Thanksgiving & Everything Else!

Well, after much annoyance, I am finally posting this post. I started it at about 8am and it's now late afternoon. And it's not Sam's fault this time (well, completely). Is it just me or does Blogger seem to be down a TON lately? Every time I would be ready to post it would go down or something so I had to keep trying throughout the day. Frustrating....

Oh well. I have been sort of out of commission for a while. There is a lot to write about, but mostly, a lot of pictures to post! Yes, we are back in Bagdad. Not that we hate Bagdad or anything but it is sort of sad! We miss our families so much and we had such a good time being around them all again! It was so much fun with Sam too because now he can say everyone's name and he remembers things more and interacts and talks more, etc. He has missed everyone so much since we have come home. He has become a pro at talking on the phone the last two days also. He loves it. He pretty much just repeats everything we tell him to say...it's so cute!

Anyway, our Thanksgiving was great! We had two dinners, which would have been so much more wonderful if I (1)had more room in my tummy to fit more food (the baby makes it hard to eat more than small tiny portions) and (2)I wasn't sick. Sam and I got some sort of yucky flue bug the day we got the Colorado and I still didn't feel too well on Thanksgiving so it was harder for me to get through it. But the food was so good! Especially those sweet potatoes! Yum!

Cindi, Heather, and I had fun making dinner at my parents house. It was the first time I really had that much involvement in it and I really enjoyed it! I definitely know what its like now though to have spent so much time and effort and feel like we ate it all in a ten minute period and wonder where it all went and if it was even worth it. But it definitely was!

We did black friday shopping the next morning of course, because it has become a tradition ever since Rick and Amy introduced us to it a few years ago. I didn't go this time because Dave got up and left with his parents at about 4am and Sam was still sleeping and I don't do so well with little sleep while being pregnant. But we love it. There's something about the good deals that kind of puts us in this crazy "I want to buy everything" mode, unfortunately. But we did pretty good at limiting ourselves. We kind of had to anyway because we couldn't take much back with us on the plane. :)

We also did Secret Santa gifts with the Meyers while we were there because they are all going to be on a cruise for Christmas and it's a tradition we couldn't just pass up. It was interesting to only have about 2 days to try and find something but we all made it work! And usually with only a $5 limit there isn't much you can get that's actually useful but I loved my gift! I got a micro SD card from Jenni that I have been wanting for my new phone! I love it! It's so nice to be able to use it as an MP3 player!

We decided while we were there to finally cut Sam's hair because for some reason while we were there it really straitened out and we realized how long it actually was and it was starting to look like a mullet. But the last day we were there we realized with the way he is he would be way too squirmy and that we want to get him used to scissors first (while combing his hair snip some scissors around his head until he is too the point where he isn't scared of them or flinch). Anyway, I'm glad we waited because the day we got back to AZ his hair went back to the same cute curls in the back and around his head so it doesn't look too long again! It must have been the climate change or something because now I don't want to cut it again....it's just too cute.

So another awesome thing happened while we were there! I was sort of teasing with Dave the day after Thanksgiving and asked him if he would take me on a date to see Twilight (I really wanted to see it again, especially with him). He always was saying things like how dumb it was and that he might see it when it comes out on video, so I didn't actually think he would do it, but he said he would! So he and I and Braxton and Cindi went out that day and saw it again! I am so glad I got to! It was SO much better the second time! I felt like I could sit back and enjoy it more because I wasn't scrutinizing every scene. I just love that movie. And surprisingly enough...Dave liked it too! I told him if he liked the movie he should read the book because the book is a million times better! But he said reading it just takes too long, so we will just wait for the next one to come out. He's anxious to see what happens between Jacob and Edward... :)

Well, it finally snowed the second to last day we were there and I was so glad because I wanted Sam to be able to play in it! We all went out and made a huge 7 foot snowman (well, it was really Dave and Jason) and played. It was really fun but Sam was so cranky by the end because he was so cold. The first thing he said when he stepped into the snow was "shoes," because his shoes got wet and cold. There's a bunch more pictures of us with the snowman that I'm not posting because they're the ones I am using for our Christmas card!

Well, that's it for now. Tonight we are going to put up our Christmas tree finally so I'm sure I will be posting again soon! And here are the mounds of pictures...

Sam on his tricycle we got him as an early Christmas present before our trip. It's a little too big for him still but he will be riding it soon I'm sure!

Sam helping Grandma make cookies...

One of Sam's favorite things to do while we were there was listen to and watch the train under the Christmas tree. He would just lay on the floor and watch it for long periods of time. This is him with Grandma and Mary.

See what I mean about mullet-like?



Watching the trains with Cindi and cousin Aaron (and Andie Smith).

And with Daddy...

Jessica (A.K.A. Drip Face) was recovering from her jaw surgery while we were there and couldn't eat. All her food at to be blended and eaten through a syringe...poor thing...

Jason and Brittany got a Wii on black friday (we're kind of wishing we did now too) so the next few days it seemed everyone was always in the basement playing! Here's Jess trying to bowl...

Heather rubbing Dave's feet. I'm surprised she actually did it...

Aaron on his new matt from Grandma and Grandpa!

Sam looking cute...


The morning it snowed! Beautiful!

Sam in the snow...when he was still happy...

After daddy was mean and threw a snowball at his neck...

Dave starting to roll the bottom of the snowman.

It's bigger than Sam!

Bringing the middle piece from the front yard...

Dave with the head...

Jenni made the baby snowman that sits on the big ones head (don't ask why we decided that...)


Jason and Dave putting it up...

And wa-la!

Dave, Aaron, Me, and Sam

Ready to go see Twilight! Don't mind the weird glares off our shirts...

Sam's new favorite thing to do is get on Microsoft Word and type.



Sam and Jeana playing!

Jumping with Grandma on the trampoline!

Grandma singing to Sam. He loves it!

Micha, Great Grandma, and Jonah doing a puzzle.

Aaron and Sam!

Sam and Grandpa!

Sam pushing the carts at the airport on our last day...