The Pollard Place: November 2018

November is here! This year Bryndee talked me into going to Pinner's Conference with her, and it was actually so much fun! I took some fun classes like a cake decorating class, some watercolor classes, a sewing class, and a hair braiding class. Rusty stayed home with the kids and they had a great time too.

Rusty's work does a big Casino Night party after their retreat each year, and this was our second year going. It was a blast! We went and had a fancy dinner, then the Bartons met us for the casino part. We all had a great time, and Rusty and I doubled our money! Woo hoo! Vegas here we come! JK.

Henry went a week without having any accidents so he earned a special date! He chose to go see a movie, and I cannot believe how much they loved it. Neither one of them even made a sound the entire time. We saw Little Foot, and I thought it was cute.

I love playing with my babies. We got some medical tape and Henry wanted to help his stuffed animals so we played vet. We used his little doctor set and took their temperatures, gave them shots, and checked their eyes and ears. He even gave each of them a sticker for doing a good job!

It just wouldn't be fall without a trip to go play in some leaves! Henry had a great time jumping in them, Della was a little bit more confused about life haha.

Our house is coming along really nicely! We put it up for rent for January and it is looking nice. We painted the front siding and the siding around the door, did a bunch of touch up painting in the house, and Rusty has been working a lot on the shed and backyard. We ran out of time to do the tile backsplash and finish the laundry room, but there will be plenty of time to do that when we get back.

This is what painting with a toddler looks like! I thought I was good because I had the paint bucket and brushes with me in the bathroom. But I left the stir stick out... and Della came in just covered in white paint. She ruined her dress and both of her wub a nubs... Ah.

Grandma Jessie passed away on November 11. She was 100 and ready to go, but it was still sad. For a while she had been telling my dad that every day she goes to bed earlier so that the good Lord has more time to take her in her sleep, but that nobody ever came haha. The weekend before my dad, Uncle Floyd, Uncle Danny and Aunt Roxie all went down and spent some time with her. They talked about good memories, recorded her telling stories and singing songs, and told her how much they loved her. I was glad that they got to have that time to say goodbye. I found out one Sunday after church, and then we just went on a drive because I didn't want to stay home. I think the hardest thing was that for us it was so soon after Beckie's passing. Nobody was ready to relive everything, and it was so hard to have to be in that setting again. This one was so different though-she was ready to go and had lived a full life. It was not as tragic as Beckie's funeral.

We left Utah and stayed in a hotel in Boise the night before the funeral. The kids had fun swimming in the pool and having some down time before we went to the funeral. Sadly, Rusty had to get back to work so he drove home and I went to Bear Lake with my parents. Everyone went back to Firth for the burial, but I stayed home with the kids because I didn't think they would do well in the car again and Della was sick. I was sad to not be able go, but I heard that it was really beautiful.

For Thanksgiving this year we went to Bear Lake with my parents and Jessica and Aaron. The kids and I drove straight there from the funeral in Idaho but Rusty had to go back to work for a couple of days before he could come. It was nice to spend time with my family, and it was the first big holiday since losing Beckie so it was good to be together. We went swimming at the pool, worked out at the gym, played on the little playground, and watched some shows. It was nice to take a chance to slow down and relax with everything going on.

Della will stick her tongue out if you say, "Catch a snowflake!"

Mom was sick at Thanksgiving, so then when we got home everyone got sick haha. It was pretty miserable. But luckily most everyone got over it pretty quickly. Adeline's stuck around for a really long time.

WE GOT A CHRISTMAS TREE! I love, love, love Christmas and I love getting a tree! We had a little party to decorate the tree and invited Jessica over with us. She brought all kinds of treats and fun things for the kids. Of course we ate chip dip and watched Rudolph and it was a great night. This is one of my favorite nights of the year.

This year something new happened and we had an elf named Charlie come to our home! He visited every morning and did silly things like make snowmen, toilet paper the house, and read books. Henry sure got excited every morning to go and find Charlie and see what he was doing. Della liked to carry him around, which caused quite an issue because if you touch him he could lose his magic haha. But Charlie never lost his magic and everything worked out.

Of course, after Charlie brought us the shaving cream we had to play with it!

Henry's Highlights

When I pretend I'm sad when Della hits me to help her be nice, he immediately, IMMEDIATELY, comes running over: "Mommy what's wrong? Are you ok? Don't be sad, be happy!"
Henry bore his testimony for the first time! He said that he really wanted to, and I told him that he could only do it if he went all by himself. So he did! I was shocked, and so proud. He said, "My name is Henry. I love Jesus and Mommy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." I love that little angel boy!
Henry put a pea up his nose haha. The best part was his response: "I didn't do it! It just flinged up there!"

"Makes cookies" anytime he plays with little pieces of things like beads, puzzles
Any time that he falls or runs into something, you immediately hear: "I'm okay!"
Henry absolutely LOVES it to be dark. It is actually kind of annoying because he turns off the lights when I am cooking or cleaning or eating or... anything haha. But he loves it to be dark and for him to have his flashlights

Adeline's Adventures

Sticks her tongue out when we say, "Catch a snowflake!"
Adeline finally had her first little pony tail! She hates it but I love it.

Wants to wear shoes 100% of the time. She carries them around with her or brings them to me to put them on her

Knows where her belly button and head are. It is particularly hilarious to ask her where her belly button is when she has a onesie on and can't get to it. She is so confused and cranky haha!
When she is being sassy, she will hit you in the face a bunch. I started pretending to be sad and now she will stick her lips out like bit duck lips and whine and pat my face and kiss me.
She LOVES makeup. She always steals it out of my bag

She loves to color! It's kind of fun because Henry never really liked coloring very much. But his girl colors on the doors and walls like Henry never did!

First time painting her toe nails!

.... And Henry's too haha

She still loves her wub-a-nubs. She has recently started playing with the tag a lot, and now she will tickle the bottom of her foot with the tag when she is sleepy or sad.