Progress

Today we got to take the bandage off of Phil's knee and let him take a shower before re-dressing the knee and taking him to PT. It is always a little hard to see staples in people's skin and I don't really like being the one that has to pull off the bandage and wrap everything back up. I am getting better at helping move the leg and getting Phil dressed. The socks have taken some time to get on and off his swollen foot without moving the leg too much. I think as we hit the one week mark things seem to be getting a little better.
The physical therapist was pretty positive today and showed him four movements to help him strengthen his leg and give him back his ROM. They are hoping to have him off his crutches in another week and being able to support his whole weight on his leg. The staples will come out next Tuesday and that should make showering and moving a little easier.
Two apt. next week and they will continue for another 6 weeks. I meant to get a picture of the wound today while it was unwrapped, but I got too busy in all the work of caretaking. Next time!

Pumpkin Party

I took the kids over to Vashon to Phil's parents house for a pumpkin party with cousins. I couldn't leave Phil for the first 24 hours after surgery so we set off at around 3:00. Most of the time was spent on the Ferry, but the kids were excited to get out of the house and have some fun.Nana had lots of fun things planned for the party, pumpkin picking (last year we had a large crop of our own pumpkins, but it wasn't good this year. Only Miya and Lyla's pumpkins survived, but Nana bought some pumpkins and put them out in the pumpkin patch for the kids to pick from.) It was a beautiful sunny day and we were excited to see cousins and enjoy being outside.

Then we took our pumpkins inside for some decorating. All the cousins then played pumpkin ring toss and pumpkin bowling. Aunt Jenny and Nana made spider web pizzas with olive spiders on them and we ate quickly before getting back on the ferry. I was worried about dad and didn't want to be away too long, but we all had a good time.

Day after surgery

Yesterday was a long day. Phil was in the office for surgery at 11:00 and we got home at 7:00. I know a few things I would change about my surgery center if I had one...
1. If someone is going to need crutches and the place upstairs has them, but they close at 4:00 I would let the patients "wife" know they should go pick them up before that time while they are just sitting waiting for the patient to get out of surgery. I don't know? Just an idea.
2. If someone is going to need pain medication after the said surgery I would give the patients "wife" the prescription so she could get it filled while the patient is again 'in surgery'. Just another idea.
I guess it was just hard sitting around all day waiting for the surgery to be complete and feel like you have nothing to do, but you want to be doing something to prepare for when you will be the caretaker. After I had Phil in the car we had to run around town and get all the said items and I was so worried about poor Phil and needing to take the pain medication. Then I made the biggest mistake of the day and pulled into Walgreen's!! Yikes! I don't like Walgreen's, they are always super slow and I know this. It took 1.5 hours to get his prescription filled. At about 45 min. I thought what am I doing, but then it felt too late and it couldn't take too much longer, right? Phil was such a trooper and even laughed at me and all my craziness when I got back in the car.
Phil's dr. was nice and great and as we were leaving Phil gave him some knuckles and Dr. Teeny said,"it is so funny what the medicine does to people." I replied, "no that was all Phil. He would have done that even without the medicine." He laughed and I thought I am so lucky. Phil was great with the nurse though and that was all the medicine. He kept acting like Cannon does when he is really tired and saying things like, "I can't keep my eyes open" as his eyes would roll back into his head. They had to shave his leg and he kept laughing at the way it looked. He was super nauseous when he came out of surgery, which made me super excited about getting him in the car and driving him around. I just love it when people throw-up.
Angie Buxton is an angel for watching all the kids and being such a good friend. I guess it was one of those days that you realize Heavenly Father couldn't give you a big enough family so he gave you friends that become family. We love the Buxton family so much and my kids can't imagine that they really aren't Auntie and Uncle.
Phil will start physical thearapy next week and will be out of work for two weeks, but seems to be doing well. We saw the Tom Brady report just before taking him in for surgery about the infection and that was super exciting to think about. The doctor wasn't sure what the ACL was going to look like because with the MRI it looked okay. When he got in there he found that the ACL was torn but had attached to the other ligament so he took tissue from the front of the knee and rebuilt the ACL. It should take about 10 months to get back to normal and will have a lot of hard work to get ROM back and the strength in the leg, but he is excited about being able to run again.

We can't take the bandage off for 5 days so this is we get to see. On the form for preop it said take a shower before coming in...good advise since he can't shower for 2 days.

Halloween??

What, October 23rd?! I really can't even believe that it is the end of October. We are having great weather here and the sun is out and it is almost 60 degrees most days. I am LOVING it and the fact that my kids are still playing outside. As I have said before I love this time of year, but it is even better this year because we are outside everyday.

Daddy

So I tried to capture just a little hint of what Phil goes through when we walked upstairs and in the door after work. It seems that Miya doesn't say anything to me after school so she can save it all until Phil gets home.

The kids just love their daddy. They even enjoying going on Saturdays and working with him at "old stinky houses," as Cannon would say. They are great helpers, even Lyla loves to help clean.

Sometimes they do enjoy taking a little break from all the helping for a much needed nap in the afternoon.

Miya can alway pull out a smile or story for dad.

Favorite thing about dad:

Miya: That daddy plays with us and is fun.

Cannon: When he throws us on the bed.

Lyla: Bye-Bye Daddy.

Seriously, they love anytime they can have with dad, but who could blame them. I mean just look at this guy!!!

Brother Wallace

So Phil and I just found out that a sweet friend from our Ward in Seattle has passed away this week from his long battle with liver cancer. Brother Wallace was the kindest man and it was so hard to see him sick and we feel like we even missed a lot of the worst part of his disease and suffering once we moved down south.

Phil was reading to me about the funeral next week and said, "how sad." I said, "no how happy I am for him," but then the tears came rolling down my cheeks as I thought about his wife, Linda and his daughter. He was a convert to the church of only a handful of years, but he loved the Gospel and reading all things he could get his hands on about the church. He was the man that would happily sit in the church parking lot during seminary even when he didn't have any children attending. He was also the man that always said hello and how much he appreciated seeing you at church on Sunday and how good your kids are even if one got away and ran all around the chapel during sacrament meeting and you had to take the other one out to the potty and let the other run free. He loved my kids and having them there even when I sometimes didn't. He supported my husband and appreciated so much his service as Bishop and I felt it. Well even though I am happy for Brother Wallace it seems hard to say goodbye. He was a wonderful man and I will be happy to see him again when the time comes.

Words

I got home from picking a friend up from the doctor and the kids had been put in quiet time while Phil was down working and I went out. I thought it would only take just a few minutes, but it ended up taking over 2 hours. When I went to get Cannon we had a great conversation:

Cannon: (with a very upset face and folded arms lying in his bed) I don't love you.
Me: Why?
Cannon: because you didn't come and get me. (tears threatening to come out)
Me: I am sorry Cannon that you fell asleep during quite-time because I didn't come and get you faster. I had to go get Auntie Angie from the doctor and it took longer than I thought it would.
Cannon: I still don't love you.

There is something so much stronger about the words "I don't love you" then his "I hate you" could have been. It was sad and vunerable and made my heart hurt a little. We are now getting ready to make waffles with chocolate chips for dinner so I think all is forgiven. My sweet, tenderhearted, tough, manly little guy.

Just another reason to love my man

Saturday night was just another reason to love Phil. We had an 80s rollerskating party and he has been growing his mustache for me for the last two weeks. We had visions of Magnum PI, but he ended up looking a little more nasty, but still won the male best costume award.

It was a great night of big hair, painted faces, short shorts and fun. It was great to be on rollerskates again and be with the hottest man in the room!!!
Nobody likes a party with lots of friends like Phil does. We would have a serious nightlife if it weren't for 3 kids and my great need of 8 hours sleep each night.

Even with a hurt knee and upcoming surgery he could not be stopped. Everyone asked if they were my shorts...I think I should be a little hurt by that question.

It was a good thing that the "mall hair" didn't last too long because my hair didn't do to great in the real 80s and it didn't do much on Saturday night. It was fun however to go to Goodwill and pick up a tiny curling iron. Miya was super impressed with the curly hair and the makeup. She was getting all sorts of ideas. I will take a moment to say good-bye 80s, it was fun for a night, but I was happy to shower all the makeup and hair spray away.

Basement

We are enjoying the wonderful space of the unfinished basement while Phil is away again at the doctor. The kids love to put on my rollerblades (they would love it even more if I would buy them some that fit better and didn't hit them at their knees).
Lyla wasn't sure how she felt about the time in the basement when she couldn't get on Phil's work computer and I had taken the markers she had been writing on the floor with.
You also get the witness the computer junkyard in our basement. Someone needs to take a little trip to the thrift store.

I thought I would add the video of both Miya and Cannon's skills. You also get to witness Cannon experiencing one of his many fits when things don't seem to go his way.

Fall

I love, love, love this time of the year. It is always hard to say goodbye to summer, but I think that is why Fall had to be so beautiful. I love the change in color...and oh, how it makes me miss my little town of Driggs and high school football!! I love the cooler temperature in the evenings and getting out sweaters and jackets again.

One of the best things about having kids in school is going to the pumpkin patch with them and I am excited to do it again this year. I found these pictures of the past few years trips with the kids.

Conversations

Cannon: mom my tummy hurts.
Mom: do you need to go potty (this kid will hold it in for a long time)
Cannon: No. I think it is because I swallowed a dinosaur without chewing it. (he has little dinosaurs in his oatmeal)
Mom: Why don't you try to go potty.
Cannon: I don't need to go!!! I just ate too much for breakfast. When is it my turn on the computer.
Mom: You can get on the computer if you go poop.

moments later...(yelling from bathroom)
Cannon: mom, I tricked you. Come see how long my poop is.

Football Game

Over Labor Day weekend we went to Oregon to see the UW football game with the Eckman's and watch Brandon. I am just getting the pictures from the trip so thought I would document the event. We had a good time even with the well running dry at the house we were staying at. (no hot water because we had to use the hose from the neighbors)

Happenings

just thought I would add a few pictures and video to update on the last few weeks.



1. Miya was student of the month in kindergarten. We got a paper home that said it would be a surprise and please make it to the assembly. Needless to say there were about five kids from each class that were the student of the month. At the end of the video Mr. Wilkenson says, "and someday maybe you too, could be student of the month." We that is highly likely since there are only 20 kids in the class and 1/4 of them made it for the month of September. It was cute and Miya was pretty excited about it. The first video was a mistake, but I can't get it off. Miya is in the green shirt and jeans rocking back and forth on the side.

Cannon started preschool and has been helping me around the house while Miya is at school. He helped make and eat some friendship bread.

Lyla has been busy doing anything that doesn't include cleaning or helping. She sure is fun!!