Whew!

Just in time!  I finally got my Christmas background up and working.  Don't you just love Santa flying across on his sleigh?  I just love this time of year.  All the shopping, the lights, the trees, the snow, and lets not forget the eating!  So far, my favorite new thing this year is to see "little man" point to the Christmas lights and say "Whoa!"  He does it every time and I giggle every time.

This Saturday is the annual Thurber Christmas party and I am pretty much totally giddy to go!  I have loved these parties ever since I was a little girl.  It was so much fun to be with all of my cousins, opening presents, and chatting it up with Santa.  The best part was when we would huddle at the bottom of the stairs to hear what the adults were getting this year.  The adults always made us stay downstairs when they were opening their presents....years later I discovered it was because of my aunts!  (You know who you are "Dirty Aunt Sharlene")  They always had inappropriate, but oh so funny, gifts for the adults.  No "My Little Pony" for them!  This year, though, we are just getting together to eat and have fun, all the cousins have grown up and most of us are married and have kids of our own, and the adults still don't really want us around when they open their funny and inappropriate gifts.

Do you think if I asked Santa he would tell the adults to finally let us "little" cousins join in the reindeer games?  Merry Christmas!

 

Anyone else?

So I have tried to go to the "cutest blog on the block" to change my blog background and blogger won't let me....I'm on their new interface and just having a heck of a time.  Is anyone else having this problem?  Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!  HELP!!!!

Don't judge

Yeah I know I haven't changed my blog to my Christmas/Winter Wonderland background yet, but cut a girl some slack....Finals have been to visit my house.  I promise that in the not too distant future, say Wednesday, that I will have officially updated this blog with some new and fun information. 

In the meantime, Ottis, who has been taking some puppy training classes from my cousin Julie (she is fantastic!!!!) has finally learned to "wait" for his food and "away" when I'm cooking in the kitchen.  Bless the cuz and her talent for helping us with our shetland pony.   She is a wonderful trainer!

P.S. This picture of our puppy was taken when he was three months old, yep he is about three times this size now.  But he was, oh so cute!

Beautiful World

I drove to the barn today, Sage Creek Equestrian, after being away for the last two weeks, missing my mare Trillium aka "Tess" and looking forward to my ride.  I wondered if I would even be able to ride due to the nasty cold/cough that has bothering me for the last week and a half.  I started feeling so bummed out, that I might not be able ride, that the closer I got the bummier I got.  Well, this is NO WAY to go to the barn!  So, I decided to turn on NPR and listen to something new, something to distract me from my blues.  

NPR has a great feature called "Talk of the Nation" that I like.  Anyway, they were interviewing a woman named Emily Rapp, a writer/teacher and mother.  It was her role as mother that began to strike a chord with me.  Emily, has a son named Ronan, a beautiful son, one that smiles, coos, cuddles, cries, and giggles.  However, Ronan has a disease called Tay-Sachs and will not live past his fourth birthday.

 As this woman, this mother, Emily Rapp discussed what it is like to parent a 18 month old terminally ill child, tears started streaming down my face.  All I could picture was how active little 18 month old boys are, running, rolling, giggling, tickling, exploring, studying and learning about how their world works, all I could see is how this little boy must be missing out.  But then Emily Rapp, his mother, said the thing that made this radio feature so much more personal for me than just your average interview. 
 "And, you know, I just want him to be surrounded by love for his whole life and he might be unique in the sense that he will only have ever experienced unconditional love his entire - for the whole span of his life. So I often think about that when the days are hard" - Emily Rapp.
I almost stopped the car.  "Unconditional love for the whole span of his life"  what would that look like? Feel like?  Be like?  To give that?  Here I drove to Heber City, feeling sorry for this mother and her baby boy only to discover that in a small way I envied them?????
Is that right?  Doesn't quite make sense--- now don't get me wrong, I don't want anything like that for my "little man" but I wonder what type of life that would be to live, one of unconditional love, and if you could offer that type of love to someone what type of person would that make you?  Does that make sense?  I hope so.  It makes me stop and think, Am I truly giving all my love, compassion, empathy, understanding, kindness and hope to all of those that I love?
The answer, sadly probably is no, but I can hope and strive that one day the answer to that question will be yes.
While I strive to be a better person and to hopefully learn from Emily Rapp's example I will enjoy the little things that Cole gives us everyday.  Such as this delightful photo shoot that was in prom-to during dinner tonight.  "Little Man" delighted in giving me his best silly grin every time I said "smile!"  I love that little guy, I love the little life that he gave me, I love being an important part of his beautiful world.

 

Check Please?

Today, my dear sweet hubs sent me off to the Doctor to make sure that I don't have Bronchitis (thankfully, I don't) and he declared that he will be in charge of dinner tonight!  Now least that we all forget the interesting dinner the hubs made the last time he declared that he would "cook" here is a little  reminder of what my husband is capable of "cooking".  Eck!

Thankfully, this time my husband was really making his world famous sweet n' sour chicken, my favorite!  As luck would have it, though, it appeared to be my turn to take what should be a delicious meal into something that was....well...not.

What is this?  If you guessed a fly, you would be correct.  Why would this icky insect ruin our meal?

Well, before heading home I stopped at Harmon's to pick up some salad for dinner.  The hubs, put some salad on his plate and was almost FINISHED when he saw it!  THE FLY!!!! It was just lying there in all of its insect glory, dead.  Gross!!!

On the plus side, the hubs actually finished the salad, despite the fly.  Let's face it, it can't be that different from an Army meal in the chow hall.  

ummmmm.........check please?

Moral of this story:  Apparently even Harmon's can mess up their produce.... and when you find a fly in your newly bought salad, throw the whole batch out.

Do You Like It?

So, here it is.  My new blog, this background will only last, of course, until December 1st.  After that, game on!  It is Christmas!  However, for now this is what I have come up with.  Let me know what you think.  Any suggestions?  Would love some! 

I Need Your Help!

Hello Family and Friends!

I am sure many of you have already seen this on my Facebook page and have already posted, which I appreciate. However, my team is still down by 56 votes! If any of you could pass this link on to your friends I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!! Here is the link again.....

http://bit.ly/u9vo5h

What?

I was at school the other day and one of my friends asked me if I had a blog...ummmm.....yeah? I mean it is there but has been sadly neglected. So, here I am trying to revitalize my effort to document my families life.
Well, today I have turned up ill so what better way waist my time between coughs, blowing nose, and runs to the you know what.
This is my almost two year old "little man" Cole. He has grown a TON! Since the last picture I posted of him. He walks, no runs, everywhere now and can say "woof,woof! mama, dada, no, wheeeeee! hot, ouchie, hi, bye bye, vroom, vroom, grandma, and grandpa." He loves dogs, trucks, cars, being outside and his favorite person is his papa. The hubs and little man are best friends. The second Cole hears the garage door open he runs to the door and reaches for the handle and shouts "Dada!Dada!" The hubs leaps through the door and swoops up little man and says loudly "MY little boy! I Love You!" Everyday this happens and everyday I smile because my little boy is so loved. This year I finally got my first stamp on my passport as well. I took a much needed mommy break and flew to Canada to visit a very dear friend. I hated the flights and the layover, but I loved the adventure of doing it all on my own, I have never flown without one of my parents or the hubs before so it was exciting to be out on my own. I almost missed my flight into Vancouver, due to some bad directions from airport personnel but by accessing the random $20 in my wallet I was able to persuade a hotel bus driver to get me to the right gate on time with only five minutes to spare! I'm so grateful! Because otherwise I would have missed this.....Stunning right? Canada is gorgeous!!! Can't wait to go back. After I got back, Halloween was in full swing and it was Cole's first "real" Halloween, the first time he tricked and treated. We went to Grandma W's house and this is how cute he was......
After that we headed to Aunt Becky's, Aunt Amy's, Nana's, and Grandma Kays. He loved every minute of it and even kept his dinosaur costume on! After that we went around the block in our neighborhood and I have never been so happy as I was when I saw my son stand at the door and hold out his pumpkin and take just one piece of candy from the bowl. He laughed when he saw other kids running around in their costumes and loved answering our door saying "Hi! and Bye!Bye!" to all the kids. I think he loves Halloween almost as much as his daddy!
Now, Thanksgiving is around the corner and this semester is coming to a close and I will soon be graduating with me BA in Communications/PR. What I will do with that? I don't know........... but at least I will have it. The fall leaves are not the only things that are changing quickly this year.....
"Stuff" is happening that will change our day to day lives, but all I can leave you with now is just that teaser. I promise to tell you all more next week, most likely. I know! I am just that much of a stinker! LOL!
In the mean time though, I will give you this adorable picture to help you past the time.

What??? January? All ready?

Yeah, I have absolutely no pictures to post...or rather at the current moment I am to lazy to post them. They will be coming later.

It seems like yesterday Dallin, Cole and I were rummaging around in a pumpkin patch for the best one and now here we are, Christmas is over. Gone in a blink. Not only that, but my baby, will be turning one right around the corner. It goes by so quickly. This must be how my parents became so patient, it always seemed right around the corner to them.....

Remember being small and summer used to be lazy and last forever? Christmas's were magical and Santa was real? There was a tooth fairy and a monster under the bed? Remember saturday morning cartoons with pancakes and your teddy in the chair next to you?

These are the things that I enjoy about being a mom. No one judges me when I tell my son (o.k. I know he is too young to really understand, but still...) that Christmas is the best time of year because everyone is on their best behavior for Santa. Or that Cole and I get to have our blankies with us wherever we go. However, I do leave mine home when I go to work. ;-) And lets face it, all of us watch cartoons with our kids.

So, I have decided, why try to pretend anymore that I am a grownup? I love my blankie and no one and I mean no one is going to make me give it up!

Inside out onesies, anniversaries, and the hard stuff

As I changed "little man" this morning I realized something as I took him out of his PJ's. The hubs had put him in a onesie last night that was inside out and backwards! Thankfully, it was a larger size so "little man" was none the wiser. But this little act made the corners of my mouth turn up as I thought of my man that has been the hubs for the last five years. The hubs has been my rock, my stable ground, my safe place to fall for five years. For five years he has listened when I have cried, laughed when I smile, and thankfully keeps me from gettting too angry.
It's the little things (like inside out onesies) that keep us going. Because if "little man" is wearing an inside out onesie it means that the hubs was the one who carefully and lovingly put it on him, giving me a small break. I love those small breaks the way he takes out the trash because I hate to, he takes the car to fix the windshield, he changes the toliet paper, he even loads the dishes when I just can't do anymore. I love that I'm not the only one running this circus. I'm not alone on this journey.... Dallin's combat boots sit in the living room....he's here, he's home, he is safe.
Dallin and I are made of the hard stuff, our marriage has been built to be hard, to last, to be solid, to be each others rocks. I know it sounds cheesy (especially for it only being 5 yrs.) but our marriage has been tested, in ways that military families are, and we have made it to the other side. We know what it takes to keep each other going and to keep it together through good times and bad, through miles and years.....We will be here again, in a heartbeat, celebrating our 50th anniversary because we are, were, and will be made of the hard stuff.

Where is Ottis?

I know that I already wrote today but I'm trying to procrastinate, so bear with me......How do lose a 165 lbs animal?...In your house?!
Well we did tonight! I'm sitting here in the office trying to do my homework while Cole is down for the night, but not being able to concentrate (too many other things on my mind).
When in walks the hubs. "Honey, where is Ottis?"
Now don't get me wrong I love the slobbery beast but since he has gotten larger in size I am forever cleaning up drool, dog hair, and dog food. Not a good combo for a clean freak! My house is ALWAYS dirty! So when the hubs announced that Ottis was missing a small part of me danced with glee. I admit this, by the way, with total and utter shame. I also beg that the few people who bother to read my sad looking blog not clue the hubs in on this betrayel.
So, off the hubs went to go looking for our beast and I stayed right here.
5 minutes go by....
10 minutes go by.....
I hear the hubs open and shut the back door... hmmm... we must have left him outside?
NOPE!
15 minutes later I hear the slobery beast sneezing and shaking his head walking down the hall way. In he comes head level with mine as if to say "Hey mom, what took you guys so long?"
The hubs says that Ottis was in "little mans" room!
Apparently, they had both fallen asleep in there. For some this might not be strange but here is the funny part. The door was closed. We close Coles bedroom door at night. So did Ottis open and close the door? Is he really as talented as Scooby Doo? Or did both Dallin and I manage to miss the slumbering Ottis as we left Coles room???
He is 165 lbs!!! How do you miss that?!!!?!?!

GRrrrrrrr!

So I hate chaning my background on my blog. I HATE HATE it! It never ever goes the way I want it to, what with all the blinkies, ads, photoshop, background, headers....the list just goes on!!!!! ARGHH!!! It never works for me!!!!!

o.k. so some of you have been saying that I have not been putting up pictures of "little man" (yeah I'm talking to you Cindy Lou)

So here are a few pictures of the summer..............

The Fourth of July...Is it bad to let a baby play with a balloon?????

He LOVED the fire engine! I thought for sure he would be scared. I tried to crop myself out of this picture but again....photoshop...grrrrr!

We celebrated the hubs b-day along with Steve's, Logans, Mom, and myself.

We went to military Family day.....or whatever it is called. It was fun to see Cole in a blackhawk!

And last.... here is Cole a few days ago at 7 months. I have to admit it is tougher navigating these "stay at home mommy" waters than I thought. Some days it is a struggle to get some makeup on and a warm meal ready for the hubs, but I love it and I wouldn't change it.

The summer has brought talks of moving to Alabama (flight school) which would be exciting but has brought fears of losing jobs in this economy and how to sell a house when so many are for sale around us? For now we are staying put. I just hope it can stay that way.

I finally finished all of my math! Yahoo! No more math for my degree! I'm still in school and just added a night job on the weekends to my list of duties and I just got called to Primary!

I'm not sure about the primary calling, seriously do they really want a girl who is as big of a nerd as I am influencing our youth?

I really think they need to think about that one again.

That's about it... I struggle to keep my eyes open these days and Cole is struggle to keep his closed. He is the most active and wide awake kid I have ever seen! Makes for a tired mommy!

I'll leave you with this thought

"Why is it that my scale says I'm 5lbs away from my pre-baby weight but my hips are saying I'm MILES away?"

Nightime Ramblings

Wow! I can't believe it's been that long since I have written in the blog.

We have just recently celebrated my parents anniversary of 40 yrs. 40 years!!! And they dated for three years before they got married so it is more like 43 years........

It makes me wonder what you learn about a person after 40 years. It's no wonder that when I was a kid I always suspected my parents of speaking in code. ;-) They always seemed to know what they other was thinking.

You know how you hear about kids asking the mom after the dad said "no" and finally getting the answer they wanted? Well that never happened with me, nope, not once. It's like they sent telepathic messages to each other......"Don't let her go to the movies, I already said no."

My parents have really been together through the ups and downs....when everything was crashing around them they held tight to each other. As dad always likes to say "She is my best friend, who better to spend my time with?"

They have been a true and honest example to me of what love, commitment and marriage is supposed to be.

My favorite memory when I was a little girl is to watch my parents get all dressed up for date night.... My mom put on her dancing skirts, and best perfume. Dad shaving and putting on a tie.

The best part about date night for me was, once in a blue moon, I got to go and watch my parents dance during class (their date night was ballroom dancing lessons).

When my mom and dad dance they no longer are mom and dad. They are Duane and Merikay... a boy who loves a cute brown haired girl. My mom's eyes twinkle at my dad and dad smiles at mom like she is the most beautiful thing in the whole world!

For a little girl who loved story book romances I got to see one up close.... and as my parents danced on their 40th anniversary, I again, got to glimpse at the depths of their love for one another.

Thank you

Fathers Day

Blow out crisis averted and "little man" is asleep. Now I have time to write what I wanted to say about fathers.

This is my dad. He is pretty much the coolest Dad you will ever meet. He taught me how to be tough, honest, hard working, loyal, and gave me my somewhat "quirky" sense of humor. Dad also taught me that it's never over until....well until the fat lady sings. There is a saying in my family. We all like to say that it's Dad reaction to everything.... "You are fine, just walk it off" My brother and I joke that we could have our bones poking out of our arms and Dad would say "You're fine, just walk it off."

To those of you who don't know my Dad you may think this sounds harsh, but think about it. Everytime your little one comes to you crying over every little bruise if you get upset like they are then they won't learn that they can be tough.

I learned to be tough.... and I have needed to be tough. I have taken falls from horses that would make grown men cry. I have had broken bones, concussions, sprains, and I have cracked helmets in two from slamming into fence posts while being bucked off.

But none of those pains can compare to the lessons life has thrown at me. Emotionally, boy, I have had to learn to be tough. From school kids teasing me, moving to new schools, to heartbreaks from boys, sickness in myself, heart attacks and death, being an Army wife and holding it together while the hubs was overseas; those have been the times when "You're fine, just walk it off" is what kept me putting one foot in front of the other. That is when I look at my Dad and say "Thank you for teaching me to be tough, to lean on God and trust in myself. Thank you for teaching me that I can be so much stronger than I ever thought I could."

Everyone has a Father....a lot of people are Fathers, but not everyone can be a DAD.

Love you Papa!

4 months and counting....

Look at my "little man". Do you remember the last time you were this happy? Best part of being a mom is that this smile comes out every time he sees me....well and when he poops, but seriously who wouldn't smile at that?

Father's Day has come and went and the hubs was out doing AT (annual training) and missed it, his first father's day. The hubs is a wonderful father, I couldn't ask for more. He loves his son more than life itself and loves loves showing off his son! What a proud papa!! He doesn't even mind changing the poopie diapers....speaking of which "little man" is currently working on that right now.

Gotta go...major blow out in the works!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!

Once upon a time there was a happy little boy with his cute little frog. He spent his day with his mom trying with all his might to roll over. Instead of rolling over though he found his right hand and it tasted good! Then he found

his left hand and that also was extremely good! Who knew that these two tiny fists of fury were also delicious treats just waiting to be sucked on?! Nobody told this "little man" about it, he was just smart enough to figure it out.

As "little man" tasted his fists and tried to roll over his daddy was comming up with a plan!

The hubs called home proudly proclaiming that he will be "In charge of dinner tonight!" "Little man's" mama.....eager to relinquish her cooking roll for the night said "What will we be having?"

"It's a surprise!"

Now, to most mama's this would be exciting news, but this mama has yet to forget how hubs "SURPRISED" her with pink footsie PJ's at Christmas time when she was eight months pregnant and looked like a piggie (if you don't know read below) So mama proceeded with care......

"Well is there anything that I could do? Make? Do you need anything? Help?"

"Nope, I have it covered!"

Well maybe it will be the hubs famous sweet and sour chicken? That is really good!!!!

Time passes on and 8:30 p.m. arrives...... The hubs walks through the door, a proud smile on his face. With a box? But wait! The box has holes in it?!? To provide air?!?!?!!!

Air for what?! What did the hubs do?!

Panicking mama asks

"What are we having for dinner?"

"Chicken! Specifically Rooster!" Comes the excited answer.

"Rooster!!!!!!" What? Wait? How? How can it be?

"Yep, found it on KSL"

"We are going to eat it?" At the exact moment a rustling is heard from within the box.

"It's still ALIVE!!!!"

"Not for long!" The hubs chuckles.

Off he goes to sharpen the knife.

Oh dear! What to do? The hubs is going to kill and skin a rooster in our backyard!!!!! And he wants me to eat it! AHHHH!!!!

Call dad. That's what I'll do. He will know how to do this. He grew up on a farm.

"Dad! Dallin is going to kill and skin a rooster and then wants us to eat it!"

Laughter is all I hear on the other end of the line. "Well it sounds like it might be good!"

Foiled in my plan to talk some sense into the hubs I gave in.

Moments before the rooster's young life ended.

P.S. for those of you interested. Rooster is not very good. Very tough and gamey.

Ugh!

Two months and counting...

How can it get any better than this little face right here? The last two months have been long and exhausting, but filled with so much love. Love from family and friends sharing in the joy of a new life.......It's amazing how "little man" coming into this world weighing on 7lbs 4oz. and 20 inches can change so many lives. Who knew you could love so much?

I love how he is eyeing Ottis here

Best friends???? Lets hope so one only weighs 12 lbs....the other 155lbs....both still growing!!

I have heard lots of crys, but like most moms...I now can hear my baby out of a group of crying babies.

Yeah for freedom!!!

First bath.

Cole Dallin Walkenhorst

my "little man"

A New Day

My days used to be filled with running around at work, home, and the barn. I now cater to a new CEO, Cole.

This picture best describes how I felt this morning during our early morning diaper change....as little man pooped for the FOURTH time (yes that's right) during the same diaper change causing poop to be all over me, the changing table, his clothes and himself AND topping that off with a fresh stream of pee into the air, I threw in the towel and said "Little Man, we are just going to go for the bath."

"Ahhhhh..." fresh and clean he finally his, happy with a bottle, going back to dream land.

He was just kidding though..... there was a grumbling....and then spit up. Spit up everywhere! On him, me, the couch and the pillow.

Off again to change him.... mothers everywhere are well aware of the awful smell the follows a good spit up. ;-)

After two hours of changing, bathing, feeding and changing again. My new CEO is finally happy!


The joys of being a mother!

I wouldn't change a minute of it......

How can it be?

Do you ever stop and take a look at your life and think How can it be? How can it be....that I am this blessed and lucky? Let's face it, if we have a cell phone and a T.V. in our house than we are extremely lucky. But what about the stuff that really counts....? Like that little face up above that I get to wake up to everyday. How can it be that I am that lucky?

Cole Dallin Walkenhorst was born on Feb. 17th at 6:41 pm. It was and is the most incredible experience of my life. This little man who had been kicking me for the last few months and whose little spirit blessed me everyday finally arrived.

Amazingly enough, despite the fact that the pregnancy was a challenge for me I was lucky enough that labor and delivery was....... easy? (that seems like the wrong word....I mean come on easy????) And How can that be? I'm not usually that lucky, but there it was I pushed little man out in about 40 min. Even the labor part, which started at 9 a.m., wasn't as bad as I had anticipated it would be. So o.k. I opted for the pain meds (who wouldn't?) which made my life blissful during labor and I settled in to watch the Olympics. Love it!

Then at 6:00 p.m. the nurse announces that it is time to push. I remember being so nervous! Would everything be o.k.? Could I really do this? Will little man be o.k.? (I was already on oxygen for him) But then Dallin took my hand in his and looked me with so much love, adoration, understanding, and support that I knew I could do it with him holding my hand.

The first push began... I didn't know really what to do, but I tried to figure it out. The nurse and Dallin counted out the push 1,2,3,4...etc.... 10! Oh my gosh! So much harder than I thought! Second push 1,2,3.... Ah! The light clicks on and a force that I can only describe as nature taking over shows me how to push. I followed my instincts and all of the sudden I can hear the nurse saying "Good job! We can see his head! I will go call the Dr.!"

Dallin so excited says to me "He has hair!" This is a shock because I was as bald as my dad when I was born and expected little man to be the same. Then another contraction starts and Dallin says "Get ready to push sweetheart!" I looked at him with utter shock and said "The nurse isn't here!" Dallin grabs a latex glove, snaps it on and says "We aren't going to lose ground! I'm here, push!" At this point all I can do it trust him and so I push and he helps me out the same way the nurse was. Trying to make room for little man's head.

A couple of minutes later the nurse and Dr. show up....and about 30 min after that Cole arrived!!!

How can it be???? To be this blessed.