Before and After Pictures

It's been forever!  A lot has been going on at the Green house lately.  I haven't been blogging for a long time for many reasons.  Mostly, we have been going through some really tough things with Jacob, and I wasn't ready to talk about it yet.  The past year was a rough one.  Life is good though , and I have seen so many blessings through all the trails that occur,  but it has been tricky to step away from it all and think of other things.  I am ready to talk about it now.  I am hoping our story might help someone else who is going through the same thing.  We got a diagnosis for him, and although it's an answer after all these years of looking, it's also opened the door wide open for millions of new questions and hurdles to overcome.  More on that later.  

We moved to Virginia 4.5 years ago, and have most recently decided to commit to a few more years here in Northern Virginia.  In the last 4 years we have painted every surface of this house.  We replaced all the flooring, appliances, bathroom vanities, lights, hardware, and many more things to turn this house into OUR house.  But with how things usually go,  Chad and I felt the need to move elsewhere and close this chapter in order to start a new one.   With Jacobs struggles and 4 growing kids, we were feeling we needed a change in some areas of  life, and that led us to look for a new home that we could make OURS.  I found these pictures from the sales flyer when we bought the house.  It was fun to see the changes.   

  living room

 dining room

 laundry room

 kitchen

 guest room

 family room

 master bath

 master bed

 vanna's room

 Tehya's room

 Kids bath

  Tomorrow I will write Jacobs Story.

I've sent half my kids to school, and the other half are still sleeping, so before I jump into the day full force, I thought I'd take a little time to quickly update what we have been up to. Jack just curled up beside me...looks like time is running out.
 Here we go...bullet style.

 We just got back from Baltimore. It's kinda crazy there. We traveled with Chad, since he had meetings there, and although the architecture is amazing, I felt a little unsafe at times. There is this children's museum there called Port Discovery. It was amazing!!! I'm calling it kid heaven, especially for Jacob since that busy boy has to touch everything!!!! The funniest thing though, when we left the museum, Jacob fell into the fountain outside. I had only packed enough clothes for the two days we were there, and we still had more places to go, so he left a snail trail down the sidewalk as we walked to our next destination.

Two weekends ago I surprised Tehya by whisking her away early one morning and we rode the bus to NY where we met up with Cari and Maile. Such a fun weekend, filled with good food, boat rides on The Lake, lots of walking and shopping, and a night of Mary Popping in the Theater District. Cari and I also got to sneak away twice to run through Central Park. Loved it!  Can I just tell you about the hotel for a minute? We stayed at the Hampton Inn, and the service there was amazing!  We've stayed at a few hotels in Times Square before, and the service here was the best yet!  They filled our room with goodies every night, and were so kind and happy every time we saw them.  One night the brought us a huge bag of home made cookies.  Another night, cupcakes and a box of chocolates.  The last morning I was there, the kitchen staff made me gluten free waffles.  Seriously amazing!!!   The rooms aren't huge, but the wonderful treatment from the staff will make up for it!  Joan was our favorite.  She's standing in the photo there with the girls.

I won a race!!! It was April 28th, the day after my 29th birthday. Just so you know, it'll be my 29th birthday from here on out. My grandma taught me how to lie about my birthday.
 Thanks Grandma!!
 I had a goal for the race, and that was to break 20 minutes. It was a 5k, and I had ran it the year before in 21 minutes, and am planning on running it every year if I can. I love it that it takes place just days after my birthday, and it's for an amazing cause...ADOPTION.
 I just couldn't get my legs going.  It's been a year since my knee sprain, and I feel strong, but still slower that I was last year.  After taking 4 months off, I started running again the end of September, and it's taken a long time to feel 100%, but I think I'm there.  Now to keep working hard and building my speed!
 I didn't reach my goal of breaking 20 minutes, but I did win for the females, and broke the tape at the finish line. It's a day I will never forget. Chad was waiting for me just on the other side of the tape, and I fell into his arms and hugged him till I had to get walking for fear of loosing my breakfast! I've mentioned before how much running reminds me of life, and trials, and how sweet it is to be embraced by those you love at the finish line. I can't help but think of the symbolism that is laced all through racing. Anyway, that's for another LONG post.

(Someone put this together for me...maybe the race director? Not sure, but it was so sweet!)

 The kids are doing great!  Jack continues to be our comedic relief. Just hang out with him for a bit and you'll see it.  He is playing base ball and loves it. Jacob is playing base ball too, but doesn't love it too much. He's more interested in making messes and inventions. I caught him and Jack trying to hoist Vanna up to the kitchen deck by tying Christmas ribbon to a stroller from below, with Vanna nestled happily inside. Vanna is our little dancer, who has a hard time running around normal...she's either galloping or twirling. It takes forever to go anywhere with her. And if you listen really close, you can hear music follow her where ever she goes. Music of her own making. Tehya is still riding horses and spending two days a week at the farm. She also has a crush on someone, who I'm sworn to secrecy that I won't tell a soul!!! Sorry, It won't be divulged here on the blog.

That's all for now!

Well, Hello!

Ok, the truth is....is that I promised myself that I would start blogging more...as a New Years Resolution. I'm not too late, am I? I haven't documented our lives at all for the past 6 months. That's horrible. But, my motto is "better later than never!"

So here we are. And, I'm not sure how to back log the past 6 months. I am sure it will come out little by little in the next 6 months though, so lets get started. I have a lot to share, and a lot to say. But first, lets start small and slow.

A picture


She still has short hair. Why? Because last week I found it stuffed between the couch cushions. So, short it is!!

Life is a tinsy winsy bit harder for everyone when an entire cycle of slumber has been disregarded.

What do we do for a little girl who threw up all night and her mom who stayed up with her?


Tehya treated her to a therapeutic spa treatment
(thanks Grandma Green for the nail kit!)

and the boys helped me make gluten free cookies to sweeten up the day.



And Vanna threw the cookies up.

A taste of Sardines

Jacob's been asking me to buy him sardines for a while now. I almost caved at Costco the last time he asked for them, and thank goodness I have such a level headed husband. He reminded me that it might be wiser to try a small can first. He's so smart! Today, during our monthly Trader Joe's trip, Jacob again reminded me that he wanted a can of sardines. The pink can never left his hands through the entire store. I really don't know where his desire for sardines came from.

Upon arriving home, he dug in before I could even get the groceries put away.

The VERDICT????



The boys loved them! Strange. Between the two of them, they ate the entire can. Tehya almost lost her stomach contents, and Savannah, I don't think she was even aware of what they were eating. They DO stink pretty horribly. I tried a small amount...not bad. Not great...but not too bad. I heard they were really good to eat before a long run. Maybe I'll be brave enough to let a few slide down my throat before the next 13 miler I do. (I did throw one more can into the cart before we left).





I saved the empty can to show Chad when he gets back from his travels...just in case there is any doubt lingering in his mind of the truth of this story.

Um, I've neglected this blog for quite a while now. There has been many times that I write a thought or post for the blog in my mind, but never see it materialized into real words. It seems I've gotten a bit lazy on this end, and I know there are grandparents out there who would love more consistent updates. Sorry. I'll be better. I promise.

Now for the condensed catch up...

April was a wonderful month. Although, I'm having a hard time remembering what wonderful things it brought for our family. Oh ya, I ran a race on the 30th. Three days after I turned 31. I was worried my age would play a part in my body falling apart, but it held together well during the 5k and I was able to place 5th overall, 2nd female to cross the finish, and 1st in my age division. It was a blast!!! You might not want to hear this part, but I did have to duck behind the police car parked at the finish line to throw up. Lucky me, my stomach was empty and calmed down just in time to cheer Chad across the finish line in his best 5k time yet!!!! He ran a wonderful race too.

May was fun, with a constant flow of guests from the beginning of the month straight through last week. Nothing makes me happier than to have company. We watched my nephew Truman for a little while, then his mom came and stayed with us for a bit, then Chad had a friend and his brother stop in, then my cute cousin Michelle came for a wonderful chunk of time, then a week after she left, my mom arrived for a week of fun and relaxation.

We have missed our guests since they have all left, and I'm sure the kids would love to return to those days when we were entertaining instead of cleaning. Last week we started our "Summer Schedule". After taking many "imputs and advices" from the kids we concocted a summer schedule that resides on a poster board on our wall. It's filled with all sorts of things.. from cleaning to crafts, and although they protested it's initial beginning, they are much happier children when we follow it. It's also been wonderful for me because did you know that if you have 4 kids cleaning the house for 30 minutes, that really equals 2 hours of cleaning? Why did it take me so long to figure this out? Why didn't I have 4 more kids? I'm getting so much done, well, I should say "we're" getting so much done with just 30 minutes of cleaning a day. It does a body and soul good to have a clean and orderly house, with just 30 minutes a day. Did I say it only takes 30 minutes a day?

That's pretty much it! Well, besides all wonderful strides Jacob has been making (that's a whole different post) and my never ending GI journey ( I just had a colonoscopy on Friday). And my Dad had a pretty bad heart attack 5 weeks ago, but he's doing so great now. He's lost a ton of weight since, and I can't wait to see him again and squeeze his shrinking stomach in the biggest hug! And...my mom, my cute mom is a runner now! She runs almost every day, does Zumba and has also lost a ton of weight and weighs less than I did in high school. We can share clothes now. So amazing. Oh, and the race I ran last month, was the worst race I've ever ran. For the first time in my life, I wanted to drop out and slip out of sight. It was only 4 miles and I just couldn't move. Hummm, I better close before I ramble any more. Now to keep my promise of more blogging...I'll be back soon! Love you all!

4 inches shorter!

Look who got a hair cut! It was getting so long, and she cried every time I brushed it out. She brought me the scissors and asked if I would cut it. Tehya wanted it long like hers, but I think it's still too baby fine to grow it that long. Maybe in a couple of years.

Race Day

The morning started earlier than most mornings for us. I woke up 2 minutes before my alarm went off...at 3:58 am. Race day jitters!!!

Marie (a cute girl I ran Ragnar with last year) picked me up at 5 and we started on our journey into DC for the Suntrust National Half Marathon. Thanks to another dear friend and 2 more teenage babysitters in the neighborhood, Chad was able to come and wait for me at the finish line.

It was a cold 30 degrees at the start line, but that's what we've all been running in all winter, so it wasn't a surprise. The sun was just coming up, the air was crisp, it was a perfect day for a race.

I absolutely love the energy that surrounds a race. It seems to add a little extra spring in your step. I crossed the finish line in 1:43:08, two minutes faster than my goal. As soon as I saw the finish line, I had to fight back the tears. I ran under the finish line arch, and let the tears escape. For some reason, I get so emotional every time I cross a finish line. Maybe because it reminds me so much of life here on this earth and what it will be like when we finally return home to Heaven. It reminds me of how we are all running a race. It's so hard some times, but we hope our work will be worth it. We spend so much time training, perfecting, practicing. I love the symbolism of our loved ones waiting on the other side of the finish line...cheering us on...waiting for us to cross into their wide open arms. I especially love it when we reach our goals and we can cross the finish line knowing we've done the best we can. I love racing. It reminds me of life. Every time.

we're still alive over here!

Well, it's been a long time. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Chad spent the past 3 months traveling, and we were able to join him for his last week out of town in Alabama. It was wonderful. I could really get used to living in a hotel. Someone to make your bed, clean your bathroom, and your own personal gym. Perfect! We're so glad to have him home now. I really don't know how all those single moms do it. It's tough running a household alone! I'm grateful for how hard he works for us.

I have to take a moment to talk about my mom. I'm so proud of her, I can barely contain it! She started running a little bit ago, and now she's up to 3 miles without stopping. Isn't that so cool!? It makes me smile every time I think about it. They are coming to see us soon, and we are planning a 5k just for her with all the bells and whistles... well, not really bells and whistles, but a finishers medal, t-shirt, and she will break the tape at the end! So fun!

Speaking of races, I have a half marathon this weekend. Wish me luck!

The Girls in their new Christmas dresses!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Jones.

They looked so beautiful today.

And Jacob wanted his picture taken too.

He's such a good little man,

and a good looking little man also

Is there a better way to start the new year than with a RACE?

Vanna was up sick all night, so I left the house alone this morning.

No little cheerleaders to love me across the finish line.

No tiny runners to run with me for the last 30 feet.

No amazing running partner named Nat who's sick too.

Just me, myself and I.

There was one runner in front of me named Marcy, with a Y, and she had lots of cheerleaders.

I just pretended they were cheering for me.

That was fun, and helpful.

A nice lady also stuck with me to help me keep pace.

That was fun, and helpful too!

When I felt like slowing down, she reminded me pick up my legs, and my pace. When I came to a hill, she reminded me to let my legs lengthen and speed up. I wish I had someone like that every race.

My goal was 22 minutes.

I didn't reach my goal.

Next time.

I ran 23 minutes, which is the same time I got late in October. I am glad I am back where I was before my surgery.

Guess what else I'm glad about?

I won an award in my age division. A gift certificate to the running store!

When they called my name, I couldn't resist jumping up and down. Did I really hear my name?

I even let out a little scream.

I was so excited to tell Chad that I ran all the way back to my car to call him.

My first award!

I'm in shock!

I'm saving it for some new running shoes.

My sweet running team that I coached gave me a gift certificate to the same store after the last running season ended.

Isn't that so thoughtful?

It too is going toward my new running shoes.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

A New York Christmas!

A month after my surgery, and I'm finally feeling 100%!

What a wonderful feeling it is to be able to have a perfectly happy throat.

No more sores on my tonsils.

No more headaches.

That awful surgery was well worth a month of my life.

We decided last minute to head to NY for Christmas.

It was perfect timing, since Chad's parents and two brothers were flying in from Utah too.

Staying in Times Square is always an adventure.

The kids kept calling people bad guys.

I shouldn't have shown them Home Alone 2 before we left.

We woke up the first morning to head out to the toy stores.

After a long day of shopping we met Mark, Liz, Tom and Travis at a live nativity somewhere in NY.

What a treat that was.

In fact, it might have been my favorite thing about Christmas this year.

To sit in that beautiful stone church, with high ceilings, children singing, and watching Mary ride a donkey between the pews toward the front of the church,

I couldn't help but feel the true meaning of Christmas,

remembering our Savior Jesus Christ.

It was just beautiful.

Thanks Liz for taking us there.

Thanks Liz again for taking some pictures of my family.

I usually choose to leave my camera at home instead of being tempted to watch the kids through a lens.

It's too easy to forget about my parental responsibilities when I've got my camera around my neck.

Here's some in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center

and

Some watching the light display on the side of the Macys building.

So much fun!

Oh ya, and Vanna and Jack on the bus.

My Christmas Day treat was getting to finally meet my new niece, Chantel. Liz is such an amazing mom, and it was a treat to be able to meet her new little baby, who was born 11 weeks early and is still in the NICU.

Wish me luck!

I'm going under the knife tomorrow! (I was going to make a funny joke here, about surgery, but decided it wasn't appropriate.)

The day has finally come for me to get my tonsils out.

And my deviated septum fixed.

And I'm freaking out.

Really.

I think I ate as much as I could today. The thought of not being able to eat scares me. So now, off to sleep, just to wake up and head into the surgery room.

I'm doing my best to be brave, but I'm not so good at that.

Wish me luck!!!!!