A Favor

Dear Blog Readers,

I have been involved with a Bill going through the Utah legislature right now.  It's close to my heart and shouldn't be a polarizing issue.  It's called HB 233.  It basically deals with Amino Acid based formulas (ie Neocate which has nursed Hazel back to health since about a year ago when we found out about her severe food allergies and EE).  It will mandate that insurance companies in Utah provide coverage for these formulas when children have certain medical needs for it.  The financial burden is utterly overwhelming and coupled with the stress of having a child with these medical issues is downright devastating.  Thankfully we have a number of friends and neighbors who have helped with our financial and emotional burdens associated with the costs.  To give you an idea, a can of Neocate costs us $45 (through our insurance's home health department).  Hazel drinks about one cans worth of formula each day.  That's about $450 every 10 days and up to $1,350 each month.  It is cheaper by the case direct from the company, but not by a lot.  At this point, there is absolutely no coverage by most insurance companies in Utah (including ours).  14 other states currently provide insurance coverage.

I'm asking for help.  I've been busy writing to legislators asking them to support this bill and help other families that might have to deal with this issue in the future.  The bill has been prioritized and has been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee today.  Then, yesterday afternoon it was put on the agenda for this coming Friday.  (It's prioritized to first on the list!)  It will then go through the process of being debated, amended and/or recommended and possibly released to the House floor for vote.

Here's where you come in.  We need to write emails to the committee asking them to favorably recommend this bill. 

Email Subject: HB 233 - Please Support with Favorable Recommendation

If any of these members are your representatives, change email subject to "HB 233 - I am your Constituent - Please Support"

Rep. Paul Ray, Chair pray@utah.gov  

Rep. Evan J. Vickers, Vice Chair evickers@utah.gov 

Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck rchouck@utah.gov  

Rep. David Clark dclark@utah.gov 

Rep. Tim M. Cosgrove tcosgrove@utah.gov 

Rep. Bradley M. Daw bdaw@utah.gov 

Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove rmenlove@utah.gov 

Rep. Dean Sanpei dsanpei@utah.gov  

Rep. Christine F. Watkins cwatkins@utah.gov 

To find out if any of these legislators are your representative, click here.

Keep your email short and sweet.  Just ask them to support the bill and explain how you know me and maybe how you have personally observed the financial stress or benefits of such a formula.

I really appreciate any help!  Hopefully other families will never know the financial burden of having a child with Food Allergies or Eosinophilic disorders.


** A huge thanks to Tammy Zundel who has lead this effort to pass this bill!  And Michelle Fogg who is just awesome!

Please leave a comment if you write - I'd like to thank each of my sweet friends that have already written emails.  You are all too wonderful!

Love,
Ashley

ETA:
The sooner you write emails, the better!  Feel free to pass this info on to your friends and family members to help.  More is better!

Chrissy Gets Married!

My sis-in-law (Jarom's little sister) got married on January 8th in the Redlands, CA temple.  It was a beautiful day for the sweet couple.  The night before, we hit up BJ's for the bachelorette party with pizza and the most amazing avocado egg rolls I've ever tasted.  Mmmm!  We laughed and talked.  It was my very first bachelorette party, actually.  So fun with some great girls!

The temple ceremony was later in the afternoon so we had lots of time in the morning to get ready and hang out.  Which was great for me, since I wasn't feeling so hot that week.  Chrissy was beautiful all day.  It was such a blast to be there for her special day.

Anyway, the ceremony in the temple.  It was so nice and the couple were surrounded by loving friends, neighbors and family.  Four of Jarom's siblings were in the sealing room.  So cool!

Dawn Noel watched our babies while Jordan was playing in the San Andreas All League Football Game (which is apparently a big deal!)  But, really, he's very good at what he does and has had offers from all sorts of colleges from California, Oregon and Utah.  It's just sad the game had to be on the same day so he totally missed the wedding. He was pretty happy to be playing football, though.  It was a big day for both of them.  Sadly, his team lost in overtime - but I heard he played very well.

My kiddos were absolutely adorable all dressed up.  Hazel was the cutest flower girl I've ever seen and Cannon was a heart breaker in his tux. 

Sisters

Dawn Noel, Chrissy, Ashley, UB

 

Directly following temple pictures, we went to the church for a ring ceremony and reception.  The cultural hall looked gorgeous on purples and yellows - it was SO Chrissy!  

               

Hazel threw her petals all the way down the aisle with a little pushing from me.  She didn't want to get off the stage and screamed when I took her off.  Don't judge the bink in her mouth.  It was a long day and it made her happy.  And yes, she lost a shoe along the way.  I can't believe this is the same baby that was failing to thrive a year ago.  She's so beautiful and healthy now.  I am so proud of this strong little girl.  She brings so much joy to my life. We've come so far and she continues to improve. 

Okay, back to the wedding.  Chrissy and Robbie are a great couple.  They compliment each other.  Chrissy is such an incredible girl.  She has always been strong and happy.  The best way to describe her is as an incredible source of light.  She is one of the most loving people I know and I always wondered what kind of a man she would marry.  Enter Robbie.  He's so great and supportive.  He loves her and is kind.  He grounds her.  He truly loves her and I'm so happy for them.  Plus, weddings are fun!  

Jarom's brother, Ammon, works for a DJ company.  They provided some of the best music and dancing and lighting I've seen at a wedding.  Even though I wasn't feeling well, I danced my booty off and had so much fun.  I lost my voice after singing to some Lady Gaga and Rihanna and left a little early to put the kids and myself to bed.  I wish I could have stayed to the end.  Jarom also slipped out a bit early to catch the last half of Jordan's game.  

              

Cannon dancing with his cousin, Khulan

Chrissy, my dear,

You were stunning and will be an incredible wife to your new hubby!  Thank you for letting us be a part of your big day.  Thank you for being a lovely Auntie to my babes.  I love you!

Love,

Ashley

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

All Hallows' Eve

We celebrated Halloween on Saturday, the 30th. A majority of kids in Utah trick-or-treated then, too. Even though the weather was less than ideal, we had a great holiday. The kids only lasted for about 8 or 9 houses. Hazel loved every minute and Cannon got whiny and wet.

We started the evening with our traditional meal of "monster brains". I started that a year or two ago when I saw it on a blog. (If it was yours, let me know because I've forgotten and would like to give credit!). Cannon has called spaghetti "monster brains" for the last year. He prefers his without meatballs aka "witch eyeballs". Hazel likes hers plain. I like mine with yummy red sauce aka "ogre blood". Jarom likes "the works".



Cannon was Buzz Lightyear. He's been planning his costume since July when we were looking at pictures from last year. He loves Toy Story and especially Buzz. He was thrilled when we put on his costume and wanted to sleep in it. Hazel was a pig. She was a pretty darn cute pig. We tried to get her to oink for us. The closest she came was a bark. Close enough, I say.



We started out trick-or-treating in a wagon with 3 umbrellas. We made it to about 4 houses when we decided to turn back and finish in the car. That was a novel idea and we made it to one whole street before coming back home. The weather let up for the last part and made it slightly more enjoyable. When we got home, Cannon and Hazel both handed out candy. I'm pretty sure that was their favorite part.

The highlight of my night was a little girl dressed as a witch who came to our door. She had black and orange stripes all over her hat and dress. Cannon said "Oh, she's a darling Halloween carrot!" Jarom and I tried to apologize but busted up laughing when he shut the door. We'll work on some Halloween costume etiquette for next year.

Jarom ended the night by dumping our entire bucket of candy into some teenager's bag. Score! Some kid lucked out with a solid $8 worth of candy. Looks like we'll be raiding our kids pumpkins for any Sunday trick-or-treaters.

I hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween!

One great thing about not blogging for months is that I find out that people really read this thing. I see old friends at the store and they say something like "where have you been?" or "you need to blog". It makes me feel needed. Even if most of the stuff I post is about my kids. People, the wait is over. I have a list of things that I want to post about. Mostly it's updates from the time I wasn't blogging. A few trips, and a few exciting things about Hazel.

So, let's get to that part.

(Hazel with my mom aka "Gramma") taken 10/28/10

Hazel is doing great! She's eating regular foods like wheat crackers (yes, wheat!) and fruits, vegetables, breads, rice and beans. She's chunky and healthy and incredibly feisty. She's saying little words like hat, hot, bath, bye bye, uh oh, no no, ball, baby and duck. She loves balls and balloons and bubbles. But, we're working on her aggressiveness tendencies. She tackles and bites kids twice her size and is generally a tiny bully. I know she has a high pain tolerance and confuses being loving with being mean. She's come a long way and I'm thrilled with her progress. And she's got hair. Lots and lots of hair! Like piggy tail doin' hair! Yay!

(Taken 10/28/10)

Cannon is doing great too. He's growing up fast. He started preschool with me and has been doing well. He loves his friends and is learning quick. He loves letters and numbers and is mourning the loss of Summer. He's definitely an outside boy. He says the funniest things and is totally excited for Halloween.

(taken 10/12/10)

We went to California in the middle of October to visit our Becar family. We got to go to Knott's Berry Farm. Looking at this picture makes me want to go back. It was warm and nice there meanwhile, it's freezing and snowy here.

Anway, I have the best of blogging intentions. Especially since this blog serves as my scrapbook, journal and family timeline. I'll be back soon.