Brock is walking!

Hello everyone! I think I've been doing a little better lately at this whole blogging thing, you know, posting a little more often so that people can actually see pictures of the kids and hear how they are doing more than once a month (or two!). But don't get used to it! Who knows how it will go once "baby girl Jordan" arrives. Yes, so far, that is still her name. And honestly, we don't have a name decided, it's not that we're just trying to keep it a secret.. We have a few that we both like, but nothing that we are just loving right now. Chad is still pulling for Baby Blodwyn though...anyway! We had a great Thanksgiving and hope that everyone else did too! We took off for a few days and spent it out in Elk Ridge with my parents and family that was around. The drive wasn't too bad on the way out there, Ella complained a bit, just because she was anxious to get there. Brock did great though, with minimal problems! The day before Thanksgiving, we spent at the mall, just doing some window shopping and enjoying being out in the holiday hustle. And while we were out, I finally got that fruit smoothie I had been aching for! Thanks Mom! But by the time the day was over, I was definitely ready for bed. Just wandering around the mall really wore me out! I don't think I'll be spending that much of a day on my feet again, at least until a few weeks after the baby comes! Of course, Thanksgiving dinner was great, and it was nice to be able to visit with some of my family that we hadn't seen since Cheriss and Chris' wedding back in August! Unfortunately, we are pretty sure that we won't be heading out that way again for a few months! The car ride home the next day was miserable, to say the least, for Brock and myself. Brock was so sick of being in the car that he just cried for most of the last 40 minutes or so. And then, my legs and back were pretty sore from riding in the car and so that made me even more cranky! We did enjoy the time we got to spend visiting, but like I said, I don't think we'll be jumping up to do it again until the baby is a few months old.
Other than that, I guess the biggest news right now is that Brock is walking! It is official! He really just started taking off last Sunday and every day since then, his walking spurts have been getting longer and steadier. He is doing so well, and of course, so proud of himself! Ella, as always is my little helper. She is doing very well in school and earned all of her Indian Feathers for the first trimester. There were 10 things the kids needed to be able to do, such as knowing half of thier letters, being able to write numbers 1-5, basic shapes, and knowing some basic grouping skills. For each of the 10 requirements, they were awarded and "Indian Feather" that was then put on a head-dress for them to wear as Indian Chiefs and Princesses. She was so proud that she got all 10 and so were we! Work is going well for Chad and he finally is getting a good amount of time off during the week to spend with us. We all miss him on the days that he works because we rarely get to see him then, but when he is home with us, we sure do enjoy it! Ella looks forward to those days very much, by counting down how many work days left. And Brock notices too, I know. Just today as I was putting him down for a nap, he kept calling out, "Dada! Dada! Ou ooo!" Translation: "Daddy, daddy, I love you!" And I think the one that took the cake for me today was when Ella was lying down, watching tv, and Brock went up to her, without being asked or told to, and just wrapped his arms around her in a big hug. They may be almost 5 years apart, but they do have a good relationship, and for that I am so very grateful. I just had to smile and thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a beautiful family. I hope that everyone else is doing well and that the upcoming weeks bring joy to your homes and families as well! By the way, this last picture of Brock is him watching the very beginning of the BYU vs. Utah football game (aka Daddy's school vs. Mommy's school). Comfy chair, bottle, blankie and a bunch of guys beating on each other! What more could a boy ask for? I guess we would have been happier if we had won, but it was still a pretty good game!

What a Weekend!

We certianly have had a busy, but very fun week and weekend! All of Ella's "silly" days at school this week were a lot of fun for her and her friends, and since this week was also Red Ribbon week, she came home wanting to enlighten us on all of the bad things that drugs do to you. Horray for Red Ribbon Week! Of course, Friday and Saturday were our busiest days, Friday we baked a total of 3 cakes: 2 to take to Chad's office for his birthday, and 1 for Brock's birthday party. The stegosaurus turned out great, thank you to my mom for her help! And of course Friday was a day full of anticipation as we waited for my parents, my sister Brittany, and my niece and nephew, Alexis and Spencer to arrive. Finally they did, and the kids had a great time playing together.

Of course, they were up early the next morning, but we had told them that it was not okay to wake any grown-ups until it was light out. They waited as instructed, but then woke Brittany up to a picket line in the living room, chanting, "WE WANT BREAKFAST! WE WANT BREAKFAST!" They even made signs out of Ella's art supplies to give the full effect! I swear, it was only 8:30 in the morning! They were not about to starve! I woke up to some loud whispering in the hallway, and apparently, they were planning out their protest. It sure sounded like Ella was the ring leader! Surprise, surprise, right?

Our party got started at about noon, with an extra 10 people in our house: my parents, my sister, my niece and nephew, and our next door neighbors (a family of 5). Brock was not at all excited to get up from his nap to see his house overrun with a bunch of people and burst into tears. But I was able to help him slowly work out of it, and he did okay from that point on. We tried to get him to open presents, but of course, he wasn't really into it. And when he did get into it, he was more attracted to the wrapping paper than the gifs. And as for the cake? Well, that took him some time as well. He didn't really love the texture of his frosting, so he was pretty hesitant to break into it. But by the time he was done, he had sucessfully place frosting all over his face, throughout his hair, all over the high chair, and even on the wall behind him.

The kids got to still play for a little bit after the party, and while Spencer and Chad played with the remote control car, the girls decided to paint each others faces. I suggested that they do some cute little butterflies or a flower and well...they didn't exactly take my advice! And then, they asked to paint Chad's and my face. I declined (I know, what a boring Mom) but Chad stepped up! What a guy! I think it started out as Indian warpaint, and then once a pirate mustache was added, he became a "Captain Hook Indian." It was quite the look. After sadly sending our guests off, the kids caught quick naps before the Halloween party. That of course was fun, complete with games and then a trunk or treat. They both had a great time and when it was time for bed, we were ALL more than ready to get some sleep. I don't think I have ever been more grateful for that extra hour than I was this morning! It was definitely a fun weekend. Unfortunately, with all of the excitement yesterday, Chad's birthday today got a bit overshadowed. But this year I didn't end up bursting into uncontrolable sobs like I did last year on his birthday, so I figure it at least had to be a step up, right? (Reminder: Brock was born just several days before Chad's birthday, so my hormone levels were taking a nosedive at the time, thus, the sobbing.) As you can see, it's been quite the weekend for us! But we had a great time and are now anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving when we should be able to get out to my parents house for a few days to visit.

To finish up my post for today, I have complied another top ten list. This one is "10 Ways You Know You're Submitting to the Small-Town Culture"
1. You start referring to the 2 blocks in the center of town as "downtown."
2. It's not uncommon to have a gun or hunting magazine lying around the house.
3. You are starting to think that camo is the new black.
4. You get excited whenever Vernal is mentioned on the news, even during the weather.
5. Your daughter asks if she can start wearing a large belt buckle and cowboy boots.
6. Your daughter suggests that you start wearing a large belt buckle and cowboy boots.
7. The sight of roadkill no longer upsets your children.
8. Hunting stories fascinate you.
9. You consider attending the cowboy poetry reading.
10. The thought of standing in line behind one person at the post office is an outrage.

All right, in all seriousness, we are enjoying it here, and are doing well. The baby is doing great, and should arrive right on schedule. As for her name, "Kavindra" won the poll, but Chad is still pushing for "Blodwyn." He says it has more of a ring to it. Take care everyone!