"New" Furniture

Last Saturday we received some bedroom furniture from friends, which we needed, as we just moved Tarin into her own room, and were a little short on furniture.

This is what the bed frame and nightstands originally looked like.

We decided to spiff up the "new" furniture, which of course meant a trip to Home Depot!

Tarin chose the spray paint color "French Lilac" for her bed frame,

which Emma also wanted for her nightstand.

Then Tarin picked out the color "Leafy Green" for her nightstand.

We also let the girls pick out new handles for the nightstand drawers,

which they put on themselves.

Tarin's handles were a pretty flowery silver,

and Emma's were brass and white.

They both look really good.

Here is the "new" furniture.

The girls were both excited to put their new furniture in their rooms.

If you notice,

Tarin also painted an old brown metal trash can

(that was probably from the 1970's) to match her new furniture.

I would also like to point out one other Fabulous accomplishment in these photos.

Can you see them?

Do you notice the Absolutely Darling quilts on both of their beds?

These are the first full size quilts that I have ever made from scratch!

Last year my Grandma Dixon decided that she was going to teach me how to quilt, and she did. It came as a HUGE surprise to me that I actually liked doing it.

I also feel really good about my accomplishment!

I think we should all learn something new each year.

Here is what I am learning this year:

Thank you, Miss Terra, for teaching me piano. I have loved both of my lessons so far!

I also am planning on learning how to make bed skirts (see the sad lack of skirts on my girls beds?) and valances and curtains to match their adorable quilts.

How hard can it be???

Not So Scary Surgery

Yesterday morning, Tarin and I left our house at 6:40 am.

We made our way down to Banner Desert Hospital for a 7am check-in.

After checking-in at 3 different stations, Tarin was weighed, measured, blood-pressured, temperatured, and changed into an adult-sized gown and socks.

Then we were shown to a pre-op room and settled down to wait.

In the meantime, Eli was home with Emma getting her ready for school.

Daddy even did her hair.

Emma was dropped off at school a few minutes late,

but with a very nice ponytail and a pretty clip in the front part of her hair.

Daddy is really good at ponytails!

Shortly after 8am, Eli joined Tarin and I in the pre-op room.

We had some very nice nurses who helped soothe Tarin's very nervous mind and heart.

Then Miss Morgan, a representative from Child Life, brought in a Teddy Bear who was all prepped for surgery, and a scrapbook that had pictures and explanations of what the surgery room looked like, and what Tarin should expect.

She was VERY relieved to find out that the doctor wouldn't put her IV in until AFTER she was put under.

Tarin was also able to pick the scent she wanted in her gas mask, and apply it herself. She choose bubblegum scent.

Around a quarter 'till 10, Dr. Goldstein, Miss Morgan, and a whole slew of nurses wheeled Tarin in to the surgery room, while Mom and Dad went to the Family Waiting Room.

What did Tarin have done?

Dr. Goldstein removed a growth on the left side of her nose, which he then sent to Pathology so they can determine what it is.

Dr. Goldstein also removed some pencil lead from her right pinkie finger.

How did the lead get there?

In second grade Tarin was scooting in to a desk in her classroom while holding a pencil, and the pencil hit the desk which drove the pencil into her finger.

We took Tarin to see the doctor at the time it happened, but they couldn't see anything by looking at her finger.

Over the last 2 years, though, the lead worked it's way up toward the surface of her finger.

Dr. Goldstein told us later that when they were removing the lead, he grabbed hold of the sliver, and started to pull it out. The lead got stuck, so they spread her finger apart a little more, and continued to pull it out. He was VERY SURPRISED when the entire tip of the pencil came out.

It was not just a sliver of the pencil lead, but the whole point of the sharpened pencil!

You can't see the stitches on her finger above, though, because the stitches are on the inside of her finger, and there is a band-aid covering it.

By 10:40 Tarin was kind-of awake in the recovery room, and Eli and I were able to go back and sit with her.

She was VERY groggy and shaky, and a little nauseous, but doing very well otherwise. The nurse gave her some anti-nausea medicine and another blanket, and Tarin slowly started to feel better.

We left the hospital at 12 noon, and headed for home.

Later, when Tarin was feeling more herself, she told me that the surgery was not so scary after all.

11 Years and Still Counting

This last Friday, on August 14th, Eli and I celebrated our 11th anniversary.

The time has truly flown by.

Then

I was 18 years old and 107 lbs.

I was deeply in love.

Now

I am 29 years old and more than 107 lbs.

I am still deeply in love.

A love note to my eternal partner:

Eli,

You are my very best friend.

We have worked together through the great times, the rough times, and all the times in between. The last 11 years have brought two beautiful daughters into our lives and hearts, and they love you so dearly, as do I. You are a wonderful father and husband, and I am blessed to spend all of the eternities with you.

Love,

Dixie

If I could have just one wish,

I would wish to wake up everyday

to the sound of your breath on my neck,

the warmth of your lips on my cheek,

the touch of your fingers on my skin,

and the feel of your heart beating with mine...

Knowing that I could never find that feeling

with anyone other than you.

- Courtney Kuchta

Family Hot Evening

Who doesn't like sitting around roasting hot dogs and marshmallows

over a nice fire when it is 105 degrees outside?

Not our family!

We broke in our new fire pit this past Monday night for FHE,

and it was a BLAST!

We sang hymns,

cooked yummy food,

played Simon Says, and had a side

walk-chalk self-portrait contest.

Eli won that part of the night with a

lovely portrait of himself in swim trunks (hairy chest and all), standing next to a pool.

I just went out to take a picture of it,

but alas, the rain 2 nights ago washed it away!

I think the smores were the favorite part.

(I just want to say OINK!!)

Why is it that fire-roasted hot dogs taste better than hot dogs cooked any other way?

On My Way Back

I can't believe it has been MONTHS since I have posted anything. The year has flown by, and now I will attempt to slowly catch everyone up on all the happenings... but not all in this post.

It has been a roller-coaster of a few weeks lately. The girls started back in school on July 23rd (yea!), and I have already been busy volunteering at wonderful Edu-Prize. Girls in school has allowed me to scrape enough time together to finish my work for my temp job, which I am grateful for (finishing it, as well as the job). I am also finally able to start doing my Yoga tapes again, which I have sorely missed over the last year (broken foot = no yoga). I love Sara Ivanhoe, she just fits my personality. I have this collection of DVDs from her. I have 15lbs of "wheel-chair weight" to burn off, along with all the inches that come with that weight. Please wish me luck!! Due to the last year, all of my flexibility and strength and balance has disappeared, and I am trying hard to get back to the way I was. I am still too scared to even attempt to jog yet, cause I just know I will trip over something else and I will be done forever.

On a totally different topic, I don't think many people know, but we are currently house hunting. I am so excited! After renting our home for 10 years, we finally feel like it's time to purchase our very own home. We thought we had a home this weekend, but we lost it to another bidder at the very last minute, and I am soooooo bummed!! It took me a couple of days to get over it (I am still not completely over it), and we now are the back-up offer for this particular great house which I want REALLY bad.

I don't want to pray anything awful, like the other people will lose their job, but I am hoping that maybe they'll be tranferred out of state, or they win the lottery and want to buy a million dollar house... something.

Diggin' My New Kicks!

After 112 days without walking... I can finally walk! (sort of)

I have traded in my old walking boot, crutches and wheelchair (seen here) for these totally FAB new kicks!

Don't you dig my brace and cane!?

Thank you Grandma, for lending me your cane! It is pretty sad that I need it and you don't.

Only in Primary

As we were decorating our Christmas tree on Sunday afternoon, Eli pulled out his ornaments from boy-hood. He then holds up a shiny gold ornament with his picture in the middle and tells me

"Only in primary do they turn an ashtray into an ornament!"

Straight Sunday

On Sunday, Tarin asked me to straighten her hair, instead of curl it "like always" (can you hear the complaint??).

I said "OK".

Then, of course, Emma decided she also wanted me to straighten her hair.

"OK" again.

After I was done, Emma told me to take a picture for my blog and title it "Straight Sunday". So....

Here ya go!

If you have ever wondered what a Straight Sunday would look like (are you telling me you haven't??), here it is.

Can you see the muscles popping on Emma's neck? This is common occurrence... we are working on it...

Cinderella

For Emma's birthday, Grandma and Grandpa gave her 3 tickets to see Cinderella last Saturday at

Emma, Tarin and I had a great time!

There was an Irish Fairy Godmother that wore roller-skates,a giant white dog that ends up looking like a poodle, two silly step-sisters and a cranky step-mother, a rapping page (who danced to hannah montanna), and of course an absolutely charming Prince Charming, who sings. (See above)

This was the funnest and funniest version of Cinderella I have ever seen. If you have never seen the fight over the glass slippers in slowmotion with silent movie music playing, you should see this!

The dog, Rover, even pulled my two girls into the play to dance with him during Cinderella's ball. They had such a blast!

At the beginning of the play, the Irish Fairy Godmother called all the birthday children down to throw a gold coin in the wishing well and make a birthday wish. Then they handed out a little prize to each of the birthday children. Emma was almost beside herself at this point!

This is us sitting in our seats waiting for the show to start.

Below is Emma dancing on the stage during intermission. She is a natural on the stage!