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well, it's official. all the children look more like ME! brigg by 35%, Lani by 17% and Ayla by 7%!

that was fun!

The high chair

I don't know why, but I remember that this high chair cost $80 in 2001. It may have been the best $80 we have ever spent! We pulled it up from the depths of the basement and Ayla got to sit up and watch while we played Zingo! this weekend. She's still a little small for it, but MAN IS SHE CUTE!! (and she totally loves her hand!)

The rest of us...

And even though Ayla always gets the shaft in these family outings, she's still all smiles!

Brigg bowling...

Sunday=Bowling

We went bowling. Lani got a strike. I caught it on camera. She was excited to say the least...

Thanks Courtney...loved it.

"It doesn't matter what we say we believe; a watching world evaluates whether or not our faith is real by our reactions to suffering." (Kay Warren)

Reason #17 for loving March madness brackets and competition with my husband

Last night I stayed up to watch the Louisville vs. Tennessee game while Paul slept. So he did not know the outcome of the game. He picked Tennessee to win, and I picked Louisville. Basically, the fate of our brackets rested on this game. As you can see, I left a little note for him. Sorry honey, another year of getting WHOOPED up on by your oh-so-sweet wife!! (that is lipstick on our bathroom mirror...i really wanted to make sure he saw it and that I was the one to break the news)

Why?

That is my neighbor's house. Those are turkey vultures. They are there 3 out of the 4 seasons. And sometimes they spread their wings out really wide and face the sun. WHY?!?

Quite a story...

I've been following this blog for a couple months now. It is an amazing story and I think we could all be touched by it. To get a glimpe into the life of a couple living with cystic fibrosis, watch this ABC story. It will bring you to tears. Then if you choose to, you can follow along with their story through his blog cfhusband.blogspot.com. You will be moved by his pictures alone. And I believe if you allow it to, their story will reach your heart in many ways...

up close

Easter Sunday

Hilltops and Valleys

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no valleys to traverse."– Helen Keller

$#@&!!!!!!!!!!

Just switched over laundry. As I grabbed the last of the wet clothes I looked down and saw my cell phone...in the washing machine...no longer functioning. So if you are tryinig to call me, it's not going to work. I have no idea how I am going to function without my phone in my pocket...

This "morning"

Pam is in town. So we decided to have "coffee" this morning...which turned into an all-day event involving 9 children, 3 adults, pizza, computers, baseball, bikes, baseball cards, Barbies and yes, even some coffee. I love these people. They share so many of my passions and yes, I think Pam and Jody are actually emailing eachother in those pics! :) (That happens to be my very new, very cute, very green lap top!!) So happy I get to call them friends...

GAME ON!

It's a tradition. March madness rolls around and Paul and I get competitive. We have our brackets filled out and I'm thinking I'll be holding on to my "Champion" title for another year. I seriously beat him every year! Looking forward to the games starting tomorrow!!

The appointments...

They went well. Brigg gained a little weight and moved up from the 2 percentile to the 8 percentile. No more weight checks for a year now! Woohoo!! Ayla weighed in at 14 lb 4 oz. That is much smaller than Brigg and Lani were at her age, but she's still in the 60th percentile. No concerns there. Brigg and Nalani both had booster flu shots and did great. Then Ayla got her 3 shots and I looked over at Brigg and he had his sweatshirt pulled up over his face. I said, "Brigg, what are you doing?" as I pulled it down. When his face popped out it was bright red and he was SOBBING. He said, "I don't want Ayla to hurt!" Too sweet. Now that is one great brother! Love them all so so much...

The day ahead

It's going to be a crazy day today. I'm not looking forward to it. Brigg, Nalani and I all have dentist appointments starting at 9:30. Then we move on to Brigg, Nalani and Ayla's doctor appointments at 11:00. Ayla has shots and of course Brigg has a weight check. I hate days like today. Days where I feel like my parenting skills are being questioned. Do they brush twice a day? Do you floss their teeth every day? He still isn't gaining weight, are you feeding him a snack every day after school? Are you sure he gets one EVERY day? Reeeeeaaallllly.... hmmm...I don't know why he is in the TWO percentile then for weight. Are you using that super expensive shampoo I recommended for her cradle cap? Is she getting 20 minutes a day of tummy time? You're REALLY letting her sleep that many hours straight? You really should be waking her up to feed her. Come back again in six months so I can be sure you don't feel like you have your life in order! THANKS! Ugh. Off to try and feed Brigg a very hearty breakfast and dress him in the heaviest clothes he owns....
(BTW...I really do LOVE my pediatrician and dentist. She is amazing and I am not criticizing her abilities whatsoever. She is just doing her job....which kinda makes me feel like I'm not doing mine!)

I'm not even kidding you.

Paul is a baby whisperer. It's a gift. A gift that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a gift that fortunatley, with Ayla, has not been put to the test very often. It has only come out on one or two occasions with this child and tonight was one of those occasions. She was screaming...for a long time. My blood pressure was rising. I was certain she either had an ear infection or was dying. I handed her to Paul. In 10 minutes flat he had her calmed down and put into a deep slumber. Amazing. It is truly a sight to see. As some of you may know, Paul's mother and grandmother also have this gift. It cannot be taught. I have witnessed it several times over the past 6.5 years, and I STILL cannot figure it out. But I'll take it. Thankful for that gift tonight as I head to bed in my very quiet, peaceful home...

Close...

but unfortunatley, close doesn't count. apparently the winner of the HGTV 2008 dream home currently resides in solon, IA...a mere 45 miles from here! oh well...maybe next year.

from the HGTV website...
"Stephanie Dee of Solon, Iowa -->Stephanie Dee just won the $2.2 million grand prize in this year’s HGTV Dream Home Giveaway, including a beach house in the Florida Keys and a new GMC Yukon Hybrid!" click here to see the home we will not be moving into...

Ayla and Ice Skating

We took the kids ice skating today. And poor Ayla...she again, just gets to watch. Notice in the first pic the "big kids" and Paul in the backgroung. But, she does get the most mommy time at events like this! Don't you just want to squeeze her?!?! :)

Still being cute...

And yes, Brigg's arms are RIPPED! (he works out!)

the kiddos

I'm sorry, but they are just CUTE!