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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

ECLIPSE

Went to see Eclipse last night with some friends! We went to a charity showing at 6pm, so we had seen it, went to dinner & were home, while most were still waiting in line for the midnight showing! It was so nice!
I had a blast with these girls...

I could have done without seeing Victoria's head laying on the snowy ground...but I LOVED it!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Croup

Saturday Ryler woke up with a Raspy Voice, but throughout the day it came and went.
I figured he was probably congested & possibly getting sick, but he was very happy all day & we even decided to go out with friends to movie & dinner. 
When I picked up Ryler from my parent's house, he sounded worse & before we left he started a barking cough. We headed home & he fell asleep within seconds. When we got home, Matt tried to lay him down in his crib & he woke up coughing so much, that he could hardly breathe. 
We decided it would be best to take him to Goodnight Pediatrics & see if they could give him a breathing treatment. 
We got there about 10:30pm, got right in & they immediately gave him an oral steroid to reduce swelling in his throat & started him on a breathing treatment. The breathing treatment was supposed to help with immediate relief, but it did not...so after monitoring him off and on for about 1 1/2 hrs, she came in and said that she was going to make arrangements for an ambulance to take him to the Emergency Room. At this point, they also took his temperature & it was 101.5, so they gave him Motrin to reduce his fever.

I made the decision to drive him myself. I figured that I had been sitting there with him for the past 1 1/2 hrs & wasn't worried about a 10 minute drive. We got to Banner Desert Children's Emergency Room & while signing him in, a nurse walked by & immediately stopped when she heard Ry's breathing. Ryler was sleeping in the stroller, she back tracked her steps, listened to his lungs & immediately grabbed a nurse to put us in a room. I felt bad that there were people that had been waiting hours, but Goodnight Ped's had called ahead & told them we were coming & they were obviously worried about his condition.

There biggest concern with him was that even when sleeping or resting, his breathing was still not normal. Often times with Croup, it gets worse at night or when they get agitated, but when they are resting, they are fine. His resting breathing was still not regular & they ordered another breathing treatment. The nurse suggested that we get comfortable, because more than likely they would admit him for 24 hours, since he had needed 2 breathing treatments in such a short amount of time.


How do you "get comfortable" in a hospital? 
I would finally get him to sleep & a nurse would need to check his vitals, which is why we ended up watching Barney at 3am ...

Ryler NEVER watches TV. He won't even sit still for 2 minutes, but he was SO EXHAUSTED & was so good & just layed in bed, although he did tryto rip that thing off his toe, every couple of minutes;)

After the 2nd breathing treatment, they monitored him for 2 hours & the nurse was debating whether to admit him or not. At this point, he had fallen to sleep, so he sounded MUCH BETTER, but his breathing was still raspy. She went to get the Dr to check on him and after another check, he decided to send us home! He had improved over the past 7 hours & that is what they wanted. We got home about 5am today(Sunday) & both of us were so exhausted, we crashed. 

He slept pretty good, he still does not sound great today &  we are just trying to take it easy today. They figure it will get bad again tonight, but hopefully it will be better than the crazy night we had lastnight!

POOR BOY!
I really hope he is feeling better SOON!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

1st Trip to the Ranch this year


We hit the ROAD Tuesday & spent this past week at the cabin!
It was WONDERFUL & I have a zillion pictures to pull off of my camera...


but first I have several loads of laundry to do...while I try to get readjusted to this miserable heat we live in!

Monday, June 21, 2010

WATER FHE

We had the best FHE tonight in my cousin's FUN backyard, complete with GIANT slip n' slides, a bouncer slide, baby pools, a trampoline, a playhouse & GREAT FOOD!!!

Ryler, trying out the skateboard & falling backwards...
Parker having a blast...
on the playhouse...
and the tramp...
While Parker stayed DRY,
Ryler decided to get WET...
The night was a SUCCESS!!!
Thanks Brett & Rachel! Love our family!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!


Happy Father's Day to the most INCREDIBLE husband in the world!!!


and to my WONDERFUL dad & to my AMAZING father-in-law!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Welcome Back!


Today we welcomed BRIAN HOME from his mission in Brazil!!!

Waiting for him to come out...


Cute cousins & best friends!

The kids were SOOOO excited!



Finally here!!!
We spent the rest of the afternoon at Grandma & Grandpa's house, ate a yummy lunch, looked at pictures from his mission and visited with family! My parents went to Brazil to pick him up, so they had fun stories to share & they were able to meet many wonderful people that Brian loved & taught.

Welcome Home Brian!


PS. Watch your step when walking out to the parking garage, there is a teeny tiny step that you could trip over and end up sprawled on the asphalt, if you are not careful(not that I would know) ;)
AND
please take cash OR card with you to the airport, so you don't feel like a complete fool when you realize you have NO money to pay for parking & have to call your brother to bail you out(Thank you!)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Cute Girls

Thursday night we showed up at my parents to go swimming...
then my brother Matt & his wife & girls(including their dog!) showed up to swim...
then my brother Rob showed up with his kids...
and then my bro-in-law, David showed up with his kids!
All the grandkids just happened to show up on the same night & had a BLAST swimming the night away & when it was time to go home, the girls took a bath before changing into their pj's!


It was such a fun night with the cousins!
And this picture makes me want a girl one day!
BUT...
if I don't get one, that is ok, because I have really...really cute nieces:)

Back from Camp

After an extra LONGGGGGG week while Matt was at Scout Camp, we made it to Chick-fil-a to celebrate!

I realized how grateful I am when Matt gets home every night and I can have adult conversation & 5 minutes to relax! I didn't know what to do with myself after putting the kids to bed & dialed his phone number  several times throughout the day, only to remember that I couldn't call him. I really missed him & I am in awe of every single parent out there. 
It feels good to have him home again!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

McD's...Chick-fil-a...Burger King

I'm helping with Cub Scout Day Camp this weekend & one of the items on my TO DO LIST was to pick up Burger King Crowns. The "theme" is Knights at the Pueblo & they told us to have the boys bring costumes for a Round Table event. Well...costumes = HOT when you are out in the middle of the Phoenix desert, so I suggested Burger King Crowns:) Easy & cute!

I had a bunch of other errands to run & I promised the boys that if they were good, then we would go to McDonald's for lunch.
They were good.
Kind of.
So off to McDonald's & then off to find a Burger King for Crowns.

Unless you can't find a McDonald's with a PLAY LAND!?!? I thought they ALL had play lands, but we went to 2 different ones that didn't :(
I gave up & decided we would go to Chick-fil-a, because they have a playland and were were nearby. Right as I get to Stapley, I looked to my left & there was a GIANT BURGER KING with a PLAYLAND!!!
While I didn't know there were McDonald's WITHOUT play lands, I also did not know there were Burger Kings WITH play lands!
Woohooo! 2 birds with one stone!
"Can I please have 1 hamburger, 1 whopper....
oh...and 20 burger king crowns?
Thank you."

OH...and they have the best play land ever!
Ryler is usually TOO SMALL/SHORT to play on ANY play land we have ever been to, so he usually just watches with envious eyes.
But they had a little "kiddie" slide that he LOVED!
AND
he could reach the first step to climb up the tubes/slides & he had SO MUCH FUN!
If your kids are a bit on the YOUNGER END...this play land is perfect!

"I crown thee...my favorite Mother"
Thank you Burger King for making ONE LESS STOP in my BUSY day!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Summer Movie

We started the SUMMER MOVIE PROGRAM yesterday(we missed the 1st week) & saw Shrek 3. It was so much fun, we went with all  the girls in my fam(except Liz...we missed you!) & all the grandkids(except Ryler...a little too young to sit through a movie). 
This was hist FIRST time to the theatre & he did great! 
(Well, I did take him ONCE 2 years ago with my friend Mandy to a Summer Movie...but he was WAYYY to young then & we ended up outside the theatre through most of the movie!)
This time was MUCH BETTER & I'm looking forward to doing this with Parker every Monday!!!
The 8 cuties...sorry I chopped off your head Mason:) You are bit taller than the rest of the grandkids!

Then we headed to Grandma & Grandpa B's house to SWIM & for POPSICLES...
IT WAS A GREAT DAY!!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Just a couple of kids in LOVE

Lately, I have been thinking about what I was doing at this time 
6 years ago.

I had just arrived home from BYU to spend the summer with my family, leaving all of my stuff in my apartment...as I planned to return in the fall & complete my degree in Special Education. I was excited to have a break from school and work & be able to spend time with my family for the summer.

I'd been home for about 2 weeks, when I heard that my friend Matt Allen had returned home from his mission in Chile & was having an Open House . 

Matt and I had been friends for as long as I can remember. We were in the same ward when we were younger & were in the same Kindergarten & 4th Grade class.  In Junior High, he remembers that I forged his mom's signature on a permission slip, so that he could go to Sunsplash :) In highschool, we were walking down the halls from one class to the next & Matt was in front of me. Before I knew it, he had fainted, & I (kinda) caught him and then I escorted him to the nurse's office. But FRIENDS is all we ever were. Matt was a bit shorter than me & I think that created a comfortable friendship between the two of us.  But I always said, "He is exactly the kind of guy I want to marry"(if he were taller, of course)! After graduation, we went our separate ways & I ended up going to China to teach English for a semester. I specifically remember talking to my cousin(& roomate in China) about boys & we asked eachother "If you had to marry someone that you already know right now, who would it be?" After gagging over most of the boys we "knew", She gave her answer & then I answered, "Matt Allen".

On Sunday, June 5th, 2004, 
Tara Rudd & I showed up at Matt Allen's house for his Open House. I was excited to see him & I can remember walking into his house, walking over to give him a hug & being surprised at how tall he was!

I guess you could say, "He had me from Hello" :)

Matt & Staci-July 2004

6 months later...
we were married. 

6 years later...
I'm so happy that I came home for the summer & never returned to BYU. I'm so happy that I was lucky enough to marry the guy that I always hoped to marry. I'm so happy that I have the 2 cutest kids in the world...and that I'm married to the man that I fell in love with 6 years ago.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Getting Wet!

We've been enjoying cooler weather than normal for June (it has been sooo nice), 
but it is definitely warm enough for a swim & the boys (& neighbors) have been enjoying playing in the water daily!
We moved the playhouse onto the rocks, because we had sod laid(hooray!) in our backyard, but I kind of like it over there, since it doesnt' make mud.  Too bad it isn't very soft on the kids feet:(
This is Parker's friend Nick...and our next door neighbor. He was in my preschool this past year, so they have become good friends!
And...Parker obviously got his height from the Allen side:)
I can't get enough of this kid...
His soft cheeks & big eyes just kill me!
HAPPY SUMMER!!!