The First Week of October

Hello! We're back! This entry is going to be long and journal like, just a warning.

We spent the first part of October in Boise visiting friends and doctors. The friends part was fun, the doctors not so much. But it's done and over with and we hope we can now get some answers to Alyssa's esophageal probs.
Poor Lys had a pretty cruddy vacation. It started with a bee sting on the cheek and although you can't really tell from the angle of this picture, and her hair causes an optical illusion, but her poor cheek was HUGE! She looked like she had had her wisdom teeth pulled or something.

She also had to have an endoscopy and some biopsies taken from her esophagus. We're still trying to figure out what causes her heartburn, vomiting, and hives. We had to have a pediatric GI do the endoscopy, so off to Boise we went. She was terrified of the IV (this kid does NOT do needles, tweezers, or ouchies of any kind) but held really still and they were able to get it in on the first poke. (Blessings from heaven!)

She was pretty nauseous from the anesthesia the first day and sore from the biopsies for a few days afterwards, but no major complications and we are grateful. We don't have a final result yet, but images indicate Eosinophilic Esophigitis or EE for short. Basically its an allergic reaction in the esophagus. Jarom was also biopsied for this same thing last week. We don't have his results back either. It would sure be nice if we could find something that we could eliminate from their diets to resolve the issues, but the doctor said it's normally something more like grass that you can't just take away. He said that if it is this, they will probably prescribe a drinkable asthma med to coat the esophagus and that the results are pretty good.

We are so grateful that we have dear friends still in Boise. The Farnsworths babysat the younger kids and let us stay at their house during the much needed recovery time for Alyssa. When Carter found out we were going to be spending time with the "Farmwurfs" he grabbed his lightsabers and packed them especially to play with David. (David is 14, but is such a great "big brother" to Carter. Carter adores him.)

We spent as much time as we could visiting friends and staying out of the hotel. The people below us banging on their ceiling because our kids kept dropping things and jumping, about did poor Jarom in. It's not an easy thing to be trapped in a hotel room with 4 kids, but we did the best we could.

The kids and I were able to spend a few short hours with the Petersons. Jennifer and I got brave and let Alyssa and Zane babysit all 8 kids while we ran out and got yummy frozen yogurt all by our lonesomes. (And for the record, the kids did great.)
Of course I was too lazy to pull out my camera so I stole this one of little twinner Kate and James from Jennifer's blog. They really make a beautiful little couple.

Jarom had to work almost the entire time we were there, so I had to find things to do with the kids. I coerced Miki and her kids to drive to Meridian and join me for a picnic in the park. She brought balloons and the kids quickly found a water fountain to fill them up with. These entertained the kids for the longest time. Even kids we didn't know joined in the fun. I SO wish I would have gotten pictures. Carter had taken his lightsabers to play with Ryan, and alas, we left them in the park. We went back to look for them only a short 45 minutes later, but they were already gone. Carter was a pretty sad kid.

I called our friends the Shepherds and invited myself to their picnic/park plans. THANKS for letting us join! We enjoyed time at the MK Nature Center or as we call it, "the fish park". This is one of my most favorite places in Boise. And it's all free! I used to spend a lot of time there doing my homework when I was in college. It's very peaceful.
Looking for fish. When I was in college the fish in this pond were HUGE. People started poaching them though and I've never seen the huge ones since.

I love how it looks like the fish is looking right at Kate.

Julie is always behind the camera so I had to get a shot of her. She took some really cute pictures of all our kids that I'll have to steal from her once she posts them.

And I just had to throw this one of cute Kate in. Julie's daughter Kammy put that little flower in Kate's hair and she felt pretty as a princess.

On our last day we joined our long time friends the Eakins for lunch and a football game. Their son Jadyn plays and his dad Jeff coaches.

Don't these skies look like they'd be great for a football game?

Oh dear...good skies GONE!

We had to run to the truck for cover.

We looked like a bunch of drowned rats, but somehow, the melted M&M's managed to stay on Carter's face.

Let me tell ya, that storm made for some white knuckle driving on our way home. I was very much relieved when we drove out of it.

We're home now and doing laundry. Home is definitely where the heart is, but it's also where MY bed is. Ahhhhh.....