Lake Almanor 2014

Lake Almanor is a magical place. It took away matters from mundane day-to-day life and made me feel tranquil and rejuvenated. Somehow this place figured out how to slow time. We could relax, enjoy each others company, and not have a care in the world about anything else except shooting the breeze with the neighbors -- which happened to be multiple cabins full of extended family.

The Arrival

With a truck bed full of beach gear, personal bags, and lots of FOOD -- we arrive at our cabin and get settled. We anxiously wait for our familial neighbors to drive in from many states. As we meet up, there's always something new to share: a missionary returning home, a newly wed spouse coming for the first time, and even new babies to introduce to the family. We are all genuinely excited to see each other.

Sabbath Day

I loved waking up to the sunrise filtering through the forest trees. As I'd get ready for church, the LDS hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" would come to mind. Lake Almanor is truly a beautiful scenery and it reminded me how beautiful our world is. 

Starting off vacation with a day to observe the Sabbath was perfect. I loved having the opportunity to spiritually express gratitude and ponder about Jesus Christ amongst many loved ones.

To close off Sunday, all the cousins gathered together for a friendly game of Butts-Up. The parents pulled up chairs around the game to watch and help take care of babies -- thanks!!

This was Calvin's first time being able to join in on the fun -- with Daddy's help, of course :)

Time to Play

There is so much to do at Lake Almanor! Beach, swimming, playground, tennis, soccer, pickle ball, shuffle board, bocci ball, boating, wakeboarding, tubing, relaxing, tanning, reading, etc. You can always find something fun to do at Lake Almanor.

Each morning we walked down and set up camp at our favorite spot on the beach.

Calvin enjoyed all the adventures Almanor had to offer.

He especially had fun playing with his (2nd) cousins in the sand...

...and out in the water.

Calvin also loved visiting the clubhouse to get a delicious treat (at least once).

Family Dinners
Each night, the Green Clan gathered at one of the cabins for dinner. This was a great time to relax, eat some good food and enjoy each others company. 

Except one night we had Adults Night Out: where the younger cousins helped babysit while adults had a night to themselves. This night was so fun! It's always full of laughter and hilarious stories. Hanging out with these guys is never long enough.

Piñata Night

This is definitely a highlight of the week. This year, Calvin finally got the hang of it. And he was pretty good!

Becca, however, tried to figure out how not to damage the bat. Fail.

Calvin liked to help Mom whack the piñata...

...and Dad's, too! Unfortunately, Cal was quite confused and disappointed when the piñata broke and the fun was all done.

Boating

This is our favorite activity at Almanor. We love going out on the water with Uncle Mike. He offers to take whoever wants to go out on the boat to play or to enjoy the scenery. With a family our size, he is literally out driving the boat all day. Uncle Mike has been my driver as I've learned how to wakeboard. I'm so grateful for his patience, kindness, and encouragement as I figured out how to get up on the water and enjoy the ride. Thanks Mike!

This year, however, I was 22 weeks pregnant. So instead of wakeboarding, I was the official photographer. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Jake attempting to jump the wake.

Tyler doing flips and tricks.

Davis looking like a stud.

And Libby falling with style.

Since I couldn't wakeboard, Uncle Mike offered to take me out on a slow tube ride. I'm glad I could do something fun out on the lake. Calvin, however, was not having fun going slow.

So I hopped off and let them go real fast. Calvin loved it! He had the time of his life!

Charlie's Birthday

Charlie was lucky to have his birthday fall on Almanor week! So we surprised him with a birthday party out on a pontoon boat. We spent the day barbecuing, eating birthday cake, swimming in the middle of the lake, reading books, and napping. The day was absolutely perfect.

Calvin refused to go out in the water. The only way we could get him out there was by luring him with a bag of chips...

...and a ball.

Calvin loves hanging out with is Aunties :)

Here's the birthday boy! Calvin is already eyeing the "chwoklate cake."

This kid loves chocolate. Just like his grandpa.

I love capturing moments of Jake being a great Dad :) He's so good with Cal.

*sigh* It was so peaceful and relaxing out in the middle of the lake. We wanted to stay out there forever.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!! Hope it was a good one!

Headed Home

This dreaded day is ignored until the last minute. I hate leaving paradise, but reality is inevitable. This year was especially sad because the annual tradition of the infamous Lake Almanor has come to a close. I am so grateful and honored that I could be a part of the Lake Almanor tradition that Grandma and Grandpa Green began 25 years ago. 

Even though we're not visiting Lake Almanor next year, I have a feeling we'll be back. Lake Almanor has been a significant part of our lives and it will always have a special place in our hearts.

There's no place like home

Trips to visit California are never long enough, but I'm grateful to have BOTH sides of my family living so close to each other. This trip in particular was quite relaxing for me (due to resting/recovering since my Valley Fever diagnosis) Calvin, on the other hand, had a blast playing with friends and family.

Hanging with the Roberts

Calvin and Seth are best friends in the making.

I got to meet baby Karlee!! She is so precious.

It was so great to meet up with Cherise (and Matt!) and have our sons play together. 

They soon found similar interests: SWORD FIGHTS!

These boys are two peas in a pod.

They are so much like their fathers :)

Playing at the Beans

Grammie's house is always about playing whatever Calvin wants to play. He's quite spoiled. I blame it on being the first grandchild.

Nick took Calvin to the park and explored the neighborhood together. Grandpa and Cal played frisbee until the sun went down. And Grammie introduced Nerf guns! They were battling each other at all times.

Calvin's favorite spot to play was at the top of the stairs where he could launch the bullets and watch them soar.

Interviewing Bonding with the Scotts

There's never a dull moment at the Scotts. Especially when there's a newcomer. All the epic stories from childhood start pouring out like a broken dam and the evening fills with laughter. Since Becca was bringing her "boyance" (boyfriend + almost fiance) home to have the family meet him, all the stories were about Becca's childhood. I've been around the Scott family long enough now where I could tell you all the stories myself, maybe I was even there.

Calvin and I were in California a week before Jake could arrive, so we were already getting to know Andrew. This particular evening was the first time Jake met Andrew. We ate at a tasty Japanese restaurant called Mikasa. That place was so delicious! I want to go back each time we visit home.

This is the Mr. Tough Guy look that Charlie gave Andrew. The look didn't last long when it came to telling hilarious stories about Becca.

Overall, we think Andrew is pretty great and we'd love to have him a part of the family. We approve!

While the parents were at work each day, Becca and Rissa spent LOTS of time playing with Calvin and helped out taking pictures so I could rest (Thanks guys!).

Calvin is at the stage where he loves to help. Even though it often adds more time to getting the task done, I love his enthusiasm for helping out.
Calvin saw Jake mowing the lawn, so of course Cal wanted to help.

Calvin loves nothing else more than BUBBLES! Especially when the bubble wand is in the shape of a sword. Throughout our stay, he was always dragging someone outside to play with bubbles or to play soccer.

No one minded playing with him :)

Since we've been back in Arizona, Calvin prays for his family in California each night. It goes something like this:

 "Faader, dank you Momma, Daddy, Baby Oddie....hmmm lemme dink...Papa, Grammie...hmmm let's see...Papa, Gramma....hmmm lemmme dink...Becca, Rissa...hmmm let's see...Tico (Tio Nico = Uncle Nick) an Jesus. Name Jeeesus Chriiiist. Amen." 

Adorable, right? We help him with all the other names in our family, even Uncle Justin and puppy Mia, but he remembers to pray for the CA family each night all on his own. That's how I know that he loves his family and misses them. 

'Til next time California!

The Bean Reunion that ALMOST WAS

We had wonderful Bean Reunion planned to go camping in Southern Utah. All 9 of my Dad's siblings would be there with their spouses and kids. Even my Aunt and Uncle+kids from Germany! I love that family and I was excited to have them finally meet Jake and Calvin.

But we never made it.
Instead, we spent the week at Dixie Regional Medical Hospital in St. George :(

We started the trip off hanging out with my immediate family in Orderville, Utah--a small town to hang out at just a few days before the BIG reunion. Everyone but Annelise and Andrew could make it. Annelise was finishing up her last weeks of her Undergrad degree at BYUI and Andrew was settling at his new job for Toyota in Torrence, CA. I guess they were preoccupied. ;)

We stayed at a Best Western Hotel (thanks Jake!) that was conveniently located on a golf course. The boys enjoyed playing everyday we were there. Even Calvin!

Some locals at church told us about a cool hike near our hotel that would be fun to check out. So we did! We weren't exactly sure where we were going, but we figured it out together.

The red rock was beautiful! Chris and Calvin took a moment to carve their initials into the rock.

We got to a point where the only way to continue was to climb up the rock using rope. With two small children and a pregnant lady, there was no way we could continue. But of course Calvin had to try.

So this is where we ended the hike (by default). Calvin was not too excited about that.

I was so impressed with Calvin. He hiked the whole way all by himself (~3miles there and back!). When Jake offered to help carry him, he refused. He was determined to do it all on his own. I didn't mind walking slow with him (especially since I was taking it easy). Calvin ended up sleeping the best afternoon nap while we watched the USA vs. Portugal World Cup game.

Since Orderville is such a small town, the options of places to eat were quite limited. However, we discovered a hidden gem up in Zion Mountain Ranch called The Buffalo Grill. The restaurant was located on a buffalo ranch where many animals (chickens, ducks, horses, etc.) were roaming the land while we ate a fancy dinner. It was the perfect place to enjoy a nice meal while letting Calvin explore his surroundings.

We had a delightful time in Orderville. But it was soon time to head up to the campsite to meet up with the rest of the Bean clan for the BIG family reunion. 

The night before, I woke up in the middle of the night with ANOTHER fever. All weekend, I had been struggling with: 

1) fevers

2) breathing
I was having trouble taking a full breath without coughing. Overall, I was feeling fine. I figured I couldn't breathe as well due to the combination of being pregnant and being at a high altitude.

The morning of the reunion, I visited the local Physician's Assistant. We discovered that my oxygen level was low; equivalent to a smoker who smokes two packs a day. Obviously my issues with breathing was more than just being pregnant. The PA strongly recommended that I get a CT scan to see what was wrong with my lungs. She was guessing that it could be pneumonia or even a blood clot, but I wouldn't be able to know without the scan.

So Jake and I headed to Dixie Regional Medical Hospital in St. George while my family headed to the Bean Reunion with Calvin. We would be 4 hours away from each other!

After reviewing the results from my CT scan, I was admitted to the ER and placed with a mask. A pulmonologist pulled up my CT scan and showed us that my lungs were peppered with spots throughout each lung. This could be many things: bacteria, virus, fungi. But we wouldn't know what it was or how to treat it until MORE testing was performed.

I spent 5 days at the hospital on various antibiotics and drugs to treat a bunch of possible bacteria, viruses, and fungi. A medical team including a primary doctor, pulmonologist, infectious disease specialist, and a high risk maternal/neonatal specialist all ordered various tests and watched me carefully. I felt extremely well taken care of. 

Fortunately, the doctors ruled out anything contagious. Unfortunately, they still didn't have a conclusive answer. They were guessing that I had Coccidioidomycosis (aka Valley Fever). But the results wouldn't be available for about 6 weeks. 

My doctors had never worked with Valley Fever before, so they were dealing with unknown territory. Case studies that they did read about didn't end up with a good result, especially for pregnant women. 

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungus in the dirt that is found in two locations of the entire US: 

1) San Joaquin Valley of California (where Jake and I grew up) and 

2) Phoenix, Arizona valley (where we currently live). 

Knowing this, the doctors were pretty confident that I did have Valley Fever. I was discharged with the assignment to meet with the Valley Fever specialist in Phoenix ASAP. 

Although this entire experience was not so fun (especially on vacation), I was grateful that Jake was available to be by my side and Calvin was well taken care of under the wings of my parents. Calvin had a BLAST camping with my extended family. When he came to visit me in the hospital, he was covered with dirt! After he took a quick shower, he came and snuggled with me. We were so happy to be reunited.

Weeks later, back in Phoenix, it was confirmed that I did have colonies of Coccidioidomycosis in my lungs and blood. It feels good to know what's wrong and have a treatment plan in place.

Although this has been tough, there are so many things to be grateful for...

I'm grateful that Jake has really good health insurance to cover our 22K+ medical bill!!

I'm grateful for my Mom, our family ER nurse, who encouraged me to get checked out and was a great resource for medical advice. 

I'm grateful for my Uncle Greg, my OBGYN family doctor. Thank you for making connections with doctors in the St. George area to make sure I had the best medical care possible for me and the baby.

I'm grateful for my cousin Jason driving up the mountain side like a maniac to help my Mom and Uncle Greg find cell phone reception in order to communicate with me. His speed racing skills were quite handy!!

I'm grateful for the many prayers that my family said for me at the family reunion. I was definitely comforted during a trying time.

I'm grateful for the priesthood. I'm grateful that Jake, Uncle Greg and my Dad could step up as worthy priesthood holders to give me a blessing of health for me and the baby. Many things were said in that blessing that gave me great comfort and guidance during many medical decisions.

And I'm grateful that our baby BOY is doing perfectly fine. The last day we were in the hospital, an ultrasound was performed to evaluate the baby's anatomy. During that time we found out that we're having another boy!! Yay for healthy baby and for another boy!

From Tarzan to Dapper Dan - Calvin's first real haircut

Jake and I decided to let Calvin's hair grow out to see what it could do. To our surprise, we found out that its got some wave & curls to it. However, when he woke up from his nap looking like this...

...we knew it was time for a haircut. What a mess! 

In the past, we've bribed Calvin with candy, movies, toys, and anything he wanted during a haircut. But we still ended up having Jake hold down Cal's body and arms in his lap and I would hold his head still while my cousin Brooke cut his hair. We always hated that. He would kick, scream and fight the whole time but we'd finally get the hair cut done. It was a traumatic experience for all of us.

Jake did a great job at explaining to Cal what the clippers and scissors do and how it was important to stay still so we didn't accidentally cut him. 

This is the face he gave us when he understood. He's not too excited about getting his hair cut but he was certainly compliant.

Calvin's least favorite part was getting sprayed with water. He kept telling Jake, "Stop! Stop it! Stop it Dad!!" (Sometimes giggling, but mostly yelling.)

A lollipop solved all his problems. I'm so glad that something so simple can help him sit still and distract him enough to cut his hair.

Jake and I were not sure what we wanted to do with his hair. We just knew it needed to be short on the sides. Soon enough, Calvin expressed that he wanted his hair like Dad's. We did the best we could!

Calvin was good about sitting still while Jake went at him with the clippers. I'm glad I didn't have to hold him down like a straight jacket.

Calvin was very worried about hair getting on his lollipop...

...and hair on his body. 

My job became washing his lollipop and dusting off the hair on his body with a towel.

Jake and Calvin had a great time cutting hair, eating lollipops, and watching spider-man cartoons. 

What do you think? Not bad for our first time cutting his hair!

Thanks for cooperating so well, Calvin! We hope you feel cooler in this heat!