Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Our Summer girl is here

I scheduled an induction date for as early as possible because a) I was huge and miserable b) I could c) all my other inductions- especially Easton's which was completely elective- all went great, specifically the twins and Easton (max was awful ha). So at promptly 39 weeks on the dot, April 19, we scheduled it, yahoo!

April 18
The night before was hectic, it was the first day of soccer for everyone, dinner plans kind of fell through so we scrambled to pick up some pizza on the way to soccer. After soccer at 7:30 we still had to pack all the kids stuff. After packing up I drove them to Casey's parents house in Green River for them to spend the next couple days over there. Casey stayed home and cleaned up our crazy messy house so it would be ready for showings potentially if we were gone. Making the house perfect is EXHAUSTING, bless his heart for doing that. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up last minute Easter stuff and milk and hospital treats. We were both dog tired by the end of the night and didn't go to bed until about 11 or later, whew.

April 19
5:45 am- bright and early wake up call to get ready to leave for the hospital. Casey gave me a blessing- we packed the car with our 2 bags (WAY less crap than we had with Maxson haha)

6:20 am- leave the house for the hospital that is about an hour and 15 minutes away

6:35 am- stop at an exit in Green River to hide a grocery bag of shoes for Easton since we forgot to send him to Grammie's house with shoes, ha

Casey and I had great conversations the whole way to Evanston, talked about the baby, the house, work, the kids, dreams, concerns. It was nice way to start the day together like that. We listened to Florida Georgia Line just about the whole way there and we loved it

7:45 arrive at the hospital- we were supposed to be there at 7:30, oh well. Then we had to fill out paperwork which took until 8:15, goodness. So finally walked over to labor and delivery at 8:15 and started getting the whole process going! Changed into my gown, more paperwork, chatting with nurses.

I was the only patient in their area all day long, it was so nice and quiet, ha. My nurses were Chelsea and Megan and they were both fantastic. I sufficiently scared them and told them how difficult I was to stick for an IV. Of the past 3 deliveries, no nurse has been able to get the IV in my arm, only in my hand which is way uncomfortable to then try to use for the next 24 hoursish. Each time they've poked me between 2-6times to get the IV in and it's awful. So after that whole story she closely examined my arms and hands and veins and pushing and checking for about 20 minutes- she tried once in my arm and got it! I was so proud of her and happy for me! So we definitely started the morning off well!!!!!

8:45 we got me on antibiotics since I tested positive for strep B and also started pitocin. All day long my blood pressure was high, which is normal for the end of my pregnancies, hanging in the 140-150/90 range.

 9:15 Dr Hansen came in, checked me, I was still at a 2+ a little from my appointment with him on Monday but he couldn't feel her head at all like he had on Monday, worried that she may have flipped he got the ultrasound machine out, checked only to find I had a full bladder. So after peeing, and getting checked again, her head was indeed down low enough and he could confidently break my water. Again, from warning them that I have a had a TON of fluid in the past they were better prepared for it with multiple towels and kept changing them out quite often. From there on we started watching Friends and it was just a waiting game! We started with the "Pivot" episode and laughed so much.

Casey and I have watched Friends during every hospital delivery. We've watched the whole thing before so know what's going on however much we (I) are or are not paying close attention. It's light hearted and funny and a great way for us to pass the time since they're small episodes.

12:45 2nd round of antibiotics is given and now I'm safe to deliver, they were  giving me pitocin very slowly before this time so I wouldn't risk delivering too early. The nurse checks me and I'm at a 5. Dr Hansen suggests you get to a 4 before your epidural to not slow down the process. And now that contractions are getting more frequent and intense, not awful yet, I opt in for the epidural, because, hey why not! It just makes the process easier for me ha. That needle sure stings and gives you a big tinge of pain but you know it's worth it. No drop in blood pressure afterwards and a very smooth epidural process.

1:45 the epidural is done and I'm laying back in my bed pretty flat- ZERO pain in my back and feet and rest of my body which is far from what I've experienced the last 5 months. I quickly and easily shut my eyes and rest- not fully asleep but definitely happily tired for the next 3 hours. This was the first epidural that for majority of the beginning of it and then after I had the baby I was shaking a lot from being cold and the adrenaline of it all pumping through my body, lots of shaking haha.

2:45 dilated to a 8

3:45 still an 8, 90% effaced, and -1. She then brings out this large peanut ball- it's a large exercise ball shaped like a peanut- put it between my knees and says it will help

4:08- checks me and I'm at a 9 and +1

4:15 I'm feeling all the pressure I'm familiar with to call in the nurses and tell them I'm ready to go. Over the next 15+ minutes they get everything moving and grooving and set up to deliver. At this point I'm so freaking grateful for that epidural. Still feeling all the pressure but I'm more than happy for the contractions to continue pushing baby girl down further and further to make my pushing that much easier. We laugh about figuring out some background music but couldn't quite put our fingers on it. Playing Push It by Salt and pepper appeared once as a joke though, ha.

Dr Hansen comes in so chill, seats himself sideways at the edge of my bed, and says "let's make this birthday party happen". With one light push out comes her head, he tells me to stop, turns her a little, and the second push (again, I really didn't even have to push at all) out comes her shoulders and rest of her body, easy peasy!

4:38 Baby girl Cutler has officially been born! They lay her straight on my chest and I hold and gush over her for the next long while! (Re-watching a small video of her immediately on my chest you can hear the doctor say "You could have 5 or 6 more of those, she almost pushed herself out" ha, no thank you!) Casey cuts the chord- the placenta takes a little longer to deliver but still comes out easily just not as easy as her. 1 small stitch is put in and I'm good to go! They clean her up just a little bit more, we start skin to skin and nursing right away, she wasn't the quickest latch but still got going and figured it out. It was just nice and quiet and easy and a wonderful anticipated birth. I just kept saying "hi baby" over and over again. Small tears in my eyes realizing she was finally here and safe in my arms. So freaking happy.


5:30 they take her to the warming station, clean her off more, weigh her coming in at 7 lbs 5 oz- far off from the 12 lb baby Dr Hansen joked I'd have because I had gained so much weight (60 lbs!) and my uterus was always measuring larger than I was in weeks (41 cm when I was 38 weeks). She was 20.5 inches long and I have no clue on the head, ha. She was absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way! Dr Alan Brown came in as the pediatrician to look at her. His wife, Kate, is one of my most best friends and they moved away from RS to Evanston about a year ago so it was so fun to have him come in and look Summer over. And then at night Kate came and visited me for over and hour which was oh so fun! During this time I ate dinner too which although I wasn't hungry I knew I should eat and it was a good things because I kept eating and eating and eating, ha. Once she was all cleaned up and given back to us we decided on her name- Summer Cutler.










We face-timed the boys and they were over the moon happy to  see her and hear she was here finally and learn what her name was. I nursed her once more and then from 6-7:30 I slept. Man I was so exhausted! I didn't personally work hard but apparently my body had, ha, and my want to sleep showed it.

Also to be remembered- this was the first warm day Wyoming has had in 6+ months- everyone said it finally felt like summer outside! Getting up towards 70, I had multiple friends get sunburnt from the time they spent outside. So it seems like our little Summer brought some summer with her :)

7:50 I call in the nurses and tell them I'd like to try and get up- shuffled my way to the bathroom with their help and got all cleaned up. It was so nice to be standing again, I hadn't in hours! We moved to the post partum rooms and it was lots of sleeping and resting and nursing, and holding the baby from there.



April 20
12:00 Brad and Nan brought the boys over to Evanston to meet their new baby sister! And man they were so all so freaking cute about it. I relished in watching themHe videos we have of them all are just so darling.




5:30 we ate a quick dinner and drove home from there! Bada boom! I remember being so scared on the drive home with Maxson, a whole 12 minutes. I cried while sitting in the back seat of the car with him worrying about if we got in a car accident if we'd be safe, making sure he was happy on the ride home, just WORRYING! Baby girl got the 5th child treatment: carseat in the back, me in the front, and for the long hour plus drive she happily slept and I happily and not a bit worried sat in the front and talked with Casey. I think I only checked on her once or twice. Truly, I become a better parent in so many ways each time I have a baby.

We are over the moon excited she is here. Yes it is fun and a tiny different to have a baby girl in the family but it's the same over abundance of love I've experienced each time before. I love her deeply and am so excited for the girl she will grow and become.

Side note- I LOVED delivering in Evanston, not only because I feel like I received really awesome care from my Dr and nurses but because it was really nice being the ONLY labor and delivery patient, ha! It was really nice to be so well cared for and all the attention on me, as vain as that sounds. I was my Dr's main priority that day as well as all the staff (meaning all 2 nurses) but it was just a quaint little birth and I loved it. If I have another baby I would want to drive to Evanston to deliver again it was such a great experience ( not like I'd actually do that but that's how much I loved it)

Also reflecting back on all my birth stories, Ive decided that I really love giving birth, like the birthdays of all my kids are some of the best days of my life. Everyone cheering for you to have a baby, caring about you and your new baby, attentive to how you're feeling, taking care of all your needs so you can focus on baby or getting through whatever pain you're dealing with during labor. It feels like you finally become great friends with your Dr that you've been seeing over all the past 6+ months. I love baby delivery days, I know, I'm weird. Through all the pain I've experienced on those days, I'd live them over again easily...Ok maybe except Max, that one not so easily

PS- if you click the label/link below that says "birth story" you can read the other kids too😊

Sunday, March 3, 2019

32 weeks pregnant with baby girl!

It's funny, my twin pregnancy was so drastically hard from my first pregnancy with Max that it made my 3rd pregnancy, Easton's, seem crazy easy! Even though I was uncomfortable at the end it was still way easier than begin pregnant with twins. So now my 4th pregnancy, baby girl, seems so difficult because my last memory was that pregnancy is easy! Ha!

Lots of back pain. I don't know what it is but from early on, my back began hurting, darn it. I've been using KT tape on my belly which I do think has helped it. It made it go from excruciating painful back ache all day to just a tired feeling all day. I can deal with tired feeling. I've been trying to do back exercises, again, may or may not help. And then on days it's awful and take Tylenol and use deep blue.

Chubbiness. Just turn me green and call me Princess Fiona. Holy cow my whole body has slowly gotten quite chubby everywhere, lol. I've heard people complain about getting fat during pregnancy and I've always thought "well duh, there's a baby in your belly, your stomach is going to get fatter!" Sure you may gain a little fat through out but I just thought they were talking about their stomachs. No. They were really talking about an overall body fatness and I can relate! Ha! My arms and my legs have been huge indicators that the baby weight gain has not just been to my stomach. The face shows it, but face always has. My love handles and back have shown it more! So here's to crossing my fingers the "baby weight" comes off as easily this time as it has in the past 😣

I'll be sitting down for however long and when I stand up it's like I suddenly have to pee NOW, ha. No hints of that feeling when sitting.

Picking up the house is not fun, it's not awful yet, but not comfortable. I beg the boys to pick up the floor and just put it on the couch so I can help put it away comfortably too

It is so uncomfortable to lay down! I toss and turn most of the night from side to side, bathroom breaks, I'm always hot it seems, take Tums in the middle of the night with this crazy new sensation of pregnancy heart burn I have never experienced!

I know that at 32 weeks all these things I'm feeling will only get worse but still, it doesn't feel good with them even at this level, lol. It could be way worse after talking to friends (vomitting, varicose veins, gestational diabetes, high risk pregnancy things) so much worse, so I'm feeling like I should be grateful for the problems I do have. It's like Pres Uchtdorf's talk "being grateful in your circumstances" haha.

The boys are so understanding of mama's belly and me being pregnant. Mostly very willing to give me back and foot massages even if they don't do much good, ha. Love to tell people about me being pregnant, ask to see the baby app to see how big the baby is. Easton still calls himself the baby. When you point to everyone in the room and ask him to say their name he says "baby" when we point to him, ha. But he also points to my tummy and says baby. It's really cute.

I love babies. I love that I have been gifted with the chance to be pregnant with multiple babies and multiple times. It is so coll having a sweet little baby kicking in your tummy all day long. It's like your little buddy that no one knows about. A special relationship between just you and them. She is so wiggly and I love feeling her kicks :)



Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Maxson's first day of Kindergarten

The day has come! Max has gone off to Kindergarten!

The night before we got home about 9:15 from our trip to Lake Tahoe for Tayli's wedding. SO the kids didn't go to bed until about 10! Poor Max did NOT get the best night's sleep before his first day of school haha. I had to really coax him to wake up at 7 because I knew he still needed a bath (hadn't had one in like 3 days ha, we did play in the lake a lot so he was cleanish, right?) I knew I wanted to do pictures and get early to walk him over with our being rushed.

He was so excited. He picked out his clothes (a simple blue shirt and tan shorts), we made lunch (pb&j sandwich, granola bar, apples, apple juice). His hair looked great and he was so ready for Kindergarten!

Drop off came and he easily spotted his teacher, got in line when they asked, gave me big hug, and happy smile wave and off he went, as easy as that! Honestly it was easy for him and me,  he was just so so ready.

I hope he can make some friends. I hope he can be kind, and learn to lose without throwing a fit. I hope he can be a helper to others and a friend to those who needs a friend. I hope he grows and learns and finds friends who can help him choose the right.

Casey got to come with us to pick him up from Kindergarten, and he was kind of dance-bouncing-hopping his way out with a BIG smile on so happy to see us! I was so happy to see him

Unfortunately he described the day as boring and dumb without too many details. He said no one played with him at recess. Lunch was fast. He didn't do anything fun. There were no toys. All he did was write his name. Ha, hopefully his attitude improves as the days and months go on haha.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

MOther's Day

You know what I miss most about blogging? Getting the share ALL the photos I take of my kids. My big camera takes such beautiful photos but I can't keep up on them! If I can't keep up on them and share them why take so many, ya know?

Here's some of the adorable Mother's Day videos that I really really love. I love being mom. I love being THEIR mom. 

This picture sums of my life of motherhood I try to pretend we have it all together like dressing nice for a photo a finding good lighting but my boys have other ideas of showing people what our life is like. Can anyone say CHEESE.
 Easton isn't on this blog much but man oh freaking man, he's adorable.



 My quinny



 Bryson



 Mr. Maxson. And NO he is not that tall compared to me! When I first saw this photo I was like "No way! He's that tall????? But I remembered, a step." Ha. But he is growing up so much!!!!!


It was such a fabulous mother's day with my crew. I felt so richly blessed (a 2 hour nap definitely helps in that department ;)

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Glimpse of the Cutler Feb 2018

Casey- has been having some fabulous weeks at work lately. There's no office drama, everyone is awesome. His boss is super nice, he's become a fabulous dentist. He coached the 3 boy's soccer team this year and was so fabulous. He's a really fun kids coach. He's been working out pretty consistently since before January and I'm proud of him. He mainly did Insanity for the longest time but has recently started doing my BBG workouts which has been a great changed for him. This week he's taking a new disability insurance test and I've been laughing so hard because all day he just talks about how he's hungry and he wants to eat so much sugar food, even if it's not apart of what we're talking about in the moment, it's so so funny. Bless that man's heart.

Kimber- I've been doing an 8 week health challenge with fiends and it's been really eye opening. I've lost 4 lbs over all these weeks but more importantly I've realized some Health changes in my life 1) not saying yes to every dessert offered to me or not eating a gargantuan amount of sweets when they're offered to me. You can get by easily with just 1 cookie. Going to bed earlier. It's been fabulous getting to bed earlier and getting a lot more sleep. I'm finding myself really wanting 9 hours of sleep in my time of life. I've been cracking away at my New Year's goals and it's been awesome to really accomplish things I've set out to do. I've been hard core sticking to my to-do list and budget which again, I get so much more accomplished! I like being more efficient!

together- Casey and I have been watching Hart of Dixie a lot together, we like it, we did tons of Olympic watching recently too. We go to the movies a lot because we got these movie passes from his boss. It's been super fun to have free dates and see all the new movies that have been coming out! We work out together 2-3 times a week in the morning and the other days to separate workouts, I really like exercising with him.

Max- Max is becoming quite the young boy. asking so many question than before. He's so inquisitive. He's loving learning to read. He loves all things social: preschool, church, soccer, playgroup. He loves being with others. He's always trying to play parent to the twins, other times he's their best friend leading the posse around. When he gets in trouble he gets so sad and broken hearted. But sometimes he is just so dog gone mean to his brothers! He's a great helper, beginning to do big boy chores like vacuum the house, it's so incredibly helpful. Oh man I love him like crazy!

Bryson- Bryson is so so funny. His laugh is so infectious. He's always wanting to help me in the kitchen or help me in general. He's so mischievous making messes on walls or getting into things he shouldn't. When I come up on him he'll say "Im not making bad choices. Don't be mad!" haha. He has this squinty face that's oh so cute. He'll just lay and cuddle with me some morning and LOVES books being read to him. He very much identifies with being Captain America, he's always playing with Quinn pretending to be a tiger or PJ mask or rescue bot to save someone or get some bad guy. I love watching him play and he's so endearing. He's is just so so sweet, I can't imagine life without him

Quinn- Quinny is so funny. He's "mean" face is constantly on his face. Haha, he's always mean looking when he's talking to someone but I think he's just serious and doesn't understand, ha. He always stick out his lips when he talks to you and furrows his brow. He loves all things super heros and thoroughly identifies with being Spiderman, so funny. He loves being a character of whatever show we're watching or book we're reading. He's a tender spirit when he gets in trouble but has no problem being mean to others. He's still obsessed with milk. He was quite tenacious in soccer when he wan'Quinn is a good cuddle and can be so sweet! When he poops in the morning while I'm still sleeping, he comes in and whispers to me "mommy I'm done pooping" instead of yelling from the bathroom, haha. He's definitely in the whiney stage and cried often because Max is being most likely but I love him like crazy and am so so happy he's mine

Easton- 14 months and freaking cute as none else. He finally has gotten with the program of using sign language and I love it! Always signing Please and sometimes doing all done and now I'm starting to teach him more. He's oh so so so cute! He loves making us laugh. If he gets a reaction out of you he's going to keep doing it and it's adorable. He gives the best hugs and kisses! I can never get enough! Seeing him hug his brothers so lovingly is so so so heartwarming!!!!!! He's finally a great sleeper! And sleeps through the night 6/7 days a week if not more. Up until like 13 months we were getting up and giving him bottle of milk at lie 4 or 5 in the morning and I kept wondering, when is this going to end?!?!?! But it did, thankfully. He has 4 top teeth, 3 bottom ones, and all his molars are beginning to come in!! Crazy boy! He constantly wants to be held by me and seeing exactly what I'm doing in the kitchen. He's at that whine by your feet in the kitchen stage, by 1 doing that is pretty easy! I love love love him. He's a follower of his brothers. Wherever they go he's going and it's so adorable!

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Christmas 2017

Christmas 2017 was go go go this year with a little bit of good old fashioned cousin sickness thrown in there, ha. We drove through the night to get to AZ which forever and always, especially with young kids will be the best thing we ever do. Granny just got a trampoline which was so much fun for them all the jump outside in warm weather!

We hammered out our POGO pass this time around too. We did the zoo, bowling, urban jungle, airtime, the idea museum and all were so worth the time and effort involved! We also did lots of parks including the new big one by the Mesa temple, Pioneer park, that they've recently updated and redone, it was definitely a cool one. We did spook hill hike and Falcon Hill hike with Weston's family.

This time around we were able to spend A TON of time with the actual family in Arizona which was so awesome! Logan and Scott's families were with us or came up to Granny and Papa's house a lot so that was so very enjoyable to be with them so much. We so appreciate their time and effort to do that.

Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spend with the family eating food, children playing and talking a lot as adults. Cody and Camille came up for a little bit on Christmas Eve too and my kids so very much enjoyed that! We did our annual silly string fight which some kids loved and some hated, namely Britton, ha. Bryson was sick during it :( Quinn didn't like it unless you were helping him. Max was a pro. Granny also did a piñata which everyone loved! Bad parenting moment: Max missed the first 10 minutes of it because we forgot him in timeout, I felt so guilty!

Casey jumped in the pool Christmas night and it surprised everyone and made us all laugh so much. Then after a daytime hike I, Kimber, jumped in and surprised everyone immensely! Ha, um it was so so freaking cold! Take your breath away cold! In my frantically frazzled state to get out I jammed my toe and it hurt so so bad!
I had two awesome girls get togethers: Amy Nicole and Brooke (going theough chemo and doing awesome!) we stayed up until THREE AMM! Ha, I don't know what we were thinking but it was super fun, that was the first time we've ever gotten a chance to do that since high school! And a lunch date with Dana, Brandi, Courtney. I can't believe how far back our memories with each other go!

It was such a fabulous Christmas! The weather was amazing, like so so nice out, INCREDIBLE! There was a lot of sickness unfortunately, Scott had influenza, Weston's family accidentally brought down a throwing up bug and spread it around a lot, Max and Easton got hand foot and mouth and passed it on to others, granny and others had significant colds, but we're all alive so it's ok!

And surprisingly to everyone, Scott got put in the bishopric! We all got to go to his sustaining and it was a wonderful spiritually high moment to end the trip. It was eye opening to feel the Spirit confirm to my soul this is where Scott is supposed to be and he too can be humbled for good and serve his fellow men.

So grateful for a wonderful Christmas with the Woodruffs!

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Easton turns 1!

Easton turns 1!!!! how in the world did my baby turn ONE! He is so so loved in our home! He is the best little addition to our family. Always falling us all around. Wherever the crowd goes he follows! He's a full hearted equal opportunist: if anyone else is doing it, he demands to as well! He tells you exactly if needs aren't being met, ha. If the bottle is on the counter, he yells and cries and makes you get it down NOW. He is obsessed with milk. His little baby walk has sped up into a waddle that wants to run that is so adorable. The only thing that slows him down is his footie PJ's on hard floor. He's so vocal. Making so many noises, you repeat back and repeats back with gusto and more voice imitations. He knows where his nose is and tongue. Waves bye bye and night nights making voice intonations. He's finally sleeping through the night about 11-12 hour stretches without needing milk. Sometimes he still does but he's made such great progress. He's been a champ car traveller: falls asleep and transfers easy to his crib. He loves his mama, and I him. He laughs so much with Casey. He runs to the front door once hearing a knock or doorbell, so adorable. It's really so so darling how he follows all the boys around the house. He definitely believes in equal opportunity, if the boys are doing he is too! If they're on the tramp, he belongs out there too! Lately it's been getting colder, and I don't let him on the tramp with the big kids and he gets so mad inside crying. He's constantly wanting up on your lap for you to just hold him so he can see what you're doing, he's a doll. He and Max are such good friends, they sit in the car next to each other and Max is always helping him and playing peek a boo, or talking jibber jabbers sounds back and forth, they adore each other.

I am so so so happy Easton is apart of our family. He makes life better!

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Thanksgiving 2017

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Kerri and Chris came down as well as Grandma and Grandpa Christensen! Wednesday I felt like I was cooking all day between getting Thanksgiving food prepped,  salad swap for friends, regular dinner, ha but Casey was home so it was much more enjoyable!

Thanksgiving morning came and it seemed like the family was coming later in the day and since we had REALLY nice weather we went for our own little family turkey trot up and around the neighborhood! The boys rode their bikes a ton (the twins getting on and off when they felt like it of course) Max the whole time, and Easton in the triple stroller. Casey listened to music. The parent not pushing the stroller was in charge of encouraging the twins to keep going, haha. It was so much fun to be out and active with our little family! Every time I said "turkey time!" the kids were supposed to come back to me and go "gobble gobble gobble" in a circle, it was pretty funny. We ran a little over 2 miles all together. I'm grateful for an awesome husband who gives into my silly antics and traditions :)

We got ready and loaded in the car to go over for Thanksgiving! There was SO much food it was crazy! They must have been cooking all yesterday and today it seemed like! The sides are always the show piece in my book. Brad made a great stuffing, Tayli did a million rolls, Derek and Karlee did the green bean casserole, I did the sweet potato casserole, there were so many delicious side salad type things and so many pies! Mostly all store bought but still really good! I made a really yummy cookie pie and a chocolate pudding cream pie! Both were favorites for us all! They also made the strawberry pretzel jello casserole thing and that was SOO good!

We all went to Harrison park (the special ed one that is super fun for the kids) we all walked there because truly the weather was amazing! And played for a really long time! Took some silly videos and pictures and even the adults played on a couple silly contraptions. There were so many great conversations had all day with all the adults around. The kids were pretty good at playing with each other a lot of the day and it helped that Grammie bought a new really hot wheel toy that they all played with.

It was just a genuinely happy Thanksgiving day all together!

The next day was Grammie's Christmas party which is always so fun for the kids! I think it's a lot of prep for Brad and Nan and their family but it's meaningful to the kids and I think they'll remember doing it year after year! Afternoon came and there was still lots of playing outside time! All the kids went in the hot tub with Derek (the previous night it was Casey and all the kids), just lots of great sitting and chatting. Dinner was delicious leftovers from Thanksgiving our favorite! And more PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE

Saturday morning I had my Santa Photo shoots that all went well. The Price's came for the last session of the day. All my boys went to Home Depot for their craft, we try to always go to those and it's so much fun for the kids every time. I'm so very grateful they put those on! I honestly can't remember much of the day. A Christmas movie perhaps? I know I made Hawaiin haystacks for the gang. More hot tub but this time I got in with Easton and then Grammie and Kerri followed us out to with Evie, it was a party indeed!

Being around family at the Holidays is just so special. That's what they holidays are for family time! It's a lot of effort for everyone, ESPECIALLY the main mom in charge but I'm so grateful for Nan's efforts and my own mother's efforts all these past years. I only have good memories of Thanksgivings!


We also did a thankful tree in our home with the boys! We tried each day to write things we were thankful for on leaves and tape them up! It was sweet to hear it all. Here are what our leaves said this year:

-daddy and his job and mommy (B or Q?
-scriptures, church, calling, visiting teaching, Bryson (K)
-for Jesus creating all of us (M)
-milk and naps (E)
-mommy cleaning up, daddy getting a motorcycle (Q)
-daddy unplugging the toilet, a family forever (M)
-birthday, Maxons, TV, pictures, doors, donuts (B)
-healthy family, CHM, vaccines (K)
-pictures on the wall, beds God made us, preschool, nathan, Dax, Brylee, Aidyn, Hendrix, Katherine (M)
-Jim and Jan and new clothes (B)
-Casey's job, Rock Springs, Overland ward (K)
-daddy building a bench (M)
-halloween stuff in the house (B)
-milk and Sippie cups (Q)
-food (M)
-facetiming, Granny Woodruff, Grammie Cutler (K)
-clothes (M)
-Heavenly Father gives us a sister (M)
-daddy goes to work and earns money (B)
-Atonement and Eternal families (K)
-night nights, beds, blanket, room (Q)
-Jesus and the gospel (M)
-Jesus, sports, and job (K?)
-diapers, washing machine, diaper cream, soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste (K)
-Jesus built our homes (M)
-coloring books, crayons (B)
-Jesus gives us families and the whole world and temple and churches and food (M)
-Mrs B. (M)
-library, gymnastics, race center, good friends (K)
-Granny and Papa, Grammie and Grandpa Cutler, FaceTime (K)
-dad make the trampoline, heavenly father let plant grow in the summer and rain and we clean up the yard
-Casey, Bryson, Maxson, Quinn, Easton (K)
-Mom, dad, settlers, married (M)
-mommy and daddy (Q)
-Maxson helps me (B)
-Amazon, instagram, smiths (K)
-Bob and owning our house (K)