Thankful Thursday - Teeth & Salmon

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for teeth...kinda. I'm thankful that Mckenna is getting some teeth. She has an adorable little one on the bottle left and is working on the one on the bottom right. It is SO cute to see a little flash of white when she smiles now. I am just so thankful that I get to watch her become a big girl. The only catch is that it's been a couple long days around here as a result - in fact, I'm writing this at 4 AM!

I'm thankful for family. My parents are still in town and I can't get enough!! I love spending time with them and wish they didn't have to go back to Singapore on Saturday.

I'm thankful for new recipes. We made salmon the other night and it was delicious. I totally love when we try new recipes and they actually work out and become a new favorite. I'm also so thankful that we are blessed enough to be able to get good, healthy foods!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a good sized dining room table. When we were buying furniture and stumbled upon our dining room table, we figured that they had placed the wrong price tag on it. Compared to everything else that we had seen, it just seemed to big and nice to be as cheap as it was. Ends up that it was no a mistake and we were able to pick up a table that can seat 8 comfortably with the ability to add at least 2 more with the leaf. 

Speaking of the dining room table, I'm thankful for family dinners. Wether it's just the three of us, or we're fortunate enough to have family over, we love cooking up a great meal and sitting down around the table. We recently cooked up salmon, quinoa and corn on the cob for Nana, Uncle Smeags, Uncle Josh and Aunt Kissy. 

I'm thankful for 10 minute tidies. We've been trying to be better about picking up after Mckenna goes down for the night, and it's amazing what a 10 minute tidy can do. Granted, it's 20 minutes of man-power, but nevertheless, it makes a BIG difference. There nothing like waking up to a picked-up house...even when you know it won't look that way 2 minutes into the day :) 

So, what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday - Time with Nana & Coaching

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. as I mentioned, I no longer have the "linkytools" but I invite you to share your thankful blog in the comments section. Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

Mandi went night-night nice and early last night and I didn't have the heart to wake her up to have her list what she is thankful for.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for this exchange at my spin class yesterday -

Instructor: Alright, turn it up one gear!

Me: [Turned it up one gear]

Instructor: Alright, turn it up another gear!!

Me: [Turned it up another gear]

Instructor: One last time, turn it up another gear!!

Me: [Did not turn it up another gear]

Instructor: [While pointing directly at me and calling me out in front of the whole class] What are you waiting for, you still haven't turned it up another gear?!?!?!

Why am I thankful for that? Because I need it. I'm pretty new to this whole spin thing, but one part I really like about it is the constant coaching. It's usually not so direct, as I will just follow whatever commands he barks out, but this time, he was only looking at me. When I'm pouring sweat, feeling like I'm about to barf and convincing myself that I can't push any further - what he did was exactly what I needed. I take coaching well and this was no exception. After he called me out I was able to finish the class at a higher pace than any previous class I had done before. As a bonus, I only dry heaved into my towel twice :)

I'm thankful for the extra time I was able to spend with my mom-in-law. We were able to spend a whole week with both Nana and Papi, but we were able to spend an additional week with Nana. Mandi and her mom were able to bond over some nursery shopping and were also able to pick out some fabrics to be used in Peanut's room. Can you believe that Nana has sewn most of our curtains and is now working on all of the nursery stuff?!!?! If only she could build cribs :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Top Ten Great Things About This Weekend

This past weekend we had a bunch of good stuff happen to us. So much stuff in fact that I figured I would put it all down in a list of the top ten cool things about this weekend. These are in no particular order except for the last one - it's definitely #1 on the list:

Grilled pineapple with cinnamon and sugar - Nancy (mom-in-law) made some excellent side dishes to our dinner on Friday night. I don't know how she managed to pull it off, but after flying for 24 hours, she still had the energy to whip up dinner. That woman has some serious skills in the kitchen, and the grilled pineapple did nothing but bolster my opinion.

People watching at Starbucks - I like people watching period. People watching with Eric (pop-in-law) just brings it to a whole new level. His comments are entertaining and it's always a pleasure to join him at one of his favorite spots back in the states - good ol' Starbuckaroo's.

Breakfast at the Post Office - Before church on Sunday we all went to one of my favorite breakfast spots in Scottsdale. It's called the Post Office and pretty much everything they make is good. I got a create your own omelet with one of my favorite combinations: ham, american cheese, tomatoes, spinach and green chilies. Mmmmmm, mouth is water just thinking about it. As a bonus, we were a couple of tables away from Jared Allen, defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. Big dude.

Movie watching - I love sitting down and watching movies. I actually prefer to watch movies at home rather than go to the theaters. Not only is it cheaper, but I can stretch out as I please and pause when necessary. We ended up getting a very "manly" movie which, cussing aside, was pretty good. And by good of course I mean entertaining. Just a lot of fight scenes, shootings and things blowing up. What's not to like?

Pool lounging - I've never claimed to be a "sit in the sun and fry" kind of a guy, but hanging out in the pool is one of my favorites. We always end up coming up with whacky games or challenges that make it even more enjoyable. This time it was seeing who could throw a ball across the pool and make it land (and stay) on a raft as well as going back and forth across the pool without swimming and only pushing ourselves off against the wall. I guess you had to be there :)

Watching Nancy adjust to the new timezone - So you can probably imagine that it may be a bit tough adjusting to a country that is 15 hours behind the country that you just left. One of my favorite things about the in-laws being back in the states is watching Nancy fight to keep normal wake and sleeping hours. Sometimes she adjusts rather "quickly" and sometimes she doesn't adjust at all. You can bet your bottom dollar however that you will catch her napping on the couch every single day at various times. Maybe we should start making bets?

Picking the folks up at the airport - It's always very exciting seeing Eric and Nancy for the first time in a long time. Granted, Mandi and her mom webcam almost every single day, but it's obviously just not the same. Seeing the smile on my wife's face as her parents make their way to our truck is a particularly special moment for me.

Coming home to a painted house - I know that Mandi touched on this yesterday, but I have to reiterate how good it feels to come home to a painted house. It's amazing how a single coat of paint can seemingly transform a room. We know have every single room in our entire house painted to our satisfaction with the exception of our master bathroom toilet room. Now that the painting is done, here comes the fun part: Mandi coming home with furniture to fill the newly painted rooms. First up, the nursery.

Hiking - We all set out on a hike Saturday morning to the mountain where Mandi and I got engaged. The entire loop is 4 miles and Mandi and I did 3 miles of it. Eric and Nancy were considerably faster on the way up and we didn't want to make them wait for us to make it to the top, so we stopped at the second check point. I'm proud to report however that I hiked all 1.2 miles to the first check point without ever stopping - that's the first time that has ever happened.

Time with Family - Do I really need to say anything else about this?

Best Feeling Ever...

"What is?" You're probably thinking after reading the title. But unfortunately you will have to bare with me a bit before I get to that...

As some of you may have read in a few posts recently, my parents are in town (WAHOO). We picked them up from the airport on Friday afternoon, and spent the weekend with them, and Josh and Chrissy (bro and sis-in-law) up at my parent's house. It sure is great having them in town! Friday late afternoon we hung out in their pool and then grilled steaks for dinner. Saturday, Ronnie, my parents, and I hiked a mountain near their house (you've maybe seen pictures from the top of it...it's where Ronnie proposed to me!), then we all went to hang out at Starbucks for a bit (my parent's favorite weekend morning tradition - they love the people watching!). After Starbucks we headed back home and spent the day in the pool, watching TV, eating far too much junk food and brought some Thai food in for dinner. Saturday was one of those days were you're actually tired at the end of it, but from doing nothing at all. It was awesome. We always have fun floating and playing in the pool together - making up pointless games to occupy our time, reading magazines, catching up on life, and busting each other's chops. Sunday was much of the same. We went to breakfast and church in the morning, came home, and hung out in the pool some more, watched a movie, and brought pizza in for dinner.

It is so fabulous having them in town. I am just happy to know that the fun does not stop this weekend...they'll be here for another couple of weeks! YIPPEEEE!! But the weekend did have to come to an end, and Ronnie and I headed back down to our house Sunday night, to get a good night's sleep in our own bed and start Monday morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for work. Unfortunately, we aren't taking the week off, even though they're here, so we had to get back to our house so we could maintain somewhat of a routine. So anywhoo, as I was saying, Sunday night we headed to our house, and before unloading the car, came inside to check out the painting. "Huh?" You're probably thinking. You read that right, while we were gone for the weekend "vacationing", painters were here painting!! BEST.FEELING.EVER!!! I can't tell you how amazing it felt to come home to chores done, that I didn't do! I do feel a little guilty that we had painters come and paid them to do a job that we could have done. But painting makes Ronnie's lungs tight, and I figured I probably shouldn't be painting several rooms (we're playing musical rooms to get the nursery in the room we want it) while pregnant. So we had painters come and paint those two rooms, and while they were at it, paint the 2 bathrooms associated with those rooms AND paint the laundry room. So while I still feel a little guilty, seeing an almost fully painted house after a weekend of NOT painting is super exciting!

So there you have it...the best feeling ever revealed :)

Thankful Thursday - Snorkeling and My Rock

Know what time it is? It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. as I mentioned, I no longer have the "linkytools" but I invite you to share your thankful blog in the comments section. Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for a healthy little baby. Our 19-week scan yesterday went well and peanut is measuring just right, has all his organs (that they can see) and has an adorable little face! I am so very thankful to have a growing, flourishing little baby, and I hope he/she continues to develop just the way God has planned. Who knows if God has a little boy or a little girl in store for us...hopefully we'll find out today...but whatever peanut is will be just right!

I'm thankful for a great long weekend with family. The annual trip each year to Rocky Point, Mexico with Ronnie's entire extended family (about 40 in total) is always a blast. This year was no different. I am so thankful for such a wonderful family and such wonderful memories that are created each year. There is nothing like fun, sun and relaxation with an incredible family.

I'm SO very thankful that my hubby is always a rock and a voice of reason. We've had a few little hiccups the last few days (well, WE haven't had the hiccups, but this pregnant, overly emotional stress ball has) and Ronnie has calmed my anxious mind, been the voice of reason, and best of all, snuggled me when his wise words went in one ear and out the other...mannn, gotta love pregnancy hormones in an already emotional and high-strung woman (poor Ronnie!)

I'm thankful for my God. When I need something, anything, and I cry out to my God, I often wonder how people do it when they have no faith, no nada to cry out to. I'm glad I have someone bigger than me, and an even bigger and better rock than my incredible hubby. I'm not sure where we'd be without the faith we have!

Ronnie's List:

I'm so thankful that everything looked good on lil' Peanut's ultrasound yesterday! S/he has a great looking brain, heart, spine, bladder, kidneys, fingers, toes, hands, legs, feet and everything else. The lil' bugger is still being shy however and not giving us a clear shot of his/her genitalia so we're still wondering what the sex is. We have a 3D scan today, so we're very hopeful that we'll get some definite gender answers!

I'm thankful for the safe trip to and from Mexico for the whole family this past weekend. Every year about 35-40 of us head down to Rocky Point, Mexico for our annual "family reunion". Other than the occasional flat tire or speeding ticket, we've managed to go to and from without a hitch. This year was no different and I'm thankful that despite all of the warnings coming from our government about our friends to the south, we made it in and out safe and sound.

I'm thankful that I was able to experience God's wonderful underwater creation. Mandi and I had the chance to snorkel this weekend and it was absolutely wonderful. I hadn't been snorkeling since I was about 9, so I was eager to go again although I didn't really know what to expect (but quite honestly, my expectations were low). I was pleasantly surprised. I saw a ton of fish, sea urchins, corral and other cool stuff that I would have never seen had I not stuck my head under water. God is good and His creation is magnificent.

So, what are you thankful for today?

1/2 Mother's Day

We had a jam-packed weekend; full-o-fun. We were down in Tucson Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning. Friday night we enjoyed dinner with a few of our co-workers/friends, and then enjoyed hanging out with Ronnie's family a bit.

Then Saturday we enjoyed a morning with Ronnie's Grandma and Aunt Mary and then went to breakfast with Ronnie's brothers. Next up was a bridal shower for Ronnie's cousin, which was a blast. For each of his family members, Ronnie's mom and her sisters throw what they call an "Auntie Shower". And these ladies always do an unbelievable job. This shower was "beachy" since their wedding is in June, on the beach in Mexico. It was a blast, as all the Auntie Showers are.

After the shower Ronnie, his brothers, and I ran around getting stuff for Mother's Day (obviously for his mother!) And after the errands were over, it was time to get cleaned up and ready for a CysticLife fundraiser that we had. Our web guru, Mike, organized the whole event and it was a HUGE success. We were thrilled to see it all come together and look forward to this event in years to come (right, Mike ;-) !!)

And after what felt like a very short night of sleep, it was MOTHER'S DAY (or 1/2 Mother's Day as Ronnie and I celebrated it for this little momma to be). Ronnie, his brothers and I made breakfast for their mom. We enjoyed some blueberry pancakes, watermelon, and scrambled eggs. After a nice meal, we packed up, and headed up back home.

The rest of the day we spent laying around - and it was FABULOUS! I had a bit of an upset stomach Saturday night and all of Sunday, so laying around and napping was just what the doctor ordered. Ronnie and I didn't want to celebrate Mother's Day for me this year, since peanut isn't here yet, so instead we celebrated 1/2 Mother's Day. And while we didn't officially celebrate, Ronnie spoiled me all day by doing laundry, waiting on me, and showering me with praise - it was the best 1/2 Mother's Day anyone could ask for.

And while Ronnie already wished everyone a happy Mother's Day, I want to take a second to give my mom a specific Mother's Day shout out, since I wasn't able to spend the day with her (and between you and me, I didn't get her anything either because we'd probably need to take out a second mortgage on our house to pay for shipping!) Luckily my dad picked up the slack and spoiled her all day for me and my brother. But in case she didn't feel the love enough: Momma - Happy Mother's Day! You were the best mom, and have set the bar very high for me. I hope I can be half the mom you are.

So how did you celebrate Mother's Day?

Easter Fun 2011 (Pictures included)

Yesterday we headed down to Tucson to hang out with the family for Easter. Before heading down we would usually go to the Easter service at our church, but the pastor asked for some of the "regular attenders" to go to one of the Saturday services instead. We knocked out the Easter service on 3pm Saturday afternoon. This gave us time to relax Sunday morning and enjoy a nice sit down breakfast together before heading down to Tucson.

As many of you know, when my family get together to celebrate any occasion it's usually a big deal. By big deal I mean that there are a ton of people around. I'm guessing for Easter 2011 we had about 30 peeps there. We do the normal stuff, chit-chat, devotional, chow down, hunt for eggs, dessert and then chat some more. As always, it was a good time and we definitely enjoyed ourselves.

We tried to take as many pictures as we could, but as usual, we suck at taking pictures. Here's what we got though.

Like I said, when we get together, we get together. This was the crowd to my right and doesn't include at least 10 family members who were to my left. It looks like the bulk of family members in this picture are cousins, but I do see some aunts and uncles sprinkled in there. Notice the fresh flower centerpieces in the middle of the table - good work Aunt Janna!!

here's my mom and my aunt Mary hiding some eggs before a handful of younger cousins come looking for them. If you're wondering, yes, I did have a putting competition earlier in the day, and yes, I eeked out a victory over my step-dad Mark.

Somehow I didn't manage to get a picture of the Easter egg hunters, but I did snap a picture of the crowd watching them search for eggs. This year, the oldest searcher was about 5, so we couldn't make the eggs too hard to find. Hiding eggs for kids no taller than 4 feet is quite a challenge and really limits your options.

Dessert table. Three families, including Mandi and I, were in charge of bringing desserts. Mandi and I brought the blonde brownies in the far left hand corner of the table and the trifle looking thing on the right side of the table. Our trifle consisted of chocolate cake, cool whip, crushed peanut butter cups, crushed butterfinger, chocolate pudding, another chocolate cake and topped with more crushed butterfinger and some cool whip. Yummy yummy for my tummy tummy...followed by a slight sick feeling :)

Then of course I tried to play with the "big boys" and I got hurt. A ball unexpectedly made it too my hands and I wasn't quite ready for it - can you guess which pinkie got the raw end of the deal?

Thankful Thursday - Welcome to the Hole!

Know what time it is? It's thankful Thursday time! We just checked into the Hole and it's time to celebrate a little thankful Thursday! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. as I mentioned last week, I no longer have the "linky tools" but I invite you to share your thankful blog in the comments section. Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful that I'm feeling a little better. I still walk with a limp (thanks to the continued shots in the butt, twice a day, and the bloated belly), but I am thrilled to be back to my old self. My stomach is no longer super upset and I'm able to sleep through the night with fewer disruptions. I'm a big baby when I don't feel good - so I'm sure Ronnie's even more thankful than I am that I'm feeling better :)

I am incredibly thankful that we have been blessed enough to go through this much of the IVF process. We have been so fortunate by how smooth everything has gone. Having a few more embryos, so we'd have a few to freeze, would have been what we thought was "ideal"...however, I'm so thankful that my God knows what's best for us.

I'm thankful for caffeine free tea and hot chocolate. I have cut out all caffeine since starting this IVF cycle (December 24th), and for a coffee drinker it seemed like a HUGE task. However, I have actually enjoyed trying new teas and having an excuse to drink endless cups of hot chocolate. I am thankful that there are hot beverages to drink in the winter sans caffeine - or I would have felt lame-o not having something warm to drink in the morning.

I'm thankful for my mother-in-law (yup...you read that right!). Ronnie's mom is great at a lot of things, but one of her strongest contributions to our lives is her love and support while Ronnie's in the hospital. Since we go in for our tune-ups 2 hours away from home, but right in Ronnie's family's back yard, we rely on them A LOT. His mom makes dinner most nights, spends time with us, and is always looking for ways to spice up the stay. I'm looking forward to being taken care of for the next 3 weeks, and I'm so thankful that she wastes no time to help. Knowing that we were going in today (last minute) she packed up all the coffee making supplies, a little table, table cloth, silverware, paper plates, coffee mugs, etc etc. I'm so thankful to have such a great role model of how to take care of someone while they're in the hole!

Ronnie's List:

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm so very thankful that I checked into the hospital without being too sick. I had to push my stay off a little bit, but according to my PFTs it hasn't done too much damage. I still haven't been able to exercise at my regular pace but I'm hoping that changes after about a week in here. I'll start to push myself pretty soon to make sure that it doesn't cause anymore bleeding. Really I'm just thankful that I'm so close to the opportunity to exercise again!

I'm very thankful that Mandi is feeling a little bit better each day. Her back is tense and the muscles around her spine are cramped, but it's nothing a massage from her hubby can't fix. We are now enduring the waiting game of finding out if we are pregnant or not, but we're thankful that we at least have the opportunity to be in that game!

I'm thankful that my wife has the ability to make the hospital feel like home even more than I do. By the time I got the car unloaded she had already made my bed with new pillows and new sheets that she brought from home. The coffee station was set up, the toiletries were out, the room was rearranged and the boxes to transport stuff were neatly stacked in the closet. It's not easy to make the Hole feel like home, but she manages to do it every time.

And finally, I'm thankful for the birthday present that Mandi gave me. I haven't been able to use it all week as my computer's been in the shop, but I was finally able to set it up yesterday. It's called Dragon Dictate and it gives me the ability to speak my blogs instead of type them. I'm a very slow typer, I do the chicken peck, and I spent half the time rechecking my work. Now this program isn't 100% perfect but it does but it definitely saves me time (You'll probably see some silly grammar or words on these blogs from time to time because of it). Thank you wifey!

Thankful Thursday - Martha Stewart on Steroids

We can't stress enough how important it is in our own lives to slow down when things seem to be getting "fast" and just think about the little things that we're thankful for. Many of you expressed a similar sentiment last week as 6 people joined forces with us and blogged about their own thankfulness. I have a little "Linky Tools" at the end of this post that you can use to join the party and link up your thankfulness post! Feel free to spread this around to anyone you know that may like to participate.

Mandi's List:

I’m thankful for a wonderful week (last week) with both my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and Ronnie in Whistler, Canada. We had such a wonderful time all together. We ended up skiing more than I thought we would (which ended up being fun) and dinners and breakfast in town were a blast. My favorite part was just relaxing by the fire between skiing and dinner. I was bummed, that my dad had to get back to work, so he headed back to Shanghai Monday morning. Not gonna lie, I shed a few tears...like a big baby!

I’m thankful that all of my diagnostic tests (for IVF) this week turned out well. Not only were the results good, but the tests weren’t all that bad. We did have one little scare, but it all ended up ok. I’ll write a long post about all the tests Monday, so stay tuned.

I’m thankful that my mom is a VERY talented woman. She was nice enough to offer to sew curtains for me and Chrissy (sister-in-law). And man is she good at this kind of stuff. She has a good eye for fabrics, she knows how to measure and calculate how much she’ll need (factoring in the repeat (new lingo I picked up...apparently that’s what you call the reoccurrence of the pattern in a fabric, and you have to factor it in when you’re making curtains), she’s great at knowing what kinds of curtains will look best in a space, AND she can actually produce the vision we’re going for. It’s really incredible actually. She’s like Martha Stewart on steroids! I’ll post pictures when we get all the curtains made.

I’m thankful that we’ve been able to get back into the swing of things after the holidays. God’s given us a renewed vigor for work, exercise and eating right. Oddly, I’m actually excited about the increased working out and eating better (I’m a former - from 0-18 years old - couch potato who loved me some junk food)!

I’m thankful to be starting a new year with my best friend!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful that I was able to spend so much time with family during the holiday season. When getting married, you don't quite know how the ol' "split holidays" are going to happen, but fortunately, we were able to work it out again this year :) We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Mandi's family and then Christmas afternoon with mine. It worked out well and we're just so blessed to have two families that love up on us.

I'm thankful that so far, Mandi is normal. Let me rephrase that as those of you who know Mandi know that is a bold face lie; When it comes to reproduction, Mandi is normal thus far. We've had a battery of tests this week (which I believe Mandi will catch you up on on Monday) and so far, so good. It's looking like God made Mandi with a proper baby maker and we're just praying that things continue to check out.

I'm thankful that I got to ski for the first time and that I didn't kill someone. If you read the blog from a couple of days ago, you'll know that it wasn't the easiest thing I've done, but I'm glad that I finally got the hang of it. I just hate failing. Now, don't get me wrong, I fail all of the time by standard definition, but true failure to me is not lacing up the shoes and trying again. I was bound and determined to ski down that stupid mountain, and by the third day, that's exactly what I did :)

Our Whistler Vacation

My apologies for my lack of posts during this Christmas season. We've been on a little vacay in Whistler and I was trying to stay off of the computer as much as possible. I thought I'd ease my way back into blogging by posting some pictures from our fun ski trip...my first one by the way.

Pumpkin Carving Bonanza

Tonight we had family and friends over for some pizza and pumpkin carving!! Well, we ate the pizza and carved the pumpkins.

Happy Birthday Brother!!!

So today is the 4th of July and I plan on spending it with my wonderful wife and family. My brother Grant has been staying with us all week and was joined yesterday by my other brother Andrew. We're going to be having a BBQ at Mandi's parents' house and hang out by the pool. 4th of July is cool for fireworks, independence and all, but I think what really makes it special is that it's my brother Grant's 18th birthday!! I'm so proud of the man he has become and I can't wait to see what life has in store for him. I love you Grant with all of my heart and I'm so happy that I can spend today with you in celebration of the big 1-8!!!

Let Me Show You My O Face

My little cousin Asher is one of the cutest kids around. He's to that stage where he can copy much of what you do and does it rather well...except he's also MUCH cuter.

Do Weddings and Workouts Mix???

It's been a couple of pretty crazy days around here...

The wedding (of Mandi's brother) is over, but I'm still feeling the hangover (not literally as I only had 3 sips of wine and 1/4 of a flute of champagne). It was such a great weekend as I was able to meet many family members of Mandi's that I had never met before. We were all able to hang for pre and post wedding events plus "cut a rug" at the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and my (future) brother-in-law delivered his vows to perfection. I'm so fortunate to have a great family of my own, but I'm looking forward to becoming part of their family in the future.

I also got to hang out with some Melin Family friends. Bob and Wendy came out from Delaware and we all had a blast together. There were dinners, college basketball, pool sessions and house hunting all packed into the last couple of days with B&W and I've got to say, I loved every minute of it. I looking forward to those two crazies kids coming out for our wedding in May.

The Johnson's (another Melin Family friend) were also out all the way from Michigan. But get this, Mr. Johnson refuses to fly, so they drove all of the way out here. And yes, they'll be making the trip all of the way back in May for the next wedding. They were both such a BIG help around the house this weekend in getting everything together and making sure it all ran smoothly.

The wedding also brang (is that a word?) with it something else. Mucho slacko el working outo. Translation: I haven't run since last Thursday. I've been good with my walks, but running and te gym have been very, very bad. I can definitely tell too. During my walk today I was tighter than usual and it was quite hard to catch my breath while making my way uphill. Hopefully I can get my act together starting tomorrow and start putting my money (feet) where my mouth is.

Last thing, my Facebook is back up and running. I was "disabled" from FB last week for being "too active". I just recreated my FB profile and am now trying to recover my friends that I have lost (plus meet new ones). So here is what I would LOVE for you to do. If you're reading this and have a Facebook profile, please add me. If you're reading this, have a Facebook profile and have friends on Facebook that have CF or are parent's of a CFer, please suggest me as a friend to them. I know it won't happen over night, but I'm pretty sure my goal is to be the friend of every single CFer on Facebook. Not because it would just be cool, but I really think that we can all learn a lot from each other.

Oh yeah, and if you're a member over at CysticLife.org, thanks for bearing with us yesterday. We had a spammer create a fake profile and "bot-out" some cheesy emails. The problem has been corrected and we have put some measures in place to make sure it doesn't happen again. We will always be searching out ways to improve the security for our members at CysticLife and I hope that it wasn't too much of a headache :)

Memories of Gma and High FEV1!!

Wow, I have so much to be thankful for on this Thankful Thursday post. Here's what it at the top of my list:

-Seeing my grandma reach her 80th year!! Let's face it, that's OLD. I've said many times that thinking about living that long actually makes me tired :), but now that I'll be married to a gal that would literally kill me if I died, I better change my plans! For my gma's 80th birthday, many of us sent her letters detailing fond memories that we have of her. I had two that came immediately to mind: playing baseball in her cul-de-sac and blowing on a noise maker with her. As far as baseball goes, I remember being amazed as a little kid that my grandma could actually hit the ball, but what blew my mind was when she ran the bases! She was ALWAYS down for a game outside and always willing to entertain all 13 of us grandchildren. My second memory is probably the most special cause it is one only shared between my gma and I. The dreaded noise maker. She had this little plastic thingy that when blown into would make a really crazy noise that always made her laugh. It didn't have the same effect on me however as it made me cough, but that was always followed by laughing in response to my gma's laugh which would in turn make me cough again. Follow that? Anybody notice what she was really doing? That's right, I was doing a treatment without ever realizing it! I would do it literally EVERY TIME I went to my gma's house which was often. She's sneaky, but she sure does love me :)

-I'm also thankful for all of the support shown to me the last couple of days on this blog and facebook. I asked for some accountability partners and that's exactly what I got! And I'm proud to report that although I was traveling all day and was very tired when I got home, I still managed to get a run in. I'm sure that I would not have done it if it had not been for all of the encouraging messages and comments. I can't thank all of you enough for that! Oh and on a separate but related note, I blew my highest FEV1 (69%) since July of 2007!! WOOT WOOT!!

Holiday Highlights

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope you all had a great holiday season. My mom left Saturday, my dad left Sunday, and today it's back to the grindstone for me. Before saying goodbye to my favorite time of year, I thought I'd relive some of my favorite moments with you all, in a photo montage I like to refer to as my holiday highlights...ENJOY!

A tradition started last year, Ronnie gives "suggestive" funny photos to my parents. This year, he was gifting himself to them as the newest addition to the family...ahh nothing says Merry Christmas like your future son-in-law pretending to be naked in a box!

I like to call this "scrapping paper". I "scrapped" most of my gifts this year. What is scrapping you ask? Take all the little random scraps left from cutting real sheets for other gifts and put them all together...Taaadaaa!

We realized on Christmas eve that we were short one stocking. Ronnie cheerfully said, "just give me a sock!" "NO WAY JOSE," I thought to myself, "EVERYONE NEEDS A STOCKING!" So 30 minutes later, he had one. Made for him by his very own little seamstress. **Please note the Christmas tree detailing with the fancy button on top!

Christmas morning! We have a photo of us sitting on a staircase EVERY year since we were born.

My parents gave me a BEAUTIFUL pearl ring to balance out my ring fingers...I think it was my dad's secret ploy to remain just as much the man in my life as Ronnie :)

Ronnie got a TON of games from his family for Christmas...but this one was my personal favorite!!! **Please note the cover of the box.

Not too long before 2010!! Ronnie was really excited about the new year ;-)

Three Words: The Thoughts of a Cyster

Guest Post by Lindsay Conde

Do you ever feel like a sheet of ice floating around in the arctic? Cracks develop, sections begin to melt, pieces start to drift away from the base…..all the while, you feel helpless to stop the chunks from being washed away. Well, maybe an ice sheet isn’t the best analogy for me, I don’t think of myself as cold or frigid. But the comparison works on a certain level. Sometimes, because of stress or challenges or just life, you begin to slowly lose pieces of yourself. These parts are vital to the survival of the ice sheet or person as a whole. A big, strong slab of ice will fare much better in the dangerous waters of the arctic than some tiny, thin slice of ice. So how can we stop this? How can we keep ourselves in one piece through the calm seas AND tidal waves of life? Because, make no mistake, they are both out there waiting for us…

For me, the answer lies in what holds me together and keeps me going. What is the “crazy glue” in my life that allows me to keep on, keeping on?
In three words………FAMILY, LOVE, and LAUGHTER!

My FAMILY is everything to me. I have an amazing husband and two beautiful little boys. I am thankful every single day that I have these three men in my life. But my deep family connection began long before I ever met my husband. I grew up in a beautifully large and unique family. I have two parents that have been married for 37 years (to each other, lol), created a strong family foundation with their blood, sweat, and eternal love, and would do anything for each other and their children. These parents of ours CHOSE to have a big family, resulting in 13 pregnancies. Years later, there are 10 of us “crazy” kids/adults that represent our clan. The oldest is 36 and the youngest is now 14. Out of 10 children, 3 of us spend each and every day fighting Cystic Fibrosis. The disease does not afflict every member of our family, but it does affect us all. We may be older, have separate and busy lives, and sometimes even conflicts with each other….but one thing has always remained the same…our love and devotion to our family. We have made a point, as a family, to celebrate life’s moments (big and small) and supporting each other through life’s disappointments and challenges. Individuals throughout my life, have teased me about my big family or inquired as to whether or not I would have such a large family myself. The jokes never really upset me much, because though our family is big in number (and growing constantly) it is also full of soul and so much heart. Each member of this circle brings along with it such unique personality and a different human dynamic. And although we may not always see eye-to-eye, the circle would be far from complete without each individual’s contribution.

My husband, Alex, and I have begun and will continue to focus on the same priorities for our own little family. Yes it is true that money is what motivates our society, jobs are a necessity, and bills have to be paid. But life should not revolve around such things, if so, it is a life wasted. We want to instill in our boys the strong family ties, devotion, and unconditional love that we both believe is so essential to a successful and happy life. It is true that “Home is where the heart is.” So I keep my family forever in my heart, because they are where my home is!

This brings me to LOVE and LAUGHTER!! I learned at a very young age that laughter heals, memories last forever, and love is more powerful than hate. Love makes the world go round. The world can move for love and kneels before it. Don’t get me wrong, hate is also a very powerful thing. But love sets you free and opens new dimensions within yourself, while hate closes you off and hardens you. Now, that’s not to say that my life and it’s many challenges have been all rainbows and skipping through meadows. I have had my angry or bad days. Those days, I spent wondering “why me?” or focusing on what hurdle I would have to try to leap over next. Some of them have even revolved around crying and thoughts of what my children will do without their mother. It’s funny, when you love someone so much, you almost become conceited and selfish about that love. You feel like that no one can love them, look after them, and take care of them like you can. You want them to truly know you, love you, and remember you forever. But the truth is (for me), my time is better spent living each day one at a time, than thinking ahead to the heartache I may leave behind. I can better serve my husband, my boys, myself, and the rest of my family by making memories, laughing, crying, dancing, snuggling, enjoying the little things, and most of all….living. Because, in the end, no matter how much time we have together, the memories are what we are left with…so we have to make them unforgettable! I have made the choice to live, laugh, and love with my whole heart. And if I make that happen, then I will have no regrets in my life.

Time does heal all wounds, but laughter can sometimes be the best medicine. A good laugh with friends or family or even at yourself can unburden your mind and give you back a piece of your happiness. Someone once said, that if they didn’t laugh, they would cry all the time. So it may seem silly, but I choose to lighten the mood as often as possible, especially in challenging times…with a funny joke, stupid impression, or even just a silly face that makes my boys giggle. We may not have control over the hand we are dealt in life, but we “for damn sure” have control over how we choose to play it! So, while we are forced to make car payments, pay rent, and buy groceries………I’m going to play my cards as follows….

*Drive that car to take amazing trips with my boys, like to the Chattanooga Aquarium this weekend.

*Decorate our house like crazy with lights and trees and tinsel, to make the holidays exciting and special for my family.

*And use those groceries to create delicious (and mostly healthy) meals that will bring us to the dinner table together and nourish our bodies and souls!

Bio: Hello Everyone! My name is Lindsay and I am 28 years old and living with CF. I was diagnosed as an infant, after my older sister passed away from CF when she was just 5 months old. So, that makes me the oldest of 3 siblings in my family that deal with Cystic Fibrosis everyday. Life has most definitely been full of its' challenges, but also its' blessings. If you would like to know more about me, or about my "challenges", feel free to ask :) Until then, I am so happy to be here and would love to get to know you all.

Cousin Bake-Off 2009

So I may or may not have taken about a "two hour walk" yesterday to spend some time with the family. I made sure to bring the camera so you guys could witness the craziness that goes on when we all get together. In total, there was I believe 36 people there to celebrate Thanksgiving. Last year we started a "Cousin Bake-Off" where cousins who choose to participate enter a dessert to be judged by moms, aunts and grandma. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my Easy Bake Oven with me to the hospital so I wasn't able to partake in the competition this year.

The competition is about to begin.

Can you feel the anticipation in the air?

Here's (part of) the panel of judges: Aunt Pat, Aunt Janna, Aunt Ruth

This is some kind of french chocolate cake entered by my lil' brothers.

How creative is that? It's a corn on the cob made with cupcakes, yellow frosting, yellow jelly beans and a yellow starburst!

My family is Dutch (if you couldn't tell by the cake model after a wooden shoe)...and yes, it says Congrats Ron & Mandi! Of course, this was my pick to win :)

Looks a lot like Mandi & I don't ya think??? This was baked by my cousin Jon.

Little turkey cupcakes submitted by my cousin Janee (who also did the corn on the cob).

Let the judging commence! That's my grandma on the far right and my mom on the far left.

Alright! Dig in!!!!

If you didn't think that my family takes this "bake-off" seriously, this video will change your mind...in fact, it may change your life.