Double the fun...

It started Sunday night when the cough that sends chills down every parent's spine started- the whooping, wheezing, breathing through a straw type of sound. We put our little Blake in the hot steamy bathroom and alternated with cool January air. I was determined not to have to go to the Doctor's office...you see I had a new resolution for 2009. Doing our taxes has given us the chance to reflect on the $11,000 (!) we spent in 2008 in medical costs - on babies, backs and brothers. I can think of a lot of other areas of the economy we could have helped out with. So I am completely avoiding doctors now. Or at least I was. We made it through that sleepless night only to encounter 3 other sleepless nights before I broke...but broke a day too soon.

Yes, the first/co-pay visit this week was a glorious: "Ears look good, lungs sound clear, it's just that breathing 60 times a minute that has me concerned, let's get a Chest X-Ray. Where would you like to go for that?" To which my response was: "Wherever is the cheapest."

The x-ray was clear, but "Let's observe overnight (I bit my tongue not to say - like I have done every 30 minutes through the night for the past three nights while he laying on my chest!?) and could you come back in the morning?"

The second visit/c0-pay was - "He has a rip-roaring ear infection. Oh, look a double ear infection! Here's a prescription for Antibiotics." To which, after 4 sleepless nights, made tears of relief come to my eyes - I about jumped out the chair grabbing that precious little piece of paper. And then the promise..."You will finally get sleep tonight."

2 am last night Kali wakes up screaming, temp of 103, complaining of a tooth ache, stomach ache and sore throat. It really narrowed it down for me. The office staff at this point recognizes my caller ID, and know all my kids by name as we parade back in with all the kids in jammies. Thank goodness we didn't get the dreaded 10:00 am appointment time when no matter what is going on with your child they are PERFECT in the Dr's office at this time.

So the third visit/co-pay went something like: "She was perfect yesterday, running around, a little cough is all. Oh my - this ear is horribly infected. Oh and this one too! Sorry about that sleep promise I made you!" Double ear infections again! But I was so thrilled to get ABX on the first visit I almost started giggling!

So as I tucked my little ones in tonight we had normal breathing, no runny noses, no coughing, no crying...ahhh. So much for resolutions. Life is good.

A Christmas to Remember

This Christmas made history for my "Best Christmas Ever!" It was a...

...Pageant Performing...

...Baby Loving...

...Late Night Gaming...


...Brother Missing...

...Santa Sighting...

...9:00 am Christmas Morning (we had to wake them up)...

...Baby Johnny Rocking...

...Savior of the World Watching...

...Auntie loving...

...Uncle & Aunt Sledding...

...Best Buds Reuniting...

...First Year Caroling...

...Gingerbread House Making...

...Wonderful Anna playing...

...Quality conversation-ing...

...Grandpa Ski-Instructing...

Magical, Wonderful Christmas!!!

(Thanks Mom & Dad for hosting & spoiling, Emily for giving us soooo much time, and Luke & Mary for making many memories!!!)

December!

December is always a blur, but this December tops the list! I wanted to remember every wonderful thing that happened, so here it goes.

SNOW

The snow fell and the kids LOVED it (well, mostly)!

Blake discovering that beautiful powdery stuff is COLD!

TAPS

We delivered the TAPS packages to our Survivor Families. When John passed away I was introduced to TAPS - Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. It is a support program for families who have lost military members. I contacted them to see if our church could make packages for the surviving families in Colorado. I opened the project up to our stake, and other wards wanted to participate. We made the packages at our Super Saturday Enrichment in October, and the other got me their packages in December. We boxed them all up and mailed out 28 packages a couple weeks before Christmas. It was incredible to see how many hearts opened up to these survivors they had never met.

Megan headed out the project with me.

Susan & Kelly wrapping gifts.

Christmas Carriage Parade

I love living in Parker and enjoying all of their fun festivities. We went to the Christmas Parade just 3 minutes down the street from our house with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Art. It was chilly, but beautiful. Poor Trenton sat in the stroller the entire parade and threw up at the end, starting a chain of the stomach flu at our house. Sandy and Art were going to go to a concert with us that night, but decided that was enough :)! Poor Uncle Art did end up getting it, Kali threw up 11 times in 8 hours, Blake & Steve got it, but some how Heavenly Father heard my prayers and it did not touch me!

The gang at the parade (notice Trenton in the stroller).

The horses were beautiful!

The Christmas Dinner

Our ward had an adults only, sit down dinner for our Christmas Party and our Bishop asked the Enrichment committee to help out with it. We figured 80-100 people would attend, but decided we needed a head count. 150 people RSVP'd yes! It was a beautiful night with dinner catered by Texas Roadhouse (thank you Prach's), each table decorated with china, and a four string quartet from the University of Denver. Stacey Selle gave up a good part of her December to help with the countless details (thank you, thank you, thank you!) , and we had lots of helping hands in the kitchen the night of. Our fabulous priests served dinner and I just loved watching these fine young men - they were regal!!!

The Welch's beautiful table - she used paper plates to decorate her table, smart girl!

Trying to figure out how to plate & serve salad & rolls to 150 people with the Hansens who gave up their night to help in the kitchen! Steve did not leave my side the entire night, even though yes, he had back surgery just 5 weeks earlier and about 20 people ordered him to lay down. It took him two days to recover.

Christmas Cookies

I love how my Trenton boy loves to cook with me. He couldn't wait to make Christmas cookies!

I love Christmas time! After the dinner party I had two twelve hour shifts at the hospital (and a big sigh of relief that we had survived December) ... & we were off to Utah!!!

Foot Rubs

Growing up I loved rubbing my Dad's feet. He made me feel like I gave the best foot rubs in the world, calling them the "Million Dollar Foot Rubs." Of course this made me want to do them over and over. Wise father of mine.

I thought there was no better time than while Steve was recovering to teach Kali the art of foot rubs for Daddy. She LOVED rubbing her daddy's feet and kept asking Steve, "Squeeze harder, Daddy?" - precious moment with our precious girl. The Daddy-Daughter bond spans another generation.

Birthday Boy!

For Steve's 32nd Birthday we went to the Nuggets season opener vs. the Lakers. We had awesome seats (after barely avoiding being scammed on Craigslist) and had a blast watching AI, Kobe and all the gang.


I am so blessed to have married this man. He has taught me what selfless service is, shows me how to have fun, is a worthy Priesthood holder, a fabulous provider & father, and is my rock and my best friend. How I love and adore him! Happy Birthday, Babes!

P.S. Lest any of you are confused his Birthday is in November - just playing catch up!

ADR

The first year we were married, we were playing frisbee on a beach in California. Steve bent over to pick up a frisbee and ruptured a disc. Since then he has had horrible back pain on and off which has prevented him from doing lots of things he loves...namely: Basketball! After years of therapies, pain medications, massage, etc. he finally got to the point that he couldn't stand it anymore and began researching surgical options.

After months of negotiating with insurance, Steve finally got the Artificial Disc Replacement surgery approved. He had the surgery done on November 19th, which explains why I haven't had much time to record the events in our lives over the past month and 1/2! It is a fairly new procedure in the U.S.; the FDA approved it about 4 years ago. Many insurances don't cover it as there are no long term studies on it. We were initially denied by insurance, but Steve was persistent and after hours of research, writing and praying, we were approved.

Blake wishing Daddy 'Good Luck' right before show time!

The surgery was done by Dr. Mike Janssen in Thorton, CO. He is one of the pioneers of this surgery - he led the FDA trials starting about 7 years ago and does this surgery on a weekly basis. People fly to him from around the country and we were grateful to have him 1 hour away from us. They went in with an anterior approach (through the stomach) and moved everything aside, took out the old disc at L5-S1 and put the new one in.

The new hardware!

We had lots of hands to help during and after the surgery. My Aunt Sandy & Uncle Art took Trenton & Kali for two nights during the surgery. And after hearing that poor little Trenton got diagnosed with Rectal Strep (same as strep throat, just down south) 2 days before surgery and I would have to do a bowel cleanse and antibiotics the day I brought Steve home from the hospital, wonderful Aunt Diane flew out from Bellevue, WA and came to our rescue!

Kali Diane and Aunt Diane - who Kali is named after

Teaching Blake to kick a ball

Steve had strict instructions to do no Bending, Lifting or Twisting for 6 weeks until the bone grafted into the disc. He still wanted to help around the house, so we invested in a grabber. He picks up after the kids constantly...it is wonderful!!! He can also move the kids around pretty well (see below).

Putting the grabber to good use!

It will take a few months to see if the surgery really worked, but so far so good. He has a lot less pain than before surgery - yea!!!