tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6110895563584690132024-02-06T23:34:07.110-08:00the Hart of the MatterLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-19437045825378991802010-01-21T15:28:00.000-08:002010-01-21T19:17:57.824-08:00Upside DownOver the holidays our good friends, the Grahams, came for a visit! We always look forward to their visits, even though we only get to see them a couple times a year! This year was especially fun because we talked them into staying two nights, instead of just one! We manage to pack as much fun into three days and two nights as possible!<br /><br />Our friendship with the Grahams started back on Summertree Court, the sweet little cul-de-sac I mention wistfully from time to time on this blog. Before we moved here, we lived on Summertree Court in Olathe for five years.<br /><br /><em>Oh how we loved that little street.</em><br /><br />In almost every house there were babies and toddlers and stay at home mommies. The sidewalks overflowed with trikes, bikes, and sidewalk chalk. In the summertime we would set up little blow up pools and sprinklers and let the kids loose! In the winter we would walk over to each others houses, still in our pajamas, so the kids could play and the mommies could chat over coffee. Many mornings we would load up all our littles into their strollers and take long walks around the neighborhood. We had barbecues, block parties, play dates, and just <em>so much fun</em>. I think back on those years with such fond, happy memories. Eventually one by one, the families started to move away, and soon it was time for the Grahams to say good-bye.<br /><br />What stinks about their move is that it happened just as our families were getting to know each other and hang out. We had lived just a few houses apart for a few years, but for whatever reason, just hadn't spent as much time with the Grahams as some of the other couples on the block. But Chris, Bethany, and little Huntler were the first to show up in our hospital room after Avery was born, and soon after Bethany and I were chatting away on the phone on a regular basis. Then, all too soon, it was time for them to leave. That last day we walked through their empty rooms together and reminisced about all the fun times spent there, and into the late evening we helped them load their things into a U-Haul truck and then watched through tear filled eyes as they drove down our street for the last time, headed for Arizona. . .<br /><br />That was over three years ago now! Since then my BFF Bethany and I have spent more hours than I could ever count on the phone talking about everything imaginable. We moved here shortly after the Grahams moved out West and I think both of us were pretty lonely in our new homes at first. We filled many long, lonely afternoons with our chit-chat across all those miles about everything from party-planning and the latest celebrity gossip, to brain surgery and seizures.<br /><br />Since that time and during their stays when they are back in Kansas our husbands and children have become great friends too! When they are here, we don't feel like we have to entertain them. They feel more like family than just friends. The kids play, (well, the husbands play too!) and Bethany and I talk for hours. This last trip, we even managed to sneak away from the house for a little while to do some quick after-Christmas shopping in the oh-so-exciting Flint Hills Mall (can you hear the sarcasm?)<br /><br />As I've mentioned before <a href="http://www.hissyfitsphotography.com/"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Bethany</span></a> is a talented photographer, but when we're hanging out she doesn't usually snap pictures, so as they were getting ready to head out the door at the end of this visit, I snapped a few quick pictures of Britton with the kiddos. Bethany's sweet little ones call him "Burt", although this time he was called "Britton" by Bethany's oldest. . . another sad reminder that they are growing up so fast. . . sigh.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Upsidedown.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Upsidedown.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Are they not some of the cutest little people you've ever seen? Huntler and Gentry wanted "Burt" to hold them upside down and me to take their pictures like that! Of course, Kaylen had to get in on the action!<br /><br />I miss having my friend and her sweet family around. I miss pulling up extra chairs to our dinner table, the house extra full of little people politely requesting "choc-ate milk," and the daddies battling it away on the Wii until the wee hours of the morning!<br /><br />I miss my friend.<br /><br />And since the Grahams are thousands of miles away now, and our next visit isn't right around the corner, well, things have felt a <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">little</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">upside down</span> around here!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-2244024340509069532010-01-19T16:09:00.000-08:002010-01-19T19:06:59.948-08:00Kaylee likes it!Am I the only one who has extremely pickey kiddos when it comes to mealtime? I'm guessing not. Avery- well let's not even go there. Miss Avery likes what she likes, and that's not much. And big sis, Kaylen is just about as bad. She is getting better at trying new foods, but not without considerable urging on our part. So when this cook book caught my eye, I was excited to give it a try.<br /><br />Even though I've only had a chance to make a few of the yummy recipes inside, so far it has not dissappointed.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=kidsfavs.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/kidsfavs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tonight we tried Hot Ham and Cheese Turnovers. They were super easy and healthy too! They took less than thirty minutes from start to finish and include meat, dairy, vegetables, and grains! Woo hoo! Four food groups in one delish little sandwich!<br /><br />Here's the recipe:<br /><br />1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham or turkey breast (I cheated and bought the pre-diced ham in a package)<br />1 cup small broccolli florets (I chopped ours up in pretty small pieces)<br />3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese<br />1 10 oz. package of refrigerated pizza dough<br />1 tablespoon milk<br />(I also added one tbsp of light ranch dressing for extra flavor)<br /><br />1. For filling, mix ham, broccoli, cheese, and ranch dressing in a medium bowl. Toss to mix.<br /><br />2. Line a baking sheet with foil; lightly grease. Set aside.<br /><br />3. On a lightly floured surface unroll pizza dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch square. Using a sharp knife (I used a pizza roller) cut into nine 4-inch squares. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto each square. Fold dough over filling. Press edges of dough together with fork to seal. Use the fork to prick holes in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape. (Oops! I forgot to do this, but they turned out o.k.:) Place turnovers on baking sheet. Brush with milk. (Yeah, didn't do that either. . . )<br /><br />4. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.<br /><br /><em>Nutrition facts per turnover: </em><br /><em>141 calories </em><br /><em>6 g fat </em><br /><em>1 g fiber</em><br /><em>8 g protein</em><br /><br />I have been thinking a lot lately about how Britton's and my eating habits have such a huge impact on our girls. I want Kaylen (and Avery too. . .) to grow up eating a variety of foods, and eating to nourish her body, not because she's bored, sad, lonely or just in the mood for some McD's! I know that I need to change some of the bad eating habits I've formed in the last few stressful years, and when I think about how much I want for my girls to be healthy, I know that I need to set a better example.<br /><br />So. The verdict is in!<br /><br />Kaylee loved them! Broccoli and all. . . <br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Picture.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Picture.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later this week we are going to try Smashed Potato Chicken Potpie! The recipe sounds scrumptious and the nutrition facts and daily values are great! Unlike the frozen store bought version of pot-pies! Have you ever read the label of one of those!? They should come with a warning! "<em>Warning! Soooo not good for you!"</em><br /><br />Here's to healthy eating in 2010!!<br /><br /><em>*Kaylen wants to be called "Kaylee"- go figure? We haven't decided if you spell that "Kaylee" or "Kayley"?? </em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-46137962794210230602010-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:002010-01-16T06:03:43.544-08:00sNOw Thank You!I can't remember the last time we've had a winter with this much snow in Kansas! Kaylen started dreaming about and praying for a "White Christmas" as soon as she heard the song on the radio for the first time shortly after Thanksgiving. Then she added the not getting enough snow to her list of things she doesn't love about living here. For some reason in her memory we used to get "tons of snow" when we lived in Kansas City. I'm not sure if she remembers one or two decent snows that we got when she was little, but truthfully we haven't gotten this kind of snow in a long, long time! <br /><br />We got over nine inches on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but it was hard to tell because in some places the drifts were over six foot high! Then the day after New Years we got a few more inches, and the first week of January week we added another four plus inches to our total! School was closed just two days after the kids went back after Christmas because of the bitter cold temperatures. The forcasted high for some of those days was ZERO! Needless to say it has been freezing!<br /><br />Here is Kaylen testing the drifts in our backyard on Christmas Day:<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=snowdrift.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/snowdrift.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Check out that snow drift! The fence behind the swingset is an eight foot privacy fence and the drift was almost all the way to the top!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0066.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0066.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Kaylen and Daddy tried to shovel our driveway so we could at least get our car out, but after an hour of shoveling Britton was exhausted and had only made it about five feet down the driveway!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0100.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0100.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />After our third snow I finally caved into Kaylen's pleading and bundled both girls up to go sledding. It was so funny to see Avery's reaction to the snow. She ran right over and stuck her hands in a drift and for a few (very brief) minutes she was fascinated!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0237-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0237-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0238.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0238.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0243.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0243.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />But then she realized it was really, really cold and wet, and decided she didn't like it at. all. And it was all downhill from there. <br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=DSC_0241-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/DSC_0241-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We took the girls to a hill across the street, Avery cried and fussed the whole time, and on my second run down the hill I wiped out and BROKE my finger! It is finally feeling better, but I think my sledding days are officially over!<br /><br />It's only mid-January but here's to hoping that our snow days are over until next year!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-79106096634379978792010-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:002010-01-06T09:47:02.809-08:00When my heart finds ChristmasI realize that it is January, and for most, Christmas 2009 is already becoming a 'distant' memory for most. I read several of my Facebook friends' updates the day after Christmas announcing that they already had their Christmas tree down and all the decorations packed away. How sad that so many just want to "get Christmas over with" and move on. Well, here it is January 6th and my tree is still up, as are all the decorations. The majority of the unbelievable amounts of toys, games, and clothes that the girls received have been put away and closets have been overhauled and reorganized. The leftover Christmas cookies and goodies have been thrown out. My wrapping paper and bows are neatly boxed up for next year, but still, I am in no hurry to be done with Christmas.<br /><br />For many reasons I like to let Christmas linger. It is absolutely my favorite time of the year. I love the magical feel of the holiday season. Where hearts seems lighter and merry and children seem about to bubble over with anticipation. I love Christmas shopping, Christmas carols, baking Christmas cookies, reading Christmas stories, building Christmas traditions, and teaching my girls the true meaning of Christmas.<br /><br />Which is the second reason why I am in no hurry to pack Christmas away and be done with it. I was raised Catholic and for our family Christmas didn't end until Epiphany which is the day that the wise men first visited Jesus. (Which is also where the "twelve days" of Christmas originated from- the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany- just a little Christmas trivia for you:) We celebrate the Epiphany Mass on January 6th or a Sunday close to it. My mom always left at least our nativity scene up until after Epiphany.<br /><br />This Christmas our hearts and home overflowed with joy and we made so many precious memories that I don't want to forget. The rest of this post is an attempt to journal those memories so that when this Christmas does seem like a distant memory I can read my journal and help my heart find Christmas.<br /><br />This Christmas was very different because of the great Christmas of 2009 Blizzard that rolled into town on Christmas Eve afternoon and changed travel plans for many people! This was the first Christmas in many, many years that we were not able to join my parents and my brother for Christmas Eve dinner. When I called my mom around two o'clock on Christmas Even afternoon to let her know that the roads were getting so bad that we didn't think we could make it over to their house and back safely, my heart just sank. As I said good-bye and "Merry Christmas" to my mom, a huge lump formed in my throat and my voice cracked. As soon as I hung up I sat on my bed and watched the snow blowing and swirling outside my window, though my tear filled eyes. And then the tears started to fall. . . I am a big girl, and I have my own family now, but I still love the traditions of my childhood, and couldn't imagine not spending Christmas with my parents and family.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Christmas1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Christmas1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />But we did spend Christmas Eve alone and managed to have a wonderful time. Kaylen and I baked and decorated sugar cookies while listening to Christmas music. I let Kaylen do the majority of the decorating and so our cookies were heavily frosted, sugared and sprinkled. . . but Santa loved them! After dinner I let the girls open one present, their Christmas jammies. This year I chose flannel Nick and Nora jammies with vintage kitties playing with presents and ribbon! They were so adorable! We put Avery to bed and then went downstairs to watch A Christmas Story. Kaylen had never seen this movie and I'm not sure she truly loved it, but she did giggle at the leg lamp:)<br /><br />On Christmas morning Kaylen was up at six, but we managed to hold her off for thirty minutes or so before we got up to open gifts. Avery slept until almost seven, and we started without her:) We thought she might sleep even later and Kaylen would have burst with excitement! Miss Avery doesn't really 'get' Christmas and we opened all her gifts for her. She was excited about the first present she opened and we probably could have just given her the one gift and she would have been happy!<br /><br />Kaylen really made a hall this year! She got a new bike, a Wii, a daybed for her American Girl dolls and many, many other goodies! Avery was really excited about her Elmo microwave!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Christmas2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Christmas2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We spent Christmas day snuggled in as a family. We watched movies, played games on the Wii, and ate all the goodies we had stocked up on! We finally made it to my parents to celebrate with my brothers, newphew, and aunt the day after Christmas. My youngest niece called just as we were sitting down to lunch to announce that she was engaged! <br /><br />The wintery scene outside our window as the sun came up Christmas morning, notice the snow in the bottom corner. . . love it!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=tree1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/tree1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />When my heart finds this Christmas in my memory I will think of the sweet, sweet memories of being "snowed in" with my girls and their daddy. I will think of Kaylen's pure joy on Christmas morning when she saw all the goodies Santa tucked under the tree. I will think of the beautiful winter scene outside our window that kept us from celebrating Christmas in line with our traditions, but kept us home, celebrating Christmas together. And when my heart finds this Christmas, it will bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-42134152209888400992009-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:002009-12-22T01:53:56.488-08:00Happy Birthday Avery!Unbelievably our "baby" girl turns four today! It is hard to fathom that four years have passed since we brought home our 'little' ten pound bundle of joy on Christmas Eve. So much has happened in those four years. We could have never known on that blessed day how much our entire lives would change, for the better, because of this precious little girl. Avery has fought countless battles, overcome so many hurdles, and beaten odds stacked high against her. Avery fills our home with joy and laughter, keeps us constantly on our toes, and makes our lives complete. I can't begin to explain to you the love that I feel for her. Of course I love both of my girls more than life itself. . . but I love each one very differently. The love I feel for Avery is a fierce, protective love. It is all encompassing. It takes my breath away. I cry just thinking about the fact that God found <em></em>me, just an ordinary girl, worthy to the mommy of such an extraordinary little girl.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=averynewcrop.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averynewcrop.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>><br /><br />I cry just thinking too, that my "baby" isn't a baby. She's four! She goes to school two half and three full days a week and continues to master one goal after another. While the drive to her school in the city is long, the progress Avery has made makes it worth each and every mile! She has all her teachers wrapped around her finger ;) and they celebrate her milestones right along with us! Just this last week she went potty on the big girl potty for the first time and had two dry days at school! Santa is going to put some big girl underwear in her stocking and we are going to give potty training a go! She is putting puzzles together, drinking from a big girl cup, matching pictures and objects, following simple directions, knows her nose, her head, her tummy and her toes. She can imitate a ton of letter sounds, and her favorite song to sing is the "alphabet sounds song." She is sleeping through the night in her big girl bed and helping me dress her in the morning. She can buckle (and unbuckle) her car seat. She dances and claps her hands to her favorite songs. She still loves "Moe Moe" (aka-Elmo), cows, and trains. She has discovered new love for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, carrying shoes, kitchen utensils, and Bath and Body Works lotion bottles around the house, and flushing the toilet:) She has also fallen in love with daddy's tool bench and tools this year. She has learned so much in such a short amount of time and we are so thankful that she continues to be <em>seizure free</em> almost every single day!<br /><br />This weekend we celebrated her birthday with her Grandmas and Grandpas. As some of you know, I do love to plan a party! I love to pick a theme and sometimes go a bit overboard with decorations, party favors, and games. I had a grand idea in my head to use a "gingerbread/candy" theme for this birthday, but with Avery's birthday so close to Christmas I didn't get to do as much as I wanted with the theme. But you know what? The day was absolutely perfect.<br /><br />In every single way.<br /><br />For one very important reason. Avery. It wasn't the decorations, it wasn't the invitations, it wasn't my famous wrapped silverware (which were all cute-mind you:) It was the joy of one little girl and everyone in the room felt it. Avery's happiness decorated our home, her hugs and snuggles were the perfect party favors, and her giggles, peek-a-boos, and patty-cakes provided the joyful entertainment.<br /><br />You can't plan that, you can't purchase that, and they are the. most. important. things.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4004.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Avery was full of joy from the moment she woke up until she crashed at the end of the day. She was so excited to see her Grandmas and Grandpas and gave big hugs to everyone and kept saying "Hiiieee!" "Hiiieee", "Yay!" "Yay!", and "Oh boy!" all afternoon! She was just so happy and excited. It was almost as if she knew that it was her special day and she loved it!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4008.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4011.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For the past three years Avery's birthday's have been bittersweet for me. Each year for a different reason, but bittersweet none the less. We celebrated Avery's first birthday under a cloud of dread as her first brain surgery was scheduled just a few days after her birthday. I can only admit out loud now, after all these years, that many nights before her first birthday I rocked her to sleep and sobbed as silent tears fell on her sleeping face. As I sat and rocked her to sleep I allowed myself to wonder if Avery's first birthday would be her <em>only birthday</em>. I had this horrible fear that she wouldn't make it through the surgeries and we wouldn't get to bring her home. No mommy should ever have to contemplate these things. But contemplate I did and it was heartbreaking.<br /><br />Her second birthday was interrupted by a blizzard and a nasty seizure that pretty much ruined the evening, and her third birthday was more of the same. Seizures and sadness. We tried to celebrate. We "faked it" for Kaylen's sake, and the faking hurt more than doing nothing at all. Just thinking about all of those days that were supposed to be joyous occasions, that we just managed to survive, makes me sad.<br /><br />But here we are a year later, and what a difference a year makes, This year, finally, Avery was able to enjoy her birthday! And so we celebrated! We celebrated the miracle that this little girl is. We celebrate all that she has accomplished and all that she <em></em>will<em></em> accomplish. We gave thanks to our good and gracious God, that has blessed us beyond measure with the precious gift of our Avery Elizabeth.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4013.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4017.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4018.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4020.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4021.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4022.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4026.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Happy Birthday sweet Avery girl! Mommy loves you with a perfect love that knows no limits. Mommy will love you forever and ever to the ends of the earth. You my love, are truly amazing, and I am so very blessed to be your mommy.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averybirthday4003.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averybirthday4003.jpg" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-41586100507366879392009-12-20T16:00:00.000-08:002009-12-20T15:26:04.170-08:00It's beginning to look a lot likeChristmas! Welcome to our home! Christmas is less than a week away and I think everyone here in the Hart house is ready. Kaylen has been ready for a long, long time! November and December have been busy, busy months as usual, but we did manage to get our home decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving!<br /><br />It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE Christmastime. I especially love decorating every square inch of our home in preparation for the big day! Each room kind of has its own theme and I have lots of favorite Christmas decorations, but our family room, where we spend the most time, is probably my favorite room in the house. This is where we put our Christmas tree. The tree we have is a little big for this room. We bought it for our first home in Olathe. The great room in that house was open to the second floor and the ceilings were over twenty feet tall! So we bought a ten foot tree and it still looked tiny. It looks a little bigger in this house, but it works. This is what greets you as you walk in our front door. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway018.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway018.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />I love our "fake" fireplace and mantel. It really is the heart of our home. We sit by the fire many, many nights reading stories to the girls or just sipping a cup of hot cocoa. (O.k., let's be real, or sipping a beer- in Britton's case!:)<br /><br />And our "big" Christmas tree. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Here's a shot of the tree with the rest of the living room lights off.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway016.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Our stocking are hung by the chimney with care!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway019.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And these little ones are ready for Santa to come down our chimney (well, o.k., through our front door:)<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-77597424580717225362009-11-02T17:54:00.000-08:002009-11-02T18:13:05.549-08:00And we have a winner. . .Well in true Hart fashion our weekend was full of drama and ups and downs. Sweet Kaylen missed out on her school's fall festival and all the fun that comes with Halloween because she came down with a nasty bug. She managed to put on her adorable pirate costume and trick-or-treat around our block, but she came home, checked out her candy and was asleep within fifteen minutes. She didn't go to school again today, but my trusty assistant Kaylen felt up to helping me draw a name for our little blog contest!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway002-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway002-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway001-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway001-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And the winner is. . . . .<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Giveaway-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Giveaway-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Congratulations, Laura! It looks like you have gotten a fun head start on your Christmas shopping! Thanks for all of your comments, I hope you'll stop by again sometime:)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-57111411231520381122009-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:002009-10-28T09:25:44.897-07:00100th Post and a Give-away!Well, if you are reading this, you my friend, are one faithful reader of one very <em>unfaithful blogger:)</em> (Or you are here because my friend Bethany sent you my way:) I love this little blog o' mine, and I really do have good intentions of updating it more often, but I don't always find the time to spend updating it as much as I would like! Plus, sometimes it feels like there are only about five people reading it anyways, so why bother. Ya know?<br /><br /><div><div>Still, somehow I have manged to reach a very important milestone- <em>my 100<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> post!</em> </div><br /><br /><div>In honor of finally updating this little blog 100 times, I have a very special giveaway. . . . </div><br /><div>You see, I have this <a href="http://www.hissyfitsphotography.com/blog"><span style="color:#990000;">dear friend</span></a>. A dear, out of this world, amazingly talented friend. She's a party planner extraordinaire. A phenomenal photographer. An amazing listener (sometimes I barely let her get a word in edgewise during our hours long, kinda one sided, phone conversations - and I interrupt a lot. . . ) She has been there for me during some of the darkest, I mean really, really dark moments of my life. She's the one I call when it hurts so bad I think I will explode, and even though she's like halfway across the country and there's nothing she can say or do, her simple<em> "I know."</em> somehow makes it better. She's just too sweet for words. She deserves a post of her own and if I updated this blog oh, say, more than once every two or three weeks- I would totally dedicate an entire post to dear, sweet, Bethany. . . but for now. Let me just tell you that another one of her talents is bow-making. . . Look at this sweet cutie-pie and that adorable bow! I'll bet you know someone who would look really cute in a bow like this:)</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=bow.jpg" target="_blank"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397685101887722418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVXCTDD8j6SgHYwJf9ASriyS31FUhkQ7ftEJyG0vUlrbk2Prz6nBA0yeolsMoimUfsRg5mCKCRhLf-4KSUjsl-kwUtXslz_Swdb4yDEcANg_gDQawegrpZSrGOWcKOdxekqxu9eaJyruM/s400/bowpic1.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>You could win a bow like this one, just for leaving a comment at the end of this post:) (And no, commenting on my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span> page doesn't count this time- sorry.) If you don't have a blogger account, you just comment anonymous and leave your name and email at the end. I will randomly draw a winner on Sunday afternoon- so you've got a while to get your comment in! I will then contact you and Bethany will send the bow your way. . . cause she's cool like that! </div><br /><div>I would make a bunch of promises about updating more and being a better blogger, but I'm not sure that I could keep them. So here's your chance, leave me some comment love on this important blog-o-versary and win your cutie-pie this adorable headband and bow! (Adorable model-not included:) </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397686335216964594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9575OKEiCVMiXA4dEEFzx6hm_FHx2uRbeoo1Wzgv7wDGoJu88qSvEWvfL031P2f46OkYUMfBdLQHnP1t3JW74HFiw5o57vqa8HFvaSMNwtU3T4CasjqFnxPSfFl4gyP4BA6ixWf6ti8Vf/s400/bowpic2.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-90715511554291551712009-10-20T05:30:00.000-07:002009-10-20T05:44:21.804-07:00Kaylen RoseWhen I dreamed of being a mommy, I could have never imagined the perfect gifts God would bless me with in my sweet girls. Miss Avery certainly gets her share of attention on this little blog, because well, putting it lightly she's always up to something isn't she? But there's another little girl in this house whose little life is certainly blog-worthy.<br /><br />I've tried many times to put into words how I feel about my first born, my precious Kaylen Rose and I always fall short.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Chicago096.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago096.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You see my friends, she's nothing short of amazing, this precious girl.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Chicago097.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago097.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For one thing, she's a riot. She's always saying something that makes Britton and I laugh out loud. Some of her favorite phrases right now include, "Oh. Come. O<em>n. P</em>eople!" "Are you <em>kidding me</em>?!" and "Remind me what's funny about this?" (Trust me, these sayings are so much funnier coming out of her little mouth:)<br /><br />When we were in Chicago I was using the restroom and I guess I was taking longer than she thought was necessary. She kept asking me, in a loud, exaggerated whisper "Mommm! Are done <em>yet</em>?!" Then the automatically flushing toilet in my stall flushed and she exclaimed, "Well, its about time!" Except that it wasn't. My toilet flushed underneath me for no reason. When I told Kaylen this she said, <em>"Uhhhh Mom? I think that's the toilet's way of saying. Get off. Your time's up!"</em><br /><br />Oh, Kayley Rose.<br /><br />You crack. me. up!<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Chicago098.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago098.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kaylen is also a very determined little person. She works so hard at anything that she puts her mind to. She was recently asked to be a part of a junior competitive dance team. While dancing doesn't come naturally to her, she works so, so hard at it. At home she goes over and over the steps and pieces of routines that she is learning in her classes, and while she's still got a long ways to go, I'm so proud of her for her work ethic. She's the same way about school. It doesn't all come easy for her but she doesn't give up. She will write a word that she misses on our practice spelling tests at least<em> twenty-five </em>times without me telling her to, until she gets it right.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Chicago100.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago100.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />From the time Kaylen was very little she was a generous child. Even at two, she would offer you half of her favorite snack or the last bite of something that she clearly wanted to eat herself. She is constantly worrying about "the kids who don't have enough food to eat" or "don't have very may toys," and as a result has prompted us on many occasions to drop off donations to our local Salvation Army food kitchen, and to donate to Goodwill. She truly cares about other people and worries about them. We can't even begin to think of letting her watch the news, because if she hears the inevitable "bad news" or of a tragedy she will worry about the people involved for weeks. She worries especially about her friends. When her little neighbor friends squabble, as they often do, sometimes Kaylen comes home and cries because she can't "make everything better." She worries about one of her favorite classmates who "Doesn't have many friends mommy and I don't know why because <em>I love her."</em> She has <em>such</em> a soft heart. She hates spiders, but won't let me step on them. . . (well, unless they're <em>really big mommy!)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Chicago103.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago103.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Probably the thing that gets to me the most is this little girl's heart and love for her sissy. We've never told Kaylen that she needs to be "a good big sister" or to take care of Avery. She just does. She has a huge heart and is so, so very protective of her sissy. Once when Avery was little she reached up for the stove when it was on, and I automatically slapped her little hand away. Kaylen came running at me, already in tears, grabbed Avery and said "<em>Don't ever hit my sissy! She doesn't understand!"</em><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=May08002.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Last Sunday night after we tucked Kaylen in and had said goodnight, I was out in the living room picking up. I heard Kaylen kind of sniffling in her room, so I peeked my head back in and to check on her. She was lying in bed in the dark, sobbing softly into her pillow. I ran to her and asked her what on earth was wrong, and she managed to choke out, <em>"I don't want Avery to have seizures anymore! I don't want her to have to go to the hospital. I don't want you to leave and go to California again." </em>My heart ached for my girl as I reassured her that we were going to make things better again and I held her until she fell asleep. I could only hope that I wasn't making a promise I couldn't keep. Then I picked up the pieces of my broken heart and I left her room.<br /><br />(Here is Kaylen holding Avery during the week that Avery went toxic on her meds and was miserable. She didn't want anyone to touch her, and Kaylen was the only one was able to comfort her.)<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=May08009.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We will never know the bond between sweet Kaylen and her sister, its not like just any other sisterly bond. It goes much deeper.<br /><br />I wish that I had the words to explain what an amazing precious person our Kaylen Rose is. Everything I want to say about her, seems like such a cliche, but they're all so true. She's one in a million. She's an angel on earth, the apple of my eye, and the love of my life.<br /><br /><em>Kaylen Rose, do you know what an amazing little girl you are? I have never met someone who cares about other people the way you do at seven years old. You love without holding back, you give until it hurts, and you are perfect. I can only begin to imagine the amazing things God has planned for you sweetheart. I thank Him everyday for choosing me to be your mommy and I love you more than you can possibly imagine. I will love you forever.</em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-14086082789044625582009-10-18T20:10:00.001-07:002009-10-18T20:54:51.960-07:00In spite of it allCertainly life has thrown our little family its fair share of curve balls. Just when we think the storm clouds have moved on and we hang up our umbrellas, it begins to rain. And in our family, when it rains, it usually pours.<br /><br />When Avery started having seizures again a few weeks ago, I took it really hard. I cried everytime I thought about the seizures for a couple of days. I just so wanted them to be gone for good this time. I never wanted to have the conversations about the risks of brain surgery again. I didn't want to consider whether to put her on some new medication and weigh the long list of potential side effects against the chance that it might stop her seizures. I just didn't want to deal with any of it. At all. But what choice do we have?<br /><br />What amazes me the most about having a child with a chronic debiliitating illness is that no matter how bad things get, no matter how much you feel like throwing in the towel. . . life goes on. There are meals to be cooked, beds to be made, and stories to be read. There are spelling words to study and dance classes and doctor's appointments. In spite of it all.<br /><br />In spite of it all, our family finds reasons to be happy. Almost all the time. We smile more than we frown and we laugh more than we cry. We <em>choose happiness.</em><br /><br />In spite of it all we go to birthday parties.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br />We visit the pumpkin patch.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08015.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08019.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08022.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We plant a tree together and watch it grow.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08026.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08026.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08029.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08029.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We do homework. (With Avery's help:)<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08013.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08013.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We play together.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=May08024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/May08024.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And we love.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=mommyandavery.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/mommyandavery.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=mommyandavery2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/mommyandavery2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Some days I don't feel like I can take another second of the sadness, the worry, the stress and the hurt of watching Avery battle this disease. But then she fits a shape into a shape sorter and claps for herself, takes a drink out of a big girl cup and sets it back down on the table without spilling a drop, and smiles her big beautiful smile. <br /><br />And we find a way to keep going.<br /><br />In spite of it all.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-22656652802492504552009-10-12T20:41:00.000-07:002009-10-12T20:50:17.904-07:00Not the update I wanted to write. . .After nearly six months of seizure freedom, Avery has had a seizure almost every day for the past week and a half. At first we hoped it was just because she has been a little under the weather, but it seems that perhaps we are facing what we feared the most. Avery's long overdue break from seizures seems to be screeching to an abrupt halt. In just a few short weeks we would have been able to celebrate six months of no seizures and it hurts so badly that we can't that I hardly even know what to say about it.<br /><br />I spent the better part of two hours sobbing on my sofa and punching pillows last night. I have known for awhile now that she was having a seizure here or there (for at least the last ten days) but it didn't really sink in until last night. So if you've talked to me in the last week or so and I said that things were fine- yeah, I was still enjoying the soft comfy blanket of denial. Watching Avery seize at the kitchen table last night felt in so many ways like the very first time she had a seizure in my arms some three and a half years ago now, except that there was no shock this time around to cushion the blow. I knew instantly deep in my heart back then, before I even knew about tuberous sclerosis, that nothing would ever be right again. And it isn't. Nothing can be right when you watch your child suffer and there's no way to sugar coat that or put a positive spin on it.<br /><br />Except to say that if Miss Avery has taught us anything in the last four years, it is to never, ever count her out. She has shown us time and time again that she is up for the battle and refuses to give up or feel sorry for herself. She just keeps on keepin' on, and so we have no choice but to follow her lead. We try to focus on the positives and keep things as normal as possible for her and big sissy Kaylen, who is taking this latest setback particularly hard. We try to adjust to our new normal once again while questions about what to do next, fear, and despair threaten to overtake our hearts.<br /><br />Perhaps, Miss Avery is just going through a growth spurt and we need to do some adjusting to her medication. Perhaps, she still has a bug and her seizure threshold is lowered. Or perhaps she is fighting a nasty beast of a disease that is relentless in its pursuit of her. Regardless, we have no choice but to trust that she will overcome this next hurdle and to pray for her safety and complete healing.<br /><br />We ask that you join us in praying that these new seizures are just a temporary setback and soon Avery will be enjoying seizure free days again.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-39519504233118847562009-08-31T21:42:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:44:28.238-07:00RooftopsFor the past several days I have gone back and forth, back and forth between wanting to post an update, and not wanting to "jinx" things! Here we go again. Who would have ever thought that a crazy disease could challenge my faith in this way? (O.k., yeah, a disease like this would be a pretty obvious test for anyone’s faith!) But seriously, as I've said a million times before, I just don't believe that writing about the good brings on the bad. I don't "knock on wood" or cross my fingers. I pray.<br /><br /><em>And yet.</em> <br /><br />It seems like every time I bring you good news, I find myself following up a few days later with an urgent prayer request. <br /> <br />But tonight my desire to shout from the rooftops about the past few weeks has won out over my hesitancy to jinx us. So get behind me satan, because here I go! <br />This summer and past couple of weeks brought some amazing and exciting changes to the Hart family. First of all, we moved Avery into her big girl bed and guess what? The girl sleeps! All night. Every night. (O.k. so maybe I just knocked on the table next to me. Very softly. It hardly even counted as a knock, because you know, I wouldn't want to wake her up!:) We have even been reducing some of the sleeping medications that she takes because she seems to be so sleepy and tired in the mornings, even after sleeping all night. Notice that I said sleeping medication(s), as in plural. It really bugs me that my not even four year old takes multiple medications to help her sleep, but Avery without sleep is a very, very bad thing. We think that perhaps Little Miss Avery just wasn't "little" enough for her crib anymore and was waking herself up as she thrashed about in bed at night, because as soon as we made the switch to the big girl bed (full-size mattress) she slept, well, like a baby for the first time in her life. <br /><br />Now she wakes up early in the morning (usually between 3:00 and 5:00) and comes out of her room and into ours. I actually love, love this new little routine. In the past when Avery would wake up, like every other hour, she would stand and cry in her crib until I would go and get her out. We would then sit in the rocking chair until she fell asleep again and I would attempt to lay her back down without waking her up. So the fact that she wakes up, climbs out of bed, walks down the hall and right up to my side of the bed and says "mama, mama" in her soft, sleepy little voice just melts my heart. And Daddy's too. I scoop her up and settle her in between us and she immediately scootches all the way over to Daddy's side of the bed and snuggles up to him as closely as she possibly can. Just another way this little girl has changed our lives in a big way. If it weren't for the past three plus years of total and utter sleep deprivation I would probably be complaining about this little visitor to our bed each morning, instead of rejoicing in it! While Kaylen has been known to fall asleep in our bed on occasion, or come snuggle up with us in the early morning hours, I have always been happy that she was such a good, independent (aka, in her own bed) sleeper. I think sleep and bedtime routines are so, so important for babies and children and so it has really been a struggle for us to work through these sleep issues with Avery. Letting her sleep the last few hours of the night cuddled in between us, is a dream come true! I can't tell you how many nights Britton and I have tried unsuccessfully to get her to sleep with us. To get her to sleep without us. To sleep anywhere! So yes, this has truly been an amazing blessing!<br /><br />O.k. probably the most exciting change of all for our family is one that I've hinted at a few times over the last few updates. One that I've waited a long time to say. Our Avery girl is seizure free. For real. I feel confident enough that she won't have a seizure tomorrow or the next day or the day after that to say that out loud. (I might cross my fingers right now, if I could still type, and you know, if I did that. But I don't.) She did have a 45 second absence seizure (staring spell) the second day of school, but that is the only seizure we have seen in a long time. A long, long, time in Avery time. That morning we were in a big hurry and we forgot her seizure meds, so the brief absence seizure didn't surprise me. However the fact that she had a seizure soon after missing a dose tells us that her threshold for seizures is still not great. On the other hand, because of her Depakote levels being so high at the end of July- to the point of being toxic, we had to lower her dosages significantly. She is taking the least amount of medication for seizures that she has ever taken (just a low dose of Depakote) and still no seizures! <br /><br />I can't even begin to describe to you what life without seizures is like, after having lived with them for so long (nearly two years of daily seizures.) How quickly we forget what those days were like. I really hoped that I would be able to update about this time that Avery was still not experiencing any seizures, because this would be exactly one month after her brain surgery that was scheduled in July. But that surgery never happened because the seizures stopped. Without surgery!! Praise God!<br /><br />The other day when Avery's school asked for contact info for her neurologist I started to rattle off Cinci's phone number but couldn't. I realized that I no longer have Dr. Franz's phone number memorized. I had to <i>look it up</i>!! Do you realize what a startling revelation this was?! I don't have to call them a few times a week! I haven't called Dr. Franz's office in almost a month! I'll bet they miss hearing from me:) <br /><br />And because Miss Avery is enjoying long stretches of seizure freedom we have made the giant step in enrolling her in a private treatment center/preschool for children with autism in the Kansas City area. Once again we are making the hour plus drive from our home to the city three times a week. It's a trek, but we truly believe that the intense therapy that Avery is receiving will be worth it in the long run. The difference this time around is that we know Avery will be able to attend consistently and I won't worry so much about her having a seizure on the way there or while she's at school. She goes for a full six and a half hour day and so far she seems to love her new school and is thriving there. (Although one day last week when I picked her up, her face lit up and she immediately turned to her teacher and said, "All done!! Uh Buh Bye!" Her bye-byes are priceless!)<br /><br />We were so blessed to receive a grant from a foundation in our community that helps children with medical needs, to help with the tuition because we could have never, ever in a million years have afforded it on our own. We also could not manage the trip three times a week if it weren't for sweet friends and neighbors who watch over Kaylen before and after school while Avery and I are making our commute. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in Avery and Kaylen's case- they've been blessed by a loving, caring village for sure! The funding and how to make the travel back and forth work are all things that we prayed about for a long time and are so grateful that God has answered these prayers abundantly! <br /><br />So there you have it. We are busy, we are happy and holding onto our ever present hope that there are more good things to come for our sweet girl. <br /><br />Care to join us on the rooftop!?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-11132836675530423832009-08-07T12:01:00.000-07:002009-08-07T03:17:57.470-07:00Flashback. . . Fast Forward FridayAs I mentioned in my <a href="http://foursweetharts.blogspot.com/2009/07/way-back-when-sday.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Way Back When-sday </a>post, I thought that we had lost thousands of our digital pictures stored on our hard drive when our computer crashed last summer. I have had so much fun this summer going through those "lost" photos and remembering all the precious moments those photos captured. Birthday parties, baptisms, Christmases, and brain surgeries.<br /><br /><em>Cue needle scratch across record.</em><br /><br />Did she just say precious memories and <em>brain surgeries</em> in the same breath?<br /><br />Yes. Brain surgeries. And while they may not be happy memories exactly, they are very powerful memories of an extremely difficult time in our life. I guess they don't make me as sad as they possibly could in light of the amazing progress our sweet girl has made since those unbelievable hard days. These images just remind me of what an amazing little gal our Avery is. She is the toughest cookie I know!<br /><br />Here is Miss Avery a few days after her first surgery. I can't believe how good she looks in these pictures, considering that during the five hour surgery doctors removed part of her skull, froze it, and placed nearly-one hundred electrodes directly on the surface of her brain to monitor the nearly thirty seizures a day she was enduring every day back then.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Birthdaybaptism240.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Birthdaybaptism240.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Birthdaybaptism237.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Birthdaybaptism237.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Birthdaybaptism235.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Birthdaybaptism235.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And here is Miss Avery a few days after her second brain surgery, which took place just a week after, the first surgery. Now here, she looks miserable, and she was. During this second surgery doctors removed a large portion of her left frontal lobe. Miracoulsy, Avery did not suffer any permanent loss of function and quickly regained the skills she lost during her long recovery.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Birthdaybaptism251.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Birthdaybaptism251.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=Birthdaybaptism249.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Birthdaybaptism249.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><em>She is a miracle isn't she?</em><br /><br />Considering we almost lost our sweet girl after that second surgery to a blood clot in her femoral artery (from a central line that was placed during the surgery.) Avery's condition became critical when that blood clot in her groin decided to migrate to her lungs and become a pulmonary embolism. Yeah, those were tough days.<br /><br />But when I look at these images, I don't feel sad. I am only reminded of what a fighter my sweet girl is. I am reminded of how blessed we are that she is sleeping soundly in her big girl bed and that she is full of life and spunkier than ever.<br /><br /><em>She's a miracle isn't she?</em><br /><br /><em>Fast Forward </em>to today and here is Miss Avery now! (photo courtesty of <a href="http://hissyfitsphotography.com/blog/">Bethany</a>) She is so beautiful, it takes my breath away and I am so very proud of how far she's come in the last three years.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=summeravery5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/summeravery5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><em>Avery girl, you never fail to amaze mommy with your strength and courage. You refuse to let all the yuckyiness you have to deal with get you down. You just keep fighting and Mommy couldn't love you more. You are may hero and I am so proud of you baby girl! God surely has amazing plans for your little life!</em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-60445105938488404652009-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:002009-08-03T23:16:58.222-07:00Caught Red Handed!When I nominate myself for Mother of the Year next spring, I'm going to submit these photos with my entry as evidence of my superior parenting skills. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=chippies.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/chippies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em>"How many fat grams are in these things?!!"</em><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=Chicago018.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/Chicago018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em>"Dang! That is </em>not<em> good!" </em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=chippies2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/chippies2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In my defense, she used a chair to get on the counter and help herself to these chips while I mixed her bedtime meds! The girl <em>loves</em> her chips!<br /><br />Yup! Just call me mother of the year:)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-86972738739998293622009-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:002009-08-03T23:16:09.620-07:00Monday Morning Mommy MusingsI'm not even sure what "musings" really means but, I wasn't sure what to title this post of random jumbled up thoughts. I do love a good alliteration every now and then, probably left over from my teaching days:) Our love for alliteration is one thing that <a href="http://mycharmingkids.net/">MckMama</a> and I have in common.<br /><br />Unfortunately we have a few other things in common.<br /><br />If you don't follow MckMama, then you've never met Stellan and the whole Happy Meal. They are an extraordinary family dealing with extraordinary circumstances- not unlike our own. Their youngest child, <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/search/label/Stellan%27s%20story">little Stellan</a>, suffers from intractable <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/search/label/Stellan%27s%20story">SVT</a>. I'm not sure I entirely understand his medical condition as well as I do Miss Avery's, but I think that because of electrical misfirings sometimes his little heart beats too fast and the medicines used to control his SVT don't always do the job alone. Last spring he had surgery to remove one of the extra pathways that causes his heart to beat in this abnormal rhythm. But the SVT came back. <em>Hence the "intractable" part.</em> His struggle reminds me of Avery's in so many ways and I can so relate to many of MckMama's updates from the hospital. Avery's seizures are caused by electrical misfiring in her brain and they aren't always controlled by medication. She too had surgery in attempt to stop these misfirings, but it was to remove the part of her brain (not her heart) that caused the seizures. The surgery worked for a time but the seizures came back.<br /><br /><em>Hence the "intractable part.</em><br /><em></em><br />Baby Stellan has had a really rough couple of weeks. He has been in the hospital as doctors attempt to find a way to control his SVT. Miss Avery also had a horrible, awful, miserable week last week- fortunately we did not spend it in the hospital. As those of you who read my Facebook updates know, Avery struggled with major irritability for the better part of last week. We finally ended up at Children's Mercy to get a CT scan of her brain. Avery is followed by a team of specialists st Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio. We live eleven hours from Cinci, but Avery's neurologist, Dr. Franz, is one of the best in the country and he is an expert on Avery's disorder, <a href="http://tsalliance.org/">tuberous sclerosis complex</a>. Dr. Franz was concerned with Avery's change in behavior and irritability and wanted a CT scan to rule out any changes with the tumors in the ventricles of her brain. Unfortunately the scan did show that one of Avery's ventricles is mildly enlarged. We aren't sure why yet, and because it wasn't <em></em>dangerously<em></em> enlarged we won't have to do anything about it right a way. She will have an MRI in three months to look at the change in the size of her ventricle and hopefully it will be no bigger than it is now!<br /><br />We think most of Avery's misery last week was because the levels of her anti-seizure medication, Depakote, in her bloodstream became too high. In fact her levels were DOUBLE the therapeutic range! Medicine toxicity can cause all of the symptoms Avery was experiencing and when we lowered the dose, gradually, we started to see small improvements in Miss Avery. Avery had an amazing evening last night! We went for a long drive (which lately she has asked for constantly!) and she laughed and giggled in the back seat the entire time. She's such a sweetheart.<br /><br />Avery is irritable a lot of the time- even when her medication levels aren't completely out of whack. We have tried everything we could possibly think of to distract her and entertain her. She also has autism, and so at three and half years old, she doesn't enjoy all the normal things a preschooler would enjoy. In fact, she doesn't enjoy much when she's having a bad day (or a bad week as the case may be).<br /><br />Britton first had the idea that Avery might like to go for bike rides in a bike trailer or baby seat quite awhile ago. However we were both afraid that if we went out and bought new bikes and a bike seat, we would find out too late that Avery wanted nothing to do with it. Then we would have the bikes but not be able to ride unless Avery wasn't with us. Thanks to our sweet neighbors we were able to borrow two nice bicycles to test Britton's theory and guess what? Avery loved it!!<br /><br />Here are Avery and Daddy getting ready to head out for a ride.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=bikeride.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/bikeride.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=bikeride2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/bikeride2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Avery laughs the entire time and yells "Go! Go!" as Britton pedals her around the neighborhood. It was a brilliant idea on Daddy's part:) She seems to love the feel of the wind in her face and the bumpiness of being strapped to the back of Daddy's big bike! Plus, it's great exercise for us! I'm so excited that we've found something that all four of us can do together as a family!<br /><br />*<em>And yes, we make her wear a helmet! We just strap it on at the very last minute because it's the one thing she does not enjoy about taking a bike ride. To say the least.</em><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=bikeride3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/bikeride3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, that's probably enough rambling for one day! Kaylen is visiting her Grandparents in Salina this week, so it's just the three of us! We will miss her, but we know that she will be enjoying her time with Grandma and Grandpa as they spoil her rotten!<br /><br />Happy Monday!<br /><br /><br /><em></em><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-3149381496556668902009-08-01T05:36:00.000-07:002009-08-01T06:11:58.874-07:00Scooter GangFrom the time Kaylen was a toddler, she has always been blessed with bunches of neighborhood playmates. For the first five years of her life we lived on Summertree Court in Olathe. There were no less than a dozen little ones Kaylen's age and younger at any given time. Then slowly but surely, the other families started to move away. On to their bigger and better second homes:) By the time that we put our house up for sale, there was really only one little guy left that Kaylen played with. He was nearly two years younger than Kaylen, and they didn't have much in common, but it was better than having no one at all!<br /><br />So when we moved here, I prayed and prayed for our new neighborhood to be filled once again with lots of little kids close in age to Kaylen. God answered this prayer abundantly! In just three houses on our street (well really the cul de sac that our house backs up to) there are six little ones and five of them are girls!! From the first few nights in our new home, Kaylen has been glued to the hips of these sweet girls.<br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view¤t=scootergang.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/scootergang.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Kaylen is rarely ever without a friend to play with! They bounce from house to house and during the summer sometimes spend entire days together. Last night I had to go outside at 9:30 to drag Kaylen in and I found them like this, having scooter races on the driveway. I absolutely love, <em>love</em> that Kaylen is growing up in a community where she is surrounded by playmates. That they are able to run and play, ride bikes and scooters, jump on the trampoline, and swing on the swing set well into the night and they are safe. They are safe and happy and carefree and getting to grow up together. <br /><br />What a blessing for our sweet girl and her friends!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-53555200770056226182009-07-30T21:27:00.000-07:002009-07-30T21:30:26.197-07:00Thank You Danielle!Here it is! Our new look! I really enjoyed working with Danielle, from <a href="http://www.thedesigngirlstudio.blogspot.com/">the Design Girl</a>, on this blog design. Oh, who am I kidding! I didn't "work" I just asked questions and she did all the work! I love it and am so inspired to get back in the swing of blogging more often! Thanks again, Danielle!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-15747298073374680012009-07-29T07:02:00.000-07:002009-07-31T08:34:49.342-07:00Way Back When-sday!<span style="font-family:century gothic;">Our family computer bit the dust last summer during a lightening storm and with it, hundreds and hundreds of our digital pictures!! Or so we thought. We didn't even bother to try to get it fixed until this spring, when a co-worker of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Britton's</span> mentioned that he had recently had the same thing happen and was able to recover all the lost data and pictures. So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Britton</span> took our computer in and ta-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">da</span>!! All our pictures right there where we left them! I was so happy I almost cried!<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;">I have been looking back through file after file of "old" pictures and I am so happy that they weren't lost forever. There are so many precious memories stored on our hard drive, and we are working quickly to get them all saved over to disks so that we never lose them again!<br /><br />So for today's walk down memory lane. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;">From the moment that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kaylen</span> found out that our new baby would be a girl, she started dreaming (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">out loud</span>) about all the fun things that they would do together! First item on her agenda? Play dress-up! I explained to her that it might be a little while before her baby sister was old enough to play dress-up, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kaylen</span> was patient. One day when Avery was about seven or eight months old I was folding laundry and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kaylen</span> and Avery were playing in her room. Pretty soon, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kaylen</span> called to me, "Mommy, mommy! Come see! Come see!" </span></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><br /></span></div><div><span style=><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><span style=>And this is what I found!</span> </span></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiru4MIv2G_4pinKlh73NKeNUEwEeXaP7WMVuf3Fi1-04dDkvFeYFHBxs_JCGaqv9Ajs9-vRXPOeEu862XIDKvXgldoyMB1tnbjcaTHOhzEJYf-_rFK_XBD5NCdYa1ut6A6zZB0kcLHjBI/s1600-h/princesssissy2.jpg"><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363889123505896354" style="WIDTH: 347px; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiru4MIv2G_4pinKlh73NKeNUEwEeXaP7WMVuf3Fi1-04dDkvFeYFHBxs_JCGaqv9Ajs9-vRXPOeEu862XIDKvXgldoyMB1tnbjcaTHOhzEJYf-_rFK_XBD5NCdYa1ut6A6zZB0kcLHjBI/s400/princesssissy2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjMb5NMryYxkEGkEpN5DEKmebe_mBcCFZuWIb-ejzfvCiDt_7HT7zuuLZZwfhXdkIsGYoLKt8KiIeip3hMueBsbw4SJfiC4lHk8nXZ9mUOAWkZbg1OarYnUxfb-9C0hNgwHYkLKWx05Bo/s1600-h/princesssissy.jpg"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363888982565827250" style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 342px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjMb5NMryYxkEGkEpN5DEKmebe_mBcCFZuWIb-ejzfvCiDt_7HT7zuuLZZwfhXdkIsGYoLKt8KiIeip3hMueBsbw4SJfiC4lHk8nXZ9mUOAWkZbg1OarYnUxfb-9C0hNgwHYkLKWx05Bo/s400/princesssissy.jpg" border="0" /></span></a> </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;">Oh. My. Gosh. Were they ever this little? They are so precious it makes me want to cry! </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;">And I'll let you in on a little secret. . . <em>They are so precious it makes me want another one. . . </em></span></div><em></em><br /><br /><em></em><div><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><span style=><span style="font-family:century gothic"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Shhhhh</span>!</span></span><br /></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-66383586478717027752009-07-27T21:45:00.000-07:002009-07-31T08:31:51.557-07:00Yikes! July?!!<span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >I can hardly believe that its already the end of July and in a few short weeks school will be starting again! It has been a busy, busy summer and a blog-free one too! I can't believe how I've neglected this poor, abandonded blog!<br /><br /></span><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Who knew that a little thing like this blog o' mine could cause me so much guilt. Each day I stop by here and see my last post from (GASP) April and I feel so guilty. Guilty for not updating more often and guiltly for ignoring my blog!! I know this is silly because there are probably only two other people in the world reading this, but still. . . I don't like to start something and not keep up with it, so here goes. . . </span></div><div><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >So what have the Harts been up to since I last posted? </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Well what a better time than July than to talk about what happened in May I say! In May, Kaylen Rose turned seven!! We celebrated by throwing a rock-star themed sleep over and it was a hit! I ordered these rockin' invitations from </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6894661"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-family:century gothic;" >Designs by Georgia</span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" > off of Etsy! If you need a fun invitation and a quick turnaround time, Georgia is your gal!</span><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE9CTE9LphEyBRMBBLypWAqfwc2MTKRccQwbRxKpC8o-9kq2ahpyp8LGcOiP9CLFHNBS-LI-95aH7WCWxls0AuTXagNMDPRwkHatJrpo-M_x8CLm6nBtWVklisCMhM3O0xXSp-hpCAHQk/s1600-h/lhart520GuitarZebra5x7.jpg"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361514073747364850" style="width: 286px; height: 400px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE9CTE9LphEyBRMBBLypWAqfwc2MTKRccQwbRxKpC8o-9kq2ahpyp8LGcOiP9CLFHNBS-LI-95aH7WCWxls0AuTXagNMDPRwkHatJrpo-M_x8CLm6nBtWVklisCMhM3O0xXSp-hpCAHQk/s400/lhart520GuitarZebra5x7.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >We decorated our basement with tons of balloons, sparkly stars, and streamers. To create the effect of a "dance party" we even had a friend of ours who is a DJ bring over some fancy "strobe" lights that flashed in bright colors to the beat of the music. With the lights turned down and the music cranked up it was the perfect setting for the little divas to get their groove on! </span><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXAMCuHMhiWBxfkEdVqUqKh06OmMQ1iLk3G-CZBOksKNxSVTQPQwEL3eTC6TWbN2wz2Agk7PHqZjnAWHbnptB5IIG1ju1tFwUb_-5xQr2NccI44ASJ3Ml5KMnoWZi9YpwL303ydCH9x-i/s1600-h/DSC04526.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361517011263915746" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXAMCuHMhiWBxfkEdVqUqKh06OmMQ1iLk3G-CZBOksKNxSVTQPQwEL3eTC6TWbN2wz2Agk7PHqZjnAWHbnptB5IIG1ju1tFwUb_-5xQr2NccI44ASJ3Ml5KMnoWZi9YpwL303ydCH9x-i/s400/DSC04526.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoNuh-hT4vYoWoz-FuBkx6wQ4qdmeCn5cF6ppElUUJhIVHdnMGMB3bfR8XsS5fd6v5S9pq129RM792SHOWArF-H7J2_1Nn9gruLjnU6kNQ1vY5o4ZjxaBmwUaJJbrV_iOoQLQkEbvYEeX/s1600-h/DSC04528.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361517022639024178" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoNuh-hT4vYoWoz-FuBkx6wQ4qdmeCn5cF6ppElUUJhIVHdnMGMB3bfR8XsS5fd6v5S9pq129RM792SHOWArF-H7J2_1Nn9gruLjnU6kNQ1vY5o4ZjxaBmwUaJJbrV_iOoQLQkEbvYEeX/s400/DSC04528.JPG" border="0" /></span></a></div></div><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >As you can see in the picture above, it was kind of hard to get good pictures of the rock stars as they were "dancing" - aka, chasing each other around our living room:) But you can see the fun "disco" lights!</span></div><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >This is the only shot I got of all the girls together, as the night was winding down and they stopped for a minute to watch High School Musical 3 in their jammies. This party was so much fun, it really deserves a post all of its own. . . we'll see;)</span><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxbOT_p-kjUBASTjctkNvjihb0c-AwfnaElskOkVzN0Jm8nvcCp60nPXu223hN-GrDsHgB-XFa9sD9_tpu9pVIHhIkzcUEE4H04QphuumMxXEi6S7qwpo9SmMk4_TfhhepSzo-JcouBbb/s1600-h/DSC04529.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361520149685204690" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxbOT_p-kjUBASTjctkNvjihb0c-AwfnaElskOkVzN0Jm8nvcCp60nPXu223hN-GrDsHgB-XFa9sD9_tpu9pVIHhIkzcUEE4H04QphuumMxXEi6S7qwpo9SmMk4_TfhhepSzo-JcouBbb/s400/DSC04529.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >After Kaylen's birthday weekend was Dance Recital Week. This was Kaylen's second year in jazz and ballet here in Emporia and gearing up for recitals is always a big deal! Kaylen had dress rehersals EVERY night for a week and then perfromed on two different nights! In the end it was worth it and the dances turned out very cute!<br /></span></div><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Here are Kaylen and two of her dance buddies at rehearsals.</span></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBldlp7Ti0o2OKc4yRnvHatTC8ulYMrSEobiI-_heL6NRvfgxGjNeQJeG-Gz52amoNtyZiSwhgH3MSvpEOQlYjEp0k25LhwfXbVvO73qMlVmK0RNZeNEfunlI4dLAF8ZxBdXBOIRgU46v/s1600-h/DSC04558.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361521877650997186" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBldlp7Ti0o2OKc4yRnvHatTC8ulYMrSEobiI-_heL6NRvfgxGjNeQJeG-Gz52amoNtyZiSwhgH3MSvpEOQlYjEp0k25LhwfXbVvO73qMlVmK0RNZeNEfunlI4dLAF8ZxBdXBOIRgU46v/s400/DSC04558.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >After school was out, we took Kaylen to Chicago to visit the American Girl Store. What a fun trip! Yup, that trip certainly deserves its own post! </span></div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn2hNhxtYx4MNso5e0Vq75ggxM1q1F4zD4nImjfRF5tuNwAzMec-pfexoeME-q0VkCBn8nZviYBbym-DdU8RjNlnWe7XPXuF7o_uRJhR9yNNzZRBJmp0h_Y10hMpsyFKIuKa26W5XcO6l/s1600-h/americangirl1.jpg"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363374366226431730" style="width: 300px; height: 400px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn2hNhxtYx4MNso5e0Vq75ggxM1q1F4zD4nImjfRF5tuNwAzMec-pfexoeME-q0VkCBn8nZviYBbym-DdU8RjNlnWe7XPXuF7o_uRJhR9yNNzZRBJmp0h_Y10hMpsyFKIuKa26W5XcO6l/s400/americangirl1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Here are Kaylen and I eating lunch with her doll, Mia, in the American Girl Cafe! What an amazing place to visit! More on that later. . . </span><br /><br /></div><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vO42jC8Ur5ISItFPIvXvUKI9D9Nc1ZwubkfAzxraoPYfTERO6XhtK5WkP1nBdLU9IWXApW6r0HUL_XnW17n3iw9weRdCWrRyV0Z4mRdk6Cf6zI6jq6OXuSX6z9wK36tF7xkmBE2Ihw-X/s1600-h/americangirl2.jpg"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363374829465578482" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vO42jC8Ur5ISItFPIvXvUKI9D9Nc1ZwubkfAzxraoPYfTERO6XhtK5WkP1nBdLU9IWXApW6r0HUL_XnW17n3iw9weRdCWrRyV0Z4mRdk6Cf6zI6jq6OXuSX6z9wK36tF7xkmBE2Ihw-X/s400/americangirl2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><br /><br /></span><div><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >We also took Kaylen to Branson at the end of June for a quick weekend getaway. I didn't even take pictures on the trip. We've been there so many times, and we were having so much fun, I just didn't snap away away like I normally do!</span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >While in Branson we took Kaylen to White Water- a water park with tons of wild and crazy slides. I had no idea Kaylen was such a daredevil! Just last summer she wanted nothing to do with the water slide at our local pool, but she didn't say no to a single ride at White Water!!! She even went down Kaluni Falls, the picture you see below! It was a little scary, even for me, let alone Kaylen, who was just barely tall enough to ride it!!<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6pKLrhdRVSOTsv1tO5HvfzQV0pEuiTcrj4d9Yn75P5lg7qLEOQRgovTREEOTLVIAN0I26r8BQM4lMERyiWLhHD04LO8c9gZt6I80ePXou7FyowBgEUiP8QasbP4-WpdzJqcMSBZvYCrm/s1600-h/whitewater.jpg"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363370130137040530" style="width: 300px; height: 201px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6pKLrhdRVSOTsv1tO5HvfzQV0pEuiTcrj4d9Yn75P5lg7qLEOQRgovTREEOTLVIAN0I26r8BQM4lMERyiWLhHD04LO8c9gZt6I80ePXou7FyowBgEUiP8QasbP4-WpdzJqcMSBZvYCrm/s400/whitewater.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:century gothic;"><br /></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >At the end of June our best friends visited from Arizona! We always enjoy having them stop by, even if their visits always feel too short. You can see the amazing pictures my friend Bethany took of our family while she was in town by clicking <a href="http://hissyfitsphotography.com/blog/2009/07/the-hart-of-the-matter-2/"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">here</span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">.</span><br /><br />Another fun part of summer for us is hanging out on the lake on our friends' boat. We enjoy boating so much that we are thinking about getting a boat of our own for next summer!! Kaylen had a blast tubing with daddy and our friend Garrett!<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY_77KsQEsTnXSuH3xKslMDTCR6L2MgsevYDpPw892BYKg73Aa_fXB2YXE826wDxGKKU6cRXGTqyqIyciqiQ1THARfYucskZ4w1OnLQd-XV3aqz8yV7sOWLiiEvoojUVNcWxAgD5yly1L/s1600-h/lake2.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363376069962629234" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY_77KsQEsTnXSuH3xKslMDTCR6L2MgsevYDpPw892BYKg73Aa_fXB2YXE826wDxGKKU6cRXGTqyqIyciqiQ1THARfYucskZ4w1OnLQd-XV3aqz8yV7sOWLiiEvoojUVNcWxAgD5yly1L/s400/lake2.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><br /></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Avery even got to go tubing for the first time! I don't know how much you can see here, but in between Daddy's feet is her little face. You can't hear it on the video, but she was laughing and clapping the whole time! She loved it! I guess we have two daredevils in our family! For the most part she loves being in the boat and hanging out in the water!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwuPmL03V8V87rGQzmQjBypSSkyS2JeoSm8ZYiTjAsjgppPzfC2x7ifvoiAK5KnN9XIXjnbyf3RLvyC65iOTw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY0UMKsr4QjoDIkz3-MhgEDr8aIaTo3hZk5YUQOvuSxx91rroXDL5EVBJaU7B2pMll7Xlb-Gh98KU6FQr33CM4nDRmmgWCDqtA8S_Q9D2A-TBjyyq8_aQwhtENk9h403zqOrELXPVTRov/s1600-h/lake.JPG"><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363377785796504322" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY0UMKsr4QjoDIkz3-MhgEDr8aIaTo3hZk5YUQOvuSxx91rroXDL5EVBJaU7B2pMll7Xlb-Gh98KU6FQr33CM4nDRmmgWCDqtA8S_Q9D2A-TBjyyq8_aQwhtENk9h403zqOrELXPVTRov/s400/lake.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >Well, that pretty much sums up May and June! Wow! Birthday parties, dance recitals, vacationing, lake trips, and visits from friends! I guess I didn't realize how busy we really were this summer! See. . . no wonder I haven't found the time to blog:)</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" >I <em>really am</em> going to start blogging at least a little more often than every three months because I'm getting a blog makeover soon!! I can't wait to reveal my new look!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-53980469287279601572009-04-12T19:30:00.000-07:002009-07-31T08:40:49.179-07:00Hollywood<span style=><span style="font-family:century gothic">Last month we traveled to Los Angeles for Avery to undergo a surgical evaluation at UCLA medical center. After many months of researching different surgical centers we made the decision to travel to UCLA to meet Dr. Gary Mathern, a highly respected neurosurgeon.</span><span style="font-family:century gothic"> </span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:century gothic;" ></span><br /><span style="font-family:century gothic"><span style=>It was a long and difficult trip for many reasons. I detail more of Avery's medical stuff </span><a href="http://www.carepages.com/LittleMissAveryUpdates"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102)" >here</span></a></span><a href="http://www.carepages.com/LittleMissAveryUpdates"><span style=> </span></a><span style=>, but we are hopeful that the surgical team at UCLA may be able to pinpoint the brain tumor that is causing Avery's seizures and remove it.</span><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>After we were discharged from the hospital we took in some of the sights and took Avery to the ocean for the first time We just happened to have a professional photographer with us to capture these precious memories. <a href="http://hissyfitsphotography.com/blog/"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">My dear friend</span></a> and her sweet family made the six plus hour trek from Arizona to hang out with us after Avery was discharged. We had a blast with our friends in Hollywood and learned that Miss Avery <em>loves</em> the ocean. She laughed until tears ran down her face. The entire ordeal was worth that precious sound!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=hartscali1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/hartscali1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=hartscali3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/hartscali3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=hartscali4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/hartscali4.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=hartscali5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/hartscali5.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=hartscali5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/hartscali5.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averycali2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averycali2.jpg" alt="Averycali2" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averycali3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averycali3.jpg" alt="Averycali3" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/?action=view&current=averycali.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z104/lhart520/averycali.jpg" alt="Averycali" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-47137492650368391342009-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:002009-08-03T22:16:37.871-07:00Pottery Barn Schmottery Barn<div align="left"><span style=>When I saw this bedding in the pottery barn kids catalog I instantly fell in love. . . with the bedding that is, not so much with the price. I have purchased a select few items from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pbk</span>, but usually when it goes on sale. I showed my mom this adorable <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ensemble</span> and mentioned that I thought it would look precious in Avery's room because her walls are already this shade of blue she said, "Well, let's make it." </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style=></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style=>Right.</span> </div><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fbN-EIWnFYvnU5ThtjHmL2_9J-9Hn1nwO_Iu41GyPQXt4-A7TwIWYB-yfEH-lBlrNWZfBpzENJLU0WtyHxmNS0ngxDHg912-HR_Bg9PAbaC1pLSwJFemjhYaCGhQac__m9x0GcgG1V0Y/s1600-h/img86l.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710205975490546" style="WIDTH: 328px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fbN-EIWnFYvnU5ThtjHmL2_9J-9Hn1nwO_Iu41GyPQXt4-A7TwIWYB-yfEH-lBlrNWZfBpzENJLU0WtyHxmNS0ngxDHg912-HR_Bg9PAbaC1pLSwJFemjhYaCGhQac__m9x0GcgG1V0Y/s400/img86l.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><span style=>What she really meant was, "I'll make it for you." There's no "let us" in doing something that requires sewing because "us" doesn't sew. My mom is a talented seamstress and I have no idea how to sew a button back on a shirt.</span><br /><br /><span style=>A couple of days before Christmas she and my dad dropped off armloads of goodies to put under the tree for the girls and when<em> </em>I saw several large packages and bags for Avery, I knew exactly what it was. . . I don't know if my mom is reading this, but I'll have to admit that later that afternoon, I pulled back the tissue paper ever-so-slightly and took a peek at the quilt inside and as my friend Bethany likes to say, I might have "squealed out loud" with delight. </span><br /><span style=></span><br /><br /><span style=>My mom's version of the quilt and the accessories is <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sooooo</span> much </em>cuter, more detailed and yummier than the Pottery Barn version. She went with brighter, bolder colors, and included details I never would have thought of! Check it out:<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhRS106jzucA7pcJPTiLYbgBpAl6lVasU0eEiL3t1XwPT4NASZxGi1_Jpb1TyH2nSDRq-xn8VKxgTeiG10vSjF0sYDZ-HjAcYPUI8CU2GCf4Ptko8VXfMrv6RpAgEAqS5HpGVNbFdquRl/s1600-h/Sweeties+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312357620451363762" style="WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhRS106jzucA7pcJPTiLYbgBpAl6lVasU0eEiL3t1XwPT4NASZxGi1_Jpb1TyH2nSDRq-xn8VKxgTeiG10vSjF0sYDZ-HjAcYPUI8CU2GCf4Ptko8VXfMrv6RpAgEAqS5HpGVNbFdquRl/s400/Sweeties+044.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL2t5ahdvbNfvhxY49i_yYj5cZnqoY1AAH6jVcGp79BPpTrVhLWMjsYD53EmUt3YSSmNqRc0BaS_oY5CgBIJvXa3RV23KQiHZMYY7-1rCBrLaJWXnRo_2jo-XJvIATn0kgv-IqqUV2PNx/s1600-h/Sweeties+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312357626300597202" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL2t5ahdvbNfvhxY49i_yYj5cZnqoY1AAH6jVcGp79BPpTrVhLWMjsYD53EmUt3YSSmNqRc0BaS_oY5CgBIJvXa3RV23KQiHZMYY7-1rCBrLaJWXnRo_2jo-XJvIATn0kgv-IqqUV2PNx/s400/Sweeties+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>The theme of this bedding is owls, which has special meaning for our family. Yes, they are all the rage these days, but we've loved them much longer. My mom has been collecting "owls" for most of her life, and they were her thing long before they became 'popular.' So of course, my mom had Miss Avery (who is basically non-verbal) saying "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Whoo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Whoo</span>" before she could say some of her most basic words. If you ask Avery, "What does a horse say?" or "What does the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">doggie</span> say?" she doesn't have a clue, but ask her what an owl says. . . .</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0nCd0Wsft9zS98p4gP6j43hXMdfP6lC2LGSLqD9sLkovy3P3SHcOE75z4_BtU0nAQDOZ7Uv4TvGNQAuKkQjTHXVVzzmThbhyeMFE5LWqBKI2vecS9fybgNYnXZHJe7atSCORGBi0ExUY/s1600-h/Sweeties+047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312357631789705890" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0nCd0Wsft9zS98p4gP6j43hXMdfP6lC2LGSLqD9sLkovy3P3SHcOE75z4_BtU0nAQDOZ7Uv4TvGNQAuKkQjTHXVVzzmThbhyeMFE5LWqBKI2vecS9fybgNYnXZHJe7atSCORGBi0ExUY/s400/Sweeties+047.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>My mom turned 78 this week! I think it is amazing that someone at her "wise old age":) can still sew like this! She has had cataract surgery and I know this has to be harder than it was for her a decade ago.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Iv9hYFjyIFqWZymqdRU5l5FNVY836xrLSWuvMhbU-i8mISV77ybGbEPdibkvLOTn_ktsyXrBi7x2bChDuVbl7Ic0BY0jOFuDY6L7-lIbnQ2OZPNMFuKAIhCb20F6LACblYAf_YHdNuH/s1600-h/Sweeties+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312357628381492802" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1Iv9hYFjyIFqWZymqdRU5l5FNVY836xrLSWuvMhbU-i8mISV77ybGbEPdibkvLOTn_ktsyXrBi7x2bChDuVbl7Ic0BY0jOFuDY6L7-lIbnQ2OZPNMFuKAIhCb20F6LACblYAf_YHdNuH/s400/Sweeties+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>And these little cuties from the <span style="color:#000000;">pbk</span> catalog. . . </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJouG_hC9c6-InBPBrvh3T4ukrngCHjXE2SaJUAd33YmQICV0FFrbWtb68dBmsK0rrZVS4u4-4Ws7eiP7ChtBu6sCzH318XcZ20uTjf8pI1mwLA61OmYPAKAq8kGPc8hJOQGrf8TaxKp2X/s1600-h/img39t.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710210365632434" style="WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJouG_hC9c6-InBPBrvh3T4ukrngCHjXE2SaJUAd33YmQICV0FFrbWtb68dBmsK0rrZVS4u4-4Ws7eiP7ChtBu6sCzH318XcZ20uTjf8pI1mwLA61OmYPAKAq8kGPc8hJOQGrf8TaxKp2X/s400/img39t.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>Grandma's version: Too <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">stinkin</span>' cute!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGVsAkK8Yj0e4foXukz1E8PNZ3tA1i6AoIqpywvU-96AEbtvSYlgswy4kQM3WaXKxIAbt8joO9ZmsNTcgD0pOXkpxvJGoYiy7sbcgqLseWEQZ-tDsMmQR8qt0RQxgjuWTZC1fJqRjbGEj/s1600-h/Sweeties+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710193909347746" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGVsAkK8Yj0e4foXukz1E8PNZ3tA1i6AoIqpywvU-96AEbtvSYlgswy4kQM3WaXKxIAbt8joO9ZmsNTcgD0pOXkpxvJGoYiy7sbcgqLseWEQZ-tDsMmQR8qt0RQxgjuWTZC1fJqRjbGEj/s400/Sweeties+050.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF0UaPSwsmE_F1kURq1-v9Ats_PTq0dQ9XwV7kIZ8pNoT_WyjTFgRVD846qmEViycrmoksWuxFJ5P5glSJJMJPli81h4y5ckkNCx2iRn1JKsbU3xGjCz_8zClC8b17DUT_4ZcITd3vbrR/s1600-h/Sweeties+049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312357637852901554" style="WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF0UaPSwsmE_F1kURq1-v9Ats_PTq0dQ9XwV7kIZ8pNoT_WyjTFgRVD846qmEViycrmoksWuxFJ5P5glSJJMJPli81h4y5ckkNCx2iRn1JKsbU3xGjCz_8zClC8b17DUT_4ZcITd3vbrR/s400/Sweeties+049.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>I saw these sheets in the store and the colors are perfect for our version of the bedding so I'm hoping they'll go on sale soon, otherwise I may just have to splurge!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr6wB3ibBd6ocncuyP2WhyphenhyphenhVORbKmu7wuAysKEJ2npmwbuQ0U5ygjf1o7tcs8vBMSaTYtQ8I1BnO5Uf2CQL-_0BxosTi8cqVcs8pVvj0WpB6xBjf1Mkxw95CWxn9BDqzKANWzYevIEOQS/s1600-h/img26m.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710212664822594" style="WIDTH: 383px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 338px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr6wB3ibBd6ocncuyP2WhyphenhyphenhVORbKmu7wuAysKEJ2npmwbuQ0U5ygjf1o7tcs8vBMSaTYtQ8I1BnO5Uf2CQL-_0BxosTi8cqVcs8pVvj0WpB6xBjf1Mkxw95CWxn9BDqzKANWzYevIEOQS/s400/img26m.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>I've always wanted to take pictures of the different rooms in my house for sharing. I'm snoopy that way. I love to see the insides of some of my long distance friends, family, and even 'blogging friends' and don't mine sharing my favorites, but this is why I don't!! I'm a horrible photographer. These pictures just don't do Miss Avery's room justice (or my mom's handiwork) but you get the gist of it:) Avery and I spend so much time in her room. I absolutely love it, and it just might be my favorite room in the house for so many reasons. It is peaceful and playful all at once. I do some of my best 'thinking' and praying in Avery's room while rocking her to sleep at night.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47lu0ERsdHBDc13VGKdT5Ke32tr3b2hN8Q-bnii4F-pDD_VkT0oaiG9grV453UJ8i3cpAATPDfwYgqQy4nOSp8Tp_rLqdlmVoF-Jotyi953ECgfFBXID2z64xCRTEdUzIokt2_0Xh1mGP/s1600-h/Sweeties+051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710194499289602" style="WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47lu0ERsdHBDc13VGKdT5Ke32tr3b2hN8Q-bnii4F-pDD_VkT0oaiG9grV453UJ8i3cpAATPDfwYgqQy4nOSp8Tp_rLqdlmVoF-Jotyi953ECgfFBXID2z64xCRTEdUzIokt2_0Xh1mGP/s400/Sweeties+051.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style=>Grandma, (mom) if you're reading this. You are amazing! I love this and all of the other keepsakes you've made for us. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Kaylen</span> loves her Mia wardrobe and is so proud to show it off to her friends. They will become heirlooms and mean so much more to us than anything you could buy in a store (or off the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Internet</span>.) She just learned how to do that too! Amazing I tell ya'! The next thing you know I'll have her on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Facebook</span>:)</span><br /><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>We love you!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-28306939987309729182009-03-12T04:30:00.000-07:002009-08-03T22:23:40.019-07:00Tiny Caskets<span style=>I didn’t think I had anything else to say about our current situation because the last few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind. I don’t think that I can possibly explain all that has taken place in such a short time in this small space but if you will bear with me while I vent for just a couple more paragraphs then I will try!</span><br /><br /><span style=>This ridiculous disease has changed absolutely everything about our lives. Tuberous Sclerosis has now officially ruined two of my favorite t.v. shows. Yes. That’s right. A genetic disorder has robbed me of two hours of pure viewing entertainment. </span><br /><br /><span style=>I am a huge Grey’s Anatomy fan! Before Avery got sick I watched all the drama unfold, sometimes on the edge of my seat, and breathed a huge sigh of relief as the credits rolled and everything ended neat and tidy. The tumor was removed. Ta da! You’re cured! The perfect donor match for an organ transplant is found at the last second and within an hour the patient is lying in bed surrounded by family giving thanks for their great fortune. Now I watch and just yell at the screen. “Are you serious?” I mean really? How dumb do they think their audiences are? On a recent episode Dr. McDreamy performed an open craniotomy (exactly like Avery had during the week of her grid placement) and his patient, in an attempt to kill himself, beat his open skull against the back of his metal bed repeatedly. A few minutes later he is carrying on a conversation with the beautiful nurse who has taken pity on him. Right. Because that’s what you do after you bash your exposed brain against a metal bed. </span><br /><br /><span style=>Ummm hmmm.</span><br /><br /><span style=>Let me just clue you in. When a doctor is performing a nephrectomy (removing someone’s kidney) in the OR they don’t turn to the doctor next to them and say “Oh, no! We have to do a nephrectomy. We have to take out his kidney.” They don’t have to explain to their colleague what a nephrectomy is because, hello!, if I know what a neprhectomy is than so does the doctor standing in the OR! Or at least I sure hope so!</span><br /><br /><span style=>I digress. This episode was so far out there, but one part really struck a nerve with me. One of the characters was giving another doctor a hard time for being callused and not having empathy for her patients, in this case children. She launched into a dramatic monologue about the fact that she not only has empathy for the children and their families, and especially the patients she loses, but it bothers her so much that she dreams of tiny caskets. </span><br /><br /><span style=>I too, have nightmares of a tiny casket. </span><br /><br /><span style=><em>(Bear with me. I’m not being morbid. This is my reality and I’m just being “brutally honest” as so many of you have commented about my writing.)</em></span><br /><br /><span style=>I’ve had the same dream several times and it never fails to leave me sick to my stomach and curled up on the floor next to Avery’s crib. In my dream I’m standing at the back of the church I’ve gone to since I was born. I’m standing at the end of the altar looking toward the front of the church and I know that there is a tiny casket at the end of that altar. The altar my parents carried me down to baptize me. The same altar I would years later carry Kaylen and then Avery down to be baptized. The altar I walked down to receive my first communion and the altar that my father walked me down the day of my wedding. In this dream I’m walking down the altar toward the tiny casket and I see people I’ve known my whole life filling the pews. I fight my way up out of this dream every time, willing myself to wake up. I force myself up out of the depths of my sleep into consciousness before I reach the end of the altar. I never want to reach the end of that altar, because in my dream I know who rests in that tiny casket. </span><br /><br /><span style=>This is just another of the many ways this horrendous disease has changed our lives. Even our sleep isn’t a place to escape from it. *And please don’t email me suggesting therapy. My dear friends, been there done that. The one time I spoke with a therapist he suggested I embrace the philosophy “Carpe Diem” In other words, “Seize the Day!” He actually said that after I told him Avery’s story. Did he not hear a word I had just said? “Carpe Diem?” Seize the day? Seriously. I busted out laughing right there on the leather couch! Seize the Day! Are you kidding me!? We’ve been seizing every dang day for two years. I can only imagine what he wrote in my chart:) This <em>is</em> my therapy:)</span><br /><br /><span style=>My other favorite show is the Bachelor. I know, I know. It’s a little trashy but it’s also very funny. So if you’re followed along, this season’s bachelor was the much loved Jason. Towards the middle of the show he had to choose between two girls that he supposedly cared about equally. On one date in particular he took two girls and at the end of the "date" he had to decide which girl to send packin’ and which girl to ‘keep.’ Really. It sounds much worse than it is. But in his obvious distress he made the comment, “It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.”<br /><br />And now I’m out two good shows. </span><br /><br /><em><span style=>The hardest decision he’s ever had to make. </span></em><br /><br /><span style=>If only. Right now Britton and I are trying to decide if we should allow surgeons to cut into our precious girl’s brain for the third time to remove most of what remains of the left side of her brain. Or perhaps we should we continue switching medicines on her like musical chairs hoping that one of them will eventually stop the seizures? Or perhaps we should do nothing and just accept that they will always be a part of her life, all the while, hoping and praying that one of them won’t take her life. I’ve told many friends that having a child with a devastating disease is like living my worst nightmare. That’s not exactly accurate is it? Losing a child to a devastating disease is certainly my biggest fear. I worry every day that I will lose my Avery Elizabeth to a seizure. It happens my friends. The monsters under our beds are very real. We live with them day in and day out. So I’m not being morbid in the slightest when I tell you that I am so afraid of losing my baby girl. </span><br /><br /><span style=>How is anyone supposed to make these kinds of decisions? We have prayed, and weighed the options, and researched, and prayed some more and on Sunday we will leave for LA for Avery to undergo her second surgical evaluation at UCLA Medical Center. Depending on the results of that evaluation, Avery will be having <em>her third brain surgery</em> as soon as early May, but more likely it will be closer to June. My brain can’t even begin to contemplate these sentences I just wrote. </span><br /><br /><span style=>We are also faced with the unthinkable decision of temporarily dividing our family in order to get Avery closer to the therapy she so desperately needs. Through an amazing connection we made a few weeks ago, we have found a center where Avery could receive the recommended forty hours a week of ABA therapy. However, it is in Kansas City and we are here. The jobs that we love are here, our home and the community that we love is here, Kaylen is here and Britton is here. Our family is close by. But the therapy Avery needs isn’t here. We can’t just pack up and move. So do we divide and conquer? Do Avery and I leave Britton and Kaylen during the week so that sweet girl can get the help we believe in our hearts she needs? How can I leave two of the most important people in my life? How do I choose between my girls?</span><br /><br /><span style=>So Jason. Buddy. If choosing which beautiful girl to date is the hardest decision you will ever have to make, consider yourself blessed.</span><br /><br /><span style=>So there you have it. You’ve laughed, you’ve cried. I’m back. Thank you so much for your kind words and messages after my last not-so-uplifting update (<span style="color:#ff6666;">on Avery's </span></span><span style=><a href="http://www.carepages.com/carepages/LittleMissAveryUpdates">CarePage</span></a><span style=>). I know from the emails and private messages I received that many of you were concerned that I am suffering a “crisis of faith.” We are very tired, but our faith is the only thing that keeps us going. If I’ve learned anything in the last three years, it’s that it’s o.k. to get angry with God sometimes. He is bigger than our anger and he can handle it. When your children are mad at you because you won’t give them something they really want, do you turn your backs on them or write them off? Of course not. I delight in the Lord and know, despite what I feel and think sometimes, that he will never leave or forsake us. We know that God is God and we are not and this is enough. I think sometimes we’ve been taught to tiptoe around God, but we believe and scripture tells us it’s o.k. to come boldly before the throne.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style=>Thank you for continuing to do just that for Avery and our entire family. </span><br /><br /><span style=>"Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" Hebrews 4:16.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-25785858695569852962009-03-10T04:30:00.000-07:002009-08-03T22:51:27.447-07:00Lisa needs. . .<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY9mEeaAD4xD6w79TlxpBpEzzQ_0gAIIIodgV8XFKOxeqVkVNfXSu0DHKSh3ps1ysuBlXeMTvlgdlkX2xUOwdpzAzgNHRyjlYRgr726iqOsNfmMnR2r7yeZ6WXt5K6TOViOt9e28qw7C2/s1600-h/party_towerimage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311056754636188002" style="WIDTH: 329px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY9mEeaAD4xD6w79TlxpBpEzzQ_0gAIIIodgV8XFKOxeqVkVNfXSu0DHKSh3ps1ysuBlXeMTvlgdlkX2xUOwdpzAzgNHRyjlYRgr726iqOsNfmMnR2r7yeZ6WXt5K6TOViOt9e28qw7C2/s400/party_towerimage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(I borrowed this picture from another blog, but now I can't find it to give her credit? </em></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Seriously that's what I need! Chocolate!)</em></span> </p><span style=>This is too funny. It's actually a version of a note going around on Facebook <em>(Which I am totally addicted to and is one of the main reasons why I neglect this little blog. Did I say that outloud?) </em>Anyways, you go to Google and enter your name plus the word "needs" all in quotes (so "Lisa needs") It is pretty funny to see what comes up in your search. It's even funnier when done in a bar with good friends and an iPhone after a few drinks. . . Ehh hemm, Amy? Jennifer? What do you need? </span><br /><br /><span style=>Heres what you do: Go to Google.com and do a search. Type in your first name and the word needs after it in quotes. Then copy the top ten things Google says you "need." O.k. here goes:</span><br /><br /><span style=>1.) Lisa needs braces. (I had braces when I was 15, but some of my teeth did turn back, so I guess this is kinda true?)</span><br /><span style=>2.) Lisa needs to get a life! (Hmmmm. I'm pretty happy with the one I've got thanks!)</span><br /><span style=>3.) Lisa needs a nap. (Amen!)</span><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>4.) Lisa needs a home ASAP. (Nope, I'm safe and sound in my beautiful home!)</span><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>5.) Lisa needs your help! (O.k.?)<br /></span><br /><span style=>6.) Lisa needs help with her vertical blinds. (Those darn vertical blinds. . . )<br /></span><br /><span style=>7.) Lisa needs a bigger grin. (Hence the braces.)<br /></span><br /><span style=>8.) Lisa needs braces. (Holy cow. This was like every other google hit! I must seriously have bad teeth?)</span><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>9.) Lisa needs a new concealer. (Yes! Yes I do! I have dark circles and age spots! This one is true!)</span><br /><span style=></span><br /><span style=>10.) Lisa needs to be committed (and the tag line underneath: "Okay all I'm going to say is that girl is very unstable. She seriously needs her head checked. " ) Too, too funny! True?<br /></span><br /><span style=>Soooo,</span><span> <a href="http://www.littlegrahamcrackers.blogspot.com/">Bethany</span></a><span style=>, </span><a href="http://simplyus-nikki.blogspot.com/"><span><Nikki></span></a><span style=>, </span><span><a href="http://www.enjoyablejourney.blogspot.com/">Rachel</span></a><span style=>, and all my Facebook bffs, what do you need? (Some of you need to get your own blog- That's what you need. Umm hmm. You know who you are:)</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-38098222347972581202009-03-08T23:59:00.000-07:002009-03-08T21:59:17.362-07:00Good Intentions<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">When I first started this blog, I had every intention of updating it often. Then life happened. In a good way. I don't find as many hours in the day this spring as I did last year at this time to pop in and upload pictures and tell stories. I'm hoping that someday things will settle down (Right.) and I will be able to be a better blogger! For now, you can send me to blogger time out. . .<br /><br />Since I last updated, things have settled down for Miss Avery. We think that our last trip to the ER was due to her anti-seizure medication levels being off. I could write a book about the woes of weaning and adding seizure medications. Hate em'! She has had a lot of good days in the last three weeks which is such a blessing. Right now sweet Avery girl is my shadow. I mean literally. She is pretty much within twelve inches of me nearly all of her waking hours- and sometimes her sleeping hours too! She just doesn't want to let me out of her sight and I'm o.k. with that, it just makes things complicated. Things like laundry, cooking, cleaning and blogging can become tricky with a 35 pound toddler attached to your hip! Sometimes I can get away with talking on the phone for long periods of time because I can continue to play or do whatever it is Miss Avery insists on while holding the phone between my shoulder and ear:)<br /><br />Kaylen has been busy with school, dance, Girl Scouts (and selling cookies!), birthday parties and losing teeth (a total of four now!) She is growing up so fast, with her seventh (<em>gasp!)</em> <gasp>birthday party fast approaching! We are playing around with ideas for a theme right now, but I think we are going for a cross between a camp-out and a diva slumber party. We'll see how much time I find in the next month or so to pull something together! Britton's schedule is still crazy with winter sports just ending and spring sports beginning. Many weeks the girls don't see him for several days in a row because he leaves before they are awake and gets home long after their bedtime <sigh>. Two weeks ago, I spent a week in D.C., advocating for increased funding for </span><a href="http://www.tsalliance.org/"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">TSC</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"> research, have been planning our trip to California for Avery's surgical evaluation at UCLA over spring break, and am trying to stay on top of assignments for my Master's class, besides working part time and keeping up with two very busy little girls. I don't mind being busy, I just wish sometimes I had a few less items on my to-do list:) So for now I will leave you with a few random pics of the main reasons why I don't find much time to blog these days! Excuses, excuses. I know:)</span><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4re4SGxIr_ApjUylfOYlGhbi9kGgc3zM2p31p_ZSTNDjQSoX-ApXeSIxqYVunkenZvebDCAhuXPTEqvFR6Dlzda4Qj0eu-CGPfM1Doob0G1ewXalKWajSvsA-9J1Wb9Lpq2g7Og5ME2-/s1600-h/Sweeties+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311046658019486050" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4re4SGxIr_ApjUylfOYlGhbi9kGgc3zM2p31p_ZSTNDjQSoX-ApXeSIxqYVunkenZvebDCAhuXPTEqvFR6Dlzda4Qj0eu-CGPfM1Doob0G1ewXalKWajSvsA-9J1Wb9Lpq2g7Og5ME2-/s400/Sweeties+041.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JLFezDI5G-NEKME0xqkCv8O7rfLc7xoaC-I6wbyzM4na5kL7UQpkekrXg_VqdYznupBvq2-o8a098hm1J9Rp3a5VsDk_tC1ha8EO1d205XZrGGtXh9kcce-rVu5KrTCqpIOFHaj_8469/s1600-h/Sweeties+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311046650038667826" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JLFezDI5G-NEKME0xqkCv8O7rfLc7xoaC-I6wbyzM4na5kL7UQpkekrXg_VqdYznupBvq2-o8a098hm1J9Rp3a5VsDk_tC1ha8EO1d205XZrGGtXh9kcce-rVu5KrTCqpIOFHaj_8469/s400/Sweeties+038.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4jQrEnri-J5uQUsaUDdXD9OmKYkuiAb_MenmA2fvQKKATB-r3ZracK472udOudmq9XfX7g_nq2HTscfKyrnTUExfkRw4HICET_ADNeFG0Tg5JVcVpmpbQv0zLb0flnNDvZ6JIxzQsrRT/s1600-h/Sweeties+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311046649101452338" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4jQrEnri-J5uQUsaUDdXD9OmKYkuiAb_MenmA2fvQKKATB-r3ZracK472udOudmq9XfX7g_nq2HTscfKyrnTUExfkRw4HICET_ADNeFG0Tg5JVcVpmpbQv0zLb0flnNDvZ6JIxzQsrRT/s400/Sweeties+039.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p><img class="centered" alt="post signature" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/BLOG%20DESIGN/ONCEUPONABLOG/lisasigcopy.jpg" /></p></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-611089556358469013.post-58091336047414808142009-02-13T13:58:00.000-08:002009-02-13T14:30:30.421-08:00Pray for Avery<span style="font-size:130%;">Our sweet girl is really in need of a break right now. Yesterday was a long, horrible day. She woke up from her nap absolutely hysterical and was inconsolable for several hours. She vomited a few times and then just passed out (as in fainted) and I panicked.<br /><br />We spent the night in Children's Mercy getting lab work and a CT scan but the doctor's were not able to explain what caused this particular event or tell us what to do to prevent it from happening again. Welcome to life with <a href="http://www.tsalliance.org/"><span style="color:#ff6666;">TSC</span></a>.<br /><br />It took seven sticks to get this IV. Our sweet girl is bruised and looks like a pin cushion this morning.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLrilL8LeOCz_reZ9O4xRMt-YxT_Lqg3g5-EjP9F-I2-eQ2FZpuv_Yh_6Nqu5MJ8V4UIoBB4d6eL-Sj7px5X4o77j_j7jF67UEiQdLSu66GPCHCvi3CGaNCkTLELTXiREO-DEBYKUFv5b/s1600-h/Picture+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302371251235299122" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLrilL8LeOCz_reZ9O4xRMt-YxT_Lqg3g5-EjP9F-I2-eQ2FZpuv_Yh_6Nqu5MJ8V4UIoBB4d6eL-Sj7px5X4o77j_j7jF67UEiQdLSu66GPCHCvi3CGaNCkTLELTXiREO-DEBYKUFv5b/s400/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">After a head CT scan to rule out changes with her tumors Avery was so out of it from the sedation meds that she kinda forgot to breathe. She struggled to keep her O2 sats up and needed blow by oxygen for a while.</span> <div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKtE0vmCU2xZjYdmyEhDYc2zf2SuXwjqNu6yf2rCf6JsM704tmg2RpYprrFZtgcipTg5WVPpzKdJGCpQnQh6bhFtF_ByxbyzDeUL5s8A3KsQioTYoCnZeZO3XdLLqOTBAGGKFsKOrvjhi/s1600-h/Picture+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302371880400497314" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKtE0vmCU2xZjYdmyEhDYc2zf2SuXwjqNu6yf2rCf6JsM704tmg2RpYprrFZtgcipTg5WVPpzKdJGCpQnQh6bhFtF_ByxbyzDeUL5s8A3KsQioTYoCnZeZO3XdLLqOTBAGGKFsKOrvjhi/s400/Picture+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We are home now, with few answers and many questions. Thank you for checking in on our sweet girl and saying a prayer or two for us!<br /></span></div><p><img class="centered" alt="post signature" src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/BLOG%20DESIGN/ONCEUPONABLOG/lisasigcopy.jpg" /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Heart felt thoughts</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08719892928114335127noreply@blogger.com6