Happenings

ESPN

2011-11-01T13:10:00.005-04:00

Spring time smells like sports in our household now. Luke started the season off with a little flag football through the YMCA. He played for the 49ers (fitting!) and was a pro! He could run so fast that no one could catch him. He scored touchdowns left and right. He enjoyed playing quarterback but running-back was definitely his thing!

By the next week, both the boys started Little League. Luke and Logan both played for the Braves. Luke with coaches pitch and Logan with T-Ball. Nate was able to coach Logan's team this year as he did for Luke's T-Ball team in the past. Logan really enjoyed playing and made lots of new buddies! He's excellent at hitting and we're looking forward to watching him play coaches pitch next season. Luke did a great job too! His hitting was excellent and even surprised his coaches. His catching is right on as well! He started throwing a little side-arm this year for some reason and Nate's keeping an eye on that. He's pretty accurate throwing that way so it might just be his way of throwing. They draft in the big leagues next year and Coach Jason Fleming will be looking for him! We're all excited for next season!

Graduate in the House!

2011-10-31T15:50:00.006-04:00

Logan graduated from Presby Preschool! We're so proud of him. He loved preschool and loved his teachers. Mrs. Conley is the best! Logan knows all of his letters and sounds, he can count to 110 and beyond, and knows his colors and shapes too. His favorite time of day was snack, of course! He especially liked having his buddies, Kaiden, Cole and Matt in his class too. Here comes kindergarten!

Recap April/May 2011 #1

2011-10-28T09:06:00.006-04:00

The end of April we all went to Chicago on a last-minute weekend getaway. Nate needed to get out of town after an especailly stressful time at work and what better way to wind down than with a little baseball! We got tickets to a White Sox game (not our team of choice, but cheap!). We stayed at our family's favorite hotel chain (Embassy Suites) and went swimming in the pool and soaked in the hot tub. Well, not me of course...as I was carrying precious cargo at the time and didn't want to cook our soon-to-be newest addition.

Ahhhh, Mother's Day. I had to beg my kiddos to take a picture with me. They're not so keen on picture taking these days. But documentation/memory making is important to this Momma.

Can you feel the love? I do!!!!!

Here's to the term "Born Again"!

2011-10-26T14:39:00.002-04:00

Not sure who's still out there...but if this is you, take note! I'm baaaack! :) Actually, I'll be switching gears a bit. I'd like to keep this blog going with the term "personal journal" in mind. It's so nice to read back over the things that I've posted in the past. Things I would have (and did!) already forget. So thank you Blogger, for making a place to store our memories. Because God knows mine's shot! And if you're still reading along...welcome!

Oh my...May?!

2010-07-05T10:43:00.003-04:00

It seems I haven't updated since May! Well, here's a recap of what we've been up to...
The beginning of May, we went to visit Nick, Angie and baby Cole just before Nick diployed. We took the kids down to the "Mall" in DC and shared with them a little of our country's history. Lukas, being the ever-observant one of our family, immediately recognized President Lincoln and his 'big chair' as being the same guy on the $5 bill.

We talked a little about the Vietnam War. Not too much as we noticed how our words were effecting their thoughts, knowing Uncle Nick was leaving soon. My Dad was a marine and served during that war. He came with us on this trip to visit with Nick and he was able to see the 'wall' for the first time with us. This top picture is kind of neat to me. We were surrounded by crowds of people this day, yet when I got home to upload my pictures, I noticed this one that I took of this beautiful flower memorial someone had left, had Logan in the backround, completely alone...almost seeming to be bowing in prayer. It speaks to me somehow.

This was a really fun but fast weekend trip. It was neat to see how Cole has grown. Sadly, Aunt Angie is the one with all the pictures of the 'boys' together. (Which reminds me that I need to ask for a few of those.) One of the kids' favorite parts of the weekend was riding the Metro. Learning some history was nice but TRAINS that go underground...come on Mom! That was way more fun! The rest of May was packed with 2 seperate visits from family and the last days of this school year. So stay tuned...

"The Curious Savage"

2010-05-03T13:45:00.003-04:00

Last week, Logan had the opportunity to participate in a production put on by Lakeland Christian Academy, a local high school here in town. The play took place in the 40's and was about a group of people living in a mental facility. Logan's "Mom" (pictured below) had lost her 5 year old tragically and afterwards, believed he was still alive. She carried around a doll who she believed was her son. At the very end of the play, all the characters are portrayed in the way they view themselves...with Logan sitting next to his Mom on the couch. He really liked it and thought he was pretty cool. Of course he got lots of attention from all the girls too. :) P.S. Doesn't Faith (below) look like she'd make a perfect princess at Disney World? Talk about a perfect smile!

This video is hard to see but you might be able to get the idea. All he had to do is come out and sit on the couch. He took his job very seriously though!

A New Season

2010-04-23T16:13:00.004-04:00

A new season is upon us. Except this year, instead of doing this:

We'll be doing this:

and this:
Join with me in prayer...will you?

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T08:16:00.000-04:00

I hope you all had a great Easter! We enjoyed a wonderful Easter service at church and our weather was awesome so we were able to get out in the yard and do some much needed clean-up. It was a little odd, spending the holiday without family but we made the best of it. Later on that evening we went to some friend's house for dinner and an egg hunt for the kids. The boys really enjoyed it of course! Being away from family is no fun...but having such wonderful friends nearby definitely makes up for it!

Hi All!

2010-04-01T18:47:00.002-04:00

As winter slowly comes to an end, here’s a recap on what our family’s been up to the past few months:

In January I finally bit the bullet and took Logan in to get his 1st official “Big Boy” haircut. Sniff sniff…no more curls. He also enjoyed his first “Father’s Night” at his preschool where they searched for buried treasure and enjoyed snack time which, of course is the favorite part of any preschool activity.

In February we took the kids up to Chicago for the weekend to play around. I got to visit Ikea which was the highlight for me! We took the boys to the Rainforest Café thinking they would love it! Well…Logan had nightmares for 2 nights after that visit. (Sigh.)

The best part about February was welcoming our new nephew into this world! Anthony “Cole” Piazzese was born Feb. 5 at 3:08 am weighing 6lbs 12 oz and was 21 inches long! And to top it off he was born during the record breaking snowstorm in Washington DC!

In February, Nate took Luke snowboarding for the first time. He did awesome and couldn’t wait to go again. So we decided to take the whole family along with some friends to a resort in Michigan for some snow-filled fun one weekend in March. (As if we hadn’t had enough of it already!) I skied for the first time in 12 years and Logan skied for the first time ever! It was amazing to watch! Nate just clipped him in (attached a harness of course!) and down the mountain he went! Luke became a pro this 2nd time around and by the end of the weekend was even riding the lift up with his buddies. (I was NOT excited about this accomplishment!) Sadly…no pictures of any of this. (I had to concentrate on not injuring myself!)

And to end out the month of March…Luke finally lost his 1st tooth! He’s been waiting on his bottom, wiggly tooth for soooo long to come out! And when it finally did…he swallowed it! He’s still really upset about it. :(

Now...bring on Spring time Indiana!! :)

Snow, snow and more SNOW!

2010-01-07T17:55:00.003-05:00

We got a TON of snow today! And as luck would have it...4 months ago I made a hair appointment for this very morning and I had to go out in this craziness! It took me a half hour to go pick up Logan from my girl friend's house...a trip that would normally only take me 10 minutes. Luckily Nate was able to go pick up Luke from school...which worked out well seeing that I ended up in a ditch today! Thankfully it was only across the street from our driveway and Nate was able to call one of his co-workers to come pull my car out. I have a feeling that Mr. Getz and his perfect side lawn won't be thanking me come spring time!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T09:07:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I thought I'd try to give our blog a try again! We'll see how it goes this year. I've been reading back through previous posts and through journal entries I've made on Logan's carepage and I've realized what a gift these are to us!

Here was our attempt at a family picture this Christmas. And if you think I uploaded the wrong photo...think again. They ALL looked like this one, with Logan looking at his feet! I thought he would've hit this stage when he was 2. But nope...it's most definitely happening while he's 4!

We'd all like to wish everyone a healthy and happy 2010! We pray God's presence in each of your lives and many blessings to you all!

Love, The Maiers

Update on Logan

2009-08-31T15:20:00.003-04:00

I've been bad at updating everyone on Logan's health. But...no news is good news! He's had a really good summer without any major colds, praise God! This next month however, we're gearing up to see his new cardiologist. (Hopefully this one's a keeper!) Here's a reminder of what happened at his last appt.

He's scheduled to see a dr from Riley Children's who is suppose to be one of the best in our area. He's ordered an echo which was done at a hospital near his pediatrician's office. (Pictured above.) Then a chest x-ray was ordered which I was able to have done here at our local hospital. (Saved me another hour drive to the other hospital.) And finally, he's requested an EKG that will be done at the time of the appt. So all bases have been covered and I feel like he'll be well informed about Logan's anatomy at this initial visit. (Something I wasn't so confident in with the first dr.)

Logan also had his 4 year check-up ( a tad early due to preschool requirements) and he did really well. He weighs 36 lbs and is 37.25 ins tall...which is 75% in weight and 5% in height! That's our Logan! :)

I'm a believer!!

2009-08-29T15:48:00.002-04:00

In coupons that is! I've spent the past week learning how to "play the game" with coupons. And I was surprised to learn that it wasn't as confusing as I once thought. However, I will admit that all my free time this past week has been spent on the internet learning just how to really use coupons. I mean, there's using a coupon...and then there's USING a coupon! Today, I went to my local grocery store with 4 coupons in hand and 2 that I loaded on my shopping card. What I walked out with is pictured above...for only $12.70! Not bad for a first-timer I thought. Just the 4 boxes of cereal alone usually costs $12 in the grocery store. And I've never bought a box of hamburger helper in my life, but I figured it might make a warm lunch in the winter afternoons here...the boys will eat almost anything, right?! For only $0.39 each, who could pass that up?

We're still here!

2009-08-22T11:50:00.006-04:00

Seriously, it's been since May that I last posted? Where has the time gone? As I sat here looking through our summer pictures, I realized that a lot has happened in our family since May. I'll try to briefly recap our summer so scroll down to see other pictures.

In June we took the boys to the Indianapolis Airshow. When we visited the Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL, the boys became enamored with the Blue Angels. We figured this would be a fun thing to take them too. Although it was really HOT, we had a great time.

Our perfect seats for the show! Now we're just waiting... :)

The boys in the Presidential Helicopter.

We were also able to visit a home game of our local AAA Baseball team, the Fort Wayne TinCaps. In fact, here's a neat story about that... We drove an hour on a whim to take the boys to this game. When we got there (after paying for parking) we discovered the game had been sold out an hour before. The kids were broken hearted and began to cry. We were all set with our blankets and snacks, ready to enjoy the game from the grass stands. Then, a lady walked up to us and asked if we needed tickets. Before Nate could answer, this totally rude man stepped out of nowhere and said, "We do, we need tickets now!" The lady looked at our boys with their crocodile tears but since Nate backed away she reluctantly offered these tickets to the rude man. He took one look at them and realized they weren't all together and there was no way he would sit in the grass! He stomped off and we just stood there in surprise at this man's un-grateful heart. She again offered us the tickets and we gladly accepted. However, she would not allow us to pay her for them. Yep, she freely gave them to us and encouraged us to have a wonderful time. Once inside the park, we quickly found out that the grass seats were completely taken but one of the ticketed seats had a huge group of seats together where no one had showed for the game. We enjoyed our free seats right along the 3rd baseline just to the left of home plate. Our boys had a blast in the stands and I fondly refer to that woman as our "baseball angel".

This kid can't take a serious picture these days...geesh!

July

2009-08-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

In July we took a trip back home to CA. We were able to spend the 4th with our family at GG's house and we all had a great time. The boys were able to play all day with their cousins that they miss so much. Below is just the beginning to what amounted to an all day water gun and water balloon warfare in the backyard.

Next on the agenda of our trip was the annual family camping trip with Nate's family. We headed up to Trinity Lake for the week and it was awesome. The weather was better than we've ever had and due to the false rumor of low water levels, we were virtually alone on the lake. We rented a huge double decker patio boat one day that had a water slide off the back 2nd level. We enjoyed a yummy BBQ lunch and soaked up the sun. The girls were able to take a trip into town one day and look through all the cute little shops while the boys fished and hiked, and wake boarded. The last 2 nights we were there, we were visited by bears which I now know I'm horribly frightened of. Above is a typical picture of Nate's immediate family. However there was 24 of us in total.

One last monumental hurdle was that at the end of our trip back home, Logan officially gave up the "bidget". Here is the last actual picture we have of him with it, sitting on cousin Colten's lap at the campfire one night. It took a couple of weeks to adjust, but all is well now. Sadly, my baby seems like such a big boy without it. :(

August

2009-08-22T11:04:00.002-04:00

I was feeling like one last adventure was in order before summer came to an end, so the kids and I loaded up the car and took a road trip to Maryland to visit "Uncle Nick and Aunt Angie". It was a 10 hour trip and I am amazed at how well the boys do in the car that long. Mind you, we stopped at almost every rest stop through the state of Pennsylvania and Ohio though.

When we returned we were surprised to learn that Nate's parents were able to make a trip out to see us during their well deserved sabbatical. We walked around Navy Pier in Chicago, spent the day on the beach on Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes, ate yummy homemade Amish ice cream in Shipshewana and the boys toured the Hudson Auto Museum while the girls learned all about the Amish and Mennonite communities at Menno Hof.

Then came Monday, Aug. 17th, the first day of Kindergarten for Luke! He was so excited! I was more nervous than he ever was! Grandma Beckie and I drove him to school his first day and Daddy met us there so we could all walk in together. The second day he decided he was brave enough to ride the bus even! We're the last stop before school so sadly, I cheered him on in his new-found independence.

Tuesday, Aug. 18th was Logan's first day of preschool as well. And to my relief, he was equally as excited as his brother had been the day before. There was an orientation the night before where he was able to stay and play in his classroom and I think that made all the difference. He'll be attending school Mon.-Wed. for 2 1/2 hours in the morning. Now...what to do with my free time, hmmm....

"Little Racer"

2009-05-03T16:12:00.003-04:00

We have a bike racer in the house! This weekend in Winona Lake was the annual Fat and Skinny Tire Festival. It offered bike stunts, yummy foods, the smell of Kettle Corn in the air and lots of bike races around the island. And who do we know as one of the racers?? None other than Lukas Anthony himself! After the "professionals" heat was finished they had a relay race for all the sponsors (one of them being Wildman Uniform-the place Nate works) and then the children's races. Luke entered in the 4-6 catagory and had so much fun! Nate was one of the organizers (note: it is no easy task to organize hundreds of anxious kids on bikes!) but he had fun doing it. Only draw back was that Logan got sooo upset when he discovered he couldn't race. You see, there's a strict "No Training Wheels" rule we didn't know about. Oops. :( But we're all so proud of our oldest "Little Racer"!

Gearing up and ready to race!

All lined up and ready!

Luke and Malachi walking their bikes back after finishing the race.

A Visit From God

2009-05-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

Logan amazes me and scares me all at the same time. I was washing the dishes the other day (April 29th to be exact) and he came into the kitchen. This conversation followed:

Logan: You missed Him.
Me: Who?
L: God.
Me: God was here…in our house?
L: Yep, you missed Him.
Me: Well nuts, I would’ve liked to say hello to Him!
L: He didn’t come here to see you Mom…He came to see me.
Me: What for?
L: He came to tell me that Jesus loves me.
(I played along and baited him a little…)
Me: How do you know Jesus loves you?
L: (slightly irritated at the stupidity of my question) Because He told me!...and the Bible tells me so! He also told me to get ready.
Me: For what?
L: Because I’m going to Heaven in 100 days.
Me: Oh! How exciting!
L: (very matter-of-factly) It really is Mom.
Me: Are you going by yourself? (I was worried a little.)
L: No-you and Daddy, Lukas, all my grandmas and grandpas and their moms and dads are coming with me.
Me: Awesome.
L: So what’s for lunch Mom?

Luke dressed himself today...

2009-04-15T18:16:00.002-04:00

Enough said.

Sick :(

2009-03-29T11:40:00.002-04:00

Poor little Logan is sick, sick, sick. Luke and I had a terrible virus about 2 weeks ago and we thought that Logan had escaped it. However...it caught up to him yesterday morning. It started with just a slight cough and then the wheezing started. I stayed up with him most of the night praying he could take his next breath. Then early this morning it became much worse. Nate actually jumped out of bed and woke Luke up and they got dressed. We were heading for the ER. But then a miracle happened...he asked me to start singing "Jesus Loves Me" (his favorite beditme song that we MUST sing each night) and he was able to calm himself down enough to get at least short breaths in. He finally agreed to take his "smoke medicine" as he calls it (aka Albuterol breathing treatment) and his respiratory and heart rate starting coming down.

I just hate that viruses go straight to his chest. I feel so bad when he's crying, gasping for air and telling me he's going to throw up. (Mucous...fun!) The doctor's office FINALLY called me back this morning (after a not-so-patient sounding mother left yet another message!) And would you know that the nurse said it wasn't neccessary to see him just yet since the virus just started! Unless, of course I felt that it was an emergency in which case I was to go to the ER. What? What is with these "professionals" out here!? Am I just used to being spoiled by our outstanding doctors we had in CA? Am I just one of "those" moms that have entitlement issues? I keep getting the feeling that my expectations are too high. But is that really so bad? Aren't I suppose to expect the best care when it comes to my children? Right now he's comfortable (wheezing and all) sitting on the couch watching Backyardigans. I dread tonight.

Spring is on the way!

2009-03-18T14:57:00.003-04:00

Is spring really coming? Apparently my yard seems to think so! I've been held captive in my house the last week or so with a chest cold but I made myself go outside the other day when my temperature gage outside read 65 degrees! And this is what I found! There are all sorts of green things sprouting right out of the multch. It's so fun! I have no idea what any of it is...but it's still fun!

Prayer Request

2009-03-12T11:17:00.003-04:00

I've been blessed to have "stumbled" upon this sweet family shortly after moving to Indiana. I've seen her warm comments on many of my "heart friends" blogs and to my surprise...we live only 3o minutes from eachother! In fact...I was able to help HER find a pediatrician for her daughter after my extensive search for one for Logan. Well, as I sit here and type this...their precious daughter Grace is undergoing heart surgery at Riley Children's Hospital. If you could take just a moment to say a prayer for Grace and her family, I know they would appreciate it. Even though it's been 2 years since we were in their position...the feelings NEVER go too far. You can follow Grace's progress here. Thanks everyone!

My Boys

2009-03-06T13:02:00.003-05:00

At least ONE of us is acclimating to the environment! Here is Luke...mastering snowboarding already, at the young age of 5! He's sooo much like his Daddy! Then there's Logan...he's inside with me, where it's warm!! :)

Another "Beachy" Birthday!

2009-02-23T10:39:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was super fun but it went by way to fast! We took a trip to Pensacola, FL to stay with my brother and sister-in-law to celebrate mine and Angie's birthdays together again. The weather didn't cooperate (as usual when we pull into town where there should be a warm, dry climate) but we made the most of it. We went to the Naval Aviation Museum on base which is where the Blue Angels are stationed. The kids got to sit in every kind of cockpit there is, it seemed and they had a great time. The next day we enjoyed better weather and had a picnic on the beach and headed home when it started to sprinkle again. But on the way home, the clouds all cleared out and the most beautiful blue sky and warm sun appeared so we spent the rest of the day at the park to play and ended the evening with a yummy dinner at an Irish pub steakhouse called McGuire’s. Although the weather wasn't ideal...it sure beat the blizzards we're having back here at home! I can not wait for spring!!! We're so glad we had the opportunity to visit with Nick and Angie while they were semi close. Just in time too, it appears, as he just got orders and is moving on again. :( The boys miss them so much but in just a few short months, they'll be back a little closer and we can't wait for the next visit!

2 Years Today!

2009-02-08T13:54:00.004-05:00

Two years ago today, we were pacing the halls of Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, CA. We were surrounded by family and friends. And in our minds and hearts, we were in prayer. Our baby boy was in the operating room, under-going his third open heart surgery in just his first short 17 months of life. I remember waking up that morning with the song "I Am" by Mark Schultz in my head. (I think God likes to communicate with me that way from time to time). I prayed those words from that song all day. It hardly seems like 2 years has gone by. You would never know today, watching Logan run and bounce and jam on his drums and guitar, that he was born with a broken heart. It's easier to see, now looking back, the plans that God had for our lives. I remember it feeling so incredibly over whelming. But you know, not once did Nate and I look up and ask why? It just was what it was and we are so extremely blessed having been through that journey and continuing on it still today. I've learned so much about myself and what I'm capable of. I've learned a deeper love and appreciation for my husband. And most of all, I've learned just how much God cares for us and how awesome we are as His creation. Logan is so amazing. I really don't have words to describe what it has been like to have the honor of being his mother.

A little update on our current situation: The boys and I met with their new pediatrician on Friday. He was so nice and Luke and Logan really liked him. The staff was very friendly and it seems like a good "fit" for us. I also learned that Riley Children's cardiologists come up to Fort Wayne once a month for their cardiac clinic right there in the same office! They have a cardiac clinic coordinator that handles all the referrals (which we need prior to seeing those docs for every visit/procedure) and she works there in the same office as well. We've decided not to give Logan the medication that was suggested by Dr. Ghazali and have scheduled him with a Riley cardiologist in May. I'm not sure why no one mentioned this to me earlier but hey...all in God's perfect timing! What a BIG answer to prayer. God is so good!

The definition of perspective is "a mental view or outlook; the relationship of aspects of a subject to each other or to a whole". And if I've gained any perspective at all thus far, it is that God is saying, "Be still and know that I Am."

Fired!

2009-02-03T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, it looks as if we'll be looking for a new cardiologist...again! Here's an update on the situation I explained in my last post. I talked with Dr. Mainwaring (Logan's surgeon) and he was helpful but asked for more info including a copy of the echo report we just got. I left a message for Dr. Fallah (Logan's previous cardiologist in Sacto) and on Friday, I also called Dr. Ghazali back to recap what we learned at the appt to make sure we understood everything correctly. Dr. Ghazali was out sick until Monday. (Incidentally, had this been an emergency, not sure how I felt when the girl told me "he sometimes forgets to call his patients back when he's out so if I don't hear from him by Monday night, please call back again.") Ummm, okay...

Anyway, Dr. Ghazali did call me back on Monday and we recapped everything. Then I asked if he wouldn't mind sending a copy of his echo report to our previous cardiologist in Sacto? He said he would but wondered why? I told him my reservations about starting Logan back on the blood pressure medication and I was just curious why our previous dr didn't recommend the same plan of care. WELL...he said all the "PC" things but the tone in his voice said he was certainly bothered. Then he asked me to write down a number -which I did- then told me that was the number for Riley Children's Hospital cardiologists in Indianapolis and that it would be better if we continued Logan's care with them instead! What!?? Yep, that's right...he fired us! He said he didn't want us to constantly second guess his opinion on Logan's care and continually refer back to our previous dr for advise and that it would be best for everyone if we saw someone else. I couldn't believe it, but on the other hand, I'm more than happy to move on based on that reaction over a simple question! I explained to him that we just met him and he just met Logan and that we have an established relationship with our previous dr. And the fact that the plan of care was so completely opposite of what we were on prior to moving here that we just wanted to have as much knowledge of this situation as possible before making a decision on whether to put Logan back on medication that may or may not even help at this point. He "respectfully" accepted my concern but didn't want to address it. He took the *RETREAT!* plan of action and headed for the hills instead! Oh well. It's just as well this way. But now I have the task of starting over...again.

P.S. Dr. Fallah called back also and said that he didn't feel the medication was to Logan's advantage at this point. He reminded me of the side effects that Logan had while on this med before (as if I forgot!) and stated that it was his opinion that it wouldn't benefit him to be on it at this point. Yes, his aortic valve is leaking (which we knew is was since the day they put it in) but that his body was handling the leak well at this point and so why medicate until it's necessary? ...Thank you!

New Doctor, Mixed Feelings

2009-01-30T10:04:00.002-05:00

**Warning** Most of this is to help me keep things straight. Sorry if it's "too much information" for you! :)

Well, Logan had a cardiologist appointment yesterday. We received some information that we’re not sure we’re comfortable with just yet. I have put in a call to his previous cardiologist in Sacramento and after talking things over with him, we’ll decide what’s best. (After typing that out…it sounds so simple. I wish it were that…but it’s anything BUT simple in my mind.)

Clinically, Logan looks great. We all know that! The little guy has always ‘looked’ great, even in heart failure! So that’s a positive and we know that he handles his health condition remarkably. His pulmonary valve and conduit (the one they replaced in Sacto almost 2 years ago now) looks wonderful. It’s handling its position well and Logan’s immune system has decided it likes this one much better than the last, so that’s good!

The part we’re not sure of is that his new cardiologist, Dr. Ghazali, feels that he needs to be put back on Enalapril. This is an ace inhibitor medication used to control his blood pressures. After reviewing the echo from yesterday and comparing it to the previous echoes from Sacto, he feels that Logan is having a gradual enough increase in the pressures in his aortic valve to constitute medication. He reassured us that we are nowhere near ready to talk about replacement; however, it’s more about preserving this valve as long as possible. The better they control the blood pressure leaking through that valve, the better they protect it and preserve it. With this reasoning, we agree.

What we are unsure of is that this has never been an issue brought to our attention until now. I have no frame of reference or scale, to determine the numbers given to us over the course of the last 3 visits. So we’re unable to make an educated decision on whether it’s time to medicate him versus waiting another 6 months, which he also gave us as an option. This is one question that I’ll be asking Dr. Fallah when I speak with him today. Replacing his aortic valve was something we knew would be happening eventually, however it was perceived to be something to deal with in his adulthood. I plan on consulting with his previous surgeon, Dr. Mainwaring regarding this topic. Mostly to gain perspective and additional education on the possibilities and options concerning this area of his heart. I read through the previous echo reports and all that was noted was that the “mild leakage” was something to watch closely. He never mentioned it out loud to us. At least not in a way that was cause for concern. So basically, I’m just looking for reassurance that this is the correct step to take now. It would make us feel more comfortable hearing it from someone who has followed Logan most of his life rather someone we just met. I’m not excited about putting him back on that stuff. I saw such a different baby when he was taken off of it. But if it’s what he needs, then that’s we’ll have to do. Please pray with us for peace and clarity in this next decision we need to make.

Relationships

2009-01-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at MOPS we heard from a guest speaker on the subject of relationships. Why we need them, how they affect us, etc. She talked about the differences in intimate relationships such as with our spouse, our children or our family and sometimes with a close friend. And then she talked about casual relationships such as with our neighbors, friends, fellow church members, etc. It seemed like a timely topic for me. I’ve been struggling a bit with my new environment. I have wonderful friends here which I’m grateful for. But nothing seems to be clicking just yet.

And today marks the eve of Logan’s first cardiologist appointment…in a new town with a new doctor. She talked about how, in intimate relationships, we deeply feel our loved ones struggles and concerns. We also share deeply with their conquests and joys. Logan is my youngest child. From the moment he was born I have felt deeply all of his joys and all of his struggles. And yet there is nothing I can do to ‘fix’ his problems or ease his struggles. As another 6 month appt looms, the nervousness starts to creep in. Will this be another stellar report or will this be one of the ones where they tell us his heart is declining again? My brother is also going through some struggles right now that I can’t seem to pray hard enough for and I certainly can’t ‘fix’ his problems or ease his concerns either. This leads me to the most intimate of all relationships. The one I have with Jesus. I’m so grateful to have Him to turn to when my heart aches for my loves ones or fills over with joy in their conquests.

So today I’m talking to Him about my nervousness, my concern for my son’s health and the sick feeling in my stomach for my brother. I’m also talking with Him about the joy that my sons bring me, the way they make me laugh everyday. I’m thanking Him that my husband has a stable job and that we always seem to have just enough money to get by. I’m thanking Him for the relationship with my brother and sister-in-law, that they feel comfortable sharing their lives intimately with me. I’m hoping for a little grace today for my anxiety over all these things and I’m praying for some for my brother’s anxiousness as well.

Relationships are funny things. They can cause us so much joy and so much grief. But most importantly they cause us to feel. Just to have the opportunity to love people through whatever life’s challenges. This greater purpose is so worth it! To steal a quote from one of Logan’s former doctors: Do not let the fear of what if…rob you of the joy of what is”.

'Here comes the sun...doo doo doo doo"

2009-01-22T13:31:00.003-05:00

What do you get when you have LOTS of snow, a "warming trend", EXTREMELY cold weather and then finally a temperature above freezing? Some seriously long and scary looking icicles! I've also come to realize how the presence of the sun can give you an almost euphoric feeling. I don't care that it's only 34 degrees outside...when the sun's out, it may as well be 75 degrees in my book. (Minus the capri's and flip flops!) I totally took the sun for granted living in California. After all, they don't call it "sunny California" for nothing. Apparently the sun and Indiana have a love hate relationship because they don't see each other much. However, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

A Year In Cards 2009

2009-01-19T13:40:00.003-05:00

Last week my sister-in-law Angie and I decided to do a card class by Kristina Werner over at Two Peas In A Bucket called 'A Year in Cards'. Every month Kristina offers a couple of sketches and a challenge/homework assignment. We have decided to pick a particular sketch each week and then share what we've come up with with each other. We will also post them on Two Peas website as well. This months card class focuses on Valentines Day cards, but we decided to do them with which ever theme we wanted. Here's my first two cards for the year of cards 2009!

Nap Time = HOPE

2009-01-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

I think I’m going stir crazy! We've had snow and more snow and the past 2 days we’ve all been stuck in the house. No school too…which means tons of attitude and “why not” questions coming from the 5 year old in the family. I’ve made the best of it but it has not all been pretty! I read my friend’s blogs who are all amazing moms and I strive to be just the same. But then there are days like today when you’re playing the Memory game and putting your hundredth puzzle together and it all goes bad. Suddenly you’ve decided that there is a right and a wrong way to play Memory and Chutes & Ladders…ummm, with a 3 and a 5 yr old, think again. They don’t care that you only go down the slide and up the ladder. They don’t care whether you actually finish the puzzle you’re working on before going on to the next. So why do I? We made snow angels in the front yard today. And then I attempted to shovel the driveway. Why? It’s covered again…just like the living room floor is. Sometimes my attempt at being ‘amazing’ is met with adversity and a bad mommy attitude. Today is one of those days. However, it’s nap time. Which equals HOPE!

**UPDATE** Nap time did wonders and the wind stopped long enough to play in the back for a while. See attached photos and video clip! :)

Positive!...Lab Results & Today's Accomplishments

2009-01-05T19:40:00.001-05:00

So the results are in and Group A Strep it is. Good news is that the penicillin is working wonderfully.

In other medical news…I think I have found a worthy candidate for Logan’s cardiologist. Today I shamelessly tagged along with a friend of mine to her daughter’s cardiologist appointment with the hopes of meeting this guy and seeing his facility sort of incognito. At the end of her appointment my friend kind of ‘outted’ me a bit and I had to spill the beans. He was so gracious and took more than enough time to answer some questions and assured me that he would love to meet Logan and that it would be an honor to be his care provider. He also sealed the deal on the “pediatrician fence” that I’ve been sitting on so it was sort of a two-for-one deal today! We now have our first official cardio appointment set for January 29th.

Here are a few pictures of the boys from Christmas. We had a wonderful time with the Maier side of the family this year. The visit from Grandma and Grandpa might have made things a little bit harder for Logan. But these new drums from Santa make a nice distraction!

Strep Infection

2009-01-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

Strep infection…on your bottom? Who knew! But apparently that is what Logan seems to have. Go figure! He’s been complaining of itching down there for almost 2 weeks now and there just doesn’t seem to be anything to help him. He’s got these tiny, red pimple looking bumps on his little bottom and they look angry! So off we went to the dr. And “oh darn!”…the previous dr that we just saw is out until Monday. And incidentally, the new one we saw today was what a dr should be! Unfortunately he’s leaving the practice. (One wonders if he’s running from the other chick!) But he cultured the area and said he was 95% sure that it was strep. (The actual results will be in on Monday.) Has anyone heard of such a thing? Logan, Logan, Logan…he likes to keep this mother just shy of my own heart palpitations due to anxiety!

P.S. For those of you who are about to email me about taking my child back into that place…I assure you that I am in the process of finding him a doctor in the closest large city from here. (A 45 minute drive I was hoping to avoid but most definitely willing to make!) Nate’s insurance is changing and we’re waiting on our new cards. I have narrowed down the search to a very prominent and highly recommended practice near a credited children’s hospital. We’re just trying to decide on “who” in the practice will get the pleasure of caring for our littlest Maier!

Small-Town Doctors...no thanks!

2008-12-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

December is moving right along. I can’t believe next week is Christmas already! The boys and I have all been battling a cold since last week. Cough, sore throat, fevers…just another day in the midst of cold and flu season, right? It did give us an excuse to meet the dr that I tentatively chose while still in CA. Needless to say…we will NOT being sticking with her! During our visit, I was asking her about the closest children’s hospital, she was quick to answer that it was too far for her to drive to do rounds so she won’t admit there. Ummm, okay. As if that wasn’t enough, she then asked me if Logan had any respiratory issues. (Apparently she didn’t even glance at the sheet that the office gave me to fill out, let along the 100 pages I gave them previously to review!) I answered ‘yes’ of course and told her that he usually takes Albuterol when his cough becomes wheezy, etc. She decided to go ahead and “give that a try” and while taking out her Rx pad then asked me what dose she should prescribe for him. What!? She gave me a couple to choose from and I told her I wasn’t comfortable guessing. She then stood up and asked me to go through his chart and find his previous dose and that she would be back. Luckily her nurse (which seemed more qualified to care for my child than the dr was) had the idea to call Walgreens and ask what his previous Rx was and then ordered more based on that. Okay, thank you for your time. (NOT!) She wanted me to make appts with her every 3 months so that she can get to know us. Yeah right!! I quickly paid my copay and ran, not walked to the car with the kids. Dr. Warden…can you make house calls to Indiana…PLEASE??

"Oh Christmas Tree"

2008-12-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we took the boys along with our friends and their kids to cut down our own Christmas tree. The weather was absolutely perfect (considering the time of year and location in which we now live) and we all had a great time. We took a hayride out to the fields and took our time selecting the "perfect" tree. I can truely say that I've never seen a tree like ours before! Nate says it has 'character'. Ha ha! We hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful season! Merry Christmas to all of you! In His name...Love, The Maiers

Our new ride!

2008-12-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

November started out pretty mellow in the Maier home. But with the holidays in full swing now, things are picking up. We were blessed to spend Thanksgiving with our friends from W. Sacramento who now live in Indianapolis temporarily. The weather was perfect for the 3 hour drive and our new minivan complete with a DVD player was the icing on the cake! Oh yea…a minivan people! We took the plunge and purchased this little beauty. I never thought I’d be a “minivan” mom but I have to tell ya…it’s the best thing! There’s so much room and did a mention the DVD player? Ahhh, silence on a 3 hour drive is priceless!

October Stuff

2008-11-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

The boys have been having a blast with their new surroundings. There are bike and walking trails in Winona Lake so we've been exploring those and collecting leaves for projects. (Pics below.) They've been bike riding, go-cart riding, playing with friends, trick-or-treating (for the first time) and just enjoying being boys. My grandparents came for a week and the boys got to try their hand at fishing with their Papa. It's been fun watching them experience all of this through their eyes. It's more obvious each day that we made the right decision in moving. Luke is doing so well with preschool. I love his teacher, she is so caring and involved. It's everything I hoped for in a preschool. Logan is adjusting well with his children's church class. On the way home from church yesterday he told us about the story of Joshua and how God ordered him and his people to march around the walls of Jericho and the walls fell down. It was heart-warming to hear that he's really participating and learning bible stories. For the first time yesterday, he waved at me when I dropped him off and said "by Mom, have a fun day at church." I've been waiting 3 years for that! So things are settling down for the most part. We've had snow already but nothing that sticks. Nate's been so busy with work and has already been to Texas for 3 days and has another trip this month. I was able to escape and do a little shopping with my girlfriends this weekend. I finally purchased some long-sleeve shirts so I'm a little closer to being prepared for the weather we're having. Well, here are some recent pictures. Bye for now!

Up, Up and Away!

2008-10-20T08:22:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share with everyone our adventures in flying with a 3yr old and a 5yr old. They boys did great which means Beckie and I were great too! We each decided to take a child and sit separately. This was a good idea for 2 reasons: each child had our undivided attention with their very own tailored activities, and they weren’t close enough together to fight! Our layover was in Phoenix and we had about an hour. We let the boys run and run until we found the moving sidewalks. That was it…they were hooked! We must have road those things back a forth 10 times. We finally bribed them away with promises of lunch at Burger King. (Never mind that is was only 9am CA time!) We sat fairly peacefully eating our cheeseburgers when I noticed there weren’t any people waiting in line at our terminal…uh oh! We quickly gathered up our things and rushed over just in time to board. Just at the entrance of the plane, the flight attendant locked eyes with me trying to coral my kids and announced over the loud speaker that she had a family with 2 small boys just arriving. The attendant in the back then announced that there were still some double seats together in the back. Halfway through the long line down the isle…they announced again if we were actually on the plane or if they were still waiting for us. Everyone knew exactly who we were by this time…the token “family with 2 small boys”. I can only imagine what the poor men were thinking that were still sitting alone and held the only 2 seats together at the back of the plane!

Here's a picture of Luke and Logan on the moving sidewalk playing the roll of Superman!

Hello Indiana!

2008-10-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting. Things have been crazy since we’ve arrived in Indiana with little down time. Even as I type this…Grandma and Grandpa are here visiting from Kansas. Our house is wonderful! I have so many awesome plants to care for that I’m afraid I won’t give them the justice they deserve. There’s also a small garden with tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and onions. When do you pick onions? Who knows…not me!!

Our lot is just about a half acre and the boys are enjoying every inch of it! They’re outside most of the day…riding their bikes, making bark stew in one of the 4 bird baths or chatting our neighbor’s ear off! OH! And the neighbors…we’ve had chocolate chip cookies delivered, welcome wishes and more babysitting offers than I know what to do with! Everyone is sooo friendly here!

Nate is enjoying his job (actually ‘enjoying’ doesn’t even come close to covering it!) and I’m afraid he might like them more than us at this point!! The promotion he was to wait a year for actually came last Friday…so things are moving right along for him. I’m so happy that he’s finally happy!

I attended a MOPS meeting this week while my grandparents stayed with the boys. That was fun experiencing a meeting at such a greater scale than I’m used to. I also received the gift of watching a miracle happen while witnessing our friend’s baby arrive into the world last night. How truly amazing!

Luke loves his preschool. I was worried that we’d have a repeat of the drama we went through together when he started last year, but much to my surprise, it was drama free! Logan on the other hand is having a hard time adjusting to children’s church each Sunday. We’re really hoping he comes around…for our sake and the poor volunteers too!

Hope everyone is well! Happy Fall!

1 down...3 of us to go!

2008-09-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

Well...Nate, Cali and all of our belongings are making their way across the United States as I type this. His wonderful friends from Indiana flew in on Sunday afternoon to help him drive back. They made it to Park City, Utah last night and were hoping to play some golf or go down the Alpine Slides but both were already closed. So they ended up at some fun restaurant and played Rock Band on their big screen. They were somewhere in Wyoming mid morning when I talked with him.

The boys and I are staying with Nate's parents and we're definitely in "adjustment mode" still. Bedtime is the hardest. Logan's confused and asks for his own bed and his own house. Luke and Grandpa decided to start building a Go Cart from scratch yesterday so he's having the time of his life. But by the end of the night, he's way over-tired...you can imagine what that's like! We're all just grateful to have a place to stay during this transition though.

I don't have any pictures to post with this because I don't have access to those at the moment. But as soon as I get some, I'll pass them along! Hope all is well with all of you!

We're still here!

2008-08-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

Have you ever procrastinated so much on something then when you actually want to do it…it’s just too far gone to tackle? Well, welcome to my blog experience! So much has happened in our lives since Yosemite that it’s almost embarrassing to ever post again. But I’ll give it a try anyway. In a nutshell…here goes:

Nate has accepted a position with his previous employer in Indiana!
We’ve been in the packing stage for the past month and Nate, Cali and our things will be relocating to Winona Lake, IN on Sept. 1st.
The boys and I will still be in West Sac at Bruce & Beckie’s until we (hopefully) close on our new home there.
We took our last trip to Monterey (sniff sniff) to visit my brother and sister in-law and have the most amazing beach pictures to commemorate the weekend! (I’ll attach those in a later post….hopefully!)
We visited Fairy Tale Town with our local CHD support group, Hearts of Hope. Channel 10 news was there and Logan made the 5 and 6 o’clock news. (Of course he wouldn’t give the interviewer the time of day when it came to asking him questions…so his appearance consisted of sliding down “Owl’s Tree House Slide”.
The boys had their last well-baby checks with Dr. Warden (BIG sniffles there!) and I’ll have to post that picture too. Greatest doctor EVER!
Logan had his last check up and echo with Dr. Fallah and everything looks great! Finally, our most recent adventure was a day at the fair where we were treated by Hearts of Hope with free admission and free ride bracelets too! Again…separate post to follow.

I think that sums it up. I will TRY my hardest to keep this thing up to date. This next chapter of our lives is sure to be an adventure…a very COLD adventure!

To the TOP!

2008-06-30T20:53:00.000-04:00

That’s what Nate, Luke and I accomplished while visiting Yosemite National Forest this past week. We made the 3 mile round trip hike to the top of Vernal Falls. And I won’t lie…it was torture! But we did it! I’m most proud of Luke. He only asked a few times for a quick ride on his daddy’s shoulders but aside from that, he did it all by himself!

Relaxing…this camping trip was NOT! But everyone had a good time. It’s so nice to spend quality time with family that we only get to see usually this one time a year. The boys had so much fun. But you know, anything involving dirt qualifies as ‘fun’. It was nice to be away but it’s always nice to come home too!

Yosemite Pictures

2008-06-30T20:36:00.000-04:00

Preparation

2008-06-19T18:05:00.000-04:00

So we seem to be in preparation for several things in our lives these days. Namely...packing for a week in Yosemite, the arrival of a my friends' new baby, and their sudden departure from our lives here in California. :( As we played at the water park this afternoon, it dawned on me that Luke has had his one, true friend Nathan since he was 1 year old. Granted that's only been 3 1/2 years, but for him it's basically been his whole life. I can say goodbye and be sad and still be okay. But how do you help your 4 year old say goodbye and then re-tell him everyday where Nathan went everytime we go the park, go to church, ride our bikes, etc? Being a parent is hard! Ugh!!

Here are a few pictures we have of the boys along the way...

Drummers and Kings

2008-06-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this precious little face with everyone. How does a person resist giving in to a face like this? I just happened to have the camera in my hand when Logan was pleading with me to have his markers back. They were taken away because he was using them as drumsticks (like he does with most things) and splattered the ink all over the kitchen! Guess who got a second chance??

This picture is what I woke up to the other morning. "Pillow Mountain" is Luke's most recent design. It's now become a regular in the living room. He uses it as his purch to watch his morning cartoons. Do you think we have a king in the making??

Summer Time!

2008-06-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

With the last day of school behind us, we now feel as if we're officially into summer! We took the boat out on the river last night with some KFC to start off the season properly. Nate had his first wakeboard pull, first flip, and we enjoyed our first sunset while on the water. Here are a few pictures...

Big Boy Bed!

2008-05-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

One more eventfull thing that has transpired in our house is that Logan had decided he'd like to take the rail off of his crib so that he has a "big boy bed" like his brother. 2 nights down and let's say that it's a work in progress. But he's so proud!

Also, here's more May pictures for you!

May in a "Nutshell"

2008-05-30T19:00:00.001-04:00

Well, we've had quite the month these past 30 days or so. So instead of making several posts here, I thought I'd just group a bunch a pictures and a brief explanation and call it good. Maybe I can be better at posting in June...we'll see! May started off with Logan contracting a nasty virus that ended with him in Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Edema. We moved up his cardiologist appt and he had an echo. Good news is that everything looks good now and we don’t have to see Dr. Fallah again until November!

Nate won Area Manager of the Year throughout his company nationwide and got to go to San Diego for the annual meeting from the 20th-23rd. He was able to play golf, attend a Padres Game and receive a plaque which he had to give an un-prepared speech for. We’re so proud of him!

This last weekend Nick and Angie visited and we all had so much fun! We played Guitar Hero until the wee hours of the night, card-making into the same wee hours, BBQ’d at Southside Park and then BBQ’d again on the boat while hanging out on the river. FUN!!!

Finally we ended the month with Luke’s Preschool Graduation Ceremony. Even though he’s going back next year, it was still fun for him to participate with all of his friends.

June, here we come!!

Graduation...sort of & New Shoes too!

2008-05-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

Luke brought home his graduation robe from preschool this week. Although he is only 4 years old, the teachers wanted the whole class to participate in the graduation ceremony together. He's so excited! I only hope he doesn't get too sad when he realizes that he's not going on to Kindergarten just yet. He's been wearing the robe around the house and the other day he asked my to take his picture in it. He's so funny!

This week Logan also received THE CUTEST pair of shoes! He thinks he is such a big boy in them! They are Keen 100% Hybrid and they are the coolest. Totally waterproof and designed to be breathable at the same time...which is a good thing for big chubby feet like Logan's! When he saw me taking pictures of Luke, he had to get in on the action too. So here is Logan and his new shoes!

Cards, cards and more cards...

2008-04-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

If you made it to the bottom of my ridiculously long post previously, then you know that I'm starting my new venture as a Stampin' Up rep. I've been a scrapbooker and card maker for years now and I absolutely love it! Lately I've been caught up on the card making end of things it seems. I've found it to be less involved (as far as getting supplies out) and it takes a shorter amount of time to produce something worthy enough to take care of my "fix". So I thought I'd share some things on here from time to time. These pictures aren't great but the fact that I got 3 cards accomplished in 1 day is great!

p.s. I opted to stamp this afternoon instead of downloading our pictures from our trip to Monterey this weekend to visit my brother and sis-in-law. So there's more updating to come...

I'm obviously bad at this!

2008-04-17T20:19:00.001-04:00

Okay, so it seems as though I can't seem to get the hang of updating this thing. Don't get me wrong, I think about it everyday and I'm an avid follower of several other blogs (daily) however, I can't seem to come up with anything substantial to blog about. That, and I seem to have slipped in the picture taking category. And a blog without pictures isn't quite as exciting, ya know?

So here's a quick recap of the last couple of weeks...(without photos):

Lukas managed to lock Logan in the car and he was stuck in there for a little over an hour during the lunchtime hour. Good news: I had just pulled into the garage and it was only a 62 degree day. Nate had to drive home from a meeting in Stockton with the extra key and all was well. Logan didn't even have a meltdown! Me on the other hand...well...

My cousin's 8 month old baby was just now diagnosed with the same heart defect that Logan has and was admitted and then transferred to Kansas City Children's where they were able to temporarily balloon her aortic valve via catheterization and was later discharged home.

I found out my that my close friend and her family are moving to DC by the middle of May after her husband was accepted as an agent into the FBI. Her son and Luke are only 2 months apart and have been buddies since before they turned 1. So I've been busy helping her get her house ready to sell (did I mention she's also 7 1/2 months pregnant with their 3rd child!), watching her kids and anything else I can think of to do with the hopes of keeping my mind off the reality that they're leaving. :(

Which brings me to my last 'major' news to report: my friend was also our local Stampin' Up! rep and we're right in the middle of an 8 month stamp camp. She's been 'grooming' me for the takeover if and when they were moving and consequently, you're now reading the blog of one of the newest Stampin' Up! reps. I'm so excited as this is definitely a hobby and passion of mine, but nervous non the less. Commitment phobia I think. :)

Anyway, that's the latest and greatest with us. Sorry for the novel...I'll continue to try and do this on a more regular basis. Hope all is well with you guys!

Okay...maybe one picture. Here is Luke and his best buddy Nathan. He's already sad that he's leaving. Are 4 year olds suppose to catch on to stuff like this already? It's sad. :(

The Flu!

2008-03-27T17:29:00.000-04:00

How I got the flu in such awesome weather is beyond me! But boy did I ever have it! And I’m so bummed of the timing of this illness as well. Because my friend Gretchen had her baby girl on Wednesday…the tremendous event of which I was suppose to photograph for them! (Ugh!) And I’m missing my support group meeting tonight where there will be a representative from Make A Wish and the ever-helpful Siri Baland from Sutter Memorial’s Child Life program. Two great things that I missed being present for this week.

However, I was present (sort of) to witness my husband coming to my rescue and calling in sick to take care of the boys for the day on Tuesday. He was able to get them dressed, fed, Luke off to school, get my oil changed in the car, purchase weed killer and fertilizer and then actually USE it on the lawns, bought me a book to read, picked up Luke, feed them again and then put them down for a nap. After just the morning “chores” he promptly came into the bedroom and put his hands down on the footboard of our bed and said he would never be able to be a stay-at-home parent because…”he’s going crazy!”

YES! Vindication!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T12:58:00.000-04:00

Bring on Spring! We had a fabulous Easter Day yesterday. It started with Luke participating in the children’s Easter worship concert at our church, SouthPort Community Church. This was his first time in front of everyone and he did so well! He even had a solo reading line that he needed to memorize…"Hosannah! To the son of David!" He was so cute and was so proud of himself, as were we. Then we headed off to a local park. We bar-b-que’d, hunted for eggs and played baseball. And it was HOT! Logan’s cheeks are a nice shade of pink now, even with the sunscreen. I hope everyone else enjoyed their day as much as we did!

Little Miss Macie

2008-03-18T20:06:00.001-04:00

I got the chance to watch the cutest “little miss” in the whole world this weekend! My niece Macie, turned one this Saturday and we were blessed with her first sleep-over that night, while her mommy and daddy ran their booth at the Sacramento Hair Show. She is the most easy-going “woman” I’ve ever met!! She’s just as content to sit on your lap and play patty-cake as she is to sit on the floor with her big-boy cousins and play trucks. We love her to pieces!

We're in buisness!

2008-03-18T00:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, so hopefully I've figured this out and I should be up and running now. I'm so computer-challenged, it's not even funny! Luke even knows more about navigating this thing than I do and he's only 4 for pete's sake! I received a friendly comment from a friend today (hi Valerie!) that if she had to read about last year's Labor Day Weekend again, she'd scream. So this post's for you Valerie!

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

This Labor Day weekend we went with friends to the Redwoods, about a 6 hour drive up Hwy 101. It was so gorgeous up there. We hiked through the enormous trees and the boys fished in a nearby river. They didn't catch anything but they had fun anyhow. Of course when you leave the security of home (with a hospital just 20 minutes from you) is when an illness usually strikes. We hadn't even been camping for 30 minutes when I noticed Logan had a bad fever and not long after that came the throwing-up part. I had realized the day before that there was a possiblity that Logan came in contact with the strep throat virus...so of course the worrying set it. We contemplated leaving but decided to give it a little time. By Monday he was back to normal with his healthy appetite back in buisness! Luke enjoyed riding his scooter with his friend Nathan and by the end of the weekend, he had made aquaintances with every near-by child.