June 21st to July 10th Summer Notes

Friday kids started to feel better - enough to start picking at each other. Tobias has gone back to napping as part of his recovery. We spent the day at home, quiet and resting. Sweet friends sent us flowers and a get well balloon.

Saturday Joseph and Emma returned from youth conference, healthy and happy. They had a great time.

Sunday everyone was well enough to go to church together. After getting a bit stir crazy after dinner everyone headed to the backyard to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

Monday morning the kids cleaned out the van. In the afternoon Mason and I spent a couple hours doing an appointment to get various braces adjusted. In the evening there was a used curriculum sale at the local homeschool group, where I found a few twenty-two good books to add to our shelves for $9. Well, I suppose only 20, because the giant two volume set of all the Sherlock Holmes stories Emma claimed for herself about three minutes after I returned home. She loves Sherlock Holmes and is well into the first volume as of Tuesday evening.

Wednesday and Thursday I have no notes. Friday we went to a game night at the church. The kids loved the different activities, indoor and out. Saturday and Sunday were quiet.

Monday was full of appointments. Just a typical day. Jason had to work, which is unusual, but would get Friday off instead.

Tuesday the big van got an oil change and other minor prep for our upcoming family trip to Palmyra, NY to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant, visit a lot of church history sites, and then swing by Niagara Falls on our way home. Makayla was working the farm and a farmer's market as usual. Joseph, Emma, and Daniel decided to bake chocolate chip cookies for the family and to share with our piano teacher. We had piano lessons in the afternoon.

Wednesday and Thursday have no notes.

Friday we went to our friends' home home for swimming, a late night movie (Monsters Inc.), and then fireworks. It was so much fun!

Saturday was errand day.

Sunday was church and then a family birthday party for Samuel, who turns 6 years old this week.

Monday was the final shopping for our trip. We also squeezed in a 3.5 hour appointment with Mason's bracing specialist trying to adjust his HKAFOs (standing braces). Unfortunately, it looks like it is time for new braces. That means an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon and the physical medicine doctor, x-rays, possible surgery plans (depending on the x-rays, we're tracking a few things), submitting request for new braces to insurance, waiting up to 6 months for bracing to decide yes or no, appeal if denied, then a month-ish for the custom braces to be casted, built, and fit. All while we try not to lose function living without braces or wear improperly fitting braces during this time and risk pressure sores. And of course if it is time for any of the leg surgeries on the horizon that plays into all of those timelines too. Ha! It is never dull.

Tuesday and Wednesday I have no notes, so I'm hitting publish. Next up - a post about our big family trip!