Happy Birthday, Chris

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Hubby, Chris!

Thank you for all you do for our family and for being such a great Dad to our sweet boys.

We all love you!

True Parker

Parker threatened me that I am NOT allowed to get mushy about him in public or about football anymore. However, I already warned him I was making this post sooo ... sorry, Parker. :)

I just HAD to take this picture and share it. It is so totally my Parker. No matter how tough and grown up he looks in his football uniform, this shows my TRUE Parker. He is such a good sport, always thoughtful of others, kind, big-hearted, etc, etc, etc. Those of you that know him well know what I mean. This picture totally shows Parker and his sense of caring for others. I notice all the time at his games and at practice .. he is always helping others up, giving them hugs or high fives, telling people that they either did good or gave it a good try.

This is my boy. I love him. He is AWESOME! (Is that an acceptable word, Parker????)

Bathtime with Aunt T

NOW we understand why Caleb always wants to have a bath at Aunt Tammi's.

Caleb's owie

So Caleb kept complaining to me that his "chin" was hurting tonight. He had a bit of a fever (which happens quite often with him) so I immediately thought he probably had some sort of virus that had caused sores in his mouth. I kept trying to look inside his mouth on his gums and lip. After the third attempt and him telling me that his lip "doesn't come off" I finally asked Chris to help me look. Chris just started laughing and told me he was fine. I was a little frustrated that he thought I was over-reacting since I am so not really that way. Come to find out, however, that Chris knew what the problem was already. Apparently, when Chris picked him up from daycare Caleb reported to Chris that he "may have been going a little too fast on the 3-wheeler bike" and he had hurt his chin.
"May have been going a little too fast", huh? Sheesh .. why do my kids start speaking like grown ups so early??? I am SO in trouble!

Are you ready for some foooooootballllll???

Yes, we have started Football again. As most of you know, Parker had to take some time off last year to do some physical therapy on his legs. However, in order to be ready for the first year of Herriman Ute Conference (nope, we will no longer be Bingham Miners) we are doing Arena football this Spring, as well. We are on the Havoc Indoor Team and Parker is LOVING it so far.
On thing we have learned is that Mom's tears didn't come last time just because of the pregnancy hormones - I still cry at practice and it is SOOOO embarrassing. :)
I am just so stinkin' proud of Parker. He NEVER gives up and he has such good sportsmanship. He is always supportive of everyone on his Team, he listens well to his Coach (even when it's criticism), and he pushes and pushes himself to do things that I know are hard for him to do.
He is such an Awesome kid and I am so lucky to be his Mom!
I love you, Parker.
GO HAVOC!!!!!

Modern Medicine

As I was sitting in the Hospital last week .. waiting with my Dad to go in for a procedure on his heart I couldn't help but keep thinking how amazing modern medicine is. With all we have gone through the last year and a half with dealing with Doctors and Insurance and Medical bills - we DEFINATELY have been frustrated and had a negative outlook on the whole medical world at times. But if you really sit back and think, despite the frustrations that go along with medical treatment, the treatments themselves are AMAZING! I mean, how amazing is it that Doctors can go in and work on a heart - one of the very things that keeps you living - without making it stop.
Those of you that know me well know that I am a real Daddys girl and even the thought that something might happen to my Dad terrifies me. But I was at peace - I knew that he would be taken are of .. I knew that modern medicine is amazing and there is so much now that can be done that couldn't in the past.
Yes, I also know some of this from personal experience. When I hemorrhaged last year and almost bled to death they had numerous things they could try to help me. They didn't just try one thing and give up when it didn't work. There were multiple things to try.
When we were pregnant with Bailey, the ultrasounds and tests they were able to do on her while she was still growing inside me were, again, amazing.
Our daughter was kept alive long enough for family members to meet her thanks to, again, modern medicine and technology.
All of these things would never have happend 50 years ago.

I really have no idea why I felt the need to post this other than to say that, despite my frustrations with our medical bills, the fact that I have to continually fight with Hospitals and Insurance companies trying to get out from under our every growing pile of financial responsibilities to them, I am so very grateful to those that have studied so long and hard to become Doctors to take care of myself and my family and friends and for those that have researched and found so many amazing ways to prolong life and keep us all together as long as possible.

"The Climb"

OK .. So I know it is Miley Cyrus but you all know how I am about listening to the words of a song and I LOVE this one .. it is so true! We can learn so much from our struggles .. we just have to keep going.

THE CLIMB
I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa