Thoughts on 2011

Last year around New Years I had the thought/impression that 2011 would be a very good year. In my mind I was thinking that meant lots of vacations, so much money we wouldn't know what to do with it all, and just lots and lots of fun.

As it turns out none of that happened, expect for the fun. We only went on one vacation and that was a family reunion. We went to Cedar City to celebrate my Grandparents 70th wedding anniversary. We did not have loads and loads of money to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It was a hard year in that department and one of this years resolutions is to try and not be so not smart with money. But as I look back at 2011 and think "why did I think it would be such a great year", I am able to count my many blessings.

This past year was a very special one for my little Mady. She turned 8. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints turning 8 means you are now accountable for your choices and you get to be baptized and recieve the Holy Ghost. Mady was so excited and ready. The spirit was strong and there was lots of love on that special day.

There are moments in life that you know you will always remember and cherish forever. For me this year that was "The Music Man". It was so much fun to be in this play with my Mady and to take a leap WAY out of my comfort zone. I met so many amazing people and made friendships that will last forever. It is awesome that a silly little play can bring so many wonderful things. I'm so grateful that I was able to do this and I am grateful that Ryan was a super trooper taking care of the other kids while we had this awesome experience.

In February I was able to do the hair for our local high schools production of "Les Miserables". It was a remarkable experience. My little sister Mallory and my little Mady were in the show. Mady played little Eponine. She just loves acting and being on the stage. It was so humbling to watch these kids grow and strengthen and watch their amazing talent. Normally when I help with a show I am soooo done with it by the end of the run but this one was different. It was life changing and I am grateful to have been apart of it.

In September we took Daxton in for his annual Heart Cath so the doctors could test his beautiful angel heart for rejection. We are humbled and grateful that there is no rejection and we are going strong 3 years post transplant.

Ryan and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. Some years I feel like we deserve a medal for getting through the year together. Marriage is amazing and awesome but it is also dang hard and frustrating at times. So I am grateful for a man that I love more now than on the day we were married forever. He is my Eternal Boyfriend!

And last but most defiantly not least is my weight loss journey. This year has been one of "getting healthy". Ryan and I joined a gym that literally kicks our butts. It is hard work and emotionally taxing but it has been so worth it. I am down 30lbs with a lot more to go but I have seen that it takes hard work and that it really is all about what I put in my pie whole. So I am grateful that I feel better and have more energy.

So even with no cruises or trips to Disneyland, new house, sprinkler system, perfect yard, perfect house, perfect anything 2011 was a great year.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

So Beautiful!

This is a beautiful message on life after death. I know that we will be able to return to our Heavenly Father and brother Jesus Christ after we leave this earth. I am so grateful that he died so that we could be reunited with the ones who have passed away before us. There is so much comfort and peace in having this knowledge.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy41VCbdt0I

Summer Fun!!

Yes I do know that it is almost the end of October but alas that is how my life goes...always behind. Oh well, here are just a few of the fun things we did this summer.

For my birthday we went up to Mueller Park Canyon and had a wienie roast.

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" better than a cake fight!!

I LOVE food fights!!!

The best birthday present ever...my cute family!
Cooling off.....ahhhhhh.....

First day of School! Mady started 3rd grade and Ellie started Kindergarten.

Daxton seeing his sisters off to school.

Our annual trip to Lagoon. This is Madys reaction after riding the white roller coaster for the first time. She did not like it.

Ellie all smiles on the Carousel.

My sweet Grandfather and Grandmother have been working on their genealogy and life story for 50 years. We had a big celebration and luau and he revealed the book to the family. It was so exciting. It is a beautiful book of our history and it is an amazing gift they have given to me and my family. I'm so grateful.

Mady showing off the picture of her in the book.

Mady and I had the awesome opportunity of being in our Stake production of "Music Man". We rehearsed all summer and performed the last week before school started. Mady was a towns girl and I played the part of Ethel Toffelmier. We had way too much fun and met many many amazing people. It was sooo much fun.

For ALL Women

This past Saturday I had the privilege to hear an amazing man give some amazing counsel and I thought that I would share it here.

http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/president-uchtdorf-reminds-sisters-of-five-things-to-forget-not?lang=eng.

We as woman with the help of the adversary are too hard on ourselves. All we can do is our best and then let the Lord take over. I have tried to make a new resolve to enjoy this day and enjoy the "small moments".

I just wanted to share this and hope that it helps lighten your load.

I LOVE SUMMER!!!

I just love love summer! This has been a very relaxing, no stress summer. All my kids sleep through the night and occasionally sleep in, which is so nice. The girls are taking summer ballet and we will be taking swimming lessons in August. But besides those two things we have no commitments.

My mother-in-law bought a cricket for the girls and Mady has been loving scrap booking. She finally learned how to ride a bike a few weeks ago and is in love. She wants to ride every where we go. She was sooo scared to learn how to ride. She kept putting it off and finally one day my mom took her up to her church parking lot and she picked it right up. I am so proud of her. It is so wonderful to see her accomplish something that she didn't think possible.





Ellie has a best neighbor friend named Lily who is at our house more than not. They are two peas in a pod, they have the same personalities and share the same exact birthday. It is fun to have them playing(most of the time.) Ellie is so excited for kindergarten and tells everyone that will listen.





Daxton is growing fast. He just graduated to a big boy bed. The first night was very rough and made me nervous but since then he has slept through the night. I love having him wake me up in the morning. He turned 3 in May. We had a fun celebration with the family and then we took him to see Thomas the Train. He had a lot of fun. Medically he is doing great. We had clinic two weeks ago and everything looks wonderful. We had an appointment yesterday at the "Fun" clinic. It is a clinic for eating issues. We met with with a Nutritionist, Pediatrician that is expert in stomach stuff, and a social worker. It was very nice to talk to someone who understands how frustrating it is with Daxtons eating issues. He is still throwing up and can't tolerate more the 6 oz. of fluid. They put us on two stomach meds, changed his formula and we are going to a feeding therapist. I pray we will have progress with that this year.






As for Ryan and I we have turned a new page in our lives. We both were so tired of being over weight and inactive so we started going to a local workout center called GPP Fitness. I have been going for 2 months and have lost 23 pounds and lots of inches. Ryan has been going for a month and lost 6 pounds and is slimming down and getting stronger. It is amazing how much better we feel. We are wanting to teach our children to be healthy so we are changing a lot of aspects in our lives and it feels great!! But we still have a long way to go.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Question

Does anyone blog anymore? Is facebook taking the place of blogging? I'm just curious.

I should be sleeping but....

So my little man has learned a very not fun trick. He has learned how to projectile vomit on demand. He has always been very talented in the vomiting department but this is something new. He does it when he does not want to do something and that something is go to bed. Little Stinker, or should I say Big Stinker!!

We had his most recent cardiology appointment two weeks ago and everything is looking good, which we are very excited about. His white cells were elevated so we are having to do a few extra blood draws until that gets under control. After his appointment we got a call from out fabulous transplant team telling us that he is not growing-failing to thrive-I hate that expression, it makes me feel so inadequate, like I'm failing my child.
Anyway, we are an appointment with the "FUN" clinic. Which I am assuming they will tell us what we can do differently. We are tubing him every 2 1/2 hours he is starting to get a little bit of an appetite, which is good but they want me to work on getting him to eat real food but how am I supposed to do that and get weight on him and have him not throw everything up. It is such a fine line. I know that in a few years we will look back and say "wow, I'm glad that stage is over." But for now this is where we are and we will continue to work on it. With Daxton it has always been in his control, he will do it when he wants to and we will just have to be patient. Thus is the story of my life.
Besides the eating dilemma things are going great. He is a typical 2 year old who is into everything, he is Mr. Destructo. He enters a room and has to make sure everything is on the floor where he thinks it belongs. He LOVES to play with water. He could play "potions" for hours. I just let the kitchen sink trickle a little and he fills cups up and pours them into other cups. He loves it.

Well thanks for checking in on us. The rest of us are doing well, just plugging along and trying to do the best we know how to do.