We Fought The Laws of Nature and The Laws Won

Within the sickness that plagued our family for a full 2 weeks, Ailey ended up with Pink Eye. I knew it was coming and saw it. I called the Pediatrician's office almost immediately and surprisingly I didn't have to take Ailey in. They just called the rx in to the Pharmacy.

Being that Ailey and Jace are still fairly young and in close contact most of the time, I figured he'd get it too. I didn't realize just how bad he'd get it though, even after having medicine in his eyes as well.

Poor kid looked like he'd been in some major fight or something. He was still so happy and smiley though. I just love this kid and his attitude.

A few days later he just wasn't happy. I know that he likes looking at himself, so I tried to see if taking pictures would help. It didn't really. But you can't always expect happiness when you feel like crap.

What Happens Next...

The Happiest Place On Earth?!?!?! The Conclusion

DAY 6

We wake up and Eric isn't feeling real well. Apparently the day before took more out of him than either of us thought it might. It meant I was driving again. In California. On crazy freeways. I decided I wanted to get out of the hotel and on the road ASAP.

We get packed up and Eric goes to find a luggage rack. Someone that works at the hotel tells him he needs to call the front desk and they'll send one up. Well we call and she says she'll send one up. Then we wait and wait and wait.

Finally Eric's had enough and goes in search of one on his own again. But then we see someone in my family and we take theirs after they are done. Cody asks if he can help out and so him and Eric take the rack down and the rest of us follow behind. Because of valet parking we do our best to get loaded up quickly and get the car out of the way.

We say goodbye to my family that was still around and they say they're heading to the beach if we want to go. We obviously don't, so we head on our way.

We're all hungry and decide we'll have a 'nice' breakfast before heading out. It was about 10:30 or so, so we figured if we ate now, we could travel a little bit longer before the kids got hungry. We stopped at a Denny's and there was a guy making balloon characters. We passed right by him, but the girls couldn't stop talking about him. I wondered aloud how much he charged and decided that maybe on our way out we'd stop and ask him.

He ended up leaving before us, but not before he came over and asked if we wanted the Ariel balloon he had had on display. I didn't quite understand what he was asking, but he kind of just handed it to me. I then understood that he was asking if we wanted it. I asked him how much it was but he walked off. I felt bad and a little dumbfounded. Had I not been so dumbfounded I would've paid him for his efforts. Ailey was thrilled to have the balloon and I wanted to get a picture, but just didn't before it got ruined. Tanis did manage the following before she was destroyed too terribly.

The traffic wasn't nearly as bad being earlier in the morning, but there were still some scary parts for me.

It was a pretty uneventful ride until we get a few miles outside of Vegas. There was a wreck that had caused a major backup on the freeway. So many cars going so slow was a little nerve wracking. When we finally got passed the wreck they were just clearing it up. It made me thankful that we were behind it and not involved in it.

I continue the drive to Mesquite and I'm getting tired and it's getting late. I was so anxious and on edge and just wanted to get to the hotel. Eric can tell I'm getting tired and keeps trying to keep me going. We decide we'll check into the hotel and then go get food at the pizza place I wanted to go to on Sunday.

We find the Pizza Place and thankfully got there an hour before closing. Their food was good and I was glad we had a nice meal. We get to our room and because Eric used some travel site to book our hotel we were stuck in a Smoking Room. We walked in and I immediately start coughing. We immediately turn on the fan to try to dissipate the smell. It actually worked pretty good and even though it wasn't the best of circumstances, we got there late enough that we would only be sleeping there and then heading out in the morning.

DAY 7

We wake up in the morning and I'm gearing myself up for the drive home. Eric surprises me and says he thinks he can handle the drive home. I am thankful as I need some rest. I'd been way too stressed for way too many days. There are a few times during the drive he mentions that he should've had me drive, but he pulls through.

We get home and lounge. It felt good to be home. That night into the early morning hours, Shaylyn starts puking which ends up bringing a fun next 2 weeks to our home, but that's another story.

MY CLOSING THOUGHTS

While our trip was obviously less than ideal, I'm still glad we were able to make it. I was thankful for my sisters sacrifice that allowed us the opportunity to go on the trip. I was super grateful for a wonderful mother-in-law who sacrificed her time and sanity to help us out where she felt she could. I was so glad Jace was in a safe environment where he could play and move without being constrained by carseats and strollers, and that he was away from a raving, lunatic of a mother.

I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the people they are and that we all just take care of each other's needs where we see that we can. I am thankful that my mom and sisters stepped in when they realized just how stressed I was and did what they could to lighten the load. I am thankful for a father and a brother who both honor their Priesthood and that my little sister married a man who also honors his Priesthood and that they were all worthy to give my husband a blessing in his time of need.

I learned just how much I rely on Eric and how much he does when we go on a trip. Eric and I have taken on very traditional roles in our marriage and I realized how much the 'man' has to do on a family vacation. I also learned that I much more enjoy being Mom than being Dad. I also learned that it sucks being Mom & Dad, so to those of you my friends who are doing both jobs - kudos to you. You are amazing! And there are those of us who admire you more than you know.

I also learned just what I am capable of. There's nothing like trial by fire to learn just how strong you are. While I didn't do everything the very best I could do, I did overcome some obstacles. I vowed I'd never drive in California. I did it. I struggle taking all of my kids anywhere by myself, but I was able to do it for 2 days in crowded theme parks. I can do so much more than I usually give myself credit for and while I would never want to go through such trials again, I am thankful to have had them so I could learn more about myself.

What Happens Next...

The Happiest Place On Earth?!?!? Day Two

DAY 2

We woke up and got ready and headed out. We were anxious to get on the road as today was going to be the longer part of our travels. We were on the road by about 9. The travel was fairly uneventful, until we hit Baker, California.

It was time to stop for lunch and gas. Eric got out of the car and said he wasn't feeling very well, but thought it was maybe due to a lack of sleeping and needing to eat. So we go and order our food. The kids are more antsy than I've seen them in a long time and Eric couldn't eat a bite. We decide to head back to the road and Eric says he really doesn't think he can drive. He tells me I can just drive to the next big city and maybe after a nap he'll feel better. I get Ailey all settled in her car seat and head to the driver's seat and notice Eric isn't in the car yet. He's actually in front of the car puking. After he finishes we get situated and we are on our way.

Eric is fast asleep when we pass the city he was talking about and the drive wasn't too bad, so I kept driving. Next thing I know though is I'm on scary California Highways and it's about to split and I have no idea where I'm supposed to go. There are no signs anyway talking of Anaheim and I'm officially clueless. I pull off at the next exit and find a place to pull over so we can figure out what we're doing. Eric pukes again and tries to figure out where we're out and where I need to go. (Thanks goodness for modern day technology)

Eric obviously still can't drive, but he stays awake to help me navigate where to go. We hit traffic hour and an accident on these fun California Highways (I don't even drive Utah Highways if I can avoid it) and my nerves are shot! This was the first time I realized how thankful I was Jace was with Grandma. Had he been screaming while I was navigating California Highways - it would've pushed me over the edge.

So we find the hotel and see that my little sister and her family have just gotten there as well and are in the process of checking in. Apparently when the rest of the family got there, they didn't quite have all the rooms ready and one of the rooms ended up having a maintenance issue. So we were waiting until the rooms were ready. Because the room had a maintenance issue they gave Kami (she made the reservations) another room, but it wasn't separated into different rooms like the other rooms. Because my little family was the only family not sharing with someone else in the family, they gave us that room. No biggie. The hotel had said that we could move the next day if we wanted to, but with Eric being sick and having 5 kids and luggage, it just wasn't worth it. In the end the hotel told me they'd take $100 off the room each night. I hope they did - I don't know as Kami paid for the hotel rooms too.

I leave Eric and the kids in the car while I go locate our room so I know exactly where to go. I run into my little sister, Kaeloni and she's freaking out because her daughter got stuck on the elevator somehow. Kaeloni was on the main floor of the hotel and I was heading up to the 1st floor. So just to try on the 1st floor I pushed the elevator button to go down. I then go find our room and as I'm heading back down to the car, a housekeeper (who was standing by the elevator) asked me if this was my daughter. I realize then that the elevator has opened and my niece is standing there on the verge of tears. I say "No, but she's my niece." And I scoop that little girl up in my arms. I take her to her mom and my sister is understandably emotional.

After we get that issue out of the way, I ask my sister if she can give me the luggage rack when they are done. She agrees and I get a hold of it after they're done. I take it down to the car and start unloading. I don't remember when by I asked my brother in law, Cody and my brother, Donovan to help me get the room. I couldn't have done it myself. I think I took Eric and the kids up to the room before I unloaded the car, but at this point I don't honestly remember.

We get everything mostly settled and Eric decides we need to take him to an Instacare. He thinks he ended up with the Strep that I had a few weeks earlier and that Lex and Jace ended up with a few days before our trip. Meanwhile my family is deciding where to go for dinner. I tell them that we need to take Eric to an Instacare and they offer to take the kids with them.

Eric and I figure out where we can take him that should work with our Insurance company and before we head out, my dad ,Corby and Cody give Eric a blessing. My Dad had kind of mentioned to my mom how he felt like the fact that he had brought the consecrated oil with him was a bit of inspiration. We then take off and get Eric to the Urgent Care. Eric can't walk straight and honestly looks drunk. He explains the situation to the girl at the front desk and then starts puking. I finish dealing with the girl and she almost immediately has us come back.

The Dr. comes in to see Eric after only a short time. He determines that it's a virus thing and gives Eric a rx for the nausea. Eric's world is still spinning and we pray the rx helps. Thankfully in the same parking lot as the urgent care place is a Rite-Aid. Eric doesn't feel like walking through a drug store while we wait for the rx, so I go in myself. I get his rx and some chicken noodle soup for him as he hasn't eaten since breakfast.

We get back to the hotel and the kids still aren't back, so we have some quiet for awhile. I warm up his soup, but he can only take one bite and it just isn't sitting well with him. He's miserable and just lays in bed.

The kids get back and we decide to get some sleep so that we can get a nice start for Disneyland in the morning.

What Happens Next...

My Sicky Buddy

Being sick just sucks. I spent a good 2 days in bed. Thankfully I had a cute little sicky buddy to keep me company.

While Jace wasn't too terribly sick, he just wanted to be held and loved. I had no objections and absolutely loved our snuggle time. He'll grow too big for it soon enough.

What Happens Next...

Good Things Come To Those Who Bait

After receiving the news that Eric's dad's tumor hadn't shrunk, his brother came back to visit over Labor Day Weekend. Thus we had a weekend of fun.

On Friday we went to see the new Planes movie. Nate had mentioned to Grandma that he wanted to go see it, so that was the chosen activity. It was a cute show and the kids did really pretty good sitting through it - even Jace slept the whole time. The only downside to the night was when Eric's dad pulled him aside and let him know that the doctors let him know that his cancer is pretty much terminal. He was told that without medication he'd make it to Christmas, with medication he's got 2 years. We are praying he has at least that.

The next day, Saturday, Eric and the boys woke up at around 5:30 to go fishing with the other 'boys'. We had tried to convince Shaylyn to go knowing that she enjoyed her first fishing excursion a few years ago, but she is getting more interested in girly things as of late. Because Shaylyn stayed home, Nate got to go. He really wanted to go, but because Eric's car only fits 3 people besides him, Nate was going to have to stay home. I was glad Nate got to go and the girls, Jace and I had a quiet day at home.

I'm not sure of all the details of fishing since I obviously wasn't there, but Tanis caught a freaking CATFISH and Nate caught a trout. And even though I sent the camera with Tanis, Eric insisted on taking most pictures with his phone instead. Tanis did take a couple with the camera though.

...No, that KickStart isn't for Lex. It's Eric's. Besides not letting our kids have caffeine, Eric would NEVER share his precious drink...

On Sunday we went over for dinner and had some yummy hamburgers. After dinner we had a great time playing a trivia game. Eric's older brother was whooping all of us, but we had to stop the game short as his good childhood friend came to visit. We then had ice cream in special Cubs hat bowls (if you've seen them you know what I'm talking about - if not, I'm sorry) that Eric's brother had also brought with him. We decided we'd better get home at a somewhat decent time and so we left.

Monday was spent with my family. We had a simple BBQ and then played some games. Eric had wanted to go shooting with his Dad and brother, but sadly that didn't happen. His Dad wasn't feeling up for it by Sunday night, but on Monday morning he had to go back to the hospital. He ended up have a strep infection or something that caused him even more pain. The guy had to stay in the hospital until Thursday while they cleared that infection up.

What Happens Next...

What Matters Most

Let me take you back to the lovely month of May...

In this post I mentioned that May started out wonderful, but by the end of the month it had put our lives in a bit of a downward spiral...well read on and you shall see what I meant.

On May 13th (I only remember the day because it was Ailey's birthday) we had Ailey's birthday party planned. It was a Sunday and on the way home Eric mentioned that his parents wouldn't be able to come to the party because his Dad was in the hospital. When I asked Eric why his Dad was in the hospital, he said that they thought it was problem with his liver as his Mom noticed that his Dad was quite jaundiced. They had run some tests, but didn't have answers yet.

Within the next few days something that we thought to be quite minor actually turned out to be quite major. After a bunch of tests had been ran and things investigated more in depth, the real issue was discovered. On May 23, we found out that Eric's dad has pancreatic cancer. It's a fairly bad case as well as his tumor covered about 4 inches on a 6 inch organ. The other issue with this tumor is that it's wrapped around or extremely close to an artery, so surgery immediately was out.

The following Saturday, Eric spent the whole day at his parents working out their sprinklers with his uncle. The kids and I went Saturday night to spend just a couple hours with them. Because they had missed Ailey's birthday party - they wanted to give her their gift. Eric's brother and his wife and son had taken a marathon drive from Washington the day before and arrived Saturday night.

Memorial Day came around and Eric went to his parents to finish the sprinklers and in the evening he took the boys and went to a movie with his Dad, brothers and our nephew. Tuesday of that week it was time to meet with the Dr.'s.

Eric went with his parents and brothers to the consult. It was an interesting day for Eric and though he planned to go to work after the consult, he ended up just going back to his parents house and he spent the day there. He was alone with his parents and brothers for the first time in years - so he had the idea it might be nice to have a neighbor take a quick snapshot of their little family. Well, that idea snowballed into something a bit bigger.

Eric's mom wanted more professional-type pictures. Luckily, Eric's brother, Ken and his wife knew of a photographer and even luckier yet, she was available on short notice. So it was decided that the next day, Wednesday, would be family picture day. The plan was to just get some family pictures, but that's not quite what happened.

Because I wasn't paying for the pictures (My awesome brother in law and his wife graciously did so) and because in the scheme of things it wasn't really my place to order any pictures taken, I didn't say a word. I had the thought it'd be nice to have pictures of each of the kids with Grandpa and I mentioned it to Eric, but that's where it ended. Thankfully this photographer was thinking on the same wave length as me and made sure to get those photos. She also made sure to take separate family photos and even individual pictures of my kids. Though my brother in law had only paid for the 1 hour photo session, this great photographer stayed almost an hour longer and took photos of the boys playing baseball in the front yard. Baseball has always been big in the Hardy family and it was appreciated by all that the photographer stayed and took those photos of her own accord.

Anyway, for so many different reasons we just recently got the photos back. Gotta say - it's one of the best photo sessions our 'little' family has had and I was pleased with almost every single photo. In total the photographer had 400 and something photos on the disc. Half of them are the b&w/sepia toned photos, but there was still a bucket load of photos on the disc. I am only sharing my faves and because there are still quite a bit, I of course, set it to a video instead of trying to put them all in one post.

The photographer was Holly of Holly's Hobby's Photography and she was amazing to work with. And yes, this video's music is going to take you back to all of the fun, good sitcoms from the 80's - deal with it.

Now, back to Eric's Dad. I wish there was better news.

For a few weeks the guy had to go to radiation 5 times a week and had chemotherapy pills he had to take multiple times a day. As soon as he had a week or so of 'off' time, he planned a quick get-away to Colorado to see the Cubs play. Though it was a rough trip for him and he thinks he rushed it a bit, he was glad to get away for just a short while.

But then a few weeks ago, the poor guy was rushed to the hospital once again and had to have his gallbladder taken out. Which was a slightly risky surgery given the position of the gallbladder in relation to the pancreas. Thankfully, the surgery went well and his gallbladder was removed.

This past Monday he had to have some scans to see how the cancer was looking. We were hoping for good news, but that's not really what we got. Though the Dr.'s haven't met with Dad yet, he was able to pull his scan records up yesterday morning and we found out that the cancer hasn't shrunk, which means they still can't remove the tumor. There's also a few things that have cropped up that weren't previously there. Like I said, because they haven't met with the Dr. yet, we're not exactly sure what to expect next.

It's been a long, rocky road and it appears that the road's not going to smooth out anytime soon. Please keep Eric's Dad in your prayers.

Eric's Dad has always been accepting of me and I really couldn't ask for a better father in law. He's just like a Dad to me and he's always been supportive of us. He's a great Grandpa and the kids all love him so much.

This is really a hard thing to watch and I feel so helpless. It's really taught Eric and I to be thankful for the little things in life and to cherish the memories we have and we are doing our best to make as many good and happy memories for right now as we can.

What Happens Next...

Santa Came!!!

Look! Santa came!!!

Christmas Eve Story continued...I was probably able to get some sleep from about 4 to about 7, when the kids got up, again. Eric told them to let me be and let me sleep for about another hour and a half. He told me it was 8:30, so I should probably get up since we were headed to our families in the afternoon.

I got up and made breakfast for the family, which I of course, couldn't eat. We then headed over to the front room to start Christmas morning. It started with pictures of the kids in their Christmas jammies!

...He thinks his jammies gave his special Ninja powers...

...Yup, she belongs to me. Head straight for the Reese's. ALWAYS...

...Then again, maybe she's like her Daddy and it's all about the caffeine rush in the early morning hours. Nicely played, Eric...

Then we let the kids have their presents. They were totally spoiled this year and I think each of the kids got most of what was on their lists. CRAZY. Santa Eric was mean to little Ailey and wouldn't give her a gift until she gave him a hug. She played right along and this game carried into the afternoon at Eric's parents house.

...The notecard explained that Santa had put points on X-Box Live for a game Tanis wanted...

After gifts were open, of course it was time to play! We let the kids play for a couple hours and then it was time to get ready to head out. Because I felt like crap I sorta dozed off and neither of the girls had their hair done...Heck, I didn't really even do my hair. That tells you just how yucky I felt.

We got to Eric's parents house about when we planned and had a yummy ham lunch. I was able to eat a little bit, but not really having an appetite and being afraid it would come out again, it wasn't real tasty to me. After lunch it was time for presents. The kids got spoiled again and each of us got a Seven Peaks Pass of All Passes from Eric's parents and brother, Greg. Totally appreciated. I don't have any pictures of Christmas afternoon yet. Eric's mom took some, but I'm sure I look like death - so I'm okay never getting them. Hahaha.

Around 5:00, we decided to head to my parents house. I still wasn't feeling well, but tried to enjoy my family. We played some games and to our great surprise, my nephew Vincent came over with his mommy and spent the evening playing games with us.

Sadly, because I didn't want to pass on whatever I had to my sweet little nephews, I couldn't hold either one. It was hard, but I refrained. It also sucks because we don't see Vincent very often at all.

I was able to snack on a few things and nothing came back up, but my stomach still wasn't right and it took 2 more days to feel normal again. Not exactly sure what I got, but no one else in the family got it so I was thankful for that.

And that it how our Christmas played out this year. The kids had lots of fun and enjoyed all the gifts they got. Mommy tried to enjoy Christmas, but it was super hard. Daddy just did what he had to do and helped Mommy out a TON!

What Happens Next...