Family Times: February & March in a nutshell

So I was talking to my friend, Kelly, the other day and I was saying how I feel so overwhelmed by the very idea of writing this blog since I am pretty much two months behind at this point. And...she suggested doing a bullet point list of everything that has happened over the last two months...BRILLIANT idea!!! So...here we go:

February

Pretty much the first two weeks I was obsessed with getting my cake finished for the Lets Eat Cake wedding cake competition on the 17th. Although I didn't win anything, I feel very good about the cake I did, especially since I have never attempted to do anything close to a wedding cake. Plus - my friend, Maria R., won a prize for best tasting cake in the amateur division! Woo Hoo!!! :) Here are a few pics from the event. I would put more pictures of my competitors...but then you would see how absolutely amateur my cake actually did look...some of the cakes were absolutely amazing!!!

Here is me with my cake, and then a close up so you can see some of the detail work I did.

Maria R. with her gorgeous cake!!!

On Saturday morning, the 21st, about 6am, we got a call from my mom saying that my sister, Denise, was in the ICU at the Orange Park Medical Center with meningitis. Wow... For those of you that don't know - I had meningitis when I was 3 years old...so just the fact that someone else I know and love is getting it too is amazing to me...let alone my very own sister!!! Thankfully, Dee's fiance, Chris, was in town visiting and encouraged her to go to the hospital and sure enough...she had meningitis... Anyway - it appeared she was recovering rather quickly, so I didn't cancel...

My Lasik surgery on Wednesday the 25th. Yes folks - I can now see better than 20/20 without the use of glasses or contacts!!!! Prior to the surgery I typically wore my contacts ALL the time...so I don't think it has completely sunk in yet that I really don't have contacts in right now...but I know eventually it will...like the first time I go swimming and I can open my eyes under water, not worry about my contacts coming out, and actually see more than a foot in front of my face! :) Anyway - that same night my sister...

Was transferred to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida for what we initially thought was to be prepared for surgery to repair the defect that allowed the bacteria to get into her brain causing the meningitis. Little did we know that she would be in the hospital...not getting any better...in fact getting much worse at times for several more weeks. She had gotten a secondary infection through her PIC line which caused her temperature to spike several days in a row until the doctors finally decided that (DUH!!!) there might be something going on... Anyway - the rest of my month of February was pretty much consumed with getting to the hospital anytime I could when there was someone to watch the kids. Dee's fiance, Chris, stayed with us for a while, as did Dad, and Mom on one night. We also got to have Dee's dog, Daisy, here too. Now don't get me wrong, Daisy is a sweet little girl! The boys, specifically Rally, LOVED having her here to play with and the three dogs would tear it up on several occasions. BUT...there is something about a third dog in the house along with two very busy kids that adds just that little extra bit of umph to an already stressful situation! haha Here are a few pictures from February before we move on to March:

Carson would NOT sit still for me this day...so this is the best picture of him I had...

Doesn't Kendall just look so darn cute in overalls and pigtails???

I wish you could see how little Daisy is next to Rally and Chance. For a little perspective...Daisy is around 20 pounds....Rally is around 100...

Chance enjoying a moment of peace, chewing on a stick...

Rally - next to the fort just waiting for someone to play with him!

March

Besides trips to the hospital and back...March was pretty quiet until...

Denise was released from the hospital on the 11th, to go back home on IV antibiotics (thanks to a home health care nurse) until her surgery (which is still undecided even today) was scheduled. So...Jeff and I decided to go with our original vacation plans of leaving for Hilton Head Island on Saturday the 14th...until...

Friday the 13th (so fitting...), Kendall woke up at around 10:30 vomiting...and continued to vomit and dry heave until past 11:30pm. So... we decided to delay our trip and not leave until Sunday the 15th...assuming she was feeling better. Sunday afternoon came, she ate a good lunch, had a good nap and her temp was only around 99.4...so after talking to the other families that we were sharing a house in HHI with, we decided to head on up and left Gainesville around 2:15pm. About an hour before we got there, we noticed that Kendall's cheeks were very flushed and that she had a rash ALL over her body... we decided that it was just part of the flu virus that she had, and would go away eventually. So...we tried to keep her somewhat calm on the 16th...and then...

We noticed that Carson had a temp on the evening of the 16th...so we gave them both Motrin and sent them to bed...then when Kendall woke up on the 17th...her fever was back up to 103.1 and she said it hurt when I took her temperature (we have an ear thermometer)...so...we took her and Carson to the ER at the HHI local hospital (only because nothing was open that early in the morning). Come to find out...BOTH kids tested positive for strep, Carson had an ear infection in both ears, and Kendall...well...we assumed she had an ear infection in her right ear, but because of the waxy buildup - really didn't know. They go in tomorrow morning for a follow up with our pediatrician to make sure everything is looking better... Anyway - after right about 24 hours on antibiotics - both kids started to feel better. Also - thankfully we have some very thoughtful and kind friends, because they encouraged us to stay up in HH and not go home (everyone had already been exposed anyway...). So...

We stayed the rest of the week and got back yesterday afternoon. It was great!!! One day we went to the beach and another we went to some stables and Kendall had her first pony ride, then we got on a boat for a "dolphin" cruise with the kids. All in all - we had a GREAT time!!! Here are a few pictures from March:

The kids have discovered eating an apple without it being cut up. One day I discovered them both outside each with an apple (that I didn't give them...they got it out of the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter via the use of a stool from their bathroom...). It was so cute I just had to get my camera!!!