BITE ME!!!

Edward, much hotter than I thought he would be! I was rather impressed. I never thought he would work for me, but he did!
I didn't think Jacob was so hot in the movie, but check out this hottie! (for a 16 year old kid, of course!)
Charlie was one of my favorite movie characters! He was great.
The Cullens were a bit of a let-down for me. They didn't quite live up to the "BEAUTIFUL" part. I think Dr. Cullen looks like Noah Wiley with blond hair.

Bella is exactly like I pictured her. She was good. The one character I liked better in the movie than the book. She was too whiny, needy, clingy, bratty in the book. The movie just a little bit awkward and backwards. Much more likable character in the movie to me.

Yes, I am a Twilight junkie. I have already seen the movie three times! Lots of friends who want to go! I had a blast all three times. So much cheering and screaming. There were also the men who never should have come because all they did was complain the entire time! My advise, read the book before you go if you haven't. The movie makes a lot more sense. We waited in line 2 hours before the Sat. morning showing! I got a sweet t-shirt from my cousin, Kacee! I love it. Girls dates are so much fun! Thanks to all of my fun friends for great times!

Good guy, great friend, NEW MEMBER!

Paul and Sarah. Paul was baptized by his OPA. His maternal Grandfather who is very religious and so thrilled that Paul was baptized before he couldn't witness the event.
The Bertoch CLAN! Scott, Alyssa, Paul, Shantel, Sarah, Kaitlyn, and Kayden. The whole family is finally members!
My 2 handsome little men! They ARE friends, sometimes!!!
This room was so full. This picture was taken before a lot of people were there. I bet there were close to 100 people. AMAZING!

Before we left on a little trip last weekend, we got to see a pretty cool thing. Paul, the triplet's dad was baptized! We were all pretty excited. This is something that we have all been praying would happen for a long time. When I first met Paul 12 years ago, Paul did not even believe in a God. Paul was raised in an anti-mormon environment, so it has taken him a long time to be able to believe the teachings of the gospel. Sarah has been so loving and not pushy at all. She waited for Paul to take all of the steps himself. He asked for the missionaries to come about a year and a half ago. This summer he started to read the scriptures with his family every night. He chose to go to church and do the right things ALL ON HIS OWN! Such a cool thing.

The kids are all over 12, so this was a pretty big deal to them. They understand everything. Scott, the oldest, gave a talk on baptism at the actual event. It was the sweetest thing ever. He bore his testimony at the end and told his dad how much he looked up to him. He was crying and the spirit was so strong. Most everyone was crying. It was very sweet. The room was jam-packed with everyone from neighbors to non-member family to friends from Hyrum and also their new ward. We think this is so amazing. We love this family and are so glad they live close to us so we get to see them so much!

It has been so long since I have had time to post! Life is crazy as ever. Jim is in full swing Basketball, Go BULLDOGS. Our first game is on Wednesday. The game is against Orem at Utah Valley University! Nuts! By the way, I am extatic to be able to tell you, I am going to HAWAII with the team in December! I have never been on a trip with the team before, and Coach Drury might have a coronary letting us go, but we are sooo excited. One of the other coaches wives and I are going and spending the majority of the time on a "GIRLS' TRIP" We can't wait!!

We are still house hunting. I am a spoiled girl who is having a hard time deciding what I want. Surprise! Between houses, dance, doctor appts, therapy for 2 kids, nightly exercise with 2 boys (who hate it!), and trying to maintain the house mostly as a single parent, I seem to keep quite busy.

Jim and I were able to take the kids last weekend and go on a little trip. We stayed in a hotel, let the kids swim, shopped, saw Jim's brother Eric and his family, took fam. pics and had a lot of laughs. It was SO much FUN! The kids played marathon movies in the car, so Jim and I got to talk a lot. It was so nice.

To cook, or not to cook?

So I decided to be good and make home-made chicken noodle soup with home-made noodles. I started when the kids were asleep and at school, but they were soon my big helpers! All except Trey. He has texture issues and wouldn't touch the dough. As he sat and watched us he asked" what ah you guys doin'"? I told him just making noodles. His reply "well why ah ya doin' dat, cause ya not weally a cook." I said, "oh really? Well if I'm not the cook then who is, Dad"? He stood there for a minute and said "no not you, not Dad, not Wainey oah

Poh-tah ...Guess I'm da own-wy cook awound heah"! I laughed because he is just so matter of fact all of the time. The way he says things you know he thinks that there is no way he is wrong! Such a funny guy. We had Jim's sister and brother-in-law in town, and also took dinner to some friends.

Fast forward 2 nights. I was making cookies at about 9pm. I started throwing the ingredients into the Bosh. Jim was correcting school papers but just happened to come to the kitchen. He saw what I was doing and said "you're making cookies, right"? I said yes "he sat pondering for a minute and said "well you know that is pancake batter right"? "Are you kidding"? I chimed back "because that is what I used to make egg noodles the other night". I dumped the ingredients out and started over. I guess Trey was right. I'm really not the cook! Sorry everyone who we fed! Needless to say no one complained, and even I ate and didn't think anything was wrong! I did however permanently mark the flour container!!!

Just a friendly reminder!

This is for all of you readers (yes, including Blog Stockers and our medical family) who haven't given Grayson a birthday memory! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write something down for us in a comment section! Like I said before, I don't remember a lot about the last year, so will you please help a (brain-dead) sister out? We love you so much for doing this for us! TIFF & GRAYSON

NEW DAFOs and SHOES

Well about once a year the time comes for sweet little Trey to get new DAFOs (Dah-foh), aka leg braces. Along with the DAFOs come new shoes because the braces are always a couple of sizes bigger than the last ones. The leg braces are made with casts of Treys legs, with which they make a mold to make the brace. One for each leg. The whole process takes at least 3 weeks and that is if there aren't any problems with insurance. The braces increase stabilization of Trey's leg and help to keep proper alignment. The difference is amazing with and without DAFOs. Trey thinks they are pretty cool. This time he chose a strap with flames and the rest black! He said that was so he could" be as fast as lightning"! To find shoes that will actually fit the braces is a joke. This time we spent 3 hours at the mall trying on shoes. We bought the first pair that fit! We are glad this is a once a year thing because these puppies run about $1,700!!!

One of my favorite stories about Trey is as follows. We were at the store one day and Trey insisted on walking. I got him out and got his sticks. He was walking allover and getting pretty tired after walking after maybe 10 minutes. I asked him if he wanted to get in the cart with the other boys to which he replied "I am NOT getting in da stinking caht. I am a big boy and I can walk just, wike, you." I was trying to be patient so I said ok. I saw a lady watching us from the corner of my eye. People "watch" Trey like crazy anywhere we go. After she followed us for a minute she looked at me and said "why can't he walk"? (a common question) to which I reply "his legs don't work quite right, so he gets 4 legs"! most people drop it at that. Trey piped right up and was talking loudly (okay, yelling) "I can too walk, see"? he said as he took the 5 steps it took to get in front of her. She replied "well, yes he CAN walk, but what's wrong with him"? I was frustrated because Trey was catching on and I didn't want him to feel bad. By then Trey was right in front of her and again said "I can too walk" as he picked up one of his sticks and hit her right in the shin!!! I had to keep from busting up. If I would have had my choice I might have done the same thing! I quickly apologized and told Trey that wasn't ok after we all but ran away. He said "well, it dwives me cwazy when she says dat. I AM a big boy now". I told him he was a big boy and we didn't need to worry about that lady because she didn't know how big he was. Then to my delight we were right next to a big display of candy. I told Trey to pick anything he wanted. Bubblegum was all it took to end the story!
Nike shocks were the lucky winner of "FAT SHOES". The ONLY pair we could find wide enough to work.
What a strapping young lad! Trey is hilarious and always has me laughing and smiling. I love you Trey! You are one special BIG BOY!!!

It's the most_______ time of the year!!!

Where in the world is FALL? Oh, yeah in ALABAMA! We sure hope you are enjoying the eighties because here is is all out WINTER> ugh. Grandpa and Grandma in Russia, we feel your pain!!!
Well, Porter wanted to touch the snow when he saw it this morning, so out we went. He was so cute. He was scared to touch it at first, and then wouldn't come inside even when he was FREEZING COLD. I sure love the time Porter and I get to spend when the other kids are @ school. "pease don't go inside. I need see snow s'more"!

Porter thought throwing snow at me was so funny! (it actually was)

It took forever,but he did decide to taste the snow.

The pine trees are even covered!! By the time I made him come in I don't think there was a spot in the front yard he hadn't stepped on! He kept telling me "mom come ovah heah, see? it's snow" and "I yub da snow. So boo-ful" He sure is a funny little guy!

One year old?!!?

So SMALL and FRAGILE. Eyes FUSED shut. As SMALL as my hand. HIS hand as big as the TIP of my finger. WEIGHING as much as 6 STICKS of BUTTER. Lungs too PREMATURE to work. Born with an INFECTION. So fragile he could only be touched with GLOVED HANDS. Diapers SMALLER than most cell phones. Many bouts with SEPSIS, HUNDREDS of IV's, almost 6 MONTHS of his life in the HOSPITAL. 1 PERFORATED bowel, 1 illiostomy. 2 IV burns, one HUGE scar on his foot. FUNGAL BALL in the heart? We'll never really know! 3 surgeries, 3 BIG scars on his CHEST and ABDOMEN. 1 major CARDIAC ARREST.

ONE HUGE MIRACLE

Where in the world did the last year go? I can't believe that Grayson is ONE! I have to admit that sadly, I don't remember a lot of details of the last year. Between sleep deprivation and stress I think blocking things out was one of my coping mechanisms. Grayson, by medical standards shouldn't be alive. He is such a MIRACLE! As I sat and held him in the middle of the night last night I just cried. I looked through some of his NICU pictures and didn't realize how raw those wounds still are. Look at the little BOOGER now! 18lb. 8oz. 28 inches long and finally on the "normal chart"! He is still very behind developmentally, so we will keep working with him! We love you GRAYSON. We have the happiest baby ever! What would we do without you?We are going to ask you to PLEASE leave a memory of Grayson's first year (good or bad, we want them all) in the comments. I want him to be able to hear from other people how things were! THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU!!!

Thanks to all of the medical personnel who treated Grayson (and me) so well. We wouldn't be doing so well without you guys! (in no particular order) Heather, Erika, Tammy, Margaret, Keri, Vicki, Dayna, Wendee, Darrin, Joel, Aletha, Mel, Katie, Jen X3, Lacy, Jayda, Suely, Jessica, Jonna, Carly, Becky Lisa X3, Lyn, Reggie, Don, Ron, Steve, Ryan, Fino, McKade, Janalynn, Dr. Gerday, Dr. Minton, Dr. Ogden, Dr, Stoddard, Susan, Jenny, Allison, I will continue to add to the list! Sorry if your name isn't here yet! I have few brain cells and need some reminding!

SICK, SICK, SICK

Any one of these (or a coctail) are usually how I cope with my day! Especially when everyone has strep or double ear infections and your 4 year old wakes up every night for a couple of hours (we think his legs really bother him right now). Generally caffeine is one of my best friends!

This is what the BID (twice daily) routine consists of at the McEvoy household right now. All 4 kids are on antibiotics. Then there is breathing treatments x2, ear drops, prevacid, singulair and lots and lots of motrin, oh and don't forget the poop juice! We are all much happier when we have that! How do I keep track of it, you ask? Well, see the paper on the right? That is my brain! As long as I remember to write it down, I can see when the last time each kid had medicine was!!! If in doubt, I just as Lainey. She usually knows!

HOLY HALLOWEEN!!!

Well, another Halloween has passed, but certainly not un-eventfully! Everyone has been sick, so that made for some fun times! I realized I did not take any pictures of Grayson because I didn't allow him to participate in any festivities. He had to stay home, in the warm and away from germs (that's funny) and be spoiled by Grandpa! He wore a pumpkin onsie and that was the extent of his costume!

Lainey was Princess Giselle from Disney's Enchanted! So beautiful. She made sure to twirl her dress for everyone and had enough sparkles coating her to light up a city!

It was hard to keep up with this Batman! He got a new set of batteries just before we left I think, so he literally RAN everywhere!

Trey was pretty limited because he has strep. Poor kid. He told me he was too sick to

wear his glasses!

Porter's face is classic.

It was 70 degrees when we went trunk-or-treating! Amazing because it usually rains or snows! The kids didn't even have to wear coats over their costumes!!!

BLACK BATMEN: FACE OFF Aren't they cute?

This is what Porter would do every time he saw another super hero. Then he would say "I Batman. Trey Batman." He is hilarious!

Trey managed to be a little bit lively for about a half hour. He was so excited to go on a stroller ride. Being sick takes every bit of energy he has, so I really carry him everywhere!

BUDDIES! Porter was supposed to be a monkey this year but... I put Trey in his costume before he got on the bus Thursday for his school party. Porter was hysterical because he wanted batman! I told him I would put his monkey costume on, but he informed me "I no want muh-ky. Dat stupid. I hade it". Trey had been gone for an hour and 15 minutes and Porter was still crying and wouldn't forget. I decided that I would just take him to good ol' Wal-Mart and buy him a costume. I tried to get him to buy Superman or Spiderman, but all he wanted was black Batman just like Trey, so that is what he got!