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Saturday, April 8, 2017

Spring Break 2017

This is the first year ever that all three of the families had Spring Break at the same time.  We started Spring Break by visiting the Leonardo in Salt Lake.  None of us had ever been there and it was awesome.  The kids had a great time.  There were so many fun things to do and see!











the Bigs


 the Middles

  

The Littles


two of the Boys


Krista and Josh's kids came to our house on Wed. and we went to the park to fly Hurst's awesome kite.



Friday we met at Thanksgiving Point and got to go to the Tulip Festival






It was Gabbie's 5th birthday, what a cute birthday girl she is.  They brought doughnuts then we all went out to dinner to complete the celebration!  Such a fun Spring Break.


Sophie's 2nd stay at Primary Children's Hospital

We got home from our trip to Arizona on Thurs. March 23.  Sophie had been wanting to have a sleepover for a long time, but had been too sick so we invited the girls to all come for a sleepover on Friday.  It was so good to see her doing so well.  Saturday morning, two weeks after she came home, she woke up and it became evident, that she was having trouble seeing. 


 At first, I thought she was just goofing around, but then I could tell she was not, so I called Krista.  She came and got her and called Primary Children's.  By the time they got her there, she had totally lost her vision!  It was so amazing that she was totally calm about not being able to see anything.  What a tender mercy that was.  I would have been terrified!  They diagnosed her with Optic Neuritis,  YIKES!!!  They started her on huge doses of steroids again.  It was totally different being at the hospital this time, she wasn't in pain or sick, she just couldn't see.  She ate great, and wanted to play.  It was hard to keep her down!  They brought her lots of things she could feel and touch and play with.  She would put everything to her face to feel it.


We brought the girls and they took her on a bike ride.  Monday night we were with her in the play room, and she was crawling around and was avoiding all the benches, chairs and tables that would have been in her way.  We could tell her vision was beginning to come back.  We were so excited!


By Wednesday, she had had the 3 huge doses of steroids, so she could take the rest at home.  On her way home in the car she noticed out the window the trees and buildings!!!  Hooray, it was improving.


By the time she got home she wanted to jump on the trampoline, climb the rock wall, there was no stopping her.  Krista took her to the ophthalmologist a few days later and they were very happy about her progress.  She didn't have a lot of vision in her right eye, but her left was doing much better and so she was able to see well enough to get around. They said that because she had improved so fast it was very promising that she would regain all of her vision.  Yahoo!!!!


A week later, if you didn't know better, you would have no idea she was totally blind last week. She is continuing to improve and we feel so blessed.  We are so grateful for priesthood blessings and the power of fasting and prayer.  Sophie is our miracle girl for sure!!!!

Our trip to Arizona

In January, we bought plane tickets to visit Jordan's family in Arizona on March 15th.  With Sophie being in the hospital for so long, we were afraid that we were going to have to cancel.  We were so happy that she came home in time for us to go!  We surprised Logan, he didn't know we were coming until he arrived at the airport and there we were!


We had such a fun trip, we spent time at the playground.



We went to a fun train park and rode the train.


and the carousel. 


 We got to see their awesome new swingset. 


play in the sand with friends


go to a splash pad


It was 95 degrees, so we went to their rec center and swam. 


We watched Logan ride his balance bike,


and drive his awesome car.


We roasted hot dogs and made S'mores in their fire pit.


The boys love being outside!


They are getting so big!


We celebrated Jamie and Jordan's birthdays early by getting them some chairs and a little table to enjoy outside while the weather is still nice.  


 We got to go to Logan's swimming lesson.


He's getting to be an awesome swimmer!


We had such a great trip!  We sure love these cute boys,


We are going to miss them. 





Sophie's Stay At Primary Children's Hospital


In January, Sophie started not feeling well.  The first week it seemed like a bad cold.  The second week she started throwing up, so Krista took her in to see the doctor.  They said it was a virus.  She didn't get feeling better, so Krista took her back to the doctor several times, and to the emergency room at Primary several times.  She was VERY SICK!   They did MRI's, Xrays, every blood test you can imagine. Even Primary Children's emergency room couldn't figure out what was wrong and sent her home and just said to watch her.  Finally, on Feb. 25th, she couldn't walk or move her head, so they did a Spinal Tap and found out she had Spinal Meningitis. SCAREY!!!!  That poor tiny girl spent the next 2 weeks in Primary Children's hospital in the most excruciating pain you can imagine.  
She was on as much morphine as they could possibly give her along with several other pain meds.  
When they came to take her temperature or blood pressure, she would scream in pain.  It was AWFUL for her!!!


At first she couldn't eat anything without throwing up, including her medicine.
She wouldn't talk because of all the pain she was in


It was the hardest thing we have ever gone through to watch that little angel go through so much.


So many people were so kind and sent all kinds of cards, balloons, stuffed animals, and fun things to help her pass the time.


For the first week, all she did was lay in bed feeling horrible!  She wouldn't eat or drink much of anything, which she had to do to be able to get better and go home.



I was able to watch Hailey and Aida, so I brought the girls up to try to cheer her up. 
She had totally lost her smile.


Aida had to do a biography book report, and did it on the first woman doctor in the US.  She wore her outfit and brought her medical kit to the hospital to try to help Sophie get better.


  The doctors were baffled and couldn't figure out why she was not getting better quicker,
Unfortunately, she got another terrible illness called ADEM,  It was also terrifying, and so she was there another week before that was gone.  Luckily, unlike the Spinal Meningitis, there was medication they could give her for the ADEM.  They put her on mega doses of steroids, and before long she was on the mend.

She finally found her smile, and we knew she was on her way back!


She began wanting to do things.


For a week and a half, she hadn't even wanted to watch TV or do anything, so this was 
a huge improvement!


Ever since she was admitted, Matt had wanted to take her on a wagon ride.  We had seen all these kids out with their parents going for walks.  She had been way to sick!  On Mar. 7th, she was finally up for it.


Josh stopped by each day he was working at Primary to check on her, and so he came with us for her first wagon ride.  We just pulled all her tubes with medicine along with us!


She still wasn't eating and that was a huge problem.  She hadn't had a bowel movement for 2 weeks, so we were very worried about that. She had been being fed by IV's but she needed more nutrients, so they put a PIC line in.  They could only do this for a few days, and then decided they would have to do a feeding tube.  WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!!  She hated that and pulled it out every time they put it in.   I can't remember if it was 3 or 4 times, but it was awful!  Her nurse finally refused the Drs. orders to put it back in and Sophie started eating real food.  THANK HEAVENS!  She could order whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, and we were grateful that she didn't throw up and was able to have a bowel movement!


Finally, on March 11th, she was well enough to come home!!!  What a great day that was!


We put all the stuffed animals she received on her bed with her.  She go 18 new ones!
This little girl is sure loved!!!!
We so appreciate all the fasting and prayers that were sent her way.