About Us

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Scott and I have been married for 8 1/2 years now. We have two beautiful children, Isabelle Rose and Jace Andrew. We live in Centerville, Utah in a townhouse that we LOVE! Scott recently switched jobs (again) and went to work for Scott Hale Plumbing, Heating and Air. This switch has been a tremendous blessing for our family and Scott is really liking the service end of the Heating/Air business. Butterfly Wings and Tiny Things has kind of been fazed out. We had a successful run, did a lot of boutiques, made quite a bit of money, and got burned out:) So, for now we are doing special order magnet boards only. It keeps up busy enough. Scott and I love waterskiing, watching movies, going on drives, and really just being together. We hope you enjoy our blog!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I.R.W.'s Ode To A.J.

My grandma is my favorite friend;
I love her and she loves me too.
Each day we get to spend together,
There is something new for us to do.

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

Last week we built a fortress,
To house the wicked old queen.
Grandma acts out her voices
All scary, nasty, and mean.
I play the part of the princess,
Locked in the dungeon below.
Next grandma turns into the prince who rescues me,
And away from the fortress we go!
We ride away in the sunset,
Far away from that old fortress.
And grandma doesn’t even scold me
About the room that’s now a mess!

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

I LOVE when Thursday comes around,
Because this is my ballet day.
Grandma takes me to my dance class,
And I always ask her to stay.
I like when she watches me dance,
She smiles so big and wide.
Seeing her be so proud of me,
Makes me feel all warm inside.
After class we like to visit Jackie
Who works down at the book store.
Jackie thinks it’s great that grandma visits with me
She says that’s JUST what grandmas are for!


We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

For a special treat last week,
Grandma took me to see her friend Rob.
He’s the man that styles her hair,
He does a fantastic job.
I sat up in the big styling seat
And watched him work on Grandmas hair.
He washed and curled and sprayed it nice.
He treated her with lots of care.
I loved the smells, the sights, the sounds,
Of all the hair stuff on the shelf.
And Mr. Rob was so kind to me,
He asked me questions all about myself.

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

Sometimes, when mom has a lot to do,
Grandma comes to stay at my home.
Mom goes out to run her errands,
And me and Grandma are all alone!
Candy Land, Hungry Hippos, and Simon Says,
Picnics, dollies, and dress up too-
With Grandma playing at my house,
There’s no end to the things we can do.
And she never gets all tired out,
The way that Mom and Dad sometimes do.
She plays and plays and plays with me,
And always teaches me something new.

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.


Now, my very favorite thing to do
When grandma is here or when I go there
Is to pick out a whole stack of books,
And climb up on her lap in a comfy chair.
It doesn’t matter if the book is long or short,
Or if the pages look old or new,
Grandma makes each book come alive
With the voices and actions that she can do.
She takes the time to explain to me,
If there is a word I don’t know.
And she never gets angry when I ask lots of questions,
She says asking questions is how we grow.

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

So now you know why grandma’s my favorite friend,
And why she always will be.
She makes me feel special and glad.
I’ll always love her, and she’ll always love me.

We have a special thing you see,
A special thing, my grandma and me.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Cherished Moments

Here are the pictures we got taken of Bones at nine months. Tif, as always, did an amazing job. I love her style and the way she catches my little boy's features. Enjoy!















In The Time It Took To Grow A Baby

Our big boy is already nine months! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I can't believe how much he's grown. I can't believe my baby will not be a baby very much longer. Here are his stats from his last Dr. visit.

Height: 28 inches
Weight: 23 lbs (no mom, not 30!)
Head: 47 cm

We know he's big, hence his nicknames...The Big Easy, Big-E, Bigglet, Little Big...but big or not, he's still a baby to me.
Here are the happenings, the likes and dislikes, the can-do's and can't-do's, and all the other stuff we want you to know about Jacer Man.

Food. He LOVES it. I don't think we've met a food yet that this big boy doesn't like. He especially loves sharing Honey Nut Cheerios and Brown Sugar Poptarts with Mommy in the morning. He'll kneel up right onto my lap, mouth wide open like a little bird, waiting for the next tasty morsel of food to be dropped into his mouth. He loves to sit up to the table, in his highchair, when we're all eating dinner and eat bits and pieces off of our plates. He thinks he's three already.

Sleep Habits. We went through a bit of a rough patch there for awhile, okay, really since he was born:) But honestly, this poor guy has been sick as much as he's been healthy, and therefore I attribute his lack of steady nighttime sleep to this. But, as of late, he's been going down at 7:30 each night and sleeping until 5:30. Daddy gets up with him to feed him a bottle at 5:30 and then he usually goes back down for two more hours. He takes an hour nap in the morning and a two hour nap in the afternoons. Ya. I know. I'm pretty darn lucky. But only as of late....

Health News. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that Jace has been sick as often as he's been healthy. First off, when he was born, his APGAR was only a 2. He wasn't breathing on his own. He spent his hospital stay connected to machines to help his little body fight to survive. Upon coming home, he spent his first week with us strapped to a Billiruben Bed. At 28 days, he was admitted in Primary Children's Hospital with very high fevers. Diagnosis: Parainfluenza. At six months we were back up at Primarys' with RSV. Late night suctions, breathing treatments, and coming home connected to an oxygen machine for another week, ended this bout of sickness. But, not for long. Two months later, the family got hit HARD with the stomach flu. Jace quickly became dehydrated to the point where he was so lethargic and fatigued that he couldn't even stay awake. And you guessed it...back up to Primary Children's. IV fluids, blood tests, etc, and we were back home the next day. It took us a solid week to build Jace's appetite back up to where it should be. Done yet? Not quite. Two weeks ago we took a family trip to St. George. Jace had a cough. It got worse. Scott ended up taking him to the IHC hospital in St. George where he was diagnosed with an URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) and Croup. More suctioning for the entire trip, a high dose of steroid medication, and lots of hot baths, finally helped to move the mucous out of his lungs. So as of right now, we're two weeks in the clear with Jace's health. I'm not holding my breath.

Playtime. Jace loves to play anything with Isabelle. He LOVES her so much! And she is the BEST big sister. She dotes on him all day. Not only that, but she can get him laughing like no one else. They have a special bond. He loves exploring, putting everything into his mouth, tub time, playing 'Who's Rockin The Boat', and when Daddy throws him up in the air.

Toys. Jacer doesn't have a 'favorite' toy right now. But, he loves to read books with Mommy. He likes his animal train and toys. And, he does not sleep well without his Sleep Sheep noise maker.

Anxiety. Entering separation anxiety age. He knows when I leave the room, and he doesn't like it. But, as long as I'm in his site, he'll stray as far as possible.

Temperament. Jace has gone from a quite needy, crabby baby, to a typically content and happy boy. He doesn't like having his face cleaned off. He hates when I try to clean out his eye gunk. Suctioning his nose is a wail fest. But, other than that, he's pretty easy going.

Updates. Jacer has five teeth. Two bottom teeth came in at 8 1/2 months. THREE top teeth came in all together at nine months. The fourth, a bulging front tooth pocket, is bound to burst through any day. Jacer man has had three hair cuts. We spike his hair, so it's important not to let it grow too long. Also, after crawling backward for nearly a month, Jace has finally put the car in drive and now zooms around everywhere on all fours. We attribute his late crawling to the extra girth he has to lug around! He's already pulling up on things and loving to stand, so I'm sure we'll have a walker before we know it. And, Jace has mastered the concept of picking up food off of the tray and putting it into his mouth. It's so fun to watch is concentration as he works so hard to accomplish such a small task. Lastly, Jace is rarely quiet these days. He has a lot to say. Dadadadadada was his first and favorite word to shout out. He also has Mamamamama and Nanananana under his belt too. We're not sure if he gets who Dada and Mama are, but we sure love it when he uses the words!
Mommy and Daddy and Izzy love you baby boy. You bring us such joy and laughter every day of your little life. We cannot imagine life without you. Thank you for hanging in there with us through all the in's and out's, the up's and down's. I promise it'll all be worth it one day. I know this because YOU are worth it...every bit of it! Love, love, love you...

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Somewhere, Over The Rainbow




Lucky, that sneaky little dude, visited our house again this year. He leaves his green footprints and four leaf clovers all over the house! What a mess! And the clues...oh the clues. We have to follow all his clues, to find our own pot of gold, our own stash of green goodies. I love it! Izzy looks forward to it almost as much as Scott does (afterall, the Mt. Dew bottles are green, and Lucky always leaves several of those lying around:) We missed our green dinner this year because we left for St. George the morning of St. Pats. But, nevertheless, it was a grand time...and a tradition that'll keep coming back.















Ballerina Girl...You Are So Lovely


Sister Sue had her second dance recital on March 12...the same day as her birthday! We opted to celebrate her birthday on the 13th so she could focus all her energy on this dance recital. And boy did she do an amazing job! She dances on the stage like she's an old pro. There isn't an ounce of stage fright in her body. I hope she stays that way. She is delightful to watch. I smile even now, just thinking about her focused concentration on the lead dancer and her desire to do everything just right. Our little Ballerina Girl. Izzy, you truly are, so lovely.






Impossible..Things Are Happening Everyday..

Izzy turned FOUR on March 12th! My baby girl is so big now. She had a great birthday this year. I'll let her tell you all about it...
(Isabelle's birthday typed by Mom, Mommy, Momma, as dictated by Miss Rose.)





There's all the decorations for my Cinderella party, right Mom? My balloons, my presents, my ribbon on the ceiling. We had to choose blue and pink and yellow, right Mom? Those are the colors that match my Cinderella party. That was a good party, right Momma? I loved my birthday Mom. I'm four now Mom! But you don't want me to be four, right Momma? You want me to stay tiny! But I can't! I'm growing and growing and growing. Look at me in my Cinderella dress Mommy. I look beautiful, don't I Momma? I have on blue eye shadow to match my dress, right Momma? Cinderella has on blue eye shadow too, doesn't she Momma? I love Cinderella.





He, He, He. Look Momma, it's you and me. I'm sitting on your lap, huh Mommy? We just ate our lunch, right Mom? That was a BIG sandwhich Momma. How did they make that sandwhich so big? How did you fit it in the car? Where did they get all that cheese? That's a really big sandwhich, right Momma? And look Mommy! There's my new Barbie car. I love my new car. It's pink. Pink is my favorite color you know. But Bones broke one of the mirrors on my car, right Momma? Daddy will have to fix that. There's my books Mommy. Meggy and Pasty and Brocko gave those to me, right Momma? I love books Mom. I love the necklace, right Mom? Cause I love fairies. They're pretty, right Momma? He He. Me and my Dada. I'm all snuggled up in my new blanky. My new Pink. Grammy Ann made this for me, right Momma? But how did she sew this pink ribbon around the edges Momma? It's so soft and cozy Momma. I love my new Pink. Look! My Fairytale book. Gramma Lisa gave this to me. I love Rumpelstiltskin the best Mom. He's so funny, right Mom? Mom? Can we look at the book store for another Rumpelstiltskin book? I love that one the best Momma. I love my books Momma.



And we MUSTN'T forget the cake, right Mommy? Grammy Lisa made it just special for me. Chocolate cake with a blue Cinderella dress, just like mine, right Mommy? Look at me blow those candles out Mom. I was nice to let Gabey help, wasn't I Mommy? That cake sure tasted yummy to my tummy Momma. It was a great birthday, wasn't it Mommy? When's it my party again Mommy?

Thursday, March 4, 2010

I'd Like To Buy A Vowel

I like to think that I am a clean person. Okay, so I'm really an unnaturally clean person. I make it a point to always keep a clean house. Not only does this include the daily straightening, picking up, wiping off, dusting, rearranging, scenting, loading/unloading, and organizing of most items in my home, but it also includes the once a week, top to bottom cleaning sessions. I wouldn't say I'm a germ-a-phobe per se, but I'm definitely cleaner than most. This neuroticism stems from my mother, who learned the fine art of cleanliness from her father, and so on and so forth. Some call it a sickness, and perhaps it is. Now, why am I blogging on such a subject? I'll tell you why. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps, with all my good intentions, I have done a disservice to my family. Why, you might ask? Let me give you the low down on the last four months of our lives, and then you see if you can figure out why.

November 7th...Mom becomes severely ill with symptoms of body aches, fevers, dizziness, and horrific headaches. 2 trips to the InstaCare, 1 trip to McKayDee, and a wonderful, all inclusive 1 week stay at IMC, all pointed to viral meningitis. The time leading up to and during my hospital visits, was two weeks. The recovery from this illness...still ongoing. The headaches plague me daily. Some days are better than others. At the first of February, I felt like many of my symptoms were reoccurring. So, back to the ever-so-helpful Neurologist for some more not-so-helpful advice. Yes, the meds they had me on from my hospital stay should still be taken. No, I never should have stopped taking them. Yes, this is the reason for the terrible headaches. Yes, they failed to MENTION that I should stay on these meds. And yes, because of their stupidity, I would now be dealing with a whole other problem. Post Meningitic Psuedo Tumor was the Neurologists best guess. But he doesn't really know. Best case scenario, I take meds the rest of my life. Worst case, I go blind. Just like that. So, we schedule an appointment with an Neuropthamologist. Of course they can get us right in...in mid March. No rush people. We're only talking about my eye sight here. Week two of February, Izzy starts vomiting one night. Scott doesn't do vomit very well, so Mommy takes over. My baby girl has high fevers, chills, body aches, and is in pretty bad shape. So, we take her to the Dr. It's Strepp. Sweet. Highly contagious. Next up...Jace! Jace starts with a runny nose which quickly escalates into a terrible smokers cough. He wheezes when he breaths. His breathing is labored and rapid. A trip to the InstaCare tells us that we need to get him to Primary Children's. Awesome. We get to stay overnight in RTU in the same room we stayed in when Jacers was 28 days old and at the hospital with Parainfluenza. The memories aren't so great. Test results are positive for RSV. No spinal tap or cath this time around. Just a giant tube that feeds through his nose and down into his lungs to suction out bucket loads of snot. Ya. He loved that. The next day we get to come home, but Jace has strict orders to be on oxygen. My 8 month old baby has an oxygen tube taped all around his face because he keeps trying to pull it off. Three nights of oxygen and a visit back to our primary care Dr, and we are finally in the clear. Or so we thought. My headaches are just about unbearable now. We call the Neurologist and ask if he can call in a Lumbar Puncture to check my spinal pressures. Now people, you have to know that for me to ASK for one of these baby's TELLS you I'm in pain. We head to LDS, set up for the tap, and wouldn't you know it, the pressure is normal. Awesome. Now what? Well, we wait until mid March to see the Neuropthamologist I guess. I'm down for a couple days after this because for some reason it has made my headaches quadruple in pain. Sunday night I finally join the land of the living. Can we catch a break now? Nope. Not yet! Izzy says her stomach hurts. Her stomach always hurts. I'm not too concerned until I hear the dreaded gag/cough followed by Scott frantically carrying her into the bathroom to finish what she's already started in the bedroom. I'll never look at ribs and potatoes the same after cleaning up that mess. I was literally scooping up the mess from off of her comforter and carrying it to the toilet. The barf juices saturated the comforter, the sheets, and the mattress. Sweet. How do we get the smell of vomit off of the mattress? I scrubbed it for a half hour, then I had to lay down. I was getting queasy myself. Scott, who again does not to well with throw up, sleeps down on the couch, and Izzy joins me in my bed with her barf bowl. 17 throw up sessions and one completely sleepless night later, the vomiting stops. But, she is very lethargic and won't eat anything. Tuesday early evening Scott starts throwing up. Tuesday late night, I go in to answer Jaces cries to find him covered from head to toe in baby barf...I swear he rolled all over in it. Strip the crib, run the tub, more throw up, and he goes back down for the night. I'm doomed. I know it. Destined to be next in the vicious virus that has attacked our house. And sure enough, Wednesday at about 4 in the morning, I start up the trend. Four sick people. No one to take care of us. We were in bad shape. Luckily, Scott is feeling a bit better at this point. He stays home Wednesday to rest and help with Iz and Jace. Thursday (today) we are still having no luck getting Jace to keep anything down. He hasn't had a wet diaper since Tuesday night. He vomits up anything we give him. We call the Dr. Guess what? They want us to take him to Primary's. No, I'm not kidding. I. Am. Not. Kidding. I wish I was kidding. So, high ho, high ho, back up the hill we go. We're on a first name basis with the staff now. We're pretty much regulars. Jace is checked in with severe dehydration, critically low levels of sugar, and hypoglycemia. Awesome. Here we are again. RTU. Not in the same room...thankfully. Poor Jace is so lethargic. He just lays there. No smiles. No talking. No nothing. I just want my family better!!! I leave to take Iz home, who, on a side note, is still not feeling that well. Scott stays with Jace in the hopes that he will make a quick turn around and be able to come home. Scott and I phone each other all day. Jace has eaten an ounce of formula. We have a wet diaper. He just smiled. Things were looking up. At 9:30 p.m. Scott calls to tell me they are coming home. Hallelujah! I'm afraid to even say, 'what's next?' because I know that inevitably something else is bound to hit us. It's just our luck lately. But at least for this small moment we are all home together and all feeling pretty good. Tomorrow? Who knows.

So, back to the cleanliness bit from the beginning of this blog. I have come to the firm conclusion that if I just let my kids lick the slides, pick their noses, and bathe once a week; if I let my home become cluttered, germ filled, and dirty; and if I refuse to keep up on immunizations and medications; then perhaps my children and I will be better off. Maybe I really have ruined them by not letting them get near germs. Maybe. Probably not. No, I realize that this is not the case. I realize that this is just one of the trials my family has to pass through. We seem to have been hit pretty hard lately. Scott and I are convinced that we are being tried like Job, only just strictly with health related issues. I find it easy to get discouraged and down. I know the Lord must have a purpose for these trials. I know there is something we are to learn from them. It's probably patience in afflictions. And I SUCK at patience. But my little brother told me the other day that in our trials lie opportunities. Opportunities for progress, happiness, and spiritual growth. I think this means that I have the opportunity to rely more fully on the Lord and trust that He knows all things. I have the opportunity to draw near to Him and to plead for His grace and mercy. And that as I do these things, I will have the opportunity to be happier in my life. And that's what it's all about.

So, I guess I won't quit the house cleaning obsession just yet.