A Look Back

I guess since tomorrow is the last day of the year I will have to do the annual look back through the year.  I thought that this year I would be good and get out a picture and a letter but yet again, that did not happen.   So, I hope that this can be my replacement.....yep, that works.  So, here it goes.

She has had a much better year than last year.  She has been a rock star of an older sister.  She has helped out with diaper changes and making sure the small things got put away so the little ones wouldn't put it in their mouths.  She turned 8 years old and had her very first sleepover.  I wont let you know how that went for me, but she had a blast.  She finished up her second grade year and couldn't wait to plan numerous things to do over the summer.  Third grade started and she has far exceeded our expectations.  She has also become an advocate for Epilepsy.  She participated in her very first Epilepsy Freedom Walk and is excited to do another one.  She started her third medication this year as well to help control seizures and it seems to be the best so far.  We have started to see some not so good signs but for the most part, 2010 has excelled.  We were also blessed for her to receive an Emfit monitor so we can all sleep a little better at night.  She continues to amaze me each year.  As my oldest I get to experience many new and exciting things and I know 2011 will be no different.

What can I say about our wild child?  She has fit perfectly into her middle child role and I think she likes being squished right into the middle.  She tries to fit in with all the big girls who come over yet she still loves to get on the floor and play dolls and blocks with her baby sister.  She was supposed to start preschool but after some prayers and discussions, we decided to home school her.  I think this has fit her perfectly, she loves school time at home.  To get her interaction with kids her age, she was enrolled in dance class here on base and can barely make it a whole week without asking when she gets to go back.  She turned 4 this year and on the day of her birthday she was reminding us of what she did the year before and all the gifts she got.  And she actually got it all correct and even remembered things I had completely forgotten about.  She has had her moments, we thought her "terrible three;s" were going to fade away but we are finding that the "freakin out fours" are just as lovely.  Yet, the girl knows how to get out of it all by making faces and cracking jokes, I think mom needs to learn how to not be so gullible or maybe ground her funny bone a bit because I cannot help but smile.  And this year she has fallen in love, yes her first crush, a boy by the name of Justin Beiber, has infiltrated my sweet middle girl and as Cass puts it, "she has the Beiber fever".  She actually got a poster of him for Christmas and will kiss him good morning and goodnight.  She is super excited to turn 5 and start kindergarten "just like Jackson" (one of her friends who is in kindergarten this year).  I am excited and yet slightly afraid to see what she will deliver this next year!

Uh, that face.  Can we take this age and just freeze her in time right now?  God knew I needed to have my sweet baby girl, a boy would not do no matter how much I thought I needed one.  She has melted my heart.  Sure, she did the whole walking thing and first word this year and I will cherish that forever but it is all of the in between that has made the memories all that sweeter.  She crinkles her nose like a bunny and has fallen in love with Elmo.  She learned to say that pretty quickly too.  She loves to copy her big sisters in all that they do, she even stands next to Cass when I quiz her on spelling words, she may not get them right but when you see her standing tall, hands folded in front of her saying "eee, aaaa, oooo", it takes you over the edge.  She also loves everybody.  I cannot tell you how many times she asks strangers to hold her or will hug a random leg that doesn't belong to someone she knows.  The girl just bleeds love and I am more than willing to take it.  I tell her each and every night how much I love her and when she says "I loweee loo" back, I don't want to put her to bed, I want to snuggle her.  But she has promised she will still talk like that and snuggle me when she is 30 so I am alright, who cares if she doesn't know what a promise is or even what the heck I said to her, she promised dang it.  I know she will grow and be a whole different girl this time next year but I am so excited to see what discoveries she will make!
This year has brought heartache as well.  My grandfather, my Papa, passed away.  I know that people can say that he was old and lived a good life and I should be happy to know he is in a better place, but that is still hard for me.  He wasn't just my Papa, he was the male role model in my life.  I didn't get to grow up with a dad in my life but I did have my Papa.  I lived with him and my Maemaw for years and got to see him on a daily basis.  He yelled at me and made sure I was doing well in school and he also gave me hugs goodnight and made sure I knew I was loved.  He gave me strong pride in my Norwegian heritage and I will forever be grateful to have had a man like him in my life.  And our middle girl loved him beyond words.  She was the only grandchild who ever really took to him.  He was a very stern man so small kids were a little wary but she would crawl in his lap and love on him whenever we saw him.  She had a hard time at the funeral and even this Christmas when we went to give him flowers, she asked for him to come back and that Santa could do anything.....my heart breaks.
I am super excited to start this new year with my girls!  I know that big changes will be coming our way but I know we will be able to take whatever is thrown our way.  May you all have a blessed New year, I hope you can look back on this one with fond memories!!!!!!!

The other 'C' of the month

CHAOS!!!!  It seems that our blissful Christmas has passed and chaos has ensued.  I am not talking of the children although I do think the greed of Christmas time has hit them hard and sharing is not something they are willing to do, that my friends though I luckily have under control.  What I don't have under control is my washer breaking.  I was pretty excited to be catching up on laundry and housework and had a load of blankets and some rugs in my washer when I heard it off balance.  As I was walking to the laundry room to fix it, the noise got disturbingly worse.  My pace quickened but as soon as I got to the washer, I knew ti was too late.  The lid was half off and the inside was a good three inches lower that it normally is.  I blissfully thought it was not a big deal, I fixed the lid and tried to rearrange the clothes inside to be balanced, that would definitely work.  Or not because as I started it back up, within seconds the noise was back.  The good news on that one, I have amazing friends and one sent her husband over and he was able to temporarily fix the problem so I don't have to get a new washer today, so far so good because I have done at least 4 loads without a problem today.
Speaking of today, my children ask em if I have seen the huge spider in the garage.  I tend to take their "huge" as not a huge deal because a microscopic sized spider is huge in their book (mine too, I must not lie, spiders are not my thing).  However, last summer we did have a black widow hanging out and when I called someone to take care of it and spray, they asked to take it to school because they are studying spiders and they don't have one that big yet (yes please, eeekkk).  So, I thought I should check it out just in case.  That's when I saw this.....

The quality is not great because I had a flashlight in one hand and my phone in the other to take the picture, not to mention I didn't want to get close and was completely freaked out.  But seriously, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!!!!  I feel like I need to apologize to my kids because that sucker is huge!!!!  Cue the chaos of mommy freaking out and even now getting a mad case of the chills, I feel like I have things crawling on me and I may or may not have checked every dark place in my house to make sure he didn't have any friends he brought along.  Please, lets bring some bliss back into my chaotic household!!

Christmas Lessons

On Christmas Eve we go to my Grandmothers house on my moms side of the family.  It takes a good hour or more to get to her house form here and the girls are never loving the car ride, I think we hear a lot of "are we there yet's" from them even though we make that trip a lot and I am sure they know where they are by what they see out their window.  This time, and I blame it on the holiday that had my mind crazed, but we left the house around 1pm and 1 mile down the road I realized I had yet to feed my kids lunch.  I knew they would be complaining before we got there about how hungry they were and since we wouldn't be eating for another 4-5 hours, I knew I had to stop.  So, we stopped at a grocery store out in town and then hit the road.  The snacks I picked up weren't as big of a hit as I thought they would be and 2 out of 3 girls were passed out within 10 minutes of driving down the road.  I sat with a bag of flavored toasted crackers within my grasp and was not happy.....I am trying to eat better and lose weight, those will not help.  I proceeded to only eat a couple and was pretty happy with myself but kept wondering why on earth I even bothered to get snacks if no one was going to eat them.  This normally does not go through my mind because with 3 kids, I know things will eventually get eaten.  Yet, that thought kept coming to mind.
And then it happened.  We pulled off the freeway at the exit to my Grandmas and there was a homeless man standing there with a sign that read "anything will help".  I knew I didn't have any cash on me and was quickly wondering how I could help.  Not only because I felt compassion for him but for goodness sakes it is Christmas Eve and no matter what has happened in someones lives, they don't deserve to spend that day on the roadside watching happy families who are more fortunate drive by.  That's when I saw the snacks, the snacks that were not getting eaten.  We rolled down our window and he came over.  I told him I was sorry I did not have more but that I hoped that he had a blessed Christmas.  He said that was more than enough and thanked me.  As soon as we started driving off my girls asked me why I did that and I got to explain about giving to others and those who are less fortunate.  I was so happy that on such a blessed holiday, I was able to speak this lesson to my little ones.  And then it hit, not until Christmas night, but it hit me.  I know some of you may not be religious but I believe that God disguises himself as people in our lives and tests us on how we will react.  He can be a poor person on the side of the road or he can be a sales person having a hard day.  You never know but I believe he tests us to see how we handle those situations and how we can be blessing others in our lives.  Now I am not saying I know that God was standing there on the side of the road disguised as a homeless man just to see what I would do.  But what I do know is that I have never been upset that I bought food and that no one was eating it right then and there and that 45 minutes later we got stopped on an exit right next to a man who needed food, that to me is a sign.  We all need to show some compassion to one another.  I don't believe that it can fix the world, there are people out there who would much rather use violence or harsh words instead of kindness, but I do believe that if everyone showed one another kindness and stepped into there shoes every now and again, the world could be a much nicer place.  I pray you were all blessed this Christmas with family, good friends and memories that will last you a lifetime!!!

Christmas Happenings

I don't plan on being on this computer for the next couple of days and because of that, here is my 2010 Christmas post.
We have had a filled December I tell you that.  I don't know if I just didn't realize so much goes on around here last year but holy moly, a lot goes on here this time of year!  It could have been that we had our oldest recently diagnosed with Epilepsy and I was a little weary with taking her out with all the lights and sounds and business, I think I was putting her in my bubble and staying home!  But staying home this year, we have not done.
We started with choir performances and church gatherings and Girl Scout parades and that led into parties.  We had parties for the EFMP here on base.  And if you are curious, EFMP stands for Exceptional Family Member and that's what our Cass is.  The girls were pretty excited, this would be the first time they got to sit and actually talk to Santa (we stopped by for a quick 'hi' at the mall but knew we would see him numerous times over so we just did a walk by and high five).

We also attended a Christmas party for ENOC, the Epilepsy Network of Orange County.  The girls had a great time, there was plenty to do.

We also went to a kids Christmas party for Will's command and the girls yet again saw Santa.  I was starting to wonder when seeing Santa would get old since they saw him at least 4 times prior but each and every time they let our squeals when the big man would walk in the room with his hearty "ho, ho ho".
We also had more choir performances and some school plays as well.

We ended all of our festivities with Girl Scouts baking in my kitchen and our local fire fighters getting a basketful of goodies.  So now, it is on to family celebrations and eyes sparkling and mouths dropped open.  Our smallest one is more than thrilled and has tried to open many presents so far.  Good thing I was smart enough to put them in unmarked boxes first, muahahahaha.
I do have to admit, as much as I love this time of year with everyone getting together and the warm fuzzies that come with it all, it gets me thinking of the ones who will not be with us this year.  It will be the third without my amazing brother and the very first without my Papa.  I know I will have my moments when I will have to walk away from the joy of it all to have a moment and wipe away the tears.
And lets not forget the reason why we celebrate.  I don't tell people to have a 'happy holiday' because we celebrate for one reason and one reason only.  We celebrate the birth our Saviour Christ Jesus.  We make our birthdays special each and every year and no one tells you not to celebrate or to say happy birthday in a different way as not to offend anyone.  Well, be offended.  I am offended that people are taking this holiday and making it into something politically correct.  So, just know, if you tell me to have a good holiday, I will make sure to tell you have have a Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!

Family

Have I ever mentioned before how talented my family is?  2 of my cousins are so very talented when it comes to music.  They both have amazing voices and can even play some instruments.  I have seen them a couple of different times at different venues but a couple of weeks ago I got to see one of them play solo.  It wasn't a huge venue, he was actually there to play when the "headliners" took there break.  However, everyone who was there told him he stole the show.....needless to say the guy who he was playing on break for was none too excited, lol.  I know that one day they will make it big!!!!

By the way, my cousin is the guy with the curly hair, I have no relation to the blonde watching, lol

Trip

Today my Girl Scout trip took a trip down to our local fire station here on base.  The girls try to do a service project every year for Christmas.  Last year we brought toys to the kids at CHOC hospital and this year, they decided to bake cookies and bring them as a thank you to our men who help us out in the emergencies that seem to come into our lives.  They came over a couple of nights ago and baked and baked and baked.....seriously, we made a ton of cookies!  And today, we got to deliver those goodies.  Not only did we get to meet the amazing fire fighters, we got to see the truck, sit in the truck, they even sounded the lights and sirens for us!!  The girls had a blast!!!!!!!

An Anniversary No One Ever Wants To Celebrate

Imagine putting your child to sleep at night, laying in bed thinking of all the things you have planned tomorrow.  Why not take the kids to the park?  You fall asleep and wake up in the morning, eager to get on with the day.  You decide to go wake up your sleepy head boy only to find that he will never wake up again.  Your day at the park turned into an evening filled with sadness and funeral preparations.  This sounds like a nightmare.  But for one family, exactly one year ago today, it was a reality.  Daniel George Stanton lost his life at the sweet young age of 4.  Now his family has to walk through life never knowing what an amazing man he would grow up to be, what an amazing advocate he could have been.  The hole that lives within their hearts I am sure feels like the Grand Canyon.  Please don't ever take life for granted!!!  Please know that there are things out there, things you may not even know of that could turn your life upside down and change it forever!! 
Do you know what SUDEP is?  Neither did I and as a parent of a child with Epilepsy, I should know.  Because of the Stanton family I do know and because of their foundation, The Danny Did Foundation I am able to sleep better knowing that if my daughter has a seizure in the middle of the night, I will be alerted by my EMFIT.  I know that times are tough right now, I know that the Christmas season probably has you strapped, but if there is any way you can donate to this amazing foundation, you will not only be donating money, you will be helping to save lives and raise awareness.  And if you cannot donate, please send up a prayer for this remarkable family.  It has only been one year and I am sure that the many more ahead of them will not be any easier without their sweet Danny.  Danny Did enjoy life, Danny Did love his family.....Danny, please know how much you have touched the lives of people you have never met.  You are a hero in my eyes!!!!

A Little Bit Older

I know a lot of people don't see the difference but I took a good 5 inches off of Kendall's hair a while back (yes, I cut all of my girls hair and yes, I did go to cosmetology school) and I think it aged her into a real little girl.  Her longer hair was so wispy and young and fun and I think it kept her looking like a tiny girl, now she looks older.  Maybe it is just me seeing my girls grow up too fast, what do you think?

Weekend Events

This weekend was tiring and fantastic all in one.  It started out Friday with me getting a little shopping done all by myself, peaceful as that may be, I have to go back today to return and exchange things, I guess trying to get some shopping done super fats before you need to be somewhere does not always pay off.  Anyways, from the mall I went to my Aunts church for an event called Shebrews.  It is a woman's coffee night with gifts and scripture and music, it was a great time!!  I ate way too many sweets and think I need a sugar detox but it was wonderful!!! 

After it was over I stayed at my Grandmas house because at 4am I needed to be up and out the door with my Aunt and cousin to volunteer at the Gladiator Rock N Run.  The proceeds go to help Epilepsy so I knew it was something I needed to volunteer for.  However, 4am comes quickly and it was maybe 40 degrees.  Did i mention I forgot a sweatshirt so I got to wear a super thin cardigan?  Yay!!  But in all honesty, it was a lot of fun.  I got to meet some amazing people, talk about Cassidys story and witnessed men in outfits I am sure they normally would not be caught dead in.  I am very thankful for my wonderful Aunt and cousin who came out as well.  They braved the cold and massive amounts of people but they did it in the name of Epilepsy and for that I am ever so thankful!!!! 
Do I end there?  How would it be a crazy weekend if it ended there?  After spending 6 hours at the Rock N Run, I drove home to get my girl ready for her very first choir performance.  She was performing at a local church with her other choir members and the San Clemente Choral Society.  My mom came out to see her as well.

The performance went longer than expected and since we had to be on the road to our next event for the day, as soon as our girl came off stage, we left out the side door.  I did feel guilty, I did not want the others thinking I did not enjoy their singing but we had other places to be.  I felt better once I saw at least 4 other families doing the same thing, lol.  So, with that being over with, we were off in the car to Fallbrook for the Christmas parade that my Girl Scouts were in.  The drive on base to the Fallbrook gate was typical but as soon as we exited into the town, it was sheer madness, cars were everywhere and roads were blocked.  We were told not to park in the grocery store parking lot but Cass started to not feel good (she tends to get hot in the car and proceed to throw up, we are used to it but it is never fun).  So, we pulled into the forbidden parking lot and as the man with the clipboard started towards us to tell us how we were not allowed to stay there, he saw my sweet one bent over a bush and decided to let us stay.  The good part of it all was that we were then able to park in the parking lot and have good seating for the parade.  So, my mom, Will and the 2 small ones sat and watched while Cass and I joined our other Girl Scouts for the parade.  It was a great time, I loved seeing all the little kids so happy, waving and yelling "Merry Christmas".  Our girls would wave and yell back, some sending out a cheerful "Happy Hanukkah" (yeah, that was my child, she wanted to make sure she had everyone covered, lol).  After it ended, we decided dinner would be a good option, the kids were cold and hungry.  Cass got even more sick on the way to the restaurant and even sicker on the way home.  Needless to say, she was happy to be home in her bed.  As was I, being up at 4am and not getting to bed until 11pm is not fun.  I feel like I got hit by a truck today, how did I get so old?  Now, off to the mall and hopefully not needing to go back for quite some time.

When Spaghetti Attacks

Uh Oh Momma......

Look at that face!!!  Gotta love this girl!!!

Who Cares If I Posted Late?

Is there really such a thing as being too late to post on being thankful?  No!  So, I am doing it two days after Thanksgiving and I am ok with that.  Not to mention that I left the house early on Thursday and arrived home late, followed by an early wake up on Black Friday and again not getting home until late.  Therefore the feeling of hopping online and posting anything or even just looking at the illuminating light of my laptop made me cringe, so enjoy this thankful post 2 days late :)  This year was spent with wonderful family and great memories but I was constantly thinking of last year.  Last year this was our Thanksgiving......

(aren't we lovely?)

Those two gentlemen in the picture with our family?  Those were Marines that we hosted for our Thanksgiving meal.  When we signed up for the Host A Marine program we thought it would be nice to have some guys over who haven't had a home cooked meal in a while and let them relax and watch football.  What we got was so much more.  These guys were amazing and we still have them in our lives.  Unfortunately, both of them are overseas right now fighting for our freedom and this year, there Thanksgiving was not spent at home.  I felt a pit in my stomach each time I thought of these guys and how much I wished they could be state side this year.  Not to mention back in my home.  I really do need to make them each a better apple pie sometime!!  Last year I made it and it went bad.  As I was making the apple part of the pie I didn't realize until later that my bowl I was using to mix had a crack in the bottom so most of the juices ran out of the bowl and therefore the pie was not the way it should be.  Anyways, wherever these gentlemen are this year, I hope they had a decent meal.  And please make sure when you say your prayers at night that you pray for all of our men and women over seas who do not get to be home this year.

And another memory I think of? Black Friday approximately  3 or 4 years ago with my amazing friend Julie.  We spent all of Thanksgiving with her family at a retirement home (she had an organization called KNOTS that was amazing, I will have to get into that one later), but it was a great day and that night at midnight, we headed out for my very first ever Black Friday.  We even got cool sunglasses......I miss my Julie!!!



No words needed

I think this is how I feel every day



Chicken Tortilla Soup

I said yesterday that I would be posting my embarrassing post but I have yet to take a picture of the outcome so I cannot post yet, hopefully tomorrow......yay!!  Until then, enjoy this super yummy recipe for chicken tortilla soup.  I made it a couple of weeks ago when it was still warm out but I am really craving it right now when my toes are freezing cold and the weather outside is frightful :)

What you need:

1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
1 can of Rotel
1 (1 ounce) taco seasoning packet
6-7 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
10 corn tortillas
Monterey Jack Cheese (12 ounce package), shredded
1 cup milk

What to do:

In a large pot (soup pot), saute the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the vegetable oil.  When the onions are translucent and the vegetables are somewhat tender, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add the tomatoes, rotel, taco seasoning and chicken.  Take the corn totrtillas and quarter them, add them to the pot.  Let the soup boil for about 20 minutes and make sure you stir and scrape the bottom frequently so that the tortillas do not stick.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the milk and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.  When finished, top with more cheese and some sour cream.  Green onions and crunchy tortilla strips would be good as well. 

Enjoy :)

Tired

I planned on a fun post, a post that embarrasses me but that will need to wait.  For  am one exhausted momma.  My oldest had a sleep over last night and at one point I found 29 empty candy wrappers scattered about my floor.  And because my oldest was having a friend over, my middle asked if she could have a sleep over with me.   How could I not oblige when her baby blues look right at me smiling?!  So, with Toy Story 3 in hand and bowl of popcorn we had ourselves a great night, we watched, we ate, we chatted like old girlfriends, it was great.  Then we tried to sleep......I think she slept.  But with a constant foot in my side and arm across my face, I didn't get much sleep.  So, I sit here wanting to talk about my latest adventures but all I want to do is cuddle up under my covers and wait for Monday to come.  However, that never happens with 3 kids, one who has had way too much sugar that it may not wear off until next week.  See you tomorrow everybody.

Emfit

I have mentioned before that the Danny Did Foundation was very generous and has provided our family with an Emfit monitor.  I also know I have had people ask exactly what an Emfit is.  So, I am going to tell you :)  First just let me explain a little bit.  The Emfit monitor is a device that goes under a persons mattress and will detect seizure activity that will then trigger an alarm.  Why might someone need a monitor while they sleep?  During the day if someone were to have a seizure, there would hopefully be someone around to see them having one and be able to help or call for help.  If it were to happen in their sleep, there is no one around and they can end up dying or suffering from severe complications.  This is not uncommon, it is far more prevalent than you may think.  Unfortunately children like Danny Stanton and Chelsea Hutchison.  And age does not always matter, ask the family and friends of Donna Evans.  The Emfit gives us all a better nights sleep.  I now know that if my daughter were to have a seizure in her sleep, I would be notified and be able to help her.  Now, lets get to the actual monitor.  The main part is the sensor that goes under the mattress. 

Please take note.  This part goes under the mattress, let me say it again for those whose brain is like mine, it goes UNDER the bed.  Ok, so I knew before I even had one that it went under but to be honest I was pretty darn confused after reading the instructions it came with. The monitor went off 5 times the first night and when I called the company to see what was happening, was my child really seizing that much?!  She seemed fine when I went into her room after hearing the alarm, I was confused.  After telling me what i could do, the lady asked me nicely if it was indeed UNDER the mattress.  I thought about lying at first..."are you kidding me?  Of course it is under, I know how to read!!!", but I told the truth and told her that the instructions confused me.  She asked what page confused me and it turns out that the page I read was removed from the instructions long ago because it was confusing people and she didn't know why mine still had that page in it.  So, I didn't feel as lame.  So, the picture above was after we put the sensor on top of her mattress cover and then proceeded to put a mattress pad on top of it and her sheets.  Needless to say, we could have broke the darn thing and I would have felt awful.  So, the sensor goes UNDER the bed which is where ours resides safely now.  Ok, so the sensor has a cord that plugs into a little box.  That little box contains all the settings and computer techy stuff (yes, I did major in computer techy stuff, how could you tell?......and if you are like me, let me point out that I am saying that with total sarcasm, yes, sometimes I need things pointed out).  How do I get off on so many tangents, lets get back to the Emfit........the box that attaches to the sensor is mounted on our wall and besides it containing the techy stuff, it also sounds the alarm when a seizure is detected and the lights that flash on and off let me know it is working properly. 

That blue light?  That was flashing in between the green and blue flashing together.  That meant that it was not detecting anyone on the sensor (which would make sense because no one was on it, I was testing it out).  It really is a brilliant piece of equipment and unfortunately not covered by insurance in the United States.  It is covered by insurance if you live in Canada and Europe, but not he United States.  I will be helping to get this changed one day!!!!!  Until then I was blessed by having the Danny Did Foundation come along side me and help me get one for my sweet girl.  I am hoping you never have to own one of these because that would mean you are suffering from seizures.  But let me tell you, if it ever does happen to you or your family, there is help out there.  There are a ton of people who care and who are making it their life's mission to get the word out on Epilepsy and help others who are affected.  I am honored to now say that I am an Epilepsy Advocate and will do all I can for my child and everyone out there who is living with Epilepsy!!!

So You Think You Can Dance

This past weekend I went  to my second annual So You Think You Can Dance Tour.  The show was amazing, I was not shocked.  And to top it off, we had amazing seats!!!!!  We were so close I felt like I could reach out and touch them.........I guess it was good for them that I wasn't that close, haha.  The show was amazing like I said before and we stayed after to meet them all, of course.  2 of the girls got to meet Dominick which was the ultimate and my ultimate was meeting Robert.  Oh Roberto, had I been 8 years younger and single without kids, we would totally be the best couple ever :)

I have completely lost my train of thought.....what was I saying?  Oh yes, oh Roberto.....oh wait, no, I think I was moving on from that.  Anyways, I am super excited for this next season to start so that I can go on the tour and stalk meet the amazing dancers again.  Oh, and the highlight of the night?  Courtney!!  Cass loves Camp Rock and Courtney was one of the back up dancers.  Since she watches SYTYCD with me, she knew who Courtney was.  She would pick her out every time the movie comes on.  Demi Lovato who?  Not that she doesn't love Demi but she kept picking Courtney out dancing behind her, lol.  I told this to Courtney (well, after I was laughing with my Aunt and totally snorted and she told me she totally heard that, lovely, thanks genetics) and she was so touched and told me to tell my lovely girl hello for her.  Oh the squeals that came from my girl!!!!  It made her night!!!!  Ok, that is all, I am now headed to Target to super size the pic of me and Robert and frame it on my bedroom wall :)

Talk About It

Today I am in a funk.  For some reason my mind keeps going to families who have to bury their young children.  No parent should ever have to bury their child.  I think it is the holidays coming up and thinking about the Stanton family who will not get to have their son Danny with them.  It just breaks my heart into a million pieces.  Let me say it again.....NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO BURY THEIR CHILD!!!!!  No, there is not a cure for Epilepsy...yet.  I am hoping that sometime in the future there is one, but there is technology out there that can get the person who is seizing help during that seizure.  And the parents of Danny are making sure that each family who needs one, gets one (through their Danny Did Foundation).  And guess what?  We were one of those families.  Every night I get assurance when my sweet girl goes to bed.  I tuck her in and turn on her monitor.  I know that when I hear the alarm, that I need to get to her and be by her side.  Without her monitor, I would sleep right through her seizure and God only knows what could happen, and it can happen, just ask the Stanton's. 
I know that many people don't know what to get others for Christmas and a lot of people are looking for unique gifts and for gifts that make a difference in the world.  Danny Did did not ask me to say this but I feel so strongly about it and love this foundation so much.  So, this is my idea........donate.  Yes, it really is that easy.  Donate in someones name, donate in your name, donate in the name of a child who suffers or for their families.  In doing this, you will be giving the ultimate gift to those in need and potentially helping aid in saving lives.  And if you cannot donate, please take the time to get educated.  Would you know what to do if you saw someone having a seizure?  If the answer is no, you need to find out.  I didn't know what to do until we were in the hospital with our child wondering what on earth was going on.  That to me is too late to figure it out.  And please take the time to watch this video.  This is Mike Stanton, Danny's dad.  To be able to walk through grief and help others at the same time is amazing to me, they truly are heroes to me!!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

If you haven't been to My Baking Addiction yet, I suggest you do.  She is always posting super yummy recipes and these cookies were one of her many fall themed recipes.  They are soft and yummy and taste unbelievable.

What you will need:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter; softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped (I used craisins and didn't shop them and they were spectacular!)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.  Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy.  Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well.  Add flour mixture; combine until all ingredients are  incorporated.  Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cherries.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

*12 minutes was way too soon for my cookies, they were really not done in the middle.  I think more along the lines of 14-15 minutes.  My oven cooks hot too.*

Enjoy :)

Friends

For a couple of weeks we had a teeny tiny visitor in our house.  I first thought this was going to be a nuisance who would leave a pee trail in my dog free home but the little rascal turned out to be a perfect fit.............

Meet Jewels everyone.  She belongs to a very dear friend to me and they had to leave super quickly for an unexpected trip.  So, we got to have a little visitor come and stay with us.  She doesn't bark and loves to snuggle on the couch.  Oh and did I mention that her family never lets her on the couch to snuggle so we completely ruined their dog for them?  But the thing is so small and the weather was chilly and I thought she needed warmth, so I let her up and she would snuggle between me and the couch, it made me want another baby, ha.  She left on Halloween night but I swear she was hesitant to go, she looked back at me like she knew she was going back home to where she wasn't allowed on the couch anymore..........yes Daniela, if you are reading this, I still say your dog loves me more :)  Not to mention that our baby misses her tiny nap friend :)

Squeaky Shoes

A guy that Will used to work with gave us an extra pair of shoes that they had for their daughter.  They were brand new with tags on and super cute.  They were way too big when we got them so we put them away in her closet.  Well, the shoes are the perfect fit now and everyone within ear shot will hear her coming.

The good news is that the squeak part can come out of the shoe.  The bad news is that she loves the squeak part and if it doesn't squeak when she stops her feet, she gets ticked.  It may be annoying to some but I still find them super cute :)

Epilepsy Freedom Walk 2010

I cant believe it has taken me this long to write about the amazing time we had at our first ever Epilepsy Walk!  I partly blame it on my computer being down for a while but ti has been back up for a good week so I can rightly now blame it on my lack of brain cells I seem to be having lately.  Seriously people, the other night we went out to dinner and as we were walking out of the restaurant  had that brief second of "oh my gosh, where is the baby", which I then realized was in my arms.  Perhaps I can blame the fact that she wears this squeaky shoes everywhere lately so I am used to hearing it when she is walking beside me so to not hear them made me think she was not with me.  Then again, I really should be blaming the lack of brain cell usage.  Ok, enough scattered talk, lets get to our walk.

Cass and I were accompanied by my Uncle Bill, Aunt Mickie, Aunt Kathy and both of my cousins, both named Jessica.

It was a chilly rainy day in Pasadena, CA but they didn't stop people from coming out.  I think they said ti was close to 1,000 people who were there.  After registering we were able to go to different booths and for Cass to make some crafts.  We got a lot of great information, from finding out about something called SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in Epilepsy) to new meds that are out.  One of the defining moments, as far as Cassidy goes, was when she was going to take her picture with a seizure rescue dog.  She is very intimidated by dogs, I don't think the dog attack and 18 stitches in her face at age 3 helped that fear whatsoever.  But, when she saw the dog, she knelt down and hugged it around the neck and smiled for the camera.  Who is this child?!!!  I wanted to cry!!!!  Soon after that, some people from the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles stood up to speak.  And they introduced the chair for this years walk.  For the second year in a row, Greg Grunberg was the chair of the walk!!!  He is not just an actor, his son has Epilepsy.  He said some inspiring words and then we were off to walk.  It wasn't a long walk but it was inspirational to me.  At one point there was a group of people standing off to the sides cheering everyone on and when they saw our shirts, they yelled "Go Team Cassidy!!!!"  They spotted Cass and asked if she was Cassidy and after telling them yes, they yelled "woo hoo, go Cassidy!!!!"  Her smile was priceless.  The walk may have been small but the strides we made were mighty!!!!!!!!  I hope more can join us next year.  Until then, be inspired and talk about it!!!  Spread the word and lets make a difference!!!

Meet Danny

This is Daniel George Stanton, also known as Danny.  He was born on March 2, 2005.  At 2 years old, he had his very first seizure.  His parents made sure that he got the proper medical attention and were told, as we were, that children can have unexplained seizures with no known cause.  He ended up having more seizures, mostly in his sleep.  On the morning of December 12, 2009 his parents found his lifeless body in his bed.  After trying to revive him, neighbors trying to revive him and the hospital staff trying to revive him, he was pronounced dead.

This is not the first or the last child who will die in this way.  There is a term for this, it is called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy.  While I was at the Epilepsy Walk there was a booth with numerous stories of beautiful children and teenagers who have died in this way.

I know you are thinking the same thing I am, something has to be done about his!!  But how?  I have always stressed that just talking about it, letting people know about it, can make a huge difference.  I had no clue about Epilepsy until I was sitting in the hospital next to my 7 year olds bed wondering what the heck happened to her.  One moment she was sitting on my lap getting ready to go on a fun trip with grandma, next she was seizing in my arms.  Why?!!!  After being released from the hospital, I was a nervous wreck.  I slept on the floor of her room and with every movement, I was at her side.  Needless to say, I never slept.  We tried buying a baby video monitor, but what good does it do if you are asleep, her seizure wouldn't wake me up.  Something has to be available out there!!!

Shortly after she was diagnosed we started going to meetings at a foundation called the Epilepsy Alliance of Orange County.    Their monthly meetings brought in neurologists and specialists to speak with parents and patients.  Before attending your first meeting, they recommend taking Epilepsy 101.  While taking that class, amongst numerous other things we learned about something called an EMFIT.  It was a monitor made for the bed that would alarm if the person with Epilepsy had a seizure in their sleep.  This is exactly what we needed!!!  Where do we get one?  Can I have it delivered first thing tomorrow morning?!  Oh, it cost how much?...............

Needless to say, the EMFIT monitor is not cheap.  But it is necessary.  We were told that the EMFIT is covered by insurance over in Europe because it is seen as a necessity for people with Epilepsy.  But not here in the United States.  So, we would have to pay out of pocket.  We are a military family with 3 small kids, how are we going to be able to afford this monitor?  We ended up putting it at the back of our minds, constantly wondering how long it could take to raise the money, we need this monitor!!!  Not only for our peace of mind but for the safety of our child.

That's when a friend of mine, whose little girl was recently diagnosed as well, told me about the Danny Did Foundation.  She said that they can help us financially with getting an EMFIT.  This seemed too good to be true.  I went to their website and read Danny's story.  I was heartbroken!  I was scared, could this be my future?  After composing myself and after a few prayers, I e-mailed the foundation.  I let them know a little about Cassidy and asked if it was true if they could help.  The next day I got a phone call from a man named Tom.  He is Danny's Uncle.  We talked a little about Danny, Cassidy and he made sure I knew all about SUDEP.  He told me that they would be willing to help me get an EMFIT.  I was overwhelmed.  I wanted to roll up in a ball and cry.  Never have I come across such genuine, kind hearted generous people.  They have turned their heart break into something wonderful.  They could have easily gone under the radar undetected, mourning the loss of their sweet boy.  But they haven't.  They care about people living with Epilepsy.  They want to see them survive and live the type of life Danny most certainly would have.  Pleas,e take the time and go to their website.  Read Danny's story and find out how you can help!

November is Epilepsy Awareness month.  One of the things that the Danny Did Foundation is doing is raising money for the cause.  They are asking 2,000 people to donate $25.  Can you decide to make coffee at home instead of get it out in town?  Can you decide to make more meals at home instead of buy out?  Do you have any extra change lying around that you can turn into cash?  These little things can make a difference and instead of being satisfied with your morning latte, you can have the satisfaction of helping people affected with Epilepsy.  Lets help our children grow to see their future.  Please, help in any way you can.  Post this blog to your page, whether you have your own blog or Facebook, Twitter......anything.  Lets get the word out!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day Late

But who cares when cuteness abounds?  Our Halloween was fun and tiring, no really, I really felt like I was 80 and wanted to be in bed at 7!!!!!  We  started out with super yummy blueberry pancakes for breakfast, followed by apron wearing and cookie baking, I will talk about the cookies on another post soon.  Not too long after my mom came down and we hit up the consignment shop near the beach.  As some of you may not know because I have never divulged my secret obsession here, but I love roosters in my kitchen.  Not too over the top where people start thinking an intervention is needed, but I love them and find a place for them in my kitchen.  Well, the consignment shop had some off white china that had a cute rustic vintage like rooster on it.  So, I bought me a pitcher.  I could have gone all crazy and bought the napkin rings, plates, coffee cups, but I didn't, I kept it to one pitcher.  It is super nice, come on over and I can pour us some juice :)  Ok, back to Halloween.  After the consignment shop we came home and dressed the little ones in proper Halloween attire.

Yep, those are my little darlins.  Later we switched Hayley from duck feet to her pink squeaky shoes, more on that in another post yet again, but the squeak was very fitting......and we knew where she was at all times!  After the girls were dressed and ready our good friends came up and went trick or treating with us.  It was hard to get a picture of the whole brood, but my dear friend thought this was her idea of fun for us.....

It wasn't so bad when we were together, it was when we were separate that we got looks.  Thanks Daniela, love ya :)  All in all, it was great Halloween.  How could it not be when spent with friends and family?

Facing Your Giants

This book is amazing!!!  When I first started reading it, my thought was "why am I even reading this book?  I don't have issues!"  Once you are finished laughing and have successfully wiped the tears from your eyes, know this............I believe that everyone has some sort of issue they are facing.  You may think the way I did, but you are wrong.  I am not saying you are going through a traumatic life experience and don't know how to handle it, it can be minor and personal that no one else knows.  Anything, anything at all.  I believe that every now and again, people need a little self help to get back on track with their life and how they want to live it.  And this is the perfect book just for that.  After every chapter I felt better, like the problems I am facing (my giants) could be taken own, that I could shrink them and handle them.  Not to mention that Max Lucado is an amazing author, in my opinion of course.  So, if you haven't read this yet, please go get a copy.

Henry's Story

Tonight is an important night for the Granju family.  Tonight their local station out in Tennessee will be airing the story of their son Henry who died earlier this year.  I have told a bit of his story here, but I would hope that you can take the time to watch his story tonight.  For all of the details, please go here and read his mom's blog.  Oh, and keep reading after that because she is an amazing writer!!!!

Amazing Night

Last week I received an amazing e-mail.  It was from a lady who works for World Vision.  Remember that house party I did for World Vision?  Well, I guess they kept my info and sent me an invitation to dinner followed by the World Vision Make a Difference Tour featuring Toby Mac, Third Day, Michale W. Smith and Jason Gray.  For those who are not into Christian music, you probably have no clue who I am talking about.  I love Third Day so I was super excited to see them.  And I knew who Michael W. Smith was but I hadn't heard of the others.  I was in complete awe.  Toby Mac rocked it!!!!!  I was talking to one of the ladies from World Vision about how my daughters love the Black eyed Peas but I never realized how much foul language is on their cd.  I was used to the radio version so after buying the cd and putting it in my car with my girls in the car with me, I realized how much offensive language is on that cd, I think Kendall even learned to say s@#* from it.  So, to have a cd from a band like Toby Mac whose vibe is similar to the Pea's but without the offensive content (unless praising God is offensive to you, you never know these days) is awesome.....and I admit to rocking out to some funky Jesus music as well :)  The concert was amazing within itself but the truly amazing part was seeing a stadium filled with people worshipping God.  People growing stronger in their faith and some coming to know Him for the very first time.  It is just an amazing experience!  And I got to meet Brian Haley from Toby Mac!!!  He is a genuine, down to earth person who you wish would become your instant best friend!  Here are some pics.........

Mister Toby Mac

Max Lucado

Third Day (there are many better pics but I liked the name in the back on this one)

Brian Haley!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in all it was an amazing night!  There were thousands of people coming together to worship our God and celebrate together.  And something else pretty amazing, I think it was about 250 kids who were sponsored that night, one of them a boy turning 8 whose birthday was that night!!!!  what an amazing difference people are making in our world, I hope that I can make such a difference before I leave this earth!!!!

What An End To The Day

There are times recently when I miss living in the midwest.  The fall season out there is gorgeous.  Our drive to church on Sunday mornings had us strolling down leaf colored streets with bright orange and yellow above us.  The air was crisp and there was cider to be had everywhere.  I miss it.  Fall is my favorite season.  But it is hard to miss it when 1/2 a mile from my house, I can take my girls on a sunset stroll on the beach and see this.............

                                                                              Going

                                                                              Going

                                                                           Gone

What a beautiful way to end a beautiful fall night!!!!!!

Yipppeee!!

Why am I squealing with delight?  Why, haven't you noticed?  I have a computer once again!!!!!!!!  My friends husband is amazing!!!!  Beyond amazing actually, he is all techy and handy and I am thankful to have her married to him.............and of course her too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, get ready because I have some stories and I have some pictures and I will make you all read them :)

Life

Ok, so i know that I promised a fun filled blog with pictures yesterday, only I do not have any new pictures downloaded and I am being lazy.  Plus, there are much more important things going on.  did you see the first miner pulled out from the earth last night?  How amazing and historic was that?  I admit, I cried like a baby.  How could you not?  Families thought for 17 days that their loved one was dead.  Then the jubilation of finding out they were alive because of a note that was written and sent to the surface.  Then to be told they may not be able to get them out until Christmas!!!  Then finding out that today is the day.....who wants to hug their loved one?  As soon as I heard they were lowering the first rescuer down into the deep dark tunnel, in what is a tiny panic attack waiting to happen cage, I was glued to the tv!  Anderson Cooper was my go to guy, I love the way he delivers news!  I think he even told a couple of people to be quiet so they wouldn't be running the moment unfolding on the tv, who wants to hear other people talk?  I want to hear what is going on!  I was a little aggravated once Larry King came on.  First off, his expert guest on all things mining was Mike Rowe, you know, the guy from the show Dirty Jobs.  Don't get me wrong, I like to watch him do his show, the reality tv show that has nothing to do with mining, and he is pretty darn hot (I am just sayin here people, I speak truth).  But to be an expert guest?  And it showed.  I think Mike and Larry went back and forth on the order of who would be going first and who would be going last out of the mine.  I think it went something like this:
Mike: Who gets to go first?  Do they do the ultimate game of rock, paper, scissors or something?
Larry: Oh I don't know but I am sure it has to happen like that, how do you choose?
Mike: Exactly, it had to be that!
Really?!!  I am in no way a journalist for breaking news, I have never had an interest in being a high profile journalist.  However, I read a ton of times the day before that they would be chosen based upon their health and that would be determined by a medical professional once they had access to the men.  Hello?  are you not reporting on the news?  Know the freaking news gentlemen.....and don't bring on the situation to discuss important news events, I mean really.  Ok, so maybe Mike is a step above the situation, but it is basically the same thing when reporting on world events.  Alright, off my soap box I go to fish out my camera and hopefully have pictures and fun light-hearted blogging tomorrow :)

Blog? Huh?

Well hello there blog, its been awhile.  I am laid up with a broken toe and no energy to find something fun and vivid to write.  I haven't even uploaded any new pictures.  I promise, by tomorrow, you will have a tremendous post and gorgeous pictures.........unless I get lazy again :)

Acts Of Kindness For Henry

I have been following this blog for a little while now.  The woman who writes the blog is Katie Allison Granju.  She writes beautifully and has a wonderful sense of humor.  She has also been hit with the most tragic of events this year, the death of her 18 year old son Henry.  If you have a moment, take the time to read her blog, but today, go out and spread some kindness in remembrance of Henry.  Yes, he was a drug addict and yes, it did lead to him getting into a bad situation which would ultimately lead to his death, but he was also an 18 year old kid.  A kid who had gotten in too deep and couldn't find his way out.  He was also a son and a brother who is missed deeply.  despite his addiction, he was a wonderful young man and today he would have been 19.  So, to honor his memory, his family is asking that everyone go out and spread some kindness in the name of Henry Granju.  Nothing wrong with being nice right?  If you do, please join the facebook group Acts Of Kindness For Henry, and let the family know what you did int heir sons name.  They don't have him here to celebrate with and I know it would bring some sort of peace and happiness to know that the memory of their son still lives on.  And why stop today?  Being kind is something we should be doing everyday!!!  And if we are kind to others and help others out, maybe people like Henry would still be around.  Have a blessed day!!!

Epilepsy Freedom Walk 2010

In just a couple of weeks, my sweet girl and I will be walking in our very first walk for Epilepsy.  This in itself is a huge stride.  We have gone through quite a bit this year.  Meds were not working properly, seizures were still happening quite frequently and my girl was always tired because of all of the change going on in her body.  We have recently celebrated one year with epilepsy, I know it sounds silly to celebrate living one year with a disease but we are excited.  She could be in a hospital bed or a wheelchair, she could be having seizures that could keep her from living a normal life, but just one year into it, we are starting to get the hang of things.  We do still have our small set-backs but she is living a normal life, as normal as it could be.  And she is so excited to walk for Epilepsy!  She is even more excited that she can get sponsors to sponsor her in her walk.  And that money that is donated will be used to help find a cure so that not another moment is lost to seizures.  One day children will not have to worry about being around loud sounds, or seeing flashing lights or wondering if they will have a seizure in front of kids who will wonder why "that kid is so weird".  I know that for some it is a tough time financially, but if you have anything to spare, we would forever be grateful and you would have the satisfaction knowing that you are helping a wonderful cause and wonderful children.  If you can donate, you can go to www.EpilepsyFreedomWalk.org and sponsor a walker, look it up under Cassidy Hall.  And if you cannot donate financially but live in the Southern California area, come and walk with us on October 17!!!  All ages are welcome and you can register at the same website.  It will be a great time!!!!  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Lets make this event extraordinary!!!!!

Dance Class

Our sweet middle child is feeling depraved and non-sociable.  She always wants to go to someones house to play or just "dooooooo something!!!!!!!"  Since she isn't in preschool, we decided to enroll her in dance.  She is having a blast!!!

What is sweeter than a little one in tights and a leotard?!!!!!!