That for which we give thanks

The kids made gratitude paper chains this week. Just a few of the items that made up the links for the chain:

Jesus, FHE, pizza, home, animals, family, junk food, (regular) food, Dad, Mom, me, lunch, dinner, holidays, temples, time, medicine, breakfast, electricity, video games, Martin Luther King Jr., oven, rain, fridge, plants, states, paper, music, freedom, reduce, birthdays, forks, the world, veterans, grandmas and grandpas, reuse, recycle, pencils, countries, instruments, bowls, church, rulers (not specified whether it is the ruler you use in school or rulers of nations), drinks, spoons, school, toys, cups, cousins, America, pillows, blankets, pets, my family, "Hefinly Fathr and Jeasas," body, backyard, trampoline, Thanksgiving, vegetables, fruits, Garrett, Cooper, Warner, Noah, cousins, treats, me, Christmas tree, plants, earth, sky, Lucy, Kye, Isaac, Adam, butterflies, bugs, flowers, drinks, love, crackers, shapes, books, toys, serving, neighbors, friends, holidays, AND towels.

And that's just a few of the things we are thankful for. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

(Props to G-man for coming up with a list of 51 things he is thankful for.)

Fa-la-la-la-la--Oh Wait! Wrong Holiday

Visiting family arrived safely--check
Thanksgiving feast shopping--check.
Pumpkin roll made--check
Dill dip made--check
Zach uninjured after work turkey bowl--check
Turkey (still) thawing--check
House picked up and vacuumed--check
Bathrooms cleaned--check
Kye's slush punch made--check
At least one child too sick and miserable to enjoy Thanksgiving--check
Rescheduled family pictures yet again b/c of one child too sick and miserable to enjoy Thanksgiving--check
(Happy 30th Birthday, Meels)
Acknowledged my sister's 30 birthday in at least 16 different ways--check
Ready to celebrate one of my very favorite holidays--check
Wishing all of you a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving--check

Happy 61, Papooski (AKA Grandpa Ron)

October 2009: A Photographic Journey

"Mom, it still fits!" Zeeky in his costume from 2 years ago.

Banana Bandit:
Zoo trip: October 17
Zoo trip: Oct. 17

Visiting "The Art of Brick," a lego art exhibit by Nathan Sawaya in Park City. A-MAZ-ing!

Birthday lunch with Lu:

Halloween 2009: Lu was already gone with a friend. I was dressed as a hippie, though I was mistaken for a Native American princess more than once. I can see it now, though I thought the clothes would give it away. Guess you can find Native American princesses in orange day-glo polyesters, circa 1970??

Lucy and friend Kaitlyn:

The kiddos and me:

And, we couldn't resist. Pbbbbbbbbbbbbbllllllltttttttt!

Top Ten--October 2009

10—I: How big were you when you had me?
M: About the same size I am now, except my tummy was bigger.
I: I mean, were you a human?
Hmmmm, well as far as I know . . . (Note to self: teach Zeeky the difference between the words “human” and “adult.”)

9—My general klutziness increases. It must be so amusing to be my children sometimes, what with watching me get my head slammed by the car door just before church, or watching me whack my left temple with the pantry door after it rebounded off my shoe. Incidentally, on a (perhaps) related note, I’ve had a lot of headaches this month.

8—Uncle Ben: Lucy, Sarah (L.)! What are you guys doing down there?
Lucy: Oh, we’re jumping on the bed, talking about people who take things literally, like Amelia Bedelia.
Huh. All righty then.

7—K: Are you guys deaf? Well, ARE you?!?!?! (speaking to Isaac and cousin Justin, who does, in fact, happen to be deaf). Hard to believe we try to teach him manners, isn’t it?

6—Isaac accesses his inner Emeril: every time he tells a story, he gives a fact and adds a “BAM!” You know, like, “I was just walking along and BAM! I slipped and hit my head.” Or, “This pen stopped working and BAM! I can’t write on my paper.” It’s delightful. I can’t wait to hear what brings a BAM! in each conversation.

5—A: I monna mawtch a moomie, mommy.

4—Conference, Conference, Conference. We learned so very much, felt so very much, and came away determined to do a little better. This was my favorite talk.

3—While taking a break from BAM!ing, Isaac’s been giving us some quotable one-liners. “Mom (*sigh*), pwease stop singing. Yoh making me nehvous,” and, “Kye is wighteous, but he’s just so mean sometimes,” and “I think I got a bwack bean up my nose,” and (sobbing), “Mom, you are not being a bucket filler. You are being a bucket dipper.”

2—Another enlightening conversation for posterity:
S: So, Zach. Of all the places you travel, which is your very favorite?
Z: Mississippi.
S: Mississippi?!?! Really? Better than Hawaii, or New York, or Tahiti!?!? But why?
Z: It’s relaxed, there aren’t very many people there . . . and it’s got really good barbeque.
Who knew?

1—Our dear little Lucy-loo growing up on us. She turned nine. NINE, for crying out loud. Where did the time go?

Tis the Season

I took

to the doctor Monday b/c he was a bit wheezy. We came home with this:

Count them--that would be 5. Five prescriptions in one day for one little boy.

1- Pulmicort as a daily maintenance medication for his lungs, which haven't recovered yet from the damage RSV caused 2 years ago.

2-Albuterol to be taken every four hours when he's wheezing badly; in other words, every time he gets sick.

3-Amoxicillan for an ear infection.

4-Hydrocod for a nighttime cough, only when it gets so bad he can't sleep.

5-Prednisolone--the 5-day oral steroid boost his lungs needed because he was retracting. I suppose I can put up with the 24/7 crazy tantrums, fits, running, screaming, wanting to be held, wanting to be put down, go-go-going that this one causes so that he can be healthy again. It doesn't make him quite as crazy as it did Kye a few years ago. For that, I am extremely thankful.

Reality Check

Lest you fear our kids will be translated soon, what with a four year old who "reads" the Book of Mormon in his spare time, let me reassure you of the incredible normalcy of our chillens. Please observe what the six year old brought home from church yesterday:

(I can only assume that he is "serving others" by letting someone ride on his scooter with him??)

For Your Sunday Reading Pleasure

Look what Zeeky is reading these days:

(Ahem--no, he's not actually READING it. But he does a very good job of pretending to.)