Azy's Hitched!

The night before Jason's surgery we attended a beautiful, much anticipated wedding of one of my best friends, Adreann! The wedding was held at Sundance and it was serene. Azy has great taste.

the beautiful bride.

chris + azy

bff's... how many years has it been? since we were little school girls and soccer players. wait, azy still is a soccer player.

the fab five. happy birthday to fran and jan!! love you guys.

my cousin's wife works with azy. small world.

the last picture before jason became a changed man with a new back. if he only had a clue of what he was about to go through...

Avaree's 4th Birthday

My little girl is 4! I love to celebrate birthdays. We had a full, fun filled day and here are A LOT of pictures to prove it...

We started the day off at Build-a-Bear workshop. (It was nice for me to get out of the house for a couple of hours while Jason rested.)

First, Avaree and Weston chose a bear and watched them stuff it.

Avaree was so giddy and excited! She's been looking forward to her special day for a while.

Second, she put a heart in her bear.

Third, they gave their bears baths, brushed their hair, and picked outfits for them.

Ringing the birthday bell.

The finished products, so cute!

Then Avaree went to preschool. She brought her favorite book, Horton Hatches The Egg, for show and tell and treats to share with her class.

Weston and I got balloons for her while she was in school.

She came home and licked the bowl of cupcake batter clean.

We opened presents and blew out candles in bed by Dad.

She wished Dad would get better because she "loves him".

Dinner at CPK.

Avaree and Aspen.


It was fun but not the same without Jason.

Front row at the CIRCUS!

The elephants were my favorite except for when you sit front row you can really smell their poop.

Thanks for celebrating with us Wright's!

Fun facts about Avaree...

LIKES~
chocolate milk
painting
her silky blankets
being the BOSS
pasta
playing make believe (she is always pretending to be a dog, cat, baby, or something)
reading books and learning her letters
helping me cook

DISLIKES~
bees or any kind of bug
regular milk
mashed potatoes
snarly hair
owies
bad dreams
when Weston splashes her or hits her

anything mint flavored

Avaree has so much personality and we are so glad she is part of our family!!

Making Progress

I feel kind of silly after my "overwhelming" post but I'm sure we all face different trials in our lives that overwhelm us at times. That is Heavenly Father's way of keeping us humble, right? I am always humbled when I think about some of the trials my Mom faced while she was living and then I truly feel silly for feeling sorry for myself. She was a single mother (truly alone), working full time (all the financial responsibility was on her), raising children, and she was the one facing major health problems without an end in sight (I'd much rather be the worried nurse). The most amazing part was you'd never know the pressure she was under. She was happy because she understood what was important in this life and that was what she focused on. I'm so glad I have her example to remember. She continues to make me a better, stronger person each day even though she has passed on.

Jason made progress today. I'm so excited. His Xray looks good and I finally feel we are on the road to recovery. His spasms haven't been as bad and he is looking a little better. Honestly, there were a few days there where I didn't know what to think but I have hope after today. My children are acting up a bit. Avaree asked me tonight when I put her to bed, "Mom, when will dad stop being sick?" "I don't like him sick anymore." I know it is affecting her. It is her bday tomorrow and I'm looking forward to spending some time with her and celebrating her sweet life. Okay, enough deep thoughts from me for now. Here is to making progress!!

Overwhelmed

I can't even begin to explain all the emotions I've been experiencing. I am truly overwhelmed right now...

overwhelmed with all my responsibility,
overwhelmed with worry,
overwhelmed with trying to be a nurse,
overwhelmed with trying to keep a business running,
overwhelmed with trying to keep our family running,
overwhelmed with laundry,
overwhelmed with being the only parent (I'm actually totally missing my husband. I didn't really expect this emotion because I'm with him constantly but he's not himself and I miss HIM.)
overwhelmed with SO much LOVE, SUPPORT, DINNERS, PRAYERS, and PHONECALLS from family and friends who care.

I don't mean this to feel sorry for me. I've had SO many people that have helped lighten my load and so many more willing. I am truly grateful and feel so blessed. I could not have gotten through this week without everyones help. It's overwhelming! I'm just being real and I need to be more patient. I've been hoping to see more improvement from Jason. We are going to meet with the surgeon tomorrow and get an Xray. I am praying for good news.

Home Sweet Home

Just thought I would do another quick update. My last post kind of left people hanging and I've received a few worried phone calls. Jason came home today and boy it feels good to be home! Jason showed some improvement yesterday finally getting some releif from the muscle spasms he was having but he had another bad night fighting a fever, stomach cramps, and nauciousness. I stayed at the hospital with him and maybe got 2 hours of sleep. We came home today to a clean house and clean kids (that went to church all on their own). Baylee and Griffin are pros. I don't know what I would do without them. I'm tired and I hope tonight goes better than last night. We are just taking it a day at a time.

Day 2

It's been another LONG, ROUGH day. Jason isn't showing a lot of improvement which is discouraging. I'm afraid it's going to be a slow process. I hate to see him like this. His Mom is staying the night with him tonight which I'm SO grateful because he had a really bad night last night. I wish someone had been with him. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow will be better.

Back Surgery

I just thought I would quickly update everyone on Jason's surgery. He did it! The poor man officially has rods and screws and plastic cages and crushed bone in his back. He has been really brave and I must say that I've tried to be even though I started out whoozy just watching them put his first IV in. I don't know what my deal was because I'm used to IV's from previous surgeries, having babies, and watching my Mom get chemo. I guess it was a mixture of nervousness and an empty stomach. I definitely could not be a surgeon or nurse for that matter. Anyway surgery went well and quicker than I expected (only 2 hours.) He still has a few hang ups. They are worried about his blood pressure, some prostate issues, and he has some permament leg damage where he's lost a little feeling. But as far the back pain, which I think is the cause of the blood pressure and prostate issues, he should be on the road to recovery. It's been a REAL ROUGH day though. Much worse than either of us anticipated. He's been in a lot of PAIN and can NOT get releif. They switched his pain meds (right before I left the hospital) and are giving it to him by a shot in his behind. I hope he can get some sleep tonight. Poor guy. They were hoping that he would be able to get up for a little bit today but he's been hurting too bad to move at all. He hasn't eaten either which is NOT like him. Hopefully each day will get better. He's tough but to be honest... I'm a little nervous and tired. It's been a long day and it's no fun to see someone you love in pain. I miss my kids too (and my Mom). Fortunately, I have some wonderful friends and family who are happily helping me in our time of need. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Now I need to get to bed. It's past midnight and I have another full day tomorrow. It just felt good to write about what's going on.

"Hit" of the day

or should I say "HAT?!"

We were cleaning out the kids closets getting ready for the cooler weather and came across this beanie that Jason's Grandmere made for Avaree when she was little. (It's supposed to be worn folded down and for a small head) The kids had so much fun squeezing it on and wearing it around the house. They had to take turns. Every time I looked at either one of them I would start cracking up so I just had to share.

I am living off of...

garden fresh tomatoes and peaches!

We just buy them at the local fruit stands around town and they are delish! We actually attempt to grow our own tomatoes every year but they never turn out. I don't know why we keep trying. Well I do know... because I love them! So I thought I would share my favorite ways to eat tomatoes. My fave is a tomato cheese sandwich. Here's how you make them...

slice of white bread

spread miracle whip or mayo on top (I use miracle whip)

slice the tomato (and it HAS to be garden fresh. It's the only way I will eat them. They are usually better peeled too. The skin comes right off.)

put the tomato slices on the bread with a little salt and pepper.

slice cheddar cheese and put on top of the tomato.

Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.

Yummy!!

Has anyone ever had one??

I also LOVE to eat my fresh tomatoes with cottage cheese, cucumbers, and salt and pepper.

My favorite way to eat peaches is like cereal... peeled, cut up, with a little milk and sugar. I would like to learn how to make peach pie this year but we'll see if I get around to it. I'm also enjoying the pears and apples. This is definitely the time of year when I eat the healthiest, when the fruits and veggies are fresh and home grown.

Dedicated to Jason...

Jason, Jason he's our man if he can't do it NO one can.

I can't think of a better statement to describe my husband. He can and will do anything he puts his mind to! I am dedicating this well deserved post to him. He is the hardest working person I've ever met. He is a general contractor and owns his own company Kessler Hatch, Inc. He's actually owned a few businesses in his short lifetime (all successful I might add). His success comes from his own hard work. He's not afraid to get down and dirty and learn everything he needs to know and teach himself. He never went to school officially to learn about his trade (and don't get me wrong, we both think school is important and a must) but he is a self taught man and honestly didn't have the patience for school. He knows how to build and fix anything. I am not lying when I tell you he knows everything about the entire process of building a house. He has his own crew that does most of the trades themselves. In fact, he's a little obsessed with business, economics, politics, history, stocks, and anything to do with learning or making money. As I'm sure most of you are aware... the construction industry is probably one of the worst industries to be in right now. The market is slow and people can't qualify for loans, etc. We have had a stressful year to say the least but I'm very proud to say, thanks to Jason, that we sold the homes we had available and we are going to make it! Jason is smart and my favorite quality is his honesty!! It's surprising how many business men are dishonest and justify their dishonesty because "it's business." Jason would screw himself before someone else and I know we have been blessed for his honest, hard work. Jason found all his buyers and made all the deals happen himself (he needs to be a real estate agent and mortgage officer too). He sold them for good deals and I'm so grateful for all that he sacrifices for our family. Unfortunately, one of the things he has sacrificed is his health. He had back surgery last year and has not felt well all year. Most people wouldn't know because he works through it but he officially can't anymore. He is going to get his back fused next week on Sept 18th. It's a big, scary surgery that I will go into more detail about later... we are both nervous but excited that one day he might be out of pain. Here are some pictures of the most recent homes he has built and sold...

Oh, he put all the yards in too...

This is his Mom's home. I LOVE the red!

Keep in mind, he started all of these 6,000 to 7,000 sq foot homes last fall and worked through the worst winter and is finishing their basements and done other jobs in the meantime. Anyone who has ever built a home or remodeled a home understands how long it takes. Jason is record fast (which would explain why I never see him). I can brag because he is my husband and I sacrifice too so that he can accomplish all he does.

Another little tidbit of info was they did arrest the guy who was breaking into all these homes and stealing but he is out on bail and roaming the neighborhood again. Hopefully we can get him behind bars one of these days and he better hope that Jason never catches him breaking into anything of ours again.

On a lighter note, this is Jason eating a prime rib dinner to celebrate the close of a home. It is his favorite and one of the only ways he copes with his stress is by enjoying a good prime rib.

I'm always up for a good dinner out that I don't have to cook!

Jason also loves fishing and rarely goes, so this weekend he took Baylee and Griffin and his 3 younger brothers out camping, hiking, and fishing. He prepared all the food himself including their tin foil dinners. I stayed home and enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend with Avaree and Weston. Jason was so thoughtful and even made me a yummy tin foil dinner to enjoy while they were gone. I just need to add... what man happily takes on raising 2 extra children? He sincerely treats them like they were his own and never complains about the extra stress or responsibility. I'm so grateful and feel so blessed. If you can't tell by now... I love my hubby!!

Preschool

My little girl is getting big! Avaree started her first year of preschool. I have had mixed emotions... ready for her to go and excited for her but I can't believe she is growing up. She has been ready to go for a while. She loves to learn and observe. One of her teachers told me on the first day, "that Avaree was the most capable child in the class." I was so proud.


Avaree's carpool pals... Maren and Bennett. It's so cute to see her develop friendships. Us moms went to lunch their first day and I think I am actually going to enjoy my 2 hours while she is in school.