My Calendar Girl

Guess what! I won a calendar! Now, I know you are thinking...whoopie! a calendar...every business has been giving those out since Christmas in preparation for the new year. Well, this calendar is special. It is a Saving Little Hearts Calendar. I won it on a giveaway from KiddiesCorner Deals. What makes it even more exciting is that Lily is in this calendar. I had submitted her picture, as did many other mommies submitted pictures. Well, when the link to view the new calendar was available, I looked all over for Lily's picture. I never saw it...and then it just slipped my mind to actually purchase a calendar (even though it is for a good cause).

Well....................................

I found Lily....she is on the December 2010 page...on the top row!! It's official...she's a Calendar girl!
It never really hits you until you see all the pictures of those effected by Congenital Heart Defects. A friend that runs the Saving Little Hearts in TN recently posted that she just shipped out 150 care packages for kids having open heart surgery. Super duper Wow!!! That is alot of families affected by CHD's.

Now, to offer a plug about something else. An author...at least, new to me.
Here name is Lysa TerKeurst. She wrote a book called The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained. A Book on how to defeat Mommy Stress. I'm 2 chapters in...and quite impressed with this book. Just wanted to share with all my mommy readers out there.

On a different note.....we are finally having some sunshine.

Dakota has figured out his bike. He is not used to having brakes on his bike..so it took a bit for him to learn. He finally rode down a hill the other day on his bike and used his brakes on the way down.

Makes My Monday: Pretty Smiles and Awesome Deals

Lilyann..walking along the boardwalk by the river

Whew! It's over and it was successful!

The kids had their dental work done on Thursday. We got to the hospital around 6:50am. Dakota's procedure was scheduled for 9am..and Lily's for 10am. It went really smooth. I was remembering the time when Dakota had his tubes put in at 11 months old...he cried and cried for bottle...he was so anxious...but he did great. This time around, both kids are off bottle (thank God) and off sippy cups. They use the occasional cup with a lid and straw...to prevent spills.

Back to Thursday's happenings...
Dakota did great! He loved the "happy juice"....all smiles and loved playing with the green gloves. Dakota moved on to the holding area and was even more smiley. Just laying on the bed playing with his gloves and Car stickers. Then they brought him a warm blanket. He was so happy to get a "Doctor's blanket." And then he was off to surgery. (Just a note...they put both kids to sleep to do all their dental work at once instead of having to make several trips to the dentist office over a long period of time)


Lily did pretty good, too. She started to get a bit antsy toward the end. They moved Lily to holding before she had her "happy juice"...but once she got it, she was so relaxed...just playing with her kitty and Kung Fu Panda stickers. The nurses were great.

listening to some tunes while waiting

Jed and I had a but a few minutes of down time before they called us to recovery with Dakota. Dakota was scared when he came out of anesthesia. He didn't understand what was going on...and where he was. He calmed down after being held. Then he was moved back to his room in same day surgery....a bit later, I was called back to recovery for Lily. She was still out. The nurses were doing all the tests they run when someone comes to them from surgery. Lily was just snoozing away. She would only wake up when you would move her around. She was so passive coming out of the anesthesia compared to Dakota. But it seemed as if all Hell broke loose when she moved to same day surgery. She was fussy, and wanted that IV out...NOW!!! as you can see below..and this was after the IV was out.


We got the kids home around 1 pm. And much to my surprise, both kids aren't big fans of soft foods. They would rather just have a cheeseburger and fries than have jello or soup.

Lilyann's before/after pictures

Dakota's before/after pictures

By Friday morning, the kids were both in better spirits...their teeth were a bit "owie"...but nothing a little Tylenol couldn't help. And Friday, we were finally able to go back to the gym...something I missed extremely...the good news is that I didn't gain any weight in the 2 weeks that I didn't go to the gym.

Saturday: we went to the Louisiana Boardwalk. The guys went looking around at Bass Pro Shop and Lily and I went shopping. I found curtains for the kids room...on sale!! woohoo!! Went to a few kids' clothing stores, picked up a few things, and then met up with the guys to ride the Carousel. We had a GREAT time...and the kids didn't do a lot of fussy (like they usually do)...makes me wonder if they just loved having a good time with Mommy and Daddy, or if the Girl Scout Cookies were a lifesaver!?! Gotta ♥ Girl Scout Cookies.


Lily and I met The Cat in the Hat

Sunday: Church. And then a little shopping. I have been looking for some brown lace up shoes to wear as casual shoes for church...Found some! and Payless gives you a 20% discount if you show your AAA card...woohoo!! Then Lily and I met up with Grandma to look at table prices. We are in the process of redoing the kids' room. We are getting bunk beds (which are on back order, right now). I have found the quilts, sheet sets, curtains, decided on a paint color (I think?!), and we found a table and chair set!!

We had quite the long weekend...but a successful one.

Lily on her horsie...wasn't too sure of it at first

Kota and Daddy

Linking up with Cheryl from Twinfatuation for Makes My Monday

Way Back When-esday: Memories

"A strange thing is memory, and hope; one looks backward, and the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Memory is history recorded in our brain, memory is a painter, it paints pictures of the past and of the day."

~Anna Mary Robertson Moses

January 29, 2006
Boo and Grandad with their great grandson, Dakota

This weekend holds memories...Friday is the anniversary of Grandad's passing. He is truly missed. But the memories we hold in our hearts and the tangible ones in pictures will get us through until we see him again in Heaven.

I realize Dakota was young when Grandad passed. Dakota had just celebrated his 3rd birthday. Dakota was standing behind me while I was loading these pictures and he asked me who that man was. It saddens me to think that he doesn't remember such a special person as Grandad. So...it's up to myself, Jed, and the rest of the family to help Dakota remember his Grandad.