Our family Christmas card

I know most of you have seen this already but for those of you that are not on my email list...

Another greeting by Smilebox

Merry Christmas!

good intentions

First....since Cortney has been laid up sick in bed, all the pictures here had to be taken by me. I wish I knew how to use the camera. All of these are noisy and out of focus. :(

I have meant to post a million times. But between Christmas coming and Cortney being totally out of commission when it comes to helping the kids...I just haven't had one free second.

December has been crazy for us. I think I counted something like 17 doctor/dentist appointments so far. Yikes. That is a lot of running around for me. It has been pretty stressful.

I have been trying hard to still have the Christmas spirit around here. I am not a super decorator, and I actually have hardly any decorations (Oliver says it is because I don't like to waste money)...but we managed to make it look pretty beautiful in our house.

We decorated the Christmas tree the Sunday after thanksgiving. Since then I have covered the duct taped base with a red sheet. That tree is Henry proof. I love it.

I realize Rob is out of focus in this picture but I love how happy they both look in this picture.

I have quite a few nativities. I collect them. I have to be pretty selective now that I am getting too many. I either need a bigger house or smaller nativities.

This one here is the one that Cortney made for me for Christmas last year. I love it.

This one here I got in Mazatlan. My mom had one just like this when I was little. I liked to lick it sometimes when I was little. (yuck i know but it tastes like RAIN) This one makes me remember christmas' past.

Oliver gave me this ornament this year. Hilarious right? I love it so much. He couldn't wait for me to open it. He said "you are going to love it so much you might cry".

Rob's Ornament for me. He is such a cutie.

The boys have been building Tech Deck ramps all over the place. They play all day.

For like 5 years I have wanted the Lego advent calendar. I finally bought it this year. I decided I would probably NEVER have enough money for something so frivolous so I might as well just get it. It was 30 dollars and worth EVERY penny.

Every day the kids get to build something. Notice the mom and dad in the back corner holding a loaf of bread and a big ole sausage.

This day we happened to open a set to build a naked santa showering with a scrub brush. Weird?? But so lego. (next to him is a plane, one of the kids presents).

And this is what Cortney has been doing.

Did I mention it was his birthday yesterday?? We had a great night out, I will post about that later (i hope)

Lastly a nativity Cali and I made together. It is so cute. I love it.

I have got to go. I can hear my kids disobeying Cortney upstairs.

harry

Cortney has been begging me forever to get a babysitter so we can go watch the new Harry Potter movie. Cortney loves Harry Potter. He REALLY loves Harry Potter. I have been so stressed out and just had so much going on that getting a babysitter just didn't seem worth the pain. I knew I needed to try to take Cort the night before his surgery but didn't know how to make it work (with Rob being sick still). Cali said she would watch the kids, even though she had a crazy hectic day. I was in the WORST mood but decided to give it a go. We headed up to Jordan Commons so we could watch it at the IMAX (cortney insisted). We ate first at Pei wei, and then on to the movie. The second I got some food in me and was away from my kids I relax and started to have some fun.

Man the movie was so good...amazing on the IMAX. Wow. I loved every second of it. It was scary though. I almost screamed a couple of times because I was startled. Definitely scary for kids though. I was so glad we went. It ended up being so much fun.

Nothing like a horrible phone picture to document the night. Cortney said he wished the movie was 4 hours. :) it makes me so happy.

I have so much more to post about...but I have to go to bed. Tomorrow.

Surgery...part two.

Cortney is having surgery today, at the same hospital that Rob had his surgery. It seems crazy to be here again...and I can tell people are wondering how they know us. It is so much better being here for Cort then for Rob. I know Cortney is going to be brave and be okay. What a relief.

He is getting his septum fixed and his sinuses fixed. He smashed his head snowboarding 12 years ago and had surgery...and his nose and sinuses have been bad ever since. He can't smell hardly anything. He CONSTANTLY has sinus infections. So constant that he doesn't even realize when he has one because it is his normal. When he got in the accident this summer they took a cat scan of his head and the doctor at the ER said, well your sinuses are definitely going to need surgery. We are grateful that he is going to be able to get that done today. YAY!

We got here this morning at 7:45.

I wouldn't be able to do this (or anything for that matter) without Cali's help. She has been watching my kids non stop these past 7 days. Wow.

Also I wanted to say that my neighbor Sarah picked up Oliver everyday from school this past week and I couldn't have survived without her also.

Thank goodness for good friends.

I keep asking Cortney if he is nervous...but he has had TONS of surgeries before. And this time it isn't an emergency which is nice for him. Usually he is really hurt and getting fixed. The surgery they are doing today will just totally improve his quality of life. He can't wait. (he isn't thrilled about the recovery, which sucks, but he can't wait to be able to breathe.)

I took a sweet picture of Cortney in his paper shorts. But it is on my other camera so I will have to post it later. It is awesome though.

Cort's schedule for today. haha

ughh pity party is over...

I am feeling better now. Nothing cures motherhood blues faster then kids asleep in their beds.

Now I am posting a couple of random pictures from our trip home from rexburg.

My three boys, eating fries.

The roads were crazy. Super crazy.

I was taking pictures of the road and this car flipped around right in front of us. We had storms on the way to Idaho and the way back.

We came home to so much snow. It was awesome. I love the snow. I don't love driving in it but I want the snow back. How is it supposed to feel like Christmas without snow?

Poor me.

I have been feeling so sorry for myself these past couple of days. Haha.

I keep telling Cali, how I am just here doing all this horrible stuff, and no one cares.

I know people are praying for us and feel sorry for me and all of that...but there is just something about sitting around in your pajamas for 3 days cleaning up spills and holding a crying 5 year old that just makes you feel ALL ALONE.

My mom doesn't like when I complain. I don't blame her I hate to hear Oliver complain.

Last night Rob was getting some special treatment and Cali said to Oliver "Oliver life isn't fair" to which he responded "yeah, especially for me." Haha.

It is hard for me to be stuck inside. I have been in the worst mood. (which translates to me being grouchy).

The good news is...Rob is feeling a little better today. He is so much work but I have been able to leave his side today. Like right now for instance I am right across the room from him and he is watching TV.

I know I am so blessed, I know I have a WONDERFUL life. Just right now, right this minute it is pretty darn hard.

Got to go he needs a "red otter pop FAST".

Rob just said

"mom can we go to the hospital so I can beat them up?"

The big day...

Today was Rob's surgery.

On Monday I made a HUGE batch of chicken noodle soup because I knew that I wouldn't have time to cook much in the next couple of days and there is nothing better on a cold night. Robbie helped me roll out a million little Christmas shaped noodles. It took forever but was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

We had three cookie sheets of noodles.

I don't think I have mentioned but with Cortney getting hit by a car this summer we met our out of pocket maximum early this year. It didn't hit me until it was almost too late that we should all get our medical problems taken care of before next year starts. Rob has never been able to breath. He always has a stuffy nose and always has a cold. So we took him in to get it checked out. The doctor said he had huge adenoids and we should have them taken out.

At his follow up appointment she said his tonsils were looking more swollen than she would like too...so she might take those out too. Adenoid surgery takes about 48 hours to recover. Tonsillectomies take 12 days. Yikes. I knew that she would want to take out his tonsils and sure enough she did. She said that one of his tonsils was huge and so once it was out she cut it open to see what was going on inside of it and it was filled with PUSS. Yuck. I was really glad she took the tonsils out because I don't want to deal with them in. It is just so much better to get it all done at once. Plus...it was all FREE. You can't beat that.

We were lucky to get a 9:00 surgery time so Rob didn't have to fast too long. Cali took Henry and My neighbor Sarah (and Jed) watched Oliver and took and picked him up from school. Thanks so much people.

Rob in his hospital gown with his build-a-bear that we got special for the surgery...it is his first one and so far he has taken him everywhere with him.

Once we were at the hospital Rob started getting quiet and a little mad. He wasn't talking to anyone...and wouldn't answer the nurses questions. He would just ignore them. Right before it was time I could tell he was getting teary eyed...I was so worried. But the nurse that came to get him started to tickle him a little and he relaxed.

I was feeling pretty emotional when they wheeled him away from me. I remember crying for my mom when I got my appendix out when I was five.

The hospital staff was great. They brought him a blanket, a hot wheel car, a little electronic game and a hospital buddy. He liked that part.

Here is what I saw when I came into the room to find him...

He was so sad after the surgery. Sad and mad. He didn't want me to put that tube by his face. He said "get that tube away from me mom...I mean it." I took it right away after that.

Then they brought him Loritab and he turned into this...

He wanted this picture with his and his dog's matching casts.

He here is when the loritab hadn't yet worn out...he was acting so good, and happy.

He ate so much...Cortney said he will probably be the only kid to gain weight on a liquid diet. He drank a couple of these soup cups, and a bunch of danimals.

Oliver has been so sad. This whole thing has been hard for him. All of the attention Rob is getting...it just doesn't seem fair to him. To make matters worse Henry has a REALLY bad diaper rash and is getting all of Cortney's attention. He was bawling tonight...and acting like he was going to throw up. I laid with him until he went to sleep. Poor baby.

I wrote this post earlier in the night.

Since then everything has been horrible.

Rob wouldn't go to sleep until 11:30 and here I am finishing this post at 3:30 a.m. He was crying and drooling so bad I thought he might be better if he could sit up have a Popsicle and watch a little tv. It is time for him to have more medicine but he wont take it. He can't even swallow at all. I tried giving him water and it just came right out. It is freaking me out. I remember from when I got my tonsils out that it was always worse in the night. I don't know how to survive without us getting any sleep.

Tuesday

On Tuesday Robbie is going to have his Adenoids out and maybe his tonsils. They had me sign the release for the tonsils and will do them if they still look bad. I took him to the hospital for the Pre-op HOP....which is something they do for little patients. They tell them about their surgery and show them pictures, and give them a tour. They get a little hospital buddy and get to use doctor stuff. It was pretty awesome for him and he is actually excited for his surgery.

I am pretty nervous I don't know what to expect. I am sure it will all be just fine and no big deal but it is times like this I wish my mom was here.


oh and for the record book...Henry had his first haircut today. I just trimmed about an inch off of his mullet.

Winter clean up...

Luckily the snow melted so Cortney was able to get the leaves of the lawn before winter. Unluckily it has taken him all morning. I cleaned and cleaned inside and he did the same outside. Every single moment that Henry was awake was spent crying at the window for his dada. He sure loves Cortney.

daadu from ashley boice on Vimeo.

Rexburg

Rexburg was covered in snow when we got there and the kids wanted to go right out and play in it. It was like -20 outside so Cortney showed Robbie a online picture of frostbite. BIG MISTAKE. He was trying to tell him why it was too cold to go out but it backfired because now he is scared of getting "snowbite". Today when I picked him up from school he was complaining that I didn't send him with gloves so he got snowbite on recess....and they are going to have to cut his finger off. I am sure he was totally bugging his teachers about it. Anyways, we finally let the boys out around noon. Grandpa and Grandma said they would pay the boys a dollar if they cleaned off the tramp. I have never seen the boys work so hard (WHICH isn't saying MUCH)...they were out there forever.

On Friday Cortney took the two boys down to his brother's racquet ball club (yeah his brother owns the racquet ball club in town) and they played down there for hours, Carter and Bodin were down there playing with them too. Henry and I just hung out with Whit, Morgan and Roberta and had a great indoor girls day.

Saturday he headed up to Ashton to visit Brian and their kids and go sledding and snow mobiling. We really wanted to head home and beat the storm but our kids threw a hissy fit and we knew we had to stay. Brian was so nice to get them rides for the whole day. The kids had a blast. Oliver said "I really wish we could be their neighbor".

Oliver and Max.

Oliver doing a flip of some sort.

Carson.

Another flip.

Brian Robbie and Kelton...I love how happy Robbie looks in all of these.

Look at that little smile...doesn't that kill you? That is true happiness.

Oliver and Carson

Robbie and Kelton

Kelt.

Mmmmm I love those little lips.

A little while later Rob was sledding down the hill and Oliver was snowboarding and Oliver stopped in front of Rob and Rob crashed into Olivers snowboard with his face. Cortney was watching from up above and he just thought, "Rob's whole face is going to need stitches...I bet it is sliced all the way open"...LUCKILY robs face some how just grazed the snowboard and he just got a HUGE bloody nose and a bad scrape across his nose and mouth...more like a rug burn. It has scabbed up now. Cort said there was blood everywhere.

While they were gone I sat around and read. Then when they got back we watched the BYU Utah game recorded. I felt like someone PUNCHED me in the stomach. I had to go and sit in my room after it was over. Boooooo That is all I can say about it.