Getting a degree without going to medical school!

Sadie is headed home from Orderville this weekend. I am so so happy. Gma won't be coming this time possibly later in the summer. She isn't real thrilled to be coming and now isn't a real good time anyway. Possibly later in the summer. They finally checked her thyroid and she is very very low but they won't start medicine yet until she sees a Interilist. I am so frustrated. I live with hypothyroid and it is a very easy cheap fix just takes time. (Gma not Sadie) Sadie is exhausted and time for a break. I am so happy she has been there to take care of Mom. Not all 22 yr olds could do what she has done. She has grown up and grown.

Josh and Chiu-yi moved to another hospital one that is the top hospital for Taiwan and very good, I feel much better knowing he has moved. I have been in contact with the churchs people over the Churchs insurance, just in case he comes home. Benji calls me "A Mover and Shaker" nice to have family that works for the church and has good friends. Please keep them in your prayers.

Scott is doing well especially because school is out. He cleaned up his bass boat and he and his dad and Sam took it out last night and got up at 5 to go out this morning. Sam's Eagle project packet is ready to be turned into the scout office by this afternoon just trying to get approval. Then the work starts. July 31 Aug 1st is his scheduled Project if any one out there is interested.

We are getting hydro-seed this afternoon for the big bare spots (hired help anyway) Benji has worked endless hours preparing and digging and hauling in dirt and sand to get it ready. He is putting in another brick patio on the southside of the add-on somewhere to put the back up propane tank Jim is putting in and Scotts Smoker and a picnic table. Exciting having things look nice again except for the white trash look of the 10 trailers and boats in the yard and left over building supplies. Someday maybe the shop can be used for what it is intended until then I want to plant trees to hide it all. Danny along with our sheet rocker Carl have worked hours on the sheet-rocking, that is done now, doing the taping and sanding. Benji and I have been working in the garage and now I can park one car, progress progress. Hey we need a wedding this summer to make it all worth it.......I told our sheetrocker Carl he could use the place if he'd marry his live in girlfriend! He might take me up on it!

Baby Sawyer is having jaundice issues but she is 8 days old and doing wonderful. 4lbs 11 oz is all but she is eating and sleeping and doing well. Janna's mom Elaine took over as Gma and will be with them for a few more days.

So that is this weeks updates. Didn't think anything would come close to the horse kicking you in the stomach feeling for a parent in having a child with cancer but we found out different. Here we all speak English, have a hospital in the top 5 for kids cancer, and just a few minutes from our front door not on the other side of the world, I can call and talk to a doctor or the nurse 24/7 and ask questions. As you can imagine I have been on the phone 8 hours a day or learning online learning learning learning asking hundreds of questions. Joshs name is in 11 temples at this point. We are praying for windows and doors to be opened for his care. After this I could be an Nerpholigist (if I could spell it) and a Oncologist without the degree or thing on the wall.

Happy Fathers Day or Someday to be Fathers!

Life is a rollercoaster

Just got home this evening from CO. Janna and Luke are the parents of a daughter, Stone, Rusty and Van now have a sister. She came into the world only weighing 4lbs 15oz. Her name is bigger than she is Sawyer Jade Lee. She is beautiful and it is pretty exciting having another grand daughter in the family. This makes 4 boys 2 girls. Funny how so many of us have had 3 boys then a girl. I was the first girl after 3 brothers, we had 3 boys before Sarah, Jean and Steve, Craig and Janet, Brent and Jen and many others. Sawyer had some low glucose issues and had to go on a glucose drip for awhile but is great and she and Janna came home this afternoon from the hospital. She is just so so tiny.

Last weekend Josh checked himself into the hospital with horrible pains, he had been to the doctor for two months trying to figure out what was wrong and they found nothing. He now has found out his kidneys aren't functioning at all and he has gone on dialysis. Any more news I will post again. He needs your prayers. They won't be able to come home this year. They had tickets to fly home the 24th. Chiu-yi hasn't ever seen it summer here only winter. That will have to be another time.

I am happy to be home but miss Stone Rusty and Van and little Sawyer. I only got to hold her for a short time in the hospital. They are coming for the Lee reunion in July. I took boy and girl clothes in my luggage again but then my luggage got lost and ended up in Portland 24 hours later I got it and everything was in tact. In have been saving girl clothes and took the dresses I had aquired the last 7 years. It will be so fun to spoil another girl we so need to catch up on the girls in this family. But we love our little boys. It was fun to see Van as he has become such a little smart toe headed loving boy. He so loves his mom and doesn't let her out of his sight much but he did warm up to Gma after an hour or two, you can't tell him you are showering or the diaper and clothes gets ripped off and he climbs in.

Jim, Scott and Sam are gone fishing in Montana with Gattens and sons. Benji put the house back together before I got home from the airport. The long grass was waiting for me so I mowed the front we miss Scott and Sam my favorite lawn mowers. Benji kept the yard green and the flowers alive. Life is sure one big rollercoaster.

Schools out for the summer!

School is out for the summer! Sam's last day was today, a talent show and a wasted day just to call it a day. Scott was finished last Fri. We have had wonderful hot summer days for much of May but today it turned spring with rain and 50 degrees we turned on the fireplace, they day before we had on the AC. Such confusing weather but we so needed the rain.

Wed we will become grandparents yet again. I am headed to CO tomorrow afternoon to be a full time Gma for a few days then Gma Hart will be there Sat. So excited for the new one, my luggage is packed with pink and blue things since we don't know what it will be other than a human. Scott has his chemo/doctor app/blood work tomorrow morning just before I fly out. He Sam and Jim are headed to "The Big Hole" in Montana with the Gattens on Thursday. Benji is staying home to keep the yard alive and he has be on crutches due to falling out of the raft Memorial weekend hurting his leg then hitting it again on the car door. (Ask him how that happened jklol)

Yesterday we hosted Gpa Lee's 85th birthday we had 47 in attendance. We bbqed hamburgers and everyone brought salads so great being able to use the new bricked patio. Aunt Jean made two huge birthday cakes. Our little fairy nieces and grandaughter and nephews made their way thru the gardens digging out plants and flowers and sand from the pots and dancing amongst the plants and had a wonderful time. We drug Aunt Mary Ann to the celebration, I think the loud voices made her a bit nuts but that is life here and hope she forgives us someday for making so much noise.

Josh let us know he is having health issues in Taiwan, he hasn't felt good for two months and has seen doctors but they said nothing was wrong, his kidneys were shutting down and he and Chiu-yi went into the ER 2 AM Sat. he now is on dialysis, the doctors are still trying to figure out the reason, so for now we just know it is "Acute Renal Failure" many have been fasting and praying for the doctors to find the reason why and for his full recovery we thank you all for keeping him and Chiu-yi in your prayers. Life is so full of blessings isn't it with all these trials.

Benjamin has been whipping the yard into shape, I have been his assistant. Danny is working hard sheet rocking the new basement with Carl our sheet rocker from the upstairs last year. We are hoping it can be done by the time everyone comes home this summer. If not life goes on.

Happy Summer to you all

The Spring Post!

Well, has been a month since last post. Our life just isn't that exciting most of the time but we like it that way actually. The days are warm and beautiful. The flowers and allergies are out in full force. Track season is over with and the freezing temps. School is coming to a end just 4 more school days.

Danny was sent home from Mexico early because of the swine flu scare, he stayed down stairs pretty much his first week home and only came up to feed. Once he went back down I pulled out the Lysol wipes. He is washing windows and helping his mom get the house back in order from our wild year. Benji also returned home last week to get the outside of the house back in order and will be home till after the family reunion.

We went on the Memorial campout Fri thru Mon. Benji was our "Real Man" rafter and has a pretty bad injury to prove it. Danny and Scott did a run or maybe two but Benji went on all runs. Jim hit most of them also but was smart and didn't go on the wild runs. Kyla got to go on her first "little kid run" and loved loved loved it. When her parents told her it was time to leave after our camping was over with she cried pretty hard and didn't want to leave, she is hooked! Carson wasn't a camping fan and spent most of his nights screaming and part of his days. Sarah was glad to get back home to sleep.

I made two trips to Utah during the month of May. I surprised my brother and showed up to his last concert he is retiring from teaching after 30 yrs from Lakeridge Jr High in Orem. Four days later I flew into Vegas headed to St George for my great niece Teryn's marriage and hung around with my sister, her new hubby her new and old kids, my mom and Sadie. It was hard to leave, especially leaving Sadie behind, Gma will really miss her when she comes home hopefully Sadie can bring her up for a few weeks if all goes well. In between I got sick with allergies which turned into ear and sinus infections but didn't die too bad flying. Scott got a bad cold and it seems to keep hanging on. He has only had 3 or 4 colds his entire "Cancer rollercoaster" so that is good.

Scott and Jim both got their turkeys, Scott one Jim two. Glad that is over with. As long as we have electricity we could survive for a year on just meat alone and my food storage to suppliment.

Janna is due in 9 days with baby number 4 either a Jade or a ? Haven't asked name if it is a HIS. Excited for another baby in the family and I bet the boys are also. Luke seems to really like his new job and glad they can stay in Centennial. Josh and Chiu-yi will be here in 4 weeks to visit. Life is full of blessings.

Improving the Blog

Ok, so I am finally improving our family blog! You have to go on facebook to view the photo now. I haven't learned how to put them back on this site yet....Sadie helped me add some music hope you like John Rich, Diamond Rio and Barbra Streisand (wierd combo but that is just me wierd). Sadie is so darn smart. She has moved in with her grandmother till the end of June and has begun working on her senior project, first by installing her printer and ordering her digital player and both are having its issues things are so exciting in Orderville! Well they are now that Sadie lives there.....



Josh and Chiu-yi had a wonderful exhausting and uplifting week as Josh was Elder Bednars translater for 5 days while he held meetings in Taiwan, Chiu-yi was able to be part of it and shared some of her feelings. We are excited Luke begain his new job this week and seems so happy and excited about the change. Janna and the baby are doing well and expecting he/she birth in 6 or so weeks. Benji is moving back to Pasadena from Stevenson Ranch and will be able to move forward on his movie distributing. Sarah and fam are great, we didn't see them for over a week and both babies grew, honest I could tell. We measured Scott and Dan R and Scott grew since they were here last YES taller than Dan now! Just imagine Stone Rusty and Van when we see them next. Danny's college in Mexico is shut down for a week due to the Swine flu he is suppose to come home in just a couple weeks we hope the boarders or airports aren't shut down and he is still able to head home the scare with the swine flu seems to be overboard but it did start in Mexico. Scott is planning on driving to school tomorrow for his first time now that dad got the Caddy working again and got oil added to the engine that some how leaked out without a leak. He smoked two wild Turkeys for Uncle Steves family last week and they turned out wonderful other than he ran out of propane in the middle of the process, then the smoker didn't heat up enough and he was up all night watching and getting it up to speed so it would turn out perfect for Uncle Steve which it did. He got first place in the CDA Bow Club he and his dad are part of. One of the youngest or probably is the youngest. He is Mr Deadeye. Sam is down to only 2 track meets left, his season is very short. His last meet was so cold I thot I'd freeze plum to death. Two blankets, and 3 layers of jackets wasn't enough. But I said last post I wouldn't complain......hummmmm he did the 4x2, hurdles and long jump. When he does the hurdles he looks just like Luke perfect form, just like a gazelle.

Dr Dad/Robin Hood is good, busy sacrificing for his family and dreaming of going turkey hunting on the weekends. He got the fruit trees prunned this weekend. The lawn needs mowing if it would quit hailing/snowing. This yard is a very sorry sight. I have worked for hours and you can hardly tell. Thanks to those precious deer I didn't have to thin out the ivy on the house just trim it down. All deer should really be in freezers, they are back feasting on the Lees buffet and doing just outside our bedroom windows......stupid 4 letter I mean 4 legged animals....

Bucky continues to be a dog, new name Buckless. He still won't let me out of his sight as he does his outside chores. He does love his walks each morning and sleeps a good couple hours afterwards but continues whinning the minute Jim walks thru the door. They both are such whinners, cute whinners but still whinners...

I am headed to St George/Toquerville to my great niece Teryns wedding the middle of May. When she has her first child. I will be a a very young great great aunt and mom will be a very young great great grandmother in her 70's. It will be great seeing all of my blood relatives and getting caught up on their lives. Hard to be so very far away.

I am planning my next trip to Ireland a year from July just told my sweetheart and hoping he is supportive and counts this as my hunting trip for 2010. For you interested in going to this Ireland reunion let me know, we need a number of those going soon .....so start saving up the bucks. This is a reunion of Gma Blackburns Blackburn family and seats are limited. We fly into Dublin, spend a night and day there then head to Belfast where we stay and do day trips. We went a few years ago and it was such a wonderful experience.

Yep,it is!

Yep, I believe it is spring! Here is Booboo wearing her Easter dress day and night....Spring is so welcomed, we all are so sick of the snow and rain and wind and whinny people! Oh yes I am one I admit it no more whinning on this issue.

We have been home from Hawaii 2 weeks and it now seems as if we never went. It was a great time, finally downloaded my pictures today to remind me . Planning our next spring break the day after we got home.

I hope today we can remember those that lost their lives 10 years ago in Columbine High school. We need to remember their families and friends that are still dealing with that horrible day.

Not much new happening at the house. Bucky is doing good until Jim comes home. I am walking him 40 to 45 min each morning sometimes at night. (not Jim but Bucky) He is jealous of Jim and whines when he is around. Still peeing on the boys shoes/socks when they take him out, not sure how to work on that one any ideas? Sadie is headed to Orderville to work on her paper/project and living with her grandmother for a time. Danny will be headed home from Mexico if he doesn't get employment there for the summer. Josh and Chiu-yi will be here in June for a short time. Janna and Luke are due with baby number 4 the first of June. Luke quit his job and is now training for his new one but still living in CO. Scott takes the driving test today and hunting for Turkey Toms that don't fly away. Sam is doing track and had his first track meet last Thurs. Benji is in CA working on his projects, he found out they did show his Christmas movie 12 times on PBS last Christmas season. They weren't going to till this Christmas. He sells them on his blog. Sarah had a birthday and loved her gifts! Pink Nano and my cousin Bryon made her a violin, yes a violin to keep in the family for hundreds of years. It is just incrediable. Brought some tears to a few of us when she opened it up and began playing it. I have been looking for one at a garage sales that people didn't know was precious and worth alot, never found one but this is better than I ever could of found. Yes my girls are spoiled. But so are the brothers in different ways. Hope I updated all the kids, I have so many I sometimes forget someone. Oh Jim is good, turkey tom looking with Scott ALL FRI and SAT.... working hard and thinking of doing yard work one of these days. Paula, (me) is great, I judged a Jr Miss on Sat. so hard but a blast, great way to keep Alzhimers away! Enjoying reading again with my Kindle!

Time to get the yard into shape and it will take many weeks, fertilizer and blood sweat and tears today is a beginning.

Home again Home again

We made it back to Spokane at 8:00 AM this morning, the only thing lost was sleep, that red eye is a killer but no luggage lost, no delays (hardly anyway) no airplane crashes no sicknesses, no ER visits this year and the sunburns were slight and gone by day two. The weather wasn't hot but nice, wet, sunny, and windy, changed about every 2 minutes. It did seem to rain chickens tho where ever we went, not cat or dogs. I yet again marked off another bucket list entry this one was "Doing a Zipline" not only one zipline but 7 that day. It did get easier but wow that first walk off was a killer, it took me several minutes of deep breathing to let it loose but this old lady DID IT! What have I got to loose but my life? Tomorrow with some help we should upload some phone video of the big day! Well 10 days actually. Now it is time to try and get caught up on those missed hours of sleep.

I am thankful for many things tonight. My husband and our children, our parents, siblings and grandchildren. For Dusty and Angies wonderful news. For Kyla that missed her Bamma and told me over and over again, for our home that didn't burn up tonight (ask Jim about this one he has issues with pyramainia) for the Savior and the Atonement, for his birth (happens to be His birthday today). For Sarah turning 27 tomorrow and how exciting that birth was. For Conference we were able to see and hear at the strangest hour and wearing the strangest clothes in the church but we heard it, for good friends and good neighbors. For the warm sun that shone its face on Dalton Gardens today after it has been gone for months it seemed. I told ya all I'd bring it back from Hawaii even tho I sent it back a day earlier than we returned. Just a few of the things I am thankful for tonight.