Are you sure it's Christmas time?

I am having an extremely difficult time getting into the spirit of the holidays this year. Perhaps it's because we are moving on the 31st and therefore I did not bother to put up any decorations. Maybe it's because I won't be with my family this year. We'll be in Delaware with Mike's family...I love them and we have a good time with them, but it's never the same as being with your own family and experiencing the traditions you grow up with. Of course it could also be the depressing events that have taken place in my life in the past couple weeks.

No matter what the cause, I have put myself on a hunt to 'find my spirit.' The best way I could think of to do this was to throw myself into some spiritual soul searching and taking care of my family. We have an awesome Bishop who stopped by the other day and brought me his sincerest apologies and a book to help ease my pain. I devoured every page of said book within 45 minutes and it has been a huge help in putting my mind and heart at ease. I also have a wonderful husband who has been a great source of strength and compassion the past couple weeks. He lets me talk or cry when I need to and distracts my attention at all other times. Dylan has decided to come out of the terrible two's for the time being and has truly been the light of my life. He is a ball of constant energy from 4am until 7pm every day. He is learning so many new things and finally talking up a storm. My mother has also been a huge help. She came to town in the midst of trying to get ready for their holiday trip to Ohio. I am so greatful that she was willing to drop everything to come to my aid. I have also discovered what amazing friends I have. I've always known that I lucked out in the friendship department, but I have been overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support I have felt from everyone. Can you tell I've been trying to count my blessings?

In the midst of counting my blessings and trying to find the Christmas spirit, I have also been re-aquainting myself with my Savior. At a time when I could be angry and ask 'Why me?'...I have let myself lean on the Lord for support and strength. I'm all of a sudden understanding that He never leaves me alone. I have felt His arms encircle me with love and he is carrying me through my most difficult life trial.

So, while I still haven't gotten into the festivities of the holiday season, I think I finally found my 'Spirit.'

Party Time!

I'll get to the Birthday Party details momentarily. I just wanted to share this picture that I took using my Christmas present. Dylan and I had a fun day at the park the other day. He ran around, climbing on everything while I played with my new Canon Rebel.

Okay, now for the important stuff. We celebrated Dylan's birthday by having a party for him and all his little friends at The Little Gym yesterday. I cannot even begin to tell you what a great idea it was. I paid Little Gym a small sum of money and they took care of everything but the cake. All we had to do was show up no sooner than 10 minutes before party time and we got to enjoy an hour and a half of pure fun.

Dylan always loved going to his class at the gym, so I figured he would enjoy returning for a couple hours. I was not prepared, however, for just how much the boy would love his party. From the moment the gym doors were opened, he was running and laughing and screaming. He was just so ecstatic to be there. LG runs the party like one of their classes for an hour and then they have a party room where you can do cake and presents for a half hour. It was the perfect amount of time for 2 and almost 2 year olds.

We had an awesome turnout, which I totally wasn't expecting. I usually expect to have about half the invitees show up. We only had two not come! Most of the other kids hadn't been to LG before, so it was just as much fun to watch them have a good time and explore. I didn't take too many pictures because I was busy laughing at my son. And you will not find any pictures of him opening gifts because he really couldn't have cared less about them once he opened a box of crayons!

Dylan absolutely loved his cake. He took his dear, sweet time enjoying every last bite.

Mike and his mom...they're a little technologically challenged. Ha ha. (Thanks Renee for bringing your camcorder!)

Dylan barely participated in the structured playtime because he was too busy climbing all over all the equipment. That's okay...it was his party and all we cared about was that he had an amazing time.

Being Refined

Due to recent events, this message was extremely touching to me.

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

"This verse puzzled some women in a scripture study class and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next class. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn´t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silver smith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy – when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you."

I will admit that I really hate this refining process. Most of the time it is difficult to look beyond the immediate disappointments and pain. I am well aware, however, that God's hand leads me where He wants me to go.

Not Goodbye...Just See You Later!

One of my good friends, Noelle, is moving out of state for a little while. Our group decided to send her off with one last Girl's Night Out and a little something to help her remember us.

Each of us put together a few scrapbook pages from our Girl's Nights and playdates with the kids. It turned out super cute and I know Noelle loved it.

Renee just wanted to show off some of our handiwork.

Heather and Christy giving their best adios smiles.

Jill and I are putting the finishing touches on our work of art.

The whole club. We love you Noelle (& Riley and Chris;))!

Noelle leaving is kind of bittersweet for me. She and her husband are hoping to move back to the area in a year or two, so they didn't want to sell their house. Turns out that Mike and I had been talking about looking for a house to rent recently and Noelle knew that. She offered up a great deal on their beautiful home and the price was right. So, while my friend is leaving for a bit...I'm super excited about 'taking care of' her house while she's gone. Not only does it provide more indoor living space for us, but it has a really nice sized lot with a fenced in backyard. With a dog and toddler, that yard is going to come in handy. It's out in the country, so a little farther away from shopping, but it will be closer to Mike's jobsite. This is going to be a great change for our little family. We'll be moving in the week after Christmas.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN!!!!

I can't believe this, but my baby is TWO years old today. My gosh...I thought everyone was exaggerating about how time flies when it comes to your kids growing up, but it's true. I'm a little upset about this myth turned fact. As much as I've hated the temper tantrums of toddlerhood, I would bottle up this time and keep Dylan this age forever if I could. He has turned into a hilarious little boy and keeps me smiling every single day. Happy Birthday Little Bug!

In honor of Dylan turning two, I recently had my good friend Gina do a photo shoot of him. She did an amazing job and was really able to capture Dylan's cute personality on film. I haven't received my CD of all the shots yet, but I was able to 'lift' this picture from Gina's website (www.ginasteinagelphotography.blogspot.com). I'll share more when I get my CD.

We were able to spend Thanksgiving weekend with my parents in Charleston. We had a great time eating good food, exploring the city, and just hanging out as a family. Because we'll be with Mike's family for Christmas, my parents wanted to celebrate with us while we were at their house. This is our annual picture in front of the tree.

Mike and I got caught up in a Wii battle. We played for at least an hour every day we were there. I ruled at bowling with a high score of 203. Unfortunately for me, that was the only game I was good at. Mike beat me time and time again at Mario Kart.

Dylan decided that he loves Gramma's Caramel Rolls.

Being Thankful

I'm not sure if I'll have time to do this tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure that I publicly give thanks for the many wonderful blessings that I enjoy. I feel undeserving of many of them, but I am greatful for a gracious God who always is watching over me. With that said, here is my current Top Ten:

I am thankful for:
10. Mike's job and that he seems to have pretty good job security
9. a warm bed to sleep in on these cold Winter nights
8. people who are so willing to share their many talents
7. beautiful music that fills the air everywhere I go
6. the miracle of life
5. wonderful friends who are always willing to lend a helping hand
4. my parents and parents-in-law for all that they do for me and my little family
3. my sweet little Dylan...I love him more than life itself
2. Mike...he is such an amazing husband and father
1. my Savior

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Dylan and I (and my mom) had the opportunity to spend the past week in New Jersey with my sister, Kathleen, and her new baby, Noah. We had a great time and I loved being able to snuggle a baby again. Noah is such a good baby and has the most adorable face. Dylan loved looking at his cousin, touching his nose, and helping put Noah's pacifier in his mouth. It was so cute to watch him interact with Noah. He'll make a great big brother some day.

While in New Jersey, we happened upon Santa in the mall. Kathleen really wanted a picture with the two boys and Santa. In order to make that happen, I of course had to hold Dylan. I was not about to be in the picture solo, so Kathleen had to be in it, too. You can tell from the picture how excited Dylan was about sitting next to Santa.

Trick or Treat

There really were some redeeming qualities of this past weekend. On Friday, I was able to take Dylan on his first Trick or Treating experience. I wish Mike could have joined us for the fun, but he had to stay home and supervise a demo team.

My friend Renee was kind enough to invite us over for a pizza party and trick or treating. Dylan always loves being around his friends and this was no exception. He had such a great time, especially once he figured out he was going to get candy at every house.

This is my little golfer before the activities of the evening. I ended up carrying his pumpkin most of the night, so I will call myself his caddy.

Ever tried to get three toddlers to sit and pose for a picture? At least David knows when to say cheese. Riley and Dylan were more interested in climbing the steps and running around the yard.

Going to get some candy! After the first couple houses, Dylan started to get more brave. Everytime someone opened their front door, he immediately stepped inside the house and started to explore.

He got a little tired of walking after a while, so I ended up carrying him. I just can't believe how big he is getting.

The golfer and the duck.

The aftermath of it all. We returned to Renee's house and watched a little Blue's Clues. Then it was time to head home and report on all the fun to Daddy.

Haunted House

Halloween 2008 started out much like every other day. Dylan woke up at his normal time of 6:30 a.m. We all ate breakfast and visited with Dad as he got ready for work. Mike left for work at normal time and Dylan and I proceeded to get some cleaning done. I have seriously been slacking on cleaning lately, so I was feeling good about actually getting motivated to do it. We were upstairs cleaning the bathrooms and I needed to run downstairs to get the vaccuum. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed little pieces of wet paper towels all over the foyer. I thought maybe Dylan had gotten into the dog's water dish. As I stepped down onto the wood floor, my foot sank and I was standing in about two inches of water. My heart started to race. I walked over to the bathroom, opened the door and was horrified. The toilet was spewing out dirty water...so much water that the trash can was actually floating!

I immediately called Mike to ask him what I should do (I do not handle things like this well because I am a control and neat freak). Mike, not fully comprehending how bad the situation was, told me to use a mop and get the water up quickly. So, I hung up the phone and immediately started using the mop to soak up as much water as possible. After about 10 minutes, I broke down sobbing because I realized this was going to take hours. I called Mike back and reiterated the whole TWO inches of dirty water thing. At that moment, the washing machine (laundry was part of my cleaning) started to drain and water again started spewing out of the toilet, adding another inch or so of water in the bathroom. I was on the verge of hysterics and Mike finally said he would come home to help.

He arrived home 20 minutes later and found me standing with the mop in two inches of poo water, sobbing. He immediately took over with the cleaning and I called our property management company (this is one time I'm very greatful we are renters and not owners). The management company sent over a plumber. Mike got things set up with the plumber while I took Dylan over to my friend Renee's house. Seeing as how the water was in our foyer, bathroom, exercise room, kitchen and living room...I really didn't want my two year old walking around in raw sewage.

When I got home from dropping off Dylan, I found the plumber in the front yard digging a hole. A few minutes later, he uncovered the source of the problem. The main sewage pipe was completely busted. It has probably been busted since the darn place was built last summer. Raw sewage is completely soaking our front yard and it was only a matter of time before it backed into the house. Plumber got the pipe fixed up and left. By this point, Mike had gotten the water cleaned up pretty well and got a lot of our stuff moved to dryer ground.

Next thing I know, I'm on the phone with some guy saying he is coming to check out the water damage. I head back to Renee's to relieve her of Dylan. By the time I get back, there is some guy walking around the house with Mike saying 'all of this is gonna have to come out.' Now, we were thinking some of the carpet and wood flooring. I head upstairs to take a shower (it's around 3 p.m.). By the time I'm done in the shower, there are about 10 guys in my house completely demo-ing the main level and parts of the garage. That's right folks, the water was so bad it leaked down into the garage. They tore out a good chunk of the drywall and insulation in the roof of the garage. Then they moved to the main level of the house. They completely tore out all the baseboards, flooring, and some drywall. My house is basically not livable right now and everything is covered in dust.

I left with Dylan around 4:30pm to go to a Halloween party and the demo guys were still busy destroying stuff. Around 6:30 p.m. Mike called to tell me they were done, but that I might want to find somewhere else to stay for a few days because he didn't think breathing in all the dust would be good for me and Dylan. I have amazing friends and two of them offered to let me and Dylan stay with them. A couple hours later Mike called back saying the dust had settled a lot and wasn't so bad. So, Dylan and came home around 8 p.m.

Let's just say that I never imagined an overflowing toiled would amount to a complete renovation of an entire floor of my house. These pictures don't really do justice to what we are dealing with for the next who knows how long.

Our living room

Half bath and source of water explosion

Foyer

Water damage on garage roof (this has now been torn out completely).

Broken sewage pipe - source of this whole mess. And yes, it is laying right next to the water pipe. We are very happy that the water pipe wasn't cracked.

Uncovering the source.

The day ended, fittingly, with Dylan having his first 'big person' vomit. Awesome!

(I will have real Halloween pictures later. Just waiting on friends to email me pictures.)

He's Heeeerrree!

I am extremely excited to announce the birth of my nephew! My sister, Kathleen, gave birth to Noah Alden Daniel Johnson Sunday, October 26th at 5:56 p.m. Noah weighs 8 lbs 10 oz and is 21 inches long.

Mom and baby are doing fine...just really exhausted.

Look at those adorable, pinchable, chubby cheeks!

The proud momma with her little man.

I just wish I could be there right now! I head to New Jersey November 12th...so I still have to wait a few weeks.

Random Fun

Mike and Dylan have their own little games that they play together. One of Dylan's favorite is 'Brrr.' He loves to hold really cold soda cans and press them to his forhead and have Mike say 'Brrrr.' The kid can seriously play this game for an hour. It's pretty cute to watch the two of them.
Mike takes turns playing the game with Dylan.

I have decided that a lot of times, Dylan acts up due to lack of male presence in his life. At times, Mike has to work a lot of hours and can go two or three days without seeing Dylan. So, one day last week, I took Dylan up to Mike's work and we all went out to lunch. We had a great time and Dylan was literally jumping all over the place. As soon as we got home, he crashed! The poor kid was so exhausted, he couldn't even make it up onto his bed! Luckily he stayed asleep when I moved him.
Dylan has learned that if he knocks on doors, he will get something in return. Whether it be finding Daddy on the opposite side, letting Taz inside from the deck, or getting a snack. He always waits to see what will happen after he knocks.

Pullen Park

One of the reasons we were so excited to live in North Carolina was because we wanted to experience all four seasons. We are so happy because Fall has finally arrived! We have been taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather and scenery. The Raleigh area has some of the best community parks I have ever seen. Last week, Dylan and I met up with our play group at Pullen Park. It has several different playgrounds, a small duck pond with a walking trail around it, train, carousel, and speed boats. We had a great time.

All the kids were so excited about the train ride. A five minute ride for $1?! Who can resist? This is my friend Renee and her son David enjoying the scenery.

Dylan was SO excited about the train. He really loved riding the carousel pony, too. Unfortunately, I was busy holding him on his pony so I couldn't get a picture.

Everyone kept bugging poor little Brayden.
Dylan and his little friends
Dylan was more interested in running around in the sand than playing on the equipment.
I think he was busy chomping on some Goldfish.

You can't make this stuff up

This morning, I realized I had forgotten to pay a couple bills. So, I was sitting at the computer in my bedroom this morning trying to get some of those depressing things paid. Dylan was sitting on the floor behind me watching 'Little Einsteins' on the Disney Channel. About five minutes into the show, he was at my side whining. These were his exact words/whines, "Ahhh, uck.' Seeing as how whining from Dylan is something I hear at least once every 30 minutes, I just ignored him. After about two minutes of it, I looked down at him. He was standing next to me looking and pointing at his hands while still whining. Upon further observation, I realized he had chocolate smeared all over his hands. I'm talking between his fingers, under the nails, etc. I thought to myself, 'Hmmm, I don't remember giving him any chocolate this morning. Maybe Mike left the pantry door open.'

As I stood up to go inspect the house for the chocolate, I realized that this 'chocolate' was also smeared down Dylan's legs, his back, blanket and a little on the carpet. Oh crap...that's not chocolate...that's...well, that's CRAP!

Side note: On Monday, the pediatrician warned me that Dylan's antibiotic could cause loose stools. I neglected to consider that when I fed him a quesadilla with refried beans and cheese on Tuesday for dinner.

Back to my story, yes, there was poop everywhere. I rushed Dylan into his bedroom so I could wipe him down before throwing him in the bath. (I am not into hosing him off in the shower because that would mean I have to clean the shower, too.) After I finished wiping him off, I told him to go hop in the bathtub. Normally, he will run right into the bathroom and get in the tub without any coercion from me. Well, because Little Einsteins was on, he had to stop and watch. Before the explosion occurred, Dylan had been standing with my tennis shoes on. He decided to re-assume his previous position with my shoes on, standing in front of the tv. Wouldn't you know that he decided he needed to pee. That's right, he peed all over my shoes and the carpet...which was already covered in poop. Luckily they were my old tennis shoes that I only wear for going to the park, but still they were MY shoes!

I finally got the kid in the tub, cleaned him up and then proceeded to clean up the mess in my room. I do believe that this is the grossest experience of my life. I'm thankful for only two things: 1) that Dylan actually came and 'told' me what was going on and 2) that Taz (for once) decided this morning would be a good one to stay on the couch downstairs and sleep!

Rest & Relaxation

Because Dylan is STILL sick, (Yes, that's right, he has been sick for over a month now), I decided to take him to my parent's house last week. I was in serious need of a break from wiping snot off his upper lip every five minutes. In spite of him not feeling well, we ended up having a wonderful time. (I stole these pictures off my mom's blog)

Grandpa and Dylan catching raindrops.

Dylan loves the water, no matter where it's coming from.

Gramma and Dylan playing a round of soccer ball.

Thanks to my parents, I was able to get some much needed R&R. One day, I ran away to the mall for a few hours and then got my hair done. It was awesome!

We arrived home on Saturday and Dylan's nose was still running. By Sunday afternoon, he had developed a croup-y cough. So, first thing this morning I called the pediatrician for the fourth time in a month. I took him in this afternoon and it turns out that all the mucous has now caused him to have an ear infection. Blah for the infection, but yippee for stronger meds! Hopefully this means he will be on the mend shortly.

Flashback Oops...

Guess I forgot to do my flashback last week. I've been forgetting a lot of stuff lately because the sickness going through my house is literally making me go crazy.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about my favorite hair stylist of all time. I'm not really sure why...maybe my horribly visible re-growth has something to do with it or the fact that in the three years since I've moved away from Utah, I have yet to find someone who even comes close to doing my hair like her.

So, this weeks flashback goes out to my Destiny! Yes, that's right - I call her MY DESTINY! Everyone else is just borrowing her until I can afford to hire her on in my full time staff (LOL). If you are ever in Orem, UT...you must make an appointment with her at Platinum. This girl is the BEST! I would give up a lot of stuff to fly to Utah and have her do my hair. I should also mention that she is one of my most missed friends.

Love ya, D!

Being a Mom

What a strange job this is! I had no idea that I would need to develop my detective skills once I was being called Mommy.

Dylan (& I) have been sick for the past three weeks. First, I had a really bad cough that turned out to be bronchitis. The day I was feeling better, Dylan came down with a pretty nasty cold. His nose was a completely snot faucet, high fever, coughing, couldn't sleep because he couldn't breathe - the works. Within two days, Mike and I both came down with the nasty cold. Now, any of you who know me well know that I do not like anything having to do with noses. Snot and boogers make me want to vomit. I have basically spent the last three weeks wiping noses and wiping snot/boogers off my furniture and clothes. Therefore, I have spent the past three weeks gagging and trying very hard not to lose what little food I was able to stomach.

Saturday was really the first day that all three of us were feeling mostly better. Dylan's nose still runs when he cries and I'm still a little stuffed up, but all in we are getting back to normal. But because life is never allowed to be boring, Dylan has developed a strange and somewhat bothersome 'rash' all over his bottom and extremities. I first noticed it while changing his diaper after naptime yesterday. I do what I always do when I have no clue what's going on - called my mom! She thought maybe chicken pox, so I was all prepared to start dealing with them. But, the stupid bumps went away after about an hour. So, I thought, Cool...guess that's done. Nope! Remember, life is never boring. These suckers showed back up with a vengeance around bedtime. I'll spare you pictures, but they look like huge mosquito bites and they are all over Dylan's booty, legs and arms. After doing some Internet research and talking to a couple friends, I determined he has hives. Called the Dr this afternoon and that is her assumption, too.

The only thing I know that Dylan has had different this weekend is purple grape juice. So, that has now been eliminated from his diet and I am doping him up with Benadryl every four hours. Hopefully this is the cure. I have a slight aversion to nasty looking things, so it's really bothering me that my son's perfect, soft skin is all messed up.

Being a Mom sure is eventful!

Flashback

This week I would like to do a little comparison. Everyone is always telling us that Dylan looks exactly like Mike. I will admit, the two have strikingly similar features. Here are a couple pictures of Mike and I at about the same age Dylan is now.



Do you see the resemblance between Mike and I as toddlers? It's perfectly fine with me that people think Dylan looks like his Daddy. It is nice, however, to occasionally have someone tell me that Dylan looks like me. I mean, I went through all the hard work...shouldn't I get to make a claim on his looks, too?

What's the verdict?

The Boys

Dylan is getting to the age where he is actually starting to recognize his friends. It is so cute to see him run to greet his buddies when he sees them. I know, from experience, that the kid is all about routine and repetition. I suppose it's a good thing that he gets to see his friends a couple times a week. After two weeks of one, or both, of us being sick...we are finally back into the routine of playdates. Thank goodness!
My friend Jill had us over for a playdate not too long ago. The boys were enthralled with the fish tank!
Yep...this is pretty much the expression on Dylan's face everytime he sees his buddies.

Philip started walking a little over a month ago. I must say, he is pretty good at getting himself around on such an uneven surface.
These pictures were taken at the church building. Every Thursday morning we go to a class called Music Makers. The boys had a great time.

Philp, Jackson and Dylan didn't want to say goodbye.