I have had one of the most wonderful weeks of my life enjoying so many small moments like these…
Emily usually has her babies a week or two early, but we were both a little surprised when our new little guy let us know he was on his way. Emily was incredible and the entire experience was truly awesome. Baby and mom and healthy and well.
Thanks for your love and prayers!
Pilgrim…
check
(See the Pilgrim hat in front? It got ripped shortly after we took the picture. 🙁 I got to Truman’s Class Thanksgiving Feast to help them. I love seeing my children in their school setting, watching them interact with peers, the things they say, the way they act, what they do, the routines they follow. Oh, I can’t get enough)
Food? Turkey, Stuffing, Potatoes, Gravy, Artichokes, sparkling grape juice….
check
(A Few years ago, I realized someday (hopefully not for a long, long time) I am going to be the Matriarch in charge of putting together this grand feast. So since then, we’ve tried to make our own Turkey, and little dinner, to begin the practicing! I am no gourmet chef, but it is fun to celebrate just our little fam too!)
More Turkeys….
check.
(Every year, we’ve done this. We hang them up, and it’s fun to see how the boys writing and artwork skills have changed over the years. Plus what is Thanksgiving without a Hand print Turkey?)
Gratitude?
check.
(An important part of Thanksgiving. I’ve been trying to encourage the boys to be aware of the abundance of blessings that are around them. Pretty sure someday the real concept of gratitude will sink it, but for now, a majority of the time Tucker is grateful for Robots/Robotics and Truman for Hercules or whatever Superhero he is pretending to be at the moment. I am especially grateful for a healthy rather uneventful pregnancy, and an amazing husband who I don’t appreciate enough for all of the amazing things he does. I have so many blessings!)
Still More Turkeys?
Check
(Just kidding there not really turkeys, but they are the cutest little people I know.)
And to you, wishing you
a wonderful Thanksgiving!
THANK YOU
for being a very important part of my life.
I don’t know if posting this has helped, or just that the ‘nesting’ has set in, either way, it was a pretty successful week!
#3 Crib Sanded. DONE! (I did this without realizing that it could be hazardous to the baby…) I did it in a well ventilated garage, on a beautiful, slightly windy day…so hopefully all will still be well. I knew painting had bad fumes, and therefore recruited Toph to help, but didn’t know the harmful effects of sanding!
#4 Crib Painted (mostly). I bought the paint, and again, my sweet husband got recruited to help with my projects. We have to just do the touch ups and the final clear coat.
#1 In baby’s room, furniture moved out, vacuumed, and then rearrange present furniture in preparation for the crib.
#5 Remember the fun reading area? The boys have loved this, and maybe someday we’ll be able to set something else like this up again, but for now, the baby does need a closet to store clothes! So the bookshelf needed to be moved into the storage room. Still accessible to the boys, and now I can start getting the closet ready for baby brothers clothes.
#12 and #13 Neighbor Gifts Poem Written, Tags Made and attached to presents. Come December and we’ll be ready to deliver (#14)!
And I forgot one thing off my previous list
#9 Super Saturday done. That was a BIGGIE. I forget how much big event like that have so many details, and take so much coordination! But I have an awesome board and RS Presidency. Making it so much easier to complete successfully.
It feels good to cross these things off!
I wrote this on Monday, and somehow didn’t post it. I’m blaming it on Pregnancy Brain. That’s a good enough excuse for alot of things right now! 🙂
So about a month ago, I kind of had a realization, that ‘baby brother’ was on his way, and began a list of things I needed to have accomplished before his arrival. Somethings were pertinent to the baby, others were things that have to be done because it is the Holiday Season, or because we own a house, or because I know if I don’t get them done now, they won’t happen for a LONG time until we settle in the routine of having a new member of our family.
I’ve had a goal of getting two or three things done each week. I haven’t totally and completely met this goal, but I am trying hard. And think often about my TBL.I am hoping that posting this, will encourage me to meet my goal of two or three things off that list each week!
So here’s what I’ve gotten done so far….
#10 Neighbor Christmas Gifts purchased, and #11 wrapped, (They still need the tags (#12), and I need to write a poem (#13) but that can come another day, right?)
#8 The boys have gotten their Flu Shots (we are always SO MUCH healthier during the years we get these, and with a new baby, the less we get sick the better!)…
Funny story about this one by the way. I made the mistake of telling Truman over a month before our appointment about the shot. Big mistake. he asked me about it constantly, almost daily, until the big day. He was so worried and nervous when the day finally came. We went in, and I decided since Tucker was so calm and collected, I would have him go first. It would be a good thing for Truman. The nurse had everything ready (I am sure she had already been doing it all day), so I helped Tucker up to the table, then it became one of those moments, he realized, really realized, it was really going to happen–right then, and he didn’t want to do it. So, he started to freak out. Really freak out, then In the back of my mind, I remember that Christopher used to freak out over shots, like really freak out too, and I think, oh dear, maybe I should’ve had Truman go first.
I look over at him, his eye are as big as quarters staring at Tucker on the table, and he’s madly grasping the door knob trying to get out of the room, but not taking his eyes off of Tucker, therefore he’s unable to open the door and make a run for it. Luckily the nurse was fast, I held Tucks arms and she took his legs. He was crying before it started, but as soon as it was done he stopped, and just had tears running down his face. The anticipation was so much worse than the actual thing. Again, I look at Truman, while I am trying to console Tucker, get him off the table, Keeping an eye on Truman and trying to convince him that it will hurt just a little and be over quick. At this point, Truman’s finally taken his eyes off Tucker, and can now focus his attention to getting out of the room by opening the door, which he does easily once he can focus a little better. Truman is quick, and he was out the door, down the hall, and almost to the waiting room by the time me and my pregnant belly caught up to him. I carried him back down the hall, and he really wasn’t happy, but the nurse was quick, again she grabbed the legs and I had the arms. (Much easier to manage a 3 year old then a 5 year old) He got his shot in the leg. Truman cried for only a second, then looked at me and said, Mom it wasn’t that bad, then stopped crying. We walked out of the room with boys with smiles on their faces. The boys happily choose out Stickers, and I never would have believed the transformation that occurred, and the emotions that were felt and experienced in such a short amount of time. Definitely a relief to mark this one off our list, until next year that is 🙂
#3 Sprinkling System Drained. How nice to have a sprinkling system to be drained 🙂 (thanks to my sweetheart installing and draining)
#7 Garage Straightened (Again, a big shout out to my handsome man, couldn’t have done it with out you!) Well Actually I stayed in the house, and put away the stuff that was supposed to be inside, but somehow had found a home in the garage, while he and the boys straightened out there. Nice to have such a helpful boys, eh? Now that it’s straightened, it makes it easier to get things out of the attic, like….
#2 Crib Down (it’s out of the attic, just staring at me, it’s SO banged up, (we got it used—after 5 kids who’ve used it, and so many moves, It’s seen better days) it needs a little face lift, I’m waiting for a really warm day to paint it. *or recruit Toph to paint it*
Here’s to getting more done this week!
how hard Sundays can be with Two ACTIVE little boys and being pregnant. I think I could write a good comedy story about it….someday when it is funny, I just might do that.
But with that said, I am grateful to have two active HEALTHY boys. I am grateful they TRY to be reverent, and TRY to remember not to run in the halls at church and the chapel, and TRY to remember not to climb over the pews into the elderly womans lap behind us. I am grateful I am HEALTHY enough to attend church and partake of the sacrament, even though the whole time is spend prompting and helping them be reverent. I am grateful for FAMILY who is close enough to see and to celebrate them. I am grateful for the OPPORTUNITY to serve my Savior. I am grateful to be a MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTS. I am grateful for HUGS and KISSES after the boys are naughty.
Lastly, I am most grateful for the reminder that my little boys are just that….LITTLE BOYS.
We took a few pictures before the Ward Soup-Tacular, a fun church event where you bring your muffin tins and a crock pot of your favorite soup, and taste a little bit of lots of peoples! It was so much fun!
TRUMAN (Hercules):
Tucker (Sock Monkey):
Truman’s Preschool Program and carnival
Took this before we left, Love these Hercules Muscles:
Truman was glad Grams was able to come(and so was I, it is always nice to be with my momma):
They always have so many fun games:
The classic Cake Walk:
Blow up toys
Cotton Candy
And of course, buckets and buckets of CANDY!
And honestly, I love the program they put on.
They do the cutest things, you can watch a few clips below!
Tuckers school party and parade
This is how he went to school, with his banana butt hanging out of his bag:
And wanted to take a picture like this, because this is how sock monkeys sit:
I was able to go the class party, what a good teacher Tucker has, and how fun to be in the classroom, we played Bingo, did an art project, Halloween Freeze, and ghost bowling.
Class Photshoot (can you see the girl in the top left corner? Yeah, she’s Rainbow Bright. Wicked Awesome!)
And the classroom parade:
and a great song tucker started singing in the garage, adn I couldn’t get him to sing again later, sorry about the bad quality! 🙂
Visiting the Great Grandparents, Greenes, and Ikey, Belle, and Eleanor
Great Grandpa Greene, look at how handsome he is, and that big smile. I love this man.
And the Great Hunsakers, who we are happy they are almost moved into the Condo, so we’ll get to see them more! While we were there, I noticed Grandma had a plaque, that said, “There’s no place like home, unless it’s Grandma’s.” So True, So True.
On the way home, we picked up Toph, and he took this picture of Tucker, while I was driving. He was trying to scare people. I don’t think sock monkeys are scary, do you?
Trick or treating
More pictures coming later
And yes, the shirt Truman LOVES (and wears practically year round), has been worn now on Halloween, and can finally be put up in the box for when baby brother gets to be a bit bigger.
A great Halloween season again comes to an end!
You better believe there is more details and pics to come, but for now, we are wishing you a wonderful day, full of SUGAR,
TRICK or TREATERS,
and PUMPKINS.
Because these are the favorite things at our house this holiday, and we like it that way.
The annual pumpkin carving at grams and gramps, with the Greenes, Amy and Eric. Gramps entertain Eleanor, while Grams made the yummy pumpkin seeds, and helped wash the pumpkin guts off the grandkids hands. And the rest of us, we carved.
Have I mentioned I HEART pumpkins?
Now that Tucker is in school, we are a slave to the district school schedule.
A little bit ago, we had our Fall Break, or UEA as I used to call it, and we had a great few days. It was such a good time to spend together as a family, I only wish all of life could be as wonderful as this. Here is the rundown of some of our adventures.
Thursday:
With lots of help from Grams, began cutting out Tuckers’ Halloween Costume (more on that later):
Lunch with Dad at his work:
(Where Tucker rediscovered the ‘dirty dishes/tray’ machine)
Playing with Belle, Ikey, and a visit to see sweet baby Eleanor:
Dinner with Aunt Amy:
Off to the Cabin:
Where Tucker remembered and re-visited his love of grapefruit, (as soon as we arrived, he insisted on eating the whole thing right then)
While at the cabin, we had many grand adventures (we were glad the Great Hunsakers and Hunsakers were there, so we could spend time with them too, the boys now are requesting to play with the big Hunsakers often):
Friday:
The boys helped Great Grandpa, un-dam the creek, so they could float their boats down. Tucker told me later, he thought the beavers would be mad about it. I betcha he’s probably right! 🙂
Hiking, and looking for supplies to build a fairy house, (Which I should have gotten a picture of, oops!)
Tucker found the burrs, and had them all over his entire body,
Four Wheeler Rides:
and thanks to the help of the Hunsaker Cousins, (who kept my children entertained) and my sweet hubba, I got started on sewing Tucker’s Halloween Costume. Here is the zipper. My first one that I’ve done correctly and I’m grateful for my Aunt Rosemary and My grandma’s help and guidance to complete it!
Saturday:
Another great day at the cabin,
Saturday Morning Cartoons,
Building and floating ships,
Building a bridge,
Hot tub fun,
Tucker learning to play chess,
And again, I spent some time behind the sewing machine, sewing Tucks Costume.
There is nothing like the refuge of the mountains, away from the internet, phone calls, and etc. To enjoy time together as a family, and getting projects done! Hurray for long school vacations.