The Dawn Of A New Decade

Believe it or not, I left my 20's behind me on March 2nd and turned 30!  I never thought I'd be anxious about growing older.  My mother had me at 29, and then had 5 more kids after me!  My older sister is 11 years older than me, so has been in her 30's for ten years and she never seemed old in any respect.  But over the last year, as I've watched my hair get more and more gray and my body more and more achy and droopy, I've realized that I'm settling into adulthood.  I'm not a young newly wed with a kid or two.  I'm a mother of four children!  I've been married 6 1/2 wonderful years, and we have two cars and a mortgage.  Yup.  I'm definitely grown up!

My birthday fell on a Saturday this year.  Way before Luke got sick, Danny had talked about using a free night we had with Marriott for a birthday get-away for me.  We weren't sure how that would work when Luke got sick, but it just so happened that my birthday fell on the weekend of Luke's preparatory regimen for his bone marrow transplant.  He was still feeling really good, so Papa stayed in the hospital with Luke on the night before my birthday...Friday night.  My Mom was kind enough to have a sleep-over with the older three.  That left Danny and I care-free for the night!

Danny booked a room at the City Creek Marriott downtown, so we decided to spend the evening checking out City Creek.  We hadn't been yet.  It was a beautiful evening, and we very much enjoyed walking the mall and holding hands.  We had no one to pay attention to or worry about but each other, and it was fantastic!  Our first stop was to the Apple Store.  Danny told me on our way in that he really wanted me to buy me an iPad Mini for my birthday, but he was worried about pulling the trigger.  So we were just going to look. :)  Yeah, I walked out with my very own iPad!  I was so thrilled!  I had played with my first one just a couple weeks earlier at a Best Buy, and I was surprised by how much I like it.  The best part for me was how happy it made Danny to buy it for me.  It was adorable.  I have the best husband ever. :)

After walking around for a bit, we had a yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  To be honest, Danny and I can't figure out what all the fuss is about.  It was a good dinner, but probably not worth the price...in our opinion.  But it was fun, and it really is a beautiful restaurant!  We decided to take our Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake to-go, and headed back to our room.  Once there, we changed into our swimsuits and made our way to the hot tub.  This was kind of a big deal for me!  I haven't been able to enjoy hot tubs much since we got married, since I'm usually pregnant or with a newborn.  It was so relaxing to just sit there with my sweetheart.  When we were sufficiently wrinkly, we went back to our room and ate our cheesecake in bed while watching Duck Dynasty.  It was absolutely perfect!  We called and checked up on Luke before sleeping a gloriously uninterrupted 9 or so hours.  Words cannot express how wonderful it felt to wake up next to each other after a good night's rest.  It's been a while!

We had some time in the morning before heading back to the hospital to see Luke, so we decided on a delicious breakfast at Kneaders.  It was also the perfect time to try out the camera on my new iPad!  We both enjoyed a delicious breakfast sandwich and a fruit tart.  Divine.

It was such a perfect night.  I certainly didn't feel 30!  The day of my birthday was probably the youngest and most energetic I had felt in a long time! :)  Danny did such a perfect job of making my day (and the night before) wonderful.  Thank you, Sweetheart!  You're the best!

After breakfast, we were anxious to get back to our little guy.  With the way the day was going to work out, I was only going to get the chance to see Luke in the morning before heading home to our other kids.  Definitely one of the highlights of my day was seeing my Luke doing so well!

I love my Mr. Smiles so much.  Looking back, it was a tender mercy that my birthday came right before his transplant...and the hardest 3 weeks of our lives.  Luke's smiles and kisses made me feel like a million bucks!   I remember right as I walked in, he got excited and wanted me to pick him up.  And then he didn't want to go to Danny!  That was the best present of all. :)

As is the nature of the hospital shuffle, the time came too quickly that we had to leave our Luke and head home.  Papa promised to have a fun day with him, and we knew Luke would be fine.  Claire, Sophie, and Johnny were so excited to see me when we got to Grandma Candy's!  We had left a car at Grandma Candy's the night before, so Danny took the kids and did a little birthday shopping with them while I headed home to enjoy some peace and quiet in our lovely home.  When Danny and the kids got home, it was time for presents!  Danny helped the kids pick out the perfect present.  A cover for my iPad!! :)

Now, you'll have to forgive my fuzzy memory...I am getting old now. :)  I think we just spend some time hanging out together, and then we made our way to an early dinner at Red Robin.  We were having a family/ward fast for Luke the next morning, so that was even more reason for a filling meal!  It was perfect...except that we were missing our Luke-Son.  

I enjoyed the rest of my day with Claire, Sophie, and Johnny and it continued to be wonderful.  The kids were good for me, and good to me.  I missed Danny and Luke, but tried to enjoy some time after the kids went to bed just being by myself.  I slept good that night, officially one year older.

Sunday, March 3, was Fast Sunday.  When Bishop Streuling heard that Luke was heading into transplant, he asked if it would be okay to hold a ward fast.  We were, of course, humbled and happy to accept.  The ward was made aware of Luke's situation, and reminded for the weeks leading up to Fast Sunday to fast for his successful transplant.  That day's meeting was especially tender for me.  The Spirit was strong, and I was again reminded of the many blessings Luke had received that blessed him to recover from his illness.  I had been so worried about the possible side effects to his radiation, but as the day progressed I felt more and more at peace that he would not suffer any side effects from that procedure.  After the block of meetings was over, the ward met back in the chapel.  There was a song and an opening prayer, and then the Bishop gave a short lesson to the Primary children and youth about what was happening, and the power behind fasting.  He then invited everyone that could to kneel where they were, and he prayed in behalf of our infant son.  It was one of the most powerful and tender moments of my life.  Here was a room full of faithful Saints, and friends who still feel like strangers, that were fasting and praying for my little boy.  It was overwhelming, and it strengthened my spirit in ways words cannot express.  I will never forget the heavenly feeling in that room.  I think I know a little more of what Zion will feel like.  I want to be more worthy of it.

We came home after we broke our fast with the ward, and officially broke our family fast.  I can't remember what we ate, which only goes to show that I am getting older!  But I do remember that Grandma Candy came over for cake and ice cream!  In this case, they were one in the same.  Grandma Candy treated me to a Chocolate Xtreme Ice Cream Cake from Dairy Queen!  It. Was. Incredible!  Officially my favorite cake, hands down.

The kids helped me blow out my candles, and I made my wish.  Because the time has already passed, I can tell you what my wish was.  It was kind of obvious.  I wished for Luke's transplant to be successful, and for him to be home for his 1st birthday.  And for him to be home for every one of my birthdays after this one.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting my wish. :)

And with that, my birthday weekend was complete.  I might not be as young as I used to be.  I might have gray hairs and a completely different body than I used to have.  But I'm happy.  And I'm excited to see what the next decade holds for me and my sweet family.  I have been blessed in my life, time and time again, with more than I am worthy to receive.  I am grateful for all I have experienced in my life so far...every up and every down.  They have made me who I am today, and they have brought me to the place I am now.  I am grateful to see the Lord's hand in my life, and hope always to follow the path He has set for me.  Here's to another decade of health and happiness!

Grandma Candy's Birthday

We were able to celebrate one more occasion before the month of February came to a close.  And a momentous event it was!!  Grandma Candy turned, well, older...on the 24th.  Since Luke was heading back to the hospital for his transplant just two days after Grandma Candy's birthday, we decided to have her come to our house for cake.  The girls helped me decorate it, just for Grandma.  And we picked her favorite kind of cake...devil's food!

It was so fun to celebrate Grandma Candy's birthday with her all to ourselves.  Claire, Sophie, and Johnny have really fallen in love with their Grandma while Luke has been sick.  They love their sleepovers and her house, and especially when Grandma Candy takes them to IHOP for breakfast!  

And while they might not have had a lot of time together, Grandma Candy and Luke are still buddies!  He's got a lot of fun times with Grandma ahead of him as soon as he gets better!

The kids were so excited to put the crazy candles they picked out on the cake, and Grandma Candy was nice enough to let the kids help her blow out her candles!  But I think she reserved the right to keep her wish, just for her.  However, with Luke just days away from the hardest thing he's gone through, we're pretty sure we knew what her wish was. :)

Happy Birthday, Grandma Candy!  We're so lucky to live so close and get to have so much fun with you!  Love you!

Worth A Thousand Words

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Aunt Heather and her kids came to visit during February.  Since they live all the way in Ohio, we hardly get to see them.  It was a well-timed visit.  Lila and Ava had just had their first birthdays, and it was time to party!  Aunt Heather and Aunt Jenny threw a shin-dig at Grandma Candy's house, complete with smoked ribs (compliments of Uncle Matt), gourmet cupcakes, and lots of gifts for the birthday girls!

As I was going through the pictures, I realized that they really tell the story of the event themselves.  The saying is certainly true in this case.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

This is how we do it Vigil Style.  Enjoy!

Valentine's Day

I have grown to love our family Valentine's Day tradition.  This is our third year celebrating the day as a family holiday, and I have never been more grateful for that tradition than this year.  We were fortunate to have Luke home with us, and we were all that more excited to celebrate the day together.  However, Luke had a clinic appointment and a lumbar puncture on the 14th, and we never know how long we'll be there.  So we played it on the safe side and celebrated Valentine's Day on Wednesday, February 13th.

We started our Valentine's Day while Daddy was at work.  We have predetermined gift-giving guidelines for Valentine's Day.  The kids get chocolates and candy for Daddy, and Daddy gets flowers for me and the girls, and Valentine's treats for the kids.  So, while Daddy was at work the kids and I worked on his treats.  This year, each of the four kids picked a giant candy bar for Daddy.  Then we went home and they designed and decorated their own labels for their candy bar.  They turned out so cute!  Luke even let me trace his hands on his label. :)  The girls also helped me cut out and decorate a bunch of hearts that we could decorate the house with.  And after the house was decorated, the kids each had Valentine's that they needed to get signed and ready for school the next day.  

When Daddy came home, he came bearing gifts!  He brought beautiful orange and yellow roses for Claire and Sophie, a Spiderman Valentine for John, and a set of teething keys for Luke.  And Claire, Sophie, and Johnny also got chocolates.  I noticed there was a definite lack of flowers for Mommy in Daddy's arms when he came home.  Danny was quick to tell me that he actually had ordered my flowers a couple of weeks before, and had them set to be delivered that afternoon.  But they hadn't come yet. :(  He was more annoyed than I was.

Once we had exchanged gifts, it was time to get ready for the next part of our Valentine's tradition.  Dinner!  We like to plan a fun pink and red dinner, and usually Danny and I take it as an opportunity to try something really fun.  This year, we were smart enough to recognize that we didn't have an ounce of spare energy for cooking.  So, thanks to Papa Murphy's heart-shaped pizzas, we still managed a fun Valentine's dinner!  The girls had helped me during the day to set the mood for dinner, and I think they did a pretty good job.  On the menu besides the pizza was a nice green salad and purple jello hearts.  To drink, I bought fruit punch Squeeze-Its.  It had a real retro feel. :)

The kids loved it!  Sophie was completely enamored with the heart-shaped pizza.  Her favorite food AND her favorite shape?  It was simply magical. :)

But what was more magical for me than heart-shaped pizza was this little boy's smile.  It was so wonderful to not only celebrate a family holiday with Luke home with us, but it was amazing to have him feeling good!  

Once we had concluded our Valentine's dinner, it was time for homework and bedtime.  My flowers from Danny did end up arriving in the early evening, and they were beautiful!  I forgot to take a picture, though. :(  It was a spring mix, with tulips and mums.  They literally lasted for weeks!  Danny has a fantastic habit of not buying roses for Valentine's Day.  It leaves me a certain amount of anticipation. :)

But tulips and mums had a hard time competing with my impromptu gift for Danny.  We found out at the last minute that "Top Gun" was playing at the IMAX theater...in 3-D!  But only for one more night.  So I managed to convince Danny to go see a late movie with his Dad and brother, David.  I stayed home with the kids, did bedtime by myself, got Luke all his meds and feeds, AND did some serious baking for the Valentine's treats I had planned for the kids teachers.  Yup...Best. Wife. Ever. :)  Danny had a wonderful well-deserved time.  I wish I could do stuff like that for him all the time.  He really does deserve more.

The next morning, Valentine's Day, was hectic.  I don't know why I do this to myself, but I had been planning the teacher gifts for Valentine's Day for months!  I had the beautiful vision of presenting perfectly decadent Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes in an adorable Valentine's-esque presentation to the kids teachers. Even with Luke being home and all the care he required, it wasn't de-railing the teacher-treat train.  So after baking all these cakes the night before, I had to hurriedly pack them up in the morning before the kids left for school.  Somehow we managed, and I think it was a success!

As mentioned, Luke had a lumbar puncture and clinic visit scheduled for that morning, so the rest of our Valentine's Day was spent at the hospital with Luke.  The older three kids spent their day with Grandma Call.  We were glad we celebrated the night before!  But Danny and I had saved one last treat to celebrate the day.  Our very own Molten Lava Cake!  With a little Haagen-Dazs on the side, of course. :)

It was definitely a different Valentine's Day than we've had in the past, but it was still wonderful.  We were together as a family.  And anymore, that's all Danny and I want!  I am so blessed to have so much love in my life.  I have the most incredible husband, who is the world's best Dad to my four beautiful children.  I am able to love each of them, but best of all, I receive their love in return.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Fun With Family

February was awesome.  We got to enjoy Luke at home with us for the better part of the month, and we just soaked up the time together.  The kids were especially happy to have Luke home.  Whenever Luke was feeling up to it, they took the opportunity to play with him.  Especially Johnny.  He had definitely been missing his little brother.  

It was so fun to see Luke just playing at home.  He loved having all the toys to choose from!  He got sick when he was just shy of 6 months old, so we never did get the chance to see him start to actually play.  It was awesome to watch.

Luke just played and played and played!  But what goes up, must come down! :)

Having Luke home with us only had one tiny downside.  Lack of sleep.  We sure do miss those night shift nurses!  Because we weren't sleeping much, Danny didn't make it to work much.  And if you can't work, you should definitely play!  Danny, even though he was completely exhausted, found some time to play catch with Johnny.

Luke being home also provided a good time for family to come and visit.  Everyone was anxious to see Luke when he was doing so well!  Grandpa Richard and Grandma Ruth Ann came to visit, and they brought with them delicious burritos and cookies for the kids.  They made a sweet visit even sweeter!

Luke really loved being with Grandpa Richard.  He seriously spent the better part of an hour just sitting with Grandpa.  My Dad loved the attention from his special little guy!

It's nice to be so close to Grandpa Richard and Grandma Ruth Ann!  We love their visits!

And if that wasn't enough, Luke had more special visitors.  Cousins!  It crazy to think how sheltered Luke has been.  He hasn't seen any other kids than his siblings in months, and definitely not another person his size.  When Ava and Lila showed up, Luke was basically beside himself!  He tried to eat Ava...

He learned pretty quick that cousins aren't really good for eating.  He played it cooler with Lila.  

He played it real cool.  Luke can definitely do cool... :)

He also got to meet Aunt Heather for the first time.  It was so fun to have her and her family out from Cincinnati!   

But Luke wasn't the only one to have a blast with cousins.  Claire, Sophie, and Johnny had so much fun with Isabelle, Eli, Baron, and Roman.  When the twins left that afternoon, Claire sat on her bed and cried for a half hour.  She was so sad that it would be so long before she would see Baron and Roman again!  I love seeing my children have such a fun relationship with their cousins.  Growing up, I really didn't see my cousins much.  My children are fortunate to always have friends in their cousins.

So far, Luke had seen a lot of cousins on the Vigil side.  But what about the Call side?  There are two cousins that Luke has never met.  Lucy and Liam.  It's going to be a while before Luke and Liam get together, since Liam lives in California.  But Lucy came over to our house with Grandma Call one day to watch the older kids for us while we took Luke to a clinic visit, so Luke got to play with her for a few minutes when we got home.  He was completely enamored with his cool new toy!  

These two are too cute with their round fuzzy heads. :)

At first, I think Lucy was a bit overwhelmed by Luke's enthusiasm.  But she eventually warmed up to him.  So much so that she decided to see what that weird yellow thing was that was dangling off of Luke's face.  In a matter of no time flat, she had pulled the NG tube right out of Luke's nose!  Luke was fine, and everyone had a good laugh.  Except maybe Luke when we had to put it back in.  But in the meantime, we loved kissing his cute bare cheeks!  

And thanks to our little Lucy Lou, we got a cute picture of Luke with no NG tube!  A precious rarity these days.  Thanks, Lucy!

We really do love our time with family.  And I think we've come to appreciate it more.  Luke being in the hospital doesn't only keep us from being together as a nuclear family, but it keeps us pretty separated from extended family as well.  We miss our times together, watching the kids play.  We look forward to making more memories together...all together...soon!