Christmas in Korea Part 1

I apologize- this is going to be a LONG series of posts, but this is more for my record than anything.


Dustin, Porter and I were able to go visit my parents for Christmas!!! It was SO much fun, and SOOOOOO good to be able to see my parents!!! I didn't realize how badly I missed them until I saw them at the airport... Mom and I both started bawling :)

Anyway, we took SO many photos, that I am breaking it up into different posts (or attempting to...)

These are the photos on the way TO Korea

Porter at the airport while we were checking our bags- he was SO happy considering he was up from midnight til 4:00 am the night before...
Grandpa Lance said, "Ha- we'll see how happy he is in 24 hours when you land!" it was pretty funny! Thanks for taking us to the airport Lance!

Porter and I on our EARLY morning flight from SLC to Sea-Tac. Please forgive the appearance- Porter decided not to sleep the night before, and I woke up with a bit of a stomach bug. I threw up in the car on the way to the airport!



Dustin, Porter, and I on our flight to Seattle... we were pretty happy Porter slept through that flight!

Sitting on the plane from Seattle to Tokyo- look how tired he was...
Dustin's first LONG flight! His longest before that was for his mission in Puerto Rico... The 11 hour flight put his to shame :) Especially since we sat on the tarmac for an hour before taking off. :(
Dustin and Porter both CRASHED on the flight! YAY!
This was on our last flight, from Tokyo to Busan... we were all exhausted and slept pretty much the whole flight! I woke up about 15 minutes before we landed when we were starting to approach Korea. It was SO fun to look out the window and see the coast line! I woke Dustin up because I was SO excited!

Once we landed we hurried through Customs & Immigrations as fast as possible and hurried to our baggage claim. Our first three bags came out quickly, as well as Porter's carseat... but our last bag was LITERALLY the last one off the plane! It was killing me! I was so exhausted, Porter was exhausted and grumpy, and I knew my parents were only 200 feet away out those blasted sliding doors- but I couldn't see them! (And yes, we really did have four 50-pound bags... we had to pack a BUNCH of stuff for my parents).

Once our last bag finally came, we headed straight for the doors. My dad told me when we came out to make sure we went out the left doors and not the right. They opened when we were about 15 feet from them and I could see my cute mom ducking and dodging to see in the doors as soon as they cracked! As soon as I saw her I instantly started crying (just like I am right now thinking about it). I honestly hadn't realized how badly I missed my parents until that moment!

Mom and I gave each other a big, tear-filled hug. Then I gave my dad a hug. I have no idea what Dustin was doing during this time- I was WAY too focused on my parents. Then my mom leaned down and started talking to Porter and he instantly threw his arms up for her to pick him up! It was so fun! Before we went, my mom was so concerned that Porter would be hesitant to go to her since they haven't seen each other since he was three months old... but nope! My cute Porter went right to her and gave her a big hug!

Mom obviously couldn't believe how big he was and just chatted and played with him while Dad went and grabbed the mission van. Then we headed "home" to the Mission Home!

The whole drive to the Mission Home, Porter and Gram played "Patty Cakes" in the back seat. You should have SEEN how cute it was! I told my mom he knew how to play and so she started saying "Patty Cake Patty Cake, Baker's Man...." and Porter LIT up! He looked right at me, then at my mom, then at me, then my mom and just laughed! He couldn't believe she knew the song too! It was awesome :)

It was such an exhausting, emotionally charged day. You would think we would have Crashed and burned when we got home, but nope! We stayed up and talked forever!

I was very concerned how Porter would do with jet lag, but we gave him his bath and he crashed! Mom slept in by him (she did almost every night- she wasn't going to miss a second with him) and he slept from midnight til 7:30!!! BOO YEAH!!!!! I was SO proud of him!

Here is a picture of the General Authority room that Dustin and I slept in. It is the room that all the General Authority's stay in when they visit my parent's mission.
Anyway, that was the end of "Day 1"

He Outsmarted Us... DANG IT!!!

So Dustin, Porter, and I are going to Korea in 12 days... Ok technically 11 days 23 hours and 24 minutes to be exact....

But since it takes 21 hours to get there, I REALLY did not want Porter to learn how to crawl before we got on the planes. Just think of all the germs that are on airplane floors... NASTY!!!!!!!

So every time Porter would push up on all fours I'd hurry and sit him up or put him in his jumper- for like almost 2 months I've been doing this. Then the other day I was in cleaning the kitchen and little Porter (who I put in the living room) was all the sudden jabbering at my feet! He managed to move from the far end of the living room, around my couches, then around my bar to be over by my feet at the sink... Little stinker!!!

Anyway, this is how he "crawls"... it's pretty freaking funny!

In this one my camera was reflecting some light onto the cupboard and he got distracted... takes after his daddy!

My Little Outdoors"man"

On Thanksgiving morning, Dustin's family has a few traditions:

#1- Turkey Bowl!! (This year he played in 2 of them)
#2- Shooting out at West Mountain!

Well, Porter and I slept through tradition #1- but we certainly made it out for shooting!!! This was Porter's first time around guns, so his cute Uncle Landon put his Ear Muff/Cover/Plug things (clearly I'm not a hunter) over Porter's ears... He looked too cute!







The best was that we would all try and get his attention for pictures, and he couldn't hear us so he was just staring into his own little world... happy as can be!

Dixie & Joy

My Grandma Gilbert was such an incredible woman, as was her friend of over 50 years, Dixie Edwards. Dixie and Grandma's story of the last few months of Grandma's life was featured on Music & The Spoken Word this Sunday and I thought I'd share it.

"Thanks and Giving Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell
True gratitude manifests itself in how we choose to give to others. When we truly feel grateful, we feel a compelling desire to help other people. Perhaps that’s why "thanks” and "giving” so often go together.

At least it did for two neighbors of over 50 years. Joy and Dixie lived across the street from each other ever since they were both first m...arried. They developed a deep friendship over the decades. When they were young, they acted as second mothers to each other’s children. They helped each other through life’s ups and downs. When they grew older, they looked after each other. They were grateful for each other.

Perhaps the sweetest demonstration of gratitude came in the last months of Joy’s life. Joy was dying of cancer and could do little more than lift her head to look out the window. Dixie, who had health concerns of her own and a terminally ill husband to care for, determined that she would plant a beautiful flower garden in her front yard. That way, every time Joy looked out her window, she could enjoy the beauty of those flowers.

Not until Joy passed away did Joy’s adult children discover that Dixie had stopped planting flowers in her backyard. She only planted flowers in her front yard, so Joy could see them. Dixie wanted Joy to know how grateful she was for her, how much she loved her. And so even though it was difficult to tend a flower garden in her advanced age, she gave her friend something beautiful to look at during the last days of her life.

What a selfless gift of gratitude!

These dear friends lived the truth that real gratitude inspires us to think and do for others. Indeed, life is so much more meaningful when we choose to live in thanks—and giving—daily."


Dixie and her late husband, Charlie, have been such incredible friends to my grandparents for so long. My dad's life-long best friend is Charlie and Dixie's son, and my siblings and I are incredibly close with Jeff's kids. It's amazing how big of an influence their friendship from over 50 years ago, has had on each of our lives.

Dixie was there in the last few moments of Grandma's life, taking care of her until she took her last breath. She truly is an angel and all of us in the Gilbert family are so grateful for her selfless service towards my Grandma for so long, and now she so kindly watches out for my sweet Grandpa. I am just so grateful for Dixie and for her incredible influence!

Oh Halloween

So... I hate Halloween...

Yes, really!!!

I've never understood the appeal- and my biggest thing with Halloween:

ALL year long we tell our kids "don't talk to strangers"... But on Halloween? Run up to EVERYBODY's house and talk to hundreds of strangers!

Oh and BONUS!!! Most people are dressed up right? Therefore masking any "identifying marks" that you could remember somebody by if something bad happened!


Anyway- there is my rant on Halloween... but my Husband's family LOVES Halloween, so I once again gave in and got dressed up- but it's my last year!!! :)

I always tell Dustin he needs to come up with the idea- but that never happens. So this year I decided with Porter and Dustin's crazy hair- we should be.....







Troll Dolls!


Here's our attempt. Since my hair is short now, I decided to properly "elevate" it. Dustin was the "Doctor" Troll, I was the "80's" troll, and Porter was... well... baby troll? We just wanted him to be comfy so we figured Jammies and green hair? Done!!!

BIG Kisses

Last night I came in to hang out with Porter and Dustin and Porter was giving Dustin BIG kisses over and over- it was SO funny!!! So of course I had to record it!

Slacker!!

Wow I am so far behind on posting!!!

First of all- Porter is now 7 months!! YAY!!!!!

At his 6 month check up he was 28.5 in long (95%) and 20 lbs 4 oz (85%)! Such a big kid!!! He has MORE than tripled his birth weight (6 lbs 7 oz) and has grown 12 inches! Woot Woot!!! His pediatrician is really happy with how much he's growing, especially since he started out SO small!

Porter had a big development the other day- he got his first tooth!!! Yay for teething on Halloween! :) He had been running a slight fever and was super stuffy, but I have been home with pneumonia so I thought I had just gotten him sick... but nope! His first little tooth cut through!

I am SO excited for this weekend! My Brother is law is graduating from P.A. school down in Vegas, so my siblings and I are all going down to watch him. He is a bit of an over-achiever and will be speaking at the graduation- so of course we will all be there!!!