tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26718097580155338992024-03-04T20:49:45.422-08:00the grimmer lifei'm not an expert on, well, anything. but i usually know what's going on in my life, so i'll talk about that.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-79883980359392297912012-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:002012-03-26T19:27:31.968-07:00she got schooledthat's right folks... b is now an official student of ms. heather's preschool class. today was her first day of class and she did brilliantly. and so did this mama. i was very brave and didn't shed one tear... but let's be honest, i was certainly on the verge. but back to the star...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS7t0O8DFBaWTMbRJDKw5z0iHmLwLR9QHQquy_bjAVpnPoLYcdbl6owHyS-GDlw8Di1HqzWtXAzGfByxjMCImGP1xQeFe2hki3Hp8ceILGNOwRPHTv-cIofUPnaQklVS7D4r7YJkLX3v5/s1600/IMG_1279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS7t0O8DFBaWTMbRJDKw5z0iHmLwLR9QHQquy_bjAVpnPoLYcdbl6owHyS-GDlw8Di1HqzWtXAzGfByxjMCImGP1xQeFe2hki3Hp8ceILGNOwRPHTv-cIofUPnaQklVS7D4r7YJkLX3v5/s320/IMG_1279.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>she rocked a new outfit and a new backpack, which is the size of her little brother. but something needs to carry the take-home folder, so the monsterous backpack also attended it's first day of school.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBdsA5vkHmt-0xZzHiJbHkLQbewDVxEgC1rwwFFUS_wdakYi4_cMW5slex1Wz8nS8Bwf28zi0LTAzGPedlM7BL6jTPuEXQD2IVY10X_EQLMMfTeJYeydMErGgW8DEhP56tNf0kJOY9h4c/s1600/IMG_1280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBdsA5vkHmt-0xZzHiJbHkLQbewDVxEgC1rwwFFUS_wdakYi4_cMW5slex1Wz8nS8Bwf28zi0LTAzGPedlM7BL6jTPuEXQD2IVY10X_EQLMMfTeJYeydMErGgW8DEhP56tNf0kJOY9h4c/s320/IMG_1280.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>highlights of her first day:<br />
* she huggged her teacher as soon as she saw her<br />
* her very own locker with her very own name tag<br />
* a fire drill. apparently she laughed through the entire thing<br />
* <strike>drinking </strike>spilling from an open cup. uh, yeah, we gotta work on that skill folks<br />
* cried the entire way home. sad to leave school? or overwhelmed by the amount of stimulation? probably both.<br />
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we did it. we did our first day of school. you can call us experts now. ask us anything. except for how to drink from an open cup. we'll get back to you on that one.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTbBTgjgLdiLGPAz9IxpaKe7PZUE9YqpQmX8856JrdMZ59jpzGqVV441Htg_UGaiX24fJeagC1Hfgu5WOv2kVHrJODWl54wNe8gvi16PBZj7FF8ayBjYj6tK0AqsnNLznaDE98bLQ8EE8/s1600/IMG_1281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTbBTgjgLdiLGPAz9IxpaKe7PZUE9YqpQmX8856JrdMZ59jpzGqVV441Htg_UGaiX24fJeagC1Hfgu5WOv2kVHrJODWl54wNe8gvi16PBZj7FF8ayBjYj6tK0AqsnNLznaDE98bLQ8EE8/s320/IMG_1281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-29392371168872390282012-02-25T13:47:00.000-08:002012-02-25T13:47:08.540-08:00a summary...an apology for my long absence just seems, well, pointless. i've apologized in the past for my absence and i'm sure that sometime in the future i will have another long absence. maybe we should all just recognize these periods of absence as a regular part of my blogging experience and get over it. yeah? great...<br />
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no great reason for the lack of posts this month... just... life. life has felt full over the past several weeks. some reasons obvious, others not so much. the obvious reasons are worth mentioning so in a very brief summary here's what these past few weeks have held:<br />
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1) <strong>sickness</strong>. we've all held some form of a cold, but the G-man takes home the trophy in this category. wednesday he was diagnosed with: infantigo, hand-foot-mouth disease, a sinus infection and a cold sore. oh, and did i mention he's gotten 5 new teeth in the past 3 weeks? sad-sad-red-faced-blistering-snot-nosed-cranky-super-contagious-little-boy. i have pics but i'm pretty sure you don't want to see it. just look it up, k?<br />
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2) <strong>school</strong>. b tested with the special needs pre-school in town thursday morning. i have no idea how she did in the tests since they ushered me out and asked me to play on my phone for 2 hours. ok, maybe not, but i did not get to watch her testing, so i'll just have to wait to hear her scores and their judgements on her schooling needs. hopefully i'll disect all that's been going through my heart and head regarding this in a later (but sooner) post.<br />
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3) <strong>sacrifices</strong>. oh there is just so much that i feel i can say about this, but i'll keep it short. first, i feel like the Lord is stuffing my face full of my selfishness and asking me to let go... OF ME. wow, i just demand ME so much. wifehood and motherhood are great ways to see your selfishness and they offer opportunities to let go of self. but seriously, even with both of these roles, i still cling to me and demand me. ALL.THE.TIME. second, the hubs and i are facing a small situation where we are feeling the need to let go of our desires for... obedience? maybe? sorry to be vague. let's just say, that obedience which demands rejecting your desires is rough. refining, baby, refining.<br />
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that's all for now. i mean, it's not all. it's only feels like the tip of the iceburg. but without any fun pictures to include i know i'll loose my audience quickly :) so i'll stop. hopefully more to come (with pictures) soon, and i do mean quicker-than-a-month-from-now soon.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-39302003713936660862012-01-26T09:43:00.000-08:002012-01-26T09:43:22.898-08:00what i'm walkingthis morning i had the sweet sweet opportunity to have coffee with a mom here in town who's son has down's syndrome. this mom is one of the most genuine, wisdom-filled and compassionate moms i know. and she understands the special needs life. as we talked for an hour and a half about the journey through special needs i came away with the following:<br />
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<strong>1) i need to be proactive. </strong>b is about to start testing with the special needs preschool here in town to see if she qualifies for services. i've just assumed that she will and that the school will do a great job of educating her and will give her all the services she needs. not to say that this preschool is bad, cause it's not, in fact it seems to be awesome. BUT, i am my daughter's best advocate and i need to pursue and fight for what i believe is best for her. her suggestions: observe the classrooms (a couple times if possible) before putting her in the school; seek the services i believe she needs even if the school doesn't; volunteer in the classroom once she's a student; don't accept their word as final truth- fight for b's best opportunities.<br />
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<strong>2) the special needs life is hard.</strong> it is special, but it is hard. i have to die, daily, to my desires and plans for her life. i have to work really hard to teach her, with very slow coming evidence that she "gets it." i have to help other's understand her strengths and limitations. i have to watch her do things (or not do things) that kids her age, and younger are doing much more successfully. i don't say this to complain, but just to be real. i don't want to pretend that this is easy. and hearing this mom confess her own struggles was actually an encouragement to me. it made me feel less alone. it validated my hardships. it helped me to realize that struggles are a part of this journey- not to be feared, but to be embraced and surrendered. so maybe by writing this, i can encourage someone else who is fighting the same fight.<br />
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<strong>3) grace is good. </strong>grace for myself. grace for my daughter. i have days (way more that i want to admit) that i just don't do a good job being intentional with b (or g for that matter). and i beat myself up for my laziness and failure to perform. grace is necessary. i want to do a good job as a mom, but i sometimes fail. and the Lord forgives. and then He gives me another shot. grateful for grace.<br />
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<strong>4) teachable moments happen all the time.</strong> even when i don't notice them, or realize i am taking advantage of them. i want to notice them more- doing the laundry and pointing out that the clothes are warm. or matching socks. or recognizing the difference between a shirt and pants. doing life with my children is so valuable. teachable times are a part of every day life. i just want to start seeing them more and taking advantage of them.<br />
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<strong>5) special needs kids need to be "pushed." </strong>as our therapists say, sometimes i have to be the bad guy. i have to make her walk down the steps even when she doesn't want to. i have to make her say "all done" or "more milk" or "food please" even when i know what she wants. i have to make her finish a task, even when she's not interested. all these things require patience. patience that i seem to run out of quickly. but, pushing her helps so much more than i can begin to express. my son, who needs no pushing, just gets it. he says his words and finishes his "tasks" and enjoys doing things on his own. b would have me do everything for her if i would. tough love, baby, tough love.<br />
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<strong>6) finding someone who understands is invaluable. </strong>my heart and soul were nourished this morning. i needed to have someone who <strong><em>knows</em></strong> the path i am walking. to have someone who understands the blessing and the heartache associated with special needs encouraged me in so many ways. thanks ms. diane. i am so grateful for you and your encouragement as we both walk this special journey.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-54892276481589631352012-01-14T13:58:00.000-08:002012-01-14T13:58:26.051-08:00once upon a time i craftedthose of you who know me well may need some CPR after reading the title of this post. but, it's true. i crafted. once. all on my own. and it turned out. more CPR anyone?<br />
my math major tendencies do not lend themselves easily or often to crafting pursuits. but every once and a while i get inspired. it only takes me about 4 months to finish a weekend craft, but i'll take what i can get.<br />
after a friend posted this picture to <a href="http://iloverehabs.wordpress.com/">her blog</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGeSUhO8Dm4mXcccsdh5rqSSn_F9LfJHRh7NCniFLLaLBt3R3Stj1MBHYkxJ6fsDw7RX1cX_r8SoSgTTgvfIYpWgUGvrucX5rBU1Fo7lK4CKPjOvg98R5wFDgHN72Y_c-daLf02gHh_Y1/s1600/art+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGeSUhO8Dm4mXcccsdh5rqSSn_F9LfJHRh7NCniFLLaLBt3R3Stj1MBHYkxJ6fsDw7RX1cX_r8SoSgTTgvfIYpWgUGvrucX5rBU1Fo7lK4CKPjOvg98R5wFDgHN72Y_c-daLf02gHh_Y1/s320/art+idea.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">i started thinking that i might be able to make something like this on my own... AND I DID!!! so here it is, my way-to-many-details-step-by-step-guide to making your own "word art"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1) head to lowes or home depot and steal scrap pieces of wood from their trash cans (this is what i did, but i'm sure they will also allow you to purchase your wood)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvZLgUuai6tSQjHbfwCqzU3rHMbqBZwzszxZuKwM8NvDQik7nyC4VEhZPUXUUGvXFRKAi3T4rkzqzJSG3fCj9NRRSTSmQMK9_bKki31MnL1n8Doa-wqRUApTx9434cjivvfbiyyzY_olL/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvZLgUuai6tSQjHbfwCqzU3rHMbqBZwzszxZuKwM8NvDQik7nyC4VEhZPUXUUGvXFRKAi3T4rkzqzJSG3fCj9NRRSTSmQMK9_bKki31MnL1n8Doa-wqRUApTx9434cjivvfbiyyzY_olL/s320/IMG_0284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
2) sand, baby, sand. i was able to borrow a hand sander from a friend and if you are doing a large project i would highly recommend one. i sanded using several different grits of paper, rough to smooth. probably a better way to do this, but i craft to the beat of my own drum. oh, and no picture. like i said, i don't do this often so i forgot to photograph each step :)<br />
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3) prime. and from what i've read, this step is I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T. helps the paint stick and stuff. i used zinsser bulls eye 1-2-3 primer cause i had it... and i read that it's the best. seems to have worked well for this project. i used a foam brush. why? cause i had one. i'm sure a regular brush would work well too, but i like that the foam brush is less streak-y.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHgKlTyPtOpIankPMLAunmMpo5-DxTc-dVKfLEPqhUN28Q3whoKY-KW1qFkVviOCjfztNQ975RjYj4adoADHorn0Hd2z1Pxornb5OnTwcf3fRexaIv6ms83NPTF_zXAFh401N18QuakRU/s1600/IMG_0442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHgKlTyPtOpIankPMLAunmMpo5-DxTc-dVKfLEPqhUN28Q3whoKY-KW1qFkVviOCjfztNQ975RjYj4adoADHorn0Hd2z1Pxornb5OnTwcf3fRexaIv6ms83NPTF_zXAFh401N18QuakRU/s320/IMG_0442.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
4) let the primer do it's thang for 7 days. why? cause it says so. and i'm a rules follower.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkejdp_qORZzIN_rHo_3wj-Sq0ZYuHK6pVgp6Ctn8gfiE6wQU-B7C5YiP3SW3VRm8JWSrsFZf8j3qxQt3ytyj7quKZxe2EQ-1i-GZPTTJgBuMeh0tB9PPnkjQbG2AMgUvvSfkthRZBWXp/s1600/IMG_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkejdp_qORZzIN_rHo_3wj-Sq0ZYuHK6pVgp6Ctn8gfiE6wQU-B7C5YiP3SW3VRm8JWSrsFZf8j3qxQt3ytyj7quKZxe2EQ-1i-GZPTTJgBuMeh0tB9PPnkjQbG2AMgUvvSfkthRZBWXp/s320/IMG_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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5) let the painting begin! i wanted black letters on a white surface, but obviously you can chose the colors that make your heart happy. all in all, i probably did 2 (maybe 3?) coats. again, no picture. but i'm guessing you all know what white paint looks like.<br />
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6) break out the power tools! ok, all you really need is a drill, but it still plugs in and makes a lot of noise, so let's call it a power tool. lay out your wood so that it's arranged the way you want it to look. i had 8 pieces, all different sizes and lengths so i decided to highlight that by not making them all line up flush on one side, but rather went with the "random" layout look. i used 2" mending plates, wood nails, and wood glue to bind all my wood together. there are at least 2 mending plates for each set of two pieces of wood, some sets required 3.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB294iR4EY0vVuyt7WS97hYEBbS6XrOZYl8SpJI68N2bFB3P7L5HBirJH1DXiRonlTDPxTGotXOZx221XCksxpJvymOVvDJnsWRUQyYz_r5tqhSrUyfodL4pjYSgTEPdablw-6QMSMY0p1/s1600/IMG_0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB294iR4EY0vVuyt7WS97hYEBbS6XrOZYl8SpJI68N2bFB3P7L5HBirJH1DXiRonlTDPxTGotXOZx221XCksxpJvymOVvDJnsWRUQyYz_r5tqhSrUyfodL4pjYSgTEPdablw-6QMSMY0p1/s320/IMG_0558.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
7) i glued all the wood together first and then attached the mending plates. but in hindsight, i would have been a little more careful with the glue--> several of my pieces were curved so after the glue dried i could see the glue in the cracks. if i were to redo it, i'd be a little more strategic about where i used the glue. after the glue dries, secure each piece with the mending plates- mark where you want to drill a screw, use your drill to create a hole then screw that screw!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqE3Q0RTp2qJMfnWjKH8EyLwY6IctEbmU6ZlaOAHsQzi9thVnB41mlu54cde39rJb3SFrpANp26eq_mlnBpTBEekB6zSwFzs9gsF1dFHOMV7HvYdGi2FjG7SqU8J9scn-kvN_jy5KCcbB/s1600/IMG_0556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqE3Q0RTp2qJMfnWjKH8EyLwY6IctEbmU6ZlaOAHsQzi9thVnB41mlu54cde39rJb3SFrpANp26eq_mlnBpTBEekB6zSwFzs9gsF1dFHOMV7HvYdGi2FjG7SqU8J9scn-kvN_jy5KCcbB/s320/IMG_0556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsup_K1_TWV1Eqz75EYHBdayQLfsrJAsPKxyfLUjLVzQRHsmFRbY_Q-gOJHi0370gBjLP1xNKhS71XjASSzlLWtK0QcXzCH3BAV664bmvsqra4E2D3jM-p5xkenazcGk8siMvx4ehhK-P/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsup_K1_TWV1Eqz75EYHBdayQLfsrJAsPKxyfLUjLVzQRHsmFRbY_Q-gOJHi0370gBjLP1xNKhS71XjASSzlLWtK0QcXzCH3BAV664bmvsqra4E2D3jM-p5xkenazcGk8siMvx4ehhK-P/s320/IMG_0557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
8) once everything is secured, you now have your "canvas" for your art. i don't draw. but i can trace a letter with the best of them. so i googled "love quotes", found my favorite, bought a set of stencils from michaels and painstakingly traced out each letter of that quote.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvAenbyPss_gZimljZm6YPPhj2gyQAY0WtpphpnVislsEfjbWz0Q1RmMqq5N8IPfTZwd6NPCnVPORu3iwSAKIib64vm-1FN1Bas-EJU5TriPnmgCbIxJ-nO6I99C9V4OQE5G1WanppIQa/s1600/IMG_0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvAenbyPss_gZimljZm6YPPhj2gyQAY0WtpphpnVislsEfjbWz0Q1RmMqq5N8IPfTZwd6NPCnVPORu3iwSAKIib64vm-1FN1Bas-EJU5TriPnmgCbIxJ-nO6I99C9V4OQE5G1WanppIQa/s320/IMG_0559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
9) paint. again. i had black tempra paint, so that's what i used. now that it's dried it's a little cracked- but i actually like that look. i used a small artist paintbrush for this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zi3ER0L6_n5vitcQ_bFkr2Rkm2NrZmr4zFcUvAiMqqoxcflv8f3GYg5wTGlQOv-okVB9XNG_IETSCJ0KGWHkS11bURSm641c14CjIABsbDl2YyhT1Xc2X2dnRmh9YgNP_KJPTl65TxMf/s1600/IMG_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zi3ER0L6_n5vitcQ_bFkr2Rkm2NrZmr4zFcUvAiMqqoxcflv8f3GYg5wTGlQOv-okVB9XNG_IETSCJ0KGWHkS11bURSm641c14CjIABsbDl2YyhT1Xc2X2dnRmh9YgNP_KJPTl65TxMf/s320/IMG_0570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
10) convince your husband that you need help hanging this sucker. it's heavy. we used the experts at home depot to guide us in what we needed to hang it. we used <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100021232/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053">these picture hangers</a> that can hold up to 50 lbs. each. something this heavy should be mounted into the studs in your wall- which is ok since you are deciding where the hooks get placed on the back of your art. so 1) find the studs in your wall, 2) measure the distance between, 3) attach whatever hooks you use that distance apart on the back of your wood, 4) secure the mount to the studs (at the height you want your art), 5) hang the art and hope it stays!!!<br />
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11) please ignore the rest of that corner... it's a corner that needed to be filled and i used what i had. my house = always a work in progress.<br />
<br />
so there you have it, my craftiness. obviously this project can be done a million different ways, for a million different inspirations. but hopefully this math-major's craftiness will inspire your inner crafter to do great things!!!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>COST BREAK DOWN</u>:</strong><br />
wood: free<br />
hand sander: free<br />
sand paper: about $3.50<br />
primer: had it already, but a 1 quart can costs $9.47<br />
paint: had it already, but a 1 quart can costs $14.00<br />
foam brush: had it already, but a 2" brush costs $0.67<br />
mending plates: i used 5 packs of 4, each pack costs $2.48<br />
wood screws: i used 2 packs of 16, each pack costs $0.98<br />
stencil: $10<br />
tempra paint: had it already, but 1 bottle costs $1.77<br />
picture hanger: i used 2, $0.97 for a pack of 3<br />
<br />
<strong>TOTAL COST: $28.83</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>HELPFUL HINTS</u></strong><br />
1) if your wood is curved be aware of where you use the glue, and where you place the mending plates. try to imagine where the "gaps" will be so that you do not see either of these when your wood is hung<br />
2) try to use the paint you already have- be creative so that your budget can thank you!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-64292008641331205122012-01-12T20:43:00.000-08:002012-01-12T20:43:30.108-08:00oh what to saytoday's post is an update on b. probably a lot of words. but for those of you only interested in pictures, i'll post some pictures from Christmas at the bottom. feel free to skip down there if you don't feel like reading.<br />
i am blessed with so many friends and family who regularly ask how b is doing. and i never really know how to answer.<br />
on the one hand, she is as awesome as they come.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57LbjbOusFNpFbt9OLLTggYqXgYu0EaxLF2YU0ezGX0u2ZEnxlI53NM5U0D_k_1lz9FLkvNxIzs_qHOx2YUtIYqB7LU4avRuHK8uS-gI_lc4orlM6sopQtndg7VnKeB9ckPHhz5nAQu0r/s1600/IMG_0986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57LbjbOusFNpFbt9OLLTggYqXgYu0EaxLF2YU0ezGX0u2ZEnxlI53NM5U0D_k_1lz9FLkvNxIzs_qHOx2YUtIYqB7LU4avRuHK8uS-gI_lc4orlM6sopQtndg7VnKeB9ckPHhz5nAQu0r/s320/IMG_0986.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi1A0KFF6TenC1LV2UCJQTpTnqPYoJK4EHIi0f71yQPFvQXIrOb0daQbZnludPIYDJEb2z5u1iKyQvJRC-DAVjUStLQaYYzufP5P3EZQQ7Jjr7EH6osibO9z7XdvybsrW1hTDJHsbK3s_/s1600/IMG_0988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi1A0KFF6TenC1LV2UCJQTpTnqPYoJK4EHIi0f71yQPFvQXIrOb0daQbZnludPIYDJEb2z5u1iKyQvJRC-DAVjUStLQaYYzufP5P3EZQQ7Jjr7EH6osibO9z7XdvybsrW1hTDJHsbK3s_/s320/IMG_0988.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> she is joyful. and content. and loving. and sweet. and beautiful. and kind. and developing. and seizure free.<br />
and i wish i could stop here. just focus on her awesome-ness.<br />
but the reality is there is still this huge question mark surrounding her "health" that is not ignorable.<br />
sigh.<br />
in the beginning of december we visited a metabolic geneticist. probably the best specialist we have seen so far. the results of the meeting were:<br />
1) two more blood tests. still waiting for the results.<br />
2) a declaration: her seizures and developmental delay are most likely caused by a genetic disorder.<br />
sigh. again.<br />
as i drove home from the appointment i found myself not knowing what to pray. not that i was angry and unable to pray. i just didn't know what i wanted from God in all this.<br />
there is a part of me (how large that part is, i don't know) that wants one of these tests to come back positive. if it comes back positive that i can finally <strong>know</strong> the cause behind all the health issues. if it comes back positive then i can start to understand her better: her strengths, her weaknesses, her limitations, her gifts. (and, unfortuantely, this knowledge would probably give me a lot more patience when it comes to working with her on her development). if it comes back positive then i can know better how to pray for her. and play with her. and encourage her. if it comes back positive then we can stop testing. if it comes back positive then we can start moving forward. or so i think... to all the listed above.<br />
but <strong>of course i don't want it to come back positive</strong>. i don't want my daughter to have a label. if it comes back positive then i have to let go of this hope that i hold onto that maybe, one day, she will wake up and it WILL ALL BE GONE. not that the LORD can't work a miracle, no matter the results of the test. but if one of them does come back positive, then my hopes get shifted. i guess.<br />
bigger sigh.<br />
so now, as i pray, i ask that the LORD would allow the test results to come back just as they should. and that He would give me, and james, and the doctors wisdom in each step of this journey. that we know what to do next. no matter the results. it's nice to know that i can pray like this. that the LORD's goodness doesn't change. that His faithfulness doesn't change. that His plans are always for my good and for His glory.<br />
so that's where we are, for now. waiting. and praying. and knowing He is faithful.<br />
<br />
and as promised... Christmas pics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcgbDZPtZwbu-h5jDKzyR3qaokjgOXv7eNOqUy5TdTeaEga7ooJewkTb6hBMYcu29iLS45V_CJ2OTnKav0-yp7iy5He3YBaogtvDv06EaalauGYoQFV3DuRlJvL-iMKPC2BEaHzJc5ed2/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcgbDZPtZwbu-h5jDKzyR3qaokjgOXv7eNOqUy5TdTeaEga7ooJewkTb6hBMYcu29iLS45V_CJ2OTnKav0-yp7iy5He3YBaogtvDv06EaalauGYoQFV3DuRlJvL-iMKPC2BEaHzJc5ed2/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">family sledding. loved by all, eventually.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn9n3wDHsLczTYtVQYKTePNrwkMNrvfTl62Ku8DmFd_Qm20oLRTMWVOMlzZz1FguhQqk8HJHgfz90Cdqdr26IikeAvfYA203jBflctY9nS9Id04WeXWtNBsm6m0ESIpwGe2GuzcEh3TK4/s1600/IMG_0926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn9n3wDHsLczTYtVQYKTePNrwkMNrvfTl62Ku8DmFd_Qm20oLRTMWVOMlzZz1FguhQqk8HJHgfz90Cdqdr26IikeAvfYA203jBflctY9nS9Id04WeXWtNBsm6m0ESIpwGe2GuzcEh3TK4/s320/IMG_0926.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">have you ever tried putting mittens on a little hand?? requires serious concentration apparently.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH649mh1_X5MjE8-sfb7Wvk_Eg-EYH3lpUz1hPhZtrD67LSioUvqkhgWN_VnWT1VF5yCYD20QGTssc2kkw3OOBJQbvG2UKSa3IsAdzKZXxBxJ7YCi-C10B9_66bDeOuhos4YuztAKazJT/s1600/IMG_0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH649mh1_X5MjE8-sfb7Wvk_Eg-EYH3lpUz1hPhZtrD67LSioUvqkhgWN_VnWT1VF5yCYD20QGTssc2kkw3OOBJQbvG2UKSa3IsAdzKZXxBxJ7YCi-C10B9_66bDeOuhos4YuztAKazJT/s320/IMG_0932.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">b, aunt b and uncle eddie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3pmyMdB5QnW988qcuttWOmQU1NsYputf97rPgXs1Wu3g3ow-9e0ZmO_Nz4dfNHUq1Qx__sgjQ65YS1heSrsG1MeeuG9uONR0QT9E2zFh3hwN_-7EXtqfeoa-BgMePjDSbig3xEIODHbZ/s1600/IMG_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3pmyMdB5QnW988qcuttWOmQU1NsYputf97rPgXs1Wu3g3ow-9e0ZmO_Nz4dfNHUq1Qx__sgjQ65YS1heSrsG1MeeuG9uONR0QT9E2zFh3hwN_-7EXtqfeoa-BgMePjDSbig3xEIODHbZ/s320/IMG_0945.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">piano with papa... and a snack</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGewA2ZeneCDp7xOvDndsLe-mLs608ufVJGDmPjgjuwdxd9N4m5ZDu5UYdzXaThzCGNLgqpjTm0oWmhpjUHIKtELGPu9tScjDRf_8liefxGHhzkTfCuUlkOSbAnow_eyQehlsVCp8Dn3R/s1600/IMG_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGewA2ZeneCDp7xOvDndsLe-mLs608ufVJGDmPjgjuwdxd9N4m5ZDu5UYdzXaThzCGNLgqpjTm0oWmhpjUHIKtELGPu9tScjDRf_8liefxGHhzkTfCuUlkOSbAnow_eyQehlsVCp8Dn3R/s320/IMG_0952.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">doll stroller, but g doesn't seem to mind</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAtP-O5aJNIY7atLnGMZaUB4HeE1ZqtbKaIrycTSVgUNZEtun88qTQUn20L-SZ76jhrmIqTQIto3EtMJ4dnyrS6lZrOocclOUmEJi4m-Wqen1235EpofOgbN-W8-PQlBIzN-8LD14u6N3/s1600/IMG_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAtP-O5aJNIY7atLnGMZaUB4HeE1ZqtbKaIrycTSVgUNZEtun88qTQUn20L-SZ76jhrmIqTQIto3EtMJ4dnyrS6lZrOocclOUmEJi4m-Wqen1235EpofOgbN-W8-PQlBIzN-8LD14u6N3/s320/IMG_0951.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">largest mr. potato head, e.v.e.r.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinV8ZUMYvxtYSffdLN5fSpvHDFREjQ-E6W3aGAWcf0AiS2WvZHUCr1fNNLqRjaxxNRE0nTfAvMf_r-zIH92K13BhJcCaQtM-gCO-lRJMbB21G-i37CEX1B8E3bV0PPyhNxMbDinlA46g-Z/s1600/IMG_0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinV8ZUMYvxtYSffdLN5fSpvHDFREjQ-E6W3aGAWcf0AiS2WvZHUCr1fNNLqRjaxxNRE0nTfAvMf_r-zIH92K13BhJcCaQtM-gCO-lRJMbB21G-i37CEX1B8E3bV0PPyhNxMbDinlA46g-Z/s320/IMG_0973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hey, at least the kids were <em>looking</em> at the camera</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-9877018972038044442012-01-01T14:01:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:01:57.106-08:00today i saved?can we all just take note of the fact that with this post i am attacking "resolutions" number 1, 2 and 4. that's right, let's start this new year off right!<br />
<br />
today i went grocery shopping. the big trip. the one where you load up the cart with E.V.E.R.Y. possible food that you could imagine consuming in a week in the hopes that you do N.O.T. have to return to the store again that week, but you know that you inevitably will because you will either forget something in this trip or the store will not have that one vital ingredient for tuesday night's dinner. please tell me you have this kind of grocery store drama as well.<br />
<br />
anyways, with resolution #2 before me (be a better steward of our money), i attacked this trip a little differently than usual. here's what i did:<br />
<br />
1. i looked through all the local grocery store adds and made my grocery list (and dinner list) based on what was for sale this week. i did not go to any extremes in this, i just recognized ingredients that were on sale that are also a part of recipes i know.<br />
2. i typed up this list, listing each food, it's size and price under the grocery store where it is on sale.<br />
3. left during naptime (<strong>THIS IS KEY... NO KIDS ALLOWED ON THE BIG GROCERY TRIP!!!!)</strong><br />
4. i took my time, walking the isles, comparing my "sale" prices to the walmart prices. i tried to keep the "price adjustment" foods in a different part of the cart than the "regular" price foods.<br />
5. found the line with the nice checkout lady.<br />
6. was prepared to show her the ads, but apparently i looked trustworthy today, so she let me tell her the price as she rang up each item (this was where having them separate in the cart came in extremely helpful).<br />
7. paid... and wondered if i really saved.<br />
<br />
upon returning home the math major in me got a little giddy as i calculated the "savings." here's what i found:<br />
1. of the 19 items to be price matched, 6 of them were actually cheaper in walmart.<br />
2. of the 13 items i did price match, their original cost would have been $30.79. with the price match they cost $21.81. savings: $8.98.<br />
<br />
<strong>IS.IT.WORTH.IT??????</strong><br />
<br />
yeah, an extra $40 or so a month results in $480 a year. not bad. assuming i have the same kind of savings each week. that's a big assumption.<br />
<br />
but this trip was only possible because 1) the hubs was home to watch the kids, 2) i had the time and energy to examine the store ads, 3) i wasn't in a hurry in the store, 4) my printer was working :)<br />
<br />
none of this may be interesting to any of you. that's fine. this post is probably just for me as i work through what saving money for my family can and should look like. this is one option. but is it worth it? jury's still out. i'll give it at least a month before i make any judgements.<br />
<br />
and yes, i was very nice to the cashier today!<br />
<br />
*** <strong>QUESTION: </strong>i usually buy campbell's healthy request cream of ------- soup. those cost $1.32. today i bought the great value low sodium kind for $0.59. i don't mind buying store brand, but i want to try and be as healthy as possible. is this generic brand filled with stuff that the campbell's healthy request is not, or are their contents pretty comparable? ***<br />
*** <strong>PLEASE, </strong>if you have any great money saving tips i'd love to hear your ideas! ***Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-60618347342456223862011-12-31T17:48:00.000-08:002011-12-31T17:48:17.735-08:00ringing in the newi guess you could say i'm a new year's junkie. not that i do the big party thing or ever have any grand plans on this night. nope, pizza and a movie for the hubs and me tonight. it's just that i love the idea of taking time to reflect on the past year. taking inventory of all the good, bad and ugly. and then deciding what you want to bring with you into the new year. and what stays behind in the old year. what needs to change? what needs to be added? what needs to be dropped?<br />
<br />
i haven't come up with any official resolutions, but i do have some hopes and intentions for the new year. here's what i've come up with so far<br />
<br />
<strong>1. i want to be a more faithful blogger.</strong> notice i didn't stick a number to that? yeah, not gonna commit to a definite number, but i truly love sharing my journey with whoever decides to read this- i'm just not good at doing it faithfully. but the new year means that i can start clean and try this bloggging thing anew<br />
<br />
<strong>2. i want to be a better steward of our money.</strong> the hubs and i set our budget last night and i got a little testy over the whole issue... ok, i got defensive and mean and then i said sorry. it's not that i have wild, crazy spending sprees- i truly do not buy much beyond the necessities. but i DO buy non-necessities more often than i should. it's a very dangerous downward spiral for me: i see what someone else has --> i want what someone else has --> i think i deserve what someone else has --> i am not satisfied until i have what someone else has --> i look for what someone else has and hope that it is on sale --> i buy what someone else has and am still not satisfied. please tell me that this happens to you too. i'm tired of being unsatisfied with what i have. i am BLESSED BEYOND BLESSED with all my junk. i do not need anything else. my kids do not need anything else. my house does not need anything else. i want to be satisfied with what i have. and i think that starts with spending our money more wisely. which, i guess, means not spending our money at all.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. i want to be more intentional with my kids.</strong> lots and lots to say about that, but if i follow through with my first "resolution" then you will hear more about that later.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. i want to be nicer to the check-out people at walmart and target.</strong> it's not (usually) their fault that the line is long. and slow. and my kids are going crazy. and i have to pee. and dinner needed to start 10 minutes ago. and i forgot to get milk. they deserve a smile. and eye contact. and niceness. i can show them Jesus in those small ways, right?<br />
<br />
<strong>5. i want to love and serve and honor my husband better. </strong>right now i'm not totally sure what that looks like, but i want this to be my goal for every day. every year.<br />
<br />
ok, i keep thinking of more, but i'll start with these. overall, i want this next year to be a year that i live on purpose. i want to be intentional about each day. listening to the Spirit and obedient to His promptings. i want to recognize that each person in my life is there for a reason, a divine reason and i have the blessing of living my life alongside them.<br />
<br />
"be very careful, the, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" ephesians 5.15-16, 20Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-53704254294053132011-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:002011-11-16T15:13:13.038-08:00cute pictures, that's allreally, that's all. just cute pictures. and if you see these again in your holiday card, don't be surprised. enjoy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzZe51YaToLB86ovy8jLDgC3eZOGoAX_IiM74_MIunh25zhPjAe1ffm6ZxTjpI1kvDfpAl4PhbnqIg_BkPily9x6BKV6myEBWhRMkxjg6rV45Ti7LxpOb-UE91VELcHZ9qK-jeXW_FMrn/s1600/DSC_1334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzZe51YaToLB86ovy8jLDgC3eZOGoAX_IiM74_MIunh25zhPjAe1ffm6ZxTjpI1kvDfpAl4PhbnqIg_BkPily9x6BKV6myEBWhRMkxjg6rV45Ti7LxpOb-UE91VELcHZ9qK-jeXW_FMrn/s400/DSC_1334.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-3727510973864975222011-11-09T20:54:00.000-08:002011-11-09T20:54:12.190-08:00an introduction, part 2: my bootoday (tonight) it's time to (officially) introduce you to my daughter, b... e... grimmer, or affectionately known as "boo." for the most part, boo is the reason i started this blog. this unexpected journey through epilepsy and developmental delay has brought me into a life i never expected- feeling unable and also unworthy of this calling to be the mom of such a special child. but i've found that talking, or typing, it out helps me to unjumble the mess of thoughts and emotions that regularly occupy my heart and mind. and thus, the blog.<br />
if you have read my previous posts, you will probably have a decent idea of how she is doing physically and developmentally. so this post is all about the fun little things that i love about her... the side of life that might change overnight, but for today brings me so much joy.<br />
<br />
1. her profile. that's it. i love her profile<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7c85Sk4ZzeEWz-lWCaF7Bqfb23mse0_CiRgyR8-Q3PkjXePBY23hREwYSGE5kPe4ub0kPMcsWJ3jE_Owxq5-0AnBfWU9yy_AGjQqAwp4SrkKgAmC6tQC59oyoXQRrYjfLMaGAOKovHsIY/s320/IMG_0428.JPG" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. her voice. i think she has the sweetest little voice. her words may still be in development, but her voice makes any word sound better. the following videos are probably only cute to me (and maybe a grandmother or two) but it showcases a couple of her favorite phrases... "where'd the baby go?" "all done" and "ok, yeah" (which is her favortie response to ANY question) in that voice i can't resist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RLOBUwZbiPQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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</div><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ia4_uHRskck/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ia4_uHRskck?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ia4_uHRskck?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. her laugh. very few people would argue that a child's laugh is one of the best sounds, ever. and boo's laugh is no exception. it's cute, it's full of life, it's unrestrained. and, at times, it sounds like a pterodactyl. it's true. there is no better way to describe it. a full on, breath-in squeal, that might just remind you of a scene in <em>jurassic park</em>. the video DOES NOT do the laugh justice, but it gives you a taste. hopefully i will capture the pterodactyl in all it's glory soon. it is truly an epic laugh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DXY_1SbZX3k/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DXY_1SbZX3k?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DXY_1SbZX3k?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. her personality. b is truly the most joyful and content person i have ever met, child or adult. her joy in all things is, well, a gift. in over 2.5 years of life she has never thrown a temper tantrum. never. in fact, i've never even seen her mad. she finds delight in everything. sheer joy. always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. the randoms. a list of the un-categorizable traits...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">* she loves to play "giddy up" with anything- dog, brother, mom, dad, toy... if it fits betwen her legs, it can be a pretend horse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">* she squeals/grunts every time she tries to lift a heavy or awkwardly shaped object (hard to explain but hilarious to watch)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">* she sticks out her tongue and says "blaaahhh" at every mirror or window she passes (a game we started playing to help improve her tongue strength... and it stuck)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">* she is shy around strangers but will let anyone hold her</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">all this just doesn't come close to doing justice in describing this amazing little girl. she's special. and joyful. and full of life. and sensitive. and tenderhearted. and loving. and sweet. and gentle. and seizure free. yes, that last one is what i am thankful for today (all you facebook friends). it was around this time last year, the week after daylight savings, that b seemed to stop having seizures. so, today i'm declaring that she has been seizure free for one year. one long, good, hard, trying and blessed year. such a fabulous reason to be thankful. if you have been praying for her, thank you. today i am testifying that your prayers are being answered. seizure free!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-75099652805357733452011-10-30T20:56:00.000-07:002011-10-30T20:56:12.029-07:00has me concernedthese are the words that i am so (so so so so so) very tired of hearing. <strong><em>... has me concerned.</em></strong> yes this phrase is still be uttered in b's doctor's appointments. and it is hard to hear. tear jerking hard. i try to be brave but i'm tired of these words.<br />
<br />
in the beginning of october we took a 4 hour road trip to visit a pediatric geneticist. in june our neurologist suggested we visit a geneticist, just to make sure we weren't missing anything genetically related to her seizures. having been in good health (seizure free for almost a year) and showing consistent development, i believed this would be a "nothing" appointment. check in, all's good, check out. <br />
<br />
<strong><em>really, erika? really? since when have we had one of those appointments since this whole journey started a year and a half ago????</em></strong><br />
<br />
maybe that thinking made the weeks leading up to the appointment easier... but it certainly didn't help when the doctor uttered <strong><em>... has me concerned </em></strong>several times.<br />
<br />
the good: she has been seizure free for almost a year. she is developing. all her tests have come back negative. her last EEG and MRI were good. <br />
<br />
the bad: she had seizures, source unknown. she is behind developmentally. just because one test comes back negative, that doesn't mean there isn't something else that shouldn't also be tested. the distance between her eyes, the size of her forehead, and the height of her nasal cavity are all bigger than they normally see<strong><em>. WHAT</em></strong>??? yeah, that last one kind of put me over the edge. what does all that mean? well, maybe nothing. but maybe something. so we're doing another test. sigh.<br />
<br />
every parent wants to believe their child is perfect. perfect health. perfect development. perfect looks. perfect health got stripped from me awhile ago. followed by the development. all of the sudden, my beautiful baby girl had freakishly large eyes and forehead and nasal cavity. i hate saying that, but it is an honest confession of where my mind went. i went to bed that night thinking that everything about her face was crazy-like out of proportion.<br />
<br />
and then i saw her the next morning.<br />
<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNdRyj_N018BBOo51JOUR_RrPSAbSytBHIKIjAGnFxsvIkLHWzzNDjDkLbdi3iXO3YuuteedAf5dqVskpdCkQ5qqcrWSpIxdRyTAIbMdBN8U9EGDjnCdAkjJ-BeC8S61oEsRLzOGfoe-r/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNdRyj_N018BBOo51JOUR_RrPSAbSytBHIKIjAGnFxsvIkLHWzzNDjDkLbdi3iXO3YuuteedAf5dqVskpdCkQ5qqcrWSpIxdRyTAIbMdBN8U9EGDjnCdAkjJ-BeC8S61oEsRLzOGfoe-r/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_6kct70bJjbNQqLq67bUlw3VXYrydsQE39LKketCXTFQN5i4o4IhDOri-LITXyfwgsB9gS1l2WLRpKOA5KEWZQ5GqVlKQul5flc2WNhdN6vVHUUr_RDIPsN598kR6WAeod5-XTYDIClP/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_6kct70bJjbNQqLq67bUlw3VXYrydsQE39LKketCXTFQN5i4o4IhDOri-LITXyfwgsB9gS1l2WLRpKOA5KEWZQ5GqVlKQul5flc2WNhdN6vVHUUr_RDIPsN598kR6WAeod5-XTYDIClP/s320/IMG_0619.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
and the LORD spoke psalm 139 over my heart, <br />
<strong><em>for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. i praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, i know that full well.</em></strong><br />
<br />
beauty. that is all i see. inside and out. special. chosen. joy. beauty. my baby girl.<br />
<br />
if there is something different about her face, the LORD has chosen it for His specific purposes. if there is something different about her health, the LORD has chosen it for His specific purposes. if there is something different about her development. the LORD has chosen it for His specific purposes. for my good and His glory.<br />
<br />
really, this is where i want to stop, but just so you know what's next... we wait until december when she will see a metabolic specialist. this doctor will examine her occasional tremors (in hands and eyes), which was noticed by the geneticist. he will decide if he wants to do any testing, in regards to the tremors, and then we will also complete the test ordered by the geneticist. and then... we do life. we return home and do life and continue to watch God's plan unfold in our lives. the doctors may be concerned, but my God is not.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-77531641519311066632011-09-29T14:21:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:31:55.793-07:00an introduction, part 1: i'm so proud of himhere he is, the hubs. my honey. my best friend. sooo cute, right?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_wXE1bjhYD6M7mXdXfhJhJfyTpwX8HwuGhCpbQmzbmn2CB_1g7F5h4Bz95YoloY9Xp2AhgsIA-d3l8LtLEMeP-BfxKzWnzOULUiIWJJx5tMFNpJ4H0SF7LyV824nDakChE2gWgPpSDjm/s1600/SCAN0049+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_wXE1bjhYD6M7mXdXfhJhJfyTpwX8HwuGhCpbQmzbmn2CB_1g7F5h4Bz95YoloY9Xp2AhgsIA-d3l8LtLEMeP-BfxKzWnzOULUiIWJJx5tMFNpJ4H0SF7LyV824nDakChE2gWgPpSDjm/s320/SCAN0049+%25285%2529.jpg" width="106" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">so let me introduce you to him:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. he hates chocolate (result: that empty bag of oreos was eaten entirely by me)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. he was a division 1 swimmer for butler university</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. his favorite chick flick is "sweet home alabama"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. he has house clothes- a soft shirt and either basketball shorts or sweats that he dives into <strong><em>the minute</em></strong> he gets home. it's a bad day when the house clothes don't get worn at least once</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. watches <strong><em>every</em></strong> minute of the tour de france every summer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">6. the first baby he held was our daughter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7. is an extremely gifted teacher, especially with sports</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8. he doesn't like to talk about hypothetical situations, but he does like to day dream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">9. he likes to go unnoticed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">10. has competed in one full, one olympic distance and two half ironman triathlons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and this last point is why i'm so proud of him. a week and a half ago he finished his second half ironman triathlon. after a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, a 13.1 mile run, a flat tire, a broken derailer (apparently this is a very important bike piece?), and a torrential downpour, he finished in 5 hours and 29 minutes. not quite the time he was hoping for. and while he is disappointed, i couldn't be prouder. this race showed who my husband is: he is dedicated to what he loves, he fights to finish no matter what the obstacles, he strives for excellence in all he does and is not satisfied with anything less. he's my ironman (gotta throw some sort of cheesy line in here, right?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt8VO2Lr0YF77DzQdgT8pWGcrAC_a0-hf6uuglxXyFiRM9Y9szDpdQW_dIoXNEDuILMAgc5LBBUCtdHJ1WU5u07UVkdZP-3QXcHB1K3Lm4oc9Ldysda_sYzcAKFyzD_UJ5ppUhhTLlhZH/s1600/IMG_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt8VO2Lr0YF77DzQdgT8pWGcrAC_a0-hf6uuglxXyFiRM9Y9szDpdQW_dIoXNEDuILMAgc5LBBUCtdHJ1WU5u07UVkdZP-3QXcHB1K3Lm4oc9Ldysda_sYzcAKFyzD_UJ5ppUhhTLlhZH/s320/IMG_0578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the start of the race... if you can't tell, that's nervousness and annoyance written on his face :)</td></tr>
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</div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-34257824852943561772011-09-16T18:52:00.000-07:002011-09-16T18:52:06.524-07:00shameless bribingthe following is a video of B and i doing a puzzle. oh the puzzles. when she first started receiving OT services one of our assignments was to work on puzzles to help her develop her fine motor skills. then when she started working with a speech therapist she suggested we use puzzles to help B develop her speech- offer choices and require her to tell us what she wants. puzzles, the magical toy. and for the majority of the past 10 months i have thought of them as "those d*** puzzles." B had little to no interest in puzzles, and there are only so many times in an hour i can say <em><strong>which piece do you want, the yellow or the red? the cow or the horse? the circle or the square? shoot me now or later</strong>?</em> ok, not as bad as all that, but seriously not my favorite activity. <strong>until the m&m's.</strong> oh the gloriousness of the m&m. all you haters out there don't go judging me for the sugar... or the ingredient "coloring blue 2 lake"... or the bribing. it worked and i will forever be indebted to the m&m. plus they are peanut m&m's, so the nutritional value is definitely there. somewhere. anyways, here's the video of us puzzling. and fine motor skilling. and offering choices. and being awesome.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5gK1W54fLrw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
educational sidenotes:<br />
<br />
in this video you can see B working on both her fine motor skills and her speech. for the fine motor skills she is working on turning a piece to appropriately fit it's hole, plus she is recognizing where the piece belongs and learning to turn the piece without prompting. for speech, we offer her choices: <em>do you want the red or the blue</em>. majority of the time she will repeat whatever was offered last. at this point she doesn't care which one i give her, but i'm told that eventually she will care which piece she receives and through offering her choices she will learn that words have meaning and are how she communicates what she truly wants. we are also working on distinguishing colors (although not our primary focus) and her chewing skills (the size of the peanut m&m prevents her from just swallowing her candy).Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-22409736579547125272011-09-15T16:23:00.000-07:002011-09-15T16:23:54.606-07:00your forgiveness is requested...<em>hi, my name is erika and i am an unfaithful blogger. </em>oh how noble my intentions. oh how pathetic the results. all i can say is i think that i just found my head and am in the process of reattaching it to my body. pending a successful reattachment i think that i'm back. i hope. so here i am, asking for your forgiveness for my long absence.<br />
<br />
moving on: just because i haven't been posting does not mean that i haven't been <em>thinking </em>about the many different things i want to share with ya'll. so, just to lure you into the all-too-fascinating world of "the grimmer life" here are a couple titles of posts to come:<br />
<br />
* <strong><em>an introduction</em></strong>- i believe that a proper introduction is necessary of all the babies and hubbies (let me clarify, there is only one hubbie to introduce) that i ramble on and on about<br />
* <em><strong>the buttons on the fridge</strong>- </em>a short story of how the frustrations have become blessings<br />
* <strong><em>where you at</em></strong>- an update on B, her development, her seizures, etc.<br />
<strong><em>* shameless bribing</em></strong>- somewhat self descriptive<br />
<br />
hope that encourages you to come back... and holds me accountable to actually posting those in a timely manner.<br />
<br />
so, i will leave you with pictures of what occupied the remainder of our summer- a trip up to illinois to visit the hubby's side of the family. fun times had at birthday parties, in the pool and at the playground. love visiting family!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UuwNObfPVmCN-cte1G-qH029kF682e4weVjNTbeckOYmlMGSPmvFzeYtgtqJGd_Nk9GAUc5ZDXNk4kHCrmXzeRGZZ7u_op-mgr8nGz3r_3E2OcOW1iOKJGDy3F2BsflU0MYOLcj-v2OS/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UuwNObfPVmCN-cte1G-qH029kF682e4weVjNTbeckOYmlMGSPmvFzeYtgtqJGd_Nk9GAUc5ZDXNk4kHCrmXzeRGZZ7u_op-mgr8nGz3r_3E2OcOW1iOKJGDy3F2BsflU0MYOLcj-v2OS/s320/IMG_0452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">did NOT like the fountains and the splashing water and the sheer scariness of baby pools...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHo99FUK_1H2KZ4b0QrxhCEj5ntBDgWmJvD8QolH-fngDFjndvExzj-Uc2DhwbMDu3rHsG43rDrwifeKWGv_1JuNkZJ9LE7XoZULJN17Gw8i0CPq3FjJ2bxO58qVGJt0PwtfhdpuCr1uw/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHo99FUK_1H2KZ4b0QrxhCEj5ntBDgWmJvD8QolH-fngDFjndvExzj-Uc2DhwbMDu3rHsG43rDrwifeKWGv_1JuNkZJ9LE7XoZULJN17Gw8i0CPq3FjJ2bxO58qVGJt0PwtfhdpuCr1uw/s320/IMG_0472.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ok, maybe i'm ok if GG is here...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8I_QsvxgS2lbtA9FtLGOVNDyfljbYRit56MK4z-IhBQt9axeNUQfwEkXA9O41tJb5s_HMNFJpOZA8JpAi4brdGoJ7K0Ui-Q9gqvaNZ3U5egMEXtwVoQXs7GxWViR3XZbPEgGMy0nR41G/s1600/IMG_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8I_QsvxgS2lbtA9FtLGOVNDyfljbYRit56MK4z-IhBQt9axeNUQfwEkXA9O41tJb5s_HMNFJpOZA8JpAi4brdGoJ7K0Ui-Q9gqvaNZ3U5egMEXtwVoQXs7GxWViR3XZbPEgGMy0nR41G/s320/IMG_0483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">um, thinking about it, and...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCcnh7qbVygMSbA_cyvc-yEp8ZhKifQyK0o8vwJGN8KOMfyUoxarNVCBK-Y3GDj_upvfMvXimKOSoTs8xn3Zrp7BWI8xDBKu69xiTWlnmX59mh3FD2eilQrdAp3tiVRnpMb-miRdhCmi3/s1600/IMG_0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCcnh7qbVygMSbA_cyvc-yEp8ZhKifQyK0o8vwJGN8KOMfyUoxarNVCBK-Y3GDj_upvfMvXimKOSoTs8xn3Zrp7BWI8xDBKu69xiTWlnmX59mh3FD2eilQrdAp3tiVRnpMb-miRdhCmi3/s320/IMG_0485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>yeah, i love it<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAhdTKEliUu5qNuxQTUxyzEVYdv4xdWReUCa8p-Dfkhsn_lY9FYVzSWEPnSr8wtf101znjUokuvdrzQZ-wOQlBTJs8g49ZVwUrUd-Qr563qjtW7RAa1iRPN_UhFefhaZ32ufFxfpwqCnc/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAhdTKEliUu5qNuxQTUxyzEVYdv4xdWReUCa8p-Dfkhsn_lY9FYVzSWEPnSr8wtf101znjUokuvdrzQZ-wOQlBTJs8g49ZVwUrUd-Qr563qjtW7RAa1iRPN_UhFefhaZ32ufFxfpwqCnc/s320/IMG_0461.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>b, on the other hand, loved every minute of splashing glory <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwA3xDJfyzsjs9VWPVqbiGBg9XdvbFKRf92YDxMtNLCzPDD-Q_YQ_-qPHxkP14m-RyBiHJ5YrHLIO1tu80yljymrbDSZKOJoRmf_7_xbPnJbaGdpHqNP4xlerjihUDt8V-32HnExJWAMc/s1600/IMG_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwA3xDJfyzsjs9VWPVqbiGBg9XdvbFKRf92YDxMtNLCzPDD-Q_YQ_-qPHxkP14m-RyBiHJ5YrHLIO1tu80yljymrbDSZKOJoRmf_7_xbPnJbaGdpHqNP4xlerjihUDt8V-32HnExJWAMc/s320/IMG_0502.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLh19FudcWX724ykg9QE3J3iyqm5_fjVQk_RdtMW4rlEMzjsIlRfo1D4FjAzEwD05w9BMNjrkH9rv1z5fKU1zrEOwaEYmhiqhCE4pnO7mXGnrYPZYDxqSQhPpJlY4K1VYan8oW6CQIueq/s1600/IMG_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLh19FudcWX724ykg9QE3J3iyqm5_fjVQk_RdtMW4rlEMzjsIlRfo1D4FjAzEwD05w9BMNjrkH9rv1z5fKU1zrEOwaEYmhiqhCE4pnO7mXGnrYPZYDxqSQhPpJlY4K1VYan8oW6CQIueq/s320/IMG_0505.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>so maybe i was going for the whole peek-around-the-tree-senior-picture-pose. maybe.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzjVZPPtni5cJBvmKCRsw9qaoqO1FTt6gGvwcf39fTGcrQB7fP4cRR8VqsBlSAduyL3JNz4zTmbKaNWUqtfPndijm3OQiPpM5KWR6tcRQ6welPft201cm0uD0RR7oo6R1T3QQzh3bQcuk/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzjVZPPtni5cJBvmKCRsw9qaoqO1FTt6gGvwcf39fTGcrQB7fP4cRR8VqsBlSAduyL3JNz4zTmbKaNWUqtfPndijm3OQiPpM5KWR6tcRQ6welPft201cm0uD0RR7oo6R1T3QQzh3bQcuk/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>i cannot, for the life of me, get a great picture of the two of them<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXc_Ji13BFAcdZJN-9ZjXuIg13Lt6mEWXxHDIkucAOX_Y-9ja9nCDM-hiIv4Fa_PUT3Xo3fSCSVVgaiHVoNklNUTOsvDYILPxnleCUYUXgPl0F-AoalVEcS_VE-0q7Wu4_d8oVhvzgLDz/s1600/IMG_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXc_Ji13BFAcdZJN-9ZjXuIg13Lt6mEWXxHDIkucAOX_Y-9ja9nCDM-hiIv4Fa_PUT3Xo3fSCSVVgaiHVoNklNUTOsvDYILPxnleCUYUXgPl0F-AoalVEcS_VE-0q7Wu4_d8oVhvzgLDz/s320/IMG_0526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>uncle steve & aunt paige<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-60782998938011125372011-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:002011-08-15T10:19:23.236-07:00colorado, casa bonita, catching up, cool creatures and cabins<br />
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i'm back. sorry for the absence, but, we went to colorado. and taking a vacation requires 3 weeks: one week for preparing, packing and cleaning. one week for vacationing. and one week for recovering. yes, 3 weeks is the absolute minimum time requirement for a complete vacation ;)<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">we took our 2nd annual august trip to colorado... the state i will always call home. i heart colorado, very much. i also heart my family very much. and i really heart my husband and kiddos, very much. so the combo of these three hearts made for a great trip. here's the itinerary and the pics that captured much of the vacation. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>monday</strong>: drive for 12 hours. i <strong>DO NOT</strong> heart 12 hour road trips with two kids. at all.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>tuesday</strong>: dinner at <strong><em>CASA BONITA!!! </em></strong>for those of you unfamiliar with <strong><em>CASA BONITA, </em></strong>it is a "popular" denver tourist attraction filled with horrible food, cheesy shows and <strong><em>CLIFF DIVERS</em></strong>. hard to explain... must be experienced. and then it is probably necessary to watch the "south park: casa bonita" episode after. probably.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>wednesday</strong>: dinner with wonderful friends from high school. 6 kids under the age of four.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>thursday:</strong> all family dinner with discussions of next summer's sibling vacation... greece, costa rica or vancouver here we come!</div><strong>friday</strong>: denver zoo. love me some zoo.<br />
<strong>saturday</strong>: the hubs rides a 100 mile bike ride in the mountains- the copper triangle. we enjoy a night away from the kiddos on lake dillon.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>sunday</strong>: beau jo's pizza... in the mountains... with honey for the crust... it doesn't get better.</div><strong>monday</strong>: ikea. yes, denver now has an ikea, and the state just got that much better.<br />
<strong>tuesday</strong>: 12 hour drive home. hate when the mountains are in the review mirror and not on the horizon.<br />
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great state. great family. great trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7G-N4hJysFYk3Znlp5IDvROeTGgq-UzlfnpZOpVbR6RVihHQBS4_6dnXaNskhkdn2H0WaU1Rnh6RufII8UR7R3m5fRPCMhLM4ZIiH7tGbVH6QjNKJFndI_jZ2cjrzxcvYDg7iqO7Sz4D/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7G-N4hJysFYk3Znlp5IDvROeTGgq-UzlfnpZOpVbR6RVihHQBS4_6dnXaNskhkdn2H0WaU1Rnh6RufII8UR7R3m5fRPCMhLM4ZIiH7tGbVH6QjNKJFndI_jZ2cjrzxcvYDg7iqO7Sz4D/s320/IMG_0326.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grandma, grandpa, uncle eddie, the hubs and kiddos at <strong><em>CASA BONITA.</em></strong> notice the <em>awesome</em> waterfall in the background. <em>awesome.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ToiVaUHbQGyooLWO44wVyNVUs-kafKqC4TyOUCxBhhgihLWsBu8IDylW2-NrvCc_-0BM_YpWS7-XO-PJeoJenX-Ndyue8Sok7LdjHEqYsWCEFgmENZ_m_hsAAJ1dWVpryZIZGzMtvjnW/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ToiVaUHbQGyooLWO44wVyNVUs-kafKqC4TyOUCxBhhgihLWsBu8IDylW2-NrvCc_-0BM_YpWS7-XO-PJeoJenX-Ndyue8Sok7LdjHEqYsWCEFgmENZ_m_hsAAJ1dWVpryZIZGzMtvjnW/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the fam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KmOQSEp15zcxGewTtvwA5b-8EqaOmWsrnhEDFf5GcjAelJx4gA8SSXHNDTaqxL-Sry3Gl6EoPba97l4RuldMJYkIMa193xxR9U-SSS7D_VTB40maihgYRNH9AbwlG2Yl3j7psUT7t6gr/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KmOQSEp15zcxGewTtvwA5b-8EqaOmWsrnhEDFf5GcjAelJx4gA8SSXHNDTaqxL-Sry3Gl6EoPba97l4RuldMJYkIMa193xxR9U-SSS7D_VTB40maihgYRNH9AbwlG2Yl3j7psUT7t6gr/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uncle eddie, aunt brita</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aunt kim, uncle taylor, g looking awkward</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the grandparents</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLdjjH1H_mCYXClpbPtYZ86vv3Npl3RKX1w1wT5XZgq6NF1X1wUKn8ZfPoHXR9xZgkYyhyphenhyphen9RIkiMB6-9TnrbJy9o2VLfWdR09y3XTbUZsTxtmed5FlqxKT4gbh6z63IvdTt6zlmtKD9wc/s1600/IMG_0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLdjjH1H_mCYXClpbPtYZ86vv3Npl3RKX1w1wT5XZgq6NF1X1wUKn8ZfPoHXR9xZgkYyhyphenhyphen9RIkiMB6-9TnrbJy9o2VLfWdR09y3XTbUZsTxtmed5FlqxKT4gbh6z63IvdTt6zlmtKD9wc/s320/IMG_0346.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our hands are full... of great things</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJN9QDo8AVeo1RgMWSFK2GNKKf47FFxAXOsE-u8J7vwuuzFEeKpCIVFfFMZWu-xIP2bpK8YGI1917GQ2xcIg0kjm7G_vAYh0elOjTCP4NbOFUelzdRJqVjBW-jflS6unH72bC1H5JzOup/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJN9QDo8AVeo1RgMWSFK2GNKKf47FFxAXOsE-u8J7vwuuzFEeKpCIVFfFMZWu-xIP2bpK8YGI1917GQ2xcIg0kjm7G_vAYh0elOjTCP4NbOFUelzdRJqVjBW-jflS6unH72bC1H5JzOup/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wondering how i can move out to colorado</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9uMFLBIWt-8KikWnnh6FWeh-B7HOgMt2z-_-TnOngp-hrzTodKnMecnceonSCvsnYvvlb3Zfm3r7uUNwfx1tOHmvBmL9TYgLwOopSfMU9KJql9iuECquuLYQPk8WcUcxvGbTI2dgvXxa/s1600/IMG_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9uMFLBIWt-8KikWnnh6FWeh-B7HOgMt2z-_-TnOngp-hrzTodKnMecnceonSCvsnYvvlb3Zfm3r7uUNwfx1tOHmvBmL9TYgLwOopSfMU9KJql9iuECquuLYQPk8WcUcxvGbTI2dgvXxa/s320/IMG_0360.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i figured it out!!!... i'll be a cliff diver for <strong><em>CASA BONITA</em></strong></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcoDS3eQOdVQWX3YbQUh7Rs7ALJjo9nYBN1iMbgBpA1aeE4esfPhObV8UvJ7hM0xgGaydDxr1Zy9L0q8qrqlfvjdxQ9Oc-mpP6sHT44rn-WXbIhVA9PcCfdpdFgx_E6P79XfuPaagflP7/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcoDS3eQOdVQWX3YbQUh7Rs7ALJjo9nYBN1iMbgBpA1aeE4esfPhObV8UvJ7hM0xgGaydDxr1Zy9L0q8qrqlfvjdxQ9Oc-mpP6sHT44rn-WXbIhVA9PcCfdpdFgx_E6P79XfuPaagflP7/s320/IMG_0364.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grandpa and the kiddos ubber excited for the zoo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTPASS6wKO77jMvNCgAssM12hjiGBr0SfBuhyphenhyphenEnlfHLrCjrjiDl3nSMqJQ8VNqMjQKM5uBmM_pfyp-QDK6AN1Lov_UleVF2FMfOmCyXaWgJfUj8AZaOawAeFe2avc8lVQJNjIT-0KUxrZ/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTPASS6wKO77jMvNCgAssM12hjiGBr0SfBuhyphenhyphenEnlfHLrCjrjiDl3nSMqJQ8VNqMjQKM5uBmM_pfyp-QDK6AN1Lov_UleVF2FMfOmCyXaWgJfUj8AZaOawAeFe2avc8lVQJNjIT-0KUxrZ/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">evidence that we did see "cool creatures" as the title suggests</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOoxuMplE7-iOE3X4VyND5J6Uce09V9bG0KAWw9wIALOWs1omCC_I6WW6rCztrWWknLnNjpcNv80SPXXp30z3B4nYtexCQwzhPi30dfCz8SF7lrCfiBHJOxREe-uYw5NWyTP0ixcKz7Xw/s1600/IMG_0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOoxuMplE7-iOE3X4VyND5J6Uce09V9bG0KAWw9wIALOWs1omCC_I6WW6rCztrWWknLnNjpcNv80SPXXp30z3B4nYtexCQwzhPi30dfCz8SF7lrCfiBHJOxREe-uYw5NWyTP0ixcKz7Xw/s320/IMG_0383.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aunt kim and b fascinated by the swimming polar bear</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9jW1ulPSWT6e59GersFk8hATLUijHy32_TCxNWJcAQQrzs73Ci9Qa8LGxOCa6ukxWL7Twt3yAQ36vhaya-A0L84dE48pCr41sOosKJC3YOb6YmbiVW0FjlcucgegFTR3VwRLyGXILudz/s1600/IMG_0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9jW1ulPSWT6e59GersFk8hATLUijHy32_TCxNWJcAQQrzs73Ci9Qa8LGxOCa6ukxWL7Twt3yAQ36vhaya-A0L84dE48pCr41sOosKJC3YOb6YmbiVW0FjlcucgegFTR3VwRLyGXILudz/s320/IMG_0387.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">b and the 9 foot polar bear... my money's on b</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxqDD8kZ2B6njTNugosl99T7olm_ntaHiZGpajJryIAPqcdzPN9O7ja5XKSt32kBTBxQsamYl43moBcYqwlyyxJQ9J2EikVDApHTfGrNAEnDfxRxzCschc51m6IHItVBKTBLZV_zoEMXT/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxqDD8kZ2B6njTNugosl99T7olm_ntaHiZGpajJryIAPqcdzPN9O7ja5XKSt32kBTBxQsamYl43moBcYqwlyyxJQ9J2EikVDApHTfGrNAEnDfxRxzCschc51m6IHItVBKTBLZV_zoEMXT/s320/IMG_0422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">b, the diva, and aunt b on a chair ride</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K8-RsKoIHmEiJ_vkT7gt2EPyl0SitLzIoIhVqswhBOB-T6DCchgkSGDEuThbzRDvbQab4mhC5QH0hyPx8qC5AdJvu_xsRvURC931PVj6bRxuoEdxDyiRtKC55sTkUv_xF_-crwYoQBEH/s1600/IMG_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K8-RsKoIHmEiJ_vkT7gt2EPyl0SitLzIoIhVqswhBOB-T6DCchgkSGDEuThbzRDvbQab4mhC5QH0hyPx8qC5AdJvu_xsRvURC931PVj6bRxuoEdxDyiRtKC55sTkUv_xF_-crwYoQBEH/s320/IMG_0423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">g finding the chair ride game fascinating, hilarious and extremely distracting from dinner time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-L1wkxo7iNDOredjjVJQWGv-bGj3bOxAZyvEyc2Uik0c6d6rZxFI16KMtRo2-9OXjh6TC94b72xDjM-6WjiaNX_adsx8stM_ZclyHK69NYEnBOU2JnyiWkQ07oiBZn4XBps9wiHiljJBS/s320/IMG_0420.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lake dillon. awesome. not being sarcastic this time.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KmOQSEp15zcxGewTtvwA5b-8EqaOmWsrnhEDFf5GcjAelJx4gA8SSXHNDTaqxL-Sry3Gl6EoPba97l4RuldMJYkIMa193xxR9U-SSS7D_VTB40maihgYRNH9AbwlG2Yl3j7psUT7t6gr/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrOL910CbIkJwYE8Llw8RdciI1P3waInM6i2sUyV6zTfFUmVsOMz-ohFDFGJe0sC5DWTTxWlm8SloNomrS2AWjr0G3CvhgzkMJZ6ZxBVESjtg7KnrDYY_XEp5PYz3OmREowJCLWnYzjoK/s320/IMG_0341.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 553px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1322px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-71979919185028165922011-07-22T13:59:00.000-07:002011-07-22T14:23:28.198-07:00wait, it's not on the list!!!in recent weeks i've been going to bed 1) exhausted and 2) slightly discouraged from my lack of "accomplishments" during the day. yes i have two kiddos under the age of 3. yes it is 100 degrees outside which makes inside play the only option. and yes, when naptime hits i have little to no desire to be productive. so last night i made a list of all the things i hoped to accomplish today.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGox5lUYvCYGWdWdnqcCbrDYCemUayffJoP60oXfCJF3T7dU3hvCTsWowNoRb-Rod-E731vdCvCv6EPZFOjssZznCFSxlilfw5V19rFK1fO87a1ip5K9gJ6AoJUUk-H6L-sQZxby4Mkhd/s1600/IMG_0320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGox5lUYvCYGWdWdnqcCbrDYCemUayffJoP60oXfCJF3T7dU3hvCTsWowNoRb-Rod-E731vdCvCv6EPZFOjssZznCFSxlilfw5V19rFK1fO87a1ip5K9gJ6AoJUUk-H6L-sQZxby4Mkhd/s320/IMG_0320.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>i love lists.<br />
<br />
<br />
i love crossing things off my list in sharpie.<br />
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this list might have too many things on it.<br />
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so when i got up this morning at 6:30 (ok, 6:40... but doesn't 6:30 sound so much earlier and much more painful?) i tried to start on the list, beginning with my quiet time. yes i put that on the list --> 1) it helps to keep me accountable and 2) i like crossing things (anything) off my list. <br />
<br />
well the quiet time lasted for about 10 minutes before the babies demanded my attention. so, does 10 minutes count as a quiet time? what i'm really asking is, can i cross it off my list? mostly joking... mostly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">now it's 7 am and i start feeding a baby. then i change diaper #1. then diaper #2. then i start in on breakfast. but then "big house" by audio adrenaline comes on the radio and i have to do a little song and dance number for the babies to show them how cool i was in 8th grade. (and yes, that song is <em>STILL</em> on the radio). first is applesauce and medicine for B. then time to scramble the eggs for B. now serve B her breakfast.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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next G gets his applesauce and cereal. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">breakfast for babies ends, breakfast for mama begins. and ends quickly. diaper #3 calls. oh and it's laundry day. start the laundry. time to dress B, and G, and mama. and then it hits me. <strong>NONE.OF.THIS.IS.ON.MY.LIST.</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrWdEWrVWvNUMAcsUkqTiVJMImrthbEkYDXtihcrBDXiKHC72vdOUNdcgs-9C2gtRi9LtoZRxVO8SiLL9FuPvulgGlc-KnkwBR9HjrXa_XfnYjcgTnMasTTVQFjRC15AyT1MOLzZWEReg/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrWdEWrVWvNUMAcsUkqTiVJMImrthbEkYDXtihcrBDXiKHC72vdOUNdcgs-9C2gtRi9LtoZRxVO8SiLL9FuPvulgGlc-KnkwBR9HjrXa_XfnYjcgTnMasTTVQFjRC15AyT1MOLzZWEReg/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">not the diapers. x3</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">not the breakfast. x3</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
not the "big house" song and dance<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">not the laundry. x6 loads</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">not the clothes. x4 -B required a wardrobe change.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">and i'll be honest, there was a part of me that wanted to run to my list to write all this on it. i wanted to feel like i was actually accomplishing something this morning. but i resisted. i'm learning (VERY SLOWLY) that all these small non-list tasks are F.U.L.L. of accomplishment, regardless of whether or not it is on the list.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">i think that this is all a part of the joy (and growing pains) of learning to be a stay-at-home mom--> reevaluating and restructuring daily priorities and learning what are the true "to-dos" of the day. so here's hoping that today you can cross something off your list while recognizing all the valuable things you did today that are not on your list.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">p.s. i have crossed 4 out of the 11 things off my list ;)</div>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-91281394662685526802011-07-19T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-19T13:37:05.813-07:00a good readi just read this article after my friend posted it on her facebook page. if you are a parent or are thinking about one day becoming a parent then you should read this. i think you'll like it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank">"Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)</a>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-5051744804955812942011-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:002011-07-17T11:59:13.541-07:00sharing griefrecently i have been thinking in "blogs." although my life is far from fascinating, there are little things throughout the day that i find amusing, frustrating or interesting, and therefore blog-worthy. today's blog, however, is none of these. while i have been mulling over this post for about a week now, the right words and thoughts still seem to evade me, so forgive me if i ramble.<br />
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two weeks ago a good friend from high school's dad passed away. eight days later another good friend from high school lost his father. and one of my oldest and dearest friends is married to the first guy. i cannot stop thinking about and praying for these two families, and the many lives that are affected by the loses. i have cried for all of them, i have been so saddened by their losses, and i have walked through the valley of grief with them, even from a thousand miles away.<br />
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although it has been awhile since i have experienced the pain of losing a loved one, i do believe that i am familiar with grief. and i don't think the cause matters, grief is grief. it hurts. it overwhelms. it runs deep. but eventually it doesn't hurt, as much. eventually, it is not as overwhelming. and, eventually, it moves to shallower ground. but i think it always lingers.<br />
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maybe i'm wrong about that. maybe eventually the grief over a deep-seated loss goes away. and maybe it isn't the grief that lingers, but i think something sticks around. don't know what to call it, but there is something that remains- a reminder of sorts. why does this "something" stick around?... i'm not entirely sure. but for right now, and for these past two weeks, this lingering grief has allowed me to feel connected to my friends who are so far away. i know my source of grief is different from theirs, but i feel able to mourn with them. and i feel able to pray for them.<br />
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"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1.3-5<br />
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Much love and comfort to you, Matt, Amanda and Rob.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-15129347281223074612011-07-09T08:05:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:05:23.779-07:00gained the tubes, lost the adenoidslast thursday (june 30th) my daughter, B, had her very first (and hopefully last) surgery. after 2 years of a <em>constant</em> runny and/or stuffy nose i finally became fed up with stashing a box of kleenex around every corner of my house, and i took her to the ENT. the doctor determined that she did have liquid in (or is it behind?) her eardrum and so was a good candidate for ear tubes. he said that while she was under anesthesia he would look at her adenoids and remove them if they were enlarged.<br />
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although i knew this was a very minor surgery i still had to fight feelings of anxiousness. my husband and i have received so much frustrating and bad news from B's doctors over the past year and a half, that we almost expected something to go not-quite-right during her surgery (i know, pessimism can easily reign at times).<br />
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thankfully everything went great... and fast. i don't think i was in the waiting room longer than 20 minutes before they called my name to let me know it was over and all went great. she had just a small amount of liquid in (behind?) her eardrums, and the adenoids were definitely enlarged and in need of removal. buh bye adenoids!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 am, waiting in the lobby with our beloved "puppy"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dressed in her fetching hospital gown, making everyone in the halls smile with her laughter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our fabulous hospital showered her with gifts, including a new movie "tinkerbell"</td></tr>
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small side note: because of her enlarged adenoids + her constant runny nose, B has been a mouth breather since birth (basically). this mouth breathing has caused her to have a "weak" jaw since she always leaves her mouth open, which we believe has also led to a "weak" tongue. all of this, we think, is contributing to (but not the source of) her speech delays, as well as her eating "problems." her speech therapist noticed that she doesn't really chew her food but kind of gnaws on it then swallows... yes, gagged-up food is a regular part of meal time... thank you very much weak jaw and tongue. we now have a "chew tube" for her to use to strengthen both tongue and jaw (awesome, add that to my daily to-do list). it has been so interesting to start uncovering all the different factors that are contributing to her delays. glad we're finding answers. frustrated that we didn't find them earlier. but in this frustration the Lord reminds me, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43.18-19 (my promise for this season in B's life!) Hello Chew Tube, let's get started!Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-62442293633645034292011-06-27T12:48:00.000-07:002011-06-27T14:17:42.377-07:00it's a trip, not a vacationmy husband and i were told that once you have kids you no longer take vacations... you take trips. ohhh, this statement couldn't be any truer. and the family got to take a trip this weekend up to lake city, minnesota for a family reunion. almost 50 members of my mom's side of the family reunited for the weekend in the town where 2 out of the 5 siblings grew up. right on the mississippi river, we got together for a fun time of reminiscing and catching up. relaxing... one hotel room, two adults + two babies, two 11-hour road trips, 2 a.m. crying, 5:30 a.m. wake up, feeding a 2 year old with no high chair, following a crawling 6 month old around a hotel lobby... nope, not relaxing. enjoyable... seeing mom + dad + brother + sister-in-law + 50 aunts, uncles, cousins, cousin spouses, cousin kids, a petting zoo, a small town carnival, running along the mississippi, catching up with the masses, seeing the house where mom grew up... yup, very enjoyable. i enjoy my family, immediate and extended, very much, and it was so interesting to hear stories of my grandma and grandpa (who i hardly knew) and discover so many of their personality traits oozing out of me. i'm discovering daily how important family is to me, as my own has grown from just my husband and me, to my husband, me, two kiddos and two dogs. so it was neat to experience "family" on a much bigger scale for the weekend.<br />
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below are a couple pics from the weekend.... i haven't yet decided if i'm going to use my husband and kid's names in my posts so for now i'll just use their initials. p.s. there are not many pics of G (my son) cause he seemed to be sleeping during all the photo shoots. enjoy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes we are driving, yes she is out of her seat. it's a loooong road trip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">currently ok with being in the car seat... the drive must have just begun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i'm telling you, he slept during all the fun stuff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LNF0o3v6GR_9VP4kEYnBIJopE66wpyalQFg2-3j_j1L0OCVaT4M-uMZaorn-XpiCV0kGyMi30hwbQwfqHeQyy1djVu0T5Di6GsAm-POq31sxLo0FBAl0JML3gRoEzkIdsBvgNIRml0aI/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LNF0o3v6GR_9VP4kEYnBIJopE66wpyalQFg2-3j_j1L0OCVaT4M-uMZaorn-XpiCV0kGyMi30hwbQwfqHeQyy1djVu0T5Di6GsAm-POq31sxLo0FBAl0JML3gRoEzkIdsBvgNIRml0aI/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">went to a petting zoo... first were the miniature donkeys</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgPrEH88DrcLo24Rh8V9okDHEWRrm0xq1zI0ufIxSXc75XAoEEjBbrJKRuUY9fGqbniSGuy469VQ956sG1DSqpnq8pP0NFTcQcVXW6OnroebOXg96vYT4LsmiIj0A-fPspKh_QnBwNq1W/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgPrEH88DrcLo24Rh8V9okDHEWRrm0xq1zI0ufIxSXc75XAoEEjBbrJKRuUY9fGqbniSGuy469VQ956sG1DSqpnq8pP0NFTcQcVXW6OnroebOXg96vYT4LsmiIj0A-fPspKh_QnBwNq1W/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpMzfGvmbxq2JnmxAv_oHQJ1pUj_idNjTcOte1JYvPhWGZdyM3qxQuWkGkFPMurDJjgCenm7DrBy-AHpBAOFI_3ChJV6fsbolFt4YcI93XKKIB44HUjP6n74fDWnVLfpap3f3LXnSV4wM/s1600/IMG_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpMzfGvmbxq2JnmxAv_oHQJ1pUj_idNjTcOte1JYvPhWGZdyM3qxQuWkGkFPMurDJjgCenm7DrBy-AHpBAOFI_3ChJV6fsbolFt4YcI93XKKIB44HUjP6n74fDWnVLfpap3f3LXnSV4wM/s320/IMG_0179.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then came the llamas... or were they alpacas? or are they the same animal?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCxANouF0br1LkwkkmqiEQ5Nma2E10QYUUyyTETtStOy6TuorB5iQLc-T4-cvbLMDSDnSWbDkI1IjSQwAfd4DjqndNeUbdk7sylQBD8fW9f6wjJy6s74Xa_LT9o2TtRsDQ5pWAtFJIKAf/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCxANouF0br1LkwkkmqiEQ5Nma2E10QYUUyyTETtStOy6TuorB5iQLc-T4-cvbLMDSDnSWbDkI1IjSQwAfd4DjqndNeUbdk7sylQBD8fW9f6wjJy6s74Xa_LT9o2TtRsDQ5pWAtFJIKAf/s320/IMG_0186.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then the calves, and the tasty green metal fence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy-or-1CfLS0Hn3kwzOUn1jXVSToaVDI73snbeQcYqZPOLiENziTtDh640lfvCcXfZXjmRuRuLsBg5iwZtIV08OjSLUFvj_-R_JCefSFksSRvGECjKpkc4q6GpE0x-2dLrAbCimU9inFB/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy-or-1CfLS0Hn3kwzOUn1jXVSToaVDI73snbeQcYqZPOLiENziTtDh640lfvCcXfZXjmRuRuLsBg5iwZtIV08OjSLUFvj_-R_JCefSFksSRvGECjKpkc4q6GpE0x-2dLrAbCimU9inFB/s320/IMG_0190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finally a pony ride, or um, a pony sit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu2msOJhAYPZTr8CHXKhjFxckYlLox7_LyWylSWRrnGX46aZw4NOlsbFj60SzXr_HTQ4_CMIbkwz4svzdhyphenhyphen3KfamoMgpcwuI9Tv1MJaQmRZ2RiHPmxqIGyDmxd9mE9l_TQLxOGjAIgM-a/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu2msOJhAYPZTr8CHXKhjFxckYlLox7_LyWylSWRrnGX46aZw4NOlsbFj60SzXr_HTQ4_CMIbkwz4svzdhyphenhyphen3KfamoMgpcwuI9Tv1MJaQmRZ2RiHPmxqIGyDmxd9mE9l_TQLxOGjAIgM-a/s320/IMG_0194.JPG" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">putting our toes in the mississippi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wyzaLDR5hY2MoSiXs8oL7O4rupOCix9PwYZW4P-f0YtlvdREHKFDHaJ1-ucVbtHfzZd2WkI21S1xIR6-fm-zbxFrQ5SF7cBED8cJ55XiosgFGbvdZFLTQ9msUlB3xTCaiL29jYMtyW17/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wyzaLDR5hY2MoSiXs8oL7O4rupOCix9PwYZW4P-f0YtlvdREHKFDHaJ1-ucVbtHfzZd2WkI21S1xIR6-fm-zbxFrQ5SF7cBED8cJ55XiosgFGbvdZFLTQ9msUlB3xTCaiL29jYMtyW17/s320/IMG_0196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-39215905467911815102011-06-10T14:24:00.000-07:002011-06-10T14:25:31.562-07:00my playlistthose of you who know me well know that i'm not exactly a music connoisseur. or expert. or fanatic. i enjoy music, but i know little (ok, nothing) about what's cool. or up-and-coming. or on the edge. i usually borrow all my music insights and favorites from friends and family. you could say i'm a music poser.<br />
<br />
that being said, i find it slightly amusing that i've decided to blog about my "playlist." there is nothing on this list that is some secret discovery- these are simply songs that the Lord used to speak to my heart during the really hard days of this past year. the Word of God was always a constant source of truth, and conversations with friends were amazing blessings, but praise songs spoke to my heart in a way that nothing else could. the following list is my makes-me-cry-but-i-love-and-need-the-truth-in-the-lyrics playlist. if you do not own these songs, buy them, now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=mighty%20to%20save">Mighty To Save</a> by Hillsong <br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=everlasting%20God">Everlasting God</a> by Lincoln Brewster<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=Healing%20is%20in%20your%20hands">Healing Is In Your Hands</a> by Christy Nockels<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=my%20help%20comes%20from%20the%20Lord">My Help Comes From The Lord</a> by The Museum<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=kerrie%20roberts">No Matter What</a> by Kerrie Roberts<br />
<br />
"The Love of The Lord Endures" by Joy Williams<br />
**Couldn't find this one of GrooveShark, but ya'll need to find it and listen!**<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=blessings">Blessings</a> by Laura Story<br />
**New discovery and I heart the lyrics a lot**<br />
<br />
Happy Listening!!Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-91294980340429645662011-06-05T12:21:00.000-07:002011-06-05T12:21:26.881-07:00same song, new meaninglast year, at this time, i wore water proof mascara to church. why? because i could not make it though worship without crying. and our worship team had this horrible (by that i mean wonderful) habit of singing "Mighty To Save" week after week. the minute the drums intro-ed this song, the water works began. the chorus states:<br />
<br />
Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is Mighty to Save. He is Mighty to Save. Forever, Author of Salvation. He rose and conquered the grave. Yes He conquered the grave.<br />
<br />
every time we came to the chorus i could barely speak those first two lines. as the music rang i whispered those words as a prayer. fighting to hope that this was true of my God. i wanted to believe with my whole life that my Savior could move the mountains of my daughter's seizures. i wanted to fully trust that He was Mighty to Save her from her epilepsy. these words were an anchor for my soul and the hope i held onto when all else was dark.<br />
<br />
we sang this song again this morning. once again the tears started up... and i forgot to put on my waterproof. hello racoon eyes. but when we got to the chorus i found myself singing the words with a brand new motivation. no longer was the line "He can move the mountains, My God is Mighty to Save" a prayer... it was a declaration. the joy that i feel in writing that and declaring that is awesome.<br />
<br />
my Savior has moved mountains this past year. He was, and IS Mighty to Save. i hope i never have to cling to these promises again, although i'm sure i will. but when that day comes, i can cling to them while also KNOWING they are true.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-91228468509059527042011-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:002011-06-02T12:36:31.407-07:00thankful for the unknownthis post has been twirling in my mind for several weeks now (hence the huge gap between posts). i've been trying to get it just right and have finally decided that i just need to get it out and see what comes of it. also, i'm finally going to let the world, i.e. facebook, know that i'm blogging, so i wanted this to be a great post. pride, i know. but i'm letting go of it so i can simply stop thinking about this post.<br />
<br />
recently i've been thinking about how i am actually grateful for the unknown. now those of you who know me well know that this is a very unlike me statement to make. and most of the time, i really hate the unknown. i want to know the plan. i want to know what's coming. i want to pretend that i'm prepared and ready for everything. i don't like the unknown. <br />
<br />
but, as i've been looking back over this past year, i've come to discover how truly blessed i was by the unknown. when my daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy last march her entire future became this huge question mark. what did this diagnosis mean? what was causing the seizures? will she ever outgrow the seizures? will we ever find a medicine that will stop them? how will this affect her development? so, so, so many questions and NO answers. for 8 months the doctor could not answer any of these. and i, in the midst of it all, was hating the unknown.<br />
<br />
despite my hatred of the unanswered questions i, for some reason, kept myself from researching the internet for possible answers. the Lord pressed it heavily upon my heart that i needed to stay away from the searching. and now, one year later, i am beginning to understand why. <br />
<br />
about a month ago a friend told me about a college friend of her's who's child was exhibiting similar seizure activity to my daughters, but she never recognized it as seizures or took her child to the doctor to get it examined. sadly, the child ended up having a grand mal seizure that took her life. i cannot even write that without feeling overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. my friend, in her wisdom, did not share this story with me as it was happening last summer. had i heard this story last summer, i don't know if i would have been able to cope with that possibility in my daughter's life. a case of the good unknown.<br />
<br />
several weeks ago i was browsing through the <a href="http://catchingupwiththekeys.blogspot.com/">blog</a> of a friend of a friend (read her post on May 9)- this family has a daughter that was born right around the same time as my daughter, and has been diagnosed with epilepsy, along with several other disabilities. her 2 year old is close to a 5 month old developmentally. i don't know if the seizures are the source of her delays and disabilities, but as i read i couldn't help but be grateful that i didn't know that my daughters seizures could have taken her down a much more difficult road. again, so glad i didn't know. <br />
<br />
so, despite my continued desire to be in the know, i have learned, and continue to learn, that there is something precious and valuable in the unknown.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-42514739898543542352011-05-14T06:32:00.000-07:002011-05-14T06:32:55.670-07:00missing outmy friend jessica is getting married today. in savannah georgia. i live in branson missouri. that is a very long ways away. and due to nursing babies and finances i am unable to attend. and i hate that. i so want to be there to watch and celebrate my friend's marriage. i so want to be at the fun little college reunion that is happening right now. and i so hate missing out.<br />
<br />
what is it about missing out that drives me so? i mean, i will work very hard to not "miss out"... even if it is something that i'm not all that interested in. if others are going or doing, suddenly the event becomes just a little more appealing, and i will try every avenue possible to make myself a part of the action. wouldn't want to miss out on that thing that i don't actually care all that much about just in case it turns out to be something great... oh the maddness.<br />
<br />
maybe it's the fear of feeling left out- inside jokes, fun memories, great pictures- that i'm not a part of. this then leads to the feeling of lonliness- if i'm not there and they still have fun then i must not be all that important to them. INSANE, i know, but i think that sometimes this is how my mind and heart reason. and all of this leads to a sense of unworth- if i'm left out and feeling lonely, then i must not be that significant. and there's the root of it, where do i place my significance? <br />
<br />
this is a battle that the Lord and i have walked through for many, many years. the Lord has released me from so many lies on this front... but obviously i have some road left in truly finding my significance in Him. but i do love that i am able to recognize the lies much more quickly nowadays. now to replacing them with truth...<br />
<br />
so i write all this mostly so that i can see the nonsense in my mind and let go (just a little) of my fear of missing out. but with all that being said, i still do wish i was in savannah right now- love you lots jessica, lindsay, kate, brooke, marta and erin!Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-38114279647472235752011-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:002011-04-21T10:34:59.340-07:00what i read today...today i received my "momsense" magazine from MOPS international in the mail (side note... i heart MOPS... you should find one near you if you are a mom of a 5 or under-year-old). as i was browsing through it during lunch time and not paying attention to my daughter pouring apple juice all over herself, i came across an article titled: Twins are Hard, Terrible Twos are Terrible and Silence is <strike>Golden</strike> Scary. sounded interesting so i started to read, and when i finished i decided i HAD to share it. i think you will... um... well, just read it:<br />
<br />
On Saturday, my angels got up an hour early. I don't do mornings, so I put on <em>Sesame Street</em> and dozed off on the couch. Apparently my dozing had turned into full-on sleeping. As the final song came on, I woke up, opened my eyes and saw that our game cupboards were opened and every game we owned was pulled off and dumped out. Jenga, Pick-up Sticks, cards and chess pieces were strewn about our living room. George was trying to talk on the Super Nintendo controller like a phone. Patrick was trying to put chess pieces into the Super Nintendo game slot. This was only the beginning.<br />
That afternoon, after my husband, John, the boys and I had cleaned up the living room, I babysat for our dear friend, Maddy. I put the boys in their room for a nap but didn't want to stay with them and leave Maddy alone. So I prayed that they would sleep in their toddler beds and not get into everything. The only things in their room are two beds, a taped-down monitor and closet doors held shut with tension rods. How on earth could they get into trouble in there, right? So I played with Maddy in the living room.<br />
After about an hour, the monitor was quiet. Could this be the first nap that the boys had fallen asleep by themselves? I was so excited! I decided to check in on them to be sure. When I opened the door, George looked at me and said, "Monkey!" All I could see were mounds of clothes, toys and books. Somehow, my darlings had gotten the tension rod out of their door (mind you, it's about 5 feet off the ground) and pulled nearly everything out of their closet. Needless to say, nap time was over.<br />
Thankfully, yesterday our house required very little clean-up. Today, however, is a different story. Even though the boys don't take morning naps anymore, I still have them play in their room for about an hour after breakfast. Since we have a small house, the change of scenery is good for them. And I can take a shower and drink my coffee in peace. Often, the "rest time" results in tears because someone steals someone's train, and the hour is cut short. But today the boys played so nicely that they stayed in their room for the full hour. In fact, they were giggling so much, I even considered leaving them for a bit longer.<br />
As I opened their door, the strong scent of poop invaded my nose. My two beautiful children had stripped off their clothes, torn off their diapers and were "painting" their room with poop. The foot boards of their beds were painted. The walls were painted. And chunks of poop were on the floor and in the heater. I closed the door. I walked away. I called John. And then, I laughed a crazy, hysterical laugh.<br />
by Kathryn GleichErikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2671809758015533899.post-85755898474482459422011-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:002011-04-10T19:49:52.430-07:00timing is everythingtoday has been a day of many frustrations. <br />
1) my daughter left sunday school with a bruise on her forehead because a little boy was hitting her<br />
2) the art project i've been preparing in my mind is not coming out nearly as cool as i'd hoped it would<br />
3) after a month on benadryl, my daughter's nose is still ceaselessly running<br />
4) while doing dishes i accidentally knocked down one of my favorite bowls which shattered into hundreds of ceramic pieces<br />
5) a whole week has passed and i have not engaged in any intentional play/learn/develop time with my daughter<br />
<br />
all of these have combined nicely to make me feel very defeated today. but i think it's the last one that's really rubbing me raw. when she was diagnosed with seizures one of the toughest parts was my complete inability to do anything to "fix" her. it was horrible to feel so helpless. when she was "diagnosed" with some developmental delays i immediately felt the burden to do my part and do everything i could to catch her up. but let me tell you, this burden has become so heavy, and honestly, there are just some days that i don't pick it up. and i'm learning that this is okay... but i'll share my thoughts on that some other time.<br />
<br />
what i want to process through is the question "why hasn't God healed her (developmentally) yet?" i am currently doing a Bible Study called "Faithful, Abundant, True" by Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore. the study i'm doing today is called "our unmanageable God." in it, priscilla asks the question "Have you ever asked God for a tangible answer and He made you wait to receive it?" um, yes. then she asks, "How did you respond to His delayed answer?" do i have to answer this one? next, "Were there results that might not have happened without the delay?" ohh, now this questions is making me uncomfortable. finally she asks, "Why do you think we often become so frustrated with the Lord when we perceive that answers to our prayers are bing delayed," to which i wrote, "Because I believe that I am ready for the answer now- I want results now."<br />
<br />
as soon as i wrote this the Lord just gripped my heart with some hard but powerful truth. i DO NOT know His perfect timing, or His perfect plan. apparently i believe that my timing is perfect, but have i ever stopped to think that the waiting might be a part of His plan- sweet time that He wants to use to prepare me for His answer. time that He longs to use to speak to my heart, to quiet me with His love, to strengthen my faith.<br />
<br />
but here's the thing that really hit me: what if God is delaying the answer because He needs to prepare my heart for the answer that i don't want. what is God is never going to allow my daughter to catch up developmentally?<br />
<br />
i am not ready for that to be the answer to my prayers. <br />
<br />
but if it is His answer, then i have to believe that He is using today, and tomorrow, and yesterday to prepare my heart for this answer... or whatever answer He may choose to send my way<br />
<br />
so i guess that was my very long about way of saying that today has been hard. waiting and trying and failing are hard. but God is speaking to my heart and i'm grateful that His truth can still penetrate.Erikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07184021598312590312noreply@blogger.com1