Can you tell?

That we were slightly excited to decorate for our first Christmas in our new place??

YUM

We were going to take these Christmas mints to friends when we were done, but then I realized it's not very nice to take mints you roll and press into molds with your hands to friends when the whole family has a cold. I made the boys wash their hands at least 17 times, but still.....

So Merry Christmas to us! Butter mints galore! I guess I'll be asking for bigger pants this year.....

They're easy and tasty. Of course.

Speaking of delish. Thomas was setting up the big window/knook area to do some portraits so the boys and I headed out for the day so we wouldn't be in everyones way. When we returned I found his test shots:

Handsome!

I'm in love. And not just because he's out in the family room finishing up a big project we've been working on! I'm excited to show you when it's done.

Ambrose is thankful

I'm sure Asher is too, but since he sticks to "Deh." mostly in conversation we'll have to focus on the older child this year. We wrote down what we were thankful for in FHE and I had to get Ambrose's somewhere where I wouldn't lose them... somewhere like a blog. Because they are precious and because they make me laugh.

In random order from the "thankful" turkey box:

1. All of my family "precuz" (anytime you see the word "because" from here on out picture him saying, "Precuz"- thanks.) they are like to play with me.
2. For our friends too!
3. Mama! because you're really nice to me and because I like my mommy.
4. And Daddy! Because he likes me and I listen to him (we both raised an eyebrow) and he's so nice to me and so I like him. Write a "T".... (I'm guessing for Thomas?)
5. For Jesus because he keeps me safe.
6. The temple because I like the missionaries there and I like all the pretty stuff in there.
7. For our toys.
8. For going to my friends house because I like my friends to play!
9. For Ambrose because I like being Ambrose! Because I want to stay being Ambrose. (Seems reasonable.)
10. Heavenly Father because he gives me my body and is so nice to me. (Nursery has paid off.)
11. My Maliks and my Adelaides!! And Ivy, Tyken, Eden, Shae.....and HAPPY SCHOOL!! (Sorry any other friends. I know he's grateful for you too. He's just workin' with three year old recall here.)
12. Beds. Because at night time we sleep on our beds and at nap time. (Nap time. Really. I wish you would Ambrose.)
13. For my slippers because I like going to birthday parties with my slippers on.
14. Swim lessons because I'm thankful for my teachers inside them. (About here I was ready to stop. He was not.)
15. For our bodies.
16. Our clock because it tells when to go to Monty's house when the little hand points to the four. (Good memory.)
17. Asher because when he "wahhhhhs" I make him happy.
18. My Papas and Grandmas because I like to play at their house and talk on the phone to them.
19. (Then he looked around, focused on the pen in my hand for a bit and said:) For writing because I like writing....... (at this point I said, "OK GOOD! Should we be done?!?")

I am thankful for this list and happy to have it recorded so I can someday cry and pour over it as the teeenage version of him texts his friends during the Thanksgiving FHE. :)

And here's some of our day:











The boys were good all day. It was so weird. Yesterday too. I felt like a real family and not like Thomas and I had agreed to ease wild animals into domesticity for once.

I am thankful for this sweet time of life.

ON TO CHRISTMAS FINALLY! (Our first Thomas Robertson family tree is up already! This is our seventh Christmas since we have been married and we have never had a tree! Blaspheme.)

Cautiously hopeful

I am feeling good. So good that I have to be careful. I have to remember to still take it easy over this weekend, but I think that blood clot was the source of all my woes over the last two months. I called my doctor and she said, "YES!!!" because she has been bothering her husband at night talking about what could possibly be wrong.

Sometimes my back will hurt when I am sitting, but not necessarily in the same achy way it used to and so I think it is just a back that needs to be stretched or something and not the same inner grind I felt for weeks and weeks. And there has been no fever or chills or body aches....

I am thrilled! I can't remember the last time I felt this good - it has been so long! I am starting to feel like myself again and it is absolutely wonderful.

I started to say things to Thomas about the benefits of being young and healthy and then I got a very distinct feeling that I had nothing to do with this recovery.

I received a wonderful blessing the night before surgery and many prayers were offered in my behalf that all would be well and I would feel calm and peace and that is exactly what happened.

Prayers are answered and I am so grateful for that! I am still being careful and will be interested to hear what the OBGYN sees and says at the follow-up appointment in early December, but right now I am feeling so good and so so grateful. My faith has increased and I am so happy to be getting back to good health.

Happily at home

I am home and feeling exhausted but so relieved. They got in there and found out that it was a big blood clot. So it has been removed, and I am all cleaned out and a new IUD was placed in. I had a fever and aches right before surgery but they knew it was due to the other illness that is still being figured out so that didn't stop anything.

I didn't get to ask her anything about the blood clot because she was gone when I woke up, but I need to go back in for follow-up and will ask her all about it then. I am just glad it is out of me and didn't go un-noticed. That is a relief.

Now I am home and have so many dear friends taking care of us so well that I am filled with gratitude and also a little worried about how long it will take me to pay everyone back for their generosity and kindness! :) Love you guys for all the support, well wishes, food, playdates, and love.

Thanks to my in-laws too for keeping track of the crazy boys all day while we were out! They are always in such good hands with you two. We are lucky.

I am getting light headed sitting up to type this so I better go lay back down, but I just wanted to check in for anyone who was worried.

I feel relieved and once I am healed from this "adventure" I look forward to solving the other mystery and being back to normal ASAP!

Love you and thanks again for making me feel so supported and cared for.

Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us and that includes the angels he places in our lives who are our dear friends and family.

An Unusual Update

I don't have anything fancy to say or a cute way to write this and I started writing it once or twice already and it sounds weird. So, I am sorry to have to announce this on a blog because that is awkward, but it was the best way I could think to let some people I really care about know what is going on with us without making more phone calls where I blubber and cry. I don't want to keep telling this over and over and speculating. I hope you understand.

Here's the maybe too personal details... you have been warned.

So the antibiotic didn't work and my doctor was baffled and thought either my kidneys weren't functioning properly (the blood test is being process right now) or I had bad complications with my IUD.

So she sent me to my OBGYN and everything was checking out fine on that end and I will spare you all the details (YUCK), but in the last exam with an ultrasound she started making strange faces. She tested some other things, took several more pictures and scans and showed me a big white mass with fluid all around it.

They are not sure what it is and they have some guesses, but she had never seen anything like it before and wanted it out immediately.

It has nothing to do with my IUD, or any of the symptoms that I have been experiencing over the last seven weeks.... that is a little frustrating because it feels like, "SOMETHING ELSE!!? And another unknown at that?!"

But the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at noon and she is hoping to cut it all out and if she can't she will try something else that I will also spare you the details on and she said there is a chance she won't be able to cut it out, but at least once they can see it up close they might know more about it and go from there.

So. After I got done crying and crying like a baby I am thinking:

Well hooray for being sick all that time because I would NEVER have landed myself in that office for that ultrasound.

And with all trials, they help us learn and grow even if they completely suck at the time. I am completely jittery about my surgery tomorrow just because of the "unknown," but I am relying on my Heavenly Father and he knew that I needed a chance to exercise my faith.

I actually feel completely calm when I think about the future. I know this, and whatever else was making me sick for so long will get resolved and I will get back to being me.

It's just the right now that is.... totally crappy. See, I told you this post would not be well written or clever.

Anyway, that's what is going on. I will, of course, keep you posted when I am up to it.

But don't worry- these dudes are as cute as ever:


And although I am feeling nervous, jittery, and wishing I had more answers than questions regarding my body right now... I do feel very thankful and watched over by my Heavenly Father who knows me and my little family and loves us.

When you're feeling sorry for yourself...

(Because you've had flu like symptoms for six weeks due to a weird infection somewhere in your body and the antibiotics aren't doing their job yet and your back and legs hurt and hurt from it too and you wanna be around to help your loved ones on the mainland and so you miss them so so much and you feel like you are a bad mom because all you can do sometimes is lay down until pain meds kick in blah blah blah wah wah)

1. DO NOT check facebook. Everyone's chirpy little updates about how awesome their lives are will make you want to punch someone in the face or puke.

2. DO NOT attempt to raise two small children with big goals in mind... you will get better someday and you can go back to being Suzy Homemaker I am sure. Oh and PS- they are not trying to sabotage you or bother you... they are 1 and 3 year old boys... danger and energy are their middle names.

3. DO NOT clean your whole house and get all the laundry done and go for a park, museum, walk outing, followed by another bike ride at the first chance of feeling normal. It was just the pain meds talking... not your actual body telling you that you were all better now.

4. DO NOT say things you don't mean to your kids when you don't feel well it will come back to haunt you later (i.e.- Ambrose to Asher: "You're being annoying Asher!" and Ambrose to me: "You're driving me nuts Mama! Just give me a minute here!" Oh man.)

5. DO NOT obsesses over ways you can make money to pay off debt and visit family more. They know you love them and everyone will be fine. Just stick to the plan.

6. DO NOT skip taking meds to see "if you are all better." You are not and probably won't be until the antibiotics are done. You will be mean to everyone around you and have to lay down all day if you do this.

7. DO stack your Netflix queue with Christmas movies.

8. DO get some holiday baking done. Being sick has given you low appetite... but not that low.

9. DO get out with the kids at least once a day.

10. DO talk to family on the phone every chance you get.

11. DO send that package you have been meaning to send.

12. DO thank Thomas for taking care of the whole family so well for so long now.
He's been so sympathetic at every turn. If I were him I would be saying, "Lemme guess... your back hurts and you're achy and have a fever. AGAIN. Yeah, get over it lady." But he is very sweet. Always.

13. DO crafty things with the kids because it's quiet and they love it.

14. DO remember not to compare yourself with anyone else. EVER. EVER AGAIN. EVER. Everyone is different. Do your own thing.

15. DO get over feeling sorry for yourself. It's ugly on you.

16. DO things that make you happy and ditch those that don't.

17. DO finish another sewing project as soon as you can sit for normal amounts of time again.

18. DO watch that mouth of yours.

19. DO remember to thank Heavenly Father for all of our good health.

20. DO keep positive and keep working on your family goals.

This is just a phase.

my family

Today you felt so very far.

2 more projects ladies and gents!

But honestly probably more ladies than gents. My husband, dad, and father-in-law may take an occasional gander at the blog... wouldn't want them to feel left out.

Now.

We've had two more pictures texted in of the pillow variety from:

Anna Kessie in Washington (suddenly I am very worried you are actually in Oregon. What kind of friend am I Anna dear?? Forgive me. I should know this.) who has some dashing pillows in progress!

I absolutely love a bright orangey-red paired with a vintagey blue and what a fantastic print. Well done society sister.

Matti Parker in Hawaii is so clever she is giving new life to some old (but still good) pillows:

and they are sparkling white now! We should have a whole entry on refurbishing old favorites. It is something I definitely want to know more about and love the idea of. Great job Matild. No, that's not her real name. Just my pet name for her because she is Ambrose's favorite person. He said so this morning and made me call her so he could tell her. I would have been sad that he didn't pick ME as his fave, but it was all too cute.

Great ideas friends! I think we are all cool.

what are you working on?

I always have a stack of things that are in progress. Remember these?

I just remembered them. I want to finish these this month for sure.

I asked some society members to text me a picture of projects they are working on and here's what I got:
Angie Takahashi in Hawaii has got this cool wallet in the works. Nice pockets! I like the simple style of the fabric too.


Ashley Moffat in Hawaii always has some awesomely pieced quilt in the works. Love the fabrics! I wonder if this is for her new little Lola girl.

Bille Gniewosz in California made these seat belt strap covers for her daughter Nico's car seat. I love personal touches like this. It hardly crosses my mind to make something everyday, like a car seat, echo your personal style. Very cool!

Darcie Sanders in Utah whipped this up for her son Kjell and I love it! Darcie is also a master cake maker. (As if you didn't already know because she's all over the Internet these days and for good reason!)

Echo Allred in Hawaii started this cool table-top play house a while back and the kids (mine included) are crazy about it! She keeps adding awesome stuff to it. Such a good idea!

Liko Miller in Hawaii sent me a picture of her work-in-progress apron from the apron challenge. I love the home-iness feeling the fabric and cut give. We should have an apron party someday. All two or three of us who get it done! haha :)

Linda Robertson in Hawaii started the awesome tradition of making Christmas quilts for her grand kids. This is the start of Ambrose's quilt. She hand-quilts each one with special embellishments in the design and they are very beautiful. They're so nice I may not let Ambrose get near his with a ten-foot pole until he's thirty or something.

Meg Thomander in Hawaii made this adorable dress for her daughter Indie. She said it just needs the buttons and hemming. Reminds me of a couple of almost finished projects I have needing the same thing. SO CLOSE!

Rachel Whetton in Oregon has been working on this cute little number for her daughter Bailey. This picture and Meg's remind me that I need to have a girl someday. Big time.

Shauna White in Texas has a project in it's infancy going on. Some fabric for curtains or embellishments in her little girl's rooms. I have some curtain fabric just sitting around too Shauna! Let's have a curtain making party!

Sheila Rich in Hawaii has a new house being built and I can't wait to see it all done because I know it's going to be ultra stylish! She's got a few projects in the works for home and family and it all starts with some good fabric.

Stefani Jorgensen in Hawaii is taking some of her old shirts and making adorable dresses for her girls out of them. I LOVE re-purposing great fabrics and these are totally hip.

She's also about to start a seafoam green vinyl handbag with houndstooth lining. Great color choices!


I love seeing what people are working on. Everyone is so talented! It gets me all inspired to finish up my almost-there projects and dream up the next fun creations!

What are YOU working on?