tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39004225394055589772024-02-19T20:40:38.538-08:00The ShawsNathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-19693408302212689602016-02-03T20:37:00.003-08:002016-02-03T20:37:42.834-08:00Coming home and another scareThe day after surgery, the 18th, I'm sure I slept a lot and have no clear memories of. Same with the 19th. My healing seemed to be going well with the exception of a fever that seemed to come on every night but would be gone in the morning. By the morning of the 20th, I was feeling pretty good. Keith was with me and we were pretty optimistic I would be going home the next day. Wound care came just about every day to treat my knee, arm and hand. They used topical antiseptic which typically numbed the area pretty well but for some reason that day, I was having a lot of pain while I was being treated. Unfortunately, my nurse that day was a jerk. Really, with the exception of this nurse and one night nurse I had great nurses. He made it a point to stress how nursing was just a step for him to becoming a PA and he felt like he was above the job. The PT's who take care of my wounds were really great women and the one working on me that day noticed my distress and decided to take a break after working on me for a bit. She sent her assistant to ask for more pain meds for me and my nurse came back to say he wouldn't give me any. He felt that one Vicodin every 6 hours was plenty and I had taken it a few hours before so I would have to wait. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My PT decided to call it quits for the day because she felt that I should have the medicine and didn't want to cause me any more pain. Within about a half hour I started to have chills. I told my nurse I was cold and thought I might be running a fever. He came to take my temp which was around 103. I asked for a blanket and he told me no, that I needed to sweat the fever out. I asked for more pain meds, he told me no. My whole body at this point was hitting misery. My foot was always in pain but it was really escalating with the fever and I could not stop shaking. My podiatrist Dr. Dworkin came by to check on me. He told me my care was now under Dr. Schnur but that he wanted to see me. He asked my nurse for my chart and after looking it over and asking him several questions he bossed him around a bit and got him to get a few things to try to help my fever and pain. I was elated when shifts changed and I found out my night nurse was Georgia, a really sweet woman. She checked my temperature which was still high and rushed off to get me extra blankets because I must be freezing. She called the doctor to get me more medicine, drugged me with benadryl so I could sleep and told everyone to stay out of my room and let me rest. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I woke in the morning, I was sad to see Georgia was gone, but happy to have another favorite nurse Ashley for the day. I was still running a fever and feeling pretty awful. It was the day of my Grandma's funeral and Keith was working so I was alone. My kids couldn't visit because the night before, the doctors came to tell me that my white blood cell count was low and I would have restrictions now. No eating raw foods, no fresh flowers, no little visitors and a sign on the door to warn everyone to glove and mask up. I started getting anxious about my condition which only increased when the doctors came to tell me that my liver functions weren't very good and they couldn't figure out what was causing my high fever and none of the meds were bringing it down. They decided to try switching my antibiotics and we started asking people to pray. I thought I was out of the woods but now I was scared for my life. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RS04s1gm_VxtYaCXl37UBuy3QfQre1HkH_z9r6S_pCWkvhdCI-toaHhMGRIBpPCHss2h3BBBQLppQcnX6ji3kFPTW3Vsbjw14xAa8nIMYnS1LxG_IQISCIvKMP5xGaMyOK7-XLRBWhdu/s1600/20151121_165839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RS04s1gm_VxtYaCXl37UBuy3QfQre1HkH_z9r6S_pCWkvhdCI-toaHhMGRIBpPCHss2h3BBBQLppQcnX6ji3kFPTW3Vsbjw14xAa8nIMYnS1LxG_IQISCIvKMP5xGaMyOK7-XLRBWhdu/s400/20151121_165839.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday Selfie. I was trying to decide if I should skype family, after seeing that I looked as bad as I felt, I decided not to.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My sweet nurses Ashley and Sam came and asked if they could wash my hair for me. Ashley didn't have many patients so she checked on me often and stayed to chat with me throughout the day. It was such a lonely and scary day but she really helped bring some happiness to it. Dr. Dworkin also cam e by again. He said he cared about me, couldn't stop thinking about me and really hoped I would be well- the feeling was mutual, I felt so lucky to have him as one of my doctors. Georgia was my night nurse again. She took good care of me and early Sunday morning, I woke to her taking my BP and temperature which was finally under 100. I was so excited and hopeful again that I would get to go home soon. The doctors came in and told me that if I was stable all day, they would consider letting me go home Monday. I made it through Sunday gaining more strength and was able to go down the hall on my crutches before my leg told me to quit. The problem wasn't my right leg at all, my foot made my left leg feel about 200 lbs, the longer it was down the heavier it felt. I was tired every time I had to get up and use the bathroom. I was weaning off of pain meds pretty well and excited at the prospect of being in my own home again. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuDnb8ROBaWi83fyxxj4-IyNmpKeaaLS6uKNtKQ7g0D5MiStZzS_RqTJ3o2uAa73hZS8r1Yp3mC7QPX_0xUeIGzigIE8Ds3WKbJ_8TY7BzHNKUT5sbfSsuHcAyR5_ULdTcbyQMfDtRDx7/s1600/20151121_115651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuDnb8ROBaWi83fyxxj4-IyNmpKeaaLS6uKNtKQ7g0D5MiStZzS_RqTJ3o2uAa73hZS8r1Yp3mC7QPX_0xUeIGzigIE8Ds3WKbJ_8TY7BzHNKUT5sbfSsuHcAyR5_ULdTcbyQMfDtRDx7/s400/20151121_115651.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made it through Sunday without any issues and by Monday was feeling good enough to feel restless. OT came and made me go up and down the stairs with one crutch and one leg, then had me do it again when Keith came so he knew how to help me. Every step was so hard and I knew I would never take walking for granted again when the time came for me to be able to. We asked the OT just about every time they came when they thought I could bear weight on my leg again. They said it could be as long as 3 months, but hopefully closer to 2.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My nurses came and helped me take a shower, my first shower since the accident! It was tiring but so heavenly. Keith helped me into my clothes which hung on me like bags. I hadn't realized how much weight I lost but I know it was at least 20 lbs. if not more. When the time came to leave, I was a little nervous. I was used to round the clock care and I was nervous for my wound vac to leak or another fever to peak. All that fear dissipated when I got home and was surrounded by the noises and smells of my own home. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FrneFajA26eMFTpA42Mxj8vkQh4Ue-JkoeDGBekJJP3r9Y1loa0aD2hs-33w5RYdAbfDvACHBLlajGN9ko4_ngOAGr3gJ-LWnysFVAlHdboLKcosUYF0O5Rr8BPTlrFi8D5Y0HzIHpD_/s1600/12278749_1181357301888369_5197517543551976590_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FrneFajA26eMFTpA42Mxj8vkQh4Ue-JkoeDGBekJJP3r9Y1loa0aD2hs-33w5RYdAbfDvACHBLlajGN9ko4_ngOAGr3gJ-LWnysFVAlHdboLKcosUYF0O5Rr8BPTlrFi8D5Y0HzIHpD_/s320/12278749_1181357301888369_5197517543551976590_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting to hold my babies again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Keith's mom had been caring for our kids since the accident. When we found out how severe the injury was and that I would need my foot elevated all but 30 minutes of the day (which was basically the amount of time I spent going to and from the bathroom) she extended her ticket. We were so appreciative and it relieved a huge burden from us-not having to try to hire help around the holidays. I tired easily but after a few days home, was able to stop taking my percoset on Thanksgiving. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We spent Thanksgiving at Marc and Allie Issaic's. They took care of all the food and it was so nice to have a little normalcy and spend time with good friends. Over the next week and a half, some my time was taken with doctor's appointments. I had to go to infectious disease once a week to pick up my antibiotics and had follow up appointments with my plastic surgeon. I liked to spend time with each of the kids in my bed, reading them books or playing games. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
On December 2nd, the wound vac came off. It relieved a lot of pressure and it was so nice not to have to carry it around with me or worry about it malfunctioning. We took a trip to Costco- my first store outing to fill a prescription and commemorate the happy occasion.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVu6kUCcPV2mza_AZpXHoMXm7rDLe4ooiRNxJUtgka9ci3yXU-oKYMg2Lf0Q5vN8mJ55lTZd5KATPpc_cj5C7j8Pfwa3yod1nRkc55Nzx2q2JLxpuyjq5TsDDQ_ZskBGDEKr6x68YjLTb/s1600/20151202_105516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVu6kUCcPV2mza_AZpXHoMXm7rDLe4ooiRNxJUtgka9ci3yXU-oKYMg2Lf0Q5vN8mJ55lTZd5KATPpc_cj5C7j8Pfwa3yod1nRkc55Nzx2q2JLxpuyjq5TsDDQ_ZskBGDEKr6x68YjLTb/s320/20151202_105516.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3mcWUSicA31nuOgS7oFty5y4woKe4Ce_JevuKM536pj9HYqqhmOAQ56qa8r88JYZMNdEmgnkWU2WpCB8n15rBvjHXB2WkbsdActPT1rC863OsqV4jcliC51vD76iGcv7-KN0Aenb6IkC/s1600/aftervac12215.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3mcWUSicA31nuOgS7oFty5y4woKe4Ce_JevuKM536pj9HYqqhmOAQ56qa8r88JYZMNdEmgnkWU2WpCB8n15rBvjHXB2WkbsdActPT1rC863OsqV4jcliC51vD76iGcv7-KN0Aenb6IkC/s320/aftervac12215.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foot after the wound vac came off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
By my birthday on December 3, I was feeling pretty good and getting around decently on crutches. My friends set up a birthday lunch and when they came to pick me up, Julie presented a beautiful and delicious Oreo birthday cake. I was so touched and the lunch really lifted my spirits. When I got home, Keith took me to Mockingjay. We have a theater nearby that has reclining seats so I was able to go and elevate my leg without any issues. We both liked the movie and went home afterwards to enjoy dinner with the kids. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5EEoSyc-FN_B0j0lb51swxDigoIzVzMCs0nlN7i0tG_6ktItg58hYfB8cnJJfC2kBlDU6XO3BgI9flBWem4eYcMYW0GupmXrUEIcP-rKUwj60sQbdBanjXxV1yqDIcuNAHUJAqDnnqLc/s1600/20151203_185151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5EEoSyc-FN_B0j0lb51swxDigoIzVzMCs0nlN7i0tG_6ktItg58hYfB8cnJJfC2kBlDU6XO3BgI9flBWem4eYcMYW0GupmXrUEIcP-rKUwj60sQbdBanjXxV1yqDIcuNAHUJAqDnnqLc/s320/20151203_185151.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That night, we started my antibiotic drip as usual around 8 PM. Joan and Keith were upstairs putting the kids to bed and I was talking to my parents. A few minutes into my drip, I started to cough. Emmett was fighting a cough so I thought maybe I was catching it. The cough started to hurt though and I was having pain and tightness in my chest. After a few minutes of that, I told my parents I needed to go, that I was having chest pain. I called for Keith and he came down to check on me. I told him how I was feeling and he decided to call the infectious disease docs who were in charge of my antibiotics. After a few minutes, I couldn't stop coughing and was really starting to struggle to breathe. Keith hung up and dialed 911. We were both panicked, knowing I was at risk for blood clots. Keith had helped his mom when she had a pulmonary embolism and said I was acting just like she was so I had him really worried. The ambulance was so fast but when they came I was wheezing and barely breathing. An EMT came to me and immediately sat me up and started coaching me through breathing. It was easier to breathe sitting up but the pain in my chest was still so intense. I was shaking and sweating and completely unable to use crutches or a walker so they fireman carried me out the door and onto a stretcher. Once in the ambulance, they hooked me up to an EKG and some oxygen. It didn't occur to me that I might be having a heart attack until that point but my symptoms certainly matched up. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They took me to Parker hospital where the doctors and nurses were all very efficient and kind. It's a bit of a blur but they ran some tests (that iodine is seriously cold), gave me some morphine and waited until I was stable and the results all came back normal. There was no explanation for it all and they told me to follow up in the morning with my regular doctor. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDd6OlDHu5siNr3TGYSPjBooi4kwBGGrdg-9R_PsBZd9c3Vd7_l4KfXOT4oGEEDFVbBrEs7XYE-N2RkDo1ttXXoqRCQjSIx18iVT9fIrBqdh-sQB5bpJnM1Ba4JwZU-ygOza3r1UHrmxZ/s1600/bday.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDd6OlDHu5siNr3TGYSPjBooi4kwBGGrdg-9R_PsBZd9c3Vd7_l4KfXOT4oGEEDFVbBrEs7XYE-N2RkDo1ttXXoqRCQjSIx18iVT9fIrBqdh-sQB5bpJnM1Ba4JwZU-ygOza3r1UHrmxZ/s320/bday.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up and glad to be alive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
My doctor got me in the following morning and after explaining everything and taking a good look at my history, she felt I probably had experienced an esophogul spasm which mimics a heart attack. It's kind of rare but can happen with people who have a weakened stomach lining (which I would from all of the meds I had been on). I had been having a lot of reflux so the explanation made perfect sense to me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That night, we started my antibiotics as usual and I wasn't even worried. Infectious disease told us the antibiotics I was on didn't normally cause a reaction like mine. Within about 5 minutes though, I felt the familiar chest pain and cough. Keith immediately stopped my drip and I bent forward and tried my best to breathe through it. The reaction was much less intense but I wasn't able to calm down for about 20 minutes. Afterwards. I went to the bathroom and Keith had to carry me back to the bed, I was so weak. Infectious disease had me come in the next day so they could figure out what was going on. The nurse in charge of me told me he had seen this before and wanted to try to slow my drip way down. We were there for about 2 hours while I received my antibiotics but I didn't have a reaction which was great. Slowing down my drip seemed to solve the problem. Occasionally, I would experience a bit of chest pain but nothing severe and slowing my drip even further always solved the problem. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-12624968759854153012016-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:002016-02-02T19:35:05.321-08:00A couple more surgeries and a gross wound pic<div style="text-align: left;">
My second surgery was Saturday November 14th. surgery was scheduled for early in the morning which was nice because I could eat normally the day before and try to sleep. I woke up early on Saturday morning in tears. For reasons I can't explain, I was scared and emotionally overwhelmed. I truly felt that I might not wake from the surgery and could not stop crying from when they wheeled me down to the OR waiting area an hour before surgery until I went in. I was cold and shaky and couldn't really talk to Keith and Joan who came to wait with me. Joan ended up reading Ann Romney's book I had picked up at the library before the vacation. There are some funny moments in the beginning and it helped ease my tension. My nurses were also so kind to me and tried their best to make me comfortable with warm blankets and pain meds. </div>
<br />
I don't remember much of this day, I was out before they got me into the OR room and came to again when they were reattaching the wound vac. When I got back to my room, they hooked me up to the good pain meds and I'm assuming I mostly slept. The surgery had gone well and Dr. Dworkin let us know that he wanted a plastic surgeon to cover my wound with a skin graft to protect my bone and encourage healthy skin growth. He told us he sent a picture to the best plastic surgeon he knew, Dr. Schnurr.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Warning: Graphic Image</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUQKIpVZdiLwzvd5i-bl29ilTz0b5V_R-peuuomRVpHD3JDW-Tmo7XSXRu0MJ7g0FRom7LapScOe7DRiu1nKjf01vPnhiGYEBjiYm3aAJmCyAqTVLMZbeQql1B1xP5oTY49eZ3LJTEbyl/s1600/postsurgerypregraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUQKIpVZdiLwzvd5i-bl29ilTz0b5V_R-peuuomRVpHD3JDW-Tmo7XSXRu0MJ7g0FRom7LapScOe7DRiu1nKjf01vPnhiGYEBjiYm3aAJmCyAqTVLMZbeQql1B1xP5oTY49eZ3LJTEbyl/s320/postsurgerypregraft.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My foot after 2 debridement surgeries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
Dr. Shcnurr told him that he could do it but wouldn't be able to get me in for at least a week, possibly two. He still wasn't sure about my toe, we would have to wait and see how my healing went. The next day, I was in a lot of pain but because it was Sunday, Keith spent a lot of the day with me and the kids were able to visit for a while. Our home teachers came to administer the sacrament which felt like living water. I was so grateful for it. Most memorable from that day was a phone call from my dad. My Grandma Pearson had passed away quite unexpectedly. She had been in the hospital, sick from Salmonella and her body had shut down over the week. My heart was broken that I couldn't be there to see her before she passed and that I wouldn't be able to attend her funeral. I have many fond memories of visiting my grandparents farm in Arco, Idaho every summer. My grandma grew raspberries and had a beautiful garden and flowers. She was an incredible cook and I loved her wit and strong spirit. I'm grateful she didn't suffer long but she will be missed.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA50PR8YJEFbM8CRhkVOisW93Fidm_EFHbEWA_wLp48m3778o9T5yo6rnWDczyy2ZzAiRUKL6lk6vP2n_pMyt5IpCUG-BuPTndsFR-4bg5BcXcfH3pGxPNd0tdA4Q1QtKWNB48B7vjiizv/s1600/Screenshot_2015-11-16-07-17-13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA50PR8YJEFbM8CRhkVOisW93Fidm_EFHbEWA_wLp48m3778o9T5yo6rnWDczyy2ZzAiRUKL6lk6vP2n_pMyt5IpCUG-BuPTndsFR-4bg5BcXcfH3pGxPNd0tdA4Q1QtKWNB48B7vjiizv/s400/Screenshot_2015-11-16-07-17-13.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay and Sue Pearson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ5H_3Z6nl6TIop0tild72Kajxzk5ZDhW5IYwoWxdjgVajkzTNFPELK2Ys0rdbgp_8tAyKVAy8um97P2KKnsC4CpRm70NcCH6-Px8vycmwDcyZBuFbCK_TIzu0STVz5QR99SPEiVoXsyi/s1600/599847_480691075325809_1765838732_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ5H_3Z6nl6TIop0tild72Kajxzk5ZDhW5IYwoWxdjgVajkzTNFPELK2Ys0rdbgp_8tAyKVAy8um97P2KKnsC4CpRm70NcCH6-Px8vycmwDcyZBuFbCK_TIzu0STVz5QR99SPEiVoXsyi/s400/599847_480691075325809_1765838732_n.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verl and Sue Brower on their wedding day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZszytTo-Lmj4YsHrTeiTFfzf3qBxiYLTXq9j-pRHEdhv8Xlzw1JR3tE7r-HPx_NmAouc_3K9bk_E-MLV2lIMMj9GubjDwiE9iKbzCMxga686fHlin6UH-hPgfZuMfnAI4sFguC8l9J52/s1600/21661_479673435427573_984241455_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZszytTo-Lmj4YsHrTeiTFfzf3qBxiYLTXq9j-pRHEdhv8Xlzw1JR3tE7r-HPx_NmAouc_3K9bk_E-MLV2lIMMj9GubjDwiE9iKbzCMxga686fHlin6UH-hPgfZuMfnAI4sFguC8l9J52/s320/21661_479673435427573_984241455_n.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 Generations- me with my dad, Grandma Sue and Great Grandma Pauline Wixom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpmW3qKzUkxABhS94H2vZM7eNFJara0ORkl7M4Rmo0rq4K-k7qZoMg0UdDuH3jKocZnTadv5dNzbFw1hP11ZoVrr2PMTZ2fuNbR2iVlO68USYakHNzWmid1GP5l7Y84IruOmpgiEmChj0/s1600/487784_479199372141646_1730175191_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpmW3qKzUkxABhS94H2vZM7eNFJara0ORkl7M4Rmo0rq4K-k7qZoMg0UdDuH3jKocZnTadv5dNzbFw1hP11ZoVrr2PMTZ2fuNbR2iVlO68USYakHNzWmid1GP5l7Y84IruOmpgiEmChj0/s400/487784_479199372141646_1730175191_n.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My nurses heard of my loss and were extra kind. My podiatrist expressed his condolences and how sorry he was that I couldn't travel for the funeral.<br />
<br />
By Sunday, my IV had been moved several times. I had been receiving constant fluids, antibiotics and pain meds which were causing my veins to blow. When a vein has had enough, the medicine will start to burn and my vein feels as if it is on fire. Cherise and one of her boys happened to come just moments before this happened for about the 3rd time that day- each time seeming more painful. I won't forget how she held my hand while I cried and massaged my good foot to distract from the pain. My kids also came right at that moment which was unfortunate because I missed some precious time with them. I didn't want them to see me in pain. At that point, Kenzie was handling everything the best. She wasn't acting out at school and when she came to visit, she was attentive and sweet. Clara wouldn't come near me. I knew I made her nervous so I didn't push her. Emmett wouldn't tolerate me very well either. I ended up bribing them with the treats so many friends brought to give me a hug. The kids would bring pictures and fill my room with their sweet noise. When they left, my room felt so empty and lonely.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ66HWq1vtVIhP2nKkpzDRX0uZ94QRxMKpW8F2trYcl4uXIz3kNzoB7uZe1R2waUE3EizWB6fDy_MiN6DE3GHKJy-9Q16higqPvAdFXShgDiAmWKHEtG1pGHu2sAu2vfwBNVCgMrOZy7v/s1600/20151116_181606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJ66HWq1vtVIhP2nKkpzDRX0uZ94QRxMKpW8F2trYcl4uXIz3kNzoB7uZe1R2waUE3EizWB6fDy_MiN6DE3GHKJy-9Q16higqPvAdFXShgDiAmWKHEtG1pGHu2sAu2vfwBNVCgMrOZy7v/s640/20151116_181606.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures from my kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had a handful of visitors that I really appreciated. The hospital they took me to, was not the closest to our house. It was about a 25 minute drive and with it being the holidays I knew people were busy and I recognized that sacrifice. My good friend Cherise came with a basket of goodies for me and the kids. She washed my hair a couple of times and kept me company on several occasions. My friends Julie and Daciana also brought a basket of goodies and entertainment. Jessica, a woman I hardly knew, came by with treats and a basket filled with scents to make my room smell good. My RS president came a few times, did my hair, kept me company and organized my room which was badly needed. My friend Lisa came by several times. I know there were others, I wish I could remember them all. I also had friends helping Keith and my in-laws by bringing meals and providing rides and entertainment for my kids.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sgKX_3BZ9KrQ-jP_VD3USrPOE8nvvAtNPzYrTRdQzh-Mal_gBGjXZgOnpMjI66IOUw1D1OaKKXMKVK30k6QRIupU4ohgSvLT5j6kQw2oon5IJuNxdOtDWPChZpG9tW6-P5PHDh1XrsoO/s1600/IMG_20151113_175117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sgKX_3BZ9KrQ-jP_VD3USrPOE8nvvAtNPzYrTRdQzh-Mal_gBGjXZgOnpMjI66IOUw1D1OaKKXMKVK30k6QRIupU4ohgSvLT5j6kQw2oon5IJuNxdOtDWPChZpG9tW6-P5PHDh1XrsoO/s320/IMG_20151113_175117.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My RS president Jennifer helped wash and braid my hair</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
On Monday the 16th, I was feeling better. I still needed a lot of help getting to the bathroom but I wasn't so heavily medicated. We thought I would be on my way home in a couple of days, after my home wound vac came. I also got my PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line which I was initially excited about because I was tired of being poked and dealing with my veins blowing. The PICC procedure unfortunately was another painful and kind of horrifying experience. The nurse started on my left arm. The left arm is preferable because it's closer to the heart, but mine had been through some trauma from the accident and was a bit swollen. I knew something was wrong when my chatty and super friendly nurse stopped talking as he was threading the catheter through my arm. I could hear the panic in his voice when he went to get another nurse. The second nurse came in and immediately clamped his hand around my arm. It was so painful and he apologized and explained that an artery had been hit and he needed to apply heavy pressure for at least 20 minutes. He pulled out the catheter and nurse #1 left. Nurse #2 started talking to me to distract me and we found out that he lived near me and was a member of the Church. He was also head nurse of the PICC department and that eased my worries. I was unusually calm as he put a PICC in my right arm. He was so fast and gentle, I didn't realize he had put it in until he told me he was done. The mess up left my arm with a lot of pain and swelling which he said would leave a nasty bruise. Also unfortunate was the fact that now that I had a PICC in my right arm, my blood pressure cuff had to go on the left. I was near tears every time my BP was taken for several days and it hurt beyond my hospital release.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ubioX9ozn3ts9ikIxg-JiE3_N86x0y8T-DLA2KvZ0pQLJVNRZy-uztHA5bn4XLHgW8m58TbiqfUg64Ou4_2vMM1d3Tmg1Q21m_c4tNYDi1V9Js1WEl0XMiVmrl3iBum28tU-WiDkDVjn/s1600/20151121_204311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ubioX9ozn3ts9ikIxg-JiE3_N86x0y8T-DLA2KvZ0pQLJVNRZy-uztHA5bn4XLHgW8m58TbiqfUg64Ou4_2vMM1d3Tmg1Q21m_c4tNYDi1V9Js1WEl0XMiVmrl3iBum28tU-WiDkDVjn/s400/20151121_204311.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken on the 21st. The circle is where the catheter was inserted. You can see the beginning of my bruising</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rest of the day went fine and Keith was with me that night when we got a surprise visit from Dr. Schnurr. He came in and abruptly said that he would like to do a skin graft and he would be available the following night. We were so excited to hear that I wouldn't need to wait and we could get my healing started. He told us he couldn't make any promises. He would take me back to the OR, clean up the wound a little more and decide if it was ready for a graft. If it looked good enough for a graft, he would use donor skin which my body would reject within a couple of weeks but would still promote healing. He would follow it with a skin graft of my own skin. If we were lucky and the wound looked really good, he would use my skin for the graft, a piece of my thigh or butt.<br />
<br />
I remember being overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude that he was willing to perform the surgery so quickly for me and that I had a chance for a graft. I didn't really let myself hope for a graft of my own skin but Keith and I were both optimistic. Tuesday was a bit difficult. I couldn't eat and wasn't feeling well at all the last few hours before surgery. The surgery ended up starting about an hour late because Dr. Schnurr had been in surgery all day. I didn't feel nervous going into it, just really optimistic. This time, the anesthesia didn't kick in as quickly. I vividly remember getting to the OR room and having to move onto the operating table. I was surprised at how cold and sterile it was in there and was grateful to feel myself slipping into the sweet dark sleep where I had a momentary respite from my reality and constant pain.<br />
<br />
When I came to, I was sicker than normal. On the positive side, my surgery went as good as it could have. Dr. Schnurr had covered the wound with a graft of my own skin. I couldn't seem to dwell on that though, I felt too awful. My day nurse had me order dinner before the surgery and told me she would tell night shift to put it in the fridge for me. When I got to my room, my dinner tray was sitting on my table, cold and about 3 hours old. I found that my night nurse was one I hated. I'm positive she was new and training because she never anticipated my needs, she was incredibly loud throughout the night and forgot a lot of my requests. Keith couldn't stay with me because it was so late and he needed to go home to sleep for work in the morning. It was a bad night for me, I was angry to be alone with a bad nurse and have to experience the pain and overwhelming nausea that always followed surgery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-34952326184314574992016-01-24T08:59:00.001-08:002016-01-24T09:26:01.656-08:00The Accident- Bahamas and a few days afterI've started writing my experiences in my journal but thought I might want to share here on the blog for those who are curious about all that has happened this month. This is more painful for me to document than I originally thought and I had to stop to cry many times as I wrote in my journal. For that reason, I likely won't be quite as detailed but this story deserves to be told:)<br />
<br />
The last week of October and the beginning of November were just crazy for me. We had Halloween, Kenzie's birthday party, I was in charge of Super Saturday and I was preparing my house and arranging my schedule to leave my kids for over a week with my in-laws. Keith was also working a lot to prepare to leave. I was about as stressed as I've ever been and to top it off, hadn't been sleeping well because I had been sick with a cold, stomach bug, then another cold for the month of October. In fact, the first night I slept a few hours straight was the night before we left for our trip.<br />
I preface with all of this because despite being sick, I was exercising a lot. Our gym had a cycling challenge to attend cycling class 15+ times in a month. My friend Breea and I decided to take it. I was cycling 4-5 times a week for about an hour and getting in really good shape.<br />
<br />
Thursday the 5th, I went to my last cycling class with my favorite instructor Angela. Angela is so good because she's inspiring. She has a motto she repeats in every class, "You can do anything for one minute." She pushes my wimpy butt to try my hardest and always gets the best results out of me.<br />
So in class, I was still fighting my cold, but on the mend. I was feeling really energized and so grateful that I could be in Angela's class. I said a silent prayer of thanks for my body and for feeling strong and inspired. Immediately I was hit with the thought that I was in this cycling class for a reason. I was going to need my strength and this new found ability to endure hard things as I was going to be going through something painful. Well that scared me, especially because I don't typically get promptings that strong.<br />
<br />
Two days later, the Saturday we flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Clara came into our room at 6 AM in tears. She didn't want us to leave and was having a hard time cheering up. I was feeling really tense myself and not excited like I should be. I chalked it up to stress but couldn't shake the feeling that we shouldn't leave. I was stressed about it at Super Saturday and even shared my concerns with a few of the women there. Saturday was a rush but we had good weather and made it to Ft Lauderdale right on time, about 11 PM Eastern time. We didn't stay up late so it wasn't surprising when I woke up about 6 AM Sunday morning. We ate breakfast, got ready and went down to the hotel lobby about 10:30 to wait for the cruise shuttle. We also went ahead and pre-paid for our shuttle home (I want that $20 back:)<br />
<br />
We were both in shock when we got to the port and saw the cruise ships- so much bigger than we had expected! We boarded the ship in swimsuits and made our way straight to the surfing simulator. Keith and I both had a few turns then went to the boogy boarding side so we could be in the water longer than 5 seconds before wiping out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibL1gBkUqTwQ5zneDsOxgphQeB1aIR22O71BpRppX54TCkupdquYul9R0PspYp3nPruBPxtUuW2ZD4PaxJbxocfykweGMBlOAnu5119DAM0-iOkCTQ8Y4zCcT-oE5euWiucVB4HRcNgcUf/s1600/surfing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibL1gBkUqTwQ5zneDsOxgphQeB1aIR22O71BpRppX54TCkupdquYul9R0PspYp3nPruBPxtUuW2ZD4PaxJbxocfykweGMBlOAnu5119DAM0-iOkCTQ8Y4zCcT-oE5euWiucVB4HRcNgcUf/s400/surfing.png" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
We spent the rest of the afternoon trying out all of the free food on the ship. I thought Keith was crazy for it at the time, but I'm glad he got to do it. We had late dining and really enjoyed the other two couples at our table. Late that night, we went to a 3D showing of the Avengers. I was worn out so I left halfway through and went to bed. When we woke up, the ship was in port and we had a beautiful view of Nassau, Bahamas. Did I mention our room had a balcony? We really enjoyed it while we had it. We had a short port day, the ship was leaving at 2 PM so we didn't waste a lot of time getting up, eating breakfast and packing a bag. We didn't have any excursion plans in Nassau but we had talked about getting a scooter.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWF3-ZFBlRlDKlRr0bm00WU_W4F3AlarmBH7DLtuuPqswHg2NkVwhwT8ZRpRTzXr0QO6BfgLSlbkY0dDXfUC_nuianEsAvCzIi9B6NxOqD9agwYSqbBtnlUqRChCcwehy5qznp6jRCpz5Q/s1600/allure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWF3-ZFBlRlDKlRr0bm00WU_W4F3AlarmBH7DLtuuPqswHg2NkVwhwT8ZRpRTzXr0QO6BfgLSlbkY0dDXfUC_nuianEsAvCzIi9B6NxOqD9agwYSqbBtnlUqRChCcwehy5qznp6jRCpz5Q/s640/allure.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship, Allure of the Seas docked in Nassau, Bahamas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We only took $50 cash with us and managed to get a woman to rent us a scooter for that amount for several hours. Keith was really hesitant about renting one, but I had talked to several people who had rented scooters on vacation and didn't have any reservations. It honestly never crossed my mind that we were being a bit reckless, especially considering we were dressed for the beach in flip flops and swimsuits. After I persuaded Keith a bit, we hopped on the large, beat up moped with no instruction except to stay on the left side of the road. We decided to go to Cabbage Beach first- just down a bit from Atlantis. It was gorgeous and we enjoyed a couple hours of beautiful ocean and sunshine. When it started to get crowded, we left and decided to spend a bit of time exploring the island before going back to port. A couple of times, I got nervous as the roads were full of potholes and the moped obviously didn't handle turning as well as it could have. We didn't stay out long before Keith told me he really didn't feel good about driving the moped anymore. I agreed and we started back towards port. Right as we decided that and turned around, Keith had trouble going around a corner and we almost crashed. We shakily laughed it off and I tightened my helmet as I hadn't bothered to do so before.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEavTE5-8OafJlosK3BqGhNZPaapTSqpkh9gH2kIhQcRiTB2j8BCrlOgNfWFCJkSL7XqrSfVzf8pUDI3dTNNWMPr7iguV8wEJ9vp00fyCYOi_qk014rL0JX4QJcpDZrgwqXFeQHfSpyv3t/s1600/scooter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEavTE5-8OafJlosK3BqGhNZPaapTSqpkh9gH2kIhQcRiTB2j8BCrlOgNfWFCJkSL7XqrSfVzf8pUDI3dTNNWMPr7iguV8wEJ9vp00fyCYOi_qk014rL0JX4QJcpDZrgwqXFeQHfSpyv3t/s640/scooter2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a turn driving. We crashed about 20 minutes after this was taken.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were about a mile from port where the traffic picks up when we hit a pothole. The pothole veered us off to the right and the moped seemed to gain speed as we headed straight for a curb. I knew we were going to crash and I also knew I couldn't do anything about it. I think we both swore and then it gets really fuzzy. My next memory is that I'm lying on the ground and my foot feels like it's on fire. I held it up to look at it and immediately started to go into shock as the blood and torn up skin registered. I was yelling and aware that Keith was close by. It seemed within moments we had people stopping and asking if we were ok. I remember a woman and man talking about my foot, that I was losing a lot of blood and they needed to tie it off. Keith gave up his shirt and kept apologizing. My body was going numb and I started to black out. One of the women who stopped was a nurse. She held my hand and kept me conscious. The pavement was hot and hard but they kept me lying down in case my spine was injured. The angels who stopped called the ambulance and helped us get in contact with the cruise ship. The ambulance took 45 minutes despite the fact that the hospital was just 5 minutes away. I was in so much pain and remember wishing so badly that we had crashed in the US, not a foreign country.<br />
<br />
When the ambulance finally came, we were put on stretchers. Neither the police or the EMT's were friendly. In fact, the EMT's seemed annoyed with us and when they transported us to the hospital, they didn't lock our stretchers down. I thought we were going to die on the way there as we were jostled all over the place. The day had turned into a nightmare. With the direction of the people who had helped us, we went to the doctor's hospital. It would cost more but our care would be better. When we got to the ER, they took their time seeing us.<br />
<br />
They tended to Keith first and I felt so afraid and alone. I was still in so much pain but they didn't seem to have any urgency in helping me. Keith and I both had road rash along the left sides of our bodies, but his was a bit worse than mine. He had taken a big chunk out of his knee and had road rash all along his stomach and arm. I had also gotten my knee pretty good and my left arm and left hand. They opened the curtain between us and made me watch Keith get his wounds cleaned out so I could know how to do it at home before they treated me. They made it seem as if he was so much worse off than me and that I would have to be his caretaker. After what was probably an hour, they took me back for x-rays and after almost 2 hours, finally cleaned out my wounds. They said they were going to give me some strong drugs and they must have because my memory is fuzzy and Keith and I both think I passed out-the first time I had relief. When I came to, they were working on cleaning the gravel out of my arm. They hardly bothered with my hand, wrapping it up with gravel embedded in it and decided it was time for us to go. They were so vague about my foot, when I was discharged they simply said it would need stitches. The icing on the cake was the note written on both of our discharge papers from the doctor which reads "fit for travel by air, land or sea." He told us we would be fine to get back on the cruise ship and have our wounds tended to by the ship doctor. We debated it for a bit. We both had painkillers and antibiotics but neither of us really felt good about trying to catch up to the ship. The vacation already felt ruined. Though we didn't know it at the time, that decision saved my life.<br />
<br />
They wheeled me out to the front office where Keith was paying the bill, over $5,000 no negotiating. We paid with our credit card then rode to the only hotel with an elevator- the Hilton. We were lucky that we had gotten in touch with the cruise line because they sent their port agents to gather our luggage from the boat and to fetch us from the ER. The port agents were kind and did their best to make sure we could get back to Denver. The front desk helped us find a flight from Nassau to Florida. We were able to google hangout with Keith's sister Katie who helped us change our southwest flight so we could get to Denver the next night. We were both so miserable that night and we laughed and cried about the loss of our vacation and the pain. Somehow, we managed to sleep and we helped each other hobble around to get ready the next morning. We left for the airport early. A different port agent took us to the airport. She was very kind and sympathetic.<br />
<br />
The airport wasn't bad, we got through quickly because we were both in wheelchairs. We arrived several hours before our flight and about an hour before we were supposed to depart, I had an airport attendant help me to the bathroom. When I was in the bathroom, the woman sitting next to Keith asked if we happened to be the couple from America who got in a moped accident. It turns out that her son works for the local newspaper in Nassau and was just coming home for lunch when he saw us crash. It happened right by their house so he came out to take photos of us. She was really nice and asked if she could send her son more info and a picture. We were all smiles and joking because of the pain medicine and morbid hilarity of our situation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMU59SyXkIvFVWB6QRdJsxc6bE-fQrapM9L1QJRzBV4aMOg_HYIKogTHJsyLaKgLdnwwCZkoq_UpzbbPYnYIWzE5nt1NqEpIa8qshOtBV91U_GNHwGy-IRmgVjbHjn9bEebaKVk7OdXy4/s1600/nassauairport.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMU59SyXkIvFVWB6QRdJsxc6bE-fQrapM9L1QJRzBV4aMOg_HYIKogTHJsyLaKgLdnwwCZkoq_UpzbbPYnYIWzE5nt1NqEpIa8qshOtBV91U_GNHwGy-IRmgVjbHjn9bEebaKVk7OdXy4/s400/nassauairport.png" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We started getting anxious when the Jet Blue flight didn't arrive on time. We ended up leaving more than 30 minutes late and when we got on the plane we were met with more waiting. Our plane had too much fuel to land safely and the airport wasn't approving flight plans to burn the fuel. We waited longer and started panicking when we realized our connection was going to be really tight. When we finally took off, the pilot informed us that our flight time was doubling to burn fuel. We were going to land with only 30 minutes to our connection. As soon as the plane landed, Keith booked it for the Southwest Terminal and the man who was pushing my wheelchair took me to baggage claim. He listened to my plight and decided that although he was supposed to be clocking off he would help us as best as he could to catch our flight. We sped from one end of the airport to the other to catch Keith. When we got to him, he told us Southwest wouldn't allow us to get on the flight because we weren't within 30 minutes of departure. It was also the last flight of the night so they couldn't help us. So we regrouped, and went to Jet Blue. We figured, it was their fault we missed our connection and they would have to help us. No such luck, they were horrible. They wouldn't take responsibility for the delayed flight, lying about the time and telling us it was our fault for booking a connection too close.<br />
<br />
I was now in tears. I was panicking now, I knew I was not in good shape and that we needed to get home asap. It seemed like no one had flights and no one would help us get on one. I pulled out my phone and found a flight on Spirit. Online, the flights were showing up about $500 a piece. We were so frustrated but didn't have any other options to get home that night so the kind men pushing me and our baggage accompanied us to the Spirit ticket counter. The tickets ended up being so much cheaper and we had over an hour before the direct flight, giving us time to eat.<br />
<br />
The flight felt so long. I was in a middle seat and halfway through I was slammed with nausea. The next two hours were miserable and when we landed in Denver, I wanted to kiss the ground I was so happy to be home. We got in late, almost midnight but Keith's dad was there waiting for us. We drove home exhausted and crashed on the couch. We should have gone to the ER immediately, but again, we didn't know how bad my foot was. In the morning, we waited to see the kids and send Kenzie off to school before we left for the ER. Keith's dad drove us and we told our sob story to the staff. They were so kind and again, I think I cried because I was so grateful to be getting the care we needed.<br />
<br />
They unwrapped our wounds, saving my foot for last. The doctor came in to check us out. He looked at Keith first, scrutinizing his knee. It was too high risk for stitches at that point but he felt wound care and a stronger antibiotic would manage it just fine. He came to me next and told me everything looked good. Then he got to the foot and told us it concerned him a lot. It was a deep wound and I was going to need to be admitted to the hospital. He ordered an IV for me and told the staff to call the hospital. We were both taken aback. Keith asked if he could take me to the hospital. Turns out, I needed to be taken by ambulance as I needed medical attention and antibiotics.<br />
<br />
Everything is seriously fuzzy for the next few days. I'm assuming the good pain meds started about this time. That first day I only remember meeting about a dozen doctors and residents and feeling a bit like a spectacle. Everyone wanted to hear my story and I finally was informed of the severity of my injury. My foot was infected, the wound was deep and I was going to need some strong antibiotics for a while. I was going to have surgery the following day, Thursday. I remember meeting Dr. Dworkin, the podiatrist doing my surgery on Thursday morning. I liked him immediately and felt more reassurance when my nurse gushed about him and how all the nurses went to him for treatment. I wasn't nervous at all for the surgery and didn't even know what he would be doing as I was still in a lot of pain and didn't want to know the nitty gritty details just yet.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiOqDwnuN-dWvdCAEhBVXMOOHmed-NBN-w1lMh0jZb68yxxeGws3GvtCD5sGUbtvg6vPg2EULnM57pHbRAONWZjrwp-41G_qrUOzr_iAzzL2sSrFLwP9MZt5EiMOuiExvmO5jMg-7igbk/s1600/20151112_082956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiOqDwnuN-dWvdCAEhBVXMOOHmed-NBN-w1lMh0jZb68yxxeGws3GvtCD5sGUbtvg6vPg2EULnM57pHbRAONWZjrwp-41G_qrUOzr_iAzzL2sSrFLwP9MZt5EiMOuiExvmO5jMg-7igbk/s400/20151112_082956.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-surgery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I woke from the surgery I had no idea what was going on. They were hooking up my wound vac, a device that suctions a wound to keep it dry. I was surprised that I was hungry and having some pain. When I got to my room, Keith asked if I was ok and told me he was sorry. I was confused, apparently I was told how the surgery went but couldn't remember. Poor Keith had to tell me that it had not gone as well as hoped. My wound was to the bone and they weren't sure I would keep my big toe. It was really disheartening to hear and it was made worse by the pain which shot up with a vengeance. They gave me dilaudid (morphine x10) and then zofran to help me keep my stomach from protesting. I don't remember much of the next day, just a lot of pain and tears every time I had to go to the bathroom which was a lot because they were pumping me with fluids and heavy antibiotics all day long.<br />
<br />
Dr. Dworkin came to talk to me about surgery. He needed to do another debridement (surgical removing of dead skin) and then we would see what needed to happen next. Infectious disease informed me that the swabs when I came into the ER and during surgery indicated that I was growing the kitchen sink in my foot along with a mold. Because I had scraped bone off in the accident and the podiatrist had to take more bone off in surgery, they were going to treat me for a bone infection. The doctors told me that had I stayed, I surely would have developed sepsis and died. Had it been just a day or two more, the infection would have continued to spread and I would have lost not just my toe, but my foot or leg.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-27301408392234389002015-08-30T16:17:00.000-07:002015-08-30T16:17:00.374-07:00Walt Disney World<div style="text-align: center;">
Back in February, we decided to join Keith's family in Florida for a graduation trip. We had mixed feelings about it because we knew it would cost a lot of money and take a lot of planning. We also had been promising Kenzie a trip to Disney for about 3 years so we felt like going with cousins was a good reason to finally take the plunge. It ended up being so much crazier to plan than I could have imagined and I was pretty much consumed by it until about a month before the trip when all the reservations were made and everything was in order. The girls had a great time but I will definitely be taking a Disney Cruise before I feel up to planning a Disney World trip again.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We flew into Florida around noon so we decided to spend our first day at Epcot knowing it probably wouldn't be very fun for the kids. We started out meeting Katie and Brandon just in time for our reservations at Akershus. It was a buffet with the princess's and a definite highlight for all of us. The girls got lots of Princess time in and the food was <strike>expensive</strike> good.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XTPD3s74y3ZmJBdA4l5Q_ztC1f9_c-Rta-HTTtO9DCaFfBDrgmjN_PN-2b4PG7V098mcy9Z4gplpCOzcWT4Q3R3CXcb8krZCXyiGiEZwTGkfu2Z1jNAet-MQ3IFKTKtLWvLd9MWSGPrJ/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342674159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XTPD3s74y3ZmJBdA4l5Q_ztC1f9_c-Rta-HTTtO9DCaFfBDrgmjN_PN-2b4PG7V098mcy9Z4gplpCOzcWT4Q3R3CXcb8krZCXyiGiEZwTGkfu2Z1jNAet-MQ3IFKTKtLWvLd9MWSGPrJ/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342674159.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnzCLmTEKXsK4M7xnHPpA8pyCncvrw67VYFFWxRRfSHWPuiefb0t4pwImoJRKqjoi3Pn5fdaiF6Fjw9kWdxy1xUAZiFYaVvKK422i6FtCNTKP3E24eglmnAsN7h0sAWTAEbVirlZHc-Tc/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342682307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnzCLmTEKXsK4M7xnHPpA8pyCncvrw67VYFFWxRRfSHWPuiefb0t4pwImoJRKqjoi3Pn5fdaiF6Fjw9kWdxy1xUAZiFYaVvKK422i6FtCNTKP3E24eglmnAsN7h0sAWTAEbVirlZHc-Tc/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342682307.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had 3 fast passes and not a lot of rides so we used one to meet Minnie, Goofy and Mickey. The most memorable part of this was Emmett blowing out of his diaper. In half our pictures and for most of the day he was pantless:)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5eX5walnxRqyDaTIcPt9bbRWtfb1dodhtoyyCrK402b9AIrNei8gaiovtk9csyQsSjpeDEWL_JhNOCQI43Wl6qgpS1A6PhAVBMgS76v5yCk_Dg-67jLrhkjrVYJtIHjML7yVnhzaWF2Z/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342866044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5eX5walnxRqyDaTIcPt9bbRWtfb1dodhtoyyCrK402b9AIrNei8gaiovtk9csyQsSjpeDEWL_JhNOCQI43Wl6qgpS1A6PhAVBMgS76v5yCk_Dg-67jLrhkjrVYJtIHjML7yVnhzaWF2Z/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342866044.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1jhIdz0jMVOqZ1SdHTw0UBhjYhTsP_b2aypHBcR-g64v9zbS_X_zGs8yPxJAopRP7FIjdtcsqQWtRTJlFwC2G_iI8D1E0JTXrfKt0n73woUM5SJXglrnzT104VcCflQBqgswF-K_kg7O/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342865224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1jhIdz0jMVOqZ1SdHTw0UBhjYhTsP_b2aypHBcR-g64v9zbS_X_zGs8yPxJAopRP7FIjdtcsqQWtRTJlFwC2G_iI8D1E0JTXrfKt0n73woUM5SJXglrnzT104VcCflQBqgswF-K_kg7O/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342865224.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVQ6RZyCCx0crplJZnLNrRjYSfFmJjwr6STmGrsQaqvknQjyeRBQG3ep5IrplyE2SodSxc0l_b4frqhUqCrhIgGLGeb2o66EuyHRcLQAw9r1ezviz4TeL6K62vpjkQx1WFHIFQNTT5qbQ/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7313364085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVQ6RZyCCx0crplJZnLNrRjYSfFmJjwr6STmGrsQaqvknQjyeRBQG3ep5IrplyE2SodSxc0l_b4frqhUqCrhIgGLGeb2o66EuyHRcLQAw9r1ezviz4TeL6K62vpjkQx1WFHIFQNTT5qbQ/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7313364085.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeMEf2cLKc2QiLGe8N3NUFsFUdHuqeMcNVzzD0uap9yctT8MvpnZamZYKXxdCwlOpThHDuu2X4KCh1CL6HM9Ra0dHv0Zg5N1tHjf7ElHUf0RUyx4WQvuIcJyIH2XbO9V1crGzooFy-cTt/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342688515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeMEf2cLKc2QiLGe8N3NUFsFUdHuqeMcNVzzD0uap9yctT8MvpnZamZYKXxdCwlOpThHDuu2X4KCh1CL6HM9Ra0dHv0Zg5N1tHjf7ElHUf0RUyx4WQvuIcJyIH2XbO9V1crGzooFy-cTt/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342688515.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The shrub characters (what do you call these?) were fun to see throughout the park.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hV3IwL1lUUtuZ5N2EcXWXM837GVHhO3XVl3mSR62NKL4pe3uERfa7NWT11wg959DdanFgnRwPYeXvzhYCjJOB-vtdiawqTWGM0DfXG7cwm4kSUDmiPLN9HGe3s-m0y1N4ACLnqODrhE6/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342689146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hV3IwL1lUUtuZ5N2EcXWXM837GVHhO3XVl3mSR62NKL4pe3uERfa7NWT11wg959DdanFgnRwPYeXvzhYCjJOB-vtdiawqTWGM0DfXG7cwm4kSUDmiPLN9HGe3s-m0y1N4ACLnqODrhE6/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Epcot_7342689146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Best part of the day for the adults was the ride Soarin'. The firework show was over-hyped and not worth staying late for.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The next two days were spent at Magic Kingdom with the rest of the family. I think I would have taken a couple more days there if I did it again. It was so fun to watch our kids experience the rides and magic.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpvAY5WxCHIuBfE1PKVYHCIMGnmhYmfY9TCb7w928a9OBrfHDHS6yiO77rzGgAlHPsz71WSQc0nlZ5m-ZTonuv_FWdKJQYpwE5IkqMpi9zSWsCyIl1nw9EyUeLV4G3lYSqGenBkA0zRLv/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342589927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpvAY5WxCHIuBfE1PKVYHCIMGnmhYmfY9TCb7w928a9OBrfHDHS6yiO77rzGgAlHPsz71WSQc0nlZ5m-ZTonuv_FWdKJQYpwE5IkqMpi9zSWsCyIl1nw9EyUeLV4G3lYSqGenBkA0zRLv/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342589927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Enchanted tales with Belle did not disappoint</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9EAfV1GwMXkuoXkqohLWwQ1uuA6Qvt873la2ug8e3LYpjvHHGKtF_ftv13WhJ64HLKYPplFT9eobS3Ami1_p5vL_ZrPHVd4_YGQbdPOPS5KB_usIjZoKZjMSRY2Ogqxk2pjKJDj66ImB/s1600/207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9EAfV1GwMXkuoXkqohLWwQ1uuA6Qvt873la2ug8e3LYpjvHHGKtF_ftv13WhJ64HLKYPplFT9eobS3Ami1_p5vL_ZrPHVd4_YGQbdPOPS5KB_usIjZoKZjMSRY2Ogqxk2pjKJDj66ImB/s400/207.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We stayed at the All-Star Music Resort. Rooms were tiny but accommodated our family and we enjoyed the pool. It was really nice to take the shuttle back and forth every day.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yN1JQp1dgGSkZdEhlXJShVFGftg0_NP3FmKK3LohsVGhIyY_Emu42P-82Gc7Myk6lXmRsfKoe_Uefa0WdoueAEW4uYoekzNYW7FkQf4jDY-9QZfO0EDx6nD-evKF_DRqGm6PIRjAmUMC/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342624329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yN1JQp1dgGSkZdEhlXJShVFGftg0_NP3FmKK3LohsVGhIyY_Emu42P-82Gc7Myk6lXmRsfKoe_Uefa0WdoueAEW4uYoekzNYW7FkQf4jDY-9QZfO0EDx6nD-evKF_DRqGm6PIRjAmUMC/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342624329.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Keith took a trip to Disneyland in High School but I had only been once when I was 8 and totally chicken to go on most of the rides. This was my first time experiencing all the coasters (and I am not a big fan of coasters) so I basically screamed as loud as the kids. Splash Mountain and Big Thunder were my personal favs. You can tell Kenzie was not a fan. Kirk's kids were game for anything.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UAeOi6dtpnSLV08OMNcBBqUcNe4uvW0LGzYX9wSms3RlcGKNcPExkXarKclOwc5lpn7aSVWQDxZl10B8k_7p08Fk-ioWPysBWWXQgEcAkuPPW3GBhVKjEGkUXhgdVswVkNG1QJ47VoZy/s1600/pooh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UAeOi6dtpnSLV08OMNcBBqUcNe4uvW0LGzYX9wSms3RlcGKNcPExkXarKclOwc5lpn7aSVWQDxZl10B8k_7p08Fk-ioWPysBWWXQgEcAkuPPW3GBhVKjEGkUXhgdVswVkNG1QJ47VoZy/s400/pooh.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our favorite meal here was Crystal Palace. We booked a later breakfast and got to see the characters numerous times. The food was great and the morning break was nice.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhjA0UpteZW6eNhS2mQ_B6cxcTLyC5To6i7xO5mRBeze1cXlzLTutiGe0CpMRepFtm5qMiE_DEsDvlKrAedpZs2HXhtJ34guuoWasuje7R9a6h9JnVD77Ufvx5sKXwfO-4Nl129ygJxGz/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342580929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhjA0UpteZW6eNhS2mQ_B6cxcTLyC5To6i7xO5mRBeze1cXlzLTutiGe0CpMRepFtm5qMiE_DEsDvlKrAedpZs2HXhtJ34guuoWasuje7R9a6h9JnVD77Ufvx5sKXwfO-4Nl129ygJxGz/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342580929.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We didn't end up with a great family photo. I love the one above due to the hair pulling.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrglvTd1PsA6keN3Evkp_sZ8ndWVmDnTZ-MaMryrnXuRb3srCFqdIPpanNL_d-NnjFL3KkbOAFdEbGxaYiKVC8kOhxKe5VGxU9U11paxIcQ7qtuyjf6GZVtrWWEO7O8YBOCyr2F7EiCM4S/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7343236620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrglvTd1PsA6keN3Evkp_sZ8ndWVmDnTZ-MaMryrnXuRb3srCFqdIPpanNL_d-NnjFL3KkbOAFdEbGxaYiKVC8kOhxKe5VGxU9U11paxIcQ7qtuyjf6GZVtrWWEO7O8YBOCyr2F7EiCM4S/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7343236620.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo pass was awesome. The photographers aren't great or anything but it was so nice to get ride photos, and random shots throughout the park.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7tLzPrGVMDGO_nxt_b89_4ZtVAGfLtag_MEBcRll8sn0v5tP9SVaGijwT5DuTPt5k4rNH320wnmird6HgAhs5mH39bsXLnEjGLrlWqkTopQHepaifMWiyp2sCQxD9KLZmhq7j39IAdvg/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7315972151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7tLzPrGVMDGO_nxt_b89_4ZtVAGfLtag_MEBcRll8sn0v5tP9SVaGijwT5DuTPt5k4rNH320wnmird6HgAhs5mH39bsXLnEjGLrlWqkTopQHepaifMWiyp2sCQxD9KLZmhq7j39IAdvg/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7315972151.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm so glad we fast passed Anna and Elsa meet and greet. Those princess's were all in demand. One thing that bothered me was how little interaction you could have with characters unless you booked meet and greets or character meals. I expected more to be wandering around the parks.BTW both Elsa and Cinderella were super lame. Anna and Rapunzel were adorable though.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8d6SEtF92KJfn4IrDUqg13OUzp_PJSOuJjcbc61FS0NAxHrXUS2quF3ovY9l6iEG3LM9l6nnn1dFIaN-xIfmfeParidDMtrl3NCG_cJNex-hpi4H9IXOiDGstdiG_Ei6Ew3OuHNNrR7U/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342629962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8d6SEtF92KJfn4IrDUqg13OUzp_PJSOuJjcbc61FS0NAxHrXUS2quF3ovY9l6iEG3LM9l6nnn1dFIaN-xIfmfeParidDMtrl3NCG_cJNex-hpi4H9IXOiDGstdiG_Ei6Ew3OuHNNrR7U/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342629962.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRdC6BVKu-98avj-UpfhOtP8UmenQ9d_73UbhmKsr6d9YUy2hwgwHmJXv7JbNtLtZd3TPtnkWBhY5Iit5t5BnO__Biu_bXC7N6g-KBV7BPZJ5-rn5oUcdyMRxtPGGswQ3mfaeTm1JcaOr/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342656608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRdC6BVKu-98avj-UpfhOtP8UmenQ9d_73UbhmKsr6d9YUy2hwgwHmJXv7JbNtLtZd3TPtnkWBhY5Iit5t5BnO__Biu_bXC7N6g-KBV7BPZJ5-rn5oUcdyMRxtPGGswQ3mfaeTm1JcaOr/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342656608.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfZWYtu_sA3SZVOVnWv84dbkB7EVZrhZYqISu99ZfKToH7MQdUCAb6Dg76DFzRgh5kKGJZfRGPLeZZ5WmnxKe_0HlPMCTf84oCwANS_yHKXgQxZi00VDdWjjyqFo7h3vyzQKy-nfT7g-E/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342896740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfZWYtu_sA3SZVOVnWv84dbkB7EVZrhZYqISu99ZfKToH7MQdUCAb6Dg76DFzRgh5kKGJZfRGPLeZZ5WmnxKe_0HlPMCTf84oCwANS_yHKXgQxZi00VDdWjjyqFo7h3vyzQKy-nfT7g-E/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342896740.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPlWU3zpppr0i-MuPitkrF_VcZUiFtJQvpPEsetYKu6AmCoFrB38XXM_AcCklV2lgDd2xfzj8FHW5rfd8nbmF-RhdHZmoxkEy2b2te3xCWMIohPyvcaWlWMOeMrZcVkDWyjPOTB5XXbMV/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7343235483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPlWU3zpppr0i-MuPitkrF_VcZUiFtJQvpPEsetYKu6AmCoFrB38XXM_AcCklV2lgDd2xfzj8FHW5rfd8nbmF-RhdHZmoxkEy2b2te3xCWMIohPyvcaWlWMOeMrZcVkDWyjPOTB5XXbMV/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7343235483.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seven Dwarfs train ride was fun but absolutely not worth the hype. The best part was actually waiting in line. It was really interactive and nice and cool. Clara looks scared to death but she rode with both me and Keith and said she loved it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHuiFzkzn6v6F6EXiXJwidS76GieK33ycc9RzeuXqKU-FqSpnc3SPoRWOMsZzBEBaEsR5nTDBaueCYAtJ0-tE0YC4kN-74G6he5GU-FDLI33SX64c1IOGPReq45DbRRQWMPqqszom7C-F/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342915887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHuiFzkzn6v6F6EXiXJwidS76GieK33ycc9RzeuXqKU-FqSpnc3SPoRWOMsZzBEBaEsR5nTDBaueCYAtJ0-tE0YC4kN-74G6he5GU-FDLI33SX64c1IOGPReq45DbRRQWMPqqszom7C-F/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7342915887.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Kenzie was scared to death on Space Mountain. Brave girl, it was the one ride I didn't mind skipping.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePcOnql2ooOnYOVFchZPVvbzB2Tr-bMFxKSZgIZGjZcpfNNO60OKQXYSnA0YArdSuJNC197_M-39Zb8wkfJgCezxMQNpcrlcTGU0jiXLId6GZOfYKHUDcSKlWesQ0NK0MjmFpxGVDXGGx/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Animal_Kingdom_Park_7334230367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePcOnql2ooOnYOVFchZPVvbzB2Tr-bMFxKSZgIZGjZcpfNNO60OKQXYSnA0YArdSuJNC197_M-39Zb8wkfJgCezxMQNpcrlcTGU0jiXLId6GZOfYKHUDcSKlWesQ0NK0MjmFpxGVDXGGx/s640/PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Animal_Kingdom_Park_7334230367.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We spent a full day at Animal Kingdom. This park was not our kid's favorite and if I were to go back, I'm not sure I would bother with it. We watched a bird show, went on the safari, went on the raft ride and rode the one roller coaster.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-ai7_-aKeCkVUSZRJMvdWWg7RoaFkW4_WO_8fSrdiRewkuYYrHlIR3no0PyrgTX9nXnC6MrexObEn03h4CvnhvEW6dbMkmLHyxynWKaPIDud21tN_8eSEhzCk_S98Iitn3W1QXkxr774/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Animal_Kingdom_Park_7334233868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-ai7_-aKeCkVUSZRJMvdWWg7RoaFkW4_WO_8fSrdiRewkuYYrHlIR3no0PyrgTX9nXnC6MrexObEn03h4CvnhvEW6dbMkmLHyxynWKaPIDud21tN_8eSEhzCk_S98Iitn3W1QXkxr774/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Animal_Kingdom_Park_7334233868.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I thought I was going to die on Everest. Proof that pictures lie.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4gYockLbhecswJppo60dkcuSRIFWMdBQ_1o0ZXtBncExlt8KRQCbZwnwaU_8Nd3ul82rT2iMnrAux08xNRL2hSBYJ0J6wWcaipRIcmyRomH1mdmaNnhjJ_B6a-T2zlsCK_IA0L35KOoY/s1600/362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4gYockLbhecswJppo60dkcuSRIFWMdBQ_1o0ZXtBncExlt8KRQCbZwnwaU_8Nd3ul82rT2iMnrAux08xNRL2hSBYJ0J6wWcaipRIcmyRomH1mdmaNnhjJ_B6a-T2zlsCK_IA0L35KOoY/s400/362.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Highlight of Animal Kingdom was the character meal at Tusker House. The best food of all the parks and when we finished, we had the park to ourselves for our kids to run in. Kenzie had this awesome attitude the whole day. And we were as hot and sweaty as we look here all. day. long.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGg0UnBBW1DdvmUFLE6SZZD4uFC6H6tc8wQtJzo5ZzjOuZMdwojql3Go16O0xjVBDwR-3MYlw3QrmLughUg-Ye749kvcJB0zHn-RKOyDyx193Joz5TyRIdWzIywb2clBI7yJE2e1b4B7h/s1600/11313115_1082915678399199_479347267598434261_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGg0UnBBW1DdvmUFLE6SZZD4uFC6H6tc8wQtJzo5ZzjOuZMdwojql3Go16O0xjVBDwR-3MYlw3QrmLughUg-Ye749kvcJB0zHn-RKOyDyx193Joz5TyRIdWzIywb2clBI7yJE2e1b4B7h/s400/11313115_1082915678399199_479347267598434261_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The last park day was spent at Seaworld. I was beyond done at this point and my stomach was not happy with me. The dolphin show was good, the others were not worth the time. The adults all loved the rides. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The highlight was the end of the day. We ended up in the kid's area and it was dead so our kids rode all the rides multiple times. There was also a splash area for the kids to cool off. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
That night, we celebrated Randy's birthday and the next day we relaxed all day at the beach. It was glorious. If I go back to Florida with kids, most of my time is going to be spent at the beach.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_M8LiTHR-DdSKyd9aGuOTA8UpTzXi_op8Yay5y2QwlROOhgx-h-qdujK8KGGoaUCC7LxpfcLZiMC6Ck23V5xU-eBmphc_K_5bi_EV4PW3Sy69NkrwTvcEH1v-mB2PI_ldrFvnjWUOvic/s1600/480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_M8LiTHR-DdSKyd9aGuOTA8UpTzXi_op8Yay5y2QwlROOhgx-h-qdujK8KGGoaUCC7LxpfcLZiMC6Ck23V5xU-eBmphc_K_5bi_EV4PW3Sy69NkrwTvcEH1v-mB2PI_ldrFvnjWUOvic/s400/480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYmpEIvsVmHLDWZ5vNwfX9ab40cx4cvUa8FtdLQm4XeiRtw7htBrlBXnvSKalU7uj7JTtn9hJdrYie4MTq94T-1GjOmAd-2MUUwMYZrj3I7PkHHUfU6kvVckgdBgWHtXt1KYJiUibHSFr/s1600/10531473_1082916335065800_7217524889891277372_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYmpEIvsVmHLDWZ5vNwfX9ab40cx4cvUa8FtdLQm4XeiRtw7htBrlBXnvSKalU7uj7JTtn9hJdrYie4MTq94T-1GjOmAd-2MUUwMYZrj3I7PkHHUfU6kvVckgdBgWHtXt1KYJiUibHSFr/s400/10531473_1082916335065800_7217524889891277372_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaC9Kp1-fBnHacuZfHGydWqSJ-3b8Newg6XFcCZkn7EEQcMJuGv2KJ9QUeqWMSPepgP1yjW1_b6Fx19I9qt_voQlA4jBXO0L7pvMhSPSTFy2BtsMx6lytx5pJ8eOYshq2TlvfKGGUUp_d/s1600/589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaC9Kp1-fBnHacuZfHGydWqSJ-3b8Newg6XFcCZkn7EEQcMJuGv2KJ9QUeqWMSPepgP1yjW1_b6Fx19I9qt_voQlA4jBXO0L7pvMhSPSTFy2BtsMx6lytx5pJ8eOYshq2TlvfKGGUUp_d/s400/589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And this is how Keith and I felt at the end. I needed a vacation from this vacation but it was fun to be together with Keith's family. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MVurcvR6t8-e1N1YRdnz5zVxQlDuu2O0qU8_cuOmfrAP7yntn4Fv-yoHy4wGcA6QBiZ3pz_kL1z6YxH3OzqFuHRMpyZtgsY6z-egh6PG2EjtOAXlAawpjF3pmIwcQqaOf71YMTL0N8gp/s1600/551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MVurcvR6t8-e1N1YRdnz5zVxQlDuu2O0qU8_cuOmfrAP7yntn4Fv-yoHy4wGcA6QBiZ3pz_kL1z6YxH3OzqFuHRMpyZtgsY6z-egh6PG2EjtOAXlAawpjF3pmIwcQqaOf71YMTL0N8gp/s400/551.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-13319597792696091612015-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:002015-04-10T15:42:03.163-07:00Time to Catch Up...I haven't been on Blogger for such a long time. I love having a recorded history of what is going on in our family and the stages the kids are at. I don't want to bother going back and chronologically add everything I've missed so I'm going to write about this current moment in our lives. <br />
<br />
Life is so good. I think it's partly a change in attitude but I also think we're finally settling into life as we know it. Work is better than we could have dreamed of. When we were in school, it felt like it would never end. My life would always consist of dirty diapers, no money, a small apartment and a husband who made appearances at dinner and on Sundays. Not that it was a bad life, we were so rich with good friends, an amazing ward and all that we truly needed. But last year was a bit of a refining fire. Life after dental school wasn't at all what we had expected. We were still poor, living in a small apartment, trying to build friendships, and feeling more homesick than ever. I know we needed that year to come around and feel how immense the blessings are in our lives.<br />
<br />
Keith has a stable job in which money is no longer an object of stress. We are paying our bills and paying down student debt which feels so good. We live in a safe neighborhood next to beautiful open space in a family friendly city. I get to go to a gym and have wonderful people entertain my children so I can exercise and feel good. I can hire a babysitter and go on a date with an amazing man that is faithful and honest and hardworking. I live in a home that is still small, but beautiful and I am capable of cleaning it. I have made friends with kind, good, intelligent women that I learn from. I attend a Church that teaches my children wonderful values and principles. My children know that they are children of God and that they have purpose in this life. Speaking of those kids:<br />
<br />
Mackenzie is 6 1/2. She is growing and learning at such a rapid pace it is hard to keep up. At the beginning of the school year, she only knew how to write her name. Now she is reading simple books and writing sentences. She loves to have fun. She speaks in dramatics. Every day is "the best day ever!" or "the worst day ever!" I am either the best or the worst mom depending on her mood. She is still so good to her little brother and mostly good to Clara. They fight as I think all sisters probably do. She loves movies, anything artsy, playing games and being with friends. She has two permanent teeth on the bottom and about 4 loose at the moment including her top two which makes me more sad than it should. She is tall for her age and has long legs and a lean athletic build. She is a good runner and is making incredible progress with her swimming lessons. She is a good student and earned the highest award in her class this year "The high flyer" for demonstrating excellence in all areas of character. She is still sweetly innocent and sensitive to others. She loves sugar cereal, peanut butter and honey sandwiches and her favorite restaurant is Subway. She is a hoarder and sleeps with a bunch of dolls and animals on her bed. Her favorite is a pink gerbil? she calls bubblegum. She only likes to wear dresses and skirts. <br />
<br />
Clara is 3 1/2. She is still such a sweet girl. A few months ago she was sitting at the table eating a sandwich I had just made for her and she blurted out "You're just like the best mom ever." I cherish that moment. She loves to give her daddy and a hug and a "tiss" before he leaves for work and at bedtime. She is a social girl and loves to be around friends and other people. She is the best behaved in her Primary class (I can brag because her teachers have told me this so many times). She is wise beyond her years and asks intuitive questions. She still likes to push Kenzie's buttons and wrestle with her little brother. She loves to do puzzles, color, do her "homework", play outside, and play games. She is happy go lucky and usually willing to help me out. She is average size and build right now, I think she'll take more after my side of the family. She almost always has a smile on her face. She will eat just about anything and her favorite foods are fruits. She also wears skirts and dresses because in her mind anyone wearing pants looks like a boy:)<br />
<br />
Emmett just turned 2. I cannot believe he is more toddler than baby right now. We definitely spoil him still but he is a feisty little independent spirit. He currently loves trains, especially Thomas. He likes books and kicking around the soccer ball. He loves to run outside and chase rabbits. He is such a good little talker, I melt every time he opens his mouth. He likes to make us laugh and adores teasing his sisters. He likes his cuddles and will often say "I hold you daddy/mommy." He is a pretty good eater too but I think his favorite foods are pancakes and waffles. He's the only one I still get to dress. He likes to tease our neighbors cat named Bobby and climb on anything and everything. He is mischievous and with him where there's a will, there's a way. He doesn't like to sit still and amazes my with his energy. He is known to end up in our bed a lot at might because I'm too much of a pushover to make him stay in his own when he calls out for us. <br />
<br />
Keith is loving being his own boss. He loves having partners to share his practice with. He works 3 12's plus a 1/2 day for catching up and likes his schedule. I love having him home some weekdays and we enjoy going to the gym together. He is the center of his kid's universe and is such a good hands-on dad. He keeps me up too late binge watching TV series.<br />
<br />
I am feeling much more relaxed with the 3 kids. Wednesdays are my favorite. Keith usually has them off and we take the kids to swim lessons. Emmett and I are taking a mommy and me swim class which has really helped him with his fear of the water. After Emmett's lesson, we join the girls in the water and play for a couple of hours while they take turns with their lessons. I have been reading more and am enjoying the increasing independence of our kids. I started taking voice lessons in February- something I have always wanted to do. I love having my own thing to learn and practice. I have made some good friends. Most are older than me and have older children so I'm able to pick their brains and glean wisdom and good parenting advice.<br />
<br />
We really enjoy the weather here in Denver. We've been here 11 months now and thought we would be buying a house right now. After a lot of thought and prayer, we've decided to wait another year. The market is still so hot here and our price range is really competitive. We think we've found the neighborhood we'd like to settle in and we know we can wait another year. We had been saving a down payment so it felt really nice to take that money and put it into student loans. We hope the interest rates don't climb too high this year but we have faith that it will all work out better for us to wait even if they do. Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-91436236971762616462015-04-10T14:07:00.001-07:002015-04-10T14:07:58.521-07:00Unshared Birth Story #6Disclaimer: If you don't like period talk, don't read.<br />
<br />
As usual this summer, we made a trip to Utah/Idaho. Towards the end of the trip I started what I thought was my period. We were really busy with Keith in town so I didn't have much time to pay attention to the fact that I only bled two days when I always bleed for 6-7. I should have known then that something was off but we were so busy I just didn't give it much thought. We came home about a week later and I'm usually a little bummed when we get back. It's so quiet and cousins aren't around to play with. Plus, we were still settling in and I hadn't really made social connections yet. Understandably, I was feeling down and irritable. I became so irritable though, my thinking became irrational and I was taking my anger out on Keith and the kids. He said something to me that I can't even remember but which set me off so badly and I knew I was being crazy and overreacting. I hadn't been feeling well either so I had the thought to take a pregnancy test. We weren't trying so I wasn't really expecting much but I knew if I wasn't pregnant, I needed to go to someone for help because my hormones were really out of wack!<br />
<br />
I didn't say anything to Keith I just huffed up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom. On a whim, I had bought a couple pregnancy tests in Idaho because I like to have them on hand. I took the first one and much to my shock I watched a second pink line form to indicate a positive pregnancy. I burst into tears. I was so crazy overwhelmed and in that moment I felt grossly inadequate to raise another child. After calming down, I found Keith (still rightfully frustrated with me) and told him I was pregnant. He didn't believe it and didn't say much. I think we were both in a bit of shock. I decided I needed to take another test just in case the first was a false positive. I was shocked again to find the second test confirmed the first. The next day, I went out and bought a non dollar store test because I was sure the first two were wrong (denial is strong my friends) and found that one also positive.<br />
<br />
My mind was going crazy. I felt like I had already lost the baby and told Keith so. I think for him, the baby never felt real. I did bleed in Utah but I tend to bleed a bit every time I'm pregnant, just not to that extent. It had already been a week since the bleeding had stopped though and the tests were all positive. In hindsight, I should have gone to an OB. I was not in my right mind though and decided to wait it all out. It was a long few weeks of crazy hormones, frequent nausea and going back and forth playing mind games with myself (why didn't I go to a doctor?!) After a few more weeks of crazy, the cramping started. Horrible aching in my back and nausea that kept me in bed. I knew I was losing the baby. The next week was long and not nearly as awful as the last experience because I wasn't as far along but it still hurt knowing I had lost something I didn't even know I wanted. It took a couple of months for me to feel ok again and about 6 months later, I'm finally feeling back to my old self. I'm not sure if we'll try for pregnancy again. In my mind, I'm missing a 4th child but I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with any more loss. <br />
<br />
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-81925588984810389312015-04-10T13:38:00.002-07:002015-04-10T13:38:11.386-07:00Already Shared Birth Story #5A sweet delivery and an even better recovery. I'm glad I wrote this one down as soon as it happened because I would have forgotten all of the little details:) <br />
http://knshawfamily.blogspot.com/2013/05/emmett.htmlNathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-58581775423696662972015-01-23T16:20:00.000-08:002015-01-23T16:20:28.301-08:00Just Wait...My personal parenting pet peeve- the phrase "Just Wait." Disclaimer: I've totally been guilty of saying it to people. Not in the last couple of years though. Not since I became aware of just how obnoxious it is. Here's the story of how it really got under my skin:<br />
<br />
We were at church about a month or two ago sitting in the chapel on padded benches we rarely frequent due to tardiness. Our 3 kids were misbehaving as usual and I'm pretty sure all 3 took turns out in the hallway. When I came back with our youngest after our first hour to pick up my stuff, my husband introduced me to an older couple behind us. The man was chuckling and said "you think it's hard now, JUST WAIT until you have teenagers. This is NOTHING." It was not the first time I heard it. In fact, there were several women in our last congregation who told me every other Sunday how easy I had it with little kids. A series of emotions passed through me in about 3 seconds. Sadness, frustration, irritation and exhaustion. I gave a polite laugh and went on to let my feelings fester. Do I even remember who the man was who said it? Nope. Just the way it made me feel. I often feel like I am drowning. I'm relatively new to parenting. I'm
like everyone else, learning as I go. I'm also a young parent and don't
have the benefit of as much wisdom as older parents do. When he made
that comment, I ultimately wanted to cry. Because I already feel bad
about myself and I don't want it to get harder. It's hard enough. I like to think that people who say this forget what it is like to be a parent to young children. Maybe their kids were abnormally easy? I know teen years are hard, I have a slew of journals to prove it. I remember it well and I've worked with teenagers in church for 4 years who continually remind me what a pain they can be to their parents. Anyways, I'm not easily offended but I feel like this is one of those times I wish I could explain why his comment was hurtful.<br />
<br />
1. I had three kids in 4 1/2 years. Yes it was my choice but it is hard. My pregnancies are not easy. I experience almost constant nausea well beyond the first trimester, I gain an absurd amount of weight, and half the time I get pregnant, I can't keep the baby past 8 weeks. I'm constantly on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. <br />
<br />
2. My oldest is my hardest and she has struggled with handling her emotions and has had sensory issues from a young age. She throws more tantrums in one month than my other two have in their full lives. She is almost impossible to discipline and tells me every day that "I am the worst mom ever." She didn't say she loved me until she was 3 and she does not say or give physical affection easily. She has many good qualities but living with her is very similar to living with an uncontrollable teenager who hates me all of the time.<br />
<br />
3.My kids wake up around 7:30 AM and are in bed by 8 PM but the oldest two won't actually settle down until 9:30 or 10 PM. My oldest is out of the home for exactly three hours while she attends school. That means I am home parenting for a minimum of 12 hours. They are still almost fully dependent on me to care for their every need. The chores fall almost completely on me as my kids can only contribute a bit. <br />
<br />
4. My kids still wake up at night. Take last night as an example: 1:30 AM Emmett wakes up screaming. I rock him, he's hungry. I get him a banana and rock some more. He's thirsty so I get him a drink. It's now 2 AM and I'm wide awake. I fall asleep after a while. 3:30 AM it's my toddler who is running around the house half awake. I get her a drink and put her back to bed. It's 4 AM and I am wide awake with indigestion. 5 AM Emmett is up crying again. I don't fall back to sleep until about 7 AM. 8 AM I hear my husband leave. My girls run up to my room and start yelling at each other and pulling each others hair. Emmett starts to cry. I get him up and give him a bowl of cereal which he chucks back at me. Good morning:)<br />
<br />
5. When I get sick, I don't get to rest because my kids can't take care of themselves. 2 weeks ago I had food poisoning. For a good 24 hours, I felt like death and was so weak it was hard to drag my body to the bathroom. But I still had to make my kids breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I still had to change diapers and beg them to get along. No one is big enough to take care of me or help me in a substantial way. <br />
<br />
5. My husband started dental school when our youngest was 7 months old. It was a great path for us but this means that I was basically single parenting for 4 years because we rarely saw him. Last year he had a long commute so time was fairly limited with us and this year he's gone 3 days from 8 AM to 9:30 PM and a half day also. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that like many other women, I am at home by myself with three little kids and have very limited adult interaction. I'm often exhausted and stressed.<br />
<br />
6. We don't live by family. We lived by family for the first 6 months of our oldest daughters life and have lived thousands of miles away since. We don't have the luxury of dropping the kids off at Grandma's or an aunts house for a break. For most of our marriage, we couldn't even afford a babysitter. <br />
<br />
I guess my point in all of this is to try to think before you speak. Remember what it is like at every stage. There are ups and downs. Try not to discourage others or belittle them with a phrase you haven't fully thought through. I love my kids and wouldn't trade my job for anything but I (like everyone else) could use a little encouragement much more than I can use discouragement. Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-74163859405917227912014-11-14T20:50:00.001-08:002014-11-14T20:50:12.684-08:00Already Shared Birth Story #4Clara's pregnancy and birth were pretty well documented but for the sake of having a condensed story, I'll sum it up here.<br />
<br />
After I miscarried end of August, Dr. Nett sent me to the hematologist. Most doctors will make you wait for three miscarriages but she feels like two is good enough. The OB office took a lot of blood samples before sending me to the hematologist and they came back with a genetic mutation, MTHFR which controversially is linked to miscarriage because it affects blood clotting. My hematologist was annoyed that my OB had tested for MTHFR and bothered to send me to him. He personally felt like there was no link whatsoever to miscarriage. I had read so much about it on the internet and in different research papers that I wasn't sure I agreed. Anyways, he was getting paid to meet with me so he followed procedure and asked me plenty of personal questions. I have a history of bad circulation and period issues and after our discussion the hematologist was sure I would test positive for Von Willebrand disease. He ordered another 20 vials of blood so we could be sure it wasn't something else. To his and our surprise, the results came back fine. He told me to exercise for circulation and that I should stop worrying. He saw plenty of people who had 6+ miscarriages and they would eventually have success. He did a great job of making me feel like I was a complete waste of his time and that I should just suck it up and keep losing babies until I had success. I strongly dislike that doctor.<br />
<br />
If an OB believes MTHFR is linked to miscarriage, they'll prescribe progesterone, or even progesterone shots through the first trimester of pregnancy. Dr. Nett told me it couldn't hurt to start taking a baby aspirin every day and prescribed me progesterone so that the next time I got pregnant, I could take them immediately. I was on board with the idea and grateful to have something to contribute to the next pregnancy.<br />
<br />
We found out we were pregnant again on Christmas Day 2010. I woke up feeling off that morning and couldn't stomach the thought of eating the candy in our stockings- very abnormal for me. I took a test but it was so faint, I couldn't tell if it was positive. A couple hours later I was still feeling that distinct morning sickness so I took another test (I buy the cheap ones in bulk on Amazon). This time, there was a definite line. Because I was tracking everything, I knew I was 4 weeks. I was a jumble of emotions but the one that trumped them all was hope. Keith and I tiptoed around it and didn't really talk about it until my first appointment. I took the progesterone diligently and my hormone levels were tracked weekly. Everything looked promising and I was over the moon to see a healthy baby on that first ultrasound. I was sick from the day I found out until 15ish weeks. I wasn't quite as tired and nauseous as I was with Mackenzie and we announced the pregnancy after my ultrasound. It was nice to be monitored closely, I had extra ultrasounds and testing which gave me peace of mind.<br />
<br />
Things that stand out from this pregnancy: sciatic nerve pain, cravings for healthier foods, very little weight gain in the beginning and constant weight gain in the second half, I carried her more in my back, the constant contractions!, less swelling, she was transverse until 38 weeks when she turned on her own. I knew the day she turned because it was so painful but I was glad to avoid the external cephalic version I had planned in the instance she didn't turn on her own. <br />
<br />
I didn't know if I was going to shoot for a natural birth this time around. There was a part of me that really wanted to experience it, but I also wanted to enjoy the birth. We decided to induce a couple of days early due to our own personal feelings and inspiration. I'm so glad we did because the birth was perfect. I had been contracting like crazy all week and felt my body was ready. I progressed perfectly and opted for the epidural which is a decision I don't regret at all. When it came time to push, the room was charged with excitement. It took just a few minutes and she was in my arms. This time, I was so happy to have her on me so I could get a proper look at her. Moments before her birth, I told the nurse we were debating between the names Lydia and Clara. When I saw her, I knew she was a Clara. She was such a bright spot in our lives already and I wanted her name to reflect that. That birth was filled with joy and peace and the spirit was so strong in our room. I remember the nurse telling me I tore and I didn't even care. I was happily numb and the only bothering me was hunger. I am so hungry after delivering, it's one of the only things I can focus on:)<br />
<br />
They wheeled me up to recovery about an hour after she was born and they were still monitoring me closely. I was bleeding too much but was a little oblivious to it. They upped my pitocin and continued to monitor me closely through the night. I remember being so irritated with all of the nurses for constantly waking me and not allowing me to fall asleep with Clara in my arms (hospital policy). Clara was really fussy and threw up everything she ate for the first day because she had fluid in her lungs she needed to work out. I was nervous and tired but I'm glad I could be monitored in case I started hemorrhaging. It was wonderful to leave the hospital and enjoy our sweet baby in the comfort of our home.Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-20096128030424325752014-10-12T23:09:00.001-07:002014-10-12T23:09:54.058-07:00Unshared Birth Story #3This is the hardest one to write.<br />
<br />
Right after I miscarried, we went to Utah/Idaho to visit family for a few weeks. I had been working out really regularly and continued to go on runs while I was there. I remember one day in particular that I was so tired on my run, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I recalled my sister-in-law telling me she always knew she was pregnant because she would be so tired. The thought crossed my mind but I pushed it away and went on to enjoy the vacation with extra naps filling my time.<br />
<br />
When we came home, I realized my period was about a week late. I wasn't sure what was going on with my body and decided to go ahead and take a pregnancy test. I was so nonchalant about it and was shocked to see the pregnant line turn pink before the control line even showed up. I was 5 weeks and feeling surprisingly good. The previous two pregnancies I had felt definite morning sickness but this time, I just felt giddy. The morning I found out, I went to visit some good friends. While I was visiting with Suzy she asked straight out if I was pregnant. I'm a terrible liar and she knew by my face the answer was yes. After that visit, we went to Michigan with friends and when I came back all of 6 weeks pregnant I had about 3 other friends ask me if I was pregnant. Apparently my glow was showing and word quickly spread. I was so excited about the news, I was happy to have others to share it with. I also knew I wanted support in the future if I did happen to lose the baby. The sickness kicked in right around that time but I wasn't as bothered by it and had no thoughts that I might miscarry again.<br />
<br />
The earliest the OB could get me in for a first checkup was 9 weeks. I hadn't yet been to an OB in Louisville but was excited to meet Dr. Nett whom everyone loved. I walked into that appointment so excited to see my baby for the first time. I was alone because Keith had a busy school schedule and definitely couldn't take off a morning for something routine and I had left Kenzie with my friend Amber. I saw Dr. Nett first. I was measured and weighed and given an exam. All checked out well and she confirmed my uterus was measuring 9 weeks. I confidently went into the ultrasound room. My first ultrasound with Kenzie was at 8 weeks so I had an idea of what everything should look like. As soon as the wand hit my stomach and the picture showed up, I knew something was wrong. The tech asked the date of my last period and I told her. She told me the baby was measuring closer to 6 weeks and the yolk sac was still visible. She also tried to reassure me that I could have the date wrong, it happened all of the time. I told her I was confident in the date and had taken a very positive pregnancy test around the date she thought the baby was conceived. She continued to take several pictures and didn't talk the rest of the time, her face showing concern. There was a little movement from the baby but not a steady heartbeat. I knew that moment the baby wasn't going to make it. Dr. Nett came in with so much love and optimistic support. She told me to go home, try not to move around much and to not worry (ha) and come back in a week to check on things. This baby would make it, they so often did. I just had the dates wrong, my hcg was still high from the last pregnancy, this baby would live.<br />
<br />
I started spotting that night.<br />
<br />
I spotted the rest of the week. I was so sick to my stomach it was hard to eat. I moped, I fretted and I cried. I told a few close friends who also offered optimistic support. The week dragged and on August 30, it was finally time for a 10 week check.<br />
<br />
The ultrasound was first this time and the sac was basically empty and not a trace of a heartbeat. Just a big black hole under a stretched out stomach. The tech was silent as I cried silent tears by myself in a cold, dark room. Why did I go by myself? My friend Amber had offered, I just didn't know how badly I would want a hand to hold. Dr. Nett came in and held me. This woman who had known me for 10 minutes was crying with me and telling me if she was queen of the world, this would never happen. She took me back into the exam room and gave me my options. A D&C, Cytotec or wait it out. I did not want to wait it out, it seemed agonizing. A D&C always carries the risk of scar tissue so I chose Cytotec which would help my cervix soften. Maybe she talked to me in detail about it and I was in such a fog, I couldn't think but I really wish I knew what I was getting myself into.<br />
<br />
I was crying so hard, they showed me the stairs so I wouldn't have to walk through the waiting room. I'm sure I called Keith, but I don't even remember. I went to pick up Kenzie and Amber was there again as a wonderful support. When Keith got home that night at dinnertime, I inserted the first pill. I was mildly cramping within a half hour so I continued to use them as prescribed. That was a big mistake as I had no idea what I was in for. We settled in for the night on the couch watching a show because I couldn't sleep through the cramping. Keith stayed up with me until about midnight or one when I started passing clots. He gave me a blessing and went to bed. The pain really kicked in about 2 AM. I called the doctors office and told the doc on call how much pain I was in and asked if that was normal and could I take any painkillers? She was so cold and callus. She said, "Well you're having a miscarriage, what did you expect? Take a little ibuprofen, you'll get through it." After I got off the phone with her, I broke down. I felt so belittled and alone.<br />
<br />
My praying became more fervent as the pain intensified and I continued passing clots for two more hours. I had never felt so alone in my life. And yet, I knew the Savior was with me, helping me bear this burden. Around 4:30 AM, I was seriously thinking something was wrong and was debating waking Keith to take me to the hospital when I had the urge to push. I went to the bathroom and pushed for about 10 minutes until the bulk of baby and tissue passed. I was too horrified to even look. The relief for my body was immediate. I went to bed and finally found rest. A few hours later, my friend knocked on the door and took Kenzie for a few hours. I was so grateful, I needed to rest so badly. I was physically weak for a couple of days and really emotionally drained.<br />
<br />
The most beneficial thing for me was to talk to my sisters. Nycole is always so compassionate and Rachel had been through a miscarriage herself that was further along but our emotions were very similar. I also had really sweet friends drop off little notes and gifts and word spread well enough that I only had a couple awkward situations a few weeks down the road in which I had to explain why my stomach was shrinking, not growing. It was an emotional roller coaster for a few months. I didn't feel like myself and it was strenuous on my marriage. Luckily we were on the brink of fall, my favorite season. It helped to throw myself into all of the festivities and to focus on the beautiful child I did have.<br />
<br />
I'm grateful now for this experience. I still cannot recall it without pain but it has given me greater compassion for others and helped me cherish all that I have. It also opened my eyes to all of the goodness around me and the kind friends and family that I have been blessed with. Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-59538545941335888132014-10-12T22:10:00.001-07:002014-10-12T22:10:45.460-07:00Unshared Birth Story #2Baby #2<br />
<br />
After Mackenzie turned a year, we mustered up the courage to start trying for another baby. We knew we wanted 3+ kids and we preferred them closer together. We thought I would get pregnant immediately because of our experience with baby #1 but I remember my mom saying how you never knew how long it could take to get pregnant and not to expect things to go exactly as planned. We had friends and family struggling with infertility and I told myself I wouldn't worry until after a year. I had always been anxious about my fertility for whatever reason so I just braced myself for our next child taking a little longer than anticipated. Anyways, I started keeping track of everything but didn't bother Keith with any of it. I wanted to enjoy life and not get too caught up in the pressures of baby #2.<br />
<br />
That mindset worked well and I was disappointed with negative signs every month, but felt the Lord would give us a baby in His own time. I started dreaming of adoption and dug around for adoption information from several people in our ward who had been through the process. In May, I realized that I was late. I didn't say anything to Keith, I wanted to surprise him in a fun way. About a week later, I couldn't sleep due to some intense back pain. I was a bit worried but able to sleep and forgot about it the next morning until I went to the bathroom. I sent Keith off to work and when I used the bathroom, I passed a clot the size of a baseball. I was so sad and didn't really know how to handle it. I texted Keith who said he was sorry. Besides him, no one else knew. My friend Amber happened to call that morning. We had made plans to go swimming and I told her I couldn't go due to heavy bleeding, then broke down into tears. I told her I had miscarried and she came over, cleaned my house and brought me lunch. I will never forget her kindness and sympathy. It meant the world to me. I told myself I had a day to mourn and I did. I let myself be sad all day and then rejoiced that I had gotten pregnant. I felt that there was hope for the future and that my system could reset itself a bit. Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-43447174820399379862014-09-28T22:24:00.000-07:002014-09-28T22:24:33.391-07:00Unshared Birth Stories- #1So I started these posts back in May. Some have been painful to write and so it has taken me a long time. These stories are really for my own record, but I thought they might be of interest to others. My feelings are raw and honest and I'm sorry in advance for any offense by those who read them.<br />
<br />
My journey to motherhood was somewhat sudden and unexpected. I became pregnant at the ripe age of 21, before any of my close friends and I had no idea at all what I was getting into. These were the days before Pinterest and all of the mommy articles that have come to flood Facebook feeds and blogs. I did manage to start my blog before pregnancy but I failed to document much of it. I think the reason I shied away from sharing was the fact that I was scared out of my mind. I had so many negative thoughts and feelings of guilt that I didn't feel it appropriate to share. But lately, I have come to realize that these stories etched in my soul might be better when written. If nothing else, my children will know that though the journey may be difficult, it yields so much joy. There are 6 stories here, some are sweet and simple, some are heartbreaking and more complicated. So here goes nothing, story #1<br />
<br />
Mackenzie.<br />
The first inkling I had that a new life was forming itself inside of me was on a cold winter day. Keith and I had married December 15 and we were living in a tiny studio apartment in Rexburg, ID. We were both full time students and I had a job in the archives department in the library where I edited and transcribed devotionals. I had a second job as a TA for my previous microbiology professor. Keith was also working as a TA. We didn't see much of each other and when we did, we were tired and cranky.<br />
<br />
Our marriage had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. I had started birth control back in October and felt like a crazy person on it. I distinctly remember a conversation I had with my old roommate Amber sometime near the end of January. She encouraged me to get off of the pills and see if it made any difference. Thankfully, I took her advice that very day and immediately felt more like myself. Our marriage eased into newlywed bliss for a couple of weeks and then...one day at the end of February, I got home before Keith.<br />
<br />
It was getting late and I needed to prepare something for dinner. I used the restroom first and my heart about stopped when I saw the dark brown on my underwear. In that moment a word popped into my head that I hadn't before been aware of- "spotting." Hadn't the doctor warned that I might have spotting on birth control? My palms broke out in a sweat and I couldn't get to my Johns Hopkins medical dictionary fast enough. I quickly found "spotting" in the dictionary only to find that it was usually associated with pregnancy. I was immediately in panic mode and called up Keith. I don't remember the exact conversation but it went along the lines of, "Hey Keith I'm spotting and I think there's a chance I might be pregnant." He was pretty calm and cool about the whole thing. We told ourselves there wasn't a chance I could be pregnant and it must be a side effect of getting off of the pill.<br />
<br />
I let myself think this way for days until I woke in the middle of the night with overwhelming nausea. I found myself parked in the bathroom, moaning in pain but unable to find relief. I could not vomit. I had no other symptoms but this lingering, awful nausea that seized my body and rarely gave me a moment of peace. After a couple nights of this, I begged the Lord to take it away. I prayed that if I was pregnant, I would have the strength to make it through the pregnancy. The next day, I woke up feeling fine and I told myself all was well, false alarm.<br />
<br />
I have always had really regular cycles and when I was about a week late, Keith and I were on our way home late from a friends one night and we decided to run into the Albertsons to buy a pregnancy test so we could finally get an answer. I opened it up, read the directions, and decided to wait until morning. I didn't sleep well that night and got up around 4 or 5 AM to use the bathroom. I was so nervous as I watched that little pink line immediately pop up to announce what my heart already knew. What now? I wish I could say I was elated. Instead, I was racked with guilt for not being excited. I was overcome with fear and the feeling that my life was spinning out of control. A few minutes later, I poked Keith awake and told him the news. I got an "Oh, cool" or something along those lines and then he rolled over and fell asleep. I couldn't believe it. I had just found out that our lives were forever changed and that was all he could muster up.<br />
<br />
In his defense, it was early. I didn't see it that way and our marriage continued to be tumultuous and frustrating. I had too many new emotions and I was really good at bottling those up and exploding. Keith didn't know how to talk to me. I was always on the defense. The nausea came back good and strong around week 7 and saltines became my best friend. We went to the doctor at week 8. It felt early and I had continued to spot a bit. I'm ashamed to admit it, but there was a part of me that hoped I was losing the baby. I didn't feel ready for this motherhood thing.<br />
<br />
Dr. Lovell greeted us with an "I didn't think I'd see you back here so soon." I had gone to him for a pre-marriage exam just a few months prior and we told him we were surprised to see him too. I'm happy to say that my feelings changed dramatically the moment that ultrasound revealed a little bean kicking and moving inside of me. There was life inside of me. It was absolutely mind blowing and my heart grew a few sizes. I was happy for this baby. I wanted this baby. I still felt unprepared, inadequate, emotional and scared but I also felt something that trumped those- Love. <br />
<br />
The pregnancy continued to be difficult. Despite what everyone told me, the "morning" sickness did not ease up after the first trimester and it lingered with me all day long. Despite the fact that I was hardly eating, I was packing on the weight at an alarming rate. My chest grew two sizes in a matter of a few weeks and my body that had never known more than 125ish pounds was already in the 150's by 20 weeks. My body was changing so quickly, I was gaining bright purple scars to prove it and buying a new wardrobe because nothing fit. I was having a hard time accepting my changing body and shied away from pictures- something I regret very much.<br />
<br />
At 17 weeks, we got a sneak peek ultrasound at the doctors and they told us to think pink. I was ecstatic. I always thought I wanted a little boy first but when I found out I was pregnant, I had a change of heart. My spirit already knew that a little girl would come first and my heart had been prepared to accept her. That summer, Keith decided to sell pest control in St. George to help support us for the coming year. I had to stay behind for school and an internship. The break turned out to be good for us and the absence really did make our hearts grow fonder. When Keith returned from St. George, we moved into a two bedroom apartment and started to prepare for a baby.<br />
<br />
My friends threw a little shower for me and we bought a few essentials at the only two stores I had to shop at, K-mart and Wal-mart. Thankfully, my sister was living by us and she let me borrow her swing, stroller and bouncy seat. Our parents bought us a pack n' play as the second room wasn't big enough for a real crib. A woman in our ward gave us her old baby seat and tub so we only needed to provide a few clothes and blankets. Our furniture consisted only of old hand me downs. As far as material possessions went, we didn't have much but we felt we had it all and were so grateful for the generosity of family and friends.<br />
<br />
My due date altered a bit. We had to rely on ultrasounds and the first one that's considered most reliable said October 30-31. When I went in around 37-38 weeks and the doctor checked me, Mackenzie was so high he couldn't feel her head to tell if she was head down. When I was 40 weeks, he still couldn't tell. She seemed to be stuck. My mom had hard labors with all 6 of her babies and my sister had c-sections so I was prepared to run into some issues. Dr. Lovell told me he thought Mackenzie was stuck by a bony protuberance and my chances of a c-section were very high. We knew we had to induce because she wasn't dropping, I had gained 5 lbs of fluid the last week and my blood pressure was getting scary. We set the date and I started praying for a good birth and healthy baby.<br />
<br />
We went in on Sunday November 2, 2008 to start the induction. I had no idea what to expect and was so nervous I had gotten very little rest or food the past 24 hours. They started me out with a foley catheter and cervidil gel which would help my cervix dilate. They also hooked me up to the drug I feared- pitocin. For whatever reason, they started me at night. I started cramping almost immediately and it only intensified through the night. The nurse offered me a sleeping pill which I took but it seemed to have no affect as I ended up awake the whole night with cramping and really bad back pain which no amount of massage seemed to relieve. At 5 AM, they took the catheter out and a lot of the pain was relieved. Around 8 AM, the doctor came in to check me. After being up all night, it was really disheartening to hear I was only dilated to a 4. I had wanted to try for a natural birth but nothing was going like I thought it would and I was so grateful to accept an epidural.<br />
<br />
The epidural helped me relax and I finally fell asleep. Things were moving slowly so Keith and I decided he might as well go to his classes. It seems funny now but school was really important and I didn't see the point in him hanging around while I slept. I gave him a call around 2 PM when the nurses came to check me and I was finally at a 6. My mom told me her labors always went slow until she got to a 6, then she delivered within a couple of hours. Campus was a couple of miles away and when he got to me, I was at a 7 and getting excited. That's when everything slowed again. At 5 I was at an 8 and it was 8 PM before the nurse finally felt I could try pushing. Between 5 and 8, we knew the baby was posterior so I was up and moving, contorting my body to try to get her to move. The beauty of my hospital was that they had anesthesiologists who could give walking epidurals. When I mentioned this in my subsequent births back East, they stared at me like I was talking crazy and calmly told me such a thing didn't exist. I lived to tell that they do indeed. The whole time I had my epidural, I felt my legs and could move around with ease, all while feeling some pressure from contractions, but nothing painful.<br />
<br />
The problem with all of my moving around was that at some point, the epidural catheter came out, leaking all that was good and wonderful down my back. I started to feel pain around 7 PM. It started as a deep pain in one side, then grew to encompass my stomach and back. The anesthesiologist was called in and because my medicine was low, he figured it was wearing off and hooked up a bolus for me to push so I could have the relief I needed. That didn't work but we all figured I was close enough to delivery, I would be ok.<br />
<br />
It felt so good to finally push, the pain was driving my will to want that baby out of me. After 45 minutes of pushing, the nurse checked my cervix because she wasn't seeing any results. Turns out my cervix wasn't effaced enough when I started pushing and now I needed to stop pushing and wait for the swelling to go down. Those 30 minutes of waiting were agonizing. I was at a 10, I had pitocin induced contractions which were really intense and on top of each other, it was back labor, and I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for 24+ hours. It was the perfect storm to bring out the worst in me. I was crying, screaming, begging anyone and everyone to kill me. The doctor came in and he told me they needed to get the baby out. We all wanted a healthy baby and I was a hot mess with a baby that truly seemed stuck in the birth canal. They wanted to do a C-section and he told me how that was all going to go down. I cried through the whole thing and then begged to try to push again. He told me he would let me push but if there was any more distress, they'd go in for a C-section.<br />
<br />
Dr. Meredith was the perfect coach for me. He was so encouraging and allowed my baby to come after another hour and fifteen minutes of pushing. When he finally saw her head, he asked if I wanted to touch it. I was too tired to care. When she finally came, they put her on my belly and I asked them to take her off before I was sick. The birth had been so traumatic for both me and Mackenzie. I was exhausted and sick and she had a perfect little face but a head so badly bruised the nurses all thought she had been vacuumed out of me. I begged for food and then I made the slow walk to to the shower to get cleaned up. I had to sit in the shower while the nurse washed me and all I could think was how surreal it all felt. I was a mom but I felt so detached from her. I have a picture holding her in my wheelchair while I was wheeled to recovery around midnight. My face is puffy and bloated and I could barely open my eyes due to the swelling.<br />
<br />
Everything is a blur until the next morning when my mom and sister came to visit and I had plenty of drugs in my system but was alert enough to show off my beautiful new baby girl. I was a mom and I was so proud of that. It wasn't necessarily love at first sight for us, and breastfeeding proved to be another traumatic experience that delayed the attachment for my firstborn, but I felt myself falling in love with this perfect creature that God had blessed us with.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-55711007022358696552014-07-22T14:03:00.001-07:002014-07-22T14:03:59.625-07:00Oregon/Denver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dDJ0j5VjnGpXV_MYe7_t67OGshR32SCEosSjp1pr_F3Po0S-wTfkL92BD6xSNe2DYbErYeJEX1cJAigVPmVuL93LYMg7lnPwPhgr7JgVhdV9QB-gSefYhjeSA-tlDSjuDLljxaDqQK2u/s1600/248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dDJ0j5VjnGpXV_MYe7_t67OGshR32SCEosSjp1pr_F3Po0S-wTfkL92BD6xSNe2DYbErYeJEX1cJAigVPmVuL93LYMg7lnPwPhgr7JgVhdV9QB-gSefYhjeSA-tlDSjuDLljxaDqQK2u/s1600/248.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Our lives have been a little bit crazy this past year. We came to Atlanta with a decent job offer and were excited to spend some time in the South. Our plan was to give it a couple of years and see how we were doing, then make plans to settle or move one.<br />
<br />
Well, with Keith working as an independent contractor, our salary is a different story every month. We had the blessing of finding additional work at another practice from October to December which helped us to get settled and start paying our student loans when they hit. When that job dropped off, so did the salary and when February came around, we knew we needed to try to find a job in a more lucrative area in order to achieve our financial goals.<br />
<br />
I started stalking the LDS dental academy classifieds and found a job that looked really promising in Astoria, OR. We looked on the map and I saw it was only 15 miles North of Seaside, OR where I had gone on vacation with my family. I loved the area and especially loved the idea of living in the Pacific Northwest again. Keith called up the dentist and found that the job seemed even better than anticipated. We talked to the associates he had working for him and they honestly had nothing but good things to say about the job. The only reason there was a job opening was because one associate had fulfilled his contract and he loved Astoria so much, he wants to stay there permanently, but has hopes of building his own practice.<br />
<br />
At the same time, our friend Marc Issaic called Keith up. He asked how we were doing and if Keith would be interested in a practice located in Denver. The job seemed a little too good to be true and we weren't really sure that it would suit Keith. I felt prompted to pursue the lead though and Keith somewhat begrudgingly called other Dentists working for the company as well as the owners. We had mixed feelings but still felt that we needed to see the practice and get a feel for how it was run. <br />
<br />
Both companies wanted Keith out ASAP so they could make hiring decisions and Keith really wanted me to go with him so I could get a feel for the jobs and the areas. I got to work booking us flights, hotels and rental cars and finding a babysitter for our kids. Joan came to our rescue and agreed to fly out and spend 5 days by herself with the kids and an extra week hanging out in Atlanta.<br />
<br />
Joan flew in the night of March 6th and I gave her a quick rundown of the house and the kids. We tried to go to bed early because our flight left at 6 AM which meant we would have to be up at 3 AM to make the hour drive to the airport and catch our shuttle. <br />
<br />
Our first stop was Denver. We arrived around 7:30 and made it to the practice just in time for the morning huddle. We spent the day asking questions and driving around Denver. We stayed in a great hotel and enjoyed having a full night of sleep for the first time in months. The next morning on the way to the airport, we stopped in Stapleton. It's a charming community and I could see our family living in Denver.<br />
<br />
We flew to Portland, OR that afternoon and went straight to my Aunt Gail's house. My Grandma Anderson and Aunt Peggy were staying there also and Gail bought pizza and invited her sons and my cousin Justin over. It was so much fun to catch up and be around family again. The next morning, we drove out to Astoria so we could attend church and check out the ward. The whole way there, we didn't stop talking about how unbelievably gorgeous it is. I've always had a desire to get back to the Pacific Northwest and this trip was tugging my heartstrings. The ward was even better than expected. The youth speakers were incredible and the ward felt so much like home, really down to earth and everyone was dressed nice but not flashy. Half the women wore glasses and minimal makeup. It felt like my kind of people. We had many reach out to us and when they introduced me in Relief Society, a woman raised her hand and asked what she needed to pray for to get us in the ward.<br />
<br />
After church, we went to Aaron Smith's house. He's one of the doctor's currently working for Dr. Tyack and we were happy to pick his brain and be in a house full of children. We really liked Aaron and his wife and could see ourselves living there and being friends with them. After our time with the Smith's, we drove to our hotel in Seaside. We took a walk on the beach and talked about how much the kids would love living there. We had delicious seafood for dinner and ice cream for dessert. The next morning, we got up early so we could drive to Cannon Beach and go to Ecola State Park. Driving into Ecola, I felt like we were driving onto the set of Jurassic Park. It was seriously unbelievable and we stayed for a couple of hours despite the rain. After the park, we finally made our way to Dr. Tyack's practice in Astoria.<br />
<br />
We wanted to hate it. We wanted to hate him. We wanted an easy decision and it was quickly apparent that was not going to be the case. We took a tour, asked all our questions, and talked about the job over lunch. When lunch was over, Dr. Tyack asked Keith to get back to him soon. He was done interviewing and needed to know if we were going to take the job. As we drove over to Dr. Tyack's other practice in Clatskanie, we couldn't decide if Keith had the job or not. It sounded like an offer, but we weren't sure. I also couldn't figure out why I couldn't get myself to want to move to Astoria. Everything about it felt like home and held such security for us. That night we stayed in Portland and the next morning at the airport, we were making a pros/cons list when Dr. Tyack texted to confirm the job offer and also offered to help cover moving expenses. <br />
<br />
We went home with a really tough decision. We took our question to the temple and came out both feeling like we couldn't make a bad choice. We were both leaning towards Denver though and decided to move forward with that job. As much as I hated turning down such an amazing job in Astoria, I felt (and have continued to feel) that Denver was the right decision for our family. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtug31nKkfd8rDTIKcBhYdG5OKf-jZ_Z4NG6bGgUCBvtd5QBhIXNkngsDkUWFobjGYISFQ5OHkX1Og2x1a022c2Q0C0ahbeTFUnkknna9zck0SLjFTLgm0k0VodnQVzjLOTTLgiT8iPWJ/s1600/269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtug31nKkfd8rDTIKcBhYdG5OKf-jZ_Z4NG6bGgUCBvtd5QBhIXNkngsDkUWFobjGYISFQ5OHkX1Og2x1a022c2Q0C0ahbeTFUnkknna9zck0SLjFTLgm0k0VodnQVzjLOTTLgiT8iPWJ/s1600/269.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Goonies House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XZIPrEL52JFddg62ijkpPrtkGc2xewg3Vxw7h6S7Geymv3-uFAkESWAR8U27_neXNNNkyQJF-1_YZ7YoXbSQew8RoZVYRANJLnfH1W-G4AbErSvjOSg9Dk3msgRFtALiCHNAR1oXJiSh/s1600/258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XZIPrEL52JFddg62ijkpPrtkGc2xewg3Vxw7h6S7Geymv3-uFAkESWAR8U27_neXNNNkyQJF-1_YZ7YoXbSQew8RoZVYRANJLnfH1W-G4AbErSvjOSg9Dk3msgRFtALiCHNAR1oXJiSh/s1600/258.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Astoria-Megler Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw_BJrj9MPTVn9IoHJkP6ZlyyxGHOrQ0Vd2Hkw9jOX5b4HUYOImrV29R7mrunf64vS4_U5ZLqC-aP9noxGCwOsx69iOYwSxjrZYBlfHfcPNZ8vyjy5Ag-13pGWguC2oxH0zt4KF2PrOm7/s1600/228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw_BJrj9MPTVn9IoHJkP6ZlyyxGHOrQ0Vd2Hkw9jOX5b4HUYOImrV29R7mrunf64vS4_U5ZLqC-aP9noxGCwOsx69iOYwSxjrZYBlfHfcPNZ8vyjy5Ag-13pGWguC2oxH0zt4KF2PrOm7/s1600/228.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ecola State Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TZBQparNFci6Hhzl7zx2eddNkJyVwV1oGO_RRoNDgSYZDW-N9SF8ueesnUtoGUaS1tOfVGJOjump4LvmK_EE_11W7vg7m18UJvN_daJw6gcRIBR3j8FtyakvUI1DzBBBFbAL3ZTtQYz5/s1600/213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TZBQparNFci6Hhzl7zx2eddNkJyVwV1oGO_RRoNDgSYZDW-N9SF8ueesnUtoGUaS1tOfVGJOjump4LvmK_EE_11W7vg7m18UJvN_daJw6gcRIBR3j8FtyakvUI1DzBBBFbAL3ZTtQYz5/s1600/213.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT7Ao6szGKBNYsv9i_Lq7E0sW8vxok3-TZ_ZZnwnopcAlN-mCyfN3MaSfHDNiZUMBxnt-_cw3U3rQ4Bk2mumFZgtlbvk3gf-KIQgkfCJBTKYUt5a7N77nuqVKymGQjq19wnY19DbWU4ss/s1600/209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT7Ao6szGKBNYsv9i_Lq7E0sW8vxok3-TZ_ZZnwnopcAlN-mCyfN3MaSfHDNiZUMBxnt-_cw3U3rQ4Bk2mumFZgtlbvk3gf-KIQgkfCJBTKYUt5a7N77nuqVKymGQjq19wnY19DbWU4ss/s1600/209.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPZ6Q6y1l0TRWZ0h4fs-QpaJ6oei9CUozeojogIhaqPcHaicE2JPtdQyBQIgOsVibTm1xuGm3Kmq_Bn1HuL8EP7Hcx88TbT3QKU4G_mzU8ZGMGteQkpI-xxDV8rRY1ET1Uzxr4aWhhP4T/s1600/238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPZ6Q6y1l0TRWZ0h4fs-QpaJ6oei9CUozeojogIhaqPcHaicE2JPtdQyBQIgOsVibTm1xuGm3Kmq_Bn1HuL8EP7Hcx88TbT3QKU4G_mzU8ZGMGteQkpI-xxDV8rRY1ET1Uzxr4aWhhP4T/s1600/238.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_BI_reOh4NyQrU4yWQketvRRaoCUpkDIszYvgf-VQAwhfUAU7n57W0Tzse2xtAJvv7MxuzJpN1TCg-U6kw-q-g3ocFKjcYn0Uv0HRJBIii-6RiCHAYxGBFf6oCPJUHirW9YOILX7lA3H/s1600/188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_BI_reOh4NyQrU4yWQketvRRaoCUpkDIszYvgf-VQAwhfUAU7n57W0Tzse2xtAJvv7MxuzJpN1TCg-U6kw-q-g3ocFKjcYn0Uv0HRJBIii-6RiCHAYxGBFf6oCPJUHirW9YOILX7lA3H/s1600/188.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZpLFeAtvxD80_IyDk13SYVmX3eGP9XeaINJiXnsTOGmfwLPweNHJm9RBVUEeBgNDrofiT3bpewmd7q-XaqZh8-zuG4yTS0le7h5vXvb8s6Upvbe3dlF1KzT9mbgAsF-Q9lFl3IHZgi8O/s1600/178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZpLFeAtvxD80_IyDk13SYVmX3eGP9XeaINJiXnsTOGmfwLPweNHJm9RBVUEeBgNDrofiT3bpewmd7q-XaqZh8-zuG4yTS0le7h5vXvb8s6Upvbe3dlF1KzT9mbgAsF-Q9lFl3IHZgi8O/s1600/178.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX21SVLSRuwcG1IQswum370MIIEivbls_TC4uJF6obTmFyYdEJXKoznA0z4Ndw_hySWj3t-pZmCBjuFK1Ay8XlZHDqS4c-Ke2W3-L2zWNiFLfToCGtGd9q3IVLu6BDTcvsp0EAWIhZySXc/s1600/100_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX21SVLSRuwcG1IQswum370MIIEivbls_TC4uJF6obTmFyYdEJXKoznA0z4Ndw_hySWj3t-pZmCBjuFK1Ay8XlZHDqS4c-Ke2W3-L2zWNiFLfToCGtGd9q3IVLu6BDTcvsp0EAWIhZySXc/s1600/100_0263.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my brothers in June, 2005</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-31391079659825137512014-05-12T11:57:00.004-07:002014-05-12T11:58:18.648-07:00Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2TR0nhLiHAlqyBoUi1NbJOlSLzWPJmBsC-yCJ6LkQX6R0Wp653ykty8EO35tBeMcYnUZ_yML8NtZSqXGo1GH2WlI65J-gkVPxAEpppXNayEIQMHlbsiLe3kvcb8EIIAzsJb5fRD-_YyO/s1600/164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2TR0nhLiHAlqyBoUi1NbJOlSLzWPJmBsC-yCJ6LkQX6R0Wp653ykty8EO35tBeMcYnUZ_yML8NtZSqXGo1GH2WlI65J-gkVPxAEpppXNayEIQMHlbsiLe3kvcb8EIIAzsJb5fRD-_YyO/s1600/164.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI0e-nBd7lJJMk3015ZSxoN39xahsUMS-OCWshY1-r_RguhHxM4RXXIACcbz3-rccfxn7c-3-RqbBlmbMeb6rq2eukNkm2vmHnLTRgJwTtjeKgKJa2s0lm1f1HTDLSR_CaHS0AZJTqHkS/s1600/165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI0e-nBd7lJJMk3015ZSxoN39xahsUMS-OCWshY1-r_RguhHxM4RXXIACcbz3-rccfxn7c-3-RqbBlmbMeb6rq2eukNkm2vmHnLTRgJwTtjeKgKJa2s0lm1f1HTDLSR_CaHS0AZJTqHkS/s1600/165.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSo41V6Ql2pytYhdxvP1eaIBBM_QN1cbnv620w2rKj0ZhdHDjXwRsv1Hlhi8yy42Dkl78-Jz962qJa1rph2aA1cvUPRO-yduAbJSeLHwnEJ8XaPuelMFxcmoe4rFCA0UFUWaVtXOPI_Wy/s1600/166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSo41V6Ql2pytYhdxvP1eaIBBM_QN1cbnv620w2rKj0ZhdHDjXwRsv1Hlhi8yy42Dkl78-Jz962qJa1rph2aA1cvUPRO-yduAbJSeLHwnEJ8XaPuelMFxcmoe4rFCA0UFUWaVtXOPI_Wy/s1600/166.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs5QhjihBceGjS68mt9mOhI9B7qwsPpashz2bc7W9BX6ZhUqe5xepWfeUHk1CGsDiQJV8JAkoVqhn_NTf7-RjQf9pgt8s7015YD4g4XfM7w4ccQV4lrRyy8J7XAAdhFbELLxpKnofjEL2/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs5QhjihBceGjS68mt9mOhI9B7qwsPpashz2bc7W9BX6ZhUqe5xepWfeUHk1CGsDiQJV8JAkoVqhn_NTf7-RjQf9pgt8s7015YD4g4XfM7w4ccQV4lrRyy8J7XAAdhFbELLxpKnofjEL2/s1600/139.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawf4FjGN-D3k_95vQGdlJk9zdoC7fDOibg3oCFXktOh1N4hwVhAg1CNtmMQ_Tzv4bmOps_pPZOmIuYKjg7Ylcts2-02ctTlxrKyOP4_1PuNYPUWara4wWX0Pyr0Rze2vWHb9_teH8_BUp/s1600/140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawf4FjGN-D3k_95vQGdlJk9zdoC7fDOibg3oCFXktOh1N4hwVhAg1CNtmMQ_Tzv4bmOps_pPZOmIuYKjg7Ylcts2-02ctTlxrKyOP4_1PuNYPUWara4wWX0Pyr0Rze2vWHb9_teH8_BUp/s1600/140.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Three kids means three times the noise, activity, diapers, crying, sleepless nights, chaos, and crazy. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Three kids also means three times the love, gratitude, playfulness, curiosity, adventure and satisfaction of a life well spent being their mom. </div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-73893092740789934352014-05-12T11:38:00.000-07:002014-05-12T11:38:31.297-07:00February- The month of Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This winter will go down in history as one of the coldest in most of the
Eastern states. It was pretty interesting to spend it in Atlanta where
everything shuts down if there's a hint of snow in the air. We felt pretty lucky to see some real snow and have a chance to play in it for a few days. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz6h9i1iVduFBetyCjI-mG20MLrHmMIZAwJ9UrOB8bAEwNaZeiZLcJTc6kLEciXQaQXjCDu17AUnHl9GpOwwifztiiUeiMafsHjsgPEvTTTQaTJ8BZsMONGBgXkvedVPTQ18I4qJxBJQf/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHz6h9i1iVduFBetyCjI-mG20MLrHmMIZAwJ9UrOB8bAEwNaZeiZLcJTc6kLEciXQaQXjCDu17AUnHl9GpOwwifztiiUeiMafsHjsgPEvTTTQaTJ8BZsMONGBgXkvedVPTQ18I4qJxBJQf/s1600/026.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAde4S1JUJu-olLIcud_mScN9kEfuSJsugZJUJKxdzB0Cuqc-dddJd8k6Lf5kSjOxPMYKNMgiNDzit6_KGQd8ZQHDy13hUgsLPdhN6t1q40tvaez-1ahwFfVrhG0EVUcaw1I1QyQf8i4VN/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAde4S1JUJu-olLIcud_mScN9kEfuSJsugZJUJKxdzB0Cuqc-dddJd8k6Lf5kSjOxPMYKNMgiNDzit6_KGQd8ZQHDy13hUgsLPdhN6t1q40tvaez-1ahwFfVrhG0EVUcaw1I1QyQf8i4VN/s1600/009.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41XRa_2ttgymyxH_5228d9uRbAGc6enWgoAQ2IuRNiwqjPvm-fdscvy7PgZRIAIUBwwT3OeYuB71NkP6CmMouzYe6PoO6RQnbJy0YNdxFkOrWwdSzv_G3XNP6Hpney713-CRroNvl0_Cn/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41XRa_2ttgymyxH_5228d9uRbAGc6enWgoAQ2IuRNiwqjPvm-fdscvy7PgZRIAIUBwwT3OeYuB71NkP6CmMouzYe6PoO6RQnbJy0YNdxFkOrWwdSzv_G3XNP6Hpney713-CRroNvl0_Cn/s1600/013.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We have cute sister missionaries in our complex that were out helping the kids in the snow.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRNZNx9TLMaXK7yKQNRtMFzFQ_FZthgRSnxi3XCpTRDS-ZgXFMZwLV6W-sMENCwHLePTwH_1zltmBv_r0q4Y98Lzib_cPxlZg4bYs0okIS8t9HlAU8oUj8EpsAsJmrWRBQy3CDCDgL2b/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiRNZNx9TLMaXK7yKQNRtMFzFQ_FZthgRSnxi3XCpTRDS-ZgXFMZwLV6W-sMENCwHLePTwH_1zltmBv_r0q4Y98Lzib_cPxlZg4bYs0okIS8t9HlAU8oUj8EpsAsJmrWRBQy3CDCDgL2b/s1600/014.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZyJ7zhx7DP3PgZJz_5nSDFGPgEQx65zcmNzozPTWLuHTGHrpQB6PXexdvqPAyGcLFBfFjzfR35apiT2DXI8Tr8_U18IbQ3IDC_9MRuJ6_2X6TZ-1XppPkgnR96tqz3hk6lySYcb1CgGm/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZyJ7zhx7DP3PgZJz_5nSDFGPgEQx65zcmNzozPTWLuHTGHrpQB6PXexdvqPAyGcLFBfFjzfR35apiT2DXI8Tr8_U18IbQ3IDC_9MRuJ6_2X6TZ-1XppPkgnR96tqz3hk6lySYcb1CgGm/s1600/018.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara doesn't love the snow but she loves her daddy and tolerated it to help him out</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRslPdjKrM39-x1LW6yFX5WY5sItORtWeUC55JgUBkpxPHPhmCYzYWvUlShTQKTAs7qI1T-L_60we8jVwAI5y_ZVQkWCx5rbD4eZWToXphftEK0S23knqb5NlKax7druYxJKve98Rcjbb/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRslPdjKrM39-x1LW6yFX5WY5sItORtWeUC55JgUBkpxPHPhmCYzYWvUlShTQKTAs7qI1T-L_60we8jVwAI5y_ZVQkWCx5rbD4eZWToXphftEK0S23knqb5NlKax7druYxJKve98Rcjbb/s1600/025.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was fun to have Keith home for a few days. We had a pretty bad ice storm which jammed up the city and people were stuck in traffic for several hours. Keith was able to get off of work at a decent time when the ice hit and made it to us safely. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJERh4pzjdvoGfyZOJXPYO4UZ73HnuhKLiuC4-iwx8DYJ8SWn7fXjn8VKdQLPrjjeyVwBWqk_sjKcWZ4o2jsYSCMBKLZACrU0GjXjHTKyYrvLb5y7IfZGvVxRCJME_nB_yfCsiWS7Loh8w/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJERh4pzjdvoGfyZOJXPYO4UZ73HnuhKLiuC4-iwx8DYJ8SWn7fXjn8VKdQLPrjjeyVwBWqk_sjKcWZ4o2jsYSCMBKLZACrU0GjXjHTKyYrvLb5y7IfZGvVxRCJME_nB_yfCsiWS7Loh8w/s1600/002.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I finally cut Clara's hair. It was so ratty and uneven, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urNWpX8GM8E/U2MGpcFNumI/AAAAAAAADdA/tUQdpYcf0Hk/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urNWpX8GM8E/U2MGpcFNumI/AAAAAAAADdA/tUQdpYcf0Hk/s1600/053.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4QIdSGA0DuHSYgPLWfipZPC6bdkZi81yj66Vqx4_JX57kuVzO6FeXB3w3RC5KjAbBhBwivq72W7kbJWgTGa67xB6VjUMC9qDU0zuEcQpomhAYQf7anNvvrHFb1bs87W3HQFcWQPV93Cl/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4QIdSGA0DuHSYgPLWfipZPC6bdkZi81yj66Vqx4_JX57kuVzO6FeXB3w3RC5KjAbBhBwivq72W7kbJWgTGa67xB6VjUMC9qDU0zuEcQpomhAYQf7anNvvrHFb1bs87W3HQFcWQPV93Cl/s1600/067.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The only thing I love more than watching Keith play guitar is watching him play with our girls. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRQjkHi2FGwG1jMycz48xOw60LSjqw7lRUqHOkcRn5RW4__1gxtk55uCUpxcPz5R5oEbpAL6myGwAdrluvvRSku5dk3F5zTC2UkQqhR_MiuiW0-hAAs-mVES4TgfFps4m7zCWH1SaXjsu/s1600/065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRQjkHi2FGwG1jMycz48xOw60LSjqw7lRUqHOkcRn5RW4__1gxtk55uCUpxcPz5R5oEbpAL6myGwAdrluvvRSku5dk3F5zTC2UkQqhR_MiuiW0-hAAs-mVES4TgfFps4m7zCWH1SaXjsu/s1600/065.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBhkPFSmoTwu5ND8mVB9JMES2qx0_q_UHdrSk0-9vInfrbWl7HtNKDl6tEKnTgT0SbBK82GgfLpX5IE_tFeMzV-zHk1qD0aPoQgn610HE2MMJUMed2fvGgdi01-QUA637bH4XVkyfvt0C/s1600/131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBhkPFSmoTwu5ND8mVB9JMES2qx0_q_UHdrSk0-9vInfrbWl7HtNKDl6tEKnTgT0SbBK82GgfLpX5IE_tFeMzV-zHk1qD0aPoQgn610HE2MMJUMed2fvGgdi01-QUA637bH4XVkyfvt0C/s1600/131.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have so many cute videos of this little dude crawling. He's growing up too fast and trying to catch up with his sisters. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKmAUpoOJuJIuedX6HcjFxjtQpfcNvCgXGcwte1ZDrWQ7SmfFUAneMDmlNPsR6WYFXglCnw04hyHGdBv4GZ3F9JkJaZ3JlRthukpcu1ry7OEw-YVvVM2zT7SnxDI6OoEdA7TDDOPgUEEx/s1600/132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKmAUpoOJuJIuedX6HcjFxjtQpfcNvCgXGcwte1ZDrWQ7SmfFUAneMDmlNPsR6WYFXglCnw04hyHGdBv4GZ3F9JkJaZ3JlRthukpcu1ry7OEw-YVvVM2zT7SnxDI6OoEdA7TDDOPgUEEx/s1600/132.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-oTBzXSvWdtw%2FU2MGJsuANEI%2FAAAAAAAADcM%2Fceov12AW9dM%2Fs1600%2F009.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAde4S1JUJu-olLIcud_mScN9kEfuSJsugZJUJKxdzB0Cuqc-dddJd8k6Lf5kSjOxPMYKNMgiNDzit6_KGQd8ZQHDy13hUgsLPdhN6t1q40tvaez-1ahwFfVrhG0EVUcaw1I1QyQf8i4VN/s1600/009.JPG" -->Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-22957483025567990482014-02-26T13:25:00.000-08:002014-02-26T13:25:04.420-08:00January: A pic a day fail and a collection of short stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Once upon a time on Pinterest I saw a great idea to take a picture a day for a year. I wanted to do it and heaven knows I tried. And then life kicked in and I ended up feeling like a failure on the days where I got too busy to pull out the camera. I released myself from the assignment but I did end up with some cute pictures of our life indoors. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1ACQZ8C7k8/Uw5T-Q-O-sI/AAAAAAAACXA/4EjC2gxf8-g/s1600/061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1ACQZ8C7k8/Uw5T-Q-O-sI/AAAAAAAACXA/4EjC2gxf8-g/s1600/061.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdH3k2gc7fM/Uw5UAVHokOI/AAAAAAAACXM/RdHYvQmElfk/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdH3k2gc7fM/Uw5UAVHokOI/AAAAAAAACXM/RdHYvQmElfk/s1600/071.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara is a morning person, Kenzie...not so much</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lKudiyWA4IA/Uw5UA8lfwvI/AAAAAAAACXU/VT5mvOqTI6I/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lKudiyWA4IA/Uw5UA8lfwvI/AAAAAAAACXU/VT5mvOqTI6I/s1600/072.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Laundry. Because this is real life and this is what it looks like all day before I kick my butt in gear and manage to fold/hang it. Sorry for the wrinkly clothes Keith, my mom taught me better.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y1dftSkxrFMcgh0kGVQcggLhrzqhg4-RkO6C419dcLLP9zO9arZGU3uhkJULnqwMkTqVnxpmdfNxs2q1rh17oC4GNL8lu-nt7jtGHILDHXr95KlGNfLGK5fX8r-FmSJcBVAyY15eSdbZ/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y1dftSkxrFMcgh0kGVQcggLhrzqhg4-RkO6C419dcLLP9zO9arZGU3uhkJULnqwMkTqVnxpmdfNxs2q1rh17oC4GNL8lu-nt7jtGHILDHXr95KlGNfLGK5fX8r-FmSJcBVAyY15eSdbZ/s1600/076.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplITkQQoQtf2MSiOtZZKVfSiNHH1WHRGTrpoeYthPa-yGpFdDXeiovS1p9KfbG74V5B7bv89U_H6gqQEX7yF7xhFELa6xUgudMj2OinmKjtXnOcpFe8ef4Z7ysu9EwKqSe0sTNEUUkB_R/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplITkQQoQtf2MSiOtZZKVfSiNHH1WHRGTrpoeYthPa-yGpFdDXeiovS1p9KfbG74V5B7bv89U_H6gqQEX7yF7xhFELa6xUgudMj2OinmKjtXnOcpFe8ef4Z7ysu9EwKqSe0sTNEUUkB_R/s1600/086.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
9 months, he started pulling himself up. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiDtnwno9OZfDBtUXbhuVMynFCbJ-GjxeHMLO_fJZ0tHUMw2vB7n6B3j9_6ccNsS7nAyzAYOI7UYzHbOId-dwK6NHsCpyXi8LKh2aCnRwTI5PISwuRm0Sg4We6J438nfN5MVYRqzs9gjc/s1600/093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiDtnwno9OZfDBtUXbhuVMynFCbJ-GjxeHMLO_fJZ0tHUMw2vB7n6B3j9_6ccNsS7nAyzAYOI7UYzHbOId-dwK6NHsCpyXi8LKh2aCnRwTI5PISwuRm0Sg4We6J438nfN5MVYRqzs9gjc/s1600/093.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Apartments have great windows (not) and they don't stand a chance when temps fall to the teens.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgih1IDOxgl7TXdDMVsXIp9ICDVLokFwwhEjyHkgssergMEsPK3MwZWNAMHXpH_zIIInIA9_4W5fBDkWgAQE8-F6GgOGXVnEF9DpXqpNb_CNlOChYUBPx-HNPrsKLdlRGKzcIrW-8_vNF0Q/s1600/094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgih1IDOxgl7TXdDMVsXIp9ICDVLokFwwhEjyHkgssergMEsPK3MwZWNAMHXpH_zIIInIA9_4W5fBDkWgAQE8-F6GgOGXVnEF9DpXqpNb_CNlOChYUBPx-HNPrsKLdlRGKzcIrW-8_vNF0Q/s1600/094.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqoEUb5PAbKQCr_RrHESDMgxI_-s152602g-iAmtOYEekgk-vTiE80AJeh_Ke_ywVGRaEzQFn_YnEkFM8ueW5aOCKQtwlXyiY28oF0U6qhY6YFAqIdrznNUgvJRd6UNUMkJU3Wo6-UEqr/s1600/099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqoEUb5PAbKQCr_RrHESDMgxI_-s152602g-iAmtOYEekgk-vTiE80AJeh_Ke_ywVGRaEzQFn_YnEkFM8ueW5aOCKQtwlXyiY28oF0U6qhY6YFAqIdrznNUgvJRd6UNUMkJU3Wo6-UEqr/s1600/099.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We finally got around to making gingerbread houses. Because I waited until January, I got a huge tub of pre-made gingerbread dough for $.90 at Target. It was delicious, easy and my kids didn't feel cheated. Special shout out to all those kids Kenzie goes to preschool with that told her about gingerbread houses. You all make my life harder.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWExswX-VZHxsxV_eReJisyy0vo0XCxZuehIsFP1jnsSi5_ve1dcY_cUAa5yTsXTG4I1zJhtHl6fnoDhJsnD_wWeSTQEVSv26HeKbRNd_m5Q0m-H8bhAyzVOOqbIPaX8W8Swfr6JQ1BvuP/s1600/108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWExswX-VZHxsxV_eReJisyy0vo0XCxZuehIsFP1jnsSi5_ve1dcY_cUAa5yTsXTG4I1zJhtHl6fnoDhJsnD_wWeSTQEVSv26HeKbRNd_m5Q0m-H8bhAyzVOOqbIPaX8W8Swfr6JQ1BvuP/s1600/108.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This hug ended in tears seconds later</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQWiDjRD4ftvE1MSvRadQFk-_hryBLo2sWhIwk8x8wLBU5TAccIK_gv9lnm1Erc_Z2vdGrZvqXVMluTZUGDdfkG8nLbnVmzAWHI15RgMzXmxG8SY6DBvjey1EoegoUaMiVMvWD1A1J3Jf/s1600/112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQWiDjRD4ftvE1MSvRadQFk-_hryBLo2sWhIwk8x8wLBU5TAccIK_gv9lnm1Erc_Z2vdGrZvqXVMluTZUGDdfkG8nLbnVmzAWHI15RgMzXmxG8SY6DBvjey1EoegoUaMiVMvWD1A1J3Jf/s1600/112.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Her smile is seriously the best. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Slx7UycbB3w/Uw5UQQoVIEI/AAAAAAAACYo/wz4UH2qAoXw/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Slx7UycbB3w/Uw5UQQoVIEI/AAAAAAAACYo/wz4UH2qAoXw/s1600/114.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cool story here, sometime in December I turned on my kindle (with special offers) and saw an ad for the new Honda Odyssey. Because we own a Honda Odyssey, I wanted to check out the new features. Somewhere on that page I entered a contest for an amazon gift card because they already had my info and it took two seconds. Fast forward several weeks later and I get a spammy sounding call from a woman in Seattle who works for Amazon and tells me I won the contest. Because I have mom brain, I tell her I don't believe her and she sends me all the info with a link to the site. Turns out, contest was legit and the memory of entering thankfully came back to me. I was stoked and we're currently debating over what to do with the money. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_3_krdcnPIg/Uw5UU0UtRWI/AAAAAAAACY0/wb2SeQXmvxE/s1600/115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_3_krdcnPIg/Uw5UU0UtRWI/AAAAAAAACY0/wb2SeQXmvxE/s1600/115.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
One Satuday, I was bored. Keith was playing a computer game, the kids were fighting and my chores were done (or being put off...who really cares anymore). Kenzie had been pretty set on earrings for her 5th bday and then chickened out. Earlier in the week, I kept thinking how cute Clara would be with earrings and decided to throw the idea out to Mackenzie. She surprised me by saying she wanted to get her ears pierced and told me she wouldn't be scared. Keith, being the good husband he is, went along with us and even took pictures. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t16mTq3PaCQ/Uw5UVCZNrHI/AAAAAAAACY4/lu-PYsTS5ns/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t16mTq3PaCQ/Uw5UVCZNrHI/AAAAAAAACY4/lu-PYsTS5ns/s1600/118.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Kenz was a pro. No tears were shed and she's been pretty happy with her choice. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Py6_zc4WEQ8/Uw5UUr37M4I/AAAAAAAACYw/NKmHDjnfQz4/s1600/121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Py6_zc4WEQ8/Uw5UUr37M4I/AAAAAAAACYw/NKmHDjnfQz4/s1600/121.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara on the other hand felt betrayed and annoyed. The sucker distracted her but only for a moment...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4SouHzvcPPo/Uw5UZ2hkvpI/AAAAAAAACZQ/-hb2OohjaLQ/s1600/122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4SouHzvcPPo/Uw5UZ2hkvpI/AAAAAAAACZQ/-hb2OohjaLQ/s1600/122.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuHN5M3zFiX4OPZWmYWQ64z36oUJvwT4wxxdeymykj5tDZa0n7ZF0uH2dCuq-FbDgJGk1tDVJ9jXs85tAxn4enBRhSx7-yVt-ROa5hp_TpN2OvO7bHw4Lfu5JfO4xLBNr71eyR1xeB-b9/s1600/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuHN5M3zFiX4OPZWmYWQ64z36oUJvwT4wxxdeymykj5tDZa0n7ZF0uH2dCuq-FbDgJGk1tDVJ9jXs85tAxn4enBRhSx7-yVt-ROa5hp_TpN2OvO7bHw4Lfu5JfO4xLBNr71eyR1xeB-b9/s1600/123.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
She has since forgiven us and loves when people notice her earrings.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDizFezJlxzyy26LMlZ7K2xCiwPaB94CzoSeqPOT65qJEoNo9kkItPztVavl1ZAC1ziJF08UNq6DbMiF8YUnMJXeplTRzosffiVszZWXps-SPgJE1Q4BNoVqM3D8SOhhHRcuHFy-EDmsx/s1600/133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDizFezJlxzyy26LMlZ7K2xCiwPaB94CzoSeqPOT65qJEoNo9kkItPztVavl1ZAC1ziJF08UNq6DbMiF8YUnMJXeplTRzosffiVszZWXps-SPgJE1Q4BNoVqM3D8SOhhHRcuHFy-EDmsx/s1600/133.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Emmett is just getting so big and fun. He giggles, cries, squeals, screams, wakes up at night and loves his mom and dad equally. He adds a lot to our family and we're so happy to have him. Also, he doesn't believe in wearing pants.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIlq9ZhyphenhyphenJ-58Q3ULL-eTtDfRaHg9Xj7AwRqL4ZDAYUUZ9tiyWz3SDMWGYJY_qX9DjZywlxs0IXx01m6BB1CXQBeRShyphenhyphencSt7-VORwbacbYeOmhkKHlmRL3Hs2-Re931AQ-dpkrJtW7d6C1/s1600/135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIlq9ZhyphenhyphenJ-58Q3ULL-eTtDfRaHg9Xj7AwRqL4ZDAYUUZ9tiyWz3SDMWGYJY_qX9DjZywlxs0IXx01m6BB1CXQBeRShyphenhyphencSt7-VORwbacbYeOmhkKHlmRL3Hs2-Re931AQ-dpkrJtW7d6C1/s1600/135.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-063g3DBRwxI/Uw5UALXejgI/AAAAAAAACXI/uOZOjrzLKts/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-063g3DBRwxI/Uw5UALXejgI/AAAAAAAACXI/uOZOjrzLKts/s1600/069.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara doesn't believe in clothing at all. For those judging the diaper, judge away, I'll let you come clean the pee off the floor every time we try to introduce underwear. Whoever heard of a kid that will poo on the potty but not consistently pee? </div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-70866523051072256872014-02-26T12:49:00.001-08:002014-02-26T12:49:48.474-08:00Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had a great Christmas. The Sunday before, I stayed home with Clara because she wasn't feeling well. It ended up being a smart decision on my part because I started coming down with the flu and developed what ended up being the worst sinus infection I have had. Anyways, the Faircloughs, one of the sweetest couples in our ward stopped by that night with a red tin full of goodies, presents, and a turkey. I had given a talk in church a couple of weeks earlier and they said they couldn't stop thinking about us. I have never been so touched by the Christmas spirit and will not forget their thoughtfulness. The kids were so excited and couldn't wait to see what they got.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ_q5jCrgrekHdc_ggkMdyt7nEx5jEE3eu_8jJLZNVXG4HGd_NdeAZpOfMlYuAdfaD548insSTPZ_T2wr2l68QOClAJMGyfp174O2I0cIsLEevi1LlCPyANg0bSr_Kjsha5fOWCD1yi8H/s1600/009.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On Christmas Eve, we had Niel and Dani Hayes and Eric, Suzanne and Grace Fairbanks over to share dinner with us. Everyone contributed food and it was a great meal. After the house cleared, we started to set up the magic.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2V4VuNSIHM/Uw5PDwfMdaI/AAAAAAAACVo/87W0HVsXOHo/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2V4VuNSIHM/Uw5PDwfMdaI/AAAAAAAACVo/87W0HVsXOHo/s1600/017.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On our drive to Kenzie's school, we always see horses and every day Clara asks to ride them. Keith had the great idea to get her a spring horse like he had growing up. Emmett thought he would help dad put it together.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NYfxU-P1c6bA0BQtNUHJ7BoV14AAucjB8oTjIJjH8PDE3p4JoFSgtwnaW4lh5nf0C2CJ60xJHuYqY1vdFu9D_hByO1_aN0Yciuv0BAHPxdH1y7iX2m8UHPxAc33hA56nKYaNDST3hpnN/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NYfxU-P1c6bA0BQtNUHJ7BoV14AAucjB8oTjIJjH8PDE3p4JoFSgtwnaW4lh5nf0C2CJ60xJHuYqY1vdFu9D_hByO1_aN0Yciuv0BAHPxdH1y7iX2m8UHPxAc33hA56nKYaNDST3hpnN/s1600/020.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWIU21sNNqA/Uw5PInTws0I/AAAAAAAACV8/4iEU9oxqjzk/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWIU21sNNqA/Uw5PInTws0I/AAAAAAAACV8/4iEU9oxqjzk/s1600/022.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We were so blessed to provide clothes, blankets and a couple of toys for each child.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T9RlU27JHjE/Uw5PI01tAnI/AAAAAAAACWE/nL2Nnt1hOw0/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T9RlU27JHjE/Uw5PI01tAnI/AAAAAAAACWE/nL2Nnt1hOw0/s1600/037.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iB6kJrjygMw/Uw5PJf1QMWI/AAAAAAAACWI/mqMjSRJrA_s/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iB6kJrjygMw/Uw5PJf1QMWI/AAAAAAAACWI/mqMjSRJrA_s/s1600/043.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We took more video than pictures. There's nothing like watching your child wake up on Christmas morning to see that Santa found their house and left them gifts. We also enjoyed skyping with both families which included my brother Caleb who is currently serving a mission in Fiji. It's hard being thousands of miles from home, but technology definitely makes it easier.</div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-69755615257892033582014-02-26T12:30:00.000-08:002014-02-26T12:30:31.062-08:00December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We continued our fresh tree tradition by picking out a tree at Lowe's. This year's tree was much smaller than last years but it fit our space well. It was raining the night we bought it and so we didn't get it in water as soon as we should have but it lasted through Christmas. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtVe8RZH--0/Uw5GE0TN9uI/AAAAAAAACRk/qtwMFsLpdSg/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtVe8RZH--0/Uw5GE0TN9uI/AAAAAAAACRk/qtwMFsLpdSg/s1600/015.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJjeLLRpFdNKjQthuyk2w1QG8UCl7122uPQZ1yYzXTb9bgDjietlxl5TpcvTB70fKgkz9a9AwvGn2qJFFoenxirL8a9ceioZrPIfIBOG3nKPT3uofIIHWpINGdCralMO8nTmG51tf0Djl/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJjeLLRpFdNKjQthuyk2w1QG8UCl7122uPQZ1yYzXTb9bgDjietlxl5TpcvTB70fKgkz9a9AwvGn2qJFFoenxirL8a9ceioZrPIfIBOG3nKPT3uofIIHWpINGdCralMO8nTmG51tf0Djl/s1600/006.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara and Kenzie helped decorate the tree while Emmett helped rearrange. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CHxTPSiV-14/Uw5GJT4ha7I/AAAAAAAACR4/eEk8AvpxS6Y/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CHxTPSiV-14/Uw5GJT4ha7I/AAAAAAAACR4/eEk8AvpxS6Y/s1600/016.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_P20882bJQM/Uw5GIbVNMdI/AAAAAAAACRw/-YQgaXTD7so/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_P20882bJQM/Uw5GIbVNMdI/AAAAAAAACRw/-YQgaXTD7so/s1600/033.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We took a couple of trips to the aquarium, once with Suzanne and Grace at the beginning of the month and then as a family after Keith's work party. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp5L1vt3ILY/Uw5GJdafSqI/AAAAAAAACR0/4bqlKX4b3Og/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jp5L1vt3ILY/Uw5GJdafSqI/AAAAAAAACR0/4bqlKX4b3Og/s1600/035.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These cute dolphins are scattered around the aquarium</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zw71eIAJJx0/Uw5GN5tf81I/AAAAAAAACSI/Q5aQ4ISMim0/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zw71eIAJJx0/Uw5GN5tf81I/AAAAAAAACSI/Q5aQ4ISMim0/s1600/037.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hvMvXto67SM/Uw5GOMt9Z6I/AAAAAAAACSM/Y5uz1aUw9wc/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hvMvXto67SM/Uw5GOMt9Z6I/AAAAAAAACSM/Y5uz1aUw9wc/s1600/039.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Kenzie's poses crack me up in these</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w9VgzNUhOz0/Uw5GO0zb2VI/AAAAAAAACSU/wRPb3Qpg5gw/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w9VgzNUhOz0/Uw5GO0zb2VI/AAAAAAAACSU/wRPb3Qpg5gw/s1600/040.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4OfjixzVOI/Uw5GR9bdpoI/AAAAAAAACSs/aGjjvz1hPtU/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4OfjixzVOI/Uw5GR9bdpoI/AAAAAAAACSs/aGjjvz1hPtU/s1600/059.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We thought the kids would love to see Santa at the aquarium but they were too scared. It was still fun to see the aquarium decked out in lights.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VItAkTMsHi4/Uw5GRRoK8fI/AAAAAAAACSo/ICNmuqRujho/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VItAkTMsHi4/Uw5GRRoK8fI/AAAAAAAACSo/ICNmuqRujho/s1600/060.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORSf4kB85iyJ1Ke5y5LVVlj0q4tErqEHCJHgjtPR0FZLTP0BN0N2uCaPLfLE8WCnvffZqRV_ItvR8UB7xxoE8Uj2tOn_dxmWm4fWOWVzcADQ9GF_rxynn9575sllHaj1_tTK1pmP5LEQw/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORSf4kB85iyJ1Ke5y5LVVlj0q4tErqEHCJHgjtPR0FZLTP0BN0N2uCaPLfLE8WCnvffZqRV_ItvR8UB7xxoE8Uj2tOn_dxmWm4fWOWVzcADQ9GF_rxynn9575sllHaj1_tTK1pmP5LEQw/s1600/064.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My boys are so handsome</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vn46H4S6Is/Uw5GWODxObI/AAAAAAAACS4/QtVWafV9bfY/s1600/068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vn46H4S6Is/Uw5GWODxObI/AAAAAAAACS4/QtVWafV9bfY/s1600/068.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTt7m-uo1x8/Uw5GWdIHQUI/AAAAAAAACS8/ojRgT7VQhhc/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTt7m-uo1x8/Uw5GWdIHQUI/AAAAAAAACS8/ojRgT7VQhhc/s1600/076.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e9Tgd38_510EE_4bMqAot3SQpyo6u5r9wRnORxPeidS99QTDfOk0JD_xqxcy0eDY85K02_3syxwARcQyKiiy6-l0RSR5n_uss8m_aj3jc-6IcbuEJHqfOCXoG8osUlL_2zRuC8u7JLjT/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e9Tgd38_510EE_4bMqAot3SQpyo6u5r9wRnORxPeidS99QTDfOk0JD_xqxcy0eDY85K02_3syxwARcQyKiiy6-l0RSR5n_uss8m_aj3jc-6IcbuEJHqfOCXoG8osUlL_2zRuC8u7JLjT/s1600/079.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After the aquarium, we met the Tafoya's at Centennial Olympic Park. They came to Atlanta to celebrate their anniversary with a few days in the city and a showing of the Nutcracker.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diA-9LqDZLA/Uw5GbU0Ib1I/AAAAAAAACTU/AzfMHFULVGY/s1600/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diA-9LqDZLA/Uw5GbU0Ib1I/AAAAAAAACTU/AzfMHFULVGY/s1600/080.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-24gEoy1d1Po/Uw5GbjRx4tI/AAAAAAAACTc/NZ0OlmQzqyU/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-24gEoy1d1Po/Uw5GbjRx4tI/AAAAAAAACTc/NZ0OlmQzqyU/s1600/082.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUPZTsjaxA8/Uw5Gf4Vl-dI/AAAAAAAACTs/Cjvkds3Outo/s1600/089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUPZTsjaxA8/Uw5Gf4Vl-dI/AAAAAAAACTs/Cjvkds3Outo/s1600/089.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That night, we had dinner at a pizza place that acted like they hadn't really seen kids before and looked at the fountains and ferris wheel because we were all too cheap to take a ride on it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yqEXh43DbY/Uw5IDYdTJ3I/AAAAAAAACVE/bDMnP_o7-NE/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yqEXh43DbY/Uw5IDYdTJ3I/AAAAAAAACVE/bDMnP_o7-NE/s1600/photo(1).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On Saturday, Tafoya's invited us to join them at the Nutcracker and I was pretty excited about it. I love the ballet and it did not disappoint. The performance also fell on the day before our 6th wedding anniversary so Keith was able to kill two birds with one stone.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkjnJKIMt-3AXtADGC-SWsvUIHx9w7q6ey8F3LWUeho09VdlewKPlz_Bgy-KYxoQfFLgHecm5IFCcdXWeW53uP9yG0JJ60Bwsbmuw-iZ-yTgtRf-zjfo4pTy-v6Oww_msoEbAqdmAgKip/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkjnJKIMt-3AXtADGC-SWsvUIHx9w7q6ey8F3LWUeho09VdlewKPlz_Bgy-KYxoQfFLgHecm5IFCcdXWeW53uP9yG0JJ60Bwsbmuw-iZ-yTgtRf-zjfo4pTy-v6Oww_msoEbAqdmAgKip/s1600/photo(2).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had so much fun with them and weren't ready to see them go the next day.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz6viU-WlfbitN0Vgq3bbdaCaUKv59oBfuUGTsHqCuOaH9IvUU4ffsLb23LbhLkU5dOdx4CclFxt1KkGyHbt2mm3mEptCzgBodJ0DhYt7cKlBhn7Dd7OQmEmzDaU9fCVhrSDAbgc3AJvZ/s1600/photo(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz6viU-WlfbitN0Vgq3bbdaCaUKv59oBfuUGTsHqCuOaH9IvUU4ffsLb23LbhLkU5dOdx4CclFxt1KkGyHbt2mm3mEptCzgBodJ0DhYt7cKlBhn7Dd7OQmEmzDaU9fCVhrSDAbgc3AJvZ/s1600/photo(3).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpGBcGLw7PI/Uw5GflZuO4I/AAAAAAAACTo/lPmmJLWUlEE/s1600/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpGBcGLw7PI/Uw5GflZuO4I/AAAAAAAACTo/lPmmJLWUlEE/s1600/123.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Last day of school before the break. Even though she doesn't look happy in this picture, Kenz was excited to give her teachers these reindeer bags filled with fudge. </div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-59701299663465762622014-02-26T12:29:00.003-08:002014-02-26T12:29:28.435-08:00Thanksgiving in Kentucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had an amazing Thanksgiving. Knowing Keith would have to work at Christmas and we wouldn't be able to travel then, I desperately wanted to spend Thanksgiving with friends that we consider family. I called up the girls in Kentucky (Sarah, Brynn and Brittany) and they were all so sweet and offered to forgo anything they might have wanted and open their homes to us to share this holiday. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Keith worked a half day Wednesday and as soon as he got home, we were back on the road heading for Lexington. The kids did great and only cried the last 30 minutes. I think we got to Lexington around 9:30 that night. It was so wonderful to see Sarah, Andy and Cooper and be able to stay in their cute home. Emmett was a pill that night and refused to sleep longer than 30 minutes at a time. The next morning was Thanksgiving and we spent it lounging, talking, playing, watching the parade and eating a yummy pancake breakfast. Kenzie absolutely adores Sarah and was excited for her to do a ballerina bun for her. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16-Bsob1Cwpf4myyj4_oeLPKPtsnY2UZdcEakM-XFr_Qifh6Ll4VzGHoyi7jCQGK-w55Cy7M-jZUnnIkibUPn_nPCb8QgHbaYPOhEPrTC6ixBTr-JEkwwcwKu7uacr-aWproq9q41iq4x/s640/013.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Around noon, we made the hour trip to Louisville and I amazingly held it together as we drove past all of the places I loved so much. Brynn hosted dinner and the Barratt's joined us. The food and company was incredible. Morgan and Mackenzie didn't miss a beat. Their friendship is so special and it made the trip all the sweeter to see them together again.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dL0c4LUINM99DWNd9IDV_dAOqDxAuEiaBNlm3o6qOzyVaVJimvBSHoVIV5aqZazqnWHY6QxUQPvMy3NUdTwgwV3cRttkAEej7Z7NzGH8B2BMadzXyFuCeTGURUPkRo9UXaEVywde2CG0/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dL0c4LUINM99DWNd9IDV_dAOqDxAuEiaBNlm3o6qOzyVaVJimvBSHoVIV5aqZazqnWHY6QxUQPvMy3NUdTwgwV3cRttkAEej7Z7NzGH8B2BMadzXyFuCeTGURUPkRo9UXaEVywde2CG0/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After dinner, we played games and hung out. Keith and I didn't make big plans for our trip because we really just wanted to enjoy being with friends again. Brynn and Danny were brave enough to have our girls stay the night Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A couple in the complex that were out of town for the holidays offered their space to us, so Keith, Emmett and I slept there. On Friday, we went to a place called Catch Air which is basically a big building full of trampolines. The kids had fun and we were able to see the Haskells and Halls. We did a little black Friday shopping and played games again. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60svMcNAs-D0Sg293fCQyr7HuSGpEcl20RtClZI5V6bE6HThJ0NfRIIMNZTz82jy8Ue2McLMnEPyneT9RRaBVu3kS4P7rM-c99tyVhBwtgdwON168qBAmTBs-28j0qzmx469JGLaDHgwy/s1600/thanksgiving2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60svMcNAs-D0Sg293fCQyr7HuSGpEcl20RtClZI5V6bE6HThJ0NfRIIMNZTz82jy8Ue2McLMnEPyneT9RRaBVu3kS4P7rM-c99tyVhBwtgdwON168qBAmTBs-28j0qzmx469JGLaDHgwy/s1600/thanksgiving2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two tried their best to match every day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Saturday was packed. We met Kameron and Jodie Kuhni for breakfast at our favorite place, wild eggs. It was great to see them and felt nice to be able to talk about non-dental school topics. We had lunch with Suzy and Nate Hicks. I always have a blast hanging out with Suzy and my girls love her boys. After lunch, we stopped by the Isaac's so we could see them and I could spend more time with Sarah while she cute Allie's hair. She was also nice enough to cut Kenzie's hair. The day before we left for Kentucky, Kenz took matters into her own hands and chopped some big pieces off the front of her hair so it was good timing.<br />
<br />
That night we went to the Saxton's house and had dinner with the Barratt's. The girls left for a bit to shop and get some gelato and when it got too late, we went back to Saxtons to join our families. Keith and I had too much fun and definitely overstayed our welcome. I think it was around 11 PM and they pulled up beds for our kids and we ended up staying the night. The next day I so badly wanted to go to church. It had been our plan the whole time so that I could see everyone. Unfortunately, their ward meets at 1 PM and we let the traffic and our whiny kids scare us off. We stopped by Snyder's for a last goodbye and then spent a couple more hours with Barratt's. The drive back took so much longer! We went through Chattanooga this time around and ended up in terrible traffic so the drive took several more hours. It was bittersweet to be "home" in Atlanta. While living in Kentucky, we always enjoyed our trips away but were happy to come back. Going back to Atlanta felt like a weight was put back on my shoulders and I had to mourn moving away from the people I love all over again. </div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-8549299972244154342013-12-21T17:32:00.004-08:002013-12-21T17:32:53.124-08:00Playing at the Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-geEBxUaB7IA/UrY1qNLK50I/AAAAAAAACHU/6Zw7sWdl13w/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-geEBxUaB7IA/UrY1qNLK50I/AAAAAAAACHU/6Zw7sWdl13w/s640/014.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mL-9TUw-3Ac/UrY1jYeGgvI/AAAAAAAACHE/uhNdxrwi7HE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mL-9TUw-3Ac/UrY1jYeGgvI/AAAAAAAACHE/uhNdxrwi7HE/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We're lucky enough to live right across from our park here. It's pretty small but the kids love to swing and run around on the grass. I also love that it's mid-November and we hardly need jackets.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hP3V81wQdZM/UrY1jgXHZNI/AAAAAAAACHA/Vck9pt5vWUE/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hP3V81wQdZM/UrY1jgXHZNI/AAAAAAAACHA/Vck9pt5vWUE/s640/007.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8D4wsLY7no/UrY1rCiGq8I/AAAAAAAACHc/bRJRah0lOsQ/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8D4wsLY7no/UrY1rCiGq8I/AAAAAAAACHc/bRJRah0lOsQ/s640/008.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JdX8xNEUIw8/UrY1q8KlVyI/AAAAAAAACHg/xTTdz5Ny6-4/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JdX8xNEUIw8/UrY1q8KlVyI/AAAAAAAACHg/xTTdz5Ny6-4/s640/018.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is how she sometimes feels about having her picture taken</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C2fHRRenqic/UrY1vOtlJmI/AAAAAAAACHs/glct_mGIG-s/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C2fHRRenqic/UrY1vOtlJmI/AAAAAAAACHs/glct_mGIG-s/s640/023.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara adores her daddy. She asks about him during the day and cries for him when she goes down for a nap.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BKhH_3s3O0/UrY14q_7mnI/AAAAAAAACH4/JT5-7l2reY8/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BKhH_3s3O0/UrY14q_7mnI/AAAAAAAACH4/JT5-7l2reY8/s640/027.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These pictures were taken at the beginning of November in Centennial Park across from the aquarium. We went with Suzanne and she's chasing Grace and Clara in this picture.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGmphnVA4tOASNKtb1ZTk9wrYL1vLZzhzK88NrM47UrOQzoeNaxkKACyBkO4Z3Eb04ZZAur7pb5O_A6Vb-3KVSjhf6PsiJjHvVNYO_DfDC26Qv7RMuruUuIgCMjGC-A0W1yRH9fhulnwZ/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGmphnVA4tOASNKtb1ZTk9wrYL1vLZzhzK88NrM47UrOQzoeNaxkKACyBkO4Z3Eb04ZZAur7pb5O_A6Vb-3KVSjhf6PsiJjHvVNYO_DfDC26Qv7RMuruUuIgCMjGC-A0W1yRH9fhulnwZ/s640/030.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-75563562407907080052013-12-21T16:41:00.000-08:002013-12-21T16:41:17.475-08:00Mackenzie's 5th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I can't believe I'm old enough to have a 5 year old. Kenzie requested a small party with a couple of girls she's become friends with here. We had a barbie/princess theme and did lots of fun activities including a pinata, wand decorating, making lip gloss, eating pizza and cake and ice cream. <img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R5IJsHHB3Ds/UrYx4F2s02I/AAAAAAAACF8/n3cyxxxYhN8/s640/010.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_aJ38esYHA/UrYx3_JmlDI/AAAAAAAACF4/GKngoUS5zT4/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_aJ38esYHA/UrYx3_JmlDI/AAAAAAAACF4/GKngoUS5zT4/s640/012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lacie and Cammie were perfect party guests </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f0rHt3rPlho/UrYx4I-zMXI/AAAAAAAACGA/PiqMDTBkf8w/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f0rHt3rPlho/UrYx4I-zMXI/AAAAAAAACGA/PiqMDTBkf8w/s640/014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwYuYB-9mcs/UrYx8T7tUuI/AAAAAAAACGY/JIuynr6z3bQ/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FwYuYB-9mcs/UrYx8T7tUuI/AAAAAAAACGY/JIuynr6z3bQ/s640/015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara had to jump in on the action and acted like one of the big girls for the night</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KTaUioejiug/UrYx8ZRD6iI/AAAAAAAACGU/yhhKn_MkGoA/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KTaUioejiug/UrYx8ZRD6iI/AAAAAAAACGU/yhhKn_MkGoA/s640/016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLRl7sXMoyU/UrYx8W9h3qI/AAAAAAAACGQ/9YHDPRnbT7k/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLRl7sXMoyU/UrYx8W9h3qI/AAAAAAAACGQ/9YHDPRnbT7k/s640/018.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eyGP5BrSTp4/UrYx_0_BQgI/AAAAAAAACGo/ckjm5omS6a0/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eyGP5BrSTp4/UrYx_0_BQgI/AAAAAAAACGo/ckjm5omS6a0/s640/019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMIaSDHJF5k/UrYx__xp3ZI/AAAAAAAACGs/ui6Q376GL3w/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMIaSDHJF5k/UrYx__xp3ZI/AAAAAAAACGs/ui6Q376GL3w/s640/022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Four little girls made for a lot of high pitched noise and a lot of fun! Happy Birthday Kenzie, we love you!!</div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-85587128478218775752013-11-24T20:06:00.001-08:002013-11-24T20:06:21.282-08:00Stone Mountain take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Keith had a rare day off so we decided to hike Stone Mountain. We heard it wasn't very hard but I was definitely feeling the burn carrying Emmett on me. Clara spent more time on dad's shoulders than on the ground. It was a pretty hike and one I would do often if we lived a bit closer.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ljxffPLDWIw/UpLLZDRBMOI/AAAAAAAACEE/0kIPxfcB6Vo/s640/045.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eoghuqUmBeUx8U_8J0cg_Cz0rseJYiGzenYsuhStzafbSyh7lrzAkTpwo4TrArxhq1Kak7mIZCBVYuoZQNli7kHOglNe8fgxgsrj4Px20rAsvcU4cme9V1AkPd4ApyoJ1W15CYjoiTxB/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eoghuqUmBeUx8U_8J0cg_Cz0rseJYiGzenYsuhStzafbSyh7lrzAkTpwo4TrArxhq1Kak7mIZCBVYuoZQNli7kHOglNe8fgxgsrj4Px20rAsvcU4cme9V1AkPd4ApyoJ1W15CYjoiTxB/s640/046.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The pine trees here often make me feel like I'm back in Washington. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC9cBvsPhwE/UpLLZ_8Fz9I/AAAAAAAACEI/xNZHfDvhNKo/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC9cBvsPhwE/UpLLZ_8Fz9I/AAAAAAAACEI/xNZHfDvhNKo/s640/047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbEJCr_243I/UpLLfMzzY0I/AAAAAAAACEg/EOiyVr2reTc/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbEJCr_243I/UpLLfMzzY0I/AAAAAAAACEg/EOiyVr2reTc/s640/049.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jacllXHb-3w/UpLLfQyhmoI/AAAAAAAACEk/4gQA8rigqI0/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jacllXHb-3w/UpLLfQyhmoI/AAAAAAAACEk/4gQA8rigqI0/s640/055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm sad it was so smoggy that the pictures didn't turn out well. The view was stunning with the fall colors.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UHaIuFScVU/UpLLeolUBdI/AAAAAAAACEc/-EZJ0Ix4ypk/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UHaIuFScVU/UpLLeolUBdI/AAAAAAAACEc/-EZJ0Ix4ypk/s640/056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mm4HZd0VdPs/UpLLkeTQh3I/AAAAAAAACE8/uUHuAdGZZWg/s1600/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mm4HZd0VdPs/UpLLkeTQh3I/AAAAAAAACE8/uUHuAdGZZWg/s640/058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This home was too beautiful to not take a picture. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8tR19dQ624/UpLLkUsQg_I/AAAAAAAACE4/9c2I2PUaJ1w/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8tR19dQ624/UpLLkUsQg_I/AAAAAAAACE4/9c2I2PUaJ1w/s640/059.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVV9OKylxQ8/UpLLj-zFFDI/AAAAAAAACE0/5frYo4pXJ2U/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVV9OKylxQ8/UpLLj-zFFDI/AAAAAAAACE0/5frYo4pXJ2U/s640/062.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0e6ILWnjg_I/UpLLogtqWBI/AAAAAAAACFQ/MkZxfTPYBN4/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0e6ILWnjg_I/UpLLogtqWBI/AAAAAAAACFQ/MkZxfTPYBN4/s640/067.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqICI6eLzn4/UpLLojxU8mI/AAAAAAAACFM/i645wX0tFIY/s1600/068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqICI6eLzn4/UpLLojxU8mI/AAAAAAAACFM/i645wX0tFIY/s640/068.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-44131654113729248062013-11-24T19:59:00.002-08:002013-11-24T19:59:39.567-08:00Halloween <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlwbPIgOHGuYXOe_UcSmuxJSew938WChjAbALAOiFUaCarpIpoXRh-Eu8d23BMxFmA89e__rIiCvtXefjVp7wa5GZYr6cqOnyB_f7_im3nKhWsUJBOXiwpTB-RRmZHXsotUILhZvS25XV/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlwbPIgOHGuYXOe_UcSmuxJSew938WChjAbALAOiFUaCarpIpoXRh-Eu8d23BMxFmA89e__rIiCvtXefjVp7wa5GZYr6cqOnyB_f7_im3nKhWsUJBOXiwpTB-RRmZHXsotUILhZvS25XV/s640/010.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clara's first trial run in the monster costume. It was a hit</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5wZAJ2SrzU/UpLJPK8jF_I/AAAAAAAACDE/QMoeV53LsFs/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5wZAJ2SrzU/UpLJPK8jF_I/AAAAAAAACDE/QMoeV53LsFs/s640/015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Emmett donning on of his many Halloween outfits. we got a lot of hand me downs so he had lots of fun things to wear this time of year.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JE5_NXwn6LE/UpLJORiY-1I/AAAAAAAACDA/gvwuOoZ9npU/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JE5_NXwn6LE/UpLJORiY-1I/AAAAAAAACDA/gvwuOoZ9npU/s640/023.JPG" width="508" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We went to our ward trunk or treat the week before Halloween and the girls had their faces painted. Clara loved it and asked me to paint her face the next few days. The ward party was amazing. It was held at a big southern home with plenty of acreage. We had a chili dinner then there were lots of kid carnival games with hot chocolate stands and popcorn. The kids got tons of candy from the trunk or treat. It was kind of chilly and dark so no pictures. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_dQh-4nSk4bWtdEiQ2D421zc0lyAfH8pr0Z7z5sqHF9yiJVcxSL6ZhhrJSZYYZxZ-5CqSOUK4_AOc4fAhhJBZ7PIzsMtNFYHEQwPxfJIEy0Eky8A5TjxJ-UfRijJVKAivAjxSYYA5gng/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_dQh-4nSk4bWtdEiQ2D421zc0lyAfH8pr0Z7z5sqHF9yiJVcxSL6ZhhrJSZYYZxZ-5CqSOUK4_AOc4fAhhJBZ7PIzsMtNFYHEQwPxfJIEy0Eky8A5TjxJ-UfRijJVKAivAjxSYYA5gng/s640/071.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vq3LOhVywk8/UpLJYQsEEbI/AAAAAAAACDc/WiBMNNgweeU/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vq3LOhVywk8/UpLJYQsEEbI/AAAAAAAACDc/WiBMNNgweeU/s640/075.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cute Emmett was perfect on Halloween night. He hung out in the carseat while his sisters ran from house to house for a couple of hours.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQRFlImwTil6i05uFJjSaGhK9ID__9hdneBIfKA4LRw-47SmJbaOUv5spZi6T01G-wM_mk7Zclt3G_uWa879J3j1tHlWXJ-z9wmfePZMgM3J5PBXG6xd071IWuir_eBf_moefGzURMHyV/s1600/073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQRFlImwTil6i05uFJjSaGhK9ID__9hdneBIfKA4LRw-47SmJbaOUv5spZi6T01G-wM_mk7Zclt3G_uWa879J3j1tHlWXJ-z9wmfePZMgM3J5PBXG6xd071IWuir_eBf_moefGzURMHyV/s640/073.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shane, Kenzie, Cammie and Clara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYOg8Lhp_1k/UpLJa-KS4JI/AAAAAAAACDw/5v2RWwAoDIo/s1600/078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYOg8Lhp_1k/UpLJa-KS4JI/AAAAAAAACDw/5v2RWwAoDIo/s640/078.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This year we went to our friends neighborhood. The homes were charming and some were really decked out but the lots were large and half of them were dark. We missed our old neighborhood but the girls had fun regardless. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOePswkvRDwdc53mbXcZIx2061bLGAYOSOpboz1Pm4aXb9QBNin2zQpnejYhvwvBWYXYfG3wdLBNkaxBfUb3pB0kHPm-ewx081ttu58h9SN2zjonFKn9QYvcme_dK1TpYAB_eFr2sguBjG/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOePswkvRDwdc53mbXcZIx2061bLGAYOSOpboz1Pm4aXb9QBNin2zQpnejYhvwvBWYXYfG3wdLBNkaxBfUb3pB0kHPm-ewx081ttu58h9SN2zjonFKn9QYvcme_dK1TpYAB_eFr2sguBjG/s640/076.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-57533568691899281602013-11-24T19:49:00.001-08:002013-11-24T19:49:23.127-08:00Field Trippin to the Pumpkin Patch<div style="text-align: center;">
A visit to a pumpkin patch has become an annual tradition for our
family. In the past, our favorite spot was Huber Farms and I was missing
it this year! Luck had it that my friend Cassidie wanted to switch
babysitting with me so we could each go with our daughters on their
field trips. It was <strike>weird</strike> fun to not have a baby in my hands and focus my full attention on Mackenzie. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-onWR7kvJk5U/UpLHenmMbII/AAAAAAAACCU/zPAqAsYcZkY/s1600/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-onWR7kvJk5U/UpLHenmMbII/AAAAAAAACCU/zPAqAsYcZkY/s640/058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We started with a hayride to the mini pumpkin patch. She wanted to sit next to her BFF Aisla on the left. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2MArActa3JY/UpLHe9APBiI/AAAAAAAACCY/xQZSCPf0uBg/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2MArActa3JY/UpLHe9APBiI/AAAAAAAACCY/xQZSCPf0uBg/s640/059.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j86KULfNY14/UpLHtDPXEjI/AAAAAAAACCs/ZjddClBILZg/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j86KULfNY14/UpLHtDPXEjI/AAAAAAAACCs/ZjddClBILZg/s640/064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There was a little petting area with chickens, goats and peacocks. They had to pet the animals through the fences though which was a little weird</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hy9WaZJysJg/UpLHs36VbuI/AAAAAAAACCo/Hy2JP45Bj8Q/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hy9WaZJysJg/UpLHs36VbuI/AAAAAAAACCo/Hy2JP45Bj8Q/s640/067.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was the kids favorite part. A big bouncy area set against a beautiful backdrop.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F591H4vhHTM/UpLHsuiKFEI/AAAAAAAACCk/nanXIKMaYIQ/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F591H4vhHTM/UpLHsuiKFEI/AAAAAAAACCk/nanXIKMaYIQ/s640/072.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There were so many field trips there that we didn't get to spend much time in any area but the kids had fun and I'm glad I could hang out with my sweet little girl for a couple of extra hours that day.</div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3900422539405558977.post-46548951618927797222013-11-24T19:39:00.000-08:002013-11-24T19:39:19.989-08:00Fun times with Grandpa and Grandma Shaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp6oqsWtk1tup_bj0Yu4ZSrFlb0KiaTLnufi4ox98sHu8v5Un4MVrp6YMoJhNm6jMZ2GxCZiOwXgujQvIALPWH3UApdSDGIV0dxSjfK7tTZmGXNBoq2gYMU7fuOeuCx07-AqQJZGTVJ3W/s1600/1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp6oqsWtk1tup_bj0Yu4ZSrFlb0KiaTLnufi4ox98sHu8v5Un4MVrp6YMoJhNm6jMZ2GxCZiOwXgujQvIALPWH3UApdSDGIV0dxSjfK7tTZmGXNBoq2gYMU7fuOeuCx07-AqQJZGTVJ3W/s640/1379.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17_1erHcyQE/UpKuM1pEisI/AAAAAAAACAk/F4RC0fkHBCA/s1600/1383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17_1erHcyQE/UpKuM1pEisI/AAAAAAAACAk/F4RC0fkHBCA/s640/1383.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYMSkKiXJs8/UpKuM2Oy3sI/AAAAAAAACAg/DPMraao_kB4/s1600/1384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYMSkKiXJs8/UpKuM2Oy3sI/AAAAAAAACAg/DPMraao_kB4/s640/1384.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbMmRq10B0A/UpKuV8-9udI/AAAAAAAACA4/YYBmXnFZGDo/s1600/1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbMmRq10B0A/UpKuV8-9udI/AAAAAAAACA4/YYBmXnFZGDo/s640/1386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Keith's parents were kind enough to bring a trunk of childhood goodies back to him. The girls have really enjoyed the Legos</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUzy9HmB--o/UpKuVQiYtWI/AAAAAAAACA0/ts9MaLJaxrM/s1600/1390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUzy9HmB--o/UpKuVQiYtWI/AAAAAAAACA0/ts9MaLJaxrM/s640/1390.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Grandpa took some time to mold clay with the girls</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHHsEBikUQA/UpKuePUSMII/AAAAAAAACBI/ztR8pr-Oslg/s1600/1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHHsEBikUQA/UpKuePUSMII/AAAAAAAACBI/ztR8pr-Oslg/s640/1436.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And they spent some quality time on the Ipad</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IcLAfbjrtzQJpI8PmsTDczyo5XjWBoSSQkaUW952bzMzDOedmybPdbTF8Kgp8j5lUOnDXqtaQsVVdlQINspbgw0PTdkH6bkohCSipxJjAP7g1bbU_pXNwr2FO4igUlU-lzEgsOcT8w0U/s1600/1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IcLAfbjrtzQJpI8PmsTDczyo5XjWBoSSQkaUW952bzMzDOedmybPdbTF8Kgp8j5lUOnDXqtaQsVVdlQINspbgw0PTdkH6bkohCSipxJjAP7g1bbU_pXNwr2FO4igUlU-lzEgsOcT8w0U/s640/1437.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVOlISf9HlY/UpKunzgV-XI/AAAAAAAACBU/brMbdaYBqY8/s1600/1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hVOlISf9HlY/UpKunzgV-XI/AAAAAAAACBU/brMbdaYBqY8/s640/1439.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUcFG1O-jm4/UpKuoYzr6tI/AAAAAAAACBY/T2RyzwMIRgA/s1600/1461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUcFG1O-jm4/UpKuoYzr6tI/AAAAAAAACBY/T2RyzwMIRgA/s640/1461.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Randy and Joan took Clara and Emmett to the Botanical Gardens so Keith and I could take a trip to the temple. We barely missed the endowment but were able to do some sealings. The temple is 45 minutes away in a busy part of ATL and with 3 little kids, it's really hard for us to get to on a regular basis so we really appreciated this opportunity.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9s2htiK4uPU/UpKuonwicdI/AAAAAAAACBc/GzcxK38Pwe8/s1600/1463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9s2htiK4uPU/UpKuonwicdI/AAAAAAAACBc/GzcxK38Pwe8/s640/1463.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTwXeA-VyBk/UpKuxgBm2NI/AAAAAAAACBs/lb5DfLQ4BXQ/s1600/1473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTwXeA-VyBk/UpKuxgBm2NI/AAAAAAAACBs/lb5DfLQ4BXQ/s640/1473.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsDcIG-sFsn44SXIFgSu6_mtJPdBe_tXeY5UywjQZu-VPf8nrnlD9-XhJtmgkUX_MdPc_TfinFfzSJTdG6lxS4YlJLRfOeO4aHZ3nWZ_Wfca5VZn_GtoTG9pj4Jcuq7l5qmqA9gkDryU7/s1600/1483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsDcIG-sFsn44SXIFgSu6_mtJPdBe_tXeY5UywjQZu-VPf8nrnlD9-XhJtmgkUX_MdPc_TfinFfzSJTdG6lxS4YlJLRfOeO4aHZ3nWZ_Wfca5VZn_GtoTG9pj4Jcuq7l5qmqA9gkDryU7/s640/1483.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iSJ-2nko-3M/UpKuy7VG72I/AAAAAAAACB4/sVZhGdLYVeA/s1600/1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iSJ-2nko-3M/UpKuy7VG72I/AAAAAAAACB4/sVZhGdLYVeA/s640/1485.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiHIf7BnzIaPtQn3DkTmXjbaDv51AS_sjKMlauT7utUMeHbOXqgFLi4C8N-OTpVfR56gLE6hMR4ctX5g1EEAN8ngJrANQYT1IqupkQ3dEKeYjiAHjwHxmhdmDSJyrfAK3CsN-jI-tmBPH/s1600/1508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiHIf7BnzIaPtQn3DkTmXjbaDv51AS_sjKMlauT7utUMeHbOXqgFLi4C8N-OTpVfR56gLE6hMR4ctX5g1EEAN8ngJrANQYT1IqupkQ3dEKeYjiAHjwHxmhdmDSJyrfAK3CsN-jI-tmBPH/s640/1508.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After our session, we met them at the gardens but didn't walk around as we had to go pick up Kenzie from school. We were able to stop at Piedmont Park which is really cool. If you've seen "What to Expect When You're Expecting" it's the park they film a good portion of the movie in. </div>
Nathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068536510124012584noreply@blogger.com0