In November…

Life has been full and busy around here.  The lack of updates has been directly related to the lack of health.  In the past month, we have had coughs, colds, fevers, an ER visit for bronchitis, home nebulizer treatments, double ear infections x 2 kids, vomiting x 2 kids, pink eye x 3 kids, doctor visits x 6, three prescriptions of antibiotics, multiple night time wake-ups, and bedroom arrangements changing throughout the wee hours. 

In the meantime, Emily decided to drop her morning nap which had me wondering what else could be ailing her (and another $30 doctor visit to rule out another ear infection – my gauge of healthy vs. sick is all off kilter these days).  Turned out to be a typical developmental milestone at 16 months to need less sleep.

I think we’re finally healthy again.  We ran out of kleenex on the counter a week ago, and I haven’t needed to replace it yet.  No one is coughing.  I’ve had multiple nights of continuous sleep.  Whoo-hoo!

I’d like to share a few pictures of our trip to NW Iowa/South Dakota for Thanksgiving.  We wanted to visit both sets of my grandparents this year, and Thanksgiving seemed like a good time to go.  Our first night we made it as far as Iowa City and stopped there for the night.  The kids were thrilled that our hotel room had a bunk bed!

And they loved watching tv from bed.

It was fun to drive past our old stomping grounds (we lived in Iowa City for 4 years while Luke was in dental school), but missed all the friends that used to live there with us.

It was great to spend time with my grandparents and to let my kids get to know their great-grandparents better.  It was also fun to have my brother (Darren) and his family there with us, so the kids got lots of cousin time. 

Here are 4 of them looking at great-grandma’s Christmas village.

And 3 of them sleeping in the basement. 

They look so cuddly and sleepy, don’t they?  Don’t let them fool you!  The minute we’d go upstairs and start talking, they’d be out of their beds, laughing, in each others’ beds, etc. 

The kids with Great Grandpa and Grandma De Groot.

And with Great Grandpa and Grandma Vande Kamp.  (The added kids are my cousin’s children.)

And I really like this picture of Emily playing with her Great Grandpa and Grandma Vande Kamp at coffee time.

We were secretly hoping my niece (my brother Mark’s daughter) would be born before we drove through Des Moines on our way home, Nov. 26.  Hanna, my sister-in-law, was due Nov. 28.  Well, my sweet niece already already has impeccable timing and was born on the 25th, so we got to meet her in the hospital… less than 24 hours old!

A big welcome to Lydia Jo!

And now that our Thanksgiving trip is nearly a month past, I have many more pictures to share.  Our tree is up, Christmas cards are sent, gifts are purchased (though not wrapped), the advent calendar is eagerly anticipated every evening, and we are in the Christmas spirit.

More pictures and updates to come soon!