Event-Filled Week

This past week has been jam-packed!

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I spent Tuesday cleaning the house and packing. My darling children all pitched in. Hubby, who's back was out, was assigned to lay in bed and hold the Baby Jim while we worked.

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Wednesday morning the kids and I loaded the van, helped Hubby wobble to his seat, and took off. First stop was respite for Miss Q. Surprise, surprise, the respite was at the home of her best friend. Hooray! We left Miss Q behind because she was attending YCL camp with our church Thursday & Friday.

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After dropping her off, we drove an hour to drop off Mr. J with his great-aunt. He was going to come with us for the weekend, but a last minute order from the court changed that plan. CPS thought this would be a great opportunity for bonding. We left him in the capable hands of his Auntie then drove on to Mesa, Arizona where our family adventure began!

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Wednesday Evening my darling baby was given a name and a blessing by his father. We gathered at Hubby's parents' home. His poor Mama is losing the battle with brain cancer. She was sent home last month with hospice services in place and at this time is unable to get out of bed. We opted to have the blessing at their house for two reasons:

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1) This was one of the things my Mother-in-Law used to get through chemo. Did you know that you administer chemo to yourself? I didn't. Each morning my MIL took one of those nasty pills that made her sick, sick, sick, in its attempt to kill the cancer. There were days when she just wanted to give up and not take the pills anymore. At those times one of the things that kept her going was the thought of attending her grandson's blessing. She'd think of the baby to come and swallow the nasty pill. What great courage!

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2) The Baby Jim is named after Hubby's father and that man is not leaving his wife's side.

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If they were to be included, we had to go to them. My family was wonderful about it. They, along with Hubby's siblings, cheerfully packed into my in-law's small condo.

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My Baby Boy

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Thursday was filled with wedding festivities and a court hearing.

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In the morning, my sister married her sweetie in the LDS Mesa Arizona Temple. It was a great ceremony. I enjoy attending weddings. They remind me of the covenants I made with my Hubby. As great as our wedding day was, it's nothing compared to the wonderful marriage we've shared for these many years.

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With Hubby's back still giving him trouble, I assigned him to take pictures while I managed the kids. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that neither of us did our jobs very well. My kids were so excited to be at the Temple with its sprawling lawns, beautiful gardens, and sparkling pools. They wanted to explore everything. Ey-yah! It was hard to reign them in!

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Meanwhile, Hubby tried to take pictures, but extra people kept popping up just as he snapped them. Or another picture-taker would divert the newlyweds' attention, so Hubby would end up with a shot of their backsides. Here are two of the best pictures he took:

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Our family at the Temple

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The Bride and Groom

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The wedding was followed by a lovely luncheon given by the Groom's family. Then we booked it to the reception hall so Hubby could set up his sound system. He was in charge of the music for the night. The kids and I hauled in his equipment and set it up per his instructions.

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Next we raced back to our hotel, got the kids set watching a movie, and called in to our town's juvenile court. We sat on hold for an HOUR! before being patched through to Mr. J's review and report hearing. Wow! What an intense hearing! I can't tell you what happened due to privacy issues, but let's just say it was Soap Opera worthy. The end result is that Mr. J is going to live with his great-aunt. The transition period begins today.

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Thursday evening was wedding reception held at Regency Gardens. It was a beautiful location. The decor reminded me of my own reception and of my sister-in-law's reception. We both had garden themes. We spent the evening playing with cousins, eating cake, and dancing. It was such fun to see all my siblings together in one place. I truly love my family!

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Grand & Grammy with all their grandchildren.

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The Bride & Groom with the Bride's nieces & nephews .

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Friday morning, after checking out of our hotel, we headed to Grammy's to swim and eat leftover wedding cake. Yum! In the afternoon we drove up to our Strawberry cabin. This part of our adventure was Hubby's Father's day gift. We used the remaining daylight to play, hike, and explore.

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Saturday hiked Tonto Natural Bridge. The bridge is one of my favorite places in Arizona. I have so many great memories of that place. All of the trails are "Steep and Strenuous". Hubby's back was doing better by this point, but with our kids young ages we stuck to the shorter trails.

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Hubby and his kids on the Waterfall Trail

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After the hike we drove into Payson. We got drinks from Sonic (a huge treat since this mom rarely allows soda) and headed to the rodeo grounds. We watched the Arizona Juniors compete. Those kids have such great skill!

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Enjoying the show and the drinks

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My cute baby sleeping in the shade .
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Team Roping

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It quickly grew hot, so we headed to the movies to see "Toy Story 3". It reminded me of "The Brave Little Toaster". The "Toy Story" storyline was much better.

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We drove back home Sunday which, after stopping to wish our Dads a good Father's Day and picking up the two foster kids, took ALL DAY!!! The Baby Jim was not a happy camper after all that travelling.

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Monday was the next big event...Court for Miss Q. We've told her and told her that she needs to be brave and speak up when the judge asks her opinion. She was brave a few months ago and her bravery set several things into motion. Court on Monday saw the fruition of her efforts. Miss Q is going to return to her Mother by the end of the summer. To say Miss Q is excited would be an understatement. The girl is practically vibrating with happiness. Her transition begins tomorrow.

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So...both foster children will be gone by the end of the summer and both have started their transition periods. I love them both dearly and have enjoyed having them in my home, but I am greatly anticipating the day when it will just be me and my Blue children again.

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Well, that is it. My event-filled week. Now I've got to get a bag packed for Mr. J and help Miss Q get her things organized. The transition process has them both spending the weekend with their bio-families. It's nice to see the these two cases going this way, that both kids will end up with family members. Keep you fingers crossed that the transition goes smoothly!