The Best Christmas Present

I got the best present from Cooper at Christmas! He made it at school and he had hid it under the tree and he was so excited to give it to us that morning. The teacher made a copy of a cd of their first grade class singing from the Veteran's Day program and then at the end Cooper recorded a special message for Charlie and I. It was what he loves about each of us. I was not only in tears because it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard-I couldn't help but think of those families of the first graders in Newtown, CT and I hugged him more than ever!
My prayers are with them daily!
As I looked at him, I saw the pictures of those children flash through my mind. I thought of those parents waking up that Christmas morning some may even had wrapped presents under the tree that weren't going to be unwrapped. I thought of the sadness that they are experiencing at this time of year.
This was such a tragedy! I was just watching all the coverage speechless with tears running down my face. Later, as pictures were coming out on facebook of the victims another sense of sadness came over me. It affected the nation!
I know there may be a lot of talk about gun control after this incident but all I have to say is that is not the only issue with this problem. Guns and people shooting people has been around for quite along time. I just watched the Hatfields and McCoys documentary and there was a lot of gun slinging going on back in those days. That was family members shooting each other! I am not going to get into that debate on my blog about gun control. My husband is a hunter and likes to hunt. All I will say is that isn't going to make the problem go away because if a crazy person wants a gun they will find one!
Mental Health is a sad situation in this country and it only gets worse as the economy and societal problems get worse!  
I will treasure this cd. What a wonderful thing his teacher did for us! I will forever have his voice on cd at 6 years old. The children at Newtown will forever remain 6 years old and may the memories of their children bring them peace and my prayers are with them as they start their New Year. 

For My Boys

You only know
the beat of my heart
because you are the
ones who have heard it
on the inside and out.

You know my love for you
is as wide as the ocean blue
You knew my voice
if I had my choice
I would do it all over again
my angels God sent.

A part of me will always
be in you
take that in trouble times
all the days through

I Love you!

Ended 2012 With The Flu

I am back! Happy New Year!
My year did not end so well but started great!
I have been absent from blogging because we got hit with the flu at our house at the start of break in the middle of December. It has taken all of Christmas break to become healthy.  It was an awful nasty bug going around! Seems no one can avoid it.
December 13th is when it started because I won't forget! I ran 13 miles that day for the 13th day of the month. It was a Thursday and Braedyn got sick on the way home from hockey-he was in so much pain he was crying as we pulled in the driveway. It lasted until about December 28th. We all were finally better and healthy by the 29th which was the start of Cooper's holiday hockey tournament.
Braedyn actually had tested positive for Influenza at the Dr.s office. I had taken him him that Friday morning so he missed his last day of school before break. His fever was 104 all through the night. He then started Tamiflu and was better by Sunday and Cooper and Jordan had gotten sick over the weekend so took them in and got them started on Tamiflu just to be on the safe side. We didn't get our flu shots done this year and it seems it wouldn't have mattered. It is hitting those that did get their shots. Charlie had it really bad. His lasted from Friday to Wednesday and finally he was able to go back to work the last couple days of that week.  Then I got it Wednesday night. Yes, mom ended up with it last. I was hoping I was going to get lucky and not get it. I didn't feel the greatest along with Braedyn but that was just a cold and when the flu hit me I was down for the count. I hope we do not have to go through that again! Mom's shouldn't be allowed to get sick! Not only is it hard to get sick but it was Christmas on top of it and I had done nothing. I finally wrapped up the presents got them under the tree and ended up in the bathroom later that night.
We were feeling better by Christmas morning but just moving a little slow...
We had a wonderful day watching the boys open their presents and their excitement.
We spent the day at home playing with their new toys and just being together. We also went to my friend's house and enjoyed a Christmas evening with some friends.
I am happy to be back on my feet. A person appreciates their health and realizes how important it is to stay healthy after going through that experience!

Time flys by so fast
It's hard to remember the past
Carrying him up the stairs
or sitting for hours in the rocking chair
kids have grown and days have changed
but one thing still remains

We take our breaths
with a sense of urgency
living in a state of emergency
I want to know this
I may not live perfectly
but I have lived purposely

Have you looked back
on the things you did wrong
Only to find
it's made you who you are
and it's right here
is where you belong.

All the roads I've traveled
all the crossroads
that have come along
and here I am
in your arms
right here where I belong.

Proud Mom

During all of those Dr. appointments and tests Braedyn had AIG testing. They test for that at the 3rd grade level. It's the gifted program~is what it stands for but I just tell him it is because those students need to be more challenged.

I was a little concerned since he was getting those headaches that week and would have to stay focused on the testing. I had actually asked the teacher about it and she said if he needed, he could retake it at a different time.

Well, he did not to retake it! He got in the car so excited on friday after school and he told me he did so good on his AIG's that he is going to the AIG teacher now for Math.  I was so proud of him, I almost got a tear in my eye when I told him I was proud of him and he said, "I am proud of myself too." It was a great day and such a self-esteem booster for him because he gets so down on himself sometimes. He is hard on himself when it comes to his school work.

Way to go buddy! You still amaze me everyday!

Anniversary Day! My belated anniv. post....

Today, November 21st, we celebrate 9 years! Happy Anniversary babe!

Nine years ago we were in Las Vegas with family and friends who could make the trip to help us celebrate our special day.

For those of you who know the story, it was a struggle to get down that aisle for both of us but not because we didn't want to, but physically almost couldn't. We weren't going to reschedule our day that we had planned! Ironically, it was the most joyous day and most awful day at the same time...one we both will remember forever. It gives true meaning to "in sickness and in health."

The wedding trip was the week before Thanksgiving. We were getting married in Las Vegas, Friday, November 21, 2003 at Treasure Island Casino. I wanted a small intimate wedding because my family is so large and I just didn't want the headache or bill of planning a big wedding. It isn't about the day~it's what comes after that matters most, and that was what I kept reminding myself as I was planning a wedding, I was pregnant, and wrapping up a semester at college. I just wanted a big party later and that's what we did. We had friends and family coming with us to make the trip. We left on a Wednesday evening from Minneapolis with my brother, sister, mom, dad, Grandma Baudoin, and aunt Dawn. There was not one of us who had been to Vegas before, except for grandma, yes grandma...because my dad's cousin Keith lives in Las Vegas.

We were tired after landing, so we didn't do much except hit the casino floor in the hotel that evening. After, about 10-15 minutes on the casino floor with Charlie, I realized this is NOT the place for a pregnant lady! Yes, I was 6 months pregnant with Braedyn, as you can tell in the picture above. I wouldn't normally wear a size 16 wedding dress, but that's what it was and it was comfortable and simple and didn't make me look any bigger than I already was! I went to bed early while leaving everyone else to walk around Vegas and the casino tables. I figured we have a whole day ahead of us on Thursday.
Thursday was a beautiful fall day in Las Vegas. We started the morning out with a limo ride to the court house in downtown Vegas to get our marriage license and headed back to meet up with the group. Dad, who we usually give the nickname Clark on any family trip, had figured out our day and what and where we should go...The end of the night we ended up at The Golden Nugget and ate at the buffet, what a great place to eat for a pregnant lady! We later found out ~wrong choice!

I went back to the room and everyone else went to party. Charlie rolled in like at 4 am and I woke up to him in the bathroom. It was coming out both ends and I said "well that serves you right for staying out that late the night before we get married!" He said he had quit drinking "so he says" at midnight. I actually believed him as the sickness progressed and I had NEVER seen him that sick before. Well, then that wave came over me and took me by surprise as I was getting my hair and make-up done at about 10 am. I thought this lady better hurry up or I am going to be sick in the salon. The smells were nauseating! Mom could tell I was turning green even though I had what felt like an inch of foundation on my face!
I got back to the room and Charlie was out cold and when I say cold he was actually cold to the touch with the shakes. I layed down and soon I was joining him not feeling the greatest. I didn't know whether to sit or kneel at the stool.
I thought this is not how I planned my wedding day. We both were so extremely sick how are we going to do this. Mine was tolerable still but not pleasant. Charlie finally got up and got dressed,ready to meet me at the chapel at 6 pm. He could barely make it down the aisle. We both were a a tinge of green. At one point the chaplain said, "Are you okay?"

We were able to make it down the aisle but had spent the rest of the night in bed with both of us sick to our stomach and we could hardly move. The groans coming from our hotel room weren't from your typical wedding night! We missed out on our reception afterward so everyone had a nice dinner after our wedding while we were in our rooms struggling to get down saltines.Turns out we had food poisoning! It was awful! I thought I was going into labor my stomach pains were so bad. My sister got sick and so did another person in our party.  We both were still not feeling the greatest on Saturday but made it through. We came home on Sunday feeling normal and a healthy married couple.
The funny part about the story was my mother wrote a letter to complain to The Golden Nugget and you know what they sent back to her a discount to eat at The Golden Nugget. Really, C'mon!

It is something we look back on now and can laugh. We did have a wedding reception after Braedyn was born to celebrate everything in our lives with all our family and friends back in Minnesota.
So when I see people planning their "BIG" day and spend so much time,energy and money on it. Then when I look back at ours....and look how we've turned out. I don't regret one thing! I still had my fairytale ending it just was a little different than the book.

I love you Charlie and I have been blessed and my cup runneth over!