Carving Pumpkins

Our family got together this evening to carve pumpkins…the kids like pulling out the “guts” of the pumpkin and picking out what they want on it and then they leave the actual carving to the adults…they are just not quite old enough to carve yet.  Amanda made a wonderful dinner of pulled pork…two kinds…spicy and sweet.  She is turning into a wonderful cook I’m so proud of her.  So here are some pictures of the evening.

Payten thought the insides were “ewwww”

Jayden wanted her pumpkin to look scary

 

Grandpa Helped Jayden

Royal and Charlee watched Harry Potter

Izzy gets her hands dirty with her first pumpkin…so cute!

Wayne loves all the Gooey mess!

Grandma Look at this stuff!  She was really grossed out over the insides.

John and Izzy’s Headless Horseman

I think they all did a fantastic job!

Here is RaLee’s pumpkin.  Why isn’t it carved?  Because she was…

…in Crystal’s bed…

…Sleeping!  Why was she sleeping you ask?  Well Teele has a horse that Larry Simmons, from Showlow, sent to him to train.  Why?  Because it bucks!  So when RaLee and Charlee went horseback riding this evening Teele put her on Larry’s horse.  In his defense he said, “I’ve had that horse for ONE month and it hasn’t bucked once.  I thought she would be safe.”  So the horse took off with her on it as fast as he could run through the desert.  RaLee said she weighed her options and decided she had better dive off before he threw her off somewhere less safe with the possibility of running over the top of her.  So she is really hurting this evening with some road rash from her left shoulder to her elbow and a very SORE knee.  It’s times like these that I wish we had medical insurance!

Here are the kids posing with their pumpkins.  The small white one is for Sage.  Today has been a hard day for me.  I woke up thinking about Sage and choked back tears all night.  He should have been there will all of the kids getting dirty with a pumpkin of his own.

Remembering My grandson and last years pumpkin carving.

I’m so thankful for my family.  I have learned to cherish each and every moment I have with them.  I am thankful we took the time to create so many wonderful memories with our little man.  When I think about it we packed a lot of living into the short 8 months we had with him…he brought us so much joy.  In fact he still does.

A Day At The Emergency Room & Urgent Care

For those of you who don’t know D.J. very well he is one tough guy and NEVER complains when he is sick.  He HATES going to the Dr. and if he ever says he needs to go you better consider calling 911.  I remember one Spring evening a couple years ago he came in the house and headed straight for his bedroom.  I asked him if he was having an asthma attack and he said, “I’m FINE!”  Then he bent over the book case in the hall way and Crystal screamed call 911!  They tried to stabilize him in the kitchen before transporting him but couldn’t so it was a race to the ER, full lights and siren and me in the front.  The medic in the back kept yelling, “I can’t get his  O2 up this never happens I can always get it up!  I’ve done everything I can!”  So long story short we were asked to consider organ donation…yea it was that close of a call.    So when he told me his stomach hurt really bad and needed to go to the ER I FREAKED out!(in my head mind you because really freaking out in front of him is not an option).  Then he mentions the pain is behind his belly button and I’m thinking umbilical hernia but there is no bulging.  Then he says, “Hay do you remember that Fox tail I got in my belly button a few months ago?”  I said NOooo?!  He says, “Oh yea I never told you I didn’t want you to worry.'”  Apparently when he was hauling/loading hay on the trucks he shoved a fox tail clear into his belly button without knowing it.  He started feeling sore and found the end and pulled out this VERY long fox tail.  So we go to the ER and they finally tell us that apparently a piece of the fox tail or a second one is still in there and it’s just working it’s way to the surface!  Yes it will hurt but give it a couple weeks and you will see it and can pull it out.  For those of you who don’t know what a fox tail is (many of the ER nurses didn’t know) here is a picture.

So we went home where we will play the waiting game.  Can we say strange?  I mean really our family has some of the weirdest things happen to us…oh well it keeps life interesting to say the least!

Then  Jayden was coughing and it was sounding croupy.  She suffers from this every winter and Crystal know’s the routine well.  Catch it early, get her on prednisone and she should recover quickly so when her fever started to kick in yesterday afternoon Crystal took her straight to the pediatrician.  He had a new PA there that doesn’t know Jayden’s issues and she decided not to give her med’s but told Crystal to take her home and do steam showers with her.  Crystal was upset but what can you do? 

So she took her home, canceled Jayden’s trip to the Ward Trunk-or-Treat party.  She got the boys ready to go.  Cori and Blades were VERY brave and volunteered to take Crystal’s 3 boys in addition to having two little boys of their own.  After they left Crystal read to Jayden then took her upstairs for one of those recommended steam bathes.   She got Jayden out of the tub and turned to get a second towel for her and Little Miss Jayden decided to stand on top of the toilet with her wet slippery feet and she fell hitting her chin on the toilet.  Crystal turned and when Jayden lifted her chin blood went everywhere.  So what does a mom do?  She grabs the cell phone and calls her mom.   I gave her instructions, like get her dressed, apply pressure and come get me.  So we went to the Urgent Care and the rest is in photos (of course).

In the waiting room

Showing her “Owie” to Grandma

“Grandma They Have a Little Table!”

Cleaning it up and the Dr. says yes she needs stitches, “See the fatty tissue all exposed"?”  YUK and Grandma starts to get upset now. 

They had Crystal lay down then wrap her leg over Jayden’s legs in a scissor hold.  Then Crystal held her shoulders down, the nurse held her head and I had both hands and let me tell you Jayden is one strong little girl! 

It took all three of us to keep her down…and my heart broke…lots of tears later and some primary songs she was done.  The Dr. heard her croup and he examined her afterwards and we went home with a prescription for Prednisone.  Man this entire thing could have been avoided if the PA would have listened and prescribed her medicine instead of a steam bath!   Isn’t this the saddest little face?

We bought her an ice cream cone then took her home where she promptly ran to her PaPa for some loves!

October

I have started on my much needed dental work this month, my favorite thing to do, and  I am feeling better and looking forward to my second oral surgery.    They have decided to do my work in three separate surgeries by pulling 4-6 teeth each time and gas has become my new best friend.  My first surgery was clicking right along.  She, a little tiny Asian woman, pulled the first three fairly easy.  So she asked me if I was up to taking out the top two on the left side.  I optimistically replied, “Sure go for it!”  So she numbed my top left side.  I love how she sweetly said, “Little poke in the pallet”, little poke?  Those shots hurt!  So she went after the top two and they didn’t want to leave their home in fact they were happy and comfortable there.  It was going on 1 1/2 hours of tugging and pulling and sweat beads are now dripping off my little dentists forehead.  The assistant that started with me at 11 am has now gone to lunch and another has taken her place.  I’m thinking of everything and anything to keep my mind off of the tugging.  I really thought she was going to jump up into the middle of my chest and start busting out some ninja moves!  When it finally came out she say’s, “WOW would you look at the roots on those teeth!”  So Brave me sits up and nearly passes out!  What are those?  Could I be part dinosaur?  Really these things were so long!   I really should have brought the thing home for proof!  So I’m looking forward to the next top 4 teeth coming out I really can’t wait!   Then I have two more on the bottom right, 5 fillings to replace and my partial adjustments, then  a cleaning and I’m done!  Merry Christmas to me!
Amanda and I took pictures at a wedding that was held at the old Landmark Restaurant in Mesa.  The building was originally the first LDS chapel (in Mesa) built in 1911.  It was interesting but gosh I was tired and just wanted to be in my bed as I was wiped from the dentist.  Here is a couple shots from the day.


RaLee helped us pose the bride, fix her hair, dress, veil and stuff.  She is really good at putting people at ease and coming up with fun poses.  She was sitting in a chair at the back of the church watching the ceremony and when the wedding party filed out RaLee stepped out behind the father of the bride to exit the church and get to work.  So to her surprise and shock the guys tuxedo pants fell down to his ankles!  RaLee said he quickly bent over, in his tighty whities, and pulled his pants back on.  Everybody asked, “Please tell us you got that photo!”  We didn’t because we were outside ready to get the bride and groom as they exited the building. I’m guessing that is one picture he is glad we didn’t capture!   RaLee has laughed and laughed about it.  Poor man can you imagine?  I understand how he felt because my “way too big” panty hose fell around my ankles a couple months ago as I was walking to the car after church.  How does one pull panty hose back up gracefully?
PRAYER REQUEST
RaLee is captain of the JV cheer squad and Hannah Hornbeck is captain of the Freshman squad.  A few weeks into the school year Hannah fell ill.  She got a virus that attacked her heart and was told she had to sit out the rest of the football season.  Then she got worse and ended up with open heart surgery and slipped into a coma.  Ralee and the entire squad are very upset as you can imagine.  Now Hannah is in need of a heart transplant.  Please keep her in your prayers.  I can’t imagine how her parents feel.  RaLee was Freshman cheer captain last year and I just keep remembering how excited for high school and cheer she was and all the things she had to look forward too.  I feel for her parents and know they must be devastated and my thoughts and prayers are with them.
Hannah is the 2nd girl from the left on the front row.

Hannah, bottom right base cheerleader.

Then Little Isabelle, my little IZZY, has been sick this week.  Amanda took her right in to the Dr. and they tested her for swine flu.  The pediatrician called this morning and confirmed that she has the H1N1 virus.  She seems to be doing better but we are asking that you say a prayer for her recovery.

I also had the honor of being able to photograph baby Kyndal Ann White’s memorial services.  It’s so hard to see little ones that are taken so soon from their loving families.  It’s even harder to see these parents knowing full well the journey that lies ahead of them.  Kyndal’s services were beautiful and brought back a lot of emotions for Crystal and I.  I pray for Cori and Blades everyday.
 
Then on a lighter note I caught Teele wearing a mullet wig!  Doesn’t he look like a redneck Joe Dirt?  This picture was snapped before he realized I had the camera…I mean honestly doesn’t he know my camera is ALWAYS within arms reach?

Here is the look I got after he realized I took a picture and that it was BLOG bound!  See the glare?  LOL