Happy Thanksgiving!?

Who knew that a happy family that started the day looking like this:



with a cute little boy so proud for setting the kids table all by himself:



Would end the day (an hour after turkey-dinner) with two kids up-chucking all over grandma and grandpa's living room carpets (within five minutes of each other!) and looking like this?




These two continued to be sick until 2am Friday morning, and then I came down with it at 8am and was sick the entire rest of the day. I could barely turn myself over in bed, it was miserable! It was so strange how quick it came on! Thankfully, Aaron was off of work so he took good care of us all. Leda and I are on the mend, though Chase is still acting fluky and I'm not sure what's up with him, poor guy. But so far Aaron and Spencer haven't been hit---we're keeping our fingers crossed.

I'm not surprised at all that sickness hit, even though my kids were perfectly fine all day and even ate all their food at dinner. At least one of us has been sick and puking each and every Thanksgiving for the last four years, and that is not a joke! Chase's first Thanksgiving (he was 8 weeks old) we were ALL sick and in bed. That was the absolute worst!

But all sickness aside, thanks Mom for a fabulous dinner (glad we were able to enjoy it) and for the Smiths and Hyers for joining us that day. We had such a great time visiting and being together with your fun family.


I hope your Thanksgiving was happy and uneventful!

FHE

Last night after our Family Home Evening lesson, we piled in the car to go visit the ginormous Christmas Tree (it's real too!) at Fashion Island that was just put up this past weekend. It literally was a perfect night.


The kids were in such great moods...no one was cranky or tired, can't you tell? In these shots, their smiles look like they could lift their little bodies airborne! lol






Warmed up with a large hot-chocolate and a cookie to share



Aaron took the older kids up the ever-exciting escalator (that they never get to ride on when they are with mom since I always have a stroller keeping my runner restrained), while Chase and I took the elevator and when the doors opened, we were greeted by these turkeys. I made them re-enact it so I could take a picture. The kids (and their ringleader) thought themselves quite hysterical!


We did get to see Santa, and Spencer was able to whisper to him (couldn't find his voice) that he wanted Legos for Christmas, but Leda and Chase were not feeling Santa last night and stayed put in the doorway without moving an inch.

One last shot on the way out:

It's nice to have a night out every once in a while where no one is crabby and we all have a great time!

Wasting time...

83 words

Speedtest

How fast can you type?


(warning, it's addicting!)

Vegas, baby!

A few weeks ago during dinner, Aaron broke the news that he had to go to Vegas again for a work Conference and he'd be gone for 5 days. But in the same breath as him announcing his departure, he suggested that I fly to Vegas and join him for a few days since he'd already booked the hotel room.

Uh, yes please!




So with a lot of effort (man, I'm really important around here), I found places for our kidlets to be for 48 hours (A HUGE thank you to Rebecca, Kristen, and of course Grandma and Grandpa) and I was off for a mini vay-cay with Aaron for the first time in two years!



Course, Aaron did have to attend his conference from 8-5 each day, but that didn't stop us from partying it up each night! And I have to admit, I rather enjoyed (borderline loved) having a full day all to myself. I slept in until 9:15, took a long bath and watched The View on TV at the same time, walked to the nearest mall, was there for four straight hours and even had lunch alone and loved it! Just me, my sandwich, killer sweet potato fries, a magazine and my book...all alone in a corner booth. HEAVEN.

At night we enjoyed buffets, sites from high up places (that made my palms sweat), the lobbys of some really cool hotels and staying out until the wee hours of the morning soaking in alone time.



Our hotel room:


the bathtub that I wanted to take home with me:




The last night we were there, we went to see a Cirque Du Soleil show playing at the MGM Grand called "Ka" It was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed the show from the music, really cool and CRAZY acrobatic stunts and the fireballs that were routinely shot up into the air every few minutes throughout the show.



So thanks Aaron for working so hard at your awesome job that I know you love, thank you to your employers who wanted to send you to Vegas to get smarter, and thank you for allowing me to tag along for a bit. SO fun.

Leda's new hairdo

When Aunt Kiki was here last weekend, she had intended to take Leda on a date to get her hair chopped off, but since Kiki had to leave a day earlier than expected, that outing never did happen. So this morning I took Leda to get a new hairdo and I'm here to post pics to prove to her Aunt that the deed has been done!

Darling huh?




Side shot:





I think she looks younger with this new 'do, what do you think? Aunt Kiki, do you approve?

Aunt "Kiki"

When I was little, I couldn't say the name, "Carrie" but I could say, "Kiki"...and this is how the name "Aunt Kiki" was born. It's never been anything else. In fact, my kids don't even know who who Aunt Carrie is, but they know and love their Aunt Kiki...even though Chase looks like he's being tortured above.

So when Aunt Kiki came into town this past Friday, with her baby Gabe in tow from Utah, my little family was THRILLED to see the two of them....course after Spencer and Leda ran through the house looking for Carter and McKay (so sad) but anyway, they were happy to see their Aunt and cousin Gabe.

This surprise has been in the works for a month now, and I was totally shocked to see her standing in my parents living room, here for the long weekend. I grabbed that baby right out of my moms arms and held him and cried. It was the first time I'd see him in months and months.



We had a great time. I just love my sister. I have no words to describe how important she is to me. My sister was my parents "surprise", born just 13 months after me (course they went through 7 years of fertility to get me, so who knew Carrie would be so easy? lol) and I know why she was born so close behind me...it's cause we NEED each other. I just love her so much, I'll stop there so I can see the computer screen clearly as I type.




I hope you had a good flight back to Utah tonight. But let the records show: I am still in a fight with you for moving there.

xo

My beautiful daughter...

yes, she can be a drama momma, but not today. She was such a good girl--her halo was definitely all shiny and straight today! Ah, how I love these days.

When I told her that I wanted to take a picture of her in her new dress (thanks Grandma) Leda wanted to pose just this way and had to be standing next to the pumpkins. This girl knows what she wants!



And this is mostly for Carrie, but you know how she twirls and twists her hair just like you and Mom? Ya, well look close at the thinning bangs on the right side of her head. It gets worse everyday and I'm getting a bit worried! She needs to knock it off or before long she'll be bald there! Yikes!


And "Mommy, don't forget the princesses on my back!" Oh, of course not, we can't forget them!



I've always had issues with my legs, and I am just in love with Leda's little legs...and so glad she doesn't seem to have my scrawny/no calves--legs. Course I realize she's only three, but so far she seems to have her Daddy's awesome/good lookin' legs---YES! And have I mentioned that she's still in the 95% for height? She's as tall as a 4.5 year old and wears 5T dresses for length. She's growing up so fast!

New blog

Not mine, my sisters!

A lot of you know Carrie, so I thought I'd give her NEW BLOG a plug so you could get caught up on her life and see her cute family!

Welcome to the blogging world little sister, let the addiction begin!