How Far We've Come

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas was very intimate this year, just the six of us, no out-of-town family visiting, but my sister, Lauren did come by with my nephew, Ryan on Christmas Eve and we exchanged gifts and played games. I cooked a small ham and some traditional side dishes and the plan was to watch a movie after dinner, but as it happens, Ryan got really tired and irritable so we watched the movie after they left.

The boys got the movie Dolphin Tale for Christmas so that's what we watched. Aunt Lauren got Scrabble for the boys and they couldn't wait to play and we were able to get a game in before she and Ryan left. Then everyone went to bed around 10:00 PM so we could all wake up rested Christmas morning.

~ Christmas Morning ~

We gave the boys a mini donut maker and let them open it on Christmas Eve so guess what we had for breakfast Christmas Morning? MINI DONUTS!!! They loved decorating them and choosing different batter/flavor; the favotire was the vanilla batter with a traditional glaze.

~I love Hayden's face~

The big "Santa" gift was this awesome basketball backboard and hoop! After Brad installed it above the garage on the front of the house the boys were thrilled to "play basketball" which consisted of them trying to see if they could get the ball in the hoop! They know nothing of the rules of the game. Hayden was the first one to to make it in with his mini basketball!

Brad had brought home two regular-sized camouflage National Guard basketballs (and since Tristen was not interested in playing ball outside with his brothers, he's turning into such a teenager). Each boy had their own ball and they'd throw them at the hoop at the same time and "whoevers ball makes it in, wins!"

Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope yours was as full of life and laughter as ours was!

Annual Veteran's Christmas Party {and Hayden sings carols}

2011-12-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Each year Mrs. Broom (an amazing woman/teacher) hosts a Christmas Party for our local veterans and veteran parents of our schools (Discovery) attendees (yep, that includes our own personal soldier, Brad/Dad) to honor them and recognize and appreciate their past, present and future sacrifices. Well, this year, Brad surprised her with a certificate of appreciation and award for her unwavering support. She was brought to tears and very humbled and honored that after all these years, she's being recognized for her loyalty.

Mr. Galvez was there, of course, with the K-Kids who sang beautiful Christmas carols for the veterans to enjoy.

In addition to presenting Mrs. Broom with a personal certificate and award, Brad also presented Discovery School of the Arts with a certificate and award for allowing Mrs. Broom to support our local troops because without their approval she wouldn't be able to do all she does. Mr. Galvez accepted on behalf of the school.

The veterans and their families gave a standing ovation and an abundant round of applause.

The next morning, Hayden and his class performed Christmas carols out in the cold for all their parents.

Award Winning

2011-12-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Every year since the second grade, the boys have had to take the STAR test (Standardized Testing and Reporting) at Discovery School of the Arts. Each year they have scored in the "advanced" section that proves they are well above average in Language Arts and Math. This, however, was the first year that they've given awards to the students who earned advanced scores in either Language Arts, Math or Both.

Tristen is not shown here receiving an award because he graduated Discovery (K-6) in June and now attends Encore Jr/Sr High but I feel it is honorable to mention that he scored advanced in BOTH Language Arts and Math (he would have received a medal for that!).

Seth, who is currently in the 5th grade, scored advanced in BOTH Language Arts and Math and earned himself a medal!

Seth's two best friends, Hunter and Kevin also received medals for achieving advanced scores in BOTH Language Arts and Math - they keep with good company!

Garrett, who is currently in the 4th grade, scored advanced in BOTH Language Arts and Math and earned himself a medal too but there's MORE...

Garrett also received one of only SIX trophies awarded to the fourth grade class for scoring a PERFECT 600 in one category - Garrett's is for Math! What a whiz!!!

One of Garrett's best friends and Tristen's best friend's sister (Garrett won't allow me to put that she is his friend on here), Elias & Emily, also earned medals for achieving advanced scores in BOTH Language Arts and Math!! What's that they say, "guilty by association?" - this time it's a positive influence! Good work young people!!

~notice Garrett could hardly take his eyes off his trophy~

adorable

We are so proud of all these kids (but especially ours *wink)!!

November Happenings

2011-11-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

To start, my 2004 Nissan Quest got a makeover! She got some engine and body work done, now we're just waiting on her deep cleaning to get done (had to wait until after Christmas to afford that part), so stay tuned for before-&-after pics as she gets ready for the next eight loyal years of service to this family (hopefully).

Now - Brad. He hates it when I write or share anything regarding him... so I may very well be in for a reaming if he were to ever find out I posted this! He has been struggling for many years with severe, chronic allergies. He finally got tested and found out he's allergic to nearly everything! He also found out one of the reasons he doesn't get any releif when using his prescription nasal spray is because he had a near complete blockage in his left nasal passage... so he went in for a septoplasty surgery.

Just before surgery and just after...

The recovery proved to be WAY more than he'd bargained for. He was told it's "no big deal" but he endured a lot of pain and swelling (and of course, there was nothing I could do to ease his sufferring). I shared my woes with my bible study group and they all really came through for us! Not only did they pray for a swift recovery and minimal suffering, they also brought easy-to-fix meals for me to pop in the oven or frozen dinners and snacks for the boys to eat as well, it all was so very helpful!

God is so GREAT!!

**Random** caught Garrett asleep with his book, thought it was a cute moment to capture, so I did. He's such a bookworm! I love it!!

**Now back to Brad's story (sort of)**

God works in mysterious ways! Brad and his family are not what one would call "close." In fact, there have been times I've sworn he goes out of his way to avoid them altogether. But when Brad went in to have the stints removed from his nose roughly two weeks following his surgery, it went so much more smoothly than we had expected and we had time on our hands and were already near where his mother & brother live so I suggested we stop in for a short surprize visit... and he agreed!!

We got to meet our newest neice, Kailynn, seven months old.

As I compose this blog, I researched when we last saw Emberlynn & Ethan and that was January 2011 for Randy (brad's brother's college graduation) - nearly a full year ago (and they just live 30 minutes away)!!

I've gona through a bit of a transformation (and they are young) so they barely recognized me!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned, but Brad's mom, Joann, had a rough 2010-2011 She battle breast cancer, had to go through chemo and radiation and inevitably had to undergo a masectomy, but God has blessed her and she pulled through!

She sees these grandchildren of hers daily and says they keep her feeling younger than ever!

Kailynn & Lauri (mom)

Emberlynn stole Grandma Joann's head wrap and put it on Kailynn - adorable!!

Emberlynn & Me

Me & my Mother-in-Law, Joann

Emberlynn, a natural beauty. Ethan pulled out his trombone to show us what he's been learning.

We surprized the boys when they got home from school... we brought their cousins up to spend five whole days with us at our house!! Hayden and Emberlynn were inseparable!

They went home just before Thanksgiving and we had a quiet small Thanksgiving dinner at home, just the six of us. We have so much to be thankful for!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer {Book Review}

2011-11-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

Michelle Hodkin - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Offered for review by Simon & Schuster

Available now through November 29,2011 (for free online review)

{Synopsis}

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

{My Review}
Mara is one interesting young lady. I found her tale to be one of intrigue and originality. After uprooting her entire family due to the accident that claimed the lives of three of her closest friends, she finds herself teetering on the edge of sanity. She has no memory of the accident but slowly, surely, her memories flicker back in the form of nightmarish dreams and daily hallucinations of said friends. More than that really, she starts envisioning the deaths of others around her. Of course, there is a boy who enters the picture and claims to be something other than that of his preceding reputation of which Mara has been well warned. He provides ample distraction from Mara's delusions and becomes a safe haven for her when things get too serious. There was one character I hope to see make a come back in the sequel as his part seemed to vanish into thin air without much in the way of closure, making his part seem utterly useless to the storyline, but as for Mara and Noah (the boy), I look forward to finding out what more there is to their unfurling story now that they've unlocked a few secrets together.

October - Logo Style

2011-10-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

You may already be well aware, but each year we visit Frazier's U-Pick Pumpkin Patch as we enter the holiday season. Please forgive my abruptness for shoving all of October into one post as I am playing catch-up and am mostly trying to get the photos on here. If a particular photo needs a story to go with it to explain why it was taken, never-you-fear, a story you will hear!

*Brad says Tristen looks like a stressed out Baseball coach in these next two*

Seth really loves photography, maybe I'll get him his own camera for Christmas or something!

Just to have proof he was there (as always he hated having his picture taken)

^^Seth took that one next to Brad - that's why he's not in it!^^

Now, how come the lighting in this one is so much better? LOL! Taken only seconds later (and from further away)

Halloween - Discovery and HDC

I do believe these speak for themselves - just some shots of our evenings out "Trunk-or-Treating"

The principal & my God-Daughter, Alaura

Violet with Hayden & Hayden with his best friend, Dylan from his class.

Me & My bestie, Fotima Hall - she's no fun, she didn't dress up!

Will, Tristen's friend from school & church (on the left)

Brad, Tristen & Seth entered a pie-eating contest at HDC - they did not win, unless you count the slobber-filled pie! LOL! (GROSS)

Make that a hair-filled pie!

Happy October all!

A Grand Time at Scandia {and other fine places}

2011-10-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

As a surprise Mom & Jim flew out to California for a weekend to celebrate one of Jim's closest friend's retirement. While only here for a weekend, they did manage to spend quite a bit of time with us (although they stayed with Lauren & Nathan at their new place). We met for breakfast at Coco's, spent time at Lauren's one evening (but I wasn't feeling 100% so we left early) and we spent Monday (no school, yay!) paroozing the Ontario Mills Mall, riding rides at Scandia and enjoying delicious Cold Stone Ice Cream!

Hayden kept us all entertained while we waited for our food to be served (this is his "giant fly face") HAHA!

He and Tristen rubbed our silverware together to create magnets (something he learned at school)!

Jim cuddled up with his grandson.

Mom took the photos!! (see in the mirror behind us?)

Seth nad Ryan had a blast playing peek-a-boo! (Seth is SO good with children - a great father-in-the-making!)

Later... At Nathan & Lauren's house... Tristen played with Ryan...

And Nana, Hayd & Tristen played Tumblin' Monkeys...

Everyone enjoyed Phase 10 Twist...

Ryan got fed...

Isn't she lovely?

Brad helps Garrett stragegize with Phase 10

Pumpkin pie, Hayden?

Funny how Mom can come to visit for a month or longer and doesn't find time to get together with Roz but when here for 3 days (Jim in tow) Roz comes over! LOL!

SCANDIA!!!!

Hayden & Garrett took straight to the rides... a train!

Tristen (far back row, left side of picture), Jim & Seth dared the big roller coaster!

Up, up, up we go!!

I'm laughing so hard at how scared Tristen looks!!!

Then Mom & I had to show them how it's done!!

What fun!!!

Hayden & Brad opted for the little roller coaster.

He's ready, ecited even... he has no idea what to expect.

The look on his face seems to say he over estimated the "fun" and underestimated the "danger."

But his daddy kept him safe and he began to enjoy the ride.

As they pulled to a stop he showed me just how scary it was!

From then on he only wanted to ride rides with his daddy.

He showed a bit of nervousness as they went up, up, up... but he knew he was safe with Dad's arms around him!

Seth talked Hayden into riding with him, I truly don't think anyone else would've been able to pull that off!

Garrett made Papaw stuff into the flying contrapment with him!

Now we're heading to the other side of the park to race cars and get soaked on the bumper boats!

While the boys are on the bumper boats I snuck some pics of Mom & Jim being sweet to each other!!

Water Wars!!!

Hayden was too small to get in the bumper boats and while he waited for their turn to end, he looked so pathetic and adorable!

His mood brightened pretty quick when he got in the race car though!

Boys NEVER grow up!! I loved seeing them having so much fun!

Candid shot of my young man. So serious, So handsome.

But he bounces!

I quite like this shot of me... not sure if Mom took it or Seth, he did have my camera quite a bit!

My assistant!

Now that the tickets have been spent and much fun has been had... we head home, but not before stopping for some of the best mixtures of ice cream shakes, ice cream and toppings I've had in my entire life at Cold Stone!

What a wonderful (although short) visit - proof that it's quality NOT quanity time that means the most!

I love you all!

First day(s) of School 2011

2011-08-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, my eldest son is hitting a milestone this year, no more elementary school for this guy! Encore Junior High School, get ready for this!

Tristen Bradley Logo

Seth is in fifth grade this year, what a handsome boy!

Garrett wasn't much for picture taking, he was just excited to get to school to see his fourth grade friends!

Hayden is a big kindergartner now and begged me for a "big boy" haircut to go with his new "big boy" routine that includes being at school for a full day (9:10 - 3:30)! I obliged.

It's going to be a fantastic school year!

A Family Gathering in San Diego!!

2011-08-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

I don't get to visit my local SoCal family very often, but we were invited to visit while my cousin, Ashley and her family were in town from Minesota.

It was so great to see everyone again!

Aunt Deb (thank you for hosting) Kelby, you're beautiful!

Alex, it was great meeting you Krista, why wouldn't you let me take your picture?

Jenna, you are like a fish!

Marah, how cute are you?!

Krista & Kelby having fun in the pool! Ashley & me making fun at the camera!

Kelby is probably sick of hearing how much she looks like her mom!

Stacey & Ashley, Ashley steals a kiss, Stacey calls the third pose the "dinosaur head" and Ashley calls the fourth the "Facebook pose."

Stacey - newly engaged!

To this guy - Charlie!

Krista - I got one!!!

The guys were cracking Brad up!!

Seriously beautiful, Kelby!

Another newly engaged cousin, Ryan.

Ashley's husband, Eric - he's hilarious!

Uncle Gene & Garrett keeping warm by the fire when the night chill rolled in (and lets not leave out their four legged companion).

Stacey & Charlie (holding hands)

Hayden sneeking a taste of a s'more that Ryan made for him.

Seth & Marah know for sure they like s'mores!

Uncle Gene & Ryan (father & son) roasting marshmellows & making s'mores for everyone.

Just look at those faces, they must be related! LOL!

Eric tries to get the party started

With a skit to include peeing in his pants!

Charlie & Stacey - what a cute couple - Eric wants in on the action!

Eric says, "Charlie, marry me instead!" LOL!

Brad, ever the hit with the kids, teaching Marah a hand game.

We weren't able to visit for too long but we had a wonderful time seeing everyone again (and meeting some). Thanks so much for including us!

Garrett Lasted the Summer!

2011-08-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Not two days home from our vacation and Garrett has to see the doctor about his arm. We were expecting everything to be fine but you know there is always that possibility that it didn't heal correctly or completely, but as it was, Garrett did get to see his arm again! He's not 100% yet but good enough that he doesn't need to sport the cast any longer and he couldn't be more thrilled. However, he experienced anxiety over getting the cast removed.

He was very nervous.

He asked if Seth could go in for support... Seth is so good like that!

No one expected the skin on his arm to look so... reptilicus.

And now for the big question... did it heal?

Praise God! It did!

The doctor said that due to his age and size, his arm will correct itself further upon growth. Garrett's first question was, "when can I wash the dead skin off?"

After leaving the doctor's office, the boys and I went to visit an old friend of mine who's in town, Kerri Wike.

And Garrett made a new friend in Kerri's niece, Chandler.

Annual vacation with my sons - Indio Resort

2011-08-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

I know the last post was of our family vacation, it may seem as though we spent our entire Summer vacationing... that would be so very close to the truth! This Summer was cut short due to a milestone and a transition on our elementary school's part but we still got to enjoy it!

Shortly after we arrived home from Las Vegas, the boys and I packed it up and headed to our WorldMark Timeshare in Indio, Ca to have our annual "just me and my boys" trip.

This was our backyard for nine whole glorious days!

We arrived near dinnertime so we ate and fed the ducks!

And checked out the playground!

The next morning I woke to this:

Slowly but surely the boys woke and even before feeding themselves, asked to feed the ducks!

Then the boys feed the ducks!!

I love how Seth & Garrett (who are younger) have to talk Tristen into feeding the ducks out of their hands! haha!

It looked like so much fun, I just had to try it!! (Plus Seth was chomping at the bit to get a hold of my camera - chip off the ole block!)

okay, just for fun... count how many times Garrett says, "can I get some more bread?"

Tristen finally does it!

Now that you've lived our first morning here with us... enjoy some snapshots of our day!

OMG!!! REALLY??!!!! BOYS!!

Day Three

It was 122 degrees so we decided to wait until sunset to go outside (for a photoshoot) - in the meantime we stayed indoors and played games like

and...

Photoshoot was challenging because I had to use my tripod, but I think these turned out nice enough

Seth took these next two - like I said, chip off the ole block!

The rest of the trip was a bit of a blur! We spent a ton of time at the pools (that's a given) but we also took time out to have a pizza picnic at the park, got a surprise weekend visitor (my loving husband, Brad - and you know I just had to retake some of the previous poses to include him), since Brad was there I was able to go out at sunrise and ravage several chapters of my book and go for a nature walk, after Brad left Sunday the boys and I got some fun pictures on the splash pad since Sunday is obviously the day most people check out (it was like a ghost town), and before we left I made good on my earlier promise to the boys that we'd play tennis (although, we had to do that at night due to the extreme heat)!

We had a fantastic time and can't wait for next year's Mother-Son vacation!

Cancun Vegas Vacation

2011-07-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

July 9-16, 2011 we took a family vacation to Los Vegas and stayed in one of my parent's timeshares called Cancun Resort (the hidden story here is that Brad and I took a trip to Cancun and Isla Mujeres back in 2004-I think- and I was trying to semi recreate the feeling). Here's a shot of the pool area of the resort the evening we arrived.

The back side of the pyramid has four large water slides!

We hit those first thing the next day!

After Garrett tested out his waterproof cast, of course.

And after Hayden was secure in his arm floaties.

They climbed the pyramid to see just how high it was. (Garrett & Brad in photo)

The older boys talked Garrett into going down one of the shorter slides!

He watched them for hours before deciding to go for it!

Later that day we went out to check out some of the fun FREE things Vegas has to offer families; like this gigantic aquarium in the middle of the Silverton Hotel featuring Mermaids!!

While waiting to see a mermaid we saw tons of other neat sealife.

And then she appeared!

Brad got Hayden up close and the mermaid tried to kiss him through the glass and he got so embarassed!

On the way out, the boys noticed these jelly fish!

Out on the strip we ran into Mario & Luigi...

the yellow peanut M&M...

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!!!...

And Hello Kitty!!!

These are some of the buildings the boys wanted me to be sure and take pictures of.

We spotted some lounging lions at the MGM Grand.

I can't figure out what this guy's actual title is but he doesn't look too excited about his job at this moment.

Random pics: This jet tub was big enough for ALL SIX of us to fit in!!

Seth found a heart-shaped piece in his trail mix and offered it to me. awe...

Cell phone pic of the wicked moon.

On our fifth day there, we took the boys to the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay.

Right out of the gate, we posed for these photos (we chose the backgrounds we liked and purchased them on our way out).

Since we were there shortly after Independence Day we thought this pose was appropriate.

Here are some snapshots taken along the way of all the creatures we saw.

In the shop upon exiting, we let the kids have fun looking around...

but ultimately they had to agree on one item to purchase and share, since they all love to draw, they chose a book on "how to draw" sharks and such. Here's a picture of Seth's first try at a shark, amazing!

And for the next few days we just enjoyed our time together!

This was really neat!

The boys' favorite "ride" - the escalators.

I know this blog is a few (ok, ok, FOUR) months late, but, I plan to do some catching up over the next few days/weeks so bear with me and enjoy reading about our Summer in these chilly days of Autumn.

Wow God Wednesday {7}

2011-07-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

This post is a two-for-one... It's a Wow God moment as well as an update on my Garrett and his unfortunate accident - The Whole Story.

So, Garrett broke his arm pretty good, see?

After Garrett's arm was broken Saturday, June 25 it took me a whole week to get the insurance to approve a follow-up appointment with Dr. Phipitanikul (Dr. "Pip") at Loma Linda. We went in July 1 to get a cast put on his arm and see what the damage was from a Pediatric Orthopedic Specialist's point of view. More X-Rays were taken to get a closer look at it now that a week has passed.

They showed that his arm is growing back crooked/overlapped - "shortened" is the term the doctors used - but they assured us that since Garrett has a least 5 years of solid growing still to go, it very well may correct itself so... although surgery was a possibility, he doesn't want to jump on that train just yet. So we scheduled yet another follow-up appointment for July 8 (the day before we leave for our vacation). The "no surgery, yet" status made Garrett a very happy boy! The surgery would involve re-breaking his arm, cutting it open to insert plexi-nails along the break to hold the bone in place while it heals then sewing him up and casting his arm - just to cut him open again to remove the nails upon completion of healing adding about two weeks to his entire healing process.

We learned that he'd had a cast on the whole time (praise God) and Dr. Pip recommended we just keep that one on until our next appointment (less stress for Garrett and less movement for his arm).

During the next week Garrett had his friends and family sign his cast.

July 8 we find ourselves back at Loma Linda - this time, the cast must come off before the X-Rays are taken... this made Garrett very nervous! He couldn't even watch!

He was very careful, he said it hurt and felt weird.

The new X-Rays showed that the now "sticky" bone was in fact beginning to correct itself! WOW GOD!!! NO SURGERY!!!

One more shot of his arm before they put a new cast on it.

As if all of that news wasn't good enough... they put a waterproof cast on Garrett's arm so he'll be able to FULLY enjoy his Summer and not be limited to all the fun to be had while we're on vacation!

Garrett said when the "sock" was pulled on, it hurt!

They put a "munster" cast on, where it was cut on the inside of his elbow to allow for movement of his arm up or down, but still prevent twisting.

His color choices were slightly limited due to the "waterproof-ness" of the cast so he couldn't get his favorite color (blue) but he got this awesome florescent green that really stands out!

Now that it's all over with (for now) he's ready to enjoy his Summer break (pun intended)!

Next appointment is scheduled for August 12 - after TWO week-long vacations, meeting new family and tons of fun - where the cast will come off (most likely) for good and all of this will be behind us!

How we spent our Independence Day

2011-07-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

We spent our 4th of July with my husband, Brad, and his cousins - and all of their kids!

Brad, Tristen, Hayden, Seth, Jacob, Nick, Mike, Sara, Zachary, Garrett & Jimmy

-Mike-

Mike's son, Nick, had stitches in his leg and couldn't get in the pool either so he and Garrett made friends with each other really quickly.

Mike's other son, Jacob could and did get in the pool though!

Brad, his cousin, Mike and (I was bound to forget some names - I'll get this straightened out but in the meantime, enjoy the rest of the blog)

Our happy hosts, Jimmy & Christine Madden

and their children, Sara & Zachary

Let's not leave out their dog, Daisy.

Brad & I made sure to cool off in the pool too.

Tristen

Seth

Garrett

Hayden

(Forgive me, another failed attempt at remembering names - I do know that this lovely lady is Mike & Jimmy's cousin from their mom's side - Brad is related to them through their father) & Sammy (their neighbor's son)

I just love Sammy's curls!

We haven't spent much time with Brad's side of the family for various reasons but when the offer was extended to come celebrate Independence Day with the Madden's we jumped at the chance to reconnect! After getting over our initial discomfort and introduction to some we'd never met, we all found ourselves mingling and socializing - we had such a great time! I love that the boys had the opportunity to meet their relatives from their dad's side.

Sara seemed fascinated by Garrett's cast and asked a multitude of questions.

Zachary (three) is taking lessons and this is one of his very favorite "moves" - I think he was just showing off, haha!

HA! The showing off must run in the family! Christine was doing back flips and round-offs off the side of the pool!

A homeowners job is never done!

Sara

Zachary

Hayden

Hayden & his Daddy

Sara (in typical female fashion had to change halfway through the day)

Zachary showing he's not afraid of going under!

Zachary & Christine

After watching Zach, Hayden attempted to jump in from the edge (he just wouldn't completely let go) it was hilarious to watch!

That pool really got a workout that day!

Jimmy is so good with the kids! He loves them and they love him!

Tristen

Seth

Garrett

Hayden

Brad stole my camera periodically throughout the day and captured the "bathing beauties" - HA - Christine's neighbor, Faye, Christine, & Me!

This was our view - gorgeous, blessed day!

Thank you, Jimmy & Christine for opening up your beautiful home to us!

We really should get together more often!

{June 21, 2011} Garrett is Nine

2011-07-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Garrett liked Tristen's and Seth's invitations so much he asked me to make a custom invitation for his party too.

(The address & phone number have been left out of this version on purpose)

Now for this year's traditional Walk Down Memory Lane

Garrett Michael Logo

born June 21, 2002

10:27 AM 7lbs, 11oz - 19 inches

(my biggest baby to date - oh the irony! today he is the smallest!)

First Christmas 2002

Garrett's favorite night time pal - we all thought they were twins!

{ONE} Garrett's first birthday!

This blanket has been in the family since the day we brought Tristen home from the hospital in it. We handed it down to Seth when we brought him home from the hospital in it and we followed suit when we brought Garrett home from the hospital in it - I think Garrett loved it most from day one!

It's his "blank" - See said "blank" today:

It has REALLY been LOVED! He refuses to let it go! It goes without saying that he refused to let us hand this lovely thing down to Hayden when he came along in 2006 - Garrett compromised and said if I'd let him keep this blanket for himself, he'd help me pick out not one, but two lovely blankets for the new baby! LOL! And so we did.

{TWO} well, just days before his second birthday!

{THREE} Pee-Wee Basketball

{FOUR} first day of pre-school

{FIVE} A Pirates of the Caribbean Birthday Celebration

September 2007

December 2007

Snaggle-Toothed at {SIX}

{SEVEN}

This is the year I noticed Garrett making some significant changes: Note the hair (just kidding! It was crazy hair day at school - but his personality is finally beginning to show itself),

the glasses,

{EIGHT}

and the changes continue, note the silly bands,

the interest in a sport I never would've considered for him, but love!

{NINE}

Sneak Peek:

You want more? Easy! Just click here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARRETT!

Sorry this post came late but, Garrett was too busy breaking himself to cooperate , we had to reschedule his birthday session! I'm sure you all understand.

The Silent Tongue {Day 30} - THE END

2011-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Thirty - The Silent Tongue

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... a time to be silent and a time to speak - Ecclesiastes 3:1,7

Not all silence is golden. The previous devotions/Bible studies on Taming Your Tongue were to encourage us to abstain from various negative uses of the tongue. By now you may have concluded you will never be able to say more than a few words for the rest of your life if you are to tame the little unruly member that sets the course of your destiny. If you have decided a vow of silence is your only hope, read on...

Talking is absolutely essential to maintaining effective relationships. As a child, your parents or teachers may have drilled into your head the proverb that "silence is golden." The truth is that this is a half-quoted proverb. The complete saying is, "Speech is silver, silence is golden." While keeping one's mouth shut is a great virtue, effective communication is to a relationship what oxygen is to the body. To say, "speech is silver" implies that speaking has significant value. Silver was once a primary medium of exchange, just as currency is today. It was used to trade one value for another. When we talk, it should be an exchange of valuable information. All the previous TYT devotions/Bible studies have highlighted various types of negative communications that provided no value. Let's now focus on those instances in which silence has no value.

Silence is not golden when one uses it as a passive, retaliatory means of expressing his anger or displeasure with a situation. In fact, such silence is a direct violation of our Lord's command to confront those who offend us.

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother - Matthew 18:15

Jesus is recommending pretty assertive behavior in commanding us to take the initiate in addressing an offense or a trespass. Trespassing is an unauthorized crossing of boundary. Many times we feel we have been trespassed or wronged, but rather than discussing the issue with the offender, we resort to sulking and pouting. Women are especially prone to keeping silent as most have been socialized to think it is unladylike to be so direct as to say, "I was offended by your actions. Please don;t do that again." Unfortunately, this lack of communication leaves many offenders totally unaware that their behavior has negatively affected us. Thus, they are more likely to repeat the offense.

Silence is not golden when we refuse to defend someone against unwarranted criticism or vicious rumors. We cannot let our fear of alienation or rejection cause us to allow slander and character assassinations when we are well aware of facts to the contrary.

Silence is not golden when it results in us making an undesirable decision by default. After all, silence can indicate consent. Prayer was taken out of public schools in the United States because the majority kept quiet and did not protest. In the book of Numbers, Moses reiterated that silence is indeed consent. He gave instructions on how to deal with single women who made vows:

When a young woman still living in her father's house makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, the all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her - Numbers 30:3-5

He went on to instruct in verses 10-15 that the same rules applied to a married woman. Her vow was to stand if her husband failed to protest it in a timely manner. His silence gave consent to her actions.

A Japanese proverb states, "Silent worms dig holes in the walls." To keep silent when one should be speaking is a sure way to dig holes in your relationships.

Today's Affirmation:

I will not keep silent when I should be speaking.

(Personally, I do not have THIS malady. But it serves as a nice reminder to those who may suffer from it.)

Garrett's After-Party

2011-06-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

I kind of blew through this point in Garrett’s Whole Story post but it was no simple thing that Loma Linda’s ER attendants presented Garrett with birthday presents while he missed his party to have them fix his arm. He wasn’t ready to open them in the hospital due to the medication he was given and its affects on him but when he was ready to open his birthday presents he wanted to open those first! They hadn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated!

Impressively, without knowing anything about Garrett’s personality or what his interests are they made remarkable choices in selecting the gifts to give him.

He received a 10 pack boxed set of Hot Wheels,

And a no-sew handmade fleece blanket, with a note attached from its makers/donators that read:

“Dear friend,

We made this blanket especially for you. This blanket is meant to keep you cozy day and night. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it for you. When we made it, we did it with lots of love. Get well soon. Never give up!

Your Friends,

Alani, Sarah & Michael”

-complete with a photo of them with the blanket and their teacher/mentor-

As Seth read the letter aloud, he choked on a few of the words and all of our eyes welled up with tears, especially Garrett’s.

When he gingerly pulled this soon-to-be-his-favorite blanket out of its plastic zippered bag, he realized it had dogs all over it! He. Loves. Dogs.

He wanted to pose with his gifts and have me take a picture so he can write a "thank you" letter to the ER staff and add his picture! Then it took him some time before he was ready to open his other gifts.

But before he started opening his gifts from his friends, Hayden remembered he wrote a card for Garrett and made him a special bracelet at his party!

Can you feel the love?

Since Garrett's broken arm was still very sore and swollen, he let Tristen & Seth take turns helping him unwrap his presents.

-Back in March when Tristen & Seth got a lot of money for their birthdays, Seth loaned some to Garrett so he wouldn't feel left out when they went shopping. Garrett's took his FIRST $30.00 and was excited to pay his brother back!

Garrett enjoyed some birthday food that had been set aside for him.

He enjoyed coloring in Hayden's gigantic SpongeBob coloring book & he even had a visitor!

A few days later, when he was feeling up to it, I took Garrett shopping to pick out his bed set.

Overall, I'd have to say this was a very eventful birthday!

The Indiscreet Tongue {Day 29}

2011-06-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Nine - The Indiscreet Tongue

Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you - Proverbs 2:11

One who is discreet shows prudence and wise self-restraint in speech and behavior -- and always reaps a positive consequence. Indiscretion can be costly. Some subject matters should simply be off limits for discussion. You would be wise to never discuss your salary or bonus --especially with other company personnel. Your sex life should also be off limits as an item of discussion with a non-counseling outsider.

Have you ever found out something about a leader or other prominent person and could not refrain from telling someone? If God has trusted you enough to reveal someone's nakedness or sin, have you ever considered that you were not to "see" and "tell" but rather to cover that nakedness with discretion and intercession? It can be a very uncomfortable position. God may even call you to confront the individual regarding his or her wrongdoing. He did so with Nathan the prophet, who confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba and his subsequent murder of her husband to cover it up (2 Samuel 12). Whatever God mandates, do it His way. A public revelation is not always necessary as it can cause irreparable damage to the body of Christ. David's sin with Bathsheba never became the topic of a public scandal. However, David suffered the consequences through his family and other areas of his life. A leader's punishment is God's business.

Caution! If you serve in a position of authority, such as a member of a board of directors, then you have a responsibility to deal with ungodly behavior in a leader. Confront with love and compassion. No one is perfect, and no one has 20/20 vision on himself. Remember that. God may someday show someone your nakedness. Pray that it will be handled with wisdom. Plant the seed of discretion now.

Today's Affirmation:

My discretion will protect me and understanding will guard me.

Wow God Wednesday {6}

2011-06-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my Tristen! He's officially a Pirate now!! June 23, 2011 he was accepted into Hesperia, California's Encore: Performing & Visual Arts School - Praise God!! That guy always has a surprise up His sleeve for me! To all who have had to suffer my poor attitude and worrisome behavior over God's "mess up" by not having Tristen accepted to University Prep - I'm sorry and thank you for the prayers!! God worked it out even better!! Had it not been for me being hired to photograph Victoria Edsell's graduation ceremony, I would've never even heard of this school! Lord only knows why it took me 18 days to put two & two together and look this school up online. Literally! I went online June 22, signed up for a registration appointment (for the 23rd), drove over to pick up the enrollment packet, and the very next morning we met Tristen's new guidance counselor and got his class schedule!! This worked this out SO fast and with NO hic-ups, I just KNOW it was God!

I'm very impressed with Tristen's elective choices too! He chose Design Mix Media (where he will learn all about how to design web pages and video games), Karate, & Spanish. I'm SO proud of my boy! (And not-so-secretly thrilled that he doesn't have to go to Cobalt!) I'm so stinking excited! I can't seem to function correctly! I'm overwhelmed with how God "tricked" me!!! I was SO BUMMED about Tristen having to go to the local public school but I was trying SO HARD not to show it. I was also very disappointed that God did not "answer my prayers" even though I was faithful, believed and spoke "truth" into Tristen going to University Prep... I know now that Encore is where God meant for Tristen to go all the while. It's amazing! Wow, God!!

Hayden's Birthday Party

2011-06-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, since I wasn't there, there's not much I can say about this party - but that certainly won't stop me from trying to interpret the photos my wonderful, loving husband and sister took!

Due to Garrett's accident occurring only a short time prior to the party, we did not have time to cancel and since Garrett's friends are also Seth & Tristen's friends, there was no need! Look at all his supportive friends!!

Weeks prior to this party, Brad and I made "dinosaur eggs" to hide and have the pre-schoolers find!

Looks like Lauren took on explaining the rules...

The best thing about finding them is cracking them open to see what hatches!

Why, baby dinosaurs, of course!!

I had an area set up for crafting - not all of the crafts got set out but looks like the kids had a great time beading!

Time to open presents!!

He loved this card!!!

Now for time to eat! Hayden has been very much into dinosaurs and rainbows lately but chose dinos as his party theme - I wanted to incorporate rainbows too and did so with the food!

You're familiar with Rice Krispy treats, right? Well - I made Fruity Pebbles Treats, then cut them up and made marshmellow kabobs with them!

I also made a TON of cupcakes and mini cupcakes in a "rainbow" of colors topped with dinosaur rings!

Then for the big finale - the cake! A six-layered cake decorated with dinosaurs (Hayden was in for a surprise once it was cut open though) - just look!

After all the planned festivities were complete, the kids had time for free play, enjoy these random photos of the rest of the party.

Hayden & Emily (apparently they are quite smitten with each other!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

The Loquacious Tongue {Day 28}

2011-06-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Eight - The Loquacious Tongue

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise - Proverbs 10:19

Have you ever talked to someone who seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth?

OK - STOP

I've had a very tough week and today at book club I fond myself discussing another touchy topic and now my devotion is slapping me in the ~~face~~ mouth? - I had to get that out, I'm gonna do this now, please continue.

(Ahem) Have you ever talked to someone (or been someone) who seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth? On and on she goes, from one topic to another. Well, know from henceforth that the proper word for this malady is "loquaciousness." It's just a big word for a "motor mouth" (ok, ouch!) While it is generally concluded that females have cornered the market on this use of the tongue, men can be guilty too. When in the presence of an incessant talker, it makes one wonder if that person is lonely (owe), has few opportunities to talk to others (adults), or just plain loves the sound of her own voice (not me, I pray that one's not me!). Whatever the motivation, excessive talking tends not to glorify God. The apostle Paul admonished the Thessalonians to study to be quiet - Thessalonians 4:11 To "study" implies a striving or intense effort. It will take some work to overcome this entrenched habit.

(Nice, some practice techniques)

If in the midst of your conversation you find yourself veering down the path of loquaciousness, try these quick detours:

Simply stop talking and ask the other person an open-ended question that would cause him to respond with more than a simple yes or no. For example, "John, what do you think about...?"
Make the talking count. Make your motto "I am not a woman of few words, but I love to talk about things of God." Share an interesting news story you've heard or an insight God has given you on a Scripture. For example, rather than succumbing to a negative conversation, I will keep telling everyone about my "tongue fast" and the truths God has revealed from His Word during my search of the Scriptures. Hopefully they'll listen with great interest and benefit.

Today's Affirmation:

When my words are many, sin is not absent, but when I hold my tongue, I am considered wise.

(Honestly, this does not help me today - I will have to revisit this one most frequently out of all these day's devotions, I think. How's that for being transparent?)

Melt-Down Monday {7 of 7}

2011-06-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well guys, we made it! It's the end of the course; second for me, first for Diane) and we are quite proud of our accomplishments.

{Amanda}

As most of you are fully aware by now, I have had a very stressful week. It started with me realizing there was only one week left before the big birthday bash I was to throw for Garrett & Hayden so I had a LOT to do to finish preparing everything. Plus my Tristen graduated Sixth grade (Yes! Of course I plan to blog all of that stuff!), so there was some stressful emotions bubbling beneath the surface because I'm a female and that's how we're made. And finally-- my Garrett's unfortunate accident with breaking his arm. So yeah, I expected to have a tough weight-loss week, not to mention, this was my second round of HCG and I've been told it doesn't come off as quickly or easily once your body has been on it for so long. So when I tallied the pounds to realize I'd lost four whole pounds this week, I was impressed. That gives me an overall weight loss (this course only) of 23.8 pounds - now, my personal goal for this course was 25 pounds but I'm okay with what I accomplished! Now to just hold steady over the Summer - that will be tricky but necessary and I know that with God all things are possible!

Here are some photos to enjoy: I'm being told there aren't enough "skinny" pics of me being shared!

(although, for the record, I'm not done yet, not quite "skinny" by my standards - or my doctor's or the Wii for that matter! LOL!)

^That's me & Shane Jayden Berdeguez!

>>then a sneak peek of Tristen's Sixth Grade Promotion^

Now, I've mentioned on Facebook that I went bathing suit shopping and bought not one, not two, but THREE two-piece bathing suits... I've been contemplating whether or not to share photos of me in them, how proud am I that I can wear a two-piece after birthing four children? How proud am I of the hard work I've put towards losing this weight? Am I proud enough to show... HECK YES!!!

Now I know I'm no super model and I HAVE had four kids so, there are plenty of imperfections and dimples in my shape but I'm so happy to be me, I'm gonna show you my midriff!

I know I desperately need a tan and black makes the white really stand out but I've shown two of three, I may as well show it all!

Since my heaviest weight in February this year I am down a total of 48.7 pounds! My long-term weight-loss goal is 78 pounds so I've got 29.3 to go! I can do this, I can do this, I can do this - and in just ONE more course of HCG (prayerfully)! I'll be back late August/early September for the finale! Hopefully with a tan and after doing some serious toning and possibly using some scar removal cream for those ~~stretch~~ birthing marks!

{Diane}

This was our last week on Phase 2 of our diet plan. Now we are off to do maintenance. Instead of going and purchasing new clothes I decided I would take up my favorites. In this one pic you can see that I took them up in the inseam all the way approximately 1 1/2 inches! Then I put them on to show how they look. Well.......they are still loose! Guess I have to break down and purchase a new pair.....And I DID! The black Capri jeans are new and they are 3 whole sizes smaller than what I was wearing when I started this diet! I also broke down and purchased a new bathing suit since my daughter April said we would be going swimming when I come to get the girls.

This week I lost 4.7 lbs and my total weight loss for this 43 day HCG plan is...*drum roll*..... 26.5 pounds!

Oh - And remember when I mentioned I will have to take in my bathing suit here? Well, I decided to just go buy new ones!

Lauren has been on HCG now for nearly a week and has already shown a SERIOUS weight-loss of FOURTEEN POUNDS!!! What!?!?! If you're interested in following her progress find her new blog here. I'm just so happy to be such an inspiration to others as someone came along and inspired me to get off my duff and finally do something about my weight instead of continuing to complain about it!

We cannot thank you all enough for following our progress and supporting/encouraging us along the way! I've got the best blog followers/Facebook friends on the planet!

The Doubting Tongue {Day 27}

2011-06-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Seven - The Doubting Tongue

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says - Mark 11:23

If we ever hope to tame a doubting tongue, we must become familiar with the promises of God. Words of doubt come out of an unbelieving heart. Of course, merely knowing the promises of God is not enough; we must become proficient at declaring them. Faith comes by hearing - Romans 10:17 The more we declare our unbelief, the more reinforced it becomes. The more we assert our confidence in a positive outcome, the more our faith increases. Because we will believe what we constantly hear, we must take personal responsibility for what we hear. We may have to limit --or eliminate-- our contact with individuals who tend to express negativity about various outcomes, goals, or results we desire.

Often our words of doubt originate out of our tendency to act in self-confidence. Self-confidence is a concept touted by the world that tells us we must rely on our own skills and abilities. This is a direct contradiction to King Solomon's warning He who trusts in himself is a fool - Proverbs 28:26 When we face a challenge and quickly assess our own ability to conquer it, we will most likely come up short -- and doubting. We must be on guard not to give our doubts substance by declaring them.

If the spirit of unbelief plagues you, I challenge you to get a good study Bible and to search the Scriptures for verses relating to your areas of concern. Write down a passage, meditate on it often, and memorize it. This sounds simple but it's not easy. Some doubts die hard. we must be persistent in declaring our victory.

What are some things you find yourself speaking about in a doubtful way? Is it the fear of pursuing a career or task for which you feel inadequate? The hopelessness of forging an amicable relationship with a difficult person? The seemingly impossible task of getting into shape? Perhaps you have resorted to being a Doubting Thomas who would only believe what he could touch (see John 20:25)

God's children are to live by faith -- in God. We cannot afford to get stymied in the "sense realm" of what we can see and feel. Our doubts can deter our destiny.

Our attitudes and conversations will change when we face the reality that apart from God we can do absolutely nothing. Decide today to skip the skepticism, doubt the doubts, and believe the best!

Today's Affirmation:

Anything is possible for me if I believe. Therefore, I will declare my faith rather than discuss my doubts.

The Discouraging Tongue {Day 26}

2011-06-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Six - The Discouraging Tongue

When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them - Job 29:24

Have you ever dampened someone's hope, confidence, or enthusiasm by raising objections to his proposed action? An untold number of individuals have missed their destiny because of someone's discouraging words. Teachers have dashed the dreams of students who had mediocre grades or other shortcomings. Would-be inventors abandoned their pursuit of innovative ideas ideas once family members and society ridiculed them. I do not believe that people who have dissuaded others in such a manner deliberately intended to discourage them, but rather spoke out of their own lack of faith in God's ability to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us - Ephesians 3:20

Discouragement has wreaked havoc for ages. What about you? When you see others faced with negative circumstances, do you lose hope in their ability to succeed? Further, can you listen to someone's dreams and plans without making disheartening remarks? This is not to say that you should not question the viability of an idea that seems to have no merit, nor fail to offer objective input to warn against potential failure, However, a well-phrased question can be much more effective that a straight out "That's impossible!" For example, asking a young entrepreneur, "How did you determine the market for your product?" sounds better than, "Gee, I don't think many people would be interested in that!"

Even if you cannot envision the dreams of another, at least agree to stand in faith with him for God's perfect will to be done regarding the proposed endeavor. Henry Ford once said that the ability to encourage others is one of life's biggest assets. Think of the people who have encouraged you during your lifetime and what a positive effect their words had had on you. In a world plagued with negativity, everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time. Make a conscious effort to always speak sincere words of affirmation, support, and inspiration to those within your circle of concern.

If, perchance, you are confronted by a discourager, do not let him derail your destiny. Very graciously let him know your eyes are fixed on God, who specializes in doing the impossible. Better yet, be highly selective of those with whom you share your dreams. Their lack of initiative and faith, and even their envy, may very well cause you to abort your plans.

Today's Affirmation:

Worry weighs a person down: but my encouraging words will cheer him up.

The Accusing Tongue {Day 25}

2011-06-26T16:40:00.001-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

--I'm sure that after reading The Whole Story you can understand why I didn't get to this yesterday, but I'll get caught up.--

Day Twenty-Five - The Accusing Tongue

The accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down - Revelation 12:10

Have you ever charged someone with wrong-doing before you established evidence of his guilt? When you do so, you fall into the same pattern as Satan, the official accuser of God's children.

Emotional and spiritual maturity dictate that you must seek first to understand rather than making an accusation. Look at the example God set in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve blew it. He could have easily said, "Adam and Eve, you ungrateful sinners, I should never have trusted you in my garden!" God's non-accusatory style in confronting Adam and Eve about their trespass provides a powerful model for those of us who tend to accuse before obtaining all the facts of the matter.
Then the Lord God called Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" - Genesis 3:9-11
Now one can't help but note that God already knew the answer to each of the three questions He asked Adam. Notwithstanding, He gave Adam an opportunity to explain his behavior. Asking a clarifying question and listening to the response are key steps in overcoming an accusing tongue. I repeat, ask, and listen.
Has anyone ever accused you falsely? Have your motives been called into question when you knew they were pure? How should you respond to such injustice? Well, the first step is to ask God's guidance as to whether to proclaim your innocence and the best way to do so. If the lie has affected someone, you might explain to that person that the accusation is simply not true. You have no control over whether or not they believe you. Also, if you are not certain who the perpetrator is, do not waste your energy trying to find the source of the lie. Know that all lies originate with Satan. Period.

Today's Affirmation:
With God's help, today I will tune my ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. I will cry out for insight and understanding. I will search for them as I would for lost money or hidden treasure.

The Whole Story {Garrett}

2011-06-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Warning: These photos are graphic!

Yesterday - June 25, 2011 - was to be the day we celebrated Garrett turning nine on the twenty-first and Hayden turning five on July eighth, but as things go when you have four very active and energetic little boys - plans got interrupted.

In the morning before the party was to begin, the boys were all in their own prospective little worlds -in their room, on the computer, jumping on the trampoline or swinging on the swing set in the back yard - Garrett had showed me his new trick on the swing where he swings up really high then jumps off (yep, that's how this happened) - while I rushed to frost 100+ cupcakes, decorate the 6-layered cake, make Pebble Krispies/Marshmellow Kabobs, set up the craft tables and generally get ready for the guests to begin to arrive; I was down to 4 hours and the boys were getting antsy, they kept coming in tattling or complaining, asking, "how much longer?" and the like. So at 9:15 AM when Garrett came in saying, "Ow, ow, owowowow" I rolled my eyes and thought What now? A sticker in your foot or something? Then I turned around to see what his complaint was and froze/freaked/screamed/shrieked! This is what I saw:

(I later learned that my reaction caused him to look -for the first time- at his arm and then he freaked out!) I immediately realized my mistake and tried to correct it - - I turned on my tough-mommy face and dropped to my knees, grabbed his face in my hands and told him to just breathe (all the while trying to take my own advice). I told him his arm was severely broken and I was going to take him to the hospital. I asked Tristen to get his cell and try to contact his daddy (who was at RSP, working) to tell him to come home NOW - EMERGENCY! First time I've ever done that! Seth took it upon himself to walk Garrett over to the couch and have him sit down then he got some frozen edamame (our go-to bag in lieu of ice, it's too hard) to put on the arm and Hayden informed me that he had to go to his room because "that looks creepy and I don't want to have nightmares." I got dressed in ten seconds, grabbed a water bottle and was out the door with Garrett while calling my sister, Lauren, to come take my place as "Party Hostess" and be with the other boys until Brad made it home.

Brad made it home. Between him & Lauren Hayden still had a great birthday party - will post their photos of that in another blog.

In the meantime, Garrett & I made it to Loma Linda University - Children's Hospital in record time, but safely. I set my phone up and captured this video in the car on the way down -- just to give you a better idea of what he was like during this phase.

Video translation (you can hear me)

I was jumping off the swing and just fell off.

In shock.

Um, I wish that I was dreaming right now.

I really don't want to miss my party.

I really don't want to miss it.

On the way down I prayed and asked God to get us in quickly, not have to sit in the waiting room for too long with "looky-loos" and that he wouldn't need surgery. I thanked him for Lauren & Brad being able to be there for the party guests. I asked for comfort and peace for Garrett and strength and patience for me. I kept Garrett talking to me about how he was feeling - basically about any and everything, I just wanted him to stay awake. He told me his pain level was about 75% and he was tired when we first hit the freeway. By the time we arrived at Loma Linda he said his pain was down to 60% but he was very tired. I helped him out of the car and he had a hard time walking to the entrance, he became very dizzy and weak. When we got to the emergency entrance the security guard in the front turned green at the sight of Garrett's arm (I later learned that he first thought it was just a deformity, but when he realized it was broken like that he felt sick!). Before he could even direct us to the registration desk, Dr. A. Thorp walked passed us and smiled, took one look at Garrett's arm and gently asked us to come with her -- without even changing the sweet smile on her face! She placed Garrett in a wheel chair and took him straight into the Children's ER Center; within seconds he was surrounded by doctors, nurses and X-ray techs along with a portable X-ray machine.

Barely an hour after the incident - and we're in!

Dr. A Thorp is the one in the white coat to the upper center/right of the photo with the long dark ponytail.

Garrett's arm getting braced for X-rays on one side while another wonderful person inserted an IV into his other hand.

The female x-ray tech couldn't handle looking at his arm and placed a towel over it as she positioned his arm for x-rays to be taken.

Remember the mention of an IV? Yup! They gave him morphine!

They determined that his elbow was unaffected so they tried to straighten it out to get a better angle of the rest of his arm/wrist. --He did not like that. -- here came the second dose of morphine.

They had to cut his shirt off...

...but they managed to get it done, still no tears from Garrett!

They asked him to try and move his fingers but the pointer was the only one he could manage to move. I knew what that meant! Possible nerve damage! I've bee through this with Hayden when he broke his arm. She used this sharp end of a Q-Tip-looking thing to poke him and without looking, he had to determine which finger she was poking. He passed! So that got them thinking maybe his wrist was broken because that's where he'd pointed when she asked where it hurt when he'd complained that trying to move his fingers made his arm hurt. But they couldn't get a good x-ray of his wrist without causing excessive and unnecessary pain. They will take care of that when they knocked him out to reset the arm. --more waiting!

So, we watched Monster's Inc while we waited. Garrett talked a little too... about how he's glad he broke his left arm since he is right-handed, about how he's glad he's out of school for the Summer and won't have to miss and possibly fail classes, about how he's glad he broke his arm and not his leg cause this way he can at least walk, about how some friends couldn't make it to his party and maybe they will all be able to make it to the rescheduled one... I mean! This kid was being so optimistic! I was/am so very proud of him!

Garrett was very worried about the possibility of having to have surgery. His heart rate would rise and his oxygen level would drop, then he'd turn to me and ask, "Mom, will they have to do surgery? 'Cause I really don't want surgery." I would assure him that they'd do everything in their power to fix his arm without surgery and his heart rate & oxygen would go back to normal. Then he'd turn a stressed out face to me and again his heart rate would rise and his oxygen level would drop and say, "When they fix my arm, will I feel it?" I'd tell him absolutely NOT! I told him he'll be asleep; once again his heart rate & oxygen would go back to normal. This kept happening - he asked, "What if I wake up while they're fixing my arm?" I promised he wouldn't and that he'd not even remember it happening - he then made us both laugh by asking if he'd forget he broke his arm altogether! I told him that's not likely to ever happen!

The movie ended and I barely had time to use the restroom before the doctors showed up again.

Around 1:15 PM Dr. A. Thorp and other staff members were back, this time with ketamine to knock him out before taking him to another room and resetting his arm. They made me leave, of course. Which I suppose I'm grateful for. I was able to go to the parking lot to thaw out (why do they keep hospitals so darn cold?!) The thawing didn't take long in the 104F temps! I made a few phone calls and tried to post an update on Facebook while I had a signal --Brad and Mom were thankful to hear from me.

I was told the procedure would only last 30 minutes (and that's about all the heat I could take) so I went back into the waiting room. What a terrifying place! But God place two of the most amazing security clerks in my path to talk to me, keep me calm and basically distract me from the waiting, one loaned me his personal cell phone charger since my phone was dying and the other (when her shift was over) came to find Garrett and me back in the room to meet Garrett and let us know we touched her heart.

When I was finally called back to the room (an hour and 20 minutes later!) Garrett was just barely opening his eyes and trying to talk.

Video translation ^^

(you can hear me)

Wow! The sky is kind of moving back and forth.

It looks like the sky is moving back and forth.

Yeah.

Ok, it looks like my presents are flying away from me.

It looks like my presents are flying away.

Yeah.

I nearly broke down when they brought these birthday presents in for Garrett (but was able to hold it together for him)! They said no kid should miss their birthday party for a broken arm. Said he was so brave and calm and that he made their jobs so easy, he got two!

I thought I didn't get it on video! When Garrett first looked at his arm he said, "Oh, I guess my wish didn't come true. It wasn't a dream." Then he fell back into a trance-like state.

Video translation

(you can hear me)

Not really 'cause the, the thing on the ceiling's still going like up and down.

And I really want people to like it.

When I look at everything else it doesn't go up and down.

(then he's out again!)

I wish I was dreaming but I'm not dreaming.

I want to go home.

I think they gave me too much medicine.

He kept asking me what time it was. My guess is that he thought he'd still make it home in time for his party. :`(

Video translation:

(you can hear me)

...Tristen here?

Are Seth and Tristen here?

Garrett kept falling back to sleep while getting additional x-rays taken so I asked if that was normal. I was told it may take him longer to come out of it because towards the end of them resetting his arm he started to wake so they gave him a second does of ketamine! But they didn't need him to be awake for these x-rays, they were able to determine his wrist is NOT broken, only his ulna and radius which are broken at a near 90 degree angle! I got the x-rays on a disc but my computer does not support the program to open them. I'll have to come back and add them after he sees his pediatrician and we get printed copies for me to scan.

In the meantime, enjoy some funny stuff I captured on video while Garrett was trying to come out of it! Laughter is the best medicine.

Video translation

(you can hear me)

Oh, like dizzy.

it looks like you have four eyes.

It looks like you have four eyes.

Video translation

(you can hear me)

I don't know.

Yeah.

It looks like the medicine is like... (mumbling and trailing off)...

It looks like the medicine is still on me, on me.

Yeah.

In this video he's trying to keep his eyes closed to "make the dizzy go away"

Video translation

(you can hear me)

How about now?

Are my eyes still jumping?

I took these close up pictures of Garrett's eyes to show their dilation and crazy-cool color changing.

We thought he might be able to see more clearly if he had his glasses back on... no luck.

We weren't supposed to be released until Garrett could stand/walk on his own. He tried for over an hour and just kept falling asleep. Finally they released us anyway. They helped me wheel him out to the car and get him buckled in. He woke up briefly and asked for chicken and french fries but by the time I gave him his food he was out again! I just took him home where he was bombarded with love and questions and stories about the birthday party that he missed.

Within and hour Brad had filled his prescription for Tylenol with Codeine and he took a dose (after eating his chicken and french fries in addition to a banana) and asked if he could go to bed. He slept well all night, wish I could say the same for me (I had nightmares all night about how much worse things could've been). As soon as he was fully asleep, I allowed my tears to fall. I tried to upload the photos and post this blog but just couldn't do it.

Thank you all for your prayers and patience with me as I composed myself enough to tell this terrifying tale. God sure answered my prayers and yours. Garrett and I are handling things as well as can be expected (Garrett's actually handling things way better than expected) and I am so thankful.

As for what to pray for now? Please pray that his arm stays in place while in the temporary cast so it doesn't shift in the slightest, otherwise he will need surgery to fix it. Pray we get in to see his pediatrician MONDAY (tomorrow) for a different pain prescription because he's not handling the Codeine very well and pray that he gets an appointment for his full cast this week and doesn't have to go through another weekend with a temp cast on. Pray for full healing, comfort and understanding for Garrett. Pray that his friends will all be available to come back over for a "redo" party! Then be sure to thank God for all He's already done in this situation, and praise Him for being so utterly awesome! I still can't figure out how I'm dealing with all of this truly. I feel I must be in shock still!

Sixth Grade Promotion {Tristen Bradley Logo} - and Friends

2011-06-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to fathom. My child, my firstborn son, has completed seven years of school. We celebrated his sixth grade promotion in style!

I stayed up late the night before his promotion ceremony to hand-string $13.00 in ones and individually wrapped, color coordinated candies onto a lei for him to proudly wear as he stands with his peers in front of his and their family and friends to receive his certificate of completion. (I meant to give him $20.00 but there wasn't room on the lei - don't worry, he still received a total of $20.00)

We arrived early enough for me to capture a few shots of my young man before the observance began.

We ran into a couple of Tristen's buddies while we waited and took the opportunity to secure those memories. Discovery stops at sixth grade and Tristen will most likely not be attending the school with his elementary friends next year (and the years to come). He has made some strong connections in the seven years he attended Discovery, though and I'm sure they will follow him in the coming years, no matter where the other students end up going.

Tristen, Max and Dylan

Now, on to the ceremony

Mr. Hill - The Principle

Max Pacheco

Samuel Soares

Mr. Bragg - Math Teacher

Dylan Beottcher

Ian Dugan

Laurenz Gamurot

Jason Browsman

Mrs. Chapman - Language Arts Teacher

My main man - Tristen Bradley!

Tristen's Promoting Class of 2011

Dylan, Tristen and Max

Samantha Bailey

Tristen and Mr. Galvez

We're so proud of his accomplishments! He was in all GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) classes, in the top of his class and is pursuing Technical Arts next year at Encore! We are all very excited to see where his education leads him, he is so brilliant!

The Retaliating Tongue {Day 24}

2011-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Four - The Retaliating Tongue

Don't repay evil for evil. Don;t retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it - 1 Peter 3:9

There is nothing as easy as verbal retaliation. Of course, the thrill of it is only a fleeting pleasure for those who love God; the remorse for succumbing to this sin tends to linger. The root meaning of the word "retaliate" is to "return the punishment." The Bible is very clear in admonishing us to avoid retaliation.

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord - Romans 12:17-19

Try to stay mindful of the fact that when we decide that it is our personal responsibility to avenge the wrongs perpetrated against us, we have crossed the boundary into forbidden territory.

Today's Affirmation:

I will not repay evil for evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this I have been called so that I may inherit a blessing.

The Complaining Tongue { Day 23}

2011-06-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Three - The Complaining Tongue

I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him - Psalm 142:1-2

A legitimate complaint can only be resolved if you direct it to the one who can change your situation. Only a few people who are dissatisfied, annoyed, or upset by an experience actually take steps to officially complain about it. They prefer to waste time soliciting others to commiserate with them. What an exercise in utility. Not only could their input to the right person improve things for them but for others as well.

The psalmist did not bore, frustrate, or waste the time of others with his complaints. He declares, I pour our my complaint before Him, the one who could bring change. Notwithstanding, even God tires of constant complaints. Someone once said, "To swear is wicked because it is taking God's name in vain. To murmur is likewise wicked, for it takes God's promises in vain." During your tongue fast become aware of how often you complain about nonessential matters such as a rainy day, traffic jams, boring television programs, lazy co-workers, and so on.

Because complaining is contagious, this is a hard mouth malady to cure. If you are a complainer, you must start to resist the constant "ain't it awful" party. Trust me, others will be glad you did and will stop dreading conversations with you. This is not to say you shouldn't seek an occasional sympathetic ear or wise counsel from a valued source. However, if you are going to ignore their advice and continue to rehearse the problem each time you converse, beware. Thy listener shall soon become weary of thee! Whenever you feel a complaint coming on, replace it with a statement of gratitude or a declaration of Scripture you have personalized.

Today's Affirmation:

Because God works all things together for my good, according to His purpose for my life, I will not complain.

The Cursing Tongue {Day 22}

2011-06-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-Two - The Cursing Tongue

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so - James 3:10

Why do we use expletives as freely as we drink water? Because we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to tame our tongues. James, the brother of Jesus, explained it this way: No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God - James 3:8-9

Using profane, obscene, or vulgar language is unbecoming to a child of God. People use profanity for various reasons. First, they often lack an adequate vocabulary with which to express themselves and therefore feel they must curse for their words to have impact. Those who are challenged in this area must start to develop a communication style that is direct, clear, and without hostility. They mat find that expletives are unnecessary. Secondly, some resort to profanity to release their extreme frustration in a situation. They have developed an ungodly pattern of expressing their displeasure and need to retrain their responses. They would do well to decide in advance upon some alternate words to use when they find themselves reaching the peak of frustration.

Take the matter to the Lord in prayer, "Lord, I understand according to Luke 6:45 - A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Would you please take the four-letter words out of my heart and replace them with your expressions? I thank you in advance for purging me of profanity and for allowing the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be acceptable in Your sight."

Understanding that profanity resides in your heart helps us to reject the idea that a curse word "slipped" out of our mouth. The reality is that it slipped out of our heart. Only God can cleanse a person's heart. If you are challenged with profanity, ask God to purify your heart and your mind. Remember that words are verbal thoughts. We must practice the mental discipline of casting down profane thoughts and using words that bring life to our innermost being and to others.

Today's Affirmation:

Cursing does not proceed out of my mouth. Today I give God full charge of my tongue. By His grace I will only speak words that will bring honor to His name.

This is the one I've been waiting for! I am definitely one challenged with this affliction and I will be revisiting this post frequently until I can completely let go and give this over to the Holy Spirit to tame, for I cannot do it alone. Trust me I know, I've tried -- for years!

Wow, God Wednesday {Kellie & Tristin}

2011-06-22T05:51:00.001-07:00

{Kellie's Story}

I was told that I most likely wouldn't be able to have children because of the problems and surgeries I'd had on my ovaries. I became pregnant and all was well until about six months gestation. I went into labor but it was stopped. I had an ultrasound done and it showed she was head down and pushing against my cervix. For the next three months I was in and out of the hospital at least once a week and many weeks more than once. Doctors said if I carried her to term she would have problems. I ended up delivering a healthy 6 lb 5 oz baby girl only three weeks early! She had no complications what-so-ever. She turned 12 this year and she still amazes me how smart and talented she is!!
To God be ALL the Glory and Honor!!

Random - With No {Before}

2011-06-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Brad and I are going on thirteen years of marriage and we've never had a new couch, just always "new to us" so this is a big deal - we finally bought a new couch! One we picked out, we chose, out of thousands of other couches, brand new - not from a friend, not a yard sale - from a furniture store! This one was purchased for the intended purpose of comfort for all six of us! We have become accustomed to watching a family movie on Sunday afternoons and we always find that there just isn't enough room for all of us, two (sometimes more) end up on the floor. We also like to lounge - so we got a couch that seats six comfortably with four built-in recliners! We LOVE Sunday afternoon movies even more now! And there's no fighting over "the good spot" because they are all good and the TV can be seen clearly from all!

The Self-Absorbed Tongue {Day 21}

2011-06-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty-One - The Self-Absorbed Tongue

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others - Philippians 2:4

Are most of your conversations with others centered on you and your issues? A self-absorbed tongue will surely alienate others as almost everyone desires to be the focus of attention occasionally. trying to have a relationship with a self-absorbed person is like trying to hug a porcupine. Become aware of this character flaw in your communication. Ask God to make you genuinely interested in others.

If you find yourself involved with a self-absorbed person, try asking them to give you some advice or input about an issue that does not involve him. If he attempts to direct the conversation to himself, quickly acknowledge his concern about the matter but change the subject to something that is not about him. For instance, you may say, "I'm sure that this issue really concerns you. Did you hear about...?" If he persists, you would do well to muster the courage to say, "I really don't want to talk about that today." You may need to be a broken record as you attempt these strategies. After all, self-absorption dies hard.

If you admit to being the self-absorbed type, turn your desires for attention, ego boosting, and other selfish needs over to your Heavenly Shepherd, who supplies all your needs. Make a conscientious effort to become "others absorbed." Challenge yourself to go a whole day or more without making your issues the focus of your communication. Give everyone you converse with your full attention, and watch your relationship deepen.

Today's Affirmation:

I look not only to my own interests, but to the interests of others. Therefore, my issues are not the primary topic of my conversations.

Melt-Down Monday {6 of 7}

2011-06-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was a "Monday" if there ever was one! I had my whole day planned from what I'd wear to what I'd get done, what I'd eat and a time frame for each thing to get accomplished -- but "Monday" had other plans for me and the only thing one my agenda that got accomplished was what I'd wear! So, here it is, TUESDAY and I'm finally getting around to posting our second-to-last Melt-Down Monday update! I can't believe how fast time has flown by! Technically tomorrow is our last day on the HCG drops but it won't end there! We are moving into Phase 3 - Maintenance; where we gradually increase our caloric intake to 11 x our current body weight within a three week period without the use of carbs or sugars. This means adding milk, eggs, cheese, nuts, and oils to our current protein, veggies & fruit diet (certain fruits & veggies will still not be permitted due to their high natural sugar content). After these three weeks, and we get our caloric intake up, we will begin adding carbs and sugars (in moderation) for the next three-four weeks to stabilize our systems. Then and ONLY then can we begin another course of HCG if we have not yet reached our ultimate weight loss goal. I believe we both plan to begin again August 21, 2011 but time is the really honest one here! Now for this week's status report!

{Amanda}
I decided to post some photos of a few meals I eat since some of you may be interested in beginning the HCG program and are still on the fence because of the strict 500 calorie a day rule.
Here is my lunch from yesterday.
Fresh grilled Talapia, steamed asparagus, a garlic Melba toast and one cut of fresh cut strawberries.

For dinner I had "Tacos" - seasoned ground beef (7% fat or lower) wrapped in leaf lettuce with white cheddar Melba toast and apple slices (one whole medium apple)

Now for a testimony: Brad had noticed that I haven't been wearing my wedding rings and started questioning me about it. I explained to him that they were too big for me and I was afraid to wear them for fear of losing them. So I took them in to have them resized... TWO whole sizes down!!!

I've always had such fat fingers, so don't let this shock you. My rings were a size ELEVEN!! Now they are a NINE!! I've had to take my ten year anniversary ring in for repairs (one of my black opals fell out - - out my wonderful husband found it!) and down sizing as well!
Sorry (to those who wanted them) but, no bathing suit pics from me this week, however, Mom -I mean Diane- has shared one!

{Diane}

Only 2 days left on drops and 5 days on 500 calorie dieting. I am so pleased with the results from this diet that I plan to do another round in August. I had to get my sewing machine out and start taking my clothes up! I even have to take up my bathing suit which was purchased after I had lost around 50 lbs from the lap band!

So there you have it folks! Oh! Wait! You wanted to know the amount of pounds we lost, didn't you? Well, here you go -

Amanda lost 2.1 pounds

Diane lost 2.8 pounds

You may notice that the number of pounds lost each week is gradually decreasing. That is due to our bodies having been affected by the drops for a period o time that now they are becoming "immune" if you will, to the effects of HCG. This is one of the main reasons why the courses are set for 20 or 40 days, no longer. This is why we MUST continue on to Phases 3 & 4 of the program before starting back at Phase 1. Trust me, I don't want to spend the entire Summer stuck at my current weight but I also don't want to thwart my efforts by not following the rules properly. You will see us again next week for the final weigh-in for this course and again in late August for the next! Thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement! If nothing else, having you readers to "answer to" held me accountable to stick with this second course (for Amanda) to the end. Sincerely, thank you.

The Judgmental Tongue {Day 20}

2011-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues

Day Twenty - The Judgmental Tongue

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged - Matthew 7:1-2

Judgmental people engage in a critical, fault-finding assessment of another person's behavior. What is amazing is that they judge others by their actions but judge themselves by their intentions. Of course, most of us tend to judge others from an autobiographical viewpoint. If someone's behavior does not reflect a choice or decision we would have made, we judge it as wrong.

There are some people who pass judgment on others based solely upon rumors they may have heard that may not have a modicum of truth. Benjamin Franklin, one of America's Founding Fathers, said, "I will speak ill of no man, not even in the matter of truth, but rather excuse the faults I hear, and upon proper occasions, speak all the good I know of everybody.: His philosophy follows the age-old parental advice: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

We must be careful how we discuss others. Jesus was empathetic about His displeasure with judgmental folks. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye - Matthew 7:3-5

Jesus based His judgment of people's behavior on nothing other than God's standard. This is the only basis from which we can righteously judge. We would do well to focus more on judging ourselves than hunting for specks in the matters of others.

Pray for those whom you observe walking contrary to God's standards -- but avoid judgment. If you have a genuine concern for someone and have earned the right to address his or her behavior, then do so in the spirit of love. Remember that you earn the right by consistently demonstrating your care and support.

Today's Affirmation:

I do not judge other or I will be judged. For in the same way that I judge, I will be judged.

A Nice Surprise

2011-06-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Can anyone relate when you hear me say, "I got another Mother's Day plant from my pre-schooler." with a sigh? Am I the only one who dreads these things? Please, please, let me explain! I've never been able to get the seed to sprout and my child inevitably becomes sad, the bottom lip juts out, the eyes start to redden and puff up with moisture as I try to reason with them and explain why I'm throwing their precious gift in the garbage can. Well, not this year! I took two months but look! Just look! Do you see what I see?

Here, take a closer look...

Yep! There it is! It sprouted! Hayden and I are so happy!

First time EVER out of four kids and two years each of coming home with a seed they'd planted for me on Mother's Day.

I feel like SUPER WOMAN! Look what it's become!!!