A Name and a Blessing

(Jenn) And now for a special post about a sweet boy on his big day.

Ellis Evan Iverson received his name and blessing at a small family gathering on December 28th. These are the special Priesthood bearers who got to stand in the circle for this sacred occasion.

This is the incredible man for whom Ellis is named: my grandpa, A. Ellis Griffin.

The two Ellises loved each other on this first meeting.Grandpa reading scriptures with Henry.

Grandma Whitesides, here to represent Grandpa Evan Whitesides, the other incredible man who gives Ellis his middle name.

We love this precious boy!

Merry? Christmas Trip

(Jenn) Our Christmas vacation this year started out to be everything we were hoping it would be:
great snow to play in . . .

Henry's first alien encounter . . .

games . . .

girlfriends (Brady's and Tanner's) . . .

and late night stairwell conversations . . .

Then BOOM! We got hit by the vacation-destroyers! [This is where I stopped taking very many pictures.] Henry got sick with the flu, and Ellis was so stuffed up that he couldn't breathe well enough to sleep. As I was carrying the humidifier into Ellis' room to help him get some rest, I tripped over the cradle and smacked into the wall. CRACK. Ouch, that was my hand. Thinking it was a dislocated pinky, we rushed to the E.R., hoping they could pop it back into place and we could get on with our merriment. Oh, no. It couldn't be that easy. Instead, the X-rays showed a fractured metacarpal bone, a break that would require surgery and two screws. The next day was a blur of Lortab, a giant out-of-state insurance mess, fasting (for the anesthesia), pumping (for Ellis), starving, and much crying before finally having the surgery that night. Let's just say this was not exactly how we were planning for our vacation to go. And lots of our relatives were not planning on changing diapers, folding our laundry, carrying our boys, and lifting Ellis up to me to nurse for the next 2 weeks. Still, at this point, we were pretty optimistic about the rest of the trip turning out okay, and then BOOM! Ben got hit with the stomach flu on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Merry Christmas, Ben. Henry also still had it and threw up several times all over everything, having not yet mastered the knack for using a bucket. I caught the bug on Christmas day and the day after. Lots of angels in our family got to clean up throw-up and change sheets.

We all started feeling better around the weekend. We had a nice family party, a great Sunday (including Ellis' baby blessing), and a fun ski/play day on Monday. Then on Monday night at a fabulous El Matador dinner, Henry got sick with Flu #2 and threw up right at our table, enough to fill two tortilla chip bowls. We endured the disgust and mockery of the tables around us, and Brady dutifully carried the bowls to the bathroom to be dumped. That night, I got this 2nd, much more violent case of the stomach flu and joined the vomiting brigade (I know -- too much information -- sorry!). We cancelled our plans for the next day and just sat around watching movies all day. By New Year's Eve, we were all starting to feel a bit better, only to receive the phone call that Ben's grandma had passed away the night before in her sleep. Her death came as a surprise to all of us, although really she couldn't have left this world at a better time or in a more peaceful way. I think mostly everyone felt calm about her passing, she being victim to a stroke 6 years previously, but I must admit that grieving and attending her funeral was not exactly how we had planned to spend the last weekend of our trip.

By this point, Ben and I had wondered several times if someone was trying to intentionally destroy our vacation! We also worried that our bad luck was spreading like a tornado to everyone we came in contact with. We certainly passed our illnesses to hundreds of others, and the extended Iverson family had pretty similar luck to ours. Between all of us that were staying at Ben's parents' home, we had 3 trips to the emergency room, several cases of stomach flu, a 9-1-1 phone call, and strep throat among the other things already mentioned.

So mostly I'm telling you all of this because I think our luck was so outrageous that it is almost comical. I don't want any pity or sympathy! Really, overall I felt like it was a great vacation. Because we were sick for over half of the trip, we spent a lot of time just sitting around with our families, relaxing and talking, which is really all I wanted to do anyway. I feel bad that we didn't get more pictures of the good times that we had. Here are a few I snapped to prove that it was a good Christmas after all:

Santa came, and we feel so blessed with all he brought us as well as all that our Savior has given us.

Christmas morning was nice and peaceful, and we had a lovely breakfast.

In spite of being sick, Henry and Ellis were adorable and everyone loved them! Many people shed tears as they parted with Ellis, knowing he will not be the same baby in 6 months.

The snow and the mountains were glorious, and several times I was thankful I got to stay house-bound and not go anywhere.

See? Whoever was out to ruin our trip failed. We did have a good time. We got to see LOTS of people that we love and miss, and for that, we will probably consider returning to Utah again next year. Okay, so it's pretty much a given that we'll be there. We love you people!

I Believe

(Jenn) This is probably not one of those stories that's going to be quoted at the Christmas Devotional someday. But I think it's a pretty good story.

So Henry's very favorite birthday present was a little die-cast toy version of Chick Hicks from the movie Cars. He pretty much played with it constantly from the minute he opened it on his birthday. Naturally, Chick Hicks came with us to choir practice the Sunday night two days later. Henry unpacked 10 cars from the diaper bag, Chick Hicks being one of them. He and the other kids drove them all over the chapel until it was time to go home. We gathered the cars together and counted only 9. You guessed it, the beloved Chick Hicks was missing! We searched, along with 4-5 other parents, for about 10 minutes and never found him. It was pretty much the saddest day in Henry history.

Luckily, with Christmas around the corner, he was pretty comforted with the thought that he could just add "Chick Hicks" to his Christmas list and Santa would take care of it! We had it all worked out, and the new Chick was ordered a few weeks ago. Problem solved? Almost. On Saturday night, on the way to the church Christmas party, we were talking about the impending visit with Santa. Henry was getting pretty excited. I asked him what he was going to ask Santa for. We had talked about this several times previously, and the plan was to ask for a car transporter. This time he changed his mind. "I'm going to ask him for TWO Chick Hicks!" Henry announced. Hmmm. I finished my Christmas shopping last Tuesday and already went over Henry's budget to allow for a little Santa magic. I was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen. I spent the rest of the car ride trying to explain that it was silly to ask for two of the same toy, and probably Santa wouldn't be able to do it. However, Henry's grand idea could not be altered.

So the Christmas party came and went. Henry shared his little secret wish with Santa, and I secretly hoped he would forget what he had asked for. Then yesterday the miracle happened. In the middle of church, I was out walking the halls with Ellis, trying to get him to fall asleep. We walked about three laps, and I was starting to get a little bored looking at the same surroundings. I wandered into the media center. As I peeked around the corner into the room, I saw a small basket sitting on a shelf. In the basket: a few stray crayons and none other than Chick Hicks himself. Henry's Chick Hicks! I slipped it into my pocket with a baffled grin.

Don't tell Henry, but he'll be getting his Christmas wish this year -- a silly request whispered to a white-bearded man. And I'm giving Santa all the credit for this one. Let's just say that as for me and Henry, we believe.

Christmas Spirit Found Here

(Jenn) In case you were wondering, our halls are decked! We've been loving our new house and all the great new decorating spots. The best part: a legitimate place to hang stockings! We're all ready for Santa.

I may never have to iron again

Thanks to Downy Wrinkle Releaser! No kidding folks, it works! Just spray on wrinkled fabric and give the fabric a few tugs. Voila; wrinkles are gone. This is life-changing news for me, the girl who gets a pit in her stomach every time the word "iron" is spoken. Ben asks me to iron a shirt, and I say, "Oh, just hang it in the front closet. I'll get to it later." Ben treks to the front closet all forlorn, knowing he will never wear that shirt again (it does not cross his mind that he could iron the shirt himself). These days are over for the Iversons! Now I will just pass Ben the "De-wrinkler" and set him free. Perhaps Henry will get to start wearing that white Sunday shirt that made its way to the bottom of the drawer after we washed it for the first time (I warned him to never get it dirty if he wanted to wear it again)! Thanks to Eliza for the raving recommendation.



While we're on the subject, I would feel very guilty if I didn't also spread the news about my other favorite spray-on product: Zout. Ever thought it would be cool if Spray & Wash actually worked? Then this is the product for you! Seriously, I think I had been devotedly spraying Spray & Wash on my clothes for five years, hoping each time that this would be the one time it actually really removed a stain. You never know, right? Well, let me tell you -- Zout works. I had a stack of baby clothes that had been "permanently" stained by Henry, then left in a box for three years. I brought them out, sprayed them with Zout, and watched the miracles unfold. The stains are gone! I have seen Zout remove blood stains that had already been washed and dried. I now start the laundry fervently, anxious to produce another Zout marvel. So if you're smart, you'll dump that Spray & Wash down the sink today and go buy Zout (I think the prices are comparable). Thanks to Shelly for converting me.

P.S. While on the subject of laundry, I should give Ben some credit. He is just as reluctant as I am about ironing, but he ends up folding with me nearly every week! No matter what I do, I can't seem to get that pile of clothes off of our bed before he gets home. So I really do appreciate him and that he is so willing to be my "equal partner" in laundry!

Overheard . . .

(Jenn)
I just caught a few snippets of Henry's version of the song "Latter-day Prophets":

James Taylor came third we know,
then Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow . . .

Ezra Taft Benson, Howareyou W. Hunter,
Gordon B. Hinckley . . . etc.

I'm considering writing into the General Primary Presidency to see if they might consider using Henry's revisions when they re-do the song to accomodate for Thomas S. Monson as the new prophet. What do you think?

Not Twins After All

(Jenn) I keep thinking Ellis is starting to look more and more like Henry. The longer I stare at him, the more I am convinced they are practically twins. And then I take these pictures of Ellis in one of Henry's old outfits to prove to everyone how alike they are, and that's when I realize they don't really look very much alike at all! So here you have it folks, the boys who look like brothers, but definitely not twins:

This is Henry on his first St. Patrick's day (3 1/2 months old). Ben converted the "My First Christmas" shirt into a "My First St. Patrick's Day" shirt. He was a pretty devoted stay-home dad.

This is Ellis wearing the "First Christmas" shirt (3 months old). Maybe if I wait two weeks, he'll look like Henry.

You've got to admit they're both pretty cute!

Christmas in Boston

(Jenn) We spent ONE DAY (last Saturday) in Christmassy Boston. We wanted to spend many more, but it's probably not going to happen this year. I love cities Christmassified. I also love inventing my own words. I also love planning excursions. Here's the plan: next year, anniversary overnighter in Boston, after it's been Christmastized. Who wants to babysit? We're taking bids starting now!

Three Years Old

(Jenn) Henry turned 3 last Friday! It was a fun week and a great chance to celebrate this little boy who is the light and joy and laughter in our lives. I have been thinking a lot over the past week about how much I just adore Henry. I have pretty much hung out with him all day every day for the past 2 1/2 years, and after all that it turns out that he's probably my best friend. I don't know what I would do without him here with me every day!

On Monday we celebrated with a birthday playdate with some of Henry's new friends. It was fun to have an excuse to have friends over! The kids just played with toys and rocket balloons, and then we had cake. Here is the cake, which I'm pretty proud of:

The candles were a little scary, but we made it through. (Notice Ellis in his happy place. Thank Heaven for the sling!)

The kids playing together, but not really together:

Here's Henry with his two new girlfriends, Ella and Tess. I really think he is in love with Tess (the shorter one). He gets a VERY big grin on his face every time he mentions her name.

On Friday, the actual birthday, we went and bought our Christmas tree, and then we spent the afternoon and evening with Amy, Emily, and the Daves (carrying on with the Thanksgiving celebration). We sang Christmas carols and then had leftover pie and birthday cake and opened presents. As you all know, Henry is thankful for presents. Here he is posing with some of them!

Who can resist this handsome, hilarious, huggable Henry?

Note: JoDee Yost (our wonderful, talented friend from high school) came a few weeks ago and took some AMAZING pictures of Henry. She is responsible for the great photo at the top of this post. There are so many good ones, and unfortunately I can't post them all here. You should check out her blog here for more Henry pics and/or to see her other great work.

A Happy Thanksgiving

(Jenn)

When our Thanksgiving plans with family didn't work out (a.k.a. Jenn wimped out regarding the 8+ hour drive with screaming baby), we felt so lucky to have good friends that FEEL like family to spend the holiday with! It turned out to be a lovely day. We drove to Amy and Dave's in CT and had dinner with them and Emily and Dave (who drove up from PA). Then JoDee, Brandon, and Olivia joined us for pie! It was a great to be with close friends from the good old school days.

Yesterday somebody asked Henry if he ate turkey for Thanksgiving. When he said no, they got a little uncomfortable wondering if maybe we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving and we were going to be offended. Then he quickly reported that he ate "stuffing and a roll." And the roll was the best part. So it wasn't much of a feast for Henry, but the rest of us ate our hearts out, and it was beautiful. We also stayed up way too late talking and playing before heading home (we arrived just in time for Ellis' 1:30am feeding).

I am proud of Henry for finally learning how to properly express his gratitude in his prayers! This week he said, without prompting, "Please bless that I'm thankful for fireworks and dollars and letters and numbers and presents." What a great kid.

Henry is FOOD

(Jenn) In case you didn't think "Bommy, Baddy, Bellis, Benry, Bessica, Biss and Bevan" was funny, here's a little video to prove that mixing up letters really IS the most hilarious thing on the planet! It has become the ongoing entertainment in our house. My favorite thing about this clip is just watching how Henry cracks up with every new phrase.

Funny Spelling from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.

Speaking of Resemblances . . .

(Jenn)

No, I'm not talking about the resemblance between Ellis and Frankie (the monkey)! Zoom in and check out that unruly eyebrow! This kid is the spittin' image of his Daddy-o. At least where eyebrows, back hair, and pudgy fingers are concerned. We're loving this handsome guy!

I Love . . .

(Jenn)

1. Days when we don't have to go anywhere! It's nice to be able to stay in our pajamas until 11:00 and go outside to splash in rain puddles if we want. To me, this is what being a mom should always be like.

2. When babies start getting reliable nap schedules. The morning nap is just starting for Ellis, and it allows me a little bit of much-needed one-on-one time with Henry.

3. Umbrella pictures! I'm adding a picture of little Jenn with an umbrella too, just for fun. Everyone says Henry looks just like me. What do you think?

A little Christmas cheer, a little early

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bevan, Bessica, and Biss!

(Jenn)

We had a special treat last weekend: a visit from our best New Jersey friends Evan, Jessica, and Chris! Evan and Henry have been missing each other terribly since we moved, and we were dying to get them together. It was so fun to be together again and for them to meet Ellis! While they were here, I realized that Evan and Henry really are meant to be best friends. They got along so well and just played happily together the whole time! I've never met another kid who was so willing to play cars, make silly faces, and make up crazy words with Henry for hours on end. The adults had a great time visiting because the boys were so occupied with each other -- we really hardly had to watch them at all!

I think the boys would have been happy just staying home playing with cars the whole time, but we did a few fun things to keep ourselves busy. On Friday we hit the children's museum, where we spent most of our time playing with the (you guessed it) trucks and trains. The boys both bought a toy train from the gift shop, which provided hours of entertainment for the rest of the weekend! On Saturday we went to the Watertown Family Network's "Touch the Trucks." It was a dream-event for Henry and Evan both: an open parking lot filled with all sorts of trucks, from fire trucks to dump trucks to school busses. The kids were allowed to touch them, climb in them, and learn all about them. Can you think of a better idea?

So Henry's favorite quirky habit right now (aside from burping, which is still going strong) is changing the first letter of a word to another letter and then laughing at the result (he'll sit at the dinner table for hours talking about his landwich, luice, and logurt!). It's pretty funny stuff. Trust me. Last weekend was no exception, and this fun game continued until I'm afraid it drove everyone nuts. We spent the entire car ride home from the restaurant on Friday listening to Henry go through all of our names with EVERY letter of the alphabet numerous times: Bommy, Baddy, Bellis, Benry, Bessica, Biss, and Bevan! Wommy, Waddy, Wellis, Wenry, Wessica, Wiss, and Wevan! Tommy, Taddy, Tellis, Tenry, Tessica, Tiss, and Tevan! Occasionally it got really exciting: Sommy, Saddy, Sellis, Senry, Sessica, Siss, and Sevan! Seven? That's a number! The best part of this game is when you end up with names that are real words. The highlight was when we got "Hellis" and "Hevan" both in one round.

The game continued pretty much nonstop for the rest of the weekend. Bessica, Biss, and Bevan endured it pretty well, and they still stayed until Sunday like they planned, to my relief! If only they could be here now . . . they could hear how much Henry misses them. On he goes, including Ressica, Riss, and Revan in all of our topics of conversation.

Ah, this too shall pass.

Piano

(Jenn)

Happy 5th Anniversary to us! We've been dreaming of this piano for a long time, and finally, here it is! Isn't it beautiful? It plays beautifully too (although it needs a tuning). I think we got quite the steal: $250 for the piano from craigslist. And yes, we used the piano movers mentioned previously (no prize for professionalism or congeniality, but they did a great job and were very careful). Hooray and hoorah! Bring on the Christmas music!

Ben learned a lot of useful skills on his mission,

including how to kill a Thanksgiving turkey and what to do when you get fleas. Today he showed off yet another skill: mouse-catching. Apparently he "only" did this 5 or 6 times as a missionary, but 5 or 6 times was enough to make him an expert!

So Ben and I were sitting at the computer together when we both saw a small, black shadow scurry across the corner of the room and into the closet. I think if we hadn't both seen it, either one of us would have brushed it off as an illusion. I was sure it was just a big spider. Ben (remember? He's the expert) was certain it was a mouse. Eek! We moved things around in the closet long enough to coax the little guy out to the doorway to peek at us. Sure enough, a tiny mouse! He was so cute I was determined to catch him and keep him as a pet! That determination quickly dissipated as we followed through with the details of Ben's mouse-catching plan. He was not nearly as cute while scurrying under my feet! Ben started with the broom and swept the mouse out of the closet while I chased him with a garbage can. Once we realized my reflexes were not going to cut it, we switched jobs and Ben took the garbage can. I poked the mouse with a broom; he ran out from under the computer desk; and Ben caught him on the first try! Unfortunately, the mouse was either a tiny bit too slow or too fast. He got caught right under the rim. So much for our new pet (and your appetite, if you're reading this before a meal -- sorry)!

Would you dare?

(Jenn)

Would you ever dare use these guys to move your piano? Here's the ad direct from craigslist:

do you need a piano moved. well we charge $190.for 2 guys and $240 for 3 guys.call mike at 781 373 1028. ask for mike .thank you for reading this add.

What if you were just buying a used craigslist piano anyway? What if they are by far the cheapest guys out there? Hmmm . . .
More information to follow!