Memorial Weekend

Memorial Weekend ended up being a full action packed beginning to summer that will always be remembered. Amidst the stress of Iva's illness, Mom and Dad managed to arrange to have our Preslar cousins surprise us with a visit AGAIN.

They arrived in the late evening on Thursday and we played with them until Saturday afternoon. We played at the park and took them swimming at city pool and were just silly together. It was so glorious and summery. We even included our Jensen cousins.

Saturday morning they left to head home and Mom and Dad surprised us AGAIN by having us start driving up north just a few hours after them! We attended Mary's pre graduation party and spent time with Oma at her new cottage. She was moved into the Legacy Village which is better equipped to handle her new needs as her memory gets worse and worse. We played in the Preslar hammock (A LOT) and visited the zoo (TWICE!) We had to! There were new baby lions!!!!

Going for a walk

Oma loves to talk about the art!

Mom loves this photo because you can see Oma giving some love

Gross, Sam!!!!

Our second visit to the zoo was truly magical. The Preslars came with us and we were at the zoo 15 minutes before it opened on Memorial Day because we knew it would be crowded. It ended up being one of our most memorable visits to the zoo ever. The Lion Pride were all out together. Both adult males, both adult females and the three new cubs. They were all active and playing and it was so fun to see them interact. When we walked by them on our way out of the zoo, they were sleeping in the sun. 

Iva was so adorable and couldn't wait to have her picture with the gorilla.

We wanted to see Tuah (the baby orangutan) before it got crowded and were truly blessed with a chance to visit with one of the keepers. She allowed us to watch her do some training with Acara (the big sister).

She even let ME do one of the signs to get Acara to show her teeth!! It was so great!

Then the seals and sea lions were doing some of their training and it was like watching a show!

Oh how we love Hogle Zoo. It was such a great weekend together and spending four nights with the Preslars was barely enough time.

Iva's Illness

So just as kindergarten graduation was happening and school was ending and Mom was ramping up for our fun filled summer, Iva got sick. 

She had one evening on a Saturday before school ended where she actually threw up a couple of times and it seemed like your standard stomach bug. She was even very good about telling Mom that she was going to puke and would use the sink. Pretty impressive for a two year old. Most of the time in our little family these stomach things last only about 12 hours. Mom was even hopeful the next morning because Iva seemed fine and we actually got her dressed for church. Right about the time we were going to leave, she said her stomach hurt so Mom kept her home from sacrament meeting just in case. She had eaten breakfast and we didn't want it to be gross. Well she didn't puke and so she and Mom hopped up to the church for Primary. All seemed well except then Iva didn't want to stay in nursery and then it was obvious that she had no energy and just wanted to cling to Mom. So that afternoon she spent just kind of lying low and feeling down and then randomly complaining that her stomach hurt. Only she didn't just complain she sobbed and would roll around. It was kind of sad. Monday morning came and she seemed better, but after her nap at around noon she was MISERABLE. Almost screaming that her stomach hurt and her appetite was gone. She would eat in the morning and then just be a wreck after lunchtime. This went on Monday and Tuesday and Mom started to get kind of scared. Even Grandma and Aunt Angie and Aunt Becca were worried. She would cry about her back hurting and would clearly be in pain and couldn't find relief. It was so sad. 

Tuesday, Mom scheduled an appointment with our awesome Dr. Clark. She was worried Iva might have a kidney infection or something. There was no fever, but something HAD to be up. Of course, Iva did not have to pee while at the doctor's office because she was dehydrated after not eating or drinking normally. So Mom came home from the office with stuff to catch urine and then take it to the lab. Dr. Clark even decided since they were going to the lab anyway that Iva should have labs drawn. AGH! A lab draw on a two year old. So sad. Mom had to teach a Power class that night and she really wanted the results back ASAP so she made Daddy take Iva to the lab. He was brave and so was Iva. She obviously cried as they tried to poke her little vein which was difficult (DEHYDRATION + WIGGLY KID + CUTE TODDLER ROLLS!) but she wasn't unreasonable. She even leaned down and kissed her own owie as Dad put her back in the van. 

Results came in later that night. The good and bad news was that there was no sign of a urinary tract infection. Great! But why did she hurt?! The blood results showed she was fighting an infection, but everything else was great and normal. Mom was hopeful that we would round a corner, but then Wednesday and Thursday were almost WORSE. Mornings were great and afternoons/evenings were HORRENDOUS. It was so sad! Mom and Dad were pretty tense. 

Thursday, Mom called and talked with Dr. Clark and just asked "when do we do more involved testing?" When is the breaking point? He said that if a week from Thursday, she wasn't showing any signs of improvement that we should do a CT scan, sooner if she got worse. Mom was kind of relieved that he wasn't nervous, but she was ready for Iva to just BE HER HAPPY SELF again. Iva would give us glimpses, mostly during the mornings.

This was opening day at the City Pool which was Thursday. She was so excited to swim and play and loved her new puddle jumper.

But then she was DONE and miserable and curled up like an orangutan trying to hide.

THANKFULLY after a surprise Memorial Weekend, she seemed to come around for good and her happy self started STAYING. It took a good ten days from the first time she puked to when she had mostly normal day. That kind of illness has never hit us before (except for annoying runny noses that NEVER go away.)

Pete gave her two separate priesthood blessings including a healing blessing. We are all so happy to have our bouncing crazy Iva back that for a whole week it was hard to be irritated by her energy. 

Cara's Kindergarten Graduation

The end of the school year brought Cara's graduation from kindergarten. This has been a long time coming for Cara. She is one of the oldest in her grade and is so smart!

Miss Trammell has been such a great teacher. Cara will miss her so much!

Mom took some extra cuddles because next year Cara is gone all day!

Despite Mom's best efforts, a video is proving too much for blogger. It doesn't like it. It's frustrating. The songs were darling though!

End Of School

School's out for Summer!

Okay it was out clear back on May 25th, but hey! We haven't blogged about it! The end of school is always filled with fun events.

Panorama always has the firetrucks come spray us down. Each year it always seems to come on a slightly cold day, but we had fun anyway.

We are a little sad that our friend Kailey will be moving after summer!

Carmendee and Denise are some of my best friends!

Cara found out that her teacher next year will be Mrs. Seegmiller for first grade, just like me! Iva and Mrs. Seegmiller are buddies!

There was also a big water party for those kids who had read over 3500 minutes. Luckily on THIS day there was a lot more sunshine! They had a few games for us, but the foam pit was everyone's favorite!

Ms. Trammell has been an awesome teacher!

Both Cara and I got the special Panorama Patriot Award. We had to do eight things above and beyond our normal schoolwork including entering science fairs and things! Mom and Dad were pretty proud. Cara was one of THREE minders who did it!

I LOVED being in Mrs. Simonson's class. I'll be sure to wave to her as much as possible next year!