Update

So Addalyn has had a rash since before New Year's we have been to the Dr 3 times. Today we will be seeing a dermatologist. Last week we had to wait for an hour in the waiting room and i had all four little ones! today I will have to take all 5. For those that don't know Payten completed her first week at "public school" last week. She has always struggled with reading and although she worked with a reading specialist last year we couldn't afford it this year so we have decided to try out the public rescources. It was an agonizing decision but i believe the best one for now. She is adjusting well but can't quite figure out why the boys tease her at recess. Hopefully she won't let the teasing get to her and hopefully for the boys sake they leave her alone I have been known to be quite the mama bear when the situation arises. it seems as if most everyone I talk to struggles with their kids education. I still like my Mormon school idea personally, and maybe someday the need will arise until then I will continue to make the best decisions I can for each of my kids, even when I struggle with self doubt everytime I do make one. In better news Jason is through one quarter and is doing well this quarter and is looking forward to doing clinicals in the hospital close to us. Avarie is home now and is doing well. I hope all of you have had a chance to go to her blog.

Seeking the joy in this life

I was without my computer for 9 days! It was very hard having to resort to things like looking things up in a book and calling to ask others for info. It was so isolating also! Well anyway I am back and hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and good ending to 2008. Can you believe it is 2009? Seems like yesterday it was 1999 and we spent the whole year preparing for the end when everything would crash on 1-1-2000! Good times! Well 2008 was a year for changes for sure. We had just had our fifth baby, bought our new house, had Jason start the last year of school and enjoyed lots of laughs and good memories. It was also the hardest year of my life. Enduring my Niece's illness has been the hardest trial that I have ever had to face. The emotional turmoil that it has presented on us is more than I ever thought I would be able to bear but I cannot deny seeing the Lord' s presences around every corner and have felt his arms lift me when I thought I could not bear anymore. I have such hope for this year that it will better than the last but I am not one that dwells on the past but uses the past for reflection. I have struggled to maintain my optimistic attitude lately but I am committed to remain hopeful and see the beauty in this life. I know we are meant to find the joy in this life so that is my resolution, Finding joy and recognizing it everyday. That is not something that has ever been hard for me but seeing leukemia take so much from my sweet Avarie has made it hard for me to see life as simply as before. I am forever changed but am determined to make it for the better.

100 Things to do in your life

To participate, just copy and paste the list in your own blog, and color all of the things YOU have done - use any color you want. Things you haven't done will be in black. Have fun and if you have your own blog you might want to post your results there for the rest of us to see. I was suprised by how much I have been blessed enough to do!

I HAVE...
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower ( didn't see much though)
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (both:)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped ( never and proud of it)
12. Visited Paris(greatest trip ever)
13. Watched lightning at sea( from an airplane it was cool and terrifying)
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning ( still have a hard time with dominoes and applebees)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables (we had a wonderful garden this year)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (it was so small)
20. Slept on an overnight train( from Switzerland to Austria it wasn't technically through the night but I did fall asleep)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked ( umm no)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (TMI)
27. Run a Marathon ( maybe someday)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice ( does the one in Vegas count?)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (really neat to watch while in a plane)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors (half of my line)
35. Seen an Amish community( we drove by it though)
36. Taught myself a new language (does counting in other languages count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (is there such an amount?)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (yes but never actually went down the rock)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted ( I did have it drawn though)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris( It was so breezy that day that the whole thing was swaying)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling( my sister and I both got stung by jelly fishes, and no we did not pee on ourselves to take the sting away!)
52. Kissed in the rain(shower)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in( we love going)
55. Been in a movie( have been on the news and tv a couple times!)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen( we did meals on wheels)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching ( we went on our honeymoon)
63. Got flowers for no reason (once upon a time...)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp(one of the most sacred things I've ever done)
67. Bounced a check (oops!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy( and a few of my siblings too!)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt( only helping someone else)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London( very cool)
77. Broken a bone( seriously my toes must hate me)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle( hated every minute of it)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper( my sons picture was with my quote)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating( a fish once and could never do it again)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (5 of them)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant ( almost but the line was to long)

ARCTIC BLAST!

This is the official title of our storm out here. i still can hardly believe that we are getting snow let alone a lot of it! We rarely get snow out here so this has been a treat. so here are some pics of Addalyn's party and some of our snow fun. Hopefully ya'll have been following my sisters blog and know about our hopeful Christmas miracle. Please keep the prayers coming.

My baby turns 1!

Yesterday was my sweet Addalyn's 1st birthday. I can hardly believe how far we have come since first finding out I was pregnant with her. We were living in NC and had no idea where are lives would take us from that point. All I knew was that I wanted and loved the precious baby that grew inside me. Even when I was so sick and we believed on several occasions that we might never get to see her in this life I knew that she was meant to be apart of our family. I truly believe that the Lord was gently reminding me of how precious life is and no matter how many times you do something it does not guarantee that the results will be the same, seriously who knew you could get sent home from an induction, truly our Heavenly Father's love is about the only thing that can be guaranteed and when we do what is asked of us his blessings to us are also guaranteed, although they might not always be what we were expecting. The experiences that I have learned since becoming pregnant with Addalyn have altered my life forever.

My crazy elves!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A time to give

We had a great Thanksgiving last week. This year was the first year I hosted it for my family and I think it went over well. Jason and I shopped the next morning and had a great time spending the insanity together. The kids stayed at my mom's house so they were spared the 4AM wake up call! Poor Addalyn looked at me like I was insane as I woke her up. Anyway the weekend was fun and we decorated the tree.
I am trying really hard to enjoy this year with my kids. Since Avarie got sick it has been so hard to see an importance in a lot of the things that I used to really enjoy. Avarie had chemo yesterday and we are waiting on the results of the bone marrow test today. My heart ,this season, is so full of empathy for all those families that are having to endure similar experiences to my sister and our family. I do want to express my thankfulness for all of our many blessings though. My family has had the privilege of seeing some of the greatest generosity and thoughtfulness of so many that it is impossible to not see our Heavenly Fathers hands at work though others. I truly hope that we are all able to see the miracles at work all around us. I know that never before in my life have I felt the true meaning of Christmas the way that I am feeling it this year. I hope that others out there are touched by our sweet Avarie and think to reach out to others in need this year. On a lighter note I hope that everyone takes the time to send letters to Santa this year at Macy's. They are donating $1 to make a wish for each letter. Also this Thurs, Fri, and Sat. in Sellwood, OR a store called Real Deals is donating a portion of all sales to help Avarie. I heard that AM Northwest might be there doing a story on it also. Thanks again to all those that continue to remember Avarie and our family in your prayers.