Faith, Not Hope

This my favorite painting,

The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg.

My dad had this picture in his office when I was younger. Back then I was more interested in what the horse looked like than what the painting actually depicted and meant. Now that I'm older, vote, and wonder what the government spends my taxes on (I believe that everyone should pay the same percentage of taxes whether you make $1.00 or $1 Billion and that you should be able to elect where your taxes should be spent. Example - those who want secured borders with Mexico and less illegals could check a box for Border Control and those who want money to be sent to foreign countries for abortions (like President "Hope" Obama) can check a box for Baby Killing Funds. If the American people were actually able to choose the programs they wanted to fund, I'm sure things would be a lot different in this country).

Back to what I was saying...............America needs to remember how and why this country was started. How many elected officials in Washington pray for guidance to do what is best for the people of this country? I think there are prayers being offered, but most are along the lines of, "Please help me keep this a secret........I don't want to get caught."

I pray that things turn around for OUR country. I have to remind myself not to rely on HOPE (he isn't dependable), because all I really need to have is FAITH (He is always dependable). I don't believe that George Washington was hoping to lead America to victory, I believe he had faith and that's why he was on his knees.

My "24" Week

For those of you that watch the show "24" you know that Jack Bauer is some sort of robot/terminator/who never dies and he fights the forces of terrorists/evil doers. Well, during the last 24 hours I have been a "Jack Bauer" of sorts.

The following content is for a mature audience who can handle hearing about bodily functions......You've been warned!

So on with the story. Monday night Damon woke up puking. I would normally be the one getting up every hour or so, rushing into the room and stripping away all soiled bedding and what not. It was weird...I barely even woke during each puke session and when I did there was no rush or adrenaline to get to my sickly son. Luckily Josh was up for the task. So dad took care of Damon the whole night.

When Tuesday morning hit, Josh was tired but off to work he went and I got to clean up all the puke sheets, pillows, cloths, etc. (the "fun stuff"). Damon still wasn't feeling fantastico but the puking had stopped so that was a good sign. I carried my sicky son downstairs for breakfast and felt a REALLY warm spot on my hip while I carried him. I set him down on the stool for breakfast and saw a large wet spot on my shirt. I thought, "Maybe it was a chew mark from Olivia or Joel. Those two like to chew on my shirts." I had almost convinced myself it was just a chew shot, when I went in for the smell. Oh doctor.....that was not a friendly little saliva spot.......that was some runny thunder from down under. I immediately carried Damon to the bathroom but the contents was much worse than I had hoped and so I had to carry him upstairs to my shower where he had to strip down and clean up.

Tuesday continued on with Damon having 1 more "accident," which landed him in the shower for a thorough cleaning. After that he seemed to be feeling better even though he kept asking for medicine and saying, "OOOhhhhhhhh, my tummy doesn't feel good!" Which I would reply with the command of ............"Hurry and get to the bathroom Damon!"

So I thought Tuesday was bad until Wednesday came.

By Wednesday Damon seemed to be on the mend and all was back to better at the Hunsaker house. After my meeting for/with Joel, we went to pick-up Olivia and Damon from Granny's house. Damon was asleep when I got there which was very bizarre. Granny said that Damon had told her, "he wasn't feeling good and that he had puke-bugs in his tummy, so he just wanted to rest." She sent the kids home with their own applesauce snacks which they were all excited about. (Funny what kids get excited about). So as soon as we got home the applesauce was inhaled as they waited for me to make them all waffles for lunch. And after that everyone started getting crabby and tired. So Olivia & Joel took naps and Damon watched a combination of SpongeBob, Litttle Einsteins, and DogFights.

The afternoon wore on and I was enjoying the quiet when Joel woke up. I snuggled with him on the couch but then he got fussy and then it happened. Puke spewing from his little mouth all over me. Uuuhhhhh, it was disgusting and as much as I wanted to turn him away from he so I wouldn't be covered in any more of it, I thought, "the damage is done to me, I don't want to have to clean it off of something else too." So I was covered in the lunch of champions as I walked Joel slowly over to the kitchen sink. (I didn't want to walk fast and leave a trail behind me). He was sad & upset as I washed him down in the kitchen sink, but I hurried to get him all cleaned up. I think I was in denial that Damon's "Puke-Bugs" had gotten to Joel but once I got some clothes on him and he puked all over them as well, I was convinced that the fun had just begun.

With Joel it was a little harder because he doesn't tell you whats coming. Damon would say he didn't feel good or head for the bathroom. Joel just got upset and then kept up the harf n' barf routine.

When Josh got home he said he wasn't feeling well. "Great! Hopefully it's just a headache or the result of little sleep/stress," I was thinking to myself. Since it was one of those freak nice-ish days in Oregon we all went outside to get some fresh air. Damon was feeling good and finding clues in the forest where the surveyors had left colored ribbons. Joel was having a good time because he always loves being outdoors and Olivia rode on dad's shoulders so she was pleased as punch. (whatever that means......but she was happy).

Once we got back inside the house Josh set Olivia down on the kitchen counter top and she puked. "Awesome.....now Joel has a buddy and I have double disgusting duty!" Then Joel decided Olivia couldn't have the last puke and so he had to up his game by puking all over himself. Josh was getting more and more nauseous by the second and the smell was getting to me. My laundry room was turning into the PUKE-PIT and I just wanted to keep the laundry going in fear that the smell would permeate through the whole house. Oh it was nasty.

If Joel was following in his brothers footsteps then I was hoping that he had filled his puke quota of the evening. After the shower Joel just went into shut down mode and didn't want to move. Every time I picked him up he would just snuggle on my shoulder in hopes that his little body could just somehow attach to mine. Unfortunately I was the only non-sicky adult so I had to take care of everyone else and that meant detaching from my Joel. I put him in his bed (with towels spread out everywhere for an easier clean-up), talked to him for a little while and he went right to sleepy land.

With Joel down it was off to the next sicky......Olivia. Josh had gotten Olivia asleep but hadn't prepared himself very well because within minutes she puked all over our bed. I cleaned her up and Josh stripped our bed down of all puke saturated materials. The new sheets went on and so did an arsenal of towels for Little Miss Pukey. Soon everyone was asleep and I was listening to my washing machine taking care of business.

So I thought Wednesday was bad until Thursday came.

2 AM, Thursday morning I woke to the sound of one grown man puking like I've never heard before. My stomach started to turn and as much as I wanted to be the compassionate wife, I stayed in our warm bed and tried to tune it all out. Olivia woke up to her daddy moaning and groaning and then reached for her favorite thing.......my cell phone. "Well someone must be feeling better," I thought to myself as Olivia proceeded on with her phone conversation. When things finally simmered down for Josh he went to check on Joel & Damon. He found Joel in the hallway (which is nothing new) but he brought him to me which made me happy. Now I got to share my bed with one sicky husband and hoped that my two little sicky babies would be sick on the towels and not on me. Luckily we have a big bed and we all fit. The kids slept, but poor Josh spent more time in the bathroom than in bed.

9 AM, Thursday morning I should have been out of bed but it was just so nice to snuggle with my Joel & Olivia. I still wasn't feeling sick and was VERY happy for that. Josh wasn't so lucky. He didn't feel any better, which means he got some kind of mutated "Puke-Bug" because all the kids seemed to be feeling better after the initial "12 hour puke phase." Poor Josh.

Olivia gobbled up her breakfast and it stayed down so that was good. Damon was still demanding that he needed medicine for his "fake forced cough." (He's only 4 and already playing the faker card). Joel & Josh took opposites sides of the couch and watched cartoons until Joel feel asleep. After breakfast I was on laundry/clean-up/disinfecting patrol.

In the afternoon I had to get into town and decided to take Olivia with me. After 2 hours I was at the final stop of the day, I thought to myself, "I should probably change her pants before we go in." Too bad and so embarrassing for me, I neglected to heed that thought. I proceeded into the grocery store. We got through the produce and I headed towards the crackers when Olivia decided to stand up in the cart. This was nothing new, but when I reached around her bottom to get my hand underneath her legs to bend them so she could sit down, a stinky yellow substance rubbed off on my white sweatshirt. I saw it, and then I smelt it, and then I looked at the back of my sweet little girl. She had a Yellow Poo Surprise for me.......yippee! I parked our cart immediately and headed outside to the car. Luckily I had put her in a onsie that morning and that had taken the brunt of the explosion, so that came off and she was able to keep her long sleeve shirt on. Her jeans were also badly saturated, but it was so cold out and I didn't want her little legs to be exposed so I wiped out the inner legs as best I could, gave her a new dry diaper, and the poo jeans went back on. (Don't judge me yet.....that was the best thing I could have done and you will agree later on......just keep reading). I used numerous wipes but I could still smell us (her pants and my sweatshirt........why didn't I take off my sweatshirt and leave it in the car, I wasn't thinking clearly I guess). Every person we passed in the aisles I swear could smell our stink, but I was just trying to get done as fast as I could. All the while Olivia is slowing me down with her, I want a drink, I want a cracker, I want to stand up, I want you to carry me games.

I was only two aisles from being completed at the grocery store when "it" happened. I stopped to get some tortillas and a family was right next to my cart. I heard a slight rumbling sound and a strange look appeared on Olivia's face as she went from standing up in the cart to squatting. Then I saw "it." Oh, yes........yellow splatter shooting out the back of her pants towards those innocent tortillas consumers The splatter landed on the ground and more came out the back of her pants. I frantically pulled the back of her pants up, almost like a wedgie, to keep the eruption of poo contained, but I failed. It just kept coming and Olivia's little face was so determined to get it all out. I even tried to pull her shirt down in the back to cover up the nasty act of baby relief my daughter had preformed. Nothing worked. I was desperate to keep it all covered up and contained. In retrospect I should have grabbed a roll of paper towels and wrapped her in them, but I wasn't mentally prepared for such a public baby blow out.

At this point I was desperate to get to the checkout and so I buckled Olivia in as tight as I could and luckily I didn't have to wait in line. As I quickly put my items up for the checker I realized the worst wasn't over yet. In all the explosions I hadn't noticed the havoc that had taken place on my own groceries. Olivia's poo splatter landed on 3 different items. "Oh no......this is disgusting, I can't have the checker touch these, that would be so wrong," I thought to myself. So I placed everything but my poo items up for the checker and then tried to quietly explain that I didn't want her to touch the items and she let me scan them trough. She then commented that she had a child as well, I think she was trying to make me feel better, even though she could smell the stench we were both giving off. Poor checker. I bagged the poo items and was relived to get to the car. I stripped Olivia down, wiped her whole body and put her in the car seat with just a new diaper on. She laughed and giggled when I was putting her in her seat (obviously she felt so relieved to be out of those clothes). I loaded up the groceries into the back of the car and then wiped down cart as well. So that was my WORST grocery shopping experience EVER.

When I got home, Damon was pumped and helped with the groceries, Joel was still my sicky slug and Josh hadn't changed much for the better. I put all the groceries away, tried to get food in everyone, cleaned up the kitchen, rotated the laundry, and got all the kids in bed. Josh took some pills in hope of getting some relief from his mutated Puke-Bugs. Olivia snuggled up with daddy and went to sleep and Damon thought he could help dad feel better by telling him a story (even though by the time he got to dad, dad was already asleep......of course he stayed in bed next to dad anyway).

And now it is 1 AM Friday morning and hopefully my "24" week is almost over. Although I haven't been fighting terrorists, I've been fighting evil......evil sickness. I've been put to the test of rapid laundry rotation, and stopping poo. I've failed and succeeded but I've learned something. Always change your children's diapers when you think about it! Hopefully that never happens again and hopefully I don't get sick.

Valentines Photo Session

These are the steps taken in order to get 3 children to take one good photo.

1) Chase children around in order to get them in coordinating clothes for the picture.
2) Wrangle them all to one area in order to take the picture.

3) Remove all toys from the area so they will be less distracted and will hopefully focus on the camera.

4) Put up the "Happy Valentine's Happy" background and continuosuly ask the kids to not rip it down.

5) Then say..................

"Please look at me!"

"Damon stop rolling your eyes"

"Joel, quit pulling on Olivia's hair!"

"Olivia, just stay right there for 10 seconds!" You guys, please don't rip those down................ aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh never mind!" And finally.............................."Yes we are all done!"

I love my little Valentines.

I get to love them all year long and for all the years to come and for all Eternity.

Pheasant Hunt Success

Before Josh got married, had 3 kids, owned 2 dogs, and owned his own business, he had hobbies that he could do every weekend if he so pleased. Now he if wants to spend some time doing a "hobby" he has to schedule it in somewhere.

So Wednesday Josh headed out to test Rocco's skills as a bird dog. He may not have admitted it, but he was excited to test Rocco out and I know that if Rocco didn't preform, Josh was gonna be ticked.

Despite the snowy conditions Rocco prevailed and Josh came back with a large grin. Rocco found numerous pheasants, waited for the "flush" command and even honor pointed. They killed 19 pheasants and now we have pheasant in our freezer.

Damon was excited about the pheasant. One nice cheezy smile, thanks. Luckily this time Damon kept the pheasant outside. Last time Josh brought pheasant home Damon was so excited that he ran inside, then upstairs to find me and I screamed because he was holding a dead bird in front of me.

Damon's Dictionary

My conversation with Damon tonight:

"So......what were you doing upstairs Damon?"
"I was upstairs cleaning up my bedroom & toyroom to make you happy and now I'm exasperated!"
"Exasperated?!?"
"Yeah....I'm exasperated."
"What does exasperated mean?"
"It means you don't want to clean up your room and just want to watch some nice, smooth TV."
"Oh, really."
"Yeah."

They're Here!

Lucky for me these eggs are already out........ even before Valentine's Day. I LOVE THEM! I love them so much they are the first non-family realted photo on the Blog. So even though Easter is still over a month away......thank you Wal-Mart for putting these on your shelves for my consumption and expansion of my thighs and wasitline.

Eating Like a Weed

We only have two plants in the entire house and both happen to be in the dining room on the floor. Bad placement when you have Olivia the Master Gardner in your house. Olivia thoroughly enjoys potting soil. She digs into the soil with her little hands and spreads it about on the floor. She also likes to taste test. If it's good enough for the plants..........then it's good enough for her. She is little Miss Mischievous!

Olivia's 1st Birthday

Olivia turned 1 on January 2nd. Since the sick bug was still hanging around with some family members, we postponed the party. I couldn't let the day go uncelebrated so I made up some cupcakes and we did a little birthday for her. I'm pretty sure she enjoyed it...the cupcake, the candle, the song, the attention. I can't believe this little girl is 1 already. Dad got this shot.....she is so cute!!! We had a family celebration later in the week when everyone was on the mend.

We got a nice picture of Olivia and Great Granny. She got lots of "girl toys" and had fun opening her presents. Thank you to everyone that came to the celebration.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

An Oat Ordeal

I was doing the daily rountine of trying to accomplish/complete some work in the office today. I could hear SpongeBob SquarePants in the background so I knew what Damon was up to. The Olivia and Joel sounds were in the norm (squeals of glee and grunts of frustration). I came to a stopping point in my work and decided to check on my 3 perfect little angels.

This was the scene.

I should have known this was coming, just minutes before I saw Olivia walk past the office doors with one barrel of oats. I was unaware that Joel had the other barrel and he was more than willing to help Olivia get the lid off of hers. What do you do?!? I laughed because they both seemed to be having a good time. Joel was making motor sounds and bulldozing the oats so a larger area of the floor could be covered. Then he laid down and tried to make "Oat Angels." Olivia enjoyed the taste testing aspect of the whole Oat ordeal. Joel must have realized what kind of mess he had participated in making because he brought the broom to the scene of the crime.

So the wood floor got a treatment of Old Fashioned Oats & Quick Oats. Luckily no fluids were involved...........that would have been much worse.

The whole thing must have taken quite a lot out of Joel because he quit on the second stair and decided to just take a nap. One leg was holding up his body weight and as he fell into a deeper sleep it would relax. Then his body would start to slip off the stair and so his leg would tense back up. I watched his little body do that for a minute or two and then moved him someplace much more comfortable with a blanket. I love my "Roly-Poly Joel-y!" Or as Damon likes to call him, "Joel Bo." (No clue why, but that's what Damon likes to call him).

Damon said......

Damon has been saying intersting things lately. Here are some more gems:

He went to his friends house today. When they came to drop him off, she let me know that he did pretty good and was well behaved. (sigh of relief) She then said, "Oh he said something that was really funny." (oh no....oh no) "Owen's mom, you're looking good today!" "Oh well thank you Damon."

He enjoys singing the Free Credit Report (dot) Com song from the commercials on TV.

"free credit repot dot com"

"so why am I dressed up in here like some notted bomb"

"its all because some packer stole my identity"

"now I'm in here saying"

"free credit report dot com"

(I guess that song is pretty catchy. The real version should play on the PlayList down below).

We got Kung Fu Panda for Christmas. Damon has only watched it 2 or 3 times, but that's all it takes. I was in the kitchen asking Damon what he wanted for lunch. His reponse was, "Mom, do you really want to make noodles all your life?" (In the movie, Po the Panda wants to "Kung Fu" instead of make noodles at the restaurant with his dad).