Livin the Dream

To: Evanstonians or those who pass through fairly frequently. :)

2009-08-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry if there is anyone awaiting updates on this blog. Between work/mommyhood/odds and ends stuff, my blogging has taken a backseat. I do plan on getting back on top of things, and I think that will happen more when Josh's shutdown at work is over. Until then, I'll just post this update to any who are interested. I'm doing family/individual pictures as a fund raiser for my little brother (Tony's) eagle scout project on Thurs. Sept. 3rd. from 4-8pm at the state park. Price $15 and your pictures will be edited and put on a CD for you to use however you would like. All proceeds go to his project for the forest service. Let me know if you're up for it, and we'll set up a time! Thanks!

I really do plan on going private one of these days!!

2009-06-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Oh me! I took some pictures of our new little laynee bug the other day. What a sweet little babe. I had a great time.

Look Who's 1!

2009-04-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

March 19th, our little Isabella turned one. It's still crazy to think about. I guess that because she's the youngest, she still seems like a baby to me. She really is growing up so fast. Izzy adds such a sweet spirit to our family, and each of us love her so much. She is sweet, but she has such a strong spirited side to her. Most people laugh whenever she is, for example: screaming and shaking her fists at me or her dad. She knows what she wants, and we love her for that. Most days she fills our lives with sunshine and happiness. I was worried when I was pregnant with Izzy... I'd like to think that this is somewhat normal, but I was worried that I would never be able to love another baby as much as I did Dakota, and just as people told me, my love grew. She has brought so much love to our home, and I can't wait to see what another year brings! Love you Iz!

My Big 1 year old!!

Birthday Morning

Dakota: not too excited that it's not his birthday!

He did however cash in on one awesome Buzz bubble gun!

Baby Birthday cake

we refer to this look as "the sugar coma look" at our house

she was really girly with her cake. She didn't even make it to the actual cake!

Izzy loves to bounce.... so if you hold her up to a standing position, you can be sure that your arms will get a pretty good workout being 'springs' if you will

Her daddy got her this fuzzy blankie. She loves it!!! Thanks everyone who came to the party and for all of the fun gifts that Izzy got. She and her brother are in heaven playing with her new stash.

A months worth of pictures.

2009-03-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have a blogging problem. I take millions of pictures, but completely lack the motivation to upload them and blog. Hmmm... so here goes for the last month.

Izzy: Crawls...fast, stands, and walks while holding onto things. We, like many others, had our bouts with RSV this season. .... that nasty virus. She was a trooper and pulled through it ok. Woo Hoo!

This isn't really a new thing, but she does love it when I take pictures of her which I love... of course.

Izzy has been blessed with naturally curly hair..... that you cannot really see in this picture. However, it sure has a mind of its own. On days where her mommy doesn't do her hair, we refer to her as "Jimmy Neutron".

Here are the crazy curls...

She loves to stare out of our bedroom window... however, our bed is super high ... so I have to be super close whenever she insists on her staring routine.

This picture just makes me laugh.

and yeah, she usually does have a runny/snotty nose. It's becoming..... no?

Dakota has started his potty training boot-camp, and I have turned into the meanest mommy ever! However, after lunch today, he only had one accident before bedtime.... and this is only day 2. ......happy me!!!

Papa Walker plows our driveway with the 4-wheeler. He rarely gets away without giving dakota a ride.

Aunt Jeanna gave Dakota this ginormous lollipop. hmmm. He worked pretty hard on it.

working away...

as far as picture taking goes.... Dakota isn't always so willing.... this is usually the attitude I get.... "take the freakin picture already!"

...... "here... does a half smile work for ya?"

He sure does love his Daddy though. He is always so happy when he comes home!!!

Dakota LOVES crafts and art. I try to encourage this often. One of our latest fingerpainting projects.

hah hah!!! Gross!

Baby Feet. Why? you ask... because they're cute. ...and I love them!

Privacy: Better late than never!!!

2009-01-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

So, I'm finally doing it. I've decided that my family needs some privacy. I've been torn for so long because I love to blog hop and see what the world is up to, and I'm sure that many other people do too. However, my motherly paranoia has gotten the best of me for the time being.... heh heh! I would love for any of our families/friends/acquaintances to have access to this blog, so please leave a comment with your email/or email me your address at twalkerphotography@gmail.com. Thanks for understanding & have a great day!

American Goth: Baby Walker Style

2009-01-11T00:11:00.000-08:00

heh heh!

Christmas Festivities!!!

2009-01-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

Well, we learned a bit about Dakota this Christmas. He LOVES to unwrap presents. He doesn't care if you tell him not to. He will search ... and find wrapped presents. Even if he's unwrapping something that he's unwrapped before (and I found the time to rewrap it and hide it)... it is still a very exciting ordeal for him.

Here he is... getting caught again... unwrapping the Christmas presents.

This is a fun hat that Grandma and Grandpa Walker got Izzy for Christmas. I love it!
Here are the 3 Walker grandbabies posing in front of the loot before the madness began.
Grandpa and Grandma Walker. Cute.
Dakota: the wiseman in our Welling family nativity--- thanks Jeanna for doing that. It's always a hit.
Yeah, he doesn't discriminate... he unwrapped baby Jesus presents too. He was pretty upset to find an empty box!!!
We had a great Christmas surrounded by family and friends. Andy and Jan came to stay with us, and we all had a blast visiting and playing games till crazy hours. We spent some time with the Schulers, which is always a good time. We attended the Walker house for Christmas night festivities where we were spoiled, then we attended the Welling Christmas party where we were spoiled. It was a great Christmas. Thank you everyone, and I can't wait to do it all again next year! I hope everyone that reads this had happy holidays and is ready and on their way to achieving their resolutions for the new year. I'm always really bad about starting on time... because I want to make sure that it's something that I can do for a long period of time, so I'm in the test run mode right now. I'll post more about resolutions later. Happy Holidays (belated of course).. and goodnight!

playin around...aka...gobs of pictures

2009-01-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

Caution: do not continue if you aren't interested in a gazillion pictures of the last 24 hours.... or if you're in a hurry.

Poor baby Iz is teething.... this is how she looks most of the time these days. Sad huh?

The girls!

mom & babies

Dad and babies...perhaps one day we'll get a picture with all 4 of us in it....?!?

Sweet baby girl.

Cheezer!

She saw momma.... she really is a momma's girl. I love it!

Koda Bear

Everyone thinks they're sooo sweet and innocent. These are the faces we see every day!!! Scary Mary!

Sooo mischievous! I'm sure he just did something naughty in this picture and is trying to get away from me before I find out!

Me.... "Hey Dakota, look at mom and smile" ...click... "yes..very nice..."

thumb chewin...all day

Not quite sure what this is, but we laugh every time Izzy does this... so she keeps doing it. hmm.

Funny girl!

We call these her swear words! She spits at us all the time. Stupid teeth!!

Teeth Teeth Teeth!!! All I got for Christmas was freakin teeth!!!

There's that look again. Funny.

"No help PLEASE!"

2008-11-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

You know, potty training just hasn't been too much of an inspiring experience in our house! The other night I came home from work to fine my little brother and his friends all hangin out at our house...which is totally cool. However, Koda wanted to sit on the toilet. I asked if I could help him and he said, "No help please!". Ok, at least he asked please. He thought he had done a pretty good job all by himself. He ran down the stairs bearing all... with his big boy underwear ON. Funny. I spared you a little, and cropped the pic. Have a good day.

I am not the winner!

2008-11-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

So I thought I was doing pretty good with this posting every day this month. Yeah I was until I went back to work. This week it's my turn to work and yeah, I work the evening shift... so when I get home I generally don't feel like getting on the computer. I am still going to try to finish this month though. MMMmm today I am thankful for my job. I work at a care/rehab facility. Some people call this a nursing home. I love the residents. My job is good most days, but short staffing and some other quirky things frusterate me sometimes. I love being a nurse though. I like the idea of being able to go to work with the understanding that I can make a difference for somebody during the 8-12 hours that I'm there. I also enjoy sharing the parenting responsibilities 1/2 time with Josh. He's an awesome dad, but I think that being home with the babies every other week has opened his eyes to how much work it can be to stay home with the kids. Anyway... nice tangent..... anyway, today I am thankful for my job.

Bah Humbug!

2008-11-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to start this so early, but I have to see if anyone else looks forward to the upcoming holidays and thinks.... WHY? Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love Christmas. I do, mainly because we get to see all of our family that we see about once a year, little kids are always excited, lots of good food, etc. However, I hate, hate hate hate how commercial this holiday becomes. First it's the glitz and glam of decor, then baking like there's no tomorrow (or buying if you don't bake), then you want to give your kids the best Christmas ever, then you've been wanting this BIG purchase for a long time now, and your spouse has been wanting 6 BIGGER purchases for even longer, then you start recieving gifts from everyone... which means that the good festive Christmas lover that you are would have plenty of awesome gifts to throw back in return, then there are always those people that go waaaayy over the top and buy large extravagant gifts for you, which is very nice... but then you're thinking, what could I possibly get them that would be half as great and still fit in my budget? And the answer to that is usually... nothing. When all is said and done, you've got a house full of things that will be boxed away and soon forgotten until next year around the same time.

I wish I could do something this year that completely eliminated this twisted view of what Christmas is really supposed to be about. I've heard of families giving up their Christmas to give to a needy family. I have a friend that does fund raisers for different charitys during Christmas time. I want this Christmas to be different and less stressful than what I'm anticipating.

Any suggestions?

My Smallish Bear

2008-11-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well it hardly seems right that I would have individual posts for everyone in the family except my little Izzy Bean. Today, I am thankful for my sweet Isabella. What a wonderful blessing she is in our family. With the exhausting routine of keeping a constant eye on a very curious toddler, Izzy is always hangin around with smiles for anyone who will glance at her. She really is so happy. She has made me smile every day, and I'm sure she will continue to do so. She loves Dakota very much. First thing she looks for when we come down the stairs is Dakota, and she doesn't stop this intense scanning of our front room until he appears... to which she routinely lets out a squeal of glee. I love being around to watch these two interact. She loves her daddy. Every time she sees him, she starts to goo and ga. It's really cute. She was in between diaper changes today, and I had to snap a shot of her cute little mug.... and chubby baby body. So dang cute!! I love it! Today I am thankful for my Smallish Bear.

...a little background behind the smallish bear name. Dakota loves to watch Brother Bear mainly because the little bear's name is Koda. The moose on the movie call Koda 'smallish bear'. So, this week... because I basically memorize at least one movie a week.... Dakota is Koda Bear, and Izzy is Smallish Bear. Dakota thinks I'm hilarious. If he only knew! ...anything to win a few points. lol.

Also, the echo went great today. Dakota actually fell asleep for it. ...I couldn't help but be thankful for not having to replay the last two experiences that he had with this procedure. The tech guy said that he didn't see any abnormalities, but the pediatric cardiologist would read the test, and we'd know for sure tomorrow.

Daylight Savings....

2008-11-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for daylight savings. I used to get bummed around this time of year because it got dark so stinkin early. Not now I tell you. Not now. My kiddies think that bedtime is earlier these past few days ... I guess because it's dark. Woo Hoo. So around 7:15, both kids were bathed, fed, and sleeping. What a feat! Now, I just hope they'll stay asleep tonight. lol.

Tomorrow is Dakota's next echocardiogram.... for those of you who are following this situation. His last one only showed minor changes--- not enough to record (said the doc). This time, a team from Primary's is coming up to do it here in Dakota's Pediatrician's office. I guess they don't put him under when they come up here which causes a bit of anxiety for me. I am glad they don't have to stick him with a needle this time. They said they just have to confine him a little bit. ....oh bother. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.

TTFN!-- (way too many cartoons for me!)

Crazy 8 tag-Josh

2008-11-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

8 TV Shows that I watch
1. Dexter
2. Sports Center
3. Lost
4. House
5. That one where they build homes for families
6. My Friends Tigger and Pooh
7. Who's Line is it Anyway
8. Sons of Anarchy

8 Things that I did yesterday:
1. Slept
2. visited family
3. watched Eagles vs. Giants
4. played with my kids
5. kissed my wife
6. worked
7. ate nachos and tamales
8. watched Kung Foo Panda

8 Places I Love to Eat
1. Texas Roadhouse
2. GoodWood Barbecue
3. Famous Daves
4. Riodigeos
5. Chili's
6. Cafe Rio
7. Dona Marias
8. Suds Brothers

8 Things that I am looking forward to
1. Days off
2. Christmas
3. Family time
4. Thanksgiving
5. Birthday
6. playing in snow
7. Anniversary Inn
8. Family time x2

8 things on my wish list
1. my own home
2. disneyland vacation
3. more kids
4. 10 million dollars
5. job that I can be off for holidays
6. health
7. duramax
8. outdoor tennis court

8 people I Tag
1. andy
2. kyle
3. jaycee
4. dave y.
5. chad
6-8. anyone else

Taggedy Tag TAG TAG...

2008-11-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

Crazy 8 Tag8

I'm not so crazy about getting tagged, but thanks Jeanna...because I was stuck... trying to find out what to blog tonight.

TV shows that I watch: I hate TV. I'm pretty set in my ways when it comes to this. I feel like it's a big waste of time. Shows I watch with Dakota sometimes, or I have been known to watch in the past are.

1. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
2. Higglytown Heros
3. Winnie the Pooh
4. Friends
5. Gilmore Girls
6. Who's Line is it Anyway? (probably my all time fav)
7. Law-and-Order
8. Feeling Good With JoJo

8 Things that I did yesterday:
1. Played with my kids
2. Changed many diapers
3. Made Candy Cars with Tony- for the party
4. Had a Birthday Party
5. Took lots of pictures
6. Hung out with my sister Shelb...miss ya much
7. Got mad at Tony for bein a punk to his girlfriend
8. Fed Chewy while his mommy and daddy were out of town

8 Places I Love to Eat
1. Cafe Rio
2. Chile's
3. Olive Garden
4. Durangos
5. Dona Maria's
6. Sud's Brothers
7. Melting Pot
8. Famous Dave's

8 Things that I am looking forward to
1. Having more kids
2. Getting my bachelor's done
3. Thanksgiving
4. Christmas
5. Going on a vacation with Josh-- the kids can come if that needs to happen, but a vacation would be nice
6. Having our whole family together for Christmas/reunions
7. My friend Kelli having her baby
8. Getting debts paid off

8 things on my wish list
1. More kids
2. More fun stuff for my camera
3. Sewing Machine
4. a million dollars and retirement...wait better make that two million dollars heh heh
5. House Elf... or a maid would do
6. Health for my family
7. vacation
8. a house that we own

8 people I Tag
1. Shelby-double tag-wait, I tag Chad!
2. Joni
3. Jordan
4. Rach
5. oh man.. runnin out of folks... Jeanna tagged em all
6. Josh... That counts, ok?
7-8. anyone that reads these numbers...consider yourself tagged.

A Cars Party

2008-11-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

So we had a little birthday gig for Dakota with a Cars theme. Aunt Les made an awesome Lightning McQueen cake, and Dakota thought that was pretty cool. I think that he officially had every cars toy that is out. Too fun!! Izzy loved having more people around too. I think she gets bored of having just me around somedays. Gotta Love it!

Granparents...or in my case -Parents!

2008-11-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well, this week has been a little crazy cuz I've not been feeling too hot. No, I'm not pregnant, and yes I am feeling better right now. Anyway, my mom and dad came over to visit tonight and recognized my failing nerves with a 2 year old, potty training, back-talking, etc. and they offered to take him for the night. Seriously? Izzy is asleep, and I think I'm going to go to sleep because I cannot remember the last time I went to bed before 10:00! WooHoo! Thanks parents! Tonight I am grateful for you!

ps. this pic is the only semi-recent pic that I have with my parents... so excuse the excess baby fat!

Charisma: It's about time!

2008-11-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I called it! I've thought that Obama was going to be our new president for a while now. I just finished watching his victory speech (I think that's what it's called) because I was working when it actually happened. I cannot say that he and I see eye to eye on everything, but I do have faith in him. I believe that he can lead America, and that America will love him. I don't think that I have been around to see a president with as much charisma as our new president elect, and after I've had a day to digest the change, I'm excited.

Shift Work

2008-11-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for shift work. "what?" you may ask. Yeah, Josh and I both do shift work. He works 7 days and is off for seven days. I work most of the days that he is off. Well, he just left for work (nights) which sucks because he isn't here, but I'm lovin it because I have a week off!! So today, I am thankful for shift work.

Dear Dakota, I Love You.

2008-11-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know that it is technically Wednesday right now and I missed a day, but I worked tuesday, got home late, and Izzy wasn't feeling well---so no go on blogging for yesterday. So for me, this is Tuesday... and I'm still in the game!

Two years ago today (Tuesday) I was given the most incredible blessing of my life. I became a mother.

I had a heck of a time trying to bring him into this world. I found this email the other day. It really doesn't do the experience justice, but to give you a little taste....

...a few nights before he was born, I caught some sort of flu and started throwing up. I ended up getting a Dr. appointment a day later, and when I arrived they did an ultrasound. When they did the ultrasound, they found that all of the amniotic fluid was gone so they sent me straight to the hospital. When I got there they hooked me up to an IV and gave me an epidural and started me on penicillin (for the flu thing that I had)... well I had a reaction to the penicillin, and my blood pressure kept dropping really low, and I was in and out of consciousness. They switched the penicillin to something else, and I was still really sick. Oh I forgot to tell you that I had a reaction to the epidural too. My body went into shock from it and I was shaking for hours. Anyway, when it was finally time for the baby to come, his shoulders got stuck. The Dr. tried all sorts of maneuvers with no luck. During this time, the baby's heart rate began dropping dangerously low. Alarms were being silenced constantly. I began to hear an urgency in the doctor's voice and then the nurses started moving really really fast. Then a blue light started flashing and an alarm was going off. At the same time, people began pouring into my room (yeah, dignity was out the door). A nurse literally jumped up onto the hospital bed with me and began to push down on the baby (still in my belly) with her hands. The doctor kept saying things like, "I need you to push harder", "I'm going to break the baby's clavicle", "where's respiratory?". Finally after what seemed like forever, the baby was out and he was beautiful... but he was dark bluish blackish. It was a creepy feeling. It definately wasn't what I watched for nine months on the birthing channel. The doctor didn't show me the baby, he nearly chucked him across the room to a woman who stuck a tube in him and began to breath for him. Then he was gone and I was still laying there... getting put back together. The next little while was a really long waiting period. My mom stayed with me, and I bawled. I knew that the blue light meant that the baby was dead, I never heard him cry, never saw him move even. Finally this nice nurse brought in a bundle with an IV already attached, and told me that she wasn't supposed to be in there. She was on her way to the NICU with MY BABY! He was so beautiful. He was fat and rolly and really calm and alert. It really was love at first sight.

After an entrance into this life like that, and a summer like we've had with this little guy, you'd better believe that I am so thankful that he 1. made it into this world and 2. is still here to make me smile everyday (most days ;).

I've been trying to reflect a bit today on Dakota's life to remember some fun things about him. Since he was about 2 months old he has loved movies. Lately I have had to ration the movies somewhat because he will go overboard if I let him, but it all started with Nemo. Then it was Winnie the pooh, mickey mouse, the wild, Cars, and brother bear. He'll do other things, but these are his favorites. He loves his kissy bear. This is just one of those complimentary bears that a child gets at the hospital if he has to go there. It was love at first sight. He wouldn't stop kissing the bear (hence the name). He still sleeps with him, and I'm ok with that. I think it's cute. He loves his mommy and daddy. He loves Izzy very much too.

Happy Birthday big boy. Love you!!!

My Awesome Husband Post.

2008-11-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

Well, what is this... 2nd, 3rdish day, and I already have to ask for ideas. Scary. Josh said that I should post about my awesome husband. Of course he was just kidding, but I think that there is something to that. My husband is pretty awesome. Josh and I met when we were 13 in Sunday School. Neither of us talked much then, so lets face it, we saw each other on Sunday and that was it. Later down the road (I have no idea how old we were) we finally started talking and became pretty good friends. Yep, pretty good friends that stayed pretty good friends until our Senior year in high school. Both of us were bored and tired of relationships...imagine that... so we decided to start one of our own. The rest is history... sort of. He went on a mission and I dated in college, but I still loved Josh.... drama drama. Finally about 3/4 way through the mission, I told Josh that we just needed to stop talking because it was too hard on me and too distracting for him. When he came back from his mission (he'll still admit to this) he hated me for "dumping him". Anyway, we went out a few times and decided that life just wouldn't be right if we weren't together. So 3 1/2 years and 2 kids later, we do still really love each other and have so much fun just being together.

6 reasons I love "My Awesome Husband"

1-He's funny. Yeah he's funny not in a comedian type way, but he'll say some of the weirdest/silliest/nerdiest things sometimes, and it really is hilarious.

2-He is a very hard worker. I am learning to love this more every day. Josh has a long 15ish hour work day at work, and then he usually comes home and works on something at home. On his days off...watch out. He's always on a mission....cleaning and fixing stuff around the house, and doing things for other people. This really does motivate me to be better, because most who know me know that I can be pretty lazy.

3-Josh LOVES to help people. Sometimes I think he should have been a nurse instead of me. He is always doing things for other people. It really doesn't matter what it is or how much it will cost him, he'll do it. This is another good example for me. I'm getting better. ;)

4-He loves me. I don't know how else to put it. He would do anything for me, and I know it. I think it's pretty neat.

5-He loves kids, and especially ours. Not one day goes by where Josh doesn't say something like... (speaking of the kids) "they're so awesome", "they're so beautiful", "aren't you glad they're here?". After a looong day of being with a bi-polar (or so he acts) toddler, it means alot to me that he loves his kids so much. It makes me want to be a better mom.

6-Josh is a jack of all trades. It's nice. Sometimes it drives me crazy because I feel like he knows everything about everything, but he really does know something about everything, or he will find out.

Today I am thankful for My Awesome Husband--- Love you Babe!!!

Sure, lets give it a try.

2008-11-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

So apparantly it is NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month)--thanks for the info Candace. You're supposed to post everyday this month. I'm up for the challenge. My life isn't full exciting events, but I'm sure I can find something to blab about everyday. Anyway, since it's closing in on Thanksgiving time, I want to find something that I am truly thankful for everyday. Today I am thankful for binkis. No, seriously... we lost all of them for most of the day, and just found one before Izzy went to bed. Wow! I am going to buy a stash tomorrow. She was soooo wound up and antsy today. Not a good thing. But yes, today is binki day.

Tonz of pics

2008-11-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

The party was awesome this year... thanks all for coming!!!

Trunk-or-treat...woodruff style

2008-11-02T09:07:00.001-08:00

We decided to trunk-or-treat it with my sister in Woodruff this year. We had alot of fun. Les had a cooler full of candy, and Dakota didn't get out of the cooler long enough to see that other people had candy too. Brinlee was super cute & squishy in her duck costume. Stetson was an army man. He had another name for what he was... but I forget...so army man works. Mickey and Minnie didn't like their ears much this night.... oh well.

Spook Alley

2008-11-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

We did a spook alley/haunted house in our unfinished basement. That was really fun. I think Josh had more fun than the kids. Pretty funny.

Spooky Extravaganza

2008-11-02T08:57:00.001-08:00

So, Josh and I decided to throw a Halloween party. We had a blast. I think that one of the funnest parts was actually getting ready. We had all sorts of fun treats.

Tagged: Six unspectacular Quirks!

2008-10-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

I don't like to be wet. I don't know. I can't really explain it. I used to swim all the time and I never had a problem, but these days it's hard. I think that some of it has to do with sensory issues. Like how water makes your fingers all wrinkly and they feel so wierd...then when you have to touch something with the wierd feeling fingers... iiick! I don't like it a bit. Also, I generally have to keep my hair short, because I don't like the feel of wet hair on my skin in the shower. I cannot touch a wet shower curtain. hmmm. I think that's it.

I'm not you're regular girl when it comes to pedicures. It's a sensory thing again. I go into sensory overload when someone is rubbing/scrubbing my feet. I love the gesture of someone buying me a pedicure, but I most often find my thoughts racing and racing ... somthing to the effect of (***oooh man oh man.... are we almost done here?***)

It really doesn't bother me if my clothes don't match... or if they're old or what not. I don't know why. It never has. For those of you who know Josh.... funny we ended up together... huh?

I almost hate TV. It's such a waste! I really cannot justify sitting down for who knows how long to watch something that will do me no good later. I generally can't even sit through a whole movie. I tend to get really antsy and start walking around the house trying to find something to do. Nice huh.

I like to leave cupboards open. I haven't even figured this one out yet. I think that I like to be able to see what we have. Who knows?!? This one drives Josh nuts... of course!

Last one... miracle whip on grilled cheese sandwiches and peanut butter on pancakes. Don't knock it until you've tried it. mmMMmm

Lets see... I tag: Shelby, Joni, and Chelsea Have fun.

oh yeah and... I PASSED!

2008-10-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

For any and all who were concerned if I was 1. ever going to take my nclex and 2. concerned that I wouldn't pass because I had waited for so stinkin long to take it. Worry no more. I am now a nurse with a license....watch out!

SNOW--but just a little bit.

2008-10-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

I may have forgot to mention that we moved into a house. Or in other words... WOO HOO! The house is less than a mile away from our apartment, but it is nearly 4 times as big. We're still only living in about half of the house.... it's called space shock, I think. We're loving it! Dakota is super happy that he now has a yard to play in.... I am equally as happy that he can now ride his 4-wheeler outside. What a kid! I'll post more pictures of the house soon.

one heck of a night

2008-10-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Josh is on graveyards this week, so we basically all run amuck until bedtime arrives....which on these weeks varies from night to night.

Yes, brother and sister are having a bonding moment. This picture was taken right before I pulled a handful of lifesaver gummies out of Izzy's mouth.

What's wrong with this picture and all of it's nakedness? ***I'm shaking my head (complete with eyerolling) as I'm typing this*** Well, this picture was the product of the next pictures. Can you tell that Dakota knows that he has done something wrong?

WELL, he decided that he needed to go to the potty. Mind you, we haven't started the official potty training daze yet.... so every once in a while when he is excited about it, I'll help him to the potty... and sometimes he even goes. So as I'm spoon feeding the baby... I turn around to find this.

OK, so I go to check the bathroom. Hoping that the bathroom (toilet for specifics sake) was his destination. Well, no worry. It was. I still don't know if he actually went potty because when I got to the bathroom, he had unrolled nearly 2 rolls of toilet paper and fit them in the toilet bowl. (If you're wondering, yes, he did put his own toilet seat on backwards).

So, now that he's asleep... and I still haven't mustered up the ambition to do something with all of the nasty toilet paper... the thought crosses my lazy mind. ***I wonder if I just leave it in there long enough, if it will become so soft and mushy that it will flush down the toilet. heh heh. I guess we'll have to find out.

And the stinker... I got one of those chewy things that you can put food in for babies... so they won't choke... and it magically disappeared after I gave it to Izzy tonight. Tah Dah!!! In his hand!

3 6th month bests!----for mom anyway.

2008-10-14T23:56:00.001-07:00

Binkis still work!!!

....and generate a lot of motivation!

Simple things are still amazing!

Wow.....and hands are always attached.

Lots and lots of smiles!

Thanks Grandma.... (Grandpa too)!

2008-10-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

(Izzy Speaking) So, most of you know that my mother really has no sense of style. How then, may you ask, do I always look so darn cute? Well, I really owe it to my Aunt Leslee who has graciously given me all of my cute cousin Brinlee's clothes, and my Grandma Walker... who cannot resist buying me super cute clothes and accessories. Recently, Grandma and Grandpa Walker returned home from a cruise. I was pretty jealous that I couldn't go, but when I saw that they brought me back these cute dresses, I let go of that jealousy. So, Grandma Walker, this post is for you. Thanks!

Did I forget to mention my new bracelets? Well, this is one of them. And no, I'm really not spoiled.

Daddy Time...

2008-10-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

There's not a whole lot to say besides the kiddies LOVE their Daddy!

You're right... I definitely can't see you if your eyes are closed...... ;)

Dakota @ 22 months

2008-10-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

A little background behind these pics. Dakota just got his winter Cars beanie... so he wouldn't let me take it off. Oh well. Cars are the main attraction for him these days.... hence, why we put some of his little buddies in the pictures with him. He is doing so much better. I can't describe how thankful I am for this little guy in my life. He's got an incredible spirit, and loves to have fun.... all day long.

Don't mind the drool. For a while there he was drooling like crazy.... and I was becoming a bit concerned... when one day it stopped... and he had new molars.

A random day at a park this summer

the beloved "Mack Truck" hauling Lightning and Fillmore. Yeah, it's sad but true. Josh and I know all of the names of all of the cars because they have literally become part of our everyday family life.

more @ 5 months

2008-10-10T16:41:00.001-07:00

Where to start.... Izzy gets blessed and 5 mo. pictures

2008-10-10T16:28:00.001-07:00

Well, for those who have been waiting for updates. I'm sorry, and I wish that I had a good excuse for not being a more faithful blogger. For the past month, I have been very uninspired by the idea of spending a while on the computer. However, I'm back with a bang. Alot has happened, so lets catch up. Izzy was blessed. I took these pictures of here the week of her blessing, and was planning on getting some more, but of course I never got to it. So, you get what you get... I guess. Because of Dakota's health this summer, we opted to wait until he was in the clear... so Izzy was 5 months old when she was blessed.

I also wanted to take some more posed pictures of her b/c we really haven't gotten the kids pictures taken for a while. So here is our baby girl @ 5 months old.

She's beautiful. Isn't she? I guess I am a bit biased, but I think she's wonderful. She's so mild and sweet, and she couldn't have come at a better time to our family.

Hooray for potty chairs!!

2008-08-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

So Jan, I was feeling inspired after reading your poop post... and after my crap filled day yesterday. I got a potty chair at wal-mart today to set up and just get Dakota used to the idea of having one around. Well, I set it up tonight, he sat on it... and pooped. Yeah! We had a small celebration of sorts. What a good good feeling that was! I know we have a long road ahead as far as the big PT goes, but hey... I'm happy so far!

I missed you today Chels!

2008-08-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the babies tonight before bed. Gotta Love Em!

My little Thug.

So, I had this great idea for Dakota to hold Izzy for a picture... well, she can't sit up yet and she was leaning over. He thought that was funny and decided to let go and laugh at her.

Faker! I told him it was time for bed.... so right in front of my eyes... he magically drifts off to sleep. Wow! Hah hah!

So today, well technically yesterday, was my 25th Birthday and I can't say that I feel any different. Here are some of the happenings of my day. I woke up around 8am to a super happy 5 month old that likes to squeal to her little hearts content. Soon after, Dakota woke up, and we watched his beloved Pooh movies until Dad (Josh) woke up a couple hours later. Tone-tone showed up after football practice, so we all went to Sud's Brothers for lunch... which was very tasty. While we were waiting for our food though, Dakota stole Tony's lemon from his water glass and soon realized that he had a cut on his finger... when the lemon juice leaked in the cut. Yeah, that was fun! We ended up having to walk to City Drug to get a band-aid so he would forget about it and eat his food. Then, we went to The Scoop for some ice cream which was yummy as well. Afterward we came back home, and Les and the kids showed up and spent the next while with us just bummin around. Then, Josh went to work (the kids were asleep). What happened next was the highlight of my Birthday. Dakota woke up, and as I was walking into his room he warned me pee-pee (which he uses as a general word for his private areas and everything that comes out of them). 'ok' I thought, 'I'll change your diaper.... wait where is your diaper?' ... something smells... I turn on the light.... and he has taken off his diaper and somehow flung poop all over his room. Nice. So I start cleaning and get him diapered and redressed and send him out of the room. When all is clear and disinfected ... so I thought... I let my little niece Brinlee in. Well, she's alot closer to the ground than I am... and she seemed to find whatever I missed.... step in it.... and squish it all over. EWW! So now, I take her and scrub her down... spray the room /floor/rug/chair and start scrubbing. Hmm, this brings on a whole new meaning to the words poop stain. I cannot get alot of the crap out of the floor and rug and chair. Well, then my dad calls to wish me a happy birthday and I tell him my poop saga. He suggests that we go to The Scoop and get some ice cream (which I can totally justify because afterall, it is my birthday...and I am a quarter of a century old now), then he will come back and help me get the mess cleaned up. What a dad. So we do the ice cream thing, come back to the house, and my dad brings his carpet cleaner and not only gets all of the poop stains out of Dakota's room, but he gets the squished/hard banana that I found in Dakota's room the other day, he gets all of the old crusty food that has slid off of Dakota's spill mat...under his high chair, he cleans our furniture, all of our carpets, and take's out the big sack of poop (the dirty diaper garbage that we keep on the deck). What a guy!! Thanks dad! Anyway, back to the title of this post... Chels is my bingeing buddy, and I've been being very good on my healthy diet lately, but today (being my birthday and all...haha) my old habits lived on. We're talkin chocolate chunk cookies from Izzy's blessing (which I will post on when I get some better pictures of her in her dress), Sugar Cookies (from my awesome Visiting Teachers), 2 trips to The Scoop.... and that just names a few. So yeah... I missed you Chels, but don't worry, I think I pulled weight for the both of us---no pun intended.

Happy Birthday Tamara!!

2008-08-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

This is Josh and i just wanted to wish my beautiful wife a very Happy Birthday!!! I love you very much Tamara and just want you to know how much i love and appreciate you. You are truly an amazing person and i don't know what i would do without you, you truly bring so much happiness to our life. I love you and wish you a wonderful Day!!!
Love Ya!!!
JOSH

mas Jr Rodeo Pics

2008-08-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

Tell me what is better than a cute baby devouring a messy treat????

Stetson

Mason

The Huffaker's and cousins (including Dakota)

Pretty Girl--Now the baby has some diamonds to bling!

YEE HAW!!

2008-08-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't get out much these days. However, Les convinced me to come with her and the kids the Jr. rodeo in Randolph, UT , and boy am I ever so glad! We really had a good time.

Check out this sheep---it's in mid-air. Sheep jump? heh!

Go Stets!! This is my little cowboy nephew Stetson. ...not quite sure what that guy who is dressed up like a clown has a hold of...or why.
Yep! Thats a chicken underneath that sweet little girl!
...and I am very proud to say that Dakota participated in his first chicken scramble today. He had a blast.... although as I was watching I was thinking, what the heck would I do with a chicken if he caught one?

Our Little Izzy Bean

2008-08-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while and not too much has changed. Dakota is feeling a lot better. I can tell because he's very naughty when he feels like himself ;) I believe that we've entered the terrible twos a little early. However, I do appreciate him keeping me on my toes at all times! Izzy is doing great. She got her ears pierced today... I haven't taken any pictures of them yet... but they are very cute! She has got to be the happiest baby I know. I appreciate the contrast of my children you know, I feel like I can maintain a good middle ground when I have an over cheery baby, and an ornery toddler. What a balance. haha. Really, we're doing great, and enjoying the day-to-day life.

More News--- and weird news at that! ... or a run of bad luck.

2008-08-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

Here's koko enjoying a popsicle after he got home from the hospital today. ---thanks again les!

Chips--he stole these from his dad.

wow- I wonder if this kid has a mommy who will wash his face? hah hah!

Koda Bear

Izzy Bee-- She's really not neglected. She's a very happy and easy baby. There has just been so much going on with her brother lately, I haven't been able to post many of her pictures..... they're coming soon.

Like I said in the previous post, Dakota had to go get his blood drawn today to check his ESR levels.... meaning that he's being checked to see how thin his blood is. Since his discharge from Primary's he's been on Aspirin therapy for blood thinning purposes until his ESR rate is within normal limits. Because we're so worried about blood clots with Kawasaki's, this is a pretty big deal. Well, Dr. Ching called (his Pediatrician) and said that his blood was still pretty thick and that we needed to remain on the Aspirin until next week... at least. Well, that's all fine and dandy but then, Josh got a call from Primary's. Dakota's infectious disease doctor who ran every test under the sun on him during both hospitalizations called and said that his lab tests (the ones from the 2nd stay at the hospital) came back positive for the borreliosis bacteria which means that he has Lyme Disease. What the crap? So, I called Dr. Ching and she said that he must have been bitten by a tick in the 6 days that we were home last month. She was taken back because she said that Lyme disease is so rare in Wyoming that she hasn't seen it. In the states it occurs in New York more often than any other places. She also said that he still had the classic Kawasaki symptoms before the first hospitalization and that those symptoms didn't necessarily match Lyme Disease, so he had to super rare diseases in one month. Pretty amazing. He was started on high dose antibiotics today. Hopefully these will help him to feel better soon. He has been slowly getting more playful and more happy, but he's still not back to himself. So, now that we have another definitive diagnosis, I have hope that all will return to normal very soon. ****fingers crossed****

Little Miss Pigtails (oh the many uses of karo syrup!)

2008-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

Well, today Dakota had another blood draw. I invited my loving sister to go with Dakota this time, well more like begged and pleaded with her to take him. She graciously accepted. So, I got to watch cute little Brinlee while I waited for them to get back.

Today she got to wear her very first pigtails...thanks to aunt Tam. lol.

FREEDOM---finally!

2008-07-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we got home on Saturday night. The doctors finally diagnosed Dakota with Kawasaki's disease after testing him for everything under the stars. As soon as they made the diagnosis, they started him with a 12 hour IV treatment of Immunoglobulin which is made from around 20,000 blood donations. Specific antibodies are taken from the blood and processed and packed together. 10 grams of this stuff (which is a child's dosage) costs approx $3000 dollars. Thank heavens for insurance. Well, he tolerated the treatment ok. He got a fever during the treatment (which isn't too uncommon), so the next day, his doctor wanted us to wait another day to make sure everything was ok. So, that night he got another 103.7 fever. So the next morning, we ran more tests... waited another day. Dakota had no fevers for 24 hours so they released us with the instructions to watch him and return if any of his symptoms return. He is on Aspirin therapy which requires weekly blood draws until his lab tests return to normal. He also has regular echocardiograms that we'll have to follow up with down at Primary's. He still isn't himself, and he still looks sickly.... but his is looking and acting better than he was. So, we're hopeful that the worst is over and we can now return to normal life.

The life and times of Dakota (for the past month)

2008-07-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

This was some of the best time in the hospital. Dakota didn't get much sleep, so when he did we were walking on eggshells to keep him asleep.

Chillin with mom and dad in the cafeteria.

Izzy comes to visit.

One of Dakota's nice nurses. (They were all really good)

MMMMmmm Spaghetti!

Primary Children's Medical Center

2008-07-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Well, needless to say, we've spent plenty of time in this place. Even though it's a hospital... and hospital's aren't the funnest place to be, this is a pretty neat place. Their motto is "The Child, first and always" and I believe it. They really cater to the kids that have to spend time here. These are a few of Dakota's favorite things at this hospital.

We've spent ALOT of time at this exhibit. Dakota LOVES Nemo, so when we had to get something done, we'd bribe him with a trip to the Nemo exhibit.

I just thought this was cool. They have these tile murals all over the hospital.

This is a huge display. It takes up a good portion of the wall that it is on. I thought it was pretty neat.

I'm not normally a fan of Spiderman, but this was a teaching object for Koda. If you notice the pretty orange Co-band on his arm, Dakota pointed this out every time we'd pass him. He'd say, "Owie" and then point to his Co-Band. The nurses would always have to wrap his IV site up because he'd get really irritated and try to tear it out.

There are cool paintings all over the walls.

The Latest... for real this time

2008-07-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been at Primary's since Monday running more tests. Dakota's symptoms did check out to be like Kawasaki's again (but we're not sure still). His attending physician says that he still isn't comfortable with treating Dakota for it. We've met with the infectious disease doctors and ran a hundred tests for them (all of them being negative). We did an echocardiogram today which is essentially an ultrasound of the heart to measure size and function. The main fear with Kawasaki's disease is that this constant inflammation and Kawasaki's nature of destroying the capillaries in the body, would affect the heart, mainly the coronary arteries, and possibly cause aneurysms, and in the worst cases, heart attacks. Everything there checked out. In fact, they said that his heart was in better shape (meaning less inflamed) when they compared it to the one they did two weeks ago. So what now? We're meeting with the rheumatology doctors tomorrow morning to see if we need to be leaning towards something more chronic like JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis) --formally known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hopefully, we'll be home again tomorrow afternoonish and all of these wacky symptoms will go away. It is still pretty unsettling when you're working with some of the top pediatricians in the country.... and you still can't come up with a diagnosis. Where's doctor House when you need him? Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses here are awesome with Dakota. This stay hasn't been 1/2 as traumatic as last time for any of us... possibly because we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Thanks Mom, Dad, and Les for taking such good care of my baby girl. I've been able to invest all of my energies into getting Koda cared for because I know she's in good hands. All in all, we're doing good and hoping for a speedy and uneventful recovery for our Koda bear. Bye for now.

Survival Mode

2008-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

No Blogs Lately. Sorry. We've been traveling the world..... I wish. Dakota is sick with something. Nobody seems to know what the answer is. It all started a few weeks ago with a high, persistant fever, and then came the rash, the bloodshot eyes, irritability, annorexia. Due to his unexplainable symptoms, we spent nearly a week at Primary Childrens with at least 3 blood draws a day (for various tests). Ask me about toddlers and needles (theres a lot of stories in this category). At one point, the doctors were looking at a rare disease called Kawasaki's disease. His symptoms weren't exact, so we didn't end up treating for that. We are over a week out of the hospital, still having fevers. His hands and feet are peeling now, and I'm sure (this may sound wierd) I'm sure he has Kawasaki's disease. When the doctors decided that they weren't going to treat Dakota for Kawasaki's, I was sooo upset. I really really felt like we should start the treatment even though not all of his symptoms matched Kawasaki's Disease. Well, the team (of doctors) decided not to treat because the treatment is kind of risky, and if they weren't positive, they didn't want to put him at risk. So there is a window of ten days where this treatment would have been 95% effective in preventing heart complications that are associated with Kawasaki's. It's been longer than 10 days, and the fever is recurring--and like I said his hands and feet are peeling. His skin coloring is nearly grey, and he acts like all of his bones and joints hurt (like he is an old person with arthritis). What a life for a little man! I have to get a hold of his doctors tomorrow to see if the treatment could still be effective at all or what needs to happen. Life sucks sometimes. Thanks to all the family and friends for the support! We'll keep you updated.

The Latest...

2008-07-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

more..

2008-06-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

This was a big step for Dakota. He hates having his head even close to being in the water. Somehow, Josh got him to lay back.

The Walker Boys
The main attraction. No matter where we are, Dakota will always find a ball to play with.
Heres another cute picture of my niece Brinlee.
Heres Josh practicing his new 'water kickboxing'. He says it's gonna be "the new thing".

I hate shots!

2008-06-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you heard me right. I had to take Izzy to get her shots today. What a crappy deal. Of course, she woke up this morning with her regular morning smile. We went to the Doctors and she was all smiles there for anyone who would pay attention to her. When they finally gave her the stupid shots, she screamed.... and screamed. I couldn't get her to calm down. Her doctor kept coming back in the room and saying things like "can you get her to stop crying?" and "boy, she sure has been crying for a while." I ended up having to take her out of the office screaming. She's had a fever all day and has only smiled a couple times.... which of course was followed by some pathetic whimpering. Yeah, I know I'm a nurse and I give shots to people, but it sure does suck to be on the receiving end of the deal!

Mas Pictures

2008-06-23T23:32:00.001-07:00

Sleeping Baby ;-)

Momma/baby hands

Handsome boy!

Daddy/baby feet

3 years

2008-06-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

A few mornings ago we were going about our usual morning routine breakfast/disney/waking up and Josh looked over at me and said... "hey babe, do you know what day it is?". "Tuesday" was my reply.... I'm such a loser! No, it was our anniversary. Being so busy with vacation ending and going back to work, we forgot our own anniversary. Wow. What is an anniversary anyway? A day we celebrate how long we have been together, or how much we love each other? I cannot explain how happy I am that I am married to Josh. I love him more than he will ever know, and it really does seem like we have been married forever. Not only is he an incredible father, but he is the best husband ever (at least I think so). Life before us being married seems so blah now. That's probably because I've never been more happy in my life. I am so blessed and I have had the time of my life these past three years, and am looking forward to many many more wonderful years to come! I love you Babe!

some vay kay pictures

2008-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

So we spent the last week in St. George. It was wonderful. We'll probably move there one day. We went to Zion's and it was too hot for Izzy outside.... so she and I spent a little quality time in the Tahoe full of air conditioning. Here she gives a lil smile for the camera. Love those cheeks!

Well, like I said, it was a little too hot for Izzy outside. Thankfully we stayed at a super nice condo with an outdoor and indoor pool... so here we are taking a nice dip inside (with air conditioning). Although you cannot tell by her expression, she loved her swim.

We went with Josh's whole family, and we all stayed in the same condo. Well, one morning Izzy woke up at 5am and was waaaaay too happy to go back to sleep. So, Josh and I took her for a morning drive..... and swim (but we won't go there). Here's Joshie posing in all his morning glory.

St. George has some splash parks for little kids. This particular one had a small river that went with it. It was heaven sent! Dakota thought he was the coolest as he was running through the river, and the splashy fountains.

Cute Kiddies!

2008-06-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Cousins!

2008-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Brady and the Horsey

2008-06-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

I have the sweetest little nephew named Brady (Jeanna's son). He wasn't too keen on the horsey ride, but he sure tried to be tough!

Check out the saddle horn hug! Too cute!

Koda and the Horse!

2008-06-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

Yeah, this is Dakota's uncle Wynn (my sister LesLee's husband). He brought his horse to Shelby's graduation party and gave all the little kids rides. Dakota wasn't too into it at first.

Have I mentioned that he picks his nose when he gets nervous?Still not too sure about this whole horsey ride thing.
This is the most un-terrified look I could get out of him while on the horse.

no more hair.... where'd that baby go?

2008-05-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally broke down and gave Dakota the 'summer cut'.

It kind of took me by suprise because he looks like a completely different baby--or little boy.
Fun Times!

The Kiddies.

2008-05-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Dakota loves Izzy. He's actually really protective of her. The other day my little niece was trying to get into Izzy's carseat (while she was in there) and he wouldn't let her get close enough to Izzy to see her.

Baby feet are sooo cute!

Isabella

2008-05-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of Izzy!
Here, Dakota's car got stuck in her fat roll.... if you can call that a fat roll.
Sleeping babies are so sweet.
She's started the cooing stage. It's so fun because she is such a happy girl!

Dakota

2008-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Dinner in a Helmet?

Well, as an update about the new 4-wheelers that my parents bought... we decided to buy Dakota his very own helmet (cars-of course) which I must say, he is very fond of. This is the first time that he wore it... well, actually this is about 3 hours after he first put it on. He wouldn't take it off, so here he is eating his dinner (blowing on his hot chicken nugget) with his helmet/elbow pads on.

Dakota loves cars! Not only does he watch the actual Disney movie "Cars" at least once a day, but he also wears his cars hat/shirts/pjs/shoes/(now helmet)/... and much much more all the time!

Cars!

More Cars!

I am so over this!!!

2008-05-14T22:00:00.001-07:00

Well, I've finally done it. Finals are over and I graduate on Friday. It still doesn't seem real. I've spent the last few days cleaning my house...because I can't just sit around and do nothing! For those of you who know me at all know that ..... well lets just say I've changed a bit.
I have some catching up to do. I'm really pumped to...

spend time with Josh and the kids-these past few days have been awesome!
read--leisure reading. I've wanted to read quite a few books over the past couple years, but whenever I picked one up I would get the guilties for not studying...nice I know.
never ever ever have to drive to the armpit of Wyoming a.k.a. Rock Springs, WY again! (unless of course I'm going to Green River to visit my sister, Jeanna)...but it won't be 3-5 times a week for sure!
work--- I'm excited to finally be able to apply all of this stuff that I've been learning and help people change for the better.
do nothing... when I do finally sit back and relax, I might watch a little TV--reality shows, play a little wii, sleep--well, probably not sleep because the babies won't let me ;-)
exercise-- so I cycled on this bike that we have the other day and I seriously tasted blood. Wow! You remember the first time in gym when your teacher made you run "the mile" and that awful feeling of your body telling you that 'this just isn't right'? Yeah, it was very similar to that. So, I'm excited to get back in shape. Hopefully I'll be in gear to do the tri-athalon with my in-laws this year... of course I'm not making any promises yet though. hah hah.
Decorate our apartment. We've spent the past three years with the decorations that we recieved as wedding gifts on our walls. Good thing Josh is patient because somedays even I look around and think to myself 'wow, now who's job is it to make this place look nice?' Nothing matches! I'm finally going to do something about that.
go fishing. sounds a little cliche, I know. It has been on my "want to do" list for a few years.
I'll think of many more things to add to this list, but until then... this should keep me busy.

Mother's Day

2008-05-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day was pretty fun. Josh had to work, so Dakota, Izzy, and I spent the day at my parents house. My sisters Chelsea and LesLee were there, and so were all of their kids. The main event ended up being two 50cc 4-wheelers that my dad randomly bought the other day. According to the kids, nothing could be cooler!

Dakota was really funny to watch. He would stand around and wait for his next turn on the 4-wheeler... and when he found out that it wasn't his turn yet, he waited.

This is my sister LesLee and her baby Brynlee. Cute girls.
This was really funny. Grant (the little one) was told that he couldn't ride the 4-wheeler without a helmet. I guess nobody specified whether it had to fit or not. heh heh.
I finally caught a picture of James without his 'cheezy picture face'. So cute!
Here's Adri. Nobody would have thought that this little girly girl could fit right in with the rugged 4-wheeling cousins!

These Days

2008-05-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

2008-05-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Drum Roll Please.....

2008-03-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Weighing in at 6lbs 3oz. Here is our sweet Isabella Louise Walker. Born at 4:16pm on March 19, 2008. 19 1/2 inches long.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-03-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

So the sun has finally decided to grace us with its presence! Isabella loved her first sun bathing experience.

Thumb Sucker

2008-03-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

So, my mom says that thumb suckers are supposed to be the best babies. Hmm, I guess she would know after raising 8 kids right? However, the kicker is supposed to be the future dental bill. I think it's worth it.

A Peace Offering

2008-03-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

This was Dakota's first real day with Isabella. He got an Easter basket full of cars. He really wanted Izzy to play with him.

Quarantine=RSV

2008-03-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

How lucky can we get? I thought Dakota had a little bug, so I took him into the doctor's to see if we couldn't get it taken care of before the baby comes. Well, the answer was no.... he has RSV and a double ear infection, and it won't be taken care of by Wednesday. Lovely! I guess we'll just have to roll with the punches on this one!

Jammin

2008-03-16T10:49:00.001-07:00

Dakota has discovered our Ipods! This picture is a daily occurence right now.

Spread the Love!!

2008-03-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

I guess that we don't discriminate in this house. We love mice (Just Mickey) as much as we do people!

Daddy Time

2008-03-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Josh and Dakota really do have a special connection. Everyone told me to watch out because Dakota wouldn't want anything to do with his dad when he was this age.... we haven't encountered that yet. He LOVES his daddy!

Wednesday the 19th is the day!

2008-03-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

All who read this can celebrate along with me if they so choose. We just found out that next Wednesday will be the big day for baby. So that means that March 19th will be a Happy Birthday to our brother-in-law Kyle (happy b-day Kyle!) and for baby girl Walker! Woo hoo! We'll keep ya'll updated.

Pudding Bath

2008-03-03T19:49:00.001-08:00

OOhhh.... the picture does not do it justice!! We had chocolate pudding tonight, and since Dakota has hit the 'I can do everything by myself' stage, he fed himself about 1/8 of his pudding (wore the rest). I swear, he knows that if he makes a huge mess at dinner.... he'll get another bath. What a smart dude...

2008-02-28T23:04:00.001-08:00

Classic Passtime

2008-02-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

Like all small children, Dakota LOVES a good game of peek-a-boo.

Church Daze...

2008-02-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

I never thought of church as a challenge until I had a toddler. Wow! Lets just say that 3 hours is a vvvvvvveeerrryyy long time for a 15 month old. Here is Dakota getting ready for church...and checkin his email. ;-)

My Funny Valentine

2008-02-14T14:15:00.001-08:00

What a fun day! I've never had 2 Valentine's before! Dakota enjoyed his Valentines Day chocolate alot today. Happy Valentines Day everybody!

Hair Cut

2008-02-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

It was a sad day for me, but everyone else was very happy that Dakota finally got a hair cut. I had clinicals one day, so Josh took advantage of the situation and, unbeknownst to me, took Dakota in to get the job done.

Now I lay me down to sleep

2008-02-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

Somedays it's the little things that make you stop and realize that life is really really good. During the mornings, I often feel like I'm waiting until naptime.... but as soon as Dakota's asleep..... I find myself waiting until naptime is over.

Tagged?

2008-02-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

What's your name? Tamara Sue Walker

How long have you been married? two and a halfish years

How long did you date? about 3 years if you count the mission.... that's debatable.... 1 1/2 years if not

How old are you? 24

Who eats more? these days.... Josh, usually I give him a good run for his money

Who said, "I love you," first? he did.

Who is taller? Josh

Who sings better? Most people would say me... just because I sing, but Josh does have a good voice.

Who is smarter? We each have our subjects that we outsmart each other in. Together, we're one smart person.... heh heh.

Who's temper is worse? His... I think. Maybe he'd say I have a bad temper though.

Who does the laundry? We supposedly take turns... but I do.

Who does the dishes? ...depends on the day. Sometimes, nobody.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me! Closer to the bathroom.... pregnancy.

Who pays the bills? He does.

Who mows the lawn? Josh likes to pretend to mow the astroturf sometimes.

Who cooks dinner? I do most days.

Who drives when you are together? I don't know. Whoever wants to.

Who is more stubborn? I'd say him, and he'd say me... so what does that tell you? Both of us!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Josh...always.

Whose parents do you see the most? His parents

Who has more friends? He does... always has. I have a hard time keeping up with all of them.

Who has more siblings? I have 7, he has 1.

Who wears the pants in the family? Probably me, just because Josh allows it. We're pretty good with talking things out when it's an important issue though.

I don't have anyone else to tag yet. Chels tagged everyone that knows that I have a blog. lol.

A New Day

2008-02-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the one's who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it !

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Funny Pictures

2008-01-26T23:47:00.000-08:00

Dakota's teeth make me laugh. He's got this big gap in the middle of his front teeth. It kinda reminds me of Goofy. (top )

Josh left his lemonade out from Wendy's the other day. Dakota sat down for his daily dose of Nemo or "Moe" as he calls it, and this is what I find. (Middle)

...and for this week's best laugh. Josh has been wanting these "Perfect Push-up" things that have been advertized on TV. Well, he finally got them. He was giving them a go round the other night.... and had no idea that Dakota was right next to him doing some push-ups of his own. I wish I got this on video. Hahaha.

2008-01-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from over the holidays. Dakota loved Christmas. I'll have to admit, this was probably the funnest Christmas I can remember... all because I got to watch him explore and get so excited over the simplest things. Again, like his birthday, I realized that we could have wrapped up some boxes and put bows on them... and Dakota would have been a happy little clam. This other picture (to the left) happened when I decided to cook some dinner. We have a gate on our kitchen to keep Dakota out, so he ruled the roost for about a half hour. Well, I forgot that I left his diaper bag open. Who knows, maybe I didn't forget. I just didn't think that it would be so entertaining to tear it to shreds. Here, he's bending over to eat some marshmallows off the floor (sometimes he thinks he's a doggy). What a kid.

C'est la vie.

2008-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry to say, this will probably be my normal routine for blogging. I'm terrible at keeping up with things like this. Not too much happens at the Walker house right now besides eating and sleeping. I'm in my last semester of nursing school (woo hoo), and Josh works seven twelve hour shifts in seven days, then has seven days off. Dakota stays home with mom or dad when we're here, but when we're not he's got an awesome babysitter (whom I am eternally endebted to). I've decided that a good babysitter can ease a troubled mind.
About two weeks ago at my OB appt. we found out that I have a pretty severe case of gestational diabetes. This has brought about a complete (forced) change of routine for me in which my diet it pretty restricted, and I am constantly eating to keep my blood sugar within a specified range. I'm also taking alot of insulin and doing glucose checks constantly. Hmmmm, it's been a long two weeks. I'm doing well and actually feeling alot better despite all of the changes. My doctor says that I don't respond to insulin well, so I shouldn't be superised if this is going to be a lifelong thing for me. It's a hard pill to swallow when you're told that your body has problems that cannot be solved without some outside intervention. However, there is an outside intervention available....so thats good. The baby, as far as we know, is doing well and will now be healthier in many ways with my sugar levels staying in the normal range.
I feel great. This has brought about many good changes for our family. Of course we're eating much healthier. I'm a much more effective mother/wife/person (because I didn't realize that I was feeling so cruddy until I felt so much better). Josh is very supportive and willing to do whatever it takes to make things work. Life really is good. We're very blessed to have modern medicine and good doctors available to better our lives. I have a awesome family and I really couldn't ask for more. C'est la vie.

2007-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ~ WOW~ what a ride!!”