Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. First of all I am thankful for a lot of things: my home, church/gospel, our health, cars that work, a home, each other, two perfect kids, (I have to agree with Amy) things like dishwasher, washer and dryer, makeup but especially are thankful for our family. Ryan and I are so lucky to have great family on both sides that help us out a lot. We have wonderful parents and great siblings.Care about us and we always have a lot of fun with them.

In this picture Brooklynn and Caleb wouldn't stay in the picture. We may crop them in or just take a new picture next year. Especially since Cameron joined us and soon Josh and Johana's baby Zachary will be here too.

Here is a picture of the 3 grandkids on the Dennis side.

Here is an Oldroyd family picture. This was taken last year. Lots of kids in the picture there is 12 of the 14. We are just missing Jeff's Angel Archie and Cameron.


I am also very thankful for Ryan. He is the best husband ever. He is so sweet to me and the kids and works very hard for me to be able to stay home with them. I can't believe that we have been married 7 1/2 years. That is a long time (Ryan always jokes that's all it's been? Feels like forever.) But really it has been a great 7 years and keeps getting better.

Brooklynn and I talked about things that she is thankful for and she is very thankful for her baby, mommy and daddy, her room, her toys, her friends (that includes cousins- they are also her friends), her polly's, yummy food and the temple. (Side note: Brooklynn has a very strong testimony of the temple. When she watches princess movies she always shows me the temple (castle) and talks about how Cinderella and her prince go to the temple. Also she has lego's and loves building temples. Her favorite thing when we are driving is seeing churces and temples and tells me that it is Jesus' house.)

Our thanksgiving had an interesting start but was still great. Let me explain...
So Ryan had to work the night before, usually Cameron only wakes up one time between 11pm and 6am but decided to wake up 3 times. Brooklynn started coughing the night before and came in bed with me and was up a lot of the night. So we got up around 7am and started getting ready for the day, eating, etc. I also had to make Yams for our dinner. It wasn't going too bad but Brooklynn's cough was hardly there but you know two year olds, they need a lot of attention. Not to mention feeding Cameron too. So I cooked the yams and had to hurry and finish getting myself ready. We were cutting it really close. I got out of the house around 10:30 to go see a movie with my family. We saw Madagascar 2, it was really cute. Both kids were great in the movie but about 20 minutes left of the movie Brooklynn started coughing really bad. (I know I shouldn't have taken her but she was acting better. She hardly coughed at all in the morning.) So I wasn't sitting in my seat I was walking with Cameron, all of the sudden my mom brought her down to me and she was covered with throw up. I mean totally drenched. My mom took Cameron and I went to the bathroom and realized that she couldn't wear her clothes. So she was just in her tank top and panties and we went back in the theatre and luckily I did have an extra pair of pants in the diaper bag. I felt so bad for Berkie Poor thing. So we left and I didn't know what to do about dinner. I called Ryan's mom, my mom and Ryan and we decided that my mom would take her home to try to get her to nap and see if she was feeling better. She fell asleep in my mom's car but right when they got home started coughing again and threw up in her car. But was fine, as long as she didn't cough. So she just played at my mom's while my mom washed her clothes. In the mean time; we were getting ready to leave to Ryan's mom's and I was changing Cameron's diaper and he pee'd all over his clothes. So of course I had to change his clothes. We were ready to go and got in the car. Ryan was driving and I was holding the two hot pans on my lap. I had heating pads and towels to keep the heat off me but suddenly it was REALLY hot. The yams (sauce) spilled on my pants and the seat. I was just like "Oh my gosh, what a day" Well we had a great dinner and Brooklynn joined us a little later. She was still coughing but felt fine. She did throw up again cause she gags when she can't stop coughing. I am just glad we have family that helps us and loves us even though things don't always go as planned. We had a fun night playing games and visiting. This was a good lesson for me to really know that life can be hard but there is still a lot to be thankful for.

Long blog... Well I will get to my shopping later. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving as well.

Muffin Tin Monday on Tuesday

The last two weeks we were busy on Monday so we had Muffin Tin Tuesday. Today we read Arthur's Thanksgiving.
She had a turkey sandwich, corn, Wheat thins, Fruit snacks, Raisens and a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie.

YUM! She wanted me to reread her the book several times.

Last week we read Sam the Scarecrow. She ate Chicken noodle soup, carrots, cookies and crackers.

She thought this book was very silly.

Brooklynn always wants to eat out of a muffin tin. We love our Muffin Tin Mondays (or Tuesdays whenever we do it.)

Disney on Ice

My mom had 3 days to take off for after I had the baby. My mom decided that she would use a couple of those days and take Brooklynn and do something fun with her so I can get things done and spend a little time with Cameron. Last Friday my mom took Brooklynn and my sister-in-law Johana and nephew Caleb to Disney on Ice. (I got some Christmas shopping done and cleaning, it really helped. Thanks Mom.)


Brooklynn loved it and was amazed at everything she saw. They said she did get scared at one part with sharks but other than that she had a blast.

She came home and told me all about it. She told me about all the princess' she saw and Mickey and Minnie (her favorite). The funniest thing was when she was telling me about all the characters she said... "And I saw Pinochio, he's a real boy."

Brooklynn keeps asking me when she can go see Mickey's house now at Mickey Park. (She saw a commercial of Disneyland) Well we are hoping next year sometime.

Blankets for the NICU and PICU

Christmas is drawing near and it is the time of giving. Since Ryan and I got married we went 5 Christmas' without children. We did something every year to help someone else out. Some years we spent a lot and some years we didn't, but we always did something. For a few years Ryan's grandma Oldroyd was in an assisted living center and we would always get together with all his Oldroyd aunts, uncles and cousins. Before we would meet for the party we would go to Grandma's "apartment" and sing Christmas carols, the kids would draw a picture and we would usually give them a little gift. One year we got these cute statues donated and we gave them those. They loved it. It has been a few years since we have done something and this year, because of the economy we decided to have a smaller Christmas than normal and try to do something for someone else.

After talking with the Oldroyd's we decided that we are going to make fleece blankets for Intermountain Medical Center's NICU (where my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jeff and Nanci work)for all the cute little babies. Our goal is 45 blankets for all the NICU beds. If we get enough blankets for those babies than we will make some for Ryan's work in the PICU at Primary Children's Medical center.

We are also going to check with some fabric stores to see if any of them can donate. If anyone has any extra fleece or would like to donate somehow it would be greatly appreciated. We understand if you can't, we just wanted to put it out there. (We are trying to collect all donations by Thanksgiving.) Hope everyone has great holidays.

Cameron is one month old

Cameron turned one month old on Saturday. (I didn't have a chance to write) I can't believe how fast time goes. He is already changing. My little skinny boy is out of premie clothes and wearing NB. And he is even getting little chub on his cheeks. He sure is a cutie. And I still LOVE his full lips. They are so cute and he always has them puckered.



Brooklynn is also doing better with him and not acting out as much for attention. I feel like we are now getting the groove and can get all that we need done. And also spread the love. She sure loves her baby brother and she is a great mommy to him. (She tries really hard)

Happy 63 year Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa Budd

My Grandma and Grandpa Budd just celebrated their 63rd anniversary on Friday. They are a great example of true love and I have always looked up to them.



Merle Stout met Jerry Budd when she was only 13 years old and he was 18. My grandma was best friends with his sister Radine and they would always hang out and do stuff with the family. My Grandpa proposed in 1940 but they weren't going to get married until after my grandma was either close to graduation or graduated. A year later my grandpa got a letter and was drafted in the army. The war hadn't officially started yet for the US so there was little worries.
Only a month later the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and we were at war. My grandpa originally thought he would only be separated from my grandma for a few months and the longest a year (as stated in his draft letter) But the war changed things. My grandpa served in the Pacific and even fought the long battle of Iwo Jima. (It lasted over a month of fighting thousands of Japanese on only a 4.5 mile long island.)

Four years later he finally made it home on October 31st 1945. My grandma never dated one other person. (And people thought it was hard to wait for a missionary.) They were married 7 days later on November 7th. Seven has since been her lucky number. My grandparents have been a huge part of my life. I lived with them for 8 years and they are what made me believe in love lasting forever.

For the last few years I have been reading my grandpa's journal from war and also my grandma saved every one of his letters in those four years. He had some amazing, sad and spiritual experiences. Although it is one sided I still get an idea of what my grandma wrote him by his responses. It is the neatest thing, I am trying to put their experiences into a story. I feel like it is a story I would like my kids to know of their love through those hard times.

Here is a direct quote from one of my grandpa's letters. Just a few months after Pearl Harbor and he was headed somewhere, unknowing to him, in the Pacific. This was when he finally felt at peace that things would be okay.

February 06, 1942 - Some where in the middle of the Ocean

“On Monday evening Feb. 2, I sat on the upper deck and watched a beautiful full moon come over the horizon. As I saw it in the sky so full and round and glistening on the water, I forgot all about being sea sick and I thought about you. I felt as though you were right there in my arms. I stayed there for hours and hours watching the moon and dreaming about my beautiful fiancé. I imagined you were doing the same thing. It was so wonderful that I didn’t dare move for fear of breaking the spell. About midnight it began to get a little chilly, but I was so thrilled and happy, I went and got a blanket and slept all night on the deck. I felt so close to heaven and to you. It was like you were there in my arms. It was all so real I’ll never forget it. I awoke the next morning from my little sleep on the deck and felt very refreshed. All signs of seasickness had left me. This was the first day since I left that I felt like eating. When I return to you we can be married and sealed to each other for time and all eternity in the temple. Oh darling when that day comes I’ll be the happiest person on earth. Well so long for now my sweet itto wife to be and I’ll write as soon as possible.
Love Your hubby (soon to be),
Jerry”

This is a picture of them with about half of their grandkids. Taken in the beginning of 1982. I am the little baby on my grandma's lap. I am so lucky to have wonderful examples and inspirations in my life. Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa.

I missed my little girl

Last weekend my mom offered to take Brooklynn to Lagoon with her and have her sleep over and then I could just stay home with Brooklynn. I said yes, but was nervous because in almost 3 years Brooklynn has only been away from me over night two times. Once when she was 2 weeks old and I had to get surgery she slept at Susan's. and the other time while I was in the hospital with Cameron. So Ryan and I took Brooklynn to my mom's house and I was okay and got all her stuff and kissed her good bye. We were about halfway home and I started crying. Ryan said we could turn back but I knew that I couldn't. I have to let her go.

Brooklynn had a great time with her cousin Caleb and her grandma Bean, uncle Josh and two aunts Johana and Terra.

That night I called and talked to her and she was having a blast, I missed her so much.

Around bedtime I called her again and she had been asking about us. Once she found out she got to sleepover there she was excited and wasn't worried about us anymore. I did cry again after I talked to her, it was weird not putting her to bed.

The next day I was able to get things done and just spend time with Cameron. It was nice but I was ready to get Brooklynn back. When I got to my mom's Brooklynn saw me and her face lit up. She ran and hugged me for a long time. And then came the waterworks AGAIN! She woke up about 6am crying for me but they were able to get her back to sleep. I know Brooklynn had a lot of fun, it was nice for her to spend the day with her grandma but I don't know if I will be ready for another sleepover for awhile. Ya never know, maybe the more I do it the easier it will get. I just love my sweet little girl.

Cameron announcement and Berkie's photography

CAMERON'S PICTURE
Today was my due date. I am so glad he is already here. It is so much fun having my little man and having the last 3 weeks to enjoy him.
Here is a picture I took of Cameron on Saturday.

Here is the announcement that I made. What a cute little guy I have.


BERKIE'S PHOTOGRAPHY

While I was on the phone with Comcast (they were calling me to give us information on our new phone line and internet not the most exciting 30 minutes) Brooklynn decided she would take the camera and take pictures. There was a ton of pictures on the camera and these two acctually turned out pretty good. (They are very grainy it was with my little camera) She got a couple of me this is the better of the two. The other one I was making some crazy face.

Here is a self portrait that Berkie took of herself. Not a bad photography huh?

Happy (late) Halloween

Halloween was so much fun. My mom took the day off so she could come and spend some time with us. She brought Caleb, Johana and Terra with her and bought the two kiddos square pumpkins from Artic Circle. We then went and took some pictures of the kids in their costumes. We were going to go somewhere (like a park or something) but it was too windy and I didn't want to take Cameron out. So we borrowed my neighbors front yard. and then just did a couple inside.
Berkie as Minnie Mouse holding Cameron in his Tigger costume. (Thanks Grandma Oldroyd for making the Minnie Mouse skirt and Grandma Ann for the cute Tigger costume.)

The three Dennis grandkids. Soon with Josh and Johana's new one in January there will be 4. I love Brooklynn's expression. Caleb sure makes a cute doctor.

There is my cute girl Brooklynn.

Caleb and Brooklynn, they sure look cute. It's too bad they aren't always this nice to each other. They usually fight over Grandma Bean's attention.

Here is Miley Cyris and Minnie Mouse


Katie is vintage woman, Alex is Miss America and Kassie is an island princess.


Grandma Oldroyd holding our little Tigger.


Here is my nephew Brady as a football player, Bailey is a bride and Gracie is a kitty.


Here is my neice Abbie as Miley Cyris (with out her wig), Jer's wife Kellie as Hannah Montana and My neice Katelin is a vintage lady.

We had a great Halloween, Brooklynn likes Trick or Treating and did really good. Went almost the whole way with out getting in the wagon. Next year I will try to dress up. I was going to dress up as a Baker with a bun in the oven but that didn't happen and I didn't think of anything else to dress as.