Thanksgiving 2017

Ahhh, Thanksgiving, the time of year to really think about what you are grateful for, to shop with half the state, and to eat too much!  America!  Haha!  I really do love Thanksgiving, it is a nice prelude to Christmas. But really does has it's own specialness.   I have so many things to be grateful for, I really do. And that is not to say that my life is all roses and going exactly perfectly, but truly, I am richly blessed with many important things.

Family.... I was not only born into a family that has created, by far, some of the most important people in my life, and amazing people.... who also married some amazing (for the most part, haha, then divorced) people too, and further more created more amazing people.  I am so lucky, and so blessed to come from such an incredible family, that despite all the craziness that went down, and all sorts of odds against us, we still are close and love and need each other so much. My siblings understand me and how and why I tick the way I do, because their ticks are similar (haha).   They each bring so much to our family, that I am so grateful my Mom was willing to have 8 of us, I truly don't know what I would do without any of them.  And I have amazing parents, and step parents.  Yes, my parents divorced, and that was hard. But, there is no "sides" to it. They put their differences to the side, and we all meet in the middle.  Whenever I come into town, and we get together... we all get together, my Mom and StepDad, My Dad and StepMom all in the same house, talking, laughing, enjoying time together. And it is for real!  We are a family, and time can't be wasted on unnecessary division, time must be celebrated, and I am so glad we are able to do it all together!
 
 I also married into an incredible family.  Thinking back on falling in love with Thomas, we met in October, started dating in November, were engaged in February and married by May.  I mean, come on, did I really know what I was getting into?! We were in love, yes, but do you know a person!?!  Hahaha!  Thank goodness we included the Lord in our decision to get married!  And I am beyond blessed by the family I married into! And yes, I believe I was very lucky too! I can honestly say I love my in-laws, I really do... heck I am moving next door to them!  And I know not everyone can honestly say or do that!   And even though we may have to move in with them for a week or two, when we are in between houses, that's ok, I think we will all survive. I know my kids will love it!
I am grateful for my husband, Thomas. He works so hard for our family.  It has been amazing to see him run his business, all the while, remodeling a house all at the same time. He has been blessed with the best business partner, his cousin Brian, and great employees to help him. The summer was rough for a dirt business, with all the rain. But they have held on and worked their tails off.  It is amazing how far they have come.   Thomas is a jack of all trades, and I think sometimes I don't appreciate that enough. But, he can literally do it all!  Fix things, build things, design things.  I hate to admit this as a woman, but he definitely has a better eye for design, and seeing the bigger picture of the house remodel.  However, I trust all his decisions he has made, of course he made with consent.  I am grateful to be married to a man who really loves and cherishes me.  Who helps with the dishes, even though he had been painting for hours. He takes time out of his day to call or text me to see how I am doing.  He is very attentive to me, and I am very grateful for that.   He is very open about his feelings, and great at communicating.... I think he wishes I was the same! Ha!  But, he is very patient with me too!  And he is really tall and handsome, that's a great bonus too!   I am deeply lucky and greatly blessed, that the Lord saw fit for Thomas and I to cross paths and fall in love. He has made me a better person.  He is a wise and loving father, the kids always love to spend time with him.  And he is a very loving and devoted husband.   Life isn't easy and it isn't perfect, but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else!

 I have amazing kids.  Each one brings added light to my life and to this world.  I am so grateful to be blessed with 3 special spirits on this earth, who are so different, and teach me, oh so many things.  It is really amazing to me that Heavenly Father was willing to allow such incredible people into my life, and I get to call them my children as well.  I have been doing a lot of packing lately.  I just sold our bedroom furniture, and my little box I keep on my nightstand, I opened it tonight, it had been awhile. There inside, the old pregnancy test, the ultrasound picture, my hospital armband, and a poem.  I got emotional, thinking about that little baby, so tiny that I never felt him, even when he left too soon... but the promise that I will be reunited with him some day.  My heart still hurts, I still find some tears from time to time for that loss.  But then I also think about that really was the beginning of a special journey.  That sweet little life, though I ache to know what he looked like, what we would have named him, what his voice would sound like, what color his hair might be, if he would look more like me or Thomas, what kind of movies he would like, if he would be shy, if he would play sports, if he would have some talent we don't know where on earth he got it.... so many wonders about that little man.  But then I wonder, if his journey was to be a sacrifice.  To help me understand that this body of mine wasn't going to make any more babies, because the baby we needed, would be made by another.  A selfless individual, willing to part with such an special little baby, that I held in my heart, she held in her belly, and placed into my arms.  And there lies another person, who is a part of our family too, that I am forever grateful for. And to whom I can never fully express the gratitude and love I feel for her.  Her sacrifice as well, has changed my whole life.  I think of her so often, I pray for her always.  Our precious Ellie, such a gift to everyone who meets her.  Ah, so much to be completely humbled, completely in awe of a loving Heavenly Father, who despite all my faults and follies, he continues to bless me and my family with so much.  It hasn't been a smooth journey, not in the slightest, but it has been a beautiful one so far, lined with miracles and generous love.

There really is so much to be thankful for, sometimes we just need to open our eyes and see it, and remember to be grateful to the loving Father in Heaven who gave it to us.

These two! They have such an special bond. I mean, he lets her play with his legos, if that isn't love, I don't know what it! Ha!

Ellie in nursery.  She hasn't quite handled the whole two hours, but we are getting there. Doesn't help that church is during nap time!  You couldn't tell from the picture though!

um, I think Santa lucked out on Addie's Christmas list this year?!

Addie's first grade school picture!

She was determined....

...to get through...

....the tunnel!

I love this picture of Ellie peeking through the tunnel at the park!

Swinging.... and her boots are still on folks!

    She was brave enough to go down the slide by herself... a few hundred times! Little Daredevil!  She did have very supportive and cautious siblings making sure she was safe at the top and caught at the bottom!!

I took the big kids to the movies. We tried to go with our friends, but we are arrived at different times, not really realizing that our theater now had assigned seats.  We were sad that the show sold out after we bought our tickets, had we known that, we would have bought the tickets for our friends to be by us. Especially since when we found our seats we realized they were leather seats that reclined!!  We had a great time, but it would have been so fun with all our friends around.... hindsight, buy tickets the night before!!

Over Thanksgiving break, we decided this boy needed a haircut!

Thanksgiving 2017.

Life's been so busy, I had my sweet sister-in-law, Kim, snap a few pictures of us, just in case we could use one for our Christmas card! This one will do, until Grandma Sally comes into town and can take a bunch more pictures of us!

Halloween and House Selling and House Remodeling

So many things going on!  The blog has been neglected.  We have been so busy getting the old house to sell and getting the new house to move into.  We have had Halloween too! I have painted myself into carpal tunnel!  But things are progressing and falling into place.   I hope for it all to slow down, right around Christmas!  Hopefully by then we will be all moved in and settled. Oh, I hope so!!

Besties hit the bottle hard at church :D

She is so peaceful when she sleeps!

Addie ran 33 laps at the Fun Run at her school! This girl loves school and her friends!

We went to the MS State vs. BYU game for Thomas's birthday. BYU got crushed, but we had so much fun anyway!

Porter went to the south half swim meet for the High School team.  He had a great season!

We Love the Trampoline!

I was Maleficent 

Halloween.... we love you so much!  I think my most favorite time of year is from October-November.  The weather changes and all the fun holidays happen.  Starting below!

Porter was the grim reaper. He was so excited to be in YM this year and be able to help
with the haunted forest.  He strapped himself up in a rope and swung around and scared people.
He did great! I love that he is not too cool to dress up!

I found this costume and we had to do it!  Plus it was warm. A little darling piece of bacon!

Addie wanted to be a "beat up person". I am not sure where she came up with that, but
it was pretty easy to make the costume and she was happy! Ha!

Love these gals!

He didn't quite want to dress up, and he didn't wear it to the trunk or treat, but I did
provide a hilarious costume for him!

Ellie's second costume! Bat girl!

Halloween at the Gym!! 

80s gals

Haunted HiiT.... one of my favorite days at the gym!

Trick or Treating with friends!

Still not much walking, but lots of standing!!

Time is flying!

Her hair was so adorable!

17 months old!

    Things have been busy! Nights have been rough, lately.  Perhaps Ellie is cutting her incisors, but we have had some rough tearful nights lately. Currently it is 2:49 am, I checked on her, she's fine, just awake and fussing. I gave her some Tylenol, in hopes that will help.  But lately that has been the trend.  I have read so many books to not get babies out of bed, and let them cry it out, that they will put themselves back to sleep, self soothe... and that it should only take a few nights for them to understand that it is bed time and not time to wake up. Well, Ellie must have missed that memo! I sure hope that it is just her teeth cutting and that she will get over this soon.  I will admit, I was part of the problem. If she would fuss, I would give her a bottle, and both her and I went back to sleep.  But that was a bad habit, that needed to be cut.  I just love for her to be happy and asleep, and that was easy insurance.... until one night I gave her a bottle, and she drank it down, and then kept on. The lovely part is we share a wall, her bed is next to the wall that our bed is next to.... so there is no real ignoring it.  She puts up a good protest.  It seemed like we had finally had it figured out and for the past week if she woke up, it would only be a few hollers in the air and then back to sleep. But then there is tonight?!  The worry is too, I have a little weekend trip planned, is it going to mess everything up with the sleeping progress.... if I can say there is progress... last night I would have said yes, we have made progress, yet here we are! Ugh! But really, enough of this rant! Ha! It is just my current circumstance and I don't usually blog this time of day, so my mind flow is a little focused on the fuss.
    But! we do have some news....... Ellie took her first steps!  September 28 she took her first steps.  Now I can't say she has taken many more since then, I think she just liked the check mark, and has decided it isn't for her! Ha! But we keep pushing her and encouraging her to do it.  Ellie was good about it, all of us were there in the kitchen when she did it, and with as much hooting and hollering and cheering we did, you would have thought she had flown to the moon and back.  But all our cheering must have swiftly been erased from her memory.  I just have to realize her personality is, if I want to do it, I will.... don't push me.  In my life, you would think by now I would have learned some amount of patience.... but darn it, I apparently haven't learned enough of it.   ( She hasn't made a peep for the last 5 minutes, maybe I can return to bed!!!!?)  But really, there is no big hurry. She is making progress, every day she is moving and strengthening her body. When she is good and ready, she will just get up and start walking, and I am good with that.  She is also babbling more, trying to talk.  The best is when we have prayer, whenever and where ever, she recognizes a prayer.  She will look all around and each person, seeing their heads bowed and eyes closed, and she sometimes tries to see if we will break out of it with a little holler, or usually has something to say about it at the end, her own little 'amen'. It is adorable. (still no peep, I really ought to go back to bed).

These two! <3

I love Addie's writings! They are so adorable

When you find a book he just can't put down!

and oh hey, I am standing mom, look at me!

Our dear Sister Duncan passed away. Addie drew this during the funeral. She was a wonderful pianist and played for the primary children.  The primary children sang "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus", it was precious.

At a baptism, looking adorable, and Ellie looks super cute too! ha!

Ellie likes to help with the piano during Relief Society

I hope it doesn't bother anyone else, because I think it is adorable. But maybe I am "that Mom" that is flabbergasting people! Ha!

Our new house is coming along.  The new house blog.... not so much! 

The addition

Addie made this sign for the girl's room! 

Her hair is pretty darn long, but the length is hidden in her curls!

"I had a rough night"  One morning she woke up and she had taken all her clothes off at some point during the night?!  I didn't know she knew how to do that!  We have stuck to the zippered pjs since!

And now we have a series of pictures, of an unfortunate event! The butt paste saga.  I was in a rush, you know how it goes, get everything ready and in the car, sparing only a moment to be at the place you need to be. I called down the hall, Ellie was being a little quiet, but she usually rushes out in her crawl when she hears me call.  She didn't make any noise, which worried me for a moment, until I heard her giggle a little.  I walked down the hall to find this!!  She had found the butt paste. Both hands were plunged deep into it, squeezing it between her hands.  She was COMPLETELY covered! And COMPLETELY proud of herself.  I was a little beside myself, because I had no time, and no idea how to get this stuff off!! It is very waterproof!!!  I finally took a few dry towels and scraped what I could off her arms and legs and face, and it just smeared deeper into her hair. I put her in the bath and washed and washed and washed.  It didn't come all out, but enough for me to get to the appointment I was headed for.  She stunk like an SOS pad all day! Hahah. Little stinker.... quite literally!  I should have taken a video of her, she just laughed and laughed, and took a few bites!

So so so pleased with herself!

Maybe that a twinge of regret on her face... underneath all the butt paste?!

I swear every time she wears this outfit she either has a blow out or something! 

I love this picture Addie drew, Originally it said I was 20 and Thomas is 60! hahahahah!!!!

Who would have thought a boat on the grass was just as much fun as a boat in the water?!  The kids are always playing in this canoe at the new house. 

She is growing up so fast!

I think it is good luck to grab the swimmers head before they race?! Great news too! Porter will be going to the South Half Swim meet for relays.  He didn't qualify for an individual swim, but he has had a great 1st year of High school swim team as a 7th grader!!  And to go to South Half is a pretty big deal, I think!  Go Porter!

Ellie adores Porter!  

Oh, how this little beauty has changed our lives for the better. I can't even begin to explain just how grateful I am for the blessing of Ellie into our family.

Eating lunch with Addie at school

One morning Thomas opened the front door, he felt a bird flap around over his head, but then it flew out the door. When he closed the door, he notice a splash of bird poop on the wall. He wondered if maybe there was a second bird that didn't make it out. I walked into the living room and found a bird perched on the blinds.   After a lot of trying to catch it and getting it down the hall, away from the vaulted ceilings, little bird was tired, and Addie was brave enough to scoop it up and take it outside, even though it was squawking at her. She washed her hands 7 times after holding it she told me!

Addie really thrives on doing all her work and trying to be the most helpful!  This is the second time she received this award, and it is kind of a big deal! Go Addie!