One Proud Aunt!!!

It is impossible for me to imagine being more proud of my nephews!!! This post is dedicated to the first TWO of FIVE little boys to enter my life and steal my heart! Long before my own kids were brought into this world, my first nephews were born, just 8 months apart. How cool was it for me to see BOTH my sisters pregnant at the same time with what would soon be my first nephews! I was in college, and despite being a bit caught up in my own world, I had to be the most excited aunt-to-be on earth!  First came Luke, and 8 months later, Tyler entered the world. From the moment they entered this world, they have held a special place in my heart. Hard to imagine that those two little sweet babies will soon be GRADUATING high school in the class of 2011!!!

Not only graduating, but moving on to spectacular careers as well! I am so very proud of both of them! Luke was recently accepted into a prestigeous branch of the military - the United States Air Force!  Little did we know just what a battle it would be for him to be accepted!  Being naive as I am, I figured they would pretty much take anyone these days that wanted to join!  WRONG!  Luke can attest to all the screening that he had to go through - from entrance exams, to GPA requirements, to the rigorous physical exams required to be accepted.  We soon learned what a true HONOR it is to be accepted into the USAF! Luke will report for basic training in Texas this summer.



Luke 2011





Next it was Tyler's turn for planning for his future! Tyler applied for and was accepted at NDSU and will be making his way into the Architecture program there.  Another remarkable acheivement as NDSU is a school with a great reputation and competitive Architecture program. Without a doubt, this is a career that is well suited to Tyler. Tyler has amazing artistic abilities, as demonstrated below.  The first is a charcoal drawing he did of Bob Marley, the second a first-ever snow sculpture he did as an amatuer that won him $100 on the spot!  From someone who struggles to draw stick people, I truly admire his artistic skills! In all seriousness, he did not get the talent from me - my kids often tell me that my drawings of pigs, cows, horses, dogs and cats ALL look the same, save a different tail or ears!  :)  Definitely not an area of talent for me!!

Tyler 2011

Bob Marley - charcoal

Mom Wolf and Baby

It struck me recently as Luke was going through his Air Force training and Tyler made the decision to try his hand at carving a sculpture starting from a 4x4x7 foot block of snow without any training or guidance at all, that these boys really are ready for the BIG world!  In my mind, I think they will always be the toddlers that I chased after with out-stretched arms trying to protect them against a fall!  But in my heart I know they are well prepared to face their futures. I beam with pride just thinking about it - I can't imagine how my sisters must feel.  To think that my own little ones will someday be following in their footsteps just blows me away! I can only hope that they will be as prepared, mature, and extremely talented as the "first" boys in my life have become.

Luke and Tyler - I love you with all my heart, and although it is hard to let you go into that big world out there, I know that you are ready for whatever may come your way!  Know that I will be here cheering you on at every step, and that I am always just a phone call away! I love you!!!!

~Ali

Winter Fun!

We had the BEST family day yesterday!  Started with dance class and a basketball game for Sam, then we bundled up for some winter fun!  A nature center near our house was having a "Snow Fun" day, so we headed there after lunch. We spent the afternoon riding kick sleds down a hill, snowshoeing through the deep snow, ice fishing, cooking s'mores over an open fire, and attending an animal show inside the center where the kids got to see and touch Chinchillas, hedgehogs, scorpions, a desert fox, raccoon, snow gliders, and a red-tailed hawk. It was a great afternoon to be outside in the winter air enjoying the fresh snow and getting some outside exercise!

Life otherwise has been busy with school for the kids and Dan, work for me, and all the various activities.  Sam is LOVING playing basketball his first year, and can't wait to get on the court for each practice and game. Piano is still going well, and the girls are still going to dance several times a week.

Kendra had her poet-op visit to the ENT this week. Things are healing well with her tympanoplasty, and there are no signs of rejection as of yet. She was able to recover a good amount of hearing in the higher tones with the surgery, but still has some trouble hearing in the lower tones. Her ENT believes this might be permanent, but at this time, she does not require additional hearing aids.  He was actually very pleased with the amount of hearing that she has recovered so far, as he told us this week that he didn't believe she would recover enough of her hearing to be able to function without hearing aids.  He was very happy that things are going as well as they are, and so are we! After talking with him more this week, we realized even more how fortunate she is. 

Kendra will be having more surgeries down the road to maintain her current level of hearing. The tubes that were put in place this time are for long-term use, and not designed to fall out.  She will have surgery at a later date to remove them and replace them.  The hope is to give her eardrum time to heal and to prevent more frequent surgeries to replace them. So far, so good!

~Ali

One Tough Cookie....

The picture below is typical of what we see from our daughter Kendra....lots of laughs and smiles as she plays with her sister and brother.  You can always count on Kendra to do or say something witty and spontaneious to break up any tough situation!

I joke all the time that she acts well beyond her years, as usually she is concerned about things in life that most little girls don't think about. She can be deep and reflective one moment, and the next, she can be running through the yard just to feel the air run through her hair. Since she has started talking, many have described her as being "an old soul" - someone that seems to just know what life is about without having to think too much about it.

But this last week certainly reminded me, that at times, she is still just a little girl. A girl who just needs to be held and told that everything will be alright.

Kendra has had a rough couple of months fighting a really bad ear infection. Despite multiple trips to the doctor for new and different antibiotics, we have not been able to cure the pesky ear infection that started in October.  Yet she hasn't let it get her down, and bounces into each doctor appointment sure that this time they will be able to make it better.  Finally the infection got so bad in late December that her eardrum burst due to pressure in her inner ear. We would not have even known had we not had a follow-up appointment to check the progress of the new antibiotic.  So, off it was to an emergency visit with the ENT on New Year's Eve day, with surgery scheduled for the following Tuesday.  Unfortunately, the first attempt at doing the surgery while Kendra was awake was not successful.  There was just too much pain despite the local anesthetic to complete the surgery.

So, the following Monday, we went about things the old fashioned way and she had surgery at the hospital with general anesthetic.  It was an emotional week at our house as Kendra did not want to be put under for the surgery, and was not happy with herself at all for not being able to endure the procedure the Tuesday before.  After her 3rd doctor appointment in 4 days, she was cleared for surgery.  We laid awake all night worried about what the next day would bring, knowing that Kendra was reaching her limit with all the tests, appointments and procedures.

I am thrilled to say that surgery day could not have went any better!  She was an angel when I woke her up at 5am to go to the hospital, played nicely in the waiting rooms through pre-surgery check-in and exams, and when the time came to walk back to the operating room with the doctors and nurses, she bravely held the new little kitten they gave her at the hospital and walked right into the operating room.

Surgery was about an hour, and all went well. There were a few speeds bumps during surgery, but her ENT was very happy with how things went. Her ear was still badly infected, but they were able to drain the fluid, do a cadaver skin graft to close the hole in her eardrum, and place a new tube in the ear.  She woke up well, albeit a bit slow, and has been recovering very well since.

In another week or so we will be back to the ENT for her post-op exam. We are hoping the surgery was successful in restoring her hearing, that the infection will finally be gone, and that things are healing well. 

We continue to be grateful that God has blessed us with such a brave and happy little girl. She brings joy to our lives every day, and teaches us how to be strong when life throws you a curve ball or two!

~Ali

6 going on 16??

So, tonight during our nighttime routine, the conversation goes like this:

 

Kendra - "So, mom, today I got invited to my first BOY party"

Mom - "Oh yeah, whose birthday is it?"

Kendra - "Well, it isn't a birthday party"

Mom - "Oh?"

Kendra - "Yeah, it is for Brian.  He is the one that wants to be a paleontologist like me."

Mom - "Did you get an invitation?"

Kendra - "No, he is going to give it to me tomorrow."

Mom - "Is Kaylie invited too?"

Kendra - "No, it is just a party for me and Brian to celebrate being paleontologists"

Kendra - "Mom, he is really nice. Sometimes I hold his hand when he gets scared"

Mom - "Oh? He knows that you can't date until you are 17, right?"

Kendra - "Yes, he knows that.  We are just friends for now."

 

Mom - rolls eyes, takes a deep breath, and another, and another, kisses Kendra good night, then goes to take blood pressure medication......

 

YIKES!!

 

Not quite sure where she gets this precociousness. Certainly not from me?  A Paleontologist?  Really?

 

~Ali

Christmas 2010

The Holiday Season continues to roll along! Kendra had her Christmas dance program at the dance studio, and she did very well in her ballet and tap dances that they performed for the parents and grandparents.  Very fun to see how much all the girls have improved in just a few short years! After the program, we headed to a local restaurant with two friends in her class and their families and had a great time hanging out with friends.

My parents arrived safely from North Carolina on December 18th.  They spent the first 5 days with our family, then headed out to spend time with my sisters. We are hoping to get them back here before they leave after the New Year!

We had a great Christmas Eve celebration with my family, and then were able to spend Christmas Day with Dan's family.  Dan's parents and Aunt Darlene arrived from Park Rapids on Christmas morning, and we had a wonderful visit with them at Dan's brother's house.  The kids were spoiled rotten once again, and we spent the next few days opening packages, assembling toys, and just playing! Here are a few photos from the present opening:

I also received a very special present from my parents:

An incredible handmade quilt that my mom made for us!  Dan's grandmother had made him a flag quilt when he went into the Navy but it was stolen from his foot locker. When we remodeled our bedroom, I found a flag quilt that I loved for our queen size bed. When we upgraded to a king, I couldn't find a quilt that I liked anywhere. My mom took a photo of our queen quilt and recreated it for us by hand for our king size bed!  It is absolutely gorgeous, and we will treasure it always!  There are a ton of peices on the quilt, and even more impressive that she was able to make it without a pattern!  Matter of fact, it was so impressive that a man in the quilt shop where she was quilting with the long arm sewing machine offered her $1000 on the spot to buy it from her!  We are very glad she politely turned down the offer!!  She also made two equally stunning quilts for my sisters, so she has been very busy sewing this year! Each of our quilts are very different, reflecting the differences in our tastes.  Amazing how well she knows each of us to be able to pick the perfect colors and patterns for each of us!

Looking forward to 2011!  Happy Holidays to all!

~ Ali



The Moments That Matter Most....

In our crazy lives, it is nice when life forces us to slow down.  This has happened a couple of times in the past week. First, the evening of Kaylie's Christmas dance.  She has worked hard at ballet and tap since September, and the hard work paid off when her class performed their Christmas ballet and tap dance for the parents and grandparents last week. I was overwhelmed by the thought of just how far Kaylie has come in the past 18 months since she joined our family:

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas":



Ballet:

"Home" Christmas 2010:

The second came later in the weekend when we got trounced by a huge Blizzard! It has been 19 years since our area has seen a snow storm of this size! What fun we had being "snowed-in" for the weekend!  We hunkered down, baked cookies, listened to Christmas Carols, and just enjoyed spending time together. The kids were so well behaved all weekend, and just a joy to be around. I wish we could have been snowed in for another couple of days!

It struck me as we were frosting our 100th cutout sugar cookie that these are the moments that really matter.  My parents provided us with so many wonderful family memories growing up, but the times around the table getting ready for the Holidays are the ones that truly stick out in my mind.  I was a bit overcome with emotion as I watched Kaylie participate in these activities this weekend.  I thought of her friend back at her "China House" and realized what the true meaning of family is. It is more than having a mom, dad, brother or sister, it is sharing the experiences like this past weekend. 

I found it so ironic that with all the experiences in our lives, both my sister Pam and I took a moment to remember a snow storm many, many years ago where we were able to jump off our second story deck into the snow below! This particular snow storm brought back that memory for both of us, at nearly the same instant, despite the 100s of experiences we have shared with one another. Funny how we both keyed in on the same memory from so long ago.  I truly believe that "home is where the heart is" and the simpliest of activities within a family are the moments that you treasure forever!  

Round 1 of 3 snowblowing the driveway:

The whipping wind kept our flags flying high!

Some serious icicles!!

Kaylie made it out in the yard for this picture, but I had to go rescue her for the way back!

~Ali

Many New Gray Hairs this week....

Sometimes a mom just has to wonder what her children are thinking!  You think you have done your best to childproof your home and teach them to make good decisions.  But we all know that there are some lessons that kids just have to learn on their own. My biggest challenge this particular week has been my "normally" level-headed Sam. In the past couple of days he:

1. Stuck his tongue to a metal pole at school  - and managed to liberate several of his taste buds in the process!

2. Decided it would be "fun" to slide off our snowbank onto the concrete driveway on his sled Saturday afternoon after a Friday night snow storm.

He did not fair as well in his second escapade, as he managed to land square on his nose on the concrete driveway.  Dad, being the OCD driveway-guy he is, had already snowblown and shoveled to get every last snowflake off the driveway - poor Sam didn't even have a single snowflake to cushion his fall!

I was alerted to the mayhem by a shriek from the driveway, and opened the front door to find Sam bent over with a large pool of blood gathering underneath him. Not a scene any mom wants to see!  I did what any mom who has an EMT background would do - yelled for dad!  Just kidding (sort of), I did take care of him and evaluated the situation.  It took a few minutes to recreate the "scene of the crime" and to determine that his injuries were likely a broken nose and some road rash on his poor nose that was already twice the size it should be!  He had a gusher bloody nose - both barrels - and once we managed to get that stopped, we were grateful to learn that he had not broken any teeth.  He is recovering well, and all seems to be well with his nose so far. Our pediatrician said that there isn't anything more to do until the swelling goes down and it begins to heal, then we will determine if he needs xrays or a visit to the ENT. Likely it will just heal on its own, and he will look even more like his mom and dad who both broke their noses when they were younger!

If that wasn't enough to get my heart pumping, we had another unexpected event earlier on Saturday morning. I was brushing Kaylie's hair and a big section of hair fell off in my hand. This is not a good sign for her metabolic status.  We contacted her nephrologist today, and she is determining next steps.  Likely we will do some additional tests with our pediatrician here, then head back to Mayo once those results are in. In the meantime, I did not let Kaylie know what happened, as she really wants to grow her hair out longer.  I know she would be upset to learn that two clumps have now broken loose.

Finally, today was Kendra's turn.  We headed back to the pediatrician to have her ears checked.  Her ear infection is back in the left ear, but the eardrum perforation has improved and is healing.  When he examined the right ear, there was a 95% wax blockage, so they did an irrigation procedure to remove it. This was not comfortable for Kendra, but she was a trooper and they were successful in removing the blockage that has been causing her pain. Once he could visualize the eardrum, he realized that her right ear is very infected as well.  She was put back on oral antibiotics and ear drops, and will be having some new hearing tests and another exam in 2 weeks. Likely she will be heading back for surgery for her 5th set of tubes.  They would then repair the left eardrum during that procedure.

As long as she was not running a fever, they decided to go ahead and give her her flu shot. She then had a blood draw for her immune deficiency, and an xray to check progress on her arm that she broke last June. Good news for her arm is that it is now 90% healed!  Great progress with her slow healing bones! She was certainly wore out by the end of that appointment. Kaylie happened to go with me to the doctor, so she was also lucky enough to get a flu shot as well.  Now I have two little girls that are none too pleased with me!

Hopefully tomorrow will be the start of a better week. After all 5 of us puked through Thanksgiving weekend, then had the drama in the house last weekend, we are ready for a non-eventful weekend!

And, I am off to get another hair coloring kit to keep all the gray hairs at bay for another 4 weeks!

~Ali