Fall

Trunk or Treat

On Saturday, we went to Trunk or Treat in Sherwood Park with my parents. It was kinda cold, but that's the good thing about Trunk or treat. So much candy in so little time. Carter got so much candy, I am considering just letting him continue to think Halloween is over. There was a family dance after and Hayley was so hilarious. When she wasn't dancing (I really, really have to post a video of her "shoulder shimmy"), she was scooting across the gym floor on her bum.





I also forgot to write in my last post the funniest thing Carter said at Kirsti's Halloween party on Friday.

There was a little baby there who was also named Carter. So I said to (my) Carter, "This little baby's name is Carter, too - just like yours!". Carter thought about it for a second and then turned to me and exclaimed indignantly, "Hey! I wasn't done using that name yet!"

Good to know my lectures on sharing are having some sort of effect on him.

Halloween Party

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Kirsti hosted a little Halloween party for some other moms and babies. It was so much fun. We all dressed the kids in their costumes and sat around chatting and eating yummy food. Carter was a giraffe and Hayley was an angel. All the kids looked so stinkin cute! Here are a few pictures...



I absolutely LOVE this picture of Hayley. Not so angelical after all...

Skye (a butterfly) and Hayley chillin on the floor


There were 18 moms in total, plus at least one kid each- it was crazy. Carter was the only one older than age one. At one point, it seemed like all of the babies were crying at the same time. So hilarious!

It's a Girl!

We just got word that Jared's sister had her baby this morning. A cute little girl - Kaysa Beth. 6 pounds 7 ounces. 19 3/4 inches long.


Congratulations Byron, Leah, Dryden and Ryker on the newest member of your family! We can't wait to meet her!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Night

This morning, my twin brothers left for the MTC. We went to say goodbye to them last night. I found it very hard to say goodbye. I am sure going to miss them, but they will make great missionaries. Good luck Dallin and Joel!

Surgery Update

First of all, I just wanted to say thankyou so much to everyone for their concern. I absolutely loved all the comments, phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages wishing me well with my surgery. You guys are the best!

I went into the hospital on Tuesday morning - nervous. Like I said in my previous post, I was scheduled to have both an ovarian cyst and my right ovary removed. The Doc said he was going to try to do it laparoscopically first. This would be just a simple day procedure, leaving a very small incision below my belly button. I would have been able to go home that same day. I was then warned that if it didn't work that way, they would then have to preform the surgery as a laparotomy, which would be a bit of a larger incision, and my hospital stay would be 2 to 5 days.

I was fully expecting the laparotomy. Partially because I have previously had an attempted laparoscopy that didn't work, due to too much scar tissue. But mostly because I have really bad luck when it comes to these things (I am the woman to talk to for medical horror stories) . For those two reasons, I was totally prepared for the 2-5 day stay and 2 week recovery period.

So imagine my surprise when I wake up from my surgery with a tiny laproscopic incision right under my belly button as well as..... a c-section.

For some reason, neither the laparscopic or the laparotomy worked and they had to re-open my entire c-section incision. I felt like I had woken up in the year 2006.

During the surgery they weren't able to get to the right side without opening everything AND they also had to remove alot of scar tissue and adhesions - little mementos from previous surgeries.

So now I have a 4-6 week recovery time, which I really wasn' t planning on. I am feeling a little better today and my hubby and parents have been a great big help. So despite my bitterness over the whole thing, I am just glad to be home and getting better.

Thanks again for everyone's concern. One evening in the hospital, after a long day of visitor after visitor, I texted Jared and told him how tired I was from all the visitors. He replied: "At least you can't ever complain that you have no friends." It's so true - I am so thankful for such wonderful friends and family.

And for Season One of "Scrubs".

MIA

Well, I am having surgery tomorrow morning so I won't be around for a while. This surgery was scheduled way back in May and, at the time, it seemed like October 9th was so far away and now it's here.

I have had the same huge ovarian cyst since 2004 so I am having that removed. I am also having a single oophorectomy/ovariotomy on the right side. This is because of hemorrhaging and torsion (twisting) which has been causing alot of pain the past year or so.

I am really, really not looking forward to having surgery, being in the hospital, away from my kids, etc. I am actually kind of freaking out right now because it is in less than 11 hours. But at the same time I am glad to have a chance at being pain-free after this surgery.

So, I will be in the hospital for a few days, but I will post an update when I get back. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Weekend

This weekend was another busy one. On Thursday night, we hosted a dinner party here for some friends. My friend Sarah is visiting from Wales and she brought her boyfriend home with her. We planned a little potluck get together so everyone could hang out and meet him. It was really fun and I hadn't seen some people in quite awhile. It was really nice to chat and catch up with everyone. I didn't take pictures, though. Too wrapped up in everything else, I guess.

Friday night was my brother Joel's play. Awhile back he wrote a musical - the songs and everything. It's called "Mary, The Musical" and it's about Mary Poppins, before she was practically perfect in every way. For the past few months, he and my mom have gotten some kids to act in it, held practices, gathered props, made scenery, and all the other stuff that goes into putting on a play. It was really, really good and I am so impressed with how talented Joel is. Jared and I were amazed watching him during the performance. He was the MC, as well as the director. He sat at the piano, accompanying the whole musical, with no sheet music, and still had the presence of mind to be the prompter if the kids forgot their lines. Amazing.

This picture really doesn't do the moment justice. Hayley was loving being held by my brother Dallin during the intermission and she kept snuggling up to him. It was really cute.

Some of the Mendenhall girl cousins who were in attendance at the play.
Lisa, Me(holding Hayley), Laura, Heather (holding Taylor) and Lauren

On Sunday afternoon, we went over to my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. We were only missing Trevor, my sister's husband, who had to stay home in Calgary for school. I finally got to cuddle my new nephew Taylor. He is such a good little baby - very content. Here are a few pictures from the dinner.

Hayley and Carly, holding Taylor.

My sister's little boy Josh, playing the piano

The 'rents

Cruising on the scooter, yet again.

How Many Till I'm Out?

So, I've been tagged by my lovely cousin. Here I go:

A-attached or single- attached
B-best friends- wow, this is tough. Jared, of course, and my parents. I have a few other really good friends who are close seconds, though
C-cake or pie- cake, especially of the cheese or ice cream variety
D-day of choice- Saturday. With Jared home, our weekends are so spontaneous and unpredictable and I get nothing done. I love it.
E-essential item- um, like, really essential? I pick toothbrush...
F-fave color- always been blue, but lately I am liking pink. It's a toss up, probably from having a girl to dress.
G-gummy bears or worms- haha! This question reminds me of when my sister and I were little and we would ask, "How can you tell if a gummy bear is a boy or a girl?" and then we'd take a gummy bear and stretch it so the arms looked like boobs. What? You haven't done that? Oh... I know, totally inappropriate
H-hometown- Sherwood Park, Alberta
I-indulgences- I love naps. I never used to like them because I'd always feel like I was missing out on something. But after I had Carter, I was forced to take naps to recover and now I love them. Maybe that's why I like Saturdays so much. With Jared home, I can actually get a nap.
J-january or july- definitely July - I love the summer
K-kids- Carter and Hayley. And sometimes Jared... just jokin
L- life is incomplete without- my third child (see above)
M-marriage data- December 21/2002 Edmonton, Alberta
N-# of siblings- 2 sisters, 2 brothers
O-oranges or apples- I love Christmas oranges, but don't really care for regular oranges. How weird is that? Maybe it's just the whole 'peeling fiasco'.
P-phobias or fears- remember this? (that was the last time I bore my soul for game of blog tag) #2 was someone hiding under my bed and grabbing my foot. Most of my fears are along these same lines.
Q-quotes- "Would I rather be feared or loved? Umm...easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me" Michael Scott from The Office
R-reason to smile- My kids and the funny things they do.
S-season- Summer. I don't really know why I live in Edmonton...
T- tag three- Sarah, Ashlee, and Skye
U-unknown fact about me- again, refer to this, for all you need to know. Also, I play concert violin. No, I'm kidding.
V-vegetarian or oppressor of animals- Um, really... are those the only options?
W-worst habit- I bite my nails. That's right Erin. I said it.
X-xrays or ultrasounds- x-rays. Way less prep and less hassle
Y-your fave food- French fries
Z-zodiac- scorpio