we have a lot to be thankful for

Yesterday, we had the fortunate problem of too many people in our small little house. How to seat 13 people for Thanksgiving dinner in a dining room that fits 6 max?

 

 

And that's how we ended up with 2 tables in our living room, stealing the Gabriel-made picnic table from the backyard and the kid's table from their room. And it worked.

 



 

Our dining room table with the Thanksgiving spread: ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato rolls, rye bread, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato gratin, and a spatchcocked turkey.

 

 
The sweet sidetable: deep dish pumpkin pie and cranberry cobbler.

 

 

 
I'm grateful for everyone of these people, sitting together, wonderfully squished and cozy in our livingroom (my mom and Linda included, though they somehow missed out on the dinner plate portraits...). 

 

 

But most of all, I'm thankful that this guy is here. Surly wit and all.

Happy Halloween

from the 4-year old

Liam: Mom, did you know that River's heart has a hole and Jesus has to watch out so he doesn't fall down in it?

this is what i'll cling to

10 days ago, my brother was hit by a car while walking across a street in California.

We flew, my mother and sisters, to be with him, and he is still here despite the odds. Ruptured aorta, lacerated liver, shattered leg, fractured face. And they expect a full recovery.

It's easier to be positive on this side of the ordeal, but getting here was harrowing.

Yesterday was the first day he really woke up, asking for a Jamba Juice.

Of course he got one.

It was the most wondrously magical moment of my life. Molly and I sitting with him, grinning at him slurping up his drink, bobbing his head to Mumford & Sons playing from my phone.

It was beautiful.

a late summer hike

there still is mud

trains

We spent another afternoon at the old train station in Eureka springs. We've been there before, remember?

 

The boys all enjoyed exploring the various train cars, walking up and down the tracks, and occasionally stopping for some pictures.

 



 

 

 

Attempts at portraits of the three boys are always hilarious.

 

Especially when there are train whistles in the distance, concerning some more than others.

 

Their favorite train was this little car, just the right size for little boys to explore and play.

 



 

Because we make the most of it

River and I spent 5 hours in the ER again last night. He had another asthma attack, multiple attacks, that just weren't resolving with all the extra inhaler puffs we tried throughout the day.

It turns out that he has bronchitis. And an ear infection. But the happy ending to this little story is that it didn't cost us a dime. Last week, we received ARkids cards for the boys, which is a very very big deal for our finances. And, it covers July's ambulance ride to Little Rock. Woohoo.

ER trips are still no fun, and River still has to work through the bronchitis, but knowing that we don't have to add this to our already sizable stack of medical bills is a relief all on its own.

And because he's no stranger to an ER, River wasted no time making himself comfortable and jumped right into the sillies. He thought modeling my glasses was great fun. I agree.

Petit Jean Mountain

We just got back from a weekend in the fog on Petit Jean Mountain, taking part in our first Hemophilia Foundation family retreat. 

I'm needing these connections: people who know the struggle. People who've already walked the road we're just starting on. People who look at River and offer plenty of hope for his future. 

Liam and River were mostly excited about all of the candy. So was Gabe.

But we were all looking forward to a weekend away at Petit Jean. Normally, the views from the bluffs are breathtaking. 

This is what we got instead:

It was a completely different experience than I had expected or prepared for. The boys quickly ran out of dry clothes and socks. And I should have brought more indoor activities, really, any indoor playthings would have been great. But being out in the mist wasn't so bad either. 

We stayed warm and snug in our cabin bunks, had plenty of good food to eat, and got to meet some new friends. 

The boys enjoyed numerous hikes in the woods.

Some of us didn't like the misty hikes so much... but misery loves company.

But to these little guys, it was perfect.

mid-day dancing

*it was all good until they decided to do chairs like Tio Andres*  

a new chapter

it was my heart a-flutter

A week ago today, I took River to the ER because he was having an asthma attack and his inhaler wasn't cutting it. 

We added asthma to the list of his medical stuff just a few weeks ago...

The ER doctor took one look at his wheezing frame, heard his loud heart murmur, and immediately ordered chest x-rays.

He came back with news that River was experiencing congestive heart failure, and sent us on an ambulance to Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

I will skip to the end of the story and assure you that his heart is functioning as normal as it always has (considering the fact that he has a large hole in his heart that manages to pump things just fine). 

It was, indeed, just an asthma attack, and we now have him on a daily regimen that includes morning and evening steroid treatments with a nebulizer along with puffs of his albuterol inhaler, a morning dish of applesauce laced with Singulair, and more puffs of albuterol throughout the day as needed.

I could tell you about Bay and Jesse, our friends from church, who willingly took Liam for an indefinite time when we thought we were facing heart surgery. Or I could tell you how our EMT for the ambulance ride was also Jesse, and our paramedic was this guy named Clint who kept me talking about growing sweet potatoes and making cheese and then let me sit in silence when all  I could do was watch River sleep.

I could tell you about River walking the halls at Children's in his hospital jammies, a lollipop in his mouth, and a new puppy softie tucked under his arm, and us enjoying the sight, breathing easier knowing that it's just asthma.

It's taken me this week to finally be able to drift my thoughts to those terrifying hours without feeling panicky. But mostly, all I can do stare with relief and wonder at this little boy. 

When does this ever happen simultaneously?

Hurray for today!

tangled no more

 For months now, Liam has been growing his hair long like Tangled, which means locks as long as Rapunzel.

It's been working for him, mussed about his neck and shoulders or tied back in a ponytail.

But then yesterday morning, he decided he wanted his hair short like Daddy's. After plenty of rounds of are-you-sures and we-can't-put-it-back-on-once-it's-cut, I got out the clippers and buzzed away.

He's loving his new look, especially since he's much more comfortable in our home without air-conditioning (it broke on the 4th of July and we're still wrestling with the insurance company to get a new one...)

But I sure miss his tangles!