Photo Recap!

So, 12 hour days are pretty busy. Needless to say blogging is not my top priority these days. Its hard to keep everything up to date weekly or even monthly. So I've decided to catch you up on our lives through pictures. The pictures are the best part of blogs anyway, right? So here goes...

SEPTEMBER Favorites

 

 MT. Fuji is their FAVORITE place to eat.

 We went on a hike!

 Cayden had his Primary Program

 OCTOBER Favorites

We went to the Wildlife Experience and played like penguins

 Carved our pumpkins

 Have you ever had Super Heroes rake your leaves?

 We went trick or treating at the Denver Zoo

 Had our ward Trunk or Treat

 And did more trick or treating on Halloween.

 The boys were done after about 45 minutes. They had a blast. But I think they had more fun passing out candy to the trick or treaters that came to my parents house. They were pretty stinkin cute!

 NOVEMBER Favorites (so far)

 We have Momadillo visiting this month. The boys made her a nice bed in their room and love having her. They gave her a friend the first night she was here to keep her company. We are excited about our adventures with her this month.

OK, so that's it in a nutshell. I am LOVING school. I just finished up my haircutting module and got a 100% on my written exam as well as my practical exam. I move into advanced pre salon right before Christmas. Once I'm there I will have one day of class and 4 days on the salon floor. I'm so EXCITED!! Time seems to be flying by.

Cayden is enjoying preschool this year. He is in an in-home preschool that is specifically geared toward kindergarten prep. He is learning so much more than he did in the District Preschool last year. He is writing, counting to 100, and reading all sorts of things. Its so fun to watch him grow and love learning.

Jake is growing fast and we can't seem to figure out where his little southern accent comes from. IT IS HYSTERICAL! We all get a kick out of listening to him talk a mile a minute.

Jared is slammed with work right now. They have 3 jobs due all before Thanksgiving. I guess its great to have work but working long days and weekends is exhausting.

We are all well and cherishing every minute we get to spend together. 

~Love To All~

Biggest Scare!

On July 20 at 12:38 am our city had a horrible event take place. However on July 21 at 3:00 am our family had a horrible event take place.

I had spent the previous night in the hospital with my grandfather. He had been in the hospital for almost a week originally recovering from kidney failure due to severe dehydration. Once in the hospital he contracted a staff infection. My siblings and I were taking shifts to spend the nights in the hospital with him because when he is not in familiar surroundings his mind play tricks on him. I had come home later that day and spent the day with my boys, which I FULLY enjoy when I get them. We had played hard that day. Cayden had been fighting a what seemed to be a cold all week and we didn't really think much of it. Just sniffles and some coughing here and there. We went to be that night and the boys climbed into their own beds happily and fell right to sleep. Around midnight Cayden woke up and came into our bed. Jared noticed he was warm to the touch. A little while later Cayden's leg brushed against mine and it felt hot. I felt the rest of his body and he was on FIRE. however if you know Cayden at all you know that he HATES taking any sort of medicine. It is not a fight we ever take on because its just not worth it. His body fights off fevers really well.

Well at about 3am Jared woke up to sounds of Cayden that he thought meant Cayden was going to throw up. He tried to get Cayden out of our bed and to the bathroom. But Cadyen was on his hands and knees frozen on the foot of our bed. Jared got frustrated that he wouldn't move and finally picked him up and took him to the bathroom. I don't usually get up when Cayden throws up because Jared usually handles that and then they come back to bed. However, for whatever reason, (now I know it was the Holy Ghost) I got up and followed them into the bathroom. Cayden stood over the toilet in a daze and just drooling. I wiped his mouth and tried to talk to him but when he would respond to us I took a closer look. My whole body flushed hot and I said to Jared, "I think he's having a seizure". I told Jared to lay him on the floor on his side and keep talking to him and that I was calling 911.Then I asked him to give Cayden a blessing.I ran downstairs to get the thermometer and ran back up to check Cayden's temp. He was at 102.1.  As I spoke to the 911 operator telling her where we lived all I could think about was my poor sweet boy lying on the bathroom floor and feeling helpless to do anything for him. I wanted Jared to keep talking to him because I know that when my brother has had seizures he said he can hear everything that goes on around him but he just can't talk back. I wanted Cayden to know that his Daddy and I were there and we were getting him the help that he needed. As I talked to the 911 operator we noticed Cayden was foaming at his mouth and that his lips and face were turning blue. His body was so rigid and his jaw was locked so we couldn't open much of an airway. The operator told me to stay calm and watch him and see if he started breathing again otherwise I was going to have to perform CPR. I couldn't imagine having to do CPR on my own child. I have plenty of training to do it and know that I could have but the thought of having to to it to my own son terrified me. After a few seconds Cayden returned to real shallow breathing and his color started coming back. Cayden kept falling asleep but Jared and I were so afraid that if he fell asleep that he wouldn't ever wake up again. Jared stayed on the floor with him talking to him and comforting and trying to keep him awake him while I watched for the paramedics to arrive. It took them about 8 minutes to get here. It felt like an eternity. Once they got there Cayden was a little more responsive. Jared carried him down to the stretcher that was waiting for him outside. What a horrific thing to watch your child be strapped to a stretcher. Jared rode in the ambulance with Cayden and I stayed home waiting for my mom to come to my house and stay with Jacob. He slept through EVERYTHING. I could believe that because he is such a light sleeper.

Once Cayden got to the hospital he was doing well. They gave him oxygen in the ambulance and once he got to the hospital they gave him Motrin to bring his fever down. By the time I reached the hospital and joined Jared and Cayden, Cayden seemed like his old self. He was happy and giggly and a little sleepy. The doctor explained to us that Cayden had had a FEBRILE SEIZURE. These types of seizures happen when a fever gets too high. I always thought the fever had to be 104 or 105 for a seizure to happen but our PCP told us that a seizure can happen in a very fast spike of a fever. The ER doctor assured us that there is no brain or organ damage associated with this type of seizure. I of course told her my concerns with him being around my grandfather who is in the same hospital at that point with a staph infection and my older brother who suffers from seizures because of a brain tumor. She assured me again that she was positive Cayden had had a febrile seizure and that there was nothing to be concerned about. She conducted a neuro exam and since Cayden walked himself to the bathroom and was perky she said he was just fine. We stayed a little longer in the ER so they could monitor his pulse/ox and Cayden was able to fall asleep for a bit. We left the hospital around 6:45am.

Once we got home we all crashed on the couches. Cayden was feeling better the next day and pleaded for us to take him to the park. We did. But once his body started heating up again we made him come back home. He was REALLY good about taking medicine to keep his fever down too.

We were so blessed that it wasn't something worse. I don't know what we would have done if we had lost him that night. I don't know if the images of the event will ever leave our minds but I do know that he is watched over and very blessed. He is such a special blessing in our home and we love him dearly. We thank our Heavenly Father every day for our sweet boys and thank Him for trusting us with them.

~Love to All~

BUNK BED!!

32 years ago, in Utah, my dad built a bunk bed for my brothers. My oldest brother was just 3 years old. That bed survived moving to Florida where my older brothers slept on it until their missions and then for a while after them. Then my little brothers took over the bunk bed. It then  survived a move to Colorado where my little brothers continued to use it in 2 different houses. Then sadly once my parents moved into the new house the bed was put to rest in the basement. Lying in pieces just yearning to be used again.

Well, that bed came home with us a few weeks ago. We packed up the crib and all the baby decor and we now have a "Big Boy Bedroom". The boys couldn't be more excited to have the bed. They gladly helped their daddy put the bed together.

 Jacob's crib was on this half of the room along with all the baby wall decor. ;)

 The boys found the baby swing in the closet and took turns helping their daddy and then swinging.

 They had some climbing fun along the way.

So now the boys room has been transformed. All the baby stuff is in the basement and we have a full blown boy room. They are enjoying the bunk bed. Cayden sleeps on the top and Jake sleeps on the bottom. They have lined the side of the bed with their animals to keep them company. We have yet to get them matching bedding but hopefully that will come soon. ;)

 We took the side of the room that Cayden's bed was on and transformed it into a reading corner. With as much as our boys LOVE books we felt it was fitting. Jared made the bookshelf just over a year ago for an auction for the program I worked in at the Elementary school. I felt bad that it didn't sell, but I'm sure glad to have such a BEAUTIFUL piece in my home. ;) And we still have room for more books! The boys love their room and its so nice to have more space in there for them to move around.



BIG THANKS TO MY MOM AND DAD FOR LETTING US BRING THE BED TO OUR HOUSE!!!

~Love To All~

Is he REALLY 31???

Yep! He sure is. I'm so glad I married a man older than me. No matter how old I get he is always older. ;)

I wanted Jared to have a special day. 31 is a weird age with nothing really special about it so I wanted to make it special. I got up super early and made him apple cinnamon muffins, eggs, and sausage. It was fun to have a birthday breakfast together even though it meant everyone was up at 6:30am.

Then Jared had to go to work. His boss always takes him out for lunch for his bday so I gave him a suggestion of a fabulous restaurant on 16th street call The Yard House. Really good food. They all walked away with really full bellies.

Once he got home I made steak stir fry and fried rice at Jared's birthday dinner request. After that we let him hunt for his presents. That's right...hunt. Cayden and I put together a scavenger hunt for Jared to find his presents. So much fun!!! Jared loved having Cayden and Jake help him follow the clues. And along the way Jared let the boys help him open his gifts. Such an unselfish Daddy. ;)

After presents we went to 7 Eleven and got free slurpees. We have never gotten a free slurpee on 7/11 so it was a fun first for us. Then it was off to play mini golf. We had so much fun!

 This is a real in the moment picture. Not posed at all. I think he was nervous about all the candles. ;)

When we got home we put candles in the AWESOME cake that the boys helped make. We love Jared so much and we are so glad we could make his birthday a special day for him.

He appreciated the calls, cards, and messages on my FB page wishing him a Happy Birthday!

~Love To All~

Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Going to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival has become a yearly tradition. It is so fun to go and look at all the art and deciding what we like and what we don't. We like mostly the same things. However, there are a few pieces we disagree on. ; )  

This year we were just about done looking at the art we a storm rolled in and we stood under a tent for about 15 min while we watched flash floods build.

We still enjoyed out day and the boys LOVED playing in the puddles on the way back to the car. It was quite the entertainment for those watching the boys. Everyone got a kick out of their piddle jumping. ;)

~Love To All~

4th of July

We had a very calm 4th of July. Jared made Red, White, and Blue muffins (Strawberry/Blueberry muffins) for breakfast. They were AWESOME! Then we hung out and played at home until it was time to go to my parents house for a BBQ. I made a DELICIOUS treat to go along with our lunch. After lunch we played a few rounds of croquet. Then we went inside to watch the 4th of July special from the Capital. It was sad not to get to see any live fireworks this year. But with the fires that were burning it was safer to ban them all. Even though it was mid week we still had a wonderful day!

 The DELICIOUS treat I made. (Cheesecake filled strawberries)

 Jakey eating his 4th of July cupcake.

Cayden and Jared waiting for their turn. Cayden is getting REALLY good at croquet. ;)

~Love To All~

Photography

I think I've decided that a new hobby of mine is photography. I've always really liked it but it wasn't until recently when life got turned upside down that I've been more interested. There was a photographer in our ward that gave a class on photography about 2 weeks ago for our Thursday night Relief Society. I learned quite a bit. Here's what I have so far.

This is Grand Central Station in NYC (Taken before I went to the photography class)

 

 NYC (Again taken before the calss)

 This is one of my FAVORITES, this is the 9/11 Memorial. This HUGE square fountain sits where Tower One used to be. The reflection is the new tower that is now standing even taller than the Empire State Building.

This is where the pictures start that were taken after the class. Jake and I went to the park one day while Cayden was in Montana with my Mom.       June 16, 2012

July 2, 2012

I have really enjoyed being able to explore and find out what works and what really doesn't. I want my pictures to be able to speak for themselves. I want to be able to take pictures of details so we can always remember the little things that make us smile. I have had so much fun!

~Love To All~