Our Utah trip and my thoughts on blogs

Looks like I'm the primary author of this blog, now.  That's okay.  For a while I was hesitant to put up kid pictures and text because that's usually Heidi's job, and then for a while, I wasn't sure where to get back into blogging.  I'm not into facebook because it's too time consuming and there's no real power to archive.  Plus, why do I care that you've just gotten a latte?  With these blogs you can print them into books, which is what we did for Heidi's posts from 2007-09.  It's easy to keep my NBI blog because no one reads it and I don't have to stress so much about including each of the kids in the posts or whatever.  

So we did the annual Glen McMillan family vacay in Elk Ridge Estates, near Cedar City, Utah.  The elevation was about 10k and I felt it right when I got out of the car.  Then Tyler complained that his chest hurt, and we could see that he was really having to exert himself in order to get the air in.  The expansion and contraction of his chest is what drives the flow of blood, so he would huff here and there.  

We called his cardiologist and he was like, "Did you ask me about this elevation?  I don't remember having this conversation."  It was because we didn't know the altitude was going to be so high.  We figured that since it was near Cedar City that it would be about 4500 feet.  So we gave Tyler a blessing that talked about his hemoglobin accommodating so he could enjoy his time with his cousins.  

The next day he was feeling a lot better, and he complained a little, but the rest of the time, did well.  

A view from the west balcony.  We were pretty much at the top of this mountain range.

Bryce was my favorite part.  Fortunately, it was cloudy and therefore, not very hot.  In fact, it started to thunder and lightning and rain and we had to go inside the lodge.  The guide was trying to shuffle us inside without sounding panicked, but I know he was worried that someone was gonna get struck by lightning.

I think the kids need more time to run around in the dirt and throw sticks or rocks.  More nature, less electronic stimulation.

I have since cut Blakey's hair and he looks quite a bit older.  Everyone comments that he looks like Scott, and it's true.  My mom did Kira's hair each day.  She's real crafty like that.  I gave Kira some layers but we haven't really styled it since.  I also gave Heidi some posterior layers but that's not really hard.  Anyone can cut hair, and the difference between a good and bad haircut is a couple of days.  

 On our way back to California we drove through St. George and stopped at Brigham Young's summer home.  You gotta admire the Mormon pioneers for planting and irrigating and making that desert into a habitable area.  I still don't much care for the heat, but they were able to grow, harvest, and spin cotton on his estate.  That's cool.  This tree had split (maybe struck by lightning, I can't remember) and they cemented the core and put a turnbuckle in the bifurcation.  Clever.

I'm also impressed at the woodwork those pioneers did.  Things were different back then.  I don't even know who Ethan Allen is, but I bet his kitchen set isn't as sturdy as this.  IKEA:  get real.  We can't talk much because we buy beat-up stuff that the kids destroy.  Heidi wants to get nicer furniture, and I kinda do too, but as soon as we do, we'll always be fussing over it.  Kira has been going crazy with the markers on the walls, furniture, bedding, herself, you know, pretty much anywhere she shouldn't draw.  But whatev.

A view from the west.  On the right was the cotton garden, pomegranate tree, grape vines, and some other fruit trees.  It was inspiring.

Looks like that's all the pictures I have in my dropbox folder.  So how are we doing?  Okay.  Fortunately for me, work is going well and I am happily doing six days.  The kids started school back up and we had back to school night last night.  This morning, Tyler and Scott were racing the hopscotch grid and Tyler fell.  He started to cry that he wanted to go home, and his teacher had to coax him to get into the classroom.  I left before he actually went in, but I don't think he's exactly thriving.  We got two phone calls last year because Tyler had "accidents."

Sometimes I forget his condition and just expect him to be like Scott.  Considering Tyler's heart configuration, and considering that some of his cohorts have died or have received transplants, I think he's doing pretty well.  I think he got the genetic shaft from me.  My stupid back still hurts, even though it hurts less than it did six months ago.  The swimming, pilates, and acupuncture seem to be helping.

I can't speak on behalf of Heidi, but I think her mom's condition has been hard on her.  I don't know what to do or say, so I end up just retreating to the garage for my therapy,  but that's selfish too.  Oh well.