Thursday, July 29, 2010

Time to wrap it up! Mason is 4!!!

I am not sure what all I shared the last post, and too lazy to go back now and read :)

On Mason's real birthday we had family over for lunch and had a fun celebration and time in the pool!  That evening we went to church with some great friends and made and brought dinner for a local family in need.  It was a good and rewarding time, and all the kids had a great time playing!

Mason had an awesome party the next evening at Pump It Up.  We are so blessed with awesome friends that love us and our kiddos!  Mason had a great time, and loved the days that were all about him!  We love you our little 4 year old!!!!

Always looking up
Happy Birthday Mason, as close as I could get him to taking his birthday photo!
Special chair!
My littlest man, and yes Mason photos are coming!!!
Cooking our chicken!
Gigi letting Reid have a really big water!  He kept persisting~ wanting it open!
BIRTHDAY BOY!
Special gluten and dairy free cupcake!  YUMMY
Ham it up Ayden
Proud parents :)
He couldn't get enough!!!
More TOYS!
Too tired to party!
Hiding from the noise :)
One of the favorites~ it offers protection!
Concentrating on playing hard
Party time!  And showing off his horribly forced smile and manly gesture~ he may kill me for posting this someday!
So much sweeter
Oh the chaos
He didn't really love his first bouncing experience
That's a cheese face on the go
Show off~ Uncle John
Of course he follows
Friends!

Who is that standing out in this photo??  She may kill me too!
Kid's favorite cusine!
Another fabulous cupcake for a perfect 4 year old!

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Four miraculous years!

Our middle son turned 4 this past weekend!!!  Where have the years gone?  He makes us smile and giggle all the time.  He is the crazy talker~ you know the one who never stops talking and asking you questions.  Sometimes I think he just likes to hear himself think, and his mother go nuts!  

Example: *setting the scene- Mommy carrying Reid out to the car in the garage, hands and mind full of life* 
Mason "Mommy are we leaving?" (he is following me out to the car)
Mommy "No Mason"
Mason "Where are we going"
Mommy "No where, we are not leaving"
Mason "What are you doing"
Mommy "Getting something from the car"
Mason "What are you getting"
Mommy "My make up"
Mason "Where are we going?"
Mommy "Nowhere Mason, I am just getting my make up out of the car."

I am thinking while writing this, that is not an unusual conversation, unless it happens 500 hundred times a day.  Maybe if I beat him to it and give him a play by play on everything I do, including what my motives are and what it really is that I am doing, I can intercept his curiosity.  Worth a try I would say.

I have to tell myself to stop and remember the miracle that God has given us each day that Mason thrives and grows into a young boy.   He is a witness to God's grace and perfect healing.  Mason melts our hearts with his silly antics and is a busy joy to be around.  I have to tell myself when I am feeling overwhelmed that this predicament with all talking, all the questions, and all the being silly is much more beautiful and wonderful than the alternative that we were faced with 4 years ago (I am certain on this day we 4 years ago we were still in the NICU and not certain whether our baby would thrive in today's world).  

This year I really paid attention to the time leading up to, during, and after his birthday.  I had vivid memories of when my labor started (including the fall on the walk around the block), my labor in the dark hospital room throughout the night, my anticipation for his older brother, his sweet birth and moments afterwards of contemplation knowing something was not quite right,
the moment when he was whisked away with so many unanswered questions, the crazy emotions that followed.  I am still living in those moments four years ago when time stood still in a one way street to and from the hospital, concentrating only on health stats and making milk for my sweet man.  I think it is healthy to process and remember those times, and I think I will probably continue this in 2010-11 remembering through his first year as each month passes, thinking about the milestones we reached in year one~ monitors that were part of his outfit from 0-3 months, his extreme head turn, crazy all night EEG, home therapists and therapy, MRI's, crazy medicine that I swear could sedate a horse, perfect nursing, crawling, loving his brother, walking, talking, singing and being all boy.









black void in the lower part of his brain is the brain matter that turned to fluid, never to be regenerated.  Spans from mid-section to side of his scalp.  White fuzzies in the void are deposits that had formed with healing.  All of these things Mason has overcome!

And now that I have realized that this post took a turn I was not expecting I will have to finish tomorrow, last night's 1am scream session with Reid is kicking in on my thought processes!
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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Can you believe it, I am all caught up!

This weekend was a good weekend.  Saturday morning I went to my first in-service for work, which starts at 7:05am.  We showed the video that was on the Early Show a week or so back, along with some of our own audits.  It was a good feeling to be around our lifeguards again and I enjoyed talking to them and being "out in the field".

When I got home~ mind you this was still all before 8:30~ early for me to be dressed and moving, Ayden, Mason and I went to Sam's and packed up on much needed STUFF!  The boys were very good and each earned a new DS game.  After rest and family time, I headed out to a tupperware party my sister had on that evening.  It was a really good time, with three of my girlfriends going with me to meet some of Aubrey and I's friends!  I purchased some really neat stuff and can't wait to get it and get organized.  Brandy and I were cracking up!!!! on the way home~ just talking girl!  She has proclaimed, and I most certainly agree that we are kindred spirits~ which we deduced after learning we both have the same bad habit of knuckle cracking (among many other shared attributes)!  Good, genuine friends are so awesome and make life that much easier.  Thanks to all my girls (all those that weren't with me this weekend also).

After coming home from the tupperware party, I was inspired.  I set to work organizing and cleaning out the pantry.  There was a bunch of stuff in there that I really needed to part with and tidy!  I am preparing for my oval storage containers!  Then I couldn't stop with the pantry so I went on to the fridge.  I felt much better falling asleep last night, like my clean pantry and fridge had much to do with my inner well being...it makes sense to me.

Church was perfectly wonderful this morning!  I am really being inspired by Jeremiah.  For those of you reading that don't know, our family started attending Woodsedge three weekends ago, and we are happy for now (not sure if we will check out other churches in the future before deciding on a new home)!  After church we headed to Oma and Gomer's house for some much needed family time!  It was a really good time, loud and chaotic, which tends to follow us wherever we go.  My uncle brought great news that her daughter (our cousin) is pregnant.  Congrats on the new little life!  Gomer's brunch was delicious as always.  We had a blast in the pool, where Reid showed off his water baby skills.  We must of been lucky with three adorable little guys that LOVE the water.  *forgive my IPhone photos, possibly more to come from Oma in the upcoming days...



And yes, there were others swimming, but I was enamored with a good swimming pic with the littlest boy...we had over 20 to choose from and still didn't get a perfect face from him, but I love them!  Thanks Aubs!



Isn't Reid the water baby just the craziest thing!  He is 10 1/2 months old here!

This evening we came home and Glenn took off to Home Depot...to get some more organizing tools for the kitchen!  I am a proud owner of three pull out drawers for the cabinets.  I am not sure if I have ever felt so put together.  Thanks hubby and yeah for the great weekend!

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Family Fun

One of the last days that Courtney and her family were here in June, we had a fun bbq and pool party!  Courtney, Lance, Emma, Lachlan and Christen, Colleen, Shep and Sarah!  It was filled with friendship and laughter, both by the grown ups and kids.  Friendships that pass through generations are so special and just make you smile to watch your little ones play and have a great time together.  After bed time (which for the big kids was a big sleepover upstairs) the big ones played in the pool and talked about everything grown up!

Courtney and her family stayed for breakfast the next morning, and all the kids rolled around playing even more on the living room floor!  It was loud, boisterous and chaotic, but it still made us smile!  We also managed to fit in a quick swim for the kids again!  Lachlan was thrilled with a toy truck~ a little different from the baby dolls that are around the house for his big sister!!!















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