Te gusta ir conmigo?

I had my 15 year high school reunion the other day. Well, more of a tailgate party to be correct! I was standing with Blake talking to an old girl-friend of mine when I heard someone say, "Is this my 7th grade girlfriend?" I turned to see Ben, (the first guy who made my heart flutter) standing there! I couldn't believe it was him! This was they guy that I spent HOURS talking to on the phone. You know, the ancient kind that didn't have texting, and pictures, and video, and Internet, and well....anything but good 'ol fashioned talking! I remember the day he asked me to be his girlfriend like it was yesterday! I was in 7th grade so I was probably 13. I always tried to go out of my way to "bump" into him and talk to him and pass notes back and forth. (I know, sooo old fashioned, but we didn't have cell phones smaller than a small car let alone texting!) Anyway, he passed me a note one day which I opened eagerly and read, "Te gusta ir conmigo?" Now, I don't speak Spanish so it was killing me that I had no idea what it said! (Again, too bad I didn't have my iPhone to just pull up the Internet and look it up. Wow, I am old!)

Well, I got home and pulled out a Spanish dictionary and looked up each word...

Te: You

gusta: like

ir: to go

conmigo: with me

Now as I said, I don't speak Spanish nor do I now speak Spanish. So I have no idea if that is even correct. But he apparently took 7th grade Spanish and I was now his girlfriend! I don't remember how I answered him. I'm sure it was not by walking up to him and telling him anything. It was probably something much more mature like telling his cousin Dallas to tell him or passing another note. Somehow we got through it and it was official. The funny thing was that I was only 13 and therefore not allowed to date or have a boyfriend or anything that even came close to that! So our "going out" meant that we hung out at school and talked on the phone sometimes after school. I remember he really liked Simon and Garfunkel and I was way into Erasure. So he gave me a tape with "Bridge over troubled water" on it and I gave him an Erasure tape and some Drakkar Noir cologne for Christmas. I remember that he never kissed me but my heart skipped a beat every time I saw him or held his hand. (Yes mother, I held his hand... sorry!) He was my first real love! My older brother told me that it was just "puppy love" and I was so offended! I thought, how can this not be real? My heart knows that I am in love! And so began the ups and downs of my love life! Looking back, I suppose you could say that it was puppy love, because it was young and innocent and fun. As I grew older, I learned what heartache was and jealousy and eventually true love. But you have to experience it all. The scary thing is that now I have a daughter who is 13! I can't imagine her talking to any boy, let alone thinking she loves him! I'm sure she'll be MUCH more mature than I was and pay attention to her school work and leave the boys alone. At any rate, it was so fun to see Ben and introduce my puppy love to my true love. Funny thing is that as we talked, we discovered that they are both from the same little town in Idaho! Maybe my heart was drawn in some small way towards my future husband through Ben. Then again, maybe I was just a girl with stars in her eyes...

The difference a week makes

I decided to take the girls up to Idaho for the UEA weekend. We all needed some r&r and what better place to do that than Grandma and Grandpa's house! We left Thursday morning and had a fun three hour drive up to Blake's parents house. Blake wanted to weigh Halli before we left and so he did. She was up to 70 lbs. (Her normal weight previous to all the water retention was around 52 lbs. We waved goodbye to Blake and hit the road. The girls plugged in my Ipod to the truck speakers and we all sang at the top of our lungs to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." It has become a favorite of the girls' for some reason! Anyway, I was thinking that maybe Halli looked a little less swollen. When we got to Mom and Dad's house, they commented that Halli looked much better than she did when they had seen her last. I agreed although her belly and ankles were still very swollen. I went to bed that night feeling positive that maybe she would begin to slowly respond to the medication and lose the water. The next morning I was awoken by a bouncy and happy Halli on my bed! She was jumping on my bed and yelling "MOM! Today is a celebration day!" She pulled up her shirt and my mouth dropped! I couldn't believe the difference! Her belly was at least half the size it had been the day before! Her ankles, face, everything were drastically reduced! All the girls were on my bed by then and we all smiled and hugged and cheered for Halli. That was the beginning of our day of celebration. It was also the beginning of the weekend of peeing for Halli! She went to the bathroom more times this weekend than I've seen her do in a long time! By Saturday, her body had lost all of its swelling and looked normal again. I couldn't believe how fast it happened! I was expecting a slow process and it happened literally overnight! We tested her urine and weighed her this morning. Her protein level is only a trace. That is very good news, it means her kidneys have responded to the medication. Her weight is now 51 lbs! She lost 19 lbs in 3 days. The human body is absolutely amazing to me. I am constantly in awe at how it works. As I have watched her today, I noticed a couple of things. First, her eyes actually look gaunt and sunken. I don't know if this is from losing so much fluid so fast or maybe from a lack of sleep. Her cough is still present, but seems to be diminished. Also, she gets bursts of energy and bursts of anger. I can tell that her emotions are all over the place. I've chatted with the older girls and told them what is going on so they can be patient with her.

Although the swelling is gone, we still have a long road ahead. It is so good to have our Halli back. I believe that her improvements are the result of much fasting and prayer. Thank you to everyone who has kept us close to their hearts.

We spent our day of celebration playing with Grandma and Grandpa. We rode Go-Carts, got ice cream, drove to a honey boutique and enjoyed hanging out at their house. It was a perfect weekend. The only thing missing was Blake!

Sunday's update

Today was a very emotional day for me. I knew I should have put on waterproof mascara when my eyes began "leaking" as I listened to spiritual music while getting ready for church. I got everyone up and ready for church pretty well this morning. Getting there by 9:00 has been quite a challenge and I really tried to be on time this time! Anyway, throughout the day, I had many people asking me how I was doing. One thing I've figured out is that I seem to be doing great until someone asks me how I am doing. I feel a bit like Pavlov's dog... Someone asks me how I'm doing and tears come to my eyes! I did make it through church alright. Today was a little rough for Halli. She seemed more swollen and puffy. She has also developed a cough. The doctor said that it is because all the fluids in her body are pushing everything up and crowding her lungs. Hopefully, as she loses fluid, that will remedy itself. She also seems to be battling mood swings. The medication seems to make her more grumpy. I am trying very hard to be patient, but as this goes on for a few weeks, I will be praying for the strength to continue to be patient. She also has already seen the side effect of not being able to sleep. She told me today that she woke up in the night and couldn't go back to sleep. I don't know how long she was up... poor girl! We did have some fun moments today. The girls played twister and got all tangled up, and went for a little walk to the park for a bit. We are grateful for everyones support in joining us in our fast. Beginning tomorrow, I will start tracking Halli's weight gain/loss and protein count. I am grateful to be able to monitor everything from home. I will try to be diligent in updating the results on this blog. Thank you again for your support!

We are a blessed family

I want to start this post by telling our many family and friends how much we love each and every one of you. If there is one thing that we have been reminded of, as we have gone through various challenges these last few months, it is how important relationships are. We consider our family to be blessed beyond measure. We are surrounded by amazing people. People who look beyond themselves. People who will drop anything and be by your side when you need them. People who have hearts bigger than this world. People who love. I want to thank each and every one of you for your time, your concern, your babysitting, your meals, your ice cream, your thoughts, your prayers..... your love. The Lord uses each of us as his "hands" and because of your service, we have been blessed.

Today we took Halli up to the U of U hospital to meet with the pediatric nephrologist. That is a new word I learned this week...

Nephrology (from Greek: nephros, "kidney", combining with the suffix -logy, "the study of") is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.

For those who may not be aware of Halli's circumstances, I'll explain. A few weeks ago, I noticed that Halli's eyes seemed different somehow. I thought she was probably tired and didn't think much of it. A few days later, as I was giving her a bath, I noticed that she looked like she was putting on weight. I thought that I should try to get her to eat better foods, as she is a very picky eater. After another week, she started waking up in the mornings with very swollen eyelids. I thought maybe it was allergies. Finally one day, I noticed that her whole body was beginning to swell. She had swollen ankles, legs, belly, arms, hands, and face. Everything was swollen and puffy. I realized at that point, that something was very wrong and made her a doctor's appointment the next day. That was one week ago. Over the last week, we have been to the doctor's office countless times. They have taken numerous blood samples, and she has peed in a cup more times than we could imagine! Here is what we have learned:

Halli has been diagnosed with Nephrotic syndrome. it is also called nephrosis. These two terms describe a condition in which the kidneys leak large and abnormal amounts of protein into the urine, this leads to puffiness or swelling (edema), often of the eyelids, feet and ankles, and eventually the abdomen. More than 90% of children with nephrotic syndrome are successfully treated with steroids.

The exact cause of nephrotic syndrome is not known and it cannot be prevented. however, research into this condition is ongoing and researchers are trying to develop increasingly effective treatments.

Halli has been put on the steroid prednisone. They say it takes some time for the steroids to work, but that usually, within one to two weeks, the protein in the urine disappears and the swelling in the tissues goes away.

A child that responds to steroids by going into remission is usually thought to have a clinical diagnosis of "minimal change disease." This is what they have told us Halli seems to have. Minimal change disease usually has a good prognosis.

It is possible that Halli could have a relapse or recurrence of protein in the urine, but we are hopeful that this will not be something she has to deal with throughout her life.

So that is the official word from the doctors. We feel very hopeful that we will be able to wean Halli off the steroids within a couple of months, and that her kidney's will be functioning properly again. Those of you who know me well, know that I prefer to stay away from medications and use alternative methods whenever possible. I do believe that medication has it's place and that this is what Halli needs for now. However, it is still very hard for me to have her on such a high dose of such a strong steroid. While it is nice to know what is going on, we are not out of the woods yet. We will be holding a day of fasting and prayer for Halli this coming Sunday the 27th, and we invite anyone to join us.

She seems to be taking everything okay, but she is tired of doctor visits! She just wants to play with friends! Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers. I have faith that everything is in the Lord's hands, and that he gives us trials to strengthen us. Faith told me last night after she said her prayers, that she prays for me to have strength every day. I seem to be in good hands!

Mexico is my favorite village

I have to confess that I am a sporadic blogger. Okay, okay, so that speaks for itself. I know that I've been too much of a slacker when I start getting calls and e-mails telling me to update my blog. So each time I vow to rededicate myself to being a better blogger. It has been a crazy summer with trip after trip it seems. Our latest adventure was taking the girls to Buena Vista. A little town about 35 miles north of Cabo in Mexico (Sea of Cortez side). We went there for a week. I've learned one thing about our vacations... don't let Blake make the airline reservations.

A couple of days before we left, I asked him to forward the itinerary to me. That is when I learned that we had a 7:30 am flight to catch. This meant that I had to get everyone up at about 4:30 am in order to make our flight. I also discovered that we had a FOUR hour layover in Phoenix before catching our next flight to Cabo. So basically we got up at 4:30, drove to the airport to catch our 7:30 flight, flew for one hour then sat and waited. I asked our neighbors who we were traveling with how they felt about getting up so early, and he replied, "I would never make my wife get up that early! We are leaving at 10:30." And guess what, they caught the same connecting flight to Cabo. When I asked Blake why he doesn't love me anymore, he said that he was worried we wouldn't make the connection, if we took the later flight. I'm so glad he's watching out for us all. But I'm going to be in charge of the airline reservations from now on.

So we eventually got to our destination. A little fishing resort right on the beach. It was a quaint little place, and right away we could see that it would be a great week. It was very humid and hot, and it hit you right as you stepped out of the car. I think it was about 100 degrees or hotter each day. We were greeted by the most friendly people, who had limited English and we had VERY limited Spanish. But by the end of the week, my girls were speaking basic Spanish words to all the locals. They have been asking me ever since we got home if they can learn to speak Spanish! One thing that we loved about this resort, was how quiet it was. Right as we went to our room, Kirsten said, "Mom I love this place already, because it is so simple. There aren't a lot of people and it is just quiet." And she was right. We were the only ones on the beach each day, and there wasn't anything to "buy" or things to go and do. It was quite a wake up call for the girls when we got into our rooms. The first thing they noticed was that there was a sign by the toilet that said, "Please do not flush the paper in the WC." They couldn't believe that you had to throw any and all toilet paper into the garbage instead of flushing. No matter what is on the paper. Boo thought that was so cool! She also was very impressed when we took a shower, and the drain had a cover over it that wasn't attached. It kept coming off and she realized that she could look down the drain in the shower. She got so excited and stood up and yelled, "I love this place; it is so awesome!" Later, she found some coconuts that had fallen off the trees and she was swimming around with one. She swam over to me and said, "Mom, Mexico is my favorite village because it has coconuts that fall on the ground!"

Some of our favorite activities were: snorkeling (where we saw puffer fish, and even an eel!), kayaking, jet skiing, deep sea fishing, playing on the beach, swimming in the pool and ordering drinks at the "swim up bar", and our little off resort excursion to go to a zip line.

The zip line was my favorite part of the trip, but I think it requires it's own post to tell about it, so I'll save that for my next post. One of my other favorite things was the amazing food. I think I ate more fresh salsa and guacamole than is legal, along with fresh fish that the guys caught fishing; tostadas, the most amazing nachos you'll ever have, and many other delicious items! It was also fun to hang out with our neighbors, and friends from work.

I am working on a slide show to post our favorite photos from the trip. We had a great time, but I have to say that I'm glad to be home. Now I can drink the water, flush the TP, and my drain cover stays in place!

Do you really want to hide that there?

Yesterday was my birthday. I started the day with Yoga. I love stretching and contorting my body and pretending that I look half as good as the instructor. I love going with my workout "buddy" (some people have dive buddies, I have a workout buddy) who is about as flexible as a piece of sprinkler piping. She continues to amaze me with her dedication and fortitude. I can't wait for the day when she can sit with her legs crossed and actually have her knees touch the ground. And trust me that day will come, because she never gives up.
Anyway as I went through my day, I became overwhelmed with the amazing family and friends I have. I had people calling, texting, facebooking, and e-mailing me all day with their love and support. I had three "parties" and some of the best chocolate cake I've ever had. I know it's a little mushy, but I want to thank everyone for all their love! I am overwhelmed every time I think about how blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life.
My favorite part of the day, however was just before I hit the sack for the night. I was sitting in the office and had just gotten off the phone. Blake was laying on the floor, just chillin'. Our dog Missy, (who has perfect teeth by the way) came in with her little toy pillow. She wanted to play tug-o-war. Blake grabbed the pillow from her mouth and pretended to throw it. Missy started to run after it and then paused wondering where it went. Meanwhile, I watched Blake "hide" it between his legs. Now, a curious thought began to form in my mind, and I sat there debating whether to share it or not. Missy came back in sniffing and looking around for the pillow. I couldn't bear it any longer and I said, "Do you really want to hide that there?" He just smiled at me and chuckled at his cleverness, having tricked her. So I sat back and watched. Talk about suspense, she kept sniffing all around him getting closer and closer to where the pillow was hiding. The moment she found it, things happened so fast, yet it was like it was in slow motion! She put her front paws up on his belly and saw the pillow. Have you ever seen a snake strike and bite at it's enemy? Lightning fast right? Well, Missy saw that pillow and she lunged and grabbed at it with her teeth. I've only heard Blake scream like a girl one time...when Kirsten accidentally walked in on him naked. Now I can count two. He screamed and lunged forward just about as fast as Missy. The poor dog, she probably had a heart attack! One minute she was playing a fun game, and the next minute, she's flat on her back! I almost landed flat on my back as I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. Blake lay there with a panicked look on his face and said, "I didn't think she would bite at the pillow!" And so, Babe, thank you for the best part of my day. I will remember that one for many years to come!