Merry Christmas

So if all would have gone as planned yesterday I would have a really cute picture of my kids in their Christmas best in front of the Christmas Tree with this post. Nothing ever goes as planned in my life, Emma was sick and so there is no picture. That what happens when your a planner in a crazy life.

Anyhow, Merry Christmas to all of our friend and family. This is substituting for a Christmas card this year because Christmas cards were one of the things on my Christmas list that didn't get done.

Here is a list of what we are thankful for this year.

Emma:

A really great teacher

Dance Lessons

Piano Lessons

Books

Family

Jamison:

Friends

Legos

Bode, our dog

Disneyland

Food

Olivia:

Family

House

Stuffed animals - she's obsessed

Mommy, daddy, Jamison, Emma, Bode and Kitty

Blake and Cora:

We are thankful for all the great doctors that have helped Jamison and that is his medicine is working for the most part.

We are thankful for Olivia's improved health this year.

We are thankful to have great children who are good kids that make our lives happy every day.

We are especially thankful for the gospel and our great ward. Along with all of our wonderful and very supportive family and friends that have picked us up more than once this year.

We love you all and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a great new year.

The Annual Santa Party

My brother and sister-in-law threw their annual Santa Party on Sunday. We all enjoyed great food, good company, and a special visit from the big guy.

Here is what the kids asked Santa for this year:

Jamison

Legos, legos, legos and a Wii would be nice.

Olivia

A baby that cries, a stuffed animal Rudolph and a stuffed Bolt.

Emma

A shirt and a baby doll.

Lost Boy

My post about Disney would not be complete without the story of losing Jamison.On the second night we were all standing around after the parade waiting for the crowd to die down. All of a sudden I realized we had four children instead of five with us and it was my boy that was missing. I send Blake in the direction of the stroller thinking that he would go back there. After waiting for about 10 minutes I got panicked and left the kids with my mom and followed in the same general direction. When I saw Blake without Jamison fear washed over me and I the first thing I thought of was first how dark it was and how many people were leaving and I could just see Jamison walking right out the front gates.

I decided to go to a store clerk and ask her what to do. The minute I told her I had lost my 7 year old son she called security. After that they had me wait for an officer to come, as soon as he got to me he heard over his radio that they had found him. He took my to the lost children building and they had him in this lovely little place with toys, juice, and goodies. I found him safe with some Disney Grandma lady who looked over the lost children. He had tears running down his cheek but other than that he was okay. He had been found by a Disney worker after she had heard the call go out for a lost boy in a green sweatshirt. He had gone the exact opposite way we were looking.

I was thankful we found him and I learned to lessons. Have your children wear distinguishing colors, like bright green and if you ever lose a child in Disneyland don't waste time looking, go right to security. Disney does everything right, even finding lost children. I love that place.

A little Magic

We spent a lovely weekend in Disneyland right after Thanksgiving. It was one of our best trips to Disneyland ever. We went with my mom, brother, sister-in-law, my niece and my great nephew. The first day we met up with Blake's sister and her family.

Olivia loved the characters and jumped up and down when she saw Mickey Mouse. The first day we walked in and started going down Main Street she said she felt like she was in a story book and continued to say that much of the time. Her favorite ride was Peter Pan, which was my favorite when I was little.

Emma loved Soarin' Over California and Pirates of the Caribbean and Jamison loved Pirates also. Neither of them loved Indiana Jones, where is their adventure? We stayed right in the park which was really convenient and great. We had lovely weather and a very wonderful trip. It was too short but a whole lot of fun.

Snow White

If you would have asked me a week ago if I could spend a whole week sitting in my house cuddling with my kids watching movies and playing board games I would have laughed in your face and told you," I wish, I am too busy." Well, I canceled my life this week and did just that and guess what the world survived without me. I have spent the last week with some intensely ill kids, one of which is still really sick and I have watched what feels like 50 kids movies and played more games than I can count. I am going a bit crazy, but it has all been worth it especially after last night. Olivia and I were watching Snow White and Dopey asked Snow White if it is hard to fall in love. Snow White replied, "Why no, it is easy." Olivia turned to me and said, "it is easy to fall in love because I am in love with my family. You, daddy, Jamison, Emma, Kitty, and Bode."

So I am sorry if I left you hanging this last week. I am sorry if I haven't checked in with friends or if you have had to cover my absence, but that was worth every inconvenience I have caused.

A good change?

I was laying in bed again and I thought I ought to take a minute to post my thoughts this early morning.

Jamison's seizure meds have changed him. He is different. He is busier and has a hard time sitting still. It has been really hard for me to get used to this change, but then I started realizing he is more normal. He is more like all the other boys his age. Then all of a sudden it dawned on me that he actually has started talking to adults. He will converse with people, including me. He tells me what is going on at school, he tells stories about his friends.

We went to dinner at Blake's parents home the other night and Blake's dad said he had never seen Jamison speak at the dinner table before and he was joining right in to the conversation. He even started answering our phone which is something he would have never done before the medication.

The last few weeks when I have complained to my mom about the meds and how it has changed him she keeps saying to me that it is wonderful, he acts like a normal little boy. Now I don't want anyone to think Jamison was weird or abnormal before but he was different. He was quiet and introverted.

I guess my point is this has been hard for me. In some ways my little boy has been replaced by a different little boy. Maybe all this change is good for him. Ultimately I would do anything to make good change for my kids because that is my job as a mother. I know that Heavenly Father has sent me here to make my children's lives better and I hope that is what this is doing.

I really need sleep

I am need of sleep. I haven't had a full nights sleep for months. It is getting to the point I get out of bed in the middle of the night and do projects because I am so sick of lying there getting frustrated as I watch the clock tick. Does anyone have a suggestion?