Me and My Boys

Happy Birthday (one day early) to my Wonderful Husband!!

2010-07-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

I know tomorrow will be crazy and I didn't want to let the opportunity go by to brag on my husband just a bit. Brandon is my best friend and i am so thankful that God brought us together. He continues to make me laugh everyday, encourages me, looks out for my best interests, would do anything in his power to make me happy and be an amazing dad to our boys! He is always ready to give me a break when I need one, clean the house (yep, he is a guy that organizes and cleans...such a blessing) and spoils me. He is my helper and lately has been the shoulder that I often cry on. He makes me smile and reminds me of God's grace and goodness when i need it. I love him so much and am so thankful that his is my husband. I love our life together and am glad God gave him life, 30 years ago...So happy Birthday Brandon!!! You are the Best!

Wreath...

2010-06-28T06:11:00.001-07:00

I finally found it time to get rid of my easter egg wreath...just a few months too late and wanted to make something fun for the summer months. I found this tutorial at http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-burlap-wreath-and-giveaway.html. I had all the burlap, fabric and also used some felt that I had on hand. I got the wreath form and jewled brads at Michaels for under 10 bucks and away I cut...I ended up probably making over 100 "flowers" which sounds a lot more time consuming than it is (once you cut TONS of circles )you can just layer them in two's or three's and use the brads to keep them together. When I ran out of brads I just hot glued them and then just started layering them on the wreath, once I had wrapped it in burlap. It didn't take long at all and is an easy project to do after the kids are in bed and I think it turned out pretty cute too!

Goin Old School...

2010-06-18T12:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I really was going to become a better blogger but I can't seem to locate the cord to my camera that lets me download new pics soooo, I opted to give a shout out to the olden days...here are some fun pics to laugh at of my family many moons ago... :) enjoy! The family...in our christmas best apparently :)

lovin on our little brother, who looks similar to mac as i discovered when i got these pics

my dad and my brother...i love this one!

love the white tux with baby blue ruffle shirt dad!! they are a cute couple though!!!

backyard pool time with my dad. i was not fond of wearing clothing so it seems. :)

Auburn Trip...

2010-06-09T05:25:00.001-07:00

I flew to Auburn a week or so ago with Mac to see my parents and it was sooooo good to be back in California aggain!!! My flight out there...not so smooth, as my flight was delayed 2.5 hours and Mac wasn't the little angel he usually is...but I got there and never will I have to see any of those people who gave me the evil eye on the airplane again! :)
I had my first In-n-Out burger in a YEAR and got to share that same experience with my dad who has also not had meat in about a year as well. It was just as I remembered and we were happy campers. We took in the Auburn Farmers market, shopped quite a bit and all went to my parents church together.
It was a blessing to be able to be there with my sister and brother and his girlfriend, Kasey, who were also visiting at the same time and we enjoyed some great times as a family and with friends. My friend Natalie even drove from Visalia to see me for the day and we had so much fun with one of my mom's newer friends who lives just up the road from her.
Again it was good to be together as a family as we had just learned that the cancer has indeed spread to my dad's bones. We were able to serve my dad as he had just had major surgery to repair his femur that he broke about two weeks ago. He is healing incredibly well for someone that has cancer and the doctor even said he is doing BETTER than someone who is completely healthy. He is such a strong man and was encouraging us in the misdt of his great trial and pain. We continue to pray for a miracle! My beautiful mama, she protested this picture...but look how good she looks, no makeup and all!

Papa and Mac

My brother and his beautiful girlfriend!

Me, my Dad and Mac

I had forgotten my camera so these were the only pics I got of the week, so they will have to do :)

Indiana Trip...

2010-06-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I've managed to do it again...got way behind with the blogging! We took a trip to Indiana about a month and a half ago and had a great time as usual. My parents were there also and it we had fun celebrating my neices birthdays while we were there. We had just found out some dissapointing news about my dad's cancer, that it has in fact continued growing and it was so good to all be together as we dealt with the news together.
Since the trip, things have been moving along here. We have been spending lots of time at my in-laws pool and Taeden has proven again to be a little fish in the water. He can swim now which means I have actually been able to relax a bit by the pool because Mac isn't too into the water at this point. He mostly just toddles around the pool and it is a nice break from last summer when I was constantly chasing both boys around the pool (and let me tell you, this pregnant girl is in no mood to be running after these two in the humidity :) I am now 28 weeks. Scheduled for a c-section on Sept. 8th...which is coming quickly!! Can't wait to meet this new little guy who still has no name since boy names are sooo hard for me! Suggestions please??! Will post another blog soon, probably later today as that seems to be what I do...dissappear for a month and come back for a few posts :) My dad and his girls

Continues to be a happy and content little guy...thankful for that!

Some of us, Brandon and Mac were camera guys :)

Mac and Oaks...1 year and 1 pound apart...Oaks is a big boy! :)

Glad I caught this moment...

2010-05-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

We covet your prayers for my dad's healing and also for strength and peace throughout this trial. Keep updated on my sweet dad at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimlgalbraith

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend. It started early when my sister and her family came to visit us on Wednesday. They stayed through Saturday and we had a great time with them. My sis and I even snuck away to see, The Last Song...it was ok, but we had high expectations because we both LOVED Dear John so we were a little dissapointed (mostly with Miley's acting ability!) We also got the chance to go to the flea market which is literally about 1 mile from my house and is so awesome. Check out my friend Kirras blog for some great pics (kirrasue.blogspot.com) (I obviously need a tutorial on how to show a blog so that you can just click on the name...i am a bit slow.) We said goodbye to ker and clint and then headed to church on Sat. night. It was such an awesome service, a great time of celebrating our Risen Savior! Sunday morning we hung out at home as a family and then spent the afternoon at Brandon's parents house. The kids had a great easter egg hunt and ate way too much sugar...and so did I!!! Here are some pics of the boys on our front porch Easter morning.

Macalan Justin

2010-03-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ok. This post is for Tiffany who has been complaining about my lack of bloggage. Here's the thing, lately, I feel like I haven't had much to blog about. I don't take amazing photos, I don't cook amazing food, my house isn't fully decorated because I am having a hard time really doing it up since we are renting and hoping to be out of here by Dec., and we have had a relatively slow few months which is nice...my dad is doing great so no new news there and we haven't really travelled much or done anything crazy exciting...and I am just plain uncreative. So while I love and adore reading all my other blogging friends blogs, I guess lately I have been uninspired to be one of those cute bloggers like all the rest of you. Anyways, I did decide I have two pretty cute things to blog about and those would be my kids. So this one is for mac...let me let you into his world.
Meet the sweetest and happiest baby I have ever known. Macalan Justin. He is seriously such a joy. He will jump into your arms when he meets you and lay his head on your shoulder. He will smile, no matter what. He loves on his brother to the point of attacking him with hugs and kissses. He still gives those open mouth, stick out his tongue kisses, which can be a little gross...but they are so cute. He loves to sign, please, all done, more...we are working on thank you. He runs to the door when his daddy gets home and catapults himself into his arms. He is an ok eater.. a little picky but will eat fruit all day long. In all this sweetness, their is one thing that he does that is not all that cute and that is BITE. He will run up to you with all the joy in the world and bite your leg. So, you see, he is not perfect. He also likes to hit and will do it with a smile- not out of maliciousness at all but he is literally laughing and hitting- (and even though it is totally naughty- sometimes it is hard not to laugh) but it is another thing we are working on. When told no, he is 9 times out of 10 an AMAZING listener and stops right away. He follows directions nearly perfectly and just wants to do everything his big brother does. He loves going to church and to the gym and is the only kid not crying at the gate when I go pick him up from the nursery. He is just in his own little world playing away. He is a great sleeper, still taking two naps a day and although wakes up a little early for my liking in the morning, I do enjoy my time alone with him. All this to say, he is such a great addition to our house and really does make us smile all day long. I just love this kid!

Spring...for a minute.

2010-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

We have experienced unusually warm weather these past few days and I couldn't be happier! We have been soaking in as much outside time as we can and have loved letting the boys run around outside and get their energy out. It is supposed to come to an end this weekend as we are supposed to get SNOW...yep that's right. I am not really excited about that but I am hoping it will be our last snow of the year...we shall see!

We are headed to Indiana on Sat., staying until Tuesday, as Brandon is going to New York for work, and I am excited about seeing my sis and her family and hopefully seeing some friends while I am there too!

Had a doctor's apt yesterday and made our ultrasound apt. to find out the sex of the baby (april 22!!!) I of course am kind of dying for a girl but am pretty sure its going to be a boy. Either way I am excited to see the little bug in 3-D and make sure everything is good.

We are working on summer plans and it is so hard to go from Brandon having the whole summer off to now having 3 weeks for the whole year! We are trying to fit lots in this summer with trips to LA to see friends, up North to see my parents and hopefully some of my dad's family and also sqeeze in a little trip for Brandon and I to get away for our 5th anniversary before this baby comes and life gets a little crazier!

Catch Up...

2010-03-05T06:50:00.001-08:00

Ok, well I never realized how inconsistent I would become at this whole blogging thing, but shoot, I am and I have said it before and I will say it again...I will keep trying . :)
Let's see...where to begin. Hmmmmm...you all know I am pregnant. We were definitely suprised, not shocked though. I might have cried a little bit. Mostly out of fear...I mean three kids under three is a bit much for someone who likes to pretend they've got it all together. But I quickly gathered myself, counted my blessings and started pounding toast with strawberry jam (my main source of food for the first 12 weeks.) Glad I am past that sick part and I can start (ok, attempt) to eat a little more healthy so I do not blow up like beached whale.
Other than pregnancy I am just trying to deal with and have a good attitude about the climate here where we are currently living. Sadly, I haven't been to great on the good attitude part. But boy it is hard. I just want to send my kids outside, take them to the park and not feel like I am cooped up in my house all day...but spring is coming...right??? (kirra...right??!!!)
My kids seem to have caught a constant cold. I feel like they have been sick for months, mostly Macalan and it is such a bummer because it makes me even more wary of taking them out and about. All that to say, I CANNOT wait for summer!!! My in-laws have a pool and I know I will be over there alot tiring the boys out and letting them run wild.
My sweet husband flew my mom out here for my birthday, which was the best gift ever! We were able to spend some really fun time together, even a day in the city! My sister also joined us out here for my birthday too and I was so blessed to have a little get together with family and some dear friends to celebrate (kirra sue-can you email me the pics...pretty please :)
Also, when my mom left, my sister and I then picked up two of our friends from Cali that came out the visit. We had a girls weekend in Indiana and it was such a great time of catching up, fun shopping in Noblesville, and eating way too much yummy food...we even slaved for hours to make the pioneer womens cinnamon rolls. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!! They were amazing and I still feel a little bit sick when I think of how many I ate.!!!) It will definitely be something I will make when we have company one day because they were awesome!
My dad continues to heal from the pnemonia (i will never spell it right. i am giving up.) and has not been able to continue treatment yet, but hopefully monday he will pick up where he left off. He has four more weeks of treatment, then they will hopefully do another cat-scan and see what is going on there.
I am continually being challenged to look for the blessings in my life and not the negatives. I will be honest it has been a really hard few months out here, moving away from my family and coming to a new place, not having a home church and missing our friends, but I am trying (I say trying because sin creeps in SO often) to have an eternal perspective. Whenever I complain now, I think of those in nations like Haiti, who had nothing to begin with and then lost all they had. God continues to be gracious to me and my little family and I am thankful that He gives grace abundantly!
Here are just a few pics of the kiddos. Taeden is definitely going through an akward camera phase, he is either making a goofy face or "smiling" which doesn't come out that good :) so they are mostly of Mac. They are getting so big...just signed Taeden up for preschool...time really is flying!!!

Mac just got his first big boy hair cut...it made him look instantly older. sad.

my mom and her grandboys. they just adored having her here! me too!

Mac lives in his uggs that were once taedens. he is a little peanut!

loves bathtime!

daddy and taeden

mac again...

Crazy days and Crazy GOOD News...

2010-01-28T10:44:00.001-08:00

I know I have been a huge blogging slacker lately and I am sorry. Things have been crazy here...We moved into our new place a month ago and I love it...pics will come when everything is settled (it'll be awhile folks:).. we had company right after we moved in, one of our friends from Cali and my sister and her kids were out here for a visit too! Love having a place where I can be hostess once again, unfortunately our kitchen table didn't make it in the move :( so for now I am thankful for the island in our kitchen! I also spent last weekend in Nashville with my mom and sister without my kiddos!! A much needed and wonderful break! We had a great time exploring Franklin, TN- the place I may be moving too..it is stinkin cute and I really liked it! Things with my dad were also crazy there for awhile too as my last blog explained. He is healing very well at home and resting lots! We got some amazing news last week that almost seems to good to be true and we were told that the doctor was "cautiously optomistic" so we are trying to be too...
Last July my dad had 6 tumors- 5 of them being in his lungs. The doctors said nothing would work- they weren't even willing to try chemo, radition or surgery and pretty much gave him a year to 3 years..so as you know they searched and went for the alternative route. Last week he had a CT scan done of his lungs to see if his pnuemonia was still present and while it was present, guess what wasn't!!!...The doctors that examined the scan could not see ANY of the tumors that were there just a few short months ago. This is truely a miracle, a gift from the Lord and gives us so much hope! Of course, like I said we are being cautiously optomistic and we are waiting for the pnuemonia to be gone completely so that he can resume treatment and get another CT scan done to confirm what the doctors last saw! We were all so excited and emotional to get GOOD news for once, it seems like since my dad's cancer journey has started he always had the worst case senario...so you can imagine how nice it was to get some great news for once! God is faithful and this is proof of prayers being answered...I will keep you all updated and hopefully have some pics to post soon so my blogging isn't so boring :)

thankful.

2010-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, on Wednesday we were really close to losing my dad. Seriously, 30 minutes away is what the doctors told my mom...I can't even imagine! What my mom and dad thought was just a horrible bout of the flu combined with chemo symptoms turned out to be pneumonia and a incredibly dangerous blood infection. God truly spared my dad this week and I am so thankful! My mom followed her instincts and rushed him to the hospital when he started becoming a bit loopy and "out of it" and could hardly walk. He was admitted into the ICU and has been there since Wednesday night. We were told that had he been undergoing normal chemo doses (since he is doing an "alternative" method he is only recieving 15% of a normal dose) that his body surely would not have been able to fight this often deadly infection. I am so thankful that other than the cancer my dad is still incredibly strong and healthy! The hardest part of this is being so stinkin far away!!!! I would give almost anything to have been out there for my mom and dad through this but also know now that my sweet dad needs to stay healthy and I risk the germs of little children:) but I will be visiting SOON...when he is a little stronger.

So for now my dad is doing great. Responding to the meds, actually getting moved into a normal room today...yea!!!! Praise the Lord for He is GOOD!!!!

I love my dad so very much and am filled with gratitude that the Lord is allowing us more time with him on this earth!!!

Here's the Deal...

2009-12-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

So people keep asking...and here is the scoop.
We moved out here so that Brandon could join the family business. So we could find a place to setttle that we could actually afford. So we could buy a house. Be near family. Put roots down...all that good stuff. However, that has been on hold because....wait for it.....we may be moving AGAIN...in a year, or so...we really don't know.
Here's the thing. There is a pretty good chance that the family business will move to Nashville in the next few months/year. Now, I would be fine with that...hello, its 2 degrees today and although I have never been to Tennesse in my life, from what I hear it doesn't get nearly as cold as FREEZING chicago and it is quite gorgeous from the pics I've seen and I will still be close enough to drive to see my sister...plus, who doesn't want to get to talk in a southern accent...hello- I will be adopting ya'll as soon as my feet hit Nashville soil...but the hard part is waiting.
We are hoping to have a very good idea in January when the move will happen or if it is even going to. See the thing is, I would be fine staying in Chicago too, (besides the cold) it is fine here....I just really want to know.
I am so ready to NOT be renting anymore and NOT move anymore. We are moving for the 4th time in 4 years in a few weeks and I am happy because we are getting our own place (we have been living with brandon's parents since sept), but I know this is a very temporary move which is hard because I know by the time I make this new place feel like home, I will be packing up my kitchen ONCE AGAIN...but I am hoping it will be the last one for a long time.
We are thankful that we will be able to buy a home, just as soon as we know WHERE we are going to be, thankful that we are first time buyers so we are in a pretty good position for the market these days and thankful that Brandon now has a steady job and despite the economy the company is doing well.
I hope I don't sound like a complainer...I really am grateful that we CAN even rent a nice, big house and that God has given me more blessing than I can count...I just am feeling the itch to really invest in something that is OURS as opposed to living in a white wall home (all white guys--- and I am not allowed to paint..ideas, please????!!!) and being able to put money into something that doesn't feel like a big black hole...that is kinda how I feel about renting these days :)
Anyways, we are all healthy, thankful, counting the days until I can be with my WHOLE family in Indiana for Christmas next week and just feeling amazing about being able to celebrate our Saviors birth. And it really does feel a lot like Christmas here in Chicago with all the snow...which I actually enjoy!:) So that's life in a little tiny nutshell..we are in wait mode...
Lord willing I will have more news come January...Stay tuned :)

Three.

2009-12-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Today I am celebrating my beautiful little boy. He turned three today. Three! It's hard for me to grasp that he is growing up so very quickly. Days like to day make me sad in a sense...I know with each year his dependance on me lessens and their is such a remarkable difference from 2 to 3 that makes me feel like their is no baby left in him at all. He is now potty trained, knows all his letters and their sounds, can count to 20, likes to do many things "all by self", still sucks his thumb when he has his special blankie, loves diego and dora, argues that God made EVERYTHING- even if I say, "mimi, made the brownies" (he says no - God did!), loves going to church, loves to rock with his daddy before bedtime, still has a hard time eating anything at all- besides chicken nuggets, makes me sing the same four songs everytime I put him to bed ( I have become very fast and have created new and extrememly short versions of them all :) and makes sure everyones knows that his mommy, daddy and baby mac are his best buddies.

The list of why I adore this little guys is LONG- too long to even start-because then, I wouldn't be able to stop. But the one thing that I desire most for him is that he would grow to love Christ- because despite all the amazing things about Taeden James- he needs to be saved from his sins. Having a strong-willed first child has made me grow closer to Christ-because i am constantly praying for wisdom, patience, and peace. I am thankful for the gift of this child, thankful because I know I don't deserve this special blessing and because I never knew this kind of love that I have for him until I had him.

So Happy Birthday Taeden..We love you!!!

Sneak Peak...

2009-11-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

We had our pictures taken a few weeks ago with Brandon's whole family. The photographer was AMAZING and got some awesome pics despite the fact that we had 6 kids under 6. YIKES...!! She got some really great ones of everyone and some really cute ones of the four of us (which I am going to keep under wraps until I do my Christmas card :) But enjoy a sneak peak of these ones...

Update on My Dad...

2009-11-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

My dad is currently in the middle of his cancer treatment. Normally when people are in the midst of treatment, they feel horrible, BUT I am so thankful to be able to say that my dad feels GREAT!!! This is because he is taking a different approach in attempting to rid his body of this cancer. Because traditional medicine had no options for him, my parents did tons of research (along with my uncle who literally to a leave of absence from his job as a doctor) and found an alternative treatment from a world renowned doctor that just happens to be located only an hour and a half away from my parents home. This doctor was just recently featured in Susan Somers new book called "Knockout- Doctors that are curing Cancer". I am enjoying reading this book and learning so much ( I would highly recommend it to anyone who knows someone with cancer or has cancer in their family, as it gives good ways to prevent cancer in the first place.)
Anyways, my dad is now an organic fanatic and doesn't eat sugar or meat. Now if you know my dad at all, this is a huge change. He has always loved food, but suprisingly this change was very easy for him as he knows he is doing it for having his life in exchange. I am so thankful that my dad is so passionate about fighting this cancer and am so thankful that my parents were able to get my dad into this doctor who has given hope and life to so many. We obviously don't know what the outcome will be but we are praying for a miracle and praying that the Lord would heal my dad of this diesease. The only thing about this therapy is that it is EXPENSIVE because insurance won't cover a penny of it,( even though this doctor has kept people alive with this therapy with the most deadly kinds of cancer for over 25 years)! So if you think about it, please pray for my parents, my dads health and that God would give my dad many opportunities to share the gospel with people that he is in treatment with! Thanks!!!

My Flea Finds...

2009-10-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so one of my favorite things about where I now live is that there is an AMAZING flea market 10 mintues away every month. I had some SAAAWEEEET finds today. I so excited to use these items in my home one day! Oh and they were all crazy good deals too. I spent a total of 32 bucks on all the items!

How cute for the corner of a bathroom- 7 bucks!

Seriously, I am obsessed with windows and I love everything about this one. All I have to do is dust off the cobwebs and its ready to go. 6 bucks.

So I thought this would be amazing for a big fruit bowl in the middle of a kitchen island. I will say it was the one item that my husband said was nasty and looked like it was from an old mans garage. (it probably was :) But I love it anyways and for 2 bucks-are you kidding me???

I kept seeing these jars around and people were asking for crazy amounts for them. Then I found a guy at the end who gave me all three for 5 bucks. Hollaaaa! Not sure what I will put in them, maybe cotton balls, qtips or something for a bathroom, but I would love to use them in my kitchen too--what would you put in them??? oh and my favorite part about them is that they are a cool tealish blue. love!

Ok, favorite find of the day. 12 bucks got me this cool old scale that I am obsessed with. How cute with a pumpkin on top for fall or candles!!! Ahhhhh---I am dying to decorate with this little guy.

Anyways, if any of you want to get away for the weekend and do some awesome flea market shopping come see me! I promise you will not be dissapointed(how sweet would it be if all us bloggers who love cool old things could meet up for a girls weekend away and flea market shop together...ahhh, a girl can dream, right???)

Halloween...

2009-10-31T18:25:00.001-07:00

Well, its Halloween. Definitely NOT my favorite holiday with all the nasty stuff out there, but fun for the kids to get dressed up and go ahead and ruin my diet by bringing in candy I would NEVER buy (darn almond joys, don't worry I have only had three so far.) Anyways, Taeden fell in love with a Tiger costume a few weeks ago so that is what he was and Macalan took over Taeden's first costume as a monkey. We had fun trick or treating in the cold then going back over to Wayne and Heidis house for pizza and a movie. Wayne is always a trooper and dressed up as a clown. It was a little freaky, but pretty funny. Taeden was so cute saying, what sounded like "kiss or feet" and yelling thank you until the person giving out candy acknowledged him. Poor Mac is coming down with yet ANOTHER cold so he just hung out and rested with Dad.

Always ready to bring out the smile

Sweet Baby boy

Wayne as the clown

Me and my boy

Little Tiger man

Finally Pics of My Cute Nephew.

2009-10-31T07:13:00.001-07:00

Little Oaks is so scrumpty and from what I hear, pretty much a champion baby. Only waking up once in the middle of the night and going right back to sleep and being an angel all day long. I am so thankful for this! My sister needs her sleep because their big move is just around the corner. In one week they will leave my parents house (where they have been living for the past few months) and head out to Indiana. I am praying that the transition will be easy for all of them and can't wait to visit them in their new home!

Bundle Me

2009-10-31T07:10:00.001-07:00

This is now what we are slowly getting used to doing before we go outside to play, that is, when its not too windy, rainy or freezing to go outside. sigh.

I miss the days when I just made sure he had a diaper on so he could run loose in our backyard. I think its going to be a loooong winter.

It's My Party and I'll...

2009-10-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

Barely touch my cupcake if I want to.

That, right there, should have been how the song went for sweet little Mac's first birthday. I was pretty pumped, first of all that I made some cute cupcakes all by myself and I couldn't wait for Mac to make a cute little mess of himself by smashing it all over the place with great joy.

Well, turns out Mac didn't want to make a mess, didn't even want to taste the amazingness of my cupcakes and well, what's a mom to do. Now we just have one long and very boring video of Mac sitting in his highchair and many pictures of him looking at us like we are crazy.

So enjoy the boring pics of my cute little man.

The one and only time he even touched it.

Yep, I went all holly homemaker and busted my buns making these doggie cupcakes and cookie bones. I was a little proud.

Apparently, the hat that I made...scared the crap out him as well. It was the fringe.

We still had a great time celebrating this precious kid and I think he was pretty excited to get some new gear and not have the hand-me-downs that he is very used to.

TIFFANY SESTON...I NEED YOUR HELP

2009-10-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Don't you love my dramatic plea. Tiffany redid my boring old blog before I moved and made it the prettiness that it is now and while she was at it she added a bunch of the blogs I read to my blogroll at the bottom of my blog. Here's the thing. I can't figure out how to add anymore...for example...the parson's blog. love it. read it. can't stinkin seem to get it to the bottom of my page. so, how do you do it...kirra, tif, any body else that is smarter than me.
ps. i have tried various things like...adding it but then it just shows up at my dashboard and not on my actual blog. i don't get it.
pss. if anyone has a magical formula that makes all the ridiculously cute things at anthropologie cheaper, i would love that as well. thank you.

Oaks and Blessings

2009-10-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am more than excited to be here in California meeting my new nephew, Oaks Ward Letterman. I am thankful that God has blessed our family with another beautiful gift. I am overly proud of my sister, who had an extrememly hard labor and was a champion through it all. I am praying that Oaks will be able to join his little family who is waiting here for him to be able to come home (he has a high bili count right now)! I am blessed that my kind and amazing husband let me come out here without my kids so that I can focus my attention on being a help here and that my awesome mother-in-law is lovingly watching my boys for me while Brandon works. I am overjoyed that my dad is able to be home from his treatment center in Reno for the whole weekend and that he is passionate about the treatment and positive and looks great! I love that my brother is here with us. I am missing my three boys that aren't. I am rejoicing in the fact that God is sovereign and continues to bless us in many ways.

Ps. I am really bummed that I don't have a picture to post of Oaks. He is too cute for words so hopefully tonight I will get ahold of a camera and get some pics on here.

One.

2009-10-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked a milestone. Our little Baby Mac, as he has come to be known, turned one. He continues to steal our hearts each day as his sweet little personality shows itself more. He still is the happiest baby I know and he loves his mommy dearly. I say that because Taeden is definitely going through a "I am obsessed with daddy" stage and it makes me pretty happy that Macalan prefers me, for now. Taeden still loves his brother so much, but I am gonna be honest...sharing is becoming an issue...oh, the joys!!! :) Mac is content crawling for now and I am soooo ok with that and enjoys chasing after his big brother. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed Mac with great health this year, now more turning yellow for him, which means his blood condition is staying under control. We are so grateful!
We can't imagine a life without our sweet smiley little guy and can't wait to see how he grows and changes during this coming year!
On another note, I am going to become an auntie again TODAY!!! My sister was induced this morning and I am waiting by the phone for updates. I fly out to California on Friday, and though I am bummed I am not going to be able to witness little Oaks making his entrance, I am thrilled to be able to be there for the first week of his life to help my sister out a bit!
Been trying to upload pics , but for some reason the computer won't let me...bummer!! I had some cute ones of Mac, but I will try again later!

Alive and Well

2009-09-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Just a note to say:

I am here (here being my new home..Illinois).

I am alive.

I am thankful for family here.

But miss my family horribly.

My dad may be getting treatment in Reno- a non-conventional one. they are encouraged. We remain hopeful.

I am daily trying to remember that God is in control of my life and I am not!

Brandon has started his new job. He leaves early, but is home early and once he is home, he is HOME and not running off to soccer games, meetings and activites. I love that!

Brandon's parents have been beyond gracious by letting us take over their home.

I love the weather here. 70 degrees is fine with me. You'll have to check back with me in the winter on that one.

Did I mention I miss my mom and dad????

Going home in Oct...only a few weeks away!! I can't wait.

We miss our friends! and Wolf Creek. Badly!

And now I am realizing that this post is getting much longer than I intended. Opps.

And I have no pictures to post. Sorry! :)

August in Pictures...

2009-09-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Shower for my sister and baby boy Oaks!!! Can't wait to see what he looks like in a few weeks!!!

We all grew up together and I love them all!!

At my cousins wedding

My parents dancing the night away!

Me and my sister doing my dad's famous dance move with him...both thumbs in the air :)

me and my "little" brother

me, my sis, and our oregon cousins, megan and mallary..don't get to see them often enough!

me and my daddy!

brunch at our place before the wedding

I am not sure what we were doing, but we were laughing pretty hard!

Taeden and my parents new dog..labordoodle Bailey! He is huge and the best puppy ever!

papa and taeden hangin in the hot tub

taeden loves being thrown in the air by johhny

we are going to miss our friends mandy

and johnny soo much!!!

The Big Move...

2009-09-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hasn't happened yet, but our last days in California our slipping away from us quickly. I have had a hard week this week because of everything going on. I think I have cried everyday (my poor husband!). Things with my dad did not go as we had wished in Chicago. He went out to Chicago this week to try to become a part of a clinical trial there but was not accepted. It is so hard for me (and him and my family) that it has been so hard to find something out there to try and fight this cancer! He is willing to try anything, but because his cancer is so extremely rare, there is just not much out there for him. They are pushing ahead onto the next thing (possibly in either Alabama, UCLA or up in Seattle). We know that God is in control and I think He just wants our complete trust...this is so hard, but a good lesson that we all need to learn!

I have also just been down thinking about leaving our home here in Ca and all our friends. We have had to start saying some goodbyes already...and I am not liking it:) I know how hard it is to make great friendships and I am so sad to be moving so far away from so many friends and loved ones here! You can definitely pray for me! I am trying hard to have a good attitude and I know that God has a plan for our lives in Chicago.

We leave on Tuesday.... :(

Pictures of our Family Vacay in Newport

2009-09-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

The boys enjoyed playing together lots in Newport

Me and my baby boy

Can't really get enough of that face!

Taeden, Daddy and Mac wrestling...boys will be boys!

Attempted family shot

My parents were able to join us in Newport for two days

Taeden LOVES swimming and is actually really good at taking breaths now all on his own...with no lessons!

My grandparents live a few miles away from Newport so they were able to come spend the day with us

A new park that Taeden enjoyed exploring

Love this pic of my dad and baby mac

I heart Newport.

2009-08-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in an amazing villa in Newport Beach right now, courtesy of my great in-laws who let us use their time share for a week. It is beautiful here and the place is amazingly nice. I love waking up to overcast skies and having the temp. high be 75 degrees. We have spent lots of time in the pool and just hanging out together as a family. I love it. My parents and sister and her girls were able to join us for the first 2 days and then we had some friends who came up for a night and left this afternoon. I am trying not to think about the fact that when we return home on Sunday, we will have 2 weeks to pack up our lives and move our little family of four across the country...I still can't believe it. I am getting a little more used to the idea, but I don't think it will be real for awhile.
My dad had a doctors apt today at UCLA (he was getting a second opinion since the first doctor he went to was a ...-I can't really come up with something nice to say about him, so I won't say anything at all- my mom would be so proud :)
Anyways, they really liked the doctor they met with today. She spent a lot of time with them going over some different options they have. Unfortunately, their is no cure for the type of cancer that my dad has-as it is extremely rare, but the doctor is trying to get him into a clinical trial (and amazingly enough one of the trials she is looking into is in...you guessed it...Chicago!) How amazing woud that be! My dad is still amazingly upbeat- even prayed last night as me, my mom and sister sobbed around him- that God would do what is best for His glory even if it is something we don't like. He is the sweetest!
It was hard saying goodbye to all of them, knowing that I won't see them again before I move! My sister and I have gotted so accoustomed to seeing eachother almost everyday, so I know that this separation will be really hard for me. I am planning on coming back out to CA for her little boys birth though...so that will be fun. And after she has him, her and her hubby are moving out to Indiana and will only be 3.5 hours away from us...another blessing from God!
Ok, my eyes are tired and I want to go to bed. Goodnight. Sorry I have no pictures to post, don't have my cord :)

My Precious Dad...

2009-07-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

He is the sweetest!!!

Just this past monday, playing a little wiffle ball as a fam...good times!

He loves his grandkids so much and they love their papa!

My mom and dad... could they BE any cuter??? NOpe

The five of us

I have kinda been neglecting this little old blog lately and part of it because writing about what has been going on lately makes it seem much more real...and to be honest, I kind of wish the last few weeks were all part of an awful nightmare, but I know that its not and despite the fact that I feel this way about it, I do know that God is in control and know that He is testing my faith, as well as my families.

My dad has cancer. Again. When we went through this three years ago and to be honest I thought we wouldn't have to go through it again. But God has different plans. Things are looking much more grim this time around, which is incredibly sobering. It looks like the cancer is already in his lymphnods as well as in his lungs. The kind of cancer that he has cannot be treated with chemotherapy and because of the amount of radiation he had last time, it does not look like radiation will do much either. My parents are amazing and have an amazing attitude about this...my dad is prepared to fight in any way that he can, and I know that he will. Their are possibilities of surgery and also possibly some type of clinical trial or also alternative methods that my parents will for sure look into. They will do all that they can, at the same time, their faith is strong and they know that this is all in God's hands.

My dad is the most amazing man I know. He has been through many trials and always handled things with grace and humility. He loves the Lord with his whole heart and is loyal and faithful. When he found this news out his two concerns were- 1. he hates that he is putting his family through this and 2. how can I use this to share the gospel with anyone who will listen. As you can see, his focus is not on himself...its on others...he is truly my hero! I love him so very much and my heart aches that he has a long and difficult journey ahead, but I know that God is going to use this for great things and it will not be wasted. I could go on and on about the man that my dad is, but I would probably work my self into sobbing by the end of this, and believe me...my eyes need a little break. :) So I will leave you with some pics of my precious daddy and just ask that you will please keep him in your prayers as well as my mom. I will try to update when we know more...for now we are waiting on insurance to ok a CT scan of his whole body to see if the cancer is anywhere else. Thanks!

Life Lately Continued...

2009-06-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to San Diego and went to Sea World with our friends the Moss's. Taeden's favorite part was the play place and the birds he saw wandering around. go figure.

Our trip happened to fall on our 4th anniversary. We celebrated with a date last night. I am so so so more than thankful for my wonderful husband. He is the best!

The Moss and Wolf boys. Taeden LOVES his little friend Chase and asks for him constantly.

Macalan is in love with the pool. He pretty much has this expression on his face at all times. yep, he is still angel baby.

this was fathers day. we had so much fun celebrating the best dad on the planet and showing him how much we love him!

a trip to the LA zoo. taeden loves it more than anything.

taeden now loves to pray. it is kind of the cutest thing EVER!

one of my best friends from high school came to visit with her daughter norah. the boys loved her and taeden keeps asking for "dora." it is pretty cute.

macalans future wife??? :)

my happy boy at 8 months.

Macalan saw a specialist last week for his blood diesease. It is a weird thing because he has been great and his health has continued to be great, but he warned us that it can creep up at any point and make him pretty sick. He gave us good pointers on what to watch for and how to prevent any further damage to his spleen. We felt really confident that we are prepared to care for it a little better. He continues to have a great disposition and all three of us adore him (yes, taeden still loves him immensley and macalan lights up the second he hears taedens voice).

And now for the biggest news of all...

We are moving! I am still getting used to the idea myself and my eyes were swollen from crying for about a week straight, but we really do feel that it is the best thing for our family at this time. We are moving to the western suburbs of chicago (about 40 miles from the city) at the beginning of Sept. so that brandon can join his brothers who both work for a food distribution company that his dad owns. This California girl is not going to know what hit her come winter, but I am a little bit excited about the prospects of actual seasons! I am pretty devestated to be moving so far away from my parents and the rest of my family, but I know that we will do whatever we have to to make sure that we still see them a good amount! I am praying so hard that kersten and clint will move to indiana (they go out there next weekend one last time and will make their minds up then) because if so, they will be less than 4 hours away and who knows maybe we can get my parents and brother out there eventually! I am trying hard to trust in the Lord and know that God will use this to stretch me greatly and hope that I will allow Him to do just that! You can be praying for that as well! So thats the big news and now my hands and mind are just plain tired from all this blogging..so it will probably be at least a week until you hear from me again:)

Life Lately...

2009-06-28T19:35:00.001-07:00

So, apparently my cameras cord was like the most basic one out there and turns out that we have like 10 in our house that works just like the one that came with the camera. (my husband sweetly pointed that out after listening to me whine about not being able to download my pictures). So here I am. We have been super busy lately and loving every minute that Brandon gets to spend at home because of his summer break! Here are lots of pictures of our life lately... the boys playing with johnny. they love him and we do too!

brandon and i had the opportunity to chaperone the senior trip to hawaii...which was amazing!!! no kiddos meant- sleeping in, laying out and lots of eating out at restuarants other than mcdonalds :)

brandons brother wayne and his wife heidi came to see us along with their 4 kiddos...it was a full house but we had so much fun with them and taeden loved being with his cousins

just a brag moment...my husband is the king of laudry. he is meticulous in his folding and this is often what i come home to after a night out with the girls...yep, he is pretty amazing!!!

my bf kristen and i got to go away for an amazing girls weekend in santa monica. we stayed at the fairmont miramar which is by far the most amazing hotel i will probably ever stay in. it was such a relaxing and fun time together! i love kristen!!!

here's taeden in our white trash backyard. yep, its a pool from wal-mart and a broken chair providing hours of fun for taeden and his cousins.

macalan ate babyfood for about a week. he never really liked it. he already eats as much table food as taeden. he loves everything we give him!

the yearly mothers day shot. i think this was after church and i think the boys were pretty much "done" at this point. but we tried.

taeden with his cousins. he is obsessed with them. it has been such a blessing living so close to them for the past few years. they help me take such good care of the boys!

me and my boys. don't worry, taeden hair has since been cut and is much cuter. :)

Off the Wagon...

2009-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it before, and it will surely happen again...me falling off the blogging wagon for awhile, but here I am with just a quick and boring update to let you know I am still alive! My reason for not blogging is because I can't find the cord that downloads our pictures from our camera to our computer and blogs are just no fun at all without pics to go along with them. I will soon break down and buy a new one, but I am just so annoyed at myself for misplacing it. When I get my new one I will post like crazy so stay tuned, hopefully it will be soon and we have some BIG news to share too that I can officially share tomorrow. (By the way, I am NOT pregnant, thank you very much. :) So check back this week to find out whats going on with us!

I Am Still Alive...

2009-05-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

After the race, I can't believe I am smiling, cause I really felt like I was on the verge of death

My parents came to support, they were so proud. My mother actually shed a few tears... :)

We were pretty pumped about our shirts!!!

This guy was at mile 8 holding this sign, it made me laugh..hopefully it was a joke though..can you imagine???

This is the scenery of our run! It was BEAUTIFUL!!! Although I will say, I am excited to do a run in a city...I got a little bored of the horses and cows by mile 9.

Well, girls I did it. I am so happy it is over. It was months of training and anticipation and it was all over in 2 hours and 13 minutes. I will say that I am proud of myself..without being boastful..I mean, my time was good for me (the fastest guy did it in 1 hour and 5 minutes...REALLY?!!!- that means 5 minute miles the whole time..I seriously don't know how that is even possible ) I was expecting it to take longer, but I was able to stay on my pace the whole time and even though I felt like I was dying and swore during mile 11 that this was the stupidest thing I had ever done and that I would never, EVER do it again... I am already getting ready to sign up for half marathon #2 ( I think in Chicago on August 2nd...Kirra DO IT WITH ME!!!!) It's true what they say...you kinda get a little "marathon bug" and I have got it now. So we'll see, I am by no means out to improve my time by tons, but I wouldn't mind shaving a couple minutes off each time I do one and I mostly just like the way you feel after you accomplish something like that. I can say this, I WILL NEVER EVER DO A FULL MARATHON. I honestly don't think my knees could take it and I can't even imagine running for over 4 hours!

Here Goes Nothin'

2009-05-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

The time has come to run my half marathon. Saturday is approaching fast and all I can say is ... I AM SCARED! I have a bit of a sick stomach everytime I think about running 13.1 miles...I mean, really..WHAT WAS I THINKING! But I am going to do it, which means I am accomplishing a goal that I have had for a long time, so I am sure I will feel pretty good in the end..even if I can't walk or take care of my children for a few days. I will say that watching the Biggest Loser on Tuesday night gave me some major motivation...I mean if they can run a whole marathon...surely I can do a half...right? I sure hope so!

Palm Springs

2009-05-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hailey and Macalan

The dads and the babies

Taeden loved their dog cooper

After a long day in the pool

Taeden "swimming"

We had a moment of spontenaity last weekend when we were sitting on our couch Sunday afternoon. Our good friends Lacey and Anthon were in Palm Springs for the week and had invited us to join them a few weeks ago..however, we had kind of forgotten until Anthon texted Brandon on Sunday. Within minutes we had decided, shoot, lets just do it. Brandon had decided he would take Monday off and we piled into our car with our things in a laundry basket, yes, we packed in a laundry basket...a little ghetto, if I do say so myself, and we were on our way. We were suprised that it only took us two hours to get there and we were so happy with ourselves for being so spontaneous...with our two small children (this doesn't happen very often with me...being the planner type that I am). Anyways, it paid off...we had the best time with our friends! They had a beautiful house there with a pool and hot tub and we just enjoyed being with Lacey, Anthon and their daughter Hailey. The boys did great too. Taeden still thinks that he is the olympic swimmer that he thought he was last summer, taking no time at all to dive into the pool by himself (don't worry we were there to catch him!) He absolutely loved the water and spent most of his waking moments "swimming"...He has no fear of drowning apparently, which is scary and has me realizing I won't be taking him and Macalan swimming by myself (not enough hands) until he has some lessons. It is fun though, that he isn't scared to go under the water and should make for a fun summer in the water. We ended up staying until Tuesday and drove home in the afternoon. We were so happy we got to spend time with our friends and just wish they would move back already! :)

Cute Face, Hair...Not so Cute!

2009-05-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I had the lovely idea of cutting Taedens hair on our own...at home. Big mistake. Things were going alright (with the usual bribing of everything sweet in our house!)...the quiet ended as soon as the clippers were turned on. (We had started the process with scissors). Anyways, it turns out our son is literally petrified by anything that makes noise...ie, the blender, hairdryer, lawn mower...the list could go on. So of course the idea of getting the clippers anywhere close to his head...was just not going to happen. So we gave up, yep, in the middle of the haircut, we gave in to his pitiful screams and flailing of the body. We figured we would need at least 3 adults to actually continue at that point. So for now, the boys face is still pretty cute..but if you see us around...Please do not look closely at the hair. It is not cute. We are currently waiting for my sister in law, who is a hairdresser, to come visit...3 weeks and counting!

The Blessing of a Backyard...

2009-04-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

After living in an apartment for the past few summers, I couldn't be more thankful that we have a backyard for the boys to play in this year! Yesterday was HOT and we had my nieces over. They play so great with the boys and they had so much fun playing outside! It made me so excited for summer!

Say Cheese....

2009-04-19T08:58:00.001-07:00

Here is the picture stage we are in with Taeden. Yes, folks these are pretty much the best "smile for the camera" looks we can get at this point....I won't be taking him to picture people anytime soon. They do make me laugh though...I love this kid!

A little Advice from you mom's out there needed...

2009-04-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

ok, so i started macalan on eating rice cereal mixed with baby food and he just doesn't seem to be into it. it is pretty much the messiest experience every time i try feeding him because he isn't that great at getting any food down..mostly he is just pushing his tongue out while i am trying to get the spoon IN his mouth. i am thinking maybe he isn't ready for it yet??? is it ok to just go back to feeding him by bottle only? with taeden he started eating rice cereal at four months so i kinda just figured it was time to start with macalan when he got to the 6 month mark. he is still sleeping fine and doesn't seem to be famished when he just takes a bottle...what do you all think??? thanks girls!

6 month comparison of the boys...

2009-04-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Don't know why the picture of Taeden came out so small...but I still think you can see a pretty big resemblence...they are definitely brothers!!!

6 Months Old...

2009-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Macalan is already 6 months old!!! Time has seriously flown by with him and I am just trying to treasure him as much as I can. It is funny to think that while I was pregnant with him I questioned if I could love him as much as I love Taeden...the love was instant, honestly, the moment I laid eyes on him, I loved him so much. He has pretty much been the easiest baby imaginable so that helps and really, the boy doesn't stop smiling. He is just now starting to eat baby food (he is still gettin the hang of it) and sat up by himself for the first time yesterday. Taeden continues to be sooooo sweet to him, which I am so thankful for. He hasn't had any health scares since three weeks old, so we are sooo grateful for that as well. We go to a hemotologist with him in May to see how his blood disorder is (the fact that he hasn't needed any treatment so far is a great sign). We are just so thankful for our sweet little guy and love him so very much!

Our Trip Up North

2009-04-14T09:19:00.001-07:00

One of our good friends got married last weekend up in Portland so we made the trip up for the wedding and to spend some time with friends. It was such a great weekend and such a fun time to be with friends that we don't get to see as often as we'd like. We dropped Taeden off at my parents which made it a little bit like a vacation for us too! Macalan was pretty much a perfect angel all weekend and was being passed around so much and was as happy as could be the whole time. I got to spend the night with my friend Lacey and we had such a good time together with our kids (Macalan and Hailey are only 2 months apart). We were so thankful that we got to make the trip and can't wait for the next wedding when we will all get to get together again! :) All the guys

Me and Brandon

Love all these friends of ours!

Me and Lacey with Macalan and Hailey

Such fun girls who I loved spending time with!

Me A Pastor's Wife... ?????

2009-04-14T09:13:00.001-07:00

I know, it sounds a little wierd..but folks, its true, Brandon accepted the position of youth pastor at Santa Clarita Baptist Church. It is something that we having been praying about for awhile. It made sense because he is already so involved at the school (which is associated to the church) and God just continued opening doors. It has been a transition of course, but we are enjoying it and look forward to see how God can use us. Right now, the added workload is hard (my hubby is already EXTREMELY busy with school alone) but hopefully his school resposibilities will lessen next year and everything will fall into place.

Long Overdue...

2009-04-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that this is how I blog. I skip a month or so, then when I have some time (like this morning), I post a couple new ones to update on whats been going on in our lives...so here I go (at least until I am interrupted by one of the following - a. a diaper to change b. taeden begging me to carry all of his beloved animals upstairs to the play room c. macalan waking up...oh, the list could go on, I better just start while all is well. :)

Two Little Teeth...

2009-03-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

I seriously can't believe that my baby already has two teeth. Taeden was tooth-less until at least 7 months, so when Macalan started teething at 4 months, I was shocked! The two little teeth on the bottom are finally all the way through, so the good sleep, has resumed...thank goodness! Yesterday, both my boys slept until 8:00...I almost didn't know what to do with myself, but felt blessed to have some quiet time to myself to help my day get going in the right direction. Today, my call to wake up came at 6:30 from Macalan, which is early, but does give me time to snuggle with just him before Taeden joins us. I love my morning though, because for now, I don't have kids to get to school and we can all hang out in our pj's until we go to the gym at 10:30. I know one day, it will be a mad rush out the door, so for now, I am going to soak in every "lazy" morning with my boys.

The Name Game...

2009-03-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that our boys have different names. For some reason I am just drawn to names that I haven't heard often, or at all for that matter. Taeden started off as Kaden, but Brandon and I wanted something a little more original so we just stuck a T on it. Thankfully, it is still an easy name, and I don't think it has ever been mispronounced. Then comes our second child...not really the same story, as his name is mispronounced almost everyday. That is the reason for this post, in fact, so that at least those who read this, will know how to say his name :)

Most have the tendancy to call him Ma-cay-len, which to me sounds a little girly, so I just want to correct it for his manlihood's sake.:) We actually wanted to incorporate the name Alan into his name because that is Brandon's dads middle name, so therefore we came up with Macalan. So it is actually pronounced with Alan at the end, rather than Aylen ..its hard even to explain it in writing, but hopefully, this will clear up a little confusion. I knew that giving him a name like this would mean that he would be correcting people for the rest of his life...but I have a feeling he'll be just fine...I mean, he is pretty stinkin cute!

5 Month Comparison

2009-03-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

Taeden James

Macalan Justin

Here is a comparison of the boys at 5 months old. As you can see the main difference is most definitely the hair! Taeden had already had his first haircut at this age and Macalan is just going more bald by the day. Its pretty fun to see their similarities though!

Just a Bit of Cuteness

2009-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Man, I love this kid. I had to wake him up this morning. This makes me very happy. :)

Just Add Water.

2009-03-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so after reading my dear friend Kirra's blog about her amazing 4 hour lasanga, I decided to show you what dinners are like at my house.(Kirra- you are putting me to shame:) I wish I had it in me (and had the time) to create such yummy dishes or else could live with Kirra for a week to experience hers, but she's just too far away! So this is something that I always have on hand and has become a favorite. It is seriously sooooo good and REALLY easy. You literally just add water to this yummy soup mix and there you have it folks...really good potato soup. I usually add frozen broccoli to mine and have added bacon and sausage before too! So good! Also, cheap (about 3 bucks and some change at Wal Mart and you'll have leftovers) and not too bad for you- only 150 calories for one cup! I just throw some garlic bread in the oven and sprinkle a little cheese on top. It's perfect for those 3 rainy days a year we get here in Southern California- we had it last night because it was perfect soup weather! Enjoy!

It Begins Today...

2009-03-02T08:51:00.001-08:00

So my official 10-week half marathon training begins today and so does my "eating healthy". I was on quite a roll a few weeks ago, then came Valentines Day and my Birthday which meant a few nights of eating out on the town and I just can't bring myself to order a salad with dressing on the side when I could order fresh ravioli...I mean seriously. Anyways, I am off to the gym in a few minutes to run my first 3 miles of many more to follow. We will see if I can make it without collapsing on the treadmill. I am really not that excited about it...BUT, I am going to do it anyway...here's to a little willpower.
Oh and sidenote, So after I wrote the piece on how Macalan is never fussy during the day...Saturday rolls around and he is totally fussy for a few hours. Brandon and I were seriously thinking WHAT IN THE WORLD! Then this morning I discover a tooth trying to break through..I can't believe he is getting a tooth already! Time is flying by and now at least I know why he gave us like 2 hours of imperfection:) Today he is back to his cheery self and cute as can be. Oh and it only took two nights of "crying it out" ... the boy might really be an angel... LOVE HIM!

The (Almost) Perfect Baby

2009-02-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

I can honestly say that I don't remember the last time Macalan cried during the day. I have made mention before about how easy he is and it is no lie...he is seriously easy! He pretty much doesn't stop smiling and is so content to lay under his little play yard thingie or swing or just to sit. Then, 4:30 in the morning rolls along. For some reason he has regressed to waking up at about this time in the middle of the REALLY early morning. He was sleeping through the night great and over the past few weeks decided apparently he isn't ready to give us a full night. Well, I made the mistake of getting up and feeding him a few times and now the boy expects it. Last night, we put our foot down...we knew we would just have to let him cry it out. We had to do the same thing with Taeden and I am convinced that babies can make it a good 8-10 hours by now without a feeding so last night we stuck to our guns and just let the poor guy cry. Obviously, it is NO fun at all to do this and I was awake the whole time he cried anyways so it is super tempting to just take 10 minutes to feed him...but I know that when he is one, I don't want to be getting up and feeding him...so I was strong and eventually he feel back to sleep. I know it will only take a few more nights of this and the crying will be a little less prolonged tonight...so here's to a better nights sleep tonight!

Yes, I Can...at least I think I can...

2009-02-27T08:39:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I am feeling a little crazy and A LOT scared about signing up for and paying for this half marathon, cause that means I really have to DO IT! It makes me a little sick just thinking about running 13 miles, I mean I think the absolute longest I have ever run is about half that and let's be honest, I was probably in much better shape when I ran it than I am now. But I am going to do it, I mean basically my goal is just to finish the marathon, even if that means dragging my body across the finish line. I figured that it is something I have always wanted to accomplish and what better way to practice discipline and get these last few baby pounds that I am just holding onto with all my might:) Plus, its kinda fun because the finish line is in the cute little town of Solvang, which is where I spent the first 6 years of my life...
Well, my official 10-week training plan starts Monday...I will keep ya'll posted!

A Strong Will

2009-02-27T08:27:00.001-08:00

So I have often made mention that my sweet son Taeden has a VERY strong will. Here is some proof. Usually naptime is no problem for Taeden. The boy plays hard and is ready for his 1:00 nap to roll around and normally goes down without a fight, on this particular day he had other plans. I found him like this, on the floor, out cold, about an hour and a half after I initially put him down. After many times of me climbling my stairs (at least I was burning calories, right?) to discipline and put him back in bed, I finally heard the sweet sound of NOTHING and thought I had won the battle. Well, apparently he won in his own way since he fell asleep outside of his crib, but he will never have to know that! :)

I prayed A LOT on this day for my son's salvation. Brandon and I have been reminded to pray for him more often lately as his will becomes stronger. We are so burdened for our son's salvation and really want nothing more in life than for both of our boys to love and serve Christ. I know all you other moms out there probably feel the same way and it is something we should be praying for daily! It is something that I am hoping to become more faithful in doing.

What Happens When You Have a Two Year Old and a Newborn...

2009-02-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

Taeden has apparently seen me pump one too many times. Some day he will be mortified by these pictures of him pumping. You can't tell, (obviously), but he is definitely making the noise that my pump makes...it was pretty funny.

Just Some Cute Pics...

2009-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Macalan Justin...happiest baby EVER!!!

Taeden and Me...He loves to color and popcorn is the one semi-healthy thing he likes to eat.

The brothers

Kristen and Macalan

The Child Who Doesn't Like Food

2009-02-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Brandon and I always laugh about where this child came from because we both LOVE food...probably a little too much...which is why the gym and treadmill are our dear friends. We don't get how two people who adore food so much could create a child who could care less about it. Now, I will say that Brandon and I are both picky about food, but when we like something, well, we tend to eat a lot of it. I think both of our parents just think that we are getting pay back for when we were kids...yes, I was the child that would be sitting at the dinner table hours after dinner because I wouldn't finish my dinner and yes, my parents were the type that would lovingly feed me whatever I didn't finish that night for breakfast in the morning. Taeden could very well go the whole day without eating anything substantial and the pictures below give a little example of many a nights at our home when we are determined to make the child eat. I know you may think us cruel, but Taeden is skinny and we are determined to get some calories down everyday. He will thank us one day...maybe :) I am hoping Macalan will be the type of kid who LOVES to eat and will sit in his high chair and devour whatever I put in front of him. How sad that he looks like I am feeding him the grossest thing ever...its MAC and CHEESE!

OK, So I Lied...

2009-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I know in my last post I said we were getting ready to transition Taeden into his big boy bed, but apparently I lied. We made the mistake of setting up his big boy bed in what is currently the guest room...this made things all a little too confusing to Taeden who has no concept of sleeping anywhere but in his crib, let alone anywhere but his room. So for now, in his crib he stays until I can get my dear husband to take apart the crib to get it out of Taeden's room (he's not gonna be too thrilled about that :) and move his toddler bed into his room. Maybe one of these days we'll have a free Saturday to get that done, but until then Taeden remains happily in his crib.

Pics in the Crib...

2009-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well, the toddler bed is now in the house. The sheets have been made and a new duvet picked out. We are officially getting ready to get this boy out of the crib. I am a little nervous about it, only because I think it could be a bit of a battle getting him to stay in the bed and every night I come up with a reason not to move him quite yet ( I am tired by the end of the day and dealing with discipline doesn't sound so appealing), but Macalan it about as long as the bassinet at this point so I guess that is reason enough, since he will be taking over the crib. I had to get a few pics of Taeden in his crib one last time, here is is at nap time and this is how he likes to sleep, scrunched up at one end...doesn't look too comfy to me, but hey, he's happy as you can see... Jamie T. please take notice of the blanket on top of him...he is still obsessed with it :)

Ohhhhh, Taeden!

2009-01-15T09:27:00.001-08:00

Here's what happens when it is just too quiet in the playroom ... I should have known he wasn't quietly reading a book :) Thankfully there was nothing in the toilet because he did put one of his stuffed animals in for a swim and also gave his feet a dip. I had to get pictures of the damage :)

He looks so proud of himself.

Trains and Mimi

2009-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Macalan on the train ride.

First time in the double stroller and they did great!

My beautiful mom and Macalan...she seriously doesn't look like a grandma

My mom came to visit last weekend and after I picked her up at the airport we took the boys to the train museum. Taeden hasn't stopped saying "choo-choo" since and now wants to sleep with his little Tomas the Train that my mom got him. He was a little nervous about actually getting on the little train for a ride (he can be a little timid...a boy after his mom's heart :) but once we got going -he loved it! Here are some pics. of our day...

New Camera Pics

2009-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

Taeden and his animals...he loves to stack them and line them up (he gets ticked if they fall off the tractor or are not in a perfect line...a little ocd. :)

My sweet baby boy at 2 1/2 months..he is such a great baby and I can't get enough of his smile!

He is finally starting to like bathtime.

Brandons parents backyard...covered in icy snow, it was beautiful!

Taeden with his four cousins...Adyson, Kytn, Tucker and Avery. He has a great time with them!

Merry Christmas..a bit late :)

2009-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I obviously fell off the blogging wagon over the holidays...as well as they "eating good" wagon and also the workout wagon:)...thank goodness for a new year and new goals! :) We travelled to Chicago to visit with Brandon's family for 10 days over Christmas. I can honestly say I was excited about having a white christmas and to experience some true cold weather (here in LA we bust out the scarves and uggs when it goes below 70 degrees so when we got to chicago and it was -8 degrees, we were in for it)! We had a great time with Brandon's family while we were there, Taeden loved playing with his cousins and it is always good to spend time with family out there, because we only see them about twice a year. Brandon surprised me with an amazing camera for christmas which i am still learning how to use...I think i need to take a class (yep, its that complex). We got home from Chicago just in time for the new year and have had a few days to recouperate before life gets crazy again. It was so wonderful to have Brandon off work for two weeks, I was so sad to send him off to work this morning...he is such a help with the kids and is always willing to take them both for me when he knows I need a break! I am so lucky to have him! I will post some pics as soon as I figure out how to with my new snazzy cam!

I Am Thankful...

2008-12-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for hand-me-downs. I have a friend who gives me EVERYTHING her cute son grows out of from all of his clothes (she dresses him super cute..which is a bonus :), to his little toddler bed (also REALLY cute), to the toys that he has outgrown in the past three years (swing, excersaucer, and much more). This has been such a blessing for our family. Literally every time I think to myself that Taeden needs more of a particular clothing item, Jen calls my sister and has ANOTHER bag of cute clothes for us. Today we got a bag full of long sleeve shirts, which couldn't have come at a more perfect time because A. it just started getting cold here in So. Cal. and B. Taeden has about two long sleeve shirts...not anymore! So thanks, Jen, I am not sure if you even read this blog of mine, but I am just so overwhelmed at how the Lord provides THROUGH YOU and your sweet family I had to let people know!!

I am also thankful that we are surrounded by such sweet and thoughtful people at Brandon's school. One of the teachers, also a friend, came by the other day and took the CUTEST pictures of Macalan and spent a lot of time out of her busy schedule to do it. The pictures came out amazing...(they are the ones posted above...see,... amazing!) Also, every week Brandon comes home with coupons that people have cut out for us for diapers. This just strikes me as very thoughtful as it shows that people are thinking of us throughout their busy days. And I love it, because having two kids in diapers is definitely NOT cheap. :) We also have people who we know will watch our kids for us, that we completely trust, which is awesome. Although I must say, I don't know what I would have done without my sister during these past two years. She is truly the most easy going, kind person I know and is so so generous with her time. She has watched my kids, mostly Taeden, so many times and I know I can always count on her. I have been especially thankful for her the past two months as she has had Taeden A LOT because of all the hospital visits and doctors apts. So thanks, Ker, I don't know what I would do without you...seriously, I really don't know...so you can't move in May!! :) Your the best sister and I love you!!

We have also been blessed by prayer. I know that our family has been surrounded by it for the past two months, since Macalans birth, and we are so grateful. We have felt incredibly loved! So thank you, all of you who have shown us such great love...we are beyond blessed!

Finally Some Answers...

2008-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

So we just got back from spending practically ALL day at UCLA with Macalan meeting with doctors and getting more bloodwork done. We are thankful to finally have an answer as to why things happened in his little body when he was first born. The doctors have come to the conclusion that he has what is called pyruvate kinase definciency disease. They will not know the severity of it until his blood levels "settle" which does not happen until 4 months to 2 years of age, but basically what we were told is that we really just need to watch him when he gets sick (with colds, etc.) because that is when possible problems would arise. They will continue to check all of his blood levels to make sure blood transfusions are not necessary. We are so thankful that we trust in a sovereign God who has had His hand in all of this and are thankful that for now Macalan is thriving and doing so well (he even slept from 10-5 last night...so he is my little champion)! Below I will cut and paste some info on the disorder for those who are curious...

Definition:
Pyruvate kinase deficiency is an inherited deficiency of the enzyme pyruvate kinase, which is used by red blood cells. Without this enzyme, red blood cells break down too easily, resulting in low levels of these cells (hemolytic anemia).Pyruvate kinase deficiency is transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait, which means that a child must get the defective gene from both parents to develop the disorder.
There are many different types of enzymatic defects of the red blood cell which can cause hemolytic anemia. Pyruvate kinase deficiency is the second most common cause of enzymatic-related hemolytic anemia. (G-6-PD deficiency is the number one cause.)
Pyruvate kinase deficiency may produce mild or severe hemolysis and anemia. Problems may first appear in the newborn as prolonged jaundice and anemia. Older children may be pale (due to anemia) and have intermittent episodes of jaundice.

Treatment:
Blood transfusions may be needed for severe anemia. Removal of the spleen (splenectomy) may help to reduce the destruction of red blood cells; however, this should not necessarily be performed as it does not help in all cases. In newborns with dangerous levels of jaundice, an exchange transfusion is likely to be recommended.
If a splenectomy was done, the person should receive pneumococcal vaccine at recommended intervals.

Expectations (prognosis):
The outcome varies. Some people have few or no symptoms, others have severe symptoms. Treatment is usually successful in reducing the severity of symptoms.
Complications:
Gallstones, composed of bilirubin produced in excess during hemolytic anemia, are a common problem. Severe pneumococcal disease following splenectomy is a possible complication.

Happy Birthday Taeden!

2008-12-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated Taeden's second birthday. Its hard to believe that it has been two years since I became a mom. Taeden has blessed us more than I could have ever imagined. We are constantly entertained by his personality...(he has a lot of it), in awe of how loving he is to his little brother and melt a little each time when he says I love you (which sounds more like la-da-la-da-la) and gives us kisses. He is such a joy and so full of life, but we are very much aware that he is a sinner and needs a Savior. This has led Brandon and I to the Lord in prayer for our boys salvation often. It is our hearts greatest desire that both of our children would grow up and understand their need for a Savior and that they will one day live for Him.

We celebrated the day, just the three of us (we left Macalan with my sister). We started out at the doughnut shop where Taeden found his love for sprinkled doughnuts and made our way to the zoo for the rest of the day. Taeden had never been so we knew he would love it, but I don't think we were prepared for how much he loved it! Just an example...he practically had a minor panic attack of excitement when we pulled into the parking lot and he saw a black bird..so you can only imagine what it was like when we saw giraffes, monkeys and seals, he literally had a little party outside each cage....he was in heaven. It was such a fun day for Brandon and I to see Taeden absolutely enamored by what he saw and we loved every second of it. Here are some pics of our day...

Smiles and Sleep

2008-12-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, our little guy has been smiling for a few weeks now and I finally caught a few on camera...seriously, I have been trying so hard to get it on film for the past two weeks and have come to the conclusion that when you have young kids you need one of those really nice cameras that just click away. Mine, unfortunately, never quite captures the moment that I envisioned it capturing...oh well, hopefully you'll enjoy the ones I did get. :) Also, Taeden has come up with a new camera face where he closes his eyes and gives a really cheesy smile. Its pretty funny and makes for some hilarious pictures. All this to say, a family Christmas picture this year is kind of a long shot, but I am going to try for one anyway.

Macalan also is giving me a little more sleep each night!! He takes his last feeding at 10 and has been sleeping until 3:30. This means we are on our way to sleeping through the night...hopefully in the next few weeks...I could really use it :) (if you saw me, you'd probably agree...hats are my very best friend these days!!)

Kirra----I need help!

2008-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

Kirra, since I know you may be the one and only person who reads my blog...I need your help making it not so blah...I am a bit confused on how people get different backgrounds than those offered when you start it up and how to post pictures...a little help?? :)

Once a week, not to bad, right?

2008-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I obviously haven't been as faithful as I thought I would be with this whole blogging thing, but I may get better..we'll see. So other than all of us, including little Macalan, getting sick this week with a cold, life has been pretty uneventful. Macalan had blood drawn on Saturday and his biliruben level dropped 4 points...which is great! We go in again tomorrow to have the poor little guy poked some more..his little heels (where they draw the blood from) look like they have been through the ringer. He is doing really well though...he is honestly such an easy baby. Taeden has been quite the little almost two year old lately. I love him to death, but the Lord is sure using him to test my patience. :) :) He has been getting his two year molars, which has only added to the fun. As I am writing this I can hear both my boys screaming upstairs...and ummm, its definitely nap time, so I better go...I have a pacifier to get into a newborns mouth and some blankets to put back in a two year olds crib...(he occasionally likes to throw them out, just for a little added drama. ) Gotta love motherhood! :)

Macalan Update

2008-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I am finally joining the masses and starting a blog...I am mostly doing it now to update everyone on how Macalan is doing so I don't have to go back and forth between my email and facebook to post updates, so hopefully it will make my life a little easier, although I can't promise that this will be the most exciting blog you've ever read... :)
I will start at the beginning and give a little bit of whats gone on in the past month. Macalan entered the world on Oct. 13th and has been a great baby! Very uneventful first couple weeks, until I started noticing that he was looking more and more yellow. I thought this a little odd, afterall, he was not really jaundice at all when we left the hospital. After much insistence from my mom and sister I called my pediatrician and took him in for a visit. One look was all it took for the pediatrician to order blood tests and to make the results STAT. He promised he would call me with the results. I went home and honestly forgot about the whole visit because I thought this jaundice stuff was the norm with newborns. I got a phone call about 2 hours later and was told to take Macalan to the NICU at UCLA immediately...this got me a little frantic as the doctor didn't tell me more than ..."his levels are extremely high"...of course, I had no idea what this meant. When we arrived at UCLA 3 doctors from the NICU met us in the emergency room and wisked us away to the NICU. Thats when things started happening quickly and we realized that things were a little more serious than we had originally thought. Apparently, Macalans biliruben level was at 30. It is considered dangerous when it goes above 24...dangerous being possible brain damage, cerabal palsy and some other very scary things. They started talking blood transfusion right away and started preparing for this to happen. Thankfully they did not have to do this, which was a relief. His levels dropped to 28 once they put him under the lights so they oppted to see how things continued if he was under the lights. So this is where the little guy remained for a week, all the while being poked and prodded...he was such a little trooper. they released him last Wednesday and basically, where we are now is still kind of left wondering. The doctors are all confused as to why this happened and as to why he is still jaundice. He is also very anemic and their were a few blood tests that had some "inconsistencies" to them (whatever that means). Last time his blood was drawn his levels were at 14. Obviously, he is out of the danger zone or they wouldn't have sent him home, however, a baby should basically have a level of zero at about two weeks. We have continued going to the doctor and having his blood drawn since he has been home and will meet with a hemotologist at UCLA in two weeks to see if they have come to any conclusions and to have more tests done. We are so thankful that other than being yellow, he is acting like a perfectly healthy newborn...but this is also what is causing some confusion for the doctors. All that to say, continue to pray for his little yellow body :). Pray that his levels would return to normal and that the doctors may be able to figure out why all this is happening. For now, we are just enjoying both of our boys. Taeden LOVES his brother and is so sweet with him and being a mother of two is proving to be a challenge...as in, when do I shower????, but I am loving it! Anyways, we are so thankful for those who have been praying for us and are so thankful for all the support we've received from so many!