Stitches and Staples

We were having a lazy evening on Monday. Dave was going to be home super late and we had eaten an early dinner, the kids and I were lounging on the couch, Kyler was reading the Friend because he was in charge of Family Home Evening. Brenner and Malia were climbing around on the couches beside me. I wasn't too worried about Brenner, he can hold his own, and doesn't usually get hurt with all the climbing he does. I was holding Malia's hand so she wouldn't fall while she climbed around and slid down the cushions.

They'd had fun and I was just telling them it was time to stop jumping when I saw Brenner lose his balance and fall backward over the side of the couch landing on his head. It was the loudest crack I have ever heard. His head hit the metal window casing where the floor-to-ceiling window meets the floor. I ran around to him and picked him up and saw blood running down his face.

I tend to panic at times like this. I've really got to work on remaining calm for my kids. The other kids ran over to us and when they saw all the blood running down Brenner's face and all over his shirt and arms they started crying. I had no idea what to do. We didn't have an emergency plan. I had no idea what to do. The hospital is just over the river from us but we have to take such a round about way to get there over 2 bridges and through Queens and then to Manhattan. And he was bleeding pretty good.

So we knelt together and said a prayer. The bleeding stopped.

I called a neighbor so she was expecting the other kids and I put Brenner in the stroller and ran 15 minutes to the parking garage. Traffic was pretty quick moving, which is a miracle, and I made it to New York Presbyterian Hospital in 15 minutes. It was jam-packed. Dave's surgery rotation is there so he was upstairs. I was so glad when I was finally able to get a hold of him and he met us in the Emergency Room in his scrubs.

Brenner was so calm. The emergency room was packed. We knew it was going to be a long wait. They let Dave off early so he kept Brenner at the hospital with him, waiting, and I went home to get the kids from the neighbors and put them to bed. I had lost my checkbook, drivers license, credit cards, and insurance cards in my haste and prayed all the way home that I would be able to find them. I found the insurance cards on the floor of the parking garage where I had parked, and luckily someone had turned in my checkbook at the office. Another answered prayer.

The kids were so worried about Brenner so they drew him pictures and taped them up by his bed for him to see when he got home. They finally fell asleep around 10pm. Dave and Brenner got home 3 hours later and Brenner was in such good spirits. They had given him chocolate ice cream and a little bag full of prizes, his favorite being the water squirter syringe. He showed me all the prizes and smiled with chocolate ice cream all around his mouth.


The doctors and nurses said they had never seen such a brave boy, especially for only being 3! He didn't cry the whole time they were washing it out, or during the 9 shots of Lidocaine to deaden it. Dave said it was so deep his skull was showing. It took stitches underneath and then 4 staples on top. The thing about head wounds is they always bleed so much. I'm so glad it wasn't worse because it looked so bad in the beginning.


The other kids have been so nice to him since it happened. He was a celebrity the next morning when they all woke up and gathered around to see his stitches and staples. I'm so thankful that everything worked out okay and for prayer and Heavenly Father's help in the small details of our every day experiences.

And I'm so thankful for Brenner. I'm thankful for the rough and tumble fireball that his is, for his ready laugh, his sparkly eyes and his funny personality. He definitely keeps me hoppin' all day, but when things like this happen it makes me so thankful for him and that he's okay.

cherry blossoms

Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.


When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.


In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.


First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness.


God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.


God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.


Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.


When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.



Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.


Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.


You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.


Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.


And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.




- excerpts from "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit," by F. Enzio Busche
{to watch in video form click here}

lil' miss

this photo is so malia.

always wearing brenner's shoes.
puppy in arms.
just escaped out the front door to run down the hall in her jammies.

except she usually has a smile.
but i just love her blue eyes in this picture.


oh, how i love her.

i love her little arms around my neck.
i love the silly little lop-sided way she runs with one arm bent and the other straight.
i love her little voice saying "mom!" when she wants me to pick her up.
i love her jibber-jabber.
i love how she makes sounds like a monkey when she sees an animal.
i love how she climbs into my lap no matter where i am sitting.
i love that she wants to be wherever i am.

she makes my heart smile.
she is pure joy.

i love you, lil' miss!

photo of the day

walking to the park. enjoying the 70 degree weather. love the little diaper bum and short legs walking with that cute toddler waddle. brenner was so nice to walk slowly all the way from our apartment to the park so mia could hold his hand. it was a melt my heart moment.

st. patrick's day 2012

our kids love st. patrick's day. lexi says it is her favorite holiday, even trumping Christmas! that surprises me. anyhow, our st. patrick's day was a nice, looong day.

the kids remembered to set leprechaun traps 2 minutes before bedtime on st. patty's day eve, out of any household item they could find in a hurry...porter made not only one trap, but 7! he's always the first one ready for bed so he was making traps while the others were struggling to get their teeth brushed. lexi was nice to help brenner throw one together.

kyler's trap was pretty creative i thought, given he made it in 5 minutes!

the kids remembered to set out their shoes so the leprechauns could bring them a green shirt and other green surprizes...

it was funny to me that brenner put out 2 right-footed shoes of different pairs. we seem to have a black hole of a shoe closet where it's hard to find a matching pair on any given day!

the leprechauns come and do the same mischief as past years... they are probably needing to get a little more creative... but anyhow, they open cabinets, move furniture, make the milk green, and leave us with a green potty.

they also leave their footprints on the kids while they are sleeping...


here is where our holiday got a bit tricky this year....
the kids woke up at 3:30 am.
3:30am.
running through the house trying to find their shoes.
eating candy.
trying on their green shirts.
at 3:30am.


that's way earlier than they were up on Christmas morning!

i took a few pictures of them in their excitement.
at 3:30am.
dave thought i was nuts to be up taking pictures.
but i enjoyed the moment with them.

brenner kept saying, "look what the easter bunnies brought us!"



then we made them go back to bed.
or tried to.
because they didn't.
we could hear them squealing and laughing in their room.
we put in ear plugs and tried to go back to sleep.

they played 'monopoly' and 'sorry'.
they ate their chocolate coins.
they ate 'lucky charms.'
they fought a few times.
they laughed more.
we thought they would wear themselves out. eventually.

3 hours later we dragged out of bed after catching a few more winks.
we are sleep deprived from dave's surgery rotation (he is up at 4:30am every day and this was our one morning to sleep in. arrrgh.)

the kids never did fall back asleep.
when we got up they were still awake and going strong.
we had to get them to basketball practice and saturday academy (state test prep) at 9am.

here is kyler modeling his leprechaun footprints.
notice they are a bit smeared.
this tradition is getting harder to pull off. they keep waking up or swiping at me in their sleep while i try to get the job done. as i was typing this i just had an aha! moment. a green ink pad might keep this tradition alive rather than craft paint. (goodness, how have i never thought of that one?)

malia was zonked asleep and didn't stir an inch with all the leprechauns roaming around... until they tried to leave a footprint! i thought the kids would have fun seeing her with a little footprint, but instead she had a big green smear with a matching one on her pillowcase.


my attempts to balance out the sugar...


although we had to try making tie-dye rainbow cupcakes...
i love malia's smile in the background because she sees i have the camera. cute little bug.



we played at the park in the afternoon. it was a bit chilly. and very crowded.

and we were tired.

so we had an early dinner.
watched a short movie together on the couch.
and put them all in bed by 7:15pm.
hallelujah!

and that was our st. patrick's day.

Pinewood Derby

Kyler's first Pinewood Derby was last Saturday. It was a Stake event, held at the Stake Center, which is the same building as the Manhattan Temple. Since Dave's tools are in Idaho, he and Kyler went a little early to use someone's tools to put on the wheels and weights. The other kids and I joined them at 10am to watch the races. They had quite the set up with a big screen to show the finish line and sensors to detect 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, which was immediately projected up on the wall. Pretty high-tech!
Kyler enjoyed watching the action.
Kyler's cheering section.


The derby lasted 4 hours! There was a fun kid's corner where the littles could race cars too.

And 'Create New York' on this big wall with stencils and stickers. They had a blast!

Lexi and Malia dancing to the music during lunch.

And guess who is in our Stake? {Think 'Adam and Eve' + 20 years.} I admit I was totally starstruck by them and couldn't stop staring. I should've just gone over and met them.

Anyway, Kyler with his car "The Silver Flame" and Lexi. Kyler got the award "Best Color Scheme." Good job Kyler! It was a fun day!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Kyler's Blue and Gold Banquet was Friday March 2. Here is the Scout Troup bringing in the Flag.
It was a night to celebrate the talents of each boy. The Scout leaders brought some things the boys could show quickly, and Kyler was the only one who could do the pogo stick so well!

One of the Scout's moms, Lucie Holman (who is amazing, her husband is in the Stake Presidency, they have been here 17 years and are raising their 6 kids in NYC!) had this idea to tape glow sticks to their clothes...
...and the lights went out and they started dancing. It was awesome!
After eating a huge yummy feast, it was award time. Kyler worked hard the last few months and earned his Bear. Good job Kyler! The man in the center is Bishop Crandell, and the two on the side are Kyler's scout leaders, Nate and Erica Larsen.
The Union Square Ward Scouts.
Kyler's poster showcasing his talents. His soccer team, playing football with his Dad and knowing every football player in the NFL, writing songs on the piano, playing the baritone horn, drawing cars, doing bike and skateboard tricks, sewing a quilt, and being a wonderful son and brother. It was a great night celebrating Kyler. We love you Ky!