Thanksgiving in Washington

Ben and I decided that we wanted to go to Washington for Thanksgiving this year to spend time with his side of the family (especially the Bishop family) and to get more of a career feel there. This was an AWESOME trip!

Puget Sound

Yeah, Lily, we don't eat rocks.

Glass art in a fountain

They were such good little tourists!

Chandelier of glass

Across the street from Pike's Market. I love how there's a guy on the corner playing the piano.

While touring downtown Seattle we stopped at an awesome restaurant called Ivars. YUM! Now before I begin this story let me first explain that this is no shabby restaurant. It's overlooking the water, more expensive, and is very nice. Some things are very hard to do when walking around all day. So I ended up nursing Sky in the restaurant. I thought that was awkward, wait until you hear what's next. So we were all done at the restaurant and thought it would be an appropriate time to take the babies into the bathroom to change their diapers. So I take Sky into the women's room, lie him down on the koala bear thingy, and surprise surprise! His diaper has exploded up his shirt and down his pants! In a nice restaurant, without a change of clothes, and getting poop everywhere. I just wanted to throw his clothes away because it was THAT bad. So April (being quite the supermom, I must say) ran out around downtown Seattle to buy him a new outfit. In the meantime I'm stuck in the bathroom with these sweet women who are all trying to help me clean him up. Let me just say that it was so bad it took me as long to clean him up as it took April to find and buy him a new outfit. All in a nice restaurant... sigh.

This is Pike's Market where they throw fish.

Although Erin and Alix are true twins, you could basically consider Lily and Sam to be cousin-twins. We actually went shoe shopping with all six kids and Ben was watching them for a bit when a store clerk walked up to him and said, "you have two sets of twins?!?!" But I can see how people might think these two are. Dang they're cute.

There was Rock Band to be played....

Let's just call Uncle Ben the human jungle gym..... the girls all played with him....

to the point of exhaustion. :) FYI this is TRULY a red outfit. I don't put my son in girls clothes. I promise. Haha.

Ben and I are really grateful that we were able to go to Seattle. Thanks to the Bishops for letting us come! Sorry for not having pictures of Thanksgiving itself. I forgot my camera. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come later.... we were really grateful for all the time we got to spend with the whole Macbeth side of the fam. Ben and I really felt all the love and support from all y'all! I definitely know we'll be back in Washington sooner or later. It is such a beautiful place (it reminds me of North Carolina so much). And speaking of North Carolina since most everyone already knows, I should update the people who don't. Ben and I are officially moving to North Carolina. We're moving in with my parents and we're going to do a bunch of job hunting along the east coast. We feel it's time to move on with our lives and starting fresh in a new place is a great way to do that. So watch out Raleigh, here we come! As of December 18th, Ben and I will be starting a new adventure.

Sky's First Haircut... Surprise!

Well we just gave Sky his first haircut (I'm still cracking up over that because he's only 3 months...) and he's a little blondie now! Yay! I never thought I'd have a baby with blonde hair but here it is! He's a handsome little man! And he's now rolling over! Good job, Bud!

Life Goes On

Lily's "magical chant." I had to add something fun to the post. :D By the way this is how Lily is 99.9% of the time. She's quite the talker. I wonder who she gets that from???? You can imagine how awesome church is....

This past weekend has been evil. Not only did Ben come home with his bad news on Friday but I also ended up getting what I believe to be food poisoning. It was AWESOME. Get any sarcasm out of that??? But I know that bad things happen when AMAZING things are about to happen and that's what I know is the real story behind everything. This is truly a wonderful time for our family. There are a lot of personal things that we're thankful for and some not-so-personal things like my new niece being born! Congrats to Lizzie and Brian whose daughter, Kate, was born Sunday evening. This was Lizzie's longest pregnancy, heaviest baby, and I'm thinking very close to the longest labor (although it was only 5ish hours....). We're excited to have another little girl in the family! And now my parents can finally claim that one of their grandkids looks like they come from the Whale family!

As for Ben and I, we feel a lot of peace. It's funny because when I fasted a not too long ago for Ben to find a job I felt like something was coming soon. And I'm not saying it definitely will. I'm

wondering if I felt him being laid off instead because although we are grateful for his old job, I actually see this as a blessing. So stay tuned to what happens to us in the future because we have an "almost official" plan but it's not quite written in stone. But like I said, we feel peace about the whole thing. My mind is so busy trying to figure things out that I can't sleep and today I even ran a load of laundry while forgetting to put the clothes in!!!

It's interesting to me that Ben's boss (who is a friend of Ben's) let him go because he wanted Ben to have a better shot at a career than working for him. He even told Ben that one of the best things that ever happened to him was being laid off because it gave him more incentive to find a job. So as you may have guessed Ben's new full time job is finding a job. And while I know he's going to go crazy being at home all day I'm just soaking up all the time I get to spend with him. I know this won't last long and I'm going to have to readjust my life when he goes back to working full-time.

Believe it or not but we really are in good spirits here. In fact, this weekend we're going to be making our way up to Washington to spend Thanksgiving with Ben's sister, April, and all of the other Macbeth relatives up there, and we can't wait! We're so excited! So as the great Paula Deen would say, "I wish you love and best dishes from our kitchen to yours!" But since I'm not on a cooking show right now I guess I'll just modify that to "we love all y'all! Thanks for all the love and support!"

We need prayers.

Wow, where to begin. Heather and I really need your prayers and support! I went in to work this morning and found out that I am being laid off. Today was my last day and so we really need your prayers so that we can make it through until I am able to find another job.

Just so that you all know it really wasn't done unfairly. My boss just thinks that I would be happier in the business world where my degree is. I don't want anyone to think badly of my boss. He really has the best intentions.

So if any of you have any leads into business or or the business side of a company I would love them. I know that I have people looking around in Washington, but I am willing to go where ever the Lord wants me. I know that we will be ok, but this is pretty tough.

Proof!

Sorry about the poor quality of the picture but it's kind of hard to adjust the settings on the camera with one hand and take the picture before the moment's gone. I took this pic while I was watching the news with Sky in my lap and Lily lying on the couch next to me. This will come in handy when they're teenagers and I have to prove at some point that they really do love each other. :)

Yesterday I tried this for the first time and they were laughing their heads off. They didn't this time but you get the picture.

My Life is Amazing

Yes, it's true. My life is amazing. I have to admit that I'm slightly embarrassed that I had pitiful thoughts about how hard life was right after Skyler was born. Now that Sky and I are sleeping better (which changes EVERYTHING) and Lily and Sky are bonding, I don't really have any complaints. I've gotten used to my new life and it's wonderful. But just yesterday I had a wonderful experience. I got the chance to go to Enrichment, or should I say a "Relief Society Meeting," and create crafts while socializing. I was gone for a whole 3 hours. Ben was kind enough to watch the babies and then let me take a nap when I got home. When I woke up he said one of the most rewarding things: "How do you do it?!?!" It feels pretty nice to know that having the monotonous life of motherhood is still a challenge and still very important. My life's pretty amazing and here are some pictures to prove it:

This time she was only giving him moral support by sharing her blankie with him. I always have to make sure she doesn't suffocate him with love..... they're starting to laugh at each other all the time. I'm pretty sure that's what the Celestial Kingdom sounds like..... :)

We're planning on giving him his first haircut soon so I decided to give him a little mohawk first...

My little cherub. :)

I fasted this week for Ben to find a job. Since I'm nursing and can't really fast I didn't eat/drink chocolate for a week instead. It has been an amazing blessing for me. Instead of getting what I thought I'd get, I found gratitude for the things I already have. And that's why my life is amazing.

Halloween Weekend

Ben's parents were able to spend some time with us before Halloween so here are some pictures of the fam:

The Twins

Sky and Mommy (I'm not looking so hot but check out that cute pumpkin! PS-thanks April!)

Mr. Chubb

Grandmum (or "Mum Mum" as Lily now says) and Lily

Two mother/son pictures. It's scary for me to compare them and think that Sky could be 6'3'' one day like his daddy....

Visits with family are becoming more and more fun as Lily is able to speak better. During this trip Lily said her first sentence: I love you. I don't think there is any better first sentence in the world!!!! Let me tell you I must be such an emotional mom but it made me so teary when she just kept saying it over and over and she's continued to do it. Just this morning after I put her in her crib for her nap she was screaming, "I lah you! I lah you!" Is it possible to be jealous of your own life????

On Halloween we just spent time with friends. I didn't think it would be a good idea to take Lily trick or treating yet because she probably wouldn't let us carry her and she's not very good at staying close to us when walking. And forget about the hand holding thing. Not once has she let us do that with her. But we did let her trick or treat at Dairy Queen so she could get a free ice cream cone and that was over with quickly because I had to immediately throw her costume in the washer. So no Halloween pics this year but to answer my question for the last post we were all Ghostbusters. We girlies were the ghostbusters and the boys were the ghosts. Sky was Slimer and Ben was the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man. I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween!