April- May and part of June 2014 Ether 12:4

 This picture of Kaeleb represents what we have learned the past 2 and 1/2 months about patience, faith and perseverance.

WARNING:  This story is a little yucky.  Graphic topic, please excuse the potty talk.
It has been a uniquely challenging Spring around here.  During that fun trip to St. George I blogged about last time Kaeleb caught a cold.  It turned into bronchitis, as it always does with him.  In the middle of it he spiked a fever which made us think it went bacterial so he was put on an antibiotic. 

The antibiotic did as antibiotics do and killed all the bacteria in his body... including all the good flora in his intestines.  He started having tummy troubles.  Severe troubles.  Like 15 times a day troubles.  We became a little suspicious after a full week and took a stool sample in to the doctor's office.  

He tested positive for a nasty gut infection called Clostorum Difficile, or C.Diff for short. It is a spore that multiplies like crazy in the absence of healthy gut flora. It sometimes takes several rounds of medication to kill it, and sometimes a nasty procedure I won't mention unless we get to that step.  It is potentially fatal sometimes so we were willing to do whatever it took to get him better. 

He was pale and lethargic, lost weight, and was dehydrated.  He lost his appetite for food and drink and we had to beg and plead for him to eat and drink. The medication tasted HORRIBLE and made him nauseous, so he threw up several times too.  In addition to the medicine he has been taking 3 probiotics and an anti nausea pill.  Let me tell you how fun this has been for everyone... mmm, not much.  He missed more than 2 weeks of school and went for only half a day on the days he could go.  He missed a field trip, playing with friends and school parties.  It was really hard on him!  Kwint and I spent a lot of time worrying, researching, asking advice from Kris, a GI specialist and my nurse friend Aubreigh.

 The picture above represents the day Kaeleb got his MOXIE.  He ate a whole bowl of Top Ramen and drank the broth.  We knew then that he was going to fight as hard as we were to get him better.  He squared his shoulders, became patient with his symptoms, ate as much as he could and drank a ton of root beer.  He got so sick of gatorade and fruit juice that we can't even get it in his sight.  But root beer worked.  Today he took his last dose of the second round of meds.  Now we wait to see if it comes back again.  We have prayed and fasted as a family, and put his name in the temple both in Provo and in Guatemala.  (Thanks Mom!)  We trust that he will be healed and we are so proud of him for all that we have learned from him as he found his faith and strength from the Lord.

Life did keep going as much as it could.  This picture below represents all the Addy and Amy time I have needed to survive this time with joy in my heart.  I paint her nails and do her hair. :)

 Spring in Heber is super funny.  75 degrees one day, snow the next.  This was Brenny in late April.

 Brennan has been the glue holding us all together.  He just keeps bouncing along trying to keep us all happy.  Once in awhile he blows his top and we all remember to chill out.  He is eating pizza after one of our morning trips to Costco.  I am sure going to miss my Brenny time in the mornings when he goes to 1st grade this fall. :(  I have so loved his companionship for the last 5 years of Kaeleb's school life.

 I decided the red accent walls had to go.  I have been craving calm, relaxed, neutral walls so I could accessorize with pops of color.  For 7 months since I painted the cabinets I have been desperate to paint over the red.  It felt so harsh against the white.  So, I finally just did it one day without telling Kwint, as I knew he would object.  I LOVE how the kitchen looks!  Now when I am done with red I can paint all my accessories turquoise.

 

Sometimes I do weird things. Do you see how sad and boring the Kitchenaid mixer looks up there?  I knew it was asking to be red.  So I spray painted it.  Everyone thought I was crazy.  Mostly because I started with the toaster-- you know, to make sure I could actually spray paint an appliance before I tried it on something expensive.  I threw it away and bought a new toaster because the paint got inside the toaster. And to erase the visual reminder of how crazy mom is.  BUT, the Kitchenaid has been thanking me ever since! 

                                                 
 This was my farewell picture to the red living room.  I was super reluctant.  It took hours for me to cross the line from the kitchen to the living room.  I knew the boys would hate it.  Especially Kwint. But my stubborn side won out.

Here it is now... I say calm, relaxing, and neutral.  Kwint and the boys say BORING, lifeless, and ugly.  Oh, you should have heard the horrible things I heard when they got home from school!!! The boys HATE it.  Kwint was at least smart enough not to voice his opinion when he saw how upset I was from the boys' reaction. I admit, I don't love it as much as I was expecting to.  Maybe the artwork doesn't work (too gold) but I just got it for Mother's Day from GnG so it will stay awhile.  Maybe I need patterned curtains?  I am willing to work on it.  It's a work in progress.  The wall has become the canvas instead of the art.  No biggie.  I can handle it.
                                      My next step will be adding trim around the windows like Brian and Annelisa did next door.  Think how nicely that white trim will look with my white mantle!  That may be the thing that will add what is missing and hopefully then, everyone will feel better.
                                    
 This is simply a funny moment one day when I was busy and told Brennan to make himself lunch.  He ate an entire half loaf of french bread.  Not sure how school went after that, he may have slept through it.

 Memorial Day weekend Kaeleb was feeling better and GnG had just purchased a new RV (Gma's retirement present!!) so we asked them to take the boys on an adventure while we celebrated our anniversary a bit early.  They ended up staying in Layton, which worked out because while we were off having all our 14 year celbrations, Kaeleb got sick again and it was good they were home. Bleh!  But let's not think about that right now!

We started by attending a friend's wedding, and then an evening mountain bike ride at Dutch Hollow.

 I need to get the rest of the pictures from Kwint's camera to tell the full story of the next day which we spent at the cabin, biking to the lake, and enjoying the aspen forests.  (I bought an aspen tree that next week to plant in our yard.  I know they spread annoying runners.  But I love them!)

On Monday we went for a hike up and a trail run down a mountain.  I do love our style of dating.  Dinner and a movie is not it.  Our style is a workout.  So, yeah, we do weird things.  It's what we like.

 And then we did also go to a restaurant and see a movie. :)

 Meanwhile, the boys played with sticks in GnG's backyard.

 Oh, another Addy day.  Sometimes I just go over to Amy's and bring her home with me.  She helped me plant flowers this day.  Until a crazy torrential rain suddenly hit.  It lasted only 5 minutes.

 It happened to be the same 5 minutes that the boys were walking home from the bus stop.  I don't know if you can tell how drenched Kaeleb is in this pic.   And please, ignore the disorganized garage.  Now that I pointed it out.  It will be one of my summer projects.

 And somehow, it was the last day of school.  HOW did the year pass so quickly??  This was one of those great days, when Brennan graduated from kindergarten and made me cry happy tears.  Kaeleb barfed in the entry way of the school just minutes before this picture was taken.  Later that night Brennan cut his finger on a tin can and stared at the blood until he also barfed on the kitchen floor.  Fabulous.

 These are my June 1st pictures of my flower beds.  I am determined to make something pretty outside.  I am sick of being jealous of Annelisa's flowers and decided if I want mine to look as good I better be outside as much as she is.  It has been fun chatting with her across the yards.

And-- Welcome BASEBALL SEASON!

Brennan is on the Braves this year and thwocks the ball like a champ!  He and Ashton are on the same team.  The catcher just would not move so I could get a good pic.  But he is there, number 9, up to bat.

 And here he is on 1st.

 This represents all of my trips to the cute boutiques in town.  I love the home decor world a little too much.

 And this is a sweet moment, making s'mores on Friday night (June 6th).  The boys ate their s'mores and then ran off to play night games with their friends.

 And that is when things got ugly.  Brennan took a hit to the face.  It was accidental.  A 13 year old neighbor was looking for a flag (capture the flag is their go-to game) he lifted up a sprinkler box lid and threw it behind him, in hopes that the flag was hidden inside.  He didn't know Brennan was standing behind him.  It hit him square in the mouth and shredded his gums.  They were pulled completely off his top teeth to the roots and looked like hamburger.  EW!  One tooth is loose but none were lost.  We took him to Kris who cleaned him up and advised us on saltwater rinses and soft foods.  He is so tough and takes pain so well.  And so far the gums have already reattached though they are caked with scabs.  What trauma!  It has been so emotional to be worried about both kids at the same time.

This picture represents our peace in troubled times.  We have needed to be there and are grateful to have a temple nearby.  I am thankful for worthy priesthood holders who have been ready at a moment's notice to bless our boys.  (Kwint, Kris and Ryan, I thank you!)