MOVING OUT

Well after many moons of thinking, talking, hoping and saving our remodeling project is finally beginning. The diggers are coming on Thursday and they hope to have all the foundation and demo work done within two weeks. Then we can begin framing and so on... Which also means that we're moving the family out to Chris' parents for a while. We haven't decided what we're doing with the chickens yet. Britten is pretty excited about getting a new house but Hailey doesn't seem to have a clue.

Speaking of the kids, Britten had surgery yesterday to insert tubes into his ears to hopefully prevent infections. He's had three ruptures in his left ear due to stagnant fluid in the inner ear that just won't drain. He's doing great and just loves his new ear plugs that he wears at bathtime. Hailey is beginning to use words but they are still few and far between. She's a little bugger though. She's got such a temper.... I just can't imagine where she gets it from. She's also the biggest sweetheart. I was in St Louis for a week and she gave me the biggest hug when I got home. It was the best.

Here's a quick peak of the kids checking out the cows at Uncle Don's ranch last month. They want to go back.
Oh yeah, Happy Birthday to Ben (I totally forgot to send you a card but I had a great conversation with a man who lives across the street from Soldier Field. That should count for something.) Birthday wishes to Uncle Justin. Happy Anniversary to Paradise and Justin and to my Husband!! Happy Graduation to Psalms and Happy First Day of Kindergarten to Preston! Take care everyone!

The kids went to the County Fair today. We had an early breakfast, met up with Aunt Sue, and loaded up on sunscreen and water. We got there early and left before the masses arrived. We primarily went to see the livestock and 4-H exhibits. That stuff is so cool. I can't wait for the children to be old enough to participate. They also took some time to play in one of the toddler areas - the rides cost like $5 a pop so we did the free stuff. We'll do the zoo rides instead. They're a lot cheaper. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Here's Looking at You

Things are great here in P. Hill. We just survived about a week stretch of triple digit heat. Yuck. Hopefully next year at this time we'll have air conditioning. Nature's air conditioning is supposed to make it about 5 degrees cooler tomorrow. We're okay with that. The kids are terrific. Britten turned 3 about 2 weeks ago. He really had a good time with Aunt Angel and family, Aunt Suzi and his grandparents. He received some wonderful and very thoughtful gifts. Thanks to everyone!! Unfortunately, he just came down with another ear infection. His left ear doesn't drain very well and he had a slight cold and that was enough to trigger his third infection since April. Luckily, he's able to communicate the pain to us and we were able to get him to his doctor. He has an appointment with a specialist in two weeks to discuss putting a tube in that left ear.

Hailey's gggggrrrreat! She's starting to use words but I think I'm the only who understands what they mean. Everyday they become a bit more recognizable and she babbles a lot too. She's really into books now too. We read several in the course of a day. Her hair is starting to get pretty long and thick. It's so wonderful watching both of them grow up and become little people.

We're looking forward to seeing the family up in Sonora in a couple weeks. It should be a hoot.

Happy June B-days to Paradise and Austin. (I hope I didn't forget anyone.)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Happy Birthday to Jackson. He turned four today. That is four in human years. I read an interesting article the other day that said that human years and dog years aren't exactly multiples of seven as is commonly said. As dogs get older the difference actually slows so that by the time a dog is about ten or so they only age about 2 1/2 years for each human year. There's some complex formula to figure you how old your dog is in equivalent human years. So, Big Jack is about 25 or so. Those mid-twenties were the best times of my life. I sure hope Big Jack is having a blast. Here he is on Memorial Day after a swim in the pond at Briones. He was pretty happy that day. The kids fed him some special treats tonight in honor of the anniversary of his birth.

Tom Girl

Tom Girl
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Not only is she pretty in pink, but Miss Hailey looks terrific in John Deere colors as well. She is also pretty good with the bat and tee but she uses the carrot bat from Uncle Justin and Aunt Par. Her hand-eye coordination is quite impressive. How convenient for us if we had a couple of future pros among our brood.

Future Baller

Future Baller
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Britten is such the baller. Obviously he's a huge A's fan. As well as a Bear fan - Both the Chicago and California varieties. He has mastered his Tee given to him by Uncle Joe for his 2nd birthday. It doubles as a golfing Tee. He's also getting good at throwing a ball in the air and hitting it with a bat. Of course he's probably just your average soon to be three year old but we like to believe that he's special. He is very excited for his upcoming birthday. Today was Jackson's fourth b-day. Britten was also very excited about that.

Hailey's Baby Doll

Hailey's Baby Doll
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Hailey just loves her baby doll. This is her first ever doll - from Grandma Cathi. Here she is giving her baby some love. She can be such a little princess - when she isn't biting or throwing a tantrum :) We love her so much.

XXL Bean Bag Chair

XXL Bean Bag Chair
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Here are the kids hanging out on Chris' extra large bean bag. We call it a bean bag chair over here but I guess that's a bit redundant. On this particular evening, they pulled all the blankets and pillows off of Britten's bed and settled down with Dumbo (the book) on the bean bag. It was really cute watching them snuggle together. It certainly is amazing how much they grow.
The remodel plans are moving...slowly. We have our permits. Now we just have to get a contractor to give us a start date. We figure anywhere between now and October. We may have Brother Joe come out and do the demolition work and get moving that way. We'll see.
Congratulations to Chris' sister Sue and Thomas. He proposed to her earlier this week in Hawaii. She said yes. We are all very happy for them. Now Britten wants to know when he can get married.
Have a safe holiday weekend everyone.

Happy May

We're all doing terrific here in case any one is asking. Spring was late in coming but we're thankful for all that rain. Everything is in full bloom and allergy sufferers are suffering pretty bad. (Sorry Chris.) Hailey just loves the roses. I pick one for her every day and she just walks around smelling it until all the petals are torn and fallen apart. Chris took the kids to the zoo last week. I guess the camel was pretty exciting but the lions weren't out. Hailey's been in Day Care for a month now. Two days a week. She's adjusting well. She still isn't very verbal and does a lot of grunting. We getting pretty good at deciphering the grunting. She is able to follow commands, for example I asked her to go in her room and get a book, she promptly went into her room and got a monkey. The second time I asked, she went in her room and returned with some toy pliers. I think we have a genius on our hands :) Britten will be three next month. He is very exciting about having a party - I'm not sure that we're having one though....Where do kids get such ideas these days. I'm sure we'll recognize this milestone somehow. He's doing pretty good with potty-training. He's still wearing diapers at night and during naps but not at all during the day. Hip Hip Hooray!!!!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in my life (and to Brother Joe). You are all terrific and deserve an awesome day. I hope you get at least one hour to yourselves. I have a magazine I hope to read next to the pool. That's all I want.
Well, enough rambling. Happy Belated B-day to Laci; Happy B-day to my mom, Joe, Suzi and Dick; Come by and pick up some fresh eggs and lemons. hmh

Dolan's Surgery

Dolan had his surgery at 5 PM Pacific Time this evening. I spoke with Mom while he was in. She was on a walk, collecting her thoughts. Yesterday was difficult but they were able to spend a lot of time alone for their anniversary. Dolan's family is in town and is being very supportive of Dolan and his future. They are planning on working with Mom on making the house wheelchair accessible and safe. Mom didn't think that she'd have a good idea on the success of the surgery for 24 hours or so. She said she'd call with status when she was ready. I got the impression that she didn't want too many phone calls over the next day but she didn't come out and say that. I think it may be best to give them a little space. I don't know much about this type of procedure. Mom said the surgery itself isn't risky but the period afterward is critical. They will be watching his blood counts carefully as well as the surgery site.

On a cheerier note,

Hailey is officially walking. Britten's ear infection seems to have cleared up. Both kids are cutting molars right now. Our weather is improving. We haven't seen rain in about a week and it's actually supposed to be sunny on Thursday.

Dolan News

I spoke with Mom this morning. Dolan will be having a procedure on either Monday or Tuesday to have his leg removed just below the knee. Apparently the multitude of surgeries and barrage of efforts on the part of the doctors has not been enough to save his leg. The surgeries have entailed trying to move muscles and arteries from various parts of his body to his leg. So, not only has Dolan been having operations on his leg but also on his stomach, arms and good leg.
He is at the same hospital he was originally at when the accident first occured. The address and information is on one of the previous posts. He is in pretty decent spirits considering the circumstances. Mom is taking it relatively hard but she is trying to find the silver lining in this entire ordeal. Of course, they will be celebrating their first wedding anniversary tomorrow. Please keep Dolan in your thoughts. Any news can be posted via the comment section here. Thanks to everyone for your continued support.

Back Home

We had a very eventful yet relaxing time in Santa Barbara. Our hotel was beautiful, we walked to the ocean, played at the pool, played in the park, ate great food and hardly napped!!! Hailey and Britten hopefully had a memorable time. They will need a few weeks to recover on all of their lost sleep. Hailey turned one in perfect style. Thanks to everyone who sent their wishes. She had her check-up today and despite all that food she shoves down her mouth, she's only gained 3/4 of an inch and less than one pound since her last check-up in January. I'm not worried, it's just interesting since she's such a big eater like Britten - except that Britten is growing like a vine.
We saw Aunt Par, Uncle Justin and Dolly in SB. Very fun! Thanks guys. Talk to everyone soon.

Britten, Jackson & Avery

Britten, Jackson & Avery
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Britten is getting so big. He's about 90% potty-trained. He had two accidents today but that was primarily because he didn't take a nap and was really tired. But, he's been doing quite well the last week or so. His vocabulary improves everyday. He loves to sing, play guitar and count everything in sight. He's looking forward to seeing the Easter Bunny in two weeks.

Hailey's Bikeride

Hailey's Bikeride
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Can you believe Hailey will be one in a week? Time has flown by. Hailey was riding Britten's bicycle last weekend and just loves it. She really enjoys the outdoors and doing whatever Britten does. She's taken a few steps but isn't officially walking yet. She's pretty competent crawling so doesn't feel a need to get around on two feet. Her hair is starting to get long so she is finally able to wear barettes and girly stuff. She starts 'school' next week. She'll be there with Britten two days week. Hopefully she'll adjust well. She'll love having new toys to play with and new people to watch.

Dolan Is Home

Mom called tonight to say that her and Dolan were home in Havesu. Apparently the 'rehab facility' was a nursing home and did not pass the grade with mom or Dolan. As a result, he is now home under the care of Mom, a local Doctor and a visiting nurse as well. Mom says that the Phoenix doctors are okay with the move and that Dolan is improving. It sounds like they went through quite and ordeal in the nursing home. So, that's the latest as I know it. Take care. hmh

Ballet Dancer

Ballet Dancer
Originally uploaded by The Hallfords.

Here's Hailey doing a manuever at Grandma's house. It really reminded me of a little ballerina. I think it's one of the most precious pictures - especially since ballerina's are so beautiful. Hailey is so much fun. I can't wait for everyone to meet her/see her. We'll be in Santa Barbara for her Birthday/Beach party. Everyone is welcome. We're staying at Fess Parker's Red Lion Inn. Look us up!

Friday Night

I spoke with Mom tonight. She seemed in higher spirits than on Wednesday night. Lots of family and friends have been calling her and Dolan. Dolan had a fifth leg surgery today. It went well. He is supposed to be transfered to a rehabilitation facility tomorrow for a two month stay. This way, his leg wounds will have expert care and continuous monitoring for infection. Mom will likely be staying with friends in Phoenix during this time. Mom will be calling soon with all the details of the new place. And the answer to the million dollar question: Yes, insurance supposedly is covering the cost of this facility.

On a lighter note, it's raining here in Northern California. Spring is suppposed to show it's sun rays sometime next week for good. It's not too late to book your trip to Santa Barbara and spend Hailey's 1st birthday with us.... Over and out. hmh

More News

Angel spoke with Mom this evening. I don't have all the details but apparently a decision was made to perform a 5th surgery on Dolan's leg. There was either some infection or it wasn't draining properly or both. I guess that dampened the spirits quite a bit of both Mom and Dolan. I apologize for not having more specific information. Also, Mom did confirm that the hospital address in my first update is correct.
I can also share what I know of the accident. Dolan was on his motorcycle on a multiple-laned city street. A vehicle in front of him pulled over the the right and before Dolan could react, it performed a U-turn right in front of him basically hitting him on his bike, head-on. His helmet shattered and he received a fractured rib, injuries to his left arm, severe injuries to his left leg and a collapsed lung.

Another Update

I spoke with Mom tonight. She was in very good spirits. Dolan actually took 10 steps today. His orthopedic surgeon was livid when he found out - but I'll take that as progress. A body scan revealed no blood clots. His arm is healing nicely. There is still some debate over his leg injuries. Apparently there are some large wounds which require skin grafts. The doctors are split between doing the grafts now or waiting for the wounds to heal further. Best case scenario, Dolan could return to Lake Havesu on Thursday. If so, he would be under the care of one of the best nurses in the West - Dolly!. He's getting a lot of support from everyone and is in great spirits. That's all for now. hmh

Dolan Update

As far as I know, Dolan is recovering from arm and leg surgery. He has had about four surgeries combined. He is out of the intensive care unit and is supposedly scheduled for one more leg surgery. Right now, they are waiting until the danger of infection passes. His arm is casted up but his leg is being monitored closely. He is on oxygen and has been experiencing high blood pressure but at least he is stable enough to be out of the ICU. He was told by doctors last night that he should be able to go home in about a week. Good news, he has officially graduated with his Harley certification. One of his 'brothers' stood in for him during the ceremony. Mom/Cathi/Dolly is with him at the hospital in Peoria. There are two hospitals with the same name in Phoenix so I think this is the one he is at but I can't tell for sure. I need to validate with Mom. If anyone knows for sure, please post a comment.
John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital
250 E. Dunlap Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85020
(602) 943-2381

I'll post more as information is available. hmh