Heavenly Weekend

Sometime in the middle of April, my mom and I spontaneously decided that it would be amazing if my sister, mom and I could go to my Aunt's cabin in Murphys, CA for a girls'/Mother's Day weekend with no kids or husbands (except Peyton) and we could scrapbook and sew to our heart's content, all the while enjoying the beautiful area surrounding the cabin. By some miracle and great husbands, we were able to accomplish just that! We left on a Friday afternoon and headed over the hill. Peyton was an angel the entire way.

We arrived in Murphys and got set up. Man, we brought a LOT of stuff (pictures at the end of the post). We decided we wouldn't put any pressure on ourselves to do anything in particular, just whatever we felt like.

Peyton was a gem. He, however, puts everything into his mouth! It's like nothing I've ever seen. So, we decided to take photos of all the things he puts in his mouth throughout the days. It's not a comprehensive list, but funny nonetheless. So when you see a photo of him with something in his mouth, we were documenting his obsession. :)

See the drool running down Heather's arm?


One afternoon we went on a picnic to Ironstone Vineyard in Murphys. The flowers were seriously unreal. It was a gorgeous day and the weather couldn't have been any better. Here are some photos from our afternoon there.










And here are the photos of all of our stuff and our mess. We got a lot accomplished! Heather cut out and basically sewed the whole top of a table runner. Mom finally finished Heather's wedding album. I did a few nursing school pages and cut out three rag flannel quilts I am going to make. I also got some great knitting stuff from a shop in Murphys. I think everyone got a bit more done than I did because I chose to spend a lot of my time doing nothing at all, laying in bed, etc. ;) Such is the life of a pregnant me. :)


The pictures really don't do the mess we created justice. But, we really did have a wonderful time. We ate when we felt like it. Didn't have to cook unless we felt like it. We browsed the fun little shops and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful lilacs, irises and tulips. It was just so relaxing and enjoyable. What a great Mother's Day Treat! Thanks Mom and Heather for a truly wonderful weekend!!

Easter Weekend Eggstravaganza!

What a wonderful Easter weekend we had! It was jam-packed with fun! The weekend started early for Liam and Izzy who were able to stay themselves with Nana and Papa Thursday and Friday night. What lucky ducks! I'm impressed they didn't turn into giant fruit snacks after those two days. ;) Thanks, mom and dad! We appreciated the breather!


They, of course, got to lick the beaters when I made my fruit dip. Yum!
The only reason Liam was excited for mom and dad to get to Nana and Papa's house was so that we could dye Easter eggs. The kids had a blast with it!
Look at those colorful fingers!!
Izzy dipped and redipped this same egg about 2738943 times. She had lots of fun doing it.
Our beautiful finished eggs!
The kids got some fun new bath paints for Easter and had a lot of fun with them!
Story time with Papa. Sweet, isn't it?
Easter morning, the kids were awake nice and early and in bed with Nana and Papa. They got to enjoy some cheddar bunnies in bed. Papa looks a little tired doesn't he?
Sneaky Easter Bunny hid their eggs early in the morning!
Liam had fun finding his basket this year. We finally had to play the hot and cold game with him though because I seriously doubt the kid could find his own two feet if they weren't attached.
He found it! He was thrilled! The Easter Bunny brought him new trunks, Gordon the Train, Toby the Train, a lollipop and a few other goodies.
The Easter Bunny brought Izzy these beautiful, light up, glass slippers. The girl was in Heaven.
The Easter Bunny brought daddy a cheese slicer that he's wanted since we've been married.
The kids then decided to play dress up and have a little ball. He's the handsome cowboy swimming prince and she's the Pajama, light up Cinderella.

He decided that his lollipop would make a good guitar.
The Peep crew needed a Peep break. I think Liam and Izzy are the only people in the world that love Peeps as much as Nana.
I brought mom these beautiful tulips for Easter. We thoroughly enjoyed them.
We tried to get a decent picture of these two, but this is the best we got before their hunt at Nana's.
On the prowl...
These couple of eggs are the eggs that I dyed with the silk ties. They came out really neat. Goodwill had some good options this year. I couldn't believe they even had a Mickey Mouse tie!
My handsome Easter Boy.

Good hunters, aren't they?

Our attempt with all three kids. This was the best we could get. Poor Peyton.
Our new tradition is to go to the town egg hunt. I told Liam to find the golden egg, so he decided that he would ONLY pick up the golden egg and was really upset when he didn't find it. Ooops! We finally did get him to go for other eggs as well and assured him it was OK that he didn't find the golden one.

We had such a lovely Easter. We hope everyone else did as well!

Goodbye, Albie

I wasn't sure that I was ever going to write this post because I knew that it would conjure up many of the raw feelings still associated with this event in our family's life, but I know it needs to be done. It's part of our history.

As many of you know, we have struggled for 2 years with Liam's severe allergies. He's allergic to dogs, sesame, oak, and a variety of other things. After our initial appointment with his allergist we have tried washing Albus with hypoallergenic shampoo, vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum, using HEPA filter heater filters, etc. For a while, it all seemed to be going ok. But, it was very difficult for our sweet doggy, Albus. He wasn't allowed on our beds or furniture or to cuddle on our blankets. This was a huge lifestyle change for him. Plus, Liam wasn't allowed to play with him in the same way that he used to.

Over the last year, Liam has been sick more and more often. We've tried everything. Unfortunately, we came to the difficult decision that our little Albus had to find a new home. It wasn't fair to Albus because we were harder on him and couldn't love on him like we used to. And it isn't fair to Liam that we don't give his allergies every shot to resolve. We put of the decision for many months, but after much thought and prayer, decided to call the people we adopted him from as a puppy.

When we adopted Albus 5 years ago, we signed a contract that if we were unable to care for him, we would bring him back to their home in Fallon and they would find a perfect fit for him. Fortunately, these wonderful people welcomed him back into their home and assured us that they will find a perfect home for him. They think he will be going to a nice, older couple that can give him lots of time, energy and love.

The day we took him back to Fallon was one of the hardest days we have had in a long time. Wes and I don't remember a time where we've cried so much. Liam was sad, but we simply explained to him that he's such wonderful doggy, we have to share him with another family now and that he has to go to their new, wonderful home. We can't be selfish and have to share our sweet little guy. He was our first baby and we still love him dearly, but we know, without a doubt, that this is the right choice for our sweet doggy. Originally I was just going to have Wes take him because I couldn't face the situation with all of my crazy pregnancy hormones, but I went and I'm so glad that I did. It was so reassuring to see Darrell and Molly and their other inside dogs welcome him in and love him and assure us that he'll be lovingly cared for. Thankfully, GG was able to take care of Liam so that he wouldn't see us so sad.

We know that his new owner will have many happy years with Albus. He is a very, sweet, loyal, and loving doggy that will be a constant loving companion for his new owners.

Our last little family photo. We're all a mess, but again, this is part of our history.
Wes assures me that since he was ours first, he'll be ours again in eternity. :)

UNR Alum Easter Egg Hunt

A week before Easter UNR Alumni put on a great little Easter Egg hunt for the kids. The kids had a great time with the hunt, bounce house, balloon toys, and face painting! They even go to see the Easter Bunny. :D
Waiting for the race!

Cutest little Easter Bunny ever!
Liam was most excited about his balloon swords!
He chose the ice cream cone himself for his face paint.
He also had fun taking Maddy and Izzy for rides in the wagon. What a gentleman!

Nursing School Baby!

My good friend Michelle found out she and her husband were expecting their first baby while we were in nursing school. We were so excited for her! It's amazing how fast it's gone, well for me anyway, because we were all getting together at her baby showers in the month of March! Here is Melanie, Michelle and I are her family shower she had. Apparently we all coordinated. ;)
I had planned a little nursing school get together shower for the first part of April. Luke was due on April 21. What do you know, but the little guy decided to make his grand appearance before his due date, but also before his last shower! I knew I'd be cutting it close, but first babies are usually late, aren't they?

Here is a group of us from school. From L to R, Danelle (awesome Level I clinical partner!), Shawna (who had a baby in nursing school, LEVEL II, and made it. Amazing lady!), Dara (made gorgeous knitted goodies for Luke!), me, Michelle, Luke, Melissa (she is rockin' it in ICU), and Alyssa (who shared some pretty funny stories from her nights on oncology). It was sooo much fun to get together with everyone and share stories and share nursing jokes and that only nurses get. ;) Or maybe jokes that will make others throw up.
For little Luke, I decided to try a new type of can to make. I thought it'd be fun to match his room and make a can for little keepsakes from the hospital or his babyhood, or whatever she wanted to use it for. I had a lot of fun making it and was so happy with how it turned out!

Congrats, again, Ben and Michelle. You are wonderful parents and Luke is such a lucky guy to be in your family. Did I mention he's a little angel? He slept for the whole shower and was only a week old! And he's adorable. :D