holy smokes, great falls!

september 12, 2010.  age 8.

march 21, 2012.  age 10

tonight i am reporting from great falls, montana.  we have had a few eventful days.  our spring break plans went up in smoke the last few days as we have been monitoring the road conditions to vancouver.  due to avalanches and road closures, we decided at the 12th hour to head south and make our way to california.  pacific northwest!  we will get to see you someday!

eli had a orthodontic appointment on tuesday where they surprised us with removing his braces.  such an exciting day.  since september 2010 they have widened, separated, pushed and pulled his teeth around.  for a year he had internal head gear pushing his lower jaw forward prompting it to grow.  his pallet was split, his brackets broken off a dozen times or more, he became a regular with the ladies that worked on him.  can i tell you he didn't complain once.  eli is an endurer.  he never boohooed, he never became frustrated, he never was bothered by the pain and inconvenience.  maybe deep down he was, but he never complained.  i am so proud of him.  when he originally got his braces on, we wondered if he was too young and won't be able to handle it.  the dude owned it.  i love him for that.  his mouth is now prepped and ready for his last baby teeth to fall out and his adult teeth to move in. {on that note, as we were brushing eli's teeth the night he got his braces off, 2 molars fell right out.}  i am sure down the road he will have another round of braces to fine tune them all.  at that point it will be cake compared to the last year and a half.  good job eli.  way to go.

in 6 or 7 hours from now we will get on the road again.  next stop salt lake.