So, this weekend we went up to help mom and dad move out of Pocatello. They have lived here for 22 years. They are moving to Payson, about 15 minutes south of us. It was really weird being in the house all empty, like the day we moved in.

While we were there we stopped at this great little drive in at Ross Park. It has a particular delicacy that I think is unique to Pocatello. It's called Taco Spaghetti.
I ate it on my lap in the car. Which is kind of hard, because it's messy. But oh so good. And twice as good when consumed with a cherry shake. Yes. We totally abandoned our "healthy by 36" objectives here.
So goodbye Pocatello. My last familial ties are gone. I imagine we will swing in every once in awhile to visit some dear, dear friends who still live there. But driving back, I realized that Pocatello hasn't felt like "home" for some time now. The home I grew up in, the memories of cruising around town with my friends, the fun and sometimes crazy things we did, all of that is really just a place in my heart now. It was a good place to grow up. But grow up we must. Thanks, Pocatello, goodnight.

Baseball Season is Here!

This will be Jake's first year playing baseball. He is enjoying it so far. Isn't this the most beautiful setting for small town little league baseball? It was the most gorgeous day! You really cannot beat this view.


Jake scored 2 runs, was walked both times at bat, and his team won 8 to 10. He seems to like baseball more than football. I think it has something to do with the fact that he was actually scoring points for his team.

It's An Opera!

Angelice's second grade class has written an opera. From the lyrics, to the music, the scenery, to the costumes and staging, the children did it ALL! The plot was a group of scorpions scare away a group of cowgirl's horses. A group of hip hop loving, mtv watching mummies, and a group of hungry vultures (cue Angelice) help them get their horses back.
This is Angelice sitting in the vultures "nest". The girls made sure there were vulture eggs in it. Everybody loves babies. Even carrion eating, murderous, ugly babies.
This adorable little boy kept forgetting his lyrics. And each time he did, the girls would give him the stink eye, and he'd start giggling.

All in all, a very good show!

Ben is Fine

These pictures were taken two days after his surgery. This is Benny at his finest. He is just fine everyone! Thank you so much for the prayers and well wishes!

A Tough Week

Whew. What a whirlwind of a week. Last Saturday, after a bout with a little cold, I noticed the previously diagnosed cyst on Ben's neck was larger, and the skin around it inflamed, and swollen. So, I immediately called his pediatrician, and he got us in that day. He diagnosed it as a brancial cleft cyst. He said it was abcessed, and needed to come out right away. We got he name of a good ENT surgeon, and he sent us on our way.

Unfortunately, it took us two days and yet another referral to get seen by a surgeon. Wednesday morning, I took Holly and Ben in to the office, and Dr. Riddle checked him out. Upon examination, he agreed with the pediatrician, and decided to admit Ben for a CT Scan, and surgery the next day.

Once getting settled, the nursing team attempted to start an IV line, and due to dehydration and reactive veins, they were unsuccessful. They poked him three times and decided to leave him be until the pediatric anesthesiologist team could get to him. When they were able to come up, they gave him something up his nose to make him drowsy and assured me that he would be too loopy to care about getting an IV, and he wouldn't remember it. Well, not so much. I heard him screaming from across the hall, and behind two doors. I literally had to leave the hallway, and find a bathroom so that I wouldn't throw up on the floor. Luckily, Ted was brave enough to stay with him. After they finally got the IV line in, he was so exhausted and spent he laid perfectly still for the CT and they didn't have to sedate him. After fitful night's sleep he was wheeled into surgery at 7 am the next day.

Here he is, slightly awake after being wheeled back from recovery:
Then he slept:
As soon as the nurses got his cords situated, and he seemed to be stable enough, they let me hold him. He woke up briefly for a couple pictures.
After sleeping off the general anesthesia, he began to wake up, and Daddy got him to smile.
And, after two hours of waking, and keeping down some jello and juice, he was able to go home. They don't wheel kids out in wheelchairs. They roll them down in little red wagons! Ben got a kick out this!
When he got into the car, he asked me if we were going to see another doctor, with tears in his eyes. I started to cry , and said "No baby, we're done with doctors." He nodded his head, and said "Good."

Little Ben was so charming. Everyone loved him. All the nurses said they wished he could stay longer, but were so glad he was better.

And I, as his mother, feel like I could sleep for a week. There is nothing more painful than watching your child be put through pain. I would take his place in a heartbeat if I could. While it was a scary experience, I am so grateful for the wonderful, proactive doctors in our area. They took such good care of him, and were so kind and sweet with him.

Ben is home, and seems to be recovering well. He's eating, and my biggest worry now is keeping him down so that he doesn't overdo it! I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for providing us comfort, and being with our boy during surgery, and his doctors as well. Here's to hoping this is the last major health hurdle with Ben, he's had more than his fair share in his short life.

Holly's One!

I can't believe my baby is one! Our little Holly has brought us so much joy. You know, I have had a very spiritual experience with each of my children during pregnancy, and I didn't with Holly. I had wondered about that very topic, and Heavenly Father gave me a very special witness. You see, we lost three babies before we had her. Every time the doctor turned on that ultrasound machine, and there was no heartbeat, I felt more and more hopeless. I have never prayed more fervently for anything in my whole life. I began to think that the Lord was not listening, or didn't think I was a good enough mother for just one more baby.

Finally, one day, I knelt in my closet, and out of sheer desperation, poured my heart out to the Lord, and ended by saying "Here am I! Thy will be done!"

And we found out three weeks later we were going to have a baby.

When she was born, I was given a witness that this child was an answer to my prayers. Not that she had some divine mission, or was given to me to test me, or make me a better person, or go on to perform some miracle of faith. No, I was given witness that she was there as a gift to show me Heavenly Father's tender mercy. She was here simply because we wanted her.

Oh how we wanted her.

Happy birthday precious baby Holly! Thank you for giving us so much joy!