Lucky Blue

You know those cute Christmas cards I've sent out the past couple of years? And the cute invitation I sent out for Amy's baby shower? Well, I cannot take credit for them. I enlisted the help of my incredibly talented cousin, Charmaine, and guess what? Now YOU can have her create something FABULOUS for you!!! She has opened her own Etsy shop, and I've made it really EASY for you to find her. See that cute little button over there on the right? Click on it!!! She can create ANYTHING you want! She even has a giveaway going on right now. There are a few ways to win, so visit her blog to find out how.

Check her out here or click on the right.

Blogs that I am Drooling Over

Amy's baby shower is coming up, and to get inspired, I have been looking up cool baby shower ideas from the internet. I have come across some of the most awesome blogs for entertaining! You know, I LOVE to throw a party, and I love all of the little details that go into it to make it special. Well, these blogs make me want to throw a party every weekend!!! I'm going to eventually add these blogs to my list over there on the right, but for now, here are a few links:

The TomKat Studio

Hostess With the Mostest


Tastefully Entertaining

Stem

Well, that should keep you busy for a while. Have fun!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is a seriously cute little girl pettiskirt and a dang cute blog! Check it out!

He's Home!!!!

Barton is back in NYC!!! He arrived there a few days ago, but they didn't "announce" it until yesterday because they didn't want a rush of visitors and phone calls. Barton needs his rest!!!! He had one surgery yesterday, and another one tomorrow, and then weeks and months of recovery. His mom is going to stay with him for a while, and he will be surrounded and supported by all of those who love him. Please continue to pray for him. I'm sure he more devastated that he had to leave Uganda and his "52 Weeks" project than he is about his injuries. He loves the people he serves so much. But, knowing Barton, as soon as he can, he'll get right back to work. And that's what I love about him.

I love this picture. That's redundant. I love ALL of his pictures.

Just hanging out with the elephants. He should have been riding on THIS instead of that stupid motorcycle!

With his boys.....this is why he started Global Colors. Such a great story. Read it when you have a chance. Then you'll see why I'm so taken by this guy.

Eye candy. What more can I say??

Laura Bush came to Senegal for one of his projects. Not too shabby.

On Barton's Facebook (which is where I hijacked all of these pictures) he wrote "Best Prom Ever!!" under this picture.

Being welcomed back by the boys in Cambodia.

Pure Joy.

Katie Wunch

I had a very humbling experience this week. My friend Jennifer works with a woman named Kathleen. Last Thursday, Kathleen's 19 year old daughter, Katie, died. They don't know the exact cause yet. Long story short.....Katie had been sick with flu like symptoms for a few days. She was out to dinner with some friends and she passed out. She went to the hospital, and she seemed to be ok, and the ER dr. told her to follow up with her regular dr. the next day. She did, and while she was there, she began experiencing severe abdominal pains. Her dr. sent her back to the hospital for a CAT scan or MRI (I can't remember which one). While waiting, they gave her morphine to help with the pain. After four hours, she went into cardiac arrest and died. Now, they are waiting to find out exactly what happened, but it'll be weeks before those results come back. Anyway, Jen asked me to make a DVD for Kathleen as a gift from Jen. I said of course! Jen arranged for the pictures to be brought to me, and told me the songs they wanted. Then, she told me that they want to play the DVD at the luncheon after the funeral. Oh boy. No pressure! I didn't know this young lady, and I hoped I could do this DVD in a way that honored her. Well, I finished it in ONE DAY (highly unusal for me) and they loved it. The funeral is Friday. Such a sweet young lady. I felt like I got to know her by making this. Here it is.

My Ancestors

I have had this very large book of family names, all printed up nicely on pedigree charts, that was given to me several years ago. It is all about my Grandma Van Meir (maiden name Purvis) side of the family. My grandma's father had 11 brothers and sisters, and the book is about them and all of their lineage. It goes back very, very far. The oldest date in there is 1070. Can you believe that??? The woman who put it together worked very hard. I don't even know who she is. Some distant relative. But, she will be getting a thank you note from me.

Anyway, the coolest thing happened. First of all, I found out that a large line of the Purvis family has already had their temple work done for them. How awesome is that??? And the second thing is that while doing this, I was also playing around on ancestry.com. I put in the name "Van Meir" (my mom's maiden name) as I have no clue about that side of the family. Well, I came across a LARGE Van Meir family tree put together by someone named Shelene Lee. I saw my grandpa's name on this tree. I emailed her and told her who I was, blah, blah, blah, and asked how she is related to the Van Meirs. Turns out that we share the same great, great, great grandparents!!! She and I are 3rd cousins. And, to top that off with a cherry....she lives in UTAH, and is MORMOM!! Holy cow! I'm not the only Mormon in my family!!!! We've been emailing back and forth for a few days now, and it's been so fun getting to know her. Now, I have one more reason to take a trip to Utah. So, Ryan & Christi, if that offer still stands, you may be seeing us soon!!!

Update on Barton

I took this directly from Wendy's blog. Even the super hot picture of Barton.

"He is not out of the woods yet, his injuries are traumatic, and causing him a great deal of pain; his left leg has a severed shin muscle, femur bone is broken in half, with a deep open wound on the back of his leg. His right shoulder bone is fractured, his wrist and elbow are both broken on left arm, he has head lacerations and a fever as well. He is on antibiotics, and pain meds, but is still in a lot of pain, he just wants to get back home. He has been told about all the support and prayers on his behalf, and is very grateful. He had medivac insurance, but it expired last month, it is VERY expensive to pay for, and if you know anything about this amazing guy then you know that every penny he has, goes to the people he is helping. His Brother is trying to get there in the next few days, and will accompany him to New York, hopefully by the 26th, where a great Trauma Surgeon ( Chief of Trauma) awaits his arrival. He just needs to get rid of that fever... Prayers PLEASE"

She posted this Tuesday. As of right now, Bart's brother and mother are on their way to Kampala. They'll be there tomorrow night. I know this will bring a great deal of peace to Barton. He needs his family with him! I just can't wait for him to get back to the states! I did read on Facebook that a friend of a friend of his just happened to be in Uganda - and she's a nurse! She was able to go see Barton and stay with him for several hours. She was very comfortable with how he was being taken care of, but was still nervous about the chance on infection because of where he is. She also said the phone lines have been ringing off the hook at the hospital with all of his friends calling, and so his phone calls are being restricted to family only. He's the most popular patient Uganda has ever had! Anyway, please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Griffin

My little guy is doing so great. He is super smart. But, as sweet as he is, he does have his demon moments....like when we found him outside the other day gnawing on something....hmmm what was it? Our tortoise!! Griffin likes to chew on rocks, and Speedy (our tortoise) must have looked like a crawling rock to him. We're working on keeping him out of Speedy's habitat all together. The trainer came out yesterday and we worked on staying back when someone rings the doorbell, walking on a leash, and staying away from Speedy's habitat!!! Griffin knows when the trainer is here, it's time to WORK!! He's so exhausted by the time she leaves, that he sleeps for the rest of the afternoon. She's really good at what she does. (If you're looking for a good in-home dog trainer, let me know and I'll give you her phone number.) Oh, the trainer (her name is DaCoda, by the way) brought her dog with her to help her teach Griffin some stuff, and her dog (Halo) decided to jump in our pool! So funny. Seriously, the dog can JUMP! She even had him in a contest and he jumped 19 feet into a pool! Well, while Halo was in the pool, we decided to let Griffin give it a try. He didn't mind the first step where he was wet up to his chest, but then he tried to walk...and let's just say he didn't make it to the 2nd step. He went for a swim. Nice to know he can swim! It was cute. Anyway, it was a good day and now we will work hard to help him remember all of the things DaCoda has taught him. Good doggy!

Halo jumping in the pool!

He was not sure what to think.

Griffin & Halo getting to know each other.

This is from the other day. When Griffin is playing fetch, he finds the needs to JUMP from the brick into the grass. It's hilarious.

How Cute are They????

Just three months to go!!! I can't wait!!

Friday's BBQ

Our dear friends, Ryan & Christi Luke were in town over the weekend. It was so great to see them again! It was a little......shall we say......awkward at first as he and Kamon decided to show up to our house dressed like this:

It's hard to see it in this picture, but on their shirts is a picture of the two of them from Rocky Point, and it says "BFFS". By the way, they wore these men's size small shorts when they hiked Camelback Mountain on Saturday. I would NOT have wanted to be behind them on the trail!!!

Bonnie is saying "Check out them buns!!"

Really guys? Did you HAVE to do this to us? It really was pretty funny. We had a great time visiting and laughing. Of course, the girls separated from the guys and headed to my room for some much needed "Girl Talk". What happens in that room stays in that room!!!

Christi, Amy, me, Bonnie, Amber & baby Gavin

Anyway, it was a fun night. It so nice that even when you have friends that move away, they will still be your forever friends! Love you Ryan & Christi!!!

My Sweet Barton....

You have all, probably at one time or another, received a forwarded email from me urging you to help my dear friend Barton Brooks and his efforts to make this world a better place. I am now asking all of you to help Barton once again, but for a totally different reason. He was in a motorcycle accident in Uganda, and has suffered a broken arm, a broken leg and head trauma. Things are more complicated than they had originally thought. The doctor in the village where the accident happened was able to temporarily patch up his fractures. Barton will be airlifted out to Kampala tomorrow. There is an Italian Orthopedic doctor there that will be able to complete the major surgery if they can't get him back to the states. A friend of his named Catherine is trying to coordinate a plane from Kampala to the US so the surgery can take place here. If not, he will have to wait a week in Uganda after the surgery until he is able to be moved. So, a lot of stuff is up in the air right now. I'll be checking his Facebook page for updates as his brother will be letting everyone know what is going on. Barton is one of the most special people I have ever known. I have never known anyone so willing to go above and beyond to help another person. He has touched so many lives all over the world, and I truly call it an honor to count him as one my friends. Please keep Barton in your prayers. Sounds like he is going to need them.

My FAVORITE picture of Barton. He was a model in his former life. :)

In the Batwa Village in Uganda.

With "his" boys in Cambodia. This is what inspired him to start Global Colors.

He loves helping the children. I'm surprised he hasn't adopted all of them.

Happy Birthday Caitlin!

My baby - my bonus child - is 10! Double digits! So here are 10 things I LOVE about Caitlin!
1) Her smile can light up my day.
2) Her laugh makes me laugh.
3) She loves to read. I love peeking in her room and finding her all comfy on her bed reading a book.
4) She can be so nice to her brother and sister when she wants to be.
5) She loves to keep her room clean. :)
6) She loves church. She loves to go, she loves to pray, read her scriptures, ask questions, read church magazines. She also loves to bear her testimony at church. She doesn't always do it, but she's certainly done it more times than I have!
7) She's great with younger kids, especially her younger cousins. She's going to make a great babysitter someday!
8) She loves me. She loves to ask me questions about when I was a kid. She loves to ask lots of questions.....period!! Cracks me up.
9) She will (usually) do what I ask her to do with a positive attitude. I love it when I ask her to get my "sleep socks" (these are a really fuzzy, soft pair of socks that Caitlin gave me for Christmas) and she does, and then puts them on me. :)
10) She is such a special part of our family. She was certainly a surprise when we found out we were pregnant with her (hence the nickname "Bonus Child") and I know without a doubt that she was meant to be with us! She is my mini-me!!

She's smiled ever since she was born.

First birthday.

She used to do this all of the time!

She'll probably kill me for putting this one up, but it's one of my favorites.

Look at Caitlin's face in the picture. So cute. And she still sleeps with that bunny every night.

Do you think she's mad in this picture?

Another one of my favorites.

And another favorite. I love the way this turned out.

She was soooo into Tinkerbell

My absolute favorite picture of Caitlin. Can this girl take a picture or what??

Courtney took this picture of us. Caitlin used to sleep with it under her pillow.

Sisters!!

Her first snowman.

Love that smile!!

With Karlie.

Happy Birthday Caitlin!!!! I love you!

Day 3

This day, we woke up to snow. Not a lot, but it was definitely snowing. It was so pretty!!! We left the hotel and took the subway to the South Ferry to head out to the Statue of Liberty. There is more security here then there is at the airport!!! You get there, go through one security checkpoint, which means we had to take off our jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, and some of us had to take off our shoes. Got through that, then got in line to board the ferry. Once we got to Liberty Island, we had to go through ANOTHER security checkpoint! Again, off came our warm stuff, but we had to talk through this blower thing that puffed big amounts of air at us! It was to check for any explosive residue, or something like that. Crazy. Anyway, the boat ride over was SO COLD (cuz we went out on top of the boat for some AMAZING pictures). We spent a few hours on the island, hanging out with Lady Liberty. From there, we boarded the ferry again, and went to Ellis Island. Brenna & Cody are the only ones that got off here. Brenna knew some names of some ancestors that went through Ellis on their way to USA. The rest of us took the subway to Brooklyn to eat at Grimaldi's. The BEST pizza I have EVER had. (FYI...there is a Grimaldi's in Peoria at Park West. It's the same restaurant, and the pizza is DELICIOUS, however, it's just not quite as good as the Brooklyn Grimaldi's. There's just something about eating pizza in NYC!!!) Kort & Amy were really battling their colds at this point (both of them were sick the whole trip, poor babies) so they took the subway back to the hotel. But, Hugh & I and Bonnie & Kamon walked back to Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge. If you ever go to NYC, I HIGHLY recommend doing this. It's so cool!! (And it was so COLD! 32 degrees!!) Got to Manhattan, walked through some totally cool neighborhoods, and then took the subway way up to Central Park to go to the Met. Unfortunatly, we got here an hour before they closed. We were racing through there to see just a few things. The top of my list was the Temple of Dendur. So old and so cool. We saw a few more exhibits and then headed out. I wish we could have stayed there longer, but there wasn't time. One quick cab ride and we were back at the hotel. We met up with everyone else, and then headed to Grand Central. Didn't stay there too long. We walked back to Times Square, and after much deliberation of where to eat, we ended up at Olive Garden - Amy's favorite restaurant. While we were waiting for our table, us girls headed across the street to the Hershey's store. And, for $5 you can have something written on their scrolling marque outside! So, I paid my $5, and we had them put: "Hugh, Kort, Cody & Kamon are total babes!!" and this ran continuously for 15 minutes! Their names were up in lights in Times Square! How cool is that!?! At this point, he had started to snow again...and it didn't stop. We had heard rumors of flights cancelled, schools cancelled, and record snowfall. Not a good thing when you are trying to fly out the following day. Let's just say I remained a little worried for the rest of the night. I had to call my mom and get Plan B organized. After dinner, we went back to the hotel for another game of Catch Phrase (this is what we played each night back at the hotel - I recommend it) and then to bed to see what weather would greet us in the morning.....

Bonnie & Kamon with Manhattan in the background

On the boat, on the way to Liberty Island

Brenna doing a fashion show!

Work it! Work it!

This is a GREAT picture of Brenna.

Strike a pose!

Bye bye Manhattan!

Cody & his hot bride (and mom-to-be!!!)

Can you tell how cold we were??

The Lady

I took this with a zoom lens I borrowed from a friend. Isn't it awesome??

Kamon doing his "Happy Dance"

It was freezing!! Even Hugh & Kort were freezing. And I think they are wearwolves. They are abnormally HOT all of the time (which is why Kort was wearing shorts our first night there.) But even this weather made them break out the big jackets, gloves & even earmuffs.

Cody throwing a snowball at a picture-taking Kamon. It hit him right on the rear! Good shot Cody!

Cody running from Kamon.

Cody & .......Brenna?? I swear, I almost bought one of these masks just to keep my face warm!

All of us in front of the original torch.

Kort & Amy....look at her tummy growing!

Bonnie & Kamon

Brenna & Cody

Us! And another webkin...

Amy got to touch the toe! Well, not the actual toe....a replica....

Amy trying to soak up some of Kort's werewolf heat.

Crossing the bridge. Can you see that sign? (You might have to click on it.) It says 32*.

On our way back to the city....

B&K with Manhattan in the background

Our faces hurt from being so cold!

I love this picture.

Manhattan

This awesome little street on the Lower East Side. Look at the street lamps.

The Met

The Temple of Dendur (and Kamon)

the side of the temple

Buff Hugh in the temple

The back of a statue of a mermaid (I think it was a mermaid). I love how this picture came out. Way to go Hugh!

The Arms & Armor Exhibit

They have fresh flowers there everyday. I loved this arrangement.

Grand Central Station

Inside Grand Central

Boys in the snow in front of their message. You can't see the message though. But you can sure see the snow!!

Us at Olive Garden