Taryn Dress

So I ran across this dress on jcrew.com, to funny.

A "Taryn" dress.

Only $119??? What like I would EVER pay $100 for a dress for my three year old?

Really.

But really funny that it was called a "Taryn" dress.

(it is very cute though o'and FREE shipping...tee hee)

Girls' taffeta Taryn dress

was $168.00

select colors $119.99

FREE SHIPPING

by Dylan (keeping it simple)

There are many things make me happy.

First Nolan makes me smile.

Nolan makes me laugh.

Next school makes me happy because it makes me think hard.

Lastly I love Taryn because she helps build Legos.

I love my life.

by,

Dylan (8 yrs old)

(too cute)

"Three"

We are "three"

Mom can hardly believe it!

Sweet, cuddly, caring, thoughtful, smart, creative ...

Taryn & Nolan are "three"

Can you believe it?

We love you both SO much.

Check out these Tonsils...

I've missed blogging, it's a outlet for me.

We've been doing so much lately, surgery, redoing the kids rooms (switching them actually), working hard around the house, changing furniture...

Anyway.

Back to "tonsils" :)

 these were Taryn's LARGE tonsils

CRAZY.

This picture was taken about a half and hour before she went into surgery.

It was so hard to put a three year old through surgery (she had her adenoids and tonsils taken out), but her tonsils were closing in on her airway, along with a whole bunch of other symptoms.

Check those things out they are HUGE!!!

Crazy.  Five days later she is starting to feel better. 

The Dr. said they just about fell out they were so big. 

 "happy" posts to follow...

Cinderella comparison to Royal Wedding

If you haven't already seen this in your email or on facebook, the comparison of the two is really funny.

Spring Catch up

Here's a bunch of photos from the last couple of months. 

My mom with Taryn

 LOVE hiking with the kids in SLO

 Hiking still.

 Hey there's Dylan, yeah.

 What a way to welcome spring by seeing newborn colts.  I love horses they are so beautiful.

 Cousin time.

Taryn and Brenna.

 After a long day the beach all the kids had popcorn and watched a movie.

 Easter Eggs.

 Doing one of the Easter activities in previous post.

 Dylan got a silly straw in his Easter basket.

 Taryn on Easter

 Nolan on Easter.

Last years Easter photo of kids

I know super silly I had them wear the same clothing, but I tried them on and they fit so why not, they are cute outfits

This years.

Hey i think i'm kinda caught up.

YEAH.

Teaching Kids about Easter

This year I was determined to do some hands on activities with the kids to teach them about the meaning of Easter.

I found this article in a magazine I get every couple of months

and thought I would share it with you.

We did a number of the activities in this article; very easy and can expand on some... We even did the wrapping in toilet paper when my in-laws were here.  Very cute.

The last one with the magic candles and cupcakes I would say was the most fun.

Anyway, these are definitely practicle and are going to stick around in our family for at least a couple of years.

Really cute ideas.

http://www.thrivingfamily.com/

North Americans celebrate Easter in a variety of ways — treat-filled baskets, egg hunts, new Sunday clothes. Although there is nothing wrong with these traditions, Easter is so much bigger than dyed eggs and bunnies. As Christians, we celebrate Christ's resurrection and the new life He gives us.

To help you bring the Easter story to life for your children, the editors of Thriving Family have compiled a week of Christ-focused activities. They are not meant to replace your family's traditional Easter activities, but to help your children learn more about Jesus' sacrifice and victory over death at Easter.

Palm Sunday

In Jesus' time, palm branches were used in celebrations or to honor dignitaries. Read John 12:12-13. Have your kids make palm branches out of green construction paper and decorate the dinner table with their creations. Place extra "branches" on a path from the entryway to the table to mark a path of honor. Before dinner, discuss the meaning of Hosanna, which could have been an appeal for divine help or salvation, or a way to praise Jesus. Ask your children what they might shout if they saw Jesus coming down the road today.

Monday

Bake bread as a family, and discuss why Jesus called himself the Bread of Life. Point out that just as bread gives us nutrition and sustains us physically, Jesus offers us eternal life and sustains us spiritually. Put the bread in a basket. Then add some Easter goodies and at least one item that shares the Easter message, such as a bookmark, tract or Biblezine (for tweens). Deliver the basket to someone who may need an extra dose of kindness this week.

Tuesday

Make an Easter picture tree. Anchor a small branch in a pot. Have your kids look through magazines and cut out images that remind them of Jesus. Examples: A lamp because He is the Light of the World or a road because He is the one way to heaven. Glue pictures on card stock, attach short pieces of string, and hang the pictures on the branches.

Wednesday

Send your children on an Easter scavenger hunt. Instruct them to find items that symbolize different parts of the Easter story. Examples: A rock (the tomb), two sticks (the Cross), something black (sin), something red (blood), something white (a clean heart), something green (growing in Christ). Older children can go on a digital scavenger hunt, taking photographs of items that remind them of Easter.

Thursday

1.Experience your own Maundy Thursday foot-washing ceremony. Fill a bucket with water. Grab a few towels, gather your family, and share the story found in John 13:1-17. Then take turns washing each other's feet and praying for one another.

2.Read Luke 22:39-46. Visit a garden or park and pray there. Chat about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Have your kids talk about what plans they have for tomorrow and what Jesus may have been thinking about for the next day.

3.Talk with your children about a time when a friend hurt their feelings. Read Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56. Then give your children a dollar bill. Ask if they would trade it for five nickels. Thirty pennies? Determine which has the most value. Discuss how Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins and what a poor trade he made. Ask your children how Jesus must have felt when His friend betrayed Him.

Friday

1.Make a cross out of wood scraps. Ask each family member to think of an attitude or action from the past week that they knew didn't make God happy. Have family members write their thoughts on a piece of paper, fold it and pin it to the cross. Talk about how Jesus suffered the punishment for all of our sins so that we would not have to.

2.Place a white carnation in a vase. Read 1 Peter 1:18-19. Discuss with your children what it meant that Jesus was a "lamb without blemish or defect." Add a dozen drops of red food coloring to the water. Watch what happens over the next two or three days. Use the red flower petals as a reminder that Jesus took our sins upon himself when He died on the Cross.

3.Have your kids take turns sharing stories about bullies from school or cyberbullies online. Talk about how people often treat others unkindly because they are hurting inside, and point out that they need forgiveness just like we do. Read the story about the repentant criminal who hung on the cross next to Jesus (Luke 23:39-43). Let your children tell how they may have acted unkind when they didn't take the thoughts or feelings of another into consideration. Lead them in prayer, confessing your failings in this area. Allow your kids time (but don't force them) to confess, also.

Saturday

1.Take a morning walk around your neighborhood. Talk about how spring reminds us of the new life Jesus gives us. Point out the signs of new life that are starting to appear.

2.Let your kids help you clean your windows. Talk about how much better they can see through them afterward. Read Luke 18:31-34. Explain that the disciples did not see clearly at first. They did not understand that Jesus had to die and rise from the dead — until He did!

3.That evening, decorate a plain white tablecloth with fabric markers or a disposable plastic one with Sharpies. Let your children illustrate the tablecloth with symbols of Easter. Use the tablecloth for Easter dinner the following day.

Easter Sunday

1.Read Matthew 27:57-61. Then ask your children for a volunteer. Wrap him or her in toilet paper, or "grave clothes." After your kids have stopped giggling, allow the volunteer to break free from the toilet paper. Talk about how sad the disciples must have felt and how happy they must have been when they saw that Jesus had conquered death.

2.Go to a park, search for an oversized boulder and try to move it. Read Matthew 27:62-66; 28:1-4. Discuss how a large stone couldn't keep Jesus in the tomb and how surprised the soldiers must have been when it was rolled away.

3.During Easter dinner, have cupcakes for dessert with one candle on each. Use trick candles to show how Jesus, the Light of the World, appeared to be extinguished but wasn't. Light the candles and together blow them out. When the candles relight themselves, talk about how everyone thought Jesus' light had disappeared, but it hadn't. He was and still is alive!

4.Take a night hike as a family. Observe how a flashlight ensures safe stepping. Remind your children how Jesus came into the world to guide our steps and show us the way to God.

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Approval and ...

YEAH!  We got approval to see the well known Neurodevelopmental-behavioral pediatrician YEAH!!!

This is HUGE!

Thanks for your prayers!

Also on another note:) 
Having a child with some needs keeps us humble and teachable as parents and so sensitive to others.
I'm so thankful God knew we could handle this situation in our family.  I definitely prefer to be more humble as a parent than the reverse. 
Also.  Dr. after Dr. is not neccessarily the answer, there is no quick fix, but the daily love and consistency and training that is what makes the biggest difference in our lives and the lives of our children.

A Child with Behavioral Needs

This is going to be a honest post from a mom with a child who has special behavioral needs; i'm hoping to bridge the gap of silence amongst parents of children who have special behavior needs.

There is such a prejudice, shame and silence amongst these moms it just isn't right.

We need support, especially us.

Our oldest child has been diagnosed numerous times since he was younger with ADHD and later with childhood migraines.

Now I know what you are thinking already;

"Oh, ADHD"  think...think...

"what is their deal can't they figure out how to be a parent"

"that child just needs this or that..."

"he just needs meds"

"he won't make it through a full day of school"

"they need to watch super nanny read this book or that book"

"he probably eats too much sugar needs to go on this diet or that diet"

"they need to discipline more"

"be more consistent"

"they probably let him watch too much TV, video games ect"

"the looks those are the worse...like we don't see it or get it ourselves"

I could go on...

The judgement we get from others and lack of support is just a bummer.

We wouldn't be the parents we are today if it weren't for all the things God has taught us from our oldest.

He is SO intelligent, funny, lively and frankly although it's rough our life would be so boring without him, not to mention we are more humble, forgiving, understanding and sensitive to others.

We have been through so much and continue to go through a lot; day by day we trust the Lord and depend on him for the love we need to raise or kids.

Three weeks in a row during good days our son came down with a bad headache, laid down and within the next couple of hours threw up everything he had eaten in the last couple of days.

We've had brain scans, MRI's, allergies tested, Dr after Dr and no one can explain to us why our son keeps throwing up off and on.

We are on the brink of "Lord willing" getting approval for a neuro/behavioral pediatrician to help us on a regular basis.  Whew what a blessing that would be, be praying.

It's a journey and God has allowed Dylan to be our son for a reason, he is a "gift" a "blessing".

We depend on God to carry us through each day and give us wisdom.

It is not easy; some days I just want to touch him and magically make him take it down a notch.
As a parent of a child with ADHD you just want to help in some way to have self-control, calm down, see the social rules for what they are and just obey because it is right. 

My desire through this post is to encourage other moms with a child with behavioral needs. 

You are not alone.
It is hard.
Press on God has a plan and a purpose for your child as well as ours.

Easter and Bouncy Party

 Easter is around the corner and a "bouncy party" soon after.

Pictures coming soon.

btw: i'm doing the most amazing women's bible study, which is taking a lot of my extra time these days.  It's called "five aspects of a women" God has used this study to change my thought life!

Hard to find and I think it's a coarse at a Christian college.

It is amazing.
btw2: i was messing with the design template and oops...i'm trying to fix the layout but having problems...Oops.

Don't Make Me Count to Three

Three kids later I have read some christian parenting books,

but

This is the most balanced Christian parenting book I have ever read.

I highly recommend.

Cute cover huh.

(i know i broke my silence)...

Family

We are cultivating patience at our house.

Planting a garden, waiting for it to grow.

Making cookies and waiting for them to cook.

Memorizing verses and reading about patience.

Also taking a break from blogging and other things like facebook...

Cultivating patience just leads to more joy and peace around the house.

I don't get a lot of readers, but just wanted to let the few know we are taking a break to focus on some things that are more important.

Family.
BTW: for all the women out there the message "what's a women to do" by our pastor Chip Ingram is just so GREAT...:)
http://venturechristian.org/sermons.php

Dinner Swap. Dinner Revealed.

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine and I decided to exchange dinners.

Here's how it works so far.

I double a dinner one week and she comes and picks hers up...

The next week it's her turn.

We take turns getting a night off from cooking every other week.
So far it's been really fun.
We are able to exchange recipe's with one another, it's actually really motivating for meal planning.
They LOVED this recipe and maybe your family will as well.  She said even her kids ate it.  It's one of our favorites.
Don't forget to dust a little cornmeal on top of the olive oil (on cookie sheet) before baking, it adds that extra touch...

This is what I made this week:)

Roasted Chicken-Artichoke Calzones


Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach leaves
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 5 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Pat artichokes dry with paper towels. Combine artichokes, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Add spinach, cheese, and chicken; toss gently to combine.

Brush oil over a baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet; cut into 6 equal portions. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Pat each portion into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle. Spoon 2/3 cup spinach mixture into center of each dough portion. Fold one corner of each dough portion over spinach mixture to form a triangle. Press edges together with fingers to seal. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Sugar

Sugar.

So.

My first race is coming up in April.

I haven't done a race since before I got pregnant with the twins.

This one is a half marathon.

So.

I'm trying to do without.

SUGAR.

To get my weight down.

A mom of three trying to do without sugar.

I was doing really really well, until this last week and weekend. 

When kiddos were sick and off of school.

So.

Now I'm back and trying to stick with not having sweets.

Not an easy discipline, especially for a mom on the go.

I have some fun pictures to post, but not much time right now.

Hope your having a great Monday.

i think i can. i think i can. i think i can.

My Valentine & Sugar cookies on a "stick"

I blog a lot, but don't talk about my wonderful husband as much as I should.

"I have a GREAT husband."

I just LOVE him so much.

I am so blessed.  God knew exactly what I needed. 

Marriage is not easy, but God really does know what is best for us.

Friday mid day I received the most beautiful roses EVER.

CRAZY.

Thank you honey what a "treat" to have such beautiful roses in the house.

Every Valentines day we make sugar cookies for teachers, neighbors and friends.
This year we turned them into sugar cookies on a "stick"

Now we have to do it in three parts due to our crazy life.
PART I

PART II

PART III

Happy Valentines Day!

Stickers. Not Exactly.

Do I need to say anything about these two photos?

The flu...and goldfish...

We were so healthy for SO long...not braggging...it's just been a better year for us than the last two...

We had one with a fever last week, one Saturday, then Sunday

then,

unfortunately, me on Monday.
All with the flu, the yucky icky flu.

Bummer.

I am the worst sick person. I just hate being sick. 
I just want to keep going and exercising. 

I'm also trying to get geared up and loose weight for the Santa Cruz half in April.
So.
This is a minor setback for that event as well.
O'well.

On another note:)
I attended a dinner last Friday for the children's ministry at church.  On each table they had a center piece with three or four real goldfish. After the dinner they welcomed us to take the fish home.  I thought about it and the fact that we still don't have any animals.  So.
I went for it and stopped by target on the way home to get a cool jar and food.
The kids were SO excited.  They gave us a bunch of goldfish i think we ended up with six. 
To make a long story really short in less than 36 hrs all six died. 
O'man.
Sunday morning we were laying in our bed listening to the kids in the bathroom.
"where did all the fish go?" 
Taryn, "they died"
Nolan, "no died"
Dylan, "sad all the goldfish died and this one is dead to, we need to put it it the toilet...pause..i can't flush it let's let mommy do it...."
O'it was so sad.
So we ended up getting just one fish more at the pet store a "hearty" little fish that would last longer.
Her name is "goldie" after the goldfish, but not a goldfish and she is actually "blue".
TOO funny.
Anyway.
That's all for now.
I know i need some pictures, but we have been so under the weather.

When life doesn't make "sense"

When life doesn't make "sense" is the third part of some sermons our pastor,

Chip Ingram is currently doing.

If you are suffering, have gone through some tough stuff or are going through some really tough circumstances in your life these sermons are just SO encouraging.

They are up on the Venture website right now:)

http://venturechristian.org/sermons.php

I hope they encourage you as much as they have encouraged us,

sometimes life just doesn't make "sense".

Surgery Update

Dylan's adenoid removal went GREAT!

God answered our prayers in many ways.

Thank you so much your prayers!

Waking up from the anesthesia went really well.

A funny thing that happened...

he asked to view his adenoids so the nurse went searching for them.

They were unable to display them for Dylan because of all the parts...yuck...which is okay with mom, but he was a little disappointed...too cute...

In any case, the surgery was a success.

The doctor said his adenoids were HUGE almost a four

(a four is when your airways are shut by the adenoids).

We are so thankful they are no longer going to cause Dylan problems.

We see a HUGE difference just this weekend and he is a little swollen still.

Dylan keeps saying to me,

"i can breathe through my nose now".

So cool.

YEAH.

Random December Photos

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Taryn and Nolan with a little boy/girl dress up.  Taryn and Nolan both got dress up this year, especially Nolan due to the family seeing him head to toe in ballet and girly dress up.

Taryn and her cute self checking out the tree Christmas Eve before Church.

Taryn and Nolan Kissing...

Butterfly's in Pismo with cousins.

Nolan and Dylan climbing a tree out front at my parents in SLO

 Nolan in all his cuteness at my parents with new buzz PJ's and Buzz plush.

 The kids opening stockings...

 So thankful for this wonderful Christmas holiday to reflect on Jesus's birth and what is most important.

Hope your Christmas was extra special this year.