Catching up on Christmas -- Idaho

When we flew to Boise, Paul and Karen and Diane were all kind enough to drive all the way to Boise to pick us up. Connor was still feeling unwell, and on the way back, we had to pull over in the mountains because he was SO fussy! Almost as soon as I opened the van door, he hurled vomit all over me and all over him. Diane said it looked like a fountain. A fountain of vomit. Nice. Well, we still had another hour of driving, so guess what? Everyone got to smell the nice vomit smell all the way up. I didn't have a chance to take a shower until later that evening, but I did try to stay away from everyone.

The next day was Sunday so we all went to church. Christi has a SMALL ward! but it was nice. People noticed we were visiting, which doesn't happen often in the Rock Creek Ward that we attend -- there's so much turn-over because of the apartment complexes in our boundaries, it's hard to keep track of who's coming and going. That afternoon, after lunch, we went to see The Carolers perform at the Sun Valley ward building. They are an acapella group that sings Christmas Carols in "The Village" throughout the holiday season. They are really good, and their costumes were awesome (you can kind of see them below. I had the point-and-shoot so the flash was not very good....)


That evening we had a gift exchange with the cousins, since most of them got presents for the others. It started out being very chaotic, then Ron had a great idea of designating a "present chair" -- you could only unwrap a present if you were sitting in the chair. It worked perfectly! Even the two-year-olds understood, so, success! I think Caitlynn (one) understood too, or at least she just played along. Connor was asleep through most of it, so when he woke up, Karen tried to "catch him up". I think it would have been more fun to let him take his time and open slowly -- he loved it in AZ, but he liked his gifts anyway. It was fun to watch all the kids -- I video-taped the whole thing, I think. And tried to get pictures. Hopefully the video tape is better than the pictures... I tried to get at least one of each cousin.

Porter is opening the pajamas that Ronna got for everyone -- so cute! They are Gymboree Rock Star pj's and we got a huge cousin picture with everyone together in them. (See at the end of the picture segment). See way far down towards the end for that pic... (there's alot to cover!)


Carter is opening a lego truck that Connor gave him.


Caitlynn is opening one of Luke's presents... He's so patient with her! What a great kid he is!


Brooke is opening a Strawberry Shortcake car from Connor.


Hunter is opening his pj's from Ronna.


Ryan is opening a box that is bigger than he is!! :) It is a Thomas the Train engine to store other toys in. From G&G Edwards, I think.


Connor is opening one of his TWO presents from Diane. She is such a sweetie! She had our name this year, and was very generous! Diane had to go back to Malta Sunday night to help Paul with a job on Monday morning, so we decided to wait and open the second gift when she got back. (All the way at the bottom!) By the way -- Diane was right -- he does like this dog. It makes so many fun noises!


There were many more, but like I said, I was manning the video camera most of the time. :)

The next morning we got all the kids in their new PJ's to take another "cousin's picture" (like the one we took at Connor's blessing). Yes, it was equally hard getting them all to sit still, look forward, and smile all at the same time. But it turned out cute! Megan entertained the kids by putting together Carter's dinosaur game while we got the setup ready.


Here they are -- so cute!! :) L-R: Ryan, Brooke, Carter, Luke, Hunter, Connor, Porter, Caitlynn.


Connor was still getting his nebulizer treatments -- one was a steroid and one was a bronchial dilater... poor kid! It was definitely easier to do when he was asleep. Otherwise, one of us had to hold him and the other one had to entertain him by singing and dancing in front of him, or he would get fidgity and take the piece out of his mouth.


after pictures, all the kids went sledding -- in their new pj's! Of course, they had on snow suits, including Connor! It was a blast. I took lots of video, but most are too big to upload here. And, there are so many cool pictures, I'll do a whole separate post of just sledding. I will include one particularly funny video of Brad... :D

Here are just a couple, as a preview: Ron is pulling Connor in the carseat on a sled over to the Yurt so we could change him into a snowsuit.


Yes, even I went down the hill a couple of times. As did Connor. He was asleep for most of it, but was awake the first couple of times. I think he liked it.


Back in the yurt, after taking off the snowsuit. Tons of fun, I'll post pictures next!


That evening we went bowling. Christy had our days jam-packed full of fun things to do. By the 29th, we cried "Uncle" and just stayed home to hang around a bit. But Monday night (28th) we went bowling. Here are some shots of everyone. (I'll let you self-narrate).
















One of the favorite past-times over the week was to find a kid to hold. Here are just a few shots I got of various people playing this game.























(whoever accused Connor of being "gentle"? :)






Another favorite past-time: Play in the exersaucer that Christi brought out! It was perfect for Connor -- he loved it so much that we bought him one just like it when we got home. And, everyone else liked playing with it, too...


(even grandpa enjoyed watching. he had his "spot" on the couch. :)






Some random shots of family:








Connor started consistent solids while we were there. -- mostly just rice cereal that my mom had bought for him while we were in AZ. I had intended to start him there, but we didn't have much time. The very first time, he opened wide, and swallowed it down. No spitting it back out! I guess he was ready...


And, finally, here is Connor opening the second present from Diane. It was a ball bopper for him to play with when he gets a little older. I'm sure he'll love it. Meanwhile, he thoroughly enjoyed opening the present!


As you can see in this video, he is already very adept at opening presents! :) yes, it might take a while, but he had fun.



And afterwards, he liked the paper! :)

Up next: sledding! And then the family photo.... :) stay tuned.

Catching up on Christmas -- Arizona

*warning: LONG post alert! (Who knew I was so verbose?) Feel free to disregard if you're not interested! :)*

So the first leg of our trip was from Portland to Phoenix on December 22nd. Our flight was scheduled to land at 10pm, which was kind of late, but was much cheaper, and we could make it work. Unfortunately, we were delayed. and delayed. Our flight didn't get in until well after 1am. (Sorry mom & dad!!!). That's OK, we were on vacation. We could sleep in! :) So, we head to baggage claim where my mom is waiting for us and is very excited to see Connor. We got all of our bags, and head out to the car. There is a big red wagon in the back of the van, and mom looks taken aback.
Mom: "Where did this come from?"
Dad: "Well, get in and I'll tell you the story." Hmm, I think, this must be one of dad's "stories"...
So we all got in the van and dad starts his story.
Dad: "I was sitting in the van waiting for you when this little red car came driving up to the curb."
Me: "Let me guess, was there a jolly old man driving with a big white beard?" For some reason, lately, I enjoy taking the air out of my dad's attempts to be funny. I suppose it's the only way I find his nonsense to be funny.... If you know my dad, you know what I mean. :)
Dad: "No, ..."
Me: "Were there eight tiny reindeer pulling in front?" :) of course everyone was laughing and interrupting at this point.
Dad: "No, are you going to let me finish the story?"
Me: "OK, go ahead."
Dad: "Well, there was this little car that pulled up to the curb and there were a bunch of people in it meeting some family/friends at the airport. They went to put the bags in and they didn't all fit, at least not with all the people in. So, they took all the bags out, and pulled out this wagon. Then they put all the bags back in and put the wagon over in the corner. And then they drove off. So, I looked at the wagon. I waited for a few minutes, then looked at the wagon again. It seemed like no one was coming back for it. So, I got out, grabbed the wagon and put it in my van. I saw the man in the van behind me and he just gave me a smile and a nod. So, that's how I got the wagon." We were all silent because it seemed more like a mom thing to do than a dad thing.
Me: "Huh. Well, it's a nice wagon! Good find! :)" So now mom and dad have a wagon at the Sun Lakes house, which will come in handy later in the tale, as you'll see....

The next day we spent sleeping in, hanging out, and letting mom and dad spend some quality time with Connor. Yes, he was still sick, but we were managing it OK with the nebulizer and the saline drops. In the afternoon, we went to see Mamie in Phoenix. No one told me what the schedule was, so I wanted to make sure I saw her family. We had lunch at Chili's then went back to her place so she could open her present from me early -- mostly because I wanted to see the book I made her just as much as she did.... While we were there, I asked her if there were any "handyman" projects she needed done, since I remembered reading about her whoa's on her blog. There was, in fact, a leak in the master bath that needed drastic attention. I'll let her tell the story if she wants to, but we did spend the remainder of the afternoon sealing up her shower cracks and trying to mitigate any damage. Hopefully it was helpful, but I don't feel like we did much...

The next morning my dad wanted me to go to "the trailer" with him.... He said he "needed some help". *gggrrrroooaaannnn* It's funny how certain things will make you revert back to childhood, and then act all childish. "The trailer" you must know, is a piece of equipment that my dad bought when we moved from Albuquerque to Indiana. He justified the purchase by assuming that it would be cheaper overall just to hire a driver to drive our trailer than to rent a U-Haul. Turns out he was right since we moved about 20 times after that... And then it ended up sitting on "the lot" in Phoenix, being storage for whatever my parents wanted to keep that didn't fit into their house(s). Silly, I know. But, some of the kids have used it over the years as storage as well. Needless to say, I was not up for "the trailer". I asked Ron if he wouldn't mind going to help my dad in my place. He didn't mind. (Turns out later, Ron told me that he thought my dad really wanted me to come so he could show off his new organizational skills in the trailer... oh, well. I guess dad should have told me THAT then, instead of "I need help at the trailer".) So, while the boys were at the trailer, mom and I took the opportunity to go see her mom in Gilbert. I wanted to introduce Grandma Rose to Connor. Here they are:

She just thought he was the cutest boy! It was sweet how excited she got about the whole thing. It was a nice visit, but her apartment was VERY warm, and Connor gets fussy when he's too warm. I stripped him down, but it was SO warm. So, I took him outside and he got quiet. So, I took him back inside. Fussy. Outside, quiet. Inside, fussy. So, we had to cut our visit short. I guess grandma doesn't like to keep the door open. But, it was nice to see her again.

That evening we went over to Mamie's house for Christmas Eve dinner. Below is Sophia getting ready for dinner. A bit unconventional, but definitely Sophia! :)


It was a very nice dinner with yummy ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad and yummy bread. mmm, mmm! Here are the shots around the table:








Connor sat in the corner of the table in his Bumbo. He was ready!


and Connor got to try the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes! His first solids ever, unless you count the tastes of fudgecicle that Ron gives him on a semi-regular basis. I try, but I'm not around 24-7.


Bethaney came late because she had to work on Christmas Eve. So sad! But I remember the days when I had to do that, too. I guess everyone goes through it at some point. Luckily, there was still food left over for her! :)


After dinner we opened some presents. Not all, just the ones pertinent to those in the room. Mamie and Geoff weren't sure if they could make it to mom & dad's the next day, so we wanted to open presents while people were there. Below is Mamie trying to open a Connor present... Nice try, Mames! :)


And, for all of you disbelievers out there, here is proof that dad now does dishes! On a side note: I will NEVER use dishes as a punishment. I still associate all types of cleaning the house with punishment and it sucks! Cleaning needs to be something to enjoy or at least make it through without dread....


Isabel and Sophia got matching sweat suits -- the backsides have little paws on them -- so cute! :) I do remember a time when Mamie was adamently opposed to matching outfits, so this was fun to see! :)


Connor struck a pose for us. Honestly, there was no prompting from us. I looked over and that's how he was drinking a bottle. You know, he CAN hold the bottle on his own. He just chooses not to -- little cutie!


After the festivities at Mamie's, I really wanted to go see my grandma Betty in the hospital. Luckily it wasn't too late. She was admitted with pnemonia, and then had complications from there. She would have to stay in the hospital longer than I would be in town, and I was really sad that she wouldn't be able to meet Connor -- the hospitals don't allow children on the sick floors. I decided to risk it and sneak Connor into her room anyway, just for a few minutes. Luckily my dad has never been one to obey the rules, and my mom just kind of goes along with it. :) Anyway, she got to meet Connor and even hold him for a while. She was so happy to see us! And, of course, grandpa Jack was by her side day and night, so he got to meet Connor, also.



Christmas Day:
My mom has always been a sucker for Christmas mornings. She likes to make a big breakfast and have all the presents under the tree. Of course, this year, Connor was the only grandchild there for Christmas Morning (the rest didn't come over until after lunch). So presents were put out a little later than normal :).


Connor picked up the skill of unwrapping presents surprisingly quickly. He learned that the fun, colorful paper hid fun, colorful presents! and he liked ripping the paper apart as well. Ron didn't have to help him very much to get the present open. So fun!


More present opening:









FYI, I had the tag on my nose because Sophia did that the day before.... Bethaney thought it was funny. :)

After lunch my dad wanted to go golfing. None of us are any good, but it's free as part of his HOA in Sun Lakes. We went to play nine holes at the pitch and put so it didn't take so long. Of course, what they consider par 2 is really par 8 for us. :) And, it was a lot of fun.

Dad's favorite part was getting all of his equipment out. They have two golf carts and 4 sets of clubs, so we were all divided up.


And, here's the part where the wagon comes in handy. I don't think my dad can do anything without a trailer, and there wasn't quite enough room to fit 6 people AND 4 clubs, so my dad got out the trailer, and away we went! :)


The golfers: (Sorry, I thought I got a picture of Ron swinging, but I didn't. Just these four)


Notice how professional we are? Three people putting at once.... I think we were trying to outpace the people behind us.


There was alot of ball chasing....


We didn't keep track of the score. Why bother? We knew it was bad. I think dad shot a couple of holes at a 3 or something, so not too bad. My best was a 5. Not too great. I'm not sure what Ron did, since he didn't tell me.

Wayne and Lily stopped by in the afternoon for even MORE gift exchanging. It was great! I think I snapped a shot of everyone but Benjamin... Sorry, buddy, I'll have to get you next time! :)

Connor and Ryan are only 6 months apart (Here Connor is 4.5 mos and Ryan is 10.5 mos). Cuties!


more family:








Connor got to meet alot of the family! Here is is with ...

Uncle Wayne (& Ryan)


Aunt Mamie


Aunt Bethaney!


The day after Christmas we flew out early to be able to get to Sun Valley at a decent time. (2 hour drive from Boise airport). We were sad to leave, especially since there were many more of my extended family that we wanted to see.... But we were also excited to meet more of the Edwards, as well.... Next stop -- Idaho!

Catching up on Christmas -- The Plan

There are a number of side effects of pregnancy that don't necessarily disappear after you've delivered. For instance, my feet grew a whole size and are not shrinking back - ever; my hands still go numb, which I thought was a symptom of my pre-eclampsia but now may have developed into carpal tunnel; and, I am crazy! My mind started going in the first part of the second trimester and has continually degraded ever since. How else could you explain my desire - nay, my NEED - to go visit both families over Christmas? One side lives (mostly) in Arizona where it's nice and warm with palm trees and sun shine. The other side lives (mostly) in Idaho where it's freezing most of the year, lots of snow, and very little sunshine. Packing for both climates was a nightmare! Both are far enough away from each other that driving was not desired, so that means airplanes! With a 4 month old infant! in cold/flu season! carrying presents there and back to both places... Luckily I had the wherewithal to make it a 3-legged trip instead of two round-trip flights. Made it easier, but was still complicated.

In the end, I'm glad we did it. It was so good to see family! We were hoping to see grandparents on both sides to introduce them to Connor, and we did for the most part. (Pictures below). I forgot to get pictures on the plane, which really bumbs me out, but it was probably because Connor spent most of the time puking on us. He was really sick through the whole trip. :( Don't worry, though, I have a constant reminder of the plane ride since Connor, at one point, threw up in my purse. (Ron was able to wash off his crusties at the end of the day.) Someday soon I'm hoping to get a new purse. (purse shopping is surprisingly hard -- it feels like such a big decision :P).

This is a picture with my maternal grandmother, Rose Pratt Burnham (descended through Parley P.) at her house. She just turned 95! (Birthday Nov 29, 1914). She is surprisingly mobile and lucid for her age. It's not surprising, though, because she has spent her whole life eating whole foods and working hard. She has been in the process of decluttering lately, and so gave me a ceramic piggy bank which she had made back in 1978, and I had remembered it because the rest of the cousins made one for a family reunion in ~1980. I'm not sure what happened to my pig. Maybe my mom still has it? Mamie saw the one gma gave me and said she still had hers. I'm sure there's a few more out there.

L-R: Britney, Connor, Rose (grandma), Linda (mom)


My paternal grandmother (Betty Black Schultz) was sadly in the hospital through Christmas. She was originally admitted for pnemonia, and then through the course of monitoring her, the doctors determined she badly needed a pacemaker to keep her heart beating regularly. Before they could do the surgery, she had a stroke on the day before Christmas Eve. Luckily she was in the hospital so they could intervene and it was a mild one. They decided to do the pacemaker surgery anyway, and she is currently going through rehab. People say she is doing much better. My grandpa Jack is turning 84 this month (Jan 19, 1926), and grandma Betty turned 85 in November (Nov 23, 1924).

L-R: Fred (dad), Jack (grandpa), Ron, Britney, Connor, Betty (grandma)


Ron's paternal grandfather is now living with Paul and Karen (Ron's parents). He was able to come up to Christi's to join the festivities while we were there -- it was really good to see him and get to know him. Ron says he has mellowed out quite a bit in his old age (don't we all?). Otis will turn 90 this month, he was born Jan 22, 1920. I wanted a "4 Generation" Shot with Ron and the boys, so here it is.

Clockwise, starting from left: Otis (grandpa), Ron, Paul (dad), Connor


Unfortunately Ron's maternal grandfather wasn't there and didn't get to meet Connor. Maybe we'll take a trip to Texas this year so John Brown can meet him. Then we can see Ron's aunt Debbie's family and my sister Meagan's family while we're out there.

I'll continue the rest of the trip in separate posts. So, stayed tuned. If you want. :)

How do I know he's too old for the boppy?

Enough said.....

The Family Picture

I really like Ronna's tradition of snapping a family foto with a tripod before (or after) church on Christmas Sunday. So, I tried it this year, but you can tell we need more practice. We definitely need a better background.

This first one was OK, but Ron and I are so far apart! You'd think we were strangers....


I love this one of Connor - he's such a ham! We had the right idea by having one of us stand, too bad we accidentally cut Ron's head out of the picture :P


This last one is OK, but you can tell we were done several pictures ago. Oh, well, better luck next year!


Merry Christmas Everyone! May the joy of the season find you and your family!
-Britney, Ron & Connor