New Years Eve!

The days after we get home from celebrating Christmas but before real life starts again are some of my favorite of the whole year. No expectations. Time to slow down and be together. Playing in the snow. Organizing the new toys and cleaning the house. It's the best. 

The night of the 30th we did our traditional viewing of "While you were Sleeping" while we caught up on our blogging. We don't re-watch many movies, but this one is just SO perfect for this time of year and I love it so much. It filled up my cup to blog together for a little while then snuggle up with some snacks and a blanket and watch the movie together. 

We had been planning to spend New Years Eve with the Peaden family, but Caleb woke up saying his stomach hurt and laid on the couch with a throw-up bowl all morning but he never threw up and he perked up in the afternoon. We thought about whether we should go, or some of us should go, but ultimately we decided to stay home. I took the kids to get donuts at "the donut factory" in the afternoon, we ate the kids favorite "Nacho Soup" for dinner, and we did a few new years eve activities together and we called it a win. 

We looked through all the pictures from our past year and talked about the fun things we did and also the hard things that we got through together. We ate donuts and drank frappe while talking about a new word or phrase for our family for next year. We put the two younger kids to bed played some more games with the older two, drank some sparking apple cider, and toasted to the new year. All four kids were asleep by 9:00. (win!) 

David watched some football, we blogged some more, and after getting all ready for bed we watched the ball drop into 2022 while snuggling in our own bed at home. I was asleep by 12:05. 

We love celebrating New Years Eve with other people, but this year, being able to sleep in our own beds and start 2022 with a full fresh day at home is just great for us. 

We still aren't walking into the new year with any big statements about how 2022 is going to be the BEST YEAR EVER or anything like that. More like, sliding into the new year quietly and hoping to go unnoticed. David sent this meme to me and we both laughed. 

Even so, we ARE looking forward to 2022 with optimism and hope. 

Happy New Year! 

December Wrap Up

Just a few December wrap up items:

Here is a quick look at gas prices ($3.65 a gallon), and over $50 to fill up the van recently. Gas is certainly more expensive, but actually we've seen gas at this price before, it is really everything else that is crazy. You can see inflation everywhere in prices you pay for things. There are a ton of food items that before you would never buy for a certain price and now you just have to do it. Some other notable inflation items are: Little Caesars Hot and Ready Pizza is now $5.55, my Arby's coupons came this month and most of the deals were $1 more, so the 2 for $4 roast beef sandwich coupon is now 2 for $5. 

Shantel captured this cute picture of the kids (let's call it right before the prayer) at Molly's baby blessing. We were able to go to Molly's baby blessing and had a really great time there. Jenna and Kevin just bought a new house in Perry and this was our first time being able to go there and see it. 

Also, as always, cousins together couldn't be better. 

We celebrated my mom's birthday and got her an Aura frame that makes it easy for all of us kids to upload photos for her from our phones so she can see lots of cute pictures of our kids. It is a big birthday for her, she turned 70 this year. 

Also, Shantel scanned a couple photos to add to the frame. Here are a few of our family photos from growing up. 

My company (Eide Bailly) is the suite level sponsor of the Utah Jazz and so we ended up having our most recent visit from our CEO at Vivint Arena. They made the presentation and at the very end, they actually let us go down and shoot on the court (with no shoes) for a few minutes. It was super fun. 

We all watched The Star together (one of our favorite Christmas movies). 

Lucy broke her nose. It feels like this should probably have its own post, but there is less to say about this than you might think. Lucy and Caleb where just playing and running around and somehow Lucy got knocked over and fell into the couch. The couch is actually not the item I"m worried about the kids hitting there head on, but she hit her nose and started crying. I went over and picked her up and her nose started bleeding. I honestly thought she would be fine in two minutes. However, she kept crying and you could tell it must really hurt. She probably cried and wanted to be held for about 30 minutes, which is really unusually for a kid when they just get bumped and it hurts a little bit. I told Shantel her nose might be broken the way she was acting. Somehow, we did not get a real good photo, but her nose swelled up so much that it looked totally flat. After a few days the swelling went down some, but it was still really discolored (it is hard to see in the pictures below, but it is really yellow). We decided to take her to the doctor to see what they think and Dr. Foster at Alpine Pediatrics told Shantel that it is definitely broken. The important thing will just be to make sure it heals correctly and he thinks we should probably take her to an ENT to verify that is looks like it is healing correctly. With Christmas, we have not done that yet, but in the new year, we'll take her in. We also have to take Austin in for an ear thing, so they can go together. If her noes looks funny in any Christmas pictures, that is why. 

We had one good snow and the kids had fun playing out in it. Even a week or so later with some of the extra little bit of snow we got, Caleb and Lucy were able to go out and go down the sledding hill. It was so cute because they could down down all by themselves. 

US: a picture a month through 2021

I thought it would be fun to pull one picture of David and I for each month of 2021: 

January: 

{at home}

February: 

{date night at Magelby's}

March: 

{Mount Timpanogos Temple}

April: 

{constuction site of Saratoga Springs temple}

May: 

{Lagoon}

June:

{Parade of Homes view}

July: 

{top of Pike's Peak, Colorado}

August: 

{camping @ Maple Canyon}

September: 

{Redwoods National Forest in California}

October: 

{Secret Garden @ Sandy Hale}

November: 

{date weekend in SLC}

December: 

{Jazz Game}

So glad for this year we had together. 

Parenting in the middle of the night

 As a parent there are so many joys you experience with your children. You see how happy they are and it fills your soul. You also have to handle a lot of different situations and make decisions about them. For example, our kids wanted to slide down the stairs on the mattresses (which we let them do for a few minutes), and they also sometimes pick something that is clearly too dangerous and we have to think about it and tell them know. 

However, something that is interesting is you have to be ready to be a parent at any time, even in the middle of the night. In fact, often in the middle of the night is when your child needs you to be ready to parent at any moment. Two nights ago, Shantel and I both woke up to Lucy crying (which is quite normal), and she went to check on her, realized she was throwing up and ran her to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet. Last night, Austin came in around 3 am with no clothes on and was super cold. He had an accident and could not find new jammies. I helped him get new clothes on, then pulled out the trundle, moved his pillow and blankets down and got him warmed up under his blankets. Then I pulled off the dirty sheets and took them to the laundry room. 

Things like this are super common, at least once a week and often multiple times a week, Shantel and I are required to handle something in the night. Here are a few others that require quick thinking: Ear infections, sore throats, stomach flu, leg aches, cold kids, poopy diapers, plus more. 

All of these things require you go to sleeping to decision making parent in just a few seconds. You have to understand if the cry you hear is a child who needs immediate help or if you should let them cry for a minute and go back to sleep. You have to be able to be asleep and then listen to your child talking, understand what they need and be able to help right away. You have to assess the situation and act quickly to help. It is truly a skill that you develop as a parent. 

You might ask then, why am I writing this post? Well, look at that picture above, Austin, is all snuggled tight in his bed and he is warm and happy. There is so much joy that comes from being there to help your child when they truly need it, and in the middle of the night, they truly need it. I'm grateful to have our children and that we can be there to listen to them, and help them and support them. 

I'm also grateful because I feel like Shantel and I take a pretty equal load of being on call. Sometimes she hears it and goes to help, sometimes I do. Sometimes the child comes to my side of the bed to ask for help and sometimes to her side. Often with sick kids we might take it in shifts so we both get a little sleep. Parenting is a 24 hour job and I'm grateful for it, even when it means climbing out of my warm bed at 3 am to help Austin get clothes and get warm. 

Grandparents

 During all that was going on with my grandpa and Covid, my dad came across this old photo of me and my grandparents. What a tender picture! 

I remember my Grandma Elvin (Grandma Knowles' mom) and my Grandpa Tingey (Grandma Walker's dad), and my Grandma and Grandpa Brown were both still alive until my Grandpa Brown passed away recently. But THESE are the Grandparents I remember most. My Grandma-Great and Grandpa-Great, Ellis Colvin Walker and Kimba Rollins, (who had that title before passing it down to my Walker grandparents); My Grandma and Grandpa Walker, Ellis Ramon Walker and Verla Tingy; and my Grandma and Grandpa Knowles, Joseph Allen Knowles and Zuriel Ruth Elvin. And of course- My parents, Scott Colvin Walker and Lori Anne Brown. 

And me. 

Surrounded by love. 

I feel so blessed to have the family support that I have had, from such a young age all the way through now. 

And another extended Walker Family Picture just for good #familyhistory measure.  

#familyhistory

Back row: Scott Walker, Roger Rae, Ellis Ramon Walker, John Taylor, Marti Walker

Middle Row: Lori Walker (Shantel Walker), Susan Rae (Chris Rae), Verla Walker (Jenna Walker), Wendy Walker (Ashley Taylor), Kim Walker (Wayne Walker) 

Bottom Row: Michael Rae, Nathan Rae, Jonathon Walker, Brian Rae, Kristie Taylor, Spencer Rae, Sarah Walker. 

COVID-19 and Grandpa-Great Walker

Remember this post in June 2019?

This is a post about how cool my dad is. #familyhistory This past week he, a couple of his siblings, and his dad, went on a road trip from Lyman, Wyomong to Gardner, Montana and then through Yellowstone - all on Rangers! (Small ATV type vehicles.) My dad kept us updated through Marco Polo (all these pictures are just screenshots of his adventures). I loved watching them drive through the mountains of Wyoming and Montana and hearing my dads commentary on their trip (including being stuck in a 45 minutes traffic jam due to some Yellowstone buffalo). My Grandpa Walker (Grandpa-Great to my kids) always says "Hi kids, Wish you were here." In his gruff cowboy voice whenever my dad Marco Polos us while with him. Such a neat adventure and I wanted to record it.

 

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What I didn't realize then was that the road trip they went on was actually a piece of a greater goal, to drive their Rangers all the way from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. They did it in several different pieces, but in the end all those smaller drive-trips connected into one big line from border to border. On October 23, 2021 they finished their trail! This was such a cool experience for my dad to be able to do with his siblings and especially with his dad. Grandpa Great and my Dad were partners in the traveling and I can only imagine the experiences they had while they got to spend so much time together. 

I mention this because only a couple of weeks later,  in mid-November, my Grandpa was infected with Covid-19 and got really sick. (I should note: I'm writing this weeks and weeks after the entire ordeal and so my post will be much different than it would have been if I was writing as it was happening. So many emotions and so much up-and-down.) 

My dad went to stay with him in Wyoming to help get him through the sickness. (My Grandpa was not vaccinated but my dad is and we all hoped that his vaccination would keep him safe). He stayed with him for about a week but my grandpa's health was deteriorating rapidly. 

They made the decision to take him in to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lungs and was emergency-life-transported to the ICU. They had to call three different hospitals before they found one that would accept him because all of the hospital ICU beds are full. He was admitted and soon after was put on a ventilator. The doctors weren't very hopeful but were determined to do everything they could to help. However, my grandpa HATED the ventilator. He has never wanted to be on life support and the experience was horrible for everyone. He kept writing messages expressing his desire to be taken home so that he could pass away in peace. My dad set up a voice call with all of my siblings to explain what was happening and you could tell that he was just heartbroken.  

It was especially hard because my Uncle Marti was also infected with Covid and he was basically incapacitated at home while all of this was happening. He was taken to the ER every time but with their support he was always able to come home without having to be admitted to the hospital. I originally wasn't going to go to the hospital because I really don't want to risk getting Covid or passing it to my children (there are more and more cases of kids getting Covid and getting really sick). However, I decided to go to the hospital to support my siblings who were having a really hard time and ended up going up into Grandpa's room to hold his hand and tell him I loved him after speaking with medical professionals who stated that because he was intubated, there was 0% Covid transmission because all his breathing was going through the machine. I was able to snap these photos in the few minutes I was there, as soon as I left they made the choice to remove him from the ventilator.

I have never seen anyone intubated and on a ventilator before. It was horrible. Probably the most awful medical intervention I have ever seen. I can see why my grandpa hated it so much. His eyes conveyed his feelings and it was as bad as a torture device. Now, I know that ventilators do MUCH good and that they have saved countless people - but in this instance, it was horrible and I fully agreed with the decision to remove him from the ventilator even though it meant allowing my Grandfather to pass away. The doctors warned that it would be only minutes to hours before he died, although there was the possibility for a few days. However, when he woke up the next morning he asked for breakfast and some nasal oxygen.

 Miraculously, he kept improving enough to be taken home on hospice (so he could pass away at home). He came home with round-the-clock care, and the doctors warned that he might seem to start to get better but the outcome would certainly be the same and he would pass away soon, but he (slowly) steadily kept improving. First he was able to eat a whole can of sardines (!), then able to get out of bed and walk for a minute, then while using a walker could walk around, (my dad even sent a video of him racing his walker through the family room at a run). His oxygen was holding steady so they started taking him out for some drives. 

My dad sent this pictures with this caption: "Here is a pic of dad today after a ride at the summer range. It's too good not to share. The photo hides the O2 tank and the walker he's using. But he just looked so cool in his riding coat and hat. I couldn't pass it up. Love you all." 

We were so sad that Granpa was sick, but one of the most heartbreaking things about the whole thing was that my dad is retiring this year to be able to spend more time with him on the ranch. It was so sad to think that opportunity would be taken away and we are so glad that we have more time with him. 

My Grandpa's 86th birthday was on December 23rd. He's steadily improving and living on his own again now. He is driving his truck around the ranch and seems to be healing from the after-effects of Covid. Although we don't know how much longer we will have him here with us, we are grateful for the extra time we have with him. We had a zoom-birthday party for Grandpa and it was just so surreal and so happy to be there together. The last time I had seen my cousins was when we were all at the hospital saying goodbye to our beloved grandfather. Grandpa had a great birthday and said that he was looking forward to his birthday next year. 

My dad sent our family group a Marco Polo this morning while I was writing this post. It showed him and my grandpa out on the ranch doing chores. My grandpa was driving the truck and he leaned out the window and called his cows "Come, Boss!" and just like the sheep that follow the shepherds voice, they turned and came right toward him. He said the the camera "How are you doing kids?" My dad said "They are doing good, they want to know how you are doing." His response?  "I'm doing alright. For a grumpy old man, I'm doing real-good." 

(Screenshots from this morning, picture from last year at his 85th Birthday.)