THE BEAR NECESSITIES

Cut Me Some Slack...The Entertainment Budget is Tight!

2009-04-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say I have Disneyland taste on a SouthTowne Mall budget. I know that everyone is feeling a bit of the Economic Pinch these days, but come on...that pinch must hurt pretty bad to make the Bears resort to the mall for family recreation!

Somebody please tell me that there will come a day when we will look back on these times and laugh!

We will say, "Remember when we used to take the kids to Hot Dog on Stick for dinner and let them play at DinoTowne for a night out!"

It will be funny then right?

The way we were snapping pictures you would think we were at Disneyland! :)

Look at the action!

You can't beat an evening that ends with an IceCream Cone!

I don't care where you are!

Economic Pinch or not...the Widdowson Bears will find a way to stay entertained!

Easter "Hop"penings

2009-04-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing Easter Weekend with our family.

Here are a few pictures to document the fun we had together!

Grampa Bill and Gramma Minnie came to spend the weekend with us! We had a wonderful time planting flowers, decorating Easter bags, EATING, listening to Grampa Bill share his testimony of Jesus Christ with his family.

Mia and Jordan connected at the hip!

Jada lookin' cute!

Auntie Jen and Vivy blowin' bubbles!

LaToya and Jada enjoying the fruits of the hunt!

Oooo...Jon so Suave!

You might be wondering where Jon and Mia are in this "family picture"?

It is Easter...the Widdowson Bears never get a family picture at Easter...it is becoming a tradition. Mia is always pouting in some bedroom because she hates her Easter clothes and Jon is trying to patiently coax her out.

Oh Well!

Benj' Go Over There and Be a Man...

2009-04-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

"Benj' go over there and be a man!"

WHAT!!??

This is coming from a man who literally threw me to the dogs to protect himself! (Another story for another time! :) Jon will try and deny that he is not deathly afraid of dogs, but I have too many Jon vs. Dog stories to verify and validate that he in fact is MORTIFIED of dogs. (This personal little detail about Jon makes the following video clip that much funnier!)

(For those of you who might wonder if the kids were in any danger...let me ease your mind. This dog named Riley is a super kid friendly dog who has been raised around small children.)

Sticking To My Goal...

2009-03-24T10:01:00.001-07:00

I challenged a friend to a post a week with pictures. Looks like he is not rising to the challenge...what's up Michael Hill!? Since I can not back down from a challenge I will continue to post despite the lack of interesting events in my current life.

Today, I am sharing some pictures of my little ones. They are all so very different and I think these pictures show their differences better than I can describe. So humor me and take a look at my little bears in all their GLORY!

This is Mia learning to shred on her new Tony Hawk Board. Kinda scary!

Lil' Lito lookin' like a Ladies Man already!

And yesterday

VivyAnn came upstairs dressed as this beautiful princess.

She said, "Mom, would you like to take a picture of me?"

Who could resist. Thanks for indulging me guys!

Love,

Mind'

For Those of You Who HAD to See MORE!

2009-03-15T17:27:00.001-07:00

A Sensational Six Year Old!

2009-03-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

My baby is growing up!

She was born March 13th, 2003 at 1:30 a.m, and from that time forward she has blazed her own trail!

Without knowing it Mia has helped Jon and I become the kind of parents we want to be. She keeps us on our toes and challenges our thinking. In many ways Mia & I are extremely different from one another, but one thing we are exactly alike in is our need to have the last word! Let's just say it can get interesting between the two of us. :) Lots to look forward to when we hit TeenageHood!

Here is a list of 10 Things I LoVe about my MiaBia!

1. She is a deep thinker.

2. She takes risks, but knows her limits.

3. She absolutely loves all of her family, immediate and extended. She is constantly thinking about her Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles and Cousins. She anticipates their visits more than she does major holidays and her birthday! :)

4. Mia loves to read! (Another thing we have in common.)

5. She takes being a big sister very seriously and she is fantastic at it.

6. She reveres her Papa Bear. It is very sweet the way she looks at him.

7. Mia has amazing Faith in Prayer.

8. Mia loves to play hard.

9. She loves to take treats to her friends.

10. Mia does things according to Mia!

The following pictures are of Mia's Birthday Weekend...done Mia Style!

Friday the 13th turned out to be a great day to turn six.

Mia enjoyed a (before school) breakfast at Kneaders!

She met this little green turtle at Kneaders and could not bare to part with him.

Mia didn't want a traditional Widdowson Birthday Party this year.

I was a little bummed about this...but tried to be enthusiastic about her choice of party venue.

Nothing like the good ol' bowling alley to celebrate a momentous occasion!

She absolutely loved every minute of it though!

She got an authentic Jack and Jill bowling pin for being the Birthday Girl!

A group of professionals!

(These are just a few pictures of the things we did this weekend. Please see slideshow if you are dying to see more of the action! )

We had a fantastic time celebrating Mia this weekend! She brings her entire family immeasurable pleasure! We love you Meetla Beetla!

Ok...so it has been awhile!

2009-03-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for awhile. What can I say Facebooking is so convenient! Convenient, but not necessarily as satisfying.

I miss hearing all of the details about your day to day lives. I miss your rantings and ravings. I miss your pictures and I miss your sweet kid stories.

I hope you haven't forgotten about me. Check in on the Widdowson Bears from time to time. Can we go back to the way things were before I fell of the blogspot! :)

Love,

Mind'

The First and Maybe the Last

2008-12-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

What a magical Christmas we had!! This is the first year all of our kids are old enough to believe in the magic of Santa Claus and his eight tiny reindeer. We had a close call with Mia this year though.

An older cousin decided to share his thoughts with Mia on whether or not there is a jolly ol' man who resides in the North Pole. Mia came to me and said, " I know that Santa is not real, Mom." Despite my shock, I replied with a smooth face, "Ooooh, I am sorry honey. Did you know that once you say that you don't believe in Santa anymore the magic stops for you and he doesn't know how to find you on Christmas Eve." I rapidly continued on with, "I would believe for as long as I could if I were you." She had a drastic change of attitude after our little conversation. She was eager to do all of the good things that you would do to stay on Santa's Nice list. :)

I don't know what was more fun, making all the preparations for Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve or actually enjoying the fruits of our labor on Christmas Morning. It's a toss up! The kids were actually sparking with excitement! Which of course means that I was too!!

Although, on Christmas morning I realized that with little kids like mine, less is more! Benjamin was completely content with the little "Knock-off"Hot Wheels cars he got in his stocking. We could have just stopped there for him and we would have been completely satisfied! And it was pretty much the same with the other two. My Mom advised me to enjoy that while I could, because that will change the older they get.

Soooo anyway, Christmas was everything I hoped for this year! We had all of the necessary components for a Rockin' Christmas. We had family, friends, the magic of Santa, and most importantly, we had and HAVE a love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so grateful for Him and the Love that He gives so freely.

A Testimony Building Experience...

2008-12-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend in California with Jon and his family. I wish I could say we were just feeling spontaneous and felt like getting away, but we went for a much different and much more important reason.

Jon's grandmother better known as, Nanny, was admitted to the hospital for the last time. She is 85 years old and has lived a full and happy life. She is the kind of woman, I think we all hope to be. People are drawn to her vivacious way of living and her sparkling personality. I have only known Nanny for 10 Years, but in that short amount of time I could see for myself that she was truly a rarity!

I am thankful to Jon's family for letting me be a part of those very special last days with their Nanny. The love was deep and Heaven felt very near. I know that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a special comforting peace for those who have a testimony of Eternal Families. I am thankful for a Father in Heaven who has a perfect plan and has given us a clear understanding of how to return home to Him.

We love you Nanny.

If I May Have a Moment...

2008-11-21T21:12:00.003-08:00

...to bask in the glory of my 5 year old's "Kindergarten" accomplishments! We got our first official report card for little MiaBia and I am proud to announce that she is a "Kindergarten Master"!

Great Job Mia! We are so excited to see what you will do with your bright future!

Love,

Mama and Papa Bear

Once Upon A Time!

2008-11-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

A Fancy Festival Fit For A Princess!

2008-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hear Ye...Hear Ye...Princess VivyAnn has officially turned 3 years old!

She was graceful and grateful on Saturday for an afternoon of fun with family and friends.

The Festival took place here at Widdowson Castle and all of the kingdom was in attendance. The Good King and Queen Wella and Wello graced us with their presence. And the Evil Queen Mommy also infiltrated the scene. [So maybe my character choice was not exactly flattering, but every good "Fancy Festival" needs an Evil Queen right?]

We had a delicious feast of "Fancy Junk Food" and bubbly pink Magic Potion to drink. The Royal Court put on a delightful puppet show that was a hit amongst the commoners and real treat for the Royal Princess. Next the entire kingdom hunted for the magical unicorn that was the keeper of many tasty delicacies for all to enjoy. Thank you to the STRONG Daddies who helped relieve the magical beast from it's tasty burden.

Next the Royal Choir sang not only once, but TWICE a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" to the princess. This really was her high point of the afternoon. All morning long she followed me around asking if it was time to sing "Happy Birthday to You". It was the moment she had been waiting for.

And finally, the Princess was adorned with a spectacular pile of beautifully wrapped packages! She tore furiously through the packages looking for toys, but unfortunately the Evil Queen had previously told all of the kind gift bearers that the princess didn't need anymore toys! The Evil Queen felt very bad about this. Nevertheless, the princess was spoiled with a wonderful assortment of gifts.

A special thank you to all of the well wishers who came to show their love for our little princess VivyAnn. What a memorable afternoon for all of us here at Widdowson Castle! It would not have been as wonderful as it was without all of her friends and family!! (Please check out the above slideshow to see all of the fun pictures.)

Playing Catch Up!!

2008-11-10T10:51:00.001-08:00

So I am not exactly efficient at blogging anymore! It is one of those things that is always in the back of my mind to do...but is the first thing I leave undone!!
This post is a hodge podge of recent happenings! Not exactly thrilling stuff...but at least it is recorded!

Mia in her school costume parade!
Mia's Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Melzer. We love her!
This is Mia with her buddies Ivy and Taylor.

Pumpkin, Mouse, and Glamorous Mom!
Pirate and Ninja Cousin!
The Trick or Treating Crew!
My little Pumpkin! He was actually soliciting pictures that night!

I am pretty sure we had about a foot of snow on the ground. I had to change the kids in and out of their snow clothes....oooohhhh...about 100 times that day! Lots O' Fun!
Soooo.....we don't exactly have snow clothes for Benj' yet. We made do with what we had OK!!
The Last of our Amazing Indian Summer!

Ok, so there is a little bit of a catch up.
Coming Soon...
VivyAnn's 3rd Birthday Party, or should I say "Fancy Festival"! I know, I know you are all on the edge of your seats!

Revisit with me if you DAAAAARRRRRE!

2008-10-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

So, I accepted Kelly Dearth's challenge to find some pictures of just Jon and me on Halloween! I couldn't find one! In fact, I was hard pressed to find ANY dress up photos! I am now going to make it a goal to dress up EVERY year. I can't promise that we will have elaborate costumes like the Dearth's, but we will make the effort...you know for posterity's sake!

So here is what I came up with!

No Snow For You!

2008-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Poor Lil' Lito didn't get to play in the snow with his sisters, and he was not happy about that! I tried to distract him with the bear hat and for some reason he didn't think that was a fair trade!

And Soooo It Begins!

2008-10-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

I know I wasn't the only adult who woke up on Sunday morning in disbelief! It was too early for that much snow. That better not be a forecast of what is to come this winter. I haven't had a long enough break from our last snow in what...MAY!

My little girls on the other hand, did not share my dismay. Mia had Viv dressed in her snow gear in a matter of minutes, and before I could say no, they were outside sledding down the hill in the backyard. They were thrilled with what Ol' Man Winter provided them on a fine Sunday Morning!

I must say that it lifted my spirits to see them out frolicking in that dreaded snow!

Ridgeline Run!

2008-10-03T14:26:00.001-07:00

I love being a mom! Days like today make it all worth it. I got to help out a little bit at Mia's school fundraiser this morning. They held what they call the "Ridgeline Run". The kids collected pledges from family members and then came to school to run their little hearts out. I loved seeing all of the kids line up at the start line trying desperately to contain their limitless energy. They had music and the school mascot and lots of supportive parents to cheer on the kids! I couldn't help myself I jumped in and jogged a couple of laps with Mia. It was great!

After the festivities I went to Mia's classroom since it was my day for volunteering. Every single time I hear the kids sing and say the Pledge of Allegiance my eyes fill with tears. It is the sweetest thing to hear all of their innocent little voices unite and pledge allegiance to our country and it's values. It is so inspiring and patriotic. I am thankful that I get the opportunity to serve in Mrs. Melzer's class. And I absolutely love being a Mommy.

Pictures of Mia's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

The First of Many Firsts!

2008-08-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am sure if we were to see a satellite photo of the Earth yesterday it would have been bulging at the equator. Or at least bulging right above Traverse Mountain! The parental pride was enormous yesterday!

The first day of kindergarten is magical for both parent and child, but I might venture to say that is even a little more magical for the parents. I mean after all we are the ones who have gone through diapers, all night feedings, toddler bumps and bruises, potty training, leaving them for the first time with someone other than the other parent, etc. We are the ones who have witnessed every moment of their little lives leading up to the very big moment of when they step onto that big yellow bus for the first time! I don't even know what to compare that too.

For 5 years I have anticipated this day and then all of sudden it is here! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry...so I did both! I realize this is the first of many firsts and I look forward to them all. Days like the first day of school are perfect rejuvenators and reminders for parents who sometimes find themselves wondering "What the heck is this parenthood thing?!"

I love my little Mia Bia and am so proud of the way she handles herself in new situations. She is a natural and I hope that her sister and brother watch and learn from her example.

Can I getta (half of a) Whaa Whaa!!

2008-08-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finished! I have officially completed my first half marathon. What an experience!

The Story:
Night before the race...

I eat a good hearty dinner and retire to my bed early, 9:30 to be exact. I am a little nervous, but more excited than anything. I am sleeping like a baby until one of my babies wakes up sick! 1:30 am Vivy wakes up and never goes back to sleep. I had my alarm set for 4 am and didn't need it. I thought maybe it was a sign that I wasn't supposed to go the race. I ran that idea past Jon and he said, "Go get in the car!". We packed up our little PJ wearing VivyAnn and off we went!

Morning of the race...
We arrived in Mapelton a little after 5 am. I picked up my number jumped on a bus and headed up the canyon with all of the other participants. We were dropped off and then walked about 3/4 mile to the start line. I thought for sure we would start the race with in a half an hour...I think it was more like an hour and half! Let me tell ya...it wasn't exactly warm up there in that early mornin' mountain air. I was freezing!!

Finally, they start the race. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be. There were so many people in such a narrow space. We all got a slow, weird start. It was ok though, it kinda felt good to weave through a bunch of people until I was running my own pace. The only thing that I think is weird is that the race only had one official time. So the time started at the sound of the gun, but I didn't actually cross the start line until a couple of minutes after the gun. So I kept track of my own time with my ipod. Not totally official, but hey what do you do.

Ok, so I am running. And running. And running. Then I pass the 10 mile mark. And... ya baby...I am feeling good and am on line to finish under two hours. (Oh ya, that was my goal. I didn't cared how far under two hours; it could have 1:59.59 and I would have been happy.) I ran all of mile 10 and crossed the 11 mile mark and...dun, dun, dun....my legs turned to lead weights. I couldn't tell if they were bending at the knee or if they were even attached to my butt! It was the craziest feeling! I must of looked like some kinda of granny hobblin' around. I think my pace slowed to a 10 and half minute mile and that was probably the high point of the whole mile!

I kept yelling at myself..."come on you can't crap out now!", "are you serious Mind, you are practically done and this is how you are going out!", "Move it you wimp!". But nothing worked, my legs were in the twilight zone! Mercifully, I passed the 12 mile marker and miraculously I got some feeling back in my legs and picked up the pace ever so slightly. I was back under a 10 minute mile, but probably not by much. I was able to run the last half of a mile at a good fast pace, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to make up for lost time. I crossed the finish line and my ipod read 2:00:31. I cried.

I am trying so hard to be proud of myself for finishing, but really I am mostly focusing on how close I was to achieving my goal. Bummer. Can you imagine how the Olympic athletes must feel when they miss their goals by one one-hundredth of a second! They have trained a life time and here I am crying when I have trained for 3 months. That helps me put things into perspective.

I said that I only wanted to do this once for an experience, but now I have left myself wanting. I will have to run another one and crush that 2 hour mark!

Ode to my Vivy...

2008-07-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, after reviewing my blog and its content, I realized that I don't have nearly enough information on the little girl who owns my heart and soul.

There is a sunny spot in every one of my days...her name is VivyAnn Marie Widdowson. This little girl can lift my spirit on the gloomiest of afternoons and make me smile despite the foulest of moods.

Every morning I am greeted with her sweet voice, "Goot Mowning, Mom. I wake up in my pwincess bed." It is the same line every morning...I have come to look forward to it. We snuggle for awhile until she tells me she is ready for bweakfass. It is hard to have a bad day when it starts like that. :)

She is a perfect mix of sugar and spice.
She is a spunky little thing that can hold her own in the neighborhood.
She manages to use her good manners when we are at our friends homes.
She loves to dance with me to any kind of music.
She loves to play "make believe" with her babies.
She loves candy in all forms.
She loves to follow her big sister anywhere.
She loves to hold hands during family prayer.
She loves to torment her little brother by shutting doors in his face.
She loves "ChocaMilk" (chocolate milk...and actually it's more like an addiction.)

Each of my children have a special place in my heart. It is as if my heart had three special spaces and each space has been uniquely filled with each child and their personality. I am eternally grateful that I had a"Vivy Space". Our spirits are kindred.

Two Wheelin':The Sequel

2008-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Need: For those of you who read my original Two Wheelin' post you may have noticed that Mia's first bike was a wee bit too small for her. She would come in from a hard bike ride frustrated and red in the face. "Mooooom, I need a new bike. My dang pedal keeps falling off and my knees are hitting the handle bars!" This was not the typical Mia demand...it was actually legit. Mia needed a youth size bike!

The Confession: It was not in the budget to run out to Costco and pick up a brand new bike for her, but that was MY heart's desire. I had visualized her cruising down the street on a brand new RED bike. My Mommy Pride was threatening to consume me! I didn't want her to have a used bike for her FIRST big kid bike. But instead of conceding to my silly pride, I dug deep and casually said to Mia, "Hey let's go check out Deseret Industries and find you a new bike!" I cringed slightly waiting for her refusal, but instead I received a pleasant surprise. She lit up and said, "Ok, can we go right now?!"

The Conclusion: We found a bike at the DI in American Fork. You won't believe how much I paid for it...ok maybe you will...we were at Desert Industries for Heaven Sake! TEN bucks...not bad huh!? We stopped off at Target on the way home and picked up a few bike accessories. Mia's highlight was picking out stickers to decorate her new bike with. She cruises all day long on her "new" big kid bike and is lovin' it!
The Moral of the Story: Mommy should take a lesson from her little girl. Not everything has to be shiny and new to have great value!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-21T14:19:00.001-07:00

An Evening in Nature

2008-06-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about where we live is the close proximity in which we live to the mountains. For example, we left our house last night about 6pm to have a "Hot Dog Roast" in American Fork Canyon, more specifically Granite Flats Camp Grounds. We had our fun around the camp fire and were home by 9:30!

Now for those of you with small children you can appreciate this brief visit with Nature. We packed a cooler full of goodies, enjoyed the camp fire, let the kids get as grimy as they wanted and were still home in time for baths and bed. It doesn't get much better than that. Can I get an Amen!
I hope to have many more brief visits with nature this summer. If anyone is down for an "EVENING" in the woods please let us know...we love good company!

Two Wheelin'

2008-06-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Mia is FIVE and she has been riding just about everything with wheels since she was very small. The one thing she hasn't been able to ride, or maybe I should say, refused to ride is a bike. Every time we encouraged her to ride it [with training wheels] she cried hysterically. Obviously, something about that little bike freaked her out so we backed off.

Well, here we are a month into a new summer and it was starting to bug me that my five year could not ride a bike so I did what every good Mom would do...I tried to SHAME her into riding her bike. I told her that she will be the only five year old on the street who can't ride a two wheeler. It seemed to have little or no effect. And then one day I looked out the window to see her on her little two wheeler cruising down the street! It was a very exciting thing to see. I ran outside and asked who taught her to ride a bike and she looked at me with her most superior look and said, "Who do you think, Me!"

And the rest is history.

Hobble Creek here I come!

2008-06-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

So I have waited until now to announce my decision to run the Hobble Creek 1/2 Marathon. I wanted to make it through a few weeks of training to make sure I was going to do it before I started telling friends. Well, I am officially through 4 weeks of training and half way through my 5th week.

I am not sure what made think that running 13 miles was a good idea, but despite my skepticism I am actually really enjoying myself.

Myself. That is who I am running with.

"Myself" is not my typical Modus Operandi. I always have to do things with people in order to stay motivated, and of course PEOPLE are the biggest part of my FUN equation. Interestingly enough I am loving my quiet, alone time. I am the star of my own Nike commercial, just me and the road. It has been great. But my guess is at some point I am going to need a partner to get thru the longer runs. Hint, Hint Jules!

Things I hope to get from participating in this race:
Prove to myself that I am not old despite what my Birthdate says.
To be a healthier version of myself.
To see if I am interested in trying a full Marathon.
Prove to myself that I can do something for fun and not get mental about it! I tend to start worrying about how fast I can run :)

So if you guys see me running along side of the road and my tongue is hanging out and my face is the color of the sunset, just honk your support and keep your comments to yourself! :)

Benjamin Has Been Tagged!

2008-05-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Kadyn has tagged a bunch of buddies and Benj was lucky enough to be one of them. We are supposed to give 7 facts about Benj that will absolutely astound you!

Numero Uno. Benjamin was walking by his first birthday April 20th, but just two weeks ago decided to use it as his primary source of transportation.

2. He loves to jump on the trampoline with his sisters. I should be more clear... he loves to be jumped around while sitting or barely standing on the trampoline.

3. Can not make it through sacrament meeting without being taken out into the hall by his Papa Bear. To this day we have not had to take the girls out! Is it really true that boys are harder? Surely, not my son!

4. He is a typical Widdowson Bear and loves back tickles!

5. Benj likes to knock on the bathroom door whenever there is someone in there. It can be kinda embarrassing when we have guests over. I am trying to teach him about letting people have their privacy. :)

6. Sara Anderson is his girlfriend.

Uno Mas: He will answer to any of his many nicknames i.e Benjilito, Lito, Lito Mosquito, Russell (his middle name) Litzy Mesquitezy etcetera...etcetera!
But better than his long list of nicknames, he has his own theme song. His Papa Bear composed it one night after bath time, and we have sung it to him ever since.

Lika hear it...here it go...

They call me Benjilito
I come from Mexiquito
They feed me tacos and burritos
Yeeaah, they call me Benjilito.
(Must be sung with a funny Mexican accent!)

It gets stuck in your head and then you sing it for the rest of the night! It's a GREAT time.
So that is our Baby Boy in a nutshell, we love him a little bit!
We tag London Knight, Jade Gardner and Mac Fowers

Mother's Day Over My Birthday...For Sure!

2008-05-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." -- Lin Yutang

I have decided that Mother's Day is MUCH better than my birthday. I get all of the extra love and attention without having to be needled by that dreadful little number increasing by one. I am thankful for a family that loves me and appreciates me. They are wonderful especially my J-bear! He is so thoughtful and put so much energy into making my day super special. The bar is set very high for Father's Day next month.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." --Author Unknown

A is for Asthma....

2008-05-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Asthma is a chronic condition involving the respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constricts, becomes inflamed, and is lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more triggers.--definition from Wikipedia
I never dreamed that this little word and its definition would ever have such an impact on my family. Our son Benjamin has been diagnosed with Asthma. Our first experience with an asthma attack was in December of last year. I thought it was a severe cold or maybe even bronchitis. He had a horrible cough that would not be soothed by any of the over the counter cough syrups that are available. When I took him to see our doctor, the doctor immediately said to me, "Let's not rule out the possibility of asthma." After we ruled out the possibility of Pneumonia and RSV he was pretty sure Asthma was our daisy.

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't take it very seriously when my doctor told me Benj had asthma. Honestly, this is what I thought..."I know lots of people who have asthma and they are just fine. Surely, this attack was just a coincidence and it would never get this bad again." I didn't realize how dangerous it could really be. I guess I am the kinda of person who has to learn things the hard way. For those of you who read my last post, we had to come home early from St. George because Benj was sick. Well, it went from bad to worse. By Sunday we were minutes away from Benjamin being rushed to the ER in ambulance and that was while I was sitting in my doctor's office. He had a temperature of 104.7 degrees and was literally struggling for every breath. Asthma was real to me in that moment. I understood better than anyone could have explained to me of how ugly an asthma attack can be. I wanted so bad to trade places with my baby. With every breath that I took I became more frustrated with myself because I was breathing so effortlessly. It is so weird the kind of promises you will make to God if he will just ease your child's pain.

We made it through that 5 day attack with lots of visits to the doctor's office and even more medication. I have a whole new respect for Asthma and I am willing to do anything that is required of me to make sure that my little Lito never gets that sick again! If any one has any good books or websites that you can recommend to me I would love to hear about them.

The Very Elusive St. George Trip!

2008-05-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

So, I had an opportunity to go to St. George with some friends in early April. I wanted to go so bad, but circumstances would not permit. I reluctantly said goodbye to that trip and stayed home for the rest of the weekend. I moped with as much intensity as I could muster. I swear it was equivalent to being the only girl who didn't go to her senior prom! Despite all of my doom and gloom there was a glimmer of hope for me. I had another chance to go to St. George the first weekend of May.

Redemption!

My girlfriends and I left on Thursday morning for St. George with just our babies in tow. The older kids were staying home for the weekend and the Daddies were going to meet us in St. George on Friday. It was slated to be a fabulous weekend. Thursday lived up to my expectation. We talked, munched and soaked up the wonderful sun. (Side note: When we left Lehi it was snowing!) So soaking up the sun was a very big deal for me. The kids were being so good. Benjamin was so happy to have me all to himself. He was delighted with all of the attention he was getting. So the sun went down on Thursday, and I was completely satisfied and relaxed. The sun came up on Friday morning and everything began to change. I didn't feel great, Benjamin was starting to show signs of an asthma attack, and my babysitting situation at home was not going exactly as planned. My utopian dream was beginning to fade and fast. Jon and the other Daddies showed up late Friday afternoon. By that time I had a sinking feeling that we would be cutting our trip short. Ok so to make an already long story short...We had to wake Jared and Kelly up at 2 am and ask them if we could use their car to take our sick baby home. Jon had been in St. George for just about 8 hrs at that time and portion of that time was split between work and sleep. He didn't even get to go to dinner with everyone the night he arrived!

So for the second time in two months my relaxing get away to St. George escaped me. Thanks to Kelly I do have some pictures of me enjoying the time I had.

Benjamin is ONE!

2008-04-22T08:46:00.001-07:00

Caution: Time is Flying!

2008-04-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

It is a bit surreal that 365 days have come and gone since the day my baby boy was born. It makes me cry to think that he was an infant for just about a blink and now he is threatening to walk. I have been asking myself, "how is it that I take care of him everyday, feed him, change his diapers and give him baths (okay... Jon gives the baths, but you know what I mean) and not notice that he has grown into a little toddler overnight?

A friend of mine sent me an email of a letter that a mother wrote about this very thing. I have cut and pasted a excerpt of it here. I think it might be the answer to my question.

"But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."--from an email that I received from a friend

So this might sound a little heavy for a happy birthday post, but I thought I should acknowledge that time will fly whether I am living in the moment or not. So I am making a resolution to do exactly as the above mentioned mother suggested. I am going to "treasure the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less"! I love my son, I love all three of my beautiful gifts from God. I don't want to look back with even one regret!

(Crickets chirping)

Soooooo....Benjamin's Dump Truck party was awesome. I had of all the people I love to help make it a success! Every person that came contributed in some way to make it fab! Thank you everyone...you all make my life so rich! I am adding some pictures of my lil' Lito on his first birthday. I hope he could feel the love that filled our downstairs on Satuday afternoon. It was all for him. He is such a special little boy that makes us laugh with all of his "little weirdo" stuff. I should also say that the Dump Truck party was inspired by his "little weirdo" stuff. An example of "weirdo" is, he will get in the downward dog position and plow through any obstacle with his head. He will crawl head first into a glass door, not because he doesn't know that it is there, but because he thinks if he hits it hard enough it will open. He reminds us of a piece of heavy equipment, hence the Dump Truck Party. We might have a bit of a meathead on our hands here...but at least he will be a cute meathead!

Your Papa Bear and I love you Lito Mosquito!

WoooWeeee..My First Tag!

2008-04-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

So you know you're a lame blogger when you have been secretly waiting to be tagged! I have been apart of the blogging nation since the beginning of March and here I am over a month later filling out my first tag...what a moment for me...sniff...sniff.
So what am I waiting for? Here I go...Here I go...Here I go again...girls what's my weakness...oh wait I am losing focus already.

Ok, the List goes like this:

Four Jobs I've Had:

Vanity (Sweet High School Job)
Lombard Conrad Architects
CNA Architects (I wish I could say I did something cool at these two places of employment. But alas, I was just a lowly asst. to someone who actually did do something cool!)
Maple Leaf Meds (I sold drugs)

Four Places I've Lived:

Kuna, Id (My Child 'hood)
Rexburg, Id (Where Jon and I began our Love Story)
Bellevue, Wa (Where we wrote our Honeymoon chapters)
Lehi, Ut (Where we are now thick into the plot of our story)

Four Movies I Love:

Finding Forrester
ShawShank Redemption
Gone With the Wind
The Color Purple

Four Favorite Foods:

Pizza
Blimpie's Best The Blimpie Way
Mexican Food in general, but my Mom's the most.
Soup and Salad from Olive Garden

Four Weird Things About Me:

I am afraid of big bodies of water.
I never get tired of talking on the phone.
I have a hard time saying no to people.
I like to clean my kitchen.

Four TV Show I Like:

American Idol (Although I have been reduced to watching it on Youtube this season)
24 (We made the mistake of watching the first season on DVD and it kinda messed with our lives until we finally pulled ourselves away after season 3. Not a proud chapter in the history of Jon and Mindy Widdowson.)
The Cosby Show (Especially, any scene that has to do with Dr. Huckstable and Theo)
The Office (We actually have never seen this show. But after hearing all of our friends rave about it, I am pretty sure we would like it. I am a little nervous to start something new after the 24 fiasco!)

Four Places I'd Love to Go:

The Mediterranean
Jerusalem
NYC
Wasington DC

Wow, that was fun. Thanks Hillarie.

Finally...Family Pictures!

2008-04-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

I finally feel a little more at ease. I have pictures to prove that we truly are a family of 5! Out of desperation we went to the mall and had some pictures taken. I feel bad because Jon was coming down with the flu that very day. He almost passed out at one point. He isn't thrilled that I am posting these pictures. (He thinks he looks horrible.) But the point here is that we have a photo of the 5 Bears!

Prophet, Seer and Revelator

2008-04-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

I was overcome as I stood and sustained our new prophet this morning. I knew for myself through the Holy Spirit, that President Monson was truly called of God to lead and guide His church. I am so amazingly grateful for the opportunity I had to stand with other saints and sustain President Thomas S. Monson today. What a special experience to share with my little family!

What a Beautiful Day for an Egg Hunt!

2008-03-29T09:57:00.001-07:00

First Widdowson Medical Mayhem!

2008-03-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it took 5 years, but we have officially had our first bloody scare! The story goes a lil' sumpin' like 'dis.
Sheri came to pick up Tyler, Mia's little friend. Tyler was walking out to get in his mom's car and Mia comes out to say farewell. Typical stuff so far. Mia is carrying a glass bowl full of Corn Pops. She proceeds to break into a trot to catch up to Tyler, and for those of you who know Mia this will come as a great shock...she tripped over the mid-air and went crashing to the concrete. Pretty typical stuff around the Widdowson household. I uttered my usual line of, "Oh I am sorry honey, shake it off. Your a tough girl." But this time was different. By the time she turned to face me I knew it wasn't a normal Mia crash. She was gushing blood and screaming her little heart out.

To say the shattered bowl cut her finger sounds too tame for the scope of her injury. I dared to take a look and immediately wished I hadn't. The cut look jagged and deep. I saw parts of her finger that a mother should never have to see. Looking back on the chaos, I am thrilled that I didn't freak out. It was pretty scary lookin'!

Sheri took our other two babies while Jon and I took Mia to see our pediatrician. He had her fixed up in a Jiffy! Now for a bit of Mommy bragging rights! Mia was so brave! She saw the tools that the doctor unsheathed and the "numbing needle" and let out little more than a whimper. She put the ipod on and tuned into her favorite song...which happens to be Bubbly by Cobbie Calliat...and gritted her teeth 'til it was over. What a moment for me and her Papa Bear.

Sunday is a Treat!

2008-03-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays for lots of reasons, but one of the biggies is that I get to see my Beetlers (aka Mia) in a dress. Around the age of two Mia decided that Camo pants and skateboard shirts were her thing! She doesn't only dress like a boy but she plays like a boy. It might have something to do with the fact that her favorite cousin in the world is an eight year old boy or it could be the eight boys she plays with everyday on our street. She really would be ok if I never asked her to put on a dress or encouraged her to let me do her hair.

Needless to say Sunday is a treat. She always looks like the pretty little girl I remember as a two year old. Having said that I should also say that I have actually learned to appreciate and respect the fact that she is chiseling out her own little identity. She is a good girl with a very strong will and I love her for it.

Ra Ra Sis Boom Ba!!!

2008-03-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Mikey is playing JV Lacrosse this year for the Copper Hills Grizzlies! I am going to take a moment as his Auntie to brag about him. Uhhem..So this is first year EVER playing Lacrosse and he is a starter and a team captain! Mikey enjoys learning a new sport and is picking it up really fast. I am so proud of him. He has been through a lot for being such a young teenager and he is handling all of his trials with a great amount of maturity! I am so glad he is staying involved at school. It is really fun to be apart of his life. Love you Mikey!

Welcome to the World Lil' Isaac!

2008-03-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

On March 18th our little nephew Isaac was born. Terra and David welcomed their baby boy via a surprise C-section! It must have been a little scary for the parents to be. But after enduring their first little hiccup they are off and running with their new little addition!

I can't wait to meet this beautiful little boy in person. I am devising a plan to jet off to Washington as I sit here and type.
We love you Terra and David!

Dad, Gab and Me!

2008-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

The last week of February I went home to Boise, Idaho to visit my sister for her birthday. She had a list of things she wanted to do for her birthday and having our picture taken with our Dad was one of them. What a great idea she had! We didn't go anywhere fancy, but that didn't matter. We had a great time and laughed alot.

I love my family in such a deep way. We have weathered many storms and have come together in a way that only a family can. I am thankful everyday for the blessing they are to me. My Dad is an admirable man who has worked hard every single day of his life. He has taught me to "never say die" and to always trust in my Savior. My sister has shown me what the true meaning of courage is. One of the trials she has been given in this life is a long term illness that there is no cure for. Despite her circumstances she wakes every morning and continues to live her life with enthusiasm. I love my Dad and my Sister and try to emulate all of their best qualities. I am who I am today greatly due to the lessons I have learned at home.

Love you Dad and Gab!

Sunkist

2008-03-10T20:51:00.001-07:00

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Cruise Pics

2008-03-08T22:18:00.001-08:00

Turning 30...in the Caribbean...It Could Have Been Worse!

2008-03-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

So you all know that I have been dreading the big 3-0 since I turned 25. With every year that passed the once quiet fear of turning 30 turned into a roaring double headed dragon! It was finally the spring of 2007; I had less than one year before my 30th birthday. Fortunately, some friends of ours happened to invite us to go on cruise with them and two other couples in January of 2008. What perfect timing! I saw the opportunity and jumped all over it. January 28th (my birthday) was coming whether I liked it or not. If I was going to have to endure the day, I might as well do it in the exotic Caribbean!! It took a little persuasion on Kelly and my part, but Jon eventually got "on board" with the idea of a cruise.

I can safely say this was one of the best if not the best vacations we have ever been on. We were so blessed by our Moms. They both came to our house and stayed with our kids for 10 days. They teamed up and took exceptional care of our babies. If it tells you anything, the night we returned home it was quiet and clean and all three children were peacefully sleeping in their OWN beds. It was like we had never left! Thank you Mom and Ann. You are the best moms ever. (Same time, same place next year right?)

Jon and I honeymooned for ten days! We enjoyed every minute of our uninterrupted time together. We savored every bite of hot food we ate at meal times and fortified our relationship with tons of conversation and recreation! I love my husband and it is nice to know that when we are one on one we still have the "all spark"!

We visited many beautiful places in the Southern Caribbean and learned interesting things about the culture of some of the Caribbean islands. The food on and off the boat was delicious. The company that we were in was exceptional...I laughed until my sides ached and soda exploded out of my mouth and nose! (Literally! Thanks Wes.) Oh and my 30th birthday...I let it come and go with little more than a sigh. Who can complain when they are on board a beautiful cruise ship sailing over the light blue Caribbean waters!

Needless to say I am game for going again, I just wish our pocket book was. Something to save for I guess. :) I am posting some of the pictures of us. I hope you can get an idea of how incredible it was.

Poor Little Lito (aka Benjamin)

2008-03-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

Benjamin is turning ONE next month and I do not have even one photo of all five us! What kind of mother am I? Let me tell you this blog has really motivated me to be more diligent about recording our family life with photos. I am posting this picture to make sure that Benj is recognized as a Widdowson Bear. P.S We call him Benjilito or Lito for short just in case anyone was confused by the title.

Take the Kids to Pool...Hmmm...Let Me Think?

2008-03-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

Sara and I decided to take the kids to the pool today. Now this is one of those decisions you make and then immediately wish you didn't. I started to think about all of the work that goes into taking five children to the pool. First there is the packing of the bag. You have to have towels and dry clothes and diapers and swim diapers, the list goes on and on right. Then of course the loading of all children and their things and the unloading and the herding them across the parking lot and into the building and then into the dressing room and then to the bathroom twice and then finally you get to the life vesting all while the two year old is taking off toward the pool. Oh and I didn't mention that we had to stop and feed all five children before we went swimming. I was thinking as we were sitting there in the Legacy Center Cafe...there is no way the dad's could do what we are doing. Well, to be fair they probably could, maybe they are just smart enough not to.

Anyway, we finally made to the pool and into the water. And that is where we received the fruit of our labor. The kids had a great time! They splashed, slid down slides, crawled through tunnels and dunked their little heads under the water for the first time...and that was just Benjamin. The other kids were swimming laps in the olympic sized pool! Okay, maybe not, but it was just about that awesome.

Benjamin is the one who surprised me most. I didn't even plan on him getting in the water! After the first 5 minutes it was clear that he was not going to watch from the sidelines! I had to bum a swim diaper off some random mom who was there and off he went. He was voluntarily submersing himself in as much water as we would allow him to. He didn't seem to mind having the water go over his head at all. I didn't wear a swimsuit so he got to have his fun at Sara and Hope's expense. They were in the water with the kids and helped me with Benj. (Thanks you guys!)

Anyway, despite the tedious work that was involved in getting to the pool I think we can all agree that it was worth it! The kids all had a great time and for the cherry on top...no one had a melt down when it was time to go home! I might even do it again sometime.

To Blog or Not Blog....

2008-03-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

I must admit that I have stayed away from blogging due to my fear of starting another project that requires not only finishing but continual updating. I thought to myself, " If you don't start you don't have to feel guilty about not updating and staying current with my family's news." But the more blogs I view the more tempted I have been to start one of my own. And here I am struggling through my own first entry. I am stressed out already! I don't know where to start. I don't know what is interesting enough to actually share. My plan is to just start and hope that I get better with practice. So bear with me this first couple of weeks and hopefully with time I will become a polished blogger like all you other bloggers.