Pee Wee Tee Ball 2009

Emergency Ear Procedure

Although I think that John and I make good lookin' children, the combination of our health flaws aren't as attractive! My sister, grandmother and several cousins all have ear canals that are shaped as such to trap moisture resulting in persistent ear infections. This constant bacteria growth becomes anti-biotic resistant after a while and causes permanent ear loss. John's contributions are allergies and allergy induced asthma, he did out grow the worst of it by age 16. The problem with this combo: you cannot let the allergies run it's course to build up immunities to 'out grow it' because the constant moisture drip causes the ear infections! AHHH! At 19 months of age after well over a dozen different antibiotics used to clear Josh's ears we opted for putting in tubes in his canals to support proper drainage. This has worked wonderful with only 3 ear infections that could be regularly treated until this month. The last week of May he had a fever and complained of ear pain but I just assumed that his tubes were finally falling out (they are supposed to fall out by themselves after 2 years or so.) But when one ear in particular was looking inflamed and draining puss, I took him in. He had a ruptured ear drum due to a funky bacteria. At this visit the P.A. told me that she couldn't see the tube so it must have fallen out. (Sidenote: Josiah came in a few days later for his own ear infection that refused to clear.) So armed with a new and improved antibiotic I thought it was strange after a week to see no improvement. On Wed. Josh woke up with blood coming out of both of his ears, so we went back to the Doc's and were sent to the ENT specialist that put his tubes in. The ENT looked in his ears and said that both tubes were in but hindering more than helping and that they needed to come out today along with all the puss. So he postponed a scheduled surgery and an hour later I was holding Josh's hand as a nurse was administering local antistatic prepping him for an "emergency extraction." So they took his tubes out, drained and sucked out all the yickies. Thank goodness my in-laws were home so that I didn't have to be dealing with the little ones this whole time! He was only in pain for about 30 minutes after, then was acting just like himself again. In 4 weeks we will go back to the ENT for hearing tests to see if there is more permanent damage (he has 25% loss in left) and after everything heals they can see if new tubes and removal of tonsils and adenoids can help any. If he does need another surgery I sure hope we can squeeze it in before baby comes!!!

Summer Days

When it's nice out we practically live outside, enjoying our backyard. So if you come over and nobody answers the door and there is a vehicle home, pop in around back and check for us there! Here's what we've been up to in our yard of wonders:Our plastic pool of 4 years broke and it was fun to get to go buy a new one. We got "the big fancy one" that is a good foot radius bigger than our old one with a feature that blew Josh and Jake's mind; a slide. They soon discovered that "if I slide naked I can go fast like navy seals" but there will no pictures of that here :) This is one with Grace and Cody, the angelic children I watch on Friday's (in the pool on the right) The swooshing of the slide mean lots of hydration for my surrounding grass! Who needs play equipment when you have 4 wheeler ramps to climb on?!?

With the mill behind our house closed down the deer are no longer afraid to come down the hill and snack in our garden. This photo also shows how long we let the wilderness get down at the bottom of our lot. I wish I could get my hands on a mini bailer and make some hay! Our poor old mower was smoking after finishing this little plot.
All my boys cruising around the back "checking on man stuff." We are so blessed to have such a great back yard! It means we can pretend to be country doing things like having a nice size garden and irrigating via pumping from our creek.

We got a great deal on some paver stones and are working on prepping ground for a patio. The older boys helped shovel a lot, even Josiah doing some work by hand. Josh helped a ton too by assisting John unload the 4 pallets of paver stones off of John's pick-up! The inside of my house will always be a disaster zone, but I'll tell you with all these workers I'll have the best landscaping on the block for sure!

Track and Field... well, Field!

Jesse did shot put and Juli did discus this year at districts. It's for the best of the league to compete and the top two from each event advance to state.

Jesse P.R.ed (personal record) and claimed 3rd place. Jesse was the only Jr. in the finals (top 8) amongst all Sr.'s.

Juli P.R.ed huge, and this here 'lil freshmen got 8th place. One of her warm up throws would have gotten her 3rd, but that is just how it goes. I love the last action pic of Jub, the competitive emotion that is in her face, something rarely seen in my sweet, shy sister in law.

Mother's Day

Yes, I know Mother's Day was last month, but I'm just now putting down what I was thinking that weekend.

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I'm one lucky lady. I have a mother, the woman that gave birth to me PLUS a step-mother who raised me the second half of my childhood PLUS hands down the best mother in law I could ask for! Thank you to all the mothers in my life, I love you guys!

The Peters clan gathered at Eagle Crest for mother's day weekend...

Obviously these are the cousins, hard to believe there will be two more to try to capture next year. My poor Jake in the top right is so not photogenic there is no use trying to get a good picture of that one.

"Papa Peters" pushed Mandy and Josiah on the swings for a good 20 minutes+. This was very much appreciated because this simple task makes me so nauseous; another thing to look forward to in 2 months :)

The wonderful Peters men, quite possibly solving all the world's problems.

The deer here are so tame that Josh touched them a few times. I do believe they enjoy the fine wining and dining from the visitors.

John got me the most thoughtful gift, a ring like the one above with all the names of the boy's on it. At first I was a little upset that he blew May's grocery budget of such a frivolous thing, but rest assured utilities were much less this month so it all worked out. It's just a smidgen too tight for my slightly swollen right ring finger (fits on the left one though) so it's on a necklace for the time being.

Prune

"God blesses those who paitently endure testing..." James 1:12a

I've shied away from posting because I've had a no good, very bad attitude towards life lately. I married into a family that has funny sayings for things and accordingly I've been "pruning out" thus being a prune. I'm not too proud to admit that I've been angry with God, throwing my immature temper-tantrums crying my eyes out at night. But I'm sure all my readers have flawless walks with the Lord, so you have no idea what I'm talking about. By letting the enemy steal my joy and filling my heart with anger, the past month or so has left me very empty emotionally. Today I got the first good news it seems like we've had in a loooong time and while I was immediately glad, it turned to sobering sobs as I realized just how awful I've been, far from patiently enduring testing. The book of James, especially the first chapter, has always been one of my favorites, but I really need to re-read it today...

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." James 1:2-4