Summertime!

Today was the kid's last day of school! Ya-Hoooooooooo!
Look how much my middle two grew this year?  I can not even believe it!!!

I'm planning a super duper fun summer series that will be starting the first week of June.
I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about  it!  :)

Trusting the Process

(new print available here)

What a week.
Marked with happy excitement.
Heartbreaking death.
Bittersweet memories.
It's been a roller coaster of emotions and I'm happy to wake up and say it's a new day.

Some highlights:

My new work investment.  I don't know how to use it.  But I still love it.
Any suggestions on switching from a PC to a Mac?

So proud of this kid.
His team made the finals and they lost with grace.
He has come such a long way, being the new one on the team.

Recital is over for the year.
I love that she loves dance and has found something that has made her happy.

I got to spend a girls day at Epcot with some good friends.
I love this picture so much.  I will hold her as long as she lets me.

My first experience with french macaroons.
It did not disappoint.

Bittersweet:
My baby graduated from pre-school.He is officially a Kindergartner now.
It goes as fast as everyone says it does.  I didn't cry when any of my others graduated, but this one was a little sad for me.  We are officially in the next phase of life.  No more babies!  Waaa!

Lots of work and I am so grateful and blessed.
This is all for one household.  I would love to see it all hung!

Our sad news:
My son's best friend Momma passed away this week.
There has been a lot of sadness and confusion, a lot of "why's?", a lot of fear.
It is hard for a 13 year old to experience death, and hard on a Momma to try and help navigate him through the pain.  It has been hard imagining my dear friend gone as well, and we are praying and praying and praying for peace.

I hope all is well with you, my blogging friends.
Life is a roller coaster sometimes.  The good, the bad, the in-between times.
I'm counting my blessings today.
Every single one.

This and That

I made a batch of hand-painted crosses this week. 
It was a very special project for me.  I didn't know what I was going to paint in them...scripture wise.
I just said a prayer asking God to lead me to the right scriptures...and that each one would be special for the person who ended up buying it.  The next day I found a Marianne Williamson book of prayers...and then I prayed over all of the crosses. 

I signed up for this course. It was my gift to myself for Mother's Day!  ;)  It's an e-course and it's only $19!
I have a total fascination with santos dolls and I can't wait to make my own!

I found this cupcake idea on Pinterest.  I made them last night for one of the first of many end-of-the-year school parties.
When we woke up this morning, all the teddy grams had gone soft from too much moisture!  lol  If you make them, don't put the teddy's in until right before serving.

I really want to get out my "real" camera and start blogging regularly again.
It's something I definitely want to work on.

Did you have a nice Mother's Day?  My kids showered me with homemade gifts and breakfast in bed.  We hung out by the pool and grilled salmon too.  I even got a 30 minute nap!  :) 

Wishbone Day!

(Re-posted from August 2011)

I have OI

I've never told you this~ my blogging friends, but I have OI.
OI is short for osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease.

"Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. A classification system of different types of OI is commonly used to help describe how severely a person with OI is affected. For example, a person may have just a few or as many as several hundred fractures in a lifetime."

There are different inheritance factors, but in my case a person with a form of OI caused by a dominant mutation has a 50 percent chance of passing on the disorder to each of his or her children. Of my four children, two of them have it as well.  My older son has broken more bones than my younger one, but he is much more athletic and daring.  As he has gotten older, he has learned his limits.  
Fortunately for us, we have a very mild case.  I have only broken 3-4 bones in my lifetime.  I gave birth to all of my children naturally, without any complications at all.  The only thing that has a huge impact on my life is a condition that come with the OI called dentinogenesis imperfecta.   

 "Dentinogenesis imperfecta is a disorder of tooth development. This condition causes the teeth to be discolored (most often a blue-gray or yellow-brown color) and translucent. Teeth are also weaker than normal, making them prone to rapid wear, breakage, and loss. These problems can affect both primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth."

Because DI makes your teeth appear discolored, many people make the assumption that perhaps we don't brush our teeth, or have let our teeth basically "rot".  I have spent a lot of money having my teeth bonded to give them the appearance of looking like normal teeth.  I have broken a lot of teeth and have already had two implants.  We already know that we will spend a small fortune for our two children who have it, as we do whatever it takes to keep their teeth as intact and healthy as possible.

So that's my story.
I wanted to share it with you because we all have different trials and tribulations.  When I was a young girl I was a little ashamed of having this disease.  I didn't want anyone to think that I was fragile or weak.  I realized growing up that everyone has a cross  to bear, and so it became just a regular fact about me.  

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask.  I would be happy to tell you what I know...

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