Faye's Slumber Party

Faye turned 7 this past week! Her birthday was on Saturday November 24th, but had her first slumber party on the 23rd. She and her friends were so excited that they slept maybe 5 hours that night. They kept waking up and talking, whispering, laughing, and telling stories. Some were scary stories and they kept coming into my room exclaiming that there was a man outside our house-the Grim Reaper! They all woke up around 4 am and just couldn't get back to sleep.

They had fun. I will never have another mass slumber party again. It was alot of work and you'll never get any sleep!

So I've posted some photos.

Devon wasn't able to be my helper this weekend because his grandmother had died and attended her funeral in Preston, ID.

Faye was upset when she heard this news.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cole/Poole family. We hope you feel god's love and peace during this time of grief.

Sonia XXOO

Cast Away

I'm happy to report Andrew has his cast off!! wooooohoooooooo!

I'm also noticing a huge improvement in his attitude, which is big for me. He smiles and laughs and his just glad. He is experiencing a bit of soreness, itchiness and skin irritation-all normal according to the doctors.

We have a couple of more weeks of cautiousness-making sure he won't fall down the stairs or get pummelled by the dog-so that he doesn't break his leg again.

But he can take baths-HALLELUJAH!- and swim and next week he can try to stand! I'm so pleased let me tell you.

I'm also getting ready to take a long trip with Devon across many oceans and continents to visit my husband's parents in Australia. They are serving a mission for our church and we are truly excited to see them in action! It will be summer there, so I'm looking for some summer outfits that -ah hem-fit. I can't wait to see them and visit Brisbane! I want to see a kangaroo, the great barrier reef, see the temple...so much to do!

So that will be after Thanksgiving. And after Faye's birthday....one thing after another huh?

Love you all, Sonia XXOO

Andrew in the News

Hi All!

Andrew was featured in Wauwatosa NOW last week when a photographer came to take photos of the students participating in a Teddy Bear picnic. No doubt he was singled out because of his cast, although you can't see it in this picture. Hope you enjoy! He is adorable!

Sonia XXOO

So You Think You Can Dance

As part of Faye's birthday, I bought tickets to go see the SYTYCD Tour. Faye and I went to the Bradley Center and watched our favorite dancers dance on stage. It was really good! We saw some old dances and some new dances. We also got popcorn and a pretzel to share. Unfortunately, it was late and a school night, so Faye and I left at intermission and rode the bus home. We got in at 10pm and Faye went straight to bed.

Maybe we would have enjoyed it more if she was a bit older. And maybe she'd enjoy it more if she wasn't so tired! Either way, we loved to watch the dancing. We have that both in common.

Sonia XXOO

New Hair Cut

Well,

I had a good friend of mine cut my hair. I was in the mood for a change and this is exactly what I needed. Thanks to Sarah my hairstylist-friend for giving me an updated, funky look. I no longer look like frumpy mummy, but trendy and cute! So what do you think?

Sonia XXOO

November news

Hey All!
So Andrew will get his cast off on Friday November 16th! We are all so excited! He is going to have it cut off, x-rayed and then we'll find out if he'll need another one on, or if he'll be fine without it! I'm so glad that we'll be able to get him in a bath and in the pool. Something fun to do!
Faye's 7th birthday is coming up! I will be taking her to the "So you think you can dance" tour in Milwaukee and she and I are really excited. I can't believe she will be seven! She will be having a sleepover for her party too. It is the weekend of Thanksgiving, so I don't know how many girls can come, but even if one girl shows she will be happy.
I'm adding a photo like I promised. I didn't end up wearing a costume instead I dressed up. Tell me what you think. This is taken at the Trick or Treating at the Medical College on Halloweeen.

Later, Sonia XXOO

Been A While

So I thought it would be easier keeping in touch with everyone with a blog, but it really hasn't. And since I rarely get a chance to get online, my family has been kept in the dark about our happenings. Sorry about that!
Andrew is still in his cast and is keeping me busy. He doesn't like to be alone and when he happens to be watching movies or playing with something, he makes a terrible mess. You know I think he does it to get back at me for being stuck in a cast and not doing what he really wants. He is getting restless and frustrated not being able to get around. Which I understand. So I have been more patient than usual. But I'm tested every day and sometimes I feel like I've had it.
I have been out of the house a handful of times since his accident. Devon and I take turns leaving so we can get some shopping and errands done. A few times we've gone out as a family with many regrets for having done so.
We enjoyed one night away last weekend with the help of friends, which was really enjoyable.
The seasons are changing and it is beautiful to be outdoors. Last night we went trick or treating in our neighborhood and it was a beautiful night. The moon was bright and the sky clear. There were tons of families out and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. Andrew was able to ride in his wheelchair from door to door. Devon did a terrific job driving him around in it.
I am looking forward to Halloween being over. I have had candy wrappers all over the house for the past few days. And there are still two more Halloween events to attend! Andrew is the worst, because he can't go anywhere so he just throws wrappers everywhere.
Here's a shout out to our October Birthday folks- Rebecca, Lisa, Tiffiny, Darren, maybe lisa Tremblay? I'm bad about birthdays on my side. Happy Birthday to you all.
So I will post a picture soon of their costumes? Until then, stay happy.

Sonia XXOO

Andrew is Hurt

A lime green cast-the hip spica cast-and a broken femur. Andrew got hit by a car Wednesday morning. A bad day for him, us and the driver. But now, several days later, we can really thank God for his life and his recovery.

I think Devon and I have told the story hundred's of times, but for everyone to hear and see, I will retell it again. So that you know how lucky we are that he is still alive, at home and on the road to recovery:

Tuesday morning, after Andrew woke up and not seeing his Dad, insisted that he walk the dog with Dad the next morning. True to our word, Devon woke him up at 6am Wednesday morning to walk the dog. He stayed in his pajamas, put on a jacket and sandals and went outside. This particular morning was dark, and as usual there was lots of traffic in front of our house.

Cooper is in the habit of waiting for Devon to release him across the street so that he can use the bathroom and play catch. He, however was more excited this day and ran across the street without warning, Andrew running after him. There was a bus passing, so no one saw the car on the other side going the other direction. The driver, Efron was as startled as Andrew and stopped quickly, but not in enough time. Andrew was hit; to our relief, he never lost consciousness and was crying and yelling the whole time. Also, he was moving his head and waving his arms, wanting Dad to pick him up. Devon scooped him up and he and the driver came into the house. We got the information from the driver and right away I drove Andrew and Devon to the Children's ER. They stayed there and I went home to get the girls up for school.

The girls were scared and sad about Andrew. Grace said "Andrew is in Heaven" but I assured her he wasn't dead, but that he was really hurt. Faye was upset and kept asking," Why did Andrew run into the street?" as if he should know better and why would he cause her such pain in doing such a dumb thing.

With the help of friends and neighbors, the girls went to school, and I went back to the ER to stay with Devon and Andrew. Andrew looked bad, and neither Devon and I knew what was going to happen. They had taken x-rays of his leg and they showed a fractured femur. It made me cry at how badly it was broken, and how much pain Andrew must be feeling. He is so little! No child should ever feel that kind of pain! Devon and I had to comfort each other, we realized that we could have lost him, and that his injuries could have been so much worse.

That afternoon Andrew was admitted to the hospital. They put him in traction and then went to surgery for a cast. He had a closed-reduction procedure, which did not require any pins or cutting and was then put in a cast-lime green, his choice. After surgery he didn't feel very good, so they gave him a narcotic for pain and Valium for the muscle spasms.

Devon had a long night in the hospital and I went and got the girls from a friend's house and came home. We all slept together that night and had many prayers for Andrew.

The next day, since he seemed good, the pain was under control of meds and the trauma team released him from their care, he was good to go home. He came home, much to my relief and slept. He was glad to be home too. The doctors kept asking him the same questions over and over again, and the nurses kept checking vitals; now that he was home he could actually rest.

They delivered a wheelchair, which he really enjoys, and everyday has been better and better. We try to keep him happy and busy.

He will be in his cast for three weeks. His follow-up with Dr. Lyon the orthopedic surgeon will be next Monday and then we will find out what will happen in the coming weeks. For now, we will stay with him and hope for the best.

I pray continually for Andrew to heal. I am amazed at Andrew's faith. When he experiences pain, he asks for us to pray for him. I pray and thank God for my friends and family who have given me strength and comfort and I am overwhelmed with the love and service provided by so many.

If you are reading this, I hope you know that I love Andrew and are grateful he is my son. Devon and I are grateful to have our family. This bad thing has brought us closer together as a family and has really prioritized our time and activities.

Thanks to everyone for your help. We really appreciate it. God Bless you. Until next time,

Sonia XXOO

School Days

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd write a little something about the kids today. They aren't here right now. They're actually in school! Grace and Andrew started Junior Kindergarten last week. They like it! Grace already knew one of her classmates since last year, Janessa, and Andrew is slowly meeting more kids. He is shy and came home the first day thinking that he didn't have to go back until next week. I woke him up early the next morning and said "time for school". He answered saying, "But I already went to school yesterday!" Getting up early everyday is new for them. They are too small for their backpacks. Here is a photo of them on the first day of school.

Since I don't have a photo of Faye's first day..I was on the other side of the school with the twins..I will show a photo of Faye riding her cousin Abi's Bike in Utah. It was one of the new things she learned this summer. She loves riding her bike. And eating salads.

Sonia

Sorry its been a while since my last entry. I have been really busy AND out of town. In fact I've been busy while out of town. The three munchkins and I went to visit family in Utah this past week. I always try to make it out to visit my sister and brother in-law in Salt Lake City. This time we arranged our visit around the Soldier Hollow Sheep Dog Championship, which in hindsite wasn't the best timing because school started for my nieces and nephews the week before and we missed our open house where we were supposed to meet our new teachers, classrooms and picture day. We managed though, through the chaos and had a FABULOUS time.

Not only were we able to see Tiffiny, Lee and their adorable brood, we spent some quality time with Darren, Lisa and Elizabeth up in Cache Valley. It was absolutely a treat to visit at this time. The kids and I enjoyed the harvesting of the crops, hay and corn, to be more specific, and also to move pipe (not manually, thank goodness!) and to see some spectacular views from Willow Flats. Late at night the grown-ups stayed up talking about Preston, growing up and I learned some invaluable information about Devon. Darren is a wealth of knowledge concerning his older and sometimes stubborn brother. So far I haven't had to use it against him! Also, we talked about Darren and Lisa: "the early days"-they are so sweet together. We had a hard time getting to sleep, we had so much fun.

Also, we visited with our favorite aunt Linda who is talented beyond words with photography and an enthusiastic attitude despite her recent surgeries. She will be celebrating her birthday coming up soon so our thoughts are with her. I hope you have a blast this year, Aunt Linda. We LOVE you! Her daughter Lisa, her husband Gene and their baby Coleton was there too. It was great to hear about her fabulous life as an optometrist and mommy in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Check out her website at: http://www.eyecareidaho.com/ She is totally cool and beautiful, isn't she?
Grandma Cole was close by at the Franklin County Nursing Home, so we stopped by. She was having a good day, because we sat and talked with her briefly. Briefly because I had three squirmy children who wouldn't sit still or stop fighting with each other. She was grateful we came by, but next time I would prefer to leave the little "darlings" at home. All she could do was laugh at the screaming kids and assured me that she understood. After all she is a mother of nine children herself. We gave and recieved lots of hugs and kisses (my favorite) and said goodbye. She is a tremendous woman.
Logan was a special treat because we got to spend the afternoon with Great grandma LuJean. "Great" because she happens to be Devon's grandmother, but especially because the kids had a BLAST at her apartment in Logan. They got to play with her toys, which were sprayed all over her living room floor. By lunch time the room was a disaster. Then we ate pizza, had delicious jello with fruit in it and whipped cream and also cookies! The kids were in heaven. Children can only last for so long on good behaviour, so by the end when we were taking them around to visit Grandma's friends, they started making rude statements like, "you're old" and "your skin is full of wrinkles" and I as horrified as I can be, kept apologizing for them. Then the girls started wandering into her friend's bedroom closets and touching precious and delicate items. I was ready to pinch them for their cheekiness. Luckily Grandma's friends were understanding. I got the girls out of there quickly though. All in all, it was a fun time and grandma LuJean was able to show off her great-grandkids to her friends. Lizzie was there of course and was such a good baby. Lisa was busy though, making sure Lizzie didn't swallow one of a thousand small toys left around by my kids. She probably didn't have much fun there. But I loved that she was there. She was the understanding and calm one. I appreciated it. Grandma LuJean loved it too.
The last thing I'll mention about the visit to Grandma LuJean's is the fun we had playing dominoes. Andrew won both times and is now one of my kids favorite games to play.
Then we got back to Salt Lake City and our events were a blurr as the time went by so quickly. Some time in there we ended up going to liberty Park, visited our dearest friends and neighbors Teresa and Aaron Millet and their little munchkins, and went to a car show where I found my favorite car in the whole world. It is a convertible belvidere, 1951 I think. It looks like a total chick car, ready for a drive to the coast don't you think?

We also spend a couple of hours heading up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Donut Falls. It was amazing in the summer as it was in the winter. Only thing is you can't reach the top in the summer as you can in winter. Tiffiny says that in the Spring the waters are much higher and keeps you from reaching even the place we stopped at. I must come and visit in the Spring some time. I bet its amazing to see a raging rivir instead of the summer spring that we experienced.
Also it is worth mentioning that I was delighted to meet and visit with my other sister-in-laws while in SLC. Tammy who has moved up to Layton, UT from St. George with her husband and baby was able to come down to SLC with her daughter Francesca. I like to call her Franca like my mother's aunt, but Tammy prefers to call her Franny. Either way, she is a cutie whatever you call her and she loves animals and exploring and I can tell she will be a smart kid when she grows up. Perhaps an adventuresome grown-up like her mom and dad. Who knows?

Tina had a birthday on the 30th and we got to spend time with her too. I met with her kids and it was nice seeing them all, except of course for Kyril, who wouldn't even say hi to me or look me in the eye around his friends. This is because apparently he is now a "teenager" and too cool to say hi to his aunt and cousins. Of course I was hurt, but I will get over it. I hope he gets over his attitude too. To Kyril, I am your aunt and I love you. I missed seeing you too. Next time I see you, I will expect a hi and a smile. If not I will publicly hug and kiss you, and call you my sweet bubba-kins. Even if its in front of your "cool" friends. Beware!

Anyways, I did have a good time in Salt Lake Valley.
Things I will miss most: Nightly walks with amazing views into the valley. Joking with Lee and Tina. Seeing my family whenever I want. Seeing the temple at night. Walking my niece and nephew to school. Cleaning Lee and Tiffiny's house. Seeing the kids play on the trampoline. The mountains. Cache Valley. My old neigbors. McKenze. Franca. Utah.

Until next time,

Sonia XXOO

Boy Scout Camp

Devon pulled two trailers on the trail





Hi Everybody!


My mother-in-law had written in an email that she had wanted to see pictures of Devon's 175-mile bike hike with the scouts this past June. I thought that I would display them here in my blog. He and the boys spent five days riding bikes to camps and doing service. They saw wildlife, visited cool places and worked really hard. Harder than they had ever worked before, or so they've said in their retelling of their summer camp adventure. Our family, including Devon's sister Tiffiny joined them for the last 30 miles back home. It was a hot day, but having good company was a plus.






Love, Sonia XXOO

Rainy Day Dancing

This morning the kids and I woke up to drizzle and drear. So we decided to smoke our eyes and take fashion photos and dance ourselves into a frenzy. It was a blast. Andrew made himself useful by pouring cereal into a bowl and onto the table, chair and floor. While that wasn't really fun, dancing to Hilary Duff and Hannah Montana was. Faye is enamoured with Hilary Duff's song, "Stranger" and wishes to dance and dress like Hilary in her music video. I think she likes the fact that the song has a good beat and she looks like a gypsy with all the jewels on her face and flowing outfit. Faye has asked me to sew her a costume like Hilary's. I consented as long as she realized I must modify it a bit to be modest. Luckily she's fine with that!

Well, I would add Faye's music video, but I don't know how to yet. So for now you'll just have to view the girl's fashion photos. Hope you like them. They had fun with hair and make-up. They're both natural posers.



Sonia XXOO

Country Road in Front of me

Last week, late in the night our road was paved over with tar and then pelted with gravel. Now I'm not sure why they did such a thing-perhaps they were trying to save money, or they wanted to fix the road quickly-I don't know why. All I know is that for a week now during the peak hours of traffic (we happen to live on a very busy street across from Freodert (Fray-dirt) Hospital) we get this dust cloud that hides our views and covers our car, home and lungs with a dirty, gritty residue. And when it gets too hot, and the gravel is all driven off the road, the tar splashes onto our cars and smells like hot burning rubber. It is worse than construction. You know why? Because at least there's some hope of the project finishing (except for maybe NYC and Boston). But for us? I think this is going to stay!

All I can say is LuAnn...I understand exactly how you feel now. (You'll know what I mean)

I never thought I'd be looking at a country road in the middle of a city.

Sonia XXOO

Saturday Morning

So many of you noticed that I write my entries pretty early in the morning. Even on today on Saturday I'm up early writing to you. I have never really been a morning person, yet lately I've had to wake up early to bring Devon to the hospital. He gets up around 4:30 am to walk the dog and get ready. I get up somewhere in the 5-ish hour, depending how my night's sleep was. Driving him there and back although it only takes about 10 minutes total gets me up and alert. If it were up to me, I'd go back to sleep right when I get home, but guess what? I come home and there are no running, loud children disturbing my peace! It is a beautiful, quite, calm time and I can't get enough of it! I have usually two-and a half hours from the time I get home until the time the kids wake up to do whatever I please. Lately I've been reading the New Testament and walking for 30 minutes. I feel really good in the mornings and I enjoy the time to myself. I must prepare mentally for the the day ahead, and that includes what I'll be doing, what I'll be eating, and how to handle myself when the kids get challenging.. The kids get pretty roudy around dinner time and that's usually when they are pretty tired and cranky, and so am I.
I try to have a treat or so for us to look forward to at night so that we can all wind down and prepare for sleep. The kids are eating like teenagers lately and they can't get enough to eat! So I let them have a second snack after we read our nighttime stories. Tonight it will be hot chocolate and graham crackers. I look forward to that because I put a little chocolate spread on my crackers. It is so yummy!
And you know, Andrew and Grace are morning people too. When they were babies, it doesn't matter what time you'd put them to bed, they were always up at 6 the next morning. Thank goodness they are sleeping in now. What a treat! Faye would sleep until noon if I let her. She reminds me alot of my sister, Melanie. She is a night owl. She will stay up late and sleep in late. Poor Faye, she is going to have a hard time when School starts again! It takes time to adjust to a new, early schedule. I know, I've had to do it...

First Attempt

Okay, so I had written this lengthy and detailed message about my family, and then I closed my browser and lost it all! So I won't be so careless this time around.
I wanted to introduce you to my family since this is my first time blogging and wasn't sure who all would be viewing this. So here it goes again:
Devon is my husband and I am Sonia. We have been married for eight years. We were married in the Logan LDS Temple in Logan, Utah. We met at BYU-Provo.
We have three children. Faye is six and a half years old and Andrew and Grace are four years old.
Faye was born in Provo, Utah. She loves to draw and swim. Her favorite thing is mermaids. She will start first grade in the Fall.
Andrew is five minutes older than his sister, Grace. He was born in Sandy, Utah on St. Patrick's Day. He loves to hang out with Dad and he is my #1 helper. He loves swords and swimming.
Grace is the second of the twins. She loves to perform, mainly dancing. She makes friends easily and is kind to animals and children. She loves anything to do with fashion. She and Andrew will start Junior Kindergarten in the Fall.
Our family has been living in Milwaukee WI for the last three years. We moved from West Valley City, Utah for medical school. This is Devon's third year. I am a stay-at-home mom and have been busy with lots of different things. I love to cook. I have been dabbling in sewing and scrapbooking. I LOVE to organize and clean. In the Fall I look forward to helping in the children's school and doing some volunteering. It will be fun.
Well, I hope this is the first of many postings. I hope you enjoy reading it from time to time. With all this technology it is a blessing that we can reach so many of our family members and friends throughout the land. We are thinking of you often. Much Love and God Bless,

Sonia, Devon, Faye Grace and Andrew XXOO