10 week pregnancy update and September/October catch up...

Here's a few things I never posted about...

Right before I started feeling sick, Eric was on a campout and I wanted to take the kids on a fall hike, so we went to Stewart Falls up by Mt. Timpanogos.... or we went part of the way anyway :)  We turned around early before it turned into a bad experience :)  The first part was shady and cold, so whenever we found a sunny spot the kids would stop to take a break in the sun, opposite from normal hiking we do! 

We found a good echo spot

 Me trying to take artistic pictures

 Owen's all "take a picture of Owen, by a rock", so here it is!

 We had a fun surprise visit by the Cravens for Conference, and Owen wanted to take a picture with Ryder (and Lydia).  Ever since then, whenever Owen talks about our new baby he calls it Ryder. :)

 I anxiously awaited the putting-the-Angel-Moroni-on-the-Payson-temple, and when I heard one morning it was happening, I threw the kids in the car and we zoomed over there and made it with just a couple of minutes to spare!  There were thousands of people there, it was pretty awesome.

 We ran in the BYU races!  Whitney complained every time we practiced on the Payson track, but when she got on that line for the real race and the gun went off, she was so focused!  She just took off! She's here in the middle, right after they started.

 She did awesome and even kicked at the end, good girl. :)  and she took 7th, which we thought was great for her first 400 meter race, especially as a 5 year old in a group of 5 and 6 year olds.  Next year when she's 6 she'll be even better!  Also she ran it in 2 minutes flat, which was 1:30 faster than her best practice time, wow!  She sure has a competitive spirit. She's in the pink capris.

 She was a little disappointed to not medal, as you can see (she took 2nd last year in the 1-4 year old race), but after the pancake breakfast and the parade she felt better. :)

 Owen was a good cheerleader and looked adorable in his BYU attire. Next year we'll let him race!

 Katelyn was pretty nervous about doing 800 meters for the first time, and she debated for weeks about even doing the race.  I never could get her to run the whole half mile in practice without stopping, but she did make progress.  So her goals for the race were to run the whole way and to beat her best practice time of 6:15.  Here she is in the pink headband in this blurry start picture.

She jogged nice and easy the whole first lap and a half, but she never stopped!  When she started the last turn she was in last place, but then I think when she looked and saw she was almost done, her training kicked in and she picked up the pace, here she is passing these 3 girls and I think she caught one more before the finish line.  And she finished in 4:31!  I was very proud of her.  One thing being a coach taught me was to celebrate the personal victories of everyone, and she did great!  She even said she wants to run again next year, because it wasn't so bad and "you get a shirt". Haha that's fine, that's what I'm there for half the time too, the shirt!

 So then, I had signed up to run the 5k with Derek before I knew I would be pregnant, and I decided to still do it even though I was totally sick.  Kurtis saved the day and came to watch the kids during my race.

 the kids had fun with their uncles

And Derek only beat me by a minute!  I ran a 23:47 which is funny, because that's about the time I've gotten on 3 other 5k's I've run in the last year!  (Apparently that's the race pace my body likes when I'm nursing or pregnant.)With the exception of my 5k during the Ragnar, when I was in good shape, which was a 21:30. :)  So I would have killed Derek if I wasn't pregnant, haha.  Anyway I was proud of him for training and running his first race since like 6th grade!

 And now some other random photos:

We discovered how to get the kids to pay attention in Family Home Evening!  They dug up huge carrots from the garden and happily munched away on them the whole time, hilarious!

 Cute whitney in normal school attire for her- a cute jacket and boots... and SHORTS!  The girl refused to wear pants until it snowed and was in the 30's in the middle of the day when she leaves for school. :)

Owen has developed a love of random accessories, and he enjoys wearing various hats, ties, watches, belts, etc.  Luckily not too many necklaces, but occasionally a medal!  He's so funny.

With Kate's earmuffs, Eric thought he looked like a news reporter.

 Samurai with a Buzz Lightyear backpack "purse" and an extra tie 

 he just HAD to wear this tie with his T-shirt and jeans!

 And here's Whitney on her school's crazy hair day!  Katelyn wore a bright sparkly hat over about 10 braids.

As for the pregnancy, well, it's no fun!  Seriously, I'm sure the sickness and tiredness are there to force women to rest more and eat healthier, but it still stinks.  I am so blessed to have the anti-nausea medication I started taking at week 8, after 3 weeks of steadily worsening sickness!  That week before I started the medicine was so bad, I was starting to throw up more than once a day and I only cooked dinner like once.  The whole weekend I just laid in bed.  I don't know how we would have survived if it had continued on like that, Eric was doing everything and he would have totally burned himself out.  How did my parents do it???  With no relief from medicine, and having 8 children?? They are amazing.  Anyway, now I haven't thrown up since I started the medicine and it has taken the edge off the sickness to the point that I can function.  Eric is still doing the dishes EVERY DAY (which, in our marriage, is INCREDIBLE!  He's usually a once-a-month-er. He always does do dishes more during pregnancy and post-partum, but not automatically like this every day!  He is a great husband and father and I can't complain in general, but this is above and beyond for me and I love it. :)  )  and he handles a lot of general clean up because making dinner and taking care of the kids is still all I can do--I still feel sick, just not as bad as before.  One other positive that has come of this is Katelyn and Whitney have had to step up and take more responsibility for getting their own breakfast, making their own lunch/snack, and I honestly can't give in to their ridiculous demands sometimes because I have no energy even if I wanted to help them, so they have learned to do more things for themselves.  So that's nice!

Also I am grateful for the chance to grow closer to God through adversity.  It's a true principle!  I've had a lot more time to read and ponder the scriptures and the Ensign and good books, and I have felt very close to the Spirit and have gained a greater understanding of some important things.  So I know I am being blessed for my sacrifice.  And it will be more than worth it to have another sweet little child, I am SO excited to see what this new little person will be like!  Each of my children are so different and amazing, I can see that this is really the purpose of life, to have a family!

So we'll get through the next 6-8 weeks of sickness and move on. :)