House O' Sullivans

Last Friday, at the crack of dawn, we loaded our kids up in the van and headed down to the Valley of the Goblins.  This is a yearly trek, sometimes with friends, sometimes with family, and sometimes with both.  We LOVE this amazingly beautiful place and the adventures we have there.  This year we reserved the group site and invited lots of friends to join in the fun.  The Millers, the Wilsons, the Paynes, the Kellywoods, Kim and Eric Goebel, Phil, the Sundbergs, Sarah Gunnell, Jen Cristensen, Craig Ellsworth, and a whole load of kids answered the call.  Although the site maxes out at 35 people, we packed in 52.  Friday the kids ran wild in the little canyons and formations that surround the group site.  The site sits back in an alcove away from the rest of the campground, so the kids are somewhat contained.  It made me nervous the first couple of years that we were there--the way the kids just disappear, then reappear atop the form...

Kim (a former mission companion and best friend EVER) and I finally made the trek to Millville Utah (near Logan) to visit Steff Casperson.  We met Steff when we were roommates living downtown (on 2nd Avenue) and we were all in the same colorful singles ward.    Back then Steff danced with Ballet West; now she pontificates and homeschools her 3 (almost 4) kids in Millville.  We packed a gourmet lunch and hauled all of the kids up yesterday.  Sophie, Hallee, and Zeke had fun playing with Joseph, Izzy, Cai, EV, and Eloise at the park. Soph with EV

Little Hallee was born on March 27th, 2008.  The labor was short and the natural birth was amazing and calm and everything I'd hoped it would be.  Although she was born just a day or two before her due date, she was only 6 pounds and 7 ounces and so skinny.  Every time I saw her little stick legs I thought, "Girl, you are too little to be outside of the womb."  Even though I felt great after the delivery (like I could just walk home and call it a day), that placenta didn't come out and I was quickly rushed off to the operating room, leaving Casey alone with the baby and a puddle of blood.  (That's how he describes it, anyway.)  They pretty much told me I might lose my uterus or possibly bleed out and die before they rolled me out of the room.  The spinal block they gave me before the surgery not only paralyzed me (temporarily, of course), but made me feel like I was FREEZING.  I was under countless layers of blankets. ...