One last update

Just one last update for you all on Joe. I have still not seen him myself but Mom and Dad went there for supper last night. They said he looks good. Slow moving of course but getting around. Him and Mike had made supper. We are planning on going to Watkins Sunday to visit. My cold is finally working its way gone and Mini is better now to. So yes we can finally leave our house again and not make anyone sick. SO cross your fingers no one else gets sick now!

Joe is coming home!

Yep it is true. I talked to him this morning and he is getting released this afternoon! Je sound so much better on the phone today. And he said he is happy to be getting out of there. So after today call him at home if you want to talk to him or visit!

news on Joe

Yes here it is a new update from me on Joe! He got his NG tube pulled! Thank you God they were going to try some liquid yesterday and since Pat di dnot clal back I am going to assume it went well.

If the liquid did not go well then they would have to put the tube back in and if it went good today they would try food. I am sure Joe would really like that as he has not got to eat since Sunday. I will update if I find out if he gets out today. As Pat said if all went great they may let him out today. Otherwise Dennis and I are going up there today.

So prayers are working and Joe is getting one step closer to getting to go home. I will keep you all posted!

well who knew?

Who knew that having a cold for 2 weeks and it was not getting better would be a sinus infection? Yea I have been sick for 2 weeks now. Which is why I have not been able to go see Joe in person. Well I finally gave in went to the doctor and I have a sinus infection. So now I am on antibiotics and I am assured I will feel better soon. I must admit it has been 2 hours since I took the meds and I do not feel different. But let me tell you 800 mg of IB sure made me a happy Mom again!

I talked with Linda today and she talked to Kay and she said Joe was looking good last night. And he got out of bed on his own and sat and talked. So if anyone else goes to see Joe give me an update please. I should be able to go see him soon now that I am on meds.

So there ya have it! We are all on the mend! And mini still is all loving to Mommy after last night. See so I must not be so nad after all! She is sound asleep on my bed as I type.

I wish I had the answers

You know as a Mom I try to keep it all together. Tonight I failed at it. Since Mini is not sleeping in a crib, (which I have failed to get down yet) she is not staying in bed to sleep either. She wants me to come lay with her then she goes right to bed. Or she comes downstairs and watches what else but Dora, then fall asleep. Well tonight Samantha was sleeping in the boys room, as she likes to do. So I thought tonight I will put Rose to bed and close the door. And she will either stay in bed or end up on the floor.

I went in the basement thinking I would hear her on the monitor. Not knowing someone, (most likely Mii herself) had played with it and had it on vibrate. So I could not hear her. And Dennis watching a movie on the main level could only hear her sometimes so he thought she was sleeping. Then cry a bit then sleep again. Well I went up to put Matthew to bed as now that she does not stay in bed he comes down to. I heard her sobbing up there. I asked Dennis if she had been crying the whole time? And laid Matthew down in his bed and she had cried till she threw up in her room.

Not my shining moment as a Mother. So after cleaning her up and finding out Dora blanket got puked on as did her ni ni blanket I am doing laundry and feeling like the worst Mom. Because really I know someday she will put herself to sleep again. And laying with her in not going to kill either of us. I will not do a repeat of tonight.

I wish I had the answers before finding out the hard way that this was a bad call on my part. So now she is tucked safe and sound in clean jamies and Matthew's dora blanket with her Daddy. Sleeping peacefully. And most likely knowing she now has Mommy and Daddy ready to bend on the sleeping rule because above all else she is smart. And really i would have it no other way.

Thursday update on Joe

Pat called tonight so I have an update for you all!

Joe is doing the same today. Pat said they are doing all they can to keep Joe comfortable and he is still sleeping almost all the time. She thinks he walked to much yesterday and was shot today for it. Pat sounds tired and I can tell she was hoping for a bit more improvment. She said she had waited to call as nothing new just the same and was hoping today would bring more improvment.

Jim went to see Joe today and Joe talked iwth him a few minutes and then was tired out. Pat said her sister came up tonight too but Joe was just too tired and slept. The NG tube is starting to bother him some but they do not know when that will be coming out. The doctor said they would take it day by day. So please say a prayer it can come out tomorrow and that his system kicks back in so it can come out. As it is bothering his throat and with it in no food. So they must continue the IV glucose and so his blood sugars are high. So it is a big balancing act.

So if you are planning on a visit to Joe know he will only be able to visit a few minutes before getting tired. Anyway no news is not bad news just a slow recovery. And the prayers and thoughts of everyone are appriated. Thanks for checking in on Joe tonight!

Dad we got lots of rain here. Litchfield has trees down. I will check on farm on Sat as we going to go fix Peter and Shellys computer.

Mini gets her ears pierced

So yes after Dennis wanting them done at 3 months I decided now would be ok. I let her pick out her earrings and of course she found some stars! Dora stars she wanted! So she has dora star earrings.
a close up of her star!

matthew had to show me his ear to since I took one of Mini's ear ifyou are wondering why his ear is here. No earrings for the boys!
Here is Matthew and his art work I told you about! He brought me the yellow one home yesterday form school!

Update for Wednesday

Pat called me this morning. Joe was still sleeping a lot yesterday. But got up for some walks. The nurses finally told him no more as if he pushed to hard he would be down longer. You can push only so far dear Joe! Take care of your self!

He was awake and more coherant I guess last night. Jim may go see him today or tonight. And Pat said visits are good for him. I can not go till this cold is gone as I do not want to give it to him. Just what he does not need is to be coughing up a lung with a belly in staples!

His blood sugars are running on the high side for the endo dr will be coming in to try to get them in control and they put him back on his reg insulin. They are also still watching his stomache as it is still distended but it looks better then it did before surgery. So still praying it gets better each day! But until they are sure they will not be going back in and he is on the road to recovery the NG tube stays in to get the secretions out of his stomache. So he has lots of tubes in him and they will be staying for a bit yet.

So that is this mornings update. I am hoping each day continues to get better for him. And anytime I hear anything I will get it on here right away. Keep the prayers coming he can sure use them right now.

Joe keep listening to those doctors! And behave yourself!

My brother Joe

I will keep you all up to date on Joe on here whenever I get more news. I talked to Pat tonight and she said that Joe is doing ok since coming out of surgery and he is expected to be in there a week. She said Joe went to Paynesville ER and the did an xray it looked like a perferated colon or ulcer. They sent him to St Cloud and brought him into sergery. The Dr was perplexed as when he went in it was niether of those things. They found this colon, intestine and bowel to be blocked by scar tissue. So they cleaned it up and they are watching him to make sure there was no other issues.

So keep them alll in your thoughts and prayers as he makes a long recovery!

Larry and his Dora

You know when Larry had a Dora birthday party he said it was because my kids went to visit him. You all remember the pictures of him and his dora hat right? Well now he is sleeping with a dora pillow and blanket?! I must say he seems to really like that Dora caracter!

Mini I am sure was crying in the background since he stole her blanket and pillow. Thankful she wrestaled it from him to bring back home with her.

Matthew goes to School

Yes the day has arrived and Matthew has started school. He goes on Wednesday and Friday from 12:45-3:20 each day. I do not know how he could be old enough to be going off to school but he seems to be. He loves it every minute of school. He wishes he could ride the bus but maybe next year.

And this is a picture of Mini back in the car holding Matthew's pillow as she is so very sad Matthew is going to school. She has never spent any time without her brother. None! So it is a big adjustment for her. But it is better that it is smaller doses then say him starting kindergarten and learning the hard way I guess.

So for now 2 days a week me and Mini get time alone and Matthew goes to play. They have him writing his name each day and he painted me a picture already and it is on my wall a big red circle! I love it! I will take a picture of it one day so you can see his art work to!

Mini gets her first haircut

Yes her hair finally grew long enough I needed to take her in to get a hair cut. I had trimmed it before but it needed some real work. So off we went. We told her how exciting it would be and such fun! Please to not think she is hiding her excitment. She was scared out of her mind I believe and she cried while getting it cut. I had to hold her hand and really she wanted me to get her the hell out of that place. The lady even gave her gummy bears and she still could not be talked into a smile. But the tears did shut off then and she sat for the hair cut but she was not trusting the lady not to stab her. So you will notice the sideways glances as she was sure the lady meant her harm!

But the bangs are shorter now and she can see out of her eyes again. And the lady tried to blend the sides in as they are so short compared to the top and back. But the back is all full of curls and I am not getting them cut off!

Mini and Amari

Mini and Amari have this strange relationship going on. Mini likes him for 5 minutes a day. Well here they are in that 5 moinutes. Their cheeks are both so dang cute here!

4 September 2007

The first day of school. The older kids were excited and everyone needed in the picture. Matthew as you can see did not like that the time was coming for us to walk to the bus stop. But he made it through and is doing much better this week with them leaving each morning. And this Wed he will go off to school for the first time. Mini and I will be alone for 3 hours 2 days a week. What I will do with only one I do not know yet. But I am sure tears will be shed. Most likely not from my 4 year old either. I can bet Mini will shed some when we drop him off at school and I know I will shed my share to as I watch my little boy pass one more milestone.

One last night

Well our baby is not a baby any more. She is moving to a big bed and loving evey minute of that! So the crib is sitting empty as I havenot taken it apart yet. It is hard to believe that after 10 years and 4 children the crib is coming down. I have watch our children grow and move onto a new time in their lives. We have moved that crib from Salem Oregon to Eugene and to Watkins Minnesota to Chaska to here. We have laid 4 tiny infants in that crib and moved the settings down for little toddlers. And now we have moved our last out the crib and try talking her into layng down nice in the bed to close her eyes at night. I must admit nap time is easier then bedtime. For right now she is sitting besides me on her blanket and not sleepingin a bed. Any bed would be fine with me. Mine hers and Samantha's or Matthew's. She seems to find one she likes for the night and ends up there. Most nights she starts in mine and then when I go to bed move her to one bed or another. But she is staying in the bed once she is there now at least. No more midnight visits to my bed.

My fish

When Maria and Amari were here for their visit we went to the cabin for a visit. We had a good time up there and I caught my biggest fish of the season. He was 29 1/2 inches and I have never had so many kids who wanted to be in a picture with me. Papa cut him up for me and he is in the freezer right now waiting to be eaten. Matthew is still telling anyone he knows all about my fish. I would love to see his face when someone catches a 10 or 12 lb Northern!

fun night of bowling

We had one last fun night of bowling before school had started. I now these pictures are 2 weeks old. I am catching up now though. It has been nuts trying to get into a routine with school. And now girl scouts and boy scouts are about to start so more routine changes ahead for us.

Mini had fun just sitting and playing and finding things to get into and Dennis I think he was amazed the pins fell down when he threw the ball!

I think children have invaded

The last bit Mini has decided that she needs to be in our bed as she hates her crib. So finally we are getting to taking her out of that crib of hers she loves. And she says it can not come down she just does not want to sleep there.

Matthew has always been a friend of mine and Dennis' bed. So when we come up to bed at night we have 1 or 2 children there. Then we move them to their own beds. Well Mini goes in with Matthew so she does not wake up Samantha when she gets up later to come back to my bed. Though last night she did not come back in bed till this morning so she is getting better.

More photos of the gathering

Terri eating ice cream at night. We needed a snack while we watched the fire so we all ate ice cream.
Tia all cute!
Mini thought I needed to wear all the spoons from the ice cream. Nice I get to have everyones dirty spoons on my chest!
Kent who will not smile nice gets to be on here only because he is such a sweet guy! The party was a succuss and we all had a great time. We got to sit and visit all day and well into the night with family and friends and in the end we got to feed a lot of people as they came at all hours to visit so it was never crowded here.

staying in MN gathering

Of course we had a fire. It was a beautiful night outside and we sat around the fire till late into the night. Terri the neighbor threw the 2 left over hamburgers on the fire and we fried them up to! So funny watching her and Dennis flip them over when they thought they may cook better somewhere else! They were burnt and gone by the end of the night.

sorry for the delay

Hey all I know I am once again behind. I have pictures from the staying in MN party, from the first day of school, the cabin and Mini's first hair cut at the salon. So tomorrow I will down load all the pictures and update galore for you all!