Time Warp

A few weeks ago I did some sewing for the living room.  I picked up some fun fabric and sewed some toss cushions using Amy Butler's (love her) Hourglass Pillow pattern.  

It was Don, a few days later, who pointed something out to me.  Our downstairs 'hair cutting chair' (circa 1960-something) held an uncanny resemblance to my new pillows!

 

Made me laugh!  

Getting out!

An embarrassing confession here....I haven't gone outside for a walk with the boys all winter. Kinda pathetic when these Chariots are really considered All Weather Vehicles!! So we bundled up and hit the streets! About 20 minutes in, both boys were sleeping. Well, I wasn't going to just go home and interrupt their much needed nap....so I kept walking.

Over an hour later, with a face that no longer moved when I talked, I turned in - took a couple pics, (which ended up waking them both up when I lifted the cover!) and headed inside. I have to admit, it felt really good to be outside. And I think I worked off most of that delicious Peanut Buster Parfait I had at lunch!!!

Louis Riel Family Day

It was a WONDERFUL treat to get away from home this weekend, and spend it in Winnipeg with my family!  My Mom and Dad treated us to a fabulous getaway to the city.  It was a welcome and much needed change of scenery.  The kids went crazy in the pool - spending hours there!  Even Nate turned out to be quite a fish!  He loved the water and just wanted to be in the pool the whole time!

Thanks, Mom and Dad for this wonderful reprieve!  Your kids had just as much fun as your grandkids!!

This is as close to a family picture as we got!

No family gathering is complete without a feast!

Mommy's Brag Book

Last week, the boys and I spent a morning with Kristel - from Kristel Bueckert Photography.  I have to admit...I had been very jealous of some of my friends who had taken their children's or family photos with Kristel.  She captures beautiful expressions in very natural poses with great lighting!   She just lets the kids be kids and gets amazing shots that way.  

Unfortunately, Nate had one of his crazy nights, the night before our appointment, so he didn't last as long as he should have.  But, not to worry - Kristel got some beautiful (and fun) moments from the both of them.

Here's a little sampling of our morning with Kristel.  I would HIGHLY recommend her!  These precious pics are worth every penny!

Be sure to check out her blog (where she features a few pics from each session) and her website, where you can see her gallery of photos and all the studio info!

Thanks Kristel, for a great morning - and for being so relaxed with the boys....even when Nate started getting a little fussy (ie. crying!).  Even those pics turned out great!

I *heart* my Girlfriends!

I had a super fun Valentine's Day!  I got to spend it with some of my girlfriends.  Some of us go waaaay back - we're talking diaper stage!  But most of us really started to connect in Jr. High.  Going to the same Church, youth group and school gave us a plethora of adventures!  Anyway, through all of the different directions life has taken each one of us, we still continue to get together on a regular basis!

This year a bunch of us got together at my house for a "Chocolate" night!  We made chocolates and ate chocolates....and topped it off with chocolate cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries.  A ton of fun!

Thanks to Don for giving me a fabulous Valentine's Day with my girls, while he took care of our boys!

He also surprised me with a pretty nifty gift.  I wasn't expecting anything (well...OK, maybe something, but truly I would have been happy with anything....fuzzy peaches....new oven mitts!)

So imagine my surprise when he comes home and surprises me with a pair of these!

I'm not sure who was more thrilled.  Me - because it was a total surprise and I loved them.  Or Don - because I loved them!

Holding Pattern

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If you're from the Southern Manitoba area, you'll know the craziness that has been our weather the last few days.  Schools cancelled for 2 days, cars-trucks-semis all in the ditch, parked vehicles sliding down driveways, kids skating and playing hockey on the road.

By Tuesday afternoon, I was getting a little stressed.  We had to make it to Nate's appointment on Wednesday, but with the forecast of snow and colder temps overnight, we didn't know what to expect Wednesday morning.

So, at 3:30 on Tuesday, I called Don at work.  We decided we'd better just go now....while things were wet on the highway and before it froze up again.

I went into overdrive and started throwing things together for the 4 of us.  (All I forgot was my flat iron!)  Made a quick phone call to my sister in Wpg, to invite ourselves over for night, but she wasn't home so I just left a message on her machine.

Don came home from work and by 4:05 we were on the road.  It was craziness, and the mess that I left my house in made me very conscious of the fact that I better make it back home alive.  I did not want ANYONE to have to see the state of my kitchen!  

Thankfully, the roads were reasonable, and we made it to Wpg before dark.  My brother-in-law kindly welcomed us into his home - he had just gotten home from work, Bonnie was still away, and was unaware of the message I had left for her!  How gracious they were to welcome us back to the Hildebrand Hilton.  (Their rates really should go up!)

Anyway - back to the purpose of the trip.  Nate's appointment as a 9 month old was a lot more challenging than his last appt. 3 months ago.  Nate was very aware of his surroundings, the new people, and the strange things they were doing to him!  All of the techs were very kind and patient.

In a nutshell....we're in a holding pattern right now!  Nate is showing some beginning signs of heart failure, but nothing severe enough to be labelled 'in heart failure', and thus warranting surgery.  His medication dosage was increased to double his current dose (partly in response to him growing and being bigger now).

Dr. Soni mentioned the 3 different routes that surgery could follow:

1) Valve replacement - replacing the malformed and very leaky tricuspid valve

2) Pulmonary banding -  placing a band on the artery to reduce excessive blood flow and protect against hypertrophy (think muscle being overworked and getting big and bulky)

3) Double switch - high risk and very complex surgery to reroute the workings of his heart; so the left side would now pump to the lungs and the right side would pump to the body, also replacing the valve.

THANK YOU for your encouragement and prayers!

We are so thankful for:

• Safe travel 
  
• The Hildebrands!  For letting us crash at your place - and the yummy soup you sent home with us for supper today!
  
• Prayer support from family and friends
  
• Excellent care from our Doctors and techs
  
• A God who is bigger than all of this!
  

Laughing Day

I had such a fun day today!  Brady had a playdate at Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt's!  He had so much fun - playing outside, going to the post office and Co-op with Grandma, playing in the toy room and talking to Grandpa on the intercom.  Nate and I joined them later in the afternoon.

I am so thankful for such wonderful parents.  I count it a blessing to have such a close relationship with them.  Today we shared some laughs....I'm talking side splitting laughs....there were some major GUFFAWS going on....So much fun.  

I promised Mom that these little incidents and conversations wouldn't make it into the 'Blogosphere'.  Wish I could though, I'm still laughing out loud when I think about them!

Here are some cartoons I thought I'd share.  No relation to the aforementioned  incidents....(well maybe).

Thank you Mom and Dad for your love, prayers, care and fun times.  Thank you for parenting me and loving me.  And thank you for the love you show Brady and Nate....the time, attention and special ways you bless them.

We love you!

(and I'm still laughing!!)

8 Days....

In 8 days we'll be going back to see Nate's cardiologist in Winnipeg.  I'm feeling a little scared and nervous about this appointment.  And the fact that I'm feeling scared about it makes me a little mad...mad because those emotions show lack of faith.  Fear and faith....to me, those are opposities.  

I've also been trying to understand prayer more fully.  Family and friends have given me deeper insight into prayer, and I'm so thankful for that.  In my mind, however, I often drift to topics of prayer and how it relates to predestination, free will, etc. (also reminds me of a 'small group' discussion from last year....good discussion but still so confusing!).  So, in times like those, I just keep praying and talking to God, because when it comes down to it, dialogue is what God really wants with us.

Two nights ago, I was snuggling with Nate, helping him to fall asleep.  After he was peacefully sleeping, (and since I was so cozy too) I stayed there and again prayed.  I prayed the God would just take this heart condition from him.  I pleaded.  At that moment I realized that Jesus had uttered those exact words when He was on the cross, and understood me better than I knew.  He pleaded with His Father, to take this cup - His death on the cross -  from Him.  But then said  -  Not My will, but Yours be done.

Right then, I felt such comfort.  Knowing that Jesus had asked the same thing of His Father, that I was asking of my Heavenly Father.  It gave me peace.

So, you can pray for us as a family, and especially for Nate.  Pray for his heart.  

We're so thankful for the prayer, love and support that each one of you have shown to us!  Thank you!

In other news - Nate has been taking a few steps!  Yippee!  I guess he (and probably his mommy) was feeling the pressure to measure up to Brady's walking accomplishment at 8 1/2 months!!  Also, in honor of the Super Bowl, here's our little guy showing us his 'Touch Down'!