Life in the sticks

Holy smokes! What an amazing ultra-sound pic! I am glad for all of the positive health news in the family. Dad- i think Mikey is a good name ( it is the masculine version of Michelle you know) and I think the baby had neither a big nose nor an overbite. :) It has not been that long since I had an ultrasound invitro and none of my kids showed up like that- all 3D- I guess that is a perk of living in the big city with all that high tech gagitry all around. Not like here in Durango where our pets bring home plague to us! Luckily our neighbor has a golden retreiver that takes anything Daisy kills promptly back to her owner's house- so that minimizes our exposure to those blasted disease carrying fleas. Ah- the simple life. I really like reading about everyone. We have yet to see Deb's hair and hear about the East Coast Ross' latest. So let's hear about it! :)

Ring around the Rosy...

Yikes, Gilleland family, watch out for the Black Death!

The San Juan Basin Health Department confirmed the fourth case of plague in La Plata County Monday.

(On a different topic, I'm so excited about this weekend! See you there, hopefully!)

Health Tip

Dad, Keryn says you should lay off the butter.

Good news is good!

Greetings from the oldest (and perhaps wisest) Ross Clan member.

Brad, I read your blog with great joy. Mom and I listened to a tape by Blain Jorgensen (sp) about a disabled child he and his wife adopted. The tape brought me many tears but overall, the Jorgensens considered it a wonderful blessing. You may want to listen to it while you are here this weekend.

Little Mikey (the name mom and I are promoting) is certainly a handsome child. He has the Ross mouth and nose. I look forward to meeting him.

About my doctor visit: The cardiologist says that my "plumbing" is okay. It's my "electrical" that has gone somewhat a-foul. After years of untreated high blood pressure, the electrical current that tells the right side of the heart to beat, has been replaced by a signal from the left side that has to travel all the way around the heart. He tells me that this is okay but that I'll need to treat the blood pressure and lose weight (no more bacon cheese burgers). Mom and I went to the store last night and bought a bunch of "healthy" food. Pray for my will power to hold up.

Through the whole thing, my bosses have been very supportive, especially Johnny Schoppmann. I couldn't ask for a better company to work for.

Nicole must now be classified as a master carpenter. She (with a little help from Theo) has almost finished re-doing our back bedroom. It looks GREAT! All we have left is the molding and it will be done! Mom has become obsessed with upgrading. We are going to do the family room now. Will it never end???

Well, give me a call if you want to get more "heart" scoop. I can keep you entertained for 30-45 minutes telling you about my tests.

I love you ALL!!!

Happy News

Keryn and I went in for another ultrasound today. The results were very good. With spina bifida, the lower on the spine the defect is, the better. You're probably familar with the lumbar region of your back. The top bone in the spine in that region is called L1 down to L5. The bottom portion of the spine is the sacral region. At the first ultrasound (where we got the initial diagnosis), we heard that the defect was at the L/S boundary.

When we saw the specialist a few days later, the ultrasound showed a much higher location on the spine, up above L1! Generally speaking, the higher on the spine, the greater the chances for severe disability.

The ultrasound today put the defect pretty firmly back down near L5. Since it is a little bubble on the back, it can appear to be higher or lower depending on positioning. Today we seemed to get a look at the spinal cord and so we think we could see the origin of the bubble being lower down.

We won't know how severe the disabilities will be until he is born, but the news today was hopeful.

Add that to the goood news we got back from Dad's appointment in Phoenix and this has been a good week so far for medical news.

Chest Hair Warning

Dad, don't you remember what happens to men that shave their chest hair?! I am sure you haven't forgotten the Seinfeld episode where Jerry starts doing it only to have Kramer reveal his own messy results!
As for the rest of you, Theo and I keep wondering when our next crisis will hit as it seems the Ross clan has hit some rough spots. We are praying for you and each of your families. I am so glad we have decided to keep in touch via the blog thing ( I admit I was a bit skeptical at first). Knowing your struggles as well as your good news helps us feel closer to you though seperated by the miles in most cases.
Love you everyone!

Brad, you made me laugh.
Dad, you made me cry.
But I know everything will be fine for both of you!

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Here's hoping that everyone is nice to you today.

Steal This Identity

I got a call last week from a salesman for Identity Theft Protection from my credit card company. I told him I wasn't interested in the insurance. He asked why.

I have turned down similar insurance on numerous occasions, but that day I couldn't resist having a little fun. I explained that I don't actually have an identity, so identity theft isn't a problem. I went on to explain that I am a superhero and that if my identity gets stolen, I just get a new one. No biggie since it is a fake identity anyway.

He laughed and said, "I'm glad I called. Even if you aren't going to buy the protection, you made me laugh. That isn't something I ever do at this job." He then asked me what my superhero identity was. I told him I couldn't divulge that information.

"Why not? Because you'd have to kill me?"

"No. I'm a superhero. We can't do that. We just maim you and put you on Antarctica."

"Okay, well if you have any further questions, just call us anytime at 1-800-DISCOVER."

News... bad and good

Greetings family,

I have news for you that I hope turns out to be good, but which has caused me a bit of concern. Here goes. I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago to talk with him about chest pains. He recommended I take a stress test on a treadmill. I went to the treadmill test (I even shaved my chest in preparation) and when the doctor saw my resting EKG, he refused to put me on the treadmill saying there were some "warning" signs. He set me up with an appointment with a cardiologist in Phoenix. I am due to go there on Monday the 25th.

Here are the possibilities: 1) He will give me the treadmill test and tell me all is well. 2) He will give me the treadmill test and put me in the hospital to have a tube run up my leg into my heart where they inject dye, to see if I have any blockages. If I do, they will open them up with a ballon and put in a "stint." 3) If it is really bad I will be scheduled for bypass surgery. I'm hoping and praying for (1).

I suppose this is payback for my poor eating habits over the years.

I don't know how this might affect the houseboat trip. I'll keep you posted. If they do the leg thing, I won't be able to lift anything over 10# for a while. The worst thing would be that I'm signed up for a golf tournament with Mom on October 7th. If we can't do that... well who knows.

Finally

OK, OK, it is my turn to post. I have very much enjoyed seeing all of your posts and fear that you all might feel hesitant to post again unless we have all posted something! I can't believe all of the changes going on in everyones lives. We think and pray about our extended family often. Life at the Gilleland home is relatively quiet lately with nothing crazy to report. I haven't cut my hair, gotten pregnant, moved out of state, or admitted my husband to the hospspital. Theo did come thru on his way to the Imogene race and I have had several people I know who participated in the race telling me how unnerving it was to get passed by Theo as he was finishing the race they were only a fraction into--they were all still on their way up the bottom of the mountain and seeing Theo sprinting back down -almost done- freaked them out! :) We just returned from Gabe's football game. He is a tight end and a defensive end. His little 4th grade team is doing pretty well and he is having a good time playing in the YAFL league here in the 4corners area. Elise has started a dance class and is loving that. We are trying to get some fruit trees in the ground this fall, but don't know if we will have enough time. Most other things are humming along. I am hoping it is much warmer in Page than it is here so we don't freeze on the houseboat! We are looking forward to seeing some of you guys. Keep us posted on stuff! Love-Michelle and crew

Re: my turn

So Deb, we are still waiting to see the updated pictures of the hair. We got the fresh from the salon look; now we want to see it with the Deb influence...

i guess its my turn...

i must say, its great to see everyone's posts on here. i like being up-to-date on what is happening in all of your lives. kim teased me a little today because michelle and i are the only two that haven't posted anything yet. so, i thought i had better beat michelle to it and say something. the thing is, i don't really have a whole lot of exciting or big news to report. so, i guess i'll just tell you all the daily stuff...

i guess the biggest thing for me has been the haircut. i got it all chopped off and i'm loving it! mom, i can't believe you never told me how great short hair really is! my favorite thing is being in the wind because my hair doesn't blow in my face anymore. :) i just got another cut today because my hair had grown 1/2 inch in just 3 weeks. yikes...this could get expensive.

as for school, i have just this year left and then i graduate again. i can't believe i'm almost finished with this program! it certainly doesn't feel like it did the first time around. i'm already starting to look at various cities for job opportunities and living expenses. i'm not sure yet where i will end up, but i will definately let all of you know as soon as i do. at the current time, i'm looking at seattle, portland, boston, austin, and atlanta for the most part, however, that list is far from final. this year's project (yes, one project for the whole year) is designing some kind of home product for the 55+ population. i'm not sure yet what it will be, or even what type of product i'm aiming for. its too soon to tell.

and then there's work. i'm still at the good egg, waitressing on the weekends. who would have thought i could stick with a job for so long?! i am also still working for my internship employer one day per week, but at a much better pay rate.

so i guess that pretty much sums it up for me at the moment. so i guess its michelle's turn now. 'til next time...

Reflecting on 65

Amazingly this birthday has been my toughest. I didn't mind being 30, 40, 50, 60, but, 65 has caused more contemplation and reflection than all the others put together. I have come to the conclusion it is because 30 was just getting to a new, fun stage; 40 you are halfway through life, no big deal; 50 things were just rolling along, kids still at home, etc. Then came 60, hmmmmm, I am really beginning to get old, but hey, I am not at retirement age yet. Well, then comes 65, you are there, retirement, can't remember things, body working at half power, you look old when you look in the mirror, etc. You look at 80 and realize you aren't that far away and that gets scary! I don't want to be 90 in a rest home, etc.

The cool part, however, it that as I look back over the 65 years, I have had a great life. I have six awesome children. Five have married great companions and they are doing a wonderful job of raising their children, much better than I did by far. Each one of my children is successful in life and has a good value system. The thing I am most grateful for is my testimony of Jesus Christ and the result of all the things that have come my way because of my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have a wonderful spouse who is stuck with me for eternity because of the covenants we have made in the temple. Each of my children, grandchildren, in-laws all add something different to my life. You are awesome, I love and appreciate each of you!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

We love you so much and can't wait to see you at the end of the month!

Love, Ezra and Mercy (and Brad and Keryn)

This weekend Theo participated in the annual Imogene Pass Run. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is a race that begins in Ouray, CO, and ends in Telluride. The elevation goes from about 8,000 feet to more than 13,000 all over the course of 18 miles. The first time Theo ran this race was back in 2001. He has wanted to go back and do it again ever since. ( I know, this man is not normal, but we love him.) Due to a very early winter storm in the Rocky Mountain tops, they actually changed the course at the last minute, and it ended up being a loop from Ouray and back, a mere 14 miles, still grueling however. Theo was 2nd place overall! This is a huge acheivement as probably most of you know that he has been in a long recovery from a broken leg and subsequent surgery last summer.

Theo also did a triathalon (his first ever) back in June, in which he placed 4th. I might also add that he did this with very little bike or swim training; not to mention he did the race on a bike that was literally older than him and way too big for his height. He has worked so hard to get back in shape, we are so proud of him!!!! He is probably one of the most modest people you will meet, so I have to do the bragging for him!

Why go?

Today we had stake conference. It was our turn to do the broadcast regional-stake conference thing, and so we went to "a different church" as Ezra put it (not the Catholic Church, but just the stake center). Our stake is pretty huge, and we don't really fit in our stake center chapel-cultural hall. They set up TVs in all of the classrooms, and we ended up in the Primary room--along with many other families with small children. Hmmmm. You can guess at the noise level in that room. I have to admit to not getting much out of the last hour, as Bradley was in the hallway with Mercy, and I was wrestling with an increasingly-tired and bored Ezra. I even thought of leaving a time or two--what was the point of being there if I couldn't even hear?

Then (finally!) came the closing hymn, sung by the choir: "Redeemer of Israel". When the choir sang, "How long we have wandered/As strangers in sin/And cried in the desert for thee" and then "Fear not, and be just/For the kingdom is ours/The hour of redemption is near"...I just felt all my frustrations of the past two hours (or the past two weeks) melt away, and it suddenly all became worth it. Fear not! The kingdom is ours, and the hour of redemption is near! What a wonderful message--and I would have missed it if we had left early. I'm really glad we stayed.

I remember my mother telling me that there had been months at a time when she felt like she got NOTHING out of church because of her small children. But she kept going because a) she'd made a covenant to attend her church meetings and b) she needed to set an example to the older children. I've discovered a third reason for myself--you never know when a seemingly small thing, maybe even at the very end of the meeting, will lift you up and make all the trouble worth it.

Spouse accounts

I noticed that everyone has now set up ther account on Blogger. Yay! If any spouse would like to be able to post seperately, just let me know the email address and I will send an additional invitation. You've noticed that Keryn and I are posting under our own names, for example.

The default for posts is that people cannot leave a comment on your post. Instead, to comment on a previous post, just create your own post with "Re:" in the title like I did below. That way it is easier for everyone to keep track of everything that is posted.

RE: Hannay Fall 2006

Wow! Thanks for the pics, Kim. That was a Christmas newsletter quality post! :)

Speaking of pictures, I really am going to get the DVD from the reunion out to everyone. I just want to add a video from Skip in. As soon as that is in, I will have the DVDs for you. Keryn and I are planning on coming down for the houseboat weekend, so we can give them to some of you there. For everyone else we'll mail it.

Hannay Fall 2006

As you all know, Lauren is on the JV Volleyball team at Bingham High. After her game Wed. the coach asked her to dress Varsity for the next game!! Because Bingham is such a large and competive school, she is very excited to get this chance as a junior.


















Ty is playing football once again. This year his coach has pulled him from defense in fear he may get hurt...got to protect that quarterback. But he has been kicking. He thinks this is great fun. They have played two games and are undefeated. We are hoping for a State Title this year!! And maybe a trip to Las Vegas at Thanksgiving.




Eric has started middle school and his favorite class is P.E. BIG SURPRISE! He has been asked to play on a new basketball team called "Salt Lake Select". This team has been organized to compete at a higher level nation wide. They have chosed kids from all over the valley to make up this all star team. Steve and I are not sure about all the travel, but we think Eric will improve from this level of competition. We'll see how it goes.

Nate is loving his last year in elementary school with our favorite teacher Mrs. Long. She has groomed all of our kids with her tough academics, quick humor, insight and wisdom. The weekly opinion poll designed to improve students interview and writing skills is a favorite for Nate. Unlike our other kids, he has an opinion before interviewing the 3 adults required. Brad has helped us out with this assignment before but now we may ask for more of your opinions in the future. He also starts basketball soon.

We got an early family Christmas present which everyone is enjoying! A baby grand piano. It has really sparked all of our interest in playing again. We now fight about whos turn it is rather than fighting to get them to practice. It is a great problem to have. Next we want to get a digital piano to help us compose and add cool stuff to our music! Maybe Santa could bring that next year.

We love you!!

The Rosses of Colorado...make that Virginia

Well, just when you really get comfortable with things the way they are, everything changes. I've been wondering for a while if it was time for a change in my job. When Philips suddenly decided to make some changes with my territory, we were pushed into a quick job search. I was very fortunate to have a lot of great contacts within the industry and quickly had a couple different opportunities.

One of those opportunities would have allowed us to stay here in Colorado and do a very similar job to what I was doing for Philips. But with the other opportunity, I have decided to hop back over to the buying side of the desk, and in the process join one of the largest retailers in the consumer electronics industry. I will be the Buyer for DVD Hardware at Circuit City (DVD Hardware is one of the categories I was buying previously for Ultimate). Circuit City is located in Richmond, Virginia, way over on the other side of the country. Three other buyers that I worked with previously at Ultimate have made the move to Richmond and have been very happy with their decisions to make the move. Laurene and I were able to visit Richmond last week and get a feel for the area. It is a beautiful city that sits within two hours of the beach, the Blue Ridge Mountains, or Washington DC.

Our house here goes on the market later this week, and I will begin working next week. I'll be commuting to Richmond for a while until we get the house sold and the rest of the family can move out there.

We'll keep everyone posted on the progress of our little adventure. We hope to be able to read all about your families as well.

Our baby boy June-bug

First of all, I'm so excited that there is going to be a Ross Family blog. The Tobler Family blog has been such a blessing and such a good way to keep in touch--we've been doing it for a year now and we're still going strong. Bradley forgot to add a link to check it out, so you can get an idea about what we use ours for--here it is.

(Warning! Long post ahead!)

I know most of you have heard from Mom that we just found out that our baby boy--due on December 28--has a fairly severe form of spina bifida. I thought I could just post a little of what we know we can expect in the coming months/years. We don't know much--we can't know much until he's born--but here's some of what we do know:

The place where the spinal cord extends out of the back--the lesion--looks to be at the L1 vertebrae. That's pretty high up, and there is a possiblity that it extends further up (the ultrasound is unclear on that). This means that there is a very very high probability that our June-bug (that's his womb-name) will be paralyzed from the waist down, at least. We already know there is nerve damage, because both of his feet are clubbed. Because the lesion looks to be pretty big, he will have to have surgery to close up his back very soon after birth--probably within hours. This will take place up at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City--so I will be delivering up at the U of U Medical Center. So far they don't think I'll have to have a C-section, so keep your fingers crossed on that one! Because they don't want me to have the baby down here in Utah Valley--because that would mean a life-flight up to Primary's for the baby--they will probably induce me around 39 weeks, after they check to see if the baby's lungs are developed. Which is right at Christmas--we have such great timing!

June-bug has the malformation of the brain associated with spina bifida--it's where part of the brain is being pulled down into the upper spinal column. This is also associated with hydrocephalus (water on the brain). Either of these can create brain damage, but neither of them always mean brain damage. However, chances are extremely high that June-bug will have to have a shunt drawing the fluid from his brain for the rest of his life. This will mean operations every couple of years at least until he's grown, and then occasionally thereafter.

On the upside, his heart, kidneys, etc, are great. He's measuring about 15-16 days small if the circumference of the head is used, but the perinatalogist doesn't believe that number because of the brain malformation. His torso and femur, though, are measuring right on, so we're still using end of December for his due date.

One thing that everyone should know: You all have a close relative with spina bifida now! The genetic counselor told us that all our sisters and brothers now have a double risk of having a baby with spina bifida (2 in 1000 instead of 1 in 1000; it's still really small!). In order to try to mitigate the risk, if you are planning to have another baby (we know you want to, Kim! just kidding!), you should get a prescription of 4 mg of folic acid daily from your doctor for the three months before you try to conceive, and then for at least the first trimester. (A regular prenatal vitamin has 0.4mg of folic acid, for comparision.) Just an FYI...

And if you want to see what a kid with spina bifida can do, check this website out. That's my cousin! (He's adopted, so there is no genetic link there.)

It's been a little overwhelming for us, but we are confident in the Lord, and we're excited to meet our little boy. I know that he will be a great blessing to our family.

Keeping up with the news of life

I spoke to Mom on the phone and found out that Kim had had pneumonia, Steve had his appendix removed, and Skip got a new job in Virgina. Sheesh! The things that can happen in a couple of weeks of not being in very good touch.

This site is a place to post whatever news you have to share with the family. Hopefully you will check it frequently and post thoughts you'd like to share with the family.

Once you get comfortable with the site, you can even add pictures to your posts. Check out Keryn's private family blog to get a sense for how this blog might work for our family. They post random thoughts, jokes, family events, and coordinate family events in a place where everyone can periodically check in.

I hope you will all join in!