Russ - Whit - Link

Christmas Card

2011-12-28T20:45:00.000-08:00

And last but not least on my catch-up-posts... We didn't send out Christmas Cards this year but if you wanted one... here it is!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-28T20:32:00.001-08:00

We donated a tree to the Festival of Trees this year in behalf of Lincoln. It was so fun to pick out the decorations, treats, books, etc that we put with our tree. It was so exciting to go set up the tree and go see it later during the festival. What a wonderful tradition the Festival of Trees is and what a big support it is to Primary Children's Medical Center. I hope we can continue to take part in the Festival of Trees for years to come.

For Christmas, we had an extended Beck Family party in Idaho about a week before Christmas. It was so exciting to be with all our family and to play BECK BINGO! We spent Christmas Eve with my Mom's family and had a Swedish Christmas dinner. We had Christmas morning at my mom's and Link got the present thing down pretty fast. He had a couple presents already opened by the time I woke up (thanks Uncle Brandon!) Then we went out to Russ' grandmas house for dinner. I love these pictures of Lincoln and his cousin Charlie!

Then more Cousins showed up and of course all the 'babies' had to run around in their diapers. We loved spending so much time with COUSINS!

Happy Halloween!

2011-12-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun this year. We went to a pumpkin walk with my family and Link loved looking at all the different pumpkins. On Halloween night it took a little coaxing to get Link to go to the first house but it didn't take him long to figure out that if he dresses up like Elmo and carries around a big pumpkin, people will give him candy! He was so excited to go from house to house!

Just pics

2011-12-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

Of course I have to post a bunch of pics of Link. We kinda like him...

I don't know when this pic was taken but I found it while I was looking through pics and thought it was blog worthy.

Here's Link just being his goofy self. He has SO much personality!
Like father like son... Lincoln LOVES to read... just like his daddy! (and I guess his mommy too)
Just Link.
Family pic on Russ' birthday!

California

2011-12-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been such a blog slacker! Since it has been such a long time since I have posted, I won't be able to fill you in on all the little daily happenings in our life but I can at least post some of the highlights...

We went to CALIFORNIA in October with Russ' Family. This was the first vacation we have gone on as a family. It was Link's first time on a plane and his first time out of the state. We stayed in a beach house a couple blocks from the beach. It was pretty cold but the kids still had fun playing in the sand all day. Since pictures are worth a thousand words I'll just let you see our vaca for yourself...

Link lounging on the beach!
Link did NOT like his helmet when we went biking but he LOVED to ring the bell! Sorry Charlie!
Since it was almost Halloween we dressed the kids up and they went Trick or Treating to the different rooms in the beach house.

One day we went to La Jolla Beach and hung out with the stinky seals!One night we played "minute to win it" games. So fun!
We loved being able to spend almost an entire week with Russ! Link LOVES his daddy!

Like I said... he LOVES his daddy!Link and Russ hanging out in the airport. I got the flu the last night (no bueno!) but when vouchers were offered to wait all day until the next flight, Russ jumped at the chance and we hung out all day in the airport. It was a horrible ending but a great vacation!

Whole lot a' Link

2011-08-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Since Russ has been home the last couple days, he insisted that I update the blog with pictures of Link instead of him. So here is a whole bunch of pictures of our summer adventures!

Link sporting some shades...
Link loves to be a big boy and feed himself! Mommy loves it too!!

For three years I haven't been able to celebrate my birthday because I've been at school ALL day long for my Master's program. So this year I made sure we CELEBRATED! Russ and I went to Color Me Mine and made bowls for each other.
Russ loved Color Me Mine!!! He made me a cookie bowl! :)Link loves hanging out at grandma's house!
Link's first Popsicle! He loved holding it all by himself!
Link LOVES dogs! At the Fourth of July parade he followed this dog around the entire time!
He has spent a lot of time with mommy this summer! This is Link and I on my Anniversary. He was a good substitute! :)
He will stop and smile for the camera. That's when you know we take too many pictures of him!
He loves CARS and anything with WHEELS! He loves to be a big boy and drive things like this lawnmower at Grandma Ferry's.
I've been working summer school so Link gets to spend some days with daddy and they like to go on walks and get chicken nuggets!
Here's Link sporting his CAR pajamas. He LOVES his pajamas and always says "car car" and points to the cars on his tummy.

On the mend...

2011-08-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Russ is doing good and continuing to heal. On Sunday his entire body was sore/aching. Today his neck and back are feeling better but his knee is feeling worse. He's walking better now but his legs definitely got the brunt of the wreck. We'll have to wait a couple more days to see if he needs to go in for an MRI on his knee. Here's a picture and,as always, the picture does not do justice to how his legs really look.
Neal A Maxwell said: "Trials and tribulation tend to squeeze the artificiality out of us, leaving the essence of what we really are and clarifying what we really yearn for."
Through the trials Russ and I have gone through, I've been so blessed to see more and more the incredible man that Russ is. He continues to worry about and care about others and not himself. He doesn't complain and is always so optimistic. Everyone told me that when the ambulance arrived at the hospital and Russ was wheeled out on a stretcher, he was smiling and waving like a celebrity. He didn't want the parents there to be worried and tried to ease their concern. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be married to such an incredible man.

We are also very grateful for our bishop and members of our ward. Our bishop stayed at the hospital and waited until everyone was released. The other ward members at the hospital were so concerned for all the individuals involved. We were touched by their selflessness and love.

Russ Russ

2011-08-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

This post was going to be an Anniversary post about the last three years and how Russ was at Scout Camp so I spent our Anniversary with Lincoln instead... But it will now be about Russ's drive home from scout camp.

Russ has been at scout camp all week four hours from home. They went rafting and boating and cliff jumping and fishing, etc. etc. I was terrified all week because scout camp is notorious for accidents so I prayed all week long that Russ would come home alive. I know that sounds a little crazy... but my prayers were answered. They were on their way home Saturday afternoon and were ONE exit away from home when they went over a hill. Right over the hill is an on-ramp where a semi was getting on the freeway. Apparently, a truck had cut the semi off so the semi had to slam on its breaks so was almost at a complete stop on the freeway. As the truck Russ was in came over the hill, they saw the semi, slammed on their breaks, and tried to swerve into the other lane but they were too close and smashed into the semi probably going about 60 mph. This was the truck.

Russ was in the passenger side. The dash came down and trapped his legs and he had to pull himself out and one of the young men in the back. All five individuals in the accident walked away from it. For that, we will be FOREVER grateful! They all have scrapes and bruises and had to go to the hospital for x-rays but they are all okay. Lincoln was SO EXCITED to see his daddy! He had no idea what was going on but hung out with daddy in the ER. Russ has a bunch of scrapes and bruises and his neck and back are really sore. The x-ray of his knee looked okay but they don't know if anything was torn. We'll have to wait it out about a week and see.

There were so many tender mercies that happened around this accident. Here are just a few:
-Besides the truck directly behind them after the crash, the next two vehicles were a state trooper and an ER nurse. They just HAPPENED to be the next cars that came by!
-Another truck was supposed to be pulling the trailer but the lights didn't work on his truck so the truck Russ was in was pulling the trailer. The weight of the trailer possibly could have stopped the truck from rolling which would have resulted in more serious injuries.
-All of the individuals in the car were wearing their seat belts (which saved their lives)
-The dash came down and Russ's legs were stuck. Had another car ran into the back of them, Russ would have lost his legs. I am so grateful that the truck behind them was able to pull over to the side of the road before hitting them.
-Russ just happened to have volunteered at an ER for a year during college and all of his training and experience there kicked in and he tried to remain calm, think of other things, and ask others questions so he wouldn't go into shock.
-The state trooper and ambulance workers said in a crash like this they are usually looking at serious injuries and death.
-The state trooper asked Russ if he was in the passengers seat then told him how lucky he was to be alive.

I am so grateful that my prayers were answered and that my husband made it home from scout camp. I am also so grateful for all the prayers that have been given in his behalf. I am so humbled for all the prayers that have been given for our family over the past couple years and am so grateful that I have BOTH of my BOYS at home with me today.

Happy Dad's day!

2011-06-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for the Fathers in my life and especially in Lincoln's life. Lincoln has the BEST daddy ever! I have never seen a father love their child more than Russ loves Lincoln. He always asks me to send him pictures of Link when he is at work. He is always so excited to see Link when he gets home. He loves to hang out with Link and always tells me all the adventures him and Link are going to have when Link gets older. He stays up at night looking at pictures of Lincoln or sneaking into his room to watch him sleep. He is such a GREAT husband and father! Lincoln is still a daddy's boy and loves Russ so much! The other day, I saw Russ pull up and I told Link that daddy was home. He ran to the stairs and ran to the door and waited at the door until Russ came in! What a pair these two are! I love my boys!!

This is probably not the best picture of Russ being a loving father but Link loves it when daddy throws him in the air.

Link is so blessed to have the grandfather he does. Russ's dad is an incredible person. Like Russ, he possesses so much love for his family members. He shows it in small ways but those small ways mean so much. All of his family members respect him and trust him. He is a great pillar of spiritual strength as well and allows the spirit to lead his words and actions. Since I'm still working part time, Link gets to spend time at Grandma and Grandpas and loves it when Grandpa comes in for lunch and when he gets to spend time with Grandpa.

I have conflicting emotions on Fathers Day. My father passed away 9 years ago so honestly, until last year the only way I celebrated Fathers day was to skip church (don't judge) and have a barbecue with my family. I was a teenager when my father passed away so I don't have too many memories of him but I will always remember that my father was a hard worker, very smart, loved to laugh, and loved his family. Here are some things that I remember about my father:
-He was a workaholic (like Russ) and when he wasn't at the office for tax season he was building houses (why not build houses in your spare time?!).
-He was always in the garage with his tools building something.
-He always woke us up in the morning in his awesome green and white striped robe (he later change it to navy) and sat in his famous brown chair and read us scriptures every morning without fail.
-He would try to wake us up in his cheery voice with corny jokes that he thought were hilarious.
-He was always telling jokes that he thought were funny.
-He'd fix my baked potatoes for me (that sounds so weird but he would get them out of the peel for all of us).
-He clipped my nails.
-He would get the guts out of my pumpkin.
-He would get the car for us when it was raining
-For holidays I would either get him socks, a tie, or a hammer. (I don't know what he did with all those hammers!)
-I remember asking him on a questionnaire I had for school what his dream job would be and he said a landscaper.
- The week before he passed away we were talking about what we would do if we only had a couple more months to live and he said that he would go to the temple more.
-I called him 'pop' and he called me 'dot'

I am grateful for the memories I have of my 'pop' and for the knowledge I have that families can be together FOREVER. Also, because of a lack of an earthly father, I've been able to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, for which I am eternally grateful.

I love to see the temple

2011-06-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

A temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is being built in our small town! We feel so blessed to have this beautiful and sacred building just blocks away from our home! I am able to pass the temple and watch the construction every time I go to the grocery store! What a miracle this building is!

I have pictures from a couple months ago but have not downloaded them yet.

This is what the temple looked like about a month ago...

This is what the temple looks like today... (taken out the car window)

Tulips

2011-06-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

The tulips were out so my mom, brother, and I took Link and my nephews to get pictures with the tulips! It was quite the adventure to get 4 boys 4 and under to smile for pictures.

SUMMER!

2011-06-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for Summer to finally be here! Link loves visiting his grandmas house because we always go play outside! He was a little apprehensive about the sand at first but now I think he likes it well enough... he definitely loves to eat it! These pictures are from a couple months ago. Hopefully it's warm enough now to go outside without a jacket!

Easter

2011-06-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm late as usual on posting. Here are some pictures of our Easter Extravaganza (Link was already in his pajamas...oops)! We went to my moms and Link had an easter egg hunt with his cousins! Good times were had by all!

The boys with my grandparents

Hope everyone had a HAPPY EASTER!!

Mr. Link

2011-04-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our little man is still keeping us busy. He starting walking/running at 13 months and hasn't stopped since! He is now 15 months old! I was just recently looking at pictures from Christmas time and Link looked like a baby then. He looks and acts so much older now! Besides 'mama' and 'dada' and a bunch of babbling all day long, he's not way into talking. He loves to give high fives, show us his tongue, give us kisses, play peek-a-boo, wave to himself in the mirror, and get thrown in the air by daddy. He has a love/hate relationship with the vacuum. He is fascinated by it when it is not on and he plays with it and tears it apart but when it gets turn on, the tears start coming. He LOVES to turn the lights off and on and would do it all day if we let him. He has been playing with plastic Easter eggs this week and thinks they are the greatest thing ever! He fell down the stairs for the first time last week and since then has been MUCH better at climbing down backwards. He still tries to see where he is going so it's kinda backwards and sideways at the same time. We have a bunch of puzzles and he used to just throw all the pieces off the board but now he is trying to put them in the right places! He still loves the outside and is fascinated with animals (I don't know where that came from). It's so fun to see his little personality come out. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

When he gets tired he will rest his head on whatever he is near- the couch, the floor, you, etc. It is so dang cute!

He sucks on his toes sometimes in the car when he gets bored. What can you do...

Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration

2011-04-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has just released a new rendition of the motion picture "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration" and it is available online. They used a lot of footage from the original with more narrating and explanations. You can watch it at this website.

Lucas

2011-04-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quotes is by Neal A Maxwell, An apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said:

‘The new star of Bethlehem would have had to be placed in it’s precise orbit long long before it shown so precisely. By reflecting such careful divine design, it underscored what the Lord has said, ‘All things must come to pass in their time.’ His planning and precision pertain not only to astrophysical orbits but to human orbits as well. Each of us has a personalized plan. Like the Christmas star, each of us, if faithful, has an obtained orbit, a priesthood path, as we pass through this second estate.’

This quote teaches that the events that happen in our lives do not happen by chance. The Lord is in charge and He will allow events to happen in our lives that will bring about the most personal growth. This quote also teaches that ‘human orbits’ do not happen by chance. People are placed into our lives for a reason- to teach us, to strengthen us, to help us grow. Russ, Lincoln, and I were blessed to be acquainted with a little guy, along with his parents, who taught us all of these things plus countless others. His name was Lucas. When Lincoln was at Primary Children’s Medical Center for the first month of his life, Lucas was there for his Glenn Surgery. Lucas was the happiest baby I’ve ever met. I always loved walking by his crib because he was always smiling and flirting with all the nurses. He had endured so much in his life and yet was giving and sharing happiness with those around him. To me, as a parent of another little heart baby, he taught me to hope. Hope for Lucas, hope for Lincoln, hope for all the other children with physical ailments. His parents were examples of strength, service, testimony, and happiness. Through all of the medical appointments and ups and downs they were strong. They had so much faith in the Lord that they KNEW what the Lord wanted would be the best for all of them and that they would be able to endure it. Even while living at Primarys, they were always looking for ways to serve others and to brighten the days of those around them. They exemplify what Elder Neal A Maxwell said, “Empathy during agony is a portion of divinity.” Along with their son, they always had a smile on their faces. Russ ran into his parents this past weekend and learned that Lucas “peacefully left this mortal life on Wednesday, March 9^th” at 21 months old. I am grateful that Lucas and his incredible parents crossed our ‘human orbit’. I am grateful for the knowledge that we have of the Plan of Salvation and that Lucas and his family “are sealed by the Lord’s holy priesthood to become an eternal family.” Keep these wonderful people in your prayers. If you would like to help, they asked to “please consider donating to Intermountain Healing Hearts, an organization that has provided tremendous support to us and other families affected by congenital heart defects.”

PHOTO SHOOT

2011-02-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

So... I was BORED the other day and I didn't want to do dishes, scrub the floor, etc. so instead I took the sheet of my bed and dressed Link up and did a PHOTO SHOOT! Russ thought I was crazy when I told him about it... you probably think I'm crazy too! But anyway, here are the pictures from our Snowy Day Photo Shoot!

What I have been up to (by Lincoln)

2011-02-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

(Written by Lincoln)

Now that I am ONE I am such a big boy! I like to stay busy... and keep my mom busy!! Here's a sneak peek of some pictures of things I have been up to lately.

I have been playing and playing...

and reading (Do you like the 99 cent sticker? Mommy and Grandma are classy and shop clearance!).

I played with my cousin (okay- not really with him but next to him!).

I found daddy's wallet and I was so excited!

I took everything out of it! I'll keep this card for me (or mommy!).

I love my daddy! I am officially a Daddy's boy! I get so excited whenever I see him! He loves me too (sometimes I think more than mommy... but don't tell her that!).

I found my wipes and I can open them now! I like to take all the wipes out of the container and then put all of them into my mouth and suck out the chemicals!

We were going to go outside so mommy tried this hat on me. I look happy in this picture but it was really tight and I was grumpy and just wanted it off!

And mommy let me drive the car!! Okay... just kidding! But I love to play with the steering wheel when we are parked. I can't wait for the day I can really drive (mommy can!)

I've been up to a lot more lately but that's all the pictures that mommy and daddy have download. Hopefully they will download more soon! I'm walking better but I still get a little scared and prefer to crawl long distances. I now have three teeth and ALL of my top teeth want to come in which isn't very fun! I love to destroy and take apart and empty everything but just recently I decided I could put some things back on the shelf or bowls or toys. I like giving high fives and clapping for myself when I do something cool! I love mommy and daddy and strangers sometimes make me scream and cry! But most of all I like to stay BUSY BUSY BUSY!!

Belated Birthday

2011-02-26T11:26:00.001-08:00

I know Link's birthday was more than a month ago but I am so behind on blogging so I'll try to catch up starting with Link's birthday festivities...

Link's birthday was on Sunday so Saturday night we went to my mom's house.

Link's cousins helped him blow out his candle...

Then Link devoured a chocolate cupcake!

Then the next day we went to Russ's parents' house and had another birthday party!

After heating up the bumbo...

Link attacked another chocolate cupcake!

Happy Birthday Kiddo!

Watch me grow!

2011-02-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little late! Lincoln is now 13 months but I wanted to post all of his monthly pictures til he turned one so here they are!! It's incredible how fast they grow! I keep thinking Lincoln is still a baby but I recently visited some friends with newborns and they were so tiny compared to our little guy!

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

9 months (he turned 8 months in the middle of our BT Shunt hospital stay so no picture)

10 months

11 months

One year...

2011-01-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

My little boy is ONE YEARS OLD. I don’t even know where to begin…

Over a year ago after Lincoln was diagnosed with a heart defect, I felt strange having baby showers and getting things I didn’t know if I would use. I didn’t want to put up a crib or get his room ready in case we didn’t use it. When people who where ignorant of his diagnosis would ask ‘are you excited?’ I never knew what to answer. I literally did not know if I would bring a baby home from the hospital, let alone be celebrating his one year birthday. But he made it! He is now one years old. He is strong, smart, and healthy and I didn’t know that I could love an individual as much as I love him! Here is his year in review…

January 16, 2010: Lincoln was born and passed through the window into the NICU.

He was then transported to Primary Children's Medical center ICU and we were able to go visit and hold him for the first time.

January 18, 2010: Lincoln’s first Catheter surgery to open his pulmonary valve. The surgery was successful but he acquired a blood clot that had to be watched carefully and treated with medication.

For the next 2 weeks Link went on and off of Prostaglandin to see if he needed the BT Shunt…

February 2: BT Shunt

February 7: Take Lincoln HOME!

Thursday April 25- Friday April 26: Lincoln’s LONG Dr.’s apt- He went in to get an upper GI done for acid reflux and Russ got his oxygen stats checked and they were in the 50's so they put oxygen on him and he stayed in the PICU over night. He was a completely different baby with oxygen and we were happy to take it home with us.

April 30^th: 2^nd Heart Catheter Surgery to figure out why Lincoln's oxygen stats were too low and if he needed the Glenn at that time. Found that with oxygen, he would be fine to wait.

August 2: 3^rd Heart Catheter Surgery- to prepare for the Glenn Surgery

September 14: Glenn Surgery: This was a miracle surgery! I remember blogging about how I didn't think Link needed this surgery because he was so energetic and happy. But I was amazed at how everything has worked better since this surgery. He has been a better eater, has digested everything better, has been more energetic and been even happier than he was before the surgery.

September 29: Goodbye Oxygen!!

January 2011
I've had a lot of mixed feelings at Lincoln's birthday but the overriding feeling that I've felt is GRATITUDE. I am so grateful for the doctors, nurses, and surgeons that have worked with Lincoln. I am grateful for the medical advances that have made his life possible. I am grateful for the many many prayers that have been offered in Lincoln's behalf. I am grateful for all the prayers that Heavenly Father has answered. I am grateful for Russ and the support and love that he has provided to Lincoln and to me throughout Link's life. But most of all, I am grateful for Lincoln. I am grateful that I was able to bring my baby home from the hospital. I am grateful that I have been able to continue to bring him home after all his hospital stays. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to see his smiling face every morning. I am grateful that he is a healthy busy boy that I get to try to keep up with everyday. I am grateful for how strong he is and for all that he has taught me this past year. Happy Birthday Lincoln!

Family pics

2011-01-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

My sister got a camera for Christmas that she wanted to try out so she took some family pictures for us. Here they are... Thanks Jess!

Our first hours of 2011

2011-01-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

For New Years Eve we went to Russ's house and were able to spend the evening with all his brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Everyone was there this year and it was so great to eat and talk and eat and talk and eat! But once 2011 hit, the real fun began...

12:00- HAPPY NEW YEAR!
12:10- We go to bed (we are party animals!) (and just for a little background- EVERYONE was there so Link slept in a pack n' play in the same room)
4:00- Link wakes up
4:05- We feed him a bottle
4:10- We put him back in his pack n' play
4:11- We get into bed (and it's squeaky) so Link starts to cry
4:13- I get up and hold him and wipe his nose because he has a cold and can't breathe
4:15- I put him back in his pack n'play
4:16- He hears us and starts to cry
4:20-Russ gets up with him and holds him...etc... this goes on until...
5:10- We decide that Link is NOT going back to sleep and if we keep letting him cry he's going to wake up EVERYONE in the house and then there will be a multitude of crying babies and children so we decide to head home (20-30 miles away)
5:15- Russ goes into the FREEZING cold to turn our cars on (we have seperate cars because Russ came straight from work)
5:16- Lincoln is all smiles playing with his blocks and jabbering away
5:20- Link has a stinky diaper
5:21- I realize that I have a diaper and not wipes
5:25- Grandma wakes up and finds wipes for us
5:26- I change Link's diaper
5:30- We get in our cars and drive home (Link falls immediately to sleep)
6:05- We get home and put link to sleep
6:15- We go back to sleep
8:30- Link wakes up (He usually wakes up at 7:00 so we were very glad that he slept in... or we didn't hear him until then!)

How did you spend the first hours of 2011?

Sorry it's been a while...

2010-12-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

For the last month and a half whenever anything happened, I would think "I should blog that" but then I didn't. So, I'll try to catch you up on our life.
Lincoln turned 11 MONTHS OLD today!! I remember seeing one of my friend's little boy who was about two years old and I told her how big he was getting and she responded with "don't blink". I had no idea how right she was! I don't know where the time went! My little baby is about to be a year old- that's a toddler! I love the stage he is in but I can't believe he is not a little baby anymore. He is crawling all over the place (even though he would rather be walking) and gets into EVERYTHING he is not supposed to. He LOVES remotes, paper, piles of DVD's, mail, Christmas trees, etc. He is getting to be a big eater. He's a pretty good sleeper and usually sleeps from 7ish to 7ish and usually wakes up to eat about 5 or 6ish. He cut his first tooth!! Better late than never! And we LOVE him to pieces!
And by the way... a month ago he turned 10 months old! Here is his picture I didn't blog!

We spent Thanksgiving morning at my mom's house then went to Thanksgiving dinner at Russ's aunts house in Logan. It was so great to see both sides of our family and to be with them on Thanksgiving.

Lincoln has loved spending a little more time with his cousins. Here's a picture of Link with his cousin Briggy- they are only a month and a half apart in age! Other random things that have happened in the last month and a half-

*Black tongue: Russ woke up one day with a black tongue. We had no idea what was wrong with him! He said the only thing he knew that was associated with a black tongue was the Black Plague. I googled it and learned that you can get a black tongue if you take certain medications such as pepto bismol. Crazy, huh?! So Russ is okay and doesn't have the black plague!

*Preschool: I've been working at the Preschool along with the intermediate school the past couple months and LOVE it! I love being back there and working with the incredible staff and cute kids! It's been busy being back almost full time but it's been a great experience!

*Date night: Russ and I are really bad at having date nights... we never do. But we decided to have one and 'go big or go home' so we went to Salt Lake, went to dinner at the Olive Garden, walked around the gateway, and stayed at the Anniversary Inn (if you haven't been there- I highly recommend it). It was so great to go on a date night (I highly recommend them as well) and be with my incredible husband!

*Graduation: Russ is graduating! Russ took his last class this semester and is OFFICIALLY graduating with two bachelors degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies! We are so proud of him!! His plan right now is to keep going to school to get his MBA. It's been busy and will continue to be so but it will be worth it.

*Birthday: Russ had a BIRTHDAY! We worked all day but went to MADDOX with his parents that night. Good times were had by all!

Halloween

2010-10-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

For Link's first Halloween we went to my brother's house and went trick or treating with Link's cousins. Even though it was pouring outside, Link got in the stroller and went trick or treating to a few houses. Even though he had no clue what was going on, he was a trooper and a super cute pumpkin!

Fall pictures

2010-10-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

We met Russ in the Logan Canyon today after work to look at leaves and take some fall pictures. Lincoln wasn't too excited about it because it was a little chilly and almost bedtime! Here are some of our favorites!

Link's face here is priceless!

9 months

2010-10-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Lincoln in now 9 months old! I can't believe it's already been nine months! He just keeps growing...fast!

Russ was doing 'peek-a-boo' to get him to smile and apparently Link thought that was pretty funny!He still likes to spit his tongue out...especially when he's concentrating...he's a BECK!

And this is his signature face that he like to pull where he puts his lips together!

My Uncle John came up last weekend from California for my Grandpa's 80th Birthday. Lincoln loved meeting him and it was so fun to spend some time with him. Thanks for a GREAT weekend John!

First cupcake

2010-10-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

I was a BAD mommy today. I let my 8 MONTH OLD eat a CUPCAKE all by HIMSELF BEFORE his bottle! He of course loved it... whatever he got into his mouth and not all over him. I wasn't planning on feeding him cake until his birthday but oh well. It ended up just being a lot more work for me. He got it EVERYWHERE so I had to give him another bath and change his clothes. Right after the bath he was ready for his bottle so I just fed him while he was in his towel and he decided that was a great time to go pee which soaked through the towel and all over my pants so I had to change as well! It was quite the event all for a little cupcake!

The reason we had cupcakes today was because for Activity Days we made these...They were super cute, fun, and easy!

LINK UPDATE: Lincoln is doing GREAT! He is even happier than before surgery- I didn't think that was possible! He has a bigger appetite and loves to eat now! He was a horrible sleeper for the first couple weeks we were home- he was acting like a newborn getting up every couple hours and Russ and I were EXHAUSTED! But the last few nights he's gotten almost back to normal! Thank you again for thinking of us and praying for us during his surgery. It worked and Lincoln is feeling GREAT!

Goodbye Oxygen!

2010-09-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Lincoln's post surgery appointment today. He came home without stitches or oxygen!! We are so proud of him! Here are some pictures of Lincoln without his oxygen. He looks so different without it!

Home sweet home

2010-09-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

We're HOME!!

Is that a shock to any of you because it was to us?! Lincoln recovered so fast, was only on oral meds, and was still on a little oxygen that we can deal with at home so they sent us on our way. We got home last night. Lincoln is still doing pretty good. He's still in the process of recovery and isn't feeling the BEST yet! He woke up every three hours to eat last night (so we're back at square one. He was just sleeping through the night the couple weeks before surgery!). So we're all a little tired but happy to be home again. We go in again for a check up in a week and a half. Hopefully he can get off some of his meds and eventually, the oxygen. Again, thank you all for your comments, thoughts, and prayers.

On the mend

2010-09-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken us a while to update but Lincoln is doing great and recovering FAST! On Wednesday they took out both IV's in his neck and two of his chest tubes. Yesterday they took out the chest tube and the IV that went into his heart. They also took him off Milrinone (that helps his heart pump) and they transferred his blood pressure medicine from IV to oral. After the Glenn surgery, it's common for his blood pressure to be high but they want to keep it in a lower range so use medicine to help that for the first little while. Now that he is off all IV medicines and is eating, he can go to the recovery floor. Last night he was back to his old self and just smiling away at us!

Here's some pictures of the last couple days!

Lincoln is a tummy/side sleeper so even with all the tubes and cords hooked up to him, he still tries to roll to the side.

Lincoln was so excited to eat again!

Lincoln told us to tell all of you THANK YOU for all your prayers and thoughts! He's feeling so much better!

Lincoln's Big Day

2010-09-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

5:55- We arrived at the hospital

6:30- Getting Link's vitals and stats. He was being so goofy and showing off to the nurse when we put him on the scale. He was stretching and showing her how tall he was! What a stud!

7:30- We say goodbye to Link and he goes to surgery with the Anesthesiologist.

7:30-2:30- Lincoln is in surgery. We got hourly updates from one of his nurses. The surgery went well. The surgeon performed the Glenn, cut and closed off the BT Shunt, and created a new Pulmonary Valve out of synthetic material. The surgeon said that Lincoln is a different case because most heart kids are usually a one ventricle candidate or a two ventricle candidate and Lincoln is in between. So we're going to see if the Glenn works and that is all he needs. If so, he will still grow out of that synthetic valve (in around 5 years) and have to get that replaced along with some tweaking of his tricuspid valve. There is also always the possibility of doing the Fontan in a few years. But hopefully everything went well and we should be able to settle down for a few years without surgeries. Cross your fingers!

3:00- We were able to go into the PICU and this is what we found. The nurses kept telling us how great he was doing. He is such a trooper. For a couple hours they tried to get him breathing on his own so they could extubate him.

6:30- They extubated Lincoln (pulled his breathing tube out). After pulling the tube, for nearly a minute he stopped breathing so they got the manual ventilator which helped him to remember how to breathe on his own. His throat is still really sore and dry. They said that he will be able to eat at Midnight. I bet he is so excited to eat!!

The plan for tonight and tomorrow is to try to get as much medicine/IVs/chest tubes off of him as they can. They will also take him off sedatives and allow him to wake up. So he's probably going to be grumpy tomorrow but hopefully half his stuff will be gone. Our nurse told us today that if everything goes PERFECTLY we can be out of the PICU in about four days, in recovery for a few days, and then be on our way HOME!!!

We'll keep you updated!

Lincoln wanted us to thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and love. They were all felt, heard, and answered!

Here we go again...

2010-09-10T20:51:00.001-07:00

All the mommy blogs I read always talk about how fast time flies… it flies even faster when you don’t want it to and are dreading something in the near future. Link’s big surgery is almost here. This next Monday we are going into Primary’s for his pre-op appointment then he is scheduled for the Glenn surgery on Tuesday, 14^th. Russ and I are trying to prepare to live at Primary Children’s again for a week or two (hopefully that’s all) and stand back and watch our little boy hurting without being able to do much to help. It’s hard. I’ve tried not to think about previous surgeries or coming surgeries… but there comes a point where you have to and it breaks my heart. It was one thing to have my newborn, whom I barely knew and hadn’t been able to hold or take care of, to be wheeled into surgery. And it is completely different to now give my little pal to the surgeons and walk away knowing that they will cut into his little chest and stop his heart. My little pal, that gives me the biggest smile every time he sees me and yells whenever I leave the room. My little pal who flips through books all on his own, sleeps on his tummy just like I do, loves attention from anyone and everyone, talks all day long, loves to PLAY nonstop, thinks he can stand all on his own even though he can’t, grabs at everything, loves his bottle and drinking out of a cup (none of that sippy cup stuff for him), is fascinated with water, loves to smile, and who is growing into a little toddler right before my eyes. That’s the little boy I have to hand off to the surgeons. Lincoln is such a happy baby and has so much energy, life, and love for learning. Besides his oxygen stats, he is doing GREAT! So it’s hard to believe that he really needs this next surgery.

And he will have no idea what is happening. He will have no idea why he will wake up in excruciating pain and have pain for the coming month or more. He will have no idea why there are tons of cords connected to him and why there are strangers taking care of him instead of mommy and daddy and furthermore, why mommy and daddy allowed this to happen.

I’ve learned a lot about my Heavenly Father through this experience. I’ve learned how it feels to allow your child to experience pain because it is necessary and what is best for him. Before, I thought that because He knew the pain we experience is for our good, that it doesn’t hurt Him, but that is definitely not true. He loves us so much that He endures the pain of allowing us to suffer so that we can grow, that we can become stronger, that we can become like Him.

And yet with all of these fears and anxieties, I can’t help but feel grateful for this gift that my Heavenly Father has given me, Lincoln. And for the love and support of my husband. I am so grateful that I can hold his hand through the surgery and cry into his arms. I am grateful for the many prayers that have been given for Lincoln. I know that prayers are heard. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us. I know that Lincoln, Russell, and I have all grown and will yet grow stronger from the experiences we have shared and will yet share together at Primary Children’s. I know that I have said this before but I have learned so much from observing the strength of others as they have endured trials and hardships at Primary Children’s Hospital. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that my family can be together forever.

I have been recently trying to figure out what the Glenn surgery entails. This is what I have found:

The Glenn surgery (aka: Bidirectional Glenn Shunt, Partial Fontan, or Bidirectional Cavo-Pulmonary Shunt) is performed by connecting the superior vena cava to the right branch of the pulmonary artery then tying up the pulmonary artery. This makes it so that venous (deoxygenated) blood from the head and upper limbs (arms) will pass directly to the lungs, bypassing the right ventricle. The venous blood from the lower half of the body will continue to enter the heart. So the gist of the surgery (from what I know) is that they will make it so that the right ventricle (that is smaller and not as strong due to 9 months of not having an outlet to pump blood) will not have to do as much work, thus creating a 1 ½ ventricle heart. Also, from what I’ve read, it says that the Glenn is preferred in small babies and in borderline cases with abnormal pulmonary arteries (which is what Link has). If all goes well during this surgery then a complete Fontan is possible (in a couple years) or nothing further will need to be done (except they’ve told us that he will most likely have valve replacements every five years for the rest of his life). The Glenn should decrease the volume load on the right ventricle and improve oxygen stats (so hopefully no more oxygen).

Thank you again for all your support and prayers.

Watch me grow!!

2010-08-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late posting this but here is Link's SEVEN MONTH picture! He's getting so BIG (for him)!

Here is his 1 month picture so you can see how he's grown!

Here's a couple more pics just for fun!!

And Just an FYI: Link is scheduled for the Glenn Surgery on September 14th. Then we will be at Primary's for a couple weeks. After this surgery we will hopefully be off oxygen and done with surgeries for a few years. We'll keep you all posted.

Pictures

2010-08-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's time for another picture post of the cutest baby ever!! So here it goes...

This is what we do all day- stare at each other.

He loves the camera... really any kind of technology. But he usually just tries to grab it and eat it.
Oh my goodness! This could quite possibly be my favorite picture yet of the little guy!
Link loves his feet! He is always grabbing them and trying to eat them!
Links favorite toy at the moment (thanks Tristin!). He's getting so old!!

And I forgot to post his six month picture (and he'll be seven months in three days. Oops!)
LOVE the BLOOPERS this month!!

Checking out his feet!
Attacking the dog!
And of course, he has to eat him!We love our Linkers!!!

I love Jane!!

2010-08-13T17:43:00.001-07:00

Who knew I could be a Jane Austen fan... but I am! I read 'Pride and Prejudice' in High School because it was an assignment and that is the last of my Jane Austen days... until now. About two weeks ago I watched the BBC movie of 'Persuasion' and though it was kinda a budget film, I loved the story and decided to read it.

I absolutely LOVED it!!! So I decided to read Emma...

Loved it as well, so I read Sense and Sensibility.

I just finished and liked it as well! I highly recommend them.

What to read next...?

Put a fork in me... I'm DONE!!!!!

2010-08-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

After...

58 credit hours

411 clinical clock hours

83 adult clinical clock hours

2 years of full-time work

1 preschool

1 elementary school

1 high school

1 rehab center

3 summers

2 school years

Multiple 'motivating' emails from our coordinator

Multiple CHANGES to our program

1 Comprehensive Exam

(Study sessions at Primary Children's for the Comprehensive Exam. Thanks girls!)

1 Praxis Exam

Lots of laughs (especially during the summers- you've got to laugh after spending 9 hours a day in a classroom or you will go crazy!!!)

A couple tears

Thousands of dollars in tuition

10+ text books

13+ final exams

Who knows how many papers and projects

1 very supportive husband

1 very cute baby

24 incredible classmates/friends who made it all worth it

I have finished my MASTERS!!! I finished all my coursework about a month ago but have been waiting for all my grades. You may now refer to me as Master Whitney, Master Mommy, whatever you want, as long as it has a 'Master' before it!!!! (jk!)

I can now sign my name Whitney Ferry MEd SLP (or something like that!)

Heart Catheter Surgery #3

2010-08-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Link had his third heart catheter surgery yesterday. This cath was a preparatory surgery for the Glenn surgery he will have sometime this month. The purpose of the cath was to get an inside view of the heart and take dimensions, pressures, etc. They also ruled out a couple other surgical options and we are definitely going to do the Glenn now. Link was so good and so brave all day long. Here's a play by play.

Link getting all his stats checked in preparation for surgery. Mommy getting in some last kisses.

Getting a last minute nap in before surgery. It didn't last long. He was ANGRY from not getting to eat. I think one of the hardest parts is not being able to feed him and him not understanding why and being VERY UPSET...then waiting forever for the surgery to start! Russ was so good to take care of him and try to calm him down.
Even though he was starving, he was all smiles when he saw the cute nurses. After the surgery, the nurses told us that he is such a pretty baby that they couldn't tell if he was a girl or boy!

Here is Link going into surgery- he was braver than mommy and daddy.

After surgery we had to stay six hours to make sure everything was okay and to keep his legs still. Link was a rockstar and slept most of the time.He was so excited to eat after surgery!

We took him home last night and he's been doing pretty good. He only woke up a couple more times than usual last night. He's been a little grumpy and sleepy today but has still given us a lot of smiles. What a trooper!!

We don't have the Glenn surgery scheduled yet. All we know is that it will be sometime in August. After that, he should be off oxygen and hopefully be done with surgeries for a while.

How do I change font color?

2010-08-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

So, my background disappeared and they made me put a new background on my blog but I couldn't change my font color from blue to black. I did it before but I looked all over this time and could not figure it out! So I had to go back to a temporary dark background. Can someone help me!!!!!?

Lincoln's first vacation

2010-07-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Russ's family took a trip to Island Park and Logan this past week. We went up late and were only in Island Park for a day and Logan for a day but it was great to be with family and be with Link on his first vacation. He was a Rock Star and was pretty good through it all. We visited Johnny Sack's cabin in Island Park. (sorry the lighting is so bad in this picture)

Then we went into West Yellowstone and got lunch. Apparently we had worn him out and this was the result!

He went swimming for the first time. Daddy swam with him while I walked around the pool with the oxygen!

And this last picture isn't from our vacation but it's one of our new favorites! We were changing his oxygen and he looks so different without it so we took a few pictures! And as you can tell, his favorite thing to do right now is to stick out his tongue!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Lincoln wanted to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July!

What Linkers has been up to...

2010-06-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Getting older and bigger! He is now FIVE months old and a whoppin' 12 pounds 3 ounces!!

Learning to play the guitar with daddy

Reaching for and grabbing all his toys

Standing!Eating real food

Tummy time!

Bitter-sweet

2010-06-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my last day at my current elementary school. I am going to be working part-time at an intermediate (6th and 7th grade) school in my district. It's been a bitter-sweet experience the last few months trying to decide whether I should work part-time. I feel bad that it was a hard decision at all. I should have wanted to quit it all and be a full time mommy! I know the greatest joy I will ever have will be from raising my children but at the same time I love my job! I have loved the different opportunities and experiences I have had the past couple years in my current profession. I have loved the students and faculty that I've been able to work with! I went into the greatest profession and love learning something new every day. But one of the reasons I went into this profession (Speech-Language Pathology) was so that I could work part-time. I have the potential (in a month when I finish graduate school!!!!) to work in rehab, hospital, school, or private practice for as little or many hours I want. I am so grateful that I chose this field of work and hope to be able to keep up with my profession and work in some degree throughout my life. For those of you that have seem my little boy, you probably think I'm crazy that it was such a hard decision for me to work part-time because he is so dang cute! I really am excited to be a mommy! I am excited not be pulled so many ways and finally be able to focus on just a couple things at a time. I am so grateful for great babysitters that have raised my little boy- especially my mom who has gone above and beyond the last few months raising Link! Sometimes I think he is confused whether she or I am his mother!!! I am excited to not have to worry about school and have more time to become a better speech therapist and a better mommy!!!

Mommy

2010-05-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with our pictures and here's a mommy collage I made.

4 months

2010-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Lincoln is 4 months old already! He's still such a little guy. We sat next to a family at church today with a 3 1/2 month old that TOWERED over Lincoln. We love Link!

Going bald?

2010-05-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Lincoln started loosing his baby hair. He's been loosing it in patches. Normally that wouldn't look so bad but Lincoln had a ton of hair so it was weird to see a lot of hair in one spot and no hair in another spot. So Russ and I buzzed it this morning. He looks really different but cute!

This is Link with hair

This is Link while he was going bald. He lost a lot in front but the back was still long.

This is Link with a buzz. He looks so different!!

I graduated again...kinda!!

2010-05-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

I walked in the spring graduation for my Master's degree. I still have three classes left this summer until I am officially done but they don't have a summer graduation. So I have my Masters... kinda. I'll be done the beginning of July!

Update and Blessing

2010-05-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

The surgery Friday went well and they even let us come home that night. Link was a ROCKSTAR and is doing great! One day I will scan in a line drawing of his heart and explain it in more detail but here's what we know now... the Dr. who performed his surgery said that the pulmonary valve looked great (he didn't need to re-balloon it) and the BT Shunt looked great (not clogged at all). He said the reason that Link's oxygen stats are so low is that the right side is still leaking out the wrong way and bypassing the lungs. The right side is sending some un-oxygenated blood throughout the body and not up the pulmonary valve to the lungs to get oxygenated (When I scan in the picture it will make more sense). His recommendation was to wait til he's older and keep him on oxygen (I don't know what 'older' means. He talked about this same thing with a child that was 10 months old so we'll see...) and then going in and coiling off the BT Shunt (which will need to be done at some point) and then closing off the area that is leaking unoxygenated blood. If that works and the right side handles it okay, Link would have a normal working heart just like you and me. They would have to open him up eventually and divide the shunt so it doesn't distort the heart. And he would still need valve replacements every so often (but the Dr. mentioned that they are starting to do that in the cath lab as well). And if it doesn't work then we can still do the Glenn surgery. We are meeting with our cardiologist in a couple weeks. We are hoping that we can talk her into trying the cath lab before doing the Glenn!!!

Sunday, we had Lincoln's baby blessing. Russell gave a beautiful blessing and we were able to spend the day with our family. It was so great to be with all our loved ones!

Heart Cath Surgery

2010-04-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Link goes in tomorrow morning for a heart cath. It's similar to the first surgery he had when he was two days old. They go through the artery in his leg, up to his heart. They are going to dye the blood to get a better look at the blood flow through his heart. They might possibly try to open his shunt up (because it's getting clogged with blood). What they see tomorrow will help us make a more definite "plan" of the next few months of his life. It will help us determine when we need the Glenn and hopefully determine how successful that will be. We might not get to meet with his cardiologist tomorrow so we might have to wait a few weeks to hear about the "plan". Link's surgery will be at 10:30 and he needs to stay for at least 24 hours afterwards. We are hoping for no complications or blood clots (like last time) and then we should be home by Saturday. Cross your fingers!!!

3 months old!

2010-04-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

The day we came home from the hospital, Link turned THREE MONTHS OLD!Ever since we upped his Zantac and got him on Oxygen, he's been a completely different baby!! He SMILES and TALKS all the time! He's such a good little baby!

Link's LONG Dr's apt!!

2010-04-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Link went in for an apt. at Primary's to get an upper GI (for his acid reflux) at 2:00 Thursday... 22 hours later he was discharged from the CICU (cardiac Intensive Care Unit).

Russ took Link to his apt to get an upper GI so that the Dr.'s could prescribe something better for his acid reflux because the zantac wasn't working. Something was wrong with the machine so they couldn't do it for about a half hour so Russ decided he would go to Cardiac and get Link's Oxygen Stats checked. He statted at high 50's, low 60's (a normal baby or person like you or me should be statting in the 90's. They want Link to be statting between 75 and 85 so he was statting very low). So they strapped him up to oxygen, did an echo (ultrasound) on his heart, and said that he was staying the night. The ultrasound showed that his shunt was starting to clog up so he wasn't getting as much blood flow through the shunt. He did well with oxygen throughout the night and... we had been giving him the WRONG DOSE of Zantac so they upped the Zantac and he did MUCH better (HORRIBLE parents, I know, but it was really a tender mercy because if his tummy wasn't hurting so much we wouldn't have gone to Primary's and found out that his stats were so low and wouldn't have been able to get oxygen on him). They tried setting up an appointment with the Cath lab today (they would go INSIDE him with a catheter, dye the blood, etc. to get the BEST look at his heart) but the cath lab was full today so they sent us home (with oxygen).

The plan is to come back in a week or two and do the cath lab to get the best view of his heart and do a "Pre-Glenn" of his heart. Then the Dr. told us that we need to do the Glenn surgery sooner than later- probably when he is around 4 1/2 months old (in a month and a half).

He was such a trooper the entire time we were there.

Can't get enough

2010-04-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Even though he's a stinker sometimes, I can't get enough of this little guy.

Here's Link and his cousin, Macen, at Easter. Macen LOVED Lincoln but is definitely a little BIGGER!!

GREEN EYES?!
Link still has blue eyes but this picture that Russ took shows him with green...weird. I guess only time will tell!!

Rough Start

2010-04-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Poor Link! He's had such a crappy life! If living at Primary's and having heart surgeries the first month of life wasn't enough, the last month he's had horrible tummy issues- constipation, gas, and acid reflux! He'll scream when he eats because it hurts him and he's been pretty fussy because he's so uncomfortable. We've tried...

Primary Children's apt to make sure his heart was okay
Different bottles
Mylecon
Pediatrician appointment
Prune juice
Suppositories
Swing
Another Pediatrician appointment
Tummy X-ray
Zantac
pumping his legs
more suppositories
Keeping him upright after he eats
tilting his bed
herbal digestive remedy on his tummy
order for an upper GI x-ray

Finally, I've been taking him to this Chiropractor in Draper that's been treating him with holistic remedies (ie: "desensitizing" him to his milk, working on his feet, adjusting his back, using a cold lazer. etc.). It's the only thing that has really seemed to help. Now Link doesn't scream during ALL of his bottles and is only pretty fussy at night. He poops by himself and everything! He's still fussy and uncomfortable sometimes and I hate seeing him in pain but I'm glad he's doing a little better. For a while there he was going to be an only child... he might still be (at least for a LONG time)!!! Good thing he is SO DANG CUTE!!! Here's some of my favorite recent pictures!

2 months!

2010-03-20T09:53:00.001-07:00

Link is two months old now! He is growing slowly but surely and is now 9 lbs!

We took him to another appointment at Primary's this week. They said that everything looks okay thusfar. He's going to get an ultrasound in May to take a closer look at his heart. Then sometime after that they will go in and coil the shunt off and see how his heart does without it to see if he needs the Glenn surgery.

Thanks husbando!!

2010-03-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for Russell and all that he does for Link and me. I definitely could not do this without him. We are both working full time and going to school so we tag team the whole parent thing! I am so lucky to have a husband who will wake up multiple times a night to help. He is such a good daddy! Thanks Russ Russ!!

More pictures of our little guy!

2010-03-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

One month!

2010-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

Our little Lincoln is one month old! Craziness! He's still such a little guy! Here's his one month picture!Here's some BLOOPERS from our picture taking! He had no idea what mom was doing to him! I love this first one!! :)

Thanks Uncle John for the cute stuffed animals!!

Link loves being HOME!

2010-02-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

We love having Lincoln at home! Here's a couple pictures of Lincoln's first week in his own home.

Lincoln in his bassinet. We carry it around the house wherever we are!

He is so funny! Whenever he is falling asleep he gives a big GRIN! It's so dang cute! It makes waking up multiple times a night worth it!I love when Lincoln opens his eyes. He's so observant. Here he is looking at mommy.

Flexin' his muscles! (P.S.- all his clothes are so big because he is such a skinny guy! I had no idea he was so skinny until we were leaving the hospital and I tried putting newborn clothes on him and they drowned him!!)

We love him!

Home sweet home!

2010-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

We're going home...today!

We had a little set back last night. His potassium was too high. If your potassium is too high (especially in heart babies) it can cause arrhythmias that they can't shock him out of. They put him on more Lasiks (I don't know how to spell it but it's the medicine to clean out your system). He had to get another IV in him to give him the medication. Poor guy! Then they had to come in the middle of the night to get blood samples. Because he has had so many previous IVs and shots, the Phlebotomist couldn't get a good sample so the IV team came and after four tries in his feet, they were able to bleed out a sample. What a strong little guy!! His potassium is still a little high but they are letting us go home! We can't wait!!!!!

Lincoln's Recovery

2010-02-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Link has great news today. He is IV free! The nurses took out all of his IV lines and his feeding tube. The cardiologist also came in and took out his surgical chest drain. He has even been off oxygen for almost two days! That means he only has the monitor on his chest and one on his foot. We are so proud of him! If he continues it will be only a few more days before he sees his real home!

Baby Lincoln looking out of his blanket. He is happy to be in his new room!

We are able to give him a bottle now that his feeding tube was taken out. It is fun to feed him like a real baby!

This is Link's cut from open heart surgery. The doctor took out his chest drain this morning where the smaller stitches are.

Link's new recovery room.

Link's doing GREAT!!

2010-02-04T13:23:00.001-08:00

They took out Link's breathing tube, his PICC line, the central IV in his neck, and the art line in one of his hands. He still has the drainage tubes from his heart, one peripheral IV in his foot, and oxygen. He's bottle feeding again and doing GREAT! Once they take out the drainage tube we can go to recovery. You would never believe this little guy just had heart surgery two days ago!

Link's Surgery

2010-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

This morning Link went in for the BT Shunt. The surgeon said that his surgery went well and he is doing fine thus far. He is still intubated and has multiple IV's that they will wean off of him throughout the week. We will most likely be in the PICU for another week then on the floor (recovery) for the next week then we're headed HOME!!! Thank you for all of your prayers today. We appreciate your love and concern so much!

Here's Link after surgery today

Here's some more pictures from the last week:

Our Family

Link looking at his daddy!

Red Hair

Mommy and baby

2010-02-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

A four week stay in the PICU: Millions of dollars
Delivering at the U of U: Way too much
A happy baby through it all: PRICELESS

The plan...

2010-02-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday they took Link off the Prostaglandin for the fourth and final time. He was so close and tried so hard! They took him off at 9:00 a.m. and at a little after 10:00 p.m. he dropped dramatically. His PDA had shut completely and his oxygen stats were really low for an hour. We were very grateful that we were there so that we know for certain that the BT Shunt is necessary. Even though it's been hard to wait around for two weeks, we're grateful that the doctors waited so we know we tried everything before surgery was necessary. Tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. Link is going in for surgery- the BT Shunt.

The BT shunt consists of a sternal incision through his chest. Artificial tubing about 3 millimeters in diameter is sewn between the subclavian or carotid artery and the pulmonary artery, making it easier to regulate blood flow to the lungs. This is only a temporary surgery lasting around 4-8 months. At that time, Link will most likely need the Glenn surgery which turns his heart into a 1 1/2 ventricle heart where the right side will only have to do half the work. After the Shunt, we will stay about another week in the PICU then go to recovery for a few days so we HOPEFULLY will be home in a couple weeks! He will most likely come home with oxygen for the first little while, eventually not need the oxygen, then require it again in a few months as it gets closer to his next surgery. We are so grateful for the medical care he is receiving and are counting down the days til we get to take him home!

Lots of updates!

2010-01-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

Russ loves this picture! He said that Link's going to get a Philosophy degree just like his daddy!

They did an ultrasound on Link's leg a couple days ago and the blood clot was gone! We were so excited! If the blood clot wasn't gone he'd come home on blood thinner that we'd have to give him with a shot every 12 hours. Now we don't have to!! A special thanks goes to his cousin Miles for continuously praying for "Winklon's sore leg."

They took him off Prostaglandin for the third time a few days ago and it didn't work so he's on it again. They will take him off Prosaglandin for the last time this Saturday or Sunday. If it doesn't work then he'll go in for the BT Shunt surgery sometime after next Wednesday.

Yesterday they needed to take the IV out of his umbilical artery because they can't have an IV in there for very long. They inserted a PICC (Peripherally inserted central catheter) line into him. Russ and I were a little hesitant about it at first but they explained that regular IV's only last from one to three days and they could come out of the vein, etc. So he has a PICC line that goes from his arm to right above his heart (central location). They can leave PICC lines in for up to 6 months. But his will hopefully come out before we go home!

And finally... our biggest surprise came this morning when we showed up at the hospital and saw this! RED HAIR?! Thanks Grandpa Cap!

Prostaglandin

2010-01-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

Link has been on and off of Prostaglandin two times thusfar. He was off it yesterday but in the middle of the night his oxygen stats got too low so they put him back on it. He's resting today then they'll take it off tomorrow, etc. throughout the week. Babies have high pressure in their lungs which usually drops the first couple weeks of life. With lower pressure it's easier for the heart to pump blood to the lungs and throughout the body, therefore, our cardiologsit told us that she wanted to wait til he was around 2 weeks old before determining whether he needs the BT shunt. So he'll go on and off Prostaglandin til this next weekend. If he keeps his oxygen high then he'll be done but if it continues to drop when he's off Prostaglandin then we'll do the shunt.

Link

2010-01-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

Link's oxygen saturation got too low yesterday so they put him back on Prostaglandin last night. They are going to leave it on for a day or two and let him rest then they are going to try to take him off of it again. If his oxygen stats get too low again we are looking at open heart surgery- the BT shunt. For now... we wait.

Lincoln James Ferry

2010-01-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

Lincoln and his Daddy. Russ loves his little boy SO MUCH! He is so cute with him!

Our little guy!

Update...

2010-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

During Lincoln's surgery, the surgeon tried inserting a catheter up the artery in the right leg. After several tries, he still wasn't successful so he went up the vein in his left leg. Lincoln was on a lot of blood thinner so his right leg took forever to stop bleeding. It was a tricky balance between getting his leg to stop bleeding and at the same time try not to get any clots in his leg. The bleeding did stop but his leg was swollen. You can see in the picture in the last post, when he was wheeled out of surgery, how purple his leg was. The next day they did an echo on his leg. He has some clots in the femural artery in his right leg. They can find a pulse in his leg but have yet to find a pulse in his foot. He is on blood thinner and they will keep him on that until the clots go away. The doctors believe that with the help of the blood thinner, it shouldn't travel to his heart and should be resolved.

Yesterday, they took Lincoln off Prostoglandin (the medicine that has been keeping the PDA open). An echo (ultrasound) was done today and they found that his PDA is slightly smaller but hasn't closed all the way. Once his PDA closes, they will be able to see if the surgery was successful and if his heart can work on it's own without the PDA open. (FYI: The PDA allows a different route of blood flow in newborns but closes shortly after birth. With the PDA open, Lincoln has been getting sufficient oxygen. Once the PDA closes, his heart has to take a new route (that's the same as all of us). This route goes through the Pulmonary Valve which was just operated on). The doctors say that it will take a few days for the PDA to close completely which will give us a better idea of his condition and if he requires further surgeries. We're watching his oxygen saturation closely to monitor his progress.

Thank you again for all of your love, support, and especially your prayers. We truly believe in the power of prayer and in the priesthood. We are so grateful for the gospel in our lives and especially for the Temple and the knowledge we have that families are forever.

Thank you!!

Baby Lincoln's Surgery

2010-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today was Lincoln's surgery. The surgery consisted of a catheter being inserted into a vein in his leg and brought up to his heart. An electric wire then burned a hole through the pulmonary valve. A balloon was then inserted and expanded causing the valve to open and allow the correct blood flow through the pulmonary valve. After the surgery, the surgeons took us back and showed us x-ray videos of the surgery. It was incredible! The doctors were so accommodating and we are so grateful that everything went well. They will now take him off of Prostoglandin which will cause his DA to close and see how his heart does with this new flow of blood. It will take a week or two to determine whether he requires another surgery.

Here are some more pictures of our little guy...

Our family right after delivery on Saturday at the U of U NICU.

Mommy and Baby at Primary Children's PICU. We were so excited that we were able to hold him!

We love our baby!

The cutest baby ever! (We are a little biased).

This is the operating room. We were told it was only a year and a half old. How incredible it was to have such new high-tech equipment available to help our little guy.

Lincoln being wheeled out of surgery.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers today. We could feel your love and support.

It's A Boy!

2010-01-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

We are so happy that our new baby is here. Lincoln James Ferry was born January 16th, 4:11 a.m., 6.11 lbs, 20 1/2 inches at the University of Utah Hospital. We love him so much.

Immediately after he was born, he was taken to the NICU, cleaned up, then transferred to Primary Childrens. He is waiting there now for his upcoming surgery early next week. Before he was taken we got to see him for a few minutes and took some pictures which are posted below. Whitney was so good during her 32 hours prior to his delivery. She will be a great mommy.

We want to thank everyone for all that they have done for us. We are so blessed to have family and friends who gave so selflessly for our little family. Thank you so much for your help and prayers in our behalf. We could not have done this without you.

Here are the pictures we took of baby Lincoln while we were at the UH's NICU and Primary Childrens PICU.

Baby Lincoln

Proudly giving the Kinsmen Call.

Heart to heart...

2009-12-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect, comprising about 1 in every 100 births in the United States. Our little guy has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect known as Pulmonary Atresia. The pulmonary valve is closed, blocking outflow of blood from the heart to the lungs. This also causes the right ventricle to become smaller, stiffer, and leak blood the opposite way.At our 20 week ultrasound, the ultrasound tech told us she didn't quite see everything she wanted to with the heart. She referred us to a specialist at Davis Hospital who informed us that our baby had a heart defect and then referred us to Primary Children's Hospital. We've been going to Primary's for the last few months to get fetal echos to monitor his heart. Here is the plan from Primary's: I am going to deliver at the University of Utah hospital (I'll be induced there on January 15) and right after delivery, the baby will be taken to Primary's. They will put him on medication to keep the ductus arteriosus open (which typically closes shortly after birth). After a few days he will receive surgery where a catheter is inserted into an artery in his leg and brought up to his heart. A balloon will then open up the pulmonary valve. Even though there will now be an opening in the pulmonary valve the right ventricle hasn't been able to pump for 9 months so his heart will require a few more surgeries. Within the next week he will have open heart surgery called a BT Shunt which is another valve in his heart. At that point it's up to him to see how he does. He will most likely need another open heart surgery (the Glenn procedure) at 6 months old. This procedure makes his heart into a 1 1/2 ventricle heart where the right side is only having to do half the work. Depending on how he's doing, he'll possibly need another surgery at 3 years (the Fontan surgery) which makes his heart into a 1 ventricle heart and the right side is completely bypassed.

We've had quite the last few months.

Russ and I continuously count our blessings. We are so grateful for an ultrasound tech who caught this early, for the amazing medical care we have received and will receive at Primary Children's hospital, for the education and preparation they have provided us with, for all of you and for your concerns and prayers, and mostly, we are so grateful for our little guy and are so excited to meet him in a couple weeks!

All I want for Christmas is...

2009-12-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

...to see my husband!! Russ is such a hard worker and he got a temporary job this Christmas season working at the Post Office in Salt Lake. He works from 5 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. every single day! Then he comes home, sleeps, and goes straight back to work! If I get to see him during the day, I see him for a few minutes at a time! I'm so grateful for such a hard working husband but I miss him like CRAZY! I am so excited for Christmas this year because I get my husband back!

I'm fat!

2009-12-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

My favorite comment from this week:

"Mrs. Ferry, Priscilla didn't think you were pregnant. She said sometimes bellies just get fat."

Kids make me smile! :)

Beck Family

2009-11-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

My family was all together for the first time in a long time! My little brother just got home from his mission and my sister was in from California for Thanksgiving so we took FAMILY PICTURES!!

Oops!!

2009-10-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I decided to be a good wife and cook dinner so I made taco soup. It was all done and Russ wasn't home yet so I left it on the stove and turned the stove to OFF. I then went upstairs to read. About an hour later my house smelled so I ran downstairs to find a kitchen FULL of smoke! I couldn't see a thing! The smoke took over my entire house!! Apparently instead of turning the stove to OFF, I had turned it to HIGH and had burned the soup for an hour! Needless to say this has been quite the week. I've been staying at my mom's house all week and have had to commute every morning! I don't know how commuters do it! I hate it!!! We've left our windows open as much as possible (but it's been snowing half the week!). It's Friday and our house still smells like smoke! We're trying EVERYTHING to get rid of it! In a couple days I'll have to wash ALL of our clothes cause they reek! Russ has been so good through it all and hasn't complained even though it's been alot of driving and cleaning and COLD (with the windows open) all week long. Let's just say, I will NEVER make taco soup again!!!

NERD!!!

2009-10-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

My COMPREHENSIVE Exam is this coming February (over everything I've learned in the last four years!) and the national PRAXIS exam (for certification as a SLP) will be next semester or in the summer so I am officially a NERD!!

Russ is a NERD too but he's at SCHOOL so I couldn't take a picture of him!!

A REAL DATE!!

2009-10-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Russ and I are BORING and all we ever do it work and school. (Hence why I never blog!) We never have enough time to even see each other, let alone do anything fun! But this past Friday I didn't have work and Russ got done with work early so we went on a REAL DATE! We went to Logan and went to the temple, ate at Iron Gate Grill, went mini golfing in a mini golf place all decorated for Halloween, and finished the night with a caramel brownie shake from Charlies (the best shake ever!!). It was a MAGICAL evening! I loved being with my husbando all night and not having to think about school or work once!!

We tried to get the temple in the background but it didn't quite work!

There was construction at the temple and this was the sign they had up!!

I love life!

2009-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

I know this is a really random post...especially for me but I've decided that there are alot of things I love right now and I decided to share a few...

1. I love my husband! He is such an incredible man and is so perfect for me! I love him more and more each day! I can't believe how lucky I am to be married to a man like him!

2. I also love the little guy in my stomach and love that I can feel him move around right now!

3. I love to read! Absolutely love it! I just finished (in a day) Shannon Hale's new book 'Book of a Thousand Days' and recently read 'River Secrets' and can't wait to read her new 'Forest Born'.

4. I love my job! I'm working at a new school this year with Kindergarteners and first graders. Of course some days are better than others but I love the little munchins I work with. They make it all worth it and always make my day. Kids are so dang cute!

5. I love that I can eat real food now! Instead of just toast like I have for the last four months! Of course I don't eat meals like this one all the time but looking at it doesn't make me gag anymore! Yeah!!

6. I love FALL! I have officially decided that it is my favorite holiday. I always knew I liked spring and fall the best because of the weather but I absolutely love fall! I love the weather, I love the leaves, I love how beautiful it is, I love the back to school feel, and I love the anticipation of the holidays!

Coming soon...

2009-09-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

We're having a BABY!!! I'm due the end of January and just found out that we are having a BOY!! I was pretty nauseous for the first three-four months but I'm feeling GREAT now! We are so excited!!

Beck Family Fun!

2009-08-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

We went to St. George and Vegas with my familia last week. We were only there two days but it was fun! We went swimming and hiking in St. George and in Vegas we went to Donny and Marie!! We were the youngest ones there by far but it was an entertaining show! Thanks Mama Sue!

One Year!

2009-08-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Russ and I have been married one year! It's been incredible and just gets better every day! I have the most amazing husband and I'm so grateful for all that he does for me and all that he has taught me. I love you Russ!

Summer happenings...

2009-07-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of the recent summer happenings in my life. I've gotten to tend my nephews lately and they are so stinkin cute! I was trying to take a picture of the baby but Logan insisted he be in it too! :)
I went and saw my little niece sing in her sunshine singing group on the 24th! She was so cute! She's the one on your left that is doing actions!

And I made my very first creative cake! Okay, so it was super simple but I'm still proud of it! My nephew wanted a blue truck cake for his birthday so this is what he got!

Book recommendations!

2009-07-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

I know I've been in school all summer but every so often (okay- whenever I can) I reward myself with a good book (not all the text books I was suppose to be reading!). And I just wanted to recommend a few of my favorite!

Of course, no book collection would be complete without HARRY POTTER! If you haven't read them yet- you should NOW! I reread the 6th and 7th book and I forgot how much I loved them! And if you're a fan- you should definitely go see the new movie!! I love Harry!!

This next series is also a MUST READ! My mom has been trying to get me to read it forever and I finally gave in. It is the 'Great and Terrible Series'. It's an LDS fictional account of the last days. It is incredible! There are six books in the series (the second is the hardest to get through but get through it because it is worth it!). I just finished the last book and I wish there was more to the series!

I don't know how many of you have heard of Shannon Hale, but I love her books! They're really easy reads (probably directed to teens and young adults). I don't know if I'd call them fantasy but everyone I've read has been so good! I loved 'princess academy', 'goose girl', and 'Austenland'!! Check her books out!

Another one I read and liked (but don't have a picture of) is 'The Book Thief'. It's about a little German girl during the time of the Holocaust (if you like books set in that time period then you would love this). Death tells the story so it's a little different and sad but such a good story!

I've read a couple more (I told you I love reading!) but these were by far the best! If you have any recommendations for me- bring em on! I'm looking for a new good book!!

Bear Lake with the Ferrys!!

2009-07-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

We just had an incredible weekend with Russ's family up in Bear Lake! We went swimming, hiking, to Minnetonka cave, more swimming, and loved all being with each other! My favorite moments of the trip were: when little Gib (2 years old) stood at the side of the pool with a serious face ready to dive in (you had to be there! This kid is hilarious!), when Johnny was reading scriptures and talking about how feeling the spirit is a good feeling and Emma said 'I have that good feeling right now!' (so did I), when Russ showed up on the second day (he had to work so he got there late), and when the entire family went swimming and we were all together! It was so good to be with family and I hated seeing this trip end!

American Idol!!

2009-07-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

We got tickets VERY last minute to the American Idol top 10 concert in Salt Lake! I love this concert because you get a little bit of everything! Secretly Russ liked it too! I took pictures of all the top ten but I'll give you a preview of the top 4!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little late but for the Fourth- we went to Logan on the third to celebrate Grandma Smith's birthday, eat dinner, and watch the Logan fireworks. Then on the fourth we went to the Centerville parade and saw our niece Emma in her cute sunshine singing group float! Then we got to slip and slide with my little nephews! That night Brandon was in charge of the fireworks like always but I thought he was going to blow us up this year! Good news- we all made it through!

Happy Birthday to me...

2009-07-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Russ got me a camera! Yeah! He's such a good husband! This is the first picture we took with it!

I found the button where you can do black and white with just one color! It's my favorite!!

Whitney's no good horrible very bad day! Part 2

2009-06-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you remember my first day of Grad school last summer. If not you can reread it on my blog cause it was quite the experience! Well, I just started Grad School for the summer semester yesterday and apparently Grad school doesn't like me very much. I felt really itchy all day and when I finally got home that night (around 8:00) some of my fingers were swollen. As the night progressed the rest of my body starting itchy, my hands were going numb, and my eyes were getting swollen spots around them! I started freaking out! I have no idea what happened but I had a SEVERE allergic reaction to SOMETHING! I can't miss ANY school because it is so condensed that if I miss a day of school it's like missing 2 or 3 weeks of regular school. I did take one Benadryl that helped a little but I couldn't take any more or I wouldn't have woken up the next day for school. Finally at lunch break today I got some stronger stuff. I'm still itchy but all the swelling numbness stuff is gone! To top it all off, Russ is sick too! But he was such a sweetheart and still helped me last night while I was freaking out! I can't even imagine what's going to happen the first day of Grad school next summer...

Cute card!

2009-06-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

I work with the greatest lady ever, Miss Kerry. She made this super cute card for me for my going away card!! She is the cutest! One day I'll be able to make a card like this!

Goodbye ELC!!

2009-06-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day at the Early Learning Center Preschool in Corinne. Russ sent me flowers at work- how cute is he?! This year I have come to love the kids and teachers that I work with so I couldn't think about it when I said goodbye or I would have cried... alot! I'm going to a new elementary school next year for more experience but now I am so sad that I'm not going back to the preschool! And I'm so scared to go to a new school were I don't know a single person (again)! I think teaching is a horrible job! You fall in love with new kids every year and then they leave you or you leave them! I love my little kids so much! They always said the funniest things and always made me smile. Here's just a few to make you smile:

*While pretending to type on the computer, 'I'm going to facebook.com'
*During planning time: 'I'm going to be a white bad guy', another child: 'I'm going to be a black bad guy'
* Really trying to give me a compliment: 'I like you a little bit'
*This kid said his /s/ like an /sh/ and the first work I accidentally made him say was 'sit'
* While making leprachan headbands, 'We're like Nephi!'
* Me: what did you build with your legos? Kid: 'The great wall of China'
* 'Computer has the /r/ sound. Wii and nintendo doesn't have the /r/ sound.'
*'My tongue is too tired. I need to go lie down.'

I love Preschool!!!

My 365 kit!

2009-06-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my friend at work showed me her 365 kit that she bought on New Years from Creating Keepsakes. It is the most amazing thing ever! It comes with all the scrapbook supplies for you to take a picture every day of the year and scrapbook it. They only made 4,000 of them and it was a big mess and I've been looking on ebay and all over for one. My friend told me today that her friend had an extra one that she would sell me and I got my kit today! I am so excited! I haven't scrapbooked in forever! But this is just different enough and prepared enough that I think I'll like it! Russ and I don't have the most exciting life now to take a picture everyday but one day we will!!

'That wasn't a 'sand'wich that was kitty litter!'

2009-06-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted forever! If I don't take any pictures I feel like I can't post. But don't worry, I'll do a few new posts today!!

Last weekend we were down at Mama Sue's and Russ helped move sand into her new sandbox. He shoveled sand all day! I supervised... :)

P.S.- I know the title of this post is kinda random but it's from one of the greatest movies of all time!

April Fools!

2009-04-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

For April Fools day I made Russ some 'special' chocolates! When he popped it in his mouth he was so excited and he chewed and chewed and chewed until he finally got to the COTTON BALL center! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!

Happy Birthday Kristen!

2009-03-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

All my recent posts make it look like all we do is go out to eat- but really it's just the only time we take pictures and these events were all weeks apart! We went to Goodwood with my familia for Kristen's 19th Birthday!! Then we ate cake in Sue's car! Good times were had by all! I was the photographer so I'm not in the pics but I really was there! (The boys look so happy to be there!)

Jess!!

2009-03-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

My sister, Jess, flew in from California for the weekend so we all went out to Texas Roadhouse. It's one of our new favorite restaurants! You have to wait in line for an hour or two but it's usually worth is! Jess got her own picture posted here cause she got cut out of the group shot!

SBO7 Reunion!!

2009-03-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Maddox Steak meal: 13$
Turkey Steak meal: 12$
Lunch with friends: PRICELESS

Valentine's Adventures!

2009-02-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

So, I totally skipped telling you about our Valentine's adventures. I was at a conference down in Provo on Friday so Russ drove up and met me in Salt Lake that night. We went to an Italian Restaurant 'Al Forno's'. It's right next to a tatoo parlor so we were a little hesitant but it was a beautiful YUMMY italian restuarant. Then we were too early to go to our next activity so we went and walked around the gateway for an hour. As we were leaving we realized we didn't have any money to pay for parking so Russ drove around and around while I rummaged through every bag (I had about ten of them in the car: for the conference, for the night before, for that night, for my hair stuff, one with Russ's valentine's presents in it, my purse, etc.!) and I searched all throughout my car and not a dollar! I found 68 cents. So I had Russ stop and I ran up and asked the teller what I should do and he directed me to an ATM. After getting some cash we left the parking garage and the total we owed was $0.00!!! Who knew that when you're there for less than an hour you don't have to pay!? Then I surprised Russ by taking him to 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Pioneer Theatre at the UofU campus. It was a very well done play. We liked it the first three hours. After three hours when they weren't dead yet we decided to leave because it was already eleven o'clock. I know that 's bad manners but three hours of Shakespeare was enought! We hadn't checked into our hotel yet so I started freaking out that they wouldn't let us in... but they did. We stayed at the Peery hotel- it's an old hotel that they've redone. The rooms are small but it was nostalgic and beautiful! We left the next morning in a snow storm (in seperate cars) and barely made it to Kaysville. Later Sue took us the the Draper Temple Open House- BEAUTIFUL temple! Then we had chinese and played TICKET TO RIDE (the greatest game ever!) at Brent and Tristin's house. It was a VERY memorable Valentine's!!! I love my husbando!! :)

SHOCKING!

2009-02-27T15:46:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you but I've never been shocked by an outlet before... until two days ago. I was pulling my computer cord out of the surge protector and being the intelligent person I am, wrapped my fingers underneath where the metal is and touched it while it was still plugged in. It surprised me and, of course, shocked me so I fell on the floor and started laughing like crazy! I know... kinda weird response. Anyway, I thought I'd just let you all know how smart I am and that I now know what it feels like to be shocked!!

HANDYMAN

2009-02-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

Russ was my little handyman the other day. He put up the mirror in our bathroom (It's just been chillin on our sink for the last six months!) and fix some handles on a cabinet. He was so excited to use the drill that Mama Sue got him for Christmas!