a little spill (really, really LONG)

Friday, November 2nd, 8:30 am, Tanner and Kathryn collided on the their bikes. She was going down to leave for school and Tanner was going back up to see where she was. And the result, a head on collision, a trip to the dr. and x-rays. The dr. didn't see anything on the xray, so he sent her home with a sling, and she has been wearing ever since. and told us to come back in a week for a recheck, if she wasn't better. So Thursday afternoon I call and get an appt for 8 am Friday, November 9th. I take the 3 little boys and Kathryn to see Phil, our very nice and competent Nurse Practitioner. He examines her arm and sends us to the hospital for more x-rays. After waiting for almost an hour we get the x-rays done. I race to take the 2 smallest boys to a friends, Kathryn to school and Logan and I go to preschool. ( I am supposed to be helping, and I was LATE) After an hour at preschool I keep getting call after call on my cell phone, which I am not answering because I am in the middle of helping the kids paint these really cute Indian shirts. I finally answer one of the calls. Its Jared telling me to leave school, go get Kathryn, and take her to the Orthopedic dr. She has a fracture near her elbow and because it has been a week already, they want us in right away to take care of it. GREAT! I am not only late making it to preschool but am now having to leave over an hour early. I get that squared away, call Jared back and tell him to pick up Logan when he gets into town from work. I run to get Kathryn, and we race to the dr. When we get there we end up waiting over an hour to see him. So much for needing to be there NOW. He shows us the x-ray and tells us that surgery is needed to put the bone back where it is supposed to be. So we head over to the hospital again, and this time go to Surgery Services. After sitting for just a few minutes they call us back, we get a weight, and height, blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels. After that Kathryn gets changed into a gown. We are all settled, and have all the paper work, and questions done. They then tell us that the wait is going to be 2 hours, TWO HOURS. YIKES. We just sat and watched tv, we aren't able to eat anything because she is going to be sedated and is not allowed to eat anything. So we sat there, and waited and watched some dumb shows on tv. Then at about 4:45 pm the nurse, anesthesiologist, and dr. come in. They are finally ready. They give her some funny medicine, and take her back. She goes in about 5 and is out by 5:30.

The dr. didn't have any problem putting the bone back, and he didn't have to cut her open or anything. So he was out soon. It was a lot faster than I thought it was going to be. They put a full arm cast on her. I was back with her by 6, and we hung out, watching tv and drinking apple juice. We were home by 7:15 pm. She had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia and cried a lot. But she is doing fine today. I had to wake her every couple hours through the night. It kinda sucked, but it was all to make sure she didn't have some reaction to the drugs.

The fixed arm x-ray /the broken arm xrays.

The happy patient

costumes galore

The greeter at Wal-mart gave each of the boys a candy on the way out Halloween morning. Gage held the kit kat for awhile, then by the time we got home he had bit the wrapper open and had eaten some of the chocolate and had it all over himself in the car-seat. I grabbed him out, and turned his back to me, so I wouldn't get any chocolate on me, then sat him in the high chair so I could snap a picture. What a funny kid.

Gage was going to be dressed up as a dog,

but he didn't like the head of the costume,

so he ended up wearing a lightening mcqueen jacket,

a charlie brown shirt, and doggy pants.

Cori and Sydney were Pajama models,

Cori ended up painting her face for the

trunk or treat at the park, but then when

we went trick or treating later, she had washed it off.

Logan was Obi Wan Kanobi,

(Jared made this costume. Awesome job Honey.

I heard Tanner tell one lady he was a

Chinese Black Ninja-where does he come

up with that stuff.

Kathyrn was a business woman

Austin loves CARS, so Jared

made him an awesome Lightening

McQueen Car to wear,
but this is what he ended up wearing.

We had a trunk or treat (its where people brought their cars to the park, and handed out candy from their trunks, or side doors. The kids walked from car to car and said trick or treat. There were also games in the park. Face Painting, bean bag toss, tractor pull to name a few.

After that was over, we went to the neighbors for "rat meatloaf" "deviled eyes" "ghostly rolls" and monster mash potatoes.

We did take the kids trick or treating, until the little ones couldn't walk anymore.

Its about time

Gage loved being outside,


Logan thought the gooey
pumpkin guts were cool.

Pumpkin carving is one of
Jared's favorite things.

I am so behind, and its about time I get caught up. I have some pictures and news to post. I guess I will start with pumpkins. We had a great time carving and decorating them this year. Only one casuality. Gage picked up a little pokey... (Those yucky stickers that get caught in your socks and hurt you.) in his mouth. First it was stuck on his tongue and then on the roof of his mouth. Not fun. But other than that, here are the finished products.

We're home...

from Disneyland. We had a great time. It was so relaxing, and fun to run from ride to ride. We really did run some of the time. We rode every ride, and saw every show that we wanted to. We slept the whole night without kids interrupting. I almost didn't know what to do with myself the first morning when we were eating breakfast. I ate, and just sat there while Jared finished. Kinda twittling my thumbs. Not sure what to do. Didn't need to help anyone or tell anyone to keep eating. It was so nice. and I got used to that way too quick. :) Can't wait to go somewhere else with no one but Jared. I am glad to be home, and be back to normal. Hope all is well with you. The kids all survived and so did our wonderful friends who took care of our tribe while we were away.

Request

I have a special request of all of you...

A sweet friend of mine, who I do not know, is really sick and could use all the prayers, and thoughts we can give her.
This special friend of mine is named Ashley. She is two years old and is the sweetest baby girl. If you would like to meet her, check out her blog at http://www.ashleysstory.org/ She has had a rough life. Her parents are amazing to me at how they have handled this wonderful, but crazy challenge.
Thank You for your help. And Please, please send all you know, that maybe willing to help, over to Ashley's Story.

Thanks.

taking me away

They're coming to take me away, ha ha. They're coming to take me away ho ho. he he, ha ha to the funny farm.

Just kidding. a week from Monday Jared and I are taking a vacation. No kids, just us two. We are heading to Disneyland for a week to use our season passes one more time before they expire. I am so excited, so ready, a bit worried. So my question (s) to you is...

Do you do anything special for your kids when you leave them with someone? Is it easier to leave before they get up? Or better in the long run to say goodbye? do you call and check in or just wait for them to call you? Ideas, Advice. Do you remember your parents leaving you? Did you get anything special?
I know they will all be okay, and even have a great time. Our great friends that are watching them are very cool and very fun.
We appreciate you Tim and Des. Thank You!!

Terrible & Terrific 2's, 4's, 6's, ...

8's, 10's, 12's for that matter.

At any given moment, on any given day, I have been yelled at, hit, poked, hugged, kissed, kicked, etc. etc.
All my kids are a wonderful challenge. Different kid, different problem, different joy. I love each of them for a million different reasons. I also struggle with them, for a ton a different things each day.
The two youngest are in what we refer to as the terrible two's. Gage is into everything. He makes a mess of anything he can these days. books, movies, toys, toilets, you name. Luckily, he is a very happy boy. I will take the messes, if he keeps his happiness.
Austin is almost three, and is into everything also, but in a different way. He climbs on everything, he rips, spills, throws, pushes, screams, cries, passes out due to being upset.
Last week, he was climbing at the park, fell, hit his mouth first on a solid bouncy thing and pushed teeth back, (only slightly), and bled, a lot, screamed a lot. He is fine, still a little sore, still a little crazy, still a little wonderful trouble maker. :)
One thing though, they are both cute.

Big Day

We had a big day today. First off, Gage went in for a MRI. He has some developmental delays, which until a couple weeks ago we thought were just due to his prematurity. ( He was born 10 weeks early). The pediatrician was concerned that he was too far behind and that we needed to see a neurologist. It is a long process, because any pediatric specialists that we will need to see come from Primary Children's hospital in SLC. and they usually only come once a month or even less, once every three months. So we had to fill out an application and then get an appt time, and hope it is a day we can work with. Anyway, we saw the neurologist and after an exam he decided that he thought he knew what was wrong but he wanted to do a MRI to make sure. So that was today. Gage had to be sedated, so we got there at 6:30 am, got a weight, and height and then put on a cute little hospital gown. After about a 15 minute wait, they took him into the MRI room. I went and tried to get myself lost in the hospital. And when I finally found the waiting room I found out they moved the vending machines, and so I sat there reading a book and starving. When they got all done about an 1 1/2 later I had him back in my arms. He had a breathing tube (which they took out before coming back to see me) and also an IV. He hates IV's. After I got him, it was only about 30 minutes before we were able to leave. He did really well. He came home and napped, and when he woke up was a super happy boy.(Like always) We should find out in the next couple weeks (I hope) the results of the test and I will fill you in.

We have more great news. Tanner and Kathryn both received awards today in school. This is so awesome. i am so proud of them. All the kids are doing really well in school and loving their teachers, and classes.

Tanner received the Hero Hunt award for Responsibility. His teacher said this,"Tanner has shown to be responsible in many ways. He obeys the rules, puts things where they belong, cooperates with others and the teacher. I know I can count on him to do the right thing. Your doing an excellent job! Keep it up!" For those of you who have known Tanner through his 6 1/2 years of life, this is an awesome accomplishment. Way to go Tanner!!!

Kathryn received the Super Scholar award. That means she is doing great in her school work, and behaviors. AWESOME Job Kathryn!!

We went to a celebration dinner. Which is tradtion when one or more of the kids gets an award. It's our way of saying Great Job!

Right after dinner, Jared went to SLC to do work. He took Cori with him to be his helper. Its great since this is the end of the pay period and he is doing extra work. I am okay with him being gone. It is only 2 or 3 days, as long as I don't have to leave the house with the boys alone, I will be happy. Unfortunately, I will probably go to church alone. which is managable, but not enjoyable. Hope you have a great weekend.

You Can Do It!!

Thanks to Cherie-a friend of a friend, I found this awesome website. Check it out. and just remember You are Awesome! You are important! You are mighty! You Can do anything you set your mind to. Go For it.

Enter this into your browser bar thing- yourname.youaremighty.com
so I would enter andi.youaremighty.com
go on, check it out, and turn your speakers on.

Have a great day.