some updating...

Without trying too hard, I've been able to recently accomplish quite a few of my goals and get started on several others. Pretty exciting. Much to blog about! Buuut, I don't have the time right now. Sorry. Soon, I promise.

missing great strides...

One of the items on my list is to sign up for, raise money for and walk in the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis walk in support of one I call my niece, Ojaio Lux.  However, this year we are out of town the day of the walk.  But I'm still determined to do the fundraising I always do when participating in the walk.  The following is a note from Holly, Ojaio's mom.  Please read and pass it on.  Our friends need your support in prayer and if possible, a donation in any amount.  Thank you for your help! (and thanks Josie for the pic of me, Ojaio and Dylan)

Ojaio Lux -- Investing in a Lifetime

Dear Friends and Family,  By now you have probably heard Justin or I explain, "It's all we know," when asked about raising a child with Cystic Fibrosis. This past year we have begun to truly feel this way. The daily regimen of treatments and medications in which we were at one point bombarded with now feel normal, like changing a diaper, or giving a bath. Ojaio is as healthy as any other three year old. While we are always living with CF, these days, we have been able to focus more on living.  From the heart of someone surrounded by Ojaio's love everyday, let me tell you a little bit about her spirit. Ojaio is determined, loving, dramatic, independent, funny and extremely intelligent. The first time we played the memory game, she won. Ojaio is dainty, and at times prissy, but very strong. Sometimes she amazes us with her grip, or by the things she can lift over her head. She prefers hopping, skipping and tip-toeing to walking, she can shake her booty and carry a tune. Ojaio is special. She makes friends with everyone she meets, she knows how to be cute, and she eats up attention. Some of Ojaio's favorites are books, chocolate, our dog Oka, and her cousin Rhianna. She is athletic, and interested in soccer balls, fishing and bicycles, yet equally enamored by dress up, nail polish, and anything in the color pink. She sings, she dances, she giggles. She is hugs, she is cuddles, she is kisses. Ojaio is love.  Though we have become used to it, living with Cystic Fibrosis and keeping up with all it entails is a full-time job. Throughout the day Ojaio takes seven different medications multiple times. When she is healthy she does two half-hour breathing treatments each day, and when she is sick, this doubles. When things are going well, we see the CF team every two months. Ojaio has five doctors, a dietitian, a nurse case manager, two respiratory technicians, a physical therapist, and a social worker. This is what it takes to keep Ojaio alive. For Justin and I, parenting is more than providing shelter, ensuring proper growth and love. It also means investing in new therapies, and a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. I truly believe we will find a cure in Ojaio's lifetime, but only money will make that possible. Drug companies and the government will not invest in CF, because it is not profitable -- only 30,000 Americans suffer from this disease. It is up to us to give our kids a long life. Cystic Fibrosis is the number one genetic killer of Children in the US. While the median age of survival is 37, as hard as we try, sometimes it doesn't matter. CF does not discriminate. More than 60% of kids with CF won't make it to adulthood. My cousin Megan lost her precious son Liam to CF as an infant. Just last month, an eight year old lost her life to this disease. We CANNOT let this happen to our Ojaio.  Times are tough, but please give what you can. Five bucks will bring us that much closer to a cure. Any amount is appreciated.  After you give, please send this to your friends and family. Justin and I need the world to know how special Ojaio is, how much we need her in it. Thank you.  To make a donation, please visit http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/HollyReynolds Words cannot express our gratitude. Thank you so much, Holly, Justin and Ojaio Reynolds

an update...

So, I've been at it for just about 3 months now and I'd say my progress is going pretty well.  I currently have completed 13 of my 101 tasks.  

We filed our taxes for 2008 and oh boy was that fun. haha. Anyway, we always owe because Chad does 1099 because he is considered an independent contractor.  However, thank you Dylan, with the tax breaks we get for being homeowners and now having a baby, we are actually getting money back this year for the first time ever!  Hooray!  What a relief!  We are working on booking a trip to Texas to visit family and introduce Dylan to her southern roots!  

Chad and I have been enjoying date nights about once a week where we get a sitter and the two of us go eat, or go to a movie and just spend time together.  This has been awesome for us and for Dylan to gain a little independence and be comfortable staying with family members while mommy and daddy are gone.

We have a couple friends with new babies and one of them is a photographer friend whose son is only a few weeks younger than Dylan.  Seen below, Israel is a rolly polly ball of goodness!  Just look at those cheeks!  He came over and met Dylan and they were so super cute together.  Dylan tried to eat him up, I wanted to too, he is yummy!  

Dylan also got to meet Evan, the son of one of Chad's best childhood friends.  Evan is a few months younger than Dylan and he too is ADORABLE!  It was brief and Evan was asleep, but Dylan was definitely interested and excited about a future play date (one where we can take pictures of the two!)  When that happens, I'll gladly post them!  Until then...

numero fifty-eight...

Chad and I have been going  to Rock Harbor's new Long Beach church plant.  It's awesome because it's small and intimate and it's close to home!  The pastor there is a young guy named Darrin.  The other night when we were there we met Darrin and his wife Alex and they invited us to their new Life Group that they do on Tuesday nights with two other couples.  We were super excited so we called Chad's mom (Grandma C) to come and watch Dylan while we went.  So, long story short, on Dylan's half birthday (yes, she's six months old already!!), Chad and I both left Dylan with a babysitter for the first time!  We did so well, we were able to go and enjoy ourselves and enjoy meeting new friends and having a great time.  More importantly, Dylan was so good for her grandma!  We are so glad because now we know we can leave her and feel comfortable.  Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's so hard to do, it is seriously such a huge step!  I'm proud of us and Dylan and Grandma.  And so thankful to Grandma!  We will be calling her and Dylan's other grandparents more often so that Chad and I can get out together as a couple again.  Yay for us!

please read...

My friend Holly posted a link on her blog to an article regarding Cystic Fibrosis.  Please take two minutes to read this article.  It's not long.  Please be praying for the scientists and everyone else involved in this research.  This could mean amazing things for Ojaio.  Thank you!

#22: Miss Bella Wooten...

This last week my cousin Nichola and her hubby and daughter came out to visit and meet Dylan for the first time.  Nichola and I, even though she lives in Texas and I live in California, have always been more like sisters and it's been killing us having girls and keeping them so far apart.  We met Bella when she was born two and a half years ago, and then again when she was a little over a year old, so a visit was long overdue.  They came and stayed with us for five days.  Here are some shots from our time together...

Bella did my makeup one day...don't I look pretty?!

the Wootens

I'm strong to the finish...

Thanks to my friend Holly, I tried a new recipe this week.  Holly posted a recipe from one of her favorite chefs, Jamie Oliver, on her blog.  I am always looking to try new recipes because I really enjoy cooking.  So, I tried out the recipe and it was YUMMY!  It's a pasta made with spinach and mascarpone and parmesan cheese.  I love pasta, so we went for it and it was delish!  Here's a picture of my masterpiece.

Nature Walk...

So Chad and I took Dylan on one of the nature walks at El Dorado park.  I blogged about it, including pictures, here.

Iron & No Wine

It's been about 12 or so years since I've eaten red meat.  I just don't like it.  Therefore, I've been anemic for quite some time.  This never really posed a problem until I was pregnant.  My doctor recommended iron pill supplements.  I started taking them once a day along with the prenatals and DHAs and folic acids and calciums and all that.  Well it didn't do anything, so I started taking them three times a day and still my iron levels were not going up.  So, we had to resort to doing IV treatments.  I went in once a week for several weeks to get iron pumped into me through an IV.  It wasn't too bad, just kind of boring and a little weird because everyone else there was getting like chemo and other crazy things.  So I was the youngest, healthiest person there, but when I would walk in and sit down to get hooked up, the other patients would trip out cause they thought there was something wrong with me and I was pregnant.  Anywho, insurance paid for some, but we got a big fat bill for the rest.  So, we stuck it in the pile with the rest of the hospital bills and prayed we would eventually have the money to pay for it.  A little over a week ago, I received a letter from my OBGYN's office stating that when they reviewed their yearly records they found that I had a credit on my account and they sent me a check!  Praise God!  We were able to pay off the bill for the IV treatments!   So, I'm marking off #25!!  This one feels good!

# 87...COMPLETED!

So I completed my "25 Random Things About Me" list.  This was just a fun thing going around on Facebook and when I saw it I thought, "I wouldn't even know where to begin, there aren't that many interesting things about me".  However, I was able to come up with 25.  So, here it is:

1.  I met my husband when we were in 5th grade.

2.  I anonymously wrote "i love you" in his yearbook.

3.  My first and middle names (Lyndsea Eryne) are spelled differently than any other "Lindsay" or "Erin" I've ever met.

4.  My daughter practically named herself.

5.  I gave birth to my daughter after 13 hours of labor, including 2 hours of pushing, with no epidural or any other pain meds...and she was posterior.

6.  I've been a Christian all my life, but haven't REALLY understood what that meant until I was an adult.

7.  I have THE most important job in the world.

8.  I'm not very competitive, but I am a sore loser.

9.  I voted no on Prop 8 because I feel it is a discrimination issue and not a moral one.

10. I really and truly believe that in life all you need is love.

11. I think it should be illegal to mix chocolate with any fruit, with the exception of strawberries.

12. Until 6 months ago, I worked for the same employer for 10 years.

13. I don't know how I could have ever been considered attractive before I wore mascara.

14. I despise the way toenails look when they are not painted.  Especially mine.

15. When I'm eating I plan what my last bite will consist of so that it will be the best bite of my whole meal.

16. I get disappointed if it's not.

17. I think about dessert about 2/3 of the way through any and every meal.

18. I secretly hate this list because I feel like I'm trying to make myself sound cool.

19. I wish there was a present-day John Lennon and not just for the music, but to shake things up a bit the way he did.

20. I'm a natural blonde.

21. My parents (and many of my friends) witnessed my very first kiss.

22. I'm a major procrastinator.

23. I'm messy.

24. Everyday I look forward to the mail coming even though it's usually just junk and bills.

25. I've lived in at least 12 different houses and/or apartments and that's only half as many as my husband.

101 in 1001

I've been inspired. A friend of mine started a blog last year with a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I thought it was pretty neat when I saw it, but not until I recently revisited it did I get inspired to do the same. It's called the 1001 Day Project. There's a website with information about it, how to get it started and a list of others' lists. So I've decided to start my list. Currently, it is not complete. It's taken me several days to get what I have and I'm sure a few more days and it will be complete. However, I wanted to go ahead and post what I've got and get started on a few of these goals. I will be blogging about the projects as I complete them (it's on the list to do so). So here it is.

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

My start date is February 1, 2009.

My end date is October 30, 2011.

Key:

completed

in progress

not yet started

Where Soul Meets Body

1. Get a massage

2. Read 5 books (1/5)

3. Get back into yoga class at the gym & attend at least 1 a month (0/33)

4. Spend at least 10 minutes a day with God (ie. praying, reading Bible)

5. Go 1 week without eating dessert (0/1)

6. Go on at least 3 walks a week (7/143)

7. Go on all of the trails at the El Dorado Nature Walk (1/3)

It's a Family Affair

8. Send 10 handwritten cards/letters just because (0/10)

9. Take Dylan to the beach at least 5 times each summer (5/15)

10. Have a picnic at the park at least 3 times (0/3)

11. Keep up with Dylan's blog with at least 3 posts per week (7/143)

12. Visit family in Texas

13. Start working on baby #2 (don't get too excited, not right now, I just mean eventually!)

14. Start researching, speaking with other couples, praying over, etc. about adoption process

15. Have "professional" pictures taken (ie. probably a photographer friend of Chad's)

16. Call at least 1 friend a week (texting/email/facebook don't count!) (7/143)

17. Order photobooks of Dylan for her first and second years of life (0/2)

18. Send a card to each of my great aunts once a month (1/33)

19. Send a card, flowers or a gift to out of state family on their birthdays

20. Meet Evan Edward Van Oefflen

21. Meet Israel Anthony Acosta

22. Introduce Dylan to Arabella Carol Wooten

23. Take video of Dylan at least 3 times a month (5/33)

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

24. Pay off hospital bill

25. Pay off bill for iron IV treatments

26. Consolidate credit cards

27. Pay off said credit cards

28. Save at least $5,000 (0/5,000)

29. Start a savings account for Dylan and deposit $10 per month (more when we can afford it) (0/33)

30. Donate $2 for each task not completed at end of 1001 days

Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House

31. Plant a vegetable garden for Dylan

32. Sew new curtains for kitchen

33. Figure out new window treatments for Dylan's room

34. Paint house

35. Paint and hang art in Dylan's room

36. Complete tree wall hanging in Dylan's room (my Everest, haha!)

37. Paint our bedroom

38. Re-paint kitchen table

39. Do something new to kitchen cabinets (strip, paint, refinish, etc.)

It's a Good Thing

40. Register for Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis walk in honor of Ojaio

41. Raise at least $500 for walk (I'll post donation link once I'm able to register)

42. Participate in walk

43. Actually use the reusable shopping bags we have and acquire no more plastic bags

44. Find a local farmer's market and purchase fruits & veggies there once a month (1/33)

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

45. Get a library card at a local library

46. Go back to New York City...with Dylan! (visit Abbie & Alysson while there)

47. Adopt a dog!

48. Visit a zoo

49. Cook or bake at least 20 new recipes (12/20)

50. Sign up for and do at least 20 postcrossings

51. See Cirque Du Soleil's "LOVE" show

52. Visit an art museum

53. Go to a concert (I'm seeing No Doubt August 2009!)

54. Take Dylan to the Long Beach Aquarium

55. Enroll Dylan in swim lessons in summer 2010

56. Go to dinner just me and Chad

57. Go to the movies! (it's been like 6 months)

58. Thus, allowing someone to babysit Dylan for the first time!

59. Learn to play at least 1 song on the keyboard (preferably one that Chad can play on the guitar)

It's All About Me!

60. Get a manicure and pedicure at the same time

61. Buy 3 new bras that are not nursing bras (3/3)

62. Get another tattoo

63. Graduate!

64. Learn how to use photoshop

65. Find a foundation that I love

Get it Together

66. Organize pictures from computer and put onto discs

67. Create and follow a work-week home management plan

68. Write our will

69. Set up and implement a receipt filing system

70. Organize '08 receipts

71. File taxes for 2008 & 2009 (2/2)

72. Get a fire-safe box for important documents

73. Blog about each task as I complete them (12/101)

74. Get certified copies of Dylan's birth certificate

75. Organize file boxes

76. Shred old bill statements and unneeded documents

77. Get a landline for emergencies

Miscellaneous

78. Get wedding dress preserved!!

79. Order more wedding pictures

80. Buy a DSLR camera

81. Go to 10 year high school reunion

82. Apply for emergency credential so I can start subbing

83. File leave of absence for current semester

84. Take the RICA

85. Potty train Dylan by 9.10.10

86. Once Dylan can stand on her own, start a measurement wall & measure her every month

87. Complete the "25 Random things about me" list

88. Complete this list

Added since posting:

89. Trace family lineage

90. Throw Josie one kick-A baby shower!

91. Register for paperless statements for all accounts that offer it.

92. Get a new driver's license with current address (and new picture?)

93. Refinish hardwood floors

94. Paint living room...again

95. Scrape ceilings

96. Paint kitchen

97. Turn storage room in garage into a darkroom

98. Make at least 3 projects from my sewing book