Random Fun

Just some random fun from our house:

T found some ear buds and thought he was pretty cool walking around with them. 

Of course we all thought he was pretty cool too!

A few months ago we took the kids mini golfing. It was T's first time and he loved it!

Notice the ball in the hole? He was pretty good about getting it in there.

And was so proud of himself for his accomplishments!

Daddy and T. I just LOVE to see dad's teaching their kids. And Kurt is one of the best dads I know who is such a great teacher. Our kids are so blessed to have him as a dad.

At our ward Easter breakfast, a family brought their bunnies and let the kids hold them and play with them. Trevor just loved holding the bunny.

Hailey is such a little mommy. She is sooooo good with T and took him over to the bunnies so I could actually have a conversation with another adult. Hailey is going to be an amazing mommy some day. In the far future. The far, far future!

And the medical saga continues

When it rains it pours, right? Well we apparently have a cloud over our heads that just won't go away! Kayla is the only one that hasn't been directly affected by this stinkin' cloud and she is threatening to move out to get away from us and the cloud - ha ha, funny girl!

The last year has been crazy. One thing after another, after another. Not all things were bad or sad, thank goodness, but it has all kept us busy and on our toes. 

In the last year:

Trevor broke his arm (July)

My grandma passed away (August)

We went to LA for grandma's funeral (October)

Hosted Thanksgiving (November)

Hosted Evan's baptism (November)

Cody got sick and passed away (December)

Kurt was hospitalized (February)

My cyst was discovered (April)

My surgery (May)

Hailey got an infection in her newly pierced ears (May) (She is claiming this as her affliction so she doesn't get something more serious. Luckily we were able to clear it up and she didn't lose the piercing.)

And now, the latest White to need medical treatment:

There is not a baby in that ultrasound picture so stop looking for one! Sheesh! =-)

There is, however, a cyst and if you can see it, you should be an ultrasound technician! The white arch is a bone and the darker spot to the top left of the bone is the cyst. On the bottom of Evan's big toe. That needs to be surgically removed. I. Am. Not. Kidding. Another White needs surgery.

So Evan is the next lucky member of our family to go in for treatment. His surgery is schedule for July 11 - T's birthday - but with travel plans and the doctors schedule, it was the next available day. And with soccer season quickly approaching in August, we wanted to get this taken care of right away so that he will be healed and ready to play.

He will be our first child to go in for surgery. He is nervous, poor kid, and asks questions daily about the surgery but he will do great and be all ready to play in no time.

Oh, here is a picture of his x-ray. You can't see the cyst in this picture but I thought it was a cool pic of all the bones that are in your feet.

Father's Day and how our moms {most likely} saved Evan's life

For Father's Day, Kurt wanted to go riding again so Saturday we headed back up to the spot we went last time. This time we made the girls go with us because if was for Father's Day. They are getting to be teens that like to do their own thing, especially when we are riding. They don't find it loads of fun to ride around in the Teryx and Kayla refuses to wear a helmet so it gets a little challenging getting them to go with us.

Kurt had a youth temple trip that he attended that morning so we didn't head out of here until about noon. I kept having this thought in my mind that it was going to be dangerous for Evan. The last time we went, it was in the morning and no one was there. This time it was later in the day and so I knew it would be more crowded and I was worried about Evan's safety. Usually, when Kurt rides his bike, he is right next to Evan or very close to him. When Evan rides his bike and we are in the Teryx, he rides in front of us so that we can see him. If he is behind us then he is eating our dust the entire time, which is no fun, and if he falls we can't see him. Also, if I am riding with my body turned around trying to see him while we are bouncing around on a trail, it is very jarring to the back so it is better if he rides in front of us. The problem is that he is then the front rider and we can't be right next to him because we are too big. This trail was more like a really rough road so there are all sorts of 4-wheel drive vehicles on it - from bikes to ATV's to huge 4x4 trucks - and my worry was that one of these trucks would be coming toward us and wouldn't see him on his little bike until it was too late. I tend to be a worry-wart parent so I wasn't sure if I was just worrying or if the spirit was trying to warn me about the dangers.

Kurt loaded everything up at the house and Evan's bike started right up and ran great. When we got up there, Kurt unloaded everything and, again, Evan's bike started right up and ran great. Kurt walked over to the office to pay the parking fee and use the bathroom before we left. I finished loading up the Teryx and was going to drive over and pick him up but when we were ready to head over, Evan's bike would not start. We have never had problems with his bike before. It always just starts right up. It was really weird. Evan tried, I tried and we just couldn't get it started so we left it alone and went to pick up Kurt. We brought him back and tried again. It just would not start. Kurt tried everything. He even tried rolling down a hill and popping the clutch to get it to start. Nothing. While I was sitting there watching him try everything, I kept thinking: Evan is not suppose to be on that bike today. I finally walked over to where Kurt was working on it and told him that I thought this was a sign that Evan shouldn't ride his bike. I felt very strongly about it. Kurt, who usually doesn't like to give up and will work on something until he fixes it, agreed with me and started to put the bike away. It was kind of weird because usually he doesn't "give up" like that. So I feel very strongly that Evan's grandmas were standing there saying "there is no way our grandson is going on this trail today!" I am sure they were taking turns switching the bike to off or pinching the gas line or doing whatever was causing the bike not to start. 

We ended up squishing all 6 of us into the 4 seater Teryx and going on the trail. It was another beautiful day, although this time was a bit cooler. We went further around the lake and the wind coming off the lake was chilly! At the end of the trail we made rock stacks. We want to go back sometime and see if our stacks are still there.

T and his stack

Hailey and her stack

Evan and his stack

On the way back we decided to drive through the campground to check it out. It turns out they were having a HUGE remote control 4x4 truck convention. Everyone was walking around with remote control trucks driving in front of them. It was really neat. Evan has always wanted a BIG remote control truck just like these so him and Kurt were in heaven! We parked and got out to check out a course they had set up for them. It was a pretty neat thing. We had a lot of fun walking around and seeing all the different types of trucks and obstacle courses.

Also we found these HUGE swings. They were so tall that the swing really swung far. The kids had a great time playing on them. I made Kurt stand by the pole so you could see how tall they were. I guess I am getting old because they kind of made me sick to my stomach.

When we got back to the truck, Kurt tried the bike again and it still would not start. Nothing would get that thing to turn over. Very unusual. When we got home, it only took a few kicks and the thing started right up. Very, very unusual!

Honestly, there were a few times when a truck came towards us from around a corner and I wondered if they would have seen Evan if he had been in front of us. With the sun light, shady spots and shadows, I just don't know . . .

So all I can say is: Thanks moms!

In Our Neck of the Woods . . .

life is just continuing on. And it seems to be going faster and faster! I want to get back into blogging again so I thought I would shake things up around here to motivate me to post more often.

Kurt is continuing to get stronger and have more energy. He only naps a few times a week now and he has the desire and the drive to do more things, which is a good sign. He had a check up about a month ago. They did another ct scan to check and see what was happening inside. The bummer part was that we found out that the doctor that we liked is no longer with Mercy. Urgh! So we had to see her partner, who we didn't like as much because he seems to be quicker with us and not take as much time to explain things or talk about things. Also, from the very beginning he hasn't wanted to touch the problem. At least the other doctor was willing to do the surgery if that was what needed to be done. We are just worried that he doesn't want to do the surgery so he may keep waiting instead of going forward with it if that is what was needed. Anyways, the ct scan results came back good. The aneurysm has shrunk, which is a good sign. The inflammation around the damaged area has gone down, which is a good sign. And the hepatic artery (the one that goes to the liver and was completely clogged) actually has a trickle of blood getting through it so his body is trying to heal what it can and adjust to the damage done. All good signs. So we wait and they will rescan him and check again in 3 months. So we will once again, wait and see.

My surgery went really well. I have regained my energy and feel I am actually making progress of getting back on top of everything instead of falling further and further behind. It is a very nice feeling!

In the meanwhile, life has just been continuing on. T learned how to ride a 2 wheeler bike at just 2 years old! It was crazy. He rode all around on his Strider bike and could balance like a madman so we just had to get him to master the art of pedaling. Oh, and then there was teaching him to use the brakes - we are still working on that skill. He LOVES to ride his bike like a big boy and his confidence has grown tremendously.

In our house, when you can ride your bike all the way around the park without stopping or needing any help, you earn yourself your very own "tube" of Oreos. Boy, was this boy proud on that day! Of course, we didn't let him eat the whole thing by himself but he did get to eat quite a few to celebrate his accomplishment.

Awhile ago I was at my parent's house and noticed some pictures I really loved of my mom and dad. I thought about them for weeks, if not months, and finally thought to ask my dad if I could borrow them and scan them into my computer. Of course, he said yes, so now I have them. I have to find a way to print them professionally so I can have them in my house. Here are my favs:

The sad thing is that Trevor looks at these pictures and says "there's papa" and he looks at my mom with a questioning face and says "who's dat?" Makes me sad. He didn't ever know her here on this earth. I am sure he knew her in heaven before he was born but boy, it sure breaks my heart that he looks at her like she is a stranger. =-(

Kurt's doctor hasn't fully released him to full activity and one of the things he still can not do is ride his dirt bike. Honestly, I think it will be awhile before he is allowed back on that toy. His doctor may release him WAAAAY before his wife does.  ;-)

Kurt has been itching to get out and riding so we went for a ride a few weekends ago. He had to ride in the Teryx with T and me. It was beautiful. We went nice and early and it was just perfect. The weather was great, there were hardly any other people there and we could just cruise.

Evan hadn't been on his dirt bike since January so he was a little timid at first but it didn't take him long to remember the feel of the dirt bike. He was definitely wiped out when we got back though. I guess his endurance has suffered from the lack of riding lately.

It was just beautiful! We really enjoyed getting out and exploring a new area.

Updates and a camping trip

Update on Kurt: Today we are 11 weeks out from the first episode and he has been home from the hospital for 8 weeks. Time is a very funny thing lately. We can’t believe it has been that much time since everything happened. He is doing good. No major changes. He still tires easily and doesn’t have his strength back yet. We feel like he should be stronger and have more energy than he does but he is a lot better than when he came home from the hospital so he is improving. The part that concerns us is that he still gets discomfort / pain / pressure in his abdomen / chest periodically, especially if he pushes himself. At first we would panic and worry when this would happen but now we have kind of become use to it and just watch to see if it gets worse. It is just very unsettling always worrying if something is going to happen. He goes in in about 2 weeks for another CT scan and check up to see how things are looking. We are very interested in knowing what is going on in there. I guess in 2 weeks we will know.

Update on me: I have been having my own little health issue. Apparently I didn’t want Kurt to have all the fun! Ha! I was randomly having pains in my lower abdomen. Just a jolt of pain here and there, nothing consistent. It would come and go very suddenly and then I wouldn't feel it for awhile. With everything going on with Kurt, I honestly don’t even know when it started. Was I having them while in the hospital? I have no idea. Before the hospital? I don’t remember. That whole hospital stay really threw me for a loop and I can’t remember but on March 27th the pains were really bothering me. They were happening a lot that day and I remember thinking “just call the doctor and make an appointment before you talk yourself out of it.” I have my annual pap appointment scheduled in May so I thought I would just talk to my doctor about it then but something told me to call right away and so I did. I got in to see my primary the next day on Friday. I told my doctor how the pains start from my left side and shoot out and that they were very sudden and lasted about a second. She ordered an ultrasound which was scheduled for the following Wednesday, April 2nd. Within 2 hours of leaving the ultrasound place, my doctor called me and told me the radiologist called with a preliminary report and they had found a “mass or tumor” on my left ovary. She immediately ordered lab work looking at tumor markers in my blood and a MRI. We were freaked out. Ovarian cancer is related to breast cancer and so we were terrified that this was ovarian cancer. I did the blood work that day but the MRI had to be approved through our insurance company so we had to wait to schedule that. Once it was approved we got the MRI scheduled for Monday, April 7th. I had never had a MRI before and was nervous about being in the tube but it wasn’t too bad. The worst part was that the contrast they gave me made me throw up. Always a pleasant thing when you are strapped to a table! Then we had to wait for my doctor appt which was for Thursday, the 10th. Honestly, for 8 days I was terrified that I had cancer. It was a horrible 8 days. Kurt was freaked out. I was freaked out. My anxiety level shot through the roof! We weren’t going to tell the kids anything until we knew exactly what we were dealing with but they immediately knew something was up. Their radar is set to super sensitive since everything that happened with Kurt and they just knew that something was going on. After they all cornered either myself or Kurt asking if everything was ok, we knew we had to tell them so we told them the truth: the doctors found something, we don’t know what it is but they are doing tests to try to figure it out. They all handled it really well. I guess they have learned to roll with the punches around here. My doctors appointment went good on the 10th. My tumor markers are nice and low in the normal range so they don’t think that it is cancer. It is about 2” round and will need to be removed so I see a surgeon on Thursday of this week to schedule that. I am doing ok. The pains come and go and so does the nausea. The nausea hasn’t been bad, just a little here and there. I am exhausted though. Completely exhausted, which can be caused by this. Between Kurt and me, we are loads of fun lately. One of us is always tired and not up to doing something. See? Loads of fun! So that is where I am at - just waiting to see the surgeon and figure out where we go from here. 

Ok, onto the fun stuff - a camping trip!

Our camping buddies, Marty and Lorraine, had time they had to take off in March so at Kurt's last appointment (at the beginning of March) we asked for permission to take a camping trip. The doctor agreed only if Kurt promised not to do anything. So Marty told Kurt "just drive your truck and trailer down there and I will do all the set up and take down." So off we went to our favorite place, Dillon Beach.

We love the dunes right out the back of the trailer where the kids just play and play and we can see them right from our campsite. Another family camping there had brought sleds so the kids took turns playing with those.

And of course, digging holes.

And burying themselves.

Buddies at the beach.

Little T at the beach. 

This was about 30 seconds before he took off running and fell into a hole that was around a rock and went under water.

Then he spent some time in mommy's sweatshirt warming back up.

Once he was ready to play again, he wore Hailey's sweatshirt since it wasn't as big. Although, it was pink. Oh well.

Kurt even got down and played in the sand.

Evan wanted his picture taken on this rock. 

He was photo bombed!

Kurt said he needed a foot rest. So we did what we had to do.

No children or wives were injured in the making of the foot rest. =-)

I love this picture of T. Too bad he is wearing pink.

On Saturday, our friend Eric came down with his 2 girls to spend the day with us. This was our very creative and very handy table for the little kids. We just pulled their little camping chairs right up to the bench of a picnic table. It worked great!

Kurt is the Uno champion. He will challenge anyone, anytime and he will beat them . . . usually. This night the stars were not aligned for him though and he was beat down by Eric, several times. Poor Kurt. We needed to pay up and all we had to offer were pillow pets. Eric was so excited and gladly accepted his reward. Oh man, we had some good laughs over the pillow pets. Good times! Eric, being a dad, also knew the drama that would follow if said pillow pets went home with a new family so he nicely left them with us.

We have camped at Dillon's for years and always caught rock and dungeness crab but this time we caught a spider crab. This thing just looked creepy. Yikes!

 And we couldn't leave without our annual family photo on the beach. Don't be surprised when this shows up on our Christmas card this year!

Our camping buddies.

Another photo bomb!

Evan loved this stick/log sticking out of the ground. He swung around like a monkey.

Oh man, I love this boy!

Trevor helped Kurt bring up the supports on the trailer.

We did it! We survived our first camping trip post-injury. It wasn't easy. There was a lot of me telling him to go sit down and a lot of him telling me that he could do things but overall, we did good and he would sit down and rest. It was nice to get out of the house and away from everything for a few days.

Just one more - he is just so cute. I love this picture!