So I’ve gotten a little behind on blogging, but I have good reason! If we had good luck, we wouldn’t know what to do with it! Saturday morning Mike got up and headed over to the house to texture the kitchen. I had been bugging him to do it for quiet some time now and figured this was as good as ever sice the house was empty and insurance was paying to have it painted! (hooray for no more purple kitchen!) Well, he was just wrapping it up when a transformer blow! He took the bucket of wall mud outside only to discover that there was water in the shed. The same shed floor that was holding his weedeater and mower! ugh. He got them up off the ground and decided that he’d better head back to the hotel. I was cooped up there with both kids as he had both car keys. He locked, up, got in his car, backed out, drove about a block and a half and then began to float. Yup, that’s right folks, my husband drowned a car for the second time in less than three years!! (the first time was July 07) Seriously, can this month get any worse? If May doesn’t get here soon and bring some better luck, I may be living at a looney farm soon! We are all still sick and I’m extra gumpy today - root canals don’t make for a happy mama! Not only was it super painful on my pocketbook, but my mouth is still hurting, bad, and it’s been 12 hours! The internet connection in our room is down-right aggravating. Connect one minute, and off the next! So, it’s 1am and I’m haning out down the hall in the business center trying to transfer a file that is <1g. Uh, think it’s been going about 2 hours now and has at least 2 left! I’ve about surfed all the net that I care to surf! BUT, with all that is bad and frustrating in my life right now, I know that it could be so much worse. Yes, it sucks that we’re living in a hotel, but hey, they have free breakfast, free laundry, housekeeping and free dinner 3 nights a week. Aiden doens’t mind the pool in the ‘backyard’ either. Yes, we may be down to one car now, but we had full coverage on Mike’s lemon, so Insurance will help us out. Yes, I had a root canal today and I’m in severe pain, but we have insurance and so while it was painful to write out the check this morning, I didn’t need to rob a bank to cover it Yes, Madeline may be sick and cutting another tooth, but she’s not in the hospital anymore. She’s gaining weight, learning how to crawl, and well on her way to becoming a normal baby! So, while we have hit some valleys, we do have so much to be thankful for!!! Praise God! (and yes, I am aware that God never gives me more than I can handle. I just don’t understand why He trusts me so much!!) Here’s my sweet family taking a swim yesterday after the weather cleared!!!

Welcome to My Life!

Just thought I’d give a quick update. We are still at Texas Children’s but hope to go home this evening or tomorrow morning. Doctors are still unsure what’s wrong with Miss Madeline, but after an OT consult today, it seems that they may have a general direction to shoot in… as opposed to the dark where they’ve been shooting for a few weeks. The OT seems to think she has some swallowing issues and liquid is going down her trach instead of her esophagus. That would account for most of her symptoms. If her swallow function test today comes back negative, then we’ll be back at square one. We had a visit this morning from a large group of attending and resident physicians and they all seem to not know the problem, just know that there is one! None of her symptoms fit together. Her white blood count is low as well as her neutrophil levels. One doctor was concerned about blood in her stool and instead it showed a high sugar level, which is a very strange finding with constipation. Normally, that would show in a patient that has diarrhea. Her cough has started up again and this time they haven’t been so quick to dismiss it. We actually have another chest x-ray coming up today or tomorrow morning with plans for repeating her sweat chloride test in a few weeks. She did loose some weight since yesterday, but after 3 huge poo’s that’s to be expected! (And welcomed, yeah for poop!!) In the next few days, she’ll be set up with PT and ECI in the hopes that we can get her gross-motor skills caught up to her age. We’re excited about the ECI recommendation, I know that it will be very beneficial for her. I guess that’s about all we know for now. Thank you so much for all of the prayers! It’s so nice to know that our family has been well thought of!

Much Love,
Sarah

No picture for now, but check back later… I’m sure I’ll get one uploaded

A little late getting today’s post up! I’ve been busy. I have several sessions to finish editing, 2 wedding albums to complete and a rediculious amount of personal pictures to edit. Did I mention that my hard drives are FULL? So add weeding and sorting to my to-do list. Of course, there are the routine house-hold chores as well. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, litter box, potty-training accidents… the list can go on and on. Life sometimes can feel so overwhelming and no matter what, there is *always* going to be stuff to do. March 9 marks an empty day in my heart. On March 9, 2000, a very dear friend lost his life. I remember that day like it was just last week. I can still remember exactly where I was when I got the phone call. I remember dropping the phone and screaming. I remember my parents crying. Lane was my first “love”, my first kiss and one of my best friends. It was the Friday that spring break began and it was our senior year. My life was never the same. So, in honor of Lane, I let all the chores go today. I didn’t edit any sessions and I didn’t even open the wedding albums. I played with my kids today. Aiden and I went outside and I let him paint! I bought him a blank 16×20 canvas and a whole bunch of paint. He borrowed one of daddy’s work shirts and went to town. After he finished and fell asleep, I fixed myself a chimichanga for lunch and let a few tears fall thinking of Lane and his family (for those who knew him will, you understand my menu choice) I loved on my babies a little extra today for you never know the the Lord will bring them home. My prayers are with Wes, Cindy, Aspen & Abby today….

-Sarah-

I apologize for leaving everyone hanging! MJ is out of the hospital!! We were released last week after her sweat chloride test came back negative, PRAISE GOD!! We still don’t have any answers for why her blood work went so wonky on us. We have a weight check this week and we’re really praying that she’s gained at least a pound so we don’t have to endure even more testing!! Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers! The doctors may not understand what happened, but we do!! God is the Greatest Physician!

I know I’m a bit last posting this today, but it’s been hectic around here. If you’re still waiting on your gallery to open again, just a few more days. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!

I always post a picture of my kiddos on Monday and today isn’t any different. I am selling some gear and needed to take pictures so I hauled both kids to the jungle out back. The light was beautiful so in between pictures of lenses, I got a few of my sweet babies!

-Sarah-

Since I came home today to take care of a few things around the house, I figured I may as well update my blog. We’re still at Texas Children’s with Madeline and still don’t have many answers. Her weight is fluctuating, up and down each day! Tomorrow is her sweat chloride test and if everything comes back okay, we’ll be released and complete all other testing as out-patients! Thank you so much for all of your love and prayers - we’ve felt it all. Madeline has been a totally different baby. We have never seen her interact and play like she has been the past few days! We are loving our new baby girl!!!

Now, to the business side. If you’re waiting to place an order, I am terribly sorry! I promise that fixing my shopping cart will be first priority once we return from the hospital and settle back into a routine! Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!!!

-Sarah-

This is the beautiful view we have from the ‘Family Lounge’

This is what you do when the baby goes to bed and you’re bored!

Big brother did a craft when he visited. I was brave and let him play with glitter as well!!

She’s been fascinated with all goings-on outside… we all have actually. We’ve been amazed at the cranes and construction sites. Though, MJ is the only one who likes to lick the windows!!

Getting her port out… she loved playing with the tape! (Do you spy a tired daddy?)

The most precious thing ever, Daddy and Daughter….

So, there ya have it readers… that’s my life!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Weekend. Mine was pretty rotten, I woke up with a head cold and horrible migraine Saturday morning. Normally, I would have just crawled back into bed, but I was responsible for making 80 miniature pineapple upside-down cakes for a church dinner on Sunday, so no rest for the weary! I made 5 batches and couldn’t take it any longer… My super-hero hubby stepped up to the plate and finished the remaining 48 cakes!!!

What is all of this??? The Ingredients:

10 sticks of butter
8 cans of pineapple rings
2 jars maraschino cherries
9 3/4 c. brown sugar
19 1/2 c. flour
13 c. sugar
4 1/3 c. shortening
9 3/4 c. milk
19 1/2 tsp baking powder
6 1/2 tsp salt
13 eggs
2 cans of whip cream
4 trips to the store

Yup, you see that right… only 6 at a time… It took 13 trips to the oven and 455 minutes to get the cakes finished!

I had excellent “help” If only the pictures showed the sticky sticky mess that followed Aiden all over the kitchen

Daddy snapped this at one point in the evening… I have such a great husband. I don’t know many men that would strap on the apron and high heels and take over this job. Okay, maybe he didn’t actually wear an apron and heels, but you get the point!

I envisioned this incredible shot with all 80 cakes, warm and gooey & ready to serve but it just didn’t happen. Time & working space weren’t on my side… plus my migraine was working against me! I’m pretty bummed about it since the cakes were quiet an under-taking, but alas, it is what it is. But don’t worry, I’m thinking that I’ll do just one. more. batch… blame it on the photographer in me I can’t stand not having any product shot! But for now, these will have to do….

So, there ya have it… Another glimpse into my super-exciting life

-Sarah-

So, I was sitting in my “office” this morning trying to get an order submitted so it would mail out today when my darling son came walking around the corner with a big glob of white goo in his hair and a comb in his hair. He proceeded to yell at me about his “air dut” (for those who don’t speak Aiden-ese, that’s hair cut) I drug him to the bathroom and tried to get him to show me what he used to fix his hair -no dice. He would only repeat the last word I said (a really good trick of his)

After a few rounds of pete and repeat I noticed that his hair smelled ‘minty’… then I looked over and saw the jar of foot cream on my nightstand, half gone!!

He was so excited to show me his ‘dut air’. Notice the shirt on the floor? He cant’ stand to have his sleeves wet - he SOAKED them while trying to dut his air.

Now he has super soft, minty hair.

So, there ya have it… another peek into my exciting life

-Sarah-

Yikes! I can’t believe it’s already 11:30… Where did my day GO? I’ve been running around like crazy trying to get caught up on laundry and pack for myself and 2 kids for a week at Gigi & Joejoe’s house! I’m starting to really feel the crunch now. With every hour that passes I think my to-do list is lengthened by at least 3 or 4 items!! Ahh, oh well… somehow it will all get done. In case you’re wondering, the only reason I have time to make this post is because I’m feeding MJ

-Sarah-

PS. Head over to my crafty blog, and take a look at the beautiful scarf I’m giving away!!

Told you I have lots of Laundry!

Bags all ready to go… well, ready to go on the bed to be packed

And just because they’re cute….. Madeline and Aiden…..

Yah Yah, so it’s really Wednesday, but I promise I have good reason for falling behind! Mike got sick on Friday evening and felt the need to share it with the rest of the family!! We both high-tailed it to the doctor on Monday and learned that we have bronchitis. Could have fooled me, I swear I had something that was going to kill me! Of course, Mj and Aiden weren’t immune to this and they’ve been running fever off and on all week as well. Trust me, it hasn’t been pretty around here. I think the lowest point was last night when my fever hit 103.9! Mike said I was a bit loopy - talking jibberish and doing lots of moaning. We probably should have been at the ER, but it seemed like a better idea to wait it out and be miserable at home than to wake up two sick kids and camp at the ER. I think we can only get better now… last night had to have been rock bottom!!

Anyway, here’s a glimpse into My life. Now, normally this will come on Mondays..
unless we’re all dying from the flu bug!

Welcome to my life!
-Sarah-

What happens when sweet little boys get sick? They get to lay in Mommy & Daddy’s bed and watch movies. All. Day. Long.

I haven’t shared pictures of my two together in a while so thought I’d do that today. I can’t believe Miss Madeline will be 4 months old Saturday! Simply doesn’t seem possible that she is so close to 1/2 a year old!! Wow! Getting pictures of her is easy, getting pictures of Aiden is a bit more difficult, but getting pictures of the two together is almost impossible!!!! I was excited when I got something close to good. I really have to remember to take off my photographer hat and put on my mommy goggles when I take pictures of the kids… Not every shot has to be a portrait… I just need to focus more on capturing the moment that taking a pulitzer prize photograph!!

-Sarah-