I LOVE MY BABY!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday the girls spent probably 5 hours outside playing in the little pool and eating all the watermelon their little tummies could handle!!! Sunday we went up to Nathan's parents place in Tonto Village. We took the kids to the fish hatchery and the creek. They loved playing in the creek....we had a great weekend!!!!

Just thoughts

I don't know why, but I just feel like writing. About what?? Who the heck knows. Just random thoughts keep coming in my head...so I shall proceed to write them down...just for the hell of it....

• My kitchen is once again a disaster....how does it do that EVERY DAY?? Doesn't it get tired of being a mess??
• All the kids are asleep, I think I could hear a pin drop
• Martha Stewart really is wonder woman, I mean holy cow...that lady
• My purple pansy that Rebekkah gave me for mothers day died...I'm very sad...
• That piece of chocolate I just ate was heavenly
• I'm very excited that school is out in 2 days....no more driving to the school every day...atleast i'm in a carpool and only do it once, if I had to do it twice, I think I might go insane....
• My hubby has to wake up at 2:30 am...that just makes me tired thinking about it....
• What am I gonna have for breakfast tomorrow??
• I should do some sit ups before I go to bed...work off that piece of chocolate I ate...er something...
• I cut almost 4 inches off my hair a few weeks ago....can I get that back???
• I'm gonna be an aunt again soon...little Cedar Lee will be here!!!
• My back hurts...I'm getting off the computer now

Walker and Cereal

This is like the 3rd time we've tried to feed Walker the baby cereal. Needless to say, he doesn't seem to like it too much yet!! We were all eating dinner, and I was trying to feed him...he was making the funniest faces!! The girls and Nathan and I were laughing so hard!! He would keep the cereal on his tongue, or towards the front of his mouth, he DID NOT want to swallow it!! So funny!!

Best Part of Summer

Need I say more???

(picture INSPIRED by Kim!)

Inspiration is Around Us

Inspiration Is Around Us
By Jeff Buick

I set the manuscript on my wife's night table as we left to go rollerblading, not knowing she would never come home - never sleep in her bed again.

Teresa lost control on her rollerblades and fell. She suffered a brain injury from the impact and was rushed to the hospital. The initial prognosis was bad, but not devastating. The frontal lobes of her brain were bruised and there was some swelling. She would live, but recovery would take time and it would take incredible patience. We were warned numerous times that brain injuries are not like a broken leg. Damage to the brain can change the person. My four sons and I were ready for whatever person accompanied us home from the hospital. We loved Teresa. It was simple, really.

But things didn't go as the doctors hoped. The swelling did not stop, and since the brain is enclosed in the skull, there's not a lot of space for swelling. Over a five day period, Teresa's brain slowly imploded. Tiny strokes, caused by pressure on the blood vessels, destroyed portions of her brain. Memory - sight - personality. It finally reached a point where the damage was so severe, I realized I wanted my wife to die.

I would never wish that moment on anyone.

To this day, I can't talk about it, or write about it, without tears. It was, without even the slightest doubt, the worst moment of my life.

Teresa did not live. Five days after she fell, she died of her injuries. I held her hand as her heart stopped. I cried. Oh, God, how I cried. I had lost my wife, my children's mother, my best friend. But worse than that, Teresa had lost her life.

Her wants, her hopes, her dreams - were gone. Finished before she could reach her goals. She was an attractive woman, whose true beauty lie inside. She was an intelligent woman, who found innovative ways to help others. She was a tenacious woman, who fought for fairness and equality.

And she was gone.

I called the media and they responded. The story was in the Calgary Herald, on all the local television stations and across the country on Canada AM. The gist of the story was simple - wear helmets. Teresa may have lived had we been wearing helmets.

Admitting you made a fatal mistake in front of an entire country is not easy. But I felt, in my heart, it was necessary. If it saved one life...just one.

I walked into the bedroom a few days after her funeral and stood on her side of the bed. The manuscript was exactly where I had placed it two weeks earlier. It was the eighth book I had written, a thriller like the other seven.

I tucked the book in a drawer and didn't write again for a year. The motivation - the passion for what I truly loved doing - was gone.

Until I met a woman who changed my life. She worked for a children's hospital foundation and often spoke in public. She needed a new speech. The old one had been around the block a few times and was getting a bit worn. I wrote that speech, then another, and another. What had been a passion before Teresa's death, was reinvigorated. I was writing again.

And I was inspired.

Inspired by the sick and injured children in the hospital who met their illness with such courage and determination.

Inspired by the incredible woman who delivered my speeches - who captivated audiences and raised money to benefit the children.

Inspired by the men and women who donated so generously to the hospital.

And once the inspiration started, I couldn't stop it.

All around me I saw wonderful things happening. People caring for other people - pushing their wheelchairs when they couldn't walk - feeding them when they couldn't eat- reading to them when they couldn't hold the book.

Mothers and fathers loving their babies.

People smiling at strangers. Saying thank you. Holding doors open.

Inspiration was all around me.

I continued to write the speeches. I started, and finished, a new book. Then six more.
And in what would make another Friday story, secured a New York publisher. I guess it's fitting that the first book they published was the one sitting on Teresa's night table when she died.
The next time you walk out your front door, take a minute and look about. Inspirations is all about you. It's everywhere.

It's in a child's eyes. It's in an old man's handshake. It's in a smile from the cashier at the grocery store.

I'm inspired by the goodness in people. By their kindness. By their caring. You don't have to look all that deep to see it.

And inspiration is in memories.

For me, the memory of Teresa is an inspiration.

An inspiration that I'll take with me for the rest of my life.

Being SICK while being a mom...

OK, I've concluded that being sick while being a mom is really the craps....life doesn't stop when your sick...and there's no one to take care of you!!! It's times like these when I really miss living at home with my own mom!!! As much as I hate having sick kids, it's way easier to take care of them. It's so much harder trying to take care of them when I am the one who's sick, especially with something like the stomach flu. I'm surprised I even got Rebekkah's hair in a pony tail yesterday so she could go to school!!! When I came down with the stomach flu on Wednesday, I sent the girls out to play in the backyard and stuck Walker in his bed to go to sleep. I had a fever and was freezing and my head was killing me...I just couldn't function. I went to bed and hoped the girls wouldn't get into too much trouble with NO supervision!!! Nathan came home and had to take care of everything while I was in bed. I felt so bad especially since he had to leave for work at 330 in the morning...ohhhh the guilt I felt as I layed in that bed!!!! But there was absolutely nothing I could do about it!!! So, I am greatful to be feeling better....definitely NOT 100%, but better. I do have to say though, my kids were so great while I was sick. They kept asking me if I needed a drink, or if I needed this or that. Rebekkah would make Walker's bottle AND feed him even. They gave me lots of hugs and kisses and were very sweet. Moms don't have TIME to be sick!!! It just doesn't work for me!! :)

Mothers Day

Rebekkah came home from school on Friday with this. She was so proud of it, but was very upset because she couldn't hide it. She didn't want me to see it until today. I couldn't believe how mad she was!!! But it's still cute and I LOVE IT!!!! She did a great job.
Abby's present was able to be put in a big envelope that said...DO NOT OPEN UNTIL MOTHERS DAY!!! And she kept reminding me not to open it. Thursday night when I went in to go to sleep, I found the envelope under my pillow!! But waited until today, I just love the picture of her!! so cute!!!

And then there's Walker, what better present is there then this???!!!!

Although it's been a sweet day, it's also been a little emotional for me. My family was to come over today for dinner but the kids, yesterday, got sick with the stomach flu. So I'm extremely sad because I can't be with my mom today on mothers day. Even though I saw her yesterday, it still makes me sad. She is such an amazing, selfless, sweet person, I love her to death. How about I give just a little example?? Yesterday morning I had a hair appt at 11:30. I got all 3 kids packed into the car, and the car would not start. Long story short, there was no way I was going anywhere in that vehicle until my husband could come home and fix it. WHAT??? MISS MY HAIR APPT?? ARE YOU CRAZY?? I've been waiting for this! My hair is driving me nuts!!! So I called my mom..."mom, my car won't start...will you come and get me and the kids??? (forget everything your doing and drive 30 minutes to get me and then drive back home) AND............she did, of course. All for me and my stupid haircut!!! Anyway, I love this woman with every fiber of my being!!!! And she deserves the very best out of life...so I miss you mom...today...this being mothers day....

Been Tagged

Ok, so apparently I've been tagged and I'm supposed to write 7 random things about myself....(thanks to Crystal!!)

1. My favorite snack as of right now is raw almonds and raw pistachios...such a great combination!!!
2. I have never tooted/farted/whatever you wanna call it, in front of my husband...and we've been married now for almost 8 years!!! (my daughter has heard me once, and she reminds me of it VERY OFTEN!!!)
3. Someday I really do want a boob job....I know, I know...it's a very VAIN thing..but hey, if you were a NEGATIVE "A" cup like me...then you'd say the same thing!!
4. I HATE grocery shopping w/children....hate it with a passion...
5. After my shower, I dry myself off the SAME WAY, EVERY SINGLE TIME
6. I was once accused of shop lifting from a dept store when I was like 14 or 15...I went home and told my dad and he called the store and chewed 'em out!
7. My brothers fed me chocolate skittles as a kid...but it was really bunny poop.. :( so sad

10K Results

So, my race was on Saturday and it was amazing!!! It was a great run and I really enjoyed it, despite the fact that I had a sore throat AND I started my period that morning...yikes!!! Considering everything, I still was very proud of myself and really enjoyed the run itself. It was in Prescott and it was a beautiful day. I drove up w/my mom and it was great to see her at the finish line. (One of these days my hubby will be at the finish line I hope!!!) It was a more difficult run because it was full of hills!! There was one especially humungous looking hill. I remember thinking, holy hell I've gotta run up that???? But in the end I still did pretty darn good. My time was 59:06..about a minute and a half slower then my last run, but my last run didn't have hills!!! Out of 321 women who raced I came in 48th place!! And in my division, which were women ages 24-29 there was 42 women in all and I came in 9th place. Overall, I am very happy with how it turned out and I will definitely want to do that race again next year. It was awesome. Good times!!!!

Lost Tooth

Well, we have finally gotten our first lost tooth!! Rebekkah was so very excited to get her tooth out! She pulled it out herself..."and it didn't even hurt" It didn't bleed at all, it was a very easy first lost tooth!!! Let's hope all will be so easy???!!!!

So, we stuck the "little" tooth, in a "little" baggie and put it under her pillow to await the visit of the Tooth Fairy. Rebekkah's questions before going to sleep that night..."How big is the tooth fairy? Is she little? How will she get in here? Will she know there's a tooth under my pillow???"

I had to take this picture...everytime Nathan feeds Walker, he plays with the hair in his go-tee!!! (spelling on that anyone??)
After many, many, many days of waiting...Rebekkah FINALLY has her first loose tooth!! Woohoo!!! I guess that means she's growing up...er something... (will post a picture when the tooth actually comes out!)

Wind+Static.....need I say more????

ROAD TRIP!!! Well, atleast for a day. My 10K race is this Saturday in Prescott!! Woohoo!! I am so excited! Nathan will be working so my cute mom is making the drive with me!! It's called the Whiskey Row Marathon...maybe next year I'll actually do the Marathon, then I'll get all the free whiskey!!