Game Changers

Hello blog world,
I hope you do not mind, but we are going to get a bit serious again.  It seems this past week was horrid, just filled with the most devastating news from all over.  None of it actually directly affected me, but every time I got wind of a new sad development, it was just gut wrenching, and I a little bit obsessed.  I 100% know why, I am a mother now, and it all had children involved.  Having kids is a game changer, not just your life, but how you feel and react to so much changes, at least for me. 

I first realized this, the last time I read Harry Potter, I read through the whole series probably every other year, and this time, instead of relating to Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, I related to the parents.  The whole time, I thought, how horrid would it be to die before you see your child grow up?  Or, I could not imagine feeling like my children were in constant peril.  Obviously Harry Potter is fiction, as far as I know, there is not a super evil wizard out there, but still, the story changed for me as I grew up and had kids of my own. 

Then, Friday happened, you all know what I'm talking about, my heart goes out to those families, even the shooters, because he was someone's child as well.  Then Saturday, my nephew had a seizure, as scary as that was, once I found it we was ok (he's feeling better!) I started thinking of my brother, sister-in-law and my nieces, how scary for them to feel so helpless while this is happening to their baby boy. 

Then yesterday, Natasha told me someone I know has stage 3 breast cancer.  This one really seemed to hit home.  Now, I am not close to Lindsey, I've only met her twice, but I like her a lot, also she is my age, and has a beautiful baby girl.  If I received this news, I don't know what I'd do, before I had kids, probably I would curl up and cower, but I feel like having children gives you a strength you never knew you could posses.  What I do know, is I would not be as courageous as this amazing, beautiful young woman.  So this is what I want you to do... read her blog, then if you happen to have a few dollars lying around, please please help her out with some medical bills.  They are a young family, and not having to be so worried about how they are going to pay for all of this, will help relieve her stress, and help heal her faster.  But above all, please keep her and her family in your prayers!

Read her blog here... no really DO IT!  You will be so glad you did! She is such an inspiration!
http://lindseysfight.blogspot.com/2012/12/take-my-breath-away.html


Help them out here....
http://www.gofundme.com/1p4na0

And because they are the game changers... here are my children's faces.

To move or not to move?

That is the question! UGH!  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am BAD at making decisions.  I mean, I have been losing sleep over trying to decide which play kitchen to get Harper.  Ryan is usually pretty patient with me, except for drive-thrus, which is rare for us so I don't have the menus memorized, and then you have to decide in the amount of 5 seconds what you want!?!  Even when shopping for stuff for myself, I usually have to text someone (Natasha) on which one to get.  When my grandfather and step-grandmother died last year, and I couldn't make it back, we started considering moving.... this has been an impossible decision.  Ryan and I can do our jobs from anywhere (kinda, Ryan has his own store here, but might have to wait for who knows how long if we moved), and after doing research, have decided if we want to move, the Des Moines area would be the best option for us to raise our girls in.  So I'm throwing it out to you blogging world... we need your help! I'm going to do some pros for staying, and for moving... lets do this!

Staying Pros...
1. We have the most AMAZING friends here, and our girls have friends close to their ages within our group of friends, but who knows if all of our friends will stay here?
2.  The weather... it is pretty mellow, and I kinda like rain, it never gets super hot or super cold, also hardly any mosquitoes, which are gross and annoying, also I've been sick maybe once or twice here (allergy to dust wise), it used to be a lot more in Iowa.
3.  It is beautiful, trees, mountains, lakes, oceans, who could ask for more?
4.  Culture, it is pretty varied here, our girls will be exposed to so much.
5.  Acceptance.  One thing Ryan and I love here is that our girls can find somewhere to fit in.  They can be deep, wear black, be artsy, emo, musical, geeky, whatever, people out here can be pretty darn accepting.
6.  This is our adopted home, even though Ryan and I are both from the Midwest, we met & fell in love here, got married, popped out a couple of kids, that means something to us, its weird to think of not living here.
7.  Coffee... we have an addiction, its on every corner, that's handy.

Movie Pros...
1. FAMILY!  Our girls get to see their 4 sets of grandparents 1 or 2 times a year. We want them to know them, and have as many fond memories with their grandparents as we do with ours.  Also, lets be honest, being able to drop the girls off at a grandparents' house for a weekend, would be kinda nice.
2.  House, if we could ever afford to buy a house here, who knows where it would be, what kind of school district, and how small, we could buy a better one in the Midwest because it is so much cheaper.
3.  Even though there is a lot out here, we feel like since Iowa is pretty centrally located, we can drive to a lot more vacation spots from there.
4.  Ryan works retail, he will always have to work the day before and after every major holiday, which means we can never go anywhere, it also means, that those days while everyone else is spending it with family, it is just another day to the girls and I, at least in Iowa, the chances are much higher that someone will be around to spend them with. (on the same note, not being able to go anywhere eliminates the which one of the sets of grandparents will we be with this year kinda thing)
5.  Ryan and I were both born and raised in the Midwest... I think we turned out ok.
6.  Safety, the amount of crime is much less in Iowa.
7.   TRAFFIC!!  There is none, there is sooo much here, it stinks. 

Who's still with me?  If so, go you!  This has pretty much been a novel.  I know I'm missing some pros, but my foots asleep... so lets get on with it, shall we?  What do I need from you?  Well if you grew up here (in Seattle), was it as accepting as I think it is?  If you grew up in Iowa in a bigger school or live there now (we are thinking Johnston), how was it?  Opinions people!!!  We need help!

Lincoln, the only cousin Harper has her age (lives in Seattle)

How adorable would it be have this picture every year?  We'll just skip over the fact that someday my teenage daughter will be in a wheel barrel with 2 teen boys

Sister, sister.  Never knew how much I missed ya. Which I do, I love my family out here, but sometimes, I just need my sister.

Please enjoy this photo of my dad in dreads...

We love these girls, and can't imagine not seeing them!

Harper and her Peepaw

Harper and her Iowa cousins with my grams and gramps.

Ryan... fishing... which he likes to do but there is less of in Iowa

The King boys!  Ryan only gets to see his bros every couple of years

There are no major pro sports teams in Iowa... which Ryan thinks would be sad, I on the other hand, wouldn't mind a little less sports on the tv.

This has nothing to do with moving, but I realized there was no photo of Sawyer, also I made her this hat. Also my flash is bright.