Like usual I had started constructing this post throughout the week, but this morning I managed to delete it. So here's the starting over version. UG I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

We had to say goodbye to Grama :( Friday but we survived the flight, Cannon actually slept part of it. And we found the BEST SURPRISE EVER at the Shreveport airport.I had typed in all the details but its so disheartening starting clear over. So cute of him though we loved it, of course it made our drive across LA so so much better. We stopped at the Mississippi river but couldn't get down to it, we always have our eye out for cannon's though :)

I forgot to document my b-day flowers. I should have before they wilted.

The Grandparents update: Grama's "pretty slow" that's what she says if ya ask how she's doing. Grampa, well they did an Angiogram and Angioplasts and   put 3 stents in and I was under the impression that everything went smooth but I was way off-they almost lost him on the table 3 times. Then his kidneys weren't working so he was going to have to go on dialysis or basically go home to die. So Monday when I called to get the update my folks had been there at the hospital and he was doing ok, awake talking and such so they went to grab a bite to eat. That's when I called. Then a few hours later they called and back and told me what had happened. They were just getting back to the hospital after lunch when the social worker called and said there had been an emergency and Grampa had flat lined. (Remember Grampa was perfectly healthy -all relative for an 85 year old I guess- but anyway seemed perfectly healthy for 9 of the 10 days we were in Utah) anyway so my parents were only a quick elevator ride away but they got there and the medical personnel were doing CPR but only problem is my Grampa is a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) patient. So they had to stop them. Can you imagine, my poor dad. Anyway, they stop, then Grandpa rallys and makes a comeback. Crazy. Then the next day when I called to check his kidney's had rallied and if all went well he'd be able to come home by Wed! Crazy, I guess Grandpa's not done here on earth. Anyway he really didn't come home until Thursday but...that's the update.

And here in Mississippi we just carry on like everything's normal.
Here's some of this week's antics...we'll call CANN-tics.
The first two we were still in Utah for. Teaching Cann Man to Shop :) and maybe I drink the milk out of my cereal bowl....whoops

Cann associates his sandals and ONLY his sandals with getting to go outside. Can you believe I had the nerve to put these other red shoes on him. Outrage! I love that the sandal he wanted is sitting next to him in this picture. Then helping wipe the pencil he scribbled off.

He's a good helper -well he was the one that made the mess- but if I get the camera out all bets are off! I also wanted to get a picture of his little skinned up knees-its a permanent thing poor little guy- but no luck.

And my little cookie helper.  We used the high chair as a step stool and really shouldn't have because now he just thinks its his in the kitchen ladder. WHOOPS, but what's done is done. 

 The Library-why haven't I done more of that sooner? And the ducks so fun!

and a couple movies to boot

Little Stinker boy is asleep-wish he would sleep in the middle of the night. But even though its a travel day for us, if he's sleeping I might has well post. Some of this post I constructed throughout the week and some early Thursday morning when after I sent this to Isaac on email
"Greetings from the middle of the night. Cannon wakes up like clock work at 3. I got him back to sleep and was laying there and I heard a phone ring I wasn't sure it if it was my new ring or not so I got up and checked my phone, it wasn't mine so I layed back down and it went again. Then my dad's lights came on. It was Grampa calling my dad (he turned it off the first time thinking it was his alarm) anyway calling to tell him he thought he was having a heart attack. So needless to say its 3:41 and I am wide awake.... Don't know anything (my dad went to take him to the hospital) but now you are in the don't know anything loop."
My poor dad. So along with everything else, grampa is in the hospital- but doing better- good grief!!!

All of the days are pretty much a blur. Cannon and I had a blast visiting with Kalyn and Kristin. I know we live in Mississippi but this still feels like home and I'm good with that. It was so fun to chat and the weather's beautiful and the humidity is non-existent :) Oh I'm pretty sure  its Heaven. Sunday was just a good good day, I loved going to church in Ivins. I loved Sacrament mtg and getting to go to our old Sunday School class and Relief Society was just a fun fun lesson. Oh it just felt so good and comfortable and nice. Sunday evening the Allreds came and we visited and cleaned what we could at my Grandparents house. They are so nice! Monday I hit the Big 31. YUCK. Seriously-no way can I be that old-but I am! I have an uncle that I don't see very often but he's been up helping with my grandparents house. He asked how old I was and when I told him he said "BULL" it was the perfect comment. Tuesday we visited with Grama Cottam and Aunt Kay and Andee and also caught Lydia's soccer game. Wednesday we hit up the play date at the park and Coach Allen's soccer practice. So fun.  So while the trip is very different than expected we've also been able to do a lot of fun things and see a lot of people.
The pics I added while I was up at 4 in the morning-Usually these pictures would end up in a collage but I'm not on my regular computer so maybe later.

The city guys might not of let Cann Man on the back hoe (last week) but Grampa would! I love that you can see Cann holding on to the steering wheel -if you look close- he's a serious helper. And he said "Woof" every single time they drove by the dogs. It kept Grampa smiling.

Running the mini with Grampa too

 Wore him right out

 Such a good helper

 I have and empty box of dog treats I put a handful in then let Cannon divvy them out.

"More"..."Please"

Anyway I guess that's it. I know its all over the place but oh well. Not excited about a long day of travel but very excited to see Isaac. Wasn't prepared at all to say goodbye to Grampa in the stink'n hospital. Haven't said goodbye to Grama yet but...not excited about that either. Such is life though and its been SO SO SO good to be here even with all the chaos. 

Flood Clean Up-near and far

So Saturday and Sunday Isaac worked with the Helping Hands organization and when I saw these pictures I was so proud.

Annie and I hung out some, we went yard sale'n and I totally scored for 8 bucks, that was fun.
Monday was a long day of travel but so good to be home and Tuesday at first it was raining all day and they were giving me a hard time about bringing Isaac (the Hurricane) with me, but then all Heck broke loose. Check the kutv  or  KSL  link.  My grandparents house is below the dike, their house flooded bad and the basement was clear full. It came in the window wells and blew out the windows, it came in the front door it basically went everywhere. (Even blew the door and frame off the storeroom in the basement) What a mess. So much help so fast though. Probably 30 people were there Tuesday night just helping anyway they could. Crazy run of emotions going from my husband giving help to people in need, to being on the receiving end (even though it was my grandparents). Wild wild wild. So much Christlike service, its amazing, and so humbling. While it was happening they wouldn't let us through to get to her house (Ok and I oblivious that it was happening, I knew it had been raining all day but I was headed up there with a plate of cookies for Grampa) So anyway after my brothers clued me in to what was happening we totally transformed my mom's house so Grama and Grampa could move in. After that my helping was kind of limited to tending either Grama so Jayne and Grampa could get away and help up at the house, or tending Ann so Kyler could. I definitely wanted to do more.
Here you can see how high the water was on the hedge. Luckily (blessing) my dad was there at my Grama's.

 

So many little blessings with all the mess though.  My grama was worried about the stuff in her mothers cedar chest in the basement, its one of the things Chip got out. My grama has this paisley shawl that came across the plains with the pioneers. (I think it was Fanny Gunn's-but my geneology is rusty) but just last week she had my Aunt go get it from the basement, so it was upstairs. That fact that my aunt Jayne was coming anyway. Huge Blessing. I'm glad I'm here now too, and Aunt Laur came Thursday night. Even just having my Grama move in down at my parents-huge blessing! (we're still working hoping praying grampa will come too but he's still sleeping up to his house and that's okay too) Understandably they didn't want to leave their house but her health is poor right now and my parents home is built handi-cap accesable (by design) so its a good thing.
Heres another example... seriously this is the next day, so amazing.

I just compare that to how long the people Isaac was helping had to wait to get there houses looking like this. Here's one more link...they all look the same to me after watching so many. Chip is on it 3:25 but it just looks like the other picture from KUTV

And some random just normal (low stress-mostly fun) pictures from the week:

Cannon looking at pictures of Grampa's dogs-getting so excited to see them.



 Sharing a little string cheese with Samps.

Playing with Ann-Spinning on the office chair-SO FUN They've eat'n popsicles with Grampa and helped sweep out the garage, just lots of good times.

Watch'n the backhoes clean up from the flood. Isaac always lets him help so he was really annoyed he couldn't get in with those drivers and help them.

We had pizza with the basketball girls So fun to see them and they were SO EXCITED to see Cann Man and he was super clingy, just tired- but it was fun. 

Kisses for Great Grama Frei

I'm glad we're here, we definitely miss Isaac too though.

Friday we found some entertainment at the local Bass Pro Shop...it was a fun little family date night. The pics aren't great but Cannon is watching the fish then I loved his expression with that cat.

Isaac's been looking forward the first Saturday of the month since the Stout's told him about the fun Home Depot projects, then with the move we missed August but I think he's set now. He called Blake so Ayla got in on the fun too. They plan to collect the project pins and all. Cannon made a goal post and Ayla made a little jewelry box. Too cute-Home Depot is awesome! I'm glad Blake had his phone and snapped some pics.

Somehow I thought Ole Miss was just right up the road-right up the road 2.5 hours. WAY closer to Memphis (where my cousin lives but she is home in Utah) than here. On top of that LSU is pretty much equidistant from here (just thought I'd throw in the geometry term for old times sake) but LSU is ranked #1 so I guess it was better that we went Ole Miss for our first SEC football experience, I mean $4 tickets is tough to beat. I also tried Chick-fil-a for the first time (that I can remember) on that little trip. SOLD. I know its all the conservative rage right now but I'm in. So clean, so nice, so friendly, fresh flowers on every table, mouthwash, extra diapers just in case in the restroom. It was great. All the workers had their Ole Miss Chick-fil-a game days shirts, I loved it.

Sunday...oh Sundays are SO HARD for me, they break my heart, I just want to be home. It used to be my favorite day. Church, we loved the Ivins 2nd ward, then naps, and visiting my family filled up the day! So here's a little proof that we did live in heaven!

 

I told Isaac I wanted to go home for my birthday and bought my ticket before we ever left, I am SO EXCITED. This is a quick phone pic Kristin snapped for me this week of the Maxwell's (Bro Maxwell was our home teacher) cleaning up our yard before we come. Isn't that the nicest thing you've ever heard? I confess I teared up when Kristin first text me about. Then they came back, it was a multiple night project. ~remember that I can't even give a plate of cookies away here~ Oh my goodness I was totally overwhelmed. SO SO NICE!

For a Labor day project my boys put up a hammock~and cleaned off the little balcony but I still did some cropping :) I had given it to Isaac the Christmas before we got married, it made it's debut this much later...just one of the random things that made the trip, but it was fun.
Tuesday I got my Mississippi Drivers license-an all day project. Oh brother. Wednesday we fed the missionaries, definitely one of my favorite things out here. Love having them. Love their thoughts and their prayers its a good thing (and I make it an all day project but hallelujah for the pressure to make the apt somewhat presentable-they don't care but I do) This week I randomly thought of kids that I taught in school (some in 8th grade) that I know are out on missions. It was just cool. Thursday we took the guys lunch at school and got to meet a lot of their professors. It was fun.

Tonight Isaac is going with a group from our ward/stake down to the coast to help clean up from the hurricane. I'm trusting that Blake will take some phone pics for us :) They are staying until Sunday evening, which seems a little weird going with a church group but I guess its just different, there's a need and they are going to help. We fly out Monday so I looked into changing my ticket but it was going to be pricey! Plus at least we'll get to see Isaac Sunday night because it will be a long time to be away from him for me and Bubba. So here we  are sitting around for the weekend waiting to leave, kind of a bummer but it will all work out.
Next post from home :)
Oh and poor little Bubba's  been so sick this week. Hoping/praying he's on the mend now!