Eye Surgery Day is finally here

Rylee had surgery today on her left eye to hopefully fix her brown's syndrome.  Things went well.  We couldn't have asked for better situation.  The Children's Hospital at UW Madison was amazing and does such a great job with pediatrics.  Dr Gamm is just awesome to say the least.  We feel so blessed to have found him.  Grandma Ann and Andrea came to help with the kiddos.  Andi handled the older ones and her little ones and Grandma had Isabella who didn't even wake up that day until 8:45 am.  We were done with surgery by 9:15 and were home by 1:00 that afternoon just in time to feed again.  Rylee was tired and has some swelling to her eye but is expected to make a speedy recovery and although will never be 100% will be able to look up using her left eye for the first time in her life!  Life is good.

Camping and Blueberry Picking

Uncle Judd, Cierra, Rylee and Elizabeth getting ready for breakfast

We went camping at Indiana Dunes and then blueberry picking in Michigan.  We ended up bringing home 23 pounds of delicious blueberries.  It was a great trip, with the exception of Judd and Jen totalling their car on the way home when hitting a dear.  So thankful that they both were alright.  Unfortunately it was a crappy ending to a fabulous time.  More pics to come soon. 

Puppet Show

The girls put on a puppet show for the family while spending a day at Grandma Gretchen's house.  We swam in the pool, played some bocci ball and ghosts in the graveyard once dark.  It was a good time.  We have been so fortunate to spend so much time with Grandma since her retirement and Uncle Judd and Jen since Jen landed her new awesome job as a special ed teacher.  The three of them having summers off has really benefitted us and we have taken advantage of every minute we can with them.

Independence Day

Matt kite flying

Uncle Judd carrying all the older girls to the house

We spent our fourth of July being eaten by mosquitos in front of the lake with Uncle Judd and Jen, Andi & Jimmy, Brooklyn and Kaydence.  Even the babies were well behaved despite all the bites and the rain of about 15 minutes or so.  Earlier in the day we had a cook out and made ourselves sick with Italian sodas.  We looked up and tried many many different concoctions.  Some were good and some were not so much.  The next day we goofed around the house and then went to the park to play capture the flag and our old stand by kite flying - then for pizza, the Wii and Culvers red raspberry - yum, yum.  We were grateful that Judd and Jen could make it back from out west just in time for the day and that both babies allowed us to see the fireworks.  Good family times together.

We love this missionary

Once in a while you meet a missionary that really impacts your life.  Elder Skousen was surely that.  This was his last night here and we sure will miss him.  He came shortly after Nick left and really found a special place in our hearts.  Just a great, mature, kind young man.  He helped us deal with Nick being gone and better understanding the life of a missionary which helped us feel closer to Nick.  We will miss him a great deal.

Kaydence Irene is born!

Our second grandchild, Kaydence Irene, was born yesterday.  Andi's labor was a little longer than one would have liked but ended up being a wonderful experience.  Mom and baby are doing wonderful.  Brooke is excited about her new little sister and we are all excited to finally meet her.

Isabella's last bath in the sink

So we have been giving Isabella a bath in the bathroom sink .... it was easier when trying to recover from c-section. However you can see that she really doesn't fit anymore and this has got to be her last time in this sink!

Happy Anniversary

So for all of you that have helped me make the decision to finally let Matt get me a wedding ring here it is.  It was extremely hard decision as I don't really wear jewelry and didn't really want to spend money or let him spend money on me for something so worldly.  Once I made the decision it was hard to let it go through.  I know that seems almost ridiculous when you see the extravagant ring he bought and I accepted but after trying on many different options it was the combination of everything I have been looking at for the last 15 years.  When I finally said yes Matt got tears in his eyes.  I had no idea that for so long he had felt guilty for not getting me a "proper" ring.  However, he can no longer feel guilty in any sense of the word  for he has more than made up for it for sure.

Isabella 4 weeks old

So Andi did another beautiful job with photos. I hope one day she doesn't start charging me ~ no one tell her she is worth one million bucks!

All she wants for summer is her two front teeth

Elizabeth has now lost both front teeth. She has adjusted quite well to speaking but sooooooooo sensitive to cold and hot. Makes it hard to eat when you have all new front teeth top and bottom!

Her favorite spot

2 weeks

3 weeks

Here is Isabella's favorite spot to sleep. Yes it is a high chair. We have one that has several different positions to it - one of which is leaning all the way back like a carseat. Although we have a padded cover for it, it is still a hard plastic high chair. Hard to believe she can sleep there let alone prefer to sleep there. With the exception of on my chest, it is her favorite place to sleep and she will do so for 3-4 hours at a time.

Isabella and her Daddy

Loves to snuggle for sure. 

Nick is in Los Altos, California

Nick with new companion Elder Cole

Nick with his mission president and wife, President and Sister Jackson

 So Nick is in his first area and loving it.  He says the Hispanic people are amazingly wonderful and kinder than any English speaking people he meets, even though he still stumbles over the Spanish language.  His companion Elder Cole is a convert of 5 years, 23 years old and from Atlanta, Georgia.  So far they are hitting it off great, going to work and working hard. 

What a Sweet Baby

So Isabella is one week old now.  She is really a sweet baby.  As long as she can stay awake to nurse she sleeps 3-4 hours between feedings and several nights even went 5-6 for one of the feedings.  She is a natural eater which is awesome - she even took a bottle for Andi already and was able to switch back and forth without issue.  Everybody agrees she sounds like some type of reptilian creature when she starts to cry.  She goes from complete sleeping to this squawking cry in 1 second; then continues to cry until she gets what she was crying for.  It is always Mom, food, warmth, or diaper change - the basics.  She is my first that doesn't have night and day mixed up which is really, really, really nice.  Probably due to my resting so much during pregnancy ??? I don't know but I'll take it.  Recovery for Mom is going - I will have a day when I feel great and then a day that is not so good.  Thankfully I have had lots of help from Andi, Matt and my Mom.  Andi and Mom know me well enough that I don't even have to tell them what to do and it is done and they also tell me when to knock it off if I am doing too much - both of which I appreciate and love about them as often I don't do well with setting good limits for myself.  We are so happy that Isabella is here and are so blessed with such a great baby.

Dance Recital

Cierra's "Baby Baluga" Dance

Cierra "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" Dance

Rylee "Mother Duck" Dance

Rylee "Under the Sea" Dance

Cierra and Rylee had their Dance Recital tonight.  They both did a great job.  Cierra was the "prima ballerina" for one of her dances - Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.  Grandma Gretchen and Grandma and Grandpa were able to come up for the evening to watch.  Grandma Gretchen was even able to spend the night which was a nice treat.  Andi, Jimmy and Brooke hung out at the house with baby Isabella so both Matt and I could go.  At the end of the day........ I was ready for my cozy bed for sure. 

Lovable Leia

Our lovable, sweet Leia was laid to rest yesterday.  It was a sad day for us all.  She has been fighting some mysterious illness for a couple of months and it finally got the best of her.  We will miss her and her unconditional love.  She was a great dog for our family for 10 years and will be greatly missed.

Announcing Isabella Gretchen

Isabella Gretchen was born this morning at 750 am.  She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 21 inches long.  Lots of dark hair and quite an appetite.  Cute as could be and a blessed addition.  Everyone doing well and super excited to have her here.  We were able to get word to Nick along with a picture and know that he already was able to see it.  We will update pics along the way - stay tuned.

Crazy with Vinyl

my bedroom

kids bath

living room

girls bedroom

girls playroom

finally my fhe plaque finished

basement bathroom

I guess nesting is what they call it. It sure doesn't seem like the nesting I have done with the other 5 pregnancies but I have to say in the last couple of weeks I have had a little more motivation than during the first 9 months of pregnancy. It helps to have Andi and Kelsey to help me with my projects as well. Andi says I have done too much vinyl and says I am crazy at this point. I did the one above my bed this morning by myself. I have a few more but the pictures didn't turn out real well. It is so convenient to have vinyl and a cutting machine in your own home. I guess it makes you vinyl crazy!

Elizabeth looses a tooth!

OK, so this is really Elizabeth's 5th lost tooth but she counts it as her first because her first four were done by the dentist. We thought she would never get it out. She would only twist it until it hurt and then stop. In the end it was so loose it moved when she breathed. She was bound and determined to do it on her own and before Grandma Gretchen got here as she has heard from her older sister she likes to pull out loose teeth. She tried a new technique as far as the tooth fairy. She heard that in another country the children put their lost teeth in their slippers outside their door and a mouse comes and leaves a present. She got a dollar and he/she let her keep her first tooth. Now Elizabeth's biggest concern is what she can get for a dollar - oh, and her other front tooth is now loose so we begin again.

Easter

We did the normal for Easter this year. Easter egg dying and egg hunt on Saturday and church on Sunday with a big yummy ham meal. We had fun with Brooke, Andi & Jimmy finding candy and coloring eggs, although Brooke wanted to carry the hard boiled eggs around with her. (She has an egg thing going - knows there are baby animals inside - fancinating to her). It was General Conference weekend so we did stuff in between talks. It was nice and a relaxing weekend with yummy food and treats.