Happy Birthday Zachary!!!!

Pretty Puyallup Flowers

Zachary and Bella at Pioneer Park

This reminds me of Victora

By the small rose garden

All of us enjoying the flowers and sunshine!!!

Latest Family photo

The Fam up on Mt Rainier on July 4th.  And yes we saw a lot of snow!!!!

Natural Products to help with everything

 
  SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND VISIT http://on.fb.me/ZH7GVa FOR MORE AWESOME TIPS!

1) Toothpaste: Buff a CD/DVD
Apply toothpaste to a cotton ball and wipe the disc. Wash with water afterwards and you’ve got a brand new disc!

2) Cornstarch: Untangle Knots
Sprinkling cornstarch into tough knots, such as shoe laces helps loosen them.

3) Walnut: Buff Dings out of Wood Furniture
Get rid of unsightly scratches and dings on wood furniture by rubbing a walnut on the areas. The blemishes will vanish quickly and your furniture and pocket book will be saved.

4) Club Soda: Make Your Breads Fluffier
When baking, where recipes call for water, add club soda instead to make pancakes, waffles and any other breads fluffier.

5) Salt: Keep Windows Frost Free
Pour a cup of salt into a liter of water. Sponge the liquid onto the inside of window to prevent frost from forming during the winter months.

6) Rubbing Alcohol: Remove Permanent Marker
Dab the surface that has the permanent marker on it with a cloth or cotton ball covered in rubbing alcohol to make it disappear quickly.

7) Chap stick: Stops Bleeding When Nicked Shaving
Cut yourself shaving? Just swipe some chap stick over the cut to stop that constant bleeding. No more tissue squares!
Apple Juice: Removes Dandruff
Don’t ask how it works, but it does! Instead of buying a special shampoo, just wash your hair in apple juice to rid your scalp of pesky dandruff.

9) Aspirin: Get Rid of Armpit Stains on T-Shirts
Grind up an aspirin tablet or two, then make a paste out of it using water, lemon or vinegar. Spread the paste on the stained area and let sit for an hour before washing.

10) Olive Oil: Make Pets’ Coat Shinier
Add a bit of olive oil to your pet’s food to give them a healthier, shinier coat of fur.

11) Newspapers: Clean Windows and Mirrors
Instead of using a spray and a streaky cloth, use only newspaper to clean off your mirrors and windows for a streak-free finish.

12) Baking Soda: Remove Bugs from Windshield
Mix baking soda with warm water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your windshield for fifteen minutes. Then wipe or spray off with a hose.

13) Bleach: Extend Life of Flowers in Vase
Add a few drops of bleach to vase water to prevent the build-up of the slime caused by bacteria. It works just like chlorine in a swimming pool.

14) Kitchen Dish Soap: Flea-Killing Dog Shampoo
Kitchen dish soap (not dish detergent) can double as dog shampoo for its flea killing abilities.

15) Coke: Remove Blood Stains from Clothing
Soak the stain in coke until the stain is dissolved, then wash the clothing as usual. Wash before the coke dries, though.

16) Honey: Remove Blemish Overnight
Have a blemish you need to get rid of by tomorrow? Put a dab of honey on the blemish and cover it up (it’s best to use a Band-Aid) and the honey’s natural antibacterial properties will clean out the bacteria by the morning.

17) Wax Paper: Clean Can Opener Gears
Run a few small strips of wax paper through the can opener to clean out of the bits and pieces that have built up in the gears throughout the year. The wax will also rub off on the gears to protect for future use as well.

18) WD-40: Remove Crayons from Walls
Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.

19) Chalk: Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House
Ants and Slugs Won’t Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won’t cross it, meaning they won’t be able to get into your house.

20) Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow
Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong.

21) Mayonnaise: Remove Bumper Sticker
Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!

22) Tin Foil Ball: Replace Dryer Sheets Permanently
Instead of using a dryer sheet ball up one or a few sheets of tin foil and toss it in the dryer. It removes the static electricity from your clothes and one can last up to a year.

23) Banana Peel: Polish Leather Shoes
Use the inside of a banana peel to give shoes a professional and natural shine that will last for quite some time.

24) Mouthwash: Cure Athlete’s Foot
Pour mouthwash on cotton balls and then swab your feet. The alcohol will disinfect the bacteria completely if you continue this for a week or so.

25) Baking Soda: Clean BBQ Grill
Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning chemicals.

26) Coffee Grounds: Fertilizer
Coffee is full of nutrients and vitamins that are very beneficial to soil. That’s why some people include it in compost piles. If you want to get the most out of your coffee, pour the grounds on areas where you want more grass or flowers.

27) Olive Oil: Shaving Cream
The smoothness of the oil can replace the need for shaving cream, and it also provides great moisture.

28) Dryer Sheets: Gets Rid of Static Electricity
Use dryer sheets to remove static electricity from things such as clothing, TV screens or your own hair. Tame fly away strands by running a dryer sheet over them.

29) Freezer: Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer
Put candles in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!

30) Two glasses of water: Cure Headache
Water is the cure to most common headaches. To make the headache go away quickly, drink two cups of water very quickly.

31) Lemons: Deodorize Garbage Disposal
Toss whole slices of lemon into the garbage disposal then run it. The acidity of the lemon will rid your sink of all odors and leave a fresh scent that usually lasts for a few months.

32) Alka Seltzer: Remove Burnt-On Grease and Food Stains
When letting your pots and pans soak, throw in one or two Alka Seltzer tablets and the caked on residue from cooking will come off easily when you scrub/wash.

33) Apple Cider Vinegar: Relieve Diarrhea
Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into eight ounces of water to soothe your stomach. The taste may not be the greatest, but the antibacterial properties of the vinegar will end the unpleasantness of the bowel problems.

34) Toothpaste: Remove Scratches from Glass
Apply toothpaste to scratch, then rub with a cloth until the scratch is gone. Make sure the glass is clean beforehand.

35) Cheerios: Relieve Pain from Poison Ivy, Chickenpox and Sunburns
Pound one to four cups of Cheerios into a powder and add to your bath to soothe your skin while you soak. You may not feel relief while in the tub, but you will soon after.

36) Buttons: Sort Earrings
Organize your earrings and prevent them from becoming entangled by using spare buttons as holders for each pair.

37) Corn Oil: Prevent Hairballs for Pets
Add a few drops of corn oil to your pets’ food to prevent hairballs from forming. The thick oil helps the fur pass through the animal’s system much quicker and easily.

38) Whipped Cream: Remove Gum from Hair
There are many remedies for removing gum from hair, but this is a lesser known one. Give it a try rather than peanut butter the next time you’re in need.

39) Coke: Remove Oil Stains from the Driveway
Oil stains are very difficult to remove pavement, but one method guaranteed to work is Coke. The highly acidic drink will eat away at the oil until clean.

40) Brown Sugar: Facial Scrub
A scrub is good to do about once a month to remove dead skin and bacteria built up in pores and remove excess oil from the skin. Brown sugar does just as well as expensive products and will definitely result in a clearer and smoother complexion.

41) Dryer Sheet: Lint Brush
You already know that dryer sheets remove lint in the dryer. Well, it can do the same thing out of the dryer, too. When you’re in a fix, use a dryer sheet. It works just as well as a lint brush, and if you like the scent, it’s an added bonus.

42) Newspaper: Deodorize food containers and Food Drawers in the Refrigerator
For that stinky Tupperware or smelly refrigerator drawer that is too much to deal with, toss in a sheet of newspaper overnight before you deal with it. The paper will absorb the smell greatly reducing it or eliminating it completely.

43) Olive Oil: Unstick a Zipper
The oil will help the zipper slide more easily, fixing the problem!

44) Salt: Cool Something Quickly
You know that feeling when you’re having a BBQ and someone asks for a drink and you realize that no one has put them in the cooler? There’s nothing worse than a warm drink on a hot day. Chill a drink quickly, by adding salt and water to your ice. The drinks will be cold in a matter of minutes; saving your party and making you look smart all at once.

45) Scotch Tape: Prevent Wall from Chipping When Nailing
The wall can leave unsightly chips when hammering in a nail. Prevent this by simply placing a piece of scotch tape over the area you’re going to nail. The wall will be held tighter, preventing chips from occurring.

46) Alka Seltzer: Soothe Insect Bites
Dissolve two tablets into a glass of water. Then use a cloth or cotton ball to apply it to the affected area. The red will go down and most importantly, the itchiness will vanish usually in fifteen minutes.

47) Lemon: Whitens Whites
Add about half a cup of lemon juice to your load of whites to makes them extra white. You can use lemon juice with bleach or detergent, so don’t worry about mixing chemicals with the acidic lemon.

48) Banana Peel: Whiten Teeth
This may sound a little odd, but rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth twice a day for two weeks and you will receive the same effect from a teeth-whitening kit. Plus, you’ll save yourself money and the hassle of using chemicals.

49) Hair Dryer: Free Photos Stuck on Pages
If you have a photo stuck on a page that you can’t get free, try using a blow dryer on the back of the page. It will loosen the photo from the page and the adhesive holding it there.

50) Banana Peel: Heal Most Skin Problems
Bananas are the magical fruit, because they heal many common problems on the skin. By rubbing the peel on your skin, you can heal bruises and cuts and eliminate rashes, itching and warts. Basically if you have a common skin problem, it can be cured by this fruit.

 

Cute photos of the kiddos in Puyallup

Isabella Update

 

The above photo was Isabella one week before she became sick and had to be hospitalized at Mary Bridge for GI issues.  It is amazing what can happen in a week!   

Our 4th of July went well.  Kirk's dad came out and it was a great distraction from our worries about Isabella.  We did not have to call the doctor and Isabella's stomach was feeling better.  However, this week the honeymoon phase ended and she has been having some more stomach pain so we called her doctor and we increased her medication which provided some relief, but not complete relief.  Our goal is to continue to keep her stable until we see the GI doctor next week.  My friend, who is a nurse suggested to start cutting out the gluten out of her diet.  I have been slowly doing this and I think it has helped her tummy feel better.  Bella is my veggie and fruit eater so this whole thing perplexes me a little bit.  It is funny how one moment she can be happy and running through a sprinkler and then a few hours later crying because she is in pain.  The challenging part in all of this is she is only five years old and I'm sure she does not have the understanding why she has go through all of this.  I have been trying to prepare her for this upcoming GI visit by telling her that this lady doctor is going to help her tummy feel better, but at the same time I know that they will be poking and prodding with blood tests and even scopes.  Each time she is experiencing some bad stomach pain I personally fear her vomiting because I now know what this means for Bella.  A trip to the doctor's office or ER for a clean out by means of enemas, drinking "Go Lightly" or a NG tube like last time.  Each day Kirk and I literally pray for no vomit and that she can go to the bathroom.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that  they are able to quickly discover why this is happening with her and are able to offer a treatment plan that will work for her.  In the mean time, we are taking it day by day and making sure that she is given plenty of opportunities to play like running through the sprinkler when her stomach is not hurting.   I will update again after our GI visit.

Our Garden of Love!

This past Saturday we were working in our front yard and my next door neighbor, who loves roses, flowers, and plants came over.  A few weeks she had come over to give me some sharp clippers that she bought for me.  We were visiting and she shared with me that she has suffered some bad heart problems and how gardening relaxes her.  When we moved to Puyallup I was unsure, who I wanted to know about my brain bleed, but when my neighbor was sharing her story I decided that I felt safe and secure enough to share a little bit about what happened to me 22 months ago.

This past Saturday she came over with three more starts of rose bushes and shared with me that she was going to plant me a rose garden because after going through a brain bleed and the recovery process she felt I deserved an opportunity to stop and smell the roses.  She also selected some specific rose colors that represented things about my new life.  The first color was red because not only does red represent love, but it also represents stroke awareness and the second chance I was given to live a life with my family and friends.  The next color was a mixture of yellow and pink this represented a new friendship that was formed because of our courageous battles we both fought.  The last color was white to represent faith, to remind me that faith is key to my continued emotional and physical healing.

I have never been a person, who has enjoyed gardening, but I must say gardening has a whole new meaning to me.  Every day when the sun is shining I go out and water my roses, and other plants and think about the course of my life.  The brain bleed stunk and occasionally still stinks; however, it has also changed my life in a more positive and meaningful direction.  I marvel at the people, who I have crossed paths with since August 31, 2011, and everything they have taught me and how several of them have touched my life.  I do not question why we bought the house we bought and the location.  Right now I need this and my family needs it too.  As I grow my rose garden I'm reminded after the thorns of life there is also beauty and happiness to be enjoyed.  This rose garden truly has purpose and meaning to me.

Here is one of the roses!

Zachary Earned is Wolf!!!!

A couple of weeks Zach earned his Wolf for Cub Scouts he worked very hard and we were really proud of him!

The Flag Cermony!

After getting his wolf badge

He also earned an award for The Pinewood Derby

Ballet Photos

Today Isabella's ballet teacher wanted me to capture some of their ballet so here are a few shots.  Clearly, I have a lot of our little ballerina!

The whole class.  I love Isabella's form in this photo

After about ten shots everyone smiled!

Very Sweet

We had to try in sepia as well

Check out Isabella's twirl!

I love this bar one.  I'm going to do some more editing on this one

I took this photo with my phone

Loves Ballet!

Look how cute I am!

Mount Rainier

Over the weekend we took a quick ride up to Mount Rainier.  Paradise is only 59 miles from our home, which we are really excited about!  It was pretty but a little cold too!

The water was just gushing!  We were standing in some snow and getting sprayed at the same time.
 

Same waterfall!

Waterfall off of the road if you stand next to it you get soaked!

Another waterfall

Very pretty waterfall

The kids and I trying not to freeze

We saw a lot of snow.  Some of the roads were still closed.

I love this waterfall

Family Update!

I finally figured out how to load photos onto the blog using Windows 8!!!

 We are enjoying our new home and neighborhood.  We have very friendly and some of our neighbors are also very watchful.  A word to the wise do not toilet paper our home or car unless you want a visit from the Puyallup Police Department. (A few years ago we had some youth toilet paper our car)  We have an older neighbor who stays up all night and closely monitors the area.  She recently hosed down Zachary and Isabella when they screamed because they discovered a snake under a rock in one of the empty lots.  Needless to say, our watchful neighbor is adjusting to The Walker Family.  Our other neighbors on the other hand, are very considerate and thoughtful.  The other day when Bella was sick my next door neighbor mowed and edged the yard.  She also has helped me with the flower beds and other plants.  She is very friendly and nice.

We have been doing some home improvement projects and slowly getting settled.  The kiddos are finishing up the school year in Kent and are getting excited to begin their new school in the fall.  Kirk is adjusting to the commute and has figured out about three shortcuts up to the college.  I have been busy helping the kiddos adjust and taking them up to school.

As far as the bleed recovery as usual it is coming along.  I have my good and bad days.  As you will see in the blog I went on a five mile walk that was challenging for me, but I did it.  Right now I'm still working on recognizing when my brain and body are fatigued.  Seriously I have missed some of my activities that I could do with ease prior to the bleed. However, each week, month, and since I'm almost to my second year, each year I can see the gains that I'm making.  I still miss pieces of my old self and yet still embracing pieces of my new self it is a work in progress.

Enjoy our photos!!!! 

The Pinewood Derby Car and Car Display

We are slowly finding Zach's car stuff, but about a month ago was the pinewood derby.  Zach's car was spray painted blue followed by sparkle nail polish.  It really made it shine.  Below is his growing display of cars and big rigs in his bedroom.

More projects

We finished painting these cute white shelves.  One is going in Isabella's bedroom and the other two in the Master

Some may have already seen this, but over spring break the kiddos and I did a floral arrangement for the wall cutout in the entrance way.

The above quote went through my head several times on this 5 mile walk in 82 degree weather.  Needless to say, one of Kirk's coworker's told him about this walk near Olympia.  In fact, she told him about it last year and lets just say there is no way that I could have done this last year; however, I did it this year but paid the price in fatigue.  Prior to the bleed this would have been a piece of cake, but post bleed this was one of the toughest exercise activities I have done, but I accomplished it along with learning some lessons.  Lesson number one is my workouts are a lot better in an air conditioned gym.  Lesson 2 If I do something similar again take an extra beta blocker to avoid post exercise headaches.  Lesson 3 Just do not bring water on this walk, but you better have some Gatorade.  Finally try new activities but recognize my limitations and listen to my body!

 

Here are some of the photos.  As you can see this is a very long boardwalk and before you even get to the boardwalk you walk on paved and gravel road for a while.  Lets just say Zachary and Isabella said that they never want to do this again.

The boardwalk

The kiddos spent most of the walk up on the shoulders!

Part of Puget Sound!  The kiddos were not impressed because they did not see any marine animals.

Once we reached the end of the boardwalk we zoomed in on Puget Sound.  You can see some really pretty birds.

One of the ponds

Another view of the boardwalk

The highlight for Isabella a butterfly!

More shoulder riding

The beginning of the boardwalk.  The boardwalk is so long that there was no way I could capture a photo of the entire thing.

The Kiddos and I at the end of the walk!  We were a very tired and cranky bunch!