I now have my eye on you....

This week has been quite the "eye opener" or "closer"....  (ha ha) 

Last Saturday as Brent and I were finishing up things in the yard (So fun! I love working in the yard!) I noticed that my right eye was giving me just a small bit of pain and grief again.  For those of you who don't know, Ashton gouged my eye 1 1/2 ago and it has had a tough time healing ever since.  [What happens is the eye forms new skin/ "epithelium" to heal wounds, but sometimes it has a hard time regrowing the anchors that hold that new skin to the old underneath.  It can attach in some places, but over time it can just come off and kind of slide around like loose carpet.  Causing severe pain and, well... Brent to have to do everything for me!]  Well, I called in on Monday and made an appointment for the soonest they could get me in (Wednesday morning).  The Lord truly does know us and know what we (will) need because on Tuesday morning (2am) I had another severe episode (as described above).  Poor Brent had to take time off of his newly acquired internship to take me to the doctor only to have them say I needed surgery that afternoon!  Surprise!!  Brent thought his boss would give him a lecture for missing most the day, but we were both grateful to find out she was extremely understanding.  Phew! 

Apparently, my surgery was quite like lasik surgery only they didn't reshape my cornea at all.  They scraped off a bunch of the old "epithelium" that wasn't adhering and then used the laser to polish the face of my eye.   It was quite odd to be awake and having to keep my eye steady as they poked at it... I even saw the part of the eye they took off.  That was no small layer of epithelium either!!!  Not the most comfortable thing in the world- even though I was numb.  It just wierded me out a little, call me strange!  :)  Following all the invasive stuff, they gave me a bandage contact to put over top so that I could blink without severe pain.  You wouldn't think that your eye lid could really cause that much pain, but oh boy!  Ha ha!   My doctor gave me a prescription for Vicadin, Ambien among 4 different types of eye drops and sent me home to sleep.  This was at 5pm.... I slept 'til 8:30 the next morning!  Thank Heavens for my sweet husband braving the kids all by his lonesome! :) 

Apparently I needed to learn to be thankful for my eyesight the last year and a half... and if that was the goal- it worked!!! :)  I truly am grateful for the beauty around us and being able to experience it first hand.  What a blessing it is to see!! What a blessing it is to not be in pain as well!!  I also found an even deeper appreciation for the Priesthood in my home, the calm reassurance that comes with those blessings, and the ones who give them. 

Now, 4 days later, I feel as good as new!  I can't believe how great I feel.  Isn't Heavenly Father great?! 

I better get to bed.  Thanks for reading!
Love you all!

Kira Anne =)

www.yourperfectpictures.com 
(^a little something I just started^)

Spring is springing up everywhere!!! :)

Here are the pictures I promise a WEEK ago.... Apparently our Mac computer can only hold 20 gigabytes of photos...?  I couldn't download the last few pictures on my card (which were the ones that I wanted to upload to the blog) because we already had 19.9 gigs of photos.  Wierd.  So, finally, here we are!  The long awaited back yard pics! :)

SW corner of our yard

Standing to the left of the tree in previous picture, facing E.

West side of the yard

Barely North of the last picture 

Standing in the same spot as the last pic, just looking North. 

Standing on the porch looking SE.

Now for some artsy pictures I took.  I love taking pictures of flowers!!!

HAPPY SPRING!!!!!!

Isn't Spring wonderful!?  Having spent a lot of time outdoors, I can't help but think of how miraculous nature truly is.    We have been blessed with a beautifully landscaped yard.  In addition to watching these plants re-bud, we have planted seeds of many kinds.  It has been so inspiring to watch them grow.  Heavenly Father has such perfect creations.  One example: tulips. (which I didn't even know we had! Wonderful surprise!!!)  The big and beautiful leaves come up first, protecting the buds, and the green buds actually TURN color and open into beautiful tulips when ready!  How COOL is that?!  I have also been watching the trees outside my windows and noticing how miraculous they are as well.  I am filled with awe when I think of the little buds that cover my trees actually become leaves!  SO awesome.  I just love the outdoors. ;)  I could go on and on, but I will spare you!  Ha ha!  Here are a pic of our yard: I'll update more later tomorrow.  Right now I only have one good picture uploaded to my computer.  This is a crocus flower!  One of our first flowers of the season!!!

Ha ha ha! I am so silly...

Well,of course, I make a goal to do this darn thing once a month and what happens??  I don't to it for THREE MONTHS...  Whatever.  Out the window with that goal.  Perhaps I should just say I'll do it when I can.  Perhaps I should just post a few random pictures once and a while.  I mean, really.  Why do I have to feel like it is some monumental project to write a few measly things on a blog for y'all to see?  It's not that big of a deal, really.  Onward and Upward.
Things are going well here in good ol' Spokane.  Gotta love the weak winter we are having.  I LOVE not having snow.  I'm actually surprised how much I do like it.  I have missed being able to go sledding, sure!  Although, not having to shovel, worry about slipping on ice, freeze my pants off, pay an enormous gas bill, etc. etc. makes up for it 10 fold.  Ashton has even been able to go out and play on the swings and slide on occasion!  Sweet bliss is a warm winter. ;)
Brent is back to slaving away all day every day (excluding Sundays) with his law school schtuff.  I'm so proud of him.  I don't know how he does it!  He also is
I am at home with the kidlets and trying to get involved with things here and there.  A friend of mine told me about a membership at the YMCA that she has and after looking into it, we decided it was a good idea for me as well.  They have free childcare (Yipee!!!) and a great facility.  I have already taken the boys swimming and worked out a few times as well.  Ashton loves the "play place" and gets excited any time I mention it!  Its such a nice outlet!
Ashton's vocabulary is exploding.  He picks up on almost anything we mention ONCE to him... I have to be more careful not to say "Shut up!" instead of "No way!" when Brent tells me something cool.  Ha ha!  I am such a bad influence. :)
Brigham is now quite the mover.  He loves to explore and it is so cute!  Except, of course, when he wants to explore up the stairs... Definitely NEED to get a railing in so we can put up a gate.  What happened to that being on the tippy top of our "to do" list??  Who knows.  Brigham now has 2 beautiful stubs of teeth on his bottom gum line.  We are expecting his top two teeth any day now.  Stay tuned...
Here are some lovely pictures of lovely us. :)

               Daddy and the boyz :)













            







               Mommy and the boyz on the deck,
                              in our backyard
                   on a hammock, from Ecuador....
                 in a hole in the bottom of the sea.