Our last days of summer!

Regan starts school this next week and I will not have my baby girl home with me every day!! :( Heaven knows what I will do with out her. So, this week we made sure to enjoy every second of our last days of summer. As most of you know Collin has been going to day camp at Ability First for the past four weeks. Regan and I took advantage of our time together!!! Collin was not feeling well the first couple of days and had to stay home BUT the other days we played!!!

We played cars with friends!

Played in the water with friends!

Play with friend at the park!

Friday was Collin's last day at camp. Collin got the best 1 to 1 aid Fabrisio. He worked so well with Collin and kept him safe from the sun, heat, and everything else!! Collin just adored him! April is the director of the camp and works with us so much!!! THANK YOU for a great summer!!!! Ability First is who we raised money for with the Marathon this past year. We will be doing it again next year so get ready! wink!!! They deserve it!!!!

We have two more days left before school.... there is a lot that we can do in two days!! wink!!!

OH, and one more thing this week. Regan went on her first "date". We were eating lunch and the Damp family walked in. They have three cute boys! Conner, the youngest, and Regan get along VERY well!! So, he decided to ditch his family and eat with her. I think I am in trouble. Look at how she is looking at him. OH no!!

Visit from Uncle Bubba!

This past weekend we got a visit from this guy...

Uncle Bubba

The kids were very excited to see him and had lots of fun

Wrestling and laughing

Good night Cuddles

Flying through the air

which made LOTS of these!

And LOTS of these!

I was one happy sister enjoying my family fix from Texas!

You can't come to our house with out a trip to Disney. So, we met up with Poppie at Down Town Disney for breakfast!

Thanks Uncle Bubba for playing with us while you were in town for work!! We love you!!

Are there slip in slides in Heaven?

Regan has been asking a lot about Heaven lately. So, I thought I would share this conversation that took place. (It is mostly for my own record.... but I hope you enjoy it.)

Regan: "Mommy what is Heaven?"
Mommy: "Heaven is where our Heavenly Father and Jesus live and all of our beautiful angels that watch over us." I was trying to keep it simple ... remember she is only 4. wink!
Regan: "I don't want to go there."
Mommy: "You will love Heaven. In Heaven Collin will be able to walk and play with you. He will chase you and say I love you Sissy."
Regan: "Will he say I love you mommy?"
Mommy: "Yes, and he will sing us songs and give us hugs."
Regan: "Oh MOMMY you know what would be good for Bubba"
Mommy: "What?"
Regan: "Slip n Slides.. Do they have Slip n Slides in Heaven?"
Mommy: stunned by that "uhhh I am not sure."
Regan: "Well, they need Slip n Slides in Heaven because Bubba would love to do it by himself."
Mommy: "Yes, Regan it would be Heaven to see Collin do a slip n slide by himself."

Ok, one more Regan story....
Tonight Collin started having seizures on the way home from church. When we got home I was trying to get everything together and set up for him. Regan had taken out ALL of her puzzles and brought them into the living room. I asked her to please put them away. She then replied "No mommy I can't I am having a party." She could tell that I was not happy with that response. She quickly followed with.. "a get well party for Bubba." Ok, how could i get on to her after she said that. I then went into her room latter to ask her yet again to pick up her mess in the living room. As she was coloring she replied "I can't... Uhmmm.. I am making Bubba a get well card." She is to sweet to him BUT she is figuring out how to use these hard times to get out of chores!! She is to smart!!!

Need your feed back!!!

Ok, everyone I need your feed back!! I want to put up a couple of "diva" Halloween costumes on my ETSY site. This is the first of them. It is a Mariposa (butterfly) costume that Regan wanted me to make. It would include the dress, wings, and butterfly clip. So, what do you think.... should I do it?? What would you pay???

What are you loving this week?

This has been a good week!! I love good weeks! So, I thought that I would share some of the things that I am enjoying about this week.


I loved pushing these two around in a wheel chair at Disney Land on Tuesday! What a great work out!!! wink!
























I loved being able to see a moment like this. How many kids are lucky enough to have a Great Grandma???
























I love seeing these two play together. Collin ADORES Regan and loves it when she plays with him!













I love the smile that he gets when they are playing!
























I love this picture of Collin waiting for the doctor with no pants on! Collin weighed in at 29 pounds and is almost 42 inches tall!!! (8 year check up!)























I love my little chef! She always wants to help! I love it that when we make salad she eats half of it before it gets to the bowl!

THESE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS THAT I HAVE LOVED THIS WEEK. WHAT ARE YOU LOVING THIS WEEK????

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!
Check out this adorable dress on Grosgrains give away!!! I LOVE it!!! Check this site often she has the cutest little things for girls!!!

CONGRATS Eric and Mallory!!!

Yesterday was a fun day!! Jason's little cousin Eric was married in the Los Angeles temple. Jason and I were both able to be there. Thank you Laura and Pat for your help with the kids!!!! Here are some pictures that I took....

Family photo!

My sweet husband made such a beautiful brides maid!! wink!!

Then it was off to party!!!!! We headed back to LA to the hotel that they had their reception at. Regan was so excited to see her Aubrey! All of the little cousins had a blast dancing together before everyone even finished their food!

Collin spent the night like this.....

All of the people, music, etc. was just to much. He has such a hard time. We had to leave early and head home. Regan was so upset to leave her cousins. As soon as we got home Collin started having seizures. It had to have been one of the scariest episodes that he has had. He vomits then passes out while having a seizure. Well, during one of his seizure one of my worst fears came true. He started choking on the vomit and could not breath. I started screaming for Jason. I couldn't seem to help him. His poor eyes were just so big staring at me... as if they were saying are you going to help me? Jason ran in and got him and was able to clear his air way. He had a hard time breathing for a while. Jason and I were both scared to tears. I am so grateful that Collin is doing OK. I truly feel blessed. I am so grateful for temples and eternal families!!!!!
FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!

Busy Update!!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Our internet has been down. So, I have lost of e-mail so catch up on and update our blog. This has been a very fun and busy weekend and start to the week!!! Friday night Regan and I drove up to my mom's house in Apple Valley. She is going to have yet another surgery soon.... she is just falling apart! wink!! So, while we were there we had fun going to the dr., running errands, and taking the dogs for a walk!! When Regan went in "her" room this is what she found! BOOTS!!! Tons of BOOTS!! If you know Regan you know she is a girl that loves her boots. So, when she walked in to find not one but five pair of new rain boots she was over the moon!! Poppie found a great deal and just couldn't pass it up! We also made a trip to Sonic!! They just opened a Sonic up there and mom and I were very excited to go and get cherry lime aids!!!

On Monday night for FHE we decided to Disney Land and get our annual passes. Our passes expired a couple months ago and with Collin not feeling well and everything else we just put it off!! Both of the kids were SOOOO excited to go back! It was so fun to see Collin feeling well and having a blast on all of his favorite rides!!!

This is how the night ended.... Collin in tears and Regan crashed!!!

On Tuesday night Regan and Jason went on a Daddy Daughter Date Night with Skippy and Belen! They went to an Angels game!! (Regan's first baseball game ever!) The girls were so excited!!!

I caught the funk!

It has been a while since my last post and there is a reason for that. I was down… yes, just plane old wiped out and sad. The last two weeks had been so hard with no sleep, Collin doing so bad, trying to keep up with everything, doctor appointments, and to top it off Collin does not like to be at home. He likes to go, go, go and in the summer with the heat and UV being so strong it is hard to just go. So, he tends to get angry and lash out. He is getting bigger and so much harder to control. So, add all of this wonderful stuff up and I was in a funk! I am happy to say though that my funk is gone!!! I truly feel that these “funk times” come with a purpose. I know that my Heavenly Father hates to see me suffer but LETS me suffer for a purpose. I am constantly amazed at how each bad run I think “oh I just can’t handle one more bad day” BUT then another one comes and believe it or not… I survived! After these “funk” episodes I come away feeling stronger and noticing the little joys in my life so much more often. The good days just seem so much better!!


I have a magnet on my fridge that says “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, The optimist see the opportunity in ever difficulty.” I have a feeling that this is how our Heavenly Father sees our lives in the “big picture”. To us it is often times so hard to see the opportunity to grow BUT our Heavenly Father knowing all things gives us these wonderful opportunities to walk away better, stronger, and relying more on him in our faith. I am so grateful for that!!
So, today since the funk is gone I thought I would share some of the WONDERFUL things that I have noticed lately.


1. I don’t know what it is but I feel so blessed on Sundays. Collin is ALWAYS wanting to go “out” but on Sundays he is content with just being at home. He does not fight it, bring us our shoes, or sit at the door longingly looking out at the world that he is missing. He is happy just being with us cuddling, playing and going to church. I am grateful for the blessings we have received for being obedient by keeping the Sabbath day holy. I LOVE and try to enjoy every second of these days. Hey, I even get a nap in once and a while on these calm days!!


2. Regan is such an amazing sister! Well, I already knew this but each time Collin is having a hard time she will say or do something new that just touches my heart. Last week when Collin was acting out he hit Regan in the head. Instead of getting mad at him she took his head and got in his ear and told him something. I asked her what she told him. She replied “I told Bubba that it make Jesus sad when he is mean.” Then I told him “I love you Bubba I am sorry you don’t feel good.” Can I just tell you that she has the biggest heart that I have ever seen!!!!! I know that I am the one that is supposed to be teaching my children but I feel that they are constantly teaching me.


3. I am so incredibly grateful for the recourses that we have available to us. (One day I will share Collin’s diagnosis story but it was a VERY long and hard road.) We will be traveling to the National Institute for Health (NIH) in Maryland next month to see an amazing team of doctors that are doing research on TTD. We have been out there several times and each time I am more and more grateful for them. My sister Nancy will be going with us this next time to help with Regan while we are at the hospital with Collin. As I am planning this trip I feel so lucky that as this beast that is trichothiodystrophy takes over his sweet little body I have some where to turn for answers.


4. I am so grateful to all of my family and friends that reached out to me!!!! Your phone calls, visits, and countless plates of cookies and brownies just did the trick!! I feel so blessed to have such a loving and wonderful support system around me.


5. I will end with how grateful I am for my sweet husband. I am so thankful for Jason and the amazing support he is to me. We make a great team and I could not have asked for a better friend in hard times. I could not have ever imagined that in our almost nine years of marriage we would be so strong after going through so much. I adore and love him so much!!!