Ears

Just something cute I wanted on here for my book - Kaylee had an ear drum rupture Saturday. It has been draining like crazy. Way worse then any other ruptured ear we have had. Her other ear starting hurting and ended up being infected too. So it's kind of funny she refers to her ruptured ear as her drowning ear. I guess she feels like she is going to drown in all the junk running out.

President's Day Parade

Around President's Day the 5th graders pick a president and do a report on them and make a float. After all that is finished they have a parade. This is Dustin during the parade showing his float. He had Woodrow Wilson. We had the shoebox on wheels left from Bridget so he took everything off and re did it himself. It was nice just having him do it and I didn't worry about it.

Dustin and Amber with their floats.

Ripstick Buds!

I took this picture real fast today before Rhett and Tyra went to the Seminary to play. They have lots of fun playing together and riding their Ripsticks.

Tink

Today we took Tink to the vet to get her spayed. We don't want to deal with puppies - even though they would be kinda fun. Bruce thought she needed a bath last night before we took her in. She didn't smell too bad until we get her wet - then she reeked!! She smelled like a wet, skunk smelled dog. We cleaned her up pretty good. Dustin was great help. All the kids loved brushing her after her bath.

This afternoon she is pretty miserable but will survive. She is still pretty droopy. I'm not sure what the people at the vet thought about us bringing in a dirty mut but when I picked her up they told me how sweet she is. Glad that is over!!

Blue and Gold

Tuesday night was our ward's Blue and Gold Banquet. It was a nice evening with yummy food. We have new cub masters - the Parham's that are doing a great job. Sis. Parham's sister in law made this way cute cake for it.

Here are some pictures form the evening.

Rhett got his Bear award that night. Now he can move on to arrows points.

Bridget was in the nursery taking care of kids so Dustin was home with the rest of our kids. Rhett's Bear leader did these paper mache piggy banks with them. They turned out really cute.

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It is fun with Bruce but it is way fun with kids. I love all the little Valentine's from my kids. It's tradition that we have our nice candle light dinner with the family for Valentine's Day. Saturday night Bruce and I went to the temple and to dinner and enjoyed our night with each other so we could spend Valentine's night with our kids for our dinner.


Table set and ready:
Menu: Salad, Steak, Baked Potatoes, Rolls

and cupcakes!

It was a fun night but was rushed with piano before then a 4-H meeting after followed by FHE. I'm thankful for the loves in my life!

Dustin spent most of Saturday helping Bruce on the barn. The other kids thought it looked like a fun hang out. They spent a couple hours up here.

Braces

Before:

During:

After:

Bridget is hoping for a new smile in a couple of years. She got her braces on last Thursday the 10th. It was an exciting day for her. Today, a few days later she is still excited but her mouth is getting cut up and her teeth hurt - just the normal braces.

Rhett Man

I know I already blogged about all of us (except Bruce, lucky guy) getting sick but we have never had it like this and I just want it written down how (not) fun it is. On Thursday morning(a week ago) Rhett was cold in the morning. He was supposed to be getting ready for school but all he wanted to do was lay by the fire. We had all just gotten over being sick so I didn't think there was any way he would be sick - so the great mom I am sent him to school. I didn't hear from him in the day so I figured he was fine. He came home from the bus in tears because he didn't feel good - crawled in his bed and went to sleep. Yep, back to a fever. He didn't go to school Friday, stayed home from church on Sunday. I decided Monday if he still had a fever I would take him to the doctor to see if he had strep. Besides it was 5 days with a fever so I figured some thing had to be wrong. Well the doc said there are 2 viruses going around. One the fever lasts 3-4 days and another the fever lasts 6,7,8 days. So I guess we did the shorter one first and now we were on the long one. He sent us home. Rhett missed school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday still with a fever. Wednesday night he was up screaming with an ear ache. I had given him Motrin and it hadn't taken the pain away. So Thursday morning I called the doctor again. I had to take Bridget to Showlow so Bruce took Rhett and Kaylee (complaining about her ear) to the doctor. I guess poor Rhett was in so much pain tears just ran down his cheeks the whole time at the Doctor. The doctor saw him and felt terrible. Yes he had a REALLY bad ear infection. It was so inflamed it was putting pressure on his jaw so his jaw was killing him too. He checked him Monday and his ears were fine so it happened since Monday. So Bruce left the doctor with prescriptions for both kids.

Tylinn ended up with a fever again but it only lasted a day. So Friday I had Rhett and Tylinn home again. Today is Saturday and Rhett seems to be getting better. His fever is finally gone after 9 days straight of having a fever. His ear still hurts pretty bad but he is on the road to recovery.

He ended up missing school 6 days this time and 3 days the last time he was sick a few weeks ago. We are on a roll. I have never worried how many days of school you can miss because we have never been close but this is pushing it. I guess it's a good thing he has had perfect attendance the rest of the year. Rhett loved the notes, drinks, phone calls and visits from teachers and friends. He is so excited because he thinks he will be able to walk outside today, he is eating and feeling like a new boy. Monday I am banking on all the kids going to school on Monday! Now we just need Kaylee to get rid of her fever!!!!

Pony Express

The Pony Express rides again...and again...and again. It seems like it is the same every year and the years come around quickly. It is a fun time. The most exciting time at the Post Office. This year Dustin's class walked down to talk to some of the riders and go to the Post Office and get some hot chocolate. The riders gave all the kids a handkerchief. Here is Dustin sporting his.

John, Chandler, Dustin, Damien

Jordan and Kaylee petting the "pony". It would have to be a pony for the pony express.

Rhett was home from school sick that day so I drug him there with us. He was in the van most of the time. But Kaylee, Jordan, Rhett and Tanner did get out for some hot chocolate and went inside to warm up a bit.

Bruce handing the bag to the rider. Twila was in town this year and she loved all of it. I guess if you don't see it every year it's a little more exciting. She was impressed Bruce to go to hand the bag to the rider.

This is after the rider came in, they slapped hands and the other one was on his way.

Cousins

Will and Rachel went on a Farm Bureau trip and wanted us to keep Jordan and Tanner Sunday morning through Wednesday when they got home. We had tons of fun with them. Kaylee loved having Jordan to play with and Tanner is the cutest little boy that doesn't say much - just smiles!
Tanner loved getting his shoes and coat on and going outside to get the eggs. He only broke 1 the whole time.

Rhett was sick when they got here and Tuesday Tanner started getting sick - poor guy. He was a trooper. When he got sick he had a fever so he was cold. He stood by the fire for hours. When he got tired of standing would lay down. We hope they can come stay again soon - it was fun to have them.

Last Saturday Lonnie came to help Bruce on the barn a bit. Just wanted to post some pictures of the little progress.

Tooth Fairy

Monday Bridget went to the Orthodontists to get molds and such done to get going on Braces soon. He said she needed to have 4 permanent teeth pulled. So Tuesday we went to the dentist here and got them pulled. They gave her 8 shots to get them out. Bridget was pretty miserable but it is over!!

Barn Rasing

Bruce has DREAMED of someday building a barn - not a big one but something to keep chickens in and feed. Saturday his dream started to come true. He had these poles he wanted to get in the ground. They are so big he didn't know how he would ever get them in. Jimmy showed up to help him but after them trying they decided they weren't going to be able to budge them. So Bruce called Reese and Reese told him to call Spencer too. Spencer brought over his crane and turned the project into an easy 30 minute project.


Spectators ......

Spencer is on his crane operating it. Bruce, Reese and Jimmy are making sure the pole gets in the hole. Bruce is way excited to get this started. If he gets a Saturday off work he will get going good on it. We appreciate the help from the other men or it would never would have happened.

Dustin's friend, John, was having a birthday. Dustin wanted to make him a little bat on Bruce's lathe. I was pretty impressed they cut a branch off a tree and a couple of hours later they had a beautiful bat made.

Here he is working on it. I kick myself - I was going to get a picture of the finished bat before he gave it to John and I forgot. It was in the middle of when everybody was sick and things were kind of crazy and I forgot but it was really pretty.