Carpenter's Colorful Collections

Happy Fall!

2011-10-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Fall! The boys had a blast creating this and I spent less than $7! I will work on updating everyone but know I am doing well.

Surgery Update

2011-07-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

Well it has been a month since I have posted so I better update you all. I have been lounging and being lazy trying to heal from all these darn surgeries.   My double mastectomy is behind me and I am healing nicely with that surgery. However, a few days after surgery I was told the cancer was in my left lymph node so I needed another surgery. On June 24th I had all my lymph nodes removed from my left arm pit. This surgery has been a major obstacle!! It was really, really painful and I am still feeling the pain today. I don't have full arm movement and to top things off I got a fungal infection at the site as well. Ughh.... I am sooo over surgeries!  The results from my lymph node removal came back and they removed 5 nodes and none of them were cancerous! Yeah!!
On July 20th I met with my plastic surgeon so she could fill up my tissue expander's. I now have 550 cc. of saline in them and I will have one more fill and they are full! I still dislike them VERY much. I have some nerve pain/damage (not sure) from my shoulder to my elbow. It is hard to describe the pain. I don't really have any feeling but when you rub the area it is painful. I hope this goes away soon. Also the weirdest feeling is when I have an itch on my breast but it is not a skin itch just an itch that I can't get to. I told you it was weird. My next plan of action is to have my DIEP flap surgery in October.

I snuck in to talk to my oncologist and she is taking my case to tumor conference on July 27th to determine if I need radiation or not. I am PRAYING that I don't have to do radiation. I have been told I need 6 weeks 5 days a week of radiation. We will see...

I am now taking 2 aspirin a day to keep my blood thinned which means that I have finished my Lovenox injections. I was getting those daily for 90 days at the local hospital. I am so thankful they are done. I will be starting an IV infusion of Zometa to prevent me from getting bone cancer. I will go every 3 months for 2 years and the treatment is about an hour long. I am hoping that my local hospital can do these treatments.

On another note we took Owen to see his pediatric endocrinologist for his growth hormone medicine. He started up last night and did fine. I am looking for him to start sprouting really fast. He was -4.0 on the height chart.

Here is a pic of my new hair with Owen and the other pic is an update on this post.

Owen, Grandma JJ, and I stopped to pick sunflowers to give to Aunt Ellen.

Here is an updated pic of my nails. If you look close you can see discoloration and white lines. Those white lines are really fragile and the nails just peel when they get close to the white portion. I also lost one toe nail so not too bad considering the thought of losing them all.

Yes, that is my wedding band!  The nurses just taped my wedding band but my surgeon needed it removed b/c of all the tools he was using could cause the metal to do damage to my finger. Well the only problem was I haven't been able to get that ring off for who knows how long. Obviously they couldn't either so they cut it off me. I feel naked now that I don't have my wedding band and I can't wait to get it fixed.

Let's breast it down

2011-06-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

Okay well I am back! I feel pretty good considering the surgery I went through. It was a tough surgery and I am STILL healing! I am feeling lots of pressure and I really dislike the tissue expanders. So here is the ~~breast~~ break down.

My surgery was at KU hospital and while we were waiting I had my grandma, my dad and his wife Cheri, Brian's father Frank, my Pastor, and of course my husband. Before I was sent to prepare for surgery my pastor said a prayer which was a powerful feeling and gave me the strength I needed, thank you Pastor Dale!

I really dislike needles and am "one of those patients" so I hear. It always takes at least 2-5 attempts to draw blood or get an IV. So I was a nervous wreck regarding the IV and for good reason b/c it took them 4 attempts! Ugh!

My surgeon removed my breast tissue (which I donated to KU for further research) and 2 lymph nodes on the right and 1 lymph node on the left to see if the cancer had spread. The right nodes were free from cancerous cells but we found out that the left node was cancerous. That was a HUGE blow! I go this Friday to have all my lymph nodes removed on the left side and then will have 6 weeks of radiation Monday-Friday sometime after I heal. The good news is they will let me do my radiation in Manhattan rather than KU!

My plastic surgeon went in and placed an expander under the muscle and shaped the breast with Alloderm(cadaver cartilage and filled them to a size B). They placed drains in each of my armpits to allow the fluids to escape. The surgery lasted about six hours.

It has been two weeks and I still have the draining tubes in and have a constant ache in my chest. The tissue expanders are ROCK HARD and uncomfortable! I am trying to stay grounded to my initial size decision which is hard b/c having your expanders stretched to MY size will be more uncomfortable and a longer process. They will fill the expanders every 2 weeks for anywhere from 2-4 months to get to my size. I am going to try to get as much as my surgeon will allow so I can speed up the process but I don't want to be in too much pain either. Tough calls I tell you!

It's funny how your image of breasts change with each chapter of your life. For instance when you are single they mean sexuality then you have children and they are no longer sexual but for nourishing your child, then after nursing for three years you realize they are just blobs. Am I the only one who feels this way?! I went back and fourth deciding if I should show you what my expanders look like but will leave that decision up to you individually. If you are interested in seeing let me know and I will show you or email you the pics. I know that my mind always wanders to the worst so I would want to see but I am also weird but you all know that already :) I hope to help anyone else who has to endure this journey and have no shame in sharing pics but thought this was the most appropriate way to do so.

Surgery

2011-06-05T12:19:00.000-05:00

Hello blog family and friends! I will be away from the blog for a week and a half. I am headed to KC today and my double masectomy is scheduled tomorrow (Monday) at 11am. Please pray for my medical team, strength, and a quick recovery!

God's blessings!

Homemade sidewalk chalk

2011-05-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

This is the tutorial that I shared over at Couturier Mommy on May 16th. This is a simple project and they can be using the chalk the same day :)

I enjoy crafting and LOVE that other bloggers share their creativity! I try to keep my busy children occupied with new and exciting projects. I don't know a child who doesn't enjoy coloring. I hope you recreate this project for your children this summer.

Items Needed:
Toilet paper rolls
Plaster of Paris
Washable paint
clay
Painter's tape
cardboard
water

Here are the supplies I used. I would recommend wearing gloves as this plaster will dry out your hands. Please NOTE: Do not rinse these containers in your sink or you will clog your pipes!

You will need to make sure that the clay around the bottom of the toilet paper is sealed tightly or it will seep out the bottom.

I used 2 parts plaster and 1 part water and mixed well. Then poured liquid into the rolls.

Here is Miles helping me!

I let the plaster sit for a little over an hour then you just start peeling the toilet paper off.

The boys really like when I put in two different colors. Here they are ready for use!

Miles was overjoyed when he could finally use his chalk for hopscotch.

Thanks for checking out the tutorial! Please stop by again soon!

How could you NOT want one

2011-05-23T06:58:00.003-05:00

The boys are loving the mail they have been receiving lately! I sent out an email/facebook that the boys are coloring on luminaries in honor or memory of someone. The other day my dear friend Pixie sent a letter to the boys and Owen could read almost all of it. He was so excited! Here is a picture of his luminary in honor of his mommy :) I love how he puts talking bubbles in his pictures.

Luminaries are $10 per bag and YOU still have time to send the boys a letter. Please make checks payable to Marshall County Relay for Life and address the envelope with Carpenter Children. You can also make an online donation by simply clicking on my Courtney's Crusader button on the left side of my blog.

My relay for life is the second weekend in June and I am speaking. I am nervous but also excited to share my story.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Guest blogging...

2011-05-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

Today I am guest blogging at Couturier Mommy! Go check her blog out and look at my tutorial I posted. If you have children this is a must do summer craft!! Guaranteed.

If you are new to my blog, WELCOME! Take a look around and let me know where you are coming from so I can check your blog out!

Chemo is OVER!!

2011-05-15T13:36:00.003-05:00

It has been pretty busy around here lately now that I don't feel sick. My last treatment of chemo was April 27th! I was suppose to have one more treatment but they found a blood clot from my elbow to my shoulder. I am now going to the hospital DAILY for Lovenox injections in my stomach and legs. They have also moved my surgery date to June 6th instead of July. I am excited about the surgery date but not the surgery itself. I am nervous and scared but in the end this is the best decision.

I will have a skin saving double mastectomy and removal of the nipples and then they will put in tissue expander's. The reconstruction surgery can take between 2 to 3 hours and they say it is extremely painful. Ugh... I believe the children will go to Manhattan to be cared for by Grandma JJ. I will have family here to help me with my care. I will have draining tubes to monitor for awhile. I am hoping that I will be able to attend my Relay for Life here in Marysville on the 15th but we will see.

The next surgery will be a robotic hysterectomy and that will be done at the end of the summer. That surgery takes an hour to complete. My oncologist has recommended this because of my onco type test. My test showed an intermediate risk for recurrence of cancer so we are going to take this to prevent another cancer.

The last surgery is called DIEP or Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery flap and it will take 12+ hours in the operating room. This is a very time consuming surgery b/c they have to reattach the blood vessels. I went with this option for many reasons but the main reason is because it is permanent. Instead of implants they will use my skin and fat of my abdomen and move it to my chest creating breasts. I know it is AMAZING what my Dr.'s can do! What is not to look forward to :) I will have new breasts, flat stomach, and 2 tattoos GONE!!

Oh and my hair is coming back in and so I will be feeling like a new woman before Christmas!

Please continue to pray for strength and healing during these surgeries. I am confident in my Dr.'s and the teams at KU but nervous about the healing and pain as you can imagine. However I am ready to feel "normal" again and look forward to these steps being completed.

Thank you for your continued prayers, calls, cards, food, etc. I am one BLESSED MAMA!!

Sermon Sunday

2011-05-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

Yes ME! I know this comes as a shock to some of you but yes I did the sermon on Sunday! We called it Adventures in Mommyhood and it was two parts. The first part regarding my cancer and the second part was the adventures of mommyhood.

I talked about the new word that I have been using since I have found out about cancer. The word BEATIFIC means displaying great happiness, calmness and I want to be seen with a beatific smile. :) I also talked about how God prepared me for this journey, you can find the post here.

I also had photographs of the boys making food and creating a big mess but having a blast. Then I created a top 5 list.

5 Games Children want to play instead of Chutes and Ladders

1. You'll never guess what I'm going to bring into the house! (We had 2 wolf spiders, 2 butterflies, and 1 caterpillar)

2. Let's see how long we can say MOMMY! (Oh so many times I can't count them all)

3. Let me tell you when I'm full (Lila throws her food in 1 BIG sweeping motion)

4. Guess what I just put in my mouth (Lego, paper, food, goldfish, sock)

5. Bet I can reach what you think I can't! (getting step stool, climbing on counter, reaching for the toy that is ON TOP of the refrigerator in time out!)

It made me nervous and excited to stand up and share my stories but in the end I had a great time and thought it was successful!

1/2 way there

2011-04-22T11:43:00.002-05:00

They have not been able to get on the computer, watch TV, play wii, or even play on the leapster. However mommy has had computer time (limited!) and TV time after the boys went to bed.

We are almost finished with screen-free week and it has actually went pretty well. I am loving the time with my children and boy it has been exhausting me. I know that once this chemo is out of me I will have more energy but WOW these kiddos are busy! :) I love watching them play nicely and use their imaginations!

On day two Owen had a meltdown and said, "He was sick of it and just wanted to play wii!" Well I can tell you today is the first day he hasn't asked to play. He did sneak in some screen time at a friend's house for approx. 30 min. Little stinker :)

LOVE this verse it is a FANTASTIC reminder: Children are a gift from the Lord: they are a reward from him Psalm 127:3

We still have several more activities planned:

Put a puzzle together
Make slime
Make sugar cookies
Have a Fitness Treasure hunt with Easter eggs

Here are some highlights of what we have been up to!

Lots of pictures were painted

Don't judge the artwork just the painting!

Playing "dolls" in the only boyish way :)

April 26, 2011 is Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day and we are donating

a couple of blankets to a local family who is collecting blankets and diapers.

Playing Hullabloo

Screen-Free Week-Ready or Not

2011-04-15T08:42:00.004-05:00

We are going to be participating in our 1st screen-free week and let me tell you I am a little nervous!

Just a couple days back I told Owen he needed to play outside and put the wii away and he pouted all the way to the door and then shouted, "This is the WORST day of his life!" So I am planning ahead and thinking of projects to do so we don't have any meltdowns! Wish us luck!

Here is some startling information regarding our children and screen time. Oh and please know that I am one mom who really needs to work on this. Since having cancer I have let them sit in front of the TV for WAY too much time. This will be really good for our family and I am pretty excited to have some fun play time with the children and hubby!

http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/factsheets/screentime.pdf

I am praying for nice weather so we can do some field trips outside but here are some of the projects we will be doing.

1. Put a puzzle together

2. Go to the trail with the bicycles

3. Go to the ball field and practice playing t-ball

4. Visit the Library

5. Do some crafts

Please link up if you will be participating and what you will be doing to occupy your children!

I look forward to all the ideas!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MOMMY!

2011-04-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Hello one and all
We are growing big and tall

We have had some ups and downs

But this summer we will run around like clowns

Where? At my mommy’s relay

Want to remember a loved one?
Well leave it to us we will draw on a luminary, we will take a picture when it is done!

Join us in raising money, don’t delay!

We love and miss you

And those that join the team we can’t wait to kiss you!

You will see the link on the sidebar-Courtney’s Crusaders!

You can also make checks out to Marshall County Relay for Life and send to:

Carpenter Children:
email me for address (court_carpenter(at)hotmail(dot)com
Marysville Kansas, 66508

IT'S PERFECT (with italian gestures of course)

2011-04-12T18:44:00.000-05:00

Look at that spaghetti smile!!

I think she liked my spaghetti!

Day 8-Coat Closet

2011-04-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

Well I only have chemo treatments every 3 weeks now and so I feel a little "normal" if that is even possible. My "normal" consists of feeling like I am just about to catch the flu, does that make sense to you? I feel tired, have body aches, and my eyes are always blurry. HOWEVER, that is my normal right now and I feel great!

So good that I am going to finish my 21-day challenge. I may not get to them everyday but I will finish at some point. I am thankful that Toni had these challenges and my first 7 still look fantastic. The challenges sure have helped my day to day duties. I can't wait to show you all the before/after photos. I also have viewed other blogs to get more ideas too. :)
I finally added hooks to the closet so the boys could hang up their coats and backpacks on their own! As you can see this has helped and has kept my floor clean!

Before: Notice the huge pile of coats & backpacks

After: The backpacks and coats hung up!

Close up of the hooks (purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Famous?!

2011-03-27T11:36:00.001-05:00

Well not exactly but this will be as close as I get! Ha, ha.

Let me start from the beginning. I had all intentions to create cards to give to everyone at the cancer center but then was hit with chemo! So I asked for help from my Utah Diva gals (my former SU group) and Splitcoaststampers (LOVE this site!) Well the support has been huge and I have received soo many beautiful thank you and birthday cards from friends and complete strangers! THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!

I love doing this and most of the time they already know who they are going to send their card to which is fun to hear about! I also love all the happy smiles :)

I also leave a thank you card on the table for the next chemo patient with a note that says, " Have a great day I know you can use this. From one chemo buddy to another!" I know that we all go through a lot of thank you cards b/c everyone is doing something for us during our time of need. I know I feel blessed by the support I have received!!

So last time I received chemo a lady delivered a bouquet of daffodils to me and in return I gave her a thank you card. I remember her saying, "I was giving you a gift and you are now giving me one, how sweet!"

Well to my surprise that nice lady returned five minutes later with a camera crew, she is a news reporter and wanted to do a story about my cards. So here is my 1 minute of fame! Pretty cool, huh.

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/daffodil-days-brings-smiles-to-kansas-cancer-patients-

Lila loves...

2011-03-25T16:35:00.000-05:00

her baby dolls!!

I can tell you this girl stuff is soo much fun! I have had a blast playing dress up with her too.
Here are some adorable pics of Lila playing with her dolls. She is such a cuddly little gal and loves caring for her babies. She will be an amazing mom one day! Here she is practicing! :)

Oh and the cradle is mine that my grandmother Joan had made for me years ago. I am thankful that my dad kept this so I could pass it down to my daughter. I am hoping next time grandma comes to visit I can have her paint Lila's name on it too.

This is my favorite picture of her!

Blowing a kiss to her baby.

Patting her babies back.

Pressing her babies belly to hear the baby giggle.

Hugging her baby!

Rocking her baby.

I think we have another child with an eye fetish! Ha!

You can be an EXTROVERT AND HAVE FAITH...

2011-03-17T06:07:00.003-05:00

Why, because God created me just that way!

I think it is funny that some (a small group) of peope think that you can't be loud, extrovert, and sometimes obnoxious and not be a christian. Doesn't that surprise you!? It does me. I remember one time at a church many years ago we had to fill out a survey about where our needs would best be met. The lady that was seeing where they should place me looked up and said to me, "I am surprised by your answers I didn't realize you had such a strong faith?" To this day I can't get that statment out of my mind. I was shocked, stunned, amazed that someone of her cailber would say such a thing. I mean she didn't really know me personally. I do like to have fun and I am loud and I say it like it is but I can't change ME that is DNA genetics and frankly wouldn't change!

My faith in God has only increased with each obsticle my family and I have faced. I can't imagine walking through life and not hearing the Holy Spirit that we each have inside of us. I didn't realize my Holy Spirit was even talking to me until I lost Graycee then in reflection realized God was talking to me to prepare me for the upcoming loss of Graycee (stillborn at 38 weeks). I also told you about the time where he was preparing me for breast cancer. I hope and pray that each one of you can find your Holy Spirit! It is a powerful tool that I reach for, listen to, and react to almost on a daily basis. So yes I am fighting cancer but I am just as excited to see what God has in store for me at the end of this journey and that is exciting!

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you Acts 1:8

Does that mean I am perfect, absolutely NOT! I put my foot in my mouth CONSTANTLY, I lose patience with my children, I cuss sometimes, and I told Brian that Cancer SUCKS, but that doesn't mean I am not Christian. I know when I have fallen off and I work on getting back on that fence. Here are some tools that I use to get back on. These tools really help me get back on track and I know that when I am currently doing these activities that my attitude has changed, I am more patient, I am watching my words. I hope these help you too!

1. Read the bible
2. Look up verses that will help me
3. Read christian books
4. Start/Join a bible study
5. Right now I am reading Standing Up For Your Child without stepping on toes by Vicki Caruana! (See I know my faults and try to prepare myself in how to handle the situation in a christian manner! :)

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE?

My pill organizer

2011-03-04T15:44:00.001-06:00

I told you it was THE BIGGEST PILL ORGANIZER IN AMERICA!

I was once a gal who couldn't swallow pills without having a mouth full of water and still gagging as they went down. Now not so much! I can swallow 3 small pills at ONCE. Big steps my friends, ha! Well I take anywhere from 16-19 pills per day. I also receive a shot in the stomach everytime I have chemo and another one in the stomach every month.

My port was placed in KC on Monday and that went smooth. They were able to access the port on Wed. 16th (SWEET Lila's 1st birthday!!) and I had my second treatment of chemo. The Dr. walked in and said, "Well we about killed you, huh!" I said I felt like it and she said she wouldn't do that again. We have tweaked chemo and I am no longer taking Taxotere and they reduced the doses on both of the other chemo drugs (Epirubicin, and Cytoxan). I will have chemo every two weeks now with my 3rd treatment on March 2nd. I have lost all my hair but can't keep my hats on b/c princess keeps pulling them off. :)

I did have my 3rd treatment on the 2nd and they have bumped up the Epirubicin and Cytoxan to 100% so hopefully this weekend won't be too bad! We will see. My 4th treatment in on March 16th.

ON A FABULOUS NOTE!!
MY TUMOR HAS SHRUNK ENORMOUSLY!!! PRAISE GOD AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS!!
The tumor on the right breast took the ultrasound 35 min. to find it b/c it had shrunk soo much. :) The left tumor was measuring 7cm x4cm and that has shrunk IN HALF!!! It was now measuring 3cm x3cm. Our oncologist doesn't get too excited about things but yesterday she was grabbing my breast saying, "It feels like it evaporated!" Needless to say we are ecstatic of the news and continue to pray that we keep having positive results! The food, calls, emails, cards, have all been wonderful. We feel the love of the community, family, friends, blog friends and are humbled by all the outpouring of love and support we have received, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Here is a scripture I read A LOT!

Nothing that happens is beyond the Lord's domain. Nothing can touch us that the heavenly Father can't deal with, and no event can ruin His plan for good in our lives. All things, He promises, will work together for our good, if we love Him. (Romans 8:28) I LOVE HIM and I know he walks with me in my journey!

All the hair changes; BRACE YOURSELF

2011-02-25T19:36:00.000-06:00

Well I have had good hair days, bad hair days, and no hair days! We have kept the boys entertained through this journey to try to seem "normal". For the most part it is working! :)

Here are some pics starting from the beginning.

My hair long.

Miles cutting my hair!

Owen cutting my hair!

I decided from the beginning that I would cut it short so it wouldn't be so dramatic when I did lose my hair. The boys had a BALL cutting it off. They were giggling the whole time. I did have the "talk" about no cutting hair on sisters, dolls, school classmates, etc. So far so good!

Then I had a friend cut it short and I really like how it turned out, thanks Lacey!

One night around the two week mark I noticed that my hair was falling out and Brian and I agreed it was time to buzz it. So this is my hair buzzed and my boys' comments:

Owen said, " You look like a MAN!" ha ha (oh the honesty, gotta love it! :)
Miles said, " You look cute mom!" Awww
Brian said, "You have a great shaped head! ha

Then one day for lunch we were sitting on the couch and daddy asked Miles to, "Pull on daddy's hair and see if hair falls out!" Well as you can imagine this was great fun for Miles. So he tugs on daddy's hair and nothing. Then Brian says, "Pull on mommies and see if you get any hair!" Well you guessed it mine fell out. Miles thought that was sooo cool and for the rest of the day the boys would walk by and grab a pinch and so for awhile I looked like a spotted leopard.
I know this may sound disturbing but it did not hurt and it was falling out anyway. So no harm done except for belly laughs from the kiddos! I am thankful that we have our humor to make this journey fun for my children, I wouldn't want it any other way! So please no mean comments!

This is a picture right after my port was placed.

This is my current pic.

I have GREAT...

2011-02-11T10:45:00.001-06:00

NAILS

I know I know not what you expected me to say! Ha! Well I share this because their is a possibility that I will lose them from the chemo. Some women have experienced loss of nails and I am hoping mine don't go but if they do then you have proof that my nails are GREAT :) I have never had any problems growing long, strong nails. I also have always wanted to be a hand model, so here you go! Nice huh!? I am currently using nailtiques which is a nail protein to make them stronger.

I also had to have Brian buzz my hair on Tues. I had started losing it on Monday but by Tues. it was getting worse. Everyday it gets thinner and thinner. I don't understand how bald men can walk around without a hat! My head is freezing all the time. I wear head covers most of the time. I also have had some incredibly talented blog friends want to make me hats so I will showcase those soon!

I have surgery on Monday for my port and start my 2nd round of chemo on the 16th. I will update you when I am able.

My friend Melissa gave me this verse and I wanted to share it with you all. I know it will help me during the chemo days!

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41: 10

OH holy chemo!

2011-02-04T14:40:00.000-06:00

Warning: LONG POST but it will catch you up from the beginning to now.

Well I have all the tests finished up. I head to Manhattan on Monday for the last set of tests. The first day was strictly tests (mri's, labs, mammos, ultrasounds, etc) We were there from 10:30am-4:30pm. The next day was meeting with Dr. Fabian and her staff. We had a wonderful warm welcome from everyone involved! We were told that they found 5 tumors on the left breast and 1 on the right. It has doubled in size and is growing into one big mass. The measurement was around 5 cm. Dr. Fabian believes it is late stage 2 beginning stage 3 breast cancer. The FANTASTIC news is it is NOT in the lymph nodes or bone marrow!!! God is good!! The stage 3 is solely based on the size of the tumor so although it sounds scary it is not :) I start chemo on January 25th and will return for chemo in KC every 2 weeks for the next 4-5 months. I am so blessed of the amount of support from you all!
Oh one more thing I started menopause too. My tumor is growing b/c of hormones so they shut them down! We will see what this brings :)

I did a genomic test which shows your oncotype DX. Oncotype DX breast cancer assay uses RT-PCR to determine the expression of a panel of 21 genes in tumor tissues. The Recurrence score is calculated from the gene expression results. The results score range is from 1-100. I scored a 28 which puts me in the intermediate risk group to have a recurrence at 10 years after 5 years of Tamoxifen treatment. This will help me to know what type of breast surgery we will do when chemo is over. I will most likely have a bilateral mastectomy with a complete hysterectomy as well.

I am currently taking 3 chemo meds they are called Taxotere, Epirubicin, and Cytoxan. Have fun researching :)

Oh holy chemo!! Well my first round of chemo was on the 25th and for the following 2 days I felt okay. I could walk, talk, hug, laugh, etc. On Friday I was starting to feel the effects of this poison. I had horrendous chest pain, couldn't eat, couldn't lift my head for longer than 15 seconds it was ROUGH. I don't even know if rough is the word. I have never felt so close to death ever. I know some of you are laughing, oh this is Courtney being dramatic, but really it was bad! I laugh as I type this because the worst is over and I look back and think WOW I made it through that . This second round is going to be a breeze :)

I went to the hospital on Monday where they pumped me full of fluids and meds and by the evening I was a new person. What an iv bag can do is miraculous! The lab report showed that my white blood count was 0.3!! A normal person's wbc is 4-11. No wonder I felt yucky. My oncologist nurse called and said that we won't be able to do chemo on the 9th but will do it on the 16th. I will leave Monday evening for KC to have my port placed in my chest by my breast surgeon.

Grandma JJ has taken all three children to Aunt Ellen's house for a cousin's party!! They are having a fantastic time and I can't wait to see them on Sunday. I am tired, weak, but able to do small tasks. The best way I can describe it is with my toaster. I have stood and waited for toast soo many mornings for my boys but now I have a hard time standing to wait on it. Everyday gets better and better. I wake up each morning reaching for my hair to see if I still have any and I do! Here is a recent pic of me and I am wearing THE SCARF that my girlfriend is making in my honor! LOVE IT!

Thank you all for the meals, cards, calls, etc. I am humbled by all the love and support my family and I have had!!!

Next time I will get a shot of all my meds I have to take :( I have the BIGGEST pill organizer in America.

My dear friend Kylee's project

2011-01-23T19:24:00.000-06:00

Kylee is one of the sweetest gals you will ever meet! I met her in college and we have been friends since. I have watched her become a wonderful mom. I am lucky to have her on my side. I LOVE her scarfs and can't wait to get mine in the mail! Kylee has decided to make scarfs in my honor. Here is her blog for more information.

Kylee I love you! You are an amazing friend, THANK YOU!!

Changes

2011-01-14T08:36:00.000-06:00

Well as I can imagine changes are just beginning. I am scared, hopeful, sad, happy, devastated, grateful. I know some of those words sound bizarre but I have FAITH!   I have been through some tough times before and I have only become stronger.

I always lean on this scripture in my time of need! We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly god loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
-Romans 5:3-5

Okay on to the changes. First change is I will be going to KU Med for my treatments. I have 2 appointments the 1st one is humongous amount of labs, x-rays, and body scans. Oh and you can believe I told them that I have a vasovagal response when it comes to needles so they are just going to start an IV instead of many needle pokes! :)    I will then meet with my new oncologist the following morning to see what the plan of action is. Dr. Fabian's nurse believes they will start chemo to shrink the tumor before we do surgery. I did get some good news regarding my markers. I don't know what some of these terms mean so I will just add links for you to research on your own if you wish. I found out that estrogen/progesterone is highly positive which is good news as well as the her2 protein being 1+. The tumor growing rate is 41% so it has been there awhile but I personally have felt the lump for 2 months. So that was nothing new.    The radiologist new right away just by looking at the tissue which is why we really had the blow last Friday and was prepared on that following Tuesday. They test your tissue with histological grade and I have Nottingham grade 3. YUCK! :(   My total score was 8/9.

Oh and one really sweet story! This made my day yesterday! I was dropping Miles off at preschool and one of his classmates was headed inside and looked at me and said, Hey your sick!? I said yes, but the Dr.'s are going to make me feel better really soon!   It is at those times that I smile and say I can do this! I will beat this.

Thank you sooo much for all your prayers, phone calls, visits, cards! I feel soo supported and know that I can get through this. I know the first lesson I will be learning is that the laundry and dishes can be loaded multiple ways and they get clean the same way!!! GASP! Ha! I laugh just thinking about this :)

HOPE!

2011-01-12T06:22:00.000-06:00

Today I was diagnosed with Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma another name for breast cancer. I am 30 years old with 3 children the youngest not a year. I had been waiting on the results since last Friday and got the call at 12:15pm from the clinic to come in at 1:30pm. I hung up the phone and quickly called my husband as he was an hour away in Hiawatha working. My in laws were eating at Nelson's Landing and they rushed over here too.

On our drive to the clinicI kept telling Brian that god was preparing me for this news. I believe these are not coincidences but message from god. The 1st one was 3-4 months ago when my mom was having an ultrasound on her breast (luckily it is nothing!) however I told her she shouldn't hide that kind of information from us girls because one of us could have cancer! The second one is that my mother in law every year for the past 6 years has purchased a yearly calendar for me and this year is the only year that I have received that is dedicated to breast cancer. So we were talking about this and we pull up to park and the car in front of us has a breast cancer license plate. I know that God is here with me and will guide me through this journey and I love how he sends me messages. So yesterday diagnosis day was 1-11-11 so I am praying that this is another message and that I only have stage 1 breast cancer. We won't find out anything until I have surgery next week.

Thank you, thank you for all your kind words and prayers! I feel blessed to be going through this because I know that I have a HUGE network of family and friends willing and ready to do anything to help me or my family out.

Day 7-Pantry

2011-01-10T17:27:00.000-06:00

Day #7 ~ Getting Organized Challenge (The Pantry)

Well I was off to a good start then the news hit on Friday so I was really unmotivated to do anything and I mean anything. Laundry, cook, clean, etc. Luckily my mother and father in law came to town and helped me take down Christmas, make supper, and helped me organize the pantry and cabinets. So I am a couple days behind but will catch up soon!

This isn't my pantry but a really disorganized cabinet that holds all types of food. Oh and the best part was finding 3 yes 3 candy bars. I am one to hide chocolate from my children and eat it DAILY :) I have such a weakness for chocolate. I am still working on my pantry and will post pics later but for now enjoy the look of the clean cabinet. Thanks Janis and Frank for all your help!!!

Thank you all for the prayers!! I have an amazing support network of family and friends and feel sooo blessed!

Please pray...

2011-01-10T08:22:00.002-06:00

Let me start from the beginning.

At the end of November beginning of December I felt a lump in my breast. I nursed Lila from birth until she reached 7 1/2 months old. We were told at her 6 month check up we needed to be supplementing her with formula. My breasts were starting to go down to regular size when I felt the lump. I just assumed the lump was either a clogged milk duct from drying up or the start of mastitis. So after 1 1/2 months of the lump not going away we felt we needed to follow up with a Dr. My neighbor and friend is a new Nurse practitioner and I saw her on January 3rd. The nurse practitioner then scheduled me for an ultrasound the following morning at the local hospital. The ultrasound found 3 lumps the first being 2 cm by 1.6 cm and the other two lumps are 1 cm. each. I received a phone call shortly after from a Dr. in the same practice as the nurse practitioner. She called to tell me that I would need a biopsy on the lump for more information. On Friday, January 7th I had my breast biopsy. The procedure was a little painful. The radiologist numbed the area and stuck a large needle into the lump then another needle was inserted. The second needle would remove tissue samples from the lump. The radiologist removed 4 samples of tissue. After the procedure the radiologist took my hand and told me that the tissue did appear to be cancer. I looked at him in shock and just said matter of fact (Courtney style) "You do realize I have 3 small children at home and they are my whole world!" He replied that he was sorry but this wasn't his first time and he understands my pain. He said it is 50-60% likely that it is breast cancer. I look over at my husband who at this point is headed my way and all I can think about is how sad and devastated my husband looks. I told him it would be okay we can get through anything. We were told that the results would be back January 11th. I have been praying hard that he is WRONG and that he made a mistake and that it is mastitis scar tissue but I don't know.

Please pray!!

Day 6-Dresser Drawers

2011-01-07T18:48:00.001-06:00

Day #6 ~ Getting Organized Challenge (Dresser Drawers)

I HAVE CLEAN DRAWERS, GET IT!! :) HAHAH!

Well, well, well, bet you weren't expecting me to say this...

That is one thing I have done!!! Whoohoooo! I am thankful that this is completed b/c I am out of commission today. I will be back and ready for tomorrow's challenge. I am going to spend this evening having my husband help me take down Christmas! See you tomorrow!

My dresser

Boys dresser

Day 5-Under the Kitchen Sink

2011-01-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

Day #5 ~ Getting Organized Challenge (Under the Kitchen Sink)

Well it is day 5 and I have enjoyed getting this house organized!! I am a little embarrassed at how disorganized my house is however it eases my mind that I am not alone in this. I have seen some great blogs with awesome organization going on! Keep it up ladies.

HOWEVER, I do feel as though we should have 1 challenge strictly for the husbands! :) ha ha! I say this b/c my husband is loving the work I am doing and I keep hearing these comments.

a) Sooo what is your challenge today?
b) I really like these challenges!
c) I hope one of the challenges is ____ and ____ and ____!!
d)That is a good one!
e)That needed to be done!

This list could go on and on but I will stop with these few! :) This of course is all in fun but you know just 1 challenge for my hubby would be nice!

Well as you can see by the pics this was a mounting pile as well. I didn't realize I had so many multiples. I took wipes to each bathroom, car, etc. This isn't perfect but my Walmart didn't carry the door hangers so I will have to drive an hour to the closest Target and find something there. One of my friends is now a Shaklee member so once these are done I will be purchasing from her. We are transitioning to a greener home. It takes time but we will get there.

Before

Rows of Multiples/Piles of Dust cloths

AFTER

Item Needed:

Wire Door Organizer

Day 4-Linen Closet=Toy Closet

2011-01-05T14:19:00.004-06:00

Day #4 Challenge (The Linen Closet)

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND HELP WITH MY POLL! I am having a hard time knowing what to do with those leapster cartridge boxes. Thank you in advance!

Well I don't have a linen closet. We will eventually put the toys downstairs in the playroom when that is finished and this will be the linen closet.

So last month Brian and I spent 3 hours on this darn room. We were able to donate 2 boxes of toys and throw away 1 1/2 bags of trash. I am one mama who needs desperately to work on accountability!! I have days that I make them do their chores and other days that I was okay with them just throwing the toys in the closet as long as it closed. :( Well no more of that! We have kept the bottom half of the closet cleaned and organized for over a month now!! Today I worked on the top shelf that needed to be organized.

I am LOVING, LOVING this challenge and as you can see with all these pics this house NEEDED this badly! I feel great and less stressed. Thank you so much Toni!

*I have several people asking how I created the labels for the tubs. I wanted the children to be able to put their own toys away even if they didn't know how to read. It is amazing to see children know logos/symbols and relate them to toys! I went to google dot com and typed in lego logo etc. and printed them out and taped them. This has been one of the best things I have done!

Before

Top Shelf

After

After- Top Shelf

Linked my DIY logo labels on this blog:

Day 3-Tupperware cabinet

2011-01-04T16:53:00.000-06:00

Today my challenge for you is to organize your tupperware cabinets. This may be a cabinet where you hold your mixing bowls, leftover containers, baking dishes, and everything in between (not just tupperware). You do NOT have to organize more than one cabinet today (unless you want to).

This morning when I woke up to see what our challenge was I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Just the night before I had opened up this exact cabinet to get a cup and out came 4-6 containers at my feet. What did I do? Yes, you guessed it! I threw them all back in their as fast as I could and slammed the door. I do this at least 4 times a week but never, never clean it out. So that started the first morning laugh!! A good laugh...

Before

Lids/tupperware with no matches=TRASH!

AFTER!

Day 2-Computer Desk

2011-01-03T10:15:00.001-06:00

Front View-Before

Side View

Yuck! Dust bunnies!

AFTER

Challenge #2 - Your computer desk (top only)

Well our computer desk is currently in our bedroom temporarily. We will be moving it downstairs when we have that organized. Eek... That will take a good couple of months.

As I was taking everything off to wipe down I found a gray bunny not really but jeez! I lay my head down just a couple of feet from that. This morning Brian saw the challenge but didn't see the TOP ONLY and said finally the box will be gone. Oh sorry, bubba maybe next challenge :) Thankfully! That box is full of papers, odds and ends that will take me at least 2 1/2 hours to go through.

A couple of things needed for computer desk is:

1. Pencil/pen holder
2. Drawer organizer like Toni for the ipods, address labels, etc.

Biggest Junk Drawer in America

2011-01-01T12:49:00.003-06:00

Before I removed anything
GO AHEAD AND DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICS
AND GET A REAL GOOD LOOK! :)

The bottomless pit after ONLY removing the 4 books

AFTER

Here is your challenge (I started out simple)...

Whoa, what did she type? Simple, really? I am in for a challenging 21 days! Ha! However I am super excited to see what I have accomplished when the challenge is over. Oh and you should see my husband he is SUPER GIDDY about this too!!

Well here is my junk drawer in my kitchen. It is a crazy mess! A dumping ground for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING as you can see.

It looks incredible now and I have to say I love that I found the same liner at Target and it matches perfect with my walls! So for day 1 of the challenge I feel good and can't wait til Monday.

I have linked to these as well:

In the New Year I will be doing more of this...

2010-12-31T12:41:00.000-06:00

Organizing my home

Reading! My Christmas present from my sweet/handsome hubby!

Spending time with this cute bunch

What else? I guess you will just have to wait and see...

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

New Year's Resolution+Accountability=?

2010-12-29T09:46:00.004-06:00

I stumbled across this blog awhile back and saw that she was doing a 21-day challenge for organizing your home. Now if any of you really know me you know that I am a wanna be organizer! :) I try, succeed, fail, fall off the wagon, and procrastinate. OOPS! So I am hoping this challenge will motivate this mama.

I ALWAYS tell Brian, "I think we get better and better with our household duties/organizing every year!" He just looks at me like I am crazy. I think my husband has heard me say these words every year since we have been married! Ha

I have only been successful at one other New Year's resolution and that was 3 years ago. Brian and I decided that we would not drink soda for an entire year. We also stiffened the resolution by making a harsh punishment for the one who quit early!! The punishment would be to make the other spouse breakfast in bed every morning for a week. Well their was NO WAY I was going to lose I already cook every meal as is. That resolution was a success and I am hoping that this one will be too.

So friends/bloggers: CALL, EMAIL, COMMENT, BUG, BUG, BUG, ME IF YOU DON'T SEE A POST! I need accountability and that my friends is where you come in! So have I convinced you to jump on the bandwagon with me?

Boys will be boys...

2010-12-28T18:09:00.000-06:00

We were just giving the frogs a drink...

That was what they told me when I saw this! Enjoy the giggle.

Elmer's Christmas Ornaments

2010-12-21T12:01:00.002-06:00

This is one of the easiest and fun Christmas crafts! My boys loved mixing the glue, applesauce, and cinnamon together. Miles will be taking these to school so his classmates can decorate them for the Christmas party. These also make great family gifts and cute tags for jars and presents!

Directions:

Take 1 cup of applesauce, 1/3 cup of glue, and 1 1/2 cups of cinnamon and mix together in a bowl. I sprinkled some cinnamon on the counter instead of flour and rolled the dough out (next time I would roll out a little thicker) and used my favorite cookie cutters to create fun shapes. We have a Christmas light, stocking, and mitten. Then take a straw and poke a hole. Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour and cool on cooling rack. The house smells wonderful and so will your hands :)

I purchased glitter, pom poms, bells, puff paint, and yarn to decorate. Have fun!

Bath Baby

2010-12-17T11:58:00.000-06:00

Lila loves her bath time and starts clapping when she sees the water. Look at all that hair! It is sooo cute. Today Lila is in the kitchen sink getting a bath. Normally the boys convince me to let them all take a bath together and they teach her how to make a mess but for now this is easy and quick for me. I love all her facial expressions and hair designs. Miles was right beside me making her giggle and smile.

Super AW-esome gift

2010-12-14T14:52:00.002-06:00

I now have 2 boys in school which means lots of Christmas parties, gifts, treat bags, etc. In Owen's class of 15 there is a set of twins, 2 sets of cousins, and only 3 girls so those helpers/teacher have their HANDS FULL! We are very thankful that they volunteer their time to help all the students! THANK YOU LADIES!

I chose a 2 liter bottle of AW soda, a bag of chocolate, and a Pizza Hut gift card. This idea is from eighteen25 and I tweaked it a bit.

I am featured on...

2010-10-25T20:38:00.002-05:00

MOM AND LOVING IT!!

You can find the blog with Owen's story here!

This book is so incredible I have done 2 bible studies regarding this book! I have never found a book that is inspiring and so true to reality!! Every time I read this book I get more out of it than the last. I highly recommend it! They also have a CD and another book too.

So thank you gals for featuring my story!

Oh so true...

2010-10-20T12:52:00.001-05:00

This is hilarious! Have you seen this? HAHA
Oh and by the way I have my parents, in laws, and yes even MY GRANDPARENTS on facebook!!
Love you all :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn44fjWss68

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

2010-10-15T00:15:00.008-05:00

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day is today!

This week is a significant time for MANY families all around the world!

Here is a moving song called Glory Baby by Watermark. Grab a tissue this is very powerful.

Today, October 15Th, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. It's a day for people to acknowledge, remember, cherish & think of the little souls that were born sleeping, miscarried or taken too soon in their young lives!

Miscarriage/stillborn has always been a touchy subject and sadly it's the moms that are left to pick up, move on, let go of what has happened to them. It is a gut wrenching feeling to know you won't be holding that baby you so badly wanted. I remember feeling bad for those that had lost babies early in their pregnancies and not really acknowledging their pain. My heart would be sad for them but I wouldn't know what to say so I didn't say anything. I look back on my behavior and my heart aches for them deeply. I wish I would have reached out and listened to them while they grieved.

I have experienced both a stillborn (38 weeks) and a miscarriage (20 weeks) and for me personally the miscarriage shook me to the core. I felt blessed to hold Graycee, love her, see her, have answers etc. However with my miscarriage it was different their was no answers, no holding my sweet baby, no closure. That closure is a powerful tool in recovery and to not have that was paralyzing.

I have found hope in books, friends, and just talking to others who have experienced the same pain of losing a child. Thank you!

So if you will be participating in the WAVE OF LIGHT, by lighting a candle tonight please link up and bring awareness and share your stories to help others. I will be praying for all those babies and their hurting families!

B-O-O I'm back...

2010-10-12T10:20:00.007-05:00

WOW! I have been busy, tired, busy, tired, okay so maybe a little lazy with my blog lately, sooorrry. I will try to do better now that we have school routines down, schedules revised, and meals in the freezer :)

My boys LOVE doing crafts so when I saw these on Family Fun I knew we had to start saving milk jugs and we did just that. The boys had soo much fun creating the faces and I think they turned out spooktacular! Look close we have a ghost, scary faces, an alien, and one with loooong feet. When it gets closer to Halloween I will set these outside with lights and take a pic.

I LOVE SEEING MY CHILDREN'S IMAGINATIONS AT WORK!!

CRAYOLA CONFUSION!!!

2010-08-20T00:26:00.005-05:00

Okay so most of you have already purchased your school supplies as I did for my family, right!! Okay so how many of you actually purchased the Crayola markers?

Well are you in for an awful surprise. Crayola eco-evolution is here!! Huh!? For those of you that didn't catch this here is the scoop...

Black is now green! Yes the barrels are BLACK!! Now I am all for going green and being environmentally friendly. Remember this post! But boy did Crayola miss the boat on this one.

Okay so you have to try to match the tips of the marker with the correct lid sounds easy right!? WRONG! The blues, purples, reds/pinks are almost IDENTICAL. Hey look on the bright side the yellow is very obvious 1 down 9 to go! Good Luck!

So teachers/parents grab a piece of scrap paper and get ready to doodle to find the correct lid!! Oh I feel soooo bad for all the FRUSTRATED teachers!

I sent them an email regarding this so we will follow-up soon!

Owen's 1st Day of KINDERGARTEN

2010-08-18T11:27:00.008-05:00

We have been preparing all summer for Owen to start kindergarten and today was the DAY! Last night before bed we read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and gave him a watch that matches his backpack. We kept telling the boys to shut off the light and get to sleep but I think they were too excited for school to start!

Owen is wearing a red/blue polo, skull/crossbones jeans, and his light up puma's. He looks soo handsome.

I loved this pic of Owen running to me! That has to be one of the best feelings in the world!

So we get into the van and I asked Owen the following questions...

1. How was your day? Owen says, It was GREAT!
2. What did you think of your teacher? Owen says, Oh she is pretty! (Oh jeez)
3. Did you have fun playing in the flour? Owen says, YES we all got really dirty and got in the shower and put our clothes in the dryer!

4. What did you say? (As I turn the volume to the radio to OFF!) We took showers as our dirty clothes were drying!

5. What about the other kids/girls in your class? Owen says, Mom we took turns nobody saw me naked!

So I get home and call a friend who has a son in the same class and her son says, We dusted off outside

I call the school and ask for the teacher and proceed to tell her what Owen says as she is BUSTING A GUT!!! She said that has to be one the FUNNIEST stories but NO it is NOT TRUE!!

I confront Owen and he says, Mom I made up a funny story so you would laugh and you were laughing on the phone!!!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS NEXT!!?? Can you believe this is how the 1st day of kindergarten went!!!!!???? What is next?

Our sweet Graycee

2010-08-13T10:42:00.003-05:00

Today we celebrate our daughter Graycee's 7th birthday. Our precious angel was born August 13, 2003 at 2:59pm. She weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 inches long. As I look back I am in awe at how we overcame all the obstacles at such a young age and newlyweds none the less. I am thankful that our spiritual connection with god was sooo strong and he guided us through this life changing experience.

I was looking at my calendar to see what/when were some firsts for our new family:

January 28th-1st sonogram
March 15th-Our Wedding
June 5th-Lamaze classes
June 14th and 20th-Baby showers
June 25th-1st time feeling hiccups
July 25th-Last day of work (Pawnee Mental Health)
July 30th-First day in Ferguson Missouri
August 5th-Met Dr. Durer our new OB Dr. (Baby not breech, No C-section)
August 12th-Called Dr. Durer
August 13th-Delivered Graycee
August 14th-Dismissed from hospital
August 16th-Memorial service at 10am
August 18th-Brian started first day of Optometry school

One special book that I look at every year is from our families. As we were giving birth to Graycee our families were writing special notes to us. I cherish those words from each one of them and hold them close. We are so thankful for our family and friends that have supported and loved us. THANK YOU ALL!

As I look at the picture of us smiling with tears in our eyes I can honestly tell you that I feel blessed to have been able to hold her, love her, and spend time with her.

I will end with this scripture:

We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly god loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

-Romans 5:3-5

That's a rap

2010-08-04T14:00:00.004-05:00

I saw this on another gals blog and had to share the message with you! What a great message in a unique way!

I am posting this as Owen is singing, "Following Jesus, hey, hey, hey" a song from VBS. Soooo cute!

Computer problems

2010-07-14T21:45:00.003-05:00

Okay I know you are all sick and tired of looking at that birthday wreath and I have SOOOOOOO much to blog about but my computer has crashed. Window vista has locked us out and we are taking the computer in to have it fixed. I promise as soon as it is back I will be back to blogging regularly. Here are some highlight from the month:

1. Vacation Bible School
2. Summer Reading program at Library
3. T-ball games
4. Lila is rolling :)
5. Fireworks in Hanover with great-grandparents and Nana
6. OWEN'S 6TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

So look forward to many pics in the coming weeks!

Birthday balloon Wreath

2010-06-04T12:21:00.007-05:00

I was doing some blog surfing and found this adorable wreath on several of the blogs. So I had to case it (copy and share everything)! I found all the products at Walmart and Hobby Lobby. The total cost of this project was $22.06 and took me approx. an hour and half. I am very excited to hang it on my door for birthdays! How cute would this be for a baby shower/welcome new baby using It's a girl/boy balloons or school colors for game days!!!

To create this you will follow these directions:

1. A 14-inch straw wreath and be sure to leave the plastic wrapped around it.

2. Balloons- I used approx. 200 balloons that were 12-inch size

3. Floral needles- You will put the balloon inside the needle and push into the wreath.

Owen's birthday is in July and he is getting anxious for the big day! As he was playing on Lego.com yesterday he clicked on the shop now and started copying the words on the page of the toys he wanted. How cute is that list!

Enjoy your weekend!

Memorial Day...My version

2010-05-31T23:40:00.009-05:00

So I am going to stick my neck out and talk to you about my thoughts on Memorial weekend. In doing so I am just voicing my opinion and hope that everyone can appreciate, respect, and most of all not be offended. So here goes...

I remember getting soo exciting about Memorial weekend when I was younger. It meant that we were going to have an extra long weekend at the lake house sitting in the sun. We had sooo much fun! We would play sand volleyball, go boating, and drive around golf carts. Let me just say our "lake house" meant a trailer with golf carts, air conditioner, and most of all phone and cable. It was the life!

However all that changed for me when I lost our daughter, Graycee. We now spend it by driving to Manhattan to visit our daughter. We stop by Hobby Lobby and pick out some flowers to replace the winter ones, grab some baby wipes to clean up her head stone, and I sit, cry, and think. My thoughts are always the same; how old she would be, what she would look like, talk like, and how beautiful she was.

Memorial day is for remembering the fallen heroes of our country and I haven't forgotten why we celebrate this holiday! This is just my version of the holiday now. I use this time to reflect on the past and focus on my future with my family. Memorial day is full of raw emotions for me as I feel sad, happy, scared, and thankful all at the same time.

This is Graycee's beautiful headstone that Brian and I created. I remember telling Brian I wanted the sparkly pink vase and him giving me that are you serious look. WE however love the pink vase and he comments on how fitting it is every year! The picture is of our hands. This photo makes me smile! Brian and Graycee have the exact same line pattern on the palm of their hands.

How do you celebrate/remember Memorial weekend?

Dandelions=Allergic Conjunctivitis/Chemosis

2010-05-21T17:25:00.010-05:00

Oh my cute little boys decided to bring in a handful each of these "beautiful flowers" for their mommy! I was soo excited and thought how sweet are my boys!

I rinsed a vegetable can and placed them inside and 5 minutes later this is what my eye looked like!! I noticed that my eye was blurry and my nose was dripping and so I thought oh just my allergies until I looked in the mirror. I ran to the cell phone and called Brian and said my eye is swelling so much I can't close it! I was getting anxious b/c in 3 hours I was headed to my cousin's graduation and we were hours from home. Thankfully Brian was able to get a prescription of Lotemax.
I did Lotemax every 15 minutes until the swelling was gone! As you can tell I LOVE MY OPTOMETRIST!

Here is Brian's diagnosis:

Allergic Conjunctivitis with grade 4 Chemosis

I had extensive swelling of the conjunctiva (clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye). The bubbled part is the swollen membrane.

Moral of the story is I won't be touching dandelions ever again! :)

Lila-3 months (yesterday!)

2010-05-17T12:31:00.006-05:00

Lila's stats:

Weight: 10 pounds 15 ounces
Height: 23 inches

I think it is darling how you can see her personality in these photos. Doesn't she look like a princess in this outfit, thank you Shellie! Oh my little princess LOVES to talk! Every time we put her in the swing she looks at her mobile with the sea animals and just babbles on and on.

Lila sleeps from 9pm until 4:30 then nurses and goes back to bed until Miles comes in at 8am. It has been so fun to watch her personality develop. Lila is such a happy content little gal and I feel soooo lucky to have her in our lives!

New Things Lila can do: talk, talk, talk, and somehow she manages to find herself sideways in the crib each morning.

Favorite things: SMILE! she smiles sooo much, also hearing her mamas voice

Places Lila went: Topeka, Stockton, and Phillipsburg

Special Events: We attended a Mother's Day celebration in honor of Alice Carpenter (great-grandmother) It was a bittersweet celebration as she loved entertaining family but we all celebrated in memory of her. I had a special relationship with her and miss her! We also traveled to Stockton Kansas for Amanda French's(cousin) high school graduation. We stayed at Great grandpa Joe and great grandma Darla's house and then on to Phillipsburg to see Grandpa Terry, Grandma Cheri, Aunt Stephanie, and cousin Hunter. In Stockton we also had a BBQ with my biological family and the boys had so much fun playing with everyone.

My birthday breakfast!

2010-05-13T12:23:00.004-05:00

This morning Owen asked me to stay in my room until he called me. He said he was going to make me something. Owen knocked on my door and told me breakfast was served! :) Owen called it peanut butter oreo sandwich. It was 2 pieces of wheat toast smothered with peanut butter on both slices with 4 double stuffed oreo's inside. YUMMY! Like any good mother I tasted it and LOVED it! ha I hear another knock and here comes Miles with a plate in his hand. He created a sandwich too for me! It was a slice of wheat toast with a blob of strawberry jam with fruity marshmallows on top with 3 double stuffed oreo's stacked on that.

I am pretty lucky to have such creative chefs around here! They were sooo proud! They got the idea for breakfast in bed when daddy served me on Mother's Day. How sweet are my guys! I love my boys.

The winner is....

2010-05-12T23:56:00.004-05:00

Tiffany

Congratulations!

Tiffany won the cd No Changin' Us by Point of Grace. I know that she will enjoy this CD! I just happen to be visiting her next week! I can't wait to have some girl time with her, it's always soo fun!

Thank you to all who entered and left kind words. You are all so sweet!

Bring the rain+Don't forget giveaway ends...

2010-05-11T17:29:00.002-05:00

I LOVE, LOVE storms you know the ones that don't do damage but make your grass grow! There is just something about rain that makes the grass grow. So bring on the rain! We just seeded our HUGE yard a couple of weeks ago and we are starting to see our tiny little babies sprout. It has been really fun but WAY TOO MUCH WORK! We have to water 3 times a day which means I have to use 4 sprinklers and move them 7 times to reach all the areas. Of course this has become MY chore b/c I am at home, ugh. I know I won't be complaining about it once my kids can play in it.

Here are some pics of our grass and some night pics of some of the storms we have had. Enjoy the pics.

DON'T FORGET THE CD GIVEAWAY ENDS TOMORROW!!! See post below.

25,000 HITS! Let's celebrate!

2010-05-05T09:39:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it has been a year and a half since I have started this blog and I have reached 25,000 hits!!

Thank you all for supporting me during my good times and my sad times! I have some amazing blog friends and I can't thank each of you enough. The support I have received is inspiring and that is why I continue to write! I also LOVE, LOVE, the comments!

So now it's time to CELEBRATE WITH SOME BLOG CANDY!!

One winner will receive a newly released cd of Point of Grace the album is called
No Changin' Us. These gals have great voices and also inspire me! One of my favorite songs on this album is called Love and Laundry.

You can be entered into the drawing 3 ways! If you do all 3 then you get your name in 3 times! Best of luck!

1. Leave a comment on this blog entry.
2. Add yourself to my google friend.
3. Put my button on your blog and leave a comment saying you did so-I will check :)

*The winner will be chosen on May 12th and is open to all US residents!

Happy May Day!

2010-04-30T22:49:00.005-05:00

This afternoon the boys made our neighbors May day baskets! They colored, put stickers on them, and filled them with candy. The guy who installed our door couldn't believe that this is still being done! He thought it was cute to see how excited the boys were about knocking and hiding! haha

Do you do May day baskets with your children and if you do leave a comment so we can check out your baskets!

Today we had our storm door installed and a soft water system. We are just waiting on the fenced in back yard!! I can't wait to have a backyard this summer. Oh and the grass is barely poking through the ground but it is one step closer!

Enjoy your weekend! I don't know about you but my May weekends are FULL already! Busy times ahead.

Throw away the toys?! It's tempting...

2010-04-26T11:43:00.006-05:00

This is what my boys do most of the days when we are stuck inside. They dump ALL their organized bins into one mass pile and just play with the buckets!

So here is Miles shooting baskets with his homemade basketball goal! SWOOSH, in it goes! Owen says, "You really are the king of basketball!" and Miles replies by saying, "Oh yeah BABY!"

Can I just say I LOVE MY JOB!!!

*The picture is bad b/c of the lighting but their are 6 buckets on top of one another!

Be GREEN and color with me!

2010-04-22T13:58:00.006-05:00

Today celebrates the 40Th anniversary of celebrating Earth Day so we decided to do a GREEN kid-friendly project! Who doesn't have a bunch of crayons in small pieces? Well I have oodles and was saving this project for this special day. Oh and it kept my boys busy for over an hour peeling paper! I am sure most of you have seen this but for those that haven't here ya go!

So take your small used up crayons and take the paper off and put them in an oven safe container. I used this metal pan that was given to me and greased it up. Then you put it in the oven at 200 degrees and wait 30 min or until melted through. That's it! How easy!

We are also taking the boys to the Manhattan Zoo on Sunday for their Earth Day activities! You can find the info here. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Notice the freshly painted GREEN kitchen wall!

Little Lila at 2 months

2010-04-16T21:50:00.004-05:00

Lila is now 2 months old today! Oh and yes she is a Carpenter baby! Oh and yes she does look EXACTLY like her brothers! How cute is that!

Lila is such a good baby! This little gal is calm and is always looking around and following her brothers with her blue eyes! In the evenings Brian and I cuddle up with her in bed and she just smiles and talks to us! The other day Owen said, " Wow mom, Lila is doing really good with her letters it is a miracle she just said aaaaaaa the letter A" I thought that was super cute.

Here are her 2 month measurements:

Height: 22 inches (39%)
Weight: 9 pounds 6 1/4 ounces(18%)
Head Circ: 38 centimeters (30%)

New Things I Can Do: smile (she loves to smile!) giggle (2x), Oh and she tries sooo hard to make sounds with her mouth moving but is starting to say aaaa, ooo

Favorite Things: sleeping, watching her mobile

Places I went: We went for a tiny hike and saw Alcove Springs (I love my moby)
Our first LLL meeting,

Special Events: Saw friends in CC, Had a BBQ with grandparents, and Cadorets are visiting tomorrow!

We are looking forward to spending time with my grandparents. We will be grilling outside, playing Mexican train, talking, and of course getting spoiled! I can't wait!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt...

2010-04-13T23:44:00.003-05:00

The boys and I read a book called, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen this week and really wanted to look for bears. As you can see the boys were super excited and started packing a lunch. I did some research and found a place outside of Marysville called Alcove Springs. Alcove Springs is so beautiful! We walked along the trail and could hear the waterfall before we saw it. It was a beautiful day with just a slight breeze and and as you can see from the pics it was breathtaking. I am looking forward to going back this winter and seeing the view.

Choc. cupcakes/blue frosting-APRIL FOOLS

2010-04-01T18:22:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I told the boys I was going to whip up some chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting. All day long they kept asking me if they were done yet. I said since they didn't get them for snack they could have dessert first then supper. They were SUPER EXCITED!!! Instead I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes and colored the potatoes. What was funny was Miles just kept eating and not saying a word and just giggled. Owen on the other hand stormed off and said that was mean he really wanted a cupcake. I knew that would be the reaction of not having dessert so I made brownies too :) Enjoy the laugh!! APRIL FOOLS BOYS!!

Mmmm, she smells sooo good

2010-03-30T21:14:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite smells is the after bath lotion. That is one smell that everybody loves and it screams BABY! Lila enjoys bath time and especially enjoys the lotion massages after :) She stretches her little legs straight out and will leave them in the air for a period of time! It is sooo cute. I should get a video of her doing that sometime. Here are some newborn pics of her in the tub and some from tonight. My heart melts when she is all warm and content and she sleeps so sound and peaceful! I just can't get enough of her!

Lila is 1 month old

2010-03-16T13:41:00.005-05:00

Lila is 1 month old today and I can't believe it! The boys can't get enough of her. They are constantly kissing, hugging, touching, and putting toys in her lap. We have been getting up every 1 1/2 hours for nursing and she is only awake for about 2-3 hours per day. We are starting to see her do some newborn things for the first time in the last week. She now can grasp your fingers, attach correctly when nursing, and is also getting her startle reflex. We are currently dealing with a clogged tearduct which is a new one for us. The boys never had this. We feel so sad for her but are monitoring it closely.

Lila had her 1 month check up yesterday here are her stats:

Height 20 inches (12%)
Weight 7 lbs 6 1/4 oz (9%)
Head Circ. 34 cm (3%)

New things I can do: Look at lights, and grasp fingers

Favorite things: Nursing and sleeping with mommy and daddy

Places I went: church, shopping, Dr. visits, etc.

Special Events: Visiting my family members and taking a trip to Meadowlark to visit the great-grandparents and Great Aunt Eloise (her namesake)

As for me I am healing and starting to feel like myself. The c-section was pretty rough as they think I ripped out some internal staples on the left side and so the recovery was s-l-o-w!! Brian and I came to a decision and I had my tubes tied so this is our precious family and we are very thankful that she and I are healthy! God is GOOD! We are looking foward to the next phase of life with our children!

I will try to find more time to blog but life is pretty busy right now as you can imagine :)

The winner of Guess Lila's weight...

2010-02-28T16:12:00.003-06:00

Wow! We had an abundance of guesses on Lila's weight. We had 21 people enter the contest and 4 of them were all within 1 ounce. Here is Owen drawing the winner!

The winner is Janis Carpenter and her guess was 5 pounds 10 ounces and Lila weighed 5pounds 11 ounces. Thank you all for participating!

Here is sweet lil Lila

2010-02-22T16:19:00.005-06:00

Lila was born on February 16, 2010 at 12:28pm. She weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. Lila is healthy and super sweet! I was shocked to find out that they give you a photo shoot before you leave the hospital. Here are the pictures. She is super, super, cute! :)

Lila update+amnio procedure

2010-02-09T18:11:00.005-06:00

Brian and I drove up to Omaha on Sunday morning after church and spent some quality time together! I thought it was going to be my "last" meal before the c-section so I picked Cheesecake Factory! It was sooo delicious. We then went back to the hotel room to relax and watch some football. I couldn't sleep so I watched TV, painted my toes, emailed, etc. I was so nervous about 1)amniocentesis 2)Having a c-section. Both of those are new to me.

My amniocentesis was at 9am and our Dr. told us we needed the results to be 55 or higher for her lungs to be mature so we could deliver. Brian and I prayed together and then they began the procedure. Let me tell you this procedure was NOT worth losing sleep over. It was all over within 45 seconds! Brian was taking pictures and the Dr. was wanting to give detail by detail instructions and I just kept my head focused on Lila and watching her on the sonogram machine. The needle went in my stomach (which was painless) then through my uterus (OUCH) this part was painful but seconds later he was done! It was just a sharp pinch then it was over!

We left the Dr.'s office and went to Barnes and Nobles to pick up some books for the boys. We bought Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Corduroy by Don Freeman! These books are classic and should be on the shelves of your home! They were also featuring a book called Lyla the Lovesick Ladybug by Joe Troiano and Susan Banta. I had to pick it up b/c of the ladybug's name! :) Just spelled differently.

Brian by then was STARVING and I had the pleasure to sit with him as he ate Panera Bread. Talk about torture! The phone rang and the nurse said it wasn't good news. My heart immediately sunk and I was sad to know that we weren't going to deliver that day. The amniocentesis levels needed to be 55 or higher and Lila's were 36. We went over to the Dr.'s office and asked some questions and he told us that we would have to deliver on Feb. 16Th at NOON. We have to look at the big picture and now he has to worry about me having complications if we don't deliver soon. We are praying that I don't start bleeding, have more contractions, or start labor.

I am not upset with the Dr.'s decision as I know that I will do whatever it takes to get her here healthy and alive!!! Besides what is another week on bed rest when you have been on it as long as I have! :) Please continue to pray for Lila and I.

WHAT WILL LILA WEIGH?

As of January 25Th the ultrasound showed Lila weighing 4 lbs. 15 oz. What do you think she will weigh at birth? *If you want to change your answer then post again under this post otherwise I will carry over your guess from the previous post! :)*

Graycee weighed 5lbs. 8 oz.
Owen weighed 6lbs. 14 oz.
Miles weighed 6lbs. 15 oz.

What is your guess? Good luck! I will send 1 bottle of homemade vanilla extract to the person who has the closest guess for her weight. (US residents only)

Nursery and Vanilla giveaway

2010-02-05T17:44:00.005-06:00

We have the nursery 90% completed. We are waiting on the lamp, curtains, and a birth canvas but those won't be here until March. It has been so much fun seeing pink everywhere!

We are leaving Sunday morning and will post pics as soon as we get home! Thank you all for your continued prayers, we are blessed by some amazing family and friends. We also want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Grandma JJ and Grand Dad E for watching the boys 4 days a week for the last 2 months! They are champs and my boys are going to miss spending time with them!

WHAT WILL LILA WEIGH?

As of January 25th the ultrasound showed Lila weighing 4 lbs. 15 oz. What do you think she will weigh at birth?

Graycee weighed 5lbs. 8 oz.
Owen weighed 6lbs. 14 oz.
Miles weighed 6lbs. 15 oz.

What is your guess? Good luck! I will send 1 bottle of homemade vanilla extract to the person who has the closest guess for her weight. (US residents only)

I hope to post again sometime around the 15Th. Until then...

35 weeks and 3 days!!

2010-02-02T19:57:00.009-06:00

Okay so here is my LAST prego pic! Oh and Melissa the bare one is for you girlfriend! :) I am 35 weeks and 3 days. I am headed to Omaha for a c-section at 2pm on Feb. 8Th! I am excited, nervous, and relieved! I am praying for an easy delivery with ~~few~~ NO complications. Please pray for Lila as she is coming a little over a month early. We are praying she gets to come home with us and not have to stay in the NICU!

We want to thank each one of you for your prayers, phone calls, and food! Your thoughtfulness has been appreciated and we love you all!

I am super excited about getting off bedrest and am ready to go grocery shopping, run errands, and take my ~~boys~~ children to the Library!

Are you surprised?

2010-01-29T23:23:00.007-06:00

Oh this gal who nominated me (Thanks Tiffany) as a princess is scoring some HUGE brownie points. She knows how to get on my good side! I miss her terribly and can't wait to visit soon!

This princess award is for readers and I have only started getting serious about reading within the last couple of years. My reading schedule is usually around 11pm-? I know, I know it's a bad habit and I am sure this new lil gal will force me to read a lot earlier since our night schedule will be in turmoil for a few months!

1. Name an author you love.
James Patterson is an author that I have a "collection" of books by. It is his fault
that I stay up so late, you can't put his books down.

2. Name an author who highlights your personality.
This is a tough one b/c I am an original! But I guess I would say books that
relate to moms and their quest for raising children. I am still trying to figure that one out. Just when one thing starts to work another doesn't. It is never ending.

3. Name some books you love.
a) Same Kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (currently reading)
b) The One Year Book of HOPE by Nancy Guthrie (currently reading)
c) My new NLT Bible
D) Gary Chapman books
D) The book I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, is Mom... and Loving It! by Sharon Autry and Lauri Hilliard. This book is a MUST for moms! I could read it over and over!

4. Something that always excites you.
My boys! They are always entertaining and every morning Owen has a "great idea" or a new "recipe".
If you were to ask my husband he would say, "Food" He says I get all giddy when I know we are going out somewhere. hahah :)

5.Something you hate.
Bills, medical problems, negativity! Oh and people who wear pajamas and slippers in public. It really gets under my skin!

NOW I am passing this award along. All they have to do is grab the princess award above and post the questions and answers.

Here are 4 gals that I nominate as a Princess
1. Angie @ http://nurseangiesnews.blogspot.com/
2. Jill @ http://quirkykirky.blogspot.com/
3. Kanani @ http://khepworth.blogspot.com/
4. Melissa @ http://harrishatchlings.blogspot.com/

My last OB appt before Lila arrives!

2010-01-26T14:05:00.004-06:00

Monday was my LAST OB appt. in Omaha!! Lila was 4 lbs. and 15oz. The ultrasound tech said she has more hair so I went to Target and purchased some headbands. We were able to see her diaphragm working. She would breathe for 20 seconds then we would have to do it again. The Dr. wanted to see her do 30 seconds which she finally did! We are hoping that she will be ready on Feb. 8Th. That is still the plan. For now I am still on bed rest and will be having non-stress tests done every 4 days until Monday the 8Th. We will arrive on Monday morning at 9am for an amniocentesis and then have a stress test done following that. We will be dismissed to wait for a phone call regarding the results of the amnio. If her lungs are mature we will deliver at 2pm that afternoon!! Please pray for a safe and healthy little girl! We are getting more and more anxious as the days go. I know that seems backwards to you but when you lose a baby at 38 weeks it almost doesn't seem like it is going to happen. We are praying for her to be healthy and for the c-section to go as smooth as possible.

Brian/boys has been working really hard on the nursery and we will post pics as soon as we have it completed, hopefully this weekend! I gave my boys each a canvas to paint a picture for their sister! They had soo much fun with this! Here is a sneak peek of the walls/paintings.

Homemade Vanilla extract-yummy!

2010-01-19T20:56:00.004-06:00

This year for my friends I made my own vanilla extract! It was super easy and fun! My hands smelled the entire day of vanilla. Yummy! I think next year I will get a bunch of gals together for lunch and make them together! Are you in? I purchased the vanilla beans from a website called Beanilla. I highly recommend purchasing high quality beans.

I attached a star cookie cutter with a sugar cookie recipe. If you look close you can see my name embossed on the recipe card. This was a gift from my mother in law Janis and I LOVE it!

We are getting ready for Lila

2010-01-17T14:13:00.006-06:00

So we have FINALLY ordered the essentials for Lila and her sweet nursery. Brian and I have always waited until the last second (so it seems) to purchase stuff b/c of our previous experiences with losing 2 children. Returning items and them asking you why/ what was wrong with the product is too hard on both of us. So here is to hoping sweet Lila comes on Feb. 8Th healthy!

We have our last appt. next Monday and look forward to seeing Lila again. The last time we went she was 4lbs. and had hair on her head which was SUPER exciting!! Jill my blog friend sent me a project on how to make hair barrettes so you can bet on seeing LOTS of bows in her hair. Brian is eye rolling me now :) We will be going on Feb. 8Th at 9am for an amniocentesis and if her lungs are mature then we will have a c-section at 2pm. I am praying she is ready but if not then we will repeat the amnio on the 15Th.

Here are some essentials for Lila and myself that we have purchased so far.
1. Nursing cover
2. Nursery bedding with matching paint :)
3. Lila hanger (etsy find) I couldn't resist!
4. Mother-ease cloth diapers (I used these diapers for both boys and thought they were the best. I imagine they have only improved in the last 5 years but these are still in great shape.

The WINNER is..........

2010-01-14T13:49:00.004-06:00

Here is my handsome husband, Brian, drawing the winner.

It's Kara! Congratulations! Here is what she had to say
about her food cravings:

Peppermint ice cream and Uncrustables. That was my craving with Audrey.
With Isaac I craved those Reeses peanut butter eggs, trees, hearts- etc.

Email me your address at court_carpenterathotmaildotcom so I can get this in the mail! I hope you like this product as much as I do!

It was really interesting to read all of the different cravings from sweet to down right sour! Thank you all for participating!

Homemade Gummi Hearts

2010-01-11T12:29:00.007-06:00

I found these molds at Target in the $1 Spot and knew they would be perfect for homemade gummi candy! This is the easiest recipe and very quick. It also was a HUGE hit with the boys! You can find the directions for this here. How cute would this be for Valentine's day! The boys are excited about trying different flavors and molds. I would keep in an air tight container so they don't dry out. Enjoy!

*PLEASE NOTE* I used only 1 pkg of jello and 2 1/2 pks of knox and it only filled 1 mold which was 14 hearts. I will always double the recipe from here on out.

**Don't forget to scroll down to the Bounce Bar giveaway ending this Wed. at NOON!

My cravings and a blog giveaway

2010-01-07T14:49:00.008-06:00

Wow I can't believe how sloooowww this bed rest business is going! It is very quiet around here during the week. I am sure grandma JJ is sick of me calling twice a day to check on my boys. It is not about how they are doing it is more about me just wanting and longing to hear their sweet voices. My boys are both very energetic and imaginative and always keep me entertained. I enjoy all the stories that the grandparents are sharing and the boys LOVE telling me what they have been up to. I miss them so much and Fridays can't get here soon enough. We have been leaving surprises for them in their beds to come home to. This week is their own chap stick :)

With that said I have been enjoying my time by reading, working on the projects from my challenge, and taking long naps!

I wanted to share one of my cravings I have been having lately. Mmmm mmmm good! Brian introduced me to hot cocoa with MILK instead of WATER! I will NEVER go back to water again. This has changed my world. I know what you are thinking hmm strawberries not on the angel food cake. NO not me I can't stand a soggy angel food cake. So I have a side of sugar for those strawberries instead.

My other new indulgence is the new Bounce Dryer Bar! I am in love with this product! Have you tried it yet? Well then here is your chance. I have yet to find a dryer sheet on my floor, in my shirt sleeve at church, or a big fire hazard pile in my dryer.

Leave a comment about what your favorite craving is and you could win this Dryer Bar!! Best of luck! Drawing ends Wed. of next week at Noon and is only open to US residents.

Talking points

2009-12-30T23:32:00.005-06:00

*Well we had Christmas this year in our new home!! That was exciting and we were suppose to have my grandparents and mom over but the snow kept them away. So we spent Christmas with our little family and had so much fun! I really enjoyed not having to travel, I know that sounds awful but it was so relaxing :) Santa brought the boys a Lego table and it has been VERY popular. I am ordering stockings but wanted to wait after Christmas so I could get a good deal ( I know how cheap is that but the baskets worked and the boys don't know any better)

* Here is a pic of me at 30 weeks and yes I am HUGE, I know! I had one lady that was a nurse tell me she was watching me just in case I went into labor. I smiled and said oh I am not due until March!!!! Come on give me a break I am barely 5 foot 1!! :) This belly has no where to go except OUT !

Lila is doing so good. We went last Tues. and she had a huge growth spurt and weighed 3 lbs. 5 ounces! Almost a pound in 2 weeks! This is huge for her. I am taking it easy and am bored but the bed rest is working b/c I now only have partial placenta previa.

*I have been working on my projects from the challenge I posted! My first project was cross stitching a Christmas tree and my second project is an album that says Baby and I am going to scrapbook the words. Here is the post regarding the challenge if you are wanting to be in the running for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon! Good luck!

Oh what fun it is with dad...

2009-12-27T14:11:00.011-06:00

on a cold winter night, hey!

I really enjoy watching the "father & son" time that my boys create together! This weekend was no exception.

The boys went out to the back patio and created the best snow fort! As daddy went to work on it the boys had snow ball fights. I watched and made hot chocolate for each one of them.

It was taking too long so the boys ventured in so daddy finished the fort and then he had to try it out. He was so proud of his fort :) The boys told him that the fort is awesome and they hope it never melts.

These times just melt my heart!

The challenge, are you ready!?

2009-12-14T10:08:00.007-06:00

So bed rest is exactly what I thought! It makes the days really looong and sloooow. I am hoping not to go insane the next 2 1/2 months!! Grandma JJ will be taking the boys from Tuesdays through Fridays which will be good for me but I am going to miss the noise. It will be really quiet around the house. So I was thinking of something that could occupy my time and this challenge is what I came up with...

Here is the challenge:

1. You will send me a package containing EVERYTHING I will need to create a project. (Remember I can't run to the store) It can be anything you wish. *Note these projects will not be returned to you*

2. You can have as many entries as you wish.

3. The project has to be able to be completed within 2 days.

4. The deadline for the challenge is Feb. 1st. All projects have to be postmarked no later than January 31st. Please email me at court_carpenterathotmaildotcom with a link to your blog and I will email you back with my address.

HAVE FUN AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!
The PRIZE:

On Feb. 1st I will post all projects that were sent to me and I will have a poll and we will all vote on the best project.

On Feb. 15th I will announce the winner! The winner will receive a $50 Gift Card to amazon.com *The drawing could take place at a later time due to the arrival of Lila*

HAVE FUN AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!

The dreaded word is Here...

2009-12-09T18:02:00.003-06:00

Well bed rest it is for me! I have been informed by the Dr. that I am to do nothing except the minimal for my children. Luckily I have grandma JJ close that will take them a couple of days a week for me. Brian's jaw dropped to the floor when the Dr. said oh and no COOKING AND CLEANING! I can't go shopping, walking, and Brian busted me out for snow shoveling. So needless to say won't be doing that either. Thanks Bubba :)

We will see him every 2 weeks now and will have an amniocentesis on Feb. 2nd. If at that time her lungs are mature they will deliver!! If they aren't then we will continue amnio's until they are!!?? I said well can't you just give me the steroids and mature her lungs instead of needles and his reply was "Don't you have tattoos"? "Then I don't want to hear anything about needles." Okay then bring on the needles. I am going to do whatever it takes to get her here.

Lila is healthy and looks great! She is now 2 pounds 7 ounces! The Dr. saw her tinkle while we were looking at her and was able to show us that. That was a first for us! Oh and I was a little sad b/c I didn't get a sono pic either. We still have placenta previa. Which probably won't change so it will be a c-section for me.

As for the challenge I will wait until my internet at home is up and running. That should be sometime at the beginning of next week!

Moving Update

2009-11-29T12:19:00.002-06:00

Hello all! I feel so out of the loop with the moving and the holiday! We are almost finished with the house in CC and of course we are living out of boxes in Marysville.

Just a quick update I will email you all with my new address/phone number soon. Also you can reach me by cell phone if needed.

As most of you know we had a Thanksgiving hosted by Alice Carpenter. Alice wasn't able to make it so we all took turns and visited her at Meadowlark on Thursday.
She passed away this weekend and her service will be sometime this week. Please keep Brian and his family in your prayers.

Thank you!

Lila Update-1 lb. 12 oz.

2009-11-26T22:35:00.003-06:00

Lila is growing like a weed as you can see in the title she is almost 2 lbs! I am also elated to say that she is still healthy! Praise God! I however still have placenta previa. It is not likely for that to change so when I see the OB specialist on Dec. 8Th I am sure he will start me on bed rest. Just saying that word makes me cringe.

For those of you that know me know that I am going to be going crazy for the next 2 1/2 months. However I have a challenge I will be posting after I hear that DrEaDeD word. Be on the lookout for that. It will be really fun and I can't wait to see what you all come up with! :)

Here is the most adorable picture of my daughter EVER!! Oh my goodness, I just giggled when I saw her chubby cheek AND she has her mom's nose. (One of my favorite features about me :)

Thank you all for continuing to pray for Lila and I! We are blessed and THANKFUL that she is healthy!

Top 5 reasons why I can't sleep

2009-11-19T17:07:00.004-06:00

I am a night owl that is wanting to convert to being a morning person! I try every month to convince myself that I am going to start going to bed earlier. Then week after week I am up past midnight. I would say that my bedtime is 12:30!! Ughh. I would like to be in bed like a "normal" person around say 10:30pm. Why is that so hard? Well I will tell you...

1. That is when I get my cleaning done
2. It is my "ME" time
3. I am blogging/reading blogs
4. I am eating my hidden chocolate bar
5. I am reading a good book with NO interruptions

Okay, so for all of you morning people what's your secret? Do tell...

Lila Update

2009-11-12T11:13:00.006-06:00

On Tuesday we drove to Omaha to see our OB specialist. We got to see our little Lila. She is super cute just look at that profile! The boys were excited to be able to tell me where her nose, eyes, and hands were. We will be 24 weeks on Saturday. She is 1 lb. 6oz. and is healthy. God is Good!

I still have placenta previa and her head is resting on the placenta. The placenta is also attached to my scar tissue and it's called placenta accreta. They won't know how deep the attachment is until the delivery of the placenta at birth. We go see the Dr. again on Dec. 8Th and if at that time we still have placenta previa I will be on bed rest.

In the sonogram picture you can see her on the left side and then you see a line (that is the scar tissue) then you see black open space which is more uterus. So the scar tissue has walled off a portion of my uterus. I hope seeing a picture can help you understand more. It is hard to explain.

We are praying everyday that I don't start bleeding and that she can stay inside until term! I can't say thanks enough to all of you praying for Lila!! My heart longs to hold this little girl in my arms and watch her grow up to become a beautiful woman. The love that I have for her is so powerful and it keeps me grounded each and every day. I am thankful for god, family, and friends in my daily life!

Funnest Leaf Year EVER!

2009-11-09T16:49:00.004-06:00

This from my 5 year old after I let them play in the leaf pile. While we are on this topic let me just say that I h*** (dislike very much) raking. It makes no sense to me at all. I see all these neighbors raking, and raking, and raking. No not just one weekend but every weekend. What is the point? I am just waiting for a big gust of wind to take my leaves east. Sorry neighbor!

Okay off my soapbox! :) However I do enjoy the falling leaves b/c it is free entertainment for my boys. I love seeing them happy and smiling. Look at those sweet faces! :) They will rake, roll, and throw them. Enjoy the pics!

Let the fun begin

2009-11-02T15:56:00.005-06:00

The creativity is in full swing today as we received our paint set! My dear friend, Brenda has an amazing blog where she shows her true talent for cardmaking and scrapbooking. She has so many wonderful creations! Take a look here. She was giving away a paint set or clear alphabet stamp set and I chose the paint set. Guess what I WON!!

Today was the perfect day to receive this package! The weather is cold, gloomy, and Owen didn't have school. Here are their paintings.

Thank you Brenda for the wonderful package and thanks to Kidkraft too!

Pumpkin Prayer Activity

2009-10-31T15:00:00.005-05:00

My boys couldn't wait until daddy came home to carve pumpkins! I have done this pumpkin prayer for my boys, parties, and church. I hope you enjoy this activity with your kiddos too.

Owen was asking what sin meant and we said bad. The rest of the day he kept telling us that Miles was sinning!!

Dear God,

As I carve my pumpkin, help me say this prayer.

Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(Cut the top of the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do;
(Clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut eyes shaped like hearts)

I'm sorry for turning my nose to all You've given me;
(Cut a nose in the shape of the cross)

Open my ears so Your word I will hear;
(Cut ears shaped like the Bible)

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near;
(Cut mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle and light)

Lila Update

2009-10-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today we saw our OB doctor in Manhattan. She had a strong heart rate of 155 and she was moving all over the place! We will see our OB specialist in 2 weeks where we will get to peek at her. :) I am going to have a huge scrapbook of all these ultrasounds but I love seeing her growth! So far so good. Thank you all for the prayers. We feel blessed to have each one of you thinking of her!

Cabinets are in!!

2009-10-26T08:22:00.005-05:00

We had a really productive weekend with packing and the basement is almost bare. Way to go bubba!

We also took the boys to Meadowlark to visit their grandparents. Everyone is always so excited to see little kiddos, it is cute. We had a great time catching up with them.

On Sunday we saw our house and couldn't believe that some of the cabinets were in and hung already. He said he was putting them in this week so we were ecstatic to see them. Here is a peek. We still have to order the hardware but that can wait a little bit. My faucet should be coming sometime this week. Things are moving right along!

Roasted Pumpkin for dessert, yum!

2009-10-22T13:14:00.004-05:00

The boys have been to 2 pumpkin patches and Owen just went again on a field trip and I was trying to find a different recipe to use up these pumpkins. I found this recipe on a blog (if it is you please let me know so I can give credit) and had to try it out on my little family. The boys thought it was okay but Brian and I thought it was a really yummy treat. Enjoy and let me know what you think after you try it!

Roasted pumpkin slices

1 small sugar or pie pumpkin
pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 tablespoons butter, melted
whipped cream (cool whip)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stem. Cut each half into wedges and use a knife to cut off the pumpkin fibers. Line up slices in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt.

2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, spices, and melted butter. Spoon over pumpkin wedges and roast for 25-30 minutes, removing halfway through baking time and brush the pumpkin slices with the sugar mixture that has melted and collected in the bottom of the dish. Return to the oven and bake until pumpkin is fork tender. Garnish with cool whip.

The house is coming together

2009-10-20T09:44:00.003-05:00

Brian went and took pictures of the house the other day. They are working on it everyday and big changes are happening. It is crazy how fast it comes together once they finish painting. Brian is really liking the back porch and we hope to screen that in sometime. Our cabinets will be here Wed. I can't wait to see them! It has been exciting but the true test is about to be here. The samples that we chose are like 2x2 in size so seeing it all together finished makes me nervous. Is the tile too dark, vanity too light. All those questions run through my head. We are really working hard everyday to get this house packed up and organized. We are almost there! :) Oh and I can't wait to decorate the nursery. All new stuff for my baby girl!! Oh I am soo excited for pink in my home! Enjoy the pics.

Wow! 20 weeks already

2009-10-17T09:21:00.010-05:00

I am officially half way through my pregnancy! The first 20 weeks seemed to fly by and I am sure the next 16 weeks will be the same. The first pic with the floral top is me at 4 months the second pic is last night at 20 weeks.

We had a consultation with a new Dr. in Omaha Nebraska who has seen other women with the same condition that I have. He was able to calm our nerves and let us know what to expect. Lila is doing fantastic and she was at 68% for growth. We will be seeing Dr. Bonebrake every week from here on out. They will be monitoring Lila's growth, the placenta, and the cord attachment, as well as any bleeding or severe cramping from me. So far so good! I am on some restrictions and am just trying to take it easy. If they see any signs of the above we will be admitted to Nebraska Methodist Hospital. I am hopeful that all will go smooth these next few months.

Brian felt Lila move around last night and was so excited to be able to feel her. He said, "That is so awesome!" Those precious kicks are my security blanket and I am relieved and excited each and every time I feel her! Brian said I could officially buy something pink!! He is nervous about buying stuff ahead of time b/c of our past circumstances. I will go with a small purchase like shoes or a headband. I just can't wait to shop for a little girl!! Brian is already getting anxious about this "girl stuff!"

As far as me I feel excited, nervous, and HUGE!! I have been craving french onion dip with my potato chips and crab legs. But I am really needing Red Lobster's cheese fondue appetizer! That is my favorite as well as crab legs. Oh I wish I could eat those but I keep forgetting to ask the Dr. if I can.

The boys are loving on Lila all the time. Each day they hug and kiss her. Miles is practicing burping, feeding, and holding his baby. He always sees a tiny baby and says, "I want to buy that baby!" I laugh and say we are having a baby we don't have to buy one. He is too cute!

Calling 911 for what?

2009-10-11T23:05:00.004-05:00

Owen has been learning a lot about Fire Safety at school. Last Monday he came home and counted the smoke detectors only to tell me we were suppose to have a smoke detector in EVERY bedroom! Really? So on Thursday when the fireman finished reading books at story time it was Q and A time. So I had to ask if this was true! It is!! Do you have a smoke alarm in EVERY bedroom at your house?

Do you remember those sticky silly hands that you throw at the walls? I remember them being eyeballs, hands, and random other objects. Owen just got one at a fall festival in town and plays with it frequently. Today he threw it up on the ceiling in the kitchen and asked me to get it down. I said that I couldn't reach it and it was unsafe for me to stand on a chair. Owen said, "Mommy that is okay I will just call 911 and have the fireman bring his ladder!" So we had to sit down and have the 911 chat before he made some random call!

My list of To Do's

2009-10-08T21:25:00.021-05:00

Well with the unknown situation at hand I thought I better start preparing a list of to do's before I head to Wichita on the 16th of Nov. I hope this motivates me to keep crossing them off as I get them accomplished. Wish me luck!

1. Pay bills and leave password, addresses, and dates for husband to do the rest.
2. ~~Create a calendar of upcoming events for whomever is taking care of my family.~~
3. Prepare meals and freeze them for hubby!
4. ~~Prepare an overnight bag of essentials in case I need for emergency.~~
5. Pack up my house for the move on Nov. 5th.
6. Make a contact sheet of important numbers.

Am I missing something?

Please Pray!

2009-10-05T19:46:00.004-05:00

Today we are 18 weeks and 3 days and we saw an OB specialist in Wichita. The ultrasound was surprising as we are actually having a GIRL!!!!!!! Her name is going to be Lila Eloise Carpenter.

On another note we are asking for all of our family and friends to pray for our daughter. We learned today that in my uterus is scar tissue from one end to the other. Our daughter's placenta is wrapped around that scar tissue. We have been told that the placenta could rupture at anytime. If this happens we will lose her. We will see the OB specialist when I am 24 weeks if everthing is still okay. At that time I will be injected with a steriod that will help the lungs mature rapidly. At that appointment we will determine where to go from there. Please pray for a miracle.

I am going to stay positive and think of the positives.

1. We have 2 amazing little boys that bring us joy DAILY!
2. Our daughter is healthy and is measuring correctly.
3. We have made it 18 weeks with no complications and 6 weeks are going to fly by!
4. Our faith will get us through whatever is going to happen.
5. We have an amazing support network with loving friends and family!

I am asking all of you to please keep our daughter in your daily prayers!

What do you think?

2009-09-12T18:55:00.004-05:00

I had an ultrasound on Friday and they did a 3-D pic. This is a first for me and I thought it was pretty cool. We told the tech we didn't want to know the sex but when I saw this pic I thought, hmmm, what could that be??!! So I will leave it up to my favorite blog friends. I personally think I am having a girl but Brian thinks it is a boy. So what do you think? Look at the one pic closely and vote. The poll is on the right hand side of the blog. Have fun looking! :)

Another request

2009-09-10T16:50:00.003-05:00

I have been making diaper cakes for about 3 years now. I will be sending this one to Nebraska to a dear friend of mine. The supplies can change but I have included a package of diapers, a bib, picture frame, pacifier clip, baby hat, and some baby lotions. You can create this for any gender or theme for that matter. I have made so many different variations but this one I thought was pretty cute b/ of the diaper design. I like the circles. Have a good weekend!

Almost move in ready!

2009-09-06T19:55:00.005-05:00

Here is the house! Brian and I went to Marysville and picked out all the fixtures, carpets, doors, tiles, counter tops, etc. It was so much fun but pretty stressful too. We still have to purchase an under mounted sink, shower heads, and appliances. Our move in date should be Nov. 5Th if the weather cooperates. The inside pic. is my kitchen, and I think Brian and I will really enjoy the covered porch on the side of the house. I have decided to scratch the garage sale and just donate to the Lighthouse. I am feeling a little overwhelmed packing but it seems to be coming along, sort of! :)

Owen keeps asking me,"When can we move to our new house so we can play with the geotrack train!" I put all the toys that had MANY parts in boxes already!

Oops, has it really been that long?

2009-08-31T16:36:00.005-05:00

Where does the time go? I can't believe it has been soo long since I last blogged. I have so much to say and show you!

My pregnancy has been rough for the first trimester. I have been super tired and really sick. I do not like feeling nauseous all day long. However the baby is healthy and growing so that is what matters. I am thankful that I have been sick it has been my security blanket for me. They say that if you are sick with your pregnancy than you are carrying a healthy baby! I pray that we are! We are seeing a specialist in Wichita on Oct. 5Th. We are now 14 weeks and 2 days. I know the tracker is wrong but they just changed my due date to Feb. 27Th now. I have gained NO weight! Whoo hooo. I only gained 10 1/2 lbs. with Miles and hope to gain around the same again. I will keep you updated more often! Here is the baby's profile and one with a little wave. Look at those little fingers, how cute is that!! Oh and we have decided NOT to find out the sex of the baby. This will be a first for us. A friend told me that life doesn't give you many "good" surprises why not have one! I loved this, how true.

Here is my catch!

2009-07-08T16:47:00.005-05:00

I could only download so many pics so here is Miles with his catch! A little baby catfish. Look at that cute little face (Miles not the fish :) He was sooo excited and proud about his fish.

Scroll down to see the original post.

Gone Fishin'

2009-07-08T16:33:00.003-05:00

This past week we took the boys fishing after supper! It has been really nice in the evenings to do this new activity. The boys have been having lots of fun! Brian purchased a bucket of minnows as bait. Here are some pics of the big event! Miles caught a baby catfish. I enjoy relaxing on a blanket reading a book and listening to the bull frogs. When they start "talking" Owen always says, "Who is laughing at us?!"