Family Get Together

On Saturday the three of us trekked down to Orange County to enjoy some wonderful visits with my family. It was so great to see everyone, most of whom we haven't seen for a year or so. We got to talk about and plan some details about the cruise we are all going on in Feb. My cousin Jessica and I taught my cousin Kim's daughter to give wet willies- Sorry Kim. I know that I am kinda setting myself up for people to teach Sammy some interesting things, but oh well. We did also teach her a good thing- to throw the ball overhand, as Jess would say "not like a girl." I really miss that side of my family and have really had a rough time over the past couple of years just being around them. I think it brought up lots of emotion of not having my Mom around, and I think I felt like an outcast because of it. I have done a lot of maturing over these past years and have finally come to the realization that I am not my Mom and her issues are hers, and I don't have to carry that burden with me- even though I do quite often, but I am getting better. I am so grateful for my family, and I am super excited to go on vacation with them- 7 weeksSammy and Brytani

Christmas

Merry Christmas!! This year was the most laid back Christmas we've ever had. On Christmas Eve my brothers and sisters came over and we just had a blast. This was the first time in 6 years that we have spent it together, and it was much needed. Dinner was a breeze. I felt like I should be running around stressed about everything getting done, but it all was very smooth. We fried a couple of turkeys, our third time- and we are 100% sold.

All of us

Matt, Janae, and Conner

Us

Danielle, Wade, and Chelsey

Wade and Chelsey got to spend the night at our house and got to experience the joy of having a little kid in the house. We woke up at 4:45 am and opened all of our presents. Wade and Chels helped Sam open his. My brother is so good with Sammy. He would call Sam over to him, open a corner of the wrapping and coerce him to keep going. He was so patient and kind with him. It was so amazing to see that side of Wade.

Hat Boy

As I went to go tuck Sammy in before I went to bed last night I found the boy cuddled up with a hat on his head. He must have gotten up after Steve closed the door and got the hat to wear to bed.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We finally got our tree. I am just overjoyed. Call me scrooge, but next year I am voting for a fakie. Don't get me wrong there is nothing like going to pick out a tree and the wonderful aroma that engulfs you, but I just want to be able to enjoy a tree for as long as we enjoy all our other decorations. Not to mention, I really want a tree that will live past the day we bring it home. I am not sure if it was the four cans of hairspray th at Steve put on it (a proven Mythbusters myth- it is supposed to make it last longer), or if it's the fact we got it from Home Depot, but I think that we should not be having needles covering the floor yet. Our tree looks great like always. Sammy is having a blast taking the ornaments off the tree and hiding them so he won't get in trouble. This morning he took a rocking horse ornament off and I saw him playing with it, he looked at me like "what mom, I'm just playing with this cool horsey" neigh, neigh he says as I go to take it from him, I love it mom, don't do this as he is kissing it, it must be his new best friend. WAHHH- Yes I am the meanest mom ever, I took the best friend away. I'm sure he will make another ornament friend before I know it.

Sammy searching for the perfect tree

Daddy can I help, Huh, Huh?

Sammy's new ornament- a round Cars ball. He loves his new ball!

Christmas lights galore!

Our house in all it's lit up glory. It seems like every week something more gets added- this week it was the moving deer and buck.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas around our house starts Nov.1 and goes till well after the new year. Steve is a tad bit of an elf, and just loves everything Christmas! Steve has been wanting an advent calender since we've been married and just hasn't found the right one, my elf is very particular when it come to his Christmas stuff :) Well this year our friends Mike and Hannah gave Sammy this cutie one from Trader Joe's. We just love it. Sammy loves the fact that he gets a piece of chocolate everyday, something that doesn't normally happen. As we opened the 4th window yesterday it struck me- 21 days till Christmas!!! I am not too worried, because I have had almost all of my shopping done for months now, but I am so sad that this wonderful holiday season is almost gone. This year has just flown by. I will try to take some pictures of our house all lit up tonight and post them soon. Merry Christmas!!

Special Suprise and Comfy Galoshes

There is never a dull moment at our house. Sweet Sam just loves the movie Cars. He is so funny to walk through the store with because he can spot Lightning McQueen from a mile away and makes this funny ohhing noise and just cries like the world has come to an end when we don't go look, it is so funny. I am such a sucker when it comes to the "mommy I love Cars, can I please have that lightning" look. So we got some Cars temptattoos, and I quickly became the best mom in the whole world. Sammy now walks around and lifts up his shirt and ohh's for everyone to see.


I am sure that many of you got to experience the wonderful weather that started on Friday. We were so excited about it because it means that we are finally out of danger from the fire starting back up. Sammy has these galoshes and I figured what better day to use them. It was so funny to watch him attempt to walk with boots the reached his knees. He would loose his balance and fall to the ground, smiling the whole time.

Blood Donations for Sam

A Lot of People have been asking about donating blood for Sam. I feel like the words thank you are not at all sufficient, but thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If we do end up needing blood, I am going to find out about possibly doing a blood drive. If that won't be able to happen, someone I had Talked to had said that you can set up a sort of blood account that people could go donate to. I will let you all know as soon as we do.

Welcome to our blog.. and Sammy's GI Update for October

Welcome to our Blog. We are so excited to keep everyone up to date with our everyday comings and goings. I will try to update it often. Hope you enjoy.

I had written this back when we got back from the appt. for Sam. Things are more settled in our hearts now but we still worry a bit.

As I sit hear and type this out I can't help but be amazed at the Lords work in my life. These stupid Dr.'s appt's always bring back the bad feeling of when Sammy was a month old being admitted into the Loma Linda Children's Hospital. The feelings of complete and udder helplessness, just sitting there wanting it to be me, wanting me to be the one that the Dr.'s were saying probably won't make it out of the hospital. It has been a long, but amazing year and a half since then. Don't get me wrong, we have been in the midst of constant blood tests and Dr. appt's, and boy have we shed many tears, but I can truly say in the midst of this huge trial I have been upheld by my God's amazing, unfailing strength.
On to today's update; Sam still isn't kicking his dairy allergy, although because he had grown out of the soy allergy, the Dr. is pretty convinced that he will outgrow the dairy one. As for his IGG levels, he is still has quite the deficiency. The Dr. said lets see if his levels will raise on their own in the next four months and if they don't the only way to get the levels back up is transfusions every three to four weeks- CRAZY! I am not going to lie, it kinda freaks me out, well freaks me out a lot, but we are praying that the levels will go up on their own. That's the update. Thank you for all your prayers and concerns thus far, and we covet them still as we embark on this new phase.
So for now we endure, holding fast to Christ, knowing that through Him all things will work together for good.