In Love With Him...

Chocolate face and all!

This little one has decided he is done with the whole diaper thing! One morning he was lowering the toilet seat lid and I overheard him singing (more like belting out), "Down, down, down, to the burning ring of fire!"

Beating the Blahs...

These past couple of weeks have been cold and snowy. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

In times like these... I need a fun little project. I found a wreath like this on tater tots and jello and thought I would attempt it. It made for a fun evening.

Winter Games 2010!

There is sea of laundry on the floor, dished piled up in the sink, crumbs on the carpet, bathrooms that need cleaning, piles of blankets and pillows all over the living room -resulting in unmade beds, messy hair, and lots of pizza boxes stacked up in the trash.

We have a problem...we are addicted to the Vancouver Olympics! WE LOVE IT! I even let Nathan miss school on Monday.

We have been eating meals, (pizza and cereal) in front of the TV while cheering on our favorite athletes and watching on the edge of our seats as they compete. It's been really fun, however, I'm ready to get the house in order and get a vegetable or two down my family.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

If you could meet my dad, you would. 10 years ago my dad was given a miracle. A second chance at life, doing what he loves most. Staying a little longer here on earth with his sweetheart, my mom.

Family has always been his passion but inside he has a quality that can't help but burst through his body. The ability to create.

Some of the best doctors in the nation stood over his limp body and for 18 long hours, the team of 16 doctors extracted a benign brain tumor, the size of a lemon, that was pushing on his lower right side of his brain and brain stem. That team of doctors saved his life.

His journey was just beginning. We were just starting to see how strong this man really was. He had many trials and hardships to overcome. First, the physical trials. He lost his hearing in his right ear, his facial nerve was destroyed resulting in paralysis on the right side of his face. A paralyzed vocal cord nerve made it impossible to talk and swallow. He had a feeding tube for 3 months to ensure he would be getting nutrients that would make it possible for his body to heal. The tumor was pressing so hard on his brain stem that he could not walk. He was completely numb on his entire left side of his body making it impossible for him to get back to his occupation, woodworking.

Then the unthinkable happened. He was able to reach inside himself and with the help of Heavenly Father, he was able to overcome many obstacles. Little by little, with many surgeries and help from speech and physical therapists, family and friends, he was able to retrain his body. He learned how to talk and swallow again. There he was again at mealtimes joining us at the dinner table for mom's home cooked meals and his occasional favorite, apple pie.

He was able to compensate for his loses. His left side, (he is left handed) had learned to feel through pressures, ways to hold a hammer and a drill. His balance improved. His strength increased. Long minutes turned into long days and long days turned into long weeks. His body healed. He grew physically, mentally, and spiritually. He did not only survive, he thrived.

As soon as he was able, he started to build again. Wainscoting, decks, kitchens, mouldings, base boards, bookcases, fireplace mantles, etc...

His brother Doug, then gave him the opportunity to challenge himself and push his limits. He was given a dream and it was up to him to see if he could make it come true. The chance to create something beyond the imaginable. He did the impossible before, could he do it again?

Still numb on the entire left side of his body, he headed down to Arizona, 12 hours away from his beloved sweetheart, 5 winters, thousands of hours later, and in a humble carport he transformed into a make shift shop, he built his brother a library. A library that words cannot describe.

The celling alone has over 2500 pieces of wood. It's hard enough to be on scaffolding and work hours and hours on a ceiling. Now imagine you have no balance and are numb on one side of your body.

Here is his blog.

This is his "shop".

A Good Day...

Pumpkin pancake breakfast with Greek honey yogurt and buttermilk syrup, staying in our jammies most of the day, making heart sugar cookies with pink icing and sprinkles, ding dong ditching homemade valentines, watching The Time Travelers Wife- during kids nap time, giving the neighbors a "heart attack", eating cheese fondue and flaming turtle chocolate fondue for dessert, watching the Olympics together, all of us taking a "Sunday Snooze", and I even talked Justin into playing a conversation card game (he's actually a sucker for any kind of game:))

Valentine's Day OWW, OWW!!

This post might be PG-13. WOOOOOOO!!!!!

I love Valentine's Day! I convinced my friend, Tamera to mix it up a bit this Valentines Day with me and make our guys something a little different. We got the idea off, love actually, tweeked it to our liking, and voila!

Dates for a year! (At least the ones we are in charge of anyway:))


♥

DANGIT!!!

I can't stop eating Hershey's Kisses!

Little but BIG...

There are so many good things all around us all the time and I'm trying to take a few minutes each week and really focus on it. Like:

Walking out of the gym from a great workout and the first gulp of air is fresh and crisp. Even though you are sweaty, for some reason it makes you feel so clean.

Dinners with just the two of you. I love eating with the whole family but when you can go out without the kids and talk with no interruptions, it really is a treat. At the end of these nights, I always feel refreshed and rejuvenated- ready for the next week.

Babysitters. People you can trust, and when you are out, you actually don't have to worry about your kids.

Bubble baths with a 12 inch layer of bubbles that smell like white tea and jasmine and a really good magazine.

The kids bringing out every pillow and blanket you own so that when you are on the couch everyone will be as comfortable and cozy as possible.