Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday Dixie

and all the others in November.

Hope all your wishes come true.

Cheyanne's 14th Birthday

Cheyanne just turned 14. Where does the time go. I remember her as a tiny baby in arms. I was so excited to have our first girl. People always told me she looked like a doll. She was a fun baby and I couldn't wait for pink and bows. And now she is growing up and getting a mind of her own and pink is not her favorite color. She is a great help to me and I hope she knows that. She made club volleyball again. She is really excited. She and her dad ride horses through the cows every Sunday afternoon. She says she hates it but I really think she likes it once she get out there. Cheyanne is a tease and loves to make people laugh. She's just an all out fun girl to be around.

Halloween Fun

Halloween Party at the Barn

Trick or Treat

Matt and I went to a Halloween Party. I hate the dressing up thing and had no idea of what we were going to be until that morning. I was searching the internet trying to come up with an idea and read an article that said think of something that is not you. So I decided to dress Matt up as a skater dude. It was so not Matt at all. He played the part well and we had a fun time. We even won a candybar for our costumes (Mainly Matt's). Before we left for the party Chance was in the barn working on his truck with some buddies of his and Matt went out there. They were laughing so hard and Chance couldn't say anything to him. He just laughed. It was hilarious. When we arrived at the party (we were late of course because the cows had gotten out), Matt walked in and posed and said "Box Elder's Finest". Everyone was just about rolling on the ground. We had a ton of fun.

Halloween Night we took the kids Trunk or Treating at the school. It seems like people are wanting to go back to the traditional Trick or Treating and go around the neighbor hood in cars. Bo and Aubrey had a good time. Then we stopped at Grandma Della's and of course the neighbor down the road for homemade doughnuts. Yum Yum.

Midnight Whiskey
McKay's Horse.

Yesterday was Aubrey's 7th birthday. She has been so excited. She wanted a unicorn cake. Do you think I could find anything with a unicorn that wasn't a ton of work? I found a horse spray painted it with glitter and hot glue a paper horn on it. She was excited. She took it to school today to show her friends. It was a good day. We had a big Sunday dinner. Mom and dad came to eat with us and then Chance and Carissa came for cake and ice cream later. John and Dixie called her Saturday. It was good to hear from them. We had a good day.

We actually had enough leaves for Bo and Aubrey to play in. Okay we had a little pile but they had fun. McKay would throw them up and Bo and Aubrey would dance a twirl in them. It was fun to watch them.

I thought Cheyanne was done with volleyball for a little while but now she starts a tournament. It will be good for her since club ball will start in December. Then the real fun begins. I love to watch them play.

Matt and I were able to attend a 60th wedding anniversary party for Keith and Lola Coombs. I have never met a better man in my life. He still can make me feel like I am a little girl. Sixty years is a long time. Matt and I will have our 20th in November. Twenty feels like forever. I wonder what 60 will feel like. Keith has helped me with rodeo when I was in high school. We bought my barrel horse from him. He has given me his time, ropes, Tony the pony, his arena and even a dog. I have alot of great memories of that man and he will always be close to my heart. I can't even imagine how many kids he has helped throughout his life. What a guy.

Where Does the Time Fly?

Summer has come and gone. It seems like time goes by faster and faster each day. I got a few months to catch up on so here it goes.

June was Chances Graduation. It was really weird to have him grow up all of a sudden and complete his high school education. It was time for me to let him go. It is really hard to do that I still catch myself wanting to say "You are doing what?" He moved out not too long after graduation. He has a cute little apartment in Brigham City. Seems to be doing well. He has a good job and is playing pretty hard.

July brought our little Bo's 2nd birthday. I can't believe he has been part of our family for that long. He is so funny. And he is starting to talk alot. I have to interpret for the rest of the family because he has his on way of saying things.

July also brought with it the Baxter Family Reunion. We were able to spend a few days in Zion's National Park. Josie did an amazing job organizing and entertaining. We stayed in a huge log cabin furnished with lots of fun things. Matt had to go to work for a few hours one day in St. George. It happened to be the day we went to the narrows. I had no intentions of hiking up river with Bo and Aubrey but thought I would go a little ways up and turn back. Just to say I did it. Brandon (Matt's brother) said he would carry Bo on his shoulders. There was no way that Bo was going to go along with that idea. I ended up carrying him on my hip for about a mile or two. It felt like 10. We waded up to our waist in water. We had lunch and started back. If it wasn't hard enough to carry Bo to begin with it was really fun when he fell asleep. Nothing like dead weight. Jami (Matt's sister) carried him part of the way back for me. Needless to say Bo had a great nap and I slept really good that night.

August was the Marble Family Reunion at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. The kids floated down the river in tubes. We swam at the pool and I got Bo to not be so afraid of the water. We stayed in a Motel with a RV park in back where my family with trailers stayed. We all had a good time.

The Box Elder County Fair was also in August. Chance, McKay & Cheyanne all took steers to show. They all got a blue ribbon. We thought that they should have done better in their class. They did well at the auction. There are sure alot of good people that support these kids at the Auction. Aubrey and I were in a horse riding club called Trail Trotters. We had alot of fun together. I enjoyed riding in the arena again. It brought back alot of memories.

School started the following Monday after the fair. Time to get into a routine. Aubrey was really excited for 1st grade. She likes her teacher and is doing great. I think she could be a spelling bee winner. Cheyanne started 8th grade. We tell her we send her to school to learn but I think she goes to school for the social part. McKay is in the 9th grade. He wasn't to excited to go back to school but went anyway. He's doing good too.

September we brought the cows home from Malad. It's a good thing we have alot of good help with the boys and a friend (JD). Matt and I went up one day and had a nice ride looking for cows. I now know why it's takes all day. I think there is alot of B.S.ing going on. It was quite fun. The trees were changing colors and it was a cool day. I am glad I went.

It is now October and Fall is here. Cooler days and cooler nights. So why doesn't the stupid flies freeze and die? They are driving me crazy. Not the 5 kids and a husband haven't already made me crazy. Cheyanne has been playing volleyball with a city league. Aubrey has started Tavosi (a singing group). She is singing Christmas songs. McKay has almost completed his eagle and has gotten his learners permit. He's completed his driving course and now needs to finish the online course. He bought a 2 year old colt and has been working with her. Chance is having fun living it up and working. He's doing great. As for Matt and I? Matt is still working with cows, fixing fence, working his 9 to 5 and being a dad and a husband. Me, I am still in young women's, have taken on a craft club and just bought a vinyl cutter. I can't wait until I have the time to sit down with it and figure it out without interruptions (will that day ever come?) Hopefully not too soon. I forgot about Bo. He's sure fun. He is happier than a lark or madder than a bull. There really is not an in between with him. I keep telling myself... hard toddler, easy teenager. He's alot of fun still. I enjoy it being just he and I during the day. Now if we could only work on the potty training all would be good. He's not even close.

My Grandpa Olsen of 90 years fell this week and broke his hip. He did not have to have surgery so that's good news. My mom and my aunt moved him to a nursing home in Delta (that's where my aunt lives). So far so good. Hopefull all will go well for him.

Anyway, this is life of the past months.

Dad

Dad is in the hospital again. He has been having some pain in his abdomen so mom took him to the doctor on Tuesday. The doctor sent dad over to the hospital on Wednesday morning to have an ultrasound. They found that his gall bladder was full of stones and diseased and needed to come out. Mom and dad wanted the same doctor that did his colon surgery to do this one as well but he was on vacation and wouldn't be back for a few days and dad couldn't wait that long. They decided to have Dr. Ashdown do the surgery. Dr. Ashdown came and looked at him and admitted him right into the hospital. Dad had surgery that night at 5:30 p.m. The gall bladder was as big as a baseball but shaped like a football. He will be in the hospital for 4-5 days. I called this morning and they said he was doing great and had been up walking around. They were a little worried about his kidneys but the nurse told me they were working okay. Hopefully we won't have a repeat like last time. The doctors wonder if this is why dad hasn't felt very good and been able to get back on his feet.

Tuesday, dad thought he would go get a 40 lb. bag of pellets for their stove. Mom looked outside and saw him. She went out just in time to see him fall. He hit the grass and skinned up his head and bloodied his nose. I think his pride was wounded the most.

The other day I was coming home from the cows and I saw the best sight that I have seen in months. There was a green pickup coming down my lane. It was dad. That was the first time I have seen him drive since his colon surgery. I wished I had my camera. I would have taken a picture.

Easter Vacation

We had a good vacation. We vaccinated most of the cows on Friday and branded the new ones that Matt bought. Aubrey and I went to pick up some propane and the lady asked us if we were going camping. Ya right. We had a couple of jumpers that Matt & the boys had to rope to vaccinate. Crazy. It took us about 6+ hours to get it done.

On Saturday Matt took some of the cows to Brigham to pasture for the summer. I think Chance really likes to drive the bull wagaon.

Bo was right there with us. He really did pretty well until the last hour maybe. He went from tractor to tractor and played in the dirt and rocks or so I thought. I could see him playing in a hole then he stood up and started walking over to me. It wasn't a hole it was a mud puddle. He was caked with mud from his waist to his boots. I had to take him home and bath him and then go back. His onesie never came clean and his boots still leave his socks dirty. I think he had fun though. The kids were alot of help to Matt. I don't know what we would do without them.

The kids had a good Easter morning. We went to church. Everyone looked nice in their new dresses and shirts and ties.

We had Easter dinner at Grandma Della's house. I cooked chicken on the grill. Our grill wouldn't start and mom's and dad's was out of propane. Darrin went and got his. McKay finally got mine started and Darrin's started right up. Bo was crying and I couldn't hold him and cook. Matt and Chance had to go to Brigham and take some more cows in. Bo wouldn't let anyone take him. He was getting tired and hungry. Finally, mom took him, screaming and all, in the house and got the tractors out for him. That made him happy. Everything tasted great. Grandpa Olsen is here for a few days. It was good to get together.

Monday I took Bo, Aubrey and a friend to a movie. We saw Mosters Vs. Aliens. I thought it was really cute. Cheyanne and a friend went with us but they went and saw a different movie. I guess I am not cool enough anymore. We still had fun though. I didn't even have to take Bo out. YEAH!

Dad

Not a whole lot new. He acts like he is feeling a little better. He went to the doctor last week and doesn't need to go back for a month. He said he was having some pain but that seems to have eased up. He is still sleeping a lot but is getting around pretty well. Dad has been to a few ball games and looks forward to them. He is progressing, slowly, but it is progress.

Matt took him for a couple of hours last weekend. They drove out to Little Mountain and down to the cows and messed around. He enjoyed it.

A close friend of our family passed away unexpectedly last week. Dad took it really hard. Matt and Darryl gave him a blessing. I think he was feeling frustrated and a little depressed. I have never seem him like that before.

Newest Member of our Family

This little guy's name is JoJo. His mother was sick and wasn't able to take care of him. Aubrey has had a lot of fun with him. JoJo will run after her. He has to be bottle fed 2 times a day. He is out in the barn. He was a little sick but I think he is getting over it.

We lost a cow that was pregnant this week and a calf that has been sick. They have kept Matt and the boys very busy this week.

Aubrey lost a front tooth a week ago Saturday. She had school pictures on Monday, dance pictures on Tuesday and gymnastic pictures on Wednesday. She still looked really cute. This is the same tooth that got pushed back when the pony reared up backwards and went over. The saddle horn got her in the mouth. Her tooth turned black and the dentist thought it was dead. It got its color back and just now fell out. One year later. Aubrey fell off the pony last Sunday when she was feeding cows with her dad. She's a pretty brave little girl.

Chance had an exciting week I guess. He called me Wednesday morning and said he was called to the office. His counselor told him he was lacking 1/2 credit of Fine Arts. I was not happy. I called and talked to his counselor about 3 weeks ago to make sure he was on line for graduation. She told me that he was and all was good. Chance had gone and changed some classes so that he could have work release again. This was before the trimester started. Well the Vice Principle got involved and the counselor was in the wrong. She checked Chance's classes but they were the old ones and failed to check the class changes. She apologized and admitted she was in the wrong. Needless to say he still needed Fine Arts. He would have to have a third hour and take away one hour of work release. He would be three weeks behind in Pottery and would need to make up everything that he has missed so far. His other options were to take a night class at the Community High School. He would have to have 45 hours of class time and had to attend 2 nights a week from 6-9. Or he could take a Fine Arts class at North Ridge Learning Center. It is a packet that is completed at his own pace at home. That's what he decided to do. It shouldn't be too hard for him. If he passes everything at 90% he will not have to take a final exam. Hopefully no more surprises.

McKay has been working on a Lewis and Clark Journal. It has been quite a project for him. We have tea dyed some muslin for a cover. He wanted a map on the cover so I said we could print on off and iron it on. It worked great all accept that I forgot to print it upside down. Everything was backwards. So now we get to try it again. It has to be seven pages and hand written. He can draw pictures but it is supposed to look like an actual journal. McKay had to make a catapult out of a mouse trap, a dowel and a plastic spoon. It had to catapult a weighted ping pong ball. He loves this kind of stuff. The school record was 54 feet and his went 60 feet. Way to go McKay. The other night he put a motor on his pinewood derby car and had a mouse trap on it and it was hooked up to a battery. It would go across the hard wood floor. Amazing how his brain works.

Cheyanne has been busy with volleyball. She has a tournament this Saturday. We had young women's at our house Saturday night and we watched the General Young Women's Meeting. Everyone brought treats and I had a pizza for them. It was quite nice. Bo and Aubrey were here so I am going to have to watch a rebroadcast or online or something. We went to parent teacher's conference. Most of her teachers said she is a fun girl and likes to talk alot. But it's not all her fault (one teacher told me) she just seems to be in the middle all the time. She is a very social butterfly. Matt and I tell her that we send her to school to learn. She just laughs at us.
She wanted to go to the mall on Friday but she didn't want me to go with her. All of her friends were busy so she decided it would be okay if I went. We had a fun time. It's a good thing I didn't let her take all her money or she would have spent all of it. She came home with $16. I think I have a shopper on my hands. She modelled all of her clothes for her dad and then she modelled mine.



Bo is just Bo. Not more to say. He likes playing in the toilet and in Jingle's water dish. We have shut all the doors so he can't get into things. He has learned how to say Aubrey (AUBEE). It's funny. He will sit right next to her and yell AUBEE, AUBEE, AUBEE. He loves to go outside too.

As for me, I got a wild hair. Or should I say alot of short, spiky hairs. Yes, I cut my hair again. It's in an A-line and has the pokey hairs. I really like it. I have wanted to do it for a long time. Matt hasn't said much about it. I don't know if that is good or bad.

Happy Patricks Day!

Nothing much new and exciting has happened lately. I guess that is a good thing.

Aubrey did not want to wear green to school today. They can't pinch each other anyway. I sent a green Ribbon tied into a bow that she can pin on her shirt just in case she changed her mind. She stuck it in her pocket. She's a funny girl.

The cow herd keeps growing. We have had some sick ones and Matt has had to spend quite a bit of time with them. It's getting warmer now and that's good. Matt said we are down to the last 2 weeks of hay. It better hurry and get warmer so the grass will grow. We will take them to Malad in May.

Cheyanne had a volleyball tournament 2 weeks ago. Her team took third. It was a two day tournament and the girls seemed to be tired. She has another one on Saturday. I let her color her hair to a dark brown. It's pretty. I told her that I wouldd to pay for it but she couldn't "GO" with boys for the rest of the school year. I keep telling her that boys have cooties. I don't know if she believes me anymore.

McKay's eagle project was a no go. For him to be able to do it he would have to personally go to Africa and deliver the supplies. He really would like to go. Our neighbor, who is putting on the auction, would love to have him go as well. He told me Sunday that there isn't very many boys that he would even think about taking with him but he would definitely take McKay in a heart beat. We got McKay's grades and he is doing better than ever. He got A, A-, A-, A-, A- and a B+. I think he thinks it's pretty neat.

Chance is working alot lately. Maybe because it is getting warmer. He might have to pull a 24 hour shift this week. He's looking for a truck to buy. I wish he wouldn't be in such a big hurry to grow up. Is there any way to stop it?? HaHa. We got his grades he got an A, A-,A-,A- and a B+. I was totally impressed.

I had the opportunity to take the young women and young men in my ward down to the Draper Temple open house. Cheyanne and McKay went with me. They were fighting with one another and I told them it wouldn't be a good thing for me to kill them before we go to the temple. They thought that was pretty funny. Then they both decided to ride down with me. I guess it's a good thing that they think I am cool. It was really neat but I kind of felt like we were herded through. I thought that we would be able to spend a little more time in the rooms. However there was someone in the sealing room that took a few minutes with us. Very beautiful though. The brides room was neat. It had the prettiest chandeliers that I have ever seen.

Bo's new thing is to go into Matt's closet and put on his cowboy boots and a cap. He comes clonking out with the hat on backwards. He is getting into everything. Nothing is safe anymore. We went to the bookmobile and I found a book with tractors in it. He loves it. He likes the page with the loader on it. He also likes to play with his cap guns that Chance gave him for Christmas. He is still a daddy's boy. Matt seems to really like that. When Matt leaves Bo will stand at the door and cry for 15-20 minutes.

Dad

There hasn't been much change for dad. He is eating a little better. He still doesn't feel all that great. He has been going for a few little walks when it was nice outside. Other than that there hasn't been much change.

Dad went to the doctor who did his colon surgery yesterday. The doctor told them that it was a miracle that he could walk into his office without a walker or even a can. He told mom and dad that he was very sick and it may take a couple of months maybe even six before he gets feeling better. They both need to be patient. He is still having therapy 3 days a week. I think he is getting stronger.

Dad

Dad is still plugging along. He had the stove turned up so high last night that it just about ran us out of the house. He was just right though. It was hot. Then he went to bed. Didn't say goodnight or anything. Bo went to his bedroom door and just looked at him. I told him to give grandpa a kiss bye and he did. Our neighbor in church said that they saw him driving his truck very slowly down the road. He doesn't eat much. He says nothing tastes good. When we go see grandpa and grandma Bo likes to play with dad's toy John Deere tractors. One in particular, it has a loader bucket on it. Needless to say we ended up brining it home. Bo refused to leave it. He has played with it all morning.

Baxter Family

This weekend went by way too fast. Matt, Cheyanne, Aubrey, Bo & I left Saturday afternoon and drove 3 1/2 hours to Ferrron to attend my Grandpa Olsen's 90th birthday celebration and open house. We spent 2 1/2 hours with grandpa and then got in the truck and headed home.

Crazy huh. Aubrey was a big help to Uncle Roy. They kept the refreshment table stocked up. She dug right in and helped.

The boys were not able to attend. McKay was working on his Eagle Project and that afternoon then he and Chance had to feed.

We had a good time though. Mom didn't feel like she could leave dad for that long of time. I took lots of pictures for her so she would be able to see some of the people. I recognized some of them but not very many. It was nice to see grandpa again and Aunt Pauline and her family.

One of the show steers died sometime Saturday. I am not sure whose it was. It's a good thing Matt kept back a few extras just in case something like this happened. Needless to say he was not very happy but what can you do?

Mckay has been working on his Eagle Project. He and about four other boys are helping our neighbor gather donations that will be auctioned. The proceeds will go to Tongwa, Zambia, Africa to help the villiage get needed medical and school supplies. Our neighbor has been to Tongwa several times and has helped build a school for them.

Aubrey was picked as the "Star Student of the Day" today. We got to make a poster about her and the things she likes. I am not sure what the "Star Student" gets to do but it must be something pretty neat because she was sure excited. She told me that she got to be the "Star Student" because she helps and picks people up and not put them down. She really is a sweet spirit.

Dad

Dad still seems to be doing okay. He is getting around pretty well I think. Mom gives him insulin shots 4 times a day. I was impressed when I saw her do it. She didn't even flinch nor did dad. He still doesn't have much of a appetite.

The John Deere pellet stove is up and running. Just about running mom out of the house because dad has it turned up. He is always cold. It's quite pretty too. Not John Deere green like the old one. McKay went down last night and helped them put a thermostat on it. McKay loves to do things like that. I am glad he could help.

Baxter Family

The sun is shining and it looks like it will be a nice day. I am glad the snow is melting. I am ready for spring. I think Matt is also. He lost a couple of calves due to the snow and not the calves not being able to get up. He was checking them a couple of times a night. I think we have around 40 calves now. Still a few more to go.

Bo has been sick this week. He had a fever, runny nose and a yucky cough. I think we are on the downhill side of it though. However Cheyanne and Aubrey have the sniffles. Maybe they are next. I hope not. I did have to go pick up McKay from school early on Wednesday. He said he was sick (sick of school maybe). He said his stomach and his head hurt. He hasn't said much more about it.

It's been kind of a quiet week. So not much to tell.

Dad

Dad came home today. Happy day!! Almost a month ago he started out with colon cancer surgery and who knew it would take him this long to get back home. We thought 5-7 days in the hospital.


Dad is doing good considering all that he has been through. He can walk without his walker but needs to stop and rest. His back is bothering him. Maybe a decent bed and being home will do the trick. Or maybe a ride in his GMC. A nurse from Home Health Care will come out tomorrow and teach them how to give dad his insulin. Sounds like this may be a regular thing now.

It has been a while since dad has been up to Greenline Equipment in Tremonton so before he went home he had to make a visit. Not for parts but for a new, shiny John Deere pellet stove. Their old stove was giving them problems and enough was enough. It got replaced. Hopefully nothing runs like a Deere and this will keep them warm and toasty for the rest of the season.

Sounds like all is well so far. Mom and dad had many visitors tonight. A neighbor even brought them dinner tonight. Mom will now have to start cooking again. Vacation over???

Who knew that so many people would be concerned for both mom and dad. Friends from the present and friends from the past. And not to mention the all the family support. I don't think that they would have ever believed how many people really cared.

Welcome Home Dad. Welcome Home. You have been missed!!

Dad

Dad looked really good tonight. He is up and walking great. He still uses a walker but isn't too far from getting rid of that. He was able to have the catheter removed and that made him feel better. I actually saw him smile a time or two. He looked really good. He doesn't eat much still. He has lost about 30 pounds since this whole thing began.

The Doctor came today and almost let him go home but he decided to have him stay for the weekend and work on his balance a little more. Monday is the big day. I think mom said Home Health will come in a couple of times a week. Not totally sure on that. It will sure make visiting him allot easier for me because Bo is hell on wheels when we go there. There is a cockatiel (not a very nice one) and a big dog named Molly that has lived at the nursing home since she was a puppy. Aubrey and Bo love them. Oh, there is also a fish tank. Bo found the fish food and dumped it out. I think it was a brand new bottle (a pretty good sized one at that). I had to go find the vacuum. There is even a Wii for the residents to play. I wonder if they play Guitar Hero. Wouldn't that be a sight.

Mom and Dad played Bingo today and got Bingo cash. They can spend it at the store on Monday. Ye Haw. I am glad that dad felt like playing. Things are looking up.

Dad

Dad was moved from the hospital on Tuesday. He was moved to Pioneer Nursing Home in Brigham City. He seems to be doing okay but won't eat much. I was impressed with his walking. He shares his room with 2 other men. It is divided by curtains to make three separate living quarters which include a bed, chair, closet and a TV. It seems to be clean but it is a pretty old place and things are run down. Hopefully he will only be there a short time. I think it was harder for me to see him at the nursing home than it was to see him with a ventilator and all the gadgets in him at the hospital. His bladder needs to be retaught and they will work and that then the catheter with come out. He has to have insulin shots so I guess mom will have to learn how to do that. He can go for car rides and out to eat (he is on a low sodium diet). So that might help. I wondered if we should bring him home for a visit. But then wondered if we would be able to get him back in the car to take him back. He can be a little stubborn once in a while. Ha Ha. Anyway, there is progress. Baby steps, remember baby steps.

Happy 90th Birthday Grandpa Olsen!!!!

Baxter Family

Cheyanne had a volleyball tournament in Salt Lake. We left at 7:00 a.m. and didn't get home until 7:30 p.m. The roads were a mess going down and when we came home they weren't too bad until we got to North Ogden. We counted over 13 slide offs between North Ogden and Brigham city. When we got to Corinne it was foggy. It took us 45 minutes to get home from North Ogden.

Cheyanne's team did well at the tournament. They won their pool and ended up in second place. I think there was about 8 teams. The winning team only beat them by two points. They are doing great.

Dad

It's has been a while since I have written. Sorry.

Dad has made progress over the last couple of days. He will no longer have to have kidney dialysis. That is great news to us. He seems to be getting a little stronger. And more stubborn. He has been moved to another room in front of the nurses station so that they can keep a closer eye on him. He tries to get up by himself and they are afraid he may get hurt. His catheter was plugged again. He isn't eating real well and doesn't enjoy the hospital food. He is on a special diet for his blood sugar. His lungs sound and little crackly still. He's not hooked up to the IV all the time now. Just when he needs his antibiotics. He is walking more and has started to go to therapy. He is really restless though. He will go from his bed, to the chair and then to the bathroom and starts over again.

Friday a student nurse and her instructor were giving his an assessment. They where asking him questions about family and what he does for a living, etc. He told them that he was a farmer and there was 2 things he had on his farm. John Deere tractors and GMC. They also asked him what religion was he and he answered "that funny one". Not quite sure what he meant by that. He knew he had 4 children and 14 grandchildren. Sometimes he seems a little confused and other times not.

The time is near that some decisions need to be made. When he gets out of the hospital where will he go. Do we move him to a nursing home or to a rehab? He is not well enough to go home. Mom is checking on rehabs. So maybe in the next day or two he will be moved from the hospital.

Baxter Family

We didn't get any new calves today. Of course because it's not snowing and blowing. We did get a couple yesterday. I am losing count of how many. Matt didn't get much sleep. He was babysitting or should I say calf sitting. When we got up at 6:00 a.m. there was one in the garage. Aubrey was really excited that she got to pet it. It's mother was really mean to it and when Matt checked it during the night and it was almost dead. But it survived. Black Jack (our 15 year old Border Collie) had to share the garage and his pillow and blanket. We keep saying we don't know how much longer he is going to be around. He has been a good dog.

Matt came home from work early yesterday so that I could go spend time with my dad. He took Aubrey to dance and gymnastics. He even had Cheyanne cook dinner so I didn't have to when I got home. She is a great help. Sometimes I think she is my left hand and sometimes my right one too.

Dad

Dad was very tired yesterday. I guess because he has had a rough couple of nights. He slept most of the day. When mom says that dad snores I believe her. He seemed quite comfortable.
It was hard for him to wake up and go for a walk. His walking has improved he is walking a little farther.

The doctors say that his lungs are sounding good and his heart is sounding good too. His blood sugar spiked up to 500??. It's the highest it has ever been. The nurse gave him insulin and a pill to see if it would come down. He did eat a little bit also. He needs to get his strength back so he can come home. He is still having breathing treatments every four hours.

I just talked to mom and she said that dad is going to have a blood transfusion today. His blood is a little low. He doesn't have to have dialysis today so that's good. He is awake and sounds like he had a good breakfast. His blood sugar has came back down. He is getting tired of sitting in the chair and hasn't gone for a walk yet. He isn't confused either today. Maybe another step forward. We will take all we can get.

Dad

Talk about 1 step forward and 2 steps back. He had to have dialysis again. They had to sedate him and tie his hands down because he wouldn't hold still during dialysis. I guess he has to lay still for 3 1/2 hours. His catheter was plugged up and it was causing him allot of pain. The nurses drained it and got 32 oz. of fluid. He tried to get out of bed and escape Monday night and fell (he was going home) . He didn't get hurt though. A nurse stayed right in his room last night to keep an eye on him. He is confused again. One doctor told me that it was because of the medicine that they were giving him. I think he's stir crazy and not used to being down like this. The doctor said that when Dad started acting better we could take him for rides in the wheel chair and get him out of that room. It would probably do him good.

Dad didn't sleep much and was very agitated. The doctor gave him something to make him sleep. He said if it didn't work in 15 minutes to give him another dose. That was at 7:00 p.m. It didn't have much of an affect so the nurse gave him another dose. Matt and I left at 9:00 p.m. and he was just starting to doze off. He kept saying "Lets go".

Mom is doing okay. Yesterday was pretty hard on her. Dad kept asking her to help him go home and she told him that she couldn't take him home yet. He would reach for her with his hand or foot and motion for her to help him. He just wants to be home. He got kind of ornery with her. Darryl got her a new phone. Her old one was giving her problems and wouldn't call out or in. We should be able to get hold of her easier now. Thanks Darryl. Someone gave mom a heart attack on her front door. Whoever did that "Thanks". It meant alot.

Hopefully today will be a better day. Our prayers are with him and my mom.

America's Funniest Home Video???

What do you think? Could we be the $100,000 winner?

Aubrey and Bo was eating lunch when Aubrey told me to look at Bo. He was dozing while eating his Mac & Cheese. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I really thought he would face plant it in his bowl but he never did. He actually finished his bowl and then watched Sesame Street for about a half our before he fell asleep.

We have started the calving season. We have 9 babies so far and just 90 more to go. We have lost 1 calf but Matt thinks it was a twin. Every year we have a bald eagle that comes around and he is back. He cleans up the carcasses of the ones that don't make it. It is my job to check on the heifers every day. Except when the boys are home they get to go.

Yesterday Matt had me take Aubrey down to the bus in the old, grey Ford. She got in and said "Mom Look!" There was a newborn calf on the floor of the truck. She was so excited. She couldn't wait to tell the bus driver. She named him Forest. Now how many kids can say that they got a ride to the bus with a baby calf? It made her day.

Chance and McKay feed every night for Matt. They are a great help and Chance will be greatly missed when he leaves. Cheyanne and Aubrey get to go help Matt feed on Sundays. It is their special quality time with their dad. They grumble about it but once they go I think they have fun. Especially now that there are the little calves to see. It's always fun to see the new ones (Even for me).