Random Photos

These two crazy kids have a good time together during the day while Kimball is at school. I think Ezra is really going to miss Cora when she's gone this next year, too. She's all registered for kindergarten and it's been quite a struggle getting any kind of help from the school to assist her. They're basing everything off of her last evaluation which I thought was completely ridiculous (she wouldn't cooperate or engage at all. She sat on the floor rocking herself, covered her eyes, and used my hand to point. How they determined by that kind of cooperation that she doesn't qualify is beyond me)! So I'm currently gathering reports from current therapists and doctors to please give Cora another evaluation. It's been rather frustrating!

 He ran (and I mean literally RAN) straight into the corner of the wall).

 If big sister gets nail polish then Ezra wants it too.

Post Modern Jukebox

Proof that we actually go on a date on rare occasions! We had Mexican dinner at Miguel's and went to the Post Modern Jukebox concert. It was sooooo good!!

St. Patrick's Day

We never do anything for St. Patrick's Day but Kimball came home from school with a homemade leprechaun trap so I felt pretty obligated. Lance's barbershop chorus was in the annual parade and for their float they used the trolley that sits 16 people and is bike pedal powered. Kimball was able to go with Lance on the trolley and he thought that was pretty cool stuff. So Cora and Ezra and I collected candy and gold coins and green necklaces. It was actually pretty fun!

Kimball didn't catch the leprechaun but that sneaky guy took Kimball's gold coins and left some skittles for the kids instead.

The Lord often allows us to wallow in mindless confusion before the teacher within us follows the path that lightens our way.
 - Patricia Holland

Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "the mother of all living" - and they did so before she ever bore a child.
 - Sheri Dew

D&C 80:3

Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.

Mini Vacation

 A few weeks ago I told Lance we needed to do something to get out of this winter rut. Everybody had cabin fever, winter still wasn't over, snow was still falling with cold temperatures, and everybody had been sick in February. After some tricky planning to make Lance's work schedule feasible, we finally pulled it off. We didn't tell the kids what it was so they'd be surprised and after Kimball's parent/teacher conference we finally told them. They were SO excited!!

We kicked off our mini vacation by going bowling.

  

 Look at this handsome little stud

 Isn't Cora rocking her hole-y smile?!

Then we checked into a hotel that is 2.2 miles from our house. The kids were so excited to swim and just as excited to stay in a hotel. As soon as we opened the door to the room they freaked out like it was Christmas morning, "Whoa, Dad check out this radio clock thingy! No way, look at this lamp! This is the best shower ever, look at how many cubbies it has!" It was quite comical. We quickly changed into our swim suits and had the pool and hot tub all to ourselves, the kids were in heaven!!

Then we ate dinner out and came back to snuggle up in the giant bed and watch tv together until it was time for bed. In the morning we had a lovely breakfast in the lobby and then swam some more. SO MUCH FUN!! And the perfect little getaway and break from life. Sure love this family of mine, my heart is full!

Random February Photos

We received a record amount of snowfall in one month - 30".

 Kimball at the school STEM night

I helped out my friend, Julie, after she had her baby so we had lots of play dates with her youngest two kids. Cora and Emma are best friends. They may be 1.5 years apart but they get along SO well, I've never seen her interact so sweet with someone before. Here they were pretending to be Anna and Elsa sisters.

 This black and white photo a babysitter took

Cora's 6th Surgery

This surgery date has been months in the planning and because it was not mandatory, they wouldn't do the surgery if she was sick. But, she'd been sick the entire month of February so we prayed a lot to keep her healthy the week leading up to it.

I had planned to be at the hospital about four hours (ended up being EIGHT hours). The procedures were a few blood draws first, then a third attempt at a bilateral tear duct probe, some dental work, and lastly an echo cardiogram. All of Cora's sedated procedures in the past were toddler or baby aged so I was definitely worried about her cooperation. This first picture sums up Cora's attitude quite nicely: FEISTY, grumpy, growling and scowling at any nurse or doctor that dared to look at her.

Once she took the Versed (and got a Ken barbie doll as a price from the nurse) it still took her 30-45 minutes to calm down and let the doctors do what they needed to do and wheel her away into the operating room without me.

The tear duct probe was easy and went as planned. Then the dentist came out and gave me his details. Since Cora is not cooperative with teeth cleanings, x rays, or anything related to the dentist, this is the first good look they've had in her mouth. After finding through x-rays what was going on, they did caps/crowns on all four baby molars because the enamel did not form properly and therefore wasn't effective at protecting those teeth. A few cavities in between teeth were filled. And then the shocker - they pulled all four bottom baby teeth! Apparently her adult teeth are coming in and with her teeth being so close together it was better to pull them now than to wait for them to come out on their own and end up doing extractions anyway. I was really surprised they did it but grateful they saved me several future dentist appointments and sedated dental visits!

As they took me back to the waiting room I got teary eyed again, it's never an easy thing having your child be sedated. She still had blood all over her mouth and was extremely groggy. She was given morphine and extra pain meds so it took her another 2 hours to wake up. In all, she did great.

After waking up the second time she was ready to go home and when I asked her how the popsicle was, she wasn't about to stop eating. So I got a thumbs up.

I did not know how to tell Cora that she lost all 4 bottom teeth and was worried about her reaction. She was apprehensive about it but quickly became excited as I changed the subject to focus on the tooth fairy. That night as she was getting ready for bed she peeked in the mirror - oh boy, she did not like what she saw in her smile. I tried distracting her again with the notion of the tooth fairy. She's now used to her new smile and how it feels but it is certainly much harder to understand her speak! Well done, baby girl!!!

We were at the hostpial from 6am - 2pm. Later that night Ezra fell off the dining chair and hit his head. At dinner he spilled his milk all over himself and me, then he burned his hand pretty badly on the oven. To top it all off I was up all night sick to my stomach. It was a super long day!