My helping hands!

Wouldn't it be great if Aubrey would still love to do this
when she can actually reach the dishes in the sink!

More Holiday Fun...

Here are a few pictures of the girls making their gingerbread house this year. They actually made it over the Thanksgiving Holiday but we were slow at posting the pictures. Thanks Great-Grandma B. for the kit! It has been a wonderful decoration for our table all season.

He'll be home for Christmas!

...actually Adam will be home tomorrow! After a long week in the hospital, Adam's doctor said he plans to send him home Tuesday. He was given his first meal today after an entire week without food -but let's not forget the excitement he felt over being allowed to eat ice chips as of last Saturday! :) Adam is still quite sore and eating hurts quite a bit but he has made major improvements and his enzyme levels are finally back in normal range again. Today was spent being slowly taken off his pain medications so it was a little uncomfortable but he's doing well and we are all so glad he'll be coming home!!! We are so grateful to all of you for your comments, phone calls and prayers. Thank you, thank you! Your love and support, while always appreciated, were extra special to us this past week (and month). Hope you are all well and enjoy this holiday season!

On a much brighter note...

Here is our good news...many of you knew about this already, but there were a few we were trying to surprise at Christmastime. Word got back to us that the last few people we'd hoped to surprise caught wind of it, so now that the cat is out of the bag, we may as well share the exciting news with everyone!
We're expecting!

An update on Adam

What a week it has been! Adam and I remember joking on Tuesday morning, when we checked into the hospital and still thought we'd be coming home that afternoon, how funny it was when the nurses would say things like "we change our IVs every four days" or any other references to the future "days" of our stay. We kept thinking, "man, how long do they think we are going to be here? Do they know something we don't know?" HAHA Adam finally had his Endoscopy (that we thought we were having Tues morning) on Wednesday evening. They scheduled it with a new doctor and I was so happy to have things moving forward and scheduled so I could make arrangements to be there with Adam. The procedure went well and they told us he'd need to stay over night again and continue without food until morning at which point we'd know if he suffered any complications. They said there was a chance he'd wake up with a tummy ache but most likely would feel like a million bucks. He woke up with a tummy ache. He contracted pancreatitis as a complication from the endoscopy and is now again in severe pain. He will be spending another couple days in the hospital (without food or water) on heavy pain medication. When we found this out yesterday morning, Adam's sweet mom hopped on a plane and flew down to be with us. I can hardly describe how much the weight has been lifted off my shoulders by her being here. Adam is getting the care he needs at the hospital now and I don't have to worry about who's with my girls and there are two of us to help each other out now and take turns visiting Adam. I went to "tuck him in" last night and was excited to find that they'd moved him to a private room (a nice reward for all he's been through) and so he was able to invite me for a sleep-over. What a treat! Adam's mom stayed the night with the girls and I got to stay by Adam's side all night and morning with far less worry. Today is Stella's birthday (Adam's mom). We , of course, shipped her present up to Utah so it is not here for her; we bought her a b-day balloon, which the girls popped, and we tried to take her out to a fancy lunch at Sonic and their debit card machine was broken so she had to buy her own b-day lunch and ours! Some days you just can't win. She's spending the afternoon with Adam at the hospital now and although it's not too stimulating, I suspect she enjoys having some time with her baby boy today. :) The doctor's anticipate that we'll be able to bring Adam home Sunday or Monday and then he'll need of few more days of TLC at home with us. His work has been great and everything else is getting back in order. We hope you are all well and look forward to a happy, healthy, Christmas in just a few more weeks!

For anyone curious about what pancreatitis is, here is a link of info for you:

http://www.medicinenet.com/pancreatitis/article.htm

In a nut-shell, your pancreas secretes enzymes into the intestines to aide in the digestion of food. Pancreatitis occurs when the enzymes become active while still in the pancreas and it begins to digest itself. Lovely, I know.

Deja Vu?!

As my mom put it so well..."what is it with Adam and the holidays?!" You may remember that Halloween was spent in the ER with gallbladder related pains and the gallbladder holiday pains returned on Thanksgiving. You may wonder, "how can that be if they removed it?" Good question. The theory is that a gall stone or two "jumped ship" before it was pulled out and are now causing "issues" other places. The fun started while Adam was enjoying a lovely round of Thanksgiving Day golf with my dad. They returned home after only twelve holes and an hour and a half early for dinner -which Adam laid on the floor for anyway. :( He continued not feeling great throughout the holiday weekend hoping our guests were having a good time in spite of his not feeling up to having a good time himself. On my parents last night here, we almost went back to the ER but decided not to in the end (okay, I fell asleep while we were deliberating). Oh, regrets are so painful! Just hours after the last of my family left town, Adam became jaundice (he probably was before and we just didn't notice in time). We were advised while at church by a doctor in our ward to call our surgeon that day, which we did. Adam had lab work done and an appoint on Monday during which they told us to report to the hospital Tuesday morning to have a "procedure" done to find the missing stone. We showed up at 8am this morning, fully expecting to return home later today (as we did on the day of his first surgery), and I came home in tears at 6:30 this evening without Adam. He was admitted to the hospital and had a CT scan done but has yet to have the "procedure" done (where they send a scope down his throat -ouch! -to correct the problem) and as of an hour ago (11pm) had yet to see or hear from the doctor that will supposedly be performing such an operation. We don't know when or much about the "how" this will take place, so now after a long day with a frustrating end, we are still very much in limbo. We again were helped by a couple of wonderful friends in town who watched our girls for nearly 12 hours today until I gave in and came home to them, regretfully not having been able to support Adam through his surgery. We hope for better luck tomorrow and would be just thrilled if there could be an improved sense of communication and perhaps even a schedule tomorrow so that I might be able to return to Adam's side until the tough stuff is over. Wish us luck, we just might need it! For now, I will spend the night alone at home with my girls while Adam sleeps at the hospital with his "roommate" -a fellow abdominal pain patient who lucked out and got the bed next to the bathroom. Oh the joys of hospitals! Sweet Dreams!

The prize winning turkey and other such delights!

The way California is meant to be enjoyed...

...at the beach!

My special birthday surprises!

How wonderful to discover how fun birthday's are when you have a three year old like Lexi! She welcomed the day with a big hug and kiss and even a card she'd made. She told me she had a surprise and not to look and came back to my room minutes later with her arms full of stuffed animals and toys from her playroom. She got out our wrapping supplies box and filled every gift sack we own, complete with make shift ribbons and bows (since she doesn't know how to tie yet). She hid them around the house, in the laundry room and various other spots I've used before and informed me I had to wait to open them until we had cake. She came running out of my room, enthusiastically dragging a birthday banner behind her asking me to hang it up for our "party." She loves birthdays and it was pretty hard for me not to enjoy mine with her around. Adam and I had great plans to spend a night on the town while my mother-in-law was here visiting but in the end, I was grateful that Adam had just enough energy to take me out to a wonderful dinner together and then home for cake with the girls. What a wonderful day! Thank you all for your calls and cards. You made the day special for me. :)

The Happy Halloween that almost wasn't.

The last couple weeks has been a little crazy... let's begin with the wee hours of Halloween. Adam woke up in extreme pain in his abdomen. He's had the pain a few times before and even had a doctor's appoint. scheduled to talk about it with his physician but there was no way he could wait until afternoon. We put the girls in the car with their jammies still on and drove Adam to the ER. Once his blood was taken and he was given a IV full of morphine, they told us they suspected the cause of the pain was his gallbladder and he'd need surgery that day. We had to wait for a few more test to be done before we'd know for sure. I took that opportunity to take the girls home and get them bathed, dressed, fed and off to the neighbors (which I miraculously managed in one hour!) Adam and I spent the rest of the day in the ER waiting to talk with the doctor while a couple of wonderful friends took turns watching our girls. In the end, we got to come home from the hospital with a dr's appoint. scheduled the following morning to make arrangements for surgery to have his gallbladder removed. We picked the girls up at 4:30pm and I got them ready just in time to head to the church for the chili cook-off and trunk-or-treat. The girls had SO much fun there and trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. They walked into every house we stopped at and I had to excuse myself and go in and get them. I guess the concept of waiting at the door for a treat is a little odd. When we got home, the girls dumped out their bags and loaded up a bowl to hand out their treats to everyone who rang our doorbell. Actually, even to those who didn't, Lexi was so excited to pass out candy that she chased a few kids down the street hollering "I have candy for you!" What a fun night it turned out to be. We never did get to carve our pumpkins, but the girls did draw some pictures on them and our sweet friends helped them make halloween cards and do other fun activities to make the day fun for them while we were at the hospital. The next few days were spent going from doctor, to surgeon, to hospital pre-op and finally surgery on Saturday. Again we had great neighbors who spent the day with the girls and more who brought dinner the next couple nights. This last week has been spent helping Adam through his recovery and we've enjoyed his company at home while he did so. This is how people survive without being near family; with a great ward to look after us. We had a blessing for Adam and many, many calls of concern. How grateful we are for the help we received. Life is meant to be shared ...in good times and bad.

Let the fun begin!

Lexi was invited to a "big girl" halloween party over the weekend. She was so excited that she got to go all by herself! She looked forward to it all week and then when we dropped her off on Friday night, I'm not sure who was more nervous -her or Adam and me! There were lots of bigger kids (ages 3-10) there and that intimidated us a little. Adam and I hoped so much she'd have fun and "fit in". (The things you worry about as a parent!) We took Aubrey on a date while she was at her party and we were so anxious to pick her up the whole time. I think she did have a lot of fun. Punch and cupcakes -who could go wrong with that. She was dressed, as you can see, as a fairy/butterfly. When her daddy saw her all dawled up he officially decided that would be the last time she wears make-up in her life. He's already dreading the day she grows up and leaves him. Poor dads! Even though we grow up and move away, I hope my daddy knows I will always love him and never forget the way it made me feel when he told me I looked beautiful. Lexi loves it the most when she hears that from her dad and he even told her she looked gorgeous the other night. Boy did that make her smile!

Lexi's school field trip

Lexi's preschool took a trip to the pumpkin patch last week. Aubrey and I got to join them and we all had a great time picking out pumpkins, walking through the corn field and going for a hay ride. This week is the beginning of my three weeks of teaching her class (it's a joy school) and we will kick it off with a bang as I throw her class a halloween party. Wish me luck!

A very welcome guest

Hooray for pest control! After we saw our sixth and seventh black widow, we decided it was time to call for help. The pest control man came yesterday and I got a great nights sleep. :) I know feel a reclaimed sense of peace being out in the yard, on the front porch, and even getting into and out of my car in the garage. (Now lets just hope it works!)

Our return from Phoenix

Well, we are back home after an absolutely marvelous vacation in Arizona. We felt like we were home, back in our element, and we loved every minute of it. We got to see so many good friends and enjoy lots of time with family. What a treat that week was! Three new baby girls were welcomed into the homes of our friends and family in Arizona just the week before we arrived...and we got to see them all. Congrats to Rachel, Cory and Emory on the arrival of baby Tessa...to Jane and Andy on baby Emmie...and Nate and Lauren on new puppy Sarah. Aubrey was quite taken by the new puppy, so much so that it hid under the table from her most the night we came to visit. :) Thank you to all we came to see. It was so fun to visit with you all! A very big thanks to my parents for letting us tag along!

...and then there was the trip home! My sincerest apologies to those on the plane who were hit with handfuls of flying marshmallows, unwrapped packages of crackers and even full water bottles. Traveling with a three year old with bowel problems and a fear of airplane restrooms (which we visited at least four times anyway) and a 19 month old tantrum, is an adventure to say the least. Many thanks again to the sweet woman and her husband who helped me off the plane once we landed back in Fresno. By the time these sweet people got to me to ask if they could help me, the thirty solid minutes of screaming took it's toll on me and I cracked and cried on this sweet woman's shoulder while she hugged me and told me not to worry. She graciously claimed that her grand daughter does the same thing. I think it may have been a ploy to make me feel better, but it worked. Were we ever glad to see Adam waiting for us at the airport! I think he appreciated feeling so needed at that moment as he had a lonely week at home. He was so great to wrap us all in a big hug and pick up some hot cocoa on the way home to help us relax. So I guess things come at a cost sometimes but I still say this trip was worth it all. We'll just need a little recovery before we attempt another one. :)

Aubrey worked her charm on "Bacca" to get out of going to bed. This is something she often tries with her daddy at home too.

Both the girls were pretty exhausted by the end of our trip.
(I don't think I've ever seen Aubrey's thumb in her mouth before)

Farewell Arizona!

The not-so-itsy -bitsy spider has Alyssa losing sleep. :( I was so scared of certain scary things in Arizona, which I only saw once and I moved away relieved only to discover a new fear here of black widow spiders. The problem here is that I actually see them...at my house! Is five since August a lot?! YIKES! There were two, that I saw, in my garage last night and I went out to attack them so I could sleep and since they both got away, I did not sleep. Help me!

Excited for our return to the valley of the sun....

The A.Wahl girls are heading back to Phoenix to visit the many friends and family we left behind. While I have enjoyed some fall weather here in Fresno, Lexi will be thrilled I am sure to not have me say to her everyday "are you sure you want to wear that? You are going to be cold." In spite of cool temps here, she thinks she belongs in dresses or shorts with flip-flops (and you know, she really does but that's beside the point). We will get to spend a week in Arizona but sadly will leave Adam behind slaving away at work. Hopefully the firm Monopoly party next weekend will cheer him up. :) To all our fellow Phoenicians.... we'll see you soon!!!

Mom and Dad... to your "forever love." Happy Anniversary! (10/06/77)

MARIPOSA GROVE @ Yosemite Natl Park

Our family took a day trip back up to Yosemite over the weekend, this time to see the giant sequoia trees. They are something to see! They are amongst the tallest and longest living things on the earth. They can grow beyond 300 feet high and live more than 3000 years. There greatest cause of death is actually, toppling over. They don't burn and they don't rot or get diseased. Interesting stuff. We would highly recommend a visit there. For your future reference, you might want to know before you tell your kids or friends otherwise, the tree you used to be able to "drive" your car through has toppled over (quite a few years ago actually). Lexi was disappointed about it but really enjoyed the hour long tram/bus tour ride, which by the way is a must unless you are up to hiking a few miles.

Our family standing IN a tree

"I can not see the forest for the TREE!"

These trees were so awesome! There is really no way to capture their magnificence in pictures.

The Faithful Couple

The Faithful Couple is a pair of giant sequoias that began growing very close to each other and eventually merged at their bases. (The base looks like one tree but if you look towards the top, it is in fact two.) Kind of romantic if you ask me and a great example of an ideal relationship. :)

This is how Aubrey spent most of the tour, laying on the floor of the "tram/bus". Crazy kid!

"Nothing is as pleasant as an autumn day! "

Fall is here! Amazing how the weather affects my mood. While I loved my Arizona sunshine, there is something to be said about a beautiful fall day. So far, Fresno has still given me sunshine, but is now offering cool temperatures too. What a delight! We were trying to hold off pulling out the pumpkins until October, but we cracked today and pulled out the decorations. We just couldn't resist! What a nice day! Hope yours is too.

Aubrey loves to be outside! It was finally cool enough to let her go out and leave the door open so she could play to her hearts content while Lexi and I did some things inside. She kept running up to the screen door and squishing her face up against it saying "Hi" in her cute little voice. She loved the way it made us laugh.