Ho Ho No NO

The tree survived, a few ornaments didn’t. 

Bennett took his first steps at the beginning of the month and by Christmas he was officially walking.

Christmas Eve we didn’t get to have a nativity with friends or family so we did our own, it was still pretty cute.   

Santa came. 

 Bennett’s first Christmas was so nice, the kids were so excited for him and he loved that the fence had been moved and he could finally get to destroy the wrapping paper!

Heath got what he asked Santa for a BIG box he could fit in.  I think he spent most of Christmas morning in a box. Rianne gave Heath a boy bedspread and he was very excited. 

Heath was so excited to give Rianne a new laundry basket, I think he was more excited to give it to her than she was to receive it J, I love how close these two are they really do Love each other.

  Brant spent most of the month making a surprise for Rianne, Heath even helped and kept the surprise too. 

When we got through all the presents Brant asked Rianne, was this a good Christmas she said “It has been a great Christmas”  This coming from the kid who got a laundry basket, winter coat, hand-me-down levis and shoes. He said did I get you anything Rianne, she said yes dad thanks then Brant said what did I get you?  She looked around said I don’t remember what was from you but thank you for everything—then Brant handed her a gift, it sent her on a treasure hunt,

She was thrilled when she found a loft bed.

  She has been dreaming of one for over 3 years, Thanks to the Mortensen’s for making this Christmas magic happen.  

We spent the rest of the day setting it up and putting her room together. 

Brant is such a great dad, It was so awesome to see her excitement. 

The next day she got her tonsils and adenoid out.  She was a champ and didn’t seem a bit nervous until they wheeled her bed out to put her under.  The anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to tell me the last thing she said when she went under, he said he apologized for the cold monitors he was putting on her and she said “Its ok thanks for doing your job”.  Then the Doctor came and told me her adenoid was the size of an adult, I said oh and he said I don’t operate on healthy adult adenoids.  He warned me that her neck would be very sore.  Then a nurse came in and told me she was starting to wake up, I went into the recovery room and she said “Are you the nurse, I said no I’m your mom” she laid back down when she woke up again she said my throat hurts the nurse said do you want a popsicle and she said yes, she had a root beer popsicle which she thanked the nurse for it. 

Brant picked us up and we went home it seemed so fast.  While she was in surgery her little primary class came and decorated her room with purple snowflakes so sweet.  Rianne also had a friend bring over frozen treat.  And a few friends call to play games with her.  I’m glad they were so good to her with very STINKY breath.  She did great to keeping the fluids and by Sunday she was ready to come over to Kanab, her neck was still hurting but I was pretty impressed with how well she handled it.  This was the first and the least abrasive step in helping her growth and development.   We had a good time and rang in the New Year in Kanab.