Relaxing Time!

Silly Hunny

Sandra can fit into my kilts that Jeff had sent me from his mission.  She is growing up too fast!

Daddy and Lorna cuddling and playing with her stuffed animal Star!

Summer Pack Meeting

For the summer pack meeting we got together at the Wallace's home for slip and slide fun!  The kids had a great time!  I had a nice time visiting and making friends while the kids played.  Pack meeting fun begin!

Temple time

Tiffany and I were able to go do some initiatories for Grandma.  It was a nice morning and we enjoyed a nice treat before we headed home.  Happy Temple time!

Nauvoo

The stake put together a Nauvoo trip for the youth in the stake 14 and up.  Talmage and Grant got to go!  It was a pretty quick trip, but they went through Independence, MO, Liberty Jail, and Nauvoo.  They even got to sneak in to see the British Pageant as well as the Nauvoo Pageant.  I'm glad they have gotten to experience some amazing church history!

buddies!

Friends!

We have really enjoyed getting to spend time with the Hull family this summer.  We have been taking turns hanging out at each other's houses each month.  I love seeing the kids become closer!  I think it's even better because Amanda and I are such good friends and now our kids are building great friendships!  

I think Savannah fits right in with my older kids.  Welcome to the teen years!

They had this silly toy that all of the kids had fun with!

Lorna and Annabella

Clark and Lucas

 Grant... being Grant!

By the time we made it home everyone was exhausted!  

Biopsy Time

Jeff got a PET scan back in June.  The scan showed that he has a growth on a lymph node in his low back, spine area.  He also has a mass in his right lung.  Before the oncologist will move forward with any treatment he wants to investigate the masses to see what we are dealing with.  There are a few options.  1. They are both the same testicular cancer from a year ago.  2. They are not the same cancer, but something new altogether.  3.  They are each something different.  We would like them to be option 1.  

Time to go under!

Some faces before he gets wheeled away!

Poor Hunny!  Has to have grippy socks to help him not fall.  

Time to wake up!

Let's just say that it took a lot of convincing!  Poor guy doesn't like getting put under! After a few hours we finally got him awake and into the car!  It took him at least a day before he was feeling somewhat normal again. 

***Update:
The mass in Jeff's back is the same cancer and very treatable.  The lung mass had inconclusive results.  Unfortunately that leaves us a bit in the dark.  The Dr. wants to know what it is before he starts treatment.  Jeff will talk with a thoracic surgeon before deciding what treatment plan to do.  

To the Dump to the Dump...

to the dump, dump dump!  This was the second trip of the weekend to the dump.  I tagged along this time.  It is sometimes amazing to me how much stuff we have cleaned out of our house!  We have branches, cabinets, metal yard dividers, lots of leaves and brush..... and left over construction stuff!  We ended up going to the top of the dump and in that area you have to have safety vests and hard hats.  We had brought Talmage and Grant to help, but they wanted the helpers to be 16.  After getting 2 sets of hats/vests that left it to Daddy and Grandpa to empty the full trailer.  They did good work in a hot stinky environment!  Now our yard and home is much cleaner!

Braums Scream!

The older kids got Braums gift cards as a reward for helping with 11 year old camp.  We finally found time to go use the gift cards.  I was kind and treated the younger kids, while the older ones got to pick whatever they wanted with their $5.  We love ice cream... especially Braums!

Celebrating the 4th!

After all of the work that morning, and car accident in the afternoon we were able to spend time eating dinner with family and then doing a fun night swim.  It is crazy how late it stays light in the summer.  It was well after 9 pm before the kids could really enjoy their glow sticks.  They loved night swimming!  I'm so grateful for our country and liberties!  Happy 4th of July America!

Squished Whiskers!

We were getting ready to celebrate Ella's birthday with family and I still needed to go get a present (or 2).  Sandra agreed to go with me so we headed out to 5 Below.  It is back towards Mansfield, but not too far away.  I was getting ready to exit from 287 onto 157 and pulled into the slow lane and followed a line of traffic going 70 MPH (the speed limit).  Meanwhile a large read Dodge Ram  comes up speeding straight at me.  I was thinking he was just going to get really close and then follow, but nope, I was wrong.  We got hit from behind and heard a loud bang as the glass shattered in the rearview window.  The momentum pushed me into the fast lane.  Thankfully no one was there and I was able to slowly come to a stop on the side of the highway.  

While slowing down I heard a couple of loud bangs... from the truck smashing into the divider.  I was shocked form everything that happened, but I was fine and Sandra was fine.  I'm grateful she wasn't in the back seat and that we were able to keep calm.  I called police and Jeff then waited.  While waiting for help to arrive several vehicles stopped to ask if we were ok.  That was nice.  After a few min. I decided to walk back and check on the driver of the truck.  There was someone pulled over helping him and trying to get him out. He was an older gentleman and had some cuts on his arm.  

After the police and ambulance arrived and we gave a report of the accident we were free to go.  Jeff arrived and took us home... saying good-bye to Whiskers forever.  

The Ram must have turned last minute to avoid hitting me and got the side of the car and left the front of his grill embedded into the car.  That's the force that shoved me into the fast lane.  

Sandra and I ended up seeing a Chiropractor for about a month to monitor us for injuries.  We were truly blessed that nothing serious happened to us!  I will say that being in a high speed collision is quite stressful.  It took quite a while for the adrenaline to calm down!

It turns out they arrested the driver for DUI.  He must have been driving 90 MPH to come up and hit me like he did.  We are still in the process of resolving our suit, but the money has been settled to replace Whiskers so that's good at least. 

Yard clean up!

Dealing with a large yard means that when we neglect it (or try to reclaim it from years of neglect), it takes a bit of effort to clean it up.  With it being the holiday Jeff and his parents were available to help put the yard in order!  This meant collecting leaves, pulling weeds, cutting down an old tree and getting ready for a dump run!  Here are some pictures of the productive morning.  

Daddy working with the girls ... cleaning up the leaves.

Grandpa sawing down our huge tree stump.  Let's just say that it's shorter, but not gone yet ;)

 Flowerbed deweeded!