Commercial Break...

So I know I need to update the blog about Christmas and I plan to...but a quick commercial break to give props to Toni at Design Dazzle. She has the greatest ideas for decorating childrens rooms...oh I can't wait until we have our own house again!

Go check her out at http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/ and you can enter her giveaway or just look around to be inspired.

(PS - This post gave me three more entries in her latest giveaway! hehe)

My Friend's Blog Is In InStyle Magazine!!!

So - yes I will update my progress from last week but first some huge news. My BFF out here in California has an amazing blog that you have to check out. She gives you decorating ideas for kids/teens bedrooms and parties! ALSO...she was just listed in InStyle Magazine as one of their top 200 sites!!!!! Seriously!

Congrats Toni!!!

Solo Vacay's

I love vacations, all vacations. (Well, unless it involves camping...that to me is not a vacay but don't get me started.) I personally think that in addition to family trips we all need family-free trips! So earlier this month I went to Utah with a bunch of my girl friends and had a blast. We laughed, we ate, we shopped, we enjoyed great uplifting conversations. From previous blog posts you know how much I love these girls...wish more of them could have been there but hopefully we can make this an annual event with more friends joining.

A few days after I got home Darin went to Denver to golf with his brother-in-law Paul. What else can I say? Darin says they talked sports, watched sports, played sports, ate when they remembered, and golfed. No uplifting conversations were needed ;) . The great part about his trip was that Paul let us borrow Katherine and Dylan during that same time! We had a great time with them both and were sad to see them go...still scheming to get them to move out here!

Laurie's Visit

Some words that describe my week with Laurie...

laughter, good food, laughter, shopping, more shopping, identical wardrobes, berry picking, chit-chat, deep conversations, sunbathing, accessorizing, San Francisco, GPS!, cupcakes, pick-pocket catching (have to share that), talking to strangers, breakfast out, ear piercing, hugs, tears, goodbyes, more hugs, tears, goodbyes.

Documentation of said fun:

Birthday cupcake, had to chase down a smoker to get a lighter for the candle. This was a great cupcake place whose name escapes me but it's in Ghirardelli Square.


Yummy breakfast in Old Folsom. A full day of shopping ahead!!! =)


Monkeys who are VERY excited for Berry Picking!


Ohhhh so fun! I still have a freezer full of berries. Wish we could have stayed longer. Interestingly, this was one of Laurie's only requests for while she was here. That girl loves berry picking!

Cheesecake Factory (pic taken by waitress who apparently does not have a side job as a photographer. oh well, she still got tipped.)

Taylor was so brave and didn't cry a bit! We thought it was very special to share this event with her.

Birthday morning breakfast before we headed to San Francisco. (Roman wasn't invited and Kate didn't want to go which worked out great because we did a LOT of walking.)

Trolley Museum


I'm holding onto her a bit too tight. haha So typical of me!

We finally got a seat!




Alcatraz in the background. (Pier 39)

Sea Lions! Stinky. Noisy. Fun.

RainForest Cafe. (where the attempted wallet snatching occurred.) I still feel badly that we ate here for Laurie's b-day...HELLO, she loves seafood and we were IN San Francisco but still ended up HERE?! That's just the kind of mom she is!!!

Apparently those are all of the pictures I took....I can't wait to get a copy of hers!

Laurie, Thank you sooo much for turning 30 and for celebrating it with me! (thanks to Curtis for that part.) My life would not be the same without you my Hawaiian Japanese Twin Sister!

Lotsa love,

Sarah

Last Days In Ohio...

Last day for the best pancakes and best company ever! Miss you guys!

Last day at our house :( That was a hard day for all of us. We had sooooo many wonderful memories in that house. Each baby came home there, learned to walk there, opened presents there, made messes, and made my life bliss....at least they got to come with me, even if we had to leave the house behind.

Farewell Columbus and Other Updates

We're moving in just 6 short days! We've been packing like crazy, but I really needed a break and decided to blog. I'm sure this will be my last chance for a while. Here is my high/low list for the past few weeks. (Don't worry there are lots of pics if you're not much of a reader. ;) )

Highs

My sister Marianne and her darling boy, Ethan, were able to visit us for three weeks. It was bliss. The kids loved Tuttle Shuttle and COSI. Marianne and I loved watching them!

Spending lots of time with dear friends. The Clarkes invited us and the Morans (sans Ken due to work) over for a "Last Supper" of sorts. The Clarkes were our first friends in Ohio and luckily we both got to stick around for post grad work. Jim and Ken attended med school while Darin was in dental and then their residencies and ours were both here. Natalie and I were pregnant with our first and second kids at the same time! Charlie and Allie are only a week apart (although I think we shared the same due date). Even though they live "on the other side of town" we've kept in touch and shared many dinners and babysitting swaps. We're going to miss all of them so much. We also became fast friends with the Morans. Shockingly Misti and I have been pregnant with our three kids at the exact same time...which is funny because our spacing is a bit different than most families. Our little girls, Kate and Ella are best friends and even in the same class at school. Kate talks about Ella nonstop. Natalie and Misti are amazing women and I pray to find wonderful friends like them in California.

Charlie, Chase, Allie - Gotta Love Those Toothless Smiles

Kate, Ella, Maggie

The Lunt, Moran, Clarke Gang

Jim (Annie) and Darin

Roman: Future Mall Cop ??? LOL

Sarah, Natalie, Misti

Misti and I took the kids to the Columbus Zoo one last time. We had so much fun visiting while the kids ran around like monkeys.

Both of the girls had their last day at school in Ohio. Each of them had a school party complete with a presentation about California, Palm Tree Cupcakes, and Beach Boys music. The girls are going to miss their friends and teachers but those parties really helped to send them off with love.

Allie and her teacher Ms. Cook

Allie doing her presentation - she and Kate are very excited to see the Redwood Trees.

Kate with her teachers, Mrs. Racz, Mrs. Sluvka, Mrs. Vanhoose

(Kate is sitting next to Ella.)

Lows

Roman wasn't breathing very well Thursday night so I gave him a breathing treatment before bed. He seemed happy and normal though. Friday morning he woke up and WAS NOT himself. He was really lethargic and his breathing we VERY labored. His little ribs were sucking in soooo hard. I called the doctor and set up an appt, they could see him in 2 hrs. My regular dr. wasn't there and the lady-dr that saw him said he needed a breathing treatment immediately. (imagine sitting in a room with no tv and forcing a 17 mnth old to wear a mask for 10 mins!!!! Aaack!) She came back in and said he needed 1 -2 more immediately. I'm thinking...this is bad AND I need to get Kate to school for her last day. They were planning a party for her.....I mentioned this to the dr. who then snaps at me that my son is in really bad shape and probably needs to go to the ER. I had NO idea it was that bad. So I called Darin for back-up and he was on his way. Then I did 2 more breathing treatments. Poor Roman was such a little trooper and Kate was a doll to try to keep him entertained. Basically I ran home w/ Darin and the kids - he fed Roman and gathered his things. I RAN Kate to school w/ her stuff. Then got home, loaded Roman up (remembered his fav. movie and portable dvd player! yay!) and head for Children's Hospital. The people there were SO nice and got us right in. They had me do 3 more breathing treatments there. Roman just sat sooo still and watched his shows. Next they did an X-ray and gave him an oral steroid. The doctor came in and said no, it wasn't pneumonia or RSV or the flu. He's too young to diagnose asthma but they think that's probably it. Just as they were giving me the orders of what to do at home a new doctor came in and said he wanted to take a listen to Roman. He was really concerned and said there was no way he could send that baby home with such difficulty breathing....so he sent us over to a unit called Observation and ordered us to spend the night. Roman needed breathing treatments every 2 hours!!! Anyway....it was an awfully long night but Roman did get better. To make a LONG story a tad shorter....we asked the morning doctor to please let us go since we're moving in 9 days. He agreed and said we just had to do treatments every 4 hours (even waking Roman up at night) until his breathing is better. Whew! Poor little guy, it's no fun at all but he has accepted what has to be and will sit very still while we give him the meds/treatments. Roman is much better now and we are so grateful. Tomorrow is his check-up so hopefully we'll get the all-clear.

(this is the chair we "slept" in all night. The alternative was a SCARY cage bed for Roman...he wasn't having anything to do with it and I didn't blame him. should have taken a picture.)

Packing. Yuck! It's especially hard when you have to manage this cuteness....(see he's back to himself!) Thankfully the girls have been able to play with friends!

We're really excited about the girl's birthdays this week, Darin's parents coming in town, Darin's FINAL graduation, and our move to California. In all this craziness we see how blessed we are. We have loved our journey in Columbus and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us in California.

Whew! Now I need to get some sleep....oh but I have a special Kate update to do. Guess that will have to wait until tomorrow.