Thursday Style.......

I thought I'd try my hand at a Style-type post! Almost 3 years ago I got my first LLR piece. I won a medium maxi skirt (which has since found a home elsewhere, due to it sliding down several times)......and as you can see from this post....the rest is history!

The first maxi....the piece that started my obsession!

photo by: Jessa

I then bought a Julia and won a pair of leggings! The next piece was a Nicole for Valentine's Day! After that, I was truly obsessed and hoping to win more pieces, I joined 100s of groups, followed 100s of loops. I have since found my "LuLaTribe"…..a select group of consultants who have quality customer service, amazing groups and an eye for style (I think they can see my closet and know just what pieces to send me when I do a grab bag or mystery piece)! I love how versatile each piece is and how comfortable they are and how easy it is to dress it up and down! So I hope this helps you with style ideas and inspiration! Play around with different styles! I wear a lot of cardigans, covers and long vests! I like to stay warm when it's cold and layer to stay modest! I am 5'8' and weigh 165-170 pounds! I've been on quite the journey to health and have discovered a whole new world of clothes, fun and fashion! Now that I'm in a better place as far as my health is concerned, I enjoy dressing up and being comfortable, plus even getting a little wilder, style-wise than I would have in the past! 

Style Photo Credits: Brighton (10) 

Photo edits: Karen 

with the medium Cassie skirt I got it with and a cream xl faded glory tank top.

with the cream tank and a green, purple and cream xs maxi skirt!

with a small Classic T and a small Lola I found at the thrift store.

with the small Classic T and a small Cassie

with a medium vintage ribbed Julia dress and OS leggings 

the medium Julia dress worn as a tunic and OS leggings.

with a small Maria dress 

with a xs Carly dress (I did coin detailing under the bust)

with an xs Carly dress

with a large Julia dress!

with the large Julia dress worn as a tunic and jeans!

Hello..........

............…..it's been a long, long, time.

Wow, it's been a few years since I posted here on this blog. AND I was looking back to when I started it. I had just been put on bedrest while awaiting the birth of my (our) first child back in 2009.

A whole lot has changed since 2009 and even since 2015...….

These hooligans used to be so tiny and now they are 9, 6 and 6 years old.

 

They join me on wild and crazy hiking adventures, cheer me on while I study.....(or is that them fighting in the other room?) and make life so much fuller and happier than I even could have imagined.

 

Life with this handsome man makes me smile!

 

 

I was in the midst of recovery and healing when I last wrote a blog post back in 2015. How did the time go by so fast? In October 2015, after trying to follow a low carb diet with no real guidelines and other than being told that I needed to eat oatmeal every day to help bring my cholesterol numbers down not having any really direction for eating "good", I discovered Trim Healthy Mama. It had been floating around my circles, so I was a little familiar with it. So when I asked the PA at my Dr's office if there was a "plan" she'd recommend to get the results I needed and she said Trim Healthy Mama, it was a God-send!! I'll do another post about how well that worked for me, sometime soon. Along with a post of what lead me up to getting a hysterectomy back in 2015, too! It was a long journey to that point!

 

I'm happy to be back to blogging. I'm hoping to share some of my fun new clothing/style choices, my new hairstyle (super short) and some of my favorite hikes and Alaskan adventures, how I see hearts everywhere.....and I really mean EVERYWHERE, some of my photos that I've taken with my Nikon D3300 DSLR camera (or my cell phone, ha ha) and maybe some of my favorite THM and Keto-style recipes!

 







Being Real.........A.K.A Spilling my guts!

I'm a pretty private person when it comes to my health struggles and what it has been like since I had kids. I've posted now and then to ask for prayers on my Facebook page but really don't say a whole lot about this kind of stuff. Unless you see me on a more day to day basis or you are one of my sisters that I talk to frequently.

I have been absolutely exhausted since Brighton was born over 6 years ago.  Add having twins almost 3 years later and you pretty much get a complete zombie! It's been harder than I thought possible. I was prepared for it, being a mom, the sleepless nights (ya, like you can really be prepared, but you know what I mean). Kicking, screaming, laughing, crying, you name it, I've probably done it! And now I know why it was so much harder than I planned, hoped, prayed it would be. It's really been amazing, these last 6 years, being a mom is so cool, fun and rewarding but SO HARD!

When Brighton was 5 months old, I had a migraine for a week and a half. I have had migraines (hormonal ones) since I was 11. I thought it was from the stress of working (with a baby), stress at work, having a baby who got me up 2-3x a night and hormones. My doctor finally got rid of it with multiple pain medications, a migraine medication, a beta blocker, some sleeping pills, 3 days of solid sleep and several shots in my butt! My blood pressure was also sky high and after the migraine was under control it stayed that way so my beta blocker dose was upped and my blood pressure returned to a nice low, healthy number. Isn't 32 much too young to have Hypertension?

Fast forward to when the twins were about a year old, I started getting migraines again after an almost 3 year reprieve. They got worse, then even worse till I had one that I couldn't get rid of for a month and a half last summer. We put out a plea to family for help, because I was in such bad shape that I wasn't able to even properly take care of the kids. Again, it took multiple pain meds, migraine meds, sleeping pills (by this time we realized that when I lacked sleep/rest, that I got more migraines) and several shots in the butt. In June, Dewayne's Aunt came up to help for a month. She stayed at Dewayne's mom's house and would come take care of me and the children while Dewayne was working. I started feeling better, more rested and the migraines lessened. Then this past November/December they starting getting bad again, we moved in December and were getting our house ready to sell. I've been able to stay on top of most of them but they were an almost daily occurrence and really took it out of me. My doctor put me on an antiepileptic to see if that would help keep the migraines at bay. It put me into a deep depression. He changed me to an antidepressant that was also prescribed for migraine prophylaxis, it helped with the migraines but didn't improve the depression and made me more irritable. He then added another antidepressant to help with the depression that really didn't work. I was so sad and tired of the pain that for a second I considered overdosing. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, it was dismissed but scared me bad enough that he got me in the next day and took me off both of those antidepressants. He then put me on a different one, a "lite" version of a commonly used antidepressant and I had 19 incredible migraine-free, energy filled days. During which I over-did it physically and gave myself De Quervain's Syndrome (tenosyvitis) in my left wrist. I had to wear a brace, get ultrasound treatments and have chiropractic adjustments for two weeks, till it was back to normal.

After that, I was still having migraines, wasn't sleeping well, so he prescribed sleeping pills and muscle relaxants to help me sleep and get rest. Because when I didn't sleep well, I noticed that I got worse, more frequent migraines. After numerous blood tests to check several different things, the sleeping pills not helping me any less exhausted, I was at the end of my rope with pain and exhaustion and we still had no idea what was wrong. At my doctors appointment to follow up on the new antidepressant, we were discussing how I am always optimistic, I never lose hope (except that one brief thought) and that I have faith that God is in control and that my family and friends were praying for me. Dr. Brooks asked me if he could pray with me. He prayed that God would give us answers and the very next day I got the answer during a phone call that I made. The next time I went in I asked him if it could possibly be sleep apnea. He was very skeptical but because we hadn't gotten any other clear answers he got me set up for a home sleep study. He said that I don't fit the physical profile for sleep apnea. I don't have a thick neck, on examination my airway is wide open, even though I snored it wasn't extremely loud or disruptive and even though I'm overweight it doesn't look like my weight is an issue. He said it's a long shot but we might as well rule it out.  I took the test on Feb. 11, turned in the equipment on Feb. 12th and on March 17th, my Mama's birthday, I got the test results. Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea with 17 AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index, meaning I stopped breathing 17 times in 1 hour) and a O2 desaturation of 85%. And guess what kind of health issues Sleep Apnea can cause? Just to name a few......Migraines, Depression AND Hypertension....not to mention Strokes, Heart Attacks, etc if left untreated. Pretty crazy, huh??

I have now been on an APAP (an automatic CPAP machine) with a pressure of 6-18cmH2O nightly and if I take a nap (which doesn't happen nearly as often now) for 2 months. My migraines are now only about 1 every two weeks, my blood pressure has gone down considerably (I'm taking only 50mg daily instead of 200mg) and my antidepressant med dose has been cut in half. I still tired easily but I don't have the extreme fatigue and unbelievable exhaustion that I had before I started treatment. I'm so thankful for the visible signs that my health is improving with treatment and as much as I want to have overnight renewal of all my lost energy, I understand that this isn't something that happens overnight and I have to be a patient patient and let my body heal from all the nights of having "not good" sleep. I know it's been the last 6 years for sure, but it has possibly even been longer than that. So that many years of damage will take that much longer to repair.

Throughout all of this, my faith has kept me alive, hopeful and able to live with joy. Someone told me recently that no matter how tired and ragged I looked, dragging my 3 kids around, that I always had a bright, happy smile. There is HOPE! I want to thrive, not just survive and I'm been surviving for a little bit longer than is optimal. The Joy of the Lord is my strength and it has carried me through. My Bible verses for the longest time have been Ephesians 3:20, 21 - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. God has been walking with me, over and above what I've asked or thought. He has been working in me, growing me in ways I've needed, yet didn't know that I needed. He is faithful and so good!

My husband has been a faithful warrior in all of this drama/saga! He has stepped in where needed, whenever needed without complaint or grudging. He truly is a treasure and a hot one to boot!! The kids are amazingly resilient and so caring. Brighton really wanted me to come help out in his Kindergarten class room but was so worried that the kids would be too loud for my poor head. I did end up getting to go spend a morning, helping the kids with their sight words. It was so fun and Brighton loved that I got to do it! We (the twins and I) got to go on the end of the school year field trip to the zoo, park day and field day. Something I couldn't have even considered just two months ago. :-)

That's all for now, Folks.....stay tuned for the next episode of this drama.....it will be called...It's all in Your Head!! Ha ha.

Here are some pics of my new nighttime (and sometimes daytime) companion. For you giggling pleasure....this is my life now!

This is me today. I had a migraine, needed a nap and used my APAP!

My Fabulous PR S1 560 Series Auto CPAP w/ A-Flex

Trying out my new nasal pillow mask!

My first mask - A nasal mask. It worked well.

7 months old on June 16th.

Yes, my twins are 7 months old already. I took this on Saturday, the 16th of June. Can YOU guess who is who?

Hi....it's been ages!

Our family in Tygh Valley, Oregon, on Sunday, May 27th, at the Memorial Day ALC Campout, where we had the babies baptized.

Dad, Geneva, Alice, Brighton, Mason, Karen and Dewayne in Bonners Ferry, Idaho on Friday, June 1st.

Life has been a little crazy. It all started one day back in April and it hasn't stopped since. The day after my birthday, that sweet husband of mine told me I could go visit my family in Washington and Oregon if I could find someone to fly down with me. I went for a week and a half on my own (with a friend flying on the same flight, who held one of the babies as a lap baby for me) and then Dewayne flew down and we then went and spent almost a week with his family in Idaho and Montana. It was awesome seeing everyone that I did and getting to share my babies with everyone. I got to see all my siblings that live down there plus two more that flew out just because I was going to be there!! Also, numerous nieces and in-laws, and great nieces and nephews. Whew...now we are back home and trying to recover. We've been home for a week and half a day and we still have the colds we picked up down there. I've never had a cold last so long and my children haven't either. It's the babies first cold and man, it's a doozy! We are loving being back home and settling back into life and our routine.

I hope everyone had a Blessed Easter day......

We had a lovely day. Started the day off with church in the morning, had a quick lunch and a nap, then went to Easter Dinner at Great Grandpa and Great Grandma's house. The sun (Son) was glorious to behold! :o)

The babies in their Easter outfits!

Brighton wore a vest/suit w/ a tie but had already changed into jammies by the time I got ready to take pics.

Busy, busy life.

I love being a mom and I love my kids! I just don't have the time to post much on here right now. I have two wonderful 4 month old babies and a young man who just turned 3 yesterday. Some day soon, I will try to get on here and post some current pictures!

Babies came home ~ December 23, 2011

Geneva & Mason - taken 12/31/11

Big brother, Brighton, holding baby brother, Mason~

Baby sister, Geneva, with big brother, Brighton!

Life's been crazy around here since then!  I had two of my sisters here helping us and one of my nieces. My niece is staying with us until February 15th! It is so nice to have an extra pair of hands around, to hold a baby or do the dishes, fix lunch or straighten up the house. Babies are growing so fast. They have their first checkup last Tuesday. They both weighed 6lbs. Mason was 19 1/2 inches long and Geneva was 18 3/4 inches long! They have another weight check appt tomorrow! We love having them home. Even though it means sleepless nights and sometimes fussy babies. They really are good babies, though. When they do get fussy, they are easy to calm! :o) So happy to be together as a "whole" family again and not with Mama in the hospital or the babies in the hospital and Mama at home!

I've been sick! Waaahhh....

Geneva - Enjoying a moment without her feeding tube in her nose. Smiling with delight at it being gone.

and I haven't gotten to visit and hold my babies for over a week. I'm feeling better now and I'm hoping that I stay better enough to go see them tomorrow night or Wednesday for the day!

They are doing so great. They are taking 6 bottle feedings now out of 8 feedings a day. They are off of caffeine (to help with apnea) and are gaining weight every day! Mason weighs 5lb even now and Geneva weighs 5lb 2oz. :o)

Mason - trying to get his thumb into his mouth!

Their nurses are just amazing and one in particular sends me pictures to help me through having to stay home and not be with my babies. I have posted the two latest pics. I think my babies look amazing!

*Mason and Geneva's Birth Story* ~may be slightly graphic~

Some of this you may have heard or read about already but I think it's important to the whole story to include it in this part of the story. Let me say that I had been praying for a natural birth, even knowing that having a C-section was a very real possibility. I even talked about doing it completely natural with no pain meds or epidurals. During all the more painful contractions though, I had started thinking this wouldn't be possible because I couldn't see an end in sight and I wasn't sure how long I could do that without any "help"!

Geneva - 11/24/11

Mason - 11/24/11

I came home from the hospital after 7 weeks on bedrest, Mon, November 7th. I was home for 6 uneventful days, till the evening of Sunday, November 13th. At 31 weeks along and around 8:25pm, contractions just started up out of the blue and they were 5 minutes apart and intense. I timed them for 25 minutes and when I'd had 5 in that time, I called the doctor. He told me to go right to our local Labor and Delivery, which I did, they hooked me up to the Contraction monitor and heartrate monitors for the babies (who were both sounding fabulous) and started me on Magnesium Sulfate right away to stop the contractions, but that didn't help a lot and the contractions were getting quite painful, so they gave me Fentanyl. That didn't work and just made me a little drowsy, so they gave me a double dose of Stadol so I could get through the ambulance ride to transfer me to the big hospital with the NICU an hour away. Funny thing is, it made me hallucinate (LOL, I was seeing all the nurses, Dewayne, my Dr. and the EMT's as cardboard people) but it didn't take away the pain of the contractions. I rode in the ambulance and Dewayne drove home to grab some things for me and met me at the hospital.  Once I arrived at the big hospital a little after midnight on Monday, November 14th, there were 2 doctors, 1 nurse and a myriad of machines and monitors waiting for me. Since I was still contracting and they were getting even more painful, my nurse helped me with breathing through them. They upped the Magnesium Sulfate and gave me a 3rd steriod injection (I got the series of 2 the first time I was admitted to the hospital) for the babies lungs. After an ultrasound by the perinatologist to check babies positions, estimate their weights and check my cervical length, the OB doctor on call did a vaginal exam and found softening but no dilation. Contractions petered out around 3:30am and we were able to sleep for awhile. Dewayne left at 6am to head home and sleep a little before he went into work for a bit. Later that day, they moved me out of Labor and Delivery back to the Prenatal Unit, because labor wasn't eminient anymore. I had an uneventful afternoon Monday and the next day, everything was nice and calm! Until around 9pm when I started having contractions again, that is!! They were more intense and painful but they were kind of sporadic and weren't showing up when the nurses did my monitoring that evening and I thought that they weren't too bad, so they just told me to keep track of them. I called them again around 11 and they told me they'd be in to check on me at midnight and I was still contracting. So back on the monitor I went. The contractions still weren't showing up and didn't seem to be getting worse or closer together, so the nurses gave me an Ambien and I slept for a solid 2 1/2 hours. Contractions woke me up around 2:30am and I waited till 3:30 to call my nurses again. They came in and put me back on the monitor (and also listened to the babies heart beats for 5 minutes.) Babies were doing great, tolerating the contractions well. By that time, the contractions were starting to get closer together and more painful again. So they called the on call Dr. and he had them put me on the Magnesium Sulfate again and my IV site started swelling so they had to switch the IV site to the other arm. By now it's around 5:30am and contractions are showing no signs of stopping. I'd been using the bathroom every hour through out the night and the pressure down there was pretty intense. I still didn't think a whole lot was going on....I thought I was just "having contractions" again and that they would stop. I asked one of the nurses call Dewayne to tell him I was having contractions and we'd call if anything really started happening. Remember, we live an hour away from the hospital. It's about 6 now and things are starting to look like they may keep going and the Mag isn't stopping the contractions. Nurses are going in and out of my room at a regular rate. All of this time, I haven't asked for pain meds or even thought that I was going into labor. I am now at 31 weeks and 3 days. At 6:27am, all of the sudden, I felt the need to PUSH and that my water might have broken....I told my nurse frantically that I did and that she needed to call Dewayne NOW!!! Then I got strict orders to puff and not to push.....I still had my cerclage in (the stitch to keep my cervix closed) and if the babies were born with that in, my cervix could be ripped badly. My nurse checked me and felt Mason's head was right there. The next thing I knew, I was being wheeled out of my room on my bed as fast as they could down to the OR, next to the NICU. All the while, when I'd get a contraction, I'd be puffing instead of pushing and then my body would just take over and start to push. This happened three times total, while "flying" through the halls of the hospital and just as I was wheeled into the OR at 6:36am, my body took over and bore down hard and Mason popped out of me onto the bed behind me under the covers. I told the nurses (the dr. wasn't there yet.) "I had a baby, he came out, he was born!" and the OR nurse pulled up the blanket and there he was, crying! She clamped and cut his cord. Then she passed him through the window to the nurse waiting in the NICU. They then transferred me to the OR table and got my feet up in stirrups. The on call Dr. for the Prenatal Unit still hadn't arrived so they called a Dr. who was in the on call room next door to the OR (as it turns out, he was my Dr. for my whole pg with Brighton but didn't deliver him, he was off the weekend Brighton was born) and he came in just after Mason was born. He slowly broke Geneva's bag of waters and helped her ease down into the birth canal. Then he told me to gently push and out popped my little girl at 6:49am. He held her up so I could see her and then clamped and cut her cord and she was passed through the window to the nurse in the NICU. The rest was easy, placentas came right out with one more push, I was then put on a pictocin drip to help minimize bleeding and shrink my uterus, sedated and given local anaesthetic, so they could check my cervix for tearing (and repair it if it was necessary) from the cerclage (which Mason popped) and stitch up the first degree tear in my perineum. My cervix had no damage at all and they were able to just take the popped cerclage out. :o) Whew!! The nurse popped her head through the window periodically to give me updates on the babies and the NICU dr. came in later to tell me the babies were doing great and breathing on their own. Mason weighed 3lbs 14oz and was 16 1/2 inches long and Geneva weighed 3lbs 11oz and was 17 inches long. They are in the NICU and will most likely be able to come home before the New Year. They both got their IV's out and they both no longer need the hi-flow air and oxygen tubes in their noses. They are being tube-fed over an ounce of my pumped milk every 3 hours now and we are doing "non-nutritive" sucking so they can "practice" for breastfeeding!! They also get caffeine to help with keeping their breathing steady. I'm so proud of my babies and love them so very much. Brighton is excited his baby brother and baby sister are born but won't be able to meet them till they come home from the NICU! He does get to see pictures though. It was an amazing labor and delivery, considering I only KNEW I was in labor 22 minutes before it was all over!! Now I'd say my active labor was around 3 hours long! :o) I GOT my COMPLETELY natural birth! I am so thankful that my prayers were answered. The doctors and nurses (My nurses were phenomenal. I just LOVE them all, they are amazing and caring women!) took such good care of me while I was there for the first time - 7 weeks - then the second time - 2 days - and now the doctors and nurses in the NICU are taking good care of my babies. Praise the Lord!! God is so Good.....all the time! :o) A couple of my nurses told me that God allowed me to go into labor without me realizing it because if we had "known" sooner, I would have ended up with a C-section because that is what a few of the regular on call doctors prefer! AND I would have told my nurses sooner that I was in labor if I had realized it. I always told them when I felt off or if anything out of the ordinary happened!!

Announcing the birth..................

 of Mason NormanRoy and Geneva MaryRuth Kern! They arrived into this world on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 6:36am and 6:49am. Mason weighed 3lb 14oz and was 16 1/2 inches long. Geneva weighed 3lb 11oz and was 17 inches long. They are both in the NICU but are breathing on their own and are doing great. They just need to grow and grow so they can come home before the New Year. Thank you, Jesus, for these two new, beautiful blessings!

Back in the hospital..................

So, my brief respite from hospital life only lasted 6 days! Ah, well, I did get those 6 days and I am thankful for that. I am back in the hospital on bedrest. Contractions started up out of the blue, 5 minutes apart and painful. Called the Dr. almost right away and he sent me directly to the local L&D. They then transferred me to the hospital with the "big guns" by ambulance, after they got me started on Mag, Terbutaline and painkillers! LOL!! They gave me Fentanol and that made me dizzy but didn't help too much with the pain, so then they gave me a double dose of Stadol and that made me hallucinate (everything and everyone was cardboard and I was seeing things that weren't there) and I could still feel the pain from the contractions!! Crazy!

So, at 31 weeks and 2 days along, I'm back in the hospital. The dr. says I need to stay here till 36 weeks now but that doesn't seem too long (after putting in a 7 week stint already)! It's only 4 weeks and 6 days..till the Monday after the Sunday that I will 36 weeks along on!

Bedrest @ 22 weeks~

Took a trip into the L&D OB Triage on Saturday for contractions. I got shots to stop them & sent home to RELAX! I am now on strict bed rest. I have to stay down & can only get up for very short (time & distance) bathroom trips. Prayers are appreciated. I am 22 weeks along. Brighton, 2 1/2 yrs old, is with Grandma right now. I have a niece flying up to help out on Tuesday evening! YAY, so thankful for that!

21 weeks with twins........

Time is flying by and I am already 21 weeks along.  I am having contractions if I indulge in any physical activity. So, I am being very careful to rest regularly and I am trying to eat well and drink alot of water. At my last Dr.'s appt, I had gained 12 1/2 pounds. A little scary but I'm eating so much that I don't think I can possibly eat any more!

Twins are exciting and we had an ultrasound on Aug. 22nd.  It was a Level II and very detailed. They did measurements of everything they can see in there. I was 19 weeks 3 days along and the babies were measuring 19 weeks 6 days. They weighed approx. 10 oz. each and we all look good! We are having a boy AND a girl!! So excited!

Baby Boy

Baby Girl

Me.....21 weeks!

Belly and Ultrasound pics.

Ultrasound taken June 16, 2011

Today - 10 weeks

Wednesday, June 14 - 9 weeks 5 days

The latest news!!

Still no pictures, since I haven't gotten a photobucket or flickr account yet.  :o)  However, to let you know what has been going on lately, here are some news tidbits! 

On May 4th, I got a positive pregnancy test!! YAY!! So exciting.  I had been having symptoms of pregnancy for over a week and knew it was still too early to test, but then I decided to just go ahead with it.

On May 5th, I went into the dr. to get an official confirmation.  That test was also positive.  We figured that my due date was Jan. 16, 2012.

On May 19th, I had my first prenatal appt.  We then changed my due date to Jan. 15th.

On May 20th, I volunteered to help with training for an ultrasound tech for a local pregnancy center.  I was 6 weeks along that day.  I was seeing two sacs but thought I was seeing mirror till the end and the two techs asked me if I knew what I was seeing and then I knew I had really been seeing two.  :o)  Wow!!  But we weren't able to see heartbeats and they told me to call my dr. on Monday!!

On May 23rd, I talked to my dr.'s office and they said to go in for a regular ultrasound.

On May 25th, I went in for the "real" ultrasound and we got to see the two gestational sacs with the yolk sacs and inside two little heartbeats!

Tomorrow, June 10th, I will be 9 weeks along.  My next prenatal appt is in a couple weeks! Can't wait to discuss TWINS with my doctor!

Hellooo~

Yes, we are still alive over here. You'd think that now that I'm not working I'd have more time to come on here and blog, but alas, I just don't do it!! :o) Here are a few recent pics of the little man~

TOP to BOTTOM:

Standing on the gravel at the playground and eating goldfish.

Daddy sharing his cereal with Brighton~This is a morning routine that happens if Brighton is awake before Daddy leaves for work. Now that Brighton is a little bigger, he gets to drink the milk out of the bowl when Daddy is done eating!

Picking strawberries with Grandma!! He LOVES berries! Strawberries, Raspberries (from Grandma's garden) & Blueberries (from the store). He can even say "Blue......Berries"!

Wearing the NEW "long john" pajamas we found at a garage sale and Grandma bought for him, because Mama just loved them! Aren't they adorable???!!!!

Riding the awesome, old-fashioned, homemade rocking horse that we found at a garage sale and Grandma couldn't resist buying it for him!! He walked into that garage sale and made a beeline for it!! :o)

Grandma spoils him rotten...........................can you tell??

My "Big Boy".....

Driving in the little car with cousin Nali.












Mama and Brighton



















Brighton and Kohl on the rock.

One sunny day.......shorts and flipflops.

Trying to sweep our parking lot.

We are back home....

after being gone for 3 1/2 weeks. It felt like forever. But it was fun. :o) We took a trip to Ireland by way of Montana....(actually, Spokane). On the morning we were supposed to leave for Ireland we got a call that our flight from Chicago to Dublin had been cancelled, so we went into the airport and asked them if they could send us to Spokane while we were waiting for our rescheduled flight. They did it for a fee of $5 and off we went. So, we got to visit Dewayne's dad and then take our dream vacation to Ireland. We spent almost a week in Northern Ireland for a wedding and a little sightseeing then took a ferry over from Dun Laoghaire (it's said Dun Leary) to Wales and spent the night in a Castle!! We then went to Stonehenge and Brighton (for our Brighton). We walked down to the waterfront from a parking garage uptown.......quite a walk and took some pictures of Brighton with some Brighton signs. We then headed north. We spent the next night in Nottingham and tried to drive through Sherwood Forest but the road was closed. We spent our last night in Scotland, tried to find a castle and couldn't find it, then took the ferry back over to Belfast from Stranraer. We then proceeded to head south. After spending the night in Athlone, we popped in to visit Dewayne's nephew Branden who lives in Limerick and he and his beautiful girlfriend Mary-Rose feed us some delicious chowder and sent us on our way with lovely sandwiches and fruit. :o) We spent the next night in Cork and then headed north to Dublin. We stayed in a Travelodge just a few minutes from the airport that night. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10:35am the next morning, but it ended up being delayed. We did fly out and that 8 hour and 45 minute flight was the longest I'd ever been on. Through this all our little trooper was fabulous. He did great on most of our flights and even though he got tired of riding in the car and had his fussy moments, the good moments and behaviour far outweighed the bad! I will try to post some of the best pics soon!

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Can't believe it!! My baby boy is ONE!!!