On graduating, losing a tooth and getting fired

On Wednesday Andrew officially graduated...from speech!! He has met all his goals and says all the sounds properly that a 4 year old should say. We are very proud of his work. He got a certificate- which he is pretty excited about! He still wants to go to speech and is sad to not get to win more prizes. It is nice that we no longer have to interpret what he is saying to other people. Way to go Andrew!!

In the last month Luke has had some of his big teeth popping up behind his baby teeth. Since then we've been encouraging him to wiggle away. Well, today he succeeded in losing his first baby tooth! It was a very exciting thing- especially since it happened during sacrament meeting. He wanted to get up and NOT bear his testimony but simply open his mouth to show everyone. I think he succeeded in telling everyone around us and his teacher- who was many, many rows behind us. Losing teeth is a big deal! He said that it is pretty cool to be having a tooth (and soon to be many more- there are still 6 wigglers) come out so close to when a baby is also going to come out (we still have 8ish wks until that happens). Lets hope that Kiley does not pull the baby out during sacrament meeting as he did this tooth. VERY big news for Luke! I'll have to take a picture of Luke and his tooth for posterity and of course post it here for your viewing enjoyment.

Also in sacrament meeting I got fired...from my calling. This is also known as being released but I'm very sad about losing this particular calling. The loose/lost tooth was actually a very good distractor for me so I only got teary-eyed when they did the actual releasing and not when I went up to bear my testimony (this is when I invited Luke to come do the same- he declined but later regretted it because he couldn't show his new sort of hole (because remember- there's a grown-up tooth already in behind said hole)). I have been the primary music chorister and I told the primary pres. when I discovered this pregnancy might actually stick around that I didn't want to be released. Apparently said Pres. didn't know I was being released though the Bishop had discussed whether the calling was too much to handle with a new baby on many occasions. It very well might have been too much but that doesn't make it easier to say good-bye to my action packed 2 hours and head back over to be with the old, slow, boring people :) Oh well, as with all callings they eventually end. I just hope to sub A LOT and I hope to pick REALLY good music for Sacrament meeting- cause that's (part) of my new calling :) Oh- and I'll take my new little boy over this calling any day (and I may also be quite slow these days...so I'll probably fit in pretty well)

CL 32 wks

I knew...

there was a reason I hadn't finished our Hawaii trip yet :) You see, we went to celebrate 10 years of marriage...but that didn't actually happen until TODAY!! So, I just wanted to remember our trip all the way up to (and past- 2 days to go!) our anniversary.

So this Thanksgiving is extra special and I am extra thankful for my dear, sweet, opinionated, feisty husband of 10 years!! I love you babe!!

Then

Now (goooooo Hawaii!)

Hawaii Day 7

Wednesday we got up and headed down to Kailua for some sea kayaking. We had debated getting a single or double. We ended up with singles because of a groupon deal but I think in the end I wish we'd done a double. I'm just not as strong as Kiley and there were a couple times I was pretty dead tired and it would have been nice to let Kiley do all the work :) Regardless, this was a great- physical day. Also the day we both got burned- mostly on the front lower part of our legs- and bad. We both ended up peeling and it was pretty painful the first couple nights after. Note to self- when sea kayaking- sunscreen on the legs is a MUST :) We kayaked to two different islands. Both are bird sanctuaries. The first was easy and tiny (Flat Island). The second was about a mile out, right where the waves were breaking and exciting to get to (Moku-Iua Islands- you can only land on one). Then we went to Lanikai Beach and snorkeled (and I slept some too). Finally we returned to Kailua Beach.

Island #1- facing the green mountains

Island #1 facing the brown mountains

Island #2- nice beach but no shade

Lava rock on island #2

Strong Kiley dragging the Kayaks back to the trucks

buff man :)

When we left we picked up some dinner (Panda Express- yes we're that exciting) and then decided we'd eat it at a beach along the drive back up. It was beautiful to drive along the beach by Kane'ohe. We thought we'd found a great spot...here's what we found:

A park full of cats

and chickens

This park was surrounded by a fence- and as soon as you drive in- I noticed the sign...and then the wildlife. I just laughed.

Can you read that sign? Hmmmm...not sure what's going on but these 50+ cats and chickens didn't get the memo.

Needless to say- we decided not to eat here. We watched Soul Surfer that night. Kiley thought it was bad timing but I really enjoyed it! Maybe it made me a little more nervous the next day when he went boogie boarding but it seemed like the perfect place to watch it!

Labor Day Trip- day 1 and 2

Over Labor Day we headed down to San Diego to visit Curtis, Alaina, Georgia, and Levi. We love going there! Unfortunately it took us a long time to get there because I15 was closed due to a fire over Cajon Pass. We got there just before it opened but the back up was pretty far. The boys did pretty well sitting in the car moving very slowly but we were all happy to get there!

Our first day in CA we went to the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Mormon Battalion visitor center. I highly recommend the battalion visitor center if you haven't been recently- it is fantastic!

The 3 boys in the back of Curtis' new truck!

Andrew and the Manatee

Balboa Park

Panning for Gold at the Battalion

Working the water pump

Doing the wash

A well- the battalion members were able to teach the people in San Diego how to make bricks- an invaluable skill!

Hitting the road

Alaina, Levi, Georgia and Curtis with the Levi Hancock statue- member of the Battalion, relative, and Levi's namesake

Sunday we headed off to church and then spent the afternoon playing with the backyard toys

Luke LOVED riding the go-kart. He went on many trips around the yard. click on the picture to get a good look at Luke's face!

Andrew went exactly once and then was happy to watch...

Horseback Riding

I love groupon and have taken advantage of many deals. As part of Luke's 6th!?! birthday we went horseback riding. I LOVE horseback riding and am happy to have a companion along. My horse was named Cole and Luke's was Tinkerbell (his was ponied with the guides!). Both of our horses would kick the horse behind if it got too close. Mine put me in a bush once too- backing up trying to get the horse behind to BACK OFF. Pretty fun- I actually got to steer a little because of that :) Luke said something about my being the oldest there which I thought was ridiculous. Until I noticed that the other 4 in the group (not to mention our 2 guides) really were under 30. Yikes. Since when am I old?

See Luke up at the front with the guide?

Lindsey's Wedding

A little over a month ago I drove up to Manti for my cousin's wedding. I went alone. It was weird. The car was so quiet and packing took no time at all. So happy for my cousin and her fabulous husband!!

Coming out of the temple- face beaming!

Don't they look so happy?

Cuz buds :)

getting ready to leave in their well-made up car

Me outside my motel room- love these kind of photos. Am I weird?

Funny story- I pulled up to my motel after going to Walmart in the metropolis of Ephraim and standing outside room #7 was my Aunt. Both of us had come alone and had no idea we were both staying at our huge motel. It was nice to know she was right next door. Plus, I got to hear that her 7th grandson had just been born. Hooray!

Well Put

Recently I read several recommendations for the book "Coming to Term" by Jon Cohen. I was able to get it through interlibrary loan and have now ordered it on paperback swap. I'm only 25 pages in but so far it's been fabulous. There's one part in particular that I have read, and reread and made Kiley read because it explains so well how I feel (it's on page 9).

As a background, Jon's wife suffered 4 miscarriages after they had their first daughter. This is a memory/ thoughts from after their second miscarriage.

"Several months passed, and fertility and miscarriage faded into the background- at least I thought it had. One evening, Shannon asked me, her eyes wet, mascara streaking down her cheek, whether I knew what day it was. Had I missed our anniversary? 'Our baby would have been due today.' she said, referring to the first miscarriage. I held her as she cried and then wailed, with the particular grief that accompanies the death of someone you love.

I suffered no lasting depression about that miscarriage. In my Cro-Magnon way, I puzzled that she grieved so over a pregnancy that had lasted a few weeks. Men and women do--must--have different reactions to miscarriage, which adds yet another twist to an emotional rope that already has many knots in it. I know more intimately than anyone else what miscarriage meant to Shannon. But from another vantage, any woman who has miscarried has a more precise understanding of Shannon's sense of loss. A woman lives through a miscarriage. A man, no matter how devoted, only observes it. So Shannon's reaction to an unborn baby's birthday, a symbol that had little meaning to me at first, taught me something about what miscarriage means to a woman.

Miscarriage for Shannon did not approach the most feared tragedy that any parent can imagine: the loss of a child who actually breathes air, snuggles into your neck, and looks into your eyes. But for me, the miscarried embryo was an embryo. For Shannon, it was a son or a daughter, who, had fate been more kind, would at that moment have fed from her breast for the first time. It was that mercilessly real, and, though the pain eventually did recede, I am certain that for her it will never entirely disappear."

And so as I approach the third such "birthday" I am grateful for the women Heavenly Father has put in my life who have experienced this kind of repeated loss. And I thank Him for a wonderful husband who continually supports me despite wondering why it's so hard on me. And for my 2 beautiful children who came so easily and have each other to hug and hold and play with and fight with no matter what.

Denver Adventure- Temple!

While visiting Grandma and Grandpa we had a lot of fun! The next few posts cover it all!!

We:

Visited the temple

The boys spent the afternoon with Grandpa while my Mom and I worked in the kitchen and then did a session. They had a blast! Here's some pictures Luke took while my Dad and I transfered carseats. A photographer in the making!

That's my Dad's car

The accomplice always happy to pose

We were paying really close attention- I promise!

Neighbor car- why not?

Andrew loved this rabbit and had it most the time we were at my parents- but he called it a mouse!

Temple grounds at their best

My Mom's car

I took a picture similar to this of my Aunt and Uncle on their wedding day. Do adults have heads in kids' minds?

Luke capturing Andrew playing catch

Don't want to forget what the inside of the car looks like!

And another classic kid shot! And that's about half of them :)