the anniversary idea!

So Kurtis never reads my blog which is a good thing in a way b/c I'm about to post the gift idea for our anniversary.  It was a combined idea suggested from Leisy Miller and Cindy Floyd but since we've been married eight years this coming Jan.31, I decided to do Eight Days of Anniversary and every day Kurtis gets some cheesy cute gift from me.  Now, I admit that some of these are stinkin' cheesy but they are cute, inexpensive, and I think will be a great way to express how much I love this guy!

OSU helmets that my hubs loves!

conversation hearts

Day #7 is a teddy bear with a note that says "you are cuddlier than a teddy bear".

Kurtis' all time fave candy is Reese's cups!

Loose tooth #2

Samuel said last week that another tooth was loose and boy, was it ever!  He managed to wiggle it free right at bedtime on Sat night (1/21/12) and was so excited for another visit from the toothfairy!

the gap where the tooth used to be

gap in mouth and tooth in bag!

Sam the missionary

Ever since I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I've been hesitant to discuss religion with anyone. I didn't exactly get the outreach of love and support from my loved ones and so I'm just not big on discussing it with anyone unless I know their interest is sincere... which makes the following conversation with my sister that much more sweet and slightly monumental.
After hearing Tara and I discussing Mitt Romney and how the Church has been thrust into the lime light.  I say "well, most people don't consider Mormons to be Christians.  But we believe in Christ, don't we Sam."
Sammy: "yes, Jesus is the most importantest!"
Tara: "well, you know why people think that."
Greta: "yes, they think we worship Joseph Smith over Christ."
Sammy: "But Joseph Smith was a prophet who told us all about Jesus.  Just like Samuel the Lamanite."
Tara: "Sammy, I don't know who Samuel the Lamanite is."
Sammy: "but he's in the Book of Mormon"
Tara: "I haven't read the Book of Mormon"
Sammy: "But you are supposed to read it every day. We do!"
Greta: "Sammy, Aunt Tara doesn't read the Book of Mormon like we do."
Sammy: "Well, I'll just tell you all about Samuel the Lamanite."  And he proceeded to tell her the entire story.
It was incredibly sweet and I just smiled through the whole thing.  Though Aunt Tara might not believe as we do, there was no doubt in Samuel's mind to share what he feels is true.  He was not timid or frightened but just honest with how he felt and what he thinks.  My heart swells with love for my little boy who will one day be a great man and a great missionary!

The "tail" of Floyd Beagle

Trimming Floyd's claws/nails has always been a challenge since he was a pup.  Kurtis won't even do it b/c Floyd always tries to nip at him.  So I have to do it and usually can only do one paw at a time before he loses patience with me and walks off.  So some time last year (I can't even remember when) I noticed that one of his nails was digging into his pad so badly that I couldn't fit the trimmers up his foot.  I thought "man, I must've waited too long to trim that.  I may have to take him to the vet to keep it from becoming an ingrown toenail."  But I shrugged it off b/c he didn't seem hurt by it at all.  A few times I even took him to a groomer and had them trim the claw because of how difficult it was.  Right before we left for Disney, I took him to the groomers and the woman told me that I needed to have him looked at by the vet b/c the nail might need to be removed.  Well, I didn't want to bother with it before vacation and again, Floyd didn't seem bothered by it so I thought "when we get back.....".  Finally around Thanksgiving, I noticed that Floyd's paw just looked bad right where the claw was so I scheduled an appointment as early as I could (mid-December) for the vet to check it out.
Kurtis took him in and the vet examed the foot.  He was curious as to why the pad was swollen: was it swollen b/c the nail grew and irritated it?  Or was the pad swollen from something else which in turn caused the nail to grown into the pad?  He put Floyd on an antibiotic, cut the nail down, and told us to call if the swelling didn't come down in five days.  Well, of course, the swelling didn't come down but I was hesitant to call b/c we would have to pay for an x-ray right before Christmas (and Floyd isn't covered in our insurance).  Kurtis and I discussed it and decided to have the x-ray done so we didn't spend the holidays worrying over the dog.  Unfortunately, the vet discovered that Floyd had a cancerous tumor on his toe that had completely disintegrated the bone.  The vet told me that we could only wait a week or so and then the toe would need to be amputated to keep the cancer from spreading.  He had a 95% chance of survival.  So on Jan.3rd, Floyd had his toe removed from his right hindpaw.  (It's kind of like losing the second toe, right next to the big toe, on your foot.)
He wore a bandage for five days and everytime he had to go outside, we had to put a baggie on his paw.  He has been wearing a cone for 10 days and we have to keep shouting at him to not lick his stitches.  It has been an immense job!  It's like taking care of another baby!  I love the dog but what a challenge this has been.  Thankfully, he seems to be adjusting and he gets his stitches out tomorrow.  Never let it be said that I don't take care of my pets b/c I've done everything for this dog!  Here's hoping that the cancer stays away and he lives another five to seven years as our Floyd Beagle:)

Oh, how he hates me at this moment.  No, his bandage was not signed but said "No Chew!"

milking the wound for all its worth and getting Isabel love

can you see where the toe should be?



there is just a nub where a toe used to be



the things my kids say....

So today after church,
Sammy says "Mom, I remember one important thing from Primary today." 
Mommy: "oh, Sammy, what's that?"
Sammy: "well, the Bishop came to Primary today."
Mommy: "yes, Brother Blunck did.  What do you remember that he said?"
Sammy: "well, I don't remember what he said but anything the Bishop says is important so it must've been important!"
Well, I guess he's got the basics.

Daddy: "Isabel, now that Mommy teaches singing in Primary, what do you think about her singing?"
Isabel: "She's not a very good singer."
Daddy: "Really?  I think she's a pretty good singer."
Isabel: "No Daddy, she sings very silly in Primary."
In her defense, she's right...we do sing silly in Primary.

the lost tooth of Sam-rala:)

Sam has had a wiggly tooth for a few weeks now and I've tried not to pester him about it because the kid was SERIOUSLY freaking out about pulling it.  So as I got his lunch ready for school tomorrow, I was completely oblivious to the following conversation:
Dad: "Sammy, what is on your banana?  Is that blood?"
Sam: "I don't know Daddy.  I just bit into my banana and it had a seed so I spit it out in the trash can."
Dad:  "You did what?  Bananas don't have big seeds!  Greta, look in the trash can!"
To which this mommy proceeded to look into the trash can at bits of squished banana and blood and replied "There is NO WAY I'm putting my hands in that!  You try to find the tooth!"  (Might I add that had this not been the very first lost tooth, it would have stayed in the trash can.)
However, Daddy is forever our hero because he did retrieve the tooth and it is currently in a baggie underneath Sam's pillow awaiting the tooth fairy.  Oh, how my little six year old was so excited today!  It really was just the highlight of his day.  Not to mention that besides the tooth fairy, Papaw had promised Sam a dollar for his tooth.  The kid sees dollar signs in front of him!
I'm just amazed that even as a mother of three, I still get excited for "firsts" with my kids.  It is just amazing to see them go through these new things and though I'm scared to death half the time that I won't know how to handle something, I'm loving the journey nonetheless! Enjoy the picture that is Sam the toothless!

Sam loses his first tooth, Jan. 5, 2012, at six years of age!

and so a new year begins

I probably should've written this yesterday and started all fresh today but alas, I do what I can!  I look back at 2011 with 20/20 vision but still it had its moments of suckage.  During 2011, Kurtis and I witnessed on both sides of our families, a marriage that ended unexpectedly.  It was heartwrenching to watch our siblings go through difficult times and really forced us to focus on our marriage's strengths and weaknesses.  Another of Kurtis' siblings (to whom I am very close) moved back to Utah.  As well, I had a dear friend move to Colorado.  I truly felt a sense of loss as friends and family moved and/or left the family.  I had moments where I felt very alone and truly had massive self-pity parties.  I cried alot to God and sometimes I yelled.  I was not very gracious at moments and I'm sure my Father in Heaven  crossed his arms and tapped his fingers waiting for me to finish my temper tantrums. (I wish I could say that I got over it quickly.)  I look back at my behavior and I own it. I'm fully aware of the wonderful blessings in my life.  I am married to a truly wonderful man who also happens to be the love of my life.  And surprisingly enough, he loves me too!  I'm thankful for my beautiful children who are healthy, happy and strong-willed.  At times, the strong-willed part gets to be a bit much but I'll take it (it's way better than apathy).  We have a nice house that yes, could be bigger, cleaner, and paid for but hey, it's home:)  My husband has a steady income that seems to be gone before we get it but at least the bills are paid.
I am far from perfect and honestly, no one is harder on me than I am on myself.  I can easily see others' successes and talents while I struggle constantly to see the good in myself.  I often feel like I'm on the outside looking in (and maybe sometimes I am).  But at least I'm looking!  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to be a good person.  I want to know what I did good, not so good, and sometimes just plain bad.  All these experiences help me to be who I am and though I would rather not relive some moments of 2011, I'm glad I lived through it.  I'm glad that I have 2012 to try new things, keep some old things, and well, hopefully, be better.  I started this blog partly so my kids would have something to look back on.  So to end the year, I would say this to them: your mother is a crazy woman who stumbles along the way most of time!  But you'll never doubt that she is fiercely loyal, completely honest, and way too stubborn to ever give up on something or someone she believes in.
Happy New Year!  May this year be a year of growth for all us....come what may and love it:)