Highlights 2012 - Part 2

     When we returned from our trip to NC,  I was beyond exhausted.  I had been getting maybe 2-3 hours of sleep at night for the last 3 months...sometimes none at all.  I had been pushing myself to get through the month of May..kids concerts, end of school stuff, etc.  Then pushed myself again to get through our vacation that had been in the works for nearly a year (we were so excited to go! ) and in which we had invested a good amount of money.  So when we turned around four days later to go to the Vaden Family reunion...I was sooooo tired.  My kids absolutely LOVE to go to the Vaden Reunion so I knew I had to push again.  We went and had a good time...like I said before, my kids LOVE this reunion! I don't have any pictures...I was too tired to take any.  So...we'll have to rely on the pictures other people took.  The reunion was held at   where we had the WHOLE place to ourselves.  We stayed in cabins.  We had fun sitting on the beach, making cute headbands, riding four wheelers, Aaron enjoyed a bike ride....just a lot of fun being with family.  I'll just say one more time....I was so exhausted.
     When we got home from the reunion...I still could not sleep. My body finally said NO MORE..I collapsed and it was the scariest thing I've ever gone through  (My Dr. told me later that pregnancy insomnia is a real thing and it is caused by an imbalance of hormones...so I wasn't going crazy...just stupid hormones!) So....the rest of the summer was spent on the couch trying to get as much rest as I could...the kids had free reign of the house and I thought I was going to lose it...lol!  It was so hot outside and the smoke from the fires made it feel like we were literally living in hell.   I honestly don't remember much about the whole month of July into August...I remember watching the Olympics with my kids and coming in and out of sleep.  A couple weeks after my melt down, Aaron was being super dad and took the kids swimming (to get them OUT of the house)...well he contracted CRYPTO and passed it on to me.  So...Aaron and I were deathly ill from Crypto for about 3 weeks....I actually didn't get better until after labor day, they said it would take me longer to get better because I was pregnant...and it did!  So....that was fun...NOT!  Aaron was so supportive and loved me through this...I cry every time I think about him and how he handled it...he did the grocery shopping, cooked meals, cleaned the house, did laundry, helped Emily learn her multiplication facts for when school started, entertained children, took me to my Dr. appointments...PLUS go to work every day...he did everything!  He is a good man and I love him so much....luckily, I think we've come out stronger on the other side of this.     

    By the time the kids started school...I was beginning to feel better.  They also discovered I was anemic and I started taking iron...this felt like it made a bid difference in my energy levels AND  I was getting sleep with the help of drugs...lol! 

Aaron was going to take the kids to the first day of school by himself but I  knew I wanted to be there to get this picture....

 This is Alec and Emily on the first day of school.  

Alec is in the 6th grade and Emily is in 4th. 

This is Alec's last year in Elementary school.  

So, this is the last picture of the two of them together on the Liberty sign...makes me cry. 

I think they were ready to get back to school :)

Carter started pre-school.

This has been so good for him.  He was ready.

He will tell you, "Babies don't go to preschool...only four year olds".

It has given him his own thing to feel important.

One day I went to JoAnn's Fabric store to get some flannel to make receiving blankets that I didn't feel like making (Peggy ended up taking the fabric and making them for me....they turned out better with her making them anyways..they are beautiful and I love them ) :)  Carter was with me and while we were there, he found a model kit for a pirate ship and he REALLY wanted me to buy it.  I told him we'd come back in a couple days when I could use a coupon.  He broke down like I've never seen Carter break down before...he just does not do that.  I bought the model kit.  Later that same day, I was talking to my sister on the phone and when I hung up and walked into the kitchen, there sat Carter with his pirate ship...all made and on its way to being painted.  I couldn't believe it!  He had taken the instructions out and put it together all by himself.  When he had finished painting it, he wanted me to take a picture.  So I did.

Later that night, I found this note on my pillow.

"Thank you for buying the boat at the store where you get fabric. -Carter"

He had Aaron help him write me a thank you note (Aaron drew the boat).

Sweetest boy you'll ever meet. 

I keep it on my night stand I read that note at least once a day.

Such a good memory.

Fall time came.  I love Fall....it's my favorite.

This is the day we went to the Open House for the Boise Temple.  I forgot to take my camera to the temple...grrrrr.  It was a nice day and so special to take my kids and watch their faces as they viewed the inside of the temple.  A very nice day.

 These are pictures of Carter on his field trip to the pumpkin patch.

Aaron came along because I wasn't feeling well that day.

Cute picture of Carter with his pumpkin.

Halloween was extra special this year because Ashley and Trey were here!

They were visiting Utah while Theo did one of his rotations.  So...we talked them into spending Halloween with us in Boise :)  They were here for a week and we enjoyed them so much!

Carving Pumpkins....

 We kept costumes pretty low key this year.  I wasn't up to much.

Carter was a pirate, thanks to our good friend Irene A.

Emily did a report on Betsy Ross back in the Springtime and they had to dress up like the person they were studying.  

We went all out...I wasn't pregnant at the time...HA! 

I had a lot of fun making this dress.  So...I told her we were going to get a second use out of it :)

Alec took his costume upon himself to create.  THANK YOU, Alec!

He always like the costumes that play on words...guess what he is???

FACEBOOK...heehee.

Picture before heading out to get the loot.

It was such a fun Halloween!