The Million Dollar Smile

Well, not quite a million dollars, it just seems like it. For those of you who don't know the whole story, a little over a week ago, Ken was eating Sunday dinner and a tooth he had done in Mexico broke off at the gumline. (I guess the warranty had expired). Anyway, he's been running around without that tooth and kept threatening to return to Mexico to have it fixed. I felt I had to take immediate action and make an appointment with a local dentist. His appointment was this morning, he was evaluated and sent right over to an oral surgeon who happened to have some time on his hands and was able to perform the necessary preliminary work right then. Then we went back over to the original dentist to have a temporary crown put on.

Ken is having a hissy fit because it's going to cost around $3300 before he's done. Keeps saying he could have gotten it so much cheaper in Mexico. That may be true, but I believe the old saying holds true that you "get what you pay for". The preliminary work took place in about an hour and was done by someone who we could (a) believe would do a great job and (b) were actually speaking the same language we speak, so we could understand what they were saying, (sort of). PLUS, he renewed an old acquaintance with Dr. Hamblin's dental assistant, who was our former dentist's assistant, Michelle. We won't go into the gory details, but a lot is involved and it will take a couple of months to finish the job. He already looks so much better and I don't have to sleep with a toothless old Grandpa anymore.

BEFORE


AFTER

The Hulse Family Picnic 2009

On June 13th we had a wonderful time getting together with all the kids and their kids and grandkids (which happen to be our great grandkids) in one place at one time, which doesn't happen very often. Carol and Randy were on a two-week trip from Virginia to visit various kids and temples. Craig came from California and brought his daughter Hailey to be with her mom for the summer and to visit family. Lori and Dennis and four of their clients came from Cody, Wyoming and Sherry came from Rigby. Heather and Tom and their girls came from Twin and we all met at Kenny and Ilene's for a wonderful day of being together, eating, playing a vast array of indoor and outdoor games and just catching up. It was great to get to see everyone and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.

The Hulse "Kids"

Sherry, Carol, Kenny, Lori, Craig and Heather

The Hulse kids with us.

This is most of the clan that showed up but a few had already gone

by the time these were taken. Some of them are Lori and

Dennis's clients.

Sherry was the sole member of her family in attendance.

Carol & Randy and most of their family.

Lori and Dennis, most of their family and four of their clients.

Craig and Kausha

Tom, Taryn, Jordyn, Heather and Rylie

Ken and I

(Ken was eating a piece of chicken last week and his "Mexican capped tooth" broke off, thereby making him look like a toothless grandpa.)

Larry and Helen

Kenny and Craig

Sherry, Ilene, Carol, Heather and Lori

There have been a couple of killdeer living in the pasture next to ours where right now we have three mules and a horse, and they would "scold" us when we watered the horses. Evidently we were too close to their nest. Today we found that their chicks have hatched and there are now four little ones running around over there. They are so cute!

Ken is almost four weeks post shoulder surgery and is coming along nicely. He goes to therapy twice a week and does home exercises three times a day. He is still limited as to what he can do, since he has only one functional arm. When he gets healed and released for this surgery, he has to undergo another one, a hernia repair, which means another six weeks of recovery. No, he is not falling apart, we just think of it as routine maintenance. Unfortunately, the warranty has long since expired, especially for replacement parts.

We have been truly blessed by good and true family and friends who have come to our aid innumerable times following Ken's surgery. There have been meals brought in, (LOVE that taco soup) a garden got planted, and the Aaronic Priesthood (all three quorums and their leaders and parents) showed up at our house two Wednesdays in a row to get rid of weeds, haul gravel, and do whatever was required. Joe and Hunter have been awesome and are always there to lend a hand. I don't know how we could have gotten along without them. We also have a great ward and truly wonderful and generous friends whom we are so thankful to and for.

Ken is going a little stir-crazy, so tomorrow he is going to drive himself to Middleton to spend the day with his buddy Dave Ross (and critique his garden I suspect). He can drive with one arm, though it does get a little awkward at times. Thank Heaven for automatic transmissions!

These are a few of our pictures we would like to share with our friends and family

After a few days of frost.

A mother and her two cubs in Alaska

Battery Point Lighthouse at Christmas

Lighthouse Lake Michigan

Glacier Park September 2008

We went to Glacier Park with our good friends Dave and Audrey Ross at the end of September, 2008. We spent our days hiking, driving, and just enjoying each other's company.

This is the view outside our hotel room.

These grizzlies almost ate Audrey, but she could run faster than we thought she could!

Dave and I went looking for a goat to take a picture of and we were looking way out in the distance when a lady next to us told us to turn around and look behind us and there was this little fella standing 10 feet behind us.

Look Who's Blogging Now

Me at some rich relatives house in Waddell, AZ in February, 2008.