The Thatcher Life: Temple Dedication

Sawyer

Sawyer still get's excited every time we drive by the temple or if he sees a temple picture or a temple in a video or anything that resembles a temple to him. His enthusiasm is contagious. "Look! Temple!" with a big grin on his face. The cedar temple has a window at the top that has a stained glass flower and Sawyer will point to it and say, "Star on temple belly." The cutest.

He's also started to "read" books but legitimately has the words memorized. So now we take turns reading to each other and if he doesn't remember the words for a page he's on he'll ask me, "What's that?" and then repeat the words that I tell him.

He's loving everything about Christmas. He hasn't made the connection between Santa and Christmas presents but he does get excited about the presents under our tree. He's liked our Christmas movie watching and has deemed his favorites (this year) to be Rudolph (the classic) and Kevin (Home Alone). We've driven out to Christmas Lane by the golf course to see the lights three times in the past few weeks. I think Sawyer mostly likes it because we let him sit in the front on my lap while we drive 0.5 mph through that neighborhood.

He's still potty training and I hate the roller coaster that potty training seems to be. Like it sucks. I would say that he's pretty much day time trained but nights and naps aren't working out anymore, which I just don't understand. After successfully waking up dry for a week and a half he started wetting the bed in the morning but was still dry for naps, then he started wetting the bed in the middle of the night AND in the morning but was still dry for naps, and now he wets the bed basically anytime he sleeps. I expected slip ups here and there but what's up with the full on regression? I know he's not doing it on purpose since it's in his sleep but I'm just so, so confused why his body would have it figured out and then do a complete one-eighty. He has been converted to the normal toilet successfully though so we've been able to put away the toddler potty and that's been nice (especially since he started to think he should clean it out himself...which was a disaster).

Dawson

Dawson started walking almost instantly after I posted last time (when I said he basically wasn't interested, figures). He just let go of the furniture and started walking on the 10th of this month, so he was not quite 14 months. He's doing pretty good at it. He hasn't figured out how to stand up if he falls down in the middle of the floor with nothing around him, so if that happens he crawls over to whatever is closest to him so he can stand back up and keep walking.

He totally prefers eating with a fork over eating with his fingers but he isn't coordinated with the utensils yet so mealtime has turned into this scenario- mom stabs the food, Dawson yanks the fork away and puts the food in his mouth, and then Dawson chirps, "ah! ah! ah!" and waves the fork at mom so mom knows to stab some food again. It's cute but also takes a billion years, which makes it a little less cute.

Dillon

Dillon and I were able to attend the Cedar City Temple dedication together while my parents watched the kids and were both amazed at the calmness of attending a church event where we got to sit together the whole time and actually focus on what was being said. We both left feeling spiritually uplifted and grateful for the temple in our city.

Dillon's been a good sport over my lazy date night planning this month. December is always so fun, but so exhausting at the same time. We at least had (and will have next week-- Star Wars) a couple of more thought out and fun dates, one of which was my Christmas Bunko party with all the girls and their husbands. We always play the Left, Center, Right (or LCR) dice game but instead of game chips, we use dollars. And every year we've been there, it always come down to three people- me, Dillon, and someone else. AND EVERY YEAR, Dillon and I lose because the dice hate us and we're never meant to take home that $75. But we enjoy the food and the company and getting to know everyone a little bit better. It's one of my favorite parties of the season.

Dillon also had his company work party. They do a raffle every year for some pretty awesome prizes and Dillon was determined that luck needed to be on his side this year so he could bring home a prize. Which he did. And it was a set of pots and pans. I was pretty delighted and Dillon decided to be happy that he at least won something.

DaNae

I got the freaking stomach flu and it was pretty much the worst. I had been on antibiotics after phase one of my root canal and thought at first that they were making me sick but quickly figured out that that was not the case. It was a miserable 24 (plus a few) hours with lots and lots of bathroom trips and almost zero sleep during the first half. Thankfully Dillon was able to stay home and keep the boys quarantined while I actually got the chance to rest (miracle!) which must have worked because I was the only one that ended up being sick (second miracle!).

I had to reschedule phase two of my root canal since my appointment fell during my 24 hours of misery. The dentist office was really nice about it even though I was only able to give them like a half hour notice. My tooth is now finished and it feels so much better. So thankful for dentists.

My cousin Gavin and his (now) wife Megan got married in the Cedar temple the first weekend after it was dedicated. It was so nice to be with family in our new temple and to watch a new couple be sealed together. Watching Megan get all teary made me choke up and moments like that almost make me laugh because I was NEVER that way before kids. I was always a frustrated/mad crier (still am) but now all the feel good moments make me tight-throated and teary too. Those hormones, man. But it was a beautiful sealing and it felt so nice and peaceful to be in the temple. (The boys stayed with Amy since all of our family were at the sealing...and Sawyer lost it five minutes after we left and puked all over. So his anxiety is apparently still alive and well. Poor Sawyer. And poor, poor Amy.)

Unicorn horn that my mom got as a white elephant gift. My boys thought it was hilarious.

Trying to video this walking baby.

Enjoying a roll at Gavin and Megan's luncheon.

These two cousins are eight months apart though you would never know it.

Until you notice the eight month coordination gap ha.

Dawson is a little taller but Bennett weighs more.

Visiting the grandparents for Grandpa Dale's birthday.

Sharing ice cream with Brade.

Sawyer and Livy (she calls him see-soar and it's hilarious).

Bunko girls

And the guys.

I got to go to dinner with my old teaching department and it was so, so fun. There was so much laughing and it was so nice to catch up with these ladies. Lifelong friends right there.