Connor is 1!!!!

Last Monday after getting those guys to school I came back for long enough to do the dishes then Alan dropped me off at the dentist.  I got all the fillings on my left side done..all 10.  Alan was just going to come get me after getting Lauren...that was how long they said it would take.  I got done and hurried down stairs and waited and waited . ...for about 20 minutes.  I decided I better go check and see if I had missed them in the elevator.  Sure enough there they were sitting in the waiting room, watching the birds and making themselves at home...Bradley at least had his shoes off...maybe Lauren too.  They hit a nerve in my cheek while numbing me and it hurt super bad...I almost jumped.out of the chair.  They had to give me a minute or two to recover. I had uncontrollable tears coming out of my eye .  I was glad to be out of there.  The rest of the day was pretty normal.  We did all the usual homework and had family home evening.

Tuesday after dropping those guys off at school I went straight to the dentist. They did the right side of my face ...I had 9 fillings for that side.  I saw a different dentist and I was glad since the one the day before had hurt so bad. Tuesday hurt a lot less and was faster. . I got back home in time to go down to preschool where Alan and Brad and Connor were.  Alan said they had been having a good time.  I got there just in time for playdough.  Alan hurried down to work.  After getting Lauren we came home and I tried to get feeling back to my face.  Tuesday was a lot warmer and we were able to walk down and get Jared.  Lauren rode her bike down and Jared rode it most of the way home.  That evening we went to honks to get some parts for their valentines and then hurried home, ate dinner, squeezed in a hair cut for Jared, and went to juggling club.

Wednesday was Connor's Birthday!!!!! I can't believe this little guy is 1.  Even Jared said wow that went fast.  I baked a cake in the morning.  Connor and Alan slept in and I almost had it all baked and dishes done by the time they got up.  We went to story time at the library.  I had to renew my library card since it had expired and they were having a book sale upstairs.  I figured we could go look quick before getting Lauren. I was looking at all the books and had a pile that I was going to get and when I turned to tell Brad it was time to go he was gone. I searched the whole ballroom for him and couldn't find him anywhere...even calling his name.  I told my friend who was there I couldn't find him. All my books plus Connor were getting heavy and unmanageable...and if I was going out I would have to put them down.  I ran through the whole library and didn't find him anywhere.  I decided he probably really was still in the ballroom since it is not like him to wander.  I went back up there and he was standing by my friend.  I was really glad to find him.  He was pretty upset.  We were late to get Lauren by this time, but I felt like I had to buy the kid a book after all that, so we got him the one he was holding and hurried to get Lauren.  She had been taken to the office to call, but we met her and Mrs.Porter in the hall on their way back out.  It was an exciting morning.  Luckily all we had to do in the afternoon was decorate the cake and wrap a few presents and blow up a few balloons. Bradley wrapped the book he had gotten for Connor.  Jeff and Elizabeth came over for dinner.  We had pancakes with applesauce...they yummy stuff we canned. We also had eggs and bacon.  It was a yummy dinner and Connor loved it.  We skyped with Lindsay, Alan,  and Alyanne and we were able to skype with grandma and grandpa Schachterle and Greg too.  Connor had a fun time opening his presents, but he was pretty tired by cake time.  I'm not sure he would have really enjoyed it anyway,  but he didn't want to touch it. He got his forearm in it and that was pretty upsetting.  He was happy to get a bath after it though. Connor had a pretty fun birthday.

See that little bit of frosting on his pointer...yep that's about all he did.

He accidentally fell and got his forearm in the cake and got really upset about it.

He did a little better with a piece and spoon

But I think he was just tired and really wanted a drink

Turning 1 is hard work!

Thursday Alan taught a couple of.classes for his advisor.  Bradley, Connor, and I got to go help in Lauren's class.  We helped them write letters to classmates, address,  and then send then...by putting them in the right numbered box. It seemed like a pretty fun activity. Some of the kids were really into it and in their 10 minutes or so wrote 4 or 5. Some of the boys were not so thrilled about it and barely made it through one.  Thursday was another really nice warm day and we were able to walk down and get Jared again...it was 46 when we left.  When we got home there were a ton of kids outside.  We were able to play outside for about an hour. It was really nice.

Connor got a really cool play house that goes over our card table.  Alan made it.  These guys have been playing with it nonstop it seems.  You can see tent cities were popular!  There are several cute faces peeking out the window

Better pictures of the awesome play house.

Friday I went to Jared's class and Bradley and Connor went to a friend's.  Part of the time I was timing kids to see how far they could get on a list of 100 words in 1 minute.   The ones who got to do that had a fun time with it.   After school Jared and Lauren had a storytelling workshop, so they can be in the storytelling festival. I was supposed to go the first time too.  Right when we were getting to the school it started snowing...and snowing hard. We had to scrape the car before we left.  When we got home we played for a little while and then made dinner and peanut butter squares and went and meet Alan at his lab.  They were having a game night.  I mostly walked around the Talmage building with Connor, Bradley,  and Lauren. We did play one round of uno.  Alan and Jared had a fun time playing a round of another card game that was there.

Smoothie face!

Saturday we woke up to more snow...but only a couple of inches.  We had a slow morning and got some things done here that needed worked on.  Then we went to Trafalga in Lehi. It has been a few months since we've been there.  We had fun mini golfing, doing the climbing wall, playing in the tunnels, and Alan, Jared, and Lauren laser tag.  We spent a lot longer there than we thought we would. On the way home we stopped at winco.   We were trying hurry fast to get back to make it to a BYU hockey game.  As we got closer to home it had snowed more.  We almost didn't go to the game, but we ended up going and I'm glad.we.did. We had a lot of fun and BYU beat Boise 11 to 1.  It was a really fun day.

Getting rides...and loving it!

Having fun taking apart a router.

We wore him out!

Bradley got a hair cut before church...which was much needed. Alan got released from primary today, so he and Connor got to go to sunday school and priesthood. They both haven't been in quite a while, but seems like they survived.  I did singing time today.  We started learning My Heavenly Father Loves Me.  We talked about our senses a little then I had a lilac candle for them to smell, bird sounds to hear, a picture of blue sky to see (there is no blue sky around here...hasn't been for days..maybe weeks) then I took a spry bottle so they could feel rain I thought that some of them might not like to be sprayed, but they all wanted to, I had a fan to make wind, and a fabric velvety rose for them to touch.  It was a pretty fun singing time. We also sang do as I'm doing 3 times and once there was a snowman For do as I'm doing we tip toes, rubbed or tummies and patted our heads and rode race horses.  When we sang they were all over the room and on their race horses they made a track around the room which was funny and fun.  This evening we made Chinese dumplings to celebrate Chinese New Year. It was fun and they turned out yummy although some of the kids weren't too thrilled with them.  Alan worked on making the valentines tonight.  It was a good day and a good week.

Connor is walking a ton now and he has 4 teeth on the top now to go with his 2 on the bottom.  They all keep growing and getting bigger and smarter.  Jared and Lauren brought home report cards this week and they are doing great.

Hundredth day of school

This last week has just flown by!  It has warmed up a little which is nice and our air was clean for a couple of days.  On the 25th I saw on the news that 22 of the 25 days in January were below freezing.  The inversion was gone for most of the week, but it is back by today.    Monday we just spent the day cleaning up and trying to get it back to our normal.  I was feeling better but my teeth were driving me crazy.  They were still achy and sore even though the rest of me was feeling mostly better.  Monday we worked on Jared's hundred collection for the hundredth day of school.  He decided to take 100 balloons (10 of each color).  He pumped up 100 little water balloons...and I tied them.  It took us about an hour.

Lauren surprised me and brought home her cookie for the cookie club.  She is now an official member!

Working on the new computer.

Tuesday I decided that I better go to the dentist...they had an appointment for the same day.  Brad had preschool in the morning.  In the afternoon Jared's class got to have a sledding party.  I took him the sleds when I picked up Lauren, but he had forgotten gloves and a hat...and I forgot to take them to him then.  So we all went to his sledding party.  Connor fell asleep in the car on the way and I was able to park close enough that he could stay in the car.  After getting Jared from school we ran home for a minute and then went and picked up Alan.  They dropped me off at the dentist.  I got a full set of x-rays and decided that maybe I should get my teeth cleaned since I'm pretty sure they haven't been cleaned since before my mission...maybe right after, but I think it was before.  I know all you dentisty people are probably cringing with disbelief.  They did a level 2 cleaning (?) since it had been so long.  It does feel nice to have them so clean.  I have a few...ok a lot...of fillings to go back for, but go tomorrow to get some of them taken care of.  Alan made some of his travel arrangements for a conference he is going to at the start of March in Japan.  It snowed all day Tuesday too!

Jared's sledding party

It's the cool thing to stand up on the way down.

Wednesday my teeth were still driving me crazy!!!  By the end of the day I could tell my face was getting pretty puffy and swollen.  The little boy who usually comes on Monday came in the afternoon and played for a while.  Jared got his snack ready to take for the hundredth day of school.  He was supposed to put 10 snacks in each of 10 different bags...he took pop corn.  Connor threw up a time or two in the middle of the night.

I finally remembered to get a picture of this girl's gap...but it is filling in fast!

We went out after school and went sledding some more.

Connor excited!

Jared tried to turn and threw them both out face first into the snow.  Connor is a pretty tough guy!  He didn't mind too much.

I pulled them all home.

Thursday I went visiting teaching in the morning.  Since my face wasn't getting any better I decided I should call the dentist and see what I should do.  They said to come in and they would look at it.  They looked at it and said yep it's swollen.  They took some x-rays and looked at the gums, but couldn't see any reason why it should be that way.  It was hurting pretty bad.  They put me on amoxicillin since there was an obvious infection, but didn't give my any pain killers since I'm still feeding Connor.  Thursday was the 100th day of school! (Jared said it was only his 99th since he missed one day...but he was happy to celebrate anyway)  He took his balloons and his snacks.  They got to trade their snacks around so he brought home 9 bags (some kids didn't take theirs) all with different snacks.  Later in the evening we took the balloons over to Jeff's house for his birthday.  Thursday night Connor threw up 3 or 4 times.  Poor little guy didn't have any thing left in him.

Getting back from wishing Jeff a Happy Birthday.

Friday morning I decided not to go help in Jared's class.  I wasn't sure if Connor was better and the whole left side of my face was swollen up to my eye and pretty painful.  Connor seems to be feeling  better now and is back to his normal self, but he did have less of an appetite for a day or two.  Alan had a big paper that was due on Friday.  It was for a conference he really needs to get into to graduate.  The conference is in Germany in June  We are really hoping that his paper gets accepted.  Friday night the last piece of our new computer arrived and Alan put it together.  Our computer died on Tuesday the week before.  It is nice to have it back.  Alan has been wanting a new one, so he is glad to have a newer nicer faster one now.

It was warm enough to play outside for a little bit, but Connor insisted on pulling his gloves off...holding snow (ok really an ice chunk)...

...and eating it too.  So we didn't stay out very long.

Working on the new computer

Saturday Alan worked more on the computer getting things all fixed.  I went to Gift of the Heart Exchange in the morning and was able to get some clothes for Jared...much needed hole free pants! and a few pairs for Lauren too.  Alan did some laundry and cleaned the bathroom.  We did some sledding on the softball field and rode bikes a little too.  We all went to the adult session of stake conference at 4. (When your Stake President used to play basketball for BYU he plans conference around their games :)  It was really good.  Then after that we ate dinner and Alan went to Winco and watched the BYU basketball game.

Ready for their ride from dad!

That was fun!!!

Today we had stake conference.  Elder Doxey of the seventy was our visiting authority.  At one point Bradley pulled out Connor's changing pad and opened up his "piano"  He started serenading the people around us with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I am Like a Star, I Am a Child of God, and the Cougar fight song...complete with rah rah rahs.  I don't know how many people could really hear him, but Jeff and Elizabeth couldn't 6 rows in front of us, so hopefully not too many.  Alan says he didn't even notice, but I know a few people did.  We had a little lunch and are having fun playing.  My face wasn't near as swollen today and doesn't hurt as bad too.  We are all looking forward to a little later when we get to go eat Indian food for dinner at Jeff and Elizabeth's to help celebrate Jeff's birthday!

I think I mentioned this before but Brad has said it several times recently. "My Grandma and Grandpa are from Vancougar."  Have a Wonderful Orange-Pineapple Week!!!

Giant snowman and giant cake

Last Monday was a nice holiday. Jared and Lauren were both still feeling not so great so we spent most of the day just relaxing here at home.  After a bit though we all needed to get out. There is a 30 foot tall snowman in Orem close to Target.  We had some other errands that needed done too...so we just decided to do them while we were out.  First we went past the giant snowman.  Then some people ran in Target while others sat in the car.  Connor was sleeping and Bradley decided to stay too.  Since it was so cold we left the fan running while those guys ran in to keep some warm air moving.  Then we went up to Winco to use the 10 dollar coupon...since we forgot it on Saturday.  We all sat in the car while Alan ran in.  I did have to run Lauren in once to go to the bathroom.  We ran the fan for part of the time too.  Alan was pretty fast, but when he came back out the car wouldn't start.  We tried to jump the car, but it didn't work.  We were thinking that the car would have to be towed.  We called Jeff and got a few numbers from him and we call some places.  The car place said it was probably just the battery.  Alan went out and cleaned off the terminals since they were pretty corroded...and then we just had to wait for someone to come back to their car and be willing to try and help us.  We had parked in a different place than usual, so there were 5 cars around us instead of just 2 where we usually park.  Three of the 5 cars' drivers came back at the same time.  The nice lady next to us helped us out and we got the car started with a better connection.  One of the other drivers was waiting around to see if it worked and see if we got helped.  We went by the big snowman again (Connor was asleep the first time by, and we were driving almost right past it) and  Joann's on the way home so I could get some yarn, but Alan didn't turn the car off.  We haven't had any problems with it since.  Alan didn't think the fan would run the battery down like it did, but then he remembered we also have day time running lights that we can't turn off.  We are grateful to all the people who helped us on Monday.  Probably not the best to have the sickies out in the cold car for so long, but it was a change from the house...which was needed.

Connor was sleeping in the car the first time by, but got to see it the second.  The hat is a refrigerator box.

Relaxing on Dad's big puffy coats!

Tuesday Jared was still feeling pretty sick, so he stayed home from school.  Brad, Connor, and I went to preschool.  Jared stayed here and before Alan left he taught him the Tower of Hanoi puzzle.  Jared did it several times...the last time using 7 cup/ rings.  Jared was pretty bored all day.  Lauren's day is so short it was pretty much like one more vacation day.  I made 4 batches of fondant that night.

Wednesday even though Jared's voice was still pretty much gone he went to school.  Brad, Connor and I went to the library.  There was also Ready to Learn.  I tried to get some more done on the cake for  Sunday, but just made simple syrup.

Thursday when we went out to the car our whole sidewalk was a sheet of ice!  We had gotten freezing rain that started sometime after 7:30 am and before 8.  Alan decided that he should walk these guys down to school.  It took them 50 minutes to get to school.  They were all falling down like crazy...even Alan fell hard once.  It sounded like even though they were falling all over they had a fun time getting to school.  We went and helped in Lauren's class...and were able to drive down.  There were a ton of helpers there and 2 of us at the same center.  We were writing sentences and sound spelling some animals.  I baked some chocolate cakes (8 inch squares) and my visiting teachers came in the afternoon.  We also worked on Lauren's animal report a  lot...and cookie club requirements.  In the evening there was a Relief Society Meeting we all went to.  Alan got there not too long after it got started, but they all decided to stay and play with the other kids who were in the nursery.

Friday I went and helped in Jared's class and Bradley and Connor went to a friend's house.  In Jared's class it was Australia day, so all their centers were about Australia.  At my center we painted boomerangs with Aboriginal art.  It was messy, but fun.  I wasn't feeling well on Friday at all.  I was all achy especially in my head and I had a runny nose.  After getting home from the school I sat down to feed Connor on the couch and he fell asleep, so I did too.  Lauren and Brad just played and were great.  Connor slept about an hour and was just waking up when the phone rang.  It was Grandma Atherton.  She said they were in town and could come by and get the kids for a bit so I could work on the cake.  We hurried and ate lunch and we and got Jared.  Grandma and Grandpa came by around 2:30 and visited for a while.  I had started baking  the lemon cakes already.  I had them ready to go so when one came out I could put another one in.  Around 3:30 they all left and came back just before 7.  It sounds like they had a pretty fun adventure.  First Grandma and Grandpa took everyone to the Creamery on 9th and they got ice cream cones.  Then they went to see the big snowman.  Then they got to go to Krispy Kremes and watch them make doughnuts and eat one....and a dozen to bring home.  Then maybe they walked around DI for a few minutes.  They got pizza and root beer and brought it home to eat.  They all had a blast and enjoyed being spoiled.  I was able to get a lot done on the cake while they were gone...all baked and stacked and covered the 8 inch layer.  After these guys went to bed I stacked and covered the 6 inch layer.

Saturday morning I slept in a little...which helped.  I still didn't feel great but I did feel better.  I got the 12 inch layer filled with cream cheese filling and covered.  I still didn't have a great plan for decorating, but had to start on something.  I got the bottom layer sponged painted and we cleaned up a little.  Jeff and Elizabeth came and babysat while we went to the temple with Keegan...and those guys needed a place to play without cakes in the way.  It was a really nice temple session at the Mt Timpanogos temple.  I had never been on a session there before.  It is really nice.  We stopped and bought more extract on the way home so we could paint more and hurried home to rescue Jeff and Elizabeth.  These guys had a great time.  They got to do an experiment with Jeff and make plastic and play and watch Tangled while we were gone.  We helped these guys get to sleep and then finished the cake.  Alan made and cut out the temple stencils and painted the middle layer of the cake while I worked on the tie.

San Diego

Mt. Timpanogos

Sunday we went and heard Keegan speak in their ward.  He gave a great talk.  They also had a missionary returning who spoke too.  Between the 2 of them they had people filled into half the cultural hall.  After sacrament meeting we went to the Brigg's house and set up the cake and had a delicious brunch.  We stayed and played and visited for the afternoon.  I made a frilly scarf while I was there and the other guys played and had fun.  When we got home Lauren finished her animal report, we had a quick snack, and went to bed!

Keegan is headed to San Diego Spanish speaking.  He leaves February 6th.

Back side

If I had know exactly how it would turned out I would have put a pocket on the top tier, but oh well.  Since I didn't have a great plan I'm pretty happy with how it came together.

We saw a cool ice sculpture on the way to the Temple on Saturday.  We took these guys by it on the way home on Sunday.  It has changing lights inside it.