It’s been a whirlwind of a week here on the farm. To share all of the happenings, here’s a quick look at our week in pictures.
ER Visit
With the virus going around, we are trying our best to stay out of the hospital. But, on Tuesday, it became apparent that Owen was having a hard time. His Pica struck once again, and he was vomiting, retching, and having a hard time keeping anything (even liquids) down.
So, we headed into the children’s hospital that evening. They did an x-ray and a swallow study. He had several large items in his lower GI tract, but thankfully nothing blocking his airway or stuck in his esophagus.
They gave him some anti-nausea medication and sent us home to wait for things to pass. We had strict instructions to go back if he got worse, but thankfully he didn’t. He passed some rather unusual objects a few days later, and has been eating and drinking just fine ever since.
Life with Pica is definitely not typical!
Preparing for a Trip
With the shutdowns around the nation, the majority of our spring and summer deputation meetings have been cancelled. So, we had a large chunk of time available. After much prayer, we decided to have Bryan and three of the older kids head down to Missionary Acres for the month.
They will be able to help with ground maintenance and some building projects.
So, they pulled out on Friday, May 1st, which meant we had a lot to do to get them ready. We took a shopping trip and purchased the non-perishable items they’d need for the month. That way they wouldn’t have to be out and about as much once they left our home area.
Since they’ll be busy working, we created a rotational weekly meal plan that is simple and reused as many of the same ingredients as possible.
Then we loaded up the food, and all the clothes they’d need, and packed it into the back of the Suburban. We took a seat out to make sure they had enough room.
They brought other essentials, like toilet paper along too. With shortages all around, we didn’t want them to be stuck without any :D.
Playing Outside
While much of this week was devoted to prepping for the trip, we made it a point to spend a lot of time outside.
The creek is sure beautiful this time of year, with all the green surrounding it. And it’s high because of the mountain run-off, which makes it so pretty. My parents put a small slide down there, and the kids love scaling it.
Since we’ve started spending more time outside each day, the kids have also been sleeping better. Win win!
Taking Pictures
A couple of the kids have really started to enjoy taking pictures. Our three year old is one of them. He knows how to flip the camera into selfie mode, and took quite a few pics like this:
It’s always fun to see the pictures they take. They like sitting next to me as we “review” the images and look at each one. There’s often a story to accompany each one, which is so precious.
Coloring Pages
I wanted a screen free activity that was easy to pull out. So, I printed dozens of coloring pages from different websites. I selected a variety of characters that the kids enjoy.
Then, I pulled out the “family crayon bucket” and let the kids pick some.
It kept them busy for quite a while one day, and I still have more coloring pages to pull out on another day. We’ll definitely be doing this activity again and again.
The kids also cut out their coloring pages, which helps them practice their scissor skills.
So Quiet
Even though I wouldn’t describe the kids who left as my loud ones, the house has seemed so quiet since they pulled out. It’s just different.
The cat has definitely noticed the change as well. “Her humans” are the ones that left – they all adore her and dote over her. So now she’s stuck getting attention from the little guys. And…I think she approves. As long as they’re gentle.
Here is Stella lying next to Bryson.
Adventures Await
This week has been a whirlwind, and it went by so quickly. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I’m pretty sure there are adventures just waiting to be discovered…
What did your week hold? Any surprises?
