3, 3, 3

Three years ago today the world was graced with the arrival of Maggie. Her entry into this life started as a pleasant delivery and soon turned into a whirlwind of chaos that amounted to a sick mother aching to sit and hold her precious baby girl and an unnoticed fractured collar bone that would bring more sadness and pain to Maggie's mom than it ever did to Maggie.

Fast forward three years and all the chaos of those first few weeks of life is untraceable. It is hard for those who meet her to believe that there was ever a moment of time when Maggie wasn't racing to keep up with her siblings or flaunting her curly blonde hair. Maggie may be a third child but with her quick wit, bright blue eyes, flashy smile, and spunky personality she has managed to put herself at the center of attention in her family.

In addition to having "Happy Birthday" sung to her countless times, little Maggie wanted three very specific things for her third birthday:

1) A blue cake

2) Red balloons

3) A trip to the lake

Maggie's family was happy to oblige her requests and had a wonderful time celebrating such a special day together. Her mom is eternally grateful that she has been able to sit and hold her precious baby girl every single day for three glorious years.

Happy birthday, my sweet girl. I love you. Mom.

Summoning the generosity and compassion of the American people

President Obama called on the American people to aid in the massive rescue and recovery effort taking place in Haiti after Tuesday’s devastating earthquakes.

“At this very moment one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history is moving towards Haiti,” said the president. “Yet even as we bring our resources to bear on this emergency, we need to summon the tremendous generosity and compassion of the American people.”

According to the Haitian Red Cross, “45,000 to 50,000 people have died and 3 million more are hurt or left homeless.”

The Associated Press reports “there were some 45,000 Americans living in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and officials said few had contacted American authorities in the hours immediately after the quake.”

While the world looks on at the horror and devastation that is now the country of Haiti, it is important to note that everyone has the opportunity to help in this recovery without having to leave the comforts of their own homes.

The president encouraged those interested in donating to the relief efforts to visit WhiteHouse.gov where the Center for International Disaster Information has a donation site as does the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross has released $10 million to help Haiti. People can also text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts and charged to their cell phone bill.

According to USAID, “Monetary donations are the most effective form of assistance because they allow humanitarian organizations to purchase (often within the affected region itself) the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is involved in the relief efforts in Haiti and “is immediately shipping humanitarian relief, including personal hygiene kits and supplies for newborns. Efforts are underway to determine further humanitarian response in coordination with government and disaster relief organizations.” The church has a donation site set up for those who would like to help in the relief effort. The United Way also has a donation site and has mobilized their Caribbean staff, volunteer leaders and resources in response.

The president ended his speech addressing the Haitian people directly, “To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving -- much, much more help is on the way.”

Happy Birthday #9 Dorothy!

Happy Birthday Bob!

He's the gentle, the strong, and the good guy,

the give-me-the-world-if-he-could guy,

the patient, the brave, the polite guy,

the been-there-for-me-day-and-night-guy,

the sexy, the fun, and the smart guy,

my love-him-with-all-of-my-heart guy.

~Unknown

Look who's 2-years-old today!!

Mickey Mouse pancakes w/strawberries for breakfast

Grandma's traditional cherry cake

Is it good?

YES IT IS!

Personal trampoline

And the "big" present, a new swingset w/slide

First Day of School

Maggie has decided this rock is her only friend while Dorothy and Buzz are at school.

Maggie Mug Shots

This little beauty used the potty all by herself last night. Hence, the need for much adoration today.

A Much Needed Break

To Our Readers:

With our recent relocation we are finding it hard to find time to sit and write posts for our blog. So, for now, we will be simply posting pictures of what Bob, Helen, Dorothy, Buzz and Maggie are up to.

Below you will find an example of what to expect from the blog for the foreseeable future. Hopefully we will be able to start writing again soon.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

~The Saylavee Times

A Silver Lining

It is said that every rain cloud has a silver lining. The nation is plagued with economic woes but it is possible to find some who are able to benefit from the current economic downturn.

Bob and Helen, for example, officially became first-time homeowners at 4 p.m. today. Bob was unfortunately unable to attend the closing due to a business trip to Mexico, so Helen and her daughter, Dorothy, shared in the excitement together.

After signing, the two enjoyed many treats from the "candy wall" at their settlement office. Helen said having a little chocolate and licorice made her feel better about making such a big committment and recommends such walls to every settlement company.


Helen explains that it is thanks solely to the economic downturn that her and Bob were able to purchase their home.

“If you had asked us six months ago if we were planning on buying a home we would have laughed in your face,” says Helen. “We honestly never thought that we would be able to afford a single-family home in the area where Bob’s job is. But here we are, signing for our first home. I’m still in disbelief that it is happening.”

Though today was an exciting day for all, the road to get to this day was long and emotional.

“I honestly didn’t know we were actually going to get the house until my realtor called this morning and said we were closing,” Helen said. “I was not mentally prepared for how emotionally draining buying a home can be. I had done my research and read all the books I could find, but the intense stress of the process was mentioned almost in passing. It was definitely not explained well enough for anyone to prepare for it.”

The closing of the house was initially set for June 12 but was pushed back several times due to repairs needed in the home and then final documents that were not a priority for all the parties involved.

“The hardest thing to deal with was not being able to control any part of the process,” Helen explains. “It is supposed to be a buyers market right now, and I suppose it is that way, but in reality you are at the mercy of the seller and their realtor. We had to deal with the most awful realtor; he lacked serious communication skills and made it very hard to get the simplest of tasks completed.”

Helen’s two pieces of advice to future first-time homebuyers is to “first and foremost get a great realtor to work with. We had Diane who was honestly a blessing sent from heaven. She would listen calmly as we ranted and raved about the process and worked endlessly to get us into our house. If it wasn’t for Diane we honestly wouldn’t be where we are today. She has become a wonderful friend and we can’t wait to go to dinner with her and chat about something other than useless realtors and the home-buying process.”

Second, get a good lender that will also communicate with you on a regular basis. You will be calling this person constantly and will need their approval (if it is an FHA loan) for everything that you do so be sure it is someone you like. We lucked out with our lender, Jeff. He was a constant source of calm during this process as well and he helped to make our loan application easy to understand and was always willing to sit and answer any questions that we had about the loan process and even the home buying process.”

Bob and Helen admit they are still shocked that they were able to find their silver lining in all the chaos and are very excited to move into their new home. Their three children, Dorothy, Buzz, and Maggie, are also excited about moving now that they have found a live toad living in one of their window wells. Emails to friends will go out soon with the new address and phone number.

Near fatal accident at US National Arboretum

A 19-month-old girl nearly drowned herself today by jumping into a pond at the US National Arboretum (USNA).

Little Maggie was visiting the USNA’s azalea collection with her mother, Helen, brother, Buzz, and good friends Evie and Alisha. According to witnesses the child walked over to the edge of a small man-made pond and jumped in.

“I was four feet away from her when she started going toward the pond, “says Helen, “I looked right at her, called to her, and told her to come back over to where I was standing and then I blinked and I heard a splash in the water. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to panic.

“At first glance all I could see was her pink baseball cap floating in the dirty black water, but no Maggie. But as I was running to the water her head popped up and she gasped for air and I grabbed her arm and yanked her out. It took at total of maybe three seconds for it all to happen but it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion at the time.”

Maggie reportedly was more upset about being soaking wet than anything else and as soon as she had her wet clothes off she was perfectly content to continue walking around and looking at flowers.

“Fortunately, Evie was wearing a onesie under her jumper so she lent the jumper to Maggie so that she wasn’t running naked through the trees,” Helen said.

Aside from tripping a few times and scraping her knees, Maggie enjoyed the rest of her time at the USNA and took a long, much needed nap when she got back home. Helen, however, was not so content when they arrived home and spent the next hour on the phone with an advice nurse to make sure the water that Maggie swallowed wouldn’t have any side effects.

“The water was so nasty,” Helen grimaces, “It was literally so dark that we could not tell how deep the little pond was. And the only sign of life in the water was one lone goldfish. I just don’t want Maggie to get some bacteria from the water she swallowed when she gasped for air.”

After explaining the incident the advice nurse attempted to reach the doctor-on-call and was unsuccessful. This led to an immediate call to poison control in order to find out if there was anything immediate to worry about. The poison control dispatcher, Lori, was friendly and helpful and put Helen at ease.

According to Helen, the nurse finally got in touch with a doctor and Maggie has been put on a 24 hour watch by all interested parties. Poison control and the doctors’ office will be calling tomorrow afternoon to see how she is doing.

Maggie’s father, Bob, was travelling on business when the incident occurred and was not available for comment. To view more flower photos and to read Alisha's side of the story, click here.

Sticker of Shame

A local driver was put to shame today after failing the annual safety inspection on her family car. Helen, whose father is a mechanic and whose mother was recently certified to do state safety inspections in her home town, was very surprised to hear that her car had failed.

“Last year I expected the car to fail but it went very smoothly and passed with no problems,” Helen said. “Given the ease of last year I fully expected to pass once again with flying colors, but it was just not meant to be.”

Helen’s 2001 Ford Taurus reportedly failed the inspection due to a worn front passenger tire and a small tear in one of the windshield wiper blades.

“I had no idea that my tire was worn or that there was a tear in the wiper blade,” said Helen. “I paid for part of the inspection and got an estimate on new tires from the shop and was told I had two weeks to fix it all and bring it back.”

After loading her three children in the car and driving away Helen noticed a new sticker had been placed on the windshield of her car, but it wasn’t a nice completed inspection sticker, it was a rejection sticker.

“It wasn’t until I was driving down the road that I finally saw the sticker.” Helen says, “I busted up laughing. I didn’t think it was funny, necessarily, it was just so shocking to see a big black and white rejection sticker on my windshield that all I could do was laugh.”

Helen says she is now very self-conscious about driving her car because of the rejection sticker.

“The word on the sticker may be ‘REJECTION,’ but when I look at that sticker I read ‘This car really sucks!’” Helen laughs.

Yard, Shmard!

Dorothy and Buzz don’t need a yard to get out and enjoy new snow; all it takes is a shaded 12 foot X 4 foot cement porch!

Dorothy and Buzz seem to see the silver lining in every cloud; their mom, Helen, only wishes she had such a great outlook on life.

A Letter from the Author

Dear Saylavee Times Readers,

It is with great regret that there have not been any updates since the Inauguration posting in January of this year. The lack of postings is not due to human error but instead a computer virus that resulted in the inability to post new material while the virus was being removed. The virus is now gone and posting will hopefully resume again shortly. Thank you for your patience with this frustrating setback.

Happy Blogging!

Change Has Come

All over our nation and across the world eager eyes watched as Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th President of the United States of America on the steps of the Capitol building at noon today.

The transition from one president to the next in our country is a peaceful process that intrigues other nations in our world. There are no armies fighting to keep one person in control instead of another, there are no monarchy’s that remain in power simply through bloodlines. There is only the voice of the people. And the voice of the people was loud and clear on the National Mall during the inauguration ceremony.

Love him or hate him, President Obama will be in the oval office tomorrow morning and will begin making the changes that our country needs. His beautiful wife, Michelle, and two adorable daughters, Malia and Sasha, will be by his side, building him up while still keeping him grounded. No doubt, countless prayers will be whispered across this great land for the strength, wisdom, and leadership of our new commander in chief.

His inauguration speech was full of passion and hope and offered an insight into what the future holds for our country:

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America…

“To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it…

“Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage…

“We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you…

“Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

Throughout his speech, President Obama reiterates this is the time for the change our country craves, but it is up to us, the citizens of this country, to bring about those changes. It is time for all of us to stand side-by-side and help get our nation back on its feet again. Regardless of who you may have voted for, this is the vision for our nation over the next four years. You can choose to join in the effort or complain from the sidelines. Whatever your choice, may God bless America.

Simple Inquisition Turns Ugly

A four-year-old boy unknowingly insulted his mother today while eating lunch.

Buzz, the only son of Helen, reportedly compared his mother to swine during their usual lunchtime conversation.

"It is always an adventure to talk with Buzz," Helen says, "He has a very big imagination and spends most of his days telling tales about Transformers or battling imaginary bad guys and saving the day."

This particular conversation started with Buzz quizzing Helen about the eating habits of his one-year-old sister Maggie.

"Buzz asks a lot of questions," said Helen. "Today he started asking about the foods that Maggie used to eat when she was a baby. He wanted to know if she still eats the same foods. I told him she eats more foods now than she used to. He then asked about her drinking milk as a baby and was asking if she still drank that milk. I told him she drinks the same milk he does now because she is bigger."

Helen states that when Maggie was a baby and was breastfed that Buzz always said the milk came from her belly and that was how she fed Maggie.

"I see no reason to explain the mechanics of breastfeeding to a child his age so the whole milk from the belly thing was a perfectly good explanation that he came up with himself," said Helen.

According to Helen, the conversation then progressed as follows:

(Buzz) "Did you get sick of feeding Maggie?"

(Helen) "No, I didn't get sick of feeding her, she just got bigger and stopped drinking my milk."

(Buzz) "Do you still have your milk?"

(Helen) "No, it went away when she stopped drinking it."

(Buzz) "Well, why is your stomach still big?"

(Helen) "What?"

(Buzz) "Why is your stomach still big?"

(Helen) "I don't know, buddy."

(Buzz) "Pigs' stomachs are big. So are their backs."

The boy then reportedly got on all fours and imitated a pig by making snorting noises.

"I know he didn't mean to compare me to a pig, but I plan on remembering this conversation for many years to come so that I can remind him of it when he is a teenager," Helen said. "I think I will go do some sit-ups now."

The A-Team: Still on the run

Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat.

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, marked the end of the 183-mile Ragnar relay race. For one member of the A-Team, Helen, the end of the race was bittersweet.

“We spent almost twenty weeks training for this race,” says Helen. “It seemed like such a daunting task while we were training because the race is new to this area so none of us knew what to expect. All-of-the-sudden, I found myself alone, running down the C&O path, with a number pinned to my shirt.”

According to Ragnar’s Web site, "almost anyone can run in this relay race...if you train. During the relay, each team member runs three legs, ranging between 3 and 8 miles and varying in difficulty.”

The Web site describes the race as twelve “friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay.”

So, why would someone choose to subject themselves to such a rigorous undertaking?

“Each of us had our reasons for running this race and each of us is triumphant in our accomplishment. My reasons stem from the birth of my beautiful baby girl. I got very sick after she was born, so much so, that I didn’t feel like I would ever be able to get out of bed, much less run a race like this. But look at me now, running this exhausting relay with a smile on my face. It’s my own little miracle.”

Helen said being able to see so many amazing sights along the way made for good entertainment throughout the race.

“I saw the biggest sod farm of my life; it went on for miles in all directions. I saw ducks swimming and otters poking their heads through the moss covered canal. The leaves that hung over head and wrapped around the tree trunks had hints of red, orange and yellow; they were beautiful. We ran through dirty, run-down small towns and quaint little towns. We watched a man skin a deer at an exchange point. We passed acres of open fields and corn taller than any I’ve ever seen. I ran down breathtaking tree-sheltered dirt paths that were straight out of a magazine. And I was able to witness ordinary people doing some extraordinary things. I will never forget this opportunity or the twelve amazing people that shared it with me,” Helen said.

Running wasn’t the hardest part of the relay in Helen’s opinion. Sitting in the van was a challenge for all of the runners. Discreetly changing out of sweaty running clothes in a van full of people was impossible. Sleep deprivation took its toll on the first six runners around 3 a.m. after their second legs were over. And food was the last thing anyone wanted.

“We spent a lot of time snacking, but that got old fast,” said Helen. “We would all sit and think out loud about yummy foods that we wanted like real mashed potatoes or a big steak. We had plenty of food and treats in the van, but none of it sounded very good after a while. We choked down what food we could and mostly lived on Gatorade and water.”

Despite the given hardships of the race and the tiresome toll it took on her body, Helen says that she would run the race again without question.

She claims the motivation to run this race again is best described by the history of Ragnar on the Web site, “Ragnar was a 9th century Norse King. He was a pirate, a raider, a conqueror, an explorer, and a wild man... In a Ragnar Relay the wild nature of this Norse King is embraced by many participants. Participants who aren't afraid to paint their van plaid, to bring along their own hair band, to join together in yelling as they cross the finish line. You may think that you are not one of them, but you are. Everyone has a wild side and nothing brings it out of you like a Ragnar Relay. Long live the Ragnar in us all!”

Embrace the conceit

Peer pressure and the non-blogger

A 28-year-old mother of three, Helen, started her first blog today. The blog is unique in its writing style and will be used as a creativity tool for the author.

“I have a passion for news writing,” Helen states, “I got my degree in journalism and I miss using my skills as a writer. This blog is an opportunity for me to practice writing and to receive valuable feedback from my viewers.”

“When I pitched the idea to my husband, Bob, he was very supportive,” Helen states, “He likes that I am writing again and that I am forcing myself to be creative. Viewers might even see an article of his on the blog.”

“I think it’s great that she has finally found an outlet for her writing,” Bob states, “I’m excited that she’s challenging herself to write the articles. I have been trying to get her to do freelance writing since she quit her job. But she doesn’t think she is a very good writer anymore. This blog will be very useful for her and will help her to regain all the skills she thinks she’s lost.”

Each blog entry will be written in a journalistic format which will require Helen to occasionally write in the third person.

“The style I write in will take some getting used to for most of my viewers, but I think that once they grasp the idea, they will find it refreshing,” says Helen.

Helen attributes peer pressure from friends as motivation to consider a blog. “I have several blogging friends that apparently have a vested interest in me starting a blog so they can keep up-to-date with my family,” she says, “But I didn’t want my blog to be a place for me to spill my innermost thoughts, I wanted it to be something that I could use for my benefit when I apply to graduate school or go back to work.”

“This blog represents part of who I am and how I view the world,” Helen states, “When I see something amazing or hear something funny I automatically think of a great headline to report the event. Now I can use those headlines and write articles for my viewers to enjoy.”

Helen graduated from a large state university in 2004 with her Bachelor of Science in Journalism. She has worked for the American Red Cross, the U.S.D.A. and the FPA. Currently, she stays home to care for her children.