Still Alive!

Yes, we are still alive! It's been a crazy 8 months (Really?!) since I last posted. Here's a quick update:

I'm feeling much better! After some downtime, a surgery, and plenty of good friends to pull me out, I'm back in the swing of things.

Mason started KINDERGARTEN! It's so crazy to me to think that he's so grown up. He is starting to read, and knows over 50 sight words. He just finished his second season of soccer, and is getting ready to start his first season of basketball.

Avery just turned 3. She has turned into quite the little doll lover, and absolutely adores dressing up. She is my little helper, and is definitely the boss around here.

Kenadee has made leaps and bounds since my last entry. She is walking, talking, sleeping in a big girl bed, and quickly learning to just do what her sister says! Haha!

We are doing great, and I have several posts in the works. Hopefully I will get them up soon! Thanks for all of the kind words and advice after my last post. It really helped. Love you all!

Blah...

I have been debating with myself back and forth on whether or not I should post this. I'm hoping that by putting it all out there, it will help me to feel better, or that someone will comment with the insight that I need. This is not to get attention, or to make anyone feel bad for me, it's just my life, and how I'm feeling right now. This is something I have fought on and off for a long time, and I guess I have never been honest with myself about it... I feel like Katy Perry's proverbial "paper bag"- and I just can't find the firework in me. I'm struggling with my self worth. I don't know why it is so bad for me right now. And, because of it, all of my relationships are suffering. I feel like a third wheel; like I'm just not good enough. Like no matter how hard I try, it's just not enough. I have been trying everything I can think of to move past it, but, so far, nothing is working. I feel like I'm drowning; it's like depression, but different. I feel like everyone around me is moving forward while I am stuck. What makes it worse is that, when I feel like this, I tend to push everyone away, when what I really need is a shoulder to cry on. It's so frustrating. I can see the logical side, and I try so hard to respond logically, but I'm so overwhelmed by these feelings. I just don't know how to get out of this hole...

Halloween

This year we decided to do a theme for the kids with their costumes. We decided that the girls would be cave girls, and Mason would be a dinosaur. They looked so cute!


Don't mind Avery's closed eyes... :)

We had our traditional Meldrum family Halloween party, and Charlotte did not disappoint. The kids played some fun games, and even got to hit a pinata. They had such a fun time!


Mason playing the ghost relay race.


Avery cheating at the bean bag toss.


Miss Lou just soaking it all in.

The kids also had so much fun trick or treating. It was SO cold and rainy that Justi and I stayed home with the babies while the dads took the big kids. There must not have been too many kids out, because they came home with so much candy!


Mason, Bryden, Avery, and Paedyn heading out to go trick or treating.

Hawaii

First, let me start by saying that I am kind of surprised that you all thought that my last post was a pregnancy announcement. Cut me some slack, guys! My baby is barely one, and her sister just turned two... I'm definitely not ready for another baby. Maybe someday...

Anyway, on to Hawaii...

Back in October, Jonathan and I got to go to Hawaii for 10 days! It was HEAVEN!! We spent 7 days on Kauai and 3 days on Oahu. It was the perfect combination of fun/activities and relaxation. My only regret would be that I would have taken one less day on Kauai, so we could have had one extra day on Oahu...

(Beware- Picture overload!)


The view from our condo on Kauai. Amazing!


My favorite place to eat on the whole vacation. It was delicious!


We found this coconut on one of our walks. It had a coconut tree GROWING out of it- it even had ROOTS!


The reason for the trip- Jonse and all of his hard work with Tim! Thanks to you both!


The lighthouse at Kilauea. What an incredible view!


Us at the lighthouse.


Hawaii's version of In-N-Out. So good!


The whole gang at church. We were kind of overdressed.


"The Grand Canyon of the South Pacific" BEAUTIFUL!!


Going up in a helicopter to tour the island by air.


Jurassic Falls


The NaPali coast


Me with our pilot, Don. We loved that guy!


BEST way to see Kauai. Seriously, it was worth every penny.


The Tunnel of Trees- this is the main road on Kauai.


Us with the Dyes on our zipline adventure.


I was SO scared!


After the ziplines, we decided it would be a good idea to jump off a waterfall. And, I actually did it! This is Kipu Falls where we jumped.


My very favorite- the pier at sunset.


Where we stayed on Oahu. The most beautiful resort I have ever been to!


Our view.


This place was such a hole in the wall, but they had the BEST doughnuts. YUM!


We were there during the open house for the temple. It was neat to be able to walk through.


This crazy tree was on the temple grounds.


During the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center.


We were told we HAD to go to the swat meet at Aloha Stadium. BIG mistake. If you want to buy souvenir stuff for really cheap...


...Go to the International Marketplace. They had all of the same stuff, plus it was shaded and so much less crowded.

We had such a great time, and looking at these pictures really makes me want to go back... I'm tired of the cold. Is it summer yet? :)

SURPRISE!!

So, this post is totally out of order in my updates, but I was finally able to find the video again, and I wanted to make sure I had it.

We got a BIG SURPRISE for Christmas this year. HUGE! So, pardon how horrible I look in the video, and just remember how excited we were. It was a great day!

UTAH SOLDIER HOMECOMING: Utah soldier gives family surprise holiday homecoming - KSTU

The Circus

I promised a catch up, so this is where we will start...

Back in September, my brother sent me a message from Afghanistan. He reminded me how much I used to love going to the circus when we were kids, and asked if I wanted to go this year. I told him I would love to, but we were getting ready to go on vacation, and didn't know if we could afford it. Well, to my surprise, he bought tickets for the entire family! I was so excited- probably way more than the kids. My dad was out of town, so Mason asked if he could bring Bryden with us. We had such a great time. Thanks so much, brother!


The kids while in line waiting to see the animals before the show.


I have been around a LOT of cows in my day, but I have never seen one with horns this big. Seriously, the picture does not do them justice.


Up close to the elephants.






Mason and Bryden- Best Buddies


This was taken during intermission. It's not the cutest, and poor Lou is SO tired... But, we had such a fun night!

Time Flies...

Well, here we are, months and months since my last post, and I'm wondering where the time has gone. So much has happened in the past few months, and life has been so crazy! Here are some of the highlights:

Mason started his second year of preschool at Little Foot. He is absolutely loving it, but he can't wait to go to kindergarten next year. He got to play soccer for the first time this year, and did such a great job! He's loving organized sports, and can't wait until he is old enough to play more.



Poor kid had to get stitches again, this time in his eye. It was quite an event. Luckily, he sat very still and didn't have to be sent to Primary's and have it done under anesthesia.


This was the day after he got his stitches...


...And, this was the day he got them out.

We had Avery's second birthday. She is still super tiny, and has turned into quite the little princess. She can name all of the Disney princesses, and it's very rare that you will see her when she's not in costume. She's always keeping us laughing, and we are always on our toes with her.



She had to have her tonsils taken out right after Christmas. It was such a sad day, but, boy has it made a huge difference!


She was so happy to be at the hospital, although I'm pretty sure she had no idea what was going to happen...


Getting ready to go to the operating room.


Just out of surgery.


We spent a LOT of time like this over the next few days, which was a big deal for me- that girl does NOT like to cuddle!


They made us stay overnight, so Grandma Cuckoo brought her a new toy. She thought it was so great to sit in that big bed and play with her new toy.

Kenadee is now 1! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since she joined our family. I took her for her 1 year check-up a couple of weeks ago, and to my surprise, she is almost as tiny as her sister was at that age. She is our most tender baby; she loves to cuddle and give kisses, and she's definitely our peacemaker.


LOVE that face!






Don't know why none of them are the right direction... Oh well!

This is starting to sound a little bit jumbled to me, so I will just end there. But, be looking forward to more updates including: the Circus, Hawaii, Halloween, and Christmas.