Welcome to Holland!!!

I found this story on my computer today as I was clearing out the junk that has accumulated. I saw this on a support group blog right after we found out Logan would be born with a cleft. I remember bawling as I read this poem and I shared it with a few others who I felt could relate. I do want to preface it with a few statements though. First, I don't now nor have I ever viewed my child as being disabled. Second, this story can apply to anyone who has had the pleasure of going down a different path then they had planned. Third, be prepared with Kleenexes in hand because you will tear up at this. I have to include a picture of "Holland" to this.


Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley.
"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...........
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip ¬ to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands.
The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland. "Holland?!?" You say. "What do you mean Holland?!? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills ...... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away..... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But....... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...... about Holland. "

I have updated I promise

I have noticed on several people's blogs that it says our blog has not been updated for two weeks. Well it has been updated and will be updated more a bt later today. Stay tuned!!!

Easter Fun

Easter was a lot of fun this year. Both of the boys enjoyed everything about it. We have contracted with the Easter Bunny to come on Saturday so that we can focus on the true meaning of Easter on Sunday.
Saturday morning we woke up to find the EB had come with lots of fun things for the boys. We then had a yummy break fast of slightly over risen sticky buns (don't believe it when it says let it sit out overnight, bad idea). We then headed over to the local easter egg hunt. I should the local run for your life, grab what you can and throw a few elbows. The boys had fun and that is all that matters. A little later we went to the local grocery store for their bunny trail. The boys loved gathering the treats but Logan was not even sort of thrilled with the idea of the EB. I felt so bad for him.
Later that day we headed down to SLC to spend time with our familes. Sunday brought new Easter outfits and a yummy dinner at the grandparents house. We also got to meet our new niece Scout. Horray for girls in the family!!! After dinner we headed over to hang out with my fam for a bit then headed home. It was a really fun holiday weekend.

The before scene

Logan exploring

Alex enjoying

Logan searching

Alex was not so sure of the tricky hiding the EB did for him this year.

The decorated eggs

Logan hunting

Alex hunting

Logan's easter outfit

Handsome Alex

My cute boys

Neu cosuins

Miss Scout

Baby Animal Day

We went to Baby Animal Day today with I think 75% of CV. It was so much fun though, we love this tradition. This year we invited the "city" cousins to come along and they loved it. Here is a slideshow of the event. There are a lot of pics so be warned!!! I am also putting up the pony ride and muttin bustin videos. Alex stayed on the sheep for 3.86 sec. GJ Bugs. ENJOY!!

April Fool's Day

With Logan's surgery being today we toned down the usual fun we have on this day. I let Alex choose a fun art activity so we could be a bit more mellow. He decided to paint with shaving cream. The boys had a blast and it was not as messy as I thought it would be.




I also made a fun dinner for the boys of "fish sticks" and "koolaid". I tried to do the green peas but they did not look like peas at all. It was a nice relaxing day overall.

The "fishsticks"

The "koolaid"

Logan's koolaid

Me thinks he suspects something

He's going in!!!

He fell for it!! (well kind of)

Logan's Surgery

Logan had to be to the hospital by 7:00 am. I got everything packed the night before so all I had to do was carry him to the car. I picked him up, he was in our bed, and carried him all the way out the door and to the sidewalk before he woke up. He looked at me very confused and said, "snow, bunk bed" I think he thought I was moving him back to his bed and so he was wondering why it was snowing. I put him in the car and he did not say much all the way to the hospital. When I took him out of the car he kept saying "snow." Who knew that on April 1st it could snow 4 inches?
Once we got into the hospital they got him all set up and it was only 7:20. His surgery was scheduled at 8:00 am. All the other kids were sitting nicely with their parents coloring or whatever and what was my kid doing. Running laps around the nurses station. It was a long 40 minutes.
The trio came in to pick him up for his surgery and he went without any problems. He was back in my arms in 15 minutes. He was not groggy or sleepy at all just slightly subdued, which I think was due to low blood sugar more than anything. They gave him some juice and that livened him up so they said he could go home. He was back home to our house by 9:15 am. He never complained once about pain or anything. He is such a great kid.

This is Logan's cheesy smile.