Christmas tree tradition

At the beginning of December we drove up to Show Low to cut down our Christmas tree. Growing up we always had a real Christmas tree that we went out in the woods and cut down. I have many memories of going out and cutting down a tree. It was always exciting because when we got our tree it meant Christmas was almost here. I love this tradition and hope to do it for many years to come.

While hiking around Caleb found walking stick

and some pinecones to throw around

and to share with Kyson


Our happy hiker

Don't you love our hair-do's?


Of course when we got home we had to set up the tree so it would actually feel like Christmas. Here is Caleb hanging up his very own ornament Aunt Wendy gave to him the year he was born.


Christmas is almost here, can you believe it? One week from today is Christmas Eve and we are headed up to Show Low to spend the week with my family. I'm so excited! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Nine Months

Kyson turned nine months old on Sunday. I have to admit that I can't believe it's only been nine months since he was born. With all that's happened it seems like time has gone by quite slow. It's been a long road for him, but I am so grateful to be able to say the last three months have been quite uneventful for him.

We do have some concerns about his development but slowly he is progressing. The biggest problem is I just can't get him to eat solid foods. I have tried every day since he was six months old and he just isn't willing to eat. He still nurses great (a HUGE blessing) but somehow we've got to get him eating solid food. His pediatrician mentioned that I might have to take him to a speech therapist (they deal with feeding problems in babies) to get some help. I'm going to keep trying every day and if we he doesn't make any progress in a few weeks I think we will look into it. If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them. At this point I'm willing to try just about anything!

More than anything though, we are just so grateful to have Kyson in our lives. He is a special kid. He gives the best smiles ever and he is willing to share them with anyone who will talk to him and play with him. We just love him so much!

Something good...

As most of you know, we have had a lot of a frustrations with Jared's schooling at ASU lately. It seems like we have had some kind of problem every semester since he started ASU. Well, this last semester hasn't been any different. He is down to only needing 6 credits to graduate, but it has seemed as if these six credits have been a huge brick wall that he just couldn't get over.



With these last six credits Jared needed an internship and it seemed as if EVERYTHING he tried just kept falling through. When things didn't work out this last semester he decided to just drop his other class and take them together in the Spring because it would have been A LOT cheaper. He was assured this would be just fine. Well, about mid October we found out this was NOT ok and since he didn't fill out a form to say he was planning on taking this semester off they dropped him out of ASU. This caused three major problems:

1) It took three weeks for them to reinstate him to ASU and by that time the classes that he needed were full and the date to sign up for his internship was over.

2) All of his grant money was taken away.

3) Now that he is considered a new student, he has to pay the new student tuition which is about three hundred dollars more than a previous student.



The first problem was mostly solved when Jared found a lady who was willing to let Jared do his internship with her (yes, a big WAHOO would be good right here) and ASU allowed him to turn his information in a little late (BIG sigh of relief:)


When we discovered the last two of these three things last Monday, Jared was so frustrated. He started writing emails to everyone he could think of at ASU begging for someone to help him. It didn't seem like anything was going to change but Jared was persistant. He ended up finding one person who would listen to him and this person gave him a phone number to call.



The man he talked to was so helpful and just a huge answer to our prayers. He reinstated all of Jared's grant money and even applied it all to the Spring semester (usually it is divided between the two semesters fall and spring). We feel extremely blessed. We made a goal early on to get Jared through his undergraduate degree program without going into any debt and now we know we can do it (another WAHOO)!!!


So now... one more semester at ASU and we are outa there!!! (That is unless Jared decides to do a Master's Degree program through them!) It will feel good to put ASU in our past.

Six Words

On my sister-in-law, Heather's, blog she said:

"It was rumored that Hemingway was challenged to write a story in a single sentence, and has since become the standard to which micro-fiction should aspire. His story is as follows:

'For sale: baby shoes, never used.'

Amazing. Perfectly succinct and to the point."

She goes on to say that she was challenged to write her own six words and this is what she came up with:

"Eternity. It makes all the difference."

I love that!

Heather then asked us what our six words would be. It really got me thinking.

Last night as I was rocking Kyson to sleep I was trying to come up with my six words and a talk I have been thinking about a lot lately came to mind. Although these are not my own words, I love them and want to share them with you.

"Come What May, and Love It"

Do you recognize these six words? It comes from Elder Joseph B Wirthlin's final talk in this last conference. His mother said these words to him when he was young and they have stayed with him ever since. I have listened to this talk and read it many times and the message he shares is just beautiful. Here is one of my favorite parts where he is talking about what his mother meant by these words:

"I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."

I have been faced with some difficult things this past year and I hope that I am "stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."

I also love this entire section of his talk. It is so funny!

"Learn to Laugh

The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?

There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.

I remember loading up our children in a station wagon and driving to Los Angeles. There were at least nine of us in the car, and we would invariably get lost. Instead of getting angry, we laughed. Every time we made a wrong turn, we laughed harder.

Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.

I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.

We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.

The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable."

I laugh every time I read that section! If you are interested in reading the entire talk click HERE.

I love Elder Worthlin and I will miss his talks in Conference. I am grateful for this last message he shared with us. I am going to try to make this my motto,

"Come What May, and Love It!"

What about you, do you have six words you would like to share?

Full of smiles

With every milestone Kyson reaches no matter how small or how large I want shout "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!" to every nurse and doctor who has helped save his life and then I want to fall on my knees and thank my Heavenly Father for every tender mercy he has given us with the blessing of having him in our lives. I am filled with graditude for my sweet boy.

It has been three months since we brought Kyson home from the hospital after his second surgery. He is continually learning and growing and it is wonderful to see. He is full of smiles and just a bundle of joy! Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Rolling over:
Caught in action!



A week or two before Thanksgiving Kyson starting teething. It was quite the process getting them to come through! Finally I felt both bottom teeth poking through the day after Thanksgiving. Happy day!!


Sitting up and full of smiles:

Breakfast

How to enjoy your breakfast...

Materials: spoon, bowl, cereal, milk

Step One: Mom pores a bowl of cereal and lets child eat as much he can.

Step Two: Ask Mom for help when there is only milk and crumbs left.

Step Three: Mom is busy so keep trying to get those last few bites.

Step Four: Ask Mom for help again but since she still seems to be busy, proceed to pick up bowl and try to slurp up the rest of the cereal.

Step Five: Say, "uh oh!" and "yucky!" As these are never good words coming from a two year old, Mom decides to see what happened and finds this:





Moral of the story: When your child asks for help, it might be smart to pay attention to them!



Second moral of the story: Why not make a mess if you can have as much fun as Caleb while doing it?

So sweet

Last Thursday Jared had to run to Walmart to pick up a few things when he got home. He took Caleb with him so I could take care of Kyson. It had been a hard day. Kyson didn't sleep at all the night before and I was very concerned. I took him to the doctor and they found that he had two ear infections. I was relieved in a way because that meant they could give him medication and fix the problem. It took a while but he seems to be doing better now. He's got a cough that is sticking around but other than that he's much better. Anyway, when they got back from the store Caleb walked in carrying these

I have to say that it really melted my heart. He was so cute as he handed them to me with a big smile on his face. As soon as he handed them to me he ran back to Jared so proud of himself! I wish I could have captured that sweet face on camera but since I didn't have my camera at the time, I took a picture of him with them later. Isn't he sooo SWEET!

They must be brothers!

Tonight I was looking back through pictures and I found this picture of Caleb when he was the same age as Kyson is right now; just a little over 8 months. I was amazed at how similar they look.


What do you think? Does Kyson look like Caleb did?

Little boys

Life is simple when you are a little boy. All you need is:

1. Daddy time!!!





2. Time at the park


Feeding the ducks!





3. Tractors, trucks, cars, trains...anything that moves!!!
If you come to my house any random time of the day I can guarantee you will see this

On Tuesday we went out to visit Caleb's Great Grandma Pearce in Queen Creek. While we were there, Caleb got to watch as his Grandpa helped lay asphalt in their back yard. He sat and watched out the window for hours. He didn't like all the noise so he always wanted someone close to keep him safe but he sure thought those tractors were cool!

Blessings

I've been looking forward to this night this whole week. I had asked my sister to babysit our kids so Jared and I could go out together for some very needed time with one another. Our friends, Jared and Karli, invited us to go to their ward carnival so we decided to go for a little while and then come home to drop the kids off. Caleb had a great time running around with his friends. Kyson was quite fussy because he is cutting a tooth, so I held him until he fell asleep in my arms. Well, after about 15 minutes he woke up and threw up all over me! Well, we cleaned up as best we could and left the carnival. (Caleb was so sad to leave, he was having a great time!) When we got home I decided to try and put Kyson to sleep and maybe Jared and I could still go out for just a little bit since my sister was the one babysitting. I tried feeding him again and to my dismay he threw up again. By this time my sister was already here to babysit but we decided we just couldn't leave so she just went home. I know it shouldn't be that big of a deal but I am quite disappointed so rather than sit here and feel sorry for myself I think I need to write some of the reasons I am so very blessed.

1. I have the gospel in my life to guide me and help me along life's journey.
2. I have a good husband who loves me and I love him.
3. I have a son named Caleb who brings me so much joy. He is full of smiles and laughter, it is just contagious.
4. I have a son named Kyson who is my little miracle. Every day I thank Heavenly Father to have him in my life.
5. Jared and I have wonderful families who are very supportive of us.
6. We also have some of the best friends in the entire world. What would life be like without such great friends?
7. We have a home where we can enjoy being together as a family.
8. Jared has a job that provides us with all of the necessities of life and then some.
9. Tonight we are all HOME together. Last night one of my friends told me that her friend's baby with a similar heart condition as Kyson's was back in the hospital. She said he has been there for a few weeks because of fluid in his lungs. I was reminded at that time how very blessed we are to have Kyson doing so well. He hasn't had any major complications and has been so happy. Being in the hospital is so very hard and I am grateful to have my family close to me at home tonight.

Last night, Andrea and I were trying to figure out what I needed to do in order to graduate from ASU. We noticed that a lot of people had already signed up for classes, but I still was not allowed to register. So this morning, I made a phone call over to the registration office only to be told that I had to reapply to ASU! That will take up to 3 weeks to complete. They also told me that their system is down and that I would not be able to apply until Monday. I asked if I could come down in person only to be told that they don't do that anymore. What the Heck! What if I was AMISH!

Last semester, many of your remember my plea for an intership. I never got one and did not feel like paying $1,200 for one 3 credit course. I called ASU prior to dropping all my classes for verification that I would not have any issues. Of which I was told, No. Well, they are dumb and liars!!! Now I find myself in another pickle. I hate ASU. I hate everything about it. I hate their policies. I hate that I pay a lot of money only to be hearded around like a piece of cattle! Let us all join together and boycott ASU. In the words of our new president, "Yes we can, Yes we can!" That is about all I wish to quote from him anyways!

I am going to make No ASU buttons! Who wants one! Do you hate ASU as much as I do?

Halloween

Our Halloween festivities began Monday night when Jared helped Caleb carve his first pumpkin. It was so funny to watch them. Jared let Caleb pull out some of the yucky stuff in the inside and Caleb thought it was SO funny! He would pull out a handful of seeds and just giggle and giggle.


And, here is the final product!

All week, whenever we would walk outside Caleb would say, "pumpkin!" He loved it!

Halloween night we went to the Moore's house again. Growing up Jared lived just down the street from this family so he always enjoys going back to visit. We have gone to their house every Halloween since we got married and it's a fun place to go!

We took the kids trick-or-treating around the Moore's house. Here's our busy little bee walking to his first house to trick-or-treat.

and his little helper following along.


Of course Caleb got tired and didn't want to walk anymore so I carried Kyson and he got to ride!


We had a great time and enjoyed spending Halloween together as a family.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I'm lovin' it!

Okay, I'm not quite sure why, but I am LOVING this time of the year.

~Maybe it's because the weather is finally cooling off and I can spend time outside with my children. Caleb loves going to the park and we have gone three days in a row! I also go walking with a friend three times a week and it is beautiful in the mornings right now. Both of my boys enjoy the outdoors too.


~Maybe it's because Jared doesn't have any night classes this semester! He gets to just come home after work every day and spend time with us. Ever since Caleb was born Jared has had a lot of classes at night. This semester he only has one class and it's in the morning. It is wonderful!

~Maybe it's because the Holidays are just around the corner and that means spending time with family and friends. I have to admit that when Jared and I were driving to his brother's house on Sunday I pulled out my Josh Groban Christmas CD to listen to. I thought Jared would object since it's not even Halloween yet, but he didn't mind. I just can't help it, I'm so excited for Christmas this year!

~It's also because I love baking and making fun treats and since it's getting cooler outside I can turn on my oven more! I made zucchini cookies a few days ago and last night we made hot dog mummies for dinner. I just made my own bread sticks and wrapped them around hot dogs. I got the idea from the website picky palate and it was fun. I think Caleb enjoyed them the most!



~And probably the biggest reason I am so happy is because I get to see these smiles every single day! I am excited to spend time together as a family this Holiday season.

It's raffle time for a great cause!

Check this out! There is a raffle going on at a blog called Our Happy Nest for a little girl named Callie Butler. She is from Show Low where I grew up and I know some of her siblings. She has been at PCH for a long time recovering from an accident. If you are interested in donating to help her family out and at the same time enter the raffle for some awesome prizes click HERE!

What's your favorite Primary song?

Growing up I had a favorite primary song. Here are the words:

Families Can Be Together Forever
I have a family here on earth.
They are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years,
I'll prepare most carefully,
So I can marry in God's temple for eternity.

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father's plan
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can.

I remember even as a child having these words touch me and I knew they were true. Yesterday I was singing this song to Kyson and I couldn't help but think about the meaning of these words. I thought about how simple they are yet so profound. I thought how different the world would be if everyone understood and believed the words to this song.

No matter what happens with Proposition 102 and others that are sure to follow, I know this will always be an issue that will be confusing to children. I will never stop singing this song to my children, as I hope they can also develop strong testimonies of these words at an early age. Families ARE forever and as the song says, "I always want to be with my own family!"

How can you not LOVE this little man?

Last Friday night Jared watched the kids while I was went out with a friend. (Isn't he wonderful!) Anyway, he took these pictures of Kyson and when I got home he showed them to me. I just started laughing when I saw them and now every time I look at them I can't help but laugh. They seriously crack me up! He is always making the funniest faces and I'm so glad Jared caught them on camera.




Kyson has a funny side but he also has a very loving side. I often refer to him as my little cuddle bug. When we went to Show Low for Conference weekend, he seemed so content to just snuggle with whoever was holding him. My little brother Stephen really enjoyed it.


I have to say that I can't get enough of his snuggles either. I love him so much.

Cowboy Kid Raffle

My husband recieved a really neat idea from his sister Allison. To get his name out, he is holding a raffle for his next project. Take a look at his flyer. Be sure to make a comment on Perfect Pencil once you have made a post about his site so that you can be entered. This is a really cool photo from Holly Brimhall Photography. He has already started it.

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Happy Anniversary to me! Well, actually Jared and I celebrated our fifth anniversary on August 15th. Jared presented this picture to me that day but said he wasn't quite finished with it. He got busy with school and I have been pestering him to complete it ever since. It is finally complete and hanging on our wall in our bedroom. Can I just say "I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!" I also love where it's hanging because every night as I lay down in bed I look at it and it makes me so happy and so grateful for my children. I am so impressed with this talent Jared has. It is amazing what he can do with just a paper and pencil. Anyway I just wanted to share this picture with all of you.


Jared and I also just put together a blog containing a lot of the work he has completed. If you are interested in taking a look at the website click HERE.

Growing up!

Last week I took this little man...

to see his surgeon, Dr. A. He seemed to be very pleased with the progress Kyson has made. We are now hoping we won't have to see Dr. A again (no offense to him, because he is great!) for at least 2 1/2 years. Kyson will have his last surgery when he is around 30 pounds. At the rate he is growing now that might not be very far away...he is already almost 17 lbs!

Caleb loves his little brother and can't WAIT for the day he will get up and run around the house with him. He tries so hard to get him to play with him and is always trying to share his cars, balls, trains, books, and more with him. He loves to hold him although he doesn't quite get the "being soft" part of it. Here is a picture of the two of them together. I love the look on Caleb's face as if to say, "Look at me! I'm so big holding my brother!"

Ha, ha I saw this on my sisters blog and decided to try it out. Don't we have a cute family?

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Things I have learned

Trials are given to us to help us learn and grow. Many times over the past six months I have said, "I hope I am learning the things I am supposed to learn from this." Looking back I can honestly say I have learned a lot and I am grateful.

Here are five things I have learned:

1-Prayer changes things! I have had a testimony of prayer for many years now and have recieved some amazing answers to my prayers throughout my life...but, it wasn't until recently that I really felt the power it can bring. I know we had hundreds of people praying for us and I could FEEL those prayers. It is a feeling of peace I will never forget.

2-"It is usually through another person that the Lord meets our needs." In the moments when I was so tired and overwhelmed with stress, I would recieve a phone call or someone would do something for me that was exactly what I needed.

*One night I can remember in particular. It was right after we had brought Kyson home from his first surgery. I was so worried about him and my ability to take care of him. I recieved a phone call from a friend that night just when I really needed it. I'm sure this person had no idea how much they helped me that night and they probably had no idea they were being an answer to my prayers.

*Another specific experience is when I was in the hospital with Kyson after his second surgery. It had been a VERY long day for Kyson because he just didn't feel well. I was tired, hadn't taken a shower in a few days, and felt mentally exhausted. That night a friend stopped by the hospital to give me something she knew would help Kyson. Her thoughtfulness and kindness lifted my spirits which gave me the strength to cope with everything.

These experiences made me realize the Lord really is a part of our lives and knows our needs. I am so thankful for people who listen to the Spirit and heed the promptings they are given.

3-If we are doing our best to do what's right, the Lord will guide our footsteps, often without us even knowing it. We didn't know what was going on with our precious baby, but the Lord did and he guided our footsteps. I can think of many examples of this, but one that comes to mind is having insurance. We debated for months whether it would be worth it to put me on Jared's insurance at work while I was pregnant since it was so expensive. We went ahead and did it and thought, "As soon as we have the baby and things settle down, we'll switch to a different, less expensive insurance." Well, after Kyson was born we both felt uneasy about switching insurances and so we didn't. This has been a HUGE blessing and I am grateful for the guidance of the Spirit.

4-The power of the priesthood is REAL! Jared has been able to give Kyson many priesthood blessings. They have given me so much comfort and strength!

5-Families are Forever! I have definitely had a testimony of this for a long time, but oh how grateful I was for it especially in the times when we weren't sure if Kyson was going to make it through all of this. I am so grateful for the comfort this knowledge brings. No matter what happens here on earth, I will always have Kyson as a son.

Kyson's heart

I have had a lot of people ask me, "So, what is wrong with Kyson's heart?" and as I try to explain it I get a lot of blank looks. Unless you know a lot about the heart, it IS very confusing. Anyway, I recently found a website that I thought did a great job of explaining the three surgeries he has to go through also known as the "Norwood Procedure." I wanted to share this website and try to explain what is going on with Kyson. Feel free to read as little or as much as you want. If you don't want to read it all, I understand...it's confusing!!! For those of you who are brave enough to read on, here's the website:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/norwood-procedure.html?pageNum=2
*The first page is a summary of the three surgeries and the specific heart defects that require this kind of a process. Kyson has the first condition, known as HLHS. In his specific case, his mitral valve did not develop which means his left ventricle has never received any blood. The amazing thing is Kyson's aorta is coming off his right ventricle (it normally comes off the left) so it is completely healthy. This is known as Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV) because both his aorta and pulmonary artery are coming from his right ventricle. This is probably the reason he was able to survive for two months without anyone knowing his condition. I thought it was interesting that at the bottom of the first page it mentions that most infants would not survive a month without these surgeries and yet Kyson was two months old! He is a miracle!

*Stage I:
In Kyson's first surgery he received the shunt and a band around his pulmonary artery. They also opened his ASD permanently between his left and right atrium. (If you watch the video on congenital heart defects, it explains what an ASD is) Opening this hole now makes his right and left atrium just one big atrium.

*Stage 2:
His second surgery was just like they explain. They took out the shunt and band, and connected his superior vena cava to his pulmonary arteries.
They also did one more thing which usually happens in the first surgery but his special circumstances allowed them to wait until the second surgery. They took the trunk of his pulmonary artery and connected it to his aorta. This allows him to have two outlets from his heart.

*Stage 3:
They plan on connecting his inferior vena cava to his pulmonary arteries.

I hope this is understandable. If it is still confusing...I'm sorry. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. All I can say is it is AMAZING the things they can do with modern technology. As I have said many times before Kyson is a miracle!

Tough Stuff!

This picture is of Caleb right before he was leaving us to ride with his Grandpa Gunnell to the cabin a few weeks ago.

After he stayed at the cabin for a few days, my Mom went and picked him up and he stayed with my family for the rest of the week. My parents have a trampoline and he LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to jump on it. Well, he lost his balance, went flying forward, hit his head on the bar, and cracked his head open. My mom ended up having to take him to get stitches. My sister, Natalie, took them out when he got back and I was so proud of him. He just sat there so big and so tough and let her do it. (Of course there might have been some cookies and licorice involved too:)