Season of Thanks

November is the season of thanks and over here at the Bean house we have a lot of things to be thankful for.  I think we are constantly having to remind ourselves that cultivating an attitude of gratitude will help us through our rough patches.  We have many wants and yet it is the things we already have that truly make us happy.

Tommy no longer naps and it is rare occasions these two both get a nap in but the did one Sunday this month.  We have been putting them to bed around seven because Thomas gets so sleepy.  But I am noticing Elsy would prefer to go to bed at eight.  Tonight I put Tommy down and then let Elsy come lay on my bed with me while I read her the first chapter of Little House in the Big Woods.  She loved it!  As we snuck back into her room where Tommy was sleeping and up onto the bunk bed I asked her, as I usually do, what her favorite thing about today was.  She smiled and gave me a snuggle and said, "This!!"  It really was special.  And it was nice to have one-on-one time with Tommy as I was laying him down to sleep and the cute conversations as he slowly got more and more tired.

Elsy fell off my bed this month and hurt her wrist pretty bad.  After waiting until the next day we decided to take her in for an x-ray just to be sure, since it was hurting her so bad.  Thankfully it wasn't broken, but it took all month for her to stop complaining about it.  I think it must have been sprained a little, poor girl.

This month we also had a big slue of doctor appointments.   Logan and I decided to go see an infertility specialist before the year was up and get all the diagnostic tests run before the insurance started over again in January.  We had a really stressful week of appointments, tests, ultrasounds, blood work, and even another surgery.  In six days this doctor did more and found more than my OB did in 8 months.  They discovered why I probably haven't been getting pregnant.  Dr. Kustin, my specialist, found polyps in my uterus during a hysterosonogram and scheduled me for a surgery called a hysteroscopy to remove them.  I wasn't nearly as nervous for this surgery as the one I had in May.  I definitely was stressed but we prayed and felt good about going through with the surgery.  While they did much more during this procedure, the recovery time was much less than my laparoscopy in May.  The reason they wanted to remove all the polyps and scar tissue is because it makes it hard and sometimes impossible for an egg to implant in my uterus.  By removing it there would be a much higher chance of an egg implanting.

Logan worked from home that morning and I cleaned my house (the procedure wasn't until 2).  I am always so grateful for Logan, he takes good care of me when I am nervous or sick.  He handed me the stuffed elephant he got me for my last surgery as we headed out the door.

When I woke up from my procedure I realized I was already talking (which is bad because I have no idea what I said before I realized I was conscious) but I vaguely remember my nurse holding a cup in front of me and saying, "This is all the stuff we pulled out of you!" but I don't remember what was in it.  She is a very kind but different nurse Logan and I agreed.  She talked to Logan and told him, "I have assisted Dr. Kustin on thousands of these procedures and your wife probably made the top 50 of how much clutter was inside her uterus."  So they cleaned me all out and the hope is it will help us on our journey to growing our family.  Recovery was really quick and now I feel just fine!  Modern medicine is such a miracle.

I was so grateful for the many people who helped watch our kids and served us during that time.  We are so grateful for our ward family and for the friendships and love we have felt there.

Thomas has had a rough month for sleeping.  After dropping his nap he was sleeping for like  13 hours straight at night.  In the last few weeks he has been waking up, like clockwork, at 1:15 or so and has been staying up from 1-3 hours a night.  It has been rather exhausting.  He is just awake and cant put himself to sleep.  I would keep putting him back in his bed and finally sit by him and just keep telling him to close his eyes - because that is the problem!  He won't close his eyes!  And if I ever could get him to close his eyes for a few minutes in a row out he would go.  Ugh.  So frustrating.  The most frustrating night was when Elsy and Tommy tag-teamed it and kept me up for 4 hours in the night.  Seriously, I can't say it enough that my biggest challenge with my kids as a mom has been getting them to sleep at night.

And oh my goodness, Tommy's toes are just so cute a fat!  He loves it when I do "This Little Piggy" on him.

Logan planned a little Saturday outing for us after my procedure.  We went to the Kelsey Creek Farm and to a Bellevue park.  The weather was nice and we had so much fun together.

This whole month of Sundays has basically just been the kids and I.  Logan has been at the church for Tithing Settlements all day long.  He leaves before I get out of bed for meetings and doesn't come home until 5:30 or 6.  We get a little lonely without him but we try to make things fun for ourselves by playing Candyland or watching church music videos.  I just love my two little buddies to pieces!

Some Squid Kid poses before heading out into the rain!

We did dentist appointments this month and it was the first time for Tommy in the big kid chair.  He got to watch Paw Patrol and loved the vacuum sucker that sucks out your spit and water from the water pick.  Elsy got x-rays done and it was so funny to see her big teeth all just sitting there ready to come out!  One of her front teeth we could already see is a little crooked so it was fun to imagine her with her big kid teeth.

This month we started up a play date group for Tommy.  He has really been missing Elsy this year while she is away at preschool.  This month his physical therapist said he was off the hook and doing really good improving mobility with his arm so we no longer have physical therapy to keep him occupied while Elsy is away.  I kinda stressed a lot about organizing it but it all came together.  There are just four kids in his group and we rotate houses and they meet once a week.  He hates it when it is at our place because he has to share his toys (which is kinda the point, I want him to learn to do that) and he begs to not go to other kids houses but once he gets in the door he is gone and has so much fun.  But when I show up he is out the door before me.  I really don't understand him sometimes but I do know he is starting to love his little buddy Mason. :)

I braved an IKEA run all by myself.  I set the kids up with a movie and handed them each a stuffed animal from a bin to hold onto until we left and we made it through with no tears and lots of Christmas shopping done.  Elsy was sad to leave her rabbit so I let her take a picture of it before we left.

We went to Tri-Cities for Thanksgiving.  Tommy was so excited all week to.  Every day he would say "We are going to Grandma's today!" and I would have to tell him it wasn't for a few more days which would make him very upset.  The day to leave finally came and he was to excited to eat his breakfast and followed me around trying to fill suitcases.

We got there in time to help make a few pies but I felt bad because I really didn't help with cooking as much as usual.  We found a wig in my parent's storage room.  Logan told me he was Chip Gaines and Tommy, who has had little interaction with wigs, said, "Is this a hair hat?!"  When I had it on he looked at me and said, "Mommy, is that you?"

We went to walk around the track at Cheif Joseph while my sister Kelsy's husband, Brett, played turkey football.  It sure was a windy morning but there was a beautiful rainbow.  I wish this picture was bigger to show Elsy's enormous smile.  Sadly, at another park, my other brother-in-law Matt dislocated his finger while catching the football so badly that the bones popped out of the skin.  We were thankful it wasn't broken but he did end up with some stitches and a very swollen finger.

My Grandpa and Grandma Volmer always reserve the stake center for our Thanksgiving festivities.  I still have wonderful memories of running around with my cousins, playing volleyball, bump, doing relay races, playing dodgeball, playing parlevu frances, and being dragged around the hardwood floor on blankets. 

Tommy and his crew were quite heavy all together on the blankets but we made it work.  We have a pretty funny video of Logan doing it too but no photos sadly.

There was limited couch space there and I thought it was so funny when I saw Logan squished on the end of the couch trying to read his book.  He has been reading Les Mis when we go to my parents.

While waiting for the prayer to be said Elsy and Tommy were getting a little impatient because they were quite hungry.  I looked over to see Elsy with a wooden pilgrim centerpiece pinned down, trying to cut it up with her knife and fork.  Logan leaned over and told her, "We aren't that hungry!"  I just love the determination on her face!

Of course our kids, despite being starving, ate practically nothing of their Thanksgiving feast.

We spent the rest of our weekend shopping and playing Mario.  It is always fun to catch up with my sisters.  We had a bridal shower for my cousin Mitch's fiance, Emily and I got to see my uncle Kyle for the first time in years.  My Grandma Volmer organized a family baptism session at the temple and Logan and I got to do baptisms for the first time since before we were married.  It was really special for me because it was the first time for me going to do names that I had found myself.  It was a special experience and we are excited to do the rest of the ordinances for those family members on my Grandma Volmer's mother's line.

Sunday morning Bible Videos with Grandma!

In true holiday fashion all four of us got sick after spending so much time in close proximity to so many people.  Elsy got the pukes, and the rest of us got terrible colds.  Oh well.  It was worth it.

We came back to rain.  Yesterday I took the kids out for some fresh air after spending half a week indoors.  We are excited to get our Christmas tree on Saturday (Costco is the place for real trees guys!!) and decorate it.  We are also really looking forward to doing the Light the World advent calendar as a family.  I printed of a ginormous tree from The Small Seed that has ornaments for each of the days and scripture references so as we participate we can decorate the tree as we go.  

We are excited about what this Christmas season will bring.  We hope we can share our testimonies a little and share the light of the gospel with others.

Harvesting Memories in October

Well guys, Tommy no longer naps.  I can not decide if it is a good or a bad thing.  Elsy and him now have bedroom playtime every day and it is magical (most of the time) because they play so well together for so long and I can get so much done.  I finally have nap time back to myself in a way.  The problem is he just really does still need a nap.  He gets oh so tired and is quick to explode in the evenings.  We decided it was time because it would take him 45+ minutes to fall asleep every day unless I laid by him (and sometimes it would still take that long) and then when he woke up he would be oh so grumpy for quite a while because I didn't just let him sleep for however long he wanted because after that he wouldn't fall asleep until at least 9pm every night.  So the days were just getting to be to much of a battle and I decided a little explosive feelings is a lot easier to handle than an entire afternoon of struggle and night of "Get back in your bed" being repeated for an hour.

October was good to us.  We have lived in the area for just shy of four years now and I always remember October as being the month where the rains descended and the floods came upon us.  While it did rain we had plenty of amazing days as well.  I took the kids to Lake Samammish park several times and just let them enjoy the sunshine in the autumn days.  We knew, like every year, that we would not be getting our pumpkins at the patch so I took the kids to the Costco patch this year.  All the pumpkins were ginormous.

Then on a Saturday morning we went to  Oxbow Farm for a hay ride and some playing and exploring the farm.  Last year we had to wait in line forever to get on the hay ride.  This year we showed up right when they opened and we had to wait in line with nobody because they weren't even having them yet! Haha!  The kids were anxious and Farmer Kevin was kind enough to talk to them about the tractor.  It was a foggy morning but it burned off as we rode the tractor which was so pretty.

Tommy was the most excited for the hay ride.  I love this picture of my boys. :)

We didn't get to stay and play as long as we would have like but that was okay because we had a pumpkin carving party with our good friends at Logan's work.  We all brought treats and had a carving contest with the Rodriguez', Woodhouse's, and some new friends I hadn't met yet.  The pumpkin pictures are further down the page.

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We had a happy happy Halloween.  Elsy insisted on being the good Poison Ivy from DC Superhero Girls and Tommy changed his mind every day so I finally just had him wear his Spiderman costume we already had because I wasn't about to make him something only to have him change his mind the next day.  

Logan and I hand no idea what to be up until the night before the Trunk or Treat.  Logan decided to be the windmill guy from the Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.  I wish this picture showed more of the details, he made the cardboard look like real wood and he had a Bluetooth speaker in the backpack part that payed the song from the game.

 

As I wandered around Value Village the night before the ward party it just came to me to be the Matchmaker from Mulan.  I tried to have all the details, a behind that was on fire, a black bun, a fan, a mug, the smeared makeup from tea being poured in my face, and of course the ink on my hand from touching Mulan's cheat-sheet arm.  Logan and I laughed and laughed but not many people knew who I was. Haha.  

Elsy with Abby and Ella, two girls from her preschool.

Tommy was exhausted after the evening was over.  He slept the whole time I took his costume off and put his PJs on, changed his diaper, and washed his face!

And of course the next morning the kids went through their beloved candy.  I laid out their blankets so they wouldn't mix them and freak out haha.  Elsy told me, "I am going to make a sandcastle of candy!"

The next night we got all dressed up again for Logan's work party.  I had learned from the night before to make the kids sit on a wooden chair in the middle of the living room once they had their face paint on so it wouldn't get on the couch... again... :(

I decided since I hadn't ever met a lot of the people at Logan's work I had better tone down my costume and decided to be a scarecrow.  I am sad we didn't take a picture!  We did in the photo booth at Logan's work but I haven't gotten that back yet.... good think my husband was the one in charge of that and I can pester him for it ;)

Elsy and Tommy both drew Logan a picture of what they wanted their pumpkins to look like and Logan did his best to copy them exactly.  Then he made little name tags for them with the pictures on them for the competition at our friend's party.  Elsy named hers Johnny (she is totally in love with the movie Sing right now) and Tommy named his Pangey.  I let them paint them later and they loved that.

Well, Halloween is fun because I do love a good excuse to wear a fun costume once a year.  But really, Logan and I do rather hate the holiday.  We are both not into the spooky, horror, gory side of it all.  We took the kids to the park and Logan looked around and said, "Autumn is just so beautiful.  It is to bad people try to ruin it with Halloween."  I wholeheartedly agree.  I am glad it is over and I don't have to comfort my crying daughter because she is afraid of all the bloody pictures and fangs that greet you in every store you go in.

 Tommy update:  This kid is just bananas.  I don't know if he got even more wiggly and crazy now that he doesn't have naps?  We just can't get the kid to sit still.  Every day at dinner time he ends up sliding along the table and making his way to this position above.  Standing on the back of my chair, trying to ease into my lap... as if I wouldn't notice?  He just makes me smile so much.  He has a contagious giggle and an excitement for all things boy.  It snowed the other day after Elsy got cold he stayed out on the back porch just playing until he was soaked.  He whacked all the leaves off my blueberry bush with a hanger, sings Paw Patrol at the top of his lungs in the grocery store, eats everything with his hands and ignores the silverware, and is pro at loosing the lids for markers.  But at the same time that he wants to do all these crazy things he wants Logan and I there with him.  He has been pretty clingy these days.  When it is cold outside he wants us to hold him, he will follow me around and say, "Mommy I waaaaant you!" when he wants a hug or a cuddle... or is bored...  I just love his little teeth and his huge smile.  He can be so softspoken sometimes when I have conversations with him in the car, but when he is playing everything is a shout.  I just love this little boy to pieces.  He is my little buddy (but don't let him catch me calling him that... whenever I do he says "No! I a Tommy Boy!").  He has been telling me he wants to wear big boy underwear lately and I don't know if I am mentally ready to do potty training. Yikes!

 For family home evening the other week we took the kids out to Klahanie and gathered leaves for the kids to jump in.  Since we don't have a yard we thought it would be fun for them.  They of course loved it!

Tommy wants to do everything Elsy does, she is his absolute best friend.  If she doesn't like to eat something, he doesn't.  If Elsy wants to do something, he does too.  They are inseparable these days.

This little girl has gotten quite crazy as well lately.  She is full of energy, giggles, sparkles, and imagination.  She has named her left hand Mia and her right hand Skyler.  They are two ninjas and they help her eat and play.  She is always trying to keep them warm in the car and wants me to watch them do little tricks and flips.  She loves to say, "What the heck in the world!?" when she is surprised or excited about something.  She loves to pretend - and I have no idea where this came from - that she "is a baby on the sidewalk named Sparkles and pretend you found her!" every time she gets out of the bathtub.  She runs over in her little pink bathrobe and lays on the floor and starts to whimper like a baby until I come help her.  It is quite hilarious at times but other times she has such a big imagination it is hard to get her to stop talking so I can communicate with her.  She will just talk over me as I ask her to help or do things.  I think we perhaps need to work on listening to others.... which is something maybe I need to work on to.

We did a babysitting swap and Logan took me to the Salish Lodge restaurant called The Attic that looks down the cliff of the Snoqualmie Falls.  We got really lucky there was a window seat open.  Logan's work gives him a dining passport which gives you deals on local restaurants.  So that came in handy here ;)  It is always nice to go on a date with Logan.  We get to have uninterrupted conversations and talk about our dreams together and also that things we have been learning in life.

On Saturday Logan planned and took us all up to Redmond for the morning, our old stomping grounds.  We went and looked at our old apartment and drove by the house we house sat there.  Elsy couldn't remember any of it which was a little sad.  It is amazing how much the area has developed even in the last year and a half since we left!  We of course had to go to Ferrell McWhirter park to show the kids all the farm animals.  We were pretty bummed that Sunny, the biggest pic I have ever seen, was no longer there.  Tommy was beyond excited for everthing there was to see!

But Elsy was a grump about being cold and refused to get out of the stroller.  She is a funny girl because when we are all freezing she is so hot.  She is always turning the heater off in our house and it gets so so cold!  But if she ever does get cold, it is the end of the world.  She doesn't know how to cope with it! Haha, so anyway, she froze and was grumpy about it.

The tire swing was the only thing she wanted out for.  Then Logan took us to Panera for lunch.  Tommy was a little over hungry and became very, VERY emotional while we were there.  Someone made a rude comment to Logan and I about it that had us feeling quite grumpy on the drive home.  But it also turned into a good conversation.  I am so grateful for Logan's friendship in that we are able to open up and talk about the things that are making us feel upset or hurt and just share our feelings with each other.  As we do that, we learn so much about each other, so much of how our relationship ticks, and so much about understanding how to get through this life.

Sunday was fast Sunday and Logan had his first taste of tithing settlements.  He was gone for 12 hours, from 6:30am-5:30pm.  We missed him but while he was away we worked on a tasty dinner for his hungry fasting self.  For a Relief Society activity a few weeks ago we learned how to make french bread so I have been practicing.  Elsy helped me out and it turned out so tasty.

It also snowed on Sunday! I don't know why I let the kids go out in it right before church but after church I put them in their snow pants and let them play on the porch.  They love, loved it.  But again, Elsy couldn't handle the cold for long. :)

I always try to share a spiritual thought or stretching moment for me at the end of my posts.  Today I wanted to share something from my study a few days ago as I read one of my favorite talks from the April General Conference, "Trust in the Lord and Lean Not" by Bonny H. Cordon.  She said:

"In our premortal life we stood with the Savior.  WE trusted Him.  We voiced our support, enthusiasm, and joy for the plan of happiness set forth by our Heavenly Father.  We leaned not (unto our own understanding).  We fought with our testimonies and 'aligned ourselves with the forces of God and those forces were victorious'"  As I pondered this quote I thought of my pre-mortal self and to be honest I allowed myself to feel so proud of myself for making that decision to follow the Savior and for choosing the Lord's side.  But then I remembered that I am trying not to be prideful :)  So as I thought I slowly became grateful.  I was willed with gratitude for my premortal self.  I must have trusted so much in God's plan then.  I had a firm testimony that was unshaken.  As I thought of my spirit self I began to truly love that girl that made those choices.  But then I realized that that girl is still me!  I think sometimes I get caught up in the challenges of life, managing a busy schedule, trying to invite the spirit into our home, going to multiple infertility doctor appointments, trying to manage finances, organizing playgroups, dealing with misunderstandings, and on top of those things just doing the things that help me feel close to the Lord.  Sometimes it is just easy to forget why I am really here on this earth.  But when I remember that girl, who is me, being excited for the challenge of earth life, being so stalwart in her testimony that she chose to follow the Savior, I feel a lot more purpose in my life.  Anyway, that just a thought I have had a few times the last few days. 

I have decided that I am going to be doing instead of a weekly update, just a monthly one instead.  I have been feeling the desire to do family history work and temple work for my deceased ancestors but haven't really known when to do it.  Since Wednesday night is my most free of the week I have decided to try and dedicate it to that instead of this blog.  I have been convincing myself for so long that writing this blog was doing family history work.  I was keeping a history of my family! Right?  But I have been feeling the pull and the desire to follow what the leaders of the church have said when they said you can't stop just there... you need to find and do the work of your dead ancestors.  It has been really hard getting familiar with how everything works on the Family Search website, but as I get more familiar I am enjoying it more and more.  I have always enjoyed a good mystery and it is fun to play the sleuth. 

Have a very thankful Thanksgiving! :)