13 year Anniversary in NYC

 When we found out we were moving away, Rand came up with 2 great ideas.  The first was to spend the night in NYC for our anniversary so I could get my fill and not be so sad about leaving a city I love.  The 2nd idea was to buy an DSLR camera.  We have thought about buying a camera for some time but  always wondered if we would really use it.  Well, we finally did it.  Rand thought it would be nice if we had some cool pictures that we (meaning me) took to hang in our house in the future.  The only problem was that we only had the camera for 4 days before we left, so it's not like I was all that proficient.  I can proudly say I read the manual twice in those four days, took lots of pictures for practice and read a book about SLR's from the library.  I am proud to say I did take all of these pictures in the manual setting.  I think some are pretty cool.

 The picture above was at the Summit train station on our way into the city.

 The view above is as you ride the escalator up to 7th ave and see Hotel Pennsylvania.  I don't know why but it gets me every time.  I compare it to the feeling you get when you walk down Main Street in Disneyland, another place I love.  It just gives me a nervous and excited feeling.  I have to pinch myself every time.  I've probably taken 50 picture of this same shot over the last two years.

 When we left Summit we got into the city and went straight out to the Empire State building to get some pictures.

 Then the Chyrsler building.  As we walked up 5 Ave we also passed the NYC library below.

 And of course we couldn't miss the iconic Macy's.  This year we went to this Macy's here on 34th street at Christmas so the kids could see Santa.  It was magical.  Probably more for me than for the kids.

 I also love Radio City music hall.  One of my favorite memories in NY is when my parents came for Thanksgiving last year.  The year before my mom and I had tickets to see the Rockettes for Christmas but it was the Snow storm of the century the day we had tickets for, and we couldn't get into the city, so we missed our show.  I was beyond disappointed.  Thankfully when they came out in November 2011, we were able to catch one of the fist shows of the season.  It was just my mom, Anna and me.  3 generations of girls.  We rode the train in and then rode in a pedicab for the first and last time in the city.  It was cold, and a bit scary, but so fun to ride in a buggy pulled by a guy on a bike through the streets decorated for Christmas.  The show was really great.  It was a really cold and rainy day but my Mom was a total champ about it and it will always be a favorite memory for me.

 It was only right that we eat "street meat" for dinner for our anniversary.  This is Rand's favorite cart with Indian food.  Even Bobby Flay from the food network has eaten there.  It really is very good food, but it certainly isn't food you want to eat if you need to fit in anything skinny anytime soon.  Let's be honest, I haven't fit into anything skinny in quite some time.

 Time square didn't have the same excitement it had when we first moved here, but it's still fun to visit and it was home to Rand's office here at 1540 Broadway the last two years, thus the picture below to document it.

 I've now seen Wicked 3 times and I'm pretty sure I will never see a better show.  I love it!

 This was our room at The Hilton just up a bit up the street from Radio City.  I stayed there before with some friends and I think for the money and the cleanliness etc. it's a really good choice.  Not quite as nice as the Milford, eh Jess?  :)

 In the years that we've been here I had never seen the flatiron building so it was a must see.  It's strange from behind it looks like a normal building but from the front it really does look flat.  It's so cool.

 I've come to love the "normal" streets of NY.  I love to go to to Chelsea or somewhere with the more typical architecture and the brownstone type buildings.

 We have been down to the 9/11 site several times be decided it would be worth it this time to make the time to actually visit the museum and the memorial site.  I'm really glad that we did this.  It's such a part of the history of NYC.

 One of the buildings still going up.  It's been fun to see the progress from nothing to this.

 The wall above has all the names of those who were killed obviously.  It lists first those in the different planes and then those in the World trade Centers.  It really hit home how many lives were lost seeing it like that.

 This is a picture of an airplane window that had been blown apart, that someone stepped over that day as they were running down the street.  Admittedly the first time I visited the site of 9/11 I felt very little  and very removed from it all, but each time I've gone back, the reality and weight of what happened there becomes more real.  It's hard to walk down those streets and imagine it was those same streets that people were running down from the smoke and debris.  I believe there were something like 6 or 8 people from our ward that worked in those buildings back then.  Every single one of them was late to work that day, so was saved.

 The above picture is showing some of the many, many missing posters that family and friends posted around the site, hoping that somehow their loved ones would be found.

 The fountains are built in the exact foot print of the original WTC buildings.  Around the waterfalls are the names inscribed of those that were killed.  It really is a beautiful and peaceful memorial.

 This is I believe a City Center or government building down by the Brooklyn Bridge that I just thought was pretty.

 Rand and I walked across the Brooklyn bridge.  It was such a beautiful day.  This is definitely one of my most favorite things to do in NY.  The view is so pretty.  Sadly there was construction so a lot of the view was obstructed so we had to just make do with what we had.

 After walking the bridge, we decided to head uptown to Central park.  We rented some bikes for a few hours and rode around the whole park plus some.  Over the two days we calculated that we walked about 22 miles, plus the biking.  The area where Randall is sitting is called the Mall and it's one of my favorites.  The benches that are there all have plaques on them that say they were donated for someone for like an anniversary or a birthday gift or something special.  It's fun to walk along and read who they are there for and why.  Maybe someday I will have a park bench with my name on it ;)

 For whatever reason I'm a total sucker for the Today show.  I have dreamed about seeing Rockefeller Center for years and years, especially with the Christmas tree up.  Thankfully this year my dreams came true.  I even was on the Today show a few years back.  I was so excited to see Matt Lauer and katie up close but they were all away for a funeral that day.  I did get to see Natalie Morales though :)

 It was also important being the chocolate lovers that we are, to snap a picture of our of our favorite chocolatier.  This is in Rockefeller Center, and has really good stuff.  My favorite is the chocolate with mint and Rand's is with chili pepper.

If you would have told me 13 years ago when we were married and "honeymooning" in my grandmas trailer in St. George poor as poor with all of Randall's education ahead of us,  that we would be celebrating together in NYC and not just for vacation but we would be living here I wouldn't have believed you.  I'm so grateful that we've been so blessed over the years, for richer for poorer in sickness and health.  Here's to many, many more.

One More Month

Just one month from today I will be on a plane with my girls back to Utah.  Rand, Ethan and my Dad are having boy bonding time driving the moving truck and our van back.  I can hardly believe this is really happening.   It's strange to have thought this was where we would make our home and raise our kids.    It's obvious that things always change, and are often out of our control.   We didn't see our selves moving back to Utah at all let alone just 2 years after we left.  We are returning under great circumstances and feel like it's a great blessing in many regards.   It's amazing that our town home there just happens to be available at just the right time for us to move into.  We have been working towards and praying for years that we would be blessed to pay off our student loans and this move with make that possible.  This is a good move for Randall professionally too, and I couldn't be happier about that.

It's just that coming her and adjusting to Jersey was really hard.  I was determined to dig my heels in, be happy here and make this place home, and it is home for us right now.  There is so much that I do love about living here.  I will miss my friends, our ward, the kids school, the beauty and green trees everywhere you look.  The parks, NYC, the diversity of the people around us in culture, color, and religion.

  The #1 thing I won't miss is the cost of living.  I was at the grocery store tonight and as I put my 4 gallons of milk in the cart for $16 dollars, I was trying to remember what milk cost in Utah.  I also won't miss the street we live on with the mortuary, the gas station and the liquor store.  I won't miss sharing a driving way with 2 houses and 6 or more cars coming and going.   I have definitely become a better and much more aggressive driver.  I never in a million years though I would drive in NYC and I have, and was crazy like the rest of them.   I won't miss sharing a bathroom with all the kids and our creaky stairs.

I'm really excited to be near family and friends. I'm glad that they grandparents will really get to know the kids, especially Jane and her sweet personality, and hear all the things she says.   I'm excited that we will have our families at Anna's baptism in November.   I'm excited to have central heat and air.  A disposal!!! A designated parking place, that's covered even. A pantry and a master bathroom and walk-in closet.  Oh, and how did I forget Cafe Rio?  Randall says I have definitely become low maintenance living here.  And as much as I love the hustle and bustle of life here and all the exciting things there are  to do and see, I'm actually looking forward to experiencing life at a much slower pace.  Sometimes I think we don't even realize anymore at how fast paced and stressful things are around here.

I'm grateful for the growth that we have made here.  I love that I have learned that things that initially seem so hard, just become your "new normal".  I remember when we first moved to Jersey just driving was very stressful.  The roads are crazy all over the place with strange jug handle turns and the route 22 that I hate.  I had to pay such close attention to not just  the road, but the drivers around me and my GPS.  I couldn't talk, listen to the radio or the kids for that matter.  My heart would be racing and I would be so nervous every time I got in the car.  I  could only concentrate on getting from point A to B.  Now, I don't even think about the driving, at least in my day to day life.  Sure there are still times that I have to pull out the GPS (thank heavens for that gadget), and while I almost never talk on the phone and only hands free, I'm glad that driving is now no big deal.  I'm glad that shop rite, is just a normal grocery store to me now.  I sometimes have to think back and remember what it was that was so hard about living here in the beginning.  It will be a shock to have such wide open spaces, large parking lots, and shopping carts actually in the grocery stores.

No matter what, I will always love the charm of the east coast.  

And while the people here can certainly be rude and outspoken, and I have many "fun" stories of different confrontations, I really like that here you can have an opinion and voice it and people are open to it.  I feel like in other places I'm hesitant to have a strong opinion and especially hesitant to voice it, afraid I might come across too harshly and even offend someone.   I like that here you can be you no matter what and nobody cares.  You see people of all walks of life here and it's just so normal that you almost don't stand out, even if you a weird guy that wears different colored rats on your head like a guy Rand passes on the way to work in the city.  I don't want to feel like I have to "fit in".

I like that we've had some deep discussions with the kids about really important issues because they are exposed to different things here.  I love that they have learned that if you come to church wearing jeans, with multiple ear piercings or tattoos it doesn't make you a bad person.  There was a time a while back where the kids were playing in the back with a bunch of neighborhood kids, several of who were black.  Something happened with one of the girls and so when they came in I asked them who it involved and they explained to me that it was "that girl with the big hair".  I was impressed that they didn't even think to use "the black girl", in their description.

I think one of my biggest concerns in returning to Utah,  is that here, our answer to their concerns as to why people use certain language, or take the Lord's name in vain, is because they aren't taught the same things we are taught, and don't know differently.  It's going to be a challenge when it's the kids they know are Mormon that are saying and doing things they shouldn't....

I just have to remind myself when I'm sad about leaving here and the many great things it has to offer, that we are just so lucky that we had the at all.  Jersey was definitely the hardest place to adjustment to, but it's been a huge blessing for us as a family.  I know when I get on the plane one month from today, I will be heart broken, leaving those I love here behind...but thankfully there are many others I love where we are going.

Darling Daughter?

It's no secret that one of our daughters can be a "handful?"  Ok, we all know it's Anna.  I love her.  She can be such a sweetie pie.  She is very nurturing and thoughtful, but boy is she also just plain hard. She;s been hard from the beginning.  I often ask myself what I did differently with her in my pregnancy just sure it's my fault, since she just came that way so different from the others.

This morning I am just so frustrated with her.  She is just not a happy child, almost ever.  She just chooses to be miserable the majority of her life.  I've been talking to her a lot about that recently that happiness is a choice.  I know that there are extenuating circumstances, but she's 7 and has a good life.  This morning at breakfast she announced that "she doesn't like life".  I was like "what?"  Just because I wanted to be sure that's what she had said and what she meant.  So yes continued to say that yes, in fact she doesn't life like and it's because hers is so terrible.  I immediately just said "go to your room".  I was so mad and sad at the same time.  I don't know how to teach her to see the good.

 A few weeks ago at dinner I was asking them what the best part of their day was.  I asked Ethan and of course he had something happy and positive to say.  I went on to Anna and again asked "Anna, what was the best part of your day?"  She said "well, the worst part was ..."  OK.  I didn't ask her what the worst part was but she skipped right past the good and went for the worst.  The cup is definitely half empty with her.

Anna has some great strengths and talents.  She loves babies.  She adores Jane and wishes she could be her mother.  I often have to remind Anna that I am the mother.  She has taken it upon herself to be Kate's teacher.  Anna has literally worked for hours and hours writing out "lesson plans".   She sits down with Kate and has been teaching her about vowels, non fiction, whatever it is that week.

...Anna just came in and we had a talk and she said "being a kid is just hard".  I tried to emphasize and told her that's true but it's also supposed to be one of the best parts of life.  I told her to try to see the good. I asked her to list some of the good things yesterday, she said "pizza at school, centers, the monkey bars, that's it".  I said to her what about these things like a package from grandma with treats inside, dinner out last night, and a new movie for them to watch and much needed new shoes tomorrow.  Her response was "well the movie was just rented".  Aarg  see what I'm working with here?  Apparently the movie isn't good enough unless we buy it.

We've been really encouraging her to say her personal prayers and teaching that you can pray anytime anywhere she needs.  She hasn't been too keen on the idea.  I told her that it's these exact things she can include in her prayers.  Things like the girls at school will be nice, she can be happy etc.

That girl worries me, they all worry me for one reason another.  I had no idea being a parent would be so hard.  I just thought as long as they were fed and clothed we were good.

Rands been gone 8 days and I've hardly slept the last 3 nights because Jane has started crying in the night, and Kate's had a fever of 103 for the last 3 days.  I'm sure I'm just tired and all will be well when I get a little more sleep soon.

Jane's Birthday

We just opened presents to celebrate Jane turning 2.  I can't help but remember back 2 years ago this morning.  I was on my way to a dr.'s appt, just 2 days from my due date.  I had been having what I thought was contractions all through the 2 nights before. (wow, that's a lot of 2's)  I was so hoping to go to my appointment to have him tell me I was making great process and I would go into labor on my own in a few days.  Sadly that was not the case.

The good old doc checked me and I was zero and zero.  Not what you want to hear just 2 days from your due date.  I wasn't quite ready to have this baby and said so.  Randall said otherwise.  He said I had been miserable and "we" should just be induced if we could be.  The dr. said we could and I still didn't want to be.  The Dr. then excused himself so Randall and I could have a little chat.  See, the thing is I have always been induced.  every.single.time.  And though I know nothing different I have always wanted to just "go on my own" if you will.  I had even read a hypnobirthing book, been listening to hynobirthing CD's to prepare myself for a natural birth, and though I didn't have my heart set on a natural birth I still didn't want to be induced.  I'm also someone who although I'm 9 months pregnant and not exactly comfortable at night, at least I can get up and go to the bathroom and go back to sleep.  Once the baby comes who knows if you will sleep at all in the night.

After some discussion mostly on Randall's part the doctor came back in.  I asked him what he thought was going to happen.  He said with my history and the "progress" I hadn't made it was a pretty high chance I would come back a week overdue and still be zero and zero.  That finally clinched it.  I would be induced, today, April 21, 2010.

That was a weird feeling.  It's always a weird feeling knowing today you will meet your baby.  The day you have waited for and hoped for and want so badly to come, and suddenly in a matter of minutes it's decided, today's the big day.

I still remember that happening with Ethan.  I went for a check 2 days past my date and was not even "ripe" or close to it.  It was decided I would be induced because at that point I wanted that baby out, NOW!  I didn't know what those endless sleepless nights felt like, and I was huge I might add, HUGE!  Even though I wanted him out, I was somewhat shocked when the doc said, ok, go over to the hospital.  I thought that meant ya know sometime today, but it meant, like right now.  I didn't even have my hospital bag with me.  I remember getting in the elevator to make the short trek to the hospital when I suddenly thought, "what have I done?".  Long story short Ethan's labor and birth were LONG and excruciating, and I honestly thought at one point I was going to die.  I have never worked that hard for something in. my. life.   It was worth it when a beautiful BIG 9lb. 5 oz. boy was hoisted, yes hoisted up onto my tummy.  He had so much blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  I was so exhausted I could hardly hold my head up to look at him, but I was thrilled he was finally OUT.

Anyway,  on that cozy, dark and rainy spring morning as we drove to the hospital I decided that on a day like that, there was no better day than to stay indoors and have a baby, and that's exactly what I did.  It was the best labor and birth experience yet.  Jane has been nothing but sweet and sunshine.  I adore her, as I do all my children.  It's fun to think back to those special baby meeting days, but for now I'm happy to celebrate her turning 2 today.

Easter Weekend

Our Easter weekend was very low key this year. I think because of our exhausting week I just wasn't up for big hoopla. In fact it was getting late Friday night and it suddenly dawned on me I needed to do their baskets. Thankfully I had bought all the things weeks before so that was at least done. I had read about people tying a string to the kids bed and then stringing the string all through the house and figured that was easy enough and might up the excitement fact a bit at least. This cute little bunny Jane is loving on was a gift to her from my friend Laura who felt so bad about her accident. Turns out the bunny was a good replacement for the binki.

Jane's basket this year had nothing but side walk chalk, bubbles and an egg full of play-dough.
The other kids didn't have much more than a chocolate bunny a few candies and bubbles. I refuse to go all out and give them actual gifts for a holiday that really isn't about a rabbit anyway.
This is Anna after she had gathered up all her string to find her basket. It wasn't easy for them to wind it all together. I thought it was a crack up watching them try to wind it and push and pull it all over the house. I think I may have gotten a bigger kick out of it than they did.

Ethan's basket was hidden 3 floors down from his bedroom in the shower.
Our smart and handsome blonde boy. I can't believe how big he is getting. His feet are now just a tad bigger than mine and he acts older than 9. In fact I recently remembered that I need to not be so hard on him because he's still just a young little guy. Most people think he's 12.

Our cute girls in their white dresses.



The girls were watching a Mormon Messages movie and I looked over and saw this and thought it was the sweetest thing. I just may have to have that one painted someday.
This is one of Kate's drawings of an Easter Egg.

It was a fun but low-key weekend. We had the traditional ham and opted for sweet potatoes this year as we are trying to make healthier choices. We went for a nice walk and spent an hour or so at the park.

Early Easter

Last Tuesday, after school we went over to my friend Laura's for our 2nd annual early Easter party. The kids dyed eggs and did a little egg hunt and enjoyed the gorgeous Spring day that it was. We had a great time and then an hour after we got home is when we ended up in the ER in the picture below.

This picture above of Jane was taken above just minutes before she finished her dinner and had her "fall". It's funny because at the time I was taking these pictures of her "Santa face" in sour cream I was thinking to myself what a cute and perfect little smile she had...
Jane just kind of hung out while we the other kids participated in the festivities.


I'm thinking she found some candy in that egg-

Ethan definitely ran through the yard picking up eggs faster than anybody else. I had to tell him a few times to just STOP that he had enough and let the others get some.
The kids with Tommy and Molly. They are twins Anna's age. I met their Mom helping out at a Bake sale at Christmas time a year ago. I'm sure glad I volunteered to help out with that because Laura is now one of my closest friends, and always is throwing a party :)

Trauma and Tender Mercies

It all started Tuesday morning when I hurt my back at the gym. Not actually doing anything gym-like. I was lifting (with my legs I might add) to get Jane a drink in the fountain when I suddenly had electric shock go across my back and I knew I was in trouble. Thankfully I was able to see my chiropractor within a few hours. He said to take it easy and ice it several times through out the day.

Fast forward to 6pm. We had just finished dinner and I had un buckled Jane from her booster seat. Ethan was standing right next to her so I asked him if her could just lift her out, thinking it would save me from my aching back. I don't know why, but for whatever reason Ethan went behind her chair and suddenly yanked her chair away from the table. I don't know why, and he obviously didn't know she wasn't strapped but of course she went flying out of her seat and face first hit the floor, hard!

I immediately picked her up and turned her over and it wasn't good. She was covered in blood and I couldn't see some of her teeth on her left side and her front tooth was kind of pointing outwards towards her nose. I screamed really loudly and scooped her up and was kind of in a daze initially not knowing what to do. My first thought after my initial shock was to "call Alyson". Alyson lives a half mile away and is a good friend from the ward. I have other friends not far either, but the thought was clearly "call Alyson". I called her and she immediately answered and said "hey how are you?" I said "not good, come get my kids". She just said OK and I hung up. Well with all the screaming and commotion my neighbor told her daughter to come over and just check to make sure everything was alright. I opened my door and saw her and just said "Get your Mom". Her Mom came to the the door, and took one look at Jane and yelled for her husband. At that point maybe 30 seconds after I had called Alyson she was in my driveway ready to get my kids. She said we should call 911, but the hospital is so close and at that point my neighbors husband Mr. Allam was already running to his car to take me to the ER. I just ran to the car and jumped in the back seat knowing my kids were in good hands. Randall of course was still at work in the city and oblivious to all of this-thankfully. As we raced up the hill to the hospital ER just behind our house, literally within walking distance, my neighbor who is a very devote muslim, prayed quietly all the way to the ER. It was very comforting to me that he was praying for us as we rode to the hospital. I think that I was to the hospital with 5 minutes from the time Jane fell.

I ran in and they immediately took me back to the triage nurse. Initially I think they thought I was over reacting and the nurse said "did she fall and bite her lip?" I was so angry and up set at that and I was of course still crying. The nurse asked me what happened and I started to tell her but she stopped me and said "I can't understand anything you are saying, you have to stop crying." I was able to pull it together to tell her. After that they took us right back to a room and it wasn't long after that we saw our first Dr.

The strange thing was once left the house, Jane was completely quiet and calm the whole time, it was me that was a mess. I was glad that she was so calm, and yet scared at the same time. I knew she hadn't hit her head, but was still just very worried. The nurse was very sweet and remarked at how sweet and calm Jane was. They didn't want to clean her up at all because they thought then she wouldn't let the Dr's look her when they needed too.

The first Dr, checked her over and said that other than her mouth she looked good but it was evident we needed a dental resident to check her out. There wasn't one in the hospital so I had to wait for someone to come from home. It was now that I was able to call Randall while he was on the train home to tell him what happened. Mr. Allam my neighbor just decided he was going to stay with me. At first I felt a bit awkward about this but soon found it comforting to not be alone. It was also good because he asked me to tell Rand to text when he got to the station so he could pick him up. About 7:45 Rand was off the train and to the hospital. It was right after Rand came that the dental resident showed up. After palpating her face, the resident "Helen" said we needed to go up to the dental clinic to take some x-rays. Jane was a complete sweetheart. I sat in the chair and then Jane sat in my lap. Jane did everything she was asked to do, opening her mouth to hold the x-rays. Helen said that most children her age aren't cooperative and if these x-rays didn't work we would have to do a CAT scan. I was praying they would work, and they did. While we waited for the x-rays to develop, Randall gave her a quick priesthood blessing. The x-ray confirmed what I was afraid of. Jane had broken the buccal bone portion of her maxilla or the outer portion of her upper jaw bone. Not only was the bone broken, but it was dislocated. That was why that section of her jaw was looking so deformed and "pushed out". Of course with this news I was upset again. Helen said this was now past her abilities and we would need to call in an oral surgeon. Again, there wasn't one in the hospital so he needed to be called in.

When the surgeon came he confirmed what we already knew and gave us some options to correct or "set" the bone. We could go to the operating room and sedate her, which wasn't the best option and can be dangerous, we could give her morphine and then "papoose" her and then do the procedure or minor surgery she needed, or we could just papoose her and use local anesthetic to numb the area and just get it done. He told us the procedure would only take about 5 minutes total. We opted for the papoose and local anesthetic. I felt really mean for choosing this option knowing it was probably the least comfortable for her initially but would be the least traumatic and side effect free. I was really worried about giving her morphine and the side effects she may have from that.

After he was all set up and ready to go we strapped her in and he set to work. her arms were strapped but her little hands were free, so I held her hands and talked to her while he worked. Randall stood behind me just in case he got "woozy". No surprise Jane screamed and screamed and screamed. It was hard to stand there and watch and yet I was glad we could be there to try to comfort her even a little bit. The saddest part was a bout half way through she started calling out "daddy! Daddy". The surgeon was able to put the bone back into place mostly. He couldn't do it all the way because he was worried about damaging the permanent teeth buds that were already forming. She also had a laceration above the teeth that had to be stitched. The saddest part was after her procedure, the surgeon said that the piece was still very fragile and Jane couldn't have anything between her teeth or it could displace the bone. That meant no more binkies, sippy cups, straw or real "food". She could only have liquids and smoothie type consistency foods for while to let the bone heal and set. This part was devastating to me. Jane always goes to bed with a binkie, and now when she had gone through the most traumatic thing of her life there were no comfort items.

After it was done of course I cried again holding her and trying to comfort her. This was when Jane had the hardest time. She was exhausted, upset, probably hurting and hated that her face was numb. She was just flailing her limbs and trying to bat at her face. She kept wanting to go back and forth between Randall and me trying to get comfortable. They gave her some tylenol with codeine and she finally settled down and went to sleep. After we were discharged we called our neighbor again and they were there within minutes to pick us up and take us home.

When we came home Alyson was there and had come back with all the kids and gotten them settled and into bed. Dinner was cleaned up and put away. This was so nice. We were able to just worry about Jane and get her settled and into bed. We put her into bed with her little love-its and she didn't even ask for her binki. I was so grateful. I'm sure she was just to worn out to care. She sleep so well through the night, I however did not. I was awake so much of the night worrying and checking etc. She didn't even wake when the pain meds were supposed to have worn off so finally I woke her to give her some motrin and milk. I was worried that if I didn't she would waken the morning in horrible pain.

When she awakened in the morning she was her normal self. She was swollen a little but I think minimally for all that she was put through. When she was admitted to the hospital they wouldn't let her eat or drink in case she had to have surgery. When I went to change her diaper she was completely dry so I knew we needed to start pushing fluids. Thankfully Rand can work from home so he was home while I ran to get the essentials at the store. Other than wanting to eat certain foods, Jane was a total champ throughout the day. She was sweet and happy and crazy! In fact she was climbing everything just like normal and jumping off of things and giving me a heart attack. Yesterday I just followed her around like a puppy wishing she had a helmet with a face guard she could wear. At nap time she did ask for her binki but I just told her she couldn't because of her bad "owie". I gave her a baby to sleep with instead and she didn't even cry. I couldn't believe it.

The reason I write all this is to acknowledge and remember how blessed we were. As much as I was upset and we don't know if her teeth will stay in or not, or if the bone will develop correctly there I don't care. It could be far worse. I know there were tender mercies right and left. I asked Alyson later how she was to my house within seconds and it was because she was on the street just over from mine on her way back from the church after scouts. No one else could have been there that fast and Heavenly Father knew where she was and who to call. Thanks to our paper thin walls my neighbor knew there was a problem, and sent her daughter over. We often don't love the street we live on but we have now had 2 emergencies where it sure was nice to be so close, and our neighbors have been a blessing on many occasions.

Another thing that was so sweet is that you can imagine after it happened Ethan felt terrible. In fact I couldn't find him as I was running out of the house to the hospital. When Alyson got the kids in the car she suggested they all say a prayer for Jane. Ethan told her that he already said a prayer in his room. I was so happy and proud that prayer was his first instinct. I know that it could have been far worse than it was. Jane really is doing so well and other than me being a total stress case and low on patience at the moment, we are doing great. Alyson brought soup for lunch yesterday and our neighbors brought us dinner. I know our many prayers were answered and that we couldn't have been better watched over.

We go back to the surgeon to check on her progress tomorrow and see what else needs to be done, if anything.