July 27, 50-miler

July has been a great month. We have very few, possibly no, heart issues to discuss. They are all taking their meds 2-3 times a day and we are marching on.  It is always in the back of minds, but there is nothing to report. They have echos this week and are not scheduled for a Calif trip until September.  We watch appetites, coughs, blood pressure and swelling pretty close on a daily basis, but they are doing great.

These last 2 weeks have been awesome.   For the past several months Justin and I have been planning a 50 miler for a group of boy scouts up in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.  It was a route we were not familiar with, so 2 weeks ago Stacy and I hiked the trail alone to check it out. We were gone 3.5 days and had a great time, just her and I.  It was awesome. We went over 3 mountain passes, Wilson Pass, Copper Creek and Tombstone pass. We saw 7 lakes, Laverty, Chimney, Steamboat, Swamp, Diamond, Tombstone, and Echo.  Swam in Laverty, Steamboat, and Tombstone. We waded through several creeks and traversed over large snow drifts. I thoroughly enjoyed that time with my best friend.  Many times we talked about what we were doing and where we were at 2 years ago in Calif or 8 years ago with Sierra. Those were tough times then, and now look where we were.  We are still truly blessed.

We returned home a gave a big report to Justin and the boys.  They were excited and made the same trek last week. Justin, Trevor Lewis, Eli and Dan did a great job as leaders.  On Thursday, a group of us took Thursday dinner into the boys at Tombstone.  They loved the hamburgers for dinner, and bacon and pancakes for breakfast.        

 Ready to leave from the Lostine up Bowman Creek.

 Crossing Bowman Creek. Water was really high.

 Chimney Lake

 Steamboat.

 Snow at Swamp lake.  this was all melted by the time the scouts came through 6 days later.  I did NOT go swimming here.

 Head of Elk Creek.

 Tombstone Lake

 Stacy finally went in.  It was pretty funny.

 Tombstone pass.

 

 Looking up West Eagle towards Wonker pass.

Crossing West Eagle.

A week later, the boys in the 'Hamburger' line

And the morning 'Bacon' line.

The whole crew ready to leave Tombstone

 

 

June 29, Camping in the 'Jungle'

We have had a fun week this week.  On Thursday, we were able to go to the airport and pick up some of Megan's (our) friends from California, Abby Black and Perpetua Stephens (PK).  We have been really excited for them to come.  They have been good friends to Megan.  Megan will return with them to California and spend a week there.  She is very excited.

This weekend, Jason was supposed to go on a "pre 50-miler" hike with his brother and some boy scouts.  We have had quite a bit of rain this week and so they cancelled the hike.  Now Jason had his back pack ready and no where to go.  So, he came home, grabbed his two boys and put backpacks on them and hiked to "the jungle."  The jungle is a small batch of trees not very far from our house.  It was really cute when he was getting the boys all excited about their "camp out."  Hunter asked if they were having fun at their camp if they could stay there until later in the morning.  We just smiled and said "sure."  They were so close, we could see their fire from our house.  They had a great time.  Jason was so awesome to take that opportunity to spend that time with his boys.  He is such a great dad!!

Today we went to Anthony Lake's and had a picnic. It was really fun to get out.  We taught Axelrod how to fetch sticks in a lake.  He was loving it.  The kids kept him busy.  We are ready for some warmer "summer" weather.  Hope everyone has a great 4th of July.  Happy Independence Day!

June 23, 2014, Life is Good

It has been almost 2 months since we have posted.  Life has been busy and all has been very well.  To finish off from the last post, Sierra, Lindsey and Gage all went to California May 20th-21st.  We were very nervous for this visit, because it was both girls "annual study."  This is where they go into their heart from the groin and do a little more extensive looking around at the heart.  They look at the coronary arteries to watch for coronary artery disease (which Sierra has the beginnings of).  Sierra has had continual swelling and we were preparing for the worse.  I flew down with the 3 kids, Jason stayed here with Megan and Hunter as he was still crazy busy at the office. Gage passed his testing and pacemaker check with flying colors.  His echo looked unchanged, if not a little better.  His pacemaker has not had any more v-tach episodes and still has about 3 year left on the battery.  They did not change anything for him.  Sierra and Lindsey BOTH received big fat ZERO's on their biopsies.  Sierra's pressures were up a little bit more, but not enough to worry about (yet).  She has not had to have IVIG since January.  Her coronary arteries still look a little rigid but have not changed since her last "annual". Lindsey passed all her tests and is doing awesome.  We are truly blessed and can breathe a sigh of relief...for now. Gage will return in 6 months and the girls will not have to go back for 4 months.  This will be our longest stretch of time that we will not have to go back since Lindsey was sick.

Baseball has ended.  The boys loved it and we are pretty sure they both had an undefeated season.  School has been out for 2 weeks now, but this week will probably be the first week it really feels like summer vacation.  The Monday after school was out, we left to go and visit my mom and step-father in Omaha, NE.  They are serving a mission for the church there and we wanted to visit them in their area.  It was a long 22 hour drive, but we went with my sister and that really helped the kids to travel with their cousins.  It was really fun to see my mom and step-dad.  It was fun to see the heart land of America.  I haven't traveled that far east.  We were able to see a Lewis and Clark museum, Kanesville Tabernacle, Winter Quarters, Omaha temple and the Omaha zoo.  Thank you mom and Randy for a very fun filled couple of days.

When we got home from Omaha, Megan had a basketball camp in Halfway.  Her, Lindsey and I repacked the next morning to head off to camp.  By the end of the week, we were camped out.  Now on to summer fun of staining fence, weeding, mowing, irrigating and haying.

 May Calif trip at the Boise Airport

 They saw Chloe and her little sister there for a checkup.

 We had the Merrill reunion in Utah. This is Stacy's oldest niece Mya being pickup up for prom.  Gave us all a chance to meet the lucky guy and offer advice and council.

 Lindsey and Sierra entertaining little John, Garrity and Seth's baby. He is well loved.

 Megan at the Baker track meet.

 Stacy's youngest sister Tiffany, who came up for a visit.

 Lindsey at her Cove Play Day track meet. 

 Gage's "Graduation" from Preschool. 

 Stacy's annual Last Day At School bike ride home. They all made the 7 mile trek.

Stacy and Gage picking out the seeds for the garden.

 Gage and Sierra watering the plants