Family in Town Part 6

Tuesday we spent the day getting people off to the airport.

Peter came home a bit early to get his mom to the airport and on the way their had a sudden attack of pain.

He called me and did not think he would be able to drive home. 

I told him I would hurry and feed Samantha and then come and get him.

He called before I finished and said he was doing better and would head home and call if he needed help along the way. 

 He got home and we talked about all of his symptoms and I assessed him. He was pretty miserable. My parents were still here and my dad had an appendicitis about 15 years ago and Peter's symptoms were a bit like what he had gone through but not exactly the same.

I was pretty sure it was kidney stones. After about 20 minutes of discussion and another wave or 2 of double him over pain, we headed to the ER. 

Sure enough it was kidney stones. Just after we got there he started throwing up because the pain was so bad. He was given some nice drugs and a CT scan which showed a stone on each side.

He spent the next 2 days at home trying to pass the stones. He traveled to Brownsville, TX on Friday and as he made it to the airport for his return flight home, he finally passed the stone from the right side. 

We were sad that the last 24 hours we had with my parents were filled with them watching our kids so that we could go to the ER.  We did take them to the pool for a dip before they flew out on Wednesday afternoon.  We have all been wondering when the other stone will drop but will pray it may never drop!

Family in Town Part 5

The Monday that everyone was in town we headed to the Perot Museum.

It was a great place for everyone to find something to entertain them or to tickle their mind with curiosity. 

 

 I tired to get Lily to roll her tongue.

 Grandpa is building with Arabella. 

 Jon and Sophi concentrate on their creation.

 Still building away. 

I did not do a great job of taking pictures that day but it was fun!

We decided to stop for dinner at Babe's Chicken.  So yummy and the kids loved playing with the Juke box. 

Last Week

Last week was our week of camps: Peter was at scout camp, Joey and Jon had Cub Camp Tuesday through Friday and the girls had Art Camp Monday through Thursday. Everyone was excited including me because I would have 3 mornings while the kids were at camps with the house to me and Samantha. 

Swaps were made and pinned to hats ready for trading.

 And then things went all wrong.  I should say that the Saturday before Jon became sick and stayed home from church on Sunday with a high fever and stomachache.  

He was better on Monday so we thought all was well and Peter got off to camp just fine. 

Tuesday morning we got the boys up and neither was feeling real well but Jon was so excited to go to camp that they decided to head off and if they felt bad the leaders could call me and I could go get them. 

Cub Camp started at 8:30 and at 11:00 I was called to come and get Jon who had been sleeping in the nurse's office since 9:30.  I arranged for a friend to pick up the girls and I drove the 30 minutes to pick him up. I had just gotten home and picked up the girls when they called and said that Joey, who had told me he had a headache while I was getting Jon, was now running a fever of 102.   Luckily one of the leaders was about to head home and so they were wondering if I minded them bringing Joey home, please, go right ahead.  

So the below picture is what took place the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday. Jon was feeling better by Wednesday night  and went back to camp for Thursday and Friday. 

Joey on the other hand was not getting better. He had only been able to keep down a serving of Jello and an otter pop here and there over the course of 3 days so I took him to the doctor on Friday.

 He looked awful and as a mother I felt awful because he did not even want to move but when your kids get this big there is no way for me to carry them.  He was going to have to go the ER if the strep and flu tests were negative but we lucked out if you can say that because the flu test was positive. 

WHAT the flu in June?! I gave Joey larger doses of nausea medication and he was finally able to keep some food down and within 24 hours was a totally different child, he was even jumping by Saturday evening. 

This was how I found Lily on Friday at dinner time. She was so tired or at least I thought, I should have known better. That night about 10:30 she came out of her room crying with a fever of 104.

 I called the pediatrician on Saturday morning and we started Lily and Arabella (preventative) on Tamiflu. 

Lily was so sleepy and threw up on Saturday but by Sunday she was doing better.

Arabella came in on Saturday night with a fever of 102.  We upped her dose of Tamiflu and she has been recovering but has seemed a bit worse than Lily. 

 I was really glad to have Peter home on Saturday from camp.  On Thursday night when I was cleaning up chicken noodle soup vomit off of the bathroom walls and toilet plunger (it may be the gross plunger but you can not leave thrown up noodles on it) because Joey did not get the toilet lid open in time, I was ready for Peter to be home. But then I thought to myself, what would it really change, there would still be vomit to clean up and the kids would still be sick.  I would still be their mother and bodily fluids and sick kids come with the territory; not the best part of motherhood but still my role to fulfill. 

We have been praying really hard that Samantha will not get sick (or me for that matter)!

The girls loved their camp and Jon loved cub camp, Peter loved his camp and Joey was sad to miss camp but felt to miserable to really care too much at the time. 

This week has to be better- Arabella was still bit under the weather yesterday and Lily was sleepy but today is a new day and I have high hopes!

Family in Town Part 4 Samantha's Blessing Day

Having 8:30 church makes for a rushed arrival on such a big day. 

The below picture was such a precious moment for me. They all wanted to hold her and lover her and be a part of this important day.

 I don't recall getting emotional with any of the other baby blessings but this one was really touching to me.

I watched my husband careful hold our precious daughter in his arms and then he was assisted by my dad and his dad and our Bishop and our home teacher, my heart was full.

I felt so grateful to have been blessed with 5 beautiful children to love and teach and care for. I felt the trust of my Heavenly Father and his love for me and our children especially Samantha. 

She is a precious daughter to him and he wants me to make sure she knows that.

I realized that my heart had truly become a mother's heart. My children and husband are my everything and all of my actions and energy are devoted to them and their well being. I would not have it any other way. This is my purpose "to care, to prepare, to nurture and to strengthen all of my children," I will "teach them to obey to pray, to love and serve in the family."  This means that I must be an example of these things and try each day to put my best efforts in to doing this. 

Each of my children has taught me something new about being a mother (they teach me daily truthfully) but on this special day, I was taught through Samantha (my last) that this is my purpose and that Heavenly Father wants me to succeed and will help me because he has entrusted me with these sweet spirits. 

 

 "What, you put Samantha down where we can reach her and we can smother her with love and adoration?  Okay we will gladly oblige."

 I missed getting a picture of me with my parents that day, my mom has one on her phone but it did not turn out very well. So, the below picture of my dad will have to be my cherished memory of their efforts to be a part of these important events in my children's lives. I am so thankful that we had so much family here to celebrate with us!

Family in Town part 3 continued

Saturday night we had a celebration!

It was Max and Lanell's 40th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday and we surprised them with their favorite BBQ - Hard Eight- as well as some yummy bbq type side dishes.  We also served a few treats they had served at their wedding reception.  Eclairs, strawberry frappe and we put yellow flowers on the cake to be like the yellow flowers that adorned their wedding cake. Max went and got flowers and balloons for Lanell because he saw the cake and figured out our surprise.

The kids were so excited about this party! 

 We are not really surprised that the feeding each other a bite of cake turned into this, are we?!

But in the end this is what it is all about, their love that has lasted the test of time and many amazing and challenging things along the way! We are so grateful to be a product of your love! 

Family in Town Part 3

Saturday while family was here we headed to a beach park in Little Elm on Lake Lewisville.

We had a great time!

 Same face, don't you think?

 The water was the perfect temperature.

 Joey dug and dug in the sand. He ended up burned even though we lotioned him twice.

 Grandma Rabner built the best sandcastle which was happily destroyed by some of the little people with us.

It was so fun to watch the kids play together and work together. 

I don't have a copy of the picture but at one point in the water I was on Peter's shoulders and Arabella was on my shoulders - it was awesome!

My parents caught up with us at the beach and Peter's parents left from the beach to go pick up Uncle Jared at the airport.

The fun for this day was not over yet.

Family in Town part 2

Friday was the last day of school and I checked the boys out early and we headed to the Arboretum.

Jon had said he was not feeling well and I learned just how he was feeling when we were about to the parking area of the arboretum and he said he might throw up.  I looked at him in the rear view mirror, frantically reached behind me to find the car trash, dumped it, and threw it back just in time to catch most of the throw up, all while driving the car.  I had gratefully packed a change of clothes for the kids in case they got really wet in the water.  He changed, Grandpa bought him a sprite and he was good the rest of the day. It was really hot so by the end of the day he was not feeling great again but none of us were because it was sooo hot! 

 The Petting Zoo was a hit!

 I learned just how sweaty we can both get while nursing in high humidity.

The kids loved the children's area! We left in time to catch happy hour at Sonic and it was much needed!

We will visit again!