Gingerbread anyone?

Every year for the last ten years The Vaterlaus Family and ours has gotten together to make gingerbread(graham cracker) houses. Jarrett was a baby the first year we started with real gingerbread and our house fell down. We had the wrong frosting. We have learned a little along the way but mostly just have fun.

Zachary, Jarrett and Courtney

Everyone gets there own house and we bring lots of different candies.

Thats not the gingerbread house.

Devin did a lot more texting than putting candy on his house. He probably ate more too.

Misty taking pictures

All the houses done.

Close ups.

Jarrett made a hot tub for Santa

Avery is finally smiling and Devin is texting still.

Avery had santa in a fire pit

Who is this guy?

The roofs

I noticed that this year everyone was very careful how they put the candy on. In years past it was who could get the most on. I also noticed that I didn't take any pictures of myself. I will have to ask Misty if she has any.

1/2 Marathon

On November 14, Brain and I ran a 1/2 marathon(13.1 miles), called Run the River. It went from Folsom down to Discovery Park. Here we are bright and early. Brian, Robin, Becky and Terry Weaver, Jaime Wadman and Julianne HeapsWe did it!!!

Brian finished in 1 hour and 48 min. So he went back and ran with me the last 500 yards. I ran it in 2 hours and 18 min. Not bad for a first time.

Here are again at In N Out Burger

Zachary's Heart Catheterization

This summer at a routine echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your heart) we found out that Zachary's hole(He has a ASD) was much larger than we previously thought. The cardiologist said that he would need heart surgery. We were worried to say the least. So on November 9th we headed done to San Francisco. We had not been back to the UC San Francisco hospital since Claire Died in 2003. We stayed with my sister Claire and her husband Wes in Berkeley, the night before so that we would not have to leave at 3 am. Zachary cried when we left because Grandma and Grandpa Haynie were staying with his siblings in Sacramento and he wanted to stay too. We had a nice visit with Claire and Wes and Zachary felt that it was a great sleepover at their house.
The traffic over the bridge was not that bad and we made good time to the hospital. Zachary was quite the trooper making sure to show everyone his new CARS pjs. They put us in a room with 2 other cribs with babies that had been staying at the hospital for months. Zachary wanted to have nothing with the hospital gowns and luckily that was OK. They put a numbing gel on his hands for IV and started monitoring his O2 sats and heart rate. That was probably the hardest part because he does not like any lines attached to his body. He usually cries that they hurt. Luckily a sweet friend had dropped by a new toy for Zach before we left so we brought it out. It was a life saver. It helped the time go by quckly. The child life staff at the hospital was amazing. They really knew how to help Zachary stay calm and had lots of things to distract him from what was going on. They had a DVD player so that Zachary could watch movies if he wanted and had some little CAR cars to play with. He chose a Thomas the train movie to watch. When we went to the Cath lab Zachary and I rode on the gurney upstairs in the elevator. They even let us go right into the lab with him until he fell asleep.

This is a very groggy Zachary. It took 45 minutes for him to finally be sleepy enough for us to leave. He also let them take off his shirt which is a very big deal for him.
The surgery took about 1 1/2 -2 hours. Alot shorter than we thought. They take a catheter and go through his inferior vena cava up to his heart and put a patch over the hole in his heart. Amazing technology. My niece 20 years ago had open heart surgery to do the same thing. Zachary woke up really fast in the lab and was mad that we had left hime there. He also kept asking why his clothes were off. He slept for several hours after first coming back and seeing us. He asked the Cardiologist if he fixed his heart. The Dr. said that he did. Zach went right back to sleep.
Here he is with pjs back on finally eating something.
This is a picture of the catheter going up into his heart.

This what the patch looks like in his heart. It is between the 2 atria in his heart.

This is the sweet Irish nurse that took care of Zachary all day.

When Zachary finally got to go home. It was after 6pm. We were not sure if we were going to have to stay the night or not. They told us they couldn't tell until after another Echo. Zachary was asleep through the 45 min procedure. I wish he would be that stilll when we have one at home.

He was actually afraid to get in the wheelchair at first. I think he thought that it meant he was going to do something else. We kept telling him that he would get a ride to the door and mom and dad would follow him.

We had instructions that he was to be quiet and not run up and down stairs. Well the rest of the family had school off and he didn't stay very quiet. We even caught him at the top of the stairs a couple of times. Nothing will keep this kid down for long.


Brian's boss sent Zach this fun cookie bouquet for his surgery. He enjoyed eating every single one.

Thanks to all who helped us and for all the prayers on Zachar's behalf. We are truly very blessed.

Preschool Christmas Party

Zachary's preschool class had a Christmas Party just before break. This is another one of those things that will be ending because, the elementary schools don't have them.

Here is Zachary with the boys in his class: Jacob, Andrew, Jack,

Cody, Michael, Evan and ZacharyThe whole class with Santa
Here is Zachary with the little gift exchange. He got a remote control car. "Way cool"

With Miss Janice

With Miss Christy

There was goodies, games to play, stories to read , a special guest visit from Santa
and fun present s to open. Lots of fun for all.

Halloween--Another Pumpkin Farm, Halloween Parties and Trick or Treating

We wanted to go back to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm with the rest of the family but one long trip seemed enough. Especially with Zachary asking if we were there yet. Avery, Jarrett and Paige got off early from school so we headed to The Pumpkin Farm close by. They have a fun train, corn maze, haunted house and fun maze slide. The kids wanted to do it all.

These flowers were beautiful. If only Devin had been with us this could have been our Christmas picture.

Zachary had a Halloween party at his school on Friday. The other kids no longer have Halloween parties at school. too many parents complain.

Zacahry was Buzz Lightyear

His class has this cute song prayer that they say before eating snack.

The Pinata!!

He gets to hit it again.

Finally, the LOOT. IT was funny because Zachary was being very picky about the candy that he picked up.

Miss Janice, Miss Christy and the Class

Ward Trunk or Treat

Jarrett was a Ninja

After much dilberation Avery Decided on Optimus Prime. Originally he wanted to be Bob from Monsters vs. Aliens but we couldn' find the costume and mom's sewing machine was on the blink.

Zachary changed his mind and became Prince Charming. Lucky for Dress-up.

Ella Wilhelm and Zachary

Paige was just cute

Jason Bakow and Leah Davis

The Final Product

Happy Halloween!!!