November 26, 2008
Ruth had a feast today at school that parents were invited to. It seemed like every grade was doing some kind of special home-made thanksgiving lunch. I thought it was pretty cool…but at the same time I was thinking: ‘Hey?!? What was wrong with the cafeteria turkey dinner we used to get?’ That was always my favorite meal of the year in elementary school. Lame I know. Ruth’s feast consisted of Grilled cheese (with craft singlets) (im sure the pilgrims would love to claim that one) veggies, some fruit and a turkey and rice type chowder her teacher made. I thought she looked cute in her little pilgrim girl hat!




Body bag? I went over to my mom’s house to get the boys after I went to Ruth’s ‘feast’ and my mom had me help her get this down…

No body, just the Christmas tree.


Liam liked the tree skirt my mom got and put himself down for a 10 second nap.





Neil made a potato turkey at school today; my fav. Was the way he wrote his name on the plate though…

LIEN



We all went to Target after dinner (I got Ruth's easy bake oven on sale) (no mixes though :( I was supposed to get 2 free with a coupon but they were out) I don’t know how he learned who Indiana Jones is, but during Halloween whenever we would pass a brown hat or a whip he would yell out "Indi Joones!" He even recognizes the music. Funny kid.


I went and saw Twilight tonight leaving the family home to play XBOX. I liked the movie just as much as the book; they were both silly, dramatic and cheesy. I was a little irked that they wouldn’t take the 'free' ticket I had from getting our windshield replaced. What’s the difference anyway? Im pretty sure Edward was ugly for the first ½ of the movie too. Did anyone else notice that or was it just me?

Im so excited for Thanksgiving today!

November 25, 2008
I New Jammies! Gotta love Targets super cheap sweats! Liam loved that his were like Neil’s. We went and delivered flyers to a portion of our neighborhood after dinner for our Ward/community Christmas party. Liam started saying Trick-or-treat, too funny! Sorry bud, no free candy.


found this sign...glued...to Ruth's door the other day. It says something to the effect of "NO Neil he is bad im my bedroom” not sure what provoked this, they usually don’t play in her room. I just thought it was pretty funny. I love it when she writes.

November 25, 2008
This is a picture Ruth drew of the dream she had last night about Sawyer getting launched into the sky by Grandpa because she wanted a goat ride. She flew out of the launcher, flapping her arms and landed on a goat slowly walking by. After that it was Ruth’s turn and she flew over the gate (not pictured because it was a little closer in the fore-ground) and she landed on a goat. Then it was Neil’s turn and he had fun. Payton and Grandma didn’t want to try it out. Daddy and Mommy were too big. Grandpa and Grandma followed Ruth, Sawyer and Neil (in the car) while they rode their goats. Grandpa took pictures. They couldn’t pass the wall so that was the end of the dream. She swears she wasn’t making it up as she went along, but I have my doubts. I think the part about the launching was real but we did drive by a goat on the way home from school…

I also had a dream last night that we were at the beach, and we were having a great time playing on some rocks in a pretty little cove until the waves came and started trying to steal my kids! I might have to add a sandy beach to my long list of fears if it’s going to do that to me! Needless to say I didn’t get to much sleep last night; I couldn’t get the images of my children being swept away out of my mind. *shudder*






Scenes like these are no longer safe and innocent in that small dark corner of my mind where I imagine bear attacks when im alone in the woods or shark attacks when Im over my knees in the ocean. Not to mention the escaping animals at the zoo. We all know from December 2007 that Tigers can get out of their enclosures. Also, Gazelles have sharp horns; and who knows what kind of damage a peacock in a rage can do.

:)I am joking...90% at least.

This one's for you Uncle Trav! The Espana shirt has been passed down again. That look on Liam's face is him doing the 'oh great mom wont leave me alone until I smile' smile so he was saying 'cheese' (or 'geese' as he say it) really loud and really fast so he could quick run away before I try to get a better smile out of him.




As you can see it didn’t work for either of us...I made him try again, and I got a worse smile. (If you could call it that.:)




He has obviously lost interest and I gave up. Oh well, I tried to get a good picture for you Trav.

Liam loves his pockets; he loads them up sometimes until his pants fall down.
He wasnt too sure about this robe, until he discovered the pockets.

November, 20, 2008
Twin time again! We went to the play area at the mall after I got my morning mall walking done.



Played in our backyard later on after we had gotten Ruth from school...



Neil turned the hose on and the babies soaked each other so they got a bath, this is right after when I was trying to get them dressed. They were playing "monkey see, monkey do” not sure which was the seer and which was the doer, I don’t even remember who is under what towel; it was just funny.



...cute towel pictures :)

I bought my first stocking stuffers of the year last night. *sigh* I don’t like doing any Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I know, Weird... most people like to be finished wrapping by the time I get started, but I love the whole hustle and bustle, singing carols, badly, as I shop, and yes I even enjoy lines (as long as I'm alone). People watching is a part of the holidays right? I also like to wait to start shopping because even if I was finished...I would just continue to shop until Christmas Eve anyway, so what’s the point? My biggest reason though, dawned on me last night on my way home from mutual. We already have a house with Christmas lights on it…and turned on, in our neighborhood! It makes me sad that Thanksgiving gets overlooked when it really should be celebrated with more gusto. One of my favorite talks was by President Foust in the December 1996 Ensign called: Gratitude as a Saving Principle. Lines from the talk pop into my head all the time reminding me of things like: " “thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7) is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment. " and “Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them” Im so grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ and of a living Prophet today. Im grateful for my family and a wonderful husband that I couldn’t live without. Truly, I am so blessed. (Im also grateful for really good food on thanksgiving, credit cards, black Friday with Marcus home with the kids and warm coats)




Neil and Liam wearing the hats Neil has made in preschool this week. Neil’s is an Indian hat, and Liam’s is a pilgrims. Neil is also holding his cornucopia he made.

Link to my fav. talk :) I couldn't figure out the link insert thing.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3bafdbdcc370c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

November 20, 2008
-Liam dragged this chair over to help me make some "Oat-Neil" this morning; don't you just love the "wogee" jammies he is wearing? He just inherited them from Neil and loves all the froggies, (woggies). He also loves his "noo oosh" (new shoes)
-His fav. toys are a "mo-yaka" (motorcycle) he is borrowing from Payton and a "wees-Ka" (some 4 door sedan hot wheels car he got out of Neil’s room) and every Yellow or Red car we drive or walk by is a "Wees-Ka" (Race Car)
-Liam said his first 4 word sentance the other day "I have...seat...too!" I was telling Neil to get in his seat and get buckled.
-A few minutes later I hear neil say: "Mom I just saw a sick people carrier....a....a...am-blee-ance"

I love the way kids talk.

I bought my first stocking stuffers of the year last night. *sigh* I don’t like doing any Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I know, Weird... most people like to be finished wrapping by the time I get started, but I love the whole hustle and bustle, singing carols, badly, as I shop, and yes I even enjoy lines (as long as I'm alone). People watching is a part of the holidays right? I also like to wait to start shopping because even if I was finished...I would just continue to shop until Christmas Eve anyway, so what’s the point? My biggest reason though, dawned on me last night on my way home from mutual. We already have a house with Christmas lights on it…and turned on, in our neighborhood! It makes me sad that Thanksgiving gets overlooked when it really should be celebrated with more gusto. One of my favorite talks was by President Foust in the December 1996 Ensign called: Gratitude as a Saving Principle. Lines from the talk pop into my head all the time reminding me of things like: " “thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7) is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment. " and “Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them” Im so grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ and of a living Prophet today. Im grateful for my family and a wonderful husband that I couldn’t live without. Truly, I am so blessed. (Im also grateful for really good food on thanksgiving, credit cards, black Friday with Marcus home with the kids and warm coats)

Neil and Liam wearing the hats Neil has made in preeschool this week. Neils is an indian hat, and Liams is a pilgrims. Neil is also holding his cornucopia he made.


Link to my fav. talk :) I couldn't figure out the link insert thing.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3bafdbdcc370c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

I got some pictures emailed to me of when Ruth went on her field trip to "Shnets Farm". This is her whole class in the white t-shirts her teacher tie-died and then let the kids stamp with farm animals; she was very proud of her masterpiece


She told me this is her group waiting in line for the “bee ride” and the boys (she said) had her eyes closed because of the sun. (fyi :)


I was informed that this was a donkey...


...and this is Ruth on her fav. Ride in the whole world of Ammusement parks.

My sweet baby nephew is back in the hospital, so say a little prayer for him.

11/10/08
Carrie just sent me a text update that read:
"They did an MRI and that came back fine they just got done doing and EEG and we are waiting on results for that. They think he has an infection of some kind. The pictures of his brain look fine. Just waiting on other test results. They are trying to figure out why he is so limp/lethargic."
So far that's whats going on...

11/13/08
From Carrie:
"We are good. He is moving a little on his own which he hasn't been doing. Other than that not much change."

11/14/08
Update from Carrie:
Matthew is "kind of the same. There was some problem with the breathing machine; he was fine except for a seizure. They ended up changing out the intabation tube, now he's getting another EEG."

11/15/08 Update from Carrie:
"I am good; there is not a whole lot of change. He is still moving around. Yesterday they did another spinal tap and the fluid is still inflamed, but the white blood cell count was down from his first one. Also the glucose levels were normal where before they were low, so that is good. We are just waiting on the type of virus and other tests, but that won't be until Mon. or Tue. No seizures since yesterday morning!"

11/17/08
Update from Carrie:
"He is doing good they have lowered the machine down to 14 breaths per minute they are trying to wean him off the ventilator hopefully by tomorrow. I got here and his umbilical cord was gone. His eyes, he's opened more today. They took his catheter out last night. He's off the antibiotics and antiviral meds. He is still on his seizure meds. Not much else going on. He is well."

11/18/08
Update from Carrie:
"He is Lazy and didn't do as well as I would have liked without the breathing machine so it got turned back on and he is still on the ventilator. No results yet on the EEG today. That's about it."

November 16, 2008
Sunday night at Grandma and Grandpas house! Abby and Liam look so big in this picture. They were watching a video grandpa made of them being silly.





This is my sad attempt to re-create a scene from earlier today. Neil and Liam were both rubbing Marcus goatee at church today with such serious faces, I really wish it was appropriate to take flash photography during Sacrament meeting. Sometimes there are really good opportunities misses. *sigh*






Like Liam’s new chin injury? He fell chin first over the handlebars of his ride on toy. (It was a complete tragedy) Im surprised he didn’t chip more of his teeth off. I got to cuddle my baby for a bit and rock him while we looked at the Toys-R-Us magazine. I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas!

Awwww! Aren’t my boys cute? All dressed up ready for church... Liam looked cute in the church outfit he was wearing a few minutes earlier too, but we had to change him when he decided finger painting was a good 'last minute' activity before leaving for church. I’ve never bought finger paint because I haven’t wanted to deal with the messy mess. I might have to buy it though if Liam feels the need to be creative, I don’t ever want to have to clean his idea of finger paint (diaper contents) (numero dos) off my walls again. *gag!*




November 16, 2008
It looks like Ruth is a bookworm in the making. She was really reading the book too. She couldn’t figure out why the word 'through' was spelled the way it was though.

After (sometimes not so) Patiently waiting for dad to finish his "Saturday Daddy" business (mowing the lawn, getting rid of the stack of flagstones so Liam stays off the garbage cans, fixing a sprinkler, 2 trips to Home Depot...etc.) Dad took the kids to the park so Neil could show off his (sometimes not so) cool bike skills: .
EVERY time I have told Neil to "watch out for Liam", "Don’t drive on Renee's grass!" or some other such warning, he has been like a magnet and gone right to it and destroyed it. I videotaped them going down the hill at the same time and Neil totaly plowed her over when he turned to look at her. Hillarie was horrified that I was laughing.

Liam got tired of the park after a while and after announcing that he was all done he decided to go home. He just got on his scooter and started leaving. I didnt lose track of him or anything but I wanted to see how far he would go by himself. Im not sure how far he would have gone if a train hadnt gone by, but he got about 6 house lengths away.
This is what happens when I grill; I totally killed the hot dogs.

My sweet baby nephew is back in the hospital, so say a little prayer for him.

11/10/08
Carrie just sent me a text update that read:
"They did an MRI and that came back fine they just got done doing and EEG and we are waiting on results for that. They think he has an infection of some kind. The pictures of his brain look fine. Just waiting on other test results. They are trying to figure out why he is so limp/lethargic."
So far that's whats going on...

11/13/08
From Carrie:
"We are good. He is moving a little on his own which he hasn't been doing. Other than that not much change."

11/14/08
Update from Carrie:
Matthew is "kind of the same. There was some problem with the breathing machine; he was fine except for a seizure. They ended up changing out the intabation tube, now he's getting another EEG."

11/15/08 Update from Carrie:
"I am good; there is not a whole lot of change. He is still moving around. Yesterday they did another spinal tap and the fluid is still inflamed, but the white blood cell count was down from his first one. Also the glucose levels were normal where before they were low, so that is good. We are just waiting on the type of virus and other tests, but that won't be until Mon. or Tue. No seizures since yesterday morning!"

11/17/08
Update from Carrie:
He is doing good they have lowered the machine down to 14 breaths per minute they are trying to wean him off the ventilator hopefully by tomorrow. I got here and his umbilical cord was gone. His eyes, he's opened more today. They took his catheter out last night. He's off the antibiotics and antiviral meds. He is still on his seizure meds. Not much else going on. He is well.

My sweet baby nephew is back in the hospital, so say a little prayer for him.
Hopefully they will find out soon what he needs to get better, I can't imagine how stressful this is for Carrie and Brendon.

November 14, 2008
This must be the week for reaching milestones. Neil's friend Reese has been riding his 2 wheeler to school this past week and Neil really wanted to try it out. I have been reluctant only because...I know Neil. Ohhh, I knew for sure he could do it, but I also know he would use it as an excuse to ride in the street. He was already pushing it with the training wheels on; checking to see if I was watching then hurrying to get his bike off the curb, as if I magically couldn’t see him anymore once he was on the blacktop. But today was the day. The weather was perfect, I didn’t want to go to the mall to walk, and I knew running along next to a bike would more than make up for my desire to avoid going to the mall with Mr. Impatient. Plus *shhhhh* he is getting a bike from Santa and training wheels would ruin the 'coolness' of the bright green Tony Hawk bike (I thought he was a skate boarder...) Anyway, after my trial and error with Ruth learning to ride a two wheeler last year, I just started out with the winning technique. This ride was, I think, his 3rd attempt. I don’t understand how riding on the grass makes it any easier, you would think it would be harder, but it works like a charm. He just needs a little more practice on the sidewalk and to get comfortable starting and stopping and he will be ready to drive it to school. Watching this video gives me the strange mixed feelings of Pride and Sadness; my little guy is getting so big.

Of course if Neil had one... Liam had to have a 'bike' as well. My sweet Lee-Lee wants so much to be like is big brother. Everything I get for him, or do for him, he makes sure that Neil isn’t left out. And everything Neil does, he has to do too; the 'grass' technique didn’t work as well for him though. I love the way he scooters; he is still trying to get the hang of it so I think he is pulling back on the handle bars like he is parasailing. We called it a day when Neil was introduced to the playground cactus. Yes...the playground has a cactus.

November 14, 2008
The boys and I were out and about today and we drove by all the people walking in the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk. Neil got a kick out of honking at all the pink ladies and waving when they would cheer. Liam liked doing anything that Neil was doing. For the past 7 years or so I have wanted to participate in this walk, It looks like so much fun not to mention great exercise and helping to find a cure. One of these years I will do it...

November 13, 2008
This morning a very exciting thing happened for Ruth (AND MOM)...She un-tied, put on and tied her shoes all by herself. She got the first one and I wish so much that I had my camera when she first told me that she tied her shoe, the ecstatic smile on her face was priceless. She actually came and told me to come quick with my camera so I could watch her do the other one. Im so happy that she can do this, I could NEVER put her shoes on correctly...the toe hem line was always bugging her little toe. So WOOO HOOO! for Ruth and *yes!* for me.

November 12, 2008
So what do you do when your niece comes to visit, and won’t leave her pants and diaper on? Every time I turned my back on her she was streaking through my backyard in the buff. The first time she did it, she said she had to go potty, which she did. (number one) The second and third time she said the same thing.... (she didn’t) after the 5th time I did this:




Pretty in pink became Bob the Builder. I know if she really wanted them off, she would have found a way...she is Abby after all, but she did stay dressed for me after this.



Its a good thing she is cute!

Poor Neil. We were just rushing into the grocery store to pick up some stuff I forgot to get for dinner and as I was strapping Liam into the baby seat in the cart I hear Neil start crying. My first thought was "Great...He forgot his shoes again and jumped into the rocks and cut his foot." Lucky for me (no E.R. visits yet, knock on wood) but not lucky for Neil, he was standing by the door to the car and he was trying and trying to pull it open and at first I was confused, then I realized his fingers were shut in it. It was a wicked looking in little...dent...for lack of better words in his fingers. The first thing I did was asses the damage and put him in the cart...^^love ^ love^^, are you going to be okay? *Kiss*, :::pat head:::, (Im not very good at sympathy, but I THINK I did okay.) I took a picture next (of course...)



and rushed us in to get a jug of milk for him to rest his hand on. He moaned the whole time we were walking around, but I was surprised at how brave he was. My little emo boy must be toughening up with all the rough housing from the big boys in the neighborhood. They like to play this game in our backyard where they lob balls at each other as hard (and accurate) as they can. Two days later and he is very proud of his little red marks on his hand. Wounds are a boy’s badge of honor I guess.