July 28, Stacy's Family Reunion

Every year we get together with Stacy's brothers and sisters for reunion. There are 7 in the family and this year it was Cory's turn to run the show. We went up Logan Canyon to Franklin Basin and had some good cousin time.  On Friday we went to Bear Lake and played on the north beach. There were good laughs, lots of fun and a lot of dirty kids. If you remember, last year we tried to get Lindsey to the reunion but she developed the blood clot in her heart and that was the beginning of the fun. So it was really nice to make it there this year.

On the way back we stopped at the Boise airport and picked up PK and Abby, 2 of Megan's good friends from California.  They we be with us until Thursday. It will be fun to show them a country lifestyle.

With all the fun we still carry 3 small backpacks filled with meds, supplements and other 'treats'. Three times a day alarms would go off and they go find their backpacks.

 Cooper and Megan. He just loved to follow his big cousin around.

 Easton after a couple of hours in the dirt

 And Wyatt

 Tiffany and Kate

 An excited Abby and PK

What is a trip without a blow out! That was exciting

July 21, Sunday

Summer is marching on.  The kids are doing and acting great. Nothing to report there.

We brought back 2 cousins from Utah. Keaton (11) and Mason (6). They have had a lot of fun.  It has been good for Hunter and Mason to get reacquainted. They have a bit of a love / hate relationship.  It can vary from hour to hour.  Just asked Keaton if he missed home he said, "No". I interpret that to mean "Not yet".

Tuesday the girls had orthodontist appointments. Megan gets to have 6 teeth pulled and Lindsey will need to get 4 pulled.  Uncle Justin, DMD will have a hay-day with his rusty Leatherman and vice- grips pulling those out.

Sierra and Megan went to Girls Camp up at Catherine Creek this last week.  It was a really good experience. Megan realized there are some really cool girls in the area.

On Wednesday, Stacy once again turned into Super Mom. At one point she had 21 kids here. There were several mothers helping with Girls Camp along with others coming and going, and they were having a party here. There were our kids, Alexis, Emily and kids, Sara's kids, Roper and the gang, Landon and Ryan, 2 more Baxter kids, and a few others (I think). It was wild. Sometimes it is really nice to have a day job requiring me to be gone.

Since Friday, we have had Justin and Emily's kids here. Justin and Emily went on a river rafting trip with there college buddies. That means we have our 5, plus Keaton and Mason, plus Keana, Ayla, Lyndi, and Bently.  With my quick accounting skills that equals 11 kids to get ready for church!!  Stacy had been going full bore doing hair and flipping pancakes.

I have had a lot going on at the office and ranch. Been helping with baling and stacking hay and getting firewood. Just a lot of good stuff to do in the summer.

This next week we are heading back to Utah for Stacy's family reunion. We missed last year and are excited to return.

That is what we are doing, but how are we doing?  Couldn't be better! Seeing Lindsey on the trampoline, riding a bike, or wrecking on a tube behind a ski boat makes my heart happy. A year ago today she went to the playroom for he first time, was miserable, and was having clotting issues. What a difference a year can make. We are still grateful for the blessing and miracles in our lives. We truly have been blessing by Gods tender mercies.

Crazy, but we don't have any pictures to share. We will throw a few on once they are all ready for church. Thank goodness church doesn't start until 1:00!

July 15, Monday

Friday, Lindsey got another zero, so we are good for another month. Will be heading back August 6,7,8 with Gage, Sierra, and Lindsey. More scheduled maintenance.  We flew home Thursday and are back to life.

Saturday, This weekend we are in Utah visiting Stacy's family. Stacy's Mom and Randy are going on a church mission to Nebraska. They will be in the Omaha for 18 months and are excited to service.  They are speaking this Sunday and we came down to support them.

Today the kids are playing with cousins. All good stuff!

Monday. Back home. We brought Mason and Keaton with us. They are 2 cousins excited to hang out in Oregon for a few weeks.  Have plenty of work to do at the office and on the ranch.

 On the plane heading home

July 10, Scheduled Maintenance

Time for some 'scheduled maintenance'. Sierra has her monthly IVIG to fight against the antibody rejection, and Lindsey has her monthly biopsy, echo, and clinic. It is 11:00 am and Lindsey just went in. She is once again doing the biopsy awake (biopsy brave). It was HER decision. She wanted to be here in the Short Stay Unit with Sierra rather than down in the surgery center for recovery. We were all excited to come to the hospital this morning.  Feels like coming 'home' in a sense. These people and this place had such an impact in our lives it is good to see them again. When we walked in this morning we was Jen, Riza, and Mark, some of her favorite night nurses. We saw Dr. Yeh (from CVICU) and Dr. Katz Meada (the surgeon) briefly, and will be swinging up through 3 West to see the rest of the gang later on.

Yesterday we had a nice flight here.  Dale Smith, a very nice Angel Flight pilot, flew us here in his  comfortable plane.  As is the case with all the Angel Flight pilots, it was very kind of him. We are staying with the Zengers but will be here with Sierra until at least 10 pm tonight.

Check in later as the biopsy, echo, and blood test results are known.

12 noon. Lindsey is back from biopsy. Heart pressures looked perfect, exactly where they want them. Tomorrow we will get the rejection results. Big story is her emotions. She does well on the biopsy awake but get scared and starts crying towards the end. She can be so hard on herself. As you know, she likes to know what is going on, but then get scared as it continues. The Doctors praise her for doing it awake and said she did well.

2:00 pm. Just watched Jake and Wendy's calves sale on the video action out of Reno. Calves did well, sold for a good price. They will be delivered in late October. 

Echo's are done on both Sierra and Lindsey. Lindsey is good to go. Sierra still has another 7 hours (ugh). Lindsey's friend, Jolena, came by for a visit. They traveled here from San Jose just to visit. Liz came by for a visit, and now we have Sandra here doing Sierra and Lindsey's nails.

 Dale Smith showing the kids the flight plan

 Riza, Jen, and Mark.  All good night nurses who took care of Lindsey many times.

 Dina and her mother from Hawaii. They are also here for scheduled maintenance. Dina and Lindsey waited during the same time period. Lindsey used to walk to the CVICU to visit.

 Big sister getting poked....

 Then little sister getting poked.

 Sharing the same room until.....

Lindsey heads off to biopsy, awake.   Remember to the 'Biopsy Brave'!

Highly specialized intelligent nurses in the 'Short Stay' Unit.

 

July 7, Crawfish Lake

This one deserves it's own entry. Yesterday we hiked into Crawfish Lake. It's about a mile and half / 50 minute hike to a beautiful mountain lake. Justin, Bentlie and Lindie came along as well. All the kids did great.  All of them, including my wife went swimming.

 Getting ready to hike out.

Picnic lunch.  They were making fun of me for bring a table cloth.

 Gage and Hunter in the creek.

 All the kids went it. Even Sierra FINALLY jumped in. It took a lot of coaxing.

 That's my boy!

 And the girls

 Hunter going in.

 Even Gage going in.

 this is livin'

 Gage is his backpack ready to head out.

 Gage liked this bridge until.........

 .....he fell off into the water.  The railing was not made for his size.  He was sooo sad.