Our Not So Fun Snowy Day Adventure

So at 2:45amWednesday Jaden came into our bedroom not feeling well and a little croupy. Finally after meds etc. he settled down and fell asleep but still sounded terrible. He slept in my arms for a few more hours. I had to get up at 6am but he stayed asleep. Jaden slept in until about 930ish. By 11ish and he was starting to not feel good again. His breathing sounded so labored. So I braved the 8inches of snow and took him down to an urgent care clinic. By the time we got there his breathing was getting worse. Luckily they pushed us right through and evaluated him. His limbs were turning a different blochy color and he was very pale. His whole little body starting to retract in just to get one breath. They started him on a breathing treatment machine. They tried 2 treatments and some medicine in his arm. Nothing worked. So they called 911 and we went to Providence. Then they hooked him up to oxygen for the ride. Here is his first pict. Its kind of blurry. By this time the only reason I am not freaking out is because he needed me! Inside I was a basketcase!!! Did I mention his temp started rising. When we got to Prov it was over 104.



On the way they did another breathing treatment. It didn't do much either. At Providence they gave him another treatment then put him back on oxygen and gave him some steriods and took some xrays. It came back that he might have a simple virus that just hit his throat hard or it could be Epiglotitis(infection of the little flap over your trachea) This is rare but very deadly for a little guy. SO... then they called 911 and sent us to Children's Hospital in Seattle in the SNOW! As if the whole thing wasn't bad enough but the snow made it so much worse. Here he is getting into the next ambulance headed for Seattle.

Then at Childrens they did a few more tests with some specialists. Luckily the Epiglotitis came up negative so it was just some freak virus that almost killed him. After a few hours there the steroids finally kicked in and he started breathing well on his own. They had planned on keeping us overnight for observation but at 9:30pm they came in and gave him another round of steroids and said he could go home. They were so good to him. They give the kids toys and in every room there is a Disney movie playing. He was so much easier to keep calm here and I think that really helped him too.



So around 10pm we're headed home. But by then 1/2 of Arlington was out of power and there was about 8inches of new snow and we had to go back down south the next day for a follow up. So we ended up stopping at my parents house for the night halfway home. They already had the other 3 kids for us so it worked out well.

Now Thursday things are so much better. Jaden's follow up visit was awesome and he is breathing so well now. We gave him one more round of steriods tonight and he seems almost back to himself. All in all it started so quick and ended so quick it doesn't seem like we just went through hell for the last 24 hours. I am so thankful all is well and this has made me realize how much I love my kids and family and how greatful I am for (most of the time) a healthy family! I have given many prayers of thanks for this outcome and know the Lord was there to carry us through this yesterday.

Ian is 9 years old!

He is getting so big! He has been a busy kid this year with school,soccer, baseball & basketball. Tomorrow night be becomes a bear in the cub scout program. He is also doing piano still and loves to sing in choir. This year he was asked to sing in the childrens choir for our stake (church). We are excited to see his performance next Sunday. All in all he is a well rounded kid. He comes off as a rough kid but really has a sweet and caring side. I just can't believe this kid who was almost born in our car is already 9 years old. Happy Birthday kiddo!

His Kid party is Sat. It is a secret spy party. He is so excited. We inverted the font on the invitations so you have to hold it up to a mirror to read it. He thought that was awesome. Oh, if they could only always be this easily pleased!

Sad Mom Moment - Elle Cut her own hair! :(

Elle is the 4th child so you think this wouldn't suprise me but for some reason I thought my daughter would never do this. Yes it was so much harder with a girl than a boy. The boys were easy- in a month it was back to normal. Man the little haircut in the post below is the first style she's ever been able to have and now her hair is shorter than the boys. I waited 11 years for someone to put piggy tales in. Now I am lucky if I can get a clip in the front of it so short. What you can't see are the few other REALLY short areas in places I didn't think she could reach on her head. In the end this boyish pixie cut was what they had to do at the salon. Hopefully by next year we'll be back into piggy's.

More Picts

Special mom moment

So I love my sons more than words can express but there were a couple of things I couldn't ever enjoy with them (like this one) When I was little my grandma made me this Strawberry Shortcake apron. I LOVED THIS THING! But I could never get my boys to wear it while cooking with me. Finally little Elle was big enough to wear it. She was so excited when I gave it to her and we baked yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies together too!. This made my day. I love having special moments with each child. Being a mom is truly the most wonderful thing ever!

Jaden's Bday

 

I can't believe this little guy is already 6 years old. He is so fun! He had about 14 kids over for a fun bday. We played games and had a big ol'bouncy house up. He wanted to do a speed racer/ any cool car theme. He is still a car kid. Since he was old enough to point he has been a car kid. We've done bob the builder tractors, Lightning Mcqueen car and now speed racer. He actually says he wants to design and build cars. I hope the car industry is still going when he is big?! Maybe we can channel the love into a successful refurbishing/detailing car shop. For his birthday he wanted a remote control car. He got a 1960 plymoth classic car. Very cool and fast. More of a grown up remote control car but his mind was set on it! He was trying to talk me into the Audi TT or the Porsche but seeing how they were double it didn't work. All in all he was so excited to drive his car around and play with his friends. Happy Bday Little boy!

Family lost home and 2 children to fire

A family in my church and community suffered a terrible loss this weekend. Please visit their blog at themarkleefamily.blogspot.com - Also a link on the side of my blog.



Anything you can do to help- prayers donations etc.

Thanks- Niki

Our kids and technology

So this isn't the greatest picture but lately I have been thinking about how "connected" technology wise our kids are and how good our kids have it.
Things we never dreamed of are here for them. Thursday night I couldn't find Elle (our 3yr old) I thought " maybe she went to bed all by herself" Sure enough as I went into her room I saw her little figure under the blankets. It was so cute... then I went to fix her blankets and found she wasn't asleep. Not CUTE!
She had taken my Iphone and went up and hid in her bed to play a little game on there!I couldn't help but giggle a little bit. She is 3 and she can turn the thing on and scroll to the right page and start the specific application she wants. So this picture of her and Jaden both playing Iphone games with our phones reminded me of that night.

I remember wanting a phone line in my room as a teenager but this is way cooler! Our kids have so much in the future for them! Its amazing! I am glad to be alive now instead of being born 100 years ago. I don't think I would have done the pioneer thing very well without AC and wifi for laptops and cell phones with texting and data plans etc....

Halloween

The kids had to much fun this year. They had church parties, company parties, school parties and trick or treating. What fun they had! Chase was kind of to cool for a real costume so he just threw on a wig. Ian wasn't sure if he was the grim reaper or a dementor from Harry Potter. Jaden was the same skeleton that Uncle Mark was as a little guy. He thought that was pretty cool. Elle of course is a princess. She told me that I couldn't be a princess because I didn't have glitter on my eyes. But later she came up to me all concerned and loving to tell me she'd share her glitter with me so I could be a princess too. I love holidays!

Man I married and OLD OLD man

So the youth in our church did a where is waldo trick or treating at the outlet malls. Ryan and 2 others had to dress up in a disguise and stroll around the mall. When the kids found him he had to give them one candy. We had so much fun dressing him up. I think it was a little depressing to Ryan to see what he will look like in years to come. He is already getting some real grays of his own.
I really do love older men but this might be to old for me :)

Elle's 1st haircut

After....
Before...



So finally I just did it. It was so hard to cut your only girls hair but now I am so glad it is done. She looks so much more together without as much effort. I am so greatful we go such a great lady to cut her hair. Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest!

Quick Utah Birthday Trip

 

Today Chase turned 12 years old. This last weekend we went down to our church's General Conference so Chase could go to his first priesthood session in the Conference Center. It is our goal to do it for each of the kids. We also when to the Saturday morning session. It was a wonderful thing! I was overwhelmed by the most wonderful feelings there. We also went to our old stomping grounds. It was so much fun. Odd that we didn't do anything like Disneyland but we had so much fun. I feel quite rested and so glad we were able to go. We got to see a lot of family and Ryan had a mission reunion. All in all it was such a great trip! Chase is such an amazing kid and I can't believe he's already 12 years old. His amazing personality makes me proud everyday. I don't know how he turned out so good but I am so greatful for him as the second man of this house. Happy Birthday Chase.

Long Beach

2008 pictures of the kids

1st day of school

Chase -6th grade (MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!)
Ian -3rd grade
Jaden- Kindergarten

The picture of Elle is her proud of getting her tooth fixed at the dentist. At least I still have one home for a little while!

Busy Summer

I am alway so excited for summer. I look forward to laying on the beach, taking walks enjoying the sun and the kids. Then reality sets in and its day camp for 2 weeks. 11 year old camp for 3 days, another overnighter later in the summer. Try to fit a vacation in and the exchange students come in July. Then get ready for the next year. I keep thinking "where was my summer!?!" But we love it all and someday I know I miss is so here we are again. Another summer gone :(
We enjoyed our exchange students they were really fun girls Tomoka & Miru. I am sad we can't do it next year because it's during Ryan's family reunion. But we'll do it again in years to come. My dad was bit by a poisonus spider so we spent a lot of time in the ccu unit of the hospital once they flew him up to one closer. (we were actually in the hospital with Ian getting stitches the day they flew him in) I was so scary looking and scary to think he might die. After 3 weeks in the hospital and a couple more weeks of in home care he is doing so much better. I'd put the picts on of the bite but you would totally hurl! So glad that everything turned out okay for him. We love him to much for a stupid spider to kill him! My brother Mark broke his hand while trying to bring down a guy at work. How many cops do you know actually get hurt! My brother is just lucky. There are cool pins in the bone for another week or so. I think that is all of the fun stuff that happened. Oh yeah, I had surgery again at the end of June. Much harder recovery but we're all doing great now!!! Feeling blessed to be here and everyone is doing good.

Blue Angels

This is one of my favorite things of every summer! I love the Blue Angels. It just feel like its summer when I'm out by the water watching them with the kids. Here are some of the picts from this year.

Picking Blueberries

We've had a very busy summer. Here are a few fun picts of one of our days. I have so much more to add but maybe this week I'll finally get a little time.

Happy Anniversary #14 JULY 22nd

Can you believe we've been married for 14 year already! I can't believe we've already been together that long. 5 more years we'll have been together longer than I was alone before we married! CRAZY. And I still love him more than I ever dreamed I could love anyone!

More stitches

Ian and Chase decided to swing the water hose at each other. Seemed
like a good idea at the time.

Elle's Ear Piercing

Today Elle got her ears pierced. She did amazing. What sparked the whole thing is her baby cousin had her ears pierced so Elle was sure she was big enough. I've wanted to pierce them since she was a baby but Ryan wanted her to want it. So I convinced Ryan that our 2 1/2 year old was very wise and knew exactly what she wanted and he finally just gave in. BUT she really was a trooper. She kept telling me it wouldn't hurt her and she wouldn't cry. By the video you can tell it hurt her but she didn't cry. She was one tough chick! I'm so proud of her and she loves her pink earrings! She keeps telling me she's a princess with pink earrings! I love having a girl as much as I've loved having boys! It's so awesome!

June....

I've been having fun changing up the blog a little bit.
You actually have to click on the title June to see the picts if it doesn't start right away.

So Jaden Offically graduated from Preschool. He is so EXCITED for kindergarten. Chase is growing up tons and at the end of the year concert he was so tall they had him in the very very back. Ian has always wanted a turtle and sure enough even though I refuse to buy one for him, he goes into the greenbelt behind our house and FINDS one. Its definately someones pet but we don't know whose it is. He is an outside turtle& the dogs like him. He finds his own food (sometimes the kids throw out old fruit and veggies) Elle is into changing her clothes. I think she changed at least 4 times this morning before 10am! I am scared to look in her bedroom. A total girl!

The other photo is of a cool park in Seattle. We visited there last week in between basketball camps the boys are in at the local high school. In the background is one of the Seattle Storm players (WNBA Pro team) getting interviewed. The kids thought that was really cool.

Memorial Day Trip

We went to Great Wolf Lodge. It was so much fun. The kids didn't want to leave. Our room was awesome and the lodge is amazing! The waterpark was all we hoped. It was a blast. We even snuck Jaden (1 inch to short) on the Tornado! The scariest and most fun! All in all this is a trip we'll do again.

11 yr old Hike/Camping Trip

Well on the first 11yr old camping trip they hiked up a little over a mile and set up camp. While playing tag with the boys (@ 10PM IN THE DARK!) Chase hit a log with his leg - there was an old rusty stake in the log. It cut Chase's leg open pretty good (about 6in long and about an inch deep) Good ol'Dad came to the rescue and carried Chase (115lbs) down the mountain on his back to the car then met me at the ER for stitches and a tetanus shot. All in all Chase has a cool scar and a new respect for how awesome his dad is to have carried him all the way down. I'd say it was a good experience but the fact that Ryan can still barely move might sway that a little. Can't wait for the next camping trip next month!

Mother Daughter Night

 

 

 

Last night was the Mother Daughter Date at the church. Elle calls it the girly church party. She dressed up and had so much fun. It was fun. My only wish was she sat next to me the whole night like a perfect little girl instead of running around with all of the other 2/3 year old girls. June and Stella (in one of the picts) were her two main partners in crime. They were up on the stage dancing and everything else you could think of. But I still loved every minute of the night with her.