Saturday, November 12, 2016
October Newsletter & Slideshow
https://goo.gl/photos/UzwkctkdPAh3DsxEA
Hamilton Newsletter
October
FAMILY: We really had
a fun, fabulous October this year :) The first weekend in October was General
Conference and mom made the traditional Ebbelskivers on Sunday morning. We
loved being a family & listening to the words of the General Authorities.
We got the van fixed this month (the gears were wobbly) and it was quite the
circus act trying to figure out school carpool, lessons, errands, etc, with the
truck which doesn't fit our whole family. Grateful that it's over with for now!
We watched the Hillstead's dog Raffa early in October & the girls had fun
with the energy of a puppy :) On the 8th, we got family pictures taken in St.
George. We took them in the same spot that we took them 5 years ago when we
moved to Southern Utah. It was so fun to see the changes in our family since
2011. But - whew! - we're glad pictures are over for another year! On the 14th,
we let the girls have a late-over & they all had a fun time :) The 15th was
the annual Wave of Light event for Share. We loved going & hearing stories
& having hot cocoa and letting go of balloons. On the 18th, we headed up
north to enjoy our earned reward! The girls entirely filled up our container
with jelly beans (we had to rethink that method of counting) or puff balls,
each representing an act of kindness toward a family member. We are so proud of
our girls & definitely noticed a change in our family when we were more
kind. We hope the "killing contention with kindness" theme keeps
going long after this month :) So - Lagoon was VERY much enjoyed on the 19th of
October. The weather was so perfect and we even got to run into some friends
while we were there, including the Hooks, the Goddards, and Heidi's friend from
HS - Julie Cook. It was a lot of fun and even Oaklyn & Noelle had fun and
were good - taking naps in the stroller. The fun didn't end after Lagoon,
though. First, mom and dad got to go to
the Draper Temple while the girls did puppet shows at Grandma Potts'. Then, we
headed to the Benson cabin for more good times with our friends - we enjoyed
4-wheeling, roasting marshmallows under a starlit sky, playing games, watching
movies, celebrating Kezia & Logan's birthdays, going on their pond boat,
eating yummy food & just unplugging & visiting. We always have such a
great time there. We stopped by Richfield on the way home & we got to visit
with the Devenishs & Reeds On the 25th, we had an Activity Days Halloween
party, complete with yummy treats, dry ice root beer, and fun games. We had all
the girls come & it was so much fun! The 26th was Kezia's 7th birthday! See
her section for more details on her fun day. Saturday, the 29th, Heidi took the
girls trick or treating on Main Street. They got to play games, get candy, and
show off their costumes. Good times! We finished The Witches by Roald Dahl
right before Halloween & it was fun to read -we might make that a new
tradition! Sunday the 30th, we carved
our pumpkins, and the 31st, of course, was Halloween! The Potts and GG came
down and we got to see all the schoolgirls in their costumes at their schools
for their parades. That evening, they went to the Gregersons for a piniata bust
and then trick or treating with dad while Oaklyn & mommy handed out candy.
The weather has really been fantastic this year and we have really been
enjoying it. Mom and dad have also been busy this month showing the rental -
hoping to get a new renter by next month in our upstairs apartment.
Jason: Jason has been
busy this month with work, Elders Quarum responsibilities, rental needs, and
honey-do lists :) But he did get to go on a dirt bike ride with the EQ and the
High Priest group. They rode to Kolob Reservior and beyond and stopped at a
cabin for lunch. He had a great time. He also has been somewhat accident prone
this month, hurting his elbow and spraining his ankle. It was swollen for
almost 3 weeks - & he walked all over Lagoon with it :( - we're glad it's
doing better & hope it healed okay!
Heidi: Heidi had a
lot of fun this month, going to Lagoon, having a mom/sister lunch date, a
temple date, and going to the cabin and just enjoying fall. On the 12th, Heidi
went to the Relief Society make & take night & had fun making crafts
& talking with friends. Heidi also stayed busy getting things ready for
Oaklyn's blessing next month. Heidi is
SO happy that things finally got worked out for carpooling to East. So, right
now, she only has to pick Kezia up one day a week, instead of every day.
McKinley:
-McKinley's SEPs went well this month - Mrs. Isom said she's doing well, and she's working hard at memorizing her math facts so she can get onto higher levels with that.
-McKinley was the MC for Leadership Team at an assembly.
-McKinley & Micaela have become very good friends. Maybe a little TOO good? Mrs. Isom had to separate them into different tables in class. McKinley invited Micaela to our late-over & they had fun.
-Mom recommended a book called When Crickets Cry to McKinley after she finished it, and McKinley REALLY loved it. She raved about it often :) She says it's one of her very favorite books now.
-McKinley is still doing well with her cello - she gets to start using the bow now, which she's excited about :)
-She was SO excited to be Hermione Granger for Halloween this year. Mom bought her a nice Gryffindor robe and tie and even waved her hair to look like Hermione. She was maybe a little too excited for Halloween, though, and didn't get to sleep the night before until almost 1am :( She went trick-or-treating with Olivia and Emmy. They walked around a lot, but didn't get a ton of candy. She broke the fitbit step record, though - 23,000 steps on Halloween!
Ireland:
-At the beginning of the month, Ireland decided to decorate outside for Halloween. She drew chalk R.I.P signs and put dirt under it, drew Frankensteins, ghosts, etc. She also decided to dip her hand in red paint and make "bloody" handprints all over outside. Pretty creepy!! Especially since they have not come off over a month later!
-Ireland continues to enjoy gymnastics. We get to carpool with the Hillsteads & Spencers & that has been nice. She has already passed off most of her skills to go the next level :)
-Ireland invited Mahina and Hannah to her late-over this month and they all had so much fun being silly outside, playing with Noelle, watching movies & eating treats.
-We had been reminding Ireland constantly to stop leaving her tablet on the floor or it was going to get stepped on. Well, unfortunately it happened. It was under a blanket and dad stepped on it by accident. It still turns on but 3/4th of the screen is black and unusable. Unfortunately we don't have insurance this time on it, so she is going to have to go without :(
-One day on the way to school, mom had to remind Ireland for the thousandth time to leave Oaklyn alone and sit down. She said "I can't help it! Oaklyn is just so attractive! She sucks us in and makes us addicted to her!"
-For the first time EVER, Ireland said she has a crush. His name is Riley. Apparently, his best friend is the biggest trouble-maker in the 4th grade, so we're not sure how we feel about that.
-Mom and dad were having an interview with Ireland & talking to her about things. Mom asked how she was really doing, how her heart was. She pointed to her chest and said "Well, it's a rocky situation in here."
-McKinley & Ireland have been enjoying having their rooms close, but sometimes it breeds contention. One night, McKinley was trying to write a letter to Addison & Ireland kept trying to talk to McKinley. McKinley got frustrated & came to tell mom and dad. McKinley told Ireland that she was trying to write a letter and Ireland responded "well, I am trying to write YOU a letter, with my words."
-On the 27th, Ireland was complaining about not feeling well. She laid on the couch and was tired and feeling yucky, so she didn't go to school that day. She slept a lot in the morning, then she was feeling better. But mom really enjoyed having this one-on-one time with Ireland, cuddling, reading books in bed, and just talking. :)
-Apparently, Ireland had a club at recess with Mahina and Hannah, but there were hurt feelings and it had to be disbanded.
-Ireland was grumpy one morning & mom asked what was wrong. Ireland said she was up all night using the bathroom. Mom asked if it was #1 or #2. She responded "No... it was more like #3."
-Ireland was a Roman Goddess for Halloween. She was very beautiful in her gold & white costume. She even contributed $5 to buying it and we spray painted her sandals gold to match. She got to wear it to her gymnastics party, and then of course on Halloween. Mom waved her hair and she had her gold headband. She went trick-or-treating with Mahina & Tammy (who were both also goddesses) and Sophia. She had a fabulous night!
-McKinley's SEPs went well this month - Mrs. Isom said she's doing well, and she's working hard at memorizing her math facts so she can get onto higher levels with that.
-McKinley was the MC for Leadership Team at an assembly.
-McKinley & Micaela have become very good friends. Maybe a little TOO good? Mrs. Isom had to separate them into different tables in class. McKinley invited Micaela to our late-over & they had fun.
-Mom recommended a book called When Crickets Cry to McKinley after she finished it, and McKinley REALLY loved it. She raved about it often :) She says it's one of her very favorite books now.
-McKinley is still doing well with her cello - she gets to start using the bow now, which she's excited about :)
-She was SO excited to be Hermione Granger for Halloween this year. Mom bought her a nice Gryffindor robe and tie and even waved her hair to look like Hermione. She was maybe a little too excited for Halloween, though, and didn't get to sleep the night before until almost 1am :( She went trick-or-treating with Olivia and Emmy. They walked around a lot, but didn't get a ton of candy. She broke the fitbit step record, though - 23,000 steps on Halloween!
Ireland:
-At the beginning of the month, Ireland decided to decorate outside for Halloween. She drew chalk R.I.P signs and put dirt under it, drew Frankensteins, ghosts, etc. She also decided to dip her hand in red paint and make "bloody" handprints all over outside. Pretty creepy!! Especially since they have not come off over a month later!
-Ireland continues to enjoy gymnastics. We get to carpool with the Hillsteads & Spencers & that has been nice. She has already passed off most of her skills to go the next level :)
-Ireland invited Mahina and Hannah to her late-over this month and they all had so much fun being silly outside, playing with Noelle, watching movies & eating treats.
-We had been reminding Ireland constantly to stop leaving her tablet on the floor or it was going to get stepped on. Well, unfortunately it happened. It was under a blanket and dad stepped on it by accident. It still turns on but 3/4th of the screen is black and unusable. Unfortunately we don't have insurance this time on it, so she is going to have to go without :(
-One day on the way to school, mom had to remind Ireland for the thousandth time to leave Oaklyn alone and sit down. She said "I can't help it! Oaklyn is just so attractive! She sucks us in and makes us addicted to her!"
-For the first time EVER, Ireland said she has a crush. His name is Riley. Apparently, his best friend is the biggest trouble-maker in the 4th grade, so we're not sure how we feel about that.
-Mom and dad were having an interview with Ireland & talking to her about things. Mom asked how she was really doing, how her heart was. She pointed to her chest and said "Well, it's a rocky situation in here."
-McKinley & Ireland have been enjoying having their rooms close, but sometimes it breeds contention. One night, McKinley was trying to write a letter to Addison & Ireland kept trying to talk to McKinley. McKinley got frustrated & came to tell mom and dad. McKinley told Ireland that she was trying to write a letter and Ireland responded "well, I am trying to write YOU a letter, with my words."
-On the 27th, Ireland was complaining about not feeling well. She laid on the couch and was tired and feeling yucky, so she didn't go to school that day. She slept a lot in the morning, then she was feeling better. But mom really enjoyed having this one-on-one time with Ireland, cuddling, reading books in bed, and just talking. :)
-Apparently, Ireland had a club at recess with Mahina and Hannah, but there were hurt feelings and it had to be disbanded.
-Ireland was grumpy one morning & mom asked what was wrong. Ireland said she was up all night using the bathroom. Mom asked if it was #1 or #2. She responded "No... it was more like #3."
-Ireland was a Roman Goddess for Halloween. She was very beautiful in her gold & white costume. She even contributed $5 to buying it and we spray painted her sandals gold to match. She got to wear it to her gymnastics party, and then of course on Halloween. Mom waved her hair and she had her gold headband. She went trick-or-treating with Mahina & Tammy (who were both also goddesses) and Sophia. She had a fabulous night!
Kezia:
-We are so proud of our Kezia! Not only was her SEPs OUTSTANDING (her teachers raved about how smart she is- she is on a 4th grade+ reading level and wonderful she is), her primary teacher also called because she was doing a lesson about talents and went on and on about what a delight it is to have Kezia in her class & what a great reader she is and what a great sense of humor she has. We are truly blessed to have her in our family.
-On October 4th, Grandma & Grandpa Devenish came for Grandparent breakfast at Kezia's school. She was so happy to have them there & enjoyed spending some time with them :)
-Kezia got to have Macie and Ruby over for our late-over. It was fun to see the 3 together again (KitKat, M&M & Resses) :)
-Another reason to be proud of Kezia this month - she got the Catch the Vision award at an East Elementary assembly. They only choose one boy & one girl from each class. Way to go Kezia!
-A big change this month was that Oaklyn is now sleeping in Noelle's crib, so Noelle is now sleeping in Kezia's bed. It's taken a bit of adjusting, since Noelle has never really slept in anyone's bed before. Kezia has been so good to help her adjust & let her sleep with her, even with all the book messes she makes & how she sometimes wakes up at night.
-Kezia's had some tricky situations this month with her new friend, Ivy. Apparently, Ivy doesn't want anyone to play with Kezia, Ivy & Macie at recess. Kezia has tried to include others, but apparently Ivy doesn't like it. We've tried to talk through the scenarios and what Kezia can to do include others and still keep Ivy as a friend.
-HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY KEZIA!!! We celebrated Kezia's birthday at the Benson Cabin, at Grandma Devenish's house with chocolate sheet cake, and at home. For her birthday, Kezia got a rock/gem kit, lots of stickers, a Mad Lib book, a gigantic art kit, a mother/daughter locket, and a poster from the Canary Island that we could put on her ceiling - from mom & dad. McKinley got her a My Little Pony kit! She got a cute sparkly hat & some clothes from Grandma Devenish. & Grandma Potts got her roller skates like her sisters! Her friend Ivy came over for a playdate on her birthday and they had fun playing - Ivy even brought her some silly putty, a puzzle, and a balloon. And her new primary teachers, the Vernons, brought her some candy and a balloon. For breakfast she wanted Captain Crunch berries, for lunch she went out to Denny's with daddy, and for dinner, she wanted waffles! Her cake was sugary to the max! Chocolate cake with kitkats surrounding it and rainbow skittles on the top! We were all in a bit of a sugar coma by the evening :) Happy Birthday Kezia!
-Kezia was Captain Irony for Halloween this year. It's from a Studio C skit. She had a stretchy pink unitard, a sparkly pink skirt, and some sock arm bands. She had a capital I on her outfit. She really looked cute! Most people had no idea what she was supposed to be, but it was fun anyway, and she liked to say "IRONY TAUGHT!" :) She got to go trick-or-treating with Mahina & Sophia & had so much fun :)
Link:
We loved getting together with other loss families for the Wave of Light this month. They even printed pictures of babies and we saw yours and we shared your story as well. We miss you SO much! Mom decided to do something extra special for your birthday next month. We're excited about it!
-We are so proud of our Kezia! Not only was her SEPs OUTSTANDING (her teachers raved about how smart she is- she is on a 4th grade+ reading level and wonderful she is), her primary teacher also called because she was doing a lesson about talents and went on and on about what a delight it is to have Kezia in her class & what a great reader she is and what a great sense of humor she has. We are truly blessed to have her in our family.
-On October 4th, Grandma & Grandpa Devenish came for Grandparent breakfast at Kezia's school. She was so happy to have them there & enjoyed spending some time with them :)
-Kezia got to have Macie and Ruby over for our late-over. It was fun to see the 3 together again (KitKat, M&M & Resses) :)
-Another reason to be proud of Kezia this month - she got the Catch the Vision award at an East Elementary assembly. They only choose one boy & one girl from each class. Way to go Kezia!
-A big change this month was that Oaklyn is now sleeping in Noelle's crib, so Noelle is now sleeping in Kezia's bed. It's taken a bit of adjusting, since Noelle has never really slept in anyone's bed before. Kezia has been so good to help her adjust & let her sleep with her, even with all the book messes she makes & how she sometimes wakes up at night.
-Kezia's had some tricky situations this month with her new friend, Ivy. Apparently, Ivy doesn't want anyone to play with Kezia, Ivy & Macie at recess. Kezia has tried to include others, but apparently Ivy doesn't like it. We've tried to talk through the scenarios and what Kezia can to do include others and still keep Ivy as a friend.
-HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY KEZIA!!! We celebrated Kezia's birthday at the Benson Cabin, at Grandma Devenish's house with chocolate sheet cake, and at home. For her birthday, Kezia got a rock/gem kit, lots of stickers, a Mad Lib book, a gigantic art kit, a mother/daughter locket, and a poster from the Canary Island that we could put on her ceiling - from mom & dad. McKinley got her a My Little Pony kit! She got a cute sparkly hat & some clothes from Grandma Devenish. & Grandma Potts got her roller skates like her sisters! Her friend Ivy came over for a playdate on her birthday and they had fun playing - Ivy even brought her some silly putty, a puzzle, and a balloon. And her new primary teachers, the Vernons, brought her some candy and a balloon. For breakfast she wanted Captain Crunch berries, for lunch she went out to Denny's with daddy, and for dinner, she wanted waffles! Her cake was sugary to the max! Chocolate cake with kitkats surrounding it and rainbow skittles on the top! We were all in a bit of a sugar coma by the evening :) Happy Birthday Kezia!
-Kezia was Captain Irony for Halloween this year. It's from a Studio C skit. She had a stretchy pink unitard, a sparkly pink skirt, and some sock arm bands. She had a capital I on her outfit. She really looked cute! Most people had no idea what she was supposed to be, but it was fun anyway, and she liked to say "IRONY TAUGHT!" :) She got to go trick-or-treating with Mahina & Sophia & had so much fun :)
Link:
We loved getting together with other loss families for the Wave of Light this month. They even printed pictures of babies and we saw yours and we shared your story as well. We miss you SO much! Mom decided to do something extra special for your birthday next month. We're excited about it!
Noelle:
-Big changes for Noelle this month as she has moved from a crib to a BIG girl bed - sharing the bed with Kezia in her room. She has done better than we thought for the most part! She is still getting used to it, but doing well, other than having a hard time getting to sleep some nights/afternoons.
-When we were watching our friend's dog (the Hillstead's), he kept jumping on Noelle & nipping at her fingers. She got fed up with his antics and yelled "We don't eat people, Raffa!!"
-One day in the car, Noelle was asking mom what all the animals say (even though she knows them). She said "what does a turtle say?" Mom said she didn't really know & Noelle got uspet. She said "turtles say turtle turtle!"
-Noelle likes to feed her baby doll while mom feeds Oaklyn. She will lift up her shirt and put the baby to her belly button :)
-Noelle REALLY is great at puzzles! She can do almost ALL of the United States of America puzzle all by herself and she knows the names of probably 15 states.
-Noelle had a couple days of puking this month :(
-Mom was in her room feeding Oaklyn & she could hear Noelle walk through the house yelling "Mom!!" and then she walk into the living room & yells angrily "Kezia! Where did you put my mom?"
-Noelle's prayers are pretty cute. She usually has her eyes open & prays for what she sees. But one day she prayed "and please bless me and kezia and Ireland and McKinley have bacon. Please bless bacon."
-Noelle still really loves cars. She likes to line them up on the windowsill and put them in-between the black keys on the piano.
-She has been making families out of everything now. If she has a group of cars or food or blocks, she will get the biggest one & make it the daddy, and the smaller one the mommy & on to the sisters.
-Noelle was Dora for Halloween this year. It was kind of hard to tell her costume because she wouldn't wear the dark brown wig that came with the costume. She did use her Dora plastic backback to collect her candy, though, and Oaklyn was boots, so it was cute to see them together :) Daddy took Noelle around the big block and she filled up her backpack with candy and had a lot of fun :)
-Big changes for Noelle this month as she has moved from a crib to a BIG girl bed - sharing the bed with Kezia in her room. She has done better than we thought for the most part! She is still getting used to it, but doing well, other than having a hard time getting to sleep some nights/afternoons.
-When we were watching our friend's dog (the Hillstead's), he kept jumping on Noelle & nipping at her fingers. She got fed up with his antics and yelled "We don't eat people, Raffa!!"
-One day in the car, Noelle was asking mom what all the animals say (even though she knows them). She said "what does a turtle say?" Mom said she didn't really know & Noelle got uspet. She said "turtles say turtle turtle!"
-Noelle likes to feed her baby doll while mom feeds Oaklyn. She will lift up her shirt and put the baby to her belly button :)
-Noelle REALLY is great at puzzles! She can do almost ALL of the United States of America puzzle all by herself and she knows the names of probably 15 states.
-Noelle had a couple days of puking this month :(
-Mom was in her room feeding Oaklyn & she could hear Noelle walk through the house yelling "Mom!!" and then she walk into the living room & yells angrily "Kezia! Where did you put my mom?"
-Noelle's prayers are pretty cute. She usually has her eyes open & prays for what she sees. But one day she prayed "and please bless me and kezia and Ireland and McKinley have bacon. Please bless bacon."
-Noelle still really loves cars. She likes to line them up on the windowsill and put them in-between the black keys on the piano.
-She has been making families out of everything now. If she has a group of cars or food or blocks, she will get the biggest one & make it the daddy, and the smaller one the mommy & on to the sisters.
-Noelle was Dora for Halloween this year. It was kind of hard to tell her costume because she wouldn't wear the dark brown wig that came with the costume. She did use her Dora plastic backback to collect her candy, though, and Oaklyn was boots, so it was cute to see them together :) Daddy took Noelle around the big block and she filled up her backpack with candy and had a lot of fun :)
Oaklyn:
-Oaklyn had her 2 month checkup this month. She was 11 lbs. 11 oz, and had to get 4 shots. Poor baby :(
-Oaklyn moved from the vibrator chair to the crib this month! She also went from being fully swaddled at night to going into the sleep sack with both her arms out. It took a little while to adjust, but she's done really well! Now she is used to her crib and her room & mom and dad have their room back :), but with the monitor on her all the time.
-She still doesn't do too well at tummy time - she either cries a lot or she just turns her head to the side & lays down. Her legs are getting really strong, though, and she stands up (with help) a lot.
-Oaklyn is smiling a lot and has started to laugh. We love it!! She is so adorable. We also get told a LOT how much she looks like her brother.
-Oaklyn has started to really move around in her crib. She hasn't turned over yet, but she wiggles & moves a lot on her back!
-She loves her binki and the muslin breathable blankets.
-We also set up a gift from Jason's coworker which has a projector that displays on the ceiling with 3 different slides that rotate around. She loves watching it.
-Noelle probably wins 2nd place with how much she loves ceiling fans. While mom folds laundry, she will set Oaklyn on the bed & turn on & off the fan and Oaklyn just smiles and is fascinated with it :)
-Oaklyn doesn't love the car unless we are moving.
-Oaklyn has really gotten the hang of hitting the jungle gym things to make music - and pulling on the cow to make it go. She really loves the cow chair. She smiles so big when we put her in it.
-She's already started to notice the TV. Noelle was watching Chu Chu TV & she was just watching it & smiling so much :)
-She was only waking up once a night, but has regressed to twice. Her naps are still intermittent, though she usually gets a long one in a few times a week. Sure wish we knew when that was :)
-Oaklyn is sure talking more these days. We just love her coos, squeals, and babbles. We love this girl!
-Oaklyn had her 2 month checkup this month. She was 11 lbs. 11 oz, and had to get 4 shots. Poor baby :(
-Oaklyn moved from the vibrator chair to the crib this month! She also went from being fully swaddled at night to going into the sleep sack with both her arms out. It took a little while to adjust, but she's done really well! Now she is used to her crib and her room & mom and dad have their room back :), but with the monitor on her all the time.
-She still doesn't do too well at tummy time - she either cries a lot or she just turns her head to the side & lays down. Her legs are getting really strong, though, and she stands up (with help) a lot.
-Oaklyn is smiling a lot and has started to laugh. We love it!! She is so adorable. We also get told a LOT how much she looks like her brother.
-Oaklyn has started to really move around in her crib. She hasn't turned over yet, but she wiggles & moves a lot on her back!
-She loves her binki and the muslin breathable blankets.
-We also set up a gift from Jason's coworker which has a projector that displays on the ceiling with 3 different slides that rotate around. She loves watching it.
-Noelle probably wins 2nd place with how much she loves ceiling fans. While mom folds laundry, she will set Oaklyn on the bed & turn on & off the fan and Oaklyn just smiles and is fascinated with it :)
-Oaklyn doesn't love the car unless we are moving.
-Oaklyn has really gotten the hang of hitting the jungle gym things to make music - and pulling on the cow to make it go. She really loves the cow chair. She smiles so big when we put her in it.
-She's already started to notice the TV. Noelle was watching Chu Chu TV & she was just watching it & smiling so much :)
-She was only waking up once a night, but has regressed to twice. Her naps are still intermittent, though she usually gets a long one in a few times a week. Sure wish we knew when that was :)
-Oaklyn is sure talking more these days. We just love her coos, squeals, and babbles. We love this girl!
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