All Tied Up

"Children make you want to start life over..."

2012-01-21T15:09:00.004-06:00

Right after I got my new iPhone, I went in search of apps for my new iPhone. I downloaded dozens, upon dozens, of free apps over the course of the next couple of weeks. Including a really cool app for photogs, especially amateur photogs, called Instagram. Like many of these new apps I gave it a quick glance & then? Well, I pretty much forgot about it after that. I used it once or twice but never really spent a lot of time playing with it.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a few friends on FB & in the blogosphere were using this cool app & posting the coolest pictures. The name sounded familiar but I just kept pushing it all to the back of my mind. Yesterday we got 5 inches of fresh snow. For the first time in a few weeks we found ourselves with a Saturday that wasn't loaded from morn until eve with chores, errands, appts etc... Nothing but shoveling, or in our case snow blowing, finishing up laundry, & grabbing a couple of items from the grocery store. Nothing big. So when I found out that tomorrow we'd be getting rain, which would melt all the white stuff, I kicked M & N outside to play in said, 'white stuff'. Once they were out there for a while I put on my outside gear & headed outside with iPhone in hand to snap some cute pics to txt to grandparents etc...

I came in & remembered the app & decided to see if I could download it. Boy was I surprised to see it was already installed on my iPhone. LOL Classic me. So I had a blast over the next 15 to 20 minutes playing & posting picture after picture on FB. I was giddy w excitement.

So here they are;

Enjoy!

I call this one:

"I only eat January Snow. It tastes the best."

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose & eyelashes. These are a few of my favorite things!"

"Wishes Like Snowflakes"

And then while the 2 littles went outside to play & freeze in the snow...Liam, played w his train inside.

"My Kenna"

"My SnowAngels"

I had to get this shot from inside the house looking out the back door at my 2 little snow troopers.

"Brother & sister, together as friends, ready to face whatever life sends..."

If you have an iPhone, I don't know anything about other phones & their access to apps, you should totally download the Instagram app, if you haven't already. It'll make you feel like a pro! And I can't wait to see your photos.

**Author Edit**

I had to play with that last photo on Picnik of course. BTW Did you know Picnik.com is closing down as of April 19th? I got an email about it today. Go to the site & read the deets. Quick info about it though ALL the edits are free till they close. No more premium stuff for a price. Its ALLLLL free till April 19th when they close up shop. Go to the site & read for yourself. I had fun editing that last pic again to make this pic....

Like this one...

and this one too...

I included the before & after editing shots...

Enjoy!

This explains so much, doesn't it?

2012-01-19T08:18:00.001-06:00

K-1's Newest Beehive

2012-01-18T16:18:00.003-06:00

As the new 2nd counselor in the Young Womens Presidency in our ward I oversee the 12-13 yr old girls also called Beehives. I was seriously nervous in the beginning as I have never served w/ the youth just the little kids in primary or nursery. Let me just say... "BEST CALLING EVER!!" So, I wanted to make sure our Beehives felt loved & special & bonded in sisterhood & friendship.

As soon as a girl turns 12 years of age she is promoted from primary, the little kid Sunday School program, directly into the Young Women's Program. Where she will spend the next 6 years working on her Personal Progress. Each girl works on values & service projects & bettering herself in preparation for becoming an adult, missionary, wife, mother...etc...

The Values are as follows;
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice & Accountability
Good Works
Integrity
Virtue

All apropo to becoming a woman...don't you agree?

Anyway in my effort to help the girls bond & feel welcomed I decided that each time one of the girls who would be turning 12 & joining our Beehives this year would be getting, with their parent's approval of course, kidnapped & then brought to a Beehive Party where we would surprise them with fun & games & of course food. Jaci turned 12 first in 2012 so she was our first Ginny Pig. Her mom was totally excited for this fun moment for her daughter & more than happy to help us pull off our Kidnap Caper.

Pictures from our Kidnap Caper:

Jaci opened the door to Julie & I with a look of intense confusion on her face...

"Why are these crazy women standing on my front porch, in the snow, in their jammies, w/ a crown in hand & taking my picture?!?!?!"

At least that's what I imagined she was thinking...

Our Beehives!

Most of them anyway.

Julie made these way cute & really yummy sugar cookies for the occasion.

We had donuts, orange juice & chocolate milk because this was supposed to be a morning kidnap but there was volleyball for the young women every Saturday morning in January. So we did a Friday night kidnap instead but we made sure everyone still wore their jammies & provided breakfast food anyway.

Of course we had to do a group shot, thanks to Raylene's hubby, Brian, for picture taking. He even stopped playing a video game to help us, what a guy!

Then we had to do a group silly shot too...

Then it was time for our girls to go "gangsta". LOL

Then one big hug!!

Is it just me or does it look like Brantleigh is planning on attacking the rest of the girls?!?! LOL

Now for the videos from our Bean Boozled game.

Julie got this from the Jelly Belly Store in Pleasant Prairie.

Remember Bertie Bott's Every Flavor beans from Harry Potter?

The concept is for every regular flavored bean there was an exact replica in look with a nasty flavor instead. You flick the spinner & you pick the bean it lands on & then you pray its the good flavored bean.

EG:White was was either Coconut or Baby Wipes, Blue was either Berry Blue ot Toothpaste, red freckled was either Strawberry Jam or Centipede, etc...

I had to take videos of course... the 1st couple are the good flavors but after that it gets funny.

Mari proves her "bestie" status for Brantleigh by eating B's jelly bean for her...is it chocolate pudding or dogfood? But my favorite part of this video for you parents, is watching M & B trying to lick their own elbows. A proud, proud moment I am sure.

(this one had to be done on YouTube because it wouldn't load onto Blogger due to length)

Julie gets a nasty flavored bean.

Then Mari gets to taste a nasty one too..

This poor girl got more than her fair share of nasty flavored beans that night.

and another gross one...

And because it isn't fair that I get to take all the videos I let them video me too..

Then it was Brantleigh's turn...

Then I got one more turn...only I wasn't so lucky this time.

Then it was time to present Jaci with her gifts & welcome her into Beehives.

We are so thrilled to have another Beehive in our group. I am so privileged to be with these girls & I am grateful for this calling. Thank you parents for sharing these lovely young women with us.

Looking forward to our next arrival & the fun we'll have welcoming her into the fold.

Let's do lunch!

2012-01-15T22:19:00.004-06:00

To my new friends in Kenosha...

I invite you to join Liam & I tomorrow Jan 16th at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant at the 50 & the 94 (near Woodman's & Best Buy). Where we will be enjoying a FREE LUNCH! This amazing opportunity will be held from 11 am to 2pm. This is directly from the flyer I took from Texas Roadhouse.

4th Annual Guardians of the Flame Lunch:
"Mark your calendars for January 16, 2012 to receive a FREE LUNCH 11am -2pm. Local law enforcement officers will be serving you lunch. Don't forget to "Tip a Cop", as all donations will support Special Olympics athletes in Southeastern WI"

The free lunch consists of:

Pulled Pork Sandwich
Applesauce
Fries
Soda

I haven't yet told Liam I am planning on picking him up from school for this little lunch trip out with his mom. I planned on surprising him with it tomorrow by just showing up & taking him. That's the kind of fun mom I am...I encourage my kids to ditch school. Not really. But this is a really good cause & a great way to support the most amazing people around!

So please join us for lunch. We'll be there around 11 am so we can beat the rush! Come on you know you want to. ;D

Let's Do Lunch!

On a lighter note...

2012-01-13T15:09:00.004-06:00

This was on FB as well. Its hysterical. If you haven't seen it, please watch & prepare to burst out laughing. I did.

I LOVE that his parents & family are laughing like crazy in the background!

The Death of Pretty

2012-01-13T15:06:00.003-06:00

A friend on FB had posted the link to this article & I had to share it with all of you & find out what you think?

Blogs

The Death Of Pretty

BY Pat Archbold

| Posted 12/21/11 at 11:11 AM

This post is intended as a lament of sorts, a lament for something in the culture that is dying and may never been seen again.
Pretty, pretty is dying.

People will define pretty differently. For the purposes of this piece, I define pretty as a mutually enriching balanced combination of beauty and projected innocence.

Once upon a time, women wanted to project an innocence. I am not idealizing another age and I have no illusions about the virtues of our grandparents, concupiscence being what it is. But some things were different in the back then. First and foremost, many beautiful women, whatever the state of their souls, still wished to project a public innocence and virtue. And that combination of beauty and innocence is what I define as pretty.

*********************
Follow the link in the title of the article to see the rest of the article.
*********************

Growing up in California with a Democratic mother & a Repubican father was an interesting thing. I have to say my parents handled their political differences well. It was never talked about in our home. They each had their opinions & they each respected those opinions. But honestly they never really spoke about it, at least not in front of the children.

But as a youth I definitely leaned more towards the democratic side, nay the liberal side. Which irritated my dad to no end. He could handle it & did from my mom but not so much from me. With that said, he never told me I had to switch sides but we certainly have had some heated debates over the years.

Even now as a ___ year old mom of 4 I still tend to lean, albeit much less dramatically than in my youth, towards the Democratic side of the street. I am registered Independant. Remember my profile? I have that rare ability to see both sides of pretty much every argument. But when it comes to the youth of today, I can honestly say I see far more vulgarity & sexual issues than they should have to face. I know women's lib says we should be able to be & do anything a man can do. If they can be sexual or provacative creatures so can we. And in a perfect, Utopian society I'd agree. But there are so many monsters & miscreants in the world today, that I would have our girls, especially our girls, err on the side of caution rather than flaunt what they have.

My mom gave the greatest cliche advice:

"Believe none of what you hear & only half of what you see"

"Never ASSUME. It makes "an Ass out of U & Me"."

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

"Always rise above. Never sink to their level, you're better than that."

and my favorite words of wisdom had to do with how to dress etc...

"If you advertise, you will get a response, so be sure you advertise to the right kind of people."

The thing I noticed, is that all of her advice, is just good common sense. I tell these same bits of advice to my 13 year old son. I hope I am teaching him to respect those around him. I know he goes to school each day with teenage girls who seem to think nothing of victimizing themselves by dressing provacatively & speaking with vulgarity in an attempt to feel grown up. I remember girls at my school doing the exact same thing. I read him the article too. I wanted him to understand the difference between pretty & hot. I wanted him to understand girls who want to be Hot are undermining the feminist movement. They are selling themselves off rather than truly trying to be as successful as the male of the species.

Maybe this is why I always related better to classic movies & stars than to the pop culture world of movies of today. There was class to the classics that today's movies are all lacking & a great deal of that, I think, has to do with the determination of the studios of the day being so tight fisted with their talents' reputations. Nowadays, we live in a "Kardashian" kind of world. Where you can become rich, famous & successful off the hype of a sex video that has been released to the public. Its disgusting & sickening, in my humble opinion, that these people are a, in essence, representation of this country. Its like America has become a nation of moronic, vapid, loose Hollywood Starlets who don't actually have any talent or ability to be anything but a sex object. And how sad for them that this is what they chose to accept & even promote.

I agree with the reporter... "pretty" is certainly on its way out. What a sad commentary on our times & our morals & the principle of the thing. That used to be important. Our principles.

The death of common sense, principles & pretty all in one fell Hollywood/Pop Culture swoop.

But don't let me stop the conversation here...what do you think? Did I just open a can of worms? My readers are predominately LDS but I am sure there are a few out there that are not. Please? If you leave a comment that is an opposing viewpoint, which you are more than welcome to do, keep your comment clean, respectful (of all readers) & kind. Or I will delete & block you. And to those who agree you must keep your comments back just as clean, respectful & kind or you too will be deleted & blocked. Common courtesy & respecting each other's opinions are tantamount to a successful discussion on such a hot topic.

A sanity free zone

2012-01-13T13:38:00.000-06:00

Did you know that several times a day I think of really great ideas for blog posts? I do. Okay in MY head they are great ideas. In reality they are probably not so great. But then when I sit down to put them into words, I forget my ideas.

I think I may be going senile.

Or maybe I'm just getting older & so my memory is starting to vacate the premises. I'm sure my memory take breaks from me & it's starting to feel as though those 'breaks' are becoming a lot more frequent & lasting longer & longer. Like its starting to like them so much more than actually sticking around, for me to put it to good use. Or maybe its just stretching out the breaks, in the hopes that I won't notice when its gone for good. I am positive it runs away to the same place my sanity went years ago. I don't even get letters from my sanity telling me its okay & enjoying its vacation anymore. Its probably just a matter of time before my memory & I have as strained a relationship my sanity & I have now. So sad.

Ok we'll skip the 'may be going senile' from above & just say I am definitely senile. No sense in being denial. I'll save my denial for my waistline. (Its non-existent btw, seriously, I go straight from fat gut into fat thighs.)

You know I am not much for resolutions but I liked this one from Bridget Jones...

I don't smoke or drink but I do flirt with my boss...what can I say? He's awfully cute. And I can totally relate to her 'thighs' issue as well.

Let's see what have we been up to this week????

Liam had another of his popular Bad A-T days on Monday. Technically, it started on Sunday. While we were in Sacrament meeting he told me he had a really bad headache, at the back of his head. I gave him Ibuprofen & had him lay down but he still had it later on that day. Monday he woke up fine, I got him dressed & downstairs & he started complaining of a tummy ache. I feel so bad knowing that he can actually tell me if it feels like a bad A-T day or if its a stomach bug. He said, "it feels like a bad A-T Day mom." So I grabbed him a bucket & told him not to do anything but sit & watch TV in front of the couch. On bad A-T days he can't move, if he does he vomits way more often & they become violent too. My poor Liam.

He laid there all day & threw up twice an hour every hour from 8 am til 5 pm. Didn't ask to eat, or drink, or to go to the bathroom & scared the daylights out of me. The last time he had done that he & I ended up in Phoenix Children's Hospital for 4 days. I sent out a request for prayers from my A-T family on FB & sent txt messages to friends asking the same thing. Within an hour he asked to pee. Thank goodness! He still had stomach cramps most of the night & a low grade fever but 5 pm was the last time he vomited. So thank you so much to all of you "Prayer Warriors" for stopping your day & chores long enough to say prayers for my sweet sick little boy. I know it made a huge difference.

Tuesday he stayed home to recuperate & then I realized I had forgotten Kier & McKenna had well check appts w/ the pediatrician that day. See I told you my memory is running away from home! Only I had Liam home & no van. Wait you don't know about the van, do you???

Okay so here is the story of the van...

Last Sunday, when we were on our way to church the van was freezing. The thermometer gauge on the dash kept pointing at cold. Didn't raise above the C by more than a fraction, of a fraction of an inch. And the heater wouldn't heat up, just blew chilly air. Now my engine light has been going on & off for months & months. Its something we've had fixed already at least 3 times & so we just ignored it this time. But because of it I hadn't bothered registering the van here in WI or getting myself a new license. We kept saying we'd fix it after this or that. Then we said in January but we still hadn't done anything. But hello?!?! I need a heater in WI in the winter! So we finally took it in to the shop.

But only after we vacillitated back & forth on whether we wanted to fix it or just buy a new/used van. Our van is 10+ years old & has nearly 94,000 miles on it. We'd even, I think, picked out one we really liked. But, and this is how I put it on FB, "It would seem CA changed our mind...again. Dropped off the van at the mechanic. Here's hoping this isn't something I am going to have to do repeatedly. Part of me is very glad not to have the monthly car payment but a bigger part of me is terrified that I am just setting myself up with an unreliable car & that it will die again, when I very desperately need it most & then it'll be me in a river...no paddle in sight. *sigh* {fingers crossed}"

I'm so subtle right? You don't think he could tell I was irritated do you?

But on Tuesday this meant I had no transportation. So I txt'd CA at work & asked if he could come home for lunch & that I'd drive him back to work & then I could use his truck. BTW I do NOT like his truck. He agreed though, thank goodness. After Liam & I dropped off CA @ work we headed to Target, only I had forgotten to grab his little manual chair, so I piggy backed him into Target & he got to sit in the big basket of the cart & get covered with my groceries. LOL He was less than thrilled by any of this. But I needed supplies for the house & for Young Womens that night.

I am the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's Presidency fo our ward, which means that I am in charge of the Beehives (the 12-13 yr old girls). Well, Tuesday night is mutual night & we were combined with the Spanish branch AND the Beehives were in charge of the activity! Ack!! I was nervous but excited. We made it home just in time to unload & have a potty break for both Liam & mommy. giggle Then we headed over to the school to pick up K & M. We got to the Dr's office just in time. Both kids are great & not happy I made them get the flu shots we couldn't get in the fall because we all kept getting sick.

We got home, just in time, for Nolan to be picked up from school. Thank goodness for a big brother who was happy to walk down to the school & pick up little brother.

No, he hasn't stuck his tongue to any poles again.

But then it was after school crazy & thank goodness my VT offered to bring us dinner the night before, when she heard Liam was sick & I was without vehicle! If she hadn't I might have lost it! If you remember, I had CA's truck, which meant during the dinner hour is when I got to go back to Pleasant Prairie to pick him up. Only on the way there I had a State Trooper behind me who noticed that the passenger side breaklight wasn't working. Well, it was sort of working & sort of not working, probably a short. Each time I stopped or slowed it would take turns turning on or not turning on. So, I was pulled over on the 94 heading south.

Talk about terrified & stressed out! All I could think was,

"Come on?!?! Are ya kidding me?!?!? Now?!?!?! Really?!?!?! For the love of all that is holy!!!!"

It took an extra 15 minutes picking CA up from work & not a little stress on my part. Then I got home & got ready for YW. Just such an exciting day. Thanks to Raylene for picking up the snack, that I was supposed to get that day, but forgot & then didn't have the time to pick up thanks to the WI state trooper who just had to give me a warning about a possible break light not working. However, I do sincerely, thank the Lord for not reminding the State Trooper to ask for 'proof of insurance' because I was informed by CA, after I picked him up, that he hadn't gotten new papers to put in the truck since we moved! Thanks sweetheart for being prepared!

CA set an appt at a garage for Thursday, but we took it in Wednesday instead of Thursday because it would be safer as Thursday we would be under a "Winter Storm Advisory". YAY!!!! No seriously, I was happy about that! But the extensive repairs we believed the van would need, meant I wouldn't have a van for a few days but I wasn't driving it anyway, as I was terrified it would die out there on the road, somewhere in the middle of nowhere & Kenosha. According to the mechanic who called last night it "Should" be ready by Saturday. Again Thank Goodness!! And he ordered the parts to put a tow hitch on the back for a lift /carrier for Liam's power chair. Yay again.

Thursday dawned but still no snow. It finally started to snow & stick around noon. I was so excited to see the white stuff covering all the brown. Its so pretty. So ,y day yesterday besides cleaning the family room & working on Young Women's stuff involved taking a lot of pics with my cell of the white stuff coming down.

Then it was time for kids to get home. So, I went outside & shoveled & salted the ramps for Liam & his power chair. I was so proud of me, so of course, I had to take a picture.

It is so pretty outside! I LOVE SNOW! Yes, Shannen I know I am certifiable but um...I already covered that at the beginning of this post. How could I be sane when my sanity ran away from home so long ago? Duh!

But its okay because inside, while working on YW's stuff I got to sit next to this...

Ahhhhh....so content & happy. I love the bright, happy flames of a roaring fire. Makes the world feel so nice & cozy.

In fact, I like it so much that as I sit here & blog, there is another fire just like that one a-blazin' away, right next to me. So pretty & warm! I don't know if its the way the fireplace is set up or built or if its because its a smaller sized fireplace it gives off lots of warmth in our family room.

Yesterday this was my status on FB:
"I went into my kitchen this morning after everyone left & found rice krispie cereal all over the table, chairs & floor. Which made me wonder did they get any into their mouths during breakfast? Then I walked to the sink & found piled up dirty dishes covered in peanut butter, from sandwich making attempts. Which made me wonder what does their sandwich look like? Then I went into the family room & found socks, shoes, slippers, cars, trucks, trains & trash littered here & strewn there...which made me wonder do they have any toys or clothes left in their rooms? I CLEANED the family room & started more laundry & worked on paperwork & my lesson for YW...when kids came home they wondered, "why didn't mom clean the kitchen?" Because I am SO generous, I left it for them to clean instead. xD Am I good mom or what?"

However, this morning after they had left, I noticed that they had already forgotten my object lesson from yesterday & since my VT's were coming by, I couldn't repeat yesterday's object lesson today. Lucky kids. I will have to keep doing that till they get the point. I bet they will outlast me, I hate messes & if I have to keep waiting for them to come home to clean the kitchen then I can never have friends over. Kind of defeats the purpose of having them if I can't invite them in because I am too embarassed by my kitchen.

Tonight I get to gather with my Beehives, the Beehive advisor (you remember I told you about her, Julie), & the Young Women's President Raylene at Raylene's house. We have a new Beehive joining our ranks this week. And tonight Julie & I are going to kidnap her, with her mom's permission & help of course, & bring her back to Raylene's house for a surprise happy birthday/welcome to YW's party. Then tomorrow is Stake Temple Day, so at some point, my eternal companion & myself, aka CA, will be in the Chicago Temple. So happy about that! Sunday myself & the Miamaids advisor, Adelle, will be giving a joint lesson to all the YW re: our special needs friends & not to be afraid & the best way to perform service. I'm actually excited about this too. What a great weekend looms before me. Hoping this weekend finds you happy, warm, safe & enjoying life.

"Itsth Sthuck! Itsth Sthuck!!!"

2012-01-04T19:28:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a busy day around here. With lots of going to & fro & time spent on my feet. By 3:30 when the kids came home I was entering the part of the day I dislike the most, "The Suicide Hour". Every parent of kid(s) in school has one of these hours or maybe two hours each day, is set aside for that time after school, before dinner & family or church or what have you where everything is in complete chaos. Its the time of the day I do not look forward to, I am grateful to have my babies home, however I hate the festival of insanity that they bring with them.

As the end of the school day looms closer my alarm goes off letting me know that I need to prepare for their arrival, mostly in this cold climate I need to get my outside gear on, which takes some time. I waited, in gear next to the front door, for Kier, McKenna & Nolan to walk up to the front door & for Liam's bus to arrive, Nolan arrived running at full speed, typical of him. Behind him coming up fast was Kier & McKenna soon after him.

"Guess what Nolan did at school today, Mom?" Kier says to me, smiling & excited & out of breath.

"What?" I reply.

Nolan meanwhile is looking at me like he's afraid he's going to get into trouble.

"He stuck his tongue to a pole." Kier says with a big triumphant smile

"He what?!?!" I emphatically queried.

Laughter from Kier & giggles from Nolan & McKenna.

"Show her Nolan, stick out your tongue." Kier prods.

Nolan opens his mouth & shows me this....

Apparently, the many years of having watched "A Christmas Story" on TBS every Christmas did not teach him that sticking your tongue to a metal pole in freezing temps will most definitely ensure that your tongue sticks to said pole.

This is my genius child, Nolan. I'm so....proud.

Let your laughter commence. Don't hold back on my account or Nolan's either, as he is immensely proud of his rite of passage. Little weirdo.

How I spent my New Year's Eve

2012-01-04T18:11:00.000-06:00

This is the story of how I spent my New Year's Eve. *Note if you just read that same thing in the title of this post you may be feeling my first sentence is redundant. Well, you're right. That's all I have to say on that.

On New Year's Eve, for those of you who knew us when.... (Sound of Auld Lang Syne playing in the background here while you have a flashback to New Years of yesteryear, preferrably one you shared with us) we have always chosen to stay at home on that holiday night. Mostly because CA is not a fan of crowds, he is seriously anti social, & because neither of us likes the idea of being out on the roads on one of the worst nights of the year for drunk drivers. And since we have had kids for 13 + years we didn't want to have to fight other ward members for the primo sitters.

So we always just stayed at home. There have been many years where, instead of going out, we invited lots of people over to our house for a big NYE party. Complete w/ games, music, and of course large quantities of food. Junk food to be more precise. Well, this year we didn't invite anyone over thanks to our massive health issues before the holidays started. We neither wanted to get anyone sick or worse invite people over thinking we were all healthy to wake up & find we were still sick & had just spread our germs. And Kier got his first ever real paying babysitting gig. He was mondo excited & more than a little nervous. But he did a great job. His employers were very happy with his performance. Yay Kier! Another big milestone for my 1st born.

The evening started out great.

First up the beginning of our feast of TGI Friday's appetizers from the grocery store freezer. Yumm, along w/ a fruit tray, veggie tray, cheese 'n crackers & deli meat. Not to mention a bundt cake, I made myself. Boy was it hard opening that box of cake mix & the container of frosting. I may have just broken a nail. And don't even get me started on the adding of food colored sprinkles, seriously exhausting dessert. Whew!

As you can tell Kier is excited for NYE & the food.

Shortly after we sat down it was time for Kier to go...his employers even drove all the way out to our house to pick him up & bring him home...at 12:30 in the morning. that's MY kind of employer.

After he left we all continued eating, no surprise there, right? Then the littles played while CA & I surfed the TV. We were supposed to play games but I had spent the day scrubbing & cleaning the house so we could start the New Year off right. I am aware there must be something wrong with me.

However, Liam & CA were acting REALLY tired & by 9pm this is what my iPhone captured...from my corner of the couch.

(Sorry I tried 5 different times to upload the above picture right side up. In the folder on my computer its the way its supposed to be & when the browse window popped up it was the way it was supposed to be, but for some reason during the upload process it kept flipping it to its side. No idea why?)

The little (M & N) were still running around like mad people, yelling & laughing & enjoying the fact that they were going to get to stay up till midnight. However, just over an hour later & I took the following video.

giggles.

I stayed awake & thoroughly enjoyed a roaring fire, Dick Clark's NY's Rocking Eve & all the great singers, minus Bieber, although he was paired up w/ Santana, so I guess he makes up for the Biebs. At just before midnight I got the drinks, Martinelli's sparkling cider, for CA & myself & Sprite for the littles, ready. Liam was the easiest to wake up. Next was McKenna, although she just kept saying, "Yep." And falling back asleep after I asked her if she wanted to wake up to ring in the NY. CA was next to wake up & Nolan flat out refused to move or wake up. He just kept shaking his head in denial...even the promise of Sprite & poppers were not enough to coax him fully awake. Poor kid.

I called Kier to wish him Happy NY & tell him we loved him & that I'd be waiting up for him. CA waited up with me since he'd had a nice 3 hour nap. He was enjoying the paying gig, especially since his charges had been asleep most of the night.

We watched a movie, that was on basic TV, while waited & then Kier came home & I sent him to bed. We decided to head up to bed where we fell asleep watching the second 1/2 of the movie.

It was an interesting eveing & one I enjoyed. Especially taking photos & videos of my family passed out cold & posting them to FB. I had to entertain myself somehow!

Hope your NYE was memorable & filled w love & laughter.

Welcome 2012! Please be good to us?!?!

An experiment for very cold weather

2012-01-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

On Monday, we had a nice little taste of what WI can offer, in the form of (w/ wind chill factored in) 5*. Plus, it was windy & we had, had a dusting of snow the day before, which was still on the ground, in spots. So CA decided to show Kier a cool trick. And then he showed the littles & myself. So I videotaped it for all of you to witness. I think its very cool. If you live some place cold & have not tried this quick little experiment w/ your kids, I highly recommend you give it a shot. But it has to be REALLY cold outside.

Also, in the video I say '30 seconds' but in reality it was 3 minutes. But I started videotaping after the 30 seconds were left & for some reason, that # is what was stuck in my head, so that is what I said. But I promise it was 3 minutes, not 30 seconds. Enjoy.

A New Year's Wish

2011-12-31T19:50:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year

Wishing you & yours a wonderful 2012.

2011 brought our family a lot of wonderful things. But it also brought its challenges & not a little upheaval as we once again found ourselves moving hearth & home. But with that big move came a wonderful new ward. They have been so good to us & we are so grateful to have such great new friends. Uline, the company that CA works for, has been really good to our family. We have been truly blessed. And we are so grateful for the many good things that have been a part of our 2011.

Now you know me, I don't do New Year's resolutions, they never last beyond the first week. Just like last year I reiterate my wishes for 2012.

Jess's Wish for 2012:
A Cure for A-T. A Cure for Liam.

Once again that is MY wish for 2012. It didn't happen last year but who knows maybe this year will see our Liam walk again. Wouldn't that be awesome? I somehow can't stop the feeling, when it comes to this wish, that I will be a lot like Linus from Charlie Brown fame, who endlessly waits for the Great Pumpkin to arrive all to no avail. Year in & year out. This idea doesn't bother me though, because as long as I have breath, I have Hope. Hope for a cure. I know you too Hope for a Cure for our Liam because you have all shown us time & time again how much you love our family. With prayers, service & love.

Only 4 more hours till the New Year. What are your wishes/resolutions?

From our house to yours....

Happy 2012!!!!

I want to be a mom again just for the gadgets

2011-12-30T14:04:00.002-06:00

Not long ago I was sitting in Gospel Doctrine next to one of my new friends, Julie, who also happens to be the Beehives advisor, thank goodness. She used to be the Primary President which means she knows all our Beehives really well. Which is a huge help to me, as the new Young Women's 2nd counselor, I have no idea on earth what I'm doing.

Anyway, Julie & I have discovered that we love sitting next to each other during Gospel Doctrine. Why? Because our Gospel Doctrine Teacher is something of a Gospel Doctrine Idiot Savante or something close to it. We are positive he has a different Book of Mormon than we do, as he knows things & sees things in his Book of Mormon that we just have not been able to find in ours. I think we are justified in thinking there is a "Special Edition" B of M as there a quite a few other people in the class that also have this special edition copy. We spend most of class asking each other, "where is he at?" And "What are they talking about?" And just trying to get through class without saying a word & proving that we have no idea where everyone is getting their info from. And repeating the phrase, "I can't find THAT in my scriptures" & looking hopelessly lost & confused.

So instead we heckle, quietly & reverently, of course. Which means we spend a great deal of our Gospel Doctrine time giggling at our own jokes. It makes Gospel Doctrine go by so fast. Brother S is an amazing teacher & very adept at the B of M but seriously I have no idea what he's talking about 1/2 the time. Oh who am I kidding? Its more like 90% of the time. Anyway, with us all having been sick again & again & with me being in the YW presidency & needing to be at church, I have gone by myself a lot the last couple of months, leaving CA home with one sick kid or another. Hence the reason Julie & I get so much heckling time together. I'm not sure but I think CA would not approve of my heckling the Gospel Doctrine teacher. Even reverently. I told Julie we're Waldorf & Statler from the Muppets. You remember them right? The 2 old geezers in the balcony.

I promise I have a point & it circles back to my topic. Our Gospel Doctrine class is held in the Cultural Hall. And the seats are set up in a U formation with Bro S at the center of top of the U. Obviously. We were sitting on one branch of the U, right on the very end of it, there Bro S is less likely to notice us & our dumbfounded looks, as we madly search through our scriptures trying to follow along. We sat in the second row behind the Young Women's president Raylene & her hubby Bryan. Also good at heckling, but I don't think they are as lost as we are, this hasn't stopped them laughing at our jokes though. Which means, we aren't just funny in our heads, which probably just encourages us to heckle more.

This one day we looked across the U & we were all admiring a new family who had moved into our ward. They were holding their, obviously not old enough for nursery, baby boy. He's about 1. Give or take. And super cute. Then all of sudden the 4 of us, including Raylene & Bryan were completely entranced by this new family. The mom, whom I have since made friends with, Kelley, was feeding their son. We've all been there haven't we? In Gospel Doctrine with a baby not the least bit interested in being still & quiet, so we break out a bottle or a jar of baby food. Bribery. Plain & simple.

Only she didn't break out a bottle or a jar!

It was this super cool spoon...

It holds the baby food inside the base of the spoon & you just gently squeeze the base to give the baby a bite of food. Seriously?!?! Where was this uber cool spoon when I had babies that age? Now some of you, my younger readers, who are still in the baby making stage of life probably have already seen &/or own your own Coolest Spoon Ever! (not the real product name) But I never did.

The 4 of us were completely transfixed on this spoon. Not kidding. Even Raylene & Bryan were in awe. Julie & I are both past the baby making stage & both of us feel gypped that we didn't get such a cool gadget. I mean my last is now 5 1/2 years old, so I was in for the boppy pillow, the beginning of the bumbo seat, & I had a really great bouncy/vibrating seat, the Kick 'n Go, that McKenna & Nolan both loved. So I got a few cool gadgets. Upon reflection I decided that I needed to go check out Babies R Us. And I found several other really cool items that I was going to share but the only one that just makes me wish I had a baby besides the spoon of course, is this one...

The Sound Sleeper

I would have loved one of these babies. So cool. No more having to have a cassette player going & buying cassette tapes, like I did w/ Kier & Liam or a CD player w/ CDs for McKenna & Nolan.

I doubt that CA is on board with my "let's have a baby just so we can have the gadgets" theory himself, and realistically its just not possible anymore. But man oh man.

I told Kelley that I wanted to have another baby just for her spoon & she actually tried to burst my bubble by telling me it wasn't so cool after all. But I know the truth, you moms still making babies are just keeping the secrets of the coolest gadgets all to yourselves. I see how you are.

Do you think I'm crazy? CA thinks I'm losing my grip on reality as I get older, he's not wrong of course but I like my delusions. They keep me company. Along with the voices in my head.

A sneak peek @ Christmas 2011 with the Cowands

2011-12-25T23:16:00.001-06:00

This year for Christmas I asked for very little, making it that much harder for poor Captain Awesome. And then I added something to my list, very late in the season, I might add. Memory Mixer. Memory Mixer is a software program for digital scrapbooking. My bestie Kim has been telling me about it for a couple of years but I just didn't have the energy & quite frankly online scrapbooking seemed intimidating to me. Haven't the foggiest as to why, but it did.

Well, when I was called as the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's Presidency at church, a calling Kim had just been released from, she raved once again about MM. While they were here visiting for M's baptism she showed me via her laptop just what it could do & how easy it was to use. So I told CA about it & hinted that it would be nice if that were added to my wish list. But honestly, I didn't think it would happen.

This morning I received an email from MM stating that my account had been created, my order received & that I should follow such and such link to confirm & download my software. Woohoo! Way to go CA! It took me a while to figure it all out but I finally did & then I spent the evening playing with the program, trying to figure out the whole free scrapbook kits you can find online.

It took me a few hours & lots of editing but the movie attached is made entirely from the Memory Mixer software & one freebie kit I found here. Don't ask how I found it, as it was pure dumb luck that I did. I seriously have no clue what I'm doing but I am sure it WILL get easier. I hope (fingers crossed).

So enjoy a quick peek, (album is very short) into our day today. And I am sincerely so grateful for the many, many blessings bestowed on our family by a loving Heavenly Father. Most especially, I feel truly & profoundly humbled, by the birth of the babe that saved all mankind. Past, present & future, from themselves. I pray you each had a beautiful, memorable, fun filled & love filled Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

P.S.

I just watched on here & I swear it did not do that 'restarting the music over & over with each page' thing when I watched it on MM. LOL I swear! I had it set to loop the music & when I "checked" the album on MM it just played the song from beginning to end on there. Yikes! Just call me a dork, I'm okay with that! LOL Guess I really am still learning.

All I want for Christmas

2011-12-14T12:46:00.002-06:00

Yes, its that time of year again where our wish lists grow & grow.

From the simple, "I'd like the latest Harry Potter movie on Bluray."

To the fantastical, "I'd like a new car!"

I too have a wish list...which, honestly, also includes Harry Potter, what can I say? I'm an HP nut!

But I asked for one of those "all the movies in one complete set" thingamabobs. You know the kind, right? The one w/all the behind the scenes stuff , ie: interviews, cut scenes etc... Of course, it HAS to be on Bluray.

But if I had to whittle my wish list down to one single item. And only that one item?

It would be to live in a world where there is no A-T.

If that's not possible, then a world where A-T is curable.

If it were possible to help me find a cure would you jump on the "Cure Wagon"?

Well guess what? You can prepare to jump!

Recently my Facebook A-T Family support group & the A-T Children's Project sent out notice that Brad Paisley has just released a new song, called, "Hard Life". Wait for it.......

Here's the really important, really cool part of the story. This wonderful song was actually written by an A-T patient!

23 year old Joe Kindregan, of VA, wrote the song himself!!!

How did Brad Paisley get involved with a song written an A-T kid? Well, Joe has quite a few famous friends, including Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner as well as Brad Paisley. When Brad heard that Joe wrote this song, he was very interested in helping to bring the song out to the public. And you'll understand why when you hear it & read the lyrics in the video found on Youtube. Because it's an amazing song!

a picture of Brad & Joe on the cover of the single..

Well, along with the gift of recording the song, on sale now, Brad Paisley will be donating ALL the proceeds to the A-T Children's Project. So for $1.29 you too can purchase the song from any digital music outlet you choose. Then you will be jumping on the "Cure Wagon" too.

To purchase your copy of Hard Life follow the link embedded in the title of the song.

Then please post this on your blogs or email your family & friends to help support Liam & the A-T Children's Project in finding a cure.

As a bonus, & to help you see how much this song means to all of us, but especially to Joe, I am including a quick 1+ minute home video of Joe lip syncing along, as Brad Paisley laid the track in the recording studio, also on Youtube. Brad can be heard singing in the background while Joe lip syncs. Its actually an incredibly moving video. At least I think it is, but that may be because its so close to my heart.

To read an article about the whole thing you can go here.

Remember, your simple purchase of the song for $1.29, & passing on the info can mean millions of dollars of research to our family, but more importantly to Liam.

To all of you that took the time to read this post...thank you.

And/ or to all of you who purchase the song...thank you.

And/or to all of you who share the info here on your blogs &/or via email w/ your readers, family & friends....

THANK YOU FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS TO ALL OF YOU!

Back to business & then some

2011-12-10T23:35:00.003-06:00

This week was back to business as usual. Monday brought school & work & chores. Oh wait... I forgot on Monday I sort of took the day off. I took care of the kids & the meals but did absolutely nothing else. It was really nice to have a day to just read, watch TV, take a nap. Especially after the week before.

Tuesday was the day we all got back to our regularly scheduled program. Until, that is, I got a call from school, Liam's teacher Mr S. Apparently, upon entering his room Liam started complaining of an earache. Sigh. Here we go again...right? That's what I was thinking too. So I went & picked him up & brought him home, but not before I called the pediatrician & scheduled an appt for that afternoon. Liam spent the afternoon watching Christmas movies & cartoons from our DVR. BTW, the Dr said, ear infection & sinus infection, then he he gave me a scrip for Augmentin. The strong stuff. I managed to drop off the scrip & drop by Mickey D's for treats for the both of us. And I still made it home before kids got home from school.

Funny Liam story; our 'treats' @ Mickey D's included a large Diet Coke for me & a small fry for Liam. The whole way home (which is all of 4 minutes) I could smell the torturous yummy smell of Mickey D Fries wafting through the van, making my mouth water. I jokingly threatened Liam he was gonna get it if he ate all "my" fries. LOL At which point, in the rearview mirror, I watched him smile like a snot & eat a fry all for me to see. When we arrived home I asked, very politely, if he happened to save me any fries? He gave me 3. What a kid right? After I consume my fries, from heaven, I sighed & said, "Curse you McDonald's french fries!! You win again!!" Liam from the back seat said, "McDonald's fries always win." Matter of factly, but in that sweet, soft spoken, slow way he has of stating the obvious. He's so young but yet so wise.

Then it was that crazy time of checking backpacks & homework & getting dinner & voila before I knew it, it was time for Mutual and it was McKenna's first time attending Activity Day Girls. She was so excited! She was bundled & out the door to the van & buckled in & ready to go in seconds! Once we arrived she informed me she wanted to go by herself. I was so proud of my little 'fraidy cat'. By the end of the night she was exhausted & fell asleep in the car on the way home. Once she left for ADG's, I headed into the chapel. Our mutual that night consisted of watching the movie/slideshow of the youth trip this last summer to Nauvoo. It was so sweet & the kids were such clowns in front of the camera. I only wish I could have been there in person. Then to help time pass a little faster, while we waited for our speaker, the leaders all got up & then had to tell 2 truths & 1 lie to the kids & the kids had to tell us what they thought each leader's lie was. Whole new Young Women's leadership & a couple of new Young Men's leadership, we figured it would be a fun, fast way for the youth to get to know us a little better.

Our "special speaker" was none other than Sis Van Wagenen from the Young Women's General Board. Apparently, one of her sons lives in our ward & she & her husband are in town for the holidays. When our ward found out they asked if she would be willing to speak to our ward's youth & leaders. She was happy to, and she was amazing! I am so glad I was able to go. I am seriously so stoked to be in this calling & am excited getting to know our girls! They are a great bunch of girls!

Wednesday more of the same, Liam stayed home an additional day, which meant I didn't accomplish a whole lot but he hadn't been on the antibiotics for 24 hours yet so one more day with me. That night I took Kier to TKD & decided to head across the street to Walmart to get our groceries. Upon arriving there I happened to notice that there were an inordinately large group of police officers there. How did I know this? Because this is the sight before my eyes....

As I took this picture I was debating with myself..."Hmmm how badly do we need shampoo & conditioner after all?" But I noticed people were still coming & going from the store, which meant the store was under lockdown so it had to be safe to go in...I gave it a try. Turns out it was safe...it was "Shop With a Cop Night". It was so sweet inside watching police officers of all sizes & genders rapidly running with groups of kids helping make their Christmases bright.

Thursday more of the same, which included, for the first time in 3 years, me ordering our picture Christmas Cards. I spent most of Thursday & Friday working on addressing the cards. Which finally got me in the Christmas spirit! Yay!! I was so excited to be able to afford Christmas Cards this year! Who knew Christmas Cards would put me in the Christmas Spirit? That night was our ward's Relief Society meeting. You know what? I'm sorry. For the purpose of making it easier, I am sticking with the name Enrichment. Its just easier for me & since this is my blog all that matters is my happiness, right? LOL We got to have dinner served to us by the brethren in our ward & see the slideshow of the "Parable of the 10 Virgins". Very spiritual. So glad I went.

By Friday I was gearing up for Kier's Birthday Make Up. Since he had such a depressing & sad birthday the week before, we promised him the chance this weekend to have 2 boys from school spend the night. We even let him design his birthday cake. He wanted a DQ ice cream cake. He chose the Candy Cane Chill Ice Cream Cake. Which was peppermint ice cream & chocoalte cake also laced w/ peppermint. However Kier took it to the next level. My smart alec/clown decided he wanted to make the, normally, white frosting on the edges purple instead & that he wanted his birthday message written in hot pink. He was cracking himself up like a mad man at the look on my face as I ordered the cake to his specs.

Kier's Cake:

Singing Happy Birthday...

After cake the boys settled down for ... what else?

Video Games.

Boys.

Of course I had to make sure he got his Birthday spankings too. I know I really am a great mom!

My favorite part was when Nolan was throwing a temper tantrum but stopped long enough to wave to grandma & grandpa. Classic Nolan!! Love that kid! Of course watching my 13 year get spanked by his baby sister was supreme!! Way to go McKenna!! LOL

The boys made it through the night & I hope they had loads of fun. They were gone by 9am & then we hit the road shortly after that this morning on our quest for the perfect Christmas tree.

We headed off to a Christmas tree farm where you can cut down your own tree.

The kids were so excited.

McKenna & Liam lasted all of 10 minutes in the 20 degree cold weather & wind before they begged to be left in the truck. The rest of us headed off to explore the farm. Actually there were a lot of lovely trees yet we still weren't able to find "our" tree. But I got some great pictures. It was not just a tree farm after all. It was an actual working farm.

Liam enjoys the view of the goats.

Nolan terrorizes a loose chicken. Poor thing never saw Nolan coming!

McKenna likes the roosters. She thinks they're cool!

It was after the animals that McKenna & Liam had decided to give up the search in the cold.

Kier says this is "THE" tree.

Awww Daddy & Nolie lead the search!

And a couple pretty pictures out in the fields of the "Back 40"

I hate to say it but we just weren't satisfied with the trees at the farm. None of them said, "I'm your tree, pick me, pick me!"

Plus it was flippin cold out there!

So we headed back to the truck & M & L. After that we were running out of time. McKenna & I needed to get home so we could freshen up & change clothes we had a date tonight. On the way home we saw a roadside tree place & stopped, just in case & found our tree. Just waiting for us. We bought it & headed home.

CA got it into the house whilst us girls got fancy. Weeks ago CA had sent me an email, as he does from time to time, letting me know that the same theatre we saw Brian Reagan in, was going to be showing The Nutcracker Suite & asking if I wanted tickets. Which is just a really silly question. I LOVE the ballet & very badly wanted to take my Mikiboo! So we bought the tickets & told McKenna. She was really excited! So that is why we were getting all fancy.

One last picture for this post...

She had a great time & loved the ballet!

Her favorite was The Sugar Plum Fairy.

She has already drawn me a picture.

We arrived home to dinner, ala CA.

And a tree complete with lights & our Angel. We'll do the rest of the tree tomorrow after church.

I sit here & blog about another of our busy, fun weeks. Lots going on this next week. Of course this will hopefully keep us going through the long boring months of winter that I am sure are coming soon. We got some snow flurries a week ago but no measurable snow...yet. Just lots of cold.

Well my laptop's battery is about to go so I had better end this post for the evening. Hoping you are all getting your Christmas lists complete & enjoying the season for its real reason. We love you & miss you all so much.

Merry Christmas.

Trials into Blessings

2011-12-05T20:40:00.002-06:00

3 of the most amazing moments in my life centered around my children, taking those first steps down into the baptismal font. This last Saturday was one of the these 3 moments. McKenna who turned 8 & got her ears pierced passed another milestone. I am NOW the mother of 3 full fledged members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

She was beautiful & so tiny. She was very quiet & very shy through the entire baptism. She asked our good friends, from St. Louis, Kenny & Krista to be a part of her day. She asked if Krista would play the piano & she asked Kenny if he would give the talk about Baptism. Bless his heart he was terrified but he did such a great job explaining how baptism washes away your sins. She listened intently & when asked to help with his demonstrations she participated happily but whenever he asked her a direct question she barely spoke above a whisper.

Then she & CA took those steps down into the font. After the baptism he shook her hand, she looked disappointed. He asked her if she wanted a hug instead, mind you they were still in the font, she shook her head yes, beamed at him a full Mikiboo smile, & jumped up into his arms for a bear hug. It was so precious & sweet.

While we changed her clothes I had my laptop playing a movie that I made of McKenna, using pictures of her through the years.

She was freezing by the time I met her in the bathroom to change back into her dress so the 15 minute video above only got to run about 5 minutes because I changed her in record time. In fact we were back in the room with everyone before CA was back. Which means that CA changes clothes slower than an 8 year old girl. LOL Sorry I couldn't help myself.

Then it was time for my best friend from High School, Kim, or as my kids know her "Aunt Kimmie", to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. She did a great job & McKenna loves the new fleecy, super soft, super girlie, super pink, blanket that Aunt Kimmie gave her.

I gave the opening prayer & Kier gave the closing prayer & PD's brother Jeff & his family drove down from Green Bay for the baptism as well, Jeff was a witness & Brittany led the music. It was nice having family there to support McKenna's decision. So we are grateful to Jeff & Britt for the 4 hour drive down. Kim & her family drove 3 1/2 hours up from Normal Illinois & our friends Kenny & Krista cam up from St. Louis, a 6 hour drive. We also had the blessing of Kim & Madux, members of our A-T family that live in Whitewater WI, coming to the baptism & then to our house for dinner with all of us. We were reminded through this wonderful gathering how very loved we are & how very blessed.

Here are some of the pictures from McKenna's special day.

After the baptism we provided snacks, thanks to Sam's Club.

McKenna with her Uncle Jeff modeling her scriptures on her shoulder & her Faith in God booklet.

Aunt Brittany & CA serving up treats to our guests.

McKenna & her cousin Jaiden. These 2 girls have so much fun together.

McKenna & Kenny

Kenny & Krista & Mikiboo

Aunt Kimmie & Mikiboo

(from l to r) Amelia, Allison, Adelaide, McKenna & Jaiden

(from l to r) Lincoln, Skyler, Nolan, Allison, Amelia, Kier, Adelaide, McKenna, Jaiden, Liam, Adam & Avery.

The kids were all so cute! I just had to snap their pics. All the "A" named kids are Kim & Bryan's from Illinois. The rest are either jeff & Britt's kids or ours. :)

A wonderfully memorable day & the perfect way to end an awful week. To go from the very lowest point to the very highest possible. There were a few moments during this last week when I allowed myself to think that we should postpone the baptism, until I realized that was exactly what the adversary wanted. Just the impetus to get me to not postpone.

Tomorrow it will be one week since our Hershey passed. I still have moments when I want to cry. We all miss him very much. I didn't realize how much McKenna & Nolan were missing him till Saturday morning. I had finished helping the boys clean & organize their room & was helping McKenna do hers when I opened up her little Hello Kitty purse & found that she had written a couple of little letters to Hershey herself. Both letters are her handwriting but one was from Nolan & the other was frmo Mikiboo. I just about cried after reading them. So sad & sweet & honest & pure.

I had to take a picture & put the letter on the blog.

Nolan's Letter (translated):

"From Nolan to Hershey

I miss Hershey so much. I hope you will come back."

McKenna's Letter (translated):

"From McKenna to Hershey

I am crying inside. I miss you. You are a very special dog. wa! wa! wa!"

Then I found this little picture she drew in with the letters.

Even now my heart breaks knowing how much this affected even the smallest people in our house. They never said a word to us. I knew they were sad but I had no idea how sad. It will obviously be a while, this grieving process. Nikki, our other dog has also shown signs of depression, they were together since they were new puppies. She's starting to bounce back a little. But she didn't eat the first couple of days afterwards. I asked the vet she said that its typical for their eating to be off for a little while but that dogs have short term memories, which is a blessing, and that she won't remember or miss him for long.

So a week that started bad, went way south & was awful had a wonderfully bright ending. Filled with the spirit & love. Thank you to all of you who prayed for our family, sent words of condolence & came & supported our family & especially McKenna on her special day. Thank you so much. It means the world to us. We feel very blessed & very loved.

Now its time to gear up for Christmas & celebrate the birth of our Savior. Last night we were able to watch the last 20 minutes of the Christmas Devotional from the Conference Center. It was so beautiful. The music, the talks, & President Monson's reminder that rather than "spending" Christmas we should "Keep Christmas". Keep it in our hearts all year round, because Kepping Christmas is the same as Keeping Christ. What a simple & powerful thing to remember.

So from our family to yours....please remember to keep Christmas in your hearts always.

Hershey Kisses

2011-11-30T11:10:00.001-06:00

"In the whole history of the world there is but one thing that money can not buy... to wit the wag of a dog's tail" ~Josh Billings

This is one of my favorite quotes about dogs & I first saw it in my favorite movie about dogs. Which, to this day, remains my absolute favorite Disney movie of all time. "Lady & the Tramp".

Why is she writing quotes about dogs? You may be asking yourself this very question. After all we just finished Thanksgiving & Christmas is upon us. But I have a good reason.

This post...will be sad.

You have been warned.

************************

Sunday morning we woke up to one, or both, of the dogs having been sick all over the laundry room floor. This is not a regular occurence. It happens maybe once a year now...when they were puppies totally different story. Sicne CA was taking Kier to church, all the other kids were sick, I got the fun job of cleaning it up. Kieran would have the fun job of giving the dogs a bath after church, which he was not happy about as he had just given them a bath the day before. Poor kid.

We cleaned it & the dogs up & went about our usual Sunday routine. Monday morning, CA goes to work way early, I woke up to a txt from CA that said simply, "I am so sorry." I didn't understand what he meant till I got the 2nd text, "Don't have Kier let the dogs out." I knew. I knew when he said that they had done it again. I knew this meant that we would have to pick them up & put them outside as they had stepped all through the muck. So we got them outside & went about our day, including cleaning the laundry room again.

That night Kier had Tae Kwon Do. When we left both dogs, while still dirty, were happy, exuberant little dogs. Just trying desperately for us to love them & play with them. I took Kier to TKD & CA stayed with the "Littles". Kier enjoyed TKD as usual & I had managed to get our grocery shopping done across the street at Walmart. Then it was time to go home. I was less than a minute from pulling into our driveway after TKD when I received a phone call from CA telling me that, "You need to prepare yourself." After a few questions & answers I was told that Hershey, our 6 year old chocolate cocker/terrier, had somehow managed to get outside our fenced in backyard. CA had gone outside & was at first trying to figure out what was moving in the brush on the other side of the fence. He realized Hershey had gotten outside.

He opened the gate & called for Hershey to, "Come". Hershey didn't obey. This is not like Hershey. He's full of energy but he, almost, always listens perfectly. He just sat there. No tail wagging, no whimpering, no whining. Just looking back at CA. CA went & picked him up & noticed that his hind leg was just hanging there. He wasn't sure but he thought he must have been trying to get out & broke his leg. Poor Hershey. I needed to prepare myself & Kier for the possibility that Hershey might have caused serious damage to his leg.

I got home, Kier & I both were worried about our boy Hershey. This is an incredibly cute, sweet, scruffy, fluffy little bundle of energy & love. His favorite thing to do is to climb into your lap & just shove his face into your neck & smell & snuggle his humans. All of us have had the privilege to be properly snuggled by our Hershey Kisses. If you moan & whine & puppy cry he will sing along with you. He loves playing & running & went on one incredibly long hike, when we lived in AZ, with CA & Kier. 30 miles in the mountains. Stayed by CA & kept watch & warned whenever any predators were getting close. Full of as much energy at the end that he had at the beginning. Such an amazing dog & while he loves all of us, he LOVES Kier the very best!! He's the family dog but really he's Kier's dog. Even sleeping with Kier at night. Most of the time as close to Kier's face as could get.

We made it through the long night, Hershey was still in the same place he'd been the night before. Kier & I brought him in to the house using a laundry basket filled with towels & blankets. Still no movement & no wagging of his whip like tail that is ALWAYS in motion. I called Westosha Vet Hospital. I told them what we found & that he still was not standing or even trying to stand. They told me to get him in there asap.

I called CA & told him to come home & watch McKenna & Nolan as both had stayed home that day throwing up. Yes I woke up, after a lousy night of not sleeping because I was worried about Hershey, to find that Nolan had thrown up in the kitchen & McKenna was clinging to the toilet. Plus, Christmas is coming, Kier's 13th bday was the next day, McKenna's baptism is Saturday, we have family & friends coming into town & I needed to scrub this place down so no one caught any of whatever the heck it is we have! Needless to say CA could hear the panic & stress in my voice & as soon as he could he left & came home.

He helped me get Hershey to the truck & I left calling the vet to let them know I would be there soon & if they could please help me get Hershey out of the truck. We were admitted, shown into a room, where I immediately sunk to the floor next to the basket to calm our sweet Hershey because the whole thing was freaking him out, yet he still wasn't moving more than his front paws. They got our info, the Dr came in & examined him, she helped to make him as comfortable as possible while I laid on the floor next to him to snuggle & keep him calm. Then she gave him pain meds laced w/ a sedative.

Once the meds took effect, about 10 minutes later, they carried him on a stretcher to get an X-ray. The whole process took all of 20 minutes at most & the X-ray showed our sweet, beautiful, little Hershey had completely broken his back into 2 pieces. There was nothing that could be done, he would need to be put to sleep.

At this point I was staring at the Dr's laptop & the image of the X-ray in shock & utter disbelief & just kept repeating, "Oh My God!" I know we don't say that but I was totally & utterly unprepared to hear this kind of news! I was just flabbergasted & in shock & I immediately burst into huge sobs. My heart was breaking. I could not believe what I was seeing. I immediately thought of my kids & CA & I knew that my family would be traumtized by the news that we would have to put Hershey down. Especially Kieran. No kid wants to have to put their dog down but especially not the day before their 13th bday! The doctor asked if she could give me a hug & I just melted into a puddle & sobbed on her shoulder. I thank the Lord above for giving me such an empathetic & compassionate Dr.

I called CA & told him & made arrangements at the kids' school to pick up Kier as I knew he would never forgive me if he didn't get to say goodbye & be there when Hershey was put to sleep. I picked him up & then had to tell him his dog was very seriously injured & was in a lot of pain & that there was nothing they could do, that he would have to be put to sleep. Kier burst into tears. Much the same as I had when I saw the X-ray.

We walked into the hospital & told them we were there to say goodbye to Hershey, the receptionist led us back to a family room with a couch & a big mat on the floor which they covered with a homemade afghan, & then they brought us Hershey. We both laid down on the floor on each side of him & cuddled him & told him we loved him & thanked him for being such a great dog & friend. We cried a bunch more & just stayed with him.

Eventually, I had to tell Kier it was time to say the final goodbye. Which refreshed his sobbing. He cried out, "I don't want to say goodbye!" I cried & said, "I know sweetheart but eventually the pain meds & the sedative will wear off & then Hershey will be scared & in immense pain again. You don't want that do you?" He said he didn't want that. "Then we have to say goodbye, Kieran. For Hershey's sake, we have to say goodbye, sweetheart."

I walked to the door & told the nurse that we were ready to say goodbye. She quickly notified the Dr & technician. They shaved off a small section of fur on his hind leg & the Dr administered the injection. I asked how long it would take & was informed it goes fast, about 30 seconds. We laid down next to him, she placed a stethoscope on his chest & we told him again how much we loved him & that he would be missed. And within a few more seconds she said, very softly, "he's gone."

I made the arrangements for cremation & we hugged him one more time & gathered our things & his collar & we sadly & somberly left the hospital.

Now I want to share a beautiful poem & a few of the pictures & videos we have of Hershey over the last 6 beautiful years with him & once more express our love for this wonderful little dog. He provided our family with wonderful memories & lots of love. I know he is over the Rainbow Bridge awaiting our reunion...

"The Rainbow Bridge Poem"

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here,
that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all
of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is
plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.
Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they
each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly
stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager
body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over
the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet,
you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy
kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and
you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your
life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

We love you Hershey Kisses!!

These last 2 were taken yesterday as Kieran laid on the floor next to his very best friend & said goodbye one last time.

(These were taken before I called the nurse in & told her we were ready)

Hershey Sings

Thank you Hershey. Thank you so much. You are missed & loved so much!

Love your humans,

PD, Jess, Kier, Liam, McKenna & Nolan

No more blinking!

2011-11-23T20:37:00.001-06:00

Was that invite to McKenna's baptism a shock to anyone other than myself? I feel as though time is slipping way too fast to suit me, thank you very much. My friend Jenni in Surprise says it's because kids grow up in the "blink of an eye". If that's true maybe I should stop blinking? Okay maybe that isn't possible. I get that I may be thinking unrealistically. I'm not completely daffy. Just partially.

It seems impossible to me that I am the mother of a 13 year old, 10 year old, 8 year old & 5 year old. It seems impossible to me that I am the mother of 4 to begin with! It seems impossible that soon, 3 of my 4 will be baptized members of the church. It seems impossible to me that time has gone by so fast.

As usual our week has sped by....but this time it sped by with every single kid in the house getting sick one at a time. Nolan came home & had that strange fever for 3 days. Everytime the children's ibuprofen wore off he spiked again in the 102 - 103 range. Finally, the fever ended but with the end of the fever came the beginning of that cough that McKenna & I & then Kier had been blessed with as well. Kier managed to get rid of his cough quite quickly; however McKenna & I are still battling our cough. And now Nolan has joined ranks. He missed the rest of last week of school & church on Sunday, but he wasn't alone. Liam, not wanting to be left out, decided Sunday morning he wanted to throw up. Another bad A-T day.

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike A-T Vomit-itis? Well, I do. I dislike it so very much I'd almost say I hate it but I really don't like the word hate. Because I was giving my first Young Womens lesson to the Beehives I had to go to church which meant Captain Awesome got to stay home for the 2nd week in a row. The first being when McKenna was super sick the week before. He was not happy. But since he didn't have a lesson to give, he had to stay so I could teach/serve.

Monday Liam stayed home again because we was still weak from the day before. Nolan, who was still coughing most of the night, also stayed home. He was happy but he missed his classmates & teacher. On Friday we took a picture of him with my cell, while we played Toy Story Memory game. And I emailed it to his teacher, she put it up on the Promethean Board so his classmates could see him too. According to her, when she told everyone to say Hi to Nolan, & showed them the board, there were quite a few confused little kinder faces trying to decide if the picture was really Nolan or just his picture. All of them got excited & waved to the board & emphatically called out their "hellos". LOL Cute little Kinders!

By Tuesday morning Liam went back to school but Nolan was still stuck with me, by this time he was starting to enjoy being home with me & even came up to me & said, "I just love being at home." I said, "Ya do?" He said, "Yep. I just like being able to cuddle with my little mom." And then gave me cuddles & kisses on my cheek. Now how do I send that back to school next Monday & not burst into tears like I did the first day of school?!?! I have to admit having him home was nice, I missed his cuddles too, he's a world class cuddler!

BTW did I mention that Mon & Tues were early release days? Yessiree, the kids were finished by 1pm. Because it was parent teacher conferences both days. Our PTC's were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. I know that the teachers coordinate, so that I don't have meetings at the same time & I appreciate them working together, but I would ask just one more thing. Could you not schedule them back to back to back? Its really hard to go from 2nd grade (3:15 to 3:30) to kinder (3:30-3:45) & then to 5th grade (3:45-4) when none of the classes are right next door. Got my work out in that day! And was only on-time for the 2nd grade meeting.

I am happy to report that all of the kids are well liked & have adjusted really well to the new school. All of their teachers LOVE them. All were praised for good behavior & sweet spirits & for being smart. In fact, going over to the Jr High portion, which was set up with all the Jr high teachers in the gym at tables, when you noticed an opening you simply walked to their table, sat down & started talking about your kid, I noticed a theme. "Rave about Kier as much as possible!" They all adore him! They think he is super smart, incredibly kind, an amazing example to the kids & that he has had a tremendous influence, for good, over several of the boys in the 7th grade. More than one teacher expressed that they had, had parents come to them & praise Kier, for the change in their child. I know you're thinking ,"Wow!" Because that's what I was thinking too. Along with, "Are you sure you're talking about the same Kier as this Keir, my Kier? Kieran Cowand, right? Short w/ long 'Bieber' hair, hazel eyes & covered in freckles, right? This Kier here?" They assured me they were.

I hope you know I don't really think that lowly of Kier. I know he's a good kid, smart, respectful, polite, kind, responsible etc... Its just so weird having other people say such awesome things about him as well. I like it, don't get me wrong & I hope he continues to be such a sterling example to those around him. He's such a great kid in my eyes, that I am tickled pink other people see it too.

Wed, Thurs & Fri they have off this week, obviously because of Thanksgiving. Tuesday was McKenna's 8th birthday but because we still had school & the PTC's we didn't do much. By the time we arrived home from PTC's everyone was ready to drop. First meeting at 3:15 home by 5:45. yep took us almost 3 hours. Poor Liam, who still had not recovered his strength & energy from his bad A-T day actually had a melt down during his PTC. Poor baby. I felt so bad for him. He was exhausted.

Today we hit the grocery store to pick up the last of our Thanksgiving Feast ingredients & then home to tidy & straighten, while Kier went & hung out with a friend. Then it was off to DQ to pick up McKenna's last minute ice cream cake. Last minute because she couldn't make up her mind about what kind she wanted till just yesterday...by then it was too late to order a cake w Princesses, of course.

However, after the cake was picked up, & Kier from his friend's house, we headed over to Regency mall in Racine to get McKenna's ears pierced. I told McKenna a few years ago that she would have to wait until she was at least 8 years old to get her ears pierced. Because I wanted to give her the choice as to whether she even wanted earrings. Plus, because I just could not pierce her ears as a baby. Why? I don't know, maybe because I once worked at a "Claire's-esque" type of store in the mall & had to pierce the ears of lots of babies & always hated it or because I just don't agree with piercing a baby's ears to begin with, I don't know. Or maybe because I had to wait till I was 8 years old too. Only my subconcious knows the real reason behind my ear piercing rules. But it didn't matter because up until a couple of months ago she was adamantly against the entire idea.

Then we went shopping for new shirts for the school pictures. And we went to a store at the Pleasant Prairie Outlet Mall called, 'Justice'. Super, super cute girl clothes, hair, nails, make-up, accessories & this included earrings too. She loved all the cute earrings & asked if she could buy them. I told her she had to have her ears pierced. At which time she nearly floored me when she said, "Ok I want to get my ears pierced. Can I get them pierced today?" I was so excited, so floored, so bemused & befuddled that I almost said, "Yeah, let's get your ears pierced right now!" It was just as I was about to blurt this out that I remembered my 'gotta be 8 years old first' rule. Oops, nice job mom! LOL

But I did tell her that she only had to wait a couple more months. I thought for sure she'd waiver before her bday arrived & change her mind. But not once did she waiver. She has been looking forward to her bday for 2 reasons. Baptism & getting her ears pierced! In fact, CA asked her just the other day which one she wanted & she just looked at him like he was nuts! She wanted both & by golly she was going to get both!! There was no choosing between baptism & ear piercing for her. LOL But she did say Baptism first each time. hahahaha...

getting the purple dot on her ears for piercing...

the tiara is from her Snow White Costume from Halloween...

the actual piercing...

she did lose her smile afterward because it hurt...

but eventually the pain faded & lo & behold she found her smile again

When asked what she wanted for her bday dinner she chose pizza, not really a surprise, she'd eat that day & night, if she could. When asked if she wanted it homemade or at a restaurant she chose restaurant & which restaurant? Chuck E Cheese of course.

Each kid was given 25 tokens & after they each ate one slice of pizza they tore that place apart! LOL

She totally rocked the basketball game!! Major ticket winner on this game...played it several times!

Is that not the sweetest thing ya ever saw?

She played air hockey with Kier & had a total blast! He loved hanging out with his little sister!

Liam liked this frog game! He played it over & over & over!

Even CA got in on the fun!!!

Ever seen a grown man play virtual jump rope before?

Well now you've seen everything.

He doesn't know I recorded that btw...we'll see how long it stays on the blog.

LOL

Between the 4 kids they nabbed 214 tickets. I think they would have gotten more but Nolie kept choosing the rides not the games. LOL Then the boys all decided to give McKenna their tickets so she could get a prize, awww what sweethearts! ;) With her 214 tickets she picked out a lip gloss (big surprise), a plastic ring that was green with a big pink flower on it, a purple spinning top & Chuck E Cheese tattoos. Then it was time for ice cream cake & singing & then the 2 pooped parents called, "Uncle!" We loaded up kids in the van & headed home.

Kids are in bed, I have the last of my pies in the oven almost finished & I am pretty much ready for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Feast. What about you? Are you ready?

After Thanksgiving we have Kier's bday on Wednesday, he will officially be 13. Another big sigh here, obviously this 'not blinking' thing is easier said than done. Then on Sat Dec 3rd, you remember the invite right? It's time for McKenna to get baptized. I'm so excited for her. I'm so sad to see her grow up. I'm so happy to see her grow up. Yes, I know, that was contradictory. Deal with it! I'm having to, why shouldn't you?

Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Baptisms. Oh my!

So grateful for so many things. So blessed in so many things. Aren't enough words to show my thankfulness. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Surrounded by warmth, family, friends, good eats, love & laughter.

All our love,

The Cowands

Invitation to a baptism

2011-11-19T19:49:00.001-06:00

All the little stuff too

2011-11-15T18:35:00.001-06:00

I did the big post with all the big stuff going on around here but there were a few little fun things I wanted to post about too. Only I didn't have the time to with my last post.

As an example, my friend Angela in St Louis, sent me this great picture message & I had to post it on the blog. It makes me laugh, as I think about quite a few of my friends on FB & in the blogosphere, who have been daily mentioning the thing they are grateful for, as this is November, the month of Thanksgiving. I have quite a few things I am thankful for but I have to admit this is up there in the Top 5 Category of things I am grateful for. LOL

BTW she found it in Sears, of all places, in between the Cooking Section & the Home Decor section. I think I need to check out my local Sears & soon!

This is a picture of our backyard from last week. I LOVE FALL!!!!

I went out to my car to meet CA for that lunch we had last week & found these 3 lonely guys just relaxing on my windshield. I had to take a picture. They just made me happy & smiley!

Oh & here is this week's picture of Grizzly Adams. Its growing in thicker & thicker.

Funny Story:

He went to kiss me goodbye this morning & forgot about the "scratchies", as the kids call his beard. Only problem was he leaves at 5:30, when I am still sleeping. And it still would have been funny except that mornings when I have a cold, I typically spend 15 minutes in the bathroom coughing up a lung. Today I got to do that at 5:30. Fun. He felt so bad. He just simply forgot.

Rainy days are happy days for me. I love living where there is actual weather, as you all know. But it becomes more difficut living in weather when you have a child with a disability. Even more complicated when they drive around in an electric wheelchair. So we went out & bought this humongous umbrella. I just push a button & it pops up. He loves it! McKenna & Nolan are jealous they don't get one too. This just made me smile, so I took a picture.

Ahhh...yes, poor Tom Turkey.

For the last 8 years, every couple of years, one of my kids brings home Tom Turkey, who is desperately trying to avoid winding up on the Thanksgiving table at the farm. Its our job to help disguise him. This will be our last year disguising poor Tom. No more kindergarteners means no more Tom Turkey begging for help. I will miss Tom.

But it made me so happy to see Nolan so happy to bring a "snowman" to school. He was very happy to help Tom hide out. Let's hope this works for Tom.

So many cute & fun little moments happened over the last couple of weeks. I'm so glad I could share some of our simple, happy, moments with you.

As for today, I did manage to get all my shopping done. Made it back in time to put everything away & grab a quick bite of lunch & then it was off to Nolie's class to help the kids make turkeys. I noticed after I arrived that Nolan seemed rather quiet & calm, which for Nolan, even at school, is unusual. But I was so busy helping Mrs S that I ignored the voice in my head saying, "hmm what's up w/ Nolie?" About halfway through centers, I was helping him work his glue stick & I felt his cheek, it was warm. So I felt his forehead, it was even warmer. Uh-oh. I called the teacher over for a 2nd opinion. She agreed... he was warm. I decided we would finish off center time, about 15 minutes more, & then I'd take him to the nurse's office, & if he did have a fever I'd take him home. But when I went to leave, I felt his forehead again...even warmer. So, I gathered his things & simply took him with me, but I did stop at the nurses office & sure enough...103.8.

On the way out of school, he stopped every child & adult we walked past & told them he had a fever & was going home. While signing him out he stated, "Yeah mom I'm sick, I have a fever. Guess I'm gonna have to have orange juice, right?" Even when he's sick he cracks me up.

This leaves only Liam & CA as the healthy ones in this house. I have no idea how to quarantine Liam. All of the sickos were medicated & sent to bed at 7. Including Kier who had his first dose of Nyquil. He's finally old enough for adult medicine. I gave it to him at 6:20. By 7 pm he was wobbling & ready to pass out. I am going to go take my anti coughing medicine & hopefully we will all sleep through the night, but I have enough experience at this job to know it's not very likely that I or they will.

So instead of going to Young Womens or Scouts or Young Mens tonight we all stayed home. Had some Chicken Noodle Soup & played cards with a cheery fire blazing away. You might say it was idyllic & peaceful. Because it really was an idyllic, peace filled evening. I hope your evening was idyllic & peace filled.

Here & there

2011-11-08T08:51:00.000-06:00

Its been well over a week since Halloween & I have to apologize for not getting the pictures on the blog sooner, its been kind of crazy & I haven't had a whole lot of down time. So here are the kids in their costumes...

Something went funky on my camera only I was in too much of a hurry to notice it & the boy's pics came out blurry.

There you have it...that was Halloween.

Well okay it was crazed & rushed & insane, typical holiday for us. Anyone else feel like that during a holiday? Yeah, I thought so.

We ended up trick or treating around our neighborhood, instead of going, with friends, to a nearby area, simply because we were completely unprepared to go at the time we were all supposed to meet. It took us another 45 minutes to get ready to be able to trick or treat & when it was all over I was exhausted & sore from a day spent cleaning, organizing, rushing all over school, helping in Nolan's class & dropping off candy for 2 other kids parties. But it was so much fun to see my Nolan enjoying his first Halloween party/parade at school. My last kindergarten Halloween party makes me so sad.

But

I am learning to deal with it. Just gimme a minute would you?

And I'm back. ;)

Here are some pics from Nolan's school party....

Ain't he a cutie pie?!?! He had the time of his life & its all thanks to his teacher whom he adores!! I gotta say, I think she's really good with him too. A little extra cautious perhaps, but let's face it, with Nolan, he can use all the extra safety precautions he can get!

Come Tuesday night & we split the family in 2. I took Liam to scouts at church & CA took Kier & The Littles to Tae Kwon Do. Typically, Kier does TKD on Mon/Wed's, but because Halloween was on Mon, he was able to make up Mon in the Tuesday night class. Which worked out that week, & that week only, because we had the youth temple trip that Wed there was no YM/YWs on its usual Tuesday night. So we split up.

Wednesday night was Kier's first temple trip & my first time going to do Baptisms for the Dead as a leader, instead of a youth. I got to help hand out towels to the boys, as they climbed out of the font. And because CA went as well, he was able to help perform baptisms, including helping Kier when it was his turn. It was so wonderful to be there & share in Kieran's first Baptisms for the Dead trip/experience. Where were The Littles you ask"? Thankfully, a wonderful couple in our ward (Liam's scout leader & his wife in fact) were able to watch The Littles for us. We are so grateful they were willing to serve us so we could be there for Kier.

Proud mom & dad with a very handsome all grown up Kier.

Kier poses for the camera inside Bishop B's house... Can you say Ham?!?!

We had the great pleasure to drive to the temple with the Deacons! Seriously so entertaining!!!! These boys were a riot & cracked us up the whole way to the temple!!! Just awesome!!!

After the temple we stopped & got dinner at quite possibly the strangest place I have ever been to. You know how when you drive on the freeway you'll see the occasional walking bridge or you drive under an enclosed walking bridge to a building on the other side of the freeway? Well, it was kind of like that except it wasn't just for walking, it was filled with all the different fast food joints a mall food court has. And places to sit & eat including counters w/ stools lining the windows looking over the freeway. Its called "The Oasis" & the kids were so excited to go there! Basically, its a truck stop over the freeway. LOL

I had been planning 2 things all week long for Thursday night, something just for ME. First up, was my first book club meeting with the new ward. We were discussing, "The Help". It was such a good book. I had a lot of fun with my fellow book lovers. We laughed & discussed, ate cupcakes & discussed, drank hot apple cider & discussed & laughed some more. Thanks to Carrie for being such an incredible hostess!! I am looking forward to January's meeting where we will be discussing a classic, & one of my favorites, & oh so perfect for the season.... "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Such a great book & a perennial favorite of mine.

The 2nd thing I was looking forward to was the Bones season premiere. Which also included me watching on the DVR while Shannen, who was on the phone with me, back in Surprise, was watching it live. It lived up to my expectations! Both the show & discussing & all the "ooh-ing" & "ahh-ing" & "Oh that's just not right!" with Shannen. Right Shannen???

Friday night CA & I enjoyed a "date night" & Kieran babysat The Littles for us while we went down to Waukegan, Illinois to the Genessee Theatre to see Brian Regan Live! It was so good!! We LOVE Brian Regan!! Hysterical!! I laughed so hard my stomach muscles hurt & my cheeks were sore! Seriously so awesome! If you get the chance to see him, take it!!!

Saturday CA spent the day picking up a cord of fire wood for our long upcoming winter here in Wisconsin. And he had to work Saturday night, from home, so we did not attend the Adult session of Stake Conference, but we did drag ourselves & the kids out of bed Sunday morning for the general Stake Conference.

Pic #1 is the bulk of the wood. Pic #2 is the rest that didn't fit easily with the bulk...so we stacked it on the porch next to the back door for easy reach. As you can see the 2nd pile is stacked somewhat lackadaisically....Kier stacked that pile, un-supervised I might add. LOL He's definitely a 12 yr old boy.

Because our current Stake presidency was being released, we had 2 General Authorities attending & presiding over Stake Conference. Elder Walker of the Seventy & Elder Smith, also of the Seventy. We learned to our dismay that our very own Bishop B had been called to be the new Stake President! He will make a great Stake President but we will miss having him as our Bishop. He has such a great sense of humor, which makes for a great Bishop & I imagine a great Stake President as well. ;)

Congratulations President Bishop B. hehehehe...he hasn't been released as Bishop yet because they haven't found a new Bishop to replace him so, for right now, (probably a nother week) he'll be President Bishop.

Sunday at 2 I had my first meeting with the Young Womens Presidency to go over everything we had in store for us & to get all our ducks in a row. I am really excited to be serving with the amazing women in this group. They are fun & spiritual & organized & so kind. I definitely see why the Lord gave me this calling. I needed this!

This last week was calmer, thank goodness but still busy. More TKD, more scouts & my first time attending Mutual night. McKenna went with me to YWs & Nolan went with CA & Kier to YMs. At the end of the night in the van, Nolan looked at me & asked, "Mom where did you & Kenna go?" I told him we went to YWs & got to see a fashion show, featuring modest clothes & hear a talk about the importance of dressing modestly & then we got to have cake. He said, "Oh Man! I want to be a 'gale'! (his way of saying girl) And go to a 'Woman Thing'!" We all about died laughing in the car on the way home.

I did manage to catch lunch with my CA at the Subway in Kenosha on Wednesday morning. It was so nice to meet up & see my sweetheart in the middle of the day. He even finally agreed to let me take a picture of his scruffy "Grizzly Adams" look. November is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, to raise awareness, they started a movement a few years ago, all men that participate must go the entire month of November without shaving beard/mustache. So this pic is on my cell phone one week into the month.

After that, the week slowed down & then Thursday night my throat was starting to hurt again & I was coughing & getting all stuffy & while doing homework McKenna was getting upset & when I asked her what was wrong, she said her throat hurt really bad. Yes, once again we were getting sick. She stayed home Friday from school & we spent the day sleeping & watching TV in between croupy coughing bouts. Our date night & tickets, for Friday night, to see Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood, again at the Genessee, went to the wonderful couple who had babysat The Littles while we did the temple w/ Kier & the Young Women & Men.

I spent Sat supervising Kier, who is learning to do laundry, & coughing. McKenna spent the day in bed or on couch. Sunday CA stayed home with her & I took the boys to church. We came home to roast chicken, potatoes & salad, yummy! Thank you sweeetheart. I played Skip Bo with Kier & then that evening I headed back to church to help set up the Relief Society room for Young Women in Excellence. It was so great! The girls were amazing & it was such a spiritual night. Even though, during a most beautiful & moving song, the music on the piano, behind us, fell off & Raylene & I had to practically climb over the piano to help capture it & help the pianist (one of the young women btw) find her place again. I cannot say how grateful I am to have this awesome calling!!

McKenna stayed home again yesterday but she had to go to school today...I have a lot going on today & she needed to go back to school. I am off to grocery shop & then volunteer in Nolie's class. This evening more YWs. Kier woke up this morning coughing & stuffy too. We'll see if he makes it thru the day or if McKenna does for that matter. I hated to send them when they still aren't feeling good but I have too many things to do & neither has run a fever yet. Better make sure my ringer is on while out, just in case the school nurse calls.

Off to get my errands on people. Have a great day!!

Bits o' this & that

2011-10-30T18:02:00.000-05:00

Friday night was the Kenosha 1st Ward/Spanish Branch's Trunk-r-Treat/Chili Cook-off. The kids also had the day off from school. So I spent Friday morning getting the kids their costumes & then heading over to the store for the supplies needed for our Chili entry & the fixin's that I had signed up to bring.

Once home I had just enough time to tidy up the house, start the chili in the crockpot, & get everyone ready to head over to the church. Yikes! It was close!

Unfortunately because it was rather rushed trying to get out the door I forgot to bring my camera! Which made me so sad. But I did have CA snap one picture of us with my iPhone.

I went as Flo from the Progressive Insurance commercials. I had wanted to do her last year but I was so sick all thru Oct. Well I was sick this year as well but not nearly as bad as last year. Kier went as "Death" he's off to the right w/ his face covered. Liam is a vampire. His very first scary Halloween costume. McKenna went as what else, a princess. LOL She was a beautiful Snow White. & Nolan reprised his Woody/Bullseye costume from last year. Which is great because I don't see him fitiing it next year. Which makes me sad.

I promise to try & capture better pictures tomorrow for you grandmas & grandpas & aunts & uncles.

Sadly none of us won an award for costume or for the chili cook off. Oh well, there is always next year!

Today was big changes in our ward day!

All of the Young Women's Presidency & all of the Primary Presidency were released & recalled to different callings along with a lot of other releases & callings.

Last week if you remember I told you CA & I had received callings finally, but that we couldn't say anything until we had been sustained & set apart. I can now reveal our callings.

CA is the assistant Scout Master in the Young Men's & I have been called as the 2nd Counselor in the Young Women's Presidency.

I told you CA was perfect for his calling. Although he never expresses excitement like I do I know he is very happy with his new calling.

As for me?

I am so incredibly excited for this new calling! I have spent so much of my life, since I left Young Women's, serving in the Primary. With that said, I am also very nervous at the amount of work this calling will require of me. I pray I am up to the responsibility & chaos of serving in the Young Women's Presidency.

We are kind of getting a baptism by fire kind of thing, as they have called us to Young Womens 3 days before the Youth Temple Trip & 2 weeks before the Young Women in Excellence Program. Yikes!!

But I am sure we will be fine.

So this Wednesday is the Youth Temple Trip, which also coincides with Kier's 1st ever trip to the temple & it will be a first time for all of us at the Chicago Temple! We are trying to find a babysitter for Wednesday night for Liam & the littles, keep your fingers crossed for us, as I really want to be able to share in my 1st born's 1st trip to the temple for Baptisms for the Dead. What an amazing thing to share with him. But if we can't then I will stay home & CA will take him.

So tomorrow are the Halloween Parties for the kids at school, tomorrow night is Trick or Treating time, we have plans to head over to Twin Lakes with our friends the Tadlocks. Tuesday night Kier will go to TKD on a different night, while Liam heads over to Cub Scouts at church, Wednesday is Kier's big night at the temple, Thursday night Bones season premiere for mommy & Friday night CA & I are going to see Brian Reagan in Illinois. So excited! What a busy week! Hope you all have a fabulous & safe Halloween tomorrow & a great week!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Nolan's First FIeld Trip

2011-10-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

There are lots of wonderful 'firsts' in a person's life. First step, first word, first tooth, first day of school, etc... This last week our Nolan, age 5, had his very first field trip. Which included another first for our Nolan. His first time on a school bus. Honestly, I cannot tell you which 'first' he was more excited about. hehehe... In his defense both of those 'firsts' are pretty cool. I would have a hard time choosing between the two as well.

For the kindergarten field trip, the kids got to board the big yellow school bus, driven by one of Nolan's classmates' mom, and head over to Green Meadows Petting Farm. Its a really neat little farm, the kids got to see sheep, goats, pigs (3 different kinds) from small to pot belly to 600 lbs! They saw cows, horses, donkeys, turkeys & peacocks. They got to hold kittens & see 6 wk old calves & learn how to milk a cow. They even got to chase down & then pick up & hold, for as long as they could, chickens! That was awesome, watching all those little legs chasing down feathery friends! I laughed so hard! Although I doubt the chickens thought it nearly as funny as I did. They enjoyed a hayride to the back 40 where they each got to pick their own pumpkin! All with our own personal farmer guide, named Janet. The animals were gorgeous & most of them we got to touch, brush &/or hold.

I was in charge of Nolan & 2 other little boys, J & T, the boys were so good, especially considering they are all only 5 years old! BTW this was my first time going on a field trip in cold weather. It was in the low 50s here but it was windy making it feel like it was in the 40s. Plus the clouds were moving rapidly by so I was constantly taking off & putting back on my sunglasses...I was not the only one either. Which just made me smile to see so many other moms & dads frustrated by their sunglasses. And it only rained a little here & there. So it was a perfect day to walk about in all that fresh air enjoying nature in all its forms! An absolutely awesome time!!

So without further ado here is the day in picture form:

lining up to get on the bus

Getting on the bus, he was talking a mile a minute to the driver, about how this was his first time on the bus & the first time he was going on a field trip, & he couldn't hear me saying, "Nolan look at mom!"

Nolan & J excited to be off!

self explanatory

Tom Turkey

"the feathers are soft mom, but his head is yucky!"

Belle the donkey, she was very sweet especially considering she is expecting & due next June.

He loved Belle.

Piggies

He didn't like how pokey their hair was.

This cow gives 1 gallon of milk a day.

Meanwhile Bingo here, gives 12 gallons of milk a day!

They look so little next to Bingo.

BTW Bingo was behind the fence because Bingo is very pregnant & a little grouchy with it, or it was explained to us. :0)

Learning how to milk a cow. Yes that is a fake cow. The udders squirted water, not milk.

Now that they learned how to manually milk a cow its time to learn how the farmers milk their many cows regularly. This is Janet, our farm guide.

I love how they are all staring at the mini milking machine.

Now they get to see a Texas Longhorn & below they are learning why they keep the long horned steers behind a tall fence.

See how they have their hands up in the air? Janet had them do this & then turn their bodies with their arms still up to demonstrate how wide the horns are & thats why they keep them behind the tall fence so no one accidentally gets hurt by those big horns that are hard to keep track of &/or control.

Then it was time for ...

LUNCH BREAK!

The kids loved being able to eat outside at the picnic tables.

After opening every single item the moms packed for every single kid at the table it made me wonder....

When my kids arrive for lunch how many times do they walk up to someone in the lunch room & ask for help opening the items I packed in their lunches? ;)

Which of course has me thinking...buy easier to open items in future.

Which included some fun cuddle time, thanks to the wind & chilliness in the air.

Once we finished ~~cuddletime~~ lunch it was time to head to the coral for Pony Rides...

This is what 7th Heaven for a 5 yr old looks like.

J, Nolan & T on board for the hay ride out to the back 40 & pumpkin picking.

What a great day for picking a pumpkin.

But don't let me just tell you all about it, how about I show you how beautiful it was out there.

We even stopped to check out this guy...

One more beautiful picture as we head back to the farm.

Before we knew it we were chasing chickens,

checking out goats & then it was time to visit Patty.

Isn't she gorgeous?!?! All 600 lbs of her!

After Patty we checked out some more birds...

Guinea Fowl

Before we headed on we stopped to try & grab some silly face pictures...Always a must on any trip. Don't you agree?

Ahhh that's better.

Now for some more animals...

How about 6 wk old calves?

Or how about Wilbur the Pot Belly Pig?

And then it was time to see & hold kittens!!!

Nolan loved the kittens!!!

It was a great day!

We had so much fun!!

Nolan was so cute as he ran from animal pen to animal pen & on some more.

I could not contain how happy I was to see this little boy smiling form ear to ear all day long!!

On the bus ride home 6 kindergarteners fell asleep. So precious!

How they fell asleep on that Bouncing, Bumpy ride I will never know but my Nolan was awake & talking all the way back to school!!

What a great first field trip!

I am so incredibly blessed to be able to attend this first field trip with my last baby.

I hope you enjoyed the trip with us as much as we did.

Our Neck of the Woods

2011-10-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

Oh my, its been a while since I last posted & I promised I would do better didn't I? Well, what can I say except its been a busy couple of weeks. Which included this sarcastic loving mommy being sick. Yes, again. This time I blame it on the flu shot. The Saturday before last, whilst grocery shopping at the Walmart in Lake Geneva, I stopped & did the responsible thing & got my flu shot. I have to get the shot, in fact this whole family has to get the shot. The mist form of the flu vaccine is a "live" version, which means Liam could actually catch the flu from it, just another perk of A-T. So I did the responsible thing...2 days later I started feeling run down & tired & sore. By Friday I was full on sick. Body aches & pains, mild fevers, incredibly sore throat etc... This meant that CA had the fun job of taking care of all the kids, the house, the laundry & having to work from home all weekend long, while I laid in bed, wondering what kind of Karma I had sent out into the world to get sick as often as I do. :)

He did a beautiful job. Ok so the house was a mess, still is, to be quite honest, but that's on me, not him. But he got the "littles" to church on Saturday morning for the Primary Program Practice. In fact, he even recorded one little section of the practice. Nolan's part to be specific. Yes, we know we aren't supposed to record in the chapel but it was just the practice & he only recorded Nolan's part. I had, had a sneak preview of Nolan's part, during the practice the kids had during church the previous Sunday, (before I got sick) so I asked him to record it for me.

Here it is:

Here's a transcript of his part just in case you couldn't understand what he said:

"I know Jesus loves me, cuz he teaches me to do good stuff. I pray to be a race car driver, when I grow up. And I think he say yes."

Now I ask ya, is that not the cutest thing ever?!?! Ok maybe I am a little biased. BTW I should tell you if Jesus does in fact say, "yes." We (the Savior & I) will be having a talk! Because I am so against my child being a race car driver! LOL

However, on Sunday I did get up & get dressed for church, CA just looked at me like I was crazy. I was NOT missing the Primary Program! I told him we'd take 2 cars & after the program ended I would come home while he & the kids stayed for Sunday School etc..., to finish the block. People came & spoke to me & wanted to shake hands but I politely covered my face & explained I was sick & not to touch me! Well, ok the truth is that actually I'm like that even when I'm healthy, I'm that anti-social. LOL I kid! He ended up coming home too, so the 2nd car was a waste of gas, because he had been working so hard all weekend pulling double duty as dad & mom & because he'd been up late working from home Sat night into Sun morning, that he was exhausted!

We were so proud of our kids! They all did such a great job. Nolan was by far the most entertaining kid in the program with his part, again I may be biased here. Lots of chuckles from the audience...CA's response was, "I'm so proud." (sarcastically said of course) Liam was his usual slow, soft spoken self, when it came time for his part. That kid can make anyone all wishy washy when he talks about the Gospel & what he believes. McKenna, our usually painfully shy child, who fights us every step of the way, when it comes to the program, actually stepped right up to the podium, top step of the step stool, & READ her part perfectly! In front of everyone! We were shocked, proud, & amazed all at once! Never in my life have I ever had to seriously control myself more than that moment when my daughter, who hates reading in front of people, read out loud during church, in front of the entire congregation! I wanted to jump out of my seat & yell, "THAT'S MY BABY!!!" & "YOU GO KENNA!!!"

You have to understand, her shyness in large groups is seriously hindering her learning. To the point where I have conversations with her teacher, to the point where they put her in a special reading class & now I have special conversations, with both her teacher & her reading teacher, because she is so afraid to read out loud, that her reading is way behind. She's so afraid of making mistakes she just sits there, in her Ghandi way of peaceful rebellion. She even met with the school counselor in her old school in St Louis, because they wanted to make sure she was ok. I would explain she isn't like that at home. She talks a mile a minute! She only gets that way in front of large groups & strangers. I think they were seriously trying to determine if we were mentally abusing her in some way. But after just one session with the counselor, they determined she was fine, just shy in large groups. Apparently, once the counselor spent time with her, one on one, she started talking a mile a minute, about everything under the sun!

So her reading aloud during the program was such an amazing feat for her shy little self you can understand my desire to scream out loud right afterwards, "HALLELUJAH!!" I was so proud of her I cried! I just love Primary Program Sunday. Other than the 2 Conference weekends, Primary Program Sunday is my favorite Sunday of the year!

So, I'm still battling my cold. My throat is better, but my head is still congested. In fact, on Monday I noticed that if I spent too much time in an upright position or when I was bending & picking up toys etc... that I would get really really dizzy. So I'd have to lay down. By Tuesday the dizzies, as I call them, were mostly gone. Today, I am still congested, sinus headaches rock! But I am doing considerably better. Tomorrow is Nolans very first ever Field Trip. They are taking the kids to a farm. I get to go & chaperone. I am so excited. Gotta get the camera batteries all charged. So I'll have more to post next time.

Tonight Kier has a Youth Halloween Party to attend at church & Friday night is the ward Trunk -r- Treat/Chilli Cook off. I am so excited!! Halloween is almost here!

OH & I almost forgot! CA & I finally have callings! Of course we can't say what they are yet because we haven't been asked to stand during sacrament meeting & have everyone sustain the callings. Once they do that I can tell you what our callings are...some of you, the far away ones, already know. All I can say to you is....shhhhhhhhhh...till I give the all clear. ;) I can tell you CA's calling is perfect for him & my calling is a brand new one, to me. And I'm really excited about it but really nervous too!!

Well that's 'what's happening in our neck of the woods'. (Gotta love Al Roker) What's been happening in yours?

Saturday Adventures

2011-10-08T23:17:00.002-05:00

While this post is meant for all to enjoy, I am sure that the grandparents will enjoy it the most.

This morning, we all got up early, ate, dressed (yes, it IS a Saturday & we should have slept in) & headed off to Kier's Tae Kwon Do School. Today he had an exhibition & color advance. He has officially been in Tae Kwon Do for 6 weeks. This was his first color advance. He went from white belt to Gold.

The Belts

Warming up

Master Van Patten is at the table & Kier & other students for advancement.

Kier breaking a board with his foot.

Holding the board he broke with his foot.

Modeling his new Gold Belt

Master Van Patten & Kier

Two very proud parents & one Gold Belted Tae Kwon Do student

After Tae Kwon Do Kier changed & we went for a nice long drive through the countryside & enjoyed the fall colors on our way to Hafs Road Orchard where we were able to get some fun family fall pictures, pick out pumpkins & purchase some yummy apples. Its a great little orchard & it was almost empty because its not a pick it yourself apple orchard. We had the run of the place & had a lot of fun!

So here are some more pics, mostly for the grandparents, but feel free to enjoy!

And that is our day at the orchard.

After this we headed towards home, stopping on the way for some DQ. Once home, there was laundry & nail painting...because as we all know they go hand in hand.

I took my usually bright red toe nails...

And with the kids advice & opinions made my toes black & my finger nails orange.

How very Halloween of me.

So laundry is done.

Kids are in bed.

Captain Awesome is falling asleep next to me & wishing I would turn off my laptop.

Time for me to hit the shower & prepare for a beautiful Sabbath.

This weekend we have enjoyed warmer than normal weather. Its been bright & shiny & warm. Ahhh love those Indian Summers. With the news saying this will probably be our last sunny, warm weekend for a long time we are now discussing whether to get a cord or 1/2 a cord of wood. When the best time will be to purchase snow pants & boots for the kids & whether or not we want to purchase a snow blower. BTW the answer to that last question is, I believe....well DUH!!

Sleep well dear readers or if you are reading this during the day...then enjoy this beautiful Sunday.

All my love,

Jess

31 Favored Halloween Movies

2011-10-06T15:12:00.002-05:00

Did you know that I adore scary movies?

I am terrified of them but I love them!

I get chills, and a rapid heartbeat, the hair on the back of my neck stands up on end, & my breathing gets shallow & speeds up. I get antsy & figdety & I desperately want to close my eyes &/or turn the channel or pause the movie.

Even with all of that I still love watching them! All I can think is that I love the thrill of fear. As a teenager I watched all of them, even the R rated ones. Once I started having kids I decided that R rated scary movies would no longer be in my viewing list. Although, I did find a loophole...if they are aired on regular TV, ie basic cable or network tv, then they would be edited down to PG-13. Which made them ok. (love the loophole)

For the most part I am scared while watching them but once its over the fear fades quickly & I hardly ever carry unease with me. Of course, I also learned to watch them during the day so that by the time bedtime comes along I no longer have the movie on my mind, as the minutiae of everyday mom-ness pushes everything out of my mind, as I drop exhausted into bed. (I think that's another loophole)

It is now October. My favorite month of the year! Don't get me wrong I love Christmas & Easter too. But Halloween is MY holiday. I LIVE for the scare, for the fall, for the whole spooky extravaganza. In typical October tradition for me is to try to get as much scary into the month as possible. In fact, as I write this I am watching, on AMC, The Exoricism of Emily Rose.

Recently, one of my most favored friends, sent me to one of her friend's blogs to scope out the list of Halloween movies her friend had made, in her attempt to watch one Halloween movie a day for the month of October, leading up to Halloween. I LOVED this idea & I loved her list of movies. Old & new, funny, creepy, scary &/or animated. All excellent movies & all of which I have seen, some many, many times over. So I decided to come up with my own list of favored Halloween-esque movies to enjoy. Now unlike my friend's friend I probably won't get the chance to watch them all but here is my list.

1.) Poltergeist (the 1st horror film that didn't give me nightmares while still scaring the begeebies out of me)
2.) Salem's Lot
3.) The Changeling
4.) Wait Until Dark
5.) The Watcher in the Woods (saw this when I was 10 & it seriously freaked me out, even though its a Disney flick, it really terrified me, to be honest its still one of the creepier ones on here, IMHO)
6.) Rear Window
7.) Psycho
8.) The Sixth Sense
9.) Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
10.) House on Haunted Hill
11.) Arsenic & Old Lace
12.) Charade
13.) Rebecca
14.) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
15.) Gaslight
16.) Shadow of a Doubt
17.) The Uninvited
18.) What Lies Beneath
19.) Suspicion
20.) Mary Reilly
21.) Something Wicked This Way Comes
22.) The Nightmare Before Christmas
23.) The Ghost & Mr Chicken
24.) Ghostbusters
25.) The Ring
26.) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (animated-Disney)
27.) Sleepy Hollow
28.) Monster House
29.) The Spiral Staircase
30.) The Haunting

and last but not least ...

31.) Dracula (w/ Bela Lugosi)

Now most of my list are old B&W classics. I tend to prefer those over the more graphic, bloody movies. And you'll notice most of my favorites are the haunting stories not the thrillers or the slasher films. There are also several that are Rated R. I wish I could say that I only saw them on TV but like I said I watched a lot of Rated R movies as a kid. Now they aren't in any particular order just the ones that I have seen a myriad of times because I loved them the most. There are hundreds more that I wanted to put on here but I could only do 31 in keeping with the theme of the post & the month.

You'll also notice there are quite a few Alfred Hitchcock, that's because I LOVE Hitchcock! You may also be thinking that more of these are R than actually are because several have been remade in recent years, into R rated movies w/ extra gore & sex, which is so lame as they were perfect just the way they were! BTW I am adamantly ANTI-Remake of great classic films! If it isn't broke don't fix it! Like anyone today can remake a classic film into something better than the original! Morons! Narcissitic Morons! Stupid LA LA Land!! All links are to the original movies found on the IMDB.

So there you have it. My favorite 31 scary Halloween movies. Feel free to check out some of those links for yourself & maybe you'll find not all scary movies are bad. And above all, enjoy this beautiful month & celebrate Halloween safely w/ your family & friends.

Happy Halloween everyone!

PS
If you don't see a favorite of yours please leave a comment on here with the name of the movie & the link so we can check it out. I love hearing rec's for more scary movies. Share your favorites with us all!!

Monday Mornings

2011-10-03T11:36:00.002-05:00

Monday mornings:
wake up to cell phone alarm @ 6!
wake up kids at 6:15 to 6:30 (this is a 15 minute process)
send kids down to get themselves cereal (this mama does not do breakfast)
fight Kier & CA for the bathroom
get dressed in work out clothes
brush teeth
brush hair into ponytail
go downstairs & yell at remaining kids playing at table (or the ones that have sneaked into the playroom) to GET DRESSED FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY!!!!
clean up breakfast from littles & Kier
Make Liam breakfast (he likes to dress & then eat)
remind littles to finish getting dressed
remind littles to brush their teeth
ask Kier to take out garbage
start process of making lunches
ask Kier to help Liam brush his teeth
clean up Liam's breakfast
go thru backpacks one more time to make sure everything has been viewed, signed & or completed.
ask littles to once again finish getting dressed!
tell Nolan if he comes downstairs without socks on one more time you are going to glue his socks onto his feet!!
*sighing* get kiss from McKenna who is stalling getting dressed by asking for said "Kiss" in her sweet Mikiboo voice. Once she kisses, explain to her that her breath has just singed your eyebrows & ask her to please go brush her teeth.
Get hug from Nolan "because I love mom the most" which translates into I can't find my one shoe can you help me find it? And even more importantly if McKenna gets attention I want attention too!
7:45 bus for Liam will be here in 15 minutes & Nolan still has no shoes or socks on & McKenna still has not brushed her hair because she just remembered she was supposed to work on her "Star Student of the Week" poster that is due today because she IS the Star Student of THIS week.
Kier is reading his book. Garbage still full. Ask Kier to take out the garbage again. Nolan, meanwhile, is spinning in a circle, in the middle of the kitchen, next to the open pantry door, yelling, "Mom, look how fast I can turn! I'm awesome right mom?!?!"
Mom: "Yes Nolan, but you still do not have both shoes on, can you please stop spinning & ..." crash/bang/cry/tears! Mom continues w/ no sympathy in her voice, "I asked you to stop spinning! No, I don't feel sorry for you! Go finish putting your shoes & socks on." tears/crying... "I have an owie on my head!" "Ok if I kiss your owie will you please go put your shoes on?!?!" "uh-huh" Mom kisses said, 'owie'. All smiles & happiness now...Get that kid an Oscar!

Look around & McKenna (it is now 7:55) is still decorating her poster & her hair has still not been brushed. Me: "McKenna if you uncap that marker & start coloring one more cm of that poster I will lose it!!! Go get the stuff to get your hair done! NOW!!!" She sighs puts down the marker & goes upstairs to retrieve hair products. As she goes up the stairs though, she makes sure mom is aware she is annoyed, by stomping on every step as she goes.

I roll my eyes & say, under my breath of course, "Pick your battles Jess. Pick. Your. Battles.

It is now 8:05. Every kid is dressed from head to foot, every kid has brushed their teeth, lunches are made, backpacks loaded...here is where the insanity really begins. Especially living somewhere that is already chilly in the mornings. That's right its time to find our jackets! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!

8:15 (yes 10 MINUTES LATER) everyone has their jacket on. Except Kier because even though he is still getting over walking pneumonia he is way too cool to wear a jacket.

Mom: "Kier. Where is your jacket?"
K: "It isn't that cold out."
Mom: "Kieran. I guess I didn't make myself clear with my silly question. Find your jacket now & put it on, now!"
K: sighs, rolls his eyes & goes back into the house & comes back out with his hoodie. "That better?"
Mom: "yes, thank you...." just staring at him.
K: putting his jacket INSIDE his backpack while I am staring at him! looks up at me as he is zipping his backpack closed. "What?!?!"
Mom: "Seriously?!?! You can't figure out why I am staring at you right now???"
K: "What?!?!"
Mom: (thru gritted teeth) "Take your jacket out of your backpack & place it on your body before I suffer a stroke!"
K: "Don't be so melodramatic mom." Sighs "Fine." removes hoodie from backpack, closes backpack & puts on hoodie. "Better?"
Mom: "Yes. Thank you."

Hugs all around! Wish for 'good day's' at school. Watch as they round the corner, wave my goodbyes one more time & blow my kisses one more time.

Head into the house, look around at the mess that the weekend has left for me to clean...it IS Monday afterall & think to myself... "SIGH I am too tired to clean all of this now. I feel like I just ran a marathon. Is it too early for me to go back to bed & get a nap in???"

I found this on FB & had to add it. Rather appropo I think. :)

Todays Moral Revolution

2011-10-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Liam's Giving Circle

2011-09-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,
This is to let you know that we have joined, along with many other wonderful A-T Families, the A-T Children's Projects ongoing efforts to raise money & awareness for children, like Liam, that suffer from Ataxia Telangiectasia, (A-T).

How did we do this you ask?

Its so simple really, we started a Giving Circle, on the A-T Children's Project website, for Liam. With the Holiday season almost upon us we are sending out invitations & requests to all we know. We are asking that instead of sending us a Christmas card or a gift, that instead you go to Liam's Giving Circle & sign up to donate to the never ending quest for a cure. For as little as $10.00 a month or more, you can donate to the A-T Children's Project in honor of Liam & help us to fund a cure for the relentless battle Liam faces everyday. A-T is relentlessly ravaging the bodies of our precious children. The A-T Children's Project is working hard to find a drug that will slow the cells from dying in our kids' brains. This will help them be able to walk, talk, eat, and many other things for much longer. And, they fund the A-T Clinical Center at Johns Hopkins, where there are now experts, who help kids with A-T. These important projects only happen because of the funding from friends & families of kids with A-T.

Right now you might be asking yourself: What do I get out of this?

Well you would be listed on our Giving Circle Webpage, you would receive special updates, a yearly tax receipt & of course the satisfaction of knowing that your donations are hard at work, helping to save the lives of the almost 500 kids, across America, battling this dreaded disease.

Please check it out. Please sign up to be a regular donor today. Please spread the word of Liam's Giving Circle. Which will in turn spread awareness of A-T itself. We have a better chance of fighting this disease out in the open, but only if we all work together.

I want to thank you personally for taking the time & money to help save Liam's life.

All our love,
The Cowand Family

A-T Children's Project

Growing up is different than growing older

2011-09-23T10:56:00.003-05:00

Being the youngest in a large family or even a small one, has its bonuses, I won't try to pretend otherwise. However, it also has its drawbacks. One of those is that, as the baby of a family, your siblings, & sometimes even your parents, have a hard time listening to you, taking your advice or accepting the fact that you just might know what is the best path for you, on even the simplest of decisions. They will always see you as the baby of the family & therefore not as an equal, especially when you are young. Now this does not apply to all families or all youngest kids. There are exceptions to every rule after all.

Unfortunately, this has been my case. So when I was in my teens I eagerly anticipated reaching an age where the 'people' in my life started taking me seriously.  To stop patting me on the head &, whether thinking it or, saying, "Oh Jessie you just don't understand..." Which translates into smiling at me & saying, "You're so pretty."

Once I reached my 20s & even though I was married & living quite a distance from my family, I couldn't help but notice that things were much the same way they had been when I was still in HS & still living w/ my parents. Then I had my first child & moved closer to some & further from others & the pattern continued as it always had. Another child? Same pattern, etc...

I am now 36 years old & while I have noticed in the last few years that some of my family listens slightly better, the majority is still the same at it was 16 years ago.  I am now at an age &, have been through enough trials, that some of my family actually believes I might have something to contribute to serious conversations. What's more important is that I finally realized that I have something to contribute to serious conversations. No longer do I feel the stigma that used to irritate me. No longer do I feel that I just the baby of the family anymore.

Whether my siblings, parents or anyone else for that matter, thinks or doesn't think I am a grown up, it doesn't matter to me.  Maybe that is one of the things that comes with age. Not that everyone around you begins to accept you as a grown up but that you, yourself, begins to accept you are a grown up.   And with this knowledge comes a feeling of self. A feeling of self empowerment.

Its gratifying to me to know I am past the superficial years of my teens & the years of self discovery that my 20s were. I survived turning the big 3-0 without batting an eye. However, I have discovered as I near 40 that I am officially done aging. I am digging my claws into 36 & refusing to age anymore!

I realize that I have some readers that are older than me & still look at me as though I am just a baby compared to their age & the wisdom that came with their age. However, I am 3 1/2 years away from 40. The other day while tweezing my brows I discovered whites in my brows!! I got my first white/gray hair at the age of 22. Which means that I inherited my mother's premature greying habit. (Thanks for that btw mom. You couldn't pass on some your 5'8" height?!?!") But I should not have to deal with white hair in my brows till I am much much older! I can't be the only one who believes this!!!

Do you remember when you were a child & you always added the 1/2 or 3/4 onto your age because you couldn't wait to get older? Then when you were a teen you stopped doing that because it wasn't cool. In your 20s it didn't even occur to you, as you were having too much fun being a "20 Something". Now I cringe as I reach the 1/2 year mark for my next birthday. Instead of saying I am 36 1/2 years old, I think to myself, "Holy Crap I only have 3 1/2 years till I am 40!".

I have the beginnings of crows feet at the corners of my eyes. My forehead is still pretty smooth but I discovered that years of not using sunscreen regularly, while worshipping the sun god, I now have age spots popping up on my cheeks that I can no longer completely cover with my make up. And my laugh lines are deeper & longer than they were even 5 years ago. Now, instead of coloring my hair, simply because I am tired of the same boring color & want to try something different, I color it religiously every 6 wkes to cover up the salt & pepper that plagues me!

This is why I am committing myself to a Sit-In Against Aging! I am strapping myself to the figurative tree with chains & padlocks & refusing to age any further! No longer will I have birthdays! There will be no 40th bday in my future! I am 36 years old & that is as far as I am willing to go!

I remember thinking, as a teenager, that I would never be one of those women who refuses to acecpt that she is growing older. Oh no, when it came to be my turn I would 'age gracefully'. What a load of crap! How easy is it to wax philosophical when gravity hasn't yet betrayed your body! If I ever get to meet my 20 yr old self I swear I will slap her silly. And I will teach her how to moisturize & use sunscreen religiously. Not to mention exercising more regularly, eating heathier & drinking lots of water & boycotting soda! Although, I will never tell her 'no to chocolate', as that has saved my family's lives more times than I should admit.

Now understand my "Sit-In" does not mean I will start changing the way I dress or act. It simply means I refuse to go any further than I already am. I have peaked & I refuse to move forward past my peak! Yes, I realize I sound certifiable but just wait until you reach the age that makes you say, "Uh-uh! I am not taking one more step further into the future!" It may be 36. Or it may be younger for you. Maybe you will reach 40 & then stop, its different for every woman & man. For me its 36. I promise I will be waiting here at 36 & we can boycott aging together, no matter what age you are when you reach my "Sit-In".

Armed with Oil of Olay & anti-aging potions I await your arrival.

Faces of A-T Video

2011-09-20T11:56:00.005-05:00

If you are on FB check out the FB Causes Page for the A-T Children's Project here.

Or the A-T Children's Project Page also on FB here.

Or you can be a part of the A-T Cure Team on FB as well, just go here.

And of course for more A-T videos you can always go to the A-T Children's Project Channel on Youtube.

You can also just go to the atcp website & sign up for the eNewsletter, which covers fundraising efforts, the families & the studies & break throughs.

And last but certainly not least, because we NEED YOUR HELP, you can always donate directly to the A-T Children's Project, here.

3 New Research Projects for A-T Kids

2011-09-20T11:53:00.003-05:00

Two New Research Projects to focus on Cell Death and Consequences in the Brain

A-T Children's Project Research Update - September 2011

Shyamal Desai, PhD

Kamran Khodakhah, PhD

The A-T Children’s Project is funding two new research grants that may provide insights regarding brain function in A-T. The Florida-based Wobbly Feet Foundation has agreed to co-fund part of each grant in an on-going partnership to accelerate A-T research.

Research for the first grant, entitled “Linking neurodegeneration to protein turnover in ataxia-telangiectasia,” will be led by Shyamal Desai, PhD from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. Dr. Desai will examine whether or not defects in protein degradation or breakdown contribute to brain cell death in A-T.

With the second grant, entitled “PCD mice as an animal model of ataxia in A-T,” Kamran Khodakhah, PhD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will explore the consequences of Purkinje cell loss on the function of the cerebellum, the area of the brain affected in A-T.

The more scientists can learn about the underlying defects in ATM deficient brain cells, and how brain cell interactions are impacted by those defects, the better chance they have of discovering therapeutic targets for this disorder.

And there is also this Research Project, just announced as well!

British Researcher to Examine Benefits of Breathing-Related Muscle Strength Training
A-T Children's Project Research Update - September 2011

Emma Ross, PhD

The A-T Children’s Project, together with the UK-based A-T Society, will fund a clinical study led by Emma Ross, PhD from the University of Brighton in England. This study will examine the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on lung function and quality of life in individuals with A-T.

Lung disease is common in patients with A-T and is also a frequent cause of death. Strengthening inspiratory muscles that we use to inhale by performing exercises using special devices has proven helpful for patients suffering from other chronic diseases associated with impaired lung function. Dr. Ross’ study will examine whether or not IMT represents a non-pharmacological, inexpensive and accessible method to improve respiratory muscle function in people with A-T.

Sunday Happenings, Monday Ramblings

2011-09-19T12:01:00.001-05:00

Well, I survived another talk. Kier gave an excellent talk as well. Seriously, I was so proud of my baby's first talk! He did such an amazing job! Now I say it was his first talk, but technically, it is not the first time he has spoken in church. He was asked to say a few things about his mom, aka me, Mother's Day 2010. However, it was just a few things off the top of his head so I don't count it as his 1st assigned talk, plus he was only 11.

The theme for sacrament meeting yesterday was "The Atonement". And more specifically all 3 speakers were asked to speak from 2 different April 2011 General Conference Talks. Kier & the 3rd speaker spoke from Elder C Scott Grow's talk entitled, "The Miracle of Atonement". Meanwhile, I chose to model my talk from Elder Kent F Richards entitled, "The Atonement Covers All Pain". Both are excellent talks & if you haven't heard them you should check out the links or even if you did hear them, it never hurts to listen again.

I reflected while listening to my son give his first talk & it reminded me of my 1st talk about 22 years ago, as a newly joined member of the church. It was terrifying! Of course it didn't help that all my friends in the young men's & young women's program, thought it would be fun to make as many faces at me as possible, while I was trying to be reverent. Which only made me more nervous & the 5 minute talk I had rehearsed so diligently, & made sure was in fact 5 minutes long, came out in under 2 minutes. I rivaled a professional auctioneer. Looking back over the years I can honestly say I was pretty average in time. Even though all youth speakers are given 5 minutees I have yet to hear one that didn't end sooner due to nervousness.

Kieran did a really great job. He took almost the full 5 minutes. Only finishing about 30-40 seconds early. He was born to be a speaker! Of course, I do realize that I am a bit biased, in my assessment, of his speaking skills. So take my praise with a grain of salt if you need to.

What the people at church were not aware of was that Kier & I both managed to catch CA's cold this week. So while we were speaking we were sucking down cough drops. We arrived home after the **block** , where after lunch w/ CA & the kids I promptly headed upstairs because my throat was on fire & my head was killing me. Only to awaken 2 hours later even worse & with almost no voice. I thank heaven that the cold waited till after our talks! Very fortuitous or maybe it was Providential!

I watched the Red Carpet stuff on E (You all know how I LOVE the Red Carpet stuff!!) & then the Emmy's right after. Best Emmy show ever! Very funny, moved along quickly & effortlessly. Jane Lynch, one of my favorites, was awesome! Only a couple of moments when it was more than a little inappropriate & I wondered where are the censors?!?! Which of course can be blamed on the good folks at SNL. Not surprising but still sad.

Don't get me wrong I love SNL & am avid watcher, but SNL airs later at night so that the younger viewers in my house never get to see it, granted my kids were in bed by 7:30, so they still didn't see, but there are a lot of kids out there whose parents let them watch the Emmy's & I am positive they were exposed to subject far too mature for them. Not to mention it was on a Sunday, which just bugs me when things are inappropriate on the Sabbath but maybe that's just me. Just my humble opinion.
After the Emmy's I fell asleep, for about 30 minutes & woke up coughing, this repeated all night long. Almost no sleep, coughing, sore throat, stuffy head w/ a nasty sinus headache, had me heading to the medicine cupboard this morning. Now I remember why I hate cold meds & in particular real Sudafed, you know the kind you have to sign for? I feel all woowoowoowoolalalalala...in my head & now I am shaky & nauseated too. On the plus side my house is a complete mess & Kier has Tae Kwon Do tonight as well. Yay me. (sarcasm really needs it own font, don't you think?)

So instead of cleaning & putting away laundry & finishing up the getting the kids closets ready for winter, that I had started on Saturday, I am blogging instead. After this I might take a nap. Not sure yet. Maybe I can sleep off most of this 12 hour Sudafed before I have to handle a motor vehicle in order to get Kier to TKD. LOL Oh forgot to mention after church yesterday I tried to have a tickle fight with Mikiboo only to have her jerk so hard she head butted my left temple/eye...I am also sporting a lovely bruise next to my eye. Quite the lovely "shiner"! LOL That'll "learn me" won't it? Thanks Kenna, I will remember not to tickle you unless I have you more securely pinned.

In short, we survived a busy & long weekend filled w/ organizing, laundry (which is never ending), writing & delivering talks in sacrament meeting & headcolds as well. Other than the talks it was kind of crappy weekend. LOL Why are my weekends as busy as my weekdays??? Oh that's right! It's because I have 4 kids! I love my kids, I love my kids, I love my kids! (imagine your own sarcasm font in that chant).

Seriously I do adore my kids! They are the cutest most adorable little stinkers in my world! In fact I can prove it! I have their school pictures I think I will preview them here on the blog so you can see the proof yourself!

Kier age 12 (going on 21)

Its no wonder the girls at school think "he's totally hot!!" LOL He IS a total babe!

Liam age 10

What a doll!! I love this kid so much!!

McKenna age 7 (getting baptized this year!!!!)

I know I am biased but I seriously think she is quite possibly the MOST beautiful little girl on the planet!! She is stunning!!! She just blows me away.

Nolan age 5

Is it just me or does Nolan look like he is going to eat someone?!?! LOL I absolutely LOVED this picture of him!

Told you they were the cutest most adorable kids on the planet, go ahead & argue with me, you can't can you?!?! LOL

**NOTE**

For the usage of the word Block for those of you not members of the church & unused to our terminology. Block refers to the entire 3 hours of church. The first hour is sacrament meeting, where we sing hymns altogether (kids included), & hear speakers & pass the bread & water. Then there is Sunday School (or Gospel Doctrine or Gospel Principles for the adults), Primary for the kids ages 3 to 11, Sunday School for the kids ages 12 - 18. Then the 3rd hour is for Priesthood (men & boys meeting), Relief Society (the women) & Young Men's or Young Womens (for the kids ages 12-18) & another hour of Primary for the kids ages 3 to 11. So when you want to do or talk to someone after the "block" it means after the entire 3 hours of church. And now you know. LOL Cuz I know you wanted to know so badly. >.<

A rat among us...

2011-09-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Sitting in the car just relaxing & enjoying music & quiet time & CA rats me out to the 2nd counselor on the bishopric!!! He called my phone & I am giving a talk this next Sunday on the Atonement. And because CA is a big coward when it comes to talking in church he sacrificed me & our oldest. Poor Kier is talking too. Don't worry CA I will get even. LOL.

I thought hiding in the car during scouts rather than waiting in the foyer would be safer & it probably would be unless CA gives away your hiding position.

In other news I walked/ran on the new treadmill this morning. Did 2 miles & burned 210 calories in 35 minutes. Yay me!! However as I stepped off the treadmill I felt like screaming: "I just exercised & I can't get up!!!!!". Which made me wonder, where the heck is my stinking Medic Alert bracelet when I need it?!?!?

Almost time to get Liam so I better head back into the building & get my assigned talk info from Brother S.

1st Day Photoshoot

2011-09-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

I look at these pictures & I see my babies have grown up in a blink.

Gone are the days of kids at home all day with mommy.

Now all my babies are in school.

Tears were shed.

Anxiously awaiting the end of the day & the alarm to tell me its time to head back to school to pick them up.

Got to hear all their stories & see their excitement for the 2nd day.

Kier's Story:

Mom, the best part of the day was when I was walking into the school & I passed a group of girls & I saw one of them point at me & say, "Wow, he's totally hot!"

Liam's Story:

I got to see the train go by behind the school & I like Mr Scott's room best of all.

McKenna's Story:

I talked! Outloud! In front of my class! And told them about myself! And I liked reading your note for me in my lunch box! (BIG TOOTHLESS SMILE)

Nolan's Story: (as told by his teacher)

"He did great. He was sweet & very social with the kids & got along with everyone. He's a lefty so I need you to work on his grip & writing at home, leftys tend to have a harder time writing. Oh & 3 or 4 times today he had taken his shoes & socks off so if you could talk to him about keeping his shoes & socks on all day. He even took them off on the playground during recess."

Nolan's response to the shoe removal was, at least when on the playground, "I had to take off my shoes! I had rocks in them!"

I know that Mrs S was taking the shoe removal seriously, so while in front of her I did my best to take it seriously too. However, once we left her presence I couldn't help but giggle myself silly at the image of him just stripping off & getting comfortable. Nolan has always marched to the beat of his own drum. Which I have always admired about him.

A couple more random pics:

Hope you all had good 1st days of school too! Sending all our love & luck for a great school year!

A little less FB can't be wrong.

2011-08-26T13:58:00.000-05:00

Its officially done. *SIGH*

I have cleaned out all my friends on FB with the exception of A-T Family Members. It took me hours to finally finish cleaning it out. Sending messages letting friends & family that I will dearly miss being able to quickly talk to & letting them know my info & that I am not mad or offended, just over FB.

So if any of you that read here & don't see me on your FB friends list anymore want my info but didn't get it on FB, please call or txt me, if you have my cell #, or email me using my email address here on the blog. And I will get the info to you asap.

But I just can't take FB anymore. :) Too much petty drama, too many people on there that didn't really want to keep in touch just wanted big numbers, or even worse didn't care about either & were just accepting friendships, without putting any 'real' effort into the actual friendship. I can do without both of those kinds of fake friendships, thank you very much.

Plus, its such a waste of time! I'd rather blog! Then I am not limited to the amount of characters I can post at one time. LOL And you know me, diarrhea of the mouth & the pen (or in this case the keyboard). I know what an image! Yikes! But have I ever claimed to not be a blunt person? Absolutely not!

Well not enough sleep last night due to an upset tummy & this mommy is tuckered out. Think I will have a nice nap today. CA is bringing home pizza. Thank goodness. Have a reat weekend everyone.

Once again with a little less sarcasm please?

2011-08-25T13:38:00.000-05:00

I Love IEP Meetings!! Nope still full of sarcasm.

That was my roundabout way of letting you know that L's IEP, with our latest in a string of "New", elementary schools, has been scheduled. Aug 30th @ 2pm. CA has already arranged for Time Off from work to be there.

I have already met with the school counselor & since she received the IEP from MO a couple of weeks ago she has had plenty of time to organize everything he needs at the new school. Whew! That takes a lot of worry out of the equation.

BTW School here in the great state of WI starts on Sept 1. Which means the last day of school (barring snow days) is June 7th.

The kids & I have spent a lot of time together in the last 5 months, with just them & me. What with CA being here in WI from April 4th & us in Chesterfield, finishing up the school year. I am still dreading the beginning of the school year like I do every year, but for the first time ever I am actually, really looking forward to it, as well. Maybe even looking forward a little more than dreading even. I know its a miracle. Usually I am trying to figure out ways to keep my babies at home with me.

That is not to say I would ever consider home schooling. You know how I feel on this but I'll restate it, I think homeschooling is great! But its not for me, I just don't have the patience or ability to keep things structured enough to pull it off & would end up short changing my kids education. Trust me I know myself pretty well.

Besides, I think it will be a nice change to be all alone during the day. Although I am going to miss my little sidekick. N starts Kinder this year...I think I have already mentioned this. Let me check.

Yep I did. Never quite sure what I've told people via: txt, phone, chat or blog.

Anyway, the supplies have been bought as well as new clothes for M & K. Plenty of hand me downs for L & N who only got new shoes. Funny little fact, that I find fascinating & probably isn't actually all that fascinating.

When gettting their feet sized at Payless we discovered that N who is 2 1/2 years younger than M & 5 years younger than L has outgrown both big sis & big bro in shoe size. He is a 13 almost a 1 & they are just 12 1/2 each!!! This blows my mind! I think the fact that he has outgrown his sister is not that shocking but the fact that he has outgrown L who is 5 whole years older blows my mind!

I have this odd sensation that I'm secretly growing a giant. Thoughts? Feelings? Eh this is probably not as fascinating as I think it is, especially now that I've typed it all out, I can see for myself it really isn't. But I took the time to type it so I'll leave it in here.

Did I mention I am loving the music on my blog recently? I am! Honest. There is something about those wonderful old tunes that just makes me happy & then throw in a little Adele, my latest favorite, & I am surfing an emotional, musical, roller coaster & I love that feeling! Yes, its possible there is something wrong with me, in fact, let's just say that's a given!

I have also been thinning out my FB list dramatically lately. I UN-friended all family & lots of friends as I am trying to get it down to just be a support site for my A-T Family. This should help me to spend a little less time on FB & should help me to utilize the internet as the tool it is rather than a life force sucking monstrosity. Now that's an image!

So if you notice I have un-friended you its nothing personal, I am just kind of over FB. And because I'd really rather focus on this here blog thing. I think I've been doing a decent job of updating it the last few weeks. Don't you think? Well back to the grind of being mommy. Laundry, cleaning, organizing mixed in with a lot of tickling. Sending love to you & yours.

Desperately seeking friends

2011-08-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

Last night I stepped outside my comfort zone & actually went out with strangers!

LOL Its not what you think.

But then again....this is me we're talking about!

Okay I will explain...

On Sunday a very nice woman, I had never spoken to, this is not a big deal remember I've only been in this ward about a month...there are a lot of women I have never spoken to, anyway she informed me that a few of the women in the ward would be getting together this upcoming Wednesday (last night) evening to go see the movie The Help. Yes based on the book.

I told Captain Awesome about the invite & that I wanted to go. He, of course was very supportive as only a really Awesome Captain can be, and so I put the info on my Cozi Calendar. Which typically means it's official!

The day finally came & due to lack of sleep the night before I had a splitting headache all day & wasn't sure if I would actually follow through. Plus, I really didn't know any of these women & I will admit to being scared I would be standing there all alone, ignored. A wall flower...I really dislike that term!

I kept going back & forth: I will go. I won't go. I will go. I won't go. CA even offered to get me a flower so I could pull out the petals to help me make the decision...funny CA.

Finally, I made the decision. I went. Mostly because I figured CA would probably not want to take me to see a chick flick...although he did offer, and I really wanted to see the movie because I LOVED the book. And while I have gone alone to the movies before...I actually like going alone, most of the time. But this was one of those moments I wanted to share with others of my own gender. There are just some movies its best to see with girlfriends. Because you aren't just going for the movie but for the experience & chance to share.

I am so glad I went!

Granted, I mostly stood by myself & didn't get pulled into be a part of the "group" at first & then during the movie we were all too busy either laughing, crying or being too moved to get to know each other or for me to feel left out some more.

But afterwards, we all gathered in the hall outside our theatre & visited. Everyone loved the movie. And the women engaged me in conversation as well. :) It was nice to be a part of a group of women & bond over tears & chick flick.

I still miss my friends in Surprise & now in Chesterfield as well, but I guess stepping outside my comfort zone is a good thing....once in a while. I'm not that brave as to do this a whole lot.

If you haven't read the book The Help go. Buy it. Read it. You will love it. Then go see the movie. Or vice versa, whatever floats your boat, but you won't regret it. I promise.

{No, this is not a money back guarantee.}

If you get the chance to step outside your comfort zone...once in a while its okay to take that step. It can be a chance to grow & learn & maybe make new friends. I did.

settled, explored, visited.

2011-08-14T19:42:00.003-05:00

It has been just over a month since we moved into our new rental house, our new town, our new state.

I have been asked often since our move, "so what do you think of WI?" or "How do you like the new ...?" Honestly? We've only been here a month! Give us a break to settle in & spend some time here, to start school & see how that goes, to get thru a couple of seasons & see if we like it then. Hahaha...

How on earth can I say how I feel when I haven't survived a Wisconsin winter yet?!?!    Give me time. Ask me again next July. Then I can give you a more experienced, more informed answer. Is that okay? Or am I asking you to be too patient??? ^.^

But I can say, other than wall decor & some of the toys, we are officially unpacked & settled into the house. It only took me a month! Of course it was summer so no school interruptions. Its much easier to move in the summer. We shall always move during summer months from now on, I so decree. As if I have ANY real say in the matter.

We've had a few fun excursions & of course we had to take the kids to see the last installment of Harry Potter!!! Nothing too exciting, we haven't travelled far, just to downtown Kenosha. I managed to get the kids registered for school as well as scheduling Liam's IEP meeting too. I have been assured everything he needs will be ready & waiting for him upon the first day of school which is Sept 1st. Wow!!! We have never started school so late in the year before! My friends in Surprise started 1 week ago tomorrow & my friends in Chesterfield start tomorrow. Last Tuesday was school picture day...another first, as usually, we do school pics after school has already started. I definitely like it this way better. And upon reflection its the way I remember doing it when I was in school. At least thru Jr High & High School.

Liam & Nolan had their yearly check ups with their new Dr & Nolan got his kinder shots too. All 4 of them! Poor kid. :( He was such a trooper through it all. Didn't cry till the nurse gave the 4th shot...I think it was the 'shot the broke the camel's back'. (pardon my paraphrase of that idiom btw)

Then it was marathon cleaning & organizing for me, not to mention lots of stocking the fridge & pantry, because my father in law & CA's youngest brother flew in from AZ for a wkend fish-a-thon & his other younger brother & his wife & their 3 kids drove down from Green Bay, for the fish-a-thon, as well. It was a lot of fun & while I have to admit to being nervous that the in laws were coming, far more nervous than I get for my own family, it was a lot more fun than I had imagined it would be & we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Captain Awesome's Awesome Family!   I was only sorry not to have a bigger more comfortable house for us all to squeeze into. But we solved a little of that problem by letting of the 7 kids sleep the night in the tent in the backyard. They obviously didn't fall asleep till 11pm. Which made getting up early on Saturday, for our trip into Kenosha to see the museums a little harder.

However, to answer your next question...there was not a lot of success on the fishing end of the trip. My oldest (Kier) managed to snag a single fish on one excursion & it was decent sized, but according to lake policy not big enough to take home. Thank goodness!! Yes, I think fish is gross to eat. I don't mind catch & release but I can't abide the taste, texture or smell of sea food in any form. Before you get all 'Oh Jess, you've just never had it cooked right, or fresh".   Let me explain again, I grew up in CALIFORNIA! I've tried it a million times in all sorts of ways, minus sushi style, if I can't stand cooked, what on earth makes you think I could handle it raw?!?! And you can't get fresher than fish your family has caught themselves on the boat in the ocean that very day! Still gross!!

Then guys including the 2 oldest of boys went a-fishin', while my s.i.l. & I stayed here & played with the kids & visited & talked, honestly I don't think I have ever just sat & visited w/ my s.i.l. She's almost 10 years younger than me, after all. LOL But we talked about being moms, books & life. It was nice to spend some time getting to know my sister in law. She's a cute little thing & very good with her kids. Who were sweet & well behaved & got along really well with my kids. Thank goodness. Nothing worse than a family get together where the kids just don't see eye to eye. But that was not a problem. I took LOTS of pics & then arranged them in a *Smilebox* photo album.  Its below, feel free to peruse the photos. :) Seriously cute kids! It was so fun to watch Captain Awesome get to spend quality/male bonding time with his younger brothers & his dad. Its been over 18 months since he's seen his family & I know he misses them.

The brother & his wife from Green Bay headed home from our excursion into Kenosha on Saturday afternoon & my father in law & CA's youngest brother headed home to AZ today after attending church with us. It was a wonderful visit & the kids loved seeing their Papa & their uncles, aunt & cousins! I enjoyed seeing my family so happy but I am glad to have my quiet home all to ourselves again. Relaxing & enjoying Sunday afternoon. Nothing better than a lazy Sunday afternoon.

This next week begins the back to school shopping & mania as we prepare for a new school year, a new school & for the first time in almost 13 years no kids at home with me during the day. As usual I greet this w/ happiness & sadness. I look forward to the house staying clean all day but I will miss seeing & talking & playing with my Nolie Polie Olie.  More than likely I will cry buckets, just as I did with the other kids. Just can't help myself. I could put a moratorium on myself & my tears but I would never be able to follow through on such a strict edict. So no point in even trying. Right?

So as summer comes to a close here, I hope you all have enjoyed or are enjoying (depending on when school starts for you) your summer holiday. Sending all our love to you & yours.

Those Crazy Cowands at All Tied Up!

**Note: You'll want to pause the music at the top of the screen when viewing the Smilebox...that is if you haven't already paused the music upon opening the blog! ;D

This photo album created with Smilebox

Confessions of a K-Drama Addict

2011-07-07T16:11:00.007-05:00

Several months ago, after our trip to D World, after life settled down & before it sped back up, my BFF & I were visiting on the phone. Which a typical day for us means several phone calls back & forth, don't even get me started on the text messages! Anyway, we were on the phone & talking about our favorite TV show Bones. Seeing as I was in MO at the time & she in AZ, we weren't able to watch the show at the same time on the phone like we had previously, when this family still resided in the sunny, dry, dusty state of AZ. To offset our different time zones, I began DVR'ing Bones & then would watch it later, with said BFF, when it was airing in AZ at its usual time. This way we could call each other & watch, enraptured by our favorite dynamic duo & their on screen romance/chemistry heat up & cool down. But every once in a while life would get in the way & we wouldn't get to watch Bones the night it aired so we'd call once our responsibilities were tended to & watch it together on Hulu.

While reflecting upon Seeley Booth's (David Boreanaz') hotness factor, my BFF confessed to me that she had fallen for a show she found on Hulu & believed that I would love as well & that I should, 'check it out'. I was all for this, until she told me it was actually a foreign tv show. Not just foreign but also a soap opera-esque type of show. Now, if you know me then you know I do NOT do drama. I hate watching soap operas & routinely make fun of, mock, humiliate the few people I know, that are hooked on their favorite soap opera trash! So, this of course made me skeptical. But I continued to listen as this IS my BFF after all. She explained that she stumbled upon it after seeing an ad for it on Hulu. One look at a picture of a fancy ball gown & I know my BFF's weakness for this type of fantasy, was almost all it took for her. I can't say I am not prone to such weakness & fancy myself as I do LOVE me some Jane Austen & Jane Eyre after all. Don't get me started on the gowns worn in Gone With the Wind!

As I hung up the phone I thought to myself, "I will give her the benefit of the doubt & I will check it out. Then I will be able to honestly say, 'it really isn't my thing'." I went to Hulu & found the show she was talking about... My Princess. I read the description & I too found it intriguing. Isn't it every little girl's dream to wake up one day & find out you're actually a princess?!?! Maybe that's just me & my BFF. I didn't have time right then but a couple of days later I remembered my promise & I logged on to Hulu & loaded the first episode. Now, what you don't know about Korean Dramas, is that they only have about 16 episodes total, so each drama is more like an extra long american mini series than it is a soap opera. Although, there are some that can go up to 30 episodes in a season. And a few that, due to extreme popularity, in Korea will get a 2nd season. But 9 times out of 10 they aren't any longer than 16-24 episodes long. They aren't like American Soap Operas that go on & on for decades with no real ending to any story line. Definitely, a plus in my book.

So I loaded the first episode, I have to admit, it started out kind of slow but the main female character (aka the Princess) was funny & sweet & after a few minutes I no longer noticed the subtitles on the bottom of the screen I became so absorbed in the entertainment. I couldn't stop watching.  Again, IF you know me, you know that I can read a huge book in an incredibly short period of time, a) because I am a fast reader & b) because I become completely absorbed & stop noticing the real world all around me. My kids can go without baths, dinner, family time, & basically become motherless children for a good book. Seriously it can be very Lord of the Flies around this house when mom has a good book.   It was the same, in the beginning, for this show. I was totally & completely hooked. I loaded episode after episode after episode.

When the show finally ended with the happy ever after kiss, it was just like watching a Disney princess movie for me. After that I joined my BFF & became a Korean drama addict. We couldn't seem to get enough K-d's in to our systems...I am thankful to say that I have since gotten it under control...I am doing better but it helped to know that I was not the only one who couldn't seem to get enough! Our husbands immediately took up the role of disgust & apathy towards our new found obsessions. They just didn't get it! It helped that I made sure all my required errands, chores & responsibilities were being met first, but once I cleared my schedule, I would spend the rest of the day glued to a computer screen.   Now, we just get teased every once in a while or get a good eye rolling...I can handle that.

Why? You might ask, "Jess, why of all things to get hooked, did you choose a Korean drama???" (More quick confessions before I answer that question... The truth is I have branched out...thanks to the wonderful people at my favorite show hosting websites...)

Viki, Dramafever, Mysoju, Dramacrazy & of course Hulu.

I now have also added several Taiwanese Dramas & Japanese Dramas as well. Plus, Viki also shows foreign movies. So I've seen a few Bollywood, which I've always enjoyed & Phillipino movies as well. But why do I like them, because unlike American TV & Soap Operas, the dramas in Asia are actually clean & suitable to watch in front of my kids, because they are aired on their public stations where the censors keep a very close eye, like they once did here.

There is almost no swearing & absolutely NO nudity & no sex scenes! Its awesome! Its romance before romance became uncool. Before jumping into bed the minute you are attracted to someone became so prevalent on american tv. Where its sexier to show as little as possible & leave it up to the imagaination than it is to blatantly show as much as possible. Real romance comes from the leading up to, not from the actual act. Its dancing in the moonlight & holding hands while you go for a walk & those moments that make your heart skip a beat & when you feel butterflies in your tummy. Its looking into someone's eyes & feeling that longing feeling. And that is where these dramas hooked me.

So, now along with our Bones obsession we call, chat & of course the ever present text-a-thon to keep each other up on what our favorite characters are doing. Why am I admitting this?!?! Because she "came out" on her blog & since we have probably 75% of the same friends in the blogosphere & on FB, not to mention church, I figured they'd all know who her BFF was so I figured it was time to come clean myself!   She even talked about how we have started to pick up the lingo. Each conversation has at least 2 "OMO's!" in it as well as a few "Aigoo's!" etc... We love using the honorifics when speaking to each other...rather than saying, "did you see how his sister reacted?" Its, "OMO!! Did you see how his Nuna acted when she heard about her Oppa?!?!" We're even thinking about maybe learning Korean. Then we can actually turn away from the computer screen & just listen while we accomplish a few tasks. Like when we watch american shows on Hulu.

Of course, we each have our favorite dramas, actors & actresses. My BFF has stuck with Korean dramas only while I branched out but I still love the K dramas best!

And of course, we both desperately want to visit South Korea & especially Jeju-do (Jeju Island)! And we have found the perfect excuse in the last 24 hours! Yesterday, it was officially announced that Pyeongchang Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games! What better time to visit our beloved Korea, then when Korea is ready to receive foreigners with open arms?!?!   Even our husbands are on board, course it has absolutely nothing to do with the dramas for them but the chance to see Asia. For my BFF & I we just want to see the incredibly beautiful landscape & countryside we have totally fallen for while watching our shows.

So we have 7 years to save up for our trip to Asia. Still don't know if we'll take kids. Husbands say no but kids will all be teens by then & may not want to come with us anyway. And with Liam we have more complications. Will he still be healthy enough for me to either leave him or to travel with us??? I'd rather he came with. Think of THAT memory for him. Kieran won't be able to go with us, no matter what, as he'll be starting his mission by then. Can you believe that?!?! I'm still in shock at that idea!

But its definitely good to have a dream! Until then I will keep watching those Korean dramas. Reminding me to keep romance alive. Now that I've admitted my addiction out loud, why don't you admit one of your secret addictions too. ^.^

So in closing...

Hello. My name is Jess. And I am a Korean Drama Addict.

P.S.
It doesn't hurt that the male leads are typically incredibly ~~good looking~~ HOT!!! ROFL!!! Yumm!!!

Almost there...

2011-07-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

We are about 1/2 way there. Meaning there was too much stuff for the truck so CA is on his way back to St. Louis to pick up the rest of our belongings. He took Kier w/ him & left me the "littles".

No Internet so I'm blogging from my iPhone.

I want to include a picture of Kier. He was so helpful in the truck during the drive up here. Unfortunately, my pics arent uploading via txt as I would like them to, sorry. But when I get Internet I will add a couple pics to this post. So check back later today, maybe you'll get lucky. Hey it could happen.

So we are almost done. CA & Kier should be back tomorrow afternoon sometime. And then it'll just be unpacking & arranging furniture.

So tired & extremely sore. I told CA I can't do this anymore. Next move will HAVE to be into the house we buy & live in until we die!!! So we'll have to be very careful what we buy. Nope I'm not melodramatic at all. ;D.

Have a good one. I'll post more as we get there. Have a safe & Happy 4th of July!!!

Some Mothers Get Babies With Something More

2011-06-26T12:58:00.002-05:00

Shared by fellow A-T Moms on FB so I am sharing it with all of you...

"My friend is expecting her first child. People keep asking what she wants. She smiles demurely, shakes her head and gives the answer mothers have given throughout the ages of time. She says it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl. She just wants it to have ten fingers and ten toes. Of course, that’s what she says. That’s what mothers have always said. Mothers lie. Truth be told, every mother wants a whole lot more.

Every mother wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. Every mother wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. Every mother wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule. Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but we mothers want what we want.

Some mothers get babies with something more. Some mothers get babies with conditions they can’t pronounce, a spine that didn’t fuse, a missing chromosome or a palette that didn’t close. Most of those mothers can remember the time, the place, the shoes they were wearing and the color of the walls in the small, suffocating room where the doctor uttered the words that took their breath away. It felt like recess in the fourth grade when you didn’t see the kick ball coming and it knocked the wind clean out of you. Some mothers leave the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, take him in for a routine visit, or schedule her for a well check, and crash head first into a brick wall as they bear the brunt of devastating news. It can’t be possible! That doesn’t run in our family. Can this really be happening in our lifetime?

I am a woman who watches the Olympics for the sheer thrill of seeing finely sculpted bodies. It’s not a lust thing; it’s a wondrous thing. The athletes appear as specimens without flaw – rippling muscles with nary an ounce of flab or fat, virtual powerhouses of strength with lungs and limbs working in perfect harmony. Then the athlete walks over to a tote bag, rustles through the contents and pulls out an inhaler. As I’ve told my own kids, be it on the way to physical therapy after a third knee surgery, or on a trip home from an echo cardiogram, there’s no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, medication or surgery.

The health problems our children have experienced have been minimal and manageable, so I watch with keen interest and great admiration the mothers of children with serious disabilities, and wonder how they do it. Frankly, sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that child in and out of a wheelchair 20 times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, regulate diet and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear. I wonder how you endure the praise and the platitudes, well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you’ve occasionally questioned if God is on strike.

I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy pieces like this one saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you’re ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn’t volunteer for this. You didn’t jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling, “Choose me, God! Choose me! I’ve got what it takes.”
You’re a woman who doesn’t have time to step back and put things in perspective, so, please, let me do it for you. From where I sit, you’re way ahead of the pack. You’ve developed the strength of a draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, carefully counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule. You can be warm and tender one minute, and when circumstances require intense and aggressive the next. You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability. You’re a neighbor, a friend, a stranger I pass at the mall. You’re the woman I sit next to at church, my cousin and my sister-in-law. You’re a woman who wanted ten fingers and ten toes, and got something more. You’re a wonder."

~~Author Unknown~~

The Special Mother by Erma Bombeck

2011-06-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressure and a couple by habit. This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children.

Did you ever wonder how these mothers are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth Selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew."

"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia."

"Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a handicapped child." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."

"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off she'll handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of it's own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive.

Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.

She will never take for granted a spoken word.

She will never consider a step ordinary.

When her child says momma for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.

I will permit her to see clearly the things I see--ignorance, cruelty, prejudice--and allow her to rise above them.

She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life

Because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

My thanks to fellow A-T mommy Lisa for the reminder & the lesson & for letting me copy off your paper. <3 you!

still alive

2011-06-05T15:50:00.001-05:00

I know, I know it has been quite a while since last we spoke. But there was a reason for that. Lots of changes in our life...no I am not pregnant...in fact, let's just take that possibility of ever happening off the menu. CA has been "fixed" & I never got pregnant easily, even when he wasn't "fixed"...pretty sure we're finished in the baby making world...of course, we could be wrong, because 'if the Lord wants it to happen...' & all that...you know.

Anyway, back to hinted at 'changes', we are moving. Yes, again. Scottrade didn't follow through on many of the promises they made to CA when he was hired just over 3 years ago. Even after they transferred us here to Missouri, it was one broken promise after another & the good Captain had a hard time with the uber politics that went on in the office...he made a few friends but the politics were driving him batty. However, once he accepted the transfer he was obligated to stay w/ Scottrade at least one more year or we would have to pay back the moving expenses.

If you remember, we left AZ on New Year's Eve 2009. Which meant we had to stay w/ Scottrade through January. Starting Jan 2011 CA started looking for a new job...he tried St Louis first but no one here was paying very much money. And we needed more money. (Remember because DHL was laying him off he took the almost $18K a year pay cut because we needed a job & we needed insurance for Liam) Well, that huge pay cut had finally reached a point where we were really struggling. CA branched his search out to MI, WI, MN, IL, OH, PA, oh just about anywhere here in the Midwest as we have really come to love the seasons changing.

Finally, a company called Uline in South Eastern WI (the Kenosha area) replied to his resume & the interviewing process started. I won't go into details on how many interviews...although there were plenty. By early March, they were offering him a bonafide position, within their 'up & coming' company. CA was happy to be able to say goodbye to Scottrade & all the stress & drama of a political office & praying the new company would be more conducive to a professional political free zone. (Happily, I can report so far so good in that area)

By Fri, April 1, (yes April Fool's Day), he was celebrating his last day & prepping for the new job on Monday the 4th. Which meant he left our house, in MO, for his hotel in WI, right after the 1session of General Conference on Sunday. A 6 hour drive later & he had arrived & the kids & I began our new adventure of single mommy & 4 kids finishing off the school year together. Don't worry CA came back for a weekend here & there, ie; Easter, Liam's Bday/Mother's Day & Memorial Day/my bday.

So as you can imagine sitting down to blog had to take a back seat to taking care of the house, the kids & getting ready to move. I was barely on FB as well. Many messages from friends & family had me understanding that my particular sense of humor was actively missed. Which made me feel loved & not a little pressure to post to this here blog again. But every time I sat down I just felt overwhelmed by all that had happened.

Finally I decided to just start over & not worry about posting pics etc of the last few weeks. Only because we have been so busy. So instead I decided to just finally upload all pics & video to Picasa & then I made a few slide show movies....minus descriptions, so you'll have to figure out what is happening in each picture. Sorry. Then at least you get to see pics of the kids. Which for most of you is the only reason you even read this blog. LOL Its okay I see how you are...

Slide shows/Movies: (In no particular order...)

See? we've been pretty busy.

Questions you may have are:

When does the actual move take place?
We leave June 30th. Our new rental will be available on July 1st so where we are going to be from the 30th to the 1st? Well, I really haven't the foggiest. Probably a hotel in WI. So we can get our keys & get moved in asap on the 1st. We found out from a realtor that our credit after the short sale of the house on Smokey Dr (in Surprise 2 years ago) wasn't as bad as we thought it would end up being. One more year of renting & saving for a down payment & we should be able to purchase a home of our own again & boy am I looking forward to that!

What's the new house like?
We are moving into a 2 story, 3 bdrm, 2 full bathroom house w/ a detached extra large 3 car garage near Silver Lake. So near, in fact; the lake is across the street from our new rental house. Yay!! It's so pretty. A very small lake side community. The elementary school is a block or less just behind the house & the library is 2 blocks down across from the beach/play area. Its not new, it has definitely seen its fair share of abuse but its a nice little house & we look forward to another new adventure in another new state.

Are the kids happy about the move?
Well I just surveyed the kids (including Kieran) & they are all fine with the move...Kieran will miss the few friends he made here but we haven't been here really all that long, so there are no deep connections. Plus, he is happy to go back to a K-8 school...he really didn't care for Jr High. Also, he is excited to give a new nickname, as KC got old (& mom never cared for it & gave him grief all the time about its lameness) ... at the new school he'll go by "Kier". He liked it when we were trying to help him come up with new names & dad said, "Fear the Kier". LOL And he is really excited to be able to go fishing anytime he wants to this summer, as he is under 16, he doesn't need a license.

Are you excited about another move?
Not really. Honestly, I am sick of moving. Its a lot of work with a family this big...it was hard enough when it was just CA & I but add in 4 kids & 2 dogs & its a pain in the...well you get the idea. ;D I am excited to be with my husband again as it will be almost 3 months of me on my own here with the kids & him working all by himself there in WI. I miss my best friend.

Are you excited about WI?
As much as I hate the moving part I am actually excited about WI...but I am also nervous. Will I be able to handle the winters there? Or did 7 years in Southern CA & 15 years in AZ turn me into a wuss? Remember, I was born in Michigan, but I have lived in the southwest of the country, in warm sunny weather from the time I was 8 years old. We did live in UT for 3 years at the beginning of our marriage & we have lived here & LOVED the cold weather for the last 18 months. But WI & MO are different & we'll be close to Lake Michigan which means it will be even colder thanks to the strong, freezing winds coming off the lake. I can tell you what I have seen of the area that we're moving to its beautiful.

Guess we'll see. At the end of our last year fixing our credit we'll either be buying a house in WI or heading back to AZ & buying in Surprise again. LOL I know where most of my friends & our family would like us but we just won't know till we get there. Don't get your hopes up people for all we know we may just be moving to another state entirely...only the Lord knows where we will end up living. Maybe we're one of those families destined to wander like nomads. At least we'll get to see plenty of new & exciting things & places. Personally, I am hoping for Hawaii. LOL Do I think that's even remotely possible? Oh heck no! ;D But a girl's got to have a dream, right?

Any other questions just email or call me. Or you can text me as I have unlimited text messaging again along with a brand new iPhone 4, bday present. If you want my cell phone but don't have it you can email me for that too. It would seem as our TMobile contract was coming to an end that the timing was perfect to switch carriers as TMobile didn't seem to get good reception anywhere in Southeastern WI. And since Uline employees get a discount with Verizon we were both able to replace our 5 year old blackberry's & so CA got the Thunderbolt HTC & I got the iPhone. And I adore my new phone!!

School is done, I had my 36th bday & grandma Connie came for a visit & to help me get started the process of packing. She's also been a big help for me to keep the house clean & gave me an afternoon to myself & took the kids out for some fun. It was so much fun to just do nothing but rest & enjoy the quiet. hahaha...

So that's why I haven't blogged in the last 3 months...in a nutshell. What have you been up to, lately? As I haven't been checking blogs either. Probably won't be doing that for a long time yet. Too much time spent on the computer as it is, for this busy mama. Gotta draw the line somewhere.

Back to my family...enjoy yours.

Love,
Jess

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

2011-03-17T06:38:00.000-05:00

Finally!!! Just wanted to stop in & wish everyone a Happy St Patrick's Day, my favorite day of the year!!

An Old Irish Blessing:

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

A "Note" from Facebook

2011-02-25T10:13:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I posted this as my status on Facebook...

"Changed my profile pic 2day 2 support fellow A-T Mommy, Lynda & her son Cian, in Ireland. The goal is 2 C lots of purple shirt profile pics for the next wk. If you don't want to change your profile pic for Lynda & Cian, then do it for our Liam. All you have to do is tag yourself on my pic then it will let you change your profile to pic to the beautiful purple shirt like mine is right now. And thank you!"

I am pleased to say that in the last 24 hours I have seen a sea of purple shirt profile pictures popping up on Facebook. The only thing that would make it better is if the purple shirts, I am seeing, were not mostly from other A-T Families. Now, I am not saying that some of the purple shirts aren't from friends & family of ours not affected by A-T, there are several that have kindly & lovingly, supported us in our endeavor. I thank them from the very bottom of my heart for their immediate response of love & support. It is because of people like these that we continue to have hope.

Yesterday, my status was for Lynda & her son Cian in Ireland, but I was thinking about this, & I don't think that's all we're supporting. A-T is a slow killer. A-T Families, like mine, sit & watch as our precious children are slowly & systematically killed before our very eyes. And there isn't a darn thing we can do to change that. We aren't doctors. We aren't scientists. Our only defense is the many fundraisers we put on, all over the world, to try & find a cure & save the lives of our children. Its the only thing that gives us hope for a cure. Hope for a chance for our kids, and in some cases, like me, it brings us back out of the darkness after diagnosis. It empowered me & gave me the feeling that I was making a difference. That I was no longer powerless to save my child's life.
Last year we raised over $500,00.00 for A-T research, that's fabulous!!! But it isn't nearly enough. Before we became an A-T Family, we had never heard of this disease, none of our family or any of our friends had ever heard of this disease. Its just too rare. Only 500 kids in the US have Ataxia Telangiectasia. That's it! There are currently 307,006,550 people living in the US.

Over 300 million people & of that huge number only 500 have A-T??? Its astounding! And typically the only ones that have heard of this, awful silent killer of children, are the families & friends of those that are affected & the Drs. A-T is classified as an 'orphan disease'. Do you know that term? Its a horrible term. Especially to those who are suffering from a disease that has been classified an 'orphan disease'.

Orphan Disease is a term used in the pharmaceutical industry (& it is an 'industry', & all the bad connotations that go along with the term 'industry', in this case) to describe a disease that is rare. Because it is rare there aren't enough people suffering, therefore there is no money to be made in the pharmaceutical industry, at least not enough to interest them in studying it & trying to find a cure, with their multi billion dollar corporations. Therefore, they offer no help whatsoever to the scientists & doctors studying this disease. No, all the money given to research is supplied almost solely by the people who organize fundraisers. Families like ours & their local communities. That, my friends & family, is an 'orphan disease'. Or you can go with an official definition, which according to Wiki, there really isn't a definition...

"In the United States, the Rare Disease Act of 2002 defines rare disease strictly according to prevalence, specifically "any disease or condition that affects less than 200,000 persons in the United States,"[2] or about 1 in 1,500 people."

Disgusting isn't it? According to the National Institutes of Health, there are between 6,000 and 7,000 rare diseases affecting from 25 to 30 million Americans. All of them are considered 'orphan diseases'.

My reason for giving you all of this information, is simply this, that I am asking each of you, in my friends list on FB, to change your profile pic for one week, to the purple shirt pic, & to share this note. Help us spread the word about this disease. Encourage, those in your friends list, to learn about this rare silent killer & encourage those same people to go to the A-T Children's Project website & donate to the A-TCP. Help us raise awareness & funds because without the support of you, our family & our friends, there will be no cure in Liam's lifetime. Am I alone in believing that a lifetime shouldn't have an expiration date that starts in the late teens & early 20s? That's Liam's reality. That's my reality & PD's reality & Liam's brothers & sister's reality. A reality that includes losing their big brother/little brother to a disease, just when his life should be starting.

Without the help of our family & friends Liam will die. And he will die young & without having experienced 1/10 the things he should get to experience. Please take the time to tag yourself in my purple shirt picture. Once you tag yourself you can then set the picture as your profile picture & then share this note on your profile. We need your help. We need your support. We need to spread the word & we need those funds to help save Liam's life & the lives of all A-T kids around the world. How can you look at Liam & say no? I dare you to tell him that you are too busy, or you don't want to follow the crowd on FB by getting involved. For one week it will not hurt you to simply share a note & change your picture.

If this note offends you or bores you or is a waste of your time then please, please feel free to remove me from your friends list when you ignore this plea. I would rather have a handful of supportive truly loyal friends than a huge number of fake friends who ignore my scream for help. Yes this matters to me. This matters to my family. If we matter to you then this should matter to you too. I am not trying to scream at you but rather to scream for help. This is my scream, my pleading for your help. It is a depserate & empassioned plea from a mother of a child who has a deadline.

For those of you who took the time to read this, who took the time to change their picture & share this note, I am humbled & honored & grateful for your true friendship. For your love & support & your prayers. I pray that you will never have to understand how grateful I am. That you will never experience this kind of pain, heartache, frustration & yes even, on occasion, despair; that I have battled every second of everyday for the last 5 years & will, unless we find a cure, continue to battle for the rest of my life. For know this, even after Liam passes, & without a cure he will pass, my heartache will never go away. Only a cure can do that. Which shows you that a cure for A-T is a cure for so many other things as well.

For more information about A-T. What it affects. What the disease does to our children & to help raise awareness & funds log on to the A-T Children's Project Website, from there you can also donate the badly needed funds to find a cure for Liam.

Think of it like this...we see so many really ridiculous & disgustingly stupid videos & emails & notes go viral. Wouldn't it be nice to see this go viral? A movement to affect a real change. Let's get all of Facebook to be a sea of purple shirts. It would tie in so nicely with Rare Disease Gene Day on Mon. Maybe you don't follow the crowd & enjoy marching to the beat of your own drum, I can certainly say I am not a fan of following the crowd. But if there was ever a time to be a crowd follower now is that time.

I add this for my fellow bloggers:

Here is the purple shirt...

Can you share this post & picture on your blog? Can you share this on your Facebook profile? Can you please help me get the word out? Can you please add the link button on my sidebar to the ATCP on sidebar of your blog, if you haven't already? Maybe you could tweet it while you are it? ;D I don't have a Twitter account or I would add this post to that social medium as well. But maybe you do & would be willing to spread the word via Twitter.

Thank you for your time & love.

Jess