Bjorn, Cyd & Co.

2012-01-23T20:57:00.001-08:00

My amazing trip to Hawaii

2010-03-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

For the two or so people who check my blog, you know I'm, well... lazy...when it comes to blogging. In that spirit, I cut and paste the post from my friend Hilary's blog about my amazing trip to Hawaii with my college roomies.

A big shout out to Bjorn and his parents for taking great care of the kids while I was partying in paradise. I even came home to a very clean house thanks to my mother-in-law, Veronika.

Highlights: Polynesian Cultural Center, Pear Harbor, flying out of Honolulu just a few hours before the Tsunami warning was issued, snorkeling, Akaka Falls, the boiling pots, Rainbow Falls, Waipio Valley, Kona Stake Conference, attending the Kona Temple, The City of Refuge, the beach, whale watching, and seeing dolphins and sea turtles in the wild.

Here is Hawaii by the numbers:

5 -number of times we told fellow travelers we had 25 kids between the 6 of us and were roommates in college 15 years ago.

1 -number of fellow travelers who were actually glad we told them our story unsolicited. (We stopped after the 2nd day)

30 seconds -amount of time it took for us to pick up and be ready to go to the next location. Having 6 Moms and no kids is a LOT easier than having 1 Mom with 3-6 kids.

1 Tsunami warning issued while on the Big Island of Hawaii

3 -number of husbands who called in the wee hours of the morning after said Tsunami warning was issued

10 -number of times we repeated the word "Aloha" back to the speaker during the Kona Stake Conference we attended.

1 -number of picnic lunches we "crashed" after said Stake Conference. It was yummy and yes, a few of us even had seconds.

4 -number of times we had to stop for cabbage leaves.

40 -number of K-1 trivia questions submitted for our personal trivia game.

3 -number of questions Cyd got right. We are just glad she remembers us because she certainly didn't remember much of our time together in college.

48 -number of random wikipedia-like facts Heather gave us during our week together. Her new nickname? "Wiki"

1 -number of times someone on the beach came up and said he had just bet his wife 20 bucks we were from a particular state that will remain nameless at this time. Kaylynn's response was, "Is it that obvious?" He was very happy to have won the bet. I guess we did kind of stick out like sore thumbs.

942 -approx. number of pictures taken by the 6 of us during our week in Hawaii.

102 -approx. number of pictures we have each appeared in during the last 10 years of our lives. We are usually the ones taking the pictures, not being in the pictures.

64- number of times we used the word "charmed" during our trip

6 -number of AWESOME husbands who essentially said, "Go. Have fun with your friends for a week and don't worry about anything here." Seriously, they were SO great.

4 -number of minutes used up on the camcorder of us walking away from the camera so we could see what our own walk looks like. Just one of the many super dorky things we did during our time together.

4 -number of clear syllables in the way Heather says the word "interesting". In-TER-est-ing. The rest of us only use 3. In-trest-ing. Interesting, isn't it?? (Or is it "in-TER-esting?" You be the judge.)

8/ ea. -number of post cards Malinda and Kaylynn mailed to their kids.

35 -number of times Cyd spontaneously bursted out into song.

3 -number of injuries I sustained while snorkeling/playing in the ocean.

0 -number of injuries everyone else sustained put together.

6 -number of minutes Ker-dog and Cyd spent trying to speak "whale" (think Dorie in "Finding Nemo") in an effort to get the whales to jump out of the ocean. It must have worked because we saw a LOT of whales during our trip.

2015 -the year we want to go on our next trip!!

The trip was such a success we decided to go on another one in 5 years. That will give Keri time to move to a new location so we can go and visit her all over again. She was definitely the "Hostess with the Mostest" that is for sure.

LuLu and her Angel Donor Ashley

2010-02-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here is the article about my niece's lifesaving transplant and her Angel/Hero who made it possible:

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_14390307

I just saw LuLu the other day and am simply amazed at her "extreme makeover"...from sickly (but still so sweet) to energetic, comfortable, and HAPPY. We have much to be thankful for in our family.

LuLu got a liver!

2010-01-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

LuLu finally got a "gently used" liver from her anonymous (for the moment) "Angel Donor." See all the amazing details @:

www.liverforlulu.blogspot.com

She finally has a lovely liver to match the rest of her lovely parts!

Little Lulu

2009-11-24T21:02:00.001-08:00

I've really been meaning to blog about the everyday events of our lives but for some reason I only end up blogging when we travel on the other side of the planet, a new human joins our family, etc... Well, our latest blog-worthy story is my sweet, almost-one-year-old niece London. Check out her blog at:

http://www.liverforlulu.blogspot.com/

I just found out today that my liver would not be a good match for little Lulu. Her mom (my sister Liz) had the perfect size to donate but less than ideal arterial branching; her dad (James) had good arterial branching but the liver was too big for London; and me...big liver AND weird arteries. I mean, I knew I had my quirks...I just didn't know they extended to my organs. I was so hoping to be goldilocks with the "just right" liver...anyway, it's been a sad day. The only analogy I can think of is that I've been high on the thought that I'd be able to help my sweet little niece and now I'm in my post-high crash. Liz called to comfort ME today. My sassy little baby sister has turned into an amazing mom/girl (sorry, I still can't call you woman, Liz! ;)

Anyway, if anyone even reads this (since I only blog quarterly at best), please keep London and her family in your prayers.

*News flash--the plan right now is to keep London stable and get her big enough to receive her dad's liver...staying hopeful ;)

Our Little Benjamin Button (thanks, Liz!)

2009-07-12T09:45:00.001-07:00

Short male, receding hairline, soft tummy, slightly ornery when not getting what he wants, no teeth, and a cataract. What kind of guy comes to mind? Probably not our cute little Stephen Thomas who was born...oh five months ago or so (blasphemy in the maternal blogsosphere, I know!) Oh well, here's a sneak peak into one of many chaotic moments that have kept me away from not-required-to-survive activities (i.e. blogging):

So yes, the biggest news since I last blogged six months ago is that we have a new addition to our family. It's been a slightly difficult recovery for me and Stephen but here we are five months later, all alive. Little Stephen has evolved from a colicky, fussy baby to a very fun, giggly guy with two teeth. We're blessed to have him in our family. Here's a little slide show of his first five months (including a picture of what he may look like in the future...thanks to a little modeling from his big bro, Alexander):

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

National Lampoon's European/Christmas Vacation

2008-12-31T12:59:00.000-08:00

We were in Germany and Austria during the beginning of December. I won't pretend that traveling across the planet seven-months pregnant with three kids in tow was completely relaxing but we DID have an awesome time. Continuing with the title of this blog entry, I'm going to tell about our trip through movie titles...

The Christmas Story - Both Austria and Germany are SO beautiful year round but particularly during Christmas. We drove through the snow-covered Alps, walked through quaint old towns full of lights and church bells, and enjoyed the many Christmas markets full of unique gifts and yummy food and drinks.

Shrek - On the transatlantic flight over I kept trying to recline my seat back but it kept getting shoved back at me. After a few attempts I got up to face this massive German man that in ogre-like fashion said "no" over and over as I asked him why he wouldn't let me recline my seat. The guy next to me finally explained that he was about 6'8'' and I retorted that I was about ten-months pregnant...the flight attendants got involved, etc. (and took my side I might add)...I'm generally an easy going person but the thought of sitting upright on an overnight flight put fire under my Santa-like belly.

Munich - We flew into Munich. We didn't see much of the city during this trip but were VERY glad to finally arrive. We landed around 8 a.m. (which is midnight home time...hello jet lag!!!)

(O)Mama Mia - Our first stay was in Graz, Austria (Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown) to stay with Bjorn's grandma. The boys were so excited to meet their great-grandma that they had only known through pictures and the gifts/chocolates she had sent over the years. Though verbal communication was limited, smiles and hugs were exchanged and the kids enjoyed their stay with "Omi."

While You Were Sleeping - As I mentioned, we landed in Germany just as their day was starting and our day at home was ending. This is a pretty rough way to start off a vacation (especially for kids). The boys woke up in the middle of the night the first night in Graz ready to play. Thankfully they had a lot of activity books to work on until the sun came up. It took a good three days to semi-adjust to the new time zone.

Big - Here's a math problem for you...pregnant lady+14 or so hours of flying=swollen everything

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Being the frugal folks that we are, we opted to buy an old-fashioned map instead of paying for a GPS with our rental car. There were more than a few times that I in so many words asked Bjorn "O Brother, where art thou????" We always got to our destinations...we just took many "scenic routes." ;)

The Interpreter - Bjorn thankfully grew up speaking German. His German skills were especially useful when we were taking our "scenic routes."

Phantom of the Opera - Our next stop was in Vienna where we stayed with some friends of Bjorn's family. They were kind enough to watch our kids one night so Bjorn and I could go see the opera "Die Fledermaus" (The Bat) by Johann Strauss. I think we paid about $3/ticket to see an amazing, professional opera. They even had English subtitles which made it a lot more enjoyable for me. While in Vienna we also met up with an old classmate of Bjorn's and went to a fun kid-friendly Christmas market with her and her family.

The Sound of Music - Our next stop was Salzburg which is "Sound of Music" territory. Bjorn put on his leiderhosen and I whipped on my maternity Julie Andrew's dress and we sang "The Sound of Music" on a mountain. Okay, I'm kidding...although some of you know we would actually do this if the opportunity presented itself...maybe on our next trip. In Salzburg we stayed at a quaint little family-owned bed and breakfast. We were able to walk around town and hike up to the famous fort. The boys favorite part was the old weapons and armour they had on display.

Chocolat - I'm attempting to get a year-supply of food and after our trip, I am well-stocked in the chocolate department. I can't say it will last a whole year but if we had self-control, it could last that long.

Seven Pounds - Another math problem...me+chocolate from our trip=seven pounds ;)

We Were Soldiers - Our final stay was in Garmisch, Germany which is a small skiing town where the Winter Olympics were held back in the 30's. We stayed at a lovely resort that was built a few years ago for people in the millitary and their families. We drove to some nearby castles, took a carriage ride through the town, and did a lot of window (and a little real) shopping.

Big Daddy - Elise has recently started calling any man that is not Bjorn "Grandpa." She pronounces it "Papa" which in German means "Daddy." She amused a few German/Austrian men (and their wives/girlfriends) when she'd point directly at them and say "Papa!"

Never Ending Story - The flight over was long but the flight home...oh, boy. I don't know all the meteorological details but the head/tail winds add a good two hours to the first leg of the flight home. In Atlanta we had a SIX hour layover, plus our flight was delayed. The boys literally sleepwalked onto our final flight and we got home around 2:30 A.M.

The Terminal - Note to self: bring extra clothes for toddlers when traveling. Elise is such a cutie but by the time we landed in Atlanta, she had stains all over her clothes and her diaper had leaked. Her hair was a mess and she didn't want to wear shoes...(can you hear the hilbilly music playing?) I could almost see the pile of dirt following her around the way it follows that Charlie Brown character. We essentially set up base camp during our long layover where the boys fell asleep on the chairs...

It's a Wonderful Life - The trip was full of ups and downs but mostly ups...it was festive and fun and a great place to be during the Christmas season. And like George Bailey, we were also very happy to be home again.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Trip to Washington, Part 2

2008-12-23T21:51:00.001-08:00

For the second half of the trip we headed up to Seattle for Bjorn's brother's wedding. Soren and Jasmin were married on a cold rainy Seattle day but it was lovely. While we were in Seattle we took the kids on a cold, wet hike at Snoqualmie Falls.

Our trip to the OTHER Washington, PART 1

2008-12-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

We had a whirlwind trip up to Washington (state) for Thanksgiving. We were tempted to fly but couldn't pass up the free gas that comes with Bjorn's company car. I won't mention names but one of the drivers in this family managed to get two traffic violations on the trip which probably could have paid for at least one plane ticket...oh well. That same driver felt much better after driving a mercedez on the autobahn last week (I'll blog about that one soon).

We spent Thanksgiving with my big bro, Ben and his family. We were especially excited to meet our new little niece/cousin Ashley. What a cutie pie! We had a great time at the local park, playing with cousins, and eating great food. Thanks again Ben and Ang!

Halloween

2008-12-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

I feel slightly unmotherly for not pasting a few Halloween pictures....Elise was a monkey, Alexander was Darth, Nicolas was Indiana Jones, and Bjorn was "The Thing." A few ladies from the block dressed up as 50's housewives (myself included)....I've got the heels, pearls, and a bun in the oven. Maybe someday we'll have a family theme...but I highly doubt it. I thought it was pretty awesome that my kids thought they'd scored big time in the candy department because they went to every house on our little block. I don't think they realized they could have branched out from there but I certainly wasn't going to encourage more tooth decay (or potential chocolate swiping from me).

Christmas Miracle...I'm blogging!

2008-12-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm going to retroactively blog...not the ideal way of doing things but hey, you do what you can do, right? I'll start with Nicolas' baptism...our big eight year old was baptized by Bjorn. Bjorn's parents and sister flew in from Seattle to be there (Bjorn's brother is a pilot which allows them to fly in for a few hours then go home...nice, eh?) My parents as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins were there for the special day. We're grateful to have Nicolas in the family. He's got a kind heart, a quick mind and is a great big brother.

Let's see, how can I explain THIS long absence?

2008-10-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have a bad habit of "shutting down" when I fall far behind on something (i.e. house cleaning, food storage, bathing/feeding my children--kidding, no need to call DCFS--and now...blogging). Bad habit/bad example, I know but here I am thinking that I have a zillion things I'd like to add to my on-line "journal" and little time (code for desire) to catch up. So here are some cliff notes of what's been going on in this family and perhaps I will expound a bit in the future ("perhaps" being the key word.)

#1 For those who haven't been frequenting my sister Julia's blog (I highly recommend it for mother's seeking comic relief), we're having a boy that's due in February...Elise will be officially "boy trapped" (a direct quote from my oldest son, Nicolas.) They pick up the weirdest phrases at school!

#2 Despite being in the thick of morning sickness, we had a fun summer vacation to Island Park, ID and Yellowstone National Park. We stayed with Bjorn's Grandma in her lovely cabin off the lake and got to know Bjorn's cute distant cousin Kimberly. And since Grandma and Kimberly wanted to see Yellowstone, we played the part of hillbillies and stuck our two oldest kids in the "trunk" of the SUV without seat belts. A few highlights: besides carsickness, our kids survived without seat belts as they repeatedly reminded us that we were breaking the law; we saw a couple of elk and several buffalo (one of which was a little too close for comfort...especially after reading the little disclaimer along the boardwalk about how several visitors were gored the previous year.) I had to pull Alexander away while he was making direct eye contact and talking with the beast with only about 20 feet between them. We enjoyed "Oklahoma" at the Playmill and a fun little rodeo in West Yellowstone.

#3 Nicolas' injuries this year: one poked eye on the playground by a girl running around with a stick (grrr...didn't her mom ever tell the "you--or someone else--lose your eyeball if you run around with a stick" lecture, HELLO!) One "we don't see anything wrong with the eyeball/$750 emergency room trip-two doctor visits-a few tears and prayers from a crazed mother-and a blessing from dad-later...he finally stopped seeing double. He also got x-rays a couple months later to make sure he didn't break his nose when he tripped and landed on a hard suitcase while jumping from bed to bed at a hotel. No break--just a lot of blood and tears from him.

#4 Alexander's injuries this year (keep in mind that he's been an injury magnet almost his whole life--see buffalo story in paragraph #2): I blogged about his broken arm already...he fell off the trampoline in the 24 hours that there was no net around the trampoline. Shortly after getting the cast off, I heard the famous scream while he was playing in my parent's backyard. Though he insists that he never let go of the swing, he (according to witnesses) did a 360 in the air and landed forehead first on a teeny strip of concrete. Shortly after getting the "swing" stitches out, I again heard the horrible scream (rumor has it that Alexander had one of the loudest cries that the newborn nurses had ever heard :) when Bjorn called me from their family bike ride. All I heard was "Open garage, Alexander hurt..." I ran outside and heard the cry live. I asked Bjorn what happened...all I heard was "Alexander's finger ripped off." I of course assumed he was exaggerating but when I got closer, the tip of his finger was oozing blood and did actually look shorter than it should. I again went into crazed mother mode and insisted that Bjorn take him to the hospital this time (keep in mind that I had major pregnancy nausea already). He did lose a little skin and his entire fingernail (which the doc sewed back on) but thankfully, his finger is still intact. Mega medical bills later (we have a rather large deductible), we are all--knock on wood--quite healthy.

#5 The kids were off track in September and we were able to use some free flights to see "Tante" Antje in Washington D.C. This trip confirmed that I'm a bit of a crazy lady tourist. I feel like I have to see/do everything when I'm visiting somewhere. We managed to see the Aerospace Museum, Natural History Museum, The National Archives, Museum of Art, Native American museum, botanical gardens, tour the Capital Building, elevator ride in the Washington Monument, WW II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, Mount Vernon, Washington Nationals/NY Mets baseball game, Washington D.C. Temple visitors center, National Zoo,and a temporary Jim Henson exhibit. We also toured around the Navy Yard where Bjorn's sister, Antje works (she's a Navy Sea Chanter in the Navy Band... www.navyband.navy.mil/seachanters.shtml ). The kids LOVED getting to know Antje better. She is quite the doting aunt and she was a GOOD sport to let us stay with her in her cute little condo for a week ;). She even threw a little 8th b-day party for Nicolas. When I asked what Alexander's favorite part of the trip was he quickly replied, "Getting the PEZ candy from Tante Antje." Fun times!

My long absence explained...

2008-08-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for most of you, this video won't be a major surprise. It's always hard for me to keep pregnancies a secret because I feel like I have to explain myself for laying on the couch half the day, neglecting my children, running to the restroom, etc...I used to do all my blogging, e-mailing, etc. at night after the kids were in bed and that was always when I felt the worst. I feel like I'm gradually coming out of the nausea fog and hope to resume a "normal" life soon.

Some of you might know that I secretly (well, not that secretly) wish that life was a musical...can you see it? You're taking a walk at night thinking about whatever and all the sudden a symphony starts the accompaniment and you sing about how you feel. Or you're just so excited about something and you begin dancing (along with everyone else in the grocery store or wherever) and everyone sings in perfect harmony...well, here are a few songs that (assuming I had any spare energy) I would have sung over the last couple of months:

Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles)--I was always so happy to wake up in the morning because it meant I usually had a couple of hours without "morning" sickness (an ironic term, for me).

Vanishing (Mariah Carey)--this would describe my waistline. A few people pointed out that they could see I was "showing" and I had to kindly tell them that no, in fact that little bulge they were seeing were "gifts" left by my other three children...you know, to prolong my life should I find myself on a stranded island with no food ;).

Hungry Like A Wolf (Duran Duran)--not much explanation needed here but my voracious appetite was a bit torturous because most food looked and smelled repulsive.

FEED ME! (from Little Shop of Horrors)--if life was a musical, this would be the song my children would have sung to me while I laid on the couch for hours. Is it possible to have latch-key children while the mother is at home? The second verse would have been "BATHE ME" and the third verse would be "NOURISH MY MIND AND SPIRIT!" (okay, so they wouldn't really sing the last two verses but I felt pretty negligent in those areas as well.)

Super Trooper (ABBA)--I would sing this to myself if I wasn't such a wimp about it all...this is actually the song I'd sing to Bjorn for being a great single parent for the last couple of months. One of my favorite memories (now) is when he took the three kids plus our nephew to a sit-down restaurant, then took all of them to a VERY crowded and late Bee's game to watch a little baseball and fireworks after. Only a crazy (but cool) dad would do this, right? The downside was that his cell phone was dead and I had no idea that he was at the game until he got home around 12:30 a.m...I eventually assumed that's where he was after the local police station informed me that there hadn't been any accidents with injuries in the area that night ;).

Adios for now! And thanks for the nagging, Ju!

Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime?

2008-07-04T06:13:00.001-07:00

Anyone know that old Primary song "Oh what do you do in the Summertime?"...Well, if you're my husband or kids, you go snow skiing on the first day of Summer. Who would have thought? This is Bjorn's first year of having a season pass and in my opinion, it gave him that buffet mentality...you know, load as much on your plate as possible to get your money's worth. Needless to say there have been a lot of trips up to the mountain this year, the last being June 21st...we ended the day at a Bee's baseball game which is a little more fitting for the season. Skiing and baseball are two of our family's favorite activities but we doing both on the same day is a first.

Mom's home

2008-06-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in an update. My mom came home on Sunday and she will be taking steroids for a couple of weeks. My dad's taking good care of her and she is resting a lot better at home than she was at the hospital. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Leaving Comments for my Mom/Update

2008-06-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to leave a comment for my mom but don't have a Google account, you should be able to click on the "anonymous" option after you've clicked on the "# comments" link below each post. Thanks!

I just spoke with her (Thursday night) and she is continuing to make progress. She was taken off oxygen today and is walking around to strengthen her lungs. She has been using what's called an incentive spiromater which looks a bit like an overgrown inhaler. She exhales then puts her mouth on the spiromater and inhales, inflating her lungs like a balloon. She was even "caught" using the gadget today when her pulmonologist walked into the room and said "Hey, that's what I like to see!" Tomorrow they will likely clamp her chest tube that has been draining the fluid off of her lungs to see if her lymph system is able to absorb the fluid on its own. If she continues to progress well, she will likely go home on Saturday :).

Mom in the hospital

2008-06-19T07:38:00.001-07:00

I went to see my mom in the hospital last night and she looks and sounds SO much better than she did on Sunday. She's such a trooper and is hopefully on her way to a full recovery. Thank goodness for prayers and modern medicine. By the way, if you'd like to leave a thought or message for my mom, just click below this post where it says "# comments" and it will bring up a window to leave a message. I will pass them on to her. Thanks!

More on Bonnie

2008-06-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my Dad and it looks like my mom will be in the hospital for at least 3-4 days. She apparently had an autoimmune reaction to the heart surgery which happens in about five percent of patients (something called Dressler's Syndrome...see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dresslers-syndrome/DS00666/DSECTION=1 for more info--Thanks Adrian! ). Fluid has gradually been building up around her lungs, making it difficult for her to breathe well. The fluid was drained last night and she is already feeling a lot better. The next step is to take steroids for two weeks and to do a lot of walking to help her lungs. So if you see her, tell her to pick up her tubes and get marching ;).

Here is one of my favorite videos. For those who know Alexander, he is a little less apt to show affection these days but for the first couple years of his life, he had a bit of a crush on Grandma B. She and my dad have some pretty devoted grandkids/fans. You can pause the music on the right hand side if you want to hear the video.

Mama Mia (Bonnie's update)

2008-06-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ooh, it's been a while...but considering the fact that I have written in my old-fashioned journal on a semi-annual to annual basis for the past several years, I'm still doing alright.

Although Father's Day just passed, this blog entry is about my mom (a.k.a. St. Bonnie...if you know her you know what I'm talking about). Some family and friends want an update on her without bothering her to find out and I've been wanting to write for family history sake, too.

My mom had open heart surgery on May 22 to replace a leaky valve with the valve of a pig. Ironic, wouldn't you say? The animal that can potentially kill our heart, can also save it? My creative little sis, Liz wrote a poem for my Mom along with a poster full of pig pictures when she went into the hospital:

This little piggy went to market

This little piggy went home

This little piggy had roast beef

This little piggy had none.

And this little piggy helped save Bonnie's heart

And she cried "wee wee wee" all the way home.

Thank you little piggy!

To our relief, the surgery went well. The next step was to see if her heart would start beating on its own or if she would need a pacemaker installed (I'm sure there's a better verb that doesn't make it sound like she's a car...feel free to throw them my way, you English gurus.) Each morning, the medical staff would take her off the machines that were keeping her heart beating to see if her heart would start ticking. I don't know what it feels like to have your heart drop to 20-something beats per minute but my mom does. She had to go through it four days in a row and she said it's horrible (and she's no whiner!). The doctor said that they would try it one more time and if her heart didn't start beating on the fifth day, that she would need a pacemaker to keep her heart pumping. Alas, her heart kicked in on the fifth day and we of course were all relieved and happy.

She was switched out of the I.C.U. and given the option to leave in the next day or two. Thankfully, she chose to stay in the hospital a little longer because her heart stopped while she was there. She blacked out and fell on the floor, breaking her nose. She still had a temporary pacemaker (called a "pacer" I think) which got her heart going again. The little miracle among the chaos was that my dad (who usually went home around 6:00) had stayed late to watch "Moulin Rouge" with my mom (sweet, huh?) so he was there to get the doctor/nurses in there A.S.A.P. Apparently there was a tiny "blip" (for lack of a better medical term) on her heart monitor but the nurse didn't think there was a problem. So had my dad not been there, who knows how long it would have been before someone came to check on her. I don't think it was a coincidence that my mom chose to stay a bit longer in the hospital and that my dad was there during this "incident." Despite the broken nose and scary situation, I feel like God protected her that night. On a side note, my mom DID get a pacemaker and I've since gotten over my thought that they were only for "The Greatest Generation" if you know what I mean.

My mom went home after ten days or so in the hospital. She had a relatively normal recovery up until a week or so ago when she choked on some water. She has been in quite a bit of pain since then. When I went to my parent's house on Sunday (Father's Day) I got really worried about my mom. I kept feeling like she couldn't get a good, deep breath and she winced with pain when she tried. I asked Bjorn and my dad to give her a blessing which seemed to help. I also told her (along with my other two worry-wart sisters) that she needed to go to the doctor. If you know my mom, she's a tough woman, and if you know her primary caregiver (my dad) he's even tougher (when it comes to enduring physical pain) so they were both thinking this is just a low point in the recovery process.

For all you Anne of Green Gables fans (my mom being a big one), taking Elise to her checkup on Monday was simply "providential." My kids' pediatrician, Cynthia (who also happens to be married to my mom's cousin) asked how my mom was. My parents taught me not to lie ;) so I told her my thoughts about the day before and she immediately whipped out her cell phone and sweetly reprimanded my mom, telling her she should go to the doctor. Well, where three nosy daughters were not successful, a physician was (thanks again, Cynthia!) My mom went in today (Tuesday) and she had water on her lungs. They are draining the fluid even as I write this blog...so for those of you who know my mom and for those who don't...I unabashedly ask you to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. The world is a better place with her in it. I'll post updates from here on out until she's back to her old (figuratively speaking, of course) self.

My Little Jedi Knights

2008-05-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know I shouldn't label my children but I think this video shows the personalities of my boys pretty accurately. Nicolas is dispensing information on the force and analyzing the situation while Alexander (the one with the broken arm...and a black eye) actually believes he is Darth Mal and acts accordingly...funny how different personalities can be when coming from the same gene pool. Any other parents agree?

P.S. A random blogging question...any suggestions on where to get images from the web without infringing on copyrights?

Happy Birthday Bjorn!

2008-05-22T23:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Bjorn! We love you.

P.S. Happy 1st Birthday to the Utah IKEA as well...apparently anyone who has a May 23rd B-day is eligible for a $10 IKEA gift card (as long as you're willing to drive to the Utah IKEA and present a birth certificate/government i.d.) A great husband/dad plus an IKEA gift card. What more can a girl ask for?

Update on KSL Idol contest

2008-05-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

I've been in bed half the day with sub-par health so I bailed on the KSL thing. I know, where's my dedication, right? I just thought I'd let the one or two of you know who were planning to listen to it ;).

Another Idol hopeful from Murray, UT

2008-05-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm driving home from my parents house tonight listening to the Night Side Project on KSL talk radio when the D.J.'s announce that they will be having their own quasi-Idol contest of their own....Well, for some reason I have a weakness for these kind of local karaoke contests (Whipple Plumbing Idol at the Bees game, Orem Idol, etc...) so I dialed the number and it started ringing. At first I thought "Wow, how lucky that I got through on the first try" but then I remembered that the rest of the planet is watching the REAL American Idol finals. Needless to say, I sang my little number over the air and was invited back to compete on their show tomorrow. Now granted, the majority of earthings will be watching the American Idol finals but hey, I thought I'd put it out there if any of you (besides my parents) want to listen to/mock me. Here is the website where you can find a podcast: http://nightside.ksl.com/ or if you live in Utah it is on A.M. 1160 or F.M. 102.7. It will run from 7-10:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time tomorrow (Wednesday 5.21.08) and is dependent on my dad coming through as my babysitter :).

Goodbye Winter, Hello Summer

2008-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or do winters seem to get longer/colder each year? Bjorn has helped us to embrace the long winters here through a lot of slope therapy. He's such a fan of Snowbird ski resort that he is the official mascot of the place (see family picture). Between that and his military discount he practically skis for free ;). Here are a few skiing pictures/videos:

Nicolas

Alexander and Bjorn

Nicolas skiing

Alexander skiing

Here's Alexander on his first ski day. Ahh, what a difference a couple of years and instruction by a non-parent type makes.

P.S. In case you were wondering, that's not really Bjorn in the Snowbird outfit, though perhaps he should tryout for next year...he might do it for a free season pass.

Will You Maui Me?

2008-05-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

The following story is based on actual events that occured in March of 2008:

Once upon a time, a weary mother of three laid her head on the couch after a long week of diapering, carpooling, homeworking, cleaning (well, not so much of that...), etc., etc... She soon drifted off to sleep when out of nowhere appeared a great-looking guy that said, "Hey, do you want to go to Hawaii with me...in three days?" And that's how it all began...to go, or not to go?

Suddenly I had a practical devil/angel (you choose) on one shoulder and a spontaneous, fun, "why on earth not?" devil/angel on the other....there was a lot going on the next week--a doctor apointment that takes three months to schedule, a birthday party to go to where really good food/company would be found, and last (but not necessarily least), a neighborhood Karaoke Idol contest that I was itching to participate in. In the end, I decided that it's just wrong to refuse an offer to go to Hawaii. We hired a "manny" (my good sport father-in-law, Bob) to come along to "help out with the kids" (code for Bjorn and I want to surf, snorkel, go out to eat, etc...) Thanks, Bob!

A few highlights from our stay...We spent a lot of time at the beach (a pebble's throw from our condo if you're one of the Manning brothers); took surfing lessons (me and Bjorn) and would HIGHLY recommend it; snorkeled (Alexander wanted to know why Heavenly Father put so much salt in the water...he got a few gulps of the ocean); went whale watching and saw other neat sea creatures at the local aquarium; celebrated Elise's first birthday at a luau; drove to the top of a volcano (Alexander lost his lunch on that trip); drove "The Road to Hana"...lush, gorgeous ocean views on a windy, sometimes one-laned "hope-the-person-around-the-corner-honks-so-I-don't-drive-off-the-cliff" highway--Nicolas lost his lunch on that trip. Mostly, it was a lovely trip with beautiful weather, gorgeous views, and great family times.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

P.S. Thanks to Hil for sprucing up my blog and helping with the slideshow ;)

The Jazz Singer (and I don't mean Neil Diamond)

2008-05-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Bjorn and I went on a very last minute date to the Jazz/Lakers game tonight (purchased tickets on Craig's List at about 4:45, found a babysitter at 5:00, left around 6:00, and arrived just in time to see Mr. Hometown Hero in the flesh--David Archuleta--sing the National Anthem.) Awesome game! Here's a little clip from D.A.'s song:

P.S. For those not raised by Neil Diamon fans, he was in a movie called "The Jazz Singer" in 1980.

Alexander's Broken Arm

2008-05-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Who knew that casts came in hi-lighter yellow color? Unfortunately, we now do (along with anyone who comes within 100 yards of Alexander). Our little evil kanevil boy has finally broken a bone. We' ve often joked that we should just put a helmet on him 24/7 and perhaps a little bubble wrap. For those who don't know, he managed to fall off the trampoline in the small window of time between setting it up and putting the netting on (about 24 hours). I should have known better as the little guy is a magnet for injury. I've since learned that with most couples, there is usually one who opposes owning a trampoline and one who wants one. I've heard a lot of "Don't tell my husband/wife how he broke his arm." Of course Bjorn was the one that opposed the idea (for fear of bodily harm) but eventually gave in. Thankfully he's not the "I told you so type" because I felt pretty bad already

We're finally bloggers!!!!

2008-05-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

We're jumping on the blog wagon!... considering the fact that I write in my journal approximately once a year, I've decided that perhaps, this might be the wave of my journaling future. So...our little family consists of me (Cydnee), Bjorn, Nicolas (7), Alexander (5), and Elise (1). I'll write more in the days to come...