Makenna and Her Cute Friends

We do have other children, besides McKay!!! Ha! Most of our posts lately have been about McKay and his recovery from his rattlesnake bite. Here are some more fun pictures of what we've been up to lately with Makenna!

Makenna has several great friends that are her same age. We are so blessed to have such great families around us here in Texas!

Christine, Abby, Delaney, Kenna and Riley

We have spent a lot of time at the pool this summer! Brett and I have been training for an Olympic distance triathlon and swimming is our weakest event in the sport. Every time we went to swim laps, Makenna wanted to come with us. Instead of playing in the water, she came to swim laps, too! I was so impressed with her endurance! What a trooper!

Chillin' pool-side.

Texas summers are sort of like Utah winters: when they're extreme, you stay indoors. This is what Makenna and her cute friend decided to do one afternoon:

Spies!

(<<<Que James Bond music>>>)

Pretty incospicuous, no?

Such cute friends!

I found this note on the top of Makenna's practicing chart the other day. What a gem this girl is! She has the best attitude about practicing...most of the time!

It says, "If you are happy and positive about the piece you are playing then you will get it right!" The wisdom of a child, right? 

Sometimes my kids amaze me.

If I have learned one thing over the last few weeks and months, it's that kids are pretty amazing. I feel that I underestimate mine so often. I am so grateful for their love, patience with me, and positive attitudes. I pray that I can be a better mother to them each and every day. 

Firefighters Are Awesome.

This post is a shout-out to all the awesome firemen and women who help to keep our towns and communities safe, while putting their own lives at risk.

I gained a new respect and fondness for firemen after our to visit the Pleasant Grove Fire Department when we were in Utah.

Most of us already know that firemen are awesome. We are all so grateful for what they do to protect us, our homes and our lands.

But did you know they love kids? Yes, they do. 

And they treat kids who've been bit by a rattle snake extra special!!!

When we were in the ER at American Fork Hospital, several firemen came in to see his bites. We joked that we were charging $1 for every "look", but they said, "How about you come to the station after you're better and we'll show you around."

So we took them up on it.

And show us around, they did! Makenna even got to tag along too.

This is when we first arrived. The huge ladder truck was just pulling in. It was enormous.

When we first got there, all the firefighters gathered around McKay to see how he was doing and to check out his arm. They were genuinely interested in him and they were so grateful to see that he was out of the hospital and doing well. 

He was feeling like a million bucks.

McKay talking to all his friends

This truck is totally awesome. Seriously. It's over 66 feet long. The fire fighters designed this themselves and it took over 1 year to build. 

The fire department did a year long study to see what type of truck would fit the city's needs, and they determined on like this would do the trick. It has steer-able rear wheels and a rear driving cab (more on that later) so this 66 foot long thing can maneuver it's way into all the apartment complexes and narrow alley ways that are in these small, yet booming, communities.  The ladder on top can extend to 100 feet.

Here is the back half of that huge truck!!

The truck serves many purposes-- not only putting out fires in homes and apartments, but also vehicle fires and car accidents. It's also got its own pump, and holds something like 10,000 gallons of water! Amazing!

We got to see what was inside all those cool compartments! 

McKay feeling so happy about life right now! (Notice his hand not really looking normal here.)

McKay liked being in this seat in the ambulance, and not on the stretcher!

Trying on actual clothes!!

The firefighters gave us a tour of the whole truck. McKay got to sit in every seat. They even turned on the lights and sirens for us!

This is in the "cab" part of the hook and ladder.

About ready to flip on the lights and siren!

Then they asked us if we wanted to ride in the truck! I was shocked!! An actual ride IN the truck? How could we refuse? We all were so excited! I was to sit in the front, Makenna in the cab, and McKay was going to DRIVE the back end with Fireman Wilkey. Yes, drive.

We got settled into our seats and they told us to put our headphones on. This not only blocks out the noise of the huge, loud truck, it also has a microphone system that makes your voices crystal clear as you talk to each other. It was very cool.

Makenna is pretty excited!

Here is my view! Pretty sweet!

Here is Mick's seat!!! Driving in the back with Wilkey!

We drove around Pleasant Grove for probably 20 minutes!!!! I'm not gonna lie- it was sweet. I kept getting looks from people like, "Why are you riding in the front seat of a fire engine?" It was pretty awesome.

Here we are after the ride. These guys are awesome.

And the story doesn't end here. We left Pleasant Grove Fire Department with t-shirts and McKay received two special Pleasant Grove FD patches. We were explained that firemen around the country (and even the world) trade fireman patches with each other. Each station has their own patch that they trade. McKay was given one for him to keep and one for him to trade and send back to Pleasant Grove.

That's where the Bulverde/Spring Branch Fire Department comes in!!

This place just happens to be right across the street from his physical therapy place. Once again we were greeted with kindness and concern. McKay told them the whole rattle snake story and they listened with sincerity. Then he got a tour of the station and the truck outside! 

Firemen are so awesome! And they care about kids! I am just so impressed with the time they are willing to take to show their "toys" and equipment to regular old people. It seems like those things that they get to see and work with every day could become plain and boring to them, but they never come across that way. They are always so excited and eager to share their information and knowledge and happy to answer all our questions. 

They are also seem eager to make a kids' day.

Getting a tour of the truck and so excited about his new patch!!  Look at that smile!

Getting to hold one of the actual hoses from the truck!

\I am truly grateful for the firemen and fire women who work so hard and sacrifice so much to keep us safe. They truly are such a wonderful, caring, giving, make-a-kid-feel-like-a-million-bucks part of our community.

From the bottom of my mother-heart,

Thank you

Physical Therapy = Fun!

About 3 weeks after the snake bite we started physical therapy. It's utterly astounding (without trying to sound too dramatic) what that poison and those toxins can do to your muscles and tendons. 

We were referred to a really great group by several different people. They are close to our home and we have been so impressed! We think we lucked out with our physical therapist-- Paige. She's is so awesome, and cute too!

They were instant friends from the beginning!

Paige and the staff here, do a great job at making physical therapy fun. Today, it was an "obstacle course"  with all his different exercises, repeated 3 times. Each time, he tried to beat his last time. His 3rd time was his best! He doesn't give up and never gives excuses. 

(Now how to transfer that kind of attitude when it comes to cleaning the bathroom?)

Since McKay has Hypophosphatasia, Paige has also been working with him to help him with muscle tone and balance in his legs. It has been so great for him.

This is one of his favorite exercises: balancing on one foot while throwing a weighted ball at the mini tramp!

PUSH-UP'S!!!! He does a pretty good job!

Once again, we are so grateful for the talents and knowledge of health professionals. We feel very blessed to have found this great group!!!

Life Post Rattlesnake

Our Toxicologist, Dr. Caravati, wanted McKay to have a blood draw the Monday after our family reunion was over. We decided to head back up to Utah County to stay with my parents for another day, so we could go back to Primary Children's for the lab work and be with the same team who took such good care of McKay before. 

Here we are waiting for the draw.

McKay did NOT like being poked! In fact, he said next to the snake bite, that was the worst part of all! Being poked for blood!

 While waiting, he was brought a slurpee! 

He was also brought a D.S. (What does that even stand for, anyway?)

McKay was delighted beyond belief to get to play this while he was waiting.

I took this opportunity to take pictures of his awesome cast. All the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends signed it!

"Mickey Mouse Snake Charmer"

"Warning to all snakes: If you hurt Mickey this will be you! I mean it! Uncle Jefe"

Uncle Kirt's name tag!

Unfortunately, the lab work did not come back with the numbers Dr. Caravati wanted. McKay's platelet count was down to 70 (thousand) after being 143 (thousand) the Thursday night before. Doc wanted to do one last blood draw on Thursday (if we could stay in UT that long). He said if the numbers hadn't improved, McKay would need a transfusion.

So, we prayed and prayed. We knew that Heavenly Father would take care of us and that whatever was meant to happen, would happen.

In the mean time, we had a few days to hang out with some of our favorite people! 

The Chaney's are some our greatest, best, most wonderful-est friends of all time. They are a great, amazing family. We love them so, so much.

We decided to meet for breakfast in Saratoga at the new Kneaders.

Such a nice, sunny day!

Cute little Sammy created this amazing, interactive poster for McKay. Down the left-hand side of the poster were 3 'windows' or 'doors' to choose from. The top and bottom choices all revealed a menacing looking rattle snake!! The middle choice revealed a king-sized Kit Kat!!

That Sammy-girl is one of THE MOST creative and innovative people I know! She is going places!

Look at the smile on both of their faces! Love this photo! What a sweet and caring friend

Love this woman !!

The Bergmann's are also a special family. We love these guys so much and were so glad to be able to have a little dinner with them! 

Everybody has alien eyes because it's dark and we're on the porch and I'm using my iPhone for pictures!

Now, it's finally the time for the last blood draw! Crossing our fingers that his platelets were up!

Had this kind of good attitude the whole time. This boy amazed me.

AND...........we got the clear to go home!! Dr. Caravati called me and said the platelet count was up to 140 (thousand). We were thrilled! We had the ok to make our trek back to the great state of Texas!

On the way out: this amazing train station, city and HUGE gingerbread house!

Saying goodbye to this place!!! I am so thankful for such a wonderful facility with such amazing staff, but at this point, I am saying, "GOOD RIDDANCE!!!"

Had to throw this pic in.....on the way home to Texas-- about 2 hours before we got to our house, the A/C in our car gave out. It was pretty miserable, but considering what had happened the weeks before, we bore it with patience and drove the rest of the way with our windows down. The kids handled it surprisingly well. 

Here is McKay's hand 2 weeks after the bite. Still pretty discolored, but definitely less swollen.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for McKay. Miracles were witnessed, faith was strengthened, prayers were answered.