Bring on 2010!

Where In The World?

This is for my Mom so she knows where in North Carolina we are.  NC is a very wide state, but a short one, so it is going to take us about the same time to get to Nashville, TN as to get to Baltimore, MD.  We are an hour from the mountains and close to 4 hours from the beach.  Hope that big star I added helps you when you watch our weather.  :)  xoxo

Simple Birthday Wishes

I don't usually ask for anything for my birthday, but this year I have a few simple wishes:

1)  For my son will STOP using my kitchen as his toybox!  Seriously, he finds joy in throwing all of his toys over the gate into the kitchen. It drives me completely batty.  He finds it hilarious...me?  Not so much.

2)  For my dearest, love of my life, son to STOP putting his hands in his mouth.  After taking a bite, after taking a drink, after brushing his teeth, before, during, and after ANYTHING.  PLEASE STOP.  I know it must be your method for getting your tongue to retract and to help you swallow, but Bubs- Mama has other methods for you to use rather than your hands.  Let's give Mama's ideas a try...for my birthday.  Pretty please.

3)  World Peace.  Nah...I just want the beauty queen title.  LOL. 

That's not too much to ask for, is it?

My Grandma - Mom

My grandmother, Mom, had hip replacement surgery today and yesterday was her birthday.  My internal calendar is off and I didn't call until today to only find her about to be wheeled off to surgery!  I felt and still feel horrible!  As my sister, Kamrin, sent me text messages to update me, she also sent pictures of my Aunt Bitsy, Aunt Shell, Grandfather {Dad}, and my cousin Danny.  It is one of those things that makes it so hard to be so far away.  I would have been in that waiting room along with the rest of the family.

Anywho, can you keep Mom in your prayers as she is now recovering from her surgery.  Thanks mucho. 

{Side note:  Aren't my grandparents the cutest?  That picture was taken at their 50th Anniversary get-together.  ♥}

Couch to 5k

Call me insane, but I am feeling motivated to start this Couch to 5k program!  I have been thinking about it for a LOOOONG time, but when I hurt my legs over the summer, the idea was put on hold. 

I am still hesitant to start because my right leg, especially, still doesn't feel completely healed, but I am hoping and praying that good stretching will keep me from re-injuring myself. 

I have never really enjoyed running because I never felt like I had great endurance, despite my junior high that's middle school to all you kids of today PE teacher trying to convince me otherwise because he thought that I had a great pace to be a distance runner. 

I still have to get some good shoes.  Anyone who knows me knows that I loathe shoes.  It is one of the reasons why I love toe socks so much...I can keep my feet warm and still wear flip flops.  Tacky?  Maybe, but I hate, hate, hate shoes.  I say that I have claustrophobic feet.  True story.  Anywho, I went by the running store today and they were so busy, I had to leave.  I will try again tomorrow to get my man feet sized for a good running shoe.

Ok, so this isn't even a New Year's Resolution to be broken.  This is truly my desire to try and get in better shape.  I was pleased that my Wii Fit Age was 3 years less than my actual age and Scott's was 9 years older than his actual age...HA!  But, I know that is just a game and should not be an excuse to not try to be in better shape for myself and long term for my family. 

I am going to invite everyone to either, A) Join me, B)  Encourage me, or C) Both. 

Pressure's on...I have gone public!  LOL!

Our Christmas

Our Christmas.  Where to begin?  We had a wonderful, extra-special, incredibly blessed Christmas due to what we have been referring to as "Operation Knock Our Socks Off".  From efforts coordinated by Bethany, to support from our family back home in California, to our church family here, and to anonymous gifts and love offerings, we are are so humbled by the graciousness and giving of others to our family during this time.

Ethan was a little slow on the opening of the presents Christmas morning.  Scott and I think it is because Mary wasn't here.  She has been here to help him with the other presents he already opened, so we think that he thought that is how he is supposed to open all presents- ya know, with Ms. Mary there.  LOL.  He finally got through them all, and boy oh boy, did he get some amazing stuff!  He got some super-cool duds, Vans {which he ♥'s}, Little Tykes toy haulers, a Tonka truck, moon sand, a penguin game, a ring toss game, lots of wonderful books, Curious George movie and stuffed animal, a remote control car, a chair of his own for when we go to soccer games or parades, a tent, a handmade blanket from Tami who is adopting sweet Tanner {Russell} from Eastern Europe, a bathtime basketball set, fridge phonics, a Mustang GT road ripper, and his favorite...new chewy tubes and adaptive utensils!  We were able to take some of the money that had been given to us to get Ethan his very own chair from Pottery Barn Kids.  He loves it too!

Scott and I were not excluded from it all- Scott got a new work watch, Wake Forest Soccer t-shirt, and a personalized Holland soccer jersey {BIG props and thanks to Carmen's son, Jayvier!  Thank you so much!!!}.  Me?  I got toe socks galore {WOOHOO!!! lol- I am obsessed}, some super-soft jammies, scarf, a goodie bag of spoil-me-rotten items, aka: try to keep me looking young stuff like regeneration serum and cellulite cream, and See's candy.  Thank you to whomever was reading my blog when I mentioned my See's candy Christmas tradition from my Grandparents.  If you could have seen my face when I saw the Santa boxes...you would probably laugh at me since it is candy, but it really meant a lot, so thank you.  Together, we got a new cookie sheet and frying pans, and a new comforter set with matching sheets and another set of sheets which is awesome because we didn't have any spare sets before.  We also were just given the trio of Fireproof/Facing the Giants/Flywheel.

I have said it already, but I will say it again- I am not sure how Thank You is even adequate enough for what has been given to us over the past month, but THANK YOU!  We love you all.  If you are not a believer in Christ and His love, please take a look at the list below of all the people that stepped up because they felt led to- most by God and if you didn't know that it was God, now you do!  :)  We praise God for all of His blessings!

*Bethany Balsis, Carmen Morales, McKenna Powell, Shylo Ulcak, Linda and those in the DSANV who participated who I do not know yet, but plan to!, Mommy, Kim, River Oaks, Nathan & Jordan & Abigail Tabor, Kimberly & Steven Lofgren, Mark & Chere Choate, Sara & Moose Lester, Mike & Michelle Lyons, Michael & Carrie Hansley, Carrie & Brian Stricker, Tempa & Jose Cabrera, Greg & Carrie DeLong, Tami Montilone, Mary Heaton, Jamie & Richard Bucknall, Jim & Jenni Hobeck, Kelly & Jason Germain, Jonathan & Donna Cochrane, Brian & Melinda Vest, Connie & Gordon Miller, Donna Farrington, Amy Farrington, Cheri Thompson, Bill & Heather Bauguss, and all Anonymous givers...seriously,  

thank you so very much!* 

Stuff 'N Nonsense - The Spirit of Christmas by Kim Van Meter {My Big Sis}

My sister, in addition to her duties plugging out romance novels, has a day job.  She is a reporter for her local newspaper and also has her own column- Stuff 'N Nonsense.  Kim recently wrote her column surrounding the circumstances surrounding our family and I wanted to share with you.  I love you, Kim.

http://www.oakdaleleader.com/news/article/1248/

Stuff 'N Nonsense - The Spirit of Christmas

By:  Kim Van Meter

Miles away in a different time zone, where snow buries the yards and Old Man Winter takes up residence for a wintry season, the true spirit of Christmas blossomed in the bosoms of total strangers to the benefit of those close to me — my sister, nephew and brother-in-law.

First, I have to give a little back story. I’m the oldest of four siblings. One of my sisters — the second oldest — moved her family to North Carolina in order to send my nephew, Ethan, to a special school for children with Down Syndrome. This was a huge shock to the family as we are all California-born and bred and the thought of uprooting was something we couldn’t understand. But my sister Kristen had become a voracious advocate, not only for Ethan but for every child with special needs and she wanted to do the best by her son, even if it meant selling their home and starting a whole new life away from everyone and everything they’d ever known.

Two weeks after they’d arrived in North Carolina, Ethan was diagnosed with leukemia. Separated from family, alone and scared, my sister did what she always does when faced with adversity — she persevered.

Again and again.

My nephew went through three years of chemotherapy where his hair fell out and caused awful sores to erupt in his mouth that bled constantly, severe reflux, and aspiration. Most recently he was diagnosed with autism, a sensory processing disorder, and Tethered Cord Syndrome.

At 8 years old, Ethan is nonverbal and only recently started to walk, thanks to the discovery of the tethered cord (another instance where “Mama Bear” Kristen went after and found the cause of her son’s issue) so up until now, she has had to carry him on her hip even though he weighs as much as the average second grader. Oh, and did I mention that my sister has rheumatoid arthritis? Yeah. And there’s more.

At one time my sister was in banking. She loved her job and she was good at it. But Ethan’s medical needs swamped her available vacation time, sick and personal days. She could no longer hold a job. Her husband, Scott, became their sole support.

A month ago he lost his job.

Chalk another one up to the tanking economy.

They were barely making it before and now…the outlook is grim.

Kristen broke down in tears. They were going to lose their house.

It’s been years since my sister could afford Christmas. Frankly, with the daily struggle to care for Ethan and juggle his mounting medical bills, it was the least of their worries.

But this Christmas my sister and her family were blessed.

First, their church delivered a fully decorated Christmas tree right to their door.

Second, a friend wrote a compelling blog post about my sister and their plight. Presents started to arrive for the whole family, which were delivered last week to tears of gratitude.

And I realized, this was the true spirit of Christmas. Not the presents specifically, but the outpouring of support and love from strangers who opened their hearts and their wallets to help a family who is being beaten down by life through no fault of their own.

I wish I had the resources to smooth the road my sister is traveling but I don’t. I can only send what I can and offer my shoulder to cry upon. I can listen and share her tears but I can’t take away the pain, frustration and despair.

If only I could. 

My sister personifies grace under pressure. She’s kind, generous, and stubbornly loyal. She’s the kind of person who takes what life has given her without complaint and then goes after the positive like the Mama Bear she is. She doesn’t accept defeat. She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t allow anyone else to, either. Yet, when she said in a tear-choked voice, “I can’t take any more…” I nearly lost it for her. There’s only so much one can take. And my sister had reached her limit.

I’m so humbled and grateful a group of strangers did what I could not — and not only gave her a Christmas to remember but buoyed her belief that life is good and there are unseen blessings out there, waiting to add joy to our lives, if even only briefly.

So here’s a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has given selflessly this season. Let us all pay it forward with acts of kindness. It matters and it counts. Sometimes more than we know…

Sidenote: I encourage everyone to read the blog post on my sister and see the pictures. They’ll bring tears to your eyes. Here is the link:

http://thebalsisfamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/12-days-of-giving-day-10.html

A Blog Award

My friend, Brigitte, nominated me for this "One Lovely Blog" a LOOOONG time ago...Thanks for thinking of me, Brigitte!  I never get these things!  LOL.  Now, the rules say something like having to nominate 10 other blogs, but I am going to nominate all of you!  How's that for lazy?  No, seriously- when I am up on my google reader, I love reading about all of your families!  Thank you for sharing them with me! 

Ethan stands unassisted

Ethan's walking continues to improve daily, but one thing that he was not grasping was that he could get places quicker on his feet rather than crawling.  He also wasn't getting exactly how to get up from the middle of the floor unassisted.  Well, over the past few days he has started to become a master!  We have caught him once or twice before, but he has been pretty consistent the past few days!  This is so exciting for us!  Oh goodness, let the running begin!!!  :)

Wordless Wednesday - Lovin' on Baby

 

Sweet Christmas Puppy

Is he not the prettiest?  I love it when he has his paws together like that...such a good puppy!!!

SNOW Day!

Yes, that is our laundry basket for a sled.  Don't judge- it worked GREAT!  It keeps Ethan safe and secure going down the homemade ramp off of the back deck AND we didn't have to pay any additional money for it, which is good since we rarely get snow that actually sticks!  Ethan had such a great time!  We would love to take Ethan up to a ski resort so we can take him tubing or something.  We would want to go with another family too, though.  Any takers?  :)

It's NOT Christmas yet, Ethan!

Ethan has a very lovely habit lately of proving his Mama wrong...My only concern about having presents under the tree was that Ethan would be wanting to throw the boxes everywhere.  He had yet to have any desire whatsoever to open a present or even to see what was inside.  He would get more excited about the tissue paper or the box versus the actual gift {reminds me of Daryl Hannah in Splash when Tom Hanks gives her a gift and she thinks the box is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen! haha.}.  Not this year, my friends.

 

Last week, Ethan decided to rip part of a present.  Mary was here visiting and being as that she has OCD, she insisted that he couldn't leave a package partially wrapped.  We ok'd for him to open that ONE gift.  You would have been beaming with happiness if you saw the joy that was coming from this child after opening that gift, so we allowed another...and another...and another!  I think we let him open five gifts, and he was ready to keep going, but we had to put a stop to it.  

Now, Ethan thinks that he can open gifts everyday.  I was out of the room the other day to find that he had opened another couple presents!  So, now a phrase that is heard multiple times per day is:  It's NOT Christmas yet, Ethan!  You have to wait!

{Doesn't he just look precious looking at his new Curious George books??? ♥}

Stupid New Law

IMHO, of course!

North Carolina had a few laws go into affect a few weeks ago, like no texting while driving.  Ok, I can understand that one, but not allowing license plate covers???  Well, you can have one, but it cannot cover any part of "North Carolina" or your tags.

My beloved "KRIS10Z" plate cover that I have had since I had my "98 Plymouth Breeze has been forced into retirement.  Granted, she should have retired a LONG time ago, but to be forced is just wrong!  LOL!

And, for the people that always ask me why I use KRIS10Z on everything???  It came about when I was in high school and my friend, Lynda, and I were discussing personalized license plates.  My Mom's plates say LESUZ73 (Her name is Les and she has a '73 Cuda that if I ever win the lottery, I will have fixed up to her prime!!!) and so I started playing off her idea, but my name is too long for a plate.  I do have TEN in my name though, so I just changed the TEN to 10 and the 's' from Kristen's to a 'z', just like my Mom's. So the evolution went like this:

KrisTEN's ------> KrisTEN'z------>Kris10z...get it?

:)

The big storm predicted rolled in just before noon and I still hear the freezing rain fall as I type.  It is a peaceful sound, but I do not like dealing with ice later...snow, no problem.  Ice, no thanks.  It is very pretty outside, but I want more.  I want to have at least a foot, or two, outside.  That would make me very happy.  So now, I am happy with at least having some of the white stuff that actually stuck!

Naughty or Nice?

Stolen from Renee...Are YOU on Santa's Naughty or Nice list?! You can click here and put in your name to find out. Careful though, those elves are brutal! Here is what we got.

Kristen:  Still very much on nice list, but must continue good behavior. Should eat more vegetables instead of junk food. Was very polite last Thursday! When doing chores, needs to do them as well as possible. Often exhibits good behavior. 

Scott:  Nice, but with a few naughty marks. Neatness needs improvement. Behavior has been good sometimes, not so good other times. Manners could still use some attention. Was very nice last Monday.

Ethan:  Has been nice most of the year (not just near Christmas)! Makes others happy. Could share a little more, however. Politeness is sometimes very good. Can be great listener.  

Some very right on points.  How funny is that?  LOL. 

Holy Platelets Batman!

Ethan had his 4 month HEMOC (hematology/oncology) checkup today.  All good!  It's been a while that we have seen his platelets so high!  They were actually above the normal range!  It's so great to go to clinic and get a good report.  Praise God!

Ethan also had his GI clinic appointment.  Our doctor is frustrated with what has been going on with the CHOP approval, so he is going to be making some calls.  YAY. 

Being the wonderful social networking site that it is, one of our friends announce on Facebook that she had an extra ticket for the hay ride at Tanglewood's Festival of Lights.  We jumped on the chance to be first in line to respond to said announcement. 

It was a rush to get over there- we didn't leave the hospital until 5pm, had to run home (20 minutes away), get bulky jackets and blankets for Ethan and Loren, then drive over to church (another 15 minutes), pick up ticket, drive to park.  It didn't help that there was a fairly bad accident, so we ended up being a little late, but many thanks to everyone for waiting for us!  After Ethan got over the initial freakout, he seemed to enjoy it! 

Ohhh, Snapples!

Ethan was released from the hospital yesterday morning with a mobile jet pack EEG.  I knew that it would be hard to duplicate a sensory overload "episode" in the hospital, so the doctor's finally agreed to let him out with a mobile pack so we could try and load Ethan up on as much sensory overload stuff as possible (sounds torturous, doesn't it?). 

I was at home with Hope and Loren, so it was up to Scott to tackle this task.  I told him to take him to the mall, restaurants, and the mack daddy...Chuck E' Cheese.  Due to the fact that Ethan was already sleep deprived from not sleeping much in the hospital, those places should have thrown him over the edge.  They didn't.  He was, quoting Scott, "PERFECT".  Say what!?!?

Then, it hit me.  Ethan had been wearing the EEG box on his back.  It weighs at least a couple of pounds.  {Sensory Moms may know where I am going with this...}  Anyone that has a kid with sensory issues knows that a possible tool to "ground" them is to use a weighted blanket or weighted vest.  The amount of weight used is supposed to be 2-3% of the child's body weight.  If you take Ethan's weight of 42 pounds, 3% is 1.26.  Ethan has been completely GROUNDED by the weight of the pack!  Geesh.  That's perfect. 

Even with my theory, we still took Ethan out again last night.  First, Chick-Fil-A because there was a horn quartet playing right in the restaurant.  We sat as close to them as possible so Ethan got the full affect of the loud music.  Then, we were off to the mall...again.  We took the pack off of him and put it in the back of the stroller and then went up and down the mall, into stores, went up and down the elevator, and rode those little cars.  On our way out, we ran into our friends The Lyons Family.  Michelle is an OT and I told her my theory to which the response was basically, yeah- the pack is likely defeating the purpose.  *sigh*  Before leaving, we passed a wind tunnel thingy and decided that we could do one last hoorah since the wind was supposed to get up over 70mph.  Scott, Ethan, Paige, and Chase piled in the tube and let the wind blow, but it really didn't, so that was a wash too but still kind of funny to see.  Trusty Michelle had her camera on her and got to take a pic.  I think the wind just blew down instead of all around the "tunnel".  Oh well, we tried.

Scott just took Ethan up to the hospital to have the EEG removed and the doctors wanted to keep it on another day.  We decided against it because we really think that he is not going to go into a sensory overload situation while wearing the pack, which puts us in a tricky position.  I don't know if we will ever be able to get a doctor to see what we are seeing.  From this point on, we will just monitor and document if he has any episodes and hope and pray that they are not seizure related.

Zhora...Please Help!

I am SO behind on this, but there is still a few hours left so I am running with it while there is still a chance!  Bethany has been hosting a chance to win an Ipod Touch or a Handmade Quilt!  All you have to do is donate at least $10 to be entered in the drawing!  Go here to read more about it and to DONATE!!!  :)

You have all clicked over to Bethany's post, right?  Ok, so now you know that this giveaway was prompted by a plea from our friend, Lisa.  Lisa's little boy, Daniel, has a striking resemblance to Zhora!  Can you see it too?  Zhora is on top and Daniel is on the bottom. 

I have spoken with Lisa about her desire to find a forever family for Zhora because her heart is pulled toward him because of his likeliness to her Daniel.  She wants so badly for Zhora to have a family who will love him and nurture him and, best of all, keep him from being transferred to an institution in Eastern Europe where his likelihood of survival is slim.  I know that if Lisa and her husband, Dan, could hop a plane and go pick up Zhora today they would!  But, like many of us affected by these economic times, they just cannot.  That doesn't mean that we can't do all we can to up the amount in Zhora's fund to help another family bring him HOME! 

Please consider donating to help out Zhora!  All of us in America are so richly blessed even when we think we are in the pit of despair.  Our pits are still better than the "best" arrangements in other countries.  Thank you!!!

Blessings Runneth Over!

It has come to my attention that I have not mentioned a very important event in our lives lately.  I am not really sure why I haven't, and if I have it was only briefly mentioned.  Here you go:  Due to the current state of our economy, Scott was laid off a little over a month ago.  Scott's employers are our dear friends and we know how hard of a decision it was to make to have to let Scott go.  We know that it tears them up- possibly even more than it does us.  So now, we are in (once again) unchartered territory.  We are both unemployed.  We have job applications out all over- nothing, no response.  Unfortunately, we are joining the other thousands of people also out of work and desperate. 

Ideally, Scott will be the one to find work so that I can continue taking care of the girls and being the one able to take Ethan to his appointments.  No offense to Scott, but (and he will admit this to you as well) he is just not the one to be Mr. Mom.  Obviously, if that is what God has in store for us, then we will have to roll with it and praise Him for providing.  Yes, Scott has applied for unemployment and he did qualify.  This lessens the blow a little bit, but remember that we went from a two-income family two years ago to one, to now close to none.  This is a very scary time for our family!  It is stressful, frustrating, and emotional.  We may lose our house.  This is a reality that scares me to the core and is also embarrassing and humiliating.  To say that this isn't fair is an understatement, HOWEVER, I have peace that everything will be OK.  I have FAITH that we will be provided for.  I have a few blessings that we have received to tell you about!

First of all, I did NOT have peace originally.  I did not have peace for a while actually.  I was not sleeping, I was up all night scouring the internet for possible jobs, I broke out worse than a teenage girl going through puberty, my hair started falling out...then, after days of praying, I felt beaten down and I remember falling asleep pouring my heart out to God.  I, then, slept probably the hardest that I have slept in a while and I woke up refreshed and I had peace.  You know what happened, literally, later that day?  I got the call from the church about giving us a fully-decorated Christmas Tree.  After the tree was delivered, I got an e-mail from the family that decorated the tree and they were touched by our family's story and they wanted to put some presents under that tree for Ethan!  Some other blessings given to our family:

*  Card with love money from my Mom
*  Numerous lunch dates with friends, where my lunch was paid for
*  Card and love offering from dear friends
*  $20 Gift Card to Wal-Mart from anonymous "Sister in Christ"
*  Thanksgiving Dinner, full with HUGE turkey, stuffing, corn, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and apple pie from the Men's Small Group at church.
*  Marital Counseling scholarship courtesy of River Oaks and Surecord
*  Harris Teeter (grocery store) gift cards and Chili's gift card from our dear friends
*  A beautiful handmade scarf from Hip Chic
*  Financial support from River Oaks
*  Blog Makeover by Rebecca Phong
*  Gifts for Ethan from The Lofgren Family
*  Prayers Galore.  :))
*  Gift Card to River Birch Lodge for lunch- just me and Scott, "us" time
*  Beautiful letter and love offering from anonymous fellow church family

I have a feeling that I will be adding to that list, so come back to look for any additions! 

Now, I would like to share with you something that is so grand, so wonderful, so humbling, so beautiful, so loving...

My friend, Bethany, has known about our situation for a while.  She was quite upset with me when I said that I wasn't going to put up a Christmas Tree and I truly believe that she would have driven the close to 6 hours from Northern Virginia to come and put up some flippin' Christmas decor at my house!  Do NOT underestimate this woman!  LOL!  Seriously, do not underestimate what Bethany is capable of.  She had asked me for a Christmas "wish list" a while ago, which was one of the hardest things to do by the way!  I figured that Ethan might get some clothes and maybe a few toys.  I had NO idea what was in store!  Seriously, this woman is sneaky.  When the doorbell rang, I had absolutely no clue who was going to be standing there (with a camera attached to her face, of course) to surprise me along with her friend (and now MY friend), Linda.  I was seriously shaking at the knees.  Of course, part of that was probably due to the fact that I wish my house was cleaner- LOL! 

I am now going to refer you over to Bethany's post about the deliverance of said Christmas wish list.  She captured some special pictures, one of which was Scott opening a gift of "cookies", except these cookies were plastic with little black strips behind them and green with some pictures of President's on them.  It has been a while since I have seen my husband smile with joy and I see joy in his face when I look at the picture that Bethany captured of him.  It makes me cry to think about it, but a good cry.

Please go read Bethany's post from her perspective.  I think that you will be blessed by how giving has blessed her and how it has blessed US.

We are so very humbled by the amount of love, generosity, and giving that was organized by Bethany and given to our family.  We would like to say a huge,

THANK YOU!!!

Two words that just don't even seem to be adequate enough right now, but it's all I have at the moment.  :)  Much love to you all!!!