Monthly Archives: June 2008

Are you RVing it this summer?

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Today I was driving (like always) and I noticed that there were a lot, and I mean A LOT of RVs on the road. Of course, with the summer there are many people taking their vacations and while it baffles me on how they are affording the gas for those RVs, they scare me. I honestly am so scared of the cars they hitch to the back and have this fear of it swaying right into me. I fear this with every car in some way when I drive by it, but especially with these RVs.

I found this website Hensley Arrow Advanced Towing System that has an anti-sway hitch for RVs. What a relief that would be for not only RV drivers, but the drivers on the road with them. It’s important for them to feel that everything is under control, and this is an AWESOME way. A cool little added bonus is that it actually is small and lightweight ~ you know what that means, right? Oh yes!!! That means saving on your gas bill. If you’re one of those lucky ones out there with your RV you definitely know that you would love a way to save on that hefty gas bill that’s racking up. This could just be the answer to all your problems.

Check it out, watch the video they have and make an investment that will make your vacations better!!
Sponsored by Hensley Mfg.
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My First Calling

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I received my first calling on Sunday and am completely stoked about it. I got called to be on the Enrichment Committee and I will now be running the Mommy n’ Me class. I feel utterly honored to be considered for this and love who is on the committee with me.

I’m going to start planning the Mommy n’ Me class and hope that we can have a wonderful turn out.

They’re Watching

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These babies are watching and soaking up every single thing they see. I was eating popcorn and Ella was sitting on the ground watching me. As I’d grab a piece and put it in my mouth and then chew Ella would then pretend to pick something up, put it in her mouth and then chew.

I realized at that moment ~ they really do watch and learn young. These babies are so amazing.

Ella’s Heart Story

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I’m back! I’m putting my blogging once again before my marriage, my family, eating ~ yes and even sleeping!!!! Okay… maybe not that extreme, but I do apologize for my absence. Of course I missed all my other carnivals I participate in this week AGAIN, but you know I couldn’t miss out on Fro’ Me to You!! Make sure you head over there and check out Kristen’s great blog.

I thought today I would share a couple pictures of Ella at 7 weeks old, and tell the dreadful story of the day she almost died. The day our world went spinning out of control, and the day we realized how strong God can make you in the times you need to be strong.

Ella was only 7 weeks old. It was October 4, 2007 and she wasn’t keeping her food down. I thought she had a stomach bug and decided that it might be wise to take her in just to have the doctor look at her. The decision I made was weird, I never took Jayden to the doctor’s for the flu, but I had this burning thing inside of me saying SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT. I think the thing that bothered me the most was that she didn’t have a fever. I wanted so badly for her to have a fever, because that meant that yes, it was just a bad case of the flu.

The doctor looked her over agreed with me that it must be the stomach bug and to only give her pedialyte. All night long Gino and I took turns holding her – she didn’t want to be set down and it was a hard, hard night.

Fast forward to Friday, October 5, 2007. The phone rings and it was her doctor’s nurse asking how she was doing and said that they would like to see her since it was Friday just to check up on her. I honestly did not feel like driving there, and she was starting to keep her pedialyte down, but I went. When Wendy, her nurse, came in she was putting the oxygen level checker on her toe trying to get her levels – she couldn’t. She had someone else come in while she went to find the doctor, she wasn’t telling me at the time that Ella’s chest was retracting and there was a serious problem…. I guess she didn’t want me to freak while she went to get Ella’s doctor. Dr. Mills walked in and from the look on his face I knew that something was very, very wrong. I started spinning and feeling like I was going to black out. I just remember them taking Ella and running across the street with her to the hospital.

At the hospital they were trying everything they could to get an IV in her, but the couldn’t – her veins collapsed. Her heart rate wasn’t even registering on the monitors, and when it would I’d see numbers like 280, 300 and then nothing just plus signs. I felt alone, scared and just wanted my baby to stop crying and I wanted to know what in the world was wrong with her.

Gino finally arrived and shortly after they had the crash cart in and they were restarting Ella’s heart – it worked. However, the damage had already been done. Her liver was enlarged, her organs were about to start shutting down, she needed a blood transfusion, and they wanted her intubated.

It was decided that Ella had Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome and they wanted her in Portland where the specialists were. They had a team fly down from Portland to pick her up. It was a process, because she was intubated and they wanted an extra set of hands that could help, so my seat was taken. My baby went into the air without me. It was 11:00pm on Friday night and we had to leave our son behind and drive blindly into the night. We had a 4 hour trip ahead of us and didn’t know if our daughter was dead, or alive.

The team called when they landed and informed us that all went well and they were getting into the ambulance to transport her to the Children’s Hospital. Huge, huge, huge sigh of relief. We finally got there and went to her room and layed down. It was about 6am when they do shift change and the new nurse walked in and said, “This one here is awake.” Gino and I jumped up so quick and ran over to her. She actually looked at us and had these eyes like she wanted to tell us about all of the horrible things that she had been through. This picture is me looking at her right after they took out the tubes.

We ended up staying there for a few days then taking her home. She continued to go in and out of SVT (fast heart rate) all throughout the month of October. Luckily I started to know the signs and could tell when listening to her heart. So, if caught in time it was easy to stop by suffocating her with a bag of ice, which I personally couldn’t do. We had to take her in to her doctor’s to have it done. Once we realized that her medicine wasn’t working we went back to Portland to have her watched closely in the ICU while they tested another medicine that could cause heart failure, but it worked!! When she’s around 6 they’re going to do a catheter ablation and close the extra pathway that’s in her heart.

Her doctor was telling us that if we didn’t take her in to the doctor’s she would have stopped breathing. Her organs were already shutting down and we would have lost our precious, beautiful Ella. I couldn’t even fathom the thought. Heavenly Father kept us so strong throughout this, and I’m thankful every day for the blessings he has given us. I’m thankful that everyday I have this beautiful little girl to smile at me.
To follow Ella’s story as it unfolds her website is HERE

HORRIBLE Friday the 13th

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If things over here weren’t crazy enough, Gino has not been able to drive. Which means I have to tote his butt around everywhere. I honestly don’t mind, but that added with the kids added with work added with Grandparents = no time AT ALL.

It started Friday the 13th. Gino got up for work at his usual time and left the house at 3:45am. As he was coming out of the driveway a cop flipped around and followed him. He finally pulled him over for signaling to turn at 75 feet instead of 100 feet (CAN WE SAY RACIAL PROFILING?) Ridiculous. So, Gino’s wallet of course is in my purse. The cop ran Gino’s name and come to find out Gino has an expired CA license. It expired on his birthday (lovely). So, Gino calls me at 4am to come and pick him up and take him to work. The cop luckily let Gino park his car and didn’t tow it or give him any kind of ticket.

4am and I’m dragging my kids out of bed and not happy AT ALL. Later that day Gino takes my car and immediately gets pulled over for *hesitating*. He actually was at an intersection that makes no complete sense and where everyone hesitates. Once again *RACIAL PROFILING* Unfortunately, the news had just launched a segment on Mexican gangs in our area and we’re in a REALLY small town.

So, I grab the kids and go to where Gino got pulled over and threw the race card right in their piggy faces. I’m not liking these cops very much. They weren’t very happy about their accusation, but frankly, I DON’T CARE.

Proceed on to the following day….. I was driving down the driveway a cop (THE STUPID GIRL COP THAT GOT HIM THE DAY BEFORE) looked down the driveway (it’s a long one) saw the car and actually pulled over so that she could see if I or Gino were driving. She then got behind me and followed me ~ I’m honestly considering harassment charges here….. again, NOT HAPPY.

It’s the little things that keep me up late!

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Why is it that I think I have everything accomplished and can go to bed and then I realize I forgot to close the lid to the washer. My husband’s clothes have to be dry in order for them to be on him at 3:30am…. lovely ~ I’ve been going going going since 6:30am ~ I’M SO READY FOR BED!

Today we actually had a summer like day. I took the kids for Thursday Park Day to the water park and Ella didn’t like it AT ALL. Jayden LOVED IT! In fact, I anticipate many days there this summer.

I was hoping that I can find a cord for my video camera before I uploaded and talked about Jayden’s graduation, so please bear w/me here ~ I have some super cute pictures coming and tears to talk about.

Tomorrow my sister Britney is coming over for the first time. She’s never been to Ashland, so I offered to take her there. I’m going to hire her to help me with some filing and hopefully we have a jolly day. She’s a really cool girl, but I’m still a little weary of it all. I just have to keep reminding myself that I’m getting to know her as a person, not a sister right now.

Thank you, Mya

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I asked Gino the other day if he ever thinks of Mya. He said, “Not as much anymore.” I thought about his reply and thought about how a year ago she was all I thought about and now a day actually does go by that I don’t think of her. I’ve prayed many, many, many times for healing. To heal my broken heart for missing my baby. To help me to not resent my sister and my nephew. I honestly, full heartedly believe that Heavenly Father answered my prayers.

I look at Vani and I don’t think of Mya. I never thought that would be possible, but it is. I even stopped wearing my necklace with Mya’s ashes in it every day. Not on purpose, but sometimes life is busy and I actually forget to grab her.

I can think of her and smile and thank her for allowing Ella into our lives. If Mya never said Goodbye, Ella would never say Hello. And that right there, bring this peace to my heart and soul and I know that Mya exists, and that she’s with our Heavenly Father. She was too special for this world. She came at a time that we needed her, and her purpose was served. She brought this family from chaos to love. She saved us. I will forever be grateful to her for what she did for our family.

Thankfully we have a beautiful plan and Mya will be a part of our eternal family… I know it. I feel it in my heart, and that’s what gets me through this life. We will all eventually be happy, complete and together forever.

Thank you, Mya. Thank you for everything you did for your family ~ we love you. We will always love you.

My Fro Head

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Well, I missed Tackle It Tuesday, because I’ll be honest – I DIDN’T TACKLE A THING ~ I missed Kitchen Tip Tuesday, because my poor family hasn’t even had anything from my kitchen in a week, so basically I have no right to even talk about my kitchen. Works for me Wednesday ~ nothing worked for me this week – so let’s just back track a little bit in life and join in on Sincerely Fro Me To You.

Notice the Fro’ in this carnival ~ Kristen had an awesome Fro so that’s where she came up with this title. Well, I wanted to show the world that my helmet hair headed child actually at one point in his life did have a Fro’ and it was cute. I made the dreadful mistake of cutting it and now it’s straight as a board.

I stumbled upon this picture on my computer just now while I was looking for another picture for Sincerely Fro’ Me To You, and my heart jumped at the site. Sadly, it was only 5 years ago, but we look SO DIFFERENT! We all looked so young. Well, this is dedicated to my Jayden ~ You did have a fro’ and I loved it….. and I will always love you my freshly kindergarten graduate.

A Mama Woops

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Today was long! I changed Ella’s diaper tonight and got up, threw her diaper in the garbage and then went to FINALLY get on my blog and talk about how my son graduated from Kindergarten yesterday and how Ella has another tooth and all the things that I’m just now too exhausted to talk about, when….. my husband says “Are you just not gonna put another diaper on her?”

I walk in the living room and Ella’s sitting there with the Xbox 360 remote right in between her legs. A part of me was secretly hoping that she would pee all over it, but of course that would never happen. No. She’ll just wait until she finds a great opportunity to pee all over me.

It’s official ~ I’m losing it. At least I did this at home and not in public.

Echo Echo Ecccchhhhooooo

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I know, I know, it’s like there’s an echo going on here, but here I am to update as to why. I’ve been running around like a crazy, mad woman, and things are so different with Norm and my Grandma living here.

It got to the point in only a week I was done. I was tired of it and I didn’t want to leave my family behind anymore to tend to them. I know, I’m terrible. SO! I came up with a solution…..

Here is my new trusty schedule and they MUST abide by it or I pack up and move a little more North…. and I’m not kidding 🙂

Sunday: Church and then after church BBQ @ Grandma’s house w/Norm and Grandma

Monday: LEAVE ME ALONE DAY I HAVE TO WORK!

Tuesday: In the morning I work – in the afternoon we go for a stroll through Lithia Park

Wednesday: In the morning I work – in the afternoon I take Norm to his massage & then we all go out to dinner

Thursday: LEAVE ME ALONE DAY I HAVE TO WORK!

Friday: In the morning I drop the kids off with my Grandma and go to read to Norm – in the afternoon I work

Saturday: The morning is ME time ~ In the afternoon we’ll take Norm out on the town for any shopping or whatever he’d like to do.

SO! That’s the set schedule, but of course it can be tweeked for fun things that come up. I’m hoping that we can catch a couple of play, since that’s what it’s all about where we live. Can you believe that I have yet to go see a play since I’ve lived here…. terrible, I know.

Okay new subject: Britney

As discussed previously I’ve been nervous for Britney, my long lost sister, to move here. I was not ready to look at her as a sister and decided to approach her as a friend instead. It’s working. She’s a pretty cool person, and while we don’t have tons and tons in common, we haven’t had a silent moment yet. I guess the fact that we both despise our biological father is common enough huh? So, we’re doing well here 🙂