My Family

I adore my family. We went through a lot in 2012. Lots of joy and laughter, no doubt - but also a lot of tears and heartache - at least on my part. The hubs got into dental school (woo hoo!!) and that has been one of the major highlights of our year! Let's get this show on the road!! Our precious baby, Maila, was born 2 months early after a short, complicated, very rough pregnancy. I spend two weeks in the hospital before she was born on hospitalized bed rest (seriously - not even allowed to sit up), and she spent 6 weeks in the NICU after she was born.  During that time, our son, Max was shipped off to live with family, Kyle had to quit his job so he could pack up our house in Idaho, drive across the country to Chicago, fly back to Washington (where Maila and I were in the hospital - did I mention we were life flighted to a hospital in Washington?), pick up our son (he's such a trooper) and then we ALL flew out to Chicago just a few days before school started. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking of all that went on, but long story short - I am fortunate to have a BEAUTIFUL family, who gives lots of love and lots of support! They are my rock, and I know I can always rely on them. Let me introduce you to the most important of all:

The Hubs - First year dental student at Midwestern University in Chicago. Woo hoo!! He's a dreamy hardworker, who always has my back. He's my number one fan, supporter, and his patience for all my crazy antics seems to never run out!! He's a basketball lover, football watcher, and he golfs every time he can. He is the youngest of 8 children - wowza!! If he could, he'd fall asleep to Sportscenter every night. He's a Dr. Pepper drinking, hot tamale eating, dog walking real life know-it-all (but really, he DOES know it all!). He teaches me new things every day, and gives me new reasons to fall in love with him more than once a day. He's the love of my life and my best friend. What more could anyone want??

The Boss - I am a twenty something stay-at-home mother of two babies! I love cooler ranch Doritos, Dr. Pepper, mentos, and especially Orange Fanta. There is no better drink. I love my babies and my camera. I'd love to make photography my life's work. I love to decorate and paint, and figure out ways to use something in a new way! Re-do and re-use are my motto! Goodwill is AWESOME as are garage sales! I try my best to make my house warm and comfortable and inviting.. after all, it's where I spend most of my time! A firm believer in spray paint, I know that anything can be made better (well.. most things)... My mother taught me "Life is Good, Be Happy" she's a genius, and that's the best advice I ever got.

The Oldest - Max or "Maxi" as I affectionately call him (I'm sure he'll make me stop eventually) is two and a half years old and the BEST little boy around! Cars, Mickey Mouse, and Cinderella are the best in his mind. I'm sure he'd be happy forever if I would just let him sit in front of the TV all day watching those! He laughs all day, and smiles the rest. As a cookie eating, fruit snack hoarding, sucker devouring, penny hoarder - he is the most adorable around. But I have to be careful, he'll frequently walk away with something valuable hidden in his onesie... I've lost more than one SD card to his onesie...

My Baby - Maila (My-Lah) - don't ask me why we spelled it that way, I thought it looked prettier than "Myla". She's 6 months old, but looks and acts more like a 4 month old. She was born 2 month premature and put us through one heck of a journey! She spent over 6 weeks in the NICU (see here) and gave me a new appreciation for life. She gets stronger everyday, and while we have our challenges with her, she is my little baby and I can't imagine life without her! She a thumb sucking, leg flailing miracle!

The Energy - Rambo. Best name ever for a dog if you ask me. He's as tough as he looks, but he'll bark at every falling leaf and passing squirrel. He's Max's best friend, and the perfect cuddler after a long day! We love our Rambo!