Olivia's Birthday 2010

Sweet Olivia is turning 4!  Hooray!  How many celebrations can she have?

 On her birthday, we got to swim in our friend's pool, and then they came with us to Red Robin's, (Olivia's choice of restaurant) for dinner.  Olivia loves Valerie, so she was in heaven, it helped to counter act the fact that Livvy's brother was half way across the country.

Can you see the knife marks in the cake?  Livvy tried to cut it before we were ready to serve the cake.

I love these cupcakes below.  I made these for her friend birthday party.  She loved them. 

Olivia chose to take 3 friends to Jungle Joe's for her party.  The girls had so much fun, they had worked up a thirst and an appetite with all their jumping. 

Oh my adorable!  We had Olivia's hair braided in the front for her birthday.  I loved it! 

After Jungle Joe's, we came back and had lunch, (on Livvy's new patio set).

Luke felt really bad that he missed Olivia's birthday, especially when he was homesick, so we told him we would have a celebration when he came back.  I made this cake that I found in a magazine, (the same magazine I found the monkey cupcakes in).  I loved making it.  I want to repeat it every year, because it's so fun, and easy.

I sure want to eat cake after posting this.

Our friends and old neighbors were back in town when we were celebrating Olivia's 3rd birthday party and we were so excited they could come over.  Thanks Clenece, it was so fun to see you and your family.  We sure miss you.   



First Trip by himself

Waiting in the airport.

His name was called.

My boy is heading off into the world without me.

The tears were flowing here, just not by Luke, only by mom.

Olivia is pointing to Luke's plane, as we were waiting for it to depart.

Swinging and playing, she did a wonderful job of distracting me, so I didn't completely lose it right there at the gate.

This summer my parents asked if Luke could come and stay with them for a while.  We decided to send him out for 13 long days.  He was so excited.  We decided to send him when he could go on the Youth Pioneer Trek with them.  Luke really wanted to do this so he could experience a little bit of what the Pioneers went through.

So the end of July Livvy and I took Luke to the Detroit airport where he flew non-stop to Salt Lake City.  At the airport we had about an hour delay, as President Obama had been in town and had messed up all the flights at the airport.  I did fine until they called his name, and then I remembered all the last minute advise I hadn't given him and realized that he really was flying half way across the country without me.  I only cried (at that point) when Luke walked away to board the plane.  He was fine, and wasn't scared at all.  There were 2 other unaccompanied minors on the flight so they all got to sit together.  That made me happy.  I had to wait in the airport until his plane was in the sky and then I could leave.  I had to ask someone to know when I could leave, and when I started explaining that I had sent my son as an unaccompanied minor, I started bawling.  All was well and he was on his way, and I left on my way.   

Luke called me on his cell phone (a track phone given to him for this trip only - and he thought he was really cool to have one) when his plane was on the runway in Salt Lake to let me know he was there safe.  My brother met him at the gate (Luke called to let me know he found him) and took Luke to his house where Grandma and Grandpa picked him up.  Luke spent a whirlwind of a trip with my parents.  They had him up to their cabin in Wyoming, in Rexburg for one day only, then on Pioneer Trek, (which Luke said was the "best experience of his life!") back to Utah for a day, and then he flew back home.  He was there for 13 LONG days.  It was hard on me.  When he was tired, he would be homesick.  But when he was out and doing things, he was having the time of his life. 

When I asked him what the best part of the trip was he said "coming home,"  The second best part was Trek.

What an experience, I'm so glad he had it, but mostly I'm happy to have him back home.  So is Olivia, who cried at the airport, and numerous other times because she wanted her brother back.  (The day before he left she said she wanted a new brother- one who didn't tease her.)  Now at least for the next few days she'll enjoy being teased, because he's here.  We are all so thankful to be back together.  It was like a part of us was always missing with him gone.

New Sport

Look who's starting football this fall.

June 24th, 2010

I play soccer with two different leagues, one Women's the other Coed.  Ryan plays on the coed team with me.  On this particular night, which also happened to be the last night of the season, I collided hard with a guy on the other team.  I have no memory of it whatsoever.  I "woke up" in the ER.  I heard that I was running full speed up the field, and that the other player was running full speed across the field.  Apparently we both reached the same spot at the same time.  I was knocked unconscious immediately before I hit the ground.  They say that the hit sounded like bones were breaking.  I guess I was only unconscious for about a minute, but when I woke up...the lights were on, but nobody was home.  The kids say I knew who they were, but I kept asking who all these people were, and what were we doing.  This happened at the beginning of the 2nd quarter.  When I was still mentally absent at half time they went and got the cart to take me to the gate near our house.  Ryan then helped me to our car.  We were using a friend's car while she was borrowing ours, and when I saw it I asked who's car was at our house.  (I had been driving this vehicle for 2 days prior to the injury).  Ryan got me to the ER, the first memory I have is asking him if I cried?  He told me no.  THANK HEAVENS for THAT! :)  I have spotty memories from that point.  I do remember asking Ryan if he had given me a blessing yet.  He said that he hadn't yet, but that we could do it then while we were waiting for the CT Scan.  Memories started sticking after that.  Ryan said before I was really with it that the nurses kept asking if I had pain.  I kept saying "YES, my leg is killing me!"  I had been kneed in the right thigh, I still have a deep bruise in it to this day.  The nurses kept saying, but how does your head feel?"
My head felt like I'd been hit by a Mac Truck.  What a head ache!  When I finally came around my head was killing me.  I was dizzy and was still having trouble remembering things.  I was sick to my stomach and I couldn't taste most flavors.  It was crazy.  For the next week all I wanted to eat was soft serve ice cream. 
My body was sore.  My neck hurt from the get go, I wore a hat and would use the brim to help pull my head up when I was laying down.  I am know doing Physical Therapy to help strengthen my neck, and I am mostly back to normal.  What an experience. 
Well, time to stop being a wimp, soccer season starts soon.  :) 
And nope I have no idea what happened to the other guys.  I think he walked away without any injuries.  I wonder if he was even sore. 

Father's Day Present 2010

We bought Ryan a canoe for his Father's Day gift this year.  He has been so excited about it.  Our friends the Petersen's invited us to go down the Thornapple River with them, and we were happy to do so.  Everyone had a great time.  Luke was happy to get out and swim.  And Olivia was happy to wash the canoe down with a wipe. 

Am I a lucky person or what?

I tried to get a shot of all of us and I got my big old head, with Olivia peeking through,  ha ha.

Ryan got to try out one of the kayaks.  Luke rode with him for a while when he wanted a break from swimming.

We saw a Great Blue Heron.

I love this picture of the Petersen's.  They are such a great couple.  We're glad they let us crash their party.

Ear tubes and Adenoids

Oh Sweetness!

Someone just took their versed.  Drowsiness is coming.

But until then, we'll play with the syringe.

Awwwww, there she goes.  :(

Can you just see the drugged look on her face?

Sweet Olivia had surgery on June 30th.  She needed to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids removed.  She did great before the surgery.  She broke out with hives right before, don't know what that was about, but beyond that all went well.

They came and told us the surgery went well, and that she was recovering.  When she woke up they would come and get us.  She had a hard time coming out of anesthesia (we warned them of that, because she did that last time as well), so it seemed like forever until we were able to see her.  She was very mellow when we were allowed back to see her, She didn't want me to hold her, she wasn't "there" yet.  They gave her a Popsicle, the ones in the plastic sleeves.  She took a couple of licks on it and then threw the biggest "I'm coming out of anesthesia" tantrum you ever did see.  She was TICKED that the Popsicle didn't have a stick.  Kicking, screaming, hitting, yelling, flopping, and so forth.  Remember I warned them about her having a difficult time coming out of anesthesia...well after 10 minutes of her fighting, (and my post concussion/soccer collision injured body was barely able to handle it), they tried to send us out the door, saying that maybe she'd do better at home.  I was shocked and appalled that they would try to send us out while she was still like this.  I know she was loud, but come on, they are used to kids responding like this (or so they told me when I warned them previous to the surgery).  I informed them that there was no way we were leaving because she wouldn't be able to sit in a car seat to even get out of the parking lot. 

Lovely picture.  Ryan is great at capturing my best looks.  Don't look, but there's a great one in the one million meals for Haiti posting.  But here I was fighting for all I was worth to keep a hold of her.  3 year old's are strong.

After 15-20 minutes she calmed down and drank her Popsicle.  Then we were able to happily leave and she did awesome from then on.

Random dress up

Oh I love these two.  There are times where they are the best of friends (and times where they are the worst of enemies).  I laughed so hard when they came down in these costumes.  They are the cutest kids. 

Olivia's Swim Lessons 2010

We took lessons from Miss Cathy for swimming lessons this year.  The kids loved the lessons and had a lot of fun.  The swimming pool is treated with salt, yay, a little better on the eyes, suits, and hair.  It was suggested to me that Olivia wear a swim cap and she was happy to do so.  It is very tricky in Kalamazoo to find a child's sized cap, but we found a couple that worked okay. 

I did horrible on taking pictures this year for swimming lessons.  Here are a few, and they are mostly with Olivia's head under the water.  That is a good thing.  She is getting much better about putting her face in the pool.  Not a problem in the bathtub, it's just different in a pool. 

One Million Meals for Haiti

On Father's Day we had the opportunity to go support a local event where the Salvation Army and Numana Inc. partnered together to see if our community could put together one million meals for Haiti.  Numana Inc. supplied the ingredients and the Salvation Army found the place and advertised for volunteer support.  We found out about it through our church.  After church we headed over to see how we could help.  It was a meal of rice and beans that we were putting together.  Everyone was able to help in some way.

Everything was set up assembly line style.  One person poured in the bouillon/vitamin supplement powder, one person poured in the rice, another the beans, and another the soy protein.  Then another person weighed the bags, and lightened them or added more if need be, then they were sealed, and boxed.  Each bag contained 6 servings, I wish I would have taken a picture of a bag, because it wasn't a lot of food.  I realize it expands with water...but considering they say that a person in Haiti is lucky if they get to eat once a day - it breaks your heart.

Ryan is standing near the funnel where we poured all the ingredients through into a bag. 

Happy Father's Day.

(he was so grateful we did this on his day).

We were all lucky enough to wear an apron, hair net, and food service gloves.

This picture of Luke does NOT do him justice for the day.  I have never seen him work so hard.  He was amazing.  Sure he whined every once in a while about when was it time to leave, but he never quit working.  He was such a great helper. Olivia worked hard for a solid hour.  When she was done helping, she started helping in a different way.  They were playing Reggae music and Olivia started dancing.  She brightened the day of all those close to her.  It was cute. 

Every time we were able to complete 10,000 meals they would have someone ring the gong.  Luke was able to ring it twice, and Olivia was brave enough to ring it once.  They introduced her as the cutest little girl they had ever seen.

My Rock Star!  Way to go Luke!

Kalamazoo wasn't able to complete one million meals, but we were able to do over 620,000 meals.  This service travels around to different parts of the country.  Look for it in your area.  It's a great thing.