Works of Heart

Back From Snowmobiling in Yellowstone!

So sorry it's been so long since I posted.  I'm going to pretend that I can't read the calendar and not even look, okay?  We'll just move on from here. ;)

 

Got back last week from a 12 day venture out to West Yellowstone, MT for a week of snowmobiling with [almost] my whole family.  And can I just say that it was AMAZING and totally BEYOND ALL expectations!  We snowmobiled a ton when we were kids, but I've never snowmobiled so much in a week before in my life.  I LOVED it! 

 

The county in sw MT is SOOO incredible!  The mountains, the rivers, the wildlife, the snow, the sky... all of it. 

We went into the park two days -- one day out to Canyon and the other down to the Geyser Basin & Old Faithful.  It was soooo beautiful.  Imagine trees covered with half an inch of hoar frost, glistening in the morning sun, the mist rising over the river, mountains all around.  After seeing Yellowstone in the glory of winter, I have no desire to go back into the park in summer when it's busy, and quite frankly, not nearly as pretty.

We had the most awesome park guide (guides are required for entry in the winter) , Len, who just so happened to be a professional photographer.:)  My Dad, brother and I all love to shoot pics, so it was absolutely perfect that we had someone who could point out all the best photo spots in the park.  He also took us out to Idaho one day to photograph moose.  The entire week was picture perfect with stunning sunny, rich blue skies.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.  The photo below was taken at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Back row (L-R): Len, Dad, me, Mom; Front row (L-R): Grant, my brother Forrest, Ryan.

It's absolutely breathtaking out there and I would HIGHLY recommend this trip to everyone!  If you don't like to snowmobile, you can take "snow coaches" into the park instead.  It really is one of THE destinations to go for photography in the winter. 

 

We're already planning our trip back next year.  The boys and I may even try to work in a trip back this summer to learn fly fishing. :)   

Pinch Me!!!

Pinch me!  Pinch me!

OH. MY. GOSH!!!  My Dad got me one of the brand-new Canon 40D's for Christmas!!!

With a Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 VC (Vibration Control) lens!!!

I am just giddy over it!!  I've had my Nikon D70 (which I've LOVED) for 3+ years now and just recently have started considering upgrade options.  I was looking at the new D80 as I couldn't afford much more than that.

So getting this new Canon 40D has just blown me away!  It is SO much more camera than I could ever have gotten myself!  Granted, I will need a couple new Canon lenses now, but dang!  This camera is AMAZING!

I played with it a bit on Christmas Day taking indoor snapshots of dinner, opening gifts, etc. and it is absolutely incredible in low-light!  HUGE improvement from what I'm used to.  Also took some winter scenery shots and even with the high-contrast "white" snowy pictures, the contrast and color is spot on.  WOW!  I feel like a kid in a candy store... rediscovering the magic of photography all over again!

I'll share some pics as soon as I get them downloaded.  WOW!  Just WOW!!!  THANK YOU DAD!!!

A belated but VERY Merry Christmas to you all!! ~Christine

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Oh my heck!  How did an ENTIRE month go by since I last posted?!  Egad!  Will someone e-mail me next time I slack so long?  Please?!!

Life... rolling along.  Lots going on.  Been in training for work all week last week and the week before T-Giving (C# & ASP.NET for you geeks out there ;).  Had to drive an hour+ each way to the training center... ugh!  Sure made me appreciate my 25-30 minute drive that I sometimes complain about. ;)

And Thanksgiving was wonderful!!!  Spent some time with my brother & sister-in-law and also with my sister & her family.  Lots of yummy food & fun family time too.  I LOVE Thanksgiving!!

Also managed to hand-make 80 Christmas cards over the past week or so.  Still need to get the envies addressed & sign them all, but the assembly line work is done at least. :)  I'll share a sampling here... all just variations on a theme using Basic Grey holiday papers, Art Warehouse stamps (kinda hard to see the white ink stamped on the red velvet in the scan) & a few jewels.  Fairly simple, but as time-consuming as I'll go when I'm making 80. :)

   

Oh!  and I have a TOOOOT to share!!!  Can't tell you much about it, but got a special assignment from CK last Tuesday for the March 2008 issue!!!  Yippee!!! :D :D   Here's a little sneak peek. ;)

 

Enjoyed the first big snowfall of the season this weekend at my sister's house... played a little Scrabble, drank a little hot cocoa... love hunkering down with family during a storm.  And the boys even got to go snowmobiling today!  They were THRILLED!!!  I so wish I'd have gotten pictures.  Bummer. :\

I have to share yet about our 21st annual "College Girlfriends Holiday Party" on Friday night too!!!  Always a BLAST!!!  But need to download the pics yet, so will hopefully do that in the next day or so.

I promise not to be so delinquent this month, even with all the holiday preparations... I promise!

God bless your day!! ~Christine

Honor

Since Ryan started 6^th grade (middle school) last month, things have been really strained between us.  It seems he’s always yelling… at me, at Grant… He’s been disrespectful to me and short with Grant.  Is he angry with me?  He assures me ‘no’. 

I understand that he’s going through a lot of changes.  He’ll be 12 in January and I know that puberty is starting.  He’s caring more about what he wears and what other kids think.  (Though I’m happy that he’s veering away from the kids who care only about having brand-name clothing.  My pocketbook sighs relief.)  But I’m worried for him too.  I don’t like the way we’ve been communicating lately (or not communicating as the case may be) and it makes me feel very sad.  :(

I remember middle school.  I hated it.  It was truly the worst years of my life.  I’d always felt safe in my little class of 12 in elementary school.  And all of a sudden I was just one of 180 kids in the class.  My hair was greasy, my face was full of pimples, and I was teased a lot.  I went home crying more days than I care to remember.

Thankfully, I haven’t seen Ryan come home crying yet.  But I know he’s going through a big adjustment.  Learning the routine of changing classrooms and teachers every hour is difficult enough, let alone for someone who struggles with transitions.  Is it just “change” that’s causing our relationship to be so strained?

I bought the book “The DNA of Parent-Teen Relationships” by Gary and Greg Smalley earlier this week.  I’ve only read two chapters and I’m already singing its praises!  The main point they drive home is honoring your teen.  Simple things really… letting them know how special they are, how honored you are to be their parents, giving them space to share what’s truly on their heart without judgment, putting them first and letting them know they’re first.  Basically, just making them feel special and, well, honored.

Yesterday I was so touched when Ryan called me at work after he’d gotten home from school.  He said he had a ‘surprise’ for me when I got home. Wow!  Can I tell you how touched I was that he was thinking about me and wanted to do something special to surprise me!  It didn’t even matter what the surprise was… the thought of the surprise meant more to me than anything.  It was the highlight of my day. J

And last night on the way to his Youth Group meeting, we had a wonderful discussion about the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  This morning he surprised me by getting dressed and ready (and brushing his teeth!) without me having to say a word.  He just smiled knowingly when I told him how happy he made me.  And he even let me give him a kiss as he walked out the door this morning. 

My heart is singing with joy today for the possibility of a new and renewed relationship with my amazingly gifted, beautiful son, Ryan.  I love you to the moon and back buddy!!

Honor your teen today (and tomorrow and the next day!).  You'll be surprised what a difference it makes.  God bless! ~Christine

Through the Eyes of an 8 Year Old

I have to share this amazingly "deep" conversation with Grant, my 8 year old.

As we were driving down to see my nieces skate on Saturday morning, Grant called out "Cool Sky Effect"!  Hmmm... hadn't heard that phrase before but I knew exactly what he meant.   The sky was still mostly cloudy after the overnight storms and really was looking pretty cool. :) 

And when a few rays of sunlight filtered through the clouds, Grant noted that "God is peeking down on us!"  (That's what we always say when we see streaks of sun peeking out from mostly cloudy skies.)  But this time, it sparked a little conversation.

Me:  "God is ALWAYS looking down on us, watching over us."
Ryan:  "He can see us during the day but can he see us at night?"
Me:  "Sure he can.  Just like dogs and other nocturnal animals, God has the ability to see everything.  Even at night."
Grant:  "And even is He was blind, all he'd have to do is touch himself and he could see again."

Took me a minute to grasp what he'd just said, but then all I could think was WOW!  THAT from an 8 year old!  I know I've never even considered that perspective before.  Wow.  Just Wow.

Grant, you are wise beyond your 8 small years!

Scenes from the 4th!

Got back from our usual WI 4th of July trip on Thursday night.  The boys had a BLAST at the parade as usual... scavenging as much candy as possible (and believe me when I say it's alot!).  The weather was HOT this year, but glad I wasn't back home here in MN because the weather was even hotter. :P

Enjoyed a fabulous 4th with Grandma & Grandpa E. & spent a great afternoon at Les & Scot's grilling out, cooking smores over the campfire and having our own little fireworks show.   It was truly a PERFECT 4th in every way... family, parade, picnic, campfire, fireworks... everything we love about this holiday!

Here are some of my favorite photos from the parade :)

Hope you all had a great 4th too!

Will share more cute photos of my niece & nephew later.  Soooo cute! :)

Another School Year Comes to an End

Just sharing a cute pic of the boys from the last day of school. 

I can't believe how fast this year flew by.  I mean, there were days dealing with homework battles and uncooperative kiddos in the morning, that I just couldn't wait for school year to end.  And yet now that this school year is over, I'm sad to realize that I no longer have 2nd grader and a 5th grader... I now have a 3rd grader and a middle schooler!  Waaaah!  Stop growing!  Where does the time go?!

But this year was big for both boys.

I think Grant finally got the "hang" of school.  He's one of the younger kids in his class and was maybe a little immature starting kindergarten.  But this year he grew leaps & bounds... from barely able to write a cohesive sentence, to writing meaning paragraphs!  And from not really understanding what spelling is all about, to being one of the top spellers in his class!  And from barely reading to being ready to tackle chapter books!  Comprehension is still an issue, but I know that will come with time.  And math skills are moving along nicely too.  SO proud of you Granster!

For Ryan, big steps forward this year in terms of assessment & finding his "niche".  In February I took him to the Family Means Center in Stillwater, MN to have a neuropsychological assessment done.  Found out that Ryan is what they call "Twice Exceptional"... both exceptionally gifted AND with a learning disability.  He has Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.  I know, sounds like an oxymoron to be both gifted and disabled, right?  But with new diagnosing tools, experts are finding that there are more children that fit this diagnosis than they realized.   And many fall through the cracks.  These children who are obviously bright are seen as lazy because they don't get their work done on time, their desk in a disorganized disaster, etc. 

The reality for Ryan is that he is a VERY creative and intelligent thinker, scoring in the 98% percentile in both math and reading.  But the Asperger's causes him to have difficulties with "executive" functioning... organization, self care, time management, social skills... definitely explains alot of his challenges.  Obviously, there is a wide range with the autistic spectrum, and Ryan is on the high functioning end.  Still, the diagnosis does explain alot.

With the new diagnosis we were able to get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) at school.  Ryan now checks in with the Special Ed teacher 1st thing in the morning & last thing before he leaves, just to help him stay organized and on track.  He's also been given more "study hall" time to allow him to stay caught up.  Made a HUGE(!) difference at the end of the year.  Eased the homework battles and made Ryan feel more successful because he wasn't continually "behind". 

The challenge going into Middle School will be to get him the gifted education that he thrives on with the compensation he needs to feel successful.  Most schools aren't very good at this yet.  They have programs for gifted OR disabled learners.  But they haven't worked out how to incorporate the gifted students with learning disabilities.  I foresee this as an ongoing battle through the rest of Ryan's school years.

I'm SO proud of Ryan!  He understands his challenges and is actually excited to be "unique".  After all, Albert Eistein is thought to have had Asperger's Syndrome too.  He was "twice exceptional" just like Ryan.  And Ryan thinks it VERY cool that he thinks just like one of his heroes. :)

The Sights of Spring!

Friday night the boys had a couple of friends over to play on the sport court... SUCH a nice night!  As the sun was getting low in the sky, Grant ran in to tell me that he found a turtle and it was laying in the mud by the woods.  Mud... hmmm... there's not much mud over there???  Let's go see!

What did we find but a mama turtle laying her eggs! What a COOL experience!   She'd dug a muddy "tunnel"/nest  in the ground/grass and was getting ready to lay the eggs.  We watched as she one-by-one laid EIGHT eggs! 

You can see in the pictures how muddy the area around her nest was and after she laid each egg she user her back legs to push it deep into the hole.

The boys (and I!) were amazed at how many eggs she was able to drop down into the nest -- the eggs were decent sized and it didn't seem like they should all fit in that (seemingly) little hole.

We also have a nest of little wrens(?) up in the pine tree next to the garage.  I'm worried that the dog is going to knock it out/down as he's always trying to climb that tree to get at it!

Another sure sign of spring... I went to the garden center today and bought a large pot of impatiens for the front step and an extra large potted grouping of geraniums, "spikeys", and a little yellow hanging flower... not sure what kind it is but it looks so pretty!

I'll also have marigolds by the front walk again.  Can you believe that this is the 3rd year in a row these marigold are coming up AGAIN?!  These marigolds are seriously on steroids lol because they somehow survive the cold, cold Minnesota winters and they grow to be HUGE!  If you can imagine, I took 160 deadheads off one of the plants one day last year!  And that was just one plant!  I sure wish I could remember where I bought these, cause I'd be in line to buy more giant "perennial marigolds"!

I LOVE SPRING!!! :D

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!  Thank you Mom (Grandma) for all you do.  You are loved more dearly than you can imagine!  Thank you for always standing by and being there at a moment's notice.  I (we) LOVE you!! XOXOXOXOX

Got this GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers from Dad yesterday!  THANK YOU so much!  It brightens my whole kitchen & dining room.  It is HUGE!  Wow!  Thank you!

And Ryan and Grant picked me a really unique bouquet of flowers too... from the pond next door. :)  It is beautiful, really -- tall(!) reeds that Ryan informs me took 5 minutes each to pull out and some really pretty little purple flowers that smell like lilacs.  Sooooo pretty!  Thank you boys!  I LOVE being your Mom!! :D

Here are a few other photos I took... just having fun with my 50mm f1.8 again. :)

Can I share a story about yesterday too?  One that makes me SOOOO happy to say that I am (still) a mother of two wonderful little boys!

Yesterday afternoon about 4:15 I was at the computer sending bills.  When all of a sudden Ryan came running in saying that Grant was gagging, choking!  I sprinted to the living room and Grant was hunched over on the floor, gagging, but talking (thankfully).  I get the story that he swallowed a QUARTER!!  In a 7 yo boy, a quarter is huge!

He was drooling all over because he couldn't swallow anymore & complaining that his throat was hurting really badly.  Since he was breathing, I called 911 first.  Then I grabbed him and took him out to the kitchen sink and began pounding on his back (REALLY hard!).  He said he felt like it was coming forward but yet it wouldn't dislodge.  The moments seems like eternity before the paramedics showed up.  His vitals were fine but we needed to get him to the hospital for an xray to see where the quarter was lodged.  So I followed the ambulance to the hospital and we wheeled him into the E.R.

The nurses at Buffalo Hospital were fabulous!  He was still sitting all slouched over because it eased the pressure in his throat, and they just left him sit how he was comfortable (and air was moving).  The xray showed that the quarter was lodged right in the middle of his upper esophagus/throat, above the bronchial tube and it was not going anywhere by itself.

Grant was SUCH a trooper... never complained when they sat him up for the xray, nor when they put the IV in his hand (and he is TERRIFIED of needles!  He was quite preoccupied I think. ;).  He never complained when they hooked all the monitors to him.  He only squirmed a little when they gave him the anesthesia in the IV to put him under.  The doctors intubated him and praise God(!), were able to reach and retrieve the quarter on the first swoop with the forceps. 

He woke quickly after the anesthesia wore off and didn't remember a thing.  His throat is a little sore yet today so he is on a soft diet, but he should be no worse for the wear by tomorrow or Tuesday.  All I can say is THANK YOU LORD for watching over my little man!  And thank you Buffalo Hospital E.R. staff for taking such good care of my little Manster!  That was one scare I don't want to ever repeat!  Thankfully, I think he learned his lesson. ;)

Soooooo thankful to be a Mom today!  I love you Ryan and Grant!  And I LOVE being your mom!  Thank you for all the extra hugs and kisses and flowers today. :) xoxoxox

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing women out there!  God bless you and your family.  Have a blessed day!

Happy Easter!

So thankful for God's most precious gift, Jesus Christ, this holy season.  And thankful for family and friends, both near and far.   We wish you all a very Happy Easter!  He is risen!

Last night I hard-boiled the eggs.  Hate to admit it, but I had to do an internet search to look up how to cook them properly. :D  They said put them in a kettle in COLD water and bring it to a full boil.  Once it reaches a boil, remove them from heat for 15-20 mins.  Then rinse & cool.  And they were right!  We cracked one open this morning to test the done-ness and it is perfect!  Nice and fluffy and none of the green ick. ;)

Then this afternoon the boys and I set to coloring them.  We missed out last year, so it was so fun to do it again this year!  We have some really pretty eggs.  One of the websites said to wrap them tightly in cheeseclothe & tie off the top with a rubberband -- leave the cheesecloth on until the color is completely dry and you're supposed to get "alligator skin" eggs.  We tried... we'll see!  I don't think our dyes are intense enough to create a great effect, but we tried.  They're still drying. :)

Shot some wonderful pics w/my 50mm f1.4 ... so thrilled with how they turned out!  I especially love this one (abstract, yes, but oh so cool!):

Bought the tulips this morning... just HAD to have them for my Easter table (oh, and the Easter egg photos lol).  Gotta admit, they add alot to these pics. :)

Happy Easter everyone!!  Enjoy your day tomorrow with friends and family and the Easter Bunny. ;)

Oh Brother!

I'm working on an assignment for Memory Makers today, scrapping a photo that is so incredibly rare that it really has stopped me in my tracks.  Well, maybe the photo itself is not so rare... I guess I could reproduce it 100x if I chose.  But the MOMENT is so rare. 

Here's the photo:

I know it probably doesn't seem unusual... two brothers posing for a picture.  Should be common occurrence, right?  But it's not!!  I can count on one hand (maybe even just two fingers(!)) the number of times they've cooperated for a photo.  And even when they do cooperate, it's a rare thing where they are willing to touch one another (heaven forbid they might get cooties!) and where they look as if they might actually like one another!!!

Seriously though, is it just my boys that act this way?  I swear, each of their missions in life right now is just to antagonize the other.  I honestly think they wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they didn't have one another to pick on.  It's incessant! 

Look here... these are the pictures leading up to this one miraculous shot:

The whole time I was trying to take these photos they were growling at one another, pushing the other one away, or fighting for the attention of the camera... not wanting the other to get more "face time".  Ugh!  Drives me nuts!

So how do you all deal with sibling rivalry?  Have you found anything that actually works to help them understand how wrongly they're treating one another?  Please, please share if you have suggestions.  I'd love to hear your comments!

Signed,
Frustrated Mom :P

First... some pics from Chicago

I know I'm late posting these, but I figured better late than never, right?!  We really had SUCH a great time in Chicago -- so much to see & do with not enough hours in the weekend!

This first photo is taken along the walk between the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium... that stretch is THE best view of the Chicago skyline to be had.  The large circular building on the left is the new 3,000,000 gallon Oceanarium.

These next few photos were taken at the Aquarium -- the entrance, a funky shot of my Dad & Ryan in front of the shark tank, and a really neat little lizard... couldn't take my eyes off of him!

The next photo is of the Planetarium and then a few group shots we took out front of the Planetarium with the awesome Chicago skyline in the background.  It was REALLY windy & cool that dad... can you tell?! :)

King Tut!

Wow!  Just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Chicago with my Dad and his best friend + wife.  We left Thursday after lunch and arrived at our hotel around 7:45p.  After checkiing in, Dad treated us all to a wonderful(!) Brazilian steak house called Sal y Carvao.  It was a high class all you can eat style restaurant that features all kinds of meats served from a skewer... filet mignon, shrimp, grilled chicken, lamb, rump roast, bacon wrapped filet, salmon, chicken legs, pork loin, etc.  An incredible selection of perfectly prepared meats!

On Friday morning, we got up early to head down to The Field Museum for our 8:30 tickets to the King Tut exhibit.  When I was a kid, we went to the original King Tut exhibit back in 1977.  But this time, being older, I surely appreciated all the artifacts more.  And it has been so long that I really forget alot about it.  The whole story of King Tut and his ancestors is really SO fascinating!  The exhibit runs only through January 1, 2007 in Chicago... I highly recommend making the trip to see these amazing pieces!  You will not be disappointed.  I wish I could share photos, but no photography was allowed inside the exhibit.  Here's a link with more infomation if you're interested:  King Tut Exhibit at The Field Museum of Chicago

After seeing King Tut we wandered the rest of the museum... so many INCREDIBLE pieces of handmade art there from all cultures of the world.  I definitely wanted to spend more time there.  But the kids were getting anxious so we headed next door to the Shedd Aquarium.  Another wonderful, wonderful place!  They have a 3 MILLION(!) gallon Oceanarium there that is just beautiful and looks out over Lake Michigan.  The exhibits are exquisitely done and so much to take in and see.  My favorite was the seahorses!  I did take some pictures of those but haven't downloaded them from my camera yet.  I will share when I do!

That evening we ate dinner at The Parthenon in Greek town.  It's one of Dad's all-time favorite restaurants so we let him do the ordering.  It was fabulous!  All I can say is... flaming cheese... OOOPA!!

Saturday was another busy day.  We took in 3 shows and many of the exhibits at the Adler Planetarium.  One of the shows was a "traditional" planetarium show in the Sky Theater.  Buther there is a new theater at the Planetarium now (Skyride Theater) that is the first fully digital planetarium -- basically an omnitheater in the round!!  The shows were very informative (loved The Stars of the Pharaohs).   Between shows we also went back to the Shedd Aquarium for a little more viewing... so much great stuff there!

Dad set us up for dinner once more... this time at a latin restaurant, 27 Nacional.  The "27" in the name refers to 27 Latin American nations represented in the cuisine.  As much as I LOVED the first two restaurants we were at, I think this was my favorite.  The ambiance is upbeat & energetic with high energy latin music and a hip & moody decor.  Hard to describe... you really have to experience it for yourself!

We squeezed in a quick trip to the Brookfield Zoo on Sunday morning.  After seeing it, I can understand why it is often acclaimed to be one of the best zoos is the world.  It is huge and they truly "take you to the scene" when viewing the animals.  It was just a perfect morning for the zoo too... warm & sunny and I think the crowds were at the Bears game. :)

A loooooooong drive home yesterday (why does it always seem to take longer coming home?) but so worth it!  We fit so much fun, sight-seeing, learning & food into one weekend & I'm ready to go back tomorrow.  Next time I want to go to the Museum of Science & Industry and also back to The Field Museum the see more there.  It was a GREAT cultural weekend!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you all had a fun Halloween!  Get (give?) lots of candy?!  I know we sure did!  Boy did we ever!

Grant (7) dressed as Scooby Doo... his VERY favorite cartoon character.  This costume suits him to a tee!  Silly, goofy, but cute despite. :)  Really, who could turn down a spunky little Scooby Doo?!

Ryan (10) dressed as Anakin Skywalker from StarWars Episode III -- just before he turns into Darth Vader.  Ryan has always loved the Star Wars series so it really was no surprise that he'd choose a costume in this genre.  Funny thing is, wearing that costume, Ryan REALLY looks like Anakin in the movies!  Scary like him in fact!  Don't you think?

Where I work they have a great Halloween party for the kids.  Everyone puts out candy in their cubes and all the little employee munchkins come around in their costumes and trick or treat.  It's really fun for everyone.  But think about it... those kids hit like 60 "houses" in a matter of 30 minutes!  They come away with literally POUNDS of candy!  It's ridiculous!  But they have fun. :)

After the work thing, the boys were okay with not going door to door tonight (like they needed anymore candy?!) -- and I was just as happy because it is COOOOOOLD here in MN tonight!  Hopefully it'll be warmer next year and we can take the tractor out again :)

The boys didn't really cooperate when I was trying to take photos, so they didn't turn out that great... but they're still fun and the boys are having fun:)  Enjoy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what came home with us from the fair...

Went to the big MN State Fair with Grandpa on Thursday and, despite the rain and a nasty storm that swept through in the evening, we has a BLAST!  Spent the WHOLE day there... 10a - 9p! :)  Seriously, we're thinking that future years we need to choose the "predicted rainy" day as the day we go to the fair... small crowd, the Mighty Midway rides are wide open to ride again and again, minimal lines for Sweet Martha's cookies, etc.  We ate our traditional faire... shredded turkey, turkey drummies, apple dumplins, sarsparilla, lemonade, s'mores and Chef John's incredible pork loin on a stick and sauerkraut.  We saw the Budweiser Clydesdales, newborn (literally!) piglets and calf, rode the Space Tower and the Sky Rider, and just took in the fun of the fair!!!  LOVE this annual tradition!!

But unfortunately, we also brought something unexpected and nasty home with us... E. Coli. Well, Grant (age 7) did anyway... not sure where he picked it up cause we all ate the same foods and none of the rest of us got sick... thinking maybe he picked a piece of food up off the ground and ate it.  Lord knows that with all the barns at the fair, it's a haven for manure borne diseases.

WARNING... If you don't want to hear the gory details of E. Coli, then stop here!! :)

So Friday morning Grant woke up with diarrhea & complaining of a stomachache.  Being the wonderful (not!) mom that I am, I kinda shrugged it off & tried to convince him to go to daycare because I "needed" to work on Friday after taking the day off for the fair.  Finally after being told repeatedly that he had a "really bad" tummy ache, I decided I'd better assess. 

He was having these incredible "spasms" (for lack of a better word) of severe abdominal pain.  I thought maybe they were just bad cramps & he needed to go to the bathroom.  But the pain seemed severe so I started looking things up on the web... appendicitis?  His tummy was tender but not where they stated... more on the left side.  I called the pediatrician & they thought it sounded like severe constipation.  Their explanation sounded valid, even explaining the bit of pink blood in his diarrhea.

But when the pink blood turned red, I decided we were going to the E.R.  All this by 9:30a.m!  A very, very, very, very long day in the E.R. of x-rays, blood work, urine samples, a CT Scan and stool cultures, we finally left at about 4:00p.m. with a diagnosis of Colitis and a referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist for follow-up on Monday morning.

Thankfully the [very nice Dr. Goodall] also prescribed Ocycodone for Grant (acetaminophin & codeine) to help take the edge off.  I tell ya, it is SO hard to watch your child wriggling with so much pain.  It was a very sleepless night for me on Friday as I was up with Grant in the bathroom many times in the night, administering meds and trying to comfort him as best I could.

Yesterday seemed better... fewer fits of agonizing pain, but still the constant call of the bathroom and bloody diarrhea.  A bit better night last night too (only one dose of meds) and today has been better yet... much less pain, but still the diarrhea.

About 3:00 today, the hospital called back to let me know that one of the cultures they did, 1057 E. Coli, was positive!  Interesting how nearly identical the symptoms are for both Colitis and E.Coli.  I guess there is still a chance he also has Colitis (I hope not, that is nasty too and more long-term and can be very debilitating), but most likely the inflammation there is related to the E.Coli.  The dr. warned me to watch for blood in his urine, as that can be a sign of a very serious complication and would warrant an immediate trip to the E.R. again to prevent kidney damage.  So I'm watching every toilet fill with great care. :P

Tomorrow we'll see the gastroenterologist & find out what our next steps are.  From what I've read, it sounds like E.Coli just kinda has to run its course and that antibiotics do not work (in fact they compound the problem).  We'll find out...

Anyway, moral of this VERY long story...

Make sure your kids wash their hands before eating... ALWAYS!!!  And ESPECIALLY at the fair! Also keep tabs on them so they don't pick food up off the ground (as Grant may have done?).   The fair is a virtual breeding ground for these types of bacteria.

4th of July SLIDESHOWS!

Sooooo excited about this new slideshow software I just downloaded from PhotoDex.com!  Soooo incredibly easy to create professional-ish ;) presentations. 

So check it out... click here to see the slideshows I created from our 4th of July weekend back home in Eagle River, WI. 

4th of July SLIDESHOWS   NOTE:  You will need to download the ActiveX control from Photodex.com.  It is safe, I promise. :)

Eagle River, WI Weekend!

Have I told you all how much I LOVE going back home to Eagle River, WI?!  It still feels so comfortable even after all these (20) years.  Much of my family is still there and it's always so nice to catch up with everyone.

Spent some time with my cousin, Scott , & his family.  He's in the process of building a wonderful new house on a VERY private, tucked waaay back in the woods, little lake.   He's built an incredible dock that crosses through nearly 1/4 mile of heavily wooded lowlands and finally winds its way down to the lake!  Soooo cool!  Both boys got to wet a line and Grant managed to catch I nice little fish and he was THRILLED!!!   

My cousin, Jess & her boyfriend Scott were there, too, with their ADORABLE new 10 week old Springer Spaniel, Allie!  Look at her, isn't she a sweetie!  She may be tiny, but she's got spunk like I've never seen!  WOW!  Can't wait to see how her personality develops in the next year. :)

Also spent some time just bumming around Eagle River's.  Eagle River's #1 industry is tourism, so you know town was busy on a holiday weekend.  But that's part of the town's charm.  With lots of little gift shops, plenty of restaurants, and lots to do in the summer.   

If you've never been to northern, Wisconsin, you really need to make plans to visit.  It is an absolutely GORGEOUS part of the country -- LOTS of lakes, lots of big pines, lots of wildlife, and friendly people. :) 

Baseball 'R Us

Baseball... tis the season!  We are in full "swing". :)   May and June are baseball months to be sure! 

Ryan is in the machine-pitch 8-10 league and really loves it.  He's one of the oldest on the team, meaning its a bit of a rebuilding year for him, and the team is struggling a bit.  Though they did beat a tough Hamel team last week!  Go blue!!

Grant is in his 1st season in near-ball.  In our league, there really isn't much difference between TBall and near-ball except that the kids learn to hit a pitch.  But they don't really play outs yet -- just practice running the bases. 

Both boys LOVE playing catcher.  Maybe because it's in their blood?  Their great grandpa McKowen was the catcher for Cincinnati back in the 50's.  Here is Grant's first time trying on the catcher's gear... cute isn't he? ;)

Heading to northern WI for the long weekend.  Can't wait!!  Have a GREAT holiday everyone!!  I KNOW I'll be getting some fun new pics!!  And I'll post some when I get back.

Busy Day Around Here!

Been a busy day around here.  Todd stopped by to help out with some yard work (which I really appreciate) and to wash the windows.  I can actually see out my windows again!  And I got the yard mowed -- that's a 2+ hour job every Saturday that I'm already getting tired of this summer. :P

Got a big box from Memory Makers yesterday!!!  Our Masters Color book is out!!!  Oh my, I think this is the most beautiful book MM has put out to date!!!  (Biased or not, this book is SO well done!!!  WOW!)  I'll post pictures a little later, k?  So check back!

Oh...had to take a few more pics of the BEAUTIFUL flowers Dad sent last weekend for Mother's Day.  Some of the blooms are fading, but the roses and lilies are at peak right now.  OH SO PRETTY!! 

Dad's Famous Pancake Recipe!

OK, Lynne, since you asked ;), I'll share Dad's super secret PANCAKE RECIPE! 

Here are a couple pictures of Dad making pancakes for the boys and me last March when I was laid up before my neck surgery.  He's STILL so good to us!!!  (Thanks Dad!)  

I know they're "just" pancakes, but they have such special memories for me.  I remember Dad making pancakes for the family on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  The pancake breakfasts were always so special because we ate together as a family, something we never had time for during the week.  And Dad traveled alot, so it was a special treat when he was home and made us all pancakes.  As Dad would man the griddle, we all waited impatiently for the next batch to come off...all fighting over the biggest one.  (Surely none of you can relate to that?! ha!) OK... enough of my trip down memory lane... on to the pancake recipe!

Seriously, this is the LAST pancake recipe you will ever try because it is the BEST pancake recipe ever! 

Dad's Famous Pancake Recipe

Combine wet ingredients in measure bowl:

• 1 3/4 c. sour milk (this is key!  add vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes to "make" sour milk)
• 3 eggs, beaten (just 5 for a double)
• 1 T liquid shortening

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl:

• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar (I use a little less)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• dash almond extract

Combine wet and dry ingredients, don't over stir.

So there you have it!  And please let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear from you!!!

Have a great night everyone!