Not so pretty

As some of you know, I bit it on my bike. It is all still very sad to me.  I was out training for my sprint triathlon that is this weekend.  I was on my 14 mile loop when I dropped my water bottle.  I stopped quick, got one shoe out of my clip in pedals, but not the other one before I tipped over.  I fell to the right and landed on my right hand in gravelly asphalt.  Blood started gushing right away.  I was so mad and frustrated.  I rode the last 5 miles home with one hand, the owie one dangling beside me leaving a trail of blood all the way home.  I jumped in the shower, slapped a BIG band-aid on and went to get the girls from my MIL.  By the time I drove the 3 mins. to her house, the blood had sopped through the band aid.  I showed her my owie and she convinced me to go to the Dr.  I was in denial, I really didn't want to go.  After 45 mins. of scrubbing the road rash out, they sewed me up with 4 huge stiches.  This meant that I can't get my hand wet for FOUR weeks.  After a week of being in denial, thinking I could just wrap it up and still do my swim in the lake for the race, I decided giving up my spot may be better than coming down with an infectious disease.  Thus, the Valley Girl Sprint Triathlon is no longer happening for me on Sunday.  I am so disappointed, but I was able to sell my spot to an eager girl who has never compteted.....

So here I am in the second week of Summer with a dumb bandage on my hand.....no water or swimming activities for me.    I now have to go monitor Brayden setting up the slip-n-slide as I type this.  Yeah, it won't be a problem keeping dry with three eager children ready for water fun!  Wish me luck!  Oh, and stay safe, unclip before you tip!  :)  

Camp Spalding

My boy went to Summer camp!  Brayden spent three nights and four days away at camp.  He was so excited to go, he wanted to pack and make lists two weeks before it was time to go.  I think this may be why I didn't cry when I left my boy to a bunch of strangers on drop off day.  Brayden is one of those kids that could run the house for a week by himself.  He doesn't always make the best choices, but he knows what he should do.  :)  He is 7 going on 8 very soon, but he has always been an old soul.  He has a love for life, and his happy go lucky attitude is finally returning after this emotional year.  He is a kid that I don't have to worry so much about, he does all the worrying for me.  :)  Just as I expected, he had an "AWESOME!" time at camp.  He was very lucky to have his cousin, Keegan, right beside him.  It was four days that they will never forget!

We play dirty!

We did the Dirty Dash for the second year in a row with our good friends, Chris and Jackie.  Their daughter, Breanne and her boyfriend, Jeremy joined us this year!  It was a good time had by all!

                                            Nice and clean before the dash.  Jackie made us some hot tutus!  :)

                                Chris after the first obstacle, he even had it in his teeth!

                                  

 
                                    One of the obstacles....

 Kent and his cat-like reflexes after the wall...

After 4 miles of traipsing through the mud and obstacles....who wouldn't love this?  If you have thought about doing this, go for it!  It's like nothing you've ever done...they even have kegs halfway through the race....some teams get held up their for some time!  :)

Last day of school celebration!

Summer is here!  Here is my raga muffin boy.  Funny how the first day of school pics are nice and handsome...last day is more real life, reality stuff!  I am so proud of my boy, he has learned so much in first grade!  We are very grateful to a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Dowling!

Party in the park on the last day of school!  Amanda, Jackie, Huntar, Emmett, Cole and Ellie.

Some of our favorite boys: Gavin, Landen, Kaiden, and Ryan.

Dani and Ally!

                               Here's to a fun and safe Summer, enjoy those lazy days!

Miracle

Today, my Dad is home!  After four months in the hospital, of which 42 days were in ICU, he is home.  For a while, we didn't know if this would ever actually happen.  There was more than one night where we were told, "He isn't going to make it."  We sat by his bed, in a surreal state, shocked, overwhelmed, sleep deprived, barely able to function.  I think we were numb to everything around us.  Nothing in the world mattered, but what was going on in that ICU room, where the machines pumped and beeped in a rhythm.  We watched the nurses, pleading with our eyes to save him.  Hours would pass with little or no change.  Then finally the right numbers would start to rise, then sink again, toying with our emotions.  What an exhausting game, not knowing, not able to anticipate what was going to happen.  It was literally a second to second, minute to minute waiting game.  One thing would improve, but then something else would deteriorate, such a balancing act.  After many,  many scary days and nights the numbers got better and better.  He was starting to turn a corner, then another one.  It is going to continue to be an uphill battle for a longtime to come, but this reminds us that life is so precious, make sure it is lived to the fullest each day.  We love you Dad, keep getting stronger!

Ankle breakers

SASSY!  How cute are they?  The girls have been wanting these shoes for months.  They finally went on sale, so I decided to splurge.  (they don't need a thing)  I have to admit, they are the cutest things ever, but oh so impractical.  They actually had to take them off and put tennis shoes on so they could play at the Y today.  :)  Which I guess was a smart move. 

My logical reasoning behind this purchase was this:  I am physically unable to wear high heels, or anything of the sort, even wedges.  I think this may be due to the fact that I never had proper training.  I had no interest as a little girl, and as I got older, I felt much too tall to add any height from shoes.  At this point in life, 34 years of age, it is embarrassing.  The girls laugh out loud when I even try sassy shoes on.   I look that awkward.

 

 Here is to a Summer of sassy shoes and hopefully no hospital visits with broken ankles!

Mr. James Frye

This is James Frye.  Most of you who know me well, have heard numerous stories about James.  I  worked with James for 12 years.  He was my first client, ever.  I was a brand new graduate student, looking for Summer work.  I put an ad in the newspaper (a real paper newspaper) for "play therapy."  I couldn't legally say speech therapy, because I didn't have my masters degree yet.  Mrs. Wendy Frye called me, and the rest is history.  We hit it off instantly, and we never looked back.

At the time, James was a non-verbal six year old.  He had a few words here and there, but not many.  That Summer I worked with him everyday for TWO hours.  What did I do, you may ask?  At this point, I'm not really sure.  Like I said, I was a brand new graduate student with no experience, but I put my knowledge to the test.  We did a bit of everything and James ate it up.  James is someone that I will always treasure.  So on graduation day, I got a little choked up watching him in all of his glory.  He couldn't have been more proud.  To top it all off, he was one of five students to receive the superintendents award.  That is how amazing he is!

                     Wherever the future takes James, he will always have a piece of my heart.