Pussy willow

Oh vacation.  If there is one way to make it exciting and memorable it is with a trip to the Emergency Room.  Leave it to my little G to provide the thrill.  Friday night, 6 kids and 5 adults all in a hectic pre dinner party rush, and getting ready for a get together at the house too.  I volunteered to make dinner, ran to the store for ingredients and put together a teriyaki sauce marinade, carrot and cilantro salad, cut up veggies, brown rice cooking. kids are playing great. Adults were cleaning up the house for guests.  One made another run to the store.  OH no, propane for the BBQ is out, another runs to the store.  Kids are playing great. G comes running to me crying  " I have a pussy willow stuck in my nose!"  huh?  Yes, somehow after watching the oldest cousin perform a mini magic show, G decided to attempt a trick of her own.  Up went the pussy willow- but it didn't come back down.
   We tried EVERYTHING imaginable.  2 different sets of tweezers, black pepper, red peppers (the girl just isn't a sneezer), blowing, pinching nose and blowing in her mouth, a netty pot, time (overnight!) with no luck.  It was pretty apparent to me we just weren't going to be able to reach it, you couldn't really see it- yes it was that high up in her nose (almost in her sinus).  The sisters all had plans of a girls day out, so Clay got to be super dad and take her to the military hospital.  Thank goodness we are still covered for a few months.
  I got updates the whole time.  Numbing spray and swelling spray. The nurses tried to remove it using tweezers and a nose speculum.  Pussy Willow 1, nurses 0.   attempt number two brought out the big guns.  An Ears Nose and Throat Dr came to the rescue with suction tool, more tweezers, some other crazy hook (that wasn't used.) G was strapped down to a papoose board, 3 nurses helped hold her down and then there was victory!  The Dr pulled it out and after asking to take it home, we have it in a little jar.  She was still screaming and kicking after they took it out, didn't notice it being pulled out. Clay says it was really a fun time.
   What an ordeal, and I wasn't even there for the hospital part.  There would have been no way we could have gotten it out, and I am so thankful we were able to take her some place that they were able to do it safely.

Shine On

Colorful, bright and so much fun.  That was our 4th of July.   I stuck with the showing my patriotism for Red, White and Blue with my first real black eye!  Last Saturday at our softball tournament I had my first go at playing catcher (ya know, because we had other girls playing who actually know what they are doing out on the field!)  I got popped right on the cheek bone by a foul tip from a lefty. It instantly swelled up, and as the day went on it got more colorful.  I continued to play 2 more games- at catcher none the less.  Sunday the eye was very swollen, making it difficult to see much down or to the side.... so I sat out the 2 tournament games, but played that evening in our league game.  The colors are changing, and it is looking better and feeling better. True love, Clay bought me a face mask so if I play catcher in our tournament this weekend I will be protected!

 We changed our plans so many times before the 4th, trying to figure out what to do.  In the end we decided to stick close to home instead of rushing around all day.  Some friends are living RIGHT on the lake (in their friends house, between selling their old house and waiting to move into their new house) in an incredible house.  We had such a perfect day.  Great food, perfect friendship- all with our spouses, silly sweet kids running around, sunshine, water, boats, sports, and more.

 A hug around the neck.  

 tree climbing with a view

 "fishing" 

 Moose

 swinging each other round and round!

we enjoyed everyone else's fireworks, and a few ridiculous smoke bombs and firecrackers Clay picked up. The kids both watching them for the 1st time (since they are usually sound asleep)