Slammin'

 Happy Friday, everyone!

Last Monday was Australia Day.  We celebrate every year with Aussie burgers and pavlova.  This is a blessedly delicious tradition.  This year, Nick also went on the search for Tim Tams and, even though our tummies were still full of beetroot and cream (ok, mine was the only belly full of beetroot, let's be honest), we made room for this sweet treat.  If you haven't slammed before, as in, Tim Tam Slam, come on over!  I'd be happy to introduce you.  Your life will never be the same and I just may become your best friend.  I have to buy my friends these days ;)  Ha ha, I hope not, but that just seemed appropriate at the moment.

What's with my infatuation with Australia?  Well, most of you know, but just in case you don't, I lived there for 18 months and taught people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It left me with a firmer foundation, deeper character, a better relationship with my Savior and Heavenly Father, and a love of Aussie burgers, not to mention the good people and friends I met there.  There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for that experience in my life.

And in the "Daisy's amazing" section of this post, whenever she comes across something gross, she'll say in her sweet little voice, "ew, yucky doo."  So stinkin' cute!

Kids playing with trains.  I love it that they have to go find the conductor hats whenever the wooden train set comes out.  Kids are awesome.

Randomness

 You ready for some randomness?  It's what I do best.

First up, my lunch:

Boiled egg and avocado on toast has become my go-to lunch.  It is somewhat low-calorie, but still filling, delicious and quick.  Try it!

The girls wanted donuts for breakfast last Saturday and were told no, so they made their own donut shop (and sold smoothies instead of donuts).  I love it when kids use their imaginations.

 And yes, Ellie's wearing makeup.  Doesn't she look BE - A - utiful?  And, don't feel too bad about them missing out on donuts.  That evening we made liege waffles with friends, and I must say, they were just as good as Waffle Love's.  That's saying something.

One of Daisy's favorite treats?  Butter.  She asks for it even.  And don't leave it out on the counter.  She WILL find it.

Yuck.

Speaking of Daisy, today I had the two babies in Wal-mart and I'm walking around with Daisy in the cart yelling and pointing, "Buy that!"  So funny coming from a tiny person.  Somehow, it's not near as funny or cute coming from my 9 year old.  Huh.

And Ellie's finger:

The nail they sewed back on has fallen off as of this morning (we knew this would happen - apparently they sew it on to encourage the nail bed to grow).  Look!  There is a nail underneath!  It is still healing, obviously, but we are thrilled with how great it is looking.

And, I love having little surprises around the house.  I get them quite often as kids play and leave their evidence.  I laughed when I came across this one:

Reminders

 'Tis the time of year I'm working on last year's photo book (books, plural, this year!  I just couldn't fit our exciting lives into the limit of 111 pages!).  Whenever this happens I'm reminded:

*Kids grow a lot in a year.

*We really do fun things together as a family.

*My kids are so stinkin' cute!  I just can't get over it!

*Even though I'm actually getting a project completed, something about being on the computer for hours at a time makes me feel lazy and unproductive.  Why is that?

*Making memories trumps cleaning house.

*Projects that seem all consuming are not really.  They do have an end.
*I am so very very very blessed.

Speaking of kids growing.  This little darling is now 18 months old!

 Maren enjoys doing her hair.  Oh, and changing her diaper.  Not complaining about that one.

Big cheeser:

My baby is growing so fast!  We adore everything about her, of course.  And, she's a genius, of course.  My pediatrician has told me that by 18 months they are supposed to be using at least 3 words.  Daisy is well beyond that.  She talks real words.  And makes sense.  And she does everything big kids are doing.  It's hilarious to watch.  One of my favorites is when Lu is singing "Let it Go" and Daisy joins right in, sometimes with dance moves and everything.  She can also throw some amazing fits and cling to mom like glue, but I only mention that to convince you she is a normal child.  ;)

In fact, how about this:

Please tell me your 5 o'clock looks like that too.

Sometimes I take kids out just to do something fun and unordinary:

And, you've been dying to see Ellie's finger, haven't you?  Sorry if this grosses you out, but I can be sure it won't gross you out as much as it grosses me out, so I think we're ok.  ;)  If you want a before photo, imagine the top 1/2 inch of Ellie's finger (and nail) missing.  Compared to that, this after photo looks awesome!

By the way, the angle of her finger makes it look like it's shorter than it should be, but it's not.  It is the same height as her other ring finger.

I have been helping with bandages, and even though Ellie can't look at it without getting sick to the stomach, I've been doing better.  I can't take her back to her next appointment, though.  I'm not stepping back in that office unless I absolutely, positively, no-one-else-in-the-whole-wide-world-is-available-to-take-her, have to.

And, one last sweet photo to take your mind off of severed fingers:

The Finger

Ellie at the hotel pool a week ago - it was funny to watch her jumping in the water while trying to keep her bandaged finger from getting wet.

I took Ellie this afternoon for her second follow-up visit for her finger.  First of all, let me tell you, again, that I do not do well with these kinds of things.  I have a, um, sensitive stomach?  I have had a few experiences in the past that have shown me I just can't handle it, and it was proven once again today.  I thought that since the accident was a month ago, it would be healed enough it wouldn't bother me?  I don't know why I went.  I was trying to be a big girl (and my daughter's supportive mother for heaven's sake!).

So, this is how it went down.  The nurse sits us in a room and takes off the bandage.  Ellie is freaking out (the first time they removed the bandage it hurt a lot and started bleeding again).  The nurse has scissors and is cutting and tearing at the bandage that has been protecting her precious finger that was traumatically cut off just a few weeks ago.  I don't think it actually caused Ellie much pain, but it scared her to a half heart-attack, I'm pretty sure.  Finally, the bandage is free and I can see Ellie's finger tip.  It is black.  She has a nail, but it is weird and gross (to be expected, I'm sure).  The doctor comes in a minute later and looks at it, says it is healing well, and that all the gross, black, dead parts need to come off and starts picking at it.  Ellie starts crying and screaming, "Owie!" and this is where I had to take a seat.  I start heating up.  I can feel it rising up to my head and I know that if I don't take action soon, this will not end well.  He was explaining that the wound would need cleaning, but that with Ellie reacting the way she was, it might be easier done in a shower or bath.  He could see right away that there was no way I could handle cleaning out her wound, and decided to pick and cut away some of the dead material while Ellie howled and I nestled as far back as I could into the chair, all while holding Ellie's hand.  Oh, I was miserable, and Ellie was too.  What a pair we were!  Oh, and meanwhile, we had Daisy there too, who was helping herself to the medical supplies under the table.  It was awesome.

I'm trying to be a good patient's mother and asking questions, all while knowing full well that I'm on the way to puking all over the office.  The doc could see that I was looking pale and asks if I wanted to lie down.  He was gonna kick Ellie off the table so I could lie down!  How pathetic is that?  I'm laughing as I write this.  He's looking at me like I'm going to explode (and I very well might).  I said "No, but could you please find me something to throw up in?  I may need that."  "Do you want a drink?"  "No.  But, I am going to lie down right here on your floor.  I'm so sorry."  So, there I am, on the floor of the doctor's office, still trying to ask questions and understand what care he expects of us for Ellie's finger.  Meanwhile, he's picked off a good portion of Ellie's dead stuff and is re-wrapping it in a much smaller bandage (hurray, progress!).  I've never met this dude.  What a great first impression.  I could tell he was a little overwhelmed with this situation.  A 9 year old that is screaming (he actually told her that she was over-reacting a bit) and her mother who is on the floor, ready to lose it all over his shoes.  Oh, and don't forget the one year old rummaging through extra supplies.  Heavens, I can't keep from smiling over this one.  Too funny. 

I didn't lose it, by the way.  I was there on the floor for several minutes after he said his goodbyes (Goodbye and good riddance!).  A nurse peeked in on us a minute later to make sure I was ok, and I was.  I had gotten my churning stomach in check and was just waiting for my head to return to normal.  I appreciated her kindness, despite my slight embarrassment.  A minute later, we left the office, giving a big thumbs up to the nurses at their station.  Oh, it was a grand exit.  Another story of the day for their family and friends.

So, good news!  Ellie has a finger!!!  I am so thrilled over this.  At our last appointment (which I made Nick take her to - see?  sometimes I have sense!) the doctor had told him that he still didn't know for sure if the graft had actually took, and that it took several weeks to see if a blood supply had been re-established.  I have been a bit worried since that it might not take, and that Ellie would be without a finger tip and nail for the rest of her life.  I know, in the eternal scheme of things, that a finger tip is not that big of a deal, but come on, we all want our babies to be as perfect as possible, right?  I prayed a lot that blood would get to where it needed to be.  This is a miracle to me.  The tip of her finger was recovered in our car door an hour after the accident had occurred.  That, in and of itself was a miracle.  It wasn't surgically replaced for another 3 hours (or so) after that.  First I was laughing at myself, and now I have tears of gratitude springing to my eyes.  What an emotional post.  ;)  The doctor today said that her finger looks good and pink (under all the gross stuff) and that it will continue to heal.  I didn't ask specifically about her nail (I was, after all, trying with all my might to keep the contents of my stomach under control), but I assume that will be ok too.  I don't know for sure.  Time will tell.  But right now, I'm so grateful that her finger is healing.  Isn't that amazing?  We have been instructed to change her bandage once a day (Nick's job!) and we'll (Nick, again) see the blessed man that gave my daughter her finger back, and then deal with crazies in his office, in another week and a half one last time.

Post-edit (Saturday, Jan 10) - Nick and I successfully changed her bandage on our own!  I even took a quick look at it!  Her finger is looking so good.  Her nail, still gross.  Ellie, on the other hand, has my stomach, it seems.  She refused to look at it and got sick just thinking about it.  Poor dear.  It is not a blessing.

Party

 Having a birthday on the Monday after Christmas break isn't all bad.  We celebrated all weekend long!

First, Ellie wanted to go try Color Me Mine.  So, on Saturday, I took my little painters and we had a grand time together.  What a fun little place!

Sunday was celebrated with Nick's family.  We made homemade pizzas (Ellie's favorite) and had cake and ice cream at Grandpa's house.  A word about cake.  Ellie requested a chocolate cake with mousse filling, blue, with snowflakes, and she got it.  The buttercream got a big droopy, but it was one delicious cake.  I have a firm belief that cake, first and foremost, should taste good.  Looks are a bonus if it happens to turn out pleasing to the eye as well.  

Ellie and her birthday buddy, Grandpa:

 Grandpa looks silly because he's singing.  Ellie looks amused because that family can not sing a decent rendition of the birthday song.  ;)

And, of course, presents:

On Monday morning, after a quick breakfast, Ellie opened a few more presents from Mom and Dad:

Ellie was so excited to take little slinkies to share with her classmates, and even more excited to come home and work on her new Lego set.  The entire afternoon looked like this:

And then, one more wish to make as we enjoyed the evening with my family:

It was fun to celebrate YOU, Ellie!  Let's do it again next year!  :)

Number 9

 Ellie, first thing this morning (back to real life around here!).  

Her requested breakfast:  Dad's yeast waffles, fried egg, and chocolate milk.

Ellie,

Nine years ago at this moment, I was being checked into the hospital.  I had been on bedrest due to high blood pressure for 10 weeks.  Ten weeks is a long time to lay on the couch, but I tell you what, I look back at that time with fondness now.  :)  We weren't expecting you for another two weeks, but you had other plans.  Early in the morning, nine years ago, my water broke, which was a sure sign that you were coming sooner than expected.  Several hours later, my first dark-headed baby was placed in my arms.  Oh, my dear, you are my first and in so many ways I feel I failed and succeeded with you!  I think back to those first moments of motherhood, with a brand new, sweet-smelling baby, and having no idea what was ahead of me.  What an adventure you and I tread!

Ellie, you are such a blessing in our home!  You are happy.  You are a helper.  In these last few months I've seen you embrace your role as a caretaker for your baby sisters.  I love watching you play with Daisy.  She adores you and you can make her laugh like no other.  You are the oldest child and fit right there.  You get to be second mom and make sure everything is in order.  You want to know all that's going on.  You aren't a little kid anymore!  In fact, these last few days, I've been trying to wrap my head around that one.  You aren't little anymore.  You are growing into a beautiful young woman and we are so proud of the choices you are making and the person you are becoming.  It is an honor to watch you bloom.

Ellie, we all love you very much.  

I love you very much.  

Happy Birthday, my sweet pea, 

Love, 

Your Mom

Ellie at 1.  Where did these days go?

Christmas Long Post

 Happy New Years!  2014 was a great year, we can't complain.  We'll make 2015 great too.  It has been so far!  :)

Let's rewind back to Christmas Eve.  Hold onto your seats!  We have lots of photos today.

Kids opening Grandma's pajamas: 

They all loved what they got, and it's a fun surprise for me too.  Daisy was thrilled with the evening's activities, as you can tell:

And then came Christmas:

 The girls were up at 6 begging to open presents, but we stalled by watching "The Nativity" and then we recorded them singing songs, something that has become a tradition.  I suppose that tradition started in my own childhood.  My parent's bedroom was at the top of a set of stairs, and they insisted we stand at the bottom and sing Christmas carols until they were ready to come out.  I have good memories singing with my siblings on Christmas morning.

Anyway, that was a nice trip to Christmas Past, let's get back to Christmas Present.  The girls finally roused the baby just before 7 (who lasted through stockings and then went back to bed).

We were happy to have Uncle Nate with us again:

 That is just an awesome pic.

We ate Nick's orange rolls and lounged about, playing with toys and napping until Second Christmas that afternoon with Nick's family.

 Missy got makeup.  :)  And, notice the exceedingly cool train set we got from my sister?  It's been in non-stop use since then.

The 3 J boys, all in a row:

We opened presents from G & G.  The kids were all thrilled with their gifts, I just happened to catch a good photo of Ellie with her new pogo stick:

 Since then, she's become quite good at jumping on that thing.

Maren with her own package of cookies:

I didn't get many photos of my babe, sadly.  This chocolate milk one is about what I've got.  She still wasn't feeling 100% and was a bit crabby.  But chocolate milk makes everything better, right?

 We went to bed satisfied with a good day.

Our weekend went by entirely too fast (why does time seem to go faster when you'd just like it to slow down a bit?).  On Sunday, we went to my sister's home.  My nephew gave his homecoming report from his mission (proud of that boy!) and then later that evening, that nephew baptized his little brother (proud of that boy too!).  It was a great day spent with family.  We drove home in a snowstorm, and woke up the next morning to a couple of perfect inches for sledding:

 Everett and Mom.  I LOVE Everett's face there.

Our little snowboarders in training:

We've kind of made it tradition to spend a night in Salt Lake to see the lights on Temple Square, and this year, the tradition continues.  Actually, the tradition got extended.  We spent two nights at the Little America.  The kids were so excited to stay in a hotel, ride the train, and eat out every meal (or maybe it was mom and dad that was excited to eat out every meal).  It took us a long car ride to get to Salt Lake Monday evening with snow on the roads, but we made it.  We had dinner and settled into our hotel room (which pretty much means kids couldn't contain their excitement and mom and dad were constantly shushing them).

The next day, after breakfast, we headed to the Clark Planetarium.

Maren, the Martian:

Moonwalkers: 

By the way, have I mentioned that is was cold?  It was about 10 degrees and the wind was blowing, which made it doubly cold.  Brrrr.  Thankfully, we were prepared and were all double layered.  Anyway, we headed to the visitor's center at Temple Square to warm up:

The babies were wasted:

Chillin' and enjoying the warmth of the sun:

We walked through the mall, Macy's window displays, and had lunch before heading back to the hotel for some pool time (the most important time spent at a hotel).  After showering, we had dinner and then went right to bed.  There was no bouncing off the walls this night, the kids were ready to sleep!  We never made it back to see the lights, which, in the freezing cold, was ok by all.  After a day of walking and swimming, I knew the kids didn't really have it in them anyway.

Our hotel set-up (we love the Little America, plenty of room for our family):

Wednesday morning we sent Dad for donuts and then one last dip in the pool:

 Ellie being a good girl and keeping her bandaged finger out of the water.

Dad was happy to see Daisy (and who's not?):

 Besides the baby, all kids were pretty self-sufficient in the water (with the aid of the life-jackets for the little ones).  Mom and Dad's job was a little easier.  This is a light of hope, people!

Mom and Daisy staying warm:

We had a wonderful time.  I know taking 5 little people to a hotel can be crazy.  Believe me, I know, but these moments are so worth all the craziness.  These are the memories we look back and treasure.  Time, money, and effort well spent.