I'm Thankful

Today I'm thankful for all of the things that could have gone so very wrong this past year and haven't. We could have moved all the way across the country and hated our home, neighbors and ward and could have been very alone, but that didn't happen. I'm thankful that Tyler didn't go into a coma or become even more ill when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He could have slipped away from us and instead he is here to enjoy every day. I'm thankful that I have a husband who loves me faults and all. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to have children and to be their mother. Though mothering is the most humble occupation, I am dearly grateful for every day. I'm thankful for the notes, hugs, loves, snuggles from my kiddoas and cozy times spent reading with them. I'm thankful for my devoted Snickerdoodle who follows me everywhere I go all day long. I'm thankful for laughter, music that moves me, music in my home, zumba dancing, delicious food, friends who bring comfort, scriptures, photographs that capture special moments, irresistible books that I can't put down, a heavenly bed that so comfortable I feel like I'm sleeping on a cloud, flowers that brighten my day, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, cars that work and are reliable, doctors that help heal, cozy love sacs that envelope me at the end of the day as I unwind, long hot baths with the jets (or airplanes as Trent calls them) on, walks, good talks, a journal to remind me where I've come from and focus on where I should be going, friends who come visit, date nights, kind words from others, funny text messages, LONG naps (I know I'm just dreaming!), calls from family, chocolate chips =), forgiveness, polka dot patterns (I've always loved polka dots), piano students who practice, children who create, beautiful art, when there's still money in the bank after all the medical bills, my health, a warm fire on a cold day, a nice cup of hot apple cinnamon tea, dinners that my family likes and eats, really crunchy crisp apples, surprises (good ones of course =), colors, watching my children help each other out, jewelry, clothes that fit (when they do), mountains, trees, green green grass, safety, good hair days, date nights, ability to learn, holidays, vacations, a trailer to travel around in, amazon- my right arm, the right shade of foundation, ipods, my front loader washing machine, the feeling of a slight breeze on my face when I ride my bike, bike rides on Grapevine Lake, fresh air, my active and easily excited Beehives who have a pure zest for life, and each day that I have to live. Every moment is precious even the tough ones!

One year mark

This weekend marks our year anniversary in Texas. As we boarded the plane in San Diego loaded to maximum capacity with our 4 kids, 12 carry on bags, a stroller, and snacks I wondered, had we finally lost our minds? What we were doing? Why were we leaving our family, friends, neighbors, and all of our favorite places? A small voice in the back of my head, and an even quieter one in my heart reminded me, "you are leaving because this is where you need to be."

Admitedly, the first few months were awful. It rained as we moved in and continued to rain for the entire month. I was lost everywhere I went, even with my GPS, alone without friends, homesick for good weather and just confused. Why had I dragged my kids all the way across the country? Why had I felt this was the right thing to do? It didn't feel so wonderful.

Then time passed. We moved into our home at Christmas time and the homesickness began to fade. The area became more familiar and I learned where to find the necessities and entertainment. Each of us started to make friends- in our church, school, and neighborhood. Among those friends would emerge crucial people who helped us in the crises of the next few months. A diabetic friend to give direction and clues to help Tyler. A ward family to bring meals, tend children, and give support while we were in the hospital. A celiac friend who showed up with gluten free M&M cookies and a box full of gluten free foods when Tyler was diagnosed with Celiac and I was overwhelmed. A school nurse who is very kind and extremely talented. Teachers and friends who give help so freely. I cannot help but count my blessings for I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Yes, we are exactly where we need to be and thank heaven for heavenly direction and guidance that led us here. Our children are thriving in their schools. Our home is a comfortable and happy place to be. Our neighborhood is safe and filled with good people. Our church is overflowing with wonderful people. Of course we miss our family, but we are mostly thankful for the blessings which have flowed so freely in the short span of one year.

Precious Birthday

Megan means precious and each year she grows more and more precious! She was very patient as our family's eating habits changedher birthday week and was very flexible as we searched for a gluten free cake we could all enjoy. She choose a caramel chocolate fudge cheesecake - it was a hit with everyone. The brownie crust was from a gluten free mix and cheesecake is naturally gluten free- hooray!

Megan loves babies. She seeks them out and plays so naturally with them. She is very patient with Trent and finds loving ways to play with him, teach him, and mother him. Her personality naturally nurtures and seeks out ways to love and give. So for her birthday we wanted to find something that would encourage her natural tendencies.

Just love that smile!

Whoops- this is the after birthday picture. Anyhow, she received a bitty baby with a diaper bag full of diapers, sippy cups, toys, and a changing pad. I am proud to report she is a very loving mommy and takes very good care of her daughter.

Megan also loves dresses and wears them everytime she doesn't have PE. Her closet is full of dresses and this one was on clearance at American Girl. I loved the lines and she loves the color- pink!


Megan has been pining for a bitty baby from American Girl and saves all their catalogues dreaming of the ways she would play with them. So, I gave in. And surprisingly, they are better constructed and feel more like a baby. She has played with her bitty baby Lily daily.



Happy 7th Birthday Precious!

Things we love about Megan:

Her moves as a dancer- wow has she got moves!

She is very feminine and loves to wear dresses.

She loves to read and is an awesome, voracious reader.

Her soft, soft cheeks- I love to rub them.

If I were sick, I would want her as a nurse.

Her striking green eyes.

Her excitement to be baptized next year.

She is clever and a good problem solver, especially at math.

The adorable way she plays house and school.

Her sweet laugh and giggle.

She loves to cuddle!

Her imagination.

Her love of zebra strips and leopard prints and bright bright pink!

Tyler's 9th Birthday

I confess Tyler may have inherited my inability to wait for surprises. So I understand the angst Tyler suffers trying to wait patiently when he knows there are presents hiding in the house. This year he convinced us to let him open one present early which worked out well because it gave all of the kids a chance to experiment and play for a day. Our kids love the show Myth Busters. Watching the show is their reward after chores each week. Trent is convinced he is Adam- I think he might have similar tendencies. Anyhow, Tyler recieved a Mythbusters kit with a marshmellow blaster and several experiments. I sacrificed my kitchen but their joy and delight was worth it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them all dressed up in swim goggles, cleaning gloves and various aprons.

We may have to alter our birthday donut tradition. This was our failed attempt to make homemade gluten-free donuts. The dough disintegrated in the oil and no matter how we tried we just ended up with slop. Donut holes were slightly more succesful but not much. Needless to say all the kiddos were late that Monday morning for school and it took all morning to remove the grease from the kitchen. Oh well!

Something like a donut or perhaps a doorstop . . .

He's such a good kid he didn't mind though they were inedible.


The candles worked at least.

Megan surprised us with her tribute to Tyler written on a her homemade scroll and her gift to him- her chore money . Aww . . . melted my heart.

Our gluten- free chocolate cake with pirates all over. It was rather exciting because one of the pirates caught on fire and melted during the Happy Birthday song. Kind of made the pirate battle feel more authentic!

The birthday loot that has already brought lots of creative play and fun for everyone- neighbors too!

Things we love about Tyler:

He has courage to do hard things.

He can make anything with paper and tape.

He is so patient and kind, especially with Trent.

His imagination.

The way he flits and skips and hops everywhere.

His giggle- irresistible.

His testimony and faith.

The way he prays.

The fact that he keeps a daily journal.

He is a fast worker.

He loves socks wears them day and night no matter what.

Singing in the Rain

Life is just too short to pass up the chance to dance in some puddles. When the torrential downpour hit suddenly my children's first thought was "puddle time!" I wish in life when the rains came pouring down I spent more time thinking about how much fun the puddles will be. These fun-loving kiddos grabbed ponchos and their parents boots and went to town splashing and stomping and completely covering themselves. Tyler thought it should count as a bath, though I thought otherwise =) And afterwards, as always, following a storm, the most beautiful sky. Breathtaking. It stopped me in my tracks.
Celiac has been a struggle. It felt like a nonstop torrential downpour but today I felt like dancing in the puddles. I discovered that almond flour is more nutritious than wheat flour, has a lower glycemic index, which is better for diabetics, is easy to cook with, and tastes delicious. Splash splash! What a discovery. Perhaps we will all benefit from celiac.
A good friend delivered an almond flour cookbook and the recipes are simple, healthy, and delicious. Stomp stomp! I am loving this sky! Goodbye rainstorm- the puddles are fabulous!!!

Our new life

There is so much to learn and life and I have the rare opportunity to learn yet more. Tyler was diagnosed with Celiac which means that we are now a gluten-free family. There are so many things that are no longer options for us, but I am trying to desperately to focus what the options that are still available. This diagnosis brought me to the depths mostly because it is life-long and very unforgiving. Living without gluten is very challenging because it sneaks into everything. However, the cross contamination threat is most difficult- it means no longer using pans that have touched gluten, or the same knife in a jar of pb or jelly that may have touched gluten, or foods processed in factories that may have gluten, or placing food on a counter that had gluten. It makes eating anywhere but your own kitchen nearly impossible. Unfortunately, most everything has gluten with the exception of fruit, veggies, fresh meat, nuts, and milk.

I felt like we were sentenced for life and banished from enjoying food ever again. I felt cursed and doomed. How would Tyler ever enjoy any social setting? They are all full of banished foods?!? How can he develop a healthy esteem and be unable to eat anywhere else? How can I pack lunches? How will I find time to cook everything everyday? There is no longer instant anything. The work felt tremendous and to top it off, most gluten-free foods are so carb dense they are a nightmare for his diabetes. I felt just plain trapped.

Thankfully, those are just emotions. I have learned that sometimes we have to give our emotions some attention, otherwise they become monsters and demand attention, then look them in the eye, and tell them the truth. Most emotions are just that- emotions. Not truth. Yes, most every social function will have food that is completely off-limits for Tyler. Eating at others' homes will be nearly impossible, travelling a challenge, and eating out a rarity at best. The truth is there are still delicious foods we can eat, but we have to make them- daily. Perhaps we will be healthier for it once I find healthy ways to cook gluten free. I am just at the beginning of my learning curve, and there is much to learn, and I will continue to search. The truth is- it is possible and with God's help- doable.

Back on the Bandwagon

Newport Beach Pier
Mission Beach family bike ride

The rig in our 'ol neighborhood

Shaver Lake

I have 600 pictures so I'll spare you the step by step narration and try to cut to the chase-

Our family was afforded a rare and wonderful gift in the form of month-long vacation this July. I'm doubtful the opportunity of this much time will come again and so I'm grateful. The vacation cemented our family relationships as we squished together on drivesfor 30 hours or more and renewed our zest for life- we even forgot about Tyler's diabetes at some points. In order to afford such a trip, we towed our trailer and stocked it with food and supplies- to keep costs down and also to accomodate Tyler's diabetic needs. All in all we drove 6,000 miles with our family cramped in the front of the diesel truck, our dog hanging out in the cab, and all our belongings towed behind in a 7,000 lb trailer. The adventure and memories were unforgettable. They're almost too sacred to share and a bit overwhelming to summarize within a few paragraphs.

We took three days to trek to California, stopping in New Mexico, a first for all of us, and also Flagstaff, AZ a surprisingly green and forested area, to camp and rest. Worried about the long hours driving, I had researched to find activities to pass the time. A few finds were real-life treasures. The first treasure was a Sound Effects CD that played random sounds like hitting a golf ball, bacon sizzling, power locks, or chipmunks chattering. Every age was able to participate. Trent especially loved this one and was surprisingly very adept at guessing. I think toddlers hear more than we realize. The second treasure was a Car-i-oke CD that had 4 sing along booklets for backseat drivers and songs ranging from Rollin', to Star Spangled Banner, to a drumming sequence (one of the kids fav), to acapella rounds. After travelling for 3 days, we found ourselves celebrating the 4th of July in the privacy of our cab singing the "Star Spangled Banner" with pride and tears in our eyes. Definitely a memorable moment. All throughout our journey we found ourselves singing and humming these songs randomly and while confined to the cab. The amazing power of music is its ability to unify -you can't help but feel connected as someone starts a tune and you join in and sing together. Hours and hours were spent singing together and making our own music. Its possible that those songs will always link our memories to this vacation.

We were able to make the entire month-long trip and only ate out 3 times (two of them at In-n-Out- yum) and only stayed at one hotel which had already been paid for the previous year. We spent a week with my Mom and celebrated all of my children's summer birthdays. Trekking back to our neighborhood was a strange deja vu experience but it did afford us wonderful opportunities to visit with neighbors, friends, and ward members.

Before we knew we were moving to Texas, we had paid for a 3 days at a Newport Villa time share and so we decided this was a perfect time to use it because it was expiring and we couldn't afford airfare just to use the time share. My sister-in-law and her two boys joined for a few days as we toured Newport Beach and had a regular 'ol raging party with all the kiddos in the condo.

Our next stop was Fresno to visit my sister-in-law's family. We spent lovely time visiting, swimming and then snuck in two days camping in the beautiful Sierra Nevadas and riding a wave runner on Shaver lake. It's too bad we couldn't camp longer. The spot was breathtakingly beautiful. I had a rare chance to see my aging Grandma Young in Fresno and really connect with her though Alzheimer's has taken so much out of her. It is most likely the last time I will see her. I knew I had to make it there somehow and am thankful to have that memory.

This vacation was dedicated to family and friends. We didn't spend any time at amusement parks, shopping, movies, or restaurants because the purpose of our visit was to be with family. Rather we spent time taking family bike rides, walks, playing at the beach and the park, and visiting and of course- eating.

It was also a journey we needed to take to complete our circle of life. We left San Diego so quickly and with such suddeness, it felt like we didn't say proper good-byes. I was unsure what I would feel re-entering what I had always termed paradise and was surprised and relieved to find that though San Diego is beautiful, it is no longer my home. It holds a great deal of history for us and for that I will always feel connected, but it is no longer where we should be as a family. I felt ashamed that I wanted that confirmation, but I guess in the end, I'm only human.

On our last leg of the journey, we were able to celebrate my Mom's birthday with a family reunion on the beach. It was a beautiful coincidence that my brother and his family had arranged a visit to San Diego so we extended our visit a few days to make sure we could see them as well. 4 of the 5 Young family children and their families were there (we missed you BUD) celebrate on the beach and to boogie board, build sand castles, and play!

A few things we learned along the way:

- California roads are horribly bumpy, and very unforgiving as are their crazy drivers and unending traffic. I had never realized just how much traffic there is! I found it maddening and very frustrating. Our trailer suffered damage as windows were bounced and jarred open constantly. Our truck cover also flapped in the wind incessantly.

- Reading aloud passes a great deal of time. I read the entire "You on a Diet" to Greg and together we changed.

-Life is much easier with two parents on board at all times. I think I could live that life daily =)

-Time is really a gift. Spending all day long with my hubbie and children was such a gift. I thought there would be squabbles and whining but really we experienced quite the opposite.

-Greggie still is my best friend

-Music is powerful

-Our memories are even better than the original experience and get sweeter with time!