tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17793940901016325142024-03-13T11:34:35.877-07:00The Green PieceThe Green Piece: Little Pieces of Our LifeMarcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.comBlogger1088125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-78327720561629602142017-05-27T22:45:00.002-07:002017-05-27T23:33:34.085-07:00Levi's First YearA year ago today, we received texts and phone calls that Levi's birth mother was in labor. (Of course, we were outside with family and I didn't have my phone in hand.) Once I saw my phone, we frantically commenced the packing and flight booking. As no flights were available, we opted for the first plane out in the morning. The 3 kids were already taken care of and set, thanks to incredible family. We just had to somehow fall asleep, knowing that in only a few hours, we'd be on a plane headed to meet our son and his birth mother. Sleep was hard to attain.<br />
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The morning was early, but we eagerly drove to the airport. When we arrived, I remember excitement fill my soul. We had been waiting for so long, or so it felt, and finally the time had come. We hadn't been matched with this birth mother for very long, and even during the weeks leading up to it (which was all the time we knew about it), I was cautious not to get too attached to the idea of this little boy and his birth mother. Certainly we'd had failed placements before....but we had never arrived at the hospital to be sent home after a birth mother's change of heart. That's an experience I know many have had, and one that I'd rather not experience myself.<br />
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When we arrived at the hospital, we waited. J wasn't ready to meet us, but I felt peace. I felt this confirmation in my heart that <i>this boy</i> was <i>chosen</i> for our family...that <i>we</i> were <i>chosen</i> for him...and his first mom just needed time. That peace and confidence was all I needed and we waited some more.<br />
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And then...<br />
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My heart melted when we met this angel boy. Soon after, J was ready to meet me officially. When I walked into the room, she exuded this beautiful spirit that just pulled me in. When I think about meeting her for the first time, I remember her smile and her warm, inviting hug. She was so outgoing and kind. We talked for a short time and she told me that after meeting me, she felt even more peace, that this was right. That we were the right parents for her son.<br />
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The 2 days in the hospital went by too quickly. I was ready to leave the hospital with Levi, but I wasn't ready to leave J. I wanted to know her more. I wanted her to know us more. I wanted...more. But every adoption situation is different...something I personally understand. But I cried as we said our final goodbye and she walked out the door with the caseworker. I just didn't want to stop hugging her.<br />
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When I look at Levi now...oh my goodness he's 1...I see her. I see his first mother, the one who carried him, nurtured him, and sacrificed all she had for him. I see her personality, or at least the glimpses that I was lucky enough to see. Levi is one of the happiest kids I know! He's just - happy. Among our kids, personality wise he's most like Sammy. He laughs easily, smiles easily, and is just happy to be around people.<br />
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And yet, he's content to be on his own too. He plays on his own, explores, and does it all on his own schedule and time table. He didn't crawl until he was just over 10 months, and then about a week later he was standing on his own and taking steps. He walked independently about 2 weeks later. Eating? He wasn't interested in food at all...so much so that his Grammy was nervous he may have a sensory problem. But now I can't keep enough food down him. He'll put nearly anything in his mouth that has calories! He loves everyone around him. Sure, he's suspicious of "strangers" and may take time to warm up now that he's older, but he'll usually smile for anyone. I truly believe one of his gifts is bringing joy to others. He heals hearts.<br />
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I remember one day, Micah wasn't so nice to Callie. He had just come home from camping with his birth family and Callie was so excited to see him. She ran outside to greet him and give him a hug...and he didn't reciprocate. In fact, he was a down right nasty little brother. Callie went inside and cried. I witnessed it and went inside to comfort her. It's hard for her to not have contact with her birth family, plus Micah just wasn't nice and sorta rubbed in it. As I talked to Callie, she asked, "Can I just hold Levi?" I handed Levi over (he was maybe 2 months old), and she just held him for about 10 minutes or so. After, she came out, her heart healed by this little bundle of joy. It's one of my best memories of both Callie and Levi.<br />
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I find that, especially as life has been happening and there have been several unexpected twists, turns, and inconvenient potholes -- I hold Levi in my arms a little longer. He feeds my soul a dose of heavenly love and comfort. As he lays his head on my shoulder and wraps his left arm around my neck, he reminds me that things may not be perfect or how I planned, but they are pretty amazing. I don't need to know or understand the why of all things, but I can feel the joy from most things. And that Levi is joy personified.<br />
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I can't imagine our lives without him. I used to dream about a little boy who was about 5 or 6 years old. It was a recurring dream, nothing too interesting happened other than this boy kept appearing and I knew he was my son. I'm not sure I can say that Levi is the boy of those dreams...but he is the boy of my heart.<br />
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-55564237154865892016-08-15T12:40:00.005-07:002016-08-15T12:41:19.749-07:00Levi's Story -- Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlGVHqPgEVn2Z8dqWiq9Sh-_aList3JlS44dq-NSDS_Q7DZTWqHOOs6vZ22GxNt0v6t7BWr3HWuAP8A0gb5VjFJzIOJlN87zOz_FgeJeJrHSnQbxaFm-13lgtViMjHqr2YCHQPkRYkYE/s1600/IMG_2556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlGVHqPgEVn2Z8dqWiq9Sh-_aList3JlS44dq-NSDS_Q7DZTWqHOOs6vZ22GxNt0v6t7BWr3HWuAP8A0gb5VjFJzIOJlN87zOz_FgeJeJrHSnQbxaFm-13lgtViMjHqr2YCHQPkRYkYE/s320/IMG_2556.JPG" width="238" /></a>We were exhausted and cautiously excited. At this point, we still hadn't met Levi's birth mother. For some reason, that didn't seem to worry me. I felt peaceful about the entire situation. We spent some time with Levi, holding this beautiful, precious baby. We use these words for babies...precious, beautiful, angelic...because quite frankly, they are so absolutely pure and you feel that just in their presence. So here I was, not just looking at this angel who had been waiting for his mortal journey, but I had the honor of holding him in my arms. I felt cautiously closer to feeling whole. It's hard to explain what it's like holding your baby....but knowing very clearly that he's not yours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT2o0yCOksL04KGaP6UbSHZYwfxKnBcW-rEhyphenhyphend-IuB5URxGbrkohclzae3f9jdckSrJUzkjhLMCWODIpNUo2SIGP-9JcTygjvIzdhyphenhyphenSWFAmsTzwfyXtgj1yYeGaly_CNKV-FSTk9I1Us/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT2o0yCOksL04KGaP6UbSHZYwfxKnBcW-rEhyphenhyphend-IuB5URxGbrkohclzae3f9jdckSrJUzkjhLMCWODIpNUo2SIGP-9JcTygjvIzdhyphenhyphenSWFAmsTzwfyXtgj1yYeGaly_CNKV-FSTk9I1Us/s320/IMG_2557.JPG" width="238" /></a>We left so J could spend some time with her son and we headed out to buy her some dinner. We went to Red Lobster and got one of her favorite meals and returned back to the hospital. I passed the meal onto the caseworker, and then, as we were walking back to the nursery to see Levi again, the caseworker stuck her head out the door and called me back.<br />
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"She wants to meet you."<br />
"Me or us?"<br />
"Just you."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXRN72jZCcle2Nr8KPnOQBXj5K5vR1OaMUN6-lrPmHeDr11EMjw3Ax1PMA4arm-FDyOy89aSs5a2PLnjL3Zzyp2CgdKKGXhVT_4FGM-Ee1mkE_1rpqP5ySzRGTYLZWsDKGK_bKdoTAJE/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXRN72jZCcle2Nr8KPnOQBXj5K5vR1OaMUN6-lrPmHeDr11EMjw3Ax1PMA4arm-FDyOy89aSs5a2PLnjL3Zzyp2CgdKKGXhVT_4FGM-Ee1mkE_1rpqP5ySzRGTYLZWsDKGK_bKdoTAJE/s320/IMG_2563.JPG" width="238" /></a>I was so nervous. I had slept maybe 3 hours total and felt like I wasn't quite at my best...so I took a deep breath and walked in through her hospital room door. I was greeted with the kindest, sweetest, warmest welcome. The first thing J said to me? "Ooooooh, you're so cute!" I was so taken back by her animation and immediate compliment, I could only return the same statement because, "YOU'RE so cute" was the truth! I laugh a little when I think about our first moment seeing each other, and I love that. I love that it's filled with such happiness and in such a heavy time...that there was this light moment of happy. We hugged and talked. She told me a little bit about her struggles during the pregnancy and about how she is ready to make some improvements in her life. I felt intimately connected with her as we forged this mother bond. Meeting your child's birth mother is always a sacred experience, no matter the circumstances.<br />
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When I think of J, I think of love and happiness. In our short moments together, that's what I felt. There's a happiness in her heart that pours out. She has a great smile that is infectious and you feel her love. There was no doubt, and remains no doubt, in my mind that she adores her son. She spent as much time as she could with him, preferring he sleep in her room than in the nursery. She truly wants what is best for him. I simply felt her love and I immediately felt connected to her and loved her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXWW0xexMhTMiKrPLQpRwYOGOligdO5Qa4q_AQrWGLrmKzLHyIVEbQiQZNJI0od7uGHHIzjYt-zfwjDPhP30z_vfRaiGrfNIDylPAdWyYLClAhxUnkWfq4wzp_IMj-Tw7yUwcmDvnDP4/s1600/IMG_2570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXWW0xexMhTMiKrPLQpRwYOGOligdO5Qa4q_AQrWGLrmKzLHyIVEbQiQZNJI0od7uGHHIzjYt-zfwjDPhP30z_vfRaiGrfNIDylPAdWyYLClAhxUnkWfq4wzp_IMj-Tw7yUwcmDvnDP4/s320/IMG_2570.JPG" width="239" /></a>We left the hospital so she could spend time with Levi and returned at 9pm to sign the relinquishment papers. When we got to the hospital, she had already signed her portion. We signed, and left, allowing her the entire evening to be with him knowing that in the morning we'd return to take him home with us. It was all surreal and completely bittersweet.<br />
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I cry when I think about what those hours must have been like. I'm not sure how a woman goes through the long 9 transformative months of pregnancy, becoming a mother for the first or third time, and then says goodbye. I can't imagine the pain and emptiness that must bring on. I can't imagine saying goodbye. I just can't. And as many times as I've said it, I only believe it more and more strongly each time...there truly must be a very special place in heaven for mothers who will sacrifice so much goodness for a pure hope for something better. The courage that takes, and the faith, is beyond my ability to measure.<br />
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The next morning we arrived at the hospital and said our own goodbyes. We spent a bit of time with J. Marcus came into her room with me so they were able to meet and talk. Unfortunately she was still suffering from some pain but overall doing a lot better than the day before. We took a few pictures, and J tried hard to keep moving along, being extremely kind but also trying to take care of business. Clearly, she did not want to cry in front of us and mentioned a couple times, "Ok, I don't wanna cry..." and would change the topic.<br />
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One of the hardest parts of the day was hugging and watching her leave the hospital. I felt my heart sink as she walked out. One day, months before, she found she was pregnant. She googled adoption agencies and stumbled across ours. She worked with them and took care of her son the very best she could. She flew to Utah to be with these women who had been a support during the past few months, to give birth and place him in the arms of another mother and father. And then, after saying goodbye to this sweet, pure, and new life, she walked away with tears in her eyes and the heaviest of hopeful hearts. I remember when Micah was born, I imagined Lindsey leaving the hospital and it broke my heart. But I didn't see it. Watching J leave was real and difficult for me. And so bringing him home, leaving the hospital with him was bittersweet. I just don't think it's possible to go through an adoption without realizing that your joy comes from the pain born from another woman.<br />
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We are now a family of six. Transitioning from 3 to 4 kids has been much smoother than I anticipated. I think there are a lot of reasons for that...the school year was ending and so I didn't have to worry about schedules with a new baby. Callie is older and adores Levi, so she's actually quite helpful. Life has been really good. Levi is my little buddy. For the first 2 months he only wanted me to hold him. ONLY. He cried unless he was in my arms. We spent most of our awake and asleep time together. Now he's getting older and likes exploring a bit on his own, but still wants to be near me, and quite frankly...that's ok with me.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-68551868021820097742016-07-21T07:40:00.001-07:002016-07-21T07:40:19.066-07:00Levi Edward -- His StoryNow that Levi is nearly 2 months old, I suppose it's time that I write his story. Before I begin, let me just say, that even though I haven't posted as much and taken an insane amount of pictures, I'm totally in love with his boy. I feel like I've been waiting for him for an eternity and he has filled a part of my heart in a way that was unexpected. I love him so much and feel immensely blessed every time I look at him, and that's not an exaggeration.<br />
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So...his story...<br />
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Many months ago, our adoption agency presented his situation. His birth mother, J, was looking for an adoptive family with 1 or 2 children. She grew up with siblings and wanted that for her baby. I sent a message to our caseworker and said that we would be interested in being presented if she was ok with an adoptive family who already had 3 kids...because, well, we do. I suspected that having 3 kids would take us out of the pool for her to look at becuase, after all, there has to be a cut off somewhere among all the families.<br />
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Shortly after, we received a message that J had chosen a family already. We moved on and the entire situation left my mind.<br />
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Months later, just before Sweatin' for Sammy, I received a message from our caseworker.<br />
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"Marcus and Jenny: Do you remember the situation with J? The family she has chosen has fallen through. Would you like to be reconsidered?"<br />
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Marcus and I quickly discussed it and I sent a message back. "Sure. We'd love to be considered again." At that point, I was thinking that, once again, there was a large pool of families...that is until I got a phone call from the caseworker. "The truth is, J decided between this other family and you. So if you would like to, we can call this a match right now and I can let her know." She advised us to take some time, to think about it, ask her any questions we had, and get back to her after Sweatin' for Sammy. That, we did. We called, asked questions, discussed it, prayed about it, focused on Sweatin' for Sammy. On our end, every thing seemed to be lining up perfectly in terms of what we were hoping for with this adoption.<br />
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One item did trouble me, however. Why did the adoptive family back out? Was I missing something huge here? The answer to that question gave me such peace. I asked our caseworker..."You probably can't tell us this, but why would the adoptive family change their mind?" And this was her response, "You know, for a couple months they've been matched, but the adoptive mom just called me and said she couldn't shake the feeling that this just wasn't their baby, that this baby was meant for someone else and that their baby was somewhere else." When she told me that, the peace I felt was more than some kind of relief that there wasn't anything major I was missing...a divine confirmation settled on my heart and I knew this was right. It was like the Lord softly whispered, "He's the one I have prepared for you."<br />
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We officially accepted the match.<br />
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BUT. We've been through failed placements before. We were given a ton of information about what to do, blah blah blah. BUT, we've been through failed placements before. I couldn't bring myself to buy a plane ticket, because I just wasn't sure. We were told she was being induced on June 2, but something kept me back from buying those tickets. We hadn't had any communication with J and that was unsettling to me. It all felt a little unreal.<br />
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On May 28 we were celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday. All of Marcus's siblings were there. Bryan and Gaby had just returned from their honeymoon and were spending the day with us before driving back to Utah. We were in the backyard enjoying watching the cousins all play together and enjoying the perfect California weather when I went inside to grab my phone. That feeling I had had earlier, that I should keep my phone on me....there was a reason for it. I had several text messages and voice mails waiting:<br />
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"Call me! Your birth mother is in labor!"<br />
"I hope you get this message soon! She's in labor!"<br />
"Call asap! J is in labor!"<br />
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I immediately called, and the status was the same...she was in labor. The truth is, she had gone into the hospital at least 2 other times before thinking she was in labor, only to be sent home. But this time was not the case.<br />
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Over the next hour, we made plans for the kids (Callie and Micah to spend the night at Grammy and Grandpa's. Sammy would sleep at home and Colin would spend the night there with her. She was still in casts after her surgery and this would be much easier keeping her home in her own bed.), we bought plane tickets (the earliest flight was the following morning), and we were given text messages play by play of the labor and delivery.<br />
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I cried as I received those messages. And thank goodness for Lindsey because she spoke peace to my emotional heart. The last time we did this, I was in the delivery room with Lindsey. She was surrounded by me, her mom, her grandma...there was support. I was so heartsick thinking of J there, alone, without family around her. But Lindsey, in her wisdom, told me that J was NOT alone and that there were angels in her room to lift her during that time. I knew that was true because truly, it's the only way any woman is able to deliver a baby...especially a mother who is about to place her baby into the arms of another woman. The beauty of that heartbreaking sacrifice is never lost on me.'<br />
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And then at 9:00pm on Saturday, May 28, we received these two pictures on my phone.<br />
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The next morning, Sunday, May 29, we flew out. With only hours of sleep, we headed right to the hospital where we met our new son. It was surreal and the day we'd waited for for quite some time.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-15693058380903972242016-05-15T13:26:00.002-07:002016-05-15T15:50:00.421-07:00Callie's Baptism <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And so, we try to live our life as disciples of Jesus Christ. Are we perfect? No. Not close. But we do believe that through Jesus Christ we can be perfected. It's a life long process. We believe that children are born innocent and pure. They don't have the ability to sin and they don't carry any sin into this world with them. Because Christ was perfect and followed all of His father's commandments, so must we. We need to follow his perfect example and enter the waters of baptism...and as we do so, we enter the gate that is mentioned in the scriptures. We make a covenant when we are baptized to be like Him, with the knowledge that we will continually need His help and will need to live of life of constant repentance, starting over, making small improvements each day, just doing our best. He knows we aren't perfect, nor does He require that of us right now. But what He does require is our heart and our desire to try and to do. That's what baptism represents to me. That commitment, that covenant, to constantly try, in His name, to do our best...to try to live up to our divine nature and heritage.<br />
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We are baptized when we are 8 years old, or older. I don't remember my baptism details. I remember after being baptized, I wore a white dress with a pink ribbon around my waist. I thought that dress was beautiful. I remember my Aunt Geri gave me a gold necklace with a cross on it, and I cherished that necklace. I remember eating cake in a room in the church afterwards. But the rest is a blur. What isn't a blur is what that day has meant to me in my life. Because I was baptized, I have made different choices in my life than I wouldn't have made otherwise. I did stupid things still, but I always decided to do better next time, to repent...to turn back to God. That one decision to be baptized transformed my life. And I'm grateful for it.<br />
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Before Callie turned 8 years old, we talked to her about baptism. We really wanted this to be her decision, and if she didn't want to do it or didn't feel ready, then we wanted her to know that was ok. Sure we hoped she wanted to be baptized, but more important to us was that she was making this choice on her own. At one point, she didn't want to be baptized. Later she told me she didn't want people to look at her. Well, we could keep the baptism private with just family...but did she want to partake in that sacred ordinance. For months we had no idea what she really wanted. And then one day she said she wanted to...and she wanted Daddy to baptize her.<br />
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On Saturday, February 6, 2016, Callie, along with her friend, Leo, was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The room was packed with people who love these two kids so much. We all felt the Spirit fill our hearts and it was a beautiful day.<br />
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Since Callie's baptism, I've seen her spiritually progress. In fact, I've seen her understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ advance more than it ever did for me at this age. It's a confirmation to me that these children have been set apart for this time...a time when we need stronger spirits, more determined to follow truth and light...that she is here to be a defender of truth and righteousness and to raise her family in love and light. She makes me a better person. I love Callie so much and I'm so very blessed to have her in my life. I would be incomplete without her.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with cousins in the parking lot before the baptism. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aw, sweet Hayley.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy and Micah weren't so compliant, but it was still a beautiful day. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie and Daddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQylgHxWtSbB1ItYQ8P0Ow0tXUnlxAysnL0V9qevJ7GefH-82uGCBsVvrwqNnYYWNbUXPlO_mr_TRLq5gynWE7dckm-Z3WTIqAUaE5R4kO-DW2tcwO0R6SmYo7BAgM3DO10gflZFL7nxw/s1600/DSC09126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQylgHxWtSbB1ItYQ8P0Ow0tXUnlxAysnL0V9qevJ7GefH-82uGCBsVvrwqNnYYWNbUXPlO_mr_TRLq5gynWE7dckm-Z3WTIqAUaE5R4kO-DW2tcwO0R6SmYo7BAgM3DO10gflZFL7nxw/s640/DSC09126.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Micah seriously refuses to be in any picture. I hope this phase doesn't last too long.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV5AY_2j2YshUivfGzFMY5g-44Xk8AoPRRmWNChneFYRWymudH1hdfxmzVIBcB49lOpVZLQvRnPhHSfdwYlvL3khGV09GVFKY3rHbavKp6iEDmq5rfg-cEh-zM9Dx8A79c4JfnGHsttc/s1600/DSC09128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV5AY_2j2YshUivfGzFMY5g-44Xk8AoPRRmWNChneFYRWymudH1hdfxmzVIBcB49lOpVZLQvRnPhHSfdwYlvL3khGV09GVFKY3rHbavKp6iEDmq5rfg-cEh-zM9Dx8A79c4JfnGHsttc/s640/DSC09128.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my girl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4S2DXIJT10Z0ytr-fYQkyae1std47-qIh__itWiteZj6GwfThu4FmMH6oPFf1KpPW_NFu2R5UmeSIcSPKSrlf0GxcnzN7GGE5Fg35o8bHaoKFFyQB6Ffb3UtvSISM_Xg41zHopfDgag/s1600/DSC09130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4S2DXIJT10Z0ytr-fYQkyae1std47-qIh__itWiteZj6GwfThu4FmMH6oPFf1KpPW_NFu2R5UmeSIcSPKSrlf0GxcnzN7GGE5Fg35o8bHaoKFFyQB6Ffb3UtvSISM_Xg41zHopfDgag/s640/DSC09130.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie was baptized by immersion...and before doing so, Marcus took his black socks off. ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRysC01sN9xA9YMP-u28G_ZCpjoQM286uR-G6H-xdr8bY3VenTgfB8XmItfuD_AgomC-k71DqTHuM4MgeM3fLn7auCe0enbebA7_IINifzghsb_uj_M2JJDodj5d2M3xEE1c8cSRnM13I/s1600/DSC09132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRysC01sN9xA9YMP-u28G_ZCpjoQM286uR-G6H-xdr8bY3VenTgfB8XmItfuD_AgomC-k71DqTHuM4MgeM3fLn7auCe0enbebA7_IINifzghsb_uj_M2JJDodj5d2M3xEE1c8cSRnM13I/s640/DSC09132.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie and Leo<br />
Buds getting baptized together.</td></tr>
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<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-47725281904816041332016-02-18T19:53:00.001-08:002016-02-18T19:53:30.275-08:00Sammy's Feature Story<div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fl0gYK2VEwE" width="560"></iframe>Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-71965497146638289012016-02-16T18:53:00.001-08:002016-02-16T18:53:52.327-08:00Feature Story News<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Extra! Extra! </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Read all about it!!!</span></b></div>
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Or watch it, anyway.</div>
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About a week or so ago I received an email from a reporter in Washington D.C. </div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana; font-size: 13px;">Hi Jenny and Marcus - I came across your story, and that of Samantha, through the Foundation for Children with Microcephaly. I'm writing from Feature Story News in Washington DC - we make TV news for multiple English language channels around the world. While we are focusing strongly on the Zika virus at present we want to better understand the link with microcephaly but also (and absent from the coverage so far) better explain what a diagnosis of microcephaly means for children and their parents and how the condition is managed; I saw physical therapy was one aspect looking at your blog? If you would consider sharing your and Samantha's experience on camera please let me know. Best regards</i></div>
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Of course we'd be willing to help out, but see...we're not in DC. We're in California, Bay Area. That wasn't a problem for them. Within the day I was contacted by Rachel Silverman and we set up a time for her to come and visit our family. </div>
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Yesterday Rachel came over. With her was Patrice, the filmer who flew up from LA that afternoon. They spent about 3 hours with us capturing different situations, talking with the kids, playing, and then interviewing both me and Marcus. Though I'm self conscious about what I probably look like and of course after the fact I wish I had said different things, we had a good time as a family. The kids were great and generally happy. Sammy was fun. And all in all, I'm just really glad that through our experiences we may be able to help others along their own journey.</div>
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The story will be done soon and they will send us a link to it when it's ready. I would have never imagined our life involving so many people from all over the world, but boy am I grateful for it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUv3sHhAjDXUTYjCrJ1Saj_505LWxUPfes7cLUi5kWjYk4NJ_1p-t_MYBKJYEi_rPwt60WhdmFaX-g9iGXEp-wz4H0LZvyZGIhZVWcji11JH2eAXXQnaMc9Bb4w1Ui56n4GYEX_s-UDnk/s1600/DSC09138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUv3sHhAjDXUTYjCrJ1Saj_505LWxUPfes7cLUi5kWjYk4NJ_1p-t_MYBKJYEi_rPwt60WhdmFaX-g9iGXEp-wz4H0LZvyZGIhZVWcji11JH2eAXXQnaMc9Bb4w1Ui56n4GYEX_s-UDnk/s640/DSC09138.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sammy's a fan of Rachel's elephant sounds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej995tfpofeC5Yn2KeIG2GP6DEywNh96Z30i4uuOkBnSbsW4E-Zwx6bZphvEI5XG4tFWpmxAHZjm6mew3yfy-VwCd2Pl3PzSRspPF8F2DWnIU9QbIQJhaQIWgKuntr_rsH9zBozyznds/s1600/DSC09139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgej995tfpofeC5Yn2KeIG2GP6DEywNh96Z30i4uuOkBnSbsW4E-Zwx6bZphvEI5XG4tFWpmxAHZjm6mew3yfy-VwCd2Pl3PzSRspPF8F2DWnIU9QbIQJhaQIWgKuntr_rsH9zBozyznds/s640/DSC09139.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHC60NgrODINg6wjBH00wrgnk3AcjddgAgl9ke7kxQtIHbz86oL-pZm13W2d57stJ61Hl-r3LnkRD9bkI_NYpxFSxp9KJ-0L52j1PmfC6GkCMRs3jNnFkzDfPZa1w3H0X6Uv7AvmHN1g/s1600/DSC09144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHC60NgrODINg6wjBH00wrgnk3AcjddgAgl9ke7kxQtIHbz86oL-pZm13W2d57stJ61Hl-r3LnkRD9bkI_NYpxFSxp9KJ-0L52j1PmfC6GkCMRs3jNnFkzDfPZa1w3H0X6Uv7AvmHN1g/s640/DSC09144.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I felt a bond with Patrice. It was later that she told me that she has an aunt with down syndrome and could relate to a lot of what I said about the blessing of having special needs in our life. How grateful I am that someone with such a sensitivity and true love for the topic was able to capture our family on film. </div>
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Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-21638146527240400542016-02-10T01:32:00.000-08:002016-02-10T01:32:25.620-08:00Sammy, Microcephaly, and Zika VirusIt's been a few weeks now, since that blasted Zika Virus shook up the world. Just before this thing was making headlines, I had an article published in <a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2016/01/blessed-to-be-sammys-mother?lang=eng">The Ensign</a> and was interviewed by <a href="http://www.swellcomm.com/momscast">Momscast</a> for an upcoming podcast. Sammy was the topic. See...this little bundle is such an amazing little creature and she has made my life fuller. Some of our biggest blessings come in the smallest packages, ya know? In both the article and during the interview, I poured my heart out about what a blessing this earthly angel has been.<br />
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Then Zika showed up. People started asking me questions...which isn't a problem at all. Microcephaly, a word people hadn't heard of before, was all of a sudden in newspapers, on tv, shared all over social media. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Awareness</span></b>. </span>There was a whole lot of awareness going on. And that's good.<br />
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But <b><span style="font-size: large;">FEAR</span></b> seemed to cover the globe with warnings not to travel to Brazil and nearby countries and warnings not to get pregnant for at least 2 years. Microcephaly. Devastating Crisis. I get it. It's scary. And before Sammy was born, I would have never said, "Yeah. Let's have a child with not only microcephaly, but spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, AND epilepsy! Yesss." It really is scary and there's a lot to do and think about and worry about. When we found out Samantha had microcephaly, we <i>were</i> devastated. It changed our life's trajectory. We cried. We worried. And sometimes we still worry. It's a part of parenting...and loving. You worry about those you love.<br />
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Then, the journalists of our incredible world started to step back and say, <b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">"We need to tell the whole story."</span></b><i> (And I got excited because, guys, this rarely happens these days.) </i>They have reached out to many families (ours included) so they can put a face to microcephaly. These reporters want to help diminish the fear and bring hope back into the picture. I applaud them.<br />
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Because what about the families who <i>have</i> children with microcephaly already? How are they coping with this <i>crisis</i>? And what about women who become pregnant? Is all hope lost? Come on. Let us not be so dumb!<br />
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A friend of mine -- though we don't chat on the phone or get pizza together, I still call her my friend -- Gwen Hartley is among those mothers who has shared her story. In 2012 I reached out to her because her two sweet girls have what Sammy has. (In the world of microcephaly...gosh are there a lot of variables. There are different reasons for microcephaly and different outcomes for each of those cases. What many don't know is that microcephaly is even more common than Autism. It's true. But not until this virus showed up did people even know about it.) The <i>type</i> of microcephaly Sammy has is more rare though...so I reached out to Gwen when we found out Sammy has <b>Microcephaly with Simplified Gyral Patterns</b>. In Gwen I found realistic optimism. That's different from optimism. And I liked that.<br />
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So, here the news and all these online sources are interviewing her and I love it. She is the voice for so many of us. This is good because her voice is beautiful.<br />
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I'm getting over the flu and my sleep patterns are all messed up. So I was up way too late, looking at Facebook on my phone, and I saw one of her articles. I read through some comments. And I was <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SHOCKED!</span></b><br />
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So I'm here to set a few things straight. I've had this on my mind for about 24 hours and I need to get it off my chest:<br />
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Stick to the old phrase, <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all."</b></span> You don't have to think our children are beautiful. You don't have to think they are as great as we do. You don't have to love them or take care of them. If it's not nice, then shut it.<br />
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Perhaps because you are on social media, you feel free to share hurtful comments. One day, technology will make it so we can reach across the screen and give you a good smack across the face. Or wash your mouth out with soap. Or something. Words hurt. Words matter. <span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Don't be a Word Monger.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZcnBZXCALDT0OfHx2gBAcGnqlxW4h1lgs9DzpvE2oPUID1PVXIATU6se0X_h0I9wKJu5VxnxfkYxrMLz8aYO9sDYGBfhKDlq0heH1WeQdRn_gOwXrEmMSrt7skvTGTqZTJtC72C7iPoz/s1600/Easter2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZcnBZXCALDT0OfHx2gBAcGnqlxW4h1lgs9DzpvE2oPUID1PVXIATU6se0X_h0I9wKJu5VxnxfkYxrMLz8aYO9sDYGBfhKDlq0heH1WeQdRn_gOwXrEmMSrt7skvTGTqZTJtC72C7iPoz/s640/Easter2013.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">My child IS a blessing. My life has been infinitely blessed</span></b>...yes...<b>b l e s s e d</b>, because of each of my children. I have grown and developed because of them. I am a better person for having each of them in my life. Sticking with <b>microcephaly and Sammy</b>, specifically, she has formed me, molded me, and perfected me in ways I could have never imagined. I have more patience, compassion, love, respect, faith, hope, diligence, and charity (among other things) because of her little life. Isn't that what makes the world turn? It's the love we have for our neighbor. It's compassion in our hearts that reaches out to those in need, to communities, and countries in need. Are we so base to think that something perfectly imperfect couldn't be a blessing? Am I perfect? Faaaar from it. (My rant here may be proof of that) But each day she <i>is </i>perfecting me...a process that will surely take longer than a lifetime. <b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I am becoming who I was meant to be because of <i>her</i> life.</span></b> I am not putting her through any grief or pain by allowing her to live. As her mother, I am hopefully showing her all the love a mother can. I am connected to her in a way that is very real. And I know she feels it. She is happy, and sweet, and kind, and the most forgiving person I know. I'm trying to learn from her. You should too.<br />
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Am I selfish? Are you implying that keeping a life that is imperfect is selfish? Perhaps loving, and caring...bathing, feeding, changing, clothing, rocking, nursing, loving, driving, therapizing (yeah, we made that up), and taking care of all a child's needs...like 100%...is selfish. Maybe. But I don't think so. I don't feel selfish for allowing my child to live and adoring her. <b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">I don't feel selfish for being her mom. In fact, I feel honored.</span></b> I don't feel selfish for giving her life and enabling her incredible, strong spirit to change us all. Nope. I don't feel bad about it.<br />
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But yes, I cry when things aren't easy for her. It hurts me. It rips at my heart. Just like it does for all my kids. And sometimes when I'm reminded that she's not like other kids her age, I get sad.<b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;"> I guess I still mourn from time to time. But those times are far and few between as her light fills the darkness in my heart. </span></b><br />
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The truth is, those of you who think it's selfish to have "these" children or are utterly confused at the thought that we parents of children with special needs feel blessed...<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>you don't understand</i></span></b>. In a very real and basic way, you don't understand the joy and love that beams from their eyes. Or how your heart flutters when they say a word, or take a first step. You may never understand that. And that's where I find my peace with your hurt comments that you plaster on the Internet. You will never have the joy and yes, blessing, of understanding how...even in the pain and sadness and confusion and loneliness...of having a child who is not in the "norm," is incredible. In all Sammy's therapy...in all we try to constantly teach her, I'm the one is the constant student. <b><i><span style="color: orange;">She is one of my three greatest teachers. </span></i></b><br />
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So my truly confused friend, just know that I hope one day you get the chance to meet Sammy. I hope you get to sit with her and just observe. I hope you get to see her smile at you and hear her sincere giggle. She will melt that hard metal gate wrapped around your heart and you will have a glimpse into Heaven...and then you'll probably pray, just like me, that you'll get to join her there one day.<br />
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Because there's no doubt in my mind, eternity is looking mighty fine for this sweet angel. <br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-16448407979314877462016-01-21T14:23:00.001-08:002016-01-21T14:23:48.648-08:00Callie's 8 Years Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before I catch up on Christmas, let's take some time to acknowledge the fact that Callie turned EIGHT years old! She's an old woman now! I'm among that group of moms who always say absurd things like, "How is that possible? How are you a year older already?!" We know the answer: time is constantly moving forward. But it still tears at my heart a little. She's no longer any part baby...all little, maturing, fabulous little girl.<br />
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Admittedly, Callie's birthday stunk this year. During Christmas everyone in our extended family seemed to take turns getting sick. Not us. We were strong and untouchable...until Monday when school and work started again. Callie went to school on Monday, threw up, and stayed home the next day...on her birthday...curled up in a blanket watching too much tv. But the thing is, once she threw up, she seemed to be fine. But she couldn't go back to school less than 24 hours later. So on her birthday, I took her out and we painted at this ceramics store. She also picked out a bracelet and necklace she wanted. Then I got the phone call to come pick up Sammy from school because she had a fever. (sigh). So on Callie's birthday, we rushed out to get her sick sister. Things just weren't working for the girl. We had had big plans including Chuck E. Cheese (which, let's be honest, I wasn't sad about having to miss) and family party. But all that got tossed out when window. So, on her actual birthday...celebration #1...we spent some quality Mommy/Callie time together and she got to watch tv the rest of the day.<br />
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A couple days later everyone seemed to be healthy. So as a little family, we did the birthday thing. She picked out dinner...noodles (no sauce), peas. And she opened presents.<br />
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She was pretty excited. The biggest gift will come in a couple weeks when my parents come out. Grandpa is going to paint her room and build her a bed. She's so excited!<br />
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And, call me a negligent mom, and I'll understand...but there were no candles. I was so consumed with taking care of everyone and still trying to make her birthday special, that I forgot to make sure we had candles. Luckily, Callie didn't care at all. She has strong opinions on how things should go, so I was very happy that she really didn't care. But, she did ask for a strawberry cake...and I delivered. I had never done a strawberry cake before, but thanks to <a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/05/fresh-strawberry-cake/">Pinterest</a>, I found a great frosting. I decided to just do a white cake and then this amazing frosting. We all loved it! I'm NOT a frosting person. I like just a thin layer. But this was heavenly. Whoever discovered this recipe, I bow down. It was light, fluffy, creamy, strawberry perfection. I will do this again.<br />
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The last celebration...yes, we are on #3...happened on Sunday with the rest of the family. This was the classic one. Candles, singing, eating cake. We had done all the presents and had the glorious cake...but a birthday just isn't a birthday unless we celebrate it at Grammy's with everyone at Sunday dinner.<br />
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So yes, Callie's actual 8th birthDAY stunk...but all in all...she kind of scored.<br />
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When I look back at the past couple years, Callie has had a lot of challenges. I'm so proud of how much she has grown, how she has overcome some of those, how she is working on them. She is so full of faith, and love. She is becoming this beautiful young lady who is learning to put her trust in the Lord and in those who love her. She is naturally curious and is finding more confidence in taking chances and risks -- the ones that help us grow and develop, that make us go out of our comfort zone.<br />
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The evening of her birthday, Callie asked me to read her "her" story. It's a small scrapbook of pictures from the first days of her life with excerpts from this blog...thoughts and feelings I had when she was placed in our home and the events that led up to it. I cried as I read. She looked up and said, "Mom, are you crying?" "Yes. I just love you so much." She smiled and cuddled in closer. My heart would be incomplete with her. I love Callie so much and loved having 3 celebrations of her birth!!!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-4157032491079629242015-12-18T11:04:00.001-08:002015-12-18T11:04:32.406-08:002015 Christmas Family MovieYear after year we make our Christmas family movie. Sometimes -- often -- it can be stressful. But when it's all done, the kids love it and watch it over and over and over and over again. So...it's worth it. THIS year we had some lighting issues and some of our cast members weren't as compliant, but the movie got done and we have loved it!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>and a most Happy Holidays</b></span></div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-26960731355762113942015-11-10T13:59:00.003-08:002015-11-10T13:59:37.686-08:00When In Utah<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="fu62-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fu62" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; direction: ltr; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="fu62-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fu62.0:$fu62-0-0"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Things I do in Utah that I don't do at home in California</span></b></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4glqu-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$4glqu.0:$4glqu-0-0"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="4glqu-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$4glqu" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="4glqu-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$4glqu.0:$4glqu-0-0"><span style="color: red;"><b>Run in the rain </b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="4glqu-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$4glqu" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="4glqu-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$4glqu.0:$4glqu-0-0"><span style="color: red;"><b>(except I hear there was quite a bit back home yesterday! Yay!)</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="f3bh6-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$f3bh6" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="f3bh6-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$f3bh6.0:$f3bh6-0-0"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Run in rain that turns into snowflakes as my elevation increases</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="dqrv8-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$dqrv8" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="dqrv8-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$dqrv8.0:$dqrv8-0-0"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>Flush the toilet every single time I use it </b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="dqrv8-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$dqrv8" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="dqrv8-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$dqrv8.0:$dqrv8-0-0"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b>(sounds gross, but I'm hard core in protecting the little water we have left in CA)</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="8cfkc-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$8cfkc" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="8cfkc-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$8cfkc.0:$8cfkc-0-0"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Shower for a REALLY REALLY long time</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="fq4a2-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fq4a2" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="fq4a2-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fq4a2.0:$fq4a2-0-0"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Give the kids a warm bath every single day </b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="fq4a2-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fq4a2" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="fq4a2-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fq4a2.0:$fq4a2-0-0"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>(this drought has really messed up my life!)</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="fpi0h-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fpi0h" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="fpi0h-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fpi0h.0:$fpi0h-0-0"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Take a morning nap when my dad wakes up and says, </b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="fpi0h-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fpi0h" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="fpi0h-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$fpi0h.0:$fpi0h-0-0"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>"I'll watch the kids, why don't you go back to bed"</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="6hh10-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6hh10" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6hh10-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6hh10.0:$6hh10-0-0"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>FREEZE daily. It's so cold here. I've become so wimpy</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="1i7pp-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1i7pp" style="direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="1i7pp-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1i7pp.0:$1i7pp-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b>Snuggle with Sammy more often. I've had so much time to just be with her. I love it</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="6kb9l-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6kb9l" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="color: red;"><b><span data-offset-key="6kb9l-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6kb9l.0:$6kb9l-0-0">Miss Callie and Marcus</span><span data-offset-key="6kb9l-2-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6kb9l.2:$6kb9l-2-0">. I really miss them</span></b></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="1csbs-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1csbs" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="1csbs-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1csbs.0:$1csbs-0-0"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Hang out with Bryan and Analisa regularly. That has been really fun for me</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="24g9q-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$24g9q" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="24g9q-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$24g9q.0:$24g9q-0-0"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Get some of the best therapy for Sammy at Now I Can</b></span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="rajl-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$rajl" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="rajl-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$rajl.0:$rajl-0-0"><br data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$rajl.0:$rajl-0-0.0" /></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="25cft-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$25cft" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="25cft-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$25cft.0:$25cft-0-0">I'm listening to happy squeals from Sammy. She's on her break and ready for a snack. I feel so blessed that we are here. </span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="25cft-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$25cft" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="25cft-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$25cft.0:$25cft-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJW1DlFS8_Qn9VUcC4H9umXFsqycnLWBPDC3DHIxFyFOZKd0vlTfN99M8yEQpbtmLaEeot828paPDV58gOYez3oCOoNIXnI14Aopc-dhzDt-AVWAzj-iMEpR9XBvaNNcb2OVTUezPJtkMJ/s1600/DSC08750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJW1DlFS8_Qn9VUcC4H9umXFsqycnLWBPDC3DHIxFyFOZKd0vlTfN99M8yEQpbtmLaEeot828paPDV58gOYez3oCOoNIXnI14Aopc-dhzDt-AVWAzj-iMEpR9XBvaNNcb2OVTUezPJtkMJ/s640/DSC08750.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting her morning stretch on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span data-offset-key="25cft-0-0" data-reactid=".15p.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$25cft.0:$25cft-0-0"><br /></span></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-69290233229917802182015-11-06T15:19:00.000-08:002015-11-06T15:19:04.802-08:00Now I Can updateWe're here at Now I Can and Sammy's been a really trooper. I'm so impressed with her. She is in the worst physical shape she's been in ... ever... and she's pushing through and working so hard. Our goal for this session of intensive therapy out here in good 'ole Utah is to avoid surgery. I'm not sure if that will happen. But I have faith and believe in miracles. Will she need surgery? Maybe one day. But we are taking this one day at a time and seeing if we can stretch out her muscles instead of having to cut them. It makes me sad to think about.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzXdQzHJ2pcZRlO9cfjhUcLRL1o8v3cZnJgGaAghfVfsChILLMWMdJ9hjHmTmkskvVQQqHY4pC-afHBZDw2nMwGnkBVm_uweri80oRy3ZKVvYKPnd_0yoNudTiJOg8lCPC0I4dXnttvCN/s1600/DSC08710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzXdQzHJ2pcZRlO9cfjhUcLRL1o8v3cZnJgGaAghfVfsChILLMWMdJ9hjHmTmkskvVQQqHY4pC-afHBZDw2nMwGnkBVm_uweri80oRy3ZKVvYKPnd_0yoNudTiJOg8lCPC0I4dXnttvCN/s640/DSC08710.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming from California, we didn't have "warm" clothes for November in Utah. I had to go out to Walmart and buy some clothes because we were all freezing. Sweats are working well for her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkO334jxwn78PwkRrLN008ElHR_jXYA4C6UBMgPWpx7n0gqNeBawd567eYqCX54bU72gsA1weMrkZ2Vw4tbyt6H7n3TVQUtFky3whkbK2LQ3o2TkbOGFvgnwk1c_a2zX_k3hd5PD8LkbNc/s1600/DSC08712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkO334jxwn78PwkRrLN008ElHR_jXYA4C6UBMgPWpx7n0gqNeBawd567eYqCX54bU72gsA1weMrkZ2Vw4tbyt6H7n3TVQUtFky3whkbK2LQ3o2TkbOGFvgnwk1c_a2zX_k3hd5PD8LkbNc/s640/DSC08712.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really working on getting that foot down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sammy is an angel. But something I learned last night is that angels apparently require no sleep. At all! She woke up at 1am and fell back asleep at 5am. This wasn't fun. Luckily my saintly parents are here and when my dad woke up proclaiming how he slept so well and then asked about me, he immediately told me to go back to bed and he'd take care of it all. Phew. I anticipated Sammy being a wreck today, but she's been doing so well. Hopefully she sleeps through the night and is ready for a weekend to recover before hitting it hard again on Monday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz1enLA3IyQWcbqsuPHcGmj476qG8BwdtoAffSq5qN83lkHN6J0tig1le76o2RKQfOaveRPgHAZ-ryiF2a0h_RdSVvke4LEIq0IjnS11VHkcriOjaTCVrbiU_Jf19NktYFIIelnVuQzYR/s1600/DSC08714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz1enLA3IyQWcbqsuPHcGmj476qG8BwdtoAffSq5qN83lkHN6J0tig1le76o2RKQfOaveRPgHAZ-ryiF2a0h_RdSVvke4LEIq0IjnS11VHkcriOjaTCVrbiU_Jf19NktYFIIelnVuQzYR/s640/DSC08714.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling but looking sleepy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-25671885827174640932015-11-01T22:52:00.003-08:002015-11-01T22:53:31.266-08:00Alone and Afraid<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtM8u3hkP2LAz6Is2jsCj-x7KdyBK_qnXve5GGDKs-ZLXVPIC5f7gPqo02E14npwJgI26fg7gNqi-t3DBjpVITwN9Brn8mHztIPmCbjf1jCMVUL-YpoDu6KdOHnlR1LpHTxVTmBUhcot1/s1600/DSC08683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtM8u3hkP2LAz6Is2jsCj-x7KdyBK_qnXve5GGDKs-ZLXVPIC5f7gPqo02E14npwJgI26fg7gNqi-t3DBjpVITwN9Brn8mHztIPmCbjf1jCMVUL-YpoDu6KdOHnlR1LpHTxVTmBUhcot1/s640/DSC08683.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew the San Jose Airport had this nifty contraption? We watched the balls go up, down, and around for 20 minutes before we boarded the plane. Pretty cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been not-so-eagerly anticipating flying alone with Sammy and Micah. Today was the day. In my gut I knew it'd be fine, but I still wasn't looking forward to it. Flying alone with kids isn't the problem...it's getting on the plane, off the plane, the suitcases....walking. <b>Walking</b> alone with kids in an airport...that's the challenge. You'd think throwing another kid in the mix would be difficult, but for many reasons I so wished Callie was with me. That girl is amazing and I didn't fully realize how helpful she is until I didn't have her as my bud on this trip. I credit modern technology and Halloween candy for our survival on the plane. Last minute I grabbed Sammy's Halloween bag...and the entire flight all she did was nibble on candy. She was happy.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd61AAzPZEagL7x7Oou8EJV_OxgXxIh0M-fLb3lxZO8EhqzG0IZPmxBsF99oKun4l18DoNVU-TI8ZIUD1k7LIwIr_ck20WaUGUA8b1Y4PqmF8WXhldXkD-la7LqsmBW4N1QgvOqOMpGmwf/s1600/DSC08684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd61AAzPZEagL7x7Oou8EJV_OxgXxIh0M-fLb3lxZO8EhqzG0IZPmxBsF99oKun4l18DoNVU-TI8ZIUD1k7LIwIr_ck20WaUGUA8b1Y4PqmF8WXhldXkD-la7LqsmBW4N1QgvOqOMpGmwf/s640/DSC08684.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern technology lulling my child into a deep trance-like state.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But we are here, safe, and the kids are asleep. Sammy did great on the flight but when we got out of the car to get into the house, she lost it. She cried, and cried (sugar withdrawals?)...which is not normal for her. And it was heartbreaking. Micah had fun but was confused as to why we had a new house. </span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGigpStnDVNKf-mlpwLZAcaEIf195wyYwr5cABBDLZhs9zRgMzurYQj8CNQ8W1kFFwUD53UkBSN5qkVxUWS_Ekd-M8MmWvJ5yfhcC7QijkLkCvDmUzQvt01YfbSpXRQU0vREo7_573BA-/s1600/DSC08686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGigpStnDVNKf-mlpwLZAcaEIf195wyYwr5cABBDLZhs9zRgMzurYQj8CNQ8W1kFFwUD53UkBSN5qkVxUWS_Ekd-M8MmWvJ5yfhcC7QijkLkCvDmUzQvt01YfbSpXRQU0vREo7_573BA-/s640/DSC08686.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween candy kept Sammy happy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="6t5i1-0-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.0:$6t5i1-0-0.0">At 8pm, Micah was hungry (after refusing to eat dinner that Irene </span></span><span data-offset-key="6t5i1-2-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.2:$6t5i1-2-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.2:$6t5i1-2-0.0">cooked...and was delicious by the way), so I cooked the frozen pizza Bryan</span></span><span data-offset-key="6t5i1-4-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0.0"> picked up for us. Sammy and Micah ate pizza at 8:00. They should have both been in bed by 7:30. Oh well. </span></span></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-4-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span data-offset-key="6t5i1-4-0" data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-reactid=".1cy.1.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6t5i1.4:$6t5i1-4-0.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had decided that Micah would sleep in a separate room...the room my parents will be staying in. My hope was that for just a couple nights that both he and Sammy would sleep well. Sammy wakes up early and I don't want her waking Micah up at 6am. And Micah has a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and coming to sleep in our room. I don't want him waking Sammy up at midnight. But at 10pm, after he was still not asleep, he told me he didn't want to be alone. I wish he had told me that about an hour earlier, but ok. So we snuck into Sammy's room and he laid down on a really squeaky bed. Sammy squirmed but stayed asleep. We'll see how this goes.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was fun seeing Bryan, Irene, Analisa, Alex, and James. Micah loves James. He kept talking about seeing Jamesy tomorrow. </span><br />
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I'm not sure why, but it feels strange to be here. I've done this trip for Sammy a few times, but being here feels odd. Perhaps because it all came about so quickly. Or that Callie's not with me this time. I'm not sure what it is, but being here feels a little surreal, like I can't fully believe I'm here. I think ak part of me always wanted to come back to Now I Can, but also believed that chapter had ended. That due to the difficulty of actually coming out here for 3-4 weeks...we were done. And yet, this is what we feel is best. It's weird to be here. But I am here. And we are doing this for the next 3 weeks.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-26216020602143736942015-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:002015-10-11T21:57:25.578-07:00Love is Spoken HereMicah is a singer. He loves singing and being sung to. Each night, I sing songs to him, and then always have to sing just one more before he'll let me leave the room. His new favorite is the Primary song <i>Love is Spoken Here. </i>It's one of my favorites as well so I am happy to indulge his requests. Tonight, we said prayers, we sang, I kissed him goodnight, and left the room.<br />
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Marcus then went in to say goodnight to his boy, then came out and said, "Jenny. Come here. Quick." When I got to the room, Micah was laying down, smiling, and proceeded to sing to me. He was so proud of himself and it was adorable. I went and got my camera and asked him to do it again.<br />
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Boy does he make my heart melt.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NAg5xIfhfyg" width="560"></iframe>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-34568716012151656912015-09-05T16:34:00.000-07:002015-09-05T16:34:27.851-07:00Visiting Cousins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago we went and visited my brother and his family. The kids always look forward to seeing their cousins, and this time...even more so. Yes, they got a pool and I decided to load up the kids and go for a 3 hour trip to try out their new pool. Mama and her kids...hittin' the road!<br />
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Sammy was already a little frazzled thinking about how hectic this would be for her. Trips to visit her cousins usually involve a lot of no sleep. This trip would mean nearly no sleep at all. Bummer for her and Mommy.</div>
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Micah isn't the fish that Callie and Sammy are. He's much for cautious. I was impressed, however, that this time he let go of me and explored a little more. </div>
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Callie and Jackson are pretty inseparable, except at this moment when I took the picture.</div>
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Callie had so much fun jumping off the diving board, over and over and over and over and over again</div>
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And who doesn't like a little water in your face and up your nose?</div>
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Oh cousin love. Micah was totally into Hayley and was all about holding her, bringing her books, trying to make her laugh, etc. It was awesome.</div>
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Rough weekend.</div>
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Even Sammy gave up and decided to doze off for about 45 minutes. It pained me to see her in this position but was grateful she got a small nap after such a fun weekend.</div>
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Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-90624211861492730612015-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:002015-09-04T16:16:25.472-07:00Gizdich 2015We did it again. We took a small voyage and headed to Watsonville. Callie was out of school so Micah, Callie, and I loaded up and headed out. I love Gizdich Farms. It's far, but it's so fun. We always seem to miss berry season, but we were there this year right at the start of apple picking and we loved it.<br />
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So, what's our <i><b>favorite </b></i>parts about Gizdich?</div>
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The Anticipation</div>
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Finding the Perfect Apple</div>
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Counting the Apples</div>
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Having the Orchard to Yourself</div>
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Running Down the Hill 1,000,000+ Times</div>
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Checking Out Bugs in Decaying Apples</div>
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Bowling Rotten Apples<br />
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Pulling the Wagon</div>
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Squeezing Together for a Picture</div>
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The Juiciest, Sweetest Apples Around</div>
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Wagon Rides</div>
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Jumping Off Hay</div>
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Flying Off Hay</div>
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And of course the <b>pie</b>...which we didn't get a picture of since my battery died. It was delicous though...and we walked away with some <b><i>apple juice</i></b> (that is my most favorite in the world), massive suckers, and smiles.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Until next time Gizdich, we love you.</span></b></div>
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-30554307302680094962015-08-31T19:26:00.000-07:002015-08-31T19:26:06.660-07:00Little Man Micah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Something has happened. Now this little rascal is almost 3, he's turned into a fiesty, firey little man. But man is he cute. And fun. And curious. And crazy. He's so full of energy, ready to explore and push his boundaries. Though still cautious, he has become more willing to try new things and test his limits. He is one of the most delightful little boys I know and I really do feel so lucky every single day. Now that school's back in session, Micah and I have more time to just be together. We do puzzles and jump on the trampoline, go to the park and go on walks. We explore the world and laugh. Of all the things he's learning right now, I hope he's understanding how solid is place in my heart will always be. I love this boy with my whole heart...and I feel pretty special when he tells me the same thing daily.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-71384446394073014692015-08-30T15:51:00.000-07:002015-08-30T15:51:05.918-07:00When Lindsey Comes Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
When Lindsey comes over, there's a lot of laughter and silliness.</div>
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There's also a whole lot of love.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-67958346176728345102015-08-24T14:06:00.003-07:002015-08-24T14:07:43.227-07:002nd Grade for Callie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep, it's true. Callie is gorgeous and I can't get enough of her smile. She has grown so much. Even just over the past few weeks, I have seen a maturity in her that makes me step back and smile. And yet, she's still just a little girl...still gets frustrated by her annoying little brother and still needs more sleep than she thinks. I love all these different parts of her and I love seeing her spirit shine from her eyes. So it's 2nd grade for Callie. Moving up and onward. First day of school...we let the hair down. She loved it! I love that she loves her hair. I love that she takes pride in it. I love that she loves picking out what she wants to wear to school...sometimes frilly and well thought out, sometimes mismatched and thrown together. </div>
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I look forward to this year for Callie.</div>
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I have a feeling it will be a big one.</div>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-53301760712751740302015-07-23T22:01:00.002-07:002015-07-23T22:01:36.160-07:00Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I loved this book. I LOVED this book and it's now in my Top #10 list. This book was such a departure from the Ray Bradbury I know. This was sentimental and so beautifully written, capturing the essence of summer 1928. But the truth is, every chapter, all the details, reminded me of my own summers growing up in Michigan. Each chapter was almost its own short story. And it made me think about my own neighborhood, or my own circle of friends...what is going on, what chapter could be written about each of them? Reading the book I was heartbroken, encouraged, sad, filled with hope, scared...it was intense and, again, beautiful.<br />
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I read <i>Danelion Wine</i> for book club, and the word that kept going through my mind was magical and romantic. Filled with imagry and this theme of life and death, I was constantly reflecting on my own life and how I choose to live it. Am I experiencing life? Am I soaking in all it has to offer? Am I learning from others' experiences? Am I living?<br />
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I could read this book annually. It was so well-written.Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-19916672337094576982015-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:002015-07-23T09:29:19.583-07:00Magic Kingdom (Friday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We decided for our last day we'd go back to Magic Kingdom and run wild and hit all the rides we could. It was such a great day.</div>
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Don't let this smile fool you. Micah was terrified of the carousal. It took us everything we had just to get him to go on and then sit down. Ride a horse? No way! I was surprised when he gave me this smile before we began to go in circles because only moments before he was a mess.</div>
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We saw a few shows....</div>
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Then we met up with the rest of the family at the Polynesian for breakfast. It's a good family-style breakfast with characters, etc. We did this same breakfast when we went last time and it was fun, so why not do it again this trip? However, where we were sitting, it seemed we didn't get many good pictures...the lights messed things up. But it was still good.</div>
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After breakfast we went home for a little bit...during the heat of the day...and while Callie and Sammy swam with Marcus, and Micah eventually fell asleep, I worked on getting things figured out for our departure the next day. We had a little scare because apparently, Disney had me as having a flight to Miami, but no connecting flight back to California. So, after a bit of panic and some phone calls, we figured it out. I would be returning home with my family after all.</div>
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We went back to the Magic Kingdom and enjoyed the hot afternoon.</div>
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This is when we decided that Sammy should try her first rollercoaster. A new ride has appeared at Magic Kingdom since we were last here a few years ago. </div>
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The Seven Dwarves Mine Ride.</div>
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Marcus kept talking about letting Sammy go on Space Mountain and crazy rides (I think he was only 1/2 kidding). Yes, she's tall enough. Yes, she loves thrills. But any kind of rollercoaster seemed scary for me to let her on. This ride, however, seemed a little more manageable. So, we tried it. </div>
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And she loved it!</div>
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Later that afternoon, storms started rolling in. There was rain, and people started to clear out. It was our last day, so we weren't going anywhere. We ate lunch and by that time, things kind of cleared up...but then the lightning came. So, rides shut down for a bit. And even more people cleared out. We held out and when Splash Mountain opened up, we were among the first to ride with no lines!</div>
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With the 7 Dwarves ride a success, we thought we'd have Sammy ride Splash Mountain as well. And she LOVED it!!!</div>
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Ted and his family hung out until late with us. We saw the Electric Parade, which was awesome. There was still some thunder, and that kind of freaked out Callie and Micah, but it was fun. Callie's face is blurry, but she was impressed with the parade, to say the least.</div>
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And Sammy was impressed as well. She kept smiling and giggling as the floats and characters and dancers came by.</div>
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We decided to stay for the fireworks. And this is when we had a huge, scary moment...</div>
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As we were leaving the parade and moving down toward Cinderella's castle, there were quite a few people moving along. Callie was walking with Aunt Peggy, and I told Callie to stick with her. There were a lot of people. We got to where we needed to be and stopped. A few moments later, I wanted to show Callie something and said, "Callie, come here, check this out." </div>
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No response.</div>
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"Callie."<br /></div>
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No response.</div>
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"Callie?"</div>
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She was gone. We couldn't find her. I began to slightly panic. Peggy and Marcus left the group and started looking around. I went out in the middle of the road, which was actually kind of bare, just in case Callie looked and found us. A conversation that my parents and I had previously that day about Adam Walsh and his son went through my mind. I got sick to my stomach with fear and began to pray. We hadn't come up with a plan of what to do if someone got lost. I prayed and prayed. A few minutes later, Callie was back with Marcus. Relief is such a mild word to explain how I felt.</div>
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I talked to Callie and she said she had been really scared. I guess when we stopped, she just kept walking not realizing the group had found a spot to stay. She kept walking and didn't know what to do. She found a worker...and as the worker told Marcus...</div>
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"She was so calm and came right up to me and said, 'I can't find my family.'"</div>
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That worker also happened to be an intern with BYU-Idaho. </div>
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Our prayers were definitely answered, and we were so proud of Callie knowing what to do and taking control of the situation even though she said she was really scared. It was the first time I've "lost my child" and it was a horrible feeling. I can't imagine what parents go through when they can't find their children after 20 minutes, then 30, then hours. I can't imagine.</div>
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After the fireworks, we left, saying our final farewell to Disney World.</div>
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<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-7120280239562102972015-07-17T22:03:00.000-07:002015-07-17T22:03:37.518-07:00Animal Kingdom (Thursday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our family loves Animal Kingdom. Don't get me wrong...the other parks in Disney World are amazing, incredible, full of fun. But there is something about the Animal Kingdom that we just adore. We are the family who, when we visit a city, will hit the zoo. So, maybe it all makes sense. Our kids love animals, we love them, and Animal Kingdom does not disappoint. </div>
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Before we even got into the park, while we were waiting, Callie and her cousins found a lizard. Well, welcome to Animal Kingdom! It was a sign for a really good day.</div>
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Part of what makes Animal Kingdom great is the atmosphere. We love it. As you walk in, you are walking into a jungle. There are so many plants and foliage...you feel like you've truly entered a different part of the world. And, what is also so great about it, is that you have immediate shade. It was a really hot day, surprise, and it felt so much cooler as soon as we walked in. </div>
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By Thursday, the kids were tired and waiting was not as thrilling as it was before.</div>
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A Jungle Safari will always bring a smile.</div>
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And when in Africa...play drums...</div>
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It was hot HOT. And we were waiting around for something...I can't remember what. Then there, on the "street" a band starts playing and this woman starts dancing. I go over with the kids and start to watch and dance along. Then, I took it one step further and started dancing with her. I brought Sammy up and we were dancing together. Other people were there and joined in too. It took a while to convince Callie to join, but she did. And so did her cousins. I stepped out because it was getting kind of crowded and it was hard to dance along with Sammy and so many people. But it gave me the chance to get some pictures. Callie was so serious trying to follow and get all the moves right. </div>
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Animal Kingdom has some pretty incredible shows. We were advised that the Finding Nemo show was the best in Disney World. We checked it out, and it was pretty impressive. Our entire group was into it.</div>
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Sammy's feet. It breaks my heart. Sammy had a really hard time on this trip with her feet, mainly because she would get overheated. Assuming you don't wear orthotics, let me break this down for you. Imagine this.</div>
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You put your socks on.</div>
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Then your feet are pushed down into a plastic form.</div>
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That plastic wraps around your foot and heal, and goes up your leg.</div>
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Then another pair of socks is put over the brace, because if you're Samantha, you will take the brace off unless something is in the way -- like a sock.</div>
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Finally, your shoes.</div>
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It's really hot. She tried to wiggle out of them a lot, which left red pressure marks on her feet. We finally took her braces and socks off, and she was so much happier when we did.</div>
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We continued to learn, and relearn, that Micah's not a fan of rides.</div>
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Callie and Sammy, on the other hand, couldn't get enough.</div>
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It had been a long week so far, full of a lot of fun, and it was tiring. Micah figured out how to get some shut eye while we were out and about.</div>
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The highlight of Animal Kingdom, for me anyway, was The Lion King show. We already knew we liked the show, but this time, Callie, cousins, and Sammy got in on the show. Micah opted out. He wasn't too keen on the idea.</div>
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The entire time, Sammy was entranced by the performance. She was smiling and giggling the entire time. It was loud, and colorful...it was everything she loves. When one of the performers came and asked if Sammy could join in, I said yes. He was trying to talk to her, and I briefly explained that she wouldn't be able to respond or follow instructions...so maybe it's better if she just stayed with me. Then he said, "Well, can I just push her along in her chair?" My heart smiled as he took her and she just beamed with excitement. It truly was the best moment...so far...in the entire trip.</div>
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So often, Sammy is the little kid or baby. The one who needs to be fed, pushed, carried, changed, spoken for...but at that moment, she was just one of the big kids. She knew it. And she loved it. Afterward, she looked at me, smiled and kept watching the show.</div>
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Another show. Animal Kingdom...lots of shows. And even though I can't see his face, I think this is such a cute picture of Micah.</div>
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To end the day, we ate at the Tuscan House in Africa. It was perfect for us. Buffet style, loud, good variety of food. We fit in well. AND, we met a few Disney stars.</div>
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As much as Daisy tried, Sammy just wasn't having it.</div>
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And this, this is just hilarious.</div>
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Animal Kingdom = success. Until next time...hopefully we'll make it back there again in the future.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101399559614616079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-53721659343009270002015-07-08T14:40:00.004-07:002015-07-08T14:40:52.509-07:00Epcot (Wednesday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Epcot truly is best suited for older kids and adults. But it was one of my favorite days. I think it felt a little more relaxed because we weren't rushing from one ride to the next. In a way, I wish we had spent more time there but it was hot. (There is a theme running through this week long trip. Have you caught on yet?) And so the kids were tired. It's not so hard for Micah and Sammy. They sit. But Callie was hot and tired. She did fine though. Again, we got a 2nd wind later in the day, so we could have pushed through, but we wanted to make this trip fun. I was afraid of being burned out and the kids not enjoying themselves because they were overly tired and we would be cranky. So, we didn't stay late. While we were there, we had a lot of fun.</div>
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Among the notable rides, Soarin' is among the cooler ones. You just fly over an IMAX show of scenery. But it was really cool and Callie loved it. Sammy could have probably gone it it even, but I had never done it and was afraid it wouldn't work well.<br />
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Epcot isn't a terribly busy park. That made it nice too. There aren't long lines and there's space to walk around. I didn't feel like we were constantly running into people. And Micah had more freedom to walk and move around because I wasn't afraid of him getting lost in the crowd.<br />
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There were some fun shows at Epcot too. This was the show with Crush from Finding Nemo. I forget the actual name of the show. But it was fun and interactive.<br />
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Yes. While in Canada, we took some pictures. I was too short to really get my head in there. Here's the thing...why do they make those circles so large? Do you know anyone whose head is that big? I get it that they want it to be comfortable, but I think it would look so much better if you saw more face than background. Parks need to work on that. It's one of my silly pet peeves.<br />
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Callie and I headed to Morocco while everyone else did something else. The only character Callie cared about seeing and getting a picture with was Jasmine. And so, that's all we cared about. Our kids just aren't totally into the character pictures, so when they want one...they want one. Jasmine, and apparently Aladdin, were in Morocco. The line was actually not too bad. And, while we waited, we were handed these cool fans. They wrote "Callie" and "Jenny" in Arabic on the back, but apparently I didn't take a picture of that.<br />
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In the streets of Morocco....<br />
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and then Callie saw a dead Florida sized cockroach! It freaked her out.<br />
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We had dinner at this restaurant in Epcot...it was this massive aquarium. The kids thought it was really cool. However, it was the roughest meal! Micah was all over the place. Sammy wouldn't stop crying. Callie, well, she was great. None of this really would have been a problem except this was a nice place. Like, it was quiet, families were happily enjoying their meals. The food was delicious. Marcus had a steak and I had fish. mmm It really was great. But we were stressed out the entire time.<br />
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Our waiter was phenomenal. He did everything he could think of to make things easier for us...all without making us feel like we were causing problems. He was ahead of the game, so kind, and truly one of the best waiters we've had. Ever. I took time to write a raving review of his service. They didn't have comment cards, so they just gave me some paper and said they would make sure it got read at their staff meeting. Good.<br />
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Cupcakes for dessert are always welcomed...<br />
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The view from our table. At this point, Lisa had swooped up and taken Sammy somewhere away. They walked around the park or something while we finished up our meal. See what I mean? Lisa. She's a life saver.<br />
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Just a normal picture in front of a massive aquarium...<br />
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until a sting ray shows up behind you.<br />
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The last ride we did was Mission: Space. My dad hung out with Micah and Sammy while we went on the ride. He said he had no interest. I should have taken this as a warning myself. When you go in, we were asked if we wanted the intense experience, or the lesser? Psh. <i>Intense! Thank you very much. Do I look like someone who does anything "lesser"? </i>Well, what does that mean? It means you spin 35 mph...but he assured us that you don't feel like you're spinning. So in we went while Micah played with planets.<br />
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Callie says goodbye before her space voyage...and in we go. Now, the man was right. You may not feel like you're spinning. But my insides sure did. I learned I could never go to space. Glad I know that before I made some huge mistake! The ride, itself, is pretty cool. But at one point, I broke out sweating and felt super hot. I no longer questioned why they had little airplane barf bags within reach. Callie was the navigator, or maybe the engineer. She was so concerned she wasn't doing her job and that the ride wouldn't work if she didn't push a button. She kept asking me, "Wait, what do I push?" I was trying to just keep looking ahead, like they say to do to avoid getting disoriented, stay focused, but let her know it's was ok. She had fun. But it took me awhile to bounce back from that ride. In fact, Lisa took Sammy...again...while I sat and Marcus and the cousins did another ride. I really felt...not well...and needed my stomach to rest. I should have known. If I can't do the tea cups in the Magic Kingdom anymore, what made me think I could spin at 35 mph? Yikes! I should have stayed with my dad...or done the less intense version where there's no spinning.<br />
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Live and Learn.<br />
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<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-16905720850459271562015-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-07T08:00:08.205-07:00Magic Kingdom (Tuesday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tuesday morning came quickly. Monday night, the kids fell asleep rather quickly...all except Sammy. She wasn't used to sleeping in a hotel room pack n' play while her siblings were in the same room sleeping and Mom and Dad were walking around. It was a wee bit difficult figuring out how to make it all work. But she eventually fell asleep and got rested up for the next day.</div>
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Magic Kingdom. It really is magical. When you think of Disney World, this is the place you think of...and it was so much fun! The last time we were here, Callie was really young. But now, older, she soaked it all in. The shuttle got us there early and we went straight to Tomorrow Land; we didn't have to wait to get on anything. We road the Buzz Lightyear ride 2x. Magic Mountain was pretty quick with our Fast Pass. And the rest of the day was filled with great fun.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A HUGE Thank You to my mom and dad for taking us on the trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sammy and Lindsay on the People Mover</td></tr>
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All the cousins together...every single one of 'em.</div>
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Good times!</div>
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The only way to watch a parade is sitting on Dad's shoulders! It was so hot. Steamy hot. We all were exhausted and a little toasty, so we went in to watch Hall of Presidents to cool down. It was interesting, but more than anything at that point, it was cool! Sammy was upset, so I ended up standing and holding her. She fell asleep for a few minutes even, but when I tried to sit down, she woke up. I think her fussing was mainly out of exhaustion...just being too hot. When we got out of the Hall of Presidents, it was just in time for the parade and it did not disappoint. Many times when I hear a parade is coming through...let's just say I'm not really a parade person. Usually I think, "Oh, this is a good time to do ________ when people are watching the parade." But Disney? They really do a great job and every single parade we saw was so fun! The kids loved it!</div>
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We didn't wait in line for characters. The kids weren't into it. They were excited to see the characters, but they didn't necessarily want their signatures or to hug them or anything. So the parades were perfect for them.</div>
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One of the highlights of the entire trip for Micah was his cousin Hayley. He was obsessed. Micah is very much a baby person...loves them. He did anything he could to get Hayley to laugh at him...and laugh she did. It was so fun to watch them together.<br />
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I'm not sure what Micah is trying to do to his face here. It seems serious though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley, Ted, Mom, Lisa, Linds, Ian, Dad, Peggy</td></tr>
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Waiting for the Jungle Cruise didn't take too long. Here's the thing. We were given a special pass, of sorts, for Sammy. But we didn't use it correctly. Turns out, it didn't matter. The workers were so kind and let our entire crew in the handicap lane every time we needed it. If we were on top of things, we would have done their new unlimited Fast Pass thingy, but I guess we didn't quite understand. And no one even asked us. This was the longest wait we had, and it really wasn't bad. I remember being so disappointed when Disney changed their procedures for special needs accommodations. But, it seems that it's still very accessible and that made me overjoyed. Truly, it was a fun trip, but it was a difficult one for Sammy. Had we had to wait in lines very much longer, she would have been miserable and the experience would have been very different. All kids are miserable waiting. Yes. It's true. But when you are stuck in a wheelchair, in the heat, and you can't even verbalize that something is wrong...it just makes it more challenging...and there would have been a lot more of her tears. It makes me sad to think about. So, yeah for Disney being champions for special needs. It makes a huge difference.<br />
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Ty and Micah aren't too far apart in age, and it showed. It was definitely a love/hate relationship. They were either loving playing with each other, or they were causing a lot of problems. I think Micah instigated a lot of the arguments. Oops. Sorry Ty.<br />
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Callie girl. She's such a beauty. She had so much fun the entire week and was such a trooper. I'm sure there were times when she wasn't complaining, but when I think back, all I can remember is smiles and laughter from her. It was so so fun to be at Disney World with her. The perfect age....7. It was awesome.<br />
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Of course Callie was pretty into Jackson. She and Jackson have so much fun together. She told me one day, it's ok to be in love with Jackson because he's not my brother. I informed her that she, well, actually, being in love is for the people you marry...and she couldn't marry Jackson because they're cousins. "Oh, but I can love him. That's ok." "Of course. I hope you love his guts!" And she does. She basically wanted to be where ever he was. It was so fun. Have I said "fun" too much?<br />
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We had dinner at the Polynesian Resort where there was a luau. It was neat and the food was good. But the kids, well, by this point they were pretty tired.<br />
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Micah slept through dinner and most of the show.<br />
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And Brayden fell asleep at the table.</div>
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They called up all the kids and Callie went up there to do a little dancing.<br />
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The entire show was really great, but the fire dancer guy...wow. Impressive.<br />
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By the time the end of the night rolled around, we were ready for the pool and bed...ready to get refreshed for the next day....EPCOT CENTER!<br />
<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-57529884443771185182015-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:002015-07-06T08:00:05.699-07:00Disney's Hollywood Studios (Monday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Monday morning finally came and we were ready to hit Hollywood Studios. We had a Fast Passes and meals ready and we were ready to run wild. Then we walked out the hotel door and instead of us hitting the road, we were hit with some hard cord heat and humidity. But on that first day, it didn't slow us down...or maybe it did. </div>
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Water never tasted so good. I drank so much water while in Disney that week and yet, I was still majorly dehydrated! That first day we ate at Mama Melrose's. It was good, but it was rough. Sammy was so tired and just was not happy. My sister, Lisa, finished her meal and took Sammy outside to different things to look at. That seemed to cheer her up quite a bit.<br />
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I love my family. I do. And I would love them no matter what. But you know what makes me love them even more? No, what makes me kind of worship them? Is when they see a need and step in. Lisa is so good at that. Her kids are older and fairly independent now. But she has always swooped in to help whenever she could. She spent so much time with Sammy on this trip and because of it, she made the trip more fun for us. Does that sound horrible? I assure you, it's not. I would have loved to spend every single minute with happy Sammy. But happy Sammy wasn't always present, so when Lisa stepped in, she was able to help Sammy feel better while we attended to other matters. I love that sister of mine.<br />
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Watching the Indiana Jones show was cool. I had seen it before but it was a first for Marcus and the kids. We got split up from the rest of the family, so it was pretty cool when my brother got called to be one of the volunteers for the show!<br />
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Sammy was mildly impressed with the show. I think she was just happier to be out of the heat.<br />
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Hollywood Studios is fun, but it's geared more towards older kids and adults. But it was still fun. The first thing we did when we got there was ride Rock n' Roller Coaster...an Aerosmith rollercoaster ride. And Callie loved it. LOVED it. If you ask her what her favorite ride is, this will be among the top. It's fast. It's loud. And it's upside-down-tons-of-fun-twisty-and-twirly craziness. She screamed just before we took off, because she thought we were going, then sheepishly laughed. I had so much fun riding rides with her the entire week! She's like I was when I was little. I loved the anticipation of scary rides, and the thrill of the ride during it...even if it scared the wits out of me. Afterward, even if she screamed the entire time, she'd say, "That was fun. Let's do it again!"<br />
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On the way home, we went through the Great Movie Ride, which was kind of like It's a Small World movie style. You just ride on this cart taking you through...different movies. There was a gun shootout at one point and Micah was not having it. He told Marcus, "I want my mom," and climbed over him to get to me.<br />
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What?! I don't care how hot anyone is, we're stopping to take a picture here....were basically Marcus' thoughts at this point.<br />
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At this point, we were all so wasted from the heat and just wanted to get back to go swimming. Can you see the excitement on my face? Yeah. It's not there. I was having fun, don't get me wrong. But we were hot and tired from no sleep the day before when we traveled.<br />
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The problem was, all of a sudden, we got a 2nd wind and probably could have stayed a lot longer. It was that time of day when people were leaving because of the heat, it was beginning to cool down though, and we were feeling good.<br />
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But then this sweet little face reminded us not to overdo it on the first day, and we went back to the hotel.<br />
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After the kids sat on an ant, that is.<br />
<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779394090101632514.post-75568781078784059412015-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:002015-07-05T18:06:51.132-07:004th of July Splendor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4th of July , 2015</div>
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It was a hit.</div>
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Callie woke up sick, so while the family went to Chuck and Holly's to go swimming, Callie and I stayed home. But that's no fun. So we went to the movie to see <i>Inside Out</i>. I thought being in a cool air-conditioned movie theater would be better than feeling sad at home while others swim. It was fun.</div>
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We had some time before the movie started, so we got some lunch. Callie insisted on Hot Dog on a Stick (gross) and then didn't eat it. She did, however, stick her hands in the ketchup instead of reaching for fries. And she laughed about it quite a bit. It was pretty funny.<br />
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She was disappointed not be be able to go swimming with her cousins, but going to the movies was pretty thrilling as well. We don't do that often, so it was kind of fun to have a surprise movie date. </div>
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Sammy was pretty happy. We didn't go anywhere to watch any big fireworks shows, but we did spend the evening with sparklers and watching fireworks from a distance in our backyard. The kids had so much fun.</div>
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Here Callie is being the Statue of Liberty.<br />
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And Micah was pretty thrilled to have a flag.<br />
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I know they don't seem totally into it, but they were really excited to play with the sparklers and watch the fireworks. <br />
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<br />Marcus and Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332537792819738121noreply@blogger.com0