Airport Appreciation Day

Only in a small town like Florence would there be such a thing as Airport Appreciation Day. I love it! All morning we toured small airplanes and medical helicopters belonging to the hospital and Coast Guard. The kids ate free hot dogs. And after waiting in a very long line, we even got a free ride in an airplane!

Collin was so brave. He loved it. And I got to steer us over the ocean then turn us back around toward Florence. Wow! What a trip! When we arrived home Collin said, "Mom, I want to be a pilot when I grow up." And that's why I love taking my kids to these things. They get inspired, and I get to watch their little minds awaken to all the possibilities in life.

The Circus Came to Town!

A traveling circus came to town and we were all invited to watch the set up. We went with our new next-door neighbors, Brayden and Camden Linton.

We saw them bathe the elephants and trim their nails to get them ready for the show. We fed the goats and saw a zebra, hippo, ponies, camels and llamas. But the highlight was when they brought out an elephant to help set up the big red circus tent. This was almost as entertaining as the show!

Speaking of the show, Collin loved it; Luke wanted to be in it. He kept trying to run down the bleachers and hop into the ring. So Luke and I ended up outside after intermission. Such is life. But what an exciting event! The circus was gone as fast as they had come--all in one day! Pretty amazing.

Visitors: Miriam, Allan & Josie

Merritt's sister came to visit with her family this last weekend. It was such a delight to have them! We took them to the Pawn trail, Hobbit's beach, Heceta Head lighthouse, Devil's churn, Newport Bay bridge, Yaqiuna lighthouse and the tide pools. We also had fun visiting with family and playing our new favorite game, Bonanza.

We packed a lot of adventure into our four short days together, but I think the best part for me was watching the cousins become friends. Josie (14 mos.) and Luke (22 mos.) played especially well together. It was adorable to watch. I just couldn't get enough of little Josie and her pigtails. Thanks for making the trip out to Oregon. We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Living with Seizures

In February, Luke had 4 seizures while recovering from an illness with fever (see photo above). Last Wednesday Luke again had seizures following an illness with fever, but this time he had 20 of them.

His first seizure occurred around 10 AM Wednesday morning. By 12:30 AM that same night he had had twenty of them. A couple of times he had 3-4 seizures in a row, which is considered somewhat dangerous. The doctors finally found a drug that worked (Dilantin) and he began to improve. His seizures stopped.

Unfortunately, he soon began having a severe side effect from one of the drugs he had been given earlier (Keppra). Beginning at 5:00 AM he began to experience extreme irritability and it lasted for the next 72 hours. He had difficulty sleeping and acted like a caged and frightened animal thrashing around in his padded crib.

To make matters worse, the valiam (Diazepam) causes temporary loss of motor skills. Because Luke had been given so much of it (a shot after almost every seizure), it was three days before he could walk, talk and eat again. I missed my little Lukers. I'm glad to have him back.

He's now been put on a maintenance drug called Depakote. We're watching to see if he develops any side effects from this, and hoping this drug will prevent seizures in the future. So far so good!

My interpretation of what is happening is that Luke is experiencing "complex" febrile seizures. Febrile seizures (seizures caused by fever) are common in young children up to age 5. But having more than one seizure in response to fever is not so common, hence the term "complex".

The extensive nature of his seizure activity puts him in a high risk group for developing chronic epilepsy. But there is no way to predict the outcome. All we can do is wait and see. We thank everyone who has helped us and prayed for us. Let's hope for the best!

Swimming with a Shiner

I've been trying to get pictures of Collin at swimming lessons all week. Luke has not really cooperated, however. The last day of swimming lessons was approaching. I decided this was my last chance. I even gave the boys haircuts the night before so they'd be nice and handsome. But alas, just minutes before it's time to leave for the last swimming lesson tragedy strikes. Luke pushes the front door open and the door knob slams right into Collin's eye. It instantly turns purple and begins to swell. My hopes for at least one great photo are out the window. Oh well. The important thing is that Collin had a great time at his lessons. He was always the last one out of the pool. And now he's got "skills". His skills include floating on his back and moving both his arms in large circles (similar to a back stroke). Very exhilarating for him. I was a very proud mother. And miraculously I did get one picture where the shiner didn't show much. (Mom's got some "skills" of her own.)

Visitors: Grandad & Elena

Because we live in a small town away from all of our family, we really look forward to having company and visitors. Grandad & Elena are visiting with us this week. We took a drive up the coast yesterday. The weather was perfect and we had a fabulous day.

We visited Cape Perpetua to explore the tidepools, walk around the overlook area, and enjoy a picnic lunch. Then we stopped at Hobbit's beach on the way home. Collin, Grandad and Elena were bravely swimming in the cold ocean, while Luke and I played in the warm sand. Grandad taught the kids how to catch sand crabs. They hunted for them all afternoon, collecting 11 of them by days end.

Grandad told stories to Collin about knights and dragons as we drove down the highway. "Keep telling the story Grandad," he would say every time Grandad got distracted, had to pause, or came to The End. He couldn't get enough. His favorite part was when the knight slept inside a dragon he had slain and awoke the next morning with superhuman strength. Collin is always looking for ways to get stronger and taller. My favorite part was when the knights ate noodles to give them strength before facing the daunting dragon. It got Collin to eat his dinner of noodle soup. We love your stories Grandad!

Stawberry Fields Forever

We picked strawberries at the farm last Saturday. We've been going to this farm every year since we moved to Florence. And we look forward to this day all year long. These strawberries put all grocery store berries to shame. Texture, size and taste make these the best strawberries you'll ever eat. And boy did we eat a lot of them!

We picked two buckets full ourselves, and purchased two flats more. Needless to say, I've been in the kitchen all weekend. I made SEVEN batches of strawberry jam. We danced in our living room, singing to the Beatles' "Stawberry Fields Forever". I love days like this...when you know you're making a memory.

Our strawberry fest this week will include strawberry smoothies, strawberry and spinach salad, strawberry & mango salsa, strawberry cheesecake, crescent rolls smothered in jam and, of course, peanut butter and jam sandwiches. We've also given many strawberries away. We love to share them with everyone, especially if people have never tasted a fresh-picked strawberry before. I've shared them with those I visit teach, with neighbors, and even the grumpy old man who lives across the street.

Yesterday, Collin was out riding his bike in the circle and the old man apparently told Collin to go home. Collin was in tears. I had to go and talk to him and explain that Collin is allowed to ride his bike in the circle. He was extremely rude to me. His opinion was basically that kids should stay in their own backyards where he can't see them. But after some smooth talking on my part, he finally started to be somewhat agreeable. The problem appeared to be resolved, at least temporarily.

We went back into the house and decided to take him some fresh strawberries. He was still out in his yard when we brought them over. He finally began to speak kindly to us, and we could tell the gesture softened his heart. We definitely put beans in our peacemaker jar after that one! I shed a few tears later that day because it had been so stressful to me. But alls well that ends well. At least it was a good opportunity to teach Collin that "kindness begins with me".