Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving, my sister Abby and her husband Casey were the only family on my side that were in town. So Abby & I decided to cook our very own Thanksgiving feast for the very first time ever. We weren't exactly sure how to go about it, especially the turkey since we had never cooked one before. But really, how hard could it be? Turns out, really not that hard. In fact, everything turned out amazing, despite the fact that we had made enough to feed about 18 people rather than just 4 adults and two children who eat like birds half the time. The hardest part was cooking everything to be ready at the same time. Abby had to cook a lot of things at her house and then bring them to my parents' house (were we decided to eat since their kitchen is the biggest). Abby was in charge of the stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and headed up the turkey. I did the cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, loaded sweet potatoes, sauteed green beans and apple pie (which turned out to be moldy by Thursday...thanks a lot Costco) and vanilla ice cream. We also had sparkling cider to drink. It turned out incredible and we all ate ourselves sick. To reduce the amount of dishes, we got festive paper plates from Target. It actually made a huge difference. This is how you do Thanksgiving:

David had taken the boys earlier to his parents' house so they could play with their cousins and he could visit with his family. Miles stayed with me and "helped" me cook the dinner. Dave returned with a beautiful gift from my Mother-In-Law: a tree skirt. She had matched the colors to my living room colors exactly and I could tell she put so much thought, time and love into it. It is just beautiful!

I love it!

...And I love this chubby guy too:

The night before Thanksgiving, Dave and I were up late talking about how blessed we are and how all our dreams have come true. From ending up with each other to having three amazing little boys. We have been so blessed in our marriage and continually see the Lord's hand in our lives. It occurred to me that Dave and I have always tried to do what the Lord has asked of us, no matter how hard it may be. Dave leaving for his mission was a tough two years for the both of us, but we knew the Lord would bless us with what would make us happy if we were willing to put it all into His hands. Choosing to have children before we were done with school and with very little money was something that seemed crazy to so many people, but when the Lord asks you to do something, you do it. And because of that, our lives have been blessed ten-fold. Every day, through the kids destroying my house and making more noise than my head can take, I always remind myself that I truly am living the dream. Because the trials and difficulties in life are so insignificant when in comparison to the blessings and miracles we witness on a day-to-day basis. And for that, I am so thankful. 

Cruise's Ninja Girlfriend, Jett's Birthday & Miles is 2 Months

Cruise's Ninja Girlfriend

Cruise has been on the lookout for the perfect girlfriend for some time now. One day he came home and told me about his "ninja girlfriend". "I found somebody with brown hair and eyes brown. She's a ninja and helps me be a ninja. She's my girlfriend." A week later we asked him, "Do you still have a ninja girlfriend?" and he responded, "Yes, she has brown hair and brown eyes like me. And if we kiss hard enough, our eyes will turn green." We died laughing. Then a few days later we found him writing/drawing a love note to his ninja girlfriend:

So Cruise's teacher, Mr. Harris, decided to do some investigative work and find this Ninja Girlfriend of Cruise's. That afternoon I got the cutest pictures in my inbox of this cute girl opening Cruise's love note:

After reading his letter, she said, "Let's go get the Ninjas together!" and off they ran. I guess there is a group of kids who get together at recess and play ninja. Cutest thing ever. The days he doesn't want to go to school we say, "But don't you want to see your ninja girlfriend?" And then quickly he recants his complaint.

Jett's Birthday

We celebrated Jett's birthday the Saturday before with a Curious George rock climbing birthday party. I ordered the invitations from Etsy (my new favorite place to buy them):

Jett decided on a rock climbing cake with Curious George on top. I will have to say, it was probably one of the easier cakes I've done. I decided to go easy on myself and use box cake mix & pre-made frosting. Jett wanted chocolate on chocolate, so that's what he got. I made 4 9-inch rounds and a 9-inch round of rice crispy treat for the base. After stacking them, I inserted a wooden dowel in the center to keep the top from toppling. I carved the cake to look more like a climbing wall, then covered the whole thing in icing and then grey fondant. I used a knife to make the fondant look more like rock. Then I surrounded the base with chocolate rocks covered in a white coating and surrounded the cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate sugar. Next, I whipped up a batch of moldable frosting, divided it and added food coloring. I molded pieces of frosting to look like climbing holds and fastened them onto the cake with toothpicks. I then topped it with two pieces of yarn twisted together and smothered in chocolate frosting to make rope, candles, and, of course, a Curious George figure. And voila! There it is!

Jett had three little friends come: Dylan, Connor & Aiden, and of course Cruise was there as well. We went to The Quarry in Provo and the kids got to climb as much as they wanted. 

Of course the monkey brothers made it to the top.

It was a perfect day for indoor climbing since it was cold and rainy out. Jett had a blast with his friends and received some awesome presents that he plays with every day now. 

On his actual birthday, Dave & I gave him his present, something he's been asking for all year: the Imaginext Batcave. He was giddy with excitement. He's played with it all week.

I then took him in the morning to get his pictures taken at JCPenney and then to a McDonald's indoor playground where we had lunch and he played for a bit. That evening I asked him what he'd like for dinner since it was his birthday and he asked for noodles. When I asked him what kind of noodles he said, "Noodles with meats and cheese and sugar." He likes sugar. A lot. 

I took him to his 4 year well-child check up to find out he had an ear infection and that one of his tubes fell out and the other is on its way out. I'm afraid we might have to get him tubes again. Bleh. Anyway, he weighed 35 pounds (41st percentile) and was 3.25 feet tall (23rd percentile). He's a little, skinny thing. 

Miles is 2 Months

Well, that went fast. Poor Miles has spent most of his life thus far sick. We took him in for his "well-child" check up, but he was anything but well. I had taken him a week before and the doctor said he just had rhinovirus. We did the humidifier, bulb suctioning, etc., but he just got worse. At the well-child, his doctor said he could possibly have pertussis aka whopping cough. I almost had a heart attack. He couldn't get any of his immunizations because he was so sick, but they did a swab and said they'd have the results the next day. After an entire day of giving myself an ulcer from worry, we found out that the results were negative. Over the past week he has luckily been getting better after Dave gave him a blessing. It's times like these, when my children are horribly sick and I feel so helpless, that I am incredibly grateful for the Priesthood and for a worthy Priesthood holder in my home to give them blessings. Hopefully the rest of the winter will pass without any major illnesses. One can only pray. 

Other than being sick, Miles is growing beautifully. He eats a lot, still doesn't sleep through the night, but is still a pretty chill baby. He weighed in at 11.5 pounds (35th percentile), was 22.75 inches long (45th percentile), with a head circumference of 15.75 inches (82nd percentile). I don't know why, but I tend to have large-headed babies. It must be because they're so smart.

We sure do love this little guy and can't imagine life without him. He is very observant, he LOVES getting his diaper changed (he gets a huge smile), and he loves music. He always calms down if there is music playing, especially if it's Coldplay or John Mayer. He is such a sweetheart and if I could, I would just snuggle him all day. 

Today You Are Four

Dear Jett,

Didn't I tell you you aren't allowed to grow up? Jett, you are one the spunkiest, smartest, cuddliest and funniest kids I know. From the day you were born, you brought smiles and joy every where you went. Even in the times you are sick, you are full of giggles and a positive attitude. You remind us that life can't be taken so seriously and that what is most important is each other.  

Jett, we are so proud of you and the boy you are. You are such a good brother to both Cruise and Miles. You are patient and understanding. You are helpful and kind. You love your brothers and your Dad and I so much, and you tell us every day. You have such a good heart and we are so blessed to have you as our son.

I am sorry we aren't the perfect parents and that we may lose our patience sometimes, but always remember that we love you so much and want you to be happy. Thank you for always being so forgiving of our faults and short-comings. 

I love how much you love going to school and to church; you are always excited to not only socialize, but to learn new things as well. You are so curious and imaginative. You are so much like your Dad; you love to play with anything electronic and find out how things work. You are independent but you ask to be snuggled on a regular basis. You are stubborn, just like your Mom, but also willing to compromise.

Buddy, I love you so much. Thank you for helping me be a better Mom. You are so full of life and love. You love unconditionally. You are such a sweet little boy and I am one very blessed Mommy. 

Now if you would, PLEASE stop growing up so fast! Time goes faster and faster with each year and I try so hard to take in and appreciate all the little things, even the hard things. But more than anything, I want you to always know, every day, that I love you so much and that you are so special to me. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending you to our family. You have brought so much joy, smiles, and giggles to our lives. Never forget how much you are loved.

Happy Birthday Kiddo, I love you!

Love,

Mama   

Miles' Baby Blessing

This past Sunday was Miles' baby blessing at church. Dave did a wonderful job and gave him such a beautiful blessing. I was able to take notes with one hand while I kept pushing Jett back into the pew with the other. It worked out. The following are the specific blessings that were given:

• His body will grow as it should.
• He will be calm.
• He will be a light to his family.
• He will be a happy child.
• His countenance will bring light to others.
• He will be fortified in health and spirit.
• He'll receive guidance by his parents and family to know what is right.
• He will have strength to always choose what is right.
• He will look to the Prophets and use their teachings in his life.
• He will have strength to say no to the temptations of the devil.
• He will have a beautiful life.
• He will grow up in the Lord and be a soldier in His army.
• He will be a strong pillar.
• He will bless nations of the world with his knowledge of the Gospel and his good heart.

The Preisthood holders who helped bless Miles: Grandpa Rodwicke Ybarra, Dave, Papa Jim Greer, Uncle Casey

After Sacrament meeting, we had everyone come to our house for food and to celebrate Dave's Mom's birthday and my Dad's birthday, both of which were on the 2nd. Dave's parents, my parents, my sister Abby and her husband Casey, and Dave's sister Mary and her two kids were able to attend. Dave's brother Dan and his wife Sofia had planned on attending but were instead blessed with the birth of their new baby girl, Christine Elizabeth. We were so excited to hear of her birth! Miles' new cousin and he are exactly 6 weeks apart! It's going to be fun having them grow up so close to each other. 

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend (or who attended in spirit), it was such a special day for the whole family! 

October...That Went Fast

So I just realized that I only blogged once in October about something that happened in September. I guess you could say I have some catching up to do. So here it is: October.

Cruise's Field Trip
I volunteered to help at Cruise's field trip to a farm about 9 days after giving birth. I ended up paying for it the next two weeks as I had massive abdominal pain from walking for four hours. But it was still a lot of fun to get out and spend some time with Cruise and his cute class. Here are some pictures from that:

Carrots

We finally were able to pick our carrots! The boys had been waiting all summer and were eager to help pull and clean (and eat) them. Because our soil is pretty much clay, they all turned out short but fat! But they were still delicious!

Barnyard Boo

I love October. I LOVE the fall. And I really love festive activities that don't involve large crowds. Since Dave isn't a big fan of doing Halloween stuff, I had him stay home with Miles while I took Cruise & Jett to Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point. The boys had a lot of fun, despite it being cold, and the best part, it was free with our family pass. Free is good. 

Miles 

It really does go by way too fast. Miles has been doing great! He eats like a champ and is relatively easy going. He hates to wait for his food but is just the sweetest little baby. He is still healthy and still wakes up a lot at night. Every now and then he throws in an all-nighter, just to keep us on our toes. His brothers just love him so much, and Jett especially loves to hold him and help me feed him. Sure, it gets exhausting and stressful, but I relish every second because I'm going to blink and they'll all be graduating high school or leaving on their missions. Some days I wish they would grow up, but most days I just want them to stay little forever. 

My 28th

When Dave asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, I told him I wanted my bedroom finished. When we moved in, we spent so much time trying to paint and decorate all the other rooms, that our own bedroom was neglected since no one else really sees it. But I really wanted my room to be relaxing and chaos-free (as much as possible). So Dave got to work and finished painting the room white, made me a headboard, hung up our pictures and diplomas, and put our new sheets and comforter set on the bed. He still has a couple little details to finish up, but it is looking really nice! He is such a great husband! Once it's finished, I'll take a picture and post it on the blog.

On the Friday before my birthday, we got brave and took the kids with us to Tucanos for my birthday dinner. I got my dinner free and kids 6 and under eat free too! Woohoo! So we got a pretty good deal for a lot of awesome food. And surprisingly the boys weren't horrible. Afterwards, we stopped by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and we each got a piece of chocolate. There was a little vendor event going on there in the Riverwoods with a band as well, so we stayed and the boys danced (okay, they just smacked each other around like the Three Stooges) to the music until we decided it was too cold for Miles. 

Sunday was my actual birthday. I woke up to feed Miles when Dave got the kids together and they brought me my birthday cake in bed with cards from them. Dave made me my favorite: German chocolate cake, and we all ate cake and ice cream for breakfast. We then got ready for church and I dressed this guy up because I can.  I love being able to dress a kid again. The two older boys don't like it when I try to make them wear things that they didn't pick out. So I take full advantage of being able to dress my babies how I want to, before they begin displaying their utmost stubborn independence (which secretly I'm really grateful for).

After church, we headed to Dave's parents' house where we had a great dinner and dessert, I opened some really nice gifts, and then we carved pumpkins! I was actually surprised the boys behaved themselves for that. Dave's parents actually gave me some money for my birthday, which I decided to spend on a swimming suit, goggles and a month pass to the rec center so I can swim laps. I'm really looking forward to being able to work out again and lose some of this baby weight!

My Dad flew in on Halloween, so we celebrated our birthdays together on the first of November by going out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. My parents actually got me a new microwave for my birthday since ours had exploded the week before. I guess the only thing better than getting what you wanted for your birthday is getting what you really needed. So yeah, it was a great gift. 

My little sister Abby treated me to a pedicure that evening while she watched Miles and Dave took the other two out to a movie. After my pedicure, she helped me shop for a nice outfit for church. I have the worst time dressing my post baby body. It's nearly impossible to feel remotely attractive, but luckily she has a great eye and good taste, so we left Target with a nice outfit. 

All in all, it was a great, drawn out birthday! The best kind! Thank you to all our family for making it special and especially thanks to Dave, he really made me feel so loved and appreciated, which is really the only thing I need for my birthday. 

HALLOWEEN!

Halloween started a day early. On the 30th, Dave & I went to Jett's preschool Halloween party where the kids had a little parade, recited 3 Little Pumpkins, sang a song, and then did some trick-or-treating to the parents. It was adorable.

I gave out bubbles.

After that, we grabbed some lunch and then I headed off to Cruise's school to do his Halloween party. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but we had a blast! I was able to recruit three other Moms and I had them each in charge of a station. I had 3 stations and we would rotate every 10 minutes or so. The first station, the kids decorated a gingerbread man into a mummy and then I provided some other snacks once they finished. The second station was ghost bowling and the third was musical pumpkins. Cruise said the bowling was his favorite. Overall I say it was very successful and the kids had a lot of fun. That whole class is just full of adorable children.

That evening, at about 7:30pm, Cruise broke the news to me that he wanted to be an evil scientist for the school parade the next day. I had a Super Wizard costume all ready for him that my sister Charlotte made just for him, but he insisted on being an Evil Scientist for school and the Super Wizard for trick-or-treating. The only problem was that we didn't have a lab coat. He needed a lab coat! So I put him to bed, hopped in the car, and began my long journey in search of a lab coat his size. I first went to a Halloween store where they only had adult lab coats. Then I hit up Target which only had toddler sized lab coats. I lowered my standards for a bit and hit up Walmart where there were no lab coats to be found. I got in my car determined to come home with a lab coat for Cruise, so I jumped onto the freeway and made my way to South Orem where I prayed Toys R Us would have something. 

According to their sign, they were technically closed but the sliding doors opened when I walked up, so that in my world means you are open. I walked in and was greeted by an employee. I asked if they had a lab coat for kids in either the Halloween costumes or the dress up section. She directed me to the dress up where they had a doctor's outfit for $21, complete with a lab coat. I returned to the employee with the outfit and a big sigh of relief. I told her I had driven from Lehi looking for a lab coat, in which she rang me up and high-fived me. Yep, I rock. 

Of course I got home exhausted only to be kept up until 3am with Miles. But luckily come 6:30am, Cruise woke up to find a lab coat and he was soooo happy! He completed his costume with a hard hat (who knows why) and filled some test tubes with soapy water. He was all ready to go!

It being Halloween, Dave had to leave earlier in the day to make it home in time for trick-or-treating, so I had the task of dragging Jett & Miles with me to Cruise's school (again) to hear his class sing their Halloween songs and to watch the costume parade. It was a bit tricky juggling everything, but I did it!

After the parade, the three boys and I loaded up into the car where I went for my phone to call in an order for a jack-o-lantern pizza form Papa Murphys. Unfortunately I learned I had left it at home, which meant...I had to bring all three boys inside and wait in line to get a pizza. The line was long. And as I hit the half way mark, Cruise said he needed to use the bathroom. So I had to get out of line, walk the kids to another store where they had a bathroom, go back to Papa Murphys, get in the back of an even longer line, and wait. As I reached the counter, Miles woke up angry that he was still in the car seat and hungry! So he started to cry and I didn't have an extra bottle ready. I paid for the pizza, got everyone in the car again, and tried to rush home with Miles screaming in the backseat, only to hit every. single. red. light from Papa Murphys to our house. It was a long day. 

Finally Dave got home, installed our new microwave, and then took the boys out to trick-or-treat while I stayed home with Baby Monkey Miles and handed out the goods. 

And THAT was October.