A Weekend in Sioux Falls

When Daddy has a conference we choose to play hooky and follow him. So...we ditched school for a few days and played in Sioux Falls.  As our vacation approached we discovered that poor Kate has an allergy to an antibiotic. Her poor body was covered in hives. 

 Our first night we stayed at an terrible hotel. It was stinky and the service was terrible. We decided to make Kate a special princess bed to sleep in instead of on the floor. The kids all helped sell the idea to her and it turned out to be a really tender moment between Kate and the other kids. Luckly we were able to get into a different hotel the next day!

 We enjoyed visiting a few different museums and memorials.

 The kids favorite was the USS South Dakota.

 Falls Park was as beautiful as when we visited two years ago. Jacob was in Heaven.

 We also spent tons of time in the pool. It is so nice to have kids old enough to swim for hours. After swimming with them for an hour they let me sit and read for a little while before we went back to the hotel. It was nice. I haven't done that in almost 12 years.

Katherine & Her Foot Huggers

Earlier this month we found out that Katherine needed some orthopedic inserts. While for most this is not a big deal for a 4 year old it is a huge deal. The anticipation was very traumatic. The inserts are very expensive and I often wondered if we were making the right decision in getting them. The Orthodic Specialist did not sound very encouraging on it helping Kate. The goal of these types of inserts is to help Kate be more active. She does not walk quickly, never runs more than a few steps and has a unique gait. Sometimes she walks on her toes, sometimes she drags her one foot behind as she runs. Last year we worked on increasing her range of motion in her hips and we succeeded in that. Now with the correction of the arch and ankle support she will hopefully find it easier to run. The doctor believes there is a probably pain or discomfort in her feet and knees that keep her from enjoying an active lifestyle.  Here is Kate getting her feet molded. 

 The two week wait was long and emotional for Kate. She was very nervous to see what they would look like. She thought they would hurt her feet.

 As soon as Kate's shoes were strapped on with the little foot huggers inside she began running and jumping. She was so happy and cried when we made her take them off.

 This is what the foot huggers look like inside her shoes.

A week later  she is still running all the time. She is never behind when we walk at the store. She loves them and wants to show them to everyone.  I am so happy that our doctor recommended that Kate try these inserts. They have changed her life!

A few cute pics

Conference Fun With The Family

I have always loved conference weekend. It is a weekend of constant snuggles and fun.