Halloween 2012

We managed to squeeze in a lot of activities this Halloween.
Our friends had us over for Family Home Evening on Sunday night.  It was a lot of fun for every one!  The kids got to eat homemade donuts off a string, bob for apples and play Halloween Pictionary.  I'm so glad they had us over!  It helped transforms Derik's 33rd birthday from a dismal day to a evening of fun memories.
Our ward held it's Trunk-or-Treat Monday night.  The kids had a fun time running wild and getting their buckets full of candy.
Halloween morning I started out the day at my Dr's office.  I failed my first glucose test the week before so I was scheduled to take my 3 hour test.  I went in thinking it was going to be a long horrible experience, but it really wasn't so bad, (although, I'm grateful I'll never have to do it again).
My numbers were good enough that they only needed the first three blood tests instead of the usual four.  I couldn't think of anything sweeter for Halloween then being able to say I don't have Gestational Diabetes and luckily that was just the case!
When the kids got home from school we did homework and then carved a pumpkin.  Alivia was really excited for this activity.  Next year we'll have to plan a little better and give ourselves some more time, so that every one can carve their own pumpkin with their own designs.  This year Dylan and I talked Alivia into letting me carve Oogie Boogie into the only pumpkin we had because it was simple, even though she had her heart set on me carving a Disney Princess.

 

 I really wanted to do lots of special Halloween stuff this year, since last year our family was separated, but I ran out of time to do all the things I wanted to do.  I planned on doing soup, bread bowls and homemade root beer for supper, but I settled for making the kids their own personal pan pizzas and a 2 liter of A & W.  Dylan and Alivia got jack-o-lantern pizzas and Isaac's had a ghost.

After supper I ran Dylan to our library for a special "Spooky Spiders" event.  I was a little mad that they scheduled the event for Halloween night at 6:30, but since Dylan wanted nothing to do with Halloween itself, I wanted to do something he thought was fun.  Mr. Giovannoni stayed home and passed out candy with Alivia and Isaac while we were gone.
Dylan really had a great time and I'm glad I took him.  He got to share all of his spider knowledge with everyone.  The women in charge of the event kept saying how impressed she was with how smart and scientific Dylan was.  He glowed all night.  They got to observe a scorpion, touch a few dead scorpions, and pet a real life Tarantula.

 

We rushed home afterwards just in time to take Isaac and Alivia around the neighborhood to do a little trick-or-treating.  Dylan had no desire to dress up or go trick or treating, so he stayed home and passed out candy.  Alivia is wired just like her dad and she's been giddy for Halloween all month.  She picked out her witch costume this year.  Apparently all her school friends were being witches so that is what she wanted too.  I tried to convince her to be strawberry shortcake but she has a will of her own.  She was especially excited because her dress had lights sewn in it and she demanded that I put RED lipstick on her.

 

I originally wanted to dress Isaac up as Agent P, aka Perry the Platypus, since he loves him to pieces, but that didn't pan out either.  He looked as cute as could be in Dylan's old Buzz Lightyear costume.  

Our neighborhood was really quiet and most people gave the kids handfuls and handfuls of candy, so even though we didn't go to very many homes their buckets were really full.
It was weird to be out on Halloween evening in 79 degree weather.  Isaac was so sweaty when we pulled his costume off, it was nice to be out and not freezing though.

As we were carving our pumpkin earlier I shared with Alivia the story of how 11 years earlier her daddy put a big shiny diamond in a pumpkin just for me.  She thought that was the best story ever.  11 years later I cannot help but smile at where our lives have taken us since then. 
Happy Halloween!

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review Oct 15-21

• Monday Evening I returned home from Utah.  My trip was full of highs and lows and there are a lot of things I wished went differently, but memories were made and I'm glad I had the opportunity to go.  The Timeout for Women's Conference was a really great experience and I hope I'll be able to attend it again in the coming years.  I was super excited to be able to attend my cousin Kristy's baby blessing.  I got to see almost every one of my cousins and I sure do miss having them in my life.  Her new son is beautiful (as is her other 4 boys).  
• I had a hard time getting back in to the swing of things once I was back in Texas.  I really enjoyed not having any responsibilities while in Utah.  
• Derik did a fantastic job of taking care of the kids.  He's a great husband and father!  The house was clean and while the kids were excited to see me they talked a lot about how much fun they had while I was gone. 
• Isaac shared his boogery croupy germs with me.  I lucked out the last time my family got sick and somehow stayed healthy.  This time I got the bug and I got it bad.  I know it could be worse, but I had one night where I was convinced I was going to suffocate to death because I couldn't breath.   Not a pleasant experience.
• It was our Primary Program this Sunday.  Alivia and Dylan did their parts beautifully the whole program was beautiful and as the children all sang the final song the spirit touched me in such a way that the scripture that teaches us that we need to become like little children, took on so much more meaning to me. I found myself rather emotional too, since I knew this was going to be my last Sunday as the CTR 5 teacher.  I really loved my kids in there and it's the first time I haven't wished to have a change in callings.   
• Derik and I were called to be Sunday school teachers for the 16 and 17 year old youth of our ward.  Derik had the privilege of teaching them last week all buy himself while I was in Utah.  So like a champ I told him I'd cover this weeks lesson.  I did my best to prepare the best I could, but there was little I could do to calm my nervous anxieties of  having the honor and great responsibility of teaching these teenagers.  I have had lots of callings throughout my life, but I never in a million years saw myself doing this one.  I can teach small children, they are simple and pure and full of life and energy.  I can relate to my relief society sisters.  I remembered vividly my teenage years and I think on some small level I'd be comfortable with teaching young women.  I guess it's the teenage boys that terrify me, my experiences in life have never been very pleasant with them.  
• The lesson I taught centered around Jesus introducing the Higher Law to the Nephites.  We ran through the Law of Moses and then proceeded to study the Higher Law.  It spoke of adultery, fornication and divorcement and I found myself stumbling quite a bit to explain the scriptures to them.  One sweet and innocent young man interrupted me by asking what exactly "fornication" was.  It was then and there I knew I was in no way ready to be these kids teacher! Thankfully another young man came to my rescue by saying it's the same thing as adultery.  Bless his heart I know my face was scarlet and my mind was racing all over the place!  If I had to describe my first attempt at teaching these youth I would have to label it as brutal.   I will need every ounce of help my Savior is willing to give me to be a good teacher to these kids.  I am not an entertaining person and I worry a lot about being able to connect to these kids in a meaningful way.  I really don't want to be the teacher they dread going to every Sunday.   

For the Few Who Don't Know

Image 

New addition coming February 4, 2013

 

 I wanted to surprise my family with the news in person and I already had a planned trip in October. So at 24 weeks (6 months along) I finally shared the news with my family. 

The baby is VERY active.  It's very responsive to music.  It has cute, but what appear to be huge feet.  I feel those feet and they are powerful, I don't remember my other children making such a racket in there.  I can literally watch my entire belly shake and move when  this baby wiggles and its been that way for weeks. 

My placenta and my cervix are fine this time and we've both been given a clean bill of health.  

Alivia prays every night it's a sister.

Dylan thinks it's a boy.

Isaac has insisted it's a sister from the day I told him there was a baby in my tummy.  He's known from almost the beginning, since I didn't think he was going to spill the beans.  He calls it Via, which is how he says Alivia's name.

I specifically asked our ultrasound tech to NOT tell me the gender.  

Some part of me thought it would be fun to keep the gender of our last child a secret.

Derik insisted that he had to know.

I think having a fourth child has completely wiped me of any sense and the outcome of my choices of keeping things a secret have not panned out how I hoped they would. 

I think I've learned my lesson about trying to keep things a Secret/Surprise.

Despite the highs and lows of it all, I'm grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to be a mother again.  I longed for this baby and when times get hard, I have to remember that this is what I wanted, that the sickness, the extra emotions, the aches and the pains are just a small part of one of the greatest miracle and blessing there is. 

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review (Oct 1-7 2012)

• It's been a quiet last few weeks for the most part.
• The Mr. and I received new callings at church.  I'm a little apprehensive  because it is new territory (for both of us), but it gives us both some freedom which we didn't  have before, since we were both in separate primary callings.  Since it was General Conference this weekend, we haven't officially been released from our old callings or set apart for the new one.  When we are, I'll share the new calling. 
• Speaking of General Conference, I adore being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, It is such a privilege to sit with my family and hear the word of God from a true and living prophet and apostles.  
• I leave for Utah this next week, I'm so excited.  Mr. Giovannoni is taking on all three kids, so I can enjoy a little get away, isn't that wonderful? 
•  We've actually had cool weather this week.  It's been LOVELY, I park myself out in my front yard every evening with the kids and just sit outside enjoying every minute of the crisp and chilly air.  It will be back up to the 90's this next weekend.  Meanwhile I'll be in Utah probably freezing to death since I'm so accustomed to 90 degree weather.  
• The kids are plugging along with school, Alivia still absolutely adores it, she asks every weekend if it's time to go back to school yet.  Isaac has finally hit the I'm bored-without-my-siblings stage and he's getting into quiet a bit of mischief lately while the other two are gone.  He still refuses to wear a diaper or clothing for the most part.  And even though I dread the idea of attempting to potty train a two and a half year old, I'm going to do just that when I get home from Utah.  He destroys (since he shreds them as he tears them off) somewhere around 10 to 12 diapers a day and buying that many size four diapers to just throw them away unsoiled is more than I can stomach.