It's all about the MINI VAN!

I never thought the day would come when I would covet a mini van, and really really really want to drive one. 

Well the time has come and I finally have me one!

We got a great deal on a Honda Odyssey from TJ's sister Heidi and TJ flew down to AZ and drove it back home. I couldn't be happier and neither could the kids. They are in HEAVEN! They have been asking forever and ever when we were going to get a van like all of their friends. Which is exactly why I don't want to drive one. I don't want to be the 7th mini van parked on my street and my Mazda CX9 is so sporty and sweet and I feel cool in it but I had to put my coolness aside and swallow some pride for the sake of convenience and it is soooo nice to have doors that open themselves and no climbing over seats or pushing seats forward and actually having storage in the back. I do and will always miss my other car and will go back to something more me but for now this is where it's at...the mini van.

Kasens Blessing

Really I never thought to bless Kasen at home and not in church but since TJ's parents were visiting from their mission and since Kasen and baby Estelle were both so young we thought a double blessing would be good and thank goodness my dad is so awesome and cut his work trip short and sacrificed a lot to be here, it was possible that both grandparents were able to be apart of the blessing. TJ gave a wonderful blessing and I could not help but get choked up as I listened and thought of the great life that lay ahead for my sweet boy. And just look how handsome he looked on his big day! I have to give myself props for being so creative with his outfit because it is not easy to find little man dress wear. I took some lame black pants that came in a set from some cheesy suit with a vest that I bought at Burlington and I took off some belt loops from a pair of my own black pants and sewed them on to his pants, to try and cover the cheesy looking elastic waistband. I took a skinny black belt I had just bought earlier that month at DI and cut it to size so he could have a sweet little belt. I found the smallest tie I could at The Quilted Bear and WOW he looked like a million bucks and no one knew about all my added touches.

And the whole idea about having a small blessing at home to keep the babies away from huge crowds with germs so they could stay healthy went down the drain when Chelsea is too popular for her own good and invited like 50 people. We kept it real and had just us and family.

Thanksgiving

Chloe is so in love with her Grandpa Bob it just melts my heart. She is seriously like a little leach that is stuck to him. She follows him around, tickles him and just wants to cuddle on his lap. I love this picture of them. Pure happiness!

 We all didn't get together on actual Thanksgiving day. We did that on Friday so on Thursday Tj's parents came over and watched the baby while we went and save Brave at the movie theatre. It was a GREAT movie. We then we all had steak for dinner.

 Friday we all went to Mona's house for the big meal. Feels like forever since we had all been together.

 Chelsea had her baby the week before Thanksgiving and I wish I could say that I wasn't envious of her  easy breezy delivery and recovery. Baby Estelle (Stella) Fredrickson and Kasen Lee.

Sophie came home with us for a sleepover. I had been feeling bad that we never got around to getting the girls together over the summer like we told them we would. TJ put up the Christmas lights on the house and I decorated the inside and now it is beginning to feel like Christmas. But seriously thank goodness we did our Christmas shopping the weekend before I had Kasen.

Life at home

Things have been pretty good at home so far. Granted I still am not back into my regular routine of things. I still have yet to take all the kids to school in the mornings, however we did take a walk today to pick Tallie up from school. It was really nice to be outside with Kasen in the stroller and talking and seeing actual people. Someone asked me if I was ready to get back into doing hair. I laughed in my head. Right now I can't even imagine adding hair into the mix of things. For one I'm just now getting back on my feet, I did almost die, and I know that my baby is a month old but seriously I JUST brought him home last week. That is pretty much the same as someone asking me to do their hair a week after I came home with a new baby. If you can't tell I am still kinda bugged by the inconsiderate question.

The first outting I had with all my kids was prob a stupid one but I needed to get out with all my kids for my own sanity (kinda an oxymoron I know). But I just wanted to live my life again and not watch everyone else living my life for me. The day before Thanksgiving I packed up the kids and went to Walmart. It went good and it felt good to do something normal. Kasen has his good days and his bad days when it comes to sleeping at night. Newborns are so hard. But last night was good and so I'm not such a beast today. Which is nice for all.

My sister Jodi came into town for a few days which was nice. She is a really big help. Lexi and I have been doing a million puzzles and she is amazing. She is starting to do harder and harder ones and most of the time does not need my help. Tallie has moved up a couple letters in her reading and is doing great and Chloe actually ventured out today and went to play at a friends house, solo, without Tallie. I am feeling pretty good and have been keeping up with the laundry and am back to making dinner at nights. It feels good to have things back to semi normal around here.