So much to blog about! Our internet has been down since we made it home from our trip to “The Oregon,” as Lucy calls it. But first I have to write about Kate’s eye surgery. The procedure went well. However, they were only able to get a tube in one eye, darn it. But that eye is doing great and is clear! When they went to put the tube in the other eye, as suspected, there was no lower duct there. So they tried to just make a duct with a probe, in hopes that it would stay open. The doctor said the upper duct was very tight, so he used his biggest probe to open it up. Poor girl, doesn’t sound fun does it. Well both eyes were doing great after surgery and no goop for one whole week. But now the tubeless eye is back to “normal”. The doctor that did her surgery has referred us to an Occuloplastic surgeon in Salt Lake to figure out what our next step is for that eye. I guess the good news is we are half-way to being there! Kate came out of surgery and anesthesia quite well and after a quick recovery we hit the road for Oregon ( I know we ARE crazy). Both girls did great for the trip, as did both horses. Yes, we couldn’t go somewhere without horses and a 36 foot horse trailer. That would be way too easy. The morning after we got to Klamath we headed over the mountain to a horse pull in Jacksonville. Nick and the horses did great (I think they pulled 10,000 pounds . . . awesome) and we were on our way back to Klamath to make it to Brian’s graduation. It was fun to go back to good old Henley. He plans to start at BYU next week. Not much of a break for the poor guy. We enjoyed a few more days with the fam in Oregon and then had to come back home. We celebrated Kate’s first birthday while we were there too!
She’s becoming quite the busy little girl. I didn’t think it was possible but she may be busier than Lucy was. Wow. Between the two of them, I feel like I never stop. Kate is beginning to walk and will soon be running, I’m sure. Then I’ll really be in trouble! She loves to empty out anything she can (drawers, bags, cupboards, etc.) and is in the toilet every chance she gets. Kate loves all the animals around home . . . until they get too close. Then she has a panic attack. She’s like me, I guess! She loves to climb up and watch the horses out the window. Kate is such a sweetheart.
The day after we got home from Oregon, Lucy had an eye doctor appointment. They just never end! The doctor that did Kate’s surgery wanted to look at Lucy too. I decided I'd get outside and try to attempt a little weeding in the garden before we went. Lucy came with me and Kate was napping. I'm weeding away, and all of a sudden I hear Lucy screaming. She somehow was attacked by the fence. I think she was pulling on the wire and it came back and hit her in the face. I ran over and she was holding her eye. Oh no. I was sure she'd poked her eye out. Anyway, she scratched herself just below, barely, her eye and down a little. I figured it was just a minor scratch and cleaned her up. Then it was time to go to the doctor . . . and NO GLASSES! We could not find them anywhere. She had them on earlier, but had no idea where they went. So we were off to the doctor with no glasses and her eyelid split open. Great. The doctor obviously asked what happened to her eye, and checked it out. He looked through his thing, and said that the wire had perforated clear through her lower eye lid. Lovely. He was more concerned about that than her crossed eyes. Poor Lucy. Anyway, he told her to keep wearing her glasses and put her on an antibiotic eye drop. We go back to see him tomorrow about the cut, which is doing much better. Long story, but makes me laugh now (I wasn't then).
We went to another horse pull last Saturday in Utah. It went well and we'll be back for two more this week. Any Utah friends that want to come, we'd love to see you!! Karen & Dave and their kids were able to come to the pull last week, which was great! Lucy loves to play with their girls. We also got to meet up with George & Karen Boone and Jordan & Meghan and their girls! It was great. This is who we stayed with while we were in Florida a couple years ago. They are the greatest. George & Karen are out here from Florida to visit their kids. It was so fun to see them and visit! Sadly, I have no pictures. Well, this is getting to be incredibly long. As you can see, Brian took some cute pics of the girls while we were in Oregon. Their dresses are from Marianne, aren't they so cute!!? Thanks Marianne!
And Crazy Aunt Ga! Love ya Janelle. It was so fun to be home and see family. Wish we lived a lot closer though, that 12 hour drive just doesn't seem to be getting any shorter!
Lucy ready to go down the river at Lava Hot Springs!
And there she is with Alisa and Nathan behind!
Nick driving Bomber at the fair in Blackfoot.
Lucy and Grandma at Shoshone Falls, near Twin.
In our new backyard. The girls love the playhouse and swing!
Kate with her flower and headband, she does everything just like her big sister these days. =)
We have corn coming out of our ears! Haha. I know, I'm a dork. But seriously our garden has been giving us plenty of veggies to eat breakfast, lunch, & dinner. My parents are here in Lewisville with the girls and I while Nick is in Twin Falls at school. We have been eating corn on the cob like crazy and I love it! (The only good thing about the end of summer.) We have frozen about 18 DOZEN ears of corn. A lot! We have had tons of cucumbers, beans, swiss chard, peppers, beets, lettuce, corn, and the tomatoes are coming along. Gardens are sure a lot of work (especially when your husband decides to plant 15 rows of corn), but when they begin to produce it's all worth it! Here's some pics . . . 
The process . . . 
Some of the bags we froze . . .
Horses enjoying the leftovers!
On another note- Nick is doing well with school and we are still getting stuff moved. One of these days we'll be settled! But for now we are enjoying my parents being here and spending time with them! We've had lots of visitors this last month, it's been great!
Nick starts in the Nursing program on Monday. We are excited and a little nervous at the same time. It will be something new and different! He bought all his books for the next 4 semesters and that alone about wiped us out! We will be moving to Twin Falls, where Nick will be attending the College of Southern Idaho. All Lucy can say is "I don't want to move to a new house!" We'll be back often enough, I'm sure! She and Kate are getting lots of rides in on Howdy to make up for the time we'll be gone. They sure love the horses . . . good thing! 
We went to Twin Falls this week to look for housing and finish up some last minute things before Nick starts. It was a bit of a stressful trip, but we took a break to go see Shoshone Falls and have a picnic. It was beautiful and the girls had fun having a break from the car.
We'll keep you posted on the move. As for the Europe pictures, they're still coming, things have just been a bit CRAZY!
We also went to the "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" production they had in Idaho Falls. Nick's uncle played Joseph! It was amazing!! I'll have to get those pictures. The girls always have fun at the Splash Park in Rexburg!
We had a great 4th of July. Took the horses in the parade in Menan, sadly we have no pictures. Right after the parade got over we headed down to Utah for another horse pull in Lewiston. The horses did awesome! Nick placed 2nd in the HEAVYWEIGHTS! That was real exciting. My Mom & Dad came with Janelle and Brian and Nathan & Alisa also were there! We watched fireworks after and then made the trek back home. Here's a pic of Nick and Lucy on Howdy . . . 
And here's the best I could get of Kate for now. She's become quite the little walker and is into everything!! She makes life exciting.
