Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Gratitude

There's really nothing like having sick kids to make you grateful to have healthy kids.

We're on our 9th day of barfing kids here, and it really makes me grateful that my kids have a virus, and not a chronic health problem. So many parents struggle with health issues - the worry, time, and everything that goes with it. So today I'm just very grateful that my kids are [generally] healthy.

And I'm off to start on a huge nasty pile of laundry that you do not want to know about!

I love my kiddos.

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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Odds & Ends

Here's a little journal-type update on life around here.
Back in May (the day after our moving truck arrived here in utah, actually), my little sister Holly fell at work and broke her ankle and leg in 3 places and needed a surgery where they put 11 screws and a really long metal plate in her leg. She's been staying here at my place so we (my mom, who also lives here, and I) can take care of her - we love having her around! (Even though the circumstances are less than ideal - poor Holly!) Here she is, 2 months post-surgery.

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Not to be outdone, my poor mom fell last week and broke FOUR bones in her foot. Four metatarsals, three of which decided to go for a little trip after they broke and are now elsewhere in her foot. Poor mom! Luckily her arms are still (mostly) okay, so she can still hold her favorite baby..

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The crutches (and bed trays) are getting lots of use around here.

In other news, we've brought our personal-record-setting long stretch of barf-free time to an end. All 5 kids have the stomach flu. Well, technically Andrew hasn't barfed yet, but he's (gasp) sitting still (!!) a lot, and doesn't look so great, so I'm surrounding him with towels and bowls just in case. The silver lining in this is that it means that William probably doesn't have an intestinal blockage from that little plastic toy he swallowed - he started barfing first and I was getting pretty nervous about that!


Also since I posted last, we had a wonderful visit with Dad (aka Jason). Last weekend he was here for 3 whole days. Three days in July - that's how much these poor kids got to see their dad! Hopefully they won't be scarred for life.. The saddest thing happened a few weeks ago - Rachel got out of the car in a parking lot at some store and saw a man walking along... she got all excited and said "Daddy! It's Daddy! Mom, I see Dad!" To which Lizzie so wisely replied "Rachel, no, that's not Dad." And Rachel said "Oh, yeah, Daddy lives at the airport now." Don't worry, Rachey - Dad will move back in with us pretty soon. That one nearly became kid quote of the week.

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So mainly this summer we've been doing a lot of playing outside in our new neighborhood, making new friends, and enjoying the canyons. We love the pool, but the rivers and waterfalls are lots more fun! It is ridiculously beautiful here - I love it.

We haven't been doing much in the way of school, and we haven't been practicing these at all:
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We got a membership to thanksgiving point and visited the dinosaur museum and children's gardens a few weeks ago:

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Keeping Andrew alive is a pretty full-time job in this new, less-than-secured environment. All the kids have grown up a lot this summer. Here's William, who is no longer happy to be sitting down..
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Speaking of growing up, here's a dorky picture of me at about 18months - I love thinking about what my babies will look like grown up. If they're anything like me, they'll look exactly like they did as babies.. :)
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Happy July everyone. We're going to be enjoying it a lot more now that our swamp cooler (hate those things) is fixed! (thanks dad)

Monday, July 14, 2008

Slip-n-slide

Sloped yard + slip-n-slide + 95 degrees = FUN!

Some of the neighborhood girls came over, and we had a ton of slipping sliding fun. Now they want to do it every day.. :)

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And who can blame them?

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Independence Day!

God Save the Flag
By Oliver Wendell Holmes

Washed in the blood of the brave and the blooming,
Snatched from the altars of insolent foes,
Burning with star-fires, but never consuming,
Flash its broad ribbons of lily and rose.

Vainly the prophets of Baal would rend it,
Vainly his worshippers pray for its fall;
Thousands have died for it, millions defend it,
Emblem of justice and mercy to all;

Justice that reddens the sky with her terrors,
Mercy that comes with her white-handed train,
Soothing all passions, redeeming all errors,
Sheathing the sabre and breaking the chain.

Borne on the deluge of all usurpations,
Drifted our Ark o’er the desolate seas,
Bearing the rainbow of hope to the nations,
Torn from the storm-cloud and flung to the breeze!

God bless the Flag and its loyal defenders,
While its broad folds o’er the battle-field wave,
Till the dim star-wreath rekindle its splendors,
Washed from its stains in the blood of the brave!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Little boys

I love little boys! I have to admit that (after my active girls) I was scared to have boys.. but they are so much fun! (And not really more active than my super high energy girls, either)

Andrew painted the bathroom with pink princess toothpaste...
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and then wielded the toilet wand like a sword. (fortunately I hadn't used it in a while so it was sparkling clean..)
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His new haircut makes him look older!
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Mood swings

After 5 or so years of pregnancy, I could probably write a whole book about my own mood swings, but this is actually about William.. he's just so fun to snap pictures of. And those baby mood swings could rival my own!

doesn't he look depressed? sad!
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this is what he usually looks like.. what a happy guy!
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....with the Joneses

We had such a blast when the Jones family came to see us this week!

Andrew and Micaela were friends when they were toddlers, but haven't seen each other in over 3 years.

Here's a little flashback:
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It was a great reunion - they had so much fun together!
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Ella and Rachel were born just days apart at the same hospital.
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Little Isaac loved playing with William.
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It's so good to see old friends!