tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78179491364678812012024-03-13T10:50:05.857-07:00Hepworth FamilyJennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-71538068607844970612017-11-11T15:51:00.000-08:002017-11-11T15:51:42.031-08:00My family VineyardIn 2Nephi 33: 3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
I know this one was from last week’s scripture reading but it ties into another scripture from this week that really meant a lot to me. Which is Jacob 5: 47 But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have note nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into my fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?
When my son went through the temple before he left on his mission my husband, his Dad, opted not to be at the temple. This was a lonely time for me. My family lives out of state, and my parents were unable to come because my Dad had recently had knee replacement surgery. I felt as though I was a failure in my vineyard.
My second child also is inactive in the church. It is so discouraging, and many times I have had tears watering my pillow by night because of the way things are. I have tried to do everything I can to encourage my son and my husband to want to come to church, but ultimately, they have their free agency, and so far they haven’t had a desire to return.
However, in the allegory of the Olive tree I found hope. In Jacob 5: 50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer. Now as a mother and I wife these verses have new meaning to me, and I will be patient and spare it a little longer.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EA71lbhaiqyAVd3PgYjH4hBxcp4N6WWIMcomDqSG-kPi3GBxPyKFC8o66zxcNz3oJDslJZC_vzt1xmm3Uk6nuGRne7KTyla1zRRr00CSyvZuKTImdYcsLv6WkhCq-Y-r2HrLAz9-WRU/s1600/0E7A8448.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EA71lbhaiqyAVd3PgYjH4hBxcp4N6WWIMcomDqSG-kPi3GBxPyKFC8o66zxcNz3oJDslJZC_vzt1xmm3Uk6nuGRne7KTyla1zRRr00CSyvZuKTImdYcsLv6WkhCq-Y-r2HrLAz9-WRU/s200/0E7A8448.jpg" width="200" height="124" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="991" /></a>Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-33156432174975960832017-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:002017-05-16T12:39:00.888-07:00Road BlockA few weeks ago I was just getting ready to paint and our power went out. It was the middle of the day, it had been raining, and it wasn't very light in the house. At first I didn't want to paint in the dark, but as my eye got accustom to the dark I decided I could do it. A few hours went by and I needed to leave to pick my kids up from the bus stop (it is 3 miles from my home). One side of the garage was open so I decided to take our big van so that I didn't have to try and open the other side.
As I drove up the road, I could see some police lights at the intersection were I needed to turn. I could see that there were some power lines down. I decided that rather than turning around to go around the block I would just turn and take a shortcut through the field that was near the intersection. As I was traveling part way through the muddy field I see the Sheriff roll down his window and motion for me to do the same. He told me the field was private property and I couldn't use it for my shortcut. I had to turn around. I told him I had used the short cut before and had even followed a school bus through the field. I also mentioned that if I had to turn around I would get stuck in the mud. He wasn't deterred so I had to turn my big van around. I had almost made it but at the last stretch I was completely stuck. I didn't know what to do. I called my son and asked him to go a different route to pick the kids up from the bus stop, and then I told him I might call him back if I needed him to help me get out of the mud.
Eventually the sheriff decided that he could help me. He pulled out what looked like a bran new tow rope and I had to hook it onto the van. As he was helping me he said "didn't you see the lights?" I said "yes, but I needed to get down that road to pick my kids up." I could tell he thought I was a complete air head driving around his road block.
I have thought a lot about this situation since it happened. I know there have been numerous times where I have encountered "invisible" road blocks in my life. Sometimes pride has prevented me from making the smart move and just turning around. Have there been times when someone has had to come and rescue me from invisible mud that I have gotten stuck in? absolutely. I hope that I will someday have the strength to see the road blocks in my life and turn around, rather than thinking I know a shortcut.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-61602234871926227942016-07-05T14:56:00.001-07:002016-09-28T14:44:35.033-07:00Poison part oneA couple of years ago I remember a hit song coming out called Stay High. In the Lyrics it says: You're gone and I got to stay high, All the time to keep you off my mind. I remember hearing it and thinking what a sad message that we are sending. Maybe I should have turned it off, It has such a catchy little tune I even found it playing in my mind!
One of the hardest things as a mother is to watch one of my children struggle. It doesn't matter what type of struggle it is my heart hurts for them. Last Summer and the school year before were really hard on my oldest son Spencer. Many times I would find myself stopped in front of his closed bedroom door pondering if I should go in. Silently watching him grasp to find his way through life. At the very beginning of June there was a scout camp for the boys in our ward that were Spencer's age and Austin's age, since they are only 18 months apart. Spencer didn't really want to go on the camp but I made the alternative worse if he stayed home. I really felt he needed to go. The first day at camp Spencer was rolling rocks with the other boys his age and fell down a steep embankment and hurt his foot. I took him to the doctor the next day but the hospital said it was just a sprain and he would be fine. The week went by and the next week and his foot was still hurting him and in pain. We went to a foot specialist who took another X-ray and we found out that he had a really bad injury to his foot which required immediate surgery. The injury was so serious that he would be unable to play any sports for 6 months. After surgery he wasn't supposed to put weight on his foot at all but he just couldn't resist hobbling around after being cooped up for so long.
One of the things I noticed as Spencer struggled is that he would make comments about famous piano composers that I love like "Beethoven was an alcoholic." It almost seemed as though he thought that the alcohol or drugs were what really gave them the artistic inspiration to be able to make incredible music. I would counter argue that Handel was truly inspired by God when he wrote The Messiah. He seemed to idolize a handful of musical composers and musicians a large part of whom used alcohol and drugs throughout their careers. I felt concerned for his behavior and sad that he thought the way to inspiration was by using substances that alter your perceptions of life.
One day as we were shopping at a local store for garden seeds we came across some morning glory seeds. In my high school years I had read that they have the same effects as LSD. I even ate a few seeds in high school to see. I don't remember it making me feel any different. One of the main things that I remember feeling in High school was depressed. I could relate to the feelings of my son but I didn't know how to reach out and help him. I wanted him to see his worth through his eyes. I would try to approach the subject by saying "I think you are looking like you don't feel well, are you feeling sick or depressed?" His response would include an eye roll and "I'm fine mom." In a very annoyed voice. I tried to make myself stop asking, even now I catch myself asking.
On the 24th of July I had planned to make a cake for my Mother In Law because her birthday is on the 25th. I sent Spencer to town for the ingredients that I didn't have. Shortly before he came home from the store I started to make one of his favorite dinners- Garlic Chicken. I left the chicken to simmer and laid down for a short rest before dinner. Hailey came into my room to tell me she needed a ride to a birthday party so I asked Spencer to run her up there. While he was gone I got up and finished making dinner. I remember very clearly when he came back he kind of stumbled through the french doors into our living room and said "I'm not feeling very well." I looked over at him through the kitchen and in my mind I heard clearly "he has taken something." I finished dinner and tried to wake Spencer up to eat but he didn't wake up. I just figured that since his stomach wasn't feeling well he needed sleep. Several hours later as I left to pick Hailey up from her party I noticed that my car was parked so close to the lockers in the garage that the bumper was almost touching them. I felt annoyed about it because I figured Spencer did it on purpose to annoy me. As the evening progressed I remember altering some jeans of Tyler's. While I was sitting at my sewing machine Ethan approached me to tell me that Spencer had thrown up all over himself but was still sleeping. At this point I was mostly frustrated that I was going to have puke to clean up. I got all of my cleaning supplies and a wash cloth and sat down to clean him and the couch. I washed his face and removed his shirt and had no response from him. I realized that he had taken something or drank something. I wasn't sure what to do to find out what was going on so I texted my sister and Tyler came to try and help me. We read through some of the messages on his ipod and found out that he had drunk a pint of real vanilla extract. I tried feeling for his pulse and his heart wasn't beating right. He would have a couple of faint beats and then a pause and then a stronger one. Both Tyler and I were very concerned for him at this point. We moved him to the floor and he continued to vomit on himself here and there. Tyler decided that he would go find our bishop and ask him for advice on what we should do. When our bishop came over he said we needed to get him to the hospital. Tyler took the back seats out of the van and our bishop helped carry him to the back of the van. He rode in the back with Spencer as Tyler drove. I stayed home with the kids and worked on carpet shampooing the couch and floor. I was discouraged. I think of that time as being in the depths of despair. While I was kneeling on the floor sweaty and covered in vomit and cleaning supplies a knock came to the front door. It was the relief society president and her husband. My emotions were mixed at this point. I felt thankful but also humiliated by the situation. I had some of the typical Mormon mother thoughts going through my head that maybe if I had read scriptures more with my children or prayed harder.......been better I could have prevented the situation. The RS President came in and said "I will take care of your kids here, your son needs you at the hospital. I am going to have my husband take you and I will watch your kids." At the hospital the very first familiar face I saw was our bishops wife. I saw the sympathy in her eyes and felt so grateful that she was there. I was shown the way back to where Spencer was at. They had hooked an IV up and he was being monitored. There was no real response in his face. Every now and then he would throw up, and if you really shook him his eyes would open for a second. The hospital had run blood tests and his blood alcohol level was 0.289. This level was considered toxic and had caused his heart to beat erratically. Our local hospital isn't equipped to deal with any major medical issues. They decided to transfer Spencer to a larger hospital. We discussed with the doctor about transferring him to another hospital and figured they would send him by ambulance. Shortly after that we were approached by a medical team for life flight. It turns out that because of the way his heart was beating they needed to put him in a pediatric intensive care unit and there wasn't any spots available in Twin Falls so they were going to have to fly him to Boise. Tyler and I went out to the van and I had him pull up to an area near the landing pad to watch the helicopter leave. Seeing our son be taken away by the helicopter was hard. I don't even know what words to use to describe my emotions at this point. My heart broken and aching for that sweet boy that he is inside.
After the helicopter took off we went home to sleep for a few hours. We figured Tyler would drive up and get Spencer. When Tyler woke up to head to Boise he decided to take Austin with him. I wanted him to take someone with him because I worried about him falling asleep on the drive. I figured that he would get there pick Spencer up and be back later that Sunday. I was too overwhelmed and tired to even consider going to church. Our home teachers were supposed to come over after church that day so I texted him and said not to come. My house was a wreck, my children could sense the stress in the air and laundry was piled up to the ceiling. Just after I sent the text our home teacher called and said he and his wife would watch our kids so that I could head to Boise to be with Tyler. I tried to give him the easy way out by saying thats okay I didn't get a lot of sleep and I need to rest some more before I drive, but he had conveniently talked to the bishop and he was planning to take me with him and his family to visit Spencer. My next thoughts were okay but I didn't really want to leave my house in such a disaster. I threw some clothes on and began to frantically clean the most heavily used areas that they might see. Within 20 minutes our home teacher and bishop were to our house.....
The End of Part One
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Our bishop and Tyler loading Spencer in the van.
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jennyhepworth/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsgzqevfye.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsgzqevfye.jpeg" border="0" alt=" photo image_zpsgzqevfye.jpeg"></a>Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-34308939922158204592016-01-15T10:42:00.000-08:002016-01-15T14:09:47.673-08:00Music...a lesson in emotions My son Austin has always been quite challenging for me. So challenging that I sought counseling to help me know how to deal with him. One thing I really wanted him to learn as a boy was to have compassion for others. As I prayed and thought about how to deal with him I decided I needed to find someone in whom he could offer service to. There aren't any rest homes close by so I pondered who he could help. I remembered an older lady in our ward that needed interaction so badly they would pass a sign up sheet In Relief Society. I set it up so that while his other siblings had piano lessons he would go to Norene's house and visit. For over a year and a half he went over once a week and visited. Norene was very gifted musically, when she was younger she was invited to attend Julliard school of music. She loved music. Because of her health issues she was no longer able to play the piano or sing. My Austin was able to help fill some of her love of music by being In her home and playing her piano. I even played for her a few times...and she loved every moment of it. My younger kids would come into her house every time and she would share her little snack bowl of cereal with them. On Halloween I would make it a point for us to stop and visit her. On the last Halloween that we visited before her death we had a nice visit and then Austin stood up and said "well I guess I should play the piano for you now." He got up and played so beautifully. There was such a moment of peace in her home I wish I could have stayed there the whole night.
http://youtu.be/ji59n2zjb1M
A few months ago a good friend's husband passed away in a tragic accident. I planned to go to the viewing alone, but somehow circumstances changed and Austin ended up coming with me. My friend knew of Austin's talent on the piano and asked him to play. Austin sat down and played Chopin's Grande Valse Billiante so beautifully in the room that everyone could feel it. At the end my friend, with tears in her eyes, thanked him for making her feel happier with his song.
http://youtu.be/5jLX5lXKn4w
I know that music has the power to convey emotion and I am so thankful for my Austin's music talents.
Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-55079642506478019872015-11-19T22:01:00.002-08:002015-11-19T22:08:35.922-08:00Divorce....A love lessonFor some reason when I hit puberty my self esteem took a nosedive. I believed that I was ugly because as far as I could tell there were no boys interested in me. One of my friends seemed to have every boy in the Junior High interested in her. As I grew older I made poor choices, and many based on what I viewed would make boys like me. As an adult I see teenage girls just like I was and it makes me feel a little bit sad for them. If only they could see how talented and beautiful they really are!
When I was 19 I started going to cosmetology school full time and working part time. I was busy and with any spare moment that I had I would party with my friends. When I started Cosmetology school my hair was quite long and when I graduated my hair was short. When I first cut all of my hair off I hated it. In fact I remember meeting someone at the Vortex (a dance club) and giving him my number. A few weeks later....my hair much shorter he asked me out and I said "No, I got a haircut and my hair is ugly now." He asked "why don't you let me be the judge of that." I told him that I knew it was ugly. I never went out on a date with him. I remember feeling quite depressed about my hair. I felt so desperate that I bought special vitamins and a drink called Ultra Hair which were supposed to help with hair growth. I also used an electric rake at school to stimulate my scalp. I don't think I went out with my friends to pick up on guys for a few months. Now I find it surprising that I would put so much of my worth into a hairstyle!
Sometimes my friends and I would go to Single Adult dances. They were held in various locations around the Salt Lake Valley, and occassionally at Saltair. While attending a Single Adult dance I met my first husband. I remember the one thing that really attracted me to him was his accent. As I visited with him I found out that he was from Guatemala. Shortly after we began dating we decided to get married. I had a lot of doubts about marrying him and I would pray about it. However, my mind was clouded with confusion. I worried "what if he is the only one that ever wants to marry me." Also, when you are intimate with someone I think you have so many emotions attached to the person and that it clouds your judgement. We married after only knowing each other for a few months. Fredy was 10 years older than me, and also had been excommunicated from the church. What I should have seen as red flags I thought were things that would change. I really had no realistic view of how relationships are. After being married for a couple of months Fredy confessed to me that he had kissed a girl at the moives. Fredy's dream job was to buy and sell used cars for a profit. Sometimes he would also work doing asbestos removal. Most of the time while I was working full time he was home or wherever doing something that I didn't know. Through our whole marriage he would constantly be looking at other women, even flirting in front of me. Then there began to be a time when he wouldn't want to have sex with me. I would try and ask him what the problem was and he would say "I'm an old man, I just don't want it like when I was younger." Other times he would tell me that he didn't find my body type attractive. I would feel so discouraged by this. I was around 105 lbs and I would do my step aerobics tapes to help me "look" better. During this time period he had applied to be a permanent resident (he wasn't a citizen of the United States). I remember very clearly going to one of the interviews with him and they asked him if he had ever been arrested before and he said "yes, for soliciting a prostitute." I was completely shocked and the interviewer could tell and asked me if I had known. I said that I hadn't and Fredy started demanding that he had told me before. I am positive that he didn't tell me before. That is something I wouldn't forget.
Our entire marriage was tumultuous. It seemed like everything that was important to me wasn't to him. He would challenge everything that I believed in. I really had to think about my faith at that time. I really developed a strong conviction of the things that I believed. Throughout this process he was constantly critical of me. He would say things like "you can't take the sacrament, three months ago you were drinking, so you are not worthy." (I have to add that I had met with the bishop and discussed the drinking with him). I also came to know that the only person that can determine whether or not you are worthy to take the sacrament would be you. It really is between yourself and the Lord.
I was stuck in a pattern where I would try really hard to follow what the church teaches and then I would give up for a bit and then come back. Even though I would give up for a bit I still believed in the LDS church's teachings. It was just a constant battle to do what was right. During this time peroid I was constantly anxious. I wanted to be a mother so badly, but I just didn't like the thought of him being the father to my children. I felt so insecure, I just knew he was out cheating on me. And you know what? He was. I thought if I called him every day from work and spoke with him that it would remind him "oh yeah, I have a wife." It never did. Many times I wanted to get divorced. Life would happen though and I would put it off. February of 1997 we went on vacation to Hawaii. Two days after we came back he confessed to sleeping with a few prostitutes. I remember crying and feeling sick to myself. As I laid there next to him in our bed I could no longer stand it. I got up and drove over to my sister Angie's house (it was the middle of the night by this time) and asked her husband Bryan to give me a blessing. I was so thankful that she lived close to me. In hindsight I really believe that she was living in that area because I needed her there. After the blessing I got up and drove back to the house I owned with Fredy and began to pack up my car. I told him that I was done. He cried and many times begged me to stay. He said he would change. I told him to change for his next wife.
I moved back home to my parents house. It was kind of weird to go from being married to living with my parents again, but they were super understanding towards me. On one of the first nights back at my parents house I sat in the front room reading scriptures with my parents and younger siblings and when it was my turn to read, I read 2 Nephi Chapter 10 verse 23 Therefore, Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves--to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. As I read the scripture I felt like it was speaking to me. I felt a peace that I hadn't in a long time. I also knew that getting divorced from him was the right thing to do. Physically I felt as though a weight had physically been lifted off my shoulders. I hadn't realized how much of a burden I was bearing until it was no longer there.
Looking back I don't regret being married to Fredy. It really shaped me into the person that I am today. Now I look at my sweet husband Tyler and I am so glad that I married him. He is a great husband to me and a great father to our children. Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-5690545247740249802015-08-12T18:26:00.000-07:002015-08-12T18:26:45.639-07:00Life Lessons from Leslie, My Beautiful & Amazing sister part 2Three years ago we took our family on a Cruise and to Disneyland for Christmas. At the time Leslie wasn't dating anyone (at least as far as I knew). We made plans for her to come with us on our vacation. She is a good friend, and more helpful than a husband with the kids. I was excited for her to come. I loved having her for our family vacations! Because of all of the time she has spent with us, my kids really bonded with her and all of them love her so much. One night on our cruise she was showing the kids the proper way to do an cannon ball into the hot tub and failed to navigate her body far enough in to miss the steps. Although she didn't go to the doctor we are pretty sure that she broke her tail bone. I know she was in pain for months after. Also this made going on any rides at Disneyland not as much fun. The day that our Cruise returned we checked into a hotel across the street from Disney and planned to go the next day. The next day as we all got up and ready to go, Tyler was feeling really sick so he decided to stay in our hotel room while the rest of us went. I was so thankful to have Leslie there to help me with all of my kids. I am sure she would have rather stayed back at the hotel room and rested her tail bone but she stuck by my side. I Loved all of the memories that we made together!
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This is a picture of us just as we are getting on the ship. I was super annoyed that they made us stop for a photo, but now I am glad that have this memory with my sister.
Shortly after we came back from our vacation Leslie began dating someone. They dated for almost two years before they were married. When I met Bryan I could tell what a great guy he was. He seemed to be a perfect match for Leslie. I remember telling him about how much I grieved when Leslie found out she was pregnant with Jared. All of the times that I have been pregnant have been happy occasions and I wanted her to have that feeling too! He told me with emotion in his voice that he wanted that for her as well.
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Here is a picture of Bryan and Leslie outside of the Oquirrh Hills Temple with Jared. We gained family when Leslie gave Jared up for adoption. Ryan and Sherry fit with our family just like they were one of us!
Because of some health issues Leslie and Bryan knew that they would have to get invitro-fertilization to get pregnant. Shortly after the wedding they began the process. I remember praying so hard for Leslie. More than anything I wanted her to be a mother! On the first round they gave her about a 50% chance of concieving. They implanted two eggs and the chance of triplets was around 1%. I hoped and prayed that she would at least have twins.
Well at her first U/S there were three heartbeats! She was pregnant with triplets.
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Here is a cute belly shot of her at 31 weeks! I actually thought she looked really great. Every time that I have been pregnant people have asked me "Are you sure there is just one in there?" I found this super annoying and it made me feel homocidal. At least when she was asked she could say actually there are three.
I haven't been able to visit as much as I would like since the babies were born, but I am so happy for Leslie! She has the most beautiful babies.
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I know that she was blessed for doing something that was right, yet so hard. To go from a day that was probably the hardest one of her life.
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To a day like this one!
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I want Leslie to know what a great example she has been to me my whole life. I Love you Leslie.
Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-23290980727165079222015-02-12T08:39:00.000-08:002015-02-12T08:39:00.210-08:00"Mom You're Drunk"For Christmas this year we went to California with Tyler's family. We planned to spend a day at Disneyland and a day at California Adventure. I had planned to buy the kids some kind of souvenir while we were there. On the day we went to California Adventure it was quite chilly that morning. I didn't bring a jacket but I wasn't worried because the sun was shining and we were walking around.......with the exception of Ethan. He really can't walk long distances, so we rented a wheelchair. Since Ethan was so cold, I went to a souvenir shop while he was on a ride and bought him a hoodie. He was quite grateful at that time because he felt so cold. Later on in the day I took Brigham and Hailey to buy something. Hailey picked Mini Mouse ears with a bow, and Brigham picked a double fan that spins with lights. At this point Ethan starts to feel jealous and a little bit jipped because he wants a toy. I told him sorry but his hoodie was his souvenir. He was kind of mad and sulky the rest of the night.
A little side note here. When I get really tired I my mood is generally either laughing happy or crying depressed.
When we were done with the lights and water show we decided to head back to the rental house. On the way to the car I see a giant lollipop stick on the ground still wrapped up. Since I am such a frugal minded Mother I say "Hey Ethan, there is your souvenir, and look it is still in the wrapper." Ethan replies "No, That is gross mom. You don't know where that sucker has been." Hailey then agreed, I said you are right, but wait.......this is your last chance for another souvenir. They left it on the ground and kept walking to the van, Hailey rolling her eyes at me. I then said: You are right you never know where that sucker has been. Someone probably bought that sucker and took it into the bathroom swirled it around in the toilet and then left it there for some kid to find. I then laughed....or perhaps even cackled evily, and had a brilliant idea. I suggested that next time we go to Disney instead of enjoying the rides we should buy a sucker swirl it around in the toilet and then leave it on the ground for some unsuspecting kid to find, and better yet we could hide in the huge hedges they have and watch..............lol. I then cackled some more at how clever I am. Hailey pipes in "Mom some jokes are mean funny, and some jokes are just mean, and that joke is just mean." Being the stellar example of a good Mother, I dissagreed with her and decided that we should put it up for a vote ............So I asked the kids by raise of hand who wanted to do the sucker swirly. Brigham and Max voted with me, and Hailey, Ethan and Tyler voted against me. Spencer and Austin were riding with Grandma and Grandpa (however, being adolecent boys I'm sure they would have voted with me).
As we pulled up to the stoplight outside of Disneyland I saw some pedestrians crossing the rode and began to narrate the action for us. There was a family trying to cross quickly because the crossing light was going to change. One of the ladies dropped something and had to run back and get it. I yelled out some encouragement inside our car. She made it to her item and across the road in the nick of time. I again laughed. Brigham never really seeing me laughing tired looks at me and in all seriousness says "Mom, you're drunk." Of course I then had to laugh some more. Then I proceeded to tell him: Yes, Yes I am. I am drunk on LOVE..........lol.
Ahhh............the fun of family Vacations. With me as the crazy mother!Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-77854883372011193722014-07-25T22:14:00.001-07:002014-07-25T22:54:17.492-07:00Life Lesson From Leslie, My Beautiful & Amazing sister part 1Ten years ago we lived in American Fork, Utah. Tyler and my sister Leslie worked at the same place, Nature's Sunshine, in Provo. Leslie was dating a guy named Mike that she had met in her single adult ward. He seemed like a nice enough guy and he seemed to really like Leslie. I was quite anxious for her to get married. She is the sister that is just younger than me and such a kind and fun aunt to my children, I could hardly wait for the day that she gets married and has children of her own. Each day she would come to our house and carpool with Tyler to work. Several days a week she would stay and eat dinner with us and play with the kids. Spencer was 5, Austin was 3, and Hailey was 1. She was always such a kind and loving aunt. Here is a picture of her on Spencer's John Deere tricycle with the three kids.
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Besides my sister she is one of my best friends. I loved when she would visit us, and the kids did too. One day in May she said that she needed to talk to me. She seemed really stressed out and I felt quite a bit of concern for her. I know that she wanted to talk to me in person, but she ended up telling me over the phone one day. "Jen, I'm pregnant." I remember feeling shocked and in complete disbelief. I cried and It sounded like she was crying on the other end of the phone. The very first thing I thought was, you can keep it. From that point on I felt an un-imaginable amount of grief for her. I felt sad because all of the times that I have been pregnant, although they haven't always been planned, I was happy and excited. I greived in so many ways for her and how I thought she must be feeling. I told her if she kept the baby I would watch it while she worked. She said that she would probably put it up for adoption and that Mike, the father, didn't want to have anything to do with the baby.
As a family we all decided to fast for her. I remember genuinely fasting for her and it was so hard......I felt so hungry. I remember putting a roast in the crock pot and all day long I could smell it cooking. I wanted to eat so badly but then I would focus on my sweet sister and keep going. I remember feeling peace, that everything would be okay.
As time went on Leslie and Mike met with LDS social services. Leslie started looking at family profiles to find a family for her baby. At one point she mentioned that I could adopt her baby, and as much as I wanted to, it just didn't seem like the right decision. I remembered how I struggled to have my first baby and how much I wanted him. Leslie looked at family profiles to find the right one. Her counselor tried to persuade her for one family, but she only found one family that she liked, Ryan and Sherry. None of us really wanted her to give her baby up. We all knew that she had the financial means and ability to take care of her baby. However, she knew that he would need something that she couldn't provide that sweet boy, a home with a mom and dad.
Around this time Tyler and I had decided that we wanted to move to Idaho and raise our children on the farm. It was hard for me to think of moving away from the city, but I really wanted to do what was best for our kids. I also ordered a lot more online by that point in our lives so I knew that if there was something I really needed I could get it on the internet. When we listed our house for Sale, the first people that came through and looked at it bought it. It really was a beautiful home, and I home that I put everything I had into making it mine! We only had about a month to move and Tyler had planned to work for Natures Sunshine for another 4 months. At first I thought we could just rent another home in our area, but the more that I thought and prayed about things, I felt like we needed to move in with Leslie. We packed up our home and put the majority of it in storage and in her garage, since the storage unit I rented was too small.
It wasn't easy living with Leslie, I was constantly worried that my kids were going to mess her house up in some way and I know that she likes everything super clean and I worried that I wouldn't be able to keep it to her standard. I tried to plan some kind of activity on the weekends so that we weren't constantly under her feet and in her way.
I really knew that moving in with Leslie was the right thing to do and several years later she confirmed as I read what she had written in her blog. <b> LESLIE: " About the time I felt so utterly hopeless, my sister and her husband sold their house. They needed somewhere to live, so they moved in with me. Jenny, Tyler, and their three kids were my light in the dark world. If she hadn’t moved in with me, I am not sure I would’ve gotten through it. I still cried myself to sleep many nights, but at least I had someone who loved me and went to church with me. She even made me lunches.
Jenny and her family were so great to have around. Her kids may have been loud, but they were so happy that they brought me joy. Hailey a tiny little girl and wasn’t even two yet. I turned into her favorite person. When she was sad or in trouble, it didn’t matter where I was, she’d come looking for me because she knew I would pick her up and love her. When my sister and her husband got their family picture taken, Spencer was upset because I wasn’t in in and I was "part of their family too". Little kids are wonderful in that they don’t judge. I think that is part of the reason we are supposed to be like a little child. They love unconditionaly and they forgive so quickly."</b>
Leslie was due at the beginning of February with Jared. We ended up moving about a week before Jared was born. However I told Leslie that I would come down when she was in Labor. I wanted to meet the nefew that I feard I would never see again. Leslie went about a week overdue and then she was induced. Once the induction began I headed to Utah with my three little ones. I know one of my sister Bridget (thanks Bridget) watched my kids so that I could go to the hospital to be with Leslie. It seemed to be taking forever for her to push the baby out. I remember trying to give her advice on how to push better (now in hindsight I think how annoying this must have been....sorry Les). Eventually the doctor was able to pull the baby out with a lot of cutting and forceps. He was the biggest new born I had ever seen, Jared weighed 11 pounds 2 ounces! Before Leslie had him I had considered myself kind of a martyr for having a nine pound baby. I told her she could keep the biggest baby award for herself though.
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After Leslie went through all of this I worried that she might be so broken that she would never want to have another relationship. Many nights I prayed for her to find someone. I might have even looked on some online websites to help her find someone. She refused to look online for someone......in hindsight I can also see why.
Leslie was such a good Aunt to my children and a good sister to me. She even went on quite a few of our family vacations with us. I loved it! It was like having one of my best friends that I could hang out with. She was also so helpful with the kids! Some of the kids best memories are with Leslie on our vacation.
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With every part of my soul I hoped for her to find someone to love and for her to be a mother! Many nights I prayed and cried for my sweet sister.
Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-34092267237848226732014-03-17T09:23:00.001-07:002014-03-17T09:24:33.220-07:00Potty StoriesWhen potty training little boys I find it easiest to teach them to pee sitting down. It works pretty well at home, but I think every single one of my boys has at one point forgotten to aim down. I can recall twice having my nylons being peed on in the church bathroom...lol Oh....the joys of motherhood!
Last year we discovered that Ethan had an inguinal hernia. Because of his age and other health issues, I had to take him to see a pediatric general surgeon. We set up and appointment for Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake since the Neurologist that he sees is there as well. On the way down for the appointment I discovered that Ethan didn't have any shoes....he had left them home. I had all of the kids with me because Tyler was busy with farming. I decided that once we got to Ogden we would stop at Smith and Edwards and see what they had for shoes. We stopped and I bought him a pair of sandals that I thought would stay on his feet(They didn't of course). Shortly after that we were on the freeway and I was feelingf pushed to make it to our appointment on time. Brigham stands up from where he was sitting and taps me on the shoulder as I am driving(BTW, The Speed limit was 75 here and I usually set my cruise control for 80). He says "Mom, I need to go pee." I tell him "well you are just going to have to hold it." He tells me that there is no way that he will be able to hold it for that long. I dump out a water bottle and tell him, "here just pee in this." In my logical mind, you just aim down into the water bottle and problem is solved. I turn my head just in time to see that he doesn't have the water bottle positioned right and that it is going to spill all of the pee. I grab the bottle and tilt it down to where it is supposed to be, and of course, at that very same moment is when he was beginning to pee. Therefore, In the process pee begins to squirt like a fire hose all over the dash board, steering wheel, me, and my clothing (mostly my jeans). I told him to pinch it off and quickly pulled over so that he could finish outside of the car. While he finished, I wiped the dash board and steering wheel down with diaper wipes and blotted my jeans the best I could as I would not be able to change my clothes until we arrived at my parents home that evening. I called Primary's to let them know we would be late for our appointment and they were very kind to us and the doctor still saw us. I didn't get to change until that evening, and lucky for me I was also able to shower.
I remember on of my sister's children being mortified at the fact that one of my boys was peeing outside near the sandbox at Grandma's house. I didn't really care, because I was glad that they didn't pee their pants. However, I did give them the talk about if you are near a bathroom you don't pee outside.
When Spencer was a toddler he loved the fact that when we came to visit the farm he could pee outside. He started to take his freedom a little too liberally. On one Occasion when we went to the Hogle Zoo, near the entrance is a giant rotating water ball. I watch Spencer and the other children from the "village" (student housing at the U of U)play in the water and have fun trying to push it in different directions. All of the sudden Spencer whips his pants down and pees on the gaint ball. I was so mortified. I didn't stop him because I didn't know where the restrooms were, and I was grateful that he didn't pee his pants. I don't even know how many times he whizzed out on the playground at the village. I kind of got to the point that it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I'm sure plenty of the other playground moms didn't like me, but I didn't have the energy to worry about them.
When Brigham was 3 we had a pool pass and would enjoy swimming at our local Oakley Swimming pool. When we pulled up the kids all jumped out ahead of me. I had made Brigham put his life jacket on before we left so I wasn't too worried about them running ahead of me. Since we had a pool pass for the summer I went to write or number down at the desk and just as I walked up the stairs to the pool I see Brigham standing at the edge of the pool, and an arch of pee landing right in the middle section of the pool. I wasn't really embarassed at what he was doing, I felt quite annoyed. I guess that is why they have chlorine for swimming pools. I gave him the pee lecture but In'm sure my sweet stubborn little boy didn't listen. Brigham still loves to pee outside and recently was in trouble for peeing outside while at recess. He is in Kindergarten. I hope by the time he is in junior high he'll get it.
So far this is only a portion of our pee stories.....lol I hope you found a little amusment in my crazy life. I haven't even been able to cover the funny things that seem to happen to me. Another time I'll cover the poop stories and I'll be sure to include this gem from when Ethan was little: http://familyhepworth.blogspot.com/2009/01/unpleasant-story-with-tmi.htmlJennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-13304094066884899262014-03-09T19:50:00.000-07:002014-03-09T19:50:03.974-07:00Maui, and Brig's birthdayIn January some fun things happened at our house. First on the Eight Brigham turned 6! He is such a sweet & stubborn little boy. He really tries hard to do what is right.
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During November we went to the bowling alley for some family fun. Austin, my stubborn and kind of naughty son, decided to head over to the area where they serve food and swipe a bunch of sweet-n-low and sugar packets. We didn't know about this but Brigham saw him. He came over and told me that he saw Austin steal something and he also told the guy at the bowling alley. I made Austin put them back and we had a stealing chat. I felt so proud that Brigham would stand up for what is right.
On the 14th of January Tyler and I went to Maui, Hawaii without our children for a short vacation! It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the peace and break from the chaos of home. His dad and Jodi came to our house and watched our kids. I felt so thankful that they would be willing to help us. I knew the kids would be in good hands while we were gone, and they were.
We were scheduled to fly out of Twin Falls about 6:45. We live about an hour from the airport. Just when we were getting ready to leave Max woke up. He knew something was up and he kept following me around bawling and saying "Bring me too, and Me come too." I felt so bad and it was hard for me to leave him. Needless to say we left a bit late for the Airport. We didn't end up getting there until around 6:20. They had already checked all of the bags onto the flight and I couldn't check mine. It was too large to be a carry on and we had about 5 minutes to contemplate what we were going to do. I whipped open my suitcase and began to stuff all of my clothing and belongings that I could into the small backpack I had, Tyler's carry on, and Tyler's backpack. I did end up having to leave a few things behind, all of my hair styling products and running stuff. They told me they would stash my suitcase in a back room until we got back. Woooohooo we finally made it on the plane, but I didn't dare to open my backpack that had my book and ipad in for fear of underware falling out. We had a short layover in Portland so I had a little time to adjust my bag and to make sure my underware was shoved to the bottom of my bag. The flight from Portland to Maui seemed so long and boring to me. I felt so stir crazy and uncomfortable in my seat. Tyler had the isle seat and there was a girl next to me with the window. I knew the moment that I saw her she was a nurse. I can't tell you why other than she just gave off that vibe. She was ultra paranoid about germs. I wasn't sick and told her so, but funny I sneezed twice on the plane. I was so happy when our plane finally landed. The trip was with a company called winfield solutins. It is a company that we buy our fertilizer from. They provided shuttle buses to the hotel. There were so many curves in the road that I thought I might throw up before we got to our hotel. I didn't realize that our hotel was going to be so far from the airport. Near the Airport I saw a costco, Savers, Walmart and All of the other stores I love to shop at back home. I hoped that sometime during our stay I would have a chance to do some shopping there. During our stay I saw several people that I knew. The first, on the Airplane was Jeanie, the secretary at the kids Elementary school. After we checked into our hotel we ran into Tyler's cousin Tiffany and her husband Zach. It was good to see some familliar faces, and Tiffany and Zach are fun to hang out with. It was so nice to be able to get myself food, and not worry about anyone else. I asked everyone at the table if they needed anything to drink when I would get up just because it was so strange to not be helping anyone.
On the last day before our plane flew out (it was an 11pm flight) we rented a car and went on the road to Hana. It is quite a drive and there are some amazing views. One of our final stops before heading closer to the airport was at the Haleakala national park. There was a hike that we both wanted to take through the rain forest up to Waimoku Falls. It was so beautiful and I was so amazed as we walked through the Bamboo forest. A song kept coming to my mind as we walked "How great Thou Art." I love that song and even Tyler began to hum as we made our way. When we were almost to the top where the falls are located I stepped wrong and rolled my ankle. I fell completely and felt some popping in my ankle. My very first thought was that I broke my ankle, and how was I going to get back down. I told Tyler to finish his way up to the falls and take some pictures, and we would see about my ankle when he came back. He came back after a few minutes and we found a bamboo stick to help me hobble back down. I cried and walked, not because of the pain, but because of the frustration. Whenever my body doesn't cooperate with me I think about my little Ethan and how determined he is. He tries to do everything he can to keep up with his friends, and most of the time has such a positive attitude about all that he does. I also thought about my sister Leslie and the fact that she was getting married in 6 days. Even if I had been on my death bed I would have done anything to make it to her wedding. On the Flights back every single flight we were on was 100% full. I had to use crutches to make it to the airport and when we got there, I had to be "one of those people." I had to ride in a wheelchair to get to the airplane. I tried to ice my foot as much as I could on the airplane but there was pretty much no way to prop it up. We went straight to the emergency room in Twin falls when we got back. They too X-rays and it wasn't broken. I was advised to see a foot specialist because it was obviously injured and they couldn't say if any ligaments or tendons were torn. It turns out that it was a grade 3 ankle sprain (which is the worst one). My ankle is still swelling some and I have barely been able to start back running with an ankle brace. Every day I am thankful for the ability to walk and run. When it was lost for a short time I had a lot more sympathy for people with disabilities.
I want to write more about my sister's wedding but I am going to save that for another day.
This is a picture of Me & Tyler at the Luau. My hair was pretty flat because of the humidity and having to leave my hair supplies at the airport in my suitcase.
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Here is a picture of the view from our hotel.
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Here is a picture of some Poi Fish. They would eat right out of your hand. I took a video while someone else fed them because I'm not a fan of dirty hands.
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Here is a picture of the Bamboo Forest. My picture can't even do justice to how amazing it is. While we were hiking I kept wishing that my mom was with us because I know she would have loved it!
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Here is a picture of my ankle in the car after the hike.
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Here is a picture from the emergency room. From my toes to my knee was purple and yellow. I didn't know it was possible for a leg to be so bruised.
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Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-43327552857072964012013-09-11T07:45:00.001-07:002013-09-11T07:59:58.443-07:00FireIt seems as though most of my boys have some kind of fascination with fire. I am a city girl and although I know how to start a camp fire I wouldn't consider myself any kind of pro at it. When we first moved to Idaho we would burn our trash. In my entire life the closest thing to burning trash that I have ever done was throw my paper plates in the camp fire, and maybe an occasional plastic fork. Tyler told me that to get the garbage really burning you need to put a bit of gasoline onto it. He did caution me to put the gasoline on before I start the fire. Well our trash was pilling up and I decided to take the initiative to get it burning. I poured a little bit of gasoline on and started it. The trash wasn't burning as well as I thought it should so I decided to pour just a little bit more on. The flames were small so I didn't think anything would happen. Also, I should mention that I was pregnant with Ethan at this time and had Spencer, Austin, and Hailey standing there watching me. I attempted to pour just a bit more on but as soon as I had tipped the gas can and began to pour I hear a huge woooshing type noise. I look down and notice that the gas container is on fire. I sort of freak out and throw the container. It lands a short distance away in the potato field, the dirt was soft from being plowed recently and the soft dirt landing put the fire out. After this incident Tyler decided we should find a garbage service.
When Tyler and I moved into Student Housing at the University of Utah we had stacked some food and boxes on the stove. Spencer wasn't quite 2 at the time and he turned the knobs on the front of the stove and we soon started smelling smoke. We discovered a box of ramen noodles on fire. In this same apartment I was pregnant with our third child and taking a nap on the couch. I awoke to the smell of smoke. Tyler was supposed to be watching Spencer but I guess he was a bit distracted by his computer. Spencer was trying to cook himself a cup of noodles but forgot to put water in. This fire was bad enough that we lost our microwave.
A few years ago Tyler and I were Mythbusters junkies. We would watch every episode and love it. In one of their episodes they put some Methane in a bucket of soapy water, the bubbles then climb quite high and they take a small torch and the bubbles go up in flames. Here is a small clip of the episode
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A few days after we watched this episode I go out to the shop behind our house to tell Tyler that his lunch was ready and I see him with a large soda mug filled with soapy water and the acetyline tank making a huge tower of bubbles to light on fire. It also made a woosh similar to the one on mythbusters. He had to expirement a few more times before he would come in for lunch....lol
A year ago there was a huge fire in the mountains not far from here. It was caused by lightening. Some of the people in our community had ranches and homes that were threatened. Tyler, the kids, and I all had to go right up to the very front line to check it out. When I got out of our car near the fire and could smell the rubber on my shoe melting from the spot I was standing on being so hot I decided perhaps we were a little bit too close.
When Brigham was preschool aged I had him screened for speech at the district. They asked him "Brigham, if you saw that there was a fire inside your house, what would you do?" I listened intently wondering what he would say. He said "I would find more stuff to throw on the fire." This response concerned me a bit since I didn't really want our house to burn down. Good news though, Max started a dish towl on fire a few months back and Brigham came and got me to put it out. Another funny question they asked him was what you would do if a stranger tried to get you to go with them. He said "I would shoot them with my bazooka." LOL...don't worry we don't own any bazooka's.
At the end of each school year we let our kids have a small bonfire and burn all of their school papers. I can always tell when they get to close because they will singe something. I think this last year Austin burned his eyebrows and eyelashes. He also started the gas can on fire. Yes, I tried to warn him, but sometimes they just have to find out for themselves.
Here are a couple of pictures from the 2012 fire the first one is from our house.
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jennyhepworth/media/Aug2012014.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Aug2012014.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Aug2012014.jpg"/></a>Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-57291983727594540072013-04-15T12:45:00.001-07:002013-04-15T12:45:12.716-07:00Lessons from my little EOver the past year as I watch my little Ethan struggle with his health issues I have had so many experiences that have changed my perspective on life forever.
One of the funnest vacations that we took our kids on was a cruise. While we were on the cruise I was getting so impatient and frustrated because Ethan just could not keep up. I couldn't understand why he couldn't alternate his feet on the stairs. I was so impatient, I wouldn't let him wear flip flops because it was almost impossible for him to keep them on his feet and walk. In July we went to Yellowstone with Grandma Dalton and cousins. I knew that I had a stress fracture in my foot before we left but figured that since I wasn't running my foot would be fine. I could hardly walk, my foot was so painful. I had to use both feet on the steps and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group. I would pack ice onto my foot while I drove to help with the pain and swelling. When we got back from the trip the doctor ended up having to put a hard cast on (it also turned out that my foot was fractured all the way on the 3rd metatarsal). I felt a lot of sorrow for my impatience in dealing with Ethan as he tried to keep up with me. My sweet Ethan would slow down while we were at Yellowstone just to be by my side. I love my little sunshine boy and all that he teaches me!
A few years ago I ran a half marathon in Burley. I had been training for awhile and felt like I had my speed down pretty well. My mom was also coming to run the race. When the race started I felt great, I had a good pace and thought I might have a really good time at the end. As my Mom has gotten older she has gotten a bit slower in running. I have taken pride in being able to beat her in races. Well, about half way through the race I started to have some pain in the right side of my knee. It didn't seem to matter what I did, it really hurt. I could walk and it felt okay but running on the curve of the road really made my knee hurt. Because I began to run slower my mom caught up to me. I told her that she should keep running and go on without me, but she refused. She stayed with me the whole rest of the race and encouraged me to keep going. My mom is such a great example to me and I am so thankful for her.
It is really hard for me to get Ethan on the bus. He is so tired in the mornings that I usually end up getting him dressed and handing him a muffin or something that he can eat on the bus. This morning was no exception, however he and Spencer missed the bus. I told them that I would drive them to a bus stop to catch the bus. When the bus came Spencer hopped out and was on the bus before my little Ethan was even out of the car. Ethan walked his little slow walk across the road to get on the bus. As I watched him walk and looked at the bus driver, something told me "He doesn't see him." I rolled my window down, and the bus started to pull forward. I saw the bus touch Ethan and I started screaming for the bus driver to stop. Fortunately for me he saw me panic and stopped the bus. He opened his window and told me thank you. He didn't see Ethan at all. He was watching for a dog that likes to chase the bus. He and I exchanged a moment of relief and then we went on with our days. That moment, changed me. I know that it is by the tender mercies of the Lord that my little Ethan was spared. I am so thankful for him.
This past week I have been quite sick. I have had a terrible chest cold and it seems like all I do when I lay down to rest is cough. By the time evening rolls around my voice is hoarse and I feel pretty crappy. The other night my sweet little Ethan could hear in my voice that I was sick and he asked me "mom are you sick?" I said "Yes, I am." He asked me if I was sick all day and I said yes. With tears in his little eyes he told me how sorry he was that I was sick and didn't get to rest. I really know that he understands. There are times that he is so tired of walking that he crawls. When we stayed with my sister Leslie over spring break his legs were hurting him so much that he couldn't stand to go up and down the stairs. I would help him climb on my back and piggy back him up the stairs.
There are so many sweet things I love about my little Ethan. I know he was meant to be a part of my family.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-44141288429266402502013-03-18T20:20:00.000-07:002013-03-18T20:20:01.640-07:00Crazy HairI think most children cut their own hair at least once in their lives....Austin also gave himself an eyelash trim! Yes, he did cut his eyelid a little bit and, No, I didn't know about it until I noticed that he had short stumpy eyelashes. Oh, and when I asked him why he said "I get tired of people telling me I have girl eyelashes." I love his long dark eyelashes and I don't think they look girly.
On the day of Hailey's Baptism the family on my side drove up from Utah. I gave my Brother Ben a Haircut and my mom a trim. While I was doing this Ethan kept insisting that he needed a turn. It was about 15 minutes before we needed to leave when I discovered that Ethan had cut his own hair. It was bad enough that I had to use the #1 attachment on his whole head. He looked quite bald. He took one look in the mirror and declared "I Look UGLY!" By the time we left for Hailey's baptism he'd dug a ski cap out of the snow clothes and he wore it to the baptism. He refused to take that hat off for anything, We couldn't even bribe him to take it off. For the next 6 weeks he wouldn't even hardly leave the house without it. Even just going to Walmart meant that he had to wear the hat...lol He also wore the same ski cap to church for the next 6 weeks. I had trimmed around the edges and made it look more polished but he just hated his hair short.
Here is a picture from Hailey's baptism. Someone tried to take away the ski cap for the picture but my sly little Ethan was still able to cover his hair :D
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This wasn't the last time Ethan cut his hair. After one of his surgeries this year after we arrived home he trimmed his bangs. I am sure they must have been bugging him...lol. I didn't get mad since anesthesia does weird things sometimes.
Another funny hair story involves Austin and Duct Tape. A couple of years ago one of our neighbors gave us some of their old Christmas decorations. Included with these decorations was a box filled with Christmas lights. Spencer and Austin decided that it would be quite festive if the duct taped the lights to the walls around their rooms. That night as I tucked them in I could see that the tape was coming loose in some spots. I also mentioned that having the lights on all night might get annoying to them. Fast Forward to the next morning, I go down to wake Spencer and Austin up for school and I see no lights up in Austin's room and I look down and see chunks of hair and duct tape scattered across the floor. I saunter over to Austin still in bed to survey the damage. It was completely down to the scalp in some areas. I asked him what happened and he said "I woke up in the middle of the night and a huge piece of duct tape was stuck in my hair and I couldn't get it out so I went and got the kitchen scissors and cut it out. I asked him why he wouldn't just ask me for help and he didn't have an answer, but I know when you are half asleep your mind isn't really clear. Lucky for Austin I Worked at Kids Cuts for 7 years so I whipped out my clippers and gave him a fast haircut and he was still able to shower and make it on the bus. I didn't shave him bald since it wasn't a clear minded hair cut.
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My kids are so fun and I love each one of them and they funny little quirks that they each have. Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-42634890973089171332013-03-10T20:10:00.000-07:002013-03-10T20:10:17.346-07:00A small slice of my crazy life...So much time has gone by since I last posted. I'm trying to think if I missed any major events....Life has been good for us, we always just have some good crazy here.
A couple of months back I received a Text from the Mother of one of my kids friends. The text went something like this....(I am not going to use his real name to protect the innocent:)) My son Caleb said that he ate a ghost pepper that he got from one of your kids. I was just wondering if that really happened. So I talked to all of my kids and asked them if they by any chance gave this boy a ghost pepper while he was visiting for a play date. The all said no, but then an incident that happened in October came fresh to my memory. First I need to give you a little history on why we would have ghost peppers to begin with.....
My son Spencer went through a phase towards the end of summer where he just had to take video's of himself eating spicy things and posting them on his facebook. For at least a month he kept begging me to buy him some, but I just said "No Way!" Finally he got smart and decided to ask his dad to order him some off of Amazon. Well finally the dreaded day came that his ghost peppers came in the mail. He was so excited to eat them....lol....Yes he must be a little crazy (and I think it comes from his dad). Well in case you really want to see it I am going to try and post it here:
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Well sometime in October Austin decided that it would be a brilliant idea to take some of the seeds from the ghost peppers to school to "Share" with his friends. Once I got wind of his idea, I told him "NO WAY, I FORBID YOU to take them to school." Well, in case you weren't aware of this, Austin doesn't like to listen to me. He sneaked the seeds to school. The next morning I get a call from our bus driver, she told me that she had to write Austin up because a first grader was given a ghost pepper seed on the bus. When I spoke with Austin about the incident he said that all of the kids had gathered around this little boy and chanted for him to eat it and he gave into the pressure and did. I was so angry with him that he disobeyed me and that he gave it to a FIRST grader. The worst part for this poor little first grader is that at least if you are at school or home you can get something to eat or drink to take away the burn but on the bus you are trapped. From what I understand he rubbed his eyes and face and it all felt like it was on fire. It would be one thing for him to give it to someone who could punch him in the face later, but in my world giving it to a first grader is just plain mean. After I finished talking to the bus driver, I got on my phone and called this little boys mother to apologize, and I asked her if there was anything that she would like for Austin to do as a service to her boy. She said that all she wanted was to talk to him. I told her that it was fine with me, and if she wanted to yell or scare him to go ahead. After I got off of the phone with her my phone rang and it was the principal. She was kicking Austin off of the bus for the rest of the week and he was suspended for the rest of the day. SO lucky me I got to make one of my many trips up to Oakley to pick up my naughty boy. On my way to pick him up I called the first graders mom to ask if she would like me to bring him to her house on my way home. She said, "Actually I just got done talking to him. You should be so proud. When I talked to him, he looked me in the eyes and owned up to everything he did." I was glad for that but still mad that he had disobeyed me. After I picked him up we put him to work :)
So as I remembered this episode I asked if he gave Caleb a seed and he said "Yep." So lucky for me I had to text this boy's mother back and tell her that yes, one of my naughty children did give her son a ghost pepper seed." I also told her sorry and that in general children are supervised at my house.
Now, in case you are wondering, after the video Spencer heads outside and pukes on the lawn. Lucky for me it was outside.
Maybe another day I'll share one of my many puke stories...don't worry they are funny once the memory of the misery of cleaning them up fades :D
Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-50065537388525224332012-10-05T13:25:00.002-07:002012-10-05T13:26:57.877-07:00One Crazy LifeSo much has happened in our lives since the last time I blogged, I hope that I can remember it all!
In May we put our trampoline into the ground thinking it would be safer that way. The problem with having it in the ground is that Max was able to just walk right on to it. I warned all of the kids that they needed to be careful and not jump when he was on the trampoline. Well one Sunday evening Hailey took Max outside and while they were playing she decided that she could give Max just a little bounce. He cried and she brought him to me. I knew his leg was broken. He wouldn't stand or crawl he would just sit next to me and cry. The emergency room in Burley is useless when you go there with a broken bone so I just waited to take him to the orthopedic doctor on Monday. At the doctors office the next day the X-Ray tec said that sometimes they can't see the break for a couple of weeks but they took X-rays anyway and you could see immediately that both bones in his leg were broken just below his knee. She couldn't tell me his bones were broken but she did say "I think you'll be glad that you brought him in." They were broken near the growth plate and we have to go back in to make sure that his leg is growing right next month. Max was also mauled a bit by our St. Bernard dog named Fluffy. I was so worried that his arm was broken, but fortunately for us he was okay. Just a few weeks ago Austin was carrying Max on his shoulders and he fell off and landed on the kitchen floor which is linoleum on top of cement. Max was knocked out and when I went into the kitchen to see if he was okay his little eyes had rolled back into his head and I thought that he was dying in my arms. I drove him to the emergency room because we live far enough away from town that it would take a lot longer to call for an ambulance and wait then just run him in. Shortly after I arrived at the emergency room Max perked up and acted just fine. I am so thankful for my sweet little Max. He is such a fun little guy to be around. Max has started to become a daddy's boy. He cries when Tyler leaves and doesn't take him.
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Brigham has become a really fun little boy to be around! He still has his stubborn streak but he is also quite lovable. He loves books all day long he follows me around asking me to read to him! One of his most Favorite things to do is play computer. I now tell him that if he wants to play computer he has to go to his primary class on Sunday. Brigham is very tender and kind to Max. A couple of days ago a package came in the mail for him and Max was jealous and he shared his hot wheels car with Max. Brigham is probably the biggest Mama's boy that I've had. He loves to be with me.
Ethan has had more than his share of health problems this year. The muscle biopsy that he had done in April came back normal....which is good and bad. Good that the muscle that he has is normal and bad because I just don't know what is wrong. In June he had an EMG done. This is kind of like shocking your nerves to see which ones are misfiring. There were some irregular patterns but nothing that could be pinpointed yet. We could test him for SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) but genetic testing is expensive and as far as I know not covered much by insurance. The Neurologist has applied for a grant to cover broad spectrum genetic testing and if the funding is approved then Ethan will be a candidate for it. In August Ethan kept complaining about a pain in his abdomen. I felt concerned that he may have appendicitis. I also noticed that he had a hernia in his abdomen when I was looking at his stomach. I made an appointment with our local general surgeon to fix the hernia. The local surgeon call me and said that he doesn't usually operate on children as young as Ethan and recommended that we go to a pediatric surgeon. I made an appointment for Primary Childrens Medical Center since we were already going down for the neurologist. On September 10th Ethan had an inguinal hernia fixed on the right side of his abdomen. About a week later I noticed that the testicle on that side is now missing. We had to take him back to the doctor and he said that he will have to have surgery in about 2 months to put the testicle back...if the blood supply to the testicle hasn't been compromised. In about 1% of hernia repair surgeries the testicle gets caught in scar tissue as the incision heals. We think this is what happened to Ethan. I feel so bad for my little boy. The older he gets the more obvious it becomes that his body doesn't work like the rest of us. Most of the time I feel at peace with things, but I do have my moments when I cry.
I have a lot more to update about our crazy life but it will have to wait until later :) Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-43615540662908031682012-05-22T08:22:00.002-07:002012-05-22T08:22:41.881-07:00Parenting and PuzzlesA couple of weeks ago as I was tucking Ethan and Brigham into bed Ethan felt his blankets and said "My blankets have pee on them." I said it is probably just water because I just washed your blankets, and he said "no, it is pee I can tell." So I asked Brigham "Did you pee on Ethan's bed?" He said "Yeah I did, because I don't want him to sleep in mine room." I stood there for a moment feeling quite angry and trying to decide what the best course of action would be. I thought that spanking and time out weren't the best option and since I already had Ethan's blankets to wash what is one more batch. I said "Ethan, hop up on Brighams bed and pee on it." He gave me a look like I was crazy and said "what?" I said "you heard me, hop up there and pee on Brigham's bed." He said "Okay" hopped up and peed on it. Brigham cried his eyes out and screamed his head off. If we had neighbors they certainly would have thought he was being beaten. He was so upset that I think he bawled off and on for about an hour. I gathered up both sets of wet blankets and started the wash. Don't worry both beds have mattress pads on them so it didn't sink into the mattress. I think Brigham got the message, and I'm sure I lost the award for Mother of the Year a long time ago :D It is funny because the older I get it seems the less I care about other people's opinions on what I should be doing with my kids and I do just what I think is best, and I don't really care if other people think I'm wrong.
Last week we received the results of Ethan's muscle biopsy. They said everything looked normal so they are scheduling an EMG to see if they can find which nerves aren't working right. I felt discouraged that there was no answer to the puzzle yet. I guess this is just another lesson in patience. I am thinking of taking him to see an endocrinologist and maybe a urologist to see if we can get some answers from them.
Brigham has been a bit of a challenge for me lately. Last week he got into the baby powder and pretty much used it all up in my bathroom. Hailey said "I'll help you clean it up." Her definition of cleaning it up was to brush all of the powder that was coating the bathroom counter into her hand and coating her face with it. I sent her out of the bathroom which also made a barefoot trail of baby powder across the carpet. Brigham also cut his hair, so I shaved his head bald. I think he looks cute with his bald head, but I hope that he doesn't cut his hair again.
Spencer and Austin seem to trade off weeks as far as being the challenging child for the week. Spencer is getting to be a teenager and loves to argue and debate about everything.
A couple of weeks ago we got a new puppy. Mainly it is Hailey's dog, but it is for our whole family. It is a St. Bernard and is such a cute mellow puppy. I let her choose a name for her and she chose Fluffy...lol. Fluffy is going to be a huge dog, and she has really cute long fur. We still have the other little puppy that was one of the puppies that a mama dog had that was dropped off. We consider it Ethan's puppy and he named her Leah. Leah seems to have one paw that is deformed but she is a cute little dog. It is cute to see Ethan with her because they both kind of have a funny way of walking.
I love my little Ethan so much and just wish I could find the answer to what is wrong with him. Most of the time he has such a sweet charming personality that I love so much. Last night for family night we watched a movie on Mormon Messages called "God will Lift us up." here is the link if you want to watch it http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#god-will-lift-us-up After the movie Ethan talked about he knew how she felt. I was glad that I let the kids watch that message because I had already shown the one that I planned for family night and maybe Ethan and I both needed to hear that one.
Yesterday I was trying so hard to be organized and get things done and I had dinner made before Taekwondo and the laundry was done and the general pick up of the house was complete. I left dinner in the oven when we left for Taekwondo thinking that it would just keep it warm for when we got back. Well I thought I had turned the oven off but I hadn't and so when I got back dinner was burnt to a crisp........literally black. I hurried and whipped up some pancakes. Before Taekwondo I had just gotten out of the shower and was combing my hair and I kept finding this hard chunk of something stuck in the back of my hair. It felt like a chunk of plastic, I couldn't get it to come out so I had to cut it out. The house just seems like I can't keep up on it and that is quite discouraging to me. However I came across this poem the other day and I think I should make it poster size and hang it up so that people can see it when they come into my house :) Well I was going to share it but I can't find it. IF you do please let me know the title. It is a poem by Carol Lynn Pearson about cleaning and finding dust behind her washing machine and what is really important.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-87526108361088187902012-04-22T21:25:00.000-07:002012-04-22T21:25:57.731-07:00The Unknown and moreJust before spring Break I got a call from the pediatric neurologist's office and they had an opening. They were able to see us on the 24th of March! I was so thrilled that we were able to make it. I thought the weakness in Ethan was maybe his feet or calves, but the doctor said that it is in his hips, and pelvis. Which makes sense and is why he has a hard time holding it when he needs to pee and at night he has to wear a pull up. They already had our doctor do a CK test and it came back normal, if it had been elevated he said that he would bet it to be Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but since the CK came back normal he isn't sure. On the 11th of April he had to have a muscle biopsy. I had to wait until the day before to hear what time we needed to be to PCMC. It made me crazy to wait so that I could plan when I would leave. We had to be there at 6:45 AM so I decided to drive down to Utah the night before. I was hoping to leave around 8 PM but I had to pick Spencer up from a track meet and by the time I was ready to go it was 9 PM. I think I had only gone about 10 miles and my check left rear tire pressure light came on. I pressed the button to see what the pressure was at and it was at 8. I knew I would need to get the tire fixed but I figured if I could make it to farmers corner I would be able to put some air in my tire and hurry home to switch cars. It took me a little while to find where the air was at. A couple of guys were jogging by while I was looking and I asked them for help (I figured I was safe since they were runners). It was a dad and his son. He said sure they would help me and when he turned around I saw that the back of his sweat shirt said Hepworth. I said "hey, is Hepworth your last name?" He said "Yeah, it is why?" And I said "That is my last name too." He knew Tyler because he is a physical therapist in Burley and Tyler had to see him after he cut his hand with a grinder a few years ago. I asked if he knew about when Tyler broke his back and he said he had heard, and then he told me of a miracle that happened in his family with his son who was there helping change the tire. I was so thankful for them and the help they were to me. I didn't end up leaving Burley until 10:30, which put me at my parents house about 1:45 AM. I was quite tired but sometimes when you are the mom you just have to keep on going. I got up at 6 and left Max and Brigham at my parents house. My sister Christine was going to come and pick them up after she dropped her kids off at school. I was so thankful to her and my parents helping me. At the hospital I could tell that Ethan was nervous. I asked him if he was nervous and he said "yes." I let him sit on my lap. They gave him a sedative before taking him back for surgery so that he would be relaxed. When he came out of surgery I took a little video with my phone and I said "Ethan, say something funny." Ethan responded "Is this real life" (This is from the David at the Dentist youtube video). He then said something about adding toothpaste to his mouth for a car wash. He is such a fun little boy. I asked him to smile so that I could text a picture to dad and this is what I got.
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The cut looked longer than I thought it would and also they took two samples of muscle and I thought they were only going to take one. I hope we can get the results faster since they took two. They told me the results could take up to 4 weeks, so I still get to play the waiting game.
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In March Hailey turned 9 years old! I can't believe that my sweet girl is getting so grown up. She is Max's favorite next to me. If I can't help Max with something he will go to her. I am so thankful to have such a sweet caring girl. Hailey loves to read and quite often I have to make her turn her light out and go to bed. One night I woke up to her reading and it was 2 AM. I told her to go to bed, but she begged me to let her finish her book since she only had 2 pages left. I'm sure she was pretty worn out at school that day.
Here is a picture of my sweet girl on her birthday.
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For a long time now I have put off cutting Max's hair. I love his little curls an I knew they wouldn't be there after I cut his hair. I had his one year old pictures done in March, and told myself that I would cut his hair after that....but I just kept putting it off. Back when I worked at Kids Cuts I used to think the moms that were attached to their kids hair were so strange, and now I have become one of those mothers...lol. Max is going to be my last baby and I just wanted him to look like a baby a bit longer, but finally I got tired of the matted rats nest that would happen when he was sleeping. I cut the curly locks off and I have them saved in a ziplock. I might just let it grow out a little bit again to see if they come back. Here is one of his one year old pictures, I added the text and had it printed. I have been adding text to each of my kids pictures with a message that I feel they need to know.
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Here are the after haircut pics
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Max is such a sweet mellow baby, and I am so glad to have him as part of our family.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-41501687027975964612012-02-29T07:28:00.003-08:002012-02-29T08:17:36.113-08:00Life in a nutshellOn the 12th of February Tyler and I went on a cruise without kids. We did bring Max our baby though. He was such a sweet and fun baby and all of the people that work on the Cruise ship loved him. Especially the Maitre d', She was from Romania and every night would carry Max to our table. She said that she had to leave her daughter to work on the cruise ship when she was Max's age. While we were on the cruise Max turned 1!! I can't believe that a year has passed. He is such a sweet little guy. <br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=photo3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/photo3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />While we were on the cruise Max had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin and was covered from head to toe in hives.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=photo4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/photo4.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />This picture was taken at the airport and every person that saw Max kept saying "what happened?" or "what is wrong with him?" Poor Max, I kept saying "Normally he is an adorable cute baby."<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=photo2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/photo2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />This was taken at the doctors office just before we left.<br />It really was divine inspiration that I brought Benadryl with me on the cruise ship. I know that it would have been life threatening if I hadn't had it with me. I knew what to do because Brigham had the same allergic reaction when he was around the same age as Max.<br /><br />Poor Max is going to have tubes put into his ears next week. He has had fluid in them since September and infections off and on since then. I hope that after he has the tubes he will talk more. Right now he is on his third antibiotic since the last one didn't take care of it and the one before he was allergic to.<br /><br />While we were gone Spencer had a fight at school. When we got home Spencer took me down into his room and told me about it and said the principal would be calling me. He was suspended last week for Tues, Wed, and Thurs. In September he was in a fight with a different kid, who had been picking on him. This time he was in a fight with that kid's friend. I wasn't thrilled about the fight....you know that I'm not a fan of fighting or violence, but I do support defending yourself when being picked on. <br /><br />I don't know if I updated this before but I took Ethan to physical therapy and the physical therapist said "I can see that there is something wrong, but I don't know what is wrong and I can't help him." So I just have to be patient and wait.....Our appointment with the neuromuscular pediatrician isn't until May 18....that just seems so far away and google has an unlimited amount of information to look up. I do know that it isn't muscular dystrophy thought and I am so thankful for that.<br /><br />In January we took the kids on a cruise for Christmas. It was so much fun! The kids said that it was the best vacation ever. Hailey asked if we could go on another for her birthday...lol. Taking the kids on a cruise was fun and more relaxing than I thought it would be. Grandma Dalton, Marge, Marge's Brother Tom, His wife Jamie, and their kids Ian, Abby, Evan...and Aunt Les all came with us on our cruise! Here is a picture of Les and I with the kids just before we got on the cruise ship. I am sure that you can see the annoyed look on my face. I didn't want to stand and pose for a picture and I was annoyed that they were taking one.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=crusiepic.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/crusiepic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Here is a pic of me with Max and Brigham. Brigham had gone to camp carnival and they painted his face while he was there. A little side note. The kids all had so much fun at camp carnival and circle C. It was built in entertainment for the kids while we were there.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=crusiepic2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/crusiepic2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />We are so blessed. We do have our challenges but life is good :)<br /><br />Here is a pic of Max and I on the cruise.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Cruise.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Cruise.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-17966055398404598562012-02-09T22:28:00.001-08:002012-02-09T22:28:37.405-08:00My Little Ethan?......Taking the kids on a cruise was one of the best vacations that we have had. It was very relaxing and the cruise ship has plenty of activities for the kids. While we were on the cruise Marge brought to my attention that there is something going on with Ethan. I am a big fan of taking the stairs on the cruise the elevators are slow and the stairs are good exercise. I have always noticed that Ethan walks and runs a little funny, but I just figured it would work itself out as he got older. He was the slowest at walking and has to plant both feet on every stair when walking up and down the stairs. I also know that he gets tired easily and if you ask him how he likes kindergarten he will say "I hate it because I can't get a drink when I am thirsty." I had his thyroid screened and they also checked for diabetes in December and both came back normal. When we got home from the cruise I took him into the doctor to ask about his walking and what might be going on. They did a CK test if it was high then there was a possibility of muscular dystrophy. The test came back <br />normal. We went and saw a physical therapist and made an appointment to see a neuromuscular pediatrician at Primary Childrens Hospital. The physical therapist told us that there wasn't anything he could do for Ethan. He could see that there was something wrong but just to go and see the Specialist. At physical therapy we could see that Ethan only walks on the heels of his feet and doesn't use his calf muscles. He is unable to stand on one leg and raise himself to the toes of his feet and can't hop or jump very well. I have googled every symptom that I can think of for my little boy and I come up with nothing. The doctor isn't able to get Ethan in until May 18th. At first I felt sorry for my little Ethan because right now it is apparent that he won't be walking or running like a normal person. Ethan has such a sweet personality, even when we are having a lot of tension or fighting in our home he walks around whistling or singing and he is so creative at coloring. He also makes up songs on the piano and can't wait until he is old enough to take lessons. I love my sweet little Ethan and so glad that he is a part of our family.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-86440189642795807592012-02-02T16:05:00.000-08:002012-02-02T18:11:08.746-08:00NovemberIn November we flew to Minnesota to spend Thanksgiving with Grandma Dalton and Marge. This was our kids first time on an airplane. I was quite stressed packing and getting us there but we made it without losing any kids along the way. I let the older kids use my camera while we were flying and I think they took about 50 pictures of the clouds and airplane wings :) Shawn and Lindsey were on the same flight out as us and it was fun for the kids to have cousins to play with. Brigham now says that Carson is his best friend.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012051.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012051.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012050.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012050.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012054.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012054.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012044.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012044.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012046.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012046.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Ethan was really cute. He wore the Indian hat that he made at school all through the airport. The people at the airport helped us a lot and were very family friendly.<br /><br />Here is a picture of the back of Grandma Dalton & Marge's house.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012080.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012080.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />The house is really neat and it had plenty of room for the kids to play. We took the kids to the park to play one day.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012111.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012111.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012109.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012109.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012105.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012105.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />While we were there I was visiting with Marge and I asked her if she had ever had someone puke in her car, and she said "no, but I did have a crock pot spill once." On the way home from the park Shawn and Lindsey's little boy Carson puked in Marge's car. I felt really bad...I'm sure I somehow jinxed her. Grandma Dalton and Marge were so nice to us, and I know there were plenty of times that my own kids drove me nuts so I know they were really tolerant and patient with all of the extra noise.<br /><br />We also went to church while we were there. It is actually a branch and it is in North Dakota. When we showed up for sacrament meeting I think we doubled the size of the meeting. Before our kids came there was only one girl in primary. It was fun to visit and I am sure we will visit again sometime.<br /><br />The ride home was a bit more challenging. We had to fly to Salt Lake and then drive 3 hours to home. On the way we stopped at Smith & Edwards in Ogden to look around and break up the ride a bit. My second child was quite a challenge on the ride home. He still continues to be a challenge. I now know how my parents must have felt when I went through my rebellious streak. I love him so much but sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. I just want him to grow up to be a productive, kind boy who does what is right. I just pray that I am doing the right things for him.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-27262828276970475472012-01-27T06:59:00.000-08:002012-01-27T07:42:26.161-08:00OctoberIt has been quite awhile since I wrote about life. In October Ethan turned 6! I can't believe how old he is getting to be. He is such a funny, sweet, happy little boy. When life is crazy at home I look at him and he will be sitting at the table coloring and whistling. I am so thankful that he is a part of our family. We had a birthday party for him before kindergarten. I had planned for a structured party like I always do but I felt much more relaxed this time and let the kids play around a little more. <br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Recently it has come to my attention that Ethan has something wrong. I have had the feeling for awhile. I have tried to pinpoint what is going on and I have taken him for tests. So far all of the blood tests have come back normal, however I can see that there is something going on so I am just hoping that it isn't something to life altering. In May we go to Primary Children's to meet with a Neuromuscluar Doctor. I keep hoping that one day Ethan will wake up and his little legs will work differently. I love running so much and it makes me a little bit sad to think that he might not be able to run someday. Ethan is such a happy boy that if there is something wrong his little personality will be able to handle it.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012105.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012105.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />I decided to make costumes for the kids for Halloween. Ethan and Max were monkeys! I thought they were so adorable! <br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012022.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Hailey and Brigham were werewolves. Hailey insisted on having her face painted black because otherwise people thought that she was a cat.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012019.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=oct-jan2012028.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/oct-jan2012028.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Spencer and Austin dressed as girls! It was fun to put a little makeup on my boys..lol. <br /><br />We also had the usual chaos that seems to be at our house. Ethan fell off of a seat on the bus on the way home from school and cracked the back of his head and had to get 4 stitches, and Max had his elbow dislocated. Life is good for us and we are incredibly blessed!Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-63550344383478670352012-01-18T11:56:00.000-08:002012-01-18T13:02:36.497-08:00Hepworth Christmas letterDear Family and Friends,<br /><br />Another year has flown by for us! Our lives seem to always be a little bit crazy, but we are truly blessed by our Father in Heaven, and we are so thankful for his hand in our lives. We hope that this letter finds you healthy and happy this Christmas season.<br /><br />Tyler has had a miraculous recovery from his broken back! Other than being a little bit more worn out from working hard (I tell him that he is just becoming an old man..lol), we haven't noticed anything from his injury that hasn't healed. Tyler is still a hobby programer and is always studying something on his computer. He is also really great at building things for the shop. This year we also built a new shop building. While building the shop, I saw Tyler standing on the backhoe scoop and adjusting the shop doors. As I looked at him way up high, I felt so thankful that he is still with me on this earth and that he is able to do all of the things that he used to do.<br /><br />I have been busy this year. I had our 6th baby Max on February 18th. My goal was to not have a epidural and I was able to go without one :) It was my easiest delivery and he has been my easiest baby! I was able to run for my whole pregnancy and so I only had to take a week off after I had the baby. I think Heavenly Father knew that the rest of the kids add so much chaos to my life that I needed a sweet baby to end things out. This year I wanted to take the year off from volunteering at the school, but they needed a room mom for Hailey's class and so I said I would do it. I also did the decorations for the school carnival and had a lot of fun. I am still t, j I 0ikhe secretary in Relief Society in our ward and I have grown to really love the ladies in our .ward. <br /><br />Spencer is in the 7th grade and is 12 years old now. When Max was a week old he had to have his appendix removed (I think I needed a little extra stress with a new baby). He has been keeping me busy driving around this year. He has been playing junior high football, wrestling, and is planning to start basketball. I keep trying to get him to do cross country, but it is at the same time as football and he really loves football. This is going to be his last year of taking piano lessons. I keep trying to convince him to keep taking but he won't listen to me (someday he will know that I was right though). He is now a Deacon and passes the sacrament at church! He has grown up into a really nice young man.<br /><br />Austin is in the 5th grade and will be 11 the day after Christmas. He has really mellowed out quite a bit with the debating, but I'm still holding out that he will be a lawyer. Austin loves to help take care of baby Max, and is a great help to me. Austin is really talented at playing the piano and I love trying to make him play for me. He also has started taking art classes and is very artistically talented. I told him he has to make me pictures that I can frame and hang around my house.0<br /><br />Hailey is in the 3rd grade and is 8 years old. She loves to take ballet and performed in Hansel and Gretel for the second year in a row. Ballet has been really good for her and she is becoming a lot more graceful. She also takes piano and is really talented, she wants to quit, but I won't let her. She likes to play the piano, but she doesn't like to practice what she is assigned to. Hailey is a great helper with baby Max. The crib is in her room right now and I love it. When Max wakes up at night she brings him to me! <br /><br />Ethan is in kindergarten and is 6 years old. He is a witty, charming little boy. He loves to make little notes to give his kindergarten teacher. Ethan is very active and has had to have stitches twice this year! On Mothers Day we had to go to the ER because his stitches became infected. He was really tough and had to have a shot in his hip. He didn't even cry! He is also great at entertaining Max, and Max loves the attention. He and Brigham are great frienemies, one minute they are playing so cute together and the next they are beating each other up.<br /><br />Brigham is 3 years old and almost as big as Ethan. He is now the most stubborn child that I've ever had. I think that he and Austin will open a law firm together someday! Brigham is also very active and broke his arm on my birthday this year. This is the second summer in a row that he has broken his arm. This year he waited until after I bought the pool pass. Brigham has a really cute way of wording things and I love to hear his little voice. Yesterday for family night we made gingerbread houses and after he finished his house he said “I done with mine house, now I decorate mine self.” Then he took his knife and spread a glob of frosting onto his stomach and put an M & M on it...lol. He is such a funny little boy.<br /><br />Max is almost 10 months old. He is the most content and sweet snuggling baby that I have ever had. I really think that Heavenly Father knew that was all that I could handle. When we had our family picture taken all of the kids fought over who would get to hold him for the picture. If you see Hailey's face on the card you can see that she isn't smiling. She was mad that it wasn't her holding Max. We did do individual shots of each kid holding Max. It seems like Max isn't close to walking yet, and I am so thankful for that! When Spencer was a baby he started walking at 8 ½ months. It seems like when they start walking they find all sorts of new things to get into.<br /><br />We always seem to have a bit of chaos every day, but our lives are so blessed! We are so thankful for Jesus Christ our Savior and all that he has done for us. We hope you know that you are in our thoughts throughout the year.<br /><br />Love, <br /><br />The HepworthsJennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-53891223510775563452011-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:002011-10-02T17:27:32.888-07:00A Year of Tender MerciesLast year on the 30th of September Tyler was flipped off of a pivot and broke his back and pelvis. Over the past year I have been able been able to reflect on the the tender mercies of the lord and of miracles that happen in our lives. I look back and feel so amazed at the blessings in our life. I am so thankful for Tyler and the wonderful father and husband he is. I am so thankful that he is still here and able to help me to teach and care for our children. <br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=mms_picture_3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/mms_picture_3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />When baby Max was a week old Spencer had appendicitis. I felt inspired that Tyler needed to take him to the emergency room. I told Tyler “I think that Spencer needs his appendix out, you should take him to the emergency room.” They arrived to the emergency room around 5 and by 7 they had Spencer back in the operating room. They actually made it home by 11:30 that night. I am so thankful for the inspiration that I receive from the Lord it helps me to be able to take care of my family!<br /><br />The whole time that Tyler was in the hospital was difficult. I didn't know how long he would be in the hospital and I didn't know if he would have complete feeling in his lower limbs, but I did feel a peace in my whole being that everything would be alright.<br /><br /><br />I remember the day after Tyler had his surgery they made him get up and walk for the very first time. He only made it about 5 steps, with the aid of the walker and the nurse. I kept trying to push him to go further. I went to my parents house later in the day and cried and took a nap (I am sure I was super tired). That day was probably the most overwhelming to me. After that Tyler's recovery seemed so much quicker and the milestones were a lot bigger than 5 steps. It was still a long recovery. I am so thankful for the strength I received at that time.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=mms_picture2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/mms_picture2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <br /><br />In his general conference address Elder David A. Bednar spoke about the tender mercies of the Lord and he stated ” Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men” (D&C 46:15). I feel the same way as Elder Bednar only he says it better! <br /><br />Life is so good for us. We are so blessed and I am so thankful for all that I have.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-10201665963462684122011-09-25T17:13:00.000-07:002011-09-25T19:30:10.730-07:00A time of FirstsAt the end of August the kids started school. It was kind of a bittersweet moment for me. Spencer started 7th grade. The 7th grade is in a junior and senior high school. It is kind of scary to send my boy to a school with high school kids. <br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=100_0252.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/100_0252.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />He also went to his first school dance. I didn't want him to go very bad, and I tried to convince him that girls were stupid, but he didn't believe me. I also tried to make a curfew super early so he'd only go to part of the dance but his dad told me that I need to lighten up....lol. I wouldn't really make him come home early but I might be up for volunteering to help with the next junior high dance :D He danced 10 times with different girls. I actually like that he didn't stick with just one girl. I don't want him to have a girlfriend until he comes home from his mission.<br /><br />Here is Austin with his teacher Mrs. Hawkes. She is a really nice teacher and I hope Austin remembers to behave in her class.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Here is Hailey with her teacher. She doesn't look happy because she bawled all morning. She has had a lot of anxiety about going to school. I have been working with her and her teacher Mrs. Mitton to get things settled down.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Ethan started kindergarten. He loves going to school. The other day he came home from school and asked if he could bring a pickle for his teacher because it is her favorite food. I let him take a jar of home made pickles for her. The next day another boy brought her a tupperware of pickles...lol Kindergarten kids are so cute. Ethan's teacher, Miss Porter, seems really nice. I hope she stays for a while.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />Since school has started Hailey has been quite interested in bugs. One day she caught 16 tiny grasshoppers. I told her that she couldn't keep them. It was the weekend and she asked if she could keep them until Tuesday to show her class at school. I told her she could but they might die before then. She made sure the grasshoppers had plenty of lettuce leaves to eat and prayed every night that they would survive until she could show them to her class. Then she promised Heavenly Father that she would let them go. They all survived and she let them go when she got home from school.<br />Another night we watched a movie called 17 Miracles there are a few parts that are quite emotional and Hailey and I both cried. After the movie was over we talked about miracles and how thankful we were that Tyler was still alive and not paralyzed. Then Hailey gave our family prayer and I think it was one of the sweetest sincere prayers that I have heard from one of our kids. She thanked Heavenly Father that we have food and shelter and that our dad is still on the earth.<br /><br />The other day I was in the kitchen swatting flies and Brigham said to me "Jesus likes <br />flies." I said "He does?" Ethan was in the kitchen and he said "Yeah he does, because he created them." It had made a profound impact on the way that I view some things.<br /><br />This past weekend we went to Utah for a bridal shower for my sister Becca. On our way down we stopped at the gateway mall to get Spencer's ipod fixed. After I let the kids play in the Splash pad area for a bit. It was a lot of fun for them. I enjoyed watching them. I think that Brigham had the most fun.<br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011017.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011017.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/?action=view&current=Sept2011022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jennyhepworth/Sept2011022.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />I was able to hold my sister Christine's baby Sam for the first time. He is so adorable and tiny. I can't believe that Max was that small once. <br />This morning before we left my sweet sister Leslie came over to my mom's house and helped her make us a delicious breakfast. It is so fun when someone else makes breakfast. I am so thankful for all of my family.<br />On Friday when we got to my parents house my Dad built a fire in the fire pit they have out in their orchard and we made smores. It was so fun and my dad was so patient with my kids. It was a fun visit and I can't wait to go again for Becca's wedding reception!Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817949136467881201.post-57011952040193397602011-08-27T19:32:00.000-07:002011-08-27T21:19:47.142-07:00The end of August...Goodbye summerSchool starts on Monday and it feels like it was just let out. During the second full week of August it is fair week. This year Spencer and Austin did sugarbeets again. We had quite a time picking out the best beets to enter in for the display. All of the kids had to get in on the action.
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<br />After we took the beets home that they had selected they both accidentally broke the tap root off of their beets and we had to make a quick run to the beet field by our house to pick a few more. Spencer received a blue ribbon on his beets and his beet book and Austin received a red ribbon on his beets and a blue on his record book. Poor Austin broke the tap root on one of his beets when he was carrying them to turn them in. They have been working hard in the field and I am proud of them. They are learning to work together as a team.
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<br />While the kids were in the field picking their sugar beets we noticed a lot of smoke not very far away from where we were. When we finished I took the kids to see what was on fire. One of our neighbors grain fields was. I asked on of them what happened and they said they didn't know maybe a cigarette. It looked to me like they lost about 1/3 of their field.
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<br />This week Grandma Dalton came to visit. We had a fun time hanging out with her. She was a lot of help to me and Max loved all of the extra attention he got.
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<br />A week ago we had our family pictures done. I don't have them back yet but I found it amusing that all of the kids fought over who got to hold Max for the picture. Every single one of them had to have their picture taken with Max. I am sure he will grow up knowing how loved he is. I just took this picture of the kids and they fought over who got to lay by Max...lol. Poor baby.
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<br />I am so thankful for my children and for Tyler. Tyler's mom just emailed me the pictures that she took of him while he was in the hospital. They are difficult for me to look at, but I also know that it was a miracle that he is alive and not paralyzed. I am so thankful for him and the good husband that he is.
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<br />This last picture I climbed up on our antenna tower to take. It was very frustrating because Ethan and Brigham kept lifting their feet up. Finally I gave up. When I was looking over the picture I saw that Spencer had his shirt lifted up. I asked him "Why did you leave your shirt like that?" He said "I wanted my six pack abs to show up in the picture." LOL He is so funny, and such a nice kid.
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<br />This is my second time editing this post because I keep thinking of more things to add. Today we went to Downata Hot Springs. It was a lot of fun. Since Tyler's accident things have changed for him. He has no desire to go on any of the water slides. He doesn't even want to go snowboarding ever again. I tease him that he has turned into an old man. He was so much help to me today, I am so thankful for him. He held Max in the pool and played with him, Max giggled and laughed and had a good time. Max is so special to all of us. I am so thankful that we decided to have him.Jennymommy6http://www.blogger.com/profile/06996484752504708725noreply@blogger.com2