Catching Up....

It's been a busy week (I've had two fighting a stomach bug), but I just wanted to post a quick "catch up". :) Luke's surgery last week went fabulously! We were in and out of the surgery center faster than we ever have been before. Luke did great, and once we arrived back home he wanted to play. I expected him to nap for awhile, but he lay down till that afternoon. Then he slept for almost five hours though! He has healed well, and is finally done with all the meds from the surgery. Hopefully, this will be our last trip to the surgery center with him. :)

The Friday before Luke's surgery, the girls' had their annual birthday sleepover. There were twelve little girls ages 6 to 12 here that night. This year, I enlisted two teenage girls to help! Everyone had a blast, but we were all pretty tired the next day. Here's a couple pics I managed to snap during the festivities. I made some lavender cupcakes with a chocolate mousse filling. They were delicious, and it was my first try at using fondant. But they turned out really cute!

The girls got lots of fun gifts, including some craft kits that they have really enjoyed....

Most of all, they just had fun being with their friends! It's hard to believe they are growing up so fast, but I am glad that they both have a great set of friends.

**PS: My camera is really giving me trouble. I seriously need a new one so I can take pictures that aren't fuzzy and weird looking! Anybody got any recommendations?**

Big Firsts: A Lost Tooth & Getting Dressed

In the last twenty-four hours, I have gotten two big reminders that my boys are growing up fast! First John David lost his first tooth last night. He has been dreading the pulling, and didn't realize that it doesn't hurt. Jeremy talked him into just letting him "look". ;) He barely touched the tooth and it fell right out. John David didn't even know it was missing! It was one of those that was so loose that it barley even bled. Now he hasn't the cutest little smile, but somehow it makes him look older.... humph :)

This morning, Luke asserted his independence with a surprising accomplishment. He not only managed to undress himself (which he's been doing for a few weeks), but managed to dress himself as well complete with shorts and pants! I tried to help him, just assuming that he needed my help, but all I got was a emphatic. "NO!" I left the room, thinking surely he would call me back shortly to help. A few minutes later, he emerged completely dressed, and this mommy was a bit sad and very proud at the same time!

Happy Birthday Kylie!

We had a very busy weekend, but I wanted to make sure and wish my baby girl a very happy birthday! Kylie turned eight on Saturday, and she was practically glowing. :) Birthdays are always extra special for her. I think she feels like she's catching up to her big sister. For me, they are always extra special since we almost lost her before we ever got a chance to meet her. She was my preemie who the doctors said could possibly have a variety of issues. She came out kicking and screaming and never spent a moment in the NICU! She's always been a fighter and our ball of fire! I love you, Smylie!

 
Q&A with Kylie...

Q: What's your favorite food?

A: Pizza!

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: I don't really have a favorite color, but the color I like the most is green.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: A chef.

Q: Why do you want to be a chef?

A: Because I like cooking and making food. 

Q: What is your favorite activity to do for fun?

A: Umm... jump on the trampoline, make bead jewelry.


Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: I would say dogs, for sure.

Q: What kind of dog is your favorite dog?

A: Black labs! (No surprise there. Our dog is a black lab) :)

Q: What are some of your goals for your life right now?

A: Get my purple belt in TaeKwonDo, learn how to be a good babysitter, and go ice skating.

Q: Anything else you would like to say on your eighth birthday?

A: I had fun with my friends at my sleepover, and I'm really excited that I don't have to sit in a car seat anymore!

Surgery Scheduled for Luke

Looks like my mischievous little sweetie will be heading back in for surgery again. Luke is still having issues with his ears, and when we saw the ENT yesterday, he wasn't happy with how they looked. So the doctor would like to re-insert his tubes, and remove his adenoids. On a good note, this same surgery seemed to do the trick for John David, so I'm hoping it will work for Luke too. :) Surgery is coming up quick, and was scheduled for next Friday the 18th! Please pray for a smooth and fast recovery.

Wordless Wednesday - Kylie Plays Hairdresser {Poor Luke!}

Happy Birthday Caitlyn!

Today is Caitlyn's birthday! Wow! We're so proud of her, and can't wait to see what the next year brings. Love you Caitybug!

Q&A with Caitlyn...

Q: What's your favorite food?

A: Pizza!

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: Purple, no doubt.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: I want to be an animal rescuer or a rancher.

Q: What is your favorite activity to do for fun?

A: Crafting and reading.

Q: Any crafts in particular?

A: Painting. .. Paint-by-numbers, actually.

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: Horse, of course!

Q: Why do you want to be an animal rescuer?

A: Because I just love animals.

Q: What are some of your goals for your life right now?

A: To get to pointe in ballet, be a good Irish step dancer, and to get good grades. Be a good friend, and learn to be a better artist.

Q: Anything else you would like to say on your tenth birthday?

A: I love my family and I'm glad that they are there for me all the time!

Christmas at Our House

I still can't believe the holidays are over and it's already 2011! But it is, and I figured it's about time I got around to posting our holiday pictures. :) Our camera has been on the fritz, so I didn't get near as many pictures as I usually do of this time of year. Plus after I got home from the hospital and the whole gall bladder surgery thing on Christmas morning, somehow snapping photos wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts.

Mid-December, Jeremy headed out of town for a week on a business trip. So, the kids and I decided we would tackle the tree and surprise him when he got back home.

Uh, John David, I think that Santa hat is a little small! :)

Jeremy's mom was able to fly in for Christmas, and it was a huge blessing for all of us! In the 13 years Jeremy and I have been together, we have never been able to spend a Christmas with his mom, so to say the least, it was very meaningful to have her here. Plus, when I ended up in the hospital just a few hours after she arrived (the Thursday before Christmas), we knew God had it all worked out. She was able to spend some good quality time with the kids, and we didn't have to worry about them while Jeremy went back and forth between home and the hospital. While I was in the hospital, Jeremy, his mom, and the kids managed to do some quick Christmas light touring around our area, and enjoyed the lots of snow we got that weekend!

John David and Kylie using their sleds as snowboards - such fun!

Christmas morning came and it was a blur of wrapping paper, smiles, and thankfulness to finally be home with my family.

John David was pretty excited about his Dollar tree handcuffs!

Even Chewy was in the holiday spirit!

Kylie and her kissing frogs

Grandma and Luke

This is my favorite picture from Christmas weekend. It's a bit blurry, but I thought it was precious. As we were opening presents, it started to snow - a lot. Kylie is always so amazed with the snow, and she just went and stood by the windows watching it fall.

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season! While ours may not have turned out exactly as we had planned, we were still able to enjoy each other and remember the true reason for the season!