The Aston Family

2011-09-14T12:12:00.001-07:00

2003 Los Angeles Breast Cancer Walk

Hello,everyone … Family and Friends!

In2003, I had a remarkable experience that changed me and trulyaffected my identity. I participated in the Los Angeles Avon BreastCancer Walk with my mother. The walking was tough, leaving me sunburned and with unbelievably sore legs after many miles on the LAcement. I kept on walking and talking with my mom all those miles. Imet beautiful women (and some men) whose stories were heart-wrenchingbut also filled with hope. That is exactly what I learned through myeye-opening experience about breast cancer. People are still hopefulfor more research, earlier detection, their loved ones, and for acure.

Itwasn't long after the Breast Cancer Walk that I had a miscarriage. Itwas our first pregnancy and it was a challenge for me to physicallyand emotionally recover. I can honestly look back and realize thatthe Breast Cancer Walk changed how I look at my own challenges inlife. I became a stronger woman because of the stories, people, andhope I learned about during that walk.

Ihaven't been able to participate in another walk; college, moves,babies have come and I have watched others be affected by breastcancer. I think we all know someone who has fought this disease. Mymom is participating in her last Breast Cancer Walk. I wish I couldwalk beside her and talk nonstop like she did for me. Unfortunatelyshe will be doing this alone with thousands of other woman inWashington DC.

Thereis one thing I can do … I can ask you to help her meet thecommitment to raise $2,300. She has already raised half of theamount, but during these tough times it's hard to ask people todonate. If the people I know and love are willing to donate anyamount (no matter how little) to her I am hoping that I canhelp make a difference for her. Will you please make a tax-deductibledonation for this breast cancer cause?

Youcan go online towww.the3day.org. Click onDonate to Participant and enter my mother's name, JuliaNebeker.

Pleasehelp me help my mom and we all can help fight breast cancer.

Update

2011-03-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have sat down to blog. I don't really have a reason just pure simple life has been busy. So here is the run down on the Aston Fam ...

Ty (poising above as Wolverine) has started baseball. Our family loves this time of year, baseball season. Ty is playing coach pitch this year. Dan also started coaching high school baseball this year. So, we spend a lot of time at the field. It's incredible watching Dan out there because he is so good at coaching and finally he is coaching "his" sport.

Em's had a growth spurt. She has these long legs and all her dresses are getting too short. Emma is preparing for her ballet recital at the end of May. (I'm still her teacher) She loves practicing anywhere she can, like on our walk down by the lake or in the middle of the department store. (sounds familiar, mom?) I am also preparing for a ballet performance. This year is much more demanding than last year in both the number of dances and difficultly. But I love getting my butt kicked twice a week.

Elijah has a new buddy to torture, I mean play with. I have started a watching a friend of mine's daughter a few times a week. Eli loves having someone smaller than him to boss around. It is actually really funny to watch. We are also potty training, sort of. Basically, he runs around naked and goes on the potty. We put clothes on him and no go. Good thing we live in the desert.

Well, that's about all I have time for ... ballet class calls to destroy my toes.

Wii like to dance

2011-01-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

For Christmas, Emma got a Wii game called Just Dance Kidz. My kiddos love it! They take turns choosing the dance and whose turn it is to use the wii remote but then usually they all start dancing. The video below is dark (sorry), but check out the head bobs and when Eli gets involved.

Christmas Moments

2011-01-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite moments from Christmas 2010 ...

My sister had this adorable, quirky tradition that she likes us to have matching pj bottoms for Christmas. We had a blast poising for pictures in these but this is my favorite picture because it shows how goofy we are together. I don't think we will ever forget our guys reaction to our Target purchase. Next year, we are going to have matching pj bottoms for them too!

Christmas Eve the kids watched the Grinch. I looked over to see all three of my kids on top of their Aunt Roo and Uncle Joe. The best is that Roo and Joe are smiling and are totally content with three kids on them.

This was sooo funny. We have been telling Ty that he is going to get coal for Christmas. It was an ongoing joke with him and Dan. Christmas morning Santa had put a lump of coal in stocking ... a chocolate lump of coal. Ty thought it was hilarious. He kept telling us that Santa thinks he is funny. Yep, even Santa has a sense of humor.

The picture it tells it all. Eli rockin' out on his guitar.

Emma helped me make M&M Christmas cookies. She was a sweet little helper with her Christmas pjs on. I could have eaten her up right along with the cookies.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

For Christmas this year, the Aston family all gathered together in California. It had been a while since we all have been together for Christmas. Although it rained almost the entire visit, we loved being together.

I stressed and worried as I tried to organize our family to head out there. I complained about not being home for Christmas, but none of that mattered. I knew that the trip would be important and it clearly was so much more than I imagined. The kids loved being with their cousins. I loved being with my in-laws and my sister. Dan got to spend time with his siblings, especially his brothers. What would I do, what is worth having that experience? Again, I left realizing I would do it all over again.

I love our Aston family and every time I leave with wonderful feelings of family, friendship, love, charity and my testimony of Gospel of Jesus Christ is strengthened. It was a Christmas that my kids talk about and will remember, not of gifts, but about family.

Eli's B-day

2011-01-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Before we left for Christmas break, we had Eli's 2nd birthday party. Eli had friends and their families over for hot dogs and Mickey Mouse cupcakes. It was definitely a "hot dog digity dog" party.

Eli getting his cupcake. Auntie Roo helped him blow out the candles.

One of Eli's favorite presents ... Goldfish crackers and dum dums. Vetter likes to support my kids addiction, especially since he started it.

Eli got his own car from us. Thank goodness he is a good sharer. Everyone wants to drive the police car.

Well, it's true Eli is two. An adorable, independent, two year old taz. AND we love him!

All aboard ...

2010-12-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

All aboard, the Polar Express. We took the kids to Williams, Arizona ... where we boarded a train for the North Pole. It was a magically experience for us all.

Ty's favorite part was the hot chocolate and cookies. He also loved being with all his friends. (We went with about 14 families. 78 in our group. We almost took up the entire train car.)

Eli loved his bell. Emma's favorite was the story they read. She loved the whole train experience.

After visiting the North Pole, we sang carols. Guess who decided to join us ... yep, Santa boarded our train. He stopped and talked to each kid (and a few adults.)

Emma was thrilled to meet Mrs. Claus. She was all smiles and even gave Mrs. Claus a big hug. Some of the guys joined in for a picture with the big guy's wife.

The group we went with all spent the night at the same hotel. The kids all played and even swam together in the hotel pool. (I could only handle the hot tub.) It was a wonderful, magical, exciting and all around fun trip. I think we have found a new family tradition.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-19T00:12:00.000-07:00

We stayed in town this year for Thanksgiving. It was fun to be home with our own family and not have to worry about a quick trip. A few of our friends were staying in town too, so we had dinner together.

The guys and prego lady resting after dinner.

Emma was the only girl in our three families. She decided that was "special."

We had a wonderful feast. The funny part was that none of us had ever had Thanksgiving away from our families. So, we all prepared enough food from what we had seen with our moms. We had tons, tons and tons of food. Oops. At least we all took a whole dinner home with us. Yummy leftovers.

Halloween Begins

2010-11-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how behind I am in posting pictures of our family. I completely missed Halloween. So before I post pictures about Thanksgiving I must (for my own sanity) share Halloween.

Here is the beginning. Emma and Eli got to participate in the Little Knights Preschool Halloween party. They trick or treat at some of the classrooms. It was fun to see Eli follow Emma around. They sang to each class and received an extraordinary amount of candy. We loved seeing all the students who love our little family. They even got to go to Daddy's class.

Halloween Party

2010-11-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

When Dan and I were living in Cheney and going to school we started having Halloween parties with our friends. The tradition has continued as we have moved on in our life. It is now a tradition here in Havasu. It makes me happy that our friends plan and look forward to our parties. This year our numbers increased. My little house could not fit our group. Luckily, one of our friends parent's have an empty winter house here. Yay! We had an empty house to decorate and fill with friends and food. As usual, I was impressed by the costumes. Everyone truly rose to the occasion.

Halloween

2010-11-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't take very many pictures of our Trunk or Treat. Our only family photo I don't have digitally. I will have to scan it eventually. The reason for the lack of pictures was that I was running around and in charge of the activity. It was a huge success! Wheew. I did get to stop for a bit and catch up with Dan and the kids. We all had a great time.

Dan was a king, I was a queen, Tyler a knight, Emma a princess and Eli a frog. Our own fairytale.

Pretty Party

2010-11-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

Emma had a birthday party a few weeks ago. We had pink cupcakes in pink ice cream cones with polka dot smarties on top. We played a few games, including hot potato with a bouquet of flowers. Em's loved being the center of attention, had fun with her friends and even had a few outfit changes.

Faithful Servant

2010-11-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Uncle Joe came home a month ago. The family gathered together in Southern California to welcome home Joe from his two year mission. This was a special experience for our little family. The kids have written, drawn pictures, sent photos and prayed for their Uncle Joe for two years. Seeing him come home from a success mission in Colorado was a powerful confirmation to them that their prayers were answered.

We are all so glad that Uncle Joe is home. He came for a brief visit to Havasu for Halloween. The kids loved seeing him (even if the visit was to see someone else). Dan and I are grateful for his example and relationship with our kiddos. Ty hopes to serve a mission to Maryland and Emma wants to serve in South America or Canada.

Ty's B-day

2010-10-31T17:38:00.001-07:00

We were in California for Tyler's birthday, so he got to celebrate with his family and cousins. We all went to the Rainforest Cafe. Tyler has been wanting to go for a long time. Later, Dan asked him if it was as cool as he thought it would be. He answered, "Yes, cooler and colder. I didn't know there would be all this cool stuff like butterflies and waterfalls. I thought there would only be lions and stuff."

After dinner, we went back to Grandma's house for cake, ice cream and presents. He loved being with his family. It was a really "all those things" birthday. (I asked him if it was cool, fun, great, good)

Em's B-day

2010-10-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

Emma's birthday landed on a school day. She got to take a snack to share at school. I told her she could choose anything. She chose craisens. I convinced her to at least add mini chocolate chips. (my kids are odd ... last year Ty brought apple slices)

Dan was able to stop by for a few minutes to give the birthday girl some love. This was one little birthday girl who loved all the attention, crown and cape. She loved being the one in charge of handing out her treat. That's my birthday girl!

Ooh Ooh

2010-10-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

Eli received a backpack in the mail from Pa and Grandma Julie. He does not like to leave the house with out and most of the time wears it. He carries around in it his toys, diaper, wipes and snacks.

And of course, makes monkey noises any chance he gets.

Great

2010-10-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Our temple is located in Las Vegas, which is two and half hours away. Once a month, we take a trip out to the temple. Dan and I attend and the kiddos are babysat by a rotation of adults. (we each get a month) One of the great things about going to Las Vegas for our temple is that we get to see Dan's grandparents.

It is always a treat for the kids to spend time with Grandma Vi (Viola) and the Grandpa who takes he teeth out. We always leave with little baggies of treats for the kids ... and us for the drive home. I love hearing all stories about the Aston family. It's amazing to see this couple who are still in love, banter back & forth and laugh at their own ailments that come with age. They really are "great" grandparents.

Roo in Havasu

2010-10-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, my sister came to live in Havasu. She stayed with us for a bit until she could find her own place. It was a blast. My kids loved having Auntie Roo living with them.

A lot of our friends here in Havasu have family here too. It seems that either Grandparents or Aunts/Uncles are near. It has been hard being away from my family. I admit I really miss them and I have been terribly envious of my friends who have family here.

I am so glad Alyssa is here with us now. We are really enjoying this time with her.

Gorilla

2010-10-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Eli loves gorillas. We checked out a book at the library about gorillas for Ty, but Eli would not put it down. Since then he's hooked on gorillas!

Viva Las Vegas

2010-09-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

For our 8 year anniversary (my year to plan), we headed to Las Vegas for 3 days. (Big thank you to my sister for watching the kids!) We had an incredible trip. It was fun being together, eating whatever we wanted and not having to share with the kids. We slept in, went to the pool and spent a lot of time holding hands. The best thing about the trip is that we left realizing that we not only love each other but like being together. We still get along and have fun!

This is the view from our incredible dinner at the Yellowtail in the Bellagio.

Sooo yummy. I had a sushi roll with crab, avocado and Pop Rocks! We ate tons of delicious food.

Where did all the Mochi go?

Dan's seafood platter at the Buffet in Planet Hollywood. He loves buffets!

I love the desserts at the buffet! Cotton candy! The funny part was that it was all women getting the pink cotton candy and giggling like little girls.

Watch out!

Happy couple. (the Yellowtail is behind us and to the right)

On the way home we stopped at the Hoover Dam. Dan is intriged by the dam. Dan at the Dam.

Full Day

2010-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

This last month, we had to make a tough decision regarding Tyler's education. We had chosen to have Tyler in the half-day kindergarten program. Due to budgeting, this school district changed to half-day or you can pay for full-day. Since I am at home with kids, it didn't make sense to pay for Tyler to go to school. I did a lot of research and met with many educators before I made this decision. The general consensus was that Ty would be fine in half-day.

Academically, he was doing great ... top of his class in literacy tests, high scores in cognitive skills and overall a good student. But, we noticed in change in him. He was withdrawn, using words like forgotten, ignored to describe school. He didn't seem happy and only talked about one girl from school. This is so unlike Tyler. He has always been outgoing, friendly and even a leader.

I volunteered at the school one day. I went thinking about Ty and petitioning my Heavenly Father for guidance. Immediately, I could recognize some concerns. The half-day kids were completely segregated from the rest of the class. I could list many examples but the one that sent me over the edge was that when they leave to go home the kids stay for full day go to lunch. So, because of being short staffed the teachers would take all the kids to lunch. The half-day kids would have to sit with their backs to wall and watch the other kids eat lunch for about 10 minutes. I was mortified and the picture became clear.

Long story short ... I met with the teacher, academic coach, administration and eventually the principle. It all came down to Ty did not need full-day academically but he did need it be successful. We made the decision and switched to full-day. Ty is doing great! He loves school and is back to feeling confident and happy.

I really can testify the importance of being involved in your child's education. I am grateful for the many individuals who were advocating for my son but the end it really is about the parent. I know that my prayers were answered and I was able to discern what Tyler needed through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Life and Times of Em

2010-09-22T10:24:00.001-07:00

Emma started preschool a few weeks ago. She was so excited, walked right in and didn't even give me so much as a glance. In fact, as I stood there, she asked me if today was the day I could leave her. I smiled and gently said, "Yes, mom has to go." Emma answered with a resounding, "Good."

There you have it. Emma is loving every moment. It's fun to hear her tell me about her day. She is a little dramatic about the details. Ty was so matter a fact that her renditions are hard not to giggle at. One of these days I will have to record her dissertation on the days events.

Emma's Baby?

2010-08-15T23:22:00.002-07:00

I guess we need to have a talk about playing house. I am just not sure who I need to talk to, Emma or Eli. She loves it but he does it on his own, pacifier and all.


Eli pretending to be Emma's baby.

Kindergarten

2010-08-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ty lined up for class.

Emma and Eli watching their brother. They sure miss him.

Ty about ready to follow Ms. Oram into class.

Ty the Kindergartner

Monday, was the first day of school for both Ty and Dan. Ty loves school. We chose to have him in the half day program. It has been a good fit for us. I pick him up, we have lunch, homework and an enrichment activity. He has made some friends ... one is a girl who asked him if maybe they could kiss sometime. Ty told, "I have a girlfriend." Yikes! His favorite things to do in class (in the last three days) have been the microscope, kitchen and coloring. It's going to be a great year.

Smores, Elk and Dirt

2010-08-01T22:13:00.001-07:00

We took the kids and dog camping before school starts. It was a great trip. The kids did so well. It was about 30 degrees cooler, so the kids had fun running around. We made smores which the kids ended up covered in. We also saw elk ... in our campsite at 5 am, about 6 feet from our tent. The kids favorite part was jumping from rocks. These huge boulders all over the campsite. We all loved being together and can't wait for the next time.

Haircut

2010-07-23T09:03:00.003-07:00

My new haircut. It's different for me because I decided to keep it longer.

It still fits in a bun for ballet.

I believe

2010-07-15T12:46:00.003-07:00

Listen to Tyler singing with is Aunt Amy. I hope you notice the last word of the song ... it's priceless!

Hope cometh of faith

2010-07-15T11:10:00.007-07:00

Our family has had an amazing experience. We have witnessed someone finding hope.

Regardless of what you believe or your religion, it is beautiful watching someone go through the experience and making the choice to believe in something bigger than them self. The hope, lack of fear that awakens in them begins such a transformation.

I believe many of us are trying to be a little better and are trying a little harder to do what we think is right. For my family, we have the guide, support and example through our religion. It has been a privilege to share my faith with someone I care about.

For my friend, she has found what she has been looking for in the Book of Mormon. A few days ago, I saw her running across the street to my house. She had come over to tell me about her "joy". She was reading the Book of Mormon and felt an incredible amount of peace, warmth and the joy. Her testimony is that the Book of Mormon is from God, that He has restored Christ's church and that we can experience the Holy Ghost. She now knows what she wants to have in her life and can gain that through this religion.

Her joy has invited me to want to renew my own feelings of the Book of Mormon. Last night, I too began reading the Book of Mormon. I began reading it without cross referencing or a red pencil to highlight or even pondering each verse. I just started reading, keeping in mind what it would feel like to read this for the first time. I experienced such joy and happiness. I just kept on reading and reading. I know the Book of Mormon has brought direction and hope in my life and I now know it will continue to do so.

So, watch out if you are driving down a certain street in Havasu, you might just find my neighbor and I running back and forth to each other's homes with a Book of Mormon in hand.

Burrr!

2010-07-10T22:11:00.004-07:00

While we were visiting in California, we all decided to head down to the beach for the afternoon. I am spoiled rotten living in Lake Havasu City. The water, lake or pool, in Havasu is warm. I mean bath water warm, 80 + degrees warm AND we only go in the water when it is hot outside. I mean oven hot, 100 + degrees hot.

I was sooooo cold at the beach. My kids played but Emma kept running back to cuddle under my arms in the blankets. Eli just seemed confused. Ty ran around with his cousins but did not go near the water.

Moral of the story ... I don't like cold water. I am forever ruined by living in Havasu.

Cousins

2010-07-10T20:50:00.004-07:00

We recently had a quick visit to California. Dan's brother is currently serving in Afghanistan. His family was on vacation in California. We could not miss the opportunity to spend a few days with them. It was a wonderful trip, full of cousin time. The kids had a blast playing together, my sister-in-laws and I spent time visiting and my kids got to experience their first earthquake (5.4 not bad).

One highlight of our trip was getting a chance to visit with Dan's brother via Skype. We chatted about this and that but the feelings I had seeing him and knowing he was "there" made it real. I have an enormous amount of gratitude for our men and women who are deployed. I realized that my gratitude extends to their families and especially their wives (spouse). My sister-in-law is constantly on the go, her time alone is minimal plus the weight of being in charge of her family, add the fear/knowledge of what her husband is doing and .... I am in awe.

I love looking at these few pictures (I should have taken more pictures) of the kids smiling and playing together. It really was a special couple of days for our family.

Won't you be my neighbor?

2010-06-29T21:58:00.003-07:00

I have never thought of myself as a prejudice person. I do believe in first impressions but don't believe those impressions are always right. I do believe that for safety, especially when you have a family, you sometimes need to be cautious. Experience teaches us to look for signs and attributes to discern whether or not to pursue relationships.

I thought I would always know my neighbors. We live on a very quiet street. Most of the homes are vacation homes, second properties and snow birds. About 6 months ago an older couple moved in across the street. Not long after, more people moved into that home. I was never really sure who lived there and who was crashing there for a little while. They kept to themselves and so did we.

Here goes some honesty ... Most of the people coming out of the home have tattoos and smoke, drink etc. There were two boys playing outside most days. They would come over and play with my kids in our yard. My children had strict instructions to not leave our driveway. Again, we kept to ourselves.

Last week, I decided it was time to meet the kid's mom. She had the same idea and there we were meeting in the driveway. Long story short, we have quickly become friends. The kids play everyday at one house or the other. We went to the lake with the young family to BBQ and swim. This family is living there with the grandparents and have had some tough times. The grandma and I both worked at Disney during similar years. She stayed on and worked for almost 11 years. Boy, did we have a lot to talk about. They are wonderful people!

One day, while visiting, the mother asked me if we go to church. Again, long story short. They joined us for church on Sunday. It was a great experience for us all. The missionaries are meeting with them on Saturday and they plan on joining us again for church.

So, the moral of my story, the lesson I learned was to open my door to my neighbors. We live in some tough times, with horrible things happening all around us, and it was easy to pretend that I lived in my own little house on a quiet street. I am glad those boys kept on coming back. I am thrilled that I have a new friend who already means so much to me. I learned I do have some prejudices but I hope I never let them keep me from making a new friend.

All or Nothin'

2010-06-25T10:14:00.002-07:00

Tyler, Emma and I were rolling and laughing so hard that I had to take a picture.

Eli is crying, or actually, screaming because he wanted the entire box of brownies. Note that he does in fact have two in his hands and one on his plate. Seriously, I have no idea why he thought it was even possible that he could have all the brownies.

1/2

2010-06-22T21:57:00.002-07:00

Believe it or not, but our Summer is half way over.

So, we started our "homework". Emma is working on writing her letters and identifying them. Tyler wants to learn how to read. Eli has figured out what the letter A says and repeats it over and over and over again. Awww! I discovered three things today.

1. www.starfall.com - This site is fantastic for both my kiddos.

2. Emma is left handed.

3. I have no idea how to teach my child to read.

Honesty

2010-06-20T22:01:00.004-07:00

A dear friend of mine brought a heart wrenching quandary to my attention. It has sent me pondering the world presented to us via blogs. She is going through a very difficult, dark point in her life. The depression she if experiencing has left her sensitive to things I quickly dismiss in my naive tunnel vision. One being the presentation we lay out for the cyper world to view on our blogs.

I have pondered this sensitive subject. My realization is that like many other things in our lives we present our best foot forward. For example, posting vacations, pictures only when the background shows a clean house, crafty projects and our creativity flows. Of course, we all know this is not a reality. But who wants to see the mundane, yucky parts of my world. I don't even want to, let alone share it with you.

For most our blogs are an escape, a journal, a fun way to keep in touch and an outlet. There are though a rare few who blog honestly. I have the privilege of knowing and reading some of those. Sometimes your blogs make me cry and other times I laugh out loud or even nod in agreement.

So, let me just state this for the record ... the blog world record ... I post the good times. I have a good life, but it is a life with ups and downs. Things happen in my world that are too personal to share with you here. Why, because I lack the honesty, the bravery to share it with you.

Here it goes ... wish me luck. In the future, a little more honesty.

To make you smile,

Dishes from breakfast, lunch and dessert. We didn't have dinner.

(this one is for you)

I have not unpacked from my Maryland trip. I just shoved it all in my closet.

Amazing

2010-06-13T19:09:00.004-07:00

Today, Dan downloaded the pictures from his "project". He showed the pictures to me on the Mac slideshow, using the song Amazing, by Aerosmith. That is exactly what this is AMAZING!

While I was in Maryland, Dan (with lots of help) tiled the front room, dining area and hall of our home. It was a huge project for my husband and he did it. Like I said he had lots of help, so a big huge THANK YOU to our ward and friends.

A special thank you to our friend Tim who tiled one night until 3 am and one day got a babysitter for his kids so he could come over and help. From what I understand he is the reason the tile got finished in time for my arrival. One day while I was gone, Dan called me and asked me if I would do something for him. I hesitantly answered that I would. He asked, "When you get back, will you give Tim a huge kiss? Because it would be more weird coming from me." I think I will have to bake something.

So, here are pictures of the journey. Amazing!

Carpet removal. Look at how disgusting!! Ewww.

Tim and Jason removing the tack strip.

Removing old tile at the entry.

The setup for Dan (and Carl) to watch the Lakers game.

Our friend John helping start the tile. He sold us the tile and really helped this happen.

Dan the tiling man.

Eli at the transition strip from the dining area to the kitchen.

In the hall doorway to the bathroom.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to everyone.

Dan you are truly Amazing!

A Glimpse of our 2010 Trip

2010-06-11T09:27:00.005-07:00

Washington Monument in D.C.

Well, it's over. Our magically trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house on the East coast had to end. We had a truly remarkable experience. Everything was beyond my expectations. My dad surprised me by taking the entire time off of work. We had a blast going into D.C., Annapolis, Baltimore and Chesapeake Bay. The great part of these trips was that we were casual. We had two weeks, so we didn't have to pack every day. Some days we hung out at Grandma's house and went down to the beach. Grandpa grilled on the BBQ. Grandma bathed the kids once, sometimes twice a day in her huge tub. Auntie Roo took over spoiling kids (even letting Emma sleep with her in her bed).

I loved being with my kids and seeing their excitement over the simple things we did, like going to the candy shop on the boardwalk or watching the gorillas at the National Zoo for an hour. They loved Grandma and Grandpa's waterpark. (it's this little community water park with like two slides and a lazy river) My favorite moments were conversations with my parents and late night talks with my sister. We also were privileged to join my parents in going to their Stake conference. Elder Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was there to call a new stake president. It was a choice experience.

As odd as it seems, I loved calling my husband every night. The kids and I missed him but are so grateful he was willing to send us to Maryland while he worked hard. (pictures of his accomplishment to come soon) I miss my parents (Alyssa came back with me) and wish we lived closer. BUT .... I am so grateful that they are where they are, that we get to visit them and that we are now able to see all the wonders of that area of our country.

Chesapeake Bay

Encore

2010-06-01T19:13:00.006-07:00

By popular demand ... here are pictures from my ballet performance. They are in order of the dances I performed in. The costumes were made by my ballet instructor. She is incredibly talented. The hair pieces were made by a friend of mine who can make scrapes of material turn into flowers and headbands. Awe.

It still feels like a dream ... a fantastic, motivating, beautiful dream that I experienced for real. Thank you everyone for the kind words and support.

Me on the right. I loved this dance because of all the jumps and exactness in the choreography.

Front left

First one on left. This is the Slavic dance. It was a lot of fun and really light, playful.

Just landed my turn on pointe. I am on the far left.

Celtic reel. I am in the back in blue on the right. Loved, loved this dance. It was a blast to run around and I couldn't stop smiling.

My solo.

At the end of the dance, my little three year old runs out to me and we dance around the stage.

Ragtime - I am on the left.

Finale - I am on the left side third back.

If only ...

2010-05-29T18:13:00.003-07:00

Today, we went to the Museum of Natural History. Emma wanted to see the dinosaurs. We quickly made our way over to that exhibit first. Emma looked up at the huge T-Rex skeleton and started crying.

Me- Emma, why are crying?
Em- I want to see real dinosaurs!!
Me- Sweetheart, there are not real dinosaurs on the earth anymore.
Em- (wailing) but I wanted to see REAL dinosaurs not pretend dinosaurs.

My sister whispers in my ear, "The pretend mommy would be able to find real dinosaurs."

Ohhh, how I wish I was the pretend mommy. If only, I was the pretend mommy I know I could figure out how to make dinosaurs appear.

A Ballet Evening

2010-05-23T17:20:00.003-07:00

This entry has been a long time coming. Mostly because I wasn't sure where the journey was going to take me.

Last Summer, I turned thirty. Yep, the big 3-0. Honestly, I was having a hard time with the idea. Not because I was unhappy where I was in my life and turning thirty but just plain and simply getting older. So, I signed up for a ballet class at the community college.

As a young girl and young teenager, I was a ballet dancer. I had the privilege of dancing at the Pacific NW Ballet School in Seattle. I loved ballet. I loved performing. Eventually, I had to make a difficult decision as to whether or not I wanted to go down the path of professional ballet. The decision was clear and I gave up ballet. I danced off and on in college and a few times as an adult. Nothing serious, just little opportunities to dance.

Ten years later and I am taking a ballet class with 15 and 16 year olds and one 50 year old woman. They welcomed me with open arms. My instructor assured me that my body would get back in shape, I would find my confidence increase and this could be a second chance. The safe, loving, positive feelings in that studio allowed me to face fears and rekindle a lost love. I stood in front of that mirror every week and watched myself transform. It was not easy to look at my 30 year old, 3 kids later body in a leotard and tights but it was liberating.

Friday night, I performed with the En Croix Ballet Ensemble. I performed in 9 dances. Having never thought I would do something like this again, this second chance was an emotionally tender honor for me.

My solo was a tribute to my mother. I danced to a song by Jann Arden: Good Mother. It was something I could do to show my mom my gratitude for her consistent support in not only my dancing but in me.

My mom came from Maryland to support me and see this production.

Not only did my mom come out for the event but I was fortunate to have my in-laws there too. I am appreciative of their love and devotion.

Wow, this surprised me the most. Many of my friends (some not pictured) attended the ballet in support of me. I was touched by their display of love and care for me. These friends have helped watch my kids, encouraged me to do something out of my comfort zone and listened to my progressive success. Seeing them and hearing them cheer for me was well beyond what I anticipated ... thank you dear friends.

Next year, I expect matching t-shirts.

Mommy

2010-05-13T11:23:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, Emma was sitting in the back of the van talking sweetly about someone. She was saying how nice she is and all the things she lets her do. I assumed she was talking about me and thought how wonderful it is that she is saying such nice things about her mother.

I had to ask .... "Who are you talking about?" Her reply left me speechless, "My pretend mommy." With my mouth wide open, I finally sputtered out, " Your pretend mommy? What?" Emma went on to explain to me how great her pretend mommy is to her. She is always nice and gets her ice cream.

My initial thoughts were that I want to be the pretend mommy. I would love to be nice all the time and of course, I would love to eat ice cream with my daughter for every meal. This really got me thinking ... after I got over being shocked. I guess I don't really want to be the pretend mommy, simply because I love her. I want my daughter to be a well rounded, healthy, happy person and it's my job to teach her how to make that happen. But, I think we will be going out for ice cream a little more often, what can I say the real mommy loves ice cream too.

To Kindergarten and Beyond

2010-05-07T16:16:00.006-07:00

Tyler graduated from Preschool. One of our favorite lines from the Incredibles is, "They keep coming up with new ways of celebrating mediocrity." This might apply to graduating from preschool but it sure did not feel like that at all. It was a fun celebration, full of songs, laughter and the kids making the best poises/smiles.

At one point, I did start to get teary eyed and then looked over to see Ty rocking out (while everyone else was quietly watching the slide show) to Space Jam. No, not just gentle five year old hip swinging, head bobbing ... I am talking full out shaking his booty, shimmy, hip thrusts and head banging. It was a sight to behold. All I could do was laugh and laugh. Now that was priceless.

Ty performing Hot Potato by the Wiggles.

Pajama Party

2010-05-01T11:15:00.005-07:00

Our library has a Pajama Party. You come in your pajamas and bring a stuffed animal. Your stuffed animal gets to spend the night. The next day when we went to pick the stuffed animals up there were pictures of all the fun things they did that night.

We ran into some of Ty's friends at the party. One friend is Tyler's "girlfriend". They met at preschool. Ty likes her because she plays like the boys and has a sparkly headband. I asked him what do boyfriend and girlfriends do. He explained that they have to be nice to each other. Sounds good to me!

They enjoyed smores, songs, book readings, a puppet show and coloring.
It was a PARTY!

Earth Day

2010-05-01T11:08:00.003-07:00

Ty and Emma (Eli was sleeping) helped "clean up our earth." We decided to start with our own property and the city's space between us and our neighbors. The kids had fun and did a great job. It's not easy picking up trash and avoiding the poky cactus.

Easter at Home

2010-04-14T10:06:00.003-07:00

We ended our Easter Sunday with a little picnic at the park. Dan made sandwiches, the kids played and it was beautiful.

The kids loved looking for eggs in their own front yard.

Between sessions of Conference, we took some time to get the wiggles out. They had their own little Egg hunt.

After finding their Easter baskets.

For Easter they each get something that will help them at church or learn more about the Gospel. I have tried to stay away from the candy as much as possible. They each got a couple of eggs with candy, but they also loved getting their own reusable water bottles. Sometimes I forgot how nice it is to go Simple. They loved their simple baskets and it was perfect for us.

Wake up Daddy it is Easter Morning.

Easter at the Church

2010-04-14T09:51:00.002-07:00

I am in charge of our Ward (congregation) Easter party. We had an Egg-stravaganza that was Egg-tra special due to the fact that everything was about Eggs.

This was a rubber chicken sling shot. There were pictures of eggs or egg related items drawn on the ground. They had to try to aim for points. The kids loved it!!!

We also had an egg relay and an egg toss. The egg toss was a huge hit. We had it in the wash behind the church because our Young Men President's decided to use real eggs. Not even hard boiled. It was so exciting to not only participate but to watch. (which I did from a distance)

The Bake-off had one rule, you had to use an egg in the recipe. In the background you can see the 150 people starting to line up for the potluck dinner.

The only picture of me. Yep, that's me in action with my clip board.

Emma all ready to get some eggs.

And an Easter party would not be complete without an Egg hunt.

Easter at the Preschool

2010-04-14T09:26:00.002-07:00

The preschool had a little Easter egg hunt. Emma was invited to participate. She, of course, had to make a fashion statement. The outfit she picked out was coming together nicely until she added the white apron. Whatever, at least she is learning to dress herself.

Eli did not want anything to do with the big white bunny. Can't blame him. I too find it kind of creepy. At one point, the student who was wearing the bunny costume lost his head. Tyler thought that was the funniest thing ever. He tells me, "Mom, the bunny was Daniel." Then laughs hysterically. Glad he has a good sense of humor.

T and T-ball

2010-04-10T09:53:00.002-07:00

Go Yankees!

Yep, you heard us right. Never thought we would be cheering for the Yankees but it's true.

Ty has started T-ball. He is having a great time. His coach is fantastic. After every thing a child does he runs over and gives them high five and THEN gives them advice for next time. They still all run after the ball but they are getting better about staying in their positions. They are taught to always throw to first base. (to start with) Right now, there are no outs. Everyone gets to bat. It truly is about giving them a foundation of the game, teaching basic skills and making it enjoyable.

We get some good laughs. The kids try hard but it is hilarious to see them work through this learning process. Ty is doing much better but at first he would get embarrassed and run the bases like a puppy dog. Seriously!! The whole thing, tongue out, arms up like paws, just like a puppy. Dan had to explain that it's a race to beat the ball. Now, he runs as fast as he can and keeps his tongue in.

We make this a family affair. We all go to the games and cheer him on. At the end of the game our little "Ankee" (as Ty calls it) gets mauled by his brother and sister.

The things we do for our kids ... rooting for the Yankees!

Don't cry for me ...

2010-03-22T20:49:00.004-07:00

(me, Bailey the birthday girl, Brooke)

Recently, my girl friend had a birthday. So we had a girl's night out. We went and saw a local theater perform Evita. I was a little nervous about seeing such an incredible show done by a local group. I was pleasantly surprised. They were incredible. The set, music, costumes were very professional. They had brought in three lead actors from LA to play Peron, Evita, and Che.
Also performing where quite a few familiar faces from the community, one a coach, a few people from the ward, high school students, a woman from my dance class and even a local reporter that I know from the high school games. I was thrilled to find another reason to love Havasu.
The girls and I had a blast. We giggled a lot and totally acted like "girls". It was a nice excuse to get dressed up (we all wore black slacks) and carry a pursue instead of a diaper bag. At one point my friend needed to go to the bathroom. We had noticed a port-a -potty outside. Well, she found a restroom in the lobby. Later we learned that the port-a-potty was dressing room for the lead actress playing Evita. Ooops.

Next month they perform Footloose ... Hopefully, it will be someones birthday?

Family Fun

2010-03-20T18:07:00.002-07:00

For our family reunion we all went to Disneyland. At one point there were 22 of us. It was hilarious getting all of us on to Jungle Cruise and Pirates. Grandpa and Grandma took all the younger kids home later in the night and Dan and I got to run around with the big kids. Space Mountain twice in a row! It was a fun, exhausting and really special day.

The next day we had a family picnic at the Fullerton Arboretum. The kids ran around, playing on the trees and in the bushes. We had great food and even better company. Grandma gave us a personal tour of the Heritage House. The kids loved seeing all the Victorian period pieces that are so different from their own world. It one of my kids favorite places to go with Grandma and it is a definite treasure in their community. We had a wonderful time being together as a family.

Sacrifice

2010-03-15T12:50:00.007-07:00

We recently made a trip to California to be with Dan's family. (expect his brother Joe who is serving a mission) Dan's brother is being deployed to Afghanistan. We are so proud of him and his service to this country BUT, we are also sad because he has a young family. I also feel like we aren't as naive about his deployment as we might have been before. Dan and I were under the impression that he was safe in the green zone. After his return we learned how true it is that no one is safe in a war.

It has made me reflect on myself and my feelings of security being an American. I love this country and feel it is a privilege to live here. I have also realized what a false sense of security we fall into over and over again. It is because of our soldiers, sacrifices made by Americans and our right to bear arms that our freedoms are protected. I am so grateful for my brother-in-law and his family for their sacrifices for us all.

Eli's 1st

2010-03-02T23:22:00.003-07:00

Eli had his first haircut. He did great! He kept on wanting us to spray his little had with the water bottle and then he would rub his hair like he was washing his hair. It was adorable. I think our hair dresser didn't want to stop letting Eli "wash" his hair. She was having just as much fun. But, now he looks like such a big boy.

Little Bear/Bella

2010-03-02T22:47:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago there was this little dog on our street. I had seen it for a few days wondering who in our neighborhood it belonged to. Then, I realized it was sleeping in our car-port, next to Carl's backyard domain. It would not come to me (and later I found out it would not come to anyone in our neighborhood either), but as soon as Emma walked out to the driveway, the dog came to her.

We went door to door asking our neighbors if they had lost a dog. I checked on the Internet and posted something on Craig's-list. Finally, we went down to the Humane Society to see if she had a chip. No luck. We filled out a lost dog form and took her home. She became Emma's shadow. She even slept with Em. Emma kept her a on leash and would walk around the house or play outside with this little dog next to her. Emma named the dog Bella. The amazing part was that Emma had amazingly, good behavior ... I mean no fits, no fights, no major meltdowns. Outstanding!

And then of course ....

We got the call. The owner of Little Bear had called the Humane Society. It was an odd situation with lots of miscommunication, but eventually Little Bear was returned. The owner was on vacation his dog sitter had told him the dog had been missing for a day (aww umm). The owner finally was able to get a friend of a friend to come pick up the dog. The Human Society did not feel comfortable with this friend picking up Little Bear at our home (thank goodness) and set up a meeting time. The guy was rude, impertinent, and had just gotten out of the hospital because he had been "jumped and beat up". Remember we live in Havasu, a fairly safe and small community. Considering all that happened, the kids did great. It was mom who had a hard time sending the little angel yippy dog with this guy. Emma has been fine. I kept reminding her that Little Bear was with her family now.

Today ...

I heard a familiar yippy noise. There was Little Bear, in our neighbor's backyard. Yep, the dog belongs to my next door neighbor.

Life and Times of Em

2010-02-23T11:17:00.003-07:00

Emma has been having a hard time with being a three year old and the middle child. Ty has preschool and Eli has mommy. On a few occasions, she has spent her time-out ripping the Winnie the Pooh border from her wall ... leaving Mommy to scream into a pillow. So, Emma has been helping me re-decorate her room. It has been good, constructive mommy time. AND she is learning how to clean up wall border. As you can see in one of the pictures she (and I) still have a little more to do.
Grandma Aston gave us these pom pom flowers to decorate with. They are a Martha Stewart kit that you put together. Emma helped me fold the tissue, pull it apart and then we went and picked out ribbon. It covers her entire ceiling, something like 25 pom poms.

I finally figured out a way to hang Emma's tutus. Three tutus take up a bit of room.

Grandma Julie gave her these princesses stickers. She wouldn't dare take those off because "I love the princesses Grandma Jewelry gave me."

survey says

2010-02-16T10:42:00.006-07:00

For our ward Valentine's day party, we played family feud. I surveyed (close to) 100 people. It was a blast. The game turned out great! Here were the results of my survey. (I am just giving you the "Number One Answer".)

01. Name a popular Valentine greeting card company.
Hallmark 92

02. Name one saying on a Valentine conversation heart candy.
Be Mine 74

03. Name a popular Valentine gift?
Roses 76

04. Besides "Darling", name a popular term of endearment.
Sweetheart 84

05. Finish this sentence, Cupid is ….
Too many variations

06. In what country did Valentine's Day originate?
Italy 84

07. What is another word for love?
amore

08. Other than red, what colors of roses are commonly sent on Valentine's Day?
Pink

09. Name a popular chocolate manufacturer.
See's

10. What is the most romantic language?
French

11. Name a popular romantic comedy.
Too many (You've Got Mail had 5)

12. Name a popular song with the word "love" in the TITLE.
Too many (All you Need is Love had 4)

13. Name the best place to go on a Valentine date.
Dinner

14. Members of what occupation traditionally receive the most Valentine's?
Teachers

15. Name a color you associate with Valentine’s Day.
Red

16. What is the worst Valentine’s Day present?
Nothing

17. At what age did you receive your first kiss?
12 years old

18. Name something a date should never do.
Pass Gas

19. Name a well-known poet.
Shakespeare

20. Name a profession that deals with matters of the heart.
Psychologist/Therapist

Tylerism

2010-02-04T10:45:00.002-07:00

At church, we usually have a speaker, song and then another speaker. On Sunday, after the first speaker Tyler turned to Dan and asked,"Is it half-time now?"

(Maybe we have been to one too many basketball games this season?)

Rotavirus Vaccine and Intussusception

2010-01-29T22:29:00.001-07:00

This weekend in the news, Bill Gates and his wife are investing 10 billion to fight specific diseases/health concerns with vaccines. It will be a 10 year program to research and implement vaccinations. It is being called the "Decade of Vaccines".

One focus will be on the rota virus. This is a common virus that causes about half the cases of severe diarrhea in young children. A child starts having diarrhea, parents are changing green watery diapers and the baby is becoming dehydrated. This can lead to severe causes including hospitalization.

Although, our country is struggling with health care we still have options. Many of us still are insured. If not, you still have the right to take your child to the emergency room to receive care and work out a payment plan. Rota virus kills about half a million children globally, every year. Most of these in Africa and Asia. This vaccine can save lives ...

Last year, my little boy received the rota virus vaccination. My other children did not have this option so it was new to me. (It's the oral vaccine.) Not long after, Eli ended up in the hospital, with Intussusception. He had surgery to remove part of his small and large intestines. We were very lucky that we did not lose him. The vomiting, diarrhea, crying was almost unbearable but it wasn't until the bloody stools that we realized we needed to take him to the ER. Later, we learned that the bloody stools are the last symptom of his insides rotting. Like I said, we were lucky.

At my post appointment my doctor and I had a honest conversation about the links health care professionals are seeing in Rota virus and Intussusception. She went ahead and filled a claim with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Obviously, we (my doctor and I) have chosen not to give him the additional vaccines for rota virus.

I don't know what the answers are for each individual person. I definitely feel that immunizations are important. I know that there are children who have suffered from the rota virus. I have friends whose children have been hospitalized for this virus. BUT, I too have had a child hospitalized for a possible effect of this vaccine.

I hope that with money and research the rota virus can be a thing of the past. I know for me, I now make immunizations a matter of prayer. I also have decided to require my doctor to give my children one vaccine at a time. This way I can know, better, which effects are from which vaccination.

Tylerism

2010-01-22T20:22:00.003-07:00

We went to dinner the other day and there was the "no guns allowed" sign at the door.

Tyler said,"Look, no guns. Only swords."

He is definitely my dad's grandson. My dad is a historian of the Civil War. He gave Tyler a "real" sword when he was only a few months old. Next time we go to Red Robin, I better make sure that Ty doesn't bring his sword to dinner.

Monkey Business

2010-01-09T14:35:00.004-07:00

This is about a month late but here are the pictures from Eli's 1st Birthday party!

Before the party, Eli fell asleep. Luckily, he woke up as people began to arrive.

Eli and his little buddy Grant.

He got really shy when we were singing to him. He kept on leaning backwards towards me.

He loved the bows his cousin Jay sent him.

A little kid friendly pinata. Each kid gets a string and they all pull. Only one stays attached and then the parent can pull that one to open it.

Kara another little friend.

New Year's in California

2010-01-09T14:27:00.003-07:00

On our way home for WA, Dan dropped the kids and I off in California. We stayed the week with the Aston's. I was sick, cough, cold. Therefore, I didn't take any pictures. These are the few I have from the week with cousins, Aunts, Uncles, tons of family and sunshine. Dan arrived to pick us up and kiss me on New Year's Eve. The Aston family celebrates the New Year with tons of family, food and yes, fun!

Christmas in the Northwest

2010-01-09T13:52:00.005-07:00

It has been about a month since I posted anything. I was pondering why I hadn't been at a computer. Aww, that's right I have been traveling and then recovering for the last few weeks. We drove from Lake Havasu City, Arizona to Snoqualmie, WA. It was an adventure. The kids, to be completely honest, were great. We made lots of stops, watched tons of movies and only had one small detour.

I don't have any pictures of the journey. I packed my camera away so that I wouldn't have to worry about it once we got to the mountain. I am not sure if I want a record of our messy van anyway. Part of our journey included stopping at my Uncle Brad's home in Idaho. We had a blast there with my cousins. Their home was comfortable, inviting and full of the holiday cheer. We caravaned with them up the mountain. (we stayed at a hotel one night. the kids, mine and my cousins loved the pool.)

I tried explaining to my friends what it is like up there. No telephone, computer or TV. The traditions are ingrained and are too many to explain. One friend put it best, "it sounds a lot like that movie Dan in Real Life but Norwegian" That is about right. Here are a few pictures from Trollhaugen. (I misplaced my camera so there are only a couple.)

Ty and my cousin making the Marzipan pig for the Julegrot.

Eli and Grandma. He was in her arms for three days.

(expect for when Roo would steal him away)

Norwegian sandwiches - Christmas Eve tradition.

This is my cousin, the rock star, check out his band Blindpilot.

I love Emma's grumpy face with Aunt Mel.

Nebeker's in the hot tub.

Auntie Roo and Ty playing.

Ty and Emma learning a Scandinavian Dance.

1 ... Wow

2009-12-18T23:50:00.003-07:00

Today, Eli turned one year old. It was a simple day. We sang to Eli, took the kids for pizza (which Eli loves) and took turns hugging on the little guy. I spent a few minutes with just him today. We cuddled and he jabbered about all that has happened in this last year. No, I didn't catch anything. It's hard to believe that it has been year but also grateful that he is turning one. We love our little guy.

MIA

2009-12-17T22:28:00.004-07:00

I have been missing from the blogging world and therefore connecting with dear family and friends. I have a good reason.

I was in charge of our Ward (church's congregation) Christmas party.

It consumed my life for the last month but I am happy to report ... I'm back. My kids are getting dinner at home. Laundry is back in drawers. I have stopped mumbling to myself and all traces of the party are nearly but away.

The party was a huge success. I don't have any pictures yet, but soon I will have proof of my madness.

Eli Update

2009-11-21T23:54:00.003-07:00

Look who turned 11 months old!!!

It's hard work being this adorable.

Eli is getting into everything. He is fast and can pull himself up. He walks along the coffee table or couch. It won't be long now. Yikes. He has also cut four teeth on top at the same time. Loads of fun. He still is a good baby. He signs a few things and says a couple of words. My favorite is that he has discovered humor. He thinks it is hilarious when you put something on your head or over your face. Any silly sounds or faces sets him into a fit of giggles. Can't believe my baby is almost a year old!

Christmas made Simple

2009-11-21T23:37:00.003-07:00

A couple of days ago, I was talking to my mom on the phone about Christmas this year. Our family gets together every other year. We were going over traveling plans, food details and of course discussing money. I got off the phone and Ty and Emma walk up to me.

"We know what we want to do for Christmas," states Tyler matter of factly.

I think, this should be good. I decide to humor my five year old and ask him what they have in mind. First reminding him that we will be seeing his Pa, Grandma, Aunties and Uncle.

This was their answer ...

Tyler wants to, "look for the Abombibal (in Ty's phonetic interpretation) Snowman with Pa. Make snow balls and throw them at people with Pa. Make a snowman. Use sticks and draw in the snow with Auntie Mel. Dig holes with Uncle monkey Brian. "

Emma wants to, "duck, duck, goose in the snow. Play with Jewelry Grandma and play tag with Auntie Roo. Aunt Ariel (she sings this) read me stories. "

I asked Tyler if he knew he would see cousins. His answer: "I remember all of them (there are quite a few for his little 3 year old memory to retain)."

Leave it to my kids to make me stop in my tracks and forget about stupid things like money and trip details. They have got it right. Their little lists are exactly what we need to do for Christmas. They didn't once bring up presents. All they are concerned about is playing with the people they love. Lesson learned ... I am going to build a snowman with my kids and my dad.

Aston Family Zoo

2009-11-04T22:53:00.004-07:00

Halloween 2009 - We participated in our Ward's Trunk or Treat. I was in charge of organizing everything, including the chili dinner. The kids ran around and had a blast. My sick husband made an appearance. He was kind enough to cook all the hot dogs, while not breathing on them. It was a Zoo!

Tyler the Tiger.

(this picture reminds me of my brother and Jim Carrey)

Emma our Squeaky Mouse.

Em and her friend "tending" to Eli.

Aston and Vetter kiddos.

After the Trunk of Treat, we went down to Main Street. They block off the downtown street for trick or treating, haunted houses and this year a friend of mine taught the community the Thriller dance. She had sign ups at the community college. They had 73 people and a little over 50 performed. It was a blast to watch.

I love this picture with the Elders (from the trunk or treat at the church). Check out, Eli our little monkey man!

The Aston Zoo

Two zoo keepers, a tiger, mouse and a monkey ... perfect!

Preschool - Halloween

2009-10-30T23:39:00.005-07:00

I love Little Knights Preschool. My kids have so much being part of the high school. We have had a fun month with London Bridge Days, Homecoming and Halloween ... (and of course birthdays). Here are pictures from the Homecoming parade with the preschool and then a little preview of Halloween. The preschool did trick or treating to the different hs student's classrooms. Then games, crafts and a lunch.

Halloween Preview

Tyler's Jedi Training

2009-10-22T13:50:00.010-07:00

I have been meaning to post this because it is just so perfect. It makes me cry which tells me two things ... 1. I am one of those sentimental moms 2. I really love Star Wars.

Here it is my little Jedi Knight.

Our 3 year old Princess

2009-10-20T09:43:00.010-07:00

Emma had her 3rd birthday! She got to invite a few friends over to have cake and ice cream. It was a girly, princess party and she loved every moment.

I made her a princess castle cake. This was stretching my creativity and baking skills. BUT Emma loved it. When I finished the cake, Emma said, "It's beautiful. Thank you Momma!" My heart melted it was worth the time and my confidence has been strengthen by my three year old.

Emma received all kinds of dress up and we have begun the Barbie phase. (She calls them Darbie, doll and Barbie) It was fun to have good friends here to celebrate her special day. It's hard to believe that she is three. Today while taking Ty to school, she told me, "Mom, I'm three. I think I am ready to go to school now." I smiled and told her that I agreed.

Eli Update

2009-10-19T22:24:00.004-07:00

Eli turned 10 months old!!!

He is still the best baby. He is crawling everywhere and fast. The scary part is he is such a good baby that we don't notice that he has disappeared. He is pulling himself up to a standing position. He has even figured out how to climb up onto Ty's bed. We love our little E-1,000 (Dan's nickname and reference to Terminator)!

Five, Football, Fun and Urgent Care

2009-10-15T08:35:00.005-07:00

Tyler's birthday was fun, full of friends and football but it was not what we expected. He got to choose a few friends to come with him to the freshman football game. (Dan was coaching) Right before the game began, Ty was walking to throw away some trash and fell. He landed face forward in the gravel. He landed just right to split open his top lip. (all the way through the lip) We ran down to the team trainer. She gave us some ice and gauze. Ty was not crying, not yelling ... he just wanted to know if the red stuff was blood. He was pretty excited that he got blood on his football shirt. "Now, I can pretend to be a real football player."

We ended up heading over to Troyer Urgent Care. (our friends arriving for the party stayed with the other kids) Dr. Troyer's wife was at the game. She sent her husband a text that we were on our way. He got us in quickly in hopes that we could get back for at least the end of the game and party. The Dr. decided that Ty needed stitches. I will spare the details but it's not fun to get stitches when you are five and on your birthday. It was very difficult for Ty and (let's be honest) mom. At the end, I was holding Ty telling him about the day he was born five years ago, he quietly said, "I don't want to come back here (pause) every again." Boy, does mom agree.

He has two stitches on the top lip. They probably should have done a few on the inside too, but Ty was brave for two and that was enough for him. In fact, he told the Dr. just that, "That's enough. I said that's enough." After we got him all cleaned up, he was fine. They gave him a teddy bear and stickers. He held on to that teddy bear with one arm and me in the other. I looked at his sweet little face and realized five is a big birthday but he still a little boy. I realize that this won't last much longer but for now he can still cuddle his teddy bear, hold his mom and cry a little ... even if he is pretending to be a football player.

The athletic director at the high school arranged so the crowd could sing Happy Birthday to him between the third and fourth quarter. It was really sweet for them to do that for us... especially for a freshly-injured 5 year old. We made it back just in time for the end of the third. The Knights won by a landslide. They played really well and the team has finally clicked together. Ty opened presents. He drank a couple of juice boxes (no food until this morning). We saved him a cupcake that Emma tried to eat this morning. Ty had a blast with his friends. They were running around, climbing and jumping off rocks. Ohh, how I wish I could make him sit still next to me but then again he is now five!

It was a long day but he went to bed happy. What a birthday!!

Five

2009-10-15T08:14:00.005-07:00

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Tyler turned five yesterday. He is such a good kid. He smart, logical like his Dad, creative and imaginitive. It's hard to believe that five years ago he started our little family. I couldn't have asked for a better big brother. Our little buddy continues to surprise us with all he understands, his creative science experiements and his sense of humor. We love you Ty-guy!

Disneyland 2009

2009-10-12T13:16:00.003-07:00

We took the kids to Disneyland for their birthdays. It was great. We all had a blast!

Glee vs LHHS Football

2009-09-29T09:40:00.002-07:00

I have been tentatively watching the TV show Glee. This means that I have it on my DVR and sometimes I watch it but it has been with hesitation. Each episode has left me feeling uncomfortable but I love the format, the songs, dances and the whole idea is great.

Last week I pulled the plug and took it off my DVR. The funny thing is that it doesn't seem enough. Without getting into too much detail my frustration lies in how the football players were portrayed. I know many high school football players. They are not womanizer, sex crazed, dumb, prejudice, closed minded jocks. Many are good students, college bound, smart and very dedicated. They work hard to perform physically a sport that they love and respect.

At one point in the episode the players perform a Beyonce song and dance right before the snap with one second on the clock. I love it when dance/song is used to entertain and suspended our reality. BUT integrity must remain particularly when used with another physical performance. It took away from the sport and did not enhance the story. It did entertain but for all the wrong reasons. I was disappointed by the homosexual storyline mostly because of how it made football players look. I was irritated by the teen pregnancy because of the way it made cheerleaders look. Some of these stereotypes might be true in specific situations but overall it's not fair to all those students who are no where near that direction. LHHS sports take their role as athletes seriously and we in the community do too.

A couple of the LHHS football watched this scene in Coach's (Dan) classroom. Their response is all I needed to rededicate myself to open my mouth, be an example of the believers and uplift the youth we work with. They are great young men and will be amazing men if they keep heading in the right direction. Football helps teach them skills that will be a support to them once they leave high school. It gives them a team, not everyone has the support at home or with a church. They can get some of that from their team and coaches.

With all that is going on this world this might seem trite but for my world and my community this made me mad and sad because it could be such a good show. I guess ... I am sending Fox a letter.

Go Knights!!

2009-09-26T22:55:00.002-07:00

We are in full football mode. This week we had two away games. The first was Dan's freshman team. I packed the kids up and drove the hour to Bullhead. They lost ... so we won't talk about that one.

Then it was the Golden Shovel game. This game is with our rival team Mohave (hour away). The ground was broken for both schools with the same shovel. So whoever wins, gets the shovel for the year. Lake Havasu has had it for three straight years and something like 27 times.

I am happy to report that we won!! The kids cheered from the sidelines. (There was no more room in the bleachers.) We yelled for our favorite player, Emma got cheered on by the cheerleaders and Eli ate lots of grass. Thanks Knights for not letting the Aston Fam down!

Eli Update

2009-09-19T18:04:00.003-07:00

Look who is 9 months old!

Eli is doing great. He has two little teeth on the bottom. He started crawling and did his first sign for milk. The doctor had some blood work done for him to make sure everything is on the up and up. Eli is such a good baby!

Imagination + Ingenuity = MFS

2009-09-19T10:03:00.004-07:00

Ty is so imaginative and Emma has more ingenuity than most politicians which equals Mother Fatigue Syndrome. I am exhausted. This has been quite the week. Here are a few pictures to prove it.

Tyler decided to soak Emma from head to toe in baby oil. He said she needed a bath but really half a bottle of baby oil. How did he get the lid off? And how do you get baby oil off a 2 year old? The only thing that worked was Dawn dish soap.

The kids were quiet. First sign that something is up. Then I could not find them. They weren't in their rooms. They weren't in the bathroom or even in my bed. I found them "keeping Carl company". (their exact words)

Later in the week the poured honey on Carl and topped her off with sprinkles. I don't have a picture of that for many reasons but mostly because it was a huge mess and all I wanted to do was cry.

This is above our bed. The saying is from a fortune cookie Dan got when he was sixteen. He kept it in his wallet until he proposed to me on the beach at Crescent Bay. Well, Tyler asked Dan and I if we noticed anything about the letters. I smiled and started telling him which letter makes which sound, not even paying attention to his crooked little smile. It took some time but eventually I noticed the missing T. Now to find it.

What more can I say, MFS ... Mother Fatigue Syndrome.

Here, Bigfoot.

2009-09-07T09:36:00.004-07:00

Rain in the desert

The kids were so excited that they got out our one umbrella. It's kinda silly that we still even own one. They ran outside with beef jerky to feed Bigfoot. Now, the question is, Why when it rained did that mean Bigfoot was in our backyard? And why did he want beef jerky? I can answer one question. According to Jack Link's he likes beef jerky.

(I would like to make it clear that I had nothing to do with showing our children the Jack Link's commercials. That was all their father's doing.)

Tylerism

2009-08-30T21:16:00.002-07:00

Tyler and Emma came to me to tell me that they had cleaned the play room. I was thrilled. I walked into the room and sure enough it was spotless. Completely clean .... that is when I noticed that there was not a single toy. Not one toy could be found in this room. I walked around the room, praising the good job as panic sunk in. Where were ALL the toys? To my horror, they had shoved everything they could into the closet in their little hallway.

I couldn't even get a decent picture to show you because it was so stuck. I could not open the doors. I had to take out each toy from the top until the doors would budge open. Then I found they had dumped all the toy bins and baskets. Little pieces were everywhere. This took me all week to clean up. (mostly because I don't have a three hour block of time)

So, thank you Tyler (with Emma's help) for cleaning your room but now we need to talk about how to clean your room.

Seven-Year Itch

2009-08-25T14:56:00.003-07:00

We celebrated our 7 year Anniversary. I could go and on about mushy stuff and reflect on the last 7 years while sharing examples of what a perfect husband I am married to. BUT that wouldn't really by my style. (an example of why Dan married me)

We have had our ups and downs. It is not easy being married. The moments that have brought us the closest and have kept our marriage real are those moments usually in result of difficult times. Proving that without the bad I would not know or understand the good. Not that I would want anyone to have to go through the difficult times and don't know if I would say I am grateful for those times. I will say that I am grateful for the moments that have brought us to this point. They also are what remind me that I am married to the perfect husband ... perfect for me. We are happily married and have made it through that seventh year without any itching and luckily no busty blonds moved in next door.

Fabulous Toes

2009-08-24T11:20:00.004-07:00

A friend once told me that her husband said, "He wanted to be one of those husbands that make other husbands look bad." Well, Dan has done just that ... for my birthday he gave me an incredible gift. He gave me a gift certificate to get a pedicure. Now here is the "Wow" factor ... every month for a year. Let me spell this out, every month I get to leave the kids, house, dishes, laundry etc, go to the beauty parlor and get my toes done, while sitting in a massage chair, reading whatever I want for a hour. (And most of it is already paid for so that I can't skip out to save money or because it's a difficult month, blah, blah.) Amazing!

Eli Update

2009-08-21T11:21:00.003-07:00

Look who is 8 months old!!!
Eli is doing really good. We are healthy, happy and hungry. He eats, sleeps and poops well. He just got two little teeth on the bottom. He is getting close to crawling and mom is doing everything she can to keep mobility at bay. Not for long though.

30 and Fabulous

2009-08-19T13:00:00.005-07:00

I was dreading this birthday. I actually was hoping the day would be quick and painless ... you know like pulling off a bandaid. The idea of leaving my twenties for good and entering the world of responsibility made me want to curl up and hide.

Then I had this great converstation with my mom and then my dad. The jist of it was that this is an exciting time in my life. All the wonderful memories I have of being a little kid with my fun parents, going to the beach, D-land and sunny California were when my parents were in their thirties. They also pointed out to me how great it is to be established. I had to agree. I love having my little family, our cute home, puppy and even the van. It's great to be married to the High School student's favorite teacher.

The point is that I am enjoying life and am really happy. I want to progress. Who really wants to stay frozen in time? It's not my idea of fun. If progressing means turning thirty (and entering a new phase) I want to do it with style ... 30 and fabulous here I come.

Happy Birthday - Dan!

2009-08-14T11:32:00.003-07:00

It was Dan's birthday this week. (I won't mention how old because then some of you will guess how old I am turning) Dan had school and football so we didn't see him until 6:30pm but we had a blast getting things ready for his arrival. The kids helped me pick out presents, Ghostbusters shirt from Ty, cooking stuff from Em & Eli and a wok from me. The kids made his cake and even decorated it with his favorite, fresh fruit. We all went out to dinner when Dan got home. It was a fun, simple evening.

Happy Birthday Dan our Man!

Puppy Love

2009-08-12T13:56:00.003-07:00

Here are a few of our favorite moments with Carl during his first week with us. Notice there are not any pictures of him with Eli. Eli is still not sure about the toe licking furry beast. Also note that there are not any pictures of two pairs of my shoes destroyed, teeth marks on my coffee table legs, blinds destroyed, couch ripped and rug torn. Those are not our favorite moments.

She is a sweet dog and loves the kids.

Ty and Carl already are good buddies. Here Ty has placed his cap on Carl. Ty thought it was hilarious.
Emma and Carl were being really quiet. I found them in the kitchen .. having a moment.

Carl got a Pa and Grandma package (with help from Auntie Roo).

Ty is helping Carl "exercise".

Discovered Emma playing doctor.

Our Newest Addition

2009-08-06T15:41:00.007-07:00

No, I am not pregnant ... We got a puppy! Last weekend we went to the Humane Society in Kingman and found this adorable little girl. She is part Lab, part Spaniel and maybe Border Collie. Not exactly sure but we love her cute face and polka dot paws. She is two months old.

We let the kids name her ... Carl Bolt Aston. Yes, she is Carl. Tyler will not hear of us calling her Carlie or Carla or any variation. She is Carl, not only Carl but they actually refer to her as Carl Bolt. You would not believe the looks we have gotten when people have asked her name. One woman thought I was telling her our baby Eli's name. I smiled and sweetly replied, "No, our dogs name is Carl." We might need to cut back on the Carl's Jr. visits.

She is a really good puppy. Her house training is going great! We have to have an inside dog because of the heat here in Havasu. Dan and I never thought we would have an inside dog but we are happy to have her in our family. It is worth the sacrifice to us ... goodbye couch, shoes, rug and any toys left out. I don't think my house has ever been this clean for so many days. I can't stop vacuuming and mopping. The kids have finally learned how to clean/pick up their toys. All we had to do was get a dog.

Welcome Carl Bolt Aston to this crazy family.

Check out this link for the Kingman newspaper. Click on the picture on the left.

http://kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=32816&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&S=1

The East Coast Ride

2009-07-31T00:13:00.008-07:00

I have not posted anything in a little while because I have been trying to figure out how to post all my pictures from our Maryland Trip ... not possible. I will add a slide show soon but for now here is my favorite pictures of each one of us from the amazing trip to the East Coast.

Dan "playing" sports broadcaster at the Newseum in DC. I loved getting see him do some broadcasting even if it was just for fun. He looked great to me then again I can't remember a thing he reported on. ummm

Me looking down at the 9/11 display of newspaper front pages at the Newseum. It was a very solemn but beautiful display of our nation's tragedy. Everyone in this part of the museum was either silent or spoke in whispered voices.

Tyler with his Pa outside of their home in Chesapeake Beach. Pa bought them matching shirts at Gettysburg. Ty followed Pa around that massive battlefield. He didn't ask questions but he learned a lot. Never underestimate what a 4year can grasp.

Emma at Beach Beauty. We spent a day at the water park and then Chesapeake Beach. They looked for shark teeth and shells. Ty made soup out of the sand, Emma and Grandma were mermaids (wish I had a picture of that), Mom got stung, just slightly, by a jellyfish and everyone had a wonderful time soaking in the sun.

Eli was always being held by someone. I have so many pictures of him being carried by one Aunt or Grandma. This is my favorite because his expression is amazing and Aunt Mel carried him around a lot in this position ... kangaroo style. This picture was at the National Zoo in DC. Can you believe it is owned by the people so it is free? Amazing.

We had a blast. Everything was an adventure. The kids loved being with their Grandpa and Grandma, Auntie Roo and Aunt Mel. Thank goodness for a forever family because nine days was too short.

Family Reunion - Beach

2009-07-14T23:10:00.004-07:00

One day (of the reunion), we went to the beach. I love the beach. I have incredible memories of going to the beach with my family when were kids. Dan proposed to me at the beach. And now I get to take my kids. Well, they freeze. They won't go in the water. We have been spoiled by Lake Havasu. We still had a blast playing the sand, Frisbee, tide pools and laying in the sun. We saw dolphins, a sea otter, pelican and the kids even got a kick out of the seagulls.

Family effort in building this sand castle, complete with a dam, waterway and tunnels.

Ty loved playing in the sand.

Cold water.

Family Reunion

2009-07-14T23:03:00.002-07:00

We had a family reunion in California last week. We were only going to stay a few days but the kids were having so much fun and mom didn't want to leave the cool weather yet. Dan drove home for work and then came back and got us at the end of the week. I didn't take very many pictures but you can see we had a blast. Park, pool, beach, late night Cherry on Top, sleepovers with cousins, but mostly just being together.

Aunt Amy and Eli

Uncle Tyler (the engineer) and Ty

We got to spend a lot of time with Aunt Amy and Uncle Tyler. The kids loved all the attention and mom loved the extra help. We already miss them.

A HOT 4th of July

2009-07-09T22:51:00.004-07:00

This year we stayed in Lake Havasu City for 4th of July. Dan had to work that evening so I was flying solo. We had fun during the day, we went to lunch and thought we would brave the heat and go down to the lake. BIG mistake. At one point all three kids were crying. Emma kept saying, "It's too hot to walk." So, we had a quick, hot, not-so-much fun trip to the lake but we ended up at the ice cream shop. Nothing like Thrifty's ice cream.

After we said good-bye to daddy, I took the kids swimming at my friend's house. (they were out of town but were kind enough to offer their pool) Some other friends called and invited the kids and I to meet them at the lake for the City's firework show. We had a blast!

Eli loved watching the fireworks. He just stared in awe. Emma and Ty ran around in the sand. I loved seeing the fireworks lite up the lake. We are so grateful for this our country, our freedoms and the men and women who are protecting them.

Knowledge is Power

2009-06-30T14:06:00.005-07:00

I want to share with you (dear friends, family and cyber world) my thoughts on an experience I had and the effect it has had on our recent events. I can firmly witness to the popular statement, "Knowledge is power." A few weeks ago, before Eli got sick, I was reading an article in Parent Magazine (June 2009 issue). The article was titled, Pain-Relief Secrets by Darshak Sanghavi. I was amazed by the ideas and information I was learning. Dan and I believe in giving our children medication including immunizations but in the last few years we have been leaning more towards natural is better. For example, we stopped giving our children Tylenol for fevers and let them break on their own. But then again our children have been really healthy, so we haven't really been pressed with this option.

This article was fascinating to me because it talked about how "children suffer needlessly in hospitals and clinics, and even in their own home." The article was not pointing fingers, just expressing other things that we can do as caregivers to ensure our children our comfortable. One part that stood out to me was the discussion that until the 1980's, many newborns were having heart surgery without any pain medication. This article made such an impact that I shared it with Dan. Little did I know that a few weeks later it would be knowledge that I would need.

When we went to the ER with Eli, they were busy getting him set up with an IV, taking stats, and ordering an ultrasound. I didn't notice that they had not given him ANYTHING for his pain. After a while we were waiting while the ER staff cared for a patient with a gunshot wound; I realized that my silent little baby still had not been given any pain medication. I thought to myself that an adult would not be left in pain, so why Eli? I asked the nurse and she explained that all they had was Morphine and that the Children's Hospital would have something for him. I sat back thinking that must be the answer. I didn't want him to have Morphine for a tummy ache.

That is when a family member called. They had recently had some problems with their bowel and knew the pain Eli must be in. (We now knew this was a bigger problem and most likely surgery was the answer.) This wonderful person asked politely if Eli had been given anything for the pain. I explained that they didn't have anything. Now I was frustrated.

Luckily, our flight nurse agreed that he needed some pain relief and gave him something in the ambulance on our way to take-off. I don't blame the ER nurse or doctor, as Eli wasn't crying, but as his mom I knew that he was in pain. I am glad that the flight nurse took me seriously and I am comforted to know that I tried when we were in the ER.

Again, this came up post surgery. The nurse told us that they had Morphine and Tylenol prescribed for Eli and we just needed to let her know what we wanted. Okay, we settled in and about 8 hours later I thought to ask her when he needed more medication. She said we could give him some now, what would we like to give him. Dan and I looked at each other, clueless. "I guess the morphine," I said. She told me that some parents don't like to give their children narcotics. Dan and I exchanged glances AND then the article came clearly back to my mind.

We continued the morphine for a couple of days. Again, we did not realize that morphine is fast acting (but effective short term pain relief), so he was without medication for periods of time until we figured it out - and Dan and I aren't ones to not ask questions, as many of you know. Then we started the Tylenol, but we always had to be proactive about it and even a little aggressive with the nurses. I understand that should be my role as his caregiver but if I had not read that article I don't know if I could have done the best thing for my baby. Knowledge truly is power.

I honestly believe that a loving Father in heaven gave us the tools we needed to be able to recall in our time of need. Our prayers were answered in remarkable ways usually through other people. Eli is doing great. He sure loves his Tylenol.

http://www.parents.com/baby/health/sick-baby/pain-relief-secrets/

Eli and the Milk Machine

2009-06-25T18:53:00.002-07:00

Eli is doing great. Each day I see more and more improvements. He had a dr. appointment where they weighed him. He has added about 6 ounces. Yeah! We weren't worried about his weight but this shows that he is getting milk. His diaper still shows traces of "not clear", which means the doctor wants to keep checking them.

I am still feeding him on demand. It is getting better but it has not been easy. I am drinking tons of water and a tea (thanks to my witch doctor fam) that helps with lactation. He is not fussy at all ... what an amazing little guy. He still wants to nurse a lot but it is not as desperate and he is falling asleep. Next step is to get him to fall asleep with out the breast. It will probably be a few more days before we can reintroduce solids.

Overall, we are on the right track. We just have to keep moving along.

Eli and Dr. Appt.

2009-06-23T11:53:00.002-07:00

I took Eli to his doctor yesterday, mostly because I wanted her to be involved. I wanted to be able to tell her my concerns in person and make sure the surgeon had sent Eli's information to her. It was a good appointment for many reasons. Eli has only last about a pound (luckily he had some to spare). His stats looked good ... no temperature, good bowel sounds. She checked his diaper for blood, there was none visible but it was good idea. The test came back with a slight positive (what in the world does a "slight" positive mean). So I am suppose to bring her another diaper tomorrow to be tested. We agreed that he's immunizations could wait. We are going to break them up, one a week. He is pretty pale, kind of grey color. She wants to check his blood for iron in a few weeks.

During our appointment the surgeon called. It was perfect timing (due to the fact that I had called him while I was in the waiting room and asked him to call her). He was able to explain the details that I was having a hard time describing to her. They discussed his fussy behavior and agreed that it most likely due to my milk supply. There strong recommendation was that I do nothing but nurse on demand and drink water for a couple of days. She actually said, "no dishes, just lie on the couch." I stiffled a laugh. How as I going to explain this to Dan? Unfortunately, they do not give out notes or prescriptions for this kind of thing.

Of course, Dan was great! Lucky for us, he is home this week. It has been a long 24 hours of nursing ... when the Dr. asked me if this was something I could do, through tears I explained how happy I was to be able to do something. This is something I could do for my baby! So I am the human pacifier, milk machine and I don't dare complain.

Man of Steel

2009-06-22T00:16:00.005-07:00

Today being Father's day, I think it is only fitting to share with you my gratitude for my husband. Your priorities are never more apparent than when you are in crisis mode. I am so grateful for a spouse who stood by my side this last week. We learned new things about each other (even after almost 7 years). I learned more about his ability to remain calm, he seemed to always ask the right questions, and there is nothing like seeing your spouse vulnerable over his love for your child.

I loved hearing him read out loud to Eli (especially since it was Harry Potter). I was disappointed that he could beat me in Speed but thrilled when I won Scrabble. We watched a movie together, slept on a twin size make-shift bed together, but most importantly prayed over our little boy together.

At the children's hospital, I was shocked to see how many of the patients did not have parents there with them, let alone both. I am filled with gratitude that I was not alone and that Eli had his father there with him. We make a great team and I know it was us together that helped with part of his quick release.

Eli is doing well. He is cranky and restless. He just wants to be held. I am nursing him constantly. It is exhausting but at least it is something I can do. He is still taking Tyenol regularly and I think he might still be in quite bit of discomfort. The kids are glad to be home. They had tons of fun with Grandpa and Grandma. We are going to take it easy this week. He is going to meet with his own doctor tomorrow for a follow up.

We will keep you posted on his progress. Thank you all for your comments, thoughts and prayers. Our little man of steel is on the mend but then again, of course he is, his father is Superman.

Eli and Home

2009-06-20T00:11:00.002-07:00

We made it! We finally got home tonight, but it wasn't the home we left. Our dear friends have taken such good care of us. They cleaned my house ... not just a light pick up like I was led to believe (Doone, you still are in trouble). They did ALL the laundry, dishes, bathrooms are spotless and all the rooms were picked up. My carpets have been cleaned. I can't find a spot anywhere. A new light fixture with fan was put in and a new stove/microwave combo installed. (Dan had been meaning to put these all in but just never found the time.) A friend (Chad) brought over some help and they but it all together.

I am in such shock. For you to completely grasp the enormity of this endeavor you have to understand a couple of things. One, a few days before everything unraveled I was in charge of large social activity at our church. Dinner, games, entertainment for about a hundred people. As you can imagine my house was a disaster from gathering "stuff" to decorate, making prizes and organizing activities. Plus, in order to get this all done I let the kids make huge messes. As long as they were busy it was fine by me. I would clean up next week ... obviously that did not happen.

Secondly, Eli had been sick. Tons and TONS of laundry, most of it covered in yucky stuff. (let's not rehash the bodily fluids) Again, I let the kids rule the house while I tended to Eli. I honestly don't know if my house has ever been more of a mess. It was pretty bad when we moved but it was sort of contained by all the moving boxes. This was beyond description mess.

Thank you to everyone! I am so grateful to our families for all their support. The Astons letting us stay at their house and caring for so many of our needs. GGAston making us food and letting us spend time with them on their 63rd Anniversary. Joyce for bringing us dinner when I couldn't take another night of hospital cafeteria food. Mom and Dad Aston watched the kids with help from other family members. I can't even begin to express the relief of having our children cared for at a time like this. My family back East could not be with us physically but gave me so much strength. I talked with them (especially mom) all day ... when ever I needed to hear a gentle reminder that everything was going to be okay.

Thank you to all our friends who gave love and service to us like we were family. We had friends do so many things that I can't even begin to write out the details. I can't even really express my gratitude. I am overwhelmed by the love. I am in awe of the many prayers. We are truly touched and can only begin to thank you by saying ... We love you, all of you. We love you so much.

Eli is doing great. He is a little fussy but that is to be expected. The kids will be coming home tomorrow. I will continue to let you know of his progress. Thank you for following along. It has meant so much to know that we are not alone.

Eli and his Day

2009-06-18T16:27:00.004-07:00

Today Eli turns 6 months old!!
We just got the news that we can go home. We are quickly gathering up are stuff and we will be off.

Eli and Thursday

2009-06-18T10:13:00.002-07:00

We had a long night. They wanted me to wake him up every three hours to try to force a bottle into his little unwilling mouth. He does not like the bottle and it was frustrating after all that pumping. Finally, (with Dan's convincing that we can break the rules when it is our own child) I nursed him. He didn't want it! We tried over and over with the bottle. Finally, late into the night he nursed from me for about 5 minutes just enough to get the good stuff. We had a little more success with bottle once we got into the wee hours and early morning. I am exhausted. I didn't see the point of both of us being up so I let Dan sleep.

The good news is that it all paid off. His diapers are soaked. He is pooping and his bowels are all working. Dr. came in this morning and said we can set him free. No more hooked up to the IV and no more stinkin bottles. But then, of course, he fell asleep. So, we will wait until he wakes up and try breastfeeding. I am so excited. IF this goes well we can go home as early as tonight.

It is incredible how fast their bodies heal. I am in shock ... we are almost there.

Eli and Sunrise

2009-06-17T21:11:00.003-07:00

I am slightly overwelmed by the love and support we have received. Thank you for the phone calls, text, comments, fb comments and emails. The amount of prayers petitioning our Father in Heaven have brought a calm and comfort that can only be described as heavenly. Through all this one thing that has been confirmed to me over and over again is that Eli is His child. I am learning about my role has his earthly Mother. I have never realized how privilaged I am to be my children's mother. I hope I never take it for granted again.

On a lighter note, here are a few other "fun" things I have learned in the last few days ...

* I have found someone who is better at Speed than I am. Dan has kept this a secret from me for the last 7 years.
* Eli is really good at pushing the supository out of his rearend.
* Eli loves having Harry Potter read to him.
* I have discovered the best Camomile tea from a little cart downstairs.
* I discovered not everyone respects the family kitchen don't-take-what-isn't-yours motto... Dan's Monster drink went MIA.
* Dan and I fit on a double bed... barely. And only if we snuggle thisclose.
* I realized how much my nails miss regular attention... I was able to trim, shape, file, and paint them without interruption (that is, if you don't count Dan).
* I NEVER want hospital food again.
* The IV drip machine knows when the patient falls asleep. Every time Eli dozes, the machine seems to beep for one reason or another... thank goodness for the "silence" button.

More updates tomorrow. Fingers crossed that Eli will be eating well and that we are on the back end of this excursion.

Eli and his Tube

2009-06-17T11:07:00.003-07:00

Big news ... The Dr. just removed the tube that went into his tummy. Yeah! This means that he has had enough wet diapers, he is not as puffy and the bile coming out turned clear enough. Next step, we get to feed him a little bit of my breast milk from a bottle every three hours. Hopefully, he will keep it down and tomorrow they can increase that amount. He is doing great. I can't wait to feed my little guy. We are just so happy about his progress.

I have to tell on Dan. The Dr. came in while I was in the shower. I came out and Dan showed me that the tube had been removed. He excitedly told me that we could feed him in a hour (noon). I asked how and he said that when I pump next to just give him some. A few minutes later, the nurse came in. Her exact words were, "So the Dr. orders are that he can have breastmilk from a bottle, half an ounce at 3pm." I looked over at Dan. Busted. He thought he was being so sneaky.

Thank you everyone for your sincere thoughts and prayers.

Like we say out home to our kids ... "Everyone clap for Eli!"

Eli Pictures

2009-06-16T17:01:00.004-07:00

My dear childhood best friend came to visit me today. Along with some games she brought her camera. I am so grateful! Thank you to everyone who has left us messages via blog, email, facebook. We really appreciate the wishes, prayers and concern. Hope you can take a moment to look at his sweet little face.

Eli and Tuesday

2009-06-16T11:06:00.002-07:00

Dear friends and loving family...
Thank you all for your support. We are doing really good today. Let me back track a little bit.

Yesterday, the Dr. came in and said he is looking good. That it would be a few more days until he can nurse because he does not have enough wet diapers. His stomach was still draining but he was retaining all the fluids they had given him. His incision looks good. She said that we could continue to give him morphine for comfort. Yeah, for narcotics.

Then last night, he started throwing up, followed by another bloody diaper. I cried, Dan cleaned and Eli fell back asleep. The nurse called the Dr. for us and labs were requested. They took blood and gave him some more fluids. Turns out that his sucking tube in his stomach had been turned off ... no wonder he puked. The diaper is actually a semi good sign. It means his bowels are working out what is inside them. They just wanted to make sure it is good things going on in there. Sure enough everything came back okay.

Today, he woke up this morning with eyes wide open. He was looking around. AND then he find all the tubes and wires. He was grabbing at everything!! (with a similar single-mindedness that reminded me of Grandpa Goodman's last days) So we put some socks on his little hands. Then he wanted to suck on those. Yesterday I went to the store and picked up some pacifiers. (OHHH my, so many choices and I have no idea, I asked Dan to pick one that looked like a nipple. The jokes began to fly) This is one time I really wish my kids would take a pacifier but then again he did go back to sleep on his own. I was able to get a half giggle out of my jolly little guy. I think it was out of pity. He is having wet diapers, his temp is down and heart rate "normal". All good things happening here.

I am finally getting used to his puffy little body. All the excess fluids is making him puff right up. I was pestering the nurse about it yesterday but today I am doing much better. I also have learned how to silence his IV alarms. Our nurse is so sweet but we are very proactive. So far they all don't mind us changing his sheets, diapers, contacting them for all our needs, and learning how to maintain his tubes/IV.

To keep us sane, I am posting and Dan runs the stairwell (we are on the fourth floor). The kids are doing great with Grandpa and Grandma Aston. Our love to everyone. Thank you for the outpouring.