Missing TJ

As usual when Tj is out of town one of the kids gets sick which makes everything else a little more chaotic. This time it was Kasen. All Saturday morning he was crying and coughing and his nose was a waterfall. He kept holding his ears and saying "Hut" which means hurt. I was supposed to be at the primary program practice in a half hour and I still had to go to the gas station to get ice for the cooler. Kasen was a mess and I couldn't console him. Finally finally the medicine I gave him kicked in and he snapped out of it just in time. He was just fine all of the practice and was running all over the place. No one would have believed me he was sick if I had said anything. Once we got home I was able to get him down for a nap. But 45 min later he was awake and screaming! He was so out of control. He wouldn't let me hold him but yet wanted me to hold him. He was rolling all over the ground delirious like. The ward halloween party was in a few hours and the girls were so excited to go. I gave him more medicine, took him on a drive (left the other kids home) and finally he calmed down but still wanted me to hold him for the next couple hours which made it really hard to try and get the girls ready in their costumes. Again once we got to the church he seemed fine and was running all over the place and laughing. Which I am so thankful for because it was a fun night and the kids had a blast. I even won the most creative costume! Flo the Progressive Lady. That night he did okay sleeping and I only had to rock him once back to sleep. Lexi on the other hand has been climbing into bed with me every night and she loves to move around and kick. Sunday morning (today) Kasen seemed worse and could not stop coughing and when he breaths he sounds like a chain smoker. But it was the program today and I needed to help and my girls wanted so bad to be there to do their parts. The whole sacrament I felt so dumb being there because Kasen just hacked the whole time and I felt like everyone was starring at me like why did I bring my sick kid. But good news was that the girls all said their parts great and Lexi did a great job singing. Chloe even sat on the stand for the very first time and participated! I was so proud of her I had to hide the tears in my eyes! I was so bummed that Tj had to miss it tho. After that Kasen was so tired and basically falling asleep during primary so I ran him home and put him down for a nap, I grabbed lunch and then went back to church. Yes I left Kasen at home solo. I guess that makes me a bad mom? I finished back at church and then once we came home the girls watched a movie and I got to relax. Kasen ended up sleeping for over 4 hours. He woke up at 4:30 and happily dove right back into bed at 8pm for bedtime.  I'm just hoping no one else gets this because its halloween this week and Kasens birthday and they would all be so sad if they had to stay home from school on halloween! Crossing my fingers! TJ comes home tm night late and I am so ready for him to come. So glad he doesn't have to travel ridiculous amounts. I'm no good as a single mom.

Moab

Moab was great! Once again I whine too much about this and that but it really was fun! THE best part for me really was watching Tj, Scott and Nick hang out and act like big kids! They were having so much fun in the razor and just being crazy and reckless. It was great to see Tj smiling and laughing and having fun. So great to see him forget about work and to not see him so down. I think it was a great trip for him. I never thought that I would vacation with either of these families but I loved it. In fact I would love to go somewhere again with the Wakefields. I love them and their kids! In a way I feel like their kids are apart of my family. I have really enjoyed watching them grow up and be there for them when they needed someone. I love how close our kids are. Scott and Michelle are so easy going and extremely laid back and relaxed about everything. I'm really hoping they feel somewhat the same about us. Michelle and I had some heart to hearts talks late at night one night about babies and ending or not ending that phase in our lives. 

I really hoped that on this trip I would be able to crack that egg with Alyssa and get to know her better and break the surface. I'm sad to say that it just didn't happen. I can't put my finger on it and maybe its just me who is awkward or weird to talk to. Which is sad because Nick and TJ get along so well and I could talk to Nick all day but if I had to choose a couple to go on a trip with I think they would be my last choice. I know I sound so mean. Who knows, maybe we need more time??

Anyways, the razor was super fun and I did think I would die multiple times but I actually want to go on a vaca with TJ just us and camp and rent a razor for just us. Maybe our next getaway? The kids loved it too. We took a 9 mile bike ride which was all down hill but it was so painfully slow for Chloe and I because she was terrified of going fast (she had an accident once going too fast). We made it though and I think she felt really accomplished and she was so happy. We rode to the rock shop and they got to pick out souvenirs. We swam a lot in the pool and at night the older kids watched the little kids and us adults went hot tubing. We hiked and hiked and played on a huge sand hill. It was so fun and I would love to go back!

Fall Pictures

I wish that I had the kind of money where I could take spring and fall family pictures every single year. But since I don't and we only get around to having our family pictures professionally taken about every couple years, we try to be the pros ourselves.

And I am so proud to say that I took these pictures myself!! I think they turned out so good! It helps that we have a super nice lens for the camera, it makes such a difference and its what gives the blurred background making it look more professional. I also go lucky that the kids did so great and it didn't take us long at all and I love that my back drop is just around the corner from our house in ghettoville. We borrowed our neighbors wagon because really I drempt about that and we took our tripod. I thought all the pictures were amazing until TJ did a little photoshop and now I think they are super amazing! We make a pretty great team.

I sure love my family and capturing their little personalities.

My plan is to one day take a photo class and really learn how to use my camera. 

One day...