Spring Break at Museum

Climbing in the clouds. 

Wind blown. 

Playing in the water. 

Making natural energy. 

Making camp fire biscuts. 

Coloring on the wall. 

A "Paint" brush horse. 

Spring is Here

Spring has started to show up all over.  

Daffodils, budding trees, spring rain, sometimes spring snow, sunshine, followed by warm sun spots, birds chirping, and of course one of my favorites I'm watching a robin build a nest right outside my new kitchen window.  Sure helps pass the time doing dishes as I watch the happy couple wiggle around in their new home trying to shape it into what they hope it will become for their chicks.

 Here's our recent list of events:

1. Jayden's poor ears didn't get better.  He ended up getting a bulging ear drum and was pretty miserable for almost 2 weeks.
2. Spent our Spring Break in Nevada with my parents.  Such a breathe of fresh air!
3. Enjoyed driving for many hours, (best trip yet with kids) 
(I think we may have finally found our traveling rhythm) making sugar cookies with Grandma JoDee, hiking with Grandpa Bryan, touring the tanks, watching blossoms in bloom, going to church with Grandparents, visited the Discovery Museum,helping Grandpa build a chicken coop, and driving home for several hours. (still good kids!)
4. Came home to no power and realizing that we'd paid the wrong power bill.  Fridge food and freezer food, GONE.  Large chest freezer still did ok.
5. Stayed a night at the bishops house, too cold to stay at ours.  Until further arrangements could be made to restore our power.  We are blessed to have such caring and loving people all around us.
6. Power came back on!  Excited to finally be home!
7. Symi got a cold and it turned bad.  She ended up in the urgent care with what we thought was Strep Throat.  She was so sick with fevers, chills, aches, and sore throat.  Strep test came back as negative.  Doubled checked her throat and she had developed ulcers all down her esophagus from the cold symptoms and drainage down her throat. 
8. Pain meds, liquid diet, and rest.  Lots of movies, books,  coloring books, hold me please Mommy, and no naps. Took her over 10 days to get over just a simple cold.
9. Took our boy cat to the vet to be "fixed".
10. Questions came from Ben about "Why we were doing that?" and "How do cat's make babies?"  
11. Spent a beautiful moment explaining to him about sex.  (Been worried about this heart to heart talk for his whole life.  And it went so well. I'm grateful for the inspiration that came with my simple heartfelt prayer to Heavenly Father that I could teach him the correct principles, doctrines, and truths.  With the beauty that he intended it to have and be.)
11. I got sick.  Now I know why Symi was so miserable!?
12. Thank goodness for General Conference Weekend!  It allowed me to take a break from my calling and rest.
13. My heart is full from a heart to heart talk with my Hubby about many things that have been tugging us apart.  Many messages shared help to soothe our tender feelings and help us to strive to help and heal each other.  I feel like we have both got back onto the same track and are striving to work together.  We'll see what tomorrow brings!
14. Looking forward to our little Easter Celebrations this week.  Both family traditions (aka: coloring eggs, getting an Easter Basket with goodies, hiding eggs, finding eggs, and yummy food!) on Saturday, and remembering our Savior and his sacrifice on Easter Sunday (we have a special activity that we do every year with Easter Eggs and scriptures.  Each egg is filled with a small symbol of the scripture read. Our kids LOVE this!)

This month is such a special one . . .

It's Birthday time for you!
We'd really like to celebrate this happy day with you!
Zippid-yay and Heidi-ho
There's something we can do!
We'll sing a song that we all know. . .
Happy Birthday to you!


Symi was so excited about her Birthday!
She wanted butterflies and flowers on her cake. It was such a crazy day that I didn't have time to make her the kind of cake I wanted too. So I quickly baked up a sheet cake and decorated it to match her Birthday Balloons.
She was nervous about the "fire" on the candles and didn't want to blow them out.
So she had Daddy help her.

Butterfly Cake!

Playing with her birthday gift!

Wanting Daddy to come play too.

She was up before the boys and we let her come down and see her gifts.
She wasn't sure what she was seeing and scowled for a moment.
Then she realized that it was her Birthday and squealed!
She flew down the steps and started chattering about all the things around!
Balloons! Colors! (streamers) Kitchen! Cake! Flowers!

What she saw coming down the stairs.

She got to open gifts at Ben's Birthday from Grandparents.
She got a homemade stick horse and we named her "Pixie".
Symi calls her "Picky". :)

Over all it was a nice quiet day. We started it off by her opening her kitchen and playing with it all day. Her and Ben wouldn't leave it alone. That evening the kids played in the pool with the neighbors while I went to the Eye Dr. Then we came in and had some dinner, blew out candles, had cake and ice cream, then opened the last few gifts from us and Grandparents.

Happy Birthday Symi!

(ps my camera wouldn't upload some of my pictures?! These were all that I could get to come up.

Holdin' Him

This is the first time that Symi finally asked to hold Jayden!!
Since he was born she refused to hold or touch him. Now she is warming up and has held him a few times.

Ben told me the other day,"Jayden is getting to BIG!! I can't even hold his head up anymore and he can't even do it too!"
Poor baby boy is already into clothes that Ben wore at 5-6 months!
(Jayden at 2 months)

Jayden at 4 weeks.
It's amazing how fast they grow and change!

Symi Chatting

To Family & Friends:

Symi spiked a fever of 101.3 and holding since yesterday evening. We are taking her in this afternoon for her blood work! (because the Lab is closed on the weekend, we wanted to get it done before it dissipated by Monday.)

She is acting like she does with fevers. No appetite. Sleeps awful and restless. Grumpy and cries over every little thing. I noticed yesterday that she felt warm, but not feverish yet. She certainly started the day out by being such a good little girl!! Full of giggles and smiles.

But by the afternoon she started to go down hill fast. We are grateful to have them coming again. (Most mother's want fevers to go away and for their kids to get better. And at our house we've been praying for them to return!) We are hoping to get some more answers and maybe some relief.

Symi Update & New News

Symi's appointment went well. So far she no longer has food allergies. :) But they are unsure about what is still plaguing her. So we are waiting for another "cycle" of fevers to come along and then we are to do some more blood work. They are looking at comparing all of her blood work and charts together and hoping to see some changes while she's in the "cycle".

Today she woke up with another low grade fever 100.4. We were instructed not to do the blood work until she's had a fever of over 101 for 24 hours. Keep going Symi Girl!!

On a side note. I was in Labor and Delivery at 27 weeks on Sunday Night thinking I was having contractions. No contractions, but baby's heart rate kept dropping whenever I would have painful episodes. They were concerned about baby and wanted to get my pain under control. They gave me some medications and sent me home. Early that morning the pain came back and I scheduled an appointment with the OB for a check up. He informed me that I had 1 of 3 things. Either I was developing hernias, or I was having tendinitis from my lower back all the way around to me lower abdomen, which would explain why it felt like contractions as my tendons would tighten, or I was having an Appendicitis. (Not good news)

They started physical exams and ruled out hernia. Then some blood work, ultra sound for me and baby, for Appendicitis. More pain killers and complete bed rest for 1 week while we waited for test results to come back in. We called my sister-in-law and asked her if she could come down and help while I was on bed rest. The test results came in yesterday afternoon. No appendicitis! Now I'm just being treated for tendinitis and still on bed rest until Monday. I have a follow up appointment on Friday for my RH factor shot and my Glucose test. Lovely I know. :/ But I understand that these things need to be done. So far today's been my best day. I can walk a little more and don't look at the stairs and cry. I've spent most of my days and nights restless in bed trying to relax, maintain my pain, and "trying" to get some sleep. Last night was my first night since Saturday that I actually slept well. :) I'm feeling pretty good today, but will laying low.

I have to say I'm so grateful to have Shawnee here to help. What a huge blessing. And a tender mercy happened Sunday before everything went down. My neighbor asked me if I needed anything. I told her no we'll be ok. She called me back later that night to tell me that she'd scheduled meals to come in every night this week. I cried. I feel so touched to know that I have a Heavenly Father who is watching out for me and my family. For a neighbor who was in tune with the spirit enough to know what we would need this week, even before anything happened. And to know that I can just rest and things will be taken care of.

I am blessed. And looking forward to Symi's growing fevers and my lessening pains. Thank you for all those who have helped, and prayed for us and our family. We feel them. Truly we do.

Blood Test Results

Today we got results! The Dr has informed us that she has a significant immune deficiency. Meaning she could catch anything and get sick really fast. So our game plan: He is sending us to an Allergy Specialist down in Ogden. He's hoping that it's an allergy that's causing her to be so low. If nothing comes from the allergist, we are heading to an Immunologist. Who will test her further to see why she has an Immune deficiency. We're excited to have a start! Even if it's the beginning of a very long road.
Please keep Symi in your prayers!! We are hopeful that we are getting closer and closer to an answer.

The First Year

All of us at Dad's Institute Graduation. You are right under the Diploma.

3 more months and you'll be here!

Less than 1 month left and you'll be here!

You arrived!

We loved you before you were even born.

Daddy was so tired, but very proud.

In Labor waiting for you to come.

This is your first picture. You were screaming!

We were trying to get a whole family photo, but Ben didn't want his picture taken.

Freshly bathed.

Right after your first bath, you were cold. So we snuggled for the first time.

Our most recent family photo.

Christmas Morning.
(We left that afternoon for Primary Children's. You were so sick.)

Finally Home, but still struggling.

Ben loves you!

4 Generations
Grandma JoDee, G-G (Grandma Hunter), Symi, and Mommy (Brittany)

Sleepy Baby.

Sitting up

Not happy in the basket.

Sleepy baby again.

Just cute as a cupcake!

Bright eyes!

(This is one of my favorites, you were starting to feel better. This picture you had just finished smiling when the flash went off and Ben suddenly snuck into the photo. You 2 were so cute I just couldn't resist.)

Side by side.

Ready for a winter Drive!

I sat you in the bouncer and turned around for just a moment. When I turned back around you were fast asleep, holding onto a toy.

Giggling with Ben.
(This is when your hair started to fall out from all the trauma.)

We would smoosh you into the couch for Family Prayers.
Dad loved to leave you in there and let you watch everyone else getting ready for bed.

Learning to sit.

Big Beautiful Blue Eyes

Crawling and into many things!

Hugs from Ben.

Another sleeping baby.

Happy Halloween!

Sitting with Ben.

Smile!

Hold her arms Ben she's trying to get the camera.
Ben: Ok Mommy we're ready!

Love you two!

Kisses!

Easter Egg!

Kisses!

Mommy and Symi

Another picture with you and Ben.

At an indoor archery shoot. You slept almost the whole time.

My #1 and #2.

Starting to crawl backwards.

Pulling yourself up onto everything and your tongue was always sticking out!
Concentration!

Snuggling with Mommy.

Very Happy Baby Girl!
(You hair started to grow back in and get long!)

Proud to be a climber!

Baby girl our lives will never be the same without you! We love you so much. Despite all that we've been through in the last year, it's one that has been cherished and loved.