Operation Smile

I usually don't share a lot of advertorials on our family blog, but I'm all for sharing good causes :).  Recently my mom went on a trip to Guatemala to assist as a nurse in 73 surgeries in three days for those in need.  She said it was such an amazing opportunity and experience that she is going back again this summer, and taking my little sister with her!  Thinking about my mom's willingness to help those in need by providing healthcare out of charity made me think of another charity that does a similar thing:

Surely you've heard of Operation Smile before.  This is a medical charity that consists of medical professionals and other people who want to help by providing reconstructive surgery and care for children born with facial deformities.  

A lot of these surgeries consist of repairing cleft lip and cleft palate, which are actually very common.  In fact, a child is born with a cleft every three minutes and 1 in 10 of these children will die before they turn a year old.

I can't imagine having a child with just such a deformity and having to watch them grow up unable to eat, speak, or smile.  Imagine the miracle to behold when Operation Smile is able to provide over 200,000 free surgeries for these children with facial deformities!

Operation Smile currently works in over 60 counties, while training local doctors and strengthening healthcare in developing countries.

You can learn more about their mission HERE.  If you're currently a student, you can help these children while you are helping yourself, saving on textbook costs.  CampusBookRentals.com donates to Operation Smile with every textbook rented.  What a win-win!

Also look into CampusBookRental's new program, called RentBack, where you become the bookstore.  Instead of selling your books back to the bookstore for enough cash to buy a pizza, you instead rent your books to other students and get part of the proceeds every time your book is rented.  Sounds like a sweet deal.  Look into it, little brothers.

Brother Bean

 23 years later...

You are Here Pillows

 Another Christmas project I really enjoyed making were these two pillows for Marc & Diana, meant not to drive home the fact that they are apart, but to perhaps years later remind them of that crazy arrangement and how happy they are to be together!

Christmas was Cool

 Merry Christmas!

 Our baby Jesus was a little squirmy, but very well-behaved.

 Link and this stuffed horse were completely inseparable.

 How fun to have everyone home!!  

(Except for Derek on his mission, and Braden's fiance who came a few days later)

Christmas jammies!  Between both grandma's, my boys are set on pajamas for a while!

 Us, being excited about our new saw.  Jason spent some free time in my Dad's shop and built the boys a little step stool for the kitchen.  It turned out so cute!  As soon as its painted, I'll post pictures of it.  Speaking of paint...

 I tried my hand at some 'real' painting and gave my parents a canvas of their home.

 Then we just played and played and played!  Actually, Mom worked us like slaves, painting up quilt pieces for the upcoming wedding.  I was able to bust out a Mother of the Groom dress and get a head start on bridesmaid skirts.
...
The girls got pedicures and the boys played a lot of Ultimate.  We played another thrilling round of The Newlywed Game, and though we couldn't beat out the soon-to-be married lovers, I feel satisfied in tying with my parents, married 29 years.

Parley stole the show in all his cuteness, and Lincoln learned how to play the trumpet.

Marshmallow Study Revisited

Surely you've heard of the marshmallow study, where toddlers were given a marshmallow with the option of getting two marshmallows if they waited several minutes to eat the first.  Those kids that could delay gratification and exhibit self-control were determined to be much more successful later on in life, yada yada.

So Lincoln came up to me last night asking if he could eat 5 carrots so that he could have 5 marshmallows.  He knows how treats work in this house :)  Anyways, I put the carrots and the marshmallows in front of him, then left the room to see what he'd eat first.  My mama heart glowed to see him finish his veggies before diving in to the sweets.  What self control :)

This kid is a stickler with rules.  He's gonna be such a good oldest brother.

Festivities

We've been enjoying every wonderful minute of this holiday season! 

 

We have kids, can you tell?

Diana and I went to see The Boston Ballet Nutcracker! It was my favorite rendition I've ever ever seen.

We made some fresh Christmas wreaths for our fireplace and front door...

...and saw the ginormous Christmas tree and lights at Feneuil Hall.

Lincoln begged incessantly to ride the horses.

And we met Santa!

We leave tomorrow for OHIO!!  Enjoy our home, Marc & Diana!  Feed the plants!

Hoping to Adopt

As you visit with friends and family this Christmas season, please help spread the word if you know of anyone considering giving their child to an adoption agency.  My dear and darling sister-in-law and husband are the epitome of selflessness and love, and I can think of nothing that would make me happier than to see them with a child of their own!  Please visit their adoption blog, their profile on LDS Family Services, and watch their endearing video, filmed in our city!  Help spread the word and share the love!

Marc & Diana's Adoption Blog

See Marc & Diana's profile on LDS Family Services.

Tis the Season to Get Crafty

 Need I explain this one?  I just love peg dolls.  And I reeeeeally love Nativities.

 Merry Peggy Christmas!

Update on Us

First of all, here are two darling pictures from last summer that I just saw for the first time!  Parley still has his baby curls.

Well, here's an update on us.  The kids are still cute and adorable. 

Jason is studying for the GMAT nightly, and I feel like I always have a hundred things going on.  Jason and I are loving being Primary teachers to a room full or rowdy 9 year old boys, and

we're ecstatic about another wedding in February!!

My little brother, Braden, is engaged to Lauren, also a Monson scholar, genius, returned missionary, and musical-prodigy!  They're a great match.  The wedding is in Vegas, so we're still weighing out travel options...

 Parley is still uncontrollably reckless and Lincoln is completely obsessed with floor puzzles.

 

These boys have already seen and played with all of their Christmas gifts, since they are all free review/giveaway items, but I'm hoping they've forgotten about them.  At least I know they'll love what they're getting!

They also are quite accustomed to boxes arriving nearly every day, and they're quick to make them into cars, spaceships, and go-carts.

Those little naked hams :).

Evan Day

Boy oh boy, am I sorry for the lack of blogging this month.  The giveaway business kind of explodes mid-Nov until mid-Dec, and its been absolutely nuts for the past few weeks.  Things are finally slowing down and I can't contain my excitement for Christmas vacation!  Especially to spend some more time with one of my favorite guys:

 

Today is Evan Day, as he is undergoing his 4th brain surgery to remove another brain tumor.  At this point, he has reached his life limit of radiation, but as far as I understand, there are new kinds of chemotherapy that are available since the last time he did this 4 years ago.  Evan is a pillar of optimism, and I'm sure he'll be just fine and back to his happy, humorous and wonderful self soon.  Here's to a speedy recovery and all the love in the world, Evan!

Countdown til Christmas!

Now that Thanksgiving is finally over, its Christmas time for real, and I can hardly stand it!  I'm a sucker for Christmas countdowns, thanks to Mom!  This one was really fun to put together.

Start by making 24 pockets.  I outlined them in double-sided white bias tape because it curls so nicely around curved edges.

Make a strip of fabric for the binding, and paint up twenty four buttons.  I found these blank wood buttons on eBay for cheap cheap cheap.

Sew button holes in the pockets, then lay everything out on a big quilted rectangle and sew the pockets down around the outer curve.  Add the binding and loops up top.

 We used a basic wood dowel rod: painted it white and drilled holes in the ends to run a string through.

 Then chock it full of candy and treats!

 This turned out really big--about a door's width, so hanging on the back of a door might be a great idea for saving wall space.

Merry Christmas!!