A whole year ago . . . we had Halle!

 Joaquin is already teaching Halle the art of wrestling - we will have no whimpy girls in this house!  We have had a busy couple of weeks (like everyone else I'm sure) so here are some of the highlights. 

 

 We were delighted to have my sister Emily & her family come hang out for the weekend before Thanksgiving (they live in Spokane, Washington).  Emily & I have been close since well . . . forever I guess.  I was the "older" sister by birth but it seems like I've followed right behind her as a Mom.  She had Lexi, I had Quinn.  She had Jayda, I had Jessi.  She had Ian, I had Josh.  She ran a marathon, I ran one too (with her persuading)  The list goes on & on.  Now I'm just waiting for her to follow in my footsteps & have one more baby, be PTO President, move to Idaho - right Emily?!?

 Quinn, Lexi, & Halle

Ian, Josh, Jessi, & Jayda

 The weekend after Thanksgiving I had a NAPA Advertising Meeting in SLC, UT.  I decided to be brave, let the older kids skip school on Friday, and drove down with the 5 kids Thursday night.  We had a blast at Grandma & Grampa's with Cafe Rio, the hot tub, and cousins.  Quinn, Jessi, & Josh have reminded me over & over again how unfair it was that Shelby & Halle got to see so much of the Eckersley's when Shelby had surgery.  "Why didn't you check us out of school for the week?"  Ya, that was the first thing I thought of when Shelby was hurt, uh huh. 

Now on the the main event . . . Halle is 1 year old!  Jessi helped me make this beautiful barbie cake for her.  Halle especially liked the bubble gum tape (doesn't everybody?)

 

 We let her eat the piece all by herself - it's tradition.  I don't know though, with a yellow cake she didn't come out nearly as dirty as our other children.

 Aunt Jesalee got her a beautiful soft & fuzzy blanket like her cousin Zoe has.

 I know it seems crazy that the Smith's all carry on this tradition of balancing children on their hands, but look at that grin!  No wonder why they keep doing it.  (Halle's grin is pretty big too)

 I love Quinn's grin in the background, "My turn next Dad!"

 Last night Grampa Dennis pulled out Josh's first tooth!  Josh was a little nervous (with good reason) to have Grampa wiggle his tooth.  The ever irritating Uncle Kade was trying to persuade Josh by saying the Tooth Fairy was having a Christmas Special - $20/per tooth!  When it came out we all cheered then stopped for a minute and laughed. Then we reminded Josh the Tooth Fairy was visiting Uncle Kade's house - not ours.  Hee, hee.

Today was Shelby & Jade's Christmas Program at their Pre-School.  Shelby was ecstatic when she opened her gift exchange of a puppy purse.  She even jumped up and down saying, "Thanks, thanks Emma!" (she's the cute little girl who brought the gift and had a really hard time - her Mom told me later - letting it go) 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Halloween & ISU Football Game

Can I say how nice it's been to have a few normal weeks?  I forgot to post this fun Halloween Pix.  This year they were in to face paint.  Quinn was a beautiful vampire, Jessi a goddess, Josh a ninja (again - he just loves that costume), Shelby a mermaid, & Halle a tiger (and yes those are bare feet - it was just awesome weather this year!)

 

We did have one blissful day of snow - Josh & Shelby used almost everything on the lawn to make this elephant (not sure why an elephant but it was cute)

 This last weekend we decided to take the 4 older kids to the last ISU home football game.  We have lived in Am. Falls now for 12 years and never been - how pathetic.  After the first quarter though, we didn't feel so bad.  The poor Bengal Tigers lost 42-10.

 Jessi & I enjoyed the half time show the best.  Our friend who works at NAPA ( Cassidy Kendell) is a Bengal Dancer & she was amazing!

 It's a little fuzzy but still fun to be in a picture every now & then.

 You can see how into the game Shelby was.  Her favorite part was the concessions.

 Josh showing how his big muscles could have helped the game.

 We caught Quinn reading a book - she wants so bad to be like her cousin Mallory who we never see without a book in hand.  I should mention we love Grandma Donna who kept Halle for us so she wouldn't have to suffer through it!

Shelby's All Clear!

Just a fast note, Shelby passed her doctor's appointment with flying colors!  Dr. Patel was actually a little flustered because he didn't know how to get her to stop talking or sit down, "I think I liked you better last week when you wouldn't get off your mama's lap."  You have no idea I thought to myself.  It will still take a few months of exercises to retrain her Left eye but he was amazed at her quick recovery & energy.  Thank you for all your prayers, dinners, babysitting, gifts, texts, phone calls, etc. - we loved them all!

 Here's a pix right after the accident 2 months ago.  Here's Shelby's first day of pre-school, she just hated waking up in the morning - can't you tell?  She always said the sun hurt her eyes - well now we know why.

 Look how well the stitches healed!  I'm still amazed with the plastic surgeon and our Heavenly Father who made our bodies to repair themselves.

 This was the day after her surgery (Saturday, Oct. 23).  Less than 24 hours before I took this pix they had sliced open her eyelid & pulled out those little pieces of glass!

The first day of school, wow - a little late than never right?

Sept. 27 was Josh's 6th Birthday!  He got a new mountain bike,  nerf guns & a beautiful ice cream cake that I bought from ColdStone Creamery, yum.  The only bummer Josh confided to me was that when he said he wanted a strawberry cake he didn't think it would be pink, "Strawberries are red Mom!"  If you're wondering why the hat?  A few days after school started he got bored he said & wanted to cut his hair.  Well that will be the last one for a while - we had to buzz it pretty short to even it up.

I finally listened to my daughter's begging enough to start Jessi in a "big" gymnastic program in Pocatello @All-Star Athletics.  They have bars, beams, trampolines - you name she loves it!

 Our good friend Elder Jarvis Worton came home from his mission right before Quinn's 12th birthday.  He surprised her with a lei from the island of Yap and Quinn just glowed for a few days.  Thanks Elder Worton (and his mom, Janice who helped him remember).

 All Quinn wanted for her birthday was an animal . . . again.  Sadly we didn't feel up to it this year so we placated her with cousins, swimming gear, & a trip to the Blackfoot Swimming Pool.  It was the best day ever as they had their boiler serviced and couldn't it get it to shut back down.  The water was 94 degrees & it was heaven!  We promised them a return trip every Saturday if they would just keep it above 90 - but sadly they try to keep it at 86.

 

 Last fun pix is of our giant NAPA chair.  The kids think this is the coolest thing & we even brought it to the last home football game.  I think it's a tad uncomfortable as your feet have to dangle but I love the snuggling!

Shelby's Saga

 What a week Shelby has had . . . I'll try to give you the high/low-lights so this post won't last forever.  Last week I asked Shelby to look up at me & her left eye did but the right eye stayed down, agh!  Fortunately I already had an eye appointment @ Walmart for Quinn & Jessi's the very next day.  They said no problem in squeezing Shelby in.  Jessi's eyes are fine, Quinn got glasses (she's adorable in them), & Shelby had to be seen by a specialist.  The only dr. in South Eastern Idaho who can take of this kind of problem couldn't see her until Nov. 4th so I called my Dad (who's an internist in Utah) and he did some checking for me.  We got an appointment  with a Pediatric Ophthalmologist for this last Tuesday in SLC.

  Monday I loaded up Shelby & Halle then headed for my Mom's for the night.  We woke up early & packed the car thinking I would be coming home right after the exam.  2 hours of bouncing Halle & keeping Shelby entertained Dr. Peterson had me head to Primary Children's for a Cat Scan - WHAT?!?  I called my Mom for back up & she hurried to the hospital with me (the picture below is of poor Shelby in one of the many exam rooms).  She was even smiling & happy as you can see until they had to do "contrast" which is a dye I guess that they give as a shot.  Her veins are so tiny they couldn't find one for a while & we both cried.  I tried to be tough, I even sang her songs until I couldn't any more - the nice technicians just looked at me like, this happens all the time.

Here's what they found (I snapped the pix of the cat scan with my phone).  In the right eye socket you can see the big piece of glass sticking through the back of the eye socket & into the brain.  Ouch!  They were going to admit her right then but Dr. Peterson said this was above his expertise & I needed another specialist, Dr. Patel.  He saw us the next morning & said we needed to meet with another specialist, a pediatric neurosurgeon in case they couldn't get the glass out through the eye & had to go through her head - this just keeps getting better & better huh?

Surgery was scheduled for Friday @6:30am.  They encouraged us to keep her in her jammies & bring whatever blanket or baby would make her feel more comfortable (we brought both).  They even let me get in a gown & stay with her until she fell asleep.

I know we had half of American Falls, all of the Smith & Wyne family fasting & praying for this little one that day.  I still cry just thinking of all the people who love us & our tiny Shelby.  Around 10:30am they came out from surgery letting us know the glass piece was bigger than they anticipated but overall the surgery went well.  Joaquin & I got to laughing at this picture because it's probably the most still she's stayed in her whole life.  She woke up pulling all the cords off & trying to get off the bed.  The nurses were just scrambling around insisting she either be carried or in a wheelchair.  We smiled knowing they just don't Shelby like we do.  She looked pretty rough but lit up when we promised her a McDonald's Happy Meal (man they have a good advertisement campaign don't they?).  We couldn't let her play on the toys but just being there was enough.

We go back to SLC on Wednesday morning to have a check up.  They're worried that once they removed the glass piece it might have acted like a cork to the fluid around the brain.  So we go back to make sure there isn't any fluid gathering behind her eye. We are so hopeful though as she is already back to running from Josh, squeezing Halle too tight, and even back to Pre-School today.  She goes around the house whenever she doesn't get what she wants & says, "because I had surgery, that's why!"

I promised myself I wouldn't do this . . .

I promised myself I wouldn't post again until I got caught up with all my NAPA paperwork, but you know what I decided?  It will never end.  I love reading everyone's posts and miss creating my own.  So I'm ditching the paperwork for one night - it's late, the kids & hubby are in bed and it's blissfully peaceful here.

First thing first, for those of you who are my dear Wanda Witch fans - I regret to inform you that I'm sitting this year out.  This Witch is pooped.  After the Walk-a-Thon (Our Elementary School's big fundraiser I was in charge of as the PTO President) , Shelby's accident (read down below for more deatils), & being the Mom of 5 in general - I just can't keep my head up.  I loved President Uchtdorf's talk about simplifying life this last Saturday for General Conference.  I shouldn't define myself by how long my "to do list" is (I admit sometimes I write things down I've already done that weren't on my list just to make myself feel better at the end of the day).

Joaquin & I got to laughing about that talk though after a rather LOUD family home evening yesterday.  Our wonderful Church leaders tell us to simplify AND have family home evening, family prayer, family scripture study, family dinner, visit/home teach, fulfill your calling, be a good neighbor, be a missionary, keep an orderly house (that rarely happens mind you), read the Ensign, Friend, The Era, Liahona, continue your education, support your husband/wife, attend all your meetings, go to the temple, be an active member in your community, and that's just all I can think of right now.  What do they expect?  Us to be perfect?  Oh, yeah Heavenly Father does want that.  Grr - I guess I'll keep trying!

Here's a quick recap of pix from the last few months - I hope you enjoy them!

The Wyne Reunion was outside of Pocatello, Idaho this year at "Camp Taylor."  We loved having everyone together but all hated the mice infestation.  I can't say any more as my skin just crawls remembering it - yuk!  But I'd do it again if it meant hanging out with my fam.  This is Maria, Mom, Mindy (in back), & Kiah.

 I convinced my husband to run a fantastically fun relay race in Washington this year called Spokane to Sandpoint.  We were on a team of 12 family & friends named "The Pillaging Pirates."  It's 185 miles of race that we each run 3 different "legs" of.  I ran faster than I ever have with my sisters, friends, & hubby cheering for me and as a bonus they have each team ride a roller coaster at midnight together (The race takes 24 hours give or take).  It was hard, but so worth it - Thanks to my sis Emily who talked us all into it!

Here's the saddest part of our summer - even looking at these pictures makes my stomach tighten.  In case you hadn't heard, Shelby was holding a mason jar containing a grasshopper she was running over to show Grandma Donna.  She tripped on the concrete and fell right on the jar.  Josh & his friend Kevin were with her and came running home to tell me Shelby fell & had a bloody nose.  So I grabbed a tissue and headed over, the sight of her with blood gushing everywhere was horrific.  After rushing to Am. Falls Hospital & having them send us to Pocatello for a plastic surgeon - things started to feel better.  The first picture is of her before he stitched her up & this second one is right after (she was trying to smile).  I need to take a picture of her now though & post it because she looks amazingly beautiful still - yea for modern medicine!  We're still having issues with her eye being sensitive to light & watering lots but so grateful she still has an eye to water!

 Zoe & Halle at the 4th of July in Evanston, Wyoming.  Aren't they gorgeous?

 Josh absolutely loves having his cousins Zach & Steel closer.  This was them at Grandma Donna's this summer.

 We had a blast this year at the Blackfoot Fair.  Quinn, Jessi, & Josh all got "ride wristbands" for the first time.  We met up with my sisters Dana & Lisa (and their kids of course) and also the Lankfords.  That's going to become a new tradition! This is Avery & Josh.

 

 Quinn in the front car, Avery, Whitney, & Jessi in the back

 Whitney & Josh didn't really like flying on this trip because someone had thrown up on it right before.  They said it still smelled horrible, yuk!

 It's hard to see but Quinn is in the blue t-shirt.  She rode this ride over a dozen times - crazy, dizzy girl.

 This last picture is actually last weekend in Sandy, Utah.  Josh wanted to stay with Grandma Sally & Grandpa Wyne for his 6th birthday.  They made him a cake, cupcakes - he got a brand new mountain bike to go kill himself with his Dad & we took all the kids with cousins to "Jungle Jim's."  It's one of our family's favorite things. 

This is Halle with cousin Sam Eckersley (Maria & Jason's cutie).  They didn't really enjoy the rides but loved to steal each others toys.