from primary childrens hospital

(picture of strength)

Well, here we are in the hospital, for how long we don't know. They have said at least a couple of weeks, but I know that Cam is going to get better quicker than the doctors think, he's STRONG like that! For now though he thinks he is going to starve to death because they won't let him eat until after all the tests tomorrow. I keep telling him to be brave and that we brought him to the hospital to get better. He got mad at me and said, "you brought me here to starve me to death!" Feisty strong 5 year old he still is. He is going to set new standards of strength for this Guillain Barre Syndrome.

Prayers for Cameron

In my last post I said that we thought Cameron had something called Toxic Synovitis, well, he doesn't have that.  After 11 hours in the ER at Primary Children's Hospital on Monday and an MRI yesterday and a visit with his pediatrician today, we are still not sure what's wrong with him.   He can't walk and is getting weaker everyday.  The pain in his leg that was hurting him so much seems to be gone, but now his legs are just weaker and more wobbly as are his arms and hands.  Tomorrow we go back to Primary Childrens to see a Neurologist and run more tests.  Seeing my once energertic, loud, crazy 5 year old not even be able to stand up on his own is so hard.

It has been three full days of doctors and who knows how many more to come.  I used to wish that my life were a little more interesting as per my "Am I Lazy" post last week!  But after this week and these three days of not seeing my baby or Colby (they have been staying at Mark's parents, we could not do this without them) I would give anything to have my normal uninteresting life back, to have all three of my boys tucked snug in thier beds at my house. 

As hard as this has been watching my child go through this and not knowing what is wrong, I have faith in the power of the priesthood and preisthood blessings.  I have faith that Cameron will heal and be ok.
To all of my friends and family that read this, please keep Cameron in your prayers, I know that prayers are answered.   Thanks so much.

Toxic Synovitis

Toxic synovitis
Toxic synovitis is an irritation and swelling of the lining of the hip joint. The condition causes pain and tenderness that may move down to the thigh and knee; it sometimes makes a person limp.
Toxic synovitis is the most common cause of hip pain in children. It occurs most often in boys between the ages of 4 and 10 years. It commonly follows a mild injury or an illness with low-grade fever, such as tonsillitis or an ear infection.
This condition usually resolves on its own, but treatment may be given for pain and inflammation.
Toxic synovitis is also called transient synovitis.

Self portraits by Cameron

WARNING: I wrote this for journaling purposes, read on if you wish but it's kinda lengthy!

My dear sweet little 5 1/2 year old Cameron has been sick this week. He has been complaining that his knee hurts, the first few days we wrote if off as growing pains and gave him Advil for the pain. But by Thursday when he was limping and had not been able to sleep for three nights I started to worry and let him stay home from school. He literally laid on the floor all day and kept telling me that he needed to go to the Dr. and get an x-ray. If he needed to get up, I had to help him. I took him to urgent care that night and the Dr. said that he needed an x-ray and blood work, Cam grinned at me and said, "see mom, I told you I needed an x-ray!"

After x-rays of his knees and hips and blood work we still didn't' know what was wrong. Dr. said it could be growing pains and just keep giving him Advil but if it's not gone by Monday to bring him back in. Yesterday, he was not any better, today, not any better. The night of ZERO sleep are starting to take their toll on Mark and I and Cameron too. The pain keeps up all night, he literally can't sleep, he lays there staring at the ceiling asking how long until morning. So by 4pm today when he could not go from the floor to the couch, we called the on call pediatrician. We were starting to get really worried and were ready to take him to Primary Children's. Dr. Larson called us right back and after listening to his symptoms told us exactly what is wrong. He literally hit the nail on the head with out even seeing Cameron. He said that he has what is called Toxic Synovitis. He said it is painful and the kids usually are pretty self limiting and that they shuffle around like and old man because it hurts to walk. He said that it lasts from a week to ten days. Well, we are in the 6th day so hopefully it turns around soon. OH THE RELIEF we felt to hear this news from the Dr. This has seriously been so hard to care for him this week. I felt so bad for him and frustrated at not knowing whats wrong. GOD BLESS Doctors and SICK Kids.

Am I lazy?

Does anyone else ever feel this way? PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one!!

Instead of getting the guest bedroom ready for our guest that is coming in the morning, and a million other things that I should be doing while the baby is asleep, here I sit, at my DANG computer!! Sadly this cartoon is so true!

Some of our favorite tv shows

Mark and I, other than sports are not big tv watchers. There is not a prime time show out there that we have ever watched other than American Idol for the last 9 years. However, late at night after the kids are in bed we do have a few favorites that we try and remember to watch!






This show on The Food Network I really like. I love to cook and I like to imagine myself on the show someday and winning the $25,000 Grand prize. Maybe. Someday.
Another favorite show, don't know why I like it but I do. Maybe it keeps me from letting my house get to the point of needed this show to help! Mark doesn't love this one, so I usually get to watch it when he's not home!

Mark and I have watched this show for a few years, we love it! I can't wait for the new season to start! Yeah, the fishermen are all a bunch of "dirt balls" but it's very entertaining!

So far we have been enjoying the new season of American Idol. We never make it through the whole season so we'll see how long we last! I can't believe though that this is season 8! How has it been 8 years already?!

One of these days Mark and I are going to buy this book and take a road trip across the country to eat at all these places. This show is a lot of fun to watch, but don't watch it when you're hungry!

WINNER WINNER Chicken Dinner!!!!

Ok so the last time I won anything was a cake in the cake walk at the Halloween carnival in SJ when I was like 9 years old. (does anyone else remember those Halloween Carnivals they used to have at the Jr. High?) Well, today I broke my loosing streak, I won the photo giveaway from EYEFUL Photography. Not sure yet when I will have the photos taken or which child I will choose, but when I do I will definitely post the results.

Need some new pictures of your kids????

(all images property of Eyeful Photography)

Who wouldn't love to WIN a photo session from Jenn at EYEFUL PHOTOGRAPHY!!! She is doing a giveaway over at her blog. Check it out and enter for yourself, but hurry it ends on Friday!!

A Grand Idea

Dear American Liberals, Leftists, Social Progressives, Socialists, Marxists, Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile, slate it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own ways.

Here is a model dissolution agreement. Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes. We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.

Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell (you are however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move them). We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies, and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan Hockey Moms, greedy CEO's, and Rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran , Palestine, and France, and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or way of life are under assault, we'll provide them job security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian Values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, and Shirley McClain. You can have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill. We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru Station Wagon you can find. You can give everyone healthcare, if you can find any practicing doctors (that is practicing, Howard Dean) who will follow to your turf (sic). We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and The National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach The World To Sing, Kum Ba Ya, or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics, and you can give trickle up poverty its best shot. Since it often so offends you we'll keep our History, our Name, and our Flag.

Would you agree to this? In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR on who will need whose help in 15 years.


Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student

American


P.S. Please take Barbara Streisand.


(message via pedalingfast)

Colby's 8th Birthday

Totally unlike myself...I didn't take many pictures at all of this past weekend. Now I am kinda sad that I didn't, it was a big weekend for us.  On Friday the 30th it was my & Colby's birthday and we let the kids miss school so we could have a fun day with Gma and Gpa Heap.  On Saturday Colby was baptised. It was a neat experience for our family and it was nice that all his Grandparents and some other family and friends could be there. 

How can it be that I have been sharing my birthday with this GREAT KID for 8 years already?

On Friday we went to the Bean Museum at BYU, it's free and the kids really like it.  Right now they have a really great African Lion exhibit and Hayden wasn't sure what to think about all the Lions, it was Great! He is at a really fun age to take because he LOVES Animals and points his little finger at everything and says, "whats that?"  SO CUTE!!

It looks like this lion is waiting to pounce on Hayden! Kinda freaky.

I'm really nice...

Yesterday morning this little boy, who is 2 in the picture below but is almost 6 now, was wanting a bowl full of water and some toy animals to swim in the water. I was busy (on the computer, yeah I know, dang computer!) So I told him to use whatever he needed, just don't make a mess. He kept coming up to me asking if he could use this and that and I would just say sure without even looking at what it was he wanted. I did clue in though when he said, "Mom you are being really nice today, like really really nice!"

AHH, thanks Cam, I am really nice aren't I?! And I was until Hayden grabbed the towel that Cameron had two huge bowls of water sitting on and pulled it off the table, I wasn't so NICE then! But I quickly realized that it was my own fault for ignoring him and leaving him to his own devices. So we laughed, the baby played in the water, then we cleaned it up!

A little feminity in my day

The 22nd was my mother-in-laws birthday and I made these cute cupcakes for her.  They were easy and fun to make and brought some PINK into this overly Blue house!  I used a lemon cupcake recipe that I saw on Ultimate Recipe Showdown on Food Network and I came up with the lemon buttercream frosting on my own.  They were DELICIOUS!!!

The flowers are made out of Gum...10 pieces per flower so I only made five!

The hearts are made out of white chocolate that I colored pink. 

I had so much fun making these and still love looking at them in my kitchen window that I think I will try a new design for Colby's birthday. Or I might wait for Valentines Day since Colby's b-day is also my b-day and I shouldn't have to make my own cake!! (although I have for the last 8 years made my own cake...so I probably will again :(

Time spent with family...priceless...

How do you go wrong when you can spend New Years Eve with your favorite cousins at a fun dance in SJ?! Colb and Cam had a blast at the dance, not dancing however but collecting ballons and hats and horns. Oh, and being with their cousins.

When these three boys get together it's, it's, it's, well, PURE HEAVEN for Colby. Tuff and Dawson are two of his favorite people, and being able to roam around a dance with them for two hours was like being in paradise for Colb. He acts so big and mature and like way too cool for mom when he is with them. It's too bad he only gets to see them a few times a year. Actually, maybe it's a good thing, but for his sake I'll say it's too bad!

I'm not sure how many balloons Cameron ended up with at the end of the dance, but I had to plead with him to leave most of them there!

This sweet little princess fell asleep on my lap about 10 minutes after we got to the dance. She slept until I woke her up just a couple minutes before midnight. The look she gave me for waking her up could have stopped traffic, she was such a grouch! I am trying to get Kent and Lisa to let her come and live with me for awhile, she is ALL GIRL and we need a little of that around here!

Playing on GPa's new perfectly stacked wood pile is what my boys, especially Cameron look forward to the most about being in SJ. Having Jordan and Addison and Bayli and Maison and Tuff and JJ all there was, according to Cameron, "the most fun he has ever had in his whole life."

(click on the word new to find out why Gpa has a new wood pile then go to cjanerun.com and nieniedialogues.blogspot.com to be updated on the victims.)

Nana and her sisters. In my life, I will always look up to and admire these three women. I will try and be like them and will tell my children about them. They are a testimony of family, of love, of strength. They burried four brothers and a sister-in-law, their parents, and now all three have burried their husbands. They have always been the best of friends and love each other endlessly. My Nana was in the best hands when Nin and Ruth finally got to SJ, you could see her relief to have them there. Though I don't have a sister I have learned alot about how to be one by watching these ladies!

This was the first time in ten or more years that all the Heap cousins have been together. It was really great to see them all and spend time together.

In this picture we are missing 6 great grandkids and there are 4 more due in a few months. Nana just lights up when these kids come around, she loves them so much!

SUPER BOWL...........WAAHOO

I have to say that I am amazed and so excited for Arizona and the Cardinals. I remember when the Cards came to Arizona I think I was about 9 years old. Thats how long in coming a trip to the Super Bowl has been, because you all know how long ago it was that I was 9!!!!

GO CARDINALS!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet Hayder Baby, dun dun dun...

We sing, to the tune of Sweet Caroline, "Sweet Hayder Baby dun dun dun, you are just the sweetest boy." While I have a minute to Blog instead of do anyone of the 1million things I could be doing while the baby is sleeping, I thought I would put down in writing just how sweet and amazing this baby is. He has been sick the last 10 days or so and finally last night we took him to the Dr. and confirmed our suspicions that he Does have and ear infection. It has been really hard to have him be sick because my normally Happy Happy entertain himself baby has been really really fussy, and wants to be held all day.
I have however really enjoyed the times that he crawls up to me and clings to my leg until I pick him up.

I have enjoyed reading to him for what seems like hours on end....the same books over and over...he loves any book with lions, tigers or bears...he will even growl at each new page.

Hayden's favorite movie is Baby Noah, the one with all the animals. He gets so excited and twirls his little feet and arches his eyebrows in anticipation!

Hayden has a favorite blankey that goes everywhere with him, I think it's cute, he's the first of my kids to be attached to anything. Maybe when he is three and still needs it it won't be so cute, but for now we indulge him with his blankey. He never took a pacifier but sucked on his tongue instead. We know he is tired when he grabs his blankey and sucks his tongue. I know I will miss it when he stops doing it!

Just before I put him down for his nap I sat on the floor with him to read a book, he brought his blankey and laid his head down on my lap. It was such a sweet moment that I want to remember that's what prompted this post! He also loves to play with phones and remotes, anything that has buttons to push. This is a picture of him talking on the phone!

My Papa Heap

The Independent

Basketball great Verl Heap dies at 84By:

Andy Staten, The Independent

01/01/2009

Verl Heap addresses high school senior athletes and their parents and coaches after receiving the Paving the Way Award at the All American Banquet in Mesa in 2002.

ST. JOHNS - The state of Arizona lost one of its all-time greatest sports figures last week.

Parley Verl Heap, 84, died peacefully at his St. Johns home Christmas Eve. Heap was a standout basketball player at St. Johns High School, at Arizona State University (1942 and 1945-48 - punctuated by a stint in the Air Force during World War II), in the Basketball Association of America (now the NBA) and American Basketball League. After his pro career he returned to ASU as a basketball assistant. Then after two years at Duncan High School, he returned to St. Johns where he became one of the state's winningest high school basketball coaches. He was born Sept. 6, 1924, in St. Johns, to Parley and Leona Heap. At a young age he learned to garden, irrigate and work on the family's farm. At age 10 he began working for his uncles on their farms and ranches and quickly learned how to do most anything there was to do. He became a good hand at both farming and ranching but ranch work was his favorite. He soon became a good horseman and loved working with cattle. Later on he learned to rope and enjoyed team roping with his friends and sons until just a few years before his death.In school, Verl enjoyed many things including basketball and music. He sang in the choir and played a trumpet in the band. And through many hours of practice, he became a real standout at basketball where he made his high school varsity team as a sophomore.During the Great Depression years of the 1930s and '40s, St. Johns, like many schools from northern Arizona, did not make the long trip to Tucson for the state tournament, so many outstanding players, including Heap, were not selected for post-season honors.But his hard work in basketball soon paid off as he received a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at Arizona State. While at ASU he quickly became an important part of the basketball program, leading his team in scoring the first three games of his collegiate career. At the end of his freshman year in college he enlisted in the Air Force and served his country during World War II as a B17 pilot. While in the service, he married his sweetheart, Dawn Sherwood, also from St. Johns. After the war, they returned to ASU where he resumed his education and his basketball career. Upon his return to ASU basketball, he started every game and finished with a 15-points-per-game scoring average. Heap led the Sun Devils in rebounds his final two years at ASU. He was a All-Border Conference First Team pick, averaging 23 points per game, during the 1946-47 season. He led the Sun Devils to the National Basketball Tournament during the 1947-48 season and was named the tournament's Outstanding Player. He was also a member of the National Honor Society while at ASU. After his college days, Verl signed a contract to play professional basketball, becoming one of the first two players from the state to play pro basketball. He signed and played in what was then the Basketball Association of America. He first played for the Providence, Rhode Island Steamrollers and later with the American Basketball League's Wilkes-Barre Barons of Pennsylvania. He quickly became a starter and a standout with both teams.While playing for the Steamrollers, Heap played against teams which still exist today, such as the New York Knicks and Minneapolis Lakers."I was a post player in college, but was a wing forward in the pro league," Heap said in a 1999 interview with The Independent. "There weren't a lot of great midmen in the game then. George Mikan (of the Lakers) was the best big man in the game. He was like a Kareem Abdul Jabbar of his time."After a short career as a professional basketball player, he returned to Arizona where he could raise a family and pursue the other things he loved. He first went back to ASU where he worked as an assistant basketball coach. Then, in 1951, he went to Duncan High School for two years and following that he returned to his hometown of St. Johns where he took up farming and ranching again and coached and taught school for more than 30 years.While coaching at Duncan and St. Johns, he compiled an amazing record of 592 wins and 168 losses. His 592 wins was the state's second most for any coach when he retired in 1984 (and his 536 at St. Johns was the most for any coach at one school). His teams were region or conference champions more than 20 times, state runners-up six times and state champions eight times. His Redskins also won 20 or more games during 13 seasons, won 44 straight games in 1976-77 and made three consecutive state title game appearances from 1972-74.He is also a long time member of the Arizona Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was inducted into the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame.In 2002, Heap and longtime coaching friend and rival Marlin LeSueur of Round Valley were honored with the Paving the Way Award at the All American Banquet in Mesa. The Paving the Way award is awarded to high school coaches and educators who have "paved the way" for countless others.Heap said in the 1999 interview that coaching and working with the boys on the high school basketball teams has been the most satisfying thing he has gotten out of the sport. He also commented on the many changes he has seen in the sport over the previous six decades."The three-point shot has changed the game," Heap said. "Now everything's geared to shoot threes instead of trying to get the best shot close to the basket. The emphasis is on offense. When you get to the state playoffs, teams will play defense. The fans want more offense."You have a different kind of player now. They considered it more of a privilege to play then. Now if a coach disciplines pretty hard, he loses players. Now they say 'big deal, I'll go do something else."Also, there were no girls in sports - all the emphasis was on the boys' play. Now in high schools there is a girls team in each sport. It was inevitable it would happen. They do and should have equal opportunity."Later in his retirement years, Heap enjoyed watching his grandchildren and their teammates play basketball. Although he would occasionally make it to a Suns game, he always loved the high school game the most."I'd rather watch high school games. The pros have their own set of rules. It is such a money thing. Did you ever see Michael Jordan foul out of a game? The fans want to see him."And on the inside big men can kill each other. I think that takes away from the game - to be skillful to play the game - to have all that body contact."Verl was an active and devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where he served in many capacities throughout his life. He was a farmer and rancher and devoted husband and father, friend and neighbor. He loved and supported his family with all his heart and they all love him very much.He was preceded in death by his parents Parley and Leona Heap, a sister Peggy (Larry) Stradling and his oldest son Gary (Lila) Heap.Survivors include: His wife of 64 years, Dawn Sherwood Heap; daughter, LeAnn (George) Proctor; son, Jimmy (Jenny) Heap; son, Roger (Terri) Heap, daughter, Eileen (Darrell) Lindsey; brothers, Theo (Gloria) Heap and Ronald (Bobbie) Heap; and sisters, Mary Ellen (Barry) Webb and Lakay (Joey) Grant; 18 grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. with a viewing one hour before at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Down Town Chapel, in St. Johns. There will also be a viewing at Burnham Mortuary in St. Johns on Friday, January 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Information can be found at www.burnhammortuary.comEDITOR'S NOTE - Verl's son Roger Heap contributed to this article.http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2264&dept_id=505964&newsid=20232659&PAG=461&rfi=9

It's our birthday month

January is the month of Colby's birthday and mine so thats why I have the birthday background. My Colby turns 8 this year, holy cow, how is he 8 already?!!