The Miracle that is Miracles

I was scanning my journal and noticed that I forgot to add a little something to the post I made earlier about Griffin. I thought, "Why deny everyone more of my blah, blah, blahing, right?!" So here you go...



Shortly after Griffins' birthday, Ry and I watched a show on discovery Channel about the plane that went down in the Hudson River awhile ago. Some of the things that were said helped to make a complete circle of thought in my head. The water landing performed by the captain of that US Airways flight has been called a miracle for several different reasons. Ditching in the water is considered to be the very last resort in that type of a situation. Unless you come in on the exact angle, the plane will break into pieces and many lives can be lost just from the impact alone. The plane can also flood quickly and it was the dead of winter so they landed in a river of ice chunks. Amazingly enough, not one life was lost! There were some injuries and problems once the plane landed safely in the water but every one of the program that was interviewed called it a miracle. They each expressed their thoughts as events unfolded and every one of them talked about some key elements that helped me connect the dots. First, the fact that they thought they were going to die and second, that they each spent months afterward examining the things in their lives. Things that truly are important and what things don't matter at all. Going through such a harrowing experience had a profound impact on their perspective.

Now I have never been in a plane crash but I do know that a miracle in your life is an undeniable catalyst for change. Griffins' first of week of life was just the miracle that I needed to rise above the dark clouds and see a little sun. Like I said in the previous post, we were in the process of moving. A move that I fought for over a year. I knew that we were making the right decision but I was still dragging my feet. I was happy where we were and Ry had worked his tail off getting our basement done. We had made many trips here to Colorado to look at houses and get familiar with the community. It seemed okay but I wanted to stay put. when we went through the ordeal with Griffin I realized it really didn't matter where we are as long as we're together. It also made me more grateful for the chance to be a Mom. I had taken for granted the blessings that my children are in my life. The everyday is so quick to cloud the mind. It is so easy to become bored with the routine of being a Mom you can lose sight of the miracle.
As we celebrated Mother's Day this past Sunday I got to ponder on the blessing that is family. Yes, I had Rys' amazing waffles for breakfast and there was beautiful handmade cards by the girls. But the best part of Mothers' Day was relishing in the opportunity I have of being a Mom and the everyday miracle that is life. I am so grateful for the bitter hard stuff we go though so that when the sweet shows up we know the difference.

I am so not like that...am I?!

So Izzy had a science fair project due today and we have been working on it every night, all week long!! When these kind of assignments come home it creates alot of anxiety for me. HOW RIDICULOUS IS THAT?! I think about it every day and stress about it at night. I constantly drill Isabel with questions about the chosen topic and basically take over the entire thing!! Last night as we were putting the final touches up on the board I got after Ry for not evenly spacing the various graphs and info sheets. He then perceeded to call me a "sick perfecionist". I started the wind up of defense and then the light bulb went on...Oh no, I thought, I am one of THOSE Moms'!!! It is horrifying sometimes to get a true glimpse of who we are. I know I am very picky. Okay, sometimes too picky. I do like things a certain way which can be a hinderance but I want to also defend it and say that I consider it to be a help most of the time!! Izzys' project turned out great! Not just because I am nuts but because we worked together!! Tomorrow we get to go see them displayed and I will take some pics so you can judge for yourself!!

M is for Mindy...

Look I am on a roll!! 2 days in a row, WOO HOO for me!

We went to Idaho this weekend. It was a good trip and so great to see my new little niece and spend time with family. Beyond all that, our kids totally rocked it out!!! The trip is gruelling to me!! 9 to 10 hours in the car, YUCK!!!!!! I hate confined spaces or sitting still so riding in a vehicle for that long turns me into a gremlin. Usually the girls spend most of the time fighting and arguing about everything while Griffin cries because he wants me to free him from the straight jacket that is his carseat. Close your eyes and picture the scene...see what I mean? Utter annoyance at its highest levels!! But not this trip!

Isabel was helpful, GASP!!
Ella was quiet and polite, GASP again!!
And for the piece Du resistance...Griffin was the most chill of all!!

It was still long and cramped but not hair-pulling-out frustrating. So GREAT!!
We had a baby shower for new little Addie which was fun and we got a chance to hang out with family. Also I got to shop!! So shallow and vain I know! But I was so happy for a couple of hours to do whatever, So GREAT also!! The funniest thing happened that I did not hear myself but Ry told me and I nearly split my side in laughter!!

On Saturday morning the girls were sitting by Ry and Izzy had Ryan's wallet. She was going through it and Ry noticed that she was giggling. He then saw here hand the Drivers License over to Ella and point to a place on the front of the license. Ella wrinkled her nose and said, "Ew SEX, gross...what is the M for?" Izzy then answered very teacher-like "The M is for Mindy, cause that is who he has sex with!!" So funny! I should probably have prefaced this with explaining that we have had many conversations about the "birds and the bees". The girls were very interested in where Griffin came from and how he got there. My philosophy, when it comes to sex ed or info on anything else, is to be honest and explain and answer as best I can. Also to be first to explain so they want to talk to me about it and not just their friends. Of course they will hear things and I cannot control their enviorment all the time but I have tried to have an open dialogue. I love how they are growing and how funny they are together! I love to eavesdrop on their conversations and hear what worries them or makes them laugh!

The Amazing Griffin!!

So I had that vow about not falling behind...I have already broken it! Big suprise! I am just going to keep doing my best and hopefully get into some pattern.

Lots happens around here everyday and I would like to stay current enough to at least share some funny stories along with the milestones of family life. One recent milestone was Griffins' 1 year birthday. It was a great day for many reasons!! BTW, I am so glad this is not a web cam because I don't think I could journal, talk or even think about what this means to me without starting the waterworks.



It is such an amazing time when a new baby is born! There is great excitement and trepidation. You can't wait to see what they look like and how it will feel to hold and kiss your new arrival. When we arrived at the hospital on April 17th 2008 these were the thoughts running through my head. I was being induced, as I have been with every baby. I was 39 weeks and ready to be done. Things went really fast and in 2 hours we had a 7 lb. 9oz. baby boy! He came out screaming and things looked great for about 15 minutes. Then it all went downhill from there! The pic above shows the retraction in his chest that the nurses noticed as they were cleaning him up. He was taken to the NICU for respiratory distress and then life-flighted later to U of U Medical Canter for a believed pulmonary embolism or hole in his lung. It was not the ideal situation by far! We were living in Shelley, Idaho at the time and we were moving 10 days later from our house because Ry had accepted a new job in Colorado.
Ry went with the life-flight team down to SLC and the next morning my parents drove me and our vehicle down. Ry and I spent the week at the NICU and I don't think I have ever prayed so hard in my whole life! I saw many amazing things there and felt the angels that walk the halls and kneel by the bedsides of those little miracles. I didn't get to hold my babe until he was a few days old and that was difficult but I felt like we were so blessed to have him here. He recovered quite quickly, much faster than we or his doctors thought. He was only hospitalized for a week and has done nothing but grow and develope perfectly.
As I made Griffins' birthday cake, a memory came to me. When I finally got to nurse Griffin it was so great!! He did really well and we were on the road to recovery and taking him home. As I finished nursing him I noticed all the comotion across the hall. Things are generally pretty quiet in the part of the NICU Griffin was "parked". It is a kind of cubical for each space and it houses 2 or 3 babies each. As I sat in my blissful state rocking my baby and thanking God for his life, I could not help but feel the tension from the staff and doctors as they were trying to keep a baby from slipping to the other side. I had seen the Mom around, at the pumping stations or getiing some lunch. She looked weary and worn from the strain of enduring the emotional roller coaster that is a sick baby. My heart ached for her as I stared at her slummped shaking shoulders. That image came to me as I stirred the chocolate frosting for Bubbys' cake. All at once I realized how incredibly blessed we are to have our little Bubby still with us. Life truly is a precious thing! I am grateful for the chance I had to learn that lesson. Heres' to many more birthdays!!

Catching Up!!

So, I am not staying current at all when it comes to blogging, in case you hadn't noticed!! I can always seem to find other ways to spend my time or I could just be avoiding the computer. No the last one isn't it because I can find plenty of time to waste on facebook. Oh well, I will ponder it further and then it can be a future post!
Because of my procrastination I will touch on a few big things that happened in the past few months and then make a solemn vow to stay current. Okay, here we go...

In Feburary, Ry and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss, HA!! I am only speaking from my POV but the last word that I would ever associate with myself would be bliss! I am difficult, demanding, assertive and occasionally moody. That is right people, I own it!! Every inch of stubborness and every pound of pride! That is why I consider it no small feat that Ry is somehow able to put up with it every day. It goes far beyond just the fact that he accepts my many and varied flaws. Amazingly, he loves them or maybe more accurately he loves me and in turn accepts the whole package "as is"! Now Ry is definately not without his own "special qualities" but that is the beauty part, we each call it as we see it!! I think the most important thing I have learned from Ry is to laugh it off! I cannot tell you how many times I have choked on toothpaste while we were brushing our teeth. Usually it happens because Ry will do his rendition of a phone conversation we had that day where I was yelling about something(it doesn't happen that often, but when it does they make for great nightime bathroom standup)! Once we were going to Idaho and I had spent days getting us packed because Ry was out of town. Ry said he would be home by 2 or 2:30. I had the car packed, the kids ready, the house clean and finally get a call at 4:15! Needless to say I was not nice! Ry calls from his cell, "HI, um I am in a helicopter about a half-hour from the office, okay?" Along with many other screams that I let out that day, the one that has stuck and is repeated often is "You better get your Ass home!!!" (Must be said in a somewhat high-pitched voice with alot of vinegar behind it!) Ry puts his shoulders back and flips his head from side to side when he says it and I die of laughter every time!! That seems kind of a trivial story to share when I think of the past 11 years and all the many incredible things that we have been through! Each time I had a baby and the look on Rys' face as he welcomed our children into this world. Each time we stayed up late embroiled in some useless argument. Each time we considered new employment or a move to somewhere else. Each time we drive in the car and he reaches his hand out to hold mine. Each time we kneel in family prayer. Each time he leaves for a trip and each time he comes home. Each kiss, each hug, every smile, all are burned indelibly on my heart. I could not have imagined a more wonderful life or a better man. I am so blessed!!

Tagged!!

1.How long have you been together?
Married 11 years in February.

2.How long did we date? I am afraid to answer that one!! We talked on the phone for the first time Dec. 13, 1997. We were married Feb. 27, 1998. I wouldn't change a thing!!

3. How old is he? 32

4. Who eats more? Me, sadly enough!!

5. Who said, "I love you," first? I don't know...According to Ry I kissed him first, but I didn't he came 90 and I came in the other 10!

6. Who is taller? Ry, thankfully!

7. Who does the laundry? That one is mostly Ry!

8. Who does the dishes? Again I would say Ry. I cook, he cleans up!

9. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are looking at the bed I do.

10. Who pays the bills? Ry mostly!!

11. Who mows the lawn? Again Ry, this is looking bad for me!

12. Who cooks dinner? Oh good, this one is all me! Ry does make the most phenomenal waffles though!!

13. Who is more stubborn? That has got to be me, I am a pain!

14. Who kissed who first? I will say that is a draw, we both wanted to kiss!!

15. Who asked who out? Kind of me! I had a work party and my parents knew his parents and I called him because I didn't know anyone else and his girlfriend answered the phone!! That is right, girlfriend!! I spoke quickly and when I hung up I thought I was headed to the party stag but he called me back 2 hours later, we talked forever. He asked me out for the night before the party, that was a Thursday, and on Sunday he asked me what temple I wanted to get married in? Two weeks later we were offically engaged, INSANITY!!

16. Who proposed? Ry, on his knee the whole bit!

17. Who is more sensitive? Of course the girl, hello!!

18. Who has more siblings? Me, 5 brothers.

19. What were you doing ten years ago? Pregnant with Isabel, whoa how time flies!!

20. Five things on my to-do list: Make dinner, paint stripes in Griffins room, get a cool mantle for the fireplace, make a cheesecake for Rys' B-day, pack for going home for the holidays!!

21.Things I would do if I was suddenly made a billionaire. Definately pay off the house, travel somewhere with a great beach and save baby save!!

22. Three of my bad habits: Procrastination!! Aw I stink at planning ahead sometimes. I get worked up way too fast, I don't live in the moment as often as i should!!

23. Five places I have lived: West Valley, Utah, Bountiful, Utah, Pocatello, Idaho, Shelley, Idaho, Montrose Colorado.

24. Five jobs I have had: Supergrinders night manager, The Buckle, Bank of Commerce, Office manager, Photographer

25. Things people don't know about me: There is so many like I am going to list them!!

Edward Who????

I am still trying to figure out what exactly a blog is supposed to be. People use them for everything from keeping in touch with family to sharing recipes and beyond. I started our blog back in September mainly to show how the kids were doing and to give me some motivation to take more pictures(it was still feeling like a job until a few months ago). Thanks to the inspiration of others I find myself with the urge to share my ideas and opinions, express don't repress!! HA Ha Maybe I need to seperate the two? Oh, well...
Last night I went with a gaggle of ladies to see the much anticipated Twilight. We drove to Grand Junction (which is an hour away) to not only see the movie but to get a break from the norm. As we were driving the women, and we are all women age 30 and above, started talking about the book and I found myself to be the only one who was not completely infatuated with Edward. I would consider myself just as much a fan as anyone. Goodness, I read the first 3 books in less than 5 days!! Of course Edward & Bella seem perfect for each other and he is written as sensitive, strong and protective. He is also described as breathtaking to look at and a body that appears to be chiseled from marble. All of that is great, but Edward has never been the motivation for reading the books. I suppose it is more a chance to remember what it feels like to fall in love. Crap, that sounds totally corny!! It is however the truth.
Years ago, before I was married I sat through a relief society lesson that I thought was a load of steaming hot manuear!! The Stake President was talking to us about marriage and relationships when he said something to the effect that on the day he got married he didn't really know what love was and that the love we find in our youth can't even compare to what it can become. I was 18 at the time and knew everything! Of course I knew what love was all about. At the time it was about getting something on Valentines Day or flowers for no reason. It was about stolen kisses and long talks tying up the phone lines. It was about having a date on Friday night or to the prom. It was about holding hands with someone as you walk to class and feeling butterflies every time you saw that person. My idea of love was infatuation or lust, but definately not love!
Now, more than a decade later, I am getting just a glimmer of what it truly means to be in love. Don't get me wrong, that intial feeling of uphoria is a powerful force but it truly cannot compare to the ever deepening flow that exsists when 2 people truly love each other. Ry shows me that every day!! I have said before that I just don't get out much. Griffin is my little sidekick, which I love, but it can make a simple outing such as a girls night out nearly impossible. Sherrie, my friend was coordinating the whole Twilight extravaganza. I told her earlier in the week that I was not going because I could not leave Griffin for that long due to the nursing that he refuses to cut back on and his outright refusal of any bottle. My amazing husband came home that night and said no way was I missing a chance to hang out with other adults. He drove to Grand Junction and took care of Griffin while I went to the movie. Beyond that he went and picked up a light fixture that I wanted for the dining room. Not the one he wanted the one I had picked out. I think that for me love is about the small and simple, compromise and sacrifice, and above all it is about putting their needs on the top of the list. I am truly grateful for a man that shows me how that is done everyday!! And just for the record, I still get butterflies everyday he walks in the door!