We're here!!!

Tonight, Brad challenged his mom to a Plank Off.  You can see which one of them is still planking after two minutes.

Sorry Brad.

Pepper is out of the hospital, and after a wild time last night of laundry and packing, we are on our way to Utah!

Texas is a great state for Christianity.  Besides this GINORMOUS cross just outside of Amarillo, we passed the following establishments:

1.  The Full-Armor Biker Church

2.  East River Cowboy Church

3.  First Indian Baptist Church

and my personal favorite. . .

4.  The Jesus Christ is Lord Travel Center (basically a truck-stop plastered with various scriptures praising Jesus--because nothing says worship like a grubby gas station).

We also passed this on old Route 66:

How straight-out-of-Cars is this old filling station?  I expected Lightening McQueen to come speeding by at any time.

Even though today was a long 14-hours of driving, I am so glad to be here with Pepper reasonably healthy in the back seat.

 

 Pepper has been moved to a private room on the endocrine floor and is improving hourly.

We've been told he will be discharged today, and the doctor gave us the OK to head to Utah tomorrow as planned.

I'm starting to believe this week will have a happy ending.

Yesterday, Pepper was admitted to the ICU at Cook Children's Hospital for severe dehydration and Diabetic Ketoacidosis.  This happened because when he changed his insulin pump site at scout camp, somehow the cannula bent so he got zero insulin for several hours.  He was throwing up, and the camp nurse thought he was dehydrated, so she sent him home knowing he was diabetic and vomiting is nothing to mess with.

He came home sick, sick, sick, and thinking he was dehydrated, I started pushing water and Gatorade.  When he woke from a nap around 4:30, it was obvious something was hideously wrong.  Pepper looked like a zombie of himself--sunken eyes, grey skin, and I could see the blood vessels underneath his skin.  Everything about him looked shriveled up.

So, I got him to an ER as fast as I could, and once there, the doctors identified the DKA.  They sent him via ambulance to Cook Children's, where he was poked a thousand times as they tried to find a vein that was still able to take an IV.  It wasn't pretty.  Once he was finally hooked up, things calmed down for a brief moment, and I was alone with him for a few minutes.  That is when it got supremely ugly.  He started to claw at me and at his clothes and at the bed and at his IV's, his eyes unfocused as he growled and yelled at me.  The butch male nurse came running, as did everyone within hearing distance, including security.  It took six of us to restrain him and keep him from tearing out the IV's.  The doctor was called to OK a sedative, and he just kept repeating "This is concerning.  This is very concerning," while I held my zombie son down and cried.  Easily the worst ten minutes I've ever had.

Once Pep was calmed down, the doctor told me that a concern with DKA is that the brain will swell if they hydrate too fast, so the fact that he reacted like this could mean brain damage.  The next hour was easily the worst hour I've ever had as the doctor ordered a CAT scan and we waited for Pepper to wake.  Brad wasn't there yet as he was home making arrangements for Luke, and I called and told him to bring another priesthood holder with him because Pepper needed a blessing.  Then, I went into a hallway and cried like a baby.

By the time Brad arrived, Pepper was awake and speaking and acting reasonably and it was determined that his brain was OK.  HUGE relief.  Brad and a friend from our ward gave him a blessing, then left as I stayed with Pepper.  All night, I barely slept as I listened to his heavy breathing as his poor body tried to rid itself of the toxins caused by the DKA.

Today, Pepper is doing much, much better.  His breathing is no longer so labored, and he isn't throwing up.  He is still in the ICU so he can have insulin in his IV to keep his sugars regulated, but he is starting to say he is hungry.  He has also lost his shriveled-up look, which is a big relief.  They are saying we should move to the endocrine floor sometime today, which should be nicer.

Throughout all this, I can't help but think of my last hospital stay with Pepper when he was originally diagnosed with diabetes in Berlin.  I hated that week with every cell in my body, mostly because it felt like the hospital there was scary and horrific.  My friend Denise tried to put a positive spin on it and called it the Hogwarts Hospital, but to me it was a house of torture.

Let me remind you.

In direct contrast, Cook Children's Hospital is the Happy Fun Hospital.

This is the lobby, complete with a Build-a-Bear workshop and food court on the right.

Even the elevators are cheerful, decorated to look like a day at the park.

But, this is what I found to be the most glaring contrast:

This is the "sculpture" on the grounds of Cook Children's.

These are the sculptures on the grounds of Hogwarts Hospital.

Um, yeah.  If this had to happen, I am so glad it happened here.  I will take Happy Fun over Hogwarts any day.

There will be no picture today.

Today was not a day I want to remember.

Brad said it best:

We are the Clampetts.

Our Cee-ment pond.

We've been having an algae problem in our pool, so after a couple weeks of frustration, the pool guys just decided to drain the darn thing and give it a good scrubbing.  This is what we found tonight when we went to check on the draining process.  Yep--those are frogs.

 Scout camp!!

I dropped these guys at the church this morning at 4:00 AM--yes, you read that right--4:00 AM!!  Then, I drove myself home and went back to bed until 8:30.  My last thought as my eyes drifted closed was that somewhere on a Texas highway, our ward scoutmaster was in a truck full of teenaged boys, looking at a week of 100 degree heat, rancid socks, boy armpits, and hoards of bugs.  

One of us is going to heaven, and it isn't me.   Today, I'm okay with that.

Today, we said good-bye to another missionary friend, Elder Johannson.  He is actually going home--home!--this week.

As a bonus, we learned a little something about his companion, Elder Mann.  Check out this pre-mission tidbit.

 Third time's a charm!

We ordered this table in the beginning of May, and it has turned into quite a saga.  The first one that came had something wrong with the base, so it couldn't be attached to the table top.  So, we waited for a replacement.  The second one that came, the bolt that was supposed to hold it together was stripped, but it sort of worked in a wobbly sort of way, so we kept it and waited for the furniture store repair guys to come back and fix it.  Today--finally--they came with an entirely new table that 1) will attach to the base, and 2) doesn't wobble at all.  So, this rather frustrating story had a happy ending.

And I LOVE it!

 Aaaaah, The Pile.

When I was a kid, there was nothing worse than going into my bedroom and encountering The Pile, which was what happened when my mom went on a rampage and swept everything that had been living under my bed, in the corners, in the closet, and on top of my dresser into a big pile that I then had to go through and throw/put away.

The Pile: as a kid, it was my enemy, but as a mother, it is my best friend.

Mac & cheese and green beans from a can = summer vacation dinner at its finest.

At least Flash thought so.

I'm kind of a hair dud, but occasionally I will go someplace besides a Super Cuts and get a decent haircut with highlights.

That happened today.  I can't tell you when it will happen again.

 The Pump Twins

We've been working for months to get Pepper an insulin pump and today it finally happened.  Now he's bionic like me!

 Tonight we saw the highly-anticipated Man of Steel.

I'm not going to lie--I was little let down.  It was a little dark and heavy and sci-fi-y.  I kind of wanted it to be more fun, which it wasn't at all.  And, the last third of the movie felt like gratuitous action, which I think is so boring.  I mean, if you've seen one building blow up, you've seen 'em all. Sitting through 30+ minutes of explosion after explosion = meh.  

In fact, Lukie is barefoot because he fell asleep midway through all the exploding, and we put his flip-flops in my purse so they wouldn't fall off when Brad carried him.  I was also fighting to keep my eyes open, but I wouldn't allow them to close because I didn't want to miss any close-ups of Clark Kent.  Anyone with eyeballs will know why.

 Happy Father's Day Brad!!

(Sadly, Jess is in UT, so Brad's Father's Day picture was with just the boys.  Miss you Jess!)

Brad arrived home from Argentina just in time for BBQed ribs and Uncle Kirk potatoes, gifts and lovin', and a looooong Sunday afternoon nap.  It was pretty swell.

Speaking of swell, I sure did a good job picking my kids' Dad.  Just sayin'...

This weekend, I took a whirlwind trip to Utah so I could attend the graveside service of my little nephew Max.

Last week, Brad's sister Katie had her baby boy by emergency c-section.  For the last couple of months, we've all been in high prayer mode because her little guy wasn't growing like he should inside her belly, and on June 4, the doctors determined that he had a higher chance of survival outside in the world.  So, he was born, and he was so, so, so tiny.  Even at 31 weeks, he was much too small, and his little heart stopped beating just a few hours after he was born while Katie held him and loved him.

 

 

It was a really lovely service, and I am so glad I was able to be there.  Every word spoken was just right and the music was simple and reverent.  It was the perfect tribute to this little person whose spirit did not need to prove itself long before returning to his Father in Heaven.

I think my favorite part of the service was when Katie's husband Cameron arrived carrying the little casket.  It was so small and light, and the thing that struck me was that Cameron held it so tenderly in his arms.  He even had one end tipped up slightly, like everyone does when carrying a newborn to be careful of the little head.  It didn't look like he was carrying a box, but rather he was a father carrying his baby, a son that he loved and revered.  I will never forget that image.

I was only in Utah for less than 24 hours, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  I am grateful that I was able to share in the spirit that was there and pay tribute to this sweet family member with the rest of the Bitners.

Katie and Cameron, I love you.  And your little Max,  too.

This week, Brad has been in Argentina for work.  I'm trying not to complain, since this is the first real business trip he has had to take since we moved here, but right now I'm a little grumpy.  Because, guess what he did the other night in Buenos Aires???

He went to a TANGO SHOW!! In ARGENTINA!!

In case you didn't put it together,  

BRAD GOT TO SEE LEGIT, LIVE ARGENTINE TANGO!!

Here are some of the pictures he sent me:

Of course it happened in a basement cafe.  I am swooning.

Do you know what I love about this?  I love that my dreamy husband, who really isn't all that into dance, went to this Tango show and snapped pictures on my behalf.  He called and tried to tell me all about it, but our phone connection was bad, so basically all I got from him was, "I just kept thinking, Jill would LOOOOVE this!!"

And just when I thought Argentine Tango couldn't get any more romantic.

 Brad's sister Becky sent this picture of Jess on her first day of work at Classic Waterslides.

How cute is she?  I miss my girl!!

Okay, I'm just going to say it.

I don't have a testimony of scouting.

Pepper and Adam are preparing to go to scout camp in a couple of weeks, so today we headed to the local Scout Store to purchase the uniforms they are REQUIRED to have in order to participate and do little things like EAT MEALS.

Now, my boys are complete scouting novices.  One of the perks of living in Germany was the absence of Boy Scouts of America, so we haven't done anything scouting-related in almost four years.  But here, as in all American Mormon wards, the young men are closely affiliated with BSA, so we are back in the arena (and when I say arena, I mean to conjure up images of the barbaric gladiator tournaments of ancient Rome, because that is how aggressive scouting make me feel).  And, because I want my boys to spend time with the young men in our ward and the truly amazing men who work with them, I have to put aside my personal feelings toward BSA and just suck it up.

So, like I said, we went to the Scout Store today and bought the barest of the required materials: scout shirts for both, the epaulets for the shoulders, the council badges, the troop numbers, scout handbooks, kerchiefs, and slides.  It all fit neatly into one bag.

AND IT COST ME $209.51 !!!

Will somebody please tell me why we have to do all this BSA stuff?  And, don't give me answers about building boys' character and meeting goals and providing ways for young men to spend time with quality mentors doing cool activities and camp-outs .  Because, all that stuff happens for the Young Women without any ties whatsoever with Girl Scouts.  And, they don't have to purchase ridiculous uniforms with a million patches that their moms have to sew on.  Or fill out a thousand forms--including a doctor's sheet that requires them to miss school for their appointment--just to go camping.  Or sell bucket-loads of popcorn to unsuspecting friends and neighbors. . .

Wait. 

I almost forgot about the popcorn.  Specifically, the chocolate-covered popcorn.

Okay.  I DO have a testimony of that.

 This is what I was looking at through my window as I had the following phone conversation:

(imagine the neighbor half of this happening in a strong Western accent)

Me:  Hello?

Neighbor :  Hi Jill, this is A, B's mom.

Me:  Yes!

Neighbor:  Would you send B home?  We're fixin' to go to Vacation Bible Camp.

Me:  Sure.

Neighbor:  Much obliged! 

Texas, people.  Texas.

No, Jess is not in the hospital.  I don't know how I managed to get that wheelchair in the background.

What you should be noticing is the Arrival/Departure boards lit up above her head, indicating that she is at the airport heading to Utah where she will be working this summer.  She flew there all by herself, so I had to leave her here just before she went through security.  I waited and watched her and waved until she was done going through the scanners and had to go find her gate.  

Then, I walked out to my car and cried because my girl was gone.  I did not see that coming.

It's been a year since we moved from Berlin, but we still get weekly email updates from our friend Olaf on what is happening in the Dahlem Ward.

This week was their ward conference, complete with a potluck afterward in the church yard.  Olaf sent this picture:

After a year, it feels so weird to me that this used to be our Sunday norm.  It seems like a lifetime ago and a world away.  And yet, I look at the table of food and I can just smell all the German food and I see the shady grass and I know just how it feels to be there in that place with those people.

I know that after a year, I should probably tell Olaf to take me off his update list.  But, I'm not going to.

Youth Conference Bitner Family Reunion.

Love, love LOVE these kids!!

My friend Jenna sent this sneak peak of the proofs from our recent family photos.

I cannot wait to see the rest!!

This afternoon, I was sitting here talking to Jess when all of a sudden, she looked down at her phone and said, "Awwww!" grinning from ear to ear.

This is what she saw:

 Pepper posted this on Instagram.

Every family should have a Pepper.

Posted by my sweet sister-in-law Katie:

 "June 4, 2013 Max Paul Weaver came into this world. Just a few short hours later he returned to our Heavenly Father. We feel so blessed to have had the time to hold and love him. We appreciate all the love and support and prayers on behalf of our little family."

I have nothing more to say.  My heart is breaking.

 Lukie's end of the year awards ceremony.

With his cute teacher, Mrs. Allen.

 With his proud mama, me.

Why do I allow Jess to take candid shots of us in the car when I'm driving?  I always end up being the frumpy mother hurrying to flash a nervous smile before returning my eyes to the road while my daughter looks like she is having The Best Time.

I'm sorry.  I cannot be bothered to talk to anyone or update my blog today.  I am in the middle of this:

So leave me alone and quit bugging me.

 My girl.

And do you want to know what cool thing she did today?  She went with our stake Priests and Laurels to Granbury, TX to spend the day helping clean up the tornado mess.  She had to get up and leave by 6:30 AM, and she didn't even complain.

I just love this girl.