Reunion, Day 2

All of the cousins, 7/21/11

The second day of our reunion began with an early morning fire and breakfast.  Our men served up some fabulous pancakes, bacon, eggs & hashbrowns.  The gnats that had covered us the evening before were gone which meant no swatting to accompany our meal.  But our deer friends would be back later that evening to share our (discarded) marshmallows.  Robert & Paul got to fulfill an item off their bucket list - deer wrangling.

The girls of the family

Our amazing & loving & intelligent & funny & selfless & wise & strong & truthful & ... parents.

7/21/11

Later in the morning we all headed out on a hike.  Monica & her family planned this & took us on the Chief Joseph Trail.  She had a "fact game" prepared for along the way with a candy reward.  The area is beautiful & the weather was nice.  The cousins had fun being together, eating candy & hurrying along the trail to the "unknown" up ahead. 

Keelan likes his water!

Crossing the Wallowa River

Parker & McKay

7/21/11, overlooking Wallowa Lake

The bridge was washed out so this is as far as we went

Tate sleeping comfortably on Daddy's back

Back at camp we had sandwiches for lunch, rested a bit & spent a couple hours at the lake before dinner.  That evening we passed on the night games in favor of sleep after a wonderfully exhausting day.  All except Parker, Paul, Robert & McKay (for a little while) who stayed up watching the flames dancing & exploding in the pit.

Our fire guards

We love our Nana!

Family Reunion, Day 1

2011 Fredrickson Family Reunion, 
Wallowa Lake State Park 
Oregon, July 20 - 23.

Paul, Kyralyn & I left on Tuesday so that we could divide the trip into smaller pieces.  We stayed in Caldwell, ID.  On Wednesday we stopped in Enterprise to pick up a few groceries.  Glancing down the isle I did a double take...I know them!  Monica, Hannah & McKay were shopping for a few groceries.  It was fun to catch up in the pickle isle!  They took Kyralyn to play at the lake so that Paul & I could get camp set up but we decided instead to check out the lake too.  Later, Robert & Paul set up our camp while I stayed at the lake with my sis & her kids!

By late afternoon all of us were at the campground (except Katie who couldn't get the time off from her new job) and the reunion, Fredrickson-style, had begun.

Landon, 2

Roasted marshmallows are one of Parker's favorites

Hannah, 9

Nothing like a good roast to begin a camping activity

McKay, 7 & Ellianna, almost 5

We even had a special guest welcome us to the campground.

For the next 2 days we camped, hiked, ate, played, biked, swam &  got dirty.  It was wonderful spending time together.

Love Will Pull Us Back Up

Last Tuesday, the 16th, I was sitting at the counter making some math practice sheets for Dallin before I started dinner.  It was long-division this time.  Suddenly Kadee came through the front door saying she would watch Tate so I could run down the street to help Kyralyn.  Without any questions I sprinted out the door & down the street.  She was being held by one neighbor while several others surrounded her & a bike.  One man had a pair of cutters & she was screaming for her Mom.

Watching Hannah Montana, trying to ignore the ice 8/16/11

I immediately wrapped her in my arms as I took in the situation; her foot was pointing downward & caught between the metal bar at the back wheel & wrapped inside a couple of spokes.  The "hero of the day" cut the spokes & her foot slid out, bruised & bleeding in several places. 

At home Amber brought her a fancy-shmancy ice wrap (gonna have to get us one of those!) & her friend Maloree tried to distract her from the pain with babies & dry-erase markers.  Kadee stayed with us for comfort & companionship.  Corrine & Missy both called later to check on her & fill me in on the details.  I am grateful for the blessing of real friends.

Now that she was home & surrounded by love, Kyralyn wanted the comfort of her Dad.  Eventually we got a hold of him & she calmed down enough to tell him what had happened.  She was riding double on Gavin's bike with Hannah & tried to get off when her foot slipped.  He was able to leave work & come home.  For the next hour several of Kyralyn's friends brought her treats & pictures to help her feel better.  We spent the evening icing her foot, wondering if we ought to have it xray'd  & helping her to be comfortable while her brothers kept her smiling. By about 1pm the next day she was wanting to be back on her bike & running on her foot again.  I had to remind her to slow down.  Maloree & Hannah even set out a blanket for her to lay on with pillows for icing & elevating her feet so they didn't have to stop playing.

Notes from Maloree, Kaleigh, Addie & Brianna 8/16/11

All of this love & attention from our family & friends reminded me of the time, almost 1 year ago, when she came home from Dallin's soccer game with a broken arm.

9/10/10

Last September 9, Parker & I had left Dallin's soccer game to get him to football practice.  He ran out onto the field & I headed home when Paul called & told me to meet him at the doctor's office.  Only for 1/2 a second did I think he was kidding.  I could hear the truth in his voice.  After xrays at the hospital we took her home with her left arm in a splint.  She had greenstick fractures in her radius & ulna from a fall off the slide at the park.  Lincoln picked up Parker from practice & someone from Dallin's team brought him home.  As soon as we got home the showering of love began.  Lincoln & Michelle brought her a big bunch of balloons (a favorite) & a treat.  Tanya stopped by with a treat & a listening ear.  Grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins called to check on her.  Kyralyn loved all of the attention.  The next morning we got a call from the dr that we'd better get her in for a "reduction" because the bending of the bone was so severe.  This was necessary to realign the bones before they could be casted.  Wanting to help her feel like a princess amidst all this ugliness, I called on another friend with amazing hair-fixing talent.  Sarah came over & made her into a "star!"  We headed up to Primary Children's Medical Center Emergency Room.  The staff there kept commenting on her amazing strength & good spirits.  It must have been the star!  They took very good care of her & were very thoughtful & straightforward with us.  They gave her gifts too- a little puppy dog Beanie & a popsicle. 

September 2010

We pulled into the driveway and were descended upon by loving & thoughtful friends.  For the next little while, many pictures & treats were brought to Kyralyn as well as many phone calls from family members.  Maloree came with a special princess gift & stayed to play for a little while.  Wow, what amazing people we are surrounded by!  An especial thanks to many family & friends who helped us out over the next several days with rides, keeping an eye on the boys, thoughtful phone calls & many comforts for Kyralyn. 

Eventually the swelling went down & a long cast was put on for 5 weeks, followed by a short cast for 3 weeks.

Off with the old, on with the new 10/10

November 2010

November 2010

Toward the end of the casting time the only thing she wanted was a bubble bath.  The day we brought her home without a cast on her left arm Parker drew her a bath & used the entire bottle of bubbles.  Oh it smelled good!  She had endured a lot of pain & struggle up to this point & I enjoyed watching the happiness wash over her at this simple pleasure.

11/3/10

11/3/10

11/3/10

Throughout this experience Kyralyn was amazing!  She never complained about the situation & only pressed forward with great strength in all that she wanted to do.  

September 2010

Occasionally the pain or the itchy irritation of the cast would become too much but together we worked through these setbacks.  It wasn't long before she bounced on to another activity.  Watching her was a great lesson in getting back up when we fall & moving forward with happiness.  

Back on the slide, 1 week later  9/15/10

A Journey in Color

For a very long time, Parker has been asking for an updated bedroom.  His still had the log cabin / pine tree stencil around the top of the wall from the previous owners & a few marker designs from his younger years.  We spent many evenings while I was tickling his back & laying by him at bedtime discussing how to paint the walls.  

Thus began our color journey.

  Originally his desire was for all the walls to be "Denver Bronco" orange.  His room is quite small so I told him only one wall!  After almost a year, he wanted "REAL Salt Lake" red & blue.  A few months later it was back to orange (I think the official Spencer Bronco fan had some pull in that direction!)  At this point my better judgement took over & I suggested we use Bronco blue as the base color and then accent with the orange...I thought this would be a bit more versatile.

I had set aside some time to do the painting while he was visiting Nana & Papa in Oregon so a few days before he flew out, we stopped in at the paint store.  I immediately looked for a couple of choices close to Bronco blue while he began to play tag with Kyralyn.  He picked a color but still seemed undecided, so while I picked out a roller, a paint brush & some primer (goodbye log cabin / pine tree stencils), he was looking at the color display.  After a few minutes he brings me an entirely different color & with confident resolve tells me this is the color. 

(Its actually a bit more greenish then the pic shows)

I love it when he knows what he wants!

Once the paint is on the walls, the fun begins.  On second thought, that's not true.  The fun began with our color journey.  The accents just add to the experience!  I picked up an unfinished magnet board, peg board, & shelf.  I found stick-on soccer balls (he chose where to put them) & the dolphins as after thoughts while looking for the unfinished pieces.  He had the sports car & motorcycle posters already, thanks to the school book fair.  And the door curtain freed up some space to give him a bigger bed.  He also has a pillowcase of a big wave with a surfboard.  Because it was shaping up to have a beach feel to it, I thought of the washed wood finish for the shelf.  I liked it for the other pieces too. 

The room certainly won't win any decorating awards but it was enjoyable to put together; I like how the washed wood finish turned out & there is room for Parker to add his own touches.  Most important, he LOVES it!  (And he'll love it even more once he gets his orange duvet cover for the bed!)

7/23/11

The First Five

Better late than never.  

1 Week

3 Months

1 Year

First birthday celebration; with many family members, 2007

Great-Grandma Locher came to celebrate your first birthday with you.

I'm 2!

Watching the balloons get ready for take off; Freedom Fest, Provo 2008

3 years old & Princess for a day, as crowned by your special cousins in Montana! 2009

4 on the 4th; its your Magic Birthday, 2010

Something 4 Now, Something 4 Later, Something 4 Fun, Something 4 Always

Fabulous, Fun & Fantastic Five