tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81854341178508495082024-03-13T11:49:20.680-07:00Family of G'sCarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-51664482784508320302012-01-12T14:20:00.000-08:002012-01-12T14:20:51.239-08:00December- Part 2<strong><u>Nativity Walk</u></strong><br />
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A good friend told us about a Nativity Walk that was being put on by a small church in the area so we decided to take the girls. Our niece Olivia was spending the night with us so we thought it would be a fun activity to do with them.<br />
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After walking around to different rooms in the church and watching the story of Jesus' birth acted out, we were able to have some refreshments and the kids made some cute crafts. They had different stations set up in their church where the kids could go from table to table and create something Christmas-y. The first stop was a paper bag reindeer to hold all of their crafts. They made an ornament, a Christmas card and a snowflake. There was also a station for face painting, but the line was way too long so we decided to call it a night. For a free and safe activity for the kids, it turned out great and the girls had a great time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating cookies! (Naomi looks thrilled!)</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Gerry's Birthday</u></strong><br />
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Gerry's birthday has been falling on a day where Maria is already on Christmas break, so we have been making it a tradition to somehow find the time to spend it with him. Last year we tricked him into thinking he was meeting some business associates for a lunch meeting, and we were at the restaurant instead. This year, we couldn't really make it a surprise but we brought him and the rest of his office Subway sandwiches and cake, the girls each picked out a balloon, (Naomi's had to be a Cardinal balloon because she thought her daddy would love it. Good thing they had a few Cards balloons left.), and we picked out a special gift to keep on his desk at work. <br />
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The girls love going to their daddy's work. Everyone there is so nice and they treat them so special when they come running in. Maria goes immediately for the huge white board in Gerry's office and starts drawing and Naomi decided she loves wearing his "Call Center" headphones. I think she thinks she is a meteorologist with them on. She points to his globe and does an entire weather report. It's hilarious!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Willow Tree statue was his present. It's called "My Girls." He saw it once and said he would love to have that for his desk at work! It's perfect!</td></tr>
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<strong><u>Santa's Magical Kingdom</u></strong><br />
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Later that evening, on Gerry's birthday, we drove out to Santa's Magical Kingdom. This is also becoming a tradition for us as it was our 3rd year in a row! The first year we tried it, Naomi was a tiny baby in her infant seat and she slept through the whole thing. <br />
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Each time, we bundle the girls up and they get to bring a big blanket in the car. They get excited because they don't have to wear shoes (since we stay in the car the whole time.) Once we get there, I get the girls out of their car seats (I know...bad mom!) and let them sit on my lap with the window rolled all the way down. (It's hard to see out their tinted windows) We snuggle under the blankets and listen to Christmas music together. This is one of my absolute favorite Christmas activities that we do. I love to see their faces light up at all the silly scenes of Disney characters in lights, mischievous little elves, jumping reindeer, and a display of fireworks near the St. Louis arch. They oooh and aaahhh over every little thing! It's very exciting!<br />
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As always, when we get home we have hot chocolate and cookies!<br />
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What a great end to a fabulous day! A birthday party with cake, Christmas lights, hot chocolate and cookies...what more could a kid ask for?</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-51953416083151541042012-01-01T08:42:00.000-08:002012-01-01T08:43:23.334-08:00December - Part 1We spent a huge part of December doing lots of family things that included preparing for the holiday season. It was so awesome this year with both girls having a better understanding of Christmas, Santa and of course, baby Jesus. <br />
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I don't want to forget any of this so here is part 1 of the highlights of the month, for your viewing pleasure:<br />
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<u>Breakfast With Santa</u><br />
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Every year, Maria's school puts together a cute little breakfast filled with games, crafts, a book fair and the Big Man, himself. We love this party because the kids can see Santa, we can take as many pictures as we want and we don't have to wait in any lines at the mall.<br />
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<u>St. Nick's Day</u><br />
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On December 5th, the girls make sure to have their stockings out so St. Nick can fill them with goodies. The next morning, they get a little pre-quel to what Christmas will be like. St. Nick always brings them Christmas pajamas to wear on Christmas and this year he filled their stockings with some Littlest Pet Shop Pets, and of course, gelt. (which is what we call chocolate candy)<br />
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<u>Gerry's Work Party</u><br />
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I love this party because I don't get this dressed up very often. Check out Gerry's snowflake tie that matches my dress! Fancy...I know!<br />
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<u>Life Link Christmas Party</u><br />
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One of my favorite things about our church is their organization and promotion of Life Link small groups. This year, our group had a Christmas party where the kids decorated cookies, we ate tons of food and exchanged white elephant gifts. There were a lot of laughs and everyone had a great time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi sampling her creations.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maria's cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi's cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maria worked very hard on her cookies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerry got a cool musical tie and I got a head lamp!</td></tr>
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Stay tuned for part 2 of our December highlights!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-69967809896026309152011-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:002011-11-16T13:50:45.922-08:00Thankful for MomMy surgery would never even have been possible if it weren't for my mom. She really is the best! She took an entire week's vacation from her job to help us out. She spent the night at our house the night before my surgery and has stayed with us over an entire week. <br />
Besides cooking, my mom has done everything else around the house for us. I seriously don't know where I would be without her. She's amazing. She woke up early with the girls, gave them breakfast. I slept until 9-9:30 every day. When I woke up, she fixed me breakfast. She kept up with the dishes, she did our laundry, she's got Maria on and off the bus every day, put Naomi down for a nap and had a huge dinner for everyone by the time Gerry got home. Superwoman!<br />
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In the evenings, she played with the girls, cleaned up dinner, gave the kids a bath and helped with bedtime. I am so incredibly grateful for all of her help. She has helped my girls to go through the week without any interruptions in their schedule. She has brought stability to their lives and they are just crazy about her. She also made it possible for Gerry to work regular hours last week and do what he has to do at his job without having to worry (too much) about me and what's going on at home. That sense of security is priceless.<br />
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But most of all I was just thankful for her company and her emotional support. There are many times in a girl's life when she just really needs her mom...and this was definitely one of them for me. She was always there to give a back rub, or a foot rub, or just a hug. <br />
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She went back home on Friday and I cried when she left. I know she is just a phone call away but I really did appreciate everything she did for us and I was very sad she was leaving. <br />
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So mom- if you're reading this...thanks and I love you! And boy I sure do miss your fried eggs!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GauFaN3ko7k/TsQwHE2VABI/AAAAAAAAYV4/1_TLKbyuagA/s1600/P1070860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GauFaN3ko7k/TsQwHE2VABI/AAAAAAAAYV4/1_TLKbyuagA/s320/P1070860.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-26708119048696621342011-11-11T11:26:00.000-08:002011-11-11T11:26:16.013-08:00Days 6,7 and 8!<strong><u>Wednesday and Thursday</u></strong><br />
These days were kind of blurred together. No major changes. The pain changed again, but never really got unmanageable, and for that I am so thankful!<br />
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I'm still surviving on chicken noodle soup, ramen noodles, jello, fried eggs and instant mashed potatoes. My mom made chicken parmasan on Wednesday night and I was so hungry I made a plate for myself. I thought I would at least be able to eat little bites of chicken and some noodles. I got to the table and everyone was eating and I tried so hard to join them...but it hurt too bad. Even the noodles. It would take me so long to chew up a tiny bite of chicken that it just wasn't worth it. So I just started crying. <br />
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I can't even explain this overwhelming feeling of not being able to eat normal food. My stomach is growling, the smells are making my mouth water and watching everyone else around me eat is just plain torture. In my mind, I think I can handle it, but then I start chewing and it takes so much energy and it is painful to chew because I can 't move my tongue around in my mouth like normal. It's exhausting to chew because I'm concentrating on it so much and by the time I swallow a tiny mashed up bite...the satisfaction is not there. I mean, what am I thinking. I just had a tonsillectomy less than a week ago and I think chicken parmasan is a good idea???<br />
<br />
It's so weird. I've never felt this way about eating before. I miss everything about it.<br />
<br />
Wednesday night, I was already for bed...excited that I could lay my pillow down a little more flat since some of the swelling has subsided. After I dozed off for a few minutes, I woke up coughing violently!. It felt as though a tiny piece of yarn was dangling in the back of my throat. I kept coughing and coughing, almost feeling like I was going to throw up. This had to be the most painful and scary part of the whole week yet. After I calmed down and was able to drink some water, I looked in my throat with a flash light. There it was...a huge piece of yellowish gray scab hanging down. Gross, I know. At 11:00 at night, the scabs start to fall off. <br />
<br />
Needless to say, neither Gerry or I got much sleep that night. I coughed a lot the next day, but thankfully the tickly feeling subsided. <br />
<br />
Thursday was a big day for me. I ate a piece of Imo's cheese pizza! It took me about 45 minutes, but by golly! I finished it! <br />
<br />
The scabs are continuing to come off, but it's not nearly as painful as I have read about. I think it helps that I am drinking water constantly throughout the day. Waking in the middle of the night and first thing in the morning is the worst, but once I have a few sips of water, it starts to feel better.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Friday</u></strong><br />
<br />
One week post op and I am feeling pretty decent. My mom got Naomi off to school this morning with no problems. When her and Maria got home, they made chocolate chip cookies and more jello for me. <br />
<br />
For lunch, I ate an entire bologna and cheese sandwich. Yay me!!! I smushed it down really good and just took my time. I followed each bite with a drink of water but it tasted so good!<br />
<br />
In sad news, today is my mom's last day. Once Gerry gets off work, he will be on vacation all next week. We will miss her for sure and we appreciate everything she has done for us this week. Couldn't have done it without her!!!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-19585145006970950452011-11-10T14:15:00.000-08:002011-11-10T14:15:58.701-08:00First 5K!I'm tired of talking tonsillectomy! <br />
<br />
Back in September, my best friend, Erin, and I ran our first 5K race. We started training for it in June. Running has been a huge part of the reason I have not been a very good blogger lately. It takes a lot of planning and coordinating with Gerry and leaves little room for much else. At the end of the day I needed to decide...run or blog? And this summer, running won.<br />
<br />
Both of my sisters-in-law, Kelly and Laura, have been a huge inspiration to me. They have been running for a long time time now and I have been saying for while that I really need to do that. In June 2011, the rubber finally hit the road and I started. I used the iPod app "Couch to 5K" to get me started. I was pretty athletic in my younger years. I was always playing a sport in high school...soccer, softball. But I've never run just to run. I will admit it was hard to get going but having an awesome running partner helped a lot.<br />
<br />
And on September 17th all our hard work paid off. Erin and I ran the Alzheimer's Association 5K which was in downtown St. Louis. The starting line (and finish line) was right outside Busch Stadium.<br />
<br />
Our final time was something like 40:11, but then later found out that the course was mapped wrong. Instead of running 3.1 miles, we ran more like 3.9 miles. So we actually ran a 10.3 minute mile, which was pretty good for our first race. (We actually ran another one in October...will post on that soon!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls and Erin at 5:30 am! Ready to go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wonderful, supportive husband and myself before the race!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggled up in the wagon getting ready to watch the race.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cheering section! So cute!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are on the home stretch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the finish line!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission accomplished!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-84280510861395359582011-11-08T18:03:00.000-08:002011-11-08T18:03:41.744-08:00Day 4 & 5<b><u>Monday</u></b><br />
The days are getting harder. The pain is changing. One day, the pain feels like a terrible sore throat. The next, the pain is more in my ears and jaws. Sometimes it's a dull, achy feeling. Other times it is very sharp and intense.<br />
<br />
I rolled out of bed around 9 am again. This was Gerry's first day back to work so I was a little worried about how things would go. My mom is still here taking care of the girls. They were actually pretty good most of the morning. <br />
<br />
I tried to eat some scrambled eggs again, but just couldn't do it. I can't seem to get my mouth open wide enough to chew. It hurts too much to try. So my mom made me some watered down oatmeal. It hit the spot!<br />
<br />
I have been taking my pain medicine pretty regularly, every 4 hours. After I got out of the shower last night, I noticed a rash developing on my chest and shoulders. It was a little itchy. Gerry talked to the doctor and she suggested it might be an allergic reaction to the antibiotic I am taking. So she told me to stop taking that and try a benadryl. That knocked me out for most of the night. However I did wake up a few times very sweaty and itchy during the night.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Tuesday</u></b><br />
So after an uncomfortable night, I woke this morning to discover the rash had spread to the back of my neck and most of my trunk. I was very itchy and uncomfortable. My mom talked to the doctor again and she said it was probably a reaction to the pain medicine. Great. Now I can't even take that! So my next dose of the percocet was supposed to be at 10 am, and I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen instead. I can rotate that every 4 hours with 1000 mg of Tylenol. I can't switch to any other pain pills because everything contains codeine, and that's what I am probably allergic to.<br />
<br />
I ate some oatmeal again, and more jello. I've been using the ice pack on my neck which feels really good. By the middle of the day, I was actually able to talk a little better. My jaws didn't hurt as bad and my tongue wasn't as swollen. Then my mom suggested that maybe the pain medicine was causing my mouth to be more swollen that it would have been normally. This made sense, since I have had allergic reactions to other medicines in the past and it has affected my tongue and mouth. As the day went on, my head felt more clear. The rash began to go away and I realized just how crappy the percocet was making me feel. <br />
<br />
My throat still hurts from the surgery, like bad tonsillitis, but the rest of my mouth feels better in general, since everything isn't so swollen. Maybe the rash was a blessing in disguise?<br />
<br />
For dinner tonight I was able to eat a fried egg with a piece of soft bread, some small bites of canned fruit and a very small piece of a soft cinnamon roll. Gerry said it felt as though I was "back", he said he kind of missed me. So I guess I was acting really drugged up!<br />
<br />
So I'm still waiting for the pain to become unbearable...when the scabs fall off. Especially now that I'm not taking anything heavy duty for the pain. I'm praying that I will be able to handle the worst without going crazy.Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-71701051062259145922011-11-07T10:55:00.000-08:002011-11-07T10:55:19.063-08:00Day 3: SundayThis was by far, my worst day so far. I slept terribly and woke up feeling stiff all over. I can't find a comfortable position to sleep and these pain pills are giving me some weird dreams.<br />
<br />
I got out of bed around 9 and I was so hungry! My mom made me some scrambled eggs and I asked her to make 2. I couldn't wait to get them in my tummy. However, it was a big disappointment. My tongue is very swollen and I could barely taste them. It took so much work to chew the tiny little pieces in to tinier pieces and the jaw pain I am starting to have didn't make that easier. By the time I was finished, I maybe ate half of one egg. I wanted to eat more but just couldn't get the strength to chew. I did have some more jello, though. Not sick of that yet.<br />
<br />
Gerry took the girls to church and then down to see his parents. My mom went home for a few hours and I was able to find a comfy spot on the couch and rest for a while. Later on, Erin came by to visit. I warned her that I was so crabby, but she brought a funny movie that made me laugh a little.<br />
<br />
After the movie, while everyone was eating dinner (pizza, lasagna and veggies) I was feeling terrible. If it didn't hurt so much to cry, I would have been crying. My ears are starting to hurt again, my jaws hurt....just everything. It's so frustrating not to be able to talk or eat too. That makes me extra crabby.<br />
<br />
I did manage to eat some ramen noodles, some very thin instant mashed potatoes and drink some Ensures today so I consider that a very small victory.<br />
<br />
Here's to a light at the end of this tunnel!!!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-66372380263478490662011-11-06T17:22:00.000-08:002011-11-06T17:22:40.342-08:00Tonsillectomy: Day 2, SaturdayI slept on and off most of the night, waking to take my pain meds and re position myself. I know I woke Gerry a few times, but I was able to get up and get more water and ice packs for myself. <br />
<br />
I woke up around 9:00 am and decided I wanted some coffee. I let it cool to room temperature and it tasted so good. The rest of my breakfast consisted of apricot and berry blue jello...yum!<br />
<br />
My mom decided to take the girls to the park and have a picnic, so the house was nice and quiet after 11. I watched a movie while Gerry took a nap. They all got back home around 1:30. I felt good enough to take a shower, then I was worn out so I took more pain pills and went back to bed around 3. I woke up to the wonderful aroma of a pork roast, mashed potatoes and veggies, which made my stomach growl. I was very woozy still so my mom brought me a cup of chicken noodle soup and some tea. I was so excited to be able to swallow the noodles. It made me feel so much better just to have something solid in my tummy.<br />
<br />
The pain was probably the worst is has been when I woke from that afternoon nap. I am beginning to dread going to sleep, although I am so tired. It takes so long to get comfortable, then I wake myself up from snoring, choking or coughing. I keep sipping on water every chance I get so my throat doesn't dry out. I put off going to sleep until 11 so I could take my pain pill and crash.<br />
<br />
Before the girls went to bed, I was treated to an arm/hand massage by Maria and my mom. It felt so nice. Maria is being so cute. She continues to hug me and tell me how much she loves me. I try to mouth the words back to her or give her the sign in sign language because I really can't talk at this point. When I do, it sounds and feels like I have a throat full of cotton. <br />
<br />
If the pain stays like this, it is manageable. But I have a feeling it's going to get worse. I am trying to just take one day at a time and I will hopefully come out of this with some great benefits.Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-66058029495471658622011-11-05T08:32:00.000-07:002011-11-05T08:32:02.726-07:00Tonsillectomy: Surgery Day/ Day 1I know it's been a while since I have posted, but I wanted to document my journey into this thing called "Adult Tonsillectomy."<br />
<br />
I first saw my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor 5 years ago and getting my tonsils out was recommended. At the time, I really wanted to have a family and was actively trying to get pregnant so there just wasn't any way I could have the surgery.<br />
<br />
Fast forward 5 years, my throat issues never went away and I began getting tonsillitis more and more. So I decided to take the plunge.<br />
<br />
My doctor explained that adult tonsillectomy is a routine surgery but the recovery can be brutal. She told me to expect to be out of commission for at least 2 weeks. She knew I had two young daughters and recommended I get help taking care of them because I wouldn't be able to do regular household stuff, no picking them up, no yelling, no chasing them around, etc.<br />
<br />
So, with the help of my mom, Gerry and I picked a date for surgery. My mom decided to take off the first week post surgery and Gerry would take off the second.<br />
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<b><u>Surgery Day: November 4th, 2011</u></b><br />
<br />
The morning of surgery, I had to be at the hospital at 6:00 am, surgery was at 8:00am. We got there bright and early and were excited to see that Gerry's Aunt Terri was my pre-op and post-op nurse. She did every thing she could to take extra special care of us. I was very nervous, especially about getting an IV, since I hadn't had anything injected into my veins since July '10 when I got a blood clot. But the nurses were very understanding of my fears and with a little numbing medication, I had the most painless IV ever.<br />
<br />
After the doctor came in to say hi and tell us everyone was ready, I started crying. I was so scared of the initial pain I would feel upon waking up. Just knowing that my throat was going to be shredded (I watched a lot of youtube videos, believe me) I knew it was going to be miserable. Luckily they gave me a nice little something in my IV to relive some anxiety. The anesthesiologist had warned me that a lot of people wake up with extreme nausea and even vomit sometimes. Wow. If there's ever a bad time to vomit, it's got to be right after your tonsils come out, right? So I was worried about that as well.<br />
<br />
Gerry was awesome. He prayed with me which was very reassuring and helped calm my fears. He even teared up a little when I did. His face was the last thing I saw as they wheeled me off to surgery.<br />
<br />
I remember going into the OR, moving over to the operating table, and even talking to my doctor a little bit about the first time I came to see her. The next thing I knew they were waking me up slowly, telling me the surgery was over. I was kind of mad that they woke me because I was having a very nice dream about Maria and I playing on the grass. It was very realistic. I was sitting and she was running around me laughing. I would see her sweet little smile and her little eyes looking through her glasses. She was wearing a yellow shirt.<br />
<br />
Then I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't. I didn't realize where I was, then the recovery nurse asked if I wanted pain medicine. I couldn't feel any pain, but I nodded my head yes. After some time, my ears and jaws started hurting. More like pressure when landing on an airplane. SO I pointed to them, and she gave me some more pain meds. Eventually, I ate a few ice chips and was able to keep my eyes open. But there was never any nausea, which I was so thankful! After laying there for about an hour, they wheeled me back to my post-op room where Gerry was there smiling, waiting for me.<br />
<br />
The pain so far has been manageable. Everything that I've read and everyone I've talked to says the worst is yet to come, but we'll see. I'm taking my pain meds every 4 hours, using ice packs on my neck, drinking lots of water, eating jell-o. I had chicken broth for dinner which tasted so good.<br />
<br />
Right now, it hurts to talk, yawn, open my mouth wide, or when I take too big of a drink of water. When I swallow, it feels like a medium-bad sore throat.<br />
<br />
The scabs are already forming on the back of my throat. They say it gets bad around days 3-5 when they start to fall off.<br />
<br />
I was able to sleep for about 2 hours at a time the first night. I had to lay propped up on my side. If I tried to lay on my back, the swelling was too much and I couldn't breath out of my mouth.<br />
<br />
My family has been incredible so far. My mom and Gerry are taking care of me and my kids so all I really have to do is rest.<br />
<br />
Here's to a speedy recovery!!!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-10252584372314850102011-09-20T16:46:00.000-07:002011-09-20T16:46:05.924-07:00Maria's 4th Birthday Party<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Party Crew</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had Maria's birthday party at the Little Gym this year. The workers do everything for your partry... stamping and mailing out the invites, decorating, goody bags and planned activities. All we had to do was provide the cake. Since Maria wanted to invite all her school friends, I thought this was the perfect place to have her first "friends" birthday party.</div><br />
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Many of the kids from her class came, along with her cousins, Olivia, Dominic and Hailey. Several other family friends came including baby Hannah, Kayla and Samuel. The party was a huge success and Maria had a blast. The Little Gym teachers kept the kids busy playing pirate games, jumping on the air-track, sliding, dancing and hide and seek. The kids were worn out!<br />
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We could not have been happier with the way it turned out. I think she truly loved having her friends and family there to celebrate with her while also getting to run around and be crazy! We will definitely consider doing it again in the years to come! (As a side note...it was great not having all that mess in my house! Ha!)<br />
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I took a lot of pictures that day and so did my brother so enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Track fun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Hannah loved the slide!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grandmas</td></tr>
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</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-89851909306894164352011-09-08T11:56:00.000-07:002011-09-08T11:56:50.140-07:00Summer Recap- Part 2The next day of Gerry's vacation, Hailey couldn't be with us so the girls were a little disappointed about that. However, we tried to make the best of it by taking them to the Butterfly House in Faust Park, along with having a picnic in the park and riding the carousel. It turned out to be a beautiful day, which was a good thing because the Butterfly House tends to be very humid and we didn't need any extra humidity.<br />
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The girls seemed excited to go, but once we got in the actual house of butterflies, Maria freaked out a little. There are literally butterflies flying around everywhere. Some land on your back, in your hair and anywhere else they can land, They are all different shapes and sizes. I guess Maria didn't anticipate so many would be flying around her head and feet. Gerry carried her part of the way and she was kicking at the ones by her feet. This is not recommended due to the fact that the butterflies are so delicate. The workers even instruct you not to touch them at all so you don't damage their wings. So kicking them...probably not so great either! It was hard trying to explain that to Maria because she was scared. Naomi, on the other hand, didn't mind at all...she wanted to hold them and kiss them all. It's amazing how two sisters can be so different.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rB3_G66qgRk/TmkIqMpLiNI/AAAAAAAAYQI/DgmTXhWVsAM/s1600/P1070967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rB3_G66qgRk/TmkIqMpLiNI/AAAAAAAAYQI/DgmTXhWVsAM/s320/P1070967.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HgJm2ER1EEw/TmkIr_YbyHI/AAAAAAAAYQM/O43U3CR16_Y/s1600/P1070970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HgJm2ER1EEw/TmkIr_YbyHI/AAAAAAAAYQM/O43U3CR16_Y/s320/P1070970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She's trying so hard not to touch that one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FDjNuD6RX0k/TmkItprkaII/AAAAAAAAYQQ/8UihVHQMGEA/s1600/P1070972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FDjNuD6RX0k/TmkItprkaII/AAAAAAAAYQQ/8UihVHQMGEA/s320/P1070972.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The next day, we had Hailey back with us and we headed out to the St. Louis Science Center. Although the Science Center itself tends to be for kids a little older than ours, we were excited to see the movie showing at the Omnimax theater - Sea Rex- The Largest Underwater Dinosaur - or something like that.<br />
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The movie was okay. Again, a little mature for my kids but they liked the theater and the experience of it. For lunch we headed to a different part of town to visit St. Louis' famous Crown Candy Kitchen, one of the nations oldest surviving soda fountains. This place gets so much hype we just had to try it out. It's not in the best neighborhood and the line was out the door when we arrived at 1:00 on a random Wednesday afternoon so we figured it had to be worth the wait. And we waited, and we waited...with two small tired kids in a very tiny cramped line. Needless to say, we were thrilled when it was our turn to sit down. The sandwiches were okay, but the ice cream/malts everyone raves about didn't disappoint! We couldn't leave without getting some gummy worms at the candy shop, either! It was quite the experience, but I'm not in any hurry to go back. Maybe without my kids???<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G48opHrTsgI/TmkM37pEmmI/AAAAAAAAYQk/xgV5PspOXTU/s1600/P1070993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G48opHrTsgI/TmkM37pEmmI/AAAAAAAAYQk/xgV5PspOXTU/s400/P1070993.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Standing in a T-Rex footprint</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eIRXmpP71LY/TmkM7RNZXeI/AAAAAAAAYQo/RUw8O0JC9as/s1600/P1070995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eIRXmpP71LY/TmkM7RNZXeI/AAAAAAAAYQo/RUw8O0JC9as/s320/P1070995.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Thursday was our biggest day of the week...the one Gerry and I were most excited about: Raging Rivers Water Park! It was a long drive up to Grafton, Illinois and we couldn't wait until the girls saw the slides and fun that awaited them.<br />
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However, once again, our kids were a little freaked out. It was a long process from the car to the ticket line, paying for a locker, dragging our gear around, changing in to swim suits, getting sunscreen on everyone. We were there for 45 minutes before we were even ready to get in the water. The park is huge and has many different attractions: lazy river, pool and slides for little kids, wave pool and many different varieties of slides for bigger kids and adults. So we parked our wagon in the Itty Bitty Surf City and edged our girls near the water. They both started crying. Okay...I'm dripping with sweat and we just payed a ton of money to get everyone in here...and you guys are crying? I was getting so frustrated. But I think everything was just so overwhelming for them. Huge buckets of water were dumping over eveyr few minutes, a thousand kids were screaming and splashing and the water was cold. Really cold.<br />
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Eventually we found a spot that was not as chaotic and the girls got more comfortable with everything...including the water. They had fun slides that landed in about 2 inches of water. I felt bad for Hailey because I knew she wanted to do some of the bigger slides and the wave pool but it was hard for Gerry or I to be alone with both girls because they kept running off in different directions. Eventually Gerry went down a few slides with Hailey and we did the wave pool several times. At the very end, Hailey and I went down a long winding flume-like slide, and we saw parents going down with their small children. The lifeguard said it was allowed so we went back and got Gerry and the girls. The way down and back up was very long and the ground was hot on our feet, but I think going down that big slide was everyone's favorite part. Maria sat on Gerry's lap and Naomi rode with me. All I remember was Naomi just giggling the whole way down. Of course they had their water floaty things on, but it was hard to keep their heads above water when we landed in the pool at the bottom. I wish we knew they were allowed to ride it and we may have gone several more times. Oh well...there's always next year!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vggJg2HPxAc/TmkNUY16C8I/AAAAAAAAYRA/2I8Cz8iq_bk/s1600/P1080005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vggJg2HPxAc/TmkNUY16C8I/AAAAAAAAYRA/2I8Cz8iq_bk/s320/P1080005.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfQOyPQ8EQ/TmkNYyNyvGI/AAAAAAAAYRM/-Cl9kEJFlGE/s1600/P1080012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfQOyPQ8EQ/TmkNYyNyvGI/AAAAAAAAYRM/-Cl9kEJFlGE/s320/P1080012.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HkyLJk6l-I/TmkNZ__zlJI/AAAAAAAAYRQ/PPV2epf9ZV8/s1600/P1080018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HkyLJk6l-I/TmkNZ__zlJI/AAAAAAAAYRQ/PPV2epf9ZV8/s320/P1080018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This pic is one of my favorites!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zkIz9s6qsEE/TmkNcLjR-SI/AAAAAAAAYRU/kkOxDAgUofc/s1600/P1080022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zkIz9s6qsEE/TmkNcLjR-SI/AAAAAAAAYRU/kkOxDAgUofc/s320/P1080022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">Maria figured out if she leaned back, she would go a lot faster!</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-88644114628548260932011-08-23T08:20:00.000-07:002011-08-23T08:20:46.722-07:00Summer Recap - Part 1The summer has been very busy and with Maria home everyday<em> not</em> napping, it has been a little more difficult to update on a regular basis. Even on the days both the girls napped, I just felt like vegging out and reading or watching TV. I've been been pretty exhausted lately with my new hobby (more on that later), and with out recent membership to Netflix, I have found a new guilty pleasure - the show Brothers & Sisters. I know it was cancelled after the 5th season, which just ended in May, and I'm sad about that. However, I'm right in the middle of season 3 and determined to finish the series. Then I guess I will let Gerry cancel Netflix because it hasn't been as fantastic as we thought it would be. Actually, it was a big disappointment, besides Brothers & Sisters. <br />
Anyway, here is our summer, mostly in pictures. Here is all the stuff I wanted to blog about but just couldn't find the time. Hopefully, now that Maria is back in school, I will get a little more time to myself and more time to update.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Vi8ztabEdk/TlPBCsb4GVI/AAAAAAAAYOY/Wu8_tYdcT5g/s1600/P1070867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Vi8ztabEdk/TlPBCsb4GVI/AAAAAAAAYOY/Wu8_tYdcT5g/s320/P1070867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Spent a day at the pool with Uncle Jeff & Aunt Kelly</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AlxW_eaCmfY/TlPBKGeCp4I/AAAAAAAAYOg/dJ0VGSDWoKM/s1600/P1070873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AlxW_eaCmfY/TlPBKGeCp4I/AAAAAAAAYOg/dJ0VGSDWoKM/s320/P1070873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Took Naomi to her first movie - Cars 2. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">At the end of June, Gerry took some vacation time from work and we spent the whole week doing fun stuff around St. Louis. We were lucky enough to have our niece Hailey join us. On Monday, we spent the day at the Magic House.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T7VxOXH5BZQ/TlPBVsKFWbI/AAAAAAAAYOk/AuasueawB9c/s1600/P1070888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T7VxOXH5BZQ/TlPBVsKFWbI/AAAAAAAAYOk/AuasueawB9c/s320/P1070888.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf7vSJ7myL4/TlPBcsqvZAI/AAAAAAAAYOo/5XDYBfNUPts/s1600/P1070893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf7vSJ7myL4/TlPBcsqvZAI/AAAAAAAAYOo/5XDYBfNUPts/s320/P1070893.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Alice, Naomi, Maria & Cheshire Cat</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LKMD4K0JG4/TlPBikpgZ0I/AAAAAAAAYOw/3NR5KHhDUiw/s1600/P1070901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LKMD4K0JG4/TlPBikpgZ0I/AAAAAAAAYOw/3NR5KHhDUiw/s320/P1070901.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Climbing down the beanstalk.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjb5Ri_bM60/TlPBus-XGOI/AAAAAAAAYO4/35VPohIvxJE/s1600/P1070907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjb5Ri_bM60/TlPBus-XGOI/AAAAAAAAYO4/35VPohIvxJE/s320/P1070907.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Hailey & Naomi working construction.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEoYvHEtVCw/TlPB2PERH8I/AAAAAAAAYPA/YEEf78UHcFU/s1600/P1070912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEoYvHEtVCw/TlPB2PERH8I/AAAAAAAAYPA/YEEf78UHcFU/s320/P1070912.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Maria built this wall all by herself!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jPJMPKxlUM/TlPB7B0KX6I/AAAAAAAAYPM/39gUWNOt9hM/s1600/P1070921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--jPJMPKxlUM/TlPB7B0KX6I/AAAAAAAAYPM/39gUWNOt9hM/s320/P1070921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Judge Hailey Lynn presiding.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9lcgz4lJeo/TlPB-8Hl7_I/AAAAAAAAYPQ/J46DHzYBbxI/s1600/P1070932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9lcgz4lJeo/TlPB-8Hl7_I/AAAAAAAAYPQ/J46DHzYBbxI/s320/P1070932.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Someone needs to explain to the new mom what a bulb syringe is really for...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUCkNgc96Us/TlPCC4rUppI/AAAAAAAAYPU/QVwOzZMmhq4/s1600/P1070935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUCkNgc96Us/TlPCC4rUppI/AAAAAAAAYPU/QVwOzZMmhq4/s320/P1070935.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Here we almost had a lesson in anatomy...luckily she just put the diaper back on without asking questions.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y3ztjAosp9Y/TlPCHLyE4MI/AAAAAAAAYPY/ymmF6XDtNhM/s1600/P1070937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y3ztjAosp9Y/TlPCHLyE4MI/AAAAAAAAYPY/ymmF6XDtNhM/s320/P1070937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Oh it's so hard being a new mom!!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcOvq7Uxr-E/TlPCJ3iAk9I/AAAAAAAAYPc/6Aj_BOb82Do/s1600/P1070940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcOvq7Uxr-E/TlPCJ3iAk9I/AAAAAAAAYPc/6Aj_BOb82Do/s320/P1070940.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Static Ball!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRsr7ZnGsic/TlPCOK9Q6OI/AAAAAAAAYPk/lGjjwmRLff0/s1600/P1070942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRsr7ZnGsic/TlPCOK9Q6OI/AAAAAAAAYPk/lGjjwmRLff0/s320/P1070942.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tIDc8W2xbZs/TlPCRoOh1jI/AAAAAAAAYPo/idEmggZyM0I/s1600/P1070943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tIDc8W2xbZs/TlPCRoOh1jI/AAAAAAAAYPo/idEmggZyM0I/s320/P1070943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Love these girls ~ Love this family!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fSW5PUjyzwI/TlPCWd20bmI/AAAAAAAAYPs/7BnFlsbk94s/s1600/P1070944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fSW5PUjyzwI/TlPCWd20bmI/AAAAAAAAYPs/7BnFlsbk94s/s320/P1070944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More to come!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stay tuned!</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-59551843559273149482011-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:002011-07-05T06:00:14.993-07:00Pool fun, School Picnic and Birdie's Birthday!This summer is going by so quickly! We have been doing a lot of fun things with the girls, including lots of swimming! And YES to all those wondering ...I am venturing outside in the sun these days. We've invested in some expensive swimming suits and are going through boat loads of sunscreen...but the point is we're having fun!<br />
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We have a little inftatable pool that the girls have been splashing in! I put it ou on the deck, and by 2:30-3:00, it's mostly shaded. The girls don't like the freezing water, but it's better than staying inside!.<br />
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We also took the girls to our niece Hailey's school picnic to introduce them to carnival rides! First the girls rode on the little cars that go around in a cirlce. That was fun for them. Then we did the spinning apple ride and they just laughed through the whole thing. Maria rode the scrambler with Aunt Kelly and Hailey! She sat in the middle and from the looks of it, she was having a blast. Then we decided to go on the ferris wheel. Again, Maria rode with Kelly and Hailey and I took Naomi by myself. WOW! Did I feel old....and SCARED. I used to love those things when I was a kid, but being up there with my 2 year old daughter, knowing that my other daughter was riding it as well almost sent me into a panic attack. I had my arm around Naomi and was gripping her so tight she was trying to push my hand away. But the little squirt only weighs 23 pounds...I didn't want her to float away!!! Seriously though...I was scared. Once the ride started actually moving, I felt better and Naom,i loved it. She didn't want to get off. <br />
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We also rode the big slide as a family. That was pretty fun too. The weather was beautiful for a school picnic and the girls had so much fun! Can't wait to go next year.<br />
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On June 19th, we celebrated my mom's birthday. Jeff and Kelly bar-b-qued pork steaks, corn on the cob, and we had salad and guacamole dip. I am obsessed with guacamole lately. I just can't get enough of it! The girls decorated coffee mugs for my mom and were excited because they know she drinks coffee in the morning! We danced and sang and played with balloons! It was a fun afternoon! Happy Birthday Grandma Birdie! Hope you enjoyed it!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NuDP46s0o9Q/Tg4oIRkE4kI/AAAAAAAAYN4/-L0ovI2HmCw/s1600/P1070865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NuDP46s0o9Q/Tg4oIRkE4kI/AAAAAAAAYN4/-L0ovI2HmCw/s320/P1070865.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-68430760829712206402011-07-03T06:01:00.000-07:002011-07-03T06:01:01.224-07:00Karen & John's WeddingOn June 4th, 2011 my sister-in-law Karen (Gerry's sister) got married. She finally tied the knot with her high school sweet-heart, John. We were so excited for both of them and couldn't wait for this day to come. Maria, Naomi, and their cousin Olivia were flower girls, and our nephew Dominic was the ring bearer. Gerry and I were also in the wedding so it was a crazy day for all of us, but we had so much fun.<br />
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The night before the wedding, our other sister-in-law, Laura, and I spent the night with Karen. As soon as we woke up, the preparations began. I got hair and make up done, then Gerry brought the girls over. Maria was so excited to have her hair done...she felt just like a princess. Naomi did a great job, too. I can't believe both of them sat so still while getting their hair curled and twisted and put up with bobby pins. They were both so good!<br />
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The ceremony was gorgeous and everything went pretty smooth. All the little kids walked down the isle and seemed to be a big hit with the crowd. Apparently, after Maria and Olivia were throwing petals down, Naomi was going behind them and picking them up and putting them back in her basket. So sweet.<br />
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</div>We went to several different places to get pictures taken and had a blast on the bus, despite the scorching hot weather. Once the reception started, the girls boogied the night away on the dance floor. Naomi was still shaking it at 10 pm, and that was without a nap!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QlAzsi5sAy4/Tg4fi2jp24I/AAAAAAAAYME/RMPlP4qgiTQ/s1600/P1070754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QlAzsi5sAy4/Tg4fi2jp24I/AAAAAAAAYME/RMPlP4qgiTQ/s320/P1070754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Everything turned out beautifully and we were all so honored to be a part of John and Karen's special day!<br />
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<div align="center">Congratulations Karen & John!!!</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-ZTStC1xYE/Tg4gMiDDZhI/AAAAAAAAYMI/2cyXcb0lgB8/s1600/P1070645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-ZTStC1xYE/Tg4gMiDDZhI/AAAAAAAAYMI/2cyXcb0lgB8/s400/P1070645.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-65634471938277030452011-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-01T12:00:47.579-07:00A Day of LastsMaria's last day of school and her last day of Little Gym fell on the same day, May 26th. It was kind of a big deal to her since she had been in a routine of going to school 4 days a week since August and going to Little Gym since January. We had been explaining to her that she was going to be on summer vacation from both and we wanted to make a big deal out of her accomplishments. She will be attending the same pre-school in the fall and she will also be starting up at the Little Gym again, as well. <br />
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It was a typical morning at our house until lunch time when Gerry surprised Maria by coming home early. He wanted to see her off to school on her last day. She was very excited about that. She was also excited that her daddy got to put her on the bus since I was usually the one who did it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwP1uW_pQUw/Tg4Wy1pe9FI/AAAAAAAAYI0/cOwCdm9a9F0/s1600/P1070512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwP1uW_pQUw/Tg4Wy1pe9FI/AAAAAAAAYI0/cOwCdm9a9F0/s320/P1070512.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pram3QoZwCE/Tg4W0qvAt6I/AAAAAAAAYI4/A7Jx_60sGu0/s1600/P1070515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pram3QoZwCE/Tg4W0qvAt6I/AAAAAAAAYI4/A7Jx_60sGu0/s320/P1070515.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-YaJKtvN9U/Tg4W38aiA_I/AAAAAAAAYI8/Df1Afx5Cmk0/s1600/P1070516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-YaJKtvN9U/Tg4W38aiA_I/AAAAAAAAYI8/Df1Afx5Cmk0/s320/P1070516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFlAszFvq5M/Tg4W53Yg2vI/AAAAAAAAYJA/vYyrOF3xRuc/s1600/P1070526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFlAszFvq5M/Tg4W53Yg2vI/AAAAAAAAYJA/vYyrOF3xRuc/s320/P1070526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgkne8amkbs/Tg4W8-QuFXI/AAAAAAAAYJE/UjLtRVHnqdw/s1600/P1070531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fgkne8amkbs/Tg4W8-QuFXI/AAAAAAAAYJE/UjLtRVHnqdw/s320/P1070531.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Waiting for the bus.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-39hFHRpa4/Tg4XBNMMhDI/AAAAAAAAYJI/Ziy1edxpjCw/s1600/P1070532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-39hFHRpa4/Tg4XBNMMhDI/AAAAAAAAYJI/Ziy1edxpjCw/s320/P1070532.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">Getting on the bus one last time!</div><div align="center"></div>Maria came home to a few more surprises. When her bus pulled up the street we were all standing on the porch holding balloons! Even more exciting was the cookie cake waiting inside for her. She didn't know what to think about it all. When she got off the bus she asked "Is it my birthday?"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zthQsj7cvrM/Tg4XDJ-ae0I/AAAAAAAAYJM/ZwYkCW9WII0/s1600/P1070539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zthQsj7cvrM/Tg4XDJ-ae0I/AAAAAAAAYJM/ZwYkCW9WII0/s320/P1070539.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Naomi waiting for her sister to get home!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJfQzw0gkGM/Tg4XFBLsXdI/AAAAAAAAYJQ/FOS5JK5Y8GE/s1600/P1070543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJfQzw0gkGM/Tg4XFBLsXdI/AAAAAAAAYJQ/FOS5JK5Y8GE/s320/P1070543.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Maria with her awesome bus driver Miss Cindy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hx1oc-JuRkk/Tg4XGR_iTqI/AAAAAAAAYJU/Hz6bQd9G08A/s1600/P1070546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hx1oc-JuRkk/Tg4XGR_iTqI/AAAAAAAAYJU/Hz6bQd9G08A/s320/P1070546.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-23vFQy7LinU/Tg4XHgcnoGI/AAAAAAAAYJY/yXbasuUiz6Q/s1600/P1070548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-23vFQy7LinU/Tg4XHgcnoGI/AAAAAAAAYJY/yXbasuUiz6Q/s320/P1070548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wLxYvtH9f9o/Tg4XI-EwLII/AAAAAAAAYJc/l4K90nejzM0/s1600/P1070550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wLxYvtH9f9o/Tg4XI-EwLII/AAAAAAAAYJc/l4K90nejzM0/s320/P1070550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Do I have anything in my teeth?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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We just explained to her that we were so proud of her completing her first year of pre-school, and we were proud of all the hard work she had done over the past year. She was so cute and so excited about the whole day. She also told me it was a good thing she was wearing a skirt since she got balloons and a cake! Ha ha! She cracks me up!<br />
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After dinner we headed up to the Little Gym for her final class of the year. The actual last day for the class and the Final Performance was the following Thursday, but we were all going to be at Maria's Aunt Karen's rehearsal dinner, so we made this night special for her. I took a lot of video of the things she's learned. She has really come along way in this class, as well. She wouldn't try the balance beam at first and wouldn't hang from the bars, but now she's all about it! Since she wasn't going to be there on the official last day, they awarded her with her medal, and she was so excited about that!<br />
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Here are a few pics of her last day!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yoyhtzYyzIU/Tg4XippFDRI/AAAAAAAAYJk/YEW81ni6B7Y/s1600/P1070555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yoyhtzYyzIU/Tg4XippFDRI/AAAAAAAAYJk/YEW81ni6B7Y/s320/P1070555.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Doing a donkey kick.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9DnV-SSPiAE/Tg4XlWxom1I/AAAAAAAAYJo/Y2cb8y_xNX8/s1600/P1070556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9DnV-SSPiAE/Tg4XlWxom1I/AAAAAAAAYJo/Y2cb8y_xNX8/s320/P1070556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Monkey!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCC05zW04Zc/Tg4Xn-ZE5BI/AAAAAAAAYJs/S5WeB45yyXw/s1600/P1070559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCC05zW04Zc/Tg4Xn-ZE5BI/AAAAAAAAYJs/S5WeB45yyXw/s320/P1070559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0enhUmblsQ/Tg4Xpxzzk3I/AAAAAAAAYJw/zK_OOpeurYs/s1600/P1070561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0enhUmblsQ/Tg4Xpxzzk3I/AAAAAAAAYJw/zK_OOpeurYs/s320/P1070561.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Her arabesque...how cute!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOdHuwyTDEc/Tg4XsOJeG-I/AAAAAAAAYJ0/TtF5-kkecZw/s1600/P1070566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOdHuwyTDEc/Tg4XsOJeG-I/AAAAAAAAYJ0/TtF5-kkecZw/s320/P1070566.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Attempting a basket hang.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-evTRw18NNPc/Tg4Xtdb3jnI/AAAAAAAAYJ4/c5Dv1PPVEi4/s1600/P1070567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-evTRw18NNPc/Tg4Xtdb3jnI/AAAAAAAAYJ4/c5Dv1PPVEi4/s320/P1070567.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Turning on the balance beam with Mr. Mike.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsgg6f4nPKU/Tg4XuhQv0EI/AAAAAAAAYJ8/At0zxRYCPew/s1600/P1070570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsgg6f4nPKU/Tg4XuhQv0EI/AAAAAAAAYJ8/At0zxRYCPew/s320/P1070570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The medal...she's so proud!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqhehD7-uG4/Tg4Xv7wRxTI/AAAAAAAAYKA/j2NEr7j2Q6w/s1600/P1070571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqhehD7-uG4/Tg4Xv7wRxTI/AAAAAAAAYKA/j2NEr7j2Q6w/s320/P1070571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Maria and Mr. Mike</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A249mC344co/Tg4XxYZdBdI/AAAAAAAAYKE/UwBFnMhYrSU/s1600/P1070574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A249mC344co/Tg4XxYZdBdI/AAAAAAAAYKE/UwBFnMhYrSU/s320/P1070574.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">Maria and Miss Nicole</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-44238638919961416882011-06-24T07:32:00.000-07:002011-06-24T07:32:34.536-07:00First & Last Day of Preschool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yjZAsrRxNQ/TgSfohwtq-I/AAAAAAAAYIs/VfkoyFWNFSk/s1600/school+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yjZAsrRxNQ/TgSfohwtq-I/AAAAAAAAYIs/VfkoyFWNFSk/s400/school+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My, how thnigs change!</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-47797167162697945472011-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:002011-06-20T08:07:13.624-07:00Maria's Pre-School PresentationSometime in the middle of May, Maria's school put on an end of the year performance. My mom was awesome enough to leave work early that day so she could see Maria in action, but we didn't tell Maria her Grandma Birdie was going to be there. Gerry also took a half day to come watch her as well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmM2_d4-cGE/Tf9ea4VHcaI/AAAAAAAAYH0/eR58fydMvVY/s1600/P1070405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmM2_d4-cGE/Tf9ea4VHcaI/AAAAAAAAYH0/eR58fydMvVY/s320/P1070405.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Waiting for the show to begin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i24wRecmLvE/Tf9ecXrqVXI/AAAAAAAAYH4/OVxE3mqLaO0/s1600/P1070406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i24wRecmLvE/Tf9ecXrqVXI/AAAAAAAAYH4/OVxE3mqLaO0/s320/P1070406.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div align="center">Maria's class walking in.</div><div align="center"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7zhlcElGag/Tf9ee86KhaI/AAAAAAAAYH8/BrDTp_g4gSw/s1600/P1070407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7zhlcElGag/Tf9ee86KhaI/AAAAAAAAYH8/BrDTp_g4gSw/s320/P1070407.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div align="center">I was able to capture Maria's face as soon as she discovered my mom in the audience. </div><div align="center">Priceless!</div><br />
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Maria's class sang "My Dog." Earlier that month, they were asked to bring in a picture of themselves with their dog and the teachers put together a slideshow to go with the song. It was super cute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdAjVnzfstM/Tf9em6q3pKI/AAAAAAAAYIA/YShslu2eU0E/s1600/P1070417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdAjVnzfstM/Tf9em6q3pKI/AAAAAAAAYIA/YShslu2eU0E/s320/P1070417.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
About half way through the performance, Maria realized there were pictures going on behind her so she finished out her song like this: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">It was pretty funny!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After all of the performances, we were invited to go back to Maria's classroom for a snack and visit with her and her friends and teachers.</div><br />
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We were also able to see all of the artwork they had hanging around the room. Here are a few of Maria's:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maria was so proud to show us around and thought it was very cool that her daddy and grandma could be there too! What a great job by all the kids and teachers! What a great end to the school year!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-87836455804099293792011-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-09T06:00:17.801-07:00Naomi's 2nd Birthday PartySo I've been feeling like a terrible mother because I am a month late on posting anything about Naomi's birthday!(which was May 8th) I haven't forgotten...it's just been a really busy month!<br />
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As I mentioned in the previous post, Naomi was really sick with a bad cold and fever on her actual birthday. But the following weekend, we had a huge bar-b-que birthday party for her. It was kind of rainy and cold, but we enjoyed the day anyway.<br />
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Gerry bar-b-qued chicken, hamburgers and brats. My mom made potato salad, pasta salad, and cauliflower salad. We had bar-b-que beans and corn on the cob, as well. Naomi was insistant upon having a brown horse on her chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. <br />
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Naomi was blessed to receive so many nice gifts including books, puzzles, clothes, a wagon, a sprinkler toy, a water table and a bubble machine! Uncle Marc and John provided the girls with some fabulous feather boas and cute party glasses. (Thanks guys!)<br />
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Overall, it was a great day and Naomi had a blast! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhIMY_zFDTo/Te-aejNHolI/AAAAAAAAYG8/j-8MGaD8U8s/s1600/3+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhIMY_zFDTo/Te-aejNHolI/AAAAAAAAYG8/j-8MGaD8U8s/s320/3+girls.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ull4uCiNLtI/Te-arOnubSI/AAAAAAAAYHc/Dm-VRp4uvqA/s1600/DSC02456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ull4uCiNLtI/Te-arOnubSI/AAAAAAAAYHc/Dm-VRp4uvqA/s320/DSC02456.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sKmncRa3XGs/Te-as4KXtlI/AAAAAAAAYHg/_wWLCYBonBQ/s1600/DSC02459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sKmncRa3XGs/Te-as4KXtlI/AAAAAAAAYHg/_wWLCYBonBQ/s320/DSC02459.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-il4-8yfHBSM/Te-avNqP2QI/AAAAAAAAYHk/fUvXtFloegc/s1600/P1070482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-il4-8yfHBSM/Te-avNqP2QI/AAAAAAAAYHk/fUvXtFloegc/s320/P1070482.JPG" t8="true" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MMHs1sxMgs/Te-awBTqg7I/AAAAAAAAYHo/66UPt5IB9Wo/s1600/DSC02436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MMHs1sxMgs/Te-awBTqg7I/AAAAAAAAYHo/66UPt5IB9Wo/s320/DSC02436.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Thanks also to my brother for taking these pics since my camera battery was dead! You rock!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-41362287255109036612011-06-08T08:43:00.000-07:002011-06-08T08:43:48.496-07:00Mother's Day and Cardinal's GameGerry got tickets to the Card's game for Mother's Day (which also happened to be Naomi's birthday) and we thought it would be a fun outing since we would all be together as a family. However, Naomi was really sick and we had to make the decision to either stay home with her and disappoint Maria, or leave Naomi home sick on her birthday.<br />
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Luckily Super Grandma Birdie stepped in to save the day! My mom agreed to watch Naomi, and this made me feel good because I knew she would take very good care of her and give her lots of extra love while she was sick. I still felt bad leaving her but we had a huge party planned for her the following weekend and she really didn't even know it was her birthday anyway. <br />
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So, Gerry Maria and I went to the baseball game together. It was a lot of fun and Maria had a blast cheering and laughing. We had a huge lunch there...ballpark hot dogs, burgers and fries. And later on Maria and I enjoyed some dippin' dots! Mmmm!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S0nlFRbg6WQ/Te-YQTu9VtI/AAAAAAAAYGs/fpywhKx6080/s1600/P1070355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S0nlFRbg6WQ/Te-YQTu9VtI/AAAAAAAAYGs/fpywhKx6080/s320/P1070355.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XC4ENcITl7I/Te-YWeqtKkI/AAAAAAAAYGw/zvaV_d0t1LE/s1600/P1070360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XC4ENcITl7I/Te-YWeqtKkI/AAAAAAAAYGw/zvaV_d0t1LE/s320/P1070360.JPG" t8="true" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gM7eVt_QvE/Te-YbOdC-HI/AAAAAAAAYG0/r9zGzADNrKA/s1600/P1070367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gM7eVt_QvE/Te-YbOdC-HI/AAAAAAAAYG0/r9zGzADNrKA/s320/P1070367.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>It turned out to be a great day and I think the Cardinal's won, although we didn't stay for the whole game. We needed to get back to our sick birthday girl and spend some time with her!Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-51942147990709161282011-05-19T08:34:00.000-07:002011-05-19T08:34:03.811-07:00Botanical GardensOne beautiful day I had a crazy idea to take the kids somewhere awesome...all by myself. I wasn't really digging the zoo so I thought I would give the Missouri Botanical gardens a try. Gerry and I had gone there <a href="http://caragerry.blogspot.com/2009/06/our-botanical-anniversary.html">one other time</a> when Naomi was only 2 weeks old and I thought it was pretty cool. So I loaded up the car, packed a cooler for drinks and snacks, lathered up the sunscreen on all of us and off we went. <br />
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About 10 minutesinto the drive, I realized I'd completely forgotten the cooler-which contained juice boxes, string cheese, a soda for me, some water and the girl's sippy cups. Darn it...not only was I going to have to pay for lunch, but now I had to buy drinks as well. Oh well...I wasn't turning back so we just had to deal with it.<br />
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Once we arrived and were in the actual park I realized how lucky we were to have such a beautiful place 30 minutes from our house. I can't believe this was only my second time visiting in all my 32 years. This place is amazing...and I <em>almost </em>like it better than the zoo. I told Gerry we really need to go there more often. The park is filled with beautiful flowers, bushes, trees and plants of every kind. It has wide open spaces with amazing landscapes, beautiful, thick green grass, colorful displays of floating glass on the pond, waterfalls, play houses for kids carved from a tree...truly breathtaking.<br />
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Unfortunately, I just missed tulip season. Some of them were still hanging on, but a lot of storms had hit the week before we were there so they were withering. We walked around for along time. It wasn't too crowded with people so Maria and Naomi were able run around without me worrying they would get lost. We eventually made it over the Children's Garden, which was really cool....but definitely a two person job when you have 2 mobile kids. I can't wait to go when it's warmer and they have the sprinklers running for the kids to play in. <br />
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We wound up eating lunch outside at a little cafe in the park. We even toured an old historical home owned by Charles Shaw. The kids thought this was really cool to walk through and see the old time furniture, piano, kitchens and staircases. Kind of creepy...but fun. <br />
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Although the kids ran around like crazy, I really enjoyed my day with my two daughters. They were both very well behaved, which made it a lot more fun. I am really enjoying taking them out with me, now that they are older. When Maria was 2, she would just run away from us...everywhere we went. Naomi's not like that, so it's been a lot of fun going places with them lately.<br />
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Here are some pics from our awesome day!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YYI0goPJ6E0/TdU2aRsbxAI/AAAAAAAAYGU/KcK_i6G0JxE/s1600/P1070271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YYI0goPJ6E0/TdU2aRsbxAI/AAAAAAAAYGU/KcK_i6G0JxE/s320/P1070271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-32842413649337816372011-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:40:13.908-07:00Easter 2011(Yes I am awarethat this post is a little late. See my <a href="http://caragerry.blogspot.com/2011/05/bad-mommy-blogger.html">previous post</a> for an explanation.)<br />
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We had a great Easter this year! The kids were excited about everything that surrounded the holiday and Maria was very aware that we weren't just celebrating bunnies, eggs and candy. She has several books about Jesus and the story of his life, death and ressurection. She talked about it at church with the other kids, as well as with us, and boy did this topic stir up more questions! I have no doubt in my mind that we will be turning to our church to help us answer some of her questions in the future...because the answers are so hard to explain to a 3 year old. Anyway...she understood that we were celebrating and she was also very happy that she got to wear a dress!<br />
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Saturday morning we went to Karen and John's house for brunch...that was delicious! Unfortunately it was raining and pretty cold so we had an Easter egg hunt inside. The kids got some cute baskets and goodies from their aunts, uncles and grandparents and ate lots of candy!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday evening, my family came over for dinner. We ate around 6, then the kids opened more baskets and we dyed Easter eggs together. We all had so much fun laughing and joking around. Maria loved having her older cousin Hailey there to help. Maria and Naomi both did great with the egg dye, however Naomi preferred to just put stickers on the plastic eggs...which was fine with me!</div><br />
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On Sunday morning, the kids opened their baskets from the Easter Bunny himself. We had a nice breakfast together as a family and then went to church. Later we went to my grandma's house to see her and my dad. We ate lunch there and the kids got to spend some quality time with their great-grandma. (The weekend was so much fun, even though I spent the following 2 weeks picking Easter grass out of the carpet.)<br />
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</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-20858184036125909542011-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:002011-05-18T12:54:46.421-07:00Bad Mommy Blogger!I have been a terrible blogger lately. Not sure if it's burn out, an overwhelming sense of being "behind" on events to blog about, or the fact that every time I try to sit down and upload photos, edit them and actually type out a blog that is coherent, my kids are beating the heck out of each other. I'm sure it's a combination of those three, so anyway, I decided to just post some things that happened a while ago. I figured since this is mostly for memories and for us to look back on, I'd want to remember these things. I know people are totally over Easter, but I've got some really cute pics from that weekend. I am so ashamed to even admit that I haven't put a thing up about Naomi's 2nd birthday, which was May 8th. And there are a few other fun things that have taken place in the past few weeks.<br />
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Also, I did want to mention another reason why I haven't been blogging: my husband bought me some amazing slideshow making software for my birthday. So for Naomi's party I presented a 15 minute slideshow of her life...and I worked on that thing for weeks. <br />
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So, stay tuned! I am going to try and whip out some posts that are long overdue in the next few days!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-16760066162363241992011-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:002011-05-06T14:00:54.643-07:00Funny girlMaria: "I am thirsty. Can I have a drink, please?"<br />
Me: (joking because I don't feel like getting up at the moment) "Umm, sorry. We don't have drinks here."<br />
Maria:" Okay, well then can I just color?"<br />
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Huh?Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-16507368688586094622011-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:002011-05-05T06:23:56.813-07:00My Favorite Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Today is my birthday! (Okay, so it was yesterday -- I didn't have enough time to get this post out...) I am 32 years old and I'm feeling pretty darn good about it. In honor of my day, I thought I would share some of my most favorite things of all times. (In no particular order.) I have seen some other people do this on their blogs, so it's not my original idea, but I liked it.</div><div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b5EmmbG_7JI/TcFTh5s_wrI/AAAAAAAAYBw/nEmZ27thJ0E/s1600/Pedicure-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b5EmmbG_7JI/TcFTh5s_wrI/AAAAAAAAYBw/nEmZ27thJ0E/s320/Pedicure-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pedicures!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRYEpBgY5Hs/TcFTnypaglI/AAAAAAAAYB4/5NOF-SKgZHM/s1600/wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRYEpBgY5Hs/TcFTnypaglI/AAAAAAAAYB4/5NOF-SKgZHM/s1600/wine.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wine...any kind!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5lXSwif5k0/TcFTkRmmT4I/AAAAAAAAYB0/pv54tJHuDN4/s1600/massage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5lXSwif5k0/TcFTkRmmT4I/AAAAAAAAYB0/pv54tJHuDN4/s320/massage2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Massages!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7hZYKe4LsE/TcGlci41yYI/AAAAAAAAYB8/LBPHfd9O4cU/s1600/kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7hZYKe4LsE/TcGlci41yYI/AAAAAAAAYB8/LBPHfd9O4cU/s320/kindle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love my Kindle...one of the best inventions ever!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yVJ1UOVSbmw/TcGlezjFhxI/AAAAAAAAYCA/MrhWSE8CRaI/s1600/sushi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yVJ1UOVSbmw/TcGlezjFhxI/AAAAAAAAYCA/MrhWSE8CRaI/s320/sushi1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love sushi!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXYwymDCA2I/TcGmgCapacI/AAAAAAAAYCE/2lc4OZtH1N0/s1600/seadoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXYwymDCA2I/TcGmgCapacI/AAAAAAAAYCE/2lc4OZtH1N0/s320/seadoo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love sea doo-ing! Wish I could do it more!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnNHUxwFjXU/TcGmi14EQOI/AAAAAAAAYCI/oaK5quc2ugs/s1600/horse-riding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnNHUxwFjXU/TcGmi14EQOI/AAAAAAAAYCI/oaK5quc2ugs/s320/horse-riding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wish I could ride horses more, too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXNsySFgbtE/TcGq22Ma6oI/AAAAAAAAYCQ/SOGKMonLZIM/s1600/wild-tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXNsySFgbtE/TcGq22Ma6oI/AAAAAAAAYCQ/SOGKMonLZIM/s320/wild-tulips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tulips</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1GvxNcPYOPs/TcGq56I9tVI/AAAAAAAAYCU/G7eVEhjdAOM/s1600/chocolate-bars-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1GvxNcPYOPs/TcGq56I9tVI/AAAAAAAAYCU/G7eVEhjdAOM/s320/chocolate-bars-400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chocolate...any kind!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nUJ7kVzs3Zo/TcGq8lACdEI/AAAAAAAAYCY/bZYqS1mbrmY/s1600/vintagepearl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nUJ7kVzs3Zo/TcGq8lACdEI/AAAAAAAAYCY/bZYqS1mbrmY/s320/vintagepearl.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everything from here is awesome!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i-9HQS_CPpE/TcIHozzH9bI/AAAAAAAAYCc/N4Lwktr8kgI/s1600/bud_light_lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i-9HQS_CPpE/TcIHozzH9bI/AAAAAAAAYCc/N4Lwktr8kgI/s1600/bud_light_lime.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm really not a huge beer drinker but I love a cold one of these on a warm day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4gFMRqXPCs/TcKjHqPL6fI/AAAAAAAAYCg/2OWf-WYm4wc/s1600/nomi_california_baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4gFMRqXPCs/TcKjHqPL6fI/AAAAAAAAYCg/2OWf-WYm4wc/s320/nomi_california_baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The only bath products, lotions, sunscreen and bug spray we use on our kids!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ95hD9Huf0/TcKjO-FQIlI/AAAAAAAAYCk/9JTnzebeo9U/s1600/Coolibar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ95hD9Huf0/TcKjO-FQIlI/AAAAAAAAYCk/9JTnzebeo9U/s320/Coolibar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If I gotta wear SPF clothes, might as well have some style too!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that's just a tiny list of some of my favorite things. Of course, my favorite 3 <i>people</i> are Gerry, Maria and Naomi and they helped make my birthday super special yesterday. The girls made me beautiful cards, Gerry had tulips sent to the house, brought home dinner so I didn't have to cook and even brought me an ice cream cake! After we put the girls to bed, we finished the evening off by watching Seabiscuit, a movie I've been wanting to see ever since I finished reading the book. Kind of low key, but awesome!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A great end to a great birthday! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8185434117850849508.post-25421154021321146322011-04-29T14:09:00.000-07:002011-04-29T14:09:50.522-07:00ChloeHave I ever mentioned that Maria has an imaginary friend? <br />
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</div><div>She started talking about Chloe maybe 7 months ago. It's pretty funny to hear some of the stuff she says about Chloe. The details will change from time to time. We ask her about Chloe every once in a while, but mostly just listen when she tells us about her. I've compiled a list of details about Chloe because I think they are cute and I don't want to ever forget this phase in Maria's life! Keep in mind that the majority of the things she's told us about her are unprompted. The details just kind of come out the blue. That's what makes them so funny.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Chloe's last name is Grillford.</div><div>She is 6.</div><div>She has a brother named Sonja (pronounced SAHN-ya)</div><div>Chloe has brown skin, long dark hair and blue eyes.</div><div>Sometimes she wears glasses, like Maria.</div><div>Once time Chloe kicked Maria in the face.</div><div>When Chloe isn't at our house, she stays with her grandma. </div><div>Chloe goes to the same school as Maria but she rides a different bus, and she is in a different class.</div><div>Sometimes Chloe is small enough to fit in Maria's pocket, but most times she is the same size as Maria.</div><div>Chloe used to have a brother named Boy Boy, but not any more.</div><div><br />
</div><div>We rarely notice Maria "pretend playing" with Chloe, but Maria talks about her <i>as if</i> she exists. If we are talking to her about a new concept, or a situation she doesn't understand, she will interrupt as by saying "You know what Chloe did? She......" and it usually has to do with the concept we are explaining to her.</div><div><br />
</div><div>She uses Chloe in situations where we talk about unacceptable behavior too. For example, if we are talking about hitting or pushing at school, Maria will say "You know what Chloe did? She hit Vanessa and made her cry." Sometimes I wonder if Maria uses Chloe in place of herself to describe something that happened at school. Hmmmm. It's interesting.<br />
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Anyway, we love that Maria's creativity helps her think about things and process information. We love that she uses "Chloe" to understand situations better. This is such a cute, funny stage in her life and I can't wait to hear what Chloe does next. </div><div><br />
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</div>Carahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09313315378880277553noreply@blogger.com2