Our trip to the ER

So, we got home from our Yellowstone trip around 12:30 last night, and made it to bed at around 1:00 a.m. At about 2:00 a.m., though, Brandon crawled into our room after being up for a little bit, in a lot of pain. He had tried soaking in a hot tub to see if that would relax him, but it didn't help.

So, I got on the internet to do some research while the poor guy rolled around on the floor in pain. He originally thought he had a UTI, but after a few minutes, we sort of "diagnosed" that he had a kidney stone. By this point, he wanted to go to the ER. So, we called his parents to come give him a blessing and to stay with the boys while we went to the hospital. (I'm so glad his parents live close. I don't know what we would have done had this happened down in Salt Lake. Neighbors, probably.)

We got to the hospital where they took his history and asked a bunch of questions, then drew some blood. They got some pain med's in him, and he finally was able to relax. They did a CT scan, and while we waited for the results, he was able to fall asleep. The Dr. came in and confirmed that he did indeed have a kidney stone waiting to be passed, and that he had several more in each of his kidneys that would eventually need to pass. They sent us home with some Percocet, and a funny little kit to catch the stone when it passed so the Dr's can analyze it and see what they can do to stop these from forming.

We finally got home around 5:20 in the morning, thanked his parents for coming, and were able to get to bed around 5:45. Gavin woke up crying just then, so I went and got him a drink and laid with him for a few minutes. I was finally able to crawl back into bed and sleep for three hours until the phone rang.

So, we had an interesting night - it's been a REALLY long time since I've pulled an all-nighter like that. I drifted in and out on our trip yesterday, but didn't fall asleep for more than a few minutes at a time, and only snagged one hour after we got home. So, I'm running on four hours sleep here. Brandon went back to bed a little bit ago, and as soon as Gavin goes down for his nap, I'll try and grab one, too. I've still got to make Gavin a birthday cake, though, unpack from our trip, and also get him one more gift! I still can't believe he's three now. He was so happy yesterday, and was just thrilled to get free pie, and a gift from his family. He had such a huge smile on his face! He's a sweetheart!

Yellowstone trip & Gavin's b-day

On Monday morning, we left on our first summer family vacation. We traveled up to West Yellowstone, driving wherever we thought we'd like to. We saw some interesting things, and got some good quotes from the boys. One of my favorites was from Braden. We were driving through Newton, UT (just before you enter into Idaho), and the boys saw a field out their window that was full of yellow flowers. B said, "Oh, it's beautiful! That looks like a good place for a war! Mom, is that where the people that live in Newton have their wars???" Brandon & I just looked at each other and laughed and laughed! I'll have to figure out how to put all of their quotes on the side bar of the blog, or something, just so I can share them all.

Monday afternoon, we got to West Yellowstone, checked into our motel, and then decided to go see an IMAX film on Yellowstone. It was pretty good, although I've definitely seen better. When they showed Old Faithful, there was a bass track on the music, which made it seem like it boomed every time it shot out water. Needless to say, the boys and I were a bit disappointed to get to Old Faithful the next day and just have water and steam spout out. No booming!

Monday night, we went swimming in the motel pool and soaked in the hot tub. It was a lot of fun. Tuesday morning, we got up and headed into Yellowstone. We made several stops before we got to Old Faithful, to take pictures of some buffalo, elk, the river and mountains. It was gorgeous up there. We finally got to Old Faithful, and only had to wait for about ten minutes before it went off. Then, we started on a hike around the other geysers. My favorite was the Lion Geyser. It was just exploding water, and with the breeze that was blowing the water towards the boardwalk, we all got soaked. The boys hated it, but I was hot, and the water felt SO good.

By the time we made it around the loop and back to Old Faithful, it was just about time for it to go off again. We stood around for about another ten minutes, and every couple of minutes or so, it would shoot off a little steam and a burst of water, and then quit. Finally, it went off, and this time it was much more spectacular for us. It lasted for about five minutes total, and was shooting water and steam in hard bursts way up into the air!

Once we got inside, I realized just how sunburned I was. Being up in the mountains, I didn't even really think of suncreen, and it turned out to be a lot hotter than I was planning. We all got sunburned, but my poor face and especially my arms are really red. Ouch! Anyway, after we ate lunch, we packed back up, and the boys and I fell asleep - (minus Scott and Brandon, who was driving). We stopped at a couple of lakes to take some pictures and soak my poor tired feet, and finally made it into Jackson Hole. We looked into going on a tram ride, but they had apparantly closed for the day by the time we got there. So, we just hit Village Inn for dinner, and for a free slice (big slice, too) of birthday pie for Gavin. He was so excited to get pie for his birthday and to have the family sing to him.

We gave him his one gift that we brought for him (a big ball with little stringy things coming off it - I'll post a picture) and he thought it was great. We didn't have time to shop in Jackson Hole, and by the time we got to Afton, I was regretting that. I wanted to get a gift for him to "remember" our birthday trip for him, so we stopped in Afton at a gas station to change the boys (and me) into jammies. I found a cute little stuffed puppy dog for him, and we named him Jackson. (Gavin loves to pretend that he's a puppy dog, so this fit perfectly and he has already fallen in love with Jackson!)

Tuesday night (last night), we came home through Bear Lake and got home around 12:30 or so. Brandon saw about two times as many deer in Logan canyon as he did cars. It was kind of scary, but luckily, I kept drifting off, so I didn't have to see many of them. After getting the boys to bed, Brandon & I made it to bed around 1:00. I fell asleep almost immediately and was out. Yeah for Ibuprofen!! I'll have to post pictures and quotes later!

I'm hiding!!!

Gavin, who will be three next week, loves to get out of his bed at night. He'll poke his head around the corner of the stairs, and look into the living room and ask to watch the "T. B." with us.

Well last night, halfway through our program, Brandon went upstairs to get some water for us, and he just about stepped on this:

I'm hiding!!

Hey! Come find me, you guys! (Ha, ha, ha!)

Now, he's not sleeping - he's "hiding!" This kid is SO patient when it comes to hiding. We sat there and laughed at him and took pictures for a couple of minutes, and he didn't budge. We knew he was awake, 'cause we saw his little body shaking as he was trying to cover his laughing, and at one point we saw his little eyeball looking at us. Brandon eventually scooped him up and carried him back into bed, and he still didn't move. He even kept his legs cocked up like that, and his hands covering his eyes!! It was so cute, and gave us quite a good laugh!

Now, he does this frequently throughout the whole house, and he is solid in his MO - he doesn't budge, even if we blow in his ear, talk to him . . . If we tickle him, he does squirm a bit, and giggle, but other than that - nothing!

We get more laughs out of our day because of our little Gavin. I love him to death. He's always so excited to see me when he wakes up in the morning, and he's always got a cute smile on his face - except for when he's pouting.

Since it's his birthday in a few days, I'll just dedicate this post to him. Another thing he loves to do is cook. He will pretend to cook several times throughout the day, making us "sandwiches" or "juice" or "cookies." He'll pretend to have all of his ingredients laid out for easy access, and he'll proceed to make us whatever we want.

The other day, I was baking some cookies, and I left my mixing bowl and my container of flour out on the counter while I went and started our grill for dinner. When I came back in, this is the first thing I saw:

Gavin - busy stirring.

He's not afraid to try his own creation! Mmm - yummy!

This is serious business.

The finished product - his "cookies" and him!

Happy Birthday, Gavin!!! Love you. Mom

I've been tagged by Melanie!!

3 Joys - #1 - My family. Last night we went out on an errand, and after we got home, we told the boys they could play for a few minutes outside. I was by the deck just watching all of my boys play, and just enjoying the moment. I love my family, and I love my kids to death. Like any mom, there are some days that I'm so overwhelmed and frustrated by them, but I wouldn't change my life for anything. They are my life. #2 - Music. I love to play the piano, and I love to sing. I love to harmonize to the hymns, and more often than not, I find myself singing the tenor part over the alto or soprano. When a good song comes on the radio, or we're listening to our MP3's on the computer, I turn it way up and sing and harmonize to it. I love to sing. I'd love to audition for American Idol just to see what the judges would say. #3 - Reading. I love to read. That's my one real escape when I'm feeling pressured or overwhelmed. It doesn't do anything for me to go shopping by myself, because I usually get depressed at the price of things I'd like, or my body size and trying to find clothes that I like that actually fit. But, to dive into a good book . . . that's pure heaven for me.

3 Fears - #1 - I agree with Melanie - the world today scares me to death. I hate to even watch the news anymore because they rarely have "good" or uplifting things anymore. It's sad, and I'm scared about what my boys will encounter (or already have from school). Hopefully I can do my part in raising my children to be good people. #2 - Losing Brandon or my boys. I know families are eternal, but the thought of being all on my own scares me. #3 - Snakes. This spring, our yard was overrun with snakes, and each time we'd find one, I'd go running into the house like a scared little girl. Oh, wait, I was a scared little girl. I HATE snakes!

3 Goals - #1 - To lose weight. This summer (August '07) I got really stressed out with Brandons new job, finding a place to live in just a couple of weeks, my grandma's death, Brandon missing my birthday, packing and moving, starting the boys in a new school, and meeting new neighbors and ward members. To deal with it, my response was to eat - and not very healthy eating. #2 - To make better use of my time. Too often, I find myself wasting time on the computer or with a book. I need to do better at "wasting time" with my boys. Or reading the scriptures. That's another thing I could do better. #3 - To let go and enjoy life more often. Getting into a house and being able to listen to the boys run around the yard without worrying they'll get lost or someone will steal them (think Taylorsville for those that know me) has made me relax more, and I'm finding joy in little things. I still can do better, though.

3 Current obsessions - #1 - Also, like Melanie - blogging!! I am so addicted, and I am also a blog stalker. I love finding old friends. #2 - Reading. I find that when I go to the library, I stock up on books, and then bury myself in them for about a week. #3 - NUMB3RS. Thanks, Mike and Anne Marie! We love this show, and we can hardly wait until Friday when it comes on. Of course, it's re-runs right now, but we're anxiously waiting for the new season to start. I can hardly wait to see what happens with Don & Charlie! I also love So You Think You Can Dance.

I tag Kristen, Shanna, & Jen Forsman. And whoever else wants to do it! :)

Seeing stars. . . or well, blackness

Out in our front yard, there is a strip of dirt that borders our property, and it has become overgrown with tree roots and weeds. It seems that everytime I want to go weed it and cut out those roots, it's either too dry, so I plan do it the next day, and then the next day it rains.

But, today we weeded the garden, and with the breeze blowing, it was fairly cool, so I thought I'd tackle that area, too. I did a bit of it, then fed the boys some lunch. Afterwards, I went out to finish my little project. So, I squared up the shovel at the base of one of the roots that had sprouted, "took aim" and jumped up on the shovel. Only, I'm not sure I ever made it onto the shovel.

Silly me forgot to look up before jumping, and I hit my head on a big tree branch above me - hard. I went down, saw a flash of bright red, felt the shovel land on top of me, and then blacked out for a few seconds. (Kind of scary - I've only blacked out once before that I know of, and it was when I was 5 or so and was really sick.) After I came to, I laid in the grass and cried, and tried to get my head to stop swimming. Gavin was on the sidewalk waving to me without a care in the world. Scott finally came over, saw that I was crying and asked if I was okay. I told him to go get dad.

Brandon came over, and helped me into the house where I basically collapsed on the couch. After taking some Ibuprofen, I fell asleep for a couple of hours, and woke up feeling much better. There's a big red spot on my head (under my hair) where the branch hit. I hit it so hard that it actually bruised above my eye, too.

Then, later tonight, we were putting the kids to bed, and I leaned over to kiss Gavin goodnight, and he rolled over and smacked me in the eye - the hurt one. This time, I did see stars. I'm not sure I believed that phrase before, but, now I do. I literally saw stars. A few minutes later, I looked in the mirror, and it was already turning more blue. It's not black all around my eye - just above it - but it sure hurts. If it looks bad tomorrow, I'll have to take a picture and post it. (Now posted, although you can't really see it unless you click on it.)

On the up-side, after having our kitty taken away from us a couple of weeks ago, we've decided to just "move on." Brandon works with a woman whose brothers' cat had kittens a few weeks ago. We went over to see them tonight, and they said that we could have two of them. We picked out our two, and the boys are thinking of names. They won't be ready for us to take home for about two more weeks, though. So, we have two weeks to build them a house that will go either under our deck or on top of our deck. I'll post pictures as soon as I have them!

For now, my headache is coming back, so I'm going to go gingerly lay my head down on my soft pillow and hope for a good nights sleep! :)

Our first garden!!

Ok, so a week before Memorial Day, we planted our first ever garden - corn, peas, pumpkins, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, a watermelon, and carrots. We also left some onions there that the previous owners had planted. They're huge now. Our cucumbers and our watermelon died, so we will be re-planting them, because B really wants cucumbers this summer. So, yesterday, we were playing with the boys in the back yard, and wandered over to check out our garden. So far, there has only been weeds up, so I was a bit bummed.

But, it seemed like almost overnight, there was corn popping up in our three rows that we planted, as well as our peas! Yeah!!! No sign, yet, of our carrots, pumpkins, or our beans, but I'm hoping that they'll show up soon! Just wanted to share! We're so excited, well, Brandon & I are. The boys are excited for the food, but not excited that they have to help me weed. Especially B. Scott's been a little trooper this morning picking out weeds that I've hoed up, but B's fighting me on it. He'll get it eventually, though, and will be so excited when we first pick the "fruits of our labor!" Just had to share!

Our first date!!

Tonight, Brandon and the two older boys are at a father/son campout, so it was just me and Gavin for the evening. And guess what we did? We went out on our first mother/son date. (My treat, of course.) We went out to IHOP for dinner (I was thoroughly unimpressed, by the way), and then got some ice cream at Charlie's and came home to eat it. He thought it was great fun to be in a restaurant with mom, and one of the waitresses even flirted with him. (The silver lining, I guess, in a not-so-great restaurant, is that it's not busy with a ton of people.)

Anyway, I got Gavin down to bed, and then I sat down on the couch and watched Star Trek Voyager. (Yes, I'm a Trekker - Brandon got me hooked!!) I had laundry piled up on the dryer waiting to be folded, but I completely ignored it, so that I could enjoy my evening by myself. And, I did! It's been wonderful. I've decided that I should do this more often. Next time, I just might fill up the tub with super hot water and some big fluffly bubbles and just soak! Hmm. Talk about heaven. :) And, now, I'm off to bed!

Our new house!!

A front view of the house

So, we moved up to Logan last August when Brandon was offered a job as a high school counselor. Technically, he hadn't finished his Master's yet, and still had to complete the internship, but the job offer was for a full-time position, with a full-paid intership! Yeah, for us!!

So, he was offered the job the first week of August, and was basically told, "Get up here right now. Work has already started for the year." So, he moved in with his parents so that he could work, while my sister and I (thanks Anne Marie!!) packed up our place for the move. Between packing, having Brandon miss my birthday, my grandma's funeral, and finding a place to live, I was pretty stressed out. But, between me and Brandon looking and making phone calls, and his mom looking and making phone calls, we finally found a place to live.

It was an okay place as far as townhomes go - not the best, but okay. But, after dealing with the landlord for a couple of months, we were ready to get out of there. Luckily, he hadn't made us sign a one-year lease, so we started house hunting.

We first found this house in the middle of December, offered on it right away, and moved in four weeks later! With four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two living areas, a nice kitchen, big yard (front and back), and a 2-car garage, it's the perfect house for us right now! We're so happy with our new home, and have so many projects lined up right now, that we'll be busy for a while! Enjoy the pictures! And if the pictures aren't enough for you - well, you'll just have to visit!! ; )

Close up of the front

Our front room (upstairs), and the master bedroom

Our deck - 1st looking onto the deck; 2nd looking off of the deck towards the garden

The dining room and the kitchen (note the brick behind the stove - I love it!!)

Pictures at the park

Really cool picture of the park that Brandon took

Ok, all! I'm jumping in with both feet! Here's the start of our blog: The Five Shaffers. And to start off with - some pictures that we took yesterday at the park. In our new house, I want to put up some pictures on the wall above the stairs of my three boys playing together. Above that, I want to put vinyl letters that say "Brothers ~ best friends" So, we went to the park yesterday to get some pictures, and I think they turned out pretty well. Another day, I'll post pictures of our new house, since there are very few of our friends/family that has seen it. That's all for today! Enjoy the pic's!

Scott (7), Braden (6) & Gavin (almost 3) in a tree

(In order) Gavin, Scott, & Braden

Scott hanging upside down on the monkey bars

Momma's Boys

Braden - Huh? Where did everybody go?

Gavin - you can't resist me! I'm too cute!!!