Day 6 of this adventure....

The whirlpool debridement treatments are becoming more difficult for Evelyn.  The nerves are growing back, so there is more pain.  Ron her PT is having to cut away the dead material from the wound as she cries and cries.  She doesn't even like the whirlpool part anymore.  I'm having to physically hold her hand down in the water.  It's no longer a fun bubbly bath for her hand  (Bill even uploaded the movie "UP" to his iPod so she would have a distraction today.  It didn't work.)

We knew it was going to be hard this week.  And it has.  I was SO looking forward to tomorrow because I thought these treatments would only be through Friday, But Ron told us today that he was pretty sure we would at least have to do Saturday too.  So it's going to be a long weekend before we get to go back on Monday morning to see the surgeon.

So, to get my mind off of what's to come, here are some pictures of happier moments from this past weekend.  We put a big mitten over her bandaged hand, I found an oversized coat for her, and Porter took her out on the deck so she could play in the falling snow:

catchin' snowflakes on her face

wanting to explore

snowball, midflight, heading straight for Porter's face

Porter is THE BEST big brother to this little girl

A brother's influence

My little brother Bracken is on a mission in Ecuador for our church right now.  He's one of my heroes ... man, I love and miss that kid.

He is without a doubt one of Porter's heroes.  Porter talks about him, without fail everyday.  He acts like Bracken and talks like Bracken - they have the same sense of humor.  They even look alike - blonde hair, great smiles, handsome.

On Porter's birthday last July, Bracken sent Porter a challenge.  He wrote:  "Keep reading the Book of Mormon.  I bet you can't finish it before I get back."  

Porter decided to stick this quote on the wall right above his light switch where he can see it everyday.

Well, my brother comes home this August.

Porter finished the Book of Mormon a few days ago.

And...

...is starting it over again.  Porter told me this week, "Mom, I'm going to show Uncle Bracken.  I'm going to read it twice."

After only a couple days, he's through first Nephi.

I've often wondered how much Porter is getting out of his personal scripture study, especially where he is reading through it quite quickly.  Is he thinking about the things he is reading?  Is he comprehending?  Is he allowing the Holy Ghost to teach?

He fell asleep last night reading.  His light was still on when I went back to his room to make sure he was tucked in.  I found his Book of Mormon with an orange marking pencil holding his spot like a bookmark.  I was curious to see where he was at, so I opened it.  Page sixty- one.  He was in 2 Nephi, chapter 2.

And this is what I found:

Thanks, Brack for inspiring your nephew (and sister).

This book changes lives.

It's changing the life of my son.

He is

-An engineer.  He builds amazing contraptions with his hands.

-Interested in girls

-Wanting a little more freedom with his bed time

-Building a Go-Cart with his dad down in the garage in his spare time

-Drinking milk like no one's business

-Opening the car door for his mother

-Disliking homework

-Helping us solve problems and adds valuable insight at our Sunday morning Family Councils

-Taking the garbage and recycling down so I don't have to

-Becoming extremely proficient at the ukulele

-Getting embarrassed by his parents ("Dad stop singing!!  We're in Walmart!")

-Quite the comedian, always has been.  But right now, learning from the best; Calvin and Hobbes

-Experiencing growing pains (times 100) right now in his ankles, knees and hips  (we took him in to the doctor where they did X-rays and told us his growth plates are inflamed.  I swear every morning when he wakes up, he looks taller)

-Really good at making his sister laugh

-Still holding my hand and giving hugs and occasional kisses  :)

-He is ...

becoming a young man.

(sigh)

An outing

A 4 day weekend...

...makes for a couple fun projects with Porter and Mom:

A cake that was out of this world!

Porter mixed, poured, baked and frosted. (He requested that I help him smooth the frosting at the end.) He spent several minutes throwing the mini chocolate chips on the sides so that they would stick - plus a big 'ol chocolate chip smiley face. Porter was pretty proud of his creation so he ran a piece across the street to Uncle Ed who appreciated Porter's efforts. (The next day, I ran a huge piece to my nephew Wyatt for his birthday so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat anymore. It was really, really, really good.)

And then,

Porter and I worked hard at coming up with a slogan for his upcoming student council campaign. Each candidate can put up one poster in the gym. This is what we came up with:

Porter enjoyed being on the student council in the fourth grade. He didn't run in the 5th. And this year he has decided to run for VEEP against 5 others. He gives his speech over the intercom on Friday morning. He's had a fun week so far and is enjoying himself - and that's all that I ask. He knows to be a good sport whatever the outcome. (I can't help that he got the student government bug from his mother.)

Yeah. The poster makes me crack a smile every time I look at it.

It's so.....Porter.

Missing Her Tonight

On the one year anniversary of my mother-in-law's sudden passing.

This is the last known photo of my mother-in-law. It just happens to be with Porter right before they headed off together for a concert. Two weekends later she was taken from us in an instant.

We miss and love her and cherish our memories of her. And tonight Porter read the words of the hymn 'In Our Lovely Deseret' for us right before family prayer. She whistled it nearly every minute of her day.

We can still hear her whistle.

mi familia

Bill and I have two awesome kids.

One of which got all of my genes, and the other got Bill's.

Through and through.

I've often been told that my kindergarten picture looks like Porter. With pigtails:

And just recently, we have been amazed at the uncanny resemblance that Evelyn has with her pa:

And it wasn't until yesterday, when I was getting ready for church and printing off a copy of this picture for my lesson, that it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is our most recent family picture taken a couple of weeks ago by my sister in my parents backyard. Bill and I are each holding the offspring that looks like us. And for some reason, to me, in this picture, the similarities are striking:

Hey Porter, you may have inherited your mother's genes, but at least my pigtails didn't come along with the package :).

A few favorite moments

From our family's last hurrah this summer to Island Park and Yellowstone National Park:

The 30+ year old tent trailer of Bill's childhood that he inherited this year. Many hours of elbow grease have been put into restoring it in time for our many camping adventures this summer. And I must say, well worth it...already countless memories made.

Pool at Biscuit Basin.

(Bill and Porter watched a young man jump the fence, walk out onto the fragile crust and stick his finger in the water to see just how hot it was.)

Yeah.

Makeshift sulfur mask.

GREAT socks.

Very,

very,

relaxed and contemplative.

5 bear sightings on one of the days we were there....this is one of 3 that we were able to see.

Going for a canoe ride ... in the back of the pickup.

Mud bath.

This masculine beast was the perfect photo-op.

Got to spend one of our days in Yellowstone with my parents. Here we are visiting the fantastic visitor's center/museum at Canyon Village that we love to go to - highly recommended.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

My mom and dad.

The best parents (and chauffeurs) one could ever ask for.

Watching his dad take a picture of the grizzly bear. (I'm thinking he looks rather mysterious and handsome in this picture :) --notice the many survival bracelets he's sportin'...he learned to make them at Scout camp and has made a bajillion of them. Grandma is even wearing hers, but I didn't get a picture.

BUT, there was one little critter out and about that the tourists photographed as much as

the bison,

the geysers,

the bears,

the elk,

and the waterfalls:

She even grabbed the attention of some black-leather clad, weather worn bikers and managed to melt them into a puddle of mush.

They woke up this morning

At the crack of dawn.

And left me.

To go to Scout Camp at Treasure Mountain. (a.k.a. boy-heaven)

And because they share DNA...

They were BOTH,

5:45 a.m.

just a little excited.

My son and his Alexander Hamilton

We ordered Dominoes pizza the other night while my sister-in-law Cathy was visiting. After I placed the order, Bill and I realized the only change we had to tip the pizza guy was 24 cents from my change purse. (I had paid for the pizzas online with my debit card).

Panic.

Thankfully, Cathy came to the rescue with some dollar bills from her purse.

But, as Cathy was handing over the money to Bill, Porter chimed in and said, "Don't worry about it dad. I've got it."

Bill said, "OK" and handed Cathy's money back to her.

When the pizza guy arrived, he gave us our pizzas, and Porter handed him a 10 dollar tip. (Our pizza order was only $15) :)

The nice young man asked if he could give Porter back some change and Porter told him, "No thanks," with a huge smile on his face.

The pizza delivery guy had a huge smile on his face too. I think our 11 year old son might have just made his day.

Homemade....

Chocolate drizzled, vanilla cream stuffed, cream puffs, instead of birthday cake?

I think so!

Way to go Porter- - I'm all about going the unconventional route when it comes to choosing one's birthday dessert.

Happy 11th.

(Mom)