Obsessed

I'm obsessed with the kids' obsessions. Elena - Day of the week underwear. She likes to stay current. Lucas - Frosty the Snowman. Gotta love 'em.

Miracle of Saline

Saline has been around forever.
It truly is a miracle. Many beautiful places carry the name.

It allows some people to swim without the fear of drowning.

Many people breathe easier after a shot of this wonderful solution up their nose. It is used in hospitals to keep hearts pumping and people alive (so they can pay their bills).

Most importantly, it is what helped Lucas go from this:To this:

Lucas was admitted to the hospital last week after catching rotovirus (a nasty stomach virus I wouldn't wish on anyone). We found him sleeping in his laundry basket when he first got sick. It progressed to constant vomiting and diarrhea, which eventually led to a little boy who couldn't even sit up on his own. We took him into the ED where they started him on a saline drip to treat his severe dehydration. It took almost eight rounds and the threat of a catheder before he finally started doing what he was supposed to (peeing). As you can see from the last picture he is all better and making up for lost time.

I'm so grateful for our access to healthcare in this country. People complain about the high costs and long waits and everything else associated with the industry, but when it comes down to it we are so blessed to have the technology and facilities we do. Drew was saying that rotovirus is a top killer of children in third world countries because it often leads to dehydration and they don't have access to the simple treatment of saline.

I also want to give a huge THANK YOU to all the support and help we got from friends and family.

Recent Paper Projects

I think I might start posting pictures or recent cards and scrapbook pages. Good idea or not so good? Maybe they can jump start your own project or just give me motivation to actually get to work on my own.



1) A basic thank you card. Stamped and embossed with copper - the photo doesn't show the shine very well. I stippled the cream strip with similar ink. Embossed "Thanks" in white over embossed copper. Inked all edges in brown ink. (excuse the thumb - I wasn't getting a very good shot unless I held it just right.)


2) A scrapbook page I did for my Dad's birthday present. I displayed it in a 12x12 shadowbox.

Could this be comfortable?

I honestly don't know how this kid sleeps. He insists on sleeping with his garage, a whole little police station, three dinosaurs, Buzz Lightyear, his entire car collection (that he keeps neatly stored in a plastic bin), four specific books, a bead maze mounted on a giant wooden block, a giant elephant, three blankets, a sippy cup, and whatever else he deems necessary. I guess there is a reason he's little. Last night, he was sleeping with his head under the parking garage. Whatever induces sleep is fine with me!

What she learns in school

One day Drew and I were in the kitchen and Elena just started reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I was so glad to hear that they are still having kids say it in school. She has been coming up with all sorts of knew knowledge that I know she didn't learn here (sadly - I would love to take credit for teaching her something). This video is really sweet.