Reiderman

Just a quick update on our little dude since everyone has been calling, texting, emailing, wondering what is happening.

He had a relapse a few weeks ago and had to spend a couple days in the hospital for dehydration. He was such a great trooper, letting everyone poke him all the time. He really has been a tough cookie through all of this which has been such a blessing. He has become a pro at taking medicine. Since August, when he first got sick, he has been pricked so many times and seen more drs and taken more medicine than I can keep track of.

This is my man after a long day, finally getting some sleep.

 We got a little bored after a while and had to come up with a way to stay entertained. He made his wash bin into a boat and played in it with his animals.

So, where do we stand now? Well, still testing positive for the intestinal infection. He has been treated with four different kinds of antibiotics, all which are the strongest you can find. And, all of them he seems to be resistant to. Not only is that bad that he is resisting the antibiotics, but that also means this bacteria is taking over his little body. He was put on a final, last resort medicine this past week. Our final option. And, since it is only supposed to be used in adults, his little body could not handle it and rejected it. Being the holidays, and not wanting to spend Christmas in the hospital, we have opted to keep him home, back on some medication that worked enough to keep a fever down, until next week. We have more appointments scheduled with 3 different specialist to figure out what to do now. He has had more love and more prayers than ever before, and we appreciate all the support from family and friends. And, with this busy weekend, it is helping us keep preoccupied with other things so we are not dwelling on it. We will keep everyone posted as soon as we find anything out. We are currently considering going out of town to find help outside of our area. I am open to suggestions from anyone at this point if anyone has any advice or knows of any good doctors they would reccommend!
We love you all, and like I said, can feel the love and prayers. I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!

The Lovelies...and little dude

I know I may be partial because I'm their mom, but really, we have some beautiful chidren!

on the first day of Christmas...

I wished for....
just a few things I have had my eye on this holiday season as I have been doing my Christmas shopping. Its been so hard not to press "add to cart" while shopping online for others. (I do have to confess, that "add to cart" only happened once)

How adorable is this Anthro apron? Actually, wishing I had a dress like this. So cute, I could wear it to the store!

 And, honestly, who couldn't use more latte bowls? Every time I am in Anthro, I check out what new colors they have. We have white dishes from Pottery Barn, so adding some color to our collection is always fun. I especially love when they are on sale. One time, I actually scored several of them for less than $1. Why I didn't buy more, I will never know.

 And this is my new obsession. The Nook color. If I actually had this, I am almost POSITIVE I would never get anything done around the house. Reading to the kids, catching up on my gossip mags, and so much more...all right here.

 Etsy has been my "go-to" for those people who are hard to buy for. I could spend hours just looking around at the amazing work people do. Such creativity. Such amazing artwork. The jewelry over at tyrahandmadejewelry is amazing.

So, whats on your list?

Under Construction

I'm starting a new recipe blog. It is under construction right now, but feel free to visit! I'm just taking my old one and making it better! More pictures, more recipes, more guest cooks! In the next few weeks I will be working on bringing in a lot of the old favorites from my old blog, so you can still find them when you need them at the new one. And, while I am working on it...is there anything specific you want to see more of? Send me your suggestions!


linneafaith(at)gmail(dot)com
Come visit and start following now! I have a few oldies and favorites up!
linneaskitchen.blogspot.com

Don't blink...you might miss it

That is how I feel lately. If I blink, my children will be teenagers. Every time I turn around, another tooth is lost, milestones have been met, children are being baptized...they are growing too fast and I am afraid of it passing and me missing something.

                                          

Hana just turned 9. What? How? She has become such a sweet little girl. She is so concious of how she treats people (except her sisters). She is doing amazing in school. She loves to help out with Reid. She loves to read her books. A little bookworm, we have here!

Maddison is 5 months away from being 8...which means another little girl being baptized. This year school has gotten so much better for her. She no longer screams and cries when its time to leave. She comes home happy, for the most part. And, as far as it goes with Reid...they truely are the epitomy of kindred spirits. Everything from little things like them having the same skull problems as a child and both being hospitalized twice, to the way they act around each other and even their personalities. They have this special little bond and it is one of the neatest things I have ever seen. If Reid gets hurt, only Maddison can fix it. If he is tired, only Maddison's lap is the right one. I dont know what it is, but they connect like no other. And I love watching them!

Chloe. Well, what can I say. She is one of a kind. Still cries about 5 times a day. Still sucks her thumb. Still knows she was the baby for 4 years and tries to use that to her advantage. My high maintenance child. But, she is doing great in school. She loves it and has made a lot of friends, which I was a little worried about, to be honest. She still loves to cuddle anytime. And, as she has done since the day she could talk, still comes up to you out of the clear blue just to tell you she loves you. I can be on one side of the house and hear her scream at me just to tell me. Or, I'll be outside with Copper only to find her running out in the driveway just to say "I love you". There have been times she has even woken me up in the middle of the night!

And Reid. Can't sit still. Dont bother going to a store with him. Hates sitting in shopping carts. Thinks running through the isle and hiding from me is funny. OBSESSED with trucks. Completely. Daddy's, in particular. And, a daddy's boy he is. He talks more and more every day. Things keep popping out of his mouth that surprise me every day. And, lately, if he needs something, he screams for me "Munny!" I love this kid to peices and 18 months is truely the perfect age. Learning, exploring, showing off, playing with his sisters. I could go on and on!

So, now that I have written down a little bit, maybe I wont completely forget! I am just cherishing these moments. These truely are the best days.

Boy oh Boy

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. But for now....Reid. My BOY. What a boy he is.
A little bit about him before the update...
He loves his bed. He will wake from a nap and just lay there forever talking to himself. He has to sleep with his blankie, but dont you dare take it from his crib, he will yell!
He LOVES his sisters. I love waiting for the bus and seeing his face when they get off...as he runs to them with open arms.
He loves baseballs, soccer balls, bouncy balls...any ball. If its round, "ee ah ball" (its a ball).
He loves animals. Any animal really. But turtles and horses in particular. If we are out driving, he can spot a horse like no ones buisnes. And, he will tell you "ee ah neigh! ee ah neigh!" and get so amazingly excited.
He LOVES music and LOVES to dance. And boy, can he put on a show for you. He has got some fancy moves that make us laugh and bring us to tears.
Reid is a boy and not big on affection, but when it happens, you know it is special. From his little loves he gives by laying his head on your lap to walking up behind you and gently rubbing your back. I love his touch.
He loves our night time routine and has it down pat. We all kneel around Hana's bed, he folds his arms and puts his head down, says a few words...waits while someone else says the real prayer...gets a little impatient and ends up yelling "Amen!" in the middle. He also knows as soon as we all say the real "amen" that he needs to go around and give all of the girls hugs and kisses...sometimes more than once.
Reid loves trucks, motorcycles, race cars...anything with wheels and that is loud. He calls all of them "vroom vroom" 's.  And, he can spot Bryans truck a mile away. He can hear it, he can see it, and I have never seen a child more excited when it happens.
Which brings me to my favorite part...Reid absolutely adores his daddy. He is magical in his eyes. The minute he walks in the door from work, he can not get enough of him. If Bryan is at work and something great happens, the first words out of his mouth that I can understand, is "dada".

Now, to update....as some of you know, he has been sick. Quick rundown...in the begining of August, he got sick, was diagnosed in September with a parasite and treated for it. Never got better. Doctor told me he was fine...dont worry. Month later...still sick. After many tests and specialists, turns out he had C-diff, an intestinal infection. Treated for it, did not get better. Did another round of treatment which we finished tonight! He is a little better. Gained back 3 of the 7 lbs lost, but not fully himself yet. We go back next week for the follow up.
In the meantime...this BOY has not skipped a beat. In fact, the other day, he was playing and turned around, tripped and fell right into the corner of the brick doorway..again. Same brick. Same spot on his head. He didnt cry at all. It wasnt that big of a cut, but after 8 hours of it bleeding and not stopping, I decided it may be time to take him in. He was great. Just sat and talked to the doctor while she "glued" his head. I know...its just the begining.

I love this kid...blood and all...

The Madsen bike...once again

This beauty was on my Christmas wish list last year. And it will be on it again this year...and each year after until it is fulfilled.

FHE- Skateboarding

Family Home Evening....
Bryan had to work late, and it was so beautiful outside...so we took our FHE outdoors...skateboarding!
My fingertips are raw from scooting up and down the driveway with Reid all day.

 Chloe and her fancy moves

 Reid trying his hardest to take off his shoe

 Cheese!!

Fall? Is that you?

 It must be fall. My children played outside in the beautiful weather all weekend long. Nothing makes me happier...and Reid.

 Bryan's little sister, Sydnie

Oh boy...

 Reid has developed a few curls over the past week. We thought they were temporary, and that if we bathed him, the would go away...maybe his hair had just dried funny one night...not so. It seems like every day I wake to find more. One particular on the top of his head....

 And, one night I went to make sure the girls were brushing their teeth, and not playing around, and I found this....and yes, 2 minutes later, I heard the thud...(dont worry, no big injuries to report)

Disney anyone?

 This time of the year is the BEST for going to Disney. Crowds are gone, air is cooler, it couldnt get better. The girls are all in school, so I decided to join a friend one day and take our boys. It was perfect. We even got a chance to ride Space Mountain while we took turns watching the boys. I love Fall.

 I promised the girls a picture of the castle...they were a little jealous they couldn't make it...

Sock-hoppin

 Some quick pictures of the 50's night ice cream social...

 My husband...the hula-hoop champion!

 Beloved Br. Clark and his version on the "Macarena"

 Chloe and Parker...I think they were more wrestling than dancing...

Reid spent the majority of the time running around pretending to dance with his sisters

For the love of Nutella

Fall just might be around the corner

It was so beautiful out this weekend, they actually enjoyed being outside longer than 5 minutes. And, most of these pictures are of them catching lovebugs (if any of you KNOW my girls, you know that this is HUGE)