Stein Family

Happy 6th Birthday Karsten

2012-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Karsten Noah!!!!

We love you so much! Your personality is AMAZING!

When we celebrated Karsten's Birthday in his class the teacher asked the kids why they were glad God made Karsten. They all had nice things to say.... but most of them said he always makes them laugh, smile, and he is a good friend!

We love you buddy!!!

We are sooooo THANKFUL!

2011-11-23T15:04:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

XOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO

Forest Home

2011-11-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

We joined Sanctuary Church at their annual Baptism a couple of months ago. The kids had a wonderful time running around the place. We were blessed by how many people got baptised that day. God is doing a mighty work at that Church especially in the youth students' lives.

Addisyn's friend Crystal going down the slide...Addisyn got to the top and was stuck crying up there for about 20 minutes before Tim talked her into coming back down the ladder. My cousin kids: Styder & Sela Sarah is going for it with her nose pluggedOur kids enjoying the waterLook at those handsome brothersOlivia (our baby sitter's precious baby)Luke with his buddy, JonahAddisyn jumping on the water trampoline with Emma & CrystalI LOVE how the BIG boys take care of our boys!Karsten loved the kayaks My niece, BennyMy nephew, Finnley

Thank you Sanctuary Church for providing a FUN day to fellowship.

Happy 7th Birthday LUKE!!!

2011-11-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our little guy! Luke is such a joy to so many! His smile and blue eyes light everyone up! We LOVE you buddy!

Beautiful family.....

2011-10-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

This family is super special to me, they are very dear to my heart. I love looking back at the pictures I took of them last year to see how things have changed. You can see last years pictures here: http://the6steins.blogspot.com/search?q=beautiful+family

Aren'ttheysobeautiful?Thankyouforaskingmetosharethesememorieswithyou!

Ainsley's Field Trip to Oak Glen

2011-10-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

I got to join Ainsley and her preschool on a field trip today to Willowbrook Apple Farm in Oak Glen. I went here also with Karsten 2 years ago and you can see the pics here. Ainsley with her 2 friends Ana & GracieAinsley getting ready to pet the BIG bunny Peter.Ainsley and her friends petting Peter.Ainsley & Ana looking at the chickens.Ainsley's teacher offered to take our picture.Helping make Apple Cider

The weather was beautiful!

1st Day of School

2011-09-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tim's Birthday Bash

2011-09-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun night celebrating Tim's Birthday! We are BLESSED with the most awesome group of friends! We all went to ALCATRAZ BREWING CO in Orange County and enjoyed really yummy food, drinks, dessert, and coffee!

Mike & CherylJames & AndreaJason & SarahDaniel & VeronicaTim & IMichael & JannaeChad & MichelleLook at this awesome food!Carrot Cake.... one of Tim's favorite desserts!We LOVE all of our friends! Thanks guys for a FUN night full of laughs!

Sweet Friends

2011-08-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

There is something about these two little girls that are different. They just LOVE each other different then most toddler friendships. When they play together it is like they were meant to be friends. They share, they laugh, they dance, they play house, they both love Dora, and they both have older siblings. When you watch them play there is no fighting, arguing, or drama...which is not the norm for 3 year olds (especially girls). I'm glad Ainsley found sweet Haven.

Here are some pictures I took while we were dropping off their older siblings for their 1st day of school!

Far away friends.....

2011-08-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Jennifer from Minnesota was here visiting her grandma this summer and we got to spend time with her and her 5 kids. She is a BLOGGER and has a great mommy blog; here is the link if you want to read it: www.mycharmingkids.net . The kids and I got to hang out, swim, and have treats. I always enjoy spending time with other mommies with lots of kids..... we just "get" each other. All 9 of the kids did great together...... they just played & played..... I just kept a good eye on them so they didn't break any of the fancy vases or glass stuff everywhere!

We LOVE our far away friends!

Girls & Feathers.....

2011-08-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

FUNFEATHERSWITHFRIENDSFORTHEIRBIRTHDAYS

Some vaccine questions answered.....

2011-08-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

After Luke had a reaction to his vaccines we have been asked by many people about vaccines. Tim and I both agree it is a total personal decision.

After looking at lots of research and praying through it we stopped vaccinating our kids. Today my friend posted this blog to her Facebook wall and thought it was a good place for people with questions to start. Please know we are not trying to persuade you but reading good research is always good when making big decisions. Here is the blog: http://www.regardingcaroline.com/vaccines

Ainsley's back in school....

2011-08-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ainsley started back to school last week. It's sad to think that this is her last year at United Methodist because next year she will move over to Redlands Christian with the other 3 kids.

Here is her 1st day of school pics:Ainsley with her teacher, Mrs. Gina

Wordless Wednesday.....

2011-08-17T01:17:00.000-07:00

Camp KIDD

2011-08-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Andrea offered to have all 4 of our kids over for a little camp day at their house. The kids were so excited and were counting down the minutes until we got there. I was able to hang out with my friend Veronica that morning kid less. Here are some pictures Andrea took for me since she know I love pictures (I have the greatest friends).

The boys practicing their basketball skills Luke trying to take down CarsonThey even had crafts for the kids to do.

The boys painted boats......The girls decorated flip flops

Thanks Kidd family for a fun day with our friends! We love all of you very much!!!

Happy Birthday Babe!

2011-08-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best husband, daddy, and friend I know. The kids and I are beyond BLESSED to have such a kind hearted man who loves the Lord in our lives. He is the best Godly example for us and we are so thankful.

Happy Birthday Babe... I hope you have an awesome day!

We love you!!!

Oreo Truffles

2011-08-03T07:51:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from my sister in law Ashley, who is one of the craftiest persons I know. I'm pretty sure she got it from the Bakerella site.

They came out SUPER yummy and easy!

1. Start with cookies and a block of softened cream cheese (I used off brand and they still were delicious)2. Blend the cookies until they super fine..... I could only do about 6 cookies at a time or my blender would get stuck3. Pour the crushed cookies into a big bowl & mix in cream cheese. I had to use my hands to mix since the cream cheese is pretty thick.4. Roll the mixture into balls and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.5. While the truffles are freezing get the chocolate and sprinkles ready.... of course I used Candiquik, my favorite! Remember the Valentines Day post?6. Put the truffles on toothpicks and dip your little heart out! The kids love helping me dip and sprinkle. Put back in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

ENJOY!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday....

2011-08-03T07:39:00.001-07:00

Cabo.....

2011-07-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

We had an AMAZING 10 year Anniversary get-a-way! We LOVED just relaxing and doing nothing! For 2 people that never slow down it was just what we needed..... no plans, no time schedules, just being with each other!

Here is the view from our roomWaiting for our ride to downtown CaboLunch at THE OFFICE..... a popular place in CaboI guess all drinks are 2 for 1....... I could barley finish one..... I was so full!They played us a songOur Resort..... Fiesta AmericanaHanging out in the lobby One of our favorite pools..... right over the ocean...... it was BEAUTIFUL!Every night this guy would play music at the fire pit....... We spent LOTS of time in the amazing pools!Hanging out in the spa...... where the next day an Iguana was swimming inBeautiful even in the dark!WOW!!!!One of my favorite places!Breakfast in Cabo at Senor Sweets...... so yummy!There were lots of these all over...... people were even hand feeding them!Our last night

We had a WONDERFUL time! Thanks to all who helped with our kids while we were gone! We can't wait to go back...... maybe next time with the kids!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:48:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day Tim!!!! You are the BEST daddy and husband ever! Thanks for being you! God had BLESSED me beyond belief with you.

Luke is done with KINDERGARTEN!

2011-06-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

We are beyond proud of Luke! We are so blessed to be able to go to an awesome school with awesome teachers. We couldn't have asked for a better teacher for him..... she was so kind, loving, and sweet. Luke absolutely adored her all year. Thank you Mrs. Jeffers for a fantastic year!

Luke receiving his diploma
"When I grow up I want to be a Baseball player"

Our BIG Boy!

Daddy and mommy are so proud of how far he has come!

Luke and grammie

Luke and grandma

Luke with his friend Sammy

Luke and his buddy Jonah

Luke and Mrs. Jeffers

Luke with Mrs. Thalmayer (his teacher's aide)

Swmming Lessons have started.....

2011-05-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Luke had the BIGGEST smile on his face the whole time in the water! He kept looking over at me with those sparkling blue eyes and a smile that would light up a room! By the end of his first lesson he was swimming to the side all by himself! We are so proud of him!Karsten was a little hesitant at first but once he started trusting the coach he was going for it! He did a great job.... I can't wait to go back soon to see how far he comes.Addisyn worked so hard! She learned so much her first day if swimming. She smiled the whole time and listened to the coach and made every change that was suggested. Her whole goal is to do Swim Team by the end of summer!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

Water Fun!

2011-05-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break we went down to Carlsbad for the week and stayed at The Grand Pacific Palisades Resort. In the middle of the week The Kidd family came down to spend the day with us. All of the kids had a BLAST at the little water park. They spent a couple of hours running, swimming, sliding, and squirting! I love our friendship with the Kidd's because they are seriously the kick-back, low key kind of friends that are good with whatever! Thanks for spending the day with us you guys!

I love Ainsley's tongue in this oneSilly girlsGetting ready to slideand she's off....EmmaCrystal having funAinsley getting readyLukeHere goes AdamGo KarstenBrothers..... sliding back to backCarson taking Ainsley for a rideSo funLuke squirting the kidsWater fight

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY AINSLEY JOY

2011-05-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

Today is our sweet baby girl's Birthday!!!!

We LOVE you Ainsley Joy!

Happy Mother's Day to the BEST mommy ever!

2011-05-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Decorating Easter Eggs with friends

2011-05-04T21:42:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a great time decorating Easter eggs and hanging out with friends. It's always fun when there are 8 adults and 15 kids...... and dye involved! Thanks Carly for the pizza, eggs, dessert, and fun!

Addisyn and Emma= buddiesMaddie concentrating Ainsley LOVED painting the eggs.... I think she did 11 of her ownDiego..... trying to dry his eggCaleb & Luke...... such a sweet pictureGianni..... handsome boy!Luke dipping his eggsCarson..... look at those eyes!Ethan..... precious smile!Sarah getting ready to dye some eggs!Adam..... painting an eggparty!Karsten only did a couple because he wanted to hang with the big boys!Jonah dipping his eggs too!Crystal concentrating on painting her egg

My new niece......

2011-05-01T21:42:00.001-07:00

Our newest niece, Janie was born on April 15th but I'm finally putting up some pics.

Here she is minutes old Proud daddyOur mom and dad Reid's mom, JanineHere I am with the new little bundle of joyIsn't she so precious?

We love you baby girl!

Horseback Riding & Wine Tasting

2011-04-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

Tim and I got to get away a couple of weeks ago for the night. We stayed in Carlsbad and went horseback riding and wine tasting in Temecula the next day. (Yes the horseback riding came first!) Thanks to our office gal, Lauren, our kids had a blast at home eating pizza, decorating cookies, and having Nerf gun wars.

Isn't this winery beautiful?My HOT husband!Waiting to ride horses.And we are off.....The Winery.... it was beautiful inside and out!

Wordless Wednesday..... reflection

2011-04-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

Let's Go GNO!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

For my friend Veronica's 30th Birthday her mom took us out to an amazing dinner. It was at the GRAND OAK resturant. We had the whole place to ourselves and the view was magical! We had a great night laughing our heads off! Thanks again Margi for everything!

All of us girls after dinner

Veronica & her mom Veronica & AndreaVeronica and her best friend LizVeronica and IOne more of us girls!

Happy 30th Birthday Veronica!

Easter bark....

2011-04-23T09:12:00.001-07:00

If you need an idea for an Easter gift or for dessert for Easter you should try this SUPER easy and yummy bark.

1. Melt some chocolate and pour it out on wax paper on a cookie sheet.

2. Melt some pink Wilton chips and drop spoon fulls on top of the melted chocolate. Next use a knife to swirl around the pink and brown chocolate.

3. Cut Easter Oreos into pieces and press into chocolate.

4. Put in fridge for an hour or so then break into pieces.

5. EAT!

Easter treats....... cake pops & more!

2011-04-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Pearl and I had a great time making some Cake Pops for Easter. Of course we got to use the CaniQuik that I got free from Candiquik (read about that here). If was fun doing these treats with Pearl because she was really good at little details and I'm not! Thanks Pearl for fun morning!

Chocolate is ready to goRolling the cake into Easter Eggs... Karsten of course had a different opinion about what these look likeAren't these the cutest Eggs ever?We also dipped Peeps in chocolate (I got this idea from my best friend Heather's blog- you can find by clicking here)Pearl brought a silicone bunny mold which worked awesome for Cake pops Of course we had a little helper I decided for a little Easter gift for my sister and sister-in-law I would throw them into a little pot for a fun!

We hope everyone has a BLESSED Easter! We know that Easter is not really about bunnies and eggs but about Jesus!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

What happened????

2011-04-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

As Ainsley's 3rd Birthday approaches I'm a little sad that our baby is becoming a BIG GIRL! Yes she will always be our baby but it went so fast! Now it is time to be content with our new stage.... no more babies... just BIG kids! We are thankful for every stage but transitioning from one stage to the next isn't easy.

We love you precious blue eye baby!

too sassy..... too cute!

2011-04-03T01:10:00.000-07:00

Visting with friends....

2011-03-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

Last year when we went on a cruise we were amazed to meet some awesome friends. Since then we have kept in contact through email and face book with some of the couples. Two weeks ago one of the couples we met planned their layover at LAX (on their way to New Zealand) so we could spend some time together. We had a wonderful time with them. They met our kids, visited our offices, and we got to show them a little bit of our town. After we dropped them off at the airport Tim said, "Man I wish they lived closer!" We were so blessed by how caring, understanding, loyal, and sweet they were. Hopefully one day we can head to Indy to visit them. Thank you Huffords for visiting and we miss you already!

Addisyn Jenni and I Addisyn took this picture of the 4 of us

Addisyn took this one also

Tim, Todd, & Karsten

My handsome Karsten

Another one of Jenni and I

Todd and Luke telling stories

Ainsley & the boys shooting rubber bands

Todd trying to have Luke finish a made-up story

All of us with Karsten

Todd and Jenni Hufford

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my grandparent's 62nd Wedding Anniversay!

My grandparents are AMAZING people. They have modeled GOD to so many people. They are seriously the MOST sweet and compassionate people I know. My grandma absolutely LOVES kids, especially babies! She will hold, love on, and kiss any baby in sight. My grandpa will help anyone in need.... he is not afraid to get down and dirty. To this day he still mows the lawn at their Church in Norco and works in his wood shop. These two people have servant hearts like no other. I'm so happy they are my grandparents!

Here they all with all of their great grandchildren at Christmas time!

I LOVE you grandma and grandpa! Happy Anniversary!

Luke's Letter Snack

2011-03-27T20:03:00.001-07:00

Every week in Luke's class a different student gets to make a menu and serve food that starts with whatever the LETTER OF THE WEEK is. Luke was chosen to do K because he has a K in his name. He did so good at presenting his menu to the class! He also gave all the kids Krispy Kreme hats and they were so excited!

this is what happens when i'm on Facebook....

2011-02-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday....

2011-02-23T01:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Gifts for some of our favorite people.....

2011-02-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day we decided to make some special treats for the kid's teachers.

We started out by mixing up the cake..... we used strawberry so the cake would be pink for Valentines. Can you see the "hidden" word in the cake mix?
When the cake was finish baking and cooled the kids crumbled it into small pieces. Then the kids hand mixed in the cream cheese frosting

Next we rolled them into lots of little balls and put them in the freezer for an hour or so

When the balls were frozen it was time to melt the cholcolate. Of course I used Candiquick..... my seriously favorite melting chocolate. It is soooo easy to use!Then we started dippin the cake balls. This time I used these Wilton Treat Sticks to put the balls on while dipping. I would highly recommend using them but be sure to buy 2 sets so you can do more than 6 cake balls at a time. Also you need something to balance the Treat Stick on or in. I used the empty sprinkle containers and a baby bottle to balance them in while drying.

Ainsley LOVED dipping the cake balls Luke was excited to help too Addisyn dipping for her teacher

You have to add the sprinkles fast before the chocolate drys

When the chocolate was almost gone I decided to add some red food coloring.... it turned it this pink color

We dipped some on sucker sticks so we can fill a Mason Jar with them

I decided to give chocolate a try to

Chocolate, strawberry cake ballsReady for some special teachers I had some leftover chocolate candiquik so I poured some of it into heart cookie cutters and put them in the fridge for a while and this is how they turned out.

Here are Luke & Karsten's all ready for their teachers Addisyn's and Ainsley'd teachers got a box full of cake balls

Happy Valentines Day! Love, the Stein's

consider giving....

2011-02-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today I got to chat with my friend Jennifer. She is in Africa digging ditches, teaching women, and spreading God's love. She seemed to be doing really well! As a family we got to sponsor a little village for $12 a month to supply water to them. Pretty soon she will be posting another opportunity for more people to give $12 a month to help supply water to a 2nd village. In the scheme of things $12 a month is nothing! We all together will be giving people the source of life daily. Please consider sponsoring the village. You can read more and follow her journey on her blog. Please also be praying for her safety while she is there for a few more days.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

I LOVE Candiquik

2011-02-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

After I did this blog post http://the6steins.blogspot.com/2011/01/red-velvet-cake-pops.html I was contacted by the makers of Candiquik. They just sent me an email thanking me for mentioning them in my post. A couple weeks later I got another email asking for my address so they could send me an "appreciation" gift. I was excited to see what I was going to get! When I got home from work on Thursday this was waiting for me.

A cute pink mailbox filled with pink, red, and white candiquik personalized m& m's, a baggie full of dipped goodies, large recipe cards, small recipes cards, 2 packages of dipping chocolate, and 4 kid's Candiquik shirts.

I can't wait to put the kids in their shirts and get dipping again!

Guess what we made for the teacher's Valentines Gifts??

2011-02-15T14:22:00.001-08:00

My Valentine is......

2011-02-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

My Valentine is.....

1. Compassionate

2. Loving

3. Gentle

4. Hard Worker

5. Awesome Daddy

6. Thoughtful

7. Funny

8. Good Listener

9. Patient

10. Smart

11. Strong

12. HOT!!!

...... as so many more wonderful things!

Happy Valentine's Day to the LOVE of my life. I'm beyond blessed to have such a wonderful husband! You are everything I could have ever hoped for! I love you!

She is so full of JOY!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Reactions.....not always good!

2011-02-08T12:53:00.001-08:00

With everything that has been happening in our family lately we have had lots of different reactions from people. It got me thinking about how I react to people in different situations. It has brought me to a place to exam myself and my heart.

We have had sooooooooooo many supportive people. People sending us cards, emails, calling to check in, and every just stopping by. We were blessed by people bringing us meals, paying for meals in secret at restaurants, and just loving on our family. BUT with all that we have had some not so nice reactions either. The one that annoys me above everything else is the people that are not being patient with Addisyn. They seem to get offended when she doesn't want to hug them, go with them, or even go on a play date. We have had quite a few people approach her and ask her directly, "What is wrong with you?", or "You don't want to play at our house, why?" and the sad part these are adults not kids. To me it is obvious that she needs space and time..... that's all we are asking to please give her!

Thank you to soooooooo many of you who are understanding and being patient with Addisyn as she is finding herself. We still don't know why she didn't eat, drink, or talk for 5 days but we are proactive in finding out why. Addisyn will be starting some therapy in the next couple of weeks and we pray that we find answers. Thanks again for the understanding people in our lives!

Nerf Gun War!!!

2011-02-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

For Karsten's 5th Birthday we had a Nerf Gun War at the gym. All the kids brought their Nerf Guns and got to run, jump, and swing while shooting each other. I think the dads had just as much fun as the kids! Karsten's CakeAinsley waiting for all the boys to comeAddisyn was loaded and ready!My dad showed up with this HUGE GUN!Chad and Everest ready for the warKarsten getting his gun readyTim's tiny gun is too funny! Actually the smaller ones work better than the bigger ones!Karsten's little buddy, JaydenCarsonJolieDiego running from SaraAddisynGianniLuke and ColbyTyusKarsten was so excited when we were singing!Blowing out the candlesWar faces!

Thank you to all our friends and family for celebrating this special day with us!

Karsten is moving on.....

2011-02-04T13:26:00.001-08:00

Karsten has been having a rough year at preschool. Last Friday there was an incident that made us question weather or not to keep him at his nursery school. Tim and I took this last week to process through everything and prayed about what would be best for Karsten. Yesterday we decided it was time to move him. He will be starting at Redlands Christian (where Addisyn & Luke go) on Monday morning. We thought he would be sad to leave his school but doesn't seem to care one bit. He was just really excited to get a new backpack. Even though you would have thought this was an easy decision to make (especially since his new teacher is one of our good friends) it wasn't. We think this will be the best for Karsten and pray that he chooses good friends. Thanks to everyone who has prayed through this decision with us!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2011-02-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

Please be in prayer....

2011-02-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

We have followed little Kate's story for the beginning and her picture has been on our fridge as a reminder to pray for this sweet little girl. Kate has been doing really well up until today. She had an MRI today and they got some bad news. You can read all about it here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate Please join us as we pray for healing for this sweet little princess. It totally makes me step back and think about how "small" our own problems are compared to her's. Thanks!

Part #5- Our Emotional Journey

2011-01-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

Thursday

I was scheduled to work in Luke's kindergarten class on Thursday morning so I left the hospital and took a quick shower at my sister's and worked in the class. I was gone for a total of 3 hours and sooooooooo much stuff happened. They moves rooms, saw the psychologist, saw Addisyn's doctor and came up with a plan. They told Addisyn if she didn't start eating and drinking within an hour they were going to have to stick a tube up her nose and down her throat. Tim also took on a new, not so patience approach. He got really firm with her and she finally ate a couple bites of pancake and drank a little water. Tim and Addisyn also watched Goonies together and she began to talk and laugh. When the doctor came in she talked to her and answered her questions. They decided to release her since she had cheered up, was eating a little, and drinking. The doctor came in and talked to her about what could be "bothering" her. The doctor seemed to think it could be 3 different things.

1. Depression/ Anxiety

2. Anoxeria

3. Some kind of post tramatic stress episode

We wholeheartedly believe it is not anoxeria. We think the doctor assumed because she was in gymnastics thats what it is. Addisyn weighs 52 pounds and really wants to weight 60 pounds so she can be out of her booster seat. She also has never showed any other signs and never talks about her weight.

We are not sure about the other two. The doctor told us we needed to follow up with some therapy to get to the root of all of this.

The doctor said we could go home that night beasue her CO2 level was in the 20's and she started eating and drinking. Addisyn was happy, laughing, and talking for about a hour

and then she fell back into a total funk. She looked tired and just layed their staring. We tried talking to her and she wasn't responding. After about 30 minutes she started talking and acting pretty "normal" again. We finally got discharged and went home. That night Addisyn was so happy playing in the bath for an hour with her Polly Pockets.

the next post will be about what we are doing now to heal her.....

Part #4- Our Emotional Journey

2011-01-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting.... it's been crazy trying to get on track around our house these days. Thanks for being patience with me!

Part #4

Tuesday
While waiting in the Emergency Room I decided to call Urgent Care back to see if they had Addisyn's blood work results back. The doctor said everything looked pretty normal except her CO2 level concerned him. He went on to say that it was a 13 and the norm is between 25-40. As soon as I got off the phone with him, Tim and I googled what that could mean. We found that a low CO2 could be from many different reasons. You can read about it here http://www.webmd.com/lung/carbon-dioxide?page=2

After we got called back, the Emergency Room doctor decided she wanted to do her own blood work and start Addisyn on fluids right away. They drew her blood and found that her CO2 level dropped again to 12. They then decided to speed up the fluids and hope that she would start responding after a few hours. Addisyn just layed there... with a blank look and showed NO emotion. Around midnight Tim decided to go home with the kids and sleep a while before he had work the next day. I just layed there with Addisyn and prayed while she was sleeping. I prayed for healing, that she would talk, that she would eat and drink. A few hours went by and they sent someone else in to take blood. Finally this time she reacted a little, still no tears but seemed to be bothered when the man couldn't find a good vein. A new team of doctors came in to talk to us and said they were going to admit her to the Children's floor.

Wednesday

Addisyn and I fell asleep for about an hour and then around 6:30 am Tim came and brought me coffee and came to visit. Tim and I were danicing, making funny faces, telling jokes while Addisyn just layed there staring at us. I was blowing up the latex gloves and she was just staring at me, it was so sad. I decided since it was morning I would turn all the lights on in the room and turn on the TV and make Addisyn sit up and interact. When Tim had to leave to go to work Addisyn cried for the first time. This was a good thing, we thought maybe she was getting back on track. My mom came to visit and she was there when it was time to change rooms, Addisyn started crying again. As soon as we got up to the Children's floor the little boy in the bed next to Addisyn started screaming, "I'm going to kill you!"..... Addisyn started balling and I knew we had to move. I asked the nurse to please move us because Addisyn was not emotionally stable to handle that. We got moved to a nice, bright, room where we could see the whole valley. The sun was shining and I believe that was a huge help in the healing process. All day we had nice visitors coming in and out, Addisyn cracked a few smiles but no words. They drew her blood again and still were not happy with the CO2 level (I believe it was at a 17). They decided to add sugar water and potassium to the bag of salt water. They also turned the speed up quite a bit because they wanted to see results faster. Around 2:00 Tim brought Luke, Karsten, and Ainsley for a visit. Addisyn didn't interact with them and they ignored her and were happy to see me. Later that evening she was peeing every hour or so and seemed more alert. My brother came by and they played Angry Birds together. He brought Addisyn Del Taco french fries and she held one which was a huge step since she hadn't eaten since Sunday morning. Addisyn never ate the french fries but we tried. Tim got back to the hospital right after Addisyn got a Bunny from my friend, Heather. This bunny was the cutest bunny ever, it had a bikini on, sitting in a sprinkled donut floatie, and sings and dances. Addisyn FINALLY laughed when we noticed that the bunny had boobs! It was so funny and everytime a visitor would come we would show them BB (boob bunny) and Addisyn would crack a smile and giggle. We were beyond blessed by how many visitors came and brought us food, snacks, books, magizines, blankets and so much more. We have the best friends and family ever. That night after everyone left, Addisyn had a hard time falling asleep but once she was asleep she would wake up and say, "mommy I have to go potty" I was refreshed she would say a few words. Around 2am they brought in a new girl to put in the bed next to Addisyn. The girl started talking about having scars from cutting herself and getting kicked out of school for taking a knief to school. I got up quietly while Addisyn was sleeping and told the nurse that we needed to move because of Addisyn's emotional state. They understood but promised not to talk to her again about any "issues" until we were moved.

..... part 5 coming on Saturday.... I PROMISE!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2011-01-19T01:11:00.000-08:00

Part #3- Our Emotional Journey

2011-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday

On Tuesday I woke up Addisyn and made her get dressed to take Luke to school. I kept asking her questions and the only response I would get would be a yes or no with her head. On the drive to Redlands I asked her if her head hurt, if her tummy hurt, if her throat hurt, and all the answers were no. After dropping off Luke at school and talking to some of the mommies there I decided I needed to take her in. My friend Carly prayed with me in the parking lot and off I went to plan my day. Tuesdays are always hard because Tim is gone from 5am until around 6:30pm. I called my sister to see if she could watch Karsten and Ainsley and met up with her to transfer the kids in a parking lot. My sister, Jill, tried to talk to Addisyn and give her some sprite; but nothing! Addisyn just sat there in a total daze. After we left Addisyn slept all the way to the doctor's office. I carried her into the doctors office and she just sat on a chair, spaced out. She said she had to go to the bathroom so I asked for a cup for her to pee in. When the doctor came in and checked her out he said that everything in her urine came back fine and that she still had another 24 hours before she was going to be dehydrated. He talked to Addisyn and told her he wanted to give her time to hydrate on her own, otherwise they were going to put an IV in her arm. Addisyn agreed by nodding her head and we left. I talked to her about drinking, gave her many options; cold, not cold, ice, straw, bottle, cup.... nothing worked, she just sat there! On the way home we stopped at one of Addiyn's friends house to see if she would talk or play with a friend but instead she just laid on the bed in a daze. We came home and within 3 minutes of laying on the couch she was asleep again and still had not drank anything. I took a shower and decided that I'm not waiting 24 more hours. So, I put her back in the car and took her back to the doctor. Three nurses came in to help hold her down while they put an IV in and they didn't have to do anything. Addisyn just laid there and was starring off into space. She didn't cry or make a sound. They took blood then, started her on fluids. I sat in the room praying and texting Tim all the updates. They gave her one bag of fluid and saw no change so they gave her a second one. By the time the second one was over and there was no change they decided it was time for her to go to Loma Linda. They gave me the option to drive or take an ambulance and I decided to drive. As soon as we got in the car she fell asleep. When we got to Loma Linda Emergency Room I had to carry her in because she was so weak and tired. Once we were there and checked in, the waiting began. We waited for almost 3 hours before they took us back to look at her.

part 4 coming soon...

mixed emotion

2011-01-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

These pictures of Addisyn bring me mixed emotions. These were taken in November and she seemed totally happy! It makes me sad to think that this girl of ours can easily shut down to the point of making herself sick. It also brings me joy knowing that God is in the process of healing her and restoring her back to herself. Thanks again for everyone who is helping us through this journey!

Part #2- Our Emotional Journey

2011-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday Night

Sunday throughout the night Addisyn started throwing up. She threw up every hour from 11-5. About every other time she would say the words, "Mommy I'm going to throw up" but most of the time she just sat up quickly and I knew what was coming. Our kids rarely throw up and when they do it upsets them...but Addisyn had no emotion. She would sit up, throw up, then lay back down. That next morning I already had an appointment set up for the dentist so she stayed home with me. In the car on the way to take the kids to school she just sat there in a total daze. The other kids were singing Veggie Tales at the top of their lungs and she didn't care and didn't move. If I asked her a yes or no question she would move her head up and down or side to side but gave me a completly blank stare, while answering. After dropping off the younger kids I decided to go home and let her rest before the dentist. As soon as she was on the couch she fell asleep. In my head at that time I started thinking maybe she just happened to have the flu at the same time as some anxiety but she had no other flu symptoms. When I woke her to go the dentist she was really out of it so I carried her to the car. When we got there she was able to walk into the dentist and walk to the dentist chair in the back. When Dr. Boyd came in she hardly showed any emotion. I said please just pull this tooth so she will start eating, drinking, and talking again. When it was time to actually pull it she did grunt a little and kind-of moved around but she did not freak out. As we were leaving the office I noticed she still was acting funny. We went to the grocery store and she just sat in the cart staring off into space the whole time. I got her a cookie thinking that would perk her up but she just held it in her hand. We ran into some friends at the store and she just sat there.... no emotion. During this whole day I kept telling her that if she doesn't drink soon we would have to take her to the doctor and they would put a needle in her arm.... she didn't seem to care (which is not like her at all).

I took her to work with me that afternoon thinking once she saw her friends at the gym she would want to be with them. Instead she was laying on the floor in the office or every once in a while she would wave to them through the window. Tim called to talk to her and she said a few words to him. On the way home from work I called the doctor to see where I take her after hours hoping that when she heard me on the phone she would start drinking.... nope! When we got home she fell asleep on the couch and Tim and I decided we had to either take her in or make her drink. Around 9:30pm we woke her up and said you must drink this whole glass of water. It took about 10 minutes but she did it and quickly fell asleep. We knew she had enough to last until the next day and we even thought maybe after a good nights rest she would snap out of it. But starting around 2am she started throwing up again. I knew at that time I was taking her to Urgent Care in the morning. Just a side note, we kept checking for signs of dehydration and there weren't any yet. Her mouth was still wet, her circulation was good, and she was still peeing.

I will post part #3 soon

Part #1- Our Emotional Journey

2011-01-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you for understanding and being patient. I will have to post a few different times because of time constraints. We first want to THANK God for getting us through this last week. I don't know how people make it through hurt and sorrow without HIM. We are also above and beyond BLESSED with awesome friends and family. We have never felt so much love and support! Thanks again for all the prayers, visits, cards, gifts, food, coffee, babysitting, and understanding! We appreciate every single one of you! Thank you also for continuing to pray as we set out to totally heal Addisyn and our family. We are seeking God as to where to go from now.

The Beginning- Sunday

Everything seemed to be totally fine Sunday morning when Addisyn woke up. She was excited about her 1st gymnastics meet of the season but also a little nervous. We decided to go as a family in our jammies to get bagels. While Addisyn was sitting at the kitchen table she began to cry. When we asked her what was wrong she said her tooth was really loose and bleeding. Being the great mom I am I told her to stop crying and that she is fine! Well, the crying continued then she explained to us that she was afraid of swallowing the loose tooth because the previous tooth she lost she had accidentally swallowed. We talked to her about how it's not a big deal, that most people don't swallow their tooth so it most likely wouldn't happen again. She continued to cry while getting ready for her gymnastics meet. On the way to the meet she cried on and off about her tooth. When we got to the meet is when she really started acting different. The first red flag was that she didn't want me to leave her. After walking her out to her coaches she was crying and reaching for me. Tim and I both thought she was just nervous about her tooth and about her meet. During the whole meet she had no emotion. She was able to do her routines but it was as though she was in a "fog". Every time she looked at us we would smile and she would give us a blank stare. We tried having one of the other gymnast moms who is a dental hygienist look at her tooth after the meet and Addisyn wasn't having it. We went out to dinner after the meet with friends and Addisyn just sat there. So of course the whole time we were thinking she doesn't want to eat, drink, or talk because of her tooth. So we made the decision to have her tooth pulled the next morning. My plan was to have the tooth pulled and all of her anxiety would go away and our normal Addisyn would be back.

..... part 2 will come soon!

Red Velvet Cake Pops

2011-01-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

My office manager Lauren loves Red Velvet so when I saw this recipe on my friend Jennifer's site I had to make these for her Birthday!

1. Bake a cake and let it cool then crumble it all up 2. After the cake is all crumbled you add in 1 can of Cream Cheese Frosting and Mix.... using your hands is best.... SEE?????3. After the crumbled cake and frosting is all mixed well you form it into many balls. I put the sticks in this time but probably wouldn't do that next time I make them.

4. Freeze the balls for about 15-30 minutes. 5. Get all your goodies together. I would HIGHLY recommend Stater Bros. brand CANDIQUIK for melting. It was SUPER easy and stayed smooth the whole time. It even came with a little melting tray for less clean up! 6. Once the chocolate is nice and melted you dip the cake pops in, then roll in sprinkles.Here is my 1st set.....These ones were my favorite.... I'm going to make them for the teachers for ValentinesThe cake kept falling off the sticks so I decided to make some ballsBright pink sprinklesI did try melting some White Chocolate Chips made by Wilton but it was not smooth and got hard really fast so I only made a couple white chocolate ones. Here is one way I gave them to my office manager..... in a Mason JarI also made a little bouquet for her with candy,in a jarand cake pops insideHappy Birthday Lauren!

By the way the Cake Pops tasted really yummy!

Our baby's 1st day of school

2011-01-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

Our precious baby girl, Ainsley started school on Monday. She was SO excited and did a great job! Her teacher said she would take a thousand Ainsley's in her class, because she was such a good girl!

Oustide our house on her 1st day Daddy surprised us and showed up at the pre school for her 1st day!Drawing I love school! We are so proud of you BIG GIRL..... but you are still our baby!

Happy 5th Birthday Karsten Noah!!!

2011-01-07T01:10:00.000-08:00

Karsten you are:

1. smart

2. sweet

3. strong

4. independent

5. affirming

6. affectionate

7. sincere

8. honest

9. protective

10. adorable

11. creative

12. focused

13. clever

14. bold

15. active

Happy 5th Birthday Karsten! We LOVE you so much! Thanks for being you!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2011-01-05T01:15:00.000-08:00

Brothers....

2011-01-04T01:01:00.000-08:00

BestFriendsForever

letting go.....

2011-01-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Ainsley is set to start school tomorrow and I'm so sad. I feel like my job is over as a mom. I know it is not but that's just how I feel. I keep asking her to please stay home and she keeps saying, "no mommie, I a big girl now, please me go to Karsten's school?" So I guess it is time. Yes I will have more time to do things on my own but I'm not ready for that! Our baby is growing up and I don't like that. I'm sure she will do great and Karsten promised to take of her but I still don't like it! If you see me in a fog this week, you know why! I will post her 1st day of preschool pictures next week!

Here are some excuses I have given her to not start school..... but she isn't having it:

1. You don't have a Pottery Barn personalized lunchbox yet (Addisyn said, "it's ok mom, she will just use my Hannah Montana one")

2. You don't have school clothes (Ainsley said, "me have a Christmas dress to wear")

3. Don't you want to stay home and snuggle mommy-- "nope"

4. You are mommy's baby-- "no mommy I a BIG girl like Addisyn now"

5. Don't you want to stay home and play with all your new Christmas toys? -- "nope me play baby dolls at school"

6. We can go to Disneyland-- "me see minnie mouse a different day"

.... beautiful family

2011-01-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

thisfamilyisbeautiful insideandoutthanks for lettingmesharethesememorieswith youhappy new year

.... I'm NOT

2010-12-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not a photographer and don't want to be. After Tim bought me a new camera last year for my Birthday I have LOVED taking pictures of my kids. At first I didn't enjoy "editing" them but recently have come to really like it! My office manager's (which is also Tim's office manager.... yes at 2 different offices) sister had a baby and they came out for Christmas to visit from Florida and I got to take their pictures. I'm NOT going to start taking pictures of other families but how could I resist such a beautiful family inside and out?

..... more pictures are coming ....

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

2010-12-19T13:44:00.001-08:00

A preview of our Christmas pics this year....

2010-12-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Luke's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2010-11-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

Luke had his 1st field trip to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago and had a great time! I love spending time with our kids one-on-one because they act so different. These will be memories I will never forget.

Here is Luke with his sweet friend, Roman.Luke running through the Hay MazeLuke's friend Hudson.... he is so handsomeLuke's buddy, Jonah in the Hay MazeOur little handsome pumpkinMy friend Carly and her son JonahLuke and I Luke's friend, GrantLook at those boys staying focused and listeningLuke found his favorite pumpkinJonah and Luke showing off their pumpkinsLuke with his friend Jacob J.- he has talked about this little boy since the first day of school.... he must be a really sweet guy!Sammy and Luke being silly for the cameraLuke and Wyatt with their Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jeffers

thankful.....for our family

2010-11-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to start. We are BLESSED beyond belief and so grateful for so many things. I started to write a list out but it was way to long. The top 3 on the list are:

1. God

2. Family

3. Friends

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-11-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Happy 6th Birthday LUKE!!!!

2010-11-23T01:01:00.000-08:00

We were out of town on Luke's Birthday and I wasn't able to post these pictures before we left so here are his 6 year old pictures I took right before his party.

Trunk or Treat- part 2

2010-11-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Trunk OR Treat--- part 1

2010-11-16T01:10:00.000-08:00

At our Church on Halloween along with Trunk and Treat they had a BMX show. Our kids LOVED it! They actually preferred watching the BMX guys rather than getting candy, jumping in the bounce houses, and doing crafts. Here are some pictures of some of their fancy tricks.

What's in your hidden closet?

2010-11-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

I was thinking this morning about what an organization freak I am. Here are some examples:

1. Each kid has their own shoes bucket

2. All the kids clothes are organized by color and style in their closets

3. All the "toys" have their own box

4. I made the kids organize their Halloween candy into chocolate vs sweet

5. When I'm on it I have a "food schedule" all typed out for the week

But.... then I was thinking about this ONE closet that we have. It is the closet under our stairs that is an absolute mess. I mean a MESS! It's a closet that if you open it you better just hurry and throw something in before everything falls out. Then it got me thinking about sin and life. We all have all these "areas" of life that are well organized and put together but then there are areas that are falling apart. When we get close to the "harder" areas we open the door and throw something in then close it fast. Take time to ponder and think about what your closets are. Do they need to exposed so others can help you organize them? Do they need a "deep cleaning" from God to get you through? One day are you not even going to be able to open that closet door? This week I want you to try to open up your closet and slowly sort through it and see what God wants to reveal to you. You may get overwhelmed at times and have to shut the door for a while but know God is faithful when we cry for help.

Cutest Minnie Mouse I have ever seen....

2010-11-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

the happiest place on earth....

2010-11-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

Trunk or Treat preview.... more coming soon!

2010-11-02T13:32:00.001-07:00

Buddies....

2010-10-30T01:10:00.000-07:00

I LOVE these boys! Here are the boys with my best friend's son, Jaxon. We got to spend the day at Disneyland with them and the boys had a BLAST! I love these pictures.... it shows all their true personalities!

A special night.........

2010-10-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

I'm bummed that I didn't bring my nice camera for this special night but was happy I had a small camera in my purse to remember this! After many years of renting different places our church has bought a building! Last week our family got to take part in writing all over the main sanctuary's floor before the carpet got laid. It was amazing watching people pour their hearts out all over the floor of that place. I was so glad we took our kids and made them part of our Church's' permanent home. Addisyn was soooooooo excited to write her favorite verse out. She had my Bible open and ready!

Addisyn working hard on her verse Ainsley was drawing with red marker..... she was drawing our familyAll 4 of the kid's hands.... Here is what Luke wrote, "I will not be afraid"

Here is Addisyn's all done....

We would LOVE for anyone looking for a church to join us this Sunday.... you can find all the details here http://www.sandalschurch.com

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Bathing Beauty

2010-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

characters?

2010-10-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

We were able to renew our Disneyland passes a few weeks ago and the kids were sooooooooo excited! We have had passes since Addisyn was born but ours expired in January and we really missed it! Addisyn enjoys the characters the most especially the girl ones: Luke is TOTALLY freaked out about the characters. When we pull in the parking structure he starts obsessing over them and he is stressed out. Tim decided it was time to "help" Luke with his anxieties. Luke needs to be "pushed" into dealing with his fears... this all goes back to his sensory issues and the "unknown". He did really good: Ainsley is in LOVE with Minnie Mouse she actually talks about her daily but when she got to see her in "real life" she didn't know what to think. But she warmed up enough to stand next to Addisyn who was standing next to Minnie. And this guy likes to talk to the characters but keeps his distance... he stands back and yells to them funny questions.... and when the characters answer all the kids laugh... Karsten is really good at making everyone laugh.

We are so thankful that we get to enjoy family days like these..... these are special moments we will never forget.

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-10-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

Our family...

2010-10-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our family that Ainsley drew....

funky lighting...

2010-10-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

I took this picture when we were at Disneyland last week and the lighting was really bad but all I did was "sharpen" it and now I LOVE it! Her blue eyes, pink lips, and yellow hair is AMAZING!

..... he has come so far!

2010-09-30T01:10:00.000-07:00

Luke is doing great in Kindergarten! He is making so many new friends and his teacher said he is always smiling. His maturity is growing everyday and he is able to understand more and more. Here he is doing his first homework packet, I love how in Kindergarten they are still so excited about homework. Thanks everyone for your prayers for my anxiety for him. If you forgot his background you can go back and read it here: http://the6steins.blogspot.com/2009/08/to-vaccinate-or-not.html

Happy 8th Birthday!!!!!!!!

2010-09-29T01:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Addisyn's 8th Birthday! We can not believe how time has flown by. She went from being our sassy chubby baby to a thin mature girl. She is an awesome BIG sister and a great friend.

We love you BUGGIE and are sooooooooo proud of the BIG girl you have become. Keep up all your hard work and keep seeking God's feet. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!

Surgery went great!

2010-09-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ainsley's surgery went great today. We are so grateful and thankful! Every person that we came in contact with at the hospital was so caring and kind. We are so lucky that we have health insurance for our kids.... it is a blessing we should not take for granted.

When we walked into the recovery room I was so thankful our baby girl was laying there sleeping in peace. She would open her eyes and look around and then go back to sleep. After about 10 minutes she started demanding her "wants". She wanted a drink, to eat, go bye-bye, and saying she was all done. We jumped on her demands and we were leaving the hospital a little less than an hour after her surgery was done. By the time we got to my sister's house to pick up Karsten she was running, singing, dancing, and happy as can be. We are praying that this positive attitude of hers stays and that she isn't too sore in the morning. Thanks again for all your prayers..... it is seriously unbelievable how many Facebook messages and texts we got today! We are sooooo thankful God gave us a community of friends and family to gather around us and lift our needs to Him.

today is the day!

2010-09-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Today our precious baby girl is going in for surgery. We are praying that everything goes smoothly and that the doctor is able to get out all of the needle from her leg. Thanks to everyone who is helping us with the other kids and for all of your prayers.

.... surgery.... maybe Tuesday

2010-09-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Today we met with the plastic surgeon that will be doing Ainsley's surgery. We are hoping that all the paper work goes through and she will be set for surgery on Tuesday. Dr. Ray said she will make a diamond shaped incision and go in and wash it all out and get as much as she can out. Ainsley will have to go under and I'm a little sad that the parent's can't be in there for that part but totally understand liablity issues. Please join us in prayer for our precious baby girl.... as it beocomes more of a reality I'm getting anxious. I know MANY kids have gone through many surgeries so I probably sound like a baby but she is OUR precious little girl. We trust God to take care of her. Thanks again for everyone's love and support. We have had many friends and family step up an offer to help. We appreciate every single one of you!

..... roller coaster of emotions...

2010-09-21T13:34:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we are heading to Loma Linda to talk to the plastic surgeon about Ainsley's leg. My emotions keep switching. At times I'm mad that a church would hold a nursery in a place where old women sew and could potentially drop needles that end up in a babies leg to.... well at least we found out it is there and have health insurance to take care of it. I go from being mad and upset to being thankful it never got infected or caused any other problems. Please pray for us as we meet with the doctor and decide what is best for our precious little girl. We are sadden that this has happened to her but we want to give God all the glory. We truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason and all the glory is HIS. Thanks for loving and supporting us in this situation we have had the most out pour of love and concern.... more than I ever imagined. Thanks for being there for us and concerned along with us we truly have the BEST community of friends and family!

breaking the rules...

2010-09-17T01:10:00.000-07:00

I have been going through some weird medical issues the last 2 weeks and feel like I have lost control of my life. Not really..... but boy are we breaking all the rules right now! I'm trying to keep on track but man it is hard when I don't feel like following through. I find myself giving in to the kids more and more. Here are some examples from the last two weeks:

-Addisyn doesn't feel like having her hair done...... ok 1 less thing for me to do in the mornings

-Luke wants cookies everyday for snack... fine with me those are super easy to throw in his backpack

-Ainsley wants to pick out her clothes, shoes, and bow..... yep she was wearing her snowman bow and Mickey Mouse Halloween skirt the other day

-They want to eat snacks all the time.... sure this week it is not worth the fight

-They want to give the Polly pockets a bath in the front yard with all my Tupperware.... go ahead just let me sit here and watch

-They want to watch a movie every time we get in the car... sure then I can enjoy a little peace... even though we don't go far enough to get past the previews

-They are playing Wii a lot more lately.... at least it's good hand/ eye coordination

-They want to draw all the time and keep getting out my computer paper..... oh well we will save the trees next week

-Karsten didn't want to run errands so I bribed him with a large grocery store donut

Oh well...... we will get back on track and I will look back at these days and just laugh! Good thing for GRACE!

Lions & Tigers & Bears.... OH MY!

2010-09-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we spent on afternoon at the LA Zoo. We had a great time seeing all the animals but boy they have a lot of hills at that place! We are so thankful that we get to do things as a family and we enjoy every minute of it!

Karsten and Daddy under the waterfallWhen did she get so big? She will be 8 in a couple of weeks..... seriously it makes me want to cry!Karsten..... so precious!My handsome boys!Too cute!Watching the sea lions....So adorable!This dragon was totally watching Tim's every move. Tim would walk one way and it's head would turn and follow him, he would go the other way and the dragon would not take his eyes off of him. Kind-of scary!Ainsley's face is so funny in this picture!Animals are amazing!Look at that precious face!His eyes light up the room!Ainsley making monkey noises.So serious!

Wordless Wednesday.....

2010-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

..... getting what she wants

2010-09-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went scrap booking at my friends house. When I got home yesterday the kids were SOOOOO excited to see what I did. I think it is awesome how they all enjoy looking at the pictures in their albums. Today I found Ainsley up on the table looking through Luke's scrapbook. When I said, "What are you doing?" She said, "Me see." She is getting more and more independent and thinks she is just as big as her older siblings. That sweet face and smile is going to get her out of a lot of trouble I think.

She is too much.....

2010-09-07T13:55:00.000-07:00