Vapor Rub and Pickle Sandwiches

Vapor Rub and Pickle Sandwiches...not together of course!

This is what our house smells like these days. TJ and Natalie have had a bout of the lovely cough/cold combo. Natalie is hanging in there...she just has "boogies" in her nose. But poor little TJ. He can't nurse because he can't breathe...and he can't sleep, because he can't breathe. Basically he is miserable. And when he is miserable, I am miserable. I have a PediaCare night light that puts out stuff that smells like Vapor Rub right next to his crib. Even if it doesn't help, it makes me feel better that I am trying. That brings me to the Pickle Sandwiches. At least twice a day for the past 3 days Natalie has been asking for these. They are a very specific variety of deli delight. It is a Butternut hamburger bun, pickles slathered on top of each other on one side, and a mustard smiley face on the other side. She slaps it together and pushes it down with the palm of her hand until the mustard squishes out the sides. Then she rips it in half and gobbles it down. This child never eats ANYTHING without a battle. And, because I am too sleep deprived from TJ to battle with her, thus I leave her to enjoy Pickle Sandwiches...

Before I was a mom

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Our little man at 8 months!

TJ turned 8 months old on the 19th. He is so fun to be around...always smiling. He really seems to "take" to Kennedy the most. What is neat about that is when TJ was born, Kennedy was right there going "Hi TeeTee...Hi TeeTee!". It is so cool to see her come up to him and just sit and hold him and talk to him.

His favorite thing to do right now is pull himeslf up on EVERYTHING and put EVERYTHING in his mouth. He just loves playing this little piano (as do the girls...Natalie just learned how to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star")

The week in review...

We had our floors refinished last weekend. Not normally a big deal, but we actually got kicked out of our house for 2 days because of the smell! It was fun though, we spent the night in Green Bay at the Tundra Lodge - it has an indoor waterpark for the kids. Then, last Saturday we went on a beautiful Cross-Country ski trail. We skied for about 3 hours. It was gorgeous!

Back to the floors- We went a bit darker on the stain for a richer and warmer look...they turned out perfect!

Next, the girls had fun snowmobiling around the property with daddy this week!

And finally, we had wondeful news about our little Kennedy this week. She was due for a yearly ultrasound just to make sure that her kidney was still functioning properly, and we are thrilled to say that not only is it still working, but she doesn't need to see the doctor again for the kidney until puberty! Once again, we are counting our blessings! :)

Red, White & Blue "everything" cookies

So, Alex came home Thursday night and said - "Oh, I need 48 cookies for tomorrow...and I want them to be chocolate chip and red, white & blue!"...I was like "What?" and he said "Everyone passed their "citizenship test" (um, that's good!) and so we are celebrating that and Barack Obama...I told my teacher you would make cookies!". *Sigh*, thanks, son.

So, here is what we came up with. Because Valentime's Day is around the corner, the store had just red M&M's, and they were Cherry Chocolate flavored. We used those. Then, I used White Chocolate Chips. That left "Blue". So, I bought 3 HUGE bags of M&M's and the girls spent a 1/2 hour sorting out all the blue M&M's. One bag was Peanut Butter filled, so in all we had "White Chocolate, Cherry, Peanut Butter M&M cookies". They sound kind of funny, but YUM, were they good!

Here is the recipe *makes 24 cookies*:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Cherry Chocolate M&M's
1 cup Blue M&M's
1 cup White Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, white chocolate chips, and M&M's. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

My reflection on the election...

My reflection on the election...hah...I am a poet and didn't know it! :)

I did devourer the events that went on relentlessly over the TV, radio and internet yesterday. I was not an "Obama Woman" at all. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with him, he just wasn't my first choice. I wanted Mitt Romney (shocker, I guess). And then I voted for John McCain. Traditionally, my value system has always leaned towards the Republicans, though I am not registered with a party. Regardless of who you supported in the past election, it was almost impossible to not be moved and inspired by the images of the millions of people who came to witness Barack Obama's inauguration. I was.

I was inspired by the people I heard on the radio, most choked up with emotion, describing the monumental day that was taking place before our eyes. The thoughts played through my mind of slavery that wasn't so far in our past. What wonderful steps we have taken in the direction of love for all mankind that we would be so honored to respect a black man as our President. I am proud to be an American.

I watch President Obama and I see a man that brings hope and light to a future that looks a bit dreary. I see a young ambitious man ready to take on the world---and I think he will need all of the country behind him. I hope we will gather together as one and fight for all that we have made of this wonderful land.

Will you be a Johnny today?

How many times a day do we think to be a "Johnny"?
Click on the link: http://www.stservicemovie.com/

A great story (Arizona Cardinal fans will love)

So, here is the deal...I get these emails and stories, but I always check them out on "snopes" before sending them to anyone else...usually they are full of lies...but this one is quite interesting, and mostly true. First, read the story, fully and slowly. Next, click on the link below the story to read the "real" story...WOW!

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, thenew check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he wasonly 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford ababy-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids. So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy (who was actually stocking shelves the Cedar Falls, IA, HiVee) and Brenda the check-out girl?

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for an appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

Now the link:
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/warner.asp

Great guy huh? Here is a link to his foundations website:
http://www.kurtwarner.org/

The "Mom" Song

Oh, it is SOOOOO the truth! :)

******make sure to first scroll down to the right and click the "pause" icon for my normal blog song...

Just thought I would share a beautiful story..

Love this...and yes, it is a true story...

In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukaemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfil all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible.. The leukaemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix , Arizona , where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix . She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a REAL fire hat. One-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favour? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window 16 fire fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him.

With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

"Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said. With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing." He closed his eyes one last time.

what's the weather like for you today?

We are brisk, with a nice Canadian air sweeping across the plains and dancing through the trees...I just might suntan a bit today with all the sun we are supposed to have!

cold night...

Mackenzie is off to horse lessons. When I look out the window it looks refreshing and cool. Like you would want to go outside and take a deep breath. Problem is, it would most likely burn your lungs! :) It is pretty frigid out there...with a big arctic blast taking over the midwest. It's okay though...I just plan on cuddling up with a fire tonight.

A day in the life of potty-training...

This is what my days have been looking like lately...every 1/2 hour or so, asking little Kennedy is she has to go "potty". We started last Wednesday, and I am happy to say we have been two days without any accidents, and she is even sleeping in underwear! :)

On Wednesday I washed about 8 pairs of underwear...she just wasn't getting it. Though by the end of the day she was saying "potty" as she was running to the bathroom, yet she still managed to wet her underwear along the way. I have to say that "pull ups" are a joke, and I would never recommend them for any sort of potty training. She would just wet in them, take them off, and hand them to me, saying "wet!".

Well, she must have just needed to "sleep" on the concept, because on Thursday we just washed 4 pairs of underwear. Friday, 2 pairs...and that was it! :) On Saturday I did put a diaper on her when she stayed at MeMa's while we went skiing, and she pooped in that, but that was the last time! Sunday and today have been "poops in the potty"...YAY!

Just thought I would share a highlight of my parenting experience in today's entry! Trust me, when so many of those that you talk to on a daily basis are under 3 feet tall, you learn to get excited over "Dora has a new show on today!", "Look, mom, I can play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano" and yes "Hey mom! I pooped in the potty!"

Our "missionary" plan

So, being in the LDS church we are constantly told to be "missionaries" for the church, as it is our duty to spread the gospel so that everyone has a chance to experience what we have found...yada, yada! :) Not to belittle the wonderful work that full time missionaries do (we hope, very much so, that Alex will serve a full time mission at the age of 19), but I guess you could say that missionary work isn't our "thing". I would never feel comfortable just handing out a Book of Mormon and being like "Wow! What a read! You too, can have your life changed forever!"

Anyway, in our current branch, we have been challenged to really reach beyond our "comfort zone" and really try hard to spread the gospel throughout this New Year....even going as far as creating a family "missionary plan". What Brian and I both agree on, is that we can share our life and what we have found as our comfort in the LDS church, by being an "example". If people want to ask "Hey- what is your "secret" to happiness?", I would be happy to share! So...that brings us to our family "misisonary plan".

We got a license plate and stickers to go on the back of our car...hopefully it will, at the bare minimum, answer the question that everyone has for us..."WHY do you have so many kids? You guys Catholic or something???"

The only thing we dread is when we have to go through a drive-thru and we are waiting at the window as the line behind us grows longer and longer...we are afraid they are going to be thinking "SEVEN??? You have got to be kidding me! I had to get behind a 'burban with SEVEN Mormons in it???"

:)

skiing today

It was a beautiful day today...clear, no wind, and a crisp 15 degrees! :) So, we decided to go skiing...what a difference a year makes with Natalie! She had a blast...she even went over a couple jumps! Mackenzie and Alex each had a friend with them, and they had a great time as well. Next week we are planning an overnight ski trip at a resort up north...so we thought we would get practice here at the local ski hill.

some photoshop fun!

I took 2 photos from the session I did with the kids today and played with them...love the way they turned out! :) The originals are shown in my original post from earlier tonight...

*****note- click on the photos to make them larger and see the texture of them!

some photos from today...