The Flood

So thank all of you that have been praying for our area. It has been a tragedy but we are coming out of this as a stronger community. It is going to take some time to recover but we can recover and that is such a blessing. Thankfully our home was not in danger but we do know some families that have lost their homes so that is very difficult. I can tell you that I have never seen anything like this in my life and I will never forget it as long as I live. To see the businesses you go to and the streets that you drive on under water is quite a shock. I can't imagine how the owners of the businesses and the homes that were flooded feel. My thoughts and prayers go out to them at this time. We were given the amazing opportunity to go and help sandbag to protect some of those businesses and homes and what a blessing that was. There are so many great people in our community and I was reminded about that during this time. It gives me hope that the world is not falling apart. There are many good people that are willing to stand up and help and that is amazing. So thank you to all of those people out there, what a great example you are to me. Anyway, here are just some of the pictures of our area during the flood so that you can see it too.

This is looking down the Coralville strip.
There is the Pita Pit.
This is a picture of them pumping water of the bridge down by campus.
This is a street is Iowa City that is right by the river.
Here we are getting ready to go sandbag.
A bridge in town.
Look at the water at the Village Inn.
Us on a road in down town Iowa City.
The guys sandbagging.
A pile of sandbags that the boys worked on one day.
Some cars in a parking lot.
A carousel in a park that we used to go play in.  There is a train track that goes around it too.
A view of the Coralville strip from the air.
The Walgreens in the upper left and the Days Inn  in the lower right.
Another view with the Hardees in the bottom left.
The Wig and Pen restaurant.
The Sonic parking lot with the National Guard going in to check on things.
The University of Iowa Softball fields.
Taco Bell
The Hardees

Our trip.

We had a blast going home and visiting our families in Arizona, except for the heat!! It was so much fun to be back though. We had many fun adventures during our two and a half week stay. We started out with some fun by the pool at Amie, Curtis' sister, and Jeremy's house. By the way, thank you so much for letting us stay with you guys it was great. Of course we were introduced to the world of Guitar Hero and it was so much fun. We had a BBQ with our families on the second day. It was great to see them all again. Vance learned his first spanish word while we were there, Mas which means more. It is pretty cute to hear him say mas instead of more when he wants more of something. We were able to get together with my sisters and brother and my cousins and their spouses for a little Cafe Rio salad dinner and some good conversation. We lived next to Bryan and Jen for about a year and it was great to see them again. Colby is about 10 months older than Vance but they had a great time together, as you can see in the picture of them watching tv together. We really enjoyed seeing RJ and Ashley, my little brother and his wife, Hans, Holly, Kelsie, and Breann that night as well as Tim and Cara, my cousins, and there three adorable kids. Our families are the best. That first weekend we went down to Thatcher and Safford to see Curtis' Grandparents who haven't seen Vance since he was five months old. How great it was to see them. On our way down we stopped and looked for Apache tears which is a black rock that is somewhat see through. That was fun. We also got to see Curtis' Uncle Terry and Aunt Claudia. They were so great to let Vance ride there horse. She was beautiful. I had to stop and see my best friend Emily (Ellerman) Curtis while we were in town. Her house was beautiful and she is just so great. I miss being around her so much. She is expecting in October and I tried to convince her to come out here and see Nauvoo before she has her baby. We will see. After our stop in Thatcher we headed up the mountain to Show Low. The weather was so nice up there. Vance thought he was in Heaven because Grandma and Grandpa have a backyard with all kinds of swings and a slide with sand all around it. He loved to play outside. We had many great adventures while we were there but I will just name a few. We went on a day trip to Hannigans Meadows, a beautiful place where we found that wonderful little lake in the pictures below. There we had a picnic and Vance tasted his first Smore!! He loved it of course and boy was it messy. Another trip we took was to go and find geodes and arizona diamonds up on the rim. That was so much fun. If you want to see what we found I will post some pictures of that sometime. We really just loved being up there and spending time with Mike and Janette. Their neighbors the Judds let us borrow their four wheeler for a day and Vance loved it. Then we went back down to the Valley and spent some more time with my sister Breann. She is awesome and Vance loved his Aunt Nana. We brought Mike and Janette back to Iowa with us just in time for the floods to shut the roads down all over Iowa City and Coralville so they couldn't really see much of out town here but we were able to help sandbag and that was a great experience. We took them to Nauvoo and got to see some of the beautiful sites there. My mom and sister Holly met us there and we got to spend a great day with them as well watching shows and seeing some of the sights. Then we took a trip to Chicago where we discovered it was free week at the Aquarium so we went there and then we ate real Chicago pizza at Giordanos, thank you all those that recommended it it was fantastic. The next day we went to Wrigley field and to the Zoo. The zoo was probably the best zoo I have ever been to and it was free!!! What a deal. Well that concluded our "Little" vacation this summer. Hope you all had a great time as well.

Update

Ok so this is going to be a small post but I just wanted to let everyone know what is going on. Our internet is knocked out because of the flood so I won't be posting any new pictures for a week or so until they can fix it. I don't want to have to deal with the library people every time I want to post something. Second we are fine. The flood isn't close to our house so we are safe but there are many in our ward who have had to be evacuated and have lost a lot of their posessions so please keep them in your prayers. We are working to help sandbag and protect local businesses and homes so we have been busy. I will post as soon as I can but in the mean time have a great week and keep our area in your prayers. Thanks!!!

The time, where does it go?

So this is going to be our last post for a while since we will be going to AZ for our vacation. I just wanted to say how proud I am of my baby Curtis. He finished his first year of PA school and we only have one more to go so that means we are half done for those of you who don't want to do the math. Anyway, this year has been full of ups and downs and through it all we have grown closer as a family. Curtis is such a hard worker and I know that he is going to be a great PA because he just has that way with people that makes them feel comfortable around him. He also has a sensitivity that is necessary when doing anything in the medical field. I am just so proud of him. So Vance is loving being around daddy more and more each day. He is constantly asking for him all day long. I think this is the funnest time for Curtis because when Vance was little it was all about mommy and now it is all about daddy. I knew it was only a matter of time but I think it is well worth it. It was so cute last night we went to a baseball game and Curtis was so excited to get Vance his first baseball, it didn't happen but it was still cute to see that excitement in him. He is like a kid again. Vance is growing more and more everyday. And, believe it or not, he is really getting to be a blonde boy. It just seems like his hair is getting lighter everyday. He is so smart. He can count to three, he knows what circles, diamonds, hearts, and triangles are, he loves to play with his ABC magnets and will sing the ABC song with them, it seems like he learns a new word or phrase everyday and loves to copy what ever mom says. My favorite phrase is "You made a mess!" he says "My ma messssss!" it is so cute. He now knows how to put his train tracks together and loves to build things with his legos. Books, books, and more books that is my life during the day but I don't mind it is great to see his enthusiasm for learning. Now that the weather has gotten better he loves to fly his kite and draw on the side walk with his chalk, another favorite word, and he really just loves being outside and like any boy enjoys throwing rocks and sticks whenever possible. He is just growing so fast. Well I guess that is enough chit chat on to the pictures.


I don't know how I get so lucky as to have these cute little kodak moments with my boys but this is precious.
Vance loves slides he just says wheeeeee the whole time.
His first go down the big slide and he loved it.
He climbed up there all by himself and just kept going down.
This is at a carnival our ward had and Vance loved the bubble station.
That is him under the balloon hat. One of the brothers in our ward gave it to him. Thanks Jared.
He was good at the ring toss because this is what he did. Sis. Anderson thought it was so cute.
Again with the walking up and putting it right in.
This time he actually stood back and threw the ball. He did get it in. Good throw baby!!
Our first/last snow cone. Just kidding he can have more but this one sure made a huge mess. But how can you get angry about a stain with a face like that.
These are just some pictures of Spring finally coming to Iowa. This is on our drive home from church. All the trees just blossomed these beautiful purple, pink, and white flowers before they turned to leaves. It has been gorgeous around here. We do have a video but I can't figure out how to get it off our camera so Curtis will have to do that.



This one is in front of our apartment. It is so pretty. We have loved it here in every season we have been here. The lord is amazing in that he created such beautiful things for us to enjoy. What a blessing it is to be able to see the beautiful colors, smell the wonderful scents, taste the delicious fruits and vegetables, touch the soft grass, and here the birds returning to there nests. We are so blessed.

Mothers

So with it being Mother's day and all I thought it only fitting that I post a little something about my mom, and the other amazing mothers in my life.  My mom is one of the most amazing women that I know.  She has always tried so hard to encourage us kids to follow our passions in life.  She helped us to develop our talents and gave us every opportunity to grow spiritually, and mentally.  She is always willing to do anything for us at anytime and I am so thankful for that.  I know that it can't be easy being away from her grand-babies but she has always encouraged us to go out and do what is best for our family and told us that no matter  where we go she will always come to us when we needed her.  I know for me personally she has helped me so much in the last 2 years to become a better mom.  When Vance was in the hospital a while back she was willing to drop everything she was doing to come up and help us out.  She helped to calm me down and be strong for my baby.  She has gone through so much with her own kids and so I know that she has a vast pool of knowledge that I can pull from anytime I need to.  I know that she has blessed many lives with her willingness to serve the lord.  I am so thankful to have her in my life and for the support that she has given me and Curtis in our life choices. Thanks mom WE LOVE YOU!!!!  My mother-in-law Janette is another amazing woman.  She is always there to support us when we need it.  She is so encouraging and praising that sometimes I don't feel like I deserve it.  She is just so giving and kind.  I know that everyone that knows her is truly blessed because of it.  She is a great friend to me and Curtis and I am so glad that I feel like I have that relationship with her.  She never hesitates to give us any sort of help or advice that we need or to just listen if we need someone to listen.  Thank you mom WE LOVE YOU TOO!!!!  Then there are all our amazing sisters.  Some of them may not be mothers yet but they all give me so much that helps me to become a better mother and wife.  It is an amazing blessing to have grown up with such strong women.  They all strive to better themselves and in doing so they better everyone around them.  They are so selfless and willing to serve whenever someone may need it.  There are no better examples that I could ask for in my life then all of you.  Thank you so much Ella, Breann, Alethia, Holly, Michelle, Cami, Amie, and Ashley.  I know that I am a better person because I have been blessed to know you all.  I love you.

Spring is finally here... Sort of!!

Vance was falling asleep in the car but he couldn't stop chewing his pretzels.
He had just put a new pretzel in his mouth, I just missed it sticking out. Still so cute!!
Our fun day at the park. Vance was enjoying the chipmunk and was really trying hard to get it to rock.
Vance and all his cuteness on the swing.
"You want me to do what?"
"Okay!" WEEEEEEEEEE all the way down.
Our family on the bridge over the Iowa River.
These boys are so cute you are pretty much distracted from how high the water is in the background.
Let's go fly a kite!! This is one of Vance's new favorite things to do and of course we have had plenty of wind.
Vance flying his new Turtle kite all by himself.
"See mom!!!"
Then he got bored and decided to come and throw rocks.
He found a stick and threw it too.
So much force behind the throw he was struggling to keep his balance.
If this isn't a picture perfect moment I don't know what is. SO CUTE!!!!

Matage Framing Giveaway!!

I found this website on a friends and they are offering a drawing to win this amazing picture in a beautiful frame.  I would recommend that you go and look and hey, why not try to win it right?

NO!!

What a word!! I am learning that over and over everyday.  Vance doesn't tell me no on a lot of things but once he says it he just keeps repeating it because he thinks it is so funny.  He just sits there laughing at himself for saying something funny.  He will say everyones name anytime except for when I ask him to say it for Mimi or one of his aunts or uncles and then he says "No!" while laughing.  He is just so funny.  Everyday brings a new word or several new words.  They may grow quickly when they are little but once they start talking they just grow up so fast.  I can't seem to keep up with him sometimes.  It makes be very thankful that I don't use bad words because he would not be shy at all to say it anytime.  The other day we had a big moment... he came up to me and said "Poo Poo!" and he grabbed my hand and took me into the bathroom, picked up his cushy seat, put it on the toilet and was looking at my like "Hello take this thing off so I can go.  So I took his diaper off and put him on the potty and he went Pee!!! I was like "Hurray!!"  It was a total shock for him to know that he had to go pee.  I love him so much and everyday brings new surprises that I love to look forward too.  To all you mothers out there, enjoy every moment because you never know what the next moment brings. 

Our little scare

So as some of you know we had a little scare with Vance on Friday morning. We took him into the ER to try and get him some help. They couldn't figure out what was going on with him but he was just laying there not moving, not talking, not smiling, nothing. He was just laying there and sleeping and when he was awake he wasn't doing anything. Needless to say we were scared out of our minds. They took blood, a head CT, a urine sample, and a nasal flush to try and figure out what it was. He was put on an IV to rehydrate him because he was a little dehydrated but they still didn't know what it was. They decided to admit him just to observe him overnight and finally at about 6pm he woke up and ate something and started moving and talking a little bit. Thankfully the next morning he was ok but that day was the worst day of my life. I hate not knowing what is going on. I can handle it if I know but not knowing was killing me. I was an emotional wreck but through the thoughts and prayers of our family and friends he got better and I was able to deal with everything. He got discharged on Saturday at about 2:30pm and we still didn't know what had caused it. When we got home the PA called us and told us that the Nasal flush had shown that he had Parainfluenza 3 which is a virus that can cause croup and that that might have been what had caused him to act that way. So finally we knew what we needed to do and where to go from there. He is doing so much better and back to his normal active self, thank goodness. I used to get so tired and frustrated with him jumping and running all over the place but you never know how much you love that until he doesn't do it anymore. I am so thankful to my Father in heaven for making our precious son whole again. I am also so grateful for my amazing husband Curtis and his strength when I had none. He was such a great support to me even though he was going through the same things with me. He is so much stronger than I am and I am so blessed to have him in my life. Well here are some pictures of Vance with his little IV.



OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE ANGEL!!! HE WAS SO BRAVE!!!

Vance and his new hair

Yes I said it we cut my cute curly boys hair. I am still crying about it because his curls were so cute but he is still just so adorable so it doesn't really matter. I just got tired of people calling him a girl and just broke down and cut it. He looks like a little man. SO HANDSOME. So here it is everyone.

Before the cut sitting in the tub.
Look at that cute hair!!
And then I started to cut it off. WHAT AM I DOING!!!
Oh but doesn't he look so cute!!!
He really looks a lot different.
The next day I wanted to try it spiked up and I think it looked so cute.
The whole outfit and hair, HEART BREAKER!!!!!!

Oklahoma here we come!!!

This is from our families trip to the Oklahoma city Memorial. It was a very peaceful place. When you look at the walls they represent the minute before and after the bombing. The significance is the moment we were innocent and the moment when the world changed. It was a beautiful monument. The pool represents the mysteries of life. There was a chair that represented each person that lost their lives in the building on all nine floors. If you look closely you will see small chairs which represent the children that were killed in the daycare. Each chair has a persons name on it so you can see all the people that were lost. On the opposite side of the pool there is a tree that is called the Survivor tree which was the only tree that survived the blast. It is a really neat tree. Then there is the fence which is just a portion of the original fence that went around the bombed site while they were searching and clearing it out. They saved this portion so that people would still have a means to express their feelings about that day. Across the street is a statue of Christ with his back turned to the building and his face in his hands which shows his pain for the loss of those innocent people. It was quite the experience. It always makes me stop and think about how grateful I am for my life and for all those that give their lives so that we can be free. Thank you Ella and Sam for taking us there it was great.

The first pictures are from Ted's mexican cafe. It was so Choice!!! Thanks for finding that because Curtis was in heaven with those homemade tortillas. The rest of the pictures are from Incredible Pizza. It is like a Chucky Cheese but sooooooo much better. Vance was all over the place. He thought he was in heaven with that train. He was an expert at it by the end. We were there for a very long time but the kids all enjoyed themselves as did the adults. There were games for all ages. Another one of Vance's favorites was that little carousel. He kept running back to it and trying to get onto the fish. He was so funny. He was in and out and around and through everything he could be. It was great family fun.

These are just a few pictures of us hanging out enjoying each other. Vance loved hanging around Isaac and Darron. They were like his big brothers for the whole week. They really played so well together. Darron did miss Vance when we left and was begging Alethia to give him a baby brother and to name him Vance. It was so cute. All the kids had a great time. We adults had a ball as well. We played some games but we really just enjoyed each others company most of all. Our visits are few and far between. Mimi and Papa also decided to celebrate all the grandbabies birthdays while we were there so there is a cake with all there names on it. Hans, Holly, and Kelsie left before we got to the cake but Kelsie is on there as well. You can imagine how fun it was trying to keep six kids fingers out of the cake so that we could take pictures. It was so funny. We loved being there and spending time with the McAdam's and the Broderick's. Thank you so much for everything. WE LOVE YOU!!

My life as a Mom!!

VANCE IS 19 MONTHS TODAY!!!!
So as many of you know toddlers are just so funny. Every moment is a new experience with Vance. Last night during bath time Curtis calls me from the bathroom and says he needs me. I said just a minute and he said I don't think I have a minute and then I said what's wrong and he said I don't think you want to know!!! Well as I walked in and looked in the tub I was shocked to see that Vance had pooped in the tub!!! EEEEEEWWWWWW!!!! I am sure some of you have dealt with this before but it has never happened to us so we were both just kind of in a state of "what do we do now?" It was an interesting experience and I am so glad that I didn't have to deal with it by myself. My brave husband took the job of scooping it out of the tub into the toilet. MY HERO!!!

This morning is a whole other story. Vance was sitting eating his breakfast and usually when he is done he yells "Mama!!!" and I say yes and he says Da which means done but today he just started throwing his eggs so I went in to take his tray away and he grabbed it from me and said "wawa" which means water so I just thought he wanted his sippy and so I let him get that and continued to take the tray but OH NO that was not what I was supposed to do. He was drinking his sippy with one hand and with the other he grabs the tray to put it back on his chair. Now that may not sound as funny to some of you as it really was but if you could see him it was hilarious.

I am learning so many things about Vance and his little personality. He is just so much fun and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that he sent this special angel to me. I don't know what I did to deserve him but nevertheless he is ours. He is so smart and funny and I love him so much. So there you have it folks just a glimse into a moment in the life of Vance's mom!!!!