Give Water.

Last December, I posted THIS a few weeks before Christmas.

Here is the video from last year:


Here is this year's video:



So, how can you change your Christmas traditions & be a part of the Advent Conspiracy?

Here are awesome organizations that we support :

Heifer Project (donate an animal to give a family a source of food for a year. A few years ago, one of my students donated a goat in my name.
Best Christmas present from a student. EVER.

Compassion International - sponsor a kid for $38 a month to give them food, shelter, education, health care and the opportunity to learn about Jesus in a neighborhood church program.

Adopt a Family,
Feed the homeless,
Donate cans to a Food Bank.
Do something.

There are so many things we can do this holiday season and beyond to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Last year, Kevin and I learned about an organization called charity:water
This is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. It gives 100% of the money raised to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need.
One of the campaigns they started is called WATER FOR CHRISTMAS
$10 can give 1 person clean water for 10 years.
They encouraged people to give $10 every Friday in December.
Give water for Christmas. Save Lives.
This year, they are doing a campaign today, November 13th, called FIRST GIFT.
Clean water. One day. $10.
Asking everyone to let this be their first gift this Christmas season.
Let water, let life be YOUR first gift of the season.

What is $10 to you?
2 trips to Starbucks?
A lip gloss?
A pair of slippers?

$10 is nothing to some of us!
We don't even bat an eye at spending $10.

But, $10 to someone in Africa means CLEAN WATER for TEN YEARS.
4500 people die each day for lack of clean water.

This year, Kevin and I are giving each adult in our family a $10 donation of water in their name for Christmas.
We are giving them something that matters.
Something that will make difference.
Spend Less. Give More. Water for CHRISTmas.
You can change help change the world with the gift of water.
Click here to donate your FIRST GIFT.
Edited on 11/16 to add:
In 24 hours, First Gift raised over $10,000.
That is clean water for 1,000 people for 10 years. Awesome.
And, yes you can still donate to Water for Christmas this holiday season!

October 15th

Today, October 15th is National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant loss. This includes all babies who have died because of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other infant death.

Unfortunately, I am one of many women who has suffered a loss.

I had 2 miscarriages before I had my girls.

Ectopic Pregnancy at 6 weeks on October 22, 2002 (due date June 23, 2003)
Miscarriage at 10 weeks D&C on October 25, 2005 (due date May 26, 2006)

I still think about them & wonder.
Were they a boy or a girl?
I could have a 6.5 year old and a 3.5 year old.
But then I wouldn't have Kate or Claire.
God has a plan. His timing is perfect. Trust in Him.
This is what would remind myself during my saddest days.

In the process of having miscarriages & sharing about them, I have met many, many women who have lost their sons and daughters. I have friends, family & co workers who have had miscarriages. I have several friends who have lost their babies at full term, days & months after having them. I can't imagine the pain they have suffered.

The Lord has broken my heart for families who have to endured these types of losses. I don't fully know the pain these families have gone through, but I have felt a small fraction of it.

This is one of the reasons I felt called me to become a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep last year. I cannot take away the pain of someone's loss, but I can give them something to remember their child by.
You can read about my journey to become a volunteer with them HERE.

Here is my story of loss:
Kevin and I got married on August 24, 2002. We wanted to wait 3-4 years to have kids. I was on the pill and took it religiously at the same time every day. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was pregnant 2 months after we got married. We had always wanted kids, just not so soon after getting married. I went to the doctor & they gave me a due date of June 23, 2003. I was FREAKING out & couldn't believe I was pregnant. This pregnancy was our "honeymoon baby". Apparently I got pregnant on our honeymoon. Unfortunately, a few days after I found out I was pregnant in October of 2002, I woke up to an intense pain on my left side & when I went to the bathroom I was massively bleeding & then I passed out. Kevin rushed in and woke me up & we rushed to my doctor & after some tests, he informed me that I was having an ectopic pregnancy & that I had to go immediately to the hospital for emergency surgery because the condition was life threatening for me. So, that Tuesday night in late October, I was rushed to the hospital for surgery. Luckily, I have one of the best doctors in the area & he was able to save my left fallopian tube (it was already starting to rupture). I am glad that I was unaware of how serious ectopic pregnancies can be. I didn't realize I could have died if my tube ruptured. Even though my doctor saved my fallopian tube (and my life!), I always wondered how this would effect my ability to get pregnant & have kids. One of my biggest dreams was to be a mommy & for the next few years I wondered if that would ever happen.

Fast forward to the summer of 2005.
This is when we decided to start "trying". We got lucky & I got pregnant the 2nd month after we started trying. I was due May 26, 2006. Kevin and I were thrilled. I couldn't wait to have a baby & be a mommy. I was relieved that the ectopic pregnancy didn't effect my ability to get pregnant. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I went in for blood work to make sure my numbers were doubling. My dr called and told me my progesterone was low & I needed to be on progesterone suppositories 2 times a day. Let me tell, you , those are NOT fun. Nasty. My pregnancy was progressing, at 6 weeks the nausea hit big time & I was throwing up 2-3 times a day. I was miserable, but it was worth it. We had our first ultrasound at almost 6 weeks to make sure the baby was in my uterus and not my tube. The baby was in my uterus & I scheduled another appt at 8 weeks for the heartbeat check. The 8 week ultra sound was no so great. There was a heart beat, but it was very low & took my doctor a long time to find it. He said I needed to come back in a week for another heartbeat check. At that appointment, there was still a slow heartbeat, but the baby was not growing on track & was only measuring 7 weeks. My doctor warned us not to be too optimistic, but I still had really bad morning sickness and was getting sick a few times a day. I thought that was a good sign. I had to go in again at 10 weeks for another heartbeat & growth check. At the 10 week appointment, the heart had stopped beating. We had lost the baby & my doctor scheduled me in for a D&C that night. It was a Tuesday night in late October, just like 3 years before. As I walked into the hospital for surgery, I felt like I was on Groundhog Day. Another surgery to remove another baby from my body that didn't make it.

After my D&C, I was going through the motions of life. We were told to wait 3 cycles before we could try again so that my body could heal. Those were 3 very long, hard & dark months for me. I was numb.

My 2nd miscarriage hit me so much harder than my first one.

I was mad at God for taking this baby from us.

It took me about 6 months to process it. During that time, I had a lot of support from family & friends and for that, I am thankful.

I am thankful to my awesome & supportive husband who would hold me as I cried many nights mourning our loss wondering if I would ever have a baby. I would cry myself to sleep whenver a friend told me they were pregnant. I was truly happy for them, but SO sad for me. It was just another reminder of what I didn't have.

I am thankful to our pastor who helped me process some of my feelings & emotions during the months after our loss.

I am thankful to my mom who encouraged me during this time & gave me hope (she had 4 losses in between me & my younger sister including an ectopic & a placenta separation at 21 weeks).

I am thankful for my best friend AK. She had 2 miscarriages around the same time I did. I was able to call her & cry with someone who was going through the same thing I was. She understood my pain.

I am thankful to my dear friend Lorie who had suffered 2 losses. She shared her prayer journal with me & held me up in prayer when I was too sad to pray for myself.

After we good the go ahead to start trying again, it took us 3 months and we got pregnant in May of 2006. We found out on Kevin's 31st birthday, (a week before my "due date" with my 2nd miscarriage) We were excited, but I was really nervous about having another miscarriage. I was a stress case & paranoid my entire pregnancy.

On January 23, 2007 , I gave birth to our beautiful Katelyn Grace. It was a moment I will never forget & an emotion I can't put into words. I was reminded again at the miracle of life when Claire was born on September 9, 2008.
God has a plan. His timing is perfect. Trust in Him.

These 2 girls are a reminder of that truth...

I never thought I would say this, but part of me is grateful I have been through miscarriages because it has given me compassion & a heart for those who have also suffered losses. My miscarriages caused me to cling to God & put my faith, hope & trust in HIM instead of myself.

It drew me closer to Christ as I clung to Psalm 20:4:
"May He give you the desires of your heart and make your plans succeed."
God was faithful to me even though many times, I have been unfaithful to Him.

I am thankful to God who carried me through a dark time & showed me that He was there for me & He did have a plan for me & that HIS timing is better than my timing.

Because of this, when I hear of others who have suffered a loss, I mourn with them. I pray for them, I listen, I cry with them. My heart breaks with them.

I can't make them feel better or make their pain go away, but I can make it less lonely.

I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes.

I was reminded again & again that God has a purpose & a plan even when I don't understand.

Another thing I have learned through this is that I was NOT alone during a time where I felt so alone and when it seemed like EVERYONE around me was pregnant, except me. God was there, carrying me through this tough time.

I discovered that intercessory prayer is powerful. To have people praying for you when you don't have the words to pray yourself is humbling.

My journey & story seems so insignificant compared to those who have suffered the loss of a newborn or an infant. To my friends Wendy, Ginny, Angie & my blog friend Julie your strength is amazing, your courage mighty & your faith inspiring. God has used your stories in BIG ways in my life because of your children.

If you have lost a baby through miscarriage or infant death, I want to pray for you on this day of remembrance. So, if you are one of those women, will you please leave a comment on this post and tell me your name so that I can be praying for you? Or, if you are someone struggling with infertility, I want to pray for you also. If you want, you can include the nature of your loss, and the child's names so that we can pray for you. If you want to leave an anonymous comment, you can do that also.

If you haven't lost a child, will you join me in praying for those who have?

End of an Era.

I got pregnant with Kate in May of 2006.

She was born in January of 2007
(and I nursed her until January 2008)
In January 2008 I found I was pregnant with Claire, so I stopped nursing Kate a few days before her 1st birthday.
Claire was born in September of 2008.
I stopped nursing Claire 2 days ago.

I have either been pregnant or nursing {without a break} for the past:

3 years, 4 months & 13 days
Which translates to:1,232 days
29, 568 hours
1,774, 080 minutes

104,444,800 seconds

That is a LONG time.
It's not long compared to Michelle Duggar, but to me, it is a long time!

To say that my body is ready for a break is an understatement.
Kevin has been so supportive for the past 3.5 years of me having random pregnancy/nursing hormones running through my body.
Thanks for putting up with me, Kevin!Am I sad I am done nursing? A little bit. I am sad this era of my life has ended, but I am also ready for my body to be my own & not have a little person rely on it, even though it is bittersweet.

I am proud that I was able to nurse both my girls for the first year of their lives.
Neither one of them has had a drop of formula.
(I am not judging those who use formula. To each her own. I am just too cheap to pay for it! And, I was lucky I had a huge breast milk supply.)
Here is my leftover supply of pumped breast milk that I am getting ready to ship off to the International Breast Milk Project.I qualified as a donor this past January, you can read about the process HERE.

Claire has transitioned very well to cow's milk & LOVES her sippy cup.

She starts squealing when she sees it!

My baby is growing up right before my eyes & isn't as dependent on me anymore.
A new era has begun for us with 2 toddlers in the house. Now, I am off to find some cabbage. I hear it helps when you are weaning. Can anyone vouch for that?

School's Out for Summer!

{Sing with me!}

School's out for Summer! School's out Forever!

Well, maybe not forever, but for 72 glorious days!

We have a lot of fun things planned this summer...
play dates
park dates
music class
farmer's market
swimming
drinking wine in the backyard on warm summer nights
BBQ's (lots of them, we are going to 3 this weekend!)
pebble beach & carmel
two trips to Tahoe
visiting Great Grammy
seeing Wicked
Claire's dedication
hanging out with friends
wine tasting
walks downtown for coffee
and...
potty training (wish me luck, any tips?)

phew...I'm getting tired just thinking about it. I might just have to lounge around in my pj's on many some of these summer days.

Most of all, I am excited I get to spend my days with these 2 cuties:


I leave you with one of my favorite sayings.....

Top 3 Reasons to be a Teacher :
1. June
2. July
3. August

And, to those who are wondering, I look forward to summer SO much more as a teacher than I did when I was a student!
Horray for Summer!

The BIG 3-0

Yesterday I turned the big 3-0.

It was also my Golden Birthday
(turning 30 on the 30th)

Turning 30 was a little weird for me. It seemed so...old!!! I started freaking out about it a few months ago, but then as it got closer, I tried to embrace it a little more. It is weird not being in my 20's anymore. *sigh*.
I don't know why 30 was feeling like a hard birthday.
I LOVED my 20's.
I graduated college, met Kevin, got engaged, got married, bought our houses & had our 2 little girls all while I was in my 20's.
What I do know is that my life is exactly how I imagined it at 30. I know I am so blessed & I am truly happy with where I am in life. I have an amazing husband, 2 precious girls, a cozy home, great job & an awesome family who all live within 10 minutes of us.
Because my birthday fell on a Saturday, the whole weekend ended up being a celebration! Kevin's parents took me & Kevin to Peasant & the Pear on Friday night. One of my favorite local restaurants! We celebrated with my parents & sisters tonight with ribs at my parents. Jimmy makes the best ribs ever!

On my birthday morning Kevin let me sleep in & when I woke up and went downstairs I had a bouquet of flowers, a balloon & a vanilla latte from Pete's. (The balloon was Kate's idea). I got a sweet card & my present from Kevin was tickets to see Wicked this summer! Yay! I can't wait! I have been nagging him to go for the past few months! Thanks Kevin!
I ran some errands in the early afternoon & I took Kevin's car. When I got back, I pulled into the driveway & was waving to our neighbor Brian. Because of this, I didn't notice Kevin's lawn mower in the garage and I proceeded to run into it & scratched Kevin's bumper. Nice. Go me.

Elyse, my older sister came over in the afternoon to set up decorations for my pre-party! She got me that crown that I had to wear throughout the night. Love it!

Friends came over for appetizers & drinks before we left for the city!

My BFF (Anna-Karin) since 5th grade & her husband flew in from Colorado for my birthday. And, one of my other best friends, (Sue) since preschool at CPP drove up from Santa Barbara to help me celebrate! These 2 are life long friends who I am so blessed to have in my life. I wish they lived closer!
AK, me & Sue

My sisters & I with 2 of my best friends!

With my long lost 3rd sister Caryn

Don't worry, I'm just taking shots of champagne

For dinner, we headed to Roy's in San Francisco
I am so bummed I forgot to get a picture of all 14 of us at our table, but here are some couple shots:
Me & Kevin

Greg & AK

Leif & Caryn

Sue & Jon
Elyse & Becks
Johnny Cat & Carrie

Kristin & Bryan

My "hula" pie that Johnny Cat had made just for me!

Sisters!


It was so great spending my 30th with such good friends who all hold a special place in my heart!

I felt SO loved on my birthday & am thankful for my friends & family who celebrated with me!

States

Hello from Florida!

We are having a great time on our trip!

One of my "bucket list" items to do in my life is to go to all 50 states. Because of this trip, I added 2 new states to my total!

Nice to meet you South Carolina & Florida!

Isn't my map cool? (or dorky, I'll let you decide....)

visited 34 states (68%)

You can make your own map HERE.

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am especially thankful for these 2 girls.

I am so blessed to be their mommy!

They bring so much joy, laughter & love to my life!






I am going to miss them so much when we go to a wedding in Florida this weekend (while they stay at home with Grandparents!)

Thumb War

One. Two. Three. Four.
I declare a THUMB WAR!

Claire vs. Mommy

Claire is 7 months old. She REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wants to be a thumb sucker.
But, *I* don't want her to be a thumb sucker. Maybe because my mom told me she sucked her thumb until she was in kindergarten & that thought has traumatized me.
I gladly give her the pacifier. My thought is that you can take the pacifier away, but you can't take away the thumb. I don't want her sucking her thumb until she is 5 years old. (the germs! ack!)
Kate was never interested in her thumb. She sometimes took a pacifier until she was a year old & then I threw them all away.

Claire is perfectly happy with her pacifier, but every once in awhile I see her sneak her thumb & I promptly replace it with the pacifier. I am such a mean Mommy.

I have a feeling this battle is not over yet.
Wish me luck.

Spring Break

Spring Break '99 Cancun

Bikinis, Beaches & Bar Hopping

Spring Break '09 California
Pajamas, Parks & Playdates

What a difference 10 years makes.
I wouldn't have it any other way!

"You So Pretty"

This post is dedicated to my beautiful Kate.

She is one of the sweetest little girls I know. She has such a gentle spirit & is so loving to those around her (especially her little sister).

About 2 weeks ago while we were playing blocks Kate stopped what she was doing, looked at me with her big green eyes and said, "Mommy, You so pretty".
I told her thank you and that SHE was the one who is so pretty.
The past 2 weeks, she has continued to randomly stop what she is doing and tell me this again and again several times a day.
"Mommy, You so pretty. So Pretty."

I wish I believed that about myself that as much as Kate believes that about me. It brings tears to my eyes when she says it to me so sincerely. I love her so much.

My hope for both my girls is that they will realize the truth that they are beautifully and wonderfully made inside AND out.
Thanks for bringing so much love & joy to your mommy!

Processing

Since November 2008, I have been a volunteer with a non-profit organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.

In November 2008, I applied to be one of their affiliate photographers. I did not want to apply, but I did because God so clearly put it on my heart because of the experiences of 2 of my friends who (unfortunately) had to use their services.

When God calls you to do something, you shouldn't ignore it. So, reluctantly, I listened to His call.
I DID NOT want to be accepted, and actually I prayed that I wouldn't because I don't have the talent or emotional strength to do the type of work that it calls you to encounter.
But, God has other plans. I was accepted just a few short days after I applied (to my horror)
I prayed I would never get a call to go do a photo-shoot because if you know me, I cry at everything..happy and sad! I am very emotional. I knew that I wouldn't be able to get through a session.
On Thursday, March 12th, I got a call about a little boy born at 28 weeks in December. He was being taken off life support on Saturday morning. His parents requested a photographer to be there to document the last moments of his life & the first moments they would be able to hold their precious son without tubes & wires connected to him.
I didn't want to go. I was scared. But I knew I had to go, so I did.
I have been reluctant to blog about it, but I needed to post this because my heart is still so heavy for the parents of this little boy. I need to post because this experience was incredibly impacting & to not post about it would be saying it was insignificant.
It was so significant & meaningful.I am still processing the entire experience. I will never forget it. I will never forget the little boy. I will never forget the parents. I will never forget the doctor or the nurses that were there.

The past 3 days I have been distracted..thinking about them, crying for them & praying for them. It was heartbreaking & so humbling to be there. If you are reading this & you are a person of prayer, please pray for this family.

Updated on 10.19.12
If you are visiting from Kelly's Korner, I encourage you to check out NILMDTS.
NILMDTS is a wonderful organization that I am proud to be associated with. If you are a photographer, consider applying to be a volunteer, it is such a blessing for the families.

Fun with Numbers

{1} time Claire woke up last night

{8} hours I slept last night
{2 } eggs and pieces of toast that Kate ate this morning
{3} cups of coffee I had today
{7} loads of laundry I did this week
{4} more loads I still need to do
{16} poopy diapers Claire has had this week
{3} visitors we had this morning..Aunt Patty, Auntie El & Grandma Jill
{9} the number of times I had to tell Boulder to get off Claire's blanket
{16} times Claire has rolled over in the past 6 minutes

{2} seconds Claire can sit up on her own before tipping over
{11 } spoonfuls of carrot baby food that Claire ate
{6} days since Boulder's 4th birthday
{43} days since Kate's 2nd birthday
{186} days until Claire's 1st birthday
{24} episodes of Monk we have on our DVR
{554} pictures on my camera's memory chip
{32} times Kate has gone down the slide in our backyard before lunch
{1/2} peanut butter sandwhich Kate ate for lunch
{12} times Kevin has listed to the new U2 Album this week
{1} hour since Becky went to the hospital to get induced
{3} times Kate asked to watch Backyardigans
{0} times we let her
{7} the time we are meeting friends at Ascona tonight.
{62} degrees outside today
{17} minutes until Kate goes down for a nap
{4} pictures on this post that were taken this morning
and....
{100} the number of posts I have now written on my blog!