Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Some November Stuff

The first weekend of November was cold, so we brought some wood in from the ranch and snuggled by the fire. It was fun to watch the kids help dad get our real, live wood pile going at our new house!

In the first pic, Niles and Heidi are on the trailer. In this pic, Addie's picking up wood and James and Niles are stacking.

Niles on the trailer

Addie on the trailer

James is quite the lumberjack!

We got some great bargains at Target last week... I bought the girls skirts and
they came up with almost matching outfits on Friday 11.15.

The boys wanted their pictures taken, too, so here they are at
7am on Friday 11.15...Niles in his jammies

...and James ready for school (WITH NO FRONT TEETH!)

***
On Saturday 11.16, I took the girls to get haircuts and took Addie to get make up for her 12th birthday. We came home and did facials and practiced doing everyday makeup in hopes she won't over-do it, as middle schoolers are wont to do ;)
I think she did a pretty good job!

Our cute little Beehive girl! Sunday was her last day in Primary, which was kind of sentimental for me. It really does seem like maybe a year or two ago I was coaxing her to sit with Sister Orton and her Sunbeam class, and now she's all grown up- sigh! I had a fun day with her ad Heidi, and I'm looking forward to more birthday and holiday fun this week!
 

I am feeling better steadily, but sick days sneak up on me and ruin my best-laid plans. I really want to get my house put together and decorate for the holidays, but it's still a good day when I have the energy to shower and do my regular mom jobs. Trying to be patient with myself, and be grateful and put the baby first...*sigh* I did find the perfect lighted garland for our mantle (I HAVE A REAL WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE THIS YEAR! WOO-HOO!)--it has real pinecones and tiny, battery-operated LED lights that last forever. I put it up and really got myself psyched for the holidays. I also started boiling down my tangerine peels (I eat like 5 a day) with cloves to make my house smell HOLIDAY-RIFIC, and I find all of these things energizing and cheering to my spirits. My family is being so helpful and I am so grateful for them. We've really got a good thing going here and my heart is really truly full of gratitude for all of it this Thanksgiving.
 

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

The End of October

I knew on our trip to billings that I was pushing my body too hard. Morning sickness had started the week before, but I had kept it in check by sleeping TONS and eating tiny amounts of whole, fresh food and tons of water. This was hard to do on the road. Sure enough, I woke up sick on Sunday and I couldn't keep anything down all day. By evening I was dehydrated, my lips were cracking, I was desperate. I felt prompted to ask Rich for a blessing, but I also felt I should call our home teacher. Good call! Brother Kling saved the day--his wife is going through the same thing and he brought over sea bands and Zofran (an AWESOME anti-emetic/ nausea cure). The combination of a blessing, sea bands, Zofran, and a chat with my brother sent me off to dreamland. I carefully rehydrated over the next few days, but the nausea is still in full swing. I haven't been this sick in a long time, so I am thinking I might be carrying a girl.
 
Anyhoooo...on Monday the 21st, I drove to Three Forks to meet up with my sister Laura and Kamrie. Kamrie had left a bunch of stuff at my house after their sleep over on the 9th, so we met up to exchange it. I made Jenn Claar come with me in case I got sick again, but everything went well and I crashed when I got home.
Laura snapped this little picture of Niles being jealous of Zecklin at Wheat Montana where we met up for lunch on Monday.

After a week of laying in bed, Niles and I were excited to feel better and attend a Moms & Monsters lunch on Friday, October 25th at The Johnsons. Here's little Colton welcoming us!

My little monster having lunch

Niles & Brody

It was such a sunny, beautiful day, the party moved to the back deck.

Johnsons have the BEST view!
Naomi, Colton, Niles, and Jason look over Livingston

Saturday October 26th we went to Rosedale gardens to get some prairie grasses for our yard
while Daddy rolled out sod. They had all kinds of fun fall stuff going on.

The kids played squash vs. pumpkin tic-tac-toe and bought some carmel apples.

I wasn't up to much celebrating this Halloween, but Addie saved the day by cleaning and carving pumpkins with the kids on October 29th. Grandma and Grandpa Melin grew these pumpkins at the ranch--they were perfect!

Niles loves the goo!
Mommy has been living on the toasted seeds--such yummy protein!
I need to find a picture of our jack-o-lanterns...?

Back on Saturday, October 26th, James and I attended the baptism of one of his best friends, William. I love these two boys together and I think they will help each other be good over the next 10 years!

On Wednesday October 30th, we went to our ward Trunk or Treat.
Rich told Niles to make his scariest monster face...

James was a hunter

Three Cute Fourth Graders!
Heidi was Fionna from Adventure Time,
with her friends Allison the witch and Sidney Princess Leia 

Cute girls!

Addie and her BFF Izzi were ballerinas.

Trip to the Northern Cheyenne

Rich's Aunt Rosie passed away on October 11th after along illness, and her funeral was in Busby, MT, way over in south east Montana, so we planned a weekend and stayed in Billings before the funeral.
Fisrt Stop: HuHot!

Daddy treated us to s'mores

YUM!

(there was a bunch of delicious Mongolian Barbecue before the s'mores, too...then I had to take Niles to the car because he was naughty, so we missed the s'mores part)

Next Stop: Our Hotel, Big Horn Resort with The Reef water park.
Niles is so excited!

Addie

Daddy with the boys in the wave pool

I hardly got any pictures of Heidi because she was always on a big slide!
It's fun to see them having sister fun.

The boys had fun playing on the beach.

James loves to swim!

Braving the waves with Dad

Niles coming up for air

James had fun on the splash playground, too, but the big bucket scared Niles.
The next morning we got dressed and headed to Busby, which is on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation (Aunt Rosie was Northern Cheyenne). We met up with all of Grandpa Tom Melin's siblings there.
Rich's cousin Aunica and her family
(she is the daughter of Tom's brother Pat and Rosie)

Rich's Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mick Melin

James & Addie hanging out

Our Family at the funeral

Heidi took a lot of pictures...





Here are the kids loading up after the funeral...Niles loves when James lays on his lap.

Sweet brothers
ready for a 4hour drive home.

Rest in Peace, Aunt Rosie

FAMILY LETTER 07.28.19

Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                                        We have just ...