Pray for these boys...

This family's turmoil was brought to my attention after reading my friend Brittney's Blog. This poor boy, Stellan, has SVT (from what I've learned it's a fast heart rate). My understanding about SVT is that if not treated or corrected, it could potentially cause heart failure. This poor baby is only 5 months old.

I have been following Stellan's mom's blog everyday since I read about it (No, it's not my friends baby), it breaks my heart to see Stellan & all the medical staff struggling so hard to regulate his heart rate. Everyday I am hopeful I will get to read some wonderful progress on her blog, regretfully, I have not. It pulls at all my mommy heart strings that this seemingly wonderful family has to bear such heartache.

On the flip side, its totally amazing to me how much faith this family has in god to take care of little stellan. They are receiving so many prayers from people all over, what a wonderful feeling to know that so many people care about her sweet little boy.

I encourage you to check his blog, read his story & send much needed prayers his way.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Since we are talking about much needed prayers, I need to tell you about another boy, more like grown up guy. His name is Stephan & he is my Cousin Jessica's Husband. Stephan has been in a coma since the day before thanksgiving.

Stephan was in a very bad motorcycle accident the night before thanksgiving. He crashed into a car, the driver of the car pulled out in front of him & they collided. Even with helmet & gear, Stephan still had major head trauma as his helmet flew off his head.

To make this long story short, after they removed the flap (or whatever it's called) from his skull to release the pressure(day before thanksgiving), he has been in a coma since & has not waken up yet. He has been transferred from hospitals to rehabs to another rehab & as of now, he is currently up at the Hospital in ICU.

When I spoke with Jess this morning, I was in total shock as to what the heck happened to stephan. Just last week they thought he would wake up! Now he's in ICU & needs to be resuscitated??? What went wrong? He had been opening his eyes for some time now, squeezing fingers & grinning (still while in coma), he also made other small improvements that were BIG for him. Last week they gave him experimental drugs to wake him up, unfortunatly these methods did not work...they spiked his heart rate way too high & he had to stop taking them.

My question is still this: How can you have a trauma patient who has made wonderful progress in these last 4 months & all of a sudden decline? WHAT HAPPENED????

Jess summed it up like this: Since stephan has lost so much weight while in a coma, he's considered Mal-nourished. They just upped his caloric intake to 4000 calories a day (feeding tube still), somewhere along this line (AGAIN, short version here) stephan is vomiting & I guess he is now choking on his vomit...now fluid possibly in the lungs...he's taken to the hospital for pneumonia & NOW he is intubated & up in ICU, worse then he was before they fed him all this food. There are more parts to his story that I am not sharing,
A: because I don't know every single medical detail
And
B: because jessica barely has time to breathe, let alone call each of us one by one & inform us minute by minute of his progress & newly arised situations.

This poor guy has been on one heck of a roller coaster with all of his ups & downs (there has been many).

My heart goes out to Jessica & Stephen for obvious reasons...I also just cant help but feel guilty, not that it was any of our faults, but more so that she has to go through this & me & my family are all healthy. Why is this happening to someone so young? It's just not fair. Just like with little baby Stellan, it should never be the young ones, right?

They are barely in their 20's & approaching their 1st year wedding anniversary. Jessica has been his rock during this entire ordeal, using her medical knowledge (she works at the hospital & is currently in school to be nurse) she is his voice when it comes to fighting for rehab versus nursing home,(YES, she has fought & fought very hard) asking many questions about his medications he is being given & the care he has been receiving AND not to mention how involved she is in his care. He's incredibly lucky to have her with him.

I'm praying that Stephen will come out of this & wake up one day. He has come so far and made many improvements, the rest is up to the Dr's & you know who. Please pray that he makes it out of this, and that Him & Jessica can live the rest of their lives together they way it "ought" to be.

Paige's New Picture

OK...
so for those of you who have been as blessed as myself to get those wonderful school pictures where your child looks nothing like your child...you understand how frustrating this is, right?
Every year, no lie people, Paige & tyler pose these ridiculous smiles and after spending the flippin' $32 on school pictures, I cant even recognize my own childs picture!! My children have the most beautiful smiles, but for whatever reason, come picture day...something goes terribly wrong and the camera turns into the biggest monster they have ever seen in their lives! You know the smiles...the ones that look like they haven't pooped in a week?! Yep..those ones!

Since I cant get my kids to smile without looking like they are in pain, I refuse to buy the school pictures. Until now...Paige brought home the best school pictures I have seen in around 2 years. I was so thrilled..FINALLY...I can buy some darn pictures! Yipee! I'm so excited!!

Enjoy! This is paige at 13, almost 14, and she's in 8th grade. She was so thrilled to be able to dress down out of her uniform. Come May she will be an 8th grade graduate & heading to Tri-City Prep for her freshman year of Highschool. Seems like just yesterday I was in highschool. Awww....those were the days....

Here's to Kyla

Since our days & weekends are mostly crazy & busy...I figured I would not post about our happenings..not like anyone really cares to hear about how much Laundry I did this weekend (13 to be exact) or how many times I had to clean pee off the toilet (lost count after 6) anyways...save that for another day.

I wanted to dedicate this post to Kyla. Since she reads our blog regularly (yep, paige told me you did) , I thought there is no better way then to let her know how great I think she is. Tomarrow, March 24th, will be her 11th birthday. I look at you girls & I just cant beleive how grown up you are becoming each & every day. Gosh, I get so sad when I look back at your baby pictures & see how quickly this precious time has gone by.

Kyla was born in the evening on the 24th of March, 6:05pm. We were accompanied by my long time dear friend Bonnie. You were born with the biggest most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. (You have your Grandpa Morgans eyes). Your smile has always lit up the room, no matter what the situation may be, You are always finding a reason to smile. Even when your introuble you crack a smile....everytime! You have such a wonderful friendly spirit which always attracts people to you.

I love the fact you are so strong, in all areas. Strongwilled would be an understatement!! You know what you want & you go get it. Granted, this may be a disadvantage now while you are younger...but beleive me...when you are older this will be a great advantage for you as you will NEVER stand for anything LESS then what you desire! (AND DESERVE)

You're an incredible athlete...you definetly get this from your father! You are good at everything you do & you do it with such grace that it makes me envious...well kinda...I might really hurt myself out there so maybe not too much envy! Nothing makes me happier then to see you out on that soccer field...running like your little butt is on fire...dodging those big monster sized girls like they were'nt even there...kicking that ball in the goal.... then lookin over at me to make sure I was watching you (which I always am). The ear-to-ear grin you give me is priceless. When you tell me & dad that you want to be a professional soccer player, I believe it, because I beleive in you! You have that incredible drive that will indeed, get you what ever it is you want in life.

Remember all of your dreams, even the silly ones, are not just dreams. Dreams become reality, if you want them too.

You're such a wonderful daughter, sister, friend, granddaughter, great granddaughter & one day..ONE DAY WHEN YOU ARE OLDER...LIKE 35...You will be a wonderful mother & wife.

My hope for you is that when you grow up & venture out into this world on your own, you will always stay true to who you are are & what you beleive in because that is what makes you so special & always know that dad & I dedicated our whole lives to make yours a better one. (yes you too paige)

As corny as this sounds, always remember this, I will Always Always be your number 1 fan, your number 1 supporter & no one will ever love you more then me. Happy Birthday Kyla..Me & Your dad love you so much & wish you a wonderful year.
FYI...she is getting ready for JR. High this coming August. (She's goin' big time now)

Love you sis'

What a great weekend..

Other then it being our anniversary, it was just an awesome weekend. The kids had a birthday party (was a blast jana) & Ty's parents came over for a quick visit while looking at a few places to rent once they move up here. We are excited & looking forward to having everyone close together again, the kids just love spending time with all their cousins.

Ok..so Ty built me my anniversary present. YES, he built it! I guess I wanted a new planter for my garden, who knew it!!! Is it just me, or does it always seem that us women get what our men want on our gifting days?? LOL. In all seriousness, I love the planter, I just had to give him crap since he said it was my anniversary gift. LOL. He's lucky I am not a jewelry kinda girl...otherwise he woulda been having to trade in the Cedar Planking for some diamonds!! Lucky Him! Gardening has become a family event here in the Morgan Home. Last year it was a blast to see everything we planted come to harvest, the kids loved it!! They had certain vegetables that were JUST THEIRS...god forbid anybody take one of Tylers Tomatoes!! (No joke) This year we have added another huge planter to double things up...the kids are all super excited...us too. We planted everything in the little greenhouse & it will be ready for transplant in about 3 weeks. I find it such a great way to get the kids to eat more veggies when they plant it themselves.

This was about the point when I wondered what he was doing...

"I'm building you that planter you want"...... He's so cute, he loves to build ANYTHING

I do love it though.

Ty & His Dad at our house this weekend

Me & Miss Paigie

He was so ready to leave it was Killin' him. Look how tall he is!He's my sweet little bugger!!

She is FREEZING at Hayden Party...but still waitin' for the cupcakes!! (we all were :)))

Bo Bo is just HOPING she dropes that apple!!

Our 12 Year Wedding Anniversary...

Its pretty amazing when I really look back and remember all the things we have gone through over the last 15 years we have been together. We have certainly had our fair share of relationship struggles as well as the infamous "Teenage Drama". (we were 15 when we met)

To be honest, there was a time when I never saw us getting to this point, we were so young & we both knew it all. Luckily, I still do & I know that he is the absolute best thing that ever came my way!

I will always feel so blessed for the sole reason that we were in this together & we stuck it out, when at times it would have been easier to walk away. I've said it many times in the past, but the truth is that Ty has always been "That One" for me. Knight in Shining Armour, so to speak.

I love you Ty, You're the best husband a girl could ever want! MWA!!!

Here's some laughs for ya...this is some pictures of us when we got married. We got married at the little chapel in Mesa (major dive!) it was good enough for us then. We will be renewing our vows in 3 more years (without the dive!)
Followed is some other pictures I stumbled upon.

Oh My Gosh, we were so young..AND SKINNY!!

This was Last night..he is super sunburned..will explain later..had to do with MY gift!

You can tell how much he LOVES the camera, right!?

Oh this aint nothin' to some of the pics of him...Trust me!

This describes me to a "T"

I love this...

So, like I said before, I have been obsessed with blogs lately. I love to read ones that intrigue me. I have been following this one for months now & wasn't sure if I should post it or not. WELL, I decided too. This is the funniest, Wackiest blog I have come across yet. She's a bit out there & cooky...but funny. The title says it all so watch out! http://TheCrazyHouseWife.blogspot.com/

I am also looking for any good cooking/recipe blogs that any of you may know of. My struggle is that I cook the same things over & over, rarely have time to cook something new as this requires to actually look through a cookbook and spend hours cooking. Who has hours to cook with 4 kids, a dog, a cat & a husband???? Ty & I started eating organic at the beginning of the year but some of the things the kids dont like..I'm hoping to find different ways to spruce up certain dishes to the kids' liking, while still healthy for them. For the Record...TY has lost around 16 pounds & I have lost 28 pounds. WOOHOO! Certainly we did not lose this weight from organics, we just quit eating everything in sight. In all seriousness, ty's focus was strictly to reduce his risk of heart disease. When Ty quit Younger Brothers, we lost our insurance & NO INSURANCE company would touch Ty because he has High BP & Cholesterol. Can you beleive this??

I'm so proud of him, he has done everything in his power to get his health in order & its really paying off & not to mention, he is loving life! He quit drinking, excersizes daily, eats incredible & takes almost as many vitamins a day as Bill used too. His BP has now dropped, his coloring is much better & he looks great! He never used to care about what was in any of the food he ate, now we have gained so much knowledge on how our food affects our bodies that he is very concious about ALL his foods. (Me Too) When he started this journey his top number of his BP was in the 170's, now its in the 130's. Excellent!!! (for those who dont know, ty has NEVER been that low)

SO, my reasoning for the organic is because we have found that much of the organic foods (sauces mainly) have much less sodium then the regular. For this, its worth the extra cents to benefit our health. So any input or suggestions on things to try or sites to check would be wonderful.

Its Official...

Don't ask me why I am posting this, but thought I would share with you all. Paige has her First Boyfriend! Holy Heck! She's so cute, she comes home last night & said "he finally did it, he asked me out"! LOL. I must tell you, the thought of her having a boyfriend is quite frightening. Especially when I look back at myself, YIKES. She is only 2 years younger then I was when I met Ty. Crazy to think about, isnt it? So much to ponder on...one part of me is happy for her because I remember that "feeling" when I was her age....the other part of me is scared to death because I remember that "feeling". One thing is certain, this is the start of many emotional adventures I will be in for with the 2 older girls. Lord, help us all!

Bo Bo's Update

Many of you already know Bo & his hip situation but for those that don't...I will tell you. This is my Bo-Bi's. He's our English Bulldog & the best dog I have ever been fortunate enough to have. We've had many dogs in our life, but none like him. He is wonderful with the kids, strangers, neighbor kids, cats, other dogs..he's just a sweet gentle sole! Or Gentle Giant I might say, he tips the scale at 65 pounds (he's lost around 10 pounds). He does have his downfalls, he's a bit smelly. They fart alot! We have had him on special food (due to Bullies wide array of allergies) and this food is supposed to help with his "smelly problem" & he still reaks! I could only imagine how bad he would smell with out it! Bo has really bad hips & after we got him a second opinion, it is for sure that he will need a full hip replacement. There is another surgery they can do, but the results are guaranteed...which the hip replacement is. Of course, this is really expensive & we won't be able to do it at this point..but in the near future we will be doing it. We are only going to do the left hip first because it is the worst. There is hope that with fixing the left hip, we might not have to fix the right hip. He is getting Pain medication to eleviate the pain until the surgery can be done. We have been taking him for walks, small ones, and this has helped him some. The biggest thing is keeping him from going up stairs as this really hurts him & makes him limp horribly. The sad part, is that we dont think he has ever NOT been in pain. He gets plenty of lovin' & spoilin' so I'm sure he thinks life is GREAT! He will be 2 on June 9th, yes I know the date & yes we give him a little party. (I will even post a pic of him in his party hat) Ty takes no part in his little party, he thinks me & the kids are CRAZY! Yep, we are crazy for the Bo Bo's!!!

My Poor Sick Kiddies...

Ugh, our house has been filled with whatever this icky mixed up sickness is thats going around. Kyla has been home for 3 days with the congestion,fever,cough garbage. Her cough is so loud & horrible that I can hear it all the way downstairs in my bedroom! Alexa had the stomache bug & was home for a day after she puked all over the floor of the school bus. I have to say that our bus driver is the most patient man they could have, as this is not alexa's first time throwing up on the school bus. Its her 3rd! For whatever reason, she waits to do her business once she has stepped foot on the bus. Tyler has the aweful cough too & Paige & Ty have the congested head cold! So far, I am the only one not sick, YET. For the miraculous reason that I am "Mommy", I never get sick. Must be all the Super Powers us Mommies are gifted with, right? Hopefully, everyone will be back to normal spirits come this weekend..it's going to be a busy one. We have to plan a birthday/slumber party for Kyla for next weekend & Sunday is mine & Ty's 12 year wedding anniversary. At this point, our plans are still a mystery. We will most likely end up going to dinner with our kids . :)

Has it really come to this????

I'm just speechless as to what I seen this morning on TV. This is the reason why I know I should not watch the news, but then if I didn't watch the news, then I wouldn't know what is really going on out there! I guess there are areas across the states that are now called "Tent Cities". Has anyone ever heard of these??? I always thought ten city was jail!! NOPE, they are vacant fields (I heard some are even parks) where the homeless are going after they are turned away from homeless shelters. In sacramento, the shelters are turning away around 200 people A DAY. These people are pitching tents & living in their tents in these fields. One family I seen had 2 younger children & the mom was telling the news crew how they are getting cold at night. I heard the comment that the city was allowing these people to stay at these sites. ALLOWING? These are People we are talking about, families with children..WHY are we letting them be homeless?
I am totally heartbroke about this issue, when did we quit taking care of our people? When did the government stop caring about what is really going on out there? Do they know or do they just not care? Cant they open new shelters?? Provide warm places to sleep? Showers or bathrooms? I know the economy is hurting but give me a break! If you can bail out banks then you should be able to build another shelter somewhere for families with no other options. Then I must ask, where is the family? No way in HELL would Ty & I ever let anyone in our family live in a tent in a field somewhere & I know they would not allow the same for us! As hard as it is to live with other people, you must do it when necessary & that situation is absolutely necessary! The guilt that came over me as soon as I seen that report was completely overwhelming for me on a personal level. It's no secret that Ty & I are going through our own financial struggles & we have made many budget cuts in our finances, some that were very hard to do. We complain because we dont want to get rid of the boat, cabel channels & vacations, while some people dont even have a place to lay their kids down to sleep at night! WOW. I feel so incredibly grateful that our kids can get hot meals, showers, beds, clean clothes & so much more that I have personally always taken for granted. I'm so grateful for my family & I love them so much! In a strange way, I was probably meant to watch that. Our struggles we face are no where near those of others.

Oh Lexa Lexa..

What have you done! Little Miss Alexa has been wanting her haircut for about a week now, which I must say she really does need one. She has such a hard time combing her hair & getting all the knots out. Even with a cup of conditioner, the child still has a heck of a time combing her hair. Well..I hear Tyler say "ooooohhh Lexa, you're not supposed to have scissors". Those words stopped me DEAD in my tracks & I knew EXACTLY what she had those scissors for. Yep, she did it alright! About 8 inches cut right off the front side of her head!! Now ok, I know this is something kids do when they are little, which Lexa has already done a time or two, but WHY must they cut the FRONT of their hair????? Atleast if they cut the back, you can still do ponytails & braids to hide it, there is absolutely nothing that can be done in the front, except for cutting it. Which we did. Can you beleive that she was laughing??? Oh yeah, She thought this was funny. I tell you people, this child ALWAYS gets what she wants, whether it be HER way or your way..she WILL get it. I almost fell over to see how short her hair was after it was cut...but I must say that it is so ADORABLE on her. After her hair was cut she was throwing her hair all around & showing off. LOL.

Finally, I got with the times & started a blog site

So, I decided to start a blog to stay up to date with many of our family & friends. I've always been a bit skeptical of this sort of thing, but it seems to be the norm now a days so I figured what the heck!
Hopefully this will be a good way to keep the family more in tune with the "whats goin' on" news with us.
Its been strangly quiet around here for the last 2 days, kinda weird...but we'll take it! I have been home, yipee!!! no work, and I have gotten a TON of much needed spring cleaning done. Let me tell ya, I have not been the kids' favorite person these past few days. lol. We have taken out around 12 garbage bags of junk from their bedrooms! See what I mean?! It must just be part of this OCD issue I think I have, but I do this around 2 times a year. Is this normal? I wonder! But then again, I'm not normal anyhow. :)