Paper Route Hands

Tonight I am making 50 of these hats for our primary activity tomorrow. My finger tips are black from the newspaper and it is bringing back memories of my paper routing days.

Laundry

Some people wash a load and fold it immediately....





Others wait until it forms a mountain of clean clothes to jump in.

Birthday Girl

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY TAMMY

Today is my sister-in-law Tammy's birthday and since I can't be there to celebrate I thought I would post 30 things I love about her:

1 She is an awesome photographer
2 She does a mean "Hitch" dance
3 She loves Ben dearly
4 She knows all things girly
5 She is hip and always trendy
6 She is so fun to shop with
7 She can decorate a house like no one else
8 She is the best gift giver (we all secretly tell my mom to rig the Christmas list so that she has our name)
9 She is sensitive
10 She is a great Aunt
11 She is an inspiration in the mom department
12 Her laugh is contagious
13 She makes boring things fun (she got me through planning our 10 year high school reunion)
14 She is always up for a TCBY run even if we are way out numbered by the kids
15 She is a great friend
16 She drops everything when we come into town and plays with us 24/7
17 She has a strong testimony of the gospel
18 She is willing to do fire drills and go toilet papering still
19 She loves my sisters like her own
20 She is a great friend to my mom - I am always thankful my mom has you
21 She had the phrase 'sexual chocolate' on her license plate
22 She has a beautiful voice
23 She still likes slumber parties
24 She makes holidays spectacular (I still can't think of Valentines day w/o thinking of the breakfast you did for all of us)
25 She is funny
26 She makes the best Chocolate Chip Cookies and Rolls of anyone I know
27 She is always up for playing games and being loud and obnoxious during them (does everyone play family feud with as much enthusiasm as us?)
28 She is extremely patient
29 She is sassy
30 Everything she touches turns to gold!

'Hey there Little Lady' - Happy Birthday

Why I love having a girl

And I'm Through talkin - 

Just kidding I have to comment, aren't the top two dresses the cutest?  My friend Jessica makes them and I have been begging her to start an ETSY shop.  Feel free to comment on how cute they are and maybe she will believe me and start a shop.  I cannot wait to put JK in them as dresses and then when she is walking, I'll put her in them as a top with jeans underneath - LOVE IT!

The bottom is what she wore to church today - so fun.

Skillz

So my photography skills look especially sad next to the previous post where my sister in law (a professional photographer) took the pictures of my boys, but I wanted to post some recent pics of our baby girl.

I have lost my camera so for a while it is all pictures taken with my cell phone. Enjoy!

Who will she look like?

So far our baby girl is looking a lot like Toby. But then again I have been asked if Toby and Trey are twins (I don't see it) but others seem to think there is a "Longnecker look" about my kids. So here are a few pictures of my boys when they were younger, I will post new ones of JK soon and you can tell me if you see the "look".

Oh and by the way, I assume the "look" to mean 'take your breath away darling'. If you see it as something else don't tell me!

It's Not A Tumor

So who knew those words from the movie Kindergarten Cop would bring me such relief one day. But today was that day.

Back in October I was sent to a cardiologist because of heart palpitations (from what I understand this is fairly normal in pregnant women). While I was at the cardiologist they did an ultrasound of my heart. When the ultrasound was taking over 30 minutes both Lars and I knew something might be up. Sure enough when the cardiologist came in to see what was going on the tech said, "I need to show you something". Not something you want to hear when you are having someone look at your heart. I was told to come back in after the baby was born to get a better look. He told me that what they might have seen was called a myxoma but told me not to google it and that it was probably nothing.

So turns out a myxoma is a tumor on the heart. If I had it, I would have to have surgery to remove it.

So for the last two and a half months I have been dealing with the fact that I might have a tumor on my heart and that if I did I would have to have surgery to remove it. I found this out a couple days before Halloween and I remember walking with my famiy and friends trick or treating and just thinking to myself that this could not be happening to me. Then baby girl came and the fears of having this tumor became so real and scary that there were days that I would lie in my bed scared of everything (at this time I knew enough to know that a myxoma could cause a stroke or worse). Some days I would just be scared that I would have to have surgery and wouldn't be able to hold my new baby or pick up Toby or have Trey cuddle with me.

Well today I had what is called a transesophagalechocardiogram. They gave me an IV, put me out, and put a scope through my esophagus to get a better picture of my heart. They didn't see anything. When I came too the nurse was able to tell me right away that everything was clear and that they didn't find anything. Lars came in shortly after that and the Dr had already gone over everything with him.

Aaahhh sweet relief!

Now I have a sore throat and a headache, but hey I'll take that anyday! So thanks to everyone who has been thinking of me and helping me get through these last few months. Our family of friends here are fantastic and I have felt their love and I am so grateful for it as well as the love and concern that I have from mine and Lars' families.

I am also grateful for prayers. I have been asked by doctors if they can pray with me, I have been on church prayer rolls (from people of all different faiths) and I have felt that strength.

So here's to not having a tumor - now I think I will go get a milkshake because man is my throat sore...

To My Children

Today we went to a park after preschool. It was beautiful outside. The sun was shinning and there was a great breeze. I think it was around 70 degrees. We swung on the swings and you boys laughed while you ran and climbed. Every once in a while you would yell, "mommy, watch this". I sat on a bench and watched you while I played with Julia Karen's toes and made her smile and coo. If your daddy had been sitting beside me it would have felt just like I imagine Heaven will someday feel.

Trey, Toby and Julia Karen, you are my joy. Will you ever know how much I love you? Perhaps someday you will because as I sat there I talked to your Grandma on the phone and felt her love for me. I also talked to your Uncle Ben and I hope that you all love each other like I love him - it is a fierce bond that I want you all to have.

Now we are at home and I am making your daddy his favorite cookies to thank him. Thank him because he shoulders all the financial responsibility in our home so that I can be with all of you and have days like today. He is the love of my life.

I am blessed. And I always want you to know that I am grateful each day for the life I have with each of you and your smiling faces.