Roadtrip to Roseville

Okay... this is just embarrassing. I never wrote about our trip to my sister's in Roseville, and I don't want it left out of the blog.

So here's the run down.

*Road trip.  Two days to get there, all the way home in one day.  I don't like road trips.  This one wasn't too bad.  It wasn't great, but I know for a fact it could have been worse.

*Milo is no fun in hotel rooms.

*Multiple kid pictures are hard to get.  I think that with every kid you add it increases in difficulty times 10.

*My husband can keep a secret.

*If there's an overly friendly Shrek costumed guy in the mall, it might be your kids dad.

*When you add three kids to a house used to one kid, it can get a little hectic.

*Despite the recent drought, it can rain a lot in Roseville.

*When it rains on Halloween a LOT of people go to the mall for trick or treating.  Including us.

*It can be pretty miserable when you get sick and then have to travel all. day. long.  Just ask my mom.

*I think next time we hang out with the Flints, we'll just (fly and) meet in Disneyland!

  

Merry Christmas 2014

Brief reap on Christmas this year.  I didn't take enough pictures and I've waited too long to write about it.

We pretty much did our normal routine.  Christmas Eve at Grandma Colleens.  Back at our place with the Lafeens later in the evening.  Christmas morning at home.  Everyone was excited and happy with what they got.  Hyrum wanted his own XBox controller, Kate got 'teacher stuff' (an art easel and supplies) and Milo got a few additions to his every growing train collection.  Justin got a whole bunch of mostly random stuff that he needed/wanted.  Something to help keep his car organized/clean, water bottles, flip flops, a couple of new shirts and books (for the long overseas upcoming plane trips).  He made me wait until we were with my family to open my gifts.  A recipe book based on Breaking Bad,  an auto-graphed picture of Chuckie from Sons of Anarchy (Michael Ornstein, Justin works with his wife), and  a fit bit fitness tracker (the Walking Dead).  I never thought I wanted a FitBit, but I've really liked it.

I guess there was one break in tradition, the Petersen's cancelled their Christmas Brunch.  Weddings and Missionary phone calls.  We had brunch with the Goughs at Mimi and Papa's and then opened a few gifts before heading up north.  Christmas dinner at the Hardcastles following opening presents.  Once again, a busy and hectic couple of days, but we got to see everyone the kids loved it.

Here's to you 2014... don't let the door hit you on the way out!

2014 really wasn't a bad year.

Justin was in the country 95% of the time.  And when he wasn't he brought cool stuff home from South Africa.

I lost a bunch of weight in a very healthy way and felt really good about it.

We got great family pictures by my sister in law, Jenny, while we were in Jackson Hole.

A fun and warm week spent with the Goughs in the desert.  I love when the cousins get to play together.

Justin expanded and made a few changes with the auto shops.  It's made them a bit more manageable without his constant overseeing and I think they're doing well.

He also got a new job within Oracle.  His traveling has become more flexible and trips are typically not as long.  Same amount of sky miles but less time away from home.  Score.

Quick trip to Denver, where Justin drills with the Navy now.  I caught a Rockies game and reconnected with an old friend.  It was probably the first of quite a few trips to Colorado in the next few years.

A trip to the Flints in Roseville CA.  It rained a lot, but it was fun to see where Jodi lives and let the cousins trick or treat (even if it was in a mall) together.  A surprise visit from Justin was fun too.

Another trip sans kids to Yuma.  That may not be a favorite tourist destination for many, but hanging out with your best friend in 70 degree weather for a long weekend is a great way to spend a few days.

Kate started preschool and loved it.  Hyrum started Kindergarten and loves part of it.  The English part, the lunch part, and the recess part.  He tolerates the Spanish and rest of it.

We got a new cousin.  And she's awesome.

Lots of time spent with family and friends.


There were a few things I could have done without.

Milo's febrile seizure this fall.  That was scary.  And not fun for anyone.  And involved multiple phone calls over 2 months to get our insurance to pay for the ambulance ride.  (Which they did, so that part was okay).

I gained back the majority of the weight I worked so hard to lose and felt really crappy about it.  Here's to New Years Resolutions.  It's a process, people.

Baseball was significantly less fun to watch this year as opposed to last year.

And last, but certainly not least, the last week has been a bit rough.  It started with a nasty head cold turned into a sinus infection that antibiotics couldn't kill and ended with a week of tonsils the size of golf balls, and ear ache, added congestion and overall crappiness for me.  Add to that a pretty severe stomach bug that has made it's way through the kids, with it's last stop putting Kate in the ER last night for 5 hours for IV fluids and Zofran.  And because that would have been too easy, Hyrum has had some strange/phantom come and go pain in his groin that the doctor told this morning they'd prefer me to take him to Primary Children's Hospital, but "I guess we can see him in the clinic".  Given the fact that I'd only been home about 5 hours from the lovely and talented Emergency Room staff at Primary Children's, I opted for an office visit.  A few xrays and poking and prodding, we're guessing it's a pulled muscle or an inflamed... something, left over from the stomach bug earlier in the week.

Happy New Years everyone.  If I'm not in bed and asleep by 8 pm tonight, I'm going to be one unhappy woman.  *Turns out I was in bed by 9.  And up 4 hours later laying on the bathroom floor.  Thank you children, for being so generous with your stomach bug.