We have finally figured out what we are going to do after graduation

Ezra is going to pose like this little Chinese man and I am going to paint him into hiding...... all day every day!

We are turning into pigs around here!

People are getting the swine and non-swine versions of the flu right and left. Last week in my classes there might have been maybe one or two people gone. This week only half the class is showing up.

I went in my watercolor class today and saw two people sitting there, I thought class had been cancled or something.

I guess my compulsive hand sanitizing is starting to pay off. I am one of the few survivors.

Praise Purell!

Ezra's Accident Anniversary

Ezra was pretty out of it the whole time he was in the hospital and even for a few weeks after he got to come home. And when I say out of it I'm referring to the mental functions of his brain. Anyway I wrote down some of the funny/random things he said during his recovery. The nurses that took care of him had some pretty good laughs and so did I.


"If I could just get rid of this headache I could enjoy my stay”

"Jess can you steal me some Excedrin this metaphine stuff aint workin (he meant morphine)

"I took a bath when I was 3-7 or 3-14”

"absentee ballot for northern California”

“entiempo" every once in a while he'd throw out a spanish word

“get me out" Ezra had to be strapped down because he kept trying to escape his hospital bed

"liquid blue windshield washer fluid"

"they took me to get a skat skan”

The nurse asked him "do you know where you are?" he replied "where I am with what?"

"I gave you a green paper”

"I need to get my braids straight" (referring to his IV and oxygen tubes)

"why would I say that to a horse?"

"why does it fling so bad"

The nurses would always ask Ez questions when they came to take care of him . They asked him "what's your Birthday?" he replied "George Bushes birthday ends December
31st"

They also asked him what year it was, he wouldn't respond so they kept asking him finally he got mad and said "freak dude I don't know!"

Luckily he knew who I was when they asked him.

He also made several attempts to pull out his catheter after days of trying he finally succeeded.

Yesterday was the anniversary of Ezra's accident. I couldn't help thinking about how glad I am that he's not dead, paralyzed, or brain damaged. I know some of you might debate that last point ( ;

I am so thankful that Heavenly Father let me spend another wonderful year with my best friend. We have been so blessed! Ezra has almost completely regained his sense of smell and taste (his only lasting effects after cracking his skull and bruising his brain. So many miracles happened, I just can't say enough about how blessed we have been.

Looking back on his accident I have truly realized what a great blessing it is to be part of such a wonderful church. We were the recipients of so much love and support. We truly felt the power of the many prayers offered on our behalf. I know that Heavenly Father never leaves us in our times of trial, he stays right by our side. I remember the incredible sense of peace I felt, in a time when I should have been feeling scared and unsure, I only felt calm.

Trials really can turn into blessings. We can learn so much from the hardships we go through. My Grandma Taylor once wrote "each day is a precious gift." I truly believe this, I'm trying to do better to treat each day as a "precious gift" given from a loving Heavenly Father.

The Outfit

This is Ezra, eating a popsicle, out in his parents bean/corn field. The outfit he is sporting was one I saw all to often this summer. Being almost completely uninhibited does present it's problems- hence the boot-short combo. Although the mini blizzard we had earlier this week wasn't exactly welcomed. I am glad for the cold weather.... it means I wont have to see this outfit for a few months.