Splash Park Fun

Just before the school year started, we went as a family to a local splash park for a fun "Back to School" celebration. The kids had a great time. Connor and Jason even got some soccer practice in while we were there. I had a hard time getting a good picture of Gavin because he was just all over the place...running around and having a blast.

My Growing Boy

I love this little baby...he's so sweet and snuggly and still has his kissable chubby cheeks. Most of the time if you lay down somewhere he'll climb up on you and snuggle you or play with your or begged to be tickled or sung to...it's such a cute, lovable stage, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it while it lasts!

Gavin's Missing Teeth

I had to get at least one picture of Gavin missing his two front teeth...and then some...:)

Awww...they love each other....

New Pictures

After a few somewhat depressing posts, I've decided to finally put something fun on here...but first an update. We were able to get both cars fixed and Jason's car registered...so glad to have that done. Also, we've been really blessed through our trials because we were able to get the cars fixed for much less than we originally thought. We had called up a nearby mechanic and realized it was going to be pretty expensive to fix Jason's car...then we found out that our new neighbor is a mechanic, so we took both cars to his shop. He was more than fair with his prices only charging us for the parts and a TINY bit for labor costs...so nice! I don't know if he felt bad for us that both cars were having trouble or if he's just being a nice neighbor, but either way we are so thankful that the cars are fixed and registered for less than what we originally thought.

Now, on to the fun post.

While we were in Idaho a couple of weeks ago the beautiful greenery in Jason's parent's backyard was just calling to me, and I thought it would be the perfect setting to take some pictures of the boys. Here's some of what we got...

Sweet Baby Aidan







Cute Little Connor








Toothless Gavin (he's missing two more teeth since these were taken...I love it!)






All three brothers together




The whole family

Thank Goodness it's Friday...

I must admit I'll be very glad to see this week end...the week hasn't gotten any better as it's gone along. Yesterday, Jason took the van to work because the gray car was still in the shop. His plan was to leave work at noon and pick me up so we could go get the gray car. A little after noon, Jason called me to say the van wouldn't start...of course...because we just paid over $200 to fix something in the van not even a week ago...of course with the way this week is going we'll have to put more money into the cars! Arrrg. So Jason called for a tow and had the van towed to the mechanic shop where he dropped the van off to be fixed and picked up the newly fixed gray car. It turns out the van needs a new starter. Both cars have had two separate problems come up right at the same time! So crazy. When all is said and done we'll have spent about $1,000 on our two cars just in a little over a week...and we still have to pay close to $200 more to pay for the registration & plates for Jason's car and a Utah license for him. So today Jason's taking his car to work and hopefully, hopefully we'll be able to pick up the van sometime today and that our streak of bad luck will end with the close of the week! Then maybe we can focus on unpacking this weekend...hanging a few pictures on the walls and settling in to our new home.

Update

I have a ton a cute pictures I need to post, but I'm just not feeling up to it right now...I'm having a rough week. Maybe I shouldn't blog about this because I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the stuff going on right now, but I guess I should document the good with the bad, right? So here's what's been happening...
Jason took his car in for an emissions test so we can register it. It didn't pass. We thought it might be the spark-plugs so we spent the better part of a Saturday trying to change the spark-plugs. We were finally successful, but it was a really hard and draining task and we weren't up for anything else that Saturday. We really need to unpack still...we don't even have any pictures hung up on our walls yet. It's been so busy moving and then with my gallbladder surgery we weren't able to get much done for a while either. Jason took his car back in yesterday to try the emissions check again and...it didn't pass. We suspect it might be the catalytic converter...expensive in parts and labor...normally I would say to let the car die and get another one, but we really want to pay off the van first with our next tax-return and not take on another car payment since we still need to pay for my gallbladder surgery.
Last weekend we drove our van to Idaho to visit Jason's family. His sister was also visiting and we were excited to see everyone. Then, on the way home on Sunday, our van started driving really rough and the "service soon" light went on. So we drove back to Jason's parent's house and first thing Monday morning took the car in to the shop...the part to fix the problem: only $22. The labor: $200. But, that's just the way it goes with cars...it's just unfortunate that it happened the same time we're having trouble with Jason's car!
We've also got ants in our house. Yuck! Not a ton, but I've been finding them here or there in random places...the grossest was in our hamper...really yuck! I also think we might have a mouse...there's a hole chewed out in the plastic over our insulation in our unfinished basement and some insulation scattered in that corner...for my own sanity I'm going to say the cat did it, but it looks a little more suspicious than that, so I called a bug company to come and spray and set traps and they never showed up. While I was down in the basement I noticed some condensation building up under the plastic and mold growing on the insulation. I talked to my brother-in-law who works in construction about what it could be since this is a new house. He said they probably put the insulation and plastic over the cement walls before the cement had been able to let all it's moisture out, so the moisture built up in the insulation causing mold. For two days I've been trying to get a hold of the builder's warranty department and they haven't returned my calls or responded to my emails...frustrating.
So that's it...it's nothing major...we're all healthy and doing well other than the car troubles and paying for my surgery and ants and possible mouse and mold...but it's just enough to make me feel overwhelmed...and down. Sorry this post is such a downer...hopefully things will straighten out soon...they always do, but I just can't help wonder why when it rains it has to pour before the sun comes out again...

Gallbladder Surgery

On Friday I had gallbladder surgery. My gallbladder had been hurting on and off for a while, so a little over a week ago I had an ultrasound done at the hospital. The ultrasound tech said she wasn't supposed to say anything, but that I have "one ugly gallbladder." She said it's one of the worst gallbladders she's ever seen and was concerned that I might not make it through the holiday weekend without my gallbladder having an "attack." The doctor called later from the radiology department with the same concerns and told me to go to the ER if I was in any pain. Later, my doctor called to say he could admit me to the hospital that day, but it would be an emergency surgery and a longer stay at the hospital. I was hoping to avoid an emergency surgery, and also you're supposed to fast for 12 hours before surgery and then go home the same day if it's a planned surgery. So, on Tuesday I got a hold of a surgeon that could see me on Thursday and perform the surgery on Friday. Luckily, everything went well, and I got to go home the same day. I initially woke up in pain. I forgot where I was, so I couldn't figure out why I was in pain, but remember saying, "my stomach hurts, my stomach hurts." That's when the doctor came over and put something in my IV and everything went fuzzy again. Later on, the nurse said I was given quite a few meds to help with the pain, so my stay at the hospital is mostly a blur in between all the sleeping I did.
Here I am recovering at home...

I'm so glad Jason was able to be there with me in the recovery room and take care of me all weekend. My cousin, Corinne, watched our kids all day Friday which was so great! Saturday morning Jason asked me if I remembered waking up in the middle of the night. When I said, "no" he started to laugh because apparently I woke him up in the middle of the night and said, "What happened to me?" He said, "you had gallbladder surgery." (pause...processing...) "Oh" and I went back to sleep. I blame it on the meds...it's really hard to think straight or even remember what's going on when you first wake up when you've had so many medications in your system. I've been in some pain yesterday and today...more so than I thought I would be in...but it's still tolerable. Today I'm trying to do just Tylenol without the heavier medications, but we'll have to see how it goes.
I will spare you all pictures of my incisions, but they had to do four small incisions (three up by my ribcage and one through my bellybutton...the one through my bellybutton is the most swollen and bruised and hurts the worst.)

Star Wars Birthday Party for Gavin!

I am officially a mom to a seven-year-old...crazy! He's losing teeth left and right. He cracks me up all the time, is a great helper around the house and is just becoming so smart in the way he reasons things out. It's so fun being the mom to a seven-year-old, but also sad too at how fast he's growing up! We pushed a few boxes aside and made room for a Star Wars Party for Gavin with a few of his good buddies. Here are a few pictures of the festivities...
Poster I made last year with photoshop (I love it when the kids use repeated themes for their birthday parties...makes my job so much easier!)


Time for a little Freeze-Dance to some Star Wars music.



Star Wars masks for the party-goers.


Happy to be 7!

Time to blow out the candles (at first we couldn't find any matches...we hadn't unpacked them yet! Thank goodness for our 72 kit backpacks!)

Time for presents! Thanks everyone who came to the party or sent presents or Happy Birthday cards to our Birthday Boy! He had such a great day!



The kids are "using the force" while they play...

Freeze-Dance...

My Little Helper

It's been interesting trying to unpack with a toddler in the house! One day he got into a box and spilled some oil all over the box, himself and a little bit on the carpet! The very next day I found him like this with about half a bottle of shampoo all over himself...fully dressed. I guess he wanted a bath. He got one! But, it's hard to be mad at him for very long when he's just so darn cute! That's life with a toddler!

A Few Updated Pictures of the House

These were taken a few days after we moved in, so we're a little more unpacked than this now...I just haven't taken any new pictures yet...it's on the "to-do" list, but hopefully this will give an idea of what the house looks like. It's been fun to settle into our own home, but it's also taking us a lot of time between Jason's work schedule and now my gallbladder surgery, but we'll get there eventually. We finally started to hang up some pictures on the wall just yesterday and today.
The dining area.

The upstairs hallway.

Master bedroom.

Master Bathroom.

Stairs.

Front of the House.