grayland wa, wash away beach

Playing on the beach near Great Grandpa's house. The beach is called wash away beach because it has been slowly eroding away over the years. Local articles show that beaches along the Grayland shores average approximately 100 feet loss per year. This erosion worries the Washington State Department of Ecology due to rapid erosion and varying rates along the coastlines.

At the Beach:

Ellie
When I went to the beach I saw waves. I tried to make a big sand castle. But it failed, the waves kept knocking it down. When I felt the sand and the water, the water was cold. The sand was comfortable. I also had fun playing with my cousins.

When I saw Zach pick up the dead crab I thought that was gross because it was dead. I loved playing at the beach. I did not want to leave.

Zach:
What I liked about the beach all the dead crabs on the ground and when I picked one up.When I dug a hole in the ground I found water then the tide came in.So I started A new one and a crab wash up in it.


Jairon:
The first time I went to the beach at Grandpa Duncan's place I got to see a lot of cool sticks called drift wood and dead crab Skeleton to it was vary awesome my favorite part is the part where I got to be in the water I loved that part it was fun when jade corbyn and I dug a hole in the sand.

Ava waiting for dad to throw the ball

pushing off with all her might to get the ball on a a very soft sandy ground. Sand is not solid like grass...

Celidah walking

Zach holding a crab skeleton

Nana and Poppy watching the grandkids

Ellie loving the beach

Ava and Orion loving the beach

Ava getting soaked by a wave

Holt Family Reunion, Grayland WA

Holt Family Reunion: Zachariah

cranberry's lots of cranberry's.

 Daddy eating watermelon

 and Corbyn

 Ellie watching her cousin Johntue

 Celidah cleaning a messy chin after very nummy watermellon

 Aunt Barbara being goofy

 caught in the act of taking pictures with a tablet

 just sitting and being pretty

 Jairon and Johntue running around

 cousin Analei sitting and loving her

 Uncle Jake

 Uncle Johnathan

 Uncle John and Poppy

 cousin Keola

 cousin Kopopno

 

The whole group with cousins, aunts, uncles, and (great) or Grandpa Duncan

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

One of the National Parks we visited with the kids was Multnomah Falls in Oregon. This is a beautiful waterfall fed by underground springs and is visible off I-84. The 5 younger kids and Frank followed the upper hiking trail and hiked to the upper falls level, while Celidah and I stayed behind and explored the lower area. While the rest of the family was hiking we headed back to the truck for a few minutes and this gave us the opportunity to experience standing under the railroad bridge just as a train went by. When the 2nd train passed by Celidah hung off one of the steel bars under the bottom of the bridge. This was an experience for her. Once that was over she and I headed back to the truck and trailer to get dinner things together so we could have a picnic there with the kids.

During our picnic the kids loved watching the fish jump in the slow moving pond where the current was minimal.they also loved touching the trees and feeling the vibrations as another train whizzed by and watched the sparks on the tracks. The kids were maybe 50 feet away from the train and they all screamed and giggled as the train sped by with the horns being blasted for them.

Here are pictures, most were taken by Jade: I just took pictures of things that interested me.

I liked the way the light was shining on the mile stone and my dad wanted me to get a picture of an old milestone.

 I wanted to get a picture of the bottom of the water fall because of the scenery and the way it`s falling.

 I don`t know what the reason for these were, but I got a zombie Zach. :p

 I liked how the moss was growing on the trees.

 I was aiming for the trees behind the berries.

Visiting Portland Oregon Temple Grounds

The kids were thrilled to see the Portland Oregon Temple Grounds on the way back from the Curtis/Bogs family reunion.

pulm appt (Ellie)

Ellie had her pulm appt today and for the 1st we saw him down in the pulm clinic, not as part of her comprehensive team. She had a PFT, and we talked about her meds, (Ellie fighting against neb treatments) and food allergies.

Funny was how Ellie responded to her dr telling her the importance and saying if needed another appt can be to show her how to do a breathing treatment, remind her the importance, and why not to argue back. If looks could kill... (giggles) she clearly let Dr. C. know she knew all these things and another appt just for this was not needed (or wanted).

The only change we are to make at this point is to use vibrating apparatus once daily regardless, then when coming down with or is sick to use her vibrating apparatus with every breathing treatment like we had been. Using her accapella vibrator daily will be the biggest change as she does not her (snake breath) or vibrating lung device because she has to cough. Sometimes this brings gobs of goop from her lungs.

LOL between Dr A and Dr C they have helped to make sure we know which of the children's hospitals are best across the US. Letting Dr. . know today that we will be sticking to the main interstates and that we already know where the major hospitals and the children's hospitals are, seemed to calm his mind and let him know we have planned ahead.

YAY!! All the John Hopkins dr's have given the go ahead for this long trip and yes we have their numbers in case they need to any of the dr's as we are traveling.

Jairon Visits ER

Today started out like a normal and fairly quiet day with the exception of the thunderstorms and rain this morning. The kids were doing well with getting along with each other. Ava was the only one getting antsy and anxious due to feeling trapped in the house.

Finally, the rain had slowed enough for Corbyn and Jairon to take her out for some much needed exercise. Running her with bikes is something they have done many times before. However, today was far from normal.

Within just a few minutes of the boys leaving, Jairon came back in, in tears, nearly hysterical. Right away dad could see his arm was swelling. Immediately, ice and pressure needed to be placed on his wrist/arm. I called the clinic to see if he could be seen on base. Unfortunately, today is a furlough day, so the clinic has the minimal staff and no appointments available. His only option was to be seen in the ER.

Once at the ER we informed there was a delay and he would be seen ASAP. Once triaged, the x-rays were ordered and we were sent us back to the lobby to wait again. After the x-rays were completed Jairon enjoyed seeing his bones, and I showed him where his sister broke her arm. I explained to him her break was a complete double buckle fracture. Once again we were sent back to the lobby to wait.

Once taken back to the ER the doctors were confused how I knew he had a buckle fracture in his wrist. I too was a bit confused at first. With discussion in the ER room we realized that when I was talking to Jairon and showing him where Ellie broke her arm, I saw the buckle fracture in his arm. The confusion began when I just happened to point right to his buckle fracture.

We finally left  after a very long day with a splint and his arm in a sling. The looks and reaction given  to the doctor, when Jairon was told to keep the splint on and dry were hysterical. Jairon has a buckle fracture by the growth plate in his left wrist/arm. 

Trek 2013 Experiences

Jade’s Trek Experiences

What was the most memorable part of Trek for you?

The most memorable part of Trek for me was the first 15 minutes of the second day when we had to pack everything up and re-load the handcart. It was crazy because we were loading and making breakfast at the same time, and at that time it felt like the smoke from the coals was almost following me as I was loading buckets and sleeping bags into the cart.

How did your Trek Experiences impact your testimony?

How my Trek Experiences impact my testimony was by having me forget my inhaler at home by accident and having to do all of Trek without it. My testimony grew in faith because I had to extend out my faith farther then what I was use to in order to not have a asthma attack on the way.

Celidah’s Trek Experiences

What was the most memorable part of Trek for you?

For Trek I think the most memorable experience was what one of my trek family members said. He had diabetes and before he came to trek he had a fathers blessing which told him that angels would be there to help give him strength. He said that was the reason he was able to help so much and so long as long as his blood sugars were fine.

How did your Trek Experiences impact your testimony?

Trek boosted my testimony because I was able to understand what the pioneers went through… They had to bury their brothers, sisters, parents and children…  They had to leave them behind to hungry wolves who waited, watching, for their next meal; your family member.  And they did it willingly and knew that this was going to be hard. I don’t know if I would have made that mentally or emotionally.