How Fun...My First Award!

How fun...my first award!!! :) Bethany at Life with Bubba, Chicky, and Nika has awarded me the Premios Dardos blog award. This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

And in the spirit of passing along the love, here's how it works:

Step 1: respond and rework -- answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

Step 2: tag - eight other bloggers to do the same.

1) What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, my Volcom sweatshirt my mother-in-law bought me (thanks Jean! :)), and my favorite black boots

2) What is your biggest fear?
Losing someone I love or dying while my children are young. I get nervous when Toby and I travel in the car without the boys... I become this crazed lady yelling at cars to stay back... This paranoia is probably why we don't have as many date nights alone as we should.

3) Do you nap a lot?
No, but I desperately need one!!!! :)

4) Who is the last person you hugged?
My son Luke...but does it count if I grabbed and hugged him super tight as a means to crack his back?!? We have this weird habit of trying to hug each other so hard our backs crack... 

5) What websites to you visit when you go online?
My favorite blogs, The Gifts-Down syndrome website, and Facebook (I joined begrudgingly ...but it actually has been so great to reconnect with friends I don't necessarily get to see that often and long lost childhood friends).

6) What was the last item you bought?
Size 3 baseball cleats... an hour (gulp) before baseball pictures were to take place, because we quickly discovered last years size 13.5 didn't fit anymore...Whoa, how did Luke grow so fast?? And thank you Target for having one last pair for a desperate mother and an anxious rookie league Diamondback!! Whew!

7) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Italy... if I were to go somewhere out of the country. But, honestly I would be just as happy right now driving up the coast to Monterey and Carmel, CA...we lived there early in our marriage and we have such special memories and warm feelings for this area.

8) If you could go to the Oscars, who would you want to sit next to?
Hmnnn...I dunno, I guess Jack Nicholson, because he is such a character and he cracks me up. He also reminds me of my dad.

9) Has a celebrity's hair cut ever influenced your own hairstyle? 

Yes, Dorothy Hamill. From 1st-4th grade the "Dorothy Hamill wedge" was pretty much the cut I had. :)

10) What is your most embarrassing moment? (Okay this is the question I am going to replace because nothing could be funnier than Bethany's most embarrassing moment...has something to do with panties and a bar stool, go check it out...and because at this hour I can't think of anything). So, my replacement question is: What was your most frightening moment?

When I was in my early 20's I was in my car one morning outside a clothing store, waiting for it to open. I had taken my keys out of the ignition and was eating a breakfast sandwich while I waited... when out of the corner of my eye I noticed this guy walking in the parking lot who was totally strung out on drugs. He was filthy and staggering... and swinging his thick leather belt he had taken off. I saw him notice me in the car and then he started walking toward me. I was so freaked out... and I couldn't find my keys, yikes! I was frantically flipping over the McDonald's bag and napkins trying to find the keys and still couldn't find them so I quickly reached over and locked my doors just before he came up to my passenger door, aggressively flung that leather belt on the top of my car and bent down to look in the passenger window...he said something to me but I could not make it out and he then yelled something again when I didn't respond....I finally found my keys, rammed them in the ignition and peeled out of the parking lot with Mr. belt swinger still shouting something... I was really shaken up, I kept thinking, "There is absolutely no one around, how can that be??" ..and as far as I could tell no one witnessed the scene which freaked me out further because those are the times when someone goes missing and you wonder how no one could of witnessed it, and that would of been the case here. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it again.

11) What was the last movie you watched?
Madagascar 2.   And tell me....anyone who has seen the movie that could help themselves from not singing Moto Moto's song, "I like em big, I like em chunky...I like em BIG...I like em plumpy" afterwards!?! :) Luke has the whole song down perfectly with motions to boot while Reid dances around him!

12) What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to you?
Ummm, I won a cake when I was 7  while playing a "Cake Walk" game while visiting my cousin during their small town centennial celebration, in South Dakota.  Wow...that is really sad that that is the best I got.... other than of course being my boys' mom, I couldn't of gotten any luckier!

13) If you had a whole day to yourself with no work, commitments or interruptions what would you do?
I would  cash in the spa gift certificates I've been gifted that I have never found the time to use... 

14) Is there a major goal you have that you haven't yet achieved?

I have been working on writing a children's book for awhile, inspired by one of my first grade students when I was still teaching in the classroom....It is hard to find enough quiet time to finish the book...but I would love to have it published one day.

15) Drinks are on the house!! What do you order?
Hmmnn...depends on who I am with. But, probably some "froofroo" berry drink or a glass of red wine. 

16) What is something that those in blogland might not know about you?

My husband and I both have the same middle name, Lee.

Now for the love, in no particular order ...

Amy at Matthew Nicholas Vawter

Lisa at Bridget's Light

Deborah at Sunflower Stories
Kele at  Giles family of 5

Heather at Little Wonders

Nan at A Journey into Grand-Motherhood

Adrienne at Our Unexpected Journey

Jennifer at Tris a Charm

One Tolerant Big Brother!!

Poor Luke...he can't play Nintendo DS without Reid wrapped around him trying to help. I just love these guys!

Timur and His Forever Family Need Our Help...

Grab This Button

When I first started blogging last August I learned of an organization called Reece's Rainbow. Reece's Rainbow helps connect families with children who have Down syndrome that are in need of loving families to adopt them. It goes without saying how much it makes my heart bleed to know these precious children are not wanted, not valued, and pushed aside in their countries because of their extra chromosome. When I first logged onto Reece's Rainbow a picture of a little boy, this little boy pictured above, grabbed my attention and melted my heart right away! Every time I would check back to the site little Timur would always catch my eye... and often I had the fleeting thought that if we were in the place to adopt he would be who I would want to pursue. However, it is not our time and so when in the Fall I learned that he had found his Forever Family I was so thrilled. I have checked in to his family's blog from time to time to check on the status of their adoption...and was excited to learn today just how close they are, they are actually leaving in a week to get him!! However, we all know how expensive adoptions can be and though all their needed funds have not come through yet they are still moving forward, trusting that God will take care of the remaining financial needs. I am posting Meghan's post from yesterday (Timur's mom). If you feel compelled to donate or add his button to your blog please do so.

saturday, february 21, 2009

7 Days and Counting...
We need a Miracle! Please join us in prayer as we are coming close to the trip of a lifetime. In just 7 days we will all 4 be boarding a plane to rescue Timur. There is still so much to be done and needs to be met. God knows the details. We appreciate your prayers. We feel it is God's will to rescue these children from the institutions they are bound for. Not to give up! He is the ultimate provider and we believe He will provide. If we had a million dollars and our paperwork didn't go through it wouldn't matter. Our paperwork has sailed on through now it's about the money still needed. Man will let us down but God will not. He will never leave us.
It's never been about Wayne or Meghan. This mission has always been about the life of a child. If you could only know the truth we've learned you would be in agreement, this is no place for any child. Timur deserves the love a family.
This is our heart today as we pray for God to move in a powerful way!
Blesings,
Meghan
http://www.thenewdickinsonfamily.com

Happy Heart Day!

On behalf of Valentines Day....a day of hearts, I thought I would update people on Reid's heart status since leaving the hospital just before Christmas. 

Mini recap: 2nd heart surgery Dec. 2 to repair a moderate/severe mitral valve leak...seemed successful but 2 days later the Dr.'s feared they may need to go in again right away and put a metal valve in as the echocardiogram showed more leakage than originally... We cried, we waited, we prayed...a week later they decided to send us home without another surgery as the final echo in the hospital looked a little better and they were hopeful that we may be able to get a few more years out of his biological valve before needing an artificial valve. 

Update: drumroll...Our last echo two weeks ago looked better than ever!!! They have downgraded his leakage status to mild. We are continuing on with pretty high dosages of enalapril and lasix 2 times a day, but when we see the Dr. again in a couple of months that may be re-evaluated.

Our hearts are happy with the news...and as for Reid, you'd never know this guy recently underwent major open heart surgery!! He is a little trooper...and a funny one at that, what a character this guy is! This picture was taken by our friend Gloria who then played around with it and sent us this fun version... I love it, thanks Gloria!

100th Day of School!

This last week Luke's school celebrated their 100th day of school. They needed to bring in a project featuring 100 items... and Luke decided he wanted to bring in 100 wiggly eyes. The kids did such a great job...I posted a picture from the display board in their classroom of all the creative ideas! 100 days of school....can hardly believe that many have passed! 100 days of..."Did you brush your teeth??"..."Where is your backpack??"..."Put your shoes on!!"..."Come on, let's go"....but also of  "bye Bubs, see you at 3:00!"..."I love you Buddy!"...and "Have a good day!"

Baseball Season Has Officially Started...sort of

This post needs to start off with a big sigh from mom... as Reid decided he would officially start the baseball season off in our home "egg style"! The other night we all went to Sport Chalet to get Luke some new baseball pants. While we were there we bought a cute little glove for Reid (a left handed one at that...just like dad). When we got home we practiced throwing the ball with Reid who squealed with delight when the ball came his way. Well... apparently this budding baseball player must have dreamt all night of baseball for when he awoke in the morning and could not find his ball he resorted to anything looking like a ball...and unfortunately that meant the eggs. While I was out of the room this little squirt opened the fridge....found the eggs....and then flung them with all his might all over my floor...big sigh again. OH REIDer, ya lil stinker!!!! Luke even found the two eggs under the chair a few hours later. Good thing he is so darn cute!