Thanksgiving Week

This last week of November has been great!! We are very sorry to see it come to an end!  My parents came into town on Sunday evening.  It was really great to have them in town for the whole week!

Sunday we enjoyed a nice walk outside and then dinner at my grandmas.  Calin was excited to have grandma and grandpa here, but was extra excited to have Mia visiting too.  He loves dogs and was absolutely loving following Mia everywhere she went!

Monday we mostly just played with Calin during the day and then put him down for an early nap since he didn't have one that morning. Then that afternoon we went to the festival of trees.  It is always a great start to the Christmas season to go and see all the fun ways the trees are decorated.   Robby especially loves themed trees and really enjoys all the different themes.

With Grandma and Grandpa at the festival of trees.  

As I said above, Calin LOVED having Mia here to visit.  Everywhere we went he followed her around saying "Mia" "Mia" "Mia"!  He was always very concerned about where she was.  When she was in her bed he like to go and lay on her.  When she was outside he would go and sit by on her.  He always wanted her to come sit down "biya" (what he says when he wants someone to sit next to him. 

Mia was laying down until Calin came and sat on her and she had to sit up.  

Mia was great though all week long.  She very patiently put up with Calin smothering her.  Calin was also mostly good.  Besides sitting on her (he just wanted to sit by her!) he was very good to pet her softly and not hurt her.  He did love to watch her get drinks and eat and was always very concerned about her food and water dish and where she was.  Guess we need to get a dog??!

Tuesday I had a doctors appointment so Calin got to stay and play with grandma and then grandpa once he got there after his bike ride.  After the doctor we went over to Great Grandmas for lunch then went back to our house to unload our storage room in the basement for our contractor to start work (post to come about our new project!) downstairs.  After Calin's nap we headed back over to Great Grandma's to see Josef and Summer who came into town and wait for Robby to get off work.  We hung out there for a while then had dinner and then came home to put Calin to bed.  He got a cold this week and it was pretty sad to watch his poor runny nose.  He was a really good kid though all week considering he did not feel good!!

Wednesday everyone came over to help us get some stuff out of the basement and over to my grandma's "barn" to store there while our basement is being finished.  I am so grateful they were all willing to help, but sorry that that was how they had to spend their time off down here.  After moving stuff we went to Irmitas for lunch.  Then it was home to give Calin a nap.  After his nap we headed back over to my grandmas for dinner and to welcome Becca, Erich, and Allie into town.  

That night we went to Hunger Games: Catching fire with all my siblings while my parents watched Calin and put him to bed.  It's always nice to have a night out.   Calin did well with the grandparents too which is always good.  Thanks for watching him mom and dad!! 

Thursday was a great Thanksgiving.  We headed over to my grandmas around 11 and had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner that afternoon.  It was great to have everyone there together for dinner except poor Erich had food poisoning from somewhere they ate on the way down the day before and so was in bed all day not feeling well. :(  Summer and Josef had to leave that evening and it was sad to see them off after everyone being here.  Once they took off we went over to Robby's parents to spend the evening with his family.  We were very thankful and blessed to be able to see both of our families and spend time with them.  We have a lot to be thankful for, but especially our families!  

Sisters on Thanksgiving day!! 

Friday we started out with some shopping with Becca and then met up with my mom, Erich and Allie to do some more.  It was nice to hit up the maternity store and add to my pregnant clothing!! I had mostly spring and work clothes from my pregnancy with Calin.  I needed some more warm shirts and casual pants.  Glad to have a great mom to help shop and sponsor!  Thanks mom! 

Then we had lunch and naps at Grandmas.  Afterwards we headed out to the "barn" so Allie could experience it.  We played around and took pictures in some of the few cars left from my Grandpa Jim's collection.  And of course we had to have a soda from the old fashioned soda machine.  

Becca posing. 

Cute newlyweds! 

Cruisin around the "barn" with Grandpa.  

Calin and Aunt Becca

We kept trying to get pictures with this hat on Calin but he would not keep it on.   

Pictures in the fire engine! 

Sister hat shenanigans! 

Firemen! 

Another family shot! 

Pepsi! 

Allie's first soda! 

Getting some root beer! 

 After the barn we went downtown for a tour of the Brigham Young home and then a trip to the carousel.

Getting ready to ride! 

They look so thrilled to be on the carousel.  

Classic Becca pose on the carousel!

This morning we got up to go and enjoy a french toast breakfast with everyone before they all left.  It was nice to have a little more time to hang out but sad to see them all go!  

We spent the rest of the day running a few shopping errands, working in the basement, cleaning up leaves, and putting up the Christmas tree!!! It is always sad to see vacations come to an end.  We have loved having family around and Robby home! I wish I got more pictures with everyone. It is always sad to go back to real life, but thankful we had such a great week with family!! 

Life in November

November seems to have just flown by (I know it's not done yet, but I can't believe this week is Thanksgiving).  Mostly we have just been busy with everyday life.  Robby and I spend the majority of our time enjoying Calin and watching him learn and grow! He has always been quite the character, but even more so lately it seems like he is making us laugh all the time.

Calin and Dad matchy matchy for church! 

Just today, he did several things that I had to write down so I would not forget.

During Sunday School he pulled out his "quiet/loud" book and was showing it to our friend Alisha.  All of a sudden he shouts "LOUD" in the middle of class and Robby and I just busted up laughing.  That was the first time he'd really applied the whole loud concept we had read about in that book so many times.

Also during Sunday School he was walking around going "aachoo!  (hahaha-chuckling to himself) Sneezes".  He was cracking himself up doing sneezes like a book we have been reading lately. (There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed some Leaves)

My parents came into town today and we were over at my grandma's eating dinner.  Calin did something good and Robby patted/rubbed his head and said "good job!"  Calin then put his own hand on his head, patted it, and said "job".  (That's what he says for good job)

Also at dinner, Calin said "great grandma" ("gate ma ma") and we said "yea!!"  He then began to say it over and over and cheered for himself each time and so we cheered too.  He has been doing this with names lately because many people around him want him to learn their name and so when he says it they get excited and cheer.  He loves to be cheered for and so will keep saying the name over and over.

He has also been complimenting himself when he does something he is proud of he says "nice".  Robby says this all the time and now Calin has picked up on it and also says it when he does something he thinks is good.

There are so many things I need to remember to write down that he does.  He is so smart and impresses us every day with the things he knows and can do!

Just enjoying playing with cars and wearing his truck shirt! 

Other happenings in November:

-Chilly morning walks with Alisha and Dylan and we have started adding others to our group too.  It has been nice to have someone to walk with.  Dylan and Calin are becoming cute little buddies too.  It has been fun to have some new friends just right around the corner!

-I started subbing on Fridays.  It is no fun to have to go to work, but all three Fridays so far have been super easy and it's been nice to have something different to do. I have pretty much just had to show up at all three jobs and get paid to read my book (the teachers just have me put in movies).  Makes me feel silly most of the time! Robby and Calin have enjoyed their boy bonding time while I am out.

Apparently they need more boy bonding time...Calin put these on all by himself and cruised around for a little bit one day. 

-Robby has been SUPER busy with bishopric stuff.  It seems like the meetings never end!  We are both definitely tired of him having to go to meetings. :(

-We made the trip up to Pine Valley to get our Christmas tree with Robby's family yesterday.  It was very cold and there was about 5-6 inches of snow and it was snowing part of the time.  Robby was very creative and created some "boots" for Calin to keep his feet dry.  Calin loved playing in the snow and had a great time until his early morning wake up time and no nap caught up with him.  The last 45 minutes up there were rough.  He was cold and cranky but as usual was a trooper and hung in there until we were able to load up the tree and come home.  As usual, Robby did all the work.  He trekked all over the mountain looking for a tree and then hauled it down and loaded it up.  I am not the best sport about going up to look for trees (there are pinyons up there, but they are very few and far between and it takes forever to find one that is sort of decent to bring home).  However, we have had lots of good stories and "fun" memories of being up there.  Robby loves the smell of the trees so it is worth it for him!

Our little snow boy in his makeshift "boots" that Robby came up with.  Bags over the socks, then shoes, and moms hair ties to hold the bags in place.  It kept him dry, but not too warm. :( 

End of October & Halloween

The last week of October seemed to be packed full of fall and Halloween fun!  We stayed very busy but had a lot of fun and made some great memories and traditions together as a family! 

All September and October, Robby got Calin ready for Halloween reading our Halloween books.  Calin LOVED these books.  We would read them during the day and again before bed.  He loved to read them over and over.  He would often sit down and just flip through the pages on his own and sometimes tell a little bit of the story.  He did this a lot the last few days of October with "Wee Witches Halloween" and loved to take that book everywhere with him!  His favorite books were "We're Off to Find the Witches House",  "Who Will Haunt My House on Halloween",  "Over in the Hollow", "Room on the Broom",  "Skeleton Meets the Mummy", "Mouse's First Halloween",  "Shake Dem Halloween Bones", "Miss Smith and the Haunted Library", "The Night Before Halloween", "Wee Witches' Halloween".   We will miss these books now that Halloween is over! 

Reading one of our favorites at Grandma Comeford's with the cousins one night last week. 

Last Saturday we went to the Dixie Homecoming parade downtown.  Calin loves parades.  His favorites are the "cool cars", horses, and the bands.  A new treat for Calin in this parade was everyone in the parade was throwing lots of candy (previous parades he has not been as interested and there was not as much candy).  Calin really like to go and pick up all the candy.  He knows what candy is, but doesn't associate it with a treat or something you eat.  So he was perfectly content to gather the candy up and then put it in his big pile!  There were no kids around us in the spot we were watching and everyone in the parade thought Calin standing there waving was the cutest thing.  So they threw lots of candy! It was great for us, we didn't have to buy as much candy to give out for Halloween! ;)  

Cool car! 

We even got some posters, plastic megaphones, and some frozen yogurt handed out! 

Loving the bands going by! 

After the parade, the school district was having a "spooktactular" downtown.  They had lots of booths, games, and food.  We wandered around a few booths and then met up with the cousins and watched them play the games for a little while before we headed home for lunch and a nap after a long morning! 

Calin checking the witches out at the Spooktacular. 

Sunday night we went over to Hollie and Jimmy's to read Halloween stories with all of Robby's family.  Everyone brought one or several favorite books to share.  It was fun to hear some other stories we didn't have.  

Monday for FHE Robby, Calin and I went out to "Sleepy Hollow" at a farm/ranch in Hurricane.  It was lots of fun!! When we got there the headless horseman greeted us before our hay ride over to the farm.  Calin loved that a tractor was pulling us on the hayride, and the headless horseman followed us all the way.  

Once over by the farm they had goats, pigs, and sheep that you could feed and pet.  Calin loves to feed animals so he was loving it!  The goats were pretty excited to have someone feeding them too!

They had a little kid maze made of hay bales.  Calin enjoyed running around until we were finally able to help him find the way out! 

There's the exit! 

 The best part of the night was Calin's first ride on a horse.  He didn't seem too excited while he was on the horse,  but as soon as it was time to get off he was so sad and kept asking for more.

There was also a bigger corn maze that we had fun running around in for a while.  Calin even found some corn for us to take home for dinner! ;)

 After the fun at "Sleepy Hollow", we stopped by Tracee and Austin's house where all of Robby's family was carving pumpkins.  Calin was more interested in playing and we didn't want to be out too late anyways, so Robby carved one of our pumpkins there while Calin and I played. Then we hurried home to get Calin to bed and we saved the other two pumpkins to carve on Wednesday night.

Tuesday night we had a ward party.  It was a chili dinner along with a band and line dancing.  It was fun to visit and eat some yummy food.  Robby and I were given all the leftover rolls (11 costco bags) and spent Wednesday afternoon delivering them out to families in the ward.  Oh the joys of being in the bishopric!

After delivering rolls on Wednesday, we let Calin help us carve our other two pumpkins.  It took a little convincing to get him to dig into the pumpkin, but once in, he loved it!

Our 3 pumpkins! Robby did the two outside pumpkins and with Calin's requests I carved the middle.  He wanted a sun, a hat, and a cat.  Whenever we draw pictures he loves doing the sun.  He wanted it on his pumpkin too.

Halloween finally arrived on Thursday.  That morning Calin and I went walking with our new neighbor Alisha and her daughter Dyllan.  We have been a few times with them this week and are enjoying the company having someone with us walking.  Alisha also saved me on Wednesday morning when I locked my keys in my car getting the stroller out of the trunk and therefore not being able to get into my house either.  She left her daughter at home with her husband and drove Calin and I over to get keys from Robby at his work.  So glad that she was there to help! I now have extra keys made and hidden so it won't happen again!

After our walk Calin had a nap and we had lunch.   Then I started getting him ready in his costume to go over to Great Grandma Lundberg's house to say hi and "trick or treat".  While he and I were getting ready I came into his room to find him sitting at his table reading some books.  Love this little reader!

I also had some music playing and after getting changed came in to find him dancing away.  When the duck song came on he ran into the bathroom asking for his rubber duck.  He brought it back into the room and danced away!  I ran and got the camera.  He got distracted shooting some baskets but then started dancing again. He cracks me up! 

As we were getting ready to leave he had to have his duck and his bear to take with him!  Cause every ghost needs a duck and a bear right!!?? 

We made it to Great Grandma's to trick or treat and show off the costume.  Glad to have her so close! 

That evening we got everything ready and headed out with Calin to do some trick or treating at a few houses on our block.  He is the cutest little ghost there ever was!

"Oooooooo" 

Knocking on Grandma Comeford's door. 

"Treat!" 

Our little family. 

Waiting for trick or treaters by the fire pit in front of our house with Robby's
pumpkin on fire (on purpose) in the background. 

Keeping warm with Dad! 

After the very few trick or treaters we had died down we headed over for a quick stop at Hollie and Jimmy's for their annual Halloween party.  It was fun to see everyone in their costumes and to show ours off.  It was a long day, but a lot of fun!  Calin was a trooper and even did pretty good and had minimal crying getting his face paint off at the end of the night.  We sure do love our little boy and have so much fun with our little family!