Dodys Days

Christmas/NYE fun

2012-01-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree gingerbread house

Gracee and her new Oregon shirt

Gracee and her new hat

Evan with his Oregon shirt

Gracee and her new Silly hair doll

Evan just being Evan

David and Me on Christmas Eve

Getting ready for the Polar express show

Snow at SeaWorld

80's NYE girl

Santa Visit

2011-12-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

The kids and McKenzie saw Santa tonight

This hit home today

2011-12-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning in a complete panic. Different than most days, as the worry in my heart was more intense than the normal worry a mother feels. As a mother you worry about your children, constantly. With Evan's most recent diagnoses and viral illnesses, and the frustration that I feel on a daily basis, I think it is all catching up with me today. I try not to weeny whine about it because frankly, it is easy to feel misunderstood. People brush it under the rug, and don't see the day to day. God is the only one that really understands what is going on, so I do take great comfort in that. Today I came across this wonderful article on a VCFS chat board that I am on. It helps me get some answers in between waiting to see specialists. It is a community that is going through very similar things that my family is going through. Although we have been blessed with great educators for our children so far, I felt this was a great article and a raw understanding of what a mother/teacher is feeling.

Dear Parents of Special-Needs Children I’ve Taught In the Past,

I need to make a big apology. You see, I’ve been teaching now for fourteen years, but I have only just recently joined your ranks.

I didn’t know. Not even a clue. I thought, mistakenly, that having two special-needs children in my family made me more sensitive toyour needs as a parent. It didn’t. And I’m so sorry for operating under the assumption that I did. I’m not attempting verbal self-flagellation here. I meant well. I knew a lot about autism and some about other special-needs conditions. I did care about your child. And I did want to do right by him. But, like a lot of teachers who Just Don’t Get It, I thought doing right by him meant giving him extra time on assignments and not allowing him to fail my class. I thought being extra nice and seating her at the front of the room was what you needed from me.

But you needed more. And I didn’t understand that. You needed communication. A lot of it. You needed me to understand your depth of worry. You needed me to understand that, if you’ve met one special-needs child, you’ve met one special-needs child. You needed me to understand that I was teaching your child, not an I.E.P. You needed to know, not assume, that I would go out on a limb to make sure your child’s needs were met all over the school and not just in my classroom. You needed to not worry that, when your back was turned, I was still doing everything that I promised as well as thinking of better ways to meet your child’s needs. You needed to talk about your child in meetings and not worry about the clock.

I know better now. In just a few months, I am going to be placing my special little boy into the hands of the public school system. Because he is non-verbal, I will have no way of literally knowing how his day went, if he is being treated well, and if those to whom I am entrusting his care really do care about him. This kind of fear is paralyzing. And more so because I know just how little training (read almost none) that most of the staff in a public school have in dealing with children like my son. They, too, will mean well. But they won’t know. They won’t get it. I now know why you carry The Binder of Epic Proportions to every meeting. Mine is getting bigger by the day.

I look back now at all of your children and wish that I had picked up the phone more, written quick notes home more often, challenged your child more often rather than less, and make you feel certain that someone else loved your baby in your absence. For that, I’m sorry. I promise to do better for those kids in the future. I promise to not assume anything about your child’s unique situation and needs. I won’t just react to bullying of your very different child. I will actively be on the lookout for it. I will remember your child and her possible confusion on activity bell schedule days. I will take more time each day to get to know her. I promise to do my best to push, cajole, educate, and even take to task my colleagues who don’t get it in the years to come. I pray that teacher training will improve in the future and that my son will reap the rewards of that. And I hope that I am just as patient, kind, and understanding with his teachers and schools as most of you were with us.

And those of you who weren’t? I get you too.

Sincerely,

Your Child’s Former Teacher

3 day 60 mile Breast cancer walk

2011-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

In November of 2012 I am going to be participating in the 3 day 60 mile Breast Cancer walk in San Diego, CA. In order to do this walk I need to fundraise $2300. This walk is a personal goal of mine and it is also to honor both of my Grandmothers and an Aunt that are/were survivors. Everyone has their own charity that they like to contribute to, but if you are feeling led to support my walk (60 miles!) I would be very grateful. You can donate online at The3Day.org or call 1 800-996-3DAY to make a donation with a credit card. If you would like to pay by check you can send a check to me and I will send it in for you with a registration form. Please make all checks payable to “Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure®”and write the Participant ID number 6428361 in the memo. All donations are tax deductible. Also if you work for a company that does matching donations, that would be great to let them know. If you would like to join the walk we are looking for more team members.

Thank you for your consideration!

Quick link to donate online:

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Events/General?fr_id=1430&pg=pfind

Infirmary

2011-11-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

This fall has been a rough one for our family. The kids had various colds to start the school year, and then Gracee got 2 sinus infections, Evan got Hand foot and mouth, bronchitis, double ear infection, pink eye and now they are both home today....Grace with a fever, Evan feeling nauseous. We have had many visits to the Dr, and pharmacy this fall.

Gracee may have allergies which are causing her sinus infections. We are now on nose spray and Zyrtec for the next month to see how it goes. It is possible she may need her tonsils and adenoids out. Evan may have to get tubes in his ears again come February if the fluid in his ears does not go away. With all of the diagnoses that he faces, his hearing his key to his behavior.

In between all of that we have found some time for fun! The weather has been gorgeous this fall 65-80 degrees on a given day with very little rain. My sister was down earlier this month and so was David's Mom. It was great to have some family time. I am enjoying helping out at school and of course I am looking forward to this Christmas season with the family.

Knotts Berry Farm with Gma

The kids and Auntie Kate

Me and my sister

Evan the Indian (Thanksgiving feast)

Autism walk in Anaheim

Dinner out with friends Public house, Temecula

David and Jesse on Thanksgiving

Me and my wonderful friend Kristen

Evan and friend Nathan

Me and my girlie

Tree lighting at the Mission Inn, Riverside, CA

I have reached my goal already of walking/running 365 miles this year, but I am still working on getting to 400 by the end of the year. I am also signing up for the 3 day/60 mile breast cancer walk in San Diego next November. I am going to need to raise a lot of money, so you may get sick of me by then.

Evan lost his first tooth/Halloween fun

2011-10-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Evan lost his 1st tooth on October 30th

The kids dressed up

Our pumpkins

Me and the kids

Me and David carving pumpkins...the kids ditched us

U of O pumpkin (David's creation)

My California pumpkin complete with palm tree

Evan with his pumpkin and the missing tooth

Gracee's heart pumpkin

Me and my pumpkin

Cray hair day....Gracee had a rats nest with fake rats.

The kids on crazy hair day

Gracee on 70's day

Pumpkin patch petting zoo

Gracee at the petting zoo

Gracee measuring herself

Evan the ghost

Gracee the ghost

Cupcake creations

The kids at kids club at church...Evan was a walking snack bar and Gracee was a 60# sack of potatoes.

New Family pictures

2011-10-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Evan Kindergarten

Gracee 2nd grade

David and Dorothy

Our family Fall 2011

Gracee Ballet Thumbelina (can't seem to flip this on the blog)

35

2011-10-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Octoberfest with the kids

Evan and Grace with their top hat and crown they made at the festival

Dody and David at Shogun for our Birthday dinner

Ryan, Kristen, David and Me at Shogun

Cake and wine afterwards...that is a wine yolk holding my glass. We sure had some laughs with that thing.

Breakfast brunch for Kristen's 29th birthday

My birthday buddy Kristen...Her's is the day after mine.

Turning 35 a few days ago felt a little strange. I had a wonderful weekend with friends and family and feel so blessed by the amazing people in my life. Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Are you ready for some football?

2011-09-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Evan #82

Drinking his Gatorade

Garcia...ready to hit the Field.

Football season is in full swing and our very own football player, Evan had his first game tonight. He did such a great job.

UCLA Medical Center Research

2011-09-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

This is a research study that we did with Evan yesterday. He did such a great job. What a blessing to us to be able to be part of this.

22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22qDS, or Velocardiofacial Syndrome) is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 in 4000 people. It is a disorder that frequently causes craniofacial anomalies and heart defects. It can also cause developmental delays. Many people with 22qDS have a greater chance of having attention deficits, learning disabilities, and particular psychiatric conditions.

While there is no known cure for 22qDS, there is a lot of exciting research happening in this area. UCLA investigators have recently embarked on a study to further expand the knowledge of 22qDS in humans. This is not a treatment study; however, it is hoped that the information gathered from this study may help to develop treatments for the disorder in the future.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This current research study, conducted jointly by investigators, Carrie Bearden, Ph.D., Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, Katrina Dipple, M.D., Ph.D., Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics, and Christina Palmer, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, aims to examine emotional adjustment, thought processes such as memory and attention, and brain structure and activity in children and adolescents with 22qDS, as compared to children and adolescents without the disorder. The study also aims to determine whether variation in the specific genes affected by 22qDS is related to differences in brain structure, function and behavior. By repeating the assessments at two follow-up visits (1 and 2 years later) we will be able to determine how brain structure and function changes over time in individuals with 22qDS.

WHAT WILL PARTICIPATION INCLUDE?

Baseline participation may take between one to two days (~7 hours for all study procedures). Participants will be given paper and pencil and computer tests of memory, attention and logic, and interviews about their mood, thoughts and behaviors by a trained staff member at the UCLA Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and an MRI scan at UCLA’S Brain Research Institute. These tests will help us to learn more about how the brain works in people with 22qDS. The study also involves a review of medical records, to get information about birth and medical history, and an optional blood or saliva sample obtained from both you and your child, to determine whether the genes affected by 22qDS may be related to differences in how the brain works. Some of the study procedures will be repeated at 2 follow-up timepoints. All procedures will be explained carefully and all participation is completely VOLUNTARY. You may withdraw from the study at any time. There is no financial obligation on the part of the participant.

Participants will be compensated up to $260 for full participation in all of the study visits. If after the initial evaluation it is determined that you are not eligible for the study you will be compensated $20 for your time. There are minimal risks involved with participating in this study.

WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE?

1. Your child is between the ages of 6-22

2. Your child has a confirmed diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion, via FISH test

3. Your child has not been diagnosed with a disorder of the brain or nervous system (such as epilepsy, encephalitis, brain tumor, etc.)

4. Your child does not use drugs or abuse alcohol

5. Your child is able to complete the study measures and interviews in English.

Contact Information

If you are interested in finding out more about this research study, Please call Carolyn Chow at (310) 825-3458 or email beardenlab.ucla@gmail.com *Individuals under 18 must have their parents call.

Principal Investigator: Carrie Bearden, Ph.D.

Email: cbearden@mednet.ucla.edu

Department: UCLA Semel Institute, Depts of

Psychiatry and Psychology, and Brain Research

Institute

Please be assured all inquiries are kept confidential

participating in this study UCLA IRB Approved Approval Date: 11/17/2010 Through: 11/16/2011TeCloemphmoitntee::(M31e0di)c7al9I4R-B9733

Back to school

2011-08-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

The kids are back to school here in Southern California. The summer just flew by, but we had a great time. Evan just started kindergarten and Gracee is in 2nd grade. Gracee got the same teacher as last year which I was very happy about. Evan got a great kindergarten teacher who was a special education teacher for several years. I will be volunteering in both of their classes starting Thursday. I have worked out carpooling with my friend Lisa which is a blessing for both of us. I seem to fill up my 3 1/2 hours of no children very easily. The biggest difference is that I can run errands without children, or maybe squeeze in a quick work-out while they are away. So far I am enjoying the new found freedom.

Gracee and Evan 1st day of school

Our 2 school kids

Me and and the kiddos on the 1st day of school

Evan in Kindergarten

Gracee a big 2nd grader

Our NW trip 2011

2011-08-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Three days ago we returned from the NW after 2 weeks with family and Friends. Tomorrow, the kids start their 1st day of school...and for Evan, his 1st day of Kindergarten. Our vacation was a wonderful way to end the summer. We started off at my parents house, drove to Beaverton and saw our family and friends for a week, drove back to WA where we visited my brother, then sister and back to my parents before flying home. Here are just a few highlights of our trip......

Me, Gma Ellen and David

Grace and Aubrey...happy to see each other again

Heather, Jennifer and Me

KJ, Liles, David and Rudy Jr.

We tried VOODOO for the 1st time

Cousins at Farmers market

Friend Chase and Evan

Old friends...Kira and Gracee

me and Veronica

me and Gilly at Timberline lodge

Family at the lodge

Brewfest

Hubers

Kristina, me, Sophia and Gracee at the WC fair

Evan, me and my old friend Sasha

Our family with Gpa Slim

Our family and David's Mom

Cousin picture YamaGardon's

Garcia, Jordan and Yamashiro families

Hanging with Liles, David's Dad

The kids and Gpa

Cousin Cadence, Evan and Gracee

David and Kevin

Park/Zoo day with Cadence

Marianne and Cadence

Me and David at the Point Defiance Zoo

me and my girly at the zoo

Kevin and me at the zoo

Cute kiddos

David and me with sweet Cadence

Kevin and Marianne

Marianne, Kevin, Dorothy and David

Kids with Kevin and Marianne

Wine time with my sister

BBQ with the Sander family

Campfire time

Gma and Gracee

Cousin slumber party

Me, Mom and Kate

3 generations

Elliot and Gracee

our family with my parents

Grandparents and the kiddos

Paul and the kiddos

Sander cousins and Garcias

July fun

2011-07-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy and fun few weeks. The highlights have been:

Swimming lessons (Gracee is starting to learn freestyle and Evan is finally happy to be in the water)
Sea World with the kids
Day trips to the beach/pool parties
Lots of time at the pool
Gracee's ballet recital (she did a fabulous job)

Boys 2 Men concert last night

We leave this weekend to visit family and friends in the NW. We are hoping that we don't freeze out California bums off in the unseasonably cool NW this year :-)

Gracee on her last day of swimming lessons

Evan on his last day of swimming lessons

Evan at Sea World at the 4D show

Gracee at Sea World at the 4D show

April and me a day at the beach

David and our 50 pound lap dog McKenzie

The ballerinas

The ballerinas dancing on stage

Gracee and her partner Bailey

The Thumbelinas

Me and my pretty girl

Gracee posing

Me and my boy at the Boys 2 Men concert

House of Blues Boys 2 Men concert...awesome!

Happy Birthday Evan

2011-06-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Happy 6th Birthday Evan

Newborn Evan

1 year old Evan

2 year old Evan

3 year old Evan

4 year old Evan

Mommy and Evan...5 years old.

Bittersweet day, my boy turned 6. What a blessing you are. We love you.

Summer is here

2011-06-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Gracee's last day of 1st grade

Gracee and Evan at the carnival on the last day of school

Gracee and her friend Carolyn

Gracce and me on the last day of school

Silly glasses on David's Birthday

David and Gracee on his Birthday

David and Evan on David's Birthday

Me and David on his Birthday

Gracee loved this swing at the camp ground

Evan and David fishing

Ryan and David fishing

Gracee's teeth before the were extracted

Western day for Evan at school

My little cowboy

Me and Kate getting some vitamin D at the pool

Kate and Dody playing dress up with Gracee

Kate and Dody on her last day visiting

During the past 2 weeks, Gracee finished 1st grade with flying colors (on David's 35th Birthday), we went camping and Evan had a trip to the ER to get a tick removed, Gracee got her 2 incisor baby teeth extracted at the dentist and my sister Kate came to visit. Never a dull moment! We enjoyed our visit with my sister (she has some pictures on her camera with the kids) and we look forward to seeing all of our family in about 6 weeks when we head to the NW.

Happy Birthday David

2011-05-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Last year's birthday with the kiddos!

Happy Birthday David! We love you.

Open house and Baseball game

2011-05-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Gracee with her award

T-ball team on the field

Gracee and her 1st grade teacher Mr. B

Evan and Mama

Gracee and Mama

David and Gracee switching hats

Gracee and her friend Paige with matching sweatshirts

This past week has been a busy one. Gracee got a math award at open house for 3 minute drills. She is fastest and most accurate test taker in math for these drills. We are so proud of her and how hard she works at school. I think she gets her brains from her Daddy! She will be out of school this Friday. Evan had his last T-ball game for the season and we enjoyed a family night at the STORM game. The little League had a parade at the minor league game. He wants to play flag football this fall. This Friday we will be celebrating David's Birthday and then we are going camping with some friends for the long weekend.

Blogger slacker

2011-05-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

David and Gracee Father daughter dance

I have slacked on my blogging for the past couple of weeks. We are winding down on our school year for Grace and Preschool for Evan. T-ball season will be coming to an end and we have had a million and one Dr. appointments lately. David will be seen by a VA neutral Dr. today to see about his ongoing food reactions that he is having since having his surgery 9 years ago. Overall, he is doing great, but the list gets longer each day of food that his body can no longer tolerate. We all decided to have a lovely sick 10 days in our home right after Easter, just to add to the fun. David and I got some nasty upper respiratory thing that felt flu like. Then to end the week, the kids got a nasty stomach virus. Evan had to get prescription anti nausea medication. He was so sick and miserable. Grace got it too, just a milder version. To say the least we were ready to move the germs along. I am ready for the warmer temperatures and some fun times this summer coming up. Both kids are signed up for swim lessons. I would like to do VBS with them this year, but VBS here is in the evening and Gracee will have her ballet recital that week, so I am not sure if she will be able to go. Evan had his kindergarten readiness meeting at the elementary school and he is ready to rock kindergarten. Literally :-) We also recently went to Rady Children's hospital in San Diego to be seen by a speech pathologist there. She is thrilled with how well Evan is doing. He will be kept on an IEP mainly due to his hearing loss, and his syndrome just so he does not get lost in the shuffle. Obviously all of our challenges are not over, but for now things are looking really good and I couldn't be more pleased. Gracee went in for her seven year old well check-up. She is 53 inches and about 56 pounds. She is expected to be 5 ft 11 inches....time will tell. She has still not slowed down and is still over the 100th percentile in height. She also will be getting her two front lower teeth pulled in a couple of weeks. They never came out and the adult teeth have been in for about a year now, so it is time to move those teeth along. She officially has only lost her two front (top) teeth. I think after getting teeth pulled in June, the Tooth Fairy is going to owe her big time. In the midst of the past couple of weeks, Gracee also went to the Father Daughter dance with her Daddy and we were able to see our old neighbor/friends from Oregon (they now live in another state too) That has been our life in a nutshell the past two weeks.

Easter weekend

2011-04-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Found this picture and I loved it.

Easter morning Cinnamon Bundt cake

Gracee

Easter spread

Evan and Gracee

Easter goodies

Easter baskets

The kids and Mama on Easter

We enjoyed a great Easter weekend celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. I love that the kids are beginning to understand how important Easter is.

Happy 15th Anniversary

2011-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

April 21, 1996

Fifteen years later.......April 2011

Oh how time flies...and doesn't at the same time. God has blessed me with this whirlwind of a life and a man that is the best match for me...not sure if I could have chosen him all on my own. I am so thankful that we found each other and continue to grow up together. I love you David!

Interstitial Cystitis

2011-04-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

After years of thinking I had chronic UTI's (that were in fact only white blood cells in the urine that can be caused by an irritated bladder) frequent urination all day/night, stomach pain that often resembled cramps mid cycle, I finally saw an Urologist that listened to my symptoms and has now started me on drug therapy and changes to my diet to avoid acidic foods. In the past I had two traumatic child births and a possible endometriosis diagnoses, which can both be triggers for this condition. I have started the medication this weekend, and I am looking forward to feeling "normal" again....whatever that is!

Interstitial cystitis

BY JF DULEMBA MD, THE WOMEN’S CENTRE, NORTH TEXAS HOSPITAL, DENTON, TEXAS 76210, USA

What is interstitial cystitis?

For many years Interstitial Cystitis (IC) was thought to be a chronic bacterial infection. The theory was that the bacteria would be present under the epithelium, and become resistant to normal antibiotic treatment. Since the bladder is part of the urinary tract system IC was managed in the past by urologists, but they seemed to have treated this disease as a stepchild, and ignored it to a great degree.

We now know that IC is part of an immune system dysfunction that allows the protective coating of the bladder to be denuded in small areas. The protective coating (glycosaminoglycanmucus-mucin layer) allows the urine to sit in the bladder for hours without causing any symptoms. When this layer is missing, the underlying cells can become irritated.

Symptoms

The symptoms of IC can vary greatly. The most common symptoms are blood in the urine (hematuria), pain with intercourse (dyspareunia), pelvic pain, pain with urination (dysuria), and back pain. Many women with IC urinate frequently during the day and night (nocturia). In a few patients, the symptoms can be so severe that travel outside of their home is impossible. They urinate as often as every five minutes.

An analogy to why IC causes pain is to look at a baby in diapers. When the baby urinates it often smiles, but think of a baby with diaper rash. When the baby urinates it doesn’t smile. In fact it cries. This is because urine is an irritant. Urine contains many byproducts of waste, especially potassium. Potassium is most likely the cause of irritation in the bladder. Symptoms seem to increase when allergy seasons occur, or when the patient eats foods rich in potassium.

Who gets interstitial cystitis?

It is unknown how many undiagnosed cases of interstitial cystitis may be present in the gynaecologic pelvic pain population [2], but newer data shows the prevalence may be as high as 25% of women [3]. Some studies have shown a link with endometriosis [1], and IC has been labeled as “The Evil Twin”. 80-90% of women with endometriosis have been identified with IC. This may help explain why some patients treated for endometriosis have not had relief from pain after surgical and medical therapies.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis can be difficult, since some symptoms can be so mild that patients may not realise they have IC. When a woman suspects she may have IC, she should go to a specialist that deals with pelvic pain and endometriosis. Just as urologists have ignored IC, so have most gynaecologists.

Two ways to diagnose IC are:

1. By cystoscopy (a camera in the bladder)
2. By PST (potassium sensitivity test)

A cystoscopy is performed in the hospital as an outpatient procedure. The patient is asleep, and the bladder is overdistended with fluid while the camera is in place. As the bladder is drained, small bleeding areas will occur on the surface of the bladder. A biopsy can be performed at this time that may help in the diagnosis of IC. When blood is in the urine, this procedure helps confirm that a more serious problem doesn’t exist.

The PST is performed in the office while the patient is awake. A very small catheter is placed in the bladder, and a small amount of water is placed in the bladder. Even with IC this should not cause any pain. The water is drained from the bladder, and a new solution containing potassium is placed in the bladder. A normal bladder will not respond to this solution, but a patient with IC will experience pain or discomfort. If pain is felt, a rescue solution is immediately placed in the bladder to numb the bladder.

Treatments

There are, and always have been, many ways to try and treat IC. Early methods were permanent oral antibiotics and DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide). A few patients responded to those treatments, but success was not overwhelming. In mild cases, some patients respond to Detrol and Ditropan.

The treatment that seems to have the greatest response is called Elmiron (related to Heparin, a blood thinner). This medication allows the coating of the bladder to regenerate. The patient may not see a response for three to six months, and the medication is relatively expensive. An antihistamine is also given to help diminish the release of histamine, especially during pollen season. The medicines may need to be taken forever, but when they work relief can be dramatic.

A helpful diet is one that is low in potassium. Foods high in potassium include: tomatoes, pineapple, chocolate, and Jalapeno peppers. If symptoms persist, then pain clinics and surgical options are available, but these are last step approaches.

Self help groups

Endometriosis patients have self help groups that can provide information and research, and the same is true for IC patients, where the Interstitial Cystitis Association’s websiteprovides lots of useful information.

Hopefully, as more patients and physicians become aware of IC, more studies will be done to help diagnose and treat the IC patients.

Dying Easter Eggs

2011-04-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

The finished eggs

Gracee and Evan dying Easter Eggs

Daddy and Kiddos dying eggs

Gracee, Dorothy and Evan dying eggs

The finished project!

Evan's T-ball photos

2011-04-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Evan

Evan and his team

Here are Evan's T-ball photos. He is having a great time and David is enjoying coaching the restless little dudes.

Palm Springs

2011-04-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

The tram going up

us on the tram

snow in the mountains

David

Dody

Funky tree

beautiful views of Palm Springs

David and the snow

It was 50 degrees at the mountains 8500 ft elevation. We started at a 2500 ft elevation.

Dody and David (SNOW!)

Picture of our tram

what the old trams used to look like

Las Casuelas Terraza Mexican Restaurant

and of course I ended the evening spilling water all over myself!

David and I had a lovely time in Palm Springs. We stayed in Palm Desert at the Hampton. On Friday we ate at a neat restaurant that was started by a firefighter and all of their dishes were named after something fire related. Then we went back and watched a movie in our room. On Saturday, we laid out by the pool for a couple of hours, rode the tram to the San Jacinto mountains and then went to dinner at Las Casuelas Terrace, an awesome Mexican restaurant. I had a fresh mango margarita. We walked around Palm Springs and enjoyed a beautiful 90 degree evening.

Family Fun

2011-03-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Evan got a pirate ballon costume

Gracee of course got a balloon crown

Crazy balloon hat...Need I say more?

and then there is Alex...

Kristen and me...she got a butterfly hat, I got a beautiful fruit basket

Evan, Joshua and Gracee

Sweet Joshua

me and the boys

Uncle David and Joshua

Allie and Joshua

Alex and me

This past week my brother Alex and family visited over Gracee's Birthday party weekend. We had a wonderful time and here are the pictures to prove it!

How is she 7? Happy Birthday Gracee!

2011-03-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Newborn Gracee

Our new baby girl

Home sweet home

Now a 7 year old

Gracee with her new book

Ready to blow out her candle

Me and Gracee

David and Gracee

Our Peanuty!

MEDIEVAL TIMES and More

2011-03-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Evan at this Tball game

Evan

Early Birthday celebration with Grandma and Great Grandpa

Great Grandpa cheering on Evan's team

Grils day getting pedicures with Grandma

Evan and Gracee at MidiEval times

Mommy and the kiddos MidiEval times

David and Me Midieval Times

Great Grandpa, David and Grandma Nancy Midieval

McKenzie and Grandma

T-ball

2011-03-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

Evan's 1st T-ball game

Evan had his first game of the season for Little League. He is very excited. He has 17 games scheduled. The season ends around the same time school ends at the end of May. It should be a fun 3 months!

Ice and Snow

2011-02-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

Water sand table all iced over

Traces of snow on the kids picnic table

Our BBQ

Who would have ever thought that we would see snow (very little) in Southern California? And let me just say, we are freezing in these parts. I am a complete wuss. I am thankful for the 70 degree highs that will be on the way by the end of the week.

Grandma's

2011-02-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

Me, Grandma Garcia and David 2000

In Florida for Grandma's 80th birthday

My Grandma Augusta, David, me, Grandma Garcia and My Grandma Ellen

Our last trip to Florida for Grandma Garcia's 90th Birthday

There is nothing like the love of a Grandmother. I have been lucky to know both of my own Grandmother's as an adult. One passed away 11 years ago, which was heart wrenching for me. She lived next door to me my entire childhood and I had an amazing bond with her, as did my siblings. My other Grandmother is almost 91. She is healthy, happy and still has an amazing amount of energy for her age. I was lucky enough to grow up with her nearby as well and have always enjoyed her company, wisdom and the way she takes care of herself. When I married David, I had an opportunity to know both of his Grandmother's too. One passed away a year after we were married. I didn't get to know her as well as I would have loved to. David's other Grandmother who lived in Florida, made it to our wedding as did my Grandmother's. We also made several trips to Florida over the years and she made it to Oregon for David's sisters weddings. A couple of weeks ago, Grandma Garcia got a cold that turned into pneumonia. Being 91 years old, she was unable to fight it. Tomorrow her life will be celebrated. I will not be there, but David and his family will. She was a Grandmother to me. She was a blessing to all that knew her. Her humor and charisma will be missed by us all. Rest in Peace GG.

30 something

2011-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

My 30's have been a time of awakening. The older I get I realize how black and white life is NOT. I realize as a growing believer the struggles that I have to fight evil and to do right. We are not perfect, yet the standards we try to set for ourselves can never measure up to our expectations. The older I get the more reflecting I do, alone in my thoughts. When I say I am trying to find myself, that is exactly what I am doing. Although I love my life, I have some regrets. Things that I have or haven't said, quality time that I have or have not spent with people, career/school choices that I did or did not make. The other day I heard something wise, which really resonated with me. If we could only put a 50 year old head on our 20 year old bodies, we would have avoided a lot of mistakes, pain and heartache. Of course part of growing older comes with learning from past mistakes to become a better person and mentor to those who may be walking in similiar shoes. Life is short..embrace it, love it, learn from it, enjoy it.

Quote of the day: When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
- Helen Keller

Family Beach day

2011-01-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

She loves the beach

Evan

Me and my Girlie

Dancing Queen

Paddle Ball

Where is Gracee?

Me and my boy

Last weekend we had a beautiful 70 degree day at the beach. We are going to try to work on having more beach days this year. The kids have way too much fun and the relaxing is great for all of us.

Some days are hard to take

2011-01-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days that you wish you never woke up. I am saddened by the news of a cousin who has died tragically today and news of a friend from Bible study several years ago, who was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer. When news like this comes your way, you always ask the question "why?" God knows and we rarely find out why, which makes it even more difficult to deal with. In both situations I am not really close to either person anymore. I was affected today by the news of both. Both people are close to my age, so it becomes very real. My heart hurts for these families today and I pray for God's healing hand during these tough times.

another tooth

2011-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Another tooth bites the dust! Way to go Gracee!

New Years Eve

2011-01-01T14:41:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Ryan and Kristen

David and Dorothy

Evan busting a move to Rock band!

David and Ryan Rockin...Rock band!

The poor dogs are just too tired to celebrate

We had a fabulous weekend with friends for the New Year, but ended the weekend a little sick...(colds). Over the weekend I was thinking of my goals for the new year. I am not saying resolution, since that seems to set people up for failure, but a goal gives you something to work toward when you have a set back.

My goals:

1. Enjoy my children more. They are a true joy to me. This year has been a year of change, and I need to focus more on our beautiful children.

2. Do something intentional everyday for the ones I love or for a stranger. Think outside the box and get out of my comfort zone to do so.

3. Volunteer more at church and at the kids schools.

4. Focus on my spiritual side...what does God intend for me?

5. Save more money and stay focused on short and long term goals.

6. Get back to healthy eating after 2 months of holidays and vanity weight gain.

7. Walk 3x a week again....goal 365 miles this year.

8. Enjoy music more....get back to what really made me happy as a young adult and find a group to sing with.

9. Find a way to make money from home by taking on small jobs.

10. Treasure my husband and the life I have with him. Never let distractions take away from my relationship with him.

Christmas

2010-12-27T15:52:00.001-08:00

Evan with his new Wii games from Santa

Gracee with her LalaLoopsy doll from Santa

Carrots for the reindeer and cookies for Santa

Sleeping kids ready for Santa

My Dad and Mom with the kids Christmas Eve

Happy Birthday Jesus chocolate cream pie

Dody and David Christmas Eve

Dody, David, Gracee and Evan Christmas Eve

SeawWorld with my parents

Getting ready for the 4D Polar Express show

*Pictures are a bit out of order...sorry

What a wonderful Christmas week. It has been nice having the kids home and not having a routine every day. Today, I actually put my house back together. I am one of those types of people that like everything put away when Christmas is over, to ring in the New Year with a clean house and all the new stuff in its place.

My Parents made it to our house On Wednesday the 22nd. They were supposed to come in on the 21st, but were grounded in Tri-cities due to fog. They drove to Seattle that night and flew to Orange County the next day. We hung out and relaxed that day. On the 23rd we went to SeaWorld. It was not too crowded and the weather was significantly better....No rain. (we had about 14 inches of rain in 5 days the week before) On Christmas Eve we went to Toms farms and then we went to church. When we came home we had an appetizer dinner and opened up gifts with the kids. Before bedtime the kids got cookies and carrots ready for Santa and the reindeer and wrote letters to Santa. Christmas day was a nice day of eating and relaxing. The kids were happy to spend time with their grandparents...the first family members that have visited us since we moved here in March.

I am not sure if I will write again before the New Year, so if I don't, we wish you a happy, healthy and safe new year. ~Dody

1st Lost Tooth/Amazing Light Show

2010-12-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

After a great church service last night, we went to Five Guys for dinner, followed by an amazing Christmas Light show that 12 families put to music in their neighborhood. At dinner, Gracee was eating some peanuts and she thought she had a peanut stuck in her teeth. It was not a peanut, but a tooth hanging on for dear life. I gave it a few little twists and out it came. How ironic that our little "Peanut" lost her first tooth on a peanut. Bittersweet moments :-)

Christmas Time

2010-12-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

Gracee's Choir program

Gracee as pretty as can be

Our tree

The kids with Santa

Grace and Evan at his Preschool program

Christmas is in full swing at the Garcias. We have our tree up, decorations up, reading our advent passages each night, Christmas cards out, gingerbread house made, visited Santa last night, Evan's preschool program yesterday, Gracee's Christmas program tomorrow....now all we have left is a few last minute gifts to buy, baking and waiting for Grandpa and Grandma from Washington to come visit. We are enjoying a balmy 70+ degree week here in Lake Elsinore. Hopefully the weather will be lovely during Christmas week. We are taking the kids and the grandparents to SeaWorld.

The kids are doing well. Grace has become quite a reader and will be moving into advanced reading after Christmas. She is also enjoying ballet each week. Evan is doing well in preschool. I see maturity in him every day, although he is one of the most stubborn children I know. Part of his discipline now is writing sentences. Writing is hard for him, therefore he does not try. Now when he doesn't obey the first time, we make him write: I will listen the first time. This hopefully will do two things. (1) Get him to work on his writing more and (2) help him to obey the first time. I know writing missed spelling words helped me learn how to spell growing up, so hopefully this will work in all areas. Oh parenting....the trials and tribulations. Anyway, his speech is continuing to improve. I am hoping it will no longer be needed for kindergarten next year. I signed him up over the weekend for spring Little League, so that should be a lot of fun for him.

This Christmas season, I know how blessed I am. I am thankful for the health of my family. I am thankful that I have children who know and love God and I am thankful for my hard-working hubby. But most of all I am thankful for Jesus.

Halloween and November Events

2010-11-30T19:53:00.001-08:00

Dinner with my dear friend Erin

Evan's Thanksgiving feast at Preschool

My buddy and me

A day at Knott's Berry Farm with the kids

Mario and Dorothy for Halloween.

Grace was also October student of the month.

Fall

2010-10-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Fall is here in Southern California. We have finally gotten a lot of rain for the week, but warm weather will be back by this time next week. The rain did some damage in some areas. The ground is so dry here that when we got hard rain, the soil and everything around it does not handle it well. Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and got some pumpkins. Gracee will go on a field trip to a ranch next week and get a pumpkin there. Evan started T-ball a few weeks ago and is enjoying it. He is on the Yankee team.

Pumpkin patch

Tractor ride

Evan's t-ball game

October

2010-10-05T10:47:00.001-07:00

Kristen and Me celebrating our Birthdays

David and me celebrating my Birthday

This is our first fall here in Lake Elsinore. Today is the 1st cool day in a long time, with a little bit of rain. I had the windows open last night since the house was 78 degrees. It stays at that temperature most of the time and you do get used to it. The house was at 71 degrees this morning and the kids were complaining that they were cold. Have we gotten acclimated or what?

Gracee is enjoying 1st grade and is really doing well, especially with her spelling. She is also enjoying ballet. Evan likes preschool and we are seeing so much growth in his speech. There is a great possibility he may not have to have speech services after this school year. His hard work and determination has paid off, but with that strong will sometimes comes hard parenting times for Mommy and Daddy. Evan also started playing T-ball last weekend. Recently they have learned to ride their bikes with no training wheels. They need more practice, but are starting to get the hang of it.

Last Friday, I celebrated my 34th Birthday. David spoiled me rotten and let me tell you, it was awesome! Friday, I had the day to myself. I shopped for a few hours, got some coffee and had some me time. That evening I went on a date with David to the Yard House. We enjoyed way too many calories and time alone. On Saturday I went to the spa with a friend for the day. It was her Birthday on the 2nd. I had an amazing massage and a pedicure. My hubby even got up before I did on Sunday and made me breakfast and brought me coffee in bed. There are some wonderful things about getting older. (not the laugh lines and the age) I love the confidence that you feel with age. Less "stuff" bothers you and brings you down. I also realize what a wonderful life that I have and feel so blessed to have amazing children and a husband that I adore. God is good and I am thankful!

Family pictures/Evan's 1st day of preschool

2010-09-18T10:19:00.001-07:00

Evan's 1st day of preschool

McKenzie

Evan and Gracee

David and Dorothy

Evan age 5

Gracee age 6

Our family

Update

2010-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

We have been getting used to our new school routine at the Garcia house. Gracee has now started ballet and is really enjoying it. David Moore and his family came to visit last week on their way to Arizona. David had surgery on his deviated septum last tuesday and is still recovering. Today is the 1st day without pain meds, and he is very tired today.

Legoland Day 2 and our new puppy

2010-08-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today we brought home our new puppy McKenzie. She is a rescue lab mix and is about 3 months old. The kids are in love! We have to potty train her, but she is doing a good job so far. We also went to Legoland yesterday to finish the 2nd day of our tickets for Evan's Birthday.

Beach days/First Grade

2010-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids and I had a fun day at the beach with my friend April. We also played at the park with our new neighbors Dylan who is Grace's age and Kevin who is a year older. Today Gracee started 1st grade. She had a great day!

Summer

2010-07-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Lately we have enjoyed getting together with old friends. Some are from high school, others from Cali. We have made plans to get together with more families over the next few weeks. The kids did a month of swimming lessons....16 sessions each. They learned so much and are becoming great swimmers. We also go to the pool 2-3 times a week for fun, which is helping them learn more. School starts for Gracee on Aug 11th. Evan starts preschool a month later. Gracee is also signed up to take ballet, and we are finding an activity for Evan since football was cancelled for the season. We have been blessed with wonderful new neighbors, and they have young kids, which has been fun for Gracee and Evan.

Picture 1: Heidie Henricksen Bangerter came to visit
Picture 2: Our family on the 4th of July at Camp P
Picture 3: Evan playing in the sand (4th of July)
Picture 4: Gracee jumping waves on the 4th of July
Picture 5: Gracee swimming
Picture 6: Evan swimming
Picture 7: More friends from high school: Holly, me and Kari (I am the one NOT pregnant in the middle :-)

LegoLand

2010-06-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Legoland for the first time. It was a blast. It was neat to see so many things made of Legos. It was perfect for our kids age and maybe until the age of 9 or 10. We had a great day as a family and Evan was sad we had to go, but of course he was asleep within five minutes of leaving the park. Our passes are good for another day of fun within the next 90 days so we will make a trip out there again.

House Pictures/Evan's Birthday

2010-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of our house before the boxes arrived. The color's turned out great...better in person. We also celebrated Evan's 5h Birthday a few days early, and will be going to Legoland in a couple of weeks to celebrate. He was sick last weekend with a fever, as was I with a nasty throat infection, so in between unpacking we have been taking care of the sickies. It has been eventful this last month. I am so grateful for our new home, and feel so blessed. It is nice being in a new house again. Enjoy the pictures!

Gracee's Kindergarten graduation

2010-06-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Gracee graduated from kindergarten and received the most improved writing award. When she came to school at the beginning of April she could only wrote one sentence independently. Now she can write four or more beautifully.

2010-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

We finally got keys to our new home on May 28th. We celebrated David's Birthday on the 27th in LA where he was taking classes for work. This week we are getting ceiling fans installed, painting done, window coverings installed and our washer and dryer delivered. Our things will arrive on June 4th. We are looking forward to making it our home. We will also be celebrating Grace graduating from kindergarten this week and Evan's Birthday at Legoland a week early.

Picture 1: Our new home
Picture 2: Here I am sporting a cool painters cap that was left with paint supplies for the house.
Picture 3: The kids dancing at their soccer party
Picture 4: I couldn't change the direction of the picture on blogger, but this is what I got done for David's birthday. We had his diploma framed with his class picture in his school colors. I was so excited to give it to him.
Picture 5: The kids and David on his Birthday
Picture 6: The kids and me on Mother's day

Resurrection Sunday Dance, Budapest, Hungary

2010-05-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Mother's day tea

2010-05-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Gracee's kindergarten class had a mother's day tea. Here are a few short clips. I missed part of the clip where the teacher is reading about me. The first part said My Mom is as pretty as a Bride. Her name is Dorothy. It was such a fun day!

More pictures

2010-05-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

The Garcia's are doing well. The sale on our house in Oregon is final, and we are less than three short weeks away from closing on our new home. We have purchased our washer and dryer, picked out blinds to order, found a painter and we are picking out ceiling fans this weekend. David is keeping busy and enjoying his new job. The kids are having fun playing soccer. Grace will be graduating for kindergarten in less than a month and Evan is excited to go to preschool next year. We are meeting with a new speech pathologist tomorrow, and Evan will be starting speech at Gracee's school next week. Things are definitely coming together. The next few months will be busy with unpacking, paperwork and phone calls. I am looking forward to feeling a little more settled.

Picture one: David and Dorothy date night....celebrating 14 years of marriage
Picture two: Grace and Evan checking out Ryan's police car
Picture three: Grace and Evan's soccer team
Picture four: Evan at the soccer game
Picture five: My friend Aril and me for a girls night out

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my hubby of 14 years...can't believe he has loved me that long. I am one lucky lady! Thanks for all the good times!

Soccer game and more house pictures

2010-04-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Grace ad Evan had their first soccer game. They were as cute as can be, and I am hoping they will enjoy it for the next 8 weeks. We also bought our new washer and dryer for our home over the weekend. We have been in Lake Elsinore for almost one month. Time has flown by, but I still feel like I have so much to do to feel somewhat settled. The kids try out a new dentist on Tuesday, and I am finally getting in with our new pediatrician on Thursday for both kids. I am hoping we can start getting everything lined up for Evan again.

KATU news link

2010-04-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Our Oregon home has sold. Here is the news link featuring our home.

Can seller financing help you buy a nicer house? |

KATU.com - Breaking News, Sports, Traffic and Weather
- Portland, Oregon
| Local & Regional

Here we are in California

2010-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Grace and Evan Easter Sunday

Our new home

Gracee's Birthday party

Grace and Mommy getting a pedicure for Gracee's birthday

It has been an eventful 3 weeks. We have settled into our friends home for the short term, Grace is enrolled in school, the kids are signed up for soccer, dentist and Dr. appointments are made, we are still looking for a church, finding a preschool for Evan for next year, picked out flooring for our new home...and we have a buyer for our Oregon house! The day we had the packers at our house on March 17th, a person looked at our house that night with everything in boxes and decided to buy our home. It looks like we will close sometime next week. We are doing an unconventional sale on a contract to buy... similar to a lease to own option. We will make no money on this deal, but we are happy to unload our house in Oregon, so we have one less thing to worry about. Our new home will close May 21st. We locked in our rate at 4.875% I am so happy about that! I am excited for everything to be new in our home.

Grace had her first day of school yesterday. She is the 8th girl in her class, and there are 14 boys. This morning I met with her teacher and talk about the curriculum. They seem to have way higher expectations than Kindergarten in Oregon. I have a feeling I will be working really hard over the next 8 weeks to catch her up. I left the school after the meeting today, to get a phone call a half hour later that Gracee was throwing up. Here we are the 2nd day at her new school....only happens in my world people :-) Evan had a virus like that last week that last 5 days, so I am hoping that this is short lived and the rest of us don't get it.

We had a nice Easter weekend. On Good Friday, we went to a baseball game with the kids...The Padres against the Lake Elsinore Storm. Evan threw up at the game, so we had to leave early. Saturday morning we went to an Easter egg hunt. On Sunday, we went to a church for Easter, and then I cooked a roast for Easter dinner. Oh yes, we did feel the earthquake on Sunday. It was located just over the border in Mexico. We felt a slight rolling, but not a whole lot. Friends further south from us felt much more.

David is loving his new job, and I am thankful he is home more in the evening, not stressing about work anymore. It is a blessed relief. He does have some schools that he will attend for six weeks to continue some job training. He will only be home on the weekends then.

Off for now...................

Last Week

2010-03-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Grandma Ellen and her younger brother Uncle Bob
Gracee's last Birthday

Here I sit, getting ready for the next 9 days of craziness. The movers will be here starting Wednesday to start packing. We also will be celebrating Gracee's 6th Birthday this week. The truck will load up our stuff next Monday, and we will leave on Tuesday. Between the packers, Gracee's birthday, cleaning the house, separating things to take in the car with us, realtors and potential renters in and out, family coming to town, David arriving, last day of school for Grace, saying many goodbyes and fighting a cold, I hope I get to take a lot of naps on our drive down.

We have gone with a new builder: K. Hovnanian homes. We are happier with the level of service we are receiving, better school for the kids, and a better closing date for us on the house. We should be moving in, the beginning of June. I am not too excited yet, as we are still waiting on renters or buyers for our current home.

Last weekend, we celebrated my Grandmother's 90th Birthday. It was fun to see family members that I have not seen in awhile.

That's the news for now......until California

Moving

2010-02-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

Trying to sell or rent our home

There are a lot of things about moving that are difficult. The paperwork, coordination and phone calls being number one. And of course saying goodbye to those you love. Some people have a harder time than others. Some people look at it like it is forever. I have always said and still believe that is harder to be the one that is left behind. When someone moves, they leave one life behind and start a new one. It doesn't mean that you won't be back, or still don't want to communicate on a regular basis. Some people that you leave behind even take it personally. I am experiencing this right now as I get ready to move next month. I can tell that people try to act happy for you but are genuinely sad, and sort of give you the cold shoulder. I am happy and sad at the same time. It is hard for me to believe that we will be leaving in a few short weeks. I have so much to do that I haven't thought about the emotional attachment I have here. I am starting over.. I have to make a new circle of friends, help the kids find new friends, find a new church, schools, Dr's etc. The life I knew and was very comfortable to me is coming to a screeching halt. I have done it before, so it is not scary. It is just time consuming and emotional. I am thrilled for David that he has found a new job that he absolutely loves and can grow with for years to come. He supports our family and I will always stand behind his choices for us. I just hope in the days to come, that people would realize that they are not the only ones being left. This is hard on our family too, but also a very exciting time in our life.

Ear infections

2010-02-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure where to start since life is crazy right now. Not that you care to know the details of my day to day right now, but it has been busy.

Since I last blogged, I mentioned we were taking our home off the market. Well the day we took it off the market I received 20+ phone calls to re-list it. Well one realtor stuck with us, and it was a realtor who worked with a partner and specialized in lease to own options. I met with him, David conferenced in, and we decided to hire him. Basically, if we rent our home or lease to buy it, this will give us double the exposure in this market. Ideally we would love to sell it outright, but I am not confident that will happen before we move.

In the meantime, I have gotten Evan his new braces for night time to help with his tiptoeing, gone to the audiologist for Evan's hearing, which has gotten worse in the left year by 5 decibels, and to the ENT. Evan was about 5 days into his cold when we saw the ENT on Monday. He barely got over the last one a couple of weeks ago when this one came on full force. This by far was a really nasty one. The ENT said his ears looked good, and the hearing loss would be ok, as long as we talked directly to him as much as possible and he was near the front of the class in a classroom setting. Then next morning Evan woke up complaining his ears hurt. I know ear infections can happen overnight, but I gave him some Motrin, put him back to bed, sent him to speech in the morning and all seemed fine. (I was just thinking it may be pressure from the cold) After lunch he was whining and crying his ears hurt, and drainage was coming out his ears. I called the pediatrician and got him in right after I picked Grace up from school (during all of this a realtor forgot to call me first and was standing outside the door ready to show my house) Sure enough the pediatrician confirmed a double ear infection. Today the ear is still oozing, but he does not seem to be in pain, although he is a little extra cranky. The pediatrician said his ear still looked intact, but she suspected that his eardrum ruptured due to all of the drainage. I have a follow up with his ENT in two weeks to see if tubes are in order for the 5th time. I would love for Evan to catch a break. The good news is, he really does not know the difference.

That was the biggest drama for the week. We have a fun weekend planned, along with Grace's valentines day party and are looking forward to some down time.

Busy times

2010-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Evan New Years eve.
Mommy and Gracee New Years Eve

Mommy and the kids at Grandpa and Grandma's

David's new snuggie!

David and Dody...Christmas Eve

Floor plan of the house we are trying to buy

Busy time here for the Garcia's! We are getting ready to move in March. We will be taking our house off the market in a couple of days, and we are in the process of trying to have it rented for April 1st. I hired a rental management company to help take care of the details. The kids are excited, but I am not sure they really understand the process. I have been keeping busy getting things done around here, along with getting things transferred for the kids down there. David is house shopping for us, while I gather mortgage paperwork. The kids started swimming lessons again last week. I will have them in two sessions before we take off. We are trying to find them some soccer leagues to join, along with a preschool for Evan, and a new church. I want to keep things as normal and busy as possible for them to help with the adjustment. Facebook has been a great tool for me to get a few tings sold too. I have sold David's phone, some wood, and a saw. Anything that I think may be worth a little money, I am selling, because we could use the extra coins right now, and I don't want to move anything we don't need. It is nice to start off with less clutter when you move. David is setting up the move date, and his company will pack us up, so I am busy separating paperwork that needs to come with us, and stuff that can be moved by movers. It is no easy task, let me tell you! Also, my brother and his wife had their first baby boy! He is beautiful! Above are some recent pictures, and some pictures of the floor plan we are looking at. (you can see better pictures at www.alberhillranch.com click on neighborhoods, Capella, plan 2.

Santa, Tree, moving and more!

2009-12-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to decorate the Gingerbread house
Gingerbread house....before it fell apart

David decorating the tree

Grace and Evan in front of the tree before it is decorated

Heather, Dorothy and Jennifer...baking day!

Grace's class with their turkey hats

Evan, Santa and Grace

My Niece's 1st Birthday

First off, I can finally announce that our move is going forward to California. David has accepted a job with DCMA a contractor for the department of Defense. We are still trying to sell our home and have a million details to work out, but are excited things are moving forward.

In the meantime, we had a nice Thanksgiving, and celebrated my niece's first Birthday in Forks, WA.

We are getting ready for the holidays. I am frantically getting my cards done and we have decorated the tree and have seen Santa. We still need to squeeze in the zoo lights and we will be attending David's work Christmas party on Thursday.

It has been such a fun year with the kids enjoying Christmas, and understanding the true meaning. The kids have really latched onto the Advent calendar this year, and look forward to it every night. I was going to add a fun thing from Grace's class from Thanksgiving! Enjoy.....

How to Cook a Turkey

By Mrs. Strub's Kindergarten Class

Colin: Get a turkey at the store. You should cook it in the oven. Maybe you should put some salt on it. You should cut it up in little tiny pieces. And then serve it to everyone.

Brianna: Get a turkey from the store. Cook it for a few minutes. Share it with the family.

Robbie: Go to the grocery and pick out the right turkey, the biggest one for you. Then you put in the oven or microwave for half of the day. Then when it is dinner time you go and eat. You put onion rings or stuffing all around the turkey.

Christiana: We can get turkey from the grocery store. Put it in a oven. Then it is done and we can eat. You put garlic and tomatoes on it.

Priscilla: Get a knife and cut it with a knife. You cook it in the oven and it turns into a turkey. Put apples and carrots under the turkey. All the people come to the house. You need to clean your room.

Preston: Turkeys are at a farm and people can get them from the farm. Then you can cook them in a pan. You put the pan in the dishwasher. Then you have to clean the pan in sink. People eat the turkey. Save some turkey for Daddy.

Margo: Get a turkey from the forest. Take it home. Cook it in the grill. Put spice on the turkey. Then we eat it with family.

Alex: Get a turkey from a farm. Then you cut it. Then you clean it. Warm it up. Put some salt on it. Cook it on a stove by where the big kids eat lunch.

Gracee: Get a turkey at the store. Cook it like a pancake. Put sugar on the turkey. Then we eat it. Then you put pepper on it. Then the turkey sneezed and says “achoo”

Thomas: I go to the store and get the turkey. Then I just go home and get the thermometer. Then I get ready and cook it in our oven. Sometimes my mom wants to put some stuffing on it. My Mom and Dad and brother and I eat it.

Layla: First you make it and then you put it on the table. Everybody eats it and when it is gone everybody gets dessert. Mommy and Daddy and I eat the turkey.

Carys: Get a turkey from the market. Then you go home. Then you put it in the oven and roast it. Eat. Then you share it with your family. And that's it.

Arran: My Mom gets a turkey at stores. When it cooks we play. It cooks in the oven. When it's done we eat it all. We take a bath or shower then we go to bed.

Jasmine: Get baking soda and pour it on the turkey. You get the turkey and put it in baking soda and put powder on it. Cook it in the oven. When it's done cut it in slices. Then you eat it.

Spencer: You get a turkey from a grassy place. Then just cook it up. Put some milk and sugar on it. Then you cook it in the pot. Cut a piece off the turkey then just eat it up.

Alice: You need a turkey. Put tomatoes and onions around and have peas. Then eat it and put hot sauce on it.

Amy: First you cut a turkey and put it on a cookie and put a little bit of water. Then you just cook it. Then you put a little bit of milk. Then you write a turkey on the paper then you cook it and you eat. You get a fork and knife and cut it and put it on a plate. Then eat it. Then you put a little bit of sugar and water so it can taste good then you put a little bit celery and carrots. Cut a little bit of chicken and turkey

Tate: Get a turkey from the farm. Then kill it. Then go to the store. People come and buy them. I put A1 sauce on it.

Owen: You find a turkey. Then you cook it on pan. Do something else for awhile. Then you eat it with your family.

Fun filled Flu....NOT

2009-11-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Evan as Buzz Lightyear
Grace as Supergirl

The past week of October has been a doozy for us. On Sunday night the 22nd, Grace came down with a 102 degree fever and a cough. When David got home on Monday night from work, he was feeling ill, and had a fever too. Everyone laid around all week. Evan got sick Wednesday night, and by Friday morning he seemed to be doing better. David also kicked his fever on Friday morning. Grace was still coughing horribly with a high fever, so I finally took her to the Dr. on Friday night, and she ended up having pneumonia. She is perking up quite nicely and went back to school. Evan, however came down with a fever again last night, and we are hoping it does not return tonight. The Dr's we spoke to, all thought it was H1N1. I had a Dr. appointment with my obgyn on Friday, and told her my woes, so she got me started on Tamiflu...and so far, I have been healthy. The Mama has no time to be sick! Anyway, that was our fun filled week. We are praying for good health the rest for the season.

Family Pictures

2009-10-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

The pumpkins
Master carvers

Gracee

Evan

My cutie pies

Our family

David and the kids

Evan and Gracee

The kids giving me a smooch

Me and my Buddy!

Between illnesses, we managed to get our Family Pictures taken and carve pumpkins. Hopefully everyone will feel good for Halloween!

October

2009-10-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Cadence and Grace in their almost matching pj's
Dad surprised at his party

Evan's 1st time on the bus....my little boy is getting so big!

This past weekend we visited my parents house to celebrate my Dad's 57th Birthday. He is in the middle of his chemotherapy treatments, and powering through his 3rd month, with three more to go. It was a fun party, and the cousins enjoyed playing with each other.

In the meantime, my schedule just got a little crazier. Grace will be starting school an hour and a half earlier than before, starting next week. She needs a little help with reading. She will now have lunch at school too. I think she is ready for this now that she has eased into her year. Evan now has to ride the bus to Early Intervention. I thought this was going to start next week, but as I am getting the kids loaded in the car today, the bus was waiting for Evan. The person who was supposed to call me was sick, and I never got the call that it was starting today. Evan was so excited to ride the bus. I was a bit nervous, but I got a good report. Now I will need to be in more communication with his teacher's via phone and e-mail to see how he is progressing.

Yesterday I took Evan to see a pediatric Urologist. We have noticed since Evan was potty trained that whenever he urinated, that the stream went straight up, making it difficult for him to learn how to pee standing up. The Dr. was able to take a look and said that he had Meatal Stenosis. You can read more about it here: https://www.google.com/health/ref/Meatal+stenosis

Anyway, Evan will have to have a minor outpatient surgery in November to correct this. We are happy it is nothing serious and that he will finally be able to urinate standing up.

Until next time................

Fall is here

2009-10-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Let me first start off by saying, what a beautiful fall we have had so far. I am so thankful that the real rain has not started yet. We have had some brisk mornings, but I sure do love that sunshine that has been coming in every afternoon.

We have been in school for about a month now. It is hard to believe that it has already been one month. The weeks are full with the kids activities. Evan and Grace now fight a lot more. I am not sure if it is a battle of wills or if they are just adjusting to a new way of life right now.

We are all getting over our first fall cold. It was a doozy, nonetheless. I am hoping that we are healthier now that we got that out of the way, and that we all have our flu shots. I am still waiting on word on when the swine flu shot will be available. Speaking of which, every week as most of you know, I go to Doernbecher with Evan for speech. Grace comes with me since she is in afternoon Kindergarten, and this is the easiest set up. Next Monday, Evan has an earlier appointment with a Dr. I was going to take Grace with me to that, followed by his speech appointment. Today when I called the hospital to verify insurance information, the person I spoke with told me that I could not bring siblings to the hospital because they are scared that more people would spread the H1N1 virus. I know this thing is serious, but this really makes appointments difficult for me now that I can't bring Grace. I have small windows that I can take Evan to appointments because of Grace's school schedule. Not only does this affect me, it affects a ton of other families that have young children and have to travel several miles to get to the hospital for their sick or special needs child. I am not making light of the situation, but I am wondering how long they can really make this a "policy". There will be a lot people who just won't be able to come because of this policy. I am covered for next Monday, but I am going to have to figure out childcare for Grace on Monday's from here on out, until this is resolved.

I am now 33, and am not sure what to do with that! It seems like a weird age to me. Anyway, I'm off to swimming lessons with the kiddos......until next time.

Florida and Kindergarten

2009-09-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Evan and Gracee on her 1st day of Kindergarten
Our Family with Grandma Garcia (90th Birthday)

It was hot in Orlando! We had a blast...and here are the mouse years to prove it!

And of course, who doesn't love Cinderella!

I am not sure where to start, since I am so behind on blogging. We had a fabulous trip to Disney World. The first day we were there we powered through a 10 hour day. The next 2 days we did half days. The highlights were breakfast with the princesses and David and I loved the animal kingdom. Disney really knows how to run a park, and make things as comfortable as possible. We can't wait to go back when the kids are a little older, and can really go for longer periods of walking. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon by the pool too, which was an added bonus. We also visited a local park in Tampa, the beach and a science Museum. David's Grandma was happy that we came. We are so glad we were able to spend that time with her, and I think the kids are old enough to always remember her. We are so grateful to David's Aunt Jean and Uncle Bob, for hosting us for the week, and to his Uncle Rudy and Aunt Carolyn, who provided a car while we were there. This sure makes it a lot easier on the pocketbook to take this kind of a vacation.

Grace started Kindergarten last week. She is adjusting better than I had hoped. I am excited to watch her grow and learn and find things that she really loves. She is such a precious girl and we are so proud of the young lady she is becoming.

Evan also started speech classes again. His improvement each day is unbelievable and gives us so much hope. He is now out of his day braces and wears them only at night. He is wearing little orthotics, which really help him stay stable when he walks. What a blessing this is for all of us. We are thankful that God is watching out for Evan, and giving us the strength to parent him through some hard times. These kids are such a wonderful blessing!

I am just getting back in the school groove. My mornings are a bit hectic, but I am getting a rhythm down now. The kids also start swimming lessons next week, for the next 2 months. We are trying to keep this momentum going so that they can be good swimmers at an early age, and we can move onto other activities. The next thing: Piano lessons....but I think we will wait until spring....or until we get a piano!

Until next time...

FLORIDA

2009-08-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we are leaving for Florida to visit David's family. His Grandma will be 90 next week. The kids are so excited to go to Disneyworld too. It has been 2 years since we have flown with the kids, and there is so much to remember to pack. Now that you don't get food on the airplane there is a lot more to remember in terms of snacks and meals. I am trying to get most everything done today because we are leaving the house tomorrow at 3:30 AM. There will be no time to waste in the morning. Plus waking up the kids will be a treat, I am sure!

Well, that is all from here. We are will post pictures when we get back.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

2009-07-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Evan and Grace, last day of swimming lessons.
Grace's new bike. Her Dora bike was just too small,
so we got her one that she can ride for several years.
She is a little scared of it right now, and we added training wheels.
The kids with their Aunt and Uncle from Alaska.
My brother Alex and sister in law Allison.
Evan put his "baby brother" in the corner.
Do you think my parenting is wearing off on the boy?

I thought the title was appropriate since it is 105 degrees here in Beaverton today. We are setting records. It is supposed to be this hot again tomorrow. I actually don't mind it. We have spent a lot of time playing in the backyard in the kid pool with multiple drinks and popsicles. Yes you heard it, multiple popsicles.

It has been awhile since I have been on. The kids finished swimming lessons. They will both stay in the same level for the next time. They both learned a lot and made great stride. I enjoyed my 25 minutes to myself watching them from the stadium. We will be signing up for the fall, and hopefully through the year to keep the momentum going. I want them to know how to swim. Soccer, piano, and dance lessons, will probably wait until next year.

Evan has been progressing well in his speech. His speech therapist at the hospital gave me great encouragement the other day, that he may only need another year of therapy if he keeps up the hard work. Let me tell you, that kid works so hard. Now in early intervention he is working with 2 other very competent therapist. He works on different things with all three of them. For the first time ever in the past 2 weeks, I have heard him come up with new words, that we have never practiced and he is saying them correctly. It brings tears to my eyes whenever this happens. His toe walking is getting so much better too. We have pretty much pulled him out of day braces. He continues to wear night braces, and is responding so well to verbal reminders when I see him on his toes occasionally. Grace is getting so close to be able to read. Each day we practice reading and writing, and she is on her way to being a reader. I love that both children love story time, and books. This was not my thing as a child, so I am thankful that they love books.

My brother Alex and sister in law Allison were here for a few short days visiting from Alaska. The kids had fun getting to spend time with them. We also found out that my Dad will start chemotherapy real soon. It will be for six months, with two weeks on and one week off, once a week. I know he is anxious to get started and to be done. The pathology reports came back clean, but the chemo is precautionary. I know we will all be glad when this is behind us, especially my parents.

We are looking forward to our trip to Florida in a couple of weeks. We will be celebrating Grandma's 90th Birthday, and we will also be taking the kids to Disney World for a few days. Grace is not quite sure what to think, and Evan is so excited. He keeps asking me if the airplane will be big, and if Disney World will be big. It will all be bigger than they can imagine. I am not sure if he really remembers the trip we took 2 years ago, but I think Grace does, since she reminds us that she got sick on the plane. Yes, we are packing the Dramamine! :-) Until next time.......

Graduation pictures

2009-07-08T15:08:00.001-07:00

David and Grandpa
Nancy (David's Mom) and David

Liles (david's Dad) and David

David and Dody

Nancy, David and Grandpa

Grandpa, Nancy, David and Dody

The Graduate!

More graduation pictures that we got from wonderful photographer Adam Bacher. What an awesome day to remember!

4th of July

2009-07-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Cadence and Gracee
David, Kevin, Paul and Dad after a game of golf

Payback...Kevin got me with the hose earlier that day

All the kids
Sunset

Trying to get a picture of the kids together is always a challenge!

David and Dody

Water fight with the kids

Aidan and Evan on the slip and slide

We went to Warden, WA to see my parents for the 4th of July. My brother Kevin and his family, and my sister Kate and her family were there. My brother Alex and sister in law Allison, are traveling right now, and I hopefully will get to see them in a couple of weeks. We had lots of fun in the hot sun, lots of yummy food, and David even got a game of golf in with the guys. Here are a few pictures from our trip!

Fun weekends

2009-06-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

David with his classmates
David with Dave Frohnmayer

David, on his way to graduate!

Graduation!

Evan blowing out his candles

Evan having fun at his party!

Evan's Walle Birthday cake!

Two weekends ago, we celebrated Evan's Birthday at Out of this World Pizza. He had a great time with cousins and friends. This past weekend, we celebrated David graduating with his MBA. It was a wonderful celebration. Dave Frohnmayer was the guest speaker. He has been the U of O President for the past 15 years, and was an Oregon Attorney General for 10 years. He was a great guest speaker. I am so proud of David and how hard he has worked for the past 2 years. I am glad to have my husband back! We will have some professional pictures coming soon, but I will post a few of the good ones that I got. June has been a full month...

Pathology report

2009-06-17T13:15:00.001-07:00

The kids with my parents over Grace's Birthday weekend in March

David and I at the Papa's Pizza fundraiser for ACS!

Today my parents went to Seattle to have the staples removed after my Father's surgery and to find out the results of the pathology report. The report was great! There were no more signs of cancer. The surgeon indicated he may still have to have chemo as a precaution. They will meet with the Oncologist in a few weeks, after my Dad heals a little more. The good news is, this is the best news we could have gotten. Praise the Lord!

Last night we attended a fundraiser for the American cancer society at Papa's Pizza. A friend of the family lost her little girl to cancer 2 years ago when she was two, and has since been raising money to find a cure for cancer. We invited David's softball team to come too, since their game was the same evening and right next door. I am waiting to find out how much was raised, but it seemed to be a good turnout. Fifty percent of the food you purchased went to ACS.

Thanks again to all of you that are have been praying for our family.

Happy Birthday Evan!

2009-06-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Grace at the Rose Festival
Grace at the Rose Festival
Evan at the Rose festival

Evan at the Rose Festival

Evan's 4 year picture

Happy Birthday Evan...or should I say Frankster the prankster? That is what I call him for fun. He is always up to something, so the name is appropriate. Four years ago today I was in lovely labor with this sweet boy. I had no idea what a ride life would be with him. I am so thankful that he was chosen to be a part of our family. Evan is thrilled to be 4, and is starting his first swimming lessons next week. He also loves his matchbox cars, and has a new found love of baseball. He is learning to pedal a tricycle and continues to make great stride in his speech daily.

Waiting, Wondering, Praying

2009-06-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

My Dad and Mom at their 35th wedding anniversary party, 2 years ago.

I spent last Thursday-Saturday with my parents and sister at the University of Washington hospital. As previously posted, my Dad was there to have a liver resection after cancer was found in his gallbladder in April. The surgery was delayed a day due to other surgeries that were more complicated, and transplants that came up. Obviously we were all disappointed especially my father, as he was ready to have his surgery on Thursday. I wouldn't say patience is my families strong suit, but God sure has a sense of humor in teaching us that it is always his timing, and not ours. I have learned that more and more each day I live, that stressing out, worrying and all of the like is really energy that is wasted. I am thankful that my husband rolls with the punches more, and I learn from him in most of these types of situations.

My Dad ended up having his surgery on Friday night. It took about 4 1/2 hours. He has a huge scar in the shape of the letter J, with 37 staples. The doctor could not detect anything with the human eye, and we are waiting for the pathology report to come back next week to see if there is any cancer that was missed. We will then know my father's options, and have more of a clear plan of what will happen next. He went home yesterday, and is doing well so far. I am thankful for the time I had with my family. Watching people you love go through cancer, or any major type of surgery, disease, syndrome, illness or job loss is not easy. I am not saying that my life has been rough because I somehow get through it all one day at a time, just like everyone else, but I have seen a lot of things in my life to people that I love and care about. When talking with my mother one day, I realized how much faith I have. God is a Sovereign God. He created the heavens and the earth: everything whatsoever that exists. He has power over all things. He gives whatever he chooses to whomever he pleases. Nothing exists or occurs without his permission. You can not go through life as a believer and not have increased faith when going through a crisis. There is always something more at every bend in life. With pain, there is happiness, and with tears there is joy. Some days just plain suck. There are no do overs. At the end of the day, God still has a master plan for your life.

What a month!

2009-05-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Grace's last day at preschool at the parkRyan and David at the beach in Cali

Grace and Evan having a sleep over in Grace's room

Evan...can't seem to put his clothes on the right way yet! Backwards pants :-)

Grace's 5 year old picture...she is growing up so quick!

It has been a long time since I have blogged. A lot of things have been going on, and really not a lot of time to write.

First off, we found out the day after Easter that my Dad would need his gall bladder out. While the Dr was in there, they found a tumor that was suspiciously Cancer. Today, my Dad is meeting with Dr.'s at the University of Washington hospital to find out when his surgery will be. The surgery will consist of removing part of his liver (which regenerates) and possible surrounding lymph nodes and bile duct areas. The recovery looks like 4 weeks, with a one week stay in the hospital. The Dr's feel encouraged that they can get all of the cancer (if it has indeed spread to the liver and surrounding areas) They are hopeful that he will not have to have any chemo or radiation. Of course this has been weighing heavily on our family, especially my Mom and Dad. We are all praying for a quick and positive outcome.

In the mean time, David and I have decided that we would like to try to move back to Southern California. This may be a process in terms of our house selling, and job stuff. We of course made this decision before we found out about my Father, so it was not really good timing when we made a quick impromptu trip last week to Cali to check things out and break it to our families. I know there are people upset about our decision, but David and I have been looking to get back there ever since we left. We really are not in love with Oregon, and feel like the environment will be a better fit for our family.

Grace graduated from preschool last week. Grace has made leaps and bounds with her anxiety and coping skills in the past few months. We are praying the the transition to Kindergarten is a positive one. She has not decided if she wants to take ballet or play soccer next year. Evan and Grace will both be taking swimming lessons this summer, and will probably be in the same class. Evan will also continue all of his speech therapy classes. Evan has improved so much in this area, and we are so happy about that. We sill have a long way to go and are really focusing on articulation and slowing his talking down a bit. Evan is also excited about turning 4 in June. He is having a Walle Birthday party.