Back At It

So, here I am.

Back.

I believe that last year there is a similarly titled post around this time.  

So, August was supposed to catch us up on July and the summer.  Then August began.  August is to teachers, what April is to accountants.  Needless to say, things have been ridiculously busy here in Drosche Land.  So much change going around, our heads are still spinning.

So I'll try and cram as much into this post as possible to catch us up and bring us current. But it may get long so if you need to pause for a snack or beverage, that's cool.  

So, where were we?  July.  We bought a camper.

We stayed at home for July 4th and, as usual, celebrated with some small time fireworks.  We enjoyed it and no one lost an eye or finger!  Although there was a close call with a rogue firework that didn't go as "aerial" as it should have.  But the kids enjoyed it and I got to blow stuff up.  A win-win.

Jack's favorite are the sparklers!

Braeden's first time with a Roman candle!

  

Then we were getting ready to head to Arkansas for our big family vacation with Amy's family.  We do it every year and Arkansas has become a favorite spot of ours.  Well, a few days prior to leaving, 2 I believe.  We took the van in to get inspected.  It failed.  Crap.  So we took it to our mechanic to figure out what the issue was.  Turns out she was in worse condition than we'd anticipated.  I mean, she was well loved, a true workhorse.  But her time, with us at least, had come to an end.  The needed repairs were expensive and there was no guarantee that she would even last a year.  So, we decided to get a new car.  Shut up!  Yes, we did.  Although we'd enjoyed being car payment free for about a year, we couldn't avoid it any longer.  So we headed to Carmax (where we bought the van) and looked for something to meet our many needs.  We'd researched online and ended up just happening across a Toyota Sequoia.  It had what we needed and wanted.  It was big, with a 3rd row to hold everyone and everything.  It could tow our new camper.  It has a sunroof.  Ok, not a need but still a perk!  Best of all, the price was great and we got a fair deal on the van as a trade in.  So, we bought a new car, just about a week and a half after the camper.  Seriously.  It's never a dull moment here.

The new car in all her ginormous glory!

We are totally in love.

So we headed to Arkansas in our new (to us) car and loved every minute of it.  The vacation was awesome!  Stella did very well considering it was her first ever vacation away from home.  Our family was luckily understanding of the fact that she wakes up early and only teased us a little.  The boys found a new love of riding on a boat and being pulled in the tube.  I found that I can hold my own against Amy's brother and cousins, all around 10 years younger than me, on a rough and wild ride on the aforementioned tube!  Still got it!  It was great to get away and we enjoyed the much-needed vacation.  Possibly the best part of all was when we went fishing and Jack caught his first ever, and second, and third fish!  Amy learned how to unhook them so we will be prepared for our next big catch.  I caught a catfish that was just slightly too small to keep, much to Jackson's and my dismay as we love us some catfish.

I have a habit of taking "Road Trip" pictures.  Amy kindly obliges!

Jack the fisherman!

I love this shot of Amy and I.

Stella enjoyed the lake and didn't fuss too much over her lifejacket!

My girls!

Catch of the day!

Braeden enjoying the boat!

The last bit of July was spent at home, relaxing and bemoaning the fact that summer was all too quickly drawing to a close.  You know the drill.  But, before we all got back into the swing of things, we did make some time for a trip to the beach.  Now, I know people, even my fellow native Houstonians, hate on Galveston.  Yes, the water isn't crystal clear.  Yes, there is seaweed.  I get it.  But I still love me some Galveston.  We had a blast.  The boys have always loved the beach but we weren't so sure about Stella.  Turns out we needn't worry at all.  She is a little beach bum herself. She took right to it and didn't fuss all day.  She enjoyed herself splashing and running around, every now and then stopping to try and eat some sand.  It was the perfect goodbye to summer and left Amy and I wondering why we don't make it to the beach more often.  So we make plans to camp there over Labor Day!  However, with the latest development of Jackson's broken arm, we have had to cancel that since casts and water don't exactly miss.  Another camper trip foiled!  But there are plenty of other times coming up.

My girls at the beach! 

My favorite shot of the day!

My boys playing around!

Stella and I building sand castles!

So, that brings us through the busy month of July and into August.  True, August is nearly over but we're nearly caught up.  I promise.  This post has gotten lengthy, although I hope I've won you over with the many pictures!  :)  I'll do one more catch up post to fill you in on the joys that have been August 2013 here in Drosche Land.  Then we'll be squared away and ready to move forward.  And yes, that post will come before the end of the month.  I have a week!  

All is well, nearly caught up, in Drosche Land.

  

Crowns, Casts, and Vomit

We interrupt the regularly scheduled July catch-up post for this one which details the latest adventure in Drosche Land.

Well, if the title of this post didn't hook you, surely that first line did!  On with the post.

So, yesterday Amy and the boys went to the dentist for their cleanings.  I lucked out couldn't make it for mine because I had a faculty meeting.  Despite the fact that our dentist is a family friend, I am just not a fan of going to the dentist.  Any doctor for that matter.  But that's a topic for a different post.

At the dentist Amy found out that Braeden needed some crowns on a few baby teeth due to cavities.  Ugh!  So she made the appointment for today.  In his defense, Braeden seems to have inherited the problematic teeth that run in Amy's family directly from his mother.  Jack seems to take after me as he had no issues whatsoever.

So the plan was set for today.  Amy would take Jack with her to school and I would take Braeden and Stella with me, as is our routine.  We would meet for lunch, trade boys, and she would take Braeden to the dentist while I took Jack back to my classroom.  All seemed fine.  Until I got a phone call from Amy during my meeting.  I didn't answer and got another, followed by the text you don't want to get - "Emergency.  Call me.".  So I slipped out and made the phone call.  Jack had fallen off of the monkey bars at school and broken his arm.  Yep.  That's right.  They were on their way to the ER.

Change of plans.  While Amy dealt with that issue, I took Braeden to the dentist where he was a trooper and handled it so well.  Afterward I went and picked Stella up where I found out that she had thrown up all over her teacher shortly beforehand.  Not to be outdone by her brothers, she must have wanted in on the day's action.  So I headed home to Amy and Jackson.  

Despite the craziness, stress, and drama of the day's adventures we are so proud of the boys.  Jackson is dealing very well with his arm.  He's in a temporary cast until next week when he will get his hard cast.  He is managing his pain well and getting used to being one-armed.  Braeden is also doing very well with his crowns and swollen face.  He was happy that, at bedtime, the swelling had gone down and the discomfort was lessened by the medicine Amy gave him.  Stella is doing just fine as well.

So, here it is, the end of a wild ride of a day and all has slowed down.  Hopefully everyone will get a much-needed rest and will awaken bright and shiny in the morning.  I have to share with you how grateful I am for my awesome wife.  She handled the day's events very well despite everything that was thrown at her.  I know for a fact that I would not have done so well.  She is an incredible wife and mother and today just proved to me more evidence of that.

So, as with many of the adventures we seem to have here in Drosche Land, today's events were the opposite of planned.  But in the end all has turned out for the best and HE has kept us safe and sound through it all.  

All is well, casted, crowned, and stomachs settled, in Drosche Land.

Jackson waking up after having  his arm set!

Braeden powering through his dental work!

    

Campy

We bought a camper!

Shut up!

Yes, we did!

So, that's pretty much how July began.  But I'll back up a bit and run you through the whole story.

Picture it, late June.  We made plans to take the kids and dogs out to Lake Livingston for 2 nights and 3 days of camping fun.  Amy and I love camping.  Needless to say, it's been a while since we've been.  What with having a baby and all in the last year.  But we decided it was high time we went.  Stella had obviously never been and the boys hadn't been but a scant amount of times.  So we booked it.

The weather, up until then of course, had been quite nice.  Warm, yes, it is Texas after all; but not too bad.  All that changed the week we headed out.  As the end of June neared the temperatures began to rise.  Crap.  But we proceeded out anyway.  The Lake is not too far away, about an hour and a half, pretty much one movie (yes, that's how we measure car trip times here).  We got there and got everything set up.

Then we realized just how hot it was.  The dogs were unhappy.  Rex had never been camping and he is so timid and scared of everything the entire event was enough to send him into a panting, shedding frenzy.

Stella got fussy.  And red.  And sweaty.  Did I mention she was fussy?  But we proceeded with our day.  However, as the time passed Amy and I began to question our decision to camp.  Was it wise?  Would we survive?  What have we done?!

A campfire was made and hot dogs were roasted.  We were all hot and exhausted.  Stella was a mess and the boys were getting a little whiny.  Things started going downhill.  Fast.   So we surrendered.  We packed up and headed home, cutting our trip short.  Very short.

We still love camping, but not the heat.  I mean, who does?  On the ride home Amy and I joked with the idea of getting a camper.  That would allow us the ability to camp, but with some temperature control.  It wasn't long before it wasn't a joke anymore.  The next day was spent researching campers on the Internet.  Long story short (too late), we bought a camper.

Not a huge one.  A small pop-up.  But we love it and the boys do as well.  The best thing? We have an air conditioner.  Ahhhh.  The hardest part was backing it up into our garage. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the ridiculously steep incline of our driveway' but we finally managed to get it in.

However, since our purchase our attempts to camp have been slightly unsuccessful.  A week after purchase we headed out on the camper's inaugural run.  However, the first night was beyond peaceful for Amy and I as Stella fussed the entire night.  She was running fever and was not a happy camper (pun intended).  The next day Amy took her into town to the doctor (we were again near home luckily) and she had some crazy throat infection.  So, Amy took her home while the boys and I remained at the campsite for the next night.  Then, this past week we intended to head out to Galveston to camp at the beach, something we were all excited about.  But on the morning before our trip both boys awoke complaining of stomach aches and spent the entire day down and out.  We cancelled the trip thinking the heat of the beach would not be a great way to follow a day of sickness.  So that trip was rescheduled for October, although we did make it to the beach for a day trip by the week's end.

So, there you have it. A somewhat long story about the purchase of our first RV.  In true Drosche style it was an adventure from start to finish.  We haven't gotten to use it as much as we'd originally intended but we have big plans for our little pop-up.  2 upcoming trips are scheduled, a Spring Break trip, and we will be taking it to Disney next summer (post forthcoming).  So we are sure to become experienced RV campers sooner or later.  Despite the initial craziness surrounding the camper we are still super excited and very pleased with it.  It's a lot of fun thinking about all of the great family times we will share in it and the memories we will make with the kids that they will be able to share with their families when they grow up.  

All is well, happy campers in fact, in Drosche Land.

A picture of the one time the entire family was able to enjoy the camper together!

The boys hanging out on the first camper trip!

Amy and I, fireside, on the first camper trip.

The boys sleeping in.  They love their side of the camper!

The 2nd time backing in went much smoother, hopefully this will be the trend and I'll be a pro!

Break & 500

Hey!

Long time no blog.

A month to be more exact.  No major reason or drama though.  Just on summer vacation and thought I would take a break.  Not that I don't love to blog and there has been plenty of material this summer, but it was nice just to have a summer.  

Remember this is the first summer Amy and I have had together in forever so it was kind of a big deal in our family.  And it's been a great summer.  We have done a ton of things and I've taken pictures of most of it.  However, summer is rapidly coming to a close. Tomorrow is our official last day.  I report back on Monday and Amy will be returning to her classroom then as well to begin working.  Granted, school doesn't resume for another couple of weeks, but there are meetings to be had, classrooms to be set up, lessons to be written.  Oh, and let's not forget that little thing about all of the CHANGES coming for the Drosche family this school year.  Amy teaching 2nd (had I mentioned that?).  Me moving to a new school (I'm pretty sure I mentioned that).  And the kids being split between the two schools (I know I said that, right?).

Anywho, I'm back.  I thought what better way to mentally prepare for the end of summer and return to the real world than to relive the past summer here with you?  Catch up on the month-long break.  A recap of the adventures we've been on this past summer.  There have been some great ones, just you wait and see.  I'll walk you through July and all of her happenings so you can get back into the swing of things with me.  Hopefully the pleasant reminiscing of this awesome summer will help me transition back into school mode!  AAAHHH!

Oh and this post is also special not only because I'm back from break, but it marks the 500th post!  Woo hoo!  500!  Here's to 500 more!  :)

So, that's about it for now.  I'm back.  I missed you.  I'll leave you with a few pictures from today's adventure.  To end summer we headed down to Galveston to the beach!  Stella's first time at the beach to be more precise.  She loved it.  Splashing. Running around.  Eating the sand.  The boys had a blast too.  You could tell it was a great day because Amy and I enjoyed the car ride home in complete silence since they all fell asleep before we even left the island.  It was the perfect end to a great summer.  Tomorrow we relax and recover.

All is well, even with summer break ending, in Drosche Land.

Stella LOVED the beach and everything about it!  Definitely made us realize we need to get there more often!

My beautiful wife and I.

All 3!

Braeden and Jackson goofing off at lunch!

The girls enjoying lunch!

Me!  Seafood!

My girls!

Chocolate covered potato chips!  YUM!

The sign of a great day!

Sunday Snapshot - 1

The long-awaited Sunday Snapshot post has returned to Drosche Land.

I know I have eagerly been anticipating its return and am happy it is finally here.  Time is finally on my side again now that summer is here, even though we have been keeping busy and I'm not blogging as much as I'd like.  But its here.

The theme of this post is slightly outdated as it refers to Stella's 1st birthday.  I did, of course, celebrate the occasion with a photo shoot and this post shows off those pictures. She has grown and changed so much, as we all have, over the past year.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them and sharing them!

She's full-on walking now and she gets into everything!  Neither of the boys were ever as busy as she is.  We are constantly chasing her down, taking things away, and telling her no.  Not that the word "no" means much to her; other than a signaling to smile adorably and run in the other direction!

Stella has always been a happy baby, but ever since we have zeroed in on her allergies and altered her diet accordingly she has been happier than ever.  I guess living without constant intestinal issues will keep you in a pleasant disposition!

This past year has been a whirlwind of changes and new experiences for us here in Drosche Land and the addition of Stella into our lives has been a major part of that.  She is, as each of her brothers were, a complete blessing in a time when we needed her.  A time HE orchestrated and knew perfectly.  I am constantly in awe of this little girl and how much she has changed us.  Being a father to a little girl has been very different than being a father to little boys.  It is a continual learning experience, but one that I am always enjoying.

And a final picture.  It's not a perfect shot and I haven't edited it too much.  But it is hilarious.  It shows our girl's little attitude.  This is her mad face.  She makes it a lot.  Most of the time she is playing and being silly, not really mad.  She does this quite often at dinner.  However, sometimes she is mad, and those times she means it.  Trust me.  It is one of our favorite things about her since it shows her feistiness and expressiveness!  Oh this little girl!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

The Diagnosis - Part 2

Ok, so this post took a little longer in coming than I had originally intended.  But last week was VBS and time just got away from me.  Anywho, here we are.

Amy finally got ahold of the doctor's office and we received the remaining pathology results we had been waiting on.  Turns out her mast cells were high, but not terribly.  They were in the limits of an allergic reaction.  So, her doctor is thinking it is not Mastocytosis.  This is great news.  However, we still have a long road ahead of us filled with learning.

As I'd mentioned before she has now been diagnosed with an allergy to soy as well as the milk protein.  We also suspect that she may have an intolerance to gluten as well.  Ugh.  We've been monitoring her rash/hives, demeanor, and tummy issues (diaper fillings).  We're not totally sure, but have a strong suspicion.  So here we sit on the precipice of raising a child with allergies.  Now I know that her allergies are minor in comparison to others' but it is still a lot for us to handle having never experienced it before firsthand.  We are learning to research and read labels to ensure that she is not getting dairy or soy.  We are also thinking and praying about the gluten, trying to decide if we cut that out as well.  That is a huge undertaking so we are being sure to make as educated decision as possible.  I'll update on it more.

In the meantime Amy, my heroine, spent the better part of last week on the phone arguing/pleading/discussing/talking with insurance regarding the special formula that the doctor prescribed for Stella.  I'll keep it short, but suffice it to say it has been a difficult and frustrating journey and the insurance company was not much help at all.  Luckily, late yesterday afternoon we received word that it was taken care of and we would be receiving our first shipment of formula next week.  I have to give total credit to Amy for this all as she single-handedly took care of this last week.  It was rough, but she was awesome.  

So, that's that.  Things seem to be settling down a bit on this adventure as we learn how to live with a child with allergies and work around conventional thinking when it comes to eating and meals.  It's been very interesting and eye-opening though.  We are all eating healthier as a result too, so that's a plus.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and kind words along the way as we have dealt with this.  It's been a long couple of months, but I think HE has finally brought us through it to the other side and we can now begin to breath again.  Thank you.  

All is well, learning, in Drosche Land.    

Good Dog Hot Dogs

So, to be honest, I'm not a huge hot dog fan. I mean, they're alright.  Every now and then but they're not something I'd eat frequently.  It's something I have to be in the mood for. However, not everyone in my family shares my sentiments.

Amy loves hot dogs, as do Stella and Jackson.  Braeden sides with me a bit and would prefer a hamburger over a hot dog any day.  However, since I chose the last food truck, Monster PBJ, this time Amy got to choose.  She was stoked about Good Dog from the get-go when we began tracking down local food trucks so I knew that she would choose it.

Despite not being my first choice, I was pretty excited too.  Some of the offerings sounded great.  So last Friday we headed out for our usual Friday routine - a morning at the Zoo and lunch at a food truck.  

From the smell when I got in line I knew that I would be enjoying lunch.  This isn't your average supermarket variety of hot dog (sorry Oscar Mayer) or even one you'd get at a sports venue.  Nope, as the advertisements promise they're gourmet.  

Their standard dog is 85% beef and 15% pork but 100% beef and tofu options are available.  I thought about the tofu dog given our June vegetarian kick, but decided to splurge and went with the standard.  My choice was the Sloppy Slaw Dog.  I liked the name.  I liked the description even more.  Apple-horseradish slaw with Swiss cheese and whole-grain mustard?  Um yes please!  It was awesome.  The slaw was crisp, flavorful, and amazing.  I love the pairing of the apples and the horseradish.  Their 85/15 dog is handmade for them and you can tell it is fresh.  Another awesome part of the food is their bun!  Top loading (not your typical bun) locally fresh made!  Yum!  

Amy got the Guac-A-Dog which is pretty self explanatory.  She loves avocados so this jumped out at her.  She didn't get the jalapeños though, to avoid some heat.  Hers looked amazing and I think I will have to try it next time, complete with jalapeños because I love them!

So, in short, this was another epic success in our Food Truck Summer.  We were super pleased and even though the kids opted out of this stop (they wanted McDonald's) a great time was had by all.  It's fun to support local businesses and who doesn't enjoy food that is cooked fresh for you.  Throw in a fun park picnic and we have a recipe for a fun family outing.  

The next stop?  Hmmmm, there are a few contenders but I'll keep it mum for now.  If you're here in Houston I highly suggest you track down Good Dog Hot Dog.  It'll be the best dog you've had!  Trust me!

All is well, and hungry, in Drosche Land.

Our dogs, lovingly packed together.  Mine's on top!

A close-up of mine because yum!