Westin's Birthday, Thanksgiving, & Great Wolf Lodge

We've got a 10-year-old!

Westin is double digits and it's truly hard to wrap our minds around that. This kid is bright, inquisitive, has the most insane memory, knows everything about the NFL and college football, loves learning, wants to be in the room where it happens at all times, knows how to get Asher all the way ready for bed, loves book club at school, loves to help me in the kitchen, has a total foodie personality, is a good, good friend, loves to play games, hates piano lessons, memorizes so quickly, and just makes our life a lot more fun. We love being Westin's parents.

On Monday he opened up a chess set, a current events magazine subscription, a BYU jersey, a BYU sweatshirt, and a card tricks kit. He has wanted to play chess nonstop ever since. We went to the library that morning and then he wanted to watch Migration with Bennett and me that afternoon "with no multi-tasking!" (guilty... I'm always trying to get things done when a movie is on). So, we laid down and watched Migration and did nothing else at all. It was a great afternoon. Then we went to Texas Roadhouse that night and he loved sitting on the saddle for the birthday yee-haw. He blew out candles in a pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake when we got home. What a fun kid, and so fun to be with him on his birthday. I love that the boys have a full week off of school for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday was Thanksgiving prep! We made the pies, stuffing, sweet potatoes, candied almonds for the salad, and salad dressing. Then later in the week we made the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (I am always surprised at this one's spot in the lineup). We took an easy way out with a Costco turkey breast and Trader Joe's gravy. Our friends brought Brussels Sprouts and rolls and more pie. So much food!

We loved having the Cornwalls over. They have four kids around our kids' ages and they all have so much fun together. I loved playing Wavelength with all of them. My favorite clue was Bennett trying to describe "Huggable, Not Huggable" and he chose a Christmas tree and we put it exactly where it should be on the just slightly non-huggable side. Then he hugged our Christmas tree to show us all how right he was. You can kinda hug it, but it's not really huggable.

Friday morning we woke up, put on swimsuits, packed a change of clothes, and drove to Colorado Springs. We had a lot of fun at Great Wolf Lodge, we weren't quite sure what we should expect. But once we got the hang of things, we really had a lot of fun there. I'm so proud of my kids going on anything they're tall enough for. I was NOT that way! One water slide had you step inside a vault and then the ground comes out from under you and you drop before sliding through a tube. No one dared go on it the first day... but I think during my sleep I resolved to go on it? Because I woke up and said I wasn't doing anything until I did that, so I walked right onto it completely dry and just did it. Bennett did go first though :) Then Michael and Westin did it as well, but Bennett is the only one who went on it a couple more times. Once was enough for the rest of us!

We ate Shake Shack on the way out of town the next day and that burger always makes me so happy. When we got home, we quickly unpacked and then Michael and I met the Gregorys for Vietnamese food and Wicked. It was SO GOOD. I had decided to not see it until next year so I could see both parts together, but you can see how long I lasted. I am excited to blast that soundtrack all week.

I loved this weekend with our boys. My heart never thinks of Deseret, Utah more than on Thanksgiving, or my Grandma Eliason and all my cousins. My kids are growing up with very different Thanksgivings than I knew. But, mine were happy and so are theirs. We're really lucky.

 

Ten years old!

I'm still shocked he wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse so they could do the birthday Yee-Haw.
He would NOT have picked that for any other birthday so far :)

He chose pumpkin chocolate chip for his cake,
also shocked by that.
Do I even know this ten-year-old?! I do :)

Camden living that thug life with his roll.

Every year my pie crusts fail.
But this year!
...This year the failure was spectacular.
My worst yet.

Westin helped me make SO much food for Thanksgiving.
I loved having a little sous-chef buddy!

I was driving lost in thought after preschool, and I heard Camden say, "I love you, mom."
I turned around and he had put on this pilgrim hat and the vision just filled my heart haha.
Such a goofy, sweet guy.

We checked on the Gregory's cats through Thanksgiving,
the boys were big fans.

Westin loves his new current events magazine subscription he got for his birthday.
He's been combing through all the November issues.

A little Christmas spot in my house that makes me happy.

Doesn't this pie look good!?
It's not.
Another spectacular failure.
I'm cursed, but I will someday break it.

Michael headed up the chocolate curls effort for the chocolate pie.

We walked along the river Thanksgiving morning and I was so glad we did.
I was going to just cook all morning but Michael is good at getting us out of the house,
and there was still plenty of time to get things done.

Luna ran wild and free with these boys and she was in heaven.
She cannot figure out how to swim, though.
I thought dogs just knew? We have to teach her??

Ready for friends!

We colored an extra large Thanksgiving poster this year.

The spread is ready!
Childhood Maddie didn't even eat the sweet potatoes or stuffing but grown up Maddie appreciates them.

We loved having the Cornwalls over for dinner.
This crew has a lot of fun together!

I really loved playing Wavelength with them all -- that game is so fun with age differences.
Kids are so funny.

Another day another cat check.
Westin likes these solo trips with mom.

Great Wolf Lodge!
This racetrack ride was so much fun. I loved watching Camden love it.

Little Wolf Cubs heading out to Fuzzy's for dinner.
This was the first time we skipped Torchy's for Fuzzy's and we won't do that again!

Asher loved the wave pool by the end

Heading out!
Bennett always takes a video with his camera of any hotel or airbnb we stay at the day we leave.
He leaves no spot unfilmed -- behind doors, the toilets, the closets. It cracks me up.

Shake Shack on the way out of town!
This meal made me verrry happy. I love a Shake Shack burger.

Almost to Thanksgiving Break

Last week of school before break time!
The boys are looking forward to time off next week.

This week was full of happy routine -- a Target trip with the young women to make a care package, Westin had fun packing up trucks for the school food drive, Bennett moved up in reading levels in his online class (he's working so hard!), Westin received a Star award for sportsmanship at his school assembly and it was on a Wednesday so Michael could be there too (more about that under the assembly picture), lots of calls for Michael on double call, Asher's first birthday party invite (for Jane, and Michael stayed with him :)), BYU heartbreak, and a fun tree lighting party outside of the mall with friends.

Quirks to remember right now: 

Westin is always making noise. Loud noises, weird noises, sing-song noises, all kinds of noises. I try to let inconsequential behavior slide but sometimes I just snap and shush him and at one point he said, "Sorry! It's just, annoying noises are one of my hobbies!" And he's serious.

Bennett is Legoing a lot but just likes to build his own things rather than follow set instructions. He's also an awesome puzzler and I love him for it! He's the only one chipping away at a 1,000-piecer I have out. Well Camden and Westin make rare appearances. Asher and Michael are no help!

Camden is tiiired by bedtime. I know he's an angel at school, and he's great with me in the morning and most afternoons. Evenings are rough and we really should put the two little guys to bed earlier than we do. Bless his cute glasses-wearing heart.

Asher is so CHATTY. He his an exponential language growth spurt lately or something, and it's hilarious and so cute. So much imagination happening and chatty chatty words. I want to bottle him up.

I say this a lot right now, but I just love that these four boys PLAY together.
Magnets, puzzles, legos, they're just in a cute stage of being four brothers who love the same things someitmes.

The fire alarm went off right when I was dropping Camden off for preschool,
so then we ended up watching the firefighters come and staying warm in the car for about 30 minutes.
He was so excited it was Engine 10, which is "our guys!" from the time we ate dinner at the firehouse,
and when we took them treats on Christmas Eve.
No real fires at the school, by the way :)

Look at this fourth grader!
I love this picture.

This little preschooler!
Such a sweetheart.

Westin was voted on by his class to receive an award in Sportsmanship.
This was really meaningful to me! Because 1) he has had to really work at this quality in life (and he has!) and 2) this kid CARES DEEPLY about wins and losses and games, so to know how much he's grown to love sports and how hard he's had to work to be a good sport, I'm just so proud this quality is recognized in him by his peers. Westin is so wonderful.

I'm going to smile every time I see this picture forever.
On my walks every morning they love going down this little hill and ditching their bikes at the end,
then running back and peeking underneath this bridge at each other. 
They're just so fun to do things with.

Besties at the Christmas tree lighting!

We went to the Foothills tree lighting for and they had free carriage rides happening.
The boys loved this, but I have to say their favorite part was when they saw the horse pee. Like, a ton.
They couldn't get over how much pee.

I've told Bennett many times to stop wearing shorts in November, for the record :)

Tree lighting! We love to come run around this tree at some point each year, but this is the first time we've gone to the lighting party.

Santa! Bennett asked for a pet snake, so....
I'm not crossing my fingers for that one.
Time for some redirection.

Veteran's Day and Casa Bonita with Cousins

A day off of school, filled it with a Veteran's Day parade and In n Out. My favorite thing at the parade was the house next to where we chose to watch that had raked a huge pile of leaves and put out a sign that said, "Free jumps!" Multiple veterans stopped in the parade, got out of their cars, walked over and jumped in that pile of leaves. Then had someone help them get out :) It was just so happy. And also had me thinking about how people fight wars but it's very few leaders who start them. And it's not right. Grateful to people who have given their life to bigger things, and hopeful we can have less need for that.

Oh and we went to the library that day and I could barely carry our tote bag of 30+ books out to the car. I love that my boys love books, I hate that I always wonder how on earth all 30+ will make it back in that dropbox slot. But we've yet to forever lose a book! Maybe take months to find one yes, but our record is clean!

Tuesday we went bowling for Young Womens and the boys were stoked to have Activity Days. Those are their favorite Tuesdays.

Friday our primary hosted a babysitting night at the church across from the temple. Our boys ran around, played basketball, made bagel pizzas, watched a little movie, and had a blast with their friends. We went next door to the temple with the Schmidts and the Baileys and had such a lovely sealing session, then went to Tokyo Joe's. When we got home I rushed over to my neighbor's house who hosted a neighborhood girl's night. I love the ladies that live by me. We are all so different. 

Saturday was another morning of tennis (him), High Fitness (her), and cartoons and chores (them). It's a good morning all around. Then we left that afternoon to meet our cousins at Casa Bonita in Denver. This place is weirdly etched in my childhood memory and since the owners of South Park remodeled and revamped it, I've thought we should take our boys. It's just a unique experience. Ryan described it as Disneyland with no rides, which doesn't sound appealing, but honestly, it shouldn't haha. It's not somewhere you need to go more than once maaaaaaybe twice, but the boys really did love it.

Sunday we had the Nelsons for dinner, which we've been trying to do for a while but life is so much! She went to Jerusalem with us but she is from here, so they're often around. It was really fun to meet her husband and catch up with them, and meet their two adorable boys. They fit right in around here!  

Veteran's Day flyover!

This parade was sweet, and exactly where we should've been on Veteran's Day.

Sometimes I picture what life would be like if laundry didn't exist.
I just cannot crack the code of laundry.

Spying on the puppet show at Casa Bonita

Fun dinner with cousins!

The magic show at Casa Bonita had the boys laughing

The whole crew. These 7 boys have a lot of fun together.