Hoyt's Happenings

Well looks like I have been neglecting my poor blog again. It's so hard to keep up with this. So looks like I will try and start where I left off back in Nov 2016.

So I left off with Austin's Birthday
Here was later that night of his birthday opening presents..

 We got some good snow and Maya loved it. She loves to run crazy through it and tunnel herself under it and jump like a rabbit through it. It is so funny to watch. she would love to chase the snowballs.

 

Dad and the girls created a snow dragon with a horn. Still cant figure that one out but owell. They had a good time playing in it.

  

We got to go to temple square and see Austin perform in a few different areas around temple square. We ran into the Cronin family while there who was there seeing Katie sing too.

  
Our house all lit up thanks to the hubby putting them on the house despite his procrastination and bah humbug attitude.

 

So here is the going away activity and Zone conference with her first companion. Allie and Sis. Andrus got along very well and was the perfect beginning companion for Allie. She helped her through some difficult times adjusting to missionary life. Allie was pretty upset to loose her right at Christmas time. She was needing her to help her through the holidays and the homesickness.

 

This was Allies 2nd companion in the field Sis. Tibbits. Allie really struggled with her. She was not very obedient and it drove Allie crazy. They had a pretty hard time in the beginning and we were not sure she was going to make it out there but she prayed alot for this new companion and soon they were able to work some things out and they started seeing the miracles and success.  Allie did not have to stay too long with Sis T. Soon after the Holidays Allie was transferred to a new area and new companion.

 

The doggies were excited for their presents too!

 

 

Opening up our gifts from Allie. We still kept the tradition of the kids picking something out for each other to open up on Christmas eve. We always read some Christmas stories throughout the month as well so i sent her a few stories too.

  

Allie and dad have a thing between them where they are always saying I have a surprise for you and its a picture of poop so Allie sent steve a gift that said I have a surprise for you and this was in it. It was pretty funny. She also sent him a whole roll of toilet paper with 22 bullet shells wrapped throughout it. Silly girl. Cant believe she got away with mailing it.

  
Allie opening her gift from us. It is an I love you necklace in sign language.

 I think she's got enough popcorn to last her a little while anyways.

Our call home from our missionary! We were so excited to finally get to talk to her.  It was pretty heartbreaking because she was having such a hard time with her new companion and with her area. She was very homesick and cried the entire time on the phone. She did not want to hang up. We talked for like and hour and a half. We were all tearing up at the end.  It is so hard to see your kids struggle and there is nothing you can do to help them other then pray for them.  Lots more of that later...

 

 
Allie's Christmat tree that Justin sent her for her apartment. It sure made her day to have a tree for christmas.

Sister Blackwell from Kentucky who's husband was serving as the high council in Allies ward. We had been talking back and forth and she promised me she would give Allie a big hug from her momma!

  
The missionary Christmas Party. And Allie out christmas Caroling with one of the girls in the ward.

Allie has never liked the cold. She is always cold even in 80 degree weather silly girl, so we made sure she had some warm clothes for the winter by sending gloves, hats, scarfs.

She soon got transferred to Glasgow Kentucky with a new companion Sis. Hafen. She adores Sister Hafen and has gotten along so well with her. She has loved her new area. and generally over all is doing so much better. She has finally settled into missionary life and is doing great.. Start of 2017 Little out of order.

 As if you couldn't tell.

Her first baptism. She didnt teach him. It was the sister there before her with Sis. Hafen but she got to be there for the final preparations and the day itself.

 Look the Scooby Doo van.

She got to go through the temple with a Sister from the ward who has started coming back to church and was really scared to go by herself so they allowed the missionaries to go with her. Allie was so excited to go.

 

The lady took them out for dinner afterwards.

On splits they got to go see an old jail.

 They also broke into the zone leaders apartment to leave them a cake. LOL

 First Day of spring and it was cone day at DQ!

 

So I guess the missionaries write into the mission president avery so often telling him of things they have learned or wisdom they have gained and then he composes a letter he sends out to the whole mission right before zone conference and Allie had 2 of her messages used in the letter. #1 and #2. She was pretty excited.

 School pictures. I Couldnt find jessies number for digitally downloading it.

 We have the best sunsets out here in Utah.

On New Year's eve we got to go watch a Jazz game.

 Also over the Christmas break we went skiing up at Cherry Creek. It was ok. Not near enough snow, but it was ok.

 

Got a little Ice fishing in too. It sucked. Never caught anything.

 So ever since the beginning of school Austin started having some seizures. We are unsure why. He did fall into a river on his madrigal retreat and hit his head and shortly after that is when they started. The first MRI we did at the Bear River Hospital didnt show anything. We also started him on some seizure medicine, but it didnt seem to do much good other then lessen the length of them and make him come out of them a little faster.  we have tried some kind of holistic drops, we are doing Bio Feedback, we have tried CBD oil, he has been getting counseling, he is on anti depressants. We had done a preliminary EEG and it showed nothing. We also went into the hospital and did a 3 day video EEG to capture the seizures on video and according to this the neurologist said they are psychogenic and in his subconscious usually brought on by past traumatic experiences like sexual or physical abuse. Well that just doesn't fit with Austin. He has no past traumatic experiences. So we cant figure this out. He has been going to a psychologist who has said he doesnt see any rhyme or reason to these and does not feel they are psychogenic. We also ssaw a psychiatrist in Salt lake that works at the U of U who supposedly done alot of research on psychogenic seizures and after meeting with Austin and learning about his seizures also does not feel they are psychogenic. He wants us to repeat the MRI but get a better more stronger one that see's further into the brain to see if there is possible lesions or whatever from him hitting his head.

He also wants us to go have an MEG done which measures the magnetic impulses of the brain rather then the electric waves. Supposedly it has a computer analyze the results and can see things the eyes cannot and thats why alot of Doctors miss things. The only problem is this is a 30 million dollar machine and cost 10K a test. Usually insurances will not approve them, but he felt with Austin's history of test being done and showing nothing that he may have a chance of getting it approved. However we also need a doctors referral for it and our neurologist wont do it. He is being a crap head and saying I feel like you dont trust my diagnosis. That there is something Austin is supressing or not remembering that is causing these. Well No shit sherlock. This is our son and we want him to get better and these seizures to stop and everyone else doesnt feel like these are psychogenic. He agreed to repeat the MRI, but not sure what we are going to do about the MEG. Their are only about a dozen of these machines in the U.S so we are awaiting to hear back from a DR. Davinski in New York who is supposed to be the worlds most renowned Neurologist who specializes in seizures and often is able to find mis diagnosed seizures. We have sent him all of Austins most recent labs and test results for him to view and see what he can do for us. We are hoping he will agree to do a referral for the MEG and we can possibly go to N.Y to have it done. There is also one in California and Texas so we will see what happens.

This Dr. Johnson Psychiatrist said he has studied and worked with a Doc that was at the U who has done alot on these kind of cases and have found people who have been diagnosed with bi polar or psycizophrenia sp? and psychogenic which through these test has ended up showing issues in the brain causing the seizures. However this Doctor died a few weeks ago and no one has picked up the work and has continued the research on so where Dr. Jonson is just a psychiatrist and not a Neurologist he cant order any of the tests so its been really frustrating to get things done. He also would like to possibly do a 103 lead eeg  instead of a 21 lead that we had done and stay in the hospital for 5 days to get more of the seizures to see more parts of the brain.  Not very fun for Austin, but it would be worth it to get answers.  And then if all these come back normal then we at least know we have done everything possible and know without a doubt it's psychogenic and somehow have to figure out what in heavens creation is going on in his subconscious that is causing these. Why now all of a sudden and if it is something from his past why would he had not shown some other kind of problems way before now. It just doesnt fit. I agree his seizures dont look like regular epileptic seizures, but they just dont fit psychogenic either. This is so very frustrating for him and us as parents to see him going through this. He has them in classes at school, he has them on dates, at church, at home, at work. It has totally taken a big part of his life away from him. He cant drive. we constantly have to watch him. We have seen the light in him go out and him get emotional and tired of going through this and not understanding why.  He even got to a point where he thought he would be better off not here. Luckily he was stronger then that, and pushed through it and we got him some help with dealing with all this, but it's still so very hard on him. And it is heart breaking to see him suffer and not have any answers for him or find anything yet to help him and make them stop.

We have had to put his mission on hold for right now until we can get things figured out, and hopefully get these tests scheduled. Going to College is also going to be rough. Everything just seems so unfair and never ending right now. He feels like heavenly father is not helping him despite all our fasts and prayers. Obviously there is something we need to learn through all this and there is a purpous. I just wish we would finally figure it out.

  
He fell during a seizure and was alone and got some good carpet burn on his head. It was pretty nasty.

 

 Our 3 day stay in the Murray Hospital. drove him crazy to have all those leads in his head and have to be confined to his room.

 Steve decided to take a short leave from work to be home with us while all this craziness was going on. It was such a huge blessing to have him here. I am not sure I would have made it through it without him. his team in california was so nice and sent us flowers and Austin a flying drone and an Itunes card and chocolates and a bunch of money. It was so very thoughtful and nice.

 

So February is Birthday month around here. First Jessies, then Allie's. The big 15 for Jessie and the big 20 for Allie. Holy cow. No more a teenager. So weird to have a child that old. Makes me feel so old.

 

Can we say diabetic coma. Looks good though. So glad people took care of her for her birthday. My mom sent her money to take her and her companion out to a steak dinner for her birthday.

Coming back from an over nighter at Strawberry Resevoir. We stayed in a cabin with Rich and Kim and their family and went ice fishing the next day. Caught nothing but it was still fun. Except Austin got a huge scrape/burn on his upper part of his butt and lower back for falling off the sled and scraping along the icy hill. It was pretty bad. And we all got pretty sunburned.

 Austin and his date for morp.

 Maya went into heat and had to wear doggie diapers. It was not fun. She didnt think so either.

 The madrigal men

 

 The madrigal pictures for the yearbook.

Maya likes peanut butter.

Dallin also got his mission call to Monterrey west Mission. So excited for him. His farewell is this Sunday. He will leave on the 4th of April for the Mexico MTC.

 Jessie joined the FFA this year. She got an award.

 Austin got acceptied into Weber, Utah State, and Uof U.  He wants to go to weber because they have a higher rate in getting into Medical School.  we will have to see if that is still a good option to do with his health right now.

 

Austin had a movie night at our house with some friends and they decided to watch it in onsies.

 

 So Austin asked Katie Cronin to the Snowball Dance at school. She made sure he would struggle to get the present open. It was totally wrapped in duct taped then wrapped and put in one box, wrapped it then put it in another wrapped box. It was funny. I love this girl. She is so funny and has such a cute personality.  Austin finally got with it and is liking her right now. I hope things work out. She is so fun and I like her alot.

My studly man posing at the salt lake city creek mall while he is talking on the phone.

My goofball missionary.

 Playing bean boozled.

 TWE ing in the Walmart parking lot till they got kicked out. lol

 This is our newest edition. We just got it this weekend and we are loving it.

 

 So that is what has been happening in our art of the world up until the present. I am hoping I wont neglect it this long. This has seriously taken all day to write and put together.  stay posted for updates on Austin and picts of his and katies dance picts.

So just a quick catch up so the rest of 2017 got put into a photo book I had made up but it has no journaling with it. I am not sure why but for some reason i did.  So as you alook at the following book "Our 2017" It will go through where I left off with Austins and katies dance picts, our ski trip, Allies b-day, Austins senior picts for his graduation, Steve's and I Hawaii trip, more Allie's mission,  Austins prom with katie, Austins seminary and school graduation,  Our family trip back to hawaii,  more of our summer with camping trips and Allie, leading into Fall, Halloween and Christmas.