November 2009

November went by way too fast. I still can't believe that it is over with already. Time seems to be speeding up. I am not sure what I think of that. In November we went to Salt Lake City where we took Jacob to Primary Children's Hospital to the Spina Bifida clinic. It had been 2 years since we had gone so we figured we should. It ended up being a really good visit. We found out that Jacob is needing surgery on his ankles. He will have surgery January 22nd on both his feet. They will go in and make a 2-3 inch incision in his ankle. They will then saw his bone's in half, turn them the way they should be and then place pins in them. He will be in casts on both legs for 6 weeks. After 4 weeks we go back and they take the pins out and recast his legs for another two weeks. It is going to be tough for him but afterwords he will walk straight. He now walks on his ankles and not straight on his feet. He is having a hard time having braces made for him and he is getting sores all over his ankles. This surgery sounds worse than it really is. Also this will help him so much in his walking. He will walk straight now and more upright. We feel really good about it.

After the hospital we went to the Mayan. The Mayan is a restaurant that feels like you are eating in a jungle. It has waterfalls, trees and birds around. It reminds me of Disneyland and the restaurant in the middle of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also every little while they will have a show going on and divers diving off 50 foot cliffs while you eat. We really enjoyed ourselves. Jacob was so scared at first and after a while of crying he was pretty happy. Rachel and Jacob would go up after and talk to the divers. We were eating at the front tables and so a few times we splashed and got wet. It was a blast.

Thanksgiving was fun this year. Gloria and Chuck went to Oregon and so we decided to have Rachael and Joseph and their kids and Gregorie come over for dinner. We were all going to go to Chuck a Rama to eat but the day before decided to have everybody come to our house. Before dinner Enoch and Rachel got on the house and put the lights up. Rachel loved being on the roof. Kaelen got to wear his winter boots for the first time. He didn't really like them at first but once he was able to walk around in the snow with them he loved them.

Rachael did the turkey and then I did the pies, sweet potatoes and other things. We all contributed something to the meal. It was actually really fun. We loved eating and many of us ate too much (cough cough Joseph). After dinner we went through the ads for after Thanksgiving shopping. We all were going to go and do it together. After looking at ads forever we all played Liverpool rummy including Joseph. Joseph is not a big fan of games and didn't know what he was doing but of course beginners luck he won. We played all rounds of it. We all wanted to be home early to go to bed since a lot of us were getting up to go shopping. Well that didn't happen. Everybody didn't leave till almost midnight. After we all cleaned up and everybody left I was planning on going to bed but instead stayed up till 1:30 watching a movie with Enoch. I was getting up before 4 to make it to JC Penney's. Yah I was stupid.

In the early mornings I got up and went and got some awesome deals at JC Penney's and then I went and picked Enoch up. We left the kids sleeping and then Enoch and i went to Sam's to buy one of my Christmas presents. We bought a 16 GB memory card for the camera and GPS monitor but shh it's a surprise. After Sam's I went to Target where Rachael and Gregorie were at. They went and waited in line and then ran into the store to get all the door busters we wanted and then stood in line. They were so nice because they got me my stuff I wanted. Also there was enough of us that if one of us wanted to get something we could then just leave while the others stood in line. We were done there just after 6 AM. Target opened at 5 AM. I actually had fun shopping with them. I was home and back in bed by 6:30. It is really fun doing that. I love the rush of it and all the crazy shoppers out that early. Only in the US will you find people up all night outside of stores in the cold waiting for good deals.

On Saturday we were able to see Noal and Wendy and their kids. We actually did see Morgan, Ainsley and Noal Friday evening as well. On Saturday we all hung out and then had lunch together. It was really fun to spend sometime together and the kids really loved playing together. Rachael Adams (Rachel's best friend who moved a way a year ago) came over to play too. Her family was in Rexburg visiting family and they brought Rachael to our house to see Rachel. They loved playing. They were so sad to say good bye to each other. They sure love each other and it is so hard to be so far a way. Rachael is actually moving to Utah in January. It will be hard for Rachel not to see her friend when we come to visit but at least they will now be an hour closer.

This is a video of Rachel and Rachael's hand shake that they do when they say good bye to each other. It is pretty funny.

November was a good month. Sad that it is gone but really looking forward to December.

Kaelen So Cute

Here are some really fun pictures of Kaelen taken in November.

I love these pictures of Kaelen and Enoch both sleeping on the couch. When I came downstairs and saw them like this I knew that I had to get pictures right away. Kaelen has not fallen asleep like this in so long. He actually never falls asleep like this. So cute.


I gave Kaelen a bath and then after the bath I got him out and in his diaper. I started to drain the water and then walked out. I came back into the bathroom and found Kaelen playing in the tub again. He was standing in the water (which you can see in the top pictures of him kneeling down). He also started to lick the water out of the soap holder. It's a good thing we don't put soap in it at all. It was so funny. He didn't want to get out even after the water was completely drained. He is so funny.

(Kaelen at almost 20 months old)

Veterans Day

For Veteran's Day today both Rachel and Jacob's school did something to celebrate it. Rachel's school did a flag raising outside and then we all went inside and had a program. Each grade presented something. I was not able to stay to watch Rachel preform her two songs because I had to run over to Jacob's school for his Veteran's day celebration. My friend was nice enough though to film Rachel's performance and gave me a copy of it. I was so glad that I could watch it.

Jacob's celebration was pretty amazing. They had a bunch of veterans come. Grandpa Heileson came. We all went outside and watched as a Helicopter came and landed right in front of us in the school parking lot. The students were so excited to see it land. Kaelen was even excited. After the helicopter landed three men in uniform came out of it and we all then stood for the raising of the flag. Grandpa couldn't stay for the rest of the presentation but Kaelen and I did. After that we finally got to go into the school (it was SO cold out and we were not dressed for the weather very well) and each of the men in uniform talked about things they love about our country and their thoughts on our men and women that have and fight today. All men and women that have been or are in any branch of the military got a really nice pin that said "Rimrock Raptors love our Veterans." It was a really good presentation. It was really nice to have Grandpa Heileson there for most of it.

I am really grateful for the men and women that have done so much for our country. Weather we all agree on the war or not you cannot love the men and women that continually sacrifice so much for us all. So thanks to you all. I always think of my cousin Steve on days like this. I am grateful for his sacrifice and his families as well. He's a good kid who works hard for what is true.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to everybody. We had fun this year. On Thursday Jacob had a carnival at school that I took Rachel out of her school for it. It was really fun. Jacob this year was 3 different things. At his carnival he was Captain Jack Sparrow. In the evening we went to Rachel's school carnival and Jacob was a boxer and then for trick or treating he was a Ninja. Rachel with her friend Makayla was mad doctors. They looked like somebody had blown up on them. It was pretty good. They carried blood bags around that looked like real blood in it. They got everything for their costumes from a friend in the ward.

There was no school on Friday because it was the end of the term, that is why all of the activities were on Thursday. Thursday we carved pumpkins and then on Saturday we went to Grandpa and Grandma's ward trunk er treating. That was fun. They got a bunch of candy and then after we had chili. The weather was amazing as well. We woke up Friday to snow and then on Saturday it was in the 60's. It was great weather for trick or treating.

We rushed home after that to have Rachel and Jacob meet up with their friends Makayla and BreAnn to go trick or treating with them. They went the 4 of them with BreAnn and Makayla's older sister Ellie and her friend who took them around. They were gone for over 2 hours and had so much fun. When Rachel and Jacob got back they wanted to go again so Enoch took all 3 of the kids out to a couple of houses.

While Rachel and Jacob were trick or treating Enoch took Kaelen around to a few houses. His pumpkin was halfway full (plenty for him). Kaelen loved seeing all the pumpkins and was not sure if he liked all the costumes though. He would just stare at people. When he would get a candy from a people he would get so mad when we would take it out of his hand to put it in his pumpkin. He just wanted to hold his candy. We have so much candy now. Everybody has been really good though of not eating it. At the rate we are eating it we might have some for next year. I feel like I have had a headache for a week now with all the chocolate. Time to stop.