I was able to speak directly with Dr. Mailander today regarding Ellie's test from last week. While her kidneys look normal, with no abnormalities, the VCUG did show that she has what is termed Grade I reflux of her right kidney. Reflux, for those of you unfamiliar with it, occurs when urine from the bladder is shunted back into the ureters and/or kidneys, rather than passing out of the body normally. There are several grades (up to five, I believe, but I may be wrong on that one) with a higher number indicating greater severity. With grade I, the urine is actually only be pushed back into Ellie's ureters, and not her kidneys. So......grade I is the 'best possible' level she could have. Good news. Not that I love the notion that she has reflux at all, but if she is going to have something, I would rather it be relatively benign, ya know?
Dr. Mailander indicated that it is quite likely that Ellie will simply grow out of the reflux, but at this time, she would like us to see a pediatric urologist at Loma Linda to formulate a 'game plan' as to how we should deal with it all. Ellie may be placed on a low-dose antibiotic as a prophylactic to ward off any possible UTI's, since a simple bladder infection can quickly turn into a full blown and dangerous kidney infection quite rapidly with reflux kids, or we may just simply wait and see how she does. Personally, Ty and I aren't thrilled with the idea of prophylaxis treatment, but we will wait to talk further with the urologist about it all. So....certainly not horrible news, but not the clean bill of health I had hoped for. I'm hoping that we will be able to see the urologist soon so that we can be a better informed. For now, I will take Ellie in to Dr. Mailander sometime this week for another straight cath'd urine culture and we'll just wait and see.
An update on Angel........
I was able to speak with Sarah over the weekend and learned that Angel will be listed on the national transplant list tomorrow (Tuesday), I believe. It has been quite a whirlwind for Sarah and Nick the last few days, trying to mobilize support and make a game plan for if/when transplant does occur.
Going back for those of you who don't know Sarah and Nick, Angel is their 8 y/o adoptive son, whom they both met while working at Loma Linda University Medical Center over 5 years ago.(This is also where I met Sarah). Angel was born premature (at 31 weeks, I believe) at only a pound and a half (again, I think that is right...Sarah feel free to correct me!) During his first months, he underwent several bowel resections, and thus became a child with Short Bowel Syndrome. He cannot absorb food and nutrients through his bowels as you and I do, and because of this, has a central line placed in his chest to receive nourishment called TPN. It is the TPN that nourishes his body that also has the 'side effect' of damaging his liver over time. This is the cliff notes version of a very long, miraculous and technical story, but Angel is, to say the least, a walking miracle. He is a vibrant, beautiful young boy with a zest for life like none other! He captured all of our hearts long ago, and when Sarah and Nick brought him home with them so many years ago at the Lord's calling, they gave him a quality of life he would have never experienced this side of Heaven! His little life has been so blessed, and likewise, he blesses others with it!
Fast forward now to more recently. Angel's health has been precarious for several months now. His liver has been hit hard with infection after infection and it is having a hard time recovering after illnesses like simple cold viruses and such. He has been in school much of the year, but with his little body unable to fight off infection, Sarah and Nick had to begin what is called reverse isolation about 5 weeks ago (essentially, they cannot be out in public much, nor have many visitors). In recent months, they began the evaluation for a liver and bowel transplant through UCLA Medical Center and thought that it would take months for the evaluation and subsequent listing. But Angel's health has been declining such lately that the surgeons and doctors at UCLA felt a strong urgency to list Angel as soon as possible. And while Sarah and Nick are so strong in their faith, and trust that God has a perfect plan (which He does!), the logistics of how this will all work is proving to be quite problematic. The surgery will entail many months of hospitalization at UCLA, with several more after that of Angel needing to be within 10 minutes of the hospital, followed even further by a lengthy period of time where he will need to be seen by his physicians up to three times a week. With them living 60 miles from the hospital, you can see why this will be tough. Will they move? Will they commute? What about their home here? What about the other kids? What about finances? And to top it off, they are expecting their third child in just over 6 weeks! Oh dear! It almost seems impossible. To us, anyway. But God has a master plan and He sees the greater purpose in all of this. Sarah and Nick are handling this all amazingly well....with grace and incredible faith they press on and take each new step as it comes. I tell you all this so that we all might be a circle of prayer surrounding them through such an uncertain and scary time. You may not know them well (or even at all) but please pray for the lord's perfect timing, for organs to become available, and for the Lord to prepare the path ahead of them and work out the logistics that we, in our human state, cannot seem to coordinate in our mind. Your prayers do and will mean so much.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Please pray!
Many of you know the story of my friend Sarah and her sweet Angel. With little time to fill in the gaps tonight, I am posting to urgently ask for prayer for them. Sarah and Nick learned today, after several weeks of evaluations for Angel to possibly receive a liver and bowel transplant at UCLA, that Angel's health is in such rapid decline that what was anticipated to be a lengthy (and not completely certain) process for transplant is now an urgent necessity. Angel will be listed soon, if not already to receive a new liver and bowel. There are many, many what if's and issues that complicate their story and this new found information (including that Sarah is 31 weeks pregnant and also has 3 y/o Hudson at home), and I'm sorry that I do not have the opportunity tonight to share them all. But if you can, please, please pray for them and this situation. I will try to give a more in depth update soon.
The victory has been won!!!
I was pouring through my closet this morning, searching for something that I can wear out tomorrow evening to a friend's birthday party at a local club, and I came across the thing that every mom dreads......those infamous pair of favorite pre-pregnancy jeans! They have been shoved into a tupperware bin, hidden behind the door of our closet for many, MANY months and this morning, as I dug through the bin to find a shirt that I thought was in there, my favorite jeans begged me to just try them on. (I have strictly avoided this since I packed them away last spring, some 4 months pregnant with Ellie!)
So, just as I have with several other pairs of pants in recent months, I inspected the label to recall the size, positioned myself in front of my full length mirror and quietly told myself not to hold out too much hope. LOL! With one leg in and then the other, that dreaded moment of pulling them up over my thighs came. Ugh! I HATE that part!! But much, MUCH to my surprise, they slid right up and even MORE to my surprise, they buttoned!!!!! YAAAAHOOOOOOOO! The victory has been won!!! I literally cheered right there in my closet and ran down here to the computer to share my happy news, stopping by the couch to tell Luke of my victory, to which he thought I was insanely silly! :) LOL! But this is a bright spot in my morning...in my day....in my MONTH, really! Welcome back to life, my favorite Lucky Brand jeans!! I've missed you dearly!!!!
So, just as I have with several other pairs of pants in recent months, I inspected the label to recall the size, positioned myself in front of my full length mirror and quietly told myself not to hold out too much hope. LOL! With one leg in and then the other, that dreaded moment of pulling them up over my thighs came. Ugh! I HATE that part!! But much, MUCH to my surprise, they slid right up and even MORE to my surprise, they buttoned!!!!! YAAAAHOOOOOOOO! The victory has been won!!! I literally cheered right there in my closet and ran down here to the computer to share my happy news, stopping by the couch to tell Luke of my victory, to which he thought I was insanely silly! :) LOL! But this is a bright spot in my morning...in my day....in my MONTH, really! Welcome back to life, my favorite Lucky Brand jeans!! I've missed you dearly!!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Yesterday's appointments...
I am writing at the tail end of nap time today, so essentially, I am writing on borrowed time! This will be quick, no doubt. But I wanted to let you all that Ellie's tests went as well as could be expected yesterday. I was completely optimistic from the start, when we were called back precisely at 2pm (our exact appointment time). That never happens! And my optimism continued when Ellie laid on the exam table as still and as happy as could be for her renal ultrasound. She was an angel! She happily nibbled on her binkie while the technician searched around on her belly for those teeny-tiny kidneys of hers. She held tightly to the cord of his ultrasound wand and watched him with wide-eyed wonder for the entire procedure (which was only about 15 minutes.) She hardly moved a muscle!
From the ultrasound room, the tech showed us to the x-ray room, where we would spend the next hour. The x-ray tech was super sweet and chatty, and asked about my family and such as she prepared her things for the test. We had to wait about 20 minutes before we even saw the nurse who would be placing Ellie's catheter, and my sweet, happy child who was woken up early from her nap and who hadn't eaten in several hours was quickly starting to wear thin. She was pretty antsy by the time the nurse arrived and we laid her on the exam table to place the catheter. I was still pretty optimistic though at this point, as I remembered that the straight catheter they had to do in Dr. Mailander's office a few weeks ago didn't seem to bother Ellie much. I figured (hoped) it would be much the same today too. But it wasn't. :( From the moment we laid her down and the nurse began placing the catheter to the moment she was finally dressed and ready to leave, Ellie wailed, bucked and thrashed. :( At first, I'm certain that the catheter placement hurt her (they had to do it twice too) and then, she just became so angry that we were holding her still on that cold, hard table that she would not be consoled. Poor, sweet child! She was drenched from head to toe in sweat by the end, and her face was swollen and blotchy from tears. :( I felt horrible for her and did all I knew to do to comfort her, but nothing short of leaving would help. So, she wailed for the 45 minutes it took to run the exam and I sang and caressed and patted her throughout. I was relieved (as I'm know Ellie was too) when it was finally all over.
As I whisked her off the exam table and back into my arms, I felt tears threaten my eyes and a lump begin to form in my throat. I'm one to stay pretty calm in situations like that, even with my own children and I get through it by staying focused on helping to do whatever it takes to get the job done as quickly as possible. But I surprised even myself with the rush of emotion that swept over me when the test was finally done. I kept it together though. No tears from me...surprise, surprise. LOL! I just felt horrible for my precious girl! I had never seen her in such a state...so completely upset! I hope we don't have to go through that again! I was told that the results should be available to our pediatrician in about 4 days, so I will give her office a jingle on Monday to see what I can find out. I still am feeling pretty certain that everything will come out clear, but we'll see. The technicians and the radiologist kept a pretty tight lip during the procedures (as I know they are required to do) so I have no clue whether or not they saw anything of interest. So...we will wait and see. I'll post again when I know more. You'll probably see me here again before then though. I hear Luke's pattering of feet upstairs as I type, so I can officially say nap time is now over. Thanks for checking in and lifting Ellie up in prayer yesterday! I appreciate it more than you know!
From the ultrasound room, the tech showed us to the x-ray room, where we would spend the next hour. The x-ray tech was super sweet and chatty, and asked about my family and such as she prepared her things for the test. We had to wait about 20 minutes before we even saw the nurse who would be placing Ellie's catheter, and my sweet, happy child who was woken up early from her nap and who hadn't eaten in several hours was quickly starting to wear thin. She was pretty antsy by the time the nurse arrived and we laid her on the exam table to place the catheter. I was still pretty optimistic though at this point, as I remembered that the straight catheter they had to do in Dr. Mailander's office a few weeks ago didn't seem to bother Ellie much. I figured (hoped) it would be much the same today too. But it wasn't. :( From the moment we laid her down and the nurse began placing the catheter to the moment she was finally dressed and ready to leave, Ellie wailed, bucked and thrashed. :( At first, I'm certain that the catheter placement hurt her (they had to do it twice too) and then, she just became so angry that we were holding her still on that cold, hard table that she would not be consoled. Poor, sweet child! She was drenched from head to toe in sweat by the end, and her face was swollen and blotchy from tears. :( I felt horrible for her and did all I knew to do to comfort her, but nothing short of leaving would help. So, she wailed for the 45 minutes it took to run the exam and I sang and caressed and patted her throughout. I was relieved (as I'm know Ellie was too) when it was finally all over.
As I whisked her off the exam table and back into my arms, I felt tears threaten my eyes and a lump begin to form in my throat. I'm one to stay pretty calm in situations like that, even with my own children and I get through it by staying focused on helping to do whatever it takes to get the job done as quickly as possible. But I surprised even myself with the rush of emotion that swept over me when the test was finally done. I kept it together though. No tears from me...surprise, surprise. LOL! I just felt horrible for my precious girl! I had never seen her in such a state...so completely upset! I hope we don't have to go through that again! I was told that the results should be available to our pediatrician in about 4 days, so I will give her office a jingle on Monday to see what I can find out. I still am feeling pretty certain that everything will come out clear, but we'll see. The technicians and the radiologist kept a pretty tight lip during the procedures (as I know they are required to do) so I have no clue whether or not they saw anything of interest. So...we will wait and see. I'll post again when I know more. You'll probably see me here again before then though. I hear Luke's pattering of feet upstairs as I type, so I can officially say nap time is now over. Thanks for checking in and lifting Ellie up in prayer yesterday! I appreciate it more than you know!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Hope for today...
I was out early this morning, working a bit in the garden before the heat of the day set in. I love the quiet of the morning...the neighborhood still silent before the hum of daily activities begin. It is in these moments where God speaks gently to my soul; whispering His promises, encouragement and hopes. This morning, as I milled through our planters pulling weeds and thinning out dead material from the bushes, I imagined God doing the same things in my heart...pruning back the unnecessary--the harmful even, in order that I might thrive. I love that idea...that I am God's garden; being pruned, fed and tended to in order that I might bear His beauty. It might not always feel great... to a rose bush pruning would be painful, I imagine. But how necessary it is for it's long term beauty and growth! And how true that is for me!
As I rounded the bend in our yard, close to those precious roses of mine, something else was spoken to my heart. Hope. You see, of those six rose bushes that I planted some three months ago, there was one that never leafed out or grew. It never even had a single bud on it. And it happened to be Ellie's rose bush...the one I planted to represent her place in our family. A beautiful lavender, fragrant rose. I was sad to see it not thrive, and I secretly hoped that its lack of growth did not symbolize something greater (I am not superstitious in any way, so I'm not really sure why I even entertained that thought) but I never tore it out of its spot there beside the others, despite Ty urging me to do so. It was obviously not going to grow, after all. But I let it remain there, with some crazy hope that maybe...just maybe it would begin to grow (even though deep in my heart I doubted that it ever would).
So there it sat, amidst its thriving neighbors; a barren lump of sticks. But this morning, I noticed something amazing as I crouched down close to it. BUDS!!! Leaf buds!!! My little, barren Ellie rose lives!!!! After three months of nothing, my little stick-bush is GROWING!!! :)
As I mentioned in my last post, I have not been overly concerned about Ellie's tests today, or even the possibility of problems. My mommy heart just does not want to see her in discomfort. But finding her rosebush thriving this morning--the very morning of her tests---was complete confirmation to me that all will be well...that I can (and do) have peace even in uncertain times. There is so much going on around me (and us!); not only close to home with friends and family facing some major adversities, but also in our nation and the world around us. But God was, is and will always be faithful to tenderly care for me and provide all that I need to thrive. For this, I am utterly grateful! And now, I can have hope for today!
As I rounded the bend in our yard, close to those precious roses of mine, something else was spoken to my heart. Hope. You see, of those six rose bushes that I planted some three months ago, there was one that never leafed out or grew. It never even had a single bud on it. And it happened to be Ellie's rose bush...the one I planted to represent her place in our family. A beautiful lavender, fragrant rose. I was sad to see it not thrive, and I secretly hoped that its lack of growth did not symbolize something greater (I am not superstitious in any way, so I'm not really sure why I even entertained that thought) but I never tore it out of its spot there beside the others, despite Ty urging me to do so. It was obviously not going to grow, after all. But I let it remain there, with some crazy hope that maybe...just maybe it would begin to grow (even though deep in my heart I doubted that it ever would).
So there it sat, amidst its thriving neighbors; a barren lump of sticks. But this morning, I noticed something amazing as I crouched down close to it. BUDS!!! Leaf buds!!! My little, barren Ellie rose lives!!!! After three months of nothing, my little stick-bush is GROWING!!! :)
As I mentioned in my last post, I have not been overly concerned about Ellie's tests today, or even the possibility of problems. My mommy heart just does not want to see her in discomfort. But finding her rosebush thriving this morning--the very morning of her tests---was complete confirmation to me that all will be well...that I can (and do) have peace even in uncertain times. There is so much going on around me (and us!); not only close to home with friends and family facing some major adversities, but also in our nation and the world around us. But God was, is and will always be faithful to tenderly care for me and provide all that I need to thrive. For this, I am utterly grateful! And now, I can have hope for today!
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through this, he has given us his great and precious promises..." 2Peter 1:3-4
Sunday, June 22, 2008
As promised...
I asked you to stay tuned for some pictures from Ellie's 10 month photo shoot, and tonight I will make good on my promise....FINALLY! Sorry that it took me so many days! Phew! We've been busy, busy, busy lately! But I stole away for a few minutes today to put this little montage together for you guys, and I'm so glad that I did! I just love her like mad and as any mom does, I LOVE to share her pictures with anyone willing! Some of the quality of the photographs get lost on the OneTrueMedia site, but oh well! So it goes!
I adore this little guy too! For the first time EVER, he actually posed and sat still long enough for me to take some pictures of him the same day we did the ones of Ellie.
To me, she just grows cuter and cuter by the day! I want to eat her up!!! I adore her! She will probably kill me someday for posting those nakie bun-bun pictures, but I just couldn't resist them! Even her little dimply-cellulite tush is precious to me!!
I adore this little guy too! For the first time EVER, he actually posed and sat still long enough for me to take some pictures of him the same day we did the ones of Ellie.
Beautiful, isn't he?! Of-course, I'm just a little biased!
With a busy weekend behind us, we now are looking ahead to Ellie's VCUG and renal ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon. My niece Taryn is here staying with us for a few days (I'm in heaven with her here, both for the company and for the extra pair of hands!) so she will be able to stay with Luke on Tuesday afternoon while I take Ellie to her appointments. I will update if/when we get any results back. We covet your prayers both for the tests to come back negative and also for Ellie's comfort during the procedures. I have an abiding feeling that all will turn our well, and with my child life background, I know what to expect from the procedures themselves, BUT...no mom likes to see her baby in discomfort, so if you could just say a little prayer that she would do well, I would deeply appreciate that!
There is so much more I could update you all on, but for now, I think I'm off to spend some quality 'girl time' with Taryn. I think some piggie painting is in order! :) I've made it my 'thing' to paint her toes since she was just a smidge older than Ellie is now, so her visit wouldn't be complete if we passed up the opportunity to color those toes! Ta-ta for now!
With a busy weekend behind us, we now are looking ahead to Ellie's VCUG and renal ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon. My niece Taryn is here staying with us for a few days (I'm in heaven with her here, both for the company and for the extra pair of hands!) so she will be able to stay with Luke on Tuesday afternoon while I take Ellie to her appointments. I will update if/when we get any results back. We covet your prayers both for the tests to come back negative and also for Ellie's comfort during the procedures. I have an abiding feeling that all will turn our well, and with my child life background, I know what to expect from the procedures themselves, BUT...no mom likes to see her baby in discomfort, so if you could just say a little prayer that she would do well, I would deeply appreciate that!
There is so much more I could update you all on, but for now, I think I'm off to spend some quality 'girl time' with Taryn. I think some piggie painting is in order! :) I've made it my 'thing' to paint her toes since she was just a smidge older than Ellie is now, so her visit wouldn't be complete if we passed up the opportunity to color those toes! Ta-ta for now!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Weekend review
Sad that it is already Wednesday and I am JUST getting around to looking back on the weekend. Such is life! We had a fantastic weekend!!! I can't even recall Friday afternoon. :( Since Ty gets home early on Friday's, it is officially the start to our weekend, but, too much time has passed and the day escapes me. Oh well.
On Saturday, we ended up hanging out at home a good portion of the day as Ty had to replace the radiator in his car. :( That poor man and his car. He is SUCH a trooper with it! Its a dinosaur now.....14 years old and close to 300,000 miles on it, but he vows he will just drive it until it stops so that we can avoid another car payment. How awesome is he?! I can honestly say that I don't think I would be such a good sport! But he is, and I'm thankful! Anyway, I digressed. So Saturday, after I took a long walk with my neighbor Kristin and Tess, and while Ty worked, Luke, Ellie and I busied ourselves around the house. We played and cleaned and played some more. You know...the usual. Luke kept telling me "Someday, mama, when I'm big like Daddy, I'm gonna work on my car too with my Bob the Builder tools!!" Awwww....sweet boy! He's been saying things like that a lot... "when I'm big, I'm gonna...." I love that!
That evening, Gloria came to stay with the kids while Ty and I went to a friend's 30th birthday party in Yucaipa. We had SUCH a blast! Happy belated birthday, Tami!! She went all out on this luau! Catering, masses of desserts, drinks, food. She even had an Elvis impersonator!! It was the best time I'd had in ages!!!! (The several drinks I consumed probably aided in that! LOL! But hey....its not often that I get out, so I had to live it up a little, right?!) We stayed late at the party and returned to a sleeping house, and we were soon to follow! Gloria had offered to stay the night so that we didn't have to worry about what time we got home, which was great!
Sunday was of-course Father's Day and we had plans to have breakfast with my parents at their house. Luke, of-course, had his plans to be up at the crack of dawn (literally, when the sun begins to make its debut, so does he!) so I was a little unhappy when, at 5:41....just 4 and a half short hours after I had gone to bed, he was ready to begin his day. **sigh** Soooo...we were up bright and early and let Ty sleep just a smidge longer. Gloria came along with us to my parents' house and had a lovely breakfast together. We came home around lunchtime and we ALL napped a bit before heading to a bbq at Ty's aunt's house in the afternoon. We were able to take the kids swimming during the bbq and Luke had SUCH a blast kicking and playing with Daddy! That child LOVES the water as much as I did as a kid! He would have stayed in there all afternoon if we had let him! It was Ellie's first time in the big pool and she loved it too! I was surprised, especially after her trepidation both at the beach and in our kiddie pool. But she happily splashed and played as I held her! Not even so much as a whimper at the cool water! So we swam, and ate and relaxed. It was nice! It wasn't quite the Father's Day I had envisioned for Ty, but I know that he was happy just to be together and spend time with his favorite three! :) That was his only request of the day, after all. And that is what we did. Just enjoyed each other.
Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of the day (how bad am I?!) but I did take some time later to do a little photo shoot with the kids so that Ty could have an updated picture of his three favorites. :) I have plenty more pictures to share with you soon, but for now, here is the best one (and a self portrait no less! Gotta love that camera's have timers on 'em!!!).
More to come in a day or two....stay tuned!
On Saturday, we ended up hanging out at home a good portion of the day as Ty had to replace the radiator in his car. :( That poor man and his car. He is SUCH a trooper with it! Its a dinosaur now.....14 years old and close to 300,000 miles on it, but he vows he will just drive it until it stops so that we can avoid another car payment. How awesome is he?! I can honestly say that I don't think I would be such a good sport! But he is, and I'm thankful! Anyway, I digressed. So Saturday, after I took a long walk with my neighbor Kristin and Tess, and while Ty worked, Luke, Ellie and I busied ourselves around the house. We played and cleaned and played some more. You know...the usual. Luke kept telling me "Someday, mama, when I'm big like Daddy, I'm gonna work on my car too with my Bob the Builder tools!!" Awwww....sweet boy! He's been saying things like that a lot... "when I'm big, I'm gonna...." I love that!
That evening, Gloria came to stay with the kids while Ty and I went to a friend's 30th birthday party in Yucaipa. We had SUCH a blast! Happy belated birthday, Tami!! She went all out on this luau! Catering, masses of desserts, drinks, food. She even had an Elvis impersonator!! It was the best time I'd had in ages!!!! (The several drinks I consumed probably aided in that! LOL! But hey....its not often that I get out, so I had to live it up a little, right?!) We stayed late at the party and returned to a sleeping house, and we were soon to follow! Gloria had offered to stay the night so that we didn't have to worry about what time we got home, which was great!
Sunday was of-course Father's Day and we had plans to have breakfast with my parents at their house. Luke, of-course, had his plans to be up at the crack of dawn (literally, when the sun begins to make its debut, so does he!) so I was a little unhappy when, at 5:41....just 4 and a half short hours after I had gone to bed, he was ready to begin his day. **sigh** Soooo...we were up bright and early and let Ty sleep just a smidge longer. Gloria came along with us to my parents' house and had a lovely breakfast together. We came home around lunchtime and we ALL napped a bit before heading to a bbq at Ty's aunt's house in the afternoon. We were able to take the kids swimming during the bbq and Luke had SUCH a blast kicking and playing with Daddy! That child LOVES the water as much as I did as a kid! He would have stayed in there all afternoon if we had let him! It was Ellie's first time in the big pool and she loved it too! I was surprised, especially after her trepidation both at the beach and in our kiddie pool. But she happily splashed and played as I held her! Not even so much as a whimper at the cool water! So we swam, and ate and relaxed. It was nice! It wasn't quite the Father's Day I had envisioned for Ty, but I know that he was happy just to be together and spend time with his favorite three! :) That was his only request of the day, after all. And that is what we did. Just enjoyed each other.
Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of the day (how bad am I?!) but I did take some time later to do a little photo shoot with the kids so that Ty could have an updated picture of his three favorites. :) I have plenty more pictures to share with you soon, but for now, here is the best one (and a self portrait no less! Gotta love that camera's have timers on 'em!!!).
More to come in a day or two....stay tuned!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
June 14th
I have a keen memory for dates. Ask my husband and he will tell you. I can recall some of the most random dates from my 31 short years! And it is such a blessing to have such a 'gift' (if you can call it that) because often times, it allows me to remember birthdays, anniversaries and special events not only in my own life, but in the lives of my friends and loved ones. I like that!
This morning, as I fed Ellie in her room, I happened to glance at her clock, which displays the date for me. June 14th. Hmmm. The date stood out as something of significance to me, but it took a few minutes to put my finger on exactly what. I knew it was Flag Day. I also knew it was Krystal's sister and brother-in-laws anniversary and I think the due date of their baby (see...I told you some were random...I'm not even really friends with them). But there was something else. And quickly, I recalled what it was...here is a couple pictures to show you....
Today, 13 years ago, I graduated high school! Has it really been thirteen years??? I doesn't seem all that long ago, really! I am proud to say that I am exactly where I'd hope to be these 13 years later! And I'm also proud to say that I am still great friends with all the girls (save one) in
the second picture. How wonderful is that!? Life was so full of promise and excitement then, as I looked ahead to what turned out to be a great (and scary!) adventure of the college years. And again, I am still proud to say that life continues to be full of hope and promise, and yes...even a little excitement here and there. :) I embarked on a journey all those years ago, not sure where the road would lead me, but I am blessed to say today, that it has lead me to a most beautiful place! :)
This morning, as I fed Ellie in her room, I happened to glance at her clock, which displays the date for me. June 14th. Hmmm. The date stood out as something of significance to me, but it took a few minutes to put my finger on exactly what. I knew it was Flag Day. I also knew it was Krystal's sister and brother-in-laws anniversary and I think the due date of their baby (see...I told you some were random...I'm not even really friends with them). But there was something else. And quickly, I recalled what it was...here is a couple pictures to show you....
Today, 13 years ago, I graduated high school! Has it really been thirteen years??? I doesn't seem all that long ago, really! I am proud to say that I am exactly where I'd hope to be these 13 years later! And I'm also proud to say that I am still great friends with all the girls (save one) in
the second picture. How wonderful is that!? Life was so full of promise and excitement then, as I looked ahead to what turned out to be a great (and scary!) adventure of the college years. And again, I am still proud to say that life continues to be full of hope and promise, and yes...even a little excitement here and there. :) I embarked on a journey all those years ago, not sure where the road would lead me, but I am blessed to say today, that it has lead me to a most beautiful place! :)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Va-va-video
Its a quarterly chore of mine to bring myself to finally upload all of the videos from our handy cam onto the computer and sort through their content. Tonight was the night! Why I wait so long in between uploads, I do not know! I always kick myself for waiting, since my procrastination leaves me sitting here in front of this computer screen forEVER, watching and sorting, uploading and labeling. Ugh! I should know better! When I take the videos, I always have you, my blog fans, in mind and think to myself "ooooh....I'll definitely post this one." Yeah...right. But tonight, since I'm in the mode, here is a little video (or two) I shot of the kids a few days ago. Ellie is such a charmer! Full of smiles and silliness! I love every single ounce of her!!! She is crawling like a pro now! Once those little knees got to moving, there was no stopping her! She went from taking 2 crawling steps one day to making it clear across the room the next! And now, she is so adept at this whole crawling business that when she gets bored of her stash of toys in the family room, she mossies her little hinny straight down the hall and into the playroom to see what's interesting in there! Cute, cute! Anyway...without further ado......(they are kinda long, so beware!)
Monkey see...monkey do!
Here's Ellie just playing one afternoon and me trying to get her to do silly baby tricks! :) LOL!
Okay....so now you're caught up, right?! 'Cause you probably won't be seeing another video for awhile! LOL!
I'm off to bed now that it's 11:15! See why I don't do this often?! I think I sat down at 8:15! (I did work some photoshop work in there too, I guess.) Thanks for the fun comments on my pie baking post, by the way! It turned out awesome! Not bad for my first try! And no Heidi...no pearls that day! :) LOL! Night guys!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Mmmmmmmm!!!!
Oh how I wish you could smell the goodness that is rising through my home at this very moment....the delightful aroma of warm, fresh cherry pie cooking in the oven! Oh my word! It smells soooooo good! I'll have you know that I feel like a 50's housewife this morning, having baked my first-ever cherry pie! LOL! :) Our kind neighbor from across the street dropped by a huge bag full of ripe, fresh, cherries for us yesterday and I am surprising Ty tonight with a yummy cherry pie! Luke helped me hand-pit 6 cups of cherries this morning (let me tell you what a chore THAT was without one of those handy pitters!) and together we mixed up the filling and VOILA! We have a cherry pie! Yummmm-yyyy!
Just wanted to share! :) I will blog more 'interesting' things later! Have a happy day, my friends!
Just wanted to share! :) I will blog more 'interesting' things later! Have a happy day, my friends!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
39 of me????
My good friend Amy sent me this link www.howmanyofme.com/ today and apparently there are 39 other people in the US with my first and last name! 39!! That's a lot! My first name is number 397 on the popularity list and my last is 426th! Guess my name is not as 'unique' as I thought. Check it out...you might be surprise when you research yours!! Thanks, Amy for sharing the link! :)
One other quick note before I go....Ellie has officially begun crawling!!! She took her first crawling steps yesterday!! She can only do 2 or 3 at a time, but she's definately on the move!!
One other quick note before I go....Ellie has officially begun crawling!!! She took her first crawling steps yesterday!! She can only do 2 or 3 at a time, but she's definately on the move!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Why?
Luke has officially entered that rite of passage stage that every preschooler goes through.....the Why? stage. Oh dear! If I have to hear one more string of 'why?' questions today, I think I might just loose my mind!!!!! And the silly thing is that we are usually about 10 why's into the conversation before I realize that I'm been answering him almost mechanically and I feel my blood pressure rising and my nerves beginning to rattle! It is happening so often now that I just go on auto pilot!!That child can go on and on and on..even about the most random things!!! Sometimes I feel badly when I finally snap and say "Ok! Enough!! No more questions!!!!" But so it goes, I guess. For those of you ahead of me in this parenting thing...how long does this typically last????????
On other fronts, we've had a few quiet days around here. Quiet in the sense that we haven't been going anywhere or having play dates and such. But truth be known, quiet isn't really a word I would use to describe our house! :) LOL! Not with two little kiddos here, anyway! :) Luke came down with a fever on Sunday night/Monday morning that morphed into a little bit of a cold, so that has kept us home, laying low. That and the skyrocketing gas prices! We can't afford to go too far! Hmph! So we've just been working on chores around the house, playing games and watching movies. Its been a welcomed change from the crazy schedule we had last month. I like being at home. I took a really cute video of Ellie waving and dancing today, but I can't find the right cables to download it onto the computer, so I guess it's going to have to wait. She has had a bit of a cognitive 'leap' this week. She learned to sign 'more' (finally), wave hello or goodbye (with her hand facing herself no less!) :) and much to my dislike, has developed a healthy level of separation anxiety recently. **sigh** Gotta take the good with the bad, right? But she is so, so, so sweet that her tears at my departures (even if I'm just running to the laundry room to change loads) are tolerable. She still melts my heart each and every day. They both do! This evening, after I had gotten her ready for bed, Luke was sitting in her rocking chair waiting for me to lay her in bed, but instead, I chose to lay her in his arms. Together, they rocked back and forth for a long, long time, and I choked up as Luke nuzzled into his sisters cheek, kissed her gently and whispered so quietly that I could hardly hear "Love you, big girl." He kissed her again then, and she stared at him with such adoration in her eyes that this momma's heart just about exploded with pride! I whispered a quick, but fervent prayer that the moment would etch itself into my mind for eternity. I pray I never forget moments like those!!!!
On other fronts, we've had a few quiet days around here. Quiet in the sense that we haven't been going anywhere or having play dates and such. But truth be known, quiet isn't really a word I would use to describe our house! :) LOL! Not with two little kiddos here, anyway! :) Luke came down with a fever on Sunday night/Monday morning that morphed into a little bit of a cold, so that has kept us home, laying low. That and the skyrocketing gas prices! We can't afford to go too far! Hmph! So we've just been working on chores around the house, playing games and watching movies. Its been a welcomed change from the crazy schedule we had last month. I like being at home. I took a really cute video of Ellie waving and dancing today, but I can't find the right cables to download it onto the computer, so I guess it's going to have to wait. She has had a bit of a cognitive 'leap' this week. She learned to sign 'more' (finally), wave hello or goodbye (with her hand facing herself no less!) :) and much to my dislike, has developed a healthy level of separation anxiety recently. **sigh** Gotta take the good with the bad, right? But she is so, so, so sweet that her tears at my departures (even if I'm just running to the laundry room to change loads) are tolerable. She still melts my heart each and every day. They both do! This evening, after I had gotten her ready for bed, Luke was sitting in her rocking chair waiting for me to lay her in bed, but instead, I chose to lay her in his arms. Together, they rocked back and forth for a long, long time, and I choked up as Luke nuzzled into his sisters cheek, kissed her gently and whispered so quietly that I could hardly hear "Love you, big girl." He kissed her again then, and she stared at him with such adoration in her eyes that this momma's heart just about exploded with pride! I whispered a quick, but fervent prayer that the moment would etch itself into my mind for eternity. I pray I never forget moments like those!!!!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Thirty-One
Yesterday, I completed my thirtieth year. For some, this is a sad realization that they are growing older, but for me, dare I say it is a tad bit exciting? Not only are birthdays really important to me, but so is the new year that they usher in. I've never been one to feel 'old' as a new year rolls around. Never. Not even once. Because truly, I do not feel old. I'm only 31, for goodness sake! Instead, I feel a sense of nervous anticipation wondering what they year ahead will hold...how my children will grow and delight me, or what new adventures await around the corner. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't tell you that my 'sense of anticipation' didn't also encompass a bit of healthy fear of those challenges and circumstances that will grow and strengthen me over the next 12 months. For I know that those are the times that are the hardest to endure...the moments that chisel away at the parts of me God sees as unfit. But in like form, I also know that the pruning of my life and spirit is only to my benefit....regardless of the pain in may cause at the time. For the bible says in James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking for anything." So, I look ahead at the year before me with promise, hope, excitement and even a bit of trepidation. I'm sure it will not disappoint.
So how did we celebrate the beginning of this new year?? Well.....we had made plans to spend the day at the beach, so in order that we could leave at a decent hour, Ty got up super early to prepare breakfast in bed for me. He set his alarm for 5:30 (what a sweet husband he is!!), brewed some coffee and got to work cooking me my favorite breakfast of french toast, bacon and fruit salad. He had instructed Luke the night before not to disturb me when he woke up, and together they quietly worked in the kitchen. A few minutes before 7, both my boys came to wake me, adorned with party hats, party blowers and a breakfast tray brimming with a yummy breakfast just for me! :) They sang me 'Happy Birthday' as I sleepily attempted to rouse myself, and then Luke sat beside me as I enjoyed my food. Ty had bought me a silly birthday ribbon to wear that said "Kiss me...it's my birthday" and instructed me that I had to wear it all day (which I only ended up wearing until we got to the beach!) :) When I came downstairs awhile later, he had hung a big 'Happy Birthday' sign and had cards from both the kids and himself ready for me. What a wonderful way to start the day!! :) I loved every minute of it!
We headed to the beach a little later than we had intended, and got stuck in some bad traffic before we even hit Yucaipa, which delayed us almost 45 minutes. Blegh. We finally arrived at the beach at 11:30, with hopes of snagging a fire pit for roasting hotdogs and s'mores later in the afternoon, but unfortunately, due to our late arrival, there we none left. :( So disappointing. The day ended up being a series of events that echoed our arrival, but despite it all, we made the most of it and had a really nice time. You know what they say about the best laid plans. That is how our day went. So we opted to stop 'making plans' and just enjoy the moments. The weather was phenomenal...sunny, clear, 70 degrees with a slight breeze! Couldn't have asked for better! We settled ourselves on the sand and spent the day running in the waves, digging in the sand and just relaxing as we had originally intended. Luke was SUCH a good boy and as always, delighted in playing in the surf and making creations in the soggy sand. He becomes more and more independent each time we go, and while we always stayed close by, he did just fine playing on his own much of the time. Ellie napped in the shade for quite some time when we first arrived, but by the time our neighbors Kristin, Bill, Emily and Adam arrived, she was happily sitting near the waters edge, grabbing fistfuls of sand and laughing wildly at her brother as he ran circles around her! It is a memory that I will cherish for a long, long time!
I have very few pictures of our day, unfortunately. I resisted the urge to lug my camera with me each time we headed for the surf. I wanted more to enjoy my day and take it all in with my own two eyes, rather than through the viewfinder of my camera. So that is what I did! And in my mind, the moments of Luke and Emily cheerfully digging in the sand, the fun conversations I had with my friends, and feeling of the cool breeze brushing my cheek as I snuggled close to my sweet Ellie are the ones that I will hold close. It turned out to be a beautiful day!
We lingered at the beach until sometime around sundown (I think it was 7:15 or so when we finally pulled out of the parking lot) and despite bringing half the beach home with them in their clothes, both kids quickly gave into sleep as we drove. We roused them when we got home, hurried them through a tear-filled bath (they were both so, so tired!) and once the car was unpacked, Ty cut me a piece of my favorite birthday cake that he had bought. He plopped a single pink birthday candle in the top and sang to me one last time as I made my birthday wish and blew out the flame. Of-course I cannot share with you what I wished for this year, but I can tell you that if the year ahead of me is anything like my day yesterday, my wish will be fulfilled. A year of promise, hope, adventure and some challenges to keep things interesting!
So how did we celebrate the beginning of this new year?? Well.....we had made plans to spend the day at the beach, so in order that we could leave at a decent hour, Ty got up super early to prepare breakfast in bed for me. He set his alarm for 5:30 (what a sweet husband he is!!), brewed some coffee and got to work cooking me my favorite breakfast of french toast, bacon and fruit salad. He had instructed Luke the night before not to disturb me when he woke up, and together they quietly worked in the kitchen. A few minutes before 7, both my boys came to wake me, adorned with party hats, party blowers and a breakfast tray brimming with a yummy breakfast just for me! :) They sang me 'Happy Birthday' as I sleepily attempted to rouse myself, and then Luke sat beside me as I enjoyed my food. Ty had bought me a silly birthday ribbon to wear that said "Kiss me...it's my birthday" and instructed me that I had to wear it all day (which I only ended up wearing until we got to the beach!) :) When I came downstairs awhile later, he had hung a big 'Happy Birthday' sign and had cards from both the kids and himself ready for me. What a wonderful way to start the day!! :) I loved every minute of it!
We headed to the beach a little later than we had intended, and got stuck in some bad traffic before we even hit Yucaipa, which delayed us almost 45 minutes. Blegh. We finally arrived at the beach at 11:30, with hopes of snagging a fire pit for roasting hotdogs and s'mores later in the afternoon, but unfortunately, due to our late arrival, there we none left. :( So disappointing. The day ended up being a series of events that echoed our arrival, but despite it all, we made the most of it and had a really nice time. You know what they say about the best laid plans. That is how our day went. So we opted to stop 'making plans' and just enjoy the moments. The weather was phenomenal...sunny, clear, 70 degrees with a slight breeze! Couldn't have asked for better! We settled ourselves on the sand and spent the day running in the waves, digging in the sand and just relaxing as we had originally intended. Luke was SUCH a good boy and as always, delighted in playing in the surf and making creations in the soggy sand. He becomes more and more independent each time we go, and while we always stayed close by, he did just fine playing on his own much of the time. Ellie napped in the shade for quite some time when we first arrived, but by the time our neighbors Kristin, Bill, Emily and Adam arrived, she was happily sitting near the waters edge, grabbing fistfuls of sand and laughing wildly at her brother as he ran circles around her! It is a memory that I will cherish for a long, long time!
I have very few pictures of our day, unfortunately. I resisted the urge to lug my camera with me each time we headed for the surf. I wanted more to enjoy my day and take it all in with my own two eyes, rather than through the viewfinder of my camera. So that is what I did! And in my mind, the moments of Luke and Emily cheerfully digging in the sand, the fun conversations I had with my friends, and feeling of the cool breeze brushing my cheek as I snuggled close to my sweet Ellie are the ones that I will hold close. It turned out to be a beautiful day!
We lingered at the beach until sometime around sundown (I think it was 7:15 or so when we finally pulled out of the parking lot) and despite bringing half the beach home with them in their clothes, both kids quickly gave into sleep as we drove. We roused them when we got home, hurried them through a tear-filled bath (they were both so, so tired!) and once the car was unpacked, Ty cut me a piece of my favorite birthday cake that he had bought. He plopped a single pink birthday candle in the top and sang to me one last time as I made my birthday wish and blew out the flame. Of-course I cannot share with you what I wished for this year, but I can tell you that if the year ahead of me is anything like my day yesterday, my wish will be fulfilled. A year of promise, hope, adventure and some challenges to keep things interesting!
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