Our own little feast...

We decided to stay home again this year for Thanksgiving. With all the traveling that we have been doing already, and with Garrett having surgery this Monday at Primary Children's, it just would have been too much. So I changed things up a little bit and had a ham instead of a turkey. It was sooooo good! We always eat together as a family but it was fun to have Hannah Lu be able to eat a little with us too! She had some mashed potatoes, peas, stuffing, and bread. She loved it! Then she had some ice cream. The boys played and played after dinner, and konked out around 8:00pm. Hannah Lu was out like a light too. Then Shawn and I discovered that Jackson had eaten the rest of the pumpkin pie. There was about 3/4 left! I can't believe he didn't have a belly ache the next morning. Well it looks like I won't have to cook dinner for the next 4 days at least. We will be having HAM!

They are such goofballs, it is hard to take a picture of all three of them together.

Stylin....

I think that this is my favorite thing that I have ever bought! Many of you know that when you have a car seat that has been through a couple of kids, it just doesn't come clean anymore. So I found someone that makes seat covers for the brand of car seat that we have. I was so excited when I discovered that they had a moo cow print. It was not difficult to choose from the over 200 patterns that they do have. Now do I get one for Garrett?

Milestones

Jackson lost his first tooth today. I thought for sure we would have to pin him down and pull it out, but he did it on his own. He is so excited that the tooth fairy is coming tonight. His other bottom tooth is loose too, so he will be racking in the change here pretty quick.

Hannah Lu sat up today by herself. She started fussing because she wouldn't fall over on her own and she wanted to lay down and roll around. I imagine she will be crawling by the end of the year. I just don't know where all the time has gone.

Saving Grace

I never thought that I would ever witness the outcome of animal cruelty in person, until I got to my brother in laws house last night, and his wife Amy (a nurse) was changing Gracie's bandages. Two weeks ago, Amy was going to pick up our mother in law for a baby blessing. On their way back to the freeway, Shawn's mom spotted this dog in a ditch along side the road. They imediately realized that it was a pitbull, and thought for sure that it would tear their heads off if they tried to help it. But at the same time they knew they could not leave her either. Amy remember that she had a bag of clothes in her trunk that was going to the D.I. and she laid them out on her back seat. Then she went back and picked the dog up, and the dog did not even flinch. She was almost dead. Amy dropped Shawn's mom off at the church and took the dog to an emergency vet clinic. It was there that the vetinarian told her that these wounds were the result of dragging this dog behind a truck. On top of it the dog had barely had a litter of puppies because she was still lactating. The vet is submitting all of the information to the sheriff's department and they will investigate this hainess act. We can only hope that these wicked people are caught. For now, our sweet Amy has brought this dog that they named Gracie into their home, and are lovingly, and patiently taking care of her.

A note of appreciation and clarification

I just need to let my mom know how much I love and appreciate everything that she has done for us this year. I only see my parents once a year when they come down for Jackson's birthday. This July was the first time I have been able to come home to visit in 3 years. My mom came down in February for Hannah Lu's birth, and because of the extreme complications that followed, she was able to stay to help Shawn and I with the boys so that we could go to Salt Lake (3 hours away) to spent a little time with our daughter. Many of the trips to Salt Lake Shawn wasn't even able to go. He has 4 jobs, and works 7 days a week to provide for our family, and pay the medical bills that we are still getting to this day, 9 months later. Mom ended up staying for seven weeks, and was able to give us the help that know one else could have ever given us, and for that I am deeply greatful.
Most of you know that a couple of weeks ago Hannah Lu had yet another major surgery to fix her cleft pallete. Because my Parents were unable to come down for Jackson's birthday this year, and the kids and I went to visit them in Seattle instead, my Mom was able to come down and help us again with the boys so that Shawn and I could take Hannah Lu to Salt Lake for her surgery. This was the first surgery that Shawn was able to be with me, because he works so hard. Two of Hannah Lu's surgeries I have had the boys with me. These are times that I wished I lived closer to home so that I could see my family when ever I wanted. That is a luxury that I do not have. This has been a difficult and wonderful year. I do not know what we would have done with out my Mom. I have been lucky to see her three times this year, and will not see her again until next summer. Hannah Lu is 9 months old now, and this recent surgery was her fith and possibly not her last. I do not worry about any surgeries that are to come in the future. Of course I hope that she doesn't have to have any, but I don't worry because our Heavenly Father is watching over her, and she is here for a reason.