Care to share?

I'm wondering about you. I've been thinking more about the post on contentment and it makes me wonder this...what is it that drives YOU? I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment. Or drop me an email: chip2jody@hotmail.com
I want to know what "it" is that makes you get up in the morning and do the things you do. What is "it" that you are trying to attain? You probably know what "it" is for me. At least I hope you do. For me it is my faith. It is the belief that I hold that there is more to life than we can see. I believe there is God and Heaven {and Hell!} and I am living my life each day in light of this fact. So, what is it for you that makes you want to live a certain way. What are you hoping to achieve when it's all said and done? What do you want your life to mean?
If you're up for it, tell me. I really, really want to know!

Picture time.

If you had come over to my house anytime this week, you might have seen this. The power tools got used. The batteries were changed and every toy works again. Some of my windows got sheer curtains for the first time since we moved in last year. The kids got chased around the house and screamed in laughter more than they have in the past two weeks combined. They even ate most of the food on their plates without being threatened at every meal. There was whipped cream to top off almost every meal too! Would you be surprised if I told you that my dad grew up on dairy farm?! I guess heavy whipping cream is in the family genes.

Floyd & Genie.

When I grow up I want to be like these two people. They have made my week fly by- which is quite an accomplishment and compliment. These people are my Dad & Mom and I mentioned them in my last post, but they are so wonderful that they deserve another blog entry. There has been a lot of fresh whipped cream in my house this week. This stuff is equal to buttercream- but a lot less effort. I think the whole world should set aside a day just to whip up and eat batches of whipped cream. If everyone was eating this stuff, there would be happiness and joy and probably even world peace for the day. I'm not exactly sure how the lactose intolerant people would swing it, but I'm sure there is some sort of tasty substitute. Did I mention my parents have been staying with me from MN and helping me run the home and manage the kids while Chip is away?
I am blessed beyond measure when it comes to my parents. They want only the best for me...at the biggest discount possible, of course. They have a way of making the ordinary fun. Or funny. We never run out of conversation. They are so great with my kids. I will miss they immensely when they head back to their home tomorrow. I hope when I grow up and have grandkids that my kids will love me as much as I love them. I am one lucky lady when it comes to parents. And I don't take that for granted ever.

Mid-winter break.

I guess that's what you could call it. Hubby left for Orlando to attend PGA Golf Show. I'm holding down the fort with my parents in town from Minnesota. I realize how lucky I am to have two of the best parents out there- and we enjoy every moment we have together when we get chances like this. I appreciate the way the support me, pray for me, laugh and cry with me, sing with me and cook and eat meals with me- there's nothing like a meal cooked by Mom! {My dad doesn't cook- but he can grill!}
So, the blogging has taken a backseat to the limited time I have with my parents in town. We can do nothing, and still have fun doing it! That's when you know a relationship is a special thing. When just being in someone's presence makes your life a little bit sweeter. I'm a lucky little lady for that! And of course, there will be pictures of the grandkids getting spoiled, "doing nothing", and enjoying every minute of it posted here in the very near future. You can be sure of that. =)

What I think everybody needs a little more of...

Not that I am en expert or anything. You may not even care what I think or value my opinion. However, you can read this and think about it for your own life and come to your own conclusions. What I think everybody in this world needs a little bit more of is contentment. I think especially in our American society we are bombarded with messages from media, billboards, music lyrics, television programs...virtually everywhere we look or anything we hear is somehow telling us we need more. We deserve more. We're entitled to more. We would be happier with more. The {more} could be anything...furniture, time in the gym, vacations, sex, food, namebrand clothes, designer fragrance, even thicker toilet paper. (Which I find just plugs the toilet faster when the kids use too much- but that's just my experience.)
I think a lot of people don't even realize that they are letting these messages control their choices in life. They just have this "thing" inside- a desire- that is unfulfilled. It drives them to work longer hours, SPEND TOO MANY DOLLARS, eat more, put stuff on credit cards more, be angry more, fill their time more {ie. tv watching, net surfing}, think about breaking up relationships because somewhere someone else can meet their unfulfilled needs more.
Does this ring a bell? I fall into some of the categories myself. I admit it. I'm no superhero- immune to messages out there- wife and mother, has-it-all-together. I'm very much like you.
However, I have looked inward and upward a lot the past few years. I have asked the tough questions and wondered, "Is this all there is in life?" over and over. The resounding answer I get is straight from my heart. The answer is that there is more. Just not in this life. One of my favorite quotes is about this very issue. "True contentment on earth means asking less of this life because more is coming in the next."
I love that! It is something that comes from my faith- but can be lived out every single day. I am learning that there are things I just don't need, that {more stuff} won't bring me happiness or ease the pain I sometimes feel in life. There is no fast diet, get rich scheme, perfect pair of jeans (although they can make me really happy for a moment!!), tall latte, latest model car, that special fragrance...whatever it might be. None of that is the answer to what my soul longs for. It is something I cannot see, I cannot buy, I cannot earn.
It is something that only God can give. He gives it freely and without question. It is something I don't deserve and no amount of good works will ever be enough. It is His grace. His love. His hope for me. His promise of Heaven. It is all of that. THAT is what I continue to seek- and in so doing I find contentment. True contentment. It's such an amazing- yet difficult- concept for me to grasp. That the more I seek God, the less I want or need {more} stuff out of life. It's beautiful when it happens. When I find that I am more patient. Or that I am grateful in the midst of a tough circumstance in my life. Or that I can love someone for being who they are...even if they are rude, angry, or unlovely. I hope that the contentment I feel in life continues to grow and overwhelm me. I know I may never become Mother Teresa. I have a lot of growing to do. But I know that it is something I can seek to develop in my life every day. And that thought brings me contentment in and of itself. There is more to this life. But it's not about things...it's about contentment.

Get ready to print this out.

How do you follow the sheer bliss of little kids toilet papering the house? With a recipe for Zucchini Bread, that's how. There is a previous post of this stuff lined up cooling on a baking rack if you want to go look for it. Back in November, I believe. Here is the recipe, and like the title says- you will probably want to print this out, add the ingredients to your next grocery list and make this stuff as soon as you get the chance. This recipe is healthy AND yummy! You will make this and then come back here to thank me in the comments. You're welcome in advance. Actually, you have my Mom to thank. She's coming here from MN to MI on Saturday. I'll tell her "thank you" from you then.
Zucchini Bread...
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened {natural} applesauce, 1/2 cup oil {I use canola}, 1 and 3/4 cups sugar, 2 cups grated zucchini {which equals 2 sm-med sized zucchinis}, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 heaping tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 3 tsp. vanilla, 1 small can mandarin oranges {drained!}
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients- flour, sugar, salt, powder, soda, cinnamon & nutmeg. Set aside. In another large mixing bowl combine the moist ingredients- eggs, applesauce, oil, grated zucchini, & oranges. Mix on med. speed until well combined and then slowly add dry ingredients. Pour into greased bread pans {I usually make a pan of mini muffins and 3 small loaves}. If you are baking standard sized loaves, place in oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 325. If you make smaller pans like I do, bake muffins for 15-18 minutes, and small bread loaves for 45-50 minutes. The loaves should not be gooey on top- make sure they spring back when you touch them.
Good luck with this recipe. If you have kids that are "tough-sells" on eating vegetables, try this one on them. I bet they'll love it!

Living in the Moment...

Most of you reading this know by now that I basically have learned that circumstances happen to each of us in life that we can and can't control. I have learned to roll with the punches and to sometimes even enjoy them as they happen. Even when they are scary, overwhelming, frustrating, or even funny and unusual. So, here are a couple of pictures of me "rolling with the punches" in the midst of a moment. It was just starting to be time for me to make dinner. I was picking up the crayons and paper that my girls had just finished playing with. When I turned around to see what activity they were going to do next...this is what was going on.
Wyndham had walked into the bathroom and grabbed the toilet paper and started walking around the house- she was moving as fast as she could go- all the while the tp was dragging behind her. She was giggling and excited- so the other two girls quickly joined her fun. The next thing I know, they are all running through the house with toilet paper flowing gracefully behind them. I thought for a split second about yelling at them to all stop. But when I saw their eyes sparkling I knew the best thing I could do was to grab my camera and start snapping. It was hard to get a great shot because I was watching and smiling as big as they were...and they were moving so fast and were all over the place. When one trail of paper snapped they would head back into the bathroom and start all over- trying to create the longest line they could. Their laughter was so sweet. The paper was flying everywhere. When their little legs got tired of running circles through the house, they decided to tear the paper to bits. I turned on one of their music CDs and they started dancing, shredding, throwing paper up in the air and giggling the whole time. It was a mess. It was dinnertime. Daddy came walking into the whole thing in the middle of it all. It was a roll of toilet paper...but it was magic just the same.

"We still like each other."

Wow. I can't believe how wonderful silence is. Chip and I took off on Friday afternoon and drove from Michigan to Cedar Rapids, IA...just the two of us. (Thank you, thank you Rachael- in every language I can think of!) We have lots of kids, lots of noise, lots of long work hours- at jobs and at home, and never get away from it all-together- alone. We were only gone from Friday til Sunday night, but it's amazing to me how we feel refreshed as a couple. We were able to sit in the car and at meals and have complete thoughts. Total silence- if we wanted. No yelling, no scolding, no whining, no eye-rolling {Wait a minute. Chip rolled his eyes a few times at me...like when I scanned the radio stations and the song "Jack & Diane" was just starting- so I crancked it REALLY loud and did a silly dance move. I know he loved it- but he rolled his eyes as if it were really immature. Which it was. But I didn't care....I was being the "me" that's been stifled a bit by motherhood. But not at that moment. I was back- in rare form. And if that meant I would get a funny look now and then- it was worth it to me. And I know Chip was smiling on the inside- to know that I'm still the same person he fell in love with in 1994. And besides, what else could I do in a situation like that? When the music takes you, you have no choice right?! So, there were a few moments like that in which Chip gave me a funny look or just smiled and went along with it- It was great!}
Did you read the title quote of this post? It's an actual quote that I made enroute home. I was looking at Chip driving. I guess it was one of those looks that started to impose on his personal space because he simply said, "what?!" I smiled and said, "It's nice to know that we still like each other." I think I was a little nervous that we might run out of conversation, or that we might have some tense moments or that there might be topics we'd have to avoid- but it all worked out really well. We shared, laughed, reminisced, reflected, and enjoyed one another's company. It was more than I had hoped for- our agenda was mostly unplanned. Our weekend was simple and casual and without incident. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Only maybe it won't be another 9 years before the next time! If I had bought the cute Coach purse that I kept picking up and running my fingers over and putting on my shoulder and looking in the mirror to see how great it helped me to look and feel; I would have posted a picture of it for sure. But, I went with the whole, "It's just not something I need- it wouldn't be practical" rationale. That's so me. To think thoughtfully and practically before buying. I can thank my parents for that deep-rooted characteristic. That's all for now!!

Gotta love upgrades...

Hi all. Just thought I'd take a quick minute to stop by. Hubby & I are enjoying a couple of days away from home without the kids. I woke up this morning and "Mommyyyyyyyyy!" wasn't the first thing I heard! It felt really weird. Nice, but different. We ended up getting bumped to the Business Suite- which means we have a conference table in one room and bed and tv in the other. But the linens were extra comfy and both Chip and I had one of the best sleeps in a long time. Thought you'd like to know. See?! Sometimes life goes our way and so far it's going well. We didn't even hit any small animals on our trip down here. I'll catch you all soon! Ciao!

I've been "double-tagged".

So there's this game of tag going around the blog world as many of you know. I got tagged twice- so instead of leaving 4 answers for each section, I am giving myself the liberty of 8. Okay here goes...
List {4} jobs you have held:
1. Worked at the YMCA childcare room...and after that decided I never EVER wanted to have kids. In fact, I made my hubby agree a hundred times to that before I accepted his marriage proposal. (Now here we are 5 kids later, hmmm.)
2. Waitressing- from Baker's Square to Byerly's (graveyard shift I used to wait on Prince's drummer & guitarist), to Timberlodge Steakhouse (where Hubby & I met) to Paninos- (on Rice Street in Roseville, MN or Arden Hills- check this place out!!, to Champp's, to TGIFriday's to Pearl's Bistro (where I waited on John Walsh- America's Most Wanted & Cindy Crawford once). Wowsers. I think I even left a couple places out. I have done my time serving people...and for your information- made a LOT OF TIPS too!
3. Office assistant at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis.
4. DOing graphic design/layouts for small print shop...that's where I grew to LOVE fonts!
5. Currently I am "Event coordinator" at a Golf CLub, where I work weddings and other functions when they are scheduled- it keeps me very busy on the weekends all summer.
These last 3 are unpaid jobs/volunteer work I have had...6. Walking dogs at Humane Society
7. Teaching Vacation Bible School
8. Wife/Mother

Name {4} Movies you could watch over & over:
1. Down With Love
2. The Princess Bride
3. Titanic
4. The Sound of Music
5. About a Boy (Hugh Grant)
6. Big Daddy
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
8. Schindler's List
side note here...been almost 2 years since I've been in a movie theater.

Name {4} places you've lived:
1. St. Cloud, MN
2. Woodbury, MN
3. Bloomington, MN
4. Minnetonka, MN
5. Roseville, MN
6. Vero Beach, FL
7. Gaylord, MI
8. Grand Haven area, MI

Name {4} television shows you watch: (I'm serious about these!! Kids always have the control.)
1. Blue's Clues
2. Dora the Explorer
3. Max & Ruby
4. Diego
5. The BackYardigans...you get the picture. I rarely watch tv. When I do I like...
6. Food Network...Rachel Ray, Everyday Italian, Paula Deen, Semi-homemade, Good Eats...
7. News shows, ie. Dateline, 20/20 that kind of stuff
8. ER and old Friends episodes

Name {4} Places you've been on vacation:
Okay, my list just got shortened from 8 to however many I can recall. You see, outside of traveling back to MN to see relatives it's been a LOOONNGG time. In fact, other than being flown and put up in a hotel overnight to tape the Oprah show (which doesn't even count as a vacation) Chip & I haven't been away from the kids for 9 years. I know, I know. I've heard about what Dr. Phil thinks of people like us- but either I've been pregnant or nursing- or we've had serious health issues that have made it all but impossible to go somewhere. Anyway, tomorrow we are going to try to head down to Cedar Rapids, IA for the weekend to go to a friend's BDay party. Again, not really a vacation- but we will get away from the kids for more than 6 hours. All I know is I better not turn up pregnant after this!
Okay. Back to the places...we did spend a few days at the American Club in Kohler, WI. I HIGHLY recommend this place. It was awesome for our family the first Christmas after losing Teagan. Also, we honeymooned in Kauai, HI, we've driven from northern Michigan to Scottsdale, AZ with 3 kids in carseats. I guess vacations will come as our kids grow a bit. Hopefully.

Name {4} websites you check out each day: Here I could just list a bunch of blogs...that's pretty much what I do online...then I click on links to cool places from the blogs I read. Here they are:
1. Cathy Zielske's blog (She's the first blog I ever read and I'm still reading her!)
2. My own blog (Always gotta check out if there's comments or anything going on)
3. Elsie Flannigan's blog (She's young, funky and how I wish I could have been at her age...except maybe not married at her age.)
4. Stacy Julian's- Big Picture Scrapbooking.com (This one is stretching me.)
5. Katrina- Being 30-something (Lovin' my lipbalm friend!!)
6. Greta- vintageliving4me (Her thoughts are always, well, thoughtful.)
7. Heidi Swapp's blog (She's funky, lovable and I just love pink & brown too!)
8. Ali Edward's blog (She and I are almost polar opposites- but can't help but love her love for art and creating...wish I had her studio space & stuff to play with.)

Name {4} of your favorite foods: These actually vary with the seasons. I have favorites for different times of the year...and some I wish I could eat year round. By the way- I will be making my Carmel French Toast very soon- I bought all the ingredients today!
1. Lobster Bisque or Pumpkin bisque
2. Pastries of all kinds- especially cream-filled or cream puffs or Hot-n-Now Krispy Kremes!!
3. Fresh seasonal berries- all kinds
4. Coconut stuff- like creme brulee, or ice cream
5. Thai peanut food- salads, wraps, entrees...
6. Authentic Italian- like with sundried tomatoes and pinenuts & goat cheese
7. Ruth Chris' steakhouse kind of steak...buttery and tender
8. Emeril's Hot Fudge Breadpudding with Bourbon spiced whipped cream!

Name {4} places you'd rather be right now:
1. Heaven
2. Anywhere back in time from March '97 thru July '01 just to see and hold Teagan again...
3. Heaven
4. With family in MN
5. Heaven
6. With friends I love to hang out with that don't live around here
7. Heaven
8. Did you notice a common thread here?! I can't wait for eternity someday! It's gonna be GREAT!!!

And now, I'm supposed to tag {4} more people...but since I'm going away for the weekend and I won't be around to check up on all them, I'll just stop the game here. But, if you like, you can list some of your favorites in the comments. I hope I find a way to enjoy my weekend instead of worrying about my kids the whole time. Actually, I'm more worried for Rachael!! Wish us all luck!

You haven't lived until...

You haven't fully lived and experienced life's simple goodness if you've never eaten Baked Caramel French Toast. This recipe came to me through a cousin of mine with the claims of being 1)Easy to prepare and 2)Simply delicious. Nothing about calorie count or carbs or any of that. I write this...it's as tasty as it is simple. I wonder if Martha Stewart's staff members have ever made this for her before. Hmmm. Here it is for you!
BAKED CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST
Melt in a heavy saucepan over med/low heat until smooth and creamy: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter (or marg.), 1/3 cup cream or milk (I usually use whole milk), and 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Just make sure you don't boil this mixture...I usually stir it frequently and it doesn't take more than a few minutes. Here's a hint: Cut your slices of french bread about 1 inch thick and lay them out in your 9 x 13 pan to see how many will fit in the pan. Then take them out- and pour your melted caramel mixture into the pan. Next step- Whisk together 3 eggs, 1/3 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. (Martha Stewart's staff would use the real Madagascar vanilla here. I use it when I have it.) Dip each slice of your french bread into the egg mixture- getting it moist on both sides. Place the slices on the caramel mixture in your pan and cover with plastic wrap or foil. Place it in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Bake it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Don't overbake.) To serve, put slice of french bread on plate with caramel side up. You can serve with various toppings, like chopped apples & cinnamon, sliced bananas or syrup. I eat it plain so that I have room for a second piece. I'm telling you- this will make your day. Plan it a day or two in advance. Make it in the evening before bed. Pop it in the oven while you're in the shower and when you sink your teeth in this stuff you'll realize why you read this blog!

This should ease your mind...

I've been getting lots of emails and occasional comments in which people tell me that their biggest fear is something bad happening to their child(ren). They go on to share that I am an inspiration or encouragement to them that I have lived through such tragedy and still maintain a positive outlook on life.
So this is what hits me today while I am reading such a note. I am living a lot of people's worst nightmare! Do you understand what that means for you? It means that if your worst nightmare came true- you could live through it. That's the part that should let you take a big breath and let it out here. You see?! I am LIVING in spite of tragedy and challenges thrown at me. I am making the most of a terrible circumstance and am able to share with you some of those experiences so that you might look into your own life and appreciate more, let go a little more, enjoy a little more, forgive a little more, question your faith a little more, and think about Heaven a little more. But the most important thing for you to realize here at this moment is this...you can stop worrying and fretting about what could happen- because I am proof that even a big, bad thing won't bring your world to a halt.
Mine certainly got pulled out from under me and flipped upside-down. It's made me cry more tears than I ever imagined possible, it's made it hard for me to breathe sometimes, it's made me wonder why I care about vacuuming the floor or why people watch lame tv shows. It's made me want to scream and never smile again...and it's made me want to hold the people I love most and never ever let go. It's made me want to stay in bed and never get out again and it's made me go on the Oprah show and tell the world I am capable to forgive. It has made me more of who I am and will forever shape who I ultimately become. It is a part of me forever...and yet it can't control the way I feel. It has brought me to my knees and made me realize how weak I am, and given me eyes to see the strength that I've always possessed. It has drawn me closer to God than I ever deserve to be. It can do the same for you too.
There. I don't know if that will ease your mind...but it sure felt good typing it all out for you to read. And now you have something to bookmark for the next time life throws you a curveball. I don't wish it upon any of you- but hope it's comforting to know you will survive.

Just wondering...

Have you ever run over a skunk? How many people, on average, drive over skunks? You see, Chip (my hubby) and I were driving along the other night when suddenly there was a thump and an awful odor. Yep. We ran over a skunk- doing about 65 mph on the freeway. A theologically-based discussion followed which went something like this:
I say, "Why on earth did we have to be the ones to hit a skunk?"
He says, "People drive over skunks all the time. It's not just us."
Me, "I understand that people hit various animals while in their vehicles, but why did we have to hit a skunk? God could have made that skunk run the other direction. Or He could have made it run a bit slower so that the people behind us would have hit the skunk. Or He could have skipped creating skunks altogether. So, why us?"
Chip says, "Just get over it. Stuff like this can happen to anyone...deal with it."
Me, "I get it. But we had our daughter killed already- so couldn't God at least have somebody else hit the skunk?"
Chip, "Can we just stop talking about all this?"
So, here I am. Wondering still...do people run over skunks all the time and I have just been lucky for the past 33 years to never have hit one? Would love to hear from you if you have run over a skunk. Just so I know God is not punishing me for something in this life.

Pretzel Sticks...

Doesn't everybody have a Mom that made so many Christmas cookies when they were growing up that you kind of just "learned" the recipes from watching and doing? I hope so- because that is one of the things you can't pick up later on without a lot of effort or money for cooking classes. My kids are well on their way to making some things when they get older, including my zucchini bread- I make that almost every week it seems...and I promise to post the recipe this week. Good stuff. Healthy too!
So, being raised in a home where my mom stayed home and gardened and sewed and made big meals with company over every Sunday and where we had fresh-baked after-school snacks almost everyday, I didn't realize that this wasn't happening to every other kid in America. I just took it as "normal" and accepted that this is how life was. Now that I'm grown and I've watched reruns of 'Leave It to Beaver', I've learned I was one lucky kid. Make that one of five lucky kids.
Now my biggest challenge in life is living up to the kind of example my mom was to me and trying to turn that around and become the same thing for my own kids. That's one of the reasons I bake and make stuff and sing around the house... I'm hoping a little bit of it will rub off on my kids so that they will feel lucky when they grow up and look back. Only they will be watching reruns of Malcom in the Middle or Everybody Loves Raymond.
That was a long intro just to say "Here's how you make sprinkled pretzels." You go out and buy the packaged blocks of almond bark. I got mine at Wal-Mart...they come in chocolate and vanilla. You break the blocks into smaller pieces and melt them over low heat in a saucepan for about 8-10 min. You want the chocolate to be fairly thin...that it will drip from a spoon of pretzel stick. Next, coat your pretzel sticks or other pretzel shapes in the almond bark and then lay them on a sheet of parchment or wax paper to harden just a bit. Sprinkle with candy pieces, or melt some of the opposite color chocolate (ie. white on dark chocolate or dark on white) and drizzle back and forth across your pretzels. You can do these with crushed nuts or m&m's or probably a hundred different candies. It's that easy! Maybe I will start posting a recipe of the week. I think you'd all love my {easy!} Baked Caramel French Toast too. Yum. Might have to make that this week...I'm making myself hungry.

A bit more birthday.

Thought you might want a few more pictures of Wyndham being 5. She brought pretzel treats to preschool and her friends loved them! They make a lot less mess than frosted cupcakes, they're festive and easy to make. I highly recommend these to all you Moms out there who have to bring birthday snacks to school this year. We are partied out until February when we celebrate Valentine's and Brock's birthday. That gives me 6 weeks of normal life around here. Oh yeah- there's SuperBowl Sunday- but since the MN Vikings won't be playing- it's just a minor holiday. Tomorrow or the following day I will brainstorm and post about a new topic. I hope. Til then- enjoy Wyndham's day.

Wyndham is 5!

Five years ago Wyndham came into our lives as a tiny peanut- weighing just 4 lbs 6 oz...but she was healthy and we were a happy family of 5. Had we known she would have critical health concerns and major trauma in the next few years {including 3 ambulance rides and 2 medical helicopter airides} - it would have sapped the happiness we felt that day. Instead, we have taken her life one day at a time, steps forward and back- for the past 5 years. We have learned about what truly matters in this world, and how attitude can make or break a person in their weakest moments. Wyndham has been a fighter at every turn in her life. She has taught everyone around her that challenges are a part of life and are opportunities to become a better person. Her zest and joy in the little things is contagious. Her abilities outshine her limitations. We have no idea how much this little girl can overcome- but we know she will always give her best. As her Mom, I am fortunate to be a part of that journey- and I can't wait to see what her future holds. This is a sweet day for our family...celebrating the life of our little Wyndham!

My Sweetie Pie~ Wyndham

This picture would not be possible without the help of modern medicine. You see, Wyndham has had some close encounters with death and we've had doctors (yes, I meant to type that in plural) tell us it's a miracle she's alive. Every day that I go into her room and wake her up, I say, "thank you God for Wyndham in my life." She is a charmer. She doesn't speak, but definitely has ways of letting you know what she wants or that she understands you. She knows about 150 signs- and uses them off and on- but not consistently. She is walking on her own- although that is inconsistent as well. We marvel at her abilities and her desire to try to do certain things. She has a tough spirit- sometimes it is so strong it makes my own spirit look weak. We have no definitive prognosis {Wyndham has a shunt that was placed after a closed-head injury at age 7 months.}; we are told by her doctors to keep pushing her because you never know what can happen. We try to treat her like all the other kids. We live a normal life. I say a lot of prayers for her and mostly leave her issues in God's hands. However He wants her to grow and learn and develop is up to Him. I do what I can as her Mom. On Wednesday, Wyndham will turn 5. It's a day that we never thought we would see- looking back on her critical state. Tonight we had a pre-birthday party. Pizza, cake, ice cream and candles. Wyndham sang along with all of us when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. It was so cute. Of course I have pictures- and I plan on posting bday pics as well as others of her this week. She deserves a lot of celebrating this week. And I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this little girl's life. Wyndham is the love of my heart!