Merry Christmas from the Hood Family....

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. We wish each of you a very happy holiday with lots of time surrounded by your loved ones. Please take time to remember our Savior and all that he did for you in His short life here on earth. We love each of you and wish the best for your families!

Couple of days... couple of weeks

So I wasn't back to blog like I promised, but hey, this will make 2 posts in December, which is a better record than I've been carrying.
Alex had a cardiology appointment on December 7th. Once again, he got a thumbs up from his doc. His oxygen saturations hover around 81-83%, scary for a healthy adult, but great for a heart kiddo who's only 2/3 of the way done with his correction. He, of course, was not a happy camper during the appointment. He is textbook for "white coat syndrome". The kid does not want messed with... and he is happy to tell that to whoever is messing with him! His crying is helpful for his chest x-ray, because at some point he has to take a breath, and that's when they take the picture. The x-ray looked great. He actually sat fairly well for Dr. Puchalski, and showed him his socks and boots. He also let him listen to his heart and lungs without too much screaming. So, the next step is to come back in another 6 months! Isn't that great! He said that the more weight we can get him to gain, the better. He would like him to put on at least 5 lbs. Well, if he has any feeding tricks, he should've shared, because Alex has very limited interest in eating... even sweets. We are so pleased with his progress and good health. Our Heavenly Father has blessed him and each of us beyond measure. We are so grateful for His love!
Alex has learned to say "peeezzz" which also doubles for "cheese" when taking a picture like this.....

We had a great event happen at our home on December 6th....

Finally, a lost tooth and a visit from the tooth fairy. Boy, the tooth fairy is A LOT more generous than when I was a kid. Sam was pretty excited to get "a buck" from the tooth fairy. He has another tooth that should've come out already, but it's hanging on for who knows how much longer. We keep trying to talk him into pulling it out on Christmas Eve so that he can have Santa and the Tooth Fairy in his house all in one night! Not many kids can claim that. I think he's pretty cute with his tooth missing!

We went to see Santa. There is a nursery just down the road from us. They advertised that there was going to be Santa, reindeer, and free hot chocolate and cookies. Well, that was all it took for me. I was not about to spend money to see Santa, and make Alex wait in a long line of coughing, sneezing, snotty nosed kids and adults. The trip was succesful and Alex barely cried. Here are a few pics...






SO much more to post, such little time. 'Tis the season, right?! Be back soon!

Blogging Funk!!

Yes, it's true, as if you can't tell.... that is for any of you that actually still check our blog. I have been in a MAJOR blogging funk. It's not that we haven't had anything happening and that I don't have pictures.... it's just, I guess, I've had a hard time justifying spending my time blogging instead of with my family. Maybe I'm not as fast at it as others are, it just seems to take a lot of my time to blog.
So right now, Alex is sleeping and Sam is at a friends house playing. Normally I would be taking advantage of some free time and clean my house, but today, I'm leaving the mess and catching up on a few things.
I really hope to get better at this, and keep up on what's happening in the Hood household. So, hunker down and get comfortable.... it's going to be a long one!
Do I dress my children? Yes, but they do think it's a lot of fun to run naked while the bathtub is filling up. And, since my blog is private... I can post naked pictures of my kids, because I think they are stinkin' cute!


We had a really fun Halloween. Sam was thrilled to wear his costume to school. They got to have a fun party at school with games, stories and cookies. He had decided in 2008 that he was going to be Dracula. Well, that idea was scratched, when upon entering the store he found a really cool Darth Vader costume. So, needless to say Dracula had to wait until 2009. He loved having his face painted, and his vampire teeth, but he was NOT about to let me spray paint his hair. He was positive that the paint wouldn't come out, and so we had a brown haired Dracula.
Alex was a farmer. I knew he wouldn't keep a costume on, and I knew that he wouldn't last through trick-or-treating. Since we had overalls, a plaid shirt and a straw hat... farmer it was. And he was pretty cute too.




As you can see, Alex wouldn't even leave his hat on. We got to visit Hamma, where Sam proceeded to load his bucket up with treats (isn't that what Grandmas are for?). Then we headed to my parents house where we got to eat lots of yummy chili, bread and pumpkin cookies... all thanks to Grandma Bon-Bon. The boys then went trick-or-treating with Pa, and then came back to get another candy filler-up from Bon-bon's house. After that we headed back home, where we did even more trick-or-treating. We certainly didn't go without sweets! I don't want to forget to show Sam's pumpkins that he painted. Painting them is so much easier than carving for him... and I think he did a great job! Oh, and just so you know... they are a vampire with a bat, and a witch!


Sam has been so excited about the snow this year. During the first storm that accumulated nearly 1/2 in, he was busy building snowmen, and wrestling with Lucy in the snow. Here are the two snowmen he came up with from the little snow we had...

Lucy laid there waiting patiently for Sam to finish, so that she could eat the carrot noses. And yes, she did eat them!
Tired yet? We still have more to go. I am trying to keep them short though, so that we don't lose interest!:)
We did attempt to give Alex a haircut..... and I should really emphasize attempt!
Who needs a cut?

We were not very successful...

Yep, that's it... and from the above picture, you can see for yourself the pile should be much bigger than it is! His hair is very fitting for his personality, so I think it's kind of funny the way it is....UNRULY! And just so you know, Merriam Websters defines that as: not readily ruled, disciplined or managed! Yep, that's our Alex!
I hope that you were able to stay awake through this post! I have so much more to post: Thanksgiving, IHH Heart Walk, fun fall activities and cardiology update. I will be back in the next few days to do these... I PROMISE!

Time for Reflection....

As I woke up this morning, I began thinking of how different I felt on this day, one year ago. November 5, 2008 was a changing day for our family. Alex was going in for his first open heart surgery (glenn procedure). We had no idea how much our lives would change, how much our testimonies would grow, how much we would rely on our Heavenly Father, and how we would come to appreciate His tender mercies.
Although our little Alex can be a pill at times, he is such a blessing in our lives. He is so full of life and energy. He goes non-stop. He is so good at making us smile and laugh. The trials that he has faced so far in his short life, have taught our family more than we ever thought possible.
I am grateful for this year of growth. I am grateful to be his mother, and to have witnessed the many miracles that have occured in his life and ours. I am also grateful for our family and the many friends who have supported us, and who continue to pray for Alex and his well-being.
Here's a pic from his surgery day last year:

What a difference a year makes! We sure love this little boy!

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for His love, and for the trials that He gives us. They truly are given to us for our growth and to help us become the person that He wants us to be.


I also want to take this opportunity to ask for your prayers in behalf of our old neighbors. They are experiencing such great trials right now after the explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery. We were fortunate enough to move, back in May, away from the refinery that sat SO close to our home. My heart aches for them, and I'm so grateful that nobody was injured, but they are being displaced from their homes. Please remember them in your prayers, and especially their children who may not fully understand what is happening.

new family pics....

we had some new pics taken this last week. the point was to get alex's pictures done since i'm a bad mom and didn't get them taken at 1 year old! we decided if we were going to go through the trouble of getting his done, we might as well take a few of all of us. i can't post them all because they're going to be christmas presents!
i do want to put a plug in for those who took them though. they are our old neighbors who work together on taking them. they also have a website that you can visit if you're interested. thank you katie and jana for taking the time and doing these for us!
here's the link to their website: http://knjphotography.blogspot.com/

What makes me happy?

that would be him....



and him too.....



and 70 degrees in the middle of october!

cute, aren't we?

Just a little backyard fun!

Sam still loves his trampoline.... and he loves it even more when dad gets on with him! Cute Sammy! He's such a sweet boy, and brings so much happiness to our family! Just seeing those dimples will make anyone smile! Alex likes the trampoline too, but (like everything else) doesn't want anyone else playing with it while he is! Thank you Gary for being such a great dad, and making time to be silly with the boys.... especially when my "silly" has turned more into "looney"! I love my boys!

Standing too close.....

Do you remember all of those times your parents told you..... "Don't sit so close to the t.v., you'll hurt your eyes"?

Maybe they were right.....

Have you ever....

seen anything cuter than this.....



While the boys were waiting for the tub to fill up, Alex decided to sit down and read a book to kill some time. Shortly after, Sam joined him. There's not much cuter than little bum-cracks, is there?

It's official.... school has begun!

Today was Sam's first real day of school. He was SO excited! He went last Monday to their "back-to-school" day, and we got all of the info, met his teacher, made a craft, yada, yada, yada.
Here are a couple of pics of him from last Monday....



One of the things that Sam has been excited about is that he gets to ride the bus. When you're 5 that is such a cool thing.... when he's 15, I don't think he'll have the same feelings about it! The bus stop is on our corner, which is SO nice and ultra convenient. That way if Alex is sleeping at pick-up or drop-off time, I don't have to wake him up to get Sam.
I was so glad that he had his friends to ride the bus with! It's so different to put him on the bus and walk away. The last two years for pre-school, I would drive him and pick him up. Now, I put him on the bus and that's it. I feel like I should be driving to the school and watch him get off of the bus and walk into the school! I am proud of myself for not doing that this morning, even though I really wanted to! I thought for sure he would get on the bus and never look back, but as he was walking on he actually turned and told me good-bye! Cute little guy!



And, no shock at all.... Sam and his friend Ethan sat on the first bench, right behind the driver. (the picture is hard to see, but I still thought it was cute)

We are so proud of Sam. He is such a good little boy. I will miss having him around in the mornings, and so will Alex, but we are so excited for the fun times that he will have and all that he will learn! We love you Sam!

Happy Birthday Gary!

Gary.... just wanted to tell you HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thank you for being the wonderful husband and father that you are! Your boys adore you.... and so do I! Hope you had a great day! I Love You!




And, a HUGE THANK YOU..... to Bon-Bon and Pa for watching the kids ALL day, so that we could spend some time together! We have the BEST family in the world! We had a great day today.... so THANK YOU!

Calling all Walkers......

It's that time of year again.... time once again for the Intermountain Healing Hearts "Walk for Healing Hearts."
So many of you know how near and dear to our hearts these children and their families are. This event allows us to spend time with them and raise money for the needs of the group. We love to invite each of you to join us, so that you can see these walking (and crawling) miracles. Being in their presence is truly a humbling experience!
The event will take place on Saturday, September 12th at the Riverview Park in Provo, which is the same location as last year. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. sharp. There will be same day registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. Early Registration is currently underway until August 26, 2009. To participate the registration fee is $10.00 per person or $50.00 per immediate family.
The "Walk for Healing Hearts" event includes:
T-shirts for each registered attendant.
One Mile Walk along the side of those wonderful Heart Heroes.
Angel Ceremony to recognize those IHH Heart Heroes that have lost their battle, but remain in our hearts forever....never to be forgotten!
Wonderful Door Prizes! (Must be present to win).
Goody bags for the kids (while quantities last).
Great time socializing with others while supporting and promoting CHD Awareness!
The proceeds from this walk benefit the programs that Intermountain Healing Hearts, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization administers. Those programs include: Hospital Care Bags, CHD Awareness Display Table at Primary Children's Medical Center, and CHD Awareness Activities during CHD Week (February 7-14), Intermountain Healing Hearts Social Activities to help bring families affected by CHD's together (both Heart Heroes living and Angels), Funeral Flowers/Plant, Youth Heart Camp at Camp Wapiti, and the IHH Tree for the Festival of Tree's.
You can register early by going to www.intermountainhealinghearts.org. If you cannot attend, but would like to donate to this wonderful cause, donations can be made either electronically through PayPal or checks can be mailed to: IHH, PO Box 381306 Salt Lake City, UT 84158. Donations are tax deductible applicable by the rules the IRS has established concerning 501(3)(c) organizations.
Without your support, none of these programs would be made available to help those affected by CHD's.
We hope that all who can join us, will! Please let me know if you would like to attend with us. Last year we made buttons for all in our group to wear to show their support for Alex, and this year we would like to do something like that again. After all, each of you are members of our support group! We would not be where we are today without the faith and prayers offered by each of you in behalf of our family!

One of those days....

Alex has had a rough day today, and the wounds on his face prove it!

First, he slipped on the stairs and fell down 2-3 of them which resulted in a black eye/rug burn. While at Cabela's, he tripped and hit his cheek in the edge of the bench. While at Cherry Hill, he slipped once again and hit his chin (on the opposite side) on the picnic table and left a nice scrape across there.

Obviously....

He's over it! (oh, and don't mind the food in his mouth!) At least if they really come in 3's, he's done.... for today anyway!

Is Summer Complete?

There are a few things that are required to take place before summer can be considered "complete".
First off, the more corn on the cob that you consume, the better your summer has been. As far as we're concerned.... it's been a great one!

And really, it doesn't matter "how" you eat... just as long as you do it!

Next, I believe it's mandatory to attend some sort of Fair. We choose to attend the Davis County Fair, not only because it's close, it's also free! And, really, how do you beat free!
We went with our good friends the Pounders, who we've been doing weekly activities with this entire summer, and it's been so much fun!
You of course have to see the bunnies, the chickens, get balloon animals and take a pony ride. The kids waited very patiently and spent time deciding which pony they were going to ride, only to have the attendants pick it for them. Sam was thrilled because he got to ride a real horse. He was a little disappointed because he wasn't wearing his boots and hat, but he quickly got over that!

He was, as usual, all grins at the thought of riding a horse!

Alex was also excited about the horses too! He never stopped jabbering and pointing his finger while he waited to ride.


I think we have another little cowboy at our house, because he also enjoyed his ride!

You cannot leave the fair without cotton candy and snowcones, right? The snowcones were a very welcome treat! We spent most of the day melting in the heat.

One more requirement is to go miniature golfing. Today, Ryan and Merilee invited us to join their family at Cherry Hill for some mini golf and dinner. We had a great time! The kids had a blast too. Luckily we didn't have anyone playing too closely behind us, so the kids kept hitting over and over at each hole. They were a little disappointed at the last hole when the ball didn't come out anywhere! It's no fun to have your ball taken from you, but they had a great time anyway! Here are a few pics from today.





Ryan and Merilee were camping at Cherry Hill, so after golfing we went back to their trailer and had dinner and visited for a while. Alex decided that he wanted to ride Rylee's scooter. He kept putting his foot down, like he knew what he was doing. We thought it was pretty cute! Thanks Rylee for being willing to share with Alex!


Thanks guys for the invite and the treats! We had a really great time!
There are so many other things that I need to blog about, but there will be time for that later, right? We've had a great time swimming, playing at parks, camping, yada, yada, yada!
The final consensus..... we've done a lot of fun things, but summer's still alive and kicking for 2 more weeks until Sam starts kindegarten! We'll try and catch up then!:)