When will it ever stop??

For the love of God, when will it stop??

 

 

 

About two weeks ago Cayden had a checkup with his endocrinologist and we were happy to share with y’all that he had grown much more than even his doctors had expected.  MANY prayers have been lifted up in his name that he would respond positively to the medicine we had long felt he needed.  Well God answered our prayers and continues to do so abundantly.  In the two and a half weeks since that appointment Cayden has grown another 3/4”!!!!  I am not even sure how it’s possible to grow that quickly.  I think the only person happier than Cayden about his continued growth spurts is the seamstress who does his alterations.  As you can see, about the time I get his pants hemmed we have to buy new pants and start all over again!

 

So, will it ever stop?…of course.  For now we are just grateful for the blessings…grateful to watch things happen according to God’s plan, in God’s time and for God’s purpose. 

Have you seen my puppy?

 

He’s the CUTEST puppy in the whole world!

Feeling a bit nostalgic today

Sometimes I just stop and stare at my boys and think what great kids they are.  Ok, so sometimes they drive me crazy and push all my buttons but I know that’s what they are supposed to do.  Today I was just struck by how grown up they are…how their faces are maturing and becoming more angular…how Cayden’s face has always been older and more soulful than his age would suggest…how Braxton’s boyish good looks are still there but his chubby cheeks are not.  I spent an hour or two looking at tons of old pictures.  Many of you have seen every one of these…some of you have likely seen several of them…but I know these are new to at least a few of you.

The boys hate it when I get all misty eyed, looking at old pictures and reading their baby books.  Maybe I won’t show them this post…lol.

These aren’t in any particular order by the way.

 

 

             

 

 

            

 

 

    

 

 

           

 

 

     

 

 

 

     

 

 

                

 

 

        

              

 

                  

 

 

        

 

With that, I’ll say goodnight.

 

Mom, I’m BORED

School was cancelled today because of blizzard conditions.  It didn’t take long for Braxton to declare he was bored.  We decided (Ok, I decided) to turn off the TV, pry the video game controller from Cayden’s hands and have some old fashioned fun.

 

 

Can anyone name this game?  I won, by the way!

 

 

Can you guess what this is?  Better yet, do you need one?  We already have more than any family will ever need.

 

Do me a favor, pray for sun, would ya?

Oh, the weather outside was frightful…

 

 

but the game was just as frightful.

All I have to say about the Vikings game is

 I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!…really…so don’t call to gloat, don’t even call to offer your condolences…I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!

 

 

fog + rain + freezing rain + sleet + snow = one big mess

 

On Friday our latest weather maker hit the region, overstaying its welcome through most of the weekend.  Rain changed to sleet and then snow…and then all over again.  Slushy roads iced over and caused tons of accidents and ice coated power lines that were tossed about in gusty winds.  Numerous power outages were reported in the region but we were spared here in Fargo.  Although it was an inconvenience on Saturday I don’t think anyone cared on Sunday since everyone in town probably was only interested in watching the Vikings.  (oops I said I wasn’t going to talk about them)  At least we are well on our way to February and the weather should begin its uphill climb in the next few weeks.

These are a few of my favorite things

I’ll spare you the Sound of Music lyrics but just know that I am humming to myself as I type

 

 

 

This is liquid gold…nectar of the Gods…just this side of Heaven.  Ok, so I do have a sweet tooth and anything that says “real sugar” has to be good but this is real good.  It does remind me of my younger days, days when a cigarette and a Dr. Pepper were my breakfast of choice.  My lungs are much happier these days even if my pancreas are not.

 

 

 

First of all, no, I am not becoming a vegetarian.  However, as most of you know, I am not a big meat fan either.  I don’t have any ethical problem with eating meat, I just don’t really care for it.  Well, that’s not completely true…just saying White Castle makes me drool but other than that I really only eat meat because I was taught that I needed to.  It’s also pretty hard to find enough vegetarian entrees in Amarillo and Fargo restaurants and the produce in Fargo can hardly even be called produce.  So, my new favorite is the grilled vegetable burger.  Try one, you might just like it.

 

 

 

These are my most favorite thing in the world (ok other than my family).  I have wanted Fiesta Ware for years and years.  This Christmas I got 6 plates, one in each of the colors I liked best.  I love them so much I have decided to buy the bowls soon.  You absolutely can’t be sad when you look at the cheerful colors on the table.  Braxton has decided he must only eat on the orange one since it’s his favorite color.  On a side note, please note the salt and pepper shakers and plate in the center.  Braxton and I made those at a pottery store here in Fargo.  We used all 6 colors from the plates so they would match.  They turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.

 

 

 

This Christmas Steve surprised me with 6 pounds of pens.  Yep, 6 pounds.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a true love affair with pens.  I have surely spent close to a thousand dollars in my lifetime on pens…rollerballs, ballpoints, bic pens, expensive pens, red ones, blue ones, purples ones…well, you get the idea.  Now I have so many pens that I may never use them all but I will have a wonderful time trying.

 

What are some of your favorite things?

Winter Web

 

 

 

I never knew how pervasive frost could be here in the Frozen Tundra until I came across this spider web underneath our deck.  It looked so lacy and delicate (yet strong enough to support the weight of the ice/frost) that I decided to share it.

And the Viking horn blows

 

Braxton is NOT a Vikings fan.  He is the anti-Vikings fan in fact.  He will root for anyone playing the Vikings and since today that was the Cowboys (and it hasn’t been all that long since we were Texans) he and I were on opposite ends of the couch so to speak.  He does more than his share of “trash talking” and goaded me into a bet sometime during the first quarter.  He would pay up $5 if the Cowboys lost if I would pay up $5 if the Vikings lost.  I reminded him that he didn’t own $5.  I decided that another type of repayment would be necessary.  If the Vikings won (and of course they would) he would be forced to wrap himself in my Vikings snuggie, have his picture taken and then posted for all the world to see.

 

Well, a bet’s a bet!

3%

 

 

What do you see when you look at the picture above?

 

A.  A little over 4 inches

B.  Almost 11 centimeters

C.  The unbelievable amount of growth Cayden has experienced in just

       6 short months

 

well the answer is……

 

D.  ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cayden had a six month checkup with the endocrinologist today.

The endocrinologist is thrilled beyond words at the progress he has made.  His growth is well beyond expected growth for a year and we are only half way through the year.

 

As of today Cayden also achieved another important milestone.  Height (and weight) in childhood and adolescence are plotted on official growth charts.  Cayden has never been on any chart.  We have aspired to be on a chart, we have gazed longingly at a chart, we may have even uttered a few not so nice words at a chart.  Today his height now officially puts him at the 3% line of the growth chart!!!!!

That means that he is now TALLER than 3% of his peers.  Not much, you say?  Well, I say, we’ll take it!

 

Cayden is doing so well that the doctor even decided to increase his dose of growth hormone slightly.  So take a look at my son because…..

 

 

              next time you see him, you may not recognize him.

Streptococcus pyogenes

otherwise known as strep throat, has taken up residence in my baby’s throat.

 

 

Braxton is never sick.  He has the immune system of a small nation.  This, however, attacked with speed and force.  Twenty four hours ago he was kicking his way through Taekwondo, six hours later he had a raging sore throat and a fever of 102 degrees.

 

Unfortunately for Braxton, streptococcus bacteria are a bit more problematic for Cayden as they are known for spreading to shunts and heart valves.  So, any time the boys are in close contact,  Braxton will have to wear the mask.  Good thing they are typical brothers who don’t spend much time that close.

 

It’s worth noting that Steve is working in Denver this week.  It never fails…weeks like this always seem to be full of more than our share of challenges.  If a huge snowstorm blows in, the A/C goes out, the car won’t start or one (or both) of the boys get sick you can be sure it will happen when only one parent is home :(

 

I’d appreciate it if you would pray that Braxton would recover quickly with no side effects and that Cayden’s immune system would remain strong enough to fight off a possible infection.

 

I hope you and your families are doing well.

Hallelujah, it’s a HEAT wave

Prayers must work.

 

 

Notice the car’s thermometer.  That is 17 above zero for once.  A heat wave like this (accompanied by a bit of sunshine even) allowed us to hit the sledding hill today to let the boys run off all their excess energy.

 

 

 

As expected, the sledding hill (or sliding hill as they call it) was busy.  Everyone else in town had the same idea.  The hill runs along the back end of the river dike.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

 

                

 

 

                       I think crashing is at least half the fun!

 

 

 

               OK, so maybe it got a little cold towards the end!

God I Love North Dakota!

Maybe it doesn’t transmit, maybe you can’t see it but those words are just dripping in sarcasm.

 

We got 22 inches of snow Christmas Eve through Christmas night and it has been bitter cold many days.  By bitter cold I mean highs in the teens below and lows in the low twenties below.  If I am being honest, it has been a relatively mild winter thus far.  HOWEVER, I just want some sun.  This bank robber look is getting old on Braxton and if you look at this picture, it was taken in the middle of the afternoon….no sun!  Now we have another 3-6 inches of snow coming tonight and lows forecast in the thirties below for the next few nights.  The Lord is showing no mercy on this sun starved girl.

 

 

 

 

 

Max doesn’t like to be alone…at all.  The other morning I got my coat out of the closet so I could take Braxton to school but I had to run back upstairs.  When I came back Max was lying in the middle of my coat and refused to budge.  This morning I was running late of course and Max upped his game.  I couldn’t find my keys anywhere.  I am pretty OCD so I always keep things in the same place so it was driving me crazy looking for them.  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something shiny on the floor.  Max had taken my keys to a place he holds near and dear, one where I wouldn’t soon look.  I have an extra key, that wasn’t my problem.  I was much more upset to lose my AutoStart for the car.  I don’t know what I would do without it.  Almost every North Dakotan has one.  On any given day in January you can walk the parking lot of any grocery store or Walmart and find at least half of the vehicles running, with no one inside.  Thirty below isn’t so bad when your car is nice and toasty.

 

 

    

 

 

After uploading this next picture I realized that it appears to be the butt end of a raw chicken.  However, it is actually my hand.  Worse yet, my entire body looks identical.  Winters are always harsh on my skin but this year has been particularly bad.  My skin is cracked, raw, and bleeding.  I have tried every lotion and potion I can find.  Does someone, anyone have a solution?  I practically bathe in lotion.  Help!  I will try whatever you suggest.