The House that James Built

Africa Baby

2012-01-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

A really great thing has slowly happened for me over the last few weeks. I have come to realise that we aren't only adopting to avoid having another child with severe illness. We aren't only adopting to make one less than 153 million orphans in our world. We are adopting because that is how our family was always meant to grow. Fears of the unknown have left me, confidence and faith have filled me. A huge blessing given to me that we are on course.

The day wont come soon enough....but it will come! Some 1,000ish days and counting down. But with another Haiti trip around the corner I couldn't be happier. I miss those kids so much it hurts. Men will be finishing up sewage, landscape and razor wire around the orphanage. Me and my girls will be loving on every kid, throwing a "group birthday party", and become acquainted with their school/headmaster etc.

life is good.

life as of late

2011-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

FAMILIES THAT BOWL TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER. we do pray too.

Card reads: A donation has been made on your behalf to help educate the orphaned children of Foyer de Sion. Happiest of holidays! www.foyerdesion.org james 1:27

Jones and his twin in his dance class....CRAZY look alikes!

***

Life has been busy at the Badger house, blogging among a long list of other things haven't been a priority. The kids are great-- I am amazed we haven't had a hospital stay with LuLu since July. We haven't had such a long stretch at home since she was diagnosed at 2 months. Knock on wood. Knock on wood. Knock on wood. It would be great to stay home for the holidays! She has had crazy labs (and a lot of blood draws because of it) but she is such a champ and unfortunately doesn't know any different. She probably thinks all her friends go to the hospital just as much as she does. We are on the eve of her 3rd birthday and are just so grateful for her and that she is here with us, a special part of our family.

***

Jonah continues to amaze me. He is kind and smart and funny. He makes me laugh everyday and is so loving. I am mourning the loss of him being a "little boy" but that is life. It doesn't stop for anything and I'm trying to just enjoy where we are. Preschool is great and he is learning to read quite well. He's been taking a break dancing class that he loves. His instructor "chacho" is one cool dude and quite the dancer.

***

James has continued to stay VeRy busy with work. We feel fortunate. Besides giving him credit for being a phenomenal builder I also believe God is providing ways to afford our adoption. When we officially decided to go forward, knowing it was what we were suppose to do to grow our family- I told God he'd have to help with the $30,000 part. And he is. I have been very busy with my Etsy shop selling my growth charts. I'm able to set aside that money 100% for our adoption, every little bit helps and thus far I've been able to meet our financial deadlines by myself. With every chart I make I feel a little closer to our child.

***

When we started the adoption process from Ethiopia in July, it was an expected wait time of 12-18 months. There have been some setbacks and slow downs on the government side in Ethiopia. I was heartbroken to hear news of this from our agency in October, wait time is now 3+ years. We were also given the option of switching programs where there are shorter wait times or even to be in dueling programs to see which produced a referral first. We felt very strongly when we began the process that we were in the right place. There is a little Badger in Ethiopia and we need to wait for him. We knew going into the adoption world, especially international adoption that there would be set backs, hang ups, heartbreak and the need for a great deal of patience.

***

James and I have decided to stay where we are and wait it out, however long it takes. My heart is sad for the children who already have the odds against them in every way. Now every child there has a slimmer chances of finding families, of being adopted. It is very discouraging to see wait times of over 3 years which in turn less people will be inclined to adopt from Ethiopia. We will be waiting for a toddler with a preference for younger. It's not possible to get newborns and the younger the child you want the longer you will wait.

***

The only silver lining for us with the longer wait is that we now feel like we have the time, energy and resources to jump into our cause in Haiti. We love those children so much and want to be involved in their lives and well being for the long haul. We have chosen to focus on education as that is the best thing, short of a family that we can give them. I have some amazing friends who want to be involved with me in setting up a non-profit to raise money for their schooling, aleviating the orphanage of this financial burden and working in harmony with their director in Haiti and their board here in the states. We decided to get the ball rolling this month with a Christmas Card fundraiser and I've been so uplifted by the support and kindness of others. This will be an annual fundraiser that I hope will grow with each passing year. We created a card for purchase that is given as a Christmas gift instead of a real "gift". (I mean a regular often meaningless gift) 100% of the money goes towards their schooling which is all private in Haiti. (95% private to be exact) We have sold over 500 cards and have secured their schooling for the next 6 months and into the next school year as well.

***

This has eased my heart, which has been heavy and will continue to be a comfort as we wait for our little Badger. My heart is with the orphan and I'm so grateful for the experiences that have made it so. I've never really had a favorite scripture but now I do. James 1:27, Advocating for the orphan will be a life long commitment for James and I. I'm grateful to have a husband with such a big heart and to be surrounded by amazing people that want to help "the least of these" too.

***

Well, that was long...congratulations if you didn't give up and made it to the end. ;) Happiest of holidays!

***

love, lizzie and the badgers

(consider this my Christmas card as we aren't sending one out....we have a different card in mind this year;))

St. George

2011-09-18T22:34:00.002-07:00

Snow Canyon

The Christiansens

Jones & Luke

The Johnstons

First Day of School

2011-09-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Jonah started his first day (of his last year) of pre-school and is LOVING it. We decided to have him do an extra year and be the oldest in his class come elementry rather than the youngest. I spent a lot of time fretting, reading, talking to educators and moms and ultimately feel great about this decision and feel it will serve him well in his future.

Lulu has also started Pre-k in a special group considerate of children with disabilities. It is wonderful all around, GERMS are fought with a vengeance and all moms are considerate of illness and (not) bringing them to school. The range of disabilities varies with physical handicaps as well as developmental delays. I love London being in such an inclusive environment that fosters diversity and acceptance...and hopefully wont get her sick. It's a tender group and we feel lucky she can be a part of it.

I'm so grateful my children have the gift of education and wish every kid around the world had the same opportunities. I'm looking into a long-term monthly sponsorship of a child either in Haiti or Ethiopia and will share the information as we find it, for others interested. I think it will be a beautiful experience for our children to help send someone to school and understand what a privilege it is for them to attend school.

How did we have the luck...or whatever you want to call it, to be born in America? God Bless the USA.

life's a beach...

2011-09-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Family Tube Time. So sad--we left LuLu with her NaNa because she isn't suppose to be in lakewater because of her supressed immune system. We missed her...

juciest cheeks, ever on little Josie

Jonah, Victoria Dawn & Sophia. Some liking the tube more than others... What a FUN day! Thanks Hansens! We love you.

PUZZLE, yard sale extravaganza & application sent!!

2011-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

We have seen on other adoption blogs and loved the idea of a puzzle fundraiser. If you'd like to help us with adoption expenses, you can purchase a piece of our puzzle for as little as a dollar per piece. We will write donors names on the back of the pieces to help us remember all of the support and love we had along the way, and eventually frame and hang this sweet giraffe puzzle in our baby's nursery. I've linked a donate button on our sidebars if you are interested

My nieces managed the bake sale and treat table as Jonah opted to go camping with his Aunt MJ. They were a huge help with LuLu too...it was so fun having them with us.

I felt how my neighbor-friend Juli looks. It was a long haul getting things ready for morning-- I didn't sleep a wink Friday night and my special helper-sister only caught a few hours. I had nightmares this week about not waking up on time...not being ready, so I didn't allow for that to be an option thanks to a major dose of caffeine at 2 AM. I had so much help from friends, family and neighbors and am so, extremely grateful for all of them! Julia, James, Buzz, Scott, Tellie, Juli, Bud, Joy, Kerrs, Dad, Stacey, Abbie, Emmy, Ashley, Cindy, Mom, Allie, MJ, Jonni...and I know I am missing a few. THANK YOU!! Couldn't have done it without you!

We were able to donate all the leftover items to an inner city neighborhood in Salt Lake that live in poverty, thanks to neighbors who serve as missionaries there. That was icing on the cake. As far as yard sales go...I think we had a very successful day. $1500 is a good little chunk of change which will get us on our way. We finally chose an agency that we feel comfortable with and our intake application went out today! (sealed with many kisses by our family and jonah's friends Benj and Tal that were here playing) I already love this baby who will find his/her way to our home from the other side of the world.

After telling our friends and neighbors we'd be adopting from Ethiopia, we learned that a neighbor just a few streets down (who we hadn't met before) are already in the process of adopting 9 year-old twins from Ethiopia. Upon their recommendation we are using the same agency WACAP and are SO, so completely over the moon to have some special new neighbors in the coming months.

Plus 1 please

2011-08-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

What started out as a grave diagnosis for LuLu over 2 years ago has led us down many paths filled with sorrow and turmoil as well as amazing, unique blessings.

To name only a few (of the good stuff)... our association with people we would have otherwise never known.
Our appreciation for health and the life of our children in a whole new light.
Our respect for people in the medical profession and all the loving hands at PCMC-- I have always thought doctors and nurses were great (my mom being one of them) but it is different when your child would not be alive without them.
Our gratitude to live in America where we have resources at our fingertips that others can only dream of.
We have been loved and surrounded by friends and family that have carried us through hard, hard times.
Our love for a new extended family that is our donors. And a DEEP love for our Ashley angel.

HOW??? would we grow our family in the future was burning in my mind and heart when we found out that what London had was a genetic disease passed down from both James and I. The seed was planted that evening in February 2010 I just didn't know what it would look like when it bloomed.

The chances of having another child with Alpha-1 is 1 in 4, a carrier for the disease 2 in 4. For a little while I toyed with the idea of "taking our chances" and accepting whatever God gave us. We would never take back our LuLu and the same would be said for a future child ill or not. Fast forward many months of seeing her suffer, thoughts and times of actually coming close to losing her, waiting for another child to die so that she might have a healthy liver and finally flourish... We will not be playing with those odds. I can't do it to myself, my family and especially not another baby.

We researched fertility treatments. Genetic testing. Adoption. Just being happy with our 2. Until our trip to Haiti in March we were still undecided though adoption seemed like the best decision to us. After Haiti it was all I could think about, in particular an orphaned child from there. It was a major disappointment for James and I to learn definitively that Haiti would not be an option for us because of age and marriage requirements. It felt like a deep loss as we love the children there who are so desperate for a home. We went back to trying to feel like maybe our family was complete with 2 as we didn't feel like genetic counseling was for us nor did domestic adoption feel like the right path for us.

We are still so sad that Haiti's red tape and broken system prevent adoptions from happening but are grateful for what we saw, learned and felt there and knew they weren't the only orphaned children needing a Mom and Dad...and a Jonah and a LuLu. So, thus the search continued and has led us to Ethiopia. It feels good again and right. It will be another road filled with uncertainty, ups and downs as well as great lessons that will be as rich as the ones we have experienced the last two years. God has led us in this direction and we are following a little blindly as the expense of adoption, especially internationally feels like a road block that will be impossible to get around. But, as I have heard a million times in my life- "Where there's a will, there's a way" and that shall be my mantra.

lovely lady bugs, beautiful butterflies

2011-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

"WINGY" notice his 3 wing on the left? he actually has a second on the right but they are so close together you can't tell...

we ordered lady bug/ butterfly eggs in the mail and were able to watch them grow and turn into adults. when they were ready we released them. there was one really special bug in the group. a four winged butterfly that jonah named "wingy." very proper, right? wingy was unable to fly more than a few flutters so we adopted him as our own and had a great talk about how unique and special this butterfly was. not that jonah is unaware of children with disabilities but it was a good analogy between the 2 and it's a great conversation to revisit often. we have a few darling children with autism in our neighborhood and i was trying to draw from wingy in explaining autism to him the best i could. the conversation ended with..."so, wingy is autistic?" we're getting there.

RagTagTag- Run and tell that, homeboy!

2011-06-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Josh, Ramsi, Mio, Treavor, me & James

Getting ready for my first leg....

I have an irrational, horrible fear of outhouses which makes running a race like Ragnar extremely difficult. I'm good at holding it for as long as it takes til I can reach a toilet that flushes... now you know.

If you don't know what any of this means...or why our team name is Run and tell that, Homeboy- you should enlighten yourself by watching bed intruder on youtube. you can thank me later... i couldn't believe how many people along the race course knew and loved the man behind the name.

Chest bumpin Mio

I lost our bracelet/baton so we had to get creative at hand off points...;)

My mom's surgery was a few days later...thyroid cancer, be gone!

And....we're done. Finally. It was so much fun and we had some amazing runners in our group! Til next year....well, we will see.

A year of ARTS and SMARTS @ Bright Beginnings PreSchool

2011-06-04T00:20:00.001-07:00

Miss Holly.

I think Van Gough would've been proud.

Self portrait.

Miss Ali.

I blinked and he turned 5

2011-06-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

LOVE his neighborhood buddies!!

The Barnum bunch

Jonah's Aunt MJ asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he methodically answered: "a coconut, from California so I can drink the milk. So, what you need to do is get on a plane and fly there, pick a coconut and bring it back to Utah." And what do I do? I left it at the bounce house. His other birthday request: tank tops like his friend Luke wears (aka: wife beaters) LOVES them! good thing there were 8 in the package cause he wants to wear them everyday... and no, I do not refer to them as wife beaters with him. ;) I haven't used that term since I was in high school and probably wont ever again.

Yee Ha

2011-05-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sweet as PIE

So our cousin had a BIG New York wedding...then a really fun reception here in Salt Lake. We knew it was going to be a western affair so we decided to dress (and shave) the part. It was a FUN night with a brilliant candy bar, good music--vinyl records on the turn table, bull riding and train rides. Yee ha and Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Badger!

Easter Day

2011-05-02T13:51:00.001-07:00

Sadly, the best shot in their Easter duds.

Viva Las Haiti

2011-04-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor Buzz joined us and was invaluable. We had so much fun getting to know him better and sharing this experience with him. Jones and his little boy Luke are best buds and his mom is one of mine. Now he is one of James'. Fun how that worked out...

Friends, neighbors and family donated A LOT of Crocs. These boys were so excited as all their sandals were worn out or non existent. Their little feet are so tough, they walk across broken tile and in construction debris without as much as a flinch. Shoes are a luxury.

This is where the boys have been tutored after school by Bickenson, a local in the village that surrounds the orphanage. They are so attentive, respectful and eager to learn. Bickenson has had a rough childhood, as most Haitians have but has an incredible spirit and desire to better himself. He's taught himself English, takes his own schooling very seriously and is the most incredible kid I've ever met. He has such potential and I'm so glad he's there to teach and influence the boys.

Thanks for the cars Kerrs! They were a hit. The boys call them machines. ;)

Ken and his boys. He'd been assembling the bunk cribs/cages behind him for the nurseries. These kids love Ken and surely know he loves them. There is no helping loving those you serve and who serve you.

One of the first things done when we arrived was setting up bunk beds for the boys. It was so great to tuck them into clean sheets and a soft mattress. I'm not sure if they've ever had real beds. They loved them, but more than anything to have a small little area that was their own- where they could hide things under their pillow seemed as great as a place to lay their heads and dream.

I'm in love with a younger man.

FIRST library!

SHOWER STALLS!! They'd been cleaning off outside near the water tank and although the water isn't running yet they loved having bucket showers inside. Each night me and Shellie, an absolute saint from southern Utah would help the little boys. They all relished in anything maternal. This was my favorite part of the trip- putting clean boys to bed, in clean clothes, with clean teeth and a kiss on the cheek and to whisper "sweet dreams, I love you." No one is there to tell them that.

Toilets--EXCITING!! beats an outhouse any day!

Tutoring will now be held indoors with a projector screen and lesson plans! Bickenson will be able to use the internet to help him make the lessons more interesting and structured.

We have promised Bickenson that we will make sure he can attend college in Haiti after high school, it's only about $1,000/year US. Even though he has parents, when you live on less than 1 dollar a day it is impossible to pay for. He has the ability to be a needed change in Haiti, I hope he's their President one day.

It made me think that we can and need to do more. We will be starting a non-profit fund for the educations of the kids from Foyer de Sion. My goal in life will be to allow these kids to attend college if they choose to.

They will all have to leave the orphanage when they are 18 and be independent of the orphanage's care, food, assistance etc. This is heartbreaking, they wont be welcomed in by an aunt or uncle, cousin or friend because they will have none on the outside. They will be on their own. A college education can be what saves them there- and makes Haiti a better place for all who live there. WE can do that for them, there is strength in numbers.
Saying goodbye was the worst but I wont allow myself to think I wont see them again.

***

A walk through the village

Our day with the little ones...I can't wait for them to be at the big orphanage. They will be so much happier with room to run. There are nearly 50 babies and infants in very tight quarters. Such adorable, beautiful kids...they felt so special to have rings and silly bands

I'm also so, so in love with the girl that is connected to this hand and foot. Wish I could share her pretty little face. She would be ours if it were possible.

I will never do this experience justice with my words or even pictures. This was my 1st visit to a 3rd world country and one of the worst countries at that in the world--it's just something you have to see to believe. You have to be there to really, truly appreciate all that we have here in America. Clean water, electricity, FOOD, garbage collection, general safety, a roof over our heads and the list goes on and on. Gratitude has a whole new meaning for me.

I am so glad that despite a quick hospital stay with London, being released the day before we left I was still able to join James. This was a life changing week. I was full of nerves but once we were to the safety of the orphanage compound and in the loving arms of 15 young boys who have lived in the unfinished (almost finished) space since the earthquake. I am smitten. They are amazing little people--they're like the lost boys on Peter Pan. They manage themselves, take care of each other, get along great and are up for adventure. I was never without both of my hands being held, my hair being played with, a child in my lap. I had an entourage of Haitian boys and I loved every single second. It is one thing to hear of orphans-- know they are out there somewhere but to fall in love with them over a weeks time and have to leave them really hurt. They are all I think about when I close my eyes. I miss each one of them and their unique personalities.

I am so happy to have permission to post pictures of them, but not of the younger orphans who are at a different location until the building is ready for them. The guys worked so hard from sun up to sun down and were able to accomplish everything they set out to do. It was hot, humid and mosquito central but never a compliant- cause they were all so happy to be doing such important work. My second dad Ken is one amazing man. What he has done over this last year is unbelievable. This was his 9th trip since the earthquake. He and his wife Laura have absolutely given everything of themselves, we're so lucky to ride on their coat tails and have a small part in what they've made happen in far away Haiti.

The earthquake occurred 2 days after London's liver transplant. I remember where I was in the hospital finding out on my phone that Ken was going over to assist with the clean up and protect the already orphaned children from kidnapping/slavery. I was so proud. I was in my bubble at Primary Children's Hospital for weeks after which shielded me from how devastating it really was there. I needed protection at the time but couldn't shake the guilt of having my baby being cared for in such an amazing facility while other children were suffering and dying, mothers and fathers grieving.

I'm so glad that a year later James was in a position to help and be one of Ken's right hand men on these last 2 trips. Nothing feels better than giving to those in such desperate need. I continue to love my husband more all the time for his big heart and willingness to help anyone in need.

Our hopes have been and continue to be adopting a child from Haiti. There are many hurdles to get through and it's a long, expensive process so part of me is leaving it in Gods hands to help us through it. I no longer ache to be pregnant again and stopped feeling the least bit sorry about it anymore, I just want to give one of these motherless children my home, my family and all of my love. No child should be without a parent, it is the most unnatural thing in the world.

I just want to be one of their moms. I hope to never forget the perspective I gained there and the appreciation for all that I have. I feel more responsible than ever to continue to help there because I have the ability to do so- we all have the ability to help.

The words to a song I grew up singing were never far from my head in Haiti and really took on the meaning they were meant to have:

"Because I have been given much, I too must give; Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live. I shall divide my gifts from thee, with every brother that I see who has the need of help from me. Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord. I'll share thy love again, according to Thy word. I shall give love to those in need; I'll show that love by word and deed: Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed."

National Random Acts of Kindness Week

2011-02-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

Ran into our FAVORITE Mayor @ City Hall. We love you Danny Boy!

Running to Daddy @ the other end of Primarys...they were so happy to see him. He looked like the hottest pizza delivery boy EVER.

Ran into Dr. Book in the hall. What a treat-- she's our hero. We love her SOOOOOO much.

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

We had such a fun week actively looking for and planning Random Acts of Kindness. This will definitely be a family tradition for us, always starting on Valentines Day. But, of course not limited to this week only. Jonah is now very fluent in what a RAK is...which makes me so happy. I just asked him what it means and he says "it's like picking up litter or taking pizza to kids in the hospital" he knows it's doing something nice, for no reason, looking for nothing in return other than a good feeling in his heart (he said eye--but I reminded him, heart).

We kicked off the week by taking Valentines and treats to some of our favorite oldies and widowed in our neighborhood.

Tuesday we took treats and drinks to our local firefighters and got lucky when they invited us back to look at the trucks, got hats and had a nice chat with Firefighter Greg. He went over and above to make Jonah feel special.

Wednesday we took pizzas to the surgical waiting room and the PICU waiting room for lunch. We spent many hours in both and know that something to chomp on can ease your nerves a little bit. I wondered who was there for what and remember that dreaded feeling of waiting to hear how surgery is going for your little one.

Thursday, Auntie MJ went with us to take DONUTS to Police at the Millcreek and Holladay Precincts. Again, Jonah got special treatment getting handcuffed, honorary badges and even police shield tattoos. Jonah kept asking to see bad guys in cages (we weren't at a jail mind you) and some guy walked down the hall and the Captain told him he was one of the bad guys...he went along with it and chased the white lie with a donut.

And today we are going to adopt a soldier:http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/ you should do it too. What a great way to teach our kids about civic duty and for what others are doing for us RIGHT NOW.

We wove other anonymous acts into the week which were very fun to do. It was a great week and another reminder that service is always the anecdote for any ailment and the importance of instilling kindness in my children at every opportunity.

Now go do something nice....

1 down, 29 to go...

2011-02-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

The 2 pictures above are the same unit (a 4-plex) they moved from the upper right floor to the left basement in order to save around 10/month in rent. Either being evicted or saving a few dollars a month was always the reason for having to find another place to live.

Dads Photos for his Memoirs

I spent several hours with my dad driving around Salt Lake taking pictures of all 15 houses he lived in from birth to high school graduation. (with 2 very patient children in the back) This is giving him the push he needed to put the pen to paper and start writing about his childhood.

As I have had a few of my friends fathers pass away over the years I've always tried to put myself in their shoes of how difficult it would be to lose my own daddy (yes, I still call him that-I'm the baby of 5). Besides the daily missing and mourning- what would be hardest on me and my siblings would be him leaving us and taking his history with him. Believe you me--- he's got stories. Those stories and experiences have been very formative for me in my life and I'd like to be able to share them with my own kids one day.

His parents divorced when he was very young. His dad was a very abusive man, a mean alcoholic and didn't help financially after the spilt. My grandma was left to raise 5 kids alone which meant working multiple jobs and moving a lot. There were many times when my dad would go hungry, clothes were worn out and missed on opportunities because they couldn't afford it.

I admire my dad so much. He picked himself up time and time again. Did well in school, excelled in sports, served in the Army, put himself through college, was successful in his careers and most of all has been an amazing dad to 5 kids. I'm grateful the cycle of abused stopped with him, otherwise my life could have been a very different story.

I think his collection of writings will be the best gift given to the Barnum Family for generations to come. Thanks Dad!

Love is in the air- and the water

2011-02-05T23:08:00.001-08:00

Valentines cookies to sprinkle and share....

Jones and his friend Isaac

Roxy is so good...takes it like a man.

Play date with our friend Sarah....making a valentine craft.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Our across the street friend...Jonah loves doing nice things for him.

Valentine messages with window markers...was I the last one to know about these? The kids love them.

Making Valentine Slime....cornstarch, water and food coloring

She loved it, he wouldn't touch it....I think I had the most fun out of all of us.

Valentine Snowflakes...

I'm not a "naturally" crafty-with-my-kids-kinda-mom....so I really have to make the effort and it is always so worth it. Family Fun magazine always makes it easier too. Hope everyones month of February is full of love.

One mans junk is another girls home decor.....

2011-01-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

this is my pride and joy of thrift finds...if only i could find the before picture. it was disgusting and horrible and i wouldn't have even sat on it. 40$ later...then a bit more to upholster it- here she will stay in my front room forever. they don't make them like this anymore. i think this is what my grandkids fight over when i die.

Salvation Army find...spray paint and Anthropologie knobs were all it took

couldn't find a bench for this 100$ piano from ksl and came across this 5$ chair @ DI. I was sold.

KSL 40$

DI 20$ - I'll never part with this. The kids love it and i love the way it looks. i almost brawled with a big guy to get it. (i did see it first)

5$ table that i painted and modge podged comic books on for Jonah

ugly frames that i painted to display pics and art (DI)

same thing...painted a cheap table and modge podged the tribune article about ashley and lulu. i couldn't bare to tuck that away in a drawer...

horse book ends...few dollars each @ Savers

20$ chair from DI, cleaned fabric, painted legs and accessorized. it's what i needed to complete james' office.

this is a hobby and therapy...so much fun.

30 in my 30th year...

2011-01-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Annie did a 30 before 30 list...and got me inspired. Mostly made me think-- holy crap if she's about to turn 30, so am I.

I haven't quite come up with all 30 yet-but I'm close. Some things are acquiring new skills like SEWING-- never thought I'd want to but now I do. So one of my besties, Chantell and I have signed up for a class at The Sewing Parlor. And some are as simple as baking a cake from scratch, learning to make homemade bread and my mom's amazing whole wheat cookies.

Probably the 2 most difficult on my list so far will be running a marathon (or two halfs and put them together) and reading the Bible cover to cover, which seems like a marathon of sorts. Admittedly I never have before.

...30 use to sound so old. And here I am, not feeling old at all.

Testing 1 2 3

2011-01-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

No point to this post...this blog hasn't been letting me upload pictures to it for a while. So this was just a test, glad she's finally cooperating. But here is my brood on a Sunday drive...

Foyer de Sion Haitian Orphanage - Please Help

2010-12-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

I have shared with some of you that James is going to Haiti in January. He'll be leaving with my dear friends father, who has been dedicated to completing an orphanage just outside of Port au Prince, where a tragic earthquake struck. Everyone who is going down will do so at their own expense, and all funds donated are going for labor and materials.

The organization has raised over $250,000 but is still short on funds to complete the orphanage.

I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP.

CLICK THIS BUTTON TO DONATE

Another $70k will get the building to a point where the children can move into the new building. Conditions in Haiti are very dangerous at this time, cholera has killed hundreds and kidnappings still take place. This new orphanage is located out in the country, safe from the horrible situation they face in Port au Prince.

While the goal of having the kids in by Christmas was not met, a lot of progress has been made. The $53,000 needed to complete the tile work was generously donated and work should start this coming Monday.

An extremely large donation was made that allowed the purchase of two 40’ containers, which were loaded last Thursday & Friday. By Friday night, they were on a train and en route to Haiti. They should arrive in Port au Prince, Haiti about the first week of January and will be delivered by the 15th. My friends dad will be taking five or six men, including James to with him to Haiti to help work on doors, skylights, painting, etc. and to meet the containers on their scheduled delivery date.

For those who HAVE or are INTERESTED in donating to this cause, please join us for an open house at the home of Ken & Laura Potter and meet Bishop Mardy (who runs the orphanage) in person.

January 2nd from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
551 S. Ranch Circle
Alpine, Utah 84004

This is a rare opportunity to meet the director as he is in the country for a short time visiting his family. Light refreshment served. He will be returning to Haiti Tuesday morning.

Handsome little man.

2010-12-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

The Power of His Prayer

2010-11-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

There is no better way to end our day than hearing Jonah pray. It's sweet, innocent, comic relief. I wish I was more diligent with writing (or typing) things down, there are many utterances that are lost forever. Enjoyed momentarily and then gone.

Not tonight I declare. It went a little something like this:

"Jonah will you say the prayer? No, you Mom. But it's your turn Jonah." "Oh, good. Dear Heavenly Father....I'm grateful for this day...I'm grateful for my blessings...I'm grateful LuLu isn't sick. And God, I'm so grateful for hand sanitizer. Thank you for that."

In a tiny whisper "Mom, will you help me? What else should I say?" "Say whatever you want Jonah, say what's in your heart. You can tell God anything. Tell him what makes you happy, tell him what makes you sad..." "I can tell God what makes me sad?" "Yes, Jonah you can." "God it makes me so sad when "blankity blank" hits me. Please help "blankity blank" not to hit anymore. Jesus please be on every cloud watching. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

No, "blankity, blank" isn't me (or dad) despite him telling my sister that I hit him when he gets out of bed at night.

I love my little Badger and recently I want 10 more of him. I'll probably retract that tomorrow, but for tonight I want no less than 10.

Amen.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

My little Pumpkin

My little Knight

Pumpkin we made for our across the street friend Jerry. Jones is always making sure he's taken care of.

Trunk-or-Treat

Pumpkin Carving...

Neighbor party hosted by Juli...So much fun! Games, crafts, food and friends....

LOTS of kids in our surrounding houses....this isn't even all of them. Lucky for us.

This is called the Halloween Choke Hold.

This is called "so much better than last Halloween in the hospital" We had a great month of October...Hope our friends and family did too.

Meet Glory

2010-11-01T22:29:00.001-07:00

Soccer Boy

2010-10-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is Jonsey's first season playing soccer and it has proven to be a riot. Most of the time is spent wrestling, giving cheap shots or day dreaming on the field but they all look so cute out there and he's having a good time. Especially since his buddy Luke is on his team....which means I get to sit and chat with Luke's sweet mom whom I love.

Go Blue Kickers!

Another Diagnosis

2010-09-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

When compared to liver disease and now an immunosuppressed child, this should be a cake walk. But to give JONAH some credit, it has not been any fun. And it does make me want to crumble thinking anything is wrong with him. But if I HAD to pick a disease for my child to have this would probably be in my top 10.

Jonah has what is called PFAPA. Never heard of it? Me neither but I'm sure I'll become best friends with it just like I had to with A1ATD....here is a run down:

Periodic fever, Aphthous-stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome

This syndrome includes recurrent episodes of fever with aphthous-stomatitis (mouth sores), pharyngitis (sore throat with redness and sometimes a throat that has a white covering – exudate - like that seen in a throat with streptococcal infection.

PFAPA affects children in early childhood, usually starting at age two to four years. Episodes usually decrease in frequency and resolve after the age of 10 years. This disease was recognized for the first time in 1987 and was called Marshall’s.

How common is it?
The frequency of PFAPA is not known, but the disease appears to be more common than generally appreciated.

What causes PFAPA?
The answer to this question is not yet known. No gene defect has yet to be found in PFAPA, although in some cases more than one family member has the disease. No infectious cause has been found in PFAPA, thus it is not a contagious disease. It is clear that the inflammatory process is activated during episodes but it is not clear why it is triggered.

What are the main symptoms?
The main symptoms are episodic fevers, accompanied by a sore throat, mouth ulcers, or enlarged cervical lymph nodes (glands in the neck, an important part of the immune system).

The episodes of fever start abruptly and last for three to seven days.

During episodes, the child looks very ill and complains about at least one of the three symptoms mentioned above.

The episodes of fever recur every few weeks and often families know the exact day when an attack will start. On the day the fever starts the child will feel a little ill before the attack and the family knows an attack is about to start.

Not all children have all symptoms, especially mouth sores. Some children have other symptoms like joint pain, abdominal pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhea. (we must be lucky--cause he gets the mouth sores)

How is PFAPA diagnosed?
There are no laboratory tests, or imaging procedures, specific for diagnosing PFAPA. The disease will be diagnosed based on the results of a physical examination and other symptoms. Inflammatory blood tests like the white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the C-reactive protein are increased during attacks. Before the diagnosis is confirmed, it is important to exclude all other diseases that may present with similar symptoms (especially a streptococcal throat). The dramatic response to treatment (see below) also helps diagnose PFAPA.

How is PFAPA treated?
There is no specific treatment to cure PFAPA. The aim of treatment is to control symptoms during the episodes of fever, to shorten the duration of episodes, and in some children to prevent attacks from occurring.

In most children, the disease will resolve by itself without treatment, usually after the age of 10 years.

The fever does not usually respond well to Tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

A single dose of steroids (usually prednisone), given when symptoms first appear, has been shown to shorten an episode and sometimes even end the episode. However, the interval between episodes may also be shortened with this treatment, and the next episode may occur earlier than expected.

In some patients using cimetidine (a medicine that is used to treat stomach ulcers) may prevents attacks from occurring. In patients with very frequent attacks, a tonsillectomy (removing the tonsils by surgery) may be considered.

What is the outcome and course of PFAPA?
The disease may last for several years. Over time, the intervals between the episodes will increase and usually after the age of 10 years resolve by itself. Children with PFAPA continue to grow and develop normally.

This has been occurring for several months...and was finally diagnosed in the ER last month. Each time he was sick I was so grateful LuLu didn't "catch" it. I was giving her immune system some major credit as he would have fevers of 105 and feel miserable. It makes sense now to find out he was never contagious. Little man has been handling himself quite well...gets really grumpy a few days before an episode, is really sweet during (no energy for being anything else) and grumpy for a few after it's over- but who can blame him? He's almost recovered from being sick this weekend... still waiting for his mouth and throat sores to heal up which can take a while--so till next month PFAPA. My neighbor will ask if it's that time of the month for him- I'm always glad when I can blame how he's acting on an illness- but what's my excuse the other 3 weeks of the month? Oh yeah....he's 4 and a boy.

Love my Jones. He really is a trooper.

Dress Rehersal

2010-09-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

So, after much anticipation for his first day of preschool Jonah was prepared and excited to start. We laid out his clothes the night before, talked about rules and the importance of being kind to everyone and minding his teachers Miss Holly and Miss Allie.

The morning of we had a special, hearty breakfast, did his stylish do and we were off...only to find the date changed to start the next week. I missed the memo or just didn't pay attention to it. Fortunatley it was nothing a trip to 7-11 and a promise to the Children's Museum couldn't remedy. We got downtown to Gateway only to find the museum was closed for cleaning (a once a year thing), then I got stopped walking back to the parking garage by the Good Day Utah ladies to ask my opinion on horrible looking leopard print clothing (as I was looking horrible myself). I hope we didn't make their show...then we almost got hit by a lady backing out in her minivan until I started pounding on her back window. Wow. I couldn't wait to make it home...obviously my old home cause that's where I drove to on auto-pilot. (no not all the way there, just to the exit)

We made it home, through the day, then the week until his wonderful preschool actually started--which I forgot to take pictures of. Needless to say, he's loving it. (and so am I--let's be honest...a break from even those you love most is a good thing)

My People

2010-08-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Weekend Fun

2010-05-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Blogging with Lu, about Lu.

BF LaLa

Jonah has been wanting to do a lemonade stand for a long time, so we finally did. He lasted about 20 minutes...but it was fun. Reminded me of the days me and Leslie would do all-sorts-of-stands growing up.

Benji and Jones...two peas in a pod. Jonah goes through withdrawal like symptoms when he doesn't get a Benji fix once a day.

Jones, Corbin, Benji and Cam. This makes my heart sing.....

Dan & James. Nerds. But love them both...working hard (with a lot of talk in-between) to put up a fence between our yards. We luckily salvaged a fence my aunts neighbor took down which saved us a few grand in lumber and freed up some space in the landfill. Our lucky day.

Aunt MJ diligent about trying to get Lu to eat better. Always shows up with different foods, protein bars, ice creams etc. etc. etc. She's her food therapist.

Grandma & Lu. We had a fun, busy weekend. Yard work, a few projects accomplished and many visitors that we love.

You do the crime...you pay the time

2010-05-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

After harassing Lu for the umpteenth time and several time outs later, we did a little restrictive therapy (I just made that up) to remind his "hands to be friendly". He looks sad in the top picture but he fully enjoyed it, mug shots and all...

Up to his eye-balls in kid. Loves being greeted like this after a day at work.

Spider Man /creativity with left over medical supplies.

LuLu & LaLa

2010-04-17T13:36:00.001-07:00

When the girls were introduced, Lu went straight to La and put her head on her shoulder...so sweet. Lovin' LaLa's Mum myself.

LuLu has made her first outside-the-hospital-friend and ironically her name is LaLa. She is our new next-door-neighbor and they are only a few months apart. On the other side of us is another darling girl Lulu's age and I'm sure the 3 will all be great friends and alotta trouble one day.

Jonah has also made friends with neighbors and has enjoyed coming and going with his new buddies. There are so many kids here it baffles my mind. We are welcoming "being able" to socialize without as much fear of GERMS like we've lived this last year because of London's health.

We are loving our new area and have felt very welcomed by everyone in the neighborhood and meeting new people everyday. I think it's safe to say we are here to stay.

Dr. PaPa

2010-04-15T18:11:00.001-07:00

Jonah's Papa is a dentist and it's taken me this long to make his first appointment. Shame on me. Glad to report that neither of us had cavities though...I was probably a bit younger when I first saw Dr. Badger and I've never seen a different dentist since. Needless to say, I'd highly recommend him. My Mum was actually sitting in this same chair when she and Bri decided to line me and the Mr. up. Great things happen at this dental office!

Sleep, Beach, Eat and Be Merry

2010-03-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

All good moms do a lot of yelling at the beach...at least that's what I tell myself. Didn't know JuJu caught me on camera until I was doing this post.

Huntington Beach

Too close, try again...that's better...Noo, covered in sand. Jonah wanted to be covered too- but I refused seeing as though he can't stand to have sand on his hands or feet for long let alone in every nook and cranny of his little body.

Our 3rd day was a bit more laid back than the first two. The die-hard-Smiths went back to Disney....we slept in, ate, went to the beach, ate, went to Medieval Times, ate a lot and had a great time. The boys especially. The horses were beautiful, but the animal lover in me couldn't help but feel a bit bad for them. Dressed up like fools with cheesy actors sword fighting on their backs....I can't even bare to sit through a Rodeo.

Disney, Take 2

2010-03-25T11:06:00.001-07:00

Good Morning tub boy

Us doing "little" kid rides, while Ju, Cade, Noah and Briggs were fast-passing and riding all the rides that Jonah was a quarter of an inch shy of riding....oh, well. Les and I had fun together.

Briggs battling Darth Vader, he didn't even THINK of joining the "dark" side. Go Brigham! Noah and Jonah were proudly cheering him on from the front row.

I love my boy and ALL his kisses. Please don't get too big to stop kissing your MuM, Jones.

A pic with Brinley in case they get married. Cade laughed at me until I explained my WISH for pictures of James and I together when we were their age. I'd do anything if one of our Moms dug one up. They were pregnant with us together for those who didn't know-we grew up together, our parents best buds from their college days.

With the advice of a friend, mid-day we put Jones in some bigger shoes with extra lift from folded paper towells to beat the height requirement for the 40 inch rides. Thanks Megan!

Don't trip Jones. :) Jonah loved every ride he went on. Matterhorn and Tower of Terror being 2 favorites. I think Noah found himself a new Best Friend in Brigham. A good day for all, except Daddy missing us at home.

Disney, Take 1

2010-03-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Good morning sunshine...let's go to Disneyland (finally). Yes, my child is sleeping in the tub. He would not settle down sleeping next to Noah...so after many warnings and chances- into the bathroom he slept. Like a baby. Loved it, didn't protest it and will sleep here the rest of the trip. I told him I use to do sleep in the tub, which I did--it wasn't a lie, I think I got sick of sharing a room growing up and needed some space. I wasn't smart enough to put pillow cushions in it like I did for Jonah. Live and learn, I guess.

No, the wrist brace isn't a fashion statement. Purely for (temporary) function.

Loving my Jonah time. In line for our FIRST ride. He has had no fear, too bad he's about a half inch shy of being able to go on most rides, note-to-self, buy platforms for Jonah next time we go to an amusement park.

Brinley. Pure beauty.

Boys. Pure crazy.

Jonah Onassis-Badger

Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Notice B's woobie- goes everywhere she does, love it.

....ran into my dear friend Treo. She was an old roommate and the one responsible for getting some amazing girls together that have become best friends of mine. Wish she didn't live in St. George, would see her more often than a run in on vacations. :)

Lesler

Dinner at Buca di Beppo, delicious!

Good Night. Let's start it all over again tomorrow.

California here we come....

2010-03-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

The plan was to hit the road at 4am, since that is about when I got to bed we opted for a later "leave" time. James got to wake Jones up to go, say his goodbyes and get us out the door. Yes, Jonah was wearing gloves when we went into his room this morning. Love unexpected surprises like that.

A smile for Disneyland!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Jonah.

Good Morning Noah, I have a surprise for you.

What?

Take a guess...

Legos?

No.

A Hot Wheel?

No, Disneyland.

Huh?

We're going to Disneyland.

Me: Really Noah...come on, let's go.

Noah: (see above picture)

Jonah-like-Noah

Many hours later we are close, close, close to the condo.....we'll be up bright and (somewhat) early for day 1 of 2 in DISNEYLAND!! Many laughs have been had on the road today and know there will be many more to come this week. My sister thinks I'm much funnier than I really am.

Being married to a funny-guy, my humor gets overshadowed, rightfully so--he's really funny.

We're Moving...

2010-03-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Home.....We will miss you!

We love this home so much. We have lived for 6 years, since the day we got married. We planned to stay here forever, but thats life. Make plans, then they change. It's an old home that James has completely and beautifully renovated over the last 6 years and added a huge addition that gave our family room to grow. But, all-in-all it's just a house and our HOME is wherever our family is. We are just so grateful we are a complete family. 2010 has proven to be a much better year than the last 2 combined. Life has felt impossible at times and so unfair but luckily with James staying so busy building we have been able to keep our heads above water. (barely)

So, here is to moving forward. Making new friends and a fresh start. We will be much closer to the hospital which is a big plus for us. The air quality is considerably better which is a great thing for LuLu. The garage is triple the size of our current which makes James a happy boy. Jonah is pumped to have a special hideout under the stairs and go to school with his Badger cousins. And I am happy because my family is happy.

Free Class

2010-03-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's not letting me cut and paste so see LULU's blog at www.liverforlulu.blogspot.com for more information. :)

My Little Gymnast

2010-03-09T16:27:00.001-08:00

Hangin' with his girl. Paige-the-babe, my friend Ally's little lady. They LOVE eachother and look forward to jin-nas-tix every Saturday together and for their treat afterwords.

"Get it Paigey, get it...." Says her Mum.

Happy (surprise) Birthday Tellie!!

2010-03-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

One of her gifts from "us", the Johnston's 1st family portrait. Notice the space in Scotty's arm for the blessed day they give us a baby to fall over!! Hopefully old doogy Kudjo man will still be with them to see that happen. My friend Ally it very talented. Visit Allybrynndesigns.blogspot.com to see what she can do.

We had a "Kudjo" themed birthday party for Chantell. May seem juvenille unless you knew how much she loves her dalmation. He's been with her for as long as I have--about 12 years. He's been a constant companion through all of lifes challenges. We ALL love Kudj, he IS the best dog ever.

She REALLY was surprised, promise--we are good.

Mindi (sister), Shelly (mom), The Lacer, Kathryn, Tell, Muah, Ally, Hallie, Juju

I'm thinking :"I am one lucky girl...have the best friends ever- and this isn't even the half of it (them)."

I cooked for the first time in a LONG time...

2010-02-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

....Well, if you count putting in a frozen lasagna from Costco "cooking". I do. I actually checked the oven for toys first (believe me I've melted other toys...) but this little guy was in the very back and I missed it. Until it was time to pull the now-cooked-frozen-goodness out of the oven and there was a weird plasticy smell mixed with the Italian goodness. Sorry little cow, I'll do better next time. Just had a talk with Jonah about not putting toys in the oven. Live (laugh)and learn.

Buck Teeth

2010-02-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

Jonah has always been a binki boy. We tried ridding him of it before London was born with no luck. We tied them to balloons, he wouldn't let them go. He new better. I started clipping them down, he'd just find new ones since we had LuLu around by then. Then London got sick and we couldn't take his bink away, it provided him with such comfort while he slept. Especially since he spent many nights away from home this last year. I couldn't take it from him. ...until LuLu got her liver.

Since I returned home after transplant I started prepping him for letting it go. IT WAS TIME, the child will be 4 in May. So I started telling him it would give him buck teeth...bucky, bucky, bucky teeth. He didn't know what this meant other than it didn't sound like a good thing.

A few nights ago as James and I put Jones to bed I told him I thought he was ready to sleep without his bink. (with all the sincerity in his heart....) Crocodile size tears, the saddest cry, "I'm not a big boy MuM, I'm a baby. I need a binki." Soooo, I caved cause my heart hurt for him. I said "Okay Jonah, but tomorrow we are going to Google buck teeth so you can see what you'll get." James laughed and said "Let's do it now" My laptop was within arms reach and we Googled it. Jonah saw the above pictures, stopped crying and said "MuM, I don't want my binki." Havent had a binki problem since. Sleeps through the night, takes naps...doesn't want the binki, doesn't want bucky teeth. I love him and his slightly bucky teeth.

I felt like a genius.

Jonesy and some homies...

2010-01-28T00:38:00.000-08:00

Boston Barker/Peay

Auntie Kathryn

Grandma and Grandpa

Tosh

His best buddy of all!

Memphis Hale

Rylee Cuff

Gramma Shelly

Lincoln "Linky" Rex

Sleigh Bells

2009-12-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

We had a great afternoon Saturday with Jonah. I feel like it was the most fun we've had in a long time. Our dear friend Lacey invited us up to her family farm where we roasted hot dogs, made s'mores and played ping pong in the barn and enjoyed a beautiful sleigh ride in the best company. "Grandpa Rick" (Lacie's dad) was so cute with Jonah, letting him help steer the horses, feed them apples and just made him feel so special.

We had Grandpa/Papa coverage at the hospital so we could enjoy Jonah together. It's really what he needs....actually what WE need. We're doing our very best to find balance between the craziness that is our life right now and the importance of making Jonah feel included and LOVED so much by Mum and Dad. We are going to make a Saturday tradition of doing something fabulous with Jones, together, followed by a visit to see LuLu at the hospital afterwards. He is complete and utter SWEETNESS and I enjoy every bit of my weekends at home with him. Thank God for little boys.

Hahahachoo!!

2009-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

All in a days work (or two)

2009-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Goofy Goggle Man, never heard of him?

Batman & his girl

Spidey

Good night, Knight.

Iron Man meets Power Ranger

I'm Grateful

2009-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving/ my Daddys 40th (j/k) Birthday celebration...he does look good though, huh?

I wasn't going to say...but the candles give his old age away

Brotherly love from Jones

Lulu's younger, but bigger cousin Stephen who debuted his new glasses this night

May sound a bit cliche but here is what I'm most grateful for:

FAMILY
FRIENDS
GOD & JESUS CHRIST
PRAYER
AMERICA
MoDeRn MeDiCiNe

Modern Medicine may not have been on my "mental list" last Thanksgiving but it is now and forever will be. I love and respect Londons Doctor...I look at her like she's a celebrity. She's been my Hero. She's dedicated years and years of her life to learning and has made sacrifices in order to heal children, my child. I love her, I always want to hug her when she walks into the room...I try to limit myself to every-once-in-awhile so she doesn't think I'm weird. Actually, I love EVERYONE on LuLu's team. They all feel more like friends than anything else. For them, I am Grateful.

What better place to live than the United States of America? Do you realize what a select few we are to have the freedoms that we do? Sometimes I forget. We can be what we want to be, have no limits to what we can do, have agency to live our lives how we choose, have access to the best medicine, to worship as we please, TO BE FREE. It's mind boggling. My appreciation grew ten fold as my brother Ben served our country in Iraq several years ago. He served you and me. It really brought things close to home. I lived with his dear wife and kids while he was gone and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Whenever I see someone in camo, I want to hug them- I do refrain cause they'd for sure think I was weird, so I just smile and say thank-you.

I have never prayed so much in my life as I have this year. I know we are being prayed for by so many. I am most touched when people tell me that their children pray for London by name every night. I am more Grateful now than I ever have been for the power of prayer and the comfort it can bring. I know it has brought peace and blessings into our home. I know our lives have been blessed and our Faith has grown. My relationship with God and Jesus Christ has never felt more important.

I count my Friends and Family in the same category. I am one lucky girl to have the friends that I do, they all bless my life in different ways. Thank you, I love you all and have never needed you more.

We have amazing families. We have such incredible support and love from them all. We have the best sisters and brothers, nieces, nephews and parents that are unbelievable.

Last but not least Jones and Lulu are my world. Jonah is fun, wild and crazy. Lulu is sweet, beautiful and wise beyond her years. James is my best friend and my absolute everything. Our struggles this year have been crippling at times but have truly helped us to value all that is most important in this life.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to you all!

Fundraiser Botique for LuLu

2009-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

I am EXTREMELY blessed to have the friends and family that I do. Dale, Tabitha and Amy Rex, Hallie Peay and my sister Julia have put together an amazing boutique to collaborate funds for Lulu's future medical expenses. I will be there for the whole thing, which will be amazing to see so many of you that have been such a support to us. If you have any questions or want more information you can look to Tabitha's blog- daleandtabitha.blogspot.com

Loves!
Lizzie

Be Good

2009-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Jonah was leaving with James this morning to go to the job site and I said "be good Jonah, listen to daddy" he replied "be good mommy, listen to grandma." I turned to my mom and we laughed. He is such a smart, funny boy.

BTW we are finally home from the hospital- http://www.liverforlulu.blogspot.com/ for an update

I love you too, Jonah

2009-11-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Jonah gave me an unsolicited kiss this morning and said, "I love you mom, lets get married in the temple today." Wherever he chooses to marry, I hope it's to a girl that loves him as much as I do.

Happy Halloween (for one, not the other)

2009-11-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

LuLu-Ladybug-Princess-Fairy-Love

Speed Racer (Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Go...sung by Jonah many, many times a day)

Our sweet little Lulu had a not-so-Happy-Halloween, it was day 7 of 11 and counting at Primary Children's Hospital. PCMC did a great job to make it special for all the kids. Lu received a darling tutu that was made and donated by someone in case we didn't retrieve her costume for the day. They also brought her (as in ME) an awesome trick-or-treat bag full of great goodies. Almost all staff was in costume which I'm sure cheered the older kids up who were confined on this great holiday.

There are many volunteers at the hospital, they do really great things. I see them all over the place in their bright red shirts, some are young and some (very) old. They do many things from running the little gift shop to playing with kids and holding babies that don't have anyone else to hold them. I am thankful for them. I don't need them to hold my baby but they are holding someones. I painfully pass the room next to us who is one of those babies not being held by a mom, dad, grandpa or grandma. I cried for him today and wish I could hold him and love him. I'll be a volunteer one day when this is all behind us.

I'm so glad I was able to break away for the evening to be with Jones & family. (thanks to Aunt Tellie and Uncle Jordan who took shifts with London) As tradition has it we hit Nana & Papa's neighborhood for our loot. It made me happy to see how many Ute fans made it to the game, leaving big buckets of candy on their porch for the kids. "Take 2 if you are a Utah fan, 1 if you are not..." read one of the signs. James took the night shift with Lulu while I got to enjoy my bed with little Jonah-man by my side. That was the best TREAT for me, it made my Halloween happy.

JONAH

2009-10-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Jonah has started preschool and is loving it! Conquering his ABC's and 123's and working on not hitting the girls in his class. :) We can also check potty training off of our long list of things to do. Gee, I've never been so proud! I can only imagine how I'll feel when he graduates high school and college etc. etc. if I think being potty trained is such a big deal. Jonah is obsessed with cars right now and anything with wheels. He loves to tell me how to drive..."speed up mom, go faster!" all the while making race car noises.

He is a great brother to London and is very intuitive. He can tell you all about her feeding tube, what it does and that her liver is sick. He prays at night that she will get better and that is very touching to James and I. He likes to help administer her medicines and is very patient that she requires much of my time.

This boy is funny and witty and I am lucky he is mine...well, ours.

liver for lulu

2009-10-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

my SWEET sister julia has started a blog to chronicle London's health, dr. appointments etc. etc. it can be found at liverforlulu.blogspot.com and between the two of us we will try to keep it fairly up to date as i am obviously not very good at keeping our family blog current. thanks for the support we feel from all of YOU. xoxo

LuLu & LeMoNs

2009-07-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

(jacki, kathryn & chantell)

Where, oh where to begin?.....5 months ago our LuLu was diagnosed with a genetic disease called Alpha1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Never heard of it? Us either until it became ours. In a nutshell:

Alpha-1 occurs when there is a lack of a protein in the blood called alpha-1 antitrypsin or AAT that is produced by the liver. The main function of AAT is to protect the lungs from inflammation caused by infection and inhaled irritants such as pollution and tobacco smoke. The low level of AAT in the blood occurs because the AAT is abnormal and cannot be released from the liver at the normal rate. This leads to a build up of abnormal AAT in the liver that can cause liver disease and a decrease of AAT in the blood that can lead to lung disease.

So, London has advanced liver disease and we just finished up our first-but-not-last hospital stay. Our goal right now is to try and "hang" on to her liver as long as possible and treat all the fun stuff that comes along with it (portal hyper tension, ascites, poor nutrition etc. etc.) since there is no treatment for liver disease other than a transplant-which is inevitable within the next year. So right now we try to fatten her up (hence the feeding tube you will notice in all her upcoming pics), get her stronger and buy some time.

James or myself hope to be a good donor match as they can take part of the left lobe that regenerates in the donor and grows in to a fully functioning liver in the recipient. Wonderful, isn't it? We continue to meet with her Doctor and amazing team weekly at Primary Children's and are SO grateful for the great care she receives. The silver lining? After getting her transplant (that WILL be successful) she will be cured of this disease and avoid damage to her lungs and the possibility of a lung transplant later in life.

We have struggled more than words can express but have faith in our Heavenly Father and all his plans for us. London is a lover and a fighter and a little angel all neatly wrapped into approximately 14 pounds and (finally) growing... I must say we are so grateful for the tremendous amount of love and support we have received-so thank you from the very bottoms of our little hearts.

Baby Blessing, Buddy's Birthday & other Badger Banter

2009-06-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

We blessed little LuLu at home with close friends and family last month, her BEAUTIFUL dress was made with so much love by her NaNa and is sure to be a family heirloom. We are so lucky to have London in our family. She may be small & she doesn't say much- but she has sure taught James and I alot in the short time that we've been able to call her ours.

My beautiful, dear friend Lacey

Tabby, Dale, Lincoln and BabyJames

Miss Hallie, friend-from-the-beginning-of-time

Grandma & Grandpa

Kathryn & Tellie

NaNa & PaPa

***************************

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dearest Jonesy!

Happy Birthday toooooooooo you!

Jonah was a GREAT little assistant during his magic show

(plug...Paul Brewer was GREAT! As entertaing for the adults as he was for the kids of all ages...)

Great Grandma Badger- Beautiful and Amazing as always....

***********************************

Lundy-Bunny

3 generation pedi-party

And last but NOT least-a much needed, long overdue, well deserved trip to St. George!

What a BABE!!

rAndOM ReCEnt PiCs

2009-05-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

i HEART little London

My DEAR, SWEET, LOVING, GIVING, KIND, BEAUTIFUL, GRACIOUS (could go on all day...)Aunt Becky, (looks like she could be my beautiful moms twin-which only makes me

LOVE her more) who SPOILS us like you wouldn't believe!

James is doing a HUGE, totally green remodel of their home. And must say.... Best clients EVER!

MY BIG-BAD (in a very GOOD way)-BEAUTIFUL-BOY!

My favorite thing ever-

hearing him recite the Pledge (flawlessly, I must add) like ONE PROUD

AMERICAN boy! He has a little flag in his room and it's how we

start each morning. So much to be grateful for.....

One of few photos taken during my brief stint as a brunette. (which is actually my natural color, but doesn't feel so natural anymore) Love, love, love my little family.

Sadie, London, Jones.............................................. & Cameron

(Precious Cousins)

LOVE this boy. How could you not?

Easter Fun at Nana and Papa's

2009-05-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tramp time with FUN FUN FUN uncle juju- he's been quite a novelty as he's just returned from traveling the world over. He's been everywhere from Spain to South America and most everywhere in between! We are SO glad to have him home and hope he sticks around awhile! (Cam-sorry Jones is kicking you in the face!)
Sweet, sweet Millie...enjoying her Easter loot. This little
cousin of Jonah's is to-die-for-adorable! We love her so much!

Most of the Badger herd...we missed our little RYRY and Finny but hope they had great Easter celebrations in San Fran and Nashville!

Jones & Luke finding the endless eggs and treats planted around Nana & Papa's beautiful home

Happy Birthday Mr. Badger

2009-03-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 28th Birthday to my Best Friend, Amazing Husband and Extraordinary Father of our children! Words really can't explain how in love I am with James, but he knows- and that's what matters. I thank God for him every night and know how truly blessed I am that he is mine and I am his...

London and Daddy..probably watching The Daily Show or This Old House, their faves!

Daddy and Jones pulled a late night watching Monsters Inc & Cars

and this is the sweetness I woke up to --Pixar hangover.

Daddy's Girl, has him wrapped around her teeny finger!!

His Mini-me in every way!

Us with Grandma & Grandpa Badger on last years cruise, they love James "prank" calls which are notorious amongst friends and family....

Jonah, James and Macey...James is a super-fun uncle too!

I found James in Jonahs crib with him and was a little worried he'd break it. Almost 2 years later- his crib has held it's own and this has become an almost nightly occurrence that one of us climbs in with Jones for some quality "Crib Time"-- Jonah loves it and so do we!

I've turned James into a HUGE dog lover! Several times a month James proudly tells me he saved a dog on his way home from work...which means pulling over in a hurry, chasing the dog, catching the dog, putting the dog in his truck, calling owners if the dog had tags, taking the dog to it's home--if the pup doesn't have tags: bringing the dog home, calling shelters, posting on craigslist "found" page and making the dog-at-home til we can track down it's owners.. (which one time meant we had a huge, beautiful, white German Shepard for months...but no one was looking for her. Us, already having 2 dogs and living in remodel-hell eventually found her a forever home where she is living happily-ever-after) Now that is a guy with a BIG heart!

Can he build it? Yes, he can...James is the most talented builder and finish carpenter. Which means he can fix ANYTHING! Something I don't take for granted...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Jamesie for all you do! We love you so much!

Little Miss London, What would life be like without you?

2009-03-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

A New Do

2009-01-18T22:04:00.001-08:00

Little Man finally got a big boy haircut, I was nervous to part with his beautiful locks but I must say he is still handsome as ever...He looks so much older, which makes a mom sad- I don't want him to grow up- I like him just the way he is! I always tell Jonah I'm going to put him in the dryer and shrink him (an Aunt Kath-ism) and he thinks that is so funny! I'm sure his days of playing and breaking my dryer aren't too far ahead. I broke the door off of my moms twice growing up. What goes around comes around I guess. Note to those of you interested in playing in your dryer--you don't turn it on!!!! You just get in and do flips with the momentum of your body weight. I think Hallie and I use to both get in at the same time! And NO- I don't still play in my dryer, although maybe I'd try if I had time/and could fit ;)

Loving Little LuLu

2009-01-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, this last month has flown by despite the (wonderful) holiday chaos, illness-after-illness, a bit of exhaustion and a lot of sleep deprivation--but of course we wouldn't trade it for anything! London is such a wonderful baby-very busy doing the 3 things newborn babies do best. Jonah (luckily) is still a loving, doting big brother. He loves holding her in his lap (for 5 seconds at a time), clobbering her head with kisses, fetching me diapers and letting me know "mom baby is crying!!" at the top of his little screechy lungs which only make her cry harder... but, what a good brother he is!! These are a few of my favorite pictures my friend Alicen took when she was 1 week old.

Jonah's diapers were closer than hers, so this is the lovely get-up she was wearing between "takes" I can't believe how tiny she is....

London Kate, Fashionably Late

2008-12-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

London Kate Badger FINALLY made her

big debut....Monday, December 8th 3:48 pm

6 lbs 3oz 20 in

Proud, Beautiful Grandmas. London is the 12th grandchild
for the Barnums & 10th for the Badgers

Aunties Tellie & Kath... Kathryn and Adam are
expecting a boy in a couple of weeks!!

Grandpa Barnum

Nana & Papa

Auntie Leslie

Jonah is very happy "HIS" baby is here...

(mine, mine, mine, my baby...my baby...give me, give me!)

I'm a little scared, but at least he likes her.

London makes him look like a giant and it seems

like just yesterday he was our little baby boy.

BIG belly BIG belly

2008-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

37 Weeks & counting--the days, hours, minutes, seconds

Fall Fun

2008-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Jonah has been into everything Halloween this year which has been very fun for the whole family. He takes his Pumpkin Pail out with us and practices his "Trick-or-Treat" on unsuspecting, innocent bystanders...needless to say he never goes away empty-handed.

We went to Gardner Village to see the WITCH display, WHICH Jonah loved...he was obviously too distracted to take any good pictures. Twenty-or-so shots later and these are the best I got!

Hogal Zoo

James obviously doesn't think signs reading "DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS" applies to him. Disclaimer: He was only feeding him straw out of the giraffe pen, so at least he knew it wouldn't make him sick and Jonah totally got a kick out of Mr. Giraffe being so up-close-and-personal. Note: James will do anything to make Jonah happy & think he's the coolest dad....

...Jonah loves going to the Zoo, although I do not. I can't help but feel so sad for the animals being confined and out of their natural habitat. With that being said, not wanting to be "the mom that deprives her child of the zoo experience" outweighs my beliefs that they are better off scattered in Africa and elsewhere around the globe- so we support the zoo with season passes....I know I should be stronger with my convictions.

Preparing for Halloween..........

VS.

Jonah weighing out his Halloween costume options....he decided on the rooster and mom & dad will dress up like farmers...James will look real good in tight jeans & a cowboy hat- whether he likes it or not!

Dear Jonah

2008-10-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Jonesy,

I regret to inform you that your life is about to change dramatically. No longer will you receive my undivided attention. No longer will my world revolve around you and only you. I am truly sorry that you wont be the only "apple in my eye".

It sounds so harsh, but you will have to share me with someone else. We'll call her "Super Princess Unnamed Fetus" ("SPUF" for short) for the time being. My life will then revolve around both of you and Mommy will have to "stick an apple in her other eye".

Oh yeah, there is one thing that will not change, how much I love you! -To the moon and back Super Monkey!

Regards,

Mommy

SPUF pictured above 5 months in utero...