An update and a scare.

My friend across the sea, Kortney, asked me to update on Alex's leg. I can't post pics. because my computer is down and I am using a different one.

He is doing quite well. The third surgery was a success and his bone is looking stronger. He has a "bone scab" a bony substance the builds around the break. It will take about a year for the bone to line up and be straight (they don't set femur bones, that is why they use pins). Since they ended up hammering the pins far into his bones and screwing them in place, they will not remove them unless their are complications later on, removing them now is risking shattering the bone. The bone is sturdy enough that he is able to bear weight so, we have been putting him in his walker again (with ample checking and rechecking that he is in their properly and straps are tight, plus watching him like a hawk to prevent another accident).

IT is amazing how fast children grow and heal. Kids with brain damage tend to hit puberty early. At 10 Alex has all the signs, stinky armpits, peach fuzz, and yes, even some attitude. He has grown a rediculous amount the last year or so. Before his leg break, he seemed to be sort of outgrowing his walker but, he could still get some use out of it. Now he just looks rediculous in it, is legs are WAY To long. Yet, he did get some good walkign action in it. I got a video and once I have my computer, maybe I can post one. We are surprised how strong his legs are after so much time sitting, and a broken bone.

The wound from the pins coming out is healing slowly but, appropriately. It is deep and gross but looking better every day. It is suppose to heal from the bottom up and that is exactly what it is doing, it also getting smaller in diameter. Alex is anxious to be able to take baths and go swimming again.

Caleb seems to be battling one thing after another. We have been trying to keep him away form all his allergic foods. Recently we discovered he is allergic to aquaphor. His skin was just starting to clear up (he has eczema agittated by the allergies). The Dr. Recommended aquarphor and his skin became worse than EVER! He was covered in eczema. So now we rub him down with hydrocoritsone skin and it is looking really good again. He also has to stay away from Garbanzo beans (which makes up some really great wheat free flours, and is the main ingredient in his favorite food, Hummus), it is closely related to soy and legumes, which he has allegries too. We also noticed increased itchiness after he eats things with carob bean and other bean products in them, which are usually used in low fat foods (like l.f. sour cream) and most any cream cheese. We have been able to find great allergy free products at Fred Meyer, PCC market, and whole foods. OUr new favorite is an egg, wheat, dairy, soy free pretzel at fred meyer by Ener G (they make the egg replacer).

Caleb was finally doing really well, not so itchy, good looking skin, and now runny nose or cough. Yesterday he woke up with a mark by his eye, I figured he scratched himself. Today he had a runny nose when he woke up. He took an extra long nap (3hrs.) The last hour I was upstairs close to his room and actually started to worry he slept so long. I checked on him a couple times but, he was ok. Finally I heard a soft whimper. He usually gets out of bed, bangs on the door as hard as he can with a flat hand, and cries super loud. I went to get him, and hear this DREADFULLY HORRID cough. It sounded like a seal barking. He couldn't stop coughing, and I was worried he wasn't getting enough air. I hadn't heard him cough AT ALL during his nap! I took him downstair immediatly and turned on the shower, steaming hot, to get it all steamy. I also called his mom. She was with the other boys at a dr. appt. for Alex so she didn't answer. I was so scared I actually called 911. He wasn't blue or anything but, I had no way of knowing if he would start, or if he had swallowed something he found on the floor and if it would get lodged or anything. You just never know with little guys and air is so precious. By the time the paramedics got their he was breathing easier. The steam really helped. Ken and Trish were boht on their way home. Caleb was really clingy but mostly coughing when he cried, although when he took a deep breath it sounded croupe like. He was ok, and Mom took him to the Dr. I haven't heard what she said yet. I can't even imagine watching my own child get sick like that. I hate watching kids I love suffer.

Alex had a big seizure last night too. He has been having a few more lately so, we are trying to figure that out. He was doing really well after the last medicine increase.

The last two weeks.

The past two weeks have been crazy, we have had record breaking heat, and record breaking snow, I completed two weeks of school in less than a week, was in a wedding, made a trip to the zoo, and spent time with friends.

April 12th dawned bright and warm! We got plenty of yard work done and played hard. It topped off at 82 degrees, freakishly warm for April in Seattle. We loved it. We knew our cold gloomy days were ending. Or, so we thought.

Molly was really enjoying having everyone outside, their were plenty of peoples feet to drop a ball at, and someone was bound to throw it!
Kalika thought ALex had the right idea to sit in the shade, she had no problem joining him. As you can see, Alex is REALLY enjoying the warm weather.
Sammy the cat found a comfy cushion to sit on in the shade, he had to supervise the dogs.
Ashton is our neighbors little girl, she really enjoyed playing with the boys and being able to wear her sun dresses.
We filled up the pool for the kids. The water was sooo...cold, Ben enjoyed it anyway.

Alex was cracking up at me because I was throwing a hissy fit about playing in the sand and getting it under my nails. I don't like sand boxes, they are gross. I do however like to play in the sand at the beach...and I don't mind mud either. I just hate sand boxes....
Caleb was so excited to have water in the pool.
He is getting ready to try it.
So often we tell him n0t to get in the pool when it has rain water in it, he was a little suprised we weren't stopping him.
This would be Caleb saying "TOO COLD"! He didn't stay in for long.

All the signs were apparent, big pink cherry blossom,
leaves budding on trees
Tulips and Daffodils in full bloom.
Needing to wear sunglasses
Shorts and tanks....warm weather and blue skies...it was spring....right?

Apparently not. Exactly a week later, April 18 and 19th, we saw another freakish weather system for Seattles April...snow, and snow accumulating, from 1-8 inches up and down the coast! My good friend of 11 years was getting married on the 19th. About 6 months ago she made a comment about how it would be COOL if it snowed at her wedding. I made a comment about how that would NEVER Happen because it was in mid APRIL....we both ate our own words when it did snow, and she realized she didn't really want it too! It all turned out ok though and made for some fun pictures and a story to remember.



Bride and groom to be, at rehearsal dinner, in the SNOW.
Say What? Snow? In late April???? The day of Sams wedding dawned early for all of us, and SNOWY, since it snowed the day before, I was sure it would be gone by the morning. The lady who did our hair had this tulip growing in her front yard. How weird to see snow on top of a tulip. It happened to be the same color as the ones we had for the wedding. By the end of the wedding, it was sunny and their was NO snow in sight! CRAZY.

These are the 5 precious flower girls. 4 of them are sisters, and 1 is their cousin

This is my good friend Smamanatha and I on her wedding day. She was a BEAUTIFUL bride! I was honored to be a bridesmaid.

April 21st was a pretty nice day, not incredibly warm but warm enough to spend a bit of time outside with long sleeves. I went to visit the Allinsons, and we had alot of fun!

A couple week ago there cat Lilly had 4 kittens. They are sweet as sugar!

Aren't they the cutest things ever? The black and gray one's are spoken for but the little twin gray/white ones need homes.

How precious, snuggles with each other and mom! I think they will be long haired, they are sooo...soft.
Here are the twins that still need a home. The only differences are one is smaller, and one has bigger/lighter patches under it's ears. I THINK one is a girl and one is a boy but, it is hard to know for sure when they or SO small. This is my favorite of the kittens, it is so pretty. It is the one the Allinsons are keeping. They might name it Tiger, in which cases they will have Tiger-Lilly. I think they should name it Iagor but, thats just me :)div> Here is one of the kitties that still needs a home. This sweet little runt still needs a home. Levi LOVES the kitties. He says "my baby kitties". It is a good thing they plan to keep one of them because if they didn't, it would be really hard on Levi to say goodbye.

Here Gabriel is playing in the little red car. He kept using the wheel as a lever to pull him self up and stand. Gabriel had never played in the grass before...I'm not sure he knew what to think at first....
It wasn't to long though before he decided it was GREAT for pulling on.
Here Gabe is showing of his big strong sitting muscles! He is growing up WAY to fast, I don't remember it going by so fast with JOsh and Kenzie, I couldn't wait for them to crawl, walk, talk, and grow hair, but Levi and Gabe seem to grow every time I blink!

I had my roller blades in my car so I put them on. Josh followed Suit. Levi insisted he put his helmet on and ride his "bike" (the scooter). He put both feet on and I would push him. Then he ran up the neighbors steep driveway. I decided to show off and I picked him up we rolled down it. We were fine until I turned at the bottom, hit a piece of asphalt rock, and biffed! Levi was ok (thank goodness!) But my knee and elbow were pretty scraped up, and my new jeans have a nice whole in them! I forgot how much it hurts to skin your knee! I am going to be much more compassionate about that from now on.



Gabriel is sitting up and practicing his dance moves!
Hmmm...maybe the Macarena?

THeir is this really cute antique shopping center in Bellevue area. It is all colored like a little red barn and looks like a little village. Thier is a giant Chicken and Egg out front, a little park with two HUGE slides, an old fashioned merry go round, and a giant hollow catepillar. Their is also this pond with plenty off ducks (Calebs favorite animal), a chicken and a rooster t hat we love to feed. THey have a really cute kids boutique called Max and Bella. It is really expensive but, Caleb fell in LOVE with this hat. I bought him the hat and shirt. Aren't they adorable? I am going to take it back when he outgrows them so I can share it with another baby boy in my life.
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Wednesday the Allinsons, and the Tooles, and myself all went to the zoo. It was hectic with all 7 kids! I did manage to get a couple cute shots though.

Gabe was NOT a fan of having sun in his eyes so, we put my sunglasses on him, he loved them.


Alex enjoyed a snuggle with Baby Gabe
Gabe loved Alex
Levi was really fond of the lion statue. He didn't want to take turns.
Just a pretty bird from the aviary.

Blue birds and blue faces.

Caleb has these 3 toy birds, a Cardinal, a Black Caped Chickadee, and a Blue Jay. They are all round and when squeezed they make the sound of that bird. Kalika loves birds. When we moved in, she decided that these birds should be hers. She would sniff them out and find them, under couches, on top of chairs, and even in Calebs toy box. Any time the toy box was pulled out from the end table, she would stick her nose in it and push other toys around until she found one of the birds. She always gave herself away though by squeezing them in her mouth. Then we would here them chirping and know she had one. She took a special liking to the Blue Jay. Eventually we gave up trying to keep that one from her as she had gotten often enough it was looking pretty dingy. Trish just said to let her have that one. Besides, Caleb had lost interest and the other two had gone MIA. Kalika was so happy to be allowed to have it. She carried it around squeeazing it for days and making it chirp. She threw it in the air and ran after it, and she slept with it. She gaurded it diligently from the Cat and from their dog. But, the last few days I noticed her playing with it less and less. Then I noticed it had stopped chirping. I guess she wore out the batteries. Yesterday, I suddenly heard a chirping. I hunted Kalika down and guess what...she had found the Cardinal! So, now she carries that one around everywhere with her. Stinker. Here are some really cute pictures of her and her baby blue jay. Isn't she the cutest puppy ever?!!!!

The other day Caleb managed to find a blue ink pad while I was in the bathroom. I guess him, Ben, and Trish were all playing stamps and one got left on the floor. He smeared it all over his face! It was kind of funny coming out of the bathroom to little boy blue! Thankfully, it was non-toxic. It took forever to get off though, about six wipes, two baths, and a soapy wash cloth scrubbing! He still had a blue hue for a day or two. He didn't want me to take his picture until I had him look in the mirror. He was a bit suprised at what he had done to himself, and then he totally showed off for pictures. Silly kid!

The REAL Fantastic Four (all together at last!)

When I was about 12 1/2 a young couple, their 3 month old son, and two Golden Retrievers moved into the little 2 bedroom rambler next door to my parents house. At this age I was really afraid of big dogs but, smitten over babies. As soon as I learned they had a baby, I started going over to visit. Then their dogs had a litter of 12 puppies! Well, my animal loving heart couldn't resist those pups! Since I had to be around their Mamma (Emma) to play with them, I decided she was ok. Before too long I got use to their Bouncy and Excitable male too (Noah). I would go and play with the baby and play with the pups, sometimes for hours. I would even walk the dogs from time to time. I liked to take them to a friend of mine's house. She LOVED Goldens and wanted one desperately.

After awhile Joanna would let me "watch" Joshua (the baby) while she did chores, and then while she made short trips to the grocery store, and finally, so her and her husband Kaleb could go out together.

Now, each of their kids are super special to me, and I enjoy remembering each of their stories, meaning how their birth affected my life. They are almost like Nephews and a Niece to me, their Mom is like a wise older sister,and their Dad is pretty great too. I value their families role and relationship in my life. Watching them has been great motivation for raising my family under Gods authority and leadership. What my parents were anable to teach me, they have taught simply by example.

Josh was the 2nd "official" babysitting job I had, and he was the first infant (under 3 years).

He was the cutest and smartest little thing and he weasled a HUGE spot for himself in my heart.

I don't have any pictures of him when he was tiny b/c I did not have a digital camera. Here is one of him a year ago. He is stubborn, a great reader, and really sweet. He will snuggle with me when we watch movies, and whenever I leave he has to give me a "Man" hug (squeeze me until my longs collapse!). He is also super creative and comes up with all kinds of fun games. Josh cares for people alot. He gets concerned when someone is overwhelmed or hurt (he prays for me when I have a headache or am sick or injured), he prays for the little boy their family sponsors in Africa, and he can't stand to see someones injuries. Josh is shaping up to be good in the kitchen too!

2 1/2 years later came a beautiful baby girl. When they found out they were expecting a baby girl Joanna told my Mom she was excited because girls were calmer and not quite so busy. My Mom said "That is not true, you just wait! She will be busier than Josh. Violet was my busiest." My brother was BUSY, and Josh was too. But, I was busy, smart/clever, and just plain loud and crazy. Mackenzie is much like I was, and today I think Joanna might say their was truth in my Moms words. Mackenzie is so sweet and compassionate though. She is always up for a snuggle, and ready to lend a helping hand to mommy, me, or one of the babies. She loves too cook. She is a peopel pleaser, always wanting to pick movies and books that Josh, or one of the babies would enjoy vs. something she would enjoy. She is more than happy to sit and watch Josh play video games (which he loves). It amazes me how incredibly perfect Gods timing is. Kenzie almost came too early. I don't know how her timing affected her family in Gods perfect way but, I know that her timing was meant for me too. The month she was born, my boyfriend died. At 15 one way I always felt God was near was when I held a brand new baby. I could feel and smell God. Kenzie came weeks after Andrews death, and days after I had emergency surgery on my appendix. She came home from the hospital the day after me. I was still laid up on the couch, and Joanna brought her over. She was so tiny she fit on my chest and didn't even come close to the incisions on my tummy. I'm not sure JOanna remembers this but, for a few minutes Kenzie fell asleep on my chest, and I fell asleep too. We just dozed together, and I breathed in the smell of God, the smell of his creation and promise for new life. Joanna sat and chatted with my Mom. For months my only solace from my pain and grief was to go to their house and cuddle baby Kenzie. At that time it was like God had sent me something from heaven since he had to call Andrew home to heaven. Here is Kenzie around 5 years old (almost two years ago)

Before too long I was off to college and I missed them terribly. I still saw them occasionally but, not as often as before. Right about the time I was planning to move out of state (that plan was thrown out the window), they welcomed another Baby boy. Levi was such a joy! Whenever I came over too visit, I had these amazing kids who loved me, and the cutest little peanut to hold. He has the biggest dimples, the cutest little voice, and says the most hilarious things! So many people decide they are "complete" after 1, 2 or 3 kids. I remember thinking "I hope they have more kids" and yet, after a few years I could see how they might be content with one boy and one girl. After all, they were great kids. Joanna says they decided to "let" God give them more kids. How blessed they are by each of their children. I can't imagine their family without any one of them. God knew they weren't complete yet. Who knows when any of us has a "complete" family. Watching them open to Gods plan, and seeing what God gave them taught me not to give numbers, or make so many plans for my life. God can only bless you if you allow him too. Make the choice to see what his plan may be. Below is a picture of all 3 of the kids exactly a week after Levi was born (he was born Superbowl sunday BTW, the day the Seahawks lost) and Levi with Kenzie 6 mths ago.

Finally, just 6 months ago, God gave them another handsome little Prince! Gabe is the most contented, happy, snugglie, sweet baby boy! He is so big an healthy. Whenever he sees me he greats me with a HUGE smile. I love just holding him and enjoying his health, his sweetness, his babyness. Sometimes snuggling my nephew is bitter sweet because of all the circumstances revolved around his excistance and environment. Holding Gabe is pure Joy! I know he is loved and well cared for emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. When he was making his debut I got to watch the other kiddos (primarily Kenzie and Levi as Josh was only their a short while before going to a friends). Then, Gabe was the first munchkin I got to go see at the hospital. That was really special to me! Here is a picture of Gabe and me the day he was born and a picture of the four little one and myself over the weekend. I have been dying to get a photo of all of us together but, 4 kids, all busy, and two nappers makes it kind tricky. It finally happened. (This was really the inspiration for my blog!)

Joshua 9 yrs, Violet 21. 5 yrs, Mackenzi, almost 7yrs., Levi 2yrs, Gabriel 6 1/2mths.