Family Pictures 2011

Happy day- we're done with family pictures for another year! We took our family pictures the end of October and I can finally put them up now that I've sent out all of our Christmas cards. I don't always wait, but it's fun to send out the cards with a new picture.

I had great intentions of finding a photographer this year to take our pictures, but I ended up taking them myself again, a little trickier but definitely cheaper. We got lucky with an unseasonably warm, beautiful Saturday. We could have stopped at #3- that one ended up being the best- but it was nice to get a few different pictures, even less than perfect ones.

The kids were surprisingly cooperative, probably due to bribery, but whatever works right? I was also glad that I was able to coordinate everyone with clothing we already had. I got a sweater for Caleb who was in need of warm clothing anyway, but that was it. Matthew's sweater has gone through all three boys now. Jacob got it around Christmas when he was 3- that's been a good investment!

Manheim Steamroller & Twilight

Jeff and I had a double date with his work partner Vicky and her husband Matt. When we found out that Manheim Steamroller was going to be nearby, we thought it would be fun to go together. We were able to get babysitters for our kids and met up for a fun time. We sure enjoy spending time with them. Even Vicky and I have spent time together doing things-I just love her. How often do you get a co-worker that is a close friend, that you enjoy being with enough that you would hang out together on the weekends? Vicky & Matt are some of the sweetest, most kind and genuine people we know. We're both so grateful that Jeff gets to work with such a wonderful partner, and they feel the same way.

As it turned out, that was the same night a bunch of my friends were getting together to go to the latest Twilight movie- Breaking Dawn. I was happy when I realized the timing would work out perfectly! I didn't get to go to dinner with the girls before the movie, but after the Manheim Steamroller concert we made it home with plenty of time for me to take the babysitter home and then meet up with the girls at the theater.

Karena, Kristie, Shelly, Laurie (bad iphone photos)

Karalee, Me, Kristen, Mandy

The movie was fine, there were times when we were busy 'digging for treats,' looking at each other and talking and laughing at awkward parts. It was sure a fun group to go with. We stopped at Cold Stone afterwards for a treat and more visiting. We ended up staying till 11, and I'm sure those teenagers were ready to kick us out!

I love these girls. Most of us, plus a few others, had a book club night the other night as well and again made it kind of a late night. All of these women are just thoughtful, and kind and so fun to spend time with. I'm grateful we've moved to an area with good friends.

Moms & Muffins

This month, I was lucky enough to go to preschool with this handsome little guy for Moms & Muffins day. Matthew was so excited to show me his preschool and I was so excited to be able to finally go with him and see him in his class. We made a craft together that would eventually have a picture, joined in on circle and sharing time, and listened to some songs they had learned. We finished up the afternoon with muffins and juice and story time. It was so fun to spend the afternoon with Matthew.

I love this little guy of mine.

Random November

Matthew's preschool class had their "Thanksgiving Feast". I was supposed to bring the fruit. Thanks to pinterest, we came up with this fun idea- the fruit turkey. It was a hit. The hardest part- transporting it to his school in the car!

I didn't order school pictures (as you can probably tell by how 'nice' the kids looked in their pictures:) since we usually get our own. But I was pleasantly surprised when both boys brought home their class pictures. I love being able to see all the kids in their classes and finally put names with faces.

My "class picture" back in September, a couple friends persuaded me to join their 'super duper' workout group. Basically it's a group of 6-8 women who work with a trainer. It's been a fun change-up from just basic running. Kristin has been a great trainer and although I'm not doing as much long distance running, I feel a lot more well rounded and I can whip out push-ups like never before.
On the first day of November, 11-1-11, (how cool is that!) we were blessed with another beautiful little niece. Mark & Nettie had their fourth baby, a beautiful little girl they named Hailey Anna Howell. We're so excited for their sweet family.

Holiday 5K & Parade

There aren't many races in our area, so I was thrilled when I found a couple 5k's around Thanksgiving. I was even more excited that I talked Shelly into running one with me the Friday night after Thanksgiving.

Shelly picked me up about 5:45pm, and our families came a little afterwards. This was one of the most fun races I've ever done- because we ran the parade route, almost the entire course was lined with people cheering. They gave us jingle bells to put on our shoes, and tons of people were wearing bright lights. I wondered how it would be running in the dark, but it was really fun. It was a down-and-back course that circled around through a park all lit up with lights. My only complaint was that the first half was downhill which meant the second half was completely uphill. It was fine though, and the weather in the low 40's was great.

I loved being able to see friends, neighbors, and church members there. The race was a lot of fun, and as a bonus I ended up finishing the 5k with a personal PR time of 21:19 (6:52 pace). I've decided those short 5k's are a whole lot more fun than some of the more grueling long races! I was so proud of Shelly- this was her first race and she did awesome too!

Afterwards, we met up with our families to watch the Christmas parade. I didn't bright the camera, so all the photos are from my iphone, which isn't the greatest quality- especially in the dark, but I wanted pictures and wasn't about to run a 5k with the camera in my pocket.

It's always so fun to watch the kids get so excited with things like parades. I especially loved watching Emily during the parade- she was completely mesmerized with all the lights, floats, and music. I just loved watching her sweet little face.
The parade was one of the best we've seen. The kids got candy, there were all sorts of fun samples and prizes handed out. The floats and lights were amazing. One of our favorite things was the floats that had hot air balloon torches on them. They would fire them up and you could literally feel the heat- it felt great in the cold!
Emily did get a little scared with some of the loud noises and fireworks. She was perfectly happy to spend a good part of the parade nestled in Jeff's lap with her blankie and her fingers. My favorite part was that it was only Friday and we still had another free weekend day to enjoy as a family. Holidays are my favorite!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. It was really laid back and relaxing. The kids had a half day of school on Wednesday, and then had the rest of the week off. Originally we had planned to do Thanksgiving with a few families, but because of some people being under the weather, we ended up just having the Bassetts over. I actually thought it worked out perfectly! We divided the meal and had a great time together.

Jeff and Jacob were in charge of doing the turkey. I ended up doing over 5 dozen rolls, 2 cheesecakes, 2 apple pies, a pumpkin cake, vegetables, appetizers, ice cream and drinks. Ken & Shelly did the ham, mashed potates & gravy, pumpkin pie, salad, and other sides. Needless to say, we had lots of leftovers which is always a sign of a successful Thanksgiving!

The kids loved the food, but especially the little cans of soda. I love that our kids get along so well together. They had a blast playing games in the basement before and after dinner.

I was a little bummed- we finally found a dining table on Craigslist, and then we found and ordered some chairs. As luck would have it, they were delivered at 8am the day AFTER Thanksgiving. So we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with metal church fold-up chairs. It was fine though, we just enjoyed having friends over. Next year we'll have a few families and we'll have real chairs.
The Bassetts stayed till about 8:30pm when Ken had to leave for his shift at the ER. The kids were sad to say goodbye, until they realized they'd see each other the next day anyway. Friday night, Jeff ended up going out to try and get some black Friday deals. I don't know what my deal was, but I was starting to fall asleep at 10:30, getting old I guess.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving with great friends, and left us feeling so grateful for the many blessings we enjoy.

Emily with our annual "Thankful" tree

Little Monkey

Even though we have three older boys and have gone through this stage three times already, I think I sometimes forget how busy 18-24 month old kids can be. Even though they're super busy and capable of amazingly big messes and disasters, they're so fun and entertaining-most of the time!

Emily had her 20 month Dr's visit this past week. She measured 33 inches tall (63rd percentile) and was 21 pounds (9th percentile). The doctor of course was asking all sorts of questions about abilities, etc. He asked if she is able to climb up on a chair or anything. I told him he didn't need to worry- I am constantly finding her up on chairs, the table, the counters, even climbing the toilet to get up on bathroom counters. I get her down and try to explain that she needs to stay down, but this girl is unstoppable!

She also loves, loves, loves to draw and color. This has led to masterful artwork all over homework, walls, floors, clothing, and of course her own self.
During my wisdom teeth recovery, I was trying to come up with new food ideas to break up the monotony of chicken soup, yogurt, chocolate milk and pudding. I saw a recipe for the chocolate mousse and decided to give it a try. I thought it was ok, but one bowl was enough for me. The kids liked it- and Emily apparently thought it made a great facial mask. She earned herself a bath after this one.

She still loves her blankets and bottle. She has two pink blankets- one from each grandma, that she still loves to take everywhere and always sleeps with them. She calls them "bekee" and it's torture for her if I ever take them to wash them. I'll let her have a bottle with milk during the day, but it's water at night. I know I should just get rid of the bottle, but I guess it's the perk of being the baby in the family- I'm not ready for my baby to grow up, so I don't mind letting her hold onto it for a little longer.

I love listening to Emily's cute little voice and chatter. She is starting to talk so well. We especially love her giggles and her deep belly laugh.

I was giving Matthew a bath when Emily woke up from her nap. It took her about two seconds to decide she wanted one too, and in she went- shirt, skirt, leggings and all.

Sometimes I wonder why there are days when I have to make my bed like 3-4 times a day. This was a good reminder of why. Apparently mom & dad's bed is a fun place to play for the kids. Emily loves to jump around on the top, and then she goes straight for the pillows. Sometimes I wonder why I bother.

Anniversary Celebration

Exactly one week after having my wisdom teeth removed, Jeff's hospital was having a big black-tie event in celebration of its centennial anniversary. Jeff and I were planning on going, but after finding out my wisdom teeth would be coming out the week before, we decided not to get tickets-they were way too expensive to buy them and not use them.

As it turns out, Jeff ended up getting a free ticket the day of the event. He called me up about noon and asked if I wanted to go. At that point I was feeling pretty good and my swelling was pretty much gone. I didn't know if I would be able to eat the food- since I was still on a pretty soft food diet- but it sounded like a great evening, so I said yes. Luckily I was able to find a babysitter and Jeff and I went out at for the evening.

It was a pretty amazing night- the hospital really knows how to put on a party. Many of the men were in tux's and women in formal gowns. They started the evening out at 6pm with a social hour and then started into the welcoming ceremonies which included an opening prayer given by a member of the hospital board and a special music presentation by Billy Dean and a local choir.

From there, they had an amazing 5 course dinner. We ended up sitting at a table with a few other doctors that also worked with the health system. It was great getting to know them and their wives- one was both a lawyer and triathlete; she and I had a lot of fun visiting together.

I was pleasantly surprised with the food too- a lot of it was soft enough that I could actually eat it. Some of my favorites were the pheasant chowder that was divine, steamed vegetables, and coconut-crusted halibut. I'm not sure what the dessert was, but it was pretty good too. I didn't get to enjoy the steak-still too hard for me, but Jeff sure did.
During the dinner, there was a world renown heart surgeon giving a lecture on the future of healthcare. It was absolutely mind boggling. I told Jeff that I could have attended only for the lecture and had a wonderful night- it was that amazing! It's incredible the advances that are being made in the world of health care.

There was also a special presentation on the hospital including early history and founders, as well as current happenings and its mission and goals. The hospital is very much centered upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. It was so uplifting and made us both feel so incredibly grateful that Jeff gets to be part of such an amazing religious healthcare system that truly encompasses spirituality and charity in its mission. I've really never seen anything like it. It's wonderful to see the hospital thriving and blessing so many lives.

Of course the night wouldn't be complete without some music and dancing. They had hired a group- with a couple of them being American Idol finalists- to put on the music that evening. They did everything from Frank Sinatra to Elvis to Adele. It was pretty entertaining and we had a lot of fun dancing together. Jeff's favorite part was watching some of the nuns go up and break out the moves. We finally called it an evening at 10:30 and headed home. It's always nice when the babysitter has kids in bed asleep and the house completely in order. It was such a great evening, and I'm so glad we got to be a part of it.

Words of Wisdom

When I got back from the Ragnar Relay, Jeff informed me that he had set up an appointment with an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth removed- talk about dropping a bomb. This is something that has been hanging over my head for the past 10 years, knowing that it needed to happen and dreading it. Because we got engaged and married so quickly, there wasn't really time to do it beforehand. During medical school, residency, etc. the timing wasn't great, I had four pregnancies, and funds weren't really there so it just kept getting put off. My wisdom teeth had actually all come in and they were straight, some dentists thought it would be fine for me to keep them, but it was just a little too crowded in my mouth and I didn't want to worry about decay.

The time leading up to the surgery was a little depressing- you know when you're completely dreading something and know that it's coming, especially when family members have gone through the process recently and had such bad experiences. I just tried to forget about it completely, but even when I was sleeping I would even dream about it. It sounds silly, but I was sick with worry and would rank 'wisdom teeth removal' near death and way below many other bad things on the scale of things in life. I know that's why I had continued to put it off, and I'm glad Jeff finally just got the process going for me.

As funny as it might sound, the whole process ended up being a spiritual experience for me. From dreading it beforehand and having moments of peace and comfort, to the recovery process and answered prayers after. I never thought I would say it, but I'm grateful I had the experience because it was a time of personal growth for me- sometimes it seems like the most difficult and trying times in our lives are also the biggest faith and testimony builders.

Friday finally came. I went to the gym that morning and stayed busy to keep my mind occupied. That afternoon after dropping Matthew off, I met up with Jeff at the oral surgeon's office with conveniently is less than a mile from our home. I did all the paperwork, had x-rays, and met with the oral surgeon. We chose this particular surgeon after some recommendations from people in the ward. Ironically enough, he did his residency training in Philadelphia and is good friends with Scott Matson- another one of our friends who is still finishing his oral surgery residency there. It was fun to make the connection and made me feel even better. (The 'friends & family' discount was a perk too. :)

From there I headed back to the operating room, and Jeff took Emily home for some lunch. The last thing I remember is talking to the nurse, then getting really sleepy and going to sleep. The process was fast- it only took Dr. G about 30 minutes to remove all four wisdom teeth. I woke up a little groggy, but still completely 'with it'. Jeff drove me home and I walked inside and upstairs by myself and spent most of the rest of the day sleeping.

Those first couple of days after the extraction were a little rough but not horrible. I felt 'cloudy' was how I phrased it to Jeff- I think it takes a little while for the effects of the anesthesia to go away completely, your mouth is obviously pretty sore, and I felt a little emotional -I'm sure a lot of that was due to hormonal timing too though. I couldn't eat after 10pm Thursday evening, but even Friday night when I could eat, I didn't want to for fear of messing things up. I know the first 48 hours are the most important to preventing dry sockets & other problems, and I was determined to do everything I could to prevent them. I drank some chocolate milk that night but didn't eat anything until Saturday. At that point I finally had some yogurt and pretty much ate yogurt, pudding, chocolate milk, and smoothies for the next few days. Sunday night I added chicken noodle soup, but that was all I ate until Wednesday. They should rename wisdom teeth extractions as the 'Effective Miracle Diet'. By Wednesday/Thursday I was 'hungry' for real food and found my favorite foods were chili and warm homemade tapioca pudding. I didn't think anything had ever tasted so good!

I was glad to have Jeff. He did a great job of running the household on Saturday and took the kids to church on Sunday. More than anything I appreciated his love and the comfort I felt with him there. Going through things like this really seem to bring out the, "I want my Mom" feelings. That wasn't possible, but having Jeff was wonderful. I was sad to see him go back to work Monday morning, but it was good for me. I got the kids off to school and felt good getting back to everyday life-even the laundry. Partly I think because it gets your mind focused back on normal things rather than teeth.

I had some swelling, but it really wasn't too bad and was completely gone by about 4 days after- good thing, because Jeff and I went to a black-tie event the next Friday and I would have hated to look like a chipmunk! All in all, the process went really well and I was so incredibly grateful! After it was over, I felt like a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders knowing it was over and I would never have to go through it again. It was definitely an answer to many many prayers.

Other random thoughts

*They say it's much better to get wisdom teeth out as a teenager or at a younger age. As you get older, your bone gets more dense and it gets harder to remove the teeth. Plus the chances of dry sockets and other complications gets much higher the older you get. You have the highest chances of dry sockets if you are a woman, older, and having the bottom wisdom teeth removed. Plus, as a teenager you don't have to worry about being able to take care of kids, keeping up with responsibilities, make dinner, clean your home, and do everything else you need to do. I will make sure all of our kids get theirs out early!

*Some people might tell you to go to a regular dentist for wisdom teeth extraction, but I am ALL about an oral surgeon! It took him 30 minutes, I didn't have to feel a thing, risk of complications is lower, and it ended up being about the same price anyway. It was a lot cheaper than what we had expected- with insurance and a health savings account, we didn't end up paying a cent out of pocket. That was awesome. I would hate to spend a ton of money in exchange for a miserable event. :)

*I was very grateful for sweet friends and family who helped with kids, carpools, and who called, texted, and dropped things by. It sure made me feel loved and made the process all that much better.

*Right after Halloween is probably good timing for wisdom teeth removal- I couldn't eat my kids' candy even if I had wanted to. Probably anytime during the Holiday season for that matter.

* It took a good week to feel up to exercising and running again. When I started back up one week after I could tell I wasn't completely back to normal- I think that took a good 2 weeks. I missed it and was so grateful to feel back to normal again. It sure makes you not take it for granted.

*Tapioca pudding was my very favorite post-operative food. Warm, and sweet, and so so good. I may or may not have made and eaten entire batches by myself. :)

*I know I said it before, but it was a very spiritual experience for me. Although I am very grateful wisdom teeth removal is a once-in-a-lifetime process, I am grateful I had the experience. It strengthened my testimony of a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of us and our fears, hopes, and desires. I know He loves us and blesses us in so many ways, and lifts our spirits when we feel so low. It was a very humbling experience and helped me refocus myself and take more of an eternal perspective. I think experiences like this help us shift our focus from insignificant things to things of greater importance. The humbling process makes us more kind, more patient, and more full of gratitude and love towards our Heavenly Father, our Savior- who knows and has experienced all our pain and trials, and our families and children. I know this is the reason we have trials in our lives- the hard times help us to turn towards our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. When life is easy, sometimes it's all too easy to get caught up in other things. It also made me grateful for examples of others who although they are dealing with lifelong health problems and other struggles, still manage to remain happy, optimistic, and full of faith. I am so humbled by so many of these people- not the least of which is my own mother who is now battling cancer for the 2nd time and my grandmother who has dealt with multiple sclerosis for years. They are amazing women and spiritual giants in my life. Although my experience was the loss of my "wisdom" teeth, I feel like I gained a lot more "wisdom" than I lost, and I am so grateful for the experience.

Murder Mystery Night

This year Jeff and I had a murder mystery dinner with some friends. It was our first one and ended up being a blast! We left the kids with a babysitter and a pumpkin-shaped pizza for the evening, and headed off for a night of fun with friends.

Jeff was "Eddie (Socks) R. Gyle"

I loved what he put together for his costume and thought he fit his part perfectly!

My character was "Silky M. Adam"

John & Valerie- we especially loved John's wig.

Jeff & Laurie

Somehow I didn't get pictures of all the couples together, but we did get a group shot of the girls together. It was so fun to see all the costumes everyone put together.

Rachael, Laurie, Me, Shelly, Valerie

And the men- weren't the costumes great!

Ken, Jeff, John, Jeff, Dave

I was lucky to be in charge of dessert and made these:

Brownie sundaes in chocolate bowls

The whole night was a blast. We ended up being at Ken & Shelly's until after 10pm. The food was excellent and the murder mystery was a riot. More than anything we just had fun spending time together as friends and laughing our heads off. We've decided to make it an annual event. I'm grateful for such great friends.

P.S. I ended up being the murderer! :) Jeff, Val, and I all guessed it.

(Not a great group shot- I'm still waiting on the real one that was taken)