Been a while

It's been a while since I've posted anything.  First I wasn't feeling well because I was in the first trimester.  Then I was feeling better and we've been busy having fun.  I'm now 20 weeks pregnant and feeling great.

Our sweet kiddos continue to bring a lot of joy and laughter to our home.

Tara cleaned off the hutch the other day, which is a perfect dumping ground for everything under the sun.  Since then she has been hard core about nothing going on the hutch.  I set my bible study book there a few days ago and she picked it up and brought it to me.
Her: "Mom, I found this on the hutch."
Me:  "I know, Baby, I put it there to remind me to do my homework so put it back there please."
Her:  (In a respectful yet decisive tone) "No.  Nothing goes on the hutch."

I had to laugh.  She was protecting her hard work.  It's like me, after the kitchen is spotless, telling everyone they can't eat for a while.  So now, it has become a family joke.  Blake and I sneak a rubber band or something on the hutch to see how long it will take for Tara to gasp in horror.  It's quite funny . . . and yes, the hutch is still clean.  I'm scared to set anything on it even when she isn't home. :)

We got to go to California a few weeks ago.  We visited with Tim's sister and family and then our husbands ran a marathon together while we corralled the kids.  It was a great trip, but went by too quickly.  Tim has now officially done 10 marathons.

Our family at the Bixby bridge in Big Sur after the marathon.  Sept 25, 2010

Tim finishing #10

The whole gang (us and Tim's sister and family: Robin, Daniel, Tres, and Emrie)

Tim and Blake strike a pose.

Tara explores the coastline

Tim and Daniel at the start of the race.

Conversations at our house

Last night we were discussing what we should do before summer is over.

Me:  I should take you to the art museum.

Blake:  No!

Me:  Oh, you'd like it.  The paintings are really neat!

Blake:  I'm sure the paintings are (air quotes) neat but I hate art.

Did my child just do air quotes?!!  He was slightly more interested when we told him that one of the artist's cut off his ear.  I am not usually one to go to an art museum either but my daughter likes art so I'm trying to be supportive.


Speaking of supportive, my husband gets an award for being the best husband ever.  After a long day at work, he came home to me still on the couch.

Me:  Sorry, I haven't gone to the grocery store or made dinner . . . or done anything really.

Him:  That's ok, Baby.

Me:  I should probably try to get up and be useful.

Him:  No, I think you should relax and watch TV.  I'll go running and then make dinner.

Me:  Now I'm really glad I married you!!  I was starting to question the sanity of that decision when our son was climbing the walls like Spiderman and hopping around the house on the furniture obstacle course he made.  Because that kind of craziness did not come from me and I was thinking I should have asked more questions before I married you.  But now, I am reminded that you are AWESOME!!

Him:  (laughing)  Good thing you married me before you found out how crazy I am.

Me:  Besides, I actually have been working hard all day long . . . growing our baby.

Him:  See, that is hard work!  You work way harder than me!

We amuse ourselves with our silly reasoning and jokes.  This is a typical conversation in our house.  Which will probably cost us years of therapy for our children . . . or their future spouses that will have to put up with this type of communication.

Pearls of Wisdom

Tonight at dinner, Blake said:  Don't worry, Dad, I will always remember what you told me is the most important thing.

Tim:  What was that, Buddy?

Blake:  Winter is not officially winter, until you throw an unexpected snowball at someone.


So, if my son ever hits you with a snowball, it's his father's fault.  Although his mother can't help but smile.

Baby

We're having a baby!!!  We are beside ourselves with excitement!  Our newest member is due to arrive on February 24th, 2011.

Tara will be 10 and Blake will be eight when the baby is born.  They can hardly wait!  The funny thing is that Blake will turn eight in November which will finally age him out of the car seat.  So we will happily drive around car seatless for the first time in 10 years . . . two months before we put a brand new one in and start all over again!  Crazy!  But we are a wild and crazy family.

Like American Idol

Let me share my favorite all time quote by Tara.  The setting was that she was about two years old and for whatever reason we took her into the church service with us instead of putting her in the nursery.  Afterward we asked her what she thought of "big church".

She said, "The boy sing, the girl sing, it's like American Idol!"

My girl has always been beautiful, inside and out.  She is sweet and strong.  Lovely and creative.  She has a gift of compassion.  She is innocent and carefree.  She is wonderful and we adore her!

If you were a fly . . .

If you were a fly on the wall in our house today you would have heard this conversation.

Me:  Hate to break it to you, Son, but you're not going to break the world record for longest fingernails because mom is going to cut them right now! (honestly, he has been telling me for weeks that he is trying to break that record so I couldn't cut them)

Blake:  No!!!  But I can do all sorts of cool things with them!

Me:  Sorry, Charlie.  (I respond with fake sympathy while the clipping commences. Then realizing he really is bummed about this, I try to cheer him up.)  You'll have to break a different record like how many times you can jump off the stairs before you scare your momma to death! (Understand that he is a little guy and he jumps from eight stairs up and lands at the bottom -- with amazingly no broken bones yet to speak of!)

Blake:  The record is probably like 50 million. (sounding defeated)

Me:  Nah, it's probably way less than that.

Blake:  Then I'm totally going to break that record! (a sly little smile creeping across his face)

And that is why we love him.  Because he is so . . . him.

Blake says a lot of funny things.  I try to write them down on whatever random piece of paper is close by so we can remember them.  I found this yesterday.

       Telling Blake he was funny and crazy like his Dad.  Blake said, "Yeah, because I wasn't very funny  
        as a toddler but then I saw Dad being funny and I learned it from him."  February 3, 2010

Track meet

The kids had their last track meet today.  After the last track meet took 11 hours, with eight long, hot, miserable hours in between their second and third events.  We decided to be those kinds of parents and convinced our kids (by any means necessary) to sign up for the 400 meters instead of the 200 meters (the second to last event of the day) since it followed the 100 meters that they always run (which is early in the morning).  We figured this would eliminate eight hours of enjoying that lovely heat and humidity -- we were right.  Whew!  Turns out they have good endurance and also did well in that event.

 As we were praising ourselves for having this brilliant idea, we were headed home and drove into some of the worst driving conditions we have ever been in here.  The rain was coming down so hard I had to just follow the taillights because their was too much water on the road to see the lines.  (Mom, if you are reading this, don't freak out!)  It was crazy!  About a mile from home the hail started and I thought the window would break -- but it didn't.  It was scary.  Tara and I were both shaking for a while after.  But since it all turned out ok, I'm still glad we got out of there eight hours earlier!!

So the funny part of the day was that this one track club has a bible verse on their shirts.  We wanted to look it up to see what it said.

Tim:  I'll look it up on my phone.  What was the verse?

Tammy:  Ecclesiastes 4:11

Tim:  Umm, are you sure?

Tammy:  Yeah, pretty sure.  Do you doubt me?

Tim:  Ecc 4:11 says, "Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?"

We bust out laughing!

Apparently it's Ecc 9:11, "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong . . . "

Grandma Ice Cream

Tim's mom (our niece calls her Grandma ice cream)  was just here for a visit.  We had a great week of catching up,

goofing off,

celebrating everything and nothing,

eating very "healthy" (gotta live up to her name she said!),

and tearing up the town.  Come back soon, Grandma!

Double Rainbow

We had the most beautiful double rainbow after our recent storm.

The kids said they wanted to go see if there really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  

There is . . . and I am looking at it.

Memorial Day 2010

We celebrated Memorial Day by enjoying our freedom.  The daddies enjoyed their freedom to pursue the career of their choice aka they were working.  So the mommies decided to enjoy their freedom to shop . . . I mean clothe their growing children.  The kids decided to enjoy their freedom of expression and saturated the public with their uncontainable joy. . . no, seriously they were actually really good for a seven hour shopping trip!  So Aunt Meo and I took five children or six including the one in the belly (not my belly) and had a wonderful day.  In fact, at the end, Blake said it was the best day ever!  Below are the highlights, but other memorable things that I did not get pictures of include Blake's dancing while trying on clothes, the girls hiding amongst the clothes racks, maneuvering a double-wide stroller around, and my favorite was when Meo was trying on maternity clothes and the kids sat in a line outside the dressing room cheering for her outfits and taking turns trying on the "baby pillow".

Throwing flower petals in the air!

Cousins . . . who think they are siblings with two sets of parents.

You wouldn't believe how the promise of this fountain play time got us through many a store!

Pure bliss!

You couldn't wipe those smiles off their faces!  Well, until the security guard told us we weren't supposed to be in the fountain.

Even the littlest joined in on the fun.

getting cold

At some point the stroller always becomes the cart.

Doesn't this just make you want to jump in there with them?! 

It's going to be a great summer!

How much do I trust God?

Everything I have been reading today has been about surrender, holiness, and the joy of discovering God in trials. I found myself saying, "Lord, I just got out of a seven year trial. Can a girl just catch a break for a while? Can't I just coast for a year or so?" God didn't respond. He didn't have to. I knew the answer, "Not if you want to grow."

Earlier today I was praying for someone who has been heavy on my heart, God has even woken me up quite a few nights to pray for this person. I have felt connected spiritually to her and felt God moving in mighty ways. Today was so different. I started praying and God said, "You don't need to pray for her anymore." "What? But God, I don't want to stop until I get the answer I want," I thought. Would He really do this without me? Did I really think He needed me? I thought, "Well, this is crazy, I'm certainly not going to tell anyone about this. You tell people you'll pray for them you don't say you've stopped praying for them. You just don't! Plus, what if God doesn't answer this prayer how we all want Him to."

Then I heard, "After all you have seen."

My shoulders slumped. My heart broke. Yes, I have been miraculously healed but I still struggle to trust God completely. I still struggle to surrender even though I have seen His great and mighty power first-hand. I still struggle to give up things of this world that hold me back from holiness, even if it is my desire. I still struggle to give God everything and trust Him with everything even though I have found joy in Him through trials. Lord, forgive me for my struggles. Forgive me for my lack of trust.

Matthew 7:9-11
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!


Lord, I pray that you will give me what is best for me, not what is easiest or what I want, but what is best in Your Holy plan.  I love you.

Ruth

Blake, Tara, Ruth, Jane (my mom), and me   January 2009

Sweet Ruth passed away on Saturday.  She was my grandmother's best friend since childhood.  My mother's parents passed away 20 years ago, and Ruth has remained close to us.  She was there at graduations, weddings, Thanksgivings, etc.  I think it has been a great source of comfort to my mom and her sisters to have a family member there.  Someone that knows you and loves you anyway. Even though technically she isn't actually related, she has always been family to us.  She was full of spunk and energy.  You could always count on her to tell you a good story . . . even if the other adults didn't want you to know that story!

Ruth and my dad

We love you, Ruth.  You will be missed. Thank you for all the love you gave us especially three sisters who adore you.

Aunt Judy, Aunt Diane, my Mom, and Ruth  February 2010

This is just the life for me!

Blake was playing soccer one night with Tim and said, "Dad, this is just the life for me!"  My sweet boy was on cloud nine.  That's what I feel like lately.  We've been busy and life is crazy but this is just the life for me!

  The kids are finishing up the school year and continue to amaze me with their love of learning (not sure I ever had that).  We went to an open house night at school where we got to see some inventions the kids made.  One of them was a truck and trailer pulley system and you had to see how many wooden blocks you could stack on the trailer and still reel it to the truck without them falling off.  Their teacher told us that they couldn't figure out they had stacked the blocks to keep all of them on there.  A bunch of kids tried it together and eventually gave up.  Tara and Blake figured it out.  Good job, guys!  Blake continued to play with it until he had figured out two more ways to stack the blocks successfully.  One of the ways was a tall tower, and I never thought it would work, but it did.  I was thinking that I was content with "we can't figure it out" and marveled at these beautiful little people who had the patience and determination to find a way.  So proud of them!!!! Not sure they are genetically linked to me now . . . but still.

  A funny thing happened that made me laugh because . . . you just are who you are and isn't it great how God wired us so individually.  Tara and I are very much alike in many ways.  If we play a game we will want the other person to win so they aren't sad.  When she and I play against each other we usually have to just call a tie because neither of us wants to beat the other.  The boys think we are crazy.  Last Sunday, Tim was gone for the day and it was time to get ready for church.  The problem was that I was sick and feeling really crummy.  So we were trying to decide if we should stay home or go.  Blake says, "Ok, we'll vote.  Close your eyes and raise your hand if you want to stay home.  Now raise your hand if you want to go to church."  Turns out it was a tie.  The funny part is that Tara said she couldn't decide so she never voted and I couldn't decide so I voted for both!  We voted again and got the same result.  (Finally I decided not to infect everyone and we stayed home.)  I thought it was pretty hilarious.  Maybe it's not even our personalities . . . maybe it's because we are girls.

  Our babies have joined a track team.  They love to run and they are good at it. (Another trait that did not come from me.)  They have their first track meet this weekend.  Blake knows all the kids in his class by name and rank.  "That's Tyler and he's the 3rd fastest.  Jennifer is 5th fastest, etc."  I asked him how he knew and he said they race at recess.  Tara is not so verbal about wanting to win but when she runs you should see her face.  The determination is there.  Tim runs marathons so it isn't that much of a surprise that our children like to run too.  They all have a goal.  Tim wants to do a marathon in 50 states and all 7 continents before he turns 50.  The kids have a goal too.  To beat Dad.  Tim told them that every year around their birthday he would race them in the 100 meter dash.  When they beat him, he will take them on a trip anywhere they want to go. (We asked Blake one time where he might want to go on his trip and he said Nebraska! What in the world is in Nebraska?!)  Tim told me that he could beat them for probably 10-15 more years.  I told him he'd better start saving his pennies because all they needed was incentive.  He did not count on them joining the track team.  He also did not count on the boost his girl would get from new track shoes and running outfit.  Tara ran 4 miles last night.  You should have seen the glow on Tim's face when he was telling me about running with his baby girl.  He said, "I think she was thinking that this was the life for her!"  I can tell you for sure that her daddy was thinking just that.

Ten Good Years

May 2000

May 6th was our 10th anniversary!  Tim and I were talking about that big milestone and walking down memory lane.

"It has been a good ten years, Baby!"  he said joyfully.

My heart caught in my throat.  Most people would look at all we have been through the past ten years and say it was rough.  He knows more than anyone how stressful it has been.  Here are just a few of the tough things that come to mind:  

• medical school
• having babies 

Feb 2003

• my working nights 
• his having to go out of town for six weeks for school right before Blake was born (he made it back it time)
• financial struggles
• his car getting stolen which led to credit card info stolen (we had $7 to our name for a week- talking about praying the diapers won't run out!)

Sept 2003- babies in the toy bucket

• his having to be out of town for six months again for school, my juggling a two and a half year old and a six month old without him while still working and trying not to have a breakdown, two weeks before he would come home from this six month stint and our lives would return to normal -- I had my car accident 

It used to be a Toyota 4Runner. Nov 2003

• his being told your wife may never walk again
• his having to go to the junk yard and see the wreckage that easily could have taken his whole family away
• my leaving for vacation and never coming home to the apartment where we started our marriage and brought both of our children home from the hospital, his having to move us before I got out of the hospital (because I could not climb the stairs to our apartment)
• coming home for the first time and seeing everyone's pained faces as I slowly made my way up the driveway with my walker
• juggling people to take care of me and the kids
•  his being torn because he still had to work long hours and travel to do interviews but he wanted to care for his family

June 2005

• passing around the stomach flu to everyone who came to help and the only toilet that worked was attached to my room and I had a high fever so I could only lay there and listen to everyone taking turns throwing up (good times!) 
• seeing the sadness in my children's faces when they needed something and I had to let others hug them, pick them up, feed them, change them, discipline them, while I lay there helpless
• injuries that would not heal
• complications
• medications 
• pain, pain, pain, 

Tammy after second back surgery, April 2004

• more surgeries
• more pain, more complications 
• having to let go of control and let my husband and mother-in-law pick out our first real house because I was recovering from surgery (I saw it for the first time when we moved in.  They picked well. I like it!)
• wondering how we were going to make it in a new city where we didn't know anyone 
• financial strain because I was unable to work
• more surgery, more complications
• having to go back to surgery alone 
• pain
• packing up the moving van the day I got home from the hospital
• asking my three year old to help me get my one year old out of his crib when he woke up really early and I didn't want to wake Grandma up.  Then realizing I couldn't get him out and crying the big ugly cry.
• moving half way across the country 
• residency 
• raising our kids

Blake's dedication June 2003

• watching them leave for school for the first time
• his having to miss so much because residency and med school are about as flexible as a two year old without a nap
• my constant stream of doctor appointments
• treatments
• epidural steroid injections

• realization that I would not be "better" after a year 
• grief, depression
• being told I would never be able to be a patient-care nurse again
• his having to watch your wife struggle daily with pain
• his having to work and still come home and cook, etc because I could barely manage
• another surgery -- Tim couldn't get the time off, trying not to be jealous that other friend's husbands got to take a day off if their wives were sick and mine couldn't even come to my surgery
• endless battles with insurance and endless medical bills
• more pain
• his looking for a job post-residency
• getting settled in a new routine
• adjusting to people recognizing him
• dealing with the fact that some people can not see past the MD to see us as just normal people
• trying to pretend that being called "the doctor and his disabled wife" doesn't hurt
• more back pain
• failed treatments
• grieving not being able to have more children 
• my struggle with feeling useless

Christmas Day 2007

And yet . . . . . . he said they were good years.  Now you may be thinking he is a little delusional.  I think he remembers this:

• The joy of being newlyweds and making our little apartment home. Teasing me because I said it was romantic to have boxes for furniture and then complaining that the boxes were not comfortable to sit on. 
•  Laughing about our first "fight" being that I thought we should share a bathroom drawer instead of his/hers.  Aren't we supposed to share everything now? I thought he didn't love me if he didn't want to mix his shaving stuff with my hairbrush.  I learned he loves me even more when I give him his own space. 
•  Finding out we were having a honeymoon baby (we honeymooned in Australia so we tell her we got her from a kangaroo) and him laughing at me being embarrassed to tell my parents we were expecting. 

 See Tara, that is the kangaroo that Dad asked if we could take you home.  I don't know why you don't believe us! We even have a picture!  Australia, May 2000

• Watching him talk to our little baby in my stomach and put cold soda cans on my tummy so she would move (yes, my children were pestered even in the womb!). 
•  When our daughter was about to be born, the nurse asked if a paramedic student could watch the delivery.  Tim pipes up, "Sure, we're all about learning!"  Rolling my eyes, I said, "Me.  She is asking me.  Not you!"  We let him stay though. 
•  Teasing him for dropping off his new baby and wife at home (fresh out of the hospital) and leaving for about eight hours to go watch the Super bowl and hang out with friends.  
• All the good memories of going on walks and playing with our daughter.  Agreeing that this new little person seemed to make the sun shine brighter and she even made burping something to celebrate!  She has always been able to wrap everyone around her little finger with her sweetness and leadership skills.  She is gentle and strong in the most beautiful way.  

baby Tara, Feb 2002

• The funny story of the first time we were going to use our new hand mixer and Tim put it on his shirt to see if it tickled.  It tangled up his shirt and broke the mixer.  His face was priceless -- like a little boy that got caught because I had just told him not to do that!  I told him he was fired from the kitchen.  He shouted, "Yesssss!", with his hands raised in victory.  I unfired him.  He has been trying to get fired again (from having to help cook) ever since. 
• For Valentine's Day one year,  he brought me home a big light bulb mylar balloon that says "you turn me on".  I was so embarrassed which made him so happy.  
• Tim delivered Blake (with our doctor close by).  We did not find out the gender of our babies. He had guessed Tara would be a boy and Blake would be a girl.  My sister-in-law said, "You're 0 for 2!"  Tim said, "I am 0 for 2 and darn happy about it!"  Then he proceeded to the next most important line of business -- who would our son's football team be? (We all had to pick a favorite NFL team to cheer for.  I was informed of this when we got engaged.)  Tara always moved a lot in my tummy when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were playing so that is her team.  We picked the Philadelphia Eagles for Blake before he had even been weighed!  

baby Blake, Jan 2003

• All the dance parties that we have spontaneously had in our house -- just the four of us . . . or whom ever else happens to be there. 

Blake and Tara, Sept 2007

• All the game nights we have had, with all our friend's babies asleep in playpens all over the house.  Bedtime is an irrelevant term when it comes to a good board game!
• The spunk that a little boy brought to our house.  He is full of mischief and life!  His middle name means laughter and he is always saying the funniest things.  Blake loves a challenge.

June 2003

• When it is pouring rain or snowing, Tim loves to run outside barefoot just to be crazy.  He talks our children into such foolishness or carries them out there while they giggle, "Dad, you are so crazy!"
• Having camp-outs in the living room that last for a month.
• Tim took time off between residency and starting his job.  We decided to go on a 30 day trip and drive to California and back to Missouri while stopping at all sorts of cool places: Disneyland, Pismo Beach, Monterey, San Francisco, Reno/ Donner Lake, Idaho, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, etc.  We planned it out in a span of two hours.  We left the next day.  It will probably go down as one of the biggest highlights of our family life.  It was beyond wonderful.  Thirty days of laughter, fun, jokes, exploring, and being together.  I think it was the length of time that allowed us to relax and enjoy each day instead of trying to cram in all the fun in a week and coming back exhausted.  Besides, who doesn't love a road trip.

body surfing at Pismo Beach 2008

 Yellowstone July 2008

• "In sickness and in health" - We are thankful we had three and a half years of marriage with me healthy.  I told him I was sorry that he had a lumpy wife that was in pain all the time.  He said he would still have married me if he would have known about all my back issues that would come.  I told him I would still have married him if I would have known about all the marathons that would come.  :)

Iowa marathon October 2009

• That we lived through our car accident.  

Tara, Blake, and Mama 2004

• All the miracles of people being there in our darkest hour.  Going above and beyond to help us.  The fellow med student who "happened" to be in the rural town clinic and jumped hoops to take the kids to a friend's house until our family could get there (we were hours away from everyone).  A friend that paid his own ticket to fly to Las Vegas so he could drive Tim's car back to Reno so Tim could fly on the medical plane with me.  All the family and friends that took shifts to take care of the kids or take me to doctor appointments.  Everyone who brought groceries, did laundry, cleaned bathrooms, helped us move, listened, visited, called, prayed for us, came even knowing that the stomach flu would be their only thank you gift -- they still came to help.  All the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc that took care of us and ministered to our hearts and bodies.  We have never felt so vulnerable . . . and so very loved.
• That Blake and I learned to walk together (he took his first steps days before the accident).  He would steal my walker and take off down the hallway and I could not chase him.  I would sit there and tell him to bring it back and he would laugh and laugh!  Little stinker!  Oh, I love you!

Blake playing soccer 2009

• My sweet Tara, who was so worried about her mama, she would come sleep in our room.  I never let her do this before the accident.  Tim was worried she would kick my back in her sleep so we made a "special bed" on the floor for her.  To this day our kids still come sleep in "special bed" sometimes.  Sweet Tara, your compassion will touch the world.

Daddy and Tata at Pismo Beach 2008

• That even things that are not fun, we make fun or funny.  Like when I need my pain medicine, we sing "the one with the line in the middle".   I have some pretty gnarly scars that are raised or keloids, my nephews think they look like worms and always ask to see my worms when they see me.  I am pretty sure this gained me "coolest aunt" status.  Or this picture where Tara was doing an impression of Mom, with walker and sad face for the pain.  So funny!

Tara 2004

• How we have all learned compassion, patience, joy even in sorrow, and hope.
• We finished med school!  We finished residency!
• Seeing how God led us to the perfect place for us.  Finding out four years later that another program we thought we wanted for residency had shut down right when we would have moved there.  Just when we thought the gage was broken on the "how much you can handle", we learned that God had spared us from many more trials.
• Tim joined a wonderful practice here-- full of people that love God.  We did not have to move (which was giving me ulcers).  The kids did not have to change schools.  Daddy's commute went from 20-60 minutes to 8 minutes. 
• He loves his job.  Not everyone can say that.

2009 birthing pumpkins

• One time Tim told the kids not to tell and threw an egg up to the ceiling to see if he could crack it.  It cracked and amazingly left no mess on the ceiling.  This did not stop the babies from running to tell Mom how busted Dad was!  Dad was punished with a tickle-torture from all three of us.
• Our babies are both thriving.  They are sweet, kind, smart, funny, respectful, wild and crazy!  We love them so much.  There is never a dull moment.  Never! 

Big Cedar Lodge 2008

• Once a pen rolled down the lint trap of our dryer and we could not retrieve it.  I said we could not use the dryer until it was out.  Tim said it was probably fine.  I said, "No, because the heat of the dryer will cause the pen to explode all over the clothes and it will ruin them!"  He said, "Has that ever really happened or do you just make this stuff up?"  I can not help that these worst-case scenarios just pop into my head!
• All nine of Tim's marathons that he has trained for and completed.  Especially the one in Antarctica. The babies have also done the kids marathon.

Kids marathon 2009

• Many answers to prayer, especially the recent healing of Tammy's back.  What a joy that has been!!
• All the special memories of being together for ten years and being able to laugh about them with the person you see everyday.  Being best friends.
• The fact that we have a really hard time calling each other by our first names if we are actually talking to each other.  We call each other "Baby"  or "Baaaaaaaaby".

2009

• Laughter and fun.  Yes, there has always been that.

posing for a picture and falling off the pumpkins 2009

Lake Viking 2008

• We have always been a family.  Togetherness.  That is what has made these years good.

Donner Lake 2007

Pumpkin Patch  October 2008

• Love . . . even when it is hard.  Hope . . . even when there does not seem to be any.

Dec. 2009

         10th anniversary trip, Rhode Island 2010

Ten good years.  Because we chose to find the good.  Because God has shown us how to have joy despite our circumstances. 

 I love you, Baby.  They have been good, haven't they?