Update!!

Man has it been crazy. I'm sure you all know what I am talking about. I think we have had something every weekend. I'll prove it.

The first Saturday of November we had a lovely get together with my old roommates from the Maple House. It was the last beautifully warm Saturday of the year. We met up at a park in North Salt Lake and let the kids go crazy on the playground, while we chatted and got caught up. The dads were even kind enough to watch the kids on the playground so we weren't distracted too much. Every one's kids were adorable and getting so big, and they all got along and played well with each other (which is always very nice). We had a wonderful time. (Hey, if any of you roomies want to send me a copy of the pictures we took, I would very much appreciate it)

I also went to a baby shower for a cousin that afternoon. It was so fun to see her all big and pregnant. I don't get to see my dad's family often and so it was so fun to catch up and see everyone. It was day full of catching up.

The next weekend we got out of dodge and visited my grandparents and aunt up in Idaho Falls. We had a wonderful time. The kids didn't break anything and were pretty well behaved. They didn't even break into their treats hidden in the cupboards. I was very pleased with them. We went out to dinner to a place kind of like Chuckie Cheese, only it had a train theme. Obviously, Beckett loved it. We ate burgers and chicken nuggets and fries while we watched a model train go back and forth on a wall. Beckett hardly ate anything. He just wanted to watch the train. When it came time to leave, Beckett disappeared. There was a lot of people around us and we were all distracted by putting on coats and things. I was very scared because it would have been very easy for someone to just pick him up and walk out with him and no one would have noticed. We all started searching frantically. After about 5 minutes, we found him over near the arcade like this:



After we all calmed down, we realized that this is the first place we should have looked for him. We then did what any normal parent would do at a time like this and proceeded to take pictures of the event.



Belle liked the tractor lots more.


We had a wonderful time in Idaho and hated to leave. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa and Karen for being so hospitable and letting us come visit. We love you!

We got our Saab out of the shop the next week and have been driving it since. We are looking to sell it now though. The warning lights are still flashing on and off, so we would like to buy a more reliable car before we have to fix another thing on that car. So it looks like the Saab story is almost over. Hallelujah!

That Saturday, Matt went to the BYU/Air force game. Thankfully, this time he did not come home with the flu. He had a great time and BYU won.

The next week, Beckett and I made something together:



In case you couldn't tell, he is a robot (robok, as Beckett calls it).

Thanksgiving was that week as well. We spent it with my family. It was wonderful, complete with a kids table, fine china, and amazing food. I even learned how to cook a turkey.



The food was so delicious and we had a fun time together. We watched the Gods Must be Crazy and had some good laughs. I had forgotten how good that show is. There is some good stuff in that show. We also saw Blindside. That is such a good movie. I recommend it to anyone. It teaches you what charity and being a christian is all about. Plus it had some good football scenes too.

We came home Thanksgiving night because Matt had to work the next day. It turned out to be a good thing because Beckett got really sick. I am not sure what bug he got (possibly bacon fever), but he had a bad hacking cough and a fever and he just laid there on the couch like a slug. I could hear him breathing from across the room. It was kind of scary. I wasn't sure if I should take him to a doctor or not. When Matt got home from work that day, he and his friend, John, gave him a blessing and his breathing improved dramatically. It was still a little raspy, but I had to sit next to him to hear it. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood. I know it works miracles.

Beckett was sick for about 4 days. Belle got sick too, but not very bad. She had the cough and runny nose, but was up and running around and playing all day. She only wanted to cuddle with me part of the day. She also cut one of her fangs, as I like to call them. Now we are just trying to get rid of the runny noses left over from whatever that bug was. Oh and getting Beckett to do things for himself again. The little stinker thinks he still needs help to get his blanket out of his bed and to press play for his movies, which are things he was perfectly capable of doing before he got sick.

It was a very full month. Despite all of that, I managed to finish some projects of mine. When I was pregnant with Beckett, I made him a receiving blanket with the crocheted edging. I have been feeling bad that I hadn't made one for Anabelle, so I bought a kit over the summer and finished it last month. Well, technically it isn't finished, I ran out of thread, but there isn't much left once I buy more. Here it is:


Belle got another blanket, a quilt from my mom. She has made a quilt for all of her grandchildren. It turned out so cute. I love it and so does Belle. It has such bright colors. My mom was also really excited because she learned how to do some new stuff when she made this one. She is working on Beckett's right now and I will post pictures of that one when she is finished with it. I can't wait to see it.



I just love the flowers.


Well, I think we are mostly caught up now. I hope you all are ready for the holidays and have a very Merry Christmas.

The Update

Well hello, all! We have had a few busy weeks (hence the no new posts for a while). First, we had one of Matt's good friends, James Bullough, get married the Friday before General Conference. We went to Vernal, UT to witness the blessed occasion. We had a great time and some kind people, relatives of John's (James' twin brother), opened their home to let us stay there instead of going to a hotel.

The temple there is so beautiful. It was originally a tabernacle, but the church turned it into a temple in 1997. As we were waiting to go into the sealing room, I noticed a really neat looking couch. It was very antique looking. A temple worker noticed me noticing the couch and came over and told me that it was originally Brigham Young's couch. They reupholstered it, so it looked more modern looking. So, if ever you happen to find yourself in "Dinosaurland" at Vernal, take the time to stop by the temple there. It is so beautiful.

After we got home from Vernal, my wonderful Aunt Karen came and spent Saturday night with us. We had fun watching Pete's Dragon and Ironman. Two totally different movies, but we enjoyed them just the same (well, maybe not Matt. Guess which one Matt wasn't too thrilled to watch). She also introduced us to some deliciously addicting snack foods that were kind of like cinamon and sugar covered puff things. They tasted like they used real butter to coat the puffs. They were divine. Thank you, Karen, for introducing me to one more thing I should avoid but probably won't.

General Conference was wonderful and, as always, goes by too quickly. I was so shocked when Pres. Monson announced the new temple in Rome, Italy. I would have never thought we would build one there. That is wonderful that the saints there are being blessed for their faithfulness.

Well, the next week was so busy that I can't even remember what it was filled with.

Last Saturday, Matt got to go to the BYU football game and freeze with my family while they watched BYU beat New Mexico (Go Cougs!). He then was able to warm up at the Brick Oven, a popular college hangout in Provo with amazing pizza. Unfortunately, when he got back to my parent's house, he started to feel sick and we became grounded there due to the fact that Matt had contracted the stomach flu from someone at work. That night was not a pleasant one. The next morning, I rushed up to Ogden, through a snow storm, to give my Sunday School lesson, leaving Matt in the capable hands of my family. When I got there, I discovered that it was not my turn to teach that Sunday. So, I braved the snow storm again and went back home to take care of my almost dying husband. To put it lightly, I felt sheepish.
Matt was feeling well enough on Monday that he was able to go to work, thankfully. That night Anabelle tried Rice Cereal for the first time. Here is what she thought:

Unfortunately, she was not able to have it again this week until yesterday because the Stomach Flu Fairy followed us from my parent's house. Beckett got it first and was also the last one to get rid of it, poor kid. He had it rough. I only had it a little bit and Anabelle threw up once and was fine. To sum up the whole experience, I probably did 15 loads of laundry this week. And tomorrow, I am going to be scrubbing this house from top to bottom. It was a most unpleasant week.

I guess one pleasant thing happened this week. Anabelle is crawling now. She does in a catapillar looking way. She puts her arms out in front of her and then pulls herself forward onto all fours. Then she puts her tummy down and puts her arms back out in front of her again. It is hard to explain other than she kind of looks like catapillar going up and down. It is pretty cute.

Well, now I have caught you all up. I wish good health upon you all. And if you must get sick, only one at a time.