Sunshine!

After nearly a month of steady rain, we have blue skies and sunshine today! We are ever so grateful for the much needed rain but the break was welcomed with open arms.

I've been wanting to sing "There is sunshine in my soul today!" and "Sun is shining, weather is sweet! Make you want to move your dancing feet!" But rather than singing, we've practiced baseball, played outside, and opened all of the blinds and windows in the house. It's been wonderful.

Doodlebug got a scooter from Santa but hasn't been too keen on using it...until now. He hopped right on that thing and raced The Lime up and down the street.

Every time he'd scoot by me, Doodlebug would say "Cheese!" and insist I take his picture.

Both boys got haircuts last week and, although I didn't think it was possible, they're so much cuter when I can see their sweet faces.

Our daffodils started poking up through the dirt about a month ago and have been beaten down with rain storm after rain storm.  They blossomed this week and I was so afraid they wouldn't survive the beatings.  But they did and I can tell they're loving the sun just as much as we are. I am anxiously awaiting our tulips to start popping up, too!

The boys got some sidewalk chalk for Christmas that we've only been able to use a couple times. So we put it to good use today by drawing a globe, a train, and plenty of hearts for Valentines Day.

It's amazing what a day of sunshine can do for your mood. We are rejuvenated and ready for the next round of rain!

Spoiled

Notice anything different between this picture and the one I posted last week?

Let me give you a different angle.

Thanks to my observant husband and his two trusty sidekicks, I woke up Sunday morning to this wonderful surprise, and I didn't have to wait until Christmas! It absolutely completes my desk makeover and adds just the right touch that was missing. Plus it's much more ergonomic (and cuter, let's be honest) than the folding chair I was using.

The chair isn't the only special thing I received. Look at those tulips!

Whenever I get tulips, I'm always reminded of the many bouquets LaVor bought me from the sweetest florist, Ben, every time we'd visit Berkeley. Tulips always bring a smile to my face.

And if I wasn't spoiled enough, I had to go ahead and whip up my favorite dessert.

If I had to choose my very last meal, crème brûlée would be involved. When we went on our cruise a few years ago, I ate my weight in crème brûlée. The richness, creaminess, and crunchiness all combined into one delectable dessert are enough to make my taste buds and stomach burst with excitement.

It feels good to be spoiled every once in a while.

Dreams Come True

About a month ago, The Lime had asked me where all of the fire stations were in our city. We looked the map up online and in the process, came across the invitation to the open house of station 1. Station 1 is across the street from the post office so whenever we mail something, The Lime asks if we can drop in and say hi. We did back in December but haven't been back. I knew the open house would be a real treat for The Lime, especially since that's where one of the city's hook & ladders is (his favorite truck).

The Lime practically ran out of his bedroom Saturday morning, he was so excited. We got to the station a little after it started and The Lime was a bit reserved. We were welcomed by the chief and invited to take a look around.

Our first stop was the obstacle course out back. Kevin greeted us and asked if The Lime wanted a turn. He said no but I told him he was doing it, no matter what. Kevin offered to do it with The Lime, as long as he took his hands out of his pockets.

He got to run through some cones, drag a dummy across the ground, screw a hose together, lift some weights from the ground up, and finally put a pretend fire out with a hose (the best part!).

After that, The Lime wanted to check everything out. We left nothing untouched!

Jeff was a nice guy who was helping kids onto the truck, where the controls were for the ladder. The Lime went on this part a few times. The second turn, he asked Jeff what kind of car he drove when he left the station. "A truck," Jeff said. "What kind?" The Lime asked. Jeff got a smirk on his face and said, "This could be debatable...a Ford." "Alright!" exclaimed The Lime, while giving a thumbs up. It was hilarious.

A fireman overheard The Lime say he wanted to take a tour of the firehouse so he happily showed us around. The fireman emphasized how clean they have to keep their spaces and encouraged The Lime to keep his room clean.

We learned that this station is one of the few left with a pole, which they still use. I wanted to take a picture of The Lime with it but he got scared that we were going to make him slide down. LaVor had to hold his hand and the fireman blocked the doorway with his leg, then The Lime was confident he was safe. The fireman zipped down the pole and met us at the bottom (we took the stairs).

We ran into a fireman demonstrating the air tank to some boys and The Lime asked if he could try it on. That sucker was heavy and The Lime almost fell backward. The fireman said with all their gear on and the tank, they're carrying around at least 100 extra pounds. I told The Lime that's like me riding on his back and he better start working out. He thought that was silly.

We ran back into the chief and The Lime asked him what he drove. He took us out front to his Suburban and opened up the back, showing us all the cool stuff he gets to use.

The Lime asked the chief where the captain was and he directed us back to the hook & ladder. We had met the captain at our local fire station back in December when we dropped cookies off for them. The captain was manning the tiller, which The Lime could hardly wait to sit in. If there weren't other kids waiting, he would have stayed there the entire time.

We walked around the truck for the 100th time, only this time, The Lime wanted to try on the headphones. Nobody else was doing it so I wasn't sure we'd be allowed to. Before I knew it, The Lime was asking Jeff if he could get in the cab and put them on. He was so sweet to let him and it ended up being another highlight of the visit.

The open house was just about over, and we had seen everything imaginable. Before we left, The Lime had to do the obstacle course four more times. We finally had to tell him if he wanted to stay, he'd have to clean the floors and toilets. That was reason enough to leave but it wasn't without thanking everyone for the wonderful morning and allowing a little 4 year old to live out his dream.

Grab a Tissue

When I had my 20 week ultrasound, the technician mentioned that there was a chance we might receive a phone call from the Radiologist or my doctor, but not to be alarmed because she didn't see anything (even though I think she did). Prior to the ultrasound, I denied having the tests done to see if the baby had Down syndrome. When I was pregnant with The Lime, our insurance wouldn't confirm whether or not they'd cover the procedure until the claim was submitted. I figured the same situation would take place this time around. Plus, if they did find something, it's not like we would terminate the pregnancy.

I had my ultrasound on a Monday and that Friday, I was making dinner and my phone rang. I didn't get to it fast enough and the person didn't leave a message. I Googled the number and saw it was from my medical group but since I didn't know who specifically called me, I didn't return the call.

About an hour later, I checked my e-mail and saw the results from the ultrasound. I briefly scanned it and then came across some unusual notes: "Fetal bilateral choroid plexus cysts. Left fetal renal borderline pelviectasis of 4.2 mm. Further evaluation with level II sonogram should be considered."

"Cysts" stood out to me since I've had them since I was little, so I initially thought they saw something regarding my body. Then I, again, turned to Google and realized it was the baby who had the cysts, and they were in his brain. Big mistake, that Googling was. LaVor hates that I try to look things up on my own and insisted I call the doctor back rather than trying to come to my own conclusions. I told him I didn't know if it was the doctor who called me since the number was for the switchboard. I ended up calling the number, just to end the argument, and didn't get anywhere. The office was closed and I'd have to wait until Monday before finding out any additional information regarding my baby. I spent the next three days reading anything and everything, and came to the conclusion that because of what they found in the ultrasound, our baby either had Down syndrome or trisomy 18.

That was the longest weekend ever. I cried, a lot. Thankfully, it was also Fast Sunday, so we asked our families to remember our babe as they fasted. My sweet brother wrote me a note and gave me the comforting news that three out of his five kids had the same cysts and the cysts were gone by the next ultrasound. I was hoping for the same results!

My doctor did call the following week and told me the specialist would be calling me to set up an appointment for another ultrasound. While I knew I'd have to wait for things to clear up, I wanted answers NOW. I had the second ultrasound two weeks later and the doctor confirmed that everything looked great; no cysts and the baby's kidney was of normal size.

Even with the happy news, I still didn't feel like I had a 100% confirmation that nothing was wrong with the baby.

Let me backtrack to many years ago. I've always felt like LaVor and I would have a child with a disability. I'm not sure why, it's just always been in the back of my mind. When we found out the results from the initial ultrasound, we were lifted up with words of encouragement, that our baby would be loved no matter what, and if there was something wrong, we'd be the best parents for that baby. Those weren't my worries, though. I know we would love that baby to death and that The Lime would be the best big brother. What scared me was thinking about the challenging life he would live. Would people make fun of him? Would he be able to take advantage of the same opportunities as other kids? How would he handle his disability?

I've tried not to think about it since there's nothing I can do, and LaVor and I don't talk about it. But the thoughts are still there, lingering in the background.

I came across this video today and seem to have had my questions answered. If this baby is born with Down syndrome, his life will be hard, just like everyone else has trials. But he'll be happy, successful, helpful, and loved, no matter what.

A Great One

We've been looking forward to this weekend for a while, and not just because it was the last football game of the season (so glad The Lime and I get to watch tv on Saturdays and Sundays again!).

We went on a bike ride/walk a few weeks ago and The Lime asked if we could stop by the fire station and say hi.  Two very nice firemen answered the door and graciously showed us the trucks The Lime had seen a month prior (have you ever met a mean fireman?).  They mentioned there would be an open house on February 1 so as soon as we got home, we marked it on the calendar and have been talking about it ever since.

The Lime got decked out in his fire gear and was ready to check things out, and grab a doughnut since they are a Saturday morning tradition.

He got to sit in the Captain's truck as well as an engine. He asked numerous times where the hook and ladder was but unfortunately, this particular fire station doesn't have one.

We got to see where the firemen sleep, relax, exercise, and cook. This station's kitchen actually burned down once. They were making fried chicken on the stove when they got a call and thought they turned the stove off. When they arrived back to the station, the kitchen was on fire and it was determined that they only turned the heat down, not off. Every station now has an automatic shutoff for the stove when they get a call.

After getting our fire fix, we drove down to the Bay Area to see our great friends. We picked them up and spent the day in San Francisco. It was a gorgeous day and we started it off with a bite to eat at Hot Spud. Why is it that baked potatoes taste better when someone else makes it? Even The Lime ate it and he refuses to eat mine. Hmph.

We then walked down to Pier 39 and and loaded up on salt water taffy. The sun was beginning to set, the wind was picking up, and it was getting chilly!

The Lime has never seen the sea lions before and he surprisingly didn't dry heave from the smell. He did bark back, though.

Even though he didn't get a nap, The Lime was such a good kid. He didn't complain once about the cold, the amount of walking we did, being hungry, nothing. LaVor and I believe it's because he loves seeing our friends as much as we do. They're so sweet to him and make him feel so special.

We then drove to Union Square and did some window shopping. Time flew by and it was soon 7:15 and we were getting hungry. Some were hoping to stop by La Piñata on the way home while others wanted to stay in the city. We ended up eating in the food court at the mall, which allowed everyone to eat what they wanted but it also gave us some more time together.

Just like all of our other visits, I hated to see the day end. We all have such a great time together and I think it's a real blessing that the three original friends married girls that love each other just like the guys do. It was a great weekend and we can't wait to get together again.

Blessed

About two weeks ago, LaVor asked if I was still planning on doing the walk.  Fundraising had hit a major plateau, I wasn't motivated to train, and was feeling pretty "blah" overall.  He got out of the shower one night and said, "So I was thinking..." and presented a plan on how I could get more donations.

With a plan in place, and an especially supportive hubby, I started walking again and have made great strides (no pun intended).

LaVor was planning a visit to the Bay Area last weekend and suggested I join him, so I could stand out with my sign and hopefully get a few more donations.

...a few more.

I made about $30 in the first hour or so that I stood out at our local Farmer's Market.  I was excited and hoped for at least $70 more at my second spot.

It happened to be an extremely hot day, so I grabbed a couple bottles of water, my sign, and set up shop in the exact same spot that I've used for years.

Literally, about thirty seconds after I got there, a gentleman came up from behind me and said, "I think you dropped this."  I didn't drop anything but he kindly handed me $5.00.

After about three hours of standing out, I came home to find that I had earned an additional $130.  I could not believe it!  I have to write down a few of the experiences I had, as they all really touched me.

-One gentleman saw me from across the street and as he was coming at me,  I immediately recognized him.  He said, "Where have you been?!"  I told him we recently moved out of the area but that I thought of him often.  He has donated every year that I've stood out with my sign and it meant so much to me that he wondered why I wasn't out this year.

-Another man walking by pulled out his cellphone to show me the pink ribbon cover he had on it.  His mother was a breast cancer survivor but ended up losing her life to another disease.

-There's a bar across the street from where I stand and in the past, people have come out for a smoke, saw me, walked over, gave me $1, then went back to smoking or drinking.  This time, a man walked out of the bar, walked straight over to me, handed me $10, and turned right back around and went straight into the bar.  He also gave me the updated score of the A's game.

-After about an hour of standing out, and despite drinking lots of water, I started feeling a little faint (a familiar feeling, unfortunately) so rather than create a scene, I plopped down on a bench and took a little break.  Before I knew it, a patron from the nearby restaurant was standing in front of me with a full glass of ice cold water and a donation.  She said, "I've been watching you this entire time and thought you could use this."  She continued in saying, "I have many friends who have suffered from breast cancer and I appreciate all that you're doing!"  I almost started to cry because I appreciated what SHE was doing.

-Even when I was sitting on the bench, with my sign upside down and hard to read, people would still turn their head to see what it said and donate.

There's always funny things that happen, too.  Like the guys who asked me if I was going to use their $1 for crack and if I put Vaseline on my teeth to make them shiny, or the ex-Raider who sat by me for two hours and told me his life story, or the man who pretended to honk a pair of hooters as he went by with his wife in the driver seat.

I love the honks, waves, smiles, inspiring stories.  But I especially love the kindness that I get to witness. Most of these people don't know me but they are willing to hand me a $20 bill to support those affected by breast cancer.

While I love being able to walk, and I might get a tad annoying when it comes to asking for money, I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it to help those that are battling this disease. And it's with the help of amazing people I've been able to meet, while collecting donations, that hopes and dreams are able to come true.

Lucky #7

My favorite number has always been 7, and not necessarily because I feel like it's lucky.

When I was in 8th grade, I had an assignment where I had to explain why my favorite number was my favorite. My reasons were that I was the seventh person in my family and I liked channel 7 news. I kid you not.

Let me add another reason to the list; I've been married to my sweetheart for seven years today.

Before taking the plunge, we sat down with the man who would perform the ceremony and he inquired a little bit about us. He asked each of us why we wanted to marry the other person. While I can't remember LaVor's response (whoops), I do remember my simple answer, "He makes me laugh."

I've been e-mailing my mom's cousin and her husband for several weeks, gathering family history information. We finally spoke over the phone last week and they said, "Well, you sound like a very happy person." My response was, "I've been blessed with so much, I really have nothing to be but happy."

I like smiling, I like being happy, and I especially love laughing. My main source of all of that is LaVor.

Like when he brought home In N Out for dinner last night, or when he rubbed my back last Sunday, or when he encourages me to fundraise for the walk, or when he makes funny faces, or when he fills my car up with gas without me knowing. I could go on forever.

What makes me extremely happy, though, is knowing we're a team forever.

When we got engaged, someone asked us where we were going to be married. I was sort of taken back because there wasn't another option besides being sealed in the temple. My heart aches for people who utter the words "til death do us part" and who don't know about the wonderful opportunity to be an eternal family.

While marriage is hard and a constant learning experience, it is also wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'm one lucky girl.

Water Balloons

Two things keep us inside; heat & rain.  Last week was the rain, this week it's the heat.

But after The Lime's nap yesterday, I needed to get outside.  So we ate our popsicles on the porch and then I asked him if he wanted to play a game.  "Sure!" he said.  

I remembered I had some leftover balloons from LaVor's birthday.  I filled some up and we played catch in the front yard.  Since they were regular balloons, they only popped when they hit the grass and we were standing on the cement.  After a few rounds, I suggested we wait until LaVor got home to finish the rest.

So after dinner, we all went in the backyard and tossed the remaining balloons around.  In about a minute, they all popped and then everything went to pot.

I am very particular about getting wet.  LaVor knows that I only like to get wet when I'm supposed to (taking a shower or if I'm in a bathing suit...and that's even pushing it).  I was fully clothed, as were the boys, but last night that didn't matter.

LaVor got a hold of the hose first and we were soaked.  Then we started filling up the bowls and pouring it over each others' heads.  The neighbors must have thought we took crazy pills because that's what it was...crazy!

Our backyard has a sliding door to the kitchen and our bedroom.  Unfortunately, the door to our room was locked so I had to maneuver my way through the entire house to get towels, trying not to leave a huge mess.

It really was a lot of fun.  So much fun, we went to the store and bought real water balloons so we're sure to get wet the next time...minus the hose.