DECEMBER so far...

Tuesday, December 1- Justin went to the temple with his presidency and I took the boys to pack meeting.  Kendall participated in a really cute skit and their pack was dressed like "scout wolfs." After the skit Nathan and another friend were called up to be team captains and pick teams for the sheep pulling contest.  I love that Kendall was the first to be picked on Nathan's team.  They gave each other a high five and even though their team did not win, they were all smiles that night.

Wednesday, December 2- Today we all had dentist appointments at noon.  After a through cleaning for the family we all came out with good news.. NO CAVITIES!!

Thursday, December 3- For Christmas this year Justin and I opted to give his parents a memory and took them out to the Melting Pot.  I forgot how much I love that place!  The food was delicious and it was a fun atmosphere .  We sat by a lighted bubble tank and got to visit.

Friday, December 4- Justin had his work Christmas party today.  I tease him constantly and tell him that he gets to work in the Celestial Kingdom because his boss and co-workers are so amazing!  We definitely lucked out there and recognize that constant blessing every single day.  Our table won the game, "put the Night Before Christmas story in order" and each got a target gift card (which we used to get Justin a new blade for his electric razor-ha!) and had Kneaders for lunch.  It was SO yummy! At our table Justin and I sat by the Willes and the Walkers, Denver and a new guy (who was extremely good at games.)

Saturday, December 5- Today mom and I tried to make Sally Bennet's pecan logs and one word...FLOP!!  Apparently we need another lesson! Our ward party was tonight and boy was someone busy!  It was gorgeous!  The tables had jars full of batting, cranberries, and greenery. The gym was dimly lit and everyone looked so nice in their Christmas outfits.  We ate brisket, pomegranate salad, green salad, potatoes, homemade rolls with homemade jam, and apple crisp with ice cream.  My favorite part of the night was the program.  The boys got to be in the primary nativity and sing Silent night.  Kendall was a Sheppard and Nathan was the cow. It was pretty funny.  After that several people got on stage and sang silent night in different languages.  It was beautiful but we were all partial to Justin's Japanese version. I love that guys voice.  A lady next to us was Japanese and was mouthing the entire song as he sang.  It was pretty sweet.  Kendall's favorite part was the end when Santa came for a visit to all the kids! When Santa asked him what he wanted he said... A SURPRISE!!

Sunday, December 6- The boys got ready and went to church.  I wasn't feeling good and was very swollen so Justin dropped me off at Mammy and Papa's and I took a bubble bath in the jet tub.  After they got back Todd and Martha and boys came over and we we all just hung out, played games, and ate soup and salad. Todd, Mammy, and Papa, took all the boys out to see Christmas lights while Justin and I stayed home and Martha transformed into to "Doula Martha" and taught us some really neat things.  It was awesome.  We learned a ton!

Monday, December 7-  I got to go to the Doctor today.  I had a strep test (which came back negative), talked about my swelling and blood pressure, and my favorite part was getting an ultrasound.  The baby had turned head down and was sucking his chubby little hand.  He was so adorable!  You could see his sweet profile especially his lips drinking the water.  I am about to go crazy with how bad I want him here and that ultrasound deepened the craving even worse! He gets the hiccups several times a day and then gets really wiggly- like those darn hiccups wakes him up.  After he is really active he always has himself a really good nap.  I love him so much already.  Tonight we hosted a fondue party with the Hakes and Holmes Family.  It was a blast!  I love those girls and love to pick their brains.  I love the feeling of our conversations and what we always end up talking about.  So uplifting.  We had one Havarti and a Cheddar cheese fondue with ALL the dippers and a chocolate fondue with All the dippers.  The guys and kids also had plenty of laughing!

Tuesday, December 8- Today was crazy.  Crazy fun and crazy frustrating at the same time.  I had baked lemon tarts to take to the cookie exchange at 1:00.  Lets just say... of all the times I had ever made these super easy little things I had never had a problem until today.  Another FLOP.  I texted Jo who was the host, a picture, had a good laugh, and started over.  The second batch was much better.  The exchange was so fun!  The cookies and treats everyone brought were so pretty and made up such festive plates for all of our neighbors.  The boys had their choir concert that night.  It was AMAZING!  They have been working so hard on it.  Kendall had some lines in addition to his songs and Nathan was able to play the cello and had a singing part with 3 of his classmates.  You can tell that the kids loved what they were singing and sung the roof off the church we were at.  At the end of the program the audience sang all 3 verses of silent night with all the kids.  Pretty neat!

Wednesday, December 9- Justin took me to Sky Ridge where the baby is going to be born tonight.  We had a hospital tour. They built a new wing since Kendall and Nathan were born there.  There were about 9 couples and I was the first one due. Hopefully this sweet one will be here this month.  The new facility was incredible.  My favorite part was that it was clean and germ free.  The new rooms are huge.  It's more like a really nice resort to go and have a baby.  They have an outdoor terrace if you need fresh air, big tubs to labor in, balls, WiFi, movies, OB's on site at all times, and tons of other perks.  I'm sure when you are trying to have a baby you could care less but in the mean time it sure makes it exciting and so real.  There are so many things they do differently now.  Even since I had Kendall.  The baby is on the mother for an hour before they even take him to get his stats.  When they do take him to the warmer right next to the bed, the dad and grandma get to be there the whole time to comfort him and talk to him and help him not cry.  The first bath is 24 hours later, given by the mom because they did studies and said any earlier stresses the babies out.  At all times the baby is left with the mother.  They are not to be separated.  Pretty exciting!

Thursday, December 10- Today Kendall woke up sick.  I kept him home from school, did laundry, and took care of him.  We read stories, snuggled, (I fell asleep next to him and he recorded me snoring, stinker!) he took an Epsom salt bath, we put silver and oils on him, and rubbed him down with baby lotion.  He smelled so good! Soup and juice for lunch with a show in the family room.  He was feeling much better the next day.

Friday, December 11- Today was very laid back.  I got in a great little nap before I had to pick up the kids from school.  I exchanged Nathan's coat at Macy's (a 14-16 to a 18-20) and his belt at Kohl's.  He is way bigger than I always think!  For family fun Friday night we shaved off Justin's distinguished beard into fun shapes and mustaches.  The boys thought it was the most fun thing they could possibly do at the moment.

Saturday, December 12- Mom and I went out to dear Lynn's house.  It's one of my most favorite things in the world to do.  She worked on several things including my swelling, headaches, back,  and getting the baby ready. When I got home, I was excited to see that Justin had been bit by the nesting bug.  He installed a fan in the upstairs bathroom, fixed a few of the kitchen lights and helped me clean.  We delivered a few gifts to some friends, a freezer meal to my due date twin, Shannon, and got pizza to take back home.  We watched a movie together and fell into bed!

Sunday, December 13- We all got in our Sunday best and went up to Todd and Martha's stake conference.  Martha was speaking and it was such a great talk.  I learned that we need to "gain some spiritual weight!" We went back to Joann and Bill's house and played take 5, ate more good food, talked and laughed, and ended the night by going to the nativity exhibit.  As we walked through they had tons of musical numbers lit with soft white twinkly lights.  The spirit was so tangible and I'm so glad that both the boys could feel it.  It was a deeper meaning of  Christmas and exactly what our familyneeded.

Monday, December 14-  Mom was up at Garrett's watching the kids while they are gone so we went back to her house and worked on Lynn's blanket.  We ran a few errands including getting a soft lit lamp for the baby's room.  I was SO tired that I had a little rest before picking up the kids from school.  The boys had piano and got ready for the student Christmas recital coming up. We had fresh Bagels (thanks mom!) and eggs for dinner.  The boys got their homework done and we did a few things around the house.  I was so tired that by the time we aid family prayer, I was ready for bed!

Tuesday, December 15- We got a call from the schools at 5:00 am saying that it was a SNOW DAY!!  The best part was that we had no idea it was supposed to snow!  We all went back to sleep in my bed while Justin was brave and went to exercise. The boys have been fighting colds so I wanted to keep them in but they talked me into letting them bundle up and go sledding in the backyard for a little bit.  We made hot chocolate, watched Christmas movies, and decorated a gingerbread house.  It was a perfect day for some beautiful snow!

Wednesday, December 16- Today was a hard day.  No sugar coating it.  This was a real day and sometimes these kind of days, you would like to skip right over. I had a Doctor appointment at 9;40am.  I went and picked up Justin at work because the roads were still pretty bad and he wanted to take me.  When we got to the Doctor they checked the babies heart rate and it was 115 bpm.  She was concerned so she hooked me up to the monitors and did a stress test on the baby.  The heart rate kept dipping and got as low as 105 bpm which set off an alarm and all the nurses ran into the room.  To say I was upset was an understatement.  I was prepared to do anything I had to if needs be.  If that baby needed to get out, I could have done it without any pain medicine.  My adrenaline was through the roof and I could see the worry all over Justin's face.  They monitored me a bit more and sent me home (because the baseline heart beat was 110) until my next appointment in TWO WEEKS!  What?! I barely made it to the parking lot where I burst into tears.  They did not even check me (to see if I was dilated) or thoroughly check anything else. I was MAD at the NP and felt like the whole appointment was out of control.  Justin took me to eat some lunch at Cafe Rio and then gave me a blessing in the car.  I could not stop crying.  I was so thankful Justin was there and so thankful for the priesthood. Roller coaster day... All day long... Hormones, maybe?

Thursday, December 17- Went with dad to do a little Christmas shopping for mom.  I ended up getting a little white table for the babies room at our favorite antique shop.  I added a few finishing touches to the room including putting pictures into frames and setting up the table with a mercury glass lamp so that we would have some light in the room.  I took a great nap and made homemade caramels.  I was so happy for the boys to come home.  They had Geo Plunge Club and it was their long day...7:30-4:45.

Sledding in the Backyard

This morning we got a glorious phone call at 5:00 am.  SNOW DAY!!  We had now idea that was going to happen and welcomed it with open arms.  We all climbed into my bed and went back to sleep.

We watched Christmas movies, pulled out the coco motion for the occasion, and the boys talked me into letting them play outside for a bit- (they had been fighting colds).

They turned the second part of our yard into a sledding hill and made it complete with a jump.  They dug tunnels and played and played.

Every time they would make a cool jump or gain speed on their hill they would run in and ask me to take a video.

It was a perfect day to play!

The day before today I had terrible back pain and my feet were really swollen  (sciatic nerve pain, from baby).  I went to bed early right after putting the kids to bed.  Of course, the first thing that Kendall says when he finds out that they get a snow day is, "Oh good mom!  I get to stay home and take care of you!"

Gingerbread House

I had bought a gingerbread house to put together with the boys about a month ago.  We got to have a SNOW DAY and it seemed the perfect time to pull it out!

They got creative, went to town, and came up with the cutest little colorful house complete with an "H" for Hillan and "C" for baby Cardon.

Trimming the Tree

We have always went into the mountains and chopped down a real tree.  This year, by the time Justin called to get a permit, they were all sold out.

We have a small treee that we put up in the family room and were trying to convince the boys that it would be just fine. With the baby coming this month we really wanted to keep everything Christmas pretty simple.

They were not happy about this new arrangement and were trying to not be sad.

I later got a phone call from Mammy and Papa and they said they were not going to use their tree this year and asked if we would like to use it.  Ummm, how very sweet and convenient for us and I'm not sure that I bought that excuse.  The limits they go for their grand kids is so extremely nice.

A bit later Justin and the boys were at their house loading up their tree to bring to our living room.

After a few decorations, and small simple touches, the tree was finished and the boys could not be any happier.

I love that all the gifts under the tree are from the boys and wrapped by the boys.  They did some "making", shopping, and wrapping during Thanksgiving break just to be ready for December!

The Nutcracker

Grainy picture? Yes, but oh so worth remembering this moment!

This was mom's first time going to see the Nutcracker.  It was (as Gram would say), magnificent- ha! We were able to soak up the gorgeous set and the most graceful little dancers.  I'm pretty sure this will be on the bucket list every year from here on out.

It was put on by the Belleston Academy.  They are in our ward so we knew lots of the dancers including Sabrina who is in our Young Womens.  She was amazing and got to play one of the lead roles.

Sally Bennett was there with Sarah her daughter-in-law and Elaine Campbell was there with Katie, Elena, and Jenny.

 So fun to sit with them and kick off a very magical Christmas season with mom!

Thanksgiving 2015

Vacation mode was going strong and it started the second we woke up.  We flipped on the TV and turned it to the parade.

The ladies bustling around in the kitchen and the guys relaxing on the couch commenting on how good it was smelling.

We gathered up our assignments and headed over to Mike and Debs for a feast.

We ate and ate.  The kids played and we all visited.  So fun to bask in the conversations that rippled from room to room. Deb had her house decorated for Christmastime and the glow of all the lights made it so relaxing.

A few of us gals went to a couple of stores later that night to get some shopping done. Mammy insisted I get in the electric wheelchair at Walmart.  I wasn't the best driver and it seemed to be out of juice.  I bumped a few things once or twice. We were laughing so hard I think we both took turns wetting our pants.

{Makenzie girl due May} {Deb boy due Feb} {Char boy due Feb} {Alisa boy due Dec}

Puzzlers

I thought it would be fun to get a new puzzle and work on it all week while the kids were out of school for Thanksgiving break.

Nathan went with me while Kendall was a piano lessons and we picked out a 300 piece puzzle.  We all sat around the table the first night and after 30 minutes, it was done!  I thought it would be more challenging for them.

The next day we went to Deseret Book and got a 1,000 piece puzzle of the Nativity.  It was so hard that we never finished it before we needed our table back.

I think next time we will go for a 500 piece unless we have more time.

Autumn Sunrise

I woke up this morning to an orange glowy light streaming into my bedroom.  It was a thick and beautiful as it penetrated my light curtains.

I could tell that it was going to be an exceptional sunrise and it had a calm and peaceful feeling attached to it.

When I walked over to my window and pulled back the curtain, my speculation was dead right.

I froze and gazed at the beautiful colors and soft light for several minutes.  I watched as the birds flew into the field behind the house and listened to the soft hum of the cars out and about on Wadsworth.

I heard the garage door open and Justin was home from his morning workout.  I asked him to go into the backyard and take a picture.  He was able to capture a bit of the sunrise before it melted away.

Fall Leaves...

 A very favorite pastime is playing in the leaves.  

The crunch, the feel, and the smell of leaves says fall like nothing else can.

Tanna

We had Tanna over for a lasagna dinner and a family history FHE.

She knows her stuff.

We were able to find several of Justin's relatives to do temple work for in such a short amount of time.  We learned so much and she was great with the boys.  They played games and when they got the right answers she had prizes for them.

By the end of the lesson, the boys could actually find names for the temple.  Such a great thing to learn and now we can do this on Sundays.