tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50898782538664421012024-03-05T21:06:17.992-08:00Demboski DiaryShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.comBlogger258125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-12447034372653810892017-07-26T13:47:00.000-07:002017-07-26T13:47:31.266-07:00It's the last week in JulyIt is July 26th and we have had a lot of fun this summer. It is our first summer having me in my new role at the hospital which means I am not home Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Which isn't bad at all. It is an adjustment for me thought to manage to grocery shopping, laundry, having fun and making special memories for the kids to remember. My weekdays off with them I am doing my best to spend as a fun day. I try to minimize running errands and cleaning. I want them to remember their summers as a kid with mommy home and doing fun things with them.<br />
My parents are here every Tuesday and Thursday which has been wonderful and I couldn't be anymore thankful for all they do.<br />
We have one month left of summer and I am trying hard to not feel anxious about the Fall. This Fall I will be doing clinical hours every Wednesday at the hospital for school. This means I will be gone Monday-Thursday 5:00am-5:30pm. We will also have 3 kids in soccer, while trying to manage homework, my school load, Saturday soccer games and a new back to school schedule. It is a lot to manage and I will have to be very organized.<br />
Until then I am holding on to each day and doing my best to communicate better, have more fun. let the laundry sit, and take more walks.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-60981826999095595592017-07-05T13:47:00.000-07:002017-07-26T13:54:31.169-07:00Nancy DrewWhen I was a young girl one of my favorite summer memories is reading in my bed late at night with my window open listening to crickets chirping and smelling the jasmine in bloom. I would read magazines and books. One of my favorite series of books to read was Nancy Drew. But what was so special about Nancy Drew is that these books were my mom's books from her childhood. <div>
I would bring the books up to my Grandma Madeline's house each summer when we would spend the week with her. Kimmie would come and she too would bring her mom's Nancy Drew books. We would stay up late reading, it was such a simple, slow and missed time in my life. I long to create that simplicity for my kids. </div>
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This summer Allison and I started reading the Nancy Drew book "Mystery at Shadow Ranch". I don't remember the story of this book, but the smell of the pages and the hearts that I drew on the front pages brings me back to when life was simple. The story is more complicated than I remember it being...lots of characters, choppy story lines... but lying on the lounge chair in the backyard as the sun is going down with Allison on my chest as I read the story out loud to her brings me great joy.</div>
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I hope she thinks back at how wonderfully simple her summers were and thinks of me. </div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-22998285976657709162017-06-26T13:54:00.000-07:002017-07-26T15:07:50.914-07:00YellowstoneWell we did it. We managed to survive a 10 day road trip to Yellowstone with 4 kids. We probably have a total time of 50 hours logged in the car. That alone is something I never thought I would be able to accomplish. We introduced the kids to Las Vegas on the way to Utah. We treated them to the Paris buffett where they ate like adults. Allison at one point had 5 sushi rolls on her plate next to a bowl of chocolate pudding and a banana. Thankfully Ashton was free, because he only wanted an apple despite Paul getting him a large slice of prime rib. I managed to do my portion of getting our monies worth by having three nutella crepes. I was surprised at how unimpressed they were of the strip. Maybe because it was daytime and 110 degrees. I can't see us bringing them back anytime soon, maybe when Andrew turns 21... scary thought.<br />
We made our way from Vegas to Cedar City, Utah where we checked into the largest hotel room I had ever stayed in with 3 Queen sized beds. We explored the small town, did some damage at an old fashioned soda fountain bar, and spent the rest of our evening at the most unique and custom park I had ever been to. The kids were happy to finally be out of the car and run around the park until the sunset which was around 9:30pm.<br />
The next day Paul got stomach sick which resulted in me taking the 4 kids into Walmart by myself to gather perishable food to cook while we are camping. Paul was sicker than a dog when we rolled into our KOA. He managed to put up the tent while I cooked hotdogs at 10:00 at night. We slept for the first time in our tent. Thankfully we brought a space heater and we had electrical hookups or else we would have froze.<br />
The next morning we drove the 15 minutes to the West Yellowstone entrance. We finally arrived. Once we got into the park we were stopped in the road in one spot for over an hour. Not exactly how we wanted to start the first part of out trip, but we slowly managed to get to our campground. Paul is still sick. I drove us to our covered wagon cookout which took me over cliffs, huge mountains, more cliffs, narrow roads and more cliffs. We made it alive and well just in time for Paul to start feeling better and just in time to have one of the best nights of our vacation. The wagon ride was fantastic. The kids got to ride shotgun next to the cowboy while Paul, Ashton and I rode in the back. We were pulled my 4 horses for about 40 minutes through this peaceful and breathtaking valley. There were bison scattered around, a soft glow of the sunset covered the hills around us. Once at the cookout, they served us an all you can eat steak dinner with beans, biscuits, coleslaw, corn and potato salad. The kids had rootbeer and I had cowboy coffee. The cowboys played guitars and sang songs. There was a fire pit and dessert as well. The kids had a blast. Allison managed to run right into a deep thick mud pit. Ashton was obsessed with the horses. Ashley had to go the bathroom 4 times. Andrew requested a song for the cowboy to sing, and once he sang it, Andrew was too far away to hear it.<br />
Ya know. Typical craziness among the beauty. That's how we roll.<br />
That night was our second night in our tent, but this time we are truly camping. No showers, no electricity, no nothing. The only thing we had was the real potential for bears to come into our campsite. We froze that night. It was in the 30s, and we really relied upon cuddling to stay warm.<br />
The next four days consisted of long drives, bison traffic, boiling pools of acid, long walks and exploring.<br />
We managed to find paid shower at the Yellowstone lodge. We were thrilled to watch Old Faithful erupt, take a shower and eat a breakfast buffet all within 2 hours. It was a small piece of heaven to have all of this in one morning.<br />
The kids were always excited to go into the general stores. What is more perfect than being able to buy groceries, toys, and souvieners all in one place, especially since they had money buring holes in the pocket.<br />
One night we were driving down the road around sunset time and on the other side of a road a large bison was walking towards our car. We slowed down, Paul rolled down his window and it turned it's head as it walked right passed our car and looked into the window. We were all silent and the second Paul drove off, everybody screamed with excitement. What a moment. Ashton loved the "Bise" so much he was thrilled when we bought him a Bison stuffed animal. Of course he calls it "Bise".<br />
Our evenings back at camp were exhausting, stressful, yet held some of the more precious memories of our trip. We boiled water and ate cup of noodles one night. Another night we heated up canned refried beans and put them in tortillas for bean burritos. We cooked popcorn over the fire, roasted marshmellows. We set up the telescope and gazed at the starts. One night we put Ashton and Ashley to bed and Paul and I laid on our chairs with our big kids and talked about everything that popped up in their little minds. We discussed who made God, how far does space go, what Heaven is like. So many complicated questions after such a long day of exploring.<br />
Speaking of exploring, Paul decided to lead us on a hike to see a view of the lake. This view was at the top of this mountainside. It was a true push of our abilities and patience. There were many sheer cliffs, switchbacks, quiet moments where we thought we heard a bear, as well as a few natural bathroom breaks where I had to teach the girls how to squat. Around each corner the kids would yell out "Commin' Through!!! As loud as they could. They learned this from a Ranger in how to scare bears away. Those words still ring in my head "Commin' Through!!!" She had moments of questioning weather we should turn back. We saw very few people on the trail who were not in flip flops like I was, who had hiking boots and hiking sticks. We asked everyone we saw how much further. There was sweat. We had little food. We were tired. But we made it. It was hard, it was a challenge, but we pulled through and we did it. I told Paul after I slipped and fell that I would like to read a little more about the hikes that he embarks us on before we start down the trail. Like a good man, he agreed.<br />
We were heading back to our campsite one evening when we decided to explore the last part of the park we hadn't been to yet. So we drove past out campground and headed two hours up the road to Mammoth springs. We got to a small resturant for dinner around 9:30, then explored the hot springs until about 10:30, when it finally got dark. The drive home should have only been 45 minutes but turned out to be over 2 hours. The road was stopped, pitch black, and the kids were asleep. Paul and I explored the FM and AM dial to see if we could connect with any sort of station. It was a long night, a long drive and we managed to pull into our campground around 1:00am, and we all went to bed in our clothes we wore that day.<br />
We ended our magical Yellowstone journey after 5 days and went on to explore the Grand Tetons. Here we ditched the tent and stayed at the Jasckson Lake Lodge. The view from the second floor lobby of this lodge attracts all visitors. It has 30 foot windows with a full view of the Grand Teton mountain range. It was a piece of Heaven on Earth. Although we felt the change in the atmosphere here. In Yellowstone people were roughing it, with their kids and looking for the next adventure. In the Grand Tetons, people were living it up at the lodge, retired and looking for their next glass of wine. When we first checked into the room, we were excited to have our second shower of the trip. We managed to clog up the bathtub, had to have someone come to the room and fix it. It left a nasty rim of scum around the bathtub at least 1/2 inch thick. I was disgusted.<br />
The two nights in our lodge we stayed up late watching Indiana Jones movies both nights. Andrew, Allison and Ashley were super into with as they laid on one bed with Paul, while Ashton and I laid on the other bed watching episodes of Oswald. Our last night at the lodge we went to the pool side all you can eat BBQ where there was tons of food, live music, fire pit with smores, and a playground. It was here that Ashley met the boy of her dreams. His name was Nick and they were inseparable. He was the son of the singer, and he seemed like a true cowboy in the making. Paul and I enjoyed quiet time at the table listening to the music while the kids were at the playground. It was yet another one of my favorite moments. Our last full day in the Grand Tetons we set out on a 7 mile hike around the lake. We were so proud of the kids strength, stamina and energy. We found a perfect picnic spot along the lakeside where we shared cheese, bread and snacks. I found it so overwhelmingly beautiful that there were moments where it was almost too hard to take it all in. The mountain range, the reflection on the water of the trees, the moose that we spotted eating leaves along the river, and the site of watching my kids walk singlefile in front of me. We stopped at little streams and waterfalls along the way, where the kids would dip their hair in the water or throw rock after rock after rock down the stream. We enjoyed moments of shade and moments of the hot sun on our shoulders and noses.<br />
We managed to finish the hike halfway around the lake and took a boat back to the start. I was so proud of the positive attitudes, happy smiles and willingness of my kids.<br />
The last morning in the Tetons we woke up early to a lethargic Ashton who ended up have another hypoglycemic episode. His blood sugar was 54. We stayed focused as a family. Allison got skittles for him to eat, while Andrew went to the car for his emergency glucose packet, Paul gave him Huckleberry juice. We quickly got dressed and headed to a restaurant for breakfast. Of course like usual we got on the main road and it was stopped with traffic. There were people getting out of their cars and we quickly learned that there was a mamma cub with her 2 baby cubs about to cross the street. I was worried about Ashton's sugar, and annoyed that the restaurant was going to be closed by the time we got there. But of course, there is a bear, so I got my camera ready and rolled down the windows of our car. I managed to capture a video of the bear crossing the road with her babies. As we drove passed the bears, Ashley screams out with excitement and the mamma bear looked up at us. We all freaked out as Paul slammed on the gas. We could not stop laughing. We finally go the restaurant with 1 minute til they close for breakfast. All 6 of us literally ran in and as we told them party of 6, Ashton threw up all over the floor. I ran into the bathroom with him, while Paul ran into the men's room to get paper towels to clean up the mess. When we came out of the bathroom, Andrew, Allie and Ashley were not there. The greeter had taken them to our table with out us. We managed to eat a delicious breakfast buffet. It was a stressful, exciting, and overall weird morning.<br />
Our trip ended with a stop off at the Alpine slides in Jackson hole, where we all slid down the slopes in a bobsled. It was one last hurrah before we head back to reality. We stopped in Park City Utah for dinner and stayed one last night in a beautiful Hyatt in Salt Lake City. We managed to drive 10 hours home. We dreamed and spoke of moving into one of the beautiful farmhouses in the middle of no where that we drove past. We talked about summer plans, retirement plans, financial goals, family goals. We spent a lot of time bonding, creating memories and having fun. It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to start planning our next family vacation. Maybe next time we can take a motorhome!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-59264424586259522832017-02-03T12:09:00.001-08:002017-02-03T12:29:36.987-08:00TodayWhen the three big kids go to school and Ashton is taking a nap I find moments like this to feel oddly quiet. Looking at the remnants of a busy morning displayed here in the bathroom I can't help but miss the chaos when they are not here. The fighting, the disrespect, the noise and the pushback only proves to me my work here is not done. I'm not sure why they can't seem to put their toothbrushes back in the toothbrush holder or why there is toothpaste on the counter, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love the people they are becoming and it is exciting to know I get to witness the rest of their lives. I have been faced with a job opportunity this week that would require me to work Monday through Friday. This job is very attractive and it would give a great satisfaction to my career as a nurse. But when I look around my home and see piles of laundry on the coffee table that need to be put away dishes pencils, baby wipes, hair detangler and jackets all over the sofa and toys all over the floor it is clear my work here is not done. These children who cannot put away their toothbrushes or leave the bathroom tidy are more important to me than any job opportunity. They may make me lose my mind they may destroy my house but nothing gives me greater satisfaction in being their mom. So while they're in school and while Ashton naps, I will do the laundry, clean the bathroom, pay the bills, write my paper for school, work on my 2014 photo book, and plan dinner. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than to be the mother of these four messy, caring and amazing humans, even if they leave the bathroom a mess. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkQpxp1_wsweUdK1QEk2f6QT047GTKMHlUoA_SyvTxrGzugr-mAo7s-8Cn9U-ZJ8bepfonAavv9J28hwKhDh-ab9DO35-rzlz9uycoZhyycz9vKMxr5cjYzDSImzWO0JRo4waQ0GosQc/s640/blogger-image-998135799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkQpxp1_wsweUdK1QEk2f6QT047GTKMHlUoA_SyvTxrGzugr-mAo7s-8Cn9U-ZJ8bepfonAavv9J28hwKhDh-ab9DO35-rzlz9uycoZhyycz9vKMxr5cjYzDSImzWO0JRo4waQ0GosQc/s640/blogger-image-998135799.jpg"></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-52934613352937244292017-01-20T11:29:00.000-08:002017-01-24T13:00:08.515-08:00Our new PresidentIt has been a long year of watching debates, explaining politics to my kids and it finally came down to today.<br>
I will never forget the night of the election and falling asleep on the couch while the polls were closing. Hillary looked to be winning and having worked the night before, I fell asleep only to be woken up by Paul right before midnight telling me Donald Trump won the election. It is a moment I will never forget. I was heart broken.<br>
But now I will teach my children how to handle themselves when they do not win, how to respect our country, and how to create change. We let the kids miss the first 30 minutes of school while we watched the 45th President of the United States of America be sworn in. President Donald Trump is now in charge of my country. I will pray for him and I will pray for our country.<br>
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<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9QYrHzLpWzLqqd-KrNwjNjtsF60PlXd2BoGrHvkf_2SWvuEk_9XVgThs0YEbRL4fJBxS2D_zyaBEcgTAOU55osFjCtKK_daYi2A7JccsmQAhxwWcr7_LgYGlunAFi_mFCkgLqz5XBgk/s640/blogger-image--458738278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9QYrHzLpWzLqqd-KrNwjNjtsF60PlXd2BoGrHvkf_2SWvuEk_9XVgThs0YEbRL4fJBxS2D_zyaBEcgTAOU55osFjCtKK_daYi2A7JccsmQAhxwWcr7_LgYGlunAFi_mFCkgLqz5XBgk/s640/blogger-image--458738278.jpg"></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-85354061542117365622017-01-07T11:29:00.000-08:002017-01-24T12:59:52.570-08:00Here's to a Healthy and Happy New YearOur New Years Eve was quite eventful and not because we had a raging party. When I got home from work Ashton and Paul were asleep in our bed. I crawled in beside them and fell asleep. When I woke up at 9:30, I was surprised to see Ashton still asleep. I tried waking him but he wouldn't respond. I woke up Paul and He attempted to stand him up to put him in the shower to startle him. Ashton had his eyes open but was unable to stand up. We immediately told the kids to get dressed so we could take him to the hospital, and I called the pediatrician. The pediatrician told us to hang up and call 911. After a moment of shock, I told Paul to call 911. Brad and Nancy took the big kids. I just cried and cried and prayed and cried. He was so still, unable to move, didn't cry and just stared. The paramedics came in and it was all a blur. There were at least 8 men, I felt like they were all asking me questions at the same time. Ashton started to cry as they took his blood pressure and then they took a small blood sample to test this sugar. It was 52. I knew that was low for an adult and I remember saying "thats low right, he needs sugar". They agreed with me, told me to carry him outside where they put me and on the gurney with Ashton laying on my chest. They placed us in the back of the ambulance and called the hosptial where they received orders to give Ashton dextrose. They put an IV in his hand and he cried. I just stared at Paul standing outside of the ambulance looking in as our neighbors gathered around him. He had both hands placed on top of his head. He looked terrified.<br>
We went lights and sirens the whole way. Paul rode in the front. Ashton laid on my chest. By the time we got there, Paul's parents were there waiting. Ashton continued to be lethargic. The nurses gave him apple juice, he drank from the straw and drank 3 cups full. The doctor admitted us. Ashton started to show his true colors once they gave him IV fluids. We continued to check his sugars throughout the night, after he protested and pulled out his IV. I was heart broken to learn his siblings were not allowed to visit. Paul bought me dinner and then went home to ring in the New Year with our older babies. Ashton and I fell asleep and woke up to a new year.<br>
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Upon discharge we still had no answers, just a faulty glucometer and a lot of questions.<br>
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Ashton was greeted at home with excitement, hugs and energy. We made monkey bread and did our own count down to New Years. Ashton happily went down to bed only to be woken up several times by Paul and I to check his blood sugar.<br>
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After seeing our pediatrician, consulting with the endocrinologist and checking his sugars 7 times a day, were found out that Ashton has ketotic hypoglycemia. He processes his sugar much faster than he should. It is also called "accelerated starvation". Hopefully he will outgrow this by the time he is 5 years old. Until then he needs to eat frequently and we need to check his sugars when he gets sick.<br>
It was a rocky first year of 2017, but I am so thankful that this sweet boy is going to be ok. I am thankful that he is healthy.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU3du9jUzaNuZg0jDPqAmpOl-E2mIt-VGvtOC9c5Zt8TA7QFDgO3yjD89waELmqUEc8rqXJwmSceSxovRlQJlREaFfr-jgw96a8Dz6ZfmaD5KTncJsCBRkekImmFV7w-npxlPdyll23E/s640/blogger-image--1454446093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU3du9jUzaNuZg0jDPqAmpOl-E2mIt-VGvtOC9c5Zt8TA7QFDgO3yjD89waELmqUEc8rqXJwmSceSxovRlQJlREaFfr-jgw96a8Dz6ZfmaD5KTncJsCBRkekImmFV7w-npxlPdyll23E/s640/blogger-image--1454446093.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yUx4Wny6U7qMnSyccP-osyXs3JBRLl0xMdPX0SZMyBmmjFi59chcDxPN2lBoez_FL7QfRnNLnWNKKxC0l7wBdjNZ50Hq3KEgIpwGlpzeodSm5c18EA737xveNHiF_SUm5CeR_z9p4WM/s640/blogger-image--376712284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yUx4Wny6U7qMnSyccP-osyXs3JBRLl0xMdPX0SZMyBmmjFi59chcDxPN2lBoez_FL7QfRnNLnWNKKxC0l7wBdjNZ50Hq3KEgIpwGlpzeodSm5c18EA737xveNHiF_SUm5CeR_z9p4WM/s640/blogger-image--376712284.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9aiAMbP94mwUkShHC7Q4NF0zl-pEeJw52CXzSeyCCcSJCMpseLJBUiWJsmBsmsB1kQpQ-KxZeSbdeBzyOIFoVvH2ePe4SekxHsHQ-SNr10sdm_3NJVeM13z0UP7yWsY__xP4Ee6eUsA/s640/blogger-image--87778687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9aiAMbP94mwUkShHC7Q4NF0zl-pEeJw52CXzSeyCCcSJCMpseLJBUiWJsmBsmsB1kQpQ-KxZeSbdeBzyOIFoVvH2ePe4SekxHsHQ-SNr10sdm_3NJVeM13z0UP7yWsY__xP4Ee6eUsA/s640/blogger-image--87778687.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wZbuZUc4anLsXtXLv9ht-jPVCs1fR5M4idGiSkMZOimT3GN8kpWoC78HVQUXNxaF5rvbam8NUyLf-77H-Y1TbqqrQnZDQu1clmHnC_Aanxr2IESoeoJp2a7atVTJqGr8C4WC_4WPpzo/s640/blogger-image-1215847537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wZbuZUc4anLsXtXLv9ht-jPVCs1fR5M4idGiSkMZOimT3GN8kpWoC78HVQUXNxaF5rvbam8NUyLf-77H-Y1TbqqrQnZDQu1clmHnC_Aanxr2IESoeoJp2a7atVTJqGr8C4WC_4WPpzo/s640/blogger-image-1215847537.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBzlHd-b3kdIMni5NiH1Ze6NQvcGswmS7rW7vR-qbRkw7Lcm0p_aBmJChj1Z-Ykqmov857TIPGXN2wPB1TUVaLVpF7r36kFmqZobDktVNyUWWe5lfzk9CC-8yFX6hiOH4x-ByvI52S2I/s640/blogger-image-560186925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBzlHd-b3kdIMni5NiH1Ze6NQvcGswmS7rW7vR-qbRkw7Lcm0p_aBmJChj1Z-Ykqmov857TIPGXN2wPB1TUVaLVpF7r36kFmqZobDktVNyUWWe5lfzk9CC-8yFX6hiOH4x-ByvI52S2I/s640/blogger-image-560186925.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WdAOoJx9fDrwchlmW9u9IhkgEPthSoxoGU9s2k_T_Eg8CWQMYdiMHjRLHDfJXELMhUPn6n2er1YAjAX_J5Fq9cfu3wXzGn2TWIpv2fS8KWMnXuS7TNFzRAmLgbcBzCXnFNFjx6Tq2G0/s640/blogger-image-1212579610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WdAOoJx9fDrwchlmW9u9IhkgEPthSoxoGU9s2k_T_Eg8CWQMYdiMHjRLHDfJXELMhUPn6n2er1YAjAX_J5Fq9cfu3wXzGn2TWIpv2fS8KWMnXuS7TNFzRAmLgbcBzCXnFNFjx6Tq2G0/s640/blogger-image-1212579610.jpg"></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-71466644501350888932016-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:002017-01-20T12:19:30.329-08:00Our routineEveryday when I pick up the kids from school, we come home to routine and peace, where chaos and madness once took place. In order to create order, I put the power in the hands of the kids. They came up with the routine and I came up with the chores..<div>
Once we get home, no snacks, no homework, no screens. Andrew moves the laundry around and starts a new load. Andrew empties all of the trash. Allison folds the laundry that Andrew took out of the dryer and feeds the dogs. Ashley picks up the dog poop. </div>
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Once chores are done it is snack time. They can choose one thing from the "snack cupboard" and one fruit. Then homework, then read for 30 minutes. After that... playtime!!!</div>
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We have once again established peace in this house.</div>
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This mama is happy.</div>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-65361207766142803352016-10-07T16:29:00.001-07:002016-10-07T16:29:28.074-07:00Early morningAshton and Ashkey wake up much earlier than the rest of us. Today was the first time they both slept in until 7:00! Allison took both of the out in the living room and made them all breakfast. Allison is my little helper.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgo49ZLmb6X8Po42GzR3qT7xjthWb20T7sgsE0XFs0LxR3ns2qmakx7u3r4c0Miez3jroy0ezz6xNF2KDvLDviEFQI9GV8HeA8Pys2XI5MA-AwWKTSyry4nzwE7ol3L-Tuz71pRaKqnw/s640/blogger-image--1601073344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgo49ZLmb6X8Po42GzR3qT7xjthWb20T7sgsE0XFs0LxR3ns2qmakx7u3r4c0Miez3jroy0ezz6xNF2KDvLDviEFQI9GV8HeA8Pys2XI5MA-AwWKTSyry4nzwE7ol3L-Tuz71pRaKqnw/s640/blogger-image--1601073344.jpg"></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-63057549885403297402016-10-07T16:28:00.001-07:002016-10-07T16:28:51.608-07:00First haircut<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWUnhVjEnhT1yH5xVsJ449hF-IG2TXm-xszVS1bTwMJKi4GNamGM9tnETot1ZLV3tTaH50cC6BMBUCLxvKubnOX7LG-4zUSvtDek1tXhyphenhyphenv4zJi21GPy_cBSDe69Bd6i3cCDebLGPCLIw/s640/blogger-image--211925054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWUnhVjEnhT1yH5xVsJ449hF-IG2TXm-xszVS1bTwMJKi4GNamGM9tnETot1ZLV3tTaH50cC6BMBUCLxvKubnOX7LG-4zUSvtDek1tXhyphenhyphenv4zJi21GPy_cBSDe69Bd6i3cCDebLGPCLIw/s640/blogger-image--211925054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScyAnwbWIjfPFarGRGBpv5percumpntQqkng3AsEuq-0W8goHQmlgEJDl1b4fTjRsmqwDpIf_TG5tOsybAP7tRX9Msox34qXiwLKq2E35ViXqnmFOu-PoOSlYIw3KkRGphsNFoI7xgrg/s640/blogger-image--1458863405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScyAnwbWIjfPFarGRGBpv5percumpntQqkng3AsEuq-0W8goHQmlgEJDl1b4fTjRsmqwDpIf_TG5tOsybAP7tRX9Msox34qXiwLKq2E35ViXqnmFOu-PoOSlYIw3KkRGphsNFoI7xgrg/s640/blogger-image--1458863405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTt3dl6iJB5lOuLjEXYkxW4H4FVL3fvFuZPIs-Kvjjkr5zSERElrs_LZUO9Q6YvIobXP6bMylvP4TWN3-jHYP_WbCQ_ajPR0O4aDp7L0udPAXS-jXGtHKOeT_QkrDwdmUXnNoWLzd6Dk/s640/blogger-image--1038745484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTt3dl6iJB5lOuLjEXYkxW4H4FVL3fvFuZPIs-Kvjjkr5zSERElrs_LZUO9Q6YvIobXP6bMylvP4TWN3-jHYP_WbCQ_ajPR0O4aDp7L0udPAXS-jXGtHKOeT_QkrDwdmUXnNoWLzd6Dk/s640/blogger-image--1038745484.jpg"></a></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScyAnwbWIjfPFarGRGBpv5percumpntQqkng3AsEuq-0W8goHQmlgEJDl1b4fTjRsmqwDpIf_TG5tOsybAP7tRX9Msox34qXiwLKq2E35ViXqnmFOu-PoOSlYIw3KkRGphsNFoI7xgrg/s640/blogger-image--1458863405.jpg"></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWUnhVjEnhT1yH5xVsJ449hF-IG2TXm-xszVS1bTwMJKi4GNamGM9tnETot1ZLV3tTaH50cC6BMBUCLxvKubnOX7LG-4zUSvtDek1tXhyphenhyphenv4zJi21GPy_cBSDe69Bd6i3cCDebLGPCLIw/s640/blogger-image--211925054.jpg"></div>Ashton got his haircut tonight. He cried and so did I. His new look makes him look less crazy haired baby and more like a clean cut boy. He sobbed and a puddle of drool and tears gathered on his drape. I feel happy and thrilled that he is my last baby. I love him and his infancy that has come to an end. I'm ok with enjoying all of his firsts and lasts, but that doesn't mean I am not going to cry through it all. I am a mommy after all and crying is what I do best. Watching my kids grow up is bitter sweet. I want them to grow, learn and prosper, but I still want to wash them in the sink with baby shampoo. I survived my last first haircut.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-77970293410385549782016-10-07T16:14:00.001-07:002016-10-07T16:14:11.449-07:00Ash-o-ley starts TKI have been in constant contact with the school counselor to get Ashley into TK. She is technically too young but I knew it would be an amazing opportunity for her to have an entire year of Spanish TK, so when I got the phone call that she could start I was thrilled! She had already started preschool and was 2 weeks in to her new classroom, but pulling her and having her start at the same school as Andrew and Allison was worth it. <div>Ashley was excited and proud to wear her uniform and on her first day she came out of her classroom beaming saying she met a friend named Nadia. I knew it would be an easy transition for her. Ashley is the happiest person I have ever met. She will be voted class clown I am sure of it. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_PJ8FdI1sayF7bUlXxEawAwur1O2eDtN5cPrVS62seBIoEX8iCVYZvklxLdBQbmNKbsI3VWkYL7ZeZHBNWu_9mRqAIzjzMOmcNdJ-X5Orj8Z9dOkSiCw0cBTXydKnPSeya-GPjmTJbI/s640/blogger-image-1333976681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_PJ8FdI1sayF7bUlXxEawAwur1O2eDtN5cPrVS62seBIoEX8iCVYZvklxLdBQbmNKbsI3VWkYL7ZeZHBNWu_9mRqAIzjzMOmcNdJ-X5Orj8Z9dOkSiCw0cBTXydKnPSeya-GPjmTJbI/s640/blogger-image-1333976681.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmZF6b8V1F15w3BUCg9hOQvsK0uwZobcwSWH8Edvb3gn0z5w0YedEpw7AkeXCTv6Kb394ilY-Oyyn7bkzamqnd8e_MMcSrjulKRC6uYJQv7wJRSWaj9CAaVzrwUbQ-hPyRxS4v-IZB5M/s640/blogger-image-1525021545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmZF6b8V1F15w3BUCg9hOQvsK0uwZobcwSWH8Edvb3gn0z5w0YedEpw7AkeXCTv6Kb394ilY-Oyyn7bkzamqnd8e_MMcSrjulKRC6uYJQv7wJRSWaj9CAaVzrwUbQ-hPyRxS4v-IZB5M/s640/blogger-image-1525021545.jpg"></a></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-48207663800158544072016-09-16T21:21:00.001-07:002016-09-16T21:21:32.892-07:00Kids say..."Fast forward it back" instead of rewind.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-79239926959723637122016-06-05T08:34:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:34:11.868-07:001st and 3rdAndrew is my first and Ashley is my third. There is always an Allison in between. Allison is lucky because Andrew is closer to her in age and so they share similar interests such as Minecraft, school, friends. Allison is lucky because Ashley because they are both girls, share a room, play dressup and enjoy the girlie things in life.<br />
This doesn't leave a whole lot of room from Andrew and Ashley. But we make a point to keep their friendship strong. On non-school nights, Andrew and Allison generally sleep together in Andrew's room (when it works out, most of the time, they are too rowdy and have to be separated). But tonight was Ashley's turn to sleep with her big brother. To say she was thrilled was an understatement. He excitement was priceless. Once we told her she gets to sleep with him in his room, she became obsessed with him. She couldn't let go of his hand, sporadically kept kissing his cheek, and kept squeezing him with her little arms.<br />
It was a bit rocky at first, she kept trying to play with him, running into Allison to talk to her, she lost her "baba" a few times and Zartan kept bugging her. An hour later, she was asleep.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-5948589590669585482016-06-05T07:55:00.001-07:002016-06-05T07:55:11.313-07:00Andrew is growing up.<br />
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Andrew is 8. He will be 9 in 3 short months. I can't even begin to describe how I feel about almost being half way done with him. I know that is an exaggerated statement, because I will never be done with him, but honestly, that is how I feel. There were many things I thought we would have done before he was 9. I thought we would have a second story on our house so that he and his siblings would all have their own room. I thought we would have owned a motorhome by now so that we would have family vacations planned and memories of long hours driving in our house on wheels. But I cannot remain pessimistic. What we have been able to give him in these short 8 years and 9 months is nothing short of amazing, and probably the best childhood a boy could want. </div>
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So now that Andrew has gotten older, so have his opinions. He wants his hair long. He no longer wants a 2 on the sides and spikes on top. He wants his hair to go across his forehead so he can "swipe" it over to the side. Basically he wants to look like Justin Beiber. I have to admit, he an totally pull off the long look. It's just getting through this inbetween stage. Although with summer just a few weeks away, it may be a little too hot to have long hair.</div>
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The other day a girl was riding her bike on the sidewalk as we drove past her. I saw Andrew stare at her and then turn his head and keep staring at her as we drove by. I turned around to the back seat and asked him what he was staring at (smiling) and he grinned ear to ear and said "nothing". Wait, what? Is this supposed to happen this soon? Is he going to start noticing girls??? He needs to always remember that I am his number one girl. At least this is the hope of a mom watching her son grow up ans mature right in front of her eyes.</div>
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P.S. When I hug him, the top of this head sits right under my chin. My baby, my baby boy, my first born is massive. </div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-21451068348705559672016-06-04T09:03:00.000-07:002016-06-05T09:04:02.813-07:00Precious lifeI feel so blessed that God has given this to me to love and enjoy. One of our friends has just passed away from cancer at the age of 42. He was the father of two sweet kids, Andrew and Allison's ages. Witnessing the end of his life has made me think differently. It has made me want to do the things I want to do. I want to be spontaneous, yet want to plan for the future. I want to eat a triple scoop of ice cream, yet I want to eat healthy so I can live a long life. I want to play with my kids in the backyard, yet I also need to do my homework for school so I can be a good influence on them. I want to spend our money to do the things we keep saying we should do, yet I want to save for a rainy day. There is this tug and pull that I am trying to learn how to keep steady. It's not easy. After watching Brandon pass away, I am leaning more towards being spontaneous, eating that ice cream, playing with my kids and spending our money.<br />
I am thankful to hold my husband's warm body, listen to his heart beat, and touch is skin. I am blessed. I am happy.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-15576304561989107962016-06-03T08:41:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:41:58.072-07:00Ashley's best friendAshley's number one best friend in the whole wide world is Gunnar. Or how Ashley pronounces is "Gunna" (She thinks she is from Boston and speaks with this great accent). Her and Gunner and inseparable. He is the male version of Ashley. He is animated, energetic, loving, excited, complete goofball, outgoing and kindhearted. When Ashley plays pretend at home, Gunnar is always included. When she plays with my phone, it is always to "call" Gunnar.<br />
Paul and I gave her a purple necklace with a heart that has "Ashley" written on it and she said she wanted to give it to her Gunnar so that when he is at his house and misses her, he can look at it and think of her.<br />
She says she will marry Gunnar.<br />
Gunnar's parents are super sweet people and say all of the time that Ashley is the topic of conversation at all times at home.<br />
Their friendship is simply precious. God definitely created them to be friends when he made them. And I will be sure to not let this friendship wither away over time. They really are soul mates.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-3913287748979710642016-05-22T08:55:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:56:06.840-07:00Our Sunday nightA typical evening after dinner before bed Paul and I can be found struggling to calm our 3 big kids down and getting them into the shower. Showering 3 kids seems simple right? For some reason, Paul and I are really bad at it. Tonight proved this. Andrew and Allison were both hyper and showered really fast tonight, leaving Ashley behind. Ashley was bouncing around and full of energy running around naked and slamming doors, when she finally got into the shower, just to slip and hit her eye. Of course all I hear is this frighting scream coming from my bedroom. I tried to get into my room, but of course during Ashley's bout of endless energy and slamming doors, she locked the door. So here I stand on one side of the door and there she stands on the other screaming. She manages to unlock the door and I find her standing naked, half wet with blood dripping down her face and down her body. After calming her down (Andrew calming down Andrew, who was crying, upset an scared, we decide to take her to urgent care. Two and a half hours later, the doctor says he can't stitch it because of the location, the eyelid is too delicate and he would need to sedate her. So he told us to go to the ER. Two and a half hours later, she is asleep and the doctor glues it. It is now 12:30am and we have all 4 kids heading out of the hospital on a school night. Paul was so tired that he decided to go to Jack in the Box to get something to eat to help himself stay awake on the drive home. He is in the drivethru ordering food, when Andrew says he wants a taco. Allison now says that she wants a taco too. By the time we get up to the window to collect the food, Allison is asleep so Andrew eats her taco. Paul and I are cracking up that Andrew is awake at 1:00am eating Jack in the Box tacos with us. Not exactly a proud parent moment, but glad we got to have him experience a 1am taco run with us for the first time.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-62379697518992303472016-05-20T07:42:00.000-07:002017-02-03T12:45:10.198-08:00Allison's 7th birthday PartySo now my little girl is 7.<br>
I don't even know what to say in this blog. So let me just list the facts.<br>
-Allison is intelligent, I'm not talking smart, I am talking intelligence. She has a gifted brain.<br>
-She enjoys challenges. She wants to solve puzzles, word problems, play difficult board games where she needs to analyze, plan.<br>
-She hears something, she is silent, then she follows up with questions of "well what happens if..." "how do they know....." "why don't they..." "when can I..." It's never simple with her, there is always more she wants to know.<br>
-She thinks she can solve the problems of the world. Hungry people on the street "Just give them food and water". Poor people: "Give them a house". Life is not complicated for her. I think adults can learn a lot from 7 year olds. It is the age of reason after all.<br>
-She enjoys a challenge. ( I know I said this already, but this challenge is different). She enjoys challenging Paul and I. If we tell her to empty the dishwasher (which is her daily chore), this will be her response. "WHAT? Why do I have to do that?, What is Andrew going to have to do? Why can't Ashley help me? It's not fair! I was in the middle of a game! Why do I have to spend my whole day cleaning?" Yes my Allison does not like cleaning. At all. Ever.<br>
-Allison likes to organize. She will refuse to clean her room, but if I take out all 9 of her cubbies and tell her to organize the contents of them into 9 categories, she will do it in a second. I try to assign her chores that relate to organizing. For example, she will need to clean out the tupperware drawer. She thrives on finding all of the lids for the bowls and put them together, then organize them by size and color. I have her daily chore be to empty the dishwasher, mainly because I feel happy when I see that she color coded the plates in the cabinets. I feel spoiled that it is always put away so neatly and so pretty.<br>
-Allison loves art. She expresses herself through drawings, colorings, paintings and writing. When she wants to say that she is sorry for something, she rarely will come and talk to Paul and I. She would rather write a letter or make a drawing.<br>
-She is naturally very nurturing. From the moment she looked at Cold Baby when she was 18 months old, I knew this was going to be it for her. Her desire to protect, love and care for another person is evident in her daily life as I see her care for Ashley and Ashton. She loves to pick out Ashley's clothes, buckle her up in her car seat, hold her hand when they cross the street. I always joke and say Allison is my nanny for Ashton. She plays with him, she teaches him, sings to him, change him. She holds him so naturally, just like a mom. She plays with his hair and likes to twirl his hair around on his calic.<br>
-I am proud of her. Allison is simply fun to be around. She is funny, energetic and fast. She is good at everything she tries: reading, painting, running, soccer, baseball, swimming, games... I could go on and on.<br>
I am in love with this little girl and I am looking forward to sitting back and watching her conquer the world. I can't wait to see what she will end up doing in her future, for whatever it is that she chooses, will be fascinating.<br>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-27368974786610156232016-05-10T17:41:00.001-07:002016-05-10T17:41:17.020-07:00Ashton speaks<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruxslkqXLHLRjQztv9_pulvFYH2c4WUubj_t2eV9qCU6cqHmJmxRtm4rF2HVqewLjdIsKkeU29gR3yeva3k0PU0y_N_lUObGMNXNwouAiN7-nsmSgDZYMBFRAuA9EMYd9SP0iUsXqm-U/s640/blogger-image-1514577670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruxslkqXLHLRjQztv9_pulvFYH2c4WUubj_t2eV9qCU6cqHmJmxRtm4rF2HVqewLjdIsKkeU29gR3yeva3k0PU0y_N_lUObGMNXNwouAiN7-nsmSgDZYMBFRAuA9EMYd9SP0iUsXqm-U/s640/blogger-image-1514577670.jpg"></a></div>Today Ashton said mama and dada. (With purpose)Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-52650710303611865012016-04-22T08:24:00.000-07:002016-06-05T08:25:27.144-07:0010 months oldAshton John is 10 months old.<br />
He is standing on his own and loves to cruise around the coffee table.<br />
He is addicted to his mamma.<br />
He loves to nurse.<br />
He loves to feed himself unassisted.<br />
I only made 3 batches of baby food for this one.<br />
I call him troublemaker.<br />
When I take a shower, this is how he entertains himself:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKp0YPqFvWk4ocOdnjSWVwKXcCspX9ItFIDqEc5UIylc7vu3uX-OLTQ8VycBalmsa9cYFLO0VWNpP6FmpeT962LaHzKGdZlUgDwp7Bu9NWHsVdDGPJXEPtWuCK3ALjDeZUFexnqjCS5Q/s640/blogger-image-827920739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKp0YPqFvWk4ocOdnjSWVwKXcCspX9ItFIDqEc5UIylc7vu3uX-OLTQ8VycBalmsa9cYFLO0VWNpP6FmpeT962LaHzKGdZlUgDwp7Bu9NWHsVdDGPJXEPtWuCK3ALjDeZUFexnqjCS5Q/s640/blogger-image-827920739.jpg" /></a><br />
Ashton prefers to hold onto my legs and attempt to bite my legs and cry rather than let me make dinner.<br />
Ashton is a horrible napper.<br />
Ashton loves his mamma.<br />
We always sing this song to him "Ashton John, he's my baby boy"<br />
He has two bottom teeth and now his two incisors on the top, which makes him look like a vampire.<br />
I wake up every morning and he is in bed with me. (Gotta work on that)<br />
He loves his mamma.<br />
He is finally learning to laugh out loud. He always seems to hold back his laugh.<br />
He inhales and screams at the same time. (oddball)<br />
And......<br />
He loves his mama. :)Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-88216019548028058942016-03-31T20:34:00.000-07:002016-04-29T20:49:17.046-07:00Nature Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We went on a nature walk before dinner with Grandma and Papa Demboski. It was beautiful outside. The sun was warm and the breeze was cool. The kids were happy and there were no phone calls or demands from the rest of the world. It felt good to be outside and just be.</div>
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I am trying to embrace moments and enjoy them. I am trying to put my phone down and look up more. I want to cherish these moments with my babies. I want to hear their conversations, answer their questions, and watch them discover.<br />
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Then there are moments like this. A dose of reality amongst a peaceful evening. There are no bathrooms around so we improvise. She is always such a good sport.<br />
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Allison has been slightly obsessed with me lately. She is upset when I go to work at night and she wants to hold me, cuddle me, touch me, love me. I just remind myself that she will never love me more than she does right now. She is the one who challenges me the most. Her passion for life will move mountains someday, Until then I need to help her learn how to use her passion wisely.<br />
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Paul made me promise to not delete the pictures he took of me. This is one of about a dozen that he snapped of me on our walk. I am not wearing makeup and I wish my sunglasses weren't on my head. But I am proud of who I am and how I look. I am accepting the fact that I really am beautiful. I want my kids to see me as a strong and nurturing woman. I want to be confident and teach them how to be confident and love themselves. I am leading by example.<br />
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All four with their eyes closed. Guess that is what I get for trying to get this beautiful sunset light on them.<br />
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<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-85407461604821770112016-03-27T23:21:00.003-07:002016-03-27T23:49:57.129-07:00He Is Risen!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend was simply beautiful. We went to Easter services at church yesterday and enjoyed the festivities afterwards. Later we dyed eggs in the backyard after the sun went down. The kids went to bed anxiously awaiting the Easter bunny's arrival. Before they closed their eyes for the night I had each of them tell me why we celebrated Easter. I was very happy to hear their little brains describe the resurrection.<br>
This morning they had a great egg hunt and played with one another. The weather was amazing and they were all happy. We had a big yummy brunch with peirogies, keilbasi, pancakes and fruit. Ashton John enjoyed his first peirogie this morning. After one exciting bite he quickly went back to eating his banana pancakes. I am beyond blessed to have this amazing family.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-59552931061229414402016-03-13T21:08:00.001-07:002016-03-13T21:08:37.764-07:00Sunday afternoonToday was a much needed afternoon at home. Allison and I did meal planning which consisted of 1. Lasagna 2. Chicken and summer vegetable tostadas 3. Sweet and sour pineapple chicken 4. Chicken curry<div>The kids and I went to Costco and Ralphs and got everything we needed for the week. I chopped all the veggies for my dinners. Ashley and I washed and bagged all of the fruit for lunches this week. The kids helped prep and I made dinner for tonight, all before 1pm. The kids weren't allowed to play on screens today. They let their imagination run wild, played dress up and went hunting for spiders. They did chores in between costume changes and the laundry was done. It was a beautiful day, a much needed day to be at home loving my babies, tending to my home and planning our week.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap4lg_SHI0TRIbMFDFMpBv7kipVici5Kp6_uCSAhNtTuv-8tIbU5INik9iis1sHkUDIwhNH4D175w8E0Gq7ACCM2AYUR-5iuiOExBKtD9WDvot0O1AtIvsgBvGeUtWDtBjENMB2naQxM/s640/blogger-image--625613930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap4lg_SHI0TRIbMFDFMpBv7kipVici5Kp6_uCSAhNtTuv-8tIbU5INik9iis1sHkUDIwhNH4D175w8E0Gq7ACCM2AYUR-5iuiOExBKtD9WDvot0O1AtIvsgBvGeUtWDtBjENMB2naQxM/s640/blogger-image--625613930.jpg"></a></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-88410735697493923502016-03-11T22:40:00.000-08:002016-03-27T22:46:10.455-07:00Ballet Folklorico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I could watch Allison dance and perform everyday of my life. She is so brave to dance on stage in front of her friends and peers and strangers. Ballet folklorico is an after school dance group that is run by the teachers at Patrick Henry. Allison was lucky enough this year to have had her name drawn in the lottery of first graders to be able to join this dance group. She practiced every Wednesday after school for months for this performance and she did amazing. She had a lot of fun and of course she was the best one on stage and by far the cutest.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-31778141074502753352016-03-06T22:30:00.000-08:002016-03-27T22:30:32.561-07:00Ashton's Dedication<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I could not have asked for a more beautiful day for Ashton's baby dedication. We attended the 10:00 service at Parkcrest with our family and friends to make a promise to God and our son to guide him and teach him how to be a Christian. Ashton stole the hearts of the church family when he grabbed the hand of the pastor's as he was holding the microphone. He has such a gentle spirit and loves to watch his brother and sisters play. He observes the world around him with such innocent eyes. I do not deserve the blessings that God has bestowed upon me, but I will take them, love them, cherish them and savor every moment with them. Thank you God for making me Ashton's mommy.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089878253866442101.post-74612768491208857482016-02-25T21:11:00.000-08:002016-04-29T21:18:54.315-07:00Crawling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well this little guy started crawling today. He was very kind and waited until daddy got home from work to witness this special moment. Once he figured it out, he decided to show off and push over his baby gate and crawl up it. Nothing will hold this kid back.<br />
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Watching Paul watch him makes my heart soar with love, happiness and contentment. After all we went through to get our boy, its the biggest sigh of relief knowing he is here, real, alive and ours.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827285823281536789noreply@blogger.com0