I'll give you one guess to what I've been doing!

Yes.... ...This is how OCD starts.....


I will be joining the ranks of Howie Mandell, Monk, and Michael Jackson, by being a germaphobe! Yup, late at night after getting home from the hospital, I ran down to the store and bought every germ defense I could think of. With my last rush of adrenaline I bleached, disinfected, and sanitized EVERY surface I possibly could in my home. I decided that it IS crazy, but right now, I'm allowed!!!

(Now I've collapsed in exhaustion, but I can guarantee I have the cleanest home on the block! And somehow, that small amount of control over life, makes me feel a whole lot better!)

This kid is soooo happy to be home... it was like Disneyland for him!!!

He was laughing and talking, and every toy has been soo exciting!

Wearing lipstick and mascara tells you the world's a better place today...

Somehow, after a week of being up to your elbows in poop, IV fluids, instant hand antiseptic, and your baby's tears. Having the moment to put on some makeup, truly makes the world better! Not all the cover up in my makeup bag can cover the dark circles under my eyes, and the powder can't cover the furrow between my brows caused by worry. But boy does that lipstick and mascara help me look and feel a bit more normal.

I can count on one hand how many hours of sleep I've had, and on two hands (and maybe a few toes) how many cups of coffee I've had this week. It's been a long haul for sure, and I've learned a lot this week, of course I'll share bits and pieces here on the blog. But for now, I'm sitting in Grayson's hospital room with a borrowed laptop from a kind nurse. I'm confidently wearing my makeup, as a sign of a new and happier day today. A Gray IS better day. A NO MORE TEARS day. An, I CAN do this one more day, day!


Grayson is doing awesome, we are looking at going home tonite or in the morning !! YEA!! His adorable personality is fully come back, he is jibbering away as I type....I think he's talking to his toes! They just stopped the IV fluids to see how he does, and with careful measuring of his input verses output, when it holds steady, is when we go home. We will still have up to a month of diarrhea, and some with blood still, but that's normal. So we do have a longer road to go, it will take awhile to get his nutrition back up to normal, and a lot of doctors visits these next couple of weeks. But boy to see him now compared these last few very tense days, is night and day difference!! We are over the worst of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

( And if you are girl reading this... Hey go put some lipstick or pearly gloss on--- I swear it makes a difference in how you feel !! :)

A room with a view

(nice, but that just doesn't make what's going on inside any better!)

My VERY sick baby in the hospital, originally uploaded by Brown Eyed Girl 30.

HI.... I've been in the hospital with baby Grayson since Sun evening . I'm on a hospital computer for just a moment, I will update more when I can! Looks like one more day here. An end in sight at least! There's a story of course... short of it-- he has Salmonella. We were on watch for something called HUS, basically kidney failure, and he came in with severe dehydration. I haven't gotten much sleep and totally wiped out! Been blessed like crazy this week by a couple of food and gift packages, people coming by to pray, lots of help with Maddy, and of course someone loving our dog, and 2 wonderful doctors!!

PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS!! It will be a LONG road!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!!

My latest art project for the school...with little helpers !

Found these quotes at,' The Crepe Place', in Bend. Fell in love with them and had to share!!

Here's a few snapshots of Maddy's Open House, and her first day of school!!

Grammy, Paca, and Uncle Egge also got to come along to the open house to check out her new school! She had so much fun! After pressing play, click on each picture under the chalkboard to enlarge.

Make a Smilebox postcard

How did she ever get this big!!??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A2Ap3DyvLg

My friend Literary girl had this on her blog, and I just loved it soooo much I had to post it too!! I totally see my hubby doing the same thing with Maddy!!

( I don't know why the video is not coming up here, so just click on the blank pic or link...sorry)

I threw a party this weekend!

My party started early Saturday morning, and I really had done a great job! I hung the balloons of expectations not met, I put up streamers of self doubt, sprinkled the confetti of "woe is me", and baked a huge cake of exhaustion. Then sat on my kitchen floor to the tune of, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to" !
My PITY party only lasted for about 2 hours, but boy was it a rave!! My husband was thrilled to be invited, and my children just stayed out of my way. It's a party I don't particularly enjoy throwing, but my preplanning was stellar enough to be hired as an event coordinator for any venue.
I started by never giving myself a break or downtime. I went on to say "yes" to everyone and everything around me. I added in several days of physical labor. Dealt with 2 sick children. Worked for 3 different jobs in one week,which led to errands ,with said sick children ,all over town. Then my husband decided to pitch in with the party planning by taking 2 long business trips back to back, then going to college. The set up was perfect!
The moping started Friday early evening, the anger started late Friday night, and we were in full swing with all the emotions for the party by Saturday morning! The timeline worked well, so that in the second hour of this party I could fully sit on the middle of the floor and cry huge tears, and provide perfect entertainment for the others invited.
And of course the truly great parties usually leave you hungover... and sure enough... my headache lasted the rest of the day!

My latest design project:









This is the entryway in Maddy's new School, W C A.

The school's tagline is, "Creative education in a Christian environment" . WCA helps students grow through a focus on the arts, nature, music, classic literature and Christianity. They are hands on teachers actively involved daily with each student.
Zach and I are jazzed to have Maddy be a student in their school. The one catch... we couldn't afford a school like this!! Lucky for me I saw a need my talents could fill! The school has put together a proposal for the work they need, in trade for 100% tuition!! What a "God thing" for us! As a creative, artsy, nature loving and musically inclined family, this is a perfect fit! (And a HUGE answer to prayer !) Maddy is starting school on September 1oth, and I have been working some 'creative magic' in the building since last week.

The school building has white walls everywhere but the classrooms. The place did not scream "Artsy", or "Creative Environment" at all. They lease the building but are free to paint as they please. The teachers have painted their rooms and have them beautifully decorated, but no one has had the time or energy to go beyond that. Thats where I step in, FULL of ideas !! I will also be their Fundraising Coordinator, and help in the Pre-k / Kindergarten class 6 hours a week! I am soooo excited ! The teachers are so loving , and so great. Maddy's teacher has already told her she gets to bring in her snake for show and tell the first week of school, she figured out how to 'hook' Maddy into liking her and the class! ( Yeah that darn snake is still alive, AND had a baby!!!)

These are pictures of my first project. I have painted the walls a golden yellow color , and in this art corner did an orange glaze over top. This is the kids "museum" wall. I have sprayed misc. frames,gold and screwed them into the walls for a Louvre Museum effect. Now the teachers can rotate the children's artwork thru the frames throughout the year! The canvases you see are from last year's students. Above the mirror I have painted an inspirational SMILE, and Bible verse. I have many, many quotes, verses and phrases to do all throughout the building. They had a work party to paint all the hallways a soft yellow, and I have painted the front door a bright cherry red. I'm working on several more 'artsy' projects for the entryway, and will focus on some scenery in the bathroom next!

I'm very excited to have my talents used, and have a great place for my child's first school experience. I'll be sure to put up more pics as I finish more fun things!

For more birthday fun, check out flickr!