Friday, April 27, 2012

pneumonia



Ellie had come home from school excited about her speed!  She completed the mile race for her grade in P.E. that day (every grade was participating through the week).  After she told me her ranking (4th in the group and the second girl) in the race she complained that it was hard to breathe and still felt funny in her throat.  I suggested she take it easy for the remainder of our day and didn't think much of it.

The following night her face was flush and she had a fever.  I told her she would have to stay home from school the next day.  She had responsibilities for a conservation fair to be held in two days.  She felt like she had to go to help her team get ready.  Not only did she miss the preparation day...the fair itself...she missed the entire week after.

We found out after the second missed day that she had pneumonia.  She was given an antibiotic Friday night.  Her fever slightly improved but it was there every morning and evening even well into the next week.  Neither of us could take it anymore...so on Thursday we called the doctor's office again and they wanted to see her.  Her new chest x-ray showed that her lungs were worse than the original x-ray. The antibiotics weren't working.   Her doctor prescribed two more---and the next morning....NO FEVER!  


This has been quite an ordeal for Ellie.  I have been really impressed with her attitude through out.  She missed three birthday parties, a book-club gathering, the conservation fair, the spring UT football/alumni game (Danny played!), her first spring tennis lesson, the first road show (play) night that we are all participating in, family gatherings...and a lot of school.   Although a few tears were shed regarding a few of these events--she turned it around every time and found something quiet to do here to make her happy.  A few things we did do:  draw... and draw... and draw...  She read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and started Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  She saw Pride and Prejudice for the first time.  We discussed questions she found online for our book-club book (Number the Stars) and we discussed them after her sisters went to bed.  Even though I hate to see her sick and I almost did a cartwheel in the kitchen when she had no fever this morning, I will miss having her with me.  We love so many of the same things (guitar, books, movies, photography and even cooking).  She is growing up so fast---now that she is on the mend, I realize how much I am going to miss her through out the day when she is at school next week.

SPRING BREAK 2012


BRYCE CANYON - CAPITOL REEF

We loaded the car and headed down I-15 for a spring break adventure!
Our wonderful friends (the Lowe's) invited us to join them at their family cabin for a few days during spring break.  They suggested stopping at Bryce Canyon for a few days at the beginning of the trip!  We were in!  We had so much fun.

It is amazing to see the majestic vistas of that beautiful place.
We enjoyed so many gorgeous spots in Utah!

Some highlights:
hiking down and back up the loop at Bryce
(My girls each had a camera in their hands.  I gave them a quick aperture lesson and they LOVED it!
hiking Calf Creek
(the waterfall at the end was amazing...and I didn't bring my camera...sigh...)
catching lizards at the cabin!
exploring the abandoned house
gathering for meals
rides on the bull dozer!
movies each night
Cathedral Valley
Glass Mountain

Family time away from phones, work, and computers...especially when spending our days outdoors is my favorite way to spend a week!  Being with good friends made it that much better!!!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

gleaming hearts



I bought our first packets of seeds, for planting this season, almost a month ago.  A few of the cooler climate plants would have been perfect to plant in March--but we were going to be out of town for spring break---therefore the tender plants would have had little care.  We had to wait.  Sophie had been with me and asked over an over again... "can we plant the garden today!?" in the sweetest-voice-filled- with excitement...it was really hard to say "not yet."

We are now home from our trip (I will share pictures soon)---and the day started out warm and beautiful.  I gathered the seeds for early planting (can be planted before the final frost).  I grabbed gardening gloves for Sophie and I (even though I NEVER keep them on).  As Sophie tried hers on she exclaimed triumphantly "I got them on by myself!!!!!!!"  (without doubling up any fingers!)  Boy was she excited!!!

We planted:
3 varieties of lettuce
2 colors of carrots (did you know about purple carrots!?)
beets
bush beans
sugar snap peas
foxglove
broccoli

We weeded a little (why do the deer not eat any weeds!?  it kills me!) and watered a little more.  Sophie grabbed a bucket from the sandbox and wanted to water her "gleaming hearts" we bought yesterday.  When we were at the nursery looking at them yesterday I had pointed them out and called them "bleeding hearts."  We decided to buy another one for the side of the house.  I didn't know until today that she heard "gleaming" instead of "bleeding."  I wont tell her now---gleaming hearts is so much sweeter.

Rain is now falling on our new seeds.  We will be watching them closely- crossing our fingers that the deer don't notice them at all.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday


 "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection,
not in books alone,
but in every leaf in spring-time"
Martin Luther


Ellie made breakfast (egg burritos)
read the account of the resurrection from the New Testament (kids version)
the girls hunted for their Easter baskets
(filled with flip-flops, swimsuits, a summer shirt, and candy)
ironed dresses for church
(I surprised myself and didn't buy anyone Easter dresses this year--a first for me--I will have to make up for it next year :))
grilled cheese-tomato soup-sugarsnap peas lunch
made dough for rolls for dinner
a beautiful church service
baked the rolls
headed to Nana and Papa's
Sunday dinner
Easter egg hunt
Kate found the egg with a $20 bill!
(thanks Uncle Bill!)

Candy filled kids...and happy filled hearts.