My family!!!!

I decided after being stuck in this melancholy rut that I needed to think about some positive. Think about the members of my family in ways that are just unique to them. (no Heather, I'm not stealing this from you. I read your blog today, and just laughed, because I had this in my drafts, and as usual, our brains think alike.) So, I'm going to come up with three things unique to each member of my family. . . and then I'm going to issue the challenge to you too, to go come up with three things unique to each member of your family.



Todd- My darling husband dearest

1. He's an AMAZING musician. He blows me away with everything he can play, and how talented he is. He can sing, play guitar (both electric, and acoustic), play the mandolin, play the banjo, play any brass instrument, he can act, and he plays drums. The drums are his first passion.

2. He can fix anything. SERIOUSLY. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Take for example last night. The kids finally broke my gate that I had blocking them out of the kitchen and laundry room. It was a first years hands free gate that we bought 6 years ago. I was ready to ship the thing to the curb, and get a new one. Not Todd though. He took things apart, got creative, and he FIXED it. He did some things to it that I know the average Joe wouldn't have thought of. He's awesome like that! I'm so blessed to have him around to fix things around this house! with as quick as the kids break things, he's quick to fix them!!

3. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He would move heaven and earth to provide for his family. We are always at the top of his priority list. ALWAYS. And he's always willing to help others too. He usually goes somewhere, and fixes something, for someone at least once a week. He's generous, and kind, and loving, and I'm SO blessed to have him as my husband!!!


Dallas- my 34 week miracle.

1. Dallas is the most sensitive, emotional child I know. Things effect him deeply, and easily. His feelings are hurt VERY easily, but on the flip side, he loves easily too! He's so caring and compassionate with his sibling. I love to watch him interact. He's an awesome big brother.

2. Dallas is our child that almost wasn't. I became pregnant with Dallas just after I turned 18. And believe it or not, we'd already been trying for a year to have him. I was told after surgery in 1998 that I would have to have kids young if I wanted kids at all. And I desperately wanted kids. I found out I was pregnant in October, we got married in November, and in January, at just 20 weeks 5 days, I lost my mucus plug. I had no clue at the time that that's what it was, so I made an appointment at the doctors, and I went in. I was already at 4 cm, and my bag of waters was bulging. They rushed me to the hospital, and waited just long enough for Todd to come to me. They then sent me lights and sirens to a hospital down town that was better equipped for high risk surgeries. At 10:30 that night I had a rescue cerclage placed. I was in the hospital for 5 days, and oddly, after being transferred to the long term stay floor, the doctor decided to send me home on complete bed rest, and have all my ultrasounds done at home, etc. I made it all the way till 34 weeks 5 days, when my water broke, and he was born via c section. (the cerclage scarred into me, and they couldn't' get all of it out, and I was stuck at a 4) He weighed in at a whopping 5 pounds 15 ounces, and only had to be in the level 2 nursery for 1 week!!! He went home on a bradycardia/apnea monitor, and had that for 6 weeks! He truly is a miracle.

3. Dallas has a love for music that rivals his daddy's love of music. And it started before he was born. They would come to my house to do the NST and if they couldn't get Dallas to move, even through pushing on him, drinking things, etc, they would tell me to call Todd (who worked at the apartment complex where we lived) and have him come home. He would come home, take out his guitar, and not even get out 4 notes, and Dallas would be moving, wiggling, and dancing. Music has always calmed him, and always reaches out to him.


Gabriel- my shy quiet guy.

1. Gabriel is VERY shy. Shy to the point that he even shys way from people he KNOWS! For example, his school teachers. If we see his school teacher outside of the classroom, Gabe will hide behind me, and giggle this nervous giggle, and will NOT come out to talk. Its really rather a site to see. Sometimes it can get frustrating, but that's just Gabe. Its how he's always been!!!

2. Gabriel loves things fiercely. Gabriel has many interests, including (but not limited to!) batman, sharks, donkeys, sea life of any kind, motorcycles, building, etc. The list could go on. And when he finds something he loves, he LOVES to collect it! LOVES it! He has quite the batman collection going, as well as quite the donkey and shark collections going. He loves his mommy and daddy with that same fierce love. He's always wanting to be near us, snuggling, and showing affection. He's very loving.

3. Gabriel had his first seizure at 6 months old. They have no clue WHY he had his seizures, but he did have seizures just until after he was 3 years old. As of this fall we will be 3 years seizure free, and one full year medication free. Gabriel will always have to inform doctors of his seizures, and always warn teachers, because we don't know what caused them, and don't know if they will ever return. But so far so good! His official diagnosis was complex partial seizure disorder.


Kendyl- my only girl, mommy's little princess.

1. Kendyl is a total girly girl. But she's a total girly girl who enjoys playing with the boys in the dirt in her finest Sunday dress! She loves everything girly. Necklaces, nail polish, dresses, shoes, purses, baby dolls, the list could go on and on. She really has set herself aside from her brothers in her likes, and how she acts, and behaves!!!!

2. Kendyl is mommy's little buddy. That is until there is a grandma around!!! Kendyl didn't fall into the mold of being a daddy's girl, much to her daddy's dismay. She instead became mommy's little shadow! She wants to do whatever mommy does, where what mommy wears, have her hair like mommy's hair, and just be with mommy whenever she can. UNLESS there is a grandma to be had. Then its all about grandma, and mommy can go suck rocks!!!

3. Kendyl already shows great leadership qualities! Seriously! she's a little leader! She can whip these boys into shape in no time! And she's GOOD at it! There was a time last spring (so when she wasn't even two yet!) that Todd was on his way out the door with the kids to meet me at the school for a program for Dallas. And just as he was on his way out the door Kendyl wouldn't let him go. She was insistent that he come to her, and see what she wanted. . .turns out daddy would have forgot the diaper bag. Good thing she told him about it though, because the babies BOTH had messy diapers when we were at the school!!!!


Kaleb- the baby of the family

1. He may be the baby of the family, but he has the biggest personality of anyone I know! He will do anything in the name of humor. He'll throw himself on the ground, and look to see if you're laughing. If you are, he'll do it again, and laugh with you. He's got a ton of sound effects, and he's just out and out FUNNY!!!!! You can always be assured a laugh when Kaleb is around!!!

2. Kaleb is the most affectionate, empathetic, sympathetic person I've ever met. He truly knows at his ripe old age of 2 1/2 when you're sad, or hurting, and he's the first there to greet you with a hug. He also is the first to say sorry ( all on his own mind you) when he's hurt you, or if someone else has hurt you. He's very free with the words "I'm sorry" and he always means it.

3. Kaleb has four great loves. Tigger, Diego, animals, and dancing. Tigger has been his favorite since he was really really little. He has a big tigger collection going, and he knows when one is missing. He has to sleep with them every night. Diego is something relatively new. But if you need a second to empty the washer or something, just make sure diego is on, and Kaleb is busy! (yes, I'm referring to using the TV as a baby sitter! So sue me. Lets see you have four kids or more, and need a second to get something done, and NOT use the TV!) Next comes animals. If there is a dog or a cat in the room, you can bet Kaleb is following it around to get a hug from it! He LOVES animals. Next comes dancing. This little boy LOVES to dance! Last fall my cousin got married, and I was in the wedding, and Todd played the music for it, so my mother in law just brought the kids up for part of the reception. Kaleb was on the dance floor the ENTIRE time. And he SOBBED to have to leave. He wanted to keep dancing! He dances whenever he hears music he deems worthy of dancing to! Its really fun to watch!


I love my family with all my heart. And I'm so blessed to have them in my life. We may not always get along, and things may not always go our way, but we're together, and we're making our way, and that's all that counts!!!