Spring Break

We are all healthy and doing great!! For spring break this past week, the kids and I went to Utah to see my family. It is our tradition, we do this every year while Jason is busy in tax season. We had a lot of fun. Spending time with cousins and Grandparents, going to lunch with high school friends and shopping.

Making sugar cookies at Aunt Kelly's. Grandpa Merrill is a really
good frosting maker.

My Grandma & Grandpa, who are 88 & 87 years old.

My high school friends, thank you guys for going to lunch with me!

Megan at her play "Rumplestilskin".

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!

To make a long story short, Sierra, Lindsey, Gage and I have all had this horrible cold/flu bug going around. To our endless washing in the lake of sanitizer we were unable to keep little Gage from getting it. So, Sunday we had to take him to the emergency room where he was having a difficult time breathing. He was admitted and placed on oxygen and given breathing treatments for a couple of days. We are home now and he looks and acts better than the other three of us who are still coughing. We will keep giving him breathing treatments for another week to keep things loosened up. But, we got to stay in Baker this time! As I always say, "Baker is better than Boise, Boise is better than California."

Did I say I was ready for spring?

Gage smiling and looking pretty funny with an IV in his head.

Jason taking care of Sunday dinner for the kids. A nice round of mac-n-cheese. Hunter showing his big belly(or should I say bottomless belly).

Gage off the oxygen with just the IV "hat".

Badger Pride!

Last Saturday our local High School won the state championship basketball game. They haven't won a championship since Jacob (Jason's brother) was in high school (15 years ago). Jason, a true badger fan, dressed up and always sits in the student section. I think it is his one way to live the Utah State basketball days. So, the rest of us decided to join him. The kids all wore their red and blue and we painted faces. It was a lot of fun!

Gage is doing great! Still hasn't rolled over, but is very close. Tried him on rice cereal, he wasn't crazy about it. He has a great appetite and is making up for whatever weight he lost during his illness.

Lindsey was throwing a fit one day (I know, it seems so unlike her!) and ran up to her room. After awhile, we couldn't find her and went to her room and found her sleeping standing up. Her leg had locked and was holding her up. It was quite funny.

All is well for now, just waiting for winter to finally GIVE IT UP!!

Gage not so sure about rice cereal.

Lindsey asleep standing up.

Our Badger crew!!

BLASTED 1A!!!

Well, Sierra, Gage, and I came back from California last night. Sierra's biopsy was, yes, another 1A. Which they say isn't bad. It just means there are some white blood cells lurking around her heart, but they aren't recognizing her heart as foreign. They are just a little suspicious. Still, a ZERO would be wonderful. Sierra's echo looked great and they said there was no fluid around her heart. So, that was good! We get to return to California in May.

We got to see Shawn and Trista and went to lunch with them. Unfortunately poor Ben had a biopsy scheduled for 1:00pm Wednesday afternoon, and at 4:00pm they were still waiting to go in. Which is horrible, because you can't have anything to eat or drink until after the biopsy. He was starving to say the least. However, Ben and Angel escaped the waiting area so we were able to see them for a short 10-15 minutes. Than you guys for coming out to say hi, it was still good to see you even if it was briefly. Ben and Shawn both look AWESOME!! Here's to a ZERO Ben!

Shawn waiting around at the hospital.

Sierra and Shawn having lunch at Nordstroms.

The three masked amigos Shawn, Ben and Sierra.

Back to life

Thought we would give a cute little update on our Family. Gage as been home 2 weeks and 1 day. He acts and looks great. He seems pretty focused on his mother though. Tax season is in full swing, and we love it.

Stacy and I went to a Rascall Flatts concert in Boise with Deven and Cathy Thompson, Garrity Bingham and Matt Hayes. We thank Alisha a thousand times for watching Gage. Gage was NOT excited to leave his mother and told Alisha about his disappointment the entire time. (Thanks again Alisha).

Sierra, Stacy and Gage leave tomorrow (Monday) for California for a biopsy. We are hoping for a 'zero' results meaning NO rejection. She has been in mild (1a) rejection since June of last year. She has also had a bit of fluid around the heart for a couple of months. If she scores a zero and no fluid, she will beable to go 4 months (instead of 2) before she has to go back to California. Anyway, she is exited to go, so she can see Ben Thorton, and maybe Shawn.

Anyway, below are a few cute pictures.

This is a picture on the way into the Rascall Flatts concert, Jason, Stacy, Deven, Cathy, Garrity and Matt.

Stacy, Megan and Sierra love to play nertz, Megan is very competive and wins quite a few of the games. If you have played it is quite quick. I play it occasionally, but I let my wife and kids win most of the games. Isn't that nice of me!!

We turn our back on Gage and look what Sierra does to him. He is always chewing on his fist.

Then it is Hunters turn for 'dress up'. Sierra took these pictures.