Great Strides

This last summer we learned that my wonderful friend (Katie Curtis Stevens) from my "school" days has a child with cystic fibrosis.  Honestly, I had to do a little research to learn about cystic fibrosis and to see what it really meant.  After I read about it, I was horrified.  The life expectancy is so low, I think it is about 37 right now.  But, years ago, it was in the 20's...so science/doctors are finding solutions.  Our group of friends has a website to stay in touch, and after all of us felt so helpless, we decided to just DO something.  So, we found the Great Strides program.  We are going to participate in a walk that raises money for research to find cures/helps for CFF.  So, June 7th, at Seven Peaks in Provo, UT will be the day for us, and I am sure it will be a blast to meet all together.  I have a goal of raising $500, and if and when any of you want to help me reach my goal please go to www.cff.org/great_strides/SarahBisel.   If you want to learn more about Cystic Fibrosis go to www.cff.org:80/AboutCF/, and if you want to learn more about sweet Lauren, please go see our blog.

It has been very inspiring seeing all my friends work together for a greater cause.  I am amazed at the energy we can muster when there is something like this to get us into gear.  As we all get older, I am amazed at the trials that come our individual ways.  But, I am even more amazed at how well each of my friends have conquered their own trials, and how well the rest of us work to back each other up.  I have been very blessed to have such fantastic friends who love, share, work, and cry together.  go KJAM!

House of DOOM!

That is the new name for our home.  The House of DOOOOOM!  Yes, it is true, our family seems to be hit by the "unlucky" bug.  We had a little "drama/trauma" before the rattlesnake, then the rattlesnake bite (seriously this biggest deal), and now the flu. But not just any flu, the crazy flu.  Bj had a fever of 103.5 (he likes everyone to know, that temp was taken in his ear, so his temp was probably 1 degree higher) for about 3-4 days.  Seriously, nuts!  Now, we are all sick except our sweet Madeline, and she is constantly in our prayers so she may escape it. Bj was the first culprit, he came home sick on Wednesday, and he is still sick today (even though he is back at work because we can't use that many vacation days for sickness).  The rest of us became sick and we are all hoping to get better soon.  I am ready to get back to real life.  I think March '08 will go down as the March from @#$%!  Oh well, as I have been reading my scriptures lately I am reminded of what real trials look like, and even though I feel like I have been through some this month, big deal!  Others have it so much worse, and truthfully, we are very blessed.  We have food, shelter, the gospel, and each other.   We are blessed.

But for all of you who live close to us, stay away.  Save yourselves!  

Visitors

After realizing I have a multitude of pictures to share, I made collages so I could make the point in a smaller space.  We were so blessed to have my friend Katie come visit us from Gilbert.  Katie and I became great friends when we were both counselors for Academy for Girls at BYU.  We have been meaning to get together since we both moved to AZ a couple years ago.  But, the best plans can always fall to the wayside if we let them.  So, I felt very lucky that she came all the way to Tucson to play with us.  Our Ruby and Madeline are only 2 days apart, and they enjoyed playing with each other.  Betsy and Elizabeth (yes, they share the same name, it is a great one after all), also played together.  And Mitchell and Cannon found their own way to be happy.  It was so fun to reunite, remember, and renew our friendship.  Katie is one of those fabulous women that are amazing to everyone they meet.  She has such a great eye for beauty, she always brings a gift when she comes, and she puts me to shame in almost every way.  But, even though she is so much better than me in every possible manner, I love her dearly, and she inspires me to be better.  And, now, I hope we can keep in touch with each other a little better than we have in the past.

Here's our backyard visitor this weekend. Bj and the kids enjoyed trapping this little lizard in our backyard.  They loved catching him and petting him.  Elizabeth loved looking at him, but when he ran over her feet she was certainly offended.  Me thinks she's not quite ready to be friends with wildlife yet.  Madeline was very concerned about putting the lizard back into the desert, she didn't want to keep him from his home.  But, Mitchell, he was looking for a bottle to keep him in.  

We also had our family, the Avey's come for Sat./Sun.  The kids absolutely adore each other.  McKay(3) loves spending time with Madeline, and Madeline loves being looked up to.  They just might be kindred spirits, because I saw a lot of similarities with them this trip.  Mostly, though our kids just loved holding little Luc.  Babies always bring out the best in people, and our kids really loved seeing this new spirit.  Mitchell thought Luc was pretty cool until Luc spit up on Mitch, at that point he was ready to throw the baby off his chest.  Note to self...train Mitchell on how to hold and protect a baby.  We had a blast with the Avey's and we are always sad to see them go.  Elizabeth has been asking  for McKay and Kimball all day, and I am so glad she loves her cousins.

Update on Liz:  She is doing better physically.  Emotionally?  Still traumatized.  And, let's just be honest, so am I.  These trips to get her blood drawn are draining me.  I think I am going to have to take some antidepressants by the end of this ordeal.  Okay, I'm doing better than all that, but this just makes me very grateful for the general health of my children.  We are more blessed than I usually recognize.  Even though I didn't really enjoy the way I was reminded to cherish my little ones more. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to stop the usual craziness and take small opportunities to give them a hug, kiss, big spinning hug, a kind word, or just a squench to show them how much I love them.

Permanently Scarred

Today we had to take sweet Elizabeth in for additional labs (meaning 5 vials of blood).  After our experience at the hospital, I was nervous, and so were my in-laws.  So, my fabulous mother-in-law went with Elizabeth and me to the lab.  The first thing Elizabeth said when we got there was "are they going to poke me?"  I didn't answer her.  Maybe she would forget about it.  After waiting for 1 hr. (with no one in front of us), the lab tech called us back.  Elizabeth immediately started sobbing.  She knew what was coming.  She started screaming, "I want to go home."  I don't know if anything breaks a mother's heart more than a heartbroken child, but here I was having my heart broken again.  How can I do this to my baby?  Stupid snake!  So, there we are, wrestling with my 3 yr. old, me with my legs wrapped around her, and Nana Laura covering her eyes, and trying to distract her.  It was awful, but at least they hit the vein the first time (unlike at the hospital).  Tender mercies.

Now at home, she is pretending with anyone who will pretend with her, that she is a Dr. and she is going to poke them.  Of course, she would really like the recipient of the "poke" to cry mercilessly after the needle.  She is a funny kid.  Now I have found out I went to the wrong lab, and they won't get the results in time for Occupation Therapy.  Arghh.  Should they have labs 100 feet apart?  Seriously! Now, I am feeling like an awful mother.  But, this is all a learning experience, I just wish I was learning it with my own troubles instead of with my sweet baby.

I am not a fan of this experience. Last night, my sweet Lizard (Elizabeth) woke up with nightmares.  She was screaming, and terrified and it took her two hours to get back to sleep. I don't know if she was dreaming about that rotten snake, or if she is terrified of all the Docs, nurses, and needles.  Poor little kid.   I wish it was all over, but we still have more blood work ahead of us (because venom stays in the body longer than anti-venom).  Occupational therapy starts tomorrow, and I really hope they just give me stuff to do, so I am not driving 45 minutes away each time she needs to do work.  

We are also so blessed.  Our ward has really wanted to do something for us. With my parents flying into town to take care of us, we weren't really "in need."  So, now they are gone, I feel so blessed, and somewhat guilty my friends are bringing dinner to my family.  I know I could make dinner, but it is still a blessing to have that taken care of.  I am coming off the adrenaline now, and those sleepless nights are catching up with me.  So, I really am blessed that my ward is good to us.  I have been touched and amazed at the rally of support we have seen.