sweet dreams update

last monday we had the opportunity to take the kids and our 95 pillow cases to primary children's hospital. we didn't really know what to expect, if we would just be dropping them off or if we could talk with my contact there. luckily the coordinator was there and it turned out to be such an awesome experience. she first had us stand by the christmas tree with each of the kids holding a pillow case. she gave my family and carrie's each a picture attached to a quote about giving/sharing. she was great and got down on the kids level and had me read this quote to them. she then talked to them about the hospital, showed them pictures, and talked to them about how our pillow cases would help the hospital. this really touched my kids. i loved the conversation that tyson and baylie had in the car after we left. i couldn't believe how much this affected them. this is really what the holidays are about, family and service. this was so worth the many hours that i spent with my sewing machine. i am already looking forward to the next donation. i love the feeling i get when i'm serving and giving to others.
i hope that each of you has a very merry christmas, happy holidays!

project sweet dreams

i am so excited about a new adventure my sister-in-law carrie & i are doing. it's called project sweet dreams. we just started it & we hope it turns into something big. we are making pillow cases to donate to primary children's hospital. it all started because we wanted our kids to know there is more to christmas than just receiving gifts. i want my children, & so does carrie, to know the value of service & how amazing & wonderful it is. we were just going to do it at christmas time, but we decided to do it through out the year. i can't imagine being a child & having to spend your days in the hospital. i would love to brighten their days, or nights, with a pillow case made with love. i'm also so excited because i talked to my sister gretchen & she is going to start a minnesota branch. how fun huh? if any of you would like to be involved, either by donating fabric, making pillow cases, or donating $ please let me know. we are so excited & will keep you posted. happy holidays & sweet dreams!

thanksgiving funny

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York two days before Thanksgiving and says, 'I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

'Pop, what are you talking about?' the son screams.

'We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,' the father says. 'We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her.'

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. 'Like heck they're getting divorced,' she shouts, 'I'll take care of this,'

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, 'You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?' and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. 'Okay,' he says, 'they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way.'

happy thanksgiving...tomorrow!

i just wanted to wish you all a happy thanksgiving, tomorrow of course. i love this time of year, it's like the beginning of the holiday season for me. i'm looking forward to spending time with our families. i'll be missing some of my family that won't be able to join us. a few things i'm looking forward to this week/weekend are:

*relaxing.
*game night(s) with my fun in-laws!
*shopping, bring on black friday!
*yummy turkey dinner, make that 2.
* just enjoying this wonderful time of year.

i am so thankful for all that i have in my life. i am really blessed & have so much to be thankful for. i know i've said it before, i can't really say it enough, most importantly i'm grateful for my fabulous husband & 3 darling kids. i don't know what i would do or where i would be without these 4 in my life. they are my everything! they are what keep me going, make me happy, make me feel loved, & give me a reason to live & try to be a better person. thanks todd, tys, bay, & crew you guys are the best!

holiday boutique

i will be debuting miss B & co. this friday & saturday. come start, or finish, your holiday shopping. there should be some fun vendors. if you live in the area i would love to see you there. also my fun sis-in-law will be selling her bags & debuting her new dolls, super cute!

i'm in love!

with this little dude! he is so precious & i can't get enough of him. he wakes up happy, just jabbering, hardly ever crying & it's the best! i love being his mom & feel so blessed. someone was looking out for me & knew i needed a good baby. i love that he knows me & loves me, unconditionally. i love how he just looks at me & smiles. i love his huge smile. i love his content & easy going personality. i'm so glad we decided to have another baby, he completes our little family. it's amazing how much he has changed our family & all for the good. he loves his dad, tys, & sis & we all adore him!

licorice for sale!

it was brought to my attention yesterday that bay & christian, neighbor boy, have started a little business. christian's mom, aimee, was at our neighbor's house on sunday & she told the following story...her husband had just sat down to eat when there was a knock at the door. a little irritated he got up & answered it. low & behold it was christian & baylie, selling licorice! they said they would sell him 2 pieces for 2 nickels. what a deal! he bought it. christian then informed him that he couldn't eat it, it was for his 7 yr old son, karl. they were thrilled, each getting a nickel. well aimee got a call yesterday from another neighbor. she told her that christian & baylie came to her house selling licorice the other day. 1 piece for $5!!! she told them that was a little expensive for 1 piece of licorice so they lowered it to $2! she ended up giving them some loose change & they of course were happy. it's about time she gets a job, she's expensive. lol! these 2 are so funny together, just like siblings. either getting along great or in a fight. they are also a little mischievous, but man they are cute & it's a good thing.

scary & sad times

first of all it's been a very humbling & sad week at work. they did lay offs & some of the people i have worked closely with were let go. it's really made me think about so many things. my heart goes out to these people that abruptly had their lives changed. i can't imagine the stress & pressure they are feeling. not that there is ever a 'good' time to be let go, but with the economy the way it is & the time of year, it's just that much worse. i hope for the best for all of them.

second, my blog world friend denise, sent me an email about a scary situation that's been going on. i had told my boss about it after i got the email & he didn't believe me, said it was an urban legend. well guess what? it was on the news last night. please read this story, it can happen anywhere.

going private, for real this time

we are going private, for the protection of our children & family. i wish that this blog world was safe enough that i didn't have to, but it's not. i know i can't protect my kids from everything, but i should at least try with things that i have some control over. i would love for you all to continue reading & keeping up with our crazy lives. if you're interested please leave me your email address in the comments. for those of you that read & don't comment, now is the time to leave a comment. lol!

thank you!

i just wanted to thank those of you that posted & shared your advice & nice comments. i think sometimes i just get in those ruts, good thing they don't last long.

i did want to say that i really am grateful for all that i have in my life. even though i'm not the size i would like to be right now, i am extremely grateful for a healthy, functioning body. i'm grateful for a wonderful husband & kids, they are my life. i'm grateful for the good relationships i have in my life. i'm grateful for our home & right now heat. i'm grateful for modern day medicine & the good doctors we have. i'm grateful for traditions & for the changing seasons. i'm grateful for miracles & prayer. i'm grateful for a job & my husbands job. i honestly could keep listing things. i have been blessed with so much! i guess when i start to feel frustrated or discouraged i need to remind myself of all that i do have.

trying not to...

i am really struggling with not comparing myself to others. most of the time i'm pretty good or try to be about not comparing myself, my talents, my kids, etc. to others. i have really struggled with this since crew was born. i just saw one of my high school friend's blogs, actually we've been friends since elementary. we had our sweet baby boys 2 days apart & she looks amazing! me, well i'm struggling with losing the baby weight. i know everyone is different, but sometimes it's so hard not to compare. for me the list goes on...sometimes i feel like i'm not the best mom, the best wife, the best friend, etc. i guess i'm still struggling with finding a balance in my life. i try to keep a positive attitude & todd is so good about trying to make me feel good. it's so wonderful being married to someone that loves me for me. i don't feel like he expects a lot from me & just goes with the flow. i think sometimes we as women put so much pressure on ourselves & still at the age of 30 i'm trying to figure out how to not do that.
if any of you have advice i would love it. thanks & sorry for the venting session. lol!

how to make your monday fabulous...

listen to christmas music on the radio. that's right, 100.3 is already playing christmas music & i love it! talk about starting your day off right. :0) i was talking to my mom earlier & we realized that christmas is 6 weeks from this thursday. holy cow, that's soon. i love the holiday season & i'm trying to be more prepared so i can really spend some time enjoying it. merry christmas everyone. lol!

note to irritated reader(s)

i was informed that a reader(s) was bugged that i don't capitalize on my blog. guess what? this is my blog and i don't have to! yep that's right, i can do whatever i want. if you don't like it you really don't have to read it.

sorry, had to get that off my chest. lol!

hopefully the new trend

last night our sweet little crew slept for 8 hours straight!!!! i wish that i would have slept better, but i was worried and kept checking on him. i sure hope this is the new trend at our house & not a one time thing. wouldn't that be fabulous?!

he is growing so fast & is so much fun. he has a mellow personality like his brother. he loves to smile & laugh & i could watch him do it for hours. he is so sweet & just melts my heart. i sure do miss him during the day! i think you forget how fast they grow & change. i'm trying to cherish this precious time because it will be gone before i know it.

in-laws+games=fun night!

we had such a fun weekend. friday night we took the kids & our neighbor's 3 boys to the school halloween carnival. you should have seen the looks we were getting as we were there with 6 kids! pretty funny. the kids & our neighbor's boys were so good & had a lot of fun.
saturday bay had a choreography workshop from 9 - 11 am. i ran some much needed errands all by my self! thanks babe!
after the workshop we went to logan to celebrate steve-o's 60th b-day. we had a fun and delicious dinner at hamilton's. we then had game night & it was a blast! i love game night with my fabulous in-laws. we stayed until 12:30am! thank goodness i didn't have to drive home. they are so much fun & i couldn't ask for a better family. i can't wait for thanksgiving night when game night will return.

and i made him older!

yes that's correct, i made todd 1 year older than he really is. i'm so sorry babe. i really do know that you're 32. see i told you my mind/brain/memory is so bad.

he's way old!

that is a quote by our dear sweet baylie in reference to her dad. lol! he's only 33!
this is a very belated birthday post to my sweet husband.

the reasons we love you...
*you are always there for us.
*you are a hard worker.
*you're funny.
*you are involved in our kids lives & such a good dad.
*you spoil us.
*your talented.
*you're my best friend.
*you are genuine.
*your loyal.
*you love spending time with us.
*you're hot! :0)
*we are you're #1 priority in life & we all know it.

babe, i love you & i'm so grateful to be married to you. thank you for everything that you do for us. i hope that you had a wonderful 33rd bday. you're the best!

what we've been up to...

busy busy, that's the story of our lives.

august:
*baylie had dance try outs & made 3 teams; xcite, mini cheer, & hip hop!
*tyson started 2nd grade.
*susan's 30th bday & party, happy bday susan! we adore you!
*todd's 33rd birthday. happy belated bday to the my best friend. love you babe!
*crew was born.
*saturday football games.

september:
*bay started her last year of preschool.
*field trip to the fire station.
*soccer started for both tys & bay.
*saturday football games.
*grandma johnson turned 60! we love you mom. thank you for being such an amazing mom & grandma. i love the relationship you have with our kids, especially with lady baylie. :0)

october:
*bay's 5th birthday.
*saige's 5th bday & party. we love you little lady!
*octoberfest, championship win.
*fall soccer season ended.
*tys started basketball.
*pumpkin patch field trip.
*fun times at the park with neighbors.
*went to black island farms pumpkin patch (dakari & saige came with us).
*went to the lame living planet aquarium. (note to readers, don't waste your time or $)
*went to packs pumpkin patch.
*the kids & i went to lagoon with some of my fun sister in-laws & some of their kids; tif, tam, & traci. we had so much fun! thanks girls for including us. oh & tyler & leslie went. thanks you 2 for taking tys on some fun rides.
*the beginning of my new little business, so cute & fun! more to come....
*i went back to work. sad day!
*steve's 60th bday, we love you steve-o! thanks for being the best dad & father-in-law ever! he is truly an amazing man & we are so lucky to have him.
*school halloween carnival.

so i think that catches everything over the last 3 months. i feel like i'm forgetting something, but i have come to the realization that that's the story of my life now.

i have to say that i love being a mom of 3! the last 2 months have been crazy, but a good crazy. i think we're finally started to find our groove & that feels good. now if i could just get some sleep, have some energy, & lose this pre-baby weight life would be just fabulous! i really feel blessed & lucky to have the wonderful husband that i do & 3 of the world's best kids. i love my little family!!!!

they won the championship!

way to go layton colts (silver)! tyson recently, october 4th, played in the octoberfest. it was a freezing cold, rainy day. they won their first two games & went on to play in the championship game. they won 25 to 0! it was one fun & exciting game. they all received a medal & were super excited. it was so exciting to see their team featured in the newspaper. i need to post the picture of his team & the article. it's not every day that you get to be featured in the newspaper, i never was. lol!
he had a great football season & we loved seeing this new side of him come out.
i have to say football is so different from any other sport tys has played. it's intense, it's time consuming, & it's a lot of work. the coaches are different & that can be hard at times. in the end we were really happy with our coaching staff & i'm grateful to todd for being involved.
way to go super star tyson, we are so proud of you!

bay turned 5!

i can't believe it! where did the last 5 years go? my sweet little princess had a fun few days celebrating her 5th bday. she has been waiting a long time to turn 5 & is finally so happy that the day has come.

things about my sweet 5 year old...
*she calls me mama & i love it.
*i love her sweet little voice.
*she loves to dance & is really good.
*she is caring, sweet, & thoughtful.
*she loves her brothers & i love that tys is one of her best friends.
*i love the special relationship she has with her dad.
*she loves to cuddle.
*she loves to do hair & nails & does a really good job.
*she loves to shop & already has a great sense of style.
*she loves oreos.
*her favorite color is pink.
*her favorite food is chicken.
*she is our 'blue juice' girl.
*she loves to be creative & loves projects.
*she has a very tender heart.
*some of her favorite people are her uncle kirk, aunt susan, saigey, & her grandmas.
*she loves being with her cousins & loves to play.
*she is athletic & loves to play sports either on a team or with her brother & friends.
*she is my little shadow & i love spending time with her.
*she loves being with her family.
*she is very photogenic & loves to pose for the camera, some cameras that is.
(a little side story....in the last few months we have been stopped a few times at the mall or target asking baylie if they can take her picture at the studio or kiddie kandids. she was not thrilled about these people asking her this. they would comment on how cute she was & she would just give them the look. i left the decision up to her if she wanted her picture taken or not. nope she didn't want to. her response to me was, 'why do these people want to take my picture? uncle kirk is the one that takes my picture!" funny girl. she will let me take her picture, but she's the one that does all her own posing.)

sis, i want you to know how much we love you! we love spending time with you. you are an amazing little girl & we are lucky to have you in our lives. we are so glad that we have our cute girl. you are precious. thank you for the joy that you have brought into our lives & all the fun that you bring to our family. we love you!

so much to catch up on

wow our lives have been extremely busy. i have heard from some people they don't like it when people blog without pictures. well guess what? this is my blog & for the moment i don't have pictures, but for journaling purposes i need to get this stuff down before i forget. at this point in my life i could forget at a moments notice. lol! i'm not even kidding, it's really bad. so anyway, i am going to 'journal' for now and will then go back & add pictures.

in-laws...

i have the best! on sunday we went and did family pictures. they had someone come and take the whole family, but before i was able to snap some photos of just the individual families. i didn't get any of tami's and i'm bummed about that. anyways, i think they are the greatest in-laws and have such cute families. i love spending time with them and i'm so grateful that they accept me as one of their own.

my sweet girl...

yesterday we went and did family pictures with my in-laws. afterwards i took some photos of my sweet girl, i can't get enough of her. i love the relationship that i have with her. i love the relationship she has with her dad and brothers. her birthday is coming up and i can't believe she will be 5! she has been such a big helper with crew and adores her new little brother. i love you bay!

our sweet little dude, crew!

where do i begin? crew arrived on 8.20.08 and we all couldn't be happier! he weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long. everything with my c-section went well and we are both doing great. i didn't know that i could love another child so much. he has been such a blessing to our little family. i can't imagine life without him. he is such a sweet little boy and melts my heart. we love everything about him, ok maybe not his poopy diapers. lol! who knew soy formula could be so bad? he calms and relaxes me and has really made me look at things in a new light. i am so grateful to be his mom!
tys and bay have adjusted really well and are thrilled with their new little brother. todd has been the most amazing father and husband! i love him more each day.
needless to say our lives are completely different, but all for the good. i'm so happy to have our sweet little boy here to complete our family.

*thanks to my awesome brother kirk and his sweet girlfriend susan for coming to take these cute photos of crew. these are just a few of them and i love them all!

going private....i know, i know

a lot of you hate it when people go private on their blogs, but that's where we heading. there are a whole list of reasons that i decided to go private. so if you would like an invite to our blog please leave me a comment with your email address so i can make sure to include you.

also, sorry i have been the lamest blogger ever! i promise to be better, really i do. i hope you're all enjoying your summer so far!

10 YEARS! I Love You Babe!

Yesterday was our 10 year anniversary & I can't believe it. Wow that makes me sound kind of old. LOL! I have thought a lot about the last 10 years & how much I have learned & grown. We've grown as a couple & I have grown as a person. The last 10 years have made me who I am today & I'm so grateful for that & especially for Todd. Thanks babe! Here are some of the reason I'm still in love with my amazing husband...

*He's stuck with me through the thick & thin.
*He believes in me & values me & my opinion.
*He thinks I'm beautiful & always tells me, even when I'm big & pregnant.
*He supports me in so many ways.
*He laughs with me & makes me laugh & I love that.
*He loves spending time with me.
*He puts up with me & my many quirks & short comings.
*He is an AMAZING father!
*He loves being a part of our kids lives & is so involved with them.
*He is a hard worker & always wants the best for the kids & me.
*He always puts us first.
*He is talented & athletic. You should see the stuff he can build.
*Most of all he loves me unconditionally & is my very best friend!

Thanks for the last 10 years, I love you more than words can say!

happy birthday to my favorite 7 year old!

how on earth can my baby be 7 already? i am so grateful for the last 7 years & all that he has brought into our lives. he is the most amazing boy i know & i just cherish him! i wish that i could clone him. there are so many things that i love about tyson...

*most importantly my relationship with him!
*that he isn't embarrassed by his old mom, yet.
*his caring personality.
*his love for his sister.
*his relationship with his dad & how much they are alike.
*his sense of humor, talk about a funny kid!
*he is so athletic & picks things up quickly. i love watching him play sports.
*he is very thoughtful, generous, polite, & cares about others.
*i love that when he's out playing he will come in just to say he loves me, melts my heart!
*i love that he still likes to cuddle & play with my hair.
*he is such a gentleman & even more so the older he gets, yes he loves to get my door.
*he is so smart & talented.
*i love that we have the same eating habits, yeah for veggies & fruits.
*most of all i love the person he has helped me become!

it has been an honor & privilege to be your mom tys! i love you more than words can say. thank you for coming into our lives & making the last 7 years the best! happy birthday to my sweet buddy! we love you!

**for some reason blogger won't let me post any pictures, ugh. i will most some later.

denver & a fun 30th b-day!

last week todd, kirk, susan, & i went to denver. we had so much fun. todd & i have only been away together one other time since we've had kids. crazy huh? i sure did miss my kids though. the night before we left they went up to my moms & when i called to say goodnight to them i cried, i get that from my mom. :0) i knew they were in good hands though & i didn't have to worry. thanks mom, dad, tif, & tam for taking such good care of my kids. they had so much fun!
i went to my 1st & 2nd mlb game, go rockies! talk about a good time. i love baseball games & wow major league games are a blast. we did lots of shopping, always a good time! we spent time with my grandma everyday at her nursing home. man i do not like those places & never want to be in one! it was very hard leaving her there each day. visiting with her meant the world to her & us. we went & showed todd our old house & elementary school. lots of fabulous meals, especially the elephant bar restaurant. yummy! all in all it was a really good time.

i had a fun 30th bday too! denver was a big part of my bday, can't go wrong with a trip for your bday, right? thanks todd!!! he spoiled me when we were shopping, that's what i asked for. kirk & susan took me to lunch at pf chang's & todd planned a surprise bbq that night with the kids & kirk & susan. we also got to see tys play in his 1st baseball game this season & they won, go cincinnati reds! i love my little bball player! bay was so cute about my bday & was so excited. she had picked out pink balloons with my mom & she & todd hung them up. such a sweet girl! thank you to those of you that remembered me & called, sent me texts/emails, cards, etc. i am one lucky girl & i am super excited about being 30!

happy birthday ben!

i just wanted to wish my little brother, although he's not little, a very happy birthday! i love him & have so many wonderful memories of him. ben is one of the happiest people that i know. you will always be laughing & having a good time when he's around. i remember growing up that if i was in a bad mood or had a bad day he was always there to cheer me up & make me laugh. he always had so many friends & i don't know anyone that doesn't adore him. i had the hardest time when ben left for his mission, i really missed him. it was very hard for me to say good-bye to him. he has always been so good with my kids & even watched them pretty much daily for a while, talk about a life saver! he is one of the best dads that i know. i love seeing him with his kids! he married his high school sweetheart & adores her, we do too! they are such a cute couple & so good for each other. i am proud of him for how well he's done with school & he is so well balanced. i miss him & wish he lived closer, hopefully one day. i hope that he has a fabulous birthday & knows how much i love him. happy birthday little brother!

best mother's day ever!

i had the best mother's day ever! i just want to thank my amazing husband for planning such a special time for me. he surprised me with a pedicure at the spa at the grand america, my favorite spa! he then took me to dinner & a movie of my choice, made of honor. he arranged the babysitting & everything. talk about feeling like one important & loved girl! i had perm-a-grin the entire day & was in heaven. todd, all of this meant the world to me & i can't thank you enough. i love you & i'm so grateful for you. it didn't end there. todd & the kids also bought me a sewing machine, yeah! i can't wait to learn how to sew. our kids spent the night at kirk & susan's, thank you so much! when they came home they brought me a beautiful bunch of flowers. we then headed to logan for a fun mother's day dinner that my brother kirk arranged with all the guys. it was so nice to not have to do anything! this was a first for our family & i hope it continues. all the mom's loved it. we were able to spend time with both of our moms, we are lucky to have such great moms. i know a lot of people aren't too fond of their mother-in-laws, but i am & i feel very blessed to have a wonderful mom & mother-in-law in my life. talk about amazing women. my wonderful day ended with an ultrasound of crew, thanks brian! it was fun getting to see him & get some fun pictures of our little boy. thank you everyone, especially todd & my kids, for making my mother's day weekend so wonderful!

happy birthday kirk!

i just wanted to wish one of my best friends a very happy birthday, my brother kirk! i think the world of my brother & i love that we are so close. he is the one person i have been close to my entire life. he has always looked out for me & always been there for me. the relationship that we have means the world to me! not only the relationship that we have, but also the relationship that he has with todd & the kids. my kids adore him & love him so much. talk about an amazing uncle...he is always there to support my kids. he takes time out of his busy life to be there & be a part of their lives. my kids know they can always count on him. one of their favorite things to do is call him on tyson's phone, super cute! thanks kirk for being such a wonderful part of our lives. we hope you have the best birthday ever!

*this picture is courtesy of baylie so sorry it's a little blurry. it's hard to find pictures of the photographer because he's always behind the camera. this made me realize we need to take more pictures of him.

*i just want to thank kirk & sweet susan for last night. they had us over for a bbq before the jazz game & then watched our kids for us so we could go to the game. these 2 are the most generous & giving people i know, always thinking of others.

*thanks babe for a fun night at the game, wish they would have won. it was fun hanging out with my sweet husband. seems like life has been so busy & we haven't been out for a while. you're the best & i love you!

the nursery

oh man i'm loving crew's nursery! it is turning out better than i even expected. thanks to my fabulous husband for working so hard on it. it's almost done, well besides the bedding & decorating. i'm still looking for the perfect bedding. i want something kind of different. i would love something that had a darker orange, brown, & some blue or something along those lines. if any of you know of any stores or websites that sell the less traditional stuff please leave a post. i was so bummed yesterday when i got the new pottery barn kids. there wasn't anything i liked. i haven't been to thrilled with their stuff lately. i have some fun ideas in my head of decorations for the shelves in his room & can't wait to put it all together. can you tell i like to be prepared, getting his room done 4 1/2 months early? lol! i can't believe that next week i will be half way there. yeah!

the story that made me cry!

my dear friend amy b. sent this to me today and said try not to cry, yeah right. amazing story, but i can almost guarantee it will make you cry.


She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: 'How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?'
The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'
Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?'
The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. 'Would you like a lock of his hair?' the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. 'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'
Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.
The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.
She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said:
'Dear Mom,
I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say 'I Love You'. I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know.
Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him where was He when I needed him?' 'God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.
Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore the cancer is all gone.. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?
Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.

remembering the simple & small things

i first have to thank my sweet friend melissa for the post on her blog this morning. she posted about the little things this morning that made her happy.
we woke up to snow this morning, nice way to start the day! needless to say i was a little irritated. oh & then the drive to work made me even more irritated. if the weather ever changes even the slightest in utah the majority of people forget how to drive. it kills me! after reading lissa's blog it made me realize i have so much to be grateful & happy about. winston churchill once said, "attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference!" so here's to a good, happy attitude today.

here are some things i'm grateful for this cold winter/spring morning: :0)
*todd working so hard on crew's room, i am loving it. i promise i will post pictures.
*a patient & loving husband that works so hard for our family.
*my 2 sweet kids & the 1 on the way.
*ultrasounds, love seeing the little crew man.
*good friends, the ones that are always there for you no matter what.
*sunshine, i haven't really seen it today, but man do i love it!
*my camera, a way to capture the lives of my children & family.

i hope you all have a wonderful thursday & that you can find the sunshine in the snow!

happy birthday tif w!

i just wanted to wish my sweet sister-in-law tif a happy birthday! she is the amazing mother of 4 cute kids & is very talented. she keeps our family together & does so much for everyone else. she is always thinking of others & has never once put herself first. she's so tiny & cute & we just love her. tif is hardworking & always on the go with her kids. even though she has her own little family to take care of she is an amazing care taker of my sweet mother-in-law. i admire tif & all her amazing qualities. we love you tif & hope that you have a wonderful birthday, you deserve it!

easter 2008...long post, but worth the read

i couldn't believe how early easter was this year. we went to the syracuse city easter egg hunt, my sister-in-law lives there. my kids didn't do so hot on picking up the eggs. todd told them this coming year we were going to have easter egg hunt training. lol! so at this egg hunt you empty out all of your eggs before you leave & give the eggs back. i noticed that tys had a few with coupons in them. i didn't think much of it when todd said you can redeem the coupons at the west bowery. that's a store i've never heard of, that's what i was thinking as he said it. duh! so we get in the car & leave. we are driving home & todd & i are both frustrated that our kids didn't do so well. can you tell we're competitive? i start looking through their baskets & read one of the coupons..."redeem at the west bowery the day of the easter egg hunt". light bulb moment!!! duh, bowery! it finally clicked with the brain dead pregnant lady. these coupons were good too, easter basket filled with prizes, grab bags, full size candy bars, etc. tys had 4 i believe & bay had 1 or 2. so todd turns the car around & we go back to redeem their coupons. now it's all making sense...no wonder we were the 1st ones out of the parking lot everyone else was redeeming their coupons. needless to say by the time we got there all the baskets were gone, but we made out with a way cute stuffed chick from target, some candy bars, & fun grab bags that were filled with fun easter prizes. all in all the kids did pretty good & we apologized.
on to the next egg hunt. 2 fabulous families in our neighborhood started this egg hunt in their yards 9 years ago. 1 of the families has moved, we miss you guys, but the new family has continued with the other family with the fun tradition. my sister-in-law carrie & her two girls joined us again this year. well it was hilarious because it's divided into sections & baylie & saige were not letting anyone in front of them. they held hands until the start & then they were off. holy cow those 2 did good. baylie's basket was completely filled! i guess our little talk paid off or maybe the other one was a warm up. poor tyson was sick! he was acting a little funny, but i just thought he was tired. as soon as we got home todd took him to his room because he said he didn't feel good & not even 2 min. later he was yelling that he just threw up! fabulous!! you know i've always loved hot chocolate until i was cleaning hot chocolate throw up from his bedroom carpet & trying not to lose it myself. poor little dude, i felt horrible for him. he was so sick that he cancelled his "special date" with todd & some friends for the jazz game that night.
we woke to fun easter baskets that the kids enjoyed & a yummy easter breakfast, thanks todd. that afternoon we took a picnic to this awesome park in kaysville/fruit heights. the weather was perfect & the kids had so much fun. this was our first easter ever that we didn't spend it with family. wow, that's a crazy thought. we enjoyed our relaxing day & we're looking forward to another easter celebration this weekend with the denning side.
sorry for the long post, congratulations if you made it through the whole thing. lol!
here is a link to our fun easter pictures. i hope you all had a fabulous easter too!

playing catch up

last week i went to dallas for work & man i feel really out of it now. i have so much to get caught up on.
i had to post these pictures i took last night of the princess. i was taking some pictures of a craft that i made for a craft group & of course she wanted some pictures taken of her, such a poser! the first one is my favorite! there were some others, but blogger is being a pain & i can't get them to upload correctly. maybe later. happy tuesday everyone!

*please note, we don't usually go around our house topless, but bay wanted to wear a specific night shirt to bed & she couldn't find it & i hadn't made it that far. you know how it is if you have kids. lol!

sorry!

sorry to torture you guys, we had to have a little fun, right?
drum roll please....

it's a BOY!!!!!

we are looking forward to crew bradley's arrival in august. i have already done some damage shopping & we have only known for two days! needless to say, we are all very excited & baylie is relieved that it's not a girl. thanks bri for the ultrasound & we loved your funny commentary. i will never think of a twig & berries the same way!

it's a.....

the ultrasound

it's a.....

the big day is tomorrow!

ok it's the big day before the really big day in august! we get to find out the gender of our little peanut tomorrow. thank goodness for a brother that can do an ultrasound on a weekend! this will be my 4th ultrasound, man i'm lucky! i don't know who's more excited the kids or me. actually i should say tyson or me. there is no question is baylie's mind that it's a boy & if it isn't, well there are going to be some problems. she told me the other day if it's not a boy it will have to go back. she already calls him by name, crew. it will be crew bradley & she almost always uses both names. i thought in the beginning she would for sure want a sister, nope a baby brother. i feel like it's a boy & comparing pregnancies i would say a boy, but you never know. it's like christmas morning in march. i can't wait! please send good vibes our way that we'll be able to find out. i think this is the one time when you don't want your child to by shy or modest! lol!!

the salt flats & photography

i'm taking a photography class from a little sussy, aka nicole hill. i have found i'm a hands on learner, at least when it comes to photography. i don't understand the foreign language that is spoken in the books i've read. maybe it's because i haven't put a whole lot of time & effort into it. needless to say i've had a lot of questions. thank goodness for a brother that is so willing to help, thanks kirk. he suggested that we go out to the salt flats. i have never been there before. i honestly thought they were by the great salt lake. man was i wrong! we had a boring drive out to the salt flats with the all to often, "when are we going to be there" from my kids. todd & i had fun joking & laughing about things along the way, like the little towns with no services. what's up with that? the salt flats were freezing! i'm so glad i had a winter coat. the wind was crazy. poor bay fell in the rocky area before we even made it onto the ice, i mean salt & cut her hand open. tyson thought for sure it was frozen ice, not frozen salt. he was very cautious & kept asking susan if we would be ok. it didn't take him long to be running all over.
i had a good lesson from kirk & was very happy with the overall outcome of the day. man do i have a lot to learn. i'm excited to be learning though. the photos above were basically taken for my assignment, but anytime i can get pictures of my kids i don't care what the reason is. these photos are straight out of my camera, no editing yet. (i started writing this before my class last night & i was so nervous to have my work critiqued in front of the whole class. i was sick about it. nicole was very impressed & happy with my photos. what a relief!)
thanks todd for being so supportive of me & spending the day just hanging out with me. you are the best!

jazz girl

i was one proud mom last night! bay danced at the jazz game during half time. she loved every second of it & it didn't last very long. my friend amy & i were so frustrated because we missed the first part of their dance just trying to get on the floor! we had to wait for the refs to come off & then battle everyone that was going out for half time. needless to say it was so much fun & she did so good, all the girls did! i can't believe that she can dance in front of thousands of people & not have one ounce of fear, i love it. she has loved dancing for the jazz dancer studio & adores her teachers. it has been such a good experience for her & i love the confidence that she has. when we were walking off the floor she said, "that went faster then we practiced!" i agree bay the fun experience was over way too soon, but i'm so happy for you. below are some fun pictures that my awesome brother kirk took, thank you! todd, tyson, kirk, & susan were there to support our dancing princess, thank you! they were all so proud of her too. what a fun night!

*thanks to my wonderful friend tilda, aka amy, for spending the day with me. i'm so glad our girls are in this together. i love our "lunch dates" to our favorite place in the gateway food court! lol! i always have fun with you & love when we get to hang out.

nobody to play with...

i just got a call from my sweet girl & she sounded so sad. she doesn't have school on tuesdays because todd doesn't work. she said she didn't have anyone to play with because tyson was at school & her dad was doing the dishes, thanks babe! she wanted me to come home. oh i wish i could! she has a couple of friends on our street, but hasn't been wanting to play with them because she says "they are mean & don't like to share!" she is very content just being with her family & i love it. anyways, i got off the phone with her & called todd. he is such a good dad & immediately stopped doing the dishes & went to see what she wanted to play. i am so grateful i have such a good husband that makes so much time for our kids. our kids adore him & love having time with him. thanks todd for being the amazing dad that you are, it means the world to us.

natural born skier/boarder!

we went skiing/boarding on saturday & had a blast! it was bay's first time skiing & tyson's first time boarding, he used to ski. i was a little nervous that they would get frustrated or cold & then the whining would begin...never happened! they both loved it & couldn't get enough. we had fabulous company, kirk, susan, tyler, & leslie. thank you all so much for coming & helping. kirk was our amazing photographer & susan, ty, & leslie all board, todd & i don't. i am thinking about trying it next year, hello their boots are so much more comfortable than ski boots! tyson picked boarding right up and amazed us all, he was in heaven. the ski princess, bay, was a natural too! holy cow she was good. i think it was only a couple runs before she could go the whole way without falling. she had permagrin the whole day & was the like the energizer bunny, just wanted to keep going & going. thanks todd for helping her. it was kind of hard for me not being able to be the one to help, but thank goodness for wonderful family. the weather was amazing until about 2:30 pm & then it became miserable, that was to all of us adults, but didn't even faze the kids. the wind & snow were horrible! they still wanted to keep going. my biggest fear of the day was being taken out by somebody else. i knew that i could control myself & not endanger the baby, but there are some crazy people on the mountain! it all turned out good. we are all, especially the kids, looking forward to our next trip up. next year we'll get season passes for sure. thanks to my wonderful family for a great day. go here to see some sweet pictures. kirk took so many good ones, thanks!

yes, i drank the water!

i'm kind of funny about making big announcements, i don't know why. i get shy about it. weird i know. so yes, we're having a baby, baby #3! our little family is so excited!! i'm going for another scheduled c-section the end of august. wow, are our lives going to change, but i'm so excited for that change & the joy that a new little baby will bring into our lives. i love & adore my 2 kids & i'm excited to love & adore another. the kids, especially bay, are so excited. i'm looking forward to having 2 wonderful helpers. it's such a nice thought that my kids will be older & can do basically everything for themselves. i guess there are some advantages to having your kids farther apart. what works for some doesn't work for others, right? i wouldn't change the fact of tys & bay being 2 1/2 yrs apart & being able to play & have fun with each other.
i want to thank todd for being a wonderful husband! he is so good to me, especially when i'm pregnant & after having the baby. he puts up with so much & never complains. it's a day to day challenge as to what i can eat & so he has made many trips to the grocery store. he does more to take care of the kids & me & i want him to know how much all of this means to me. you're the best & i'm a lucky girl to have you & our kids are so lucky to have you as their dad. thanks babe! i want to thank those that already know for their love & support, it means the world to me. i have wonderful family & friends that have been so happy for us. i will have to say that todd's sister's reaction were the best! talk about making me feel good. tam and tori almost cried! i appreciate your phone calls to check on me, especially from my mother-in-law. she calls at least weekly to check on me, thank you! my brother's girlfriend, susan, has been so sweet too & so happy for us. she even keeps track of my appts. & they want to know all the exciting details. i can't wait until we can go shopping susan! i have appreciated the emails & texts from friends, especially you tilda, just checking in. wow, i am loved & feel so much support. a funny story about my sister gretchen...i cried wolf too many times with her. she really didn't believe me when i called & told her & it's my own fault. i can't tell you how many times i have told her i was pregnant or i went to the dr, etc. sorry gretch, i'm glad you believe me now & i learned my lesson.
i was so dead set on having 2 kids, i was convinced i was done. i think for the most part everyone thought i was done. when we told our parents we gave them an ultrasound picture that my brother, brian, did for us. when i called to see if he could do it for us i talked to his wife. when she had him guess who in our family was pregnant i was the very last person. he even guessed my brother's girlfriend before me! too funny.
we have had 3 ultrasounds already & i want to cry each time i see our precious baby & hear that amazing heartbeat. at my 1st appt. it was just a little bean. the kids were disappointed they couldn't see a baby. we went last thursday, just 4 weeks later, & it was a baby, arms, legs, etc. bay was with us & loved it! i love that my dr. does an ultrasound each visit. such a treat. they are guessing it's a boy, but it's a little hard to tell right now. we should be able to know for sure next visit, with cooperation of the baby of course.
so i'm over the 24/7 nausea & not as tired as i was. wow i forgot how soon your body changes. i never knew what it meant to be exhausted until i got pregnant with tyson. i can cry at the drop of a hat over commercials, oprah, whatever! lol! you've got to love those hormones.
i just want to say how grateful i am for the opportunity to be able to have children. to be a mom to these amazing little spirits. i hope that i can always do my best & be the very best mom in their eyes!