That's What We Wanted To Hear

We got the call we've been waiting for, today. The results came back on Trevin's lymph node and everything came back benign. We are grateful to al those who offered prayers in his behalf. We told him the news, and he just shined up a big smile. So, now he will have a cool scare on the back of his neck, which hopefully fades over time. And I guess since I'm on here, I'll add a couple funnies from the past week. Enjoy!

Caden is really into having wheat. He and the three older kids were playing at some friends’ house (the Balch’s) and when the topic of having a snack came up, he kept insisting he wanted wheat. So when Carol got there to pick them up, Pam asked her what Caden was saying. Carol explained the whole story, so Pam offered him some graham crackers. He was sitting next to Jerry, who is 9, and after taking a couple of bites, he held the cracker up to him and said in tone like “you guys aren’t trying to pull one over on me”: “This has wheat, right?”

The three older kids were watching fireworks out the window on July 3 and we were talking about the ones they like and dislike. Bailey said: “I don’t like the ones that fly up in the air and go eeeeerrrrrrr.” Trevin then poignantly said: “That’s basically the point of fireworks.”

OK, this one is not from one of my kids, but it was very funny. I went to Cub Camp with Tyler the first day, and as we were taking the tour of camp, a couple Cubs from another pack were at one of the many outhouses. As one of them prepared to enter, he handed his backpack to his “buddy” and said: “Here; you hold this…in case I die.” And believe me; I smelled that outhouse and he had good reason to be scared.

We were discussing Cub Camp at home because Tyler was complaining about the things his siblings got to do while he was gone. I began to list all the things he had done, in just the first two days, and then I mentioned the never-ending annoying songs by the Staff. I said, they just didn’t quit, I wanted to stand up and yell: “shuuuuuut up!” The kids were kind of surprised cuz I don’t say that. Then Bailey shouts right behind me: “Dad, you just said a bad word. You repent right now!”

Surgery Was A Success

Well today was the big day for Tyler and Trevin. We got up at 5:30 and pulled them out of bed at 6:00. Check-in was at 6:30 and we finished that at 7:00. That meant we had to sit and wait for 90 minutes for them to come and get Trevin. It was a long wait, but the boys spent most of it watching SportsCenter. Trevin's surgery took about 35 minutes and he did really well. The doctor said his lymph node was enlarged, but that it looked like a normal lymph node. Of course you never know until the biopsy results, but it was encouraging to hear that. Trevin came out of it really well too. He woke up quickly and didn't have any nausea. He was eating popsicles in no time. After I gave him his third one, I said: "Wow, three popsicles." Before I could even throw the wrapper away, he replied: "Yeap. Maybe four." And sure enough, a short time later the nurse brought him another one. Take a look at the picture at the bottom and you'll be able to easily guess what flavor he had.

The boys took a quick break from ESPN to give a thumbs up.
But this was more the norm.
Tyler was taken in at 9:30 and his procedure was only about 10 or 15 minutes long. However, it took him a lot longer than Trevin to come out of it. He threw up several times and he generally felt lousy and tired. Eventually he got the anesthesia out of his system and they were able to leave at around noon. They are both doing well, and feeling well, tonight. It has been really hard to keep them down, especially Trevin. He feels fine and wants to play, but he is supposed to take it easy for a few days; which is going to be very hard to do. Here is Tyler with one of his puke bags, but still able to smile.
What flavor do you want?
So all in all, even though it was a really long day, things went really well. And thanks to Grandma Shirts, who watched the other three. And thanks to Bailey, who pulled up her sleeves and helped Grandma a ton with her other two little brothers. She is so awesome about that. It is just amazing how she perceives the need and just gets it done. Grandma said she took care of everything, and we believe it, because that is what our little mini-mom does. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We'll keep you posted on the Trevin's results, which should come early next week.

Can't Wait To Eat Wheat!

So big news for Caden. We took him to see an allergist because his skin continues to suffer from eczema. We really wanted to know what was causing it because we have eliminated wheat, dairy, peanut and soy, but he seems to be getting worse. Well, according to the allergist trying to pinpoint was causes eczema is not very easy. So he focuses on treating it. Caden is taking steroids (in a cream form) for the really bad spots. He’s also taking Zyrtec and getting a bath each night. In addition to that, he gets all greased up twice a day to help relieve the itch. According to the allergist, if we didn't scratch it, eczema wouldn't exist. So far, the worst spots on his skin are really improving and he looks a lot better.

Now, here's the real kicker. They did a skin test on him to see what he is actually allergic to. They tested him by poking him with tiny little instruments (not needles) for several foods and a few other things. He did great and in the end, the only food that he tested positive for was cow's milk. Wheat, peanut and soy were all negative. He also tested positive for the grass mix and for dust mites, but the dust mites were a weaker positive. We are very excited because this opens so many food possibilities for Caden. We have already been telling him about being able to eat wheat. We are trying to wait to till his skin clears up completely, just to see if he has a reaction to it, but we have already given in a couple times. And for the record, his skin has not reacted adversely yet. So that is the good news regarding Caden.

And here are a couple funnies from the last week: I mentioned that we have given Caden wheat a couple times already. One of those times was yesterday. We took the kids to Wendy's (their choice) because Tyler and Bailey got good report cards. We let Caden get chicken nuggets. As he started to eat them, we told him he was eating eat. He asked, "Where?' So we told him about the nuggets. After we were all done with the meal Carol asked Caden if he liked the chicken nuggets. He replied: "Yeah. I love wheat."

I was doing a minor repair on our outdoor play set and had Ammon in the swing, cuz Carol was vacuuming the van. I asked Bailey to watch Ammon for a second while I went to the garage for another drill bit. We hadn't asked her to, but she had the push broom and was doing some sweeping. I got sidetracked when I realized I needed to switch the laundry and later, from a phone call. When I finally got back I told Bailey I was sorry for taking so long. She said as she walked off: "That's OK. More playing with Ammon, and less brooming."

The kids take turns riding home from church with me, if I don't have to stay after late. Last week, it was Trevin's turn and it was a hilarious ride. I can't really recap it here, because you kind of had to be there, but I'll try a little bit. As we passed by a car who was going to be turing onto the road we were on, Trevin said: "Ha ha, that car had to wait for us." Later he was saying how he wished the rain would go away and rain on everyone in other states, and then he added in a sinister tone: "That would be funny." I told him that we need some rain, but he assured me that we could just water everything with the hose. He was also keeping track of the traffic both in front of us and behind us. At one point he said: "There are no cars behind us." I said: "Nope, there aren't any cars behind us, but there are some boogers." He simply replied in an "oh please, come on, grow up" kind of tone: "Dad."

And here's a shot of Ammon taking a stand. Not quite walking, but he's close.

That's A Lousy Knuckleball!

Well, sometimes life just throws you a curveball that you don't have any answers for. We got word today that this whole season Tyler has been playing out of his Little League's boundaries. We specifically asked several times, including when we signed up, if that was the right league. We were assured that it was.

Turns out, though, that we live three blocks outside of the boundary and he should have been in the Evergreen league and not the Central league. So what does that mean? It means that he will no longer be able to participate on the All-Star team; an opportunity which he earned, and for which he has been practicing every day for two hours, for the last week. It's so lousy. Of course, he took it very hard, and Trevin, who adores his big brother and baseball-mate, probably took it just as hard. It just isn't fair, and it really stinks as a parent because there really isn't anything we can say to help ease the hurt.

I wish the people who are making these kinds of decisions would forget about the politics and the winning, and think about the kids. If they could have seen Tyler when we broke the news, maybe they would care, but my guess is, probably not.

Happy Birthday, Boys!

Well, we had another birthday, actually two; so that means I need to update the blog again. Trevin turned 5 on June 13th and Ammon celebrated number 1 on June 20th. Trevin got a new batting helmet, batting gloves and a Red Sox hat cuz he lost his other one. He also got some new duds, so here's a picture of him in his "birthday suit."

Ammon enjoyed his celebration. We got him a plastic bat and some balls. he immediately started hitting the balls as soon as we got them opened up. He's a Livingston. He also really enjoyed his birthday cake. He is really starting to motor around and it probably won't be long before he's walking.

Earlier, the same day that we celebrated Trevin’s b-day, the kids finished up their spring baseball seasons. They did well, and Trevin even surprised me and decided to bat left-handed in his final at-bat. He got a hit, so I guess his plan to be a switch-hitter is underway. Bailey had a good season, too. Plus, she has recently re-discovered the joy of riding a bike without training wheels.

Tyler’s team finished 14-2-1 and really dominated just about everyone they played. And last week, we got the good news that he made the All-Star team. Only 13 kids are on the team and he’s the only one who made it that didn’t play last year. Plus, he’s one of just three nine-year-old that made it. They are practicing hard for two weeks then playing their district tournament starting June 28th.

In other news, both Tyler and Trevin will be having surgery on June 30th. Tyler will have his adenoid taken out, just like Caden did a couple months ago. Trevin has an enlarged lymph node in his neck that will be removed so they can do biopsy on it. We’re obviously praying that it will be nothing.

Work has changed a little for me recently. I still do the same job, but actually work a couple hours less a week. However, I now work for another shipping company besides FedEx, and actually get paid by two companies to do the same job. It’s all on the up and up, and really an amazing blessing how it all worked out. And, it even has the potential to get better real soon. I’ll keep you posted. Well that’s about all folks, but don’t forget the photos & funnies:

We recently joined Netflix and we were watching one of my favorites as a kid, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. The movie was almost over and Trevin said to Carol in all sincerity: “I’m really enjoying this movie.”

We were at the kids’ baseball practice and Caden asked Carol, regarding Ammon’s sippy cup: “Is it orange juice?” Carol told him it was apple juice. He then asked if he could have a drink, but Carol told him “no.” He then replied: “Why? Is it gonna kill me?”

Trevin got down from the table without finishing his breakfast and said he was full. He was actually just distracted by me blowing up the pool. I told him to get back up and finish or he wasn’t going to do anything else until he did. I added, “You’re not full.” He replied: “I’m serious. My tummy is so full. I think I need to be on The Biggest Loser.”

Caden was using the facilities and he was taking a long time. I mean a really long time. So after asking him many times if he was done, he finally said yes. I then said, “So you’re finally done, huh?” he replied, no joke: “Yeah, with you.” I said: “Heeeeey”, and then he let out a real ha ha ha ha type of laugh.

We have been making Trevin write the alphabet, as well his full name, twice a day for several months now. He has to do them before he gets to play the Wii and watch any videos or baseball highlights. So he was working on them the other day and said: “Oh, that would be a great ‘L’…if ‘L’ were next to ‘B.’”

I was up in the attic and Trevin decided to go out in the garage and keep me company. He was climbing all over my truck and when I got down for a second I noticed he had no shoes on. I said something to him about it and he said: “So, I don’t care. I’m the king. I’m the king of the Jungle.”

When Caden has his surgery, he had a nurse who’s name was Bambi. So the other day we were talking about the boys’ upcoming surgery, and Trevin said he wanted to have nurse Bambi when he had his surgery. However, we told him that he and Tyler would be going to a different hospital, so he wouldn’t get Bambi. Then Caden chimed in and said in a sympathetic, but “be tough” kind of tone: “It’s OK, Trevin. You’ll be fine.”

Oh Yeah, My Blog

I seem to get less and less frequent at this all the time. And of course, there is a lot to catch up on. First and foremost, our little girl had a birthday. Bailey turned 7 on May 17th and it's hard to believe that she is that old. She got her ears pierced for her big day, and she had several friends from church over for her party; and luckily, it was one of the few days in May that was warm and sunny. They all went outside and played in the pool, which meant they weren't inside driving me crazy. Great birthday party! We are very blessed to have Bailey in our family. She really does a great job of being a mini-mom with here younger brothers. We call on her a lot for help, and she almost always rises to the occasion. Happy Birthday, Bailey; we love you!

Baseball has been going on all spring and will continue this summer. It has been a really fun season watching the kids and they have all done very well. Tyler's team is 12-2-1 with just two games left, and Bailey & Trevin have also done really well in their games, but they don't keep score.

We also spent the week before Memorial Day in California, visiting a bunch of theme parks: Disneyland, California Adventure, Universal Studios, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. It was a lot of walking, but of course it was a great time. It was so fun to go with almost the entire family. Hopefully we all be able to do it again in the future.

So that's a quick synapsis of the past 6 weeks, or so. The good news, I do have quite a bit of new funnies to share, so enjoy:

We were at the dinner table and Carol had made a pizza that was half pepperoni-half Canadian bacon pineapple. There were two pieces left on the pan; one of each. I asked: “Who wants one of these last two pieces?” Trevin raised his hand and said “me!” I asked which one he wanted and he picked pepperoni. I then asked: “who wants the other one?” On cue, Ammon, who was apparently paying close attention, raised his little hand as high in the air as he could and just looked at me, like ok, now what? We all got a good laugh, which brought a big smile from little Ammon.

Carol was at Wal-Mart with the three younger boys and her mom. They passed by the lingerie section and it was close to a rack with several bras. Caden, who was walking hand-in-hand with grandma, pointed and said to her: “Hey, that’s what my mom uses.”

Caden and I were talking on a Monday morning about his experience in nursery the day before. It is divided into two classes (older and younger). Caden just started going a few months ago so he stays on the younger side, which is where the not-so-happy-to-be-in-nursery kids go. He was telling me that there were no boys in his class. I told him he could go to the other side and that there were boys in that one. He said, “no, they bother me.”

Then, in the same conversation, I told him that next year he would go to primary and be in the Sunbeams. He replied: “Yeah, but I can’t sit in the chair all day long.”

I was walking out of the kids room after putting them to bed and Trevin said: “Dad, I can’t wait till tomorrow.” I asked him: “Why, because you get to go to preschool?” he replied: “No, cuz they’re getting hair cuts on Biggest Loser.” Like Christmas all over again.

We saw the very end of an episode of The Amazing Race and they were in China. The tallest man in the world was there to greet the contestants. I told the kids of his status. The next night while lying in bed, Trevin says: “Tyler, that guy is the tallest guy on the earth?” Tyler replied: “Yep, I think so.” Trevin then asked: “Even taller than Bishop?” Tyler: “Yep.” Trevin then said: “Wow.”

Trevin said to Carol the other day: “I need to do your hair.” Carol asked: “What are you going to do?” He replied: “I’m going to do amazing things to your hair.” After both laughed a few seconds, Trevin then said, “Now, that’s a blogger.”

We had the missionaries over for dinner and Bailey, who has been learning about bugs at school, shared some rather interesting, but not so realistic “facts” about spiders; which she claimed she read in a book in the non-fiction section. Carol and I tried to correct her, then after everyone had put in their two cents, Trevin shook his head smiling and said in a very adult, “are you serious” kind of tone: “Wow Bailey, Wow.”

Happy Birthday Caden!

Hey everyone. I tried to post a video of the kids singing a few times, but for some reason it just never worked. So it hasn't actually been as long as it seems since I tried to blog. Anyways, the baseball season is in full swing now. Tyler's team is 3-2 so far and they are improving each game. He has pitched a few times and his first time out he struck out 7 batters in 3 innings. He has hit pretty well, too, but his hardest hit ball was caught by the other team, which surprised the kid who caught it. Sometimes it just goes that way. But it was a sweet shot nonetheless.

Bailey and Trevin had their first game on Saturday and both did really well. Trevin is only 4 still, and technically you can't play coach-pitch until your 5 and 1/2, but he already throws and hits like a 7-year-old. So far, it has been fun being their coach.

Caden turned three on Friday and on Saturday his grandparents came over and we celebrated with him. He really enjoyed opening his gifts and we really enjoyed watching him. He is doing well since his surgery which was almost two weeks ago. By noon that day, he was up and around like nothing had ever happened. His snoring has improved, but he still hasn't completely kicked the snotty nose.

Ammon turned 10 months on the 20th and finally, the day before, he started to crawl. He has scooted and turned himself every-which-way to get around for several months. Now, he has finally figured out the crawl.

As for Carol and I, we are discovering that having 5 growing kids involved in several activities leaves little time for anything. Life just keeps getting busier and of course, it will only get worse the older they get. But they are what our life is all about. Well here are some funnies and a of course some pics.

Trevin was cleaning up some of his messes, including my two hats. He ran down the hall with the Cowboys hat, which he got out. I said: “Take this one, too.” He said: “Caden got it out.” I told him: “It doesn’t matter, take this one, too. You’re going down there anyways,” then I tossed him my Red Sox hat down the hall. He said: “Nice Throw.” I said “Thanks,” but as I was finishing the “s” he yelled out: “Not.”

Trevin and Tyler asked me to play hotbox, but I was busy getting some conference info online for a friend. I told them: “Not right this minute; I’m doing something.” Trevin then said: “Every time we ask you if you want to do something, you’re on the computer.” I pleaded: “Every time?” He said yep, every time. Tyler then stood up for me and said: “Not every time, Trevin. Sometimes he’s on the couch.”

Bailey and Caden were at the table eating breakfast and Bailey called out: “I need a napkin.” Caden then said to her: “That’s not how we talk Bailey. We say, ‘Please can I have a napkin?’ That’s how we talk at the table, Bailey.”

We were watching one of Tyler’s baseball games and they were doing really well. Trevin asked me who was winning, so I told him the score. I then said: “If they win you’re taking everyone out for ice cream.” He smiled his big Trevin smile and said no he wasn’t. I asked him why not and he again with the smile he replied: “Because I don’t have a license.”

We were getting the kids ready for bed and saying prayers with them. We asked Bailey to do something and an argument ensued. It had been a rough evening with her and she apparently had had enough. She got up, headed to the hall, then stopped and said: “Dad, I’ve had a horrible day of arguing with you. I’m finished!” Then she stormed off to her room as we all (including her in her room) had a good laugh.

Name That Ailment

This is our Little Ammon on Monday morning. It actually started Sunday afternoon with a few little blotches here and there. What is it, you ask? Well like the title says; you try to guess it.

And this is Ammon on Tuesday morning. This just proves that he has Asian in him.


Here is how he looked on Tuesday afternoon, still able to smile through it all.
And this is him on wednesday morning. "Cover me, I'm hideous."
And this was how he looked on Saturday during our day at the park on the first day of Spring. It almost reached 70 that day and we had a picnic, played on the playground, and of course, played some baseball.

Ammon gettin' into the swing of things
Bailey unhappy about the fit of her batting gloves.
It's a hit!
Nice follow-through
See how far it flies
Tyler and Caden showin' some love...