Farm fun and sitting

What would fall and Halloween be without a trip to the farm? Or, in this case, the gardens. We went to a garden center that had a corn maze and animals and bounce houses. It was a lot of fun getting lost with the kids and reading the silly jokes they had posted at the corners. It was nice that our garden had a couple pumpkin plants from which we got 22 pumpkins and didn't have to buy any to carve. That's for tomorrow night's family home evening.

Soran is not my little baby anymore. She started sitting a couple weeks ago and she hardly falls over anymore. She had pizza for the first time yesterday at a birthday party and loved it. When I hold her she feels so long. She is still really patient with the kids and people keep asking me if she ever cries. Livi has discovered she can make her laugh and spends a lot of time trying to get her to. While it's strange to be home with two babies again, I love it.

Zoo

The kids had fall break a couple weeks ago and it was also my long awaited meeting with the doctor who would do my surgery. My mom was so nice and offered to take the kids to the zoo while we went to the doctor since they were so close. The kids had a great time playing and seeing the baby elephant. It was a perfect fall day.

I, however, was about to cry. They told me the surgery would be soon after the appointment but it didn't get scheduled until the middle of November. They also wanted half the money up front before they would even schedule it. So now I'm sucking it up and trying to live life normally with a plastic tube in for another month. Nothing puts things into perspective like a trip to the hospital, though. They had a paper up about not allowing visitors in because of the swine flu, but they would be more lenient in end-of-life situations. At least I know I'll be coming out again.

Lyssa took a trip to Moab with my mom and dad and the kids had fun playing with cousins and enjoying the nice weather. Scott also managed to squeeze in some golf. We're trying to soak up all the sun we can.

Ode to Fall

With all my missing Arizona, I forgot how much I missed Utah in the fall. We took a drive up the Alpine Loop on Sunday. While I hoped the sights alone would be enough to elicit excitement, I had to make the kids ooh and aah before they got their treat. Scott was nice enough to oblige me and even act like he enjoyed the ride. But honestly, how could you not? It was so beautiful. Today is another story though. There's snow on the mountains! It's going to be a long, cold winter.

Girls, girls and more girls

I have a lot of girls. I think this is the first pic I have of them all together. I wish they were all dressed up and stuff instead of first thing in the morning, but it's still cute. It's kind of a daunting thought that I will be raising 4 future mothers. I hope I do alright.

This other picture is of Alivia dressed up with cousins. They are the trio home during the day and they play together a lot. And the last is of Soran. I can't believe how big she's getting. She's such a happy baby. People always tell me she's smiling at them. Scott says she's so happy it's going to bust out of her face. I'm so glad to have her.

Party, party, party

Life in Utah is just way too much fun. School is in full swing now (Alyssa finally spent a day inside learning rather than outside playing soccer) and Amber's started dance, Alyssa's in piano (she takes hip hop and gymnastics at school) and Christian starts basketball in a couple weeks. I think we have had a birthday party a week this last month. These kids are getting spoiled!

Our nephew Ayden turned 6 and wanted a pie fight/waterballoon fight for his party. It was funny watching all the parents try and convince the kids it was okay to hit people with the whipped cream and that it was fun. My girls did pretty well until the end and Amber got one right in the face. It was more fun watching.

Alivia has turned into my big helper since she's the oldest at home and she is starting to watch TV. She loves Little Einstiens and can sing all the songs and pats her legs just like them. It's so cute. And Soran is huge! I can't believe that less than 5 months ago she was inside me. She is loving solid foods and cries if I don't feed her a little of what's on my plate. Scott is so excited as we are able to throw out all the baby stuff that is no longer used and won't be needed anymore. I must admit I haven't felt any pangs of sadness either, but I'm sure I will. When I kiss her chubby cheeks I am sad to think it will be my last.

After running some labs, I found out I get to keep my kidney, which is great news. I have surgery coming up soon and I can't wait to get this stint out. It's driving me crazy. The doctor told me I didn't have to take the medication I was on for it and I have so much more energy now. I can almost keep up with taking care of all the kids.

Scott is loving his accounting internship. He's in such a good mood all the time now. It's been great. Between his 2 jobs and school he stays pretty busy. Good thing I don't need him. Just kidding. I need him around sometimes.

The hospital (again):(

I have been in the hospital more this last year than my whole life combined! It's ridiculous. It all started the week after school began (see post below) I started feeling sick. I realized on Wednesday I had a kidney infection and started chugging the cranberry juice. But to no avail. Scott and I headed over to the emergency room at midnight that night but I just couldn't do it. With no insurance I knew it would be $2000 just to walk through the door. So I took some meds and went to bed instead. I was so sick on Thursday and Friday I couldn't keep anything down and I couldn't even pick up Soran. By Friday night my mom dragged me to the car and over to the hospital where I assured her they would give me an IV with antibiotics and send me home. I was close--it was a surgery and two days later.
My birthday was on Saturday and I spent the day starving and so thirsty I would just sit at the sink and let the running water go over my tongue. I couldn't eat or drink until the surgery that night. The doctor came in and said he couldn't believe how swollen my kidney was, he was going to put a stint in and then see in a month if there was any functioning left and if it was worth saving. So my birthday dinner consisted of chicken broth and jell-o, which are now nectar from the gods. Best birthday dinner ever. They finally let me out Sunday night after 6 needle stabs and innumerable tests. And I get to go back on Tuesday for more. Yeah! But it is wonderful to be feeling well enough I can take care of my kids again and wanting to live. Thank goodness for modern medicine! And thank you to all who took care of my kids and brought me presents! I love you!
Oh, and one funny story. My sisters were picking up the kids while I was sick and Alyssa asked them if I was going to die. They assured her I would be fine and get better soon. Alyssa said, "oh, good, or else we would be in the orphanage. My dad couldn't handle all of us." When I told Scott he said how well they know him.

First day of school!

What an ordeal! So I had the Alyssa and Christian registered for a charter school we were all really happy about, but then we found out they wanted almost $200 in fees. Needless to say, I wasn't too excited about that. So 2 weeks before school was to start I tried to register them for a local public school that is supposed to be really good. Time was ticking and it was 3 days before school began. I gave up and went in to the charter school. The fees were less than I thought and the kids were excited so we got their lists, went shopping for school supplies, went back to school to meet their teachers and did last minute clothes shopping for uniforms. I hated to buy uniforms after I had just bought enough clothes a few months before on sale, but they look so stinking cute it was fun.

I was so nervous their first day. I kept thinking about what they were doing. But they did great and made friends and in the 3 weeks since have really enjoyed it. Alyssa is taking hip hop and gymnastics, which she loves, and Christian has made friends with a group of boys who are "really tough" at soccer and they play at every recess. With the 40 minute round-trip drive every day, they better love it.

Amber is attending a different school with my mom as her teacher. She started a week and a half after the kids but has eased into the whole school routine. I miss her during the day, but I'm glad she's in such capable hands. She has her 2 cousins in the class and they have a lot of fun together.