Prayer is AMAZING!

It is true. Prayer is Amazing. For those of you that do not know Ava really does have an eye condition. It is called Optic Nerve Hypoplasia or ONH. This is where the Optic nerve is under developed. There is no cure for ONH. However, we have been very blessed because most children with this condition have little to no sight and usually have Growth Hormone Deficiency. We just recently had Ava tested for this and her results came back normal. Ava has amazing vision in her right eye but very little in her left eye. Her new pediatric Ophthalmologist, Dr. Goei, gave us some surprising news. Ava should be just as blind in her right eye as she is in her left, but she is not. We are not sure what the actual vision is as far as numbers goes, but the other day Ava asked me what something was on the floor and it was a very small piece of clear plastic. I had not noticed it all day. Anyway, Dr. Goei's wants us to start patching the right eye or the "good eye" for 2 hours a day. Since Ava's eye has been like this since birth, the brain has noticed that the vision is not as strong and has basically stop the use of the left eye. So with patching, we are hoping it will make the connection between the eye and the brain stronger. We have no idea if this will work or not, because in other cases someone that has ONH as badly as she does should not see at all. The patching has been a struggle though. Ava will turn 3 in June and is a very active little girl. 2 hours out of her day is a very long time. The 2 hours consists of me sitting right next to her the WHOLE TIME. It is very hard to watch because she hates wearing the patch. We have tried all different types of rewards or activities to do but she still doesn't want to wear it. So that is where prayer comes in. The other night I was at the end of my rope with the whole patching thing because I couldn't stand to force pain upon my child and I could not see any improvements so I went to the Lord. The very next day, I told Ava that we needed to patch in a little bit and she said " I know mom, and I am not even going to fight you on it. I know it will help my eye get better." Oh the blessings that can come if we just ask for them!!!!

Other things I have been meaning to write down.

After church (April 20, 2008) I was doing my normal "need to get some adult conversation in and Sunday/church is a great place to do it, plus most of the dads have the kids so I can actually CARRY ON a conversation" chatting with a few of the ladies. I see that Josh and the girls are walking to the car in the parking lot so I follow suit. As I get to the car (mind you the dress I have on is quite modest until the wind blows... and I don't wear slips...so I have pretty much B-lined it to the car to avoid any embarrassing mishaps)anyway, Josh is laughing and holds up his hand. He is holding a diaper and no it is not a new one. Back up a bit, while I am doing my conversing, Josh meets me with the girls to tell me he is going to the car. Ava in the mean time is telling us that her diaper is "soggy". over and over and over and over. And if you don't know Ava, when I say she says something over and over, I MEAN IT! She doesn't stop, even if you acknowledge her. Apparently, as the girls and Josh were walking through the parking lot, Ava's "soggy" diaper falls to her ankles. She flips out, cause she cant walk with this thing between her legs and Josh can't stop laughing. He of course is NOT laughing at her, but at the situation itself!! When they meet me at the car Ava says "Mom, my diaper was really really soggy and it just fell off!!!!!" The we bumped her head while we were trying to put the next diaper on and the funny moment left...!!!!! :) Mimi has become quite the little chatty-patty as of late. One day I was driving and Mimi says "Mooooooom, a bum bum bum won mo tah!!!!!" I of course had noooo idea what in the world she was talking about. But she too, like her sister, are very VERY insistent and continued to repeat this to me. I tried to explain that I did not know what she wanted. After what seemed like an eternity and she is now YELLING this at me I start rattling off random things. Do you want a drink? a binkie? a baby? a ball? your silky? out of the car? a snack? Nothing. FINALLY it stopped. I look back thinking that she must have given up and fallen asleep. No, she is just as happy as can be sitting back there. Taking in the new peace and quite I start singing along with the cd that is playing (baby Einsteins ABC's). It was the "B" song " I'm catching my baby bumble bee". How did I not know that she wanted to listen to the "bumble bee song one more time". I then ask her if she wanted to listen to this song and she happily replies "YEAAAAAAH"!

WHOA!!! New Template!

I know, I know it is a bit bright, but I like it! I have not had the chance to write a blog in what seems forever. We went out of town to Texas for 13 days and came back with the "junk". I mean that great green stuff that moves in to your nose and throat. Isn't it fabulous?!? Me and the girls had it. Actually, I am still suffering from a great sinus infection, but I think the worst has past. Our Texas trip was fabulous! My parents live on a lot of land so we can just let the kids run free. This is the first time that the girls have been old enough to actually enjoy the other cousins. Between my sisters and myself we have 9 kids. It is nothing but craziness. The weather was perfect so we got to play outside most of the time. My dad dug the kids a "mole-hole" for them with the dozer. This whole is no ordinary hole (obviously by the name). The older kids named it a few years back. When I stand in the whole you can not see my head. Now I know I am not very tall, but I think the whole has got to be around 5.5 feet deep. The dirt that was dug out of the whole is right next to it and the kiddos love to climb to the top of the "mountain" and slid down into the mole-hole. I must say, it is some kind of fun!!!! :) Pretty much the trip consisted of 1.the kids going to the mole-hole, 2. coming back saying they are hungry, 3. the adults feeding them and sending them back, 4. spraying them off with the water hose before they can get in the clean bucket of water to then go to the shower!!!! Like I said, fabulous trip. Oh I forgot, one day my really good friend Tricha and her 2 little kids came to my parents house. We went down to this dam that had broken not to far from the house and played in the pond and mud. My sisters, mom, Josh, Tricha and myself would all hold hands with a child in between us and run as fast as we could and jump in the pond. Nothing but good ol' dirty fun!!! (I will have to get the pictures from my mom and post at a later date).

Birthday Ideas

Okay, Josh turns 30 this year and I need some birthday ideas. Every time I ask him what he wants to do he says "Oh I don't know, maybe go to dinner." We don't have a lot of extra money (who does, right!?) so it needs to be cost efficient but good. 30 is a big one so I want it to be good and fun. His parents will be here a couple of days after his birthday so we could do something while they are here. PLEASE HELP!

_______ is falling all around...

On the housetops, on the ground. What in the world is this, you might ask. It is POLLEN! I have never seen so much darn pollen in my life. IT IS EVERYWHERE! You can't get into your car without being slightly dusted. Once you are in your car, you have to use the windshield wiper fluid to even see out. We have a screened porch that is completely covered. The picture (without the flowers) is AFTER I have sprayed it off with the hose. It is just craziness. PURE CRAZINESS!!! My allergies are really about done with it too. Basically, I haven't been able to breath for the past month. It is really starting to hinder my life. It's killin' me, Smalls!!!!!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

First of all-I am new to the whole blogging thing as you may have read, so I am sorry that all of the Easter pictures are split up into 3 different posts. I am using Picasa so if anyone can give me tips on how to blog more than 4 pictures at a time I would really appreciate that... as well as my blogging friends! Moving on! This Easter we went on an egg hunt Saturday afternoon at a friends house. It was a very exciting time for all of us. This is really the first year the girls have really been interested in looking and getting the eggs. Ava was the first one out of the door to go find the eggs. She saw lots of them but plainly declared "I ONLY WANT THE ORANGE-Y ONES!!!" (Yes orange is her favorite color and we found her taking the orange ones out of other kids baskets. We found comfort in the fact that she was replacing them with another color. Way to play fair, Ava!) Mimi was just all over the place. She was mostly interested in the candy and thought it was awesome that we really didn't care how many jelly beans she had. Sunday morning the Easter bunny came to our house and the girls were excited about that. They both got coloring books and found more eggs through out the living room. Again, Ava was mostly interested in the orangey ones, but somehow looked past that. Mimi picked up one egg, shook it, brought it too me, had some chocolate and was pretty much set. (That's my girl, Mimi!!!!) The girls were pretty excited to wear there new Easter dresses provided by Ta-pa and Ya-ya. (Josh's parents). Pretty darn cute, I might add. We then went to church... as a family! I wish (why is everything more clear in hind sight... is that even the phrase...) anyway I wish that we would have taught the girls more about the true meaning of Easter. We have been doing FHE lessons on the Easter story, but I don't really know if they put 2 and 2 together. I am thinking about making a deal with the "Easter bunny" to see if he can come to our house on Friday nights instead of Saturday nights. Maybe then Sunday can be completely spiritual. After church we had a few people over for dinner. We had a great meal and great company. All in all it was a fantastic Easter! I love the true meaning of Easter. I know that my Savior loves me. I know that he died for each one of us, but most importantly that He lives. HE LIVES!!!! What a glorious thing!