Thanksgiving & Mike's Birthday

Thanksgiving was pretty low key for us this year. We invited two elderly people from our ward to join us, but they either cancelled on us or declined the offer. The gentleman that declined, Brother Boe, serves in our library and the kids all love him because he hands out mints. Anyway, we took him dinner after we cleaned up and the kids were super excited. However, on the way home Ivy threw up on herself and all over her car seat...so I guess it was a good thing people didn't come. Mike likes to tease me that it's a Bainbridge family tradition to have someone sick or throwing up on major holidays. Lol.

Mike's birthday was also celebrated this weekend. He spent most of the day preparing for his talk, but stopped mid-day to open his presents. I had promised him that I wouldn't buy him anything because we bought him a new 60" TV for a birthday/Christmas present, but I couldn't have him not open anything. How lame would that be? Anyway, while he was writing his talk Emily and I went out and bought him a puzzle, and a drone that was on sale for an awesome price. For dinner he felt like a hamburger so we went to Red Robin, then home for brownies and candles. 

Overall it was a great weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving/Mike's Birthday

We had a pretty low key Thanksgiving/Mike's birthday. Felicia and Tom arrived Tuesday night so yesterday we picked Mike up for lunch to celebrate his birthday. This whole week the kids and I sang him "Happy Birthday" but we said it "Happy Birthday Week" and tried to do something special for him each day.

Today we had cracked wheat, which was his choice for breakfast, then we just had a slow day while the turkey cooked. Felicia and Tom headed to his sisters house for Thanksgiving dinner since all of his family was in town except one sister. We had Thanksgiving with the Smith family, Bowen's and Sister Murphy. After dessert we all went to our own homes and then we celebrated Mike's birthday as a family. After the kids were in bed Mike, Felicia, Tom, and I played games and just chatted.

I am very blessed to have Mike as my husband, best friend, father of our children, and many more things. He is such a hard worker and wonderful man who honors his priesthood, and loves the Gospel.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving was a busy day, and boy did we have a houseful!  Keith and Kim and their girls got in Wednesday night, Mom and Dad were still here and we added Dave and Karen Hamblin and then Felicia and Tom joined us afterwards for pie and games. It was a great time of just hanging out.

Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Man I missed being with family this year...but we had the next best thing, friends.  We had 18 people for Thanksgiving with the potential of 23, but one family canceled last minute.  Since we had so many Rachel, Mine, and I opted to have it at the church so we would have enough space.  We were there from 12:00p.m.- 6:30 p.m.  All the guys had the kids while the ladies set up and prepared food.  Mike teased us that we were a "small branch" having a party. Ha Ha.  The food was all so yummy and I am convinced that LDS women only know how to make food for large masses because there was a ton of it, which means lots of left overs. The company was awesome, so much in fact that after we cleaned up we all headed back to our place to visit and look at the ads for black Friday.

Some things I am thankful are:

• My Husband who is such a great father, and provider.  He does so much for us and I love him so very much.
• My family.  My kids are my world and I am so grateful that I get to have them, even though I may not be the best of mom at all times.  The definitely teach me and help me to stretch and grow for the better.
• My Mom, Dad, Brothers, and Sisters.  They are such wonderful people and have been great examples to me.
• This Country, and those who fight for it.
• The Gospel.  Without it I would be so lost and unhappy.

Rachel & Tevita Haltokoua

Mine & Tom Ashby

Marsha Bowen, Mine, Rachel, & Me

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 6

Mordecai didn't sleep well last night, so I am convinced he isn't feeling all that well, even though he has periods of acting normal.  Today he came up me and asked if he could feed the 'piggy cat'.  Wanda and Robert's kids have a Guinea pig and Wanda let him feed it bell peppers yesterday.  He just loves that thing.

This morning Mike, Mom, the kids and I took our car into Madison to get the window replaced.  Then we hit Target for Mom to buy dad a shirt for our Family Pictures this afternoon.  I don't think I will ever be a black Friday shopper! Even if there is the best deal ever.  We got back to the Husted's just in time to eat some lunch and then headed back to Madison for pictures.  Mom has a CD, so when she is here I will upload some of them.  There was 34 people and I think the studio workers were a bit overwhelmed, and the customers were in awe over how many there were of us.  At one point one of the photographers looked at me and said, "And there are 4 of you having another?" HA HA.  After pictures daddy treated everyone to pizza at Rocky Rococo's.  It is like a Chuck-E-Cheese, but with better pizza and not as good of games.  The kids loved it though because we had a huge theater room reserved for us so they got to watch t.v. while they ate and I think the adults liked it because it meant that we didn't have to help our kids as often cause they were enthralled with the movie. 

It didn't dawn on Mike and I until tonight to give Mordecai some meds, so now we feel like bad parents because he has probably been uncomfortable since Wednesday.  We head home tomorrow, so hopefully Emily, Mike, or I don't get what he has...and hopefully it doesn't turn into a vomit type.

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 5

This morning started off a little shaky.  Mordecai tried to throw up this morning and I didn't think he was feeling all that well, but after his bath he seemed fine.  The pictures above is what our lovely car looks like until tomorrow.  It is covered in pink duct tape because when Joey and Mom went out to Wal Mart last night they picked up some heavier plastic and pink tape, in honor of me.  Robert and I covered it last night, but we didn't do the greatest job because it was frigid cold and raining on us.

About 11:30 we all packed into cars and headed to the Church for Thanksgiving dinner prep.  While all the adults prepped the food Mom and Dad and Mike played games with the grand kids.  We finally ate Thanksgiving dinner around 2:00 and then quickly had a family talent show. It was nice to see and hear Daddy serenade Mom.  It truly shows how much in love they were/are. We had to be out by 5:00 for wedding set-up so we headed back to Robert and Wanda's for pie, games, and black Friday strategies.

Mordecai seems to be sick still.  He doesn't have a fever on his head, but his body is really warm and maybe that explains all the sleep and clingyness he has been doing.

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 4

Mordecai must be growing or something, because he didn't wake up at all last night. He slept from 6-7pm and then this morning after checking out of our cabins he fell asleep at the Wild West water park from 11:30 to about 12:45.  Emily had a blast with Mike and the kids even though I didn't do any swimming because I had a sleeping child on my lap.  There were these 2 slides that she loved, Robert has pictures so I hope to upload those, and then a tube slide she did with Mike.

After we left the Dells Grandpa treated us to McDonalds for lunch.  As we pulled up and Mordecai saw that it had a play place he said, "This is going to be so fun."  As the last 3 days weren't, weirdo kid.  As we drove the hour back to Wanda and Roberts Emily and Mordecai were singing Christmas songs and looking at all the cows and I just thought, "This is what really makes me happy!"  It was one of those moments where everything felt right.  Well I thought too soon, we stopped at a local grocery store to pick up the last of our contribution for Thanksgiving dinner and as I lifted the back hatch to put the groceries in our back window just shattered.  I burst out into tears because I am pregnant hormonal, and I just kept thinking it was all my fault.  I called a local dealer because we needed to get it fixed as soon as possible, but also knew that it was closing time and that we probably weren't going to get any help.  We got to Wanda and Roberts where Mike, with the help of Robert and Wanda, found a place that could fix it on Friday.  We also weren't expecting our insurance to cover it so that was stressing me out a bit, but lucky for us we have glass coverage on our insurance policy that we added 3 years ago that we were just talking about getting rid of last week.  Good thing we didn't cause with insurance we just have to pay a $100 deductible as opposed to $1100 out of pocket.  Man we were blessed.

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 3

The kids slept so well last night!  Again I don't know if it was exhaustion from the car ride or swimming, but honestly I don't care.  After breakfast we hit the parks about 10:00 which only gave us about 2 hours there before we headed back the the cabins for lunch.  After lunch the kids and I cleaned up and chatted with everyone while Mike, Mom, Joey, and Robert played Dr. Mario.  Can't have a reunion without that game in there somewhere.  8-)  During dinner Mordecai was standing between Mike's legs when Mike looked down and fond out that Mordecai was falling asleep.  We decided that we would put him down for the night even though it was only 6:00, and we are fully expecting him to wake up and be ready for the day at 3am.  We did this because we were all going back to the water park and wanted to be able to stay a while, and knew we couldn't do that if he went with us because he doesn't seem to like all the chaos. 

All on a 12 passenger shuttle.

 Daddy and Mom stayed with him while we were gone.  After Emily went to bed the adults played a game of Apples to Apples.  My family just always seems to make any game fun...it could be the most boring game in the world and there would still be laughs.  This is what I miss the most about living so close to them.  Time for bed before Mordecai wakes up.

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 2

The kids had a blast staying at the hotel last night, which so happened to be the same one the kids and I stayed at with my Mom when we traveled out this past Easter.  We got to use the indoor pool, which Emily was so excited about, and had their complimentary breakfast of waffles that Mordecai loved.  We hit the road about 8:00 and I drove since Mike drove the bulk of it yesterday.  We stopped for lunch in Dubuque, Iowa, and then only had 2 more hours until the Dells.  On the road for the past 2 days we have seen so many dead deer.  The funniest thing was seeing 2 dead deer strapped to the top of a mini van.  Later on down the road Mike and I spotted one in the back of someones SUV.  It is so odd to us "city folk".

We finally made it to the Dells about 2:00.  We quickly changed into our suits and called for a shuttle to take us down to one of the 3 water parks.  Emily loved the water, as usual, but Mordecai not so much.  He was clingy and kept complaining about wanting to go home.  I don't know if it is because there is so many new people or if he is just tired from being in the car for the last two days.  After about two hours of swimming we headed back the the cabins for a dinner of beef enchiladas.  When the kids and I visited at Easter time Grandpa had a "Cookie Fest" which is basically him doping the kids up on sugar and then letting the parents take care of the mess and hyperness.  You know, Grandpa rights.  So with tradition he wanted to do it again, except this time it was about double the amount at Easter time, which was about 20 different typed of cookies/goodies.  The kids sure loved it though.

After the kids were finally in bed the guys hit the water park for some guy time.  They did this one ride that was called the "Hurricane" and had a limit of 650 lbs.  Mike said it was pretty scary because it was basically a half pipe on a raft and that it felt like they were going to fall out.

I am so glad to be done in the car for the next 3 days, and I bet the kids and Mike are too.

Thanksgiving & Reunion Day 1

We left bright and early this morning... well it was bright until we hit fog about 2 hours outside of Colorado.  Anyway, we got on the road about 8:00. The kids did really well, mostly because we have the DVD player in the car.  We have stopped for the night in Des Moines, Iowa after driving 9 hours and being totally exhausted.  We only have 5 more hours to drive to get to the Dells, so tomorrow we are hoping to be on the road by 8:00.

Thanksgiving Week and Mike's Birthday

This last weekend we had Keith, Kim, Talisa, and Kira here for Thanksgiving. While they were here we just so happened to get to celebrate Mike's 37th birthday. We did a lot of stuff. First was Thanksgiving. Emily and Talisa played so well, that the adults hardly saw them. The next day was so gorgeous out that the girls played in the back with wagons and shovels. Then on Friday after Kim and I went shopping, of course, we headed out to go bowling and out to eat at BJ's (delicious potato bar). Saturday was dinner for Mike's birthday and as always he requested brownies and ice cream. Then as tradition on Sunday Mike played the piano and the kids danced themselves silly. The kids also enjoyed a good game of Elefun.