Thanksgiving 2009

I wrote this entry a while ago. Sorry for taking so long getting it on. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We visited with family, ate (a lot), played, and just enjoyed our time off. Here are the pics from Thanksgiving.

We ended the weekend on a spiritual high. On Saturday our niece Madison entered the waters of baptism. She had been taking the missionary discussions for several months. Last month Les recieved the call that told us of this wondeful news. He was also asked to be the one to baptize her. Les was thrilled.

When the big day came it was apparent that Maddy was quite nervous. Les pulled her aside and talked things through with her. Before entering the font they had a little prayer and she seemed to feel a little better. Then her mom came in to talk to her and let her know she would be right there when she came out of the font. She also let Maddy know that if her Uncle Les dropped her or hurt her in anyway she would come into the font to get him back. It was enough to get her to smile. Great Job Maddy! Here are the pictures.

Halloween 2009

We hope everyone had a wonderful halloween. It was pretty good here. We started out the day with the making of cookies and other goodies. Les wrapped each plateful in plastic wrap. We delivered one plate to each house on our street.

After our deliveries we got everything for our costumes together. Once Emma put the cloke on that Les had made for her last year she would not take it off. She loves it!

We ate dinner and and got the candy ready for trick or treaters. Our first ones came at 4 (our last came after 10 even though our light was off by then). Around 6 Daniel and Jana brought their kids over. We took Emma and Sammi around to the houses on our street and then met up with Daniel's family to go to other houses in the neighborhood. Les and Sammi headed back to our house to wait for trick or treaters.

Here are pics from our night.

We had a great time! Emma didn't want it to end.

Happy Halloween!

August 2009

Continuation of catching up on blogging part 3. Again I will try my best to remember everyone and everything that happened in here.

Bryan came and stayed with us again to do a week of runs with the Ogden Paramedics. He cooked one night for us. He is a great cook! He will be back off and on until he gets 300 hours (I think) in on these runs. Most of them will be in Ogden but he will do at least one week here in Logan.

My grandmother has been hospitalized several times for a blockage in her bowels. At one point it was decided that the hospital wasn't making her better. She was just being maintained. So my uncle took her home with him. She can't live alone anymore due to her need to have someone watching over her at all times. She has been put on a liquid diet and has to have oxygen. From time to time she gets really confused. When they turn up her O2 she seems to get better. I can tell my mom is so worried about her. The week before school started Les had finished up work so we headed to Myton. I visited with her as much as I could. I took in framed pictures of our family. Les' mom had made a really cute vase from plastic canvas. We bought some flowers (fake so they would last) to put in it and took it too Grandma. Oh we also learned that she has the beginnings of CHF (congestive heart failure). Because of which she has been put on hospice. I cried when I found out. People are put on hospice when it is certain that they are going to die. It may not be soon but it will be sooner than we will be ready for. So we will try to use what time we do have to be as prepared as we can.

On to happier topics.

Ok so it may not be a "happier" topic but school started again. Les was already stressed out on the first day. Not a good sign.

We got a new church calling. We were put on the ward activities commitee. We helped out with the ward swim party. (It is October so I will add that we no longer have that calling and I will explain that in another post.)

July 2009

First of all Les and I lost my hard drive so for now there are no pics. Another consequence of that is not remembering everything that happened or the order that it happened in. So if I forget you or an event or when it happened I am truly sorry.
I do remember that for the Fourth of July we were in Wyoming. Our nephew, Carson, turned 8 last month and was baptized on July 4th. We had so much fun. We drove up the day of the baptism and was given a tour of the house (even though they have lived in this house for a few years this was the first time we had been there). I know, sad huh. The worst part is that it is like an 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour drive. Salt Lake is an 1 1/2 hour drive too but we go there way more often. Back to the baptism. It was a very spirit filled event. The talks were great and Carson glowed. I know that he made a great choice and I know that Carson knows it too. We had a dinner in Carolyn's (my sister) backyard. It was so good! Before everyone could leave we did a quick family photo. Most of us were staying to go to church the next day. That evening we set off fireworks in the road. A few blew over the house and we had to check on it to make sure no fires were started. Expecially the tents that were set up in the backyard (yes we camped out). All the kids seemed to have a fantastic time. The were all running around playing together. The next morning I woke up to a lightly sunburned face. No not mine. Sammi had been kept in the shade the entire time and had sunblock but still ended up with a sunburn. I felt terrible. Despite that she was the well behaved child. While we were at church Emma had a major breakdown. I spent most of Sacrament meeting at the opposite side of the church while she screamed and cried. At one point I thought she was too loud (still) so I took her outside. It was quite a trial. After church we ate and packed up our tent. Then we started the journey home.
We bought a little blow up pool and Emma spent many days playing with her bath toys in it. Occasionally Tyler and Kailey would come over and join her or she would go play with them in their pool at their house. They had a lot of fun. I tried to use our pool to draw out the kids on our street. I wanted Emma to get to know some kids her age. It didn't work. Either there were no kids on our street or they didn't want to come play. That is just the opposite over at Daniel's house. Kids are always riding bikes up and down the street. when they pull out the pool even more kids come by. A lot of them would come by see the pool and head home. The next time we would see them the would have their swimming suits on. None seemed daring enough to actually ask it they could get in. Most were too big to get in anyway.
We traveled a lot to Salt Lake and Myton. We bought a Yukon XL. We love it. I drove the kids to Myton to drop the Jeep off to Les' parents. They needed another car so Laurie could get to work and Les Sr. would be able to go to any job interviews. My brother Bryan was coming up that weekend to stay with us so he could go to Ogden for tests for the classes he was taking. The kids and I hitched a ride back home with him.
Les worked his so hard all summer. He had a summer internship. He worked all week and then on weekends he was expected to go on "fieldtrips." So a few times Les would pack us up and take us with him. Emma loved it when we went to the Golden Spike National Historic Site because she got to see trains. Oh and also seeing the birds at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City.
I can't remember what else we did so I will leave it there.

Waiting

Sorry! I haven't been able to post lately. My computer is down. Les can fix it but he can't find the stuff he needs to do it. So for now I have to borrow his computer for anything I do. Which is not often. Those of you who have witnessed Les with his computer know why ;). So for now my pictures are stuck on my computer. Yes my computer stopped working before I was able to transfer copies of the pictures to my external hard drive. My only wish is that my hard drive didn't fry. If it did then I lost all of the pics from this summer. I hope to have it up and working soon.

June 2009

So I don't even know where to begin. I feel like I have a lot on my plate. For that reason I haven't taken the time to update the blog. Les told me recently that I needed to get back into doing the blog because he feels that it is a stress reliever for me. I'm not sure about that but I am willing to try anyway. In the interest of time and for readers of this blog I will be breaking up the missed blogging time into chunks of time. This one will be of June with a little bit of May.

We had Sammi's blessing of course but we also had our family pictures done. We had a couple of BBQ's with my brother Daniel and his family. However, the big news of May comes from Sammi's 2 month doctor visit. That is when she was officially taken completely off the oxygen. We were so excited about that. Also exciting was finding out that Sammi weighed 11 lbs 1 oz and was 23 inches long. Good signs that she was well on her way to putting her hospital stay behind her.

From there we traveled to Myton. Mom and Dad needed help getting their kitchen and dining room ready for tile. It was going to be installed while they were on their cruise to Alaska. We finished tearing out the counters, texturing the ceiling in the dining room, and painting the finished ceiling and walls after they left for that cruise. Les had to head back to Logan to start his internship for the summer. The girls and I headed home 2 days later. I got home in time to spend part of our 3rd anniversary together. Les left work early to buy a few desserts and get some steaks on the grill. He spoiled me! He is such a wonderful husband.

The next weekend we headed back out to Myton to go to the Richens Family Reunion (that is how we celebrated my birthday). Usually the reunion isn't held until the end of July or beginning of August. We didn't know that it was going to be in June until we were in Myton working on Mom's kitchen/dining room. But it was a great excuse to see mom's new floor. It wasn't finished until after we left. Before we left we stopped into Alco to say good bye to Les' mom. While we were there I took pictures of Emma with one of the penguins of madegascar. She loved it! She followed him around the store and cried to go back when we left. On our way home that weekend we went through Orem to see my Grandma who was there at a hospital.

Two weeks later Les and Emma headed to Salt Lake for a baptism and a baby blessing. Sammi and I headed out to Myton once again to drop our Jeep off to Les' parents. They are using it for the summer. Sammi and I hitched a ride home with my brother Bryan. He was headed to our house in Logan so he could get to Ogden early the next morning for school.

Oh I almost forgot! We had our ward campout as well. Neither Les or I could remember the name of the campsite our ward was to be at. Luckily (kind of) we were called in to the bishop's office to get our new calling. We asked were the campsite was. We were told that it was 12 miles up Logan Canyon. So the day of the campout we went 12 miles up the canyon and couldn't find it. So we went a few more. Still nothing. At about mile 20 we turned around to head home. We found the campsite on the way back down. It was about 7 miles up the canyon. Oh well we still had fun. We ate and the girls and I watched Les play volleyball. He was in all his glory that night. We didn't stay the night but we got to know a few people in the ward.

And that folks is how the first part of our summer vacation was spent.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sammi's Blessing

We did Samantha's blessing on Saturday May 9th in the Relief Society Room of my parent's ward. I was a wonderful day and a even better blessing. I feel so lucky to have Les as my husband. It means so much to me that he is a worthy priesthood holder. His faithfulness has blessed our family more than words can say.

We had many family members there with us. Present were my parents; Les' parents; my Grandma Richens; Sabrina Les' sister); her kids Madison, Tabor, and Kaydence; Chris (Les' brother); Bryan (my bro)with his wife Julie; their kids Zack, Gloria, Ben, and Emily; Jennifer (my sis) and her husband Kelly; their kids Jalynn, Kortney, Kruz, and Kolby; Uncle Newell and Aunt Adelia; Uncle Reed, Aunt Katherine, and Little Reed; Uncle Ken and Aunt Barbara; and Bishop Dye.

After the blessing we headed down to the school to have a family dinner. I love family gatherings in part because we usually gather for a meal. Oh the food! It is great! By the time it was all over I was so tired and Sammi was angry (mostly because she was hungry). It was a great day but I was glad to see it end.

Welcome home Samantha!

Well, Samantha is finally home. The doctors have approved her to come home with her new pet oxygen tank. We're very excited to have her back home after nearly 3 weeks of living in the hospital. Sammi has recovered from most everything. She still has a problem getting the right amount of oxygen into her body. We hope to continue weening her from the oxygen so that we can get rid of the tank, but we're happy enough to just have her home.

We're really grateful for all the prayers that so many have held for our family and the meals that have been prepared for us as well as the care packages from the ward that were dropped off to the hospital. It's not over yet, but we know that it would have been much harder, had we not had so much support.

Improving

Here is an update on Samantha. On Monday Sammi had been weaned enough on the ventilator that the doctors said the tube could come out. Now that is real progress! Without being hooked to the ventilator we could start HOLDING her! I cannot express how many tears I have shed over not being able to hold her.

On Tuesday she had ripped out her feeding tube so it was decided that she could try liquids on her stomach. First they started with some pedialyte in a bottle. By the next morning she was drinking my milk from a bottle and I was told I could start breastfeeding her starting immediately.

So with her healthy enough to go off the ventilator and to starting to breastfeed it was decided that she could leave the PICU. By Wednesday afternoon we had been moved to the fourth floor into a regular room. We still have a roommate since all children with RSV are put together.

Today (Friday) Sammi was declared healthy beyond the RSV. So now we don't have to worry about the Pneumonia or the collapsed lung.

For now we are just waiting for her to be able to be off the oxygen without working so hard and for her to work on eating. Those are the only concerns they have for her right now.

Notes and Humor from Les:

Carolyn brought up Emma tonight. It was so great to see her and hold her again. We have been feeling so terrible that we haven't been the mom and dad that she needs right now. With Samantha going through these difficulties we've relied on so many family members to help us with her, and they have all offered assistance in too many ways to list. The problem is, we keep having to hand Emma off to family members. It's so difficult to hold her in our arms and have her give us the most wonderful hugs and kisses the world has ever known, only to turn around and put her in someone elses car with her toys and seat and whatever else. We want Emma to know how much she means to us, and how much we miss her. She has been doing so well with all of the issues going on.

Emma even still remembers baby Samantha... errrr. . I mean "Mine baby, Emma's baby" as she likes to call her. She even made sure to give her "Kisses all better"

On the lighter side of things though! I'd like to list a couple of the things that I've heard in the hospital that just make me smile.

This is the reason that the doctors like to ask the mother questions regarding childcare instead of the husband!

A father was being asked about how his child is being taken care of at home.

"Do you have any special religious or cultural beliefs or rituals we should be aware of?"

"no"

"How often do you bathe your child? Daily, every other day?"

After consultation with his wife. "Yes, daily"

"How often do you feed your child?"

Without consultation from his wife, "Daily."

....

"Do you breast feed your child?"

"No, I'm a guy." seconds later and a look from his wife later, "Oh, no, no we bottle feed"

Straight answers from the mouths of babes!

In the PICU, a small boy was heard telling the doctor what was wrong.

"Owwww, you hurt me."

He also informed the nurse later that night of the same thing.

As we remember some more of the interesting things that we've seen/heard we'll try to add them.

The gift of love (in blood form)

Well, Samantha is recovering well from a recent blood transfusion. She is still up and down on her blood pressure and her color changes from a pale to deep red (when she cries or is mad) all day long, but they have said that even though her xrays don't show it, her lungs do sound a bit more clear.

When the doctor came in and explained to us that Sammi would need a transfusion, both Melanie and I were a little concerned. It's not everyday that you're little girl gets extremely ill let alone also needs more blood. However, it got me to thinking. I used to donate blood on a regular 3 month basis while I was in the military, and when I got out I would donate about every 6 months, whenever the stake, ward, or community would do a blood drive. But, what an amazing way to help.

I remember in a previous stake that we had a member who was suffering from a particular nasty illness and needed to have a bone marrow transplant. I've also known others who because of accidents needed to have blood. Just about everyone who knows us has offered to help in any way that can, and at this point for Sammi, she just needs our prayers. With time she should recover fully. But there are a lot of children here at PCMC. Many of which have very differing illnesses and injuries. We're located next to University hospital and several others that also have many patients needing similar help.

Well, I've found a way that maybe we can all help out. Next time you have an opportunity to donate blood, do so. If you're a brave soul you can even get on the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) list. From what I've read your blood has a shelf life of around 40 days or so. This means that it needs a constant replenishment. I haven't heard of any of the hospitals in the area actually hitting that date and therefore having to throw it out, but I have heard them say their supplies are low. Melanie and I have decided that someone else helped our Sammi with a blood donation and we feel like we should pass that help along by donating ourselves. I hope you'll be able to find the time and courage to donate yourself. (We'll be using ARUP (rather than Red Cross) for PCMC, they also run out to the Basin a lot)

Day 7 Endure to the end

With day number seven now upon us since Samantha first entered the hospital, we have once again received the same information that we have every day since she stabilized. She isn't getting worse. As great as that news is, we keep waiting for that day when they say, she's improving!

There are certain things in this life that we cannot change. The wind, the sun, the moon and stars, but even things like a pregnancy needing 9months for proper growth, or our Spring semester lasting for another 3 weeks. Our little Sammi just needs more time with her ailments.

We're very grateful for all of the prayers said in her behalf and the support that has been offered. Please continue to pray for her. We will keep everyone updated as things change, well when they change.

The power of touch

Yeah, I know it sounds a little odd, but really, is there a power in touch? As a teen one of the only things on the mind is that first kiss, the holding of hands, an embrace. As a parent, the hugs and kisses of your children and grand children are so precious to you. And the Bear hugs from little ones are priceless.

But, what about with younger children? I know when child is crying or upset they love to have their mommy or daddy hold them close; To kiss their ow wees or boo boos and tell them it's all going to be better. An infant and newborn love to be snuggled. Remember the times when your little child woke up in the night and just wouldn't calm down? All you would do is hold them in your arms and rock with them. Sing them a lullaby and let them know they were safe.

There was an experiment done many years ago to evaluate whether love was really needed for survival in mammals. They took two chimps, one was raised with a metal structure that had a bottle for food, and the other was covered with fur and kept warm to simulate mother also with milk. The chimp that had what simulated mother lived quite well, there were some problems with not being able to interact with 'mother', but he grew up healthy. The other chimp with only a cold metal case holding a bottle got ill and eventually died. There are arguments about whether the simulated mother was really a factor or if some underlying reason prevails. But I wonder.

Friday morning, as Celia says (the one from golden girls, not grandma) Picture it! It was a Friday morning in Logan Utah. Mother was running around frantically as she needed to get her newborn to the ER. The newborn, at least while she was breathing, was screaming her head off and full of fear. Mother grabbed the baby and cuddled her close. Minutes passed and she was as calm as spring morning on a beautiful San Diego beach. Hours later in the ER at Logan Regional the newborn was being poked and prodded more so than a pin cushion. Enter dad. He picked up newborn and held her close to her chest, reassured her that everything would be alright, she calmed and allowed the medical staff to finish their tests.

The newborn showed signs of improvement and mom and dad were hopeful, but that night she was kept more isolated for treatments. Saturday morning newborn was put through more and more tests. Mom and Dad weren't able to hold her and comfort her through all of them, but when they did she calmed down as if nothing were wrong. Saturday night being prepared for a Life Flight that could mean the difference between life and death for her, daddy held her for nearly an hour as the medical crew prepared her for her long journey. Every time he set her down, she began to shiver and cry with fear.

What do you do when you can no longer hold your own flesh and blood within your arms? Sammi has been in an incubator or respirator status since Saturday night. Melanie hasn't been able to hold her baby for four days! She sees other mothers who's babies are improving hold them, snuggle with them and tell them that it's all going to be better now. But not for Melanie. She looks at Sammi with love in her eyes and pain in her soul as Sammi tries to cry and tries to move, but all she can do is whisper to her that it's o.k. Mommy and Daddy are here, and stroke her head. Sammi has too many tubes and wires in her to even hold her hand.

We keep saying that stable is better than nothing, which it is, but to see your child grow up without you there to hold their hand, snuggle with them, to kiss them better or truly reassure them that everything IS going to be alright, is a very painful experience. I wonder if in her half drugged state she truly realizes that we are here for her. We can't leave her, something inside us won't let us. We're here to let her know that at anytime when she wakes and is in pain that mommy and daddy are here for her, to stroke her head, give fathers and priesthood blessings, and let her know that: Everything IS going to be Alright!

When things go from Terrible to your worst nightmare

For those of you who haven't heard, Samantha was taken by Life Flight Saturday night to Primary Children's Medical Center. She is stable, but hasn't had any improvement.

It's been one of the most stressful and trying times of our lives to have our precious newborn go through such a traumatic event. One day you hold your child in your arms and laugh and smile as she smiles and coos, and then the next day she stops breathing, the next day her lung collapses, and you just don't know what will happen next.

It's not even a roller coaster. There are no ups, just downs, just terrifying news in a steady flow. It seems that there is no end, no brightness, no joy. We see our daughter, asleep, with constant medication, with constant need for observation. We're so grateful for the calls and prayers that everyone has offered. We're grateful for the excellent medical care Sammi received at Logan Regional and for her being at Primary Children's now, where we know she'll get the best care possible.

We've never been known for our great fortune with luck, but we've always known others that have had it worse. This time isn't quite the exception yet either. We walk the hall to get to Sammi and there are so many little infants, toddlers, and newborns in similar situations that it really helps to empathize with the struggles that other families are going through.

The worst nightmare isn't an endpoint, but rather a journey, it's a journey of not knowing what is wrong, not knowing how to fix it, and not knowing what is in store for the future. It's a downward spiral that fortunately for us has slowed, at least for now, but we are optimistic that with prayers and excellent medical attention, our little Sammi will recover fully and be able to once again lay in our arms and smile and coo and cause us to rejoice in our love for her.

The Terrors of Childhood Illness

We've all at some time had our own terrible cold or injury. Wether it be a bad case of the flu or food poisoning to sprained ankles or a nasty car accident. When these things happen to us we often find ourselves being the focus of our own attention. We ignore the world around us and focus on the poor me or why me or whatever else. Well, normally we know that things will look up, and we will get better, we can basically take care of ourselves with medications and the rest that we need. We will regain our strength, our stamina, our previous energy and morale, But, what happens when your little one faces these terrible happenings?

I think we often find ourselves lost in worry over some of the problems our children face. We don't always know what the problem is or even how to fix it, had we known what the problem is/was. We often have to rely on others to help solve our problems for us. This can take an extreme amount of faith at times, and even then also a lot of patience.

I'm not one to like relying on others for anything. Most of my family and friends can attest to this. Perhaps it's paranoia or even PTSD, who knows? But, I don't think I'm alone in these feelings when it comes to my children. I always want to be in control of helping them get better. I've been blessed with two beautiful little girls, both very mild mannered and pleasent to be with. Mind you Emma is starting her "Terrible Two's" and adjusting to having a new sister hasn't been easy on her (or us), but all in all, she's done very well and shows an extreme amount of affection towards Little Samantha.

Several days ago, Sammi started having breathing problems. We weren't sure what the problem was, but could definitely hear mucus built up in her sinus. When she breathed you could hear it sloshing around. We called the nurseline at the hospital to find out how to help her, and were told to simply use saline to break up the mucus and a bulb sucker to remove it. Sounded simple enough and for three days it seemed to work fine. That was until last night. Last night our Little Sammi started turning a shade of blue. I immediately checked her breathing and her capillary response (both were slow) and could hear her trying to breathe through her nose. (it was completely plugged) I cleaned it out like the nurses advised and informed Melanie to keep an extra close eye on her.


While at work this morning I was preparing for a test when Melanie called me with tears in her voice. Little Sammi had stopped breathing several times. Melanie had instantly started to help Sammi breathe again, and contacted the hospital for further advise. Sammi would stop breathing and then gasp for air for awhile and then repeat the cycle. The hospital advised her to take Sammi straight to the ER. This is where relying on others has been such a blessing to us.

Melanie called Jana (our sister in-law) and asked her to take Emma for us, which she gladly agreed to. She then called Bryan (her brother) to ask if there was anything else she could do on the way to the hospital. (All this while getting two little girls and herself dressed and ready to go to the hospital) Bryan was gone, but Julie spent quite a bit of time talking with Melanie and helping give her strength to deal with the situation. Not to say that she was relieved of all her concerns, but she had the strcngth to face them. Melanie then called me to let me know that she was on her way to get me. (My work is on the way to the hospital). I was able to find Daniel (Jana's husband) at work as well and we were able to give Samantha a blessing. I'm so grateful that Daniel is the kind of husband, father, and man that lives worthy of his covenants so that he can help me to bless my family, and me help him to bless his family in times of need. Melanie shed about a galon of tears this morning, and only finally received the consolence that she needed at the end of the blessing given to Sammi. It gave her a peace that helped to strengthen her further.

When we arrived at the hospital Sammi had no flesh colors at all, she looked like a cadaver for those of you who haven't seen one, she was a light yellowish tan color with no pink or redness. She was very raspy and comletely clogged with mucus. During the taking of an X-ray of Sammis' chest, Melanie caught sight of Doug Thompson, a good man who was in the bishopric of our previous ward. He spoke with her about her concerns and offered his friendship and service. After having Sammi on oxygen for some time her levels were again strong and they tried to let Melanie nurse her, but almost immediately stopped her. As soon as Sammi began to nurse, her oxygen levels dropped from high 90's to mid 70's, literally within seconds.

The doctors found Little Sammi to have RSV(Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a virus that can be a real challenge for newborn and young infants). Of course this caused some concern for the other children that have been around both Emma and Sammi, but the doctors assured us that it would have been difficult for Sammi to spread RSV (without touching or coughing on them etc., and that Emma and the other older children would be able to fight it like a bad cold, but would be fine elsewise.) Because of the oxygen level problems the doctors felt it best to keep Sammi for a while (maybe a day, maybe more) to make sure she can breathe on her own and keep her oxygen levels up. As soon as Daniel and Jana heard this they immediately planned on making us dinner to help lower the stress of our situation.

Sammi is doing well for now. She has oxygen hooked upto her, an IV and is being monitored constantly for her breathing and oxygen levels. We're really happy with the pediatrician we have. He has been very informative to us and has been able to solve all of our girls medical problems so far. (not that they've had many, but it's nice to get answers from a competent doctor in a quick manner no matter how infrequent they're needed).

We were able to bring Emma in to see her mommy and little sister for a little while, and Emma was very concerned that 'her baby' was crying and had wires and tubes hooked up to her. Every time an alarm would go off, Emma would look over at the baby and let us know that the baby needed us. I guess the purpose of this post is to share appreciation for those around us that are so willing to help out. During an (extended family) family home evening several weeks ago, I was assigned a section of a talk that covered how we have family members wherever we go. In our wards and stakes there are so many people that extend the hand of fellowship and service that we truly do have family all around us. Although most of those that have been helping us through this trial have in fact been family, there are always those like Doug, and Dr. Horkley that are just waiting for the opportunity to bless anothers life through friendship and service. They only need to be invited to help.

Welcome Samantha!

At 2:12 am Tuesday March 24th our family welcomed Samantha into this world and our family. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long.

Emma seems to be excited (so far). She tells people, "My baby!" We are hoping that is a good sign. Time will tell.

Les told me about the baby pictures they did in the hospital. From what he told me the pictures weren't all that great. So I did a little photo session of my own. Here are my favorites.

Happy 2nd Birthday Emma

Two years ago Les and I welcomed Emma into our family. We were happy to have her with us.

Now I look at her and think of how luck I have been to see her grow in so many ways. Emma you are such a light in mommy and daddy's life. We love you very much.

Happy Birthday Emma!