Happy New Year!!

If I had to pick one word to describe 2013, I'd choose GRADITUDE.  We had such an incredible year.  We spent the first five months of 2013 waiting... waiting and praying for a new heart to give Owen a chance at life.  In June, we took a leap of faith and split our family in half as Owen and I moved to Palo Alto for an undetermined amount of time.  I left with a very sick little boy and came back with a stronger, healthier one.  We are so grateful for our team at LPCH, the friends we made at the Ronald McDonald House, and most importantly, Owen's donor family.  Our lives have been altered for the better and we came out stronger than we ever knew we could be. 

 

Kam has changed and grown a ton as well.  She is independent, has the biggest heart, always wants to do the best that she can and we are so proud of her. This year has been so good to us and we have big plans for 2014!! 

 

Tonight was the first time my kids have ever set off fireworks.  Seriously.  They were always illegal in Arizona when Kam was small and we never did them with Owen because of his oxygen tanks.  The squeals of excitement and joy were priceless. 

 

We went to my Nana's house because of the huge cul-de-sac.  The men (boys) set off one firework after the next.  The kids screamed and hollered. Owen was so excited the entire time!  The spinning ninjas and the ones that shoot into the air were the biggest hit.  The kids also loved the sparklers.  Owen was hesitant at first, but caught on quickly. 

Don't let this teen fool ya, she had just as much fun as the little kids.  She also was super excited to get to her New Years party with her friends.  I'm staying up late to go pick her up. 

Our 2013 has ended with a bang... literally.  We all had so much fun with the fireworks and now bring on 2014!!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Years!! 

 

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If you are looking for recipes to ring in the New Year.. go here

If you want to share with me your New Years Resolutions, go here or here..

Christmas Celebrations!

Christmas is over and it was so wonderful!!  We were surrounded with family and had such a memorable year.  On the 23rd, we celebrated Christmas with the Simmons' family.  Carson's mom, dad, step-mom, siblings, lots of cousins... we were only missing one family due to illness.  Grandma Monica always has the best appetizers and Owen was found munching on these chicken drumsticks all night long.   

Some of the cousins with Uncle Rusty on the back porch.  (Owen still eating his chicken).

The girls wanted me to take a picture of them doing the "Sherlock?"  Owen had to photobomb the pic. 

Santa showed up just before dinner and I'm pretty sure Owen was the only true believer in the crowd.  Here he is with Santa just having a long chat.  Kam was the Elf this year, but Bubs stole her hat.  It was so great to see Bubs and Shugie.. we miss them.

Kam got her turn on Santa's lap but couldn't think of anything to ask for... other than a laptop.  I'm pretty sure Santa was checking out her awesome leggings.

After dinner and presents, we sang happy Birthday to the birthday girls (11 and 14.. why do they grow so fast?).  It was a great night and we have a tradition where each couple brings a white elephant gift and a real gift.  We play a little game and we ended up with OUR good gift and a gag gift... so fun! 

On Christmas day, we woke up and Santa came!!  I know it looks like a few gifts, but three is the perfect amount!  Owen got the Wii U Zelda bundle, Lego Superhero game and a Spy Watch.  He was thrilled!

Kam got the touchscreen laptop she wanted (and needed) and a couple Sims 3 games.  She was just as thrilled, but probably not that I'm posting her sleepy face picture.

Owen's modeling his cool new watch...

Daddy picked up Skylanders Swap Force with some characters and Owen was so excited he gave Daddy a huge hug.  Love it!  Kam got lots of dance clothes from us and a Zelda 3ds game.  We had a yummy breakfast and relaxed most of the day just playing with the kids' new gadgets.

In the late afternoon, we headed to my parent's house for some more Christmas celebrations!  We were a little early so Kam took Owen out to bounce on the tramp.

Then the girls showed up and Owen played "tackle the girls".  If you have read my posts for a while, you will remember last year that Owen wouldn't even really get on the trampoline.  He would stand off to the side with his oxygen tank and watch the kids play and bounce.  Now I can't get him off and he has so much fun!!

So they played and bounced for a while..

... then this happened... Lucy's front tooth was knocked out!  Not sure how it happened as there were many stories and Owen's takes the cake.  Now Lucy's smile matches Owen's.. sans the cheek full of ham. 

After dinner and bouncing, we all came inside to pass around gifts.  I love this picture so much.. it's Christmas chaos and joy!  I didn't get a picture of the pie that Gigi left on the floor and Lucy stepped in, or the Flutterbye fairies that wouldn't behave.... but it was a great end to our day. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  This morning I woke up and my house was in total disarray so we spent the entire morning cleaning up and putting Christmas away until next year.  I'm sad it's over, it's my favorite time of year. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is finally here.  We woke up to our Elf saying goodbye.  He even made some Reindeer food for us to sprinkle in our lawn for Rudolph. 

We baked cookies for Santa, then headed out to the Keg for our Christmas Eve prime rib dinner.  We had a really good time and came home to open our Christmas Eve pajamas. 

This year I started a new tradition of unwrapping a new Christmas story about the birth of our Savior on the Eve of his birth.  This book came recommended and the kids really enjoyed it!  I can't wait to continue on with this new tradition. 

After our PJs were on, we decided to hit up Starbucks for hot cocoa, but they were closed for good reason.  We drove around for a while looking at Christmas lights and headed home for bed.  The kids are so excited for tomorrow.  We have a full day surrounded with family.

We hope your Christmas is filled with Joy and Love.  Merry Christmas!!  Love, The Simmons Family

Getting Ready for Christmas

We have been counting down the days until Christmas!  Finals are over, Kam ended the semester with a bang and she is done with school for 2013!  We let her ditch the last day of school and we finally saw Frozen.  It was such a fun movie and my kids loved it!  Afterwards, we finished picking up and delivering gifts to teachers, dance teachers and therapists.  I love watching my kids get so excited to give gifts to their teachers. 

The Christmas cards have been rolling in, I still haven't put a few up.  I love getting cards, but haven't had time to get ours out this year.  I'll do a virtual card on the blog/facebook and I will do Valentine's this year.. just for fun.

I woke up super early on Saturday and hit the mall as the doors were opening.  My sis and I did a marathon shopping spree and finished up our shopping.  It was fun to shop with my sis... without kids.  We got SO much done!

This morning (Sun), we decided to go to the theatre after breakfast.  Kam and I saw Catching Fire (finally) and C took Owen to see the Hobbit.  Both movies got lots of thumbs up!  We came home and I spent a while wrapping all the presents and everything is done.  I am done.  It's time to sit back and focus on the real reason for the season.  We have a few family Christmas celebrations coming up this week.  This is my favorite season of the year. 

If I don't check in before Christmas day (I'm sure I will).. I just want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas! 

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For holiday recipes ideas go here.
To read about how I find balance go here.

Daily Resolutions

The more I reflect back on this year, the more I realize how important it is to be taking care of myself.  I always joke that "I am getting too old for this.." when referencing sleeping in a hospital recliner, or getting only a couple hours of sleep because there are just not enough hours in a day.  I haven't eaten well, I haven't exercised much and I feel like my whole body has paid the price.  This year has taken its toll and just recently I have started to take back control!

I have never been one to make New Year's Resolutions, probably because I never follow through and end up feeling like I failed.  Instead, I am making daily resolutions to make each day better.  I could be vague and tell you I will eat better, exercise more, get at least 8 hours of sleep, but instead I will be honest. 

For the past month I have been replacing one meal a day with a blend.  I throw in some protein, greens, coconut water, nut butter, and whatever veggies I have on hand.  I used to only want fruit smoothies, but they are so full of sugar and make my insulin spike.  As I get older, I find myself wanting less fruits and more colorful veggies.  I pack in as many veggies as I can in this one blend because if I don't get it at this meal, I won't get enough throughout the day. 

Another healthy meal choice I have made is eliminating 'sides' at dinner.  We have a lean protein and veggies only at dinnertime, and we try to eat before 6pm.  C and I have also cut out dairy, gluten and grains.  My kids are still growing and developing so they get plenty of dairy and whole grains in their diets still.  We are getting older and have spent so much of our 20s being overweight that it is time for a change.  C has been eating very clean and exercising daily for over a year and feels fantastic!!  I haven't been as disciplined, but have recently been making a daily effort.

Ever since Owen's heart transplant this summer, my focus has been on his rehabilitation.  His donor heart needs at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day so we have been going for walks around the neighborhood or doing physical therapy.  I am really good at making sure he takes care of his new heart, but then do nothing for my own.  It's hard to admit it, but it's time to be honest.  My daily resolution for my cardiac health is to take, at the minimum, a 30 minute walk a day.  I love to go to the gym and I have a membership at a really fantastic gym but I never take the time to go.  I need to take that time out for me.  I earn it!  The activities and choices I make on a daily basis are going to have a huge impact on how I age in the future. 

I am 34 years old, and I want to Get Old well!  Get Old is an initiative developed by Pfizer to challenge people of all ages to rethink what it means to Get Old and take a more active role in their health and quality of life at every age.  My quality of life is okay, I have a lot of energy, but I am still pretty young.  Honestly, if I keep going at the pace I am, I will not be well by 50.  Making daily resolutions and rewarding myself with positive affirmation is going to help me Get Old well.  I am hoping to be a young Grandma one day!!

What are you doing to Get Old well?  Tell us at GetOld.com and join the conversation on Twitter.com/GetOld and Facebook.com/GetOld.  

 

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Pfizer and Get Old. I received compensation for this post. All opinions stated are my own. Get Old is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

 

More Holiday Fun

 Last night we attended a Holiday party for heart transplant patients at Phoenix Children's.  We had never gone in the past, but knew some of our heart buddies were going to be there.  These Avengers showed up.. Hawkeye, Captain America and Polaris (Magneto's daughter). 

We had dinner while they had a little program set up. 

Santa came and Tarah (our favorite Child Life) gave Owen his gift first so we could get out of the germy hospital. :)

Before we left, Tony Stark showed up.  While the other Avengers weren't exactly look-alikes, Tony Stark was pretty close!  Hello Robert Downey.

I also tried to snap a picture of Owen and Chase.  These two rockstars both had their transplants at Stanford about 18 months apart.  Chase was born with HLHS like Owen and had the exact same surgeries as he did.  Now they both have new hearts and are in Kindergarten.  Chase had me cracking up during the program.. such a funny boy! 

When we woke up this morning, we found Emperor Moriarty continuing his countdown to Christmas.  Our Elf is running out of creative ideas and good deeds. 

Owen had an echo and transplant clinic first thing this morning in Phoenix.   His echo looks great and he looks fantastic!  We couldn't be any happier.  He got his usual, blueberry Dum Dum, at the end of the visit and we were on our way. 

We did a little Christmas browsing, but can't find the perfect gift for a few people on our list.  We just baked cookies and are delivery gifts to Owen's therapists and his teacher today.  I'm working on teaching him about the joy of giving.  He is at the age where he thinks about all the things he WANTS and what he will GET.  I'm trying to get him to think about what he wants to get others and to put thought into what they might like.  I think it's finally clicking! :) 

He's showing off his blue Dum Dum tongue..

I hope you are all enjoying the season as much as we are.  Not a day goes by that we don't think about Owen's donor family and how grateful we are to them for the best gift.  If you are looking to do something great this season.. in the spirit of giving... how about registering to be an Organ Donor?!

Holiday Party Fun!

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We had a really fun weekend celebrating the holidays.  Thursday night was Kam's dance studio party.  They loaded the girls on buses and took them to see Christmas lights.  I can only imagine how crazy and loud it was on those buses with a bunch of girls caroling!  Kam had a fantastic time!!

Friday was C's Christmas party for work and they have hosted it at ZooLights for the past few years.  It's fun, festive and the whole family is invited!  We were freezing cold, but you can't tell. It was probably in the 50s, but that is SO cold for us. 

Since C works for the Arizona State Foundation, the night wouldn't be complete without Sparky and Marky.  Sparky is the ASU Sun Devil mascot!  Owen thought he was pretty cool... other kids screamed with terror..he is a bit creepy looking. :) Sorry Sparky.

Here is Marky.   C says he's a apostrophe... I don't get it?!

We had a delicious dinner, lots of hot chocolate and visited with coworkers.  When did my 13 year old turn 20?  Kidding.  She needs to stop growing!

Owen had fun with Sparky.. they had these little glow devil staffs on all the tables and Owen loved them.  He would poke Sparky gently, and then Sparky would poke him back.  They went back and forth, fighting with the staffs like they were mini swords for a while.  He was totally entertained!

It was a great night, but we had to leave pretty early.  Kam had a couple hours of dance after the ZooLights, so she changed in the car and we dropped her off.  Thanks ASUF for a great night!

On Saturday, we went to the Mended Little Hearts of Phoenix's holiday party at the Atherton's house.  We went a few years ago and have always missed it since, so it was fun to go back.  I was so sad to miss Chris (another amazing heart mom) because her daughter Becca was being life flighted to LPCH at Stanford at the same time as the party.  Please keep Becca in your prayers. 

The party was fun as always.  They have an amazing backyard filled with playsets, a gingerbread playhouse, they brought in lots of snow for the kids and there were crafts.  We had pizza and pickles on a stick, the decorated some sugar cookies. 

This is what winter looks like in AZ.  We get leaves falling off trees in December.  Owen asked me for his mittens and instead of playing in the icy snow, he preferred to play in the leaves.  He's my desert dweller. :)

Ho Ho Ho.. we had our first Santa encounter.  I told Owen before we went that this Santa wasn't the REAL Santa, but that he will relay the information to the real Santa.  He gets it.. Santa is too busy.  Well.. after he got his picture taken he said.. "mom.. you were wrong.. he was the real Santa.. did you see his real beard and eyebrows?!"  Great job Santa!!   We had a fun afternoon.. thanks MLH.. love you ladies and all you do!

Since we were already in North Scottsdale, we decided to drive up to visit Uncle Rustyn and check out his new digs.  We made it home in time to hang out with cousins while their parent's went to their Holiday party.  It's been a fun weekend and we have plenty of fun planned... my favorite being the Mesa Temple lights. Only 8 days until Christmas!

Sibling Love

We've been busy celebrating the season! Today is our third Holiday party this week... so we'll be back on Monday to post about all our fun!   In the meantime.. enjoy these fun pictures I snapped of the kids yesterday.  These two have the best relationship.. they are our everything!

Hope you are enjoying the wonderful Holiday season as well!