Easter

For Easter this year, we kept things fairly low-key. We had the opportunity to attend a large get together at a local park like we did last year. But with the way I've been feeling, I wasn't up to being around large groups of people. In addition, I didn't want to risk exposing Caden to an illness of any kind so close to surgery. Instead, I made plans to get together with one other family for lunch and an egg hunt in the afternoon.

Starting 12 days before Easter, I started the “Resurrection Eggs” with the kids. These eggs tell the story of Jesus in the Bible and use an object in each egg to symbolize something of importance that took place during the Easter weekend. I do this every year and we open one egg each day and read the passages from the Bible. We open the last egg on Easter morning and talk about the whole thing with the kids. It really helps them better understand the true meaning of Easter.

Saturday afternoon, I colored eggs with the kids. I figured they would have fun partaking in the traditional Easter celebrations also. Caden is a little young to hold onto the eggs well, and dropped the first one he picked up on the table and cracked it. So, after that I had to help him with his eggs. But Kyler did a great job this year and was fairly independent. It was quite nice! They had a fun time but I was glad when it was done. 

Later on Saturday, I made Easter cookies with the kids. I did this two years ago with Kyler. I thought Caden was too young to participate at that time. But this year I included both of them. I like how it walks the kids through the Biblical account of Jesus death and resurrection. Here is an example if you want to try it with your kids next year.

 The supplies

"Beating" the pecans 

Getting ready to put the cookies in the oven

Ready to open the "seal" on the tomb 

The cookie is hollow inside - He is Risen!

Easter morning we all slept in, ate a late breakfast and relaxed. Well, Greg went on a 76-mile bike ride! But the kids and I took it easy. Kyler went outside to ride his bike and came running back inside to tell me he found the eggs I hid in the front yard. This was quite a surprise to me because I hadn't hidden any eggs, and definitely not in the front yard. Of course Kyler didn't believe me when I told him this. He thought I was teasing. I finally had him take me outside to show me, and sure enough. There were 6 large plastic eggs, and by the front door, there was a box of 5 Hot Wheels cars. Kyler was so excited about all of this! I have no idea who did this for us, but it was incredibly sweet and we are so appreciative. The kids thought it was the neatest thing that someone would do this for us. So, if you are the one who “egged” our front yard on Easter, we thank you! It made the kid's day!

Showing off the Hot Wheels found in our yard

Unfortunately our Easter plans with the other family had to change because their kids were sick and we just couldn't risk Caden catching anything. So we ended up going to another family's house and doing an egg hunt with their kids. We followed that up with a lunch of egg salad sandwiches. 

 The kids with their Easter baskets from us

 The kids on the hunt for some eggs

 Caden showing off his basket of loot

Overall we had a good Easter, but it was very low-key and low stress. I think that is just what the doctor ordered for us!

Spring Break

This past week was spring break for both the kids. It's was a tough week to be at home with them with nothing on the agenda. Not because I don't enjoy spending time with them, but because my mind has been focused entirely on Caden's upcoming surgery and that has been very discouraging. I had two play dates planned for the kids during the week and both of them had to be canceled due to the other kids being sick. We cannot risk Caden getting sick right now or surgery could be canceled or postponed!

Up until this week, I have had things to keep my mind occupied. Kyler's birthday party, my sister's birthday party. But as of last weekend, those things are both over. So, the next big thing on the calendar is Caden's surgery.

This has not been a good thing for my mental health. But God knew I needed the support and the day I needed it the most, I was blessed by phone calls from several people. One of them is the pastor of our church in California and it was so nice to talk to him and have him pray with me. Even though we moved to Washington over a year ago, this church still feels like our family.

Wednesday night after we put Caden to bed, Greg and I sat down with Kyler to talk to him about the surgery. This is the first time we've talked to either of the boys about it because we felt it was too far in the future to stress them out about it. But we felt we needed to give Kyler at least a week to process through the fact that we were taking Caden down to Stanford for surgery and that I would be gone with him for at least a month. And, Greg will be gone a lot of that time, but he will be home in the middle for a little while.

We had a really good conversation with him about it and he asked a lot of questions. One of the things he asked was “Why didn't God heal Caden's heart while he was still in Mommy's tummy?” It's a tough thing to explain to your son but we managed. He also asked how long the surgery would take. We told him it would be several hours. His response to that was “If the surgery only takes a few hours, why are you going to be gone a month?” Definitely a valid question for a 7-year-old who doesn't understand that you can't just have open heart surgery one day and be home the next. We talked to him about Caden needing time to recover and heal some before we could come home.

I also got a book for Kyler that was written for young kids who have siblings in the hospital. It addresses several concerns a child could have when they have a brother/sister in the hospital. I read the book to Kyler and he really liked it. He has read it on his own several times since the first time I read it to him. We also told him he could come to us and ask us any questions he had about the surgery or anything else. He said he was a little scared. We told him Grandma (Greg's mom) would be here with him the entire time I was gone with Caden. So he would always have someone here with him. That seemed to help a lot also.

Overall, I think the conversation went really well and he is handling it well. I hope he continues to come to us with any questions he might have on the subject. And we will be able to facetime with him every day so that should help some.

Friday night, Greg and I talked to Caden for a few minutes to tell him about his surgery. We kept it very light and didn't go into any detail. As it gets closer we will talk to him about it more and explain more in depth about what will be happening. As it was, the only reason we talked to him about it on Friday night was because our pastor was going to be praying for us in front of church on Saturday. We needed him to be a little prepared for that. Caden didn't ask any questions and didn't seemed phased by the thought that he would be having surgery. And when he prayed before bed on Friday night, he said, “Thank you Jesus, for Pastor Cary praying for us at church tomorrow.” So that is what stood out in his mind more than the fact that he was going to have surgery.

Saturday, March 30, our church had brunch in the morning, followed by one church service. Typically there are two services with a Bible study class time in between. But because of the Easter weekend, they only did one service. As soon as we sat down in the sanctuary, my heart started pounding. It is not easy for me to get up in front of people and be the center of attention. I like to keep a low profile and not draw attention to myself. I am an introvert. But our pastor really wanted to do this for us and we very much appreciate it.

After the praise and worship time, he called our whole family up to the front of church and had Greg briefly share what our family is going through. Greg had a hard time getting through it as he was filled with so much emotion. I had a hard enough time holding it together and I didn't have to speak. It was an extremely emotional time for us. Kyler did a great job standing relatively still and Caden was very quiet and content while I held him. After Greg finished sharing, Pastor Cary asked the elders of the church to come forward and pray over us. And, the pastor also asked the church members to be willing to commit to praying for Caden and our family daily for the entire month of April. What an honor and a blessing. After prayer, we walked back to our seats and tried to hold it together for the rest of the church service. What a morning!

Then, in the afternoon I opened up my facebook page and the first thing on my newsfeed was a photo one of the church members had posted with a caption of “praying for Caden” on it (pictured above). I was so touched by this gesture, I completely broke down sobbing. Even though we've been attending our church for over a year, I wouldn't say we have gotten to know many people very well. This simple act touched me deeply. Thank you for all of you who continue to support us and lift us up in prayer. I am having a harder time the closer we get to surgery. We've known for a few months that surgery was coming, and I was dreading it. But now that we are so close, I am to the point that I just want to get it over with and move on. I am ready for Caden to be done, and on the road to recovery instead of having this looming over our heads. Your prayers mean the world to us and we are so grateful. Please feel free to leave comments on the blog even if we don't know you personally. We enjoy reading them and knowing people are praying for us.

Cheryl's 50th Birthday

My sister, Cheryl, turned 50 on March 25. My brother-in-law, Kent, my mom and I, all worked together to throw her a surprise party on the 23rd. Keep in mind she is almost impossible to surprise about anything. She is just one of those detail-oriented people who picks up on everything without even trying.

She came across a few things that made her suspicious and it was hard to throw her off the track. However, despite her knowing there was probably going to be a party of some kind, she was still surprised at how big the party was, certain people that were able to be there, and the theme of the party.

Cheryl is a hand therapist, so we decided to do a “hand” theme. My friend, Holly, the photographer, was a huge help! She took some pictures of my hands and of Kyler and Caden's hands which we were able to use for the invitations, a banner for the party, and for magnets to hand out to guests. My sister also has celiac so we found a baker who could make a gluten-free cake and cupcakes for the party, and as a bonus, she made the cake into the shape of a hand! We had tons of food for everyone, including a chocolate fountain for dipping fruit, marshmallows, and pretzels. 

We blew up latex gloves for decorations and for people to color with markers. Cheryl chose her favorite “balloon” and the winner won a potted daffodil plant. In addition, I made a special “hand” gift for Cheryl including the handprints of her family (I added her hand the night of the party) in a frame. And we had the party guests sign the matte around the handprints.

The location of the party was also special. Kent chose to have it at the Blackwell Hotel, which is a bed and breakfast in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This happens to be the place Cheryl and Kent spent their wedding night almost 21 years ago! And Kent booked a room for them to spend the night after the party. The location was incredible! The manager was amazing and helped us so much with all the details! And overall, the party was a huge success, even if Cheryl was on to us! :)

 (L-R): Me, My Mom (in back), Cheryl, Shelly

 Cheryl's Family (L-R):

Melissa, Cheryl, Kent, Rylan

 My Dad, Cheryl, My Mom

 Our Family!

My gift to Cheryl

Handprints: Red=Rylan, Blue=Melissa,
Yellow=Cheryl, Orange=Kent

Happy 50^th birthday Cheryl! We love you!

Lego Club Project

For the past several weeks, the kids in Kyler's Lego club have been working on projects to take to the annual robotics challenge held at Walla Walla University. Kyler's team is made up of four kids, and the other team has three kids. Kyler's team name is the “Tornado Dragons.” Don't ask me how they came up with that name... The other team are the “Hurricane Kids.”

The Tornado Dragons decided to build a television for their project. There are a few rules of the challenge and I'm not sure about all of them. But I do know that the project has to have a motor and moving parts, and it has to have at least one “simple machine.” In the television they have a wheel and axel for their simple machine which rotates the “screen” they built. And it has a motor with gears to turn the wheel and axel.

They have two more weeks to finalize the project before the challenge which is held on April 14. But the Lego club meeting on the 21^st was the last time I will see the project since we are leaving the state for Caden's surgery.

Here are a couple pictures of the television with Kyler. Each of the kids got to create a “TV show” for each “channel.” As the screen rotates, it goes to a different channel. One student's channel is the news. Another made the weather channel. One other child depicted a martial arts show. And Kyler made a show about law enforcement. 

Also, as part of their project, the kids added a couch, coffee table, and chairs to have in front of the television. It is pretty cute. I will have to get pictures from my mother-in-law after the robotics challenge to see how the final project turned out. Good luck Tornado Dragons!

Preschool Easter Party

March 20 was Caden's last day of preschool before spring break. And for him, it is his last day of school for this school year. He will not get to go back after break since we will be leaving to go to California for his surgery.

On that day, the class had an Easter party, since it was the last school day before Easter. Normally I volunteer in Kyler's class on Wednesday mornings, but because this was an extra special day in Caden's class, I was able to get another parent to cover for me that day so I could be with Caden.

First the kids got to make a chicken craft. Then they ate all the yummy Easter snacks brought in by the parents. And, while they ate the snacks, many parents were outside on the playground hiding eggs for the kids to find. 

 Such a goofy boy!

 Caden showing off his "chick"

 He is actually eating his snack! 

Here he is with his best buddy Brooke-Lynn (on the left),
and her little brother, Carter (in the middle)

As soon as the kids got the “go-ahead” they all ran onto the playground and quickly picked up as many eggs as possible and put them into their buckets. It got a little crazy for a few minutes, but they all had so much fun. Then most of the kids wanted to open all their eggs and find out what was inside them.

 Ready to hunt some eggs!

 With a full basket of eggs. 
Believe it or not, that's supposed to be a smile!

Last day of school picture with Teacher Melissa  :(

It was a fun day for me and Caden. I am so grateful I was able to be there for the Easter party. But it was also bittersweet because I knew it meant the last day of the school year for him. He doesn't know that yet and he will be very sad because he absolutely loves it there! He is already registered for the fall, so he will have that to look forward to though. We are so lucky to have such an incredible, Christian school available to us!

7 Years Old!

I don't know how it is possible that my baby is 7 years old! Time is racing by so quickly it seems like I can't keep up. It feels like I blinked and Kyler went from being a newborn to all grown up. He is such an amazing boy. He is so smart and silly. He has more energy than several adults combined! He loves riding his bike. He loves Legos, and anything else involving building things. He is always creating amazing structures around the house with various toys and objects he finds. Sometimes it feels like he has set “booby traps” because there are strings, and jump ropes, and zip ties, and rubber bands connecting this and that from place to place. It's pretty incredible the things he comes up with!

I really think he's a budding engineer in the making. His incredible visual-spacial abilities, and his building skills point in that direction. If he continues enjoying the things he does now, I think he's headed for that as a career. Of course we have a few years before he makes that decision, but we will see if his interests remain the same.

For his birthday, we celebrated in his Sabbath School class first. The kids sang to him and he got to pick out a small gift. 

Then, on Sunday morning, March 17, he got his present from us: a new bike with gears! He has been begging for one, and really needed one as he had outgrown his old bike. He was so excited to get on and ride around outside. It was pretty cute! I am so proud of him and how well he rides. He is so fast, it's hard to believe he never gets tired. :)

Sunday afternoon we had his birthday party at the bowling alley with several friends. It was really fun and I think all the kids enjoyed themselves. In Walla Walla, you never know what kind of weather you're going to have in March, but my guess is, most of the time it's going to be too cold to have a party outside. And there are limited options for indoor parties. But Kyler was really excited about having a bowling party. I was very happy my friend was able to make his birthday cake. Kyler helped me look on Pinterest for cake ideas, and he had two cakes he really liked and my friend was able to combine the things he liked about both of them into one cake. It turned out absolutely amazing and he loved it! The whole party was fantastic! 

 The amazing cake!

 Back row (L-R): Vinny, Conner, Finn, Cooper, Kyler,
Mateo, Mason, Rowan
Front row (L-R): Caden, Tonya

 Dad & Mom with the Happy Birthday Boy!

Monday, the 18^th, was his actual birthday and I promised to bring treats in for his class. I met them as they went to lunch and handed out brownies I made in my mini muffin pan. It was just what Kyler wanted to hand out and the kids loved them. Then they all sang happy birthday to Kyler right before I had to leave to go pick up Caden from preschool.

Kyler at school wearing his birthday hat

Kyler had such a great few days of celebrating his birthday. We love him so much and are so proud of the young man he is becoming. Happy birthday, Kyler!

10 Bridesmaids Play

On March 9 and March 16, Kyler's class performed a modern-day version of the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids from the Bible. The kids all did a great job! Kyler's class has 22 kids in it, and only 7 of those kids are boys. So this was a great play to do since there are so many girls in the class.

The first Sabbath, they performed the play at the Village Church in College Place. The second week, they were at the Walla Walla University Church. Both times they did very well. I absolutely love that the teacher has them do these plays. 

At the beginning, the kids recite scripture from the Bible from where the story is taken. Then they perform the play. At the end they sing a song. It is a great way for the kids to really understand the Bible and what it teaches. By using all their senses, they are able to learn and remember the stories better than just reading them.