Sand Dunes

We decided the kids had never seen the sand dunes (Sandy Downs) and we needed to get out of the house so we made a quick trip to play.

And we had a great time!  Lincoln's face cracks me up.  He's a little unsure of what we are doing.  ha!

So great that we didn't want to go home so soon.  I guess we know where we can take the kids for a fun outing next time.  Love these people with all my heart!!

Sometimes life is hard.

It was time for Student Council elections at Summit Hills Elementary where my 3 girls attend.  Ella has wanted to do Student Council for some time now and this was the year.  They asked all students interested to write an essay on why they want to run for student council and all essays were read and considered anonymously.  Ella felt confident in her essay and turned it in.  By the way this was the rough draft not the final copy and I thought it was cute as ever that she labeled it S.A.  she didn't know essay was the correct way to write it.  

The next day when they announced the 3 candidates for the 5th grade Ella came home absolutely devastated that her essay had not been chosen.  She cried big giant tears and was mostly so upset that the one girl that was chosen was a trouble maker girl who had announced on the play ground that day that her parents had written her essay for her.  We discussed who else was chosen and it was 2 of her best boy friends.  I suggested to her that she get behind them and try help them win because after all the winner would be chosen ONLY by election of the student body.

One of her boy friends, Brandon Myrup chose her to be his campaign manager and came to our house so we could help him make his campaign video.  It was a great time.  He wasn't chosen as the vice president like he was running for, however we had a great lesson learned from this simple experience.

Surgery

This has been an amazing experience for me.  As I think over the past 2 months I feel like my spirit has grown so much!  I'm grateful this was a short lived trial and for the lessons the Lord has taught me through it.  As I think back this experience, it was July 14th that I had a distinct feeling to call and make myself an appointment for a physical.  I am always so good at scheduling them for the rest of the family but my general rule has been I will go biyearly cause I just had a baby so I know I"m healthy, right?  I called and to my surprise they had availability the next day.  I went in and mentioned that I had noticed my hair falling out quite a bit and becuase hypothyroidism runs in my family she ran a blood test to check my thyroid levels.  I have done this before and they always come back normal.  She felt my thyroid and said it did feel a little enlarged but we would see how the blood came back.

That Sunday Dustin got the call to serve in the Bishopric.  I got a blessing that night give by my dad.  I distinctly remember hearing a blessing of good health.  I thought about it but didn't think too much because I was grateful to have good health at the moment in time.  Within a few days they called and said the blood test came back fine but because the thyroid was enlarged she would like to do an ultra sound just to be sure everything was ok.  We headed off to the Braithwaite reunion that week and I went in the following week for an ultra sound.  The tech was silent the entire time and I noticed her measuring something round and checking blood flow around it, etc.  I had NO idea what she was looking at so I tried not to psych myself out and just told myself it's just the thyroid.  I did tell my sister later that day that I had a rotten feeling that she was measuring something bad but I'm sure it's fine!  Later that day I had a phone call that they found multiple nodules in my thyroid and I needed to have a biopsy the next day.  Was this really happening?  I had just been promised good health?  I CLUNG to that blessing with great faith all would work out ok.

July 30th - The biopsy was pretty painless.  Dustin took the day off to be my support and THANK HEAVENS he did!  Sure love that man!

The next week I got a call that the biopsy results were indeterminate and I needed to see a specialist.  It was a very vague phone call that more or less just ticked me off because they seemed to have no idea what they were talking about.  I made an appointment with the specialist who was 3 weeks out.  I asked his receptionist to review my file and tell me if I should be worried.  Like a good person she said, "I says unknown, but I am sure you will be ok."  I took her word for it and again turned to my blessing - GOOD HEALTH!  

I have already journaled about most of this so I will skip detail.  I had my appointment with Dr. Baker and made the appointment for surgery.

It feels so crazy that I am now blogging about surgery and I am up and feeling so well!  Hooray!  I have been feeling a big push to get these things written down.  Probably while they are fresh on my mind and the feelings are so real.

After my blessing at my parents I had a dozen beautiful yellow roses delivered to my house with this note.  Boy, it made me happy to see those beautiful flowers on my table every day and think how blessed I am to have such great people in my life.

A few weeks before surgery my friend and neighbor showed up with this at my door step.  Right after she had called me and asked if there was anything she could do for me and I reassured her that other than pray for me there really wasn't anything I needed.  I wasn't lying.  However she wasn't willing to take that as an answer - she wanted to help and I am so grateful!  I just cried and cried when that little delivery came to the door.  I hung the card on my fridge and read it and reread it!  Dustin was gone the Monday before surgery so I took the kids to the movies and the day before surgery I went and had myself a relaxing spa day.  It was an amazing way to have something other than surgery to look forward to and get my mind off things!  What amazing people then are to be so generous.

I had another friend stop by with a candle and this little note which I also read & reread with the reassurance that these great people were praying for me and practicing faith as I was.  This doesn't even show all the hundreds of texts I went through that week!  I really have the BEST friends and family ever!

September 10th we went into Mountain View Hospital to have my full thyroid removed.  I slept totally fine the night before and seriously had very, very little anxiety about the surgery.  I think I surprised Dustin by my lack of anxiety.  My blood pressure was 121/70 right before I wheeled back into the operating room which was evidence to me I really was feeling ok.

I had Dustin take a last smooth neck picture.  ha!

After putting on this pretty gown I started to get a little cold so they plugged a warm air hose into my gown which puffed it up and they threw a blanket on me so I was joking I looked like Bamax from Big Hero 6. 

The surgery was 2 hours and I remember nothing other than transferring myself to the operating table and then waking up.  

My sister, sister in law, neighbor and Dustin all delivered me flowers in the hospital.  Here are a few.  The huge ones were from my neighbors and the small ones were from Lisa and I loved them because they were right by my bed and I would look at them all those hours I laid there.  Funny how flowers can lift your spirits.

It took a good 4 days before I could really even wake up it felt like.  I was taking pain medication and it made my head spin and made me sleep.  I knew that was what was best though - lots of rest.  Thankfully Dustin was home with me for 4 days so I could too.  On the 5th day it was Sunday and Farrah came and got my girls and mom came and got Lincoln and I slept the whole 3 hours they were gone and then got up for the day feeling quite a bit better.

This was my neck 1 week after surgery.They said it looked really good, but I couldn't even think about it because it would make me light headed and want to pass out.  Only one week later it doesn't bother me nearly like it did last week and I think it's because of how sore it was.  I'm so glad our bodies heal so quickly.

I went to my follow up appointment with Dr. Baker and he had results from pathology.  After taking the tape off my neck I asked what he had found out.  "It was cancer."  He said.  Immediately I asked, "and my lymph nodes?"  To my great relief he said they didn't find anything in them.  Clear as day the words of the blessing - the promise of good health was unfolded.  I had cancer in my body.  Just beginning stage 2 and I had NO IDEA.  There are 0 symptoms with thyroid cancer.  Had I not gone into the Dr. for a physical.  Had that PA not followed her impression to do an ultra sound - I would be in bad shape.  What a beautiful testimony to me that God is aware of us all.  I am so thankful I am allowed to stay here with my family a little longer and teach and love my kids and husband.  To learn more about my loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ and how to become more like them.  I love my life and feel like I am in a weird rut now of how I want to transform it into something more meaningful.  A lot of study and prayer will be in my future to allow me to live more deliberately.

Without my testimony of the Savior and his power to do all things I don't know how I could have functioned through this time.  I am blessed to know I have a loving Father in Heaven who could hear my cries and would grant me comfort through the Spirit and good people around me.  I feel so truly blessed.

My Silly Boy - 18 months!!

Oh man.. it's funny how when you add another child to your family you suddenly don't know how you ever lived without them.  This boy is an absolute treasure!

It's pretty obvious that we all agree too.

He loves those blueberries in the morning.  He LOVES breakfast! 

He says a few things now that he's 18 months.

He give us the sounds for lion and puppy.

Points to his head, eyes & nose when we tell him to.

Says, "Hi dad!" When he has a phone or remote to put up to his ear.

He says "mom" a lot!  Also says "Ella" really clearly.

He says "dink" for drink  

"ball"  makes car sounds for car

"shoosh" for shoes

I tried to take him to nursery on Sunday but he was an absolute melt down.  He has become quite the little mama's boy.  Something about 18 months sends some signal to their brain that they are going to be abandoned I swear.   Hopefully it will pass and he will be ok with going to nursery.

A few days ago I had given him a bath and put him in his pajamas and as he was running around the bedroom in his naked body he started to toot.  He looked confused and turned to see where the noise was coming from.  Soon he was like a puppy dog chasing his tail going in circles until he stopped and just grabbed his little bum.  Oh man.. it was quite hilarious!

Later that evening after we had gone for a little walk Alissa took a bath and forgot to pull the drain.  Within 2 minutes I went down the hall to check and sure enough Lincoln found his way in.  I think he's pretty proud of himself.

He's learned to climb the chairs to get what he wants.

Molly gave him his very own photo shoot.

She is a great big sister!  She lets him sit on her lap sometimes and watch her play her games on the computer or Ipad.  He jabbers A LOT now and it's funny because Molly will say, "He just said his first computer word, INTERNET!"  or "He just said his first enchanting word, BIPPITY BOPPETY BOO!"  It makes us laugh pretty hard.  Maybe Molly speaks jibberish?

Ella is old enough now to watch the 3 girls for us OR Lincoln but not both at the same time quite yet.  So typically we just take Lincoln on date night.  This night his shoes would not stay on his feet and we let him run around the ice cream shop without them - check out those piggies!

He will forever and always love his daddy I am sure of that.  They were being twinners one day.

Lincoln tries to wear everyones shoes so that is what prompted me to take this picture.  So cute!

He learned to push the gas on the power wheels and now cruises all over the place until he crashes into something and can't keep going.  It's pretty funny to watch but I get nervous about him being out there alone since we don't have a fence.

He got to take his cousin Russell for a few rides.

These kids are all such a blessing in our lives.  I just can't even believe how blessed we have been and how thankful I am for that!  I love my little family so much and am so grateful for good health and our testimonies of eternal families.  LOVE THESE PEOPLE!

Toothless Alissa

For the past few months Alissa's front teeth have been super loose.  She is one of those kids who wiggles and wiggles in hopes it will just plop right out without much tugging.

And this is evidence on how patient I was with the situation.

Holy cow!  Finally when it's to the point that she is nonstop saying, "ok you can pull it.  no never mind"  I just sit on her for a second and pluck it right out.  Takes a whole 1 small tug.  Although she doesn't want me to, she is always happy afterward.  And her mom is too.

But now look at that toothless smile!  How can she be big enough for that?  I'm pretty sure she was just being fussy because she was growing those little teeth.   

David Archuleta

My parents surprised the adult kids with tickets to David Archuleta a few weeks ago and I was sure 1 week after surgery I would be up for seeing David Archuleta sing.  

It was beautiful!  Filled my spiritual bucket that felt a little empty that night.  

Here we all are. :)

I watched David Archuleta on American Idol and cried through the finale and almost every time he sang in the end of the contest because I had come to love what a genuine young boy he was.  He was an LDS boy who had worked so hard to build his talent God blessed him with.  He was shy and timid and yet able to sing with confidence.  After the concert Dustin decided he was a fan too which made me SO happy!  Heidi used to make fun of me crying while I watched him and guess what.. I think she may be a bit of a crier now too.  :)

Thanks mom & dad!  What a fun time!

Princesses & Pirates at the Zoo

My good sister and husband Kenny took the kids to the zoo for our dentists customer appreciation day there.  Dustin and I slept the entire time they were gone and they had a great time as you can see by the pictures.  What amazing people in our lives!

Walking the plank & the magic mirror.