A LONG Update!

I have to start this post by apologizing to those of you that like to look at this since we live a million miles away. I have been a huge slacker at blogging. We have had a fun, stressful, happy, and sad week all in one.

First off, on the day after Owen's first birthday my brother Nathan and sister Michelle came on their first ever adventure to Omaha. I think that they liked it. We didn't seem to take very many pictures which is stinky. I know that Michelle took some on her camera, so if she could get those to me that would be great! (hint hint) We took them to the Henry Doorly Zoo, Vala's Pumpkin Patch, Old Chicago (during the Nebraska game....which was an adventure in and of itself. Old Chicago is a pizza place and a sports bar in one. If you have ever met anyone from the midwest you will know that football is a whole different game out here. You have a team and you cheer for it and you put up your team flag on your house or car, and you MUST where your team's t-shirt on game day. It was fun to be at the pizza place during the game. All of the waiters and waitresses had on their Nebraska t-shirts and people were yelling and cheering like crazy!) Michelle and I also took a trip to Gordman's for some shopping and Nathan got to hang out and watch some football. The kids LOVED having them here. Nathan spent a few hours on Sunday building some cardboard animals with Kael. They are now displayed on his shelf. This morning Kael came in and saw them and said "Mom, I just miss Uncle Nay Nay. I think it was so great that we were the team and builded all of those animals. When is he coming back??" Maybe he will get his mission call to Omaha?? :) Here are some pics of their visit to Omaha....

My Grandma sent some singing Halloween frogs for the boys with Michelle and Nathan. The boys LOVE them and were so excited, if you can't tell by the picture!
Listening to the singing frogs!


Owen getting in on the action.


Getting ready for the zoo. It was COLD! Not as bad as the night before at the pumpkin patch though. It was only about 40 degrees when we went to the pumpkin patch!!

Checking out the fish in the pond.

Nay Nay, Kael, Aidan, and Owen checking out some animals.

Walking through the Desert Dome.

Kael and Aidan love Diego. Kael kept pretending that he had a "field journal" with him that he had to put all of the animals into. He wanted Nathan to have one too, so they had to walk around putting all of the animals they saw into their field journals. What a good uncle to play along!

Michelle showing her excitement for the zoo!

This poor butterfly probably saw it's life flash before it's eyes!

The boys! (minus Owen)

Just a pretty picture in the jungle.

Kael and Nathan walking across the rope bridge.

"The Team"

Cute Owen

Aidan was ready to go home!

In the Jungle

Still ready to go home!

Best buddies

A crazy bird.

We had a really fun time and we were glad they came to visit us!

On Monday my good friend here in Omaha (Amanda's) water broke. She was only 32 weeks pregnant and it was so scary for me as it brought back a million memories for us. Most of them weren't the best! She is still in the hospital trying to keep her baby girl in there for a little bit longer. I am actually glad that I have been through the experiences that I have with Aidan so that I can try to help her and answer questions that she has while we are out here together without family. She is doing good and we are getting bored without her coming to visit!!

On Monday night we made some little pre-made pumpkin cookies for FHE. We ate a couple of them and then put them into a ziploc bag on the counter. We were starting to get ready for bed and Joseph went in to find Owen and Aidan. Apparantly Aidan is getting really tall and he could reach the cookies. Also, he is getting pretty coordinated and he can open a Ziploc bag. At least they were enjoying themselves!!!

Aidan and Owen with the cookies spread out on the floor. I am not sure why Kael is just laying to the side and not eating any!

So happy with himself!!

Aidan has realized that he was caught.....Owen is just stuffing them in as fast as he can!!! :)

On Tuesday we took Aidan to see an orthopedic doctor about his scoliosis. We were sad to hear that the curve in his spine has gotten worse in the last few months. The doctor told us that he is going to have to have surgery on his spine and maybe soon. We don't want Aidan to have to go through this at all. He referred us to a specialist who we will meet with on November 3rd to discuss our options for him. Any prayers on Aidan's behalf would be greatly appreciated. He has made so much progress lately in everything and we just don't want him to have to suffer this major set back.

On Wednesday I got to go to my very first Parent Teacher Conference!! Yippee!! I guess I really am getting old! The first one that I went to was for Kael. His teacher told me that he is a lot of fun and that he loves to sit right next to her and say "Miss Katie....I really like you." That didn't surprise me at all. He has always been very affectionate. Last night at the store he gave our poor bagger (a wayward looking teenage girl) a hug. She was more than a little surprised, but at least she smiled. Miss Katie also told me that Kael is reading words around the classroom and that he is one of only two kids (the other is his friend Jantsen) that can add. She said that she has started giving him a math worksheet and he loves to add all of the numbers. The only problem is that the poor kid took after his mom and is extremely left handed so he is having a hard time learning to hold his pencil the right way! I also went to a parent teacher conference for Aidan. He has only been going to school for 2 weeks so it was pretty short and sweet. They told me how much he likes the songs and how they can tell that he is trying to say more everyday and then we mostly talked about how much they want to help and what different programs we can get him into to help him with speech, and his scoliosis. I am so thankful that we are living here and that the teachers are so interested in getting help for him and helping him succeed.

On Friday and Saturday I got the oppurtunity to attend Time Out for Women with my friend Aubrey. It was so much fun. It was like a mini EFY. We got to listen to a lot of speakers and just get away and feel the spirit. We got special tickets since Aubrey knew one of the speakers so we got to sit on the front row and eat lunch with all of the speakers. It was awesome. I got to sit by and got a hug from Ardith Kapp. She is so awesome. Thanks Aubrey for inviting me!!

Today was Kael's very first Primary program. He did such a great job. He had the very first speaking part and he was so brave. He walked right up and adjusted the microphone by himself and everything. He wasn't even nervous. And I could hear him singing on a couple of the songs! He knew a lot of the words and LOVES to sing. Also, it was Joseph's first primary program in a few years. He did great too, especially on his trio during Called To Serve. :)

I also got two new callings. The first one is the Relief Society pianist. That one is not bad at all. Thanks to my parents for forking out the money for piano lessons I can play and not really even have to worry about it. My other calling I am not so sure about. I am the new Cub Scout Den Leader. Well, co-leader. My good friend Jenny Egbert is the other leader. We are excited, but we really have no clue what we are doing! It's going to be an adventure.

Well if you have made it this far you must have been really bored! :) Sorry for such a long post, but this is our family journal. We should have more pictures next time because it's Halloween and my parents are coming on Thursday!! YAY for Grandpa Steve and Grandma Sid! We are so excited! :)