Keeping up with the Wahls

Monday, December 13, 2010

I wish I didn't know that

Yes we live in a desert and yes we live VERY close to a lot of wild animals, but today was a day that I wish that we lived in a city again. Louie had a doctors appt and I was ready to leave early so that we could go to the city (St. George) to look at some things before the appt. So, between making sure lunches were made, taking a shower, making sure the kids brushed their teeth, packed their lunches, got shoes, etc., etc., Louie comes into our bathroom while I am taking the little time I have to get makeup on and shows me...a tarantula. Supposedly a DEAD tarantula. Now, I should say that I hate spiders...no, I loath spiders...and so this hairy "dead" tarantula gives me the heeby geebies! He thinks that it soooo interesting and keeps showing it to me..."It's dead Andrea. Kids look what I found!"...right outside our back door!!!! So my mind starts swirling with he what ifs...what if it was heading inside...what if it came inside...what it I found it....YIKES! But it's dead...NOT!! He had it is a cup with a lid that you get at Maverik and the straw is still in the cup. Well, our third blessing, Frankie thinks that it would be great to poke the "dead" tarantula with the straw.....and guess what?...IT WAS NOT DEAD!!!! And it was not happy either!So luckily it was in the cup and so now..."Hey Andrea it's not dead!" I wish that I didn't know that. "Get that thing the H-E double hockey sticks out of my face and out of my house!!"...because now it is my house, when there is this undead yuck in it! EWWWWWWWW! I wish I didn't know that that thing was out there. I wish that I didn't know that it was close to the house. So now I will be checking the back door before bed and all around the house.Sometimes, ya just don't need to know.
Ps. Louie got the good news that he can go back to work next week...

Friday, December 10, 2010

Live Traffic Feed

I love watching our blog's live traffic feed. To see who visits and where they are visiting from. I noticed though the other day that we had a visitor from Wales. Do I know anyone from Wales?...was my first thought. and then I thought(!) that maybe we are so famous that Kate Middleton is looking at our blog for vacation/honeymoon destinations?! Too far fetched?...yeah probably...All the same I hope everyone keeps on coming to visit! ( And Kate if it was you, we really are awesome...)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Our darling dog-in memory of Butterscotch

We got Butterscotch at a fair about 11 years ago. Cecilia was 10 months and Bella was 3. Louie saw him and thought he would be a great addition to our family. He sure was. He was very protective and loved our kids. When Luke was a baby I had put him in his car seat and he started crying, I went to the other room for a moment and Butterscotch started whining, running to the room I was in to where Luke was . He could not stand that Luke was crying. Whenever the kids went outside to play we would say to him "Go watch the Babies ", and he would go out with them and be their guardian. He finally got cancer about 2 months ago and it spread over his eye and around the side of his face. We knew that the time had come to say goodbye to our friend and loyal companion. We know that he is in heaven where I have an aunt and uncle that loved animals and that they will help watch over him until we meet again. Thank you Butterscotch for protecting our family and loving us. We love you and miss you.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Frankie's baptism

Frankie

Frankie and her sisters

Our family with Elder Van Bruggen and Elder Cunha

We had a special day for Frankie the day after Thanksgiving. She was baptized. Usually our church baptize at the age of eight, but for reasons, Frankie chose to wait so that her dad could baptize her. So, she had to be taught by these wonderful missionaries and last Friday she was baptized. Frankie has always been ready. She knows these things are true. She has such a strong spirit and it's not only strong, but unfailing. She just knows things and there are no questions in her mind of the things that are true. We are so proud of her choice and that Louie was able to complete the ordinances. We were worried at first that he wouldn't be able to bring her back up out of the water, so we had back up.(Thanks Elder Cunha!) But he was able to and the day was just perfect.
p.s. We only have the picture of Elder Van Bruggen wearing a pink tie, but Elder Cunha wore a purple one because Frankie asked him to. they are such great guys!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Avascular Necrosis

So as many of you know Louie has for at least the last 8 months or so been suffering with what we first thought was arthritis. He went the doctors and they didn't find anything wrong...x-ray after x-ray.Then last month I went to a chiropractor because I was in severe pain and he helped me so much that I thought maybe he could help Louie. So he took an x-ray with Louie standing up and found that Louie had a broken hip. He also saw a dark spot and was concerned and said that we better get into a doctor soon. So we went back to the doctor and after an MRI and tests later...the good news was it wasn't cancer but a "disease" called Avascular Necrosis. He needed to have a hip replacement on his left hip and will need on again on his right. The left one is the worse one. The right isn't as bad.
On November 9th he had a hip replacement and is going to be out of work for the next few weeks to a month. So, I want to give a shout out to Grandma Maddie and Aunt Hazel now. They have been helping us in more ways then we can count and it means so much to us. We appreciate their sacrifices for our family. Thank you also to all of you that have called, brought in dinners, taken our kids places or practices or done anything to help us. We are grateful. We truly appreciate all the support. Louie is getting stronger everyday. His pain before the surgery was like a stabbing pain and now he is just getting his muscles back to normal. He is doing all he can to get himself well. So, there's the update. I wish I knew how to link info about Avascular Necrosis on here, but anyway go and google it. It is quite a interesting thing.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Happy Birthday Luke Joseph!#7

Wow! Seven years ago, I was told that I wasn't in labor and that I probably wouldn't have him that day. I knew different. Later that night, My contractions went from 2 mins apart on the drive to the hospital to 45 secs apart by the time we got there. We got there at 7:30 and he was born at 7:58. Things went fast! Luke is our only son and he everything I thought a boy would be. Here's 7 things that make Luke Luke:
1. He loves Stars Wars (ironic). He will ask you which character he should like, and you better know the character because if you don't he will school you about EACH one.
2.He draws the craziest pictures!
3. He was 8lbs 10oz when he was born
4.He apologizes very quickly when he has done something wrong and does not like when he gets in trouble, even if it something very minor.
5. He says that his favorite class at school is recess and his least favorite is singing.
6.He is sort named after Luke Skywalker ( dad used to say when he was in the belly the famous"Luke I am your father" and it stuck) and Luke from the Bible. Luke in the Bible, wrote most of the stories that we hear of when Jesus helped women.( I thought that was interesting since Luke would be surrounded by women)
7. He is a very thoughtful boy. Seriously, God could not have given us a more wonderful son. He can be quirky, crazy, loving, and compassionate all at one time!
Happy Birthday to our sweet angel baby boy!