Pictures, At LAST!

Sacramento Temple: Marquel and Ryan's Wedding:

Marquel and Ryan's Reception:

Fun, FUN times!! :)

SacTown and Me

I just returned from a fun-filled trip to Sacramento with my family. Unfortunately Steve had to work, so he couldn't go (I missed him SO much, so did the boys!) I rode with my parents and brothers in their RV. I tend to get car sick, so on the long ride there and back I took some Dramamine. Good thing it was the non-drowsy stuff...I slept a LOT!

The drive there was good, although, I got tired of watching my brothers playing a video game that is a LOT like Monopoly, long and boring, all the way through Nevada....BOTH ways. I did manage to get them to agree to watch movies a few times, which helped keep my little boys from going insane.

I was a little bummed that we came through Donner's pass at night, it smelled great, but I didn't see much. Thankfully, on the way back, I got to see how truly beautiful the Sierra Nevada mountains are. SO pretty, with such WINDY roads. Windy to the extent of nauseating....Jake puked, but only on the windy roads in the mountains.

When we finally got to my uncle's trailer park (we were going to park the RV in an RV storage area in his trailer park...) it was WAY late, and we were all exhausted. We chatted with my cousins, who were THRILLED to see us in their hometown instead of visiting US. That night, I crashed, but only so far....I had to share the one extra bed in the RV with Cameron AND Jake...let's just summarize by saying that there was much kicking and crying.

The next day my cousin, Jara, took us on a tour of the town. We went to the grocery store that my uncle and cousins work at, because the boarder guys confiscated our cherries. :( We needed more fruit. We also learned why it's not such a good idea to go shopping on an empty stomach....we bought a LOT of food. A LOT!! Then we went to see the Sacramento Temple. SO pretty, but I was dying in the heat. I immediately found a shaded area, and then we walked around a bit. It reminded me a LOT of the Snowflake Arizona temple. There were even a few lizards running around. After the temple, we went to have a picnic by the Sacramento River. The picnic was great, the walk to the river, exhausting. I now know why I do not like the heat. It wears me out and I do NOTHING! It was pretty bad. The boys played in the river for a bit, then we decided to get swimming suits for those of us who didn't pack them, and swim in a REAL pool. After visiting several stores, we were set, and went back to the trailer park to swim in the community pool.

Jake loved the water, did not want to get out...at all, and thought he could swim. Cameron stuck to the shallow end, the wall, or grabbed onto someone he knew wouldn't throw him into the deep water. After cooling off, we headed back to the RV to nap. Then we ate dinner and decided to get some free frozen yogurt at Pinkberry. The line was LONG, but we entertained ourselves. Plus, the staff brought out itty bitty cups of free samples. We each got our cups and ate them quickly, then we went back...for sleep. By the time we got back, it was nearly midnight.

The next day we KNEW we had to try In and Out....SO SO SO good. After most of us were finished eating, I noticed Cam hadn't TOUCHED his burger. That's not like him, he LOVES burgers, but he didn't even take a bite. He said he wasn't hungry, and we gave him the same lecture we usually give him, "If you're hungry later, don't bother asking us for more food, you have lunch, and if you are really hungry, you'll eat now...." Soon after that, while we were talking, Cam got sick....ALL over the ground. I pointed him toward a bush that ended up getting a taste of Cam's breakfast. My cousin, Michael Kyle, was FASCINATED by the barf, he kept analyzing it. There was a table of missionaries (3 sets, so 6 missionaries) and they were totally grossed out. Soon after Cam's incident, we left. We went back to the trailer park to rest and swim (but when we realized how soon we'd have to leave for the wedding rehearsal, we decided not to swim). Right as we were getting ready to get into cars to leave, Cam got sick again. My dad, a SAINT, volunteered to stay and take care of Cameron while we left. I am so glad he did that for me. Cam was sick a few more times that night....poor kid.

We rode with my cousins to down town Sacramento, and to the park for the wedding practice. We were warm, but it wasn't TOO bad in the shade. Then we went out to eat at Golden Corral. I had only ever been to one a long time ago, and was NOT that impressed....I sit here, a changed woman. I was very impressed and happy with the food and the results. I also got to meet up with my cousin, Lance, who I haven't seen for YEARS. I kept trying to talk to his youngest daughter, but she kept giving me a look that said, "Who are you? Why are you talking to me? I don't KNOW you!" Eventually she warmed up to me, but his other kids were very open and talkative the whole time. After dinner, I rode with Jara and my brother and Jake. We went to Jara's house for something, then we stopped to get some Gatorade for Cameron. I wanted to get some Otter-pops too, but they were out. Then we went back to Jara's house to meet her roommate. We finally got back to the trailer park around midnight. Yet another late night for Jake.

Saturday dawned bright and HOT! We went swimming, enjoying the cool pool, but by the time we walked back to the RV, we were hot and sweating again. I cleaned up the boys, then myself, ate lunch, and waited to go to the wedding.

At first we weren't going to take the RV, but then we were, then they changed their minds 3 or 4 times. Finally, we were going, IN the RV. My dad was going to drop us off by the reception center, and find a parking spot. We couldn't open the RV's door. It was stuck. We had my brother open the door for us (he rode with Uncle Mike, so he wasn't in the RV with the rest of us.) After walking the dogs around, and trying to open the hard-to-open-door, my dad gave up. Before the wedding started my parents called a lock smith to help them open the door. The wedding was beautiful, hot and sweltering, but nice. I sat close to the front, so I heard everything, but they didn't talk loud enough for everyone else to hear. After the wedding, my dad went to meet up with the lock smith, while the rest of us talked and went to the reception center. It was MUCH cooler there, plus there was food. After an hour or so, my dad and brother came back from the RV. The door was completely broken, and needed a total overhaul, so they broke the latch on the window and hoisted someone in to open the door from the inside. The reception was fun, but began to get warm. We left late, and tried to follow the directions given to us to get back to the trailer park. We missed our turn-off and ended up on the freeway to Los Angeles. My brother has GPS on his cell phone, and using that, we got back. As we were about to get off the interstate, there was a loud bang and clang. The side-mirror fell off the RV. To say that my dad was in a good mood would be a HUGE lie, to say that he was mildly grumpy would be better, but to say he was tired, and ready to be done would be completely accurate. We parked in the RV storage, in a different spot, not one meant to be parked in, but we didn't care, it was late, and we were all done.

My younger brother, who had been sleeping at the newlywed's home, decided to not stay there on their wedding night, so he slept on the floor of the RV. Early (or late) he began to be sick. Thankfully, he was VERY quiet, and I didn't get TOO grossed out. He continued to be sick the rest of the night and all through the day yesterday. Right before we were leaving, my dad, the driver, got sick as well. Thankfully, he controlled it and was fine for the rest of the trip. I know he was nauseous, but he managed to survive.

On the way home, we again watched movies and the same boring video game for HOURS and HOURS! It was a very long drive, but we made it home, safely and soundly.

I had such a blast, especially seeing my cousins and uncle and aunt (who I haven't seen since I was 15 or 16). I will miss them for our big family reunion this week.....but that also means I have MORE family to see and talk to soon!

As a side note: I DID take a LOT of pictures, but they're all on my mom's camera, and her memory card is an HD card, so I will get the pictures when I can.

Salt Lake Again....

Our yearly trip to Salt Lake for Cameron's genetics appointments is OVER! YAY!! So far, he's fine. We wait to get the results from the MRI, but I'm sure he's okay!

We left town Monday evening-ish. We had originally planned on leaving town as SOON as Cameron got out of school, but my grandpa (my dad's dad....) had fallen that morning. Grandma Sue wasn't sure what had happened at first and called my parents' house to get help lifting him up. They think he had a stroke (or a series of mini-strokes) and he was in the hospital until today. Monday was spent getting family notified and spending time with Grandpa in the hospital.

We didn't get into Salt Lake until WAY late, and we were worn out. (I went with my mom...the usual helper....and my uncle along with my boys.) We checked into the hotel that I had previously made arrangements for, and went to our room. It was ALL wrong!! This place has two kinds of suites, studio suites (with ONE queen sized bed) or a town-house (with two bedrooms.) I went to the office to get things fixed (which they did QUICKLY, sign of a good business!) and then we crashed for the night.

Tuesday we mostly stayed in Primary Children's Hospital doing tests. Cameron was fine, for the most part. He did his obligatory whine/tantrum in the ophthalmologist's office. (It took me and a nurse holding him down to get the OTHER nurse a chance to get the drops in his eyes for dilating.) Thankfully, no new symptoms to report. *Hallelujah!* We did go and do another back x-ray for his research study he's apart of, and he got $50 worth of gift cards for his participation. (He feels SO rich!)

Then we decided to visit my grandpa (mom's dad) who lives with my uncle. I'm not quite sure what I think of his living situation right now. He seems content, but then again, I'm pretty sure he'd be content where ever he lived. (This grandpa is the one who has dementia. He doesn't even remember that his wife died half the time.) He lives in a teeny corner of a large bedroom of my uncle's house. I really don't want to say that it wasn't fun, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE my aunt, uncle and cousins, but their house is so jam packed full of THINGS that there isn't much room for my grandpa and all of HIS things. I'm a bit conflicted over my feelings with this situation. Stay tuned....

We actually went out to dinner with my grandpa and my other aunt's family. We laughed and had a great time. Grandpa seemed pretty with himself at times, but at other times he was questioning everything. Every time he sees Jake he thinks it's a new baby that he's never seen before.

After dinner we went back my uncle's house and watched some OLD home videos. The video was nearly 20 years old!! I just laughed!! Then we went back to the hotel and crashed again.

This morning we woke up WAY early and took Cam for his MRI. (He gets an MRI to monitor some plexiform neurofibromas that are growing on his spine.) Because my son is a wiggle-butt, he has to be sedated. Usually he has grandma hold him for his IV and take him back to the room. This time, Grandma stayed with my uncle Aaron and Jake while I went back with Cam. He was freaked out the whole time....worrying about the poke for the IV. When the time finally came, he was a WRECK! He screamed over and over that he wanted Grandma, but he was stuck with me. After taking him back to the room where they gave him the sleepy medicine, I went out to the waiting room and....well, waited.

After 45 minutes, a nurse came out and said that Cam was waking up early. I went back to recovery (where they only allow ONE adult per child) and saw him flailing on the bed and moaning. I tried to console him, but it wasn't happening. During the MRI Cameron started waking up early, so they gave him some extra medicine that really made him loopy. He couldn't control his mouth to even form words. The poor guy was a miserable mess, and was so hard to keep under control. After a while of trying to comfort the boy, the nurse said that if we could get him to a place where he could sleep comfortably, he'd stop being so cranky and she decided to discharge him. (He was only in the hospital for 2 hours!) We did the discharge and left as quickly as we could.

Overall it was a busy trip, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I'm just glad to be home!

Here's a few interesting pictures.

This one is my dad's dad (the one who had the stroke) on Saturday. He had very little feeling on his left side of his body. (The doctors didn't find any blockages, so they're not exactly sure what happened to him.)

This one is my mom's dad at my uncle's house.

So Long, Farewell....

I'm heading out for a women's retreat with my mom. I'm pretty excited about it. (Even though Steve is not too happy about the whole thing....I'm leaving him on my birthday, of all the RUDE things....)

So FFA Friday is off this week...sorry! Okay, so I'm not sorry! :)

Home Again, Home Again....

We're home, and I'm SO tired!! Here's a few highlights:

• All of the appointments went well. He has a new eye prescription (new glasses, here we come...), he got PLENTY of radiation exposure (2 bone density scans, 2 back x-rays, and one MRI!), and we may or may not have to go back in 6 months for a follow-up MRI, depending on the results.
• He was VERY VERY brave for his appointments. He only cried when they put the dilating drops in his eyes and when they were putting in his IV for the MRI. We're hoping that someday, he'll get used to these things and not cry as much.
• If you don't have plans while on a trip, you will find yourself VERY busy!! On Tuesday, our "relaxing" day, we drove for an hour for a restaurant (and wasn't that impressed with it...) then rode on the TRAX to Temple Square to see the Tabernacle, the Christus Statue, and the roof of the Conference Center. We rode the TRAX back to the hotel, and hurried to meet some of my friends for dinner...we were late!
• Grandma is DEFINITELY an asset on trips like this. (Except when she buys annoying toys at Cracker Barrel....dang guitars!!)
• Finding a hotel with 2 queen-sized beds, and a hide-a-bed is HEAVEN! Finding a hotel with a breakfast buffet is WONDERFUL!! Finding that your wonderful Heaven has closed the swimming pool.....SAD news for little boys!
• Apparently I count in my sleep! My mom told me this morning that I was very gently and slowly counting. Before she fell back to sleep I was up to 80!! (Can we say OCD!?)
• According to Cameron "When I blow up, I want to be a soccer ball!"
• And "bastick" is another way of saying "chapstick!"

It was very long, fun, informative and UNEVENTFUL!! (yay!) We don't know the full results of the MRI yet, but it seemed to go well. Cam cried afterward for his daddy, and then SCREAMED for grandma. (Only one parent/adult is allowed back in the recovery room with the children.) I did get some video of the whole MRI event, but I need to talk with a friend to get my cord for the camcorder. I didn't get him walking around like a drunkard, because I was helping keep him upright. I DID get him nearly falling out of the wheelchair though, so you can see SOME of his drunkenness! He really wasn't as bad this time as he was the LAST time. But apparently the last time he woke up early and they gave him some muscle relaxants....which REALLY helps his dizzy situation anyway! *rolling eyes*

This is Cam from this morning....PRE-MRI (and pre-IV!)

This is Cam riding on the TRAX, he LOVED it!

This is the view of downtown Salt Lake City from the roof of the Conference Center. It was the first time I had been up there, and it was amazing. I'm STILL trying to fathom that the roof area covers 10 ACRES of land!! WHOA! (That giant pyramid type thing is a sky-light, but with Conference coming up, they cover it because the natural sunlight wreaks havoc on the television cameras!)

But we're back, and things are fine. Now it's back to normal life! *sigh*