Cousins!

We had a fun month of cousin time. Amber and Neil came down for the 4th  of July (actually to Vernal). Then Amer stayed here with the kids while Neil went back home to work. Then Amber and Alyson went back to Montana for girls camp and left Ethan, Logan, and Rylee to play with the cousins. It was a blast. Not much sleep but it was fun.

 this is the snail hotel the kids made at grandma and grandpas house. They were pretty creative.

 These are Rylee's snail props.

 Here are some of the hotel guests ---yuck!

 Don't worry Grandma and Grandpa, it got cleaned up.

Grace's Swim Lessons

I had signed Jacob and Grace up for swim lessons before we got into the crash. I had to cancel both of their lessons not knowing when they would be well enough to get in the pool. Grace recovered quickly and was able to resign up. Jacob got to sit on the grass (poor kid). I don't know if he will be able to take lessons since he doesn't go back to the neurosurgeon until Aug. 14th.

 She wouldn't put her face in the water at first. By the second lesson I bribed her with a Snowie and she did it.

 She could float on her back by herself by the end of her lessons. This is a big accomplishment for my water chicken. (all of these pictures were taken on the second day).

 I also bribed her to try the freestyle stroke and to jump off the diving board. She knows how to work the system.

The Big Crash! Good-bye Bus-O-Fun.

Say good-bye to the bus-o-fun. I killed it. I kept saying the the van was dead.  Grace asked me if it would be resurrected during the second coming while we were in the ambulance. I said "No, just recycled." The EMT was trying not to laugh.

Grace was on the driver's side in the middle row. She came out with only 4 or 5 stitches in her head.

Jacob was sitting in the back seat in the middle. He only had a lap belt. Jacob had 5 staples on top of his head and two c-spine fractures in his neck.

 Grace's seat belt that she bled on and glass in her seat. Both Grace's and Jacob's windows were shattered. 

 This was the inside view of the rear seat. The side that is broken in is where Jacob usually sits. We are always telling him to sit on a side with a shoulder belt. He didn't sit there this day and only had a lap belt. Who knows what is better now. He thinks he cut the top of his head on the broken seat in front of him.

The accident happened around 11:30 a.m. We didn't get out of the E.R. until 5:45. Both kids had CT scans (this is the first I even knew Jacob hurt his neck). Then Jacob had to have an MRI because the fractures were close to an artery and they needed to make sure the artery didn't get cut from the fractures (it didn't).

Jacob was hungry because all he had eaten was a bowl of cereal that morning. He told my mom that he wanted ribs so she got him some. The napkins are in his neck brace to keep him clean, The staples are where his hair is sticking up.

Where were Mark and Cade? They were driving home from their baseball trip. They were just leaving Vegas when I called him. I am sure that was a stressful drive home.

 

My injuries? Bruises from the seat belt and airbag. This bruise on my arm is the same color as most of my stomach. I would show pictures but I don't know how appropriate they would be. I would change places with Jacob in a heart beat. Poor kid.

 Grace had her last day of kindergarten and program the next day. She yawned through the whole thing. The accident took a lot out of us. She is on the blue side in the white shirt. We didn't quite have it together enough to remember her blue shirt.

 We took Jacob to the neurosurgeon the next week. Jacob got his staples out and got a new brace. He gets to wear it for two months. No jumping, biking, scooters, rollerblading, swimming, amusement parks, or sports. We go back to the neurosurgeon on Aug. 14th. He should get the brace off just in time for school to start. If he heals well and does what he is told, no surgery!

 He may have half of a storm trooper costume for Halloween already.

Mark and Cade's Baseball Trip

Mark, Cade, Jason, and Julie left for L.A. on June 2nd to see the Padres and Angels play baseball. The Padre games were in L.A. and The Angel games were in Anaheim.

 Hanging out in the hotel.

 Seal Beach.

 Mark took this picture of this sign at Seal Beach for Natalie.

 Mark and Cade at what they would call the Promised Land.

 Jason at Angel's stadium.

Third Grade

I have enjoyed teaching 3rd grade this year. I have worked with a great team of 3rd grade teachers. This is some of the fun we had on a field trip to Boondocks. The kids earned the money to go by participating in an economics fair.

 Above: Mrs. Stephens and Mrs. Pettit

 Shielding water with her foot? Ms. Breese

 Soaking wet in red: My teaching partner Mrs. Price

 Mrs. Price, Ms. Breese and principal Mr. Clark after battling 3rd grader in the bumper boats. I was a party pooper because I had a meeting later that day and Grandma Grace's viewing.

Leann, myself, and Tori after playing lazer tag with our students. It was fun to just let loose and have fun with the kids.

April and May

Apparently I haven't blogged for a while. Here is a quick recap of spring.

 Grace played soccer on the Orange Crush soccer team, She is playing the position of ball in this top photo.

 She spent a lot of time visiting on the field. She will make a great visiting teacher some day.

 Cade did a great job on the Roy Jr. High track team. He is one of those red guys.

 Cade is the one with the grey shirt under the uniform.

 This is how Jacob, Grace, and Emily spent the track meets. Tyler and Megan ran track also.

 Megan preparing to long jump.

 Megan jumping.

 Grace ran the mile in the Cook Elementary Chase Your Tail run.

 Jacob watched.

 Don't let the above picture fool you. She ran the entire mile in 10 minutes and 15 seconds without stopping.

 Mark and Cade helped with the Boy Scout fundraiser. They aerated lawns in our ward in the rain. The battery died before I could get any more pictures.