Road Rash

This year started off our Amazing Grace Race (aka Jog-a-thon) at the kids' school with a terrible accident!  While loading up the truck with all the necessary equipment, Kendall fell from the back seat of the truck and landed on her face.  Riley had put the boosters in the truck for me.  She was sitting by the open door and leaned towards the door, fell with her booster face down.  She didn't move right away - I think she was in shock because she didn't cry until I picked her up.  Once I picked her up I saw how wrecked her sweet little face looked and knew we were in trouble.  She had scraped off most of the right side of her cheek area.  Her eye and lip immediately swelled up.

I got her cleaned up and she wanted to go to bed, not a good sign.  We got to school and I started to unload when Alyssa and Miss Sue got a good look at Kendall.  Both agreed I needed to take her to see the doc.  Thank goodness for such great friends!  They pulled off the entire event that I planned while Kendall and I spent the better part of the day at Children's Primary Medical Center.  Kendall got checked out, had a CT scan to check for facial fractures and took a little nap.  Once she got discharged with a concussion but no fractures, we headed back to school.  Once she got out of the truck, she threw up!  Uh oh!  She got lots of lovin' from the kids, parents and staff at school.  One mom even ran home to get Kendall a bunch of Barbie movies to watch at home!

Kendall waiting in the ER - she looked much worse later that night as the swelling and bruising increased

Once we got home, she threw up again!  UGH!  But thankfully it wasn't more than just those two times.  We didn't have to run back up to the hospital but had to keep her calm and resting for a week.  That was the hardest part!  I was tempted to make her wear her bike helmet because she kept hitting her head on things!  Too much anxiety for this mom!

Thank you to everyone at Grace who stepped up, especially Alyssa Mallory, who took over without thinking twice!  Of all days for this to happen...on the day of the big school fundraiser!  Thankfully everything worked out just fine and the kids had a blast doing our first Amazing Grace Race!

Hole Shot!

It's been tradition (well except our first year in Utah because it rained) that Riley and Andy go to Supercross together.  They started in Jax and they have been to it 4 out of the past 5 years!  Both LOVE it!  They watch it together every weekend and Riley will pretend he's racing supercross on his scooter outside.  He sets up his jumps and makes us count down and drop the gates for him!

This year offered nicer weather than last year when it snowed, but it was still cold at night during the finals.  They had so much fun walking through the pits and watching the race together.  Andy got them tickets early so they had great seats!  I hope we always live in a place where they can do this together.

Andy snapped some shots while they were there:

He's sitting on Ryan Villipoto's bike, the 2012 Supercross Champion!

The view from their seats!

Eli Tomac, one of Riley's favorites, won the West Lites!

Kendall was sad that we weren't invited to tag along this year so I suggested it becomes a family affair next year.  Maybe next year will include a trip to Vegas for the finals!!!

8 Years Just Flew By!

Can you believe my little man is EIGHT already?  Neither can I!  I still remember everything from his birth as clear as day...The anxiety, stress, worry, and yet the calm and joy that washed over us.  I started thinking back over these last 8 years and realized just how much my little man has been through!  The poor boy has had numerous surgeries, seen so many different specialists in all parts of the country, lived at 4 different addresses in three states and has been in three different schools (and no we aren't a military family which is the standard response I get after sharing our story)!

This year Riley is all about LEGO Star Wars.  Big surprise, right?  We had a great party for him at the house this year.  He invited about 15 friends and had a blast playing LEGO Star Wars bingo, a LEGO building contest, taking down Darth Vader with Nerf guns, destroying the Death Star pinata, cake, ice cream, etc!  I had more LEGO games planned but as the teacher in me always does, I over planned so we would have lots to do!  The kids had just as much fun running around the house shooting each other with empty squirt guns!

Of course I didn't get many pictures because I ran the batteries of BOTH of my cameras and didn't think to recharge them!  UGH!  I did snap a few though!

The empty basket was filled with squirt guns before our home got invaded by 2nd graders (plus one 4th grader!)

We took down Vader!  Only one kid got him in the head, which was the goal!

Riley decorated this table with a scene using his LEGO Star Wars stuff

Taking down the Death Star!

Riley's Speeder Cake!

My friend Meri made this for me!  She copied Luke's speeder and made the top look like LEGOS.  

Riley was SOOOO surprised!

Happy with his cake!

 Discussing birthday wish options with Tristam!

Our boy is blessed with some incredible friends from school, scouts, karate, and friends we met through MOMS Club.  He got lots of LEGOS for his birthday and a new mountain bike from us and his Nanny and Pappy Hershock!  He loves his new bike and has been riding it almost daily!  We are so lucky to have such an awesome little man for a son.  Riley is intelligent, analytical, logical, caring, tenderhearted, sensitive, and loving and he's brought us so much joy over the years.  

Happy Birthday Bubba!

Spring Break 2012

I just realized I haven't posted since EASTER!  Wow!  We've been busy since then for sure!

The week after Easter was the kids' spring break.  We decided to spend a few days camping in Moab that week.  We rented a camper and hauled all the bikes down with us.  We visited Arches to see the parts we didn't get to see the trip before and so Riley could earn his Jr. Ranger Badge.  Now he has badges from Arches, Zion, Bryce and Kenai Fjords.  We also went riding for a day while we were there.  Kendall and I broke in my new quad and the boys rode their dirt bikes.  Riley learned some good lessons for riding in sand...Poor boy struggled in some deep sections but he did really well considering the conditions.

Sadly, Riley got sick while we were there.  He threw up numerous times and it was always a huge mess to clean up!  Ugh!  The worst was when he threw up in the middle of the night!  Less than 24 hrs. home and Kendall was the one throwing up!  Thankfully they didn't both get it at the same time and each only lasted about 24 hrs!  We were lucky no one got sick on the way home in the truck!

Some views from our Moab Trip:

 In Arches National Park

Near the Firey Furnace

Hiking back to see the Landscape Arch

Lots of sand hills around

Kendall didn't like the sand in her shoes!

We finally found it!  This is Riley's favorite arch because it's in the Utah book we bought before we moved here!

Out in the distance are snow capped mountains!

The scenery while on our ride!

From the Gemini Bridges Trail

Snack and drink break!

Our second visit to Moab was again, too short, but one that was much needed!  We all got a chance to spend quality time together and get away from everything at home!