Here Comes the Bride

Here are a few of Naomi's bridal pictures.

I'm biased, but I think she's BEAUTIFUL!

(I'm sorry if you don't like the ones I chose Naomi,

but I can't tell which is best from a thumbnail!)

Ketchup #4

Nick finally received his Eagle Scout award at the beginning of November.

It was the same day that Dane gave his homecoming speech so it was a lonnnggg day.

Because it took so long for the court of honor, Dane was here and was able to present Nick with the award which was really special.

I won't be including a picture of Nick pinning the eagle mother's pin on me, because I was very emotional and looked like a blubbering idiot! Not an attractive picture. But, we are very proud of Nick!

Ketchup #3

I had big plans for our Halloween costumes this year.

Kent and I and the three boys were going to be super heroes.

I bought a pattern online that had capes, boots, belts, bodysuits; or in other words, the works.

Things were so crazy in my life that at the last minute, and I mean last minute (I was still sewing as the ward party was starting) I decided we were going the easy route.

I bought tights and basketball shorts and sewed simple capes.

Katie helped me use stitch witchery to iron on letters onto the capes.

Kent was super bishop, I was super mom, Dane was super RM, Nick was super sports star, and Caleb was super Sky View fan.

I had an interesting conversation with Caleb about the tights. He was looking over the back of the box and said, "Mom, according to this you could have bought me size small instead of medium." Not a conversation I thought I'd ever have with my son!

The next night was Halloween and Katie had planned a really fun party for our family. We played fun games, ate dinner using a weird menu so that we didn't know what we were ordering, and we all went trick or treating together. It certainly wasn't as warm as it was last year! The lovebirds were plenty warm though and danced up and down the sidewalks. Embarrassing! :)

Katie made Aaron's Popeye and her Olive Oyl costumes. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of Braiden who was asleep when we were taking pictures.

Chris had light up eyes, but one of his eyes burned out and so he was comically scary with Nanette:
Ethan (Handy Manny) and Logan (Baby Ninja) didn't really want their pictures taken: The toolbox with the glued on wiggly eyeballs was cute in theory, but useless and even annoying when it came to trick or treating! I think next year Kent and I should be super raggedy Ann and Andy and combine our costumes of the last two years and not worry about coming up with new costumes!

Ketchup #2

Dane's homecoming talk in Sacrament Meeting was on "Righteous Family Traditions" and he did a great job. He could have used another hour to speak because he had so many mission experiences he wanted to share. Kent, Dane, Nick, Caleb, Aaron, Raulon, and two men from our ward sang "Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth", accompanied by Naomi. It was beautiful. I love the sound of men's choirs.

Afterwards friends and family gathered at the senior citizen's center for lunch. Thanks to my good friend Tammy we had delicious pulled pork sandwiches. I'm not a huge fan of pork roast, but when it is cooked like that I love it!

Caleb isn't in any of these pictures because he's my go to guy when I'm too tired to get up and take pictures. Thanks Caleb!

My amazing favorite cousin Lisa took our family pictures when the lunch was over. She was so patient with our growing family and uncooperative (at times) little boys. Here are some samples:

Here's a blooper picture that showed some of the troubles we had getting all three boys to cooperate at the same time since it was nap time:

Sweet little Logan looks so innocent in this picture, but he had just kicked Braiden in the back and knocked him over. I tried to catch him but my reflexes were slow. Kent wasn't aware of what was going on and stayed posed!

Ketchup #1

Wow. (Shake of head).

Just wow.

How did I get so far behind?

Time to try to get caught up.

I just spent a night and two days

in the ICU at Logan Regional Hospital.

Kent took me to the emergency room

on Tuesday because I was having

chest pains like I've never had before.

After five hours in the ER,

a few blood tests and EKGs,

I was told that my heart was unremarkable.

I've mentioned in the past

that I hate being told that.

Now not only is my brain unremarkable,

but so is my heart!

The medical profession needs

a new word for "looks normal".

Anyway, still having symptoms,

they sent me to the ICU to be monitored

and so they could find ways to torture me

with more tests so they could tell me

I was unremarkable but ...

I'm sorry (not) to say there are no pictures

but they did let me keep

my pajama pants on the whole time

I was there which was a relief.

The stress treadmill test was inhumane,

especially for someone having chest pains,

but the cardiologist kept assuring me

that I could do it.

The young, female technician

for the treadmill test was really funny.

She said the test

must have been invented by a man,

because only they would think it okay

to put a woman in a hospital gown,

without a bra, on a treadmill and tell her to run!

Logan Regional now knows

my heart inside and out.

The echo cardiogram was so interesting

and we were able

to see all the chambers

and valves of my heart.

That test finally showed that there

was a small amount of fluid

in the sac around my heart

that could account for the pain.

It is most likely caused by a virus.

Did I mention

that my lungs are unremarkable?

Except for a small nodule

that they'll keep an eye on and retest again.

All in all,

my heart is in good shape

for a 43 year old woman

who is out of shape

and has high cholesterol

and high triglycerides.

And as long as I sleep sitting up,

I can tolerate the pain.

Remarkable!