Camping in Crouch

Michael had a two week break between summer and fall semester so we went camping at his grandparents' summer cabin north of Crouch in Garden Valley. We could've stayed in the cabin, but we like camping. Plus a lot of my family came up, so it just made things easier. We had a lot of fun. The first night we were up there was the best day to view the recent meteor shower. It was incredible. The shooting stars left huge trails across the sky. We just put the sleeping bags on the ground, laid back, and watched for a couple of hours. We probably each saw a couple of dozen. We also played in the river a lot and even floated it a few times. If you can call having to get out and walk because it was so shallow floating it. But we kept on doing it.

The whole gang, minus Krys who is taking the picture. This was on the second to last morning, so everyone is a mess. The kids spent the whole time just covered with dirt and sand. They have never been so happy.
What would camping be without smores? Granted we were on burn restriction, so we made them on the grill. The kids didn't seem to mind.
Libby got bit right under her lip by a wasp the second day we were there. She only cried for a minute, then made a full emotional recovery. Her fat lip, on the other hand, lasted the better part of the day. All the adult made a fuss over her because she looked so pathetic. I don't think she even knew what they were fussing about. She just liked the attention.
Everyone getting ready to float the river. Ethan and his favorite cousin/person in the whole world, Isabelle, thought they could float down the river without an adult.

Michael may never forgive me for posting this picture of him, but everyone else should just be thankful it's not a picture of me in my bathing suit. We were a little sad to come home after all of our fun and no deadlines, but alas Michael has work and school.

Health Update

So as most of you know, the molar pregnancy thingy came back. My hCg levels got down to 124, then they started going back up. So they sent me to an Oncologist. The Oncologist prescribed chemo shots. So I went in every day for eight days and got a shot in the rump. Every other day it was actually a shot in the arm, to counteract the side effects of the rump shot. The shots made me tired and for a while I had mouth sores, but that was all. I have been told repeatedly that this is one of the easiest cancers to treat and the easiest chemo to tolerate. My last hCg level was at sixteen, the goal is five or below. I should achieve that in the next week or two (it takes awhile for the chemo to take full effect). After that I will still need to get my blood drawn monthly for a year to make sure it doesn't come back again. I am feeling fine, just frustrated as the doctor bills are coming in. Holy Cow, we shall be broke forever. Life is good and we are hoping this is all behind us.

Super Cute Cupcakes

I really liked my sunflower cupcakes. I think if I make them again though I would put them on chocolate cupcakes. I think they would just look better against a darker background. But they tasted really good, lemon with lemon curd centers. Yummy!

Grandpa Wood's Memorial

We spent the weekend of the 7th in Crouch, Idaho. We were attending a memorial service for William E. Wood (Michael's maternal grandfather) who passed away back in December. Michael's grandparents own a cabin up there, and as the cabin was full, our family set up our tent up on the property. It ended up being more of a family reunion. We ate way to much food and spent most of the time by the river trying to stay cool. The property backs right up against the Payette River. There is a little beach the kids enjoyed playing in. The whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and babies floated the river together. This picture was taken before we left. The river was really low and my poor bum got very beat up by the rocks.
Ethan loved playing in the water and actually waded out past his knees. It was enough to make this mother proud.Libby loved all the attention she got. This is one of the only pictures were she isn't caked with dust and/or naked. She really likes naked, the little exhibitionist.
This is the lady of the hour, Grandma Wood. This was right before we went home. The kids were tired and had no interest in having their picture taken. Libby is wearing her swimsuit cover because it was the only thing she had left that was even close to clean.

Potty Training 101 Part Duex

We have decided to give a go at potty-training Libby. Recall she is just 22 months old. She has decided, however, she does not like her diaper anymore.

He has gone on the little potty a few times. Twice yesterday #1 and #2. She has also gone on the floor and outside on numerous occasions. We are attempting to use a method described in a book (so you know it came from Katie). It talks about all animals having an innate need to not soil themselves, and as humans, we break them of that by putting them in diapers, then we have to re-train them back to what they already knew when they were born.

So, we are trying to re-train Libby to pee-pee and poo-poo in the potty. Yes, I am her father, but I still feel like a dork when I say it so many times a day. "Libby! Do you need to go pee-pee in the potty?" Her answer is always the same: she scrunches her face and says "No." She'll sit on the potty five or six times before she eventually goes on the floor somewhere, usually in the vicinity of, but rarely in her potty. We think we are making progress, so we're going to keep up with it.

An aside: For those of you planning to have children in the future, secure a residence with as little carpeting as possible. It's just easier. Trust me.