Declan Boy's Surgery

On Monday, my boy had to have surgery. It was one of the most challenging experiences I've had as a mother. I was very emotional leaving Inara, especially because I was anticipating the surgery the next morning, and I was feeling anxious about leaving my son with complete strangers and trusting them to take care of him.
The surgery he had to have is a very common one for boys and at Dornbechers Children's Hospital, in Portland, they perform one of these surgeries almost every day of the year. I had also had surgery last June so had been through the whole process myself...however, when it is your small child...it changes everything.
We decided to leave Inara here in Medford, which turned out to be an excellent idea in the end. So after dropping her off with my mother-in-law, Sean, Declan and I headed up North. We stopped at one of our favorite places, Bridgport Village to have dinner and walk around, and even play for a bit! Then, we checked into our hotel room and settled in for the night, expecting an early morning and long day ahead.
Monday morning we packed up and headed to the hospital to check in for the surgery. I was still a bit emotional, but things got easier as the morning progressed and we talked with the nurses and doctors. Everyone was amazing and made us feel at peace. We even got to make bracelets and a necklace while in the waiting room. They also have a monitor with color coded bars so you know which phase of surgery your child is in.
Now that we have been home for a few days, I am thankful for the staff at Dorbechers and for the advancement in medical technology which enabled us to have such a smooth and easy experience.
Declan is healing beautifully and even though he has to rest and not play too vigorously for another week or so, he is carrying on as usual.

Waiting for surgery in the special pajama's from the hospital

In recovery having a yummy popsicle

Necklace and bracelet for Declan and bracelet for Inara

First Part of Spring

Spring in the Rogue Valley has been so beautiful this year, with the blossoms and buds on all of the trees in the valley in full bloom. We have had sunny, warm weather, where we can play outside for hours. But we've also had those much needed rainy days where you are thankful for the rain and stay inside curled up on the couch with a blanket and hot chocolate.
We have had the opportunity to enjoy some fun activities and adventures which make me so appreciate the area we get to live in.


We took the kids to Science Works in Ashland for the first time. It was a lot of fun exploring everything they have available there.

We purchased a few outdoor chairs and a fire pit for our backyard. Here is Declan pretending he is a dragon.

The kids enjoyed playing in the water table in the back yard, and decided to add dirt to it...resulting in one of the best things ever: MUD!!

We dyed and then collected eggs for Easter.

We braved the cold & rainy weather in order to watch the Pear Blossom Parade in downtown Medford.

I think we are all looking forward to what the next part of this season has to offer!