Chores

Kelsey is taking after me in so many ways. Especially in the world of cleanliness.  Kelsey honestly thinks that cleaning is fun. Whenever we go to the store she demands a wipe and wipes down the cart the whole time I am shopping. Super cute. My personal favorite is when she asks for or gets the broom all by herself after she eats and starts to sweep. I'm just glad that this child wants to work! Its about time she pulled her own weight around here :)

 I honestly have just stopped helping Kelsey all together. She's almost 18 months, so that makes her a independent person right? Now whenever Kelsey asks for a drink, I say, its in the fridge and this is what happens (I do have to help her open it a little)

 High five Kels! You are helping mom become a lazy parent!

 In other cute news, Kelsey learned how to say Pappa recently and now she asks for him all the time. Luckily we get to see one Pappa in person often and can call the other one on the phone so her wants can be met. I just love her little deep voice when she says it! We are still working on Gramma (don't worry! She loves them too just as much!!)

 

Happy Thanksgiving time

Is there anything more beautiful than Utah in the fall? Even from an apartment front view the mountains are stunning.

For Family Home Evening we made turkey hands and Kelsey just ate it up. I don't know what she loved more: us tracing her hands or us sitting on the floor with her coloring. It was so much fun. We also started a continuous list on the fridge of all the things we are grateful for. Every time we pass it or think of anything we add it to the list. It is a pretty good size so far and it is a helpful reminder that even though life is less than ideal in some situations, it is more than ideal in most.

 

In other news, Kelsey has nailed the concept of folding her arms. She folds her arms all the time (even when no prayer is being said) and says amen with a little bit of help. Now we are working on saying Amen at the end of a prayer, not just whenever she feels like it should be over!

The flu

Wednesday November 6th, Kelsey threw up in the morning and had terrible diapers. I didn't think much about it because we went to fast food the day before and I thought that it just upset her stomach. On Thursday November 7th she woke us up around 5 screaming and when we checked on her we found she had thrown up again. We got everything all cleaned up but because she felt so lousy, she couldn't fall back asleep. I brought her into our bed and she just cried and cried for about an hour. It wasn't like  a I' m mad cry, but more of a, I don't feel good cry. It was so sad. Finally around 7:15 she  fell back asleep and slept for a few hours. When she woke up I didn't think she was sick because she gave me a smile and asked for breakfast. I proceeded to give her breakfast, which I quickly learned was a terrible mistake. She was sitting on the couch eating some cereal, had just finished her 2nd full sippy of water, when the sickness really came. She threw up 4 more times accompanied by bad diapers and very sad tears. I felt so bad for her. There was nothing I could do for her. We got all cleaned up again and this time I knew she was sick. She cried the whole bath and every time I touched her she just moaned.  I knew then we were in for a day on the couch. (which I have to say was a little nice aside from the whole being sick thing.)

Kelsey sat through all of Tangled and all of Cinderella without moving a  muscle. She just sat there. During Tangled, I found her asleep on the couch and I was able to move her to her bed where she slept for four hours. When she woke up and we put on Cinderella, I was able to finally get her to eat some Saltines which she downed. When she fell asleep during Cinderella she then fell asleep for another 3 hours. That night she went to bed at 6:30, but we were able to keep the saltines down so that was a relief.
It was so sad to not be able to help her. Luckily Kelsey's bug didn't hit Ethan or me and it didn't last very long either. It took a long time for her to eat or drink anything again and sleeping got kinda distributed AND I had a ton of laundry (thank you Hannah for letting us come over and doing it at your place), but all in all it was very fast and furious.

This is how she watched her movies

I found her like this at the end of Tangled

 

 Just living up the maid service provided by mom and dad

  

 So I don't know if this was related to her being sick, but starting on Monday November 11, at random times, Kelsey would get these welts of all different sizes all over her face, arms, and hands. They looked a lot like bug bites, or an allergic reaction of some sort. Sometimes it would come and look like a rash, sometimes it would come and look like she ran into the couch, sometimes it looked like a nasty fight with a misquote nest, or sometimes like a rug burn. I called Aaron and he said not to worry so I'm not. I do wish I knew what it was though because I am curious. She doesn't cry or try to itch them so I think we're all good, but weird right?!

In other sad news, I accidentally tripped Kelsey at the park and she hit the corner of the step and got a puffy blackish eye :( I also accidentally got shampoo in her eyes which she started rubbing, they started burning, I tried to flush out with too hot of water, and well it just kept going down hill from there. We survived but without some tears shed by the victim and by mom. We were especially emotional because Ethan had just left for 5 days and this was just the icing on the cake.It was just a sad night for everyone.

Random Fall Memories

 New favorite game....

Where's Kelsey....

 

Boo!

 It's so much her favorite game that she'll just start playing with herself in the car if she is bored and if I ever say boo, she goes No,No,No! and starts over. Today on our run I put her baby on her lap and she started covering baby's face and then going Boo! It was adorable!

Whenever I bake, I always try to "hide" the goods from myself so that I don't sit at home all day and eat them. I often put things in the oven in hopes that they will be out of sight out of mind. Well apparently I am much better at forgetting than I give my self credit for. I made some rolls, put them in the oven and knew that I would remember them when I had to turn the oven on that night. Right. Well, Im sure it is obvious, but I did NOT remember that they were in the oven, turned the oven on for dinner and about 20 minutes later I started smelling a burning. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from and then a giant light bulb came crashing down on my head. The rolls! I opened the oven to find a big melted plastic mess. To take it one step further, I never remember to clean the oven until once again I turn it on and smell the rubber burning at the bottom of the oven, but by that point it is too hot to touch. I always say that I am going to clean it once it cools down and never remember. All in all, I am slowly poisoning my family all with toxic fumes all in the hopes of not eating bake goods. Oh the steps women will take to be healthy! 

On Halloween, Kelsey and I went to go look at Andrea's awesome track poster. Ethan had a break and so he joined us at the track and we all played around for like 20 minutes. It was such a nice break.

 

 

On November 2nd, the weather was too beautiful to pass up and so we went for a walk at Bridal Vail. Afterwards we went to In and Out. It turned out to be a really fun family date.

Ethan was entertaining Kelsey with selfies..

And then mom joined the party!

My favorite church memories

I was going through my blue box and found a crumpled note that I had written to my self and I wanted to get it down in the journal before it got too crumpled or I completely forgot.

There are a few times when church is just awesome. Here are three that I don't want to forget:

I vaguely remember when we lived in the Park Place ward in 2010, the bishops 5 year old son sat with Ethan and I. We didn't have kids and he asked,
"Are you parents?"
"Not yet."
"But you're married right?"
"Right"
"But you have no kids?"
"Not yet"
"Oh so you are not adults yet? You are still too young"
"Well I guess not."

Another funny moment was in the Holladay third ward also involving our bishops son. Before I recall, I wish you could all meet Thomas Doxey. He is the ultimate 9 year old boy. He has 3 older sisters who all want to mother him and find him annoying. He has bright orange hair, loves Legos, loves Harry Potter, and is just that awesome awkward Napolean Dynamite 10 year old boy. We babysat him for a week once and he watched this Harry Potter video over and over again so now we always sing it too "There once was a boy named Harry.." I just can't do Thomas justice. We love Thomas and miss him and his whole family.
One Sunday, I was meeting early and so Ethan was going to bring Kelsey over. Its 8:50 and no Ethan, 8:55 and no Ethan, 8:59 and no Ethan. I started to freak a little bit because I HATE being late to church. PLUS he was going to walk with Kelsey and the car seat. I think she was about 3 months old. (we always walked to church in Holladay). Finally at like 9:02 he came running through the back of the chapel, carrying Kelsey with the car seat still attached. Luckily the meeting was running late and so he was able to explain. Because I drove over he was going to walk. He got Kelsey ready in the car seat to attach to the big stroller, locked the front door, and headed to the car to get the stroller. He then remembered that I had the car with the big stroller inside and so he was going to have to switch strollers. He went to open the front door, but it was locked, so he went for his keys, only to realize that he had left them on the piano. He now was locked out, with Kelsey in the car seat, and no stroller. Ethan never lets anything stop him and so he set out for church, carrying that 20lb baby in a car seat the whole 8 min to church! He got there sweating but laughing, so I thought all was done. When I went to pick up Kelsey out of the chair, I noticed that her dress was not on her, but placed on her. As I was taking the dress off Kelsey, Ethan ran back to our seat and said "Oh yeah. I was running late and didn't have time to dress her. Hope that's cool." I lost it. I was laughing so hard (as were the people behind us) that it took me a while to get Kelsey dressed for church right there in the pew. Good thing our ward is awesome and totally loved Ethan so no worries.
The meeting finally started, I was still laughing, but Kelsey was dressed, Ethan had wiped off the sweat, and we were all sitting together. The sacrament came around and Ethan was trying to help me juggle the water and Kelsey and in the process went to put his arm behind my back. While he was doing that he NAILED me with his elbow hard in the eye. Like way hard. Luckily I was in a great mood and started laughing. I started laughing so hard that I couldn't drink all my water and went to dump it in the tray, but as I was doing so my hand was shakey and all my remaining water dumped in about 4 cups in the tray. I tried to grab them before our neighbor took the cups, but it was too late (which makes me never want to think about what goes into my sacrament water cup!). With Ethan's help I was able to regain control of my emotions but that is when we noticed Thomas Doxey. He was sitting in front of us in cargo shorts, socks to his knees, slouching, with his feet resting on the bench in front of him, reading the Hymns upside down and backwards. I lost it. I had to bend so far over to not be disrespectful. Ethan also had to take Kelsey because I was losing all strength in my arms.
I don't remember anything about that Sunday's lessons or talks, but I will always remember Ethan running to church and Thomas Doxey.
As a side note Sister Dalton spoke as the closing speaker in that sacrament meeting and she hadn't been released yet so was still the President. She looked much older in real life than on tv.

This last Sunday, in our Provo Peaks 9th ward,  I was helping Kelsey with her Cheerioes for like the 4th time and Ethan kept taking them away because he didn't want Kelsey to make a mess. Every time he took them away she would scream and so I asked for them back. Right when I opened them, Kelsey kicked the bottom of the container and the Cheerieos went flying! I started laughing, Kelsey went Ah-Oh, and Ethan gave me that look of "Oh my gosh Cami. I knew that was going to happen and that's why i was putting them away." It was another hilarious church moment. I can't wait for more to come.

Dad's Christmas Eve Story

Every year on Christmas Eve, my family would read the Christmas story from the Book of Mormon and the Bible. We would sing almost every Christmas song from the Hymn book in conjunction with the verses. I have the story written down, but I wanted to type it just in case I lose the paper.

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

Isaiah 11: 2-4

Mosiah 3: 5-8

Helaman 14: 3-6

     Joy to the World

Luke 1: 26-33

Luke 2: 1-5

     O Little Town of Bethlehem

Luke 2: 6-7

     Away in a Manger

     Once in Royal David's City

Luke 2: 8-14

     Hark the Herald Angels Sing

     It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

     Angels We Have Heard on High

Luke 2: 15-20

     The First Noel

     Far Far Away on Judea's Plain

     While Shepherds watched Their Flocks

Matthew 2: 1-6

    With Wandering Awe

Matthew 2: 7-12

     Silent Night

3 Nephi 1: 4-6,8,13-21

     Jesus, Once of Humble Birth

     O Come all ye Faithful

     I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Halloween 2013

Before I give our Halloween break down, I just want to share a few thoughts on Halloween. First, have you ever noticed that Halloween is like THE holiday now? Its not a bad thing, but it's kinda true. Christmas is still everyone's favorite but no one ever has the time to party as they do for Halloween. It is only like 3 weeks long and cramped with so much wintery goodness that there is just no time for parties. Thanksgiving obviously gets over looked which is a true shame in my opinion because it is a fantastic holiday (and not just because of the food), so Halloween has become the one where people party like crazy! That being said we partied like crazy. I don't LOVE Halloween, but I think its super duper fun.  I decorate, I carve pumpkins, I make mummy hot dogs, buy dry ice for punch, and support trick or treating, but I don't love Halloween. I think its because I HATE  to dress up. My idea of dressing up is wearing orange and black. I will but I don't love it like some people do.


Halloween was super fun this year. We started the party by going to the MBASA Halloween party complete with games, trick or treating, a hay ride, chili and cornbread, a costume contest, and a pie eating contest. Ethan was a good sport and participated in the pie eating contest and since he was going to play he was going to win! Well, he got second but we still got a gift card so it was still awesome. I wanted to enter Kelsey in the homemade costume contest (since she was the only one dressed up in our family), but the judges picked the winner before the party began :( We didn't even get to play which made me very sad. The party however was still very fun, but super overwhelming. About 120 adults came and they all brought at least 1 child. Enough said right? 100 kids excited and running solely on candy? CRAZY!!!! We left a bit early because it was getting out of control and Kelsey didn't really care. Plus the line to trick or treat was wrapped around the gym like two times.

I love how disheveled Kelsey looks! All she wants is to get out of that costume

The weekend before Halloween we went to the Ward trick or treating party complete with a costume parade, chili and cornbread, and trick or treating. I should have taken a picture of our awesome door, but forgot. It was pretty awesome though. So we took Kelsey trick or treating and she really didn't get it. We started at the door with Ethan behind it, he put candy in her pumpkin, she sat down and demanded it be opened right then and there. She wouldn't move until it was. I tired to show her that you get more if you keep going to all the doors, but she wanted those Smarties like you wouldn't believe. There were only about 8 doors, and I think by 7 and 8 she started to get it, but that was with some coaxing and with the Smarties open and ready the whole time. The ward party wasn't as big as the MBASA one so I think it was a little more enjoyable.

We didn't have a Halloween party this year. But no worries! Halloween was still fun and a very fun day. I decided to make it a family party since we couldn't have friends over. While Ethan was at school, Kelsey and I decorated and made sure a Halloween party mix was playing in the back ground when he walked through the door. We enjoyed Mummy Dogs and Tombstone pizza while wearing our costumes.

 After a small dance party, we got Kelsey all dressed up to go trick or treating in the ward neighborhood. So because I am not really a dresser upper, it rubs off on to finding costumes for Kelsey. I thought that she could just be a lobster this year (exactly what she was last year) and let me tell you,  as cute and adorable as it was last year, she sure hated it this year :)

                                        Last year....                                                This year....

Lesson learned Kels!  You can't repeat costumes!

She not only bit one of the eyes, but tried to rip off the head the whole night. She HATED it! 

I was SOOO excited to take her trick or treating, but it was a HUGE BUST!! We practiced at the ward party and we would practice at home (Ethan would take her outside and knock on the door and I would answer and hand her candy) and she just didn't get it. She didn't want to walk, she didn't want to hold her pumpkin that she carried around for a week, and she didn't want to say Hi or Happy like we practiced. All she wanted to do was cry until I gave her a sucker and stay in dads arms the whole night. I was so sad because I knew that if she just did like 3 houses, she would love what was going on. I guess I just have to except that next year will be our trick or treating year. We made it to about 5 house, but by the end, when the sucker ran out, and the tears came back, we knew it was time to go.

Once Kelsey went to bed, Jed and Andrea came over and we finished our Halloween party complete with caramel apples and dry ice. We got all snacked up and watched the Village. We all really don't like scary movies and so this was about all we could handle :)

 I am really sad about trick or treating but Halloween was still a very fun day this year!