The big kids and I had a nice visit with Mark mid-month! He actually managed to stick with us for about 3 hours this particular day, and we took him to Red Lobster for lunch, and he didn't even cause a stir or get up 50 times in the course of the 40 minutes we were there, so we consider that a huge win! With this disease, it ebbs and flows. Some days are good and others are really bad. This particular day was a very, very good day! The facility had recently been bringing in speech therapy for an evaluation of his eating (which uses those same muscles as speech), as he had been choking on his food recently. I was a little nervous, honestly, as he had been stuffing his food and gagging recently, but he did great with his food too, and we just had happy times together as a foursome.
A week later, however...the story was very different. Mark was a lot more amped up and was saying a lot of inappropriate things while we were out at the mall. This started a spiral of very, very rough times. We had to adjust his meds as a result, and as anyone with experience with dementia, even just the thought of a med adjustment makes us cringe.
Boys and their toys! Daniel and Mark have been really into Hot Wheels ever since they were kids. It was cute to see them still checking them out ;)
My YouTube feed these days...
My "Day in the Life" posts are one of my very favorite types of posts to do. I did one this month on July 16 (find it here). I love looking back on what my life (mornings in particular) are like and how they change from year to year.
It's seldom I get to watch this big kid sleep, but sometimes when I'm up early doing my devotions and spending time with Jesus, he'll wake up, come out to the couch, grab a blanket, and then fall back asleep.
To wear bangs, or not to wear bangs. It was a big debate for me this month. Overall, I hate them. But then I see them in pictures and kinda like how they look. Thoughts?
The boys and I SO enjoyed our visits with Uncle Daniel while he was in town visiting from California! He tried to make it for most every Tuesday Godfather's night, which the kids SO enjoyed. Granted...I'm pretty sure the kids wanted him to come over many of the nights just to see Buddy, his pet Chihuahua.
Had a bit of a snafu with my (apparently extremely dirty) grill early in the summer. It took FOREVER for Weber to respond to my claim, and in the meanwhile, I purchased the necessary parts myself and mostly got it repaired. It was a LONG start to the summer without the grill!
When you have to begin transporting a toddler who no longer wants to be constrained to the double stroller...
Beach Bash 2019!!
How is it possible to get this crazy dirty with a bomb pop?
My middle two are such hard workers! Ryan wanted to help me, and refused to let me pull the wagon to the parade in Okabena.
We LOVE video chatting with Daddy on our Facebook Portal! It follows him around his room, too, so we can still see him even if he walks away.
We have SO appreciated all the hard work Kendrick has done in therapy, and the ways in which he has grown this year. We have fun at our family sessions, where we're all engaged doing sometimes messy projects. The kids enjoy them, though :)
She's almost always the life of the party!
We bought this balance bike for Ryan's birthday in Rochester at Scheel's on the same day that Mark had his PET scan and was officially diagnosed with behavioral variant Frontotemporal Dementia. It took him over a year to really embrace it and ride it.
I took the big boys to the Home Depot workshop this month, and it was fun to see their little minds work to put together their little trucks. Daddy would have LOVED doing this stuff with them.
Even the messy parts
My sweet neighbor friend Jilly bean took this picture for me when our siding was delivered. Apparently it required a crane?
It isn't often whatsoever, but every once in a great while, I get all 4 of them playing nicely in the back yard and I get to kick back in the hammock with a mini bottle of wine. I think if I remember correctly, it all ended as soon as the wine was gone, but it was a great 20 minutes!
Summer church services are ROUGH with 3 little fidgety boys under the age of 8. I hate to say it, but what seems to work the best to keep them in line is to remind them that if they act up, they lose their only tablet time of the week (during nap time for the littles on Sunday afternoons). But I've also had to find more interesting things for them to do. These sticker puzzle books and magic marker books have been a hit lately.
Toddler tantrums are a definite thing around here these days. This little lady is all about "do it myself" and "you no do it" and thinks everything that exists is hers. #ToddlerTornado
So the grill caught on fire early in the month, and as it turns out, it probably should've been cleaned?
Ooops!
Bomb pops with friends is the best!
I think she likes the water?
The kiddie pool is so great for the little ones!
Cashel and Kendrick have, for the most part, been taking turns taking out the garbage lately.
The food trucks at the International Festival in Worthington were totally on point this year! This was the second time ever we've gone, and I would definitely return!
Mark's brother Daniel was God-sent this summer! He has been coming for about 6 weeks each summer the past few years, and having an extra set of hands has been so incredibly helpful! The boys adore him and his little pup Buddy.
We had such a blast dancing (we were all drenched in sweat when we left)!
This was such a great night!
While this whole FTD thing is really just devastating most of the time, one silver lining has been all the incredible people we've connected with. The family of a good friend of mine from high school in Iowa happened to see the story on KEYC in Mankato, as they had relocated there, and reached out to us to offer to watch the kids if ever I needed to have more downtime or time with Mark on my own. My friend's sister Trisha and boyfriend Matt have really stepped up, and the kids LOVE to spend time with them, so that has been extremely helpful. It's nice to be able to take the kids with me instead of leave them back home sometimes.
Daniel snapped this shot of us walking in the mall the last time we set foot in there with Mark.
He likes to step on all the dark squares and use all the bathrooms while there. We've since had to stop taking him to the mall because he said some pretty inappropriate things to some younger girls, and well...I'd rather not have him be arrested :(
It was so nice to see Mark's Uncle Dan and Aunt Kathi at Sibley Park after our visit with Mark.
I mean...♥
Uncle Daniel was so great with the kids this visit! He helped Ryan do some painting this particular day.
Highly recommend this book! I'm sure it's an older one, as my Mama went through it while she was still well, and who knows how long before that she did it, but I snatched it from her bookshelf a few months back.
We've been calling Mark on the way in the morning since he was placed, but as of late, he has stopped answering the video calls :(
I finally finished my 2017 Family albums!!
lmost done with all the exterior changes! This was after the siding, but before the cement pad in the front was done!
And After:
![]()
Both big boys played baseball this summer (Kendrick t-ball, Cashel coach-pitch). We ended the season on the 16th with their showcase games.
This kid LOVED t-ball and intends to play again next year.
This one, on the other hand, has given it the ole' college try, but really isn't a fan of baseball, so I'm not forcing him again next year. (photo cred: Alexa Goldie)
Simple things like...being able to go for a walk with toddlers and big kids at the same time without freaking out about someone not paying attention and getting hit by a car...that's what I miss the most.
I miss having someone to talk through things with the big kids after a hard day. Did I mention how much we enjoyed having Uncle Daniel visit this summer?
Our church bulletin lists those who are in nursing care or homebound. Never in a million years would I have expected to see his name here.
We also thoroughly enjoyed having an extra set of hands to help at the pool this year! We were able to go a number of times with Uncle Daniel in tow to help manage the big kids while I wrangled the toddlers. I was also super thankful that they were receptive to wearing their life jackets this year!
Uncle Daniel took the bigs fishing for a couple hours on a stormy day while I had a babysitter watch the littles and I got some "me" time in Worthington!
I had this FIT testing done (I mentioned it in a previous post). Slowly working on eliminating these foods from my diet, but man...cow's milk AND tomatoes? Just shoot all my pasta dreams down the toilet :(
They're starting to ask to take pictures with Daddy, and I'm taking as many as I can ♥
All the heart eyes for these guys ;)
We've discovered Fallenstein Park and we're in LOVE with it! Also, how in the world did he get SO TALL?!?
Another HUGE development from the summer: Cashel is now allowed to not only BE in the deep end without a jacket, he can also jump off the diving board and go down the slide. Because this kid...he can actually legitimately swim. He passed level 2 lessons this year. I'm so excited for him!!
Mark sometimes participates in arts and crafts at the facility. He was pretty proud of his work of art!
If I'm at home, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be covered in toddlers.
I had tried off and on for MONTHS to get this little lady to wear her hair up, since she looks like such a ragamuffin with it down. Somehow, Jody convinced her to have piggies, and since then it has been a thing - hallelujah! On another note, WHY won't that hair in the front grow in? I mean, she's got this combover that comes from her back hair, but that hair in the front has been that length since she was 1.
8 times out of 10, when we're on an adventure, this is what I'm looking like, with my DSLR in hand.
Our favorite exploring spot year-round!
A rare occasion where she willingly would hold my hand! It's not the norm for my littles to want to hold my hand, so I'll document it when it actually happens lol
This has been my method for the madness the past few years. Just do the next thing, and then the next thing. And the next.
We took a couple trips to Redwood Falls and Ramsey Park this summer. As an aside, Yumboxes make this kind of thing super easy.
I *might* take too many pictures. Cashel actually suggested we take this picture, and everyone just lined up and stood there. First time ever.
Painting time with this one gets interesting...
We also made a trip to Fairmont to visit the Aquatic center there once, which was super exhausting for this Mama, since they don't allow life jackets there for the littles, and apparently they're all little fishies now.
Gosh, I love them :) So much!
The reality with only one thing of bubbles and only one bubble wand.
Ryan's first successful cleaning! He has been to the dentist since he has had teeth, but usually barely makes it to just get the fluoride treatment on after counting his teeth.
I am so thankful for our little free library at the park! We've taken some and left a lot in the past! It's always fun to go see what someone put in there.
This scene in the living room is becoming more and more common. I come in to find them all sitting in a row like this from time to time. It's hard to document, because usually it's only when I'm out of the room (or else the babies would be on top of me), so unless I happen to have my phone in hand to snap a picture, they're hard to capture, because they pop up quickly when they see me.
A week later, however...the story was very different. Mark was a lot more amped up and was saying a lot of inappropriate things while we were out at the mall. This started a spiral of very, very rough times. We had to adjust his meds as a result, and as anyone with experience with dementia, even just the thought of a med adjustment makes us cringe.
Boys and their toys! Daniel and Mark have been really into Hot Wheels ever since they were kids. It was cute to see them still checking them out ;)
My YouTube feed these days...
My "Day in the Life" posts are one of my very favorite types of posts to do. I did one this month on July 16 (find it here). I love looking back on what my life (mornings in particular) are like and how they change from year to year.
It's seldom I get to watch this big kid sleep, but sometimes when I'm up early doing my devotions and spending time with Jesus, he'll wake up, come out to the couch, grab a blanket, and then fall back asleep.
To wear bangs, or not to wear bangs. It was a big debate for me this month. Overall, I hate them. But then I see them in pictures and kinda like how they look. Thoughts?
The boys and I SO enjoyed our visits with Uncle Daniel while he was in town visiting from California! He tried to make it for most every Tuesday Godfather's night, which the kids SO enjoyed. Granted...I'm pretty sure the kids wanted him to come over many of the nights just to see Buddy, his pet Chihuahua.
Had a bit of a snafu with my (apparently extremely dirty) grill early in the summer. It took FOREVER for Weber to respond to my claim, and in the meanwhile, I purchased the necessary parts myself and mostly got it repaired. It was a LONG start to the summer without the grill!
When you have to begin transporting a toddler who no longer wants to be constrained to the double stroller...
Beach Bash 2019!!
How is it possible to get this crazy dirty with a bomb pop?
My middle two are such hard workers! Ryan wanted to help me, and refused to let me pull the wagon to the parade in Okabena.
We LOVE video chatting with Daddy on our Facebook Portal! It follows him around his room, too, so we can still see him even if he walks away.
We have SO appreciated all the hard work Kendrick has done in therapy, and the ways in which he has grown this year. We have fun at our family sessions, where we're all engaged doing sometimes messy projects. The kids enjoy them, though :)
She's almost always the life of the party!
We bought this balance bike for Ryan's birthday in Rochester at Scheel's on the same day that Mark had his PET scan and was officially diagnosed with behavioral variant Frontotemporal Dementia. It took him over a year to really embrace it and ride it.
I took the big boys to the Home Depot workshop this month, and it was fun to see their little minds work to put together their little trucks. Daddy would have LOVED doing this stuff with them.
Even the messy parts
My sweet neighbor friend Jilly bean took this picture for me when our siding was delivered. Apparently it required a crane?
It isn't often whatsoever, but every once in a great while, I get all 4 of them playing nicely in the back yard and I get to kick back in the hammock with a mini bottle of wine. I think if I remember correctly, it all ended as soon as the wine was gone, but it was a great 20 minutes!
Summer church services are ROUGH with 3 little fidgety boys under the age of 8. I hate to say it, but what seems to work the best to keep them in line is to remind them that if they act up, they lose their only tablet time of the week (during nap time for the littles on Sunday afternoons). But I've also had to find more interesting things for them to do. These sticker puzzle books and magic marker books have been a hit lately.
Toddler tantrums are a definite thing around here these days. This little lady is all about "do it myself" and "you no do it" and thinks everything that exists is hers. #ToddlerTornado
So the grill caught on fire early in the month, and as it turns out, it probably should've been cleaned?
Ooops!
Bomb pops with friends is the best!
I think she likes the water?
The kiddie pool is so great for the little ones!
Cashel and Kendrick have, for the most part, been taking turns taking out the garbage lately.
The food trucks at the International Festival in Worthington were totally on point this year! This was the second time ever we've gone, and I would definitely return!
Mark's brother Daniel was God-sent this summer! He has been coming for about 6 weeks each summer the past few years, and having an extra set of hands has been so incredibly helpful! The boys adore him and his little pup Buddy.
We had such a blast dancing (we were all drenched in sweat when we left)!
This was such a great night!
While this whole FTD thing is really just devastating most of the time, one silver lining has been all the incredible people we've connected with. The family of a good friend of mine from high school in Iowa happened to see the story on KEYC in Mankato, as they had relocated there, and reached out to us to offer to watch the kids if ever I needed to have more downtime or time with Mark on my own. My friend's sister Trisha and boyfriend Matt have really stepped up, and the kids LOVE to spend time with them, so that has been extremely helpful. It's nice to be able to take the kids with me instead of leave them back home sometimes.
Daniel snapped this shot of us walking in the mall the last time we set foot in there with Mark.
He likes to step on all the dark squares and use all the bathrooms while there. We've since had to stop taking him to the mall because he said some pretty inappropriate things to some younger girls, and well...I'd rather not have him be arrested :(
It was so nice to see Mark's Uncle Dan and Aunt Kathi at Sibley Park after our visit with Mark.
I mean...♥
Uncle Daniel was so great with the kids this visit! He helped Ryan do some painting this particular day.
Highly recommend this book! I'm sure it's an older one, as my Mama went through it while she was still well, and who knows how long before that she did it, but I snatched it from her bookshelf a few months back.
We've been calling Mark on the way in the morning since he was placed, but as of late, he has stopped answering the video calls :(
I finally finished my 2017 Family albums!!
lmost done with all the exterior changes! This was after the siding, but before the cement pad in the front was done!
And After:
Both big boys played baseball this summer (Kendrick t-ball, Cashel coach-pitch). We ended the season on the 16th with their showcase games.
This kid LOVED t-ball and intends to play again next year.
This one, on the other hand, has given it the ole' college try, but really isn't a fan of baseball, so I'm not forcing him again next year. (photo cred: Alexa Goldie)
Simple things like...being able to go for a walk with toddlers and big kids at the same time without freaking out about someone not paying attention and getting hit by a car...that's what I miss the most.
I miss having someone to talk through things with the big kids after a hard day. Did I mention how much we enjoyed having Uncle Daniel visit this summer?
Our church bulletin lists those who are in nursing care or homebound. Never in a million years would I have expected to see his name here.
We also thoroughly enjoyed having an extra set of hands to help at the pool this year! We were able to go a number of times with Uncle Daniel in tow to help manage the big kids while I wrangled the toddlers. I was also super thankful that they were receptive to wearing their life jackets this year!
Uncle Daniel took the bigs fishing for a couple hours on a stormy day while I had a babysitter watch the littles and I got some "me" time in Worthington!
I had this FIT testing done (I mentioned it in a previous post). Slowly working on eliminating these foods from my diet, but man...cow's milk AND tomatoes? Just shoot all my pasta dreams down the toilet :(
They're starting to ask to take pictures with Daddy, and I'm taking as many as I can ♥
All the heart eyes for these guys ;)
We've discovered Fallenstein Park and we're in LOVE with it! Also, how in the world did he get SO TALL?!?
Another HUGE development from the summer: Cashel is now allowed to not only BE in the deep end without a jacket, he can also jump off the diving board and go down the slide. Because this kid...he can actually legitimately swim. He passed level 2 lessons this year. I'm so excited for him!!
Mark sometimes participates in arts and crafts at the facility. He was pretty proud of his work of art!
If I'm at home, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be covered in toddlers.
I had tried off and on for MONTHS to get this little lady to wear her hair up, since she looks like such a ragamuffin with it down. Somehow, Jody convinced her to have piggies, and since then it has been a thing - hallelujah! On another note, WHY won't that hair in the front grow in? I mean, she's got this combover that comes from her back hair, but that hair in the front has been that length since she was 1.
8 times out of 10, when we're on an adventure, this is what I'm looking like, with my DSLR in hand.
Our favorite exploring spot year-round!
A rare occasion where she willingly would hold my hand! It's not the norm for my littles to want to hold my hand, so I'll document it when it actually happens lol
This has been my method for the madness the past few years. Just do the next thing, and then the next thing. And the next.
We took a couple trips to Redwood Falls and Ramsey Park this summer. As an aside, Yumboxes make this kind of thing super easy.
I *might* take too many pictures. Cashel actually suggested we take this picture, and everyone just lined up and stood there. First time ever.
Painting time with this one gets interesting...
We also made a trip to Fairmont to visit the Aquatic center there once, which was super exhausting for this Mama, since they don't allow life jackets there for the littles, and apparently they're all little fishies now.
Gosh, I love them :) So much!
The reality with only one thing of bubbles and only one bubble wand.
Ryan's first successful cleaning! He has been to the dentist since he has had teeth, but usually barely makes it to just get the fluoride treatment on after counting his teeth.
I am so thankful for our little free library at the park! We've taken some and left a lot in the past! It's always fun to go see what someone put in there.
This scene in the living room is becoming more and more common. I come in to find them all sitting in a row like this from time to time. It's hard to document, because usually it's only when I'm out of the room (or else the babies would be on top of me), so unless I happen to have my phone in hand to snap a picture, they're hard to capture, because they pop up quickly when they see me.
