Family Adventures

Turkeys!

2011-11-14T11:26:00.001-08:00

I have been teaching preschool for Alex's friends this year. It has been SUPER fun for all of us. We have the best kids in the group--and just the right number of them. Today, we had a bit of a crazy day, but at the end we had adorable hats and shirts to show off! Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

2011-11-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

Last year we happened to stop by Kmart right after Halloween. It was a brilliant move. The kids got to pick out some fun costumes at a super discount price. I wish I had remembered to go again this year!
Note: Anna is not pictured because she said she was TOO OLD. :(
However, it was fun to have her help pass out the candy, and she did dress up as Hermione for school.

Alex's Language Sample

2011-10-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an old favorite of ours...Here is the Beehive.
Our baby reminds us all of the time that he is "not a baby! I'm a big boy!" And he's right. He tested this summer with high scores on his language skills. Unfortunately, that means no more services for Alex--not even an IEP is in order. I have mixed feelings about that-but I'm elated at his progress. I didn't think we'd arrive at this point so quickly! Here are some short language samples.

Alex's Language Sample Continued

2011-10-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the Bunny!

Spring pictures

2011-05-26T21:47:00.001-07:00

Lost and Found

2011-05-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

On Valentine's Day I took my boys to play group and then came home and set my keys on the counter. That was a Monday. On Tuesday, I could not find my keys. I looked around for them some and assumed that they would soon show up. On Wednesday, I hunted up and down and around and under and over and finally Lance reminded me to pray about it. I did. I then went out to lunch with a friend that I am lucky to visit teach (our church asks all the women to visit each other once a month--so each woman is assigned 2 or three people to visit.) We had a great time visiting over some yummy Chinese food. Then, at the end I told her the sad story of my keys. She told me about the time that she had lost her work keys. She remembered coming home from the grocery store and putting things away, but her keys went missing at the time. They were missing for 2 weeks! Then, one day she opened the freezer--and there they were, next to the frozen peas. Well, I got home from our lunch date and decided I'd better look again for my keys. I remembered her story and also remembered that the kids had played with the play-dough they took home from play group as soon as we got home that day. I decided to check in the play-dough cookie cutter bucket--and there they were! Victory! I called my sister to spread my joy and she quipped, "Aren't you glad you didn't save your visiting teaching until the end of the month!"

About two months ago, one of Alex's rechargeable batteries for his cochlear implants came up missing. Our family searched and searched for it. We read the parable of the woman that searches diligently for her coin and then we prayed and searched and searched. No battery. I figured it would turn up eventually. Well, weeks passed and it didn't turn up. Finally, I told Spencer after about 8 weeks that we should just buy another one. I figured it was about $50 for a new one, but that we really needed it. The next day, I got online to order a new one and discovered, to my horror, that that sucker was $213. I called Spencer on the phone and told him that we were finding that battery--that night. So, our family tried again. We prayed again. We tore my room apart. We looked under dressers and beds in the boys room. Then Anna went in my bathroom and....found it! It was on a small counter that was cluttered with lots of tools for our reconstruction project. Hooray for Anna! Hooray for everyday miracles!

Changes

2011-05-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

In December I was released from Primary and I now serve in the nursery and as the Wolf den leader in cub scouts. This has been a big change for me. I sure miss Primary, but I'm also really enjoying these new spots. I had thought that losing the responsibilites I had as Primary President would free up my schedule. However, that has not been the case. I am constantly amazed at how busy life can be. I think it just comes with having older children. We hosted Spencer's family for 3 weeks while they waited out the radiation in Japan--they live on the naval base there. It was very fun to have them--but the house always seemed to be shaking with the 9 children we had running around. My sister-in-law was a great help and seemed to be amused by all of our comings and goings. Now that summer vacation starts tomorrow, we're ready for another change. Hopefully, a nice relaxing one!

0-5dB

2011-05-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we took Alex to the audiologist for a mapping appointment. He was very helpful this time in completing the listening tasks. Six more months of maturity went a long way! At the end of the session, we went into the sound booth for a speech recognition test. My little baby (2 1/2 years old) could repeat back words that were 0-5dB. Now, 15dB is the threshold for normal hearing. I was amazed that my little man could repeat back words that were so incredibly soft. Wow! Life is good.

What The Heck?

2010-12-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

Alex came to me last week with some ripped up crepe paper and said, "What the heck?" I laughed and wondered who was using that phrase around the house. It also warmed my heart-not that my goal is to teach my children slang--but that he learned from overhearing. We were warned when he was an infant that deaf children have language delays because they are not able to learn from overhearing. Well, it seems that Alex overhears quite a lot, especially if someone says the magic "treat" word. I also caught him singing Jingle Bells two days ago. Aren't cochlear implants great?

Thanksgiving

2010-12-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

I convinced the family that Moab at the end of November would be THE PERFECT TIME to visit. We had tried a brief stop in July on our way back from Texas, but we all thought we were going to die from the heat when we got out at Hole 'n the Rock. So, this Thanksgiving we packed bikes, fruit roll-ups, and coats and headed to the picture-perfect Arches National Park. It turns out that this was very brave of our family because there was a man-hunt and record cold temperatures. We bundled up and never ran into a guy with a bullet hole in his leg. We had a great time. The weather, of course, warmed up right after our trip. In fact, if this keeps up, we're going to have to do some yard work!

Texas Trip

2010-07-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our Texas adventure is over--the laundry is done, the chigger bites are disappearing and now we just need to remember to develop our photos! We took 12 days on our road trip which included Carlsbad Caverns, a family reunion, the American Girl Doll store, visits with two sets of grandparents and a visit to our old ward in Bryan. We had a wonderful visit and we were actually not in a hurry to get home (usually I get homesick after a week or so.) Here are a few photos from our trip.
1) Carlsbad Caverns--nice to feel a little cool in July! Very exciting to see all of the stalactites, stalagmites, popcorn, columns, etc.
2)Mile High Strawberry Pie with Sandi!
3) Wilson Arch --a quick hike off the highway to a beautiful arch. Note--flip flops not recommended!
4) American Girl Doll Store--Note how nice Kaya looks after her $20 hair do! The girls saved and saved for this event. We topped it off with dessert at the bistro. Very fun day--too expensive to do again anytime soon!

My dear friend

2010-07-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

About 3 years ago, I found out that one of my best friends, Karen, had cancer. It was scary and we just hoped and prayed that the worst would not happen, but it did. She died June 18, 2010. I've been missing her this past month, and I know that will continue. I have found that it's easy to make casual friends, but true bosom friends are harder to come by. Karen and I met in Texas at church. We quickly hit it off and shared a lot of late nights laughing as we worked on projects for church. After we moved, she and I called each other every few weeks--mostly on Sundays --to catch up. I miss her a lot on Sunday afternoons now, and I'm missing her tonight. Karen loved me and my family and we all loved her back. Here's a photo of me and my buddy from last summer. Love you Karen!

The tonsil pictures you've been dying to see!

2010-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Warning: These pictures are a little gross!
We have learned that getting tonsils out is PAINFUL! Anna is very brave, but earaches that last for 10 days are hard to deal with!
Note the before and after pictures!

Recent Photos

2010-04-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

Here's some photos from February through April--

--Spencer and kids on his birthday

--Leah with her Science Fair project--tested to see if the movie UP was really possible

--Adam explaining everything you need to know about earthquakes for his Great Brain Project
--Anna receiving her Award of Merit for Literature at State Reflections Contest
--Alex in front of our beautiful tree today. It would be hard to top this beautiful spring day!
Missing: Leah winning school spelling bee--did I not remember a camera?

A little catch-up!

2010-04-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

So, I guess it's been awhile since I've posted. I actually think quite often, "Oh--I should blog that." However, I guess I haven't followed through on those thoughts since January! So, what have we been doing? Here's a quick list:
1--Anna and Leah learned tons of HARD words for the school spelling bee. Leah won-- Yeah, Leah!
2--Anna's Reflections poem went on to the state competition and she received an Award of Merit at the state level.
3--Hosted Spencer's family for a few days. Fun with cousins. Nice to get the office finally cleaned up before their visit.
4--Planted flower seeds to save me TONS of money in May.
5--Replanted flower seeds--please come up little seeds!
6--Spring Break: Laser Tag, Power Tumbling, Library, Park, Shopping, Shooting Range at Cabella's
7--Made two of the four hula dresses that need to be done by April 30th
8--TAXES--not done yet
9--Easter eggs
10--General Conference
11--Two Great Brains completed--one to go (Research reports the kids do at school)
12--Read a couple of books Anna handed me. Can't remember titles, but they were good.
13--Participated in a Chicago conference via teleconferencing focused on using tele-intervention to provide services for deaf and hard of hearing kids.
14--Beamed as Alex sings Row Row Row Your Boat--I'd document it, but he's very particular as to who can hear him sing
15--Counted up 80 words that Alex uses
16--Lost part of Alex's processor at Wal-Mart-- and found it (after a quick prayer)!
17--Watched the Olympics as much as we could--Yeah Lycacek!
18--Bought a Wii
19--Listen peacefully to kids practicing the piano before they can play the Wii
20--Played a piano/organ duet in church--boy, did I work hard on that!

One of the therapists that works with Alex emailed me to ask me to explain what I did in a typical day so that she could come up with a session for Alex related to our regular routine. That was an interesting exercise for me. What do I do? Usually I think in terms of --What Didn't I Do? Those things always seem so obvious. It seemed so hard to type out what I actually do in a day--because the days pass by so quickly and always feel so jam-packed. Yet, what did I do? I'm not sure! At least I can review the above list and know that several things did happen in the last few months.

We Believe in Miracles

2010-01-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

An update on Alex:

Alex is doing super duper with his 2nd implant. I decided that I should start writing down all of his words that he uses. I was surprised that it is about 30. I realize that some of his words are only intelligible to our family, but they have meaning for him. His speech development seems to be right on track with what I remember from my other 4 children, if not slightly ahead of some of them. He also speaks with a natural-sounding voice. I am also pleased to see him now being able to localize sound. This has been a nice improvement since he had his second implant activated. One note about activation...it was not the happy experience I envisioned. I had thought the second one would go smoothly, since he was already doing well with the first. However, it was not a happy hour for him. That being said, he did great with it as soon as we left the office. I am very grateful to the people with the insight and imagination to develop cochlear implants. I consider them to be a miracle. I realize they are not a perfect miracle, but Alex enjoys hearing birds, laughing with his family, figuring out where someone is in the house by listening, and knowing when to come help unload the dishwasher because he heard me open it up. I'm a happy Mom!

Christmas!

2010-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas has long since passed, but it was very enjoyable. The kids had fun with the games they received, and I had fun knowing I got them for a great deal on Amazon! Here's some pictures from our big day.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2010-01-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

We had the best, best, best Primary Activity--thanks to help from a large portion of our ward (church congregation.) The kids all came dressed in shepherds and then we had several adults and youth act out parts of the story of Christ's birth. We had part of the room decorated as a Judean plain, and then we walked into another room with a starry night sky (where the angels came to tell the Good News). Then, we knocked on the innkeeper's door and heard the stories of the Wise Men, Anna, Simeon and King Herod. Finally, the innkeepers opened their door and we saw the Holy Family. We ended with everyone singing Christmas Carols accompanited by a guitar. The kids loved it! They all wanted to get right in there and see Baby Jesus. It was definitely Christmas!

Second Implant Is In!

2009-11-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

We are home from Alex's second CI surgery. NO MORE SURGERY! What a relief to have it over!!!
I came home to find this journal page that Adam had written for his homework. It says:

Alexes secont ccoclere in plant today!!!
Today Alex had his secent. coclere inplant on the other sid of his head and he will still be cute when he comes back allways be cute for ever and ever!!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T20:12:00.001-08:00

Here they are!

Overheard

2009-10-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Adam to Lance: Lance, have you seen my sponge shark?
Lance: No, Have you checked the peanut butter?

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

The girls are always looking for a new way to make some money to pay for their needs (read American Girl Doll accessories.) We're all looking forward to lots of treats this weekend--and hopefully good trick-or-treating weather!

The Miracle Will Have to Wait

2009-10-18T21:26:00.001-07:00

So, Thursday was our big day.......cochlear implant activation! We looked forward to this day since we first learned that he was going to need implants. We took the whole family to the audiologist's office so that they could be there (minus Leah who was battling hand, foot, mouth disease). Alex responded well to the noises and pointed at the screen like he was supposed to. We left with the challenge for him to work through 8 programs--which would increasingly give him more sound as he was getting more used to it. Well, we were in for a HUGE disappointment. About an hour after we left the office, his feet were covered in spots. He has a raging case of the hand, foot, mouth virus. He has had a fever since Thursday, and he can not stand to even look at the cochlear implant processor. What a huge disappointment we've had. So, the miracle is on hold until further notice, and I hope I do not run out of Tylenol and Motrin. Lance also mentioned tonight that his mouth is starting to hurt. Oh brother!!!!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

2009-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

We were released from the Children's Hospital this morning around 8:30 am. He now has a state-of-the-art Cochlear Implant installed on the right side. The surgeon said it all went well and that this new device (approved by the FDA on Sept 8th) is nice and thin. This means that you can hardly feel it under his skin. Yesterday Alex was so miserable and his incision was still draining so much that I couldn't imagine that he would be ready to come home today. But, oh, what a difference a day can make. He didn't even come home with a bandage around his head. He is crawling around and back to practicing his standing up skills. His face is swollen--and continues to swell. He always needs to be careful to not catch a cold until his ear is healed so that he doesn't have any more pressure in those cavities. I'll attach some photos from yesterday and today.

Surgery

2009-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's in! The first implant was successfully installed this morning. It has been a hard day for all of us, but the surgery went according to plan. Alex has been a brave soldier. I have not been as brave, but now that he is alert and hungry, I'm feeling more and more relieved. We are about to get a new gauze on his head, so I'll sign out! Thanks for ALL of your prayers and concern!

Nervous

2009-09-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

The most exciting day is coming for Alex...cochlear implant surgery on Thursday. I should be ecstatic, instead, I am so nervous! My son has the cutest, most perfect little head. I can't stand to think about it being cut into a flap and then sewn back together. I hate the idea of walking him down to surgery and then handing him over to someone else. I know he'll be scared and confused and feel downright terrible when he comes out of anesthesia. If I didn't really have confidence that this was the best course for Alex, I would SO back out.
When Alex had his baby blessing, he was blessed that he would have many opportunities to serve, receive an education, and have the life that we want for him. Alex received this blessing a few days after he had passed the newborn hearing screening in one ear. We were so relieved! Then, the day after his blessing I took him back to have the second ear tested. Surely, that darn fluid would be gone by now. The test took FOREVER! I waited in the foyer with the kids watching Tom and Jerry cartoons while Spencer went back with the audiologist. I started to get nervous about the length of time, but then, you never know with doctors. When they finally came back, it was all bad news. Not only had the second ear failed again, but the first ear had been re-tested and failed. How could this be? My son? Deaf? What? I couldn't believe it. I remember bawling with my baby in my arms, waking up in the middle of the night and bawling some more, trying to explain to my other kids how this could be...and not coming up with any of those inspiring or thoughtful answers. I remember Googling Cochlear Implants and calling Spencer at work to tell him about it. And all I could do was remember his blessing, given by a faithful priesthood holder (his Dad) which outlined wonderful opportunities for Alex. I am so glad that Heavenly Father worked it out so that we had some inspiration before the bad news. And now, a year later, I am still hanging on to that blessing. I know that the surgery is the right choice for him. My son will hear with his CI. I know he'll still be deaf, but he will hear birds, crickets, phones, grandparents, teachers, employers, and music. I can't back out, but you'll know I'll be bawling when I hand him over to those surgeons. He really does have a perfect little head. Please pray for my son on Thursday.

Splish! Splash!

2009-06-22T21:39:00.001-07:00

At the Listening Camp we attended, I learned that you could try putting a shower cap over your child's hearing aids so that they can have the fun of taking a bath and hearing all of the assoicated noises. I finally got around to making a cap today for Alex--and wish I had done it months ago! I was still nervous about trusting my 9 month old in the water with those $3000 hearing aids, so he had to wear 2 caps--poor guy. However, the sound must have gone right through because he immediately started talking, growling...and SPLASHING! He's never even tried those things before. Now, for the backyard pool!

Update on surgery

2009-06-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

SO....WE GOT INSURANCE APPROVAL! We will have BOTH implants covered. Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads out there. We enjoyed a wonderful day here. The kids surprised Spencer with a light saber --Yoda's light saber, for those of you in the know. We also had fun with the sandbox we made yesterday with Spencer's left-over materials from his wall. Now that the landscaping projects are mostly done, we love spending time out in the backyard admiring and enjoying all of Spencer's hard work. Happy Father's Day Spencer!

Two ears that hear, coming...September 17th!

2009-06-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

Spencer, Alex, and I spent a long day at the Children's Hospital to determine Alex's eligibility for a Cochlear Implant. We began with the fun of a sedated MRI. I know that this is nothing compared to surgery, but I still hated watching my cute little boy having an IV inserted in his very plump foot. The nurses were pros, however, and minimized the trauma to us all. Alex's MRI showed that he had normal ear parts--and an auditory nerve. The surgeon said that he looks like an ideal candidate. Hip! Hip! Hooray! Alex will get his new ears "turned on" a month later. Alex should be able to hear birds, Beethoven, and be ready in time to answer the door for trick-or-treaters. :)

Pining Away

2009-06-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Anna left this morning for camp. I am one big mess! She's never even gone to a sleepover before--and now she's out of my reach for a whole week. I'm trying not to think about the lightning in the forecast or the bear incidents I've heard about. It's not working! I can't wait until she's back in one piece, showing us her pictures, and laughing about what a nervous mom I am!

TV Star

2009-05-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Anna was awarded a trophy, a book series of her own choice and....she got to be on TV because she just finished reading 100 Newbery books--a school record. It was VERY exciting, and we are very proud of her. Way to go Anna!

Happy Mother's Day from Alex

2009-05-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

We've been working with Alex to develop his hearing and speech--even at this young age! We are so VERY excited that he is now babbling consonants and vowels--and MA MA MA couldn't have come on a more perfect weekend! Thanks to Alex and Anna for making the video!

Spring, Spring, Where Did You Go?

2009-03-26T21:51:00.001-07:00

Maybe Vivaldi's Spring can help us.
This snow and cold just can't be true! Here's a picture from last week...

Off with her hair!

2009-03-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

She did it! Anna bravely donated 10 very beautiful inches of hair to Locks of Love. I am very proud of her. I think this new cut is so cute on her. I told her that I think she should keep it this length, but she is still mourning the loss of being able to wear a ponytail.

Spelling Bee

2009-03-08T21:49:00.001-07:00

Way to go Anna! Those words were stinkin' hard! She got 2nd place at the school spelling bee. I tried to act like I wasn't nervous, but I really was. She worked hard and she maintained her cool--even on gestalt.

Disneyland!

2009-03-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

We made it to Disneyland! It was fun and exhausting. Our family's favorite ride was Soaring over California--very cool. I was hanging onto my seat with white knuckles. The kids couldn't believe it when they saw Bert and Mary Poppins walking down Main Street. The part that I'll always remember is getting the phone call from my friend--just as we were about to enter Mickey's Clubhouse--that the firetrucks were at our house and all of the smoke detectors were going off. That started the adrenaline pumping! It turned out fine--a dirty smoke alarm had set off the whole system. I was relieved that we had all made our beds before we left the trip since firemen went through the whole house. The miracle of it all was that I just happened to turn on my cell phone--which I usually leave off--the very moment that the firemen were about to break a window. Yes, we would have loved to have them get in the house any way they could in an emergency, but as it happened, I 'm thrilled I don't have to go window shopping right now. Here are some pics of our Disneyland trip and visit with Aunt Andrea and my cousin Phillip and wife Allison.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

I think Spencer had this photo taken for something official at school. It turns out that I don't have pictures in my photo folder of just him--or me--for that matter, so I'll post this formal picture. (I guess we always focus the camera on the kids.) However, it's February...and time to focus on my spouse. So, Spencer, here are ten reasons why I love you.
1) You told me I looked beautiful and ready to go on a date minutes after Alex was born.
2) You are encouraging us all to learn sign--and making us use it.
3) You don't complain that we can't spend the night in homes that have cats.
4) You've only once asked me to not make a particular dinner again.
5) You loved me even after you saw what a wimpy bike rider I am.
6) You didn't give up after I ran off on Valentine's Day when we were dating.
7) You are taking us to Disneyland.
8) You try so hard to be good.
9) You can make me laugh.
10) You are so handsome, of course!

Stone Fox

2009-02-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

Leah has been begging me for weeks to read the book STONE FOX. I thought that I was too busy for quite awhile and kept putting her off. Anyway, last week I read it and loved it--but oh, how sad at the end! I knew that Adam would like the book, so I started reading it to him on Wednesday. We finished it on Thursday at the hospital while we were waiting for Alex's hearing test. Adam and I were both choked up at the end. I could hardly finish reading it, and Adam looked over at me with his voice cracking up and said, "I love you, Mom." He then gave me a hug. I don't know if he'll remember reading that book with me, but I'll remember it.

Bad News

2009-02-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, we went for another hearing test (ABR) yesterday and learned that Alex has lost more hearing. He now has a profound hearing loss. I feel like the rug has been swept out from under me again. First of all, we understood that his hearing loss due to the connexin 26 was supposed to be stable, but now they say there are always exceptions. I do not like that Alex is an exception. Anyway, we are now crossing our fingers that Alex can have bilateral cochlear implants--the sooner the better. We'll start saving our money, and we're thrilled that our insurance will help a lot. Right now I can hear Alex and Spencer laughing together in the other room. Alex is a very cute baby, and he'll soon be a cute baby with a lot of expensive hardware on his head.

Some genetics

2009-01-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

We found out this past week the cause of Alex's hearing loss--it is genetic. Spencer and I both have a recessive gene, conexxin 26, which results in hearing loss. It is so strange to find this out. We had a 25% chance with each pregnancy to have a baby with hearing loss. Luckily, I didn't know that during my 5 pregnancies! Also, we don't see hearing loss in our family lines, so we never would have guessed that we had this possibility. There is a positive side to having this information. I'm glad to know that I didn't "do anything wrong" while pregnant with him. For Alex, we know that his hearing loss isn't caused by another syndrome that could cause more problems for him. This is a great relief. And now we move on.

What we've learned so far...

2009-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Spencer has wanted me to post what we've learned about having a deaf/hard of hearing baby so far--he's only 4 months old, but someone searching for information on a just-diagnosed baby may find this helpful. First of all, order the free video from oraldeafed.org. This will be the best video you'll ever see--and I dare you to watch it without crying. Second, get hearing aids before three months of age. These hearing aids need to be put on with tupee tape--they'll NEVER stay on without it. Plan on getting new molds every month--pay the extra for overnight shipping. Now, for what to do. Talk, talk, talk, talk to your baby. When you're done with that, sing, sing, sing. Nursery rhymes and a sing-song voice are great. Touch your baby's arms, legs, tummy with a touch that goes with your voice--tap him when making a "Bbb" sound, stroke his arm with a longer sound. Take turns conversing with him when he/she babbles. Intervention needs to be provided to you by an AV specialist--contact your state's school for the deaf and blind. You may want to register for the online classes at the John Tracy Clinic--it's free for parents. I hope this helps. I wonder if those reading this blog who have older deaf/hard of hearing children will laugh at how little we know now, but I plan to know as much as is available before Alex hits kindergarten--in his mainstreamed classroom.

Christmas pics

2009-01-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

We had a fun, fun, fun Christmas. Anna was VERY surprised to get a digital camera from Papa--she'd planned to use her own money to buy one in the after-Christmas sales. The girls were beautiful in their dresses from Grandma Ann. The boys loved their toys and having the whole day to play with them.

Alex talking

2008-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

We've been really trying to figure out what to do for Alex. We definitely want him to speak well, which we have been assured can happen. However, there is quite a difference of opinion out there on the use of sign language. We've decided to learn sign language for now--it'll be practical for when he can not wear hearing aids, and it will be good for the rest of us to learn another language. (Although I'm feeling intimidated by it.) Meanwhile, it is FUN to see that Alex is enjoying hearing his voice. He now laughs and smiles and carries on baby conversations with you. (Enjoy the video!) The hearing aids were a nightmare at first because of ill-fitting molds. It's slightly better now, but I still don't think that we have a great fit on the molds--so they make that very annoying whistling sound. The other kids didn't know how to hold him at first--I struggled too --because you didn't want to make the hearing aids squeal or squish into his head. We're all getting more used to them now. My hats off to Alex, he's putting up with all of this with extremely good humor.

Christmas is Coming!

2008-11-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was NOT feeling in a hurry to get out all of the Christmas decorations, but what do you know, the whole family helped put them up on Saturday. It looks great, and I'm especially enjoying the lights that Spencer designed outside. I took this picture at dusk so that you could see the lights--as well as the flowers still blooming in December! I am looking forward to Christmas, and I know it's time to kick it up a notch to get everything done by the 25th. Happy Holidays!

Alex

2008-11-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Alex is smiling and cooing at us now. What a cute guy! Lance is a GREAT babysitter. He can sit and talk to Alex and keep him entertained while I do dishes, laundry, etc. We received very disappointing results on Alex's hearing last week. The audiologist and ENT now call his loss severe to profound. He is on the borderline for if hearing aids will help him or not. If not, we hope he will be a candidate for a cochlear implant. This has been a very emotional time for our family. We were advised to learn sign language for his beginning development. Today I called the State School of the Deaf about loaner hearing aids and they signed me up with the State's early intervention program. Those are things that I never imagined doing. Thankfully, such programs exist. Having a child with a disability is completely overwhelming. I'm glad there's help out there. The doctors want us to do genetic testing and a EKG to determine the cause of his hearing loss and rule out other possible problems. Alex is in for a lot more testing and our family is in for lots more time in waiting rooms.
We're excited for him to get his hearing aids so that he can get to know our voices and the noisy and mostly happy sounds of our family. We shyed away from the blue hearing aids and went with the modest translucent ones. Fun to have a color choice in your hearing aids!

2008-11-06T21:18:00.001-08:00

Halloween!
All dressed up and ready to go!

Fun at the park with Granddad and Grandmother

2008-10-08T17:26:00.001-07:00

We've been enjoying a great visit with Spencer's Grandparents. Today was beautiful and we enjoyed a trip to the park. We tried feeding the ducks, but they weren't too cooperative. Adam and Lance loved climbing up this giant tree.

Fun with Sandi

2008-09-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Sandi and Mannix came to help us out and meet Alex last week. We kept Sandi busy, busy, busy! Thanks to her, Anna's 4-H demo happened, peaches were canned, and the baby clothes were sorted. It was fun to see how much Mannix had grown. He's quite a cute and happy guy. The peaches in the background of the photo were chosen on purpose--beauties!

Short Hair

2008-09-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

I love my haircut! I debated for months if I should get another perm or get my hair chopped off. Spencer voted on a new look, so I had my friend Angie cut it last week. I love it! The kids were very lukewarm about it, but then they always have to adjust to Mom looking different. So, for the benefit of my sisters--here's a photo of me and my new 'do.

Spencer in the spotlight

2008-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

In the last 6 months, Spencer has received two big awards. I finally got pictures of him to show them off! The first was a college award. He was selected by his department to get the distinguished faculty award for 2006-2007. Then, this fall the university awarded him the Young Scholars Award. Go Spencer!

Kindergarten!

2008-09-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Adam is enjoying being a Kindergartner. He loves his teacher and loves being at school with his big sister. He already has his eye on a girl--Kate. He likes playing with her at recess and says that she is "cute."

That's A Pass!

2008-09-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

"That's a pass!" Those were the best words that Alex and I have ever heard. Today his right ear passed the hearing test. Alex failed hearing tests in the hospital and also the re-screening at 3 weeks. In fact, his flat-line response in both ears at the 3 week test made the audiologist sound quite concerned--which threw me into a panic. I spent several days crying and then some time on the computer looking up whatever I could find about hearing loss. It was very reassuring to learn of the miracles of cochlear implants. However, it is still such a huge relief to know that we won't have to go down that road. The audiologist believes that the problem resulted from amniotic fluid or wax (from the waxy coating that newborns have) that needed to dry out. The left ear showed some slight improvement today, so we are assuming that it just needs more time to dry out. We will have another screening in two weeks. Yeah Alex!

Alex Peter!

2008-08-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled that Alex Peter came to our family on August 27. He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 18 1/2 inches long. He has brown hair and several in our family swear he has dimples, although I have not seen them yet. He is well loved, and we are all having lots of fun with him. Spencer was a great labor coach, but he is one tired Daddy! He is still not recovered from the meningitis, but he is doing his best to help out. I'm completely worn out myself, so we are glad that the kids enjoy helping out with their new brother. As luck would have it, several of the
kids also ended up with sniffly noses this week--hence, the face mask pictures.

First Day of School

2008-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! The kids were ready to go back, but I wasn't! It seems like school started WAY too early this year (Aug. 18th). Anyway, they both love their teachers and had a great first day. Adam starts kindergarten this week. He can hardly stand it. He's planning to wear his new Lightning McQueen shirt on his first day. They are growing up too quickly!

4-H Day at the County Fair

2008-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I took the kids to the County Fair. We were excited to see their projects decorated with ribbons. Adam and Leah received all green ribbons for their projects. Anna had a bunch of blue ribbons, one red, and one project go on to the State Fair. She also won two trophies that day--one for talent and one for modeling her flip flops in the Decorate Your Duds contest. Leah also received a medal for her modeling and talent. We had a great time!

New Dining Room Chairs

2008-08-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to recover my dining room chairs forever, and they finally got done this week, thanks to my Aunt Judy. She came over with her staple gun and whipped out the whole project with me. They look great! I'm really enjoying looking over to the dining room set and seeing these brand-new looking chairs. We won't be eating spaghetti over there!

waiting for baby!

2008-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here's my profile picture at 9 months. I can hardly wait for this baby to come! Spencer is now on the mend--finally, so I've been able to think about having this baby again. We are all excited and hope that he shows up this week. Unfortunately, all the kids except Anna started in with sniffly noses today. It seems like that is much more easily dealt with than meningitis, but I'm still passing zinc lozenges all around.

Not such happy news

2008-08-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it turns out that Spencer was not on the mend. I took him yesterday to the emergency room because his fever spiked to almost 104 and his neck was stiff and his throat was killing him. And, they finally diagnosed his virus--viral meningitis or encephalitis. They are testing to see if it is from West Nile Virus. The only good news was that they said he is not contagious. Also, it is finally nice to have a name to put to the misery he's been in. We're hoping that since he's already been in the battle for a month that it won't be much longer. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that our little boy won't make his debut until Spencer will be well enough to attend his delivery!

Summer photos

2008-08-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

Our family has been busy, busy, busy with 4-H projects. One of our favorites has been photography. It's been fun to use my new digital camera and figure out the macro feature. The kids took some great photos. I was lucky to also get this shot of a hummingbird at my Aunt's home.

One last summer fling

2008-08-07T21:52:00.001-07:00

We had an unscheduled Tuesday this week, so we took the opportunity to visit my cousin in her new home and to visit the dinosaur museum on $2 Tuesday. We had a fabulous time at both spots--it felt like an extra vacation we snuck in. We loved seeing Marilyn's designer home and wonderful neighborhood. Adam was glad to see his friend Abraham again. We hadn't been to the dinosaur museum for awhile, so it was a real treat. By the way, there are 88 teeth on the bottom of the shark--and probably 88 on the top. Munch!

Spencer on the mend

2008-07-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Spencer is feeling much better. He is still not 100%, but he is getting there. Hurray! He did not test positive for mono or meningitis, and the doctor didn't believe that he had West Nile Virus. So, he had some unknown virus. It's been very hard on him, but I think the worst is over. He even went on a field project today with his students, although he came home totally exhausted.

Sick!

2008-07-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Spencer has been sick, sick, sick since Monday. We all thought he had a sinus infection--including the doctor. However, he just got worse and worse. Yesterday he was tested for meningitis and mono. The results for meningitis are already back--he doesn't have that. However, we won't know on the mono until tomorrow. There's also a possibility of West Nile Virus. Time will tell. Meanwhile, this is not that much fun!

Summer Vacation

2008-07-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time in Logan, Yellowstone, and Island Park. We enjoyed seeing friends and family in Logan. It was especially fun to see my happy and newly-married friend Jenni and her husband Mike. Then, we headed north and met up with Spencer's family. We enjoyed 4-wheeling in Island Park, braved the rapids (or so I called them) on the Snake River, and Yellowstone was an entire day of adventure and beauty. We were especially excited to see two bears (from a safe distance). The whole area up there was covered in wildflowers. We enjoyed so many breathtaking sites that no one minded too much that we ran out of time to go see Old Faithful! Oh well, we'll just have to go back...

Happy Birthday Nana!

2008-07-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Nana! We were lucky to be coming home from our Yellowstone trip on Nana's birthday, so I was able to take some flowers to the cemetery in this morning. I was thrilled to find that there was one Tropicana rosebud waiting for her at my Dad's house. We, of course, also took flowers over to Mom's grave. Love you both! We arrived in Provo at 1 pm, and I couldn't resist making a lemon meringue pie in honor of Nana--in spite of the suitcases and piles of dirty clothes I needed to tackle. We sang and enjoyed a delicious dessert. What a nice birthday Nana--100!

4-H Day Camp

2008-06-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

We just got back from 4-H day camp up the canyon. We had a wonderful time--all of us. When we pulled into the parking lot and saw how tall the rock climbing apparatus was, we all said, "No way!" However, everyone ended up trying it except me! They even had a harness Lance's size, and he willing went up a little ways. Anna almost made it to the top. We also made hats (just as Leah had demonstrated back in March), made survival kits, sang, did obstacle courses and made star maps. The kids had a great time. We left a little early because Lance and I were totally worn out. I'm starting to really feel 7 months pregnant!

Leah's Baptism

2008-06-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

Leah was baptized on Saturday. She has been so excited all month! I know that she invited two teachers from school to attend--and one of them came. We enjoyed visits from lots of family on her special day. She was very sweet all dressed in white. Just before the baptism, she said that her stomach hurt, but she braved it all very well--even going under the water. It is easy to tell that she is happy to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Last Day of School

2008-06-04T21:13:00.001-07:00

The girls celebrated the last day of school with the school dance festival. They did a great job. It was a day of mixed emotions--nice to complete a year, but they do love school.

Preschool Graduation

2008-06-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun preschool graduation and family picnic. I made the hats at the last minute, but they turned out great. We'll miss playing with Lilo, Abraham, Caleb, and Calvin twice a week!

Birthday!

2008-05-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Leah celebrated being 8 with about 18 girls. It was wild and crazy! We had a Hawaiian birthday party--learned to hula, made some sand art, bracelets, and had hula hoop contests. It turned out quite fun, although it was a bit hectic. The weather cooperated during the party so I was glad that the messy sand project could be done outside. Right after it was over, it turned cold and windy, so we had to clean up in a hurry. Happy Birthday Leah!

Portland Trip and Aunt Katie's Wedding

2008-05-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a quick trip to Portland. The highlight was seeing Aunt Katrina marry John . She was a beautiful bride! Grandpa sang a solo at the wedding--and received a warm round of applause for it. It was great to see Grandpa again. We figured out that he could write the name of my baby on the Bible in a margin--it had definitely been on his mind. I am so glad that I went, but I was also happy to return to my little family who were happy to have me back, and I felt the same!

Spring Pictures

2008-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Anna wanted a spring pictures, so we had fun trying out the portrait feature on my camera. I was happy with the way these turned out.

Spring Break

2008-04-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

The kids just finished Spring Break. They were up and ready for school early today. It's nice to be back to our regular schedule! On Friday we managed to squeeze in a few more fun things--birthday party, ice skating with Aunt Andrea, a picnic, and a piano recial.

Picnic

2008-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

This week we've enjoyed spring break. On Monday we celebrated with cousins. We enjoyed a wonderful day at the park and came home sunburned. Then on Tuesday we were dismayed by the cold weather and snow flurries. Luckily, today is nice for some bike riding.

Ultrasound

2008-04-17T12:09:00.001-07:00

It's a boy! The ultrasound looked great and there is still no evidence of a tear. We celebrated by picking out some boy outfits at Wal-Mart. Can't wait until the end of August!

4-H Demos

2008-03-31T13:12:00.001-07:00

Anna and Leah each did a demonstration for 4-H Demonstration Day. Anna demonstrated how to make boxes out of greeting cards and Leah did tie-dying a scarf using permanent markers and acetone. They did a great job. They were proud of their hard work too.

Preschool and Primary

2008-03-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last week was my turn to teach our neighborhood preschool. The kids decided, on their own, to cooperate to lift this "heavy" toy. I was impressed. We had a fun time. We played store with real money and played outside with our canal game. Luckily we had some nice weather so we could play outside a bit.
Our other big event last week was that I decided to potty train Lance. This has been a major undertaking. He's not there yet, but he's making progress. I'll be glad when this experience is over and he and I can put potty training behind us.
I'll also post some pictures from our Primary activity (church activity for kids.) It was a big success. My Aunt Judy came up with the idea of doing a visitor's center set-up on the life of Christ. We had several rooms decorated for the times and the kids came dressed up too. It was a great Easter activity.

New Baby

2008-03-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today I had an ultrasound to check on the condition of my subchorionic tear. It has healed! The doctor still warned me about heavy lifting and such, but life should be much more normal now. The baby looked adorable in the ultrasound and....wouldn't budge to show us his/her gender. We're crossing our fingers that the 20 week ultrasound will reveal some more info! The technician did say that she thought she saw a boy, but she couldn't say for sure. Stay tuned!

Just for fun

2008-03-10T21:00:00.001-07:00

I attended a Relief Society Super Saturday and came home with kits to make marshmallow guns. Anna was ready to try hers out that day--even though it was cold outside. She invited two boys over and they had a good fight for an hour. The guns are easy to make--they're made
out of 1/2" pipe cut into 4" and 10" pieces. Lots of fun! We also enjoyed a visit from 3 of Spencers sisters this weekend. The kids especially liked playing with cousins Veta and Hazel. Veta and Leah
spent most of their time playing Barbies.

Spelling Bee

2008-02-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Leah was in her second grade spelling bee. She and 4 others won her class and went on to the grade bee. She won! She was awarded her trophy today after the school spelling bee. She was glowing. She also got a Kit Kat, which she generously shared with the family.
Anna's bee was this morning. Whew! It's over. Anna did a great job. She and her friend were the representatives from their class. They've been practicing hard all week. Anna didn't even seem nervous up there. She made it to the second round and missed the word "brilliant." It sure reminded me of all of the spelling bees I was in, but I was much more nervous.What great girls!

Playing Trains

2008-02-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

Adam and Lance love to play with their train sets. They had an elaborate track set up for several days. They played very nicely with it for hours.

Karate

2008-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

Anna received a Valentine's Card from school with a special offer for two free lessons. She pressed me to call and schedule them, and it ended up being really fun! I was surprised at how much she learned in such a short amount of time. The best part was seeing her break a board at the end and receive her white belt. She now thinks that she needs to sign up for lessons and work towards getting all the different colored belts. She's also teaching Adam all that she knows, while Leah declines the offer to learn fight moves.

Science Fair

2008-02-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

Anna and Leah both participated in the Science Fair at school. They spent a lot of time with Dad over the weekend (and late on Tuesday evening) working on their projects. Leah looked at water samples with different amounts of salt and observed the freezing and thawing of the samples. Anna hung weights from wet wood and dry wood to see which would bend the most. They both had a good time, although Anna wasn't thrilled about having to write a research paper on wood. I have been laid low by a sinus infection so this all happened without my help, and they did a great job! Thanks to amoxicillin, I am now feeling tons better and ready to tackle their Great Brain projects! There are also taxes waiting to be done...

February 2008

2008-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

I guess last year only ended up with one posting. However, I finally purchased a digital camera this fall. I think I will now be more motivated to post pictures of all of us.
This photo is from Christmas 2007. We had a great time and enjoyed spending the day together. My favorite present was the water toy that I gave to the family. As you can see in the picture, it is a canal system with lochs and boats and paddles--very fun. Unfortunately, we did learn that this is not a toy to be played indoors. We are waiting for spring to get it out again so we won't have to keep mopping up all of the water.
Some things that I will remember from 2007 are the many trips we took. We took a road trip to see family and friends in Colorado and Texas. We bought a DVD player before the trip and loved it! We also went camping and accompanied Spencer on a conference trip to Park City, Utah. In the fall we had a scare with Adam that sent us to our Children's Hospital. He had a lump on his rib that needed to be investigated--but the conclusion is that it is just a bump on his rib. That fall I also had an accident while playing with the kids at the park. I ran into some support wires and knocked out parts of 5 teeth. It was very traumatic, and I've had some long and uncomfortable dentist visits. However, they can do great things in the field of dentistry and my smile still looks normal.

Our family

2007-01-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. Spencer and I have been married for 10 years and have four children. We enjoy mathematics, reading, music, watching movies, eating brownies, and our church activities.