Yesterday was a pretty average Sunday at our house. We were getting ready for church and as my husband was helping Ryan get dressed, he suddenly announced, "This shirt doesn't even fit him!" And he was right. It didn't. After Ryan was back downstairs, Bryan asked me, "How did this happen? Remember when they were that little," and pointed to a picture of Ryan and Annie when they were 4 and 2 1/2 respectively. For some reason at that moment, it really hit me. My kids are growing up so fast. My baby isn't really a baby anymore. Ryan is 1/3 of the way to adulthood.
For me it was an eye opening moment. Not that I don't think that they're growing up too quickly on a regular basis, but it was like being hit over the head. As a mom I worry so much--am I teaching them the right things, am I helping them develop a testimony of their savior Jesus Christ, am I helping them understand the importance of kindness and honesty and work and family...the list could go on forever.
The one thing I am confident in is that my children know how much we love them. I tell them that every single day, often multiple times a day. I want them to have no doubts that regardless of the things they do and the decisions they make, their dad and I love them unconditionally. Yes, sometimes we might be disappointed. But it doesn't change our love for them. And it never will.
I will keep doing my very best on all of the other stuff. But in the interim, I will hope that my love is enough.
Monday, September 09, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The Bravest Girl I Know
Most of you know that our sweet Annie has had her share of medical issues. Never anything life threatening, but plenty to keep us worried. Earlier this year she had an endoscopy and from that we received some unexpected biopsy results that indicated her problems might be more serious. Specifically there were some indicators present that can indicate Crohn's Disease or colitis. Over the past few months she has had lots of tests and while we were able to rule out a number of other things, all of the tests for Crohn's and colitis were inconclusive. Her weight gain had stalled out over the last nine or so months so her GI doctor decided a colonoscopy was in order.
When we first told her what was happening about a week before the procedure we finished by asking her if she was scared. Her response? "No, I just want Dr. Montes to figure out why I can't gain any pounds." OK then.
On the way to the hospital she was pretty quiet. Bryan asked if she was worried or scared and she simply replied no. Once we arrived she got changed into the hospital PJ's, watched Super Why in our waiting room and then went out to the area filled with toys and played. She and Bryan played air hockey, and she found a little bike thing that she rode around until it was time to talk to the anesthesiologist. The whole time she was calm and mellow, like she was an old pro. One thing I love about Phoenix Children's is that they allow the parents to go back to the procedure room and stay until the patient falls asleep. We told her good bye, kissed her on the forehead, she fell asleep and that was that.
In recovery Annie kept asking when she could go home. She drank some apple juice and a little later they released us. She fell asleep on the way home but by two hours after the procedure you never would have known that anything unusual had happened that day.
That day the doctor told us everything had looked good, that he saw no signs of Crohn's and that he expected the biopsies to come back normal. Today he called and confirmed that all of her results were normal. There are no words to express how relieved I am. She will know go on an appetite stimulant and see how that works. Our fingers are crossed that its effective
When we first told her what was happening about a week before the procedure we finished by asking her if she was scared. Her response? "No, I just want Dr. Montes to figure out why I can't gain any pounds." OK then.
On the way to the hospital she was pretty quiet. Bryan asked if she was worried or scared and she simply replied no. Once we arrived she got changed into the hospital PJ's, watched Super Why in our waiting room and then went out to the area filled with toys and played. She and Bryan played air hockey, and she found a little bike thing that she rode around until it was time to talk to the anesthesiologist. The whole time she was calm and mellow, like she was an old pro. One thing I love about Phoenix Children's is that they allow the parents to go back to the procedure room and stay until the patient falls asleep. We told her good bye, kissed her on the forehead, she fell asleep and that was that.
In recovery Annie kept asking when she could go home. She drank some apple juice and a little later they released us. She fell asleep on the way home but by two hours after the procedure you never would have known that anything unusual had happened that day.
That day the doctor told us everything had looked good, that he saw no signs of Crohn's and that he expected the biopsies to come back normal. Today he called and confirmed that all of her results were normal. There are no words to express how relieved I am. She will know go on an appetite stimulant and see how that works. Our fingers are crossed that its effective
Friday, August 02, 2013
Why I Will Never Have Plastic Surgery
It wasn’t that long ago that plastic surgery was something
reserved for celebrities and the very wealthy. Today, however cosmetic
procedures seem to be the equivalent of a participation trophy for middle class
women.
I know more women than I can count who have had plastic
surgery. Don’t get me wrong—most of these women look great. And my aversion to
plastic surgery is not because it wouldn’t benefit me—I’ve had three kids, I
weigh 35 pounds more than I did in high school and I have more stretch marks
than a shar-pei puppy has wrinkles.
But here’s the thing—I have a daughter. I don’t want her to
grow up thinking that her body is the be-all end-all of her existence. I grew
up with a mother who was always on some fad diet and a grandmother who was
bulimic until she died weighing less than 75 pounds. I’ve experienced firsthand
the effect of that example. I have spent more time, energy and money trying to
get the scale to convey some magic number that I have conjured up in my head than
I have on many other worthy pursuits. When I think about it, it brings me to
tears. And I want more for my daughter.
A few months ago I was chatting with a gentleman as we
watched our kids in swim lessons. He mentioned that his wife was going to have
a “mommy makeover.” It made me wonder, when as a society did we decide that
beauty involves erasing all signs of bringing children into this world? Why are
we not cherishing the bodies that made us mothers and wearing those battle
scars proudly? Why are we so obsessed with looking good in a bikini that we are
literally willing to risk our lives? (You may think I am being dramatic, but
there are plenty of deaths each year that result from cosmetic procedures).
I want to raise a daughter who learns to identify her
talents and discover what she has to offer the world. I want her to learn to
incorporate healthy eating and regular exercise into her daily life without
obsessing over every calorie that passes her lips. I want her to cherish the
body that God has given her, not because it’s perfect, but because it’s hers.
So while I can pretty much guarantee that you’re never going
to see me in a bikini, I’m OK with that. My body has given me gifts far greater
than I could have ever imagined. And for me, that’s enough.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Back to School Teacher Gift
This year I wanted to send a little Back to School gift to each of the kids' teachers. I looked on Pinterest for ideas and while I found some stuff that was clever, it wasn't particularly useful. So I decided I needed to come up with something on my own.
I decided on a Back to School Survival Kit. I put all of the items in cute little gift bags I found at Target, and personalized the tags for each of their teachers.
Here's what's on the tags:
Mrs. XXX's Back to School Survival Kit
Post-its: for all the things you have to remember
Binder Clips: to keep it all together
Chocolate: because chocolate makes EVERYTHING better!
Hand Cream: to negate the effects of all that hand sanitizer
Starbucks: caffeine to help keep you going (I included a $5 Starbucks gift card)
Lemonade: something to make if your day gives you lemons (I included a box of packets of Crystal Light lemonade)
I was happy with the end result and the teachers seemed to like it, so I'm calling it a success!
Back to School!
It's hard to believe our summer is over, but last week the kiddos headed back to school. Yeah, it's early, but really, how much can you do when it's 110 degrees outside?
Here they are all spiffed up for their first day back:
Ryan, First Day of First Grade
Annie, First Day of Preschool
(her third and last year of preschool!)
Couldn't leave out the little guy! I'm sure he will enjoy having some time each day with Mama all to himself!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Our Summer, Part 1
So we Colby's have been thoroughly enjoying summer vacation! The kiddos only get 8 weeks off, which I don't really mind because they don't have time to get bored, and what are we going to do when it's 110 degrees outside anyway?
Here's a little peek at our summer so far:
Disneyland, getting ready to ride the canoes. Somehow in my gazillion trips to Disneyland I had NEVER done this before. We had a blast.
Annie before her dance recital. She had been literally been counting down for months!
Bryan on the water slide we rented for Eric's birthday party. Everyone LOVED this thing--it was FAST and so much fun! Apparently after 8 1/2 years I have officially succumbed to the Colby family motto that anything worth doing is worth overdoing!
We have also had lots of fun swimming with friends and Ryan just finished a week of golf camp.
Still to come: Science Camp for both of the big kids, Gymnastics Camp for Annie, Ryan's birthday party and a trip to Tehachapi to celebrate the 4th of July!
Here's a little peek at our summer so far:
Disneyland, getting ready to ride the canoes. Somehow in my gazillion trips to Disneyland I had NEVER done this before. We had a blast.
Annie before her dance recital. She had been literally been counting down for months!
Eric's first birthday. Boy did he love the cake!
Bryan on the water slide we rented for Eric's birthday party. Everyone LOVED this thing--it was FAST and so much fun! Apparently after 8 1/2 years I have officially succumbed to the Colby family motto that anything worth doing is worth overdoing!
We have also had lots of fun swimming with friends and Ryan just finished a week of golf camp.
Still to come: Science Camp for both of the big kids, Gymnastics Camp for Annie, Ryan's birthday party and a trip to Tehachapi to celebrate the 4th of July!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Plans for 2013
I have an aversion to the word "resolutions" but I'm big on goals, so here's a quick overview of some of the things I hope to accomplish in the coming year:
FAMILY
~Be more consistent with daily scripture study and Family Home Evening
~Say yes to my kids as much as possible. I'm not going to allow them to jump off the roof or anything, but I've found that I say no a lot, and I don't think that's a positive thing. If Annie wants to wear her Rapunzel dress up dress to Costco or Ryan wants to build a fort in the loft, I need to let them.
~Have occasional one-on-one "dates" with Ryan and Annie. I think they are at an age where they can appreciate time alone with Mom and Dad.
~Eat out less and eat natural, one ingredient foods (i.e. chicken, broccoli) more
~Go to Disneyland at least once a month (we bought annual passes for Christmas, so we want to get our money's worth!)
HOME
~Organize the garage
~Window treatments for all the downstairs windows
~Get a pool!
PERSONAL
~Eat less carbs and more fruit and veggies
~Exercise at least 3X/week
~Read the entire Book of Mormon
QUILTS
Make or finish the following quilts:
~Giraffe quilt for Eric
~Floral strip quilt
~Postage stamp quilt
~Quilt for Grandma Shirley
~Quilt for Alex and Bronson
~Halloween quilt
~Christmas quilt for our good friends
FAMILY
~Be more consistent with daily scripture study and Family Home Evening
~Say yes to my kids as much as possible. I'm not going to allow them to jump off the roof or anything, but I've found that I say no a lot, and I don't think that's a positive thing. If Annie wants to wear her Rapunzel dress up dress to Costco or Ryan wants to build a fort in the loft, I need to let them.
~Have occasional one-on-one "dates" with Ryan and Annie. I think they are at an age where they can appreciate time alone with Mom and Dad.
~Eat out less and eat natural, one ingredient foods (i.e. chicken, broccoli) more
~Go to Disneyland at least once a month (we bought annual passes for Christmas, so we want to get our money's worth!)
HOME
~Organize the garage
~Window treatments for all the downstairs windows
~Get a pool!
PERSONAL
~Eat less carbs and more fruit and veggies
~Exercise at least 3X/week
~Read the entire Book of Mormon
QUILTS
Make or finish the following quilts:
~Giraffe quilt for Eric
~Floral strip quilt
~Postage stamp quilt
~Quilt for Grandma Shirley
~Quilt for Alex and Bronson
~Halloween quilt
~Christmas quilt for our good friends
Friday, January 04, 2013
2012 in Review
So it's pretty obvious that I'm not so good at updating the blog these days, so here is a rundown of our 2012:
JANUARY was a pretty low key month.
FEBRUARY was spent finishing our preparations to move. Packing, ordering new furniture, all that kind of stuff. That month Annie also had a GI doctor's appointment and we found out she was in the 50th percentile for weight, a HUGE accomplishment given her earlier difficulties.
MARCH brought our much anticipated move. We LOVE our new house, our new ward and our new neighborhood.
APRIL brought a change of schools for Annie. Kind of tough, she loved her teacher at Ashland Ranch but she made it through.
MAY brought us the arrival of our sweet baby boy Eric. He is the happiest, sweetest, easiest baby on the planet. We feel so blessed that he is part of our family!
JUNE brought the adjustment to a new baby (which was really a piece of cake!), and a visit from my parents to help with the madness.
JULY was a big month for Ryan. On the 1st he turned 5. We celebrated at Bounce U with lots of his friends. Later in the month he started Kindergarten at CTA Independence. He LOVES school and has an incredible teacher.
AUGUST was by 35th birthday which we celebrated with a night at the Ritz Carlton and dinner at The Melting Pot with our good friends Rachel and Ryan. We also took a trip to Tehachapi for my parents baptism.
SEPTEMBER was another low key month. We like those every once in a while.
OCTOBER was our annual trip to Newport Coast. We went to Disneyland and Sea World and celebrated Bryan's birthday. Bryan's parents joined us for part of the week which was a fun treat.
NOVEMBER was Annie's 4th birthday. We celebrated with a trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. She had lunch at Ariel's Grotto where she got to hobnob with the princesses, which she loved. We spent Thanksgiving at Bryan's parents cabin in Show Low which was lots of fun.
DECEMBER was full of lots of Christmas festivities, including Zoo Lights, the Mesa Temple lights, a ride on the Polar Express, our annual Red and Green Dinner with friends and of course Christmas with Bryan's family. For Christmas we got the family annual passes to Disneyland so a couple of days after Christmas we headed to California for a couple of days. We stayed at a hotel on the property for the first time which was a fun treat and a huge convenience!
Basically we had a very blessed year. I'm so grateful for my sweet little family and all the ways the Lord continues to bless us. Here's to a wonderful 2013!
JANUARY was a pretty low key month.
FEBRUARY was spent finishing our preparations to move. Packing, ordering new furniture, all that kind of stuff. That month Annie also had a GI doctor's appointment and we found out she was in the 50th percentile for weight, a HUGE accomplishment given her earlier difficulties.
MARCH brought our much anticipated move. We LOVE our new house, our new ward and our new neighborhood.
APRIL brought a change of schools for Annie. Kind of tough, she loved her teacher at Ashland Ranch but she made it through.
MAY brought us the arrival of our sweet baby boy Eric. He is the happiest, sweetest, easiest baby on the planet. We feel so blessed that he is part of our family!
JUNE brought the adjustment to a new baby (which was really a piece of cake!), and a visit from my parents to help with the madness.
JULY was a big month for Ryan. On the 1st he turned 5. We celebrated at Bounce U with lots of his friends. Later in the month he started Kindergarten at CTA Independence. He LOVES school and has an incredible teacher.
AUGUST was by 35th birthday which we celebrated with a night at the Ritz Carlton and dinner at The Melting Pot with our good friends Rachel and Ryan. We also took a trip to Tehachapi for my parents baptism.
SEPTEMBER was another low key month. We like those every once in a while.
OCTOBER was our annual trip to Newport Coast. We went to Disneyland and Sea World and celebrated Bryan's birthday. Bryan's parents joined us for part of the week which was a fun treat.
NOVEMBER was Annie's 4th birthday. We celebrated with a trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. She had lunch at Ariel's Grotto where she got to hobnob with the princesses, which she loved. We spent Thanksgiving at Bryan's parents cabin in Show Low which was lots of fun.
DECEMBER was full of lots of Christmas festivities, including Zoo Lights, the Mesa Temple lights, a ride on the Polar Express, our annual Red and Green Dinner with friends and of course Christmas with Bryan's family. For Christmas we got the family annual passes to Disneyland so a couple of days after Christmas we headed to California for a couple of days. We stayed at a hotel on the property for the first time which was a fun treat and a huge convenience!
Basically we had a very blessed year. I'm so grateful for my sweet little family and all the ways the Lord continues to bless us. Here's to a wonderful 2013!
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