Flu-giving

 11/24- So we've actually had a bit of a rough last several weeks. I got into not one but TWO accidents in two separate rental cars. Enterprise is never going to rent to me again haha. Also, we've all been sick for forever it feels like. First, Levi got the stomach flu and missed all the Halloween activities. Then Eric got it. Then the next weekend Isla got it and threw up 17 times in  12 hours until we got some prescription zofran for her. Then I got it and was completely wiped out and couldn't get out of bed for almost 2 whole days. Then Levi came down with the flu which then turned into pneumonia! He had a fever for 6 straight days and felt awful until we got antibiotics onboard. Then Eric got the flu and now Isla has a gnarly cough and runny nose and then I woke up this morning super fatigued and with a runny nose, earache, sore throat and muscle aches. I feel like all of the germs are super bugs now. I give my kids probiotics and elderberry daily and have been washing my hands so much they are cracking. We've been keeping blankets Levi uses separate, being extra careful not to share food or utensils and trying to keep the kids out of each others' faces and I always wear a mask at work. And yet- we can't seem to stay healthy.

12/4- So yeah, turns out I did come down with the flu on Thanksgiving (thankfully I had worn a mask to family dinner) and I ended up sick with a fever for 5 days! So... I missed out on all of Eric's family reunion activities and spent all my Thanksgiving break just lying in bed and feeling awful :(. I'm finally better but still battling congestion and sinus headaches. And poor Isla came down with another ear infection! So now she's on antibiotics as well. I'm really hoping all this means we're just getting all of our sickness out of the way now so we'll be healthy when we go to CA for Christmas! Only a couple weeks away and I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet sweet baby Ava!! 

What with being totally out of commission all of Thanksgiving break, December totally snuck up on me this year! We weren't decorated for Christmas and didn't have our advent calendar ready or anything. I took the girls to the library on Friday to try to check out some Christmas books and there were literally no children's Christmas books available! The entire section was completely cleaned out! I guess we were too late to the party which is a bummer. 

So yesterday we spent the day playing catch up decorating for Christmas and doing our Christmas shopping. And we've already had our ward Christmas party which thankfully we were all well enough to go to. Then tonight we had some friends over for dinner and watched the Christmas devotional while our kids played together. It was really nice even though we didn't really catch much of the devotional thanks to Isla and their baby Treyson (who is 16 months) climbing all over all of us the whole time haha. Now we've just got two more weeks of work and school and lots and lots of handwashing and then it's off to CA!

Realized what with being sick a lot we don't have a ton of photos from the last month and a half, mostly it's Halloween, Isla mischief, me going curly and then gingerbread houses and the ward Christmas party!

I dressed up as Lillie and made Isla an Alolan vulpix costume for Halloween

Levi threw up pretty much immediately when we got to the church poor guy so we took this picture and then Levi and I turned right around and went back home so he totally missed trunk or treating.

By Halloween itself, Levi was feeling better but still not 100%. But he was well enough for me to take the kids to the nearby pumpkin patch.

It was a pretty chill thing but they got to do pony rides

And there was a little petting zoo

Most of the pumpkins were very picked over by that point so we just got one little one. No carving for us this year!

I made "graves" for dinner

And Emery helped me make witch hat cupcakes

Isla Shenanigans:

She super loves her babies

She likes to "help" play card games

She's tall enough to push the buttons on the dryer now!

And she is recently obsessed with climbing EVERYTHING

Unfortunately, she has figured out how to climb onto the couch and from there onto the sofa table and then onto the counter! I don't know how to keep her down!!

Emery played her last soccer game of the season a few weeks ago and it was only 28 deg outside! Poor girls were freezing! I've never seen a soccer game played in full-on winter gear before and I'm not super keen to repeat it! Levi missed his last two games of the season because he was sick.

 

A few weeks ago I decided to start embracing my natural waves and trying out the Curly Girl Method and I have been shocked at how my hair has responded and how curly it's gotten! I feel like I have Merida hair now and I love it! 

The day after Thanksgiving I dragged myself out of bed to participate in our annual gingerbread house decorating. We let Isla just eat/play with yogurt and sprinkles on her tray and she was perfectly happy with that!

The kids got to see Santa at the ward Christmas party!

Even though she is typically very friendly, Isla was not a fan.

Emery shared Santa's lap with her friend Londyn.