The Hilton's

Laughter, the Most Painful Medicine

2010-09-02T07:27:00.001-07:00

Today is day 3 post-op. Yesterday was considered one of the worst days as far as pain goes. It was pretty bad but Chase is a trooper. I can't believe how tough he is. James and I actually slept well last night. Didn't wake up until 830. When Chase woke up, he looked a lot more like himself than he has since surgery. We were chatting and I said something funny and he started laughing, then crying because it hurt so much to laugh. So for the next few minutes it was the laugh/cry thing then finally just the cry thing. I told him I was really sorry and I promised I wouldn't be funny anymore.

Everyone here is funny. Especially Dr. Levitt. He came in yesterday when Chase was having a really bad moment and made Chase laugh which was actually not a good thing because IT HURT!! Really bad.

They've gradually been taking away his pain meds. He's off the Morphine drip and only gets it once every three hours but only if we ask for it and he's on a Motrin type drug which I think helps a lot more than the narcotics. He got his catheter out today. He was sooo excited. But now he has to get up and go potty which means a lot more moving around. He has absolutely hated us getting him up and making him walk. But after they took the catheter out, he said he needed to go to the bathroom. I didn't have to help him much. It was awesome. It's such a relief to see him getting his strength and personality back.

Chase was actually was doing just fine in the chair. He looks totally miserable but he likes to put that face on as soon as I look at him. He doesn't want me to think he feels good. He really wants us to know what we've done to him.

Funny story, so HD is very rare. Only 1 in 5000 kids have it. 95% of the time, surgery fixes the problem completely. 5% of the time there are complications like Chase's. We've never met another kid who has it. But it just so happens that there is a little boy here who is also from Utah, has HD and has come here for the same operation Chase has because of the same complication. Dr. Levitt operated on him right after Chase. He told us about each other so we could meet and share our experiences. When we met them, I can't tell you how amazing it was to talk to somebody who understands 100%. Our stories are so similar. We're planning to keep in touch and have the boys get together back home. It will be a great thing for Chase. The little boy's name is Alex and he's 6. His mom brought him over to visit Chase today in the room. They got along great. Chase's operation was a bit more complex than Alex's so Alex is healing more quickly and hasn't had as much pain. I tried to get a picture of the 2 of them but couldn't.

Chase Update

2010-08-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived safe and sound on the 28th. Stayed the first night at the Radisson (same place we stayed for our last visit). It was kinda weird- like we never left. We had a good night. Went swimming, ate at the Big Boy.

Checked into the hospital Sunday morning @ 10am. They started Chase on some fluids via NG tube (NOT FUN). The NG is inserted through the nose and threads down to the stomach. He was so brave, as always. Sunday night was pretty horrible. No food, lots of trips to the potty and then irrigations every hour, so no sleep for anyone. We finally finished with all of that around 3:30am.

They came in a little after 6am to take Chase to surgery. He was in good spirits-having no idea what he was really about to go through. He sat up on the gurny as they wheeled him down. It was so cute and hilarious. Everyone loves him here. He's so sweet and has the huge dimples no one can get over.

Surgery lasted 4 1/2 hours. We waited anxiously, of course. Dr. Levitt said things went well. Chase was in a lot of pain after. He has a 4 inch inscision just below his belly button and it is very painful. He has a morphine drip and has been given valium as well. They came in today and made him sit up in a chair. He was none too happy about it, but did well. He is so strong and brave.

He can't eat for the next 5 days, but at this point, I don't think he minds at all because he feels pretty awful. We'll see what the next few days bring. I can't say enough about how amazing everyone is here. We couldn't be in better hands and are so thankful.

These pics aren't in order at all for some reason.

I was hoping that Chase would heal really quickly and that we could come home sooner than planned. But, I can see that he's probably going to need every minute of the 10 days on the itinerary. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers. We have really needed them.

HOmeSiCK

2010-05-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

We are so ready to go home. Poor Chase had a little melt down last night. He really misses his dad. It's so hard to have our little family separated all this time. We just need to hang in there. 3 days to go.

We have tried to do some fun stuff to pass the time. We went to the aquarium and zoo last weekend. Both were pretty amazing. The aquarium was huge! We took the city shuttle down to the riverfront on Monday and saw Shrek. But Chase's favorite thing to do is go swimming at the pool in the hotel. There are quite a few kids here that are also patients at the hospital. Last night there was quite a crowd of little boys down at the pool and Chase was in heaven.

We've met a lot of people from all over. California, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan. They all have stories. Some are much worse than ours. It's been very humbling.

As for us, things are going fairly well. The treatments we are doing are helping. I'm still not sure when we'll return for Chase's surgery. But when we do come back, we'll do things a little differently. We're a little isolated here in this hotel. Live & Learn!

Anyway, we're all excited to get on the plane and come home. It has been a very long trip. But a good one.

AlmOSt HaLFWaY ThERe

2010-05-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we met with Dr. Levitt again. We also went to a lecture given by Dr. Pena that was very interesting and informative. It was so nice to finally have a doctor who is an expert in colorectal abnormalities confirm the devastation these diseases cause patients and their families. Most doctors have no idea what to tell people who deal with this. As Dr. Pena said, it's a taboo subject. It's not pleasant to talk about and treating it is difficult, painstaking work that doesn't pay. Dr. Pena and Levitt are the only two doctors in the world dedicated to treating these problems so that their patients can have normal lives. INterestingly, Dr. Levitt told me that Primary Children's wants to start a colorectal center! He is coming to Salt Lake in September to present the program to them. It will take them a good amount of time to attain the level of expertise they have here, but it'll be a great thing for people out west in the future.

Chase & Dr. Levitt

Dr. Levitt is a totally awesome Jewish dude

We still have a week before we get to come home. We are going through treatments this week and tweaking them to meet Chase's unique needs. We're all a little drained and homesick. Today we're planning to get and see some of the sights.

Passing time in the HOtel with Legos

Don't worry Chase, you'll get it built!

Good News/ Bad News

2010-05-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

We finally met Dr. Levitt today. It was kind of surreal. I've read so much about him and spent so much time researching him online from afar. Today we saw that he's an actual person! He was very nice. Spent plenty of time with us. Was patient and very knowlegable and optimistic. I liked him right away. He had a few ideas about what might be going on with Chase from the x-rays that were taken yesterday but the exam and biopsy under anesthesia would tell the story with more certainty.

Chase went in for the exam shortly after our consult with Dr. Levitt and he tolerated it all very well, as usual. We met with the Dr. again after the exam. He found something unexpected. Apparently, the surgeon who operated on Chase as an infant used a method that sometimes results in a particular complication. It seems, Chase is in a very small percentage of kids who develop this complication. So, the good news is that he found the source of the problem. The bad news is that Chase will need to have another surgery and we'll have to return to Cincinnati in the next little while. He also explained that the reoperation wouldn't guarentee that Chase would be fixed and that he may still need other treatment through out his life.

So, we shall see. We'll only know how successful the operation is a month after it's done. I was hoping things would turn out a little less complicated but it is what it is and we'll do what we need to do to make his life a good as humanly possible.

Waiting for the Exam

Looking a little out of it, after the exam

Almost back to Normal

Chase bounced back quickly once he woke up. We went to the cafeteria and he ate two cupcakes and a lemonade. We came back to the hotel and took it easy for a while but decided to venture out a bit later in the afternoon.

We didn't rent a car because the hotel has a shuttle to take us to and from the hospital and I didn't want to have to deal with the possibility of getting lost and being late for any of our appointments. So our venturing is done within walking distance of our hotel. There are a few places to eat and a little park close by. I took some random pics of some old buildings. I'm so intrigued by old things. There are lots of cool little cobblestone roads and old tree lined parkways. There's an historic cemetary nearby that my mom and I are dying to explore but I don't know if we'll get around to it. Anyway, we're planning to take the bus to Newport Kentucky this weekend and take in some of the area attractions.

ONe DowN 6 MoRE tO Go

2010-05-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Chase had his first procedure today. It went well. He was very brave and put up with a lot uncomfortable stuff. His biggest concern was preserving his modesty. Everyone did their best to accomodate him. Tomorrow's procedure will be a bit more involved. He's nervous about the anesthesia but I'm sure the nurses and docs will put him at ease. They are all very nice and great with kids.

My first impression of the hospital was great. Very organized, huge and staffed with excellent people. Even the cafeteria was awesome. Chase had bacon, eggs and hashbrowns for breakfast. Delicious!

We were done at the hospital by 10am. We came back to the hotel and just chilled. We did venture out to a nearby gas station for a few supplies but other than that, it's been a pretty low key day. I took Chase to the pool but we didn't stay long. He's used to having his brother to play with. Nothing's quite as fun without Tay:)

By the way, it's just me, my mom and Chase here. James stayed home with Taylor who is off track (not in school). My mom was able to get the time off work and come with me. I'm so grateful. She's been great moral support! So, Beth, no worries about cleaning the house. I'm sure James has it absolutely SPOTLESS! Ha..

And James, here's a picture of the huge freight train that drives by every 5 minutes. NO LIE! It literally goes all day and night and it is not quiet.

I really hope we can get some sunny weather sometime soon. The cloudiness is starting to get to me. The sky is so dark and gloomy. It's not as humid as I thought it would be but still..much more humid than home. My hair is a huge poof. It hasn't curled like this for a LOOONG time.

Well, wish us well for tomorrow. It will be so nice to get it behind us. I'll let you know how it goes.

Arrived Safe & Sound

2010-05-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

So we woke up bright and early and got to the airport a good 2 hours early. The security line was really long so it was a good thing. The plane took off right on time. The flight seemed super long but it was nice and smooth until just before we reached Cincinnati. We hit a very huge and scary pocket of turbulence. Thankfully, it only lasted a few minutes.

Waiting at the Gate

Above the clouds in SLC

Crossing the Mountains

First Glimpse of Cincinnati/Kentucky

It's very green here. Lots of huge trees everywhere. Very pretty.

Our hotel is okay. It feels pretty small when I think of how long we're going to be here, but we have a beautiful view of the Ohio river and the city. The surrounding area has kind of a country feel. There are lots of old buildings and houses and churches. There's a church just a few blocks from our hotel and it has a bell that chimes every hour. Kind of charming:)

The Views

We're pretty tired, so we've just been hanging out in the room. I can see that Chase is going to be extremely difficult to keep occupied. He's already gone through all of the stuff I brought for him. Should be interesting.

We have our first appt. tommorrow at the hospital, bright and early. It's not going to be much fun for Chase. But hopefully the Dr. will be able to find something he can fix. That would be great.

New Adventure

2010-05-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Time to start blogging again! My newest adventure is drawing near. I'm heading to Cincinnatti Ohio with Chase to see a Doctor who will hopefully be able to make Chase's life a little easier. It's been a long process. But in exactly a week, we'll be on our way. I'm trying to be super positive about all of it. I'm actually pretty nervous. We'll be gone for 2 weeks and Chase will be undergoing some pretty unpleasant procedures. But hopefully, it will all be worth it! I'm planning to blog the whole experience. It'll be a good way to keep it all in perspective. Any and all prayers will be much appreciated:)

Christmas Time is Here!

2009-12-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the smell of Christmas candles, the snow, the music. I love it all. It's been fun decorating my new house this year. I have a vision of what it will look like one day, if I ever have the funds. But I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far. Here's my new tree. I wanted to put it in front of the windows but it's too fat. So we put it in the corner next to the fire place. Decorating the mantel is my favorite and as you can see, I love red. And here's the little tree that the kids decorated. They did a great job. I just put the garland on and few ornaments at the top. Taylor had his Christmas Concert at Barnes & Noble last week. It was so awesome. That little band is so adorable. Taylor plays the electric guitar. It's been interesting though, because his teacher knows nothing about the guitar and expects the kids to learn 100% from a book, which is extremely difficult. So most of the guitar players have dropped out or have moved on to banging sticks and tamborines. Pretty laim, I think. So anyway, Taylor is pretty much the only kid who plays at all. So he had a solo and he rocked Good King Wenceslas!

Is he stinkin' adorable or what?

James took the day off last Friday and went Christmas shopping with me. We got almost all of it done. Just a few more things to buy and lots of baking to do and I'll be ready. Enjoying every minute of it. Hope you are too.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas.....

2009-12-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month since I updated. A lot has happened but I'll keep the text to a minimum and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Halloween Time (I loaded them in order but they shuffled themselves! Why??!!!)

Chase literally passed out after trick or treating

Taylor had his first concert. They played at Barnes & Noble during the Book Fair. Is that fun and cute or what? I thought it was an awesome idea. I, however was unable to attend and was completely bummed.

I auditioned for a musical with South Jordan Community Theatre and got cast! It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but never had the guts. I was so excited when I made it. And wow, what an experience. I met a ton of awesome and amazingly talented people and had so much fun. It was an enourmous comittment. Much more than I imagined. I really missed being home with the family at night and was ready to be done when closing night came around. We rehearsed every Sat. from 8 to 5 for 3 months plus I was gone 3 to 4 nights a week rehearsing as well. Craziness. I'd like to do another one sometime. But not for a good long while.

Costume sewing party at my house. We worked from 6 to 11pm!! Thanks girls. I learned a lot about sewing:)

Building sets

Michelle, Dawn and Me.."The Lovely Boylan Sisters". John played Bert Healy. Everyone in this scene was hilarious. Oh how I miss them.

One of the servant scenes

And here we are and it's Christmas again! So you may have noticed I posted our annual Santa photo! Turned out cute as heck as usual.

So that about sums it up for now. Things are good. Life is amazingly great:)

Happy Birthday Taylor

2009-10-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Taylor turned 10 on October 15th. Wow... I really can't believe that he is that grown up. I really do remember everything about the day he was born. It was so exciting because he was the first grand child on the Hilton side. So EVERYONE was at the hospital waiting for him to be born. It wasn't a hard labor or delivery, even though it was my first. I'd been waiting so long to see his face. And when I finally got to hold him, it really was so amazing to think he was mine and I was a mom.

He was big. 9 pounds 11 ounces. The nurses had to stretch the little hospital t-shirt to get it on him. I started calling him "Poop Scoop" and it stuck, much to his dismay. He still answers to this name and probably always will.

Taylor is such a great kid. We are so blessed to have him in our family. I can always count on Taylor to be honest and to do what I ask him to do. He is an excellent student and a good friend. His teachers love him. His friend's parents tell me they adore him. His scout leaders rave about him. He really makes me look good. I'm so proud of him and I can't wait to see how his life turns out. Love you Tay!!!!!!!

The idea came to me that Taylor should be initiated into the double digits. I thought smashing a pie in his face might be fun. You just don't see enough pie in the face these days.

Family Party..

Friend Party at Boondocks...

Chase always gets to invite a friend to hang out with too. He invited a friend from his new school and an old buddy, Parker, from the old 'hood. So glad Parker could make it.

Give a little boy a gun and what do you get? A HUGE smile!!

The time has gone by so fast. I hope the next 10 years go a little more slowly.

Welcome Fall!!!

2009-10-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love to watch the leaves change color and fall off the trees. I love the color of the mountains. I love the cool weather and the fast approaching holiday season:) Halloween is one of my favorites and we start celebrating ASAP. On October 1st, I took the boys to Gardner Village. There was a serious party going on. We had a ton of fun. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and had to use my crappy phone.

We ate a lot...

Got lost in the hay maze & took a tractor ride...

Visted the Witch's house...

Fun, Fun, Fun!!

The next day, we had my friend Louri and her kids over to decorate trick or treat buckets and cupcakes. I got the idea for these buckets in a magazine. They were easy to make and the kids absolutely LOVED making them. Even my boys! Taylor and Gabbi spent 2 hours on theirs. I got some paint buckets at Wal-Mart. Bought a bunch of different colored felt, some googly eyes, pipe cleaners and foamy stickers. We used hot glue to make it all stick.

Getting things ready...

Hot chocolate and googly eyes...

Creating our masterpieces...

Taylor's and Gabbi's were two faced...Very Creative!

Onto Cupcakes...

Taylor's...

Gabbi's...

Chase's...

And Kate ate hers before I could get a picture.

Happy Fall Ya'll!!!!

Life in Riverton

2009-09-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

I recently had a complaint that my blog "really" needed to be udated. Yes...it's been a while. I'm totally flattered that somebody actually reads it.

So, I'm a little bit of a hermit and I'm shy and so I haven't really put myself "out there" yet, as far as getting to know all my new neighbors and stuff. It's so dumb. I would probably never make a new friend if it weren't for people making the effort to get to know ME. I'm glad my kids are more sociable. They've made quite a few new friends. Taylor, however, is still struggling a little bit with the change. He talks a lot about his old school and our old house. I didn't think it would be this hard for him. He went and played with one of his friends in the old 'hood a couple of weeks ago and said it made him sad to look at our house and not be able to go inside. Sniff, sniff...

But things are good. We love the house. We have good neighbors. The school is great, except for the way it was designed (back in the 70's with no walls, so they put some in later down the road and now most of the classrooms don't have WINDOWS!!!) The boys get to take the bus, which is kind of fun for them. But of course... Taylor misses being able to walk.

Wednesday was "Walk to School Day" and we walked. I had no idea how far it was. It took a good 20 minutes. It was good exercise for all of us though, so maybe we should do it once in a while. There's a big bridge that goes over 12600 South to the school.

One thing that the kids like about the new house is that there are new places to hide. We play hide and seek at least once a week. This is where I found them once during our last game. It was hilarious because Chase had taken the garbage can that is normally under the sink and put it out in the middle of the bathroom floor so it was totally obvious they were in there. He's so cute.

They also love the tub..

Here are some pics from Labor Day weekend. We went up to the cabin for breakfast and just kicked back and relaxed.

I think that pretty well sums things up for us lately. But more to come!

Barney Days Revisited

2009-08-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Chase have been going through a phase for a while now and it's something I definately want to remember, thus the post. Their new favorite things to watch are what they refer to as "baby shows". They search through the channels until they find some Teletubbies or Barney, etc. and then they sit and laugh and make fun of it. I'm sure it's their way of sort of disowning the baby stuff and graduating into MANHOOD. It's kind of hilarious. We went to the library today and they actually checked out a Barney video and were so excited to get that thing going. I secretly recorded them.

They giggle a lot but then there are moments where they're quiet and straight faced and that's the funniest part because they think they're so cool and above it all but then they actually get sucked in a little bit. I can't say that I object because Barney always has a nice moral to teach.

Oh, and Chase wanted a hair cut. He's been growing it out for a while but told me the other day he wanted a buzz. So I hooked him up.

K I have no idea why those pics wouldn't load in the order I wanted but you get the idea.

The Latest

2009-08-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

We're starting to get all settled into our new place. I'm figuring things out and getting to know my way around. The kids have made tons of friends already. There are nothing but little boys in this neighborhood so Tay & Chase are stoked. Our neighbors are nice. We bought a new entertainment center and as we were unloading it from our truck, a guy we'd never met pulled over and helped James bring it in. It was awesome and I was so thankful because it was HEAVY!

It's year-round school out here and the kids actually started on July 27th. This week, however, they're "off track". So...no school for 3 weeks. Kinda odd. Not sure how I feel about it but I guess I'll have to get used to it. Taylor has joined the school band and it just so happens that they offer the electric guitar. We never had that option when I was in elementary! So, of course that's what he picked. I just happen to wail on the guitar a bit myself, so I'm showing him a few things. I can't wait for his first concert. The band has 4 kids on the electric guitar. ARe there even any "school band" type songs with parts for this instrument? I can't wait to find out.

Okay now, I've had a goal for a while to learn how to make an awesome pie crust. I have tried many times to make one and have failed miserably because I'm just following directions out of a cook book. Well, I was talking to my bff, Lisa, about pie crust and how I really wanted learn to make it and she told me she had a great recipe and would teach me!! So she came over a few days later and showed me how. We made an apple pie and it was delicious. Lisa, I and the boys all carved some little designs into the crust and popped it in the oven. It was lots of fun. Thanks Lees:)

I wanted to test my skills on my own so I made a chicken pot pie for dinner tonight and guess what? It turned out awesome. Taylor did the artwork. I'm so excited! This may be funny to some because you probably mastered pie crust long ago. I'm a late bloomer.

I did some canning this week as well. I always look forward to canning tomatoes from my garden but no garden for me this year. Luckily James's dad had a great crop and hooked me up with a huge box of tomatoes. It was fun. I love this time of year because it's getting to be fall, MY FAVORITE!!

And finally, I took the boys to Cowabunga Bay today. We've been wanting to go for a while. Anyhoo, if you haven't been, I've got a couple tips for you. First, don't order the chicken caesar salad at the snack bar. I waited 20 minutes for mine. Second, don't wear a bikini on the slide called Bonsai. My bottoms came off. I am not kidding you. And I wasn't just wearing a bikini (because that would be offensive in my case). I was wearing it under board shorts and a tank top and my board shorts and bikini bottoms were a bit too loose apparently and they slipped right down to my ankles. I was sitting in the bottom of the slide frantically trying to get them back on and it was hard because the water just wanted to keep pushing them down. I dont know how many people saw it. The life guard (thank heaven a female) was laughing so hard that she couldn't even talk when I asked her if it had ever happened to anyone else. She just shook her head no. And the worst part is... you know they have security cameras around. James said it will probably end up on YOU TUBE. If it does, people will be laughing all around the world. It really was hilarious but at the same time...not. I got kind of bummed out later when the total humiliation set in. I still can't believe it happened.

Other than that, it was a pretty fun place.

Finally.....We Moved!!!

2009-08-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a good, long while since I updated. Lots has happened. We've had a good summer. And finally, after much grief and anticipation, we have moved. The story is long and many of you already know it so I won't bore you with the details. The sale of our house went very well, it's been our purchase that has caused us pain this time around! But we just found out yesterday that we're going to close tomorrow, so it will be a done deal. FINALLY!!!!!

First of all, I want to thank everyone who helped us move. We are so blessed with awesome friends and family, some of which took time off work to help us. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you:)

Piling up our many boxes.

James arrived with the U-Haul.

Then all the awesome helpers started showing up. Pops was the first to get there and he and James loaded up most of the big stuff. Thanks Pops:)

Little by little, the house emptied out.

The Hamideh's showed up because they rock. Here's one of many shots of Beth bending over and working her butt off for us:)

All Clear!

Then we moved on to the new house. I still don't have any "after" pictures because I'm still in the process of finding a place for everything.

There's Beth again, bending over and putting my table together. Isn't she a sweety?!!!

And then Beth showed up the next day and pulled weeds for us! I'm not talking about a few little weeds. I'm talking about 5 feet tall with roots to China and stalks like small trees. I wasn't even there when she came, but I made her take some before pics for me because I really love before and after photos. I'll post the after photos soon.

James helped a little bit and when I tried to go out and pull some she wouldn't let me because she wanted me to go put my kitchen together. She really is the most awesome girl. Love ya Beth!

So we left our little house in Sandy. I went back the next morning by myself to get the last few things and if you know me at all, you know that I am a sentimental fool and it was hard for me to say goodbye to my little, brick house. It was our first house. It was where Chase took his first steps and Taylor learned to ride a bike. Lots of good things happened in that house. And even though I love my new house, it'll be a while before it feels like home.

Thanks again to my sis, Pops & Grandma Kathy, Shane, Dave, Ryan, Buddy, Mike, Beth, Nick, Gabe and Mindi. We filled up the U-Haul plus all of your cars and we appreciate you so much.

Now on to the next adventure.....!

Summer..So Far

2009-07-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe June has come and gone. It was a very busy month, but fun. I have to say that the weather was the best ever. Just one thunderstorm after another. Who knew we were in for such a treat! I really did love it, even though my basement flooded twice. Anyway, I've got a lot to cover, so if you're bored and have some time to kill...this is the blog for you. James's birthday was June 12th. I got him a bunch of desperately needed summer clothes. It was also OC Tanner Lagoon Day so that's where we hung out all day. It was sooo crowded. Ridiculously crowded but we had lots o' fun. We hooked up with our good friend Louri and her 2 girls. We closed the place down, as always. Then there was Father's Day. I had my dad over and cooked a huge mexican dinner. I forgot to take a picture of the spread, but it was awesome. James got some new golf gear. Then came the much anticipated annual Pineview trip. The best part is having Mindy and Jeremy and the boys here from South Carolina. The kids have so much fun. It never fails to rain on us, however. This year we had some huge wind storms as well. Tents were literally flying. We always end up coming back early because of the weather. Still, tons of fun though. Then there's the Demolition Derby! We get VIP treatment whenever we're in West Jordan thanks to the inlaws. We sit up in the box, eat all kinds of treats and watch the show. They had some good crashes this year. One of the drivers got really mad and got out of his car and started yelling at someone. When the crowd booed him, he flipped us all off. Great entertainment for little boys. The next big event is the 4th of July, of course. We always go out to the West Jordan Stampede. Again, VIP treatment! We get to go backstage and see all the bulls and cowboys. The kids have all mutton busted and hide ridden (some rodeo lingo for ya there) and then we get front row seats to boot. Good Things Utah has been covering the Stampede and Chase got on the show yesterday morning. Check it out. (Kid in the black hat assisting magician).

And in between all of that we do the usual summer stuff: swimming, Nickelcade, dollar movies, the zoo, and my fav.. library hopping! Hope ya'll are having as much fun as us this summer:)

Still My House

2009-06-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning to do much yard work this spring since we were moving. The last couple of months have been really weird because I'm usually thinking and planning but everything has been so up in the air, and I feel like I've just been waiting around and not accomplishing much. So I decided that while we're still here, we need to live and enjoy and just do what we do and quit waiting around to do it.

So I spent some time in the yard the last couple of days. It was sooo much work but it was good to be out digging in the dirt. The weather's been perfect too. Cloudy and not too hot. I've been so preoccupied with the inside of my house that things outside were looking pretty bad. I pulled a ton of weeds, dug up my brick path and straightened it all out. Then I planted some flowers... my favorite part.

We've had these weird rocks piled up in the back yard forever, so I decided to put them to use in one of the shady flower beds in the back that always gets neglected. I planted some ground cover and Impatients. It turned out kinda cute. I should have taken a before picture.

I even planted a tiny little vegetable garden with tomatoes... my favorite!! I usually do a much bigger garden with more stuff but since I started so late, I kept it simple.

Then there's the side yard that's so hard to keep up. It's got a ton of rocks and weeds and weird things that pop up. I tried my best to fix it up. Rearranged the rocks and planted some Marigolds. Not my favorite flower but one that rarely fails to spread and brighten things up. By the way, if anyone knows how to remove the ugly hard water build up on brick, I'd love to know! Here's before:

And...TADA! After:

I also copied my friend, Beth, and painted my front door black. I love how it turned out. I wish I'd done it years ago. Should have taken a before pic of this too. It's a huge improvement, I think.

So these little things have kind of made me feel more comfy and grounded. I've been in a state of detatchment, thinking "Why spend the money and take the time? It's not my house anymore." But it's still my house....at least for now.

One of My Favorite Things

2009-05-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Just had to blog about the sky today. I looooove it when a storm makes its way over the mountains and into the valley. I love the dark clouds mixed with the white clouds with patches of bright blue sky in between. I love the sound of the wind in the trees and the tinkle of wind chimes. It is seriously one of my greatest joys and I could totally handle it if it was like this every day. I love the rain too, but I think just watching it all brew up is the best part. Now if we could get a little thunder and lightening I would absolutely be in heaven. We just don't get enough of that around here. I took a few pictures of the sky. Of course, my camera is far from doing it justice. But here they are anyway. Gotta go sit on my porch now and it enjoy it while it lasts!

A Little Getaway

2009-05-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

It turns out that we are not moving any time soon. Everything fell through with our house. I'm not exactly sure what happened but it all boiled down to our buyers not being able to get financing. We lost kinda big. Lost our earnest money, lost our great deal on a new house. It's crazy. Apparently stuff like this rarely happens. It's a worst case scenario. So we're starting all over again. Better luck this time!! Anyhoo, we decided to take a little trip to Las Vegas last weekend. It was a last minute thing. We packed the kids and a few things and just drove down. We didn't stress at all. Just chilled at the pool all day, went to a magic show and ate a lot of good food. It was really nice to get away for a while. I didn't take a ton of pics but here are a few. Make sure to check out the video. Chase does the ab wave.

Reality Check

2009-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling really bad about my last post and all of my bad thoughts and feelings toward our buyers. James sent me the obituary of the person in their family who died. It was their mom and she died of breast cancer. She was a really sweet lady who dedicated her life to service and her family. It just made me think about the poor husband and how much he's going through. He just lost his wife and now he has to move out of the home they lived in together. I can't imgagine how hard that would be. Now he's in the hospital, recovering from a stroke. So, I am such a huuuuuge jerk! Because yeah, it sucks when you're all ready to move and then you find out you aren't going to quite yet. And it sucks to lose money and it sucks to lose out on a great house. But I have my family and we are all alive and well and I'm sooo thankful for that. Nothing else in the entire world means more to me. So, my situation is actually very good. Just wanted to share that.

Unbelievably Sucky Situation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so, this whole situation with our house just sank to a new level of crappiness! I just have to tell the story. So a, we put our house up for sale as many of you know. We were so excited when we got an offer after only 2 weeks. Then we found a great house, made an offer and didn't expect to hear back for months because it was a short sale. Well, luck was on our side and our offer was accepted in just over 2 weeks. We were all smiles:) Then the poo started hitting the fan a little at a time. It all started when our buyers had a death in the family. They asked us to extend our closing date 10 days. Of course, we willing to do that because of the circumstances. That all ended up working out because we were going to close on both houses the same day and then move right into our new house... great! Well, then our buyers had another set back and asked us to extend another week on closing. We were less enthused and beginning to get a little annoyed. But it turned out that we didn't really have a choice because they wouldn't have the money to close for another week. So we had to ask for an extension on the house we are buying as well. Luckily, they were okay with that. But it was really frustrating because that pushed our moving date out 2 weeks. So if you all are wondering why we're still here... that would by why. WELL..... you'll never guess. We got some more bad news today. The guy who is buying our house had a stroke last night!!!!!!!!! I know I should be feeling really sorry for this family because they are obviously cursed. But I'm just so annoyed and frustrated that it's hard to have sympathy because they're bad luck has really screwed up our situation. We're going to lose a lot of money and the house we really wanted. There's still a shred of a chance that things will still work out. The guy will recover from his stroke in time to close the deal. I'm really not counting on that though. So our house is back on the market. Stay tuned!!!

Tulip Festival

2009-05-05T09:52:00.001-07:00

I finally went to the Tulip Festival! I've been wanting to go since it first started but have missed it every year. It was awesome. Sonja and I took the boys. I've actually never even been to the gardens at all at Thanksgiving Point so I had no idea how huge it was. I'm sure you all have been there so you already know how cool it is. Anyway, I took some great pictures and wanted to share a few. This will definately be a new tradition for us in the spring. Tay and Chase actually really liked it. Observing flowers isn't a very manly activity so I was a little worried that they'd be bored but there was plenty of climbing and rolling down hills to do so they were very entertained. Next year, I think we'll rent a golf cart and have a picnic:)

Slowly but Hopefully Surely

2009-04-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

The moving process has slowly begun. What a long and drawn out process it is. We were so excited when we got an offer, but it's just the beginning of the long road to closing the deal. The buyers had the home inspection yesterday and it looks like we're replacing the furnace! It's apparently on it's last leg and can't be repaired. So we're pretty bugged. But it's okay. We'll get it done.

We've got a few things boxed up. I emptied a closet today. Kinda weird and surreal. Is this really happening?
Look! I made a valance for Taylor's room. I am so proud of myself. I know, those of you who sew are rolling your eyes because this only requires you to sew 4 straight lines. For me, however, it is a great accomplishment. My mother inlaw made these darling rag quilts for the boys and I made the valance from some leftover fabric. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but didn't get motivated enough until we put the house on the market. I had to do something with those ugly, black blinds. Not my pick, by the way. They were here when we bought the house.

On top of all the house stress, James is starting a new job. He's still at the same company, but they have put him on a new assignment in a different department. He's excited but stressed and nervous. I think moving and starting a new job are at the top of the stressful life events list, so he's got a lot on his plate. So I decided to make some comfort food for dinner and have us all sit down together and just relax. We've been eating out a ton because with everything going it's just easier.

Anyway, I decided to make homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade bread. I used the cookbook holder and the soup cookbook I got from my mom and sis for my birthday. So cute. I really enjoyed myself, actually. I do enjoy cooking but I have to gear up for it and prepare. I hate last minute cooking, which is almost always what I end up doing.

It all turned out great. The soup was good and the bread was delish. Very simple and definately nice on a cold and dreary day. I felt all Little House on the Prairie-ish.
James ended up getting home late and had to rush to Pack Meeting so we didn't get to sit down together. But hey, I tried.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've been a little preoccupied lately. Easter pretty much snuck up on me this year so I was putting everything together at the last minute. But it all turned out fine. The only thing we missed were the Easter Egg Hunts around town. But the kids didn't say a word so obviously, no biggy.

On Saturday we went to James' parent's and had our little Easter get together. The weather put a damper on things but we still had a good time.

When we got home, we did our own thing. The boys patiently waited for the eggs to cook and the dye to disolve.

Then we got down to decorating.

It was all fine and dandy but things got ugly. We have a perfectionist in the family. His name is Taylor. He apparently had an image of the perfect egg in his mind and when it didn't happen he got ticked. He gave it a couple more tries but still, no perfect egg. He got really upset and I took a picture of him and it was hilarious because he was soooo mad at this egg. He got even more mad when I took the picture and made me promise I wouldn't put it on the blog. But this was the end result.

Chase had a great time though. Thankfully we have a laid back kid too.

By morning, Tay was over it and we had a great day. Happy Easter!!

11 Years of Wedded Bliss

2009-03-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago, tomorrow, James and I tied the knot. Happy Anniversary, Honey Bunny! Hope you've got something special planned!!! Meanwhile, Let's take a little stroll down Memory Lane...

We met at work. We were both really shy so a whole team of people had to get us to talk to each other. I was 23, you were 22. Being a mature and sophisticated woman, I was very reluctant to go out with a younger man. But you were sooooo cute. So I decided to give you a try. Our first date was the 4th of July. A group date, because you were scared to be alone with me. I had so much fun. You were completely different from anyone I had ever dated. We ended up alone at the end of the night. I asked you if I could drive your car. You let me. You totally wanted to kiss me when we got to my house, but I just wasn't that kind of girl. I mean, come on! The first date??!!!

We went out again a few days later. 2 Weeks after that you sat me down to have "the talk" because you didn't want me to date anyone else. I didn't want to anyway, so it was a good talk. 3 months later we got engaged. We flew to Portland that night and my parents took us out to dinner in a sweet limo!!

As cliche as it sounds, the day we got married was absolutely the Happiest day of my life. Everything about that day was perfect and my face hurt from smiling so much. We went to San Diego for our honeymoon and it poured the whole time we were there. But we didn't care:) At all. When it was time to fly home, we got to the airport 3 hours early, because we are both extremely anal about things like that. Two peas in a pod.

Remember our first apartment? It was a dump, because we were (and still are) sooo cheap. One bedroom, no air conditioner, no dryer vent. So we bought an extra long dryer hose and ran it through the apartment and out the bathroom window. We used to spray each other down with a squirt bottle to keep cool at night. In the winter, we froze to death because the wall heater was so loud that we couldn't sleep with it on. We endured all of this for an entire year. But it was fun. We ate at Red Bones 3 nights a week and saw every movie that came out.

Well... I could go on and on. But, I just want to say thanks for all you do. Thanks for working hard. Thanks for listening when I really need it. Thanks for saying the right things when I really need to hear them (even if I don't want to hear them).

Love ya. Happy Anniversary!

Happy Birthday Boopers!

2009-03-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Chase turned 7. I can't believe it. He's my baby and luckily for me, he's still fine with sitting on my lap and holding my hand in public, most of the time.
He got up early to open presents. Later on, we had the family over for ice cream and cake. He got a ton of stuff. Lots of army stuff, Legos and a remote control car. He was in Heaven.

He's such an awesome kid. And he's hilarious. He calls me Momelson and makes up songs about our dog, Fonzie. My favorite is the one called "A Pocket Full O' Fonzie". He has the cutest smile and the biggest dimples and is one of the greatest joys of my life.
Happy Birthday Chase! We LOVE YOU!!!

35

2009-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Just celebrated the big 35! Only 5 more years to 40. CAN'T WAIT!!!! When did this happen? Seriously. Turning 30 was weird but 35 is like... ok, this is really happening. I really am going to continue to age. It's not supposed to be a big deal. I even made it one of my goals for this year to not dwell on oldness. So, I'm not going to. I'm stopping. Right now.

My bday was fun. I let Tay ditch school and we went to the Dinosaur museum. We've gone there the past few years on my birthday so now the kids expect it. I kind of wanted to do something different this year but, that would have required some planning. Which I didn't do. Anyhoo, it was fun. Then we went to Bonsai for dinner. It was great. I got birthday gonged.

James and the boys got me a subscription to Astronamy magazine, a spa gift card and a sweet karaoke system that I never have to hook up! So, all of my favorite things were covered. Space, spa and belting out the tunes. NICE!

Funeral for a Fish

2009-02-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

We lost a dear li'l member of the family last night. Our blue betta fish, Trampolini. Taylor came up with that 0dd name. Anyway, he died. He'd been acting weird for a long time and I thought maybe his number was coming up. Sure enough, I got up this morning and found him belly up at the bottom of his bowl. It was sad. I broke the news to the boys. They took it surprisingly well. It's our first pet death.

So I thought we'd have a little funeral for him. Taylor dug a hole under our Forsythia bush in the backyard. It will be full of flowers soon, so I thought that would be a nice spot. Chase got emotional as I removed Trampolini from his bowl. Then of course, I got sad. So the two of us walked him out to the backyard with tears in our eyes. Taylor was a rock. No tears.

We plopped him carefully into the hole and covered it up.We each said something nice about him, then said a little prayer. We put a "T" on a rock for his headstone. And that was that. So... no more cleaning out his bowl. I hated doing that. But still.... kinda sad.

Sock Nazi

2009-02-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am the Sock Nazi. I hoard socks and no one is allowed to have socks without my permission. If they come for a second pair of socks in one day, they have to have a DANG good reason. Does anyone else have sock issues? I swear, I have socks everywhere! All over the house, in the car, on the trampoline, the deck, my make-up bag. And they're not my socks. They're the little sweat socks with the gray ankles and toes. Yes, my children are extremely irresponsible with socks. They wear them outside without shoes and turn them black and get them soaking wet. Then they come in the house, track their dirty, wet little foot prints all over and eventually take them off and randomly toss them. THEN... they have the nerve to go and get a nice, clean, new pair on!!!! We have a one pair of socks a day policy around here! I have to hoard them, or things just get completely out of control.

What? It's February already?

2009-01-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

This month has been craziness. How do you people that are so much busier than me keep your blogs updated? I'm in awe of you. Anyhoo, I really wanted to make time to brag about Tay. He auditioned for his first play and made it! He doesn't have a big part, but he's got his foot in the door and he loves it so far. He has 2 hour rehearsals 3 days a week, which is madness on top of Jr. Jazz and homework. But he actually functions better when he's busy, so it's working.

He got an award at school for reading fluency. He was one of the first in his class to pass off all the Fry Lists. Here he is hamming it up for the camera.

He also competed in the school Spelling Bee today. I was SOOOO proud of him. He was one of the 6 third graders who competed. He made it to round 3! He got to spell Ninja, which is one of my favorite words. He was super nervous and I was very impressed with how he held it together. You'll have to forgive my pictures. I still haven't figured out my new camera. I never seem to have it on the right setting and the pics look crappy.

I love it when my kids make me look good. Good job Tay!!! We are so proud of you!!!!!

Hello 2009!

2009-01-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

I want this to be a fabulous year. I want to change a few things in my life, permanently. I want to quit telling myself I'm old. I've been telling myself that since I was 25 and it's ridiculous. So I'm stopping. I want to have a better attitude, more patience, more tolerance & gratitude. This will take some effort but will be well worth it, I think. I sat down today to make a list of things I'm grateful for and it ended up being quite lengthy. Of course, I'm most grateful for my family, our good health, safety and security. But there are tons of simple little things that make me really happy and I want to spend more time enjoying them. And I'm going to. Here are a few of my favorite things (not in any particular order)

Homemade bread
black & white movies
period films and sagas
candle light
reading a good book
cozy fires and hot chocolate
snow storms
thunderstorms
vegetable gardens
visiting my mom
facials
laughing at my kids
astronamy
singing
writing
porch swings
pot roast with mash potatoes and a roll
being with my sister
tomatoes from my garden
family dinners
a clean, shiny bathtub
sharing this video

Christmas

2008-12-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas was fun. Can't believe how fast it came and went. Chase came in at 3am that morning and asked if it was time to open presents. We told him he had to wait until 6. So he went down and woke Taylor up and 20 minutes later the two of them were on the floor in our room whispering to each other. So it was pretty pointless of me to think I was going to get anymore sleep but I tried. And I laid there and listened to them until they counted down the final seconds and at 6 on the button the wrapping paper was a flyin'!!

So, it was another good Christmas. Now onto the New Year's party!!! Not sure what the big plans are yet but karaoke needs to be involved.

Now this picure here is me with two of my most favorite people in the entire world. Just before Christmas my sis, Sonja, and I get together with my BFF Lisa and we go to dinner, exchange presents and chat. It's one of my favorite things ever. I love these two gals. Anytime I'm with either of them I laugh soooo hard that I cry. And I love it.

Sonja dear, thank you for loving space as much as I do and going on and on about it with me. We are two peas in a pod.

And here's Lisa. We've been friends since we were 6. How awesome is that? I'm so lucky. I couldgo on and on about her. She's really more like a sister. My mom did as much of her laundry as mine because she pretty much lived at my house and I lived at hers. We were never bored growing up. We could always think of SOMETHING to do and I'll have to share some of those things sometime. We had vivid imaginations and a lot of guts. That's all I'll say for now.

This next picture is of Lisa and me when we were about 9 or 10. Sonja probably took the picture. These were our nerdy alter-egos. I'm sure we went out and did something really odd around the neighborhood that day.

I'm glad we turned out ok.... or did we?

One More Post before Christmas

2008-12-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Got our Santa picture! So cute. I love this Santa. We've had him lots over the years.

The past week's been busy and fun. We went on our annual carriage ride downtown. I'd never done this until a few years ago when James's aunt & uncle invited us to go up with their family. Now we go with them every year. It's lots of fun and I'm so glad they let us in on their little family tradition. This year was crazy because of the huge storm we had that night. It took me an hour and a half to get down town on the freeway! But it was worth it. The snow made our little
carriage ride even more charming. Oops, that first pic is supposed to be a family photo. Sorry kids. None of my carriage pics turned out because my camera died. But anyway.. our horse's name was Charlie and he was awesome. We missed dinner with Mike & Charla because I was so late. So we didn't get to chat much. But we sure do love those guys.

Taylor had his choir performance. I was impressed. They did a great job. None of these pictures look very good because my camera is old and dying. Luckily, I'm getting a new one for Christmas!! I wanted to video record it as well, but at the last minute realized I didn't have a dvd :(

Chase got head gear. This poor child. I don't know why he just has to go through EVERYTHING. I mean.. spread the love and let Taylor at least have the crooked teeth and huge overbite! But no, it's Chase. He had to get 2 teeth pulled today. He was so good. He took those big old shots in the gums like a man. He gets to wear head gear for a year and then get braces. Fun fun fun.

By the way.. thanks for the comments on my last post. I just love hearing from ya'll. This blogging thing is good for me. It's my kind of scrapbooking. I love seeing what you all are doing in your families. So keep up the good work because I'm totally inspired by you and all the fabulous things you do :)

Enjoying the Moment

2008-12-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to enjoy the moment more these days. I have to make a conscious effort to do this most of the time because I'm always thinking about the next thing, the next day, the next week. Time is flying by and it's really starting to hit me. So, I'm really going to make an effort to enjoy and remember the every day occurances. And I need to lighten up for sure. I let really trivial things bug me. Like the cups my kids always pick to drink out of. We have a whole cupboard full but they always pick the same ones and they're the ones I hate to wash because they're big or awkwardly shaped and don't fit in the dishwasher very well. I've even tried packing a couple of them away but the kids will dig them up and low and behold they're back in rotation again! Well I decided that I'm going to enjoy those stupid cups because it's actually hilarious. The day will come when they'll be way too cool to drink out of an elephant so I'm going to treasure it from now on.I got to help Chase make a candy house at school last week. I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to be involved in all the things they do at school. I know this will end one day too. So I'm definatley cherishing it. He did such a good job. Check it out.
Oh look! it's Brad representin' for the male species! What a good dad. He was the only one there.

Chase also got an award last week. I actually missed it!! I can't believe it. I just forgot and I have no excuse!!!! I felt so bad. I went later and took a picture of him. I'm so proud of li'l' Boopers.

Oh yeah... I also had my first recital. I've been taking voice lessons for about 6 months. I had absolutely no intention of being in the recital but after much encouragement from James and a few others, I decided to go for it. I was so nervous. I love to sing but I've never been much for solo work. Plus, I was the the oldest and the chubbiest of all the performers. But I guess that's what I get for waiting so long to start doing something I've always wanted to. Anyway, I did about 1/2 as well as I could have because my heart was pounding so hard that my voice wouldn't come out right. But I have to say... I'm proud of myself for doing it. It was not an easy fear to face. Not only was it hard to perform alone, but I sang a song my vocal coach suggested and it just so happened to be a song that makes me cry. It was Breath of Heaven (on my playlist if you'd care to take a listen). I actually made it through the whole song and didn't cry until the last sentence. But still... I wish I wasn't such a boob. James was so sweet. He had nothing negative to say about it. He just kept telling me how proud he was of me and how well I did. (Love ya, Jimmy :)I think Taylor was probably the only one who was completely honest with me. He said, "you did ok, Mom." Anyway, I'll definately do it again. It was a great experience.

I wish I'd done something different with my hair....

Nothin' Much

2008-12-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

I don't have a whole lot to show for the last couple of weeks in the way of pictures. We've been getting ready for Christmas, of course. I wanted to do something different on the tree this year so I decided to bake gingerbread men and decorate them. Oh, it was going to be such a fun family activity. I would have taken a ton a pictures of all the fun... but I ended up getting really mad because Tay and Chase goofed off the whole time and pretended that their gingerbread men were getting their heads shot off. It just wasn't what I'd planned so I put an end to it and finished the decorating myself. I really should have captured it all on film though. It's one of those things you laugh about later.

We also went to James's company Christmas party. It was the funnest one yet. We sat at the "cool" table for once. Jenny Jordan Frogley performed. I didn't know who she was, but I liked her.

I have a massive decluttering project going right now. So I've been going through a lot of old pictures and stuff. I came across some of James and me when we were little and thought we looked just like our kids do now. So, for entertainment purposes here they are. I don't know.. maybe it's just me but this looks just like Taylor, cowlick and all. Nice wannabe Izod, Jimmy. And then there's this one. Poor Chase. He looks just like his mama. And was I stylin' or what in that 70's mini dress?

Back Too Soon

2008-11-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Disneyland went by way too fast. It's kind of a bummer coming home to the daily grind. But it was fun. Tay & Chase wanted to spend most of the time in California Adventure. I didn't love that. So they did a lot of male bonding with Dad & Uncle Dave. I got to hang out with my mom lots and that was fun. We went on all my favorite rides and shopped. It was great being there for the Christmas kick-off. The decorations were awesome. We had a fabulous time and I'm already thinking about where to go on our next vacation and that it needs to be soon. I think we'll skip Disneyland next year and try something new. Anyhoo... back to reality for now. Thanks Jimmy for working so hard and taking us on fun trips. Thanks Mom for putting up with me when I get cranky on trips. Thanks Dave for being such an awesome uncle. Thanks Pops & Grandma for taking care of Fonzie. Ya'll are great.

Things Change

2008-11-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Tay & Chase are growing up too fast. I've been having a hard time since Chase started 1st grade. I thought it would be great to have all this time to do what I want, but I've found that I really miss having someone to take care of all day. That's what I really have loved doing for the past 9 years. And I'm really thankful for the whole experience. But things change. It's okay. I'll adjust... slowly. I've been teaching Taylor how to cook and he loves it. His specialty is eggs. He also loves baking cookies. It's adorable. Here he is whipping up some Hamburger Helper. Nice!

Chase is so cute. He is a giver. He loves to make presents for anyone and everyone. He wraps up stuff around the house and gives it away. My mom has been the recipient of many "gifts". He got ahold of some Christmas wrap and went nuts. Usually, all the wrapping is homemade. Anyway, he's definately got a generous nature.

Speaking of growing up fast, my adorable niece had her 2nd bday. We had fun at Chuck E. Cheese!

We're getting ready to go on our Disneyland trip. The kids are excited. I can't wait. I love that place. Hopefully Chase isn't too cool to go on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with me. Oh... that will be a sad day when it comes.

Winter's Coming

2008-11-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

So, it snowed last week. It was my cue to go buy new coats, boots, snow pants, etc. The kids were excited and broke out the sleds straight away. We got quite a bit of snow, but it didn't stick, much to their dismay.

I used to hate winter, but I don't mind it at all anymore, at least not until after Christmas. I'm ready for spring by January. But I love the holidays and don't think they'd be as fun without the snow.

We also scored a snowblower this year! Thanks Grandpa H. James couldn't wait to get that puppy going. He busted it out and cleared the driveway lickety split. We'll see how long the enthusiasm lasts. It will definately make life easier. Hopefully, we'll have plenty of snow to blow this year!

We Bloggin'

2008-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hilton blog. We'll try to be as interesting as possible. I'm Candace. I love: outer-space, books and shows about outer-space, singing, going out to eat, having really, really long conversations with others about outer-space, every kind of music but especially classical.

James loves: his i-phone, golfing, U2, Dave Matthews, The O'Reilly Factor, watching any and all sporting events but especially basketball and football, eating, buying, returning and re-buying electronic equipment.

Taylor loves: making weird voices, repeating himself over and over, scary books and movies, playing basketball and football, making up games to play on the trampoline, making people laugh, teasing his brother.

Chase loves: making weird voices, army stuff, playing Halo, making books out of paper, playing with the dog, things that float, Legos, white boards, sugar, Sponge Bob.