On our first full day in Idaho, we went to see Cars 2, with Doctor's family. Here are some cute pics of the kids at the theater. That evening we did family pictures with my family. They were done by Hawkley Photography. Candice is a fantastic photographer, thanks!!! I have put several of the pics on the blog already, here are several more. Then to cap off the night, Dude caught his first lizard of the season.
We headed out to Idaho the last week in June. The kids were awesome! They were the best little travelers. Poor Doctor was super sick, though, which made for a miserable ride. We stayed in Denver the first night and he woke me up with a note that said he might need to go to the E.R. Yikes! Doctor NEVER admits when he's sick or goes to the doctor, let alone the E.R. I knew he was bad at that point. He still was determined to drive to Moab on the way to SLC, though. Crazy guy! We obliged and after arriving in Salt Lake he got some antibiotics and started the mending process. We weren't able to hike to the delicate arches, but we did get some pictures from a lookout point. The drive was gorgeous, and even though I didn't admit it at the time, I'm glad we took the scenic route.
Back in June I was able to take several of Dude's cub scout troop to a day camp in Nauvoo, IL. The boys were all super behaved and we had a great time. After we got back home, Dude said, "Thanks for hosting this in our car, mom! It was just like a sleepover only in our car and not at night!" Here's some pics of the pie eating contest. Before we went to Idaho, the girls and I (and then later, Megaman) had a spa day. We did pedicures, manicures, massages, and facials. When we were done, Honey Bunch asked if we could do it everyday.
And by little, I do mean little. I planted chives and peppers this year. For the first time, we could actually eat what I grew. Unfortunately, I didn't plan well because we were out of town for the five weeks. Oh well. I did enjoy some chives on my baked potato before leaving, and they were superb.
Since my husband is out of town we, of course, had a medical emergency. It all started on Thursday when I took the kids to swimming lessons. My kids all have different times so we are at the pool from 9-11. It works out great, though, because several of the cousins and an aunt take lessons at the same pool. The kids all play while they wait for their turn. Dude played around with his cousin and uncle until his turn. When he was swimming he kept coming up gasping for air. His teacher said that he kept panicking in the pool, which is unusual. Other than that he seemed fine. After his lesson we got in the car and began the 25 minute drive to my mom's house. When we got home I asked Dude to take the towels downstairs to the laundry. I tossed him the towels and he got angry and yelled at me that I was rude. Then he got a funny look on his face and started talking like his tongue was frozen. His words all slurred together and he was struggling with each word. He has been known to talk with a lisp on purpose, so I assumed he was being goofy and told him to talk normal. He started to cry and told me he couldn't. My mom had to run to the post office so she offered to take Dude. On the way he told her that his hand kept folding in and he couldn't move it. He also mentioned that he did a somersault at swimming lessons and hit his head. She had him tell me when they got back. I'm not sure why, but I asked him when his birthday was and he got a panicked look on his face and started sobbing. I then asked him what his name was and he started screaming. I tried to get a hold of Doctor, but couldn't reach him. I went to the E.R. and when the nurse asked Dude who I was, he just stared at me with no recollection. My brother, father-in-law, and brother-in-law came to the hospital and gave Dude a blessing. (Thanks guys!) The CT scan results came back normal, phew. And the best part of the CT scan is that it showed Dude's skull is all bone now, so that is a huge relief! Anyways....after a few hours it was determined that Dude had a concussion. They were preparing to release him but I was concerned because he still didn't know who he (or anyone for that matter) was. Just as we were getting ready to go he threw up, lied on the bed, then bolted upright. He got a big grin on his face and then pointed at me and told me my name. Then he pointed at his grandpa and told him his name. It was a great moment! He was miserable for the next day and a half, and then was back to his normal self. Only now he promises to tell me when he hits his head from now on!
I have been avoiding this post for 4 weeks now. It's difficult to write about because it hits so close to my heart. I am writing mostly because this blog is our family journal and we want to remember how blessed we are and remember this experience.
On Sunday, May 22, 2011, a devastating F-5 tornado touched down in Joplin, Missouri. Joplin is a town that Doctor knows and loves. He has lived and worked there for several months over the last 3 years. In fact, he lived there the entire month of April. Three weeks after packing up and leaving the town for the last time, the tornado hit. Doctor was working at an Emergency Room in a neighboring town when he learned of the tornado and was unable to leave. He felt so helpless and had such a desire to go down and help. By the time he was able, they were asking that physicians no longer self-deploy. The stories from friends are heartbreaking. Yet, for every heartache there is a story that is equally uplifting. The damage was horrifying and extensive, and at the same time stories of hope and love of neighbor abound.
I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven and for the safety of all we know and love. I pray for those who are suffering through the loss of loved ones and possessions. I hope and pray for a new Joplin, forever changed, but hopefully stronger.
Here is a beautiful video about the Joplin tornado that will hopefully remind you of God's love for all His children.
Megaman was riding his bike when his training wheels got caught on the curb. He was pedaling his heart out but was unable to go anywhere. He shouted to me, "Hey, Mom! The batteries died in my bike!"
The movie Shark Boy and Lava Girl came on TV the other day and it reminded us of this cute video of Dude. He was 3 1/2 at the time. Enjoy! Oh, and thanks to my awesome brother for the technical assistance, you rock!
My hat goes off to all the amazing seamstresses in the world. I am not even close. I tried to turn hole-in-the-knee pants into shorts for my kids and.................................................look away, you still have a chance...................................................................................................................I warned you, you can't say I didn't...............................................................................................................................................................I sewed my thumb!!!!!!!! Yes the needle went through the backside of my thumb and came out the fingernail. Then it broke. In my thumb. So deep you couldn't see it in my thumb. I felt the sharp point sticking out of my fingernail. I LOVE my amazing husband. Have I said lately how grateful I am for him? He numbed me up and got the needle out while I screamed into a pillow. Needless to say, I am giving up on the shorts project. By the way, isn't he so sexy in his magnifying glasses?
The town we live in has a safety expo every spring at the ambulance district. The firetrucks, ambulances, police cars, and air evac helicopter are on hand to tour and look through. There was also a clown making balloon animals (we got a penguin, lizard, puppy and butterfly), train rides, two bounce houses, free kettle corn, hot dogs, and drinks. The kids and I had a great time. The only thing that would have made it better is if Dad could have been there too.
