SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER TO WATCH THAN LISTEN

Jonathon actually said "mom" today. I didn't capitalize it because it was just a sound Megan coaxed him into saying. He has no idea it means me. But it was fun to hear him say it. He's been saying Da' Da' for several weeks now and I think he's beginning to get the idea that it means Rob. It's fun to watch those associations start to take place.

I let Carly have her friend Isaac over today to play. I was busy feeding and taking care of Jonathon so I had them play in her room. I wasn't more than 15 steps away from the room so I could pretty well hear what was going on. Every few minutes I would stick my head in to make sure they weren't destroying the universe or killing anything living. The first time I stuck my head in they were each standing opposite ends of Carly's bed. Issac was on the headboard frame and Carly was on the foot board frame getting ready to jump into the center of the mattress so they could jump up and down on the bed. This is a two and three year old. How do they learn these things?! Anyway, I told them "NO", got them down and got them busy playing with toys again. Then I went back to feeding Jonathon.

A few minutes later I noticed something strange. It was too quiet. They were't making any noise. I went to investigate. They had removed one of her small drawers of hair clips and barrettes and were playing with them in not so hair-friendly ways. They had already been forbidden to touch these drawers on more than one occasion (especially Carly) and were even told today right when they went in the room to play not to touch them. Plus, the last time Issac visited, Carly and another friend, a girl, put lots of the pretty clips all through his hair. It was surprising, yet adorable when we opened the door and found him looking so pretty. :)  But I digress. I took these away from them; put them back in drawer and reminded them not to touch them. I then drew their attention back to the toys and I went back to Jonathon.

So Dad and I are both in the living room with Jonathon when the next thing happens. I hear a funny sound. It's a shhh-shing sound. I hear it three times coming from Carly's room. I think--"Are they sophisticated enough to make that sound with their mouths?" (Silly mommy. I am slow on the uptake today.) Of course not! I put Jonathon down and run toward Carly's room. I get there just in time to see Carly with an almost empty can of Coppertone Water Babies (Aerosol spray sunscreen for kids) which had been almost full aimed directly at Big Tom, her huge white Teddy Bear and her Giant Raggedy Ann. Some of the sunscreen had run down into her hand when she sprayed it and she looked up at me and said "Mom, sticky." Yah, so let's suffice it to say that Big Tom and Raggedy Ann can go hang out at the pool all summer long if they want and won't get sunburned any time soon.

As for Mom, she's getting a time-out. Lol!

SOME MORNINGS WHEN I LOOK IN MY MIRROR . . .

I FEEL THIS WAY TOO!

Isn't this funny? He climbed his way up and held onto the mirror all by himself. I think his distress actually is that once he got ahold of the mirror he wasn't quite sure how to let go of it and sit down again. The mirror is just leaning against the wall and I think he realized it would probably come down with him if he didn't do it just right. No worries, Momma saved him but not until she took the shot! Lol!

JONATHON ROBERT STEVEN IS ALL OFFICIAL AND EVERYTHING

And ain't he cute? Aren't they all cute? Julie had just finished Carly's hair and shot this photo of Rob with Carly and Jonathon right before Church. Carly is camera shy lately. We have to catch her unaware to get her real smile!

We had a really nice lunch after church with Susan and her family. This next picture is of Susan's two girls Ashley and Alyssa. Ashley is 15 and Alyssa is 18. Sarah's family was also going to be here but Sarah got really sick so they weren't able to make it. We hope she is feeling better soon.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Today was a beautiful day. It was about 65 degrees out and felt like shirt sleeve weather. It was surprising given that when we went to bed last night it was freezing. I was sure we were going to wake up to snow today. Thank goodness we didn't. We really want to get our vegetable garden planted. I don't want when we will stop having freezing weather but I do hope it's soon. I'd also like to plant some flowers soon, too. The only ones that seem to flourish at this moment are dandelions. Yuk!

Tomorrow on Mother's Day Jonathon is going to be blessed at church. We call it giving him a name and a blessing. It's something that is normally done in our church when a baby is first born. However, the schedule changes when a baby is adopted. We have to wait until everything is legal which in our case took eight months. (I say Legal Schmegal!) Once the baby's adoption is finalized in the court system then we can be sealed to him and have him blessed. We had Jonathon sealed to us on the 24th of April and tomorrow he will be blessed. For those of you who have never attended a blessing Rob and some other family members and friends who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood will lay their hands on his Jonathon's head and then Rob will formally gives him his name and a blessing for his life. It's a pretty neat experience.

Now in case you don't know Jonathon has a lot of names. When you are the only son (after 5 daughters) there is a lot to live up to. Jonathon is named after his Dad, both Grandfathers and his favorite uncle. Thus, Robert Jonathon Steven. In the beginning, he was a pretty tiny guy to have such a big name but trust me he is growing into it quickly and nicely. In fact, if he gets as big as we're thinking he is going to we may need to add a couple more names! Lol!

In closing, let me just say Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother who is one of my best and closest friends. I love her so much! Thanks so much for everything Mom. You're the best!

Also, Happy Mother's Day to all of you. Thanks for the mothering you do for your own children and others. You make this world a better place. I honestly believe the saying, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." Love you all, Nancy

OH YAH, WE HAD VISITORS!

I completely forgot (which is SO unlike me--yah right) to mention that we had some Greencastle visitors about a week ago! Bob and Martha Sechman stopped by on their way home from their Winter sojourn in Arizona. Yes, they took the long way around (but it was worth it!) Mom and Dad had a terrific visit them and were so glad to see familiar faces! If any of you are ever in the area be sure to stop by. We would love to see your face!

Well, I did a little better today. I even got on the treadmill. Yes, I did. I thought it would kill me but I stayed on it. My stamina seems to be gone but I tied a rope and hung on. I walked for an hour even though it wasn't very fast. I managed to walk just over three miles. It's the first exercise I've pulled off in about two weeks. Yikes! I need to do more. Hope I can keep it up. Hate this time of year when pollen pulls me down!

Jonathon is determined to walk soon! He pulls himself up a little better each day. This little punk is strong and determined. His just bigger than him sister had better look out and be a little softer with him. One of these days if she isn't nicer to him he is going to clock her! Crazy girl!

Well, it's late and I'd better get myself in bed. Yay, it's Julie's night with Jonathon. I get to sleep tonight. :) Thanks Julie!

I GOT UP TODAY

I showered, gave the babies a bath, watched cartoons with them, fed them, put them down for a nap, put on makeup and did my hair and by the time I was done it was only 6:00 p.m.. Ever feel like you are functioning in a fog? Yah, me too. Hey, but at least today I was functioning!

Hubby was working more overtime so he didn't get home until almost 9:00 p.m. Poor guy has been putting in tons of hours. He is training a new guy and when that guy is up to speed he won't have to put in so many hours but it takes about three months to know what is going on.

Jonathon's front bottom teeth are almost all the way in. He looks cute with them. I've never seen a baby drool as badly as he does. I keep a bib on him all the time but he soaks the bib, too. He is always wet! I wish he would get past drooling stage. I'll bet he does, too. He crawls fast now and he is already standing himself up by grabbing onto things like the table or the couch. This little guy is going to walk early. We are in real trouble. Two toddlers = constant surveillance! Lol!

I need to get my mind and my energy back. If any of you run into them, please send them my way. :)

ALLERGIC TO TIREDNESS?

I hate this time of year when the pollen count is sky high and my energy level is SO low. It always takes me awhile to figure out what is going on, too. My migraines get worse and I can't find the energy to get out of bed, my eyes ache and itch and all I want to do is sleep. The last two days I have spent the majority of the day in bed, not necessarily asleep mind you. Part of that time I've had little ones crawling all over me but anytime I could get them to take a nap at the same time, I was out. Thank goodness for Grandma because she watched Jonathon when Carly took a nap so I was able to get a nap on Tuesday, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten one. Today, I actually got them down at the same time. Woohoo! My poor house, though. YeGads! It is suffering. Hopefully, I will feel better enough to get a handle on it sometime this week. Of course, it isn't helping my fatigue that Jonathon still doesn't go to bed early and isn't sleeping through the night yet. We are working on that.

Well, I did just get him down so I had best get in bed myself while I can. Love you all. Night.

AN AMAZING TRUE STORY

This is a video of a woman who along with her husband survived a small plane crash in 2008. The pilot, a good friend of theirs was killed. She writes a blog called the Nie Nie Dialogues that is really inspiring but I ran across this video yesterday and it was so powerful and inspiring to me I knew I should share it with all of you. She is an amazingly strong woman. I can't imagine being able to do as well in her shoes. Wow, what a woman! May God bless Stephanie Nielsen every day of her life with every ounce of strength, faith and hope she needs to be all she wants and needs to be while she's here on earth. Click on the link below to watch this story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E

TEACHER'S CONFERENCE, BABY FOOD AND BITING--OH MY!

Rob and I went to parent teacher conference for Julie tonight. It was hardly necessary as she is a really good student and her teachers like her really well, too. She needs to do better about turning in her assignments and can improve a little here and there but overall she's an excellent student.

I find it so interesting to watch the regression of my two year old as Jonathon progresses. He is crawling full speed now and can say "Da-Da." You will probably be just as impressed as I am to know that Carly can now do those things just as well as Jonathon, if not just a little bit better! Lol! Everytime he says "Da Da" and gets praised for it she says it several more times a little more loudly so we can praise her too. If he crawls, she crawls. If he eats baby rice with baby food bananas, that's what she eats. Nevermind the fact that I couldn't get her to eat much of that stuff when she was his age! All of the sudden, whatever baby does, Carly does. It's rather hillarious and pitiful at the same time. And trust me, it's not that she lacks for attention! This is one little girl that gets PLENTY of attention. She just likes the attention brother is getting. I just have to smile at it and give her the praise and attention she apparently thinks she needs. Otherwise, I think baby brother will get punched or bitten more than he already has. Oh, have I forgotten to mention that?

Yah, we have had a few incidents where big sister was checking the sharpness of her teeth on her baby brother--once on his toe and once on his finger. She did it to me once as well. Trust me, they are sharp and she got in BIG trouble. She has also just turned around and punched him or smacked him for NO reason at all. Well, no reason we could ascertain -- other than pure jealousy. So, we don't leave big sister alone with little brother even for a few minutes--even when they are getting along famously. That's usually when something happens, when all is well.

And really those incidents have been rare compared to how loving Carly usually is with Jonathon. She really does seem to adore him and he, her. They delight in each other's company and giggle and play together really well. Jonathon just lights up when she comes in to see him when he first wakes up and she just dances around and laughs and teases him. It's really a very cute relationship they are building--one based on much more than the sharing of baby food. Lol!

HOW CAN YOU NOT

FALL HEAD OVER HEALS FOR THESE TWO FACES? AREN'T THEY JUST SO ADORABLE?

Jonathon

Carly

STOP COLORING MY WORLD, I MEAN WALL!

I ran errands again today and left Julie to watch the babies. (Note to self--stop doing that! lol!) When I got home AGAIN baby girl had made Crayola her God and the wall her Canvas. Same exact spot; same exasperated sister. Only this time baby girl had been grounded--that's right grounded from coloring for the rest of the day. Good job big sister! Carly still doesn't understand what she did wrong. That is, she asked to color for the rest of the day and we would remind her that she colored on the wall and so she was not allowed to. She just looked at us confused. I imagine to a 2 year old those big white walls do look just like a huge canvas that need a splash of color. She probably thinks she is creating a mural for us and that we will be so thrilled when we see her artwork. Imagine her disappointment when we don't react the way she expects. :(

Oh, to be a two year old and to have such innocence again. It's so easy to get frustrated with her when she acts out but there are lots of moments when it is equally easy to stand back and look at big walls and see them as canvasses in a two year old mind. I love being a Mommy! I love trying to imagine what is going through her little mind. I love seeing her see something for the first time, hearing her say a new word, watching absolute glee come across her face because her little brother crawled over and kissed her forehead. I love the excitement on her face when she sees me for the first time each morning. I love the way she says M-O-M-M-Y! I love everything about this little girl--and I love Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power! Don't ever stop coloring my world sweet Carly--but please, stop coloring the wall before you give Julie a nervous breakdown! :}

WILL COLOR FOR GUMMIES!

Went to visit my mother-in-law today who had her knee replaced. She is doing really well. When we got home Julie was quite exacerbated, Carly was in a time out and Jonathon was just crawling around not quite knowing what to think. Turns out Carly had decided to use the hallway wall as her canvas. You know, have crayons--will color! Julie had been working feverishly to remove the Crayon from the wall. Carly was crying hysterically in her room (Not because she was sorry because she wanted to come out and color some more.) Poor Jonathon just looked terribly confused when we walked in. I think Julie might have thought she would get in trouble for the wall but I just looked at her and said "Julie, she's two. She's going to color on walls. Don't let it get you so upset. It comes off." She looked a little bit relieved at that point--though I think if I'd taken her pulse or blood pressure they would have both been high. Carly's too. I'm not sure you should leave a 16 year old sibling with a two year old sibling for longer than two hours and expect them both to be thriving when you come home. I think it was a darn good thing Grandma was in the basement or we might have come home to some serious carnage.

MY DAY

So, today we had sunshine, rain, snow, sleet and itty bitty hail. I am not sure whether to be confused about what month it is, what season it is, where I live, or whether the earth is warming or cooling. If anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it.

MY ADORABLE BLESSING

I have the cutest little boy. I was just sitting here holding him trying to get him to go to sleep and he got the giggles. No kidding. He made me laugh and when I laughed he giggled even more. So, then I started laughing just to get him to giggle.  He has the sweetest, funniest giggle. He is a happy little guy and I love him so much. I feel so blessed to have him, and to share moments like this with him. He is the most amazing little blessing!

DIE DANDELIONS DIE ALREADY

What is it with Dandelions anyway? Rob fertilized the lawn with Scott's Turf builder and put down Weed B Gone (however you spell that) and those darn things are still there. They got a little sickly and then they perked right back up and kept coming. My dad thinks they need to be cut out of the yard but I personally don't have the energy, time or desire to do that.

Instead, I think I would rather switch than fight. In fact, why don't we all just stop fighting! I think we should make the dandelion our national flower! Then we could all sit back, relax and stop stressing when those mangy little things flood our yard! Instead, the more yellow buttons we have in our yard the more pride we can be filled with! I not only first that idea--I second it! I mean, think about it--we are killing off flowers in one area of our yard only to plant them in another area. How crazy is that?!

O.K. seriously, someone tell me how we kill these monster strong dandelions without killing the yard and without digging it up? They will not die! Arrrghh!

MY PRECOCIOUS LITTLE TWO YEAR OLD

We have a glass coffee table that gets lots of little finger prints all over it. I had just finished cleaning it when some little hands found their way back onto the table top. I asked Miss Carly to please remove her hands because I wanted the table to stay clean and I re-cleaned where she had just put her hands. As soon as I did that she put her hands back down and continued moving them all over the table. I repeatedly asked her to stop putting them on the table but she clearly did not want to do what I was asking. I even demanded that she stop it a couple of times in a really firm voice. She ignored me. Finally, I told her to stop putting her hands on the table or I would swat her bum! To my surprise she stopped immediately and I took advantage of the moment and began cleaning her hand marks off the table. I hadn't gotten very far when she returned with one of her dollies; picked up the dolly's hand and placed the dolly's hand on the table! Can you spell B-R-I-G-H-T, D-E-F-I-A-N-T, T-W-O- Y-E-A-R O-L-D? Yah, we're in for a bit of a turbulent ride for the next couple of years. I always heard the terrible two's but now people are telling me that two is nothing compared to three. Thanks a lot!

To finish off the story, though--I didn't let that dolly get the best of me. After the dolly's hand touched the table, Carly went and laid her down on the floor. I went over and picked the dolly up, swatted her rear-end and said, "No, No! Dolly! Don't touch the table with your hands! I want it to stay clean!" I decided not to look at Carly's face for a reaction but I'm pretty sure she got the point! She didn't try touching the table after that. Um, Carly--not the doll . . .

SUNDAY STUFF

Today was a pretty normal Sunday around here. We got up and went to church. Came home, took a nap and fixed dinner. Then we had some family over tonight and watched Avatar. It was pretty good. (Okay, well to be honest. What I've seen so far was pretty good.) Carly and Jonathon started acting up the last half hour so Rob and I each took a child and put them to bed and missed the ending. Guess we will catch it together later. Oh, the joys of children! Lol!

Dad over-did it a little bit yesterday. He didn't feel good at all today and was really worn out so he spent most of the day resting. Hopefully, he will have a better day tomorrow after having gotten some rest. Mom is doing really well. She is still doing PT on her shoulder and I think is making progress.

Jonathon is so active now that he is all over the place. He loves to hear his own voice, too. It is really funny! He sounds almost like a lion roaring. And he's constantly hungry--he is going to be such a BIG boy! And I thought Rob's feet were big. Ha!

BREAKING NEWS!

JONATHON IS CRAWLING! It's actually his own version of crawling which is pretty close to the real version of crawling but it's so close I think we have to count it. Plus, he moves quickly from point A to point B so regardless our lives have now changed FOREVER! He actually started doing this yesterday but for some reason I had the bouillion story stuck in my head and forgot to mention the crawling which was actually the bigger story! Geez!

Today was a really special day for us. Jonathon was sealed to us in the Provo LDS temple! For anyone who doesn't know what that means, as Latter Day Saints we believe families are forever. When we are married we are sealed to each other for time and all eternity. If Jonathon had been born to us he would have been born under that same covenant. Since he was adopted we needed to have him sealed to us. It's a very special blessing and it was such a neat day today. Here are some pictures from our day.

                     Megan, Rob, Jonathon, Nancy, Julie, Carly


 
                                  Megan, Julie and Carly
                              Daddy, Mommy and Jonathon
 

SWEET MAMA THAT AIN'T NO SUGAR

Carly has a sweet tooth that goes all the way from her teeth down to her toes. In fact, if she thinks something looks the tiniest bit like candy she has to have it. Sometimes what she thinks looks like candy isn't actually candy--but no amount of talking will convince her of that. She has to find it out all by herself.

A couple of weeks ago we went through this and I thought she had it figured out but tonight we had a repeat of the exact same situation so I'm thinking this two year-old's memory may need a re-boot! We have a couple of the big containers of bouillon--both chicken and beef. They are in pretty red and yellow foil. They look like candy. They don't taste like candy. Convince a two year old of that with only words. No way! Trouble is -- as I said. We let her prove to us two weeks ago that it was candy. She didn't win and she didn't much like it, either. Today, she had to try it again. Same result. Icky! I wonder how many times we will go through this before her eyes and her tongue connect. Hmmmm. If it happens again I'm taping it for posterity. Lol!

SUCH A HANDSOME BOY

OUR CUTE LITTLE GUY

MR. SANDMAN WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?

I used to let Carly stay up fairly late because she would sleep until 9:00, 9:30 or sometimes even 10:00 a.m. which was great for me since I have NEVER been a morning person. All of the sudden though, she is wide awake at 7:00 a.m. every morning. Gah! I don't know where Mr. Sandman went--but there is a hefty reward for his return! Luckily Jonathon still sleeps pretty late so I get Carly from her room and give her a sippy of milk and lovingly coax her into bed with me. Then I turn on her favorite cartoons and I can close my eyes for a bit longer. It may not be sleep but it allows a bit more rest. Since Carly is waking up so early now I am not letting her stay up late any more. Nope! She goes to bed between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. now. It's harder with Jonathon, though. He still doesn't allow us to go to sleep very early and he's not sleeping all the way through the night yet, either. I get up and get him a bottle 2-3 times a night still. I think he is just one hungry little boy! He's definitely in charge--and unfortunately, I think he knows it!
Babies--whatchagonnado?!

NOT A WHOLE LOT

To say tonight. Rob is sick after working two days of huge overtime. He's got a fever and chills and will have to go in tomorrow regardless of how he feels because he is helping train a new hire. Yuk. I don't feel well, either but it's mostly migraine and being over-tired. The kids (the little ones) have been especially demanding today so I suspect they aren't feeling well either. Hopefully, a lot of rest and some tlc will help this blow over quickly. Gotta hurry into dreamland if I'm going to start on all that rest. Night all.

WHAT'S JONATHON BEEN UP TO?

Have I mentioned Jonathon can say "Da Da" now? Well, he can and we can get him to repeat it. He doesn't know what he is saying but it is something he says regularly--now if we can just hook it to Rob in his mind! He has also started to shake his head "No". It's really funny when he does it. I remember when Carly started doing it. We taught her to say "Uhn-uh"--like "no". It was really funny when she would do it. We are having just as much fun trying to teach him to do the same thing. Although, he is dang cute just having a good time shaking his head back and forth with a veangeance.

 

On Saturday, we went to a blessing for a little boy who is ten days younger than Jonathon. His parents adopted him from the same agency we used and we became friends on Facebook. We met for the first time at his blessing and got some cute photos of his family and ours. I'm posting a few of the pictures on here. The little boy's name is Liron and he's an absolute doll. He and Jonathon were not quite sure what to make of each other but that didn't keep me or his mom, Miki from trying to get them to make friends.

                                 Miki holding Liron and me with Jonathon

Liron and Jonathon

Brand new best buds

MILESTONES

Jonathon's bottom front tooth broke through yesterday and the one next to it isn't far behind! Finally, all the drooling and oozing is starting to pay off. I don't know though. I'm a little sad about it. Having been through this once now with Carly, I know how fast this growing up thing starts moving. I love his little toothless grin and it seems like it's only a quick hop, skip and jump from the first tooth to a mouthful of teeth and the terrible two's! Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! Hee hee!

Then, on top of beginning to get his teeth in Jonathon started sitting up on his own today! Yup! Two milestones in two days. This little guy is going for a record! It's fun to see him start to hit these milestones so easily after being so sick this past Winter. He's such a happy, fun little guy. We are so blessed to have him and be a part of his life.

AUNTY EM, AUNTY EM . . . AUNTY EM . . . AUNTY EM

Today was going along just fine until I got in my car and looked at my dashboard and noticed someone had stolen my sense of direction. That's right, most of you may have been born with a sense of direction and a lot of those other OVER-RATED QUALITIES but unlike the rest of the world, me, the tin man, the cowardly lion and a few other not so well known characters have had to aquire certain of our qualities from other sources, i.e. Ebay; the Sears and Roebuck Catalog; Radio Shack and The Great and Powerful OZ.

Seriously though, I was not amused at all to realize someone had stolen my GPS unit. My husband gave it to me as a gift about three years ago when he realized how seriously F- my sense of direction was. I had taken a part-time job about a half an hour from home in a bigger city and from time to time had to run errands in the city. I would call him for help finding my way around but I think the real clincher was the four or five times I got lost on my way home. Somehow I would get turned onto the wrong freeway and get totally lost. I would call him crying with no idea where I was. I would have to give him mile markers and land marks to identify where I was so he could get me turned around and back home. It's a really frightening thing to find your weak spot--especially when you are lost and you don't have a sense of direction and no way to figure out which way to go. Thank goodness for cell phones because I was on a desert freeway with no places of business or phone booths and no friendly faces. That's when hubby bought me a GPS. That's when I got my external sense of direction!

We actually named our GPS unit. We called her Emmy, after Aunty Em in the Wizard of Oz. So, it's kind of sad that Aunty Em is really gone this time and no amount of calling out her name is going to bring her back! Stealing is a bad thing. It's not that we can't replace the GPS. It will be costly and it's not a convenient time to do it. More than that--what they took from me was my personal safety. My ability to move around with ease. They took my external sense of direction. They took what has made me feel more normal and more like everyone else than anything else I've ever owned and that is a real drag. Danged thieves.

JUST FOR FUN (Double click on the picture below to see the full screen video.)

SISTER SARAH

My sister Sarah came today with her two kids. They drove here after Sarah got off work and are spending the night. We had a fun evening together. Mom, Sarah and I went shopping for some things for Sarah's new home (for Sarah's birthday) which is coming right up. Then we came back to the house and had pizza together and just talked and laughed and caught up.

Rob had been on a two day work trip and got back home this evening as well. I'm always so relieved when he gets home safely. It was a really nice day here. I think it got up to about 65 degrees and it wasn't too sunny or too windy--just right outside. I wish I had realized it earlier because I would have taken the kids outside and spent more time out there. I spent about an hour outside with them at a friend's house and they both really enjoyed it.

I think it's supposed to be a nice weekend so I hope we can spend some more time outside playing. I guess we had a small earthquake somewhere in Utah or nearby here yesterday and people have been asking if we felt it here. No, we didn't. I guess some people here did, but we didn't. I'm glad. Not something I want to experience!

IT'S OVER!

Grandpa's house arrest is over. He was officially released from home healthcare today. He passed his test and they checked him out of the program which means he can now leave the house for "other than emergencies and doctor appointments." Yup, if you are in home health care you are pretty much married to the house. They may as well have an ankle bracelet on you. Well, with the exception that you don't much feel like leaving the house, either. I guess that's kind of the point isn't it. Hmmm.

I got in a cleaning frenzy today and got quite a bit done. I just wish I had the energy to do it more often. Still, as much as I accomplished there is still so much left to do. Isn't that always the way, though. I need a personal assistant. No, I need a WIFE! That's what one of my bosses (a woman) used to say. It's so true, though. If we all just had a wife running around helping us we could get so much more done!

Have I told you how cute my little boy is? No, well, he is such a doll! he is at the cutest stage. He just grins and laughs and coos. My mom says he sounds like a turtle dove. He has the sweetest smile and he is such a little cuddler. He loves to be held and talked to. He is such a little grinner; he will just steal your heart away!

He is only a move or two away from crawling. I thought he was going to do it tonight. He got up on his knees and moved a couple of inches and then went down on his tummy. I was kind of glad because Rob wasn't here and I want him to be here when he crawls for the first time. I think it will happen tomorrow. Wait for it--if it happens it will be BREAKING NEWS--right here!

WHAT A DAY!

Grandpa saw two doctors today. We saw his Cardiologist and his knee surgeon and he had great reports from both. He was even able to get off the Coumadin! YAY! Also, Grandpa had his left shoulder x-rayed and it still wasn't there! :) No kidding! So, as a bonus we set a surgery date for late August to have that sucker replaced! But don't worry . . . you will get to see him at least once more before he has his new shoulder. Grandpa is doing his Bermuda shorts tour through Indiana in mid-August to show off his brand new knee. So, keep your eyes peeled for those tour dates. Coming soon to a reunion near you!

Jonathon had a very good doctor appointment today, too. (Does it sound like I went to a lot of doctor appointments today? I did.) He got a good report from his allergy specialist and doesn't have to go back for a check-up for three months! While he isn't going on any tours in the near future he can be found daily pulling himself up on his knees and trying to crawl, drooling and trying to break through his first teeth and making wild noises like he's trying to talk!

NOTHING MAJOR . . .

Happened today. I got less done than I intended to, so I guess in that regard it was a normal day. I finished laundry, paid bills, fed kids, cooked dinner and even made cookies but I had a lot more planned than that. Jonathon is getting very close to getting up on his knees. I don't think it will be long before he is crawling. He's also getting close to having teeth break through. I think it will be a week or two still but you can feel ridges in his mouth now on top and bottom and you can see white through his gums. He is such a little mover and shaker--always, always going somewhere. I thought Carly was busy. This little one is going to keep me moving.

Rob's Mom can't even get into her surgeon until the 27th of this month. She is going to see her regular doctor on Thursday and hoping he can pull some strings to get her in sooner. In case you missed it, she blew her knee out and needs a total replacement as soon as possible.

Dad is still doing really well. He was tired today but other than that he is still making really good progress. He sees his heart surgeon tomorrow (Wed.) So, I will let you know how that goes. That's all the news for now. Night all.

WE'RE IN SUCH TROUBLE NOW . . .

It was cute when she took her first steps, said her first words, gave her first kiss. Yes, all the firsts were cute--O.K. maybe not all of them. Yah, well along the latter line of thinking. Carly climbed out of her crib for the first time the other day and boosted open the not-so-kiddie-proof lock on her door and came walking out from her nap before it had even started. She was genuinely surprised that we were upset about it. I think she thought we would be outside the door with an audience clapping wildly at her feat! She was madly disappointed when we put her back in bed and shut the door again.

She repeated the same episode with identical results the first two attempts I made to give her a nap today. I finally wrestled control back but not before I was almost convinced that the inmates were running the asylum! The third try stuck but I'm afraid I'm in for a whole lotta trouble now that she knows she can climb her way free. Yikes!

JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT THE DRAMA WAS ABOUT TO END . . .

Finally, we think we are getting everyone well and healthy again and we get a phone call on Saturday and find out Rob's mom blew her knee out and has to have a total knee replacement! Poor woman! We went to check on her today and she is in a lot of pain but has to wait until she talks to her surgeon Monday to see how soon they can get her in to do the replacement. Hopefully it won't take long. She's been through a lot lately.

Grandma (my Mom) made a yummy dinner tonight. We had chicken and dumplings and homemade mashed potatoes. Then for dessert she made a homemade Apple cobbler. Delish! None of us could move afterward. We just rolled from place to place the rest of the evening. Lol!

DID I MENTION . . .

Jonathon was not at all happy about having his picture taken?!



Nope, he sure wasn't! But ain't he a cute little mad guy? Hee hee hee! :)

BIG SMILES - GROWING BABIES

We went and had some pictures taken today with the little ones. I don't know why picture time always turns into screaming and crying time but sure enough right when they are supposed to pose for the camera both Carly and Jonathon were pouting or in tears. It took a ton of clowning around, begging, pleading and pulling our hair out to get a few good shots. So frustrating! Especially since most of the time at home they are fairly easy going and happy kids and easy to get a smile out of! Gah!

GRANDMA AND GRANDPA WITH THE BUBSTER

So Sweet.


(Yah, he was probably on the phone with you!)


Grandma's Boy!

MY VERY CUTE BOY

I can't believe how fast Jonathon is growing. He is getting big so fast. I know it went quickly with Carly but I don't remember it being this fast. He is already getting all over the place, not because he is crawling yet but because he is rolling. He is literally rolling himself all over the place. It is really funny. He will start in one corner of the room and in just a few seconds be in the opposite end of the room. He's a mover and a shaker. That's for sure. This little guy is going places. What a cutie!

APRIL IS FOOLING WITH US!

We woke up this April morning to 10.5 inches of snow! Unbelievable. And it's Spring break here for the school kids. So, what else could I do but send the kids outside to build a snowman. Especially since Carly had never really played in the snow or built a snowman. Not a popular decision with Julie since she hates snow. Although, I think she did like showing Carly the ropes! Plus, the cousins were over and they had fun, too. Still, SNOW in APRIL! Not Cool! Downright COLD!

GOING BANANAS

So, yesterday at my house I could actually be heard bargaining with my two year old to give me back a banana she was holding and in exchange I would give her some candy. My twenty-three year old thought it was outlandish enough she posted it as a status on her facebook page. It does sound pretty outrageous on it's face. I understand that. I mean, what mom, in her right mind, wants her child to eat candy instead of a banana, right? Ah, but that's where the error in thinking takes place. My little girl doesn't eat the banana. She opens it and I mean all the way. She takes every peel all the way off and then she starts taking chunks of the banana off and squeezing it in her hands and gooing everything in her path up! Now, do you see why I would make such a crazy sounding offer her to my two year old? Yah, I thought so!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN! HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

It just so happened that Easter fell on Megan's birthday this year. Don't worry, it didn't hurt her. (Yes, I know--bad joke. I've been living with Rob too long.) Megan turned the ripe old age of twenty-three. She did manage to blow out all her candles but not before catching her hair on fire and singeing it. Funny stuff. It was minor. We didn't need the fire department. or the extinguishers. In fact she didn't even notice. We had to tell her; but burned hair does stink to high heaven!

We had a nice dinner together as a family, opened presents and had cake and ice cream although not in that order. We actually had cake first. I mean, sometimes you just gotta live by that motto: Life is short. Eat dessert first!

Oh yah, and we took pictures while Megan opened her presents. Don't ya love the look on Carly's face below? It's like "Oh no, Here she goes again!" Lol!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

In remembering the true reason we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ I want to share my love, hope and testimony of His love for each and every one of us. I know HE LIVES! I know he died for us and was resurrected and took up his life that we may one day do the same and live with Him again! May you celebrate this Easter Season with peace and joy! Happy Easter dear friends!

DAYS GONE BY HAVE COME AGAIN

Tonight I went back thirty years in time--well, at least twenty-five or so. I was invited to a mission reunion of some of the missionaries that came through our hometown years ago by one of the missionaries my sisters and I had known really well. Susan and Sarah were invited, too but neither one could make it. Rob and I went, though and had a really good time. We laughed and played games and really enjoyed ourselves. In fact, I don't know when I have had so much fun.



This is the Sannar family. Kathy, son Tyler and his wife Kelsie and Charlie (who was the missionary in our hometown) and of course me!

SMILING SIBLINGS

This is a cute photo of our daughter Sara with Jonathon a couple of weeks ago when she was home for a visit. I forgot I had this one in the camera! Silly mommy!

MIND OVER MATTER

I decided I needed to get some exercise this morning and so I took the kids downstairs with me. I got Jonathon all set up on his blanket with some toys and his bottle. He was having fun and playing around. I turned on Yo Gabba Gabba (Don't ask me--it's a funky children's show) for Carly. She loves it and it does teach her some good things like shapes and colors. As soon as they were set I got on the treadmill which is right there in front of the TV and blanket. I walked for a good half hour.

Right near the end of that time I guess Carly was getting bored with her show because she wandered over to the exercise bike. I watched her and she started to climb onto the seat. I told her not to and she didn't listen to me. I told her again to stop and she ignored me again. The third time I told her to stop I said with some emphasis, "Carly, I am going to count to three and you had better get off that bike or you are going to go to bed." I started counting . . . ONE, TWO, THREE . . . I wasn't expecting what I heard next. It was Carly finishing what I started-- four, five, six, . . . seven, eight, nine, ten! And she finished that ten with an exclamation point! She was happily counting to ten! What could I do but smile. My two year old just counted to ten. She totally missed my threat but showed me something she had learned.

Now mind you, this isn't something she learned from Yo Gabba Gabba. No, she learned this from her Grandpa when he was working with his voice coach. He had to practice making his voice stronger because of his Parkinson's and so she gave him simple words and phrases to repeat out loud. One of them was counting and Carly would count with him. So, she did get off the bike but it was to give Mommy a big hug because her big girl is such a good counter. I guess we will learn to mind another day. Hmmmm.

DOCTOR, DOCTOR

More doctor appointments today. Jonathon's 6 month check up and Carly's 2 year check up. Yes, I can count. That's just how far behind we are. Gah! But both of them are growing really well. Carly is a whole yardstick tall! She is in the 95th percentile! She has stayed there pretty consistently all along. She weighs 29 lbs and is in the 75th percentile for weight.

Jonathon is almost 18 lbs and he's 27.5 inches long. He's catching up quickly to Carly! I keep telling her she had better be nice to him because someday he will be bigger and stronger. Looks like SOMEDAY is coming sooner than I thought! Everyone that sees his big hands and feet tells us if he grows into them he is going to be one BIG BOY! I think they are right.

We had a really windy day here today. It was in the 50's temperature wise - so not too bad other than being blown about like a feather when you went outside. Let's not even talk about what it did to my hair. Well, O.K--let's just say if I'd stuck my finger in a light socket my hair would have looked cuter! I hate the wind when I am trying to look cute! :)

That's all for tonight guys--nothing new happening here. Move along now. Night.

IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY'S NIGHT

Had a doctor appt. for Jonathon today. Did a bunch of errands and running around with Mom. Didn't make it to the gym like I wanted to but somehow I still feel like I worked out for a long time! Mom made a really great dinner and we pretty much all tired out afterward. Must be something in the air or water. Oh yah, it's allergy season. I always forget when that comes on and what it feels like. It always slows me down and tires me out. That must be it. Arrgh.

Not much else going on here. Jonathon is rolling over really well now. I can feel ridges in his mouth now but still no teeth in sight. Don't think it will be long now, though. Poor little guy--I can tell his gums are hurting him. I wish it wasn't so painful for them to teethe.

Well, off to bed. It's been a long one--or at least it has seemed that way. :)

ROOM SERVICE

The people in the basement are on a diet. No bread and no sugar. It makes for boring meals and I would think, for a boring life--but, that's what they are doing to lose weight--those basement dwellers--them! Well, I got a hankering for some chocolate chip cookies tonight and I was able to twist Julie's arm into making them. (By the way, she's a basement dweller, too--but she's not on the no bread and sugar plan.)

Well, sure enough about the time the cookies were done one of those Hoosier basement people came upstairs looking for some fruit for a snack. Instead, I talked them into taking some warm cookies and milk downstairs with them. It wasn't a hard sell at all. They only wanted one each but I knew they couldn't eat just one--so I sent two each. I was right.

About twenty minutes later the phone rang. I was expecting a call from hubby who was working late. Instead, it was the man in the basement. He ordered 3 more cookies and asked for them to be delivered. I don't think the people in the basement are on a diet anymore but I understand we have really great room service!

NEIGHBORHOOD EASTER EGG HUNT

We had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt Saturday. Fifty kids participated--though I only took pictures of a few cute ones. They had a lot of fun. The little boy is Carly's best friend Isaac. She loves playing with him. They have a lot of fun together. I think Julie even had fun hunting eggs with her sister this morning!

I LIKE THIS A LOT

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the Unted States.”

Someone sent this to me. I don't know whether it's real or not--in the sense that someone is honestly trying to get it passed. I sure think it would be a great addition to the Constitution given where our current lawmakers have taken us. They have put themselves above the law and that is not acceptable. Well, that's how I feel anyway. I'm just sayin'.

IT TAKES HEART

Great news. Grandpa's heart doctor thinks he is doing terrific. He took him off three medications and said he didn't need to see him for 6 months! We are excited to have such good news and feel terrific about all the progress he's making. He didn't even use a wheelchair getting in and out of the doctor's office today. He just used his walker. He tired himself out but he did great. Yay!

JUST STUFF

Dad is walking really well. In fact, he is doing laps around the downstairs everyday. The home health people are really impressed with his progress since the surgery. He has an appointment with his heart doctor tomorrow. Just a check-up--nothing big but I will let you know how it goes.

I went to the gym tonight with my friend Robin. I actually got a pretty good workout in the hour and a half I was there. Then I came home and ate Easter Candy. What's wrong with that picture? Hmmm. I wonder about me somedays!

Well, not much else going on. Talk at ya later.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

Sorry, not much of a blog tonight. I'm feeling extremely exhausted. We have had SO much going on here lately and I think I have finally gotten to the end of my fuel. I think I've been on fumes for a while now. Lol!

My sweet little son is lying here sound asleep as I type and I only wish I were sleeping as soundly right now. I am so in love with this little guy. What an amazing blessing to be his mom. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have him in my life. It is hard somedays being a mom but the rewards are so very sweet--and I am on sugar overload and loving it!

THE BEST MONDAY EVER!

Today we finalized Jonathon's adoption. He is ours--completely and totally! How can you have a better Monday than that? We are so happy!



From Left to Right in the picture: My friend Robin and her daughter Ellie, our daughter Julie, my Mom, Me and Carly, the Honorable Judge, Rob and Jonathon, our daughter Megan, Rob's Mom, Liz (our adoption coordinator) and Uncle Steve.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY IDEA . . .

What has just hit us. I have a feeling we will begin to find out all too soon. Don't get me wrong-I think there are a few good things in this health care bill--but I think they are far outweighed by the horrible and horrendous. Wow. Our world is changing. Our liberties are changing. Just watch--under this president our government is going to take more and more control of our lives. Hopefully, we will not just sit back and take it. Hopefully, this will be the warning bell that wakes us up and makes us take back our Congress and Senate and even our Presidency. I don't mean on a party-line; as Republicans or Democrats. I mean, lets vote out those who have been there way too long and who have no honor and who do not work for us. Let's vote in those who will represent "WE, THE PEOPLE" instead of those who represent lobbyists and corporations and their own best interests.

There is far too much greed and dishonesty. There is far too little check and balance in a system where they decide on their own pay raises, work days, vacations, insurance benefits and other benefit packages. We either need term limits or we, as voters, need to limit their terms. We cannot allow them to ignore our will--the will of the very people they were elected to represent and still keep their jobs.

This is and has been one of the most frustrating periods I can remember in political history. I do not remember another time when leaders have asked for and received feedback from voters the way they did here and then ignored that feedback.

I will definitely be more involved in the next election and feel a sense of urgency to do what I can to insure we have more honorable leaders in our country. I pray you do, too.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE

I must admit I have been glued to the television, computer, radio and even my cell phone internet these last few days for updates on what is taking place in our nation's capitol. I've been hoping against hope our leaders would come either come to their senses or find a way to stop the madness of this horrendous healthcare "obamanation"! It looks like that is not going to happen; that this is indeed about to pass and become the law of the land. What madness! The government is about to control another sixth of our economy. They are about to involve themselves in a part of our lives they have NO business being a part of and the best part of all is those charged to insure we all abide by this new law are another very successful and popular government agency. That's right folks, the IRS will be the watchkeepers that make sure you purchase and keep the right amount of healthcare coverage! Yep! You heard right! Oh, there's so much I could write here--but I will stop at that example of things that are about to be popular with the public once they get a good look at this bill.

We as Americans are losing freedoms and so many people around me don't even seem to be aware of it. We need to throw these elected leaders out before it is too late. Pay attention people. Important things are happening in the political world that are going to make huge differences in your home, family, budget and lives. You may not think you care--but YOU WILL!

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Grandpa is home and mighty glad to be here. He is doing so well, too. He walked out of the rehab center on his own power (okay he used a walker but just for saftey), too. He is in almost no pain except for his shoulders and he is even in a good mood! Hee hee! Feel free to give him a jingle. He loves to chat on the phone (like you didn't know that). The kids were so glad to see Grandpa and I'm pretty sure he was happy to see them, too.

Well, that's the news for now. Ta Ta!

TOMORROW, TOMORROW . . .

Probably by the time you read this we will have Dad home or at least on his way. I have to remember there is a two hour difference between most of you who are reading this and us. We are supposed to pick him up between 9 and 10 a.m. and bring him home. He will have home health care continue to do rehabilitation here at the house for some time. It will be great to have Grandpa back home. The kids have really missed having him around and I know Grandma will be so happy to sleep in a real bed again! More later.

REPORTING IN!

Mom and I both had doctor appointments about an hour from home today (but very near each other)so we went together. It sure helped me to have another hand holder since Carly is at that stage where she likes to break away and dart into the crowd or street and I can't chase her because I'm carrying a baby.

Mom was having her foot check up and she passed. I don't know that it's good news and it's not really bad either. Let's just say that the doctor told her she didn't need to continue physical therapy on it since he didn't think it was improving it a lot. He also doesn't think she needs surgery and doesn't have any revolutionary ideas on healing it. He told her that maybe just taking a walk every day might be the best medicine for it. Hopefully, that is true. We will see.

My doctor appointment was for Jonathon. He just needed to have a couple of tests. The docs still want to figure out why he is having respiratory problems every time he gets a simple cold. So, they are just looking at everything they can think of. By the time we got home it was nearly 5:30 p.m. and I had to leave for a meeting. I feel like I ran all day and running with two babies is both tiring and dizzying. I am truly exhausted.

Even Carly is exhausted. This is two nights in a row she has come to me and said; "Mommy, Bed!" She never does that! On that note--I'm going to join her. Night!

UPDATE ON DAD

Dad's appointment with the surgeon went really well today. His surgeon was very impressed with his progress. He thought his incision looked really good. They removed the rest of his stitches and allowed him to discontinue using the support socks he has had on since the surgery. The fact that he did not get an infection in the wound or a blood clot was particularly pleasing to his doctor.

Dad's surgeon left it up to us and his rehab doctors/trainers to decide when he should return home. It will most likely be this weekend or sometime next week. He still has some work to do on the bend of his knee and on strengthening it. Keep you posted on that.

I did something for myself today! My friend Robin talked me into joining a gym with her. I have ten pounds that have been driving me absolutely crazy since July. I just haven't been able to get rid of them. Actually, I go up and down and it drives me nuts. If I have someone to go exercise with it will make it much easier and I will be more motivated. I hate my clothes feeling uncomfortable! If I could just keep that little quote in my head; "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." How come my taste buds always override that when it comes to those boxes of thin mints? Plus, those boxes have gotten so small now, I'm not convinced they really have any calories in them anymore! Anyone want to second that?

JUST A FEW LINES

Jonathon is doing a tiny bit better today. Still a ways to go. Dad has an appointment with his surgeon tomorrow to do a checkup on his knee. Mom and I are going to take him to that. I think he will be really impressed with his progress.

Not much happening here other than taking care of sickees--Mom at the rehab and me, here at home. I will give you a full report on what the surgeon tells us tomorrow. Nighty night.

SUCKIN' THE SNOT OUT OF YA

That's what we are doing to Jonathon again anyway. We won't do it to you--unless you come visit and have a bad cold. You can't believe how much snot a little one can hold! Yuk! Poor guy. Carly always comes running to watch brother get his nose sucked but when we offer to do hers she runs the other way really fast.

We really thought our snot sucking days were over. Jonathon had a good 3-4 weeks of really good health and we thought all the colds and illnesses were behind us. Not so.
Dern it! Now we just hope his antibiotics kick in quickly.

Carly had her friend Isaac over to play tonight and he brought light sabers for them to play with. It was pretty funny to see 2 two foot tall munchkins having a light saber war. Should of got that on film. Lol!

Not a whole lot going on here. Mom thinks they might release Dad to home health care this weekend. It's just a thought. No one has told her that. He's just making really good progress. I will let you know when it happens, though.

Night all.

LADY BUG

We have a cute stuffed lady bug that Carly sometimes plays with. She knows to call it a bug but the last two times she's played with it I've tried to teach her what kind of bug it is. Tonight, she brought it over to me and thinking I had told her enough times that she would remember now that it is a "Lady" bug I asked her what kind of bug it is. Carly didn't skip a beat. She said, "Dead bug, mommy!" Julie and I had a pretty good laugh over that one.

Jonathon is sick again. He has a bad cold which means he is struggling with respiratory problems again and we are giving him breathing treatments. It was bad enough Rob decided to take him to the doctor today (Sunday). He spent four hours from the time he left for the doctor's office until the time he came back with prescriptions. He did drop Jonathon off in between the office visit and getting the prescriptions but I felt really bad for him having to spend all that time out. Apparently, most pharmacies here close down on Sunday afternoons. He had to hunt down an open one two town's away and then the line was huge he had to wait in to get the prescriptions.

We have been so good to keep Jonathon and Carly in and away from anyone who could get them sick. I'm pretty sure he caught something at Rob's Dad's funeral. It was just hard to avoid people and even people who were sick came because it was the last time they could see him and mourn for him. I don't blame them. I would have done the same thing. I probably should have kept a mask on Jonathon but I didn't think about it. He was so healthy at the time and the weather was good. His little immune system just doesn't take much to get sick.

Grandpa had a pretty good day today. He's been a little grumpy lately but then I might be too if I were in his position. I think he will be very glad to get his rehab time over with and get home. I know Grandma will be.

MORE ON DAD

I’ve been hanging out with Dad for the last four or five hours. It’s been a pretty mellow Saturday afternoon/evening. No physical or occupational therapy today. No real expectations. Dad’s been telling me stories from his childhood and high school days. I don’t know how he got away with the stuff he’s been telling me. MY DAD would have killed me! Hee, hee, hee! Actually, he was a pretty darn lucky son of a gun—most of the time. Sometimes, he really did catch it big time from his Dad.

For those of you wondering, he is still making progress. I had him out of his bed and sitting up in a chair on the side of his bed. He even had his legs crossed and he had the crossed leg sitting on top of his new knee! He really has very little pain in his knee. He just needs to get to 120 on the bend and he can be released to go home. He’s almost there. We think he has about another week to go.
Feel free to give him a call. It’s best to call on the Thatcher Brook phone line. People have been having a hard time hearing him on the cell phone. I think it’s just too small for him to talk into. Anyway, that number is 801-614-5700. He is in room 26. He goes for therapy twice a day so if you miss him just call back later. He loves to talk to his friends from back home!

MORE ON DAD

I’ve been hanging out with Dad for the last four or five hours. It’s been a pretty mellow Saturday afternoon/evening. No physical or occupational therapy today. No real expectations. Dad’s been telling me stories from his childhood and high school days. I don’t know how he got away with the stuff he’s been telling me. MY DAD would have killed me! Hee, hee, hee! Actually, he was a pretty darn lucky son of a gun—most of the time. Sometimes, he really did catch it big time from his Dad.

For those of you wondering, he is still making progress. I had him out of his bed and sitting up in a chair on the side of his bed. He even had his legs crossed and he had the crossed leg sitting on top of his new knee! He really has very little pain in his knee. He just needs to get to 120 on the bend and he can be released to go home. He’s almost there. We think he has about another week to go.
Feel free to give him a call. It’s best to call on the Thatcher Brook phone line. People have been having a hard time hearing him on the cell phone. I think it’s just too small for him to talk into. Anyway, that number is 801-614-5700. He is in room 26. He goes for therapy twice a day so if you miss him just call back later. He loves to talk to his friends from back home!

A SHORT UPDATE

I visited Grandpa today. We met with his physical therapists, nurses and other aids in a care conference. He is doing really well but it looks like he will remain in rehab for a bit longer. He still needs to work on his balance and just walking and standing.I'm guessing it will be another week or so.

I also want to thank those of you who have been so sweet to remember Rob and me with cards and calls during the loss of Rob's Dad. How very thoughtful of you. We have such loving and dear friends and appreciate and love all of you. Thanks so much! More later.

THE GRANDPA REPORT

Dad is still in the rehabilitation center and continues to do well. He is receiving both physical and occupational therapy. I think Mom and Dad finally got the message through to the therapists that they could not work Dad's shoulders and arms the way they were working them. I guess the therapists were afraid his arms and shoulders would freeze up if they didn't work them but didn't understand they were bad enough that Dad is scheduled to have shoulder replacement surgery in a few months. So, we now have kinder, gentler therapy on the upper half of his body.

His knee is healing really well and doesn't cause him much pain at all. Even his polio leg seems to be a little stronger. He still has to watch his balance but we think that has more to do with the Parkinson's than anything else. We have a care conference with the center tomorrow that should give us more information on how long Dad's rehab will need to be.

Mom is tired but hanging in there. More later. :}

YOU SCREAM, I SCREAM

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!!

SOME CUTE PICTURES

Carly in her new dress with a new hairdo!




How's this Mommy?




Carly with her cousins Keelie and Kaden (Rob's brother Steve's kids)taking an outside break before their Grandpa's funeral.




Keelie and Carly just before their Grandpa's funeral.

A SAD YET BEAUTIFUL DAY

It was a gorgeous day today. The sun was shining and there was just a little wind. We didn't even really need a coat, just a sweater or a light jacket. It was a seriously beautiful day. But, I kept asking myself if it can ever really be a beautiful day when you bury someone you love. Rob's Dad was a good man. He was a policeman for 24 years--a wonderful public servant. He had a tremendous sense of humor and he was dearly loved by his family.

The letting go is the hardest part. It's not that we don't know where he is; we do. We know we will see him again and be with him again. It's just that parting for now is hard. The blessing is that he is out of pain and at peace. We know God lives and we know Christ is His son and that because of His sacrifice we can be together again.

Dad, we love you and miss you and are grateful to have had you in our lives.

Jim and Jane Ann Harris with Jon and Carly

This is a sweet picture we took right before Jim and Jane Ann left to head back to Indiana. They were so nice to come and see Dad through surgery. What amazing friends! They even babysat for Carly and Jon while we took Dad for some pre-surgery appointments. The kids fell in love with them. Thanks so much Nana and Boppa!

DARN THIS THING!

I had some cute pictures to post tonight and for some reason the Blogger isn't letting me post them. I've never had it act up like this before and so, I don't know what's wrong. Something in the Blogosphere, I'm guessing. Hope they get it fixed soon. Oh well, the pics will have to wait for another day.

Went to visit Dad today, and Mom too for that matter. She has been spending the night there the last few nights. Well, we actually haven't left him alone there. Someone has stayed with him each night but Mom never came home and took a break today so we visited her, too. Dad's having quite a bit of pain in his shoulder's as the physical therapists are continuing to work them so they don't freeze up on him. I think I am going to have to go meet with his PT people and tell them to lay off a little. I don't know that they aren't doing more harm than good for his shoulders.

As far as his knee goes, he is doing wonderfully and has not had much pain at all considering what he just had done. He is up to 115 degrees on the bend and only has to get to 120. He is amazing everyone!

That's the good news. Tomorrow we have Rob's Dad's viewing and Monday is his funeral. Rob and I appreciate all the love and caring you have sent our way. This is a difficult time. Please know your thoughts and prayers are felt and appreciated.

TURN AROUND . . .

Carly is having her first sleepover tonight. It's her 5 year old cousin but it counts because she really, really wanted her to stay. I can't believe what a little girl she is becoming. Oh my goodness, she is growing up fast!

NEWS OF THE DAY

Well, Dad is doing well. He is pretty much back to his old self. The medicine for the thrush is working. Also, he is amazing all of his physical an occupational therapists by how well and how quickly he is coming along. He is up to 108 percent on his knee bend. They want him to get to 120 percent. They think he will be there by Sunday. I'm not sure what comes after that. We found out today that he will likely only be in the rehab for 2 weeks. He will then have continued therapy with home healthcare.

Rob's Dad's funeral is on Monday. We will have a viewing for him on Sunday evening. Our girls are going to sing at the funeral and Rob and his brother Steve will be speaking also. I think it will be a very nice tribute to him. It is still hard to imagine he is gone.

Well, that's about all I know for today. Guess I'd better get some sleep while I can.

SOME SAD NEWS AND AN UPDATE

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a few days. We got word a few days ago that Rob's Dad had been rushed to the hospital and wasn't doing well. The doctor's told us he had less than a week to live. Rob and his brothers and mom took turns staying at the hospital with him and he passed away early this morning. I'm really grateful the kids and I were able to visit with him a couple of days ago. I don't think any of us thought he would go so quickly. It's been really hard on Rob.

While my Dad's surgery has gone really well, he got thrush again from the antibiotics and it caused another infection and some confusion for several days. Thankfully, he is starting to come out of that now. Overall, it's been a really hard week but here's to hoping things get brighter from here.

UPDATE

Dad's doing pretty well. His pain level is still pretty low. He's had a lot happen pretty quickly and I think that's been the hardest adjustment for him. We are trying to have someone stay with him throughout the day and night just to make sure he is comfortable and getting the care he needs. He is doing well with his physical therapy. Hopefully, time will pass quickly and he will be able to get through his PT and come home. That's all for now.