The Hand Injury...

Last Friday we sent the boys off on their first real experience of going away for camp.  Through our church they got to go up to Payson for 4 days with their fellow confirmands and about 90 other middle schoolers from around the state.  The boys were super excited, I think the paint ball, the bubble ball, archery and other outdoor camping adventure activities had them convinced it was going to be a blast.

We dropped them off at 4 pm and they arrived to the camp around 7 pm.  Jarrett and I were looking forward to having a bit of a quieter weekend (minus eye rolls and teenage hormones) and while the house felt so weird and we did feel their absence, we honestly hoped they would find the faith filled weekend to be a great growth opportunity in their moral and faithful development too.

The next morning around 6 am I heard my phone go off and as I woke up to the phone ringing, I first thought about letting it go to voice message, I mean seriously who would be calling me at 6 am on a Saturday morning.  Then, I guess my mom brain kicked in and thought... oh gosh what if its the camp calling about the boys.  I jumped out of bed, saw a number I didn't recognize on my phone and decided I had better answer it.  Good thing I did.  My mom brain was right.  It was the boys' youth director from church.  Immediately my stomach rose to my throat.  I thought, did Gabe try to sneak into the girl's cabin?  What did they do now?

Instead it was Dave telling me they were taking Michael into Payson and that he needed to seek medical attention.  I listened and tried to remain calm. He said Michael had fallen and lacerated his hand.  I asked if he was okay and he said he was but that he'd definitely need stitches.  He asked if I wanted them to take him to an urgent care or the ER.  Hoping to save a few hundred dollars I said, "Well, if the urgent care can take care of it, that's fine, otherwise do what's best."  We exchanged a few more questions and information and soon he was off the line.  I was definitely awake now as I walked back to the bedroom, Jarrett was somewhat awake enough to ask me who was on the phone. I told him is was Dave from camp and that Michael got hurt.

He said, "Well at least they didn't get in trouble for sneaking into the girl's cabin."  Glad I wasn't the only parent to have the same thought.

When I ended the conversation with Dave I told him to please let me know how things turned out and to call me afterward if we needed to drive up and pick him up.  I wondered if we'd be making an unexpected trip to Payson later that day.

As the morning went on, I wondered how he was and thought of him so much.  I didn't know too many details on how it happened, turns out I don't think they really know either.

After lunch I was able to connect with Dave who told me the urgent care wasn't able to help him, his injury was too severe so they went to the ER and he got 11 stitches.  Now he is growing but 11 stitches in his hand seemed like a lot to me.  I asked if we needed to come get him and he said, No, Michael really wanted to stay and that they'd watch him to make sure he only participated in activities that wouldn't reinjure his hand.  We agreed and I asked them to keep me posted.

As the weekend we went on, we didn't hear too much and in following my mom's motto for when she's on vacation... no news means good news.

On Monday, the boys were supposed to arrive back after lunch and honestly I missed the boys and their eye rolls and back talk.  The girls and I went to the church to pick them up and soon the campers were pulling  up.  Everyone got out of the car and came running up to me. "You have to see Michael's hand!  We prayed for him.  Man he has a bad wound."  It was clear his injury was the highlight of the weekend.  Soon Michael, with his cool-man swagger started walking up to me, he was obviously playing up how strong he was given his massive wound.  Dave's wife, who also went along to chaperone, is a nurse and took great care of him. She walked up with Michael, gave me the low-down on what had happened and how tot take care of it going forward.  She said, "We took pictures of the injury if you'd like me to send them to you." I said sure and Michael said, "Mom you have to blog about it, I have to remember this forever.

We got home and he told us what he thinks happened.  He started falling down a hill and tried to gram something to stop his fall.  He thought he grabbed a rock, although other reports were he sliced his hand on a sewer tile pipe given the amount of blood on the pipe after they retraced his steps.

Here are the pictures of his injury... Warning they are graphic!!!

After seeing these pictures I realized perhaps I would have been a bit more concerned if they showed them to me earlier in the camping weekend than afterwards.  I guess maybe it's good they waited, otherwise I might have insisted on going up to pick him up.

I understand he was a real trooper, didn't take any pain pills the entire time and he wanted to participate in as many of the activities as he could.  They said they had a hard time keeping him from some of the stuff.  Sounded like Michael to me.

The wound seems to have remained infection free which was a concern of mine given the unknown of what he cut it on and that it wasn't able to be cleaned all that well.  We went to the doctor this past Friday to get his stitches out and when we met with his pediatrician, she shared with us the news I had also questioned.  

In the one picture above it looked to me that perhaps part of his tendon was severed in his accident.  In the days following his return from camp he had shown me he could move his fingers with the exception of his pinky finger.  Michael's pediatrician shared with us that she feared he sustained tendon damage as a result and because he hadn't been seen by a hand surgeon in the ER that we would need to be following up with the surgeon in the coming weeks.

She then proceeded to soak his hand and clean it out as best she could before starting to remove the stitches.  As she removed the first couple she soon found the wound splitting back open again!  Not what we wanted to happen, so she stopped, steri-stitched the wound back closed and said we needed to wait a few more days and come back in the middle of this coming week.  We hope by then the wound has healed enough.  She was especially concerned with the stitches in the middle where the cut is so deep. She suggested they should have had internal stitches as well.  

So that's where we sit tonight.  Hoping for less tendon damage, hoping for the wound to seal shut and hoping for no infection.  

Here are a few after photos with his stiches...

We shall see what this week brings... in the mean time I'll be keeping busy reminding him he can't play baseball, or go swimming or punch his brother, or swing a bat.... boys will be boys right?

Until next time,

Angie

Michael turns 12!

Being that tomorrow is Madelyn's birthday and I'm only almost 2 months behind, I best get this posted.  Back on March 23 we celebrated Michael turning 12!  Even though here it is almost May 23rd, I still wanted to take some time to reflect on his birthday and to recognize our younger son and what his year has brought for him.

This year was the start of middle school for Michael and it would be fair to say it was a demanding year that challenged him in ways that pushed his limits and forced him to mature.  Not only was the change in academics (more so the need for organization) a challenge and something he is still learning, but also peer pressures and making choices that are best for him.

Michael has been watching for the puberty train to come and pick him up for a few years now, since Gabriel towers over him and got on the early train, and while he still thinks he has a long way to go to catch up, I am starting to see his growth spurt isn't too far off.  As I look at pictures of him this spring compared to even the start of last fall, it is obvious he is growing and has grown.  His appetite definitely is evidence that he's socking away calories for his growth.

Gabriel and Michael now together in the same school again have become close, sharing stories of what is "cool", talking about the latest gossip happening at school, and at the same time arguing about who is stronger, faster, cooler.  While I understand girls as they becomes teenagers have a lot of drama, the boys have a lot of testosterone which means when they get mad at each other, they scream and shout, rough it out and move on... usually playing ball together about 5 minutes later.  Michael and Gabriel are no different.

For Michael's actual birthday we eneded up having a low key weekend, after a crazy week prior of several baseball games.  My parents were in town and we spent the day playing games and then went out for dinner.  It was a really nice, low-key day.

While Michael and I are so similar in that we both like to be right, sometimes that puts us at the opposite end of arguments, I know someday he will use that stubbornness and it will help him to preserve over the challenges we can all be promised in this life. 

Of the many qualities I admire in Michael, perhaps one of those at the top are the moments of true compassion and kindness he shows.  Sometimes he is the biggest helper and most thoughtful kid of all that we get to raise.  For example, in these pictures below.  On this particular weekend Gabriel had a full day of baseball in Scottsdale and I wasn't feeling that great.  Dad was at work and after hauling a ton of crap to the field from the parking lot, I knew I was going to have to just sit in a chair for a while.  Isabelle and Madelyn were not having the idea of just sitting and wanted me to get up and go play.  Seeing that I wasn't feeling well and the girls wanted to play, Michael without any ask, decided to take the girls and play with them.  He got them interested in finding a bug and took them on an adventure until they discovered a new "friend".  I, at that moment, and still am, so thankful that he shared so much kindness with me and I didn't have to ask, beg or negotiate a deal.  

Turns out the girls (and I even think him if you'd ask him) had a great time.  They ended up finding a grasshopper and spent hours with their new pet, building him a home, getting him food, and playing with him.  

I sat there and gave thanks the entire time that he was there to help me and reminded myself how lucky I am to get to raise him, even when he challenges me. :-)

As we get ready to start the summer, I am sure he will grow and change even more.  Looking back on some of these pictures, like the one below from his first day of the fall school year, I see the innocence still in his eyes.  

While that innocence is changing to becoming more aware of the world and what it means, I always pray that he chooses right over wrong, kindness over peer pressure, and staying true to himself by sticking to goals.

Here on the first day of school.... wow did we not know what we were in for!

No matter how big he grows, may he always keep his funny sense of humor...

recognize and utilize his amazing talent to create things out of nothing....

And never ever forget how much we love him and are so thankful we were chosen to be his forever family.  

 Never stop chasing your dreams Michael... always strive to be better.  We will always be your biggest cheerleaders.

We love you and wish you the best in life.  Happy 12th birthday!

Until next time,

Mom

Thre are still so many days....

When I wake up and without remembering reach for my phone to call you.  There are still so many times when I'm driving, or listening to the news, going about my day and I think, "I have to tell Grandpa that."
There are always days when I still miss you.

Grandpa I know you are in a better place, a place where age doesn't matter, where ailments, aches and pains are nonexistent and where you are happy... where Grandma is, you are together.  But my heart still longs to talk with you, to see you again.  I guess that's how grief in this life works.

When I think about the sadness I feel that I can't pick up a phone and talk to you, ,I instead try to think about the fact you have to be having a great time in Heaven with our loved ones.  I smile to think maybe you've been able to talk with Noah about fishing or to tell him more about our times together.  I find hope thinking maybe he knows more about me now because you are there.

But I still miss you.  I still listen to your saved voice messages and pretend as if they are messages from Heaven now, you just calling to let me know you're okay.  

I will forever cherish the sound of your voice.  The calm, always kind and supportive tone of your voice and how no matter what happened in life, I knew I had your love and support.  

Yes we used to talk about how we had so many great times and memories spent together.  I am ever so thankful for them.

While I miss you with each passing day, I am thankful.  We were blessed to have each other.  

I hope you're having a great day in Heaven.  Since I couldn't call to tell you today, just thought I'd drop you a note here.

Love you Grandpa, and Grandma too. Give my love to my baby in Heaven. Please tell him his momma loves him.

Until next time,

Angie

April fools 2019

April Fools has always been one of my favorite holidays.  As the kids get older they are more aware of the date and know that I must be planning something to try and pull on them.  They talk about past tricks I've pulled and how they can't believe they fell for them.  And yet as the first of the month approaches you'd think they've become even more skeptical and yet, somehow I still end up fooling them.  

This year, I decided to do this...

Why not treat them to something yummy for breakfast before school.

Except it wasn't what they were expecting.  Instead it was a rainbow of other yummy foods...

First to come down that morning to get ready for school was Isabelle.  As she was opening the blinds as she does each day, she became very intersted in the box on the table..

Enjoy.

And then it was Madelyn's turn.  Given that Isabelle was in on the prank by this time, she was much more excited for Madelyn to open the box, than she was first.

After the girls got in on the joke, the boys had heard and knew something was up.  Still it was a fun morning and even now thinking about it makes me smile.

April fools is a fun, silly way to bring more humor into our crazy life.  I'm already starting to think about what to do next year.

Until then,

Angie

Mother's Day

For all the women today who find this to be a joyous holiday and especially for those who feel sadness, loss and heartache.... 

thinking of you all and wishing you peace.

Until next time,

Angie

Pool Season is here...

Well not for me, its still way too cold, but for these brave souls, they were ready to jump into the pool and it wasn't even May.  Here they are before they dipped their toes in the water...

And while there were shrieks and moments of screaming "It's cold" - Isabelle and "Elsa froze the water" - Madelyn, it didn't stop them from getting in.

And thankfully Dad was a trooper and got in the pool to be with them because I was not about to go near it.  He was VERY ready to get out as quickly as he could.  The girls ran into the house and straight to a warm shower to recover  

While it might be pool season for some, I think we are looking forward to days when the water is a bit more bath like.  That's how us desert dwellers prefer it right?

Until next time,

Angie 

Champions.

This spring the boys played on three baseball teams including their school team.  It was a fun season and while they won most of their games, they came in second place in the final season standings, going into the playoffs as they lost to another team in their conference twice.

The boys seemed determined to go all the way and with each playoff game it was clear they were gelling more and more as a team and falling into their groove.
Then came the final game against the team they had lost to twice before.  The boys played exceptionally well!  They hit well, played great defense and as the game came to the end, they were in the lead and won the school conference championship title. 

As you can see from the pictures, they were pretty excited!!!!

Its truly been a fun season to watch them.  Spring ball is wrapping up and we only have a few more tournaments this early summer and then hope to take a break!

Yep a break!  It will be the first in a long time, but I think we are all ready for it.  It's nice that the guys could wrap up this season with a high.

Until next time,
Angie