One Year Ago: The Final Days

A year ago, I was preparing to have all of my family here for the 4th of July. I ran around getting the house clean, making sure everything was perfect for when family would arrive. I remember thinking that I better make one last trip to Sam's club just to make sure I got everything I needed. As I was walking around Sam's I thought to myself, I hope I don't go into labor. Even though I had over a week until my due date, I didn't think it was a great idea to be lifting such heavy objects, and if I had known that I would go into labor just a few days later, I probably would have skipped the shopping trip altogether.

Still everything worked out and it was so great to have so much family around during the holiday. I was secretly hoping that I would have the baby while everyone was in town and even though I wasn't sure if I would get my wish, I could still feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was having a great time and we were all so excited for this baby to arrive.

When my mom finally arrived she pulled out a suitcase of exquisite baby clothes. There were dresses, and pajamas, headbands, and jumpers. It was so exciting to imagine what our little peanut would like all dressed up in her new clothes. I even picked out the outfit she would come home in.

Everything was set to go. My bags were packed, family was arriving, and there was nothing left to do except wait and enjoy the holiday weekend ahead of us.

Missing Persons

Saturday was a lovely afternoon. We did some work on the house, and the kids played outside for a long time, and then we all decided to take a nice little siesta. Except for Hunter, who decided he wanted to stay outside and play for a a little while longer. I thought that this would be okay, I had to feed Lily anyway, so I figured I would check on him in about fifteen minutes and then maybe he would be ready to have a little quiet time on his bed.

After about fifteen minutes had passed, I decided that I better go upstairs (Lily and I were in the basement) and check on little man. After I called for Hunter in the garage, Ella told me he came inside and went upstairs.

Perfect, I thought that this is what he would end up doing anyway. So I went upstairs and asked Mike where Hunter was. Mike was still sort of asleep and told me that he had come up, but then he didn't know where he went. Oh great, now I had to go looking for him! I walked through every room on all three floors of the house and there was no sign of Hunter. As I circled the backyard and came around into the front, I started to get a little worried. I had checked all of his usual spots and even some random ones as well. Plus it was just too quiet! There is usually a buzzing sound around Hunter at all times (imagine the humming of a tornado) so when it is really quiet, only two things can be happening. Either he is asleep or we are in the eye of the storm.

The silence was deafening at this point and so I yelled for Mike and Ella to start looking as well. After we had swept through the house about three times and searched all of the cars, trunks, and any other dangerous place I could think of, I really started to panic! Where was this kid and why wasn't he responding to us calling his name out over and over!

About twenty minutes into our search, Mike told me it was time to call the police and that he was going to get in the car and start driving around on the streets. At this point my heart is racing and my head is pounding! I really thought we would have found Hunter at some point and I just couldn't believe that he had not turned up with his little mischievous grin.

As I was heading upstairs to our room, I could hear Mike talking on the phone with 911 and I decided I better check our bed again, just in case he had fallen asleep in there. I pulled back the covers, half expecting to see him... but nothing! This was my last ditch effort and I knew I had checked every corner of our house. I called out one last time, I think just to hear my own voice, and I heard a very quiet "hmmm". I yelled his name again even louder and this time I heard "whhaaatttt". I tore up the bed skirt and there was crazy little man sleeping UNDER our bed! He was completely hidden under our bed and he was fast asleep. He was also very upset about us waking him up!

After we told the dispatcher everything was okay, and we hugged Hunter like he might float away, we all decided we needed to order a pizza and have a nice relaxing family night! It took most of the evening for my body to realize that the danger was over, and I had a raging headache, but it was okay, because Hunter was okay.

What an eventful afternoon!

Look Over Here

Hey look over here! I am being featured on this blog and you should check out my post. I was asked to talk about my own "calling" in life and what that means to me. It was a great experience for me to really think about and to put my thoughts into words. I felt like and English student all over again!

I hope you will check out Drea's blog, it is called Snarkydrea and it is a very fun and very artistic blog!

Have a great Saturday!

Recipe 17: Easy Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
• 2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

2 Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

Note that when you are working with so few ingredients, it's important to make sure they are of the highest quality.

I give this recipe 3 stars. I thought it was great, but the kids of course were not impressed. It was pretty easy to make and with so few ingredients it really was not to expensive either. I think it made a pretty good side, but it is very simple and you do need really fresh asparagus.

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Recipe 16: Beef and Noodles

1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
optional 1 tomato, sliced and seeded
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 cups uncooked noodles
1 lb ground beef

First brown beef with onion in large pot. Add water, salt, pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook until vegies are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add noodles and cook until done. Best if served with some biscuits, on sale of course.

Makes 6 servings. Approximate cost per serving - $0.62

I give this recipe 4 stars. It was yummy and the kids liked it. It was so easy to make and as the recipe shows it costs about $0.62 per serving to make. I had most of the ingredients on hand and I did not add the tomato. This is definitely a keeper!

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I am linked up at Whiperberry, Tatertots and Jello, Its a Keeper, Simply Designing, Full Plate Thursdays, This Chick Cooks, Catch a Glimps

Lily's Heart

We took Lily for her yearly check up on her little heart. She gets and EKG and an Ecco and then we answer lots of questions and we wait, and then we wait some more.

After we do this song and dance we get to meet with the doctor and we finally get to hear how that little ticker is doing.

Lots of friends and family called asking us for news, and I wish I understood it better so I could explain it to others, but with all of that medical lingo, I sort of end up nodding my head while inside I am thinking (huh?).

But as far as we can make out, Lily is doing great (for having a hole in her heart). The doctor said that the hole is still there, but her heart is not getting any bigger because of it, which is the real concern. And as long as Lily is still growing and she doesn't become lethargic they won't even try to operate until she is at least five.

So we will have to go back every year, do the same tests, answer the same questions, and do the same waiting game, but as long as things keep going the way they are going, we won't have to make any decisions about operating for quite some time.

And who knows, maybe by the time she is five the hole will have closed up on its own (fingers crossed).

A Happy Father's Day

I chose this picture, because Mike carried one of our kids around on his shoulders the entire time we were at Disneyland. He joked that when we first got into the park he was 6"3. He is a very loving selfless father!

When Mike first became a dad I really didn't know what to expect from him. I knew he would love his kids and I knew he would be really fun, but I had no idea how involved he would be and how much he would be willing to participate in the every day activities involving our children. From day one he has been there. From changing diapers, to late night feedings, he has gladly taken on any task without complaining or fighting me about it. I remember very clearly thinking in those early weeks with Ella how lucky I was that he was so willing and involved with her and how lucky she was to have such a great dad. I also wondered if he would always be this active in the kid's lives as they got older, and five years later I have my answer: He is absolutely a huge role in each child's life and they adore him for it. He still gives baths, makes grilled cheese sandwiches, changes diapers (the really stinky ones too), and everything else I could ask of him.

Not only do I feel so incredibly lucky to have Mike as a husband, but I know my kids are incredibly lucky to have him as a dad!

Happy Father's Day!

California Trip 2011: Being With Family

After we finished up our wonderful three days at Disneyland we decided to take advantage of the great time share and just hang out. There was a great pool, activities for the kids, snow cones, a sand box, a play ground, and much much more. We also had a big Barbecue one night for one of our cousin's birthdays. It was complete with hamburgers, S'mores, and lots of playing.

After our week was up at the time share we headed to Mike's family's house for the weekend where we got to visit with lots of family. The kids loved playing at their grandparents house and spending so much great time with cousins and loved ones.

On our last night in California we had a great big dinner with everyone while the kids played, jumped on the trampoline, and ran around giggling in delight!

It was a great trip and we all had such a great time, everyone was sad to go, and Ella was especially sad to leave her grandparents and cousins.

I love these times that the kids get to spend with family, the time we get to reconnect with all of our loved ones, building memories and escaping life for just a moment!

These last few pictures are of Lily with her cousin while we made a pit stop on our way home.

California Trip 2011: DIsneyland

After we recovered from our weekend fun we spent three wonderful days at Disneyland. The first day my mom came with us and we headed right to Ariel's Grotto to see all of the Princesses. We also made sure that the kids got to see their favorite characters and go on all of the best rides. Some of our favorites were Monsters Inc, Peter Pan, Buzz Light Year, and the Dumbo ride.

We also made sure to catch the Firework show and Fantasmic. The kids loved seeing Tinkerbelle fly down to the castle, but Fantasmic was just a little too scary for their taste.

I think one of my favorite parts about the whole trip was how much Hunter loved being a pirate. We got him his own pirate hat and sword and he wore them for the rest of the time.

Overall a great three days at Disneyland!