Really, this is the rest of Utah

A few more pictures from our trip. 

Grandma Joyce and her great grandsons. She has 17 great grandkids!

 Baby Anya who was blessed while we were there.

 Uncle Dave's birthday dinner after-party!

 Wrestling with the second-cousins.

 Grandma Joyce and Anya.

 Cousin Erika's cat, who preferred to stay hidden from the boys.

 New baby Emory. Such a tiny little thing. My babies were NEVER that small!

 Tug of war with Simba!

 Heidi and Emory.

 Emory, Erika, and Grandma Joyce.

 All of us:)

 And the day after we got home, this is how Parker felt! Exhausted but thankful for a fun trip!

The rest of Utah...

Going back a bit, I wanted to detail more about our visit with Grandma Ruth. This is Pete's maternal grandmother. The last time we visited her in her home was a year and a half ago. Now she is in the memory unit of a nursing home. We had heard she did not want to be there at first, but was pleased to see that in the past few months she has settled in nicely, making a new best friend (Murdle) and of course her dog is her constant companion. Sweetie (who is really not very sweet to anyone but Ruth) is a very possessive little chihuahua, and I'm amazed they allow her to keep her. But I am glad to see she has someone to love in there. The workers say she still tries to escape sometimes, but overall is doing well. I was pleasantly surprised to see her looking pretty healthy. A few years back she battled cancer and was very frail, but now that she is living at a place that feeds her, she looks stronger than she has in years.

When we walked in, the memory care residents were in a rec room sitting quietly on various couches. When Ruth saw the boys, she lit up with joy (and Sweetie started barking like crazy!), but she had no idea we were there to see her. After going over to explain who we were, it was hard to tell what she thought. Regardless, she was so thrilled to see children, even if she wasn't totally clear that they were her great grandsons. The boys were very good about repeating their names and giving hugs and singing songs. I think they brightened everyone's day.

 She loved listening to the boys sing "I am a Child of God" and "Let it Go"!

Such a meaningful visit. She may not remember who visited, but I hope and pray she remembers that someone was there that loves her very much!

Anchors Away...

Ready for me to drop a bombshell? I mean it. Big changes ahead for the Dahlquist family....

Did you know Pete almost enlisted in the military right out of high school? It's true. He has always felt a certain patriotic duty to serve his country. But when they didn't guarantee that he could have two years off to serve a church mission, he decided those desires would have to wait. So then he went to college and law school, and while serving in the military was always in the back of his mind, life had other plans and he ended up getting a great job that brought us back to San Diego. Perfect. End of story... right? This past year and a half has been such a blessing working at a great firm, building connections, and learning about the legal field. He wouldn't trade this time for anything. However, it's not a job he saw himself at forever. He knew he wanted to gain more hands-on experience, and to feel good about the issues he was dealing with. And he still felt the strong desire to serve his country.

So last summer after much discussion and prayer, I finally gave him the go-ahead to apply to the Air Force and the Navy to be a JAG (Judge Advocate General... aka Attorney for the military). It's a very competitive selection process, and to be honest, I thought it was a long shot:) It's not that I doubt Pete in the least. He's awesome and smart and capable... but it's just competitive. Anyway, we were shocked to get an offer from the Air Force in October. Then doubly shocked to get an offer from the Navy in December. There are pros and cons of both branches, but ultimately felt like the Navy was the best option. It's the only option that gave us a shot at being stationed in San Diego, the bases are in pretty good locations (give or take a few), and the uniforms. Pete is a "gear guy." He can't wait to look like Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men."

So we accepted the offer for Pete to become a Navy JAG. Sincerely, it was a hard thing for me to come to terms with. I knew this choice would mean a big change for our family. I knew we would potentially have to be stationed somewhere other than San Diego. I knew it would mean a big change in salary. I knew it would mean getting to know new lingo and becoming part of a military community, one I really knew nothing about. I knew it meant separation for trainings and potential deployments. It's scary, and I tend to avoid change. But I also knew it would mean much better working hours for Pete, much more family time, less stress, and more meaningful work for Pete. He is over the moon excited about this job, though he tries to conceal it as he knows I am having a hard time dealing. We just found out we will be stationed in Norfolk, Virginia for three years. We have a four year commitment in total. I know this change will bring good things and challenging things, but I'm excited for the adventure. I also realize our decision is impacting family who we love so much and see often right now. I feel helpless and guilty about having to move away. But I guess this is life. You have to accept that change is bound to happen, and all we can do is adapt to it and find joy in the journey, because even when hard things happen, there is still joy to be found.

Here is Pete being commissioned...

LTJG Dahlquist and Captain Padfield (Pete's rank is Lieutenant Junior Grade).

 Making it official.

We appreciate all the support we've received and look forward to the adventure ahead. 

Lessons

I read somewhere that when your children don't do things that you want them to or they don't do them in a way that you want them to, it's an opportunity for "training" them to do it correctly. By training them to perform a task the right way, you will save huge amounts of time going forward, when you would have spent time correcting them or redoing their attempt. I feel like that was the wordiest, most confusing paragraph ever...

Anyway, Parker and Austin were racing around the house and Parker tackled Austin so he felt into the wall. Austin began crying, and Parker got defensive and started pouting instead of checking on Austin. We then told him he couldn't tackle Austin like that because he could get really hurt. Again being defensive Parker said, "Don't get mad at me. Stop talking to me." We responded, "We're just trying to teach you so that you can make a better choice next time." Parker then responded, "I don't want to be TAUGHT!"

I thought that was really profound. Sometimes we don't want to learn things, because with knowledge comes greater responsbility. Parker would have rather kept on playing as he was, being rough and not worrying about the consequences. But now that he knew it wasn't a good idea, next time his conscience might alert him to stop. It can be tough being accountable for things, darnit!

Cousins 9 months apart

I found out I was pregnant with Austin the weekend Joanne was born. Now that these two are at an age to play together, they are pretty funny. They always go for the same toys and end up squabbling over things in their nonsensical language. But boy are they cute!

The Easter bunny

I don't think I ever believed that there was an ACTUAL Easter bunny. Sure there was a mascot-type character that posed for pictures at the mall. Sure people asked you, "Did the Easter bunny come?" to which I would respond, "Yes!" But I don't think I ever thought my basket ever came from the bunny.

So on the night before Easter, Parker was falling asleep on the couch (where he prefers to sleep these days), in the dark living room, and Pete and I were heading to bed as well. Then we hear footsteps coming to our door. "Mom, so... does the Easter bunny come down the chimney like Santa Claus or through the front door?" Poor kid... he's probably laying on the couch totally freaked out that some some scary bunny is about to shimmy down the chimney or walk through the front door into our house. In that moment, I felt the fear, so I responded, "Buddy, the bunny is like a mascot for Easter and there is no real Easter bunny. Daddy and I will give you a few treats in your basket tomorrow, but there's not bunny that will visit our house." Thinking I totally relieved his panic, he responded with his head in his hands, "This is AWFUL that there is no Easter bunny!"

What is your take on the bunny? Did you think it was real as a child? Do your kids think there's an actual bunny?  Did I just totally ruin it for the my four year old? haha.

Here are some more pics of our Easter fun...

 Preschool church Egg hunt. They hid 7,000 eggs!

 Dying eggs with the fam. My grandma Lieber was always an avid egg dyer, so it's fun to remember her during this activity.

We went to celebrate with the Lieber's in Yorba Linda. The boys loved the brunch spread. 

 They even planned an egg hunt for my kids. So fun, even though whoever hid them made it a bit too challenging (Kendall!).

 Grandparents and Ryan and Chloe. We didn't get a family pic. At least they did:)

 Gran and her boys. They love her and talk to her all the time on the phone.

 If Parker saw Austin was going for an egg, he would always help him out and give it to him. Many kids his eggs would be selfish and hoard them for themselves. Not Parker. It's sweet to see that side of him.

 Grandpa Lieber doing bubbles.

Happy day. :)