Kady Talk

"lopstick" means chapstick or lipstick.  It sounds like a nice combo of both.
"I just killing" translation  "I'm just kidding."
"Tina Rabbit" really stands for The Velveteen Rabbit.  Her current favorite movie.
"Andy doll" is what she wants for Christmas but she really means an Annie doll as in the Orphan Annie.
"Uh brah lelella" meaning Umbrella.
 "Bugs in der" is what she says when her ear is hurting.  Usually a sign of an ear infection.
"Farkly" is sparkly
"Sleg" translation "sled"

This kid is SMART!!  Not much else to share.  She ROCKS!!

Zoe Talk

"Mama"
"Dada"
"Uh-Oh"

She claps, she waves, she crawls, climbs, sits, stands, rolls...she's ALL over the place these days and the only way to hold her is in a football hold under your arm.  She's a spunky, determined little girl and a TOTAL workout.  I had to drop the crib 2 days ago because she was standing up in it.  I can't believe she's almost 10months.  No teeth to report yet.

Final Results are in.....

12 weeks and 20lbs later (more like 23 now and still dropping)  Here it is:


  before                                                after

I kind of can't believe I'm sharing this but I figure it's already out there for the world to see so why not share it on my personal blog.  I also still can't believe how well and how fast I saw results.  AMAZING!!  Another reason for sharing.  If I can do it, you can do it.  You just HAVE to do it.  It's been so much fun shopping in my own closet.  Wearing all my fabulous designer jeans that I haven't been able to fit in for 3 years....Ahhhh!!  Frankie B, I have missed you dearly.  Come Spring I'll have a whole new wardrobe without spending a dime.

So...check out the link below and feel free to browse around.  Pics of me are EVERYWHERE...Yikers! 

http://jaxbudde.com/

If you live in Las Vegas and are looking for your own personal trainer I highly recommend Jax.  See website and read my testimonial for all the reason why I you also should hire Jax.

Just another day with friends at Springs Preserve

Do you live in Las Vegas and are looking for the perfect holiday gift for kids, friends or family?  My suggestion is a season pass to Springs Preserve.  A whole year for the entire family is only $60 and kids under 5 are free.  I take my girls there at least once a week.  Each visit we spend a minimum of 2hrs and STILL don't seem to do everything we want to do.  It's fun, educational, interactive and just plain AWESOME!!!  I highly recommend you go and also be on the look out for their other fun events, such as Easter, Halloween, Ice Cream festival, Movie nights and Christmas.  There is ALWAYS something going on at Springs Preserve.


Some fun pictures of our day...

 Zoe in the garbage truck

 Kadence and her friend Lexie

 Me and the girls snapping photos in front of one of their holiday displays

Me being silly of course  :)

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town...

It took two trips, a TON of convincing and some motivation from dad to sit on Santa's lap, but she did it...finally!!  The first thing she told Santa..."look at my pretty dress.  My grandma give it for me!"  No joke.  I think she also told him she wanted a doll.

Scuba Santa was also there in the Silverton Casino's BIG HUGE fish tank.  The kids were able to talk back and forth with him through a microphone somehow.  It was pretty cool.  Kady dug it the first time around and wanted NOTHING to do with him the second....and who cares?  SHE SAT ON SANTA'S LAP...WooHoo!!

Two posts today....yes TWO!!!  Why??  Because what started off as a happy and hopeful day has turned into complete and udder CRAP!!!!!  So....I need to vent.   I feel like we've been treading water for over a year now just barely keeping our heads afloat.  It seems as if we're NEVER going to catch a break.  The amount of stress and uncertainty resting on our shoulders is EXHAUSTING and certainly more for my husband than myself.  Everything feels strained.  I guess we really needed some prayers to be answered today and they weren't.  I know that's how the lord works and I'm TRYING REAL HARD to trust in his greater plan for us and our family but DAMN....I'm tired of being tested.  Some sort of reassurance from him would be good about now.  All we need is for ONE thing, SOMEthing, ANYthing to go our way.

I guess all I can do is continue to pray and BELIEVE in the power of prayer.  Something has got to give eventually...it has to.

Today is the BIG day.  Dominic and his business partner go to court for the injunction.  Everything to this point has most certainly been a climb.  And not just business wise but life in general.  This song and these words ring true as one of my motto's in life..."It's not about how fast you get there or what's waiting on the other side. It's the journey."


The Climb

~by Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming but
There’s a voice inside my head sayin,
You’ll never reach it,
Every step I’m taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

The struggles I’m facing,
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I’m not breaking
The pain I’m knowing
But these are the moments that
I’m going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on,

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

There’s always going to be another mountain
I’m always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It’s all about
It’s all about
The climb

Keep the faith
Keep your faith

This past Sunday, December 5th was my Rock N' Roll 1/2 Marathon.  I'm still hurting in case you were wondering!  I felt like it was a "bad" day running wise for me.  Side ache, numb foot, tensed shoulders, however it must not have been since I ran farther and faster than I'd ever ran before...yeah me!!  My one goal was to finish all 13.1 miles under 2:00:00 hours.  You'll never believe what my time was......

1:59:12

Can you believe it??  I BARELY made it  :)

The problem now is wanting to do another to set a personal record.  There is always room for improvement I'm just not sure my body is cut out for running.

At least I'm able to check this off my bucket list.

CONGRATS to all my girls who ran and finished with me!!  It was fun...kind of. Ha!

Reading this post, Not so bright and shiny , made my day today!  Many of you know I started following this blog over a year ago.  Since Conner passed I have continued reading of his mother's struggles praying for her continued strength, healing and peace of mind.  I feel like today was a day of which she received some.  It's wonderful seeing that after 7years Conner is able to take care of his mom the way she took care of him. I will continue to pray for Sarah and her family to have many, many more of these days.

Love, Love, Love

Currently listening 

to Kadence read 

to Zoe. 

I could listen to her read all day long...

What an imagination she has! 

'Tis the Season for Traditions

I'm super excited that Kady is old enough now to understand and participate in some of the Christmas Traditions.  It's always been super important to me to establish such memories my children can cherish forever and pass along to their children. 

Here are the traditions we will partake in this holiday season and for many seasons to come:

Serving:  Every year I volunteer to serve Thanksgiving Dinner to the homeless vets of Las Vegas.  It's always a humbling experience and I'm happy to see some of the same faces each year.  Last year was my first year volunteering at the children's Muscular Dystrophy Christmas luncheon.  This included buying and wrapping thousands of dollars worth of Christmas presents and serving lunch to the the kids and their families.  What a HEART warming experience it is to see the twinkle in their eyes as they take photos with Santa, open presents, participate in crafts and the local fire Dept. usually stops by with  a fire truck for the kids to see.  I'm excited to do this again this year on December 11th.  Although, neither of my girls are old enough to participate in such acts of charity at this point, they will be and I plan on making this a yearly tradition with the girls.

Giving to the less fortunate: So many ways to do this.  I almost never pass by a food bank without dropping off at least $10 worth of canned goods, which got a bit expensive this year.  The Las Vegas food banks are having a hard time staying full so there are donation drops EVERYWHERE!  I've also considered signing the family up to volunteer for the Salvation Army.  You know?  To be one of those jingle bell ringers outside the stores :)  We'll see....

One thing I have yet to accomplish but it's on the list is Operation Christmas Child .  It's easy and fairly inexpensive.  Kady I feel is old enough to help with this one.  I figure we can chose a child of her age and she can help pick the supplies to fill in the Christmas box.  The hard part will be convincing her it's not for her...this year anyways. 


Another thing I've been looking into is Project Rudolph. We have several military friends.  Some who are deployed, some who have just returned home from deployment and few who are stationed over seas in Germany (which is how I know of this).  Project Rudolph is a Germany based Organization and was created to give deployed and deploying service members a bit of holiday cheer. The goal is to provide gift bags for not only the military members transitioning through the airport on days leading up to Christmas, but also for active duty Air Force members who work round the clock to keep the airport running smoothly, injured troops at the hospital, injured warriors at transition barracks, deployed Army, Navy and Marines working in Germany, and  deployed troops downrange.  All they require is letters written to our service men and women, candy canes and ornaments.  Other than shipping, it doesn't get easier or cheaper than this.  I just hope we didn't miss the cut off deadline for this one this year.


Christmas Tree:  Growing up, our Christmas tree always went up Thanksgiving weekend and came down New Year's Day.  It's a tradition I have continued to carry out.  Being we have a fake Christmas tree because I'm allergic to real ones, we are able to do this.  This year was the first Kady got to really help me decorate.  It's kind of silly that I had to string lights on our pre-lit Christmas tree this year because half of them were out and I couldn't figure out how to fix it.  When I look at it I see a Christmas tree on steroids.  When the girls look at it they see TONS of blinking, twinkling lights.  Maybe we'll have better luck next year. 

Elf on the Shelf:  If you have younger kids, I highly recommend the Elf on the shelf Christmas tradition.  Like most children through the ages, they want to know how Santa really knows who is naughty and who is nice.  The answer comes in the form of a small Pixie-elf.  The first time the elf arrives, the children officially adopt him by giving him a name.  He usually arrives around Thanksgiving time.  His sole responsibility  is to watch the children's behavior and report it to Santa each night.  The next morning after the children awoke, they would discover the elf had returned form the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place.  There are rules.  For example, to better preserve his mystique the children are not allowed to touch him but talking to him was okay.  He is also under strict orders not to talk to the children but he could talk to grown ups.  We we're given this Christmas tradition by my sister in law two Christmases ago.  Again, Kady is at the age of which I believe she'll REALLY "get it."  I think our elf will appear on December 1st and hopefully this year we'll be able to name him. 

Reindeer Food:  Just today I discovered Reindeer food.  I know Kady's going to really LOVE this one.  Being that her room is at the front of the house, she'll probably be peeking out her window all night long looking for the Reindeer.  

Christmas Eve:  One word....Church!! Christmas Eve will be spent in church at the candlelight service.  It only happens once a year at Christmas time.  My family did this every year as I grew up and my kids will also.  I also think it's time to start a new Christmas Eve tradition....everyone gets to open one gift.  I'm thinking a new pair of jammies each year.


With the hustle and bustle that comes with the Christmas season, it can sometimes be difficult to remember "The Reason for the Season."  It's important to me that my children grow up knowing the TRUE meaning of Christmas, the gift of giving and that not everyone is as fortunate as they are.  I want them to BELIEVE in the miracles of Christmas for as long as possible and realize just how magical this time of year can be.

"What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it."~Thomas Carlyle

Wishing you all a happy and joyful holiday season.....

My dad would be so proud to know that of the 2 hours we spent at Bass Pro Shop this morning Kady spent 45 minutes of it watching, listening, laughing and commenting on the fishing demonstration.  She also is the proud new owner of her own Mickey Mouse light up fishing pole.  I'm not a Black Friday shopper and never have been.  I guess I don't know what all I'm missing out on.  I do have to say of the two stops I made in the last two days for necessary reasons other than Christmas shopping, I did happen to find some GREAT deals on presents for the girls.  The hard part now is trying NOT to give it to them early....like the fishing pole!  

How do you say NO to faces like these? 

I've already wrapped just a few presents to keep from giving them to the girls early.  

Lord, 

give me strength because I know my husband has none on this subject either!

Amen

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

To: God.com

Dear Lord,
Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:
 

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scraps of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to God.com
 

Amen

I am thankful for our friends and family but this year I'm especially thankful for the special 3 in my life God has blessed me with.....and the furry ones too.

Picture of the day

In 2weeks and 2 days I'll be running the Vegas Rock N' Roll 1/2 Marathon.  I'm already a nervous wreck about it.  I'm also REALLY proud of how far I've already come considering in July I couldn't even finish a 1/2 a mile let alone a 13.1 half marathon.  I'm still waiting for that runner's high to kick every time I run.  It certainly doesn't feel any easier but maybe that's because I continue to push my boundaries.  For now what keeps me going is the sense of accomplishment after each and every run.  It's my hope to sustain some kind of momentum and possibly finish a full 26.2 mile marathon sometime late next year.  Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.  Let's see how this one goes first.  For those of you interested, I know there is a way to track my progress during the race (not that I'm racing it).  It will send updates of my progress to your cell phone via text messages.  Here is the link to sign up for the Runner Tracking:  https://www.competitorwireless.com/.  I'm curious to see how well it works.

December 5th is the big day!  Stay tuned for race results and pictures to come.....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 
from The Guinto's

Words can not describe how much more awesome Halloween was this year than last.  Kadence REALLY got it and was an absolute blast.  I can't wait to see her eyes light up at Christmas.  Holidays have greater meaning these days.


"Eat, drink and be scary!"

Happy Birthday to my wonderful man!!

"We turn not older with years, but newer every day."

~Emily Dickinson

I'm thankful for him and for the good Lord who watched over him, protected him and healed him.

Five years ago today I almost lost my husband in a near fatal cycling accident.  It's so hard to believe it's been FIVE YEARS already!  My God, I can remember it like it was yesterday...

THAT MORNING...

It was a Saturday afternoon.  I had just started new job working at Tao in the Venetian and was right in the middle of studying for UNLV mid terms.  Dominic had planned on doing a 100 mile bike ride that day with a handful of his friends.  He was training for the Iron man New Zealand which he would compete in the following March.  He was in the BEST shape of his life at that time...super fit.  If not for that factor, I could pretty much guarantee he wouldn't be here today.  Pajamas on, coffee in hand, sitting at my desk, nose buried school books, there I sat studying.  It was about 1pm when our good friend Steve knocked at the front door.  He walked in and without saying hello told me to go get dressed that there had been an accident.  Without panic or hesitation I asked if it was Dominic and I did just that...ran upstairs to throw clothes and a hat on.  It wasn't until after I ran back downstairs when Steve told me he gave both dogs "doggie downers" that I panicked.  I knew right then and there it was BAD.  Bad enough that I'd probably be gone all day and most likely all night.  We were already on the way to the hospital when I received the phone call from the ER trauma unit saying that he was there and seriously injured. 

THE ACCIDENT...

Out in the middle of nowhere in Valley of Fire near the entrance of Lake Mead, Dominic and his friends where quite a ways into their 100mile bike ride.  His buddy Scott and him were a ways off the front of the pack and rounding a curve as a group of motorcycles also rounded the same curve heading towards them.  An older gentleman on a fancy new BMW motorcycle lost control of his bike in the curve and headed straight for Dominic and Scott.  Dominic was out front so naturally he took the blow...head on at about 65mph.  His body was jolted approximately 25 feet in the air.  Thank the good Lord again Scott was with him.  Scott is an ER trauma nurse and knew EXACTLY what to do to further injury.  With his entire body, Scott laid on top of Dominic to keep him from standing up.  His body was in such a state of shock he actually was trying to stand up.  As the rest of their group of friends rolled up on the scene, I believe 2 of them rushed to Dom's side to aid Scott in holding him down and still.  Being they were out in the middle of no where, there was no cell coverage.  Finally, a couple of girls pulling a boat stopped.  They had barely enough bars on their cell to call 911.  Just enough time was allowed for 911 to get their location before service was lost...kind of crazy.  They then had just enough service to get a phone call in to Steve telling him to grab me and head for UMC Hospital before service was lost for a second time.  Flight for life picked Dominic up and an ambulance was sent for the motorcyclist.

TRAUMA ROOM...

Only one person allowed back at a time.  Although I fully understand and get that concept...there is nothing worse in my opinion.  Of course I wanted to get back there to see Dom but I also wanted/needed the support of Steve.  Unknowingly walking back there with no clue of what to expect was almost debilitating for me. How bad was it?  What was he going to look like?  Nothing chaotic was happening while I was back there.  I must have been too late and missed all that...Thank God!!  He just looked at me with tears in his eyes and said "I broke my back!"....UGH!!  Hearing that was like a knife ripping through my heart.  I asked him to wiggle his fingers...he did.  And then his toes...he did.  For me that didn't mean he was out of the woods but a good sign.  He asked me what would happen if he couldn't walk again?  "what if I end up paralyzed?"...there's that knife ripping through my heart again.  I nodded my head and didn't say much other than we would be okay, it would be okay and not to worry about that just yet.  It was very likely that could happen.  Shortly after, he followed that statement up with "I guess I'll just have to race wheelchairs!"  I smiled and said..."I guess you will."  Such determination my man has.

I didn't sit back there for long that first time.  So many things needed to be taken care of and for whatever reason everything seemed urgent.  Call off work...check, call off work for the entire next week...check, check.  Email my professors (well that came later in the weekend)...check.  Call my parents...check. Call friends...check.  The only people I couldn't bare to call were my in-laws who live on the East Coast.  Not right away anyways.  Another reason for me not being able to sit back there for long the first time around was because none other than you know who was in the hospital bed next to him.  Right on the other side of that measly, near see through curtain....THE MOTORCYCLISTS!!!  The man responsible for all this.  I know they are called accidents for a reason and for me that's a good thing.  There's a point at which all you see is red.  All you want is blood.  To see my husband laid out like that and the motorcyclist with only a broken hand....BULLSH**.  Pardon the french.  It's just not fair.  Late that night he was finally stable and admitted.  It was then that I called his parents.

THE HOSPITAL STAY...

I'll save you all the details.  Some gruesome, some funny...yeah drugs.  MANY frustrating and scary!!!  His mom came out for the week, what a blessing!!  I was happy to have her there with me.  He spent 7days at UMC and naturally so did I...living there, sleeping there, eating there.  I even showered there once or twice. 

THE DAMAGE...

Two broken vertebrae (one completely shattered and blown out TOWARD his spinal cord.  It's truly a MIRACLE he's not paralyzed.)  I believe it was his L1 and L3.  He also had broken hand, fractured knee, a massive concussion, obviously, and a contusion so large on the side of his body it also is a MIRACLE there was no internal bleeding.  I still haven't figured out how he escaped that one.  His spine is now fused from his T12 to L2 and a non permanent pin of sorts was put in his hand and finger to heal it properly...that was gross!  It didn't help that his other hand already had a plate and 8 screws in it.  OY!

THE HEALING and BEYOND....

After 2 surgeries and 7days...WE WE'RE FREE!!!  I was a nervous wreck driving him home from the hospital that day.  We were told that he'd be in a back brace for a minimum of 6months with extensive rehabilitative therapy.  We were also told it was likely he'd be in a wheelchair in 10 years.  How they predict that...who knows.  What I can say is this...because he was training for that Iron man New Zealand race and in the best shape of his life, he healed twice as fast as any of his doctors expected.  After a short 3 months he was brace-free and back on his bicycle.  To this day he still can not run.  It hurts too much.  He hasn't competed in another triathlon since the accident (because he can't run) but has taken on 24-hour mountain bike racing instead (the man is crazy!) and is part owner of Sunset Racing Events which puts on triathlons around the nation.  The motorcyclist who hit him also had hand surgery.  Him and his wife went out of their way to send us flowers and a card.  He was sincerely remorseful....poor guy.  We also received letters from some of the other witnesses who helped that day.  Beyond touching.  As of today, he's in a lot of pain everyday and handles it like a man...pun intended.  He has trouble sleeping which stinks big time and often times feels 10 times worse when he's not riding his bike.  Five years later he has also found a passion for riding his Harley.  Who would have though.  I don't see Dominic in a wheelchair in the next 5 years but if he is, we'll deal with it.  I guess he'll just have to take up wheelchair racing like he mentioned before.

THANK YOU...

We owe much thanks and gratitude to SO many people.  The boys on the ride that day, friends who came to visit, Dave for taking care of the house and our dogs, people who cooked for us, our jobs for understanding, my professors for letting me make up my mid-terms and EVERYONE who showed up, helped and donated at the benefit thrown for Dominic @ Surf City.  There's no way I could ever name them all....you know who you are though and to you I say.... THANKS!!


"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 30:17

Picture of the Day

"Look Daddy...this one's perfect!"

 Pumpkin Patch...

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

The Gloves are off....

Pretty much our entire livelihood went down the drain within a 24hr period.

Here it is in a nutshell.  Some of you may not know the happs...so long story short, Lake Las Vegas (where Dom and his business partner Keith, owners of Sunset Racing Events, puts on 90% of their races/events) in conjunction with WTC (World Triathlon Corp. AKA Iron man) have put us virtually OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!  No Bueno for us.  Looks as if we have a pretty good case on our hands and as of last week we have dove head first into a major lawsuit against two corporate giants....Lake Las Vegas and World Triathlon Corporation. Hopefully someone will come to their senses and settle out of court.  We have certainly made plenty attempts to do so even though it's Sunset Racing who is getting railroaded.  It was never the intention of Sunset Racing to sue anyone.  It's hard when almost everything you have/had is poured into something your so passionate about and stripped away from you for no legit reason.  We definitely have TOO much invested in this to sit back and get crapped on so here is our attempt at fighting for what is right.  

Here is the first of many press releases to come I'm sure.  This minus some details should give you an idea of whats going on as of now...


click here to read article

  

Wish us luck!!

Backyard Camping

The weather has been too nice to pass up on an opportunity like this.  One and a half weeks later...the tent is still up and we watch Tinker Bell "The Great Fairy Rescue" movie in it almost every night.  Last night there was an incredible thunderstorm.  It was fun laying in the tent with Kadence listening to the rain fall.

Phenomenal woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.


~Maya Angelou

my all time favorite poem!  always and forever...

Random Fun Facts:

October 2010 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays all in 1 month!  This happens once every 823 years....

and


Happy 10-10-10 
(which  will never happen again during the lifetime of any human alive to witness it today!)

Welcome to our land of make believe....

"Limitations live only in our minds.  But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless." ~ Jamie Paolinetti

Did you know we have a pink pet bunny?
every night we kiss it good night and it sleeps on a pillow next to Kady on her bed.

Guess what other animals we have spotted in the house?
bear, bats, bunny, cat, lizard,  mouse, snake.  I'm sure I have missed a few.

Any idea who lives in the bath tub?
a mouse.  He doesn't have a name yet although we knock on his door and talk to him every time we bathe.

What's the one thing Kady loses the most?
 the car keys, to her pink princess car.  Although...it never came with any.

       ----------------------------------------------

Dear Kady,

     Words can never express how grateful I am to call you mine and how very VERY much your daddy and  I love you.  Sometimes it's hard to imagine what life was like before you.  You are SO smart and entertaining.  You are persistent and stubborn.  You are polite, sweet, caring, passionate and giving.  I hope you never lose your inner child for it is one to be cherished forever.  I will remember it always.  The way you amaze me.  Make me laugh and smile and keep me on my toes.  You are my greatest challenge and my greatest joy.  I couldn't be more proud.   I look forward to a lifetime of FUN with you.

Always and Forever

love, love, love,

Mommy

----------------------------------------------

"Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."  ~Saint-Exupéry

Kady Update

So....I took Kady for her annual Flu shot at the Allergist last week.  Why must we get her Flu shot at the allergist you ask??  For those of you reading that don't know, Flu vaccinations are cultured in egg of which Kadence is highly allergic to.  Of course each Fall it's a process just to get her vaccinated.   It takes a good 3hrs at the Allergist to give her the Flu vaccine.  It's a 3 step process...

1)  Inject a small amount of egg and a small amount of the vaccine on her back to test for a reaction.
...and then we wait.  A half an hour at least  usually 45 mins.

If she show's little or no sign of a reaction to the vaccine and her egg allergy has not worsened, then they proceed with giving her the vaccine.

2)  1/2 a dose of Flu vaccine.
...and then we wait again.   Another half an hour or more.

If all went well with the first half of the dose, which it most likely would or she wouldn't be receiving the vaccine, then she gets the last half.

3) 2nd 1/2 of Flu vaccine.
....and  MORE waiting. Yep, another half hour.

You can imagine how horrible it was last year getting both the Flu and Swine Flu vaccines.  We spent WAY too much time at the allergist in a 2month period of time.

Anyways....none of the above actually pertains to what I originally planned on sharing with you...  Oops!  While there, I mentioned that she still does not eat egg (obviously) or dairy.  he simply said, "why not dairy?  She's not allergic."  Dom and I know she's not allergic to dairy just intolerant.  As I thought more and more about it that day I realized we would have no clue if she was intolerant or not if they hadn't done an endoscopy on her to see she was missing that enzyme.  Not that I am going to have Kadence dive had first into an elaborate assortment of foods that contain dairy but why not try small amounts of it here and there?  She's vocal enough she will tell me if her tummy hurts or not.  It certainly won't hurt if it constipates her just a bit.  That would actually be a welcomed surprise.  The biggest reason....having her on a dairy free diet hasn't helped her diarrhea issue one bit.  So, that's where we are at.  In the past week she's had a couple bites of a quesadilla a few pieces of string cheese and small amounts of yogurt.  I even made her some Mac N' Cheese (oh boy, oh boy) but with rice milk to lessen the amount of dairy just a bit and she LOVED it.  So far, so good.  We'll just continue to work our way up from there.  As long as she continues to tolerate it.   How great it would be to have a variety of foods to feed her?  Wish us luck!

I gladly welcome any thoughts or opinions on this....

Two, Two.....

My original goal post baby was to compete in my first ever triathlon on September 11th.  Clearly that came and went and I didn't do it.  Not for lack of training either.  Maybe a little, however as I delved into working out I realized just how "out of shape" I was, the reality of training for three different events (swim, bike, run) was overwhelming.  I decided to switch gears early on and focus solely on a 1/2 Marathon.  None better than The Vegas Rock N' Roll 1/2 Marathon December 5th.  Exactly TWO months away.  So, that's what the new goal is and has been.  When I first started running I could barely run a 1/2 mile without walking.  It's a good thing I started back in June since I had a lot of ground to make up...pun intended.  As of TWO weeks ago I was up to 6-7 miles a day and feeling GREAT!!!  Finally I was at the point of experiencing the runner's high that is so addicting.  Well, it was TWO weeks ago when I also injured my foot/ankle.  It wasn't a specific event either.  I hadn't tripped, fallen or rolled.  My ankles just became so sore I could barely walk or put pressure on my foot....MAJOR BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!  After several doctors visits and x-rays, there is nothing more than slight tendon, muscle, tissue damage.  And not so much damage but over-use and on a fast track to damaged/torn.  I'm feeling a little down but not out.  I still have my sights set on the Vegas 1/2 Dec. 5th.  After a week off from the gym and no running for almost TWO weeks now, I'm back but still not running.  I've got a nice brace for it (annoying) and hope that getting fitted for running shoes specific to how I run will help.  First stop, the eliptical and if all feels well at the end of this week I'm going to attempt a run next week.  Maybe a short TWO mile run. Ha!

Wish me luck...I think I'm going to need a little.

10 years

Exactly 10 years ago today, I moved to Las Vegas....Wow.  "What a long strange trip it's been" to say the least.  I never in my life imagined I'd be here any longer than it took to graduate college. And yes, that took about 2 years longer than expected.  I guess technically living anywhere for 10 years means you are  "from" there.  At least that's what I was told once upon a time.  That means I'm officially from Las Vegas.  Ah...Oh well!  Las Vegas has actually been somewhat kind to me over the past 10 years. Or should I say 8 because those first two were rough and a bit of a blur.   I did a lot of growing, discovering, maturing here.  Not too shabby for living in the City of Sin. Not many people can survive in this town.  I found my husband here, we had our 2 girls here, I have more friends here that I call family than I can count.  When we do finally relocate, and we WILL relocate, it will be a VERY sad day.


Bethany is one of my reasons for moving here.  We also lived together for quite a few years.  She is a school teacher (which was her reason for moving to Vegas), she also found her husband here and they were married just 2 years ago.  They are expecting their first baby girl, Bailey Jean on January 1st 2011.

Tracie came to visit Bethany and I SO much she also decided to relocate to Las Vegas  from Spokane not long after Bethany and I.  Bethany introduced Tracie to her husband David and they have 2 beautiful kids Aubrie and Parker both the same age as mine.

I couldn't have made it through the past 10years here without you ladies.  Thanks for all the laughs, love, tears, play dates, fights, fat Tuesday's and drunken nights ...and everything in between.  I wouldn't have survived without you both and don't ya'll know it =o)   Love you two oodles and bunches.

xo

Picture of the Day

Here's a little history of how we came to name our girls Kadence and Zoe.  

Kadence Shiree
Kadence correctly spelled Cadence means flow or rythm as applied to language, music or movement.  It is also a term used in the military and cycling community.   How we came to chose the name Kadence is quit simple....

While picking out boys names, I had told my husband that Ryder was one of my favorites.  Probably at the top of my list at that point.  One morning while out riding his bicycle, Dom shared the name with his fellow cycling companions.  At that instant, one of them said how he loved the name Ryder and if we were to have a girl we could name her Cadence (after the cycling use of the word of course)!  If you don't know my husband let me tell you he is an avid cyclist and always has been.  He is ZERO fun to be around if he doesn't get his daily bike ride in.  We like bike riding daddy =o)  He himself is a competitor in the sport of cycling, escaped two near death experiences due to cycling and now runs a successful company that puts on races and events.  Of course he came home and shared the name with me and I fell IN LOVE!!!

Why spell it with a "K" opposed to a "C"....

I always pictured her school teachers rambling off roll call in the morning.  I feared that if it was spelled the proper way with a "C" people would without thoroughly reading it say Candace and not Cadence.  Phonetically speaking, if you were to see a "K" wouldn't you pronounce it as "Kay?"  Who knows...people still say Candace, oh well.  With the "K" we have also established the name Kady for short.  It just seemed more practical to me. Her middle name Shiree is of course after yours truly...


Zoe Joelyn
Zoe has always been a favorite girls name of Dominics as well as this song.  I think he tears up every time he hears it and thinks of both of his girls.  Joelyn I picked out for no other reason than I think it's cool.  I really dig boys names that can be used as girls names.  We both liked the nickname Jo but of course here we have our little Zoe Jo.  That being said, here is a tribute to Zoe and the song of which she was named after....

"Zoe Jane" by Staind

well i want you to notice

to notice when i'm not around

and i know that your eyes see

straight through me

and speak to me without a sound

i want to hold you

protect you from all of the

things i've already endured

i want to show you

show you all of the things

that this life has in store

for you

i'll always love you

the way that a father

should love his daughter

when i walked out this morning

i cried as i walked to the door

i cried about how long i'd be away for

i cried about leaving you all alone

i want to hold you

protect you from all of the

things i've already endured

i want to show you

show you all of the things

that this life has in store

for you

i'll always love you

the way that a father

should love his daughter

sweet zoe jane

sweet zoe jane

so i wanted to say this

cuz i wouldn't know where to begin

to explain to you what i have been through

to explain where your daddy has been

i want to hold you

protect you from all of the

things i've already endured

i want to show you

show you all of the things

that this life has in store

for you

i'll always love you

the way that a father

should love his daughter

sweet zoe jane

sweet zoe jane

Click here to listen to song



 

Want to help babies with Cystic Fibrosis 

breathe easier? 

 

 

Vote for the CF Project in the Pepsi Refresh Project and help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation win $250,000! You can vote every day this month!

 

It may be too late for my nephew Ethan but it's not too late for my children's children.  Being it's genetic...they too are carriers of the CF gene just like me.  Help me help them find a cure for not just everyone living with it... but for MY family!!!

I have to say I'm more than happy to bid the month of August a MASSIVE bon-voyage!!!  For starters, September for me is a representation of the beginning of fall which is BY FAR my most favorite time of year.  This past August posed more difficult than the previous year and for reasons I'm not sure.  It seemed to be more difficult not just for me but for friends and family as well.  For me, the month of August is an agonizing reminder of loved ones lost, what should be birthday's and wedding anniversaries but never will be.  Not to mention, this August in particular Dominic started a new job with CrAzY hours and the girls and I have barely seen him...lame! 

Don't get me wrong, there were a few things to celebrate this month...three bright shiny spots for three of my dear friends who gave birth to three beautiful bundles of joy.  Welcome to the world baby Jack Robert White, Reese Victoria Marie McNulty, and Isabelle Sophia Yoder. What a blessing for all these first time mommy's.  I have yet to meet them all and am looking forward to it.

However, despite the three bright spots this past month, it's safe to say that I personally could live without the month of August in the calender year.  I'm thankful for September and am happy to great it.  Bring on the cooler weather, the trick-or-treating, the crackling fireplace, the relaxing hot tub, the turkey dinner, the jolly times, bring on the FALL!! 

A tale of Two Nephews...

One is preschool bound.

 

The other,  College bound.

 

Good luck boys and enjoy the ride!!