A hard lesson learned

We have been having computer problems.  We decided to backup our files and reset our computer back to what it was when we first got it.  I thought we had covered our bases and backed up a couple of ways.  Unfortunately, our back up plan had some holes.  We lost about one years worth of pictures.  We lost all the videos we had on the computer.  No more band concert videos, no videos of Joshua's cute monkey crawl, no video of Joshua and Dallin playing in the mud together or jumping on the trampoline.  The lesson to be learned is to check your back up plan before you reset your computer.  If I had simply checked to make sure things were really backed up I would have saved myself many tears.  I did shed quite a few tears over the situation.  Thankfully I had posted pictures on our blog and I could get those back.  It could have been much worse than it was.  I am grateful for the pictures we do still have, but I miss the pictures that I lost.

Dallin turns 10!

I will do a catch up post on all these fall birthdays sometime soon.  Dallin turned 10 yesterday.  He was excited to have a death by chocolate cake decorated with M&M's making a ten. We spent part of the day hiking.  We had ham casserole and muffins for dinner.  Matthew had asked for a Star Wars game for the ps4, but I had more ideas for Matthew than Dallin so we gave it to Dallin.  Matthew was surprised when Dallin opened it.

Dallin recently finished his Bear scout award and is looking forward to being a Webelos scout.  He loves to adventure with the older boys.  He likes to go out and shoot hoops.  He likes to play pool on our new pool table. He likes to work to earn money to buy books.He loves to read and is super smart.  He gives great hugs when he is grateful for something. He adores Aaron and is so tender with him.  He will walk him when Aaron is fussy.  He likes to help give Aaron a bath.  He has gained maturity this year.  We truly enjoy Dallin and are grateful to have him in our family.  We love you, Dallin!

A fall hike up Cottonwood Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains

We had a cold day with snow early in October, but ever since we have had beautiful fall weather.  Neil has been taking advantage of the nice weather and taking the kids out to do activities.  I have usually stayed home with the younger children, but I decided to take Aaron and go along on Saturday.  David was playing basketball with the 8th grade team at Rocky Mountain Middle School in Cowley.  We stopped and picked him up to go with us.  Emma stayed home with Joshua and Lydia.

It was a beautiful day for a hike and the scenery was majestic.  We enjoyed hiking 2 miles up the canyon to a meadow. Neil carried Aaron in the baby wrap. It wasn't too hard of a hike, except for one part where the path was muddy.  Neil and Matthew stayed by the edge by holding on to bushes and making their way through.  David went off trail and into the trees.  Dallin and I just plowed through the mud to get it over with.  Aaron was a good sport about our hiking, but he didn't like the muddy gap.  I think he got a little cold on our way back down.  We enjoyed a snack in the meadow and the boys liked climbing the big rocks.

The boys decided to go off trail to miss the mud on the way back.  They got into some thick brush, but they survived and found the trail again.  The kids got ahead of us on the way back to the van, but they missed the cutoff to the campground so we beat them back to the van.  I took a picture of Matthew running to the van just to prove I beat him.

Neil listened to the Cowboy triple overtime game on the way home.  I fell asleep, but woke up to hear the exciting finish.  It was a fun way to spend part Dallin's birthday.  Matthew, David and Dallin have dubbed themselves the Adventure crew.  I love that they love to be outside adventuring together and that they have a dad that's willing to take them.

Halloween 2016

Neil took the children trunk or treating on Saturday while I was still in Utah. We had  kind of a low key halloween which was fine with me.  We went to Westside to watch the costume parade and deliver treats to Dallin and Josh's classrooms. I took the kids to Powelloween on Monday after school.  It was super windy and I wasn't sure I even wanted to go, but the kids wanted to go.  Aaron was a good sport about riding in his stroller in the wind. We came home and had pizza for dinner and did Family Home Evening together.  I always think of eating pizza with Martha on halloween.

David was a basketball player. MaryAnne was a clone from Star Wars and Linda was Darth Vader.  Dallin made a box into a Rubik's cube.  He did a great job working with Neil to make it.  Joshua was spiderman. Lydia was a really cute witch.  Her red eyes went right with her costume.  Aaron had several choices.  He could be a cow, a lion or a dinosaur.  We decided on the dinosaur costume.

Westside costume parade

Dallin made this  Ghost bowling game for the cub scout halloween carnival

8th grade basketball

David is playing on the 8th grade basketball "B" team.  I missed his first games because I was in Utah. Neil and the kids went and watched him play while I was gone.  I love watching him play.  It's a good thing he has more games.   David is #44. He wanted to be #42, but it was already gone when he got to choose. He is working hard and doing well.  He has gotten some good shots, some rebounds and some blocks.  He even got to shoot free throws against Lovell.  Today he was able to block the shot at the end of the game against Cody.

Pictures of the feet of those who went to watch David play.
Dallin's shoe

Matthew

Neil

Joshua

Eye surgery

We have been working towards eye surgery to correct Lydia's drifting eyes for almost a year now.  We finally got to see Dr. Young in Riverton in September.  Lydia, Aaron and I flew to Utah on October 25th for surgery on the 26th.  I was so grateful that Grandma Sharp was willing to wait with me at the hospital.  We had to be at the hospital about 8:30 in the morning.  Unfortunately things got a bit behind schedule and Lydia didn't even go back to surgery until about 11:00.  She was starting to get nervous waiting and I was beginning to wonder if we had been forgotten.  Aaron was super good while we waited.  Lydia chose to have root beer be her flavor to fall asleep to. Surgery took about an hour and a half so Lydia was done about 12:30.  It took until about 2:00 before she was awake and eating something so we could go home.  I don't like watching our children wake up after surgery.  It is hard!  Her poor eyes looked so red and sore. She didn't feel very good, but she tried some slushies.  She had an orange one and a rootbeer one.  When we left the hospital she wanted her slushies, but I hadn't brought them with us.

Lydia rested for the afternoon at Grandma's house.  By evening, she was watching movies, but not wanting to do too much.  She was glad to have Sprite to drink and crackers to eat.

Thursday morning Lydia told me she was seeing double.  I was really hoping it was just her eyes adjusting to working together again.  We went back to see Dr. Young at 1:00.  She decided she had over tightened the left eye.  She used adjustable stitches so it wouldn't be too hard to adjust, but it did require going back into the operating room.  I think that the name Waite must mean "will require two surgeries" in some language.  I really wanted to cry when Dr. Young said she was going to have to go back in.  The operating rooms at Riverton were booked up so we had the choice of going to Primary Childrens at 5:30 or waiting to do it in Riverton on Friday.  We decided to go to Primary Childrens.  We had to leave Grandma's house at 3:00 to get Lydia there and checked in.  Lydia was nervous to go back in for surgery because she knew how hard it was to wake up and that she wouldn't feel very good.  She was so scared, but she walked down to surgery without crying when it was her turn.  It was a long wait again.  Aaron once again did great while waiting.  I was so grateful that Grandpa drove us and Grandma was there to watch Aaron while I was with Lydia. It was a long wait again.  I think we were at the hospital from 4:00 until 8:00.  The first thing Lydia said to me after surgery was "Mama, I want to go back to Grandma's house."  I told the nurse that Lydia really wanted to go home so she sped up the process and let us leave.  This time I remembered to grab Lydia's slushie and she kept drinking it on the way home.

When we got home we warmed up soup and made cheese sandwiches and then headed to bed.  We were all exhausted.

Friday we went back to see Dr. Young again.  Lydia said she wasn't seeing double,  I sure hoped it was perfect this time.  I don't think Lydia would have told me if she was seeing double because she didn't want to go in again.  Dr. Young said everything looked good this time.  I was so grateful!  I think it was a tender mercy that we were staying until Sunday so that Lydia had time to rest and we had time to do a second surgery without having to make another trip to Utah.

Saturday we just hung out at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Grandma and Grandpa went to a BYU basketball game.  We walked up to the park to get some fresh air.  In the evening we watched the cultural celebration for the Star Valley Temple.

Sunday we flew home.  I don't like doing airports, but it went smoothly.  Aaron rode in his stroller and Lydia stayed with me really well.  We did have to strip Aaron down and change a leaky diaper in the airport bathroom.  I asked Lydia while we were in the bathroom if she needed to use the bathroom. She said no.  We no sooner made our way back to the waiting area when she told me she had to go to the bathroom.  We pushed the stroller and brought our carry ons back into the bathroom.  When we got back to the waiting area it was just about time to board the plane.  Aaron slept through the whole flight.  It was a good trip.  We are so grateful that Lydia doesn't have to patch to keep her eyes from drifting.  I got to go to the broadcast of the Star Valley Temple dedication with Neil, Matthew, Emma, David and Dallin when I got home.

Ready to go back for surgery

Resting at Grandma and Grandpa's house after surgery (You can't see it, but Aaron is sleeping on the end of the bed) We were all worn out.

Waiting to fly home

3 months!

Aaron turned three months old on the 27th of October.  We were in Utah for Lydia's eye surgery. I had great fun taking his three month pictures when we came home.

Milestones:
Discovered he has two hands.  It is so cute to watch him hold his hands together.
Sleeping through the night pretty consistently.
Doesn't hate tummy time.
Went on his first airplane ride.  Slept the whole time.
Aaron can giggle now.  It is super sweet.
Loves to smile at all of us.
Loves kicking in his little seat.

Here are some pictures:

Aaron likes to hang out with Matthew