Ice Cream Diet

Kyle didn't want Evan to feel bad so he joined him in the ice cream diet this evening (actually we all did). Maybe he's just preparing for when he gets his tonsils out....Evan was taking a walk with him saying "are you so excited for when you get big and get to get your tonsils out?" Granted that was pre-surgery...he may not say that now.

Evan is a trooper. This is him currently, playing his new game and enjoying some applesauce. He doesn't complain much except when we tell him he can't have crackers, cookies, etc. Oh, and when we tell him he can't run around the house and jump on stuff. He is supposed to be laying on the couch for two-three days. At this point we are just trying to keep activity limited to the best of our ability, because he is recovering a lot quicker than we thought. We'll count our blessings on that one though, I'd rather too quick than painfully slow.

Surgery Day

Evan's tonsils are out!! Apparently when they got in there they discovered that his adenoids were just as huge as his tonsils, so it is a good thing we got them all out. We are already noticing that he sounds a little different, and he isn't snoring anymore. never has a child been as excited as he was I think. He woke up this morning, asked if it was Monday so he could get out his tonsils, and when we said yes he started dancing and celebrating. The excitement has worn off now. Here are a few pics of the big day.

Here he is watching Sesame Street waiting for his turn. They go in age order, so in the morning they are all set up for little kids which was nice. The doctor was running behind, so our 8 o'clock surgery didn't start til 9, and the cartoons kept him entertained.Taking his blood pressure with his new dinosaur from Grandma and Katie. Dino got to go into surgery too and get his tonsils out. Definitely a hit.

Posing in his hospital gown. He got to leave his new Spongebob pants on, just had to change into this fun shirt. He was not a huge fan because he wanted to wear his new pajamas.

The doctor actually questioned if they had given him some medicine before he went in because Evan was so excited and loopy. Just the natural high from the excitement. I loved the little red wagon ride to into surgery. He went off willingly waving to everybody he passed. The doctor said he was very excited when he got to the OR and was having quite an adventure.

Here is what he looked like when I got to him in post-op. He asked me to get a picture of his whole bed before he went in so people could see how cool it was. He did pretty well waking up, and there hasn't been too much crying yet.

This is what the next few days should look like. Sacked out on the couch watching cartoons. Hopefully it is a speedy recovery!

Those Things Are Huge

I know it's a little gross, but if you look into the back of Evan's throat you will see two very large tonsils. We went to see an ear nose and throat doctor yesterday, and after looking at all the options (and there were a few ) the tonsils are coming out. Hopefully this will fix the sleep apnea, snoring, minor hearing issues, talking like there are marbles in his mouth, etc. The doctor seemed to think it would take care of all of it, so we are excited about that. The big day is Monday, so we are hoping it all runs smoothly and he recovers quick.

Garden Success

Brandon here. Those of you that have seen our backyard know that it's small. I've discovered an interest in gardening but the options are limited by space. I saw an infomercial on the "Topsy Turvy" hanging tomato planter and thought, "I can do that cheaper." I did a little internet research and spent about $5 on a bucket and a hook to hang it. Probably the most difficult part was pushing the little tomato start through the nickel sized hole in the bottom of the bucket, but it's doing very well as you can see. I only did one plant this year and it seems quite fruitful. Since I love garden tomatos and making sauce from them, I'm considering building an arbor on my deck and getting rows of these things going next year.

The Many Faces of Kyle

Just a few photos to capture some classic Kyle faces. Here is a face we used to see constantly...it is getting less frequent. In this case he was mad that I wanted to take a picture of him in his room.

Here is what I was trying to photograph. Kyle's first ever black eye, given to him by his favorite big brother. Evan was trying to jump and give him a hug on the couch, but their heads collided in the process. Good thing they both have hard heads.
The aftermath of taking pictures.Happy Kyle! We are seeing this side of Kyle much more frequently since he started sleeping better, and eating more. Hurray for that! I love his chubby thighs showing through the bucket.
Kyle's look of death. Note how he sticks his bottom jaw out for added effect. At least it is easy to tell when you've done something wrong or he just doesn't like you.

Summer Fun

For my parents 50th birthdays/30th anniversary the kids decided to pull off our first ever real secret. Bryce and Camille were up visiting for a little over a week, but Katie was supposed to still be a nanny for another week. Without my parents having a clue Katie got her flight switched and we picked her up at the airport. It was great to see their faces when she jumped out from behind the car as their anniversary gift. We had a fun 2 days having all of us together and even managed to get a decent family picture.


Bryce tried some sweet moves on the wakeboard. Maybe next summer he'll pull off the 360, but for now the jumps are cool.
Kyle had his first ever tubing experience. I tried to take him in the tube with me, but it wasn't working, so Evan took him and I rode along beside. I think he had a pretty good time.

Family Reunion

I'm a little behind, but here are a few pictures from our family reunion (which was 2 weeks ago I think). We had a blast getting everyone together, especially all of the cousins. Evan has so much fun when they are all here, but he is going through withdrawals without them now.

Here are the cousins having lunch. It's hard to see them all because there are currently 16 cousins, soon to be 17.
Devan and Evan. Devan is the oldest cousin, and Evan adores him. He follows him everywhere he can and likes to tell people that he gets to hang out with "the big cousins."
The highlight for the adults (okay maybe not the highlight, but definitely something important). We updated all of the contact numbers for everybody. Cell phones, home phones, work phones, you name it. I love that everybody has out there phones, and you can't see the other half of the group with all their phones out. Derek (in the blue) organized a game of duck-duck-goose with some of the little cousins. Of course to be a true family reunion there had to be singing. Now that the cousins are getting older they can join Dan in playing guitar while the rest of us sing along. All in all, a great time was had by all. We can't wait to get together for the next one.