Boiling Syrup

I have been pretty sick the last four days.  I have felt incredibly nauseated and have had only a few bites of anything.  Even the thought of water has me gagging.  The only benefit to something like this is the weight loss:)  Even now feeling slightly better, I'm not sure I'd do it again!

 

This morning I walked down stairs feeling pretty shaky and weak.  I made it to the couch before collapsing with a beating heart and quick breath.  The kids were begging for breakfast, so I asked Caden to get them toaster waffles.  He placed the waffles in the toaster and the syrup in the microwave.  I was barely coherent when the scream erupted.  Blood curdling screaming.  Caden had put the syrup in for too long.  The boys had gotten it out to give to him.  The bottle melted.  Boiling syrup splashed onto their legs and then hardened.  And burned!  Thankfully Brennon had long pants on.  Ty didn't fare so well:(

With adrenaline coursing through my body, I swept Ty up and ran him upstairs to the sink (wishing the downstairs bathroom had more than a pedestal.)  He was crying, begging for cold water.  However, because it had hardened, it wasn't relieving the burn.  Randy came in by this time and helped peal off the sugar.  I was doubled over on the toilet.  Not only had I used more energy in the last few minutes- or four days for that matter, but I was already nauseated.  I couldn't handle watching him peal it off and leave my sweet babes legs burned and welted.  Hours later, this is how one leg looks.  I took it with my phone, so it's not the best quality, but maybe that's just fine.  It looks horrible in real life!

 

In Caden's defence, we always put the syrup in for a minute and a half.  However, that's when it's full, not a small line at the bottom.  He did it how I told him, just didn't realize it was that much only when the bottle is full.  After collapsing in my bed after the initial shock, I then cursed myself for not simply getting the breakfast myself.  I definitely wouldn't feel so drained now!

Cousins

Brennon & Payton

Payton is my sister Danielle's little girl.  She was due before Brennon, but Brennon ended up being born just 7 days before her.   I wish we lived closer to cousins.  I grew up having parties regularly with mine.  I know most of them pretty well and still communicate with them often.  I hope these two have more memories together.  Maybe they'll be like me and my own cousin Brennon.  There was a period of time we were going to marry each other:)  Not to worry, there was no kissing involved!

Keilie's Christmas Wish

Keilie brought home a Christmas Bulb with her Christmas Wish from school today.  She said she's glad that her teacher didn't throw it away, she wanted to keep it for always.  I asked what made this craft so special that she'd want to keep it forever & ever.  "Well, we had to think of a Christmas wish and how it would affect others."  So, I asked her to read me her Christmas Wish...

My Christmas Wish

My Christmas wish is that there will be world peace.  This affects others by allowing people to do homework in silence.  That is why I wish for world peace for Christmas.  By: Keilie Dirks

My sweet, thoughtful, naive little Keilie!  I'll try harder to have peace in our home so she can do her homework in silence.

Ty's World

After walking outside, Ty looked at the half moon and said, "Mom, looks like Jesus only wanted to turn it on a little, huh."

After noticing it had gotten dark, in a matter-of-fact tone, he said, "Well, I guess Jesus went to bed."

Ty wanted to go to bed early last night.  He crawled into my bed and said, "Mom, I want it to be nighttime in here.  Will you turn off your moon light?"  I guess that's what he'll call the lamp from now on.

Joking around with Ty, I asked why his pillow stunk.  "Well, I peed on it!"  I didn't really think it stunk, in fact I love the baby smell after he sleeps, so this caught me off guard.  I got a bit stern and asked if he really peed on his bedstuffs.  It was hard to stay stern when he started to really giggle and say, "I'm sorry, Mom.  I just love peeing on my bed."  He knew he was joking.  He's got a quick whit at 3.  He's following in Randy and Caden's footsteps already.

While in Utah the past few days, he wore a shirt that said, "If you're looking for trouble, you found it!"  After my mom read his shirt to him, he came to me with the cutest tone of wonder and surprise and said, "Mom, if we're looking for trouble, we found it!!"  Boy is that shirt made for that little boy!  It could also use the words stubborn, adorable, or love.

I slept in the boys' room while at my parents house.  One morning, while trying to pry myself out of bed, Ty asked if we could play hide-and-seek.  I said yes, fully intending to count to 20 and stay in bed for 20 minutes:)  He hid at the bottom of my feet, started yelling "Seek, seek, seek" and jumped up with a BOO!  I like his version of the childhood game much more than the original.  Especially since I got to stay in bed for 20 30 more minutes.

Henry Ford Museum

New World Systems Company Party

Henry Ford Museum

January 19, 2013

 They rented out the museum just for us.  Cocktails and appetizers were served from 6:30-7:00.  We then were seated for a magnificent dinner for (seriously tasty) Chicken Breast, Fillet Mignon (too pink for my taste.  I like mine practically burned,) potatoes, and asparagus.  The dessert bar was open to as much as you'd like of Lady Fingers cake (which is what I had,) Ice Cream Sundaes (Randy's fave,) and a Soda Fountain with every kind of drink you could want.  They also had an open bar.  We got water:)

 This car looked as if it came straight off the winner's circle.  There was still confetti stuck to it.

 Randy needed this pic for his dad.  Bill Elliot is his favorite. 

 This prototype could hold our whole family.  Maybe not comfortably, but would fit us just the same.  I can just imagine the person sitting backward in the middle kicking those sitting forward in the backseat.  I'd never buy this car!

 I had to take a picture next to the Reagan Car.  That man holds a special place in my heart.  He gave my mom and dad the money they needed to save their little girl- even if for a short time.  I found out the week before that the funds needed for Keilie to have the liver transplant came from him on January 16, 1986.  She went into a coma on the 17th, they found a liver donor for her on the 18th.  She was life-flighted to Omaha where the liver arrived just after midnight on the 19th.  She was a "4" on a scale where "5" was dead.  It was pretty special for me to stand next to his car on the day 27 years after my little sister's life was saved because of him.  She was able to be with us for 9 more months.  President Reagan is one of my hero's.

 It was pretty scary standing next to this.  I can't imagine the horror of seeing this in real life when seeing it on a mannequin was so scary.  My life was in no danger, but I still felt the terror.

 Henry Ford paid $500,000 for the restoration of the bus where Rosa Park made a statement.  She was no longer going to cave to the white people.  I was able to sit in her exact seat.  I can't imagine that era.  I'm so glad I didn't live in a time of segregation.

 Randy wanted a picture to show how empty the place was.  We truly had the place to ourselves.  It was wonderful!

 For Caden:)

 For Darwin.  Growing up on a farm, these tools were a big part of his life.  How grateful we are for tools that make life just a little easier.

 Thomas Edison's signature in cement.  We were unable to go to his laboratory, brought to the museum and restored.  It was closed until the summer season.  When asked if the lab was how it was when he created the light bulb, he said, "No.  It's too clean."  It would have been neat to see the lab.

 Car Seats.  Clearly things have changed over the years.

 Don't ask me how they got these trains into the museum.  I really couldn't see how.  Look how HUGE they are!!

 Probably the cutest conductor ever!

 Snow plow, anyone?

 One of the first McDonald's signs.  Next to that is one of the first Howard Johnson's signs.

 Chitti-Chitti Bang, Bang.

Notice the small oil vials on the side.  Randy loved this.  Can you imagine needing to stop to grease your car all the time?  Yeah, me neither.

 

On the flight home talking to the man in the next seat, I found out that his Grandfather was the caller for the square dances that Henry Ford had.  He loved to dance!  He also told me that during a time where money was scarce, but Henry Ford had some, he'd go to antique shops and ask how much the owner thought his store was worth.  He'd then write a check on the spot, fill a moving truck he had with him, and take it to the basement of this museum.  There is more stored in that basement.  More that we will probably never see.  In this case, I'm glad Henry Ford was a hoarder.  It was the most fun I've had at a museum in a long time.  I just wish my husband would let me read more about what we were looking at.  Randy just wanted to browse, I wanted to study.  After all, what's the use of going without kids if you don't get to enjoy the activity?  :)

Downtown Detroit

Downtown Detroit, Michigan

 The walk to and from the Auto Show was so beautiful.  There are some beautiful buildings in Detroit.

 The brown one was so cool.  Surrounded by taller grey ones, it looked so extraordinary and wonderful.

 This was a park terrace that has probably been in a movie or two.  Simply gorgeous.  And across the river is what?  Oh, right.  Canada.  Isn't it kind of crazy that it dips down South of a city in the U.S.?  I didn't know it did that until this trip.  Obviously not, or we would have gotten our act together and got that driver's license!  Still not over it, as you can plainly see:)

 Not sure what this signifies, or why it doesn't meet at the top, but it was huge and cool.  I had a thought that it might have been the inspiration for a "portal to another place" in a book.  That's what I see when I look at it, anyway.

Randy loved these five massive buildings.  It's the headquarters for GM with a Hilton hooked onto it.  HUGE!  They just look so neat.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to see something so grand in your mind and have it actually become reality?  I loved the time we spent downtown.  Although, by the end, my feet were incredibly sore from the boots I borrowed from Brooke.  We went back to our hotel and took a nap.  On vacation.  For me, that is the best kind of vacation.  Ever!

Auto Show 2013

I flew out of SLC airport on Friday afternoon.  After asking everyone I knew if they could watch my kids, I finally found three angels to take them in shifts.  Probably better that way.  Five kids is a lot if you're not used to it.  In Kimberly's situation, 9 kids!  I couldn't have done this trip without sacrifice from family and friends.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

 If you know me, you know that I love a certain magnetic map with the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  I have quite a few of the western states, with one in Canada from our New York trip in 2005 and on in Mexico from our Brownsville, TX trip in 2004.  There was one state that was a gaping whole in the Midwest, Michigan.  Now it's filled.  However, there was one more magnet we could have gotten if we knew it was this close.  Above and below are picture of Canada!  I was THIS close, and missed it!

 We walked right next to the tunnel entrance.  It was torture.  When we moved to Washington we found out there is a special type of Driver's License that allows you to get across land boarders without a passport.  I had to take my Birth Certificate and answer a few questions and then wait for a couple of weeks for it to come, but other than that, it was easy-peasy.  Randy was the one the found out about it, but he hasn't gotten his yet.  We're still looking for his Birth Certificate.  I could have gone alone to Canada, (believe me, I considered it) but we still wouldn't have been able to get that magnet.  It's a family map, not an individual map-hence the missing Florida, although Randy spent a few months serving his Mission there while waiting for his Visa to Brazil.  We've made a pact that he will have the Enhanced Driver's License by the Company Party next year.  Or else!

 We decided to go to the International Auto Show.  It was opening day and Randy couldn't pass up bragging rites to his family.  Especially Darwin.  Being in Ford capital of the world, we couldn't miss a showing of the newest models of the Mustang.  Low and behold, it was the first car you passed by the entrance.  Funny story, some girl walked by and told her friend that it was a Viper.  I almost laughed in her face.  Even if Darwin weren't so into Mustangs, I would know the difference!

 I was intrigued by Electric cars.  The future is so close it feels!

 Car enthusiast with his girl. 

I was just there for the company.  Without kids.

 Although, I do love the Dodge Challenger.  This one was the most beautiful I've ever seen.  The blue had sparkles.  So did the white.  I would take one of these in a heartbeat.  If cost weren't an issue.  Or seats. 

 This was Randy's baby.  He's always loved the Jeep.  This one was decked out and super cool.

 Had to get a picture of a Viper.  And laugh again at the girl.

 We found out that the more exotic cars were in the basement.  It was quite a bit less crowded down there.  These were the cars Randy wanted to see.  The Super Snake GT 500 Shelby's.  Beautiful!

 We saw this as we were leaving.  It's called a QuadSki.  It is both a 4-wheeler and a JetSki.  It is made for both.  You can seriously drive straight into the water after a jaunt on land and just keep going.  It was seriously cool.  The picture up top shows the wheels ready for water, the one below shows it ready for land.  How cool is that?!  Not enough for us toe pay $40,000, that's for sure!

 I wanted a picture with my Lova outside showing the sign.  He thought it was lame- hence the laughing.

 And then this face...

Yep, I still love that goofball!  Against all odds.  Forever & Ever.

Discovery Gateway 2013

New World Systems had their company party scheduled for January 19, 2013 even before Randy got the job. So, while in Michigan signing papers and doing some training, he called to tell me that I was invited too. They would fly me out to meet up with him for the event. Since I didn't know a single soul in Richland when they had to set up the flights, I told Randy to have them fly me out of SLC. We didn't go down for Christmas and chose the week before the party to spend time with family. And friends! Kimberly had been down in Utah for about three weeks, so I was anxious to spend time with her. While my mom was at work, I went to her new BEAUTIFUL home. It was the best week since pulling out of Casper on the 1st of November.

Discovery Gateway

 

We both had passes to go to the Discovery Gateway for free, so we packed up our kids and headed down for a few hours of fun.  What you can't see is the baby in the stroller behind Taybree.  I took my 8 month old nephew for three days while my sister, Brooke, was at work or resting.  It was the best!!!  So, with two friends and 10 kids we made some memories.  I'd do it every day if it meant more time with Kimberly!  It was kind of stressful making sure we had them all herded (while giving Caden and Keilie a little more apron string) but it was great.  This is the only picture I was able to snap.  I don't mind, my arms were occupied with a sweet babe!  I got my baby fix for a few months.  Until one of my friends has her baby in August:)

Kenyan

 I got to spend three days with this little cutie.  The last time I got to see him was in the NICU 3 1/2 weeks after he was born.  He's grown a bunch since then, although most of his size is swelling from the steroids he's been on.  This little warrior has gone through so much since his violent, emergency birth.  I love him so much.  I'm so thankful he's here with us.  He's got a mission on this earth. 

 The kids were in heaven.  None more so than Caden.  He was so attentive and helpful.  He wanted to do everything.  He'd ask to hold him, feed him, burp him, put him in his car seat, put him in the car, you name it.  It almost made me want another one just for him!  Almost.  OK, not even then:)

Shelby was around almost as much as Caden.  When she finally got her chance with him, she asked if I'd take her picture.  The minute it was taken, she said she was done, and didn't ask to hold him again.  I had to laugh.  It was so much fun having a baby around for a few days.  It wasn't too stressful packing his stuff with us, mostly because I was giving him back to his parents each night.  I love time spent with family!  I can't say if we'll all live close again, but I can say, distance doesn't lessen the love we have for each other.