We were running/walking down the road to get our mail. She insisted on putting on her sunglasses just like her mama!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Lainee in Shades
I'm a bit behind getting my pictures downloaded from our 4th of July camping trip. So, for now... enjoy this cute picture of Lainee.
We were running/walking down the road to get our mail. She insisted on putting on her sunglasses just like her mama!
We were running/walking down the road to get our mail. She insisted on putting on her sunglasses just like her mama!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Swimming Lessons
Cooper and Carson both participated in swim lessons again this year. They learned a lot and had a great time. We had some friends take lessons at the same time, so that was fun.
I wish the pool was a bit closer so we could do multiple sessions during the summer. I really want them to improve and progress more. They just started a swim team at the pool as well, but I really don't think I'm up for the 1 hour round trip drive every morning for 2 months of the summer. Oh the joys of country living. Of all the benefits of living outside of any kind of municipality, having your nearest pool 30 minutes away when you live in a desert is not one of them!
Carson waiting for class to start
Carson warming up after lessons. Some mornings were a bit chilly!
Cooper drying off
Carson in his orange goggles
Cooper hanging out at the deep end
Carson in a life jacket at the deep end of the pool
Cooper and his friend Taylor
Carson waving
I wish the pool was a bit closer so we could do multiple sessions during the summer. I really want them to improve and progress more. They just started a swim team at the pool as well, but I really don't think I'm up for the 1 hour round trip drive every morning for 2 months of the summer. Oh the joys of country living. Of all the benefits of living outside of any kind of municipality, having your nearest pool 30 minutes away when you live in a desert is not one of them!
Carson's class playing "Mr. Crocodile"
Cooper... he looks like a ballerina!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Happy Father's Day
I consider myself a very lucky woman. I have a wonderful father. He is patient and kind and taught me to be a strong and independent person. I couldn't have asked for a better dad.
Because of the wonderful example I had as a dad, I chose a wonderful person to be my husband and father to our children. Randall is patient and kind towards me as well as our children. He loves spending time with us, and I know there is no place he'd rather be than with his family. He works hard to provide for us, and always encourages me to do my best.
The kids and I gave Randall a new chain saw for father's day. He has wanted a chain saw for years! However, the timing of the gift couldn't be more comical given that he recently nearly tore his finger off. Upon giving him the gift, I told him he had to wait until his finger had healed a little more before using it, and he had to promise me to never cut himself with it. Haha!
Because of the wonderful example I had as a dad, I chose a wonderful person to be my husband and father to our children. Randall is patient and kind towards me as well as our children. He loves spending time with us, and I know there is no place he'd rather be than with his family. He works hard to provide for us, and always encourages me to do my best.
The kids and I gave Randall a new chain saw for father's day. He has wanted a chain saw for years! However, the timing of the gift couldn't be more comical given that he recently nearly tore his finger off. Upon giving him the gift, I told him he had to wait until his finger had healed a little more before using it, and he had to promise me to never cut himself with it. Haha!
I think he like it :)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Silver City
Randall's finger is finally healed up enough that we feel like we can be adventurous again. So, we picked a nice Saturday, loaded up the 4-wheelers, a picnic lunch, and headed over to Silver City. It's a small ghost town not far from where we live.
Silver City used to be a bustling mining town. Despite it's remote location, it was one of the most prosperous and modern towns in the area. There are a number of buildings that have been preserved and it is literally like stepping back through time.
The scenery on the ride over was gorgeous. It is a popular destination, though, and there were a few too many people exploring the area right along with us. I prefer to do my exploring with not quite so many eyes watching your every move :)
Silver City used to be a bustling mining town. Despite it's remote location, it was one of the most prosperous and modern towns in the area. There are a number of buildings that have been preserved and it is literally like stepping back through time.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Fishing Fun
We took the kids over one night and they had a blast! Lots of little fish to catch, then they "cleaned up" with a little swimming.
Oh how I love lazy summer days... and nights!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ouch!!!
I'm not going to post pictures on this post right now, not everyone has the stomach for bloody gruesome pictures.
Exactly one month ago, on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 I had just returned from taking Cooper to school. I was gettin the rest of the kids dressed, and I was still in my exercise clothes. The phone rang at approximately 8:45 am. It was Vince, a guy Randall works with. I could hear a lot of commotion in the background, and the cell phone he was calling from was breaking up a bit. At first I thought he said, "Scott cut his finger off." In my head I'm thinking oh, that's terrible! But why are you calling to tell me? As he kept talking I realized that it was not Scott he was talking about, but my husband Randall. When I came to this realization I said, "Wait, what?" I think Vince must have sensed a bit of panic in my voice, because he said, "He's ok. Robert is driving him to the hospital, can you meet him there?"
After making a few quick phone calls and waiting for friend to come get Carson, Lainee and Ashlin, I was off. Randall called me while I was driving to tell me what hospital they were at. He told me he was ok, but I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was in a lot of pain. By the time I arrived at the hospital, they had given Randall some pain medication and wrapped up his hand. Randall looked at me and said, "It's not good, Liss." I knew he was very worried about losing his finger. I reassured him that everything was going to be fine. I didn't know that for sure, but I had done a lot of praying during my hour long drive to the hospital, and I felt a sense of peace. But while I felt that peace in my heart, my head was thinking of all the ways that Randall possibly losing a finger would affect our lives. First and foremost, Randall is a veterinarian. He uses his hands to make a living. So I decided right then and there that I was going to trust in the Lord, and that someway, somehow, everything was going to be ok.
We waited for about an hour for the hand surgeon to come in. His name is Dr. John Kloss. I had never met him nor heard of him, so I asked the ER physician and several nurses about him. They all spoke very highly of him, so that made me feel better. Dr. Kloss unwrapped Randall's hand to do his examination. I'm not going to lie, his finger looked gruesome! Only his right index finger was injured, but the damage was extensive! Randall and his crew had been breeding cows that morning when a cow became agitated and somewhat trapped in the breeding box. Randall reached in to flip a bar up out of the way so the cow could go out instead of coming up and over top to where he was standing. As he reached in, the cow rammed her head against the bar, smashing Randall's finger in between the bar and the cow's head. Then she didn't move. Randall had to reach in with his free left hand to flip the bar up to free himself. His crew then came to his aid, and Randall passed out. As they were loading him in the pickup he vomited. Dr. Kloss scheduled him for surgery after lunch.
They began prepping Randall for surgery about 2:00. By 4:30 the surgery was over and Dr. Kloss came to give me an update. He said the nerves were intact, but both arteries were severed. He had to pin the extensor ligament to the joint, which was dislocated at the first knuckle. The prognosis was unknown, because with both arteries being damaged, he was worried about the blood supply to the tip of the finger. I was given strict instructions to keep Randall still and resting for 3 days with his hand propped up above his heart. No smoking (easy), no alcohol (easy), no carbonated beverages (ok), no cold drinks for 3 days (ok), and no chocolate (uh oh- Randall loves chocolate!) It took several hours in the recovery room for Randall to come out of anesthesia enough that we could go home. Even then, he still vomited several times on the way home. After a quick stop to pick up prescription pain pills, we made it home by 9:15 pm. What a long day!
Over the next several days, I was totally unprepared for the amount of pain Randall would be in. After a few short hours of sleep that first night, the block from surgery wore off and I was up every hour trying to manage his pain. The pain medication just wasn't keeping up! I made several trip to the pharmacy for presciptions the next few days. These weren't quick trips given that we live 30 minutes from the nearest pharmacy. I was having them filled at Walmart for convenience, but it ended up being anything but convenient. They messed up not once, but 2 times on his prescriptions. In my sleep-deprived and worried about my husband's well-being state, I was very angry at the Walmart pharmacy. That is another story in an of itself.
We spent pretty much every Tuesday during the month of May at the Dr. office for follow-up appointments. After the first visit post surgery, Dr. Kloss said he was moderately optimistic that Randall would be able to keep his finger. This was a huge relief to us, especially because when they initially removed the bandage his finger did NOT look pretty! I could tell by the look on Randall's face that he thought his finger was a goner! I've tried to be a supportive and reassuring wife, and I've had to remind Randall more than once that he had received 2 priesthood blessings that basically said the same thing... that his finger would be healed and he would regain full use of his finger. So I felt it was our job to have faith and do what the doctor said, and everything would be ok. And I'm happy to report, that his finger IS indeed looking great. He is scheduled to have the pin removed next Wednesday. It may take as long as a year for a complete recovery, but Randall is doing great. He returned to work shortly after his accident, and is now back to doing nearly everything he did before. He just has to be careful with his finger, so he's hired out a few jobs to the local vets that he would normally do. We all feel very fortunate and very blessed.
This accident could have been so much worse, and we are grateful for everyone who helped us out, especially with our kids. I've had to use up a lot of babysitters with all our trips to the doctor. We are even more grateful for everyone who prayed for Randall's recovery, and especially for worthy priesthood holders who were willing to give Randall a blessing when he needed one. I truly believe that those blessings are what made the difference in Randall's finger being healed. How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Exactly one month ago, on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 I had just returned from taking Cooper to school. I was gettin the rest of the kids dressed, and I was still in my exercise clothes. The phone rang at approximately 8:45 am. It was Vince, a guy Randall works with. I could hear a lot of commotion in the background, and the cell phone he was calling from was breaking up a bit. At first I thought he said, "Scott cut his finger off." In my head I'm thinking oh, that's terrible! But why are you calling to tell me? As he kept talking I realized that it was not Scott he was talking about, but my husband Randall. When I came to this realization I said, "Wait, what?" I think Vince must have sensed a bit of panic in my voice, because he said, "He's ok. Robert is driving him to the hospital, can you meet him there?"
After making a few quick phone calls and waiting for friend to come get Carson, Lainee and Ashlin, I was off. Randall called me while I was driving to tell me what hospital they were at. He told me he was ok, but I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was in a lot of pain. By the time I arrived at the hospital, they had given Randall some pain medication and wrapped up his hand. Randall looked at me and said, "It's not good, Liss." I knew he was very worried about losing his finger. I reassured him that everything was going to be fine. I didn't know that for sure, but I had done a lot of praying during my hour long drive to the hospital, and I felt a sense of peace. But while I felt that peace in my heart, my head was thinking of all the ways that Randall possibly losing a finger would affect our lives. First and foremost, Randall is a veterinarian. He uses his hands to make a living. So I decided right then and there that I was going to trust in the Lord, and that someway, somehow, everything was going to be ok.
We waited for about an hour for the hand surgeon to come in. His name is Dr. John Kloss. I had never met him nor heard of him, so I asked the ER physician and several nurses about him. They all spoke very highly of him, so that made me feel better. Dr. Kloss unwrapped Randall's hand to do his examination. I'm not going to lie, his finger looked gruesome! Only his right index finger was injured, but the damage was extensive! Randall and his crew had been breeding cows that morning when a cow became agitated and somewhat trapped in the breeding box. Randall reached in to flip a bar up out of the way so the cow could go out instead of coming up and over top to where he was standing. As he reached in, the cow rammed her head against the bar, smashing Randall's finger in between the bar and the cow's head. Then she didn't move. Randall had to reach in with his free left hand to flip the bar up to free himself. His crew then came to his aid, and Randall passed out. As they were loading him in the pickup he vomited. Dr. Kloss scheduled him for surgery after lunch.
They began prepping Randall for surgery about 2:00. By 4:30 the surgery was over and Dr. Kloss came to give me an update. He said the nerves were intact, but both arteries were severed. He had to pin the extensor ligament to the joint, which was dislocated at the first knuckle. The prognosis was unknown, because with both arteries being damaged, he was worried about the blood supply to the tip of the finger. I was given strict instructions to keep Randall still and resting for 3 days with his hand propped up above his heart. No smoking (easy), no alcohol (easy), no carbonated beverages (ok), no cold drinks for 3 days (ok), and no chocolate (uh oh- Randall loves chocolate!) It took several hours in the recovery room for Randall to come out of anesthesia enough that we could go home. Even then, he still vomited several times on the way home. After a quick stop to pick up prescription pain pills, we made it home by 9:15 pm. What a long day!
Over the next several days, I was totally unprepared for the amount of pain Randall would be in. After a few short hours of sleep that first night, the block from surgery wore off and I was up every hour trying to manage his pain. The pain medication just wasn't keeping up! I made several trip to the pharmacy for presciptions the next few days. These weren't quick trips given that we live 30 minutes from the nearest pharmacy. I was having them filled at Walmart for convenience, but it ended up being anything but convenient. They messed up not once, but 2 times on his prescriptions. In my sleep-deprived and worried about my husband's well-being state, I was very angry at the Walmart pharmacy. That is another story in an of itself.
We spent pretty much every Tuesday during the month of May at the Dr. office for follow-up appointments. After the first visit post surgery, Dr. Kloss said he was moderately optimistic that Randall would be able to keep his finger. This was a huge relief to us, especially because when they initially removed the bandage his finger did NOT look pretty! I could tell by the look on Randall's face that he thought his finger was a goner! I've tried to be a supportive and reassuring wife, and I've had to remind Randall more than once that he had received 2 priesthood blessings that basically said the same thing... that his finger would be healed and he would regain full use of his finger. So I felt it was our job to have faith and do what the doctor said, and everything would be ok. And I'm happy to report, that his finger IS indeed looking great. He is scheduled to have the pin removed next Wednesday. It may take as long as a year for a complete recovery, but Randall is doing great. He returned to work shortly after his accident, and is now back to doing nearly everything he did before. He just has to be careful with his finger, so he's hired out a few jobs to the local vets that he would normally do. We all feel very fortunate and very blessed.
This accident could have been so much worse, and we are grateful for everyone who helped us out, especially with our kids. I've had to use up a lot of babysitters with all our trips to the doctor. We are even more grateful for everyone who prayed for Randall's recovery, and especially for worthy priesthood holders who were willing to give Randall a blessing when he needed one. I truly believe that those blessings are what made the difference in Randall's finger being healed. How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Dress-up
Disclaimer: I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the following pictures. The kids instigated the dressing up all on their own. I just happily snapped the pictures!
I'm quite sure the dad of the house has not seen these pictures yet. He probably wouldn't approve of the cross-dressing, nor approve the pictures for the blog. But, since I'm the mom, I think they are hilarious! And just for the sake of documentation, Cooper is 7 and Carson in 5 in this picture.
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