Girls Lunch for baby…..

Sweet Grandma Cox offered to hold a girls lunch/shower for me. I didn’t want/don’t like showers for myself. But Grandma suggested we just have the girls on both sides of the family come and I was really excited about that. It was really nice. Mom, Jenica, Sadie, Hope and I drove down together. And in my pregnant and forgetful state I passed the business 80 cut off and when I realized it we were headed for the airport! We made some turns and were able to get there with only being 10 minutes late, but I was a bit embarrassed. Linda, Grandma Cox, and Rachel made a really yummy spread and it was so nice and quiet. We started by chatting and drinking herbal tea, then moved to the table to have salads and rolls. Then a selection of pound cakes. Yummmm. And I had thought that we wouldn’t do presents but everyone brought something cute for the baby. The best part was having Hope and the little girls in the family come because they opened the presents for me. I didn’t even have to bend down! Let’s hope this really is a girl…….

Thanksgiving

So Thanksgiving this year was a double whammy. We want to see both sides of the family each year and since both sides are in reasonable driving distance we make it a long day. We started at the Christensen’s and much to our surprise we had our 1pm dinner ready on time, or at least within15 minutes of then. :) The kids were crazy but after a very yummy meal Aunt Jenica brought out a huge bag of Christmas ornament crafts and the wild ones were all thrilled to do some crafts. Only about 30 minutes after I had gotten Ethan down we had to give our thanks and hugs, and head up the hill to the Formans. I envisioned the car ride up to be peaceful with all the kids taking a little slumber and we arriving refreshed. We did have one child that snoozed, and in the end I guess I looked frazzled when we arrived because Linda told me just to go sit down. So I did. It was lovely. I was afraid the kids would be fighting all night but they actually were really good. We enjoyed a second lovely meal. The kids ate, we ate. The pie is always amazing. (Thank you Grandma Cox!) and I mostly just sat. Which is always nice when you are 8 months pregnant.

Family Day, November 23, 2011

I convinced Jared to take off a day of work so we could be together as a little family the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I was so excited about it. Jared missed out on golfing that morning, but before I sound too horrible, he did go to a movie and dinner with the guys on Tuesday night. The kids were all excited to spend the day with Daddy. We got all ready and flew out the door to go to Bounce U. I hadn’t been there in a few years and I thought for sure the kids and Daddy would love it. We played and did the big slide. The kids were all smiles, it was going great. And then we moved to the second room (no pictures are from that room) where the kids started getting hungry. And they started getting frustrated at not being able to climb a ropes course. And then Hope started crying hysterically. And then Bryce started crying hysterically. And then Daddy started to get frustrated. And then Ethan was throwing himself around being hungry. And then Mommy felt upset when Daddy picked up the kids and walked out the door. It seems funny now. But in the heat of the moment I wasn’t happy about our fun activity cut short, the kids were hungry and tired, and Daddy was not such a fan of having the only kids crying at one of the most fun places in town. We found the nearest Wendy’s and several burgers later everyone was fine.

Cute kids

I can't believe it's fall. We love it! The kids love the changing leaves and I love the cooler weather. Today on the way to the grocery store Hope looked at all the neighborhood trees and said, "I just love these beautiful trees." We feel so blessed to have the Gospel, our Savior Jesus Christ, our family, Daddy's awesome job so we can pay our bills, and the best family on earth!

Halloween 2011

Halloween is not our favorite Holiday. We did buy the candy, and use our costumes from last year for the kids. We did dress them up for their respective preschool parties and joined Grandma and Grandpa at their Trunk Or Treat. It was all fun, especially since the kids are now old enough to start understanding and participate in the festivities. Halloween just doesn’t have a meaning to Jared and I. Once Halloween got here we just stayed at home and handed out as much candy as we could get rid of. (Not all of it, though, since Mommy is pregnant) The good side of Halloween is that Fall has arrived! Cooler weather, leaves changing, and coming home soon for our two most favorite Holidays are Uncle Dan, and Aunt Mary and Uncle Tyler! We can’t wait for that!

Look who’s Talking!!

A few weeks ago our sweet Ethan started talking. Hooray! It has been a concern of mine as to when that would start. Not because I thought something was wrong, but because a child who can communicate seems to cry less and be happier. When Heidi and Steve came to stay a few weeks ago Ethan was able to see Wyatt and how he could communicate. He uses quite a few words. Then a few days later Maggie and Jacob came for a day and Gordon….well….what else would you expect from the child of a speech therapist…..he could talk more clearly than Bryce. Maggie played with Ethan and found that he could make quite a few sounds and gave me instructions as to how I could help him. Then he suddenly started to form words. Surprising to me was two of his very first and most clear words were “Hope” and “Bryce”. It is so heartwarming to see such a strong bond between siblings. How Ethan loves his older playmates! A week or so later came “Daddy” and then “Mommy”. (However, once he could say “Mommy” he hasn’t grown tired of using it…to my delight)

October

This month is turning out to be better than September. I am finally starting to feel better. For two weeks I was pretty affected by Gastroenteritis, followed by another few weeks of slow body recovery. Am I getting old or is it pregnancy? Jared and the kids weathered it all with me, will little complaint. Thankfully both Hope and Bryce have adjusted and LOVE their preschools. That was a good decision to put them in preschools. Ethan gets dragged around a little bit but has adjusted pretty well, despite naps being messed around with. As October started both the kids had their first field trips.

Bryce’s class went to the Loomis Safety Fair. It was fun, but packed with people. He was able to sit in a fire truck, check out an ambulance and Police vehicles. He liked the Farmer’s market and Smokey the Bear. Grandma Forman babysat the other kids and I was pretty excited to take him by myself. But the class ended up being 45 minutes late to the faire and he seemed to miss Hope and Bryce. I felt a little deflated that he didn’t have more fun. Oh, and that is my 5 1/2 month pregnant belly in the background of the pictures. :)

The following week Hope’s school went to Bishop’s Pumpkin Patch in Wheatland. Mom was going to watch the boys so I could take Hope by myself but after the experience with Bryce I woke up in the morning and asked Hope if she minded if they came. Hope was thrilled to have them there. I suppose they find comfort in each other, although I feel they have and over abundance of fighting and teasing. Young Women in Excellence was just the night before and I was hurting and tired from the extra exertion so Mom came to the pumpkin patch, too. It was so cute and fun. Hope is the second girl to the left of the pink jacket.

I suppose I can’t get enough of the pumpkin patch because Jared and his family all met out there a few days later. It was fun, again, however somehow in our big group I lost track of Ethan and he was misplaced for 10 minutes or so. Jared and I thought he was with us, he somehow got separated and once we realized he was gone all of our sweet family separated like the wind to find him. Christian and Grandpa found him within a few minutes with a sweet set of Young Grandparents that could tell he was missing. They had stayed with him until we appeared. Dean grabbed him in his arms and wouldn’t let him go for a few minutes. Poor Ethan didn’t cry, but he laid his head on Papa’s shoulders and didn’t move. It’s amazing that as quiet as he is that we haven’t lost him more. We are working on him talking. Today in Church he sang the Sacrament hymns with us and I am really working with him to label and vocalize things. I am sure that if he is really behind at his 2 year check up that the Doctor will give us options. But, hey, supposedly Einstein didn’t talk until he was 3 or 4. :)