August Update!!!!!

What a tremendous blessing it is for me to get messages from those of you who are awaiting an update on how things are in the Robertson home. It reminds me that there is a world beyond these walls that cares and loves us beyond measure and wants to know what's going on.

Once again I find myself apologizing for not making time for the blog. These 3 munchkins keep me on my toes around here and summertime also carries its own busyness. So here's a bit of a rundown on life around our house.

July brought HOT HOT HOT weather around here and I thought the boys might just melt up in their bedroom. Unfortunately, they have the hottest room in the house....so those nights were pretty unbearable for them (and the rest of us) because of the heat. We did survive it though and we took off for Eastern WA for some vacation the 19th of July. Myself and the kids went to Leavenworth with my folks for a week and then Randy met us over there at the end of that week and accompanied us to Wenatchee for another 5 days with the Robertson side of the family. Our time in Leavenworth was hot and fun, however, Connor ended up having another 'bout with MRSA. I caught it right away and started treating it, but there's never a calm moment in my heart when that little fella is sick. He ended up coming back home with my parents and we kept Mackenzie and Alex with us for the Wenatchee part of the trip. We endured record high temps with the rest of the state that week and were quite glad that we opted to stay in a hotel instead of trailer camping this year. We had a nice time with family, as we always do and had fun in the pool as well. Randy took some time to get back out on the water and do some skiing, which he hadn't done in 2 years...so he loved that. I was hoping for a day on the water as well to do some skiing or jet skiing, but I realized that my grasp is still not what it should be to do that, so I was with the kids.

This summer has been a trying time with Randy gone so much. It seems that his schedule just doesn't let up and we only have him home for maybe 3 days at a time, but just last week he had been gone for 6 days, came home for 30 hours and now he's gone again for another 6. Whew....it is hard to keep my chin up some days, but I really am trying to manage with a joyful heart. Some days are not as successful as others in this department, but the days keep moving forward.

Our littlest guy, Alex will be turning the big #1 in just a month (Sept. 15th). I can't believe it's already been a year. Where does the time go?? I wish I knew the answer to this question, but in the hectic life we all seem to lead, it goes without saying that we loose so much time in the process of doing life!!!!

Alex has struggled to get teeth. As of today, he finally had a top and a bottom tooth sneak out from underneath the skin. I think this poor little fella is gonna get 6 or 7 teeth at once...from what it looks like in that swollen little mouth of his. He hasn't been sleeping well, which is always difficult, so I look forward to these teeth coming so we can get back to a normal sleeping schedule. Other than that, he is such a happy little guy and so much fun....He is almost walking, so we are hopeful for independent steps by his first birthday.

Mackenzie continues to be my outdoor girl. She has a great love for rocks. She could stay outside all day collecting rocks and digging in the dirt. That poor girls fingernails just can't stay clean enough for me, but hey, she's having fun. I keep wanting to start the potty training experience with her, as I really think she's ready, but I haven't made it a priority yet. I need to get on this for her sake, and mine. She continues to be a very picky eater, so that is challenging. Any tricks of the trade would be greatly appreciated if any of you are so inclined to share your thoughts. She's a pile of fun and her little, high-pitched voice is a hoot. She says some of the cutest things and we're constantly worried that we're not video taping enough or capturing all of these moments so that we have them forever. Some days I just have to remind myself that I am making a heart memory if I can't get it on film or video.

Connor is a busy little guy too. He is really flourishing with his "gait trainer" walker. He loves to walk and he has taken 7 independent steps on his own so far. We're so proud of him and we encourage him to become more mobile every day. He still loves his water therapy with Miss Erica and he looks forward to it every week. We had another insurance battle over the past month so he missed a couple of sessions, but it looks like that is all getting resolved nicely. Last week we had appointments up at Children's Hospital with his ENT. After doing the evaluation and X-rays, they have determined that Connor needs his tonsils and adenoids removed. They are both quite enlarged and could be a big contributor to his sinus infections through the winter months and his poor sleep habits. We will see his cardiologist this coming week to get him cleared for surgery and then hopefully, we will have the procedure done in early September. It will be a pretty big deal for Connor and they feel that he will, most likely, spend a couple of nights in the ICU before coming home. They prepared me for a pretty unhappy little guy for about 2 weeks, but said that they would provide good pain management for him. I have some apprehension with all of this, but I am trusting that we are moving in the right direction for him.

Our families are doing well. This coming week we will celebrate Dad Robertson's (John) 85th birthday. What a blessing to celebrate our parents and how wonderful they are. Mom Robertson (Ruberta) has been battling a cyst in her knee for a few weeks now. She was in a lot of pain at first and now that seems to be getting better. We are praying that this goes down on it's own so the doctors don't have to do any kind of surgery. Dad & Mom Milliren are doing great as well. Still trying to figure out if they want to sell their house or stay...no decision on that yet. Dad (Bruce) hasn't done near the amount of fishing this year that he normally does, but maybe he'll catch up this fall. Mom (RaeAnn) is busy as ever, but did slow down last week with a UTI, but she is feeling much better now. My brother Bryan just summitted Mt. Adams this weekend...way to go Bryan...I'm proud of you! There's nothing like standing on top of a mountain, huh? Anyway, everyone is busy now and getting ready for the start of school here in a couple of weeks.

Well, there you go...another update on our busy family life. My to-do list keeps getting longer and longer and I find it harder and harder to get things crossed off.....such is the life of just about every mother I know. Keep us in your prayers as always, and know that we very much appreciate all of your love and support for our family.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori