This is how the Olympics should be.

Featured Song: Switchfoot, Gone

So I have had this idea that I want to do a little featured post about the featured band on my playlist. The music on our blog is not a product of Kierstin. She likes most of the music I put on, but I actually make the playlist for myself so that I can listen to the music at work or at home.

So anyways, the featured band this time is Switchfoot. The guys in the band are all surfers and naturally used a term from the sport they loved. The lead singer, Jon Foreman, said about the band's name, "to switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It's about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music." (1)

Switchfoot got started as an indie Christian Rock Band. The band themselves does not like to be considered a "Christian Band." Jon Foreman states, "for us, it's a faith, not a genre." Today, the band is a lot more mainstream than other Christian Rock Bands, but they stay true to their roots. "We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that's what we want". (2)

I first was introduced to the band by a good buddy, David Otterstrom before I left on my mission. This was the time that the band caught their big break by landing four songs on the 2002 movie "A Walk to Remember." Since then, they have released five CDs, with The Beautiful Letdown being the most popular, selling 2.6 million copies and the producing the band's best-known singles, "Meant to Live" (song 41 on the playlist) and "Dare you to Move" (song 26 on the playlist).

Wow... that's all I could say!

So this evening I was browsing through the blogs of some very creative people. Absorbing many ideas, but finding few I could do with the things I have at home.

So I'm scrolling, scrolling, then BAM!! I have to have this! It will be something that will have to happen when we have money, but nonetheless I'm never going to forget this blog post.

And I'm blogging about it so if I get Alzheimer when I'm old and I never did it for my kids, then maybe I can do it for my grandkids!

P.S. To those who get the email please visit my blog to click on the link so you can actually see what I am talking about! Love Ya!

Any suggestions?

I don't wash my face. Never needed to. I've never used any makeup remover. Don't wear much in the first place. I clean off my mascara (that has left black circles under my eyes after sleeping or showering) by putting some face lotion on a Q-tip and wiping it away.

I'm still happy to do this, but was wondering if there were any good makeup removing products anyone would recommend. I don't want to buy a few just to find that they don't do as well as my original method. Unfortunately I think my method will probably give me wrinkles prematurely.

So what do you use? What have you tried that you would NEVER recommend?
Thanks everyone!

Sweet Surprise!

Back in October I put up some picture frames on the stairway wall. My plan was to switch out the pictures each season. I figured that after one year I would have all the holiday's saved in one file folder and I would just reuse it each year. Simple idea, but this is how it looked up until yesterday. I didn't do anything for Christmas. And I didn't have any immediate plans to do any upcoming holidays either.

Lucky for me, Dustin is very creative. I came home from a friend's baby shower to find him working on this! It still makes me smile to think about it! His surprise for me was simple, but incredibly meaningful.



Thanks Sweetheart!

It's a love/hate relationship

I hope I'm not the only one to feel this way. I both love and hate it when my kids are sick. And by sick, I don't mean runny nose or a cough. Only the type of sick that comes with a fever.

Boy, I feel bad just writing this, but it's true.

Blake is the kind of sick I love and hate.

HATE: The whining, the throw-up, being under quarantine, and I feel SUPER SUPER bad that he doesn't feel well. (I just got over food poisoning 2 weeks ago, so I can still remember how horrible your body feels with a fever.)

LOVE: Cuddles! Oh sweet cuddles! Blake doesn't slow down very often to sit quietly for a few minutes, let alone cuddle with me. But now that he's feeling so awful that's all he wants to do. And I'm soaking it all up.

Now I'm not so desperate as to purposefully get him sick (and honestly I can't figure out where he picked the bug up), but I'm glad I have had the day to snuggle with him. And catching up on the kids' movies I haven't seen yet isn't bad either!

(note to all concerned: I think he's on the mend. His fever was down to normal and he put up a fight when I put him down for a nap. By the time he wakes up, he'll probably be back to himself!)

Always Backwards

Blake's language is exploding. He studies my mouth and tries to mimic the sounds of the letters I say. He does really well too. Not perfect, but he's 2. I'm grateful for my Speech Therapy education so I can understand what is normal and what he would need help for.

There are two words that no amount of modeling has been able to fix. They are suck in his mind a certain way, and who knows when he'll grow out of it. I used to get annoyed (that was the speech therapist side of me), but now I find it cute! It's just very... Blake!

The first word (and most common one, for now) is SNOW. He transposes the 'S' to the end. "Nows" (sounds like 'nose'). It doesn't matter what kind of way he is using it.
Blake: "It's nosing."
Me: "You mean SSSSSSSS-nowing?"
Blake: "SSSSSS -------- nosing."
Me: "Should we make a SSSSS-now man?"
Blake: "Yeah, nose man!"

The second word(s) I just noticed. BATH TUB. Again, he transposes the first letters, but with each other. "Tath Bub".
Blake (while stripping off his clothes): "Mom, tath bub?"
Me: "Sure. You can get in the BB-Bath TT-Tub"
Blake: "Cody, tath bub?"

I love the conversations we get in to. Also lately he's been telling me "Go shopping... Caleb?" We've never gone shopping with Caleb, so unless they play "shopping" in Nursery, I don't know where he got that idea. (Just 30 seconds ago he just asked "Go shopping Piano?")

I wonder what fun language developments will come next!

This video is kind of long, but Sen. Hatch really explains things really well. Since I will become a member of a stomatology profession which relies heavily on health care, I am very concerned about the way that health care is moving.
The new health care bill will impose more and more regulations on physicians and continue to decrease the amount that they compensate the doctors, making it very difficult for doctors to stay afloat. It is forcing many doctors into early retirement and dissuading many of the brightest to choose other more "friendly" professions.
Because dentistry is not considered a specialty of medicine, it is not talked about often in the health care reform. Despite that, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) policy statement "Oral Health Care: Essential To Health Care Reform" states "any comprehensive reform of the U.S. Health Care System must include coverage and access to affordable oral health services.
While I agree that we need affordable oral health services, I do not agree with he way that the ADEA has proposed. They propose that the financial burden of ensuring coverage for oral health care should be shared equitably by all "stakeholders." That includes federal and state governments (funded via you and I), employers, private insurers (hiking your premiums), other payers, and even the dentists themselves.
Great Britain implemented such a plan, and it has only increased costs making the dentists and patients suffer. It has even lead some patients in Great Britain to perform dentistry on themselves by pulling their own teeth.
Right now in the U.S., most patients are able to negotiate with their family dentist for services, and many dentists are stepping up and doing charitable dentistry. But if the U.S. government meddles their hands into this already autonomous profession, the charitable instincts of the dentists will deflate due to the increased cost for them to run their business.
Let's let dentistry itself, rather than an inept government, take care of dentistry issues.

Family Pictures 2009

My amazingly talented friend Chelsea K took these this fall. I am in love with ALL of them, I don't know which ones to print and hang in our frames. I think Blake's personality was captured best!

Enjoy!


Sweet Kisses


Best Buds!


1..2..3.. PICKLES!






Look at all those chins!


hehehehehe.....


HAHAHAHAH!!


"If I look super cute, maybe they'll let me touch it."




Handsome!


Shhh.... listen.















Peek-a-boo, I see you!





One......... Two.........


THREE!

Babelgum: Coldplay - Strawberry Swing Video

Babelgum: Coldplay - Strawberry Swing Video

Kierstin and I really like this music video. It is very original and an awesome idea. It is done completely in sidewalk chalk on the same piece of asphalt! This must have taken a long time to do. Just click on the link above and tell us what you think.

It's NOT what you think...

After reading my next sentence, please RE-read the title.

I would like to borrow some exercise DVDs.

Are you still reading? Good! As I write this post I'm praying that I can adequately explain my need and dispel any assumptions concerning my request.

My motive behind wanting to borrow some exercise DVDs is simple; I need the endorphins.

Life can be stressful. Right now (and probably forever) mine is stressful. Studies say that exercise is a good stress reliever. I'd like to test that! I've tried to find a good time to go for a walk, but the boy's schedules don't allow me much time for that. So I need to do it in my home. However I don't know what I will enjoy, and money's tight (as it is with everyone now-a-days) so I can't go out and buy lots of different kinds of DVDs to see which I will enjoy (and stick with).

Trust me, it's not about weight. If I actually loose any, I will be INCREDIBLY surprised. Weight loss is NOT my goal, becomeing happier and less stressed IS!

Please help me out! If you have any DVDs that you tried but don't like, or aren't using right now... could I borrow them for a couple weeks? After I figure out what I enjoy then I'll purchase one (hopefully I can find one online for cheep).

Thanks!

Surprise!

Dustin surprised me. Kinda. I had a hunch of what it would be, but didn't want to get my hopes up. Turns out I was right!!

So back in February and March I did a post about how I wanted to cut and color my hair but didn't know where to go or what to have done. Thanks to this site I found what I wanted and thanks to Katelyn I knew where to go. I decided that I would wait on the color, but the cut was wonderful!

Today I got the color (and another cut)! Dustin set up an appointment at Rumors for me and then took the kids while I had it done. We both love it! If anyone knows what a level 6 means, with some level 7 pieces, that's what it is. I'll try to describe it though. The level 6 is called "Milk Chocolate" and the level 7 was "Carmel."

I always thought my hair was a dark "dirty" blond, but it was closer to the Carmel color, just not as vibrant. I don't have any pictures yet.

I am so grateful to have Dustin. He amazes me with how thoughtful and selfless he is. Thanks Sweetheart! I love you!

Mommy has an Ouchie

So... a week ago Blake head-butted me and made me bite my lip. A day later I noticed the wounds turning into canker sores. I wasn't surprised because this usually happens. And they usually heal in a week or so. BUT they DON'T usually get this big, or hurt this much. Yesterday it hurt too much to pucker for a kiss (poor Dustin). Today it hurts almost all the time and is really painful to smile. My lip is swollen, but isn't that noticeable; mostly I can just feel the swelling.

I know what NOT to do, and a few things to try to make it better. I hope it doesn't get any worse.

What do you want for dinner?

This is totally how it is in our marriage! I have a great husband! He knows I don't like pizza all that much, so even though he wants it fairly frequently he doesn't complain when he doesn't get it more than twice a month.

So True!

Be very careful!

I thought you would get a crack out of this.

Updates

Hey everyone: from Dustin

Sorry that we haven't posted anything new in a while. Life has been crazy! For the past two weeks I have done nothing but put my head in the books because I have been studying for the Dental Admissions Test, the DAT, and the Perceptual Ability Test, the PAT. These tests are definitely not a patsies. I took the tests yesterday in Spokane, WA and through the help of the Lord, I was able to perform well and to the best of my ability.
Some of you may be wondering why I am taking the test again if I already got into dental school. Well, the answer is a long one, but to put it bluntly, the Lord wanted it this way. We have felt very strongly and have had some very personal experiences leading to us declining our seat at Indiana University School of Dentistry. It was a very decision to be made, but we felt that going forward in faith was what we wanted to do.
So, I am applying again and decided that it would be best to retake the DAT and the PAT to boost my score. Well, that I did and we are off again to the admission's road!
To give you an update of the family:

• Kierstin spent all last week at her parent's house in Camas, WA with the kids. This was nice for the both of us because it gave me time alone to focus on studies and it gave Kierstin and the kid's some time to spend with thier grandma and grandpa Bunker. It is nice to have them back now.
• Blake is just getting over a little viral infection. Kierstin cannot remember what the doctor called the illness, but it was similar to croup. The doctor gave us a cough medicine to give Blake that worked pretty well in multiple ways. Why multiple? Well, it took care of the cough quite well as well as made him HYPER! And any of you who know Blake know that he does not need any more help in that category. The first time we gave it to him, he was feeling a little cranky and was quite as chipper as he usually is, but not 30 minutes after the infusion cough suppression goodness, Blake was running circles around my parents' place before Sunday dinner.
• Cody is just as sweet as ever. It definently appears that he has a type B personality like his mommy while Blake and I are not quite as relaxed and easy going. Lately, it seems like he has kind of been getting sick with a fever, but it doesn't show up on the thermometer. He has been a little bit more fussy and always wants someone around him, but this could just be a stage. He has been a very good little brother to Blake. He lets Blake get is his face to give him kisses, he let's Blake climb over him, he let's Blake give him "love taps" (let's just say that it's Blake's way of showing love in a little bit more aggressive manner).

We are looking forward to the few weeks of summer that we have. We have lot's of plans, or at least I do, but we probably won't be able to do it all. One of the highlights that I am looking forward to is that we just bought an older dresser made of pine off of craigslist. Our plan is to refinish it and put it into our bedroom so that we can give Cody one of the dressers in our bedroom. Hopefully the restoration turns out well.
We will be moving into another apartment on August 15th. It is in the same building block as where we are now, it's just a three bedroom. It will be nice to get Cody into his own bedroom. As of right now, we have the pack-n-play with a bassinet set up under the stairs. We call Cody our "little Harry Potter."

To My Dad...

I'm Sorry I didn't call. I really, really, really tried! No joke, every time I picked up the phone to call, one of my kids needed a diaper change, needed to eat, or needed to be disciplined. (or needed comfort... Blake got his fingers smashed in a door at church pretty bad. Not enough to need a Doctor, but enough he cries when he accidentally uses them. Then he got poked in the eye, and his diaper rash is getting bad again... it's not quite bleeding yet, but probably will tomorrow. Poor kid.).

But now that they're in bed, (and you probably are too) I have some time to talk. But I wont wake you up. Instead I'll call you tomorrow, but I wanted to share with you what I would have told you today. (Mom, will you please make sure Dad reads this?)

I don't say Thank You enough. Especially to my parents. You, Dad, have taught me so many things that I've never expressed to you. There are so many things you have done that have shaped who I am today.

Like watching you fulfill your church callings without complaint; that taught me selfless service. -- When you made me drive the Go-Cart again after I'd crashed it... that taught me not to let fear control me; and when you rode with me you showed me love and patience. -- All the times I watched (and occasionally helped) you fix our cars or work on other projects around the house taught me the value of knowledge and self sufficiency. -- And through your relationship with your wife you taught me what to seek in a spouse of my own, how to compromise, work together, love, have fun. -- In all you have done and will do, you demonstrate your testimony; the greatest lessons I've learned have come from the sharing of your testimony through your words and deeds.

I have truly been blessed to have you as my father. Thank you! I love you!

Happy Fathers Day!

Quiet Book

I've been wanting to make Blake a quiet book that he can be entertained with during church. (I still don't expect it to keep him quiet, because... well it's Blake. He's a jabberbox!)

But it would keep his hands busy, and maybe prevent a tantrum or two.

Problem is..... I don't know where to start. There are so many possibilities, and I have so many limitations to my creativity. So I just haven't done anything.

Is there a pattern someone could lend me.... or better yet, help me make one? The company would be nice too. I don't know much at all about fabric, sewing, and what-not.

I'd like it to have snaps, buttons, zipper, laces. The fabric has got to be durable enough for my boys. And, if I'm going to make it myself, it also has to be cheaper than buying one online. (I'm not sure how much all the supplies would cost me, so it might not be the best route for me to go after all).

Your advice is always helpful and appreciated. Thanks!

May I borrow...some sanity?

I'm about ready to "pull out my hair" and "climb up a wall" and any other phrase that shares how fed up I am with Blake's tantrums, screaming, and overall defiance. I understand that this is a phase all toddlers go through, and as a parent an area that I need to learn how to manage. But understanding doesn't make it better.

And I'm out of ideas. I've done what I learned from my parents, and what Dustin learned from his. I've followed the example of our siblings as they parent their children. I've tried implementing the techniques I've observed my friends use with their toddlers.

Blake is just a different person, with different needs, who responds in a different way to different means of discipline.

However, he's always responded well to what I've read in the Babywise books.... but I didn't buy the Toddlerwise one before he got to that stage.

Does anyone have it? May I borrow it? I'm a really fast reader and can probably give it back in 3 or 4 days! Does the library have it? What about the U of I library?

I'm DESPERATE!