2015

2015

Soon after arriving in NY, we were called as primary teachers. LOVED being team teachers. Rob was eventually called as the YM deacon’s quorum advisor and assistant scout master- yay for camping and other fun stuff! His parents helped celebrate his new calling by getting him a nice sleeping bag. Thanks! Nancy Prasad was my team teacher temporarily (called to by in the presidency) then Sadie Packer (new to the ward) became my team teacher- we became great friends in such s short time. We ended up hosting playgroup at the park together once the weather warmed up a bit. A handful of ladies from the ward came and met us at a local park- mamas got to chat and kids got to play. Sadly that time got cut way too short when they moved unexpectedly for work but they were such angel friends. Having Sadie around was like having my sister around. We made each other meals during tough times and were there to swap kids and have fun during good times. They had an old beater car that that wouldn’t make the move and they generously gifted it to us. This has been a HUGE blessing to have a second car that Rob could take into the city each day for school and internships while not stranding the kids and I… especially with Abby in school this has been a big peace of mind. This year feels like such a whirlwind. (Much like every year I guess… ha-ha)

Side note: We noticed this year that Abby has been growing pretty quickly (and having slightly smell arm pits when she gets sweaty) and had to get a bone age check and see an endocrinologist to see what was going on. We didn't explain it to her very much except saying that they just wanted to make super sure she was growing good...didn't want to freak her out with possible reasons or scenarios. This felt like the end of the world to me as a mother...seems dramatic now that its past and she is perfectly fine but at the time I was so worried. I remember looking up "precocious puberty" (what the doctor wanted to check for) to find more information and reading about how sometimes brain tumors cause this premature growing and I immediately felt overcome with fear. I prayed a lot a lot for comfort and guidance. It would rip me apart to see something bad happen to my littles. Around this same time I was seeing another ENT about a tinnitus in my right ear... at first they were thinking this seemed like early Meniere’s disease and we tried a low sodium diet to help...boy was that stressful until we realized that we already sort of eat low sodium intake. And it didn't change anything anyway ...so back to the drawing board. Lots of different tests (neurological, mri, mra, corotid dopplers, audiogram) and basically I’m healthy and there’s nothing we can do except try to ignore it and hope it goes away someday. All of the appointments and horrible weather and crappy apartment issues and Abby getting carsick anytime we were in the car longer than 10 minutes and everything REALLY got to us this winter. We were in a really dark place (emotionally and literally since we were insulating our house with blankets and blackout curtains- which we took down and replaced with clear shrink wrap stuff that kept the cold out but let the light in). Once the medical stuff was out of the way and once we switched apartments we decided somewhere along the way to regroup, let the light in, and make our time here meaningful and fun and adventurous. Things have been soooo much better. 

Anyway, of course we all try to keep busy as usual so here are some activities and highlights…

JANUARY

-Abby and Ben are growing like weeds and we started them in RolliePollies gym class.

-Abby wants high heel shoes and is definitely turning into a cutsie little girly girl.

-Kindergarten registration- wow! I can’t believe we are entering the school years with our kids! I am so nervous and totally freaking out on the inside but we also couldn’t be more excited! Got to do some speedy paperwork and go turn it in!

-Hamburg NY still covered in feet upon feet of snow…extremely cold outside (and in our super poorly insulated apt) Lots of indoor staying bundled and trying to make the most of stuff. On  a couple bad days (like blizzard stormy times and loosing power and causing the heater to stop working) I’d pull the kids into my bed and layer up blankets on us to be cozy.

FEBRUARY

-Family activity day at church. Together we built a Lego version of the temple 

MARCH

-Made homemade coconut ice cream for the first time- YUM!

- Finally the temperature made it up to 37 degrees…my just maybe we will thaw eventually

-Ben begins helping himself to yogurt and other snacks with out help…or asking permission haha

-1^st Pro hockey game- Buffalo Sabers vs NY Rangers- date night

-Skyped Davey while he was on deployment- so fun and great to see him and chat

APRIL

-General Conference

-Rob and Mackenzie 7 year anniversary

-Abby’s 5^th Birthday. Family party + Skype…. FB note: She had been telling us all day that she wasn't 5 till she blew out her candles...then when she finally did we asked her what she wished for "Well I already got my wish mom. It was for the perfect birthday! It already came true!” What. A. Ham. Lots of fun and I really am glad she is so happy and thankful.

-Buffalo Bison’s game- got a foul ball and won $10 to Dicks sporting goods (used it to buy roasting sticks for future camping trips)

-Kite flying

MAY

-Planted a small garden in pots on the porch

-Mother’s day

-Abby’s kindergarten screening

-Yard sale-ing found popup pirate game (just like Grandma Sue/Grandpa Dean’s and a plastic outdoor playhouse for the kids (had some fun times playing in it but bugs seemed to like it just as much as we did… ended up selling it so we wouldn’t have to worry about trying to move it to another apartment.

-Letchworth state park- the Grand Canyon of the East. BEAUTIFUL!

-Crafts (including recovering a Japanese wooden box with washi paper from my mom…turned out so good! And included my first trip to Hobby Lobby hooray haha), hikes, fudgesicles n sunshine, painting each other’s faces, play group at yates/green lake park.

JUNE

-Abby’s Kindergarten orientation day! They had an informational meeting in the auditorium for the adults, classroom experience for the kids, bus tour, and lunch line practice (complete with a cookie and milk of course). Wow this is so weird but also so exciting! It's a whole new chapter of our lives. Abby is totally stoked to be starting kindergarten this fall and I think she's going be amazing!

-Watkins Glen state park. Beautiful waterfalls, gorgeous views, great little hiker kids, caves canyons bridges, and a stop at an actual Ben and Jerry’s ice cream store!

-Knox Farm State Park- very cool old mansion/ barn / farm/prairie land/library in the woods/ secret garden/ pond/ we pretended to be pioneers as we took a bunch of family friendly trails all over the land.

-Rob’s birthday- kids made homemade party hats n signs, mac made deena’s homemade angel food cake for the first time. And we used strawberries that we picked as a family at a local farm (Awald) to top it off.

-Boston Trip- so so amazing! A much needed reprieve from packing and crazy moving details. We travel around New England a bit this time…Maine and New Hapshire… Nubble Light and Fox’s Lobster House on father’s day. Beaches. USS Constitution. Trinity softball game. BBQ on the patio. Boston Public Gardens/Commons and the baby ducklings! Swan Boat. Boat rides. Castles. Museums. Fun fun fun.

-Prepared for our move-quote from Rob “Days like today remind me that God knows better than we do. Our moving-in date at our new apartment got pushed back from today to Monday and at the time it was a very stressful situation. I was on the phone all Thursday going back and forth with the internet company, moving truck company, moving help, and new apartment...rescheduling our utility switch and moving truck and helpers to Monday. After all the stress...It is pouring rain outside, and the forecast for Monday says Sunny!! Things work out for the best even though it might be frustrating in the meantime.”

-Moved out of Bradford and into Brookview YAY! Received a ton of help…”Big. Long. *sigh* of relief. Successfully moved apartments today. Right sized moving truck available. Beautiful dry sunny weather. AMAZING help from 4 LDS missionaries, 3 Hess brothers, 1 home teacher (thank you all a million times!) Plus 1 hardworking husband and 2 crazy good little kiddies. I am one tired, relieved, antsy to finish unpacking, blessed, and happy mama.”

JULY

-3^rd of July @Woodlawn Beach

-4^th of July @Orchard Park, Brunner’s BBQ, Parade, fireworks

-Welker visit (Kurt, Deena, Ashley)…Palmyra/Hill Cumorah pageant, Canadian Niagara falls trip/horn blower, Woodlawn beach, spirit of buffalo sailing, buffalo bison’s game, Lockport caves/Erie canal/lake effect ice cream, mini van rides, cookie baking, paper boat racing… SOO fun to have family come for a visit and so great to experience western NY with them. The Pageant was such a neat experience!

-Mac’s birthday- cute cake, fun festivities, I feel loved J

-Rob’s summer semester and 1^st day at the hospitals

-Berry picking- raspberries and blueberries

AUGUST

-1 year NewYorkiversary…homesick

-Ward BBQ

-Whirlwind Idaho trip- via Amtrak trains, swim lessons, cousin time, Welker family times, Titus family times, auntie Sheila visit, garden/harvest/preserving stuff with mom…

-Rob flew home and began fall semester

-Rob catches Buffalo Bills game at the Ralph compliments of Burnard family

SEPTEMBER

-Kids and Mackenzie travel home

-Abby starts kindergarten! “Taking a moment to stop stressing about how my sweet brilliant little girly hates kindergarten :( instead, right now I am thinking about another exciting but more superficial happening...her first loose tooth! So cool and definitely a fun right of passage for her- I'm just concerned because picture day is coming up in a few weeks and I don't think that tooth is gonna hang in there! haha I guess we are coming into goofy missing teeth picture years ;)  ….Why the stress? Just a bit of an overwhelming tough transition I think... Big unfamiliar place with new schedules and rules and lots of people she doesn't know and food she doesn't like. It's full day kindergarten here in NY so she feels like it is super long. She does fine while she's there (well behaved and ahead of the curve knowledge-wise so she helps other kids once her work is done) BUT she doesn't want to go in the first place because she misses being together as a family and doing fun activities together all the time. She said she wonders if she will ever make it home each day and that she can't believe she has to do this all day every day for a year. I think her sense of time is greatly skewed. Lots of tears each night at bedtime and every morning as I gently push her (sometimes forcefully carry her) onto the bus. Today was a little better. I hope it keeps getting better with time.

-Abby looses her first tooth (thank goodness because it was bothering her so much while it was wiggly she practically stopped eating most foods)

-Ben’s 3^rd Birthday: Dear Benny Bear, You are three years old today! Hooray! We love you more than words can say. You are strong, smart, funny, and kind. You have a knack for the mischievous but you are also sweeter than sweet. It melts my heart when you tell me "mama i'm gonna be da man to protect you" when daddy goes to school or work. The best little man any mom could dream of. Happy birthday big fella! We hope all of your wishes come true.

OCTOBER

-General Conference

-Family pictures in the woods behind the apartment

-Making costumes: goldilocks and the 3 bears ($1.50 of brown felt, glue gun, 3 old head bands, 3 brown t shirts… for abby- a flowy cute church dress, cute apron, and some blonde hairspray)

-Zittles fall festival

-Chilly weather…sporadic flurries and icy rain but no accumulation until January

-Abby and Ben’s 1^st bowling trip

-School pictures

-Leaves change more and the fall colors are beautiful!

-Mommy/Ben date to Red Robin

-Park walks

-Festive looking and delicious peach pie for the ward party won in the contest!

-Halloween-ward party

NOVEMBER

-Mackenzie is released as primary teacher and called as the Primary second counselor

-Cold/flu season hits- kids passed around the yuck all month long “My kids don't get sick too often but when they do they double up so every minute of my day is filled up feeding, snuggling, medicating, wiping snot, cleaning laundry, going to dr, picking up prescriptions, ... You get the idea. Abby: sinus infection and a sick tummy from meds. Ben: croupy cough virus fever headache junk. Mom and dad: tired. Haha. Thankful for teamwork and help from Rob Welker even though he's not feeling well either. He is an amazing husband and daddy.”

-Created “cozy” collages to prepare for winter

-School projects

-Turkey trot @ Big Tree Elementary

-Thanksgiving @ Prasad’s house with Prasad, Flitton, and Feher families. Learned to make paper snow flakes and it caught on big time…abby and I made tons and strung them together on a garland to decorate our apartment.

DECEMBER

-Now I have the flu too - which turned into bronchitis then pleurisy then sprained ribs and back muscles then reinjured (wasn’t better until March!)

-More flurries and thunderstorm icy slush

-Gingerbread houses at Packer house

-Fairgrounds light display walk with cocoa

-Christmas

-Rob’s sinus surgery December 24^th…”After leaving for the hospital at 7am, doing paperwork and check in procedures, surgery was about 10-11 and it took him until 230 to wake up enough and get the pain under control enough to get sent home. Got settled at home about 330. He has been in bed resting ever since. According to the doc, the surgery went well but post op is going to be a beast. He is strong and doing good all things considered.”…had major crazy side effects from the pain killers they gave him. Weaned down to simple Tylenol (though it barely takes the edge off) and ice to give him some relief….healed a little enough to take gauze off for a little bit on the 26^th… got nose packs taken out 28^th… the healing process went MUCH better from this point.

-Deep clean the house



Aaaand that's a wrap on 2015!