Hayden and Scarlet Fever

Yes, you read right... right after his birthday and before Easter, Hayden came down with strep throat which developed into Scarlet Fever.  
On Sunday, the 17th, Hayden told us that he had a sore throat.  We thought he was getting a cold but were not to worried about it.  Monday, Hayden called me at work and said he didn’t feel good.  Brian went home to check on him and found him with the rash starting and running a temp of 103°. We  took him to doctor and she said that he was positive for strep and the rash may or may not be related but started him on antibiotic for the strep.  Next day, Hunter sends me the Day 2 picture and said “Mom, this looks really bad!” I about had a heartache looking at the picture.  Needless to say, I left work, had Brian meet me at the doctor again with Hayden.  I thought for sure he had the flesh eating bacteria.  There was not a spot on him not covered – his lips, inside his mouth, his eyes… We felt so helpless and out of our league.  The doctor said that she was for sure now that the rash was part of the strep and it’s called Scarlet Fever.  Yes, people use to die from it years ago but mostly because the sores are in their mouths making it hard to eat/drink so they got dehydrated.  We were super careful with him and made sure he didn’t get dehydrated.  The doctor told us that he would have the rash for 3 weeks but that it would get lighter and lighter.  By day 3, he was no longer contagious, feeling more like himself and even went to the Temple Pageant with the YM in our ward. 

 We are so grateful that Hayden didn’t have to suffer to long and that we had a doctor who knew how

to treat him and take care of him. 

Easter "Eggstraveganza" - 2011

We had our annual Easter "Eggstraveganza" on Saturday before Easter.  All the kids dressed in their Easter duds so we could see them all dressed up.  We had 2 Easter egg hunts - one for the little kids where the big kids got to hide the eggs and then one for the older kids where the dads hid the eggs.  All 12 of them had a great time.  Everyone went home on a fabulous sugar high!

Remembering the True Meaning of Easter

"And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."

As our ward choir was preparing for the Easter program, the choir director brought this beautiful picture of the Savior being comforted by an angel in the Garden of Gethsemane.  She read the scripture passages that were the inspiration for the picture:

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, ^aremove this cup from me: nevertheless not my ^bwill, but thine, be done.

 And there appeared an ^aangel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

 And being in an ^aagony he prayed more earnestly: ^band his sweat was as it were great drops of ^cblood falling down to the ground.  (Luke 22:41-44)

I have read this passage of scriptures many times but never had a visual to complete the picture.  The agony and pain that the Savior endured during what would have been his darkest hour.  Our Heavenly Father sent angels to be with Him to comfort him and strengthen him.

Seeing this picture add a new dimension to my remembering the Savior's sacrifice and beautiful gift of the Atonement.  I have a much deeper testimony of the Atonement and our Savior's sacrifice this Easter season.  I hope to carry the image of this picture with me in my day-to-day life and always remember the sacrifice that was made for me.

Burns Family Pictures

Collage of the Burns Beauties

I got this neat new camera a few months back and I have loved playing with it.  I took all our pictures at Disneyland with it and could not believe how awesome the pictures looked without really knowing what I was doing.  Jaqui, Joanna, Allyson and I took a very beginning camera class and I learned some basic stuff about taking pictures but didn't retain a whole lot - must be my age.  I also took an online class that was so awesome.  I ended up learning so much about Photoshop and walked away with over 125 Photoshop tutorials.

Burns Family Collage

Allyson asked me after we got home from Disneyland to retake their family pictures because Kyle looks so different.  We did the pictures last weekend and I was so excited how they turned out.  I was able to put together a few collages and their Family Proclamation as well. 


Chloe was a natural as long as she was posing the way she wanted.  Peyton was awesome for about 15 mins and then she cooperated but her best pics were in the beginning.  I think Allyson was happy with the way they all turned out especially the collage.

Peyton - 8 months

Chloe - 5 yrs

Burns Family Proclamation

Helping the Easter Bunny

I have been helping the Easter Bunny get ready for the big day and one of the things I did was make these Easter buckets for Chloe and Peyton.  I had seen the idea on another blog and re-created and wanted to share.  I thought they were so cute!

Easter buckets from the front

Easter baskets from the back with their initals

Hayden is 15!!!!

(this is another sappy post so consider yourself warned…)

It is unbelievable to think that our son is turning 15 today!  It seems like just yesterday that he was standing in front of me singing “Bonnie the Beautiful Butterfly” and so proud that he knew all the words and actions.  (Thank goodness I have it on video – so cute!)  Where has the time gone – just a blink of an eye!  How is it possible that this little boy has turned into such a tall, handsome, responsible, reserved young man?  I could talk about Hayden all day long because he is one of my favorite subjects.  

What a joy Hayden is in our family!  He has taken on the role of peacemaker in our home.  He has a very tender spirit and strives to do what is right.  He has an incredible testimony that not only we recognize but also other leaders and those that are around him.  He magnifies his calling and honors his priesthood.  Being the only teacher for a long time in our new ward, he has had to prepare the sacrament sometimes completely by himself but he does it willingly.  One recent memory of Hayden is that he gets a little lightheaded when he is passing the sacrament especially on Fast Sunday.  Brian and I both have been concerned about this and talked to Hayden about maybe he shouldn’t fast.  Not fasting was not an option of Hayden – he moved his fasting to beginning on Saturday night and concluding before meetings on Sunday so that he could exercise his obedience.  In that moment, both Brian and I were taught.  

Hayden’s entrance into this world was dramatic to say the least.  I remember every moment and detail of that day as if it was yesterday.  He was 7 weeks early and had to be placed on a respirator.  He had a hole in his heart and could not suck/swallow/breath.  Brian and I were devastated.  In fact, Hayden coded and stopped breathing on the way to the NICU.  I remember watching the color drain out of Brian’s face as he watched them work on Hayden.  In the few short moments he had been in our life, we both were already so in love with him and he was already “the brother” as Hunter affectionately called him as a 3 ½ year-old.  The doctors including Dr. Hayden, who Hayden is named after, told us that at a minimum he would have to spend the next 7 weeks in the hospital and his prognosis was grim.  I remember that Brian and our bishop, Bishop Bradshaw, gave him a blessing that promised him that he would recover because he had great work to do.  The next morning, he was taken off the respirator able to breathe on his own and the hole in his heart was determined to be a heart murmur and not life threatening or requiring surgery.   Hayden only spent 10 days in the hospital and did not have any real residual side effects from his dramatic entrance except for his eye issues that we realized later on. 

But even with all of that, Hayden was so easy going and laid back unless he was pushed too far.  

Hayden definitely inherited the infamous Hadlock temper.  Hayden is slow to boil but once he is, he is a force to be reckoned with.  (Right Grampy?!?!)  But those moments are few and far between especially the older he gets.  He carries his Grampy’s name and tries to honor and live up to that name.  He holds it in high regard and really loves telling people that he is named after his Grampy. 

Being his mom is truly a gift for me and he is a treasure I cherish.  Hayden will just come and give me hugs or tell me he loves me for no reason. He was always the first one to run to Brian saying "Daddy's home, daddy's home..." and throwing his arms around Brian's legs to welcome him home. He takes care of his little brother, Bryson, as well as his cousins - never uttering a word of discontent or displeasure.  In fact, often volunteering to help out.  He stayed up to make sure that Meg had her puppies until 5am allowing me to go to bed because I was so tired.

Hayden – your dad and I love you so much and we are so proud of you.  No matter what you do or who you are, always remember that you are loved and cherished.  We hope you have a very happy birthday!

Our New Arrivals...

 

Meg had a litter of puppies last night/early this morning.  We are welcoming 3 new puppies to our family - 2 chocolate females and 1 black male.  Mommy and babies are all doing well! 

Aren't they scrumptious?!?!