can you see me now?

i'm sporting around this super cool sticker on my driver side window these days. my boys think it's pretty sweet...which means that it must be. it's a great reminder to double check my surroundings before backing up my car. phoenix children's hospital has kicked off this campaign to raise awareness for children's vehicle safety. my mom and callie were interviewed during the launch week and callie even received a special dedication plaque from the hospital as she was a significant part of the inspiration for the campaign.

you can go here to read more information on their program.

and visit here for a video clip from channel 15 news.

oh yeah, and call Phoenix Children's Hospital Kids Ride Safe Program @ 602.546.2277 to get a decal of your own!

{if you are new to my blog and have not heard about my sister callie's story you can go here to read about our miracle girl.}

rocket ships, growed ups and preschool

this cute four-year-old manchild just started his second year of preschool. he reminds me weekly that when he is five he will be in kindergarten and he will get a puppy.

i'm not sure how the two topics coincide, but apparently they do.

today while i was braiding my hair and the two-year-old was sleeping, gage was feeling especially talkative. he began telling me about how old he is almost going to be a growed up and he will learn how to fly.

"fly an airplane?" i ask.

"no mom. fly by myself."

and then he hesitates and looks up at the ceiling.

"and maybe fly a rocket ship."

and then he looks pleased with himself.

"well gage," i begin "where are you going to go in your rocket ship?"

"mars."

"wow gage! mars? that will be a lot of fun."

"but i will miss you mom."

and then i smile, but not too big. but it makes me reeeallllllly happy to hear.

"well i'll just go with you then."

"but if you come then gare will miss us."

"then let's take him too." i brilliantly declare.

"okay mom."

and so it is decided by the preschooler.

um...did i happen to mention that i think my boys are the cutest things in the world?

i certainly do.

and in other news.....check out callie's blog {here}. my mom did a VERY exciting update last week! check it out!



xoxo. ash

the miracle mile

exactly one year ago today i woke up to this beautiful sight and this wish.

it would only be a few hours later that i would receive a phone call from my sister amber letting me know that our baby sister had been backed up over in my parents driveway and had been rushed to the local hospital.

my routine drive to show low that day would take an eternity and the devastation of seeing sweet callie's limp body on that huge hospital bed would be a memory that wont be forgotten.

that day would be the first of many days that callie would not be with us. she was not running around. she was not playing with her sisters. she was healing.

that very difficult time would be the beginning of an incredible lesson on faith and miracles and love.

today i feel so grateful for the blessing of callie's life. she is a miracle and a living testament of the power of prayer and of a merciful and powerful heavenly father.

one year ago today i witnessed a miracle and i've not been the same since.

if you would like to read all about callie's amazing journey you can begin here and move on through by newer posts.

callie also has her own blog which is occasionally updated here.

there will also to be a open house/gathering at my parents home this sunday afternoon to give thanks and recognize the amazing year that we have experienced with callie jayne. you have all been invited here.

thank you so much to everyone who has prayed and cared for callie and our family over this past year. we have been so truly blessed.

{love.ash}

at least her tongue isn't bleeding::retold

brinley was four years old last september. she and callie were best of friends. while everyone else was off at school, brinley and callie ruled the roost and played and played together. brinley who had been endowed with a good amount of sass had met her match in callie. they were the perfect pair.

on september eighth brinley's routine was thrown helter skelter. her mom and sister who she relied on each morning to be with her, were both gone. she had been at home when the accident happened and she knew that callie was badly hurt. it was painful to see brinley the first week following callie's life flight to phoenix. for the most part she kept her head in her chest and spoke very little to anyone. she was confused and scared and sad and it showed.

i felt one day that brinley should come spend some time with the boys and i. she had been staying at home now that my brother justin and his wife alisha had moved in to care for the kids and on many days our dear cousin kimberly would take her into her home to play with her two little girls. but i wanted to take her for a few days and so i called up alisha and made the drive to show low to pick her up. i smiled when i saw her, hair in pigtails with red ribbons tied tightly to them. i thought it such a sweet gesture that alisha had put such an effort into her hair fixing routine. we gathered her things into the car and headed home.

brinley didn't say much on the drive home but she did take an interest in my camera. i handed it to her and she snapped pictures of our sleepy passengers and smiled at herself. when we got home she wanted to see them again and she beamed with pride at the quality and giggled at how silly the boys looked while sleeping. garrett's many chins resting on his chest as lay cradled in his car seat and gage's mouth gaping open.

we had a good time together. we made crafts, we played outside, made homemade marshmallows and drank way to much hot cocoa. but still brinley wasn't wanting to talk to me. on the rare occasions that my mom could call, it was difficult to get brinley to take the phone. and then she just nodded and bit her lip.

i could however hear her talking to gage when the two of them would play alone in his bedroom. she would tell him what character he was playing in their next story and tell him "careful gage" when he would get a little wild and bump himself. {which happened a lot.} but as soon as i barged in on their space all i got was silence.

one afternoon while garrett napped we bundled up and headed outside. brinley had her eye on gage's miniature sized rhino and now was the perfect time to let them use it. it required hands on supervision and for the time being my hands were free. brinley hopped in the driver seat and gage opted for the back. he stood up and held on to the rails and off they went. it was a rough ride to say the least through our graveled drive. brinley would floor it and then stop abruptly to look back and check on her nephew. on one such of these sudden halts, gage's face connected with the rail and he chomped down hard on his tongue. the bleeding was pretty good so we rushed inside to get a cold cloth.

as he sat there on the counter crying and bleeding i couldn't help but notice the concern on brinley's face. it seemed that this tiny wound had sparked something from her memory. before i could say anything brinley asked, "is he going to be okay?" i assured her that he would be fine. he had just bitten his tongue. to that brinley replied in a very serious and grateful tone, "oh. at least callie didn't bite her tongue." i wanted to laugh but i didn't because it was obvious that brinley was truly deeply grateful that callie had not bit her tongue. i simply said "yes. that is good for callie." and brinley concludes, "yeah poor gage. and poor callie, but at least her tongue isn't bleeding."

it sounds silly now but i was so grateful at the time that brinley had found a positive point to callie's condition. brinley saw callie's tiny body covered in blood and being rushed to my mom's arms before being taken away in an ambulance. that was her last memory of callie up to that point. what a hard thing for a four year old to carry. but at least her tongue wasn't bleeding, there was hope!

now on days when i start feeling sorry for myself i sometimes stop to laugh and think back to our days with brinley and say to myself, well at least my tongue isn't bleeding.

revisiting september

the one year mark of callie's accident is quickly approaching. i think for that reason, the days and weeks that started out last september have been revisiting my thoughts. i hope you don't mind my sharing them with you. some of these things may have been touched on in previous posts, but i will repeat myself nonetheless.

it was tuesday october twenty-first and rather than dedicating my thoughts to halloween costumes and jack-o-lantern faces, my mind was distracted with thoughts of my baby sister callie. callie had spent the last fifty-three days of her twenty-one month old life in the intensive care unit of phoenix children's hospital.


it was a miracle that she was there. "there" meaning that rather than grieving her passing i was thinking on her future. because she had been gifted that. to put it more selfishly, we had been gifted that. a future with this beautiful and strong pint-sized girl, whose body's deepest pain and hardest struggle would strengthen and encourage our spirits beyond what we could imagine.

looking back on these days i almost feel as if i was in a dream-like state. i existed. i mothered my then two month old and two year old, i cleaned my home, i fed my family, i went on with life. but i felt as if my life was on hold in a way, as if the world should be on hold. as if everyone should know and understand that in a tiny room in the ICUF a tiny girl was fighting for her life. and that her family and friends {old and new} were praying and pleading to keep her. and while we would have been more than happy to keep her in any form we could, we prayed that she would be completely healed. that she would be whole. we prayed and prayed {and continue to pray} for that.

obviously the world was not on hold, there were countless numbers of people who never heard of our callie. but there was one person and is one person who was deeply aware of her situation. it is our heavenly father. his capacity to love and care for each of us individually is something i could never explain, but it is something that on this day i experienced in such a powerful way. this was not the first time i had felt his love for me so deeply, but perhaps it was the most defining experience as i saw the absolute miracle that was being performed in my sister and simultaneously the healing and comforting that was being performed in myself and my family. and then more broadly, in the lives of those who were touched by our family's experience.

it is impossible to trace where his love begins. we know that it does not end. this was a life changing event. but even those moments in our life when we are dealing with things that may seem trivial to us and others, he is there. he is on hold for us personally. he is not tapping his toes, he is not rolling his eyes. he wants us to come to him. he knows our situation better than we ourselves know it. because he sees what we cannot see, he can rescue us from any situation. and he will. all that he requires from us is faith in him.

i think that is a fair trade.

{a very special event for a very special girl}

Remember when I shared this little lady's story with you?

This dolly girl is my babiest of sisters, Callie Jayne.

She was accidentally backed over in September at the tender age of 19 months.

The SUV was being driven by a family friend who was leaving my parents' house. The doctors told us that the damage Callie received indicated that the rear tire had completely gone over the top of her tiny head.

The doctor's initial prognosis for our little sweetie was not hopeful. I can't even describe the strength and the faith that my parents embodied during this hardest of times. Their never failing faith in our Savior and the many many prayers of family, friends and strangers were the things that pulled Callie and our family through this hard time. We truly witnessed a miracle. And we continue to witness this miracle every day of Callie's life.

After two months at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Callie returned home to us in the mountains. She is a different Callie in many ways. But also much the same.

She continues therapy locally and makes her occasional trips back to Phoenix where her progress is monitored.

Callie has been such a blessing in our lives. She has touched our hearts as well as the hearts of many people we have never met. We are so grateful to have her.

Callie requires special attention and special needs right now. As she grows we will get a clearer picture of what to expect. We have already seen such progress with her. We remain hopeful that her recovery will continue and that she will be able to lead a life in the way it began. Independent and full of adventure.

Some WONDERFUL family and friends have spent the past several months organizing a benefit concert for miss Callie Jayne. We are so excited to be there! You know Callie will be doing a whole lot of this

And who could miss out on such a lovely sight?

The concert is being held at The Women's Club of Mesa {AZ} this Friday night {the 27th}. From 7:00 to 10:30 pm.

There will be FOUR bands performing.

The Dorsets

Just Us

The Alstons

And Callie's very own, very talented cousin, Collin Freestone Band from Las Vegas!

Tickets are purchased by donation. The recommended price is $20 but anything is welcome and appreciated. You can reserve your ticket by purchasing online {just go to the "Purchase Ticket" button located on the sidebar} or they can also be paid for at the door.

We've had word that Channel 15 News may be covering it! So look for little Callie shakin' her groove thing for the cameras!

For more of Callie's story you can visit the links on my sidebar or visit her very cute blog at www.kissesforcallie.blogspot.com

Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for, donated to and cared for our special little girl!

We are grateful to you every day. Truly.

{KISSES FOR CALLIE::BENEFIT CONCERT}

Did you know that there is going to be a Benefit Concert held in Miss Callie's honor?

Well there is!

It is set for February 27th in Mesa, Arizona and you can get more info on it by clicking

{HERE}

You can now purchase tickets online! Check it out on my sidebar.

Thank you so much!!!

xoxox

{take a visit}

Hi everyone! If you haven't visited KISSES FOR CALLIE lately you should definitely take a peak! We have an awesome auction coming up on Friday for a photo shoot! There are also a few items still available from the "Kisses for Callie" Yard Sale. Stop by and check it out!

Also remember we would love to spread the word about Callie's story. If you'd like to add her cute buttons to your blog, you can get the codes on my sidebar!

{lots of love. ash}

{the looking back part}

With Callie Jayne being home, I've actually had a chance to REALLY look back on what has transpired in the past two months. It still doesn't feel entirely real somehow. Is that possible? For those of you who have not heard Callie's story, she is my 22 month old baby sister and she is a miracle. On September 8th, she was backed up over by a family friend in my parents' driveway. She was critically injured as you can read here and here. Her first days in the hospital were trying. She was comatose for the first few weeks and her body was fighting a very difficult fight. After being air evacuated to Phoenix Children's Hospital, one doctor gave his 'opinion' that if Callie were his child he would let her go on. He felt that there was no hope for her case. My parents stayed so strong through it all and put their baby girl's life entirely in the Lord's hands.

A lot has transpired since that scary day. It's hard to accurately put into words what we have experienced. I don't think anyone can put into words what Callie has personally experienced. She has made SO much progress and she has been so happy all the way. We went from wondering...Will she walk again? Talk? See? Live? To seeing that yes, she would. She has been so feisty and determined. Much like the personality that we loved prior to her accident. You can go here, here, here and yes even here for little snippets of her PICU experience.

It's so exciting to get to tell you all that she left that hospital talking and walking {with support}! There is still damage that we are praying will be healed, but we feel so incredibly blessed to have Callie in the form that she is now. She truly is a miracle.

So many prayers have been given on her behalf. So many good deeds have been done. For me not only have I been renewed in my faith of prayers and healing but also in the goodness of people. Even strangers. It has turned into such a beautiful experience. We can't change what happened to our little Cal gal but we can see the beauty and the miracles in the circumstances.

So now we look back with gratitude and thanks. But mostly, we look forward with hope and faith for her future.

Thank you so much to all of you who have kept Callie and our family in your thoughts and your prayers. We are so grateful for everything that has been said and done in our behalf. We can truly say that we love you all. And certainly if you should meet Callie Jayne one day, she would love to share and HUGE smooch with you. She seems to have become the Queenie of Kisses! And we all love it!

You can go HERE to read more of Callie's physical therapy experience {per my Mom} as well as her return home. You can also read through my September and October posts to read more on little Callie Jayne!

And now some Callie News!

Our shining starlet will be featured on Channel 3 News, tomorrow morning during their 'Your Life A to Z' section at 9:00 am. So if you are in Arizona, watch for that!

Also, don't forget that this Friday and Saturday {the 14th and 15th} you can buy one of these adorable onesies from the etsy shop ONESIE TWOSIE and 30% will be donated to "Kisses for Callie". All you need to do is put "Kisses for Callie" in the comment section when making your purchase! This girl is awesome! She just finished a similar benefit sale for Nie Recovery and has been so generous to also help support our little Cal! So stop by and see what she has! This is only ONE of her adorable designs!

And don't forget to check in on KISSES FOR CALLIE to see the good works that are being done for this sweet little girl!

Thank you everyone!

{lots of love.ash}

{we like to move it, move it}

What a fun weekend and a special one at that! As most of you know our little miss California sunshine was released from Phoenix Children's Hospital on Friday, after nearly a full two months there! Yay! So in celebration of her newly found freedom The Hubby, Bossy Pants, Baby Boy and yours truly joined her and my parents and cousin Erika {her new BFF} for some pizza and a movie! We all thought Callie would enjoy the movie, but had no idea HOW MUCH she would love it! What movie you ask? Only the best! Madagascar 2! The first one is a favorite of theirs {and mine} and the second one in my opinion was even funnier. Callie, Bossy Pants and even Baby Boy LOVED it! Callie was clapping and shouting "yay" nearly the entire time, as she chomped on sour gummy worms {her new favorite snack} and Bossy Pants found a new love of popcorn and larger than life animated animals. This was the first time we've taken him to the theatre for a movie since he was oh 6 months old. I don't know if our sad little tv will be enough for him anymore! :) And what a doll our Baby Boy is! He was perfectly content as long as he could see the movie. It was so much fun!

While we were down in the valley I made it to JoAnn's! Yay! I love that place! They had their fleece 50% off so it was the perfect time to buy for Christmas projects. Have I mentioned that I had this hair brained idea to do a "mostly" homemade Christmas this year? What was I thinking?! No, I'm actually really excited it's just that I should have had the hair brained idea about 10 months sooner! I'm cramming now but hoping to make it. I'm almost done with gifts for my 5 youngest sisters which is so exciting! I will post when they're complete! Wish me luck please. I for sure will need some happy thoughts coming my way if I'm going to do everything on my list!

And just to end on a wintry note....we had the first snow of the season last night! Bossy Pants and Baby Boy are both a bit under the weather, so we won't be playing in it. I did take the two year old out to throw a few snow balls and make hand prints on daddy's truck but that was the extent of it. I promise next time we will play our little hearts out in all that fluffy white stuff!

{and that's all she wrote}

Well that isn't entirely true. Neither rain, nor snow, nor carpal tunnel could restrain me from writing! However, there will be no more musings as to when Callie's doctors will send her home. Know why? She's coming home on Friday folks! Yay! {feel free to give a huge Yay Hooray yourself!} Today at 'Rounds' the doctors made a definite decision to let her come home. My parents have been busy getting things in order for this to be possible, as have many other very kind people. We can't wait for her to be home in the mountains where she belongs! I'm having a little John Denver moment here. I've said it before but it can't hurt to reiterate....THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

{evaluation day again}

Hello again Tuesday! Today is the day we await the doctors evaluation. I have my suspicions that our little lady will be returning to us soon! Can you believe that in two months, our little Cal gal has gone from this:

To this:

Awesome! We can't wait to have her home to play with and love on! The doctors usually make their 'rounds' sometime around 11:00 and noon. So by then I should have good news to share with all of you!

Here is just a little run down of Callie's current condition:

First off, she is awake. I realize now that I never was very clear on that fact. The reason for that is mainly that her 'waking' process was foggy and gradual. It was nothing like I expected, nothing like the movies portray. I expected to receive a phone call one day as I was doing the laundry with my Mom on the other end shouting "She's awake! She's awake!" But that was not how things unravelled. She began showing signs of being awake, but her eyes did not open and the signs were just that, nothing clear. Day by day things progressed in slow but steady fashion. Until it was obvious that she was awake. At that point, her being awake was almost a secondary thought to all the amazing progresses she was making. If that makes sense. Now to continue on...

She cannot open her eyes fully on her own. Her left eye will make the tiniest slit and that is greatly due to the fact that she has paralysis on the left side of her face. There's no saying if this damage will be permanent or not. Her right eye will open half way on her own and that is how she sees what she wants. She can see, her vision is just very blurry. This is because her eyes are still fully dilated. Again, something we are not sure is permanent or not.

She can crawl anywhere she sees fit to go. She pulls herself up to things and can walk with support. That seems to be her big focus right now, getting those crazy legs of hers to cooperate again!

She talks. And to me, all her struggles put aside, she probably says more than most kids her age. And you had better believe she is just as bossy, sassy and active as any other 21 month old out there!

She will continue therapy when she returns home. I feel like being at home with the kids will really help her in her progress. I am sure she will miss all of her friends there at PCH though. They have become like family to her through her time there.

I am sure I have missed some things. If you guys have any questions please do ask and I will answer them, or try to. My thoughts all seem to jumble up when I get behind the keyboard.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, your generosity, your support and your kind thoughts. You have all reached us and helped us. Callie truly is a miracle girl. You have all taken part in her recovery whether you realize it or not. So thank you a million times over!

And Lastly {and on a whole other subject}, Don't forget to vote today! Polls are open until 7:00 pm. So get a sitter for those kidlets, or grab a sandwich and spend your lunch break in line {sounds fun huh} but do what you need to do to get there! From everything being said in the media, this will be a close one. I hope you have all done your research on the candidates and the propositions as well. Arizona voters can go HERE for information on the 2008 Propositions. And on a last note: Don't forget to punch those CHADS with fury!

{callie's surgery update::and a special birthday}

Hi everyone. Sorry that this is late coming.

Callie did not have the surgery yesterday. Her and my parents met with the Opthamologist and he decided he would like to wait for her left eye to heal more thoroughly. He also said that with the progress she has made with her right eye, he may not have to tack that one open at all. Yay!

Her surgery has been tentively scheduled for December 1st. We will be able to tell more as we approach that date.

So now we await evaluation on Tuesday. My parents feel that she will get the okay to go home, but we can't say that for sure. I guess we just continue the "wait and see" game.

{Callie & Dad teetering at Moylen's Pond in July}

And now a big fat Happy Birthday wish for my Dad!

The man who has ALWAYS put his family before himself. The one who can have a kid in both arms and still have room for more somehow. Who taught me how to ride a bike and didn't even make fun of me when I used a giant bush as my brakes. The one who mowed special messages in the lawn for his 'Wifey'. The man who made sure I had a water bottle full of kool-aid to take on my field trips with me and a quarter in my pocket for chocolate milk on Friday. Who sent me birthday cards via mail when he was on the road and couldn't get home for the big day. {He always threw in a little cash so Mom could take me to Dairy Queen for a special treat.} Whose hair I nearly turned gray, whose money I spent, sometimes without much gratitude. Who told me I was a beautiful bride and who thinks somehow that I am a wonderful mother. The man who I admire and love with all of my heart. I could not have asked for a better father.
You are amazing Dad! I love you so much and wish we were there to celebrate with you! I hope your day is great and I feel certain Callie will share kisses and hugs with you on our behalf.
We love you!!!

Here's hoping for LESS of this....

And a little MORE of this in the near future!

{open those babies up!}

I got some good news from my Mom yesterday! On Friday it is very likely that rather than donning her Halloween costume, our Cal Gal will be in surgery. They would like to tack up her eyelids for her. And in the next few days following, they would like to get her home!

As far as I believe things are not entirely set right now. The Opthamologist would like to be able to do both eyes at the same time {there are large benefits in doing this} but he is unsure if the left eye is healed enough for that. We would definitely like to see both of them done and are praying that there will be substantial healing to her left eye prior to the surgery.
This procedure is reversible and will not inhibit her from regaining her eye functions. We feel it will really benefit her through her continued therapy.

My Mom has definitely begun to get homesick. Although Callie can't really tell us, I know that she is missing her brothers and sisters in a big way. And her nephies too of course! We will be very glad to have her home. There are things to be done to have the house ready for her return. My parents are busy making lists, finding what she will need and mentally preparing I am sure to take over Callie's recovery. She will have therapists up here in the mountains but the constant care of Callie that the hospital has given, will be surely missed at times. They have been absolutely WONDERFUL!

So that is what we have to hope for within the week. I just want to make a huge Welcome Home sign and string it across the streets of Show Low for our little miracle girl. For sure there should be a marching band, baton twirlers and maybe a small circus! Yeah I am that excited for her to be coming home. After all she has been through it seems that would be a small portrayal of my excitement!
Thank you so much to everyone who has kept Callie in their thoughts and prayers. As well as to those who have generously donated to her cause. We are so truly blessed!

Oh yeah so my Dad's birthday is on Saturday but I think we will wait to celebrate it until they are home since Callie will be recovering from her surgery. I was thinking that since little California will miss getting to see everyone in their Halloween lovelies and she herself will miss out (and I did make her the cutest little witch tutu...sigh) that it would be fun to do my Dad's party kind of Halloween themed. What do you think? Is that lame? Well if you think it is a fabulous idea then what kind of games have you played at Halloween parties? I know one thing for sure, there MUST be homemade rootbeer!

{blown away}

I have been hearing all about Callie's progress over the last few weeks but haven't got to actually see it for myself. Well yesterday the boys, Amber, Winnie and I took a quick trip down to Phoenix so we could visit with our tiny patient girl!

When we got there, Callie was sleeping on cousin Erika. She was able to wake her up and when Callie saw me sitting next to the bed she reached for me! When I took her she started kissing me ALL over! She grabbed around my neck and then my head and then just rubbed her hands all up and down my face to feel it. And "smooch, smooch, smooched" away! It was so sweet and so exciting for me who had not seen her this active yet.

First place we headed was outside to the play area. I put her in one of the little flinstone style cars and was starting to push her when she just grabbed hold of the steering wheel, stood up and attempted crawling right out. So I took her out and took her to the slide. She had a blast! She did a good amount of the walking as long as she was being helped and she was loving it. It was so cute to watch her clap for herself anytime she did something impressive (which was about every 60 seconds!) I even got a few high fives!

Trying to make her ES-Cape from the car!

Me and California making it up to the BIG slide

Ready, Set, Go!

Merta & California ready to go some more!

Amber letting her stand. Just look at her!

We got Callie's lunch from the nurse and headed to the cafeteria. She had PBandJ, a banana, chocolate pudding and a sugar cookie. I was so happy to sit and hold her while she ate and see how well she did. I was painted in chocolate and banana goo by the end of the feeding, but I don't mind one bit!

After lunch she headed off to a string of physical therapy sessions. She was so much fun to watch and so amazing! I was blown away by her! She could crawl to any thing she wanted. She'd get that little eye slit open and tip her head back a little for a better view, and off she went! She was even bound and determined to stand up on her own. She is getting so close!

She loved the play dough!

She was bouncing away on this huge ball!

It was so nice to be there for her therapy and watch all of her amazing progress first hand. She really is so excited about life and doing things. She was SOO tired after her therapy but managed to stay awake and entertain us until we left the hospital. She is a sweet little girl and we love her so much!

Snacking on a cracker right before we left. You can see how worn out she was.

We missed seeing Dad since he was on his way back from a quick California {as in the state} run, but it was nice to visit with Mom and Cal. They are really missed back at home. Winnie made sure to get in lots of extra hugs and smoochies before we left. She was so happy to see her baby sister and her mommy!

We love you guys!

XOXOXOXO

{at least your tongue isn't bleeding}

Before Callie was "officially" evaluated today my parents were told that she would remain another week. She is working really hard on her walking skills. It could be a ways out before she is back in the groove entirely but she definitely knows what she needs to do and knows that she WANTS to do it! She is off her meds, off her feed tube and more alert and stable every single day. She is doing absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow I am heading down to the valley with my boys, Amber and Brinley. Plus a car load of garage sale items for Callie's benefit yard sale in a few weeks. I can't wait to see her and hopefully get to join in on some of her therapy sessions. I have not seen the little warrior woman in over two weeks and SO much has changed since then. So yay!

Brinley has stayed with us the last couple of days. Bossy Pants is really diggin' the play pal idea! This morning when he woke up he came into my room, dragged me by the arm to his room and pointed at sleeping Brinley, with a 100 watt smile, "Winnie!" It was just like Christmas morning as he realized he was one good hair pulling away from having someone to play cars with ALL morning long! It will be so fun when Baby Boy is old enough to keep up with the energetic, sometimes crazy, big brother!

Today we decided to whip out the mixer and make some

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! My little helpers were great and I couldn't help but smile when both of them had eyes bulging out of their heads as I dumped in the chocolate chips. Oh the joys of childhood! They turned out super delish! We went ahead and walked a plate over to the new neighbors. I told Matt my plans, and he told me I should have lived in Mayburry. Well honestly, Mayburry would suit me just fine. Bossy Pants out in his overalls, no shirt at all. Coming home with a frog in his pocket and his homemade fishin' pole. Yup. I think that would be just fine. But back to my story.

After taking cookies to the neighbors {who were very friendly by the way} Bossy Pants and Winnie decided to take the Rhino out for a spin. {The Gage sized Rhino of course} Well Bossy Pants drove for a while and became entirely frustrated by his lack of understanding of all the gears and knobs and pedals so he hopped in back and let Winnie take the wheel. They were having a grand old time. Bossy Pants held that bossy little finger out in front of Winnie and led the way. As a loving and faithful auntie, she of course did his bidding. About 20 minutes into their excursion, tragedy struck in the form of a "bit tongue". Apparently Bossy Pants was not prepared for one of Winnie's abrupt stops and he chomped right down on it! It was bleeding pretty good so I grabbed him up and took him inside to get a cloth. Bossy Pants is sitting in the sink nursing his wounds, I'm of course being super mom, and Winnie is looking up at him with a face of pure concern.

Winnie: "Is he going to be okay?"

Me: "Yes he will be fine. His tongue is just bleeding."

Winnie: "Oh. At least Callie didn't bite her tongue."

Me: "Yeah that is good for Callie."

Winnie: "Yeah. Poor Gage. And poor Callie, but at least her tongue isn't bleeding."

I guess a bleeding tongue would have really just been too much! ha ha It reminded me of Pollyanna and her 'Glad Game'. I think maybe I should play that game more often....

My back is sore, my legs are achy and my eyelids weigh 10 pounds each. But I am glad, I mean REALLY GLAD, that my day has been spent playing with, loving on, bouncing and chasing around the sweetest men there ever were!

I have a sign in my house that says There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Yes there is indeed!

So if your day has been rough and your feeling a little downer...at least your tongue isn't bleeding!

{Lots of Love. Ash}

Tuesday, October 21st

11:36 p.m.

{our giveaway winners and a huge group hug}

I've said it a gazillion times and I'll say it again....You guys are Sooo Awesome! Thank you to everyone who participated in the "Kisses for Callie" Giveaway! You guys definitely helped a great cause! Now for our winners!

The winner of that fabulous bag that I totally want is Toni! Woo hoo lady! Wear it proud!

The winner of the gorgeous birds nest necklace is Megan! You guys seriously, that is on my Christmas wish list!

The soon to be very chic lady in the kitchen {aka winner of the apron} is Shannon!

The winner of the vinyl is Andrea! I can't wait to see what you choose and what you do with it! I HEART vinyl in a big way!

Winners please email me your addresses at ashley.broomall{at}yahoo{dot}com and we will get your things out ASAP! Andrea, since you won a credit, I will just need you to email me your full name {or etsy name} and I will let Lewas Designs know that you have won the credit.

Thank you Thank you Thank you to everyone who helped to raise this money for Callie!

Now go and check out the "Kisses for Callie" Raffle!

{wisdom from dorothy}

Yesterday my mom told me that they have taken Callie off of all her medications! Woo hoo! They will be doing tests within the next few weeks to make sure that she is okay to stay off of them permanently. That is wonderful news! Her next evaluation will be on Tuesday to find out if they will be keeping her another week. I feel like she may have another week there, but I think it will be very soon that she'll be coming home! Her time at PCH has been excellent for her as far as the therapy and we are so grateful for all of the people who work so hard with her. Being home will have it's advantages as well. She will be around the other kids and learning from them just by participating with them and watching them. And of course, as Dorothy can tell us "There's no place like home!"

{ the "kisses for callie" giveaway!::Comment for a Cause!}

THE CAUSE

For those of you who are new to my blog, "Kisses for Callie" is a donation account that was set up for my beautiful 20 month old sister, Callie Jayne. Or as I like to refer to her 'Little California'!

On September 8th, sweet little Callie's world was rocked. She was backed up over in our parents' driveway by a family friend. She was air-evacced to a Phoenix hospital where she immediately underwent a CT Scan. Her injuries were severe. {You can read more by visiting THIS post} Despite the grim prognosis of the doctors, our family knew that Callie needed nothing from us but our faith and our love. We were joined by numerous friends, family and even strangers in praying and fasting on Callie's behalf.

Happily, after weeks in a comatose state, our little fighter is on that road to healing and recovery. She has been in an intense rehabilitation program with a wonderful staff. Her progress has been nothing short of a miracle and has inspired countless people. You can read more on this progress by reading through past posts or by visiting my Mom's blog HERE.

So this is our cause. To provide what help we can to this sweet baby girl who has fought so hard to stay with us and still has a tough fight ahead of her.

THE GIVEAWAY

Because we have been given much, WE TOO MUST GIVE!

This "Kisses for Callie" giveaway is awesome in sooo many ways! First of all there are way awesome things up for grabs and SUPER AWESOME that for every person who comments for this giveaway $1 {up to $250} will be donated to "Kisses for Callie"! So you can win big for yourself and win big for Callie all at the same time. I told you...AWESOME!

Now check out the stuff!

This SO awesome bag from Deyitta is perfect for fall! It is hand sewn to last and sure to go with any of your fall inspired outfits! Love it!


I am completely in love with this sweet necklace from Precious Meshes. I would so love to have it dangling off of my neck and I'm going to guess you would too!



For you domestic divas, who would not want to get there hands on this charming vintage inspired apron from Boojiboo?! I know I would be looking fabulous in it! I might even be able to get some help from The Hubby in this baby! I say this is a definite MUST HAVE!

Okay I have one more smokin' hot item and that is $40 {yep FOUR-OH} credit for Lewa's Design. It is absolutely vinyl heaven! Go by her shop and see what she has! She will even do custom orders and I am convinced there is nothing that she cannot do!

Leave a comment! There will be one winner per item so let me know what you want and why you HAVE to have it as your own! The winners will be drawn midnight on Sunday {mst}. And since we would really LOVE lots of comments for our Cal gal, send your besties our way!

Callie and Nest updates will be posted {HERE} for the time being.

{Love, thanks and lots of hugs. Ashley}

{she got another week}

Because of the giveaway I haven't posted anything on Callie in a few days. I hope you guys were checking in with my Mom's blog because our little girl is doing AWESOME!
She has been exploring all kinds of new foods and loving it! She has even gone through the night without her feed tube! Woo hoo! While liquid chicken tenders don't quite sound like my cup of tea, I am sure she is enjoying it big time!
Little California can sit up on her own now! She is vocalizing more and more! And she is becoming more and more interactive in her therapy sessions! It is so amazing to see all that she has overcome in the past weeks. What a woman!
Yesterday was her weekly evaluation and YAY! She will be staying for another week for sure! The personal care and attention that she is receiving there is just incredible and we are loving every day she has there!
Things are being lined up for her therapy to begin as soon as she comes home to the mountains. In the next few days she will get a consultation to see about getting her a chair to come home in! We will love having her back home for sure. She has lots of adoring fans who will love to meet this sweet inspiration!
Oh yeah! Did I mention that Callie is being filmed for one of the hospital's movie projects?! Yeah she's going to be famous! ha ha
I can't wait to get my hands on some pictures to share with you all. Thanks for all your concern and love!