Too Close For Comfort

Allow me to obsess for the moment. I just read last night on yahoo that one of our ports of call from last weeks cruise got attacked and a car bomb went off and killed 2 police officers. This happened in Palma De Mallorca and island of Spain. It is one of the most visited and holiday islands for British and German. I hope the families of these officers are okay. So so sad. Scary things and tragic unnecessary events happen all over the world.

We are Back!

So good to be back home! I just wish the jetleg would be over and done with a little quicker. I am moving very slowly today and yesterday.
We had an amazing time on our trip to Rome and our cruise. I think our favorite port of call was to Villa La Franche where we took a bus up the mountain to this old medieval village called Eze. It was so charming it seemed to be out of a storybook or fairy tale. I remember remarking how it seemed like something we would see at Disney World. When we got home LeeJay looked up Eze on the internet and it said that Walt Disney spent considerable time in a Village called Eze before building Disney. He did an amazing job of getting it close to the real thing!
Well, now it is time to get back to reality and get my house in order and start to get ready for school to be back in session. Less than a month of summer left. Gosh it went by fast! I will try to post more photos later.

Our European Vacation

Rome

We have been in Rome for two days and are packing up tonight to get on the cruise tomorrow. We saw almost everything historical and of interest to us in just 2 days. I think we probably walked 10 miles or better in just 48 hours.
I cannot even describe the power of this place and the grand '"colossal" and majestic size of all of the structures in this one city Rome. It is almost crazy and ridiculous. It is definatley something that everyone would have to experience to understand or grasp. We are having an awesome time! We get on the cruise ship, Navigator of the Seas tomorrow...can not wait! I will hopefully be able to post some photos from the ship. We really miss the kids and Nana hope they are well.

Almost Time to Go.

I cannot believe that we are about to be getting on a flight to Rome. We have been planning this trip for a year now and it has finally arrived. We leave tomorrow to take the kids to Nana and then get on a plane Thurs. morning. I will try my hardest to post pics etc as we are on our journey. Wish us luck!

What a Week.

This week was definitely busy and full of unexpected things. Conner had swim lessons all week plus tennis on Monday and Weds. and Kylee had tennis and cheer. Carson starts his tennis camp tomorrow which should be fun but will require me to be at kickingbird twice a day on Monday and Weds.

Conner began complaining of his finger hurting on Monday so I immediately called the doctor and asked her to call in a script for acyclovir. By Weds (after 2 days of Acyclovir) his finger had blisters all over it. So clearly, the medicine was not working. So, I took him in to see Dr. Edgmon. He was also complaining that his whole entire arm was hurting and this alarmed me. She looked at the inside of his arma nd he had a red streak traveling all the way up from his wrist to his arm pit. Shingles! For those of you who aren't aware this is something we have struggled with since he was 11 months old. In fact he was hospitalized for 3 days when he was 11 months old while they tried to figure out what this infection was and if they could save his finger. They did manage to save his finger and decided to diagnose him with Herpatic Whitlow and prescribe oral acyclovir. Well, it never would make it completely better so he was on it for 18 months or so..every day. Then it just stopped and he has been better since he was 3. Until a couple of months ago. Now, I noticed that all of this began 6 weeks after he received his fist vaccination for Chicken Pox. I could never get any of the doctors to even consider the possibility that it could have been a reaction to this. They always just blew me off. Now, nearly 7 years later our pediatrician here has decided that it is not herpatic whitlow but in fact it is and has always been shingles which he contracted from the vaccination for Chicken Pox. Go figure. That is what I have suspected all along. I think it is wonderful that we have modern medical technology and things that can decrease deaths but...sometimes I think we over vaccinate when just getting the virus and having a natural immunity built up in our children's bodies would be better. I am furious that all these years I just nodded when a doctor told it was time for this and that vaccination because we trust these doctors to know what they are talking about and assume that it in our children's best interest. If I had it to do all over again, i am not sure that I would get my children vaccinated. I think I would just take my chances. Now, Conner will forever have shingles that he will have to suffer with and deal with his whole entire life. I am heart broken over this for my child. Just heart broken.

Saturday.

We went to exchange Carson's boots that Meme got him for his birthday. We had to drive to Reno where all the western stores are and get them at Tener's. He, of course, picked out black and red boots. They are really cute. Kylee, Conner and Carson spent most of the day learning how to be super heroes with this adorable "How to Be a Super Hero Starter Kit" that The Hogans gave Carson for his birthday. They had an absolute blast!