Surgery, Moving and WIPS (works in progress)

Here is our sweet 4 year old grandson, Wyatt.  This picture was taken a few minutes before he had some major brain surgery!  (Little did he know how much pain he would experience for the next couple of weeks.)  Wyatt had been experiencing severe headaches, vision problems and loss of motor skills.

He had several MRI's and they discovered that he had a condition called Chiari, basically when the skull doesn't grow large enough for the brain and the spinal fluid gets backed up at the base of the brain.  

Here he is with Kim right after the surgery.  He was in so much pain.  He didn't want any light or sound.  He couldn't eat for about 3 days. . .couldn't hold anything down.  He would ask us not to talk because it made his head hurt!

 Brooklyn could make him come to life every once in a while.  What really made him happy was to see his big brother, Jaxson.  (Too bad I didn't get a picture of him)

Mark and Kim took turns holding him in the bed, several sleepless nights for all!

Brooklyn is still nursing, so she had to be at the hospital most of the time.  She was a good distraction for us with her cute face and smile. . .

Wyatt got to go home after a week.  (Never thought we would be so excited for him to pee and poop!)  On his way home he said he loved his van and his car seat and his home!  There truly is 'no place like home!'  He is doing better every day and seems like the surgery was a great success.

In the meantime. . .

Our oldest daughter, Cami, her husband Brett and their children, Connor, Makenna and McKay moved to San Antonio, Texas.  Brett is in the Air Force and working in a hospital there as a Nurse Anesthetist. There should be some kind of law that you can not move grandchildren more than 50 miles away!

We will miss them so. . .thank goodness for skype!

Works In Progress. . .  

This pile of cut squares and rectangles is slowly turning into. . .

This wedding quilt for Rob and Schaefer!

This knitting project is slowly turning into a blanket for grand child number #8, Ashley and Tylers' son, who will be born in mid-June!

This is my design wall full of "The Vignette Mystery Quilt".  LOTS of stitching, (did I say LOTS of stitching!!)  But I am enjoying working on it and can't wait to see the finished product!

Life is rich and full.  I am so grateful for family, for modern medicine and for a hobby that feeds my creating desires!  

All Six Home for Christmas!

Ok, so here is the WHOLE family!
Rob, Matt, Tyler, Cami, Alyssa and Mark
What a blessing and what a feat to have all of us together!  Rob is in Atlanta going to school, Matt is in Washington, DC, working for Senator Mike Lee, Tyler is going to school at BYU, Cami and Brett are moving to San Antonio, Texas next month, Alyssa is in Iowa going to school, and Mark lives in Stansbury Park, Utah.  

My sweet Mom and Dad got to be with us on Christmas Eve as well.  Aren't they cute!

We love hearing the stories, memories and wisdom they have to share.

Schaefer and Rob. . .the engaged couple!  May 19th in the Salt Lake Temple!

Here is the stocking I knitted for Schaefer.  Every new member of the family gets one.  So I also made one for Brooklyn this year.

And here is the fabric Schaefer and Rob picked for their wedding quilt.  Can't wait to cut it up so that I can sew it back together!!!

On Christmas Eve, we read the scriptural account of the Saviors' birth from the New Testament while the grandchildren acted it out.  Highly entertaining!

Here is our angel, Caroline, complete with a cell phone. 

(That is the only way we could get her to stand up on the ladder and stay there.  Matt is holding her from behind)

Look at the glee and excitement from the wisemen, Wyatt, Jaxson and the shepherd,  Connor.

Here is Mary and Joseph, (aka Makenna and McKay) and of course the baby Jesus. . .

Brooklyn was a shoe-in for the part--minus the pink bow, of course!

After Christmas, Matt and Raquel went to visit her family in Vernal, Utah.  Caroline had an accident and got her hands burned on the gas fireplace.  It was very traumatic for everyone.

When they got back here, Brett helped them to change the bandages.  Caroline really cried and we all felt so sad.  She ended up having 2nd degree burns.  We are hoping for minimal scarring and a quick healing.

But, as we know, children are so resilient!  Look at that face with Grandpa Kremin just a few minutes later!

She even wanted to play with Connor's hat by the end of the night. 

All in all we had a great holiday with EVERYONE together.  Another fabulous thing that happened in December was that Dan got a job, after eight months of no work.  We are very excited and feel blessed.  I made four quilts for a dear friend's children and I didn't even remember to take pictures.  Sorry!  I will do better with the picture taking as time goes on.  Happy New Year!  

Life.

Update on Brooklyn. . .

Brooklyn and Grandma Connie, (me) in the hospital a week after she was born, still on the oxygen.   She had to go home with oxygen and a monitor for two weeks.  

Here she is at home with the oxygen. . .not a great picture, but I captured the dimple!

Jaxson loves to hold Brooklyn and help his mom with the his new sister!

Wyatt likes to take a turn as well. . .he just turned 4 on Dec. 7th!

Brooklyn was officially cleared to be off the oxygen, so we went shopping for a blessing dress!

The dress and bonnet above is the one Kim chose!  It is beautiful, the pictures don't do it justice.

Mom and Grandmas trying on dresses. . .

What a good little baby to try on all those dresses when all she wanted to do was sleep!

She finally got her wish. . .

Other BIG news. . .Cami, Brett and family. . Connor (11), McKay and Makenna (8), have come to live with us for a few months!  They sold their home and needed a place to stay until February, when they will move to San Antonio, Texas with the Air Force.  Brett just graduated as a CRNA, Nurse Anesthetist, and will be giving back to Uncle Sam for 3 years!  Congratulations Brett and Cami!  We are having a blast with them here.  It is fun to see family life in full force in our home again.

With the Rush family come a couple of extra residence. . .

Tiggs the cat,

And the house elf, Mr. Peeps, who appears only at Christmas time.  He is assigned to watch and report to the North Pole the happenings here with the Rush children. . .Kind of creepy face, don't you think?  (reminds me of a creature from Harry Potter)

And a picture of a gift from my dear friend, Ann. . a cross stitched pillow with a perfect theme. . 'Crazy Quilter' pretty much sums it up!

I found a home for it on the window ledge so that I can see it every day!  Thanks, Ann!

And, last but not least. . .Caroline. . .this is a picture her mom sent.  She got into the basket by herself and was quite please with her accomplishment, as you can see by the look on her face!  They are coming in a couple of weeks!  Can't wait!

Can't blog the sewing projects I have been working on, they are gifts for Christmas and people might see them!  I will take pictures and show them later. .  Happy Holidays!

Brooklyn Jamie Bell

Kim and Mark before the grand entrance of Baby Brooklyn

(I was able to catch Kim with a smile between contractions)

Grandma Connie and Grandma Jill giddy with excitement!

Baby Brooklyn Jamie Bell was born 11/21/11 at 4:04 pm

7 pounds 10 ounces, 21 inches long

Mother and daughter

The proud daddy!

She is a good combination of Jaxson and Wyatt

Jaxson through the eyes and nose and Wyatt's mouth and chin

Brooklyn had low blood sugar (35. . .should be 100) because Kim is diabetic and Brooklyn was receiving insulin from Kim.  Now, Brooklyn has to get her pancreas working to make her own insulin, so she is in the NICU for a few days.  Mark and Kelly were able to give Brooklyn a priesthood blessing in the NICU.  The nurse who was taking care of Brooklyn recognized Jill.  They finally realized they knew each other from another hospital 12 years previous!  This same nurse was Jamie's favorite nurse when Jamie was ill.  We had felt Jamie there all day with us.  Jamie is Kim's older sister who passed away 12 years ago from leukemia at the age of 21.  A 'Divine Signature' that there are always angels among us, helping those they love.

Grandma Jill

Grandma Connie

Auntie Cami

Uncle Brett

PA!

A beautiful, gorgeous little princess has come to bless our lives and to teach us!

Welcome, baby Brooklyn!