Quick trip to the ER

Just thought I'd inform you of our Friday night. We were having a great dinner at home when we heard a smack and cry all at once. Isaac had pushed with his feet against the table and tipped his chair while strapped into his booster seat. He was not throwing a tantrum, he had been eating a great dinner and was happy as could be. He fell against the sliding doors but his head smacked the metal frame at the bottom of the doors. I quickly unbuckled him and picked him up (as I know I should have assessed the situation a little better bfeore moving him but mommy's instinct is to comfort!) and he was screaming. I felt the back of his head and could immediatly feel 1/2 a golf ball. I quickly told Royce we were going to go somewhere for this (not to startle Chloe too much) and so Isaac and I headed straight to the car after grabbing snugglies of course. He quit crying a bit down the road and luckily we were at the hospital in about 3 minutes. They saw us immediately and Isaac was calm the whole time. He never vomited, never lost consiousness, and did cry immediately so those were all great things. Doc came in and looked in ears/nose and there was not any abnormal fluid. Turned out the lights and looked in his eyes which were also fine. Worked with his skull and all was okay. So--no concussion, just a skull contusion. Doc said not to be alarmed if some of the bleeding above his skull slumps down into his neck or even if he sleeps on his tummy for it to slump to his face. His skin never broke, just a sharp line where it is obvious he hit the track or frame of the sliding door. We were to wake him every 2 hours just to be sure there is no abnormal change in behavior, balance issues, etc. We played while waiting to be discharged and he practiced making the number 2 on his fingers for his birthday coming up so he was well coordinated.

Through all this, Royce and I found the greatest blessing. Up until about 10 days ago I had Isaac's chair at the head of the table in which our china cabinet is behind. Solid glass doors and shelves. Had I not decided to arrange the dining chairs a little differently this would have been a completely different situation. So we most certainly don't ask God why this happened (even though all is well) we thank God for allowing this to happen now and not 2 weeks ago. Like I said, he was not angry or being silly at all. He was just eating a nice meal. He had issues pushing with his feet on the table several weeks ago but we haven't had any issues with tipping and obviously tried to punish the feet on the table and scold him anyway. But tonight was just a fluke so we are thankful that all of those times he tested us a few weeks ago were just truly a test and that God allowed the actual fall to happen tonight when the china cabinet was not behind him.

Okay--everyone have a great weekend! Hopefully our drama is over now!

A New Year!

I really don't have anything exciting to update everyone on in our lives. We've been busy recovering from the holidays but we've enjoyed every minute of it. We hosted 5 events in 7 days at our house and couldn't have been happier to do so. No driving, no hauling gifts, no squeezing everyone into the 3 or 4 days would have been back in WaKeeney to have all the Christmas celebrations at once. It was great. Our move has truly ended up to be everything we had hoped for. Yes, next year it won't be our turn to host and we'll have to travel a bit to the local family around here, but we're happy to make those little drives instead of the long haul we usually did.

I don't have any pictures to post. I dropped my camera on Christmas Eve so it's a the repair shop. I just busted the little ring that opens and closes the lens so I believe it should be able to be fixed, but go figure. The kids can get hold of it and be fine and I open it on the kitchen floor and drop it. So the pictures I posted late on Christmas Eve were from my mom's camera.

Royce has enjoyed hunting a few days this last week. Mom and Ron kept the kids for New Years so we could have some fun. It was strange not eating dinner until 7:30 or 8:00 in the evening and then actually going somewhere after that. We went to a ballroom here in Hays that had a band. They were really good, but we only knew a few people. So we left at 11 and went to where Robynn and Dustin were hanging out. It was a fun group and we're glad we were able to join them. So New Years Day Royce and Dustin went hunting and Robynn and I went to lunch and to see The Blind Side. What a great movie. I even caught another movie with mom and Chloe on Sunday. Mom took Chloe to her first movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks the squeaqual. It was cute and Chloe loved it. She was really sad when the movie was over because she wanted it to keep going. Two movies in just a few days for me is some sort of record for the decade for me. I don't see two movies a year anymore. One of the many reasons I'm glad to be living here. Robynn and I have caught several movies together and it's great.

Royce and I are also attempting to take up another hobby. Reading. Yes, reading. Neither Royce or I have picked up a book on our own will in years. Seriously, for me it has probably been 15 years and I'm only 26 years old. I do not enjoy reading. I wish I did, but I sure don't. But I don't want my kids to feel the same way. Royce's NY resolution is to read four books, all of different types (history, fiction, non-fiction, etc.). He figures if he can do one a quarter then he'll be doing okay. He started reading his dad's book the other night. Wayne has written a book that has compiled all of his letters home from Vietnam while he was over there. He is hoping to get it published this year but has copies of it for all of us to read. I started reading a book that Robynn left in my car after we were shopping together. It's 406 pages and I do have every intention of finishing it. It's called Barefoot and is just about the lives of three women one summer. I'm enjoying it so far. So Sunday night Royce and I did something we have NEVER done...we both read by the fire. Cheesy, right?!?!? It only lasted about 30-45 minutes, but it was nice. I'm not sure we'll ever find a time where at least one of us isn't watching a game or something to where it'll happen again, but hey, we can try!

Okay, enough about our boring lives. We hope you all had a great Christmas season and that God is keeping you all safe and healthy. Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve, Part 1

Merry Christmas Eve! I guess right now it is actually Christmas, but that's only because we're up so late. The tradition with Mom, Ron, Robynn & Dustin for Christmas is to go to Christmas Eve service and then open gifts late at night. So we started opening gifts around 10:00 tonight. Chloe and Isaac managed to stay up late enough to get through the gifts before heading to bed around 11:00. Poor kids! But I know it's just a few years of them being little until they're old enough to think it's fun to stay up so late.

So here are some pictures before church.

Chloe was so proud to have her pink bear have a matching dress for church. She got dressed so nicely. I'm pretty sure these dresses are going to be put to good use--for a long time!

Christmas Eve, 2009

Next blog, pictures from after church while we were waiting for Robynn and Dustin.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Eve, Part 2

My handsome reindeer:)

Cheese!!

Waiting for Santa
(nevermind the fire...)


Ron, Elaine, Dustin, Chloe (her tights were too itchy after church!), Megan, Royce, Isaac

Funny Faces! We take this picture every year. We are always so goofy that this picture is always a tradition. We really need to compile them and see how little we've matured! Fun fun fun.

Chloe & Little Greg

Today we had lunch with Chloe's friend Little Greg (His dad is Greg, therefore he is Little Greg in most cases. When dad's away we skip the Little part.). Greg (4 1/2) is Robynn and Dustin's neighbor and we've referenced him before at Broncos watch parties. He's such a sweet little boy and Chloe just adores him (and I'm pretty sure that is mutual!). So today we had lunch at our usual location of McDonald's so the kids could swap Christmas presents. Chloe saved her Broncos shirt for about 4 days just to wear for Greg. They had a good time just as they always do so I snapped some pictures.

We told the kids to sit down for pics and Isaac secluded himself but was just as proud as could be:)

Playin' it cool.

Gettin' friendly.

Total BFFs.

Giving Isaac some love too!

Chloe got Little Greg the Toy Story version of Yahtzee! and Little Greg got Chloe a very cool princess tiara & wand along with finger nail polish. I quote Chloe in saying "It's the best present EVER!" Gee....could the fact that it came from her little crush have anything to do with that?!?!? I did not get a picture of Greg's little sister Jaylen--she had to watch all the fun from the high chair. Soon enough she'll be out there running around too!

Cute kids

I caught the kids in pretty good moods the other night after baths so I snapped some pictures of them. I LOVE Christmas pajamas! The brighter the better!

Don't worry...there are plenty of presents that have made their way under the tree!

Two goofballs. The sign says, "Dear Santa: Leave Presents- Take My Brother"

Merry Christmas!

Snow pictures

Last week we had over a foot of snow. Chloe loved it, loved it, loved it. She usually gets frustrated if she falls during playing, etc. but she couldn't get enough of making snow angels, standing in the deepest drifts, and sledding. The sledding pictures from the farm are all on Grandpa's camera but maybe we'll get them posted over Christmas.

Isaac was sniffly with a runny nose for a few days so he didn't get to play much. He didn't have the desire like Chloe did though so it was okay. We stayed inside and drank hot cocoa and he ate the marshmallows:)

Ready to go!

Chloe has outgrown her pink snow pants so these were the ones that came with Isaac's coat. They were plenty big for her. But...that meant when Isaac went in the snow he had to wear the pink ones. Poor kid!

Chloe swimming in the snow.

The snow was so powdery it wouldn't pack at all. Chloe wanted a snowman really badly so they did the best they could. I think the carrot and two lava rocks are still on my porch....