Love Always and Forever

Grieving & Hoping

2010-11-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

I'm back. I feel like I am always apologising for never posting. Should I start out a post a post with an apology or just leave it and hope that someone is still reading? I am thinking that I am just going to leave it and continue on with my first post in like 3 months. Life is just so busy and complicated sometimes that things that used to be so important to me are no longer on the top of my priorities. Unfortunately this blog is one of those things that has been neglected.

Part of the reason is my busy schedule. Part of the reason is some sad events in my family. And part of the reason is just my laziness.

I bet you are wondering how the title of this post fits in with this entry. Well let me start with the hoping.

I believe that HOPE is one of the symbols or sayings for breast cancer. Well my 88 year old Grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple months ago. She has had two surgeries to remove the tumor. The second surgery caused internal bleeding which lead to an emergency surgery. That was crazy scary! Anytime someone is diagnosed with cancer it is a shock, but to have my Grandma get diagnosed with breast cancer at her age is just really hard to stomach. Luckily she is a tough old bird and she has fought this with a strong faith in God and a determined attitude. Now it is just a wait and see game. With the second surgery it appears that all the cancer cells in the margins were removed so hopefully she will continue on with her life and hope that the cancer grows back slowly since she is not a candidate for chemo or radiation.

Our family also experienced a terrible tragedy 12 days ago. This is where the grieving comes in.

On November 6th my 28 year old cousin Cody was killed at a party he was attending at his sister's house. It was a late halloween party and they had about 20-25 people at the party, including their parents. It was all close friends just having a good time. Some young punk came as a guest of one of my cousin's friends. This punk brought several homemade bombs along to "scare" people with. However he did alot more than scare people when one of those bombs killed my cousin. This was not a wild party, and my cousins did NOT know this punk or his intentions. This punk has changed our family forever. He has taken my Grandma's only grandson. He has taken my Aunt and Uncle's only son. He has taken a "favorite Uncle" from his niece and nephews. He has broken the hearts of so many people that love Cody.

It makes no sense, and it is impossible to not ask "why?". This was not God's plan for Cody's life. I have moments everyday where I stop and wonder if this has really happened. It just seems so unreal sometimes. And then other times it seems too real as I watch his parents grieve over the loss of their child, and see my Grandma sob and asking how could this have happened. My heart breaks with the indescribable pain this has caused my family.

I grew up with my cousins Miranda and Cody. We spent all the holidays and birthdays together. We spent summers at the lake cabin and camping. Cody was in my wedding and he walked me down the aisle at his sister's wedding. He helped me move out of my mom's house. I used to take him to hockey games with me. He loved playing with my girls. This is going to be a really hard loss to recover from.

If you are still reading this I am asking you to please say a few prayers for my family. Especially his sister, parents, and grandparents. They are all really struggling right now in the wake of this horrific tragedy.

Until next time,

Liver Life Walk 2010

2010-08-31T21:30:00.001-07:00

Hello!!!! Can you believe that I am actually updating my blog. Goodness it has been a long time!! It has been a busy summer and I can't believe that school is about to start again.

I actually have a selfish reason for updating. I wanted to let you know that I have created Team Rick again this year for the Liver Life Walk. We are super excited to be doing the walk again this year. Samantha is really looking forward to it again as well. It is September 12, so time is really running out for me to get some donations for our team.

You can visit my personal fundraising page by clicking here. I really appreciate donations. Any amount is great as it all adds up.

We had so much fun last year and we are really looking forward to being there again this year. I am very happy to report that Rick's health has been very stable this year. We don't take that fact for granted however. I know it can change in the blink of an eye. Which is why this fundraiser is so important to me.

Thank you in advance for anyone that is able to make a donation. I will post more information as we get closer to the walk.

Until next time,

10 Years Old

2010-05-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago today I was holding a sweet, tiny baby girl in my arms. Tonight I am hugging a big girl that is now 10 years old. Wow!! 10!! I can't believe my little girl is 10 years old.

Sam is definitely her own person. She is strong-willed and smart. She is loving and kind. She is a challenge and a joy. And I couldn't be more blessed to have such a compassionate daughter!!

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY SAMANTHA!!!!!

I love you Sam!!

Love,

Mom

Is Anyone Still There???

2010-05-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hellllooooooooooo! Is anybody still out there? I don't blame you if your not. I have literally been MIA from blogging for a month. I just am in a bit of a dry spell. I am sure you all are wondering whats been going on with all of us. We are still here. I am working on coming up with some posts. There is a lot going on. Sam has soccer, both of the girls have Girl Scouts, I have been working more, Rick keeps coming down with colds, I am still trying to lose weight, Sam's birthday is next week, and the list goes on and on.

I feel pathetic for not having the energy or the drive to update this poor excuse for a blog. I have some pictures I need to post. I will get to it. Just put it on the pile.

I will be back, I hope you don't completely give up on me.

Until next time,

Final Weigh-In

2010-04-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

I am sure you are all aware that today was my final weigh-in in the Biggest Loser Challenge at work. I managed to spend the majority of the challenge in first place. However, two weeks ago one of my male co-workers was able to drop an insane amount of weight in a week and I was never able to catch up to that.

But I am proud to say that I finished in 2nd place. I lost a total of 25 pounds in 13 weeks. I am proud of myself. I look different and feel better. I am not done losing weight however. I only got half way to my original goal of losing 50 pounds.

We are going to start another challenge at work for those of us that want to continue. I will definitely be signing up. We are looking at making it a bit different this time with the possibility of having teams. The new challenge will start at the beginning of May. I hope to have lost another 10 pounds before the challenge starts. That is probably a long shot but having a goal will keep me motivated.

Thanks for everyone's support!!

Until next time,

Quicky

2010-04-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. I have lost my touch or something. I don't know. I guess I am just busy with life stuff and blogging has kinda fallen to the side. I hope you all aren't too disappointed. I mean I know how witty and charming I am. You must be missing me an awful lot. Or not.

But I am thinking about all my readers. Please be sure to keep checking in. I just may surprise you. I do plan on blogging after my final weigh-in on Monday. I have lost 25 pounds so far. Just because the contest ends on Monday doesn't mean that my losing weight will end. I am only half way to my original goal of losing 50 pounds. So keep checking back to see if I can make it.

Thanks for sticking with me!!

Until next time,

Unexpected

2010-03-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

My sweet youngest daughter Megan has always been a tough kid. She has a lot of little quirks that we have always just chocked up to being "Megan". However, recently it has become obvious that her life has become a bit more frantic. We have known that she suffers from ADHD and had originally decided not to medicate her for it. But it has been starting to affect her schoolwork. So we took her to the doctor last week to discuss putting her on medication so that she is able to focus and catch up in school. However we got more out of the appointment than we were expecting.

It has been discovered that Megan also suffers from a form of Autism called Aspergers. We have only had a few days to absorb this information so I don't have a lot of details to pass along. But I do want to get it out there as a means to explain Megan. All these things we thought were possibly naughty behavior are actually from the Aspergers and she honestly doesn't have any control over these behaviors.

So please bear with us as we navigate what this means for Megan and for our family. We have some serious adjustments to make. Please keep Megan in your prayers. She is going to have rougher time in life than I wanted for her.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #11

2010-03-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

It is the home stretch. Only two more weeks to go until the final weigh-in. Thank goodness. The competition part of this is starting to get to me. It was fun for a while but now it just stresses me out. I really wanted to win but now I am struggling and it makes me feel like I can't do it.

I didn't lose any weight this week, but I didn't gain any weight either. So that is good, I guess. I went to the gym after work tonight and forced myself to workout. I am going to go every night after work for the next two weeks. I feel like I have to do everything I can to try and finish this competition on top. However, I know I will be taking a break when the competition is over. I just need to focus on myself and not the competitive part of this.

I did get to buy a new pair of jeans in a smaller size and I love how they fit. And the shirts I bought are a smaller size as well. That is the real reward.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #10

2010-03-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I know I missed last weeks weigh-in report. I am very sorry!! Please accept my apology.

Last week I hit my first milestone of passing the 20 pounds lost mark!!!! However I ended up being tied with my co-worker at exactly 9.4% weightloss each. I mean seriously, what are the odds of both being at exactly 9.4% each?!?!?!

But I was able to pass him again this week and claim 1st place all to myself again. He is still right on my heals though with another co-worker just right behind him. This is the home stretch now. There are only 3 more weigh-ins left in this competition. I really need to buckle down if I am going to try to actually win this thing.

Seriously, I never thought I would be this close. But I really want it!!!! I really need the money to buy new clothes that actually fit me. The other day it took me three pairs of jeans to find a pair that weren't way too big. Now that is a great feeling!!!

I will try to be better about updating. I know I have been really bad about blogging. I am sorry and I hope you still come back to check in.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #8

2010-03-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

I am so close to losing 20 pounds that I can almost reach out and touch it. I lost another 1 1/2 pounds this week. And that is with pigging out on pizza last thursday and eating chips and salsa yesterday while sitting on the couch doing nothing. I only have 1 more pound to go to reach the 20 pound mark. And then only 30 more to go to reach my original goal of losing 50 pounds. That is a frustrating thought considering how hard it has been the last couple weeks.

Losing weight is not easy!! It can be so frustrating to watch people eating whatever they want and knowing that I really shouldn't be eating the things that I crave. I am not only doing this for the competition but also for a lifestyle change so that I am happy with how I feel about myself. I haven't felt so great about myself the past couple years. But it takes a certain frame of mind to be able to get the strength to work on changing one's lifestyle. I feel like I am somewhat in that frame of mind, it just sometimes seems to allude me.

I have people ask me what I am doing to lose the weight. The main thing was focusing on eating MUCH healthier. Snacking on fruits and veggies has been a big change. And watching my portion sizes is a huge step as well. I have discovered some great cookbooks and have followed a lot of those recipe ideas. I have virtually cut out fast food (except for the occasional french fries or pizza) and have avoided sweets almost totally. I have only had a tiny bit of chocolate this entire year, which is so not easy!!!

I did join a gym. Although I find it very hard to get motivated enough to workout as much as I should. I really don't particularly like going to the gym, so that has become my biggest struggle. And then the guilt I feel for not going makes me feel even worse. I know I need to go. I know that is going to help my overall weightloss goal and make me much healthier. I just wish it didn't suck so much!!!

If you were wondering, I am yet again in 1st place this week. I didn't know I had a competitive side, but I am certainly tickled to be coming in 1st place all the time. It feels really good. And it feels good to have people notice that I am looking different (even if I don't think I look different).

Until next time,

Hungry Girl

2010-02-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

When I started the Biggest Loser at work one of my co-workers got us hooked on a website called Hungry Girl (not to be confused with Hungry Girls, trust me). You can check out the website here. They send out daily emails with lots of helpful hints and ideas.

So tonight I decided to buy the cookbooks.

I am really excited to crack these books open and start planning my weekly menus. Planning ahead and having ideas really helps keep me on track. I plan on hitting the grocery store tomorrow and I am excited about having a healthy menu planned out for the week.

I will let you know how it goes. And I will pass along anything fantastic that I discover. Hopefully I don't poison my family. Wish me luck!

Until next time,

One year ago

2010-02-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

I am so very thankful that this has been a calm year medically speaking, at least so far. Today marks one year ago that Rick was hospitalized for complications following his ERCP. He became seriously ill with pancreatitis after the procedure. It was truly one of the scariest nights of my life, and lead to a very stressful week.

If you are new to my blog, or would like a refresher on what went down last year, here are the links to the posts that I wrote once Rick was released from the hospital:

ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 1
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 2
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 3
ERCP/Pancreatitis Part 4

I am really glad that I wrote those posts and documented everything. As much as so much of that experience is burned into my memory, alot of the little details have been forgotten.

We had a LOT of support from friends and family during the week long hospital stay. Did you know that I only left the hospital to shower and change clothes? I ate every meal there and slept in a recliner.

I am praying that this year continues to be uneventful. However I do need to schedule Rick for his yearly ERCP. And quite frankly that scares me silly!

I am taking to tonight to say some prayers and thank God for granting Rick some time to be stable.

Until next time,

Weigh-In #7

2010-02-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

I have taken back the lead!!! I won the Gold Medal for the week!! I wish there was a real gold medal. But there will be a real award at the end of this when I am significantly lighter and I win the $$ so that I can buy new clothes. I lost another 2 pounds for a total weightloss of 18 pounds. I am hoping to make a certain goal by next Monday.

So I now need to really focus this week so I can meet my next goal. I haven't been feeling good the past couple days so it has been hard to eat correctly. And the last couple weeks I feel like I have lacked a bit of focus. So this week I am back on the horse, so to speak. I plan on making going to the gym more of a priority and really focusing on my eating habits. I am really going to focus on the weigh-in next week.

I think my biggest problem with my eating habits is that I am getting bored with my food choices. I could use some new and creative meal ideas. And snack ideas as well.

Thanks for everyone's support!! I really appreciate it!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #5 & #6

2010-02-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know, I totally stink at updating lately. I don't know what my problem is. I just feel like I don't have a lot to say right now.

Last Monday's weigh-in went great. I lost another 3 pounds finishing in 1st place again. We teamed up with a partner last week to give out extra encouragement and hold each other accountable. I really appreciated my partner Annie and all her positive encouragement. I know it helped to keep me focused.

I am having some trouble staying focused right now. Especially after today's weigh-in. Today was not a good day for me. I gained a pound this week. I worked out 4 times and ate just like I have been doing yet I still gained a pound. I slipped back to 2nd place for the week.

Tonight I have gotten off track and ate some chocolate, ate a bigger dinner than I should, and then had a couple little candies.

I know I have to get back on track somehow. It is just so easy to follow old patterns and just ignore all the hard work I have put in for the past 6 weeks. So my prayer for the week is to get myself back into the right mindset to keep up the weightloss.

Until next time,

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time

2010-02-06T17:47:00.001-08:00

Guess what everyone, it's that time of year again. We are now selling Girl Scout Cookies. Megan is our newest little salesgirl this year. And she is excited to be selling cookies.

If you are interested in ordering some cookies just let me know. I have a couple girls that are really looking forward to earning the cookie dollars that they can use towards things at the Girl Scout office or for camp.

The cookies are $4 a box. New this year are the Thank U Berry Munch which has cranberries and white fudge chunks. Sounds good to me. Of course we also have Lemon Chalet Cremes, Trefoils, DO-SI-DOS, Samoas, Dulce De Leche, Tagalongs, and Thin Mints. We are currently doing pre-orders. The cookies will arrive around the end of March.

Just let us know if you would like to order some. Thank you very much!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #4

2010-02-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

I don't have to eat a cheeseburger!!!!! I lost another 2 pounds putting me at 14 pounds gone!!!

I am very excited and looking forward to losing even more. I love that I feel so much better now. And I am starting to get used to eating better. I am so glad that I started this. And it makes it much easier having the support of others who are doing the same thing right along side me.

Until next time,

Cheeseburger?!?!

2010-01-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

I don't want to HAVE to eat a cheeseburger. I would like to eat a cheeseburger, but I would really rather wait a bit longer in the weightloss process. But if I lose the weigh-in tomorrow to one of my co-workers I will have to eat a cheeseburger. At least I think I will. That was the last thing we talked about the "loser" having to do.

We have been trash-talking this past week and so tomorrow is the big day to find out who lost the most weight % and who has to suffer through the humiliating task of eating a cheeseburger.

Please God don't let me be the one to eat the cheeseburger.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Until next time,

Family Photos

2010-01-28T22:26:00.001-08:00

A friend of ours, Dylan, took some pictures of us together back in October. These are my favorites. What do you think?

Until next time,

Girl Scouts and Firemen

2010-01-28T21:09:00.001-08:00

Megan's Girl Scout troop had a field trip to a local fire station. She had fun and the kids had a lot of "what if" questions.

I have lost track of how many fire station field trips I have been on. But this one had some good looking firemen so it wasn't so bad.

And get ready because it is almost time for Girl Scout cookies. Just a heads-up.

Until next time,

Sisterly Love

2010-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

"Sam took the fin off my Flounder. And she is holding my Ariel in her dirty little filthy hands."

Oh the love between these two sisters.

Weigh-In #3

2010-01-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today was weigh-in #3 of the Biggest Loser. I was not very confident going into it because I didn't feel like I had lost any weight. Boy was I surprised! I lost about 3.5 pounds. Which put me in 1st place for the week. Yep I am the Biggest Loser of the week. Woo Hoo!!!

So now I am even more inspired to work even harder. I have lost a total of almost 12 pounds in 3 weeks. I am almost at 5% weight loss. That is so much better than I was expecting.

Here's to a good week and even more weight loss!!

Until next time,

Yummy!!!!

2010-01-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, you may all know by now (or maybe you don't) that I don't like to cook. Seriously, it isn't really my thing. I have been focusing on trying to enjoy it more since that is going to make a big difference in my lifestyle change and eating habits. And I am sure that you don't really consider using the blender "cooking". But I have found one of my new favorite things. And because I am feeling generous I am going to share.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup low fat vanilla soy milk
1 packet splenda
1/8 tsp (or a little more) vanilla extract
1 cup ice cubes

Blend and ENJOY!!!!!

So good!! In fact that is what I am enjoying right now!!

Until next time,

Weigh-In #2

2010-01-18T19:29:00.001-08:00

If you watch the Biggest Loser on TV then you know that the second week is notoriously tough for the weightloss. And it was evident today in everyone's weigh-in at work. Luckily I did lose weight, but not much. Only 1 pound actually. But in the big picture I lost 8 pounds in two weeks. And that is still really good. I slipped out of second place and landed in fourth place. But I will rebound this week.

I did cheat a little bit tonight. It was my first cheat. And it was yummy. I put light sour cream, I can't believe it's not butter, and some shredded cheese on my baked potato. Not exactly the kind of cheating you were expecting? You were probably thinking I had some greasy burger or junk food. But I kept my cheating to a minimum, at least in my opinion.

So now I pick up and move ahead while focusing on working even harder. I will do it! This is me being positive!

Until next time,

Winter???

2010-01-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

As I woke up this morning to the sun shining and blue skies I started thinking "What happened to winter??" Seriously. We have only had to shovel once this winter. And I have only actually "needed" snow tires one day this winter. I know that we were all complaining last winter when we were drowning in 5 feet of snow but this is the Inland Northwest and we are supposed to have all 4 seasons. I have been amazed at the number of days of sunshine we have had this winter. I am not complaining. Really. I am just wondering what happened to winter.

On the plus side I didn't have to spend money on new boots for the girls. On the other hand I could have saved the $$ it cost to have the snow tires put on, because now I will have to pay the same $$ to have them taken off soon.

Oh well.

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On to another subject. Biggest Loser. Monday is weigh-in number 2. I have still been very good with my eating habits. I STILL haven't cheated. Seriously. Not a single item of junk food. Not a single nibble of chocolate. I probably haven't eaten more than 1200 calories in a day since this started. Some days even less than that. I am trying very hard. I will be able to change and make this my new healthy lifestyle. I am even getting some members of the household to follow along.

I will let you know how the weigh-in goes.

Until next time,

Second Place

2010-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it!!!!! I am in second place after the first week of Biggest Loser at work. I did it, even though I really thought I didn't. I was expecting maybe just a 1-2 pound weight loss. I was WRONG!!! Do you want to know how much weight I lost???

Drum roll please..............

7 pounds

I was completely blown away and I did jump up and down. I am proud of myself. I honestly didn't cheat over the weekend. I kept up with my healthy eating habits, even though that is a lot harder during the weekend when I am home all day. I am going to be starting the gym sometime this week. I know that will make a difference in feeling better too.

So stay tuned for next weeks weigh-in. I know it probably won't be this much, but I am excited now that I know I can do it!!

Until next time,

A Little of This and That

2010-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up our finished pottery. I think they turned out totally cute!!!! I can't wait to go back and make more. I think I have a new obsession. Oh how I wish I could go there more often. It is very therapeutic.

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Today I also got the chance to babysit Mady. I love having her all to myself, well except for the girls playing with her too. She is soooooooo adorable!!! Gosh I just adore this little girl.

Can you believe that these two are related? Jeez I don't see a resemblance at all.

Oh, and did you notice Sam's cute new haircut. It is really short and she LOVES it!!

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Tomorrow is my weigh-in at work for the Biggest Loser. I am REALLY hoping that I have lost something. I wasn't able to get the gym membership set up last week so I haven't been to the gym yet. But I did a fantastic job of sticking with my diet this past week. Seriously, lots of fruit and veggies. And I made a big effort to make sure that my meals were very low fat. My biggest problem now is trying to come up with a bigger variety of dinner ideas. I am not a fantastic cook, nor do I really like to cook, so it is hard for me to figure out what to make. Usually if we are short on food or time I just run out and get fast food. Well I am not doing that anymore. So now I have to figure out how to be creative in the kitchen. I am open to suggestions.

I will let you know how the weigh-in goes tomorrow.

Until next time,

Biggest Loser

2010-01-06T20:47:00.001-08:00

On Monday I stepped onto the scale and officially started my New Year's resolution. Let me tell you that looking at my weight was the low point for me. I wasn't quite expecting that result. But I will never see that number again!!

I had made the decision to change my lifestyle and eating habits before the new year. But then a group of people that I work with also wanted to do the same thing. So we have joined together in the Biggest Loser at work. There is a group of 13 that is competing for a $650 grand prize. The prize money would be great, but for me the real prize will be getting healthy and changing my life. But if I do win I will need that money to buy new clothes that fit!!

Seriously now, I am struggling with what to eat. I have not had the best eating habits and I am really focusing on changing that. However, my tummy has noticed the change and tonight it is telling me that it misses the crap. But I will get past this and move on to a healthier new me. I know that sounds cliche, but it WILL happen.

I might update on my weekly weigh in, I might not. We'll just see how it goes.

Until next time,

Resolutions

2010-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

Apparently this is going to be the year for resolutions. I made one very big resolution that I thoroughly intend on keeping. So here goes my list of resolutions:

*I am going to lose weight, exercise and get healthy. I guess that is kinda three-in-one, but they go hand-in-hand. I have a big weight loss goal and I thoroughly intend on following through with this resolution. I need to feel better about myself.

*Feeling better about myself brings me into my next resolution. I want to be a better mother and wife. And feeling good about myself will help immensely in that goal. I want to yell less and spend more time together as a family. I am hoping that will ease the tension and fighting between the girls.

*I want to be more financially secure. I know that one is going to be probably the hardest to fulfill. But it begins with less frivolous spending which I plan to focus on seriously.

It may not seem like much, but those are some big items for me. Rick also has some resolutions that he made on his own. I hope that we are both able to achieve our goals for the year.

Until next time,
Jaime

Girl Time

2010-01-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

Today Megan and I went to Polka Dot Pottery with her Girl Scout troop. We had a fun time together and I tried to control my "perfectionism" on Megan's project. She chose the cutest penguin piggy bank. If you didn't know, Megan LOVES penguins!!! She actually worked really hard on painting her penguin. I just helped clean up the outlines. And then she chose a tiny penguin to paint while she waited for me to finish my project. I didn't help her do any part of the tiny penguin.

I made my very first mug. And I am so proud of it! Now I can't wait to see it glazed when I pick it up next weekend. I think I am going to use it for tea at work. I don't know, but I am so using that mug all the time!!

And thanks to my friend Denise for taking my picture with my first mug.

Until next time,

Jaime

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Megan was up to ring in the New Year with us last night. Samantha was at Gigi's house.

We went outside after we watched the ball drop and were treated with a fantastic fireworks show we could watch from our backyard. There were some fantastic fireworks being fired off not too far away and we really enjoyed watching that together.

Well here's hoping that 2010 is a great year. We have entered it with a new attitude and some great resolutions as well. Normally we aren't really resolution makers but this is a new year and a new decade following a horrible year for us so we are giving it a shot. Maybe I will write a post about our resolutions if you all are interested.

Thanks for hanging with us through the last year. It was a rough ride and I hope that I can get back into the upbeat swing of things now.

Until next time,

Jaime

Christmas Morning

2009-12-30T20:47:00.001-08:00

I think that the pictures speak for themselves. The girls were very excited Christmas morning and Santa treated them well (although I wonder if he got them confused with some other girls). They were super excited to play with all their new toys. But of course the new things are opened slowly as we figure out where to put the new stuff and what old stuff to get rid of.

I hope that you all had a great Christmas! We sure did.

Until next time,

Jaime

Christmas Eve and Pajamas

2009-12-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with family this year. It was nice to spend time together and celebrate. I love Christmas because of the time spent with family. Of course Christmas Eve is still a work day for Rick and I so we didn't get to spend the entire day together but we did spend the evening at my Mom's house. We had a fantastic dinner and opened presents.

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And we have our Christmas Eve tradition of opening a new pair of pajamas. The girls know what it is but I wrap them anyway. It is fun to go to bed in brand new jammies on Christmas Eve. I should have bought a new pair for myself.

The girls were so excited for Santa to come. Sam went to bed and basically fell right to sleep, which is amazing!! Megan, on the other hand, had a REALLY hard time falling asleep. She was up really late and she came out to the living room saying "someone please help me fall asleep." And then not too soon after that she was in bed calling out "PLEASE HELP ME FALL ASLEEP!!" It was sooo cute, and yet so sad. She was so worried that Santa wouldn't come because she wasn't sleeping. Luckily she did eventually fall asleep so that Santa could bring presents. Santa was pretty late though, like after midnight. I hope we didn't make him run late.

Until next time,

Jaime

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2009-12-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

We finally got to the mall to have a visit with Santa Claus. And Santa was sure to remind the girls to leave him some cookies. It was really cute, as he patted his HUGE belly. Seriously, a real HUGE belly!!!

Since Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are packed full of family time I wanted to get on the blog tonight to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope that you have a wonderful time with your family and friends. I will be back with a full report after the wonder of Christmas is passed.

Enjoy the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is the reason for the season.

Until next time,
Jaime

Family Pottery

2009-12-20T21:27:00.001-08:00

I was able to pick up our completed pottery the other day. I am really happy with how they turned out. I was the most excited to see the plate that we made together. With the girls hand prints as the wreath and Rick and my fingerprints as the berries it will be a very special Christmas plate for years to come.

Here is Megan's gingerbread man ornament:

Here is Sam's snowman ornament:

Both of the girls made mugs for Gigi. We gave them to her at our family Christmas party last night along with some tea. They were so excited to have her open them and she really liked the mugs. What Gigi wouldn't like handmade gifts from their great-grandchildren?!

I really would like to make this a Christmas tradition. We all had so much fun and we have some great memories and keepsakes
.

Until next time,

Jaime

Christmas Lights

2009-12-19T00:09:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to go look at Christmas lights. I have been doing this every year since I was a little kid. Last year we didn't get to go because of the 5 feet of snow. But tonight we started our adventure by going to Manito Park to walk through the conservatory. It was all decked out with poinsettias and lights. It was so gorgeous. I took a couple pictures (of course).

After that we went downtown for pizza. And then we took off looking for decorated houses. We found a house with a huge light show. They had A LOT of lights that were set to music. The girls LOVED it!! And I loved it too. As we drove around we listened to Christmas music and sang along. My favorite was when the girls and I sang along with a Raffi song that I used to listen to when I was a kid. It is special to share moments like that with the girls.

The craziness of Christmas begins now. Starting with Christmas parties this weekend and a special Church program. We will be busy busy for the next week. Even my work is in on the Christmas fun. Today we had a potluck and next week is Christmas spirit week.

Ahh, the holidays!!

Until next time,
Jaime

Christmas Program

2009-12-18T23:55:00.000-08:00

Megan had her Christmas program at school on Thursday. It was cute and Megan was so excited for her program. Although you never would have known it by how serious she was while on stage.

This is a picture of Megan with the tree that her class made.

The parents are always given a minute to take pictures before the program begins. I told Megan to make sure that she looked at me and smiled so that I could get a good picture. And she actually did look at me and smile. Amazing!!

The program only lasted about 25 minutes. The gym was packed to standing room only. Good thing we got there an hour early. Rick and I were able to get two seats in the front row.

"Christmas cookies, Christmas Pie. Christmas goodies, my oh my."

Until next time,
Jaime

Family Fun

2009-12-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

So part of getting into the spirit of the season is spending some family time together. Tonight the four of us went to Polka Dot Pottery and made some stuff. This was our first time painting pottery as a family. It really was a lot of fun.

The girls made ornaments for our tree. This is the first year that I have done this. But I am thinking that I feel a new tradition forming. They are so cute. Usually I buy each girl an ornament signifying something special from the year. However, this year I have had a hard time finding them an ornament. So I think having a handmade ornament is the next best thing. Sam painted a snowman and Megan painted a gingerbread man. I can't wait to pick them up next week to see how they look after they are finished.

We also made a plate as a family. My family has a traditional Christmas morning bubble bread that I make for Christmas morning breakfast for my family now. I grew up eating it every year, and now I make for my family. And you know how much I just love baking. (Can you sense the sarcasm?) So I thought it would be fun to have a special plate to serve the bread on. The girls used their hand prints to make a wreath and Rick and I used our fingerprints to make the berries. It is really sweet and I can't wait to pick it up next week. I am really excited to see the finished product.

The girls also made a couple Christmas presents. They had a great time. Samantha especially loves painting pottery. I am thinking that we are going to have to do this more often. Even Rick said he had fun. He suggested that just the two of us go there one evening and make something together. Sounds like a great date night to me!!!

I will show you pictures of the finished projects when we get them back next week so stay tuned.

Until next time,
Jaime

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

I was having the hardest time finding the Christmas spirit this year. I am usually decorating the day after Thanksgiving. That didn't happen this year. But the tree is finally up and the house is decorated. The girls are really happy to finally have the tree up. And I really do love having the house all decked out for Christmas. It has really helped me find my Christmas spirit. I may not be fully there this year, but at least I am trying.

Both of the girls tried to put the angel on top of the tree but they weren't able to get it to stay. So then I tried to put it on the tree but it was not straight so Rick stepped in and finished it off. The angel is now happily looking down on us from her perch on the top of our tree.

I don't know if we are going to get any decorations up outside this year. It is absolutely FREEZING outside so neither one of us want to go spend hours outside decorating. It isn't the end of the world if we don't get the outside stuff done this year. I would rather be in my warm house than outside turning into a popsicle.

Until next time,
Jaime

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-25T23:26:00.000-08:00

I want to wish all my wonderful blog readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. I know that I haven't been very good at blogging lately. And I feel bad about that. Lately I feel like I don't have much to say, and it's all basically the same boring stuff anyway.

But I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that I am very thankful for all the wonderful readers and comments that you all leave for me. It really lifts me up and gives me the encouragement I need to push through these difficult times.

Enjoy your turkey day and stuff yourselves!!!

Love,
Jaime

It's Here!!! It's Finally Here!!!!

2009-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

OME!!!!!! Oh My Edward it's finally here!!!! At this time tomorrow evening I will be in the middle of watching New Moon. I am so excited, I feel like a crazy teenager. I am a Twilight Mom for sure!! And now Samantha is really into too. She however is Team Jacob. I bet you all know what team I am on.

I am so excited!!

Until next time,

Jaime

Veteran's Day: My Grandpa

2009-11-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

My mom wrote a speech that she read at her school's Veteran's Day assembly. It tells the story of my Grandpa Cecil's experience of being a prisoner of war during WWII. I want to post it here because this part of my family's history is so important to me. Just remember it was written for elementary kids so it is a simple version, but I don't want to change it. (I am changing it a little bit so that it reads as if I am telling it about my Grandpa. Sorry Mom, I hope that's okay)

My Grandpa, Cecil Cunningham, joined the Army Air Corps in October of 1940. In those days the Air Force and Army were one branch of the military call the Army Air Corps. He was 22 years old and earned $21 a month. After basic training, he went to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was a driver for his base commander, Col. Hackett. It was here that Grandpa made a decision that would change his life. Col. Hackett asked Grandpa if he would like to stay in New Mexico and continue to be his driver when his outfit shipped out. But Grandpa, a man of strong character, choose to be loyal to his unit and ship out to an unknown destination.

He was sent on an Army transport ship to the Philippine islands in the Pacific Ocean. He arrived in the Philippines in November of 1941 and on December 7 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the war with Japan began. Eventually, the Japanese captured the Philippines and my Grandpa became a prisoner of war.

He was sent to a prisoner of war camp in the Philippines where he worked in a machine shop and in the rice fields planting rice for 10-12 hours a day. The prisoners were fed two times a day...mainly small amounts of rice. Sometimes they were given fish head soup with weeds. The men used a small can to collect insects, snakes, weeds...anything they could find to add protein to their diet.

After 2 1/2 years he was sent on a ship to Japan. (obviously this was one of the infamous "Hell Ships") The ship was so crowded with prisoners that only one man out of three could lie down. He was on the ship for 3 months. Many of the men became sick on the ship because there was little food and no medicine.

He was sent to Yokkaichi prison camp in Japan. There he was forced to work in a copper mine loading big, heavy ore carts and pushing them to the smelter. There was no heat in the buildings (and Japan has a climate much like Spokane with cold, snowy winters) and very little food. He slept on a straw mat that was infested with fleas and lice.

One day he had his picture taken. (I wish I had a digital copy that I could post on here) The picture was sent back to the United States so that people would think that the prisoners were well cared for. In that picture my Grandpa is wearing a nice clean prisoner uniform. But he only wore that uniform for his picture. As soon as his picture was taken, he had to give that uniform to the next man for his picture, and to the next, and the next. His real clothes were ragged and worn out.

In September 1945 the war was over. Grandpa had been a prisoner of war for 3 1/2 years and had lost over 100 pounds during this time. He came back to the United States on a hospital ship. When he regained his strength (he was paralyzed from the lack of nutrition) he returned home to his family. He eventually married my Grandma and began a family.

My Grandpa was very proud to be an American and it showed brightest when he would salute the American Flag. He sacrificed 3 1/2 years of his life so that America would remain free. He did this for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Of course this is a simplified version of what he went through, remember it was originally written for elementary kids. And apparently the kids were so interested that you could have heard a pin drop while my Mom was reading this. Cool!!

I am so proud of my Grandpa. He was not one to talk about his experiences. It just wasn't something he talked about very much. He wasn't boastful and I think that was one reason he didn't feel the need to talk about his time as a POW. I have enjoyed learning more about his time as a POW as I have gotten older. I think it is because I can really appreciate how much he must have endured during those 3 1/2 years.

Thank you to all the Veteran's in my family, and Rick's family. We are very grateful for all you sacrificed for our freedom!!

The Lows of Life

2009-11-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today when I was on Facebook I noticed that Rick's status said "dealing with the lows of life." It made me sad. But it also reminded me that we are both feeling pretty low right now. So many things seem to be going wrong for us right now. It just feels like we can't catch our breath. Almost like we're drowning. The ship is sinking with us on board.

One of the biggest lows Rick is dealing with is his work schedule. He really hates the shift changes he is dealing with at work. It is especially frustrating for me to watch him struggle due to all the crazy different hours he has been working. This past weekend was really rough on him. He had to work at noon one day and then turn around with less than a day in between and work at midnight. That caused him to spend all day on Halloween suffering with a terrible headache. He hardly got any sleep, I am talking like maybe 2 hours. It would be hard for a healthy person to work like that, but for someone that is not healthy it is unbearable. My PSC peeps understand the fatigue that comes with having PSC. So to already deal with that type of fatigue and then add in ridiculous shift changes is very hard on the body.

And then today he was told that the store manager likes having him at the store in the evenings and wants to keep him on this crazy @$$ schedule. (sorry for the language, I am just really pissed) That is NOT fair. The manager said he wants the new person to work Rick's shift and keep Rick with the screwed up shifts. Rick has worked there for 16 years and now is being treated terribly. For someone who said that they want what's best for Rick they sure are screwing him over. So the lesson here would be that working hard only gets you screwed with!

I just want to runaway, but I know that won't help. But I just need a break. I have been trying to hand all this over to God but I am not good at that. It has just been such a hard year. I feel broken somehow. Like I am not the same person anymore. I just don't care as much about some things anymore. I really don't care if my house is organized. I really don't care if everything is picked up and put away. I just really don't feel like the same person. And it makes it worse when those little things are pointed out to me. Like I don't know that things in my house aren't the same. Like things in my life aren't the same. They're not. And now I have to learn how to embrace the new me. I shouldn't feel guilty for not wanting to go back to the old me. And for those people that don't accept this as me now, well then they just don't have any idea what this last year has done to me.

I really do want to feel happy again. But this time of year is really hard to deal with when I don't have the finances to enjoy it. I look at my girls and feel sad that I can't do the things with them that they want to do. I do hope that they know how very much I love them. And how sorry I am that they don't get to do all things they want to do.

Oh goodness, I am really pathetic. Sorry.

Jaime

Crowbar Incident

2009-11-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Gross picture below!

Rick had himself a little accident tonight. He was moving some cabinets in the basement from his drum room to the laundry room. The cabinet needed to be cut out of place. Rick was using a crowbar and set it on top of the cabinet. He bent down and wiggled the cabinet. Remember what was on top of the cabinet? Yep, the crowbar. It fell off the top of the cabinet and landed on the top of his head.

He came upstairs and called for me to come help him. And he made sure to tell me in advance not to freak out. I had heard the saw running downstairs and then I heard something fall, which happened to be the crowbar. So I figured I was going to be seeing something I didn't want to see.

I walked in to the bathroom to see blood pouring down Rick's face. I held it together, grabbed a towel, and starting wiping up blood. When I could finally see where the blood was coming from I made the decision to take him to the Emergency Room. Of course Rick didn't want to go, but he went because he said he knew if he didn't he wouldn't hear the end of it.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait for very long in the ER. Rick got 4 stitches in the top of his head.

And then we came home and he showed off the crowbar that did the damage.

Didn't think I would be spending Sunday evening in the Emergency Room. And I didn't freak out about all the blood either. Wow!!

Until next time,
Jaime

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T22:04:00.001-07:00

The girls have been super excited to get to wear their Halloween costumes. They finally got to put them on yesterday for their class parties. They both picked out what they wanted to be without any influence from me. Sam chose The Flash. Apparently it is a superhero from Justice League. I don't know, I'm not very knowledgeable in superhero. Megan chose Daphne, from Scooby Doo. I know, big shock. She is a huge fan of Scooby Doo. At least I knew who that one is.

Nana and Papa with all their little goblins.

I hope you had a fun Halloween. It was a busy day to end a busy month. And it is just going to get busier with the upcoming holidays. I am already exhausted, oh please Lord give me strength.

Until next time,

Jaime

Frustration and Exhaustion

2009-10-28T22:04:00.001-07:00

The two words that really sum up how I have been feeling is frustration and exhaustion. I am tired. Really, really tired. It could be from all the running around with kids and their activities. It could be from working. It could be from traveling with Rick to the band competitions. But it could also be from my depression. Yes, I take medicine for depression. I admit it because I am not embarrassed by it. It has been a rough couple years and so I got depressed. I am feeling a bit like I am having some more depression. Which would help to answer the tired question.

Frustration is also a big part of the exhaustion. I am frustrated with so many parts of my life right now. Frustrated with Rick's work schedule. After 16 years of working for the same company his hours are being screwed with and he goes from working 12:30pm -9:00pm to working 12:30am-9:00am. That not only screws up him, it screws up our whole family. And I worry about what that severe change to his system will do to his health.

As I am sure you have been aware I am frustrated with my kids. We have been battling with them to pick up their rooms, show respect to each other, and to stop destroying the house. By destroying I mean that they write on the walls, furniture, and basically disrespect our things. It has reached a boiling point that is about to boil over into complete disarray. They have not been showing us respect, and have been showing a complete lack of responsibility. Yes my expectations are for 6 and 9 year olds. I do realize they are just kids, but this is out of hand. And it makes me sick to see this happening in our family. I feel like I have tried so many different tactics that have all failed. I don't want to be a failure to my kids. I want them to grow up with awesome memories, not memories of always being yelled at. I don't want to yell at them, I try to avoid it as much as possible. But I just don't know what to do anymore.

That is the biggest problem that I face everyday. The girls are always fighting with each other. I am feeling like a terrible mother, like I must have done something wrong. This is not how I want our family dynamic. I am so frustrated and saddened by how things are going right now.

The second biggest frustration is the financial situation we are in right now. It has been a rough couple years and it is really hard to try to feel like I'm not drowning. All these things are not good for our marriage either. We are lucky to have formed such a close bond over the past few years. But sometimes life gets in the way and right now I am not feeling that bond as strongly which breaks my heart.

These are the reasons that I haven't been blogging much lately. I don't feel like I have anything positive to say. I have had a really hard time thinking of things to write. Nobody wants to keep reading depressing blog posts. And I really want to be funny or witty, so that is why I have been avoiding the blog. My goal is to get this all turned around now that our crazy schedule of activities is slowing down. We have a long winter ahead of us, which means a lot of time stuck together in the house. And it is going to suck if I can't get things turned around.

I am going to give it my all. I want a strong, loving family. I don't want to be frustrated and exhausted anymore!

Until next time,
Jaime

My Favorite City

2009-10-26T22:26:00.001-07:00

Do you all remember that I love Seattle? Well, I do! I love all the water, the skyline, how it smells. I don't enjoy the traffic. But I really look forward to being able to get over to Seattle. However it isn't very often. Since the last marching band competition of the season just happens to be in Everett (just a few miles north of Seattle for those of you not familiar with the area) it is the perfect opportunity to spend a little time there before heading up to meet the band. The weather this year was typical Seattle weather. It was windy and misty. But it still smelled fantastic!! And made for some beautiful rainbows.

We took a drive around Seattle and went up to the Queen Anne neighborhood. There is a cute park that looks out over the Seattle center, which includes the Space Needle, and the downtown skyline. Can you say gorgeous?
It was a nice drive with all the beautiful fall colors. Of course we made our way to Spud's for lunch. Fish and Chips + Clam Chowder = Yummy!!!!! Seriously, it is soooo good!!!

Oh how I wish I could spend more time in my favorite city.

Until next time,
Jaime

Liver Disease Facts Part 3

2009-10-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

It is time for another installment of Liver Disease Facts. Remember that October is Liver Disease Awareness Month. And also remember that I am totally borrowing these facts from Shawnee.

1. About 15,000 children are hospitalized every year with pediatric liver diseases or disorders. How sad is that?? Nobody would accuse the kiddos of having liver disease because of alcohol. Just saying.

2. More than 15,000 patients are currently registered on the liver transplant waiting list of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), while only about 4,500 cadaver donor livers become available for transplantation each year. That is a seriously scary statistic. It seems so simple, just be an organ donor.

3. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), obesity-related chronic liver disease, may affect as many as one in every four adults over the age of 18. Thin people or of average build can also get fatty liver. In fact, people can develop fatty liver even if they do not experience any health conditions such as obesity or diabetes. See, "Nonalcoholic".

4. Drugs can cause liver disease in several ways. Some drugs are directly injurious to the liver; others are transformed by the liver into chemicals that can be injurious to the liver directly or indirectly. (This may seem strange in light of the liver's important role in transforming toxic chemicals into nontoxic chemicals, but it happens.) There are three types of liver toxicity; dose-dependent toxicity, idiosyncratic toxicity, and drug allergy. The most important examples of dose-dependent toxicity are: Tylenol (acetaminophen), statins (cholesterol reducers), Niacin, Amiodarone (Cordarone), Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), many antibiotics, NSAIDs, and even some vitamins and herbs. This is exactly why it is so difficult to treat all of Rick's conditions. Since his liver is already damaged that rules out the use of so many drugs that could potentially help with the other diseases. But we of course do not want to risk damaging the liver any more, or speed up the liver failure process.

So are you bored yet? It is so important to me to get the word out that liver disease can affect anyone. Young or old. Healthy or maybe not so healthy.

Until next time,
Jaime

Soccer Saturday

2009-10-17T14:44:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for warmer weather. It was a very pleasant day for soccer today. Sam's team won 6-2. She played out during the first half and goalie during the second half. She was close to scoring a goal. It can be so frustrating to watch sometimes. But I really enjoy cheering her on.

Until next time,
Jaime

Daisy Scouts/Soccer Saturday

2009-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Megan's second Daisy Girl Scout meeting. It was the first time she wore her Daisy vest. She was super excited to wear her vest and go to another meeting. We (and by "we" I mean "me") made name necklaces. And she was able to recite the Girl Scout Promise so she has earned her first official badge. It will be the center to the Daisy petals. I am so proud of her.

_______________________________________

Sam had a good game this past Saturday. She played goalie for the entire game. Although her team didn't win she was able to make some really great saves. And she is getting really good at her drop kick.

I have really bad at taking pictures lately. This was the first game I took pictures. She scored a goal two weeks ago. I missed the game because I was at a band competition with Rick. My Mom said that Sam was so happy. Apparently she had a HUGE smile on her face. I am really proud of how she is blossoming as a soccer player this season.

I will take some more pictures at her next game and hopefully Soccer Saturday will actually post on Saturday.

Until next time,

Jaime

Liver Disease Facts Part 2

2009-10-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here is some more liver disease facts, courtesy of my friend Shawnee because she is awesome and has been putting together some great facts. Sorry for stealing your facts Shawnee, hope it is okay.

1. Liver disease often develops undetected over years, without obvious symptoms. Many people are diagnosed with liver disease after abnormalities are detected during routine blood tests. This is how Rick was diagnosed with PSC. His doctor was very concerned because his liver levels were WAY above normal.

2. Hepatitis C is the number one reason for liver transplantation in the US.

3. The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. I think that is actually really cool. I mean imagine such a vital organ being able to regrow and function as if nothing had ever happened to it. It is really amazing.

4. PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) is a disease that damages and blocks bile ducts inside and outside the liver. Bile is a liquid made in the liver. Bile ducts are tubes that carry bile out of the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. In the intestine, bile helps break down fat in food. In PSC, inflammation of the bile ducts leads to scar formation and narrowing of the ducts over time. As scarring increases, the ducts become blocked. As a result, bile builds up in the liver and damages liver cells. Eventually, scar tissue can spread throughout the liver, causing cirrhosis and liver failure. This is the liver disease that Rick has.

5. Cirrhosis is a disease of the liver in which there is a loss or a damage of liver cells, leading to the irreversible scarring of the liver. Due to the scarring of the tissues, the flow of blood through the liver is not smooth and hinders the critical functions of the organ.

The liver is certainly a complicated organ. Without a normally functioning liver the entire body can suffer. There are so many side effects and complications that come with having liver disease.

I will write about how PSC has damaged Rick's liver in an upcoming post. So stay tuned.

Until next time,
Jaime

BRRRRRRR

2009-10-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Where did Fall go? When did Winter arrive? Why can't it be Summer all the time? Okay I know, enough with the questions. But seriously, what happened to Fall. Two weeks ago it was in the 80's. Now we are breaking record low temperatures. It has been in the 20's at night, with daytime highs in the 30's-40's. It is 20 degrees below normal. There could be snow flurries tonight. OMG!!

I want Summer back!! I hate being cold. And I am always cold in the winter. I hate the cold weather. I think that I was meant to live in a warm climate. After the crazy winter we had last year I could go a looooooong time without seeing snow again.

This is NOT good soccer playing/watching weather. I was a soccer mom popsicle on Saturday (pictures from Soccer Saturday coming soon). And the girls were little soccer star popsicles. It was soooooooo cold. I really don't want to sit on the sidelines bundled up so much that it is hard to even watch the game.

Okay, no more complaining. I am done. But if you live somewhere warm please soak up some sun for me.

Until next time,
Jaime

A Prayer Request

2009-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

I have a prayer request tonight. Rick is sick. Really sick actually. Luckily it is not the Swine Flu. But he does have a severe case of bronchitis and strep throat. He is on some serious antibiotics. However, with his immune system so weak it is going to be a tough battle to get over this.

It is this exact reason that I hate it when people use my stuff at work and then joke when they find out that they got me sick. I am not a germ freak. But I am very careful and try to stay healthy so that Rick doesn't get sick. But to find out that someone thought it was kinda funny that I got sick after they used my phone and computer just is not cool!!

I am asking for prayers tonight for Rick. Please pray with me that he will kick this quick and get back to himself. He is miserable, and looks just awful. I would hate for this to cause a snowball effect with all his other diseases.

So please keep him in your thoughts. I would really appreciate it.

Until next time,
Jaime

Liver Disease Facts Part 1

2009-10-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

I said that I would randomly post some liver disease facts during the month of October. So here is the first installment.

1. Thirty million Americans - one in every 10 - are or have been affected by a liver, biliary or gallbladder disease. One in every 10, 10%, wow! In our house the number is 1 in every 2 people if you count my gallbladder disease.

2. There are more than 100 types of liver disease, but hepatitis A, B, and C are the most common. Can you name Rick's liver disease?

3. The liver filters over a liter of blood each minute, removing toxins such as air pollutants, pesticides, cigarette smoke, environmental chemicals, alcohol, and prescription and non-prescription drugs. EVERYTHING you ingest, by consumption or inhalation, even products you put on your skin, pass through your liver. Seriously people, EVERYTHING!!

Please take care of your liver. You never know when someone might need part of it.

Until next time,
Jaime

Liver Disease Awareness Month

2009-10-05T22:33:00.001-07:00

I betcha didn't know that October is Liver Disease Awareness Month. There isn't a lot of people with green ribbons running around trying to raise money and awareness to cure liver disease. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of people interested in liver disease.

Liver disease carries a stigma of being an "alcoholics" disease. Seriously, it does. I have had some interesting looks from people when explaining that Rick has a liver disease. Especially from people that don't really know us. The first thing people seem to think of when they hear that someone has liver disease is that they must be drinkers, or drug users.

It is sad that I have to explain that no my husband is not sick because of drinking, but that he is sick because he got a bad hand in life. Rick has liver disease and very rarely drank alcohol. We often joke now that it is too bad that we didn't drink more when we were younger.

My blog friend Shawnee has been posting some liver disease facts. I will probably "borrow" some of her facts and post them here throughout the month. I am trying to help remove the stigma from liver disease.

So stay tuned for some fun liver facts.

Until next time,
Jaime

Pass the cheese

2009-09-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

I could use some cheese with my whine. I feel like whining. If you don't like whining then maybe this post isn't for you. But sometimes a girl just has to whine.

I don't feel good. I have some sort of cold thing that is apparently going around. My head is pounding and my throat is really sore. I am so tired I could go to bed now, except that it isn't even 8 p.m. yet. And of course I feel guilty for whining when Rick was just sick with the stomach flu. He already has so much going on with his body that the flu just makes it worse. Did he whine? Of course not. Geez I suck!

I am feeling down about our finances. I am not going into detail here, but it is so stressful!!!

The girls have been less than angelic. They have decided to try to take over control of the house. Getting out the door for school in the morning is a nightmare, to put it nicely. I am not a morning person, and I really don't want to punish myself by getting up even earlier, but seriously they need to get out the stinking door!!

And their rooms....UGH!!! Seriously, I spent the entire past weekend cleaning their rooms. I am soooo not happy about that, still. It is so frustrating. I know that it is a common problem with kids, but this has been beyond a normal messy room. They hide everything, everywhere. Whether it is garbage or toys, it is shoved in a bin, or under the bed, or under the pillow. I am so frustrated. I even cleared out some of their toys. And things are organized really well, with very accessible places for everything. So if there are toys on the floor at bedtime they are going in a box and will decide what to do with them later. Yep, I know, I am such a meany!!

We got a chore chart and worked it out as a family. The girls picked their prizes for earning stars. And the stars are very achievable. They chose their own chores too. Unfortunately they haven't been able to earn enough stars to get their prizes. They were so excited about it, but then they haven't followed through.

I am just feeling like such a bad parent. Like I must have gone wrong somewhere to have them acting like this. So that has contributed to my bad mood too. It has been such a hard year and I am having a hard time adjusting to trying to find a new normal. So I guess I just need to whine. And so whine I will. And if it bothers someone, well then they can put themselves in my shoes. I promise it isn't easy.

Okay, so now I must go to bed.

Until next time,
Jaime

Look Who's 1

2009-09-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

My beautiful niece Mady is 1 today!! I can't believe how fast the year went by. This little sweetheart stole my heart the moment I laid eyes on her. She is such a joy!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MADY!

Here is a look at her cute cake that her Mommy made for her.

It didn't take Mady very long to destroy the cake.

Mady's party was fun! She had the best time opening her presents. She was actually really interested in her presents. It was so super cute!! She is such a sweetie pie! I can't get enough of her.

Happy Birthday Sweet Mady! Aunt Jaime loves you very much!!

Until next time,

Jaime

The Oregon Zoo

2009-09-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at the zoo. It is so neat. We all especially enjoyed the Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. Some, well a lot actually, of my pictures didn't turn out great. It is hard to get pictures of moving animals behind glass windows. Who knew??

Sam enjoyed the Sea Lions and Sea Otters. They were really fun to watch swimming around. The exhibits to see all these animals swimming were so cool. All the windows at different levels made for some great viewing, albeit some not so great photos. Oh well, it's the memories that matter anyway.

Even after a really long walk Sam was still full of energy. She really enjoyed everything and was so excited to see the next exhibit that she practically ran through most of them. I did manage to get her to stand still for a few seconds for some pictures every once in a while.

We really enjoy monkeys and it was so fun to get to see them.

The sea turtles were pretty cool.

But the baby elephant was even cooler. Meet Samudra, Sam for short. What a coincidence.

The amazing painting elephant. This elephants paintings sell for around $900 each.

After the live predatory bird show one of the trainers held a bird (I don't remember what it is, some type of falcon I think) for the kids to see up close. Sam asked some really good questions and was really interested.

The Predators of the Serengeti exhibit was so great. There was live music, and crafts.

Of all the animals in the zoo Sam decided that the Meerkat was her favorite. She even picked out a meerkat stuffed animal.

I liked the Polar Bears and the Zebras. And the Monkeys of course.

The Eagles were pretty amazing too!!

Sam and Daddy in an Eagles nest.

The memories we made during this weekend will last a long time. We had so much fun together. I hope that Sam will remember this time with Mom and Dad as a very special weekend. I am actually getting a little teary just thinking about it. Since we have no idea what the future holds I am holding on to these memories in a very special place. We don't get the opportunity to spend special time like this together, and I hope that we will be able to do the same thing with Megan in a couple years.

Liver Life Walk, we will be back next year. It felt great to do something, and to make special memories.

Until next time,

Jaime

Cannon Beach Part 2

2009-09-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Samantha had so much fun playing on the beach. She immediately started digging in the sand, and I immediately took off my sandals so I could put my toes in the sand. Sam and I went towards the ocean to put our feet in. Brrrrrrr. But it was so worth it!!

Sam had a great time running into the ocean and then running back with the waves. Unfortunately she got too far out, the tide was coming in, and she got swept down. I ran very fast and was able to grab her and get her back on her feet before she went completely under. She was pretty shaken up and kept apologizing. I wrapped her up in a towel and she sat in the sand for a bit. It wasn't too long and she was back to running into the waves. We even had to remind her not to go out so deep.

It was so fun to watch the sheer delight on her face as she ran in the waves. I am so happy that we had this chance to spend some special time together. It was very memorable, and I don't think I will forget the sounds of Sam's delighted screams as she ran around in the ocean.

Tune back in for pictures from the zoo.

Until next time,

Jaime

Cannon Beach Part 1

2009-09-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite place in the world is the beach at the ocean. I love how the sand feels on my feet and the way the salty air smells and feels on my face. I just love it all!!

So it was great when Sam realized how much she loves it too. We were able to spend a couple hours at Cannon Beach during our liver walk weekend. Sam was so excited to finally get a look at the ocean. The last time she saw it was when she was 3, so I am thinking she doesn't really remember much. We also did a little shopping before we had lunch at Mo's. Sam and I got matching pink Cannon Beach hoodies.

So here is the first installment of pictures from our fabulous day.

Stay tuned for the second installment of Cannon Beach fun. There was just too many pictures for one post.

Jaime

Multnomah Falls

2009-09-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

We made a few stops along the way to Portland. Sam really enjoyed seeing the wind turbines along the Columbia gorge. And we stopped for lunch. But the best stop along the way was at Multnomah Falls. It is so pretty. Multnomah Falls is one of my favorite spots to stop. I love waterfalls, and this place is just so pretty.

Samantha thought it was beautiful too. She had a great time on the walk up to bridge. I got some great pictures. And some great memories.

I am so glad that Samantha enjoyed Multnomah Falls as much as I did. She didn't want to leave. And she wanted to walk to the top. Ya, that's not happening. I've done it once and that was good enough for me.

Stay tuned for pictures of our day at the beach.

Until next time,

Jaime

Liver Life Walk

2009-09-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Liver Life Walk on Sunday. The walk went through Washington Park. It was so pretty and peaceful. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't thinking "how much further?" Seriously I really need to work out. But I also was thinking about what Rick goes through and what some of our other PSC friends are currently going through.

We really did have fun. Sam did a good job. She made it the whole way, only complaining about being tired during the last 1/2 mile. Rick also was able to make it, without even breaking a sweat. I am proud of him!

So here are the pictures I took at the walk:

Our friend Carl was the walk honoree. He spoke before the walk kicked off.

See how beautiful it was in the park for the walk.

We also got to finally meet and hang out with our PSC friends Dawn and Carl. It was so much fun to finally meet them face to face. I had meant to have Sam take a picture of the four of us together but I totally forgot. I am really bummed about that. It was really neat to meet someone that I felt like I had known for a long time. We had a good time. There is a certain kind of bond that wives of PSCers seem to have. There is nobody else that knows exactly how you feel except for another wife going through the same thing. I have really appreciated all the support that Dawn has given me. And Carl has been a great support as well. I don't think I would be in the same place about all of this that I am right now if I had never met Dawn. She inspired me to meet others and I have developed a great support system online. Thanks Dawn and Carl for inviting us to your house and for being so supportive.

Thanks to everyone that donated to Team Rick! We had a great time and we each earned a walk t-shirt. Sam wore hers to school today. She is really proud of the shirt. And the shirts I made got a lot of looks, and even some questions as we walked around the zoo.

I will post more this week with the pictures and activities we were able to squeeze in this weekend.

Until next time,

Jaime

Team Rick

2009-09-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

Team Rick has surpassed our team goal of raising $450 for the Liver Life Walk. Yippee!! Samantha is actually $15 away from her goal of $150, but despite that we are extremely happy and grateful for all of the donations.

I have also completed our team t-shirts. Our friend Brad, whom we have known since high school, sent me a design for the shirt. I had to re-work it a bit, but I used the same layout. I used a printable iron-on transfer paper to make the shirts. They don't look quite as "professional" as I would have liked, but I still like them.

So here is Sam's Shirt:

The back is a little different for each of us. This is the back of Sam's shirt:

Rick is number 01, I am 02, and Megan is 04. I am making Megan a shirt too because I want all of us to have a Team Rick shirt.

We are very excited for this weekend. We are leaving friday morning after dropping Megan off at school. The plan is to make a couple stops along the way, especially at Multnomah Falls. Sam is really looking forward to that. Saturday we are going to spend the day at Cannon Beach. We are staying with family in Portland, that is a huge help so that we don't have to pay for a hotel. Sunday is the big day. I am super excited for the walk, and for being able to check out the zoo. I hope they have monkeys!!

The three of us aren't the only ones having a special weekend. Megan gets to take a little motorhome trip with Nana and Papa, and cousin Noah. She is excited for the little trip. I am glad she gets to do something special too. I was feeling a little guilty for leaving her behind.

I won't have time to blog again until after we get back. I am not bringing my computer (sniff, sniff). But I will use my cellphone to update Twitter and Facebook. So check back here for my tweets.

Until next time,
Jaime

First Day of School

2009-09-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is a bittersweet day for me. I am glad they are going back to school but I am going to miss the fun summer days.

The girls woke up with smiles on their cute faces. I am wondering how long that is going to last. We had a nutritious breakfast of donuts and milk. Yep, I'm a real health freak. Of course we couldn't leave until we took the traditional first day of school photos.

Megan was so excited to finally get to wear her "twinkle toe" shoes that she made me take a picture of her shoes.

We got to school with plenty of time to take some classroom photos. I got to see Sam's classroom before she darted out the door with her BFF Ashlea. And then I ventured down to Megan's classroom and stayed with her until school started. It was harder to leave her in that room than I thought it would be. But alas I had to leave so I could get to work on time.

Megan was tired when I picked her up at the end of the day. It was probably not the best day ever for her, but I think she still had fun. She didn't really want to talk about school on the way home. Sam sure did though!! Sam had a blast!! She really enjoys school. Megan is not quite as fond of school as her sister. But I think as she gets used to being there all day she will get better.

It will be nice to get back into a routine. We are already busy around here with soccer practice twice a week. I am thinking about getting Megan into dance. And they will start Girl Scouts in a couple weeks too. So I guess it is back to the grind around here. No more lazy summer days. Oh well, it can't last forever. Only 179 more school days to go.

Until next time,

Jaime

Sad Reality

2009-09-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad day for the PSC community. A fellow PSCer passed away. I couldn't help but immediately burst into tears. Not just for Fred losing the fight, but also for his wife Shelley. I am sad for all the friends I have met along this journey. It hits us all hard when someone fighting this disease loses the fight. The motto is "Together in the fight, Whatever it takes" And that is so true. It is a wonderful support system that is really hurting right now.

As for me I am sad that there is a wife that has lost her husband to this vicious disease. I can't even imagine her pain. Shelley is a strong woman and there are lots of PSCers to support her through this. I just feel incredibly sad.

It is a very sad reality check for me. I really can't put into words how I am feeling about this. No I didn't "know" Fred, but that doesn't make a difference. I am just really sad.

There needs to be a cure for PSC!!! Go to PSC Partners Seeking a Cure website for more information.

Until next time,

Jaime

Help Wanted!!

2009-09-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

I have reached a creative block and I need your help. I am designing a t-shirt for us to wear at the liver walk and I am having trouble coming up with something to write on the front. So far I have Team Rick with a line underneath it. But I wanted something underneath that. I had "Walking to cure PSC" "Find a cure for PSC" but neither of those are doing it for me. I was REALLY hoping that maybe someone out there in blogland could help me out. If you could come up with something witty to be printed on the t-shirt I would be super excited.

I am being serious about this. I really do want/need some help with this. If you can think of anything could you please leave me a comment under this post. I only have a week left until we leave and I would like to make the shirts before next Thursday.

It could be anything from super funny to somewhat serious. On the back of the shirts it is going to say Team Rick and have a different number for each of us. Rick will be 01, I will be 02, and Sam will be 03. I am thinking that I am going to make a shirt for Megan too so that she doesn't feel left out.

Thanks in advance to anyone that responds. And I will post the winner and a picture of the finished shirt before we leave.

Until next time,
Jaime

Liver Life Walk

2009-09-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Only 12 more days until the Liver Life Walk. We have not yet met our goals. I don't feel super comfortable begging for donations. So don't take this as begging. Pretty Please will you donate to our team. Remember that myself, Rick, and Samantha are registered for the walk. You can find the links to our fundraising pages on the sidebar of the blog.

Remember the reason we are doing this?? We are walking so that someday there will be a cure for liver disease. And then maybe Rick won't have a lot more days like this:

Thank you so much for supporting us. Even if you can't donate I would love for you to show your support by just commenting and letting us know that you are rooting for us. But if you can donate we really appreciate any amount. $5, $10, any amount would mean a lot to us.

Until next time,

Jaime

P.S. I am totally bummed that it is September. That means the end of summer. *tears*

Lesson Learned

2009-08-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been over a week since I posted on the blog. I don't know why I haven't been posting much lately. Maybe it's writers block. Maybe it's because of work. Maybe it's because I can't put down Twilight. I am thinking it is probably a combination of all of those factors. Especially the not being able to put down Twilight. Wow am I glad I started that series!!

Today a lesson was learned in the Wallace House. We have had some behavior issues with the girls. It has been hard to deal with. Especially their defiance when it comes to picking up their rooms. So on Monday they were told to pick up. When they didn't get their rooms picked up by Tuesday afternoon they were punished when they had to go to Grandma's house. They weren't allowed to play outside or watch TV. They were then told that if they didn't have their rooms picked up by this afternoon that they would sit on the couch at Grandma's house and not get to play at all.

Can you guess whether the rooms were picked up today? If you guessed NO, you would be correct! So when it was time to leave this afternoon Sam was NOT happy. I had to take Megan to her school for her 1st grade evaluation so I had to leave on time. When Sam decided that she was NOT going to Bamber's (that is what they call Grandma, and that is a story for another day) house, I decided that it was time to teach her a little lesson.

I left her at home and took Megan to school. Yes, I left her home alone. I knew Rick was on his way home and so she wouldn't be there for very long. But apparently she tried to run after me and I didn't see her. And in her haste to chase after me she locked herself out of the house. So when Rick got home he couldn't find her. She had walked down to her friend's house and had us all worried because we didn't know where she went.

When she was found she said "I thought Mom was just testing me." No, this was not a test! But it was a great lesson. And I am actually glad it worked out this way. Sometimes a parent just HAS to stand their ground. Today I stood very firmly on the ground!

I wonder how their rooms are gonna look before we have to leave tomorrow?

Until next time,
Jaime

Liver Life Walk

2009-08-18T22:23:00.001-07:00

Our fundraising efforts are in full swing. We are very excited to be seeing donations coming in on our behalf. It is an amazing feeling to be actually doing something to help in the fight against liver disease.

We are so excited, in fact, that we have added another member to our team. Can you guess who is joining our team??

SAMANTHA

That is correct! Sam will be joining Rick and myself in the 5K walk in the Oregon Zoo. She is so super excited to be doing this for Daddy!! You can donate to her fundraising efforts by clicking here.

We are very proud of her enthusiasm for this event. Never mind that she gets to miss a day of school, spend a weekend alone with Mom and Dad, go to the ocean for the day, and walk around a zoo. I mean really, what kid wouldn't be excited about that?!?!?

So go check out her cute little fundraising page. And check in on Team Rick to see our fantastic donors. We want to say a big Thank You to those that have donated already. We would love to not only meet, but exceed our goals. And with just a little effort, and some generous blog readers (hint, hint), we will be able to achieve success.

Thank you!!!

Until next time,

Jaime

Dr. S Day

2009-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

By now you all know how much we LOVE Dr. S. I am so grateful to that man for taking such good care of Rick. If it wasn't for him I am certain that Rick would still be in a lot of pain.

We got to go visit with Dr. S this morning. Rick had the usual x-rays taken, sans paper pants :( , and we got to visit with the PA we saw before the surgery. He was very happy that Rick was doing so good. It was nice of him to stop by and talk with us. He remembered us and made the effort to see how everything was going.

Dr. S said that Rick's fusion is starting to really look good. He is growing even more bone and it is getting more solid all the time. That is such good news. We are so thankful that this has worked out so well. It is going so well that Rick doesn't have to see Dr. S again for six months. That is a good thing, but also a sad thing. I will miss him! He has been so wonderful!! He is the one doctor that we both really look forward to seeing.

It is so reassuring to know that we did choose the correct surgery. We knew that this was going to be the bigger surgery and that there was some risk involved, but it was not an easy decision to make. Rick wanted to smaller surgery, the rest of us thought that the bigger surgery was the way to go. I am so glad that we went with the bigger surgery. Dr. S said that this was definitely the right decision. Rick has no leg pain or numbness, and minimal back pain compared to what he had before. Of course the arthritis causes him back pain as well, but this made such a big difference for him.

So this should be about the last time you hear about this back thing until his next appointment, six whole months from now.

Until next time,
Jaime

Pirate's Treasure

2009-08-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

For the past couple summers when we are at the lake cabin the kids have been the very luck recipients of pirate treasure. There is apparently some wayward pirate ship that seems to have some very clumsy pirates residing on board. You see, they seem to keep dropping some very valuable treasure overboard that washes ashore onto our beach. And our kiddos are the lucky ones that get to keep the treasure.

I wonder how much money we could get if we cashed all that treasure in? I bet we would be trillionaires!!

Until next time,
Jaime

Meg O' Lantern

2009-08-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Megan lost another tooth. She pulled it out herself again. That girl will NOT let me wiggle or touch her tooth when it is nearing the end of it's residency in her mouth. After it was out she asked "Do I look like a Jack O' Lantern with all these missing teeth?" I thought that was so cute. So what do you think. Does Megan look like a ~~Jack O' Lantern~~ Meg O' Lantern?

She sounds so cute when she talks now too. I love the missing front tooth lisp.

_________________________________________

I can't believe it has been a week since I posted. I wasn't feeling good for a few days after we got home. And then I must have passed my bug onto the laptop because it didn't want to do anything either. I downloaded some new spy and virus software and it seems like that has done the trick. Now I need to find a way to download some extra energy for me.

Until next time,

Jaime

Liver Life Walk

2009-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Rick and I are both very excited to be joining the American Liver Foundation's Liver Life Walk in Portland Oregon. The walk is September 13th. At the moment Rick and I are the only members of Team Rick. Our goal is to each raise $150. I am the team captain and my site can be found by clicking here. Rick's site can be found by clicking here. Do you want to help us reach our goal? You can help by donating to Team Rick by sponsoring either one of us. Maybe you know someone in the area that would like to join our team. Or maybe you would like to join our team. You can join and help us raise even more money for the American Liver Foundation. We would both really appreciate any donation amount.

This is obviously a very important cause to us. This is the first time that either one of us has ever done anything like this. We are both looking forward to this walk. We will get to meet Carl and Dawn in person for the first time. Carl has been picked as the honoree for the walk. That is so awesome!

I hope that we are both able to reach our goal before the walk on September 13th. 5K is a long walk for us so hopefully we will both be able to be healthy enough to walk the whole thing. Better start working out I guess.

I will update with more information on our donation status as we start getting donations. Thank you in advance to anyone that donates. We really appreciate it!!

Until next time,
Jaime

A Look Back

2009-07-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Rick and I were taking a walk back to the hotel room tonight and I was thinking back on this experience and in a way comparing it to last year. During last year's trip I was so focused on Rick and what was happening that I didn't really take in the other people around us. This year, however, I did manage to get a glimpse of the other patients here. I noticed something I didn't even see last year, most of the other patients are MUCH older than Rick. Now I did say "most", because we had dinner with another PSCer named Trish and her husband Tom. She is a couple years younger than Rick and has two small children. So yes there are others here that are young as well.

We really are lucky to be here, being treated by the best. And it is comforting to know of others that have been here as well. Unfortunately the way my silly head works is that there is still a little voice in there trying to throw doubt into the situation. I don't know why that happens to me. I wish it didn't so that I could be sure in this situation. I really don't try to make myself so doubting. I hate that that is how I work.

I need to readjust my attitude when we get home and change my focus to our normal daily life. And I do have every intention of doing just that.

For right now I am still wondering what "stable" really means. I saw the itching and jaundice this past winter. So I know that things seem to be progressing. But I think that is how this disease works. It seems like sometimes it is worse than others. And I think that it just depends on how you are doing at the time of the doctor visit because it can fluctuate. But comparing last year to this year appears to be about the same. As far as I can figure that probably means it is slowly progressing, which is a good thing.

Even though this trip was expensive and Rick didn't end up needing many tests, I still think it was worth it. It was worth the money to get some reassurance from the best. Especially since we seem to have some issues with the doctor back home. Sometimes I know I need to trust my gut, but other times I know I need to trust in the doctors. And the doctor here should be trusted.

At least this time I don't feel like my heart is being ripped out. That is a big difference from last year to this year. And as much as I am trying to relax and enjoy a couple of days here, it is hard to relax in a place that constantly reminds me of why we are here.

We will be home soon. Saturday night we will arrive home around 11p.m. Then back to work. Back to parenting. Back to life.

Until next time,
Jaime

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Medical Stuff (the reason we came to Mayo)

2009-07-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

The reason for our trip to Minnesota was to have Rick's yearly checkup. It started out on Monday with a major amount of bloodwork and an abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasound took a lot longer than previous ultrasounds so we were a little concerned that maybe the tech found something to focus on. I enjoy watching the ultrasounds because I like to identify the parts and it makes me feel like it gives me a bit of a "look" at the situation. I guess it makes me feel like I have a little control over the situation.

Here is a picture in the ultrasound room after it was done. Rick looks really tired because he was tired. After that amount of blood is drawn he gets really tired. He came back to the hotel and took a 3 hour nap.

This morning was the appointment with Dr. L. We are very pleased with how it turned out. Dr. L said that the PSC seems stable at this point. He said that the bout of itching and jaundice that led to the ERCP this past February was just how PSC works and it seems to not be an issue now. He gave us LOTS of information and we also gave him LOTS of information. More on that in a minute. Rick appears to be doing good at this point. It is about time we finally got some good news. Dr. L talked about how important it is to get the yearly ultrasound and specialized blood workup. He said it would be good to keep coming back yearly but he understands that we live a long way from Mayo and it may not be financially feasible to come back every year. So we will see how things are going next year and then make a decision whether we can afford to go or not.

As worried as I was about how this would end up, it ended up all being worth it. It was worth the money and the time to hear from this doctor that everything seems to be good at this point. We had a great talk with him and laughed. Did I mention we gave him some information?? When he was checking out Rick he was looking at Rick's back and asked "where did they do the surgery??" When Rick showed him the scar in his abdomen the doctor was shocked!! He couldn't believe that spinal fusion could happen through the abdomen. Here was a world renowned liver specialist asking US questions about surgery. It was fun and he was really interested in how it all worked.

So in summary, Rick is doing good. YEAH!!! Finally something went our way!! Now we are in Rochester for a few more days with no appointments. We talked about going home early but decided to stay and do the tourist thing. We deserve a little break.

I would be very happy to answer any questions you may have about Rick's health or our experiences. Please don't be shy. If there is something you have be wondering or something you want to know please don't hesitate to ask. Just leave your questions in the comments with this post.

Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Until next time,

Jaime

Plummer House and Botanical Gardens

2009-07-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

The People of Iowa Welcome You

2009-07-28T18:40:00.001-07:00

We went for a drive and ended up in Iowa, Corn Country. So now we can say that we have been to Iowa. It is REALLY flat. No wonder they have tornadoes. There were corn fields as far as the eye could see.

For anybody that may be reading this that lives in the Midwest just know that this is all very different than where we come from in the Pacific Northwest. We are used to seeing mountains, and it isn't nearly this green. I find this all so pretty and interesting. I can't wait to go see more places tomorrow!

Until next time,

Jaime

Rochester Minnesota and Mayo Clinic

2009-07-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

After this mornings tests (which I will write about later when we have more information) and after Rick's subsequent 3 hour nap (he gets really tired after that amount of blood is taken) we went for a long walk around Rochester.

We went to the University Shops,

where we had some FANTASTIC gelato.

We went to Newt's for dinner. We were REALLY looking forward to eating there again. They have FANTASTIC burgers. Rick had a Mike D's Fatty Patty Melt. It was two grilled cheese sandwiches used as the buns with fried onions, bacon and chipotle mayo. It was huge and he ate almost the whole thing.

Then we went for a walk around the Mayo Clinic campus and took some pictures. It is easier to take pictures in the evening when all the appointments are done and everyone has gone home. I am not going to label each picture because it is getting late and we have to get up early. So here is the Mayo buildings and surrounding area.

Can you tell me what's different about this picture? Look closely. Whoever guesses correctly wins 100 points. I don't know what you will do with the points but isn't more fun to win something?

Until next time,

Jaime

July 26th, We have arrived

2009-07-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had to go buy a new card reader so that I could post pictures since dumb me left mine at home. So here are some pictures from yesterday.

The view of the Minneapolis area as we were approaching.

We got a great fly over view of the Mall of America. And after we picked up our rental car that is where we headed.

We, well actually I, had to go into the American Girl store. Samantha and Megan would LOVE that store. So I took a couple pictures for them to see.

Nickelodeon Universe is the indoor amusement park. The kids would love all the Spongebob stuff.

We ate lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp. Rick's favorite movie is Forrest Gump and so it was really fun to eat there. The drink menu is on a ping pong paddle. There are yellow smiley faces on the floor. It was really fun and really good.

So that is our first day in pictures. We plan on returning to the Mall on Saturday before we head home.

Until next time,

Jaime

Rochester Welcomes You

2009-07-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

We are VERY tired tonight. We were up bright and early at 4 a.m. this morning to get ready to leave for the airport. My Mom arrived at 5 to drive us there. Thanks Mom!! We got there with just enough time to check-in and get through security. I really hate going through security!

Our flight was delayed 50 minutes due to some people arriving late and the back up at the check-in counter. The pilot made up some time during flight and we landed 30 minutes late.

We went across the street to Mall of America to burn a couple hours before heading to Rochester. We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp and just browsed the first level.

The drive in to Rochester was nice and quiet. The scenery is so different from home. There are green fields, mostly corn, and big red barns. Lots of big American flags flap in the breeze as well. It was very pretty.

We had some problems checking in to the hotel. It didn't have to do with the hotel, but with the credit card we planned on using. Credit card companies are heartless and greedy!!! The man working at the front desk, Ben, was awesome and said there was no way he was going to turn us away. We will deal with it in the morning and he said not to worry about a thing. He said that we should focus on the reason we are here and not to let this worry us. How awesome is that??? This is the same hotel we stayed at last year, and we will stay here when we come back again.

The appointments begin first thing in the morning. Rick is scheduled for bloodwork and an ultrasound early tomorrow morning. They are like vampires here and will take a LOT of blood tomorrow. He had to eat a fat free meal tonight and now can't eat anything until he is done tomorrow. Hopefully it won't take a long time and he won't have to wait too long to be able to eat again.

He is scheduled to see Dr. Lindor early Tuesday morning and we will go from there as far as any other testing that gets scheduled.

I will post some pictures tomorrow. I would have posted some tonight except that I left my usb plug for my memory stick at home so we have to go to WalMart tomorrow and pick one up.

Keep Rick in your prayers that the blood draw goes smoothly tomorrow. Ever since he got sick this spring his veins have decided that they DON'T like to be poked.

Until next time,
Jaime

Leaving on an Jet Plane

2009-07-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

I think I may have used that same title last year. Well anyway, our flight leaves in 8 1/2 hours. I will update via Twitter and Facebook while we are gone. If you aren't following me on Twitter you can check in my sidebar to the right of my blog. I will update on what we are doing and about any new information as we get it. Be sure to check back in on the blog as well. I will be blogging about our adventures and the medical stuff too. Which is the reason we are going anyway.

Pray for a safe flight and that we are able to get some good answers.

Until next time,
Jaime

Birds, Birds, BIRDS!!!

2009-07-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of birds. But this year has brought us some very special visitors at the lake. It has been kinda fun to watch them come and go.

There has been a Loon family that comes by for a visit. From what I have been told, Loon's in our area have been hard to come by. They make a very unique sound so we always know when they outside swimming around. There is a Mommy, Daddy, and baby. I haven't been able to get a picture of the baby, but I did get some pictures of the parents.

The other special visitor is a big Heron. It is so cool when it lands on the dock to check things out. It is so big and majestic. I even got a couple pictures of it flying away from the dock.

The girls favorite visitors are a couple of duck families. The most frequent family is a Momma with her 4 babies. There is also a Momma and 4 "teenagers". And a big group of bigger ducks. Now that they know they can get some food from the kiddos they are frequent visitors. They are not afraid at all either. The ducks get really close to the kids, so close that Megan actually got to touch one of them. It is really interesting to watch the Momma duck look out for her babies.

It has been fun to watch all these animals come back everyday. Even if they are birds. Why do I not like birds? I really don't know, I just don't.

Until next time,

Jaime

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T12:18:00.001-07:00

Family Foto Shoot

2009-07-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

I took some photos of the girls at the lake. I love having the lake in the background. And the natural light with the sun shinning on their hair makes for some sweet shots. At least I think so. I just like to play around and take some cute pictures of the girls. I think they are so pretty and I look forward to taking these pictures.

Sam seems to have a hard time with smiling. She always has this really fake smile when she has her picture taken. But she has such a cute natural smile. So to get her to relax I told her to think of something funny to say. You wanna know what she came up with? Of course you are giddy with anticipation right?!?! Samantha decided that "Senor Farty Fart" was something funny. So when you see the laughing smiles that is what the girls are laughing about. Where did it come from?? I don't have the slightest idea.

I have a couple other lake posts to finish up and post. Check back to see more lake fun.

Until next time,

Jaime

I'm Baaaack

2009-07-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am back and thought I was ready to blog. I'm not really excited about blogging after reading another "anonymous" comment that I rejected in comment moderation though. I do however have some great pictures from the lake that I want to post to show how much fun we had together. I will be working on that later tonight and should have it posted before I go to bed.

I am contemplating how I am going to blog about our upcoming visit to the Mayo Clinic. I would love to avoid having to worry about what someone is going to say to me in the comments. I started my blog after reading other blogs of people with the same condition as my husband. This isn't about attention for myself or wanting people to pay attention to me. That is not my personality and that is NEVER what this was about. But as I get more cruel comments I am starting to consider not blogging anymore. It isn't fun to read horrible things about yourself from somebody that doesn't even know you.

And NO I am not looking for attention or pity from this post. I wonder how anonymous people would respond if it was Rick writing these things from his point of view. I wonder if they would think he was looking for attention and pity?

Until next time,
Jaime

Fun In The Sun

2009-07-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hello from my living room. I had wanted to post a couple pictures from the lake a couple days ago when I got home, but......... You see, I have a TON of stuff to do around here. And I am going back to the lake for a few days when I get off work Thursday. I really do want you to see how much fun we had this last weekend. And even though the weather on Monday basically sucked, it was still a lovely day. I laid around in bed reading a book and then played games with the girls. It was really quiet and peaceful. I could never relax like that at home.

Rick had a good time rowing around in the canoe. The two of us took a little trip in it before letting the girls have a ride. Here is Sam on her first canoe ride with Daddy.

On Sunday morning we had a couple of little visitors. Mama Duck brought her four little baby ducks by for a little visit. And of course a little bite to eat as well. Just look at how close she let her babies get to the kids.

What day is complete without a dip in the lake?

Samantha caught her first "real" fish. She has fished before, only catching icky little sunfish. But this time she caught her first Small Mouth Bass. She didn't want to touch it and was scared to have her picture taken with it, but of course we insisted she pose with her big catch.

So there you have it. A quick little update about the lake. I will post more pictures after we get back home on Monday. I didn't really take very many pictures over the weekend and I plan to take more this weekend. Of course, right?!?!

Until next time,

Jaime

$2.45

2009-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

"When my tooth comes out the Tooth Fairy is going to bring me $2.45" said Megan.

Tonight she pulled out her own tooth and the tooth is waiting in the Tooth Fairy pillow. I wonder how much $$ the Tooth Fairy will be bringing her?

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In other news.........

We leave for the lake Saturday afternoon!!!!!

Until next time,
Jaime

So Much To Do, So Little Time

2009-07-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the countdown ticker in the sidebar? If you said no, take a second and look to the right of my blog. See it now? Yes, you saw that correctly. We leave for Mayo Clinic in less than 3 weeks. Am I excited? Actually I am. Am I freaking out about how I am going to get ready? YES!!!!

Are you wondering why I am freaking out already? Well let me tell ya. You see, I have been working extra long hours at work. Yep, I have been working like 8 hour days. Now before you go laughing at me, I normally work 5 hours a day. But last week we were CRAZY BUSY. And one of my co-workers lost her Mother to cancer. So we were a woman down. On top of that another co-worker had a trip planned and had Thursday off. Combine all that with a short week because of the holiday weekend and it makes for an unbelievably busy office.

Are you still wondering why that is a big deal since we don't leave for 3 weeks? Because, you see, we have our two weeks at the lake cabin starting on Saturday. I have to get us all packed up and get the house in order. And since I am working this year I don't get to stay at the cabin for the entire two weeks. Total bummer!! So I have to pack, unpack, pack again, unpack again. I think you get the picture.

The plan is that I will be taking long weekends so that I can have as much time as possible at the cabin. I will be taking Monday and Friday off next week and the week after so I can stay on the weekends but still get some work done during the week.

Then the day after we come home from the lake cabin Rick and I leave for Minnesota. So the next few weeks are very busy. It will be fun, but getting ready for it all just stresses me out!!

Now I just have to figure out how to squeeze 32 hours of work into 24 hours. Any suggestions?

Until next time,
Jaime

Dog Days of Summer

2009-07-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

Put a dog in water and they immediately know how to swim, right? Right. But it is really funny when you do it for the first time. And in an above ground swimming pool it is even funnier.

Do you think he liked it?

I can't tell. He sure looks funny soaking wet!

Until next time,

Jaime

4th of July Fun

2009-07-05T14:29:00.001-07:00

We went to my Mom's house for a BBQ in the backyard. The girls played in the little pool and with the slip n slide. They had a blast and enjoyed cooling off considering it was 90 degrees outside. The adults hung out in the shade with baby Mady.

We had an American BBQ with hamburgers, macaroni salad, potato salad, and corn on the cob. It was delicious!!

Then the kids put on a parade for us. Sam was the leader and marched them all around the backyard. That was something that my family used to do when I was a kid. And these kids have fun doing it too.

Of course we had to show our American spirit with our flag clothes.

The girls with cousin Noah. Noah is Mady's big brother.

Then we drove downtown and parked in the Arena parking lot to watch the fireworks display. While we were waiting we did pop-its and confetti poppers. Megan had a hard time pulling the strings so we ended up having to help her. It was a long wait, and the kids were getting a little impatient.

The fireworks were really pretty. And with the almost full moon right beside the fireworks display it was even better.

I hope everyone had a fun weekend. We had a great time celebrating Independence Day. This holiday isn't about a long weekend for me. It is about celebrating the fact that we live in an amazing country. It is about celebrating the veterans that have served to keep this country free. It is about the men and women currently protecting our freedom. It is about our good friend that just graduated Marine Corp boot camp so he can protect our country. God Bless America!!

Until next time,

Jaime

God Bless America!!

2009-07-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

I am very proud to be an American. I am proud of all the men and women that are out there serving our country to keep us safe.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend. Just remember the reason we are celebrating this weekend. Happy Birthday America!!

Until next time,

Jaime

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T22:02:00.001-07:00

The first day in the pool. Oh wait, now it's not Wordless Wednesday anymore. Darn. Anyway, this was the girls first time in the our pool this summer. They had to use it in the morning before I went to work and it wasn't real warm outside yet. So when it was time to get out their little lips were very purple. But they had fun and didn't care. Tonight they spent almost two hours in there. I had to practically drag them out at 8 P.M. All this water fun makes bedtime easier!

Until next time,
Jaime

Dear God

2009-06-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Every night before bed Megan and I say prayers together. This started when she was having really bad dreams every night. At first I was the one that always said it while we would hold hands. After a while she decided that she wanted to say the prayer instead. So now we take turns. It basically goes something like this:

"Dear God, Please help Megan's bad dreams go away, so she only has good dreams, so she's not scared. Please God help Megan be a good girl and listen to Mommy and Daddy. Thank you God for Mommy, Daddy, Sam, Megan, and Jack. And thank you for Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto. Amen."

We mix up the middle but the beginning and the thank yous are ALWAYS the same. Lately, though, Megan has been adding a new item into the mix, and it goes a little something like this:

"Please God help Megan to fly."

Megan is hoping to wake up one morning and have wings so that she can fly. And she wants to know why it isn't happening since she prays for it. It is so cute, and so like a 6 year old.

She does get serious about praying though when there is something going on. She prays for Gigi (my grandma) when she is sick. And she prayed for Rick a lot when he was so sick and healing from surgery.

I just thought it was so cute when she asked to fly again tonight. She is such a sweet little girl. And after prayers we have a very special kiss that Megan made up. First she kisses my left cheek, right cheek, forehead, nose, lips, and chin. And then I do the same to her. It is ALWAYS in that order too. Megan NEVER goes to bed without doing kisses with Mommy. Gosh I love that girl!

Until next time,
Jaime

Paper Pants Part 2 and Bone Growth

2009-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Going to see Dr. S has become even more fun when we get to play with the paper pants!!! When life hands you lemons, wear paper pants. I mean, really, with everything life has thrown at us lately it is good to just be able to be silly.

And now that you are finished laughing, or maybe your not, it is time for the results. Dr. S said that there is early bone growth. Thank God!! There were two different angles of x-rays taken. The only x-ray that shows the growth is the side view. The bone growth wasn't able to be seen in the front angle x-ray which proves that it is early bone growth and isn't dense enough to be seen in the front view. But we are just so thrilled that there is finally progress.

Rick no longer has to wear his brace except for when he is at work. And speaking of work, he was released to work full time again too. He still has a weight restriction but it has been raised to 25 pounds. And Dr. S also wants Rick to start physical therapy 3 times a week for the next 12 weeks. He will be focusing on core work to strengthen his core and avoid any further damage to the back. Maybe he will get that 6-pack I have always wanted.

Rick will go back to see Dr. S again in 6 weeks for more x-rays. Dr. S wants to make sure that the fusion is solid by 6 months post-surgery, which is September. So that is the next big goal to achieve. Come on fusion!!!

Rick is doing really good lately. He has been painting the trim on the house and doing yard work. It is nice to have him back, but I also miss having all that time together too. Things seem much more normal again, but normal means less time together. Oh well, I would rather have him feeling this way!!

Until next time,

Jaime

Happy 12th Anniversary!

2009-06-22T22:51:00.001-07:00

We were married 12 years ago today. At the age of 20 (just barely 20) I could never have imagined how drastically things would change. It all seemed so perfect and easy back then. There was nothing we couldn't do. We had our whole lives in front of us.

We still have a lot to do, but it is certainly a tougher road to travel to get those things done. I mean seriously, it is really a tough road. It has been very bumpy with lots of construction. Okay I am done with the stupid metaphor.

Happy Anniversary Rick! I love you very much and I am very proud of how strong you have been.

Love Always and Forever,

Jaime

Happy Father's Day!!!

2009-06-21T15:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day Rick!! The girls are very lucky to have such a strong Daddy to look up to. They know how hard you work for us. And they will grow up with a great role model. I love you and the girls love you too!!

Love,

Jaime, Samantha, and Megan

A little of this, A little of that

2009-06-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation officially started at 11 a.m. today. So from now until September it is our job to keep the girls from killing each other. Seriously, could they fight any more? I don't know how they are going to handle having to be together 24/7. And I don't know how Rick and I are going to survive it either.

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I went to the neatest store tonight with my Mom. I got to talk with some ladies I haven't seen in a long time. It was a lot of fun. And I got to shop a little bit too. It is amazing how shopping improves my mood. I got some neat stuff to redecorate our bedroom. I mean, when the hubby says the bedroom needs to be redone, well, it must really need to be redone! I found a great new bedding set last summer that has been sitting in the basement since August. We just haven't had the time or money to change anything. But it really can't wait any longer. Besides, Oprah says that the bedroom should be a sanctuary. And I could really use a nice place to relax.

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Tonight we had an awesome storm. It rained so hard that I started to wonder if maybe we should have had an arc. At one point the lightening was striking right above our house and Rick could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he was watching it out the front window. It was really cool. The claps of thunder were crazy loud!! I love a good storm!!!

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Rick has been having some issues with a swollen belly. I tried to call his GI doctor (not one of our two favorite doctors) and he said it was no big deal. Really?!?! His belly is swollen and tender and the doctor doesn't even want to see him just to check it out. It is so discouraging to have a doctor that doesn't seem concerned about anything that we call about. It seems that just about every time we have a concern that we bring up on our own he dismisses it like we don't know what we are talking about. (And no we don't call about every single tiny little twinge) It is very frustrating, for both of us.

So we are going to just watch it and if it gets worse we will call his primary care doctor, who is really good, and let him help Rick. If it stays about the same then we will just wait to deal with it until we go to the Mayo Clinic in July.

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I hope you are all still enjoying the blog. Since I didn't hear from many readers after my last post it is hard to know if people still enjoy reading. One thing about comments is that they are kinda like a big 'ol pat on the back, or a big 'ol hug. It lets me know that blogging is worth it. If you don't know how to leave a comment, you just click on the comments below each post and leave a comment. I have allowed anonymous comments again so you don't have to set up a google account. I figured that since I am now moderating the comments before they post that it is safe to allow anonymous comments again. And I haven't had any problems since that one incident. Thank goodness! So that is how you leave a comment just in case you didn't know.

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And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Until next time,
Jaime

Happy Blogiversary!

2009-06-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today marks one year ago today that I made my first blog entry. You can click here to read my very first entry. So much has happened since that first blog post. So much more than I could have ever imagined.

I started going back through some of the posts last night. I am amazed at how much our life has changed. It was fun to reread some of those old posts, and it was sad to reread others. I have had posts about all the pills Rick takes everyday, had posts about me, had posts about Rick, and posts about the girls. Of course there were lots of posts about Rick's health, which I won't even link to because there are just so darn many of them. And everything in between.

The most ironic post I came across you can find here. On December 31, 2008 I thought that 2008 was a terrible year and that 2009 would have to be better. OMG!!!! How could I have been so wrong?!?! I never expected to have Rick in the hospital, not once but twice.

I know this has been a wild ride. I know that some of my readers probably went away because of all the downs, and few ups. And I probably gained readers because of the downs, and hopefully because they like reading what I have to say. I really hope that you all have enjoyed this blog. It has been very therapeutic for me to be able to write it all down, and even let it all out sometimes.

And I do realize that sometimes there may have been too much information. But this has been a great way for me to keep track of everything. And if what I wrote helped someone, then it was worth it.

I appreciate all the love and support that we have received via this blog over the past year. I know there are people out there reading that have stumbled upon this blog from one way or another. I would REALLY love to hear how you found my blog. It would mean a lot to me to have my readers leave a comment and let me know how long you have been following us. Don't be shy! I want to hear from you! I would like to know the circumstances in which you discovered my blog. Or maybe you have been following from the beginning. Maybe you have been following for two days. Maybe you are healthy, or maybe you are not. Maybe you have something in common with Rick or with me. I would really love to know about you.

Thank you for reading and joining us on this roller coaster. "It may be a crazy life, but it's our life."

Happy 1st Blogiversary!!!

Until next time,
Jaime

Scooby Doo Party

2009-06-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

What a day!! I am exhausted! Birthday parties are a lot of work. Megan had a great time. She had been looking forward to her Scooby Doo party for so long. Here are a few photos for your viewing enjoyment.

She was so proud of her Scooby Doo cake.

And her Scooby Doo pinata, that wasn't full of candy, but full of Scooby snacks and Scooby Doo fruit snacks.

I think this family picture turned out really good. It takes a lot of work to get a good picture of the four of us. Megan isn't exactly the easiest kiddo to take a picture of. And Sam tends to have a really fake smile. So I am really impressed with this picture!

And of course there has to be a picture of sweet little Mady too!

I really love birthday's, but having this many so close together gets a little overwhelming. Considering that in five days it was my birthday, my Mom's birthday, and Megan's birthday. My wallet is really empty right now! I really enjoy my kid's birthdays though. It is so much fun to see how excited they are about everything. And I love making it special for them.

Megan got everything she wanted. The funniest thing was that she wasn't exactly happy that she got clothes. After the first couple boxes of clothes she started throwing them on the ground. She said she doesn't like clothes. But when she said goodbye to Grampa Mike she thanked him for the clothes. So I guess it all worked out in the end.

Until next time,

Jaime

Happy Birthday Megan!!

2009-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my monkey Megan! It is hard to believe that you are turning 6 years old today! You are so spunky and cute. You make me smile everyday. I am so proud of you. You are growing into such an amazing big girl!

You entered this world six years ago screaming louder than any tiny baby I have ever heard. And you have left that same impression ever since! I love you so much Megan!!

Love,

Mom