Cutest Cowgirl

Our family went to a rodeo the other day. Mazzi was the cutest cowgirl there!

Room Spinning

Mazzi got a fever on the last night of our friend reunion, causing her, Matt and I to all have a sleepless night. I woke up the next day more tired than I had ever felt in my life. Mazzi wasn't feeling well the next morning and just layed her head against Matt or I as we held her all day. We figured it was the flu so weren't too worried at first. However, Mazzi had been sick before and had never been lethargic like this so on her third day being sick Matt decided to bring her into urgent care.

They weren't very helpful at urgent care and just said that if she was being that lethargic that they recommended taking her into the ER. So Matt brought her to the ER where they did a catheter and took a urine test and came back saying that she might have a slight bladder infection and gave her antibiotics for that. Matt then noticed that she wasn't using her right arm at all, that it was little swollen and that if it were moved she complained. So he mentioned that to them and they took x-rays, but there wasn't a fracture, so Matt took her home. By the time he got home from the hospital her wrist was even more swollen so we knew something else was going on.

My mom called and got us into their family doctor that day. We felt very blessed as he wasn't taking new patients at that time. So we got in and after taking more x-rays and spending several hours at the office he decided that we should be admitted to the hospital for some tests.
I think you always go to the doctor expecting a quick fix or for them to know instantly what is wrong with you so when they don't it is a little scary. He thought it was probably an infection under the skin that she would need antibiotics for and an IV to giver her some energy. It had been three days since she had eaten anything and she was just laying against me. It was a very sad sight.

So, we went to the hospital and they admitted us to the pediatrics wing. They were so good and patient to us. Which is good because at this point I would have cried over anything. In fact, just on my way to the doctors office I couldn't find the building and kept trying to call different family members in the area to ask where it was at and couldn't' get a hold of anyone and finally saw someone on the side of the road so I pulled over and asked them where it was and was and drove away crying. The stress was definitely getting to me.

At the hospital they hooked Mazzi up to an IV after trying to get the needle in her little vein for about ten minutes... with me holding her down and her looking at me wondering why I am helping them do this to her, I am again trying not to completely break down in front of the nurses. After her IV is in she goes in for more X-rays (they really thought it must be a fracture) but once again they couldn't find anything so they drew some blood for tests and decided it must be an infection under the skin so hooked her up to antibiotics through her IV.

We spent two nights there and slowly her swelling and redness around the wrist went down and by the third day she no longer had a fever if she wasn't on Motrin. So they told us we would get to go home. I was so glad because I was getting so stir crazy being in that little room. I am not very patient when it comes to health issues and I feel so blessed that thus far we have had such good health. It really is something you take for granted until you have a little reminder like this.

I felt like I was pretty composed during our stay at the hospital and didn't feel that overwhelmed. However, once I got home from the hospital my body fell apart. I'd never understood the expression "it felt like the room was spinning" until I left the hospital. I think it was brought on mostly by lack of sleep and stress. But for about four days it would feel like the room was spinning off and on.

Once we were released from the hospital she still wasn't using her right arm for about a week. We had another appointment with the doctor and one with an orthopedic doctor. But they didn't see anything wrong so told us just to wait and see if it was just sore. And sure enough, after a few more days she began using her right had to eat and draw.

We were so happy to have our fun, feisty, happy little Mazzi back. I missed her!

This is a picture of what she would do when she wanted to go for a walk outside the room. She would start pushing on the pole that held her IV. The pediatric wing was set up in a circle of rooms so we would walk around the circle (come to think of it... this could also be why I felt like the room was spinning!)

Fun Family

My sister was able to come down for a visit from Texas and my brother and his wife, Sandra, were able to join us from Santa Cruz, and my Grandma was able to join us from Washington... so we had a mini reunion (missing Sierras hubby Bryce and my hubby). It was so nice seeing everyone, but I definitely did not get my share of time in... as this reunion happened kind of last minute and was going on at the same time that the friend reunion was occurring. We still managed to squeeze in some fun though...

And if I haven't bragged yet... my family is pretty awesome. I feel like they are always up for doing something fun and adventurous. This is my cool dad busting a flip on the knee board.
and my handsome brother getting some air on the "air chair"
And my sweet, beautiful sis, Sierra, who didn't bust any tricks because she is prego... so happy for her!! She is so fun to be around and so thoughtful.

and my Grandma... who is the nicest, prettiest Grandma in the world. She is so great with children and can think of creative ways to entertain them under any circumstance. (One of her many talents)

And Ash- who thinks he's so cool knee boarding by himself. (His mom agrees)

And his Aunt Sandra who is awesome enough to get in the cold water with him to help him start out and then swim around until we come to pick her up. She's going to make an amazing mother someday! And she is good at everything she tries. She just started wake boarding last year and is already showing me up.

And Trevor will make a great Dad... my kiddos love their Uncle.

I love my fun family! Wish we all lived closer so we could get together all the time.

Happy Long Distance Anniversery!

Matt and I celebrated (or will celebrate) Eight years of marriage yesterday. Since he is still being worked over at the academy, we will wait for the weekend to do something special. He did send me flowers so it made it not feel as ordinary as a day. And we enjoy nice date nights each weekend as we have free babysitters with both sets of grandparents :) Last weekend we enjoyed a hike to the Whiskey town Falls.

Matt is a good guy and I am a lucky girl to have found someone who understands me (as well as a guy can understand a woman) and who cares for my happiness. I love him and love that I know him better than he knows himself. We have fun together. I look forward to the day we can live under the same roof all week long and not just on weekends! Happy Eight Years Matt... and to an eternity to come!

Friends Reunion

Its such a comfort to be around true friends. People who know you... who love you... who you can be you with.... who you can have fun with. I LOVE these girls and think we are all supposed to live on the same street. (or at least in the same city). We had a friend reunion in Redding. It was perfectly half way for the Cooks to come from Seattle and the rest of the gang to join from Lake Elsinore.



The kids were also ecstatic to be reunited. I love seeing these kids grow up together and thinking of them building each other up. They are all sooo stinkin cute. Not a funny looking kid amongst them (all 18 of them!)
We stayed on a houseboat for two nights and the last night the grown ups all went out and jumped off the top of the houseboat together and went down the slide. Niki observed (as she is 8 months prego). We have some nice, chilly memories from that... but we warmed up via the hot tub, which was filled with urine from the 18 kids who had sat in in the previous two days. We were so cold that we didn't mind much.

Enjoying a relaxing float

This is Niki's proof that she DID get in the water!

Wake boarding

Tera and Tatum. So cute seeing these girls giggling together again.

Feeding the deer carrots and celery that would come up right next to the houseboat.

Melissa and I's attempt at floating. It was rather difficult rafting with a newborn and Mazzi.

Kim and I riding the tube

Ashton winning at King of the Hill (tube)

Tera with her "boyfriend" Daxton. It is official! She now claims him. They are adorable together!

Playing at the Oasis Fun Center

My girls

Shelly.... love how animated she is

We celebrated Tera and Eastons b.day partys at the fun center. Tera was happy to celebrate with several of her best girl friends.

The boys getting ready for a game of lazer tag.

The bigger boys right before everyone took off.

And the girls. Miss you! See you soon!