Ice Cream Makes Everything Better

Things are going much better in the Tharp house this week! Kyle is home from the hospital and recovering well. He's in the "coughing it up" stage with the pneumonia. It is so nice to have him home and returning to his old self. Thanks to everyone for your calls and prayers. We are blessed in so many ways.

In other exciting news...Beckett's first tooth finally broke through today after two months of on-and-off teething and torture for this poor boy. Uncle Tracy is visiting from California and he and Grandpa Guy brought him some ice cream today...OK, some of it was for Natalie too! It was a fun visit...they tried to convince me Kyle was well enough to got the snowmobile out, but I stood my ground and put my foot down like a good wife! Just kidding, he was not feeling quite up to it anyway.


Uncle Tracy and Beckett

Nattie finishes all of her strawberry shake

"One more bite, please!"

And here are the pictures I took off Amanda's blog of our trip to the museum last week. It was a lot of fun...

William, Benjamin, Natalie and Heidi

And Momma and Beckett...it was nice to get a picture with me in it since I'm usually the one behind the camera.

We hope you all are having a good week...Amanda and I will meet with another doctor's wife to show her around on Friday, and I plan to get mostly packed for our trip this weekend before Auntie Hannah comes! We are very excited for this trip and for all of the Brooks Family to meet Beckett for the first time and see how much Miss Natalie has grown. Ipa will also meet us there, which will be fun. I'm not sure if I'll get another post in before we leave a week from tomorrow, so if not we'll have lots of good pictures to share when we get back! Hugs to all.


"Happiness is the by-product of an effort to make someone else happy." ~Gretta Palmer, American Writer

Prayers for Kyle

Just a quick update to let everyone know Kyle's condition...I took him to the ER this afternoon when he said he had chest pains and couldn't breathe. He has been coughing and having lots of cold sweats for a couple of days and it just got really bad today. They immediately thought he had a blood clot in his lung that would have originated in his leg where his cast was (that's a risk with casts). However, after lots of tests and CT scans, they found no major clot, just some areas around his lungs that may be small clots. BUT, he does have bad pneumonia in both lungs. So, he is spending the night in the hospital and will be home sometime soon. They did give him blood thinners just to be safe, and he's on IV antibiotics and breathing treatments. He already looked much better tonight when I left than he did earlier today. Anyway, that was our exciting weekend. Please send good thoughts and prayers for a swift recovery. Hugs to all.

Fun Times...

Well, we've had another eventful week here in Wyoming. Daddy was home for a few days then got sent out to North Dakota again, so it was we three amigos once again. Other than Momma being very tired and sometimes a little crabby, we did fine. I had a couple of good adjustments done on my back this week (trying to avoid more spinal injections) and I feel much better...thanks to Amanda for watching my kiddos for me. You are such a sweetheart and a lifesaver!!! She's my saving grace when I need a little time to myself while Kyle is gone.

Anyway, Amanda and I took all 5 of our kids to the Meeteetse Museum last Friday for an exhibit on Lincoln, and we all had a blast. The kids had lots of things to touch and look at, and then we ate our packed lunch and bought dessert at the Chocolatier! Our kids were so polite and so well behaved, we were very proud of them. They all get along really well together.

Then Guy and Jill took Natalie for some play time on the ranch when Kyle got called out again, and I took Beckett to church and picked her up Sunday. I am debating leaving him home from church for a while until his nap time schedule changes because he wants to go to sleep at 9 a.m. every morning, which just so happens to be when church starts. Unlike Natalie, he is very set on his naps and does not want to be rocked or held when he's tired. ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS LIE DOWN and put himself to sleep. It's really nice when we have a place to do that. I put him down while he's still awake all the time and he's just perfect. But trying to keep him up or get him to go to sleep when he can't lie down is very difficult, and I alsways end up taking him out of church when he starts his loud fits. I tried last time laying him down on the bench with a blanket, but that didn't work. It just doesn't feel good to miss the service and disrupt it for others, so I might leave him home for a bit until he doesn't need that morning nap anymore. We'll see how I feel this weekend.

Amanda and I met with a prospective doctor's wife yesterday and had a great time with her. We spent about 2 hours with her and took her and her kids to our favorite park, to story hour at the library and on a tour of the Community Center. We talked a lot about raising kids here and the like, and we both got the distinct feeling she liked it here. They already live in a pretty small town in Minnesota, so small town life is not foreign to them. She said meeting her and taking the time to show her around meant a lot, so we'll see if they end up moving here. The hospital board supports this new approach, so I hope it makes a difference! Grandpa Guy has also been helping to babysit while I was busy this week, so another THANKS to him. Beckett is much happier around him now that he shaved his beard!

In other news, Kyle got home again last night...and was in the hospital again today. He took a fall off our front steps this morning and messed up his ankle again (the same one he hurt about 2 months ago), so we headed to the clinic with 2 patients today. I took Beckett for his 6 month checkup and Kyle for his ankle. Beckett has now grown 7 inches in 6 months! He's in the 94th percentile for height and 50th for weight. He's just shy of 17 pounds. All is well with him. However, they ended up taking Kyle over to the hospital for an x-ray, and it is not broken. But he will need it casted for at least 6 weeks! The ligaments are shot right now, so he needs to be sure he doesn't roll it again. On the up side...I'll have childcare for the next month or so!

Well, that 's our week in a nutshell. It's been so nice and warm the last few days, but we're supposed to get snow again next week. We are so excited for Auntie Hannah to come and make our trip to North Carolina in about 2 weeks! Hugs to all.



This is the kiddos' new game...Beckett rests on Natalie's tummy and they play face to face. They
really interact a lot now, and it's so gun to watch. He's learning how to pull hair really well!

"Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world today is done by children." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Days of Our Lives...

Welcome to another week in the Tharp household! Daddy got home Monday evening, and we are thrilled. Grammie got home safely from our Worland airport Saturday, and we can't wait to see Auntie Hannah in a few weeks. We then head to Charlotte, NC to visit the Brooks family and hopefully meet up with Ipa. We only wish Auntie Sumner could join us! We've had a fun week so far and have fun things planned for the rest of the sunny week as well. Friday we're headed to Meeteetse with the Shade kiddos (OK, yes I'm excited to have an outing with Momma Amanda too!) to visit a special Lincoln exhibit at the museum. It's geared for kids, so it should be a lot of fun. We then plan on having a picnic if the weather stays nice. Saturday we have a birthday party, so it will be a busy few days. I'm headed to a board meeting at the hospital tomorrow evening to talk about our plans to help recruit new doctors. I met with hospital officials last week for some brainstorming, and we're all really excited. We have a possible family doctor visiting next week and Amanda and I have been working on a productive morning with his wife. It should be a lot of fun.

This week has been full of new adventures...mainly eating for Beckett. He'll be 6 months old next week and is just starting to like cereal. He's eaten a whole bowl for the last several days and has a lot of fun playing with the new texture in his mouth. He's just such a happy boy when he gets his sleep and is not battling teeth.

Yummy?...

Yes, yummy...

More, please!

Natalie had a busy day at school yesterday but still wanted to go to the grocery store on the way home. Against my better judgement I agreed, and I learned my lesson! Since I had both kids with me, there was no room for her in the cart and all the little push carts for toddlers were gone (that really helps keep her focused and occupied). So, we ventured in anyway with the agreement that if she cooperated and listened well she could get a surprise out of the 25 cent machines on the way out. Well, I had to get strict with her every two seconds, and she kept throwing her toy horse all over the produce. Luckilly Mrs. Forshee got to see the fireworks at the end and the wonderful emotional performance put forth by my daughter in the checkout line. She asked if she could get a surprise, and I politely told her she didn't listen very well this time so we would try again next time. I knew it was coming, so I couldn't do much more than giggle at the situation when she hit the floor in full tantrum mode and tried to jump out of the cart when Adrienne graciously offered to pick her up and try and console her. Luckilly it was mid-day and not many people were shopping. At that point I couldn't give in, so Adrienne helped put the green bags in my cart while I lugged the two babes outside. I was proud of myself for going with the flow, accepting the fact that the more I pushed her to stop screaming the more she would scream, so quiet "shushing" and hugs were all I could give her. Needless to say, Nattie was asleep in her carseat within 5 minutes, and I will no longer try to avoid another trip into town by shopping after school. Beckett didn't make a peep the whole time, and the silver lining was I got to visit with Mrs. Nice-Lady Forshee from Ten Sleep that I don't often see, but that fate has thrown with me twice in the last two weeks!

Grandpa Guy is coming over today for a few hours so I can get a cleaning at the dentist and work out. Beckett is getting more used to him these days, so I hope all goes well! We hope you all are having a great week and those of you with sick kiddos can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Love and hugs to all.

Natalie with her new electric toothbrush. She likes ours and seems to brush more enthusiasticly with her new one.

"Convince your children that your love is not based on their performance." ~unknown

A Sad Goodbye

Well, we got up early to take Grammie to the airport this morning and say goodbye until we make the trip out to Portland this summer. It was a fun visit, and she was tons of help while she was here! I think I only did dishes twice in 10 days! Anyway, we went into our little Worland airport for a bit to wait, and her plane was running late and Beckett was ready for his morning nap, so we headed out about a half hour later. Natalie kept wanting to go through the security check, and it wasn't that busy with all two passengers waiting to board. We chatted with Susan from church who works there and let Nattie run around a bit, then we were on our way. We can't wait to go to the same airport in a few weeks and pick up Auntie Hannah! It is so nice to have a major connection in Denver now so people can actually fly into Worland at a reasonable price. I think we'll do that the next time we have to fly to Portland.


Grammie with the babes...

Grammie and Natalie planting the shamrock seeds Auntie Sumner sent. It should be a fun project to watch grow. Don't you know all gardening should be done in the nude?

And here is an adorable video of Beckett falling asleep in his bouncer. He's done it twice so far, and it is so cute. He's not been sleeping well at night the last week or so, maybe his teeth since that one has still not poked through! He just drools constantly and chews on anything, mostly his little hands, to the point that the entire front of his shirts are wet. Poor little guy. The last two nights he was up at least 8 times each night, so last night I finally broke down and put him in bed with me. I know we just got him to sleep in his own crib, but I needed some more rest.

I met with some people at the hospital yesterday after getting approval from the county commissioners Tuesday to form a citizen's group to help bring more family doctors to Worland. Both of our doctors, whom we absolutely loved, left Worland in the last few years, and we need a better system to keep them here. I am tired of trying to find people I trust with my kids or debating whether or not to drive 2 hours to a bigger hospital. Anyway, both the hospital and county commissioners think it's a great idea, and I'm working with our local business development asosciation to get some funding. We'll see what pans out in the next few weeks...

We're going to have a quiet weekend at home, and Daddy should hopefully be back tomorrow! He's been really busy in North Dakota, and it is not warm up there to say the least. Baby Gracie is home from the hospital and recovering well, as is her sister with a bad ear infection. I wish I could run up there and help you, Suzi! Just remember you have so much love being sent your way and tons of people near and far who are thinking about you guys. Those of you with small kids be ware of the RSV virus this winter...it seems to be especially bad this year. We hope you all had a good week and can enjoy a relaxing weekend. And to my dearest Bee, thanks so much for your words of wisdom this week. You are stronger and more beautiful than you know. Hugs to all.

"From the rocking horse to the rocking chair, friendship keeps teaching us about being human." ~Letty Cottin Pogrebin, American writer

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone near and far!

We've had a busy week around here, but we've really enjoyed having Grammie here to help and visit, and momma and daddy actually got to go out on a date night! It was super fun, complete with interesting and highly entertaining conversation. We joined the Forshee's Friday night at the Trapper Creek Lodge and Supper Club for a "Nathan/Kyle/Adrienne birthday /Valentine dinner." We had not visited with them (nor been out without children) for quite a while, so it was a blast to just relax, have a glass of wine and "talk big kid talk." We stopped in Greybull on the way home and ran into some other friends, so we got to catch up with a lot of people that night. We actually stayed out past midnight, which I told Grammie I don't remember the last time I was up that late. We thank Grammie a ton for watching the kids so late and are grateful for our time with good friends.

Our beautiful babes are doing well and growing strong. Beckett rolled over a few times again this week, and he's starting to sleep through the night more often than not. Nattie got a hair cut the other day, which was supposed to be just a trim, but momma got a little carried away and it ended up a bob cut. Regardless, she looks adorable and loves it. No matter what, it's easier to comb, which makes it all worth it!

We got back from Hyattville this afternoon after celebrating Grandma Phyllis's birthday last night and staying over to go to church this morning. We had a big family dinner that was delicious and even got to enjoy some music by Aunt Pam and Uncle Terry. It is really fun to hear them play their strings together. We also got a special visit with Uncle Nick and Great Grandpa Chauncey at Jill's this morning.




Natalie and Grammie making chocolate sugar cookies for Grandma Phyllis...

Nattie with her own special rolling pin

She started to help feed Beckett this week, and he has started feeding himself sometimes, too.

And here we are all dressed up for our date night...it was so much fun!

Well, we hope you all have a blessed week and stay happy and healthy. It's great that our friend's baby Tanner is recovering well out of the hospital now, but I just talked to Suzi yesterday and now her baby Gracie has the RSV respiratory infection, too. They have not hospitalized her yet, but they are doing breathing treatments and keeping a close eye on her. Please keep them in your prayers. We love and miss you all and can't wait to see some of you soon next month! Hugs to all.

"Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there." ~Judith Viorst

Blessings

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." ~Sitting Bull



This week the weather has been a bit warmer and our spring spirits are returning (even though it will get very cold again soon!). We've had a great week playing with each other, visiting with friends and accomplishing goals, and we're looking forward to Grammie's visit next week. I've just been feeling so blessed this week! Our good friends' new baby got to come home from more than a week in the ICU in Billings with a respiratory infection, so that was also great news. I also started journaling again this week and have found it very fulfilling. I told Kyle it may be the path to writing my collection of short stories I hope to someday publish...dreams are good, right? He he he.

Anyway, Beckett's teeth are still bothering him a bit, so some nights have not been too good. I've been on the couch for almost two weeks to be closer to his new room, and Kyle helped relieve me a lot this weekend. He's here now but may have to go to Arkansas to work for a few weeks. How strange would that be? I told him I just know his teeth are going to drop out and he'll fall in love with some long lost cousin if he goes! It's just a possibility, but hopefully it would happen while my mom is here to help!

Beckett turned 5 months old yesterday and just keeps growing and growing. He's grown almost 6 inches in 5 months! He wears a lot of 9-12 month outfits already, but I've been told boys just seem to grow faster in the beginning in general. He is starting to really laugh a lot and be more involved with Natalie, and she enjoys that a lot. Here are some photos I took this week. I plan on tweaking and framing a few.

Natalie reading to Beckett

I just love this one! They are so good together, and she just relishes the role of big sister.

We hope you all have a great weekend and find signs of spring! Hugs to all.

"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now, I have six children and no theories." ~John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester