Back to School

Cal

First Grade

Mrs. Olsen

 Carter 
Third Grade
Mrs. McLean/Mrs. Berglund

Courtlyne 

Sixth Grade

Mrs. Thomas

Watch out 

 Riverview 

Here we come!

And we can't forget little sis ready to wave us goodbye.

2 years old

Caeden

or our new little brother 

Baby Cas 

1 month 

Goodbye, Good luck, and have a great school year!

(yes, I know as I am writing this the year is more that half over, oh well.)

Snowbird Swimming

August  2012

I was tired, that is all I really remember, since the baby was only 2 weeks old--But it was SOOO nice to get out of the house and into the fresh mountain air.  Yummm...One of my favorite smells in the world...Snowbird in August.

 I can't really explain it.  

Only my siblings probably really understand the smell... and why we love to be there so much... when really there is not a lot to do.  It is just a part of my life that I have always remembered never changing.  It was always nice to know that we would always go there and nothing would change.  Maybe my kids one day will have the same feelings. 

Baby Cas

At the Hospital

Every one loved him from the moment they met him.

He had to spend  a lot of time under the lights. All of our kids have had jaundice but Cas was the worst of all of them.  He was so bad that we stayed an extra day in the hospital to keep him under the lights, and then we had to bring home the suitcase lights when we left the hospital. It took a few days but his bilirubin finally leveled out and he turned the right color. 

First day home.  

He already seems to have

 chubby, kissable, squeezable

 cheeks.

The day that we came home from the hospital I experienced  one of the most horrible headaches ever known to mankind.  I am sure of it!  It was Friday and I thought I was going to die--literally. Every time I would sit up or stand up my head would feel as though it was going to explode.  Just thinking it would pass, since I usually do not get headaches, I rested and tried to sleep.  Every time I would lie down I would instantly feel much better. So I just assumed I needed to rest.  NO---Saturday it got worse.  I asked my sister to rub out my neck muscles hoping that would relieve the tension. NO---I did a little research and diagnosed myself with an epidural headache.  Called the hospital.  They said take your pain meds, drink a lot of caffeine and water, go to bed, and see if it gets better by morning.  It was not better.  Booo--I guess that is what happens when your spinal fluid is slowly leaking out of a pin size hole.  You get a 

HEADACHE.

We ended up going to the hospital on Sunday morning to have Cas's bilirubin checked and I decided that the pain I was experiencing was not going to go away on its own. While Ben was taking care of the lab work I went up to the OB floor and told them the problem. They said "Yeah, you don't look so good." Really??? Hum.. I wonder why.

 -My brain is getting Squished-

So they set me up in a nice hospital bed (I love the hospital by the way) and they called the anesthesiologist. Ben and I proceeded to spend the afternoon at the hospital.  After a few hours the Dr. was free and able to help me.   He performed a blood patch.  That is when they take a bit of blood from your arm and insert it into the area that the epidural was in. The blood patches up the hole and the pressure stops. 

It was a 5 minute miracle.

I sat up and the headache was GONE..Yes!  I might be able to survive the birth of my 5th child after all. 

And HE is definitely worth it!

Thanks to my friend SarahWard for her awesome photography skills. I LOVE these pictures.

And then there were....5

Then there was...

the rest of  

July.

Then there was...

 me 9 months pregnant.

Then there was....

Swimming Lessons.

Then there was....

Relay for Life.

Then there was...

The Parade.




Then there was...

Peace.


And then finally...
one day late...
he was here...

Number 5!
July 26th 2011

Courtlyne's Birthday

July 6th 2011

Courtlyne's Birthday

I can not believe that another year has come and gone since my oldest child was born.  She is a great girl. Full of personality and spunk. She spends most of her free time doing gymnastics, which is nice since I am there with her.  She officially LOVES Jack Sparrow. That is about all she got for her birthday, Jack Sparrow paraphernalia.   She invited a few friends over for a pirate restaurant birthday party. After she drew and painted the awesome Black Pearl ship for the backdrop--she insisted on decorating her own cake.  Oh... well I guess it was one less thing that I had to do.  I am still trying to prepare myself for this stage of life--crushes on superstars, crushes on boys, going to the mall, independence and preteen attitudes.  She is a great girl.

I love her dearly.

Mom-You Raise Me Up.

I think I have procrastinated on the blogging because I have not wanted to do this post.. 

but at the same time...

 I want to do it.  

We had the anniversary of my mom's passing this June. 

June 24th 2011 

We were attending the family reunion with the Measoms.

It was a day like any other, yet a day like no other.

My Dad sent us all a text saying he loved and appreciated us. 

He went on a long bike ride.

We took the kids swimming.

Mom was not there.

Yet... 

she was.

 One of the most precious gifts that I have ever been given.  

My mom's fingerprint and "MOM" sketched in everlasting silver.

Reminding  me of Everlasting life.

We all got a necklace.

Holly, Emma, Gregg,
Jessica, Allan,

Dad,

 and Grandma.

We wear them a lot.

 I can't help but feel like she is nearer when it is around my neck.

People say that the first year is the hardest.  

Our lives here go on fairly in the same manner as they did before.  

We laugh a lot.

We spend time together. 

We love each other.

But some things have changed...

I can no longer listen to You Raise Me Up," without tearing up, and the Hawaiian Ice shack brings back bittersweet memories.  But life goes on...

 as Mom would want it to

 us here on Earth with her close by watching and praying over us from Heaven. 

 I love you Mom. 

Measom Family Reunion

For our family reunion this year we were able to go to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho.

We stayed here-

Inn at Owl Hollow

 We had a great time playing and swimming and just relaxing.  I was about 8 1/2  months pregnant so besides not sleeping well anywhere, and not having a swim suit that fit, it was great little vacation.  Really the only one that the kids got all summer.  The house was fun. We were pretty much all able to stay in it--all including
Grandma and grandpa, Lorin and Sherry and Family, Julie and Mark and Family, and us.  Holly and Jared came for a couple nights and pitched a tent on the lawn--and my Dad took the quiet way out and rented his own hotel room.
We played games and watched movies and made s'mores around the campfire every night.
We swam at the pool a couple times and we had a great little walk around town.
We visited a little pioneer town and found some ancestors old houses.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for providing us with such a great time away. 

   

Magnificent View from our back patio.

Amazing colors 

 Caeden having a great time just being outside.

All the other fun stuff we did.

-High dive (courtlyne)

-Scary slide (carter)

-swimming

-wiffle ball games

-some other game played with wooden blocks

-visiting with Grandma Donna