PCMC project

I need your help with my NICU PCMC quilt/hat project this year. With my recent health issues I have gotten far far behind :) Many of you know that our precious little Landon born December 15th, 2005 spent his first Christmas in the NICU at PCMC. It was a very hard Christmas for our little family because our sweet baby boy was so sick and couldn't spend Christmas at home with us. For the past 3 Christmas's I have enjoyed playing Santa to all the babies in the NICU. I have taken quilts/ blankets and knit hats for all the babies who will spend their first Christmas in the NICU just as Landon did so they know they too are loved and that Santa didn't forget them. So here is where you come in...there are 60 NICU beds at PCMC and for the past 3 years everyone of them has been occupied on Christmas Eve by a precious newborn. This year with the H1N1 virus , RSV and seasonal flu infections expected to be extremely high, I expect that every bed in the NICU will be full again this Christmas. That is a lot of hats and blankets that need to be made so I need your help, if you are a quilter, knitter or would like to help in any other way *or know someone who is* your talents are much needed and truly wanted and there is no time like the "present" to get started!! The snow will be flying again soon at my house and it will be Christmas Eve before we know it....so if you would like to help, please send me a message of how to reach you and our family and the babies in the NICU will be forever grateful...Merry Christmas!!

There are only 25 days until Christmas!!

Jackson playing Santa Christmas Eve 2006

our bengal

stung

Last night at football Landon was playing with his friends when suddenly he stared screaming "it stung me, it stung me!" I hurried over to him looking for what he was talking about...then I saw it :o a stinger inside the top of his ear. I had to pin him down while another mom on our team Stephanie who is a nurse pulled the stinger out...Thank you :) Another mom on our team Tona jumped in her car to go get Benadryl...Thank you :) Grandma rubbed mud on the sting to try to take some of the pain away and grandpa and I tried to sooth him, unsuccessfully. Landon cried for a good 20 minutes until the Benadryl and Motrin started to kick in. The swelling has gone down and he is feeling better but his memory is still vivid....he is now terrified of bee's and anything with wings that he sees is a bee coming to sting him :( Poor little guy!

somethings fishy

Give me a rod of the split bamboo,

a rainy day and a fly or two,
a mountain stream where the eddies play,
and mists hang low o'er the winding way,

Give me a haunt by the furling brook,
A hidden spot in a mossy nook,
No sound save hum of the drowsy bee,
or lone bird's tap on the hollow tree.

The world may roll with it's busy throng,
And phantom scenes on it's way along,
It's stocks may rise, or it's stocks may fall,
Ah! What care I for it's baubles all?

I cast my fly o'er the troubled rill,
Luring the beauties by magic skill,
With mind at rest and a heart at ease,
And drink delight at the balmy breeze.

A lusty trout to my glad surprise,
Speckled and bright on the crest arise,
Then splash and plunge in a dazzling whirl,
Hope springs anew as the wavelets curl.

Gracefully swinging from left to right,
Action so gentle- motion so slight,.
Tempting, enticing, on craft intent,
Till yielding tip by the game is bent

Drawing in slowly, then letting go
Under the ripples where mosses grow
Doubting my fortune, lost in a dream,
Blessing the land of forest and stream.
~Mrs. Eunice B Lamberton

One of the best things about living in Utah is the beautiful Cottonwood Canyons :) We spent the weekend keeping cool in Big Cottonwood Canyon hiking, climbing and fishing! The boys have found a new favorite hobby...fishing and I think they could go everyday. Jackson could fish all day and be very content. He loves reeling in his catch to see what and how big it is. He caught a Cut Throat Trout and thought that was pretty and cool. Landon loves to help reel in the line, go exploring and chase off the curious squirrels. Ayden loves to cast his line and reel in the fish but doesn't want to get to close or touch them. The best part is the fresh trout dinner that follows a fun day at the lake......YUMMY!!

in my life...

lions and bears and monkeys everywhere....

.....we're going to the zoo, we're going to the zoo!!
We went to Hogle Zoo today with Ginger, Cohen, Haley, Evan, Beth and Riley. We saw lots of monkeys, a baby snow leopard, a baby giraffe and lots of turkeys...not the kids all though they were all little "turkeys" at times ;). My wild boys fit right in with all the zoo animals and had a fun ride on the new zoo carousel. We had fun walking around until it got to be lunch and nap time :) We look forward going back soon to see the new baby elephant!!

sweet 16

My sweet baby sissy turned 16 on Sunday. I can't believe it where does the time go? We are all so blessed to have Chanelle as our sister and aunt...she is simply the best!! Love you Sissy!!!

bell canyon

Ryan took the boys on a hike up Bell Canyon to the reservoir. It wasn't to hot and they had a great time. Ayden some how got pine sap all over his shoes so it smells like Christmas in our mudroom :)

silver lake at brighton

We ventured up the canyon today to Silver Lake at Brighton. Before we left we luckily grabed jackets not knowing how cold be. It was only 40 degrees so we had a short brisk walk to the lake and back. We saw a cute mother duck with her ducklings and the boys spotted lots of squirrels. It was a little to windy and it stated to sprinkle so it was a quick trip. We promised the boys that we would go back when it was warmer but it seemed so much like fall that we couldn't help but looking forward to the leaves changing, carving pumpkins and making chili...LOVE fall!!

are you kidding me

My sweet little Ayden has had this funny rash since Saturday. I thought that they were bug bites but Monday night it looked bad and had shown up around his eye so I took him to Kids Care. The Doctor immediately said that he had poison oak rash and told me to put Cortisone on it. I couldn't place were he might have gotten into poison oak so I wasn't sure that was what he had. Well this morning his rash was worse and it had spread to his bottom, chest and neck. I called his pediatrician and took him in. So after two trips to the doctor, we discovered that Ayden has Impetigo! Ayden is miserable with swollen fingers and his eye stinging but at least we now know what it is and can use the proper medications to help it get better. Poor little guy!!

activities for the rest of summer...

Last week I was asked to come up with a list of fun backyard activities for kids for a backyard themed enrichment activity. I thought I would share some of our family favorites so you could do them with your kiddos before summer is over :)

Homemade Bubbles•1/4 Cup Baby Shampoo (no-sting type)

•3/4 Cup Water •3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
•Measuring Cups and Spoons
•Mixing Bowl •Mixing Spoon
•Thin Wire
•Pie Plate

Mix the baby shampoo, water, and light corn syrup in a bowl. Stir the ingredients gently so you don't create lots of bubbles; let the bubbles settle. Bend an end of a piece of thin wire into a circle; this is your bubble blower. Pour some of the bubble mixture into a pie plate, dip the circle into the bubble mixture, and then blow to create some bubbles! For more bubble experimentation, make other shapes out of thin wire. Make a triangle, square, hexagon, or other shape out of the thin wire. See if the bubble shapes are any different depending on the shape of the blower. You can also blow bubbles with a plastic berry basket.

Flashlight Tag

An easy and fun backyard game to play at night! Make sure your yard it clear of any obstacles that someone could trip over in the dark. Everyone must have a flashlight and you're tagged if you're "hit" by the flashlight's beam.

Cold Potato

A full water balloon with a small leak is passed around from kid to kid, the goal is to not be the one holding the leaky balloon when it's totally emptied.

Starry Night

Set out a blanket and with Constellation map in hand help your children discover the moon, plants and stars. Read nursery rhymes, poems and short stories about the night sky. For a snack have Milky Ways, Starbursts, Atomic Fireballs, Pop Rocks and Mars candies.