Ice Fishing

Sam and Hy went ice fishing with the Speaks boys.  Three hours on the ice, three fish for the Bacons.  

It was cold and Bob, our neighbor who lead the adventure, brought and shared hot chocolate and girl scout cookies.  At one point he asked Hyrum, "Isn't this the best hot chocolate you've ever had?"

"Kind of," Hyrum replied.

"Well, isn't Ice Fishing the best?"

"Kind of."  

Sam however thought it was the best.  He LOVED catching his fish which we'll be eating for dinner tonight.  

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye.

I'm going crazy.  I'm an addict experiencing 100% withdrawals.  Tuesday seems forever away.

Last week I failed my one hour gestational glucose screening.  Again.  I failed three years ago while carrying Talmage and the memory of the 3 hour glucose screening still haunts me.   I've said goodbye to one of my best friends. . . sugary sugar.  Goodbye to the Good and Plenty, the Hot Tamales, the Chocolate cake sitting on the counter.  Goodbye to the recently delivered Girl Scout cookies, the Tootsie Pops, and the handful of animal crackers.  

Life isn't fair.  Case in point:  my sisters get to eat king sized snickers bars for their glucose screening. . . I get to chug one of these.  

Oh how I'd rather eat a snickers bar or two.  

100g of sugar on a empty stomach is brutal . . . but perhaps it is another reminder that you'll do just about anything for that little one growing inside of you.  Anything.  Even if it means laying on a bench in the lab's waiting room for three hours.  Even if it means getting poked over and over again.  Even if it means saying goodbye to your best friend.  So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye.

robbers

Hyrum is obsessed with robbers.  He wants to know "Who robbers rob?  How many robbers are in Alaska?  Why do they drive black cars and black wear masks?"  Robbers keep him up and night.  We have several weekly conversations about robbers, and how robbers usually only rob houses with expensive things and houses that don't have people inside.  We talk about our great house (which doesn't hold a single robber appealing item) and our great neighbors and Hy's great big protective brothers that sleep in the bedroom next door.  I'm trying to reinforce the truth but I'm not sure it is helping.

Hy is my kid with anxiety.  Lots of anxiety.  He doesn't like new things.  He doesn't like to be the center of attention.  He's shy.  And he worries.  Worries about monsters and robbers and the dark.  Worries about fires and bad guys and nightmares.  Worries about noises and things hiding in his closet.  Lately he's complained about tummy aches and I wonder if it has anything to do with those pesky robbers.  

Eric grew up with a whole heap of anxiety, but this is an entirely new concept to me.  I grew up easy-going and carefree.  My biggest fear as a child was getting a dead arm from my sister Kari or getting caught sneaking to Macey's to buy candy . . . both could easily be avoided with a certain amount of stealth.  Compassion isn't my greatest strength and I fight the urge to say, "Get over it." and to replace it with long talks and longer back scratches. 

Hy's a brilliant kid.  He's feisty and creative and sensitive.  I suppose if robbers are his big hang-up right now, then robbers it is and we'll have to face them head on, day by day, together. . . one evening at a time.

Snowiest Winter

I believe we are 18 inches away from breaking the Alaskan Snowiest
Winter record. (We've already survived the coldest summer, the
wettest summer, the coldest January, and now the snowiest. . . could
we be so blessed as to enjoy the warmest summer?)

Here are some pictures of Warns and Mudge playing outside in our piles
and piles of snow. While I was in California the older boys made
several amazing snow caves (Warns is pictured laying in one of them).
It is fun to have our "Bacon Mountain" in our front yard and the boys
have spent hours playing king of the hill and creating all sorts of
death defying sled runs.

screen saver

My littlest ones are Alaskan born . . . and you can tell. This is the
screen saver on my laptop. Everytime we point to it Mudge will say,
"Mickey Moose."

Tables Turned

Some friends brought over ice cream toppings and the kids were
dreaming of all sorts of ways to consume them. The whip cream, in
particular, was a hot item. Tanner suggested for family home evening
treat we spray some in each of their mouths and then whispered that I
should get Christian's whole face. That evening after FHE the kids
were hungrily eyeing the whip cream and I humored the whip cream in
the mouth idea. Unfortunately for Tanner I couldn't resist giving him
a little "extra" . . .

Family Fun

The boys had a blast doing this FamilyFun inspired play.

Cub Scout recommendation

I got this email from Sam's Bear Leader.  

I'm glad you like the idea about the letter. It actually comes from the manual.  Sam is a great kid. He has a positive influence on his friends, and is natural leader. You can be proud of him. Good to hear from you.

Ryan

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater. . .

One evening at Disneyland Warner had to use the restroom just as we
were boarding It's a Small World. We broke away from the group with
plans to meet up at Aladdin via Toontown. So after our own viewing of
It's a Small World we headed to Donald Ducks Boat and then to Goofy's
House. Warner immediately fell in LOVE with this pumpkin and happily
played in, on, or near it for about an hour. It was the perfect
evening. . .the lights turned on, I had a comfy park bench, toontown
was all but empty, and my little boy was fascinated by a pumpkin.

Flapper

Email from Eric (2/7)

Now for some bad news...or rather not bad news but just not so great
news. Mudge was crawling around the chair by the fireplace and slipped
and hit his nose on the corner of the stone seating area. He cried and
kept saying "Owie! Owie!" I could tell it hurt him but thought it just
bonked his nose. But as I dabbed at it to clean away the blood, the
bottom of his nostril shifted unnaturally. It lacerated the very edge
part of his right nostril. I gave him some Tylenol and he stopped
crying and started acting normal again. There was very little blood,
which surprised be but I called Dr. Guapp's office to make sure. Of
course, they were out to lunch for 3 and half hours or so (what is
this Spain???) and Amanda called me back and reassured me that it
should probably heal on its own if it is not to deep and not
continually bleeding, but to call back or take him to the emergency
room to get stitches if it got worse.

So, I think it will be okay, but he is on watch for now. He played for
quite away like normal but I could tell the cut was having a hard time
staying put long enough to scab over. So I put him down for a nap and
hopefully it will give it a chance to seal together. Kind of a tricky
spot and I really don't want to have to get stitches there. It's got
to be painful! So here's to praying for the body to heal itself.
Otherwise it could just heal loose and we could call him Flapper.
Nope, won't happen. It should be fine.

Ninny

Oh I love this kid.  And I love Splash Mountain.  But unfortunately Warner and Splash Mountain didn't get along.   1st time he loved it.  2nd time he smiled and cried and smiled some more.  3rd time he went ballistic and I spent the entire time just trying to keep him inside the log as he screamed and screamed and I'm pretty sure had a panic attack.  He managed to wiggle himself off the bench and laid on the floor during the scariest parts.  Poor little soul.  I had no idea he was going to be so traumatized.  From that point on whenever we mentioned going on that ride the would cross his index fingers in an x and wouldn't even entertain any discussion. 

(aside from Warner on the floor, check out Denise and especially Tyson's expressions. . . priceless)

Pool Time

The gorgeous California weather made it easy to spend hours at the
pool. Inspired by his cousins, Warner eagerly slipped on his swimsuit
and floaties on and jumped into the pool.

One evening I spent from 5-9PM watching him swim. He pefercted the
fall in backwards move, the twirl around jump, and even the belly
flop. He spent a lot of time hopping back and forth between the
swimming pool and the hot tub, making friends with any and everyone.

On this particular evening we ate dinner at tables by the pool. I
told Warner absolutely no food in the water. A few hours later a nice
woman and her children joined Warner in the hot tub. The woman was
sucking on a toostie pop when Warner proclaimed, "My mom says no food
in the hot tub."

Around and Around

Warner LOVED the carousels and pretty much anything that went around
and around and around and around. . .

The Mouse

I love this picture with the Mouse. My sister Kari sent it to me.
Here's my favorite part of her email. . .

"Here are some of the pictures I took that I thought you might be
interested in. I had such a good time with you and Warner. The
picture I really wish I had would have been a picture of Warner trying
to bite your leg!"

The biting of the leg occurred just before this picture was taken
(thus the sour expression on Warner's face). I'm still not sure what
triggered it. . . something to do with his hat and the fact that I
touched it. . . and then pinching and biting followed. Warner is
usually very easy going but something happened to him at the Happiest
Place on Earth that provoked all sorts of spontaneous uncharacteristic
unhappiness.

Now that we are back in Alaska we are adhearing to a strict 7PM
bedtime and an even stricter "no biting policy". :)

Disney Magic

My Padowan

My little Padowan and his first first against the dark side. [though
with the meldowns he was having this week I don't think it was his
only encounter with the dark side while in California.] Luckily,
during this particular moment, he was loyal to the force and feriously
(though a little shakily) fought Darth Vadar.

(I love that he thought it was too bright outside and insisted on
wearing MY sunglasses. . . )

I [heart] Warner

I hate Star Tours. Always have. Probably always will. For me it is
like willingly exposing yourself to plane turbulence (similiar to the
Warner family flying over the Colorado river in those small planes).
I think I'd honestly take labor over going on that ride again. At
least with labor at the end there is a beautiful baby. . . I only came
away from this ride a little green.

I love Warner. And Warner loves Star Wars. And so I took one for the
team and was thrilled when Warner came off all smiles.

Worth It

Disneyland was wonderful and horrible and perfect and frustrating.
Basically, it was a normal family vacation.

Moments like this make the meltdowns, the naseau from all the spinny
rides, and 11 hour journey home worth it.

Weary

Today I am weary. . . tuckered out. . . exhausted.  

I'm not sure how much longer I can keep playing basketball in the morning.  I love it, but I simply cannot keep up with ladies anymore.  I huff and I puff and about the only things that is going to be blown down is me.  

Being pregnant is hard.  It is good.  It is right.  It is godly.  But it is hard.  Everyone thinks that because we have a big family it comes easy.  I hear, "Oh you're so good at it."  "Oh, you're perfect for it."  "Oh, you make it look so easy." 

My sister Kari, just glows.  She likes being pregnant.  She's good at it.  

I don't even radiate a dull glimmer.  Nothing.  Nada.   Easy?  Hardly.  My pregnancies are good but hard.  And with this one, I am tired.  And I've got a long, long, long way to go.  

toothless grin [growl]

For days Hyrum would say, "I think my tooth is going to come out tomorrow."

Last week he lost the second of his two front teeth. The school nurse
gave him a little tooth container and he was thrilled when the tooth
fairy brought him a gold dollar.

Hyrum's forced smile, the growl, makes me giggle. He looks like he's
about ready to eat something (but without those two teeth is better be
soft and squishy).

king sized

Four little reasons why we have a king sized bed.

[one morning we brought Eric breakfast in bed. i think he was hoping
for a quiet meal, the boys had something else in mind. this is what i
found five minutes later.]

Brrr

It has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters in Alaska history.

I was hoping to capture the ice crystals on my eyelashes after a
morning walk with Megan at -15. Boy Howdy is that cold. Yo ustart
to wonder if your cheeks will ever be the same. One morning I even
broke out the robber [looking] face mask.

This morning it was 0 outside. I didn't even zip up my jacket and
quickly became so warm that I took off my gloves.

Our answering machine mesage currently includes Hyrum singing,
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, Please shine down on me!!!

We cannot wait!

Christian

Christian gave his first talk on Sunday. I was more nervous than he
was and kept pestering Eric, "You read through it, right? It is
doctrinally sound, right? He isn't going to ramble on and on and on
or embarrass the family, right?" Eric just rolled his eyes and told
me he had "taken care of it." [what kind of comfort is that?]

But to my astonishment, Christian did a fabulous job. He definitely
inherited some of his father's talent. I can think of ONCE that he
looked down at his paper. He was articulate, and funny, and enjoyable
to listen to.