Summer Dance program

Meliah and Lizzy did the summer dance program and just loved it. The did it with their friend Page and made a lot of friends too. They loved their teacher Tabitha. We will definatly be doing it again!

Cousins! Cousins and more cousins!

We have had a lot of company lately and the kids have loved it. It is so neat to see the bond that the kids have with their cousins. We got some pictures with the Eller side but I wasn't able to get any while the Warrens were here (I sent my memory card to girls camp). If it were their choice their cousins would be over everyday! I'm so grateful for family!

Last Day of School

It weird to say I don't have a Kindergartener anymore. This was the last day of school. Next year will be a big change for everyone with all 3 kids in school all day... but probably mom will be doing the most adjustments. I am actually one of those moms that enjoy summer break and having the kids at home. :( I will shed a few tears, but I know I'll stay as busy as ever!

Christian's Birthday

We celebrated Christian's Birthday a little early because he was going to be at scout camp on his Birthday. He wanted to do a sleepover with some of his closest friends. Ivan (his cousin), Calvin, Mark and Chase. They had such a fun time together. Christian and his friends are all such great kids. They got along really well. I remember my sleepovers always being a nightmare when I was young.

We are so pleased with Christian and all his accomplishments. He continues to be an excellent student, a great pianist, and a great athlete. He is so calm and easy to be around. He is good to his sisters most of the time. He had his interview to receive the Priesthood and spoke with Bishop Sannar for about an hour. As they came out of the office, the Bishop said, "I wish we had more time to talk, he is a really cool kid." It was hard for me to imagine Christian talking a lot, but at least, if he wasn't talking, he was patient enough to listen to the Bishop for that long. Christian is taking the Priesthood calling very seriously and has had a lot of questions as to whether he is worthy enough to receive it. He looks forward to passing the Sacrament and he also looks forward to going to the Priesthood session of conference with his dad.

Christian at Scout Camp on his Birthday

Father's day

Today was a wonderful day. Yesterday my dad and mom came and took the kids to Ivan's baseball game. They had such a great time with G & G and their cousins. Today is Father's day and I have reflected a lot on the examples that I have seen in my life of what a father should be (My own father, Aaron's father and the father of my children, Aaron). I am so grateful for examples they have set for me and for my children. Christian turns 12 this week and receives the priesthood, which has made me even more grateful for the wonderful men that have been a part of his life. He is a true reflection of his family and I am so grateful for that legacy. My joy comes from seeing my children do what is right and make decisions that reflect what they have been taught all of their lives. Christian played the piano in Sacrament Meeting today and did an amazing job. My eyes filled with tears as he played a medley of "I believe in Christ" and "I know my Redeemer Lives". I was even more emotional when I looked over at Aaron and saw how emotional he was while Christian was playing the piano.

Now for the fun stuff! We made breakfast in bed for Aaron and did a treasure hunt for him. Each of us did one of the treasure hunt notes and it turned out super cute. Aaron was so cute because he would act like he couldn't find some of them that were easy to find.

Aaron's diagnosis

My handsome husband on our hike to Monkey Face.

Aaron has finally been diagnosied with a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis called Palindromic Rhuematism. As we were in the waiting room, I got really emotional and pretty scared about the things we might be facing. Out of 10 people we saw there in the waiting room, 6 of them were using some type of assistance to walk. I got very teary-eyed imagining Aaron having to use a walker or wheelchair. I had already made a decision that we would not save for retirement anymore, but use any extras now to enjoy while Aaron can walk. After a long wait and a very long appointment we found out that Aaron has Palindromic Rheumatism. We are very happy because he will be taking a medication that has been around for 100's of years and it doesn't seem as though he will have any permanent joint damage that will be crippling to him later in life. I bursted with joy to hear this news. We are grateful for all the prayers and know that Heavenly Father has been mindful of us. Aaron is doing well. He has moments of discouragement because of the pain but he is making it and adjusting. We are grateful to have 3 strong, capable children who are willing to learn, work and help. We are trying some changes in diet in our family that the kids have been so supportive of which has been helpful. We have been so blessed to have so many people offer suggestions, books, blogs, friends and information that will be helpful in this process.

Here are some definitions below on how the medical world diagnose PR or view the symptoms.
'The attacks usually affect only one or two joints at a time. They start abruptly and can last for hours or days. The attacks may recur with unpredictable frequency — from every few days to every few months. Although Palindromic Rheumatism can recur over many years, it doesn't usually cause permanent joint damage.'
'The large joints are most commonly involved.
The soft tissues - are also involved with the swelling of the periarticular tissues, especially heel pads and the finger pads.
Nodules may be found in the subcutaneous tissues.
Constitutionally, the patient may or may not have a fever, and swelling of the joints.'
'Palindromic Rheumatism describes a syndrome where there are recurrent episodes of pain swelling warmth and stiffness of joints. The problem usually involves 2 or 3 joints, which have onset over hours and last days - weeks, before subsiding. However episodes of recurrence form a pattern, with symptom free periods between attacks lasting for weeks to months.'
'The unusual features of this syndrome consists of the sudden and rapidly developing afebrile attacks of arthritis or periarthritis, occasionally paraarthritis, that continue for a few hours or a few days and then disappear completely. There is pain, redness, swelling, and disability of one (usually) or multiple joints. The interval between recurrent attacks is extremely variable. There are no joint deformities or roentgenographic manifestations.'

Baseball

Christian played on the Giants team this year. It has been a growing year for him. He was recruited on a team that has only won 1 game. The rest of the players really idolize Christian because he is so good. When he was able to pitch a game, they did really well and it was always a close game. If he wasn't pitching, the giants usually got beat pretty bad. He has learned to keep a good attitude and try to be a good example eventhough it was really hard for him to not win. He will be playing in All-Stars in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully his All-Stars team will see some more success.

Lizzy play t-ball this year too! She loved it and loved that her daddy and I coached her team. T-ball is the most hilarious thing... why they start this early is beyond me. We had a couple of 4 year-olds on our team and they seriously were not ready for it. It was entertaining though.