Monster Love

My brother Joshua likes to sew, which I think is pretty dang cool for a guy to do. He even took a sewing class at BYU! Imagine the lone male in a sewing class filled with women...not too shabby! He made a skirt for my Mom for Christmas which was super cute, he has made himself a pair of church pants and apparently he is working on making a little dress for Rylee to wear. I hope he finishes it before she grows too much and won't be able to wear it .... hint hint Joshua! :0)

He also makes the cutest little sock monsters you have ever seen. Big lips, button eyes, fancy socks! Sooo adorable!

Another thing that should be made mention about Joshua is the special relationship he has with my little Rylee. There was a time between the ages of birth and 2 years old when Rylee absolutely would not go to anyone who was not Mom or Dad, not even he Grandmas. She was a Mom and Dad only type of girl.

Then when she was a little over a year we went to Utah. Joshua was there and while we were at church she climbed into Joshuas lap and stayed there. I was so completely surprised and could not believe my little mamas girl had willingly went to somebody else. I think it made Joshuas day! From then on the only other person she would go to was Joshua. She loved him! They now have a pretty special relationship which I think is really cute.

Recently Joshua sent Rylee her very own sock monster to love. She loves it and she named him Grumpy.

How stinkin cute is this picture?
Kissy-kissy!!

keffords owie

You know what happens to me when I haven't posted in a while? I get non-posters guilt. Seriously! For the past couple of days I have been getting a wee bit of anxiety about looking at my blog. I would want to come on to see who has posted so that I could read their lovely new news but when I log on and see the same post on mine that has been there for what seems like forever I feel soooo guilty. So I started logging on and not even looking at my old news post but quickly scroll past it to where my friends postings are listed. Sad I know. Pathetic even! Its not like I don't have pictures to post it is just me being lazy or thinking I will get to it later. Finally I bit the bullet and have posted pictures of Keffords injury. I think I must be really tired this morning or else it could be that I have had to stop every couple of minutes to break up ANOTHER fight between my kids and it has left me disoriented but these pictures are not in the right order. I don't want to start over to get it more right so these will have to do. At least you have something new..although maybe slightly icky to look at. You know whats funny about my posters guilt? I still post way more then some people on my friends list! HA!





On May 19 Kefford got up and left super early to go play basketball at the church. I, of course, stayed in bed. A little while later I heard him come home and immediately get some ice from the fridge, then he came up the stairs and it sounded like he was not walking right. He came in the bedroom and I asked him what was going on. He said that he was coming down from a jump shot when it felt like somebody kicked him really hard in his Achilles. He turned around but nobody was behind him. Not a good thing. He came home and after waiting for Dr offices to be opened he went in. Turns out he tore his Achilles tendon completely apart and just like that he was scheduled for surgery in two days. Poor Kefford!



Luckily for me my Mom happened to be coming to visit us from California. It made things really nice when I had to take Kefford in for his surgery at 5:30 in the morning. So I took him in and we were waiting when Kefford decided he had to go to the bathroom. He went in the back and that was the last I saw of him until they came out to tell me 2 and a half hours later that he was waking up from surgery. I was a little bit bugged that they took him in without letting me kiss him goodbye or tell him good luck or anything, what if something horrible happened and I never got to have a last goodbye? Oh well he came through OK and so they were off the hook!

His leg was half casted and then wrapped up good and tight in an ace bandage. These first three pictures were taken after the cast had come off.

Look at how gross and swollen his foot was and still kinda is. He pressed his finger into the side of it and when he took it away he left a dent that stayed there for a good 10 to 15 minutes. It was kinda grossing me out.

Here you can see where the scar is and see some of the bruising still on his foot.

Seeing his fat and swollen foot really makes me appreciate the looks of his bony normal foot!

This picture shows how Kefford usually ends up when he comes home at the end of his work day. He gets to wear that lovely boot for at least 2 more months we think. He is always so tired and his foot is so sore and swollen by the end of the day that he likes to keep it elevated to try and reduce some of the swelling. I am not sure how much it really helps but he likes to do it so more power to him. In a perfect world he could just stay home all day and be waited on and not have to worry about constantly being on his feet at work. Poor guy!

Ryker enjoyed seeing Kefford on his crutches so much that he wrapped his foot in an ace bandage and pulled out his own crutches.

These next four pictures were taken at the Drs office while Kefford was getting his cast taken off.

Why the nurse cut the ace bandage off instead of unwrapping it I will never know. Maybe we should have asked because Kefford wondered the same thing.

The foot is slowly making its appearance.

Oh man the foot looks so sad. Look at that nasty bruising. He had really bad scrapes on top of his foot from where the cast rubbed at his skin. One night a couple of days after his surgery Kefford woke me up in the middle of the night to help him unwrap his bandage so he could adjust his foot because the pressure of the half cast (at this point we thought the cast was a hard brace we didn't realize it was a cast)on top of his foot was really bugging him. I told him that was not a good idea but in his druggish state he was not listening to me and insisted. So I, with my eyes barely open because I was barely awake, started to unwrap. That is when we realized his leg was in a cast and there was nothing we could do about his pressure points. So I started to rewrap, it was not easy, I was tired and a little irritated at Kefford for making me do this impossible task. I didn't rewrap it right and he didn't like the way I was doing it but we eventually figured it out and I went back to bed.

So if you look closely at his foot in this top picture you will notice a line running across the length of his leg and through the scar. That is part of the stitches and the Dr said he was just going to pull it out. I quickly volunteered to leave the room because that was not something I wanted to see. It was over very quick which was good because Kefford said that did not feel good at all. Ouch!

Kefford has been on crutches for the past four weeks or so and in a couple days he will be able to start walking on his foot while wearing the boot. He will have to wear that for a couple of months we think and then the physical therapy will start. He has a long road ahead of him and all because he wanted to play basketball for some exercise.

Exercising is not good for you!

HeartBreaker

For the past year and a half I was privileged to be the Beehive advisor for our ward. I was very excited when I got this call and have been happy every minute of my service. I think when the Lord gives us callings he is very active in helping us fulfill them. I don't know how else to explain how much I have loved these girls in my class and how much I have enjoyed being with them. I have served in the young women organization many times and while it has always been enjoyable it has been nothing to what I have experienced this time around. Lots of fun, lots of spiritual moments and lots of good times. I cannot express how much I have loved and enjoyed being with these girls.
A couple weeks ago we got a call from a member of the stake presidency saying he would like to meet with us. Kefford and I both wondered what was going on. I was quite happy in my calling and Kefford had been serving as the Elders Quorum president for almost two years and he was quite happy where he was at. We wondered which one was going to have a change. Little did we know that what was coming was going to require changes on both our parts.

President Koehler came and met with us and extended a new calling to Kefford...2nd counselor in the Bishopric. I knew as soon as that call was extended that my days with my amazing Beehives were soon over. I spent the next week discussing it with Kefford, analyzing it, even talking myself into believing that we can make it work and I could stay where I was at but deep down I knew my time was at an end.

Sure enough the next Sunday the Bishop called both of us into his office to talk about Keffords new calling and to let me know that I was being released. I got emotional. I was prepared and ready for it but I was still very sad.

Now don't get me wrong,I am happy for Kefford in his chance to serve in his new calling. He will be amazing and will do alot of good for the members of our ward. It will be challenging and I hope it will bring our family lots of blessings.

But...

Courtney Nicholes, Megan Pierce, Me :0), Jessica Tyler and Cheryl Howell

I will really miss my Beehives!

What would you do for a KitKat bar?

Last night we had a pretty good Family Home Evening. I helped Avynlea give a lesson on listening to the Spirit. We read a story out of the Friend magazine and then we talked about how to listen to the Spirit. I was even able to use the story about Rylee missing to help us illustrate how important it is to always listen to the Spirit. So after we got don't with all of that Ryker was in charge of the treat. Now in our house sometimes we are prepared and arrange before hand to have a really great treat ready and other times we improvise. This was an improvise night. Kenedy for whatever reason had it in her head that we were going to have pie, ice cream and whipping cream. I quickly vetoed that idea. We did not need the kids to be filling up their bellies with sugar right before bedtime. I told them they could have otter pops or one minature candy bar each. They chose the candy. So Ryker brought out a handful of candy for everyone to pick from. Kenedy made a grab for the KitKat bar and I guess Avynlea did too. Kefford quickly vetoed the KitKats, they are his favorite and he wanted them for him. I thought it was fair, the kids had tons of other choices but Kenedy was not happy.

Kenedy did not think it was fair and she started giving major attitude and feet stomping.

Avynlea quickly jumped on Kenedys band wagon except she took it to the next level. Screaming, crying, jumping up and down, throwing herself on the ground. It was a little ridiculous. After them carrying on for about 10 minutes we finally told them forget it they get nothing. Oh man the drama! Kenedy then took it up a notch and started crying and yelling and Avynlea just kept at it with more high pitched screaming involved. Kefford and I went in the back to escape with the other two and made the two drama queens stay inside. Kenedy eventually got over it and came outside but Avynlea did not let up until I forced her to bed. It was a bit much. Kenedy is old enough to know better and I am thinking Avynlea better think twice before she jumps on anyone else's bandwagon ever again!

thinking my thoughts

I get bored quite often. One thing I do during those times is browse different blog links i find on my friends blogs. I have found people that I knew once upon a time through doing this, I have found people that I know through other people I know that I never knew they knew (make sense? ha!), I have found many intriguing blogs filled with people that I think are ridiculous and people I think are fun and wish I knew in real life. The bloggy world is very interesting.

I am kinda really jealous that blogging was not a thing to do during my dating then marrying then having babies time. I look at newlywed blogs or blogs of those going through their college years and wish that I had a blog during mine so I could have fun and cool records of those time periods. I know what some of you are thinking..journals..helloooo journal writing has always been around and lots of people use those to record important times. Yeah well I was never and still am not a good journal writer. It is not my thing...at all. I like blogging i like using this as my somewhat record keeper. i just wish i could have started earlier.

Now while I wish blogging had been vogue back in the day I am really kinda glad that facebook and myspace and twittering and any of the other social networks were not around while I was in high school. I can only imagine the petty and mean things that can be said about one on these networking sites. Yikes. No thanks not for me.

Do you think that I am bored and have nothing else to say. Yeah its true. I am plaguing my blog with the thoughts that go through my head while at the gym, or while blow drying and then straightening my hair or even while doing dishes and laundry. Oh the thoughts I think.

Maybe I will turn this blog into a my thoughts blog. Or maybe do a fun recap at the end of each week. Who knows, but for right now I like word vomiting with my fingertips..hahahahahaha!
And that is how Elizabeth..."C's" it.
Bazinga!

This little one is starting to drive me loco and out of my mind. She is at the age where she does lots of loco things and that is why she has been featured more then the others. Here is her story for today..

The four kiddos went to play in the sprinklers at a friends house this afternoon. Nice for me cause i had some guiltfree free time..oh yeah.. "Bridezilla" on TLC here.I.come..whoop whoop!

A little over an hour after they left I got a phone call from the friends house they were at..

Friend: Don't panic but we cant find Rylee.

Me: what?

Friend: we were outside and when I was not looking she came inside and now we can't find her.

Me: What?

Friend: We are looking up and down the street but we don't see her.

Me: (trying not to panic but feeling it coming on) OK I am going to start heading towards your house to see if I can see her. call my cell if she shows up.

I grabbed my phone said a little prayer in my head and jumped on my scooter. I was feeling panicky inside but trying to remain calm, oh man I was getting scared. As I was pulling out of my driveway one of my friends daughters came and said she didn't see her the direction she was walking so I had her jump on with my and we headed a different way. Just then I got another phone call from my friend telling me they found her. Oh man the relief I felt!

turns out Rylee decided she wanted to go home and so she went inside and walked out the front door without anybody seeing her. She started walking the right way but instead of staying straight she turned left onto a street she shouldn't have and then turned left again onto another street. She was heading the direction of Linder school for those who know and for those who don't it was the complete opposite direction of our house! A girl from the ward just happened to see her walking alone down the street waving at all the cars that drove past, kinda like she was in a parade..oh Rylee. So this girl from our ward was contemplating whether she should take her in her car and bring her home or keep trying to call me to let me know she found my kid. I was not getting the call cause she was calling my home phone. But then Kenedy, Avynlea and their friend turned the corner in their hunt to find Rylee and found her so problem solved. We were all so relieved and Ryker told me that he said a prayer asking for help to find Rylee. What a good fellow. I am grateful for prayers answered, friends that come along at the right time and for all four of my kids. I can't imagine the devastation's if we would not have been able to find her.

Lesson learned: keep an eye on Rylee at all times she is a tricky one!

Love this

Rylee: (carrying around her strawberry shortcake baby in an Easter basket) She's name is Rylee.

Me. Oh

Rylee: and my name is lizbef (elizabeth :0))

Me: oh that's cool. Whats my name?

Rylee: you can be....hmmmmm.....you can be....Lou Lou!

Me: Nice, I like that.

She has been calling me Lou Lou for the past little while. It makes me smile and giggle whenever she does it. Of all my kids Rylee is the only one to have really gotten into the girlie girl dress up and play babies. She is constantly changing into different pretty dress ups throughout the day and is quite happy to play babies all day long. She loves to be the Mommy and it cracks me up when I hear her using her Mommy voice. It is really soft and sweet. Think Snow White! Another thing she likes to do and which she does often is have me be her kid. She will randomly come up to me and tell me that she is the Mommy and I am the sweetie. Isn't that cute? I love being her sweetie!