The house is silent this morning.  Matt is at work, and the kids are with my sister-n-law.  Instead of sleeping late, I made the choice to wake up and enjoy this little peace of heaven that was bestowed upon me this A.M.  The silence is like a mind massage, and I'm loving every minute of it.  I'm also loving my summer vacation. The kids have adjusted quickly to the lazy day routine, but I still haven't adjusted to their forever urgent need to eat 24/7.  We decided to skip a big family vacation this summer so that we could save a little cash.  Instead we spent the cash. Faced with the boredom of long, hot summer days, the romantic idea of saving money was quickly replaced with romantic ideas of trips to Target and Walmart. Although we will not have a vacation to remember this summer by, we will have something even more unforgettable.  On August 7th I am giving my sister my left kidney.  She has polycystic kidney disease and is in need of a kidney transplant.  I am a perfect match!  We did run into one snag; the CT scan revealed that I have a small angiomyolipoma (benign tumor) growing on my left kidney.  The plan is to biopsy the tumor during the operation and transplant the kidney as they normally would.  The chance of this kind of tumor being malignant is extremely rare, but this has been somewhat concerning.  My sister is having both of her existing kidneys removed which makes for a much more complicated and time consuming surgery.  Doctors say that I may only be in the hospital 2-3 days and out of work for 4-6 weeks.  Luckily the surgery is taking place during the summer, so I may only need to miss the first 2 weeks of school.  I pray that this surgery is successful and that my sister can begin to feel like the healthy person she deserves to be.  It is sad that people with this disease are forced to get so sick before something like dialysis or transplant can be considered. Transplantation of the kidney is not a treatment, it is a cure for polycystic kidney disease.  I strongly encourage everyone to become an organ donor.

The other night I had a dream that I was a vampire. Blah, blah, blah, skip to the good part. And when I bit into the back of her neck, a brown liquid began oozing out.  The woman turned her head to face me and laughed, "It's chocolate!"
Someone please tell me what in the name of crazy does this dream mean?  Please note- I was premenstrual when I had this dream, and I had just come off a 5 week low carb-diet.  Never mind, dream decoders, I think I just figured this one out.
This weekend we celebrated Josie's 8th birthday with a tea party.  It was ever so lovely.  The girls had a splendid time sipping tea, pinkies up, and I had an even more splendid time listening to their giggles and conversations.
Today, I made Hayden get in my lap and let me rock him like a baby.  At first it was awkward because he is so big, and it had been so long, but man did it feel good.  I'm pretty sure he would tell you the same.
Lucas made my heart melt today when he told me I was his one true love.  I could tell by his expression that he so meant it, and I also knew in that moment that he will undoubtedly grow up to be a heart-breaker. Watch out ladies!
Matt and I have planned a nice little family camping trip for Mother's Day weekend.  Hopefully it will involve some canoeing and hiking and of course, hot dogs!

I turned 32 on Sunday, but I'm okay with it because two weeks ago I did a front walk-over.  It wasn't pretty and it hurt like hell, but after several attempts I landed it.  This feat means one thing and one thing only- I am not old.  My body is still capable of doing things that I was sure a decade of birthing children had destroyed.  I feel reinvigorated!  I want to go buy a gymnastics mat and practice in the yard.  Maybe I'll even buy a leotard.  Leopard print? 
When I turned 22, I remember thinking about how I could divide my life perfectly in half- 11 years pre period and 11 years post period.  On this birthday, I realized I could divide my life in half too- 16 years pre drivers license and 16 years post drivers license.  When I turn forty, I will divide my life into 20 years pre marriage and 20 years post marriage.  I don't know why I think this way.  It doesn't make a bit of difference.  Let's move on.
I heard a woman laugh the other day.  It was a contagious, hearty laugh that I instantly envied.  I've considered trying to transition to a similar laugh, but I'm not sure how accepted it would be.  It might be similar to me suddenly walking pigeon-toed because I think it looks cute.  People at work would stare and ponder whether I had always walked that way or was I wearing shoes two sizes too small. I don't like it when people stare, so I better not try the laugh thing. 
Matt and I took the kids to Gold Head State Park over Easter weekend. The weather was perfect! The kids got to spend some quality time with their cousins and the adults got to hang out and relax. One morning I wandered into the woods behind the camper, and came upon a deer. We engaged in a 5 minute stare down contest. It was the most magical nature moment I have yet to experience. It honestly felt like I was staring into the eyes of an alien, but not in a scary "Fire in the Sky" kind of way. I felt like the deer was looking inside me- reading me. I felt like at any moment we would start communicating with only the use of our minds. I know this all sounds so trippy, but I promise I was completely sober. On the last morning we were there, I walked into the woods to see if the deer would magically appear once more. And it did. This time our silent exchange was shorter but just as majestic. Our camping trip confirmed something I believe I already knew- nature is wondrous and worthy of being explored.

I can't believe it has been four months since I last posted.  Seems that time just has a way of passing too quickly these days.  Two thousand twelve has been kind to the Bergens thus far. No hospitalizations or incarcerations, so that is a plus.  The Bergens have officially joined the RV club.  Matt spent months in a drooling coma while online window shopping RVs.  I couldn't take it, so I caved and granted him permission to purchase.  I have that kind of power you know. 
Life on the home front has been somewhat chaotic as of late.  Countless times I have sat at the computer ready to type, only to be side-tracked by the mounds of trinkets and tiddlywinks that are scattered all around me.  I stack a pile, move a pile, toss a pile, and curse a pile, but the trinkets and tiddlywinks multiply like gremlins.  I need some feng shui in my life, and on Saturdays for about 3 hours after I complete my cleaning routine, I have it.  Then sometime between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, it gets un-feng shuied.  My new addiction to Pinterest is helping me come up with all kinds of ideas to organize my living space.  I haven't put any of the ideas into practice yet, but I intend to, maybe, probably, probably not.  I do love Pinterest though, even if I won't complete, make, or buy a fourth of the things I pin.  It's fun.  It's good, clean, harmless fun, and that is not easy to come by.  I'm hoping that this post will be the first of many for 2012, so stay tuned for more rants, raves, and adventures from the Bergens.

I think the family has a mild case of after Christmas funk.  It happens to me every year. It is the same feeling I get when I watch a movie that ends with no real resolution.  This was a very Merry Christmas for the Bergen family, but when all is said and done, well, it is said and done... The decorations are packed neatly away in Rubbermaid containers waiting to be escorted out to the garage.  There is a slight echo in our empty living room, but the space feels good.
Matt has perfected his sushi roll making ability, and I am loving it.  I think we will ring in the New Year with a few sushi rolls, hot crab dip, and some stuffed mini sweet peppers.  I've never made the stuffed peppers before, but the recipe sounds so easy and so delicious. 
15-20 mini sweet peppers
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese (my favorite)
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped basil
1 1/2 tbsp. diced sun dried tomatoes
salt and pepper
Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out any seeds.  Mix the other ingredients and spoon into the peppers.  Yummy!

Happy New Year's! 

 

Is it even possible that Christmas is 13 days away? I am so not prepared.  We have bags of presents stuffed here and there.  At this point I don't even know what we've bought.  Nothing is wrapped.  Not a Christmas cookie made. Greeting Cards-no way.  I feel like such a slacker, but a surprisingly merry slacker.  This will be the first time in two years that we will be home the entire two week Christmas break.  Don't get me wrong.  I loooovvveee our vacations, but I do miss my home time.  Mindlessly staring at the lights on the Christmas tree is by far my favorite (home time) activity, which gets me to thinking- what are my other holiday favorites?
 Favorite Christmas Foods
1.) Snowballs (shortbread cookie, pecans, powdered sugar)
2.) Hot Crab Dip (Paula Deen recipe)
3.) Meatballs (chili sauce and jelly)
4.) Pigs in a blanket (crescent rolls and little sausages)
5.) Mom's homemade sugar cookies
Favorite Christmas Movies
1.) The Santa Claus (all of them)
2.) Home Alone
3.) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4.) Love Actually
5.) The Holiday
6.)  BTW-The Hallmark Channel is the bomb this time of year
Favorite Christmas Music
1.) The Carpenter's Christmas
2.)  All I Want for Christmas Is You (who doesn't like that song?)
3.)  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4.)  It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
5.)  White Christmas
Favorite Christmas Activities
1.)  Taking rides at night to look at the lights
2.)  Watching movies with the kids
3.)  Shopping
4.)  Baking yummy treats
5.)  Spending time with the ones I love
6.)  Staring at the lights on the tree!

I love Christmas, and even though I'm not prepared for it, I am ready for it.  I will let the Christmas spirit wrap her arms around me and carry me into the new year.  Joy is in the air!  Inhale.

All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.  All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.  All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.

All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.

All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.

All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.

All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.


All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.








All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.



All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.