A couple of days ago I heard a classic hymn on Christian radio on the way to the hospital. It was a new contemporary artist who I wasn't familiar with, but I loved his voice and this hymn really spoke to me that morning.
************************
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
Refrain
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.
Refrain
In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows
He bore for my soul that night.
Refrain
He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.
Refrain
When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.
Refrain
*********************
In these last three weeks I will admit I have had some times when I wondered why God was allowing my Grandma to suffer so much. Surely if He loves her, he would either end the suffering or just take her home, right?
No, that's not how it works. I don't understand suffering on this earth, and I never will. But one day there will be no suffering. Jesus even said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33)
And he surely loves me, and my Grandma! Lest I forget the amazing suffering he endured ON MY BEHALF (and on hers!)..."He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine." Oh, He loves me alright. And he comforts me even now.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Let's have a race!
The kids are really enjoying a new activity--racing their bikes on the street! We live on a quiet street so they can ride with close supervision and very rarely do we have to move out of the way for a passing car. I let them try it for the first time on Sunday and it was a big hit. We did it again last night and I got some cute pictures!
Aaron has had his bike since April (an early birthday present), but he's just finally learning to pedal it. He was a pro on a tricycle but I guess the pedaling motion is different for a bike. He's getting pretty good and fast.
Claire loves her tricycle--in fact, it's Aaron's old trike and she took it over, which is why he had to get a new one in April! She doesn't pedal it yet, but she goes pretty fast just pushing with her feet.
It was so hot out last night and they were tired and soaked when we got done riding!
Aaron has had his bike since April (an early birthday present), but he's just finally learning to pedal it. He was a pro on a tricycle but I guess the pedaling motion is different for a bike. He's getting pretty good and fast.
Claire loves her tricycle--in fact, it's Aaron's old trike and she took it over, which is why he had to get a new one in April! She doesn't pedal it yet, but she goes pretty fast just pushing with her feet.
It was so hot out last night and they were tired and soaked when we got done riding!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Update on Grandma
Many of you have asked, and I really appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers. This has been the hardest 3 weeks of my life, hands down. My poor kids have been passed from one babysitter to another and Chris has been trying to take care of things at home. It's so hard trying to be at the hospital for hours every day, and still take care of my family. I am so grateful for the help I have gotten from people, especially Chris's grandmother who tirelessly cares for my children.
Grandma is not doing well at all. It's so hard to remember that three weeks ago, she WALKED into the hospital. She went to work the DAY BEFORE. Now she cannot wipe her bottom and can barely eat on her own.
It took two weeks in the hospital to get a diagnosis. She has lung cancer. Two days after we found out that, a bone scan showed she also has cancer in her bones, specifically on her spine and in both hips. She started radiation that same day, and has had three treatments so far. They have ordered 14 daily treatments and then we will see if her pain has subsided.
She is in soooo much pain. I heard that bone cancer is one of the most painful forms of cancer. The oncologist told me today it is stage 4 cancer. It is aggressive, which is obvious when you see the decline she has had in just three short weeks. (Short! Ha! These weeks have been LONG.)
It's possible the aggressive factor could work to our advantage. If she is able to do chemo, it's POSSIBLE it could kill the cancer as quickly as it grew. I have a feeling that is grasping onto fine hairs, though, and I honestly have trouble hoping for that.
Right now the doctors have her in an isolation room where we have to wear masks and the room has it's own air system, because they found a bacterial infection in her lungs that could be tuberculosis. They don't really think it is, but they have to do this as a precaution while they run more tests on the culture they have. She won't be cleared for trying chemo until that infection is identified and under control.
My uncle and I talked to her doctors today. The goal right now is keeping her comfortable. They are continuing the radiation until Grandma says she wants no more (the treatments have made her sick so far). She will have to decide if she wants to try chemo. We talked about hospice, about keeping her final days (if these are her final days) pain-free and surrounded by friends and family.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. I will continue to update as things change.
Grandma is not doing well at all. It's so hard to remember that three weeks ago, she WALKED into the hospital. She went to work the DAY BEFORE. Now she cannot wipe her bottom and can barely eat on her own.
It took two weeks in the hospital to get a diagnosis. She has lung cancer. Two days after we found out that, a bone scan showed she also has cancer in her bones, specifically on her spine and in both hips. She started radiation that same day, and has had three treatments so far. They have ordered 14 daily treatments and then we will see if her pain has subsided.
She is in soooo much pain. I heard that bone cancer is one of the most painful forms of cancer. The oncologist told me today it is stage 4 cancer. It is aggressive, which is obvious when you see the decline she has had in just three short weeks. (Short! Ha! These weeks have been LONG.)
It's possible the aggressive factor could work to our advantage. If she is able to do chemo, it's POSSIBLE it could kill the cancer as quickly as it grew. I have a feeling that is grasping onto fine hairs, though, and I honestly have trouble hoping for that.
Right now the doctors have her in an isolation room where we have to wear masks and the room has it's own air system, because they found a bacterial infection in her lungs that could be tuberculosis. They don't really think it is, but they have to do this as a precaution while they run more tests on the culture they have. She won't be cleared for trying chemo until that infection is identified and under control.
My uncle and I talked to her doctors today. The goal right now is keeping her comfortable. They are continuing the radiation until Grandma says she wants no more (the treatments have made her sick so far). She will have to decide if she wants to try chemo. We talked about hospice, about keeping her final days (if these are her final days) pain-free and surrounded by friends and family.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. I will continue to update as things change.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A new milestone
My little boy is growing up! This becomes more apparent to me every day. I'm happy to see him blossom but I really just want to keep him little and dependent on me.
Our neighbors across the street have a 3-year-old grandson, Jordan, who spends every weekend at their house. Jordan is painfully shy, but his grandad says he talks a blue streak until Aaron or I show up. He talks a big game about playing with Aaron, but then hides behind his grandad's leg when Aaron is around.
Aaron is apparently polar opposite. He relishes in the opportunity to go play with other kids, although really what he wants to do is go play with their toys. Even Claire frequently tells me "I like Jordan, Mommy." She likes the idea of socializing.
A couple of weeks ago it was really hot outside, and the boys were playing in the yard. Jordan wanted to go inside, so they invited Aaron to come play too. It was the first time we'd been inside their house to play. I sat and talked with Jordan's grandmother for a while, but then I had to leave for the hospital. Aaron wasn't ready to go, so they said he could stay and play. I told them to bring Aaron back over to Chris when they were done playing.
Four hours later, I called Chris and he told me Aaron was STILL at Jordan's. They were having the best time!
Today at lunch Jordan came and rang the doorbell. Aaron stuffed the rest of his grilled cheese in his mouth and said, "All done!" He was so excited to get invited to go play. He came out and started chattering to Jordan about watermelon and grilled cheese. Jordan just hid behind his grandad's leg, but then they bopped into the house together. I saw them later playing with the toy tools in the garage.
I've got bittersweet emotions about this milestone--playing with the neighborhood kids. Making friends. Without Mommy. Excuse me while I go have a good cry.
Our neighbors across the street have a 3-year-old grandson, Jordan, who spends every weekend at their house. Jordan is painfully shy, but his grandad says he talks a blue streak until Aaron or I show up. He talks a big game about playing with Aaron, but then hides behind his grandad's leg when Aaron is around.
Aaron is apparently polar opposite. He relishes in the opportunity to go play with other kids, although really what he wants to do is go play with their toys. Even Claire frequently tells me "I like Jordan, Mommy." She likes the idea of socializing.
A couple of weeks ago it was really hot outside, and the boys were playing in the yard. Jordan wanted to go inside, so they invited Aaron to come play too. It was the first time we'd been inside their house to play. I sat and talked with Jordan's grandmother for a while, but then I had to leave for the hospital. Aaron wasn't ready to go, so they said he could stay and play. I told them to bring Aaron back over to Chris when they were done playing.
Four hours later, I called Chris and he told me Aaron was STILL at Jordan's. They were having the best time!
Today at lunch Jordan came and rang the doorbell. Aaron stuffed the rest of his grilled cheese in his mouth and said, "All done!" He was so excited to get invited to go play. He came out and started chattering to Jordan about watermelon and grilled cheese. Jordan just hid behind his grandad's leg, but then they bopped into the house together. I saw them later playing with the toy tools in the garage.
I've got bittersweet emotions about this milestone--playing with the neighborhood kids. Making friends. Without Mommy. Excuse me while I go have a good cry.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Blueberry Picking Fun
We are so lucky to have access to blueberry bushes on my in-law's property. Every summer it's a favorite activity to go pick blueberries early in the morning. A couple of weeks ago I took the kids and took the camera.
Claire ate her weight in blueberries. I had to keep shooing her away from my bucket.
Aaron is such a good blueberry picker!
Mimi had a great time picking with us. I was glad she was there because Aaron talked her ear off instead of mine!
I'm not happy with these pictures but I'm sharing anyway...
Claire ate her weight in blueberries. I had to keep shooing her away from my bucket.
Aaron is such a good blueberry picker!
Mimi had a great time picking with us. I was glad she was there because Aaron talked her ear off instead of mine!
I'm not happy with these pictures but I'm sharing anyway...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Big Cut
Today was the day! I lost about 10 lbs of extra weight! At least, I had hoped, but it turns out an 11-inch ponytail really only weighs a few ounces.
I was so excited to get to my hair appointment today. I couldn't stop smiling! My faithful hair stylist, Jennifer, who I've been using for years, had known this was coming and I think she was pretty excited too! She thought it was strange to just cut straight across the ponytail like she did!
Right after we cut the ponytail, I heard my phone playing "Hail State!" which meant Chris was calling or texting me. I saw the text "Got hair?" so Jennifer snapped a picture of me holding the ponytail with the camera on my phone and we sent it back to Chris. We were both pretty giddy about doing that for some reason!
Then we flipped through a hair magazine because I had NO idea what I wanted to do with my hair. All I knew was "short short short". Typically I do the angled cut where it's chin-length or longer in front and gradually shorter to the back. I wanted something different--where the front part is a little short too, so after a few pages we found something that looked good to me and she started snipping away!
I was so excited to see my new 'do taking shape. When I left the shop all the other stylists wanted to see the ponytail and check out my new cut. One older lady had to pick up her jaw off the floor when she saw the ponytail I was holding (she had not seen me walk in). On the way to pick up the kids I lost count of how many times I flipped down my visor mirror to check out my hair. I couldn't keep my hands out of it all afternoon!
So, I'll end the suspense--I know you want to see pictures! I'm not happy with my "after" shot so I'm going to have to style my hair tomorrow morning and try to get a better shot so you can really tell how cute the cut is!
BEFORE----
AFTER--with Jennifer beaming with pride! Yes, she has pink hair right now!
I think with a little styling product (wow, I'm going to use PRODUCT now!) it will have more body and won't look as flat as it does in this picture.
I can't wait to send the ponytail to Locks of Love! I think I'll do this again in a couple of years--it was very rewarding.
I was so excited to get to my hair appointment today. I couldn't stop smiling! My faithful hair stylist, Jennifer, who I've been using for years, had known this was coming and I think she was pretty excited too! She thought it was strange to just cut straight across the ponytail like she did!
Right after we cut the ponytail, I heard my phone playing "Hail State!" which meant Chris was calling or texting me. I saw the text "Got hair?" so Jennifer snapped a picture of me holding the ponytail with the camera on my phone and we sent it back to Chris. We were both pretty giddy about doing that for some reason!
Then we flipped through a hair magazine because I had NO idea what I wanted to do with my hair. All I knew was "short short short". Typically I do the angled cut where it's chin-length or longer in front and gradually shorter to the back. I wanted something different--where the front part is a little short too, so after a few pages we found something that looked good to me and she started snipping away!
I was so excited to see my new 'do taking shape. When I left the shop all the other stylists wanted to see the ponytail and check out my new cut. One older lady had to pick up her jaw off the floor when she saw the ponytail I was holding (she had not seen me walk in). On the way to pick up the kids I lost count of how many times I flipped down my visor mirror to check out my hair. I couldn't keep my hands out of it all afternoon!
So, I'll end the suspense--I know you want to see pictures! I'm not happy with my "after" shot so I'm going to have to style my hair tomorrow morning and try to get a better shot so you can really tell how cute the cut is!
BEFORE----
AFTER--with Jennifer beaming with pride! Yes, she has pink hair right now!
I think with a little styling product (wow, I'm going to use PRODUCT now!) it will have more body and won't look as flat as it does in this picture.
I can't wait to send the ponytail to Locks of Love! I think I'll do this again in a couple of years--it was very rewarding.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Aaron's Swimming Lessons
Since I didn't have my kids all week, I got no new pictures! But since I know you all missed seeing them, I'm finally going to post some pictures from the week before.
Aaron had two weeks of swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago. He had a blast! His teacher was a cute young girl named Kacie, and I do believe Aaron had a small crush on her. He didn't come out of swimming lessons actually swimming on his own, but he is a bit more confident. He doesn't freak out about his face going under water, which is a big improvement. On the last day I tried to bribe him with a Sonic slushie to get him to jump off the side without holding Kacie's hands, but he wouldn't do it. I guess we'll just have to give it time!
Aaron had two weeks of swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago. He had a blast! His teacher was a cute young girl named Kacie, and I do believe Aaron had a small crush on her. He didn't come out of swimming lessons actually swimming on his own, but he is a bit more confident. He doesn't freak out about his face going under water, which is a big improvement. On the last day I tried to bribe him with a Sonic slushie to get him to jump off the side without holding Kacie's hands, but he wouldn't do it. I guess we'll just have to give it time!
Friday, July 18, 2008
I miss my kiddos!
It's late Friday night, and I haven't seen my kids since Tuesday morning. This is the longest I have been away from them--EVER. And they are having a BLAST.
Tuesday we took them to meet Chris's aunt and uncle, Benny and Judy. They live two hours away, near a big lake, so there was lots of fun stuff to do. Benny and Judy don't have grandkids, but they were so much like grandparents this week!
Aunt Judy sent Aaron a card late last week telling him how much fun they were going to have and telling him some of the fun stuff they had planned. Getting that card really got Aaron excited about it!
Every night the kids would call me around bedtime to tell me about their days. They made peanut butter cookies, went to the lake to see boats, had a picnic, went to a playground, saw a rescue helicopter land next to the van, baked and decorated cupcakes, picked out new toys at Walmart...it was a dream week for my fun-deprived children. (At least, they will think they are fun-deprived once they get back to normal!)
The highlight of Claire's week was the new Dora nightgown I bought for her the night before they left. She didn't know anything about it until she got there, and she was so excited to wear it every night, and even for nap. I am told she threw a FIT about taking it off this morning so Aunt Judy let her have it to carry around in her purse.
Aaron apparently learned about hydro-electric power at the lake, and told me all about what rescue helicopters did. He was really excited to discover that there was a toy cabinet at their house!
Of course another highlight was their Wal-mart trip. Aaron is always excited to learn that someone else has a Wal-mart like we do, and this one was special because they have toys! (Little does he know that our Wal-mart has toys, too! Bwah ha ha...*evil grin*) He got a new truck, although he won't tell me what kind of truck because he wants to surprise me. I heard through the grapevine that it is a crane. He needed one to round out his construction crew here at the house. Claire of course got a baby doll. She's running a dolly day care out of her room now.
The kids are back in town tonight, but are staying with our cousins Jennifer and Beth, so I can continue to help Grandma at the hospital. Knowing they were in town tonight it was SO TEMPTING to go by and get me some hugs and kisses, but I knew they would want to go with me so I didn't disrupt their fun.
I am a bit lonely without Chris and the kids, but the quiet house has been a nice refuge after long days at the hospital. I can't wait to get them back, either tomorrow or Sunday!
Tuesday we took them to meet Chris's aunt and uncle, Benny and Judy. They live two hours away, near a big lake, so there was lots of fun stuff to do. Benny and Judy don't have grandkids, but they were so much like grandparents this week!
Aunt Judy sent Aaron a card late last week telling him how much fun they were going to have and telling him some of the fun stuff they had planned. Getting that card really got Aaron excited about it!
Every night the kids would call me around bedtime to tell me about their days. They made peanut butter cookies, went to the lake to see boats, had a picnic, went to a playground, saw a rescue helicopter land next to the van, baked and decorated cupcakes, picked out new toys at Walmart...it was a dream week for my fun-deprived children. (At least, they will think they are fun-deprived once they get back to normal!)
The highlight of Claire's week was the new Dora nightgown I bought for her the night before they left. She didn't know anything about it until she got there, and she was so excited to wear it every night, and even for nap. I am told she threw a FIT about taking it off this morning so Aunt Judy let her have it to carry around in her purse.
Aaron apparently learned about hydro-electric power at the lake, and told me all about what rescue helicopters did. He was really excited to discover that there was a toy cabinet at their house!
Of course another highlight was their Wal-mart trip. Aaron is always excited to learn that someone else has a Wal-mart like we do, and this one was special because they have toys! (Little does he know that our Wal-mart has toys, too! Bwah ha ha...*evil grin*) He got a new truck, although he won't tell me what kind of truck because he wants to surprise me. I heard through the grapevine that it is a crane. He needed one to round out his construction crew here at the house. Claire of course got a baby doll. She's running a dolly day care out of her room now.
The kids are back in town tonight, but are staying with our cousins Jennifer and Beth, so I can continue to help Grandma at the hospital. Knowing they were in town tonight it was SO TEMPTING to go by and get me some hugs and kisses, but I knew they would want to go with me so I didn't disrupt their fun.
I am a bit lonely without Chris and the kids, but the quiet house has been a nice refuge after long days at the hospital. I can't wait to get them back, either tomorrow or Sunday!
What a compliment!
Yesterday I was sitting with Grandma when her doctor came in. Earlier in the day I had put a collage of family photos on the wall, and one of them was this one:
The doctor picked it up, looked at me, pointed to Claire's picture, and said, "Who is this?"
"That's my baby girl," I said proudly.
"What? You don't look old enough to have children--I thought you were in high school or maybe heading back to college."
"I'm 29 years old!" I replied. "I have two children."
"Well, you definitely don't look your age!" he said.
Today when he came in and saw me on my laptop, he said with a wink, "Whatcha got there, your homework?"
Gotta love lookin' young!
The doctor picked it up, looked at me, pointed to Claire's picture, and said, "Who is this?"
"That's my baby girl," I said proudly.
"What? You don't look old enough to have children--I thought you were in high school or maybe heading back to college."
"I'm 29 years old!" I replied. "I have two children."
"Well, you definitely don't look your age!" he said.
Today when he came in and saw me on my laptop, he said with a wink, "Whatcha got there, your homework?"
Gotta love lookin' young!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Beautiful Locks
Right now my hair is insanely long! For lack of a better picture--here is a shot from Claire's party:
I am ready to cut it! I have been growing it out for Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to disadvantaged children. My friend Allison used to (or maybe still does!) grow her hair out and cut it off over and over to donate. You need 10 inches to donate, and I thought I had a little over eight. It turns out the way I was trying to measure it on my own I must have not been holding the ruler right, because Chris measured for me Monday and I have 11-12 inches!! I am so excited! I haven't set a cut date yet, but it will soon, baby, soon! I'm so tired of finding my long hairs all over the place, and I'm tired of blow drying it. In fact, many days I skip the blow dry and just pull it back in a ponytail. What style I have, right?
I am looking forward to a short 'do. I'm also so excited to be helping a young child, possibly a cancer patient, have a beautiful head of hair! I'll be sure to post before and after pics!
I am ready to cut it! I have been growing it out for Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to disadvantaged children. My friend Allison used to (or maybe still does!) grow her hair out and cut it off over and over to donate. You need 10 inches to donate, and I thought I had a little over eight. It turns out the way I was trying to measure it on my own I must have not been holding the ruler right, because Chris measured for me Monday and I have 11-12 inches!! I am so excited! I haven't set a cut date yet, but it will soon, baby, soon! I'm so tired of finding my long hairs all over the place, and I'm tired of blow drying it. In fact, many days I skip the blow dry and just pull it back in a ponytail. What style I have, right?
I am looking forward to a short 'do. I'm also so excited to be helping a young child, possibly a cancer patient, have a beautiful head of hair! I'll be sure to post before and after pics!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bilingual children...
The kids have been watching WAAAAAAYYYY too much Dora lately. It's really getting out of hand. A few days ago they were riding in their wagon on a walk around the block, and both of the kids started yelling "Correr Correr Saltar!" to a dog they wanted to "Run Run Jump!" down the street. (And yes, I totally had to look up the spelling of those words...I can say them along with Dora and Boots, but I thought Correr started with a G. I feel so illiterate!)
Friday night Claire was leaving our friends' house and she was bopping out the door and said, "Adios!" Just out of nowhere, she's using Spanish words in context.
This morning she was running around the house, letting Chris chase her, and screaming "Correr! Correr!"
I'm excited that Aaron will have "formal" Spanish classes in his 4-K class at Mother's Day Out this fall. Claire can just keep learning from him, as I'm pretty sure they don't teach the 2 year olds Spanish!
Friday night Claire was leaving our friends' house and she was bopping out the door and said, "Adios!" Just out of nowhere, she's using Spanish words in context.
This morning she was running around the house, letting Chris chase her, and screaming "Correr! Correr!"
I'm excited that Aaron will have "formal" Spanish classes in his 4-K class at Mother's Day Out this fall. Claire can just keep learning from him, as I'm pretty sure they don't teach the 2 year olds Spanish!
An update on everything...
Prepare yourself for a major brain dump!
*Right now I'm in my grandma's hospital room--thank goodness for free wi-fi! Grandma is doing a bit better. We still don't know what's wrong with her, but are waiting for the results of a biopsy. The pulmonologist was able to clear out a bunch of mucous from her lungs yesterday and I think that has helped her breathe a little better. She is scheduled for a liver biopsy tomorrow.
*Because of everything going on with grandma, I am not going on the mission trip to Ohio I was supposed to leave for today. Chris and I decided it was not good for me to go so far away, especially not knowing what was wrong. I am preparing myself for bad news (and praying that it is not as bad as I'm expecting), and I didn't want to be 8 hours away when I found out that news. Plus, my family is small and I need to be here for Grandma. Chris left for the mission trip today, and we let the kids go away as scheduled, so I am free to be at the hospital as much as I need to be.
*The kids are off for their first time out of town without me! They have gone to spend a few days with Chris's aunt and uncle who live a couple of hours away. They are so excited to have the kids this week--they have planned an outing to the nearby lake to see boats, baking and decorating cupcakes, chalk and bubble time, and more. When we dropped the kids off today they said, "Bye!" with big smiles on their faces. I thought they might be a little more sad but they were so excited! They will be gone until at least Friday. This is the longest I have ever been away from them! I hope they do well. I hope I do well!
I have more to share--stay posted for more updates! I have pictures from the last few days with the kids that I am going to put up soon!
*Right now I'm in my grandma's hospital room--thank goodness for free wi-fi! Grandma is doing a bit better. We still don't know what's wrong with her, but are waiting for the results of a biopsy. The pulmonologist was able to clear out a bunch of mucous from her lungs yesterday and I think that has helped her breathe a little better. She is scheduled for a liver biopsy tomorrow.
*Because of everything going on with grandma, I am not going on the mission trip to Ohio I was supposed to leave for today. Chris and I decided it was not good for me to go so far away, especially not knowing what was wrong. I am preparing myself for bad news (and praying that it is not as bad as I'm expecting), and I didn't want to be 8 hours away when I found out that news. Plus, my family is small and I need to be here for Grandma. Chris left for the mission trip today, and we let the kids go away as scheduled, so I am free to be at the hospital as much as I need to be.
*The kids are off for their first time out of town without me! They have gone to spend a few days with Chris's aunt and uncle who live a couple of hours away. They are so excited to have the kids this week--they have planned an outing to the nearby lake to see boats, baking and decorating cupcakes, chalk and bubble time, and more. When we dropped the kids off today they said, "Bye!" with big smiles on their faces. I thought they might be a little more sad but they were so excited! They will be gone until at least Friday. This is the longest I have ever been away from them! I hope they do well. I hope I do well!
I have more to share--stay posted for more updates! I have pictures from the last few days with the kids that I am going to put up soon!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Claire's PINKALICIOUS Birthday Party
I e-mailed the family invitations to Claire's birthday party. It's because she is a 2nd child with a birthday 4 short weeks after her older brother's, so I cannot seem to get that advance planning done the way I do with Aaron's! The invitation said we would have Pinkalicious cupcakes, and my brother-in-law thought I was just being hip. No, one of Claire's favorite books is Pinkalicious, in which the main character turns pink from eating too many pink cupcakes. Claire chose Pinkalicious cupcakes for her party, so I actually had a very easy cake this time!
Claire had a fun party with her family. She got lots of new books for her birthday, which she is very excited about. Not only did we get her Pinkalicious, Pete's a Pizza, Rattletrap Car, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, To Market To Market, and a couple of Scholastic books-on-DVD, but she also got My Big Book of Everything Pink, a Dora book, a Berenstein Bears collection, a Little Bear collection, and more! Needless to say we've been reading all week. She also got a couple of new dolls and some puzzles.
She also inherited some classic furniture that was mine when I was little. My mom pulled them out of her attic, cleaned them up, and presented them to Claire at her party.
I read many a story in this little white rocking chair--
And rocked and rocked on Rocky Horse--
I'm excited to see these in Claire's room now!
The Birthday girl, ready for cake
Uh oh! She snagged a taste!
We got a couple of generations pictures I will treasure--
My sweet Grandma, who was hurting on Sunday but made it to the party anyway--
Four generations of girls--
Claire enjoyed opening presents, and she had lots of help!
She likes the tea set Grandma found for her.
She had a tea party after everyone left--
Claire, you are such a sweet little girl, and I am so honored to be your Mommy! I'm glad you had such a happy 2nd birthday!
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