To all my bloggy friends

I want to apologize for not checking blogs for awhile. I haven't been feeling myself since Eddie passed away and I've been down. Now we're in Vegas and I have very limited e-mail access.

I know---hard to be down when you're in Vegas and it's hard to feel too sorry for me, but Eddie was my baby boy and we miss him terribly.

Anyway, I want you all to know that I sure am thinking about all of you even if I'm not able to read your blogs right now. I know some of you are going through tough times and I'm sorry. Please know that you're in my thoughts and prayers and never far from my mind.

If there is anything big happening in blog land that you think I would want to know about, please leave a comment for me. :) Any exciting news, prayer requests or sad news.....anything....just let me know and I'll be thinking/praying.

Again, so sorry I'm not able to check the blogs right now.

Miss you all and love you so much. Thanks for being the best internet family a gal could ever have.

(((HUGS)))

Eddie's passing

First, I want to thank you all for your support and love. I haven’t been able to respond to e-mails but I have read them all. Thank you, too, for your help and advice when we were trying to figure out what was wrong with Eddie.

Just as a warning, if you are an animal lover, this will break your heart and just typing this, I’m sobbing. But, this was such a moment that neither Mark nor I want to forget and I want to share.

His passing was so fast. In some ways, that’s a blessing. In other ways, it seems to hurt so much as we weren’t prepared.

In the morning, Eddie was fine. He was jumping around and was acting his normal self. Then, at about 2:30 in the afternoon, Mark had just gotten out of the shower. When Mark takes his shower, Eddie always lays down on his pillow in our bedroom until Mark gets dressed. Then, he follows Mark out to the living room. This time, he stayed in the bedroom and wouldn’t follow Mark. Mark mentioned it to me but at that point I didn’t think much about it, although Mark was concerned.

After work at 3:30 , I was going to go out and mow the lawn. Eddie loves to go outside. So, I went and asked him if he wanted to go outside. Usually this question brings a reaction of jumping, tail wagging and running to the door. This time, nothing. That’s when I realized something wasn’t right but I still wasn’t too concerned, although Mark was very concerned. Eddie just looked weak and a little out of it.

We turned up the air conditioning hoping that would help him. I went out to mow the lawn. About halfway through, I asked Mark how Eddie was and there was no change. I went around the yard a few more times, thinking about Eddie the whole time. I then stopped and asked Mark if we should call the vet and he nodded. I checked up on Eddie again and there was no change. So I called and explained the situation. Unfortunately they had no openings for the rest of the afternoon but could see him in the morning and gave us the emergency number if we needed.

I went out to finish mowing the lawn while Mark made supper, Eddie’s favorite—spaghetti. Eddie loves spaghetti and usually finishes up our leftovers. When I came back in, we were both shocked and so happy to see that Eddie had moved from the bedroom to the living room to his blanket. That gave us so much hope that he was okay. We then sat down to eat. Usually Eddie is right by our feet, especially with spaghetti. This time, he didn’t move. Even when I brought some spaghetti to him, he wouldn’t move. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I knew something was really wrong.

I noticed he was breathing more rapidly and seemed to be coughing. His mouth felt really cold. I thought maybe some aspirin would help so I mixed in with his favorite canned dog food. That’s always a special treat for him and he usually gobbles it up. He wouldn’t even lick it this time.

At this point, we knew something was really wrong and we decided to call the emergency number. I talked to the vet. She was very honest and said it doesn’t sound good and he might die over night. We love our vet. She’s always very upfront with us and doesn’t hide anything. She said to bring him right in.

At this point, I’m sobbing and both Mark and I are trying to stay strong for Eddie. Eddie was so weak and breathing and coughing hard and we knew we’d have to carry him to the car. We tried getting Mark’s brother and then our neighbor to help us and neither were available. So, we bundled him up and carried him out to the car ourselves. We realize now this was the best so we could spend time with him alone and I think Eddie just wanted us to be around him anyway.

We drove to the vet and Mark sat in the back of the car with Eddie with his head in his lap. I’m so glad Mark was able to do that.

We got to the vet and carried him in. That’s when we found out that his heart was beating twice as fast as it should and his oxygen level was only 60% and should be at least 97% on room air. There were no pulses in his legs and his gums were extremely pale. The vet explained the tests we could do and explained the prices. It took half a second for Mark and me to decide to do whatever it took.

We were right by his side the entire time. Mark talked to him and stroked his face while I was helping the vet drawing blood and check the stomach. We transferred him to get x-rays and it was so hard to step away from him to get them done. He would get nervous and move around and after the films were taken, the vet had us be by him again to help him relax and he did once we were there.

While the films were being developed, Mark and I continued to pet him and talk to him and I gave him oxygen. The vet came out telling us the abdomen x-ray showed a very enlarged spleen and thought it could be the problem. Then she went to develop the chest film. While she was gone, Eddie started convulsing and we knew it wasn’t good. I yelled to the vet and she came out and told us he was dying. She showed us the x-ray which showed large tumors on his lungs and his heart.

I started screaming and sobbing. My legs gave out and I was on the floor. I got up quickly, realizing that Eddie needed me to be strong. Then, the vet listened to Eddie’s heart and looked at us and said “He’s gone. I'm so sorry” at 8:10 p.m.

Both Mark and I were crying and petting and hugging Eddie. After awhile, I hugged the vet and thanked her for everything and for being there for Eddie. She said there was nothing we could have done and she said he knew we were trying to help him and at least he didn’t die alone.

What tore my heart is what Mark did right before we left Eddie. You see, when we first picked up Eddie at the Humane Society, the first thing he did was lay down so we could scratch his belly. He loved having his belly scratched. So before we left, Mark said he was going to leave him like we got him and gave him a belly scratch.

Looking back now, I realize how lucky we were things happened the way they did.

I’m grateful he passed away now and not while we were on vacation.

I’m grateful he wasn’t alone when he passed away and that it was just Mark, me and the vet with him and nobody else.

I’m grateful we took him in when we did. If we had taken him in earlier in the day, they would’ve recommended putting him down and that would’ve been a hard decision. And if we would’ve waited until morning, he would not have made it and we always would have been wondering “what if”. This way he died on his own and with us right there.

I’m grateful he didn’t suffer. The vet thought he just felt very weak and only for the few hours that we noticed he wasn’t himself.

I’m grateful for the special moments Mark got to have with him leading up to his passing away.

I do wish that I hadn't felt the need to mow the lawn and that I would've spent more time with Eddie.

I do wish that I wouldn't have gotten upset with him the day before for peeing on our tarp.

I do wish I would have seen him come out of the bedroom into the living room. I don't know how weak he was and if he needed help. I know he just wanted to be near us and I wish I could've helped him.

I just wish that I would've known. I would've pet him more and told him I loved him more. I wouldn't have gotten upset because he was whining and trying to get me up at 4 in the morning. I would've cherished his stinky breath in the morning so much more.

Eddie was such a good dog. This has really affected our whole family. When Mark told his mom about Eddie, she cried and said she couldn’t think of anything bad about Eddie. My sister said he was so loved and spoiled. We have gotten so many e-mails and calls from our family as they knew how much Eddie meant to us. What really touched me was what my sister-in-law said. She said to think of how much we loved Eddie and realize that he loved us that much and so much more. And I believe that with all my heart. He loved us so much.

We love you Eddie and miss you so much. Take good care of our nuts. We can’t wait to see you again.

The day we got Eddie, July 15, 2004:




One of my favorite pictures of me and Eddie:


These next pictures show just how much he put up with and what a trooper he was for me:


Here he is showing us he's our biggest cheerleader


Eddie with his reindeer ears


Eddie with his Santa Claus hat


We love you Eddie. Forever and always

Eddie passed away

My baby boy is playing with Peanut, Hazelnut and Lugnut. Eddie passed away at 8:10 tonight. We miss him so much already.

Details later.

To all dog owners!!

We're so worried about Eddie. He was doing just fine up until a few hours ago. Since then, he has been very weak, seeming to be breathing hard and is "coughing". We did turn the air conditioner off earlier today so we turned that on thinking it might help and we think it helped a little, but he's just not himself.

His mouth and nose seem to be cold. I don't think it's always like that, but I don't know for sure.

This came on so suddenly. He was doing just fine and then just wasn't himself.

We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow morning at 8:30 and they said we can bring him into there as an emergency visit if we have to.

Any ideas? We're so worried and sad. Eddie's our baby boy and we love him so much.

Our first home visit

We found out our first home visit for our homestudy is....

September 19!!!

We could have done it earlier but with us going to Vegas and with work, that was the best day that worked out for both of us.

This is actually a good thing because it gives me time to clean our house and the garage which is still full of stuff from the garage sale. So, I actually feel good about having the home visit about a month away.

I would LOVE advice now.

What things will they be looking for at the house? Anything I should for sure have?

Also, she is driving 5 hours to our house and will be here at about 11 in the morning for a 3-4 hour visit. Should I feed her or at least offer? I'm not sure what the "correct" thing to do is.

Thanks bunches!!

A conversation between Mark and I

First I have to say thank you to all of you for your support and ideas on the Vegas vacation! You guys are the best!

I have to share a conversation Mark and I had last night. We were talking about vascectomies. I know, odd for an infertile couple to be talking about that but 2 couples we know recently had that done and it was a topic of conversation last night.

I was telling Mark how it takes some time to become "sterile".

Mark: Really? I thought once they did the 'snip, snip', that was it.

Tammy: No, it can take awhile. They have to keep doing semen analyses until the count comes up zero.

Mark: They determine that by a blood test, right?

Tammy: No, honey. You have to.......

Mark: Really? They can't just check by a blood test?

Tammy: Nope.

Mark: Well, I can tell you, I'm never getting one of those done.

Tammy: You know, Mark, with our situation right now, I can honestly say I don't think you ever have to worry about having that done.

And Mark breathes a huge sigh of relief.

I guess that's the positive part of infertility for him.

I have a confession

I feel very guilty.

And my mom is sitting, reading this, rolling her eyes and probably extremely frustrated with me. :) I love you Mom!

Here's the thing: I took the week off before Labor Day and Mark and I are going to Las Vegas. We just recently booked the trip.

Here's where the guilt comes in. It was about 3 weeks ago that we had a garage sale where people donated to go towards our peanut fund. And now we're going to Las Vegas. It looks bad, I know.....BUT I have an explanation!!!

So please don't jump down my throat or send me an "anonymous" letter telling me what a horrible, selfish, ungrateful, greedy person I am.

Some may wonder why I feel I have to explain myself, but I realize this may look bad to some and so, yes, I do feel I have to explain....so I don't gain more enemies. :)

First we have a separate account for our peanut fund in a separate bank. All TTC expenses come out of that account, all the homestudy fees, our airline tickets for MI, etc. Literally, everything having to do with TTC comes out of that account. So, when I say our garage sale, memory quilts, blankets, coaching gymnastics, etc. goes into our peanut fund, it literally does and that account is set up just for that reason. Other money is for us to "live", even though every month, a small set amount is transferred from our checking account into our peanut fund to give us hope that we have the funds for whatever God gives to us.

Okay, my parents own a timeshare with 2 weeks a year. You can go anywhere in the world. Last Christmas, my parents gave each of us kids a week. How awesome is that?? :) Yes, I have the best parents.

Mark and I definitely wanted to use it this year. Then I started coaching gymnastics and will be doing so in the fall. So, after figuring things out, the only week I was able to take off was the week before Labor Day. We had originally wanted to take our week at the place where we spent our honeymoon. Unfortunately that wasn't available which was so disappointing. Then, we checked for anywhere in Wisconsin...nothing. Then, Minnesota....nada. We checked out near Chicago where my brother lives...zilch. And finally checked out Michigan....nope. So that ruled out anywhere driving (Mark does not do well driving with his stomach so he can't go long distances)

We were bummed. My sister was determined to find somewhere we could go. We really didn't want to go to FL (just done that) and nowhere really jumped out at us....until she found Vegas. I've always wanted to go...Mark not so much. But, the plane tickets were fairly cheap so we decided we'd go for it.

I admit, though, I do feel guilty. But, I also feel we need this and deserve it. And none of the money from the garage sale is paying for this...not one dime. I've actually been working overtime to help pay for it. I've been putting in about 55-60+ hours a week, waking up at 4 a.m. even on weekends, to work and get a little extra money. Actually with me working so much, we've paid off most of the expenses already. Thank goodness for overtime!!

And I like to think that this trip will help us. We'll spend some quality time together, have a good time and relax before going into the next step God has led us to.

And I feel like this was meant to be in a way. When I called to reserve the place, I told the agent I wanted to book a place in Las Vegas and I told him the name of the resort. He told me "You're not going to believe this but I literally just got back from Las Vegas from that very same resort."...and we talked for quite awhile on what to see, do, etc.

Now, if that doesn't tell ya something, I don't know what will. :)

So, honestly, should I feel guilty? No, not really. We've been given such a wonderful Christmas gift and a fairly cheap vacation....and we're not gamblers so that won't be an issue. :)

There ya go! In 2 weeks, we'll be in Las Vegas and we'll have fun and relax. How cool is that? :)

I hope I explained things okay and no one thinks poorly of me. :) To be honest, after reading through this post again...I really have no reason to feel guilty, do I?

So, Vegas here we come!! If anyone has been there and has some good tips/advice or whatever, let me know! We're definitely going to Hoo.ver Dam and Phan.tom of the Oper.a. Otherwise, we would love to know good, cheap places to eat. :)

A day with the kids at the zoo

On Tuesday, I took the day off of work and my mom and I took the kids to the zoo. It was so much fun. It was perfect weather....until we got there. Then it was pouring rain and it didn't let up too much until we were leaving. Figures. So we were running from building to building. Peyton used her map as an umbrella and then couldn't figure out why it was soaking wet.

She must take after her aunt. :)

We had a good time and it was fun to spend some time with my mom and the kids.


Me with Peyton and Tyler


My mom with Peyton and Tyler


Jamie Bean was in charge of the map. He was a great guide!


Tyler and Peyton by the gorilla statue


Jamie Bean sleeping


Jamie Bean no longer sleeping after I took his picture


Peyton and Tyler by the seal. Tyler's a little freaked out I think


Then it was snack time


Jamie Bean wasn't too happy about not getting a snack at that time


But then I told him Brett Favre might be coming back to play for the Vikings and then he was happy


Tyler and Peyton


Here is Peyton sitting by a gorilla, although it's hard to see the gorilla. She even gave the gorilla a kiss through the glass. I wonder how many germs were on that glass?

Then the kids wanted pictures taken with the turtle. First Peyton got to sit in front:


Of course Tyler had a fit so we had to take a picture with him in the front:



Here is my mom holding Jamie Bean while Tyler and Peyton were trying to get him to smile

After the zoo, we went out for pizza:

Tyler was too much into his coloring to look at the camera. Probably that and the fact that he was probably tired of me taking so many pictures


My mom and Peyton

The proof is in the bib **second post of the day**

Awwwwww....

Our Friday the 13th

First, we woke up to this:






We had a big storm last night and it took out one of our trees. We were soooo lucky, though as it only took out our clothes line. If it had fallen another way, it would've taken out our shed and possibly our garage. And if it would have been one in the front yard, we have both our vehicles out and my sister's camper and my mom and dad's 2 trailers. That would have been really bad. So, we were extremely fortunate.

The best part of the storm during the night was the fact that Peyton was scared and came in and wanted to sleep with us because she was so scared. Yes, I'm a horrible aunt that loves to see poor Peyton suffer. I just love snuggling with her and it's been a long time since she's slept with us.

Then, this afternoon while we were watching both Peyton and Jamie Bean, Mark had a bad insulin reaction and it happened so fast. I had him eat some sherbet, but then he started having seizure-like activity. I knew I had to get him a sugar shot but I was holding Jamie. So, I put poor Peyton in charge of watching a screaming Jamie Bean while I ran to get a sugar shot. While I was getting the shot ready, I heard a crash and came out to find Mark had collapsed on the floor. Luckily, Peter had surprised us by stopping in to say hi and so he was there to watch Mark while I got the shot ready as fast as I could and poor Peyton is trying to calm down a screaming Jamie. Luckily, Peyton was so busy that she wasn't able to see Mark as bad as he was. I was able to give Mark his sugar shot and after about 10 minutes, he was better. And Peyton was able to see her buddy, Mark, again the way her sweet uncle always is.

He was pretty beat up, though. Here is a picture of his arm:


It was so scary but we made it through. Mark felt horrible about it but there's really nothing you can do when that happens. And things worked out and everyone is okay.

And lastly, we have water leaking into our basement from the storms we've had. Nice. The best part is that I broke our brand new mop while I was trying to figure out how to use it. I don't even know how to work a mop. Man, I am gooooood.

So that was our Friday the 13th. We made it, though. :) We're all safe, happy and healthy and we've got a roof over our heads and that's the main thing.

Life is good. :)

About my dad

This post is a long time coming. I’ve wanted to dedicate a post to my dad for Father’s Day. Yes, I know that was 2 months ago.

I grew up in a very loving family and I have always been close to both my parents which I’ve always been incredibly grateful for. I don’t know what I would do without my parents.

My dad used to be a farmer and I loved working with the animals so I was doing chores a lot, starting at a young age. I spent a lot of time with my dad in the barn and we have so many memories. So many laughs and good times.

One of the many great qualities of my dad is the way he will surprise you and do things that make you feel so special. I remember one time on my pillow he left a homemade cut-out heart card with the Bible verse “Forget yourself for others and others will not forget you.” and he thanked me for being there for him. Another time, he brought me 3 roses in honor of our babies just out of the blue. After he left our house, he headed out to give roses to my mom and sister. He’s always so thoughtful like that.

The day of my wedding, right before my dad walked me down the aisle, I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said “I love you, Dad”. With tears in his eyes, he told me he loved me, too. Definitely a moment I will never forget and always treasure.

Like my mom, my dad never likes to see his children hurting. Whenever I’m hurting I can always count on my dad to call and check up on me and usually try to crack a joke to get me to smile. Sometimes it works and sometimes he just gets an earful for making a joke at such a bad time.

But I know I can always count on my dad. He is always there for me. He can always make me laugh. He is a wonderful father.

And he is a wonderful grandfather. I love watching my dad with Tyler, Peyton and Jamie Bean. He is such a wonderful, loving grandpa. I hope and pray I’ll be able to watch him be a great grandpa to our kids, too.

I love you, Dad. Thanks for setting the great example of a parent for me and for always being there. I’m so blessed to have you as my dad.


This is one of my favorite pictures of my dad and Mark. In Disney World last year, Peyton and Adelaide wore matching outfits every day. One day, my dad and Mark accidentally wore the same shirt. Neither one knew the other one had it. It was really funny. So I got a picture of all of them with their matching shirts. :)


My mom and dad with Sam (notice he's wearing that shirt again...he must really like it :))


Our family. We're so blessed.

I did it...

For those who follow me on FB, you probably know that I sent in the paperwork for the homestudy and a nonrefundable check for $2500. Lots of mixed emotions. One minute I'm happy, the next minute I'm sad. But, so very proud of myself for taking that step of faith. It was a big step for us!

Now we'll see what God has in store. :) I still hope and pray it's His plan for me to carry someday somehow. I guess we'll see what He has to say. :)

Thanks for all your encouragement and support!!

Amazing support

You guys never cease to amaze me. Seriously. I'm just in awe at how much support I receive from my blog and my bloggy friends.

Your comments and e-mails have touched me so very much and helped in ways that I can't even express. Here I thought I would get burned for being so negative and so many people reached out to me and helped me realize that I indeed am normal.

Thank you!

What amazes me is how much people think of me and are willing to share their stories in hopes of helping me. I'm definitely not one to compare situations as everyone's situations are unique and no one can really truly understand "exactly" how someone feels or "should" feel. At least that's my opinion. :)

What I do know is that everyone struggles and everyone is fighting some sort of battle in their daily lives.

Remember the post I wrote about the song that touched me? Not long after I posted that, my sister called to tell me that she had heard that song on the radio a couple months ago and thought of me. She went onto say how well we handle things and that we are so strong. She continued to say some wonderful things and it really touched me.

It wasn't until after we hung up that I did the math. She heard it 2 months ago and 2 months ago was about the time Jamie Bean was born and things were really tough for her.

And she heard this song and thought of me when she was going through so much. Amazing.

And then one of my best friends also called me after reading that post and, like my sister, had heard the song awhile ago and had thought of me. This friend also had just had a baby who was in and out of the hospital and had troubles with his ears, etc.

And she heard this song and thought of me when she was going through so much. Amazing.

It just amazes me when I know people have their own struggles, their own pain, their own heartache, and they take the time to help me or think of me. I know it's not easy to share some of your feelings and stories that may trigger some sad or hard emotions. I want you to know that I understand that and it means so much that you share in hopes of helping me.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I am so blessed!

Thank you to all for reaching out and helping me, for thinking of me when I know you're fighting some sort of battle yourself.

Struggling....

In filling out our paperwork for our home study, I admit, it’s stirred up some feelings.

What I’m about to write may hurt or offend, but as always, please read through the entire post before commenting or passing judgment.

I’ve always said we want to follow our hearts and what God is leading us to do. Never do we want to stray from that. We feel this adoption opportunity has come up for a reason and there is a reason why we are going through with the home study.

But filling out the paperwork is a little hard for me and brings out some feelings that occasionally creep up.

Like the fact that Mark and I will never have a biological child because we can never use my eggs or Mark’s sperm. I look at kids and think how they are created through the mother and father’s DNA (yes, I think of other people’s eggs and sperm). I think people take for granted how blessed they are that their children have been created in such a way. I look at Mark’s boys and see Mark’s characteristics and realize that they look so much like Mark....something I can’t give to Mark.

I know, I know...the baby will be “ours” no matter what. The baby will only know Mark and me as parents. The baby will be “50/50” of our influence, morals and love. I know all that. I also know going through an adoption process can also be a type of “grieving a loss”, too.

I know people are ready to scream at me right now. For those who want to say “if you’re having doubts, you shouldn’t be going through it” or “adopted babies can’t be ‘second best’”, please don’t comment. It’s not that we’re having doubts and if this wasn’t a way that we didn’t want to go in some way or felt led to, we wouldn’t be proceeding. And a baby would never be second best. A precious baby is a miracle no matter what and a miracle can never be second best.

I can tell you, I wouldn’t be writing this if I didn’t hear that my feelings were normal. I’ve been blessed to get to know someone who has adopted and said she struggled with feelings like this right up until her child was born and struggled with going through the home study process because of these feelings. And the amazing part is, she brought it up to me. I never brought it up to her. Before she talked about it, I thought I was so weird because I wasn’t as excited about it as other people were. I couldn’t figure out what was “wrong” with me. Little did I know, I was normal. I was so relieved when she brought it up.

And, yes, I realize with adopted embryos, the babies aren’t genetically related to me or Mark, but the key is carrying the baby. I know from my research, that with the baby growing in my uterus, it’s my body that determines the baby’s biology. And Mark and I would be able to go through the pregnancy together. He can rub my tummy and talk to the baby while he/she is growing in my tummy. That’s something I definitely want and wish I could have. I’m praying so much we can have that opportunity.

It may sound like I’m greedy, but I can tell you that we will absolutely love any baby God gives us if He wants us to be parents. There is never any doubt about that. The important thing is being parents and providing a good home for a baby.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit there were sad feelings sometimes while filling out the home study paperwork. That doesn’t make me a bad, selfish or greedy person...it just makes me normal. Although if you ask my family, "normal" is debatable with me.

I know people who have a genetic child and have adopted will tell me they love their children the same and I have no doubt about that, absolutely no doubt. Like I’ve said, a child is a miracle no matter what. If you wish to comment or share your experience, I welcome that and thank you for taking the time to encourage me. Who I would really love to hear from are people who have adopted and have not been blessed with a genetic child and how they are doing. Although I know there is a huge group of us out there, sometimes I feel so alone.

This has also made me think even more of our 3 little “nuts”. I think of them every day, but especially now. Had our FET worked in April, I would be halfway through my pregnancy. My due date would have been January 1. I could be stressing out about the nursery getting done and instead I’m stressing out about how the house will look for the home study. We could be spending money on baby things and instead we’re spending money on an adoption agency and saving up for a possible FET.

I used to love Christmas and now I’m dreading it coming. Part of it is because we’ve spent the last 3 Christmases in the hospital with Mark being sick and so we come to expect to spend Christmas in the hospital. But, I also know that if our FET would have worked, most likely, we would have at least one baby by Christmas, if not 2. It’s a thought that tears my heart in two sometimes.

I miss them so much. So very much.

Our sale

I have to say, I'm completely exhausted after this weekend! But, it's such a "good" exhausted and I feel so good. The funny thing is, I had been waking up the last 3 mornings at 4 to work some overtime at work before our sale and I was so tired this morning that when my alarm went off at 4, I didn't hear it and Mark woke me up and asked if I could turn it off please. :) I realized then I was way too tired to work and I slept in until 7 which is very unlike me.

Anyway, it was a GREAT weekend and we had so much fun. The best part of the sale was the bonding time with my family and I always look forward to that. Everyone came Monday and Wednesday nights before the sale to help set up. We honestly couldn't have done it without them. THANK YOU GUYS!!! Love you!!

And Mark was husband of the year. He worked so hard to try to keep the house in order and did the laundry and dishes all weekend long. He was wonderful and I know he was so tired and not feeling the best, so him working so hard meant even more to me.

Then for the sale, my mom and the kids were here on Thursday. My sister and her family camped out in our yard all weekend with their new camper and it was so much fun to have them here. Each night, one of the kids would spend the night in the house and it was such a joy to wake up in the morning with them in the house. Saturday night both of them spent the night in the house and they had a lot of trouble falling asleep and were giggling and picking on each other. I finally had to separate them. But, it really caught me off guard and it was amazing to me to hear them giggling together and actually getting along! That doesn't happen too often!

My mom and dad also had their trailer for their business at the fair not too far from us, so we spent a lot of time with them, too, and all of us would go back and forth to the fair. It was a lot of fun and great family time.

We've had some road construction on our road and at first they were planning on being done before the fair so the road would be open for the fair as our road is a huge asset to fair-goers as we are right by the fair. Unfortunately that didn't happen and our road ended up being closed. So, the garage sale was pretty slow. There was hardly any traffic. But we were still able to raise $600! We were very happy and blessed with that. We'll be having another sale in a few weeks when our road is open so we can hopefully get more traffic then. We still have sooooooo much stuff. The garage is still packed!

We are so blessed to have the support we do in so many ways. You guys, we are so blessed and lucky....words can't even express it.

It was a wonderful weekend and in so many ways, it's sad to see it end. And yet, it is a relief to have it done with, too. :)

I want to thank you all, my bloggy friends, for all your support and for asking about the sale and everything! Thank you! It really means so very much! (((HUGS)))

And, oh yeah, I got pictures!


Tyler playing at the sale


Me and Jamie Bean


Me and Jamie Bean


Mark and Peyton


Mark and Jamie Bean


Tyler sleeping in the morning.

I think the weekend was the most exciting for Peyton.

This is Peyton on Friday:


And Peyton on Saturday:



My sister's family's new camper. Pretty cool, huh? :)


Jamie Bean. Gotta love those eyes!!

Here is Jamie Bean with his mommy. I love these pictures. He's smiling so much for his mommy and you can see how much my sister just loves him to pieces: