Disneyland

More to come.....

What a women!

Despite what most of you might think I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth. Our computer has been in the shop-Best Buy- what feels like for ages and the we have been jet setting across the country to visit family and also the most magical place on earth-Disneyland. More to come on all of that but first I wanted to update some of you on the goings on of my sister. I know some of you I left hanging during a very frantic moment and since have wanted to update you and explain.

My sister Melynda was in a bike accident about two months ago. It was pretty bad and she crushed a bunch of cartilage in her hip. Since then she has had many complications which eventually lead to a stroke on the 4th of July. She is now recovering the best she can. She is still in wheel chair in part because of her previous injury and because she is on so many blood thinners to ward of future strokes that she can't walk around. She is working learning to speak and using her right arm again and is hanging in there. She has a long road of recovery and has already been through a lot. She is such a tough lady and admire her for her strength. I was lucky to take a trip out to see her and spend some time with her. Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, and support. They have helped. Lately she has been talking about how grateful she is even for the little things. Life has a funny way of helping us slow down and appreciate what we have been given. The other night she called and sang "Happy Birthday" to me on the phone-I cried. She could sing it completely clear and sound just like her old self. No studders or long pauses. (I guess singing uses a different part of your brain than normal speech.) So we joked that she is now going to communicate in song from now on. Her husband is excited because he is thinking she won't be able to yell at him anymore but I told her I sure we could find some to songs suite her purposes when needed. Thank heaven for small blessings.

Beautiful Babies and Breathing Treatments

Bless this little guys heart. This kid has been through so much these past 4 1/2 months I can't believe it. Chris has it in his mind that he is going to be sick for the rest of his life.

He caught a cold three weeks ago and things were going along fine. As good as a runny, stuffy nose can be. Then about a week later I was holding him in my arms and I could feel the vibration in his lungs and noticed that he was panting when he breathed. I was really unsure but called the doctor anyway. Sure enough he has bronciolitis again. Poor guy. The funniest part was going to the doctor and having the nurse comment on how strange he is. She was there trying to count his breathing, because it was so rapid, and all the while he is just laughing, talking and smiling at her. She said it was strange because most babies when they are that ill are fussy and grumpy. She called him a "happy wheezer". That's my guy. That isn't the first time a doctor has told us that they have been thrown off diagnosing him because he is so happy and doesn't act very sick at all. What a lucky mom I am.

So he has been on a regiment of 5 breathing treatments a day and then two other medicines, one being for an ear infections that I had no idea he had-like I said happy baby. Needless to say it has become an all consuming thing. That and our simultaneous potty training that is going on things are crazy.

Every time I would sit down to give him a treatment I would try to read something or be multitasking in some sort of way and it just hasn't been going well. Since he has just learned how to use all these new things-like hands-he doesn't want to hold still for anything. Finally one night I was sitting there with him and I was trying to read the paper while I gave him his treatment and he was wiggling and making it really difficult to do. Then I just started looking at him and realized how much he had changed, and how much he looked like my husband and how at that moment I was the one out everyone that he wanted to share his smile with. I felt humbled. Humbled to be a mom and get to preserve and love this baby. I realized then how fast it all is going and I wish I could slow it down. I learned to enjoy what used to feel like a chore and turned it into my time to just sit and stare or play with my little boy. I have come to treasure this time because I have much more limited time to do it than I did with Kate. It seemed like with Kate I could sit around and look at her all day and try to memorize her face and I still can't remember it all that well. Now I realize in a small way his sickness has been a huge blessing to me. Now I have learned to take time and look at these beautiful babies that I have been given. Funny how something that started out difficult and made me pressed for time now has taught me the true value of time well spent.

5 Years!...are we there yet?

Hello to the .blogspot.com world. This is my first attempt at blogging, so remember, patience is a virtue. Be kind to me in your comments. If your not, I will hunt you down and claim it is in the interest of "National Security."
May 11, 2004; St. George, Utah; local time: 10:40. That was when this little carpool to exaltation started. Today is Laurin and mines 5 year anniversary. She is always nagging me to try and blog, mainly because my mother is always nagging her to blog. I guess that happens when you live half a continent away. (just joking mom) How else are you going to see the 2 cutest grandkids! Anyways, I thought what better of a topic to blog about than how great of a wife I have. She does so much for me and my little posse. She is the ringmaster in this circus we call a family.
I am not a very good writer, so it is hard to put on paper (I guess technically it is a screen) all that she does for us. Most importantly she makes me feel like I can do anything for her. She is the best. I just wanted to let other people know how great she is but I guess if you are reading this, then you obviously know that anywaysHere is another reason she is so great, look what she gave me. As you might be able to tell, Kate is watching a movie now.

When we went to Ocean City we went mini-golfing. Laurin posted that. What she didn't post was that she got her hole-in-one. I honestly think that she has gotten at least one hole-in-one every time we have ever gone mini-golfing. NO JOKE!! She has only beaten me once though. The game is not to the swift, but he who endures to the end(or has the least amount of strokes.)

For those of you who follow our President closely know he was in Turkey a few weeks back. He went to this gigantic museum that is 1500 years old. The Notre Dame Cathedral towers could fit inside of it. I was there too...working. Anyways, if anyone saw the press photos, Mr. Obama stood right in front of this spot. He was there about an hour after I took this photo. I was still there of course, just...working. I just wanted to put this in here to make everyone go "oooooo" and "aahhhhh". Not to bad of a business trip, eh?

Well, that's all from my end. Maybe we can try this again sometime.

Ocean City

Chris, Kate, Carter and I took a little weekend vacation down to Ocean City, MD. It is the ideal beach bum town you would imagine in California. We had a really good time the only down fall was that it rained most of the time. I guess that is what you might expect towards the end of March. We were jus glad to get away together.

We went mini golfing. This Kate checking out the moving eel. She wasn't too sure about it at first. It was moving back and forth and made her really nervous at first but her dad always has a way of making scary things fun. After he talked to her I was finally able to talk her into taking a picture with it.

While she was standing there smiling for her picture it came back around and hit her in back and she freaked her out. She thought it was attacking her. I happend to snap the picture at this exact moment. She was really scared but Chris and I being the "horrible" parents we are we laughed-just a little though. That was the end of our pictures with the

eel.

My baby and I at lunch. He is so sweet.

Carter after his first swim in the pool. He had a ton of fun but he got cold really fast so he had to get out and come chill with me on the lounge chairs.

There is more to come....

Carter's Blessing

We blessed Carter last Sunday on March 22nd. It was so nice and Chris did a great job. It is so wonderful to have this sweet little baby in our home. Sometimes I forget how special this time is of having a new baby, but that day was a wonderful reminder for me. I know Carter is a special little boy. He has already been through and overcome so much in his short time here.


We have church at 9:00 so we didn't get any pictures before and after church Chris and I both have responsibilities so I just snapped these after I got home hoping they will suffice. Thanks Mel for the adorable outfit. It came just in time and we loved it.

My two favorite guys.

The only thing lacking that day was our family. We really missed them but we are grateful for our own little family we are building. Love you all!

Here are more pictures that we had taken a few weeks ago. Sorry it has taken so long to get some good pictures of Carter up. I apologize especially to all the grandmas out there. This whole sickness things has taken a while to regroup from. We are happy to report that for now everyone is healthy and happy and Chris has finally gone back to work after a two month vacation. Honestly I think he was ready to go back to work. He isn't used to the hours us moms have to keep. He said that being a stay-at-home mom is hard work. I just smiled.
Again the pictures my next door neighbors little sister took. She is only in high school but did so wonderful. It is obvious she has a natural talent...lucky girl.


Many will remember Kate's beloved Jeffery from our vacations out there. We got Carter a monkey, that is yet to be named. Kate has picked Abu from Aladdin and Chris keeps calling it Apu from The Simpson's. Neither of them I can reconcile with so we will keep thinking or leave it to Carter when he can talk....any suggestions. We decided some pictures with their animals would be a nice remembrance. Those of you who have seen Kate's Jeffery can testify that these animals aren't likely to make it past childhood. She is literally loving him to pieces.

Our Carter is defiantly made of stronger stuff as I'm sure most second children are. His sister loves him so much that sometimes it hurts for us to watch. We don't want to discourage her from loving on him but it is really difficult for a two and a half year old to understand how hard is too hard to bang on Carter stomach after he eats. She says she is just trying to burp him like we do. He doesn't EVER complain. She would note have been so patient. Again that is why he is number two and she is not.

My favorite things that are happening with him right now are: he has started smiling and his hair is going red. That's right. He came out with gorgeous brownish-blond hair and it is now getting redder. Most strangers call him a red head. It doesn't seem that drastic to me but you can tell a difference.

We love and miss all of you. Thanks for the phone calls and messages of support!