A Week to Remember

This is my friend, Gabby.  She was with me during the car trouble post, and thankfully everyone is alright.

So here's a rundown of the past 10 days.

Tuesday, October 4th I picked up Gabby's girls for a playdate while Gabby packed up the house.

When I returned the girls in the evening, Gabby still had tons of work ahead of her so we helped pack a few things before leaving. 

Wednesday we drove back across town to have the girls again for the day.  Thursday was a repeat of the previous days with the added luxery of having the family over for dinner and hosting them for the night before they moved out of state.  However, there was kink in our plans when the hospital called for Gabby's husband, Aaron.  After waiting three years for a transplant, he received the great news that there were kidneys for him today.  Aaron spent the day in the hospital only to be turned away in the late afternoon because of "hospital protocol."  Gabby and Aaron went to their house, loaded the moving truck, cleaned the apartment and were at my house by 9pm.  I spent the evening calling and emailing all of their friends that I knew and asking them to pray for Aaron to receive the kidneys.  The hospital called at 8:45pm and Aaron was scheduled for pre-op at 1pm on Friday. 

Friday morning, I kept the girls at my house while Gabby went with the truck to their new house (5 hours away.)  There she unloaded the truck, unpacked the bedrooms and directed her local RS to unpack the kitchen.  She came home at 12:30am just as Aaron came out of surgery.  I didn't see her until late Saturday night.

The rest of the week was spent between my house and the hospital.

While we were at home I purchased a dehydrator.  James helped me with the apples.

We dried apples and made applesauce.

The weather warmed up so we got the slip n' slide out for one last run before winter.

Then the leaves fell off the trees so we've been busy outside with the leaves.

Even the missionaries joined us one afternoon for fun.

After Aaron was released from the hospital, they stayed a final night with us.  By lunch time on Thursday they were on the road to their new home and new job.   Aaron's been alright, but was back in the ER Friday morning around 5am.  The transplant is good, he's having difficulty with some of the medications and they are working to resolves those problems this next week.  I am excited to see them in a week when they are back in town for some follow-up appointments.

On Saturday, I rented an aerator and got to work in the yard. My good friend, Merrie-Anne, helped me aerate the lawn and plant grass seed.

She's currently taking a gardening course and is loving it.  It's been a great benefit to me too!

We also picked a friend's tomato patch clean so we will be canning tomatoes this week and also making applesauce.  It will be a busy week in the kitchen.

I was pleased to see all the kids outside working in the leaves. The bigger the piles the more they get to jump around. 

I pretty much observed all the activities, directed the overall plan, and connected the hose. 

Good thing I have great friends or I might never get anything done!

Ale, Maya, and other Kids

Alejandra is five.

Maya is three.

We had the priviledge of watching these two girls for a week while their parents were away for medical reasons.  I've wondered what I've been doing with my days lately, and well....I finally uploaded the camera to discover my days are usually spent with other children!  We love play dates!

Ryan and Ben came over to play StarWars with us while mom went to the doctor.  She delivers twins on Friday.  We expect to see these Jedi's often.

Here is our wild boy play date.  Charlie and Eli (on the left) were here so their mom could help Clifton's  family move (boy on the right wearing Superman Shirt).

Our girls are learning to play with boys a bit better.  However, they are still very girlie and enjoy playing Barbies.  The boys are often found playing Barbies and girl games too.  My favorite is when they all play dress up and I find the boys in the pink fuzzie jacket. I think every little boy has worn it at least once! 

Holidays with Friends

Meet our good friends Troy and Taivna.  He is Jamacian and she is Mongolian.  This was their first gingerbread house decorating experience and we had a great time Christmas Eve.  We used the Scovil Bakery recipe from Nauvoo and it was DELICOUS!

Little did we know that this festive sugar feast would induce labor.  Taivna called at 2am Christmas morning needing me to stay at her house with the kids while she rushed to the hospital to deliver Olana.

What and exciting Christmas for everyone.

Edwin made a "Grand Entrance" while I was busy tending kids.  So our house is truly a HIS and HERS house.

Zia (18 months) Grace (4) Sonah (3 1/2) Anne (2 1/2) James (3 months)

Edwin and Troy.....OLD ENOUGH.

Gingerbread Boys and Girls

The girls enjoyed candy necklaces, dress-ups and Christmas movies

Chocolate and candies for the Princess Bride.

Anne ate more fruity Twizzlers than we could count. I don't think anyone was able to use/eat the purple or pinks because if Anne wasn't eating them she was hoarding them. (I count 5 in this picture how many do you see?)

The next day, Anne was very quiet and I was able to snap this photo of her under the table with a roof section from our gingerbread house.  She was relieved to know she wasn't in trouble because what good is a gingerbread house if you can't gobble it up?  Hooray for M&Ms, frosting and gingerbread the kids enjoyed eating.  This Day Before Christmas activity is an absolute must for us.

Our Good Buddy...

John!!!

We recently connected in Oregon for a nice rendezvous, where he unfortunately lost his camera. So although he recently graduated from medical school no pictures have been posted on his blog.....so

CONGRATULATIONS DR. JOHN!!!!

We love you! Thanks for your friendship and the great memories together.

Give Andrea hugs for us. We are glad she is done working for now and we wish you both the best as you move on to RESIDENCY.

Two days with John

We went to Oregon

And visited Uncle John, our neighbor and friend from medical school.

He took us to see his in-laws because as Grace said "I don't want to see Uncle John. I want to see Aunt Andra and the boys (their two pugs Chester and Charlie)." Thanks for the great stand-in photo Andrea! We missed seeing you and hope to see you soon!

John took us on a walk through town in the heat of the day.

We didn't last long, but we enjoyed seeing the murals everywhere. We especially liked the pioneers and Grace stood by "Laura".

The next day was a bit cold and windy. But we stopped at the castle park for a few pictures.

And we rode in the boats.

Anne decided to refuse to smile for pictures, even when enjoying her favorite park activity....swinging.

However, she did smile for the horses.

Andrea's dad took us for a ride on Suzy.

We played on the tractor.

And the little four-wheeler.

Overall it was a wonderful two days. John's parents gave us a place to sleep, fed us anything we wanted, and his mother did cute little crafts with the girls. It was great to see John again.

What I Would Say At Your Funeral

Why is it that we wait for funerals or big award ceremonies to give tribute to those we love? Well...I'm done waiting. So this might make you a bit uncomfortable momentarily, but this is how I feel about you and I just want you to know it.

This lovely family is still in Texas, but we think of them and pray for them often. Jaymie has always lent a listening ear and often confided in me her hopes, her fears, and her dreams. She claims to be reserved and quiet, but that’s only when children are absent from the scene. If there is a child in the room she opens up into song, dance, theatrical productions, and games. Camping with a group of friends was possible because Jaymie was there to walk the kids around discovering rocks, trees, and plants. She played her guitar for them and let them strum the strings. She always encouraged learning and exploring the world. She has a great head for knowledge. It is quite the trip to go to the museum with her because she can tell you things about the objects you are struggling to read the plaque and pronounce the name! Seriously, she is one smart cookie! Smart isn’t all that Jaymie has going for her. She is very kind and willing to give to anyone in need. The day I returned home from the hospital with Grace I was all alone. For the first time as a new mom I was alone and terribly overwhelmed. Jaymie called and asked if there was anything she could do to help. I cried and asked if she wouldn’t mind coming over to visit while Edwin was busy with school activities. Jaymie and Trent came over. Trent made dinner, washed and put away all the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen. He had me call his mom, the head nurse of the postpartum ward at another hospital, so I could ask her my questions and get some peace of mind. Jaymie held Grace and let me rest. We may have watched a movie or something, but I can’t remember. I was very grateful for a friend to get me through a difficult time. Trent and Jaymie were regular visitors at our house. Jaymie and I were often in the kitchen (unless it was time for ice cream and desserts then Trent and Edwin were often the ones dishing up the goods). Trent and Edwin talked medical school and boy stuff while Jaymie and I bonded with each other. There were countless nights we played games. Trent often tried to defeat us, but I wonder if he didn’t throw the games so we could win. Jaymie was the one who sat around and coached me or Edwin. She revealed Trent’s strategies time and time again. Trent will never win with that kind of teamwork!!! We enjoyed their company and their close proximity to our house. I still marvel that Jaymie can entertain children, play a game, disclose her enemies’ strategy, help someone else succeed, and still win a game! That’s some serious talent! We shared car rides, desserts, unannounced dinners, church callings, and new joys. We were their first guests in their brand new car!!! They let us watch Baby Dani when they went on their first date as new parents. Jaymie took a week off work so she could be available to watch Grace while I was trying to go into labor….it took the whole week before we had Anne, but I rested easy knowing someone was tending Grace with love. When Edwin is working all night at the hospital we pray that he will be well and that he will be a good doctor to his patients. Grace adds, “and Trent too, he’s an anesthesiologist doctor at the hospital.” So whether or not you are actually working is irrelevant, you are in our prayers. We love you and miss you. Enjoy this journey we call life by finding someone to serve!

A loss for Words

We miss you!!!

What I Would Say At Your Funeral

Friends Across the Nation

Aaron, Emma, David (6), and Timothy (4) came over for a short visit. They were passing through town on their way back to Washington. We ate homemade pizza and donuts. The kids played well together and the adults enjoyed good conversation. This was our first dinner party in our new place! Thanks guys! We loved the visit and we miss you tons!

Edwin met Aaron way back in undergrad. I met Aaron and Emma when we arrived at medical school. They invited us to dinner right away and allowed us to become a part of their family. We enjoyed watching their boys grow up and we especially enjoyed hearing David yell from across the room, "EDWIN! JENNIFER!" Aaron and Emma are great examples for us and we value their opinion very much. We often ask them how they have done things and then follow a similar path...which stroller to buy, which pediatric clinic to go to, how to survive medical school and residency, and the list goes on. Emma is absolutely amazing! She's a few weeks away from delivery and traveling through the northwest with her husband and family without complaint! She bakes bread, teaches her children EVERYTHING, blogs regularly, attends church and all required meeting for various callings, and still finds time for herself. She's one busy person and is completely happy.

Aaron is stalwart and honest. We often wonder how he manages to get so much done in so little time. He studies regularly, works diligently, and serves with love and charity. As a family they are happy and delightful! We have enjoyed our friendship through the years and we are glad to know that it will continue to grow despite the distance between us.

Good luck with the new baby and making decisions about fellowships!

What I Would Say At Your Funeral

Why is it that we wait for funerals or big award ceremonies to give tribute to those we love? Well...I'm done waiting. So this might make you a bit uncomfortable momentarily, but this is how I feel about you and I just want you to know it.

JOHN AND ANDREA This beautiful woman is Andrea (and that is her fabulous husband John). She has encouraged me to post blogs a bit more often and include more pictures because lately things are all about FHE. Thanks Andrea for your "that's the way things are" attitude.

This isn't what you meant....but this is what you get!!!

John and Andrea (along with their boys Chester and Charlie) lived right down the walk from our place in Texas. They were great for a laugh and long late-night talks. Sometimes things were serious, but with these two serious doesn't last too long! Life is for laughter and fun. They were there to watch Star Wars as I bounced on the exercise ball trying to speed along labor. They were there for camp outs, pinewood derby cars, dessert group, whalers talk, pool parties, and Pinochle. They were there for the not so pleasant days too. Edwin and I would walk the girls over unannounced, just to get out of the house. I haven't had nearly as much alone time since we moved (Edwin doesn't have a good hang out place with the kids any more). Andrea had a toy bucket at her place for our spur of the moment arrival...to help direct our little explorers and keep them away from the breakables (I'm still sorry about the pelican that lost his head!) John took some of our family pictures....I hope he still makes time for pictures even though life is busy travelling the country and stressing about their future.

Andrea is the kind of lady who meets challenges head-on and is willing to devote her life to a good cause. When she started her new job and the stress was overwhelming she took up baking. I mean serious baking from scratch (no box mixes) any dessert she was tempted to try...one cake took nearly 8 hours and 5 minutes from start to finish. Eight hours to bake and 5 minutes for the entire party to eat! She just wanted a meaningful and fun challenge to tackle so she could take her mind off work.

She's going to be embarrassed when she reads this blog entry because she doesn't like to be in the spot light. However, as time passes and I find myself talking on the phone with her for hours at a time I realize how much she was a part of my day-to-day life. She was usually there to talk to when things were hard. She encouraged me to be a better person. She's a goal setter and more than that she achieves many of the things she sets out to do. What an example!!! All in all Andrea is a great friend and I'm glad we've had the time to get to know one another.

John you are one incredible guy to have captured such a fantastic wife!!! But you my friend will be another post..... (I need to enlist your whaling buddy, Edwin, to do your tribute any justice).

WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!!

WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN WHEN.....

"THE WHALES BE ON THE MOVE!!!"

Published at Last

Before Grace was born I had the opportunity to enroll in a study for new moms. The study started with an interview before Grace was born and then for the next year Grace and I went in for lab work, interactive playtime, and various other tests. Well, the research has come to a close and was published this week. I didn't know then that this would receive international publicity. However, Grace's picture was published in the USA Today and has been the leading face for Lane's research.

http://www.bcm.edu/news/features/item.cfm?newsID=1158

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-07-babysmiles_N.htm.

Congratuations Sonja and Lane!!! I'm very happy for your success. Thanks for letting us participate in the study.

PS. Happy Birthday Sonja. I miss you dearly. Keep dancing.