November 29, 2009

November 29, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving! What a great week and holiday we’ve had. We have really kept busy around. Monday the big event of the day was me getting a few cavities taken care of at the dentist. Originally he said that they were tiny and wouldn’t need any numbing. But he just numbed me anyways, and then I got extra because it didn’t work the first time. I was numb the rest of the day. We had a quick FHE and then put the boys to bed. My project this week has been working on John’s Christmas stocking. So every night after the boys are in bed I have worked on getting it done to hang up with the other stockings.

Tuesday Benjamin developed a bit of a cold. That afternoon we took John to the doctor for his belated four month check-up. He is 27.5 inches (95%) and 17 lbs. 10 oz. (75%). He looked good to the doctor and got four shots as a parting gift. Poor little guy. That night for mutual the boys and girls went to a homeless shelter nearby to decorate their cafeteria for Thanksgiving. We had a big work crew and the job was done very quickly.

Wednesday Benjamin had the day off. We played games and had a quiet day at home. Thursday morning we were all up at our usual time. Benjamin and Matthias hung out together while I started working on my assignments for dinner. I made an apple pie and a salad. Everything was going very well. Benjamin was a great helper peeling the apples and mixing things up. The pie went in looking wonderful. After cooking I pulled it out, took off the foil and the pie had collapsed! It was supposed to be “mile high” but it was not. I was a little panicked but after calling my mom we figured out the problem (the apples) and figured that it would still taste okay. I have made that pie a lot, but never had that problem! We had no other choice but to bring it. We headed over to a friend’s house that was hosting a few families from the ward for dinner. There were six families, and eighteen children. Thirteen of the children were boys. The dinner was great! It was amazing how well all the kids played together (and stayed out of the way) during the evening. And thankfully the pie tasted great. Although once I cut into it the consistency was more like applesauce. Such a strange pie I made…

That night poor John had a miserable night. It was his worst night ever by far! He only slept about an hour max at a time and kept waking up and crying. I really don’t know why, but it was miserable. I left early that morning to do a little shopping. It was all things for our house, but I wanted to take advantage of the sales, and since Matthias needed to go into work I had to go out early. The stores were predictably crazy, but I was able to get through things pretty quickly. After I got home, Matthias left for work and we stayed home to have fun. We did a few more errands that afternoon in between John’s naps. That night was pretty quiet too.

Saturday was another quiet day. We all slept in. (John included!) Our big project of the day was setting up the Christmas decorations. Benjamin was so excited to do it, and he actually helped for a while. Then he found the Fisher Price Nativity and he played with that for the rest of the day. I have come to two conclusions, I don’t have enough decorations, but I also have too many for my current home. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it does in my mind. That night I went to dinner with some friends to celebrate the birthday of one of the women. Dinner was great and I was so grateful to Matthias for taking John so I could really enjoy the time.

Today has been another quiet day. John has the cold that Benjamin had. So we both stayed home from church. Matthias didn’t have any meetings this morning. It was great to have him home for a little extra time. After church we made pizza for dinner before getting everyone ready for bed.

We love you all! We hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for! At the top of the list are our faith, families, and friends.

Love,

Rebecca, Matthias, Benjamin, and John

November 22, 2009

November 22, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week. It has gone by so fast, which is a good and bad thing. Good because it means that M got home from his trip fast, but sad because the time with my mom went so quickly! Monday was a preparation day. I did some shopping and did my best to get the house cleaned up.

Tuesday morning I dropped off B-man at the bus stop, and then once he left J and I drove to pick up my mom at the airport. We were picking her up in Baltimore, and despite the drive time we could not have planned the timing any better. I drove up right as she was walking out to the curb. I was so happy to see her. We had lunch with B-man, and then after J’s nap we went to the outlets nearby and did some shopping. B-man was pretty done with shopping by the time Mom and I were done. That night I also went to mutual for a quick appearance.

Wednesday morning we got up and going early. Once B-man got home we all drove downtown to the district. We had to do one lap around the National Mall before finding a parking spot. I was so glad to have my mom there because it was a tiny spot, and with her help directing me we made it in. We then went to the National American History Museum. It is a great museum. We saw a few of my favorite exhibits (Julia Child’s kitchen, the dresses from First Ladies, the Star Spangled Banner) before heading up to an exhibit on Lincoln. I was surprised by how much B-man was interested in the Lincoln exhibit. He also loved the invention exhibits where he could play with various objects. After several hours in the museum we headed back to the car and went home before the traffic really hit.

Thursday was a low key day. We stayed mostly at home, and did run to Costco and a few other stores. After J’s afternoon nap we did go to Chucky Cheese’s for a few hours. B-man loves that place and was so excited. It was a good trade after dragging him along on so many shopping trips.

Friday was much of the same. In the morning we went to see all the Kindergarten kids put on a Thanksgiving play. It was so cute, but B-man was acting very strange after the play and didn't want any pictures. (Or smiles for that matter.) I also got to see how his class does shared reading and writing everyday. It was fun to sit behind B-man and watch him work. The kids were so cute doing their work with the parents sitting and helping them. I did have a very kind friend offer to watch B-man so that Mom and I could have some time without him. We used it by going to lunch and hitting some more stores at the outlets. It was a great afternoon! The time all week has just flown by. That evening we made pizza and then after the boys were in bed we worked on a little project while eating some treats.

Saturday morning we had a pretty leisurely morning. I made pancakes and then we all visited with Grandma until she was packed and ready to go. We made a few stops before finally getting on the road to the airport. I was so sad to see my mom go. I tried not to sob since B-man was in the car. The drive home went smoothly. I spent a lot of the time trying to find a babysitter for an Open House for our new church building that I needed to work at. After a mildly slow afternoon, I then took the kids to a friend who was kind enough to watch them for me while I did my hour at the Open House. I was in the Young Women’s rooms, and when people came in I explained a little about the Young Women’s program and personal progress. There was a great display and some of the young women were there too to help explain and show how cute and normal we are. I was surprised how many people came. After picking up the boys we ran a quick errand, ate a quick dinner, and then I put the boys to bed as fast as I could. I was exhausted!

Today has been another fast and furious day. We got up and going in the morning. I worked on dinner and my lesson before going to get M from the airport. We were happy to have him back with us. When he got home we all finished getting ready, ate lunch, and then went to church. Church went well. I had to teach the 14 and 15 year old girls too. I really wish I knew what the girls thought about my lessons. I need some feedback! They are tough to read because I think a lot of them act like they aren’t listening/don’t care when they really do. Oh well. After church we spent a long time helping set up chairs and various things. We then went home and finished the dinner preparations. We had a friend and her boys over for dinner. (She watched B-man and J yesterday.) B-man was so happy to get to have people over. After dinner we hurried to get the boys bathed and ready for bed. Then while I was getting B-man to bed he went to the dedication of the new chapel. I’m still waiting for him to get home.

(M was in Santiago, Chile for the week at a cartography conference. Just before returning on Saturday, he was able to see a Chilean mission companion that he hasn’t seen for almost ten years. )

Love,

R, M, and B-man

Tooth

J has a tooth. It poked through this week. He's growing up... Sigh.

On a happier note, he did a ten hour stretch at night this week too!

Moms

My mom is here. Let me just tell you one reason why it is so fun...

Before bedtime we were all playing "Hi Ho Cherry-O" and after she spun she exclaimed "liner!" I couldn't help but start laughing. I had totally forgotten about the "liner." B-man used it the rest of the game.

Everything is better with a mom around.

November 15, 2009

November 15, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

We started the week still in Utah. Monday was mostly a play day because all the festivities were done. We first met Emily for lunch before we went back to BYU and spent some time with Tammy at her work. We also went to her apartment and spent a little time there. It makes me so happy and sad at the same time to spend so much time with family. I hate knowing how long it will be before we see them again. B-man loved being able to play some more with everyone, but especially with “little David and M.” That night M helped change brakes on one of the Hulme’s cars and I got to enjoy more time with family.

Tuesday morning we were up and going early to be packed up. Late in the morning we drove up to Salt Lake City to see Emily. We had a fun fall adventure by helping rake her leaves in the front yard. B-man loved jumping in the leaves over and over again. Cute M made us some lunch and we had just enough time to eat lunch and then Emily drove us to the airport. The flight home was pretty uneventful. We had a layover in Chicago, and got in a few minutes early. When we checked the board we saw that there was a flight that left in about thirty minutes, and would get us home two hours earlier. We walked over very quickly and were able to get onto the earlier flight. We were so happy! A friend met us at the airport and drove us home. We immediately put all the kids to bed. We then ate a simple dinner with what we could find in the house before going to bed.

Wednesday poor B-man was up early to get to school. Cute M took him to school so that I could get a little more sleep. The rest of the day was pretty low key. M had the day off because of Veteran’s Day. We first went to the airport to pick up our luggage. We then met B-man at the bust stop and had a very quiet afternoon. M also went to the dentist later in the day.

Thursday and Friday are a blur. We spent most of the time trying to get unpacked and readjusted to the new routine.

Saturday morning our family went to go clean the church. We had a couple of good families with us and so we finished relatively quickly. Later in the day we went to a moving sale and ended up buying two dressers. We have been looking for a new one for us and B-man. They aren’t especially fancy, but they are really well made, and were a good deal. We spent the rest of the day dealing with the new dressers. We had to get the picked up, then get them inside (thanks to the help of a good friend), moved to their new spots, and then changeover all of the clothes. They are both much bigger than we are used to, so we were able to put three dressers worth of clothes in the two new dressers. We haven’t gotten rid of the old dressers yet, so we have a lot of extra furniture in our home right now. We also worked on a few other projects before going to bed that night.

Today has been a good day. M had meetings this morning, and I worked on my lesson. After lunch I drove M to the airport. (He has a business trip for work.) We then drove immediately to church. It was the day of our Primary Program, and the chapel was all abuzz with the excitement! B-man did a great job on his part. He said “My mom makes me Mickey Mouse pancakes, waffles, and cookies.” He spoke nice and clearly. My Grandpa Dyer would have been so proud, because even he would have understood what he was saying. I’m not exactly sure how that fits into the gospel, and how families are forever, but at least it was what he said… It was a little interesting teaching my lesson while having J. Another leader held him for me and ended up walking him out in the halls because he was being so loud. I felt so bad about making her take care of him. After church we headed home for a little dinner before bed.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

November 8, 2009

November 8, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week this has been! Monday and Tuesday B-man had no school. We had our first parent teacher conference with his teacher on Monday. It was strange to be on the other side of the table. There weren’t any surprises, he is doing great overall, which is very comforting. We had a few good laughs at his personality. Tuesday we voted. The rest of the time was spent cleaning, doing laundry, and packing so that we could leave town for L’s wedding.

Wednesday morning we were up early and to the airport. We flew standby and had no problem getting on the flight. It was nonstop and very convenient. I LOVED having M fly with me. It happens so rarely… We were picked up by L at the airport and then drove down to Orem for the rest of the day. We spent the rest of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday getting ready for the wedding. We had a lot of fun doing it, and I was able to sneak in some time with my family. Some highlights were… shopping at Costco with Nate, eating pizza and hot dogs with the family, and in general being together.

Friday night after setting up the chapel for the luncheon/reception we stayed with my sister in Salt Lake. It is very convenient to be able to see so much family in one spot. I just wish we had more time!

Saturday morning we left B-man with help, and then drove to the temple. We were so grateful for the family that helped to watch J and B-man while we were in the temple. The sealing was wonderful, and the bride and groom looked so cute and happy. After the ceremony we headed outside for a few pictures and then up to the chapel for the reception. The whole week we had enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather; it was hard to believe that it was November in Utah. The luncheon was wonderful, and the clean-up went pretty smoothly. Although B-man did not love the process. He was walking around in a daze asking to go back to “play with D and Legos.” That was B-man’s theme for the weekend. He LOVED having two boys to follow around and play Legos with. After spending some time with my sister (and the new bride and groom) we then packed up and headed back to Orem.

Sunday morning we were lucky enough to be able to go to the farewell for M’ grandparents. They both did a great job on their talks, and it was great to see all the family again. Sadly, somehow I ended up on a big middle bench all by myself. I must have looked a little odd to the rest of the ward. After church there was a delicious lunch and then more time to chat and visit with family. We have really been lucky to be around so much family for the last several days.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J

November 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Halloween! This week has mostly centered on Halloween festivities. We did a horrible job of recording it through pictures though. For a family that is notorious for taking a million pictures we really dropped the ball on this holiday. Oh well. M spent the day at B-man’s school being a Watch D.O.G. (a program designed to gets dads into the school to help out and be visible to the kids) He loved being in B-man’s classroom along with all of the other classrooms, being able to help the kids. Monday we started things off by carving our pumpkins for FHE. B-man wanted a really scary pumpkin. He loved the process, but he loved watching us do all the work, and giving us instructions. When do they start doing the actual carving? We saved some of the seeds and had a great time roasting them and snacking on them. I kept forgetting to get the proper candles for the pumpkins so we were using birthday candles and Chanukah candles that we stuck into the bottom. They worked really well, and they burned down really quickly so we didn’t have to remember to blow them out at the end of the night.

Tuesday night was mutual. It was funny/horrifying how many of the girls came that were obviously still sick. Our ward has had a serious case of the swine flu, and apparently the teenagers don’t understand the rules about when to be out and about. All of the leaders were laughing about it and trying to keep the room well ventilated. Thankfully none of us got sick from our exposure to all those germs.

Thursday B-man went to the dentist. He was very brave, and the dentist was super quick. I was in and out in less than thirty minutes. When B-man got to choose a prize from the “treasure chest” he chose a very large beach ball. It has been surprisingly fun to have around our house. Even J loves it. That night I had book club. It was a smaller group, but it was still a fun way to get out of the house and see other women. I wasn’t that thrilled with the book we read this month, but I am really excited for next month’s discussion.

Friday we had a fun day getting ready for the ward “trunk-or-treat.” B-man went as “Dark Vader” aka Darth Vader. He has never seen any of the movies, but somehow he knows who he is and wanted to be him, even though he is a bad guy. He likes to be told stories during any down time (eating, brushing teeth, etc.) and one night I told him how Darth Vader turned into a bad guy. It might have been my best story ever in his opinion. We dressed J up as “Tigger” and he was very cute. The ward party started with a little carnival inside. Our ward is so big, and the new building is so small that we all barely fit into the cultural hall. I was busy working a booth for the young women the entire time, but M did a good job of making sure B-man was still in the building. J fell asleep in the stroller (sitting up) despite all the noise and commotion. Then when M went outside to get our candy ready for the main even he woke up! He did really great considering how late everything was for him. B-man loved running around to all the trunks. On the way home he was quite adamant about not using his candy for the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. We did that last year with some of his gross candy and he didn’t appreciate it apparently. The boys went straight to bed when we got home, and then we watched a movie about a man that tight roped walked in between the World Trade Center towers right after they first opened. It was a documentary and very interesting, and perfect for getting us ready for bed.

Saturday we were very productive. The weather was warm and cloudy, and I decided that I needed to get the rest of the yard work done while I still could. I planted pansies in the front empty flower bed, and then planted some new tulip bulbs in the back. B-man was my helper. Our neighbors were having a garage sale and B-man found a nicely framed picture of Spiderman. He was carrying it home before he even asked if he could buy it. Luckily it was only a dollar, so now he has to do work to earn it. It’s a very funny picture because it is framed so nicely and then has a 3-D picture of a super hero, plus it was being sold from a man with no children. Strange. While I was working on the flowers, M and B-man were mowing and edging the lawn. I think we are now officially ready for the winter weather. Then since J was still sleeping I worked on a spray painting project. It was a frame for a nice picture, and I am SO happy at how it turned out. I love spray paint! With all the outdoor work done we came inside to get cleaned up and ready for Halloween festivities. First B-man and I went with some friends to beg for candy at the outlet mall nearby. M met us right at the end with J who had just woken up. We then had dinner and went to claim seats for the Halloween parade. Our town LOVES parades and it was a pretty decent one. Several high school bands and both of the people running for Governor were there in person! They threw out a ton of candy, and it was fun to see all the fun costumes that people were wearing. After the parade we came home, and passed out a little candy, but really the night ended very early. (Not a bad thing.)

Today has been a great day. M didn’t have any meetings and it was great to have him home all day. I have really been working on getting J to take longer naps. He is the king of the cat napper, and we have started to see some results. We’ve had several days in a row with naps that lasted longer than thirty minutes. It is so nice! It makes him so much happier too. Hopefully we can continue with this trend. Church went well, but it is always amazing how little time gets left for the lesson in the third hour. After church we had dinner and then played some games before we started the bed routine and M went to do some home teaching.

We love you all!

R, M, B-man, and J