tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28386716170213591612024-03-12T20:26:59.729-07:00minivan divaa journey on the road of lifeKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.comBlogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-82827296435664935242016-06-03T13:25:00.002-07:002016-06-03T13:49:43.866-07:00perspectiveOnce a year, we wake up before the sun and head to the beach to celebrate Memorial Day with some of our dearest friends.<br />
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The early rising is not a favorite of mine, but spending time inhaling the salty air, digging my toes under a mound of sand, and watching my children instantly become BFF's with kids they've never played with before is a true favorite of mine.<br />
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Initially, we all did our typical Cali complaining about the chilly, cloudy May gray in the air for the first few hours. For living somewhere where there's not much extreme weather, we talk about weather a lot. Within a few hours, the clouds grew weary of our griping and begged the sun the take over the party.<br />
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As I sat there under my striped beach umbrella, I absorbed my boys. They change physically from year to year as we celebrate this annual tradition, however, who they are at heart stays the same.<br />
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Luke is my explorer. Luke searched for ocean treasures. The sea did not disappoint.<br />
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Charlie is the adventurer. His speaks the language of fun and action. Today he was fluent in catching waves with Dad.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Jack is the entertainment. He leads groups, giving each friend a role to play. It reminded me of when I was a kid. There were times that my friends called me "bossy" but I prefer to call it "early leadership."</span></div>
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Today was a moment of stopping busyness in it's tracks and taking time to appreciate all the good around me. I get easily distracted by the stress of work, parenting, and life's challenges that I am blinded to the good all around me. </div>
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In moments like this, a simple refresher on perspective is all that is needed.<br />
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So there on the beach, with my toes in the sand, I took deep breaths and filled my soul up with the good.<br />
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Much love,<br />
Katie</div>
Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-64082300883486308462016-03-28T15:22:00.004-07:002016-03-28T22:38:14.880-07:00easter joy in the midst of hard newsWe received a call on Good Friday from my dad. What seemed like lingering back pain from an old golf injury is actual metastatic cancer. As you can imagine, I felt shattered into a million pieces like a glass vase accidentally knocked off the kitchen counter.<br />
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However, our family has a deep sense of strong resolve. We have each other's backs through thick and thin. And we weren't about to let cancer suck the joy out of celebrating Easter together. So we did what all families do when faced with crisis at Easter. We dyed eggs, baked too many Easter desserts, and made sure that we squeezed the life out of our time together.<br />
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Although I do not welcome this uninvited guest into our lives with open arms, I do embrace the opportunity to help, serve, and love my dad more now than ever before because that is what defines <i>family.</i><br />
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We will be strong. We will show up and be brave, and we will stand together and hold each other up when we want to fall.<br />
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Love never fails.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-30705911205392252762015-12-28T10:59:00.000-08:002015-12-28T11:24:09.775-08:00the perfect imperfect christmasI set myself up every year. I dream of warm fuzzy feelings trickling up from my toes to my head and have visions of 3 spunky boys embracing one another in acknowledgement of the season's true meaning of giving, love, and family.<br />
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And then reality hits. Hard.<br />
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It all started the morning of Christmas Eve. It is my favorite day of the year as my family has always celebrated with a large meal, church going, and present opening since I was a young girl. So now, as a mom, I desire for my own boys to experience the joy that I reminisce about each year. However, my boys messed with my mojo with their arguing over Minecraft and whether someone was chewing too loudly.<br />
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Yes, that's my life in a nutshell.<br />
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As we drove up to Orange County from our home in North San Diego County, I just stared at the ocean and wondered what my husband, Kevin, and I are doing so wrong that our kids cannot even manage to call a truce on Christmas. My disappointment crumbled dreams of warm fuzzies.<br />
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Once we got to my sister's house, the boys swam with their cousins (oh, the struggle of a California Christmas!) while the adults caught up on the latest of jobs, travel, and kid updates. Suddenly, the cousins had some issues to resolve and it went downhill from there. We ate later than planned, missed our first Christmas Eve service, and opened presents with me feeling nothing but DONE. Once we loaded up our things, we got in the car and I declared it the <i>worst Christmas ever.</i><br />
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Yes, the food we spent hours cooking was rewarding and delicious. Yes, I love my time with my siblings and their spouses. And yes, seeing my parents with all of us under the same roof fills me up because I know these times are rare. However, I was so overwhelmed with what <i>should be </i>that I could not appreciate <i>what was</i>.<br />
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I couldn't shake it off and went to bed unable to let it go. The anticipation of the perfect Christmas and then the let down of Christmas failure, was simply too much for me this year.<br />
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But, the next morning brought Christmas renewal.<br />
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As the boys politely took turns opening gifts, I sat back, slowly sipped my coffee and absorbed the moment. The pinnacle was when the boys gave their gifts to each other. There was even an unprompted hug from a certain 9 year old to a too cool almost 13 year old. After presents were opened, we hung out in our pajamas and watched the boys build barriers for an epic nerf gun battle.<br />
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It was in that moment that we had Christmas. Just the five of us snuggled in our Christmas pajamas. It wasn't about a big meal, a perfectly executed schedule, or young ones getting along seamlessly.<br />
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At that moment nothing else mattered. The warm fuzzies started their trickling. It was all I had hoped for: <i>giving, love, and family.</i><br />
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It certainly was not the most perfect Christmas ever, but the imperfection of it all was absolutely perfect.<br />
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Merry Imperfect Christmas and Happy New Year. May you find perfection in the imperfection in 2016.<br />
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Much love,<br />
Katie<br />
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<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-89536360782189031152014-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:002014-10-04T16:12:32.602-07:00julian 2014Amid the beginning of the school year chaos, we make sure to schedule a day to hang with the Stewart clan in Julian. They are our tradition compadres.<br />
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Winter snow play in the mountains? Check.<br />
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Spring strawberry picking? Oops, got to get back on that one.<br />
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Summer beach camping? Check.<br />
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Fall trip to Julian? Check.<br />
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We have our priorities set. So even though we're overwhelmed with school, sports, and work, we schedule time for Julian.<br />
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Before we headed into town, we went apple picking.<br />
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Kevin and I stopped for reinforcement at the local winery.<br />
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The kids roamed freely through the rows of apples as the grown ups caught up with each other. We knew we were going to be heading down the mountain with 3 full bags of apples; enough for 3 families, but it was worth it to see them examining each tree for the perfect fruit as we laughed and shared the latest happenings with our friends. We may have seen a few kids tasting as they picked. You know, just quality control in action.<br />
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It is our time to come up for air. There is something about this small quaint town that has me at hello every single time. The main street makes me long for times past. While the kids fail to notice the aesthetics, they never fail to beg to visit Mom's apple pie shop and the local candy store.<br />
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And because we dig this tradition so much, we said "yes" to both. Sugar for all!<br />
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The bottom line is this. I'm an ultimate sucker for traditions. These are the times that will fill the pages of our family story. Each page dripping with memories that will forever be imprinted on my mama heart.<br />
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Much love,<br />
Katie<br />
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Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-12756606161654702602014-09-13T14:40:00.000-07:002014-09-13T14:43:23.659-07:00beach camping is actually fun...reallyBefore I crossed over to the dark side of the world of camping, all I could envision was dirt and discomfort. I wasn't able to look beyond my preferred mode of vacation, which includes comfy beds, pools to lounge by, and room service just a call away.<br />
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However, once our friends, Josh and Linda, convinced us that camping was an <i>experience,</i> not just a vacation, we went for it.<br />
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I have to admit we rent a trailer each year. I can only go so far, friends. Not only do my boys and Kevin count down the months until our next annual beach camping trip, but so do I. The <i>experience </i>has won me over like a fool.<br />
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As soon as we get there, we get into relaxation mode. The kids immediately create a world in the tree forest and disappear. Days are spent at the beach building detailed sandcastles, boogie boarding, and reading high quality literature like PEOPLE and US Magazine.<br />
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Sure the dirt bugs me and I crave the comforts of home by the end of the trip, but the experience is worth it.<br />
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Until next year.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-74543850829406237932014-08-06T20:53:00.000-07:002014-08-07T14:53:53.249-07:00choosing the hard wayA few weeks ago, Luke went into his karate testing uncertain and doubting. In fact, he wanted to back out at the last minute when he blanked on certain moves that he'd be tested on later in the afternoon.<br />
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He was certain of failure and ultimate doom. Don't we all have those moments?<br />
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I put on the brave mom face and reassured him with a gentle smile, as we moms do when our babes are down.</div>
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Internally my stress level was busting at the seems as his nervousness doubled by the minute.</div>
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By the time we arrived at the dojo, I wasn't even certain if I could watch him test. I was afraid he was right and I didn't know if I could tolerate the discomfort of watching him freeze in front of the judges and his peers. </div>
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As parents, we're rock stars when we know our kids are in their zone. We can cheer, take pictures, and live in the moment because it's comfortable.</div>
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However, watching our children in discomfort is painful. Whether it's holding down an infant for a shot or watching a painfully shy little perform in a class play; those moments bring out parents' fears and anxieties like none other.</div>
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Luke's turn finally arrived towards the end of the testing event. He stood in front of a packed room and performed his katas without error. He nailed it. When he finished and took his final bow facing the judges, I could feel my anxieties melt away.</div>
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The students all got in their places and finished with a horse stance while the judges placed a new belt behind each of them. Some kids had tears streaming down their little cheeks while others shook through the pain. I watched Luke grimace while he obediently held his stance. Meanwhile, I had to control every urge to beg Sensei to let them sit and rest.</div>
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It's in our mama bear DNA to rescue our cubs.<br />
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But, I sat.</div>
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I waited.</div>
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And watched my sweet boy struggle.</div>
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Eventually I saw Sensei put two belts behind Luke, which is unusual. In fact, I've never seen him do that at any of our testing events. As the helpers walked around, they asked Sensei why there were two belts, but each time Sensei would just put his hand up to them and nod, as if say, "I got this."</div>
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Once the boys finally sat, with their eyes still shut, they were told to look behind them. Luke turned and stared at his two belts in confusion. All the other children started to put on their new belts in excitement and I could tell that Luke's anxiety was building as he continued to stare at the two belts.</div>
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Sensei approached Luke and sat down with him. I saw him whispering to Luke and Luke looking at him carefully as he spoke. </div>
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As I silently edged my way closer, I could hear Sensei telling Luke that he had two options:</div>
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1. Pick the next level belt color. </div>
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2. Pick the belt that is two levels higher, but be willing to work extremely hard at the new katas. </div>
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Finally, he told Luke he <i>believed</i> in him and told Luke to grab a belt.</div>
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Luke hesitated and then grabbed the next level belt. </div>
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His self doubt got the best of him, but Sensei knew better and gently guided Luke to put the belt back down and encouraged him to reach back again and pick up the more difficult level belt.</div>
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Sensei didn't waiver. He <i>believed</i> in Luke. He knew he could choose the hard way and succeed.</div>
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Luke just needed that voice to tell him that he was capable and ready. He needed that reassurance that he was ready for the challenge when he didn't believe it himself.</div>
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Don't we all need someone like Sensei in our moments of self doubt? More so, how can we be like Sensei to those around us. Who can you say, "I believe in you" today? Don't wait. Four simple words can make a difference.</div>
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And most importantly, to my Luke:</div>
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I <i>believe</i> in you. Forever and always.</div>
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Much love,</div>
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Katie</div>
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Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-92006793593574636742014-07-16T11:17:00.002-07:002014-07-16T21:13:12.945-07:008 is great<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our Fun-Time Charlie is 8. It's hard to believe, but all those well meaning "mature" ladies in the grocery store were right. </div>
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Luke will be 12 soon enough and I've learned that kids grow up too fast. Before you know it, they are hanging out in their bedrooms and saying things like "oooo-kaaaay Mom" when you ask them to unload the dishwasher.<br />
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So with Charlie and his younger brother, Jack, I hold onto these years all the more tightly for they are <i>sacred</i>.<br />
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I try to not wish time to speed up or dream of a few years ahead as I find myself now looking back and longing for a repeat of those early years.<br />
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For Charlie's 8th birthday, we celebrated at Get Air. The lucky guy even had his birthday party on his real birthday. That's one benefit of having a summer birthday.<br />
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He enjoyed every single minute of it!<br />
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That's just his nature. He's also a sensitive guy, with a great sense of humor. He's adventurous and always up for fun.<br />
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Love you always, Charlie. <i>Always</i>.<br />
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Happy 8th Birthday!<br />
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Much love,<br />
Mom<br />
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Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-33943947153922927312014-07-06T16:54:00.000-07:002014-07-06T19:39:33.141-07:00just say Om...ombre diy canvas artSit down.<br />
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Cross your legs.<br />
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Close your eyes.<br />
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Breath deeply and say Om....<br />
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And then finish it with -bre because Kevin and I got our Picasso on this weekend and made a crazy awesome DIY ombre canvas art piece for our dining room wall.<br />
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After obsessively searching over the last year for the <i>just right</i> art and arguing the pros and cons of a funky gallery wall vs. a statement piece, I finally searched "DIY ombre canvas art" on Pinterest and used <a href="http://www.twodelighted.com/2012/02/21/ombre-art-diy/">this blog post</a> as our inspiration.<br />
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Not only will we save major cash, but perhaps this final decision will cure me of my insomnia.<br />
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We wanted the same color scheme as our inspiration piece, but changed our lines to horizontal. I also wanted the color to extend all the way to the edge of the canvas.<br />
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Just personal taste.<br />
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Fortunately for me, my software sales by day husband is a repressed artist by night. However, this really can be done by someone with stick figure expertise, such as myself.<br />
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Case in point: my recent artistic chalk rendition of Kevin getting tubed:<br />
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Now let's show off Kevin's abilities, shall we?<br />
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Measure your canvas with your brush to plan how many shades you need. We used a 2" brush on a 36x48 canvas. Our wall is 13 feet long and we wanted to have one large focal piece.<br />
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The most complicated step is making sure that you mix your colors carefully so you get the right gradation of color.<br />
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We followed the directions on the blog and started with the dark color, which was a deep forest green and then added white on each plate, starting with one drop on the next, two drops after that, three on the following, etc. However we now think we'd do it backwards. Start with white and add green. We had to go back to a few plates and add more white as the colors were not showing enough difference.<br />
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Kevin did a simple sweep for each row. Because we needed thicker rows, we used the same color on two rows.<br />
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When we found that two colors were too similar, Kevin simply went over the row that needed to be lighter with some white streaks of paint.<br />
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I am so thrilled with the end result. I just may have done my happy dance and clapped with glee. And I'm just saying for the record, that having a guitar playing, paintbrush swaying husband is pretty dang cool.<br />
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Here's the final reveal...my house is always this orderly by the way.</div>
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Or not.</div>
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This room is half way there. Home decorating is a marathon. Now we're planning for the wainscoting, painting all the trim in the house white, and window treatments. </div>
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Like all things in life; one step at a time.</div>
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Much love,<br />
Katie
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It's been awhile, hasn't it? Life seems to grip you like the current of a swiftly moving river. You just do your best to wade in the water and grab the closest floating object to keep you afloat.<br />
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Since we are <i>such</i> level headed folks, we thought it would be a sane idea to adopt a second rescue dog. I know, we are <i>so </i>smart. He's been a handful, but our trainer has helped us to see that there is hope. I'll cling tightly to that hope because this big boy, Ben, is testing my patience. Love him, though...just not when he darts to our neighbors pool or throws up multiple times on my new rug.<br />
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We also had a chance to catch up with my college roommate and fellow mom of boys. Isn't it amazing how we don't look a day over twenty??? It's okay, I give you permission to laugh at that one. Andrea and Art speak our language: skateboarding, bodily functions, and high energy. Enough said.<br />
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In the midst of end of the school year activities, we found an opportunity to catch our breath at our annual Memorial Day celebration at the beach. Dipping my toes in hot sand and watching the boys crash in the waves is all I need.<br />
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Then the reality of June hit us.<br />
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This year was bittersweet as Luke celebrated his 5th grade promotion. He won't drive to school with us and hang out in my 1st grade classroom before and after school next year. I was a hot mess the entire week leading up to promotion. I was obsessively reminiscing and scanning through old photos and videos. By the time Jack, our 3rd son moves on, I'm sure I'll pull myself together from this whole "you can never ever grow up" affliction I seem to have.<br />
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Well, we'll see about that. This mom gig is rough on the heart.<br />
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Jack celebrated his last day of kindergarten. Both sets of grandparents were there with Kevin and I to see him receive his elaborate memory book his teacher made for him.<br />
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Charlie was pumped about the last week of second grade. We don't call him Fun-Time Charlie for nothing. They had a water day and awards ceremony during the last week of school. His teacher gave him a massive chapter book to read over the summer. Yeah, he's got to get on that.<br />
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Now we are settling into summer mode. We're enjoying sleeping in...till 6:00 a.m. (thanks, Jack!) and hanging out at the beach. It is our go-to place where everyone is happy. Do you have such a place? Do tell...<br />
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And with that, I hope you are each having a fun-filled summer.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-85690608849054224212014-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:002014-04-21T13:04:06.134-07:00why we heart san diegoWe live in the north part of San Diego county. It's a small rural town by California standards. We have property for the boys to run. We're researching chicken coops. Snakes are our neighborhood pets in spring and summer. I never thought of myself as a country girl, but as I listen to the rooster from across the valley crow, I find myself more and more at home with the idea of this being the place that we plant ourselves.<br />
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But what I especially love about our location is that we have so much at our travel fingertips. The coast, the mountains, the desert, and the city.<br />
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This last week, we embraced the opportunity for a spur of the moment trip to San Diego. We packed our bags and transformed into tourists in our neck of the woods. Fortunately, some friends of ours decided to join in on the fun, too. I love unexpected bonuses.<br />
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We spent a day at Sea World before heading back to the hotel.<br />
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Once we arrived at the hotel, the kids declared that riding scooters along the tropical grounds, collecting jellyfish along the sandy bay, and swimming at the lagoon pool made it the "best trip ever!"<br />
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Don't get me wrong, there were bumps along the way. Kids whined, they fell apart at Sea World over rides, and fought like they do at home. However, the change in scenery seemed to buffer the usual effects of such mood killers.<br />
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Hope you enjoyed your Easter and time with your families.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-31143016327193063162014-02-22T07:48:00.000-08:002014-02-22T07:50:51.928-08:00getting away from it all in lake arrowhead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Life lately has taken a turn from crazy busy to crazier busy. It is going 100 mph all day long, falling asleep on the couch, and waking up to start all over again. Perhaps you can relate. I am sure you can. Raising children, working, taking care of a home and one another is not for sissies. </div>
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Which is why we have to take moments to get away from it all.</div>
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Some days that is as simple as reading a few pages of my magazine in silence, taking Lady for a walk by myself, or staying in the shower for an extra two minutes just because.</div>
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However, when we get a chance to travel up to our local mountains for a weekend with some of our favorite peeps, we don't take it for granted.</div>
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These memories making times are what give me more fuel for the busy, busy, busy.</div>
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We seek fun and moments with the tenacity of a gold miner circa 1848. </div>
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Lake Arrowhead 2014...we struck fun, laughter, and memories.</div>
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Happy weekend, friends. Make some memories.</div>
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Much love,</div>
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Katie</div>
<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-14923246658782718812014-02-12T18:08:00.000-08:002014-02-14T11:58:58.458-08:00welcome to the new digsWhen we decided to sell our previous house, we knew that the market was going to be tough for finding a new house. Our previous house sold in three days, which meant all houses in our area were selling fast. House prices were also rising and people were over bidding to compete for homes.<br />
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I was searching realtor.com every hour and suddenly come across a craftsman home in our price range. Craftsman had me at <i>hello.</i><br />
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I showed it to Kevin and we quickly packed the boys in the car to drive by it. The property was vacant so we walked around and looked in the windows. It had a great yard for the boys, great bones, and two porch swings to enjoy our country views.<br />
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And the door, friends. The door sold it for me.<br />
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Kevin and I knew we had to get on it fast. Fortunately the listing agent was from another county and did not put the home under our county on mls. At least this kept other agents in our area from showing clients. Thank you, Lord!<br />
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(the old country kitchen)</div>
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(great room ceiling)</div>
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(great room)</div>
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(laundry room)</div>
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(wait until the new paint reveal)</div>
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With a lot of stress and back and forth dealing, we got the house. It was a wild ride until we closed, but when we closed, we knew that we have the house where we will raise our boys.<br />
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For previous moving gypsies, it feels good to be home. We're building new memories and establishing deeper roots.<br />
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It feels good.<br />
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Now, onto the renovations.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-85092844640532318302014-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:002014-02-02T23:19:59.285-08:00the new casaIt's been almost 6 months since we've purchased our new house. Here are just a few pics to introduce you to La Casa de Spencer. We bought the house without even going inside. Yes, crazy but that's how we roll.<br />
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Although the house was in move in condition, we're renovating it to fit our taste. More pics to come so you can see the transformation.<br />
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Hope you're enjoying your Super Bowl Sunday. We're not football people, so we're off for a hike. What are you up to?<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-75881748336187841732014-02-02T11:50:00.001-08:002014-02-02T14:48:47.892-08:0011...impossible!Luke turned 11 on January 18th. We celebrated Minecraft style, of course.<br />
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My 1st born changed my world upside down in the best way possible.<br />
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There's a shift that begins at this stage. We have conversations that are deep and mature. Simply put, it fills me up.<br />
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He's my thinker. He's a researcher and a master LEGO builder. He knows everything there is to know about reptiles.<br />
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My mom had a kidney transplant 2 months ago, so he made her a get well sign with a perfect illustration of the human kidney. He can tell me more facts about the human body than my biology teacher in high school.<br />
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Recently, he also crossed over from a cub scout to a boy scout.<br />
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Luke is just a cool kid who isn't afraid to be unique and an individual. I admire him. I learn from him daily and I'm humbled to call him son.<br />
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I love you, Luke. God knew exactly what He was doing when he made you.<br />
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Much love,<br />
MomKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-37214957785834122642014-02-02T10:57:00.002-08:002014-02-02T14:49:10.895-08:00my not so baby anymore turned 6Poor Jack has been a bit skipped over lately. His birthday was between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is the busiest time of the year for me as a mama of 3 boys and as a teacher.<br />
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But, let me take a moment to reflect on this kid. He's 6 now. A <b><i>big</i></b> six. He is regularly mistaken as my middle child. He has an enormous personality to match his stature. He is loud, rambunctious, and will cause me to gray long before I should. He's also my most sensitive and affectionate of the 3 boys. He's quite a dichotomy of traits.<br />
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He was in his Kinder Thanksgiving show. He kindly (meaning, calling out the girl next to him) when she forgot her part. He's a performer like I was at his age.<br />
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Then, before I could even blink, he turned six.<br />
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Living in Cali, we don't get dressed up for anything; not even church, so it was fun to see him in a button down for his 1st field trip to see the Nutcracker. His reviews of the ballet weren't shining. I think he'd rather see a wresting match.<br />
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I love you Jack and I'm so proud of the big boy you are becoming. I know God has great things in store for you, my son.<br />
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Love,<br />
Mom<br />
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<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-85791270254376914502014-01-21T17:31:00.000-08:002014-01-21T17:31:07.673-08:00There once was a new kidney...There is no other way to tell this story about my mom without summing it up in a nutshell. It is more of a sit in yoga pants while drinking a latte kind of story, but we'll keep with the nutshell version.<br />
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My mom was diagnosed with lupus when she was pregnant with me. Doctors prepared my dad to lose both of us due do the severity of her disease. It was a true <i>miracle </i>we both survived.<br />
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Throughout the course of my life, she's had many ups and downs with her disease; particularly with the lupus attacking her kidneys.<br />
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We knew that one day she'd need a transplant. However, one day always seemed so far off until the last year or so when ONE day became a reality. She started dialysis this last summer. My once <i>on the go, can't stop this woman from doing anything</i> mom, became much more fragile and exhausted. With over 70,000 candidates waiting, we didn't know if we'd every see a transplant day.<br />
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But on the morning of Christmas Eve, she got THE call. She was in church and saw the number from her transplant line pop up on her phone. My parents raced up there. I'll leave out the specifics as the surgery has many ups and downs, but she was given a Christmas <i>miracle</i>.<br />
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So far she is recovering as expected, which means slow and difficult. I ask for your prayers that God will bring healing to her body. I thank you for your sweet support.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-87751454996872509022013-11-19T19:00:00.001-08:002013-11-20T06:53:11.700-08:00life spicesHello, Friends. I guess it has been awhile. Let's be frank. I have no energy for this ol' blog anymore. With soccer, school, and other life demands, life feels a bit like a hamster wheel. So my mama points are down with documenting our latest and greatest. The former late owl in me has converted to a fall asleep on the couch by 8 p.m. kinda gal. Life. It happens. What can you do?<br />
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Life at this moment is much like a recipe that isn't quite balanced. So, you just try to throw in some good spices to cover up what isn't so palatable.<br />
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With this particular season of our lives, I'm soaking up every bit of time with my family that I can. It brings as much balance to my life recipe as possible.<br />
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Our latest life spices...<br />
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Crystal Cove with some favorite friends. Boys, beach, tide pools, and Ruby's shakes. Enough said.<br />
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The cottage behind Jack was filmed in one my favorite movies, <i>Beaches</i>. Remember it?<br />
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Another life spice of ours is Julian. Hiking and apple pie equals happiness for all in our family.<br />
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And last weekend, we added one more <i>I need something to boost me up spice</i>. Balboa Park.<br />
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And for the grand finale, 14 years of marriage, yo. We don't mess around. 19 years of togetherness. I dig him.<br />
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I wish you each a very Happy Thanksgiving. May we all be reminded of the many blessings we have to be grateful for.<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-15581414869467913802013-08-30T20:50:00.001-07:002013-08-31T18:01:28.630-07:00beach campingThere's no time like a Friday night after the 1st of week of going back to teaching 1st graders in addition to the normal back to school craziness of your own kids to blog, right? I'll be honest to tell you that this last summer wasn't our easiest for several reasons. Although we were thrilled to sell our house in 4 days, the stress of finding a new home and the wait time of escrow is not for the faint of heart. But we are in. The right house was found and is a hot mess, but we are in.<br />
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We left for beach camping, came back, and moved the next day. We cray cray like that, yo.<br />
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Beach camping.<br />
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It is my cup filling event of the year. And I'm not a camping girl. But, I'm a rent a trailer, sit on the beach kind of girl so it all comes together.<br />
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The beach is Switzerland in our family. Everyone is neutral.<br />
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I'm already waiting until next summer.<br />
<br />
Much love,<br />
Katie<br />
<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-25945333090532336652013-07-12T21:05:00.003-07:002013-07-12T21:09:38.936-07:00we hate cancer5 years ago Kevin walked into our home that was in the midst of witching hour and told me within seconds that he was just diagnosed with melanoma.<br />
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Time stood still for us as we wept and clung to each other in the entryway of our home. Meanwhile 5 year old Luke, 2 year old Charlie, and 6 month old Jack continued playing in blissful ignorance of the news that he just dropped.<br />
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I didn't know much about it. But, I knew it was the skin cancer you <i>really</i> didn't want to have.<br />
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It turns out that the so very tiny freckle that kept on bleeding, was a deep cancerous tumor.<br />
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Kevin let it go for awhile. He thought it was just a freckle that kept getting scratched when he was getting dressed, surfing, etc.<br />
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The initial biopsy came back negative, but his dermatologist had a nagging suspicion and took a bigger sample to biopsy which came back positive.<br />
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As the oncologist said best, "If she didn't do that, you'd be a dead man."<br />
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Two invasive surgeries later and finding out that the cancer had spread to a lymph node, Kevin started a year of grueling treatment.<br />
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<br />
This spiraled us onto a new life path. Although he has been cancer free for 5 years, the long term prognosis is that his cancer can come back at anytime, anywhere. We have moved forward, but cancer is a lurker.<br />
<br />
Melanoma is a beast. If you don't catch it early, it is hard to treat and the recurrence rate is high.<br />
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So it is with our story that I encourage you to be sun safe. Don't post photos of your sunburn on Facebook. Be preventative all year long. Wear your sunscreen. Use an umbrella at the pool, beach, or lake. Wear a hat and protective clothing. Get your skin checked.<br />
<br />
Please.<br />
<br />
Not only will you hopefully live longer, but you'll look cuter too!<br />
<br />
Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-77211078754182229432013-07-02T13:08:00.001-07:002013-07-02T13:17:57.855-07:00just in time for july 4thA few days ago, my father-in-law generously shared a large bag of peaches with us.<br />
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<br />
While we adore peaches, we don't love them enough to consume multiple peaches per day in order to keep them from ending up as mushy moldy fruit.<br />
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I have to admit that cooking is chore for me. If it was not for the direct threat of my children and husband starving to death, I'd elect to remove dinner as a meal option and eat a bowl of cereal each night.<br />
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However, baking is an entirely different story, friends. Don't tell anyone that I sliced the peaches without taking the skin off first, which meant that I had to take the skin off the hard way.<br />
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Slice.<br />
<br />
By.<br />
<br />
Slice.<br />
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<br />
Behold, peach pie.<br />
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I didn't quite have enough enough crust to fully connect the bottom and top crust so the juice bubbled through, but trust me, if it happens to you, it won't change the fact that this pie will whisper your name and tell you that it is okay to have a 2nd piece. Not that I know anything about that.<br />
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Follow this simple <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/simple-peach-pie-128494?layout=mobile">recipe</a> and you will be on your way to pure deliciousness.<br />
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I have one confession, though. I cheated this time and use a box recipe for the crust. Here's a great <a href="http://minivandiva.blogspot.com/2011/07/at-least-we-had-pie.html">crust recipe </a>that I make when I bake apple pie. It is from my father-in-law. He's a professional chef so he knows his pie crust.<br />
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Enjoy your 4th of July!<br />
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Much love,<br />
KatieKatie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-67704230537802361072013-06-29T07:27:00.000-07:002013-06-29T10:19:38.268-07:007My Charlie is 7 today.<br />
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He is such a blessing in so many ways.<br />
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Charlie fixed my broken heart after two miscarriages. I was not sure if we'd ever have another baby.<br />
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He is gentle boy who is squished in between two rambunctious brothers. I admire his ability to handle them so well. Don't get me wrong, though. The kid has some spunk.<br />
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We call him Fun Time Charlie because the kid is always up for anything and makes even the most mundane days an adventure.<br />
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Happy 7th Birthday Charlie.<br />
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We love you more than you will ever fully know.<br />
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Much love,<br />
Mom<br />
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<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-25958255955582667622013-06-23T16:40:00.000-07:002013-06-23T16:40:00.821-07:00It's been awhileWe're in full summer mode. The end of the school year was nuts. NUTS. NUTS. NUTS. Is there anyway to make it less crazy? We finished t-ball and then went full force into the eye of the end of the year storm: parties, awards, and the performances. I super love all of that for sure. After all, I teach 1st grade kiddos, but it all leaves me exhausted. Are you with me? If not, can we agree that you'll keep it to yourself to preserve the mental stability of us worn out mamas?<div>
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(Jack's pre-k class performing a rainbow song...he's in purple)<br />
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(Luke holding the "clap" sign)<br />
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(Luke's 4th grade award ceremony)<br /><div>
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Summer has consisted of VBS, swimming, cub scouts bridging ceremony, movies, swimming, board games, swimming and a little more swimming on top of that.</div>
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(Luke had the honor of switching Charlie from a tiger to a wolf)<br />
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(Luke and his best friend getting ready for a skit)<br />
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Summer days are sometimes trying, but they are always the best<br />
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Happy summer to each of you!</div>
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Much love,</div>
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Katie</div>
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Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-69238989221847215232013-05-09T06:10:00.001-07:002013-05-09T06:10:54.010-07:00guest posting at hannah's happy days<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hello Friends!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I know it has been awhile. Although I still read all my favorite blogs in the early morning while I drink my coffee, I have found that after teaching 1st graders and then tending to my family leaves me too exhausted to write. I miss it. Which is why I am SO excited to be over at Hannah's, Happy Days, with a guest post about motherhood. I love Hannah to pieces. I'm sure you are familiar with her, but if not, please check out her beautiful blog <a href="http://wifeysinger.com/">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Much love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Katie</span><br />
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<a border="0" href="http://wifeysinger.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i363/wifeysinger06/header200_zpsf3a57f1d.jpg" /></a>Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-57036138309637219102013-04-01T12:48:00.001-07:002013-04-01T12:48:08.378-07:00easter 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My kids take their egg dying seriously; hence the straight faces.</div>
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I should say the same about their egg hunting. They don't mess around when there is candy at stake.<br />
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We had a fun day celebrating Easter with my side of the family. Sun, family, delicious food...what a perfect day. Well, it was a perfect day minus my mischievous 5 year old pouring green Gatorade on my sister's white car. Fortunately for him, my sister handles those things much better than I do!</div>
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I hope your Easter was filled with blessings and joy. </div>
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Much love,</div>
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Katie</div>
Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838671617021359161.post-78905053038764712352013-03-29T18:37:00.000-07:002013-03-29T18:37:26.745-07:00the latest and greatestThe goodness of March means...<br />
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Pinewood Derby preparation at Nana and Pops...<br />
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Seeing their race cars in action...<br />
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A dehydration trip to the ER for Charlie...<br />
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This kid is all better, but it was quite a scare! I wasn't too thrilled with my Fun Time Charlie being out of commission. Children's Hospital knows how to hook a kid up, though and make a trip to the ER fun.<br />
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Wishing each of you a Happy Easter!<br />
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Much love,<br />
Katie<br />
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<br />Katie @ minivan divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461717433497663204noreply@blogger.com2