tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46541808988938824072024-03-06T03:13:47.232-06:00The Blessed Lifetracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.comBlogger353125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-86501407800041126942016-10-05T10:05:00.001-05:002016-10-05T10:05:47.867-05:00Update: The LONG versionMonday was a big day. Like BIG. And I should apologize in public to my husband because when he asked me how long I expected our appointment to last in St Louis, I told him a couple of hours. Y'all, we were there for six and a half hours. I'm not sure who got tired/irritable/frustrated first, us or Lawson. But, I can say that the trip was 100% worth it. And I am forever grateful to the people who pushed us to go out of state and the people who helped pay for us to go out of state, and also the people who prayed while we were there and lastly my mother in law who watched the other kids while we were gone.<br />
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So, lets recap. Lawson has been through the following:<br />
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Routine eye exam that revealed his optic nerves were bulging into his eyes<br />
Eye Ultrasound<br />
MRI<br />
More vision screenings, more eye pictures, another eye ultrasound<br />
MRV (like an MRI, but looks at blood vessels)<br />
Lumbar Puncture #1<br />
Diagnosis of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension<br />
Diamox<br />
more diamox<br />
less diamox<br />
more diamox<br />
Lumbar Puncture<br />
more diamox<br />
Lumbar Puncture<br />
Neurologist visit<br />
Lasix<br />
Hospitalization after diamox made him sick<br />
less diamox<br />
Neurosurgeon in OKC<br />
CT<br />
New diagnosis of cranialsynostosis and referral to plastic surgeon to discus surgical options<br />
St Louis to see neurosurgeon for second opinion and then an order to go see the ophthalmologist in the hospital<br />
More vision testing<br />
Eye Ultrasound<br />
Neurosurgeon consult<br />
GO HOME WITH CLEAR ANSWERS<br />
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So, what happened in St Louis? What is the new diagnosis? Nothing. Lawson has nothing. His eyeballs/optic nerves formed funny when he was just a baby in my tummy (lol). But seriously, they did. Had we seen this ophthalmologist first we never would have had anything extra. No meds, no lp's, no MRI's, no putting him under four times. Nothing. We would have been sent home with a clear bill of health.<br />
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But wait, Tracy?!! What about his head? Didn't a plastic surgeon and a neurosurgeon say his head was formed wrong? Yes, yes, they did. But they were wrong. His head is fine. Like perfect actually. Those are the words the EXPERT in this surgery said to us. "His head is perfect."<br />
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And what about those super high pressure readings from the lumbar punctures? False. There is apparently evidence that points to anesthesia causing high intracranial pressure. And since Lawson was sedated during his lp's, his pressure readings were not accurate. <br />
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So, first...this is all awesome news. SUPER AWESOME news. No more diamox! No more lasix! No surgery for a shunt or to reshape his skull!! Next, Jason and I will decide between Lawson having a procedure done that involves putting a pressure monitor in his head for a few days while he stays in the hospital for them to continuously monitor his pressure or just going frequently to our eye doc to watch his optic nerve to make sure it stays the same. Our doc in St. Louis believes we will see his pressure is totally normal and that the internal monitoring test will confirm 100% that Lawson is a-okay. Jason and I are more cold, hard, fact kind of people so we wanted the internal monitoring done so we could put all of this behind us, but our neurosurgeon in OKC refuses to do it. She got her feelings hurt when she was told she was wrong. Oh well. So, for now we wait. Lawson is off his meds and we go back to our eye doctor in three weeks for her to look at his nerves. We will start making other decisions after that appointment.<br />
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All that being said....<br />
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PRAISE JESUS! This is such an answer to prayer! We are just so thankful. We are also feeling all the feelings of being upset/angry/frustrated that we have been dealing with wrong information. We are also angry/upset that we have put our kid through all of this unnecessary crap. We basically are feeling all of the feelings and processing all of the information and still having to deal with a ton of doctors that now all disagree with each other and have their egos bruised from being told they were wrong. <br />
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We promise to keep you updated and let you know what happens at the eye doc appointment! Thank you so much for all of your support and prayers.tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-5456389818362795612016-09-28T17:06:00.000-05:002016-09-28T17:06:03.226-05:00Lawson<div class="MsoNormal">
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Friends, in order to just be able to relate information to
our friends and family we have decided to kind of “go public” about some health
struggles Lawson has been facing the past six months. We have waited this long to talk about it on
the internet because of a few reasons.
But ultimately, we arrived at the decision to share so that we could get
info to people faster and without making a million texts and phone calls and
also because we would love your prayers during this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back in April Lawson had a routine vision screening where it
was discovered that his optic nerves were bulging into the back of his
eyes. After several tests (MRI, MRV, eye
ultrasounds and a lumbar puncture) he was diagnosed with Idiopathic
Intracranial Hypertension. We were
confused because IIH is a disease that largely affects older women who are
overweight but can in very (very) rare cases can be found in toddlers. Lawson is a very skinny, four-year-old, BOY. But, because the risk of losing his vision
outweighed the side effects of the medicine, we started a very high dosage of a
medicine that made Lawson lethargic, caused him to have no appetite, and caused
a constant pins and needles feeling in his hands (he would tell us that his
hands were sparkling). <o:p></o:p></div>
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We had two more lumbar punctures during that time and his
pressure was not improving. And then,
one weekend Lawson got very sick and was admitted to the hospital. The cause was the medicine he was taking. So the only meds that could help him were
making him very ill.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIlDFCquz4ZH14iw-kFYbGqIqlmw0Rr5-US6Fr0Qwv7CzrlJinTvUyEmDUVg6KtvKLliaS5Id6pyxiWTxG_07XCMX2sk3N5TMxgwzYZKkLFSU7SMvFPx1VSprDaicVCWIFpmXplMZbra5/s1600/IMG_9832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIlDFCquz4ZH14iw-kFYbGqIqlmw0Rr5-US6Fr0Qwv7CzrlJinTvUyEmDUVg6KtvKLliaS5Id6pyxiWTxG_07XCMX2sk3N5TMxgwzYZKkLFSU7SMvFPx1VSprDaicVCWIFpmXplMZbra5/s320/IMG_9832.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawson and Weston playing at St. Francis after we stopped his meds.</td></tr>
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Fast forward past several more doctor appointments including a
neurologist and a neurosurgeon plus a CT scan and it has been determined that
Lawson does not have IIH and instead has a condition called Cranialsynostosis. Basically, his skull fused too early
resulting in a misshapen skull that is putting pressure on his brain. The only solution is a surgery to reshape his
skull. Jason and I have an appointment
in St Louis for a second opinion and we also have a surgery consult scheduled
in OKC during the month of October.
Hopefully we will leave both of these appointments with a firm date for
surgery and confidence with the doctor we choose to perform the surgery.</div>
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How can you help?
Well, <i>for now</i>, we need prayer.
Prayers for peace and for wisdom for us as we select a doctor for the
surgery and prayers for us as we travel.
Also, prayers for Lawson. In
addition to surgery he will also have to have one additional lumbar puncture in
October to check pressure and drain fluid off from around his brain. The last lumbar puncture was pretty traumatic
and it took three sticks before they were successful. Luckily, he is completely knocked out, but
there are also risks with anesthesia. And lastly, just prayers for our family as we navigate through a very taxing time. The emotional toll, the financial toll and also just the stress on our time and ability to be a normal family has been difficult to say the least.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We appreciate all of prayers we can get! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Special thank you to everyone who has already been praying
for us and believing for healing for Lawson.
And for all the people who have babysat for us or brought us food or
helped us in so many other ways. We love
you all so much!<o:p></o:p></div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-17362860452425520042016-03-28T16:30:00.000-05:002016-05-09T19:12:17.347-05:0026.2 (warning, long post ahead)<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Y'all. I know Route 66 was like for-ev-er ago, but I realized when I was out running this week that I was FINALLY ready to write about the experience of running my first ever marathon. After Route 66 and really up until about a week ago, even the thought of writing about running was upsetting. An injury that had me sidelined also had me feeling down in the dumps about running. And while I never (like never, never, never) thought I would be depressed about NOT running, I was. Turns out, running is not just something I want to do, but something I like to do. Scratch that. I don't LIKE to run, but it does help me to be more calm, more confident, and less crazy in general. So, here goes. My recap of my first ever 26.2.</div>
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Training: Training is no joke. And frankly, I would not have been able to complete a marathon without some pretty amazing training partners. My sister, Carri, and my friend, Megan, were amazing during training. They got up early, ran in crazy heat, hills, wind, whatever. And they didn't laugh at me when I wrote directions down on my arm or get mad when I had to take walk breaks. Okay, Carri did laugh about the directions. She also laughed when I got down on my stomach in a very swanky part of T-Town to drink out of someone's sprinkler. </div>
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I can't really go on without mentioning what an amazing husband I have. Jason watched the kids, planned routes, rubbed my legs/feet when I was sore, let me take naps, bought donuts, cheered me on at races, ran with me at races and generally was my biggest cheerleader/supporter. Without Jason, there would be no running. He is amazing and I am so thankful he said yes to the commitment of me training for this race!<br />
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Leading up to the full, my training included the Hot Chocolate 15K, Aquarium Half, A2A Half, Tulsa Run and the Jenks Half. I had Jason and/or my sister with me in those races!<br />
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After Hot Choc 15K</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the A2A Half</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ8XXNksf7FD4zw8DdFvaEyHar3tV3CZt3cqrjLUuB17Rfik2_CHzD2f1Phpsq3LH45d-NHjVk8UXeGRTXDjSFrThKcejU7zOiLkyGv_mEwafm0sFTDMJvpmEzP3I9rJu0xnC1t3BilsI/s1600/IMG_4351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ8XXNksf7FD4zw8DdFvaEyHar3tV3CZt3cqrjLUuB17Rfik2_CHzD2f1Phpsq3LH45d-NHjVk8UXeGRTXDjSFrThKcejU7zOiLkyGv_mEwafm0sFTDMJvpmEzP3I9rJu0xnC1t3BilsI/s320/IMG_4351.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the infamous (and incorrect) arm directions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my post 20 mile feet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThgidPBZWXKmoI0NY2eOkqCPtE2xJTrELKUHcIPSHfaTTXUE4u1ZW0138oHrjLU0V0Zij2tu2uCpG1wb7tSi4GfxNe3igGbKibhfHHQmdGusHnqNudTCezjkNI3YXHlUfLrmGAPh4BSO6/s1600/IMG_4442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThgidPBZWXKmoI0NY2eOkqCPtE2xJTrELKUHcIPSHfaTTXUE4u1ZW0138oHrjLU0V0Zij2tu2uCpG1wb7tSi4GfxNe3igGbKibhfHHQmdGusHnqNudTCezjkNI3YXHlUfLrmGAPh4BSO6/s320/IMG_4442.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before Tulsa Run</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ran from Jenks to downtown Tulsa to meet my fam and then ran in the Tulsa Run!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBsYK3QXYu0uLsdf6D1w7M3riSkJPa3y-fDjV3AiKMjZZoOT1GZODgtES29ElR4VYWgOlk5jA3w-PtBs_kz2pFi-xas-Mv4_cqDrxEJMvg3rypZLZAnwLIDTa8X0B2U0Fc877KMrDi6OP/s1600/IMG_4564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBsYK3QXYu0uLsdf6D1w7M3riSkJPa3y-fDjV3AiKMjZZoOT1GZODgtES29ElR4VYWgOlk5jA3w-PtBs_kz2pFi-xas-Mv4_cqDrxEJMvg3rypZLZAnwLIDTa8X0B2U0Fc877KMrDi6OP/s320/IMG_4564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is after the Jenks Half which was our third half marathon of 2015!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGK2Hg_sSk2P6Z1arb0bD-YYtXzj16OmMi5XatdY1cY5yZEHsSa1P0G4PGyUoZHYb6TQpDU3b2X14J1775smuAF4unmKr41MZD0NNp2XP9LFbxemf-drBLMzBnNiaeOm8aULDsvkZw0xN/s1600/IMG_4554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGK2Hg_sSk2P6Z1arb0bD-YYtXzj16OmMi5XatdY1cY5yZEHsSa1P0G4PGyUoZHYb6TQpDU3b2X14J1775smuAF4unmKr41MZD0NNp2XP9LFbxemf-drBLMzBnNiaeOm8aULDsvkZw0xN/s320/IMG_4554.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family that runs together, stays together!</td></tr>
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The race: Seriously, y'all. I am never, never, never running it again. I did the Route 66 half in 2014 and said then I would never do it again and then I went and signed up for the full. BIG MISTAKE. The first word that comes to mind is hills. That is also the second, third, fourth and fifth word that I think of when I start to think about this race. Luckily, I had my sister with me for the beginning part (and honestly can't remember what mile we parted ways). Having Carri with me helped to take my focus off the crap. The weather was actually pretty great. Cold at the start, but perfect once you got moving. I had an amazing cheering section and felt pretty great until about mile 15. At mile 15 I remember feeling like I wanted a walking break but tried not to because well, I still had over 11 miles left! So, I pressed on. Then at some point there was a crazy hill. And I gave in and took a quick walk break. From then until about mile 18 I did okay. I had some really great support at this point in the race from my friends at church! My friend, Heidi, had some of my fellow church members take pics and then she sent them to me while I was running! It was so awesome!</div>
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Around mile 18 I was starting to feel some knee pain but figured it was no big deal and kept going. I did have J bring me some pain reliever because I knew I still had a ways to go. Well, by mile 20, I was a mess. My knee was killing me and I was bawling. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish, could barely walk or run and figured out that at my current pace I had over an hour left of running. I honestly couldn't tell you much about where I was or what it was like, or crowd support or anything really except that at mile 20 I thought I was going to die. Then, I saw my fam, and my sis (who had finished her race) ran up to me and talked to me and was encouraging me to do my best and I lost it. Then, I saw the best sign of my entire race.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7kCc_Y3w69e_A6h45WVNFDtZLz-TU5vJvc2hMvElKoqZrxMjCjZty1MyJ_LbaqdqzeKkxcp5HgIT4CcwMB9Atk0yRLXvNIsNKdH2IU2pcQpxqrJaK_pKcR_u8bk4UVxD4csJJmfc144m/s1600/IMG_4925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7kCc_Y3w69e_A6h45WVNFDtZLz-TU5vJvc2hMvElKoqZrxMjCjZty1MyJ_LbaqdqzeKkxcp5HgIT4CcwMB9Atk0yRLXvNIsNKdH2IU2pcQpxqrJaK_pKcR_u8bk4UVxD4csJJmfc144m/s320/IMG_4925.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Jason made many, many, many amazing signs, but I am glad he saved this one for mile 20 or 21 or whatever it was.<br />
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I am not quite sure how I managed the last six point two. At some point the wind picked up and I remember thinking, "seriously? wind?" There was still so much crowd support which helped immensely but I was still in quite a bit of pain. I had to run until it was unbearable and then walk until I could run again. I was never so happy as I was when I saw the 26 mile marker! Finishing the race was bittersweet. I was so happy to be finished and pretty proud of myself for making it, but I knew I did not make my time goal. I promised myself I would not have any kind of time goal, but well, in the back of my mind I did have a time I wanted to beat. Another BIG MISTAKE haha!<br />
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My medal says, "my first marathon" on it and I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pM83oVclBkpS3WeoYZn8Vb1QFIt3Y6W5WRRdcAyO-_4IgImDEYtTPaTkKS4K2YSBwpmJtjaq-JWtalNsNAftEdjP1YVQRPmT9Si9_T7gqk2_gzsOqbjwoPPrukMMDyBQoo-wvJbtbmwU/s1600/IMG_4867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pM83oVclBkpS3WeoYZn8Vb1QFIt3Y6W5WRRdcAyO-_4IgImDEYtTPaTkKS4K2YSBwpmJtjaq-JWtalNsNAftEdjP1YVQRPmT9Si9_T7gqk2_gzsOqbjwoPPrukMMDyBQoo-wvJbtbmwU/s320/IMG_4867.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
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In conclusion, I hate Route 66. I will not run it again. EVER. I am going to run another full though. In October. I started looking about a day after Route 66. What can I say? I am a running weirdo!<br />
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Here are a few additional photos!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUJstjjO8dMd25SSGizCcBVR1JOUt5W1b9a3hS7tv4a-s9a7pfoLeX_z0EXGi2zzaYWlnmM0vnsZeLHSgz0tEzQlfuaLXDJ53XRVhserpuvhkqbWiERqde0sCZbSwBmMuJqI7Tfswk1WW/s1600/IMG_4851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUJstjjO8dMd25SSGizCcBVR1JOUt5W1b9a3hS7tv4a-s9a7pfoLeX_z0EXGi2zzaYWlnmM0vnsZeLHSgz0tEzQlfuaLXDJ53XRVhserpuvhkqbWiERqde0sCZbSwBmMuJqI7Tfswk1WW/s320/IMG_4851.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cookies from my friend and training partner, Megan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8GnWtFueqS4yICgZzRwKSzbbkC66fj-LfbmfePDrOKA0sPhvatFKHp0KHascnrpvB0s6h1dIVtGdoZVg40subkz1ObtQQIiHVD2XcKuPaKBm6LfWsH-bSg02YKUjTBb11apNGsFVy1hs/s1600/IMG_4861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8GnWtFueqS4yICgZzRwKSzbbkC66fj-LfbmfePDrOKA0sPhvatFKHp0KHascnrpvB0s6h1dIVtGdoZVg40subkz1ObtQQIiHVD2XcKuPaKBm6LfWsH-bSg02YKUjTBb11apNGsFVy1hs/s320/IMG_4861.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre race photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3-94N26drHgLeS4tc8lGqmkYzKmEZ8qybHZ-DPw-E7Z8w-8zGnL0b9ykCD4KMpiAtm62AyXSTSpMaYxUrQLyXttZuqAM_OjXvzPQdwATW9GUJsma4_PrsGP4tV9mqbiW7ej6ndSTSVli/s1600/IMG_4879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3-94N26drHgLeS4tc8lGqmkYzKmEZ8qybHZ-DPw-E7Z8w-8zGnL0b9ykCD4KMpiAtm62AyXSTSpMaYxUrQLyXttZuqAM_OjXvzPQdwATW9GUJsma4_PrsGP4tV9mqbiW7ej6ndSTSVli/s320/IMG_4879.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">part of my amazing cheer team</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNMYdUAOf_iUnYRgTidOxym2Ifh14ppcUKcTowTde8Wt1W3TFdPXZ8Gh0BYXgeZGPIFG-OQvAEIbpe4GBXHLmGgfJ2urZM8EU69wyPZUlIeKiKswBPMM0Bpah6cTzXTlgriy0Ph-QIRf0/s1600/IMG_4886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNMYdUAOf_iUnYRgTidOxym2Ifh14ppcUKcTowTde8Wt1W3TFdPXZ8Gh0BYXgeZGPIFG-OQvAEIbpe4GBXHLmGgfJ2urZM8EU69wyPZUlIeKiKswBPMM0Bpah6cTzXTlgriy0Ph-QIRf0/s320/IMG_4886.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my amazing sister and running partner before we started</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxZxlCB-YZ6M0mxQ8JlHP4DL-aMqTDjEVG8EqrJJHVteYZbmDukPL-DLEVd07pz0JefjOuYw8x1QRz2GwZW6wvnhMGGAUrQpNxFcyDVRvpNUKN3Ut0wy_gp2pV0S8KZaEYjHwexTofRIW/s1600/IMG_4890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxZxlCB-YZ6M0mxQ8JlHP4DL-aMqTDjEVG8EqrJJHVteYZbmDukPL-DLEVd07pz0JefjOuYw8x1QRz2GwZW6wvnhMGGAUrQpNxFcyDVRvpNUKN3Ut0wy_gp2pV0S8KZaEYjHwexTofRIW/s320/IMG_4890.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hubby and girls before the race!</td></tr>
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I would like to add that if I can do it, anyone can. For real. I never never never thought I would be a runner. Even Jason said I was the least likely person to run a marathon! I would also like to add that I would NEVER recommend that Route 66 be your first marathon. hahaha<br />
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-18287620093049529842014-11-12T15:25:00.000-06:002014-11-12T15:25:15.484-06:00Interview with Isabelle-Age 6<div style="text-align: center;">
I am continuing my tradition of interviewing the kids on their birthday! You can see last year's interview <a href="http://theblessedlife-tracy.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-am-mom-of-five-year-old-what.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Favorite Food: Pizza </div>
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Isabelle also loves crunchy chicken (still) with noodles and broccoli but has also added cheeseburgers and my PW meatballs to the list of things she will eat. However, she still hates spag or stroganoff, and most all soups.</div>
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Least favorite food: Stroganoff</div>
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There really isn't a lot my kids will eat right now. You can almost bet that if you are at my house at 5:30 pm you will hear, "I don't like that."</div>
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Favorite Color: Red</div>
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Favorite TV Show: Phineas and Ferb</div>
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Isabelle still loves Wildkratts and most PBS shows too.</div>
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Favorite Movie: Tangled</div>
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Best Friend: Jaynie</div>
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Jaynie is a new friend Isabelle met at Awana this year. I love seeing them holding hands and spending time together on Wednesday nights</div>
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Favorite Toy: Bear Bear</div>
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Other favorites include her dolls (tinkerbelle, rosetta, rapunzel, and other barbies), playing dress up and her bike. She learned how to ride without training wheels and now wants to ride all the time.</div>
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Favorite Book: 1001 Things</div>
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Isabelle is reading now, so she also enjoys easy reader books that she can read on her own. She has also shown a love for writing her own stories! I may have an author on my hands!</div>
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Favorite Snack: Cookies</div>
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I am not a snack mom. I usually don't have snacks but Isabelle LOVES snacks. She eats pretzels, string cheese, popcorn, clementines, apples or grapes for her afternoon snack!</div>
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What do you want to be when you grow up: Art Teacher</div>
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What does mom do all day: Work and change poop. (surprisingly accurate)</div>
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What does dad do all day? Work</div>
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Coolest person you know? Dad</div>
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Favorite Song? Shake it off</div>
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She loves this song but we are trying to avoid the word "hella" in the song so we sing, "hello, good hair," instead.</div>
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Isabelle is such a joy. She is easy, easy going, kind, helpful, considerate, generous, loving and so much more. It is hard to believe she is six and while it makes me so sad that my baby is getting older, I am so proud of the girl she has become. She is so smart and so funny and so beautiful and I thank God for her everyday!</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-62422028184171903362014-10-09T09:16:00.000-05:002014-10-09T09:16:27.447-05:00Adventures in Cooking: Mel's Kitchen CafeI haven't done an adventures in cooking post in awhile. Not because I haven't been cooking, but because well, I am a lazy blogger haha. But seriously, <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/" target="_blank">Mel's Kitchen Cafe</a> is where it's at. <br />
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I have made several recipe's from her blog and they are all amazing. Like so, so, so good. And fairly easy. I think you know by now that I am really not that talented when it comes to cooking. I fell in love with Pioneer Woman because she gives step by step photos that helped me be able to figure out if I was doing the right thing or not. Now that I have a little more confidence in the kitchen, I try recipes that don't have tons of photos, but I still don't attempt anything overly complicated. I'd like to one day but for now, I really don't have the time!<br />
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Back to Mel! Here are a few of her recipes I have tried recently and LOVED.<br />
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<a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/baked-chicken-taquitos/" target="_blank">Baked Chicken Taquitos.</a><br />
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Bonus, these are gluten free!<br />
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I've made them two times, the second time I was out of limes and cilantro and they were still so good. Part of my children liked them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/pineapple-salsa-chicken-slow-cooker/" target="_blank">Pineapple Salsa Chicken</a><br />
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Also gluten free! Which actually didn't matter because my kiddos wouldn't eat it, BUT Jason and I loved it and I have lunch leftovers which is awesome!<br />
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<a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken-updated/" target="_blank">Sweet and Sour Chicken</a><br />
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Okay, so also gluten free, but you should know in advance that this is a messy dish to prepare and involves several steps! I totally think it is worth it and love this dish!<br />
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There you go! Three delicious dinners. I can't promise your kids will love them, in fact my kids did not love any of them, but I can promise you will like them! <br />
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And, if these don't look delicious to you, I am sure you can find something on Mel's site that you will like! tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-30760469362949937542014-08-28T12:49:00.003-05:002014-08-28T12:49:51.884-05:00Saying yes (and random pics of my kids)<div style="text-align: center;">
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I've been saying, "yes," to several things lately. Like a lot of things actually. I've started back to school with the kids, started a small group through my church, become a section leader at church on Sunday mornings, started watching one of our neighbors after school, agreed to volunteer on the steering committee for my mother's of preschoolers group, started a new business with <a href="http://www.tracydickinson.noondaycollection.com/lookbook" target="_blank">Noonday Collection</a>, signed up the girls for Awana's through a local church, and a few other random things here and there, not to mention I am still training for my first half marathon.</div>
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I feel busy.</div>
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But you know what, in all of those decisions, I felt peace. I felt okay to make all of those things happen and felt like they were the right choices for me at the right time. It doesn't mean, of course, that there aren't things that will have to change, or get altered or moved around, or maybe even some things that were previously "yes" may now be "no."</div>
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For instance, cleaning is taking a back seat. That is super hard for me. I really (like really) enjoy a clean house. But right now, it isn't happening. Instead, I am teaching the girls to help me around the house. Not because they are so awesome at it right now but because 1. their cleaning is better than no cleaning and 2. eventually their clean will be the same (or close to) my clean because I spent time teaching them.</div>
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I'm also letting any form of sleep training take a back seat. Yep, the woman who said she'd never do about a hundred things in regard to sleep and kids is now doing approximately all of those things. And guess what? That's okay. Sleep is more important right now. </div>
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You know what else I'm cutting back on.....playdates. Gasp. I love having friends over to play and truthfully, it wasn't like I was having a ton of them anyway. However, for the moment, I am being more selective about how I spend my time. It doesn't mean I don't still love my friends or their kids or having them over, it is just the season. A season of less playdates.</div>
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Guess what else that means...less internet and tv. Less time on my phone and less time reading blogs. I love blogs and fb and instagram, but again, I just need to use my time a little better. I'd rather be reading one of the many, many books that are on my "must read" list or doing something fun with my kiddos.</div>
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I don't mind being busy, but I do not like being overwhelmed. Turning some things into "no's" whether permanently or for a season is how I feel I'm going to stay sane. My kids won't always eat this many sandwiches, my house won't always be this dirty, my plate won't always be this full. For now, I'm embracing the things I've taken on and trying not to be too sad about the things I've let go. </div>
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I'm keeping the most important things as the most important things and not worrying about the rest. </div>
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What are some ways you stay calm during seasons of lots of commitments? Any tips for this momma?</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-1658602729136235342014-07-08T21:29:00.000-05:002014-07-08T21:29:24.430-05:00Hula hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRZr5Enj2LSkNGNO8-numg_aR8vZBZG1tVylLhjh1TDtY5k4voLWk0ZOGhMQd4Es2rzi622BJjfjHWsz5euYBA0DYD427unEKZ33xZH-ql6U0Z3_DB3sVqYlT5VlFF-iCJgAfWHbYkp1k/s640/blogger-image--306595462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRZr5Enj2LSkNGNO8-numg_aR8vZBZG1tVylLhjh1TDtY5k4voLWk0ZOGhMQd4Es2rzi622BJjfjHWsz5euYBA0DYD427unEKZ33xZH-ql6U0Z3_DB3sVqYlT5VlFF-iCJgAfWHbYkp1k/s640/blogger-image--306595462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj441DV_zttImfyeySoNq6DtRlkcKef83YTsULpjOMy7LnIwYu_ci3J__Ye46g5Zjvz0z8vpHeAlzKR1asDRtvcZA5d9o6hX1qyabcem7JV5cfbjo2Z8A6uPX-k3oO3qv47gPxPJmkgY-jp/s640/blogger-image--1188348687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj441DV_zttImfyeySoNq6DtRlkcKef83YTsULpjOMy7LnIwYu_ci3J__Ye46g5Zjvz0z8vpHeAlzKR1asDRtvcZA5d9o6hX1qyabcem7JV5cfbjo2Z8A6uPX-k3oO3qv47gPxPJmkgY-jp/s640/blogger-image--1188348687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9-ySOzjuDLatkghVSYe-K_WH2ZufFraVTAlxZvL6nZgtkE8qjXa7Qwau8SkZ5T6bA7HClG7sZiZmmSZ6yCUmJe_gWS72zoga9pXYZzTugjIc97wz-XKZ7pMiBt576r8E2J-2YtWxP1xb/s640/blogger-image-931707157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
One of Isabelle's gifts from Santa this past year was a hula hoop. She picked it up pretty quickly and has been going strong ever since. One of her favorite things is to slow it down and let it go down her legs and then speed it back up and get it up around her waist again. She also likes to walk around while hoopin' and make funny faces! She is pretty great! Here are some pics from a couple of days ago!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9-ySOzjuDLatkghVSYe-K_WH2ZufFraVTAlxZvL6nZgtkE8qjXa7Qwau8SkZ5T6bA7HClG7sZiZmmSZ6yCUmJe_gWS72zoga9pXYZzTugjIc97wz-XKZ7pMiBt576r8E2J-2YtWxP1xb/s640/blogger-image-931707157.jpg" /><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj441DV_zttImfyeySoNq6DtRlkcKef83YTsULpjOMy7LnIwYu_ci3J__Ye46g5Zjvz0z8vpHeAlzKR1asDRtvcZA5d9o6hX1qyabcem7JV5cfbjo2Z8A6uPX-k3oO3qv47gPxPJmkgY-jp/s640/blogger-image--1188348687.jpg" /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGZf0mPTIUArDgOBA9I9p7x5C7A4x4VFiSOttjPzORbGCTuEBY95iCwFqYt1Su__mCrWVr2S8jn4qJeHIFX1p-8JtPT9yZlYbksvsuo_JWmhIFywwcOSpXuy7SuYoBlhukucHDmVqiWDe/s640/blogger-image--1541041934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGZf0mPTIUArDgOBA9I9p7x5C7A4x4VFiSOttjPzORbGCTuEBY95iCwFqYt1Su__mCrWVr2S8jn4qJeHIFX1p-8JtPT9yZlYbksvsuo_JWmhIFywwcOSpXuy7SuYoBlhukucHDmVqiWDe/s640/blogger-image--1541041934.jpg" /></a></div>
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I love my sweet Isabelley and love that she has such a wide range of interests. She is a joy to parent and I love seeing her get so excited about things that she likes! And while I will probably NOT let her join the circus to pursue her hula hooping dreams, I do like watching her for now!tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-85529522251234738232014-07-03T14:43:00.000-05:002014-07-03T14:43:24.964-05:00Gluten free!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8VBTbKFnwTDZSc4Qus9fGyBaxe5_59vGbIA4p-2zuhL-0P4f43x_s7kip3xy1ZW3mjHf3h_WKaXmgCPLfzotye9WEHNdcardbZYCFAuwQxYF37S4MvmchjEm92TuE1xxfzcvmpZm148J/s640/blogger-image--1888991940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8VBTbKFnwTDZSc4Qus9fGyBaxe5_59vGbIA4p-2zuhL-0P4f43x_s7kip3xy1ZW3mjHf3h_WKaXmgCPLfzotye9WEHNdcardbZYCFAuwQxYF37S4MvmchjEm92TuE1xxfzcvmpZm148J/s400/blogger-image--1888991940.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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18 days ago, we took gluten out of Lawson's diet. After reading a status on facebook about speech delay and gluten I figured since I've tried everything else, there was no reason to not give it a shot. I knew that it would require some changes (like our daily pb&j's) but I figured Lawson would have a harder time than I would (I was wrong, but what is new!).</div>
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I met with one of my friends who gave me tons of valuable info and cookbooks and felt pretty prepared. She mentioned while helping me that probably the first place I would notice a difference was in his behavior. Honestly, I didn't expect to see any changes and especially not after such a short time. I was also secretly hoping I didn't see any difference because, well, gluten free bread isn't cheap! </div>
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HOLY MOLY! I can't believe it, but we are actually seeing some pretty major changes. Disclaimer: I realize that every change we are seeing could be just coincidence or maturity or any number of other things. The fact is, we are seeing some major things change. </div>
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A few things we have noticed.......</div>
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First, Lawson's half and hour to forty minute fits have disappeared. His fits now only last about five minutes haha!!! Second, no dirt eating or crap touching (fun stuff I tell ya!). Third, he is actually acting like a normal child in public. We went to a concert at the library and I didn't have to chase him or tell him to stop yelling even one time! Lastly, and probably totally unrelated, he is drinking his milk from a cup...PRAISE THE GOOD LORD ABOVE! Now, whether or not his speech is better is yet to be seen. I really didn't expect to see changes there for several weeks.</div>
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Gluten may or may not be responsible for these changes, but since it seems to be working, we are going with it! After six weeks we will add it back in and see what happens! </div>
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Here are a few of my fav gluten free products.</div>
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1. <a href="http://www.annies.com/products/pastas/gluten-free-rice-shells-creamy-white-cheddar" target="_blank">Annies gf white mac n cheese</a>.</div>
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2. <a href="http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Id=13" target="_blank">Namaste perfect flour blend.</a> It really is perfect. My cookies and muffins have turned out beautifully.</div>
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3. <a href="http://www.heartlandpasta.com/products/family/gluten-free" target="_blank">Heartland gf spaghetti noodles</a></div>
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4. Corn tortillas (naturally gf)</div>
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Mostly, in case you are interested, we have just been doing lots of fresh fruits and veggies with chicken or beef!</div>
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So there you have it! Gluten free is working for us! Know any great recipes I should try?</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-70249000250247721702014-07-02T12:01:00.000-05:002014-07-02T12:01:04.725-05:00Weston at four monthsMy little (or not so little) guy is growing up so fast. Here is a little about Weston at four months old.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92KOnFxrUOar7wC_Y4yMFRLpqmK4R1yG8ckmj7fOezyd930Kd11DKUVobZ-pIKUoV8HA2xWD4xMN4SPZnbuIPvXUdDs0yABi6QXKcb248LML9rHDsmGkbVAX2eD4ORECvuuHAu1KdY2bA/s640/blogger-image-1233765803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92KOnFxrUOar7wC_Y4yMFRLpqmK4R1yG8ckmj7fOezyd930Kd11DKUVobZ-pIKUoV8HA2xWD4xMN4SPZnbuIPvXUdDs0yABi6QXKcb248LML9rHDsmGkbVAX2eD4ORECvuuHAu1KdY2bA/s400/blogger-image-1233765803.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Height: 24.75 inches (47th percentile)</div>
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Weight: 15.6 lbs (63rd percentile)</div>
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Likes: rolling over (tummy to back), being held, chillin' in his swing, watching big sisters and big brother play outside, smiling (smiling is his favorite), and eating haha.</div>
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Dislikes: being ignored, being hungry, being wet. </div>
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It is actually pretty tough to come up with things Weston does not like. He is a very happy and easy going baby. I will admit I think I have said that about all my babies and then eventually they turn on me but for now, Weston is a piece of cake. I am one lucky mom of four. He is sleeping like a champ most nights, and does pretty well during the day also. I think teeth might be in our near future but who knows. Overall, the transition from three to four has been very easy. Not calm, not slow, but easy. And since Weston will turn five months in like four days, you can tell I'm not exactly caught up on blogging, but oh well!!</div>
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Happy four months, Westy! We love you!</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-53732786822292845982014-06-03T09:34:00.002-05:002014-06-03T09:34:33.805-05:00Reverse Bucket ListThe past couple of years, I have made myself and the kids a <a href="http://theblessedlife-tracy.blogspot.com/2013/05/summer-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">summer bucket list</a>. And guess what? I have never completed it. Surprise, surprise! Turns out, sometimes things come up. Sometimes I don't feel like making t-shirts using sandpaper or making homemade suckers. And sometimes, it gets to be 115 degrees outside and the only thing you can do is sit inside and watch movies all day! <br />
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So........this year I decided to do things a bit different. I'm going to just keep track of all the great things we do and feel great about spending fun times with my kids instead of feeling guilty because I didn't get everything done off of a stupid list! Maybe you don't have the same problem as me, but not finishing lists drives me bonkers!<br />
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Here's a few of the things we have already done this summer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgtCVAERrtJsCBJsro6DuAgp-qZC7ejNrwPwYfVPJntJhbo5IWuYmt7etfs7Xm5FEJsS3AN0mUGu73iCGAtm3hKZdD2P6QRt5_792FRPbJXURdOykvkbQJpr2m5xHDRmi3xJWBb3FHlzB/s640/blogger-image--972953355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgtCVAERrtJsCBJsro6DuAgp-qZC7ejNrwPwYfVPJntJhbo5IWuYmt7etfs7Xm5FEJsS3AN0mUGu73iCGAtm3hKZdD2P6QRt5_792FRPbJXURdOykvkbQJpr2m5xHDRmi3xJWBb3FHlzB/s400/blogger-image--972953355.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bought a cheap-o Walmart pool and let them swim to their hearts content. (Not pictured is the sunburn they suffered after three hours outside! Praise the Lord for lavender oil!)<br />
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Made cloud dough and played with it all morning on the back porch!<br />
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Toured the Blue Bell plant and had ice cream for an early morning snack! Lawson did surprisingly well thanks to the help of several awesome friends that were with us!<br />
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Spent time at Granny and Grandpa's bird watching and taking nature walks. I see many of these trips in our future. The kids LOVE going over to spend time with their great grandparents!<br />
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Picked up golf clubs to begin to learn how to play. LaFortune Park in Tulsa has a club rental program for kids which is so nice because you don't have to buy new clubs as your kiddos grow! Molly and Isabelle can share the same size and Jason is going to give lessons!</div>
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Not pictured is a trip to our local library to sign up for the summer reading program, the clown show we saw at Conner's Cove (a theater at the local library), or taking Chick-fil-A to dad's work to eat lunch with him!</div>
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I have lots of fun things planned this summer, but I am also giving myself a break if I don't get a million things done. What is important is spending quality time with the kids doing quality activities! Not checking things off of a list!! My inner perfectionist is going to take a little vacation this summer!</div>
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What fun things have you done this year?</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-30972248252675514702014-05-06T13:53:00.000-05:002014-05-06T13:53:54.549-05:00Oiled UpAs many of you know, I am a distributor for Young Living Oils. What many of you don't know is how I use my oils! I have been asked many times recently, so I thought I would let you in on which ones I have used and how I've used them this past month.<br />
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First, Thieves (a blend).<br />
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I use this oil very regularly. I almost always apply it to my feet or my kids' feet before and after being out around lots of people (think MOPS, church, etc). This past month, I also used it daily on Lawson during his five day fever episode as well as diffusing to prevent the rest of us from getting sick (which none of us did). I love thieves and recommend it as a great starting oil for anyone interested in seeing how oils can benefit them! I really enjoyed our winter without repeated trips to the Dr. for illness!<br />
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Peppermint is another one I use pretty often. I use it to help with tension headaches (apply on temples and back of neck), prevent ants and other insects from getting in my house, as a great scent for cleaning (I put it in my mop water) and as a fever reducer!<br />
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I also use Peace and Calming (another blend) almost every day with Stress Away (also a blend) on Lawson. I put Peace and Calming on his feet and Stress Away on his spine to help him sleep or to help him calm down during a particularly bad day of fits! I love Peace and Calming for myself also and diffuse it during the day when I need to calm down!<br />
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This month I also used Purification (blend) several times. I used it after cooking broccoli, after several stinky diapers in a row, when smelly trash got left overnight and in the bottom of the diaper pail to help get rid of terrible odors!<br />
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Lavender is maybe my favorite after Thieves. I use lavender for almost everything. Cuts, scrapes, sunburns, regular burns, sleeping, mosquito repellent....this oil does it all! Before I started using Young Living, I used lavender oil from Whole Foods. Young Living is a much higher quality oil, but using lavender is what sold me on all oils. I have never seen burns heal so quickly as I did when I put lavender on them. It is amazing!<br />
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The last oil I used this month was Frankincense. I am using it to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks! I realize some of you lucky ladies don't have any stretch marks, but this momma does and I am anxious to make them look a little less horrible!<br />
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I love using oils to help my family in a more natural way. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much they can really do! If you are looking for a better way to help your family or have questions about Young Living oils, let me know! <br />
<br />tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-82342692398605091752014-04-30T14:16:00.001-05:002014-04-30T14:16:05.535-05:00Molly Moo<div style="text-align: center;">
Last month, my baby girl turned four. Proof that they really do grow up. Somehow Isabelle getting older is different than Molly getting older. I am more sad and reflective about Molly. I will never have a baby girl again. Girls just have a sweetness about them that boys do not. And I will miss Molly's sweetness as she gets older and realizes it isn't super cool to give your mom a million hugs and kisses a day.</div>
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I am continuing my tradition of <a href="http://theblessedlife-tracy.blogspot.com/2013/03/molly-is-three-well-almost-three.html" target="_blank">interviewing the girls</a> on their birthdays. Here are Molly's answers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpRT3Fezzqr21-iagb9Nt0ERip_Iy5-1eqoXhu8_6rsNPxm3vsCRJ1XXcbjp72yaCgA6t_0hnZI2L98hULRYiAPN7urW4Ln2nik1D4jsOSBsLm6iqbFU4RoZZAzqzXLf0vQ-Zi3zd_O9G/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpRT3Fezzqr21-iagb9Nt0ERip_Iy5-1eqoXhu8_6rsNPxm3vsCRJ1XXcbjp72yaCgA6t_0hnZI2L98hULRYiAPN7urW4Ln2nik1D4jsOSBsLm6iqbFU4RoZZAzqzXLf0vQ-Zi3zd_O9G/s1600/IMG_3759.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Favorite color? Pink</div>
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Favorite TV show? Care Bears</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxEjd7gm0ImgVokc1xjqfOSaNSVpn4YaywddWX6lsUFxGnsLNtzxsQxloG4xAdFpDAgLSPu2Q6nemD9wznjaGw9pQ_6xw-mtM9nK0Maub1be2GmxOqg3FoGF_TT7qObQ7NypWh7-47P3b/s1600/Dickinson_059b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxEjd7gm0ImgVokc1xjqfOSaNSVpn4YaywddWX6lsUFxGnsLNtzxsQxloG4xAdFpDAgLSPu2Q6nemD9wznjaGw9pQ_6xw-mtM9nK0Maub1be2GmxOqg3FoGF_TT7qObQ7NypWh7-47P3b/s1600/Dickinson_059b.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Favorite movie? Toy Story 3</div>
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Favorite food? Stroganoff</div>
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Least favorite food? Hamburgers</div>
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Best friend? Hannah</div>
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Favorite toy? Buzz Lightyear and Woody</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7O1rexwIhNizQugNZfKv-GzjzpLwjBTF8M1rldp5EOqLNx3hm53O6N2KlfZC-5RyE-615tHAHeG1MyfJvrqF2Lvvqve_-qXcCRHtOrALoeS72NuFcaLZvMYkhK3Xfv2sEnpYGT9bhrEA7/s1600/Dickinson_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7O1rexwIhNizQugNZfKv-GzjzpLwjBTF8M1rldp5EOqLNx3hm53O6N2KlfZC-5RyE-615tHAHeG1MyfJvrqF2Lvvqve_-qXcCRHtOrALoeS72NuFcaLZvMYkhK3Xfv2sEnpYGT9bhrEA7/s1600/Dickinson_014.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Favorite snack? Goldfish and candy</div>
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What do you want to be when you grow up? A big kid with a dog</div>
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Favorite song? Let it Go</div>
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Favorite book? Toy Story</div>
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If you could change your name what would you change it to? Melanie</div>
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Coolest person you know? Grandma Deborah Jill</div>
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What does mom do all day? Fold laundry</div>
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What does dad do all day? Work</div>
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From my perspective......</div>
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Molly loves playing with her sister no matter what they are playing. She gets bossed around quite a bit and doesn't usually mind. She is an outdoors girl and loves playing in the sandbox, riding her bike and playing with chalk. Her favorite food is stroganoff, but she also likes spaghetti, crunchy chicken, bean burritos and pizza. She also loves salad which is pretty weird to me! Molly has just started to show real interest in school work and is getting very good at writing her letters and numbers! </div>
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Molly is the funniest kid ever! Almost daily I text Jason something funny she has just said. She tells us daily that we are "hilar," even though she is the one who is hilarious. She is super affectionate and I'm pretty sure her love language is touch. She is the generous one also. If Molly has something super delicious to eat, she will give you her last bite. If she gets an awesome toy for her birthday she wants to give it away. I struggle with encouraging her to be generous and trying to get her to keep her brand new birthday/Christmas presents! </div>
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Molly's dislikes.....her brother chasing her around and pulling her hair, going to bed, being ignored, washing her hands, and doing chores.</div>
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Molly is such a fun, sweet, funny, generous and crazy child. She doesn't really have a middle or an medium to anything. She goes from running around like a crazy person to instantly asleep, never just sleepy. She is either super happy or super unhappy. Crying or laughing. You get the point. Always one extreme or the other. She makes me laugh and then tear my hair out every day. I love her so much. Molly is a wild one and I see lots of adventure in her future. I am so incredibly lucky to be her mom. She brings such joy to our family. Happy birthday, Molly. Now stop growing up.</div>
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-56947012475051273742014-02-28T09:44:00.000-06:002014-04-28T09:45:07.402-05:00Baby Weston<div style="text-align: center;">
I know I am crazy behind in blogging, but I really do want to be the memory keeper for my family, so I am making a goal to get caught up!<br />
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Here is some info about baby Weston and the day he was born!<br />
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Jason and I headed to the hospital first thing on the morning of February 6th. My csection was scheduled for 9am but would be delayed a couple of hours. Waiting was terrible. I hate the pre-surgery feeling. I wish I could just show up and immediately have surgery. The waiting is killer for me.</div>
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When we finally did get in for surgery, it went pretty quickly. I had been praying for a different type of delivery than my previous two where Molly and Lawson both had breathing problems and were taken away right after birth. So, when they took Weston over to be examined and I didn't hear much noise, I started to panic. I was not interested in having my baby go to the NICU. Thankfully, we had a great neonatologist who said we could try skin to skin to get him breathing a little better. And IT WORKED! Weston ended up being my least dramatic birth experience! He was however 9lbs which freaked me out a bit, but did explain why I had been so uncomfortable!<br />
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Our time in the hospital was pretty short, and really the only problems were things having to do with me. I had lots of problems with my IV which for some reason they refused to take out even after all the difficulties. And unlike the last three babes, I did break down and have them take Weston to the nursery one night so I could sleep!<br />
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Since being home, Weston has been a great baby. His siblings love him (even Lawson) and we are so thankful he is a part of our family. I don't know if he is just such a great baby or if I am just a totally different mother this time, but for some reason, baby #4 has been the easiest by a landslide! <br />
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-48687656314014334102014-02-27T11:33:00.001-06:002014-02-27T11:33:57.914-06:00snow days<br />
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This winter has been much, much different than last year. We have actually had snow! The kids were in heaven. And despite the freezing cold temperatures, they still demanded to go out and play. Luckily for me, Jason was willing to take them out while my hugely pregnant self stayed warm inside!</div>
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It doesn't look like it here, but they are both wearing like four layers of clothing! I was a little concerned about them getting cold!</div>
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Clearly, they were not affected by it! </div>
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Lawson spent most of his time on the porch just looking and being fascinated.</div>
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Who doesn't like a nice warm fire after playing in the snow! </div>
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-75693450287249618582014-02-26T10:26:00.000-06:002014-02-26T10:26:32.307-06:00Lawson is TWO<br />
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Lawson turned two in January. I have really been slacking in the memory keeper role for my family, and I realized today that if I don't document these moments for my family, no one will. So here is a little info about Lawson at two years old!<br />
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Height: 35 inches, 66th percentile<br />
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Weight: 25.5 lbs, 16th percentile<br />
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We have been feeding this kid anything and everything for so long and it is finally paying off. He is not only on the chart, but it double digits percentile wise. We are so happy to finally see some growth in this area.<br />
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Likes: playing/tormenting his sisters, watching Super Why, being naked, playing outside on the swing set, eating dirt, taking baths, Thomas the Train, eating vitamins, the Thingamajigs book, stacking blocks, playing on the ipad, sitting on my lap, doing puzzles, playing with his basketball, football and soccer ball<br />
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Dislikes: drinking milk from a cup, being told no, speech therapy (haha), sharing his toys<br />
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Favorite Foods: spaghetti, oatmeal, pb&j sandwiches, goldfish, raisins, grapes, chicken, cookies<br />
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I won't lie and say that Lawson is the easiest child on the block. He throws fits, he doesn't talk and he does a lot of things that drive me crazy (like eating dirt and putting his hands in his diaper when he has poop!). But, I will say that despite all the hard work, and tears (his and mine) and frustration, I feel so blessed to be his mom. I know that God has a plan for Lawson's life and I pray every day for patience and wisdom in parenting him in order that he can grow up to be the man God intends. I feel a tremendous responsibility with Lawson and I can honestly say that my walk with the Lord has grown more during the last two years than I thought possible. I simply could not parent Lawson without help from Him. <br />
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I don't want to make it sound like there are no good or fun times with Lawson, because that wouldn't be true. He is a huge cuddle bug and loves to give hugs and kisses. He cracks me up with his dancing and the games he plays with his sisters. He is a great little boy and I love him so incredibly much. <br />
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For his party, we had family over for cake and ice cream. The cake was Thomas inspired and once again the hubby did a great job decorating. The party totally wore him out! He fell asleep playing the ipad once everyone had left. That NEVER happens! <br />
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Happy birthday, Lawson. Mom and Dad love you and feel so thankful to be your parents!<br />
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-61256928049557640822014-01-22T20:53:00.000-06:002014-01-22T21:00:53.070-06:00Christmas train<div>
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This year we took the girls to Christmas Train. Our church puts on this wonderful event every year and we were lucky to get tickets to go. They had a blast and so did we! Here are a few pics.<br />
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Getting ready to see Santa in these pics!</div>
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Before the puppet show! </div>
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Love that guy!</div>
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Belle and Aunt Buh-Buh.</div>
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The girls were not sure what to think about Santa. They were totally quiet and would not sit on his lap!</div>
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I hope that this can be a tradition for our family but tickets are pretty hard to come by! Either way, I know we made some great memories with our girls!</div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-71339733934849034792014-01-16T16:40:00.001-06:002014-01-16T16:40:51.196-06:00Lawson's adenoidsfirst, i realize it has been awhile. second, i don't care. i am going to attempt to get in some posts before baby numero cuatro gets here. i am really, really, really far behind in the blogging. i am going to blog about christmas for crying out loud! but first, adenoids.<div>
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isabelle was the first of my children, and i think of anyone in my entire family, to<a href="http://theblessedlife-tracy.blogspot.com/2012/02/isabelles-adenoids.html" target="_blank"> have her adenoids out</a>. she was three and it feels like forever ago. she had several very obvious symptoms and the changes after she had the surgery were dramatic and wonderful. it would seem logical then, that when lawson had similar symptoms i would have connected all the dots, but nope, missed the signs pretty much totally.</div>
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during the last several months of 2013, lawson's sleeping habits were terrible. i'm not sure if it started with a sickness or what, but somehow jason and i ended up sleeping in lawson's room, every night, sitting up and rocking him. it was terrible. laying him down was out of the question and if you tried, he was up again in a matter of minutes. but hold him and he was sleeping pretty well. he was SO congested..... and he was snoring like an old, obese, man. jason and i were exhausted. </div>
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then, one day at our mother's of preschoolers group, one of the childcare workers mentioned how funny it was that lawson snored so loud. i don't know why it hit me then, but it did.....one year olds shouldn't snore. that combined with his obvious lack of interest in food made me start thinking we had a problem. then i remembered how much he was sweating while he was sleeping (a sign you are working too hard to breathe). so off to the ent we went. and turns out, he needed surgery. </div>
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to say i was less than thrilled to be signing up for another surgery for lawson in less than 12 months would be an understatement. but, hey, i was all for figuring out how to get some sleep so we scheduled the first available surgery appointment.</div>
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lawson did great. recovery was a little tricky. anyone who tells you that your kid will be feeling fine that same day after surgery is lying. it takes some time and rest, and assuming your kid doesn't get pneumonia like lawson, i think after about a week, they are back to normal. and then, guess what, lawson started sleeping through the night. like all night. in his crib. not being held. it was freaking wonderful. </div>
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i am so glad we recognized what was going on when we did. i can't imagine what it would have been like trying to do surgery and have a newborn around (oh wait, that's what happened when isabelle had her surgery...lawson was a newborn!) seriously, i am glad. it gave jason and i two months of sleep before baby weston gets here.</div>
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if your kiddo snores, has trouble eating or is a picky eater, has dry and cracked lips from being a mouth breather, sweats in their sleep, or wakes up multiple times each night, you might have an adenoid problem. i encourage you to check with your ent. surgery was the best choice for both isabelle and lawson and i am so happy we did it! </div>
tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-2726045565210357572013-11-20T20:57:00.001-06:002013-11-21T18:38:13.426-06:00Things I don't doSo I mentioned that I am reading and loving Shauna Niequist lately. I just finished Bread and Wine and am now reading Bittersweet. It is so wonderful. For reals. <div><br></div><div>One of my favorite chapters in the book is called Things I don't do. Basically, Mrs. Niequist, when faced with trying to be a woman who could do it all decided to instead figure out what was really important and do that, rather than trying to do it all. </div><div><br></div><div>I love that. Mostly because I'll never be a person who can do it all. I'd rather figure out what the important things are and do those. In the book she talks about the fact that coming up with a list of what you <i>will</i> do is easy. It is figuring out what you're willing to give up that's hard.</div><div><br></div><div>So here is the start of what I don't do. </div><div><br></div><div>I don't <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">throw elaborate birthday parties for my kids. If you're looking for a Pinterest party, don't look here. I will have cake and ice cream and possibly an activity (hope you count playing outside as an activity). I will decorate a little but nothing you will want to copy. I just don't have time or energy or money to plan those types of parties four times a year. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I don't spend very much time decorating. Now, I don't think my house is a total disaster but you won't find me going overboard to make sure my house looks like anything you've ever seen on Instagram or blogs or anywhere else. My house is serving it's purpose. It is a home and we like it. I hope if you come for a visit you feel comfortable and not like you can't just relax and be yourself. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I don't attend home parties. Sorry, ladies. I know how terrible this sounds from a Mary Kay lady, but for real, I'm not coming. Most of these parties are in the evenings during the few precious hours I have with my family all together. For now, I'm not willing to sacrifice time at home for a home party. I will do a girls night out, a book club, or a family get together but not a high pressure sales party!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I don't spend time trying to look like a million bucks. This is something that is harder for me to come to grips with as I used to really appreciate looking my best. These days I am happy to leave the house in matching clothes that don't have snot/food/marker/milk/whatever on them. You won't see me posting any "what I wore" posts. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying these things are bad. What I'm saying is that for now, these things aren't making the most important list in my life. I am willing to not do these things to make time and energy for other things. If you want to spend your time shopping for awesome clothes, hosting elaborate parties and decorating your house to the point pottery barn is calling you for tips, go for it!!! I'm just not able to do those things plus everything else. There are, of course, other things that I don't do I just didn't list them all! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I encourage you to think about what you might be willing to give up (even if just for a season) in order to really, truly focus on the most important things in your life. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-76540091454175604842013-11-12T12:21:00.000-06:002013-11-12T12:21:50.199-06:00I am a mom of a five year old. What????<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isabelle is five.<br />
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Isabelle is five.<br />
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ISABELLE IS FIVE. I am in a <i>bit</i> of denial. Isabelle is also. She told us multiple times that she did NOT want to turn five. <br />
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I am continuing my tradition of doing an<a href="http://theblessedlife-tracy.blogspot.com/2012/11/isabelle-is-four.html" target="_blank"> interview</a> with her on her bday, so here goes.<br />
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Favorite food? Pizza, crunchy chicken, chicken noodle soup from a can (NOT homemade), and pancakes.</div>
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Least favorite food? Stroganoff</div>
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Favorite color? Red</div>
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Favorite TV show? Calliou</div>
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Favorite movie? Toy Story</div>
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Best friend? Hannah (it is really Molly!)</div>
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Favorite toy? Bear Bear</div>
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Favorite book? If I Were a Jungle Animal (the book we happened to have out at the moment!)</div>
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Favorite Snack? Fruit Snacks</div>
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What do you want to be when you grow up? Teacher</div>
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What does mom do all day? Clean</div>
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What does dad do all day? Work</div>
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Coolest person you know? Mom</div>
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Favorite song? I obey right away.</div>
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From my perspective,</div>
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Her loves include "doing school," coloring or anything art related, playing with her sister, being outside, donuts on Saturday mornings, church, spending time with family, the tv show Wildkratts, black leggings, singing and dancing, listening to KXOJ (the christian music channel) at bedtime, having a backpack, sleeping without pajamas, crunchy chicken for dinner, taking showers, reading books, playing on the ipad, helping out around the house with the dishwasher and laundry, and waving at people from the front door as they drive off.</div>
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Things she's not so crazy about include, pasta with any kind of sauce, loose pony tails, socks that bunch up at her toes, shoelaces that flop when she walks, leggings that are too short, sharing toys with her siblings, and brushing her teeth with the thomas the train toothpaste.</div>
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Isabelle is such a great daughter. She is loving, kind, helpful and compassionate. She is sensitive and a rule follower and rarely gets in trouble. She is getting better and better at sharing and recently gave almost all of her candy from our church's fall festival away to friends and family. She is also a very thoughtful girl, always wanting to make things and buy things for other people. I love being her mom and I am so thankful that God entrusted me to be her parent! Happy Birthday, Isabelley Red Jelly!</div>
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<br />tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-28495119909908194442013-11-08T14:57:00.001-06:002013-11-08T14:57:23.886-06:00What I'm LovingA little Friday list.<br />
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Things that I am currently in love with!<br />
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1. <b>New PW Cookbook.</b><br />
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It is amazing. And mine has a great story behind it. A couple of weeks ago, Isabelle made me a "fall" card by picking leaves out of our yard from our tree that turns a great red color. Then, she told Jason that she wanted to get me a present. Jason took her to Walmart and they picked out this cookbook. When she gave me my card and present, she said it was because she was thankful for me. I think it might be the sweetest thing ever.<br />
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2. <b>Shauna Niequist books</b>.<br />
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<br />So far I have read<u> Bread and Wine</u> and have started <u>Bittersweet</u>. They are so, so, so good. <br />
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3. <b>The weather.</b><br />
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I haven't had to turn on my heater or my a/c. It is wonderful. And when it gets a little chilly at night and I have to wear something more than a tshirt, my life is complete. Throw in clouds and I am in Heaven!<br />
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4. <b> Ice Cream.</b><br />
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I think at some point I may qualify for worlds biggest pregnant person. If not, a few more nights of ice cream eating should seal the deal. Besides orange juice, it is really the only thing I've been craving. Oh, and fried chicken. But in my defense, I haven't given into that craving yet.<br />
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5. <b>Hillsong's Young and Free</b>.<br />
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This album is one of my new favs, and I don't even own it (thank you very much, pandora).<br />
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What things are you loving right now?tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-81734024290083954312013-11-07T16:49:00.000-06:002013-11-07T16:51:16.006-06:00my son throws fitsi have a confession to make.<br />
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i am a judge-y mom.<br />
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there, i said it. i have judged other moms. please tell me i'm not the only one. <br />
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however, i am really trying to stop. having a son who throws fits is helping me.<br />
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here's the thing. i used to think one of two things when i saw a kid throw a fit.<br />
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1. the mom was doing a lousy job at parenting in that moment. whether that was because she had her kid at walmart at 10pm and he was throwing a fit from being tired, or because she couldn't control her kid no matter the time of day, i assumed sometimes it was the mom's fault.<br />
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2. the kid was a terrible kid. spoiled, entitled, whatever you want to call it, i felt bad for the mom with the bad kid.<br />
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but, then, lawson started throwing fits. all. the. time.<br />
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and, my parenting is seriously not to blame (maybe a little to blame, who knows?), and lawson seriously isn't to blame. and i'm not just making excuses.<br />
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lawson has a serious, for real, speech delay. by two years old most kids will say about 50 words and will start saying 2 to 4 word sentences, by two and a half most will have about 300! lawson says about five words. ni-night, hannah and banana which sound exactly the same when he says them, dada (only sometimes in the correct context) and love you (only j and i understand him). and that is after six months of speech therapy.<br />
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can you imagine not being able to communicate about your needs and wants? like if your kids were disobeying but you couldn't correct them? what if you wanted your morning starbucks but had no speech? parent teacher conferences where you couldn't say a word? how about trying to communicate with your coworkers or boss? doesn't sound pleasant does it? you'd probably resort to crying also? you might not throw a fit because you are an adult with problem solving skills and not a two year old, but i bet you'd be frustrated and crying. i would.<br />
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when i was being a judge-y mom, i never considered that the child had underlying issues i knew nothing about. i was just assuming something about a family i had never met, never talked to, never interacted with in the least. and i was incredibly wrong. and now, NOW i have much more compassion for the mom with the toddler throwing a fit. <br />
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does that kid have autism? a speech disorder? some other underlying reason for throwing a fit or acting like i think is out of line? i feel compassion for the mom or dad with that kiddo because i have no idea what their day to day life is like. maybe they are a terrible parent, but maybe not. but why not extend grace and compassion instead of judgement? <br />
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at least that is what i am trying to do. and i have a lot of making up to do! i encourage you to do the same! it might take practice but i think we can all agree that extending more understanding and support to fellow moms is a step in the right direction. <br />
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-3436976766703576002013-11-05T08:37:00.000-06:002013-11-05T08:37:04.777-06:00oh hey therewait, what? i have a blog? weird. <br />
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i think between speech therapy for lawson, and occupational therapy for lawson, and homeschooling isabelle, and trying to prevent molly from seriously injuring herself, and cleaning my house, and trying to not wear myself out while being preggers, and mops, and family, and birthday parties, and all the other "stuff" we've been up to i just gave up the easiest thing...blogging. i hate that because i really like blogging. even if i'm not particularly great at it, i like the idea of being the<a href="http://www.thenatos.com/2010/04/importance-of-blogging-and-free-things.html" target="_blank"> memory keeper</a> for my family.<br />
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so, i'm gonna put down what we've been up to and then hope (really really really hope) that i am more consistent from now on. i don't remember what my new year's goals were from last year, but next year may just be blog more and lose weight. moving on.....here's what we've been up to.<br />
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i've been reading some shauna niequist books. i love them. and now i want to start a cooking club. i'm not sure i know enough people that cook to start a club, but i really want to.<br />
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the girls learned to climb the fence. our neighbors love us. NOT. they climb up and then yell at the dogs. or sometimes they yell at the construction workers across the street. it is awesome. in case you couldn't guess, molly is the one who showed isabelle.<br />
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we went to the pumpkin patch with jason's mom. he took a great selfie with laws. i love those two to pieces.<br />
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we went to our church's fall festival. and no, our kids did not wear costumes or go trick or treating, in case you were wondering!<br />
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we added a new member to our family. my precious nephew, wyatt, was born almost two weeks ago!<br />
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we've spent a ton of time outside. the bounce house has proven to be one of the greatest toy investments we have ever made. lawson is finally old enough to play in it and he loves it. </div>
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molly has been expanding her fashion sense. in the first picture she picked out the entire outfit, right down to the hat, gloves and cowboy boots. second pic is her wearing two shirts, two headbands and fake glasses. molly is hilarious.<br />
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lawson has become a master at the ipad. it is a bit crazy, really. he gets to use the ipad/iphone during therapy for a reward and now he is an expert. and for the record, we just finished OT today but will continue speech twice a week. he is making progress. slow, but still progressing.<br />
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isabelle had her kindergarten picture taken. we are lucky to be in a homeschool group with a photographer! i may be slightly biased, but i think she is pretty gorgeous. <br />
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so there you go, a brief recap of what we have been up to. now to just blog more than like once every two months. we shall see! if you are on instagram and want to keep up with me there you can find me @tracy_dickinson.tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-59041906869514153912013-10-02T13:57:00.000-05:002013-10-02T13:57:17.946-05:00FlourishingA few weeks back I entered a contest to win a spot at a women's retreat called <a href="http://www.flourishretreat.com/" target="_blank">Flourish</a>, hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, <a href="http://www.theandersoncrewblog.com/" target="_blank">Emily Anderson</a>. You should know that I really never win anything. Like ever. So entering was a bit of a joke. But, I have wanted to go and since I have a baby arriving in February, I thought if I was going to enter to win a spot, now was the time to do it.<br />
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I won.<br />
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I really couldn't believe it. I was pretty much freaking out when I won. Because, like I said, I never win anything.<br />
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After freaking out, and after realizing that my bff, Erin, couldn't go with me and I would be going alone, I got pretty nervous. To make it worse, I agreed to ride with someone I had only known on the internet. I was pretty sure I was crazy. Going alone and riding with someone I had never met are both pretty far out of my comfort zone. <br />
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Explaining to people exactly what Flourish is or was is pretty tough. I mean, it is a retreat, for women, put on by a couple of awesome ladies, one of whom is a rockin' awesome blogger. Just like the word retreat implies, it is a time to get away, to take time to be in charge of only yourself and to be recharged and renewed. We really did have time to just connect with God, connect with other women and be pampered and taken care of. I didn't wash any dishes, fix any meals, clean anyone's room, wipe anyone else's rear end, put anyone to bed or hear anyone fighting. It was beautiful. Instead, I watched the sunrise, worshipped under the stars, ate delicious food that someone else prepared, got a massage, spent time with the Lord, and got to know some amazing women. It was wonderful. And it was exactly what I needed.<br />
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I can't stress enough how great I think this retreat is. If you have ever thought about going to something like this or even to Flourish itself, you must go. I won my spot, but I will be going again as soon as I can after having the baby. And, I don't think it is important to go with someone you know. You will have just as much fun and get just as much out of it going alone. <br />
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I am so thankful that I was able to go. I am thankful for the hearts of the women who are the vision behind Flourish. I am thankful that I got out of my comfort zone and did something I would not normally do. I am beyond thankful for the people who made it possible for me to go from KK and Emily who gave away the ticket, to my mom and mother-in-law who watched my kiddos and my hubby who worked his tail off while I was gone and had the house sparlking clean when I got home.<br />
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If you are looking for a great time with great gals and a chance to grow spiritually, Flourish is where it's at!<br />
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tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-29671722942571158542013-09-13T08:48:00.001-05:002013-09-13T08:49:33.068-05:00Summer RecapI don't think I've blogged in like a million years. Now that I am coming out of the fog of nausea and nausea medication, I hope to be a little more consistent. I thought I would start by letting you in on how I did completing our summer bucket list. I can sum it up for you in one word.<br />
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Terrible.<br />
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Seriously, I think I need to make a fall list so that I can redeem myself. Besides my obvious all day sickness issue, I also loathe summer time. I have tried to keep my hatred to myself more this summer because honestly, it hasn't been that hot this year in OK. We had a bit of a break after the last two years of crazy heat. Still, 95 at the playground with no shade is still pretty unbearable.<br />
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Anyway, here is what we actually did this summer.<br />
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The first thing on my list, make playdoh, I actually did accomplish. The only problem, it was a terrible recipe. I thought I would try a new pinterest recipe. BAD IDEA. If you have a recipe that works, you should probably stick with it, rather than try a new one. I just didn't have it in me to take pics of the major failure that was homemade playdoh.<br />
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Sidewalk paint, however, was a huge hit. I really should make it more often. Turns out, I don't just have tons of cornstarch on hand. If I did, we would totally make this again and again.<br />
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We also managed to make it to the lake one time. Jason's work schedule this summer prohibited a second trip, but we did have a great time over Memorial Day.<br />
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We went swimming at grandma's, had multiple cookouts, watched fireworks, made LOTS of art projects for Dad, ate at Top That Pizza, went to the Aquarium, and made it to an event at our library.<br />
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Things that weren't on our list but that we did include swimming in the kiddie pool in our backyard, take walks to our neighborhood park, park visits with friends, started Isabelle's prek year in homeschool, and spent lots of time with family.<br />
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Now here's the part where you realize all that I missed. No ice cream from the ice cream man, no picnics, or visits to dad's work. No homemade bubbles, or ice cream in a bag or even rice krispie treats. We didn't fly kites or catch fireflies (which I don't even think exist in our neighborhood), and we certainly didn't make our own tshirts or even fluffy stuff for that matter. No edible finger paints, homemade lollipops. or nature scavenger hunts. Nope, we did none of that. I had a great list and great intentions, but I really dropped the ball. <br />
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So, fall bucket list it is. And since I am going to blog more often, you can actually expect to see my list next week!<br />
<br />tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4654180898893882407.post-32202277539908237812013-08-14T14:50:00.002-05:002013-08-14T14:50:57.053-05:00SnugglesThere are so many things I want to remember about my children. Things that are insignificant enough that I would probably forget them over time but funny or special enough that I should take time to write them down. Bedtime snuggles with Isabelle is probably one of those things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpHOT0d91u4eTR0oCqb3lTu1uslqIXKXwDiqX3we3Mkw-anqkwQPtg2n8JoC7xFyc92etuD-Yio3eGQPOHtiV-eWQpKD6nWQ3JjaSnskX0C6L9iBbMI-OS0DJ2lWKd_aDoTrQ-btYZLCo/s1600/IMG_3115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpHOT0d91u4eTR0oCqb3lTu1uslqIXKXwDiqX3we3Mkw-anqkwQPtg2n8JoC7xFyc92etuD-Yio3eGQPOHtiV-eWQpKD6nWQ3JjaSnskX0C6L9iBbMI-OS0DJ2lWKd_aDoTrQ-btYZLCo/s400/IMG_3115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at one of our bowling outings </td></tr>
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Every night we go through a bedtime routine with our kiddos. It isn't perfect and perhaps we are doing it all wrong, but it is our routine. Part of that routine involves putting Isabelle to bed in our bed until Molly falls asleep in their room. Every night, Isabelle has the same requests. She wants our door left open, to sleep on Dad's pillow, use the sheet only, have the radio on, have a nightlight, and then a song and a story (which you are required to make up). It is a lengthy routine, but if followed, usually means she will go right to sleep. However, sometimes she asks me to stay and "snuggle up" with her. <br />
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A couple of nights ago she asked and I responded like I normally do and told her no. I am usually worn out by bedtime and I just want the kids to go to sleep so I can have a little bit of time with Jason before we go to sleep. As soon as I told her no, I felt a little tug on my heart to snuggle up despite the fact that I was tired and worn out and just wanted some time to decompress. <br />
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I laid down with her for not even five minutes and while I was snuggling, realized that there is probably not that much time left of her asking me to snuggle with her. Pretty soon she will be too old and too cool to snuggle with her momma and I will be the one asking her to, "please, pretty please, snuggle up with me." Kind of depressing, really.<br />
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So for now, I am going to snuggle up, and cuddle and give extra hugs and kisses because really, whether want it to or not, the time is quickly approaching where they will stop asking.<br />
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<br />tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17428526704837475407noreply@blogger.com3