Trauma, Prayers and a Tooth Found

How did you spend your Sunday afternoon? I spent mine learning about emergency dental procedures.

I was preparing dinner for our family and the missionaries, Rick was still at the Church, and the kids were playing in the backyard. Suddenly Eliza burst into the house announcing that Audri had fallen out of the hammock and there was blood all over her mouth. Dailie followed shortly after saying, "it's really bad, Mom." I looked in the backyard and saw Audri standing, with her hands to her mouth, blood gushing. I rushed her to the sink and started flushing her mouth with cold water. As the blood began to clear from her mouth, and I got a better look, my heart sank. Her front left permanent tooth was GONE. There was just a gaping hole. I knew I'd have to take her somewhere, so I gave the water to her to continue flushing, sent Dallin out to look for the tooth, had Dailie call Rick on his cell phone, and started looking in the phone book for our dentist's number. Dailie didn't get Rick on his cell phone, Dallin couldn't find the tooth, and I was able to talk to a receptionist who told me she would put a call into the two dentists. At this point I had no idea what could even be done, but the receptionist told me that if we could find the tooth, it was possible that they could save it. I gathered the children and asked them to pray with me that we could find Audri's tooth, in the grass, mulch and sticks. Dallin said the prayer, and we continued looking. I got Rick on the phone at the Church and he said he'd leave right away. Then I spoke with the dentist who reiterated the importance of finding that tooth. The whole time we were searching, and we were not finding that tooth anywhere. I heard myself saying to myself all the things I usually say to my children. "It has to be somewhere", "It didn't just disappear". We still did not find it. Rick got home, and gathered us once again for a prayer with him, pleading that we would find the tooth. I kept telling the kids that we may not be able to find the tooth, but Heavenly Father can, and He will help us. We called the neighbor to come and help give Audri a Priesthood blessing with Rick. After he arrived, we spent just a little more time looking for the tooth. I was about to leave with Audri, and told Rick to come in, give the blessing, then keep searching after I left. And wouldn't you know it, HE FOUND THE TOOTH, root and all (it was a lot bigger than one would expect)!!!!! I was so relieved, Audri was so happy, everyone was so happy. We put it in some milk, as we'd been instructed to do, and went inside for the blessing.

Audri was blessed to be very brave, and that is exactly what she was. Our dentist is a woman, and her husband is also a dentist. They left their family on a Sunday afternoon (I suppose it was evening by now), at met us at her office. They put the tooth back in!!! I didn't even know you could do that. They straightened out the tooth next to it that had also been knocked out of position, and put some little temporary braces on those teeth to hold them in place for the healing. She will still need a root canal in that front tooth, and possibly in the one next to it as well, so we're not finished yet, but I am SO GRATEFUL that her tooth was able to be restored. I consider it an answer to prayer that the tooth was found, and I know that she was blessed with courage. She's a pretty tough cookie anyway, but Dr. Donlan told us that her husband used to do work for the Peoria Rivermen (the hockey team, she said he'd done this same procedure a few times), and that Audri had been braver than some of those big hockey players!! She seemed pretty sincere when she was saying it too!!

No pictures for this post. I certainly wasn't thinking of grabbing the camera during all of this, and besides, you can believe me when I say you really wouldn't want to see what it looked like : ).

The Richwoods Knights

We jumped right into the High School life by taking the family to Richwoods High School's opening home football game. We really went to watch Dallin play in the marching band. I did not have high expectations since I knew how little practice they had had, but honestly, they sounded pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised. I still have to pinch myself to try and really admit that I'm there watching my son play in the High School band, but it's true. He did a great job, and looked good in his uniform : ).

The Cake

Daniel could never give me a real solid answer on what he wanted for his cake, so we came up with this idea, combining all the things Daniel loves- Spiderman, Cars, army guys, Legos and Star Wars (we got a two for one on that one). He had fun helping me put the toys on the cake, and it was his idea to put Mater driving backwards. If you've seen the movie a few times, I'm sure you'll remember the reference.

Blowing out the candles. Daniel was sure one happy boy that his birthday finally arrived. He's really been anticipating this one.

Look's Who's 4 Today!!

Then
And Now

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Daniel!!
We Love You!!

First Day of School, Sort of

Yesterday was the first day of school, sort of. I say that because it was only 2.5 hours, and High School didn't start until today, which never mattered to me before this year!!! Thank goodness for the school bus, cause this was my schedule yesterday (yes, I'm looking for a little sympathy. Plus, I just want to document this craziness):

5:30 AM Wake up
6:44 AM Dailie gets on the bus
7:00 AM Audri gets on the bus


Here are the Middle Schoolers, uniforms and all. Dailie's in 7th at Washington and Audri's in 5th at Lindbergh.

8:24 AM Eliza gets on the bus
Here's my 2nd grader at Kellar, complete with Kleenex box. The lone Jeffs at the Elementary Shool.

10:00 AM Picked up Audri at Lindbergh so I could take her locker shelf to her. She didn't want to carry it on the bus with her. Then I took her to Borders to use a gift card that she got at the end of last school year : ).

While I was gone, Dailie arrived home. Shortly after I returned home, Eliza got home off the bus. After lunch, I took Dallin to Richwoods High School to set up his locker.

Truth is, it doesn't look near as crazy as it felt : ).

Today was another half day, 3 hours this time. Dallin started Seminary, and High School. So today the schedule looked like this:

5:30 wake up
5:45 Dallin leaves for Seminary (luckily with the teenagers just down the street who are also going- what a blessing!!!)
6:44 Dailie leaves on the bus
7:00 Audri leaves on the bus
7:15 Dallin returns from Seminary (usually he'll have Eary Bird Marching Band at the High School right after Seminary)
7:50 Dallin catches the bus to Richwoods
8:25 Eliza leaves on the bus
10:45 The return process starts, with Dailie
11:05 Audri returns
12:15 Dallin returns
12:45 Eliza returns

That's why I added the "sort of" to the post title. Tomorrow, when the kids go for a full day of school, maybe it will really feel like school has started. : )

Back From the Hospital

We had someone return from the hospital this week in our house. It was Kit!! We had to send Kit to the American Girl doll hospital to fix her leg. It was unfortunately snapped off during some vigorous play. But luckily, there is a place to send the dolls when such a tragedy occurs. So, a short time later, and a larger-than-should-be dent in the pocketbook later, Kit has returned, good as new, sporting a hospital gown, ID bracelet, holding a Get Well balloon, and complete with a certificate from the Dr. prescribing plenty of rest. You can see that Audri is very happy with her return.

Nauvoo with the Sims and Queens

Last weekend we were able to spend more time with family!! Rick's sister Kelly was visiting, with her family, in Indiana with Ed's family. They drove over our way, and we drove to Nauvoo with them. We met up with Wendy (another sister) and her family, who had come from Missouri. We stayed in a couple restored log cabins. These are great accomodations while in Nauvoo, and I recommend them to any family. Check out the link at Nauvoo Log Cabins.

Here are Eliza and Audri with their cousins (all but one) that they were so excited to see, swinging on the porch swing at the cabin.

Making rope in the Family Living Center.

Couldn't resist sharing this photo of darling Heidi in her pioneer dress.

And we were able to see Vocal Point, BYU's 9 man acapella group. We love to see these guys every summer when they come to Nauvoo. Here's a shot of them performing one of our favorites, Thriller.

We had a great time with the Sims and the Queens. Thanks for joining us in Nauvoo!!

New Blog

Check out this new blog http://newsroom.lds.org/blog/. It's managed by the public affairs department of the Church. Quoted directly from the site, "the purpose of this blog is to provide journalists, bloggers, and the public with additional context and information regarding public issues involving the Church." I've added a link to it on my sidebar.

The Result of the High Schooler Playing with the Preschooler's Toys

Adjusting Our Body's Clocks

It's that time of year. School starts in just under two weeks, and we need to get on a school sleeping pattern, rather than a summer one. This week we're focusing on getting to bed on time, next week we'll work on waking up on time as well. The thing is, Dallin has Seminary this year, and he'll be waking up at 5:15 every morning so that he can be at Seminary by 6:15. It helps that this week the kids have a cooking class that they have to be at by 9 am. It's helping to have something to get up for. I'm just hoping to be as fully adjusted as possible so that that first week is not such a shock to our systems!!!

Happy Anniversary!!

16 years ago today, I joined my life with Rick's. We've been a team ever since. Team Jeffs. We were a team at BYU, while we pursued our Bachelor's degrees. A team while he worked on his Master's at Purdue, and I stayed home with the newest member of the team, Dallin. A team as he took a job with Caterpillar and continued his Master's and I continued to grow the team by adding Dailie and Audri. We worked as a team as first time homeowners in Lafayette, IN. We've grown gardens and remodeled and dealt with a number of small catastrophes that at the time seemed astronomical, and now seem sometimes comical. As a team we planned and built a new home in Lafayette, and added Eliza to the team. At that new house, as a team we learned much about landscaping and working on and enjoying our 10 acres. Then came the time to move the team to a new location, and we worked together to settle in a new place- Peoria, IL. Not long after the move, Daniel was added to the team. The years have ticked by at an unrelenting pace, and we've worked as a team at many things. We've aided and supported each other in many callings in the Church, supported each others' hobbies, found time now and then to devote to our relationship, spent hours talking about many subjects, laughed hard together, worked hard together, learned new skills together, served others together. So much of my personal growth has come as a result of having Rick on my team. Sure there are times that things irritate me about him, as I'm sure he feels the same about me, but if I step back and take a look at my life with Rick, I know I wouldn't trade it for anything. Happy anniversary, Rick!!


We had a chance over the weekend to get away to Chicago to celebrate. We went with my brother David and his wife Julia, who also recently celebrated their anniversary. I took the camera to Chicago with me, but once we were up there, I realized I did not want to be bothered with carrying it around. It felt liberating to walk around without a purse, bag, cell phone, camera. Rick took a few pictures with his Blackberry, and I may eventually put some on here, but maybe not. We had a GREAT time!! We saw lots of things and ate lots of yummy food. Thanks to the Papenfuss and Powell families for helping out with the kids, to break up the time that they were without us.


Friday night we ate at a Spanish Tapas cafe- delicious. Then we went and watched Cirque Shanghai on Navy Pier.

After the show, we rode the 14 story Ferris Wheel, wandered through the gardens and shops, and walked back to the hotel, stopping at an amazing marketplace and cafe for dessert, Fox and Obel's.

Saturday morning we ate at one of the hotel's restaurants, home of the nation's top pastry chef, Laurent Branlard. I did not have enough room to eat everything that I wanted to : ). Next we visited the Art Institute of Chicago. I'd forgotten how interesting museums are when you can actually read the things you want to read without being pulled to the next thing of interest to the children with you. We had lunch at Frontera Grill, the authentic Mexican restaurant of Rick Bayless. Again, delicious food. Our final event was to see Blue Man Group. We've wanted to see them for awhile, and it was very entertaining.

Gratitude Long Overdue

I've known for awhile that I wanted to write a post today. Today marks one year from the day Kevin left us. I have pondered what I wanted to do today to mark the day. I was sure that Tera would write a meaningful post, and she did. I thought I would take a little different route, and I have decided it is long overdue for me to express gratitude for the many angels who came into our lives to help us through that week a year ago. Two months after Kevin's death, Elder Jeffrey Holland gave a talk in General Conference that struck a chord with all of us who were a part of that week. He spoke of the Ministry of Angels, the idea that we are never alone during challenges, that God sends angels both seen and unseen to aid us. The reason it struck me so, was that I had already named the people who came to help us that week angels. I was already referring to them as angels, sent to us by a loving Heavenly Father who knew that we would need people to fill in the details, so that we could focus on Kevin, and each other. I don't know how to properly thank all those who helped, but I'm going to start by acknowledging them here.

Thank you to our angels:

Randy Fortuna, for coming over Sunday evening and then accompanying the family to the hospital, and staying until wee hours of the morning.
Christopher, Amy and Stephen Fortuna, who came to stay with the children when we as adults went, on Kevin's request to the hospital for him to say good-bye.
Julie Fortuna and Karrie Alms (and probably others) , who stayed on Wednesday night at the Church ironing table cloths for the wedding reception.
Dr. Aiya, the mother of a friend of Dailie's, who reassured Kevin at the hospital and was a source of strength for all of us.
Will, the medical delivery guy who brought the hospital bed to our house so that it would be ready when Kevin arrived.
the chaplain from hospice care, who, without knowing Kevin at all, could feel that he was a man of faith.
the EMTs, who picked Kevin up from our house Sunday night. I remember them being so loving and caring, above and beyond what I felt was expected.
Susan Garcia, who was found miraculously available and capable of working with fondant on the day Kelly needed help with the wedding cake.
Susy McGowan, whose services were not needed in the end, but was willing to sit with Kevin and Tera so that the family could attend Sarah and Lee's wedding in Nauvoo. This was not needed, since Kevin slipped away the evening before the wedding, and was able to make it to the wedding in spirit, since his body could not go.

I am certain there were many more seen and unseen angels. These are a few that I remember and want to acknowledge. It is a wonder and a miracle that God loves us each so much to be a part of the details our lives. I see it is a lesson to all of us about what is important in life, and where we should be looking to help in the lives of others.

We love you, Kevin!!

Home

I was able to make a brief visit to Crawfordsville, Indiana today, to my childhood home, and where my parents still live. It was rejuvenating in a way I had not expected. As children, I think we tend to think everyone lives the way we do. I knew there were people who lived in the city, or in apartments, or even in a neighborhood, but I didn't really comprehend it. Still, when I thought of home, anyone's home, this is the picture that came to my mind. A home tucked away in the woods, with nature abundant around me. I have grown to appreciate the life I was given as a child. I loved it then, but took it for granted.

This is a view of my "neighborhood". Or at least the way it looked at the height of the summer. I longed for friends to live close enough that I could walk or even ride my bike to their house. Now I yearn for open fields for my children to run in, and country roads for them to ride their bikes down. Perhaps the lesson to be learned is to find the joy in whatever you are given, knowing others can find joy in what they are given as well, no matter how different it is from what you know.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DALLIN!!!

Dallin is 14 today!! All the cliches apply here. I can't believe how the time has flown!! How can my baby boy be all grown up? Is it really true that I'm a mother of a 14 year old? But the truth is, Dallin is anything but cliche. He is a one-of-a-kind fantastic kid. I feel lucky and blessed to be his mother. Here are a few things you may or may not know about Dallin:

• Dallin loves to cook, and he loves Science. Look for him to be the next Alton Brown.
• Dallin doesn't ask for much. It's easier for him to think of gifts to buy for others than gifts that he wants. He's happiest if his gifts also make others happy.
• Dallin is enthusiastic about life (and has been from the start, maybe you can tell from the photo).
• Dallin is sensitive to the needs of others.
• Dallin is funny, and a lot of fun to have a conversation with.
• Dallin plays the violin, trumpet and piano. He'll being playing piano for Peoria Jazz All Stars this year, and marching in the band with his trumpet. Sadly, due to the demands of High School, the violin will be set aside, although I'm sure he'll get it out occasionally and play it.
• Dallin has had 4 years of French, and will continue to take it in HS. If any of you know French, and have a chance, please pursue a conversation with him in French. He does not love that I ask this of people who know French : ).
• Dallin loves the music of Vocal Point, BYU's 9 man acapella group.

So glad to have you as my son!!