Sick Kids in July?

Can you believe it? Kids aren't supposed to be sick in the summer. We started off the month by having a round of strep throat with both Isaac and Marina. And just when we finished taking their 10 days of antibiotics, they were sick again. Isaac ended up with a fever, and I took him into the doc's to make sure the strep hadn't returned. Thank goodness it hadn't and the nurse told me it was most likely a virus. I was pretty sure this was true when Monday morning Isaac was feeling well enough to strike up a full conversation with the nurse, and then enthusiastically jump on the weight scale. But just then sitting in the Dr.'s office, Marina sits on my lap and complains of being cold. Oh no! She's got it too. The fever had already moved on to her. So, I figured a couple days of a fever just like Isaac and we'd be past it all. Well, 5 days of Marina sitting on the couch watching Playhouse Disney (anyone who knows Marina, knows we can't even get her to sit for 1 1/2 hours for 1 movie, knows she must be really sick to be sitting in front of the TV for days!) and later when Marina still had the fever, I took her back to the doctors. Three hours at the doctors office and we discovered she had somehow come down with pneumonia. Yikes! So, she's on antibiotics and we're still waiting for her to get better. The doctor said it might take another 48 hours to break the fever and feel better. If she's not better tomorrow, we have to go back. I keeping waking up every morning thinking this is the day she's going to feel better. I hope that it true today. I have been home with her sick and trying to keep the baby healthy through all of this too for too long. This was definitely not the plans for the week/weekend we had intended. However, I try to remember to be thankful for our health. Hopefully all of this is curable, and we'll be back up and running at full speed soon.

I Just Can't Get Enough!

I just have to post some fun pictures of my cute boy... okay Isaac is cute too, but my littlest one!He's trying to get that whole fist in his mouth. Isaac wore these jammies at @ the same age. Isaac was stuffed into them.

Sorry about the sideways shot, but this was the best way to show off how big of a difference 5 weeks can make. Mason (our friends Brian & Melissa's new son) & Esaias are only 5 weeks apart. In 3 years they'll be like twins, but now it's such an amazing difference in size and ability. WOW! Aren't they both adorable.

Here's a quick shot before heading off to the pool. Today marked the first day he actually got in the swimming pool. It was so hot, he did it without complaint.

I couldn't help but capture this one. Finger in the mouth his favorite just like his Daddy, and sound asleep in the swing. Awww!

Congrats Lilli!

Here's a post dedicated to the amazing success of my niece Lilliana.
(Yes, she's the cute dark one on the top of the podium)After 2 years of tears (due to disappointing results at previous regional gymnastics meets) and a lot of hard work, Lilli placed 1st in all around at this years Regionals meet. For those of you that don't know gymnastics, that means she with all 4 events; bars, beam, floor, and vault scores added together she scored the highest. It also means she placed in the top 5, in all 4 events individually. She looked great and we were happy to be able to be there to see it! Congratulations Lilli! And off to State she goes.

Several of her cousins along with her sister and brother were there to share in her success too!

60 Years and Counting!

Wow! Hard to imagine being married for 60 years. I can't wait to say that I've made it that far. We only have 47 years and 7 months to go.

(A lousy picture, but I had to try to catch them dancing! Go G&G!)

My maternal grandparents just celebrated there 60th wedding Anniversary by bringing all their posterity together for food and fun. Almost everyone was there. We were only missing 5 grandsons and 1 brother. I think that's pretty amazing out of 7 children, 22 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. (I'm probably a bit short on numbers, but close). Friday night we gathered at the church for dinner and entertainment. Well if that's what you call an open "mic" or "stage" for the family. And Saturday was a big picnic at the park across the street from my grandparents house. Here's some pictures of the fam.:

Suprise from Grand Jct. Eric, Lindsay & Davis made it!

Grandpa & Grandma!
Aunt Bonnie thanks for staying with us. We loved spending time with you!

This event even brought my youngest brother Clayton out!

Nothing like boy cousins! Bryce, Easton, Lars & Isaac

Uncles are pretty fun too!
Uncle Chad & Uncle Danny trap Tristan for a picture.
My sister-in-laws enjoying the show!
Stacie & Lindsay
A little blury darn it!
But can you believe this mom getting a hug from Chad?!
Isaac & Marina serenade Grandma & Grandpa with "Red River Valley" a classic show tune.
Here's the gorgeous hula cousins!
Marina, Lilli, Leilani, Caitlynn

Colorado Springs

With most of our family out of town for the holiday, we planned a little trip of our own to Colorado Springs. We camped at a newer State Park called Cheyenne Mountain State Park. While this pop-up trailer camping, is not the camping Danny and I remember from our youth. It still gets us out with the kids and makes it possible with a new baby. The amenities at this park were quite nice, and we were even able to shower. I do miss the backwoods more rugged experience however, from a girls perspective, I don't miss peeing in the woods.

Esaias is handling camping quite well, I must say, and staying at the State Parks also means warmer weather. A little too warm sometimes, but I don't have to worry about him freezing all night long.

We chose Co. Springs due to all the fun activities to choose from. So, after a great camping egg and potato camping breakfast we headed into town for studying the Anasazi and geology. Well if that doesn't give it away for you or if your not familiar with Co. Springs then I'll explain. We first hit the Cliff Dwellings. Isaac having studied Colorado History this year really wanted to take a trip to Mesa Verde. We would have loved to indulged him, however funds and time did not permit it this year. So, we went to a smaller version. I had never been to the Cliff Dwellings before and it was a fun adventure. Although the gift shop was triple the size of the actual dwellings. Reading about the history was the most fun. They had an old advertisement that read roughly, "Only about a 2-3 hour trip by carriage or auto." Wow, can you imagine? The kids loved walking through the dwellings and seeing how these ancient people once lived.

And of course this is right where my camera had "exhausted battery." Can you believe it? One of my favorite places to go was up next, and the camera dies.

I teach Science to all the 5th graders in my school and so I couldn't help but make sure Isaac got some background knowledge in geology. Cave of the Winds is one of my fondest and youngest memories I have of my parents still married. They took me and my 2 brothers there when we were quite young. I distinctly remember the picture they have of us in the cave on the tour group. Cave of the Winds takes your picture right in the beginning of the tour. Now, in my day, it was with the whole tour group. Now, they take it with your own individual family. I even remembered exactly where they took the picture, and was surprised when they moved the picture spot. Normally, I would not buy the "way over-priced" picture, but due to a lack of my own camera, and for posterity sake to compare to my childhood photo, I had to have the picture. Well, there's a story. We had to take the picture 3 different times because for some reason our picture kept not turning out. The first time, we don't know what happened. The second time at the end of the tour was on a full card and didn't get taken, and finally the 3rd time was a charm. As soon as Danny scans it in, I'll post it. It's a dumb "over-priced" picture, but I had to have it!!! Thanks to Danny and the kids for being so pleasant about the many retakes.

Marina kept complaining before we went to Cave of the Winds that she didn't want to go. Saying it would be scary. Good thing we don't listen to her. Even she agreed. She will tell you that she thought it would be scary, but in fact it was very cool. She told me in one trip to the girls restroom. "Mom, why are mom's so smart?... I can't wait to be a mom, I'll be smart then too." I'll save that one in my memory, especially since this morning when she was mad at me, she told me I wasn't her mom anymore. That child is giving me gray hair!

Well we wrapped up the trip by watching the fireworks shot off from Fort Carson on Saturday evening.