Thanksgiving Thoughts

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. James and I were able to go down to St. George to visit our families for a nice long weekend. We had so much fun. We had our actual Thanksgiving dinner at James' parents house. James' favorite part of the weekend? The food. My favorite part of the weekend? The dessert! After our wonderfully delicious dinner, we headed on over to my mom's house for pie.

We also did something that was a long time coming. James and I actually went to a movie. Hallelujah! We left Grant with my mom and went to see the movie Twilight. Not a bad show, by the way, just I am a firm beliver, that in this case, as in most cases, the book was better. Better yet, the movie caught James' interest and now he is reading Twilight! It was also nice knowing that someone was taking great care of Grant while we were at the movie. This is how I left Grant at my mom's:

Who needs to babysit when you've got Kirk? Grant adored being around Kirk and his laughing is priceless. I am so thankful for family.

On Friday, Grant, James and I also went to Zion National Park with James' family. We hiked two trails: The Sinawava Temple and Weeping Rock. Both hikes were not strenuous at all, but we had Grant to push in the stroller, and James totally took over that part.

This is us a Sinawava Temple. A nice walk along the river.

Another fun part of this weekend is that Grant got to get a little more aquainted with his cousin Hunter. Hunter is about 6 or 7 months older than Grant, and pretty much has other things that interest him at this age. Grant is not one of them! But Grant lit up whenever Hunter came around. Grant loves other kids and he could not get enough of them this trip!

Christmas shopping has already found its way into our household. On Saturday, my mom and I took to the crowds and began the task of finding perfect gifts for friends and family. Something that was on my shopping list was a complete new wardrobe for Grant. He was completely out of everything. He's growing so fast and is already fitting into clothes I thought for sure he would fit into by the time he's walking. Not true. So this Christmas, Grant got clothes and he got them early since he was literally completely out of everything. I love Kohls! They were having a huge sale and I got onesies and pants for four bucks. Can't beat that!

Grand amidst his clothes. He looks thrilled!

So, in closing, I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I'm finally a mom, I have a wonderful family, and a fulfilling job. I'm thankful for my knowledge of the true church and for the joy and the happiness it brings to me and my family. I'm thankful for good books to read, a warm house, and family that I can keep in touch with through blogging.

I hope you have a happy holiday season!

Fave Five...or Six?

Lots to be thankful for this week! I hope I remember them all, and I hope I can get them down to just five. It'll be hard, but here's my try:

1. Play Dates. When we moved to Casper James and I didn't know anyone at all. We were just here by ourselves hoping to make new friends...well you know how it is if you've ever moved away. Well, the school I was hired to teach first grade at also hired a second grade teacher. I heard about her, and I heard she was really nice, just moved from Utah like us, so I was really anxious to meet her. We became fast friends and even went shopping for our classrooms together. So fun! Her name is Kerrie and she just had a baby in February, so we were pregnant together. I have to say how fun it was to have her go through everything first. She was grilled by me every time she went to the doctor. She's a great friend. Every week we try to organize a play date with our babies at each other's houses. The babies just sit and play, but Kerrie and I have so much fun talking! Its nice to have friends here when everyone else is so far away. This playdate was one of the first times the babies actually noticed each other and tried to share and play together. Aren't they sweet? This is Callie and she was extra sweet on Grant in this play date!

I'd also like to draw attention to their pants. They were a gift from a sweet second grade teacher at school at our baby shower. So cute!

2. Long lost friends...I am so thankful for this blogging thing. One of my good friends that I had from childhood found my blog, and we've been keeping in touch. Her name is Angi Scott (well, its Pelissie now), and we have had so much fun catching up. She was my first friend that I ever made in St. George when I was nine. So fun to think about all the things we used to do together like swimming every day, marathon sleepovers, swapping Baby-Sitter Club books (don't laugh, that's how I became a reader :) ), and baking cookies that never quite turned out for some reason. And our families became friends as well. So glad I have found her and can't wait to hear more about her and her family!

3. Sundays...I am so glad for this one day that is not like the rest. Heavenly Father totally knew what he was doing by giving us this one day to rest. Sunday just feels different and its so nice to just take a break and leave everything from the week behind. I love having James home and we just relax and rest. I don't know how people make it when they observe Sunday like every other day of the week. I need the rest!

4. Morning cuddle sessions with Grant. Early in the morning, before it is too early to get up and start the day, I will hear Grant starting to coo and stir. I know from his little noises that he is still tired and just needs that extra little bit of rest before I get him up for the day. So I will pick him up and he will nestle right into my shoulder. I will walk over to the rocking chair and slowly rock him back to sleep. I love, love, LOVE this time. I love feeling that little bald head on my cheek and how he will rest his fingers on my neck. I absolutely adore this sweet little baby boy!

5. Jam. I have found a new love. I am so loving jam and toast in the morning. One of our neighbors made fresh peach jam for us, and oh my goodness! I have been eating jam ever since! So good! I think one of my New Years Resolutions, besides reading 50 books, is to learn how to make yummy jam. So, mom, if your reading this, break out those recipes, cause I'm rarin' to go!

6. James is always so super nice and sweet and I couldn't make it through each day with out him! He helps out so well with Grant, and has taken on so much more since we had him! He did a lot to begin with anyway, and so it still amazes me how much he does for us. Laundry, cleaning, running errands in town is no match for my sweetie! I so appreciate all that he does for us.

So there it is. So hard narrowing it down. I feel super blessed, and very fortunate.

7 Month Milestones!

Grant's amazing milestones:

• Rolling over from back to tummy (doesn't quite like the tummy thing so much, I have to really have an amazing toy to motivate him)
• Can eat squash, peas, mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots without any coaxing
• Likes to shake and bang his rattles (we have a song: Shake, shake, shake! Shake, shake, shake! Shake your rattle!
• Has taken an interest in Cooper and will pet him gently
• Responds to funny noises by laughing endlessly (it's super cute to hear him! )
• Can sit unassisted
• Has shown an interest in books (Yea! Our months of reading books must be finally paying off!)
• Has protective reflexes on either side of his body (can catch himself when he starts to fall to the side)

We are so proud of our little boy and the accomplishments he is making. Seven months ago we weren't sure how the stroke had affected him and how he would develop, but he's meeting every milestone just as normally as can be!

You've Been Skunked!

We had the most fun for Halloween! Our ward in Casper really goes all out and makes it fun for the kids! They had a chili cookoff and a carnival with games and booths. Now these booths that they have must take forever to prepare. It really looks like a carnival when you go inside. It was so fun to see all of our cute primary kids all dressed up in their little Halloween costumes.

Sort of a milestone this Halloween....James actually dressed up! Not in the Jolly Green Giant costume I've been wanting him to be (or more likely, teasing him that that's what he should be), but he did go as a basketball player. It was so fun dressing up Grant and taking him to school and the Halloween carnival. We ended the night early (Grant has his "Sour Hour" at about 6 o'clock), so we ate, saw a few people and came home. Not so many trick-or-treaters this year, but that's okay. More candy for us!

Happy Halloween!

The "Weak"end!

Well, things have been kind of crazy lately. We just had a four day weekend break from school, for Parent Teacher Conferences. So you think I would be relaxed and ready for the week ahead. Well, let me tell ya-things did not work out this way. Here is a long list of things that kept me going all weekend and why I am calling this the "weak"end...

1. Grant's 6 month appointment in Denver. Truly, we have been down to Denver more than we have ever cared to in the past 6 months. I love how the doctors are really looking closely at my son to make sure that he is developing normally and he's on the right track. Friday morning, early, we packed up our car, dressed and fed Grant, and headed on the long 4 hour trip to Children's Hospital in Denver. I have to say that I am thankful that Grant is not yet potty trained, and can be changed quickly in the back of the car (while we are safely stopped of course :) ) We got there at noon, thinking we were a half an hour late, when really we arrived an hour early. They told us the wrong time to be there. Any who, we were there for the Stroke Clinic, and this a long afternoon of doctors coming in and out and explaining the same things to them over and over. It is exhausting. They told us how well Grant is doing and they took some more blood to make sure that he won't have anymore clots forming on his brain. We'll hopefully get the results of these tests back on Friday. We began the long trek home at 6:00 that night, and arrived home at10:00. K, firm believer in routines. Grant has a routine that we go through every single night to get ready for bed. We do a bath, bottle, prayer, bed. Well, it was so late when we got back, I thought I would just give him a small bottle, and put him to bed. Well, Grant cried...and cried... and cried. I went in to look at him, and he'd thrown up. So I had to change his sheets, give him a bath, refeed him, and then put him to bed. Lesson learned. Always follow the routine! L-o-n-g Day.



2. The next morning we decided to paint our kitchen. We had all of our typical Saturday things to do such as laundry, grocery shopping, and, of course, taking care of the baby! We also had to pick up the paint. We didn't get started until 6 o'clock that night. And 6 o'clock is what we usually call the "Sour Hour" because Grant lets us know its almost time for his bottle and bedtime routine. He gets a little on the ornery side! During our painting session, I had to stop and put Grant to bed, and pick up where I had left off. With James taping and me painting we finally got finished at midnight. Our kitchen is so pretty though! So worth the effort!


3. Sunday morning found us super tired. Grant developed a cough and a runny nose, so I decided he needed to stay home from church. No need to get the other babies sick! Had to prepare sharing time for the afternoon, and participate in our Sacrament program. Anyway, when its all said and done, I felt like I needed a weekend to recover from my weekend! James and I were so exhausted!



I am grateful, however, that our little Grant is doing so well developmentally. He is just as normal as he can be! And as handsome as ever! I see more of James in him every day! I feel way blessed that we have so many people caring about our little boy, and really want him to do well. It makes weekends like this so worth it.

Here are some new pictures of our little Grant:

The hat that Grant only fit into for a few days. He has a big head!



A look of surprise!


Grant's new toy. He loves it!

Grant's first fall.

Check out those legs!

Jealousy....

Husband Tag

What is his name? James

How long have you been married? Eight and a half wonderful years!

How long did you date? 3 months. We had a whirlwind courtship. But when ya know, ya know!

How old is he? The big 3-0!

Who eats more? James does. It's a family joke on whether or not I will finish my plate.

Who is taller? Definitely James.

Who sings better? We are both equally awful!

Who is smarter? James...Mr. A- in Calculus. I got out of Calculus before it went on my transcript.

Whose temper is worse? I would have to say James. He doesn't really lose his temper often though.

Who does the laundry? James does it more than I do. I have the problem of starting it, but not finishing it. James does it till its done, and its all nicely folded or hanging up in my closet. He's the best!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Well, if your looking at the bed, I sleep on the right side, but if your on the bed, James sleeps on the right side. Does that make sense? It depends on the way you are looking at it!

Who pays the bills? James does. He enjoys it, and he went to school for it. More power to him!

Who mows the lawn? James does. He actually enjoys it!

Who cooks dinner? I do most nights. Since I work part time now, its easier for me to just to do it.

Who drives when you are together? James does most of the time.

Who is more stubborn? I think its a toss up. We both equally have our moments.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? James.

Whose parents do you see the most? It's about equal.

Who proposed? James did on the St. George temple grounds. His sister-in-law was supposed to put flowers in one of the bushes by the temple, but she misunderstood and put them by the visitor center. So James and I were making laps around the temple. I remember thinking, "what are we doing?" Then James dropped down on a knee and proposed and we picked up the flowers when we were done. Too funny!

Who has more friends? I probably do, but James has a best friend he has kept in touch with for years and years. We also have a lot of couple friends we hang out with.

Who has more siblings? James wins by one extra sibling.

Who wears the pants in the family? James definitely does and rightfully so!

*If you are married and you've read this, you've been tagged!!!

Grant Speaks?

All right, I know what you are thinking! How can your five month old already be talking? Well, let me tell ya. Every Wednesday we have the Physical Therapist come over to our house to teach me exercises to do with Grant and to make sure he is developmentally there. Well, last Wednesday was sort of crazy. When I got home at 12:30 Grant has already eaten and taken a nap, and he would be ready for another bottle and nap at about 3:00 when the Physical Therapist would be there. So he was up and at it right until the PT came, and then he started to get cranky and upset. Grant always works really hard during these sessions and today he was really working hard and getting especially tired. Near the end of the session, the PT was giving him a neck stretch and Grant really has a hard time tolerating these stretches. He started to get really frustrated and SAID "mom." The PT heard this and said that because he was getting mad and tired he really wanted his mom. I heard this and would have dismissed it as another coo or a babble, but my PT, who really knows her stuff about babies, insists that he spoke his first word. He hasn't said it since (he hasn't been that cranky since then), but I love knowing that when everyone said that he'd for sure say "da-da" first no matter how hard I tried, he knows who his mom is and how to say it! My months of saying Mama over and over must be finally paying off!