Tooth & Nail

This year we tried to get the kids to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, so we gave 3 specific things they were grateful for, with their 3 candy corns' everyday through the month of November. It was working fine, started to hear a few more specific thank you's in prayers, rather than just "all our many blessings". We also got this conversation:
Heath: I'm grateful for my teeth, the good ones
Rianne: in the friend (magazine) an apostle said we should be grateful for everything, so you should be grateful for your bad teeth too!
Heath: Why?
Rianne: For the experience!
I can tell you I have not felt very grateful for the many trips to the dentist or the cost involved or the dental insurance fiasco or the boy when his teeth are hurting. I didn't enjoy spending more money on the antibiotic because he is allergic to penicillin or the worry I feel for him.
He went in last Monday for round one and as soon as we can work out the insurance we'll do round two!


fitting shirt for the dentist don't you think?

I am grateful for a very tentative dentist, for the technology to do all of this with Heath in as little pain as possible. Especially because I feel so guilty!

  I am grateful that Heath is here. I wish my body would have assimilated him with the calcium he needed for those little teeth. But SO grateful that this seems to be the only real complication from my pregnancy. I'm grateful for that experience that my body could carry him and he was born HEALTHY! I'm grateful for those bad teeth because it reminds me of what a little miracle he is! How grateful I am for the man of faith I am married to!

It also makes me so grateful that Heath is a champ, he is so good to brush and floss, he really does take good care of the pathetic teeth he has. 

remember when he fell asleep flossing (flosser in his mouth)



I am grateful for dentists, for sleepy juice and for a little assistance in financing so much dental work, from more than one source Thank you J   

I am grateful for good teeth & for bad teeth! Grateful for the experience and hope it is over soon!

Sum it up!

In one my many experiences with teenage Sunday school (The absolute best calling in the church). I had a kid telling me about competing in the cipher down (math competitions). He said they got all pumped up, chanting Sum it up, Sum it up! While I don't share his enthusiasm for Math sometimes a good shout is in order just to make you feel better. I have been working on my masters and this fall I was accepted into the psychology program here at NAU and I am officially pursuing a masters in human relations. My dad asked me why human relations I told him it was because they don't offer one in bovine relations, (That's what he has his masters in J).

I was feeling pretty down about this semester and everything I intended to do and didn't. I was enrolled full time and it was probably too much! This has been a very stressful semester but when you SUM it Up. it makes me feel much better!

• all the paperwork to get into my program, because they are no longer offering the masters I was going to pursue, good change just more work.
• I taught a brain processes class in NV for a couple days
• Adoption process which included a conference, fingerprinting etc. (hopefully in January we'll be on line)
• Bought a house & moved in (sort of we can now park in the garage!)
• Brant's crazy travel schedule which included a trip to Alaska. (which left me the majority of the unpacking)
• Being a mom maybe not a good one but still a lot involved in that
• Both my kids had birthdays! And My best friend had one with us too J
• Taught noodle making and Sunday lesson in Relief Society (in addition to my Sunday school calling)
• Took a book of Mormon institute class (so worth it)
• Halloween which involved the sewing of a platypus tail or a friend did. Thanks Annette for the curtains too, and painting the wall,
• Didn't get out thank you cards but I INTEDNED to so I thought of it often, I did, however do my visiting teaching!
• Started an in-home business (it's not going great, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it)
• Holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas Preparations!
• Heath and his many dentist appointments
• All the Homework, Papers and projects, quizzes etc.
• Still managed to cook dinner a few times, do some loads of laundry, dishes, help Ria with some homework

When you put it all out there, I do see how my burdens have been made light! How stressed I was and that I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but better than expected with all of the above going on and some not listed. I do enjoy the subject matter, for now enjoying the break. Next semester I have statistics, so wish me luck!

Go Grateful

I love a holiday! How about one where you eat yourself sick and watch football for days! It doesn’t get much better!

When we got to Kanab Heath set up a bed for his cousin Caiden (right next to him). Heath loves this crazy boy!

Thanksgiving dinner was so so good. Everybody contributes to that delicious meal! I contributed a few pies for Thanksgiving. I also brought some turkeys with me!

Have I ever mentioned that when I grow up I want to be just like my mother-in-law? She is one of my hero’s and THE best cook!  This wasn't taken on Thanksgivng but it is classic Brown family aroung the table this was on Sunday! 

My kids have the best cousins, I cannot even express my gratitude for those older kids, including my kids, playing with them, loving them and being great examples and teaching them to really value this family they belong to. My kids have no idea how lucky they are but I am so grateful for my wonderful nieces and nephews! Continue being good, so my kids will too! I promise they are watching you!

Heath got a kiss from his cousin Brook



Em's & Ria special hand shake




Ria now and how beautiful she'll be in future too!  



We also got to meet our newest, sweet great nephew (wow that sounds weird). Payton, who as his name indicates LOVES FOOTBALL (Good Boy)  

For Black Friday we left our kids in Kanab and we dressed in white and went to the St. George temple!

Here is the proof that Brant didn’t just watch football all weekend, you won’t find any evidence of me on that one. They went on a little hike.



I did some bonding time with my sister-in-law, Tye! I don’t think I could adequately express how amazing our visit was! No pictures, who looks cute crying and wiping away mascara?



How cute are these turkey's?  I believe they were Tye's idea, Alvin supervised! 

 I have to share this little story: Every grandchild has slid down grandma’s stairs right? Heath was sliding down the stairs on mattresses with Trajen (who is a year younger & a great-grand child). Trajen was trying to pull the mattress up but it was a little too heavy. Heath said: “Trajen say I think I can” Trajen responds timidly with an “I think I can?” Heath pulls out his best, I’m talking to a little kid voice and says: Say it over and over, I think I can I think I can, Trajen repeats it, Heath says: now say it while pulling the mattress. Trajen pulls the mattress to the top of the stairs, repeating I think I can, I think I can. Heath says (again with the voice) You did it Traj! Back to regular voice “Now don’t move a muscle, he climbs on and they make another slide down the stairs!  

We also got to sneak away and visit with the Johnson’s for a while (There is never enough time to be everywhere and do everything). I enjoyed way too much wonderful Pumpkin Pie with the Pumpkin right from Mary & Wenda’s garden and the best nut crust ever! Why did I even type that now I really want some more! Ria loved playing with Tayla, she is getting so big and she is such a smart little stinker too!

I’m grateful we live close enough to GO spend some holidays with family!  Here is Heath as Samuel the Laminite!   

Sam



Now it is time to prepare for Christmas. 

Pick a Picture

Natalie did a fabulous job capturing our family. She really knows us and got some great candid shots! I am just having a hard time picking my favorite.

Want to do a collage of these

Family Favorites

Kids

Captured moments

Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Natalie!  I even looked good in a few of them, you are amazing :)!

My Natalie

Natalie spent her birthday weekend with me! I have been looking forward to this for a long time and even though it went too fast (it is never enough time) it was so fun. It just makes me miss her more and wish she was closer. We picked her up at the airport on Thursday night; Rianne was very excited to make her a sign that said Best Friend! We stuck her in the back seat with the kids; Ria fell asleep on her lap, while Heath held her hand. I sometimes don't like to share MY Natalie but it was cute.

They put on a little show for our guest



Friday, we took her out to dinner.



Saturday we surprised her with a little birthday party, with some new friends. She also met a relative (I swear everyone in Arizona is relatedJ).

 

 I was excited to make her a cake, Natalie collects strawberries and even if it turned out like a little girl cake it was fun.





I think everyone had a good time at the party.



Eat the cake Natalie!

 

loved this of Bruce!

Natalie shared her photography gift with us, by taking some family pictures. I'll share them when she gives them to me ;). On Monday we did some shopping and I took her to the airport, I fumbled at my inadequate expression of gratitude for her and our incredible friendship. I didn't even make it to her getting out of the car before I was in tears! Where are those dang Bank Tubes? (Inside joke).

We were roommates in college which means we have been friends forever! (Like 12 years right?) She has seen me through it all! Shared my greatest moments and picked me up from my greatest failures. We are in a continual conversation that most people couldn't follow if they wanted toJ. She is the strongest person I know and so incredibly talented. I am amazed that there are people who could meet her and not love her! People see her everyday and don't know they just walked by the most incredible friend in the world! I think everybody deserves to have a friend like Natalie, but this one is MY Natalie!





Fall is Frighteningly Fun

Fall is my very favorite season. While Brant was gone we had a little fall camp fire with friends. Here are the ladies (well a few little men are in the picture too!)


Tera, Annette, Lacey (down) me (up) Jamie, Kathrine



I thought it was ironically funny that when we got there the little boys immediately started throwing rocks into a big puddle. Minutes later we found the men throwing rocks as well, oh how they grow up!

We had a pumpkin carving party with friends And ridiculously fun food!

My fingers would have been funnier if little Bruce wouldn't have cut his fingers L

Look at this little "bag of bones" (Dryan) with some big bones (Tyson) So cute we couldn't get enough of him.

Brant was still in Alaska but Heath insisted we still carve a pumpkin. He turned out alright.

Here is the Jack-o- lantern with an undercover, secret agent platypus!

That is right Heath went as his favorite cartoon character—Agent P from Disney's Phineas & Ferb.

Dad was nice enough to dress up as Agent P's nemesis the Evil Dr. Doofenshmurtz

Here he is using his candy-anator

 The battle continues…

Ria was set on being a vampire, She looked great and it was much easier to put together than a platypus tail (Thanks Annette)

We had a good time at the ward Trunk or Treat.  A Fun Halloween night