Surgery

Surgery went well yesterday. Jaxen had gangrene of the appendix, and it perforated. So, he is stuck in the hospital until at least Saturday, maybe even Sunday. He is walking around and doing really well.

I think he is surviving fine with the cable channels, movie channels, and all the board games he has been playing with one parent or the other.

He is on a liquid diet at the moment (although in recent developments he was allowed some saltines). He is a hanging in there.

Tomorrow he should be able to start on simple solids. Nothing to heavy.

It is definitely interesting finding good times to go up there. Shaun has been staying over night, it is hard, because as the mom you feel like it should be you...but you can't do it with a nursing baby. Jaxen wanted me to stay tonight...but I think it is just because he dad snores. Shhh...don't say anything. ;)

New Children's Hospital...

on Dobson is very nice. Wish I didn't know that, but glad never the less.

Jaxen is in surgery right now to remove his appendix...glad it happened after we got home from our trip up north and not while we were there. His stomach started hurting up there on Sunday afternoon. We thought it was something he ate or a stomach bug. It wasn't until this morning that the pain moved to the right side and I got concerned. Took him right to ER and they were convinced it was appendicitis pretty much right away.

He is hanging in there like a trooper. Feel free to send prayers our way. It will definitely be interesting with a nursing baby on how this visitation will all work out. They don't allow children in the rooms, even if they are related.

Scripture Study

Who knew that scripture study could be so riveting? I lost them, one at a time, from youngest to oldest.

Dear Family and Friends,

Is it just me, or does Christmas seem to come every six months?! It doesn’t seem like it should be that time a year again, yet here we are staring Santa in the face. This year has been about as eventful as they come. Thank heavens we are no worse for wear, but we had our fair share of unusual, unexpected moments.

In July of this year we welcomed the newest member of the family, Kaysen James. He came late (no surprise) and weighed 9 pounds 14 ounces (big surprise). He has been an absolute joy. He sleeps well, smiles often, and gets along great with his brothers and sister. Owen absolutely adores him and is overall very sweet with him.

Owen has a run in with a door in June, a few weeks before we were anticipating the arrival of our yet named baby boy. His finger was shut in the hinge side of the door. He broke the tip of his right pinkie and had to have stitches. It was pretty terrifying as a parent; I think he handled it better than I did. All has healed well and he will maintain all five fingers for future use. Owen turned two in August. Oh, how time flies. He had a ball themed birthday because at the time he was obsessed with balls. He has moved on to other things lately and really enjoys reading.

Ember turned five this year and was finally able to start school.This girl has been asking about school since she could talk! We love her teacher and think she is doing extremely well. We decided to put her in full day kindergarten because she definitely has the energy to go all day. She is doing very well. Ember started soccer this year and did really well. She scored several goals over the season and it was fun to watch her grow in her soccer skills.

Jaxen turned seven this year and entered second grade. He is excelling in everything and his teacher is having him tested for PACE (accelerated program) in January. She is really good about challenging him. Jaxen also played soccer this year. His team, the Blue Fire Devils, were undefeated for the season. They scored over 80+ goals for the season with all the other teams scoring a combined 7 points. It was an exciting year.

Shaunton is still plugging away at work. He took the PE and we hope to hear good news come Christmas. I think that would be the only thing he really wants for Christmas is to pass that test…and maybe a Wii.

Overall 2009 was an eventful year. We had good times, bad times, scary times, fun times, and now is a time to reflect on all those times. We have grown, loved, and worked together. Hopefully next year will be full of the same for us as well as you and yours.

Sincerely,

The Davis Family

Dear Mom,

You know I love you, right? Well, I wanted to share a secret with you. You know that saying, "You learn something new every day"? It's true!

I found out that if I stick my finger in Kaysen's mouth so he can suck on it, he will get sick too.

I found out that just because I can climb up a short ladder doesn't mean I can climb down by myself.

I now know that bubbles on a wand don't taste very good.

I found out that when you leave the room to brush Ember's teeth after giving me Cream of Wheat, I can make a big (but silent) mess.

I now know what your shocked face looks like. Have I seen that one before? Hmm, can't remember...

I now know that Cream of Wheat is not so easy to get off a two year old, the walls, the floor and a highchair. I even had it in my hair for extra credit.

I now know that somehow you had the patience to do that, and then feed me something else for breakfast (and clean me up again).

Mom, I love you! Just think, in two more years you will be having this same kind of fun with Kaysen and I will know everything!

Love,

Owen

When You Reach Me...

I just finished this book, it was a quick read because it is a juvenile fiction. Without getting into the story too much, there were a few parts that I could take from the book and thought they were rather profound.

"Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.

But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. Bust mostly we are happy not to."

Wow. I sometimes think that these books don't get the credit they deserve. They may be geared toward a younger audience, but there is definitely something for the adult to take away. I think about this and how true it is. We do walk around, not really knowing anyone else, or showing ourselves to really anyone. Who really knows us? Who do we show ourselves to? What do we really want to know about what is going on around us? Isn't it easier not to know about other people's problems?

Here is another meaningful section:

"Sometimes you never feel meaner than the moment you stop being mean. It's like how turning on a light makes you realize how dark the room has gotten. And the way you usually act, the things you would have normally done, are like these ghosts that everyone can see but pretends not to."

Once again. I read this over and over again. It just makes sense.It makes me think about what people do know about us, and what people expect you to be or do. Do certain people ever do anything that surprises you? Or is is just, oh yea, that's just how so and so is, or I would have expected that from him/her? Are we that easy to read? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It just goes to show how important it is to be an example to others and to live what you believe...so, at least if someone expects you to be someway, it is a positive and not a negative.

Definitely a book worth reading, a little predicable, but there were a few nice surprises.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Have you seen me?

My name is Apple Shiny Sparkles and I am a Yorkshire puppy. I answer to Apple Shiny, Sparkles, puppy, and pretty much whatever name my owner decides to call me for the day. Hmm, that might make it hard to know if it is really me or not.

I ran away, or was possibly puppy-napped from my home. I was last seen sporting this trendy faux fur collar trimmed in the popular color of the season, lime green. I was last seen conspiring with between four and eight of my canine companions also residing at the same address. We either ran away (or were secretly puppy-napped) together.

My owner, although loud, is quite sweet. She loves us, maybe a little too much. Others think we might have ran away sighting undue stress of being dragged around by our collars, being dressed up, and/or put into cute doggy carry bags like we ourselves are accessories to be interchanged based on our owner's (she is quite sweet) mood. Granted, she can bark louder and whine more annoyingly than we do/can.

Rumor has it she misses us, but has given up hope. I heard she has moved on to cats (ewww)! Her owner mother is holding out hope we are out here (there?) somewhere and will come home soon. She spends nights (not our owner, the owner's mother) wondering where we could have gone. She has even gone so far as to look in the same place twice as if we will magically appear in the very spot she last looked.

If you, or anyone you know, has seen or heard from me, or my renegade friends, please call and let my owner...OK, my owner's mom, know that I am OK?

If you find me and I beg you not to send me back to that forsaken place...please pass on the word that I moved to California to be a star!

Signed,

Apple Shiny AKA Sparkles