Going Wild

It happened. My little turned 5 and he's not so little anymore.
We celebrated his day with a Safari themed party at home. The weather couldn't make up it's mind and kept saying rain/no rain all the way up until the day of the party. Naturally, I panicked because I had a guest list of 65-70 people and our house just isn't big enough to fit everyone comfortably inside. But, with the exception of a little sprinkle, the weather was great!
Our party foods included Pizza, Hot Dogs and PB&J for main entrees. Veggies & ranch, berries & grapes, apple slices, bags of chips, fruit snacks, cheese & crackers and rice krispy treats as sides/snacks. For dessert, of course we had birthday cake, but because we had such a big crowd, we also had double chocolate gluten free cupcakes, "Dirt" cups (chocolate pudding topped with oreo crumbs and a gummy worm) and banana pudding cups (bananas, monkeys, animal safari- stretching the theme a little there).
I made signs for "The Watering Hole" where the drinks were located, a sign that said "please don't feed the animals" with a photo of Landon yelling and crossed out, an entrance sign, and a banner that said "Go Wild".
His goodie bags were brown paper sacks with a green stamped "thanks" and tied with animal print ribbon. Inside was a toy snake, animal stickers, an animal finger puppet and assorted candies.
I bought him a brown polo with a black lion on it and we were ready to party!
Yes, we went a little crazy with the theme, but it was totally worth it. He LOVED it and had such a great day!

Here's to 2012...

2011 was full of blessings. The greatest was being able to quit my job and stay at home with Landon. I have prayed for this opportunity with every fiber of my being- even before I became a Mom. Yes, he drives me crazy and tests my patience to it's furthest limits every single day... but I feel like I was designed for this job. I love being able to wake up to his sweet voice, tuck him in every night with prayers and witness every tiny moment in between. I thought staying at home would be my chance to teach him, but really it's him who has been teaching me all along. I've learned to slow down and take time to enjoy life. A simple picnic at the park, laying on the grass and watching the clouds go by. That's a perfect day to us.



So, what's in store for 2012? Only God knows, I suppose. But I hope it's filled with many days of sunshine, laughter, memories, good health and lots of love. I'll take a few rough days too. Because without them, I wouldn't be able to fully appreciate the good ones.

I'm hoping for more quiet moments with God, romantic moments with my husband and silly moments with Landon.

This year I hope to be a better wife, a better mom, a better friend and a better person in general. 2012, I have big plans for us.

No longer a baby, but alway's MY baby

Landon's birthday is a month away and that means that amidst the holiday planning, I am also planning a birthday party for my amazing little boy. Next month, Landon will be turning five.

FIVE! Every year is bittersweet because I wish he could stay little forever. But, 5- that's a big number! You watch him grow through all of the stages: newborn, infant, toddler, preschooler... and now he's past all that and will be a KID! I mean, this is it (until he turns 13 of course). But from 5 to 12, he's a KID... there's nothing "baby" about him anymore.

If turning 5 is this hard on me, I can't imagine how his first day of school will be.

Someone pass the tissues.

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

So, this year, I thought Landon would be old enough to understand that Christmas is more than Santa Claus and getting presents. (Don't worry. He already knows that it's also Jesus' Birthday.) But I wanted him to know that it's about giving to others, too.
I came across an idea online called "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness". Instead of the traditional advent calendar, each day you do something nice for someone else. So, I let him choose what to do for the first day... just to see if he had ideas of his own. Know what he said? "We can give money to someone who needs it and doesn't have any." Love him and loved his idea. I'm going to list all of our activities below in hope that it might inspire someone in some way.

Day 1: Give money to Salvation Army
Day 2: Donate toys to Spark of Love toy drive
Day 3: Cook a special breakfast for Daddy
Day 4: Pick up the tab for the person behind us at Starbucks
Day 5: Leave a stack of quarters at the laundromat
Day 6: Donate clothing to the needy
Day 7: Bring coffee to a friend at work (Landon picked his Aunt Sarah)
Day 8: Pick up trash at a local park
Day 9: Donate jackets/coats to Air 1 jacket drive
Day 10: Take treats to local fire station
Day 11: Support fundraising event for Children's Hospital
Day 12: Donate games to kids at LLUCH
Day 13: Donate to local food drive
Day 14: Take dog/cat food and supplies to a local animal rescue
Day 15: Put coins in the penny stamping machines at Disneyland (for the next person)
Day 16: Send goodies to a soldier who can't be home for Christmas
Day 17: Take Candy and Christmas cards to our neighbors
Day 18: Wish people a Merry Christmas while holiday shopping
Day 19: Bake yummy treats for a friend (Landon chose Miss Tiffany at LLUCH and Auntie Shea)
Day 20: Send flowers to a friend (Landon chose Dana)
Day 21: Bake cookies for our postman
Day 22: Buy breakfast for the person behind us in drive thru
Day 23: Cook a Hawaiian lunch for hubby's office
Day 24:

Make a Difference

It's here. My absolute favorite KFRG event. It was my favorite while working there and it still is. It was my favorite before I had children and even more so now that I have Landon. And it benefits an organization that I am strongly passionate about.

The 10th Annaul KFROGGERS for Kids Radiothon to benefit the pediatric cancer unit at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital.

Why LLUCH? It's our region's only level 1 trauma center. Covering San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo & Mono Counties. That means they treat everything from the mildest scrapes and bruises to the most severe and critical cases- Car accidents, Cancer, Transplants. They have teams of doctors, nurses and staff members who work hard to ensure the highest level of care is given to each and every little patient.

Why should you donate? Every parent prays that nothing bad will happen to their child, and sadly there are families who face those tragedies every single day. Thankfully, we have LLUCH. It's nice to know that in times of crisis there is a hospital right here- practically in your backyard that is capable of taking care of your most precious asset. And if you've already had a little one who has been a patient there, then you know how amazing of a place it is.

The bottom line is, every child deserves a happier & healthier future. And that future can start with you! We don't need people to give more. We need more people to give. Every little bit helps! There are 3 easy ways you can donate over the next couple of days:

1) Call 1-800-825-KIDS

2) Text "KIDS" to 27722 to donate $10. (The money will be charged directly to your phone bill)

3) Click here to donate online

For those that aren't familiar with our experience at LLUCH, you can Click here to read Landon's story