A dream come true

As a little girl I had the opportunity to take piano lessons.  Sometimes I hated them but mostly I loved them.  It was always fascinating to me that I could make music from my hands, it wasn't always beautiful at first but with enough practice I could play pretty good.  I have wanted for years to have a piano to teach my kids the skills that I have acquired over the years.  But they were always so expensive and I wanted a piano just like my mom's.  I wanted to ask my mom but I didn't want to cause a big family uproar because I wasn't the only one who took lessons so why should I get it and not someone else.

The day before Halloween I got a phone call from my mom.  We chatted for a bit about what our day was going to be like then she said, "Well I want to give you an early Christmas present."

"Okay" I said, not having the foggiest idea what she was giving me.

"I want to give it to you early before the weather gets cold" She told me.

"Okay..." I said, thinking that she was going to give me something to plant in the yard.

"But you have to promise not to sell it." She said

"Okay..."  I replied, my curiosity was defiantly piqued at that point

"I want to give you my piano."

I was so overcome by emotions I have no idea what was said after that.  Really, me?  Wow!  What an honor!  I could not believe my ears.  I was crying, I was laughing, the kids and Bruce came running into the bedroom to see what was going on.

We talked about finding some movers and that it probably needed to be tuned because it had been a while since someone had played it.  After I hung up the phone I walked on clouds the rest of the day, actually every day I walk into my computer room where we put it I am on a cloud!

It took about a week to figure everything out.  There were four piano movers that I could find that worked in Utah Valley.  I got prices, asked questions and they all were comparable, so I prayed about it and I had a really good feeling about one mover so I went with him.  The move went as smoothly as you could have asked for, the mover and his two sons made it seem so easy and effortless.

Within seconds of the movers leaving the kids were all asking if they could play it.  They all took their turns, then I took my turn, what an amazing feeling after all these years that my fingers could still remember where they were supposed to go.  Some songs came better than others but they all felt so good, so natural.

I have been teaching Bailey, Morgan and Owen.  Reagan wants to learn and I am helping her but her hands are so small it's hard for them to reach to where they need to go, but she's trying!  Oh, the sound of music fills my home and it's wonderful!  I love it!

I don't think I could ever thank my mom enough, what a dream come true!

Primary Program 2010

Morgan came home from school on Friday with a sore throat.  All day Saturday she laid on the couch with a fever and sore throat.  Then Bailey woke up this morning saying that her throat hurt and Reagan was complaining about her stomach hurting.  Any other Sunday we would have stayed home but it was the Primary program...and it is Baileys LAST Primary program.  We had to go.  I gave the older girls Advil to help with their throats and we got ready. 

We got there in just the nick of time too, we usually arrive to church 10 -15 minutes early but we were running late today, I didn't even get a chance to nurse Oakley before we left!  The kids took their places up on the stand but we kept Morgan down with us, I didn't need her getting everyone around her sick, plus she still didn't have much energy.

The Program went perfectly.  The spirit was so strong.  There is something about a child's voice that is so precious and sweet.  All the kids did so good, even when each child took their turn to speak all the other children were so reverent.  Reagan knew her part but I think that she got nervous when she saw all the people so she needed some prompting.  Owen did awesome and was the only one in his group that had his part memorized.  Bailey did wonderful, she was asked to write her own talk and she did so good, it made me so sad to think this was her last one.

The last song the congregation was asked to join in the last verse of "Come follow me" what a neat sound to hear the sweet voices of the children over the congregation.

Afterwards the teacher who was sitting with Owens group came up and said, "I need to tell you, Owen has such a sweet spirit.  He is such a special boy and he is so well behaved."  Wow!  I was so proud when I heard her say that.  Usually I feel like people my think he is just rough and tumbly (like a boy should be) but he also is the sweetest boy I know.  It's nice that other people notice that too.

I made the kids quickly take a picture when we got home.  Reagan was in no mood to have her picture taken, but I'm glad that I made her be in it anyway.

The Nebulizer

Oakley still has his cough that he has had for ten weeks now.  I took him to the doctor seven weeks ago but his lungs sounded good so the doctor decided to treat him for acid reflux.  Well it helped a little bit but he was still coughing, especially at night.  Then he started not wanting to lay down flat.  And sometimes in the middle of the night when he would wake up he would be wheezing.  I decided to take him back.  The doctor checked him over saying that he sounded good but I asked him if we could just take an x-ray because for some reason my kids' lungs sound good but look yucky on x-ray.  He ordered the x-ray.  Then Oakley started wheezing in the office so the doctor decided to put him on pulmicort that is delivered through a nebulizer.

We then went over to the hospital for the x-ray.  I am no stranger to what they have to do to babies during the x-ray so I was mentally preparing myself, especially because he was hungry.  I had to strip him down to his diaper and put him in the contraption.  I held up his arms while the nurse strapped him in.  And he chilled, didn't even whine or wince or anything!  The nurses could not believe it!  I was laughing so hard, they were laughing so hard and soon Oakley was starting to giggle.  He started sucking the x-ray.  We tried scaring him and tickled him to try to annoy him to get him to cry, but he wouldn't.  The nurses didn't know what to do because it's good for babies to cry so they can get a good picture of the lungs.  The just ended up taking the pictures hoping for the best.  I was mad that I didn't have a camera and that my cell phone had such a crappy camera on it, but at least it had one so I snapped a picture of him in the tube.  Bruce said he looked a little concerned but he really was just babbling.

I got the results of the x-ray and he has 'viral pneumonia' and he needs to be on the nebulizer for a few months.  He is responding really well and hardly coughs at all any more.  He loves 'helping' me hold it, but he is usually asleep by the end of the treatment.  I am so thankful for modern medicine!

Raking leaves

On Monday night, November 1st, we were invited to go on the trail and rake leaves so kids could jump in them.  It was pretty cold but the kids had lots of fun.  Afterwards we had yummy cookies and hot chocolate thanks to Emilee and Kellee!

Carving Pumpkins

Halloween afternoon we finally carved pumpkins.  We had a three hour window to carve, which I thought would be plenty of time.  I guess not.  After we got the pumpkins all scooped out everyone chose their pattern I taped them on and poked little holes for an outline.  Then the kids got to carving. 

Bailey and Morgan's pumpkins were so thick, even after scraping them, that they had a hard time carving the pattern they chose.  They both decided to carve a traditional jack-o-lantern on the opposite side. 

Reagan got her pumpkin all carved and was on her way out to put it on the porch and she tripped and fell, breaking her pumpkin into pieces.  She then wanted me to make a butterfly on my pumpkin so I tried and failed, it looked more like a piece of bread...

Owen's dragon turned out perfectly, Oakley's baby jack-o-lantern was perfect that I carved and Bruce carved a awesome traditional Jack-o-lantern like the girls. 

We were in such a hurry after that I forgot to take pictures of our final products!  But at least I took pictures of the process!

 Oakley enjoyed watching everyone and chewing on his octopus



Halloween

Halloween morning we did our chores, quickly, then got dressed up.  We first headed over to Macey's where they had each department handing out candy.  They also got glow bracelets and Halloween bags.  Macey's also had a cake walk type of thing that every thirty minutes they would call out a number and if you were on that number then you won a cake.  We stuck around for a little bit, but the kids started getting antsy so we decided to leave.

We then headed over to Springville because Kranky Franks was giving away free hot dogs to celebrate the end of road construction.  Unfortunately it was a miss print in the news paper and the free hot dog give away was the week before.  The owner was very generous and gave us free hot dogs anyway.  Bruce and I felt guilty and bought our hot dogs.  I also got the sweet potato fries...so yummy!  I want to make some of my own!

After that we headed back home to carve our pumpkins...(in a later post)

When we were done carving it was just in time for our neighborhood trunk or treat and a major rain storm.  Luckily that rain storm only lasted about 10 minutes before it let up.  We were able to get around the neighborhood.   Then we went up to Springville for Bruce's mom's trunk or treat.  We were going to head to Spanish Fork to go to Bruce's brothers neighborhood when it started hailing so bad we could hardly see out our car window.  It was pretty scary.  We convinced the kids that we were done trick or treating, they finally agreed and we went and had dinner at IHOP instead!

 Everyone ready to go for the day

 Bailey was a lady bug

 Morgan was a bumble bee, she used the same stockings and tutu from Bailey's costume last year

 Owen was Iron Man

 Reagan was a butterfly

 Oakley was a skeleton