I Love a Parade!

The Christmas season here in Iowa begins with a big parade. It is always held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Tod would rather not go, while I look forward to it all year! This year, Tod went with the youth from church down to Nauvoo, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to pack up the kids and enjoy the show. I dragged my neighbor a long for the fun, and we had a great time. There have been years when it has been absolutely bone chillingly cold all through the parade, but this year was surprisingly pleasant which made it even more fun!

My Dream Vacation

What can I say about our dream vacation to Kauai? A vacation that has been in the works for 10 years and was every bit as wonderful as it was supposed to be? It was amazing. It was fun. It was relaxing and eye-opening and exhausting and adventuresome and many, many, many more things! Most of all, it was a chance to be with the one I love, to reconnect, to see new places and beautiful things and to make life-long memories. It was a chance to be reminded of who I am, and who Tod is, and of who we are together. And it was a chance to just enjoy life and feel blessed for opportunities that have come my way. I missed my kids so much more than I thought I would. But on the other hand, I enjoyed being away alone more than I thought I would, too.

Of course, we couldn't have taken the trip without Tod's parents being willing to come and watch our brood. It is such a lot of work to take care of these 4 lively ones, I felt guilty just asking someone to do it! But Grandma and Grandpa really stepped up to the plate and did a great job with the kids. We appreciate it so much. And it was good for our children to realize that they can be okay without us, too! (We were all very happy to be back together and back to our routines!)

I took a TON of pictures, so here are just a few to go along with a little trip recap. If you want to see more, my door is always open!

The beauty of Kauai really was hard to describe. Everyone goes to Hawaii and says it's pretty, but it really is absolutely breathtaking and until you see it, you just can't understand what all the fuss is about.

Tod's friend (The Travel Agent) had us stay at the Waipouli Beach Resort which was a gorgeous resort- so nice with beautiful grounds and a beach area. We had a little balcony with a spectacular view where I ate breakfast several mornings and tried to soak in the warmth and sunshine to get me through winter!

We did a lot of hiking and saw most of the waterfalls on the island. We also took a sail boat ride along the Na Pali Coast and went kayaking to Secret Falls. I was in love with the gorgeous flowers and snapped lots of pictures of the plants. We also savored lots of yummy food. Some of our favorites- ham and fresh pineapple pizza, fish/pork tacos, and tropical burgers. So good!
Some of the things I truly appreciated- long, quiet nights with no sleeping interruptions, going to the hot tub at all hours, going to restaurants without children, watching mindless TV, lots of time to read, quiet air plane rides, buying what we wanted at the grocery store, souvenir shopping and going to church in Kapa'a.

The best part of the trip was just spending time with Tod. Our lives are so busy right now- children, church callings, work, piano, and a host of other things take almost every waking moment. Even when we are home at the same time, there is the constant chatter/needs of 4 other little people. Just to have time together was remarkable. I think we'll do it again sometime soon...(preferably before our 20 year anniversary!)

Halloween Festivities

Halloween really crept up on me this year, especially with our travels to Utah. But we had a lot of fun and managed to fit in lots of things. On Friday, the girls enjoyed Hallween parties at school. I'm actually surprised given the strict nature of our school's environment, they still manage to have a very fun Halloween celebration each year! The parade is my favorite part for sure, and this year we even had decent weather! I loved being able to visit each of the girl's classrooms...we made homemade twix on a stick for Ashton's class- so yummy. In Jordan's classroom, Cole cashed in on the snacks and even jumped in the class picture. Regan also had fun at preschool- she just kept talking about how they played musical chairs.

Friday evening was spent eating chili and carving pumpkins with the Garner clan. We had 7 kids and 7 pumpkins to carve, and it was actually a pretty calm affair. The kids had a great time and we even learned some new carving techniques from the Garners. After the last pumpkin was carved, we took some photos on the porch. It made me think of how we have spent much of our Iowa journey with these special friends- when they moved to Iowa, their youngest was just a baby and Cole and Regan weren't even born. Our numbers have grown, but our friendship has remained strong. It is always fun to get together. We always do a lot of laughing.

Last night was trick or treating and as I have said before, we have the best trick or treat neighborhood! People go all out with decorating and treats. It is a lot of fun. The best moment of the night was when a fake spider dropped down on the side of a house right by Ashton's ear. She screamed so loud- classic!

Just a note about the costumes:

Ashton decided to be Dorothy after seeing Wizard of Oz this summer. Her Grandma Cindy made the costume and it was beautiful. I could not get over how well it turned out. Of course, Ashton wanted all the details down to the braids and red shoes.

Jordan chose to be a witch, and she wore the witch costume my mom had made for me when I was just her age. That was pretty cool. Seeing Jordan in that costume was like looking at my self 28 years ago. Wow.

Regan picked her costume out at Target over a month ago. She spotted that ladybug and that was it. She made it perfectly clear though, she wasn't a lady bug, she was Ladybug Girl, who is a character in a favorite book we read.

What is there to say about Cole? Ashton so wanted him to be her dog Toto. We bought him a dog costume and I knew there would be no way he would wear it. We tried several different times over the last few weeks and he freaked out everytime he even saw the thing. Last night I forced it on him for pictures but he wouldn't even wear it down the street. He trick or treated in his white shirt and jeans. One guy said he went as "the boy next door". That works. Cole was funny to watch because he insisted on walking and he tried to give the people handing out the treats the candy.

All in all, we have had a very fun-filled few days. Let the candy-eating begin!

While we were gone...

I wanted to write up a little summary of some of the things we did while we were gone to Utah. Even though the main point of the trip was the funeral, we were able to do several fun things and spent lots of time together enjoying amazing autumn weather. It was actually nice to take a surprise trip to Utah because we were able to do some of the things we have wanted to do for a long time and haven't been able to fit in.




Monday: We always need a day to recover from our car travels so we always take it easy that first day. We did go right over to the Orem cemetary to visit my mom's grave since that is something I didn't do in the summer. We also enjoyed lunch at one of our favorite spots- Brick Oven. So yummy!

Tuesday: The girls and I went to Grandma Patsy's school for lunch and then we all headed to IKEA- what an experience! We then picked Katy up at the aiport and ventured to Temple Square. It was just like old times- our family plus Katy, and it felt great. Temple Square was beautiful and we also got to tour the Conference Center. Of course, we had to finish our day with dinner at Crown Burger- so many memories at that place!

Wednesday: We went and hiked to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. Wow, it was breathtaking, especially with the colorful leaves. We also stopped at the BYU Creamery. Mel came down with her girls and it was so good to just hang out together. My dear Nauvoo friends, Erin and Jayna, stopped by and we laughed until late into the night. I was reminded of how much I treasure these special friendships. I miss these girls so much.

Thursday: See previous post- We spent the day in Helper at the funeral.

Friday: We ran errands in the morning and also got to see Grandma Mary. In the afternoon, Chris and his family came down and we all hiked to the Y. Boy, I remember that hike being hard, but it was really tough this time- especially because we had little babies with us who needed to be carried. But we all made it, and that was quite an accomplishment. It was worth the view- incredible! That night we just enjoyed the rare chance of being together. It doesn't happen too often. I stayed up way late chatting with my brother and sisters. Gosh, I sure love them and miss their company. Each one of them is amzing to me and someone I really admire.

Saturday: Packing and prepping for our journey back. Katy headed home to Texas- always tough to see her go. We did go to a park with the kids and also watched some of the BYU game. It was fun to be able to spend this extra time with Chris and his kids, as well as Mellie. We were also able to visit with the Meyers family, our friends from college. It was so great to see them after several years and to meet their cute kids- we picked up as if we had never been apart. We finished the evening with a family meal at Spaghetti Factory. And I got to spend some time alone with my dad (grocery shopping!) which is always a highlight.

Sunday: Driving- Left aroung 5 AM- stopped to eat in Rawlins, Wyoming and Lincoln, Nebraska. Arrived home around 11:30 PM. Exhausted but so thankful we took the trip and travelled safely.

A Time to Remember

Two weeks ago today, on October 9, my Grandma Betty passed away peacefully. It was a day I had known was coming for a few months, I had even tried to prepare myself, but when the day actually came, I still couldn't believe she was gone. As soon as we found out, there was no question in our minds that we would all be making the trek out to Utah to say our good-byes. Each of us has a personal relationship and love for Gram, including Tod and the girls. By Sunday morning, we were on the road, and we were in Provo by that evening. Knowing that we were coming to honor Gram made the drive much more bearable and the kids were champs. I was so glad that we had decided to all come.

The day of her funeral was an absolutely gorgeous fall day with perfect blue skies. It seemed fitting for this great lady. At the service, the great grandchildren sang and each of the six grandkids shared memories and feelings of Grandma. It was beautiful. I loved standing up with my 3 siblings and my 2 cousins- the six of us bound together by our connection and our grief. The situation felt different from a typical "grandparent " funeral. My own mom has been gone for 10 years, so in many ways my bond with Grandma was more parental and also a tie to my mom. It was difficult to feel that that was ending. At Gram's burial, we released balloons to send our love up to her. That sight is something I will always think about from that day. Also, that several of my mom's friends made the drive to Price to support our family. It was very special. I also loved spending time with family. My mom's brother and his family had taken care of Gram all her life, but especially the last years. There are no words to express thanks to them. I hope that we will remain close to them forever.

Grandma Betty has been such a huge part of my life and such an infuence on me through the years. She has been a part of every major event of my life and most of the minor ones. She has supported me and loved me since the day I was born. I have so many memories of Grandma- from happy childhood days spent in Helper to her role in my life even across the miles after I was married with children of my own.

There are so many things I admire about her. Grandma was resilient. She was one of the strongest people that I know. Grandma Betty had a very hard life with many trials and much heartache, yet she was a very happy person who was always concerned for others. Toward the end of her life, when we would talk on the phone, she didn't want to talk about her own problems, but wanted to know about each of the kids and about me. She was a caretaker to all and took care of my mom for the last months of my mom's life, and then gave us strength to get through that ordeal. Grandma was a master cook, and she taught me so much about hospitality and the love of cooking for others. We will all miss Grandma's birthday cards- she never missed sending a card and a little money for each grandchild, spouse or great grandchild. She also sent cards for holidays, too.

In the coming days and years, I will remember Grandma Betty whenever I make homemade pizza or oreo dessert. I will think of her when I eat pink mints, admire flowers in the garden or do a puzzle with my children. I will think of her when I warn my kiddos not to step on the headstones at the cemetary (as she used to tell us!) and when I utter some of her favorite phrases like, "hells-bells, " or "what the devil!" I will remember when I see the little teacups that each of my girls have from her home.

There will be many tears shed (there already have been!) for the absence of Gram. I can't imagine not visiting her or hearing her voice on the phone. For now, I think of her and the glorious reunion she had on the other side with my mom, Grandma Thelma, Grandma Char and others she loved. And I can't wait to see her again, to get a big fluffy hug from her and thank her for all she did for me. I will love you forever Grammie. I already miss you so much.

Cole at 18 months

Our little Cole "man" is 18 months old. Here are some things about him at this age:

-He loves all things electric, including plugs (hence, the above picture). He is constantly trying to plug things in and unplug things. We have safety covers over the wall outlets, but he is still always trying to mess with them and looking for any opportunity to try to get his chance. Maybe he will be an electrical engineer like Grandpa.

-He is almost always on the go and into everything. This is all very new to me, as the girls were not like that at all. He loves to pull chairs over to the counter and then unload the drawers.

-He is very accident prone and is always falling down, bumping his head and scraping his knees.

-Cole loves trucks and cars and tractors. One of his favorite things is to get in the driver seat of the van and pretend to drive. He absolutely loves keys and Dad's tools. He also loves balls and pretends to throw a ball at the neighbor's basketball hoop

-He is really good about going to the YMCA daycare and church nursery. Sometimes he cries, but just for a minute. When I pick him up, he is always excited and runs to me.

-Cole likes to go pick the girls up from school. When he sees them coming he gets all excited and goes and gives them big hugs. He has decided that he is too big for his stroller and the grocery cart and that he must walk everyone. However, he doesn't even try to stay with me but instead runs the other way!

-He is still not a great sleeper. His favorite sleeping place is right next to me in my bed. Cole started to be a way better eater when I let him start feeding himself- very messy, but worth it.
-He is starting to say more words- "Mom", "Dad", "nana" (banana), "go" (whenever he doesn't like a situation) and "gink" (binki).

I love this little boy so much. "Manny" has got every one of us wrapped around his finger, answering his every call. He is cute and he knows it! I am loving having a boy- it is a whole different world, and I am thankful everyday to be experiencing that world.

Regan's First Day

Finally, it was time for Regan's First Day of Preschool! The older girls have been in school for weeks, so honestly I don't think Regan thought she was ever going to have to go to school. I don't think she was really all that excited to go either, as she enjoys having all my attention and getting her way around the house. I finally told her that no preschool meant no dance class so she agreed to go so that she could start her ballet. Anyway, there actually were a few things she was excited for- getting to bring her lunch, seeing her teachers from last year and finally getting to wear her new clothes!