Fall Pics

What a difference a year makes...

Justin and I were thinking back to a year ago on Saturday, October 24 2008, to the date of Reagan's heart surgery. Memories of last year, remembering our worry and concern with heavy hearts that she would be ok through the surgery and after, filled our thoughts... How thankful we are that the surgery has been a success and her heart is doing great because of it!! Thank you, Lord!!

I keep the above pic of Reagan on my phone. It is of her after her heart surgery, in the hospital bed, wearing her Halloween hat. I keep it on my phone as a little life and attitude check. It is to remind me when life gets stressful or I feel overwhelmed, or when I start to grumble about the little things, that we are truly blessed, and what we have to be thankful for!!

In a few weeks, Reagan will have a very minor surgery to get tubes in her ears at Children's. Being at Children's again will I'm sure bring back a lot of memories, but it will be nothing compared to what we went through a year ago.

Sick-Sick----Sh_ _!!

Cousin Nate trying to show Reagan that the Nebulizer isn't so bad by using his own neb 3 minutes seems like a very long time to a 1 1/2 year old Pardon the language on the blog but that has been the theme for the last month with all of us!! We have been saying the word sick a lot lately and is now Reagan's new word but it sounds an awful lot like sh_ _! Yikes!! Justin has been terribly sick with the flu since GF. He was starting to feel it in his chest over the weekend and stayed home from work this week. He was in bed, coughing so hard he couldn't catch his breath and practically scaring Reagan (and me for that matter). Knowing that Reagan too still wasn't feeling great---on a nebulizer for broncitis and antibiotic for ears, she went to daycare Monday and Tuesday. But after dropping her off on Tuesday, they called me at school as I was about to get on the bus with my 4th graders to go on a field trip, that we need to come and get Reagan as she has a 102 temp. So that meant that poor Justin had to go and get her and take care of her that day when he was sick. He took her back in to the dr.--ear infection was still there with high temp, so Reagan is now on her 4th antibiotic to treat the ear infection that won't go away. As a result, we are seeing an ENT Dr. to go through the process of getting tubes--finally after a year and 1/2 of one ear infection after another!! The wonderful thing about the new antibiotics is that the dr. told Justin that she is going to put her on these, but "watch out!!" meaning she not just spits it back out, she pukes instantly when giving them to her. Lots of laundry!! I stayed home Wednesday but had to go in Thursday and Friday, as I had conferences. I was surrounded by everyone being sick around me---I had only 12 4th graders out of 26 on Monday, lots of staff and teachers out at school and Justin and Reagan being sick. So, it was a stressful week having conferences too---I came home after teaching all day on Thursday and then conferences at night until 9 to a nice gift from Justin...Bubble bath, a Michael Bubliae CD, and ice cream to take to soak in the tub with!! Perfect!! However, he also gave me another nice gift as I am starting to not feel so well myself...uuurgghgh!! Sick, Sick, Sh_ _!!

Go Sioux!!

Chandler and Ray too busy to pose for a pic

Hannah and Reagan

Justin with College Rommie--Denny

We went up to GF for our annual weekend for Sioux-Gopher Hockey!! We had a blast at the games with Damon, Ashley, and Ryan--Fighting Sioux winning Friday's game and ending with a tie 3 to 3 on Saturday. Ashley hooked us up with her baby-sitters for both nights so cousins Reagan, Chandler and Hannah had fun playing together. We also stayed at CanadInn which had a water slide which Reagan absolutely loved!! Chandler and Hannah came over Saturday during the day to splish and splash as well. As you can see by the pics Justin liked it a little bit too---I think that was the real reason why be booked that hotel!! The only downer was Reagan wasn't feeling the best with a double ear infection and throwing up in the car on the way up. Now the mini-van has a nice aroma of puke smell!! Nice!!

Grandma and Grandpa Hammerbacks with my BIG cousins

2 Little Monkeys jumpin' on the bed...

Cookies with Grandma

Boy Toys

Play Dough

Pumpkins in the snow

Reagan with Grandpa

Reagan got to spend time over MEA break at Grandpa and Grandma's house in Bemidji with her cousins Connor and Nate. The had fun making cookies, homemade play dough, playing with cars and "boy toys" (Reagan didn't mind a bit), jumping on the bed, and wrestling. I am hoping Reagan doesn't go back to daycare wanting to wrestle!! She learned some moves from her BIG cousins---yikes!!