May Day--unlike any day

Calvin's birthday this year was a jam-packed and somewhat dreaded day as we anticipated it and it became one for the books once it got here.

May 1, 2010.
5am...the youth met at our house for a 6am temple trip.
8am--noon...there was a combined service activity with the Farmington (our ward) and Hazeldale wards cleaning of the church building, inside and out.
9am-11am...I had to run 10 miles for my last long run in training.
3pm...Jared had a stake priesthood leadership meeting in conjunction with stake conference.
7pm...we had the adult session of stake conference, oh yeah, and I was speaking.

We knew we wouldn't be able to celebrate Calvin's birthday ON his day so we opted for Sunday. We didn't celebrate his first birthday until the 5th of May last year, so why start now?

We hit the ground running on Sat. 1st. After Jared got back from the temple trip, I got ready for my run. Unfortunately, we missed the service project at the church, but I couldn't not train. It was my last 10 mile run before my half marathon.

After my run, I was still getting over my cold and totally wiped out from that and my run. I tried to choke down lunch, but nothing sounded good. Then I realized I hadn't gotten Calvin ANYTHING for his birthday from us or my parents as they had instructed me to. Fortunately (but don't tell Calvin) we were using leftovers of the cake that was made for my birthday for his party the next day. It was after 1pm at this point and knew I had to get going if I was going to go shopping before Jared's meeting. I was also going to take advantage of not having any children and vacuum out the suburban.

On my way out of the driveway, my mom called from Scotland to wish Calvin a happy birthday. I talked to her for a little bit since Calvin was sleeping. She wanted to talk to the boys so I left my cell phone with them and left.

I got my shopping done and was cutting it close with the time, but decided to clean out the burb anyway because if I didn't do it then, I was going to regret it. I figured Jared would leave Jake in charge for the few minutes when he had to go before I got back. I would have called him to let him know I wouldn't be much longer, but I left my phone at home.

I drove up to the house at 2:55pm only to see the van was still there. I found Jared fast asleep on the bed, in his casual clothes. He fell asleep (a combo of being sick and being up at 4:30am) and figured I'd just wake him up when I got back...of course he assumed I'd be back to give him enough time to get ready for his meeting. He practically jumped off the bed and got ready in record time. I apologized profusely. I hate being late to meetings. He was very gracious about it all...mentioning something like "that's what opening songs are for." I asked him if he'd pick up a pizza on the way home for the kids to eat for dinner so that I would have one less thing to think about and he said he would.

While he was gone, I wrapped gifts, bathed the kids, got the house tidied up, practiced my conference talk one last time and got ready to go.

Jared came home around 5pm but without pizza. In his rush to get out of the house for meeting #1, he forgot his wallet. So he jumped online and ordered a pizza from Papa Johns to be delivered. The babysitter arrived and we gave instructions regarding the pizza and tip and bedtimes and left around 6:15pm so I could get to the stake center for the prayer meeting.

All went well during the adult session. I was actually one of the first speakers and was glad to get the talk over with so I could focus on the others who followed. I noticed Jared got up twice after I spoke. He was on call, so I wasn't surprised.

When the meeting was over and I finally made my way up to him, he said we had to go home and repent to our children. Jake called (one of those times Jared left the chapel) at 8:20pm (bedtime was 8) and told Jared that the pizza STILL hadn't shown up. It should have been there by 6:30--at the latest. I didn't even want to know why they were just now calling about it. Jared told Jake to tell the sitter that we approved of them having cereal for dinner and then they needed to go to bed. Jared told me, in his haste, he must have forgotten to select the option of "delivery" when he ordered the pizza.

So we hustled out of the crowd quickly to go find our kids' dinner. It was there alright, awaiting "carry out". I'm just glad they were still open. When we got home, I found out my babies (Karcyn and Calvin) went to bed at 7:30 like I had asked, but with no dinner. I was heartbroken. I've never put my little ones to bed without eating. And poor Calvin...on his BIRTHDAY no less!

After we took the babysitter home, I told Jared I was waking all the kids up so they could eat. We got Jake up, but Cooper refused. He had eaten anyway, so I wasn't concerned about him. I was able to get Calvin up but Karcyn was OUT like TROUT, man. We brought her out in the light and did everything shy of dumping cold water on her to wake her up and she would not do it. So we laid her back down and hoped hunger wouldn't wake her up in the middle of the night.

This is how Calvin ended his 2nd birthday. Pizza at 9pm.




Look at that FACE! So sweet and forgiving.


I wish I could say that was the END of our May 1st. But it wasn't. As we were finishing up our pizza, we suddenly realized we couldn't find Madras, our cat. She has been an indoor cat since day one over a year ago. She's never been outside before. We scoured our house, high and low just to be sure and she wasn't in "her" spots. She usually comes as soon as she hears you or her food and neither were being effective. And if she's stuck in a room or closet and wants out, she'll start meowing and pawing at the door. We were stumped! How could she have gotten out? The pizza guy never came. Jared called our babysitter who said they saw the cat not too long before we got home. A short time later, Jake recalled that the two little kids got outside in the backyard undetected for a while. The babysitter got them back in, but that must have been when Madi got out. So we went out back and called for her and looked in a couple of places for her. No Madi. I was already in my PJs but went out front and called for her out there. I walked down the street in both directions calling for her. Two cats came when I called, but no Madras. She's such a sweet kitty that I figured someone must have taken her in.

When I got back inside, Jake said he wanted to say a prayer. So we had him offer it. He prayed that Madi would be alright and that we would find her quickly. We sent Jake to bed and put Calvin back to bed and I wandered into the kitchen to shut everything down. I stood at the back door one last time, perplexed about the whole situation. I left the back porch light on for Madi, just in case. That's when I saw 2 "shining" eyes staring at me from behind the new shed we just got across the yard. I opened the door and called, "Madi?? Is that you?" The cat came towards me slowly. Then stopped. I called her to come. And then she started running. It was her!! We couldn't believe it! We had been in the backyard several times already. Maybe she wasn't there when we were. Who knows. Regardless, it was super cool that Jake's prayer was answered, just as he asked that it would be. And we were finally able to go to bed, at peace, to end a very long day.