Saturday, June 30, 2007

We've got a winner (or two)...


Thanks so much to each of you who left a comment telling us how you feel blessed. I loved reading each of your stories! It is amazing how God works in our lives through painful situations and gives us joy.

The two winners are...
Danielle (six year med student)
and Miracles (olivia & avery)

Check out their fun blogs!

Ladies, email me your addresses and I'll get your necklaces out in the next week or so!

We've already sold five necklaces--that $50 for the CdLS foundation! Let's keep going!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

we are blessed...


I wanted to create a necklace that would describe the impact david has had on our lives, and the word that came to mind was 'blessed'. We cried real tears when david was born, I felt like I would never experience joy again. But I was SO wrong! This child has brought so much love and happiness to our family. He touches those around him. He is a blessing that came in an unexpected way. So, through July, I am selling these necklaces to benefit the cdls foundation in honor of david's fifth birthday. (can he really be turning FIVE?!) They are only $38 each and $10 from the sale of each necklace will go to the foundation. They are strung on 18" sterling ball chain and have a sweet sterling heart. I am also giving away TWO of these sweet necklaces. So leave a comment and tell us about an unexpected blessing in your life. On Saturday I will randomly choose a winner! Go ahead, stock up! These make great gifts for new moms, good friends or anyone who has experienced blessing AND its for a good cause!

Click here to see more hand-stamped jewelry!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

PS i love you

We had a great time in Palm Springs. It was HOT--about 110 degrees! So we sat in the kiddie pool a lot, laid around the suite, ate out, saw a movie and laughed a ton. It was so good to be with my sisters and the boys did great! They listened well (except for a couple tantrums) and went with the flow.
The evenings were beautiful with the hot sun setting behind the palm trees.
matty splashed and splashed (he could have played in the water all day!) david really enjoyed the water, too!
all of us at babe's BBQ in palm desert.
me and david get a little post swim snuggle
matty's new froggy flip-flops because the ground was too hot to walk on barefoot!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

i'm the kind of mom who...

loves to spend time with my boys but needs regular breaks.

taking a trip with my sisters is ideal, because they are so helpful with the boys, and I can get away here and there or catch a nap. during the week, i treasure my time alone, but miss the boys when we are apart. i used to think i was more of an extrovert, but i've come to think i am actually more of an introvert. i definitely want to be the one who nurtures and care for my sweet boys, but i also need time away. do other moms feel that way?

Friday, June 22, 2007

fun questions...

i cut + pasted this from lindsey's blog...just for fun!


1. favorite candy
not that i'm allowed (south beach diet and all) but sour gummy worms & butterfinger, not at the same time!
2. favorite ice cream
lately, sugar free mint and chip
3. favorite book
balzac and the little chinese seamstress is a great read, ot the secret life of bees
4. favorite magazine
country living or better homes and gardens
5. favorite memory from childhood
swimming in the pool and then picking plums of the trees in our backyard
6. quality you most admire in your spouse and/ or best friend
steve is a man of integrity and very insightful
7. favorite way to spend your day
beach day with the family or shopping with chrissie and pedicures
8. how may meals you eat out each week
i plead the 5th!
9. how many kids you'd like to have
3-4?
10. how many traffic tickets you've had
3
11. best date ever
novo and a movie (a chick flick!)
12. favorite local eatery
novo, maya, and mo's
13. suggestions for a free, fun, family day
picnic at the beach
14. one place you'd like to visit
i am craving a week in hawaii, sans kiddos
15. favorite drink
decaf iced latte-yum!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

time to relax...

We are leaving the beautiful central coast
and heading to palm springs with my sisters for a little R&R!

Chrissie is bringing her laptop, so I'll still be checking email and blogging a bit!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

little extras

I've had quite few people asking me about these two items...
These sweet freshwater pearl earrings are a perfect match for the sterling stamped jewelry. Just your basic, classic pearls, that go with everything! Strung on sterling fishhook earwires $16
A nifty silver polish cloth to keep your necklace shiny. They last a long time, even when the cloth gets dingy! $5

We are doing a lot of potty talk and potty sitting around here...but not much potty action! I'll keep you updated.

Monday, June 18, 2007

summer vacation?!





Well, school is out and summer has begun. David works REALLY hard at school, so in the evenings we keep it light and fun. Now that it's summer, I need to push him with eating, walking and play. These are some photos from lunch. He really did a super job. He just needs some help getting the spoon back into the bowl to refill.

We are also going full force with potty training Matty. We stopped when he started preschool because he was having so much separation anxiety. Let's take a look at my morning...
Number of times he sat on the potty--5
Number of times he went pee pee in the potty--0
Number of accidents--3
Number of times he snuck into the potty prize box and opened a toy--1
Pairs of shoes on the front lawn, drying in the sun--2
Number of times we've read the potty book today--16 million (OK, maybe that is an exaggeration)
Money we'll save on diapers per month $60
Money we'll spend on extra loads of laundry $61

He is totally capable and ready to be potty-trained, he just needs to WANT it (like we do!). I am really going to hang in there this time, but it is exhausting! Any encouragement is very welcome!! When does summer vacation start for mommies? Oh yeah, SEPTEMBER :)

Sunday, June 17, 2007

happy father's day




when we were young and excited about getting married, i really didn't think through how important it is to marry a man who is a good daddy. so, i guess we are just blessed and lucky! happy father's day!

Saturday, June 16, 2007

happy saturday

My friend Becky and her husband designed these AMAZING business cards. Each one is seriously a work of art. It's hard to believe, but I am giving away a FREE card with each order placed! Check them out for invites, announcements and more at sugarpluminvitations.blogspot.com
david has the cutest, sweetest little toes in the world. when he wears these sandals, it really shows them off :) i want to eat him up!
matty 'helped' steve with the yardwork this morning in his jammies and red boots. i think he really pulls of this tough fashion statement!

what are your saturday plans??

Thursday, June 14, 2007

love with your whole heart...


for some reason this phrase has been resonating with with me the last couple days. i love my boys so much sometimes it overwhelming! david is finally getting back to his silly, energetic self. i loved all the snuggles while he was sick, but he wasn't as "present" and I missed his silly giggles and playfulness. it is so nice to have him back! matty is trying so hard to be a big boy. he is listening well and trying to be helpful. this stage of life is so crazy, sometimes i want to wish it away...and at other moments i try to slow it down and hold on somehow. whenever we love well we are vulnerable and open ourselves up for pain, but what a blessing to love and be loved!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

spam



I turned the word verification on because I'm getting some spam comments. Chrissie and I had lunch and shopped around Ross today with Matty as our sidekick. He was so good--he listened and behaved like a champion. I needed a day like that!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Joy of joys!!!




chrissie came to visit overnight. i am so thrilled she's here and i don't think i'm gonna let her leave. we went up to montana de oro after dinner and watched the sunset. the pic of matty is from earlier today. he had a little preschool end-of the-year picnic. off to play/chat/watch movies with my sis!!

Monday, June 11, 2007

some fun new stuff...

I'm getting ready for Lindsey's open house and I thought I'd share a few pieces with my friends in the blog world... If you'd like to order something feel free to leave a comment, but please email me as well!
This is a pottery shard from China. I never know what I'll get when I order these and I thought this piece was so sweet! It is strung with freshwater pearls and clear glass. 16" SOLD
I just found this carved bone bird pendant and I fell in love! it looks so organic! The pendant is about 2 inches long. It is strung with freshwater pearls and bone. 16.5" $45, including earrings
Another pottery shard--this cobalt blue is so striking! Strung with cobalt freshwater pearls. 17" SOLD

Saturday, June 9, 2007

lookin' for lizards...




We went to the elfin forest again this morning. it was beautiful with the fog rolling off the water, but sun overhead. We really need to plan a mommy hike there! Matty was all about looking for lizards (which are plentiful) but would get a little spooked when he saw one. David hung out in the back pack.

Steve is performing a wedding tonight at the Cliffs and I am going to join him. Should be fun!

Friday, June 8, 2007

Come find me...

Here's the latest design...
Mini Open Circle Necklace. Two small open circles (3/4") are handstamped with words of your choice and strung on an 18" sterling ball chain with freshwater pearl detail. These circles are pure silver (not sterling). $48, additional open circles, $14
Click here to see more hand stamped designs!

Also, I thought I'd post some links to other bloggers who are helping me advertise my little business!
Design Mom is currently doing a giveaway that includes one of my necklaces--hey can't hurt to enter, right?!

Rebecca Sower just did a sweet little post and pictured a single tag stamped necklace.

Billie recently ordered an open circle necklace with the names of her DARLING twin girls on it.

Seriously, thank you so much ladies! I love your blogs and I am honored to have you wearing my jewelry. If you do a post about my jewelry, please send me a link, I'd love to put a name with a face!

Steve is performing a wedding this weekend I am laying low with the boys and making jewelry. If you live near SLO, Lindsey is hosting an open house on wednesday evening! Please drop by... Any big plans for you this weekend??

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Answering More Questions About David

Some fun photos from Avila Beach last night



What is CdLS? How do you get it?

CdLS is a random genetic disorder. Neither Steve or I passed it down to David, but for some reason one his chromosomes mutated and this caused the syndrome. Our chances of having another child with this syndrome are less than %1. Anyone has a %3 of having a child with special needs.

Do you get upset with people who stare or make rude comments?

By and large we have VERY positive interactions with strangers regarding David. I have only had one person who was truly rude. She was a clerk at Target and she stared at David with a disgusted look on her face and asked me what happened to him. In hindsight, I thought I should have told her that he was waterskiing and the rope got caught around his fingers and pulled three of them off. Then get a little misty-eyed and tell her we never found them in the water. But really, most people are incredibly gracious and loving. Sometimes people stare too long and I get a little annoyed. It natural to look, David is small for his size and has a deformity, of course people will take a second look. The best thing to do, to show respect, is to look at the person with the disability, smile, then look at the caregiver and smile. I hate it when people stare at David but won't make eye contact with me--maybe they are afraid, but it comes across as disrespectful.

Does Matty know his brother is different?

So far he hasn't seemed to notice. He gets annoyed with David just like siblings do. He is protective of David (which is unusual for a younger brother) but mostly he just sees David as David. This will change I'm sure as Matty continues to mature. We want to encourage Matty to accept David for who he is and not to be ashamed of having a brother with special needs. At the same time, we realize Matty needs to have space and time where he can be himself.

Did David have a Nissen Fundoplication during his G-tube procedure?

No, we almost did a Nissen about 2 years ago, on the reccomendation of David's GI Doc. When we met with the surgeon, she felt it wasn't necessary since his reflux was under control. He takes Prevacid to control the reflux and is on a lactose free diet (except for the two bites of ice cream we shared with him last night!!)

If you had Matthias before David, would you want to have another child so that your last pregnancy would be a positive experience?

It's hard to say since I experienced my children in this order, but I can say that after David was born I wanted to have another child ASAP. I felt like I missed out on the joy that surrounds the birth of a baby. With Matty we had the "typical" experience. We'd like to have another and hopefully things will go smoothly. I think every family has to decide for themselves what works for them. Having another child after a child with special needs in no way replaces the first child but it can be a healing experience.

Will David grow more fingers? (Usually asked by children 7 years and under)

We don't think so, but hey, God can do anything, right?

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

and the winners are...

Steve randomly picked four numbers between 1-74. He chose the following individuals:

#9 Meg (Another day in paradise)-Open circle necklace
#26 Kim (Kim Kelly Kreations)-love necklace
#54 Natalie *that girl*-love necklace
#63 Karen (Ben & his brothers)-love necklace

Email me your addresses (Meg, tell me what you'd like on your open circle) & I'll get these out in the next couple days.

Thanks also to those of you who have linked me to your blogs. Anyone else--feel free to link me, if you haven't yet :) I really appreciate the word of mouth business!!

I seriously wish I could send each of you a little something...but then I would go broke! Thanks for your awesome comments and sweet words about the jewelry. I had so much fun with this--we'll have to do it again!

this and that

first of all..THANK YOU to everyone who is participating in the giveaway--I am shocked to see how many people read our blog. Thanks for your sweet comments, too!! If you haven't posted yet, you have until 7pm tonight.

We hung out with some friends at the park recently. Max & Matty play so well together and really love each other (they prove it by kissing each other's boo boos and hugging good-bye). And Jen & I love to sit and chat while they play.



David is getting back to himself, but is still pretty mellow and snuggly. He finally went back to school yesterday. His teachers were so excited to see him. What a blessing! And I am ready to get back into my regular routine!!

Crazy story--
The other night Steve and I were watching TV when we heard some scratching at the garage door. The previous owners had a cat door installed and we haven't replaced the door. We thought maybe a cat had gotten into the garage, but when we went to investigate, we found a THREE INCH COCKROACH scratching at the back door. Let me REITERATE we HEARD a cockroach while we were watching TV!!! We never see cockroaches around here--where did it come from? I think I might be traumatized!!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Giveaway



Hello bloggy friends! I am giving away one custom open circle necklace and three "love" necklaces with a small round disc. Tomorrow evening at 7pm, Steve will randomly pick the winners. If you'd like to participate, just leave a comment and tell us your favorite day of the week and why. I'll ship anywhere in the US, but if you are out of the country you might have to help with shipping (probably $7). Happy Monday!!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Earrings for Jessica

Hi Jessica! This post is just for you (but others can peek too!!) Fun earrings for your cute new 'do!! Hey, that rhymes. They are each $15 and are hung on a sterling fishhook earwires.


bronze freshwater pearls

smokey quartz

cream freshwater pearls

feceted amazonite

labradorite with czech glass

ready for summer...


I cut my hair much shorter yesterday. I should show a pic of the back--that's where you can really see it! Now all I need is a little sunshine!

Friday, June 1, 2007

I've fallen and I can't get up...



Last night we we mustered up the energy to grab a little mexican food at our favorite mexican restuarant. steve is under the weather (he caught david's virus) and david still isn't 100%. we walked along the bay after dinner and matty took a spill into the marshy sand. he doesn't like to get sand on his hands, so he laid there trying not to touch anything while steve & i cracked up and i took photos (what a mean mommy!!) i thought the photos were priceless.

i am planning to do a little giveaway with some stamped necklaces so check back! happy weekend :)