Summer...

Summer.... we can't wait for you to get here!!!

 

Maddie and her BFF Koda

Our house

We moved! Well most of you know our story, so I will spare the details, but we recently moved back into the house we first lived in 5 yearsago. Crazy, but thats our life! So when we moved back in, after 2 sets of renters, we knew we wanted to do a little remodeling. We textured the walls, painted, got new doors and moulding, and got new carpet. The kitchen and bathroom stayed the same, but the are next on the list. I was so impressed with Chris! He did most of the projects himself. Our friend Tyler helped us with the painting, and we hired out the carpet, but other than that we did it ourselves! From start to finish, and I mean move-in ready, was 3 1/2 weeks! We busted our butts, and here are the before and after pictures to show our improvements!
(Before on the top, after on the bottom...)

This is our entryway. We had a small closet that was so narrow, you couldn't fit a hanger in it. It was total wasted space, so Chris built a mud room closet, and not only does it look fantastic, but it is so much more efficient!!

This was our bedroom. We had to close in a wall to make it, and now we have one livingroom instead of two!

The familyroom/front room. We used to have an opening in the wall, but we filled that in, and now have a little family room instead.

Cayden's room

Madison's room

The laundry room windows were so old, ugly and dark! They didn't open, and our renters actually broke one, so we had to replace one anyway. We got a steal on the new windows at Home Depot!

New windows

My personal favorite!! This was what I used to call the dungeon. It is more like a one room cellar in the basement(actually the only basement). It was so gross down there and we used it for storage before, and I would send Chris down if we needed anything. NOW... it is my craft room! We painted, got carpet, and put up cute curtains instead of the ugly doors. I love it!!

So... Sorry for all the pictures! But now you can see what we have been up too this last month, and why I haven't blogged!

Madison

Meet Madison

About 6 weeks ago, she starting sweating. Not run around outside in 102 degree weather sweating, more like fever sweating. But there was no fever. I noticed her laying on the couch one day right after lunch, and as I walked over to ask her what she was doing I noticed she was sweating. Profusely sweating! Her hairline was drenched, and she was pale. My first thoughts were the flu. I asked her if she was going to throw up, and she said no. I asked her if anything hurt, and she said no. So I sat and watched her for a few minutes, and about 10 minutes later she was up and off playing again. WEIRD! So the next day, it happened again. Different time, different foods, nothing was the same as the day before, except the sweating. After about a week and a half, I decided I should take her to the doctor. The weird thing was that one day she would sweat once, and the next day she would do it 4 times in 3 hours. It was so inconsistant. Everytime it happened, I would ask her if anything hurt. She would get so mad and say no, she was just sweating and she was tired. We did blood tests, and had the doctor do an exam, and everything came back normal. So now, 6 weeks later, the diagnosis....MONO! Wait, don't you get mono from kissing boys??? Apparently you can pick up mono lots of ways. And typically when you have mono it is associated with a sore throat or body aches and extreme fautigue. Our doctor has decided that her sweating was her body's way of trying to fight the virus, and the fautigue she has been having is the major symptom. WEIRD again! Who would have thought that my 4 year old would get mono? I sure didn't! All I know is thank goodness for doctors! Dr. Valentine is amazing! He is so meticulous! He did not want to miss anything, and was probably overly concerned about it. He made me really watch her symptoms, and I am so grateful for him! So for now, we just keep watching her. Dr. Valentine thinks she is probably on the tail-end of the virus, although in rare cases it can last for up to 9 months! Lets hope that it clears up quick, and she gets back to her old self again!

Happy Birthday Cayden!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! I can't believe he is already 1! He is such a joy in our home.
Here are a few things about Cayden at 1
-is easily pleased
-loves his sister
-he crawls all over and loves to walk along the furniture
-he eats like a teenage boy
-he loves to clap anytime you say YAY
-when you tell him no no, he shakes his head and keeps causing trouble
-he loves the dog, and steals her toys
-he is super destructive, and everything has to be kept out of reach
-he is so mild-mannered, and we love him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY! WE LOVE YOU!

Last month we were able to go with our friends, the Carlsons, to their cabin again. We have so much fun with them! The boys spent some quality time with the Wii and SuperMario Bros, and the girls played. We went sledding and the kids had a blast! Its nice because they could just sled down the driveway. Because it was not too steep, they could go down by themselves. It was a fun weekend, and we LOVE them! Thanks guys!

My cute kids

Cayden sledding with daddy

Madison after she crashed!

What a cute face!

He loves to eat!

And no its not Chris!!

Cayden loves to eat! He is not picky at all. Whatever you put in front of him, he scarfs if down. He tends to choke because he inhales his food instead of chewing. Tonight, after we had dinner, we gave him some chocolate cake.
He LOVED IT!!



Unfortunately he had to have a bath right after... But it was well worth it!

Have you ever met the Staker family?

Neither have I...

But I feel like I know them. I'll be honest, I like to blog hop, and facebook hop as well. I came across their family on Monday, and my whole week has been consumed with their story and updates on little Bronson. Last Saturday, he accidentally drowned in the bathtub. He is alive, but they are not sure what his prognosis will be. His mom is a rock! She is an amazing writer, and with every step of their journey, I feel like I am there. Bad things happen to good people, and the faith they have is amazing!

Despite this, Bronson needs your prayers. His sweet family needs your prayers. He needs the power of healing. PLEASE PRAY FOR BRONSON!

You can see his story on their blog www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com

***Update: Bronson went home last Friday. After 13 days in the hospital he went home like a normal little boy! He is amazing!! His family is so lucky to have a second chance with him, and they know it. I will be forever touched by Bronson and his story. I thank his mom for sharing him with the world.