Thanksgiving 2008

We enjoyed another wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! On Thursday, we spent the day with the Lindsays. The kids were super excited-When we got to Dale and Barbara's, the table was set to perfection with Barbara's beautiful china and all sorts of little decorations.Off to the side was the "Boy Table" for the man children.....Cheri (chef elite) and Cindy making last minute preparations for the dinner. Cheri made the BEST turkey we have eaten. I guess watching Food Network really does have its benefits! Dale, probably the most grateful for the double root canal he had two days prior....Uncle Steve is always so sweet and kind to our children. Here is my personal favorite part of the dinner: Barbara's Stuffing! She makes it with walnuts and pineapple. It is really, really delicious!

Let's eat!
Great food, Great company!

Austin loved the jello with whipped cream!

Taylor was just so happy to sit at the grown-up's table! She just beamed!

After dinner, we wanted a few pictures of the kids. Here are Taylor, Jaxson and Austin with Grandma Barbie!

Aunt Cheri and Uncle Steve....teasing and tickling!
Dave, before dinner....

Here are a few more shots of the boys with Cheri and Steve

The next day, we drove to Unitah (mouth of Weber Canyon) to see my brother, Justin, and his family. They built a home there over the past spring and summer and we hadn't seen it. My parents were there so that was fun to spend the afternoon with them. Dad took the kids horse-back riding. Taylor and Jaxson both rode without somebody leading the horse so they were both very proud of that moment. Justin and Jana's home is really beautiful--we are so happy for them!

The rest of the Thanksgiving break was spent working at Oak Canyon (trying to get caught up after missing 6 days of school) and putting up our Christmas decorations. It has been another great year with great memories!

The consequences of doing the "splits" at 7 months pregnant...

Imagine doing this---- ----when you are about 7 months pregnant!

So was my fate last Monday night! We got the kids down to bed around 7:45pm so I said to Dave that I really needed a good soak in the bathtub because I was in pain. He turned on the Jazz game and told me to go relax. I got in the tub as it was starting to fill up with hot water when my feet slipped....going into the splits position! I screamed because of the pain and then tried to lower myself into the water. The hot water felt good so I just tried not to move and relax.

After about 30 minutes, I was hurting so I decided to get out. When I stood up and tried to climb out of the tub, I discovered I couldn't move my left leg because the pain was too intense! I yelled and yelled to my husband but he couldn't hear me because the Jazz game was blasting throughout our home. I finally made it out of the tub, sobbing, and then crawled for the phone in our bedroom to call my husband in the living room. He, of course, came running in. What a sight I must have been! :)

The next morning, I still couldn't move without intense pain so we called my doctor. He ended up sending me to the hospital to be checked out and to make certain the baby was okay. After an hour there, it was concluded that the baby is doing great but the mother is a mess! The doctor ordered me to go on bedrest for 7 days and to take a muscle relaxer to help heal the pulled ligiments and muscles. As glamorous as it might sound to be told to go to bed and sleep for a week, I was just sick about it. When we got in the car, I cried for about 10 minutes then went into planning mode.

Our neighbors and RS have been amazing! By the time we got home, they had arranged for 7 nights of meals and babysitting for the boys. I even got a phone call from a gal who is living in her parent's basement and moving next week who asked if she could bring over a dinner to freeze. She showed up yesterday with FOUR different dinners! I have been so amazed at the generous hearts of our friends and family. Barbara and Cheri helped out the first few days and then my mom came for the next two.

It is Saturday night and Dave is at our friend's house watching the BYU/Utah football game with the boys. I am here with Taylor, who has been throwing up for the past 4 hours. What a time!

BYU Game with Dave!

Last week, Dave surprised me with a Saturday date! One of his 80 year old girlfriends gave him tickets to the football game against San Diego. She told Dave the seats were good.

We dropped off the kids at Barbara's house (thanks SOOO much) and headed to the stadium. Our seats were on the 2nd row, 50 yard line! We were so close to the other team, I could have spit on them. I also got a great shot of the camera man's behind as it was right in front of us. We had the greatest time and totally want to get season tickets for next year! When I was a student at the Y, I had season tickets pretty much each year! We think the kids will enjoy it as they get older too.
Go Cougars!

Mid-November Update

So, I really haven't been in the mood to post anything new since Halloween. I've felt a bit gloomy. I really have! Maybe it's the weather? Maybe it is from the formation of my 8th chin during this long pregnancy? Maybe it is because my children have been making me a bit crazy? Maybe it is the reality of the PG home sinking us? Maybe I am sick of all of the pessimism surrounding the near future of our country? Who knows?



I told Dave, I guess what I should do is focus on the things that are going right!

1. I have 3 healthy children who are happy and love life!

2. The kids constantly say funny things that keep me laughing....like Jaxson asking Dave why he has grass growing on his chest. Then Jaxson wanted to water it so it would grow.

3. Dave's the man. So happily married. Amen.

4. We're expecting a baby girl! Just past the 28 week mark today. 11 more to go!

5. We have great jobs

6. We have the gospel

7. We live in a country with freedoms!

I could go on and on but there is a fight in the other room! AHHHH, these kids!!!!!! :)

Happy Halloween!!!!

Halloween proves to be more and more fun each year! Three years ago, we established a new tradition in our neighborhood of getting together before the trick-or-treating for some chowders, soups, bread sticks and pumpkin pie! This year, the final tally of participants was.....63! Here are some memories of the evening together!Lindsay Kids 2008

Austin as Spiderman, Jaxson as nothing, Taylor as a good witch!

Taylor and Jaxson, ready to go!

Crystal and Jen

Steve and Ella

Yolanda and Landon

Merideth and Carter

Nate, the gorilla and Dave

The Johnstons

Nate Hult

After Austin saw Nate dressed like this, he cried and cried until Nate left to go trick-or-treating!

Taylor and Austin

Some of the 9 different soups and chowders brought to the party!

Girls, Girls, Girls!

Spiderman!

Mykin and Christine

Eat up, kids! Time to go soon!

FANGS!

I wanted to make some kid-friendly treats that were healthy so I found this idea: apples with slivered almonds!

Christie Gunther!

Here are some daddy long-leg cupcakes for the kids! They turned out so cute!

Jaxson and I put these together just a few hours before the party began!

Another Austin "Incident"

If you think we lack in the area of watching our children well, please just keep it to yourselves! This is Austin's 4th "incident" this year. Mind you, he has had a broken arm, stitches in his head, hit by a car in June and now an incident with the pavement. I don't what it is about him! It scares me!

Yesterday, he was riding the big wheel down the grassy slope onto the cement parking area by our garage. I was right there watching him. When the big wheel touched the cement, Austin stuck out his feet to brake a bit. With all of momentum of flying down the hill, he flew over the bars and went right into the cement! His nose is so bruised now and he has many abrasions, one big one on his forehead. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the current baby of our family!

Another Act of Kindness...

You know how when you find something special, you reach out and hold on to it as tightly as possible? That is how Dave and I feel about the neighborhood we live in. We have always enjoyed our neighbors in the other homes we were in, yet having said that, there is really something special about where we are in Cedar Hills.

Last Sunday, as I sat down with the kids at church, our neighbors who were sitting in front of us turned around and informed me they were coming over on Monday night with more of our neighbors to clean our yard for a service project. I exclaimed, "Sister Gleed, you don't need to do that!" Her response was, "We know that; yet we are coming! Your husband works 7 days a week for 7-12 hours and you are pregnant and can hardly walk while trying to chase this young family, teach and try to keep your home up. We see your yard needs some trimming and we're coming over."

Sure enough, on Monday at 5:00, about 7-8 adults and 3 teenagers arrived and worked on our yard for the next 2 1/2 hours! Our rose bushes got pruned, every shrub cut back, flower bushes transplanted, weeds were extracted from the ground, tumble weed and guck pulled from the window wells.....we have a new yard! Ruben and Brother Gleed, cutting down the "weed tree" I have been bugging Dave to cut down for the past 3 years!Sister Gleed and her granddaughter, Samantha

Dana, who apparently came up with the idea to work in our yard!

See the branches go....!

Cute Bailey!

The 1st of three truck loads to the dump!
Steve, giving the bushes a haircut!

The kids favorite part of the evening was getting their tractor rides with Nana (Sister Gleed). She is known for giving rides in the back of the lawn mower to all of the neighborhood kids. They love it! And they love her!

Taylor and Jaxson riding in the cart behind Nana!

Taylor and Jaxson!
Nana and Taylor (with her Easter hat on from when she was 3)

Time to put away the tractor!

I just wanted to conclude my blog with a HUGE thanks from the bottom of my soul to our thoughtful neighbors. This kindness meant the world to us and we feel so blessed to associate with such generous-spirited friends! Love to all of you! Jody and Dave