Pilot for a Day!!! Hill Airforce!

What an absolutely amazing day! Make A Wish of Utah is the best!
 Gator's appetite for anything with an engine or wheels was totally satisfied by this event. We got up bright and early and headed to base.. It was a little bit crazy because I didn't have my drivers license renewed and was scrambling the week before to get it done. It was actually a little blessing to have needed that info so that I didn't miss the renewal window... The DMV is cracking down and I had to make two trips to get it all done... Whew! Then we were bussed on base! I love that even the bus ride was exciting for Gator boy!  

*Proof 

Daddy!!! 

Gator and daddy and the Hanger! The first thing we did was have breakfast. I love that they thought of all the little things to make it nice for our families.... And having breakfast with jets is right up there on the awesome scale for Gator. 

Then each of the wish kids got flight suits... The joy in this little guys heart over this authentic suit is immeasurable.... He also received dog tags and a hat with his name on it... In the hanger, they also had different things to view and get close too...  

 Gator loved the planes.

 Each child had a special call name (Roger that!) obviously Gator's was Gator... Most people don't even know his real first name... But this awesome guy Gator is with is Tuff..... He spent countless hours as the mastermind behind this wonderful day... He did so much for the kids and made sure to talk to each one and spend a little time with them answering questions...

This is all the pilots!

 Ry loves being part of all of the action. She is such a sweet big sister and even though tons of attention is on Gator she is understanding and enjoys being with us as a family.

 They talked about the equipment that is used in flight. This helmet is worth 100,000.00$ I was a little nervous to have Gator try it on.

 Munchie did her best at being crazy cute!

 This is Mr. Ira at the simulators... Gator loved it because it was similar to video games.... There were so many dials and switches to keep track of...

Munchie and Daddy also tried it out... Both crashed!!!

Munchie also snuggled with Coach!!!

 Tuff is talking to Gator before the show starts....

 The jets looked so awesome... It was very loud and you could feel the rumble of them way down in your chest....

 This is the Captain and his wonderful wife.... The wives all made lunch for us.

 The kids loved everything.... We even got to spend the day with our little friend Hays and her Dad!!! Thanks Tuff and everyone who made this day so great.... Gator loves his flight suit and asked to sleep in it... I told him we have to take it off sometimes....

Gator Grad

Gator graduated from Preschool. He learned a lot in preschool. I think he is ready for kindergarten...  

He performed all the songs, including the freeze dance!!! He is one of three boys in his class...  

Munchie is a joy and at the age when holding still is super hard.... 

 

When talking about what he planned on doing this summer he said, "have my mom take me to the beach" Yeah, we will have to make do with what we have....He also said he wants to drive monster trucks when he gets big...                                                  

Miss Joey is amazing!! Good job Gator man! 

Ry's Choir concert

Miss Ry did a fantastic job with choir. She stuck out the practices (harder for mom). The theme for their performance was an American tribute. The kids did a great job. Ry's favorite songs to sing were Fifty Nifty States, and Send it on down the Line.....  

We had her giggling when we called it Fifty Thrifty and we all had that song stuck in our heads for days after... 

 

In this song she was a waitress, which almost every other girl decided they wanted to be... But, she was the cutest little waitress ever! 

Time to get our play on!

 

With the school year winding down things have been happening every day and I haven't had a minute to catch up... The kids are excited to get their summer clothes out and for lazy days and days full of fun to begin... I love summer! Munchie will keep us all in line too. She is a bossy little person... Everyone thinks she is cute so they don't get to bothered when she tries to boss them around. 

Why yes it is!

Yes, this is exactly what it looks like! I had a shower this morning. Munchie is a regular shower moocher and I let her come in. After our shower I got her all snugly in her hooded towel and was getting dressed. A few minutes later I noticed the signs of Munchie wanting to use the potty! So I helped her on! She quickly signed "all done". That's when I noticed the ick already on her legs, she wasn't dressed so I just put her back into the shower to rinse off. Then I was on the hunt.... Eeeeewwww! I don't think I have ever been more grateful for wipe-able leather!!!

Garden Delight and other delish things.

Today was a pretty typical day around the household! There are just a few things that cracked me up that I want to remember... For instance... My veggie garden consists of three tomato plants, a row of peas, a row of beans, a row of raspberries and the most gihungus rhubarb plant! I really like rhubarb... When I was little, we visited grandma and grandpas' house... They had tons of yummy treats growing right outside... I picked raspberries, ate corn on the cob, green apples and cherries (till I had the runs) and they had rhubarb. I like it with salt! Yummy.... My folks grew it too.... so it is a family tradition and I am sure my kids will want to as well. I had a huge piece today and Munchie and Gator were in heaven. It was awesome... The neighbor boy who thought it was celery even loved it. For a later snack we had graham crackers dipped in milk... I think this is an all time "think of my mom" comfort snack! This is a typical dessert for my mom! Munchie dipped and dipped, till the cracker was so soggy it kind of melted on the table. So she would just bend over the mess and hoover it! I think my Munchie shares my adventure for food. Not so much Gator with his oral aversions and obvious dislike for anything green or good for you; and Ry who is going through the weirdest picky eater stage... Munchie is my kinda girl... She will try anything... even wall materials . All this talk about yummy food makes me kinda hungry for some good stuff.... Sliced tomatoes, cucumbers in vinegar, green beans straight off the vines, mush(cream of wheat) with squishy lumps, toast with sugar on it, Green apple Punch Bags from the Ideal Dairy(Richfield shout out!), slushies with home made soft serve, cheese curds, and raisin filled cookies... I need to go visit my grandparents!!!!! Also, I need to finish planting my garden and hope it grows really fast so I can have some of these things on a regular basis.

Heart Update and Jump and Bounce

Gator had a cardiology appointment last Monday. I love going to clinic at the Riverton location. It is so much closer to home. The first thing we did when we got there is had pictures (x-rays). Gator is so good for the girls, they always make comments about how easy he is and quick to do what they ask. Then Gator played video games while we waited to be called. It wasn't a very long wait and he was disappointed that he had to quit playing. Then we got a surprise!!!! Dr. Su wanted an echo. It had been a long time since he had had one. Gator was a little mad because the stickers that they put the leads on, are his most HATED thing about visits and he always wants to go home and take a bath to get them off. We had a great tech and she did a fantastic job talking him into putting them on and promising he could pick from the prize basket if he was good. He wasn't as good as x-rays but he did well for being surprised by the echo. I really try and tell him everything he will be expecting even if it hurts. He has his own way of dealing with it when he knows about the procedures. He was thrilled when he got to take off the stickers and they didn't even hurt. Then we talked with Dr. Su..... It seems like everything is doing really well. His Sats are not super high, that is a result of the fenestration. His tricuspid leakage has improved, a huge happy deal. I love to hear that things are improving. He hasn't had a serious illness since his endocarditis... Such a relief that he has stayed so healthy this winter. The only thing that isn't an improvement is the function or squeeze of his heart. In fact it may have gotten a little worse. That has been Gator though. He was on a medicine called Digoxin that was supposed to improve that some. I asked our doc if he thought the decrease in function had to do with stopping that med after the Fontan. There hasn't been any major proven facts that it helped in the first place. So we are not thinking that is it. We just watch and wait. With all this great news we don't have to go back for a YEAR! That seems so crazy. Our doc is always there if we need him but, we don't have to make an official appointment for a year.... WHOOO HOOOO!

So in the mean time...
We are gonna play hard!
For Gator's Pre-school, they go to Jump and Bounce for an end of year party. He kept asking how many hours until we were going. This kid needs to learn time, I tell ya!
So here we have Munchie trying out the slide...  

And Gator with blue lips from playing so hard.... I checked his Sats at the end.... 82.... This kid just wouldn't stop.
 

Here is wonderful Miss Joey, Issac and Gator all at the top of the big slide. Miss Joey promised Gator she would do the slide with him and she did not disappoint! 

Muchie loved it too... I thought she would want to just run around, she wanted to climb up the big stuff like all the other kids... 

Open shut them, open shut them, give a little clap clap clap, Open shut them, Open shut them, put them in your lap.... All the kids getting ready for snack! 

Checking out the fruit snacks.... but remember...."You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" 

Then we needed to come home and cool off... drinks from the sprinkler 

That is kinda tricky without getting soaked. 

It was fun trying anyway 

He also wanted to get a quick ride in... 

 

Munchie just wanted the water....