You Capture - Colorful

I haven't linked up to You Capture in a long time but as I was looking at the what the theme for this week was I felt led to participate. The theme is "colorful" and I needed some color today. So, I was looking at my desk and seeing some very nice colors, right there. The picture quality is low since I just used my cell phone camera but you get the idea. Hope you find something to brighten up your day with color too!  Maybe looking at the other photos that were linked up will help! Click the button below to see the other You Captures.

Just Write - Perspective

It is good to always put things in perspective. When we were in the moment of Nora's little accident and getting her stitches, it was dramatic.  We were sad and tired and desperate for help to get things back on track. Nobody likes to be in the ER. We wanted out and to be home. To get back to sleep. To start our day over.

When we did get home and I was walking with Nora in my arms to get her back to sleep at 4:30 am, it hit me. I cried. And cried. I was thankful. I was fortunate. My little girl only has 5 stitches in her head. We didn't lose her. She doesn't have cancer. She is home with us. We spent the rest of the day celebrating Anna's birthday, not grieving. What we went through was a drop in the bucket. A rite of passage some even said.

While walking, my mind goes to those that have lost children. To accidents, cancer, natural disasters. And it all comes into perspective. If I am feeling this heavy weight on me just going through a little cut with stitches, what does it feel like to lose your child? Or get the diagnosis? Just thinking about it weighs so heavy on my chest it makes it hard for me to breathe.

All in perspective.

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I am linking up with my first ever Just Write post from The Extraordinary Ordinary. Her blog is fantastic and I always love Tuesdays to read everyone's posts! Check it out too!

Five Stiches Later

I don't even know where to start this story... I guess at the beginning.  It was a dark and cold early, early Thursday morning. Anna's birthday ready to be celebrated when the sun comes up.  Everyone is tucked into their beds and sound asleep.  Chad and I hear a cry that sounds desperate and so sad. I ask Chad to go check on Nora, see if he can calm her down. The clock says it is 2 am.

He goes in and finds her asleep in some sort of nightmare. She fights him as he tries to pick her up to sooth her. She cries for dada even though he is holding her. She throws herself around in his arms. He sets her on the ground to give her some space to do her thing or to get a better hold to pick her up again. Seconds later she has launched herself into the corner of a small wooden chair in her room. She wakes, finally.

I rush in at that point when I hear the connection between her head and the chair and the cries that follow. As Chad picks her up again, she is rubbing her eyes and when the lights come on there is blood all over her face.  Immediately we know that a trip to the ER is in our near future.

Chad and I stayed surprisingly calm for that time in the morning. Chad gets Anna up and she is quick to get dressed. We say Happy Birthday to her as we run around getting ready to get out the door. By 2:30 am we are at the ER in Maple Grove.

We were greeted with amazingly nice and compassionate nurses and nice private rooms. The doctor confirms that yes, stitches will be needed. Probably 4 or 5 of them. How did this happen? We have to tell the story twice. Not a highlight of the morning.  Happy Birthday Anna is also said a few times throughout the experience.

The movie Tangled is called up on the TV in the room. Anna is occupied and it catches Nora's attention for a few minutes at a time. We will need to hold this cotton ball on her cut for 20-30 minutes. Can we make sure that happens? I wasn't sure we would be able to but Nora left the tape on and we snuggled while we waited for the site to get numb.

As it got closer to sewing time, we got nervous. How would they be able to keep her under control when they use the needle to completely make sure she doesn't feel a thing when they do the stitches? Well, in walked Chadwick (a name that my Chad hates when used on him). We found it humorous that was his name. He was big and strong and was not afraid to be Nora's enemy for the next 10 minutes. This will be the worst of it they say. She will feel this needle for a few seconds before it goes completely numb.

And then the worst part of the actual stitching will be Chadwick and that he is holding her down along with daddy. She started by screaming ANNA, ANNA and then switched to DADA, DADA, before it was MAMA, MAMA.  It was gut wrenching but quick.

Five stitches later and mommy's lap and she is totally fine. Already oblivious to what just happened. Having a little goldfish snack helped too.

We were home 2.5 hours later by 4:30 am. Happy Birthday Anna but you must go back to bed for a few hours. We slept until the 8 am hour and then up for the day to celebrate. As you can see here she was totally fine after her "nap".

5 days later the stitches came out and she didn't even flinch. It is looking food. There may be a small line scar there but only time will tell. Overall, she was such a trooper through it all! <3

The story is written very dramatically and it was a dramatic moment but really once we got into motion with what we needed to do everyone was calm and collected. We had a family bonding experience that I believe grows a family closer together. It helped us learn so much about each other regarding how to love and care for each other. And the memory of this ER trip being on her birthday will probably be one that Anna will never forget. In fact, I think it aided in the day being deemed her best birthday ever. And really, what parent doesn't like to hear that.

Halfway to 16

Dear Anna,

Today you turn 8!   E-i-g-h-t!

I am sure I say this every single year but how did this happen?

I am not real sure as to why this year seems harder than others. Maybe I am just seeing you grow up before my eyes. You are definitely transitioned out of those preschool or Kindergarten ways. Or maybe it is because you can do just about everything yourself now... when you want to. Or because you can read a book to me with ease. Or how you hold your own opinions on things and do things at your own pace.

Being 7 was really good for you! Can't wait to see what being 8 will be like for you this coming year! Here are the top 8 things I love about you!

8. Your laugh and sense of humor! Love the funny little one liners you throw at us sometimes that make us do a double take. Where do you learn these things?? (see #4 below)

7. Your concentration and enjoyment when playing the piano. Love hearing you get excited about playing a piece perfectly after practicing it over and over.
 
6. How excited you get when seeing your family whether it be Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins or extended family.  You love your family and would love for them all to live in our neighborhood - all together!

5. Your love for art, especially drawing. And also for your love of writing. Just the other day you came to us and said you wanted to be a song writer. You googled "song writer" and took some of the tips you found and wrote your first song. Love that creativity.

4. How so many things you say and do remind me of your dad. I know I may roll my eyes a lot when these similarities come out but deep down I love that you have those things from him!

3. Your care and concern for friends. Most importantly, how you can be a friend to anyone. Always kind and thoughtful.

2.  Your faith in God, how much you want to know/learn more and your sweet prayers for others.

1. How you treat your sister with total love. All the time. You very rarely get annoyed by her. You always are willing to play and laugh with her. Makes a mom's heart very happy and I pray that continues for a long time!

Happy 8th Birthday Anna Banana! We love you to the moon and back and forever and always! And remember everyday we're shufflin'.

Love, Mom

I was so young...

and naive... I was reminded today that I probably still have a myspace page hanging out there that hasn't been touched in nearly 5 years now. Probably should go and just delete it. Before I did, I looked back at some of my "blog" entries before I started this blog. Here is the first one.


Apr 19, 2007

Never thought I would be doing this!

Wow! Here I am entering the world of myspace. I remember when this site was becoming a big deal and I thought, no way will I have a myspace page. Then I got curious to see what it was all about and I am amazed at how easy it is to search for people and get reconnected with those you have lost touch with. I can't believe the number of people that use this site. What a great million dollar idea! We just recently came into the 21st century when we finally dropped our dial up internet connection and got DSL! It is amazing all the possibilities that has opened up including this site!I hope that this site will connect me with those that I am friends with and reconnect me with those that I have lost touch with. I am excited for the possibilities.

A couple of things about this make me laugh. First of all, remembering what it was like to have dial up. And how our eyes were opened wide when we used DSL at home for the first time. And we were late in the game in making that switch!

Second, how I thought myspace was going to change the world. It was just a short month later that I started using Facebook for the first time. And never looked back. Until today. Funny.

Good bye myspace. I will not miss you. Wonder if there will ever come a day I will say that about Facebook?

Resogoals

Goal is the new resolution. Like blue is the new pink at our house.

At our family fun new year's party this year (that I will blog about soon along with Christmas), I made everyone do a little paperwork. But they didn't really seem to mind. I was feeling very reflective on the year gone by and very hopeful about 2012. I mean, the even years are always better, right? Everyone filled out a little survey I found on Pinterest about their favorite things of 2011, their highlights from 2011 and looking forward to 2012.

It was really fun to read what everyone wrote, even the little ones. For instance, Nora's biggest goal for 2012 is to be potty trained. Yay! Anna would like to work on improving on spelling and reading. And watch out girls because the queen of accountability was at the party and she will be sure to follow up on those goals. Chad said he wanted to learn morse code. That should be intersesting. He also wants to work on a better work/home balance. That it turns out is a good family goal.

It was easy for me to pick out a few things that I really want to work on in 2012. They are items at the top of brain always but for some reason needed the fresh start of a new year to find the motivation to really make them happen. And here it goes:

1. Be Healthy. As an individual, as a couple, and as a family. This encompasses eating, activity, and spiritual life. This year I went away from the "lose weight" goal. Deep down I just want to be healthy and I know that weight loss will come with it. I have started a small piece of this by reading Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeursthttp. I am only one chapter in and I already have had a couple of aha moments. Mostly revolving around how God made us to crave but not for food or other worldly items. He wants us to crave Him! So when we are tempted to crave things like food why don't I turn to him? Good stuff.
   
   
2. Find a Great Weeknight Routine. So in the old 2011 routine, there was a lot of fighting and hunger and crankiness. Maybe some tears. And some "go to your room and get in bed"...... at 6 pm. Fun times. I have a new vision for 2012 routines. I envision a happy child sitting at the table after school eating a healthy snack and doing her homework. And then skipping over to the piano to practice. And then the whole family sitting around the dinner table with smiles on their faces sharing about their days. And then we have play time, followed by reading and prayer time. And then lights out and mom and dad time. Sounds blissfull.
   
   Of course I know it won't be like that (all the time). BUT I would like to really focus our energy on quality family time. I think that is the word of the year QUALITY or maybe it should be FOCUS. Either way, I think as Nora gets older it will be easier to focus more time on Anna and her homework after school. And to spend time all toghether playing after dinner. We have already made the shift to no TV in the evenings with the kids. That helped a lot. Also, making sure reading and our bible study/prayer time with the kids is a top priority before bed is paramount. At the end of the year I would love to say that the word to describe it is PEACEFUL. Any of those will do.
   
   
3. One on One Time. The last big goal of the year is again about quality time. This time not as a family unit but one on one. Me with each of the girls. Chad with each of the girls. And maybe most importantly, Chad and I together. Finding a way to make this happen whether it be all in the house together but broken up into "couples" doing different activities or special dates with the girls. And for sure making sure we schedule in dates with each other throughout the year. Maybe even an extended long weekend vacation? Hmm.

So there you have it. Our resolutions.. err. goals.. or as we will call them resogoals for 2012!