Farm Boy

So when we were little we used to go to the video store to get movies. Who does that anymore...seriously? Anyway, once, my little brother Eric wanted to get a movie and when my mom asked him which one, he told her "Farm Boy." After some detective work, she finally figured out that he wanted to get "The Princess Bride" (because she calls him farm boy...duh!) (Great movie...top ten classic,, for sure!) ANYWAY, that really has nothing to do with this post, but when I put it in the title, it reminded me of that story.

We had the privilege of going out to the Simmons Family Farm for preschool this past week. My boys always like going out there. They liked checking out the cows.And the chickens.Carson even got to help gather eggs! Unfortunately, he also got a little too close to some wildlife...yup, fire ants. It wasn't pretty. But he has been so good about not scratching the bites and his feet are finally starting to look better.Thanks to the Simmons for letting us come and learn some more about your farm!

Kyle Fire Department

This morning we took the preschool kids to the Kyle Fire Department. We got a tour of the fire house, a peek inside the engine, a look at all the different kinds of trucks, and some fun souvenirs to take home.Carson was one of the few who climbed up into the truck!The fire fighters talked to us, and fire fighter Randy even suited up in front of the kids to show them that even though the suits look a little scary, it was still just him inside.Thanks to the Kyle Fire Department and to our kids who all did a great job today!

Update

So, my father-in-law got through his brain surgery alright, but none of us expected his recovery to go quite like it has.

Unfortunately he had to be re-admitted this weekend because he got bacterial meningitis (an infection of the coverings around the brain and spinal cord). It was pretty scary, especially for Dustin, who had to help get his dad out of the house and into the hospital. He couldn't believe how sick his dad was! Randy was saying things (when he did speak) that didn't make any sense. Dustin asked him if he knew who he was, and his dad replied, "The green monster?" (Well, Dustin was wearing a green shirt!) Fortunately, they started treating him right away, and he's finally starting to get better. We're not sure when he'll be home, but we're pretty sure it's going to be a rough couple of weeks...and probably months.

We've been reminding Carson to pray for his grandpa because he's very sick. So last night he told me, "I just want Grandpa to run and play with toys...and walk." So do we, little guy. So do we.

Warning to the Woosy

For those of you who saw this original post, we decided to take down the picture which was rather scary looking. For those of you who didn't view it, you can thank me later for sparing you the fright! But I believe we have this blog to talk about things that are happening in our life, whether they are pleasant or not.


My father-in-law, Randy, had brain surgery last Thursday. Brain surgery sounds so scary, and it was, but thankfully it wasn't as serious as it could have been. Due to some sudden vision loss, he spent a week getting poked, prodded and tested, eventually discovering that he had some serious sinus issues. To spare everyone all the yucky details I'll try to make this simple. His sinus cavities were so clogged that they calcified, eating away his forehead on the left side, and pushing against his eye on the right side. The doctor opted to operate on the right side for now, in order to save the eye and attempt to recover some of the vision loss. Later this year they plan to operate again on the other side.

The surgery went well. He's coming home today.

Dustin says it's a shame that an older man with such nice hair should have to shave it! We're so thankful for all the prayers that have been offered on his behalf. It has been a sweet experience to hear Carson remember his grandpa in his prayers, too. We are also thankful for modern medicine and skilled and trained medical professionals. But mostly we are so grateful to have the gospel, a Savior who has atoned for our sins, and the knowledge that our families can be together forever.

Camping

This past weekend we had our ward camp out and I'm so happy that we went. (We missed it last year on the account that Jensen was 5 weeks old and Dustin's siblings were in town.) We had a great time. The weather was perfect (it seriously could not have been better!) and the boys were both pretty good, especially at night. We decided to get a bigger tent this year because the 4 man tent we have really doesn't fit a family of 4. Our new tent had plenty of room to sleep and a great porch on the front to play.We also got a couple of cots and thanks to them, Dustin and I slept pretty well. Jensen also thought he was pretty hot stuff because he could climb up on top of them and sit all by himself.Carson was pretty excited about sleeping in our tent because he had his very own sleeping bag too!We had a great evening fireside where we sang silly camp songs (Steph, we're still laughing about your funky chicken!) And yes, that's Dustin 2nd from the left, who got roped into singing the "Baby Bumblebee" song. We also had a devotional by the bishop (which I had to listen to from our tent while trying to get a very tired 1 year old to sleep.)When Carson woke up in the morning he whispered to me, "Mom, is today Easter Day?" and sure enough, when he looked out the tent he saw colored eggs scattered all across the campground! Even Jensen got in on some hunting (even if he was totally satisfied by playing with the one egg he picked up!)Thanks to our ward and everyone who worked so hard to make the camp out possible. Our family had a great time!

Austin Nature and Science Center

This morning we got a chance to go to the Nature and Science Center at Zilker Park with our preschool friends. I had never been before, even though my friend, Sheri, and I used to go walking right next to it all the time! Anyway, the kids had a great time, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.The boys had the most fun playing in the Dino pit...hello? What could be better than digging in the dirt for dinosaur bones?
They had such a good time that we ended up having a very quiet ride home.

April Fools!

I think the weather man must think he's pretty funny, because it's "supposed" to be 80 degrees today. Too bad it's in the 60's with a chilly wind! (I can't complain... all my friends in SLC are complaining about snow!)

Do you know how April Fools got started? I thought this was interesting. Here's to a bright and beautiful April to everyone!