An Adventure a Week

My goal during January was to do a neat adventure each week before the baby comes in February, for not just the boys but me as well. I love doing things with my boys. I have wanted a baby, and am so excited to be getting another boy, but I know that life is going to change dramatically when the baby comes, so we are trying to hold onto our old routine for just a little longer :)

First adventure was going to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden

It is a children's museum, and there are so many things to discover there.

 We drove a firetruck, learned how to milk a cow, 

and tried to pull out King Arthur's sword (Jack was sad that he couldn't!)

Boats to climb on, lego planes to build...

 ...trains to play with and even horses to ride in the wild west.

The next adventure was to the Thanksgiving Point Dino Museum

 We went on a Tuesday, and we have Oaklee with us on those days, 

so I loaded all three after preschool and off we went.

There was an archelon, an area to play with dinosaurs in water, 

even a megaladon.

 The giant T-Rex skeletons were of course a hit too!

Well...with my boys, Oaklee was a bit scared.

Another week I had been having contractions,

so we decided to just go watch a matanee movie, but when

we got there the theater was closed and I didn't realize it!

A quick rental made things better, and I still got to sit through it :)

That Friday though Oaklee's mom Erika took James up on the biglift for the first time.  He did great! I waited in the lodge with Jack and got hot chocolate with Jack with an iPad movie just in case James had to come off the mountain, or Oaklee, or something.

 Other friends from the neighborhood were there too!

Look at him go, he's doing it all by himself, coming down to get back on the lift, and he's not needing help getting there.  Way to go little buddy. He apparently took off fast once and was going down the wrong way, and so Erika had to catch him to stop him, but Oaklee followed them both, so everyone had to take off their skis, climb back up to where the green hill starts, and go again.

Our last week I was also having contractions, and Daddy had left for Ohio for three days and two nights for work, so we definitely stayed around home (our big adventure was getting to pick a treat out at the neighborhood Wal-Mart).  It also stormed a lot while he was gone, and the snow was perfect to make snowmen.  Here's each of us as a snowman with an asparagus nose, almond eyes, and almond mouths.  James had already taken his snow gear off when I grabbed the camera, and Jack didn't want to look at me, he wanted to go inside too.  Mean mom I am for wanting to take a picture. Good thing though because the deer came by and ate off the faces last night! 

Daddy came home tonight, the snowmen melted some today so we'll make them again tomorrow, and baby decided to not come early!  Overall a good month :)

First Post about January!

Finally a post about January, in January!  The weekend after everyone went home, we wondered what to do, and came up with going to see buffalo at Antelope Island.  We've never been there before, so thought was a fun time to check it out.  With a picnic lunch in tow, we headed out to find the buffalo.
Now, mind you, it was really, really cold. I hadn't planned on really getting out of the car because we were just going to look at the buffalo from the car.  No hats, at least a coat (but not heavy ones for Nathan or I), no gloves, no scarf (I love them).  Anyway, we drive through, and there isn't much to see, so we decide to stop at the Garr Ranch there, sort of an interactive museum.  But it is cold!  And it is slightly windy, so it makes it colder.  There was a barn there we quickly too refuge in, even it to get out of the wind chill.

 Walking quickly to a big barn that looked like it could 

provide some shelter from the cold

 Everything inside you could touch!

James chose this antler to hold

 Jack wanted to "ride-em cowboy!"

 Cute family together

On our way leaving we finally saw a buffalo close up,

the rest had been really far away, 

this picture is what I had envisioned for the day :)

Rest of the Holidays

After being released from the hospital, I took it 

easy, but we still took our kids to see some awesome lights 

in Layton on New Year's Eve.

 Cousin Elisa came too!

In front of the T-Rex of course

 The light tunnel

  

There was sledding in Papa and Grandpa's backyard

And the cousins played and played and played

A big tower w/ old school blocks!

Family Foto 2013

 Here's the family picture from this year.

I was roasting during this and didn't know why (soon to find out),

 and keeping all the kids happy...,

anyway, it was a job.

Unfortunately we were missing Robert and Kortney 

and their kids.  It would have been so fun

to see all the cousins together, sometime soon

we hope! 

So after this picture was taken, and we got the kids to

bed, I had some pre-term labor contractions start that
Nathan took me to the hospital for.

I didn't want to seem crazy, but they were legit as

we saw after being hooked up and monitored, and they 

were not stopping, but getting stronger and more frequent.

It was very, very scary.

The Braxton-Hicks started, but then became

right on top of each other, and then painful.

They were able to stop the labor with 

terabutaline shots (which hurt like a $%&@!)

and lots of fluid (which made me freezing so

I got about 10 warm blankets on, but then when I was better

I was so hot I wanted to rip off everything and go walk outside

in the freezing weather).

This happened the night of the 30-31st,

which means one day off for our insurance for

the deductible :(

That is okay because labor was stopped, and I 

was only 31 weeks, and I don't mind if he comes

early, but that was TOO early! 

They think it started because of a combo of:

a) an infection that I still had 

b) maybe driving the snowmobile that day

c) stress, which I can normally handle and it's

not stress, but any little bit seems to set off a 

contraction.

My doctor was at the hospital for another delivery, 

so he released me earlier than if

he hadn't been there (4am), that was nice, and I got an

antibiotic to get rid of the infection for good.

Now when I look at that family foto I

think of what happened just a short time later :)

What a story for baby.

Random Jack from Christmas

Most of these pictures come from 

Jenn's blog, but they are so cute of Jack I had to share!

And they have an awesome camera, and I loved the shots

she got!

When he's happy he's happy...

...and when he's sad he usually only wants Daddy :(

 Cute with Aunt Jenn

 And a little ladies man :)

 She caught his T-Rex walk

 Faces that we make sometimes with them:

 Happy!

 Sad:(

SuRpRiSeD!

Sledding Up at Grandpa's!

After Christmas we the Manwaring's went up to the farm

to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and enjoy

some sledding down his famous hill.

Having a snowmobile take you back up makes

sledding a whole new experience!

 Most of us were able to spend the night, but Nathan

went with Jason and Nicole back home because

he had to work in the morning :(

I stayed with the boys, and they were so very good

for me!

And sledding was a success!

I didn't take a sled down, but I drove one of

the snowmobiles up and down the hill

to retrieve the sledders

Jack going down with Grandma

He wanted to go again, and again, and again!

James learned how to go down head first, 

and he used his feet to drag if he went too

fast for him.  He was great.

 Our kids love the snow,

I think it's all about dressing right; boots 

are essential as well as good gloves.

Then their toes and fingers stay warm, and they

want to stay out all day :)

Richard and Lydia on Grandpa's

snowmobile

Lydia also loved sledding

Two Californian's getting their fill of the white stuff

After Christmas

We were blessed that most of the family was able to stay for

a while even after Christmas. Here were some

activities:

 The cousins put on a skit that was written by Elisa

 Loves to Grandma

 Each day a couple took a meal to enter into the 

"Manwaring Cooking Contest"

Here Jason and Nicole are preparing their dish of

stuffed lamb

 Jack with a favorite food: a roll

 Playing air hockey

Foosball:

 James liking his dragon shaped pancake for breakfast

by Karissa and Cory!

Sledding in the backyard

We got to visit Grandma Hiller:

 Grandma LoVeS babies!

MGM talent show!

 Harmonica and accordian duet:)

 "What Does the Fox Say"

lip-singing and dancing!

Cutie Petutie Jack

This was through the 29th,

more to come as we then ALL took a 

trip to one of our favorite places: the FARM!