buckled down and did her chemistry and got caught up on homework. 

While I was there I was able to do all her laundry, clean her kitchen, bathroom, mop, empty trash and of course get her room back in order which I hear always looks good till the last 72 hours, took her to get a flu shot and her left her money for the treats her and Maddie are making to enjoy during Conference. I flew home the next day 26 hours after landing but she was back to her old self by the time I left. It was so good for both of us. I will be forever grateful for that quick trip, helping my girl and for those who made this crazy thing possible within a 20 minute notice! So grateful to Heavenly Father who also made everything fall perfectly into place!