Arizona Trip

We hadn't been to Arizona to visit Aaron's parents for almost a year, so we decided to take a short trip out there in the beginning of November.

We were trying to pack up the car, and Connor was getting in the way, so I gave him a snack (lasagna) to keep him busy. Then he came out to me looking like this...

I didn't take that many pictures for some reason, but here are a few highlights from our mini vacation...

Trying on Grandma's glasses, and doing some work on the computer...

Connor and Daddy out in the backyard, checking on the chickens...

Connor thinks he's a doggie...

Playing in the "sandbox" at Grandma's...

Playing video games with Uncle Kris...

Watching movies with Grandpa...

Trip to Utah - Nov

My blog has been acting up lately. For some reason, when I try to load pictures, 95% of the time, there is an error! Luckily it worked this time... and some pictures are out of order, but I don't care... at least they are on here :)

Bethany (my sister) visited me for my first birthday away from home (in PA where I was a nanny). Bethany just had her first birthday away from home... so I REALLY wanted to go and visit her. I was going to fly up there with Connor... but then I talked my mom and other sister, Katie, into driving up with me and staying for a few days! :) We left the day after Thanksgiving, and came home the 1st of December. We had such a fun time. I LOVE going to Utah. Actually, I love any vacation... but it was especially nice being able to see Beth.

For Bethany's birthday, we did lots of fun things...

We went out to breakfast at Denny's...

We visited the Bountiful Temple...

We went to DI for shopping (where I found LOTS of good books!) & Ikea for lunch! (no pictures from there though) :)

Went to see the lights at the SLC Temple...

Went out to dinner at Famous Daves BBQ (Bethany and her non-alcoholic drink on her 21st birthday! lol)

Here are all the things she got...

Some other random stuff from Utah...

Kate & Connor taking a little nap

Connor's first snowfall. Not technically... but he was too young to know what was going on when it's snowed the previous year. He LOVED it, and didn't want to go inside because it was too much fun!

Grammy was TRYING to take a nap. Connor doesn't like when people take naps, lol.

I was worried that Connor would forget Bethany (you should have seen his reaction when she got home from Russsia almost a year ago after being gone 5 months!) but he totally remembered his "Ya-Ya" and stuck to her like glue :)

I was in the shower and he decided to dump his full container of puffs onto the bed, and eat them off without using his hands (how he often eats his food)!

Connor LOVES when I take pictures of him now. He'll do something, find my camera, and then try to bring it to me and tells me "cheese?" That's what he did here... he lined up his cars (which is what Connor enjoys doing 95% of the day) and wanted me to take a picture of it :)

On our way home... our usual stop in Beaver :)

Poor little Connor :(

Connor's had a bad diaper rash for the past 4-5 days. It just seemed like it was getting worse and worse. Then yesterday, he started to get blisters, more welts, and red spots all over his diaper covered areas. His urine also smelled REALLY really bad, it burned my nose. We're leaving for a 4 day trip to Arizona tomorrow, and I didn't want it to get worse while we were gone, so I decided to take him to Urgent Care this morning.

He was such a good boy at the doctors. He just sat next to me and Aaron in the waiting room the whole time (almost an hour... until the doctor decided to show up). Then he let the nurse take his temperature and stats without a fuss. When she went to weigh him and check his height, he even took her hand and walked with her (that's not normal for him). He was fine with her checking his height (2 ft. 10 in.) but not so okay with weight (29 lbs.). He's got this MAJOR fear of heights/uneven surfaces and he just kept saying "whoa! whoa! whoa!" when we put him onto the scale, and grabbed onto me.

When the doctor came in to look at him, she checked out the rash ("wow that's bad"...really?! I didn't know... lol). Then she was kind of talking to herself and said something like "well... we can't check for infection with a urine sample... because obviously he's not going to pee into a cup..." and I said "well, he might." I think that shocked her a bit, since he's not even 2... but he's usually pretty good about going in the potty at home, so I thought at least we could give it a try. Well, he sat on the potty, and right away said "I want Dada" and refused to pee. Of course I wouldn't give up and let him play in the sink water a little bit, and tried again. Nothing... just "I want Dada"... so then I said "you can have Daddy if you pee" .... he peed :) (smart little stinker!)

Turns out he has a urinary tract infection... poor little guy. I've had those before (many time) and they are no fun!!! So now he's on an antibiotic as well as a diaper cream and powder to help the rash. My only worry was that the last time I had a UTI (last month), they put me on bactrim, which is when I had the VERY bad allergic reaction (that the doctor told me wasn't a reaction)... and my mom, aunt, grandpa and a few others on that side all are allergic to it too. But I figured I'd just keep watch on him and if he seems off, or anything seems wrong, I'd take him back right away and get another medicine. But so far, so good :) He loves his medicine... grape flavor :) He asks for more when I give it to him, lol.

He seemed a tad bit fussier than normal, but he's still his happy little self. My sister watched him today for me so I can get some stuff done in preperation for our trip, and she said he was "an absolute angel!"

WHAT?! he's never an angel for me!!!

Promotion

After Aaron lost his job about a year ago, he searched for a few months and couldn't find anything. Finally, in Feb. of this year, he got a call from Chick-fil-A (where he had filled out an application and interviewed a month or so before, and at that time, they told him that they just couldn't afford to hire anyone right then). They decided that they could hire on someone else and wanted Aaron to start a few days later! So, he started off as a cashier. We figured it wasn't a great job... but at least it was something to pay the bills!

In the past 9 months, he's moved up from cashier to trainer, to team leader, and now to manager! He's doing so good there, and loves his job and his boss' and fellow employees! He's now at the highest position at his store (besides the owners, of course!). He's the night manager, usually working 2-11pm, which can sometimes be a little rough on me and Connor... BUT we're lucky enough to have him home in the morning, and Connor probably gets to see him more than other kids get to see their dads! So we are very blessed, and VERY proud of Aaron! :)

Aaron's 1st day as a Manager (11.04.10)

Trunk-or-Treat

We decided this year to celebrate Halloween on Saturday and go to my parents tri-ward Trunk-or-Treat party. That way, we could have LOTS of fun on Saturday, and go to church and then stay home and enjoy a restful Sabbath :)

Our little Cat in the Hat (who I guess turned into the Cookie monster!) :)

Connor's trick-or-treat bag that I made (along with my mom!)

Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2 :)

Connor LOVES his Uncle Nate!

He was making the silliest faces that night

He was having a deep conversation with Dr. Seuss

That night, he learned how to say "Trick or treat" and "thank you" and he said it to EVERY person that had candy! :)

The ONLY piece of candy that Connor had on Halloween... a dum dum sucker :)

(he didn't ask for more... that was enough for him... and the next day, he didn't even remember he had a bag full of candy!)

still smiling after a LONG night, in his jammies and ready to go home and go to bed...

Happy Halloween!

Ten Women, Ten Stories... Ten Lessons For Our Day

The Relief Society in my parents ward was doing a RS visiting teaching conference, where they wanted to do a play/musical of the parable of the Ten Virgins (CD cover pictured above). They had women try out for the parts, but there weren't as many as they'd hoped, so they brought in some ringers :) Katie and I happened to be a few of them. I was going to try to put up a clip of the song that Katie and I did (we had the only duet in the musical... all the other songs were solos), but I couldn't figure out how to do it :( Anyways... it was lots of fun, and I had such a great experience. There were even ladies from the Stake there, and they decided that they wanted this performed on a Stake level... so we're back into rehearsals and we're doing it again in January :)

top left to right:Stephanie Kennelly, Renee Kalanui, Lisa Hanes, Kay McKnight, Katie Arnott, Donna Lutz

bottom left to right: Emily Montoya, Rylie Prescott, Ashley Dotter, Tianna Prescott, Michelle Rawls

Pumpkin Carving

I guess I'm a bit of a party pooper, because I was so not into pumpkin carving this year... actually, it's been the past 3 years (3 years ago I was hugely pregnant, last year had a baby who was into everything, & this year... not sure why). But I still got a pumpkin for Aaron since he's TOTALLY into it, and that way Connor could still get the experience :) I also got Connor his very own little pumpkin which he loves... and carried it around everywhere saying "pun-kin"

Here's Connor with his cousin, Chloe :)

"No more pictures, Mom"

Helping Daddy get the guts out of his pumpkin

He looks like he's saying "I have an idea!"