CHASE'S B-DAY PARTY!!!

With everyone feeling better we took advantage of the healthiness and had everyone over for Chase's first birthday party on Friday night. We were only 1 week and 1day late and luckily a 1 yr old really could care less (it's the older brothers that can't stand it).

My dad, (Gee is in San Diego and L.A. looking at her job options), Garrett and Kristi and their family,

Chase and Emily (Garrett & Kristi's) 5 wks apart

Ryan's parents, Aunt Kathy, and Grandma came over. We had BBQ hot dogs, watermelon, baked beans, macaroni salad, and chips. YUMMO!!! We opened presents- Chase got a great stash. Then we had cake and ice cream. Chase got his own cupcake to chomp on and he did not waste anytime. Somehow he knew exactly what to do with it. He downed the whole thing! Too cute! It was great afterwards everyone kind of stuck around and talked and played. It was great! We truly love having family over. It's the best!

Thanks everybody for a great party for Chase!

OUR SICKIES!!!

So just for journaling sake this is about Ryan's and Chase's dealings with the ER and antibiotics. So, as I wrote in Chase's birthday post he got sick and put on antibiotics. Well, Sat. night I noticed he had a rash from head to toe. Evan is allergic to the same antibiotic that Chase was on so I knew that the rash was from an allergic reaction. My Dr. was still gone so I called ER to see if they could switch the meds since they are the ones that gave them to us. Well my doctor will just change it over the phone, but of course to add one more thing to my day I had to go back to the ER so Chase could be seen and documented. AAAGGGHHHH!!! Went, got seen and they changed it. And yes the rash did go away.

Next morning, Sunday, Father' s Day, Ryan went to the ER. I posted in the Las Vegas post that Ry started having stomach issues there. Well, it proceded to get worse so Thurs., Chase's birthday, after we left the ER with Chase Ry and I went to the doctor for Ry's issues. The doctor couldn't say if it was just constipation or diverticulitis so he started him on antibiotics because Ryan was very tender and decided he was leaning more towards the diverticulitis. Friday he stayed home from work and Friday night I thought Ryan was going to give birth. He was literally doing lamaze breathing and asking me to knock him out with a baseball bat because the pain was so bad. Saturday he came down with 103 fever and hadn't been able to sleep for the last three nights. So, Sunday morning he had had enough and took himself to ER. Mind you I would have gone with him, but he never woke me up to tell me he was going to go until he was walking out the door. So, I called Cindy, Ryan's mom, and she came to watch the kids so I could go. (side note: Cindy was a saint this whole last part of the week and weekend, because every doctor visit and ER visit she came to watch the boys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!)
Anyways, they did a CT scan and confirmed that yes Ry has diverticulitis. So, more antibiotics and a high fiber diet is now part of our lives. Woo-hoo!!!

I'm pleased to report that both are on the mend and hopefully our lives will return to somewhat of normalcy soon. ?

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY CHASE!!!

Happy 1st Birthday sweet boy! I can't believe that it has been a year since you came into our lives! You have been such a blessing to us and we love you sooooo much! Your smile and laugh is contagious and your brothers think your the coolest! It all just goes without saying for daddy and me!

We were gonna have a family party for Chase tonight however Chase got sick in Las Vegas and just couldn't get better. So, today I decided to take him to the doctor to figure out what the problem was. Dr. Grandaw is on vacation so I took him to a walk in clinic. They took chest x-rays and said that he had pneumonia. They wanted us to go up to the ER for further diagnostic stuff. Ryan met me there. Two hours later the ER Dr. said that he was fine, no pneumonia but sent him home on an antibiotic to fight whatever he was fighting.

So, needless to say we postponed his party until next Friday. We love you buddy and hope you feel better soon!

LAS VEGAS!!!

So, we made the trek out to Las Vegas on the 10th and came home on the 16th. We had not been to Vegas since Bill and Rachel (my sister) and their family has moved there. Ryan drove out with me and the kids on Wed. and then flew home on Fri. to get back for work and to continue on our next home project (upcoming blog). Then Angie and dad were driving out on Sun. so Angie could come out to babysit Olivia and Aaron while Bill and Rachel went to Jackson Hole for Rachel's b-day. Dad drove back home with me on Tues.

So enough of the logistics... driving out on Wed. was a long drive. We got away late and we didn't arrive at Rachel's house till 2am. It was a long day! We got to bed and then the next morning got up and went to see Olivia at her dance class. The boys got to swim at the house with the dance class and they had a great time.

We went back to the house and Ryan started not to feel good. He ended up kind of being out of commission for the rest of the afternoon. Rachel and I took the kids to a park. All the parks there have a water play area and they are all covered. They are very nice. We had great weather the whole time we were there. It never got hotter than mid-80's and there was always a breeze. That night we took the kids to the strip to see the fountain show at the Belagio. We also showed them the garden inside the hotel. Very beautiful and the water display with all the flowers was great! All the kids were done after that. Absolutely done and exhausted. We did stop at Cold Stone on the way home. Ryan was able to come with us. He had stomach issues. Bill had been out of town on assignment and came home that night.

We woke up the next morning and went to a dance recital that Livi had. It was very cute and the boys didn't quite know what to make of a bunch of little girls dancing around. Soooo out of their element, but they had fun none the less. Rachel took Ryan to the airport and I laid down and took a nap with Chase. I told the kids that if they needed me to come get me. It's nice their house is at the end of their road in a cul'd sac with no neighbors right near so it is pretty safe and nice. When I woke up Rachel had just gotten home and she said that when she pulled up all the kids were outside Evan was flying a homemade kite, they had made a robot out of boxes, there was a water for sale sign taped to the garbage can for the workers in the subdivision, and they had done chalk on the sidewalk. It's great to know that they are old enough to watch out for each other and it was cute to hear how Evan kind of took charge and came up with all the ideas for the kids. Later that night we went to another park with the kids. The kids also made a restaurant this afternoon. Lots of fun with great treats to use, but of course a good size mess that no one wanted to clean up.

The next day, Sat., we got up and went to one of the Ellison's favorite places, Red Rock. It is a beautiful group of rocks with a big red stripe running horizontally through the middle of them. Completely desert though. Something we are not used to. Bill was a trooper and carried Chase on his back in a hiking backpack. Chase loved it! Thank you Bill!

It was a great adventure, we had a great time hiking with our cousins,

Olivia, Ethan, Chandler, and Aaron

Rachel and I

saw a big fat lizard,

and it was exciting to find out we had gone the farthest than anyone else who had come to visit! Woo-hoo!! Good job boys!

The kids started to want to be carried so we left. We went home took baths and then Rachel and I ran some errands.

The next morning Bill and Rachel packed and got ready to go on their trip. They left and I had my kids and their two all day. Six kids under the age of 8 and the day ended with me still in a good mood. I was proud of myself. The kids and I made cookies, made a sign for Aunt Gee and Papa,

"We love Papa and Gee"

went to the park, made dinner and everyone was bathed before Gee and Papa got there at 8:45pm. I was quite proud of myself.

Monday morning we got up and Gee made crepes. She took Livi and Aaron to swim lessons and when they got back we went to Target. Got back and we took all the kids to Red Rock casino for the buffet. The kids enjoyed picking out whatever they wanted. Then we all went bowling. It's a 72 lane alley. The boys always love bowling with Papa. It was a lot of fun! Then if that wasn't enough we went to the mini grand prix and drove the cars and some other carnival rides.

Gee and Aaron on green stripe and Chan on purple.

We had a very big day but lots of fun!

The next day I packed up, dad packed the car and we were off. We even got 20 min. down the road and got a call from Angie that I left my glasses, curling iron, and contact case. So, we had to turn around. Aaaagggghhhh!!!! Chase had woken up with a fever and so we fought that the whole way home. It was a very long drive home and I give kudos to dad for putting up with my boys for all their potty stops. Sorry dad. We made it home finally and we were all happy for a safe, fun vacation.

A big thank you to Bill and Rachel for having us and showing us the sights of Vegas not usually seen by tourists. And a big thank you to Olivia and Aaron for giving up their beds and bedrooms so we would feel at home and comfy. We had a great time! Chandler and Ethan did not want to go home, and Ethan is a home body!

CHERRIES!!!

So, the last weekend in May and the first in June we went down to my brother Garrett and sister in law Kristi's house to pick cherries. They have two huge cherry trees in their backyard and when the fruit comes out we all go down and pick away. The trees are so full that the birds get them if we don't pick fast. So, we picked and then Ryan and I spent tonight canning them before we leave for Las Vegas. They are soooooo nummy and we never can enough but it is a great feeling to see the finished project and know that we will have yummy cherries for the next year. YUMMO!!! (I am always so grateful to mom for instilling in me the desire to perserve and for showing me so long ago how to do it!)

REASBECK BOYS 3-0!!!

Today Evan, Chandler, and Ethan had dentist appointements. Evan and Chan are pros but today was Ethan's first time. He did fabulous! Held still and never complained except when the dental assistant who was polishing his teeth was going to use the mint polish and he smelled it and said, "I don't like mint." Oh, and when she went to use the saliva sucker thing (sorry Liz don't know the technical term :) ) he points to it with his little finger and very matter of factly says ,"I don't like that thing." Hey, at least he tells it how it is. The best part of the whole experience... all three got a clean bill of healthy teeth!! YA-HOO!!!! Good brushing boys!