Such Great Friends!

The last few days have been very interesting in our family. On Monday morning, August 2nd, I dropped my husband off at the Salt Lake airport. We came to Utah on July 23rd to visit family and attend my brothers wedding. He had a headache and an ache in his leg, but other than that seemed fine. On the airplane he started feeling nauseated, so when he got to PDX he decided to head home. After he got home and his head was hurting so bad he couldn't even sleep he decided to go to the doctor to get a some stronger pain pills. The doctor took some blood and it came back with his white blood cell count WAY high! So, he was sent to the ER to see if he had meningitis. He called me about six on Monday night to tell me what he was doing and I was in absolute shock! He was fine just hours ago when I dropped him off. After a VERY long and painful night, Pete was cleared of having Meningitis, but they still didn't know what was wrong. Finally last night he got a doctor to see him that was an expert in infectious diseases. After many questions and examinations he decided that Pete has a strep infection that turned into cellulitis. It is on his right leg and is very painful. He is still in the hospital, but we are hoping he will get to go home tomorrow. He is starting to feel better now.

During all of this, I have still been in Utah, so I have not been able to be there to help him and be there for him in the hospital. It has been very frustrating and upsetting to me that I am not there for him. But, luckily we have wonderful friends who have been so great to Pete. He has had many visitors and phone calls, and we have had many people praying for us. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped my husband and been there for him when I could not. We have been blessed with many fabulous friends. I told Pete if we can't be in Utah close to our family than we are in the best place we could be with the best friends ever!

Thanks again to everyone!

Half of Eight Is NOT Enough!

Yep, that's right! We are expecting baby number five. We are excited and ready to add to our family. I am thirteen weeks and the baby is due on January 26th. We will be finding out what the baby is at the end of August or beginning of September.


This ultrasound was taken at 8 weeks

Fun Summer Times

On June 18th we went to the zoo with my sister and her kids. We had a fabulous time. It's the first time we saw the lion exhibit which I loved. The kids had a great time hanging out together. Especially Kenyon and Evan who were in their own little world playing war games and wandered off away from us more than once! With eight kids and those two not paying attention it was difficult keeping track of them. Silly boys!

We have been going to the school and public library every Wednesday for a craft time and to check out books. The public library has a reading program where the kids read a certain number of hours and they get little prizes. So, they have been enjoying participating in it.


This is one of the crafts at the school -
face painting

Another thing we have been doing frequently this summer is going to the park. We have tried out four or five different parks already and I'm sure by the time summer is over we will have tried out many more. We are very blessed to have tons of parks within a very short distance.









We went to the river on July 8th with a bunch of our friends. It was a really hot day, so it was a
perfect day to enjoy the water.











On July 12th we went blueberry picking with some friends at Majestic farms. The kids really enjoyed that and I spent the next few days washing and freezing the blueberries. Now I can make Pete as much blueberry pie as he wants!









We have also been harvesting blueberries and strawberries from our own backyard garden. The kids love to go out and pick them and eat them. YUM!

Aaron's visit

On June 24 - 28, our nephew, Aaron came to visit. We had a fun time with him, but hope he wasn't bored out of his mind! He's fourteen and we did our best to entertain him. We went to the river and had a picnic, eating Burgerville of course! We went and saw the many waterfalls surrounding Multnomah Falls. We took him to the coast, Astoria, Seaside and Tillamook. We played Ticket to Ride and went to the park. It was a fun filled weekend and we really enjoyed getting to know our nephew (cousin) from Alaska a bit better.

Aladdin's parrot

Shaylee's dance recital this year was on June 18 and 19. They did Aladdin and Shaylee was a red parrot. It was a cute, but VERY long recital. It was about 3 hours long. Shaylee did a great job and looked so darling in her parrot costume. She performed in a ballet number and a tap number. I just love to see her dance because she just loves it.






Shaylee performing her tap number


Shaylee and some of the girls in her class.

Last Day of School

June 15th was the last day of school for the boys. We were so blessed this year with great teachers. Both of my boys had wonderful years and I am excited that Kenyon will have Brandon's two teachers as his teachers next year.

Notice the sweatshirts and jackets? Yes, it was mid June and FREEZING cold, and rainy! Welcome to the Northwest!


Alex, Kenyon, Hunter and Mr. B.




Mrs. O'neil, Brandon and Mrs. Ensley (Kenyon will have
these ladies as his teachers next year!)

I have a graduate!

Yep, my third preschool graduate from Children's World of Music. Shaylee had her last day at preschool on June 8th. She loved preschool and her teacher Miss Michelle. It was a great year and I was so sad to see it end. She is my sweet little girl. My only girl. And I am so sad to see her go to Kindergarten. It feels like one more step on her way to being my not so little girl anymore.

Shaylee did a great job at her graduation performance. She sang and danced her little heart out. She is so much fun to watch perform, she is such a little ham.

Congratulations, Shaylee!!! You did a great job in Preschool this year! Mommy and Daddy love you!