Santa, Gingerbread Houses, Sledding, and Christmas

Maya went sledding with the girls, but it only lasted a few minutes.

Rylee won 2nd place (1st grade level) in the science fair for her experimental method to determine which chocolate chip tastes the best.

Lauren won 1st place in her school science fair among all the 3rd graders for her scientific approach for determining which ingredients to combine to create a bubble blowing mixture that blows the biggest bubbles.

 One of our annual traditions is to build gingerbread  houses with the Hansen family. Janna made the houses, the rest of us just decorated them.  The gingerbread was excellent.

 Gabriella, Rylee, and Brooklyn working diligently to carefully landscape this gingerbread house. 

 Lauren & Dantzel and their amazing gingerbread masterpiece.

 Yes, it was unbelievably fun and yes, we all ate a bunch of junk.

 Rylee & Melissa (instructor) play a duet version of Jingle Bells during a recent piano recital.

 Is that glass full of water?  Is this at the dinner table?

 Christmas Eve tradition: we unroll a giant tape ball full of trinkets and gifts.  Whatever comes out of the ball during your turn is yours to keep. It might be fiingernail clippers, oatmeal creme pies, kitchen shears, a screwdriver, or beef jerky. . .  among other things.

 Santa left an awesome letter by his plate of goodies that he ate.  But he also took a big chunk out of the gingerbread house.  He said in his letter that the chocolate bar was for Blitzen, who apparently loves chocolate.

 Lauren & Melissa (instructor) play a duet version of "Up on the Housetop" and "Persian Market"

 This bowl is a cool gift that Maya got for Christmas.  It's a gyroscope, and no matter which way you turn it - even upside down - the cereal and milk stay inside the bowl and right-side up.

 Maya loves to empty Kleenex boxes and wet wipe boxes of all the contents. Janna made this home made version she can pull out all day long.

 Rylee got a beautiful Tea cup set for Christmas.  

 Maya's other gift for Christmas, a homemade container - painted by the girls - was a recycled cool whip container with holes in the lid through which Maya can stuff all the colored puff balls.

 Grandpa John enjoying some sledding time with the girls on Christmas Eve.

 Nana made these nightgowns for the girls to wear.  They love them.

 The Heaton family gave the girls passes to "Get Air." An enormous trampoline pit, the girls all had a fantastic time.

 Maya knows this container has ice cream in it. . . But how do you get it open?

Last night, we made a chocolate/strawberry swirlcake in Rylee's Easy Bake oven.  I was actually surprised at how good it was.

Consider it Progress

Day 23: November 4th, 2012. Still brutally swollen and the joint aches constantly.  Laying on my back, that newly attached tendon is not yet able to hold up the weight of my leg if I try and lift. But I have been able to overcome the fear of firing the quad muscle to apply a controlled and gentle pull on the knee to keep that quad muscle moving. I have lost over 1.23" of circumference on my quad due to atrophe.  Depressing.

 Started Physical Therapy on Halloween day, 2012. I am to unlock my brace only when I am not in a position to bear weight on it.  We started with a goal of bending my knee to 60 degrees - non weight bearing.  The first time he bent my knee to 60 degrees, it felt like a tourniquet strangling my entire knee joint. This picture above was taken today, November 11th, 2012.  This is day 38 from injury, and last night I was able to lie on my back and my knee was able to support my leg enough that I could lift it off the floor 1" for a second and then drop it.  I'll consider that Progress!

My Darth Vader Leg Brace.  As much as I hate it, I love it.  But I hate it.  But I love it.  It's a mixed relationship that we have together.  I even have to sleep with it locked at 0 degrees - all night.  I am able to unlock it now only when I am off my feet. I have to shave the hair off my leg so that the foam padding doesn't pull it constantly. But tonight, I was at 70 degrees. That's excellent.

Here's a lovely pose of Rylee for you. She is drawing princesses from her book titled: "How to Draw Princesses" or something close to that.  She is a budding artist and has the fortitude for practice, the demand for perfection, and the patience for the details.

This was my ride for Halloween.  I wish this was a costume. But again, Maya saved the day by helping me to understand how much fun it is to ride in a wheelchair. "How can anybody not love this dad?" It was fun to have the girls push me around, dumping me out of my chair on every bump and curb.

Rylee, age 7. The bat.  Swooping down the sidewalk to get to the next door for more candy. 

 Lauren, age 9. The other bat, also swooping down the sidewalk to gather more candy.  Hey wait a minute, where's dad?  Man, he's slow.

ahhhh Maya.  My sunshine. Age 1.  Just plain fun. Latest words today: "Cookie" and "Mama"

The wide open church parking lot right behind our house.  We frequent this spot with our bikes, skates, rollerblades, and now. . . a wheelchair.  Every day I hobble down the stairs into the garage and I see my K2 Roller Blades, a skateboard, my soccer balls, biking helmet and padded fingerless gloves, my red pump and my Mountain Bike, waiting to carve up some dirt. And my carbon fiber road bike, (NO - you still can't ride it) and last but not least. . . my um. .  wheelchair. It's a rental.

Rylee's Confession

It's true, almost everyone has their weak spot for some certain food.  Rylee is not ashamed of hers.  This video was taken before breakfast during our camping trip to Tony Grove. This time in the morning is one of my favorite parts of camping, the air outside is chilled, and that sleeping bag hints of smoke but it's very warm. It's quiet outside except for the creaking of the tall pines and the occasional echo of far off voices somewhere making breakfast.

More camping next summer. More chocolate.  More fun videos.

Some of Mark's Photo Favorites

Here are some of my favorites that I'm not sure have made it to the blog yet:

Rylee does great playing inside, imagining stories, singing, and self entertaining are her specialties.  Lauren on the other hand, requires constant entertainment and it has to be outside. 

Archery with our good friends, Joel & Jocelyn Tippets. This was one of our family night activities this summer.  We just went across the street into a retention basin, perfect spot for an archery lesson.

Rylee & Lauren both picked this up pretty quick.  I thought this picture was very cool, Rylee's fingers outstretched to release the arrow give this picture a lot of motion. 

Janna was the first to hit the target. 

 There is an air force base near Ogden, Hill Air Force Base. Lauren, Rylee, and I went to check out this years air show.  It was the coldest day in August I've ever experienced. The show was stunning.

 Gigantic bubble making sticks.  This almost worked. The $1 bottle is still the best.

Maya. This girl is one of my life's greatest rays of sunshine. She brightens my day, everyday. I think the Lord knew we were going to have a few tough days, every one of us. So He gave us Maya.

 This was our hike during a camping trip to Tony's Grove, in northern Utah.

Rylee and I have worked very hard together to create some bracelets.  Rylee has become really good at making these. We give them away to friends for birthday parties. 

Rylee bobbing for apples, with her hands.

All three girls lost in a coloring book.   

Maya pulled Janna's running shoes of out the hall closet and brought them to me.  So, I put them on her. Tied them up nice and tight.  It wasn't as easy as she was expecting, but it was fun to watch. 

I have no idea where this picture was taken, I must have missed out.  Rylee doesn't remember either. 

Maya meets Elmo. This is my spot for much of the day, on the couch with my leg elevated to easy the swelling pressure on my knee.  Occasionally, Maya will come over to see me, so I pulled her up and we watched Elmo and Big Bird for a few minutes.  You can tell we watch no TV at our home. All the girls crowd around my laptop to catch a glimpse of Elmo and Sesame Street.