Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Autism Support-AZ

As many of you may or may not know Autism is a growing childhood "disease" in America affecting 1 in 150 children(according to the Center for Disease Control, CDC). These children however live in families that are affected, attend schools, live in communities, and depend on a society that is largely affected by this growing population...and something must be done about it.

Due to its newly-dubbed "national public health crisis" status, the public and private sectors have begun financial and resourceful involvement and support in finding treatments and cures... and of course local state governments have jumped on board to try and "do their part" to appease the problem as well. However, in Arizona the Senate Bill proposed solution would actually hurt more than help the Autism community. The current issue that families with Autism living in Arizona are facing is Autism insurance legislation. (watch video)

In essence the state is trying to pass a bill that will strip private insurance coverage for individuals with Autism which is an extremely costly burden to families. In the long run, if our legislators will support insurance coverage for Autism treatment, it will save millions of dollars for the public, private, and government sectors because AUTISM IS TREATABLE and many individuals could avoid being institutionalized if they get early intervention.
It is important that we do our part as informed citizens, so I AM ASKING YOU to research this topic by reading information here and then I am asking you to act NOW (as timing is critical). Visit: http://www.azautisminsurance.org/ and follow the simple directions listed there. I have contacted my Legislators and Governor's office and continue to send emails and phone calls.

Jeff attended the Candlelight Vigil last night at the AZ State Capitol Building as the DJ, from Banda Brothers DJ's. He did his part in showing the legislators who were present that families in Arizona need private insurance coverage for these children at risk. As many of you may or may not know my sister's 10-year old son, Dallin has Asperger's Syndrome (high-functioning Autism) and our family has joined this fight to advocate for resources and recognition of this childhood disorder that there is still no identifiable cause for. So here's to our fight for Dallin and all his friends who are just like him! And here is our shout out to Katie (my sister) who helped to co-found SANE (Supporting Autism Now through Education), who has helped numerous families begin their fight.
(Our nephew Dallin)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Our Prophet

President Gordon B. Hinckley, as you already know, passed away last night in his apartment surrounded by family from complications due to age. Having "known" him as the prophet of the Church for over half my lifetime I thought I would add my tribute to him and his earthly mission. His witty sense of humor, his passion, his testimony, his concise words of wisdom, his vision, and his unfeigned love for all people will always perpetuate my memory when I think of him. I was privileged to shake his hand and sit at his feet when he spoke at my first graduation from college (my Associate Degree from BYU-Idaho). No matter where or when I heard him speak, he exuberated happiness, knowledge, peace, humor and love in his words and his actions. I admired him for so many reasons and loved reading about his life, his travels, his teachings, and his testimony. Although I am saddened that he is gone from this earthly existence and I no longer get to learn from him personally, I realize this is the order of things and the newly appointed prophet will rise in his absence to lead the Church forward. I am at peace knowing that last night President Hinckley reunited with his beloved wife, Marjorie, whom he deeply missed, among others. His passing has left me in a state of appreciation, admiration, and contemplation about the state of my life, the peace I find in the plan of salvation, and excitement as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues onward! We mourn the passing of our prophet, but realize the mantle and priesthood keys will pass on and we will once again learn to love and admire our new prophet, seer, and revelator.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

It's a...

... BOY!(Side profile... little nose)
So, 24% (12 people) guessed correctly on our blog poll. You win... satisfaction!
(2 little feet and 10 toes)
It's pretty amazing to see the fully developed tiny little person living inside of you. Jeff & I could have sat and watched the ultrasound all day and seen all those perfect little body parts. We got some great footage and tons of pictures of so many amazing things. Technology these days is so sweeeet! Our little man was laying in a funky position though so we get to have another peek at him next month... our privilege! Corbin will be the big brother of a little brother and I will have 3 boys under my roof to take care of in a few short months...whew! It's kind of nice knowing that I have all the "stuff" for another boy though. We're kind of partial, but boys are our favorite so far... So, now the only decision left to be made is a name... now THIS could take a while! Good thing we have plenty of time until June 8th! =)

Birthdays, BBQ's, Ducks & Wii

Our 3-day weekend was a fun-filled one, of course because we 3 uninterrupted days together, but we also celebrated our birthdays (which are 3 days apart).
We had the Bandas and Thomas over for a BBQ on Friday night where we enjoyed Jeff's steaks and hamburgers, Holly's homemade chocolate cake, and a fun-filled game of Catch Phrase.Saturday morning we ventured down to the Riparian Preserve, behind Greenfield Library and enjoyed feeding the ducks and geese our leftover hamburger buns.
Corbin absolutely loved the Preserve and can't wait to go back. After our good friend Mike Stephan's wedding reception Saturday night we enjoyed another BBQ and Wii entertainment @ the Comish's. It was a workout!On Monday we "slept-in" (except Jeff made me breakfast in bed) and enjoyed a low-key day of shopping, playing at Grandma's house and a nice dinner @ California Pizza Kitchen... yum!
Jeff's birthday is tomorrow (January 24th) and we'll celebrate his birthday this weekend. It's a great month of celebrations at our house. Although... keep reading, our real celebration will take place in 3 short weeks when we take a long over-due vacation to Hawaii!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Driving lessons

Jeff and I finally made it to the temple this year thanks to our friend's the Cox's who watched Corbin for us when none of our family seemed to be available. We try to go the first Tuesday of the month while my mom watches Corbin but it didn't work out this month so we're grateful Porter shared his mom and dad with Corbin for a few hours. Anyway, as we were leaving the Cox's instead of buckling Corbin into his car seat Jeff hurried and jumped in the driver seat with him and started driving home! Corbin was giggling with delight when he realized the car was moving and he was helping daddy move it with the steering wheel. I wish I had video-taped it so you could hear his giggles.
Good thing the Cox's live literally down the street WITHIN our subdivision so we passed no other vehicle and were able to creep at a constant 10 mph!
Jeff and Corbin were both proud of themselves for the first mini-driving lesson. Good thing we hold temple recommends and don't break any laws, right!? =) I know, I know... what dad has NOT done that with their kid?

Homemade Haircut

Last weekend Jeff and I returned from one of our occasional "drives" (where our most enthralling conversations always seem to occur) with our minds made up to give Corbin a little trim-up haircut. He really needed it cleaned up around his neck and ears. Jeff has much more experience at cutting hair than I do (good ole mission and brother haircuts) so he naturally took it upon himself to "trim up" Corbin's hair.
Children are naturally so trusting and it was hilarious to watch Corbin's face as his dad came at him with that noisy vibrating trimmer while he sat naked (+ a diaper) in the tub. Surprisingly he did great at holding still because the sensation and sound seemed to mesmerize him. Jeff did a #5 all over and trimmed up the neck and ears very well.
But it wasn't until after he was done that we both realized how short a #5 trim is on a little boy with thin hair. It went from a "trim" to a "buzz" real quick. Look at all that beautiful brown hair we just chopped off! My grandma Ione would be having fits that I wasn't gluing some of it in his baby book. (We've already done that 2 or 3 times.) Oh well, it'll grow back.
So, this was the final product and I think it looks pretty cute. Corbin has the same spiky hairdo as his daddy now. It makes him look so much older and that makes me kind of sad. All of a sudden my baby boy is 18 months old, going to nursery, having playdates with friends, wearing his hair spiky and I'm counting down the days for baby #2. Crazy how much joy we find in our kids even in these simple milestones.

Friday, January 11, 2008

The Bosch is...

AMAZING!
So, I am sorry I am not the world's best photographer and I didn't take before, during and after pictures like all those recipe blog sites do, but hey I made LOTS of bread, in many different forms. The Bosch has been on my wish list for years now and fortunately my sweet hubby remembered and got me one the year that Bosch came out with their brand new model (after like 40 years)! I tried it out Christmas day and successfully made some yummy crepes for the whole family and then Orange Julius and Oreo shakes ensued shortly after (yes the blender is part of the mixer) ... and a few days later Jeff made yummy chocolate chip cookies. However, the entire reason I've always wanted a Bosch mixer is to make homemade breads, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls and other delectable baked goods, but I ran out of flour this week. So, I ventured down to Shar's Kitchen and bought some whole wheat flour (the healthy stuff)... and I watched them put the wheat in the Nutrimill and turn it into 5 lbs of flour right in front of my eyes! It was amazing and smelled so good and was actually warm still when I got it home! Anyway, I got all my ingredients ready and my Bosch fixed up to make 4 or 5 loafs of bread when it dawned on me that I only have 1 bread loaf pan...Duh! Hello? So, I went ahead with my mixing and ended up making 1 large loaf, 1 mini loaf, lots of bread sticks, monkey bread, and lots of rolls. So, word to the wise... think of EVERYTHING before you try using your new appliances in the kitchen. Better luck next time for me.

Mail


Two gifts arrived in the mail the other day, both for Corbin and since he's well practiced from Christmas, he was eager to help rip!
He got a card and money from uncle Jason, and...
...the other gift was from GG (Great-Grandma) Bywater.
We let Corbin take his sweet time opening it one piece of ripped paper at a time. It was pretty cute to watch his determination because he knew something was inside.
It was a book that he immediately had to read with daddy. Thanks Jason and GG!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

4 weeks & counting...

Nursery: the toy room designated at Church for all the 18 month to 3 year olds. Corbin officially becomes "nursery-age" in 4 more weeks! So, I decided to start a transition process with him to make the change a little easier for him since he is in the "mommy-attachment" phase right now. We both went to nursery on Sunday for the full 2 hours and experienced it all... the toys, the friends, the teachers, the snacks, the singing time, the crying, etc., etc. It wasn't too bad, but I was in there the whole time with him. Next week and each subsequent week I will leave the room for small periods at a time and return so that he knows I'll always come back. The breaks will get longer and longer after each return until finally, he's OK with the fact that mom and dad leave and then always return to get him. Hopefully the transition period will do more help than harm and he'll be fully ready for play time and snack time in 1 month! It's the church's little known secret: Nursery is the best class in the building! ;)

Thursday, January 3, 2008

I love you Holly

I usually don't get to type a lot on here because usually when I do I screw things up. But I wanted to let Holly know how grateful I am for her and all of her hard work. She is the GREATEST thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Anniversary honey, I look forward to eternity with you.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

Jeff & I celebrate 4 years of marriage today... once again, where has the time gone?
We sat and reminisced last night about that day and how perfect it was and it's still funny how many memories we each have of that day that come out that we have never heard from each other before... like how Jeff cared less about the ensuing rainstorm that hung over our head all day.
Our friends Michael and Jenny are getting married today (or already are married) in Salt Lake and we wish them the best. When we told Mike that his wedding day was the same as ours he laughed and said, "Well I guess it is a good day because you guys have a happy marriage, right? So we will too."
He's right, we do have a happy marriage that only gets happier and stronger year after year. I'm so grateful for Jeff and all his hard work and support and love and can't wait for another 4 years, 40 years, and into eternity. You're the best babe! Love you!
(This picture was taken on our 1st anniversary when we went ice skating @ the Galivan Center in downtown Salt Lake and then stayed at the Little America Hotel... such fun memories.)

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year!We really can't believe that it is already 2008, we have no idea where 2007 went. This next year will be full of change for us as we welcome a new baby in June and as both Jeff and I graduate from University of Phoenix. I feel some positive change in the air and love the feeling of starting over anew...
We celebrated family style this year at my parent's with my sister and her family, my parents, and my sister-in-law. We had a yummy nacho-bar and lots of delicious desserts that I ate way too much of. We played some fun games, visited, and then watched the ball drop.

On New Year's day we actually got to sleep in until almost 9am, which is unheard of at our house. Then Jeff & I got away for a while to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets, a great sequel to the first movie. I recommend it to any of you who are looking to visit the theaters anytime soon. Happy 2008!