Like an Herbal Essence commercial...

I have a super-duper talented friend Katie. She can cook ridiculous yummy food, she can bake anything and she is super crafty. As if that isn't enough, she used to be a hair stylist. Whenever my hair turns into something from the Lion King, she has me over for a night of relaxation and works her hair magic on me.

Monday night was one of those nights. Hubby is on break and after we put the kiddos to bed, we headed over for a night of delicious food and I got a makeover! Needless to say, it was like a perfect night. Hanging out with our friends, eating from what could have been a buffet of food-we had our choice of Italian, Mexican or her Famous Spicy Beef. I believe Hubby indulged in all of the food choices as well as dessert pumpkin bars and oreo balls...you can see why we are such great friends, right? ;) It is impossible not to love them.

While the guys were eating to their belly's content, I was off getting pampered and had some good ol' girl talk. Isn't it amazing how something like a hair cut can do so much for how you feel about yourself? I feel like a new woman!




Didn't she do a great job? Please excuse this "myspace-ish" picture, Hubby is out for the day and it is difficult to take a good picture of yourself, it doesn't do her great work justice. I should have taken a before and after photo so you could see just how gigantic my hair gets. It was all one horrible thick mess of a layer and had no style to it. She put a rich glaze on, which deepened my color and made it ridiculously soft and trimmed and gave my hair its body back! It feels so great!

Thanks so much to my sweet friend Katie for making me feel like getting my hair out of the Mom pony-tail and breaking out the styling products again! :)

This is where I complain....

Feel free to skip this post if you don't want to hear me whine... :)

We had a beyond fantastic weekend, which I posted about. Sunday we went to church, had a nice lunch, we all took a great nap and enjoyed a quiet night in playing as a family. Monday, I wake up at 6 am to Izzy running up the stairs in what I can only describe as a vomit coughing fit. He never actually puked, but it sounded like it all the way up the staircase. By the time he reached us, he was choking and crying hysterically. I jump up and try to gather myself to put the puzzle together and figure out that he has gotten sick overnight with a cough I have never heard before, had no fever, but was screaming about how badly his head hurt. I took him to urgent care and they tested him for strep and pertussis. :( Strep was negative, and we are still waiting on the pertussis results, but they treated him for it anyway since his cough was so distinct. Every minute that passed through the day, he progressively worsened. While at the doctor, his fever grew to 101+ and his body weakened so much that he could no longer walk or lift his head. Drastic difference from the energetic happy boy I had all weekend. This is considered an infectious disease if that is what he truly has, so he can not be exposed to anyone until day 3 of medication (today) and no fever for 24 hours (also today).
The medicine he was prescribed is super strong, and he was given a large dose the first day. He made huge improvements by Tuesday and was able to eat and walk around without help and his coughing fits were down to a handful.
Today he was even better than yesterday, and with no fever and all of the medication, today is the day to disinfect, clean and do about a million loads of laundry.

Here is my complaint list:

I am exhausted.

I still have a broken rib, which seems to refuse to heal. Over it!

For 3 days, I have checked on Izzy every 10 minutes. Sometimes unnecessarily, but the nurse freaked me out a little when she said, he should come back if he suddenly stops breathing. :/

Keeping a 2 year old away from his big brother makes for a very cranky toddler.

Keeping a 5 year old in his room and containing his germ spreadage...difficult.

Keeping my Hubby happy during finals week with all of this going on...also difficult- crying kids, dinners late, and Mommy looks like she walked through a tornado.

Now Grandma is sick, so not only did I have to keep Izzy and Asher separated, but I also have to keep him away from her room. Can someone loan me some caution tape?

I can barely sit up because my back is so jacked from my car wreck, so this whole week isn't helping. Hoping I can make it to the kids bedtime...


My work list for the day:

Woke up at 7:30 to a pumpkin spice latte and breakfast from my loving Hubby.

Started laundry. 7 loads to go!

Stripped Izzy's room of all bedding, trash, dirty laundry.

Cloroxed his entire room, every. single. toy.

Rearranged his furniture.

Vacuumed.

Cleaned Ashers room.

Stripped the boys bathroom, bleached everything and mopped the floor.

Folded 4 loads of laundry so far....

Hubby gave me a chance for a quick break to feel the beautiful sunshine and have a few moments to myself while running a few errands. Bank, Sams Club, Grocery Store. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh! (Meanwhile he fed the kids lunch...do you see why I love him?)

Put Asher to nap.

Cleaned the kitchen.

Started dinner in the crockpot.

Cleaned the kitchen again.

Unloaded the dishwasher.

Played Playmobile with Izzy.

I still have to finish dinner, do the last 7 loads of laundry, clean up before bed, bathe the boys and put them to bed, clean my bedroom and bathroom and find a heat pad for my back so when it is all done I can turn my phone off, turn the tv on and check out until 7 am!

Vent over.

Signing out,
One Wiped Mommy from Missouri.

Super Duper Fun Weekend!

It is Monday and I am surprised I am able to get out of bed today because this weekend was so jam packed with fun!

FRIDAY

After school, I took the boys for a picnic dinner at the park!

We sat on a bench and watched the other kids play while we ate our dinner and talked. We ran all over the park and played until dark. They had a blast and were completely ready for bed by the time we got home. Perfect night.

SATURDAY

Finally the Walk for Life!!! I had been waiting and working on donations for a few months and we made it to the big day. I set my goal at $500 and through the love and generosity of my friends and family I was only $100 short of that goal! This walk was so important to me because my life could be very different right now if I had made a different choice six years ago. I would have missed out on holding my sweet son, bonding with him, having picture memories, I wouldn't know his new baby smell, I would have no memories and only heartache. Every life matters and it just broke my heart to read the statistics that most babies are aborted due to social reasons. It was a beautiful day and we met up with my sweet friends and walking partners Katie and Bella. The babies snacked and giggled the whole way. It was precious. I can't wait to hear how much the walk raised for the center, as soon as I hear I will be sure to pass it on. Thanks to everyone who helped support my walk!






While Asher and I were walking, Izzy was off at his weekly Saturday breakfast with Papa and Grandma. He always has a great time, and gets lots of attention from the waitresses. I mean look at him, he is adorable how could you not give him a free cookie every time? :)

Look at that PANCAKE!

Our day just kept getting better when after the walk and Izzy's breakfast, we met up at a friends farm where they have a pumpkin patch, mums, corn, a hay maze and hay rides! The boys picked their perfect pumpkins and just had fun being boys running through fields. It was Ashers first time at a pumpkin patch and I am pretty sure that was the most fun he has ever had.

Stranger Danger!

After school today, I took the boys out in the front yard to play with their dump trucks. They love to sit and load our landscaping rocks into their trucks and then push them around and dump them into a messy mountain. You can't get much more boy than that!

I decided it was a good time to practice a little something we all call "Stranger Danger." We have talked with Izzy about this before, and he has heard it at school as well, but I wanted to see him act out what he would do. I didn't prompt him at all, I just simply said, "Go in the grass and show me what you would do if a stranger pulled up and asked you to come look at his new puppy?" He giggled nervously and said a quiet, "no." Hmmm...I can see we have a little work to do. He knows the right thing to say "Yell. Go. Tell" (that is the anthem at school) but he was too shy to do it in front of me and Asher. That made me worried that if he was scared to yell and scream in front of me, how would he ever fight off an attacker? So we practiced over and over. Finally, by the end of it he was yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" and showing me how fast he could run away. Then I stepped it up a notch and asked him what he would do if someone tried to take Asher and he was the closest to him? Without a word he grabbed Asher by the arm and took off like a flash of lightening and Asher not having a clue as to what was going on ran just as fast! He did great. Izzy then decided it would be great to pretend Asher was the stranger and he would yell No and run away. I think you can guess that game ended up in two boys just giggling and chasing each other. :) Either way, I feel a little more confident that Izzy will not speak to a stranger and if someone gets too close he wouldn't be embarrassed or scared to get into trouble. He also told me he knows how to fight someone if they tried to take him. Izzy hasn't hit anyone in his life, so I thought it would be interesting to hear what he thinks he would do. #1 Bite. #2 Punch in the "peanuts" lol #3 Poke them in the eyes #4 Kick them everywhere. Yep, I think that pretty much covers it.

Izzy had a super dramatic moment while we were outside as well that didn't have anything to do with our super acting skills. Somehow he got a splinter in his forearm. It was barely stuck in his arm and I could pull it out with my fingernails without even touching his skin. Izzy didn't seem to care about that small fact and begged me (picture more like hysterical screaming, the kind with enormous tears and snot running down his face) to get him a band-aid. Side Note: Why do kids automatically think a band-aid fixes everything? I explain a band-aid won't do the trick this time and ask him to be brave and just let me pull it out. I can't describe the completely crazy crying that happened in those few minutes. I get the splinter and one nano second later all of the tears and hysteria ends and he says "Thanks Mom." This whole situation got me to thinking about how a few of his friends have already started to lose their baby teeth. OH. MY. WORD. How will we cope if this is his reaction about a splinter? Really this is all my fault. I was the same way as a kid, so this is totally pay back. Good thing Daddy is going to be a Doctor, I can start passing this kind of stuff off on him.


A little time outside before dinner: educational and fun! Bonus: TONS of running made for two very tired boys. ;)

Love.

This past Thursday was my 10th wedding anniversary!!! Not to toot our horn, but in today's world, that is a big deal! I heard on the radio last week, that the average American marriage ends prior to 7 years. That is unbelievable to me. Marriage is hard, no doubt, but it is so rewarding and I can't imagine not working hard to make it work.

I thought I would share a quick version of our love story.

Hubby and I met at his parents church, when we were both in High School. (Yes, he is a PK and fit the rebellious stereotypes. :) My Dad was driving by the church one day and said he felt like there was a reason we needed to go there. Years later, we realized that reason was my sweet Hubby. When we first started attending, Hubby had a long-time girlfriend. I was not your normal teenage girl, and had no desire for a boyfriend. I had been on several dates, but nothing ever clicked. My thought was, if you don't see the possibility of marriage--don't waste your time dating. The church was very small and made it impossible to avoid Hubby since the youth group was made up of about 5 of us. The first couple of years we just ignored each other. He thought I was stuck-up (I was) and I thought he was sloppy. (He dressed in that whole grunge/skater style) His Mother loved me and was constantly hinting that he should take me out. At some point, his relationship ended and his Mom really stepped up her match making game. A friend in youth was having a birthday and she said he should take me to the party at a local restaurant. We both agreed awkwardly, but ended up completely enjoying each other's company. Things moved quickly between us and after what seemed like only a month, people were talking marriage. A little scary to the girl who had never had a boyfriend, and A LOT scary to the boy who is now in college and still figuring out his life path.
Here is where I am going to save you a lot of time...
He broke up with me a total of three times. 3. Each time was a ridiculous excuse bundled with, "I love you so much, but this just isn't a good time." Months later, I would get a call declaring his love and how much he missed me, we would date a little while and then people would start talking marriage again and he would split. Whatever. I was determined not to be like all of my babbling, sappy girlfriends (love ya girls!) who let a little break up get them down. When we were together, we were together, when we weren't, I pretended he didn't exist. :) Of course this drove him crazy and eventually he couldn't stand it anymore.
A girl in our youth group got married and we both went to the wedding. I had a small part in the wedding, and I wore a gorgeous dress. I looked H.O.T. I'm not gonna lie. It was so like a Julia Roberts movie, where the couple loves each other, but it just hadn't worked before and then the girl shows up looking amazing and the guy realizes how dumb he is for wasting time without her. That is exactly what happened, because after that day at the wedding, we have been together ever since! Three months later, we were engaged. September 30, 2000, we were married. We had a magical honeymoon in St. Thomas, it was perfect.

Me+Hammock+Nap+St. Thomas= Perfection
(This should be my every day.)




10 years, 3 boys and half way through Medical school, we are as happy as ever.
We got married at 21, and I remember everyone telling us that getting married at young was a mistake. I am so happy to have proved them wrong. I can't imagine my life without my love and I don't regret a moment. We have been through so much in 10 years, it really feels like we have been married even longer than that. Sickness, difficult pregnancies, death, heartache, layoffs, surgeries...but then there's the sweet babies, laughter, romantic gestures, loves notes, surprises, vacations, a billion family memories, the hugs, the kisses, and the dreams of our future together. It's been ten years, and I know without a doubt he loves me unconditionally and no matter what we face he will be right by my side. I love him.

I am sure you are thinking, what about the anniversary gifts? Well, I will tell you that my hubby is great when it comes to gifts, so I have to really think about his gift in advance because he always out does my gifts. I bought him a new wedding band. His had become to large and pretty banged up. He loved his new band and has been showing it off to everyone. It made my heart glad to see him so happy. He loves to surprise me, and he did just that again this year. First he handed me a beautiful card and then told me my present was in my purse. (How'd he do that?) I found another card from The Elm's (a local Hotel and Spa) with a gift certificate for a Spa day package!!!!! Mani, pedi, facial, aromatherapy bath and a massage!!! Yes, please!!! He said after my wreck I totally needed it, and he couldn't be more right. I just have to wait for my ribs to heal so that I can enjoy my special relaxing day thanks to my sweet Hubby. This weekend, he arranged for my parents to watch the kids so we could celebrate with dinner and a date. He surprised me again with a new pair of shoes! Did I say how much I love him?

Hubby and I don't have much time together, but I really treasure the time we do have. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have ever imagined that we could survive the things we did, but we have, and are even more in love than when we said "I do."

Life

Sorry I have been lagging on the blog front, but this last couple of weeks have been exceptionally full. This past week, someone very special to my family passed away. Roy was a great friend to Hubby and I as well as my parents and like another grandpa to my kids. To get a full history of my dear friend Roy, you can visit my friend Amanda (his daughter) over at http://loveutothemoonandback.blogspot.com/








Roy battled colon cancer for the last couple of years and when I say battled, I mean it. He fought for his life, like I have never seen before. He was strong, courageous and never complained. In fact, to the amazement of all he worked full-time up until this past month. In the last weeks, my Mom and I were able to spend time with our friends and the memories that were made in that time are tucked in my heart forever. Tomorrow will be a week since he passed, and it still doesn't seem real. Thursday night was his funeral service and in a word, it was beautiful. The personal tributes, pictures and video completely described his love for his family and most of all his heart for God.

Amanda is my dear friend, like so close we are almost twins. I know what food she is going to order, how her brain works, and best of all, I know that no matter what kind of day either of us is having, one of us can make the other belly laugh when we need it most. I am sad, that now she has to know this pain that I have had for 6 years. The pain of losing some of yourself. I am sure that losing a child vs. a parent has some different aspects, but overall, the pain is so deep that you literally can't think past the next minute. We share everything, but this is one thing I did not ever want to share with her. Grief.
There is something I didn't know about Amanda until this week, and that is how strong she truly is. I am so proud of my friend for paying such a great tribute to her Dad. I am just so sorry she had to do it at all. One thing I do know for sure, God is faithful. His comfort and peace is everlasting. Six years since Judah's death, I still hurt and I still have dark days, but God has provided for my every need. Friends, family, my husband and children have all helped to fill the void and open my eyes again to the beauty around. Hopefully, I can help show her the beauty in this new season in her life and give her a few belly laughs too.

I shared the news with Izzy, and he took it very hard. We were in the car, just the two of us, and I had to pull the car over because he was wailing and weeping so hard. I didn't even get the words out, but he knew. He told me that he was so hurt because he had lost his friend at school too that day. After a few minutes of piecing the story together, I finally found out that his class had found a cocoon at recess one day and proceeded to watch it develop into a beautiful butterfly. That day was "Free Day" and they released the butterfly. "Now I have lost my Roy, and my butterfly and it just isn't fair! Why did they both have to fly into the sky? I just want my Roy, my Judah and my butterfly back because this hurts me so bad!" Hearing those words from my sweet Izzy just ripped my heart and my words were not enough to comfort him.

Roy was a great influence on our lives and family and he will be greatly missed. This process has been another reminder to take each day and make it full of love. Not take myself so seriously and enjoy right where I am. Smother my kids in kisses and make lots of memories.

Roy had a very full life and he lived it full of love. I want to do the same.