Ice Blocking fun

So it is a miracle I actually figured out how to post these pictures by myself from my email.  I am so proud of myself.   Anyways, the kids and I enjoyed ice blocking with the yw/ym in our ward today.  It was really very fun and we will definitely go again.  Alex was smart and just watched this time.  He is healing well but still trys to be careful.   He did try a few sit ups the other day and was bummed he had a hard time.  He has been going to football practice and has been helping the team.  I am glad they are still including him.

The kids start school tomorrow.  I am really going to miss them.  Usually I am so ready to send them back.  This year is defiantly different.  Maybe I should just home school them all??  Just kidding.  Thank you to all those who have been checking up on me.  I really appreciate it.  I plan to volunteer one day a week at school while Ethan is at preschool.  Hopefully that will help keep me busy.  Plus it will be fun to see the kids at school.

Now if I could just learn how to rotate the picture.  Baby steps right??  Just turn your head a little to the side and it's all good.

So I couldn't resist.  I love this picture.  This is poor little Ryan Kitty.  Believe it or not he actually does like Ethan.  He is a great cat and we really like him a lott (ha ha).  

We have had a lot of fun the last few weeks.  We have gone swimming a few times but the kids have especially enjoyed working in the back yard and digging out trenches and raking dirt and digging ditches.  We are so sorry for them that we are almost done.  Hopefully we will seed on Monday.  It will be so nice to have grass back there.  So if anyone is in need of free child laborers just holler.  My kids would be ever so grateful. 

By the way, we haven't had our share of hospitals and surgeries quite yet so Mike has decided to have his shoulder fixed that has been bothering him for years.  That will be in a few weeks and I just didn't want anyone to find out and think we had another accident.  We will be ok with this one and I am sure Alex will have fun telling his dad to man-up the pain and compare incisions. 

While we were at the consultation with the surgeon, the doctor was messing around with Mike's good shoulder.  He asked him if what he was doing hurt.  Apparently he was dislocating it out the back.  The PA who was in there at the time said he had never seen that done before.  He said if that was his shoulder he would have had to be taken to the operating room to get it put back it.  Crazy.  I guess my husband is made of rubber.  It didn't even hurt him.

Thank you again to all those who continue to keep us in their prayers and remember us. It really means so much that we haven't been forgotten. 

3 Months

Another month has come and gone.  This week I (Mike) had my echocardiogram completed and gave the family a little bit of a scare.  The results weren't "cut and dry" and the cardiologist saw some thicknesses in my heart that were higher than normal.  A cardiac MRI was quickly scheduled and I also had the privilege of doing that this week as well.  The three days in between these tests were a bit tense while we wondered if I had something similar to Ryan.  Fortunately we received goods news on Thursday that there was no abnormal heart tissue.  I will probably need an echo more often than the recommended 5-year interval for adults just to monitor things.  Here are a few pictures from the last week or so of things we've been up to.

Tonight at the cemetery

Adam's first catch

Each of the kids climbing the wall at the Cache County Fair

Alex gave it his best effort, but the harness was really hurting his stomach and he had to come down.

Ethan abandoned this method after the first couple frames.  He started just chucking it down the lane.

He was so happy to beat Jaime (the bumpers helped a bit though).

No more gauze Yeah!!!

Alex had another doctors appointment today.  He was was given the ok to swim and do normal things again.  He still needs to be careful and gradually work up to things he could do before.  I also do not have to pack his incision anymore.  Yeah.  We were both excited about that.  We go back in another two weeks to make sure it is completely healed and then I think he is good. 

He was so excited to be able to go and swim in the neighbors pool today.  He also wanted to play dodge ball at young men's tonight.  I told him he was crazy.  Thank goodness the leaders had common sense like me and he watched.  It was good to see him on the basketball court moving faster than an old man and trying to make some baskets.  I am sure he will conveniently be slow and sore tomorrow when I ask him to unload the dishwasher or something.  Just kidding.  I am still taking it easy on him.  He only has to unload the top so he doesn't have to bend down.

Last week the kids and I and my parents went to Antelope Island and had a fun time driving around and looking for wildlife.  It was a hot day but with the windows down there was a breeze and it felt great.  About ten years ago Mike and I drove up from Cache Valley and took  Ryan and Alex to Antelope Island.  It was about a thousand degrees and we didn't see a single animal.  The boys did enjoy a short swim in the fly infested water.  Gross!!  As you can see we really didn't have fun then and so we never visited it when we actually lived in Syracuse.  This time we saw a few lone buffalo.  We even had one get within ten feet of our vehicle and then cross the road in front of us.  It was exciting.  We saw a few pronghorn antelope and from a distance a herd of about 100 buffalo.  We had a lot of fun and plan to go back again- this time much sooner than ten years.  Ethan can't stop talking about it.

Thanks again to all who continue to show us they care.  Even though you might not know what to say when you see me, I really do appreciate those who do ask me how I am doing.  It is sinking in more that Ryan is gone so the continued support really does help.

 Hope you all have a happy and safe summer.  Spend it with those who mean the most to you and don't forget to take pictures.  You can never have to many.

Lotts of Love,
 Catherine and family

P.S.   I will have Mike attach some pics soon as I still don't know how.  He had shown me, I just didn't pay attention.

Happy Summer

Today I had my echo-cardiogram.  I am happy to say I have a healthy heart.  Mike has his appointment in a few weeks.  I am sure he will be fine.  He had his heart checked out about 5 years ago and was given a clean bill of health as well.  Ryan most likely had a mutated gene and that is where he got his condition.  There is still a chance that one of us carries that gene and it just hasn't shown up.  Regardless, we will still be rechecked in the future to make sure.  I also got the results today concerning Ethan's extra heartbeat and it is normal.  What a relief.

Alex is regaining strength daily.  Last week another drainage hole opened up.  He was depressed about that.  I still have to keep gauze in them but the first one is much smaller now so that is promising.  He goes back to the doctors next week and will continue to go back until it quits draining.  Last week we went to Wal-mart and he thought it was pretty fun to drive around the motorized cart.  Boy do they go slow.  It was pretty funny and I have a cute picture I will post later. (Ok, I don't know how to post pictures.  I will have to have Mike do it.  I barely just learned how to post my own blog entry.)  Alex has regained the weight he has lost because he is living on candy.  He keeps telling me he is craving peanut butter m&m's.  What is he pregnant??  Alex went fishing with my dad on Saturday.  They didn't catch anything but had a lot of fun.  It was good for Alex to get out of the house.  We then made him go to church on Sunday.  He put up a little stink but we told him if he felt good enough to fish he could feel good enough to go to church.  Aren't we mean??

Saturday while Alex was fishing Mike and I and the little ones were in Newton for the 24th celebration.  The kids had fun swimming in tons of bubbles.  The fire department uses the hoses and some sort of foam and the kids have a blast.  Poor Adam's eyes were so red afterwards but he had had so much fun.  (I have pictures of this as well.)

Thank you again to all those who continue to reach out to us.  You really make a difference in our lives.  Your prayers and thoughts give us strength to move forward.  I know that if we continue to do the things we have been commanded- family home evening, scripture study, going to the temple, family prayer- our family will be protected from the evils of the world.  This doesn't mean we won't have trials.  It only means we will have the courage and strength and help to make it through them.  What a wonderful promise this is to all of us.

Hope you all enjoy a happy and safe summer.   Love, The Lotts

Lott's of fun this week

Alex's follow-up appointment went very good.  He is still draining and I have to keep adding the gauze, but only 1/2 - 1 inch of it.  Yeah for both of us.  He still has to take it easy for a few more weeks and cannot swim.  He is getting a little stir crazy and I am glad he is able to be up and about a little more now.  He gets bored playing Xbox and then still manages to play it for a few more hours without blinking.  He is living off of all the candy and treats that everyone has been giving him and is frustrated I won't let him eat sugar cereal all day.  What a mean mom I am. 

We are enjoying our new kitties.  They are super cute.  I do have to admit I favor the orange one a little.  What can I say, it even has the laid back personality like Ryan.  We are trying to teach Ethan how to be gentle.  Wish us luck.  One of our other cats is totally freaked out from him to this day.

Speaking of Ethan, look what he learned on Sunday.  He's not even four yet.  He is an accident waiting to happen.

Adam has been taking a tumbling class this summer.  He loves it.  I put him into it because for awhile when ever I would ask him to come to me he would proceed to do summersaults to me.  Talk about drive me crazy, even though it was cute.

We welcomed some new members into our family today.  We have new baby pygmy goats.  Their names are Harry and Lloyd.  Yep, Dumb and Dumber.  I couldn't resist.  We had planned on getting goats before Ryan died and these are actually the names he came up with.  It was done in his honor and it brings a smile to me.  They are super cute and friendly.  I love to watch them jump all around while I am doing the dishes.  Tomorrow we will take them on a walk.  It will be fun to see the looks we get from people.

Thank you again for all the little things that continue to be done for us.  It really means so much.

Love, Catherine

P.S.   Mike would be so proud, I didn't write a novel this time.   Hee Hee!!!  Ok, well sort of.

 

Reflections

I found a few minutes today to finish a project that's been going on since the funeral - to write up my talk and think about the events that have transpired in the last two months.

I never took the opportunity to write everything down I had meant to say.  So after the funeral, I had no documentation on what it was I'd spoken about during the funeral service.  Grandma Jeri saved the day with a partial transcript and an audio recording of my thoughts from the funeral.  I've finished transcribing them and have made it available (for the two or three of you who may be interested) by following this link to a PDF.  Don't get too excited, only my remarks are in this document.

I've been reflecting on the thought that Ryan's earthly mission is over, but we still have much to do.  I've been thinking often of the Lott family and the many others who have struggled recently with health issues.

It's the reflections that allow us to appreciate the things around us.  From Poland, 2006.

Our neighbors, for example, who nearly lost their baby daughter in a tragic fall, or Jamie Lamb Hilton, who also suffered a potentially deadly fall.  I think also of Stacy Bingham, who I grew up with in Trenton, and the three children she has with severe heart conditions.  One who's had a heart transplant, one on the list for a new heart, and one being medicated so he hopefully doesn't end up on the list. Or little McKennlie from Hooper.  And many others who could just use a little encouragement.

I'm confident that there will come a day when we'll understand why bad things happen to good people and why many suffer and some are taken in their youth, but until then we live by faith. 

As President Hinckley reminded us, may we strive to stand a little taller, and be a little kinder, and reach out a little more to those in need, because of Ryan and his example.

Even rainbows reflect on things from time to time (our house last year).

Two months

Yesterday was two months since our sweet Ryan’s passing.  We remembered him by wearing orange.  Thank you to those who joined in and did the same.  It really means so much to our family that he is still being remembered.  We even noticed perfect strangers joining in and wearing orange.  How sweet of them.  My new favorite color is orange.  I even caved and allowed Jaime to become the owner of a new little orange kitten, who happens to be named Ryan.  We didn’t want Ryan Kitty to be lonely so his little sister Texie came also.  Just for the record we do like orange things but I will draw the line.  I do not want any orange snakes, lizards, tarantulas or sharks… even if you name them Ryan.  Someday I do think it would be fun to have an orange car, hint hint.  In the evening we ate dinner as a family at Ryan’s grave and set off balloons.  A sweet little old man was there visiting his wife and was kind enough to take our picture.  Later at home, we tortured ourselves by watching the video of Ryan that was shown at the gathering.  At one point Ethan said, “Why is everyone crying?”  Later Adam stated, “This sucks.  This is crap.”  We are doing very well.  Our lives will never be the same but we continue to feel comforted.  Thank you again for all those who continue to love us and pray for us.  You truly are a blessing in our lives.

                                                          Jaime and Texie and Ryan Kitty

I received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers today.  I was surprised to see they were from our health insurance company.  I guess they are just being nice before they give us the boot.  Just kidding.  They have actually been very good to deal with.  I am sure they are really from the heart and I am very thankful.  Sorry Mike, they are the prettiest flowers I have ever gotten.

Alex is doing pretty good and hopes to be able to walk on his own soon.  Just kidding.  He was messing around at the medical suppy store.  He can’t wait to be able to do things other than sit on the couch and watch tv and play Xbox.  I will remind him of this in a few weeks when he is not happy I won’t let him play it more.  I took him for a checkup a few days ago.  The doctor poked all around him.  It was pretty hard to watch and it hurt him.  I had to look away a few times as the q-tip explored all around.  He drained quite a bit and bled.  It was gross.  Then the doctor proceeded to pack the little hole (about the size of a pencil eraser) with 8 inches of ¼ inch gauze.  I was then told I would have to remove it and then repack it myself.  What!!!!!!  Well, I am proud to say that I have become quite the nurse.  With the help of my parents I got 4 inches in my first time.  I am supposed to change it twice a day and put at least 3 inches in each time.   Alex is so brave.  Once again we have lots of video and pictures for those interested.  We are used to it now and it’s fun to gross everyone out.  Alex likes to stand up and then we just watch it drain and drain.  I still like to tease Alex by asking him, “On a scale of 1 to 10 what is your pain level?”  He was so sick of being asked that by all the nurses at the hospital.

We had a little more excitement here tonight.  We had a huge wind and rain storm.  Mike and I were watching Adam and Ethan running around in the rain on our driveway.  We saw a flash of light from a distance.  I thought it was a firework.  It then didn’t go away.  I told Mike I thought a power line had caught on fire.  We got in the car and drove a block and saw the power line on fire.  A transformer had blown.  I called 911 and a fire truck came and put out the blaze.  Ok, it wasn’t very big.   It was a little bit exciting though.  We got to chat with the firefighters for a moment.  They did say it was good we had called or it would have burned a little more and the line would have fallen.  Glad that didn’t happen.  Adam and Ethan thought it was pretty cool, and I admit Mike and I thought so as well.

                                             Thank you again to everyone.  We love you all.