Thanksgiving 2009

Well at least I'm posting it before Christmas. We spent Thanksgiving in Utah this year and other than us all getting sick we had a GREAT time!

We took all the grandkids to the park...
Jackson went down the slide probably 48 times and he had no fear doing it all by himself.

Makelle on the other hand, required some "gentle" coersing from mom (aka, mom made her do it)

All the moms....and Lauren

We had Thanksgiving Dinner...Jackson was partial to the raspberry jello salad

Don't be fooled by the number of people in the kitchen. It was Berto cooking and the rest of us standing around, getting in the way

The Feast (other than his wedding day, I can't remember the last time I saw a picture with Dustin in it when he wasn't pulling some stupid face. I'm not sure he knows how to just smile anymore)

We went to Kangaroo Zoo (per Ang's recommendation-and what a brilliant one it was). It was the perfect activity for Jackson (and all the parents apparently. I'm not sure who had more fun)

All the adults went to the temple together (thanks Lauren for babysitting). Everytime I go to the temple in Utah I am reminded of why that state has so many temples. Even the "small" ones are bigger than our Denver temple and yet they are ALWAYS busy. The work is definitely getting done in that state. Good Job Utahns!

We played card games everynight, and the last night we played "the game of things". Pretty fun game, however I'm convinced that the fact it was the funniest game of our lives is b/c it was 2 AM.

Jackson got to play with his cousins Braxton, Preston and Makelle

And of course he took a special liking to his newest cousin Parker. He kept kissing him and shoving his binkie in his mouth for him and getting him his blanket all the time. It was so freakin cute.

Yep, these 2 are still best buddies (and quite the troublemakers when they get together)

Don't be fooled, we were able to capture this moment a handful of times but it never lasted more than 10 minutes.

I. am. tired.

I wrote this all yesterday but when I went to post it, it disappeared. Probably not a coincidence due the negative nature of it but I'm going to rewrite it anyway-for journaling purposes

Yesterday was one of those days where I found myself saying "OK, enough already." In the last 3 weeks we've experienced the following:

Dr.'s visit with Keith-Strep
3 am ER visit for Keith-chest pain and trouble breathing-bronchitus
4 degrees outside, car won't start, battery dead
Battery purchased and replaced (thanks to Keith)
Angie home sick from work 2 days
Jackson-high fever, ear infections in both ears and DRAMA (story below)
Cracked oil pan in car-repair pending
Uncle Sam taxing my tuition reimbursement money. Anything over a certain amount of reimbursement money is considered taxable. (I'm getting really sick of Uncle Sam finding excuses to take my money)

So in lue of the string of unfortunate events, I have decided to try and find the silver lining in it all. Not at the expense of being unrealistic, for I will still admit that the last 3 weeks have sucked, but just to remind myself of all the "tender mercies" that have been mixed in with everything.

1. Keith and I are both sleeping better and feeling better and truth is we are pretty freaking healthy normally. And I'm grateful we didn't get the stomach flu or the H1N1 (knock on wood) and none of us have been vaccinated for it-gasp! and truth is we probably won't be-gasp!
2. Keith is a pretty motivated handy man and with all the car repairs he's taken it upon himself to do the work himself (which is kind of sexy too right? so it's win win). That has saved us a ton of money
3. One of our friends from the ward came over at about 8:00 last night to help Keith with the oil pan. We didn't even ask. He just offered up his services, brought over a ton of his tools and the two of them got to work. I've realized how it important it is to offer up service to people. A lot of people, like myself, have a hard time reaching out and asking for help but when someone offers to help the magnitude of gratitude you feel is indescribable. Thanks Terry!
4. Uncle Sam- I still hate you. I will get my money from you sometime early next year but you took money from me in the month of December-Ba Humbug.
5. Now for my little buddy who's been really sick since Sunday. High fever, restless, threw up once, up all night (and I mean like I accumulated maybe 3 hours of sleep). Keith and I just assumed he had some version of what he and I had but were watching him on Monday to see if we should get him into the doctor. So Keith calls me early Monday afternoon and asks if anything weird happened last night before Jackson threw up. Apparently, Keith was holding him and his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he started seizuring. It lasted about 30-40 seconds and then he started throwing up again. Eventually he relaxed, came too (cried) and then fell asleep but we got him into the doctor as soon as we could. OK tender mercy number 1. Keith was there when this happened, not me. Because I would've flipped out. Tender Mercy number 2, a couple weeks ago my friend Natalie had told a story on her blog about her daughter having a seizure and it turned out it was just a febrile seizure. Caused by a high fever and some sort of infection. Taking her advice I read up on it a little and when Keith told me what had happened I knew that is what it was-later confirmed by the doctor. Thank you Natalie!!! He's on antibiotics now (however getting the perscription was an adventure in and of itself) but it's nice to have my little buddy back to normal! Oh how I've missed him.

My sister-in-law said when it rains it pours but that usually means there will be a rainbow at the end. I like that, but I think I'd like it more if that rainbow also had a pot of gold at the end. ha!

Random Ramblings: The Portable DVD player

OK so posts still to come: Thanksgiving 2009 and the all girls ski trip last weekend but for now: sometimes I have random thoughts about random stuff that tend to surface randomly in conversations with people. So I've decided I'll probably just start posting about them-randomly. So for today's random rambling: THE PORTABLE DVD PLAYER.

Long road trips-I get it
Plane rides with a 2 year old-I get it
Driving around town running errands-Are you kidding me?

Last night during my short drive to meet my gizerls for dinner, I stopped behind a minivan with some stupid cartoon going in the back. Now, let it be known this is not the first time I've seen this. I feel like if there are kids in the car, and there is a portable DVD player in the car, then inevitably there has to be a movie on. Critics will say that I do not know the circumstances and I do not know how long they've actually been in the car or will be in the car. Yes, this is true. But I'd like to think that lengthy road trips would warrant using the freeway, not side streets (yes I followed this van for quit some time. They did not just exit the freeway and we're just making their way through neighborhoods to Grandma's house). It's true, I do not own a portable DVD player (although someday I'm sure I will, for I have nothing against them). And it's also true that my son is kind of a road trip warrior (think 16 hour drive to California-no movies and no whinning). I guess my overall point is, yes during long road trips watch a movie or two but a 15-30 trip driving around running errands or whatever? really? Your kid is going to die if they don't get to watch Dora right now, really?
editors note: I reserve the right to eat crow at any point in my life when I do things I swore I never would

Thankful For: Mi Amor

(Obviously I was supposed to post this last week but didn't. So I am posting it now)
Sometimes I just have one of those days where I'm not the perfect wife. Hard to believe I know. But sometimes, I'm kind of ornery and sometimes nobody can do anything right and sometimes my husband gets the worst of it. But when I am having those not so perfect wifey moments, and when it is evitably easier to blame Keith for...well everything, I feel (thankfully) that the Lord slaps me back into reality and makes me realize what a self absorbed ungrateful person I'm being. Last week, I had one of those days. It is days like that which make me wonder how I could forget (even it was just for a moment) how lucky I am to have landed this man as my husband. And I get him forever! Truth is, he's perfect for me. He's exactly what I need even during those times when I don't want what I need. Does that make sense? Bottom line, I am one lucky lucky woman. I hate when I lose sight of how lucky I am because it's so easy, casual and comfortable being married to him. I am proud of a lot of choices I have made it my life and actually can't think of very many that I regret. But I will tell you that the choice I am the most proud of, was my choice to marry Keith. Good thing too because that's a big one! But seriously I am SO SO grateful that I am the one girl who got to marry him and I am forever grateful for things he has taught me and the person he's helped me become.

5 Reasons I'm Grateful He's Mine:
1. He's knows a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff

2. He thinks I'm crazy but he is a goofball too

3. He is really good at skiing, mtn biking, surfing etc but he still lets me tag along with him

4. He's regularly picking up, doing the dishes or changing diapers without me having to ask or bargain with him

5. He is a big softy-told tell him I told you

Love ya hun!

Thankful For: My Car

Stupid post I know, but seriously I love my car. I love my ski rack, I love my bike rack, I love my heat seaters (I always inadvertently call them that), I love the leather seats and the red and blue interior lights and I love that it is a diesel and gets CRAZY gas mileage. I love that we are driving out to Utah tomorrow and truly wouldn't need to fill up until we got there-although we'll stop in Grand Junction like we always do. New car-no. The only car our little family has-yes. But I really am grateful for it.