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Thursday, August 28, 2014


Update on Dave


Dave is doing well overall. He finished his physical therapy a few weeks ago and has over 70% mobility in his head and neck which everyone is quite pleased with. He only had 30% when he started so this is a great improvement.

Dave has gained some weight back too. He is eating very healthy and slowly over time a few pounds come back each week. He has gained back 15 of the 62 pounds he lost and feels a little stronger every week. His muscles still ache after a full day of work but some rest sitting on the front porch or playing with Gabe brings him right back. He recovers a lot faster than he has so it is exciting to see.

He is not supposed to run or lift any weights yet but he is walking a lot to help which they told him would really help his lymph nodes.

His mouth sores come and go. Every bite of food is a test. Anything with vinegar, spices, citrus fruits, and garlic really cause his mouth to flare up with lots of blisters. He reads the labels on everything and reads the menus a lot more too. One bite can mean hours of misery so he tries to stick to very bland foods and drinks.

It’s sad because he really liked to eat a good meal but now there is no joy in it at all. Dave says “I eat for fuel, not for fun” but he considers it nothing to be upset about because he is alive.


we also just got back from another state park camping trip before school starts.  Just got back yesterday so I need to download my pictures yet.  We had an awesome time.  

Got things ready for another year of homeschooling.  Super stoked about having Olivia home with us.  We are using Heart Of Dakota again.  We are super excited for some of our friends to be doing this curriculum too this year. Cannot say enough awesome things about this Christian curriculum. The kiddos love it.  The only thing we switched up was new spelling.  We are doing All About Spelling.  We have one that has a harder time spelling so hoping this will get us back on track.  

We are picking Auntie Annie up today for a visit with us.  She will be here until the following Saturday.  Super happy and excited about that.  The kids are excited she will be here for their first week of school.    



you say smile and this is what he does.  This little big man is so much fun and just makes you smile.  He loves to sing and play the guitar. 



this guy thinks he's a ninja and is excited about school.  He likes the playing part more instead of the learning right now.  Hoping this changes.  Getting him to read and write is like pulling teeth.  First grade will be good for him. 



Trying to work on some changes in the house here and on the blog.  Jut haven't had much time to work on them.  Summer went to fast and I'm trying to squeeze in every last ounce of hanging out with my kids all day doing nothing before school starts.  It always makes me emotional.  I can always feel it coming. 

Monday, August 18, 2014

beautiful things and school





Jonah's favorite shoes that I keep putting in the garbage....somehow they keep making their  way back in our house.  He said he would use them for lawn cutting.


ya think the kid would get a ton of blisters....


we tend to just hang out on the floor and read all the time
looks like Gabe is catching on.


I am taking a break from writing for a bit.  I have to prep for school and get all my home school stuff ready.  I was waiting for a few more things to come yet.  We are super excited.  We have always done some school all summer and now we will be starting in September.  I love diving into new curriculum. The kiddos are so excited too.  Olivia is joining us this year which will be great.  It'll be a whole new ball game with her along for the ride.  She's got some crazy energy with a little added drama. Enjoying the last days of our summer with everyone. 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

random acts of kindness
sad to  admit this but all we did for the last 3 months for  acts of random kindness was some jars  of flowers, encouraging notes and tons and tons of baking......baked goods can change the world I always say!




the delivery crew


every trip we made to the walk in clinic these  past few months(since we were there all summer), we made notes of love and encouragement for whomever would walk through the doors.  this is such an easy and fun thing to do.
not too sure about what she's writing but it works.




the first note I 'm fine with but the second????
What??


Delivering some flowers to random strangers is seriously funny. You have got to try it.  The looks they give us are totally worth it. 


Olivia did these and choose who to deliver them too..


Spread the love...


Monday, August 11, 2014

fun with auntie Sarah..

visit to Costco
ledgeview nature center
scoops ice cream
hanging out and watching a lot of movies
playing games
hennings cheese
lambaugh field
Dave's physical therapy appointment
celebrated your birthday with some yummy chocolate cake and played games outside with lots of screaming and excited kiddos
thrift store shopping for a few hours
saving a baby bird









(sarah took this one a few minutes after she  got here)


here is our bird we saved




Sarah took this one without even knowing what the page said.
too funny and oh so cute.


thanks for the awesome memories

Friday, August 8, 2014

Friday night...

It's pancake night at our house
as you can see we moved to the couch
Olivia did the table
she loves setting tables up all pretty and stuff






Yes we are total dorks.  Every Friday is chocolate chip pancake night.  Come and join us!
Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Beautiful things

squirt guns

 playing at the park


hammocks


writing letters to pen pals all over the USA
our kids love to write letters to people


this guy loves him some noodles




dirty feet in the summer....or with our family all year



he loves playing "where's Gabe?"



spending time with Olivia
she recently told me she just keeps praying for more brothers now
she likes being the only girl


Miah's new glasses


 I can't believe it's already August.  I am super excited for school this year and so are the kiddos.  We will have Olivia joining us for 3rd grade.  Feeling a little sad about Miah being the only one going to public school but he will do great.  We will just miss him. We love being together as a family.

Odin's toes are doing good.  We go for x-rays on the 27th again to make sure they healed properly.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

4 trips to the Dr...in one week...
While Dave was gone at physical therapy one night we went to a friend's house to go swimming.  Forgot Gabe's life jacket...drove back home and got that. That kid is Ilike a fish. He loves to be in the water.  We somehow misplaced the good life jacket we had.  The one he uses now he tips forward in.  The older ones were having fun going down the slide into the big raft and horsing around and peeing in the woods.  They think that is cool when you live in the country.  First jump in for Odin and he's bleeding from his toe.    He was in a lot of pain and he kept bleeding every time he got out of the pool.  He just kept swimming and peeing in the woods.  When he was peeing he happened to notice something right next to him moving and it was furry.  Low and behold it was 3 little baby birds.  So cute and fuzzy. (Picture coming soon.)  2 of then were dead and the other kept opening his mouth so wide he would fall over.  So cute.  No nest in sight and no momma.  Hemmed and hawed about what to do.  We got ready to leave and decided to take the little guy with us in a kleenex box. Warning the kids that it could die and talked about how we would take it in the next morning to a refuge.  Corralled the kids and got them dressed.  They thought it was hilarious to stand outside naked and get dressed. 
 
 Got them in the van and we were taking off and Jonah asked for his glasses. They were in the cup holder...nowhere to be found now.  When Gabe got in he happened to knock them down and step on them.  Of course he broke the frame.  It is never something simple in this family. We got home and unpacked and the kids went their own ways.  I started to get some leftovers out for dinner(Dave is still gone) and had some kids outside and some inside and realized I forgot about Odins bloody toe and we couldn't find Gabe. Of course.... he went walking right into the neighbors back door into their house.  Grabbed him and came back and finished feeding the troops.  Made up some food for the bird and fed him.  Realized I hadn't taken care of Odin yet and he was still bleeding and in some pain.   The old blood was now dried on everywhere and swollen. At this pint I was starting to wonder when Dave was going to get home.  Insert....starting to get a little impatient here.....
He finally got home and we got a hold of a wildlife refugee in Manitowoc to take the bird.  We drove to Valderz with the baby bird and dropped him of at 8:30.  Wonderful people and what a great thing they got going on there.  Needless to say by the time  we got home I was ready for bed. The volunteers at the refugee called and said the bird was a 3 day old girl and she was a finch.  She is doing great they said.  
I was happy to find out that Jonah's glasses were covered under the 60 day warranty yet.  We are still waiting for them. Thank goodness!


Back to Odin.......

We took Odin into the walk in the next day and had some x-rays.  2 whole hours at the clinic with Odin and Miah.  We had fun horsing around in the room. I was letting them spin on the stool, play on the keyboard, mess with tongue depressors and cotton swabs and  and we were having the funniest conversations. The Dr. showed us the x-rays and said we have to see and Orthopedic surgeon.  The break was a clean break right on the growth plate of his toe. 
 Seriously..why not right. So we saw the crabby surgeon and he never once even touched Odin's toe and he scolded us for waiting a few days to come in.  The scheduler in his office gave us this appointment. Sometimes you just really have to bite your tongue when it comes to some of these Dr.'s. We will wait 4 weeks and see how it heals and do more x rays then.  He then said if we have to freeze the area and pop it back into place we will do that then.  Ok...at this point I was perturbed.  Not an overly friendly guy.  Totally reminded us of Lotzo from Toy Story.
He joked with Odin about how it happened and Odin didn't care for his humor at all.  What a complete waste of time.


   
Friday night we had some friends over and the kiddos played kickball.  Which the Dr. told Odin to do what he felt like.  It was also his left toe and he's a right leg kind of guy.  A few hours after we ate dinner the kiddos came running home from the field they were playing in and said Odin's foot is bleeding really bad.  So we just waited until they walked home and took a peek. He was kind of crying, limping and bleeding. This time it was his right toe and it was more swollen than the left toe was.  Ok...this is kind of funny.  I had a hard time not laughing. Actually I totally cracked because of how he did it.  What are the odds of this happening.  Waited until the next day and took him to the walk in. Sat there for 3 hours.  We opened the place and closed it.  Totally forgot to bring a book to read too.  They did x rays and we waited for the surgeon to call back.  We have to see the orthopedic surgeon on Monday. It will be a different surgeon this time.  I really don't care to see Lotzo anyway.   He has the same exact break as he did on the left toe.  This is the first time this kid has ever done anything to hurt himself.  11 years and no injuries or trip to the Dr.'s and now 2 breaks in one week.  

Really...our lives are pretty comical.   


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