2010 High/Low

When Jarom and I were newlyweds, we went to dinner at my Aunt and Uncle’s house one night.  At the time they had three girls (there are two little boys now too!) and they went around the table and each gave a high/low report for their day.  The high was the best thing that happened, the low was the worst part.  We were impressed by the game and have done it over the years (less consistently, but during some memorable times in our lives).  I’ve decided to compile my list of high/lows for 2010 as I welcome 2011 with open arms.

In no particular order, here are my lows:

*    March - Hazel has an anaphylactic reaction to hypoallergenic formula

*    April - I come down with strep throat

*    November - Jarom lands in the hospital with abscessed tonsils and low oxygen levels

*    June - Hazel has a scope and biopsy done and is diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis

*    April - Hazel is diagnosed with multiple severe food allergies

*    December - Jarom’s tonsils are removed

*    August - Hazel suffers another severe reaction to milk

*    March - Hazel is labeled a “failure to thrive” for weight and development

And my highs:

*    June - Family RV trip to Oregon for the Wright Reunion

*    June - Jarom turns 30 and celebrates with friends at a surprise party

*    March - I help as a committee member with Miss Eagle Mountain Scholarship Pageant

*    October – Walk for Food Allergies with team Hazel

*    November – I complete a 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day

*    June – Hazel is no longer labeled “failure to thrive” and sits on the charts in the 25^th percentile for weight and is well above average for development!

*    June – Jarom and I celebrate 6 years of marriage in the seaside village of Florence, Oregon

*    October – We upgrade to a minivan!

*    September – Cannon starts Preschool

*    December – Hazel starts Nursery

*    December – Hazel enjoys a number of regular foods as well as almond milk

*    December – Our first Christmas at home in years – so awesome!

I'm certainly glad my Highs outnumber my Lows.  Call me crazy but I just love the thought of a fresh new year.  I love the opportunities that exist in the blank pages of a new calendar.  Jarom and I have been compiling our short list of goals for 2011 and I just feel like it’s going to be good.  I hope it’s a good one for you as well.  We’ve had our struggles but we’ve also been able to witness miracles at the hands of strangers and loved ones.  We’re hoping to stay out of the hospital this year and enjoy our time as a family a little more.  Happy New Year!

Hazie's Kitchen

I fully plan on doing a Christmas recap. I just need to document the one gift we worked the hardest on. First of all, this was not an original idea. I don't actually have many original ideas. I'm just really good at copying others and adding my own little twist. You can find entire flikr groups dedicated to nightstand play kitchens that people have done. I came across one of these groups over the Summer and became obsessed with the idea of making on for Hazel. Basically, the idea is that you find an old nightstand. We found this one at Deseret Industries for $10. Jarom thought it was hideous and almost didn't buy it. I took one look and saw the potential. I loved the little embellishments and the fact that it had a bit of a wider surface. It was in rough shape but I knew a little TLC was all it needed to reach it's true kitchen identity.

Then you sand it, paint it and decorate it to look like a little kitchen. Sounds easy enough, right?

I won't say it was easy. It wasn't. We actually made one to donate to our local Hearts for the Holidays program which provides Christmas gifts to families in need. It was good to have a little practice before we started hers. I thought the first one turned out great, though.

Okay, here's a side-by-side before and after of the totally finished product for Hazel.

and here's a closeup of the finished kitchen.

• 

• Salt and Pepper shakers are little wooden "people" I painted from Robert's crafts
• The sink bowl is a cheap dog dish from Walmart
• The faucet is a real one we found on KSL for $5 and cleaned and shined and put new knobs on
  
• The knobs for the stove top were one of the most expensive parts. $16 for a pack of 4 at Home Depot. Jarom brilliantly rigged them with a spring so they kind of bounce and turn. Love them!
• The stove top burners are just black circles of paint (I thought we could have done felt too) and silver painted dowels
  
• Jarom added the back splash and shelf - did I mention he's brilliant?
  
• The towel on the side rack is just a dollar store washcloth with the straps and ruffle added
• The curtian over the "pantry" where the bottom drawer used to be was made with a little help from my mom and her surger. I've been saving that fabric for something special
• Jarom took off the handles from the old drawers and fabricated the oven bar which was also painted silver to match the "towel rack", burners and the inside of the oven
• The "oven rack" was made from wood scraps Jarom had laying around that were painted silver
• We painted the entire inside of the kitchen black so the silver oven rack would really pop
  
• The napkin holder is a picture frame Jarom's had on his workbench for a while. I cut little hearts out of the scraps I had left from making the ruffle and towel. The End.
  

We went to Toys-R-Us and compared it to the play kitchens there. We paid a total of about $40 for all the items for Hazel's play kitchen. I just love how it turned out and I'm glad we did it. It looks totally fabulous in her room along with her new table and chairs. I love that we were able to match her room and make it personalized with the things we wanted. We also splurged on some Melissa and Doug food sets (the sushi one is my personal favorite) and a pack of pots, pans, baking supplies and cooking utensils from Costco.

Some other views of the finished product

The inside of the oven

The "towel rack"

If you are interested in making one of your own, please let me know! We'd love to offer our advice after making two of these. There are some things we'd do again and some things that were not worth it. If you can't find me, I'll probably be in Hazel's room playing with my her kitchen!

Ketchup

I missed Thanksgiving. I really have a lot to be thankful for too! We were in California with the Becar family and had a blast. Dawn Noel and I ran a turkey trot Thanksgiving morning. It was a good way to stretch our bellies for the great feast. We also got to watch Jordan play football for Cajon (Jarom's alma mater). They totally dominated!

The Turkey Trot
Jarom and I at the Cajon game

We stopped in Vegas on the way home to find a place showing the BYU vs. Utah game. It probably would have been better just to keep driving. Bummer.

Now it's Christmas time. I've been so stressed this year about making things just right for the kids. They love the tree. A little too much sometimes. I've got a sad little branch hanging down from one of them trying to stand on it.

Hazel turned 18 months last week which meant Sunday was her initiation into Nursery! I've been so stressed about it with her food allergies but she's got great, attentive teachers. She went right in without a single tear and played the whole time. Not that I was checking on her every 10 minutes. Jarom watched her during snack time and she enjoyed her dried blueberries and rice crackers just as much as if they were orange fish-shaped crackers. She'll never know the difference anyway.

Monday we went on the "Polar Express". A family in my parents area has a train running through their property. They put on a full fledged show with a visit from Santa and all. It was a highlight of my kids' Christmas festivities so far. We'll have to make it a tradition. I had tears in my eyes as they showed pictures of Christ's life and played a beautiful Christmas music.

My dad "Papa" and Hazel waiting for the train

Cannon on Santa's lap