Labor Day--Omaha Style

Natalie wanted to put the "labor" into the Labor Day holiday insisting she show her grandparents she is now big enough to mow the lawn. Even though she did show us that she can mow by herself, it definitely was easier for her to have some help.

Logan wanted to get in some lawn mowing action as well.

While Jacob and Natalie did yard work, Emma, Luke and Logan played in the yard.

Suddenly Luke spied a grasshopper...

which freaked Emma out...

but only for a minute until she grabbed her bug saver cage...

bravely scooped up the green thing...

and proudly displayed her catch to everyone.

I neglected to take pictures of Glen's fix-it projects (putting up a shelf in the laundry room, hanging a cabinet over the toilet in the master bath and putting up bulletin boards in Natalie and Emma's bedroom) which were occurring during this time--probably because I was outside with the kids enjoying the lovely, beautiful day.

Once all the jobs were completed, it was time to play. We were all starving, so we decided to try out the new Lone Star Steakhouse.

Our activity for the afternoon was bowling.

It's amazing how long it takes for a little kid ball to make it all the way down the alley.

Luke soon lost interest in bowling and had more fun hanging out on the railing by the bar chairs.

When Logan saw Luke's abandoned bowling shoes, he wanted to put them on and had a great time walking around in those huge things.

The fun times did not end when we got back home. There was basketball shooting, trampoline jumping and croquet playing.

The kids were overjoyed when they found and captured a second grasshopper. The first one they'd named Jacob and after Jacob being so lonely while we were gone, the kids could only imagine his excitement to have Laurie join him in the cage.

We topped the evening off with a game of Rook when the kids went to bed. Fun times for all!!

Oh, and in case anybody was wondering...

Jacob and Laurie (the green hoppers) got released from their cage at the end of the day so they could forage for food and not starve to death overnight. So no harm done in the making of this blog entry (except maybe for the animals whose heads were hanging on the wall in the restaurant).

Omaha

We hadn't been out to Omaha to visit Jacob's family for a while and so we decided Labor Day weekend would be perfect. Turns out Natalie and Emma had a special event--cheering at a high school football game before the game started--and that made it even better.

Turns out there was another good reason for us to go as well. We took Dallas along with us so he could drive back the blue Sienna van that he and Rebecca bought from Jacob and Laurie.

The kids were very entertaining. Natalie was always doing splits, cartwheels and handstands.

Since watching the movie "Soul Surfer" about the girl who got her arm bitten off by a shark while surfing and who has learned to surf again, Emma loves to pretend to be Bethany Hamilton.

This is her right after the shark (Logan) bit off her arm.

Upon recovery of her accident, we see Bethany (Emma) bravely in the water once again on her surfboard paddling out to catch a wave.

And here she is surfing. Amazing feat given she just has one arm!!!

Natalie and Emma wanted to ride with us to the Amazing Pizza Machine. It seems no trip to Omaha is complete without going there.

Let the games begin...

The Amazing Pizza Machine pizza buffet lunch for us.

Watching the BYU football game was the highlight of Glen and Jacob's activities for the day. Jacob loves the fact that he now has unlimited texting and he took advantage of it by texting family members about the game.

Jacob made lots of popcorn so his father would feel at home while watching the game.

Laurie and I were watching the game as well...as well as I could be while reading my book.

Now here are some tense guys and then happy guys as they realize BYU just made the victory.

While waiting to go to church, Logan entertained himself by taking out every DVD from the shelf under the television and handing them one-by-one to Glen.

Natalie and I curled up with a good book. I enjoyed listening to her read to me. I just wish we had been there long enough for us to finish the book together.

At church, Jacob got released as Elders Quorum President and he will now be working with the deacons as Second Counselor in the YM Presidency. It was a great week to be there for that.

Great Sabbath made even better with a delicious dinner and some Rook playing after the kids went to bed.

We still think Glen's best Rook partner ever was Abe playing against Jacob and Rebecca. Ahhhhh, memories of the good old days.

Florence Nightingale To the Rescue

(This post is dedicated to Sarah.)

For anyone who has read one of Sarah's latest blog posts, you will know that approximately one week ago I received a phone call begging for help from that dear daughter telling me she was deathly ill and couldn't take care of Eli and could I basically drop everything I had planned for the day to rush over there and lend a helping hand.

Being the devoted mother/nurse that I am, I hurried over to see how I could be of service caring for the baby and meeting the needs of my ailing daughter.

Little did I know that Sarah was not the only one sick...

As if listening to her retching several times throughout the day wasn't enough to turn even the most steel-stomached person, I soon was cleaning up the messes of her barfing son.

As if that wasn't enough grossity, the little critter started spewing from the other end and that made a whole new disgusting thing for me to deal with...

twice...

all over him...

and all over his bed.

YUCK!!!

My favorite thing Sarah said to me during my duties as nursemaid was when she asked--right after one of her puking episodes--if I felt like I was surrounded by germs.

Yes, my little lady, the answer to that one is a resounding YES!!!!!

And since two days after my day spent generously tending to the sick and afflicted, I have been nothing but sick and afflicted ever since.

Florence, Florence, are you there? Where's my relief????!!????

Not For the Faint of Heart

So Glen and I have been dealing with our individual foot problems: heel for me and toe for him.

I also have red spots on my legs which seem to appear when I'm having a few bad heart days. The doctor says it's venous insufficiency.

My heel has been causing me lots of pain for over 4 months how. I have trouble with plantar fasciitis and when a cortisone shot did not do the trick to eliminate the pain, I decided to go for the gusto--I had dry needling done.

The doctor deadened my foot with many deadening shots--the worst one was by my ankle.

Using ultrasound imaging, he used an empty hypodermic needle to repeatedly puncture the plantar fascia.

The dry needling induces minor bleeding in the tissues and it helps to break up scar tissue at the heel. The bleeding recruits blood cells to heal this tissue--which normally has rather poor circulation.

I'm happy to report that 2 weeks later my heel is feeling so much better and the bright red spot has subsided with several applications of the special lotion the doctor gave me.

Now on to Glen's issues--which has literally been an issue of puss and gunk coming out of his big toe, for over 5 weeks now.

Rebecca, this one's for you, because you said you wanted an update on your father's big toe.

The rest of you -- please look away if you can't stand looking at disgusting things because this is purely disgusting.

When I reported on Glen's condition to the foot doctor 2 weeks ago, he thought Glen should be on an antibiotic. Glen is not one to rush into taking medication and so he declined.

With 2 more weeks of his toe hurting like crazy and him having to deal with the oozing, he decided to break down and get the meds.

Some day soon, we hope, his toe will heel and be as beautiful as the other big toe without a toenail.