Another Update

I (Nicia) was finally able to get a hold of Caitlin, Kathy, and my dad. They are doing great! I will let Kathy report on all the wonderful things they have been able to see and do, and what blessings they have be given while out there. I just wanted to let everyone know that they are doing well.
Kathy and my dad were able to meet Caitlin at the temple, and they were able to do a session together.
Caitlin says she has been talking constantly to her mom, and then will look over at my dad and see him just sitting there in his own world, listening to music. She laughed and said she felt bad, but my dad said, "oh no. I knew that's what would happen, so I came prepared." Pretty great.
Anyway, Caitlin looks great! I was actually able to webcam with them. It was SO fun!
If you comment on Kathy's blog, she will get it. She has been able to check her email while in Argentina, so if there's anything you'd like to say, please comment away!

Update

Nicia here. Just wanted to give everyone a quick update! My dad and Kathy have made it safely to Argentina, and should be meeting Caitlin at the temple to do a session any minute now! So, all are doing well. Hopefully we'll be able to hear more after they pick her up. It's going to be a great day! :)

¡Hasta luego USA! Hola Argentina!

Bridge at Sunset, Rosario, Argentina

Hola!
Well, tomorrow is the big day for Dave and me. We leave on a plane headed for Buenos Aires at 1:40 in the afternoon and get there the next morning at 7:45. We're so excited and a little nervous at the same time. Tuesday Caitlin will travel with the other missionaries from the mission home in Rosario up to temple in Buenos Aires, which is where we'll be meeting her! :) This is one of the highlights of the trip for me. I've been getting more emotional every day. Just thinking about it brings on the tears! (thanks to the Danes genes)

We plan to take Caitlin to Iguazu Falls, and then travel through her mission area, visiting the wonderful families she grew close to (another highlight for me). We'll have very limited access to the internet, so no blog posts for awhile, but hopefully some great pictures to post when we return home! Bueno adiós a todos nuestros amigos!

My Dad - 79 Years Young!

Emily, my sister, Karen, and I took a quick trip up to Kuna, ID over the weekend to visit our parents again. I was SO glad we went! Dad got out of the rehabilitation center a couple of weeks ago, and it was good to see him making a little progress at home. Saturday we dragged him out to Sam's Club where he used one of the electric carts. (He REALLY didn't want to go, but we just couldn't let him sit in that house when the weather was so beautiful!)

We had fun sampling all the food and letting Mom & Dad check out the things Sam's Club carries, since they don't usually go there. Mom brought home a state-of-the-art metal kitchen trash can with a motion sensor in it so the lid opens when you put your hand over it, and closes automatically when you leave. Very cool. Gotta admit, I was coveting just a little bit!

Late Saturday afternoon we headed over to El Gallo Giro, our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Dad's 79th birthday was on the 4th, so we decided to celebrate a little more.

My batteries died, so I wasn't able to get a picture of Emily there. Later on in the evening my brother, Ken, his wife, Jenette, and their children Reanna and Samuel, came over to visit. Emily had a great time playing with her cousins she doesn't see very often.

It was so nice to have Karen to visit with on the drive up, and was just a wonderful visit all around! Love you, Mom & Dad!

Emily's Rash

The pictures don't show it very well, but here's the rash:



Thankfully, there was only a little itching, and it didn't spread too much - now if we could just get rid of the sores in and on her mouth so it doesn't hurt when she eats.

Fifths Disease

Has anyone else ever heard of this before? I hadn't until Friday, when Emily brought home a note from school saying that someone in her classroom (her friend) had a confirmed case of Fifths Disease. That afternoon Emily had a low grade fever, stuffy nose, headache, and didn't really want to eat, so I looked up Fifths Disease, and she had all the symptoms of this "disease". She's had them all weekend, so I started watching for the rash. Sure enough, this morning, she has the rash. She's been a trooper through it all, though, and even wanted to go to school this morning.

Apparently it's named Fifths Disease because it's the fifth classical rash-associated infection of childhood. Thankfully, it's not a serious thing, and Emily's not contagious anymore, now that she has the rash, and the other symptoms seem to be gone except for the stuffy nose. Just thought I'd pass along the information for all you moms out there with little ones.

FIFTHS DISEASE:
Especially common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15, fifth disease typically produces a distinctive red rash on the face that makes the child appear to have a "slapped cheek." The rash then spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs. Fifth disease is actually just a viral illness that most kids recover from quickly and without complications.

Fifth disease (also called erythema infectiosum) is caused by parvovirus B19. A human virus, parvovirus B19 is not the same parvovirus that veterinarians may be concerned about in pets, especially dogs, and it cannot be passed from humans to animals or vice versa.
Signs and Symptoms
Fifth disease begins with a low-grade fever, headache, and mild cold-like symptoms (a stuffy or runny nose). These symptoms pass, and the illness seems to be gone until a rash appears a few days later. The bright red rash typically begins on the face. Several days later, the rash spreads and red blotches (usually lighter in color) extend down to the trunk, arms, and legs. The rash usually spares the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. As the centers of the blotches begin to clear, the rash takes on a lacy net-like appearance. Kids younger than 10 years old are most likely to get the rash.
A person with parvovirus infection is most contagious before the rash appears — either during the incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) or during the time when he or she has only mild respiratory symptoms. Because the rash of fifth disease is due to an immune reaction (a defense response launched by the body against foreign substances like viruses) that occurs after the infection has passed, a child is usually not contagious once the rash appears.
Parvovirus B19 spreads easily from person to person in fluids from the nose, mouth, and throat of someone with the infection, especially through large droplets from coughs and sneezes. http://kidshealth.org/