Hats Hats Everywhere!

So a few weeks ago we threw a hat party for my mom. We wanted to kick off her chemo with a positive twist. So we had an open house with good food, and fun hats! We told everyone to bring a hat or scarf of some kind so that when my mom loses her hair from chemo she will have choices. There were some really great hats and she will be able to use them sooner than we hoped. They told her that within 2 weeks of her first chemo treatment she would start to lose her hair. We were trying to give her friends and our family a chance to show how much we love her, and to show our support for her at this hard time in her life. It was so nice to get together and everyone including my mom seemed to enjoy themselves.
Since then my mom has had her first chemo treatment, and the first day things seemed to be going okay. Then the second, third, and fourth day hit and I have never seen someone in so much pain. She said that it felt like someone stabbing knives in all of her joints, and then were twisting them back and forth. She moaned and groaned and clearly was in excruciating pain. How hard it is to have to sit by and watch not being able to do anything to ease the pain. I have always known that my mom was strong, but I had no idea the amount of strength that she posseses. I love you mom and you will be in our prayers.

Hair or No Hair? That is the Question.

Ever since Enza was 9 months old she has pulled her hair out. Strange? Yes, but it gets worse after she pulls it out she eats it. I think part of that is because she is young enough not to know that it is really sick, and that everything goes into her mouth. IT has been sporatic until the last couple weeks and then it has gotten alot worse. I finally called her pediatrician and he was concerned. So we had to buzz Enza's beautiful long, thick and curly hair. She had a bald spot that made her look like Friar Tuck before we even cut it from all of the hair that she pulled out. IT was so sad to see her hair getting cut off. I cried. I know that it is just hair and that it will grow back, but it was hard that my little girl no longer looks like a girl. Her hair is shorter than our boys hair. We did go get her ears pierced and it helps, but only a little. We had to get a blood test to see what the levels of iron, and lead were. There was one other test, I'm sure what it was. IF all goes well which we are hoping it does then she will be fine but we may end up having to do a scope or scan to see how much hair is in there and if there is a good amount then they will have to go in and surgically remove it. The body won't digest it and it can be really dangerous, and can get tangeled up in her intestines.
I know that in the grand scheme of things this is small but right now with everything else that is going on it feels big and scary.





Here she is with no hair, but adorable flower earings. It is starting to grow on me. I find if I put a head band and big flower she looks like she just hasn't grown and hair yet.

Soccer!

As most of you know I love, love, love soccer. So Cruze was old enough to sign up this year and I was so excited to get him into soccer. AYSO called and asked if Ethan or I could coach and I said sure. I was so excited to coach and be around soccer. Well our little team is cute as can be and I love it. It is so cute to watch the kids run around like chickens with their heads cut off all the while they are tackeling eachother. We have one slight problem and that is that Cruze absolutely will not play. He cries and melts down when I try to get him to play. He is really good at it when we play at home and when we practice but his anxiety is enough that he will not play for the game. I am frusterated and a little angry with him, because he wanted to play too. Ethan has informed me that I just can't be his coach. I still have all of next season to coach this same group, but then I think I will give it a rest and retire.

Bear Lake

We went to Bear Lake for Labor Day, and yes I do know that this post is a month late. I just wanted to do the post because we have some really great pictures.

This is the cake that I made for Ethan and Gauge's birthdays, it was pretty good.

Ethan opening his birthday cards and hitting the jackpot with some money.

Gauge absolutely loves the toys that he got from everyone. Thanks guys you are the best.

Our manly men, need we say more.

Cruze and Gauge in the ice cave. It is a cave that is open on top but it stays so cold that there is ice year around. The pioneers used to come up here to get ice for their ice boxes.

These were some really pretty berries that I saw and just had to snap a pic.

On the morning that I was in charge of breakfast I couldn't get Ethan out of bed. So Chase and I thought that is would be hilarious to have Chase climb in bed and put his arm around Ethan like it was me. So this is a picture of that and let me just tell you, it was as funny as I thought it would be. Ethan thought it was me and was rolling over to kiss or snuggle me. Hee Hee Hee! Thanks Chase and thanks Ethan for being a good sport.

This is a custom welcome-home-we-think-we-are-funny-so-we-are-going-to-draw-on-your-face and chest picture. We love you Chase and are so happy you are home.

This was a ping pong game called around the world. IT was so much fun.

These next two pictures are of our bracket for our ping ping tournament. Now I know that none of you realized what a force to be reckoned with I am at ping pong, but hey a girls just got to win sometimes. Okay so actually I am surprised as you are. It was fun I hope it is something we can do again.

I don't know if any of you have ever played the card game golf, but it is a family favorite. So this picture is of the losers of the rounds we played. We drew on eachothers faces. The next night, we did it a little different and the winners from each table got to draw on the losers from the opposite table.

The next group of pictures is from the minute to win it games that Danielle and Alan came up with for us to play. It was boys against girls and it was such a blast. I don't think that was the last of that.



The next pictures are from the beach, our favorite part of the lake. IT is so nice, because our kids are at such great ages to just play and not need us walking right by them the whole time.