I decided to try and make a fondant cake this year and for my first one I thought it turned out okay. It was yellow butter cake with chocolate ganache filling and a chocolate meringue butter cream. It was pretty good! A lot of work but fun to make. 
Cousin Emma and Gwen with her new kitchen. She absolutely loves it!
Damon's band played at all the football games and are gearing up for a competitive season next year. 
Brandon's Marching Band got second place in state competition in Fresno this season. He has been working long hours between seminary, school, marching band, and soccer. 
Nathan did really well this fall season of soccer. They were undefeated in the regular season and took 2nd place in playoffs. He also made the all star team! 
Well, we now know that Gwen is allergic to penicillin based drugs. She was sent home on Augmentin Monday night and today we took her in to the doctor for this wicked rash. Hives is the diagnosis and allergic reaction to the medication. She looks like a leopard but at least she feels okay. It doesn't bother her much, occasionally it will itch but if we keep her busy she doesn't notice it much. Thank goodness!
She is in that wagon somewhere. This is what she was discharged in! She didn't want to get out of it.
Here she is trying to hold grab something with one hand. She mastered this by the time we left.
We are so glad to be home with our healthy little peanut!!! We love you Gwen!
If you ever can donate to the Ronald McDonald house...please do so! This place was awesome. They have this beautiful room split into three sections. A quiet sitting area with an amazing view out the 5th floor hospital. An L shape comfy couch in front of a huge flat screen tv. And a play room for kids. Just off this room is a room with two sleeping rooms and a full bath with a shower for the parents to use. They always had pastries and drinks and a fridge for personal use. A great place to come and get away when you start to get cabin fever or you just need a break from trying to take care of a 2 year old in an isolation room.
Uncle Jess and Sara came to visit and gave Gwen that huge teddy bear, which she loved, and a care package for us. Thanks Jess and Sara! Also, thanks to my mom for coming down and allowing Stuart and I a break, we were able to get away for a few hours to go see Nathan play in his Championship soccer game.
They gave us some toys, books, and things she could play on because we weren't allowed out of our room.
Finally normal food. She was on a clear and then a full liquid diet for the first few days. The only place you get to have chocolate ice cream for breakfast. Ice cream and ice chips were her bribe for the many IV sticks she had.
Feeling better and unhooked from all the wires and tubes.
She always loves a bath. We grabbed this opportunity between IV's coming out and going back in.
The first smile in days :)
Gwen started with a fever last Monday night. The next two days it was between 102 and 104. Then she woke up Thursday morning with huge swollen glands in her neck so I took her to the first morning appt of the day and the doctor took one look at her and said she needed to go to the hospital. He was thinking it was mumps, mostly because the swollen neck glands and that she hadn't had that vaccine yet. After spending all day in the ER and after many IV starts, blood draws, and a CT scan they admitted her. We were in room 514 at CHOC. They started her on two IV antibiotics and round the clock IV fluid. The CT scan showed an abscess behind her esophagus and that if the fevers persist they would have to perform surgery to drain it. That first night was the most difficult for her and for me. I felt so bad for her! We didn't sleep the whole night. Her mouth, tongue, tonsils, and just her neck area were so swollen that she could hardly breath. Every time she would get to sleep her gasping for air would wake her up. Her poor nose was stuffed and so she was mouth breathing for 4 days. The next day her WBC count had showed improvement but she was still having fevers. So the next day they repeated blood work and it went back up agian so they did another CT scan. Luckily this one showed improvement and that they wouldn't have to do surgery. After that she "turned the corner" and when I say she turned to corner, it was like night and day. Just as fast as she got sick,...she got better. We were discharged on Monday. So after 18 needle sticks, two CT scans, a full body rash, lots of Monsters Inc. we are home and she is way better. She continues to have swollen glands and a rash and will be on oral antibiotics for a week,...but I am so glad to be home and that she is feeling better. I kept reminding myself that we are very blessed. There are many out there that are in a much worse position. I'm so thankful for the trials that we have to go through,...it reminds us of what is important and how truly blessed we are. Thank you to so many of you who helped out with meals and making sure Damon was taken care of. We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of all.
Voted most original at the stake dance! The easiest most inexpensive costume ever. 
This is the smile that I get now when I tell her to do so. We'll have to work on that a little.
Ready to go trick or treating. She learned it all, how to say trick or treat, thank you, and Halloween. Now a week after she won't stop saying it. 
Awe! How cute!
This is our pet praying mantis that just happened to love Gwen's carved pumpkin.
This is the candy that we handed out this year. We handed a ton out on trunk or treat night but on Halloween we had zero trick or treats at our door. I guess it's because we live on a pretty busy street.
Gwen helped carve the little pumpkin that she picked out for herself.
These were the greatest last minute, on a budget, genius costumes the boys wore this year! They hit two stake dances this year one night right after the other and had a great time.
Gwen in Yosemite Falls. This kid is fearless. Never mind the freezing cold water. 
Mirror Lake. This morning we got up early and rode our bikes to the trail head for mirror lake then hiked in and had breakfast at this beautiful place. Gorgeous!
