A New Tradition

We really wanted to get away before the kids started school and decided to go camping. So, for those of you who are experienced in the outdoors, you may not think what we did qualifies as camping. My only camping experiences are a few times up to girls camp and a couple of bad hotels. So, to me a fifth wheel and a tent with the occasional use of a cabin bathroom totally counts! We all had so much fun in the four days we were up there that we decided to do it every year. Shoot, maybe we will get brave and go more often than that. Watch out Grandma Jo, we are thinking of kidnapping you and having you come too (hee hee)!

"The Exodus"

Travis was so embarrassed by the massive amount of gear we require that he refused to drive through town. We had to take the back way.

Jake thought we were in heaven. He couldn't wait to go to bed every night in the tent with his Dad.

The poor babies had to spend a lot of time in the stroller. The really tested what was and what was not baby proof at our camp site.

Picking "buckle harrys"

I found this really neat hot springs while researching the area online. We drove up first thing Tuesday, and they are CLOSED every Tuesday. Once we were back in cell phone range we called Jenny and she googled another hot spring. We ended up coming back to Gold Fork another day. The other hot spring we went to was in a ghost town and the pool is the same as it was in the late 1800's. We will NEVER forget the "friendly" turkeys that greeted us. We are still laughing

Our camp site

Our chef

Travis had me take a picture of every piece of meat he cooked. Here is the bacon! We borrowed this pan. As soon as we were home we purchased one for him. He seasoned it that very night.

Before heading home we had breakfast at the pancake house in McCall. As you can see by looking at Travis, it was the end of a long week away. :)

Headed home

Back to School

Please don't tell the girls, but the first day of school is my least favorite of the entire year. The day was made easier knowing how excited Annie and Emma were to go back to school. They were up at 6:00 this morning ready to eat and get dressed. It really will be nice to get back into a routine, but it is pretty lonely around here without them. They have even decided to ride the bus home together this year and decided to start today! Please pass the tissues.

Emma's teacher is Mrs Doyle. Here she is at her desk ready for her first full day of school!

Annie has Mrs. Parker. It is going to be an interesting year for Annie. Her best friend Mackenzie moved to Wyoming and they have been together since kindergarten. She is very optimistic about making new friends and we are very proud of her for being so easy going!

Looking at this picture I can see why people are always asking me if these two are twins! Wow.

Happy First Day of School to Annie and Emma!

Crooked Day

Megan has had a few crooked days this week, but with plenty of stretching and a few other interventions she is looking better already. This picture is of her on day two of her helmet being off--wouldn't you know the big bow was next in line to the pig tails? She is so precious!

97 Days of Helmet Hair

After 97 days in her helmet Meg is all done!!! It is amazing how her head has changed shape and how quickly she has progressed. We are SO excited to be able to kiss the top of her head and cuddle in without that darn helmet in the way. Seeing her without the helmet is more of an adjustment than we thought it would be--it seems like I have forgotten to do something and she looks so different. Megan also has some adjusting to do as she learns that it really does hurt to fall on her head!

This is Amy our helmet hero and magician

After we got home we decided to celebrate. It is as big of an accomplishment as a birthday so we sang and had cake.

No surprise Meg took dainty little bites...

And Justin tackled the cake like it would disappear if he didn't hurry!

Big shock--I couldn't wait to get two pony tails in her wild locks :)

She is Crawling!!!

I swear Megan woke up this morning and decided she could crawl. It is as though she has been doing it for a week. She sets her sights on something she wants and off she goes. She even crawled from one room into another! We have been waiting for this day for a long time--crawling is the best exercise for her neck. Straight neck here we come!!

They Say She Looks Like Me (Oh Dear!)

Wish it was Just a Bad Dream..

So, there are no pictures from the first half of our ordeal--I didn't realize I had a camera until I knew Justin was going to be alright...

Still asleep from the anesthesia

On our way home!

Saturday afternoon just before two I was downstairs in Annie's room helping her with a few things. Justin was with me, but as quickly as he crawls he soon made his way toward the playroom. Moments after he left Annie's room I heard him sputter. Everything goes in his mouth (he is so much like his oldest sister!) and I am used to scooping all kinds of things out of there. However, when I got to him there was nothing there and it instantly seemed to me he just wasn't himself. He was also shuttering with each swallow. I took him upstairs for Travis to hold while I called around to find somewhere to do an x-ray on a Saturday. As I finished my second call I told Travis I better just take him to the ER as everything was closed. Just then, Justin threw up. It was a strange throw up and we went into high gear. I grabbed him and rushed to the car telling Travis he better go with us. We called Romriells (we love you guys) from the driveway to tell them there were four kids alone at our house and we needed someone there. Travis drove (maybe he flew) to the ER. Justin was trying to fall asleep and he had just woken up from a two hour nap before the swallowing. At the check in I didn't even get half way through my explanation before they rushed us back where a doctor was right there to see us. While I was talking to the doctor Justin threw up again which caused quite a bit of pain for him. The doctor couldn't feel anything in his belly and sent us to x-ray. As they were wheeling us down there I heard the nurse order a crash cart for our room (breathe in, breath out). The x-ray showed a perfectly round object stuck at the top of Justin's esophagus. The doctor said it was very important for us to hold him still as any agitation could cause the object to head right to the lung. He also said this object needed to be removed by a pediatric gastroentorolgist and he was in Boise and he had a call in to him and was waiting to hear back. While we were waiting Justin's pulse was high then low--as it would drop he would fall asleep. I swear I never stopped praying. Soon the doctor got the call that Dr. Thompson was at the hospital and ready to operate. So, Justin and I got on a gurney in the ambulance and headed for downtown St Lukes with Travis close behind in the suburban. Justin slept Almostthe entire ride--he was white as a ghost. When he was awake he just kept his little head on my chest. Dr. Thompson was waiting for us at the hospital as was Grandpa and Grandma was not far behind. As soon as Travis and my dad had a quiet minute they gave Justin a blessing. Soon Justin was back in surgery--Dr. Thompson was able to cut in line in front of those who were waiting for scheduled surgeries. Twenty minutes later he brought us out...a nickel! He said without surgery it would never have come out--just gone to even scarier places. Justin woke up from surgery like a champ and by 7:00 we were enjoying a frosty together. We could not be more grateful. Looking back on the day, it is truly amazing how smoothly everything went--we were definitely watched over and protected.