Should have known...

He was going to be nothing but trouble from day one. Left piles of crap every where he went and expected me to clean up his mess. Required too much attention and constant praise for the simplest tasks he did. Did nothing but add stress in my life and strain the relationships I have around me. When confronted with opposition, his only choice was to cower in the corner and hide from reality. You would think one would show some appreciation for the care I gave to him. When he could have easily been left in the cold, I took him in and showed him a friendship he obviously didn't appreciate or deserve. The result of such a relationship left me no choice but to leave him where he belongs. In the dark. Alone. With the coyotes. Good riddance.

100th post in ONE word...

You're only allowed ONE word to answer...

Were is your cell phone? here.
Were is your significant other? basketball.
You're hair color? dark.
You're favorite thing? chocolate.
You're dream last night? short.
You're life dream/goal? happiness.
The room your in? living.
You're hobby? running.
You're fear? death.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? crowded.
Where were you last night? massage.
What your not? alone.
One of you're wish list items? babies.
Where you grew up? fantastic.
The last thing you did? laundry.
What you are wearing: sweats.
You're TV? fixed. (thanks Tony)
You're pet? hungry.
You're computer? struggling.
You're mood? everything.
Missing someone? yep.
Something your NOT wearing? shoes.
Favorite store? Chicks.
Your summer? fun.
Love someone? totally.
You're fave color? grey.
When is the last time you laughed? siesta.
When is the last time you cried? Kody.
Your significant other's hair: awesome.
You're life in one word: significant.
Now it's you're turn!

Please hang up and try your call again

So what have we been up to? Seems like we were just in Texas celebrating Thanksgiving, and yet Christmas is right around the corner! Life has been filled with some exciting things so let's get started...

The newest addition to our home: a baby toilet seat and a step stool.

Lennix has decided to start potty training herself. And surprisingly- she does a pretty good job at it. I don't know if it's selective amnesia but I can't remember having to potty train Kody. So when Lennix started taking her diaper off and pointing to the potty- I was a little confused. A lot of days are spent at home, with the timer going off every 20 minutes and us sitting in the bathroom reading a magazine. Now if only she could learn to only take a few squares of toilet paper- we'd be in business! (Notice the huge pile next to the toilet!)

Baby update: Jared is still going to acupuncture regularly and Dr.Keh thinks she will be able to get me pregnant without IVF. We'll see. Our bathroom cabinet is already filled with so many unused pregnancy tests and ovulation predictors- we might as well use them while we can. Sharalyn and I signed up for another marathon in March so it looks like I will be starting my medications right after that. If all goes as planned (and Dr.Keh doesnt knock me up before then) I should be looking at having the embryo's put in at the end of April or early May.

Kody is still at Grace (obviously) and having such a good year. His new teacher took some getting used to but we are definitely on a roll now. He had his annual Christmas Program where we all came to watch him. At one point, Kaia (David's daughter) was on my mom's lap, David was holding Lennix, and Kardiff (David's son) was playing with Jared!! We are either the most dysfunctional family known to man, or we've got this whole divorce thing down to a T. It makes me smile to see all of us sitting there supporting Kody together as a FAMILY. At one point, Lauren asked Kaia if she knew who Lennix was. "She's just Wennix" she answered. Lauren explains that Wennix is Kodys little sister too to which Kaia says "Wow- that's so cool." Couldn't have said it any better myself Kaia! This Christmas he'll be with his dad, and to be honest- it never gets any easier. Tonight, I held his growing body in my arms with limbs over flowing everywhere and I just wanted to keep him there forever. I dont want to share him anymore. I want to keep him with me at all times and never let anyone else experience something I might miss. Here's the first of 2 Christmas presents Kody made for me at school this year. You never have to wonder what Kody will look like when he's 30 because apparently that was the look his teacher was going for. Seriously???

Speaking of Wennix...this is girl is TROUBLE! Yesterday it was so cold and windy, I was feeling really guilty as I looked out the window and saw the turtle and rabbit having to suffer out there on the balcony. For some reason, I have this strange fear that my animals can speak to each other and are talking trash about me. I know this sounds crazy but it's true. A lot of wasted time is spent worrying about if they are happy or if they think I am a good owner etc... So, after I drop Kody off at school- I decide to go outside and brave the elements so that I can move the turtle into the rabbits cage and turn the heat lamp on. (This is all being done without a bra on OR shoes on. And with my hair a mess and left overs from breakfast on the table.) I pick up the turtle, move him inside, feed them both and head back inside. Nothing. The door wont budge. I try again. And again. And again. Nothing. Lennix comes to the window and pulls on the lock forcing it to lock further and further. I beg her to push the lock up to which she just smiles and says "Upeeeee. Upeeeee." Panic is starting to set in. Like- real heart beating fast panic. I look around and realize I have no where to go but over. We are on the second story and this is no joke. Here are my options:

Option Number 1
Option Number 2

Tough choice right? Option 1 is a straight shot down. It might not look so bad in this picture, but the foliage is deceiving. Its not very thick and I would most likely break a leg. Or two. Or three. Option 2 I would have to jump out over my downstairs neighbors patio and hope I land either on a bush or a car hood. That's a big hope. So I decide to go with Option 1. I climb onto the ledge (with no shoes) and perch myself like a little bird. More like a big bird I suppose. I scream and scream for help but no one is home. I start to say a little prayer that went something like this:

Dear God,

Have I told you how sorry I am lately? Well, if not, I am. Really sorry that is. For everything. I need your help in a kind of big way. I know I am going to have to jump, so all I ask is that you break my fall enough that the bones I end up breaking aren't bad enough that I can't get upstairs to my baby. Because that would be really bad. Have I said I was sorry lately? Because I have been meaning to. Once I get inside- I will. Well, I guess Im going to jump. One last chance to send me a miracle....

Just then, the lady that lives below me (and whom I have never actually met) comes outside onto her balcony. She must have thought I was a crazy person up there perched in my bare feet and no bra. I shout to her and she makes some gesture that she'll come up. THANK YOU! 30 seconds later, the lady is in my house unlocking the door for me. Im not really sure what the polite thing to do is, so I grab Lennix and just say thank you over and over. She left without saying a word to me. Granted I dont think she speaks a lick of English but still- doesnt every one know "you're welcome?"

So there you have it. That pretty much sums up Lennix in a nutshell. If she weren't so darn cute- she would have been gone a long time ago. I haven't been brave enough to go outside to feed the animals since then. Not without a phone at least!

One last thing I have been obsessed with lately. Better than any bouquet of flowers Jared could ever bring me:

At first glance you might think they are parts of beehives. But you would be wrong. Its actually a wasp hive and I am totally fascinated by them. I found one a while ago while we were on a walk and cant stop admiring the beauty of it. Or them I guess. Jared has found 2 more to add to my collection and I couldnt be happier! I love them.

Fill out these forms and have a seat here...

The other day Jared was home for his usual siesta and the phone rang. Like the actual house phone. We never get calls on that phone. He picks it up and it's Kody. Apparently he was playing in the sand box at school and the wind blew and got some sand in his eye. He wants to come home. I get on the phone (because we all know that Jared will let our kids get away with murder if I let him) and tell Kody that he has to go back to class. He cries, tells me how bad it hurts, blah blah blah... I decide to think quick and make a deal with him: Go back to class and if it still hurts in a half hour- I'll come get him.

I hang up the phone and go back to enjoying whats left of siesta. Five minutes later, phone rings again. It's the school nurse this time. They have tried to flush his eye out 3 times, he's still in pain, we need to come get him. We get to the school and the poor kids face is puffy and bright red on one side. Who beat my kid up?!? We get home, and I tell him he has to take a nap. 2 minutes later- the kids sound asleep on my bed. 3:30 pm he wakes up with an even worse looking face. We attempt to do homework, dinner, etc... and then the real whining starts. It hurts reeeeaaallly bad and wont stop watering. I ask Jared what I should do. Not that I will really take his opinion into consideration, but I wanted him to confirm the feelings I have that I should take him in to Urgent Care. He says he'll be fine and not to worry. Instead- I worry. Something isn't right and I can't shake the feeling that he needs to be seen. I call my mom to get her opinion- no answer. Then Jason and Stephanie come over and I ask their opinion. Jason and Jared obviously share more than just the same DNA because he gave me the same answer as Jared. Without hesitation Steph tells me she'd take him in. That's all I needed. Confirmation. Another woman. Another mom. Decisions made- we get in the car and head to Kaiser.



We're seen right away by the doctor and she decides to check his eye for any scratches. I had told Kody nothing was going to hurt him so when the doctor pulls out the eye drops and says "This may hurt just a little" I think I lost some validity.

After dying his eye yellow and looking at it under this special light, she confirms he has some abrasions. Not only that, but he still had sand in his eye too and all that rubbing he was doing was causing more abrasions. He had to have his eye "flushed" again. I told her they tried at school and she asked Kody how they flushed it. He says "I cupped my hand under water at the drinking fountain and blinked a few times." Note to any parent reading this **that does not count as "flushing"** She proceeds to show us to the "Special Procedure" room.

They call in another nurse who sets up everything she'll need. She turns around when we walk in and she asks how old Kody is. I tell her 8 and she begins to tell me (in front of Kody) that most adults don't tolerate this well, and she doesn't think he will be able to sit through the procedure. When I asked her if there was another option, she said no. Bring on the flushing then. They give Kody some drops to "sedate" his eye while they get the device in his eye. The medication will only last a few minutes so they have to act quick. I still have no idea what the "device" is. Probably for the best. After they get his head comfortably wrapped in towels, they pull it out...

It's called a Morgan Lens. It's basically a giant rubber contact lens with a tube sticking out of it which is attached to an IV bag which will flow through the eye. They open his eye really wide and get it in. Not much struggle and he's being such a trooper. Only problem is that once the IV starts- the "numbing" medication is washed away within a few minutes. At which point- Kody will start to feel everything.

Within the first few drops- he begged, pleaded and cried for me to take this thing out. The nurse started the IV and told me she'd be back in a few minutes. I ask her how much fluid we have to get in his eye and she tells me the whole IV bag. 1000 mls. WOW-that's a lot. Especially when you're in pain and you're 8. I sing, I dance, I take pictures, I do anything I can to distract him from what he's going through. Pure torture. I finally tell him that for every second I count to- I'll give him a dollar. We've got a deal. 1...2.......3.........4............................5.......................................6..... this is going to get expensive! I tried a few times to tell him a story and delay the counting but he would cry and remind me of the number I left off at. Around 900 mls- I am so excited-we were almost done!! $157 later- the nurse comes back in to take out the device and patch him up. Literally. Doctor comes in and tell me he'll be as good as gold tomorrow. I hope so.

The flushing must have worked because the kiddo woke up the next morning and was totally fine. No red face, no puffiness. Nothing. Just $157 richer!!

Konichiwa (pronounced Koh-NEECH-ee-wah)

So last night our family was together running some Christmas errands. Jared and Kody decided they wanted ice cream so I dropped them off at the curb and Lennix and I drove around for a bit. When Kody gets back in the car- this is the conversation we have:

K- Mom, the owner of that store is like Chinese or something!!!
M- Did you say hello to him?
K- No way!
M- Why not?
K- He probably doesn't even speak English.
M- How do you know since you didn't talk to him?
K- If I tried talking to him, he wouldn't know what I was saying and he would think I was going to beat him up or something.
M- Why do you think that?
K- Chinese people just stare at me so they must think I am going to beat them up and they are afraid of me.
M- So what did you do?
K- Just stared at him the whole time. When I walked out- he just smiled at me like a Chinese person.

Apparently Kody has the ability to scare an entire Ethnic group. He's super tough. We're going to work on this and try to channel his energy elsewhere.

Team Thanksgiving

We've been in Texas since Sunday having too much time on our hands and finding interesting ways to entertain 5 kids who want to have "fun". Here are some highlights:


The trampoline. It has only caused 1 split lip, 1 almost broken foot which hurt so bad we had to go to the Emergency room for x-rays, 1 almost broken knee, and too many fights to be counted...


Steve on constant "Di-a-b'-t-is" watch with Sue on alarm for PROTEIN at any given moment...


Sharalyn making me help her with the turkey (it was my first time) and telling me the neck was actually the pee pee. Who knew right?


Buying tickets for the whole family to go see the ICE show knowing it would only be 9 degrees inside and deciding to wear flip flops any ways. (And dressing Fletch in shorts and a T shirt!)
*Side note- I used to think being frozen to death would be the way to go. I hear you get so cold, you actually then get warm and fall asleep and then it's over. 16 minutes in the ICE show has changed my minds about this...


Sharalyn waking me up at 7 in the morning telling me we need to go to The Walmart. The only form of me "getting ready" that day consisted of me putting a bra on.

Sharalyn and I deciding to go on a long run together and her coming downstairs telling me it was 33 degrees outside that morning. I can handle it I thought. WRONG. I've never been so cold in my life- or so I thought...Later that day, we went to the ICE show and proved that I could be colder


And last, we have Lennix and Fletcher who have found LOVE this trip around. We found them in the bath soaping each other up while hugging and kissing and Fletcher telling "Whinny" to touch it because it tickles. At least it's not longer Pinchy Pinchies and Bite-y Bites.

Just thought I would capture a sweet moment with my dad. I knew we were more alike than he realized! Cant be good for his bad case of the SUGARS right?

Randomness...

Sometimes I'm bursting at the seams to write stuff for my blog. Other times I'm not. Today is one of those other times. Lucky for you though, I have some cute pics that I should probably have posted a month ago but never got around to because I've been busy. Really busy. A lot of games of Bejeweled on my iPhone, a lot of laundry that has been washed and folded and placed in nice little piles to be put away at a later time, and a lot of looking at fabulous websites that have really cute things that I want to buy. Like I said, really busy. So, in no particular order: here's what we've been up to lately: Love this picture of Dubbs and Lennix. Take a good look at her costume, because that was the last time she wore that beauty before she got Hand Foot Mouth disease and ruined any trace of Halloween. Do I seem bitter? I was. But I'm over it now.

Here's Kody and Hunter. Kody has worshiped Hunt from the second they moved into our ward. He always makes sure that I know that Hunter is his BEST FRIEND.

Probably my favorite picture to date! Doesn't even need a caption. Pure Love. Pure. Love.

This picture was taken by Kody when Lennix was obviously in one of her better moods. I have no idea why she was screaming like this, and I probably didn't do anything to calm her down either. Life with two kids makes me giggle sometimes. Isn't she a gem?? But, for whatever the reason- I love this picture. I really do.

The 13th- I saw her smiling. I heard her laughing. I felt the warmth of her hugs and she was so close. She enjoyed the night right along with the rest of us. No doubt in my mind.

Count Dracula

We finally got the call from the doctor with the result from Jareds "count test." Let me back it up real quick and give you some background so you'll have something to refrence to: the average males sperm count is between 10 million and 40 million. With 40-50% motility. (use-able sperm) When Jared was first tested in 2004, his results were 400,000 with less than 5% motility. Quick math will tell you that's less than 20,000 of use-able sperm. In 2006 after going to Dr. Keh and doing serious sesions of acupunture and NAET therapy, his results were 9 million (told you she was a miracle worker) and 5% motility. (That gave us 450,000 good ones to choose from- and from that batch, we got Lennix) Now onto todays results: 2.5 million with 20% motility. YEAH YEAH YEAH!! That means if we had to do IVF today, we would have 500,000 little ones swimming around. This is great news because Jared just started with Dr. Keh again, so I have all the faith in the world that she will be able to do some drastic things. Im excited. Really excited. I feel hope for the first time in a long time.


Sorry for the graphic picture but it was the only one I could find and I was in a hurry!!

Sometimes Barney's right...

This morning I laid on the couch and watched some Barney with Lennix. I know, I know- I'm such a good mom. So the story line went like this:
Barney's friend Baby Bop had this flower that she loved so much. She watered it, and took care of it and then one day, she came to the garden and the flower had died. Which obviously made Baby Bop really sad. Barney decided to cheer her up by singing her a song. (duh) I swear- I think he was singing directly to me! Here are the words:

When we lose something we love
It can be hard to let it go.
But learning how to say goodbye
Is another way we grow.
No matter what happens
There's always tomorrow
To bring in the sunshine
And wash out the sorrow.
With friends you can count on
And people you love
You'll feel better
When tomorrow comes.
You may feel sad down inside
It's okay to let it show
These feelings that you are feeling
Will surely come and go.

I wish tomorrow would hurry up and come soon! At the end of the song, Baby Bop said again how sad she was and her "friends" asked Barney what they could do for her. Barney's reply? "Sometimes, all we can do is be a friend." Barney's got it right!

PFCLA

Jared and I woke up this morning with an "as to be expected" amount of anxiety. Today was the day we would take the first step towards adding another baby to our family!! Yikes!! Jared went and taught seminary as usual but said his lesson turned into a motivational speech. Probably more for us than them. I had the normal breakfast rush with the kids and then headed off for a run long enough to calm any jitters I was feeling.

We made the hour long drive to Westwood and tried not to acknowledge the obvious feelings that were swirling in both our minds. Things seemed to be going perfectly. We found parking right away, Lennix was is a great mood, we pushed the UP button in the elevator and then...we were home.

From the second we walked off the elevator, the receptionist had come around to greet us both with hugs and make us comfortable. From the financial coordinator to the Embryologist- they all came out of their offices to say hello. Lennix was her usual shy self but cute none the less. Then came the doctor. He walks out to see us and casually asks what we were doing here. (Most of his patients just stop by to say hello) I told him we were thinking about doing IVF again and his face says it all. Complete shock. He whisks us into his office and pulls up our information. "Well, if you're ever going to do it- nows the time." Great I thought. Nows the time. Because it had been so long since I had been tested for any abnormalities, he said that I had to be re-tested to make sure there weren't any new things we needed to address before we started a Cycle. (Each time we do IVF- they call it a cycle. Each "cycle" comes with it's own folder Labeled "Cycle" # _ , and a "cycle" calender. We've got a nice collection so far...we're up to 5 folders!)

Lennix starts to get fussy and is ready to get out of there. Jared and I were doing a good job wrangling her until the doctor kindly asks us to "let her go." He said, I want her to run around the office as she pleases. I explained that I was just trying to be considerate of the other women sitting in the waiting room who didn't have children. Yet. He said, "let her go- this is what the women want to see. They want to see that there is hope. That this is the end result they can have too." How true those words rang in my ears. With that, I let her go run free. When we were done talking to the doctor, we walked out and I looked around the waiting room. The same desperate, anxious, hormone raged look on all their faces- was one I recognized. I scooped Lennix in my arms and was reminded once again- there is hope. Another one of these squiggly squishy babies can be our end result again. Nows the time to do it.

Lennix and I said our goodbyes to the staff, and gave Jared a quick kiss as he headed into "the room" with his cup in hand. I made it down the elevator, 1 block down Gaylee St. and had just ordered my Jamba Juice when Jared called and said he was done. Wow. Gotta love a man who's efficient.

So now we call for the "count results" tomorrow and then will get the full analysis results back in 1 week. I have to make an appointment for a fluid ultra sound and blood work.(Probably some time after Thanksgiving) Jared in the mean time is going to start going to our Witch Doctor again. Gotta love Dr. Keh! She is an acupuncturist who specializes in NAET therapy. I could try and explain what NAET is but I always end up sounding crazy. Yes, you really can be allergic to wind! Look into it if you have any not already and I promise you will not be disappointed. She is truely a miracle worker!

There's the update. I am feeling a mix of emotions ranging from excited to scared to death. And yet, through out it all- I feel a peace that wasn't there before. The thought crossed my mind this morning as I was in the shower- Now that Ginger is watching me from the other side, I've got the best of the best pulling strings for me up there! Even as I'm sitting here typing, I can feel her cheering me on. Literally. Put in a good word for me G!

This is the man of the hour. Vicken Sahakian and Lennix October 2008

It's official

One of my life's few regrets is not taking Justin up on his offer to document our experience with infertility 4 years ago. I remember it so well, him talking about how cool it would be to document the whole thing with video and pictures. I remember making the appointment for February 14th, 2004 and thinking this whole ordeal would finally be over in just a few months. Never did it cross my mind that we wouldn't have a baby until February of 2007. I remember getting the letter in the mail from Kaiser saying that the test results from Jared were so low, we were going to have to seek help elsewhere. (They only help up to IUI and we were no where close to that being helpful.) We never took Justin up on his offer to help document the experience and we were left to conquer this on our own. Many nights were spent feeling alone, and bitter. Many times we wanted to throw our hands in the air and give up. Miracles happened. People came into our lives that we will forever be indebted to, and our little miracle is here.

So fast forward to 2008. With each passing month, and our "baby" turning into a toddler very quickly, the nagging feelings of "this is when normal couples usually start to have another baby..." have been creeping into our daily conversations. If we could just "get pregnant" this would be a no brainer. Done deal. But with us, it has to be a long, thought out, financially prepared decision made between both of us. (And a small army of doctors, nurses, embryologists, etc...)

Then I got this email from Jared-

Shanny,
I do LOVE the HELL out of you. I just wanted to tell you that I want to be with you forever. We have a great little family and in the near future I can feel our family will get a little bigger and I will love to go through HELL with you again to have a chance on another KODY or DINKAS. LOVE,
NESS

It was this email, and the love and encouragement from best friends and family that helped solidify our decision to TRY AGAIN TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY!! We are going to roll the dice and see what happens ONE MORE TIME. This time around things will be a little different though. We will NOT do back to back (to back to back to back) rounds of IVF. If it doesn't work, we will give my body, (and our marriage) some time to recover. This is a VERY stressful thing to go through and although doing it this way might take us a little longer, I feel like we will be able to maintain some of our sanity. My friends have promised to stand by me and not judge me when things get "crazy." My sister has promised to not make fun of me when I start to pack on the fertility fifteen! (Those IVF doctors love a round woman)

So there you have it. Our decision has been made. In the past, we have tried to keep this private only to be left feeling alone. That's why I am putting it out there for all to expereince with us. We are going to try our best to document the whole thing. The road we face ahead is going to be long and filled with emotion. Since this blog is mainly for journaling purposes, I thought it would be interesting for all to read. The good, the bad, and the infertile.

Our first appointment is for this Wednesday November 12th, 2008. Jared will have another analysis done and we will talk to the doctor and come up with a game plan. We are excited and ready to do this again. Please keep us in your prayers and remember not to judge when I "fly off the handle." It's not me. It's the drugs. :)


Our goal:

Honk Honk Honk Honk

I am so glad it's November 4th! I am ready for this country to stop being divided and follow whichever leader it is we choose. Together. This election has been different than any other is so many ways for my family. Probably the biggest change from past elections is that Kody is finally able to understand and ask questions about what is going on with this country. This has proven to be a good AND bad thing. Let me explain...

A few weeks ago, Kody asked me who I was voting for. Actually he said something like, "Mom, you should vote for Rock Obama. Yes "Rock Obama." I asked him why to which he responded, Because he's going to win. I tried to gently explain the whole Republican vs Democrate thing, and the whole "In America we get to cast a vote for who we think is best suited for the job thing..." He seemed satisfied with this until he walked away and said "Well on Nickelodeon, it says Rocks gonna win. Why would you want to vote for a Grandpa loser?" Good point Kody. (I casted my vote for McCain anyways...)

Then this whole Prop 8 thing. Ugggghhhh. It seems as though this past month, people have gotten more and more heated about this topic. Thus, I chose to sit this one out. I was told by the Prophet to vote yes and so I will. and I did. No matter what my beliefs are on this issue, they don't compare to my Prophet asking me to do something. Plain and simple. Kody goes to a private Christian school anyways so they whole teaching kids about gay marriage in schools part doesn't really bother me. If anything, this just re-enforces my decision I made 4 years ago to enroll him in that school. All Pro and Con Prop 8 stuff aside, gay marriage was not something I wanted to discuss with my child this early in his life. Because of the raging crowds on the corner of Sycamore and Cochran, I have had to subject my children to screaming adults who have filthy language and answer questions like "Why do they say to vote for Love if they are so mad?" It got so bad the other day, we actually took a different route to my parents house just to avoid the mess.

When Kody finally asked me what Prop 8 was about, I asked him if he had ever heard of the term "gay." He answered yes and I was not prepared for the convo we were about to have. I proded him some more about what he actually knew and he said being "gay" meant "someone who is not following Jesus Christ." We'll go with that. I asked him if he had ever heard the term "homo." Yes again. !! Yikes. !! I asked what he thought that meant and he said " a person that doesn't have a home and travels around hitch hiking on a train." Good job Kody. Hobo and Homo. Not exactly the same thing, but I'm not going there.

Now came the tricky part. I tried to explain to him about families and Mommys and Daddys. I explained to him about how only a mommy and daddy can make a baby to which he says "well the Dr made Lennix and he wasn't the mommy or the daddy." Kind of hard to disagree with that one. Gotta love IVF!

After many (and I mean MANY) conversations about Prop 8 with Kody, he finally said "I'm just glad they haven't passed a law that says that a mommy can't marry her son!" What??!! I said they already had- it's illegal and it's called insest. No more questions- I would explain it when he got older. Bought me some time right?

Last night as we laid in bed together, Kody asked if I was going to vote today. I told him how excited I was and I was grateful to live in a country that gave the people the right to vote. He looked at me with those big brown eyes (that he got from me) and said, "You're not going to vote for Rock Obama just because he's black huh?" I don't think I could have smiled any bigger. It's moments like these that make me fall a little further in love with him.

I have loved this time of year. I have loved watching the TV and biographies of all candidates. I have loved reading about all the Props and making MY OWN decision for which way I will cast my vote. As I drove to Kody's school today, proudly wearing my I VOTED sticker, they had the whole 1st grade line the carpool lanes with signs that said ROCK THE VOTE and HONK FOR AMERICA. (Well, actually one little girl held her sign that read: ETOV and the little boy next her held his sign that read VOET.) All these tiny little voices were urging people to cast their vote. As tears came down my face, I honked my horn proudly and was grateful that these kids are my future!!

Tiny Miracles.

I don't know how many of you caught Oprah the other day, but if you missed it please take a minute to google each of these children and learn more about their stories. Lastnight, Jared and I both sat on the couch smiling from ear to ear with tears streaming down our cheeks. Tiny miracles.

Kendra And Maliyah Herrin

Lin Hao

Cody

Milagros

Eliot

Got Mudd??

Back in June, Jared and I signed up for Camp Pendelton's Semi Annual Mud Run. After reading the course description, we both decided this would be the most fun if not most challenging race we have even done and we were PUMPED! We decided on boys vs. girls teams, and we both set out to create our awesome team.

Jareds team consisted of himself, Jason Wright, Jesse Miles, Josh Miles, and Steve Luke. My team consisted of myself, Sharalyn Edmunds, Janelle Luke, Juli Hull, and Suzy Anderson. Months and months of training (for some) and we were only a few weeks away.

Then we get the phone calls. Juli will be out of town and Suzy's knee was injured. Sucks for the girls team. Jared then got a phone call from Jason. His back was out too. After a last minute scramble- the new teams were put together. Boys: Jared, Jesse, Jason, Steve and now Adam Zoller. Girls: Shannon, Sharalyn, Janelle, Casey Hambly and Kristen Marsilio. More training. More trash talk between both teams and we were ready to race.

Then on Friday (a week before the race) we get the phone call from Scott. We needed to start looking for a replacement runner because Kristen (who is Casey's co-worker) has been in a really bad car accident. She suffered a seizure behind the wheel, and her car went up over a fence, crossed 2 lanes of traffic, into a gas station, and into a gas PUMP and her car exploded on fire! WITH HER INSIDE! I kid you not, within 5 minutes of that phone call from Scott, I had called Sharalyn to tell her the news and Casey calls on my other phone. Apparently Kristen had made sure (from her hospital bed no less!) that Casey and the rest of the team were reassured that she WAS IN for the race! No replacement necessary. Talk about a tough chick! If you don't believe the story- click on the link below. There is actual video surveillance from the gas station and you can see the whole thing unfold. Amazing to say the least.

http://kdka.com/national/Gas.Pump.Fireball.2.838444.html

So now it's Saturday morning and each team piles into their respective cars for the 2 hour trip down there. I'm not too sure what was talked about in the boys car, but the girls trip was filled with lots of laughs, amazing survival stories (thanks to Kristen), trying to find the least "butch" way to wear a bandanna, and lots of talk about the upcoming race. So much fun!

We get to Camp Pendelton and start to get dressed by our car. Beaters: check. Bandannas: check. Bike shorts: check. Baseball Socks: check. Tutu's: Double check! That's right. The Dirty Housewives were going to wear tutu's the entire 6.25 miles. Fashion first- Winning Second. We got some strange looks from other teams, some "you go girls", and A LOT of "WE LOVE YOU'S!" Who knew people loved a tutu so much?


This is us at the start of the race. Could my team be any cuter?

Sharalyn and I showing some sisterly love. This is the first picture that Sharalyn and I have looked at and recognized what people have been saying for years. I guess we do kind of look a like. Sort of. Maybe a little.

We are off to battle. Despite EVERYONE wanting to take pictures with us, we made it to the Start line feeling excited and feeling really good. Everyone was just really anxious to get going and see what this Mud Run was all about.

Here's a picture of the boys team. Not as cute as our team, but pretty good looking in their own right. (Please excuse Jesse's pose/face in this picture. Apparently, he wanted to look really tough that day.)

And we're off! Arm in arm- we were determined to stay together and do this as A TEAM!

This is us going through the final mud pit. You had to crawl on your hands and knees under those flags and through mud that was about 2 feet deep. If you click in the picture, you can see Janelle and Casey standing in the middle- just about to get out and Sharalyn and I to the left, running down the hill on our way to the finish line.

All of us made it out of the final pit and we re-grouped as a team ready to cross the Finish line in style. Our arms are in the air because everyone was cheering for our team and cute outfits so loudly. I guess this is what it feels like to be famous right?

Once again, arm in arm as we headed towards the finish. If you look closely, you can see an all male team (not Jareds team) re-grouping to the left of us. There are 4 of them standing by the cones and they are waiting for the last member of their team. They had been near us the entire race and we kept hearing them say "Dont let the tutu's in front of us!" over and over. Sorry boys- our tutu's kicked your butt!

Just as we passed the male team, the captain yelled "Start Sprinting! Pass the Housewives!!" Like we were really going to let that happen. On cue, we all spread out with locked arms, creating a straight line that they couldn't get pass. Then it was a full on sprint to the finish, leaving them in our tutu's dust!

This is our team right after crossing the Finish line with a time of 1 hour 19 minutes. Not bad considering our goal was to get under 2 hours!

So where was Jared's team you might wonder?!? 14 minutes BEHIND us! We stood there waiting...and waiting...and waiting. Then it started turning into worry. But that was useless because they were just fine. Just a little slower than us.

This was them going through the final Mud pit.

And them re-grouping to cross the Finish Line

What do we do while we wait? We take cute "Girls Kick Butt" pictures!

They made it! Finished with a time of 1 hour 33 minutes. Now it's time to shower!

Group shot at the Finish. From left to right: Sharalyn, Shannon, Jared, Steve, Janelle, Jesse, and Adam. Bottom row: Casey, Kristen and Josh.

So there you have it. Our Saturday. This race was hands down my favorite so far. Something about not knowing what's ahead and getting dirty with the girls you love the most- made for a perfect day!

That night, the final results were posted and we were shocked to find The Dirty Housewives took 3rd place in the Women's division! We knew we did good, but not THAT good! Our medals are being mailed to us and you can bet we will be wearing them proudly for the next year! Go Housewives!

No cameras at Pinkberry Hull...

Sometimes I need a night out with the girls to get back in touch with my "real" self. The me who loves to people watch and asks for a mochi ball "just because." The girl who loves to laugh until she cries. Then cries some more because she is once again reminded of who is missing. The real self who loves her friends as much as she does her family. Scratch that- my friends are my family. I need a night out to remind myself that I am more than just a sandwich making, nose wiping, clothes folding, stay at home mother of two and wife to a man I never feel worthy of. I need a night out to realize that I have more in common with those I would least expect, and remember how much I love getting to know someone new. It's okay to make that phone call and see if they want to come even if they haven't ever been before. Maybe they'll say yes. And hopefully we'll pick her up before 9 and she has decided to go to bed! In the past few months, I have learned how to hold on to those I love a little tighter and let go of those I love a little less. It's okay for me to say I'm "just going to get ice cream" and be gone for 3 hours. Guilt free no less. Thank you girls for another one of those nights. I needed it.

Happy Hump Day

I heart: conversations with my sister that start out with "There's a black boy in Cali's class..."
I heart: Lil' Rounders from Carvel Ice cream.
I heart: Bobby Fisher.
I heart: Kody dedicating the song Bleeding Love to me.
I heart: real friends that withstand the test of time. And then some.
I heart: reading a good book.
I heart: my new couches.
I heart: cool weather.
I heart: truth.
I heart: siesta with Jared.
I heart: carpool at Kodys school.
I heart: high fives from Lennix. MmmmK.
I heart: my iPod shuffle.
I heart: my Steve Madden Boots.
I heart: family.

Ketchup, Catsup, Catch Up

I dont know where the time goes! Just when I think I have things under control and things will start to calm down- we get packages in the mail, cousins that come over to play, football games to go to, and naps to take! Lets start with my biggest challenge. Miss Lennix!! This girl is the laughter of our home! When I went to get her the other day from her nap, this is how I found her. Does anyone else think this is a problem?? She has got to be one of the funniest children I have ever met. Her personality is so fun and light- it's contagious. She sparkles as she walks, and demands all the attention in the room. (And usually gets it!)This is her latest "smile" and I can't help but laugh when I see her doing it. Who needs to say "cheeeessseee" when you have this?!?
Next up: Ayla Alden! I got to watch this little snuggle bug one day while Scott and Casey were at work and it only took about 3 seconds before Jared scooped her up and announced- "I want another baby." We had just had "the talk" the night before and had decided we were not going to have another baby. So much for that talk. All plans went out the window as soon as Ayla landed in our arms! We love you little Missy!
Then we got the mail. FedEx delivered boxes from AUNNIE!!! Yeah!!!! How fun it was to open these boxes with my kids and see the look of pure joy on their faces as they saw what she had sent them. Cups, plates, bubbles, Webkinz, candy, stickers, etc... She had it all in there! Why did she send all this stuff you might wonder? Because that's what Aunnie does. She is so great at spoiling my kids and making them feel special. I am grateful for a sister who is thoughtful enough to include my children in fun things like this! We love you Aunnie!!

Can you guess what thing Lennix liked the best? STICKERS! Apparently the stickers Aunnie bought were on the $1 aisle, so she grabbed a bunch and packed them in. Here's the best part- they were scented! Vanilla if I remember correctly. But come on- they were on the dollar aisle. I couldnt smell vanilla if my life depended on it. It was more like a spicy pine scent. Very weird. But Lennix didn't care (obviously) and they were a HUGE hit!! Thanks again Aunnie!
Last we have FOOTBALL! This past Saturday Kody's football team played Agoura and the whole family got to go cheer him on. His team played good and by the end of the fourth quarter we were tied 6-6. Perfect! We all go home winners I thought. I thought wrong. Just as we packed up we heard the announcer come over the loud speaker to announce "sudden death over time!" Are you kidding me?
So here's how it works: you get 4 plays starting on the 10 yard line, and try to score. If one team doesnt get in the end zone, but the other team does, you lose. Needless to say, I was in a full blown panic at this point!
Our team goes first. 1st run of the over time, we score a touchdown! YES YES YES!!! My prayers have been answered. Now it's Agouras turn to answer. First down, incomplete. Second down, tackled and no yards gained. Third down, incomplete. Fourth down (their LAST chance) the quarterback decides to run it in HIMSELF and he's heading straight for my baby! Now, I should mention, Kody LOVES football but he doesnt like to tackle. He will shoulder someone, and push, but when it comes to hanging on and dragging them down- well, he leaves that for the rest of the team. Although he does stand at the side of the pile and trash talk. Great sportsmanship right?!? Any ways- Fourth down, QB running at my baby...and he does it! Kody MAKES THE TACKLE and we WIN the game! He jumped up with his arms in the air yelling "Yea Baby" for a good 5 minutes! I was so proud of him. All those hours of practices we go to watching him and chasing Lennix around Berylwood park, the stinky uniforms I beg for him to let me wash, the hours we drive to and from games- It was all worth it for that play right there! Way to go Patriots!