More News

Today was the Esophogram and things went well. They shot dye into his esophagus and there were no holes in his esophagus and things are open as far as they can tell. They are taking him completely off the paralytic tonight so that his lungs can strengthen up some and see if they can extubate on Friday. If they can then they will do the camera scope again to check the esophagus from the inside and also place a feeding tube in his stomach. If they can't, he will go back onto the paralytic and we will wait another week or so. We are hoping that all goes well and he is out of PICU and in a regular room by this time next week. Happy New Year to everyone, and may you all have fun tonight!!

News

Tomorrow is the big day where we might possibly get some new info!! Dallas and I will be at the hospital by 7 am and plan on being there all day. I talked to the doc today and there is an issue with his right lung. He is having fluid build up and while they don't believe that it is an infection they may still go ahead and put in a chest tube. That decision will also be made tomorrow after his scope. His mouth is looking great though. It is nice and pink and his lips are actually starting to look like lips again!

DJ's Boots

As I said earlier DJ has to wear boots of some sort to support his feet so that he does not have problems later. Last night my mother in law and Dennis bought him some cowboy boots to wear while in the hospital. I think he will like them very much when he wakes up.(Savannah picked them out)

They started oral care today, so his mouth was very raw and sore. He cried a couple of times because of pain, and that was heart breaking, but all in all he seems to be doing alright. They are switching around some of his medications so that hopefully it won't be as hard and traumatic to bring him out of the coma when they need to. We are hoping to have him awake by this weekend, but it could still be several more weeks. The doctors say to hope for the best but expect the worst and that is what we are doing. The Lord has blessed us and we feel that although this may be a long trial all will be well in the end and DJ will be healthy and active again.

The Lighter Side of Life

Many of you have asked how we as a family are doing. We are all coping as best we can. Dallas and I are trying to keep things normal for the girls and let them have some fun. Friday we went sledding with Larry and Angie and these are a few pictures from that. We have learned through other experiences that if you want to survive the trials you must learn to laugh in all types of situations. That is how you keep sane. We want to have good stories to tell DJ when he wakes up, and this will be one of them.

Larry getting ready to go down the hill.


Kenzie jumped on with Dallas and Savannah at the last minute.

She then fell off going down the hill.

Sunday Update

Things are about the same. We are still waiting for Wednesday to roll around. They have reduced the paralytic so that he has a bit more movement in his hands and legs now, and his mouth is looking much better. He did have a small issue with his heart rhythm last night, but they adjusted his medication which stopped the issue. He is going to be wearing cowboy boots part of the time to help prevent drop foot and keep his muscles in his ankles in good shape. He will be happy about the new boots. That is it for now. I will hopefully have new pictures for you tomorrow. Thank you all.

Update

Hello every one. We have just gotten back from the hospital so I thought I would let everyone know what is up. The doc has decided to do another scope on Wednesday for sure. They are trying to get all the way down to the stomach to see if things are good enough to put in the feeding tube. He has had a low grade temp, but nothing out of the ordinary for his type of injury. His lungs were a bit junky last night, but the respiratory tech came in and suctioned everything out really well and he is sounding clear again. They have put him on Lasix to help move some of the fluids he has been holding onto. His hands have been pretty swollen, so I am hoping that it helps. Dallas and I will be heading up again tomorrow to hang out with him. We are looking forward to the time when they can wake him up, but it will be a few weeks before that happens, and the process will not be fun. Thank you all again for your support and prayers!

Pictures of DJ

The top picture is from yesterday and the bottom one is from today. He is resting comfortably and even breathed a few breaths without the ventilator last night. His mouth seems to be healing quickly and the swelling there has gone down quite a bit.

DJ

Some of you may have already heard what has happened to DJ, but for those who haven't here is the news. Tuesday DJ swallowed some drain cleaner while we were fixing the sink and was life flighted to Children's Primary Hospital. He has severe burns to his mouth and esophagus and has been put into a drug induced coma. He is stable and although he is on a ventilator, his lungs sound clear and he will hopefully be able to breath on his own once the swelling has subsided. They will do another scope next week to see how he is healing and to see if any restorative surgery is necessary. I will keep everyone updated via the blog. We appreciate every one's support and prayers. Thank you.

A Little Sanity Please!!

Okay, so today has been a little nuttier than usual. Everyone woke up just a little cranky this morning, which did not bode well, but I got every one off to school or work with very little complaining. The snow started coming down at about ten and at ten thirty Dallas called for me to come and pick him up. HE felt miserable and could not see out of his right eye. So I pick him up and we call the doc and set up an appointment for three o'clock. Meanwhile, my mom callas and says that she is coming by to pick up Ramos because, Surprise ,Surprise, my brother did not come home when he said he would and doesn't know when he will be back. So, I get Ramos ready to go with mom and pray that she doesn't get into an accident on the icy roads. She makes and takes Mos with her, which leaves just me and DJ to ourselves.(Dallas is trying to sleep in the bedroom) I do some dishes and some laundry and then go shovel the drive so that I can get out. I take Dallas to the doctor and it turns out he has strep, and ear infection, and a severe migraine. Several shots and a couple of pills later they send him home with. Now I am taking Savannah over to her Nana's house, where Mackenzie already is, so they can spend the night and the house can be kept fairly quiet. Wish me luck with my sick husband, may his grumpiness be minimal and my compassion be great!

Christmas Lights at Temple Square

Last night Sam (Dallas' dad) and I took all the kids to Temple Square to see the lights. Nena was not feeling well and Dallas had to work. The weather was pretty nice, not to cold, and pretty clear. It was extremely crowded though and it took awhile to find parking. Once we got onto Temple square there was a much calmer feeling and we were able to enjoy ourselves. The girls even got along for the most part. One of my favorite things to see was the nativity scene they have place on the viewing pond in front of the Temple. It reflects back perfectly, and it takes a second to really take in the scene. The kids loved the big Christmas trees made of light at two of the entrances and the pathway of lighted trees. I am so grateful that we are able to be in Utah at this time of year and see such beauty and be reminded of our Saviour at this wonderful place.

Mackenzie's Birthday Party

Last night we had Mackenzie's 13th birthday party. The theme was Twilight, of course, and the result was a group of screaming and drooling teenage girls. We played Twilight Trivia and Guess what Character you are. I picked up some movie trading cards and gave those out as prizes along with some little buttons with sayings from the books on them. Mackenzie loved it.

I on the other hand was sick with the stomach flu, so it wasn't as much fun for me. The decorating wasn't as great as I had wanted to do, but the girls didn't seem to mind. Today is a much better day, mainly because I feel better, but also because the party is over and I have one less thing to do. We are heading up to Temple Square tonight to look at the lights. Hopefully I can get some good pictures to post. I will try my best.TTFN

All the grils gathering around Edward and munching on treats.

Kenzie and Alyssa with the Twilight bag.

Mackenzie got a new Ipod from her Abuela, Grandpa Geoff, and Aunt Amber.

The girls made sure Kenzie got a good taste of her cake!

Thanksgiving

We held Thanksgiving at our house again this year. It was nice to have all the family together and enjoy a good meal and watch a few football games. The women played Scattegories while the football games were on and much fun was had by all.Nena and I went shopping together on Black Friday and I was able to pretty much finish my Christmas shopping. I only have one or two more gifts to buy and of course stocking stuffers. Saturday we went to the light parade and the lighting of the Christmas Village. They had fireworks also, which the little boys just love. Sunday we celebrated Ramos' birthday and spent a little more time with my side of the family. Monday night Dallas, the girls and I went to see the Forgotten Carols at the events center here. I love going every year and even Dallas enjoys himself, although he won't admit it in public. Now we are closing in on my favorite time of year, Christmas. The lights are up and we are going to go to Temple Square on Saturday. We are practicing for the Christmas program, treats will be made and fun will be had! It really is a magical time of year!

More Reception Pics

The Reception

Autumn had her wedding reception in November, and it was beautiful! The reception hall is a large house that they have turned into a hall and they decorated with pictures of Autumn and Evan and with their colors which were Fall colors. I made the cake and it turned out pretty nice. I have know idea how it tasted, but no one fell over and died, so I figure it was decent. Mackenzie was in charge of the guest book, and the rest of us got to visit for awhile. They had a money dance and some of Autumn's dance students performed a routine. It really was a gorgeous night. I am so happy for her and I hope they have a long and happy life together.

ATC Banquet

We spent the weekend for Dallas' ATC in Park City, and it actually turned out to be a really nice trip. Dallas had classes to go to, but I slept in and then went and got my hair done and did a little shopping at the outlet mall. The started at about 5:30 with the reception line and we started dinner about an hour or so later. The food was good this year, and Dallas' office and company won quite a few awards. Dallas won Top GA recruiter in the Battalion which surprised him a great deal, but no one else seemed too shocked. Sunday we hung out at the hotel for a little while, went to breakfast, and then headed into Salt Lake for a few hours. It was so wonderful to get away from everything for just a couple of days, and I felt much better afterward.

Halloween

Halloween was a crazy day. I drove Dallas up to Park City for the ATC. I thought I would be able to check in with him, get my room key and then hurry back to Ogden. Unfortunatly they didn't have our room ready yet, so I had to wait around for a couple of hours. I did make it back before the girls got out of school, and I was able to shop for some shoes for the banquet before we went Trick or treating. We went around our neighborhood and then stopped by Bill and Nena's for some picture opportunities. Afterwards I dropped the kids off at Martha's for the weekend and headed back to Park City.

Savannah was a vampire and DJ was a Red Power Ranger

DJ and Ramos

We went and saw Papa at Aunt Nena' s and Uncle Bill's

We are halfway through the week and I still feel as if it is Monday! It is starting to get dark earlier and earlier and that throws me off completely! This week has been busier than usual, and it will just get crazier from here on out. The girls loved going to Lagoon with my aunt and uncle on Saturday. They went through the haunted houses and tons of rides. Savannah says they weren't that scary, and Mackenzie was freaked out a little by the clowns. She is not a big fan of clowns to begin with and when they are scary clowns for Halloween it makes it worse. I was able to get the house clean and I actually enjoyed about an hour and a half of absolute peace Saturday night. DJ went to bed at 6:30, Dallas had to work, the girls were gone and Ever and Ramos went off to a friends to carve pumpkins. I sat and atched a movie and worked on my singing time lesson for church the next day. It was wonderful. Sunday was the usual.We are getting ready for the primary program in a couple of weeks, so we practiced all of the songs and standing and sitting quietly without collapsing into our seats. It may not sound that difficult, but you try getting a group of kids ranging from 4 to 11 to all stand up and sit down at the same time and not make a ton of noise!My favorite part of the day was choir practice. We got to pull out the Christmas music and that is my favorite thing in the world. I love to sing in the Christmas program, and this year's music is going to be beautiful!





Monday was DJ dental appointment, and it went okay. He sat perfectly still and let them take x-rays and clean his teeth. The bad news is that he has some of the same problems with his mouth that Mackenzie had and has and it is going to cost and arm and two legs to fix. Tuesday was a fun day at school. The kids are getting very excited about Halloween, so my classroom was anything but quiet.Today is the party and I am going to try to remain calm and not worry too much about keeping everything right on time because I know we will run over, but it will probably still drive me a little nutty. Mackenzie went to the orthodontist yesterday and will be getting braces next week. She is thrilled to say the least.

Ouch...That hurts!

It is the end of yet another week and here I am writing another entry. This week was a little different from the usual. The girls went to the dentist on Monday; both had fillings and Savannah had two teeth pulled. Needless to say, they were both pretty numb when we went to dinner at a friends house that night. Kenzie had a better time of it though since she still had all of her teeth. Savannah gave up about halfway through the meal and just took some of her food home. Next week will be the orthodontist for Mackenzie after which I will be comatose from the shock of the price of braces!

My aunt called last night and said that she will be in town this weekend and wants to come by. So now I definitely have to make sure the house is all clean, but the upside is that she is taking the girls to Lagoon for the day, so getting everything done won't be as frustrating.This is the last weekend for soccer which of course makes me happy, but it doesn't mean that life will slow down any. Dallas has to work the rodeo tomorrow night, and I guess the Army has sponsored the Winter Series Rodeos so he will be working most of those.

Martha had gone to Sara's on the East coast for a week and she brought back pictures of my niece and nephew.I haven't seen Emily since she was a baby and I have never seen Carson so it was nice to see how big they have gotten. I wish our families lived closer so that we could visit more often, but for now pictures will have to do.

Carson

Emily

Well, I am off to the land of laundry with a tour of the island of dishes! Hope everyones weekend is a good one!

Life as we Know It

Just a quick post to say hey. Work is going wonderfully, and I really like the kids in my class, which is not always a given. We will have our first holiday party at the end of this month, and I am looking forward to it, but I am also dreading it. Eighteen four year olds with lots of sugar running through their systems! In other news, the girls will be done with soccer next week! Yeah! I haven't had a soccer break since March and I need one. Mackenzie will start up with tennis again next week, and Savannah will just be doing choir and Spanish club through the winter.I am trying to find a good white cake recipe that I can use for Autumn's wedding cake, so if any of you have a good one or know where to find one, please leave a comment!The annual banquet for Dallas' battalion is at the end of this month and I am in desperate need of a new dress. I am trying to be frugal and get one that will work for Autumn's reception and pictures, but so far no luck. I just hate buying a dress I will only wear once! Well, I am done rambling for now.TTFN

Souper Saturday

Today was a very cold and snowy day here in the land northward.It was also a fun day for me. Our ward had it's annual Super Saturday where we have several different lessons, some lunch and of course some fun crafts. This year's theme was back to the basics and we had lessons on things like organization, menu planning, time management, serving others everyday, and keeping our children safe.

We each were able to choose three classes to go to and I chose the organization, menu planning and child safety classes. We talked about how to cook only once a month and freeze your meals for the month. I am not sure if I would be able to do that right of the bat, but maybe I could start out doing two weeks at a time or something. It sounds like an interesting idea, and would probably save me time by not having to figure out what to feed everyone every evening. The child safety class had some good ideas about Internet safety and keeping information about our kids in a safe spot. We received fingerprinting kits for each child in our house and she told us to keep them in our purses and in our cars. She also mentioned having a family home evening about Internet safety and what the rules are for our household. That way our kids know what is expected of them and they also know that it is okay to talk to their parents about things they may come across online. Some of the statistics were a little scary and made me wish we were on an Army Post again.

Lunch was soup, bread, and fresh veggies from gardens around the ward. Afterwards we did several different crafts. I gathered some new FHE lessons, made a cute little soap bottle and painted and glued two very cute little signs for Halloween and the fall season. I got home at about three o'clock and thought I could hang out for the rest of the day, but my family had other plans. They wanted potato soup for dinner, so it was off to the store in the snow and rain for me. I made soup, but I did cheat and buy the bread and a cake for dessert. It ended up being a fairly cozy evening. Dallas was in a wonderful mood because UT had won their game, and Savannah, DJ and I snuggled in my bed and watched Harry Potter. Mackenzie was being a teenager and hanging out in her room listening to the radio and reading Twilight yet again.It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

Mrs. Autumn Roberts

Last Friday my little sister finally got married. She and Evan were married in Las Vegas and Martha and I decided to road trip it. I was able to go to the wedding and see my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, my niece, and my new nephew. It was a crazy time, but alot of fun.

Autumn was absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown, and Evan was handsome of course. They both cried right through the ceremony and you could tell that they were both extremely happy. I am glad that my sister has found someone to spend the rest of her life with, and I hope that one day it will be for all of eternity.

Martha and I did some shopping and walked around the strip a bit before going home. We also got to spend some time with Katy, Stephen and their kids. They had just finished laying down tile in the main room and it looks really nice. Gracie is growing so fast and is beautiful while Jo is still tiny but handsome. I can't wait until we are all together at Thanksgiving time and all of the cousins can play together.

Grace

Joseph
As promised here are pictures of Autumn's wedding. I couldn't take any of the ceremony but I took plenty before and afters.


This is when I first arrived at the chapel before the wedding.


Autumn in her gown.



Here they are saying Hello to Evan's brother and his kids.