C’s Blog

I’ve MOVED my BLOG!!!

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 08:55:52 -0700

It’s a time for change. We just moved back to CA as of the 1st of August. I’ve decided it was worth doing again, except with my blog. Several of you have mentioned you have a hard time opening my blog and that, “it takes forever to load,” is an understatement. Well... I’m here to tell you that I’ve finally decided to go back to blogspot. My blogspot address is:
http://denke4.blogspot.com
I will have more updates now that the boys have started Kindergarten, so check back in frequently! Happy Blogging!!

Our “Generations Project” Episode

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:09:40 -0700

In case you missed it last night, here is our episode:

We’re grateful to “The Generations Project” for taking us on such an amazing journey. We are forever grateful to Monika for her selfless act of registering to be a marrow donor for a sick classmate back in high school. I know even she had no idea that one day she would save two little boys’ lives. Also, thanks to all our family and friends who watched last night and have given us so much love!
If you did miss it, we’what you think!
And don’t forget to register to be a marrow donor at www.dkmsamericas.org.

This is what’s up...

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:35:39 -0700

I haven’t been the best blogger lately and yet, there have been a lot of things going on for us. So here is our nutshell of a life.
Xander:
Since late October, Xander has been commuting every week. He flies to LA late Tuesday afternoon arrives back to Sea-town early Saturday morning. He also works the craziest hours, usually until 2-5am. Poor X. He works so hard and then he has to come home to a situation that usually looks something like this. I’m pulling my hair out and pushing the kids his direction once he walks through the door. I usually say something to the affect, “I’m SO done right now, they are ALL yours!!!” Actually, it isn’t that bad, but there are days it feels that way.
He is writing the Pilot for a show called, “What If?” Things are really coming together. We are making tough sacrifices now, but we are being so blessed! And Jimmer Mania has swept through our household too!

The Boys...
Thankfully, the boys switched Pre-schools back in February. Yay!! The Co-op was the worst. Don’t get me wrong. Co-op’s are fine, just not for me. When you have twins it requires twice the work in a Co-op and don’t get me started on the fundraising. Since I have basically been a single parent, it double sucks. However, Ethan was recently tested and qualified for an Early Developmental Pre-school. Which means, he goes to a wonderful an educational Pre-school for free, 4x a week and they take the bus. Keane qualified as a Peer Model for the same classroom. He too, gets to go for free and loves riding the bus. Which translates into 4 hours of free time Mon-Thurs, 4x a week for me!!! I shouldn’t be that happy about this, but having ME time again is WONDERFUL!!!

The boys health... never ending saga right? Wrong!! They are completely healthy (knock on wood) and “Out of the Woods!” They see the HEM-ONC Doc only once a year now. They just had a dental check-up and were all smiles. :) Pun-intended. Also BIG news... Ethan is fully potty-trained and proud of it. He doesn’t even wet the bed! I know parents say, “when they are ready they will just do it.” And, they are 100% right! It is getting to that point that sucks. Patience isn’t one of my strong points.
Me...
“Me time,” translates into guiltless naps, gardening, working out, kids-free shopping, working on my book, blogging again, reading and whatever else I want to do. I had a fungal infection around my eyes for almost a month. It was itchy and red and I looked like a drug addict. Word to the wise, use a ‘brand new’ tube of Preparation H for the puffiness around your eyes.
I also changed callings at church. I’m now a R.S. teacher, 3rd Sunday of the month. Love it!

We enjoyed a lovely and cold trip up to Victoria, BC with the boys and my Mom back in February over Valentine’s weekend. We had fun just spending time all together. No real plans, just a nice relaxing weekend. BTW, Kinder Eggs

are a HUGE hit in our house! They are hollow milk and white chocolate eggs with toys inside. You can ONLY buy them in Canada or Europe. Thankfully, they didn’t find our smuggled stash on our way back into the U.S. Apparently, it is a $300 fine!

And finally, the plan is still to move back to CA. We are working on getting back down there as soon as possible. When the stars align, right?
HUGS!!
-From The Denkes

The Generation’s Project (3-28-11)

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:07:01 -0800

It looks like our episode will FINALLY premiere this Monday March 28th, 2011 at 7pm MST (that is 6pm our time). Please check it out on BYUtv or online at http://byutv.org/thegenerationsproject/ and find out the results of our journey to see if we are related to our boys’ donor! Set your channel, Tivo or DVR (Directv is channel 374) and join us on our journey in Europe!

*The picture at the top was taken in Copenhagen, at their Living Museum.

2010 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:34:17 -0700

For the first time ever, I ran a 1/2 Marathon!!! I did it with my girlfriend, Amy, and we had a great time. The course was beautiful and the weather was decent for Seattle. I need to give a big thanks to Amy for pushing me and for actually Registering. Yeah, I didn’t register in time (gulp), but don’t tell. Next year I am hoping to run the Full, but I guess time and training will tell on that one. We finished right in the middle of the pack, oh well, (thanks to 5 potty breaks and a bum knee), but we had great conversation and lots of laughs. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
There is never a moment after I run where I feel like saying, “Gosh, I really wish I hadn’t run today, those endorphins sure feel awful.” I am always grateful I took the time and got up at the crack of dawn to lace up those sneakers. I am re-committing myself to my health and my morning jog. It’s therapeutic and so relaxing. I’m always in definite need to de-stress. And running is a great way to do it. Thanks Running, you’re the best!
Thanks Amy!! You Rock! Missed you Sam!

New York, New York!!

Tue, 25 May 2010 23:36:52 -0700

Xander and I fell head over heals in LOVE with New York City. We could even picture ourselves living there; maybe for Spring time at least. The weather was off and on, but mainly warm and sunny. It was a nice break from our rainy days in Seattle. We had outings in Central Park, Tux fittings, Empire State Building adventures, Riding the Subway, Mary Poppins on Broadway!!, catching up with long time friends (Rusty & Sara), shopping, and visiting the hugatious Toys ‘R’ Us with a Ferris Wheel inside (everyday, btw). It was awesome! Oh, and the food, delish!
Of course, that is all great and awesome, but the absolute highlight was of course, meeting our donor, Monika Rasche (she’s in black). She is from Germany, 36, tall, blonde, smart, incredibly sweet, and a wonderful mother. Most importantly, she saved the lives of our boys. We will be forever grateful for what she & DKMS have done for our little family. Please click on the DKMS link www.dkmsamericas.org to register to become a life-saving Bone Marrow Donor today!
It was an amazing night with red carpet walks and posing for photographers, meeting celebrities (Halle Berry (Xander got a kiss), Bon Jovi, Eva Mendez, and many others). Here is a link to Bon Jovi on YouTube from the Gala: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuMnPbgKBJg Keeping the boys entertained while the evening went on wasn’t easy, but well worth it. They looked so amazing in their little tuxes. The boys were little stars! Keane did a tap dancing routine in front of 800 people! I was a proud Mommy. He couldn’t care less and was happy in his own little world. Ethan went happily to his chair and was ready to get on with the show while eating from his huge silver bowl of M&M’s. He just loves to be handsome. He was amazing too! For more DKMS Gala Pics visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkms We spoke about our journey from the beginning to the end. The highs and lows of our hospital stays, losing our first donor and our triumphant ending. We were able to proudly announce our discharge in March from our Transplant Doctors at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. It was AMAZING to hear the words, “Out of the Woods!” At the end of the night, we were on cloud nine! There were tears, laughter, and more tears. This has been a long time coming and to finally be here was surreal to say the least. My Mom and Xander’s parents flew out to NY to be there for it too. It was my Mom’s first time in NY as well as mine. Thanks Laura, Conrad and Mom! We were so happy to have you there!
We also shot some footage for a T.V. show we will be on called, The Generations Project. It should be out this coming Fall. We will keep you posted. Here is a link to their website, http://www.byutv.org/thegenerationsproject/ in case you’d like to know more about them. Our life sounds so glamorous, right?
But, we have returned to the land of normalcy and are moving upward and onward. The boys are doing so well. They just got their MMR vaccines, which is kind of a big deal for them. It means their immune systems can handle the shock of a vaccination. I was probably more scared about them getting the shots than they were. That is saying a lot! I also just got a Greenhouse! I’m so excited to start growing all of my own yummy veggies year round. To have my own lettuce anytime I want will be amazing! Wish my green thumb some luck. Xander continues to work hard in the office. He is a rock no matter what comes sailing through his door. He holds down the Office and keeps things moving rather well.
We just got to go to our first Seattle Sounders Soccer Game. It was awesome, even though they lost. We all had a blast. I think the boy’s loved the all you can eat hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts the most. Keane started cheering for BYU and I had to remind him where we were and who we were watching. He cheers for the best, what can I say?
*To View More Pictures, go to our NEW Photos Page at the top!

Going back to Cali

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:01:59 -0800

Life has been so great, but really busy. Here is my quick CA recap...
We had a blast in CA back in January (yes, it’s really been that long). We were flown down by CHLA to attend the Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge to raise awareness about Bone Marrow Donation. Mia lost her brother to Leukemia because they couldn’t find a donor. She is awesome and so passionate about this cause. Of course, so are we. If it weren’t for Bone Marrow Donations our boys would not be here.
During the half they told our story to the crowd and then decided to hand the mics over to the boys to say a little something. Keep in mind they are 3 & it was a riot. Keane (w/ my help, of course) said he loved Mia, Nomar, soccer, and then asked everyone to donate marrow. And then there was Ethan. He decided all he wanted to do was say Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi... Noooooomaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrr! It seriously went just like that. It was great and the crowd loved them. Wouldn’t you? Much our surprise, the boys each received the Courage Award from Mia after the game. It was very unexpected and we will treasure the awards always.
Pictures coming soon! (X still has the pictures, grumble.)
We had a photo shoot with CHLA to raise money and awareness for their Hospital. Unfortunately, it was a very windy and rainy day (nay, week) for the shoot at the beach, but we had fun. We had a great time with our CA friends and we miss them SO much. Thanks for the good laughs and a special thanks to the Hansens for letting us stay in their beautiful home, eat their food and yes, wear their clothes, well, at least the boys got to wear DB and Porter’s clothes since we didn’t pack for the rainy and blustery weather we had ALL week. Yeah, I packed flip-flops, t-shirts and shorts. I guess I was very cautiously optimistic or just stupid. Anyway, the boys even got their first chance at big boy beds and I must say they did rather well. Phew!
We got to hang with our nurses and doctors at CHLA. It was actually nice to go back. I swore the last time I stepped out of that building that I would never go back in, but it was bitter sweet and surprisingly, O.K. The main picture above is of the Nurses & Staff in the BMT Unit.
We got to hang with our wonderful friend, Vicky Herman at Warner Brothers. She got the boys Batman and Superman shirts. So cute and very appropriate add placement. It was my idea actually. I thought they would like t-shirts better than stuffed animals. They just aren’t stuffed animal kind of kids. Any who, we got to crash the set of Chuck again. Last time we went almost the entire crew signed up to Bone Marrow Donors. It was awesome. Thanks again Zachary and Josh.
The boys shot a PSA with Benecio del Toro to help raise Bone Marrow Donation Awareness. He was great and so good with the boys. They were so stink’n cute! Keane kept finishing Benicio’s lines when he couldn’t remember them. It was so classic. I wish I had the footage from that. Then at the end they had to say, “Get swabbed!” They were perfect little stars. It was a Mom’s proudest moment. And then... they broke a lamp after the shoot. Almost got out of there unscathed. Oh well.
The last day was one of the best for us, and maybe the boys (despite all of us getting sick). We owe a HUGE thanks to Lexi & one of my very closest friends, Samarah. You are the best for going and making Disneyland so magical. We wouldn’t have gone without you, seriously! Thanks for making the boys’ week and getting to hang with you was wonderful too! Next time let’s hope we have a little sunshine, although we did end up with a rainbow. It was God’s peace offering to us for sending all that rain when all we wanted to do was escape for Seattle’s rain. What are you gonna do? Have fun? Yep, we did!

What the New Year Brings for the Denkes...

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:11:06 -0800

We have so much going on this year and we can’t wait to share all of our excitement with you. This is just a taste of what is to come for us. I will post more pictures the closer we get.
1. I am FINALLY working on my book. Yes, this is a long time coming, but I feel that the timing is now and the boys’ story needs to be told. Wish me luck!
2. Xander IS finishing the final touch ups on his script and his screenplay WILL get made this year. Still crossing my fingers, but we are closer now than ever. We have investors tentatively lined up, we just need to set up meetings. So, let’s get ‘er done, right?
3. We are going to LA on January 15th -23rd to be a part of the Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge. Every year Mia puts on a celebrity soccer game with her Husband, LA Dodger, Nomar. We are pretty excited they (CHLA) will be flying us down. Yay, for friends, doctors, nurses and the sunny days that lie ahead. The game is Saturday, January 16th, at 1pm.
http://www.miafoundation.org/
4.We also will be in a PSA (commercial) with Benicio del Toro for DKMS. Stay tuned!
http://www.dkmsamericas.org/home
5.We are doing a photo shoot for CHLA. I guess the boys are the poster children for LA’s Children’s Hospital now. They sure picked some good looking kids. Don’t you think?
6.**April 29th marks our trip to NY City at the DKMS Red Carpet Gala to meet more celebrities (Rhianna & Bon Jovi to name a few) and drum roll.... our DONOR!!!! We can’t wait and are pretty sure there won’t be a dry eye in the house. Someone will have to walk me around because my eyes will be so swollen from crying I won’t be able to see.
There is more to come and we will update as soon as we know more. (ie. We will be on a t.v. show, can’t tell you when or what right now, sorry.)

Happy Anniversary

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:36:20 -0800

Here is to 8 GREAT years and hopefully, many more to come. We love and cherish each other so much and feel blessed each and every day we get to say the words, “I Love You!” We feel so fortunate that we love each other as much or more than when we did 8 years ago when we said, “I do!” in the Mesa, AZ Temple.
We celebrated Saturday night at the Metropolitan Grill with a delish Filet Mignon and Shrimp Scampi & Fettucini dish. After a sweet night of great kidless conversation, we then headed to the Temple for a session. What a perfect night!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 23:36:08 -0800

This Christmas was filled with joy for presents, joy for Christ and the life that he gave, and joy for the lives of our two boys. We feel that every year we get with them is a blessing and one to be cherished. We are fairly confident we will have many more with them, but life is so fragile and fleeting that one never knows what lies in store.
This Christmas was the boys’ 3rd time to experience their G-pa Conrad Denke as Santa. The boys have no clue and happily jump into his arms as long as he has presents to give. Kind of scary if you think about it, but they loved every Santa visit they got; 4 in total (don’t ask)!! Hope they don’t expect Santa to come that much every year. There was a lot of entertaining going on this year with Xander’s Mom in town. We had a great time in the kitchen and enjoyed some amazingly good food.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our dear friends.

My Summary of Summer

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:12:19 -0700

In lieu of our crazy summer, I figured I would highlight our Summer activities. This blog entry is about the first in 3 months; yeah, I know, total slacker. So here goes...
1. Harry Potter night with Jen, AWESOME!
2. An incredible visit from our LA Pediatrician, Dr. Bruckner and his family. We love and miss our Pediatrician. His son, Daniel, was the one who initially diagnosed the boys. We can’t express enough our appreciation for all they’ve done.
3. Visit to the Seattle Temple.
4. The Dead Weather (Jack White’s new band)
5. Sister’s Week in Montana (Yes, Xander was allowed)
6. My Mom’s Visit (Love you Mom!!)
7. My 31st Birthday Surprise (Thanks Jennifer, you’re the BEST!!) Keith Urban, need I say more!? Yeah, we were that close to Keith and this was taken with my iphone.
8. Brooke White’s concert (w/ Benton Paul & Michael Johns) Brooke, it was so great to see you again!! We miss you already.
1. Hanging w/my sisters, Shari & Shanna. Oh, hubbies, too!
2. That’s it! Did you expect more?

Why I LOVE My Boys...

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:32:49 -0700

The picture above is just one of the many reasons why I LOVE my boys. I find it completely adorable that they love to shower. They can spend close to an hour in there if I let them.
Here are my top 10 reasons why I ADORE them: (tantrums aside)
1.They use kind words like: please, excuse me and thank you almost all of the time. Sometimes they need reminding.
1. They have the best imaginations. The other day they wanted to pretend we had scorpions in the theater room. We would go catch them and then we had to throw them into the hot volcano (1.e. the red persian rug). We did this for about 15 minutes.
2. They love to sleep. I think every parent loves to watch their children sleep soundly and peacfully. There is just something so relaxing and comforting about it. The other great thing about it is that they sleep from about 8:30pm until about 8:30-9am. I have started getting them up at 8am just so I can get the day started. Yeah, I’m pretty darn lucky.
3. They give me the best hugs and kisses, especially Ethan. He squeezes so tight, I love it!
1. They love reading time. Lately, we’ve been reading all about the Prophets in the Bible and BofM. I think Moses in the basket is their favorite right now.
1. They simply love babies! We had our buddy Noah over last night for Jennifer’s B-day and they couldn’t get enough of him. They like the toys he brings too, I’m sure that’s a plus. Ethan will get right down in front of his face and just laugh his head off. Ahh... simple pleasures.
2. They love the outdoors, going on walks, smelling flowers and holding bugs. It seems they aren’t afraid of anything creeping or crawling.
1. When they get into their giggle fits. Usually this happens at night right after dinner. They run around, tackle each other and laugh and laugh and laugh. I’ve heard from other parents with twins how great this age can be because they have each other, and now I get to see why.
2. They like brushing their teeth. Sometimes they’ll brush their teeth 3x a day.
3. They take their medicine like champs and never complain. They have their blood drawn at least once a month and hardly scream at all. They are unique in every single way, especially from each other; Keane loves sports and Ethan loves cars. They have so much strength and are the biggest fighters I have ever met.

My Mom

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:56:28 -0700

Having my Mom here to visit was wonderful. We went on long walks, played with the boys at the park, the Science Center and we got to cry and laugh over and over again. My sister Shari and I decided she needed a break after my dad passed away May 22nd. One of the biggest reasons for us wanting her here is that her B-day was June 29th, but most importantly is her 47th Anniversary was July 5th. We just didn’t want her to be alone so soon after my Dad.

We had a blast at Gasworks Park watching the 4th of July fireworks. It was amazingly beautiful and CROWDED! But, we were without kids and it was so great! We also had our very first public bus ride. Sad, really.

We took her out for her Anniversary dinner to Anthony’s. It was the last place she and my Dad went to when they were here visiting last summer. Our table was overlooking the sound and the sunset was perfect!

Saying goodbye was the hardest part when all was said and done. We had a nice cry over that one, but most of all we got to make new memories together.

The Denkes are BACK!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:49:50 -0700

This was the last picture my Father took before he passed away. He was visiting us the 1st few days of May. We consider ourselves so blessed to have seen him just before his heart attack. The one thing I really regret, though, is not taking a picture with HIM. Why didn’t I even think about it? I guess he was always the man behind the camera, as is every Dad. One of the things I will take from this experience is how little time we really have and don’t even realize. Please tell the people you love just how much you love them and say it often. Set goals and attain them. Before we know it, 30 turns into 40 and life is flying by so quickly. If you want to lose weight, do it. If you want to change jobs, do it. If there is something that is amiss in your life, mend it. Sorry, if I sound so preachy, but I just can’t stop thinking about life and how fleeting it is.
I promise I will be getting back to the normal blogging thing. My iweb has been totally wacked and I haven’t been able to publish anything. That you know. I also deleted A LOT of pages, so here’s hoping my webpage will load a lot faster for you. I have to give myself some deserved props, since X is usually the person I turn to when my computer crashes. But, this time I was the brains behind the operation of solving my blogging crisis. Please leave me a note and let me know if it is indeed faster or if it’s still just as slow.
Now... about us. We are all actually doing pretty well. I like to think that my father is now my boys’ biggest advocate pleading for us to have a break. And... well, I think we might be getting our break. The boys’ liver functions have been climbing steadily for the past 5-6 months. This last month was a due or die for us. If their liver functions didn’t drop, then they’d both have to go on steroids. Their functions have been as high as 299 and the lowest was 130’s. On our last visit both of their ALT functions were in the 50’s and low 60’s. Normal is 40-50. I know, we are so blessed. Another blessing, check!
It’s funny, people jokingly keep asking me when we’re going to get a break from all these tragic trials. When is enough, enough? Well... I usually respond jokingly, of course, that Xander is due for some fame and an Oscar and that we’ll get our mansion on the beach. But, in all reality we have seen so many amazing miracles, we just can’t complain. We have been so unbelievably blessed. It may not seem that way, but it really is the honest truth. There are children all around us that are dying from HLH. Just the other day, someone lost their 16 year old son to HLH. It’s so tragic and we were so close to experiencing the same outcome. But, we have two beautiful boys who are alive and growing. I complain about Ethan’s lack of hair, but he’s with us. What more is there? We know we are blessed and we thank our Heavenly Father every day. Temper tantrums and all.

Fun with the Denke Boys

Thu, 9 Apr 2009 15:24:18 -0700

The weather here is definitely Washington weather; 67 degrees one day and the next it’s rainy and 45 degrees. Yeash, the unpredictability of it all. But, through all my complaining, I actually love the changes Seattle weather brings. Believe it or not, blue skies everyday can get REALLY boring. However, let’s hope our Easter Sunday will be rain free.
To the beach!! We always have a wonderful time at the beach, park, or zoo. The boys can’t wait to get out and play. It doesn’t matter where, they just want to go, go, go! They are such boys, for sure. Keane can’t get enough of basketball, baseball and football. He practices shooting hoops at least 3-4 times a day, throwing the football and tackling Ethan and swinging his air bat. He’s a kid after my own heart. Ethan loves cars and trucks, getting dirty and being with Mom. He’s my love bug and gives the best snuggles. They both love hugs, kisses and attention. Which makes balancing them SO hard. I never want to leave anyone out. Let me know if anyone has any advice on how you do that.
The boys are staying healthy and growing like weeds. Even Ethan’s hair has decided to come in. Phew! We still have to be really careful with the sun. They can burn so easily because of their meds. The biggest issue we have has been with their immune systems. We have to be so careful with sick and vaccinated kids still. But, it’s o.k., we manage and the boys have each other, but even then we get sick of each other. Should we try Nursery? Ugh, time and immune systems will tell. We’re so ready!!
Xander and I have been keeping ourselves busy with plays, ballets, musicals and enjoying a few walks in the park. We recently just went and saw PNB’s Swan Lake as well as their Broadway Special. All were beautiful and elegant and so amazing to watch on point. I have always been involved in sports, so ballet is definitely a new pastime I’m enjoying. It almost makes me want to take ballet. We also got to go and see, Shakespeare’s, The Merchant of Venice. I almost forgot how much I love Shakespeare. He was so brilliant.
Have a Happy Easter!!