We are ready for you 2010!!

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family!! I must admit that I think I've been looking forward to a new year since, oh, January of last year :) As I sit here and write this, it is a little bitter sweet looking back and reflecting on this past year. It was definitely an event filled year... one which brought sadness, a sense of loss, and at times a feeling of being completely overwhelmed with little to no direction. But in the end, I have gained so much more than I lost, am so thankful to be where I am today, and began putting my energy in the things that matter most. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have lifted us up throughout the year! You brighten our lives with your prescence and we are truly blessed to have you in our lives! May 2010 bring you much happiness and Joy! xoxo Colleen

Family 2009

This year for Christmas, we suprised my mom and dad with family photos. I've been anxious to share them on here- they turned out so good!! Carter was one unhappy camper but we managed to get a few without him screaming ;)

Dare to Dream

"There is a powerful, driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream or desire a reality. Create a vision and never let the environment, other people's beliefs, or the limits of what has been done in the past shape your decisions. Ignore conventional wisdom. Even in the face of doubt or controversy, have faith in that vision. Cling to it in the knowledge that you have the right to achieve nothing less than what you want for your life. You're in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows ---- and has always known ---- that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival."

18 Fabulous Years and Counting!

18 years ago, Taylor came into this world, and our lives were forever changed. This tiny little baby boy has grown into a beautiful young man and I couldn't be more proud. As I sat and watched him open gifts, I was flooded with different memories. The day I first layed eyes on his pefect dimpled chin, those peircing grey eyes, and the cutest button nose. The first gummy smile that took my breath away. The day he discovered his feet.. he would kick and kick then giggle and giggle! Those little feet now wear size 9 1/2 shoes! And that smile, still takes my breath away:) Those piercing eyes, button nose, and perfectly dimpled chin are still there, and even though they now belong to a young man, he will always be my baby :) Happy Birthday my sweet Taterbug! May all your hopes, wishes, and every single dream come true! Here is to 18 Fabulous years and counting!

Homecoming 2009

As hard as it is for me to believe, this was Taylor's last homecoming as a student at MVHS. I want to make every memory so special and I think, with the help of my fabulous parents, we were able to do that :) What started as an "idea" blossemed into an unforgettable evening that I'm sure Taylor and Kate will always remember. I mentioned to my dad that I was thinking of making a nice dinner for the kids before homecoming. While going out to a fancy place can be fun, I thought this could be even better. Well Dad and Mom took that idea and ran with it, creating a menu.. right down to appetizers and virgin cocktails. The meal was topped off with individual homemade molten chocolate cake with berry sauce. The kids had a great time and it was so fun seeing them all dressed up! Thank you Mom and Dad for creating memories and always coming to the rescue. Thank you Taylor and Kate for being such great kiddos and choosing to celebrate this way. It was definitely a meal made with love!

Happy Birthday Dad!

We managed to pull off a suprise party for my dad's 59th birthday :) Mom told him that they were going out for a nice dinner, just the two of them. I think he was suprised to turn the corner in the restaurant and see the whole family there! Ben, Melissa, and the girls presented him with tickets to a BSU game and sticking to that theme, Beth and my family gave him a BSU sweatshirt to keep him warm. Nothing is better than spending time with family and celebrating my Dad, made it all that much sweeter :)

You brighten up my life
With memories so fond
When I reach out
You always respond

You're someone I can count on
When I need a helping hand
You're compassionate and loving
You always understand

I'm so thankful to have
A father like you
There is no other
Who could fill your shoes

Love you Dad!

Counting Our Many Blessings

I have always believed that sometimes God sends me what I like to refer to as "wake up calls". These have come to me in various ways over the years. A gentle reminder that I need to focus on the wonderful blessings He has given me. And while it is definitely humbling for me to admit, I have gotten off track a bit the past few months. I would venture to say, perhaps all of 2009. It hasn't been the easiest of years for me and I was finding myself wallowing on a fairly regular basis. Focusing on all of the things I had lost instead of putting all of that energy into the wonderful, priceless things that I do have.. first and foremost being my beautiful family. I would go through the motions but with lack of emotion. Now this was not happening all of the time persay, but definitely enough that I did need a "push".
Two weeks ago, Carter woke up.. and like every Wednesday morning, we were all scrambling to get ready. I dressed him, still half asleep, scooped him up and off we went. On the way to preschool, it became apparent that he was one sick little guy. He could not bear his own weight, sit up without tumbling over, or grasp things in his little hands. He was functioning basically as an infant. Just the night before we were running in the yard and I was trying to get him to slow down. My medical instincts kicked in and I knew this wasn't just a flu bug but that something was going on with his neurological system. Over the next few days, he had to go through so much :( Blood draws, IV's, MRI, and a spinal tap. Nothing can bring a mother to her knees faster than seeing her baby go through so much and facing the unknown...it hits you like a ton of bricks to your very core. Nothing else mattered in this entire world... I was finding myself bargaining, pleading, and begging God to please please let everything be ok. I was so angry with myself for the night before.. why had I not just let him be a 3 1/2 year old boy and run like the wind? I was so frightened that would be the last time he ever was able to do that.. maybe a little overreacting on my part, but what if.... Words cannot begin to describe the relief that came over all of us when we were given the news that everything was going to be ok. Carter was diagnosed with Acute Cerebellar Ataxia. Despite the scary symptoms, it is a benign disorder that resolves completely over the course of a few weeks to months in most cases. Of all the scenerios we were facing, this was the best case scenerio. He has made tremendous progress over the past week and the doctors see no reason why he shouldn't make a full recovery.
I want to say a special thank you to all of my friends and family for being our rocks.. Lord knows that we needed many :) Your support, love and prayers means the world to us. Thank you for being so patient with me, for lending me your ears, arms and heart as a soft place to land.
I'm not certain, God, if you read blogs :)... but I do know that you "read hearts". Thank You for all you have given me.. Thank you for the 5 beautiful, fantastic, intelligent, priceless gifts you have placed in my life. Thank you for letting me watch them run like the wind. Thank you for tiny hands that can carry 6 hotwheels at a time. Thank you for giving me the honor and ultimate privelege of being their mother. Love- One very greatful, very humbled, extremely lucky Mom

JCrew Family Update

Yes, this is long overdue and I am not even sure where to start :) I debated for a long time whether or not to do some "blog editing" as some posts were a little difficult to revisit. The reality is that I wouldn't really change a thing because it has placed me where I stand today, on the path that God has planned for me. Although at times, I've felt like it is a little bumpier than I would like, I have complete faith that He knows what is best for me despite my efforts to convince Him otherwise. ;)

Taylor has started his senior year and I am desperately trying to cram him full of "tools for life". It has been difficult wrapping my head and heart around the idea that in just a few short months he will be off into the real world. He is still in the process of narrowing down his education possibilities and we will keep you posted. Kate is no longer a freshman and has joined the ranks of upperclassmen as a sophmore. She has grown so much this past year and discovering that she is capable of anything she sets her mind to. Does this remind you of anyone mom?:)
Drew is an eighth grader this year and is also playing football. He is enjoying every minute of it and comes home just exhausted. Hannah has made the leap this year from grade school to the scary world of middle school. After a mild locker crisis (she might disagree on the mild part :) ), she is adjusting well. Carter continues to run circles around all of us and starts preschool again this week. His vocabulary continues to amaze me... he is growing up way to fast! :)
I started a new job in April with many of my beloved coworkers from Covance. The physician that we have worked with for years, opened his own research clinic. I feel so blessed to be doing what I love and have a strong passion for.
Pictures will be coming soon so stay tuned :)
Huge hugs to all of our friends and family. xoxo Colleen

A Busy St Patricks Day...

Saint Patrick's Day has always been one that I've enjoyed. I remember many times mom would make us corn beef and cabbage, green pancakes- anything we could turn green, we would :) I was hoping to do some of those same traditions with my kiddos but we just had so much to do! Kate had a science fair and we all showed up in support of her Snow Leopard project. Even Grandpa made an appearance :) The cafeteria at Mountain View High School was again the backdrop. Hannah and Drew had a great time posing in front of the large murals and Grandpa snacked on some of the free popcorn. The room was jam packed with teenagers and their bright ideas on solving all of the worlds problems. Taylor and Kate had their spring choir performance that evening as well. We had 30 minutes in between to grab dinner, so rather than corn beef and cabbage, we had to settle for Jack in the Box :/ The kids were thrilled with this idea- for some reason they don't have the same need as me to experience a true Irish traditional dinner ;) We rushed back for the concert and enjoyed it tremendously. Kate is in an all girls choir and Taylor is in the Acapella group. They performed "Famine"- a song that comes from Asia during a time of poverty and drought. It was amazing- filled with creative choregraphy and heavenly voices. The song ends with everyone snapping which created the sound of rain- it was definitely a moving moment. We finally arrived at home around 10pm and we couldn't crawl in our beds fast enough :) I guess we'll have to do corn beef and cabbage and green pancakes next year ;)

My Dad, My Hero

When I think of my dad, I can't help but smile. I am so lucky to have blessed with a father who is incredibly dedicated to his family. This past Friday, my dad finally reached that dream he has been chasing and was sworn in as a District 4 Judge for Ada County. It was the most amazing feeling in that room.. we were surrounded by all of my parents' closest friends. The part that still blows me away, is that many of these people have been in their lives for over 30 years. That says so much about the type of person my dad is. It was so great to experience this with my kiddos. My dad sets such a perfect example of chasing your dreams, no matter how many times there might be bumps along the way. The ceremony itself was heart warming. My mom was able to gown my dad with his new distinguished job attire. Later that evening, we ended the night by attending a choir fundraiser at Taylor's school. They hosted a prime rib dinner and entertained us with beautiful music. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day. Congrats again dad, I am so proud of you!

Things I am Thankful For....

I have been blessed to have worked with some of the most amazing people I've ever met. As you can imagine, we are all going through a variety of emotions and everyone has a "story". The most incredible thing though, has been how supportive everyone is to one another despite their own suffering. We've had days where we are all at a different spot with accepting that we are about to experience a new journey. The one thing we always come back to, is that we need to really focus on all of the things good in our lives. It is so easy to lose sight of the little things that we are blessed with every day.
*I am thankful that God has found me worthy enough to be the mom of 5 fantastic kiddos
*I am thankful that I have parents who provided me with a wonderful childhood and who have always been there for me through adulthood as well
*I am thankful that I have a brother and a sister who are not just siblings, but true friends
*I am thankful for my two little nieces and how their conversations between each other always make me smile
*I am thankful for my grandma- I don't know how she does it, but she never misses a birthday, anniversary, or holiday
*I am thankful that with every closed door in my life, another one always seems to open
*I am thankful for all of my friends who put up with my crazy life :)
*I am thankful for Starbucks (I know not as sentimental, but seriously I couldn't live without it:) )
*I am thankful for kiddo hugs- they seem to make everything better
*I am thankful that time mends a broken heart
*I am thankful for our Troops defending our Country
*I am thankful that I was brought up with values
*I am thankful for the advice my dad gives (How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time)
*I am thankful for a God who has always promised that he won't give us more than we can handle

Jobies Queen's Ball 2009

Kate and Hannah had their annual Queen's Ball for Jobies last night. All of the jobie girls get together with the Demalay (young boys group) for a fun chaparoned night of dancing and good food :) The girls had a blast getting ready, and I must admit, I find such happiness in seeing the two of them developing such a sister bond. Kate did Hannah's hair (she is so good with that kind of stuff!) and helped her accessorize ;) Carter manged to do his hair during all of the getting ready chaos... I'm still not sure what exactly it is that he put in his hair :/

Celebrating Carter's First Day of Preschool!

Carter started Preschool today and I'm not sure who this was harder on :/ We started the morning off a little rocky because Carter was pretty sleepy from staying up too late the night before. We've all been trying hard over the past few weeks to get him excited for this new adventure, but he wasn't buying any of it. He wanted to go to "Hannah's school" instead. After a little coaxing from Robin, his new teacher, mom and Carter were able to seperate for the day.(First heart melting into a big puddle moment) I called about an hour after I had left (that's not too neurotic right? ;) ) and he was doing much better. Apparently he suffered a few "meltdowns" initially, but was all smiles by 10am. I picked him up a little early and he greeted me with "Mom, I'm sooo glad your home!" and hugged me tighter than ever. (Second heart melting into a big puddle moment) To celebrate his first day of school, we headed to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone. After taking a few bites of his chocolate dipped kiddie cone, he asks me, "how was your day at work?" (Third heart melting into a big puddle moment) All in all, we both survived and I think this will be a wonderful adventure for him, meanwhile I'll be putting my melted heart back together :)