Halloween Week

Somehow this week has flown past me! Kason hit 4-months old this week. He loves to play with his toes! I actually found sucking on his big toe a couple times this week.  Sunday night Aunt Shauna spent some time helping him learn to roll over. We propped him up on his elbows and he rolled once from belly to back all by himself!  He also has been laughing really cute this week! He tries really hard to imitate the sounds others make.  He loves to stand on your lap and bounce up and down. He loves standing in the walker, and we also tried the Johnny-jumper this week which was a hit!  

Monday afternoon after work I went out to teach piano lessons at Jared & Trish’s.  I love teaching piano and realized as I drove out there that I never play the piano anymore besides at church.  I definitely need to brush up on my terminology and skills! The girls did great! Lindsey is a great counter, Lacey practiced so well and passed off almost all her songs, and Ashley is almost starting the Simplified Hymns! Kason had a great time with Aunt Trish and the girls.  The first snowfall happened Monday night also, and it took a little over an hour to go home! It was a serious whiteout for October!

School has been going well for both of us.  Kolt did well on a couple of tests last week, which surprised him, but not the rest of us.  He does a really good job of studying, not doing homework or other assignments, but just studying the material. (Something I never learned how to do!) The Spring 2014 class schedule has come out, so we both tentatively planned out schedules next spring.  Kolt’s schedule is mostly Tuesday-Thursday from 9-5 with one class Monday and one Friday.  My schedule looks like it will be an online class, an independent study, an internship (at my work) and a night class in Idaho Falls. YAY! Looks like there’s no bus to Pocatello for my last semester! I’m so excited to spend more time at home!

The varsity volleyball team went to State volleyball this weekend.  I went to practice and played on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bentley kept Kason occupied while I played! We spent all Saturday watching the games online.  They took 2^nd at state to Century!

We had a great Halloween on Thursday! Aunt Shauna & Uncle Landon took Kason & Paisley to their ward trunk-or-treat while Kolt had class and I took a test.  They had a great time! Kolt went out and picked up Kason, and then I met them at Grandma & Grandpa Piquet’s.  Aunt Karla came just in time to see our outfits! Kolt was a real trouble and was The Man in the Yellow Hat for the second time. Kason made a cute Curious George!  On Friday we got to babysit Paisley too!  I took Kason to work, but we came home just in time before Shauna came home! She is such a happy girl and had a great time with Kolt! 

Saturday we caught up on homework, watched volleyball and then went to Chuck-a-Rama with Dad and Natalie’s family.  I had a good time catching up with some of the girls I worked with a few years ago.

I also did a little hospital frame for Kason of his birth! It looks really good! 

We had a fairly normal Sunday.  I played the organ, and Kolt taught the Sunday school lesson on Spiritual Self-Reliance. We had the 17s and 18s class join us!  We celebrated Kolt’s dad’s birthday on Sunday evening. I made a broccoli salad for dinner.  We had lasagna which was awesome! We gave Grandpa some cute little magnets of pictures of him & Kason for his birthday! It was a great Sunday!

Football, Carnival, Volleyball & Piquet Party

Kason had a great week of doing new things! He is 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days old today! He is back to his good-ole happy self this week! He is on his 2^nd night of sleeping in his crib, which is a work in progress.  He still seems to love eating, and his mom is happy to feed him and keep him happy.  He fits much better in his crib than his bassinet though, so he probably likes the extra room!  He is starting to have more of an opinion on the car seat. When I went to volleyball practice on Tuesday, he decided he liked sitting in the stroller without the car seat, so he could look around. He has also learned to arch his back when he is on the floor, and often does that in the car seat when he doesn’t really want to sit in it!  He found his tongue this week and is constantly sticking it out as well as sucking on his bottom lip. It is really pretty cute! He is also learning how to talk back and forth and can carry on pretty serious conversations for quite a few minutes, including during Sacrament Meeting.

Monday I had an interesting shopping experience at Wal-Mart. I had quite the list of things to pick up and only had Kason to help.  After about an hour, I was pretty worn out and didn’t really know what was in my cart, let alone what was in the bags I scooped up as I checked out.  When I got home and showed everyone what I got, my mom found a 6-pack of Budweiser in one bag, along with a dress that I didn’t pay for! Somehow I had scooped up a bag of the person in front of me and came home with a pack of beer that I didn’t know what to do with! We called Wal-Mart right away and then took the bag back to the store.  It made for an interesting night!

Tuesday Brand played in the 2^nd round of playoffs and then played in the 8^th grade football championship on Saturday at Thunder Stadium.  They won the championship 34-0, and Brand played awesome! We had a lot of family there, including my parents! Kason slept for a long time with Grandma Staker! It was great weather also which made it a great game to watch! We celebrated the win at The Sandpiper which is delicious! I’m starting to really like clams!

Wednesday I worked a short day because I ran out of diapers and had to go home.  When I got home, I made a quadruple batch of Halloween cookies and a few caramel apples for the Annual Piquet Pumpkin Carving Party.  We had Eldorado Casserole, ate a lot of treats, carved pumpkins, and watched Pacific Rim.  It is always such a fun time with family!

One of my classes got cancelled Thursday, so I drove down for a quick class in the morning and found out I got a 90% on my Auditing exam! I was pretty happy about that! Kason spent the evening with Grandma Piquet, and she found out he has quite the musical talent, as he was kicking to the beat of the music! I’m pretty happy about that!

District volleyball was this week. On Friday, we beat Pocatello & Rigby. Teresa Ure was awesome to take Kason for both games! Kolt has lab down in Pocatello on Friday, but he came Saturday afternoon when we played Century in the semi-finals. We left in the middle of the game to get to Brand’s game, but came back during the championship where we faced Century again and lost in 5.  I sure missed playing Century; it seems like Bonneville always plays its best against Century!

Kolt volunteered to work at the ISU Halloween Carnival on Saturday afternoon.  I had a great idea for costumes.  Kason is Curious George, Kolt is the Man in the Yellow Hat, and I was Maggie Dunlop, a teacher from the show (but it was a little hard to recognize!) Kolt was a hit at the party, and all the kids kept asking if I was married to the Man in the Yellow Hat! He was a hit!!

Sunday morning went out to the Foothill ward.  Brand spoke on why our church is the only true church. He did a great job! Kade Cook spoke next in preparation for his mission to Peru; Tanner Brinkerhoff, who just returned from his mission in Iowa, did a great job and gave a great talk full of the Spirit.  Kolt went to Austin Hansen’s report at 1; I came back with Kason to play the organ, sing in the choir, listen to Justin Palmer’s mission report, and teach Sunday school. I taught about how Christlike attributes can help us in our gospel learning.  The kids did a really good job of helping us make a big list of attributes as we studied the scriptures together. 

Sick Week--Volleyball Finishes

Kason had a sick week this week! Since last Friday, he would work into a screaming cry instantly which is not normal at all.  He hardly slept more than an hour at a time, including all through the night.  Kolt and I decided to take him in last minute on Friday afternoon.  The doctor said he was beginning an ear infection, so we got some antibiotics, and he has been great since! It is so nice to have our happy, easy-going baby back! The plus side of taking him to the doctor was that we got to weigh him.  Kason weighed 18 lbs. 5 oz. When the P.A. came in, he said, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s a little stout for his age, right?” We had a good laugh about that! This week Kason found his thumb and his mom has banned to wearing socks on his hands until he forgets about it! He has been grabbing toys better and interacting more. He is so close to rolling over.  He arches his back and tries and tries to roll when he is on the floor.  He is also scooting a bit.  On Friday, I found him totally rotated from where I had left him which surprised me! I am taking advantage of every day before he learns to roll and crawl!

Volleyball finished the week.  We beat Blackfoot in 5 on Thursday and Preston in 4 on Thursday.  We played in the Madison tournament on Saturday.  I rode the bus with the girls, and Kolt came up later with Kason.  In pool play, our setter hit her head.  After several concussion assessments, her parents and I decided it would be best if she didn’t play the rest of the day.  The girls were pretty disappointed in finishing lower than we had hoped, but they sure played well.  I have had such a great time with these girls this year.  They have been coachable and upbeat, and I enjoy watching them get better.  I am excited for a little less hectic schedule though!

Wednesday evening we went to Rope and Brand’s football playoff games at Bonneville.  We had Kason all bundled up in his snowsuit and sat with Paisley and Shauna in front of the propane heater.  Rope’s team lost, but Brand’s team won.  Brand hurt his elbow during his game and hustled off to the doctor.  We are hoping he is doing okay! Kason wasn’t feeling very good still, so we decided to take off after Brand did.  We took Rope home with us and watched a little Harry Potter  before Kolt’s parents came to pick him up.

The greatest news of the week is that semester is half over! We are starting to get into a routine with homework though, so the last half should be a breeze especially without volleyball.

Friday evening we babysat Kylen and Kamrie at our house while Kristi & Bryant went on a date.  We had a great time! Between Kolt taking Kason and me taking Kylen, Kamrie didn’t get a ton of attention, but Grandma & Grandpa Lindley took her out for some dinner and helped put her to sleep, so we were pretty proud that both Kylen and Kamrie were asleep when they got home from their date. It was fun to have a couple of babies at the same time though, and I am still hoping to have twins someday!

Sunday morning we got up early to go to Parker Belnap’s mission report.  He did a great job and has a special Spirit about him.  We enjoyed visiting with old high school friends and letting them see Kason again.  We also were excited to see Mr. Moeller, our 7^th grade World History teacher and lifelong friend.  We came back to our ward after; I played the organ and accompanied the Young Men/Women singing “As Sisters in Zion/We’ll Bring the World His Truth”.  I love that song and feel the Spirit so strongly every time I hear it.  I have enjoyed practicing with them for the past month.  Kolt taught the Sunday School lesson on developing Christlike attributes.  It was a great class.

We had dinner at Natalie’s house after church.  Kolt made gravy and I made potatoes for dinner.  It was Brooke’s birthday, so we also got to watch her open presents.  She is sure growing up quickly!