Fall Family Pictures

They say that Pictures are worth a thousand words, so my post will be brief, We are having a nice relaxing Fall, Accept for poor Gar, hes working crazy hours because of flu shot clinics, (a good reminder to those that haven't gotten their flu shots yet)

These pictures were mostly taken at Foster Park, it's a beautiful park in town with the river bank partly surrounding it, we love the park for the playground, and it's a 30 min. walk from our house!

Chloe is growing so fast! her vocabulary is expanding every day! She is learning about Baby Brother, just last night we were eating pop corn and watching Bambi (she likes it) and she was trying to feed by belly popcorn for Baby Brother, I told her that I eat for him right now and if she would feed me, Baby Brother would get it, how cute is that? Her other favorite past time is placing her head on my belly and feeling Baby Brother move! She is a Doll, A Rock Star and a princess these days and sometimes she says she is a Monster (no disagreements here!)

Anyway I hope all of you are having a wonderful Autum time, we sure are, just missing daddy during those long days of him working!

Go Hawks!

We have been a busy little family lately, This weekend G & I got to go to the Iowa Game, a Very awesome game, here are some pics?

This is the end of Summer?

Wow did this summer fly by The next thing I knew I saw a sign at our local pool saying that they are closing Sunday the 28th of August and I thought, what! no way is summer really over? That went by fast, at least we were able to have a busy fun summer! So since I knew that I only had one more good day of going swimming with Chloe, I had to take some pictures, She is my little fish, she loves jumping into the water (no floaties mom, come on!) Yeah and being a mermaid! it's a fun time to watch her learn how to swim. Our summer was uneventful, although we mannaged to do as many family things as we could. Chloe's favorite part had to be playing at the pool with her friends (me too secretly) I mean spending 2 hours at the pool with friends and splashing around, who wouldn't love it!

The Picture of Barbie explains so much, She is sitting in my only pot that I had grown sucsessful herbs this year, Eating them so no herbs this year, oh well, maybe someday! So funny huh?

Have a great Labor day!

Our Trip to the Zoo

Chloe and "K" watching the Otters

Chloe had a great time at the zoo last week, when I asked her what her favorite animal was, she said a goat! I should mention that her friend has goats on his farm that we can see, so cute! The lions and frogs scared her, and she giggled every time the otters were dancing in the water, and she didn't really know what to think of the monkeys climbing up really high! Fun times!

It's a Boy!

Can you believe it! we are so excited to have a little baby boy in our house! (in about 19 weeks or so) WE are so happy Chloe, daddy and I call him baby brother! She says that Baby Brother swims in water, we took her to the ultra sound and she asked if the baby was in water! so stinking smart!

lots of pink and blue in our house! After a second ultra sound, baby and mommy are both very healthy and no complications!

my Couponing artical

Yep, I am now one of those crazy coupon lady's you see at the grocery store that litterally takes 30 minutes to cheek out with only 20 items! it's said but true, and I LOVE IT! go here to my coupon sahm (stay at home mom) I Am blog to read about the deals you can get just buy shopping at the grocery store using some coupons. I also should mention that since this article has been printed our little coupon group was contacted by the Iowa River Valley Continuing education, a division of Ellsworth Community College, they want us to do a coupon class starting in October! we are hoping to teach a class on how you can save 20%-50% on your grocery bill! how cool is that! And yes I am able to save at lest 60% or more on groceries, sometimes even up to 80% I have the receipts to prove it (not bragging!)

She's a Beauty!

or maybe a dancing princess these days, noting like dancing and playing dress up right? Little Girls are so Fun!
Enjoying this awesome weather at the park! Lunch at the park has been a favorite of ours, meet with friends, play and then take a good nappy! can't ask for a better morning/afternoon!

Christensen's Wedding

Chloe was a beautiful flower girl, Her toddler Chloe personality shined so brightly as she twirled around in her dress. I was so proud of her and G and I are so proud of her!


C Loved Dancing with Daddy, she is such a fun toddler, her favorite songs to dance to is When Will my Life Begin (tangled) and Part of your World (little Mermaid) That was my favorite song to sing too also, humm like mother like daughter?





Oh yeah I got my Canon Digital camera I have been wanting forever! can you tell the difference in the picture quality, a bit more artistic? Yep I love my new camera!

Early Summer Pictures

Barbie (now 5 months old) is a ball of energy! what a fun doggie!

We are enjoying our early summer, Chloe loves spending all her time with her daddy these days and she voices her opinion about me all the time, her favorite thing to say these days: NO! Mommy MEAN! yep that's right she thinks I am MEAN, maybe I am when I tell her to do something she doesn't want to do, what are you going to do? let your 2 year old run your life, NO! However when she is with dadda, she is Happy! that's what she says to daddy, me happy dadda! and repeats that all the time! Fun times! I am just glad that Chloe can voice her emotions at such a young age!

Barbie (now 5 months old) is a ball of energy! what a fun doggie!

Coming soonin January 2012 to our Family

As some of you know, I am pregnant with our 2nd child! we are so excited! My Due Date is January 11, 2012. My delivery date for our gummy bear is January 4 2012, at Methodist Hospital in DSM, Yep I am having a Cesarean, Not worth the complications I had with Chloe.

Any ideas on what to call this Fetus in my belly? I told Chloe that I have a fetus baby in my belly and she says that now, and although I think it's cute, it's not a pet name... So right now I have Gummy Bear which I am sorta indifferent about at the moment. Any suggestions would be fantastic!

Easter

Life is crazy around here, and I feel a sense of acomplishment of just being able to post some pics! This picture is of Chloe playing make believe with her fairy dress on! I personally love the wings! and it's sweet that barbie is also in the picture!

What a sweet time in Chloe's development to play!
Chloe loves to dance and that is what she is doing right now! so fun!

a Bouquet of flowers, We made during a cold rainy morning, she loved it and kept wanting to smell the flowers!

Some one was sly: do you see that one nest doesn't look like the rest? hum... next time I will keep a better eye on miss thing!

yep that smirk gave her a way!
What did her friend DG get at the Easter egg hunt?
And my Favorite pictures, she was ready to be done I could just hear her say "mom are we done yet it's cold and were out side!"

My Mother

As most of you know that my mom has been very sick for the past 3 years. I thought I would update what is going on with my mother.

Three years ago, almost to the date she was diagnosed with Thynoma Cancer. (click here for more info) She has been fighting it since then, with some time of remission but in November it came back in her lung, although it was still Thymoma cancer.

The account is from my personal view:

1:45 am Sunday Morning my sister (jen) called me, I was in and out of sleep, wondering if I should get up and let Barbie out, so I jumped up out of bed and wondered who it was. the caller Id had it as an unknown caller, answered it. As I was understanding what was going on I got that my mom got meningitis (go here for more info on it) So my fist thought was um she's my sis she might got that infection confused with a different name that sounds the same like laryngitis, but then she listed the symptoms and you can then imagine my response, luckily I had a dr. sleeping next to me so Gar confirmed that it was in fact Meningitis.

I was able to leave the house by 6 am not really knowing what to find, while talking to the er dr. at 3 am he said described what was going on with her and said that my mother was the sickest patient he had seen in the past 2 months, With that info I thought lets go... um that's right I live in a town were gas stations do not open for another 2 hrs and how bad do I really want to wake up Chloe so I wasn't really going any were for at least 2 more hours. Yep I packed.

6:15 am. ready to go, got gas Chloe, Barbie, a suitcase full of clothes (only thing I was missing was socks, which byt does any know where to get good ones at?)

8:30am got to see my mom, at this point in time no one knew if the Meningitis was contagious so we use masks. this was a hard concept for me, I couldn't just rush in and hug her, I had to stop wash hands, use a mask, and then hold her hand. It was and still is hard to see my unconscious mom laying in the bed with a ventilator breathing for her. My heart sinks every time I really look at her.

later that day after talking with dr.s and nurses, and family members my heart was comforted a bit. However grim the out come is in my mind the Dr.s say there is a lot of hope.

Tuesday Am (by this time, my time is running together in a blur of hours, days,and moments) I was able to get an RN to go through the dr.s notes on her conditions. This was really helpful for me to wrap my mind around it. the list was long but of course meningitis was the main issue the others would be phenomena, diabetes, yep phenomena in her lungs, technically it's the same bacteria that is causing her meningitis, it's also was confirmed that her blood is septic ( a term that means that her blood is full of bacteria)

Wed. we were told that her the chance of her recovering with little damage was 10% and her mortality rate was 10% higher. Yikes, although I hate thinking in percentages because that's the worse kind of broad answer a dr. can give because there is no good text book answer and there is not text book patient.

Thursdays (today) the neurologist came early this morning and said that since her mental status hasn't changed much, she will see us Monday as she doesn't suspect much more mental activity to be apparent in the next couple days

So I have asked all the dr.s about her mental status and although it's caused by the infection that she has, she is the one that has to fight and wake up on her own with out the ventilator. and that is what we are waiting for. It's been four days and not much has happened. although they say her vitals are doing well, her kidneys are doing well, although her lungs and brain are failing. I am trying to see the good out weighing the bad, and although I believe in medicine and faith working together I am not foreseeing a good outcome. But there is still hope, when all else fails there is always hope and prayer.

please email me or call me if you would like any more information. I personally am holding up, although I will admit I am a bit of a pessimist I do truly hope she wakes up with out much problems. My dad is holding up but is lonely with out his other half awake.

Barbie

Our cute barbie dog a Rat Terrier, she is such a puppy but a well minded and smart little girl
Grandpa was the one that found Barbie, He was the one that gave Barbie to Chloe, she has been wanting a dog for so long

Chloe is so so happy to have a dog, I love the way she is holding Barbie


Chloe and Barbie's relationship is so sweet already Barbie is letting Chloe "play" with her, I love Chloe's imagination!

While visiting Gma, Chloe likes to watch Rella, (Cinderella) Barbie was in trouble (she was taunting the gma's Boxers) so she was on the chair, with Chloe, Can you tell that Chloe is thinking now my life is complete! I got my movie, and my doggie!

Snuggle time with Grandpa is the best!

This video is when we first saw Barbie, it melts my heart every time I watch it!

A puppy is so much work, but they make up for it when they sleep. a tiered dog is a good dog, here's hoping for longer days of sunlight, for longer walks, runs and play time!

Spring is here, and nothing says spring like a new puppy, doe's in our back yard, and seedlings planted, ready to sprout that are in my living room soaking up some much needed sunshine! Enjoy the beginning of Spring

Family HIstory class

Some of you know that I am a Family History Consultant for my church, (lds) As a family History Consultant I get to show members and non members that are interested in starting their family history. I have the opportunity to do just that in a class setting at the Story City Library! I am truly excited to show other "family historians" our church's website www.familysearch.org and why we do family history. I will post my notes/outline after the class.

Meanwhile, my little brain has been thinking lets get to work, I was lucky enough to get a whole binder from my Aunt full of names and tidbits from "that" side of the family during the Thanksgiving season. although I have thumbed through it, I have not combed through it yet and do what I do, to preserve the history that I have in front of me. (More on that later) As I was going through I came across some death records, and notes and a whole bunch of other really cool papers. I thought I would share one of the death records with you. Although I don't know much about this guy other than, that he is 3rd great grandfather! He was born in North Carolina, a bunch of questions flood my mind with just one small document, Like, what made his dad leave to live in Northern Missouri/ Southern Iowa?

It is my goal to get as much family history I can find to understand where "I" and "our family" came from. I love the idea of learning about my family history it's a blessing to understand where we came from, I feel a sense of gratitude to those that did pass before me, I mean I do owe my existence to them right?

Anyways I am here to help you find out who you are! everything is online, I love that you can do this work at 3 am when the house is so quite and you can really sink your teeth into it. email me I would love to help you, even if you think there is no way to start, I will show you how.

too those that are working on your family history, GOOD LUCK.

our Sweet Valentine

My heart melts everyday when I am with miss thing! So miss thing has enjoyed her new kitchen we got her, and loves pretending to make things, just like mommy! Although she still prefers her mother's kitchen. The other night, she played with dry pasta and made a mess, but picked up every single piece she dropped (thank goodness for the big shell pasta!) while she cleaned it up she was saying made mess made mess! what a good girl!