#pictureoverload

and the tantrums just keep on going....

sunday madyn was a complete monster.

she was soooooo cranky!

but later that night her spirits lifted and she was actually in a really

happy mood.

our funny story of the day was when we were in sacrament meeting.

we were looking at a book and we came across

a picture of baptism.

she proudly announces SWIMMING! SWIMMING! SWIMMING!

oh that girl and her obsessions!
also with all the forest fires, the sun has been pretty cool the
last couple of nights. so we messed around with the
camera some.
it was pretty neat!

 

Monday our little family of three went on one last hoorah before school starts.

we went to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park.

when we first went in it was a little slow...

we stopped and had a picnic and walked around a lake.

it was the clearest lake and little river I have ever seen!

while we were walking around she ran into an older couple and

madyn just pipes up "You see fishies?"

but then after that anyone else we bumped into along the trail she was shy for.

also can I just say... isn't she just a complete diva?!?!

 

we also saw a couple of ducks on the lake and watched

them eat and play around.
 

 

the we headed off.

along the way we saw a couple of does.

but for us we were soooo anxious to see some elk that

it seemed to be going on FOREVER!

we stopped at a couple of look outs...

unfortunately it was soooo smokey from all the forest fires.

it was still pretty, im just sure it would have been prettier if it was clearer.

 

 we took off again...
we were seriously getting pretty anxious to see
some wild life and then....
WE SAW A BEAR!!!!
that was a huge highlight of our trip!

 we then went on our way and saw an elk!
but not very close... but still we were happy.
we were glad we were finally seeing some sort of wildlife!
and seriously the views were pretty awesome!

then around the corner and not to far from the elk

we ran into 7 big horn sheep.

they were awesome and their horns were almost full circle.

 

 

so then we kept on going again and

ran into a bunch of elk!

it was pretty fun, because you basically travelled and got out

of the vehicle with the same groups of people.

one of my highlights was that I was able to hear 2 different elk bugle.

I have never heard that before.... it was AWESOME!

 

 

after we saw these fellas

we pretty much made our way through the park

into some other town in Colorado that we didn't know.

so we typed in the GPS the fastest way home

and it was to go through the park again.

so we turned around to do it again

and it was SOOOO worth it!

we saw lots more elk and were even able to

watch two of them start to fight.

 

 

 

it was seriously the best trip ever!

I had a blast. we saw awesome animals. good snacks. madyn was

a complete angel compared to a few days ago.

it was much needed.

Tuesday I woke up sicker then a dog!

seriously this crohn's really gets me down sometimes...

so the house got deep cleaned before me and mads take off for the valley.

there's not much else to do when you can't leave the bathroom for

more then 10 minutes...

sorry tmi.

 but my funny moment of the day of course goes

to miss mads!

 

 

this is what I walked into this morning....

sunglasses on and trying to do eric's elk call.

boy this girl has quite the personality!

she never quits!

Wednesday we took off to the valley.

madyn didn't sleep the whole way there.

I was pretty shocked but she did travel ok.

Thursday I babysat laityn and payson during the day.

I had sooo much fun with them!

also laityn is getting HUGE!

all the sudden she was laying on her stomach and then

she just sat right up!

I hate that these kiddos are getting big soooo fast!

 

 

that afternoon we went and had lunch out at Urie

with Megan, Austyn and mom.

I think the little kids had fun.

once we got home me, madyn and laityn were exhausted!

thankfully payson is used to "quiet time" during the day

and we were able to get some much needed rest!

that evening we all were over at mom and dad's house for

a little birthday party for Jamie.

we ate Chinese food and it was soooooooo yummy!

unfortunately I got very very very sick afterwards and that was

not fun at all.

Friday we took off for Utah. I had 2 appointments at the U.

 the first was.... not the greatest.

I guess surgery had been mentioned before but I not expecting that

to be my doctors decision.

 I was ready to turn it down if surgery was ever brought up.

I had decided long long long ago that surgery was not for me...

but within the 10 years of having crohn's I guess a lot of things have changed.

improvements have been made, studies done and proven

and since it was pretty much the only option I had,

I guess it's time.

but I was not expecting that at all!

I had thought that I would go into my appointment,

be put on more/ new additional medicine (isn't that what we have always done),

then go to my obgyn appointment,

go through my medications with her, get them approved,

and get the ok to have another baby....

not be told surgery and not plan on another baby for a couple of years.

it was pretty overwhelming to say the least.

she told me that I shouldn't stay in the hospital longer then a week

and that it is a 2-3 month recovery.

in all honesty I think it all sounds worse then it will actually be....

(let's hope anyways)

they are only taking out 5 cm, it's being done laparoscopy- so no incisions!

and I have some awesome, very well experienced doctors on my side.

although this sure switched up some of my plans for the next few months

and brought us some unexpected circumstances

I know and see the Lord's hand in all this.

I know he is aware of me and my family.

he knows my concerns and is there for me.

I am truly blessed.

Saturday we got up and did the Meeks family pictures.

oh boy... that was a little hard.

but we were able to get some good ones!

I love that family a lot!

 after pictures we went to big hill to see the family

while they were four-wheeling.

we didn't stay very long but I loved watching my kiddos drive around.

seriously, when did they grow up?!?

and how did it happen so fast?!?!