My Sweet Friend!!!

Today I went to the grave side service of one of my greatest friends. Sis Beck passed away last Saturday night. She was a wonderful lady. She was full of love, grace, beauty and the spirit. She was like an adopted Grandma to me.

I met her not long after my family moved to Riverton, 18 years ago. I don't remember the first time I saw her or spoke to her (and that doesn't really matter), but I do remember the fun times I had with her.

Some memories of her: While she was living in Riverton, I remember going to Hogi Yogi all the time. That was her favorite sandwich shop to go to for lunch. We would always get a sandwich and then she would insist that we get an ice-cream. We would just talk and have a good time.

Another memory is the many time me and my brother or dad would go over to help with her yard. Either plowing snow, raking leaves, or mowing the lawn. We would try and sneak over and do it without her knowing, but sooner or later, she would see us out her window and come out. After we were done, she always invited us into her house for a drink and a peanut butter bar. And then she would try and pay us. We would always refuse the money, but she would somehow put it in one of our hands. But when she wasn't looking, the money was always put back on her table or counter and we would say our goodbyes and leave. No sooner when we got home, the phone would ring with her being "really mad" at us for leaving the money that she had given us. She hated that we did this...but we didn't care. We weren't there doing it for the money, we were doing it because she was our friend!!

She always would have a smile on her face when you saw her. She was in my church ward and she would always come up and give me a hug. I had many visits with her just going to her house and seeing if she was alright and just to chat for a few minutes, which always turned into hours.

When she moved up to Logan to live with her son, I didn't get to see her as much. But the times that I was able to go up there, we would visit and then we would go to either Sizzler or Sue Casa mexican place. She loved those places. When I couldn't go visit, I looked forward to our phone calls. I will miss those very much, not to hear her voice! She would always ask the same questions or tell me the same things week after week, but she would always end with a "love you."

These are just a few of the wonderful memories/fun times I had with her.

Sis Beck, you were one amazing friend. You taught me much. I will miss you but know that we will be reunited again!!


The last picture that I have of her. This was taken back in 2007 when Kali was just a couple of months old.

Ear Tube Surgery

This morning I took Tyler to PCMC at the Riverton hospital to have his ear surgery.

We got there at 8:15 and got checked in. We didn't have to wait too long until they called us back to do his vital signs, weight, height and get him changed into "hospital pajamas." (I forgot my camera -yes, I was upset about that- so I don't have a picture of him in his hospital pajamas, but he did look very cute.)

Next we went to the waiting room where Tyler got to play with toys while we waited to talk to the doctor and anesthesiologist. While we waited they game him some tylenol to help with pain after surgery. He played and played and had no idea what was going to happen (which I am so thankful for.) There were other kids there that were around 8 years old that were so scared because they were going back for stomach surgery and they would remember this. So, I am grateful Tyler is little and he won't remember.

After we talked with the doctor and anesthesiologist, the anesthesiologist picked up Tyler and walked him back to the OR. As soon as he took Tyler, Tyler's face got a nervous look and then we they started to walk away from me, he started to cry. The doctor said he cried then entire time until they put him to sleep for the surgery. Breaks a mother's heart to see that, but I knew it was the best.

Within 15 minutes of waiting in the waiting room for Tyler to be done, they called me back to talk with the doctor. It was a super fast procedure. The doctor said he did great and there was a lot of yucky fluid in his left ear, but clear fluid in his right ear. The doctor was glad we had done the surgery.

After I talked with Dr. Muntz, I was able to go back to the recovery room to see Tyler. As I was walking down towards his room, I heard him crying. I got into his view, he reached out his hands, I picked him up and rocked him and he just sat there quiet. The nurse told me, "we tried giving him pedialyte in a bottle, but he didn't take it. Do you think he would like apple juice in a bottle." I told her that he would like apple juice but in a sippy cup (he is off bottles). The nurse was surprised that he was off bottles and off she went to get a sippy cup. The nurse also told me that we just do clear liquids while in the hospital, but he could eat solids when we got home. She brought the apple juice back to Tyler and he drank the whole thing in 10 seconds. He was so thirsty and when that apple juice was gone, he wanted more. The nurse got more and he drank that all gone and by this time, the nurse was on her way back with more juice and also crackers. Tyler was so happy to have crackers to eat. She said he was doing very well with keeping the liquid and crackers down that she would get more and then we could go home. Tyler had 4 things of apple juice and 4 crackers while we were there!!

The nurse did one more set of vital signs and said they looked good and we were able to leave. We were out of there at 10:30. Not too bad. It went very well and you wouldn't even know he had surgery this morning. He has been very good, no pulling at the ears, no fevers and he is acting normal. The only thing he hates is when we put drops in his ears. He cries and cries and we have to do this twice a day for 3 days.


Here are a couple of pictures when we got home from the hospital. He looks great and was already wanting to eat again!!


Here he is eating cherrios.

ENT visit

Today Tyler had a visit with the ENT doctor to look at his ears. He has been quite a few ear infections lately. He has had 5 infections in 10 weeks. We had to go to PCMC at the Riverton hospital to see Dr. Muntz (he did Kali's tubes when she was just over a year). He is a great doctor and after looking in his ears decided that tubes were the best choice. Both ears didn't have an infection at the time, but they both had fluid in them and he said given Tyler's history...the fluid would most likely turn into an ear infection. We scheduled his surgery and to my surprise we are getting tubes placed on Wednesday. When we did Kali's tubes it was about a month wait, so when they said 2 days, I was surprised. I was happy it was soon and that we wouldn't have to wait to see if he would get an ear infection. We go to the hospital Wednesday morning at 8:15!



A picture of Tyler at the doctor's office eating paper...I guess the pretzels that he had just a few minutes earlier didn't fill him up!

Cute Girls!!

Grandpa and Grandma Boyack bought these dresses for the girls and they love them. They wore them on Sunday! Makena loves wearing dresses...and kept twirling around in it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We had Leprechauns come to our house this year for St. Patrick's Day. They hid little pots of gold around the house for us to find in the morning. They also were a little mischievous and knocked down a couch and chairs. The kids had a fun time and really enjoyed eating their chocolate coins and also having money in their pots so that they could put in their piggy banks. Here are a picture of each with their "gold."

It's Done!!!

Tyler's room is done!! Jarel finished the star the other day and finished the touch ups today. It looks great!! Now time for the decorating of the room.

Helping Dad

Jarel got home from work early today and was digging out the window well when the kids decided that it would be best to help dad out. Tyler was the first to go down (I handed him to Jarel) and then the girls followed. They had a great time down there helping dig the dirt and putting rocks in.

Tyler's Room -- Phase 2

Here is what the room looks like today. Jarel just has one more thing of painting to do. And that is the blue on the outer edge of the star. Then the painting is done!!! Then I can decorate the room with all the Cowboy gear I have been collecting.

Tyler's Room

Jarel has been working so hard on painting Tyler's room! I think he is so excited to do it because it is the Dallas Cowboys. Jarel is especially proud of how the star has turned out so far. The star will eventually be blue with a white outline and the stripe on the wall will have blue running down the middle (so 3 inches of white, then 6 inches of blue, then 3 inches of white again.) The walls and ceiling are the Cowboy gray. I don't know if you all can picture what it will look like...but I think it is going to be look great. I will post a picture of the final room when it is done (hopefully this weekend!)

A Candy Factory

Today I took the kids to the Sweet's Candy factory for a little tour and then of course buying taffy. The kids had a great time. Makena's favorite part was watching the jelly beans roll around in the bins while they were getting their coating of sugar and flavoring. Kali's favorite part were all of the taste testing of candy we got along the way. It was a fun outing.

(In the picture...Kali isn't wearing her "candy making hat" because it was at the end of the tour and as soon as we got out of the factory, the hat was off.)

Playing Outside

The weather has been pretty nice the past couple of days, so the kids have been able to play outside!! It has been wonderful. Here are a couple of pictures of them playing.


Tyler trying to climb the slide with a ball...didn't quite work out well. But he did figure out that if you throw the ball at the slide, it will roll back down to you.


Kali was hiding between the shed and fence...she loves going back there.


Makena and Kali doing bubbles.


Tyler finding Makena's cup of jelly beans. He was pretty excited about this find!


Kali and Makena doing more bubbles. They got up on top of the swingset so they could shoot the bubbles into the neighbor's yard!