I'm IT!

I've never done this before, responded to a "tag" that is...but because I still haven't downloaded the pictures from our trip and because I enjoyed reading Susan's list so much, I'm going to take her up on her "tag!"

Here are SIX random things about me you may not know:

1. My heart is located under my right armpit. REALLY! When my right lung collapsed in '97, everything in my body shifted and my heart has gradually swam to make it's home under my right armpit. I love it when a new nurse puts the stethoscope to where my heart should be and listens intently for a beat only to scrunch up their face in confusion and tap their instrument to make sure it is working. I let them sweat a little before I explain why they are not hearing my heart. They never believe me until they actually move the stethoscope to where I tell them and then they light up in relief and disbelief!

2. I have a small bowl of Lime Sherbet with Magic Shell almost every night : ) I think that this is the most perfect dessert in the world. It is a creamy, refreshing nightly ritual that just makes me happy. I keep thinking that this is merely a phase and that I will grow tired of the same treat night after night but my mom recently brought over a questionnaire I filled out in FIRST grade and Ryan and I started cracking up when we read what I put down for my favorite dessert...Lime Sherbet with Magic Shell!! I don't think I'm growing out of this delicious phase...

3. I HATE spiders. It's the legs and they way they look when they crawl, it sends shivers up my back. The weird thing is that I can kill a spider if I absolutely have to but not with a tissue. It has to be with a shoe or spraying a whole can of hairspray on it (I've done it in desperation) or another thing that lets me stay a safe distance from the enemy. And, the even WEIRDER thing is that after I kill it, I cannot pick it up and throw it away. I don't know why, actually, if I am being completely honest here, I think there is a small part of me that truly believes the spider will come back to life and take its revenge on me when I pick it up. One time when Ryan was out of town, I was forced to kill a spider all by myself but it lay dead on the floor until Ryan returned home several days later to pick it up and flush it down its watery grave : )

4. I am a certified Masseuse. After returning home from living in Australia I was even more intrigued by holistic health practices and decided to enroll at IPSB (International Professional School of Bodywork). It was a life changing experience as I learned more about alternative medicine and bonded to a group of individuals that I massaged and was massaged by everyday. I learned then how much love can be communicated by healing touch. It was a wonderful journey and a very healthy time for me. I never intended to do it professionally but wanted the knowledge to bless my life and my family's lives. I would still love to return to school to become a licensed HHP (Holistic Health Practitioner).

5. Before I fall asleep, I instinctively crack my toe knuckles against Ryans legs. I know this annoys him but I can't help it and I just tell him that these are the little quirky things that he would miss if anything ever happened to me : )

6. I was in a AAA commercial. It's a long story but my mom wrote them a thank you letter after they rescued us when we locked Lexi's oxygen in the car. A year later we get a random call from them asking if they could feature our story in a commercial. They came to interview my mom and originally planned to hire actors to play my mom, Lexi and I in the commercial but after meeting my mom they asked if we would be the actors! They fell in love with her and doubted actors could recreate our story any better than we could. We were treated like stars...Lexi and I even had a bodyguard. We were picked up in a Limo and taken to Santa Monica to film the commercial. We were put up in an incredible hotel with an ocean view and received new wardrobes for the commercial that we got to keep. It was so fun to live the life of a star for a week!


Somer, Sara and Snarr girls (Dawn too)...you're IT!

It's a Wonderful Life!

I am truly blessed. I have this little angel with me and he brings me so much joy. He is growing up so quickly...too quickly. He is walking now and doing all sorts of fun tricks. Every day it is something new and exciting and I feel so lucky to be able to experience the awe in the world through his keen senses. It is so different to look at the moon now as I see it through his eyes and say "look, there's the moon Harrison. I love you to the moon and back..." It is so different to watch the waves through his eyes and feel the renewed sense of wonder at their power as they roar and then crawl gently to kiss our toes : ) Everything is just so much more fun... belly buttons are just fascinating and water from the hose is like magic, mimicking is hilarious and so are sunglasses! Why in the world are those funny things on our faces?!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from last month:

Harrison discovered this novelty at Grandma's and it kept him busy for an hour!


Weighing himself for Doctor Wood... 22 lbs!


Memorial Day in Carlsbad Village...


He was tired after a long walk and lots of playing on the grass. My heart melted when he crawled on my lap and laid down.


This is how we found him one morning...the bumper is out now : )


Best place for an afternoon swing!


...must get every last crumb!


Peek-a-boo Daddy : )


In one of Harrison's books it says, "what happened today that made you laugh?" Everyday we laugh. We really laugh, like holding our tummies and throwing our heads back laugh and it is true what is said... Laughter is the BEST medicine! Thank you Harrison for filling that prescription every day : ) This is my life and it is so wonderful!

It's all GREEK to Me!

Or should I say "geek" to me?

My husband is now a "blogger!" He was given the opportunity to write for a Fantasy Baseball Website called Fake Teams. He will be writing for them twice a week. Check out his first article here.

It's all greek to me but I know two things now, I like "Bills" and Carlos Guillen has hemoroids...poor guy. Ryan, I am excited for you and proud of you...even if I do think you're kind of a sports geek : )

Spring Training '08

Check out Rob!

Congratulations Rob! My mom and I heard Rob Carona play at the open house of our dear friend Lorrain's Yoga Studio. I was touched by his vulnerability, honest lyrics and penetrating voice. I was an instant fan : ) You can read more about him here.

Rob competed in a battle of the bands at Hard Rock Cafe to win the opportunity to open for Kenny Chesney in San Diego. There were four top performers who had won the US 95.7 internet poll and they all played on Tuesday night. Rob was awesome! He was full of fun energy, his performance was perfect and he WON!! He opened for Kenny Chesney last night and we've heard it was so great! Ryan and I went to Hard Rock to support him and cheer him on, I wish we could have seen him at the concert too.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of him at Hard Rock but here he is performing at the Yoga Studio Open house.



Here is the link to Rob's myspace website Notice his support of my Great Strides Walk on his blog : ) Thank you Rob!!

This guy is so genuine and I can't wait to see him fulfill all his dreams and succeed completely as an artist!

Great Strides...Great Success!!

The Great Strides walk in San Diego this weekend was a Great Success! Mission Bay was absolutely gorgeous and we had a blast! I was so touched by the friends who came to walk with us. Syndea Mendioroz came with Mique and Julia and Jess and Clint brought Owey too! Laura Brownwood was there with her friend Mike and Steve Netherby was also there to walk with us. The whole family showed up with all the kids and it was such a special day for me. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have Ryan there. Ryan was home at my insistence with a horrible sore throat, stuffed sinuses and a cough : (

Along with the loved ones that came to walk, so many people donated for Harrison's birthday and donated on my Great Strides Webpage. I was so touched and overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends (old and new) and even complete strangers. Our goal was to raise $10,000.00 and right now we are at $9,740.00. It is not too late to donate and we still have donations coming in so we are confident we will make our goal! Thank you all who gave so generously to support a cause that we are passionate about, you have truly made a difference in my life and in the lives of all those that are affected by this disease.

While we walked in San Diego, Chels, Cam, Ben, Lauren and Ethan gathered with "Ben and Lauren's Buddies" and walked the Great Strides walk in Maryland!! They also received an outpouring of love and support from their loved ones and their darling community. What a wonderful, hopeful day for all of us!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

Grandma, me and Harrison

Kelli, Addie, Sawyer, me and Harrison

Me and Jess

Mique and sweet Julia

Syndea and Julia

Adorable Owen

Mom and Steve Netherby

Laura Brownwood with me and mom

Laura and her friend Mike

Harrison and Grandma

Dax and sweet Kaya

Zak with Jaydie and Zachary

Mom and Ric

All the Kiddos!




I am so humbled by the love, support and generosity of people. I hear negative things about our world and people, how you can't trust anyone and how our society is becoming more and more evil and I just haven't experienced the world and people in that way. In my life, my family and I have been the recipients of compassion and unconditional love and amazing kindness. I seriously feel surrounded by earth angels who lift me and give me hope and encourage me everyday. I hope that I can also be a light to those around me and always find ways to serve others in the way that I have been served. I just love people and think they are good and kind! Saturday was just another validation of that belief!! Thank you simply seems inadequate...

I Dreamt Big...

I dreamt big but my most wonderful and wishful dreams couldn't touch the reality that motherhood is for me. Oh my goodness, I am in heaven!

It's really my mom's fault that I wanted a child of my own so much. All I wanted to do as a girl was be exactly like my mom when I grew up and to be exactly like her meant being the best mom in the world and loving my children as much as I was loved. I only wanted a chance to emulate my hero. I am a mom now and I still want to be exactly like my mom when I grow up : ) I continue to learn from her every day and hope and pray that Harrison knows, as I know, how much his mom adores him.

Mom, Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for being my mother and my best friend. Thank you for supporting me in every decision I have made and for teaching me by example. I love you so much.



Harrison, thank you for making my world so full of laughter and fun. You are my miracle and I love being your mom.



Happy Mother's Day to all the women I Love. To all the women who have helped to raise me and to all my friends who are moms now and walking this adventurous road with me!

Counting the days until we are with you again...

These are truly the experiences that enrich my life and color my days...spending time with my family is the most important thing to me and we had such a blast in Maryland with Chelsea's family. I hesitated to go because I am always weighing the pros and cons of traveling and the effects a trip could have on my health but Ryan and I prayed about me going and we both felt a peace that everything would be fine. That assurance was all I needed! We knew that taking Harrison to see his cousins and spending a week with the kids would be a highlight of my year and I certainly will treasure the time I had with them. Ryan generously packed us up and sent us on our way. He wanted to go too but I said I needed some sister, mother time and he selflessly let me go and take his world (Harrison) with me!

It was wonderful to have so much one-on-one intimate time with Ben, Lauren and Ethan. When Chels and her family travel here for the summers, I have to share the kiddos with the rest of the family and really can't compete with the eager cousins for private time with them so to be able to see them in their own element and get all that cuddle time with Ethan was such a treat!

Here are just a few of the hundreds of pictures we took : ) What can I say, I love taking pictures of cute kids!

Jumping on the moon bounce in the basement was Lauren's favorite thing to do! Harrison caught on pretty quick...





Grandma, Harrison and I were so honored to be there as Ben accepted his "Character Counts Award" and placed his handprint on the school pillar...Good Job BEN!!





We had so much fun at the park...






I didn't think Harrison could enjoy the bath anymore than he already does but we threw in his cousins and he couldn't contain his delight. He even let Lauren wash his hair!





Ethan is our little rolly-polly-drooly-cuddle-bug and I could not get enough of him. Harrison adored him too, as long as mommy wasn't giving him ALL her attention : ) Harrison loved to walk in the double stroller with his cousin, in only a year or so there won't even be a noticeable difference in their age and they are going to be running around together! ...Ethan is also our little lifegaurd in training! I can't wait for the summer when we can get all the boys together in their Australian lifegaurd gear!






Unfortunately we didn't get to spend much time with Cam as he was traveling for business most the time we were there. We misssed him but felt so blessed to be with Chels and the kids. As much fun as it was to be with the kids, it was just as great to be able to sit around Chels's kitchen table with her and my mom after the kids were in bed, fighting our heavy eyelids and talk into the late hours about motherhood, marriage, the gospel, and just catching up. Chels, we love you so much. Thank you for having us!! Let's make this an annual tradition!