Kyle

Kyle's Falling Numbers

Kyle at Alyssa's Choir concert a couple of weeks ago.

I took Kyle into the hospital today to have his liver enzymes and blood levels checked again. This was the first time I have had him in, in a month. Now his ALT is normal, but his AST is still high, but falling. All other numbers were normal, including his bilirubin at 0.3, except for his platelet count which was 429 which is 29 points higher than the normal range.



It is so nice to see my son feeling better and doing better and then to get the confirmation of that with the bloodtest results too. This has been such a frightening and uncertain experience and I cannot express the gratitude I feel for Kyle's improving health!!



It is still interesting for me to look at him now compared to how he looked before this ordeal (there is a picture of him on my sidebar that was taken in December, before all of this happened) and see how he has aged. But aside from the change in his physical appearance, his ever even-temperedness has been tempered even more. He is more patient, more quick to be obedient, etc... Out of all of our children, he is the one who does what he is supposed to more than any of the others. Not that they all aren't good children though.

SOLD!

Finally!!!

(Singing) CEL-A-BRATION NIGHT, COME ON!!! After more than 9 months on the market, our house is finally sold!! It has been a long ordeal. Because of the length of time it took us to sell both of the houses we owned in Colorado, I don't know if I can bring myself to buy another one any time soon. Selling them is way too much of a headache!

So glad just to have it d.o.n.e!!!

School Winding Down

Me after church yesterday.
Life is Good!!!!!

I think I have blogging blah's lately. I haven't really had much to blog about. School is winding down. We went to Colorado and got the rest of our stuff, I cannot believe I was brave enough to drive one of those big moving trucks. It was scary as we came down Parleys Canyon in the wind, the pouring rain and the dark. But thankfully we survived!

The moving truck I drove 2 weeks ago. Boy do those things catch the wind while driving down the freeway!!


I am fighting to keep on a good eating plan as it seems so many things have gotten in the way. I feel sick whenever I don't eat on my plan. I haven't been able to exercise lately because I pulled a muscle during the move and exacerbated it on Saturday during a family bike ride.

Kyle bowling with our family last month.

Kyle has not felt too great the last week. We go back in for more blood tests next week. We still think he is getting better, but I think the meds are getting to him.

We are looking forward to Summer, we got season passes to Seven Peaks from the Easter Bunny. We are hoping for lots of fun in the sun! Also, I'm gearing up to go to Girls Camp next month and then Laren's 20 year High School Class Reunion.

Alyssa and Rilyn with some of the flower "hair bows" we made a couple of weeks ago.

In the Junkyard and other stuff...

Spring Break and Stuff...

My kids have been out of school all week for Spring Break. And for the most part we have had lazy days! It has been so nice for a change. It has been a much needed decompression time given all the stresses that we've had recently.

On Wednesday though, our stresses were added to when Laren got in another accident! Yes, it was his second accident in 15 days! Even though neither accident was his fault, I'm kind of paranoid to let him drive now!

Laren's car in the junkyard!

Smashed!

The first accident was not nearly as serious as the second. The second accident happened around 10:30 Weds. night when Laren was taking our taxes to the mailman so he could deliver them to Uncle Sam. We had a nasty Spring Snow Storm that brought a foot of snow to our little town alone. The storm was rolling in, as Laren drove down the freeway to the only Post Office somewhat close to us open late to mail the taxes. (We don't usually wait until the last day, but we did have to file in 3 states this year plus Federal taxes - and did I mention how crazy the recent months have been for us?)

Laren was in the far right lane traveling S. on I-15 and a Honda Accord traveling S. in the HOV lane lost control, almost went into the center barrier and then went acrossed all the lanes striking Laren. Laren was unable to stop - he was going about 50 mph at the time, and it happened all at once.

I went to go and get the taxes and take them to the Post Office. A normally 20 minute drive took a good hour! I've never personally driven on roads so slippery and hazardous in my life! I never even remember the windy slick mountainous roads in my little Montana hometown being that slick. The thing is that not only were the roads slick but they were not plowed and the visibility was very low. The snow was coming down fast and furious. Somehow I safely delivered the taxes and got back to where the Police Officer was waiting with Laren. By that time, his car had already been towed away. I think we made it home just before 1:00 am. But I didn't care how long it took, as long as we got there safe! I took State Street (instead of the freeway) all the way home.

Today, our previously yucky weather started to turn nice. So we salvaged a bit more of our Spring Break and I took the kids to the petting Zoo at Thanksgiving Point.

Riding the ponies.

And then we went to the Tulip Festival. Let me tell you, the Gardens at Thanksgiving point are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! If you've never been, I highly recommend it!!

My 5 kids today at the Gardens. If you look close, you can see a gorgeous waterfall back behind them. This picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice!

And then tonight, Laren and I took the kids bowling at BYU. It was a lot of fun! I can honestly say the good times seem so much better given all the hard times we've been through lately. I am counting on many more good days to come!! :)

Good Number News!

Good News!!

Today Kyle's numbers (liver enzymes) came back the best so far, since this began! Not normal yet, but getting close. It is rather surprising to me after the devastating setback with his numbers going up last week.



I am cautiously optimistic. But just wanted to share the good news!

Pinewood Derby!

Pinewood Derby!

All of the cars before the race. Kyle's is the shiny red one near the center.

Kyle and his car. (They did the hole in the middle because when they took it for weigh-in his was slightly over weight.)


Kyle and the scouts putting their cars on the track. Kyle's is the red one in the middle.





Laren sweating bullets!
Right before the race started Laren leaned over to me, telling me he hoped Kyle's car made it off the starting blocks. He thought it might have been too low, or that the tires would rub on the center thing on the track.




We realized right away that Kyle had a fast one! He ended up winning every race except for one, and he finished third place in that one. (There was something wrong with lane 5 on the track - every car that took that lane had problems.)



So Kyle WON the entire DERBY!!!!
I was happy for Kyle in that he has gone through SO much lately with his life threatening liver problems and being in and out of the hospital - and most especially that he could enjoy racing cars like boys do and that he had something positive happen on his 9th Birthday since he had been so sick earlier in the day!!

Kyle and Dad with the winning car, first place blue ribbon and Kyle's "Ring of Fire" award. All boys got a certificate and candy for racing. The top 3 finishers got ribbons. I was glad they didn't put too much emphasis on place because not all boys had a Dad to help them, etc... But especially so the boys didn't feel bad if their car didn't do well.

I am not sure all that they did to make Kyle's car fast, but I know with Laren being an Engineer he was thinking about speed through the whole design process. They moved the tires back, and put the weight in the back, rubbed graphite on the axels and I'm not sure what else.

**And just a little aside - Kyle does look different than he did before his liver problems. His primary teacher told me he did not recognize him the first time he came back to class and sat down. Most of the change is caused by the steroids (prednisone) making his face swell and making him gain weight. As for his sickness and his numbers going up - I guess, at this point the doctor thinks his numbers going up is directly related to him having had the flu this past week. Crossing my fingers that is the reason!

Happy Birthday and Hurry up and get Better Son!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Kyle this morning before school. He is 9 years old today!

Kyle was feeling well enough to get up and go to school this morning. Only to have the school call me after an hour or so later and tell me that Kyle is feeling sick and had been in the nurse's office for the past 30 - 40 minutes. He was shivering, even with a blanket on. His temperature was 99.5.

I went and got him, brought him home and he is back in bed. His temperature is now 100. We are hoping he is feeling well enough to have Ice Cream Cake tonight for his Birthday Celebration - and the Strawberry Crepes he requested for his birthday dinner. And if he is feeling well enough, the Pinewood Derby tonight - to race his "Phantom Racer" (the name he gave his little four wheeled red race car that he and Laren built together.

Yesterday we got some disappointing news, his numbers that had been coming down are now going back up. I don't know why for sure, but it may have something to do with the doctor cutting his prednisone in half last week because he was getting "close enough" to normal to do that.

In the meantime, the school called and now Rilyn, our youngest daughter is sick with a sore throat, cough and tossing her cookies. So once Kayla and Alyssa come home from school I will have them watch my sick littles and Tyler who is napping and dash to the store to get what I need for Kyle's Hopeful Birthday Celebration!

Hoping for a Happy Post really soon!