Birthday Time!

Can't believe it's been 2 years! I was remembering this morning exactly what was happening two years ago on this day. Here is a little slid show of Clare growing up fast as ever.
We love you Clare! Happy Birthday!!!

Worth a try???

Christmas 2008

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? Jogging Stroller Rain Cover, Cold Weather Jogging Clothes, Cutting Matt, A Good Book, New Running Shoes.
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? an Apron
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? White Chocolate Popcorn
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? A Little Red Play House
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? Bath Toys, Clothes, A Few Good Picture Books...
6. What is your favorite holiday food? Pie!
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? Not Sure Yet, Maybe Some Applique Children's Shirts
8. What is your favorite holiday movie? A Christmas Story
9. Favorite holiday song? Let It Snow
10. Favorite holiday pastime? Putting a LARGE Puzzle Together with Family

October is Orange

Maybe you've been out to our back pattio and seen the HORRIBLE siding that the past home owner either put up or left up. (See the picture below.) I think it was once a nice cream color. It's turned black and brittle in the sun so I took it down. That created a three foot drop off onto our driveway.

And wouldn't you know the very next day after I had taken it all down Clare fell off.
So, here are some pictures of Clare and I painting the new trellis we are putting up to stop young ones from falling off and give us additional privacy and shade.

Fun story. Clare is very observant. I wanted to take some pictures of her helping me paint. So I put the camera on timer mode and snapped a few shots. I continued painting, she started playing around behind me. I heard the camera go off, she was playing with it. I picked it up to see what she'd taken a picture of...
Here it is Clare's first self photo. I have about five pictures she took the same way. She pressed the button and then stood right behind me as the camera took her picture. SO CUTE!

Of course she got paint on her hands and had fun rubbing it around. I put her in the pool before she could get it on anything else.

Family Pictures!

Amazing how a family can change in just a year.
Kami Hall took them for us at Wheeler Farm. Kami's Blogspot site is Scarlet-photography.

Why We Fight CF

Oh My!

I dumped some items out of my purse onto the couch last night on our way out the door. We were leaving to have family pictures taken and I didn't wasn't to carry things I didn't need. This morning I walked right by the couch without looking (or thinking) and got Clare breakfast.

When Clare finished breakfast I let her play. She went into the living room where the couch I mentioned is. When I came in after her I realized what a close call I just had.

I guess it's a good thing Clare has watched me put lipstick on because she didn't get any on her hands or the carpet or the couch. She wasn't even eating it. She was carefully applying it to her lips and around her lips.

What a cutie! I had to take pictures. Then I had to take it away and wipe her face again.

2 Reasons to Spred Awareness: Cystic Fibrosis

Our goal is to spread awareness and raise $10,000 by October 31st.
we've raised 2,700 as of today. This is remarkable! Thank you!

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes the mucus that our bodies naturally make to be too thick and sticky. Like rubber cement sticky. Because it's so thick and sticky people with CF can't get it out of their lungs and digestive system the way the rest of us naturally do. This causes a couple different health problems mostly in the lungs and digestive system.

The research sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is incredible and can give people with CF a whole new life. Approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States have cystic fibrosis. An additional ten million more—or about one in every 31 Americans—are carriers of the defective CF gene, but do not have the disease. (Most of these carriers don't know they are carriers.) CF is most common in Caucasians, but it can affect all races.

Read our story / make a donation http://www.cff.org/LWC/RichardDavis

How fast can we raise $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis?

I NEED EVERYONE'S HELP! Please visit my home page: http://www.cff.org/LWC/RichardDavis. I am going to raise $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by October 31st!!! BE A PART OF THE CURE!! I am asking for donations of any amount. $1, $5, $1...0, $100 or what ever you can do. I just donated $100. SEND MY LINK TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. EMAIL, FACEBOOK, MYSPACE. TWITTER. Lets see how fast we can make a difference! Help Change A Life!

Today and Yesterday and Tomorrow

It's fun to watch Clare climb in and out of small spaces.








Sometimes she gets stuck and ends up in uncomfortable positions.







But she learns how to get out and eventually where not to go.








And sometime she gets to see things the rest of us can't.






Of Life and the Park -Chrysi Davis-
That was a wonderful day of playing in the heat and sunshine and watching Clare enjoy the thrill of a playground. So much has happened since that day at the park.
But today we had another outing in the park and it's nice to know that even though our worlds get turned upside down over and over again we can still turn ourselves right side up, get through the hard stuff and go back to the park.
And things will happen again. Life will catch us unaware and teach us hard lessons. Then we'll go back to the park. We'll swing through the air and plunge down the slide and imagine we're flying.

Since that time in the park my last blog was about a lot has transpired. Rick returned from China and we spent a couple days together loving being in the same place again. It changed from July to August so quickly. We enrolled Clare in a clinical study of a CF treatment. And I've spent some time in the hospital with pulmonary embolisms. The three of us have each had our medical moments this year so now we're all caught up for a while. Worse things can and do happen.
I want to thank everyone who has been concerned for us, who has been praying for us, who has taken the time to check in on us to see how things are. If you've kept us in your thoughts for even a moment thank you. We felt your support, you love, your thoughts, your prayers and we thank God for giving us friends and family like you. God works through people and it is through you that we have felt his love and compassion for us. And we are so very grateful.
Thank you.

Day at the Park

We went to Liberty Park today to play around the water. Tuesday is maintenance day, the water was off. Doesn't matter, they have a great play area sponsored by the Rotary. Here's a few cute picts of Clare.

I Did That?! Wow.

Have you ever set out to do something you weren't sure you could do well enough to please yourself. Then when you finished and took a step back to look at the completed project you were super happy with how well you did.
Well this is one of those moments and I feel so good about it that I'm going to share it with everyone.

I have a couple aprons I like to keep in the kitchen. I wanted a place I could hang them that looked good and I didn't want to drill a bunch of holes in the walls or cabinets. So, I had this idea that I would put hooks onto a decorative wall hanging so that I could hang multiple hooks from only one hole in the wall and get some art into the room.
We were given a lovely biscuit jar at our wedding that we keep out on our counter. I enjoy it so much I duplicated the pattern on it and hand painted my own decorative apron hanger. Yeah, I painted it all by myself. Hurray.




















On the left is the wood right after I painted it. On the right it is hanging on my kitchen wall with a protective glossy coating, hardware and an apron. I'm amazed it looks so much the way I wanted it to look.

July, begining of the heat.

The month is only half begun. Here's a compilation of pictures for what we've done so far. I just love taking and posting pictures.
Enjoy!
























Clare at our 2nd annual Independence Day family brunch.



There's a little red chair just her size at my moms house. She loves to carry it around and use it.














Here she is again just looking too cute and growing up too fast.



She likes to snuggle under her blanket and say "Shhhh! Sleepys."


















This is an awesome sunset picture Rick took before fireworks started up at Jordanelle Reservoir.















Rick and Clare and I playing around at Jordanelle waiting for the fireworks. It wasn't very cold but Clare has these nit caps that loves to wear no matter what temperature it is.















Check out these carrots we pulled from our garden July 14th! They're huge and twisted! Maybe next year we will use a tiller instead of old fashioned sweat and a shovel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!!!

For Ricks birthday his dad took us and Rick's sister with her youngest child to dinner and a Salt Lake Bees game.

Dinner was at Kyoto. I admit it was a little crazy to bring two toddlers, but it was still fun. The kids were both really good. We only had one spill across the table and one spoonful of soup flung.

The Bees game was easier. The kids could run around by our knees and we could give them room to run when we needed too. The Bees even won 5-4 hurray!

Rick received a few camping items that I hope we can enjoy sooner than later.

Birthdays are a great time to reflect on a person and let them know how much they mean to you. If I had to choose one person to be stranded on an island with it would of course be Rick. Rick is a positive upbeat person. He is easygoing but still thoughtful. Of course we would both go stir crazy on an island. Rick and I love to get out and do things.

The past 2 months haven't been easy on my amazing husband. Right before Clare was diagnosed, April 10th, with CF he began experiencing a bout of Vertigo that became sever enough to keep him in bed for 5 days. The immobility caused by the vertigo aggravated a herniated disk in his lower spine. He had it operated on on June 4th and is already feeling much better. But that time he spent from Easter until the operation he was in pain no matter what position he was in. He couldn't sleep in his own bed.

He was still my biggest support when it can to dealing with Cystic Fibrosis on a personal level. Of course Rick had that to deal with also but he was unable to attend the initial clinical appointments. He had to learn everything second hand through me. In spite of my flaws he picked up on the therapy and diet changes and ran with them. He even asked me if I would let him do the evening therapy. (Of course he can!) In spite of his own pain and discomfort he has done all he could to help Clare and I with our burdens.

Since his operation he has been feeling better joking and laughing just like before. I hadn't realized just how hard it was until I could compare. What a trial the last 2 months have been. I hope the rest of the summer is non-eventful and full of fun simple times with my best friend and favorite person, Rick.