August 25, Florida trip

Blog update? Why not, I have some time.  At this very moment, Stacy and I are at Megan’s  preseason volleyball tournament south of Portland at Country Christian.  Megan is a senior now and loves this game.  Powder Valley have done really well so far and have one more game today. So far they have played Alsea, McKensie, North Douglas, NCCS, and Domascus Christian and will play Country Christian later on.    Megan and the rest of the team have big hopes of going deep into the season.

Let’s get to the ‘heart’ of our blog.  In late July, all 5 kids had heart checks in Calif.  As it stands today, Gage has a 1B rejection (grr) and goes back for biopsy in a few weeks.  They are hoping the rejection stems from him drinking that dirty irrigation water which made him really sick with a bacteria called Shigella.  Not sure where he learned that from, but it definitely was not from me…maybe!!  Anyway he is fine now but had to be life flighted to Calif to get it straighted out.  It was a bit scary there for a week or so.    Lindsey and Sierra both have no rejection with no issues to report.  Lindsey goes back in a year and Sierra back in 6 months. Hunter and Megan have no issues to report.  All good stuff.  Neat to see the new children's hospital in Calif.  Lots of techie stuff incorporated into the design and displays.

As per usual, very active and fun summer.  June and July are our haying months.  The kids help with driving tractor, and cutting and stacking hay.  Hunter especially has done well learning how to drive the farm equipment.   They also help with irrigating, spraying and fencing.  All good stuff for our kids (whether they like it or not).
 

In addition to the farm work we did manage to have a bit of fun. 

Stacy’s family reunion was in Stanley Idaho deep in the Saw Tooth mountains.  Next was the Bingham reunion at Yellowstone National Park.  Both were dang fun creating memories and getting  in good cousin time. 

In July our good friends the Yecks talked Stacy and I into renting Harley Davidson motorcycles and going for a 3 day road trip.  We have never done anything like that before.  It was a blast!  We rented large Electric Glide motorcycles and travel from Portland west the coast.  Then down the Oregon coast and over to Crater Lake.  Last day was from Crater Lake back to Portland via Bend.  Our kid’s main concern was that we came home alive.  I am happy to report we made it… alive.  Driving a big motorcycle is a different experience if you have never driven a large bike before.  First day, Stacy and I were pretty nervous on the busy windy roads, but after that we were good to go.

The main trip of the summer was Gage’s “Make-A-Wish”.  For his ‘wish’ we went to Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World in Orlando, Florida.  We spent a week there and had the time of our lives.  As a Make-a-Wish family, we had a pass to skip the long lines and hit all the rides.  Favorite rides included the Aerosmith rock’n roll rollercoaster, Avitar, King Kong, The Incredible Hulk, the Mummy, and Harry Potter, and the roller coasters at Sea World. Most of the rides now are a combination of roller coaster and 3D simulations. I got a bit sick every day, but was able to keep it down.  Gage and the crew couldn’t get enough of it.  It was sooo fun!  We stayed in a place called ‘Give Kids the World’.  It’s a place build exclusively for Make-a-Wish kids.  They spare no expense to make sure the kids feel special.  Crazy, but it was the same place we stayed in 12 years ago when Sierra had her Make-a-Wish.   Sure nice of ‘Make-A-Wish’ to set that whole thing up.

Now it is back to school with kids starting in a week.  Sierra is heading to BYU-I in Rexburg.  She is excited but mostly nervous.  Megan will be a senior and will act as the Student Body President.  Lindsey Lou will be a freshman and plays on the JV volleyball team.  Hunter is in 7^th grade and is working hard to earn a spot on the junior high football team.  He is growing fast and pretty skinny, so he has his work cut out for him on the football team.  Gage is all good heading into 4^th grade.

That’s enough rambling….. if you are still reading this I have some juicy news.
We now have chickens! AND,  by the say.....we just found out that Stacy is expecting! ...Haha... Just kidding, 

Later

Jason

The pilot in Seattle was great to Gage. Made him feel really special.

Unbelievable light and firework show at the Magic Kingdom.

And then the rains!! and it did rain, but that didn't stop us.

Capital America was awesome. 

Kids loved the 3D Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios.

Megan's BIG One Seven.

More Harry Potter land.

Gage and Hunter in the airport coming home..... pooped.

 The ever exciting Calif checkups.

 BoyScout trip to Anthony Lakes.  Hunter and I went on a nice 8 mile hike up to Lee Peak, Dutch Flat pass, and Black Lake. 

Even met up with our good friends, the Thomas' from Homedale.  This cute little girl, Tristen,  had a transplant 6 years ago the same time Lindsey had her thang.

July 26 - Gage and a Busy July

July has been a busy month for us.  We knew it was going to be.  It is our month of fun vacations and camps.  Along with the fun activities, was a month of busy farm work.  We work hard on the ranch to help look forward to the activities. 

The first part of July, Jason and I had a 4 day trip planned with our dear friends, the Yeck's.  We call it our "Save the marriage" trip. We try and do this annually.  This has been the first time in awhile that we were home and available to do the trip.  So, we planned a motorcycle trip along the Oregon coast.  Jason loves Harley-Davidson motorcycles and has wanted to own one for a long time.  We drove to Portland and rented the motorcycles.  We had a great time and enjoyed seeing the oregon coast on a motorcycle. 

Meanwhile, Sierra was home with the boys while we were gone.  She informed us that Gage wasn't eating very much and was acting really tired.  His appetite was starting to decrease a little before we left and he was acting a little tired.  When we returned from our trip, there was a marked difference in how Gage was acting.  He wasn't eating anything and just wanted to lay around on the couch.  He didn't have a fever, but wasn't drinking either.  Looonnnggg story short, he and I were life flighted to California.  We spent 5 days there.   They biopsied him, did a CT scan and a few other labs.  All tests were negative so they did a stool sample and found out he had Shigella.  Shigella is a cousin to E. Coli.  Once the diagnosis was made and Gage was feeling better, he explained that "sometimes when he helps Hunter change sprinkler pipe in the field, he drinks from the sprinkler because he is sooo thirsty.  But it is okay because the water is clear."  This is water that comes down a ditch that cows and animals have defecated in.  Oh how I love his simple mind.  I explained that he is never to do that again and he can take 5 water bottles with him when he changes pipe!

Fortunately, Gage and I made it back from California just in time to leave for a family reunion in Yellowstone.  We had a lot of fun with cousins and picked up Hunter's good friend Jules from the airport on the way.  He is here for a week and we are having a great time with him. 

On Saturday, we leave for Gage's Make-A-Wish.  He asked to go to Disney World.  We fly out early Sunday morning and return the following Sunday.  On Monday he has an appointment with Chubakka, since that was the character he wanted to see.  Not sure how that conversation will go.😊  We are all really excited to go, so this is our work hard week.

When we return from Florida, we have one day at home and then we repack and leave for California.  All 3 kids will have biopsies and appointments and Megan will have a check up as well.  Stay tuned for those results.  This will hopefully be a good biopsy to send Sierra off to college with, as we get ready to send her out on her own.  Yikes!!

 Some fun friends came to visit while in the hospital.  Anuj and Jacob stopped by.  It was really nice to see them.  Jacob had a transplant 3 1/2 months ago and is doing great.  

 Jules and Hunter at the airport.  So nice of Jules parents to let him come.

 These are all pictures of Yellowstone.  I had to snap this one.  I thought it was hilarious.  Jason and I ended up with the teenage cousins in our suburban.  It was really a happening place, they slept.  I caught this picture of Megan and her cousin Roper.  Notice the drool spot on Megan's sleeve.😂

 I thought this was an appropriate spring for our family. The "heart Spring."

 Gage's Make-A-Wish party

 Thank you to our wish grantors Stephanie and Linda.  They did a great job!!