First Day of School...and an E.R. visit

What a good lookin' kid! Monday was the first day of school for Garrett. He started the 4th grade. I can't believe he is that old. 4th grade! He was excited to start school (NOT!) but was looking forward to his new teacher, Mr. Jones.

I like taking side view pictures of the first day of school. Their backpacks are loaded down with school supplies and weigh almost as much as the kid themselves. I walked Garrett to school and carried his backpack most of the way. Heavy sucker!

So this day started out awesome. The weather was warm and sunny, perfect for walking to school. I got Garrett off to school without a hitch and came home. That's when the fun began. The morning took a little unexpected turn and I had to make a quick trip to the hospital to talk to my boss. OK, crisis averted for now. I got home, got a few things done when Blaine tells me his back is hurting and he thinks he has a kidney stone. So, off we go for another hospital visit. This one to the E.R. And yep, he's got a kidney stone. In fact, he has 2. Twins. Lucky Blaine.

After getting loaded up with pain medication, we finally headed home for him to tough out the night. And tough it was, even after lots of pain medication and anti-nausea medication at home. He is starting to feel better now and probably passed the little stone. He still has a big stone in there causing some discomfort. Hopefully it will either pass or settle down so it will stop hurting him. Otherwise, the urologist will have to go fish it out. Sounds pleasant, eh?

Luckily I have some awesome friends that helped out with my kids during the day and awesome family that helped out with them in the evening. Thanks for all you do!

A few things about my kids

Because I use this blog as a journal of sorts, I thought I should jot down some things I've noticed about each one of my kids lately.

Garrett:

He is 9 and will be in the 4th grade this year. He wears glasses and has blue eyes and is learning to play the piano. He loves to ride his bike. He loves to go work with Grandpa and has a pair of work boots, irrigating boots, and a pair of gloves to take with him when he goes. He is such a good kid and works hard to do the right thing. He helps out a lot around the yard and the house. He is strong and can lift heavy things and open lids (especially for Grandma Great!). He is getting big and independent but still likes to sit close to mom or dad and have a story read to him.

Hannah:

She is turning 5 in September but won't go to kindergarten until next year. She loves to write letters and words and loves to type on the computer. She loves to draw pictures of our family. Her pictures make me laugh because everyone has a bellybutton. She has dark brown eyes and long hair that she lets me braid. She loves anything princess and loves to sing. She has a loud voice. Very loud. We have to remind her to use her "inside voice". She likes to play house and has just discovered that her doll can go potty...for real. She is a meat eater. She is very dramatic. She loves to have stories read to her and likes to snuggle close to mom and dad.

Ryan:

He is 2 right now and will turn 3 in November. He has huge brown eyes and tons of dark brown hair. He needs a haircut more often than anyone else in the family. He is working on using the potty instead of diapers. He loves to play with Hannah and likes to do whatever she does-including dressing up like a princess, wearing high heels and using makeup. He sits on the counter when I put on my makeup and puts some on too. He knows where everything goes. He has just started telling me that "me too little" if he doesn't want to do something or if he is scared. He also tells me "that makes me sick" if he doesn't want to eat something. It makes me laugh. He loves nursery and church and will take himself to nursery most days. He likes to "jump high" on the trampoline. He also likes to be read to but won't wait until you are done with the page before he is turning it!

Blake:

He will be 1 month old in a few days. He is getting bigger but is still a skinny little guy. He still has his dark hair but I'm thinking his eyes will be a dark blue. He is a mellow baby. Doesn't cry unless he needs something. He tolerates his pacifier. He loves his bottle and drinks 4 ounces at time. He just started taking tub baths and is still trying to decide if he likes them or not. He is a good sleeper and loud noises don't bother him much. He wakes up at 3 am every day. Usually its the only time during the night that he wakes up. He is more alert, focuses on you better and has started to smile. He has a dimple in his left cheek and his smile lights up his whole face. He likes to lay on the bed and just stretch and kick. He also likes to snuggle. He still curls up into a ball when you lay him on your shoulder. He fits perfectly against me this way.

I love my kids so much! They are the highlight of my life and I'm glad I took the time to write down some things about each one. I'll appreciate it later.

Its that time of year again!

Its that time of year again. Time for canning! This weekend we did beans. Blaine and the kids and I went to Burley to visit Blaine's family and to pick beans. Blaine's dad grows them in the field and is kind enough to let us pick all we want. Blaine's mom and sister JaNene helped us pick the beans on Friday evening. Thanks guys for all your help!

Bright and early Saturday morning the crew came over to help us snip and bottle the beans. There is Blaine, my Grandma Purcell, my dad, my mom and my sister-in-law Kara. Beckie was there too. Last year my grandma came over and helped us all day long. I thought we had done her in with the long day. So this year I didn't ask her to help, just asked to borrow her huge dishpan bowls. She said that was fine but then Saturday morning she called and said "Nobody invited me to this bean cutting party but I'm coming over anyway!" That totally cracked me up! She came over and snipped beans for an hour or so and then we were done snipping. Yay!

Here is Beckie and Porter. As you can see, it was a rough day for Porter. He took a nap shortly after. We did about half as many beans as last year. Makes for a much nicer day. This year we bottled 40 quarts and 90 pints in one day.

Now, beans are not my favorite food but my kids love them. Also, I like to have my shelves full of food. It makes me feel prepared. Safe and secure. It makes me feel like I am on the right path and doing what I should. If you wonder what path that is, read THIS.

Thanks to all my family for helping with beans this weekend. I hope you enjoy them all year long!

10 days old

Yesterday my sister Beckie came over and we took some pictures of Blake. He was 10 days old. He pretty much hated every minute of it. See that look on his face. It says "Somebody save me!"

He just really hates to be naked. He is so skinny that he gets cold fast. Get a little food in his belly and a warm snugly blanket and he goes right to sleep. But first he must pee on mom. Twice.

We did get some cute shots of him just being content. Like this one. He is very strong and wiry, though so you have to move fast before he wiggles himself out of the spot.

He was pretty content for this picture. My little angel baby checking out his fingers.

Blaine was a good sport and took care of the other two hooligans while Beckie and I posed Blake. He even did Porter's hair in two pigtails. Very cute!

Thanks Beckie for coming over and bringing all your cute stuff with you!