Happy Birthday Kaylee!!!

I can't believe it, Kaylee is ONE today!! This is her birthday invitation that Jana helped me make for her party tomorrow!

Isn't she adorable? I look at her all the time and think, how did I get so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter! She is such an amazing little girl. She definitely has spunk and attitude, but is very tender and precious as well. We just lover her to pieces. Some of her favorite things to do are:

1-Play in Carson's room, and take all of his books off his bookshelf.

2-Crawl UP and DOWN the stairs, just for fun!

3-Eat real people food, like bread, ice cream, bananas, cookies, hash browns, and peas!

4-She has a cute little chair in her room, that she will climb on, and sit FOREVER!! It is so cute!

5-Take Baths! She would stay in there for hours if we let her...and she can't bathe, without something in her mouth the whole time...for example:

6. Loves to watch and laugh at her big brother....she thinks he is pretty funny!

7. She loves music, and her favorite song is 'Once there was a snowman'.

8. She loves to dance....if that's what you call standing and wiggling your bum! :)

9. She likes to climb, on chairs, dishwashers, people, books, toys....anything!! She is a little monkey!

10. Give hugs...when she is in the right mood, she loves to give mom and dad hugs! She is so loving that way!!

Kaylee we love you! Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Quick Note...

Sorry I forgot to mention WHEN Nick's surgery was happening...it is scheduled for Next Thurs, Feb 5th. So less than a week! Thank you to everyone for all the support and kind words! We have such great friends and family!! You are all so wonderful!

Now it is Nick's Turn...

As most of you know, last November was a crazy month with surgeries and hospital visits with Carson and Kaylee. And now it is Nick's turn to get surgery. Let me tell you the story...

When Nick was a little boy, about 10 or so, he swallowed 2 nickels...and got stuck in is throat...he was still able to breath, but got stuck in his esophagus. His parents took him to the ER and they removed them. Since then, they always assumed he just had a small esophagus. When he was 17, he was on a date, and got turkey stuck in his throat AGAIN! SO again, a trip to the ER, and it was removed. A month after we were married, he got POT roast stuck in his throat and we went to the ER to get it out. He is always getting things stuck in is throat..(technically esophagus, but throat is easier to spell). But he can usually get it out after 10 or 20 minutes of physical pain and a puking technique he has figured out...I won't elaborate on that part too much. So, after this happened twice last November 2008, I finally made him an appt to go and see a GI Specialist the first part of December. They did an endoscopy on him to look at his throat, esophagus, and stomach. They noticed a huge growth/lump in the lower 3rd of his esophagus, and recommended a CT scan to determine what it was. So more $$ and a week later, a CT scan was done at Lakeview, and it didn't really determine anything, other than it WASN'T a vascular issue. They thought maybe it was a blood vessel or something that was pushing in on the esophagus and creating the lump. So, they suggested an EUS, Esophagus Ultra Sound. So on January 2, we headed up to Huntsmans Cancer Hospital for an EUS. We were there all day waiting, since the Dr. had 3 emergency's that came up before he could see Nick. So our 11:00 appt, ended up getting done at 5 PM that night, and only lasted 20 Minutes. Poor Nick, he was in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV for almost 5 1/2 hours waiting! The results from the EUS showed that it was an Esophageal Duplication Cyst. It is like a water balloon, outside of his esophagus, pushing in on his esophagus, creating a road bump or pinched water hose, making it difficult for him to eat food sometimes. They don't think it is likely cancerous or anything, which is a relief, but it still needs to come out. So today we met with Thorasic Surgeon, Dr. Glasgow, the Chief Surgeon at the U of U hospital. He is amazing, and we feel so lucky to have been referred to such a great doctor. Most surgeons who need to remove a duplication cyst, will open the chest and remove it, making it a 6-8 week recovery. But Dr. Glasgow will actually do it making small incisions on the side of his chest, deflate his lung, and then remove the cyst. Very high tech if you ask me!! There are always risks involved with surgery, but we are confident that Dr. Glasgow will be able to remove it with little problem. Nick will be in the hospital for a few days to recover, and then will take it easy at home for at least a week or so. I think we were both relived today to find out they wouldn't have to split his chest and that we can get this taken care of finally. This will make Nick's life so much better and easier, without having to worry about food getting stuck in his throat! I would have posted something about this earlier, but since we weren't 100% sure what it was and how we needed to deal with it, I didn't know what to explain. So there it is....our medical issues continue!! Again, thank goodness for insurance!!


If you are wondering what the cyst looks like...here is a picture from the first endoscopy. You can see that the cyst is pushing into his esophagus quite a bit. It should look like an empty tunnel...or garden hose...crazy, huh!?!?!

Hot Water!!

I am sure we have all taken things for granted....we are very spoiled if you think about it. We can flush a toilet , go to the grocery store and buy whatever food we want, keep our houses at a constant comfortable temperature, and turn on the faucet and expect hot water at our demand. That is, until your water heater goes kaput!! When we came home from Boise on Monday, this is what Nick saw in the utility room......

So, he made a phone call to the plumber, and a few hours later we received the news that our water heater was dying. It would still work until he could get us a new one, it would just leak a bit. There is a drain in the utility room, so we didn't worry to much about it. (Luckily it was under warranty and covered the cost of the new tank, just not installation, so Nick planned on installing it himself). We got a new tank the very next day, but Nick wasn't able to install it Tuesday and planned on installing it Wednesday after he got home from work. Unfortunately that wasn't soon enough for me, since Wednesday morning I woke up to find that there was no hot water!! Our water heater died during the night....So no hot water to wash dishes, bottles, bathe the kids, or take a shower! I was stuck with COLD water all day, until Nick got home from work. This typically wouldn't be a big deal, but I have BOTS on Wednesday night, and I figured that even if Nick got it installed within a few hours of getting home from work, there wouldn't be enough time for the water to get hot and me get ready.....SO...Jana was nice enough to let me borrow her shower for the day, and I was able to get ready. (I washed my face in COLD water though...and rinsed all my dishes I had used that day in COLD water....oh it was miserable). In fact, it made me really grumpy not having HOT water. So it was nice when I got home last night from practice, to wash bottles in HOT water...oh it was heaven!! I will forever be grateful for HOT WATER!! What a luxury we have!! Thanks again Jana for the HOT WATER!!!

Having a Blast in Boise!

What a fun weekend we had. We headed up to Boise for the weekend to visit my older sister and her wonderful family. They have 5 kids, and the youngest, Mayci, is only 7 weeks younger than Kaylee, so it was fun to see them together. Carson also had a blast playing with his cousins. The cutest thing that happened this weekend was when we went to church on Sunday, and since Carson was visiting their primary, he got to get up in front of everyone while they sang him a song. And he was so anxious to get up there, and since the chorister was waving her hand, along with another primary child, he waived his hand too the whole song. It was so CUTE!!
Thanks Ris for your hospitality!! It was fun!
This is Austin and Kaylee....He was so good with her. He is 11, and is such a great helper. I threatened Marisa that I was going to take him home with me! But she said "no way", and I don't blame her! He is also great at making cookies, of which I ate way to many of!

The girls took a bath, and once one of them started splashing they both had to splash, it was quite comical. I think these pictures are CLASSIC!!

Oh, Carson.....what am I going to do with you!?!? He thought it was so neat that Madison and Kenzie wore their dance costumes, and of course he needed in on the action....so he borrowed a skirt from Kenzie. It was pretty funny to watch!

We had a blast playing their new Wii they got for Christmas. Carson loved playing Guitar Hero...

I even got in on the action, but Marisa whooped my butt!! I need to get one and practice before we have a rematch!

Kaylee is SO CLOSE to walking...she just doesn't have the guts...and she sits down when she realizes she is standing by herself...but she likes to walk if we are willing to help her.

Thanks again Ris for EVERYTHING...for the food, the games, the talks...it was a great weekend.

I love Wednesdays...

So most of us have our favorite day of the week, and I used to love Saturdays when I was working, since it was a day off. I really like Sunday's, especially now we have early Church, and it is usually a nice relaxing day. But, I now love WEDNESDAYS!! Let me tell you why I now look forward to Wednesdays....

Ever since I have been out of college, I haven't really played in any structured musical group. I have tried a few things, but nothing really serious. Music is my passion, and as I am getting older, it is harder and harder to find the time or way to get involved in music, other than just singing to my children or playing the piano at home or at church. So...last July I got the opportunity to audition for the Bells on Temple Square aka BOTS. It was such a wonderful experience and I was told there really wasn't any openings for girls right now, just men. But, that he (Tom Waldron, the director) would keep me in mind if anything changes. It was fun even for that two weeks to attend their rehearsals and feel the spirit that was there. But I figured, since I was just a percussionist, not really a bell ringer, that nothing would ever come of it really soon. But in December I was pleasantly surprised when I was notified that they wanted me to become a substitute bell ringer starting in January. I gladly accepted, and so now every Wednesday evening I get to go and play with the BOTS, and it is so ENJOYABLE!! We practice at the Tabernacle on Temple Square. I am just a sub right now, which is how all ringers get in. I will fill in for concerts and broadcasts for those who aren't able to attend. If there is ever a permanent opening, they fill it with a sub. But I love Wednesday's now, since it gives me two hours to really enjoy something that I thought I would never get to do again....use my musical talents and share it with others. The best thing about BOTS, is that it is a Church calling, a musical mission. We are considered missionaries, and we use music to share the message about the gospel. My mom has been in the MOTAB for 15 years now, and it has been amazing to see her be a missionary that way. I just wanted to share my fun news, and tell my hubby, Nick, how much I appreciate his support in this calling. (Especially since he must put the kids to bed and watch them while I am gone EVERY week). So who knows when I will actually perform with them, since I am just a sub, but even at that, it is such a blessing.

Evacuated...

So my family has been evacuated from our house, due to an oil refinary fire (which is basically across the street from our house). No worries, nothing serious...in fact this is the first time they have evacuated us, out of the 4 or 5 fires that have occured at this oil refinary. I am surprised it is still running....I would think someone would shut them down eventually....Anyway....we were evacuated since the fire was in one of the tanks, and was letting off toxic fumes....normally we just sit and enjoy the romatic glow of the fire until they get it out, in the comfort of our front yard, but we just got word that we can return to our homes. We were lucky enough to have great neighbors who let us go to their parents house in Centerville with them. So while most everyone else is watching the Jazz game, I thought I would enjoy this free time to blog.

I just wanted to share our fun pictures from the weekend. We were able to go to Tremonton and visit my family. My little bro Chris had a bball game against Ben Lomond, so we took that opportunity to see him in action. He is a Sr and plays Varsity. His is a good little player. It was fun to see him play. I can't believe he will graduate this year! wow!!!! The kids enjoyed it.....

Chris....#14

Kaylee has mastered the stairs....so she spent most of the game playing on the bleacher stairs...It kept her plenty entertained.

Then on Sunday, we got a fun visit from some friends who we knew when we lived in Magna. It was Randall's bday last week, so we celebrated with some yummy brownies! :) Happy Birthday OLD MAN!!!!

We had a good weekend, and enjoyed spending time with our sis in law, Natalie. We went to dinner at Applebee's Saturday, Carson's favorite place, (Thanks Tiff & Aaron for the gift card....that was very thoughtful!!). Carson and Natalie had a slumber party in the basement that night, and then Nat came to church with us the next day. We always enjoy it when she is around...with or without Matt...but we missed him too!!

Well.....I guess I better head back home....and make sure our house is still standing.

A New Year!

It is hard to believe it is 2009. Last year was a pretty exciting year for our family! Kaylee was born, I stopped working at the Credit Union to stay home as a full time mom (which I love!), we had fun vacations with our family, had a few medical issues that are all doing great, I got braces on & off, bought more houses, sold more houses, finally finished projects around the house, Carson turned 3, I finally dropped some extra weight I had been wanting to loose for quite some time, we bought a VAN, Nick and I celebrated 8 years of marriage, and it was all fun!! There were definitely some stressful times, hard times, and challenging times, but I think everyone has those days, and those weeks, and maybe even months. But those challenges in our lives are what creates the kind of person we are, right? So we learn, we work harder, and we try to enjoy life!

So this is how we have enjoyed life lately....this first week of New Years hasn't been too eventful, which has been really nice. It is too cold and snowy to try and travel anywhere during the day, so we have mostly been chillin' at home and enjoying some of the new Christmas toys we got. I am always amazed on how willing Carson is to help me clean and cook. And it seems like Kaylee is following in his footsteps. This is what happened when I started unloading the dishwasher a few days ago....
Kaylee loves to stand by the dishwasher when it is open, and she is now "Helping" by handing all the utensils to Carson. He loves to put them away for me. (Now I don't guarantee how clean they stay during this process, so if you come and eat dinner at my house, you might want to bring your own utensils!) :)

I think I might have it made if Kaylee is as good as Carson when it comes to helping! Yesterday we cleaned the two upstairs bathrooms, and Carson practically washed the counter and toilet himself! He is getting pretty good at it!

Kaylee is starting to discover new foods, including bread, gerber's version of Cheetos, and CRACKERS! I have never been a big fan of giving crackers to babies, mainly because they are such a big mess to clean up...but she loves them!! These pictures were taken at Grandma Karen's and Papa Bears house when we were there for New Years. We had a good time!

Kaylee is 11 Months old now, and will be 1 on the 30th of this month!! It is weird that it has been one year almost! I can't imagine our lives without her! We love her to pieces, and she has been a really good baby!! Her latest "GAME" is dropping something on the floor, waits for us to give it back to her, and she drops it again on the floor. She giggles and thinks it is pretty hysterical. She mainly does it with a sippy cup, or her bottle. It is amusing, for like the first 10 times, then it is just annoying for the rest of us! :)

She is also all over the place. Crawling that is...but she will stand up to everything, and even stand alone for a few seconds until she realizes she standing....so along with finding her new mobility, there are bound to be some battle scars.....case in point:

Poor little girl....she was in the bathroom while Nick was taking a shower (Carson and I were at the grocery store) and was standing up to the toilet (lid closed) and tried to reach out to the bathtub, not realizing how far away it was, and fell nose first into the edge of the tub. Her little nose bled, her eyes are a little black, the edge of her nose is red, and her little bridge is bruised! Then she has a scrape on the side of her face (from her own fingernails). She looks like someone did quite a number on her! I hope it will heal soon. I want to take some pictures of her for her 1 Year Birthday announcements. Anyone with little kids probably have the same types of pictures of their little one...bruised faces and all! Life is tough when you are learning to walk!

So here's to a New Year! Let's make it a good one!