First Place

"Surgery Summer" gave her plenty of time to think of how she wanted to do her room. 

She was on a soft food diet when she finally felt well enough to do something, so she made her candle holders. She hobbled into the store and plopped down in a motorized scooter when she found the perfect accent pillow. Thanks to funds from Aunt Vivian. She hobbled around on crutches when we found the "peaceful picture." She was bored from being home day after day recovering when she found the perfect desk to refinish. It was the day of the move, when I had the final deadline to drill the holes for the rope handles.

One of the many feelings we all felt!

First Day of School 2.0

Freshman.

 2nd grade

How he really feels about it!

5th grade

Beautiful first day! 

I am so glad to be back on a traditional schedule. Although there are benefits to both schedules, traditional just feels right. Long, lazy summers then school in the fall.

I am a bit of a nerd. But fall and going back to school was one of my favorite times. New boxes of crayons. Sharply pointed pencils with a full, round erasers emitting a slight "pink" rubber smell.. New stiff, shoes. Reams of paper with no writing in it.

I am not a parent that relishes sending my kids off. We never quite have enough time together. However, there is something to be said about a schedule and moving forward to the next stage.

First Day of School 2015

 

 
After 15 years of sending kids off to school, I cried.

Not for a preschooler. Not for all day kindergartner, or elementary, or the first day of high school. But for my college student.

Because I wasn't there to make a "yumma" breakfast on the first day. I wasn't there to say, "oh, you look so cute in that outfit." Nor was I there to remind her it would be o.k., it was going to be a great day. I cried because it is a whole new chapter. Like most of the books I like, by the end, it has a happy ending or a great life story. But I am not quite at the end. So instead, I cried.

Surgery Summer Sucks

 
 

 

One week after graduation -  ACL surgery. 

In between surgeries she was subpoenaed in a court case.

Three weeks later -  double jaw surgery.  

Nausea is a horrible feeling. It is worse when you throw up and the mouth is banded shut.  Emergency cutting of the bands ensued. We both cried.

Rough weeks. 

The front room became another bedroom. 

Younger kids were all so kind and accepting of our no frills, "gotta be a nurse" summer.
No way I could leave her to go to girls camp when she was still sucking food out of a tube.

Randy rescued me and went in my place.

Lots of follow up appointments and rehab.

Surprise emergency room visit after she passed out and was cut by falling glass first week of college.

Next summer.....senior trip when she can fully walk and talk!

Posted doctor and hospital bills on fridge as incentive to go to medical school. 

Cayden ran and won his first half marathon despite getting to bed at 1 am (drive in movie night)!

  Respectively they came in 7th and 8th place overall with minimal training.

It was a trail run in the Herriman foothills - Herriman Hold'em Half.

Along side the runners were several groups of marines and other military personnel that completed the course with their full packs in honor of those that committed suicide from PTSD.  It was very moving to see this group as part of the runners.

Randy said it was fun to see Cayden transition from being coached and paced by him to Cayden ultimately setting the pace.

Estimating is a tricky thing and this time I totally missed. I assumed with trail run, little sleep, little training, and a first time experience it would take them around 1:45 to 2 hours. So I zipped home to do some work, and when I came back to capture finish photos they were already done and snacking on grapes and chocolate creamsicles.