My Tomo

Tummy time for Tomo

The many faces of Tomo

Tommy's mom gave him these cute sandals. I bought this onesie at Versailles. 

Me, Tomo, and Allie at King Dough pizza place

This is the toy I fixed. I rigged a way for Allie and Tommy to raise the foot part so Tomo's feet can reach and he can make music. 

After pizza, Allie, Tomo, and I walked through this beautiful neighborhood of the most quaint homes. 

This one was probably my favorite. It was set way back on a lot. So adorable. 

French onesie

Walks. Walks. 

Zoom in and look at Tomo's eyes, watching his cute mom. 

Swaddle that keeps him cozy for naps. 

Post walk cuddles. 

Checking out the blanket that my TA Kourtney finished for me. She serged the edges to make a nice finish. 

Bath time. 

Al and Tommy needed some help with daycare and I planned to go visit anyway, so I went to their place on Monday and flew home on Saturday. The direct flight on Delta from Salt Lake City arrives in Indy around 10:30 pm. It was hot and humid when I arrived. I needed to catch an Uber and it took forever to connect with my driver. Now I know better how to navigate ride share pickup at that airport. 

Tomo is so sweet. He's filling out and is so much more alert. He is really strong and holds his head up. I just love him. On Tuesday, Allie and Tommy went to work/school. They'd be home around 1:00 pm. Tomo didn't wake up until just after 11:00 am. I fed him a bottle, took him on a walk, and fed him again. Then Allie came home. He got a bit fussy, but it was ok. Due to weather, Allie didn't have her flight lesson, so we got the afternoon and evening together. Allie is such a great cook. She made delicious tacos and elote dip. 

Wednesday was a LONG day. Again, Allie and Tomo left and I waited for Tomo to wake up. He woke up around 8:30, so that made for a longer day. I fed him, went on a walk, fed him again, got him to nap, etc. Tommy and Allie came home, but Allie had to leave to go to a flight lesson from 4:30 - 6:30. Tomo is a cutie, but I forgot how fussy babies can be. Sometimes he's fed, has had a nap, has a clean diaper, went on his daily walk that he loves, and he can still be cranky. I hate to hear the blood-curdling screams. Allie is so patient with it. She doesn't get ruffled. I can't believe it. She's such a great mom. 

Well, when Allie should have gotten back, she texted to let us know that she was stuck at an airport with a plane with the equivalent of a "check engine" light. It took time for some people from the flight school to get to Allie and her instructor and to check the plane. In the end, they were able to fly the plane back. Allie didn't get home until 10 pm. Tommy and I really bonded over watching Tomo. We tag-teamed taking care of him, comforting him, etc. It was a rough day, but we had fun together. Tommy would watch Tomo and I would get some work done, then I'd take over and Tommy would study or play video games or whatever. It was definitely a memorable day. That cutie boy. When Allie walked in the door, I handed Tomo to her and told her "Tommy and I decided that he's yours now." We laughed about it. 

Tomo was much better and more himself on Thursday. After his morning bottle, we took a walk. He falls asleep on his walk, and continues to sleep. Then he eats again, stays awake a bit, and goes to sleep. He sleeps like a champ in his swaddle suit. He loves to have his hands up and the swaddle allows him to do that. He takes naps in a basinet in the living room, which makes it easy to keep an eye on him and still get stuff done. I got some reading done, wrote letters of recommendation, and did some prep work for the upcoming academic year. Tomo really likes to be outside, so I bought them some patio furniture for their front porch. I think Tomo will like sitting out there. 

Mom had a health setback on Thursday, which really threw me into an anxiety attack. Jenny and Debbie took care of everything, but I think the thought of what I have to do when I get back. I've heard people talk about the challenges of being in a sandwich generation, but it's real for me. I've got mom 2 miles from me. I've also got concerns for how much work Allie is trying to do now. Allie helped me manage my anxiety and realize there is no reason to worry about things that haven't happened yet. Mom's been having trouble with her eyes, and she has determined that her best option is to seek care in Ogden, at Scott's office. That's over an hour away! It seems daunting, but Jenny and Debbie have offered to take care of all the logistics. I really appreciate it. Derek also weighed in on some family matters, and made some accusations about mom and dad's finances and their reverse mortgage. It was very difficult. Allie reminded me that it's been a long summer of caring for mom (arranging an airbnb for Andrew's wedding, accompanying her to Denver for Connor's wedding, taking her to dr. appointments, etc.). It's a lot!

Allie doesn't have work or flight lessons on Fridays, so we had a fun day together. We took Tomo on a walk and went to a delicious bagel place for breakfast. We walked further downtown to a food district. There was seating, where Allie was able to feed Tomo. We stopped in a couple of shops and headed home. Allie and Tommy live just a couple of miles from downtown. You just have to get on the Monon Trail. I cleaned the kitchen and downstairs bathroom. I fixed a little bouncy musical toy so Tomo's feet could reach and make noise. Allie and I took Tomo and met her friend Maggie for pizza. We had a great time. Maggie is only 20 and is already a flight instructor. She's a hard worker. It's fun that she and Allie have each other. 

Allie is such a good mom. It's so cute to see her interact with Tomo, to read to him, to talk to him, to play with him, and to introduce him to "The Sound of Music." I love Allie so much and am so proud of what she's accomplishing. She works part-time at a high school as a career counselor, then she takes flight lessons. She takes care of a big, old home. She cares for her little "son, moon, and stars." I just love her. 

I left on Saturday morning. Delta has an 8:00 am flight that gets me back to SLC around 9:15 am. It was an uneventful flight. I was able to help the crew help a lady that spoke only Spanish. The older I get, the more I realize it's kinda crazy that I have kept my Spanish all these years. Many people forget their mission language within a few years of getting home. 

California 2025

Visited a really cute shopping and dining area in San Juan Capistrano. I had to take pictures of the beautiful food. 

Trying out Abby's bike. This is right before I almost ran into Kristen's car. These tricycles don't turn on a dime. 

Obligatory trip to Donut Wheel. Yes, I had cash.

Kris got pluots from her neighbor, and I helped her make jam. 

My yummy Mexican food

It wouldn't be summer vacation without going to California. I'm fortunate that Kristen and Doug welcome me into their serene purple guest room every summer. I really don't love celebrating Pioneer Day in Utah. It just seems like a repeat of the 4th of July. There is nothing quaint about it, like I remember from my youth, so I love to be in California for the 24th. I arrived in San Francisco just in time for Kristen to pick me up after her temple shift and for us to make it to their ward party in a park. It was a potluck dessert and hang out in the park. It was a lovely evening and we had fun just sitting and visiting with her ward members. Some members had recently traveled and it was fun to talk about our summer adventures. 

We drove down to Sarah and Cameron's house on Friday morning, stopping at Derek and Rachel's house first. Derek was out of town at a Comic Con, but we got to visit with Rachel, Raine, Charlie, and Milo for about an hour. That was nice. We had seen them recently, when we all came into town to see Jenny and celebrate the 4th of July, but it was still fun to stop by their house. 

Happy Gilmore 2 came out on Netflix, so we watched Happy Gilmore in preparation for watching the new version of the Adam Sandler golf comedy. Saturday we had a slow, late start, which I love. We went on a walk around Sarah and Cam's neighborhood. We also went to dinner at a great Mexican restaurant. Sarah and Cam always find the best restaurants. We went to the mall to see the next Tesla model that Cam wants to buy. He wanted to know if the back seat feels roomy or not, so Kris and I got in the back seat and gave an assessment, based on his current car and Sarah's car. We watched Happy Gilmore 2 and really enjoyed it. It was just a goofy fun movie. We were prepared for horrible, since a 50-something guy acting goofy could be dismal. We were pleasantly surprised. 

Sunday we went to a Mediterranean restaurant, Pinafini, that was the MOST beautiful and serene restaurant that I can recall ever being in. The decor was all white with potted olive trees. We sat in the back room, which had a lot of open windows, allowing the ocean breeze to enter the room. I honestly couldn't get over the beauty of the place. Leaving the restaurant, we had a view of the sun setting over the beach through the front windows. I mean...come on! Unbelievable. Loved the food, too. Cam took me to a surprise that he had for me. He had recently driven past a sign that said "Killer Dana" in Dana Point. He wanted to take me there so I could get a picture. LOVED it. He's so funny and thoughtful. 

We drove back to the Bay Area on Monday, via Harris Ranch for tri-tip sandwiches. I'd been there with Maria before, but all I remember was a takeout window with sandwiches in styrofoam boxes. When we ended up in a sit-down restaurant with $22 sandwiches, I was confused. We asked, and the takeout is at the gas station down the street. We loved the atmosphere of the family restaurant. Kris and I shared a sandwich. It was great, and a step above the takeout sandwich. 

Tuesday I went to Maria's for a couple of hours. She only lives 30 minutes from Kristen's house. We chatted, went on a walk, and went to McDonald's because I'm obsessed with the miniature McDonald's happy meal toys. I got a mini tray with happy meal box and bottle of milk on it. I really love the mini soda fountain. I went on eBay and bought one for me and for Doug. We both love our soda. Doug is putting a wall in the garage to separate the cars from his workshop. Kris is his helper on the projects. Thursday is Kristen's day at the temple, so I went with her. I walked around the grounds, including the terrace. The view of San Francisco was fantastic. It was a clear day. I love that temple. I did an endowment session, the did initiatories. That night we went to dinner with Kim Cassetti, our dear friend from Pleasanton. It's always fun to catch up with Kim. She's just a lovely person. She gave us the cutest Pleasanton mugs. I put mine in my office. It's a huge upgrade from the ugly black pen holder I'd been using without even thinking about it. LOL. 

Kris and Doug took me to the airport on Friday. They went from there to grab dinner at Half Moon Bay. Mel picked me up at the Provo airport at 11 pm and took me home. It was a great trip and the round trip ticket only cost $90. I was limited to a backpack, but I did it. In fact, I didn't even wear one pair of pants and one of the shirts that I brought. 

Office before

Office after

While I was in California, Allie and Tomo jumped on a plane and came to Utah. Sad I missed their visit.

We went to a sandwich place that had high reviews. It was ok, but the company was top-notch