Perfect Discription of Today

Land of Waterfalls

This past week was spring break! All these years we wondered if it was just a myth but yes, it really does exist outside of BYU. Being in grad school meant that Keith wasn't entirely free of school related responsibilities during the week but we did manage to sneak away for a few days. After our weeks of illness some hiking and mountain scenery was just what the doctor ordered. We headed to Brevard, NC (home of the white squirrel) just outside of Asheville (North Carolina's popular tourist destination) in Transylvania County. Transylvania County is located in the the Appalachians and aside from being one of the locations where Hunger Games was filmed is home to over 250 named waterfalls. In short, hiking to waterfalls seemed like an ideal way to spend our vacation so we hit the road.

Hooker Falls

Triple Falls- I don't know what is up with the high school prom pose. It just happened.

High Falls- Charlie didn't like it if the waterfalls were loud from where we could see them, hence the sad face. Oh, and we had just ran out of dried peaches, his favorite snack.

Looking Glass Falls- I think this would be the one Charlie would pick as his favorite waterfall of the trip. Not too loud, and lots of room to walk around (this was not on a hike, it was right off of the forest service road, and down a bunch of stairs that led to a viewing platform).

That's right. Stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Charlie was in heaven. The section visible in the picture is about a third of them. Charlie was delighted to crawl up every last one of them by him self and we were on vacation; it didn't matter if we spent half a day making our way up some stairs!

It felt so good to be hiking again! Keith and I agree that the thing we miss most (besides family) is being so close to trails and climbs. You wouldn't believe the rhododendrons though! There were several spots on the trails like the one in the above-center picture where we went through tunnels of rhodies. They are the state flower of Washington so I thought I had seen some big ones in my time but the forests of rhodies here way out did any in Washington. Just imagine what they look like in full bloom!

Daniel Ridge Falls- We spent the bulk of our last day hiking to these falls. There were several times when I just stopped, listened to the silence, and got happy tingles up my back. Raleigh is great, but it is still a city and we treasured our time away from it. Charlie was ready to get out of the carrier by the time we got to the end of this hike. We had run out of low-pro snacks and he did not like that at all. Note to self: bring twice as many snacks for kids on hikes as they normally eat. Even if they are being carried and aren't using much energy.

We are back to the grinding stone now (especially Keith). He has started a TA job on top of his busy semester and field work is starting to pick up as well. I am glad we got out for a bit when we did! On to the summer!

I Am in Love, Owl Love

Someone please give me a little owl to pet!!! I would name him Oliver and rub his sweet head into blissful oblivion.

Winter Birds

The lake's lone Heron. He took up residence in December and I am waiting to see if he will stay or go when spring comes. Bottom-right: Charlie playing with a stick as I take pictures of birds.

One of my favorite things about my lake walks is observing the local wildlife. Squirrels fighting over nuts, turtles sun bathing on logs, and the birds. I love watching the birds. I love watching the changes in their behavior as time goes by and at the same time getting familiar with their routine.

Top-left: Buffleheads. Top-right: gulls on a bad fishing day. Bottom-right: Double-creasted Cormorant on a bad fishing day. Bottom-left: Gulls and cormorants on a good fishing day. The cormorants dive and do the fishing and the gulls do the stealing.

I know where the winter flock of cardinals can be found every morning (but not the rest of the day), the shoreline that is preferred by the wintering Great Blue Heron, which is preferred by the small group of Buffleheads, and how the fishing is by the presence or absence of the gulls in the air as I approach the lake. When I first moved to Utah it didn't start feeling familiar and comfortable until I could name the surrounding peaks and began getting familiar with their trails. There aren't any peaks here but the same idea is true with this lake. It seems like the more familiar I get with the lake the more I discover, and the more comfortable I feel here and that is why I don't tire of walking the same path week after week.

Spilled Milk

I saw this on Pinterest (yeah, I succumbed) and HAD to share it here because I KNOW there are others reading this who will understand and might just laugh as much as I did (and then sigh).

Card can be found here.

Swing

Charlie is getting better by the day. Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes, we are so blessed by you all. I took these a few days before our two weeks of sickness hit. Needless to say, Charlie loves the swing at our apartment complex. Needless to say, I love watching Charlie love the swing.

Breathing Easier (at last)

Alternate title: Good riddance to this past week!

As you might have read in the previous post the beginning of last week found us all fighting off a cold. While the day after Valentine's showed some improvement for Keith and I, Charlie wasn't quite as lucky. By late that afternoon his nasty cough had quickly worsened and he was struggling to breathe. Even when resting he sounded like he was gasping at the end of a race.

We were off to the hospital.
Charlie was quickly diagnosed with croup and got a breathing treatment and oral steroid which quickly opened his airways and calmed down his breathing. At that point we all took a sigh of relief and took a picture of Charlie with his toddler sized hospital gown (and Puppy who almost never left his side).

For a moment I was thinking we were going to be home free soon, but then Charlie's breathing went rapidly down hill and he needed another breathing treatment. About half way through that he could breathe well enough to fall asleep for the first time in a LONG time. Sigh.

He was exhausted. (Side note: he was fascinated with the red light they put on his foot to measure his blood oxygen levels. I need to get one of those for church.)

Because it had taken more than one breathing treatment to get the croup under control and because he still wasn't out of the woods, the decision was made to transport him to another hospital where he could be admitted (lesson learned: make sure you go to the hospital with the pediatric unit next time). We wrapped him up in his big blessing blanket from Granny B and towels for the chilly ride out to the ambulance. Puppy was in hand and Charlie didn't make a peep the entire trip.

An incredibly sleep-deprived Charlie inspecting his crib at the second hospital.

We all stayed at the hospital until the next afternoon when he was released with a warning to keep a close eye on his breathing. Through the next couple of days his breathing steadily improved and we thought we were moving on.

However the weekend had different plans in mind. Saturday consisted of a nauseous Charlie snuggling with me and Keith cleaning up several messes (it is hard to get a nauseous toddler to aim for the trash can or to even predict when the trash can will be needed). Sunday consisted of worrying that Charlie wasn't eating anything and wondering what that meant for his phe levels (thank goodness that we have PKU friends to calm our fears). Monday consisted of a nauseous Katie, an ear ache for Charlie (who still wouldn't eat), and a stressed and worried Keith. We are so thankful for priesthood blessings and the peace, healing, and comfort they bring!

Sunday night also saw our first NC snow this year (though their wasn't much to it).

I got Charlie into a chiropractor on Monday and by the time we got into the pediatrician this morning his ear ache is all but gone though he does have a sinus infection and his croup is still lurking around which he was given another oral steroid for. However, I think it is safe to say we are on the up-and-up (knock on wood) and will all be right as rain soon. Charlie is getting his energy and appetite back this afternoon (a big improvement from his scant liquid diet of the last few days) and I actually felt up to tidying up the living room this evening and am looking forward to getting back to our lake walks tomorrow.

It is rather suspicious that what has been by far his worst illness ever and first ear and sinus infection hit barely 2 weeks after introducing a bit of cow's milk to his PKU formula to up his phe without introducing high protein foods. We are swapping it out with soy milk for a couple of weeks and then will try cow's milk again watching closely for any allergy symptoms. Paying a little extra for soy milk would be a small price to prevent a repeat of last week!

We are so thankful for preisthood blessings and the peace, healing, and comfort they bring!