2016 Summer Bucket List.....

We are officially launching our Summer Bucket List and we could not be more excited!! Last year with our trip back east we didn't do much on our list, so we are eager to cross off as many items as we can!

Summer Bucket List

1. Sleep on Trampoline
2. Beach trip
3. Baking w/ Haden
4. Donuts for dinner - Family Holiday July 14th
5. Finding Dory movie
6. Color Changing Slime - LINK
7. Mini Grand Prix
8. Purple penguin
9. How Many Licks it takes to get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop
10. Make Homemade Jam
11. Swim! Swim! Swim!
12. Roll down a hill
13. Build a sandman (instead of snowman)
14. Watch the sunset
15. Attempt R2D2 puzzle (again!)
16. Chopped dessert contest
17. Churro ice cream bowls
18. Drive - In Movies
19. Balloon rockets - LINK
20. Picnic @ Spring Mtn. Ranch
21. Play in the Rain
22. Frozen Hot Chocolate - LINK
23. Baking w/ Grant
24. Lemon Volcanos - LINK
25. The BFG movie
26. Game Night
27. Nutella Ice Cream - LINK
28. S'mores
29. BBQ
30. 51's Game
31. Try a new Cookie Recipe
32. Big Horn Park
33. Lego Challenge - LINK
34. Baking w/ Coleman
35. Sleepovers
36. Watch a Parade
37. Petes Dragon movie
38. Shark Pool @ Golden Nugget
39. Water Balloon Fight
40. Marble bowling - LINK
41. Baking w/ Delaney
42. Go to the Top of the Stratosphere
43. Star Wars marathon
44. Exploding Boomerangs - LINK
45. Helium Fun
46. Go camping
47. Thrifty's Ice Cream
48. Baking w/ Kahle
49. Gravady
50. Watch Fireworks

You can find our Bucket List from 2011, HERE!

You can find our Bucket List from 2012, HERE!

You can find our Bucket List from 2013. HERE!

You can find our Bucket List from 2014, HERE!

You can find our Bucket List from 2015, HERE!

Some new, some old, some we've done every year, but it's all fun and we are ready to have it!!

Pinewood Derby 2016!

Last night Cole had has {possibly} last Pinewood Derby (all depending on when it lands next year, before or after his birthday). He was so excited for every part of creating the car and racing the car!

It all starts with picking the design. Jeff and Cole sat together looking through designs on the internet. Cole picked one that he really wanted, but wasn't sure Jeff would be up for it. It was a little more detail than your average pinewood derby car. But he was giddy when Jeff started helping him make it!

Cole wanted to be part of every aspect of this car. He is very passionate about it all :)

Working with the dremel and getting the car just right.

The dremel created a lot of wood shavings and dust, Cole resorted to his own measure of using swimming goggles. HAHA!

They worked pretty well for him :)

Shape is done and the sanding began.

Then life happened and this was put on the back burner. But was still very much on our minds, with the deadline of this last Tuesday, so it was ready to go on Wednesday!

And we have a Seahawks car!!

Cole was THRILLED and excited to show it off.

It's race day and he was so excited to be there!

13 cars ready to go!

Love this boy!!

Let the race begin!!

The trophy's for the boys - So cute!!!

Cole placed 3rd!!!

He was SO excited to be in the top 3, he could hardly contain his excitement!!

The top 3 winners!! Way to go boys!!!

Cole also received an award for the 'Most original design'. He loved this as well :)

Congrats Cole!!!

Such a fun night!!!

We are on our way to recovery!

I found this cute bracelet to cover the hospital one they sent me home with for the weekend. It did it's job and I was glad to have something to hide it for the times we were out and about.

Sunday night we went to my parents for Cole's cake and ice cream. I also had a priesthood blessing, given by Jeff, my Dad and my father-in-law Bob. I was so grateful to have been surrounded by these men and for their love, support and worthiness to hold the priesthood. 

Goodbyes with the kids were hard. Tears were shed. But I knew they were in great hands! And I knew we needed to get it over with so they could settle in and adjust without us.

Jeff and I got home, I showered and then just like my ACL surgery, I had to wipe myself down with these wipes. And then do it again in the morning before leaving for my surgery.

Waiting for the doctors! So grateful for this man by my side, filling in for me, supporting me, loving me and taking such good care of me!!

This surgery was to place an LP (lumbar peritoneal) Shunt. It is the less invasive shunt surgery, and not in my head! They made an incision in my lower back where they placed a catheter into my spinal fluid sack. Then they made an incision on my right hip area, where they placed an under the skin valve. They made another incision just inches from the valve one, where they have tubing that goes into my abdominal area, that the fluid will drain to and my body will absorb. They tunneled the tubing under my skin from one incision to another.

I am always so grateful for nurses who talk to you like you are human. Keep the conversation going and try to occupy your mind as you are on the OR table, getting ready to be put to sleep. When in the OR, the IV in my right hand wasn't working well enough to use during my surgery. They got it going enough to put me to sleep, once asleep they put another IV into my left hand. 

After the surgery was over, and I was in recovery, the nurse let Jeff come back for just a minute. They normally don't let them come back but she was so sweet and did. Sadly I had just been given pain meds, and so I saw him for a minute but was on my way back to sleep. But so good to see him!

After a while I was wheeled up to my room where I was greeted by my hubby and ready to settle in for the night. I was hurting but not too bad! They had me on some good meds :)

Oh oxygen, you are so not cute :)

The night wasn't too bad. Jeff helped when needed, the nurses didn't wake us up too much. And we made it through it, score!

Tuesday morning was good. I was feeling good, the nurses were impressed and orders were put in to let us go home.

After getting breakfast, and getting ready to go, I was starting to feel super nauseous and had a major headache! But we proceeded with going home. We decided to stop by my parents after the hospital, to see the kids. I felt so bad because I was horrible company. I ended up throwing up and just basically laying there until we decided it was time to go home. 

Home sweet home!!

Jeff made some calls and found out the headache is a spinal headache and is normal for this procedure. So I was to lay down as often as possible and it can take about a week to go away. The nauseous feeling only came on when my headache was bad. So laying down was the plan!

Adri and Trent kept our kids another night. And then Wednesday after Jeff got off work, he went and picked them up. I was excited to see their cute faces!! So so so grateful for my parents and for Adri and Trent and their willingness to take all 5 kiddos. It is such a relief, and makes it easier to focus on myself and recovery, when I know they are in such great hands!

This girl has stayed by my side since coming home. She will go play and then be right back snuggling up to me. I am loving it!!

Today I showered, took the dressings off and was able to show my kids the incisions. I have one on my lower back (about 3 inches long) and two on my side that are about 1 - 1 1/2 inches long each. We'll just say it's a good thing I don't plan on being a bikini model after this, HAHA!!

The love, support, help, prayers, thoughts, flowers, messages, and meals that we have received all week have meant SO much! Thank you all!!!

Meeting the N. Las Vegas Mayor....

Throughout the school year, Haden and Grant have been participating in a World Government Co-Op Class. They have studied, learned and read about ALL the different types of government throughout the year, throughout the world. The end of the year project was to create a new country, and a new government. It was truly amazing to see everything come together!!

They had to vote on how they want the government to run, the placement of their country and the name. As well as names for different parts of the government. Then the kids each created a part of their country, named Maderia, they made a 3D model, a constitution, a flag, currency, trade and natural resources. It was awesome!!

Haden had Grant were in charge of the currency. It was quite the learning experience for them both, to work together, to agree and to listen. I actually loved watching them. 

I had them decide on what they wanted them called, the paper money and the coins, what designs they want on the front and what designs they want on the back. They drew it all out before we attempted to create them.

I helped them navigate through photoshop to create their money. That was quite the trial of patience on both of our parts :)

The paper money is called Led. I wish you could see how truly amazing these turned out, because pictures just do not do them justice! Each image represents something that they worked on or created for their country.

The 2 Led image is of the actual island/country itself.

The 5 Led is of the Country's flag.

The 10 Led is a ship, representing trades and resources.

The 20 Led is representing their own constitution.

The 50 Led represents the judicial system.

The 100 Led represents the Military.

The 200 Led represents the 3 leader government.

We spent quite a bit of time at Michaels picking out the right paper, but in the end they both were so proud with how they turned out.

The coins were called Ale. 

The boys worked together and decided on images they liked, that could possibly images for their country.

They were so excited to show their class, and so proud of how they turned out!!

Since Adri had my kids overnight, she made sure the boys were dressed and looking nice and out the door on time. Thank you Adri!!!

Truly such an experience for these boys!! I am so glad that they were able to participate in this class, and to have the experiences and life lessons that they did! So grateful for the 3 amazing women who put the class on and taught each week.