Vacation and School

We are finally back from vacation, and trying to get some rest. It was EXHAUSTING, but sooooo much fun! We loaded up the kids and the dog the morning of our flight, and were on our way! We left extra early because we knew flying with a dog, and a bunch of extra foods and cream was going to delay us, even though I had thought ahead to get a doctor's note explaining why we had everything. Everything was going pretty well until the metal detectors started beeping at Jet. He freaked out and Mike had to carry him though security. I figured that was a bad sign, and started to freak out. But all was well and Ethan was so excited to see his Aunt Cole (and his cousin Wyatt in her belly) waiting for him!

  

He loves her to pieces!

He loves her so much, and had been asking for weeks when we were leaving just so he could see her. She spoils him:) We got everyone on the plane, and being the amazing dog he is, Jet laid down on the floor by our feet and passed right out. I kept forgetting he was there! He popped up for a minute during takeoff, and was a little worried, but I told him it was fine and he laid right back down not be be heard of again until we got off.

We got back to my grandparent's house, and let the kids run wild! They had so much fun playing with their cousins. Ethan is in love with Dakota, she's 6, and Taylor stuck like glue to Gianna who is only 2 months older than her. Can you imagine the fun they will have as they grow up? Jet had the time of his life running around the unfenced yard, and playing with all the kids.... And adults, let's face it:)

There's Wyatt! Can't wait to meet him!

The girls loving up Great Grandma!

 Ethan loved sleeping and staying in my grandparent's RV! He kept sneaking up to the driver's seat and pretending to drive:)

The next day we went to my grandpa's 80th birthday party. Isn't that amazing, 80 years! I hope I make it that long. The things you see in that time are just amazing. Many of the people there I recognized, and was able to meet even more. I was thrilled when my godparent's, Great Uncle Jim and Aunt Nina, showed up. I've been telling Mike about them for years, and it was so nice for him and the kids to meet them! Ethan saw them when he was about 6 months old when we were out in Arizona visiting my sister, but obviously he doesn't remember that. It was definitely time for a visit!

Uncle Jim with Taylor!

Aunt Nina!

They had a huge field outside for the kids to run to their hearts content, and apparently they had a conveniently placed puddle for the kids to splash in....

 And just because, how adorable is this? They wanted to hold hands, so precious!

The kids were exhausted at the end of the day, and Taylor passed out in 2 minutes flat which is unheard of for her! The next day when we woke up Ethan was overly excited because he knew we were going to the beach!!!! He has been asking for years to go to the beach, and a lake beach is perfectly good for him! His tremors started to get pretty bad around then. The stress and change was causing subclinical seizures, but no big seizures, and they didn't seem to be affecting him much. You should have seen the look on his face when he started seeing water. he was trying to hold back his excitement, but it was shining through all over his face. He couldn't wait!

 

 Even Jet got in on the beach action. I took him out to swim a few times. I had to see how well those webbed paws really work!

If there's one thing that exhausts kids, it's playing at the beach all day!

 After a good nap we got the kids back to the house for dinner and more play time! They had a blast, as usual!

 Gianna was ready for a nap, but Jet had stolen her bed.... He's soft and fluffy enough to just lay right on top of!

 Ethan even climbed a tree for the very first time. No one tell his neurologist. He is, after all, on a strict no climbing trees order:)

So proud of himself!

The next morning it was off to breakfast, then flying back home. It was alot packed into 3 days, but so much fun! We were so happy to be able to see everyone, and get our boy to the beach:)

Fatty....

Ethan loves Dakota to pieces!

Getting in a last bit of playtime with Gianna

The flight home was great. Anticipating the problem we had at security on our way in, I took off Jet's collar so he wouldn't have metal on him, put him in a sit-stay in the middle of airport security (you know how busy and loud it is), walked through with Taylor then called him to me. He obeyed perfectly. I was so amazingly proud of him on this trip. I constantly forget that he is only 9 months old. He has his moments, but overall he is an amazingly well behaved dog, and so very smart (Just ask Kortney, she taught him to shake while we were there).

We had no time to rest because just 2 days later Ethan was starting preschool again! He's been so excited for it, he just adores going to school! The morning of he ran out of our room in his jammies with his backpack on and said he was ready! Such a cutie:) We got a little shock when it was freezing out. It was in the 50's, and I haven't gone fall clothes shopping for the kids yet! Ethan has the same problem with jeans I've had my whole life. He's super skinny with long LONG legs. Nothing fits right:) We put on the pair he had that fit the best, and of course paired it with a Mario shirt, Mario sweatshirt, and Mario backpack!!!!

Silly boy refused to look at me for a picture:)

His head still covered in EEG glue that WILL NOT come out!

Such a cutie!

I went through Taylor's closet looking for any warm clothes that might fit, and found a pair of too big jeans, and a too big sweater. It worked for one day:)

He has no problem leaving us at school, and he ran straight into his class and started to play! We kissed him goodbye and handed over his emergency meds, just in case:) He's only had one big seizure at school, but you never know when one will strike so it's good to have those there. We really hope he can finish out school this year. He was devastated when he quit last year, it's his favorite place in the world to be!

Already making friends!

Then it was just me and Taylor, and I literally had no idea what to do with my time.... I was at a loss! She needed to eat and I decided to take her to McDonalds to get some pancakes. I used to take Ethan there to play all the time before he got sick. He used to have a blast, and I could relax. Now that Taylor is a year and a half I thought she might have a fun time playing now too! And go figure, there was a little girl there a month older than her to play with!

Weeeeee!

 

So all in all we've had an extremely busy week, packing a hospitalization, vacation, and starting school all in. Ethan seems to be coping with the stress pretty well though, so we'll see where life takes us from here!