Aww..feeling much better!!

When Owen gets sick I always worry but do what I can to get him well again.  It isn't until afterwards that I realize how sick my little guy was.  I guess that's a good thing because otherwise I may not have my head where it should be!

The last part of August Owen got sick, I thought he was pretty sick but nothing we hadn't dealt with before.  I figured it was sinus, ears and throat yuck.  I called his angel of a doctor and she called in meds for sinus/ear infection.  The fever went away and he was back to room air.  After 4 or 5 days on the antibiotic I knew something wasn't quite right.  I called his doctor back and she wanted a culture.  Well...if you know us at all we are anti 'go to the doctor or hospital' with Owen for obvious reasons. I made a hundred phone calls (it seemed like 100 anyway) and figured out how to get a good sample from his trach and sent Lenn to Evanston to take it to the lab.  We were supposed to hear back in 48 hours, I sat around all day waiting for the call and nothing!!  I was a bit on edge because I knew he needed something else and the weekend was coming.  The next morning I got a call from his doctor.  I knew it wasn't something simple when I got a call instead of email.  She said the reason the current antibiotics weren't working was because he had pseudomonas...what??  Pseudomonas is a sickness that effects the weak, old, burn victims and those with trachs and catheters.  I did a little reading on this and it didn't sound very promising but his doctor reassured me that it was common in trached kids and it was okay!  I had to keep re-telling myself that.  From what I read it is very common for these kids to be hospitalized with this sickness.  Thank goodness for yet another blessing of staying home.

This morning as I was bathing Owen and getting him ready for the day, it hit me just how sick he really was.  His secretions are so much less making him much less gooey!

I don't know why or how but this little guy is still supposed to be here with us.  I don't understand it and I probably never will but I know he is in the Lords hands and we still have our little Owen.

I know many prayers are said on our behalf and we appreciate them so much.  Thank you!

Yesterday Owen sat in his recliner longer than he has in a long time and we went to Bentley's football game and we didn't suction him once! YAY!!  When he was at his worst with this we were suctioning him constantly. 

I have mentioned previously that show sheep are now a big thing at our house.  Grandma J saw this stuffed lamb and figured Owen needed a show sheep too!

Fair week 2012

Rich County Fair 2012

One of the flower bouquets I put in the fair.

Abby and Lenn shearing and getting Leap ready for fair.

Lenn and Bentley shearing and getting Shaggy ready for the big fair.  Bentley picked out Shaggy by himself and from day one he told me he was the best lamb and was going to win something.  Thinking that he had a great lamb he put a lot of time into Shaggy getting him to set up, stay put and press.

He had him so trained that he even ate set up. 

Abby and Leap in Jr. Showmanship.  The judge said she was the most natural showman in the ring.  Not bad for her first year.

Bentley and Abby in Showmanship.  Abby is in first right now and look at that grin.  She couldn't stop grinning because Bentley told her all summer that he was going to beat her and we teased him that Abby was going to beat him!! 
(There's no competition around here!)

Bentley giving his best to get in front of Abby.

The judge making his final decision.

Bentley Grand Champion Jr. Showman and Abby Reserve.  Great job! 

Abby with her back pack and ribbon.  She said "Mom, all that time really did pay off!".  This picture says it all about how she felt about it.  Bentley got an overnight bag and ribbon but the picture didn't turn out.

Abby showing off her poster.

Bentley's poster.

I love this picture because I could pretty much read her mind.  "It's okay Leap, I love you anyway."  Her lamb didn't do well in market so it crushed her a little.  We had a hard time getting this lamb healthy this summer.  I think it was healthy the last three weeks before fair so we knew he wouldn't do that great in the market class.  Abby did a great job showing him though.

The judge making his final decision in Bentley's market class.

Bentley takes 2nd, he was a little bummed.

Showing Shaggy.

Being a little bummed didn't last long though.  After his class was the champion drive and he took Reserve Champion Market Lamb.
Great job Bentley.



You wouldn't know he just got reserve champion lamb!  This is Bentley though...all business.  I was trying to get a group shot of everyone there to watch but I couldn't get every one to cooperate.  The ones there to watch Bentley and Abby were Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, Grandma Walker, Aunt Marjon and her boys and of course Lenn pacing as he watched!




Abby, and cousins waiting to go see how Abby's exhibits did.  She did a colored pencil coloring that went to state fair.  She got her free admission ticket in the mail.  She is pretty excited and wants to plan a trip down to the State Fair.

Thanks to Cal-Ranch for buying Shaggy.



Abby selling Leap. 

We had a great fair this year.  Bentley and Abby both did great and are ready to start on next year.  Abby says she loves showmanship but hates market!!  Bentley is really liking this showing sheep business.  They have both bought sheep to put with Lenn's show sheep herd, so that is really all that gets talked about at our house! 

A few summer highlights

Since I always get so far behind I have to do highlights once in awhile.

Here's a little taste of Summer 2012!



Bentley's faux hawk.  I think he combed it once so I finally just buzzed it all.  He is not one to do his hair!




Softball started off a little cold again!




Two of our angels! Staci and Holly.  Staci works for the medical company that has literally saved us so many times including making coming home possible.  Holly was Owen's first home health nurse, she would come work nights while we lived in SLC. 
We love them both.  We got to see them in June when Lenn and I talked on a parent panel at a conference at Primary Children's.  Owen's humidifier had died the night before so Staci met us with a new one and Holly watched Owen, Bentley and Abby while we were at the conference.  Two amazing ladies!



And Marquelle...she watched the kids while Lenn and I went to the temple for a sealing. 
She was Owen's first nurse in the NICU at Primary's.  Another amazing person!

Bentley and Abby at the Conference Center.



At temple square.



If you haven't heard...show sheep are a new part of our family.  I am not kidding either!
Bentley showing his ewe at a Jackpot.



More softball.  Abby loves softball, it's her favorite sport as of right now.

Bentley with a few more home runs this year.

Owen and Abby playing salon.  Abby was helping Owen throw sponge curlers and he loved it.

A few cousins.

Abby was one of the duck stamp winners and her picture was in the museum in Jackson for the summer.  Her picture is the top one.

A primary lesson for Owen, which he absolutely loves.  His sunbeam teacher still comes out every once in awhile to visit and give him a few lessons.  He loves her.