I am a stay at home mom to four little boys and wife to Andy (highschool sweetheart) since May 26, 2001. We want our kids to know and love God, cherish family, and learn to serve others. We try to keep it simple but also work towards adding little luxuries along the way. Life can be intense, but I am truly living my dream.
Today our little Evan graduated from preschool!! Evan did not start the year out in preschool, but we were very fortunate that there was room for him in the public preschool classroom at our older boys' school and he got to go for these last two and a half months of school. To say he loved every minute of it would be an understatement! Evan looked forward to going to school every day and was eager to tell me about each day's experiences - finally... one who will talk to me about school!! Although, that does go right along with his talkative nature, lol. Evan is still only 4 and will not be 5 until July, but both his teacher and I see no reason to hold him back. He is as ready as ever for "big-kid" school! Here are some snapshots from both his first day of school on March 7th and today's graduation.
And I cannot leave this post without saying HOW MUCH we appreciate the teacher and assistants of our preschool program. I have personally been with these staff for FIVE years between the older 3 boys and it has been a wonderful experience to say the least. We've laughed together and cried together (of which there was a lot of today!). I cannot say enough good things about them! I also cannot believe that this is the last of my children who will be in this preschool program as is. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, the preschool program is moving to another public elementary school and so these ladies will all be taking on different journey's after this school year. We hate to see you "go" and we love you and wish you the best!
1st Day
Graduation Day!
Mrs. Lee, thank you SO MUCH for EVERYTHING! You are forever a part of our family!!
Our little sunshine recently had to have a cyst removed at our local children's hospital. We found it roughly 7 wks prior when he got a nasty virus (adenovirus) that cause it to swell and become noticeable. Apparently it is something that is congenital, meaning it was there since birth, and even started forming prior to birth. The tissue that becomes the thyroid and the tongue is initially one piece of tissue. The two should separate entirely, but sometimes there are remnants of tissue left between the two which ultimately grow into a cyst. Typically, an upper respiratory infection will cause the cyst to swell up at some point and that is most often how it is discovered. And that's exactly how it happened for us. I became very alarmed when my mom found a lump on his neck after keeping him one day after a very recent illness. After much worry and a few days, an ultrasound revealed that it was indeed a cyst. So we met with a pediatric surgeon (and how fortunate for us that she is one of the best around!) and we got his surgery scheduled for 5 wks later.
That time has come and gone and all I can say is wow, what an easy experience it turned out to be. Firstly, we are blessed that Evan is such a strong, easy-going kid when it comes to anything medical. He has no fear and embraces anything that has to be done with such maturity and confidence. He was SO compliant through every step of the process and handled everything like a champ! He did not complain of pain even ONCE. We stayed the night at the hospital for observation and I thought this would be so useful for pain control, comfort, etc. It turned out to be actually quite boring for both of us, although he did enjoy the nonstop stream of television viewing for 24+ hrs and the endless supply of slushies! We appreciate everyone's prayers, visits, gifts, texts, and calls during that time!
Here are the pictures from his surgery and hospital stay
Unfortunately, this has been my only race so far this year! But it is definitely one I'm glad I didn't miss. It is sponsored by our local hospital and proceeds go to their diabetes foundation. This is one very organized race with such nice extras. My favorite has to be the Fit Kid Races where kids can run a non competitive race and earn themselves a medal and a couple of other novelty freebies. This is the second year we've signed up and the kids enjoy it so much, too. I hope one day we can all run the 5k together!
Pre-Race
Post-Race
With my step-dad and rival fan, who also ran this race - Great job Jerry!
It was youth football night at our local highschool (the same one Andy and I graduated from) and all of the kids from the local youth football league were invited to come out onto the field before the highschool game to be recognized by division and team. Of course, if there is a football game going on, Grant is going to INSIST that we stay and watch, so we came prepared to stay. We hadn't really considered that the two little ones might not like this idea, but we were able to call Grandma who happened to be on her way home and she came and got the two little ones so Andy and the two older boys and I could enjoy the game. That we did - we won!
Here are the little flag players in action. But I must pause and say a few words about Grant and football: The two seem to be inseparable. I have never seen Grant have a passion like this before. He eats, sleeps, and breathes football and is constantly counting down the days until his next game or practice. There are only four teams in the flag division and the kid even has the rotation of which team he plays next memorized in his head! For a kid who appears to struggle with other things that seem of utter simplicity, that's impressive! We are dumbfounded, yet enamored at his new-found love. It's so much fun to watch and hear him talk with excitement about every play of the game. He gets out there and gives it his all and we couldn't be prouder. Way to go Grant!!
Evan is enjoying the sport, too, although he is more of the mindset that as long as his is running around and there is a ball involved, he is having a good time, lol. You can't beat that attitude! :-)
When it comes to anything medical, I have never met a braver kid. Even as a tiny newborn when he was poked and poked at when we were trying to figure out his heart issues, it never seemed to phase him much. Evan was proud to jump up in that dental chair for his first cleaning. He kept his trademark smile the whole time while the hygenist was quite impressed. What a big boy! :-)
Here the boys are the morning of one of their first games. Evan and Grant, who are both playing flag this year, are not in uniform yet but I was able to get them in on the photo op, too. :-)
With the older two boys in school, Evan and Blake have become quite the pair. They have grown very close and enjoy each other's company with surprisingly very little fighting! Here they are just hanging out:
We decided to do the slip n slide again this year for their party, and although a little rain threatened our parade, it actually was only short-lived and coooled things down just enough for everyone to be very comfortable! So the kids spent a cloudy afternoon lathering up with baby shampoo and hurling themselves down a huge wet tarp, lol. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for our feast and enjoyed the company of all our friends and family, as usual. I've put together a slideshow of pictures to share of their fun day. :-)
Evan finsihed up his 2nd year of tball this past spring and recently received his trophy! He enjoyed a great season and I can't wait to see him grow (even physically, lol) in one of my favorite sports!
Boy, are the years going by! My angel of all babies who didn't have any terrible two's... let's just say 3 made up for all of it! I can literally wipe the sweat from my brow and say "Phew, I'm glad you're 4 now!" You proved over the last year what a SNEAKY little fella you can be and you constantly kept me on my toes (and blood pressure medication!). You are certainly full of life and ENERGY, but it is such a happy and positive force in our lives. Your smile still melts me to the ground and it's no wonder you get away with what you do (with everyone!). One of our favorite traits about you at this time is that all of your "r's" are "l's" so you say things like looster (rooster), and load (road), and probably an all-time favorite "pepperloni" (pepperoni). You bring so much laughter and joy into our lives and I can't wait to see what the next year brings out in YOU!
Our FAVORITE, a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake! (White Cake/Cookies n Cream Ice Cream) The Birthday Boy With Big Brother
I have never cared much for the big hill that was created in our back yard after it was back-filled when the house was finished being built. That is, until this weekend. After much scrutiny over how to celebrate the two littlest boys 3rd and 1st birthdays we settled upon a joint birthday party with a "water" theme. It is, after all, August! So we threw around the ideas of renting a public pool or one of those inflatable water slides, but after figuring up the cost we decided it was too much for this year's budget. So instead, we opted to homemake a slip n slide for the kids in hopes that they would enjoy it. I don't think they (or we) were disappointed! The hill going down the back and side of the house made a perfect slide and gave the kids a way to gain a little speed as they hurled themselves down. We acquired a large plastic construction-type tarp from my sister (thanks Jody & William!), and with a little help from a couple of water hoses/sprinklers and some tear-free baby soap, the kids were slipping and sliding and having a blast! Also, as their gift, Andy's sister, Sherrie, bought them a small kiddie pool which we set up prior to the party and the kids had a ball diving and swimming around in about 30 inches of water. I think these kids had so much fun! If you know our parties, then it's no surprise that the adults are outnumbered almost 2:1. Plus, it's always such a blessing to have everyone pitch in like they do and bring a dish for a smorgasboard of delicious food! We have such a wonderful group of family and friends! This is what it's all about for us - getting together to celebrate and seeing all the kids delight in the fellowship of their family and friends. It doesn't get much better than this. So, I now see that hill in a new way and you can probably bank on that not being the last of the slipping and sliding we'll be seeing there.
Of course, I have some video of all the fun! Evan has to catch a sprinkle on the way down the first time, lol! I thought Grant might tucker out before he got to the pool to jump in, lol - you'll see, lol. And Evan got nailed by another kid in that last clip (which I cut out), but he came up smiling and laughing. And Blake even got in on a little of the action when my niece, Katie, was kind enough to take him for a ride. He's a little young still for this kind of thing so he was just as content to get back into his dry clothes shortly thereafter and play with his baby toys, lol.
I'm a day behind but my two little ones turned 3 yrs old and 11 months old yesterday!!
Evan - my sweet little smiley guy who lights up a room has been showing his independence more and more. I think his 3's are going to be much more challenging than his 2's! He is still as sweet as sugar when he wants to be and often wants to help. He eats, sleeps, and breathes sports and if you saw the kid throw/manipulate any kind of ball I think you'd be just as amazed as we are. He has requested all summer to wear his "basketball pants" which just means any pair of shorts I pull out of his drawer - he comes up with this stuff completely on his own but we certainly try to foster his love of athletics. It is so much fun to see him enjoy it so much! The kid is sharp as a tack and picks up on EVERYTHING and he has started that whole "WHY?" phase, something my older two didn't do much and it may take me some getting used to (PATIENCE!). He adores his brothers but is starting to become aggressive with Blake, poor baby! He is such a blessing and we love him so much!
Blake is really cruising now and occasionally standing on his own. I am excited about him learning to walk, although I think it will be another month or two before he is getting around well. He is really becoming self occupied more and I am loving his new-found independence. I truly think Daddy has taken over the #1 spot in his world! He ADORES his Daddy! I'm a little sad but am loving watching the bond between them grow.
We will be celebrating soon with a double birthday bash!
I can't believe my sweet little "baby" turned two yesterday! It's been said a million times, but they do grow up so fast! (That's why I have had to keep having babies - HA!)
Evan, you are such a joy to parent. You had such a rough beginning, but you were such a trooper through it all. You are full of smiles and are always wanting to help! You like to be by Mommy's side most of the day (which makes Mommy wonder how you will handle Mommy giving her attention to the new baby!). Your favorite play things are balls and anything with wheels, especially motorcyles. You adore your Daddy and big brothers, but I think Mommy ranks at the top. ;-) You do have some stubbornness/orneryness under that sweet exterior, but it is mild, lol.
Today was an eventful day!! Evan had his yearly heart checkup with the pediatric cardiologist and he is doing SUPER! Not that I worry about him too much any more, but it is always exciting to go in and hear that everything is functioning as if he was never born with a heart defect. :-) His doctor said that the reduction in the size of the hole from birth until now is quite remarkable. Definitely not something you see every day! But we will take it, lol! Evan was so well-behaved during his appointment - he amazes me. He sat very still during the echo and just grinned at his doctor while she listened to his heart. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful group of pediatric cardiologists and the doctor we saw today is my favorite. She is always so thorough and is more than happy to answer all of my questions. Evan will continue to get yearly heart checkups. Because of the location of the hole being so close to another valve, there is a minute chance that it could cause pulling and leakage in that adjacent valve, so we just have to check on that every once in a while, but should in all likelihood never be a concern. Here is a picture of my smiley little guy. He brings so much joy to our lives. And Mommy finally got one that looks just like me!! :-)
Clayton had his last day of preschool and graduation today! This was his second year of preschool and he will still have one more year of it before starting kindergarten in the fall of 2009. His school and teacher are so wonderful and always manage to exceed my expectations. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to take advantage of such an excellent preschool program!
Sad but true: I have an emotional attachment to my youngest son, Evan's, curly locks of hair. They go right along with his irresistible personality. ;-) Here are some pictures:
So yesterday, when I sent him for a haircut, I was quite shocked when he returned home with a cut that looked nothing like I wanted it to. It was not the hairdresser's fault - she just cut it like she was told. Apparently, there was a "miscommunication" about what I wanted between my mother and I. So here is his new 'do. Like one of my friends said, part of the sadness is not being able to be there for the event in the first place.
