Sweet Summer

This past weekend was the "Northwests Largest Garage Sale" right down the road at the fairgrounds. I was so excited that I think I had dreams about it the night before :) I went with some friends and had fun looking around, but didn't get much there. I got more stuff just at some neighborhood garage sales. I got Kaleb the coolest toys, but I was proud of myself because I resisted the urge to give it to him right away and hid it for Christmas presents. We'll see if I keep them hidden :) I love the different side of me that comes out when I go. I'm usually kinda shy with people, but I actually haggle! I never used to, but now I ask for less on almost everything, and 90% of the time they give it to me for what I ask! Sweet. I must have really got ripped off in previous years, but all well.

Anyway, I kinda went off on a tangent on that (dangerous subject for me), but we had fun later going to Al Borlin park and roasting tin foils and marshmallows with the Bettilyons. Bringing more wood for the "fire"

Braydan took Kaleb early to start the fire and by the time I got there, Kaleb's face was beet red from working so hard by the hot fire :) He couldn't get enough of it.

He also had fun chasing Asia and annoying her which her parents thought was pretty amusing. As Kaleb's running around, he kept repeating, "I'm going to get you Alisha!" He really misses my sister!

Taking a break from his "long" walk :)

Learning the art of marshmallow roasting

Matt serenaded us on his guitar and we had fun visiting. Doesn't everyone just love summer?

Mom To The Rescue

I know I already mentioned my Mom coming last week, but I just wanted to blog about her and thank her! She flew in Monday night and it was a good thing cause Braydan worked Tuesday morning early and long hours the rest of the week. He also ended up having to get a hotel one night cause he was working way down in Orting, WA. So it was especially good she came! She got up with Kaleb and brought Eliza to my bed at 5 every morning! She took Kaleb on walks and bike rides every day, cleaned, cooked, and even sewed! Yes sewed! She asked if I had anything I needed fixed so I jumped at the chance :) She helped me go to Costco one morning which was a HUGE help. I hate pushing the heavy cart and then dealing with both kids is almost too much for me, and that's when I feel good! On one of her last days we went to the Children's Museum. I mostly just sat with baby while she ran around with Kaleb. We also walked to the "tractor" museum, as Kaleb calls it. Sadly, I have no pictures of Mom with Kaleb, just Eliza, but she really did spend time with him too :) We went to some garage sales Friday (of course) and she got him this red "pack pack." Previously, he dragged around an ugly green handbag of mine, pretending he's going to work like Daddy. He packs his bag, kisses me goodbye and "works" in the garage. This bag stays on his shoulders much better and he insisted on wearing it to church.
My Mom is really smart with kids. I learned a lot from her about how to deal with Kaleb's demanding behavior. Basically, she doesn't put up with it and I realized I'm too soft sometimes. She made Kaleb promise to be a good boy for me when she left, but unfortunately Mom, he forgot :) What am I going to do with him? If you ever see Kaleb outside doing this, you'll know it's because I need a break from him. He can stand and spray with the hose for hours seriously. I turn the nozzle to mist cause he blasted away some plants once, but at least someone is faithful about watering!I'm pretty much back to normal now. I biked the kids to story time this week and didn't feel too tired. Kaleb is actually nice to her in the trailer. He holds her hand the whole time and puts her binky in if she needs it. Does anyone know if they're supposed to wear helmets, or is it just the bike rider???

I've been thinking a lot about this past week and kinda wondering why. Why did this have to happen now of all times when i have two little kids to take care of? But overall the experience has been positive. I know, weird to say, but true. Here's a few blessings I realized came about because of it all.

1. Getting to see my Mom! Yes, she came to help Monday.
2. A week of not cooking dinner and new recipes to try.
3. Braydan canceling his Reiner trip. Yes, it was supposed to happen this weekend. Sorry Wes!
4. Learning that Eliza can take a bottle, thus future date nights longer than 2 hours.
5. Really having to turn to the Lord in prayer and faith.
7. Realizing how many friends I have to count on that love me!
8. Appreciating how awesome Braydan is as my husband!

I'm sure there's more, but I know that our family has been watched over and I feel very grateful.

Cursed Appendix

Oh man, lots of catching up to do (sigh . . ) But, I better start with the latest happenings: my appendix surgery :( Tuesday my stomach hurt but I just thought it was the guacamole I made that day. Wednesday it was still a sharp pain but I pushed the kids to the park and did piano lessons and my normal thing. I knew something was up though, cause I wasn't eating much and that's not like me! It really started hurting bad Wednesday night and when my friend came to pick me up for Enrichment, I told her I changed my mind. I tried to go to the walk-in clinic that night, but they closed early and I was too cheap to go to the E.R. so I waited all night. It was a long painful night. Thursday morning I was the first one at the clinic and they made me take a pregnancy test and pap smear, checking my ovaries and other things even though I told them IT'S MY APPENDIX. After wasting lots of time there, she sent me over to get a cat scan and that took another 3 hours (cause you have to drink nasty stuff and wait 2 hours for the injection of dye stuff) so, when the doctor finally came and told me the results (of which I already knew), it was 2:30! And I was in some misery by then. They got me right into surgery after that. I was really worried about Eliza more than anything. She'd never had a bottle, never been away from me longer than 3 hours, but she was just fine with Braydan.

The prep for surgery kinda stunk cause they couldn't get the I.V. in and I was getting really woozy. The nurse said I had good veins, but for some reason they had problems. I really wish I wasn't so naive about the whole surgery. Braydan has a pretty long scar from his appendix surgery and Alisha does also, but he told me they do it laporoscopic now and make two little cuts and not such a big deal. So, I honestly thought I would be out of there that day, or at the latest, the next morning. Wrong. I don't remember anything after they wheeled me into the operating room. But, I knew things would be different than I planned when I woke up nauseous and hurting, and with 3 incisions. They said my appendix was almost rupturing, with lots of stuff leaking out that they had to suction. But the surgery went fine. It was just the recovery that took longer than I thought.

Friends watched the kids Thurs. evening so Braydan could come for a while. I feel bad cause I wasn't the happiest person and don't even remember talking to him I was so out of it. Saturday he came early with the kids and at first I was happy to see them and even told Kaleb to come and sit with me on the bed. He sat nice . . . for like a second and then was jumping around and kinda fell on my owies. I instinctively protected myself and pushed him off the bed and then he was crying and screaming. I think his feelings were hurt more than actual physical hurt, but I told Braydan, "okay, that's enough for visiting for today." When he came back again, it was without the kids :)

Bad picture of me--pretty flowers from Braydan

I tried to get up and walk some Friday in hopes that they'd let me go earlier, but doctor came in and said he wanted to keep me another night to get all the antibiotics in me (and he probably saw my crazy kids :) I didn't get released till Saturday afternoon. I almost finished Jane Eyre and got some other good books started that friends brought. I also worked on eating. THey didn't let me eat most of Thursday. And then Friday I didn't feel like eating. Saturday I ate some yogurt so my nurse wouldn't get mad at me. Now that it's Sunday, I feel like the nausea and other problems came from the painpills they gave me! I've been so sick today--wanting to throw-up and head spinning and dizzy. So I decided I'm done with them. I'd rather have the pain than this.

Anyway, Braydan is doing an excellent job taking care of everything. He had a long night with me asking for things, Kaleb crying, Eliza waking up and helping me start nursing her again and just everything. I'm still debating whether to ask Mom to come though. He has to go back to work Tuesday, so we'll see. Well this is long enough and better go. I'll post more later!

Oh, and thank you, thank you friends and family for all your help and calls!

Flower World Again

Saturday was a busy day! Part of our time was spent at flower world. I wanted to show Braydan how cool it is (if any of you know Braydan, yes . . . flowers and plants are cool to him :)Kaleb liked looking at the fish and turtle pools, but got pretty bored after a while. So, I was nice and let Braydan shop by himself and took the kids down to the lake and animals.

Kaleb tried to kick every chicken he encountered.

I eventually got him away to look at the big waterwheel.

Eliza had fun too.

Hopefully someday we'll a have a pretty landscaped yard. For now, I think we're going backwards in progress. Here's one of my flowerbeds last year.

AND now this year.