Sick & Snow

Last weekend Steven made an ornament for one of his badges for Scouts (dad helped Ben make one too). We are finally on track for him to earn his Bear in February. He just needs to make a door stop and he will have finished all the requirements.  

Steven had a Scout Leader that was really great with Den Meetings and such but not so great with communicating and keeping track of what Steven had passed off. And honestly I had been slacking as a Cub Scout mom and not really checking in on things. I had a panic attack when I was finally able to get online last month and saw he was only like 30% done with his Bear requirements. Thankfully as I went through things, I saw there were things he had done that just hadn't been marked and there were also a lot of easy things we were able to do at home. It is such a relief to have him all caught up.

The rest of this week was filled with snow and sickness. Ben threw up several times Saturday night and was all better by late Sunday morning. Penny threw up Tuesday afternoon (at a friend's house while I was subbing, I felt so bad for sharing those germs). She threw up one more time that night and then was better by Wednesday morning. Then Steven threw up Wednesday morning was totally fine the rest of the day and Thursday and then he threw up Friday morning and was totally fine. It was so weird and makes me think that maybe he was faking. At least it was a really mild stomach bug and no one was super sick. I am just hopeful that the rest of us don't get sick too. I would really like to enjoy this week before Christmas.

Monday I made a snowman with Penny. It wasn't the best snow for making a snowman but I am glad I took a break from the busy and spent some time with her. It turned out pretty great :)

Monday night we went to Target to get gifts for the "giving tree" our Ward has. It was hard to keep the kids on track for picking out something that was not for them but eventually we ended up with 2 cute Cabbage Patch Dolls (for twin girls). We walked by this photo prop on our way out and Ben insisted we get a picture. That boy is such a poser!

This week was the start of our countdown to Christmas. Each of the 12 days before Christmas we open an envelope with something fun to do. On Wednesday, day 12, we went to go see the Wayne County Lightfest. We had got about 8 inches of snow that day and it was still coming down so I was weary about driving to see the lights but Tyler insisted he was an amazing snow driver and we still should go. So after a fight with Steven (who had lost the snow shovel while playing with it earlier that day) and after much hunting for the snow shovel, we found it, shoveled, and headed to the lights. 

There was almost no traffic on the way there which was great. The roads weren't horrible either. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait because they had to finish plowing the road you drive down to see the lights but the wait wasn't too bad and once we got going the kids loved it as always. They especially loved that they each got a turn to drive the car. They are all seriously bad drivers and that was probably the only time that I feared for our safety that night.

Thursday there was no school, it was a snow day. I was sad because I had a play date planned for the day but had to cancel because of the stomach bug my kids were passing around and because of the bad weather. However, it ended up being a really nice day. The kids got along really well for once and they had lots of fun playing in the oodles of snow we had in our yard- about 10 inches of it! Also, for our 11th day countdown, we wrote letters to Santa. I am glad that my kids stuck with their original wishes and didn't try to switch things up. Steven was very specific about the bike he wanted and I hope if he gets one it can live up to his expectations.

Friday we had planned a game night with some friends for our 10th day of the countdown but they were also passing around a stomach bug so we had to cancel. Instead we did a game night with just us and it ended up being pretty fun. We did "Don't Eat Pete" Christmas style, a Christmas Bingo, we unwrapped a present using oven mitts (it had some candy canes inside) and we played telestrations (I did my own diy version of this telephone/pictionary game). It took the kids a bit to get the hang of telestrations but once they did it was pretty fun. So even though plans kept getting cancelled because of that darn stomach bug, it still ended up being a good week.

Today I delivered our "neighbor" gift to people in the Ward. This year I did disposable plates and cups and had a tag that said something to the effect of letting us do the dishes for them. I thought it was fun, even if some people thought I was a little weird giving them plates and cups. It was the first time that I had someone answer the door at EVERY house I went to- it was amazing! I think from now on I need to always deliver the Christmas gifts around lunchtime on a Saturday. Super effective!

And we had our first house problem today. We woke up with a leak in our living room ceiling. It was a leak from the roof (there is no second story above that room). Tyler was able to locate the leak and will be doing a temporary solution when it is not quite so icy and wet but it looks like sometime soon we will need a new roof *sigh* Being a homeowner is super fun.

Back to Michigan Life

This week was all about getting back into the swing of things. Church was a struggle with Penny because it was back to Nursery and she seemed to be suffering from separation anxiety again. Her tummy was also bugging her that day so that didn't help. She made dozens of trips to the potty during church, only to end up tooting. It was a rough Sunday and I am hoping this next one will be better. Hopefully no more tummy problems and hopefully she will be happy to be in Nursery again. I can't believe in just a few more Sundays she'll be a Sunbeam!

Then there was getting back into the swing of going to school. We had some late mornings of rushing to get ready because waking up on time was hard. Steven kept complaining that the girls were waking him up so early, however they weren't even waking up until 8. He also started complaining about our new house because it is SO far from his school which means we have to leave so early (a whopping 15 minutes). Basically mornings were hard.

Despite the struggles of getting up, the boys seemed happy to be back at school and back with friends. Lucy on the other hand really seemed to struggle with going back to school. The first few days she got super upset every morning about having to go When I asked her why she didn't want to go to school, she said because "it's too dark outside when I come home!" By Thursday, she decided to like school again because on Friday they were going to have Pajama Day and popcorn. I hope she continues to like it, despite the fact that there will not be Pajamas and popcorn everyday. She makes me feel guilty about starting her in school early. Being a parent is hard.

Tuesday I had a Primary meeting and I am still feeling less than positive about my calling. A new year coming means lots of work as Primary Secretary. I have been trying to get a head start on some things but there is always just so much to do. *Sigh* 

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I subbed for a first grade class. Wednesday was planned ahead but Thursday was a last minute sub job. I got a text around 12:30 from the teacher saying she wasn't feeling well and could I come in. I was able to find someone to watch Penny and I came in as quick as I could. The nice thing was they paid me for a "full" half day, even though I was an hour late because of the late notice. That was a super easy afternoon because they were at music when I got there and then they just had computer time in the classroom afterwards.

Friday was an actual half day for the kids and it was actually a harder day than the day before. The kids had no specials and lunch was in the classroom. The kids weren't bad, it was just a long day with no breaks. I was pooped but because Tyler was off that day we had decided we would take the kids to the Bass Pro Shop to see Santa. I'm glad we did because there was literally no line when we got there- it was awesome! The kids got to get a picture with Santa and they got to tell Santa what they wanted.(Steven wants a bikes, the girls want dolls and Ben wants a Lego set) However, Penny, still does not like Santa. She did not even want to stand next to him so we ended up taking a family picture with Santa.

Friday night we had the church Christmas party. We ended up getting there way early because we thought it started at 6 but it didn't start until 6:30. Apparently the Bishop had announced the wrong time. It was kind of awkward being there early but oh well. The food was really good and we sat with Davies family which was good company. Brother Davies was YM's president before Tyler so it was fun to hear his scouting stories and it was funny to see how similar him and Tyler are in personality. Clearly there is a certain type of person that becomes YM's president, ha ha!

Today the kids woke up to snow and they were super excited. Lucy had heard it was going to snow today and had said "thank you for the snow tomorrow" in her prayers last night. The 3 oldest kids lasted for quite awhile this morning playing in it. Penny went outside twice but didn't stay very long either time. I think she takes after me when it comes to cold. It has been so seriously cold this last week and it is still December. I am scared for what is coming when winter "officially starts."

Last Week in AZ

Our last week in Arizona went by quickly. On Monday I took the whole fam over to Rebekka's family home so all our kids could play together. Her daughter Grace ended up playing army guys with our boys most of the time and her little boy did whatever he could do to avoid me, ha ha! He had a super stranger danger radar so despite my attempts to get him to love me, I was unsuccessful. We had lots of fun and it made me wish that Rebekka and I lived in the same state and could get together more often.

After that we met my parents at Mi Amigo's, my absolute favorite restaurant. It did not disappoint! The food was amazing as always and I am already dreaming of going back there. I really wish someone could start up a restaurant here that actually serves good Mexican food!!

Monday afternoon Mecca and I went to Kneader's for dinner. It was nice to hang out with her kid free. It was also nice to go back to her house and hang with her kids. I miss those cuties and it makes me sad how much they grow every time I am away. The distance also makes me sad because I feel like I have to work hard to get them to love me each time I see them because they forget how awesome I am. Best part of the night was probably when I read to Oliver and Lillian. Loved snuggling with those cuties. 

While I was hanging with my brother's family, Tyler and the kids were having one last hurrah with Tara's family. I am glad they were able to make some time so the boys could hang with her kids. Our kids really miss those Bowman boys!

Tuesday mostly consisted of running errands- using my Kohl's cash and getting some books for the plan ride. For lunch we took Keshia out to Chick-Fil-A as a thank you for all the cleaning up after us she did (her family is living at the Hatch home currently). 

For dinner Tuesday we ate at my parent's home. My Aunt Ragena had left but my Aunt Irene and Uncle Charlie were now visiting. I enjoyed hearing Uncle Charlie tell stories of growing up on a farm and Tyler enjoyed talking with them about gardening. I really do hope he takes all of their advice and starts a garden this spring.

Tuesday evening we went to see the Mesa Temple Lights. We had some of my family (my mom, my aunt and uncle, my brother and his two oldest kids) and some of Tyler's family (his dad, Logan's family and Keshia's family). I hadn't seen the lights for 4 years and it was so nice to be there again- there is such a good spirit on the temple grounds. The kids also loved seeing the lights and they really enjoyed being with so many cousins. 

After the temple lights I met up with Karen at the Cheesecake Factory. The food and company were perfect! I really miss her friendship and will always treasure it, she was so good to me when I was going through those hard days of being a working mom with a husband who was hardly present. I was so lucky to have had her in my life.

Wednesday afternoon I had one last hurrah with my family. The kids had a blast playing tag at the park. Ben and Oliver seemed to be best buddies and Penny (who was "in love" with Oliver during Brady family pictures) seemed to have lost interest in Oliver. It was tough to hug all these people goodbye when I don't know when I will see them next. Hopefully it's not too far in the future!

We ended our last full day in Michigan by getting pizza with Tyler's dad and then going out to ice cream with him. It was nice for the kids to get some rare one-on-one time with him. With all his squishing and tickles, it's clear that Tyler learned all his fun parenting skills from his dad.

Lucy also really enjoyed the mirror at the ice cream shop in which she could see 3 other Lucy's. She was pretty funny to watch.

Thursday morning we flew back to Michigan. We had some nuances- security had to search Tyler's carry on, for some reason getting passengers into the plane took forever and then when it came time to pick up our luggage somebody pushed the emergency stop on the carousel- but all in all it was a good flight. It is seriously so nice to have kids that finally travel well. 

And now we are back in Michigan. The kids went to school today and seemed to survive. Now we just need to survive all the holiday fun and then I like to think that things will calm down :)

Thanksgiving Week

Tuesday afternoon after a lunch at McDonald's with Poppy Brady we went on a hike with Tyler's mom to see the Wind Cave. My brother had told me it was an easy hike for a family, what he failed to realize is that we are all out of shape. But we all survived and the kids did really well- except for Penny who was pretty much carried the whole way by Tyler. It was warm but the view from the top made it all worth it. The wind cave was more of an indention in the side of the mountain but it did bring with it wind and cooler weather so it was appropriately named.

After finishing I was especially proud of Lucy who did it all on her own without complaining- I think the promise of a mint at the top and at the bottom is what kept her going ;) Though Lucy hiked the whole thing she was definitely the slowest and I got to stay with her, which was good since I probably couldn't have hiked much faster. The boys on the other hand were super speedy and they stayed up with Grandma Hatch the whole time.

Tuesday night we had dinner with the Eberhard Family. Karen was my good friend when we lived in AZ and were in the Lakeside Ward. Her son, Colin was Steven's best friend and Jaylee saw Lucy as a real live baby doll. This time when we came to visit Penny was Jaylee's real live baby doll. She was so sweet to Penny and was giving her piggy back rides and carrying her around. The older kids immediately started playing together like it hadn't been years since they last saw each other.It was a lot of fun to catch up and they spoiled us with these amazing homemade chicken nuggets- such a hit with everyone!

We spent most of Wednesday with my family. In the morning we went over to my mom's house for breakfast. My Aunt Ragena was there, I hadn't seen her for years and she hadn't even met my girls so it was nice to see her again. We spent much of the day chatting and working on a puzzle and also shopping- I had a lot of online deals that I had to get. I feel bad that I was distracted from family but apparently I am addicted to saving money- I should probably see a counselor about that.

Wednesday afternoon we went to Organ Stop Pizza to celebrate Rebecca's birthday. In true Brady fashion we got there before it even opened. The kids had fun waiting at the entryway for it to open, they even got in a little group hug. 

Being the first in meant we had our choice of seats. We picked balcony center with a perfect view of the organ and all it's fun special effects. The boys favorite part was the dancing cats. Those have been there since I was a kid and obviously have never been updated but obviously are still loved by children. Unfortunately the cats didn't show up on camera so they are not properly documented. 

The girl's favorite part was when the organist played "Let it Go." It was fun watching them all dance to it. 

Rebecca's favorite part was probably when they played "happy birthday" to her ;) Mike got Rebecca Oreo cupcakes and cupcakes with a rainbow ring for us all to eat. The girl's definitely loved the rainbow rings.

And the boy's definitely loved the frosting. Sugar coma to follow!

After Organ Stop Pizza fun, we had to jet over to Tara's house for her birthday celebration. The cousins had fun playing together and there was a pinata so they were excited to be showered with even more sugar. 

Thanksgiving morning we hit the park with Poppy Brady. The weather was warm and the skies were blue. My eyes were not used to that sun being so bright all the time, I felt like I was constantly squinting. The kids so enjoyed being out in short sleeves and shorts though.

Around lunch time we headed to the Hatch home (we stayed at the Brady home during the Thanksgiving weekend since the Hatch home was a little more crowded with Jezerea & Brigg's visiting). The next few hours were long and a bit boring while we waited for the meal to be prepped. I probably should have helped prep but I always feel awkward in the Hatch kitchen. I really wished I had stayed at the Brady home so I could continue working on the puzzle we had out there (I am such a nerd, I know) but oh, well. 

Lucy was happy to be at the Hatch home though, she loves Gid (even Penny who started out being deathly afraid of Gid, had warmed up to him by then). Lucy also loved hanging out with Reese.

The girls had their very own table for Thanksgiving dinner. All the boy kids were banished to the outside. However, the boys all participated in the traditional eating of Thanksgiving food and Penny and Reese opted to have an Easy Mac and cereal instead.

Tara's family didn't come to Thanksgiving dinner which was a bummer for the boys. They really love seeing her kids. At least Logan's family came so they could play with their boys. Mariah and Jeff also weren't there for the main feast but they did join in later. Jeff and Scott were super fun and they had all the kids play a game of football (really catch) in the backyard. Lucy got so into it and was so funny. She was clapping her hands, swaying side to side and really going for that football. I lover her fun personality.

After the feast Tyler and I hit Target for a couple black Friday deals. I was super efficient, we got in line a half hour early, immediately grabbed the 2 things we wanted (and 1 thing for his mom) and were out within 15 minutes. I love it when I can do that and not have other people dragging me down. I really do prefer shopping on my own (or with a hubby who is willing to just follow me without complaint ;))

Later we headed back to the Brady home and at last I was able to work on the puzzle. My mom, Tyler and I were able to finish it that night. Tyler never participates so it was fun to have his extra help.

Friday consisted of Black Friday shopping with all of Tyler's sisters while the men (and boys) went shooting. The shopping lasted 5 hours and it was not super fun for me. As I said, I do better shopping on my own. I felt pretty left out (they even left to start shopping without me when I was only 7 minutes late) and like I really couldn't look at anything on my own. I don't think they do it purposefully, I think they just don't see outside of their sister bubble. They did try to help me look for an accessory for pictures at one point which was really nice. I also had a fellow in-law with me, Melissa, so we could commiserate together. 

Friday night Tyler and I doubled with my best buddy, Rebekka, and her hubby, Danny. We got ice cream at DQ and walked downtown Gilbert. It was a beautiful night and the company was fun- even if Tyler and Rebekka got a little political at the end and started talking about gun control- they did keep the conversation civil though. We also came upon this cool shop that sold all kinds of soda (some with gross names like Pirate Piss and Zombie Boogers) and it had lots of fun metal signs- one which Tyler bought for his future workshop.

Saturday morning Rebekka and I met up with Aubrey for breakfast. I hadn't seen Aubrey for years and it was really nice to catch up with her. It was fun to talk to these two high school friends of mine who are now mothers. Only I did find myself at times unable to relate to them since I am a bit out of the trenches of being a mother to a baby. I know it was only a couple years ago but it feels like ages ago. It is weird how time goes both quickly and slowly all at once.

After breakfast Rebekka and I went to this boutique at the Phoenix Flea Market. Tyler's sisters and his mom were going too but since my last shopping experience with them was less than fun, I got Rebekka to go with me. We had so so much fun and I am glad I made her come. Tyler's sisters didn't even attempt to meet up with me until they were practically leaving so I didn't quite feel the love from them but at least I felt like Rebekka enjoyed my company so we had a good time regardless. 

After shopping I went back and got ready for pictures with the Hatch family. Since we didn't find a cute accessory while shopping, Melissa said she had some for me to borrow. Unfortunately the necklace she lent me was not quite my taste but fortunately, I think it looked fine in the picture. I think I am overly picky. Tara was late as usual but besides those things it all went smoothly. Well except for Reese and Kyle sliding in mud near the end but thankfully that didn't affect the pics.

When we finished with pictures we gathered back at the Hatch home for pizza and a family meeting. At the meeting everyone took a turn saying what they were thankful for and then his dad gave everyone some fatherly advice about being good parents and such things. It was a nice meeting and everyone said lots of nice things and that pretty much ended that week.