We were off to a fabulous start...looking ahead to Legoland and lots of time with grandparents aunts, uncles, cousins...
Getting cleaned up in Gma's tub!
Then off to the pumpkin patch, but had to make it quick cuz gma got called back for more jury duty:(
Grandma hooked us up with some perfect pumpkins and then we headed up to Jackie's to see her new baby Maggie. So sad we didn't get a close up of her, she's soooo sweet!
Robyn Jake Me Luke Bree Maggie Jackie Mike
That night we drove down to San Diego. Bree woke up in the middle of the night with a stomachache. The next morning, she had a fever to go with it. So we tossed our plans and set up camp at Gmas. We thought we'd try the healing power of a game of hand and foot.
And what stomachache can't be cured with Grandma's popcorn?
After a day of Bree walking bent over in pain and a fever that wouldn't subside, we decided our homemade remedies might not be enough. The next morning, we took her to urgent care.
And they sent us straight to the ER.
(Thanks so much Aunt Spinder for taking the boys all day for me!)
By 4:00 that afternoon they were sure it was her appendix. Bree was pretty quiet most of the day because she was in a lot of pain. Then Nurse Lindsay put her IV in but hit a valve and had to pull it out. Bree screamed like I've never heard her scream before. Lots of tears. When she found out there was going to be a second try, oh my! She begged and pleaded, but to no avail. On the second attempt, the nurse was pretty sure she hit a valve again. But Bree calmed down and so the nurse decided it was probably okay and she left it in (they took it out in the OR though and gave her another one, so it probably wasn't in the best spot after all. I can't imagine how hard it is to put those things in!). Once Bree got a little morphine in her though, things took a nice turn. She opened right up. Telling Lindsay how the machine that kept beeping should have a letter keyboard on it so she could type in "SHUT UP", and how the thing in her stomach that kept going "BAM! BAM!" was now just going "ping! ping!". And when the Nurse started talking about how sorry she was that Bree had to go with no food, Bree just told her that she was used to it because she has to fast on Sundays but not her little brother because he's too young, so she has to just sit there and watch him eat all day. Might have gotten a raised eyebrow or two from that story. Nurse Lindsay suggested I step out to get a cup of coffee and Bree did not hold back about the mormon/coffee thing. Too bad we got our own room right after that, I'm sure Nurse Lindsay would have loved to have heard more!
You can't even imagine my sheer and utter joy when I stepped outside Bree's room and saw Nat rounding the corner. Had no idea she was coming and she was just the best sight ever! She came with her big blue bag of presents and treats and toothbrushes & jammies for me! Then Grandma brought presents and Grandpa and Stan skipped out of their crazy work schedules to be there to give Bree a blessing. It was so wonderful to have all of them there.
Jer left straight from work to grab the next flight out and we were crossing our fingers that he would make it in time to see her before she went in for surgery.
Can't even describe the look on her face when he made it. She had been crying earlier saying that she just wanted dad and I seriously thought there was no way he'd make it, but he got there just in time! I was just a little bit glad too:) I don't know how he did it, but it was all just perfect. We saw her off to surgery and waited a mere 45 minutes before the surgeon (who was superhuman I tell you), came out and told us it all went well! 
The next morning Grandma brought the boys and it was so good to see them! Jake took one look at the adjustable bed, TV overhead and the room service menu and decided he'd be happy to make that his permanent residence.
By 2:00 we were all checked out and headed over to Spinders for one of the main reasons we came...little Penelope Natalie! Talk about a slice of heaven.
Can't even tell you how dreamy she is. 
And that night Bree was back to her old self playing dress-ups and all.
Meanwhile the rest of us girlies proceeded to educate Emily and Amber with stories from our teenage years of worst kisses ever. (They said we scarred them for life, but they look pretty happy here to me.)
Maybe we should have stuck to that amazing card game we were playing with the boys!
Oh and this one. He rode home with Grandpa in his favorite car ever.
I must admit he's looking pretty darn good behind the wheel.
We might have missed Legoland, but how lucky and blessed we are that it was only her appendix and that she got the best care in a top notch children's hospital and that we had our incredible family here with us. Turned out to be a pretty sweet vacation after all!
