Fourteen

Happy 14th birthday to my first dream come true!  It's so hard to believe it was 14 years ago today that the doctor place a tiny 6lb 14oz perfect little bundle in my arms and I truly understood what love was.  I never would have thought through that first 6 months of life where you continuously fell into the "under average" category for weight and height that in just 14 years I'd be looking up to you.  God truly blessed me by making me your mom!

I love you sweet boy of mine!

 ( I love that in this picture JK is actually leaning down a little to get closer to my height.  When standing up straight I only come up to his shoulders.)

I'm proud to say that we have officially survived year one of the fun that is raising a teenager and it honestly hasn't been to bad.  We have had to adjust our parenting in a few areas and I have had to really try to learn to not take the sudden mood swings thrown at me to personal.  This year has had a few ups and downs, but we are all learning together and things seem to be smoothing out.  What we have learned after being in a constant battle in a few areas is that we needed to adjust our no dating rule until 16 a bit.  Currently we ar still saying there is no dating, but there is now room to have a girlfriend.  (Because there is a difference!)  Clint and I decided that if JK decides he wants a girlfriend (which he has) he's going to have one whether we know about it or not.  Trust is important in our house so we decided to be a little more lenient in this area.  JK is still not allowed to go on dates or meet up at the mall or have any alone time with said girlfriend, but he is allowed to hug her and spend time with her at school and school events such as dances.  (Thank God for a school with a very strict pda policy and a staff that enforces it!)  There is phone time allowed, but it happens in a somewhat public place in our home and the time is strictly monitored.  While we originally said there would be no time spent together outside of school events until next year, we agreed to bend that rule a little and JK is being allowed to invite his girlfriend to see Frozen with our family on Friday.  Clint joked that she would be sitting on his right side and JK on his left.  We both feel that these girlfriends are going to happen whether we're ready for them or not and that we would much rather be the family they want to spend time with, when in the future they are allowed to start dating on a less restrictive basis.  Honestly this has all been such a learning process for us and I can only pray that we are making the right decisions with our sweet boy as we continue to take each day and each new situation one step at a time. 

Aside from the serious interest in dating and the mood swings that have come with the teenage years, JK is still the sweetest most thoughtful kid I know.  The way he thinks of and treats others continues to make my heart swell on an almost daily basis.  He is kind and generous and just so much fun to be around.  I am so blessed with the kids that God has entrusted with me but am beyond thankful that he chose to give me JK first.  He really has made being a parent so much fun and for the most part so easy.

We love you sweet teenager of ours and hope and pray that all of your birthday wishes come true!

Happy 14th Birthday!

  

Family Birthday Celebration

I swore when Lillie was born just a little over a month after Molly's birthday that we would never, ever combine their birthdays into one party.

That little promise came to an end this year.

Our summer schedule this year has us running in about a billion different directions.  Trying to schedule just one party seemed nearly impossible and two, well it just wasn't going to happen.  So Clint and I decided to break the promise we made nearly 6 years ago by inviting the people we love most over for taco Tuesday. We enjoyed two cakes for dessert and turned a fun little family dinner into a laid back birthday party where we all got to celebrate and spoil our two favorite girls.

I did stick to my guns on the cakes.  Each girl got to choose the type of cake they wanted and each of them got their own cake with their own candles for their very own wishes.  Molly chose strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting and Lillie chose triple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  (Neither of their choices surprised me.)  Though you wouldn't guess it from looking at them, both cakes were equally DELICIOUS!!

If you're noticing that Lillie only has 5 candles on her cake, she does.  Molly quickly pointed that out to me.  I guess I'm just not ready for my baby to be 6.  Her growing up is hurting my heart a little. 

(And here's proof that we fixed the candle situation before any wishes were made.) 

Both Molly and Lillie were spoiled beyond belief.  They got so many great things including lots of really cute clothes.  We did have a little trip to Oregon to do some school clothes shopping at the end of the month planned, but honestly I don't think there is much else that I could get these girls besides maybe a few pairs of shoes and undergarments.  Their closets are literally bursting at the seams with fun new things to wear. 

  

Thank you Molly and Lillie for being so gracious about sharing your birthday celebrations with each other.  You sweet girls make my heart swell! 

ELEVEN

Today Molly turned 11! 

We miss not getting to see her, but know she's probably being spoiled exactly like she should be at her other house on this special day of hers.  

We've got a few special little things planned with family and friends for when she comes back again, and I know none of us can wait to spend some time celebrating our new favorite 11 year old!  

Molly is at that fun transition age that happens when a child starts to become a little more like an adult but can still be silly and crazy at the drop of a dime.  She can go from ultra fashionista to covering herself in mud all within a few hours.  I love that about her!  

Molly's got some big changes happening this year and we couldn't be more excited for her.  While we know that her getting older and more involved in extra things means seeing her will become a little more difficult, we really are excited to get to see her spread her wings a little more.  This Molly girl whom we share with a whole army of people who love her is beautiful, bright, creative and so full of love.  I know her future holds lots of amazing things in store for her.  

Happy 11th Birthday, Molly!  

We love you more then you'll every know!     

Catching up...

The last month has felt like the longest one ever!  Where to begin...

Let's go back to where I left off.

Easter Sunday...

After Good Friday we celebrated Easter Sunday on what I'm pretty sure was the most beautiful and warmest Easter ever in Washington state.  We spent the morning celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  While our afternoon was spent enjoying family (outdoors), a few egg hunts, lots of candy, and some of the younger kiddos running around in swimming suits.  Yes!  It was warm enough for the kiddos to do an egg hunt in their wet swim suits after spending some time in the hot tub.  I thought I had pictures, but I can't seem to find them.  Ugh!  I wonder if I accidentally deleted them in my post-op medicated haze.  This one of the kids colored eggs will have do I guess.  :/

Spring Break...

The week following Easter weekend was Spring Break for the kids.  I was pretty emotional over the thought of going in for major surgery the following week, so it was great to have some quality time with all of our kids at home.  It was a low key weekend because of the pain I was in, but I think everyone had fun.  We did a few picnics at the park, two trips to the movie theater, bowling, and a lot of lounging.

Hunter found his comfort spot. :)

If Molly knows a picture is being taken, this is the face I'm capturing. :)  Goofy girl!

Bowling with cousin Jacob and again with Molly's goofy face.

Enjoying the warm weather a book and a hula hoop all at the same time.  She's got talent!

Surgery...

The Monday after spring break Clint and I headed to the hospital so that I could have a disc replaced in my neck.  I was really anxious at the idea of having surgery performed on my spine and did quite a bit of tearing up on the drive to the hospital and during surgery prep.  If Clint and my mom hadn't been there the entire time, I'm pretty sure I would have somehow wimped out just minutes from being rolled into the O.R.  Thankfully they were there and didn't allow that to happen, because truthfully I was out of options as no other medical, chiropractor, or physical therapy care had given me any relief with the pain, numbness or loss of motion in my arm.  The reason for this needed surgery was a disc that an MRI had showed was herniated putting pressure on the nerve roots that ran down my left arm.  The affect from the herniated disc was an excruciating pain that I had somehow managed to live with for nearly a year.  Over the past two months though, the pain and symptoms had gotten considerably worse.  The surgeon told Clint after the surgery that the disc was not herniated as originally thought, but ruptured in three different spots.  He was shocked that I was able to function at all based on the damage.  He also told Clint that had I waited another month or two to get the disc removed I probably would have had permanent nerve damage and continued muscle weakness.  Yikes.  

The surgery was a huge success and I woke up with absolutely no arm pain.  I did however have really bad reactions to the anesthesia and medications resulting in some crazy hallucinations and a lot of vomiting.  (Vomiting and dry heaving for three days straight is never fun, but it's even less so after having surgery that affects your throat.)  We initially assumed I was having such a hard time with the medication because I was unable to get anything down my swollen throat that couldn't be sucked through a straw.  It was day three of constant vomiting and drifting in and out of sleep that Clint had my mom get ahold of the surgeons office to see if there was another medication we could try.  I'm pretty sure that move alone saved my life.  Once I was off the oxycodone things started to turn for the better very quickly.  Aside from the nasty drain tube hanging from my neck and the fact that I slept most of the first week away recovery was finally happening.  I was so thankful that Clint was able to take the entire week of work off after the surgery to take care of me.  He did an amazing job and is the reason I believe I've had such a great outcome.  He kept track of all my medications, kept an eye on the incision to make sure no sign of infection was settling in, helped me with some less then glamorous things I never could have imagined needing help with, and somehow managed to be by side the minute he heard me start to get sick regardless of where he was or what he was doing in the house.  I wasn't the easiest patient, but he stayed calm and sensitive and didn't complain once.  The only thing he didn't have to worry about was dinners.  It was such a blessing to all of us to have so many family and friends bring meals and help with getting the kids rides to and from school and sports so that he didn't have to leave me alone.  I'm pretty sure we have the best family and friends ever!

After the first week following my surgery Clint had to go back to work.  Even though I was feeling much better at this point I was still very limited in what I was physically allowed to do.  My mom didn't offer but insisted that she spend the second week with us taking care of the kids and meals and taking turns with my dad to get me to and from a few follow up appointments at the doctors office.  My parents are such a huge blessing.  I can't even begin to imagine life without them.  By Friday (11 days post-op) the doctor did some x-rays to make sure everything was settled where it should be and gave me the go ahead to really start moving around again.  I still have some limitations until my 6 month checkup, but I'm getting there and feeling amazing!  Clint is continually shocked at how fast my recovery has been for such a major surgery and still tends to hover over me and puts his foot down to a few things I think I'm ready to do.

Lillie was thrilled to help during recovery with important things, like brushing my hair and painting my nails. :)

Clint's Birthday...

Saturday the 20th we celebrated Clint's 34th birthday with a trip to the Spring fair.  I was a little nervous at having my first real outing being such a big one, but it was great.  The weather was good and we all had so much fun just getting out of the house and being a normal family again.  After living in pain for so long, I forgot how enjoyable life actually was truly living in the moment and not wishing the whole time I could get back home to lay on a bag of ice.  I was a little bummed that I couldn't do any rides, but surprisingly Molly took my place doing a ton of big rides that she actually really enjoyed!   

Clint is strong, hardworking and loving.  He makes me laugh and proud to be his wife everyday.  He gives sincere complements and has made me feel beautiful even over the past year when I've felt the most insecure.  He loves completely and unconditionally.  As a father he is fun and often times a little crazy.  He has no problem being silly, which on occasion has embarrassed Jk and Molly. :)  His girls have him wrapped around their fingers and he's one of JK's biggest and loudest fans.  Where I struggle with being the disciplinarian in the family, he's found a way to take on that role while still showing love, understanding and more patience then I ever could have imagined he could.  He has a servants heart and will stop to lend a hand to anybody he see's in need of help.  Making the decision to allow God to lead his life, has made Clint exactly the man, husband and father I'd always dreamed of.  I'm so blessed to be his wife and love getting to celebrate him on a day that's just his.  

Randomness...

In a quest to get back in shape and just to get my body moving again Lillie and I have been walking quite consistently after she gets home from school.  The other day as we rounded the corner in our neighborhood she suddenly stopped put her hand over her heart and started reciting the pledge of allegiance.  She continued to do this at every house we past that had a flag displayed in front of it.  It consistently amazes me at the random things this girl does in the middle of a normal moment that makes my heart swell.

34...

Yesterday I turned 34.  Clint teased me that at the rate I'm going I'll be half robot by the time I'm 50.  As much as I laughed it off, that statement scared me just a little.  My track record isn't very good.  In my teens I tore my left acl resulting in knee surgery that required a graft and a few screws.  In my early 20's I had to have some scar tissue removed from my right knee due to a meniscus tear.  My late 20's I had a hysterectomy, and then my early 30's a disc replaced in my neck.  What the heck!  I've always drank my milk, taken my vitamins and really until the hysterectomy was always super active and fit at a healthy weight.  So, 34 is the year of healthy choices.  I know I've declared this before, but this past year has just confirmed how important it is that I really get on it.  I have a lot of life left to live and this body needs to be able to keep up.

The day was relatively quiet and relaxing.  After church I was showered with cards, gifts, lunch and lots of love.  Then after a little movie/nap time we met my grandparents, parents and sister's family for dinner at my favorite Japanese steak house.  I really am blessed.  I have a husband who is perfect for me and can still give me butterflies and the funnest, sweetest kiddos in the world.

And no birthday pictures of me.  Not until the swelling in the neck and chin area have gone down some.  This look is not one I want to remember or document.

A Weekend of Birthday Celebrations

This past weekend was full of birthday celebrations some Christmas decorating, and a little puking.  Needless to say, we were busy!

For the past month JK (and Clint) had been anxiously awaiting his birthday party that included 7 teenage boys spending the night and participating in an all day/night paint ball war.  And aside from Lillie coming down with a 24hr flu bug that morning, the party went off without a hitch.  We took the kids up to my parents house where the boys (with a little help from Clint and two other dads who were excited to help) turned one of the large fields into the ultimate paintball course.  They had tons of fun rolling in the mud, hiding behind trees and shooting each other with paint balls.  By the end of the weekend the boys were plastered with mud, welts, bruises, smiles from ear to ear and stories to last a life time.

Saturday night we celebrated JK with family over pizza.  Our good friends teenager daughter made us this cake of what JK hopes and dreams will be an actual jersey that he'll be playing in one day.  She put his football number on the cake, but I wish now that I would have had her put his age on it.  Oh well...  The cake looked great, was super moist and tasted amazing!

  

Lillie's Pool Party

It's been a frustrating almost two weeks since Lillie's birthday party.  After many tears and lots of frustration, the reality has hit me that the memory card with over 100 pictures from Lillie's 5th birthday party is corrupt and can not be fixed.  Thankfully my good friend Amber had snapped a few photos with her phone, so at least we've got a few sweet pictures to go along with our memories.

Like this one!  

Our super sweet girl was grinning from ear to ear the entire day.  She had so much fun playing with her friends and being celebrated.  While Clint and I stressed all morning about the cold weather that had rolled in just in time for the swim party, Lillie was unphased.  Excited to finally be having the swim party she said she'd been dreaming about her entire life, when I asked her about maybe doing a last minute switch to an indoor party.

Some of the pictures that are forever lost would have shown our sweet 5 year old swimming her heart out in a pool that her nina and papa heated to a warm 98 degrees to keep the kids happy, the teeth from chattering and the lips from turning blue under a grey cool sky.

There were pictures of dozens of goofy kids and family members having fun in the little photo booth we had set up wearing Hawaiian leis and holding up silly lips, crowns, bow ties and mustaches. 

There was a small video of our sweet girl making a wish and trying hard to blow out her candles (that I promise were not trick candles) and only succeeding with a little help from her daddy.

There was photos of an excited little girl tearing through tons of fun gifts and squealing over each and everyone of them with a mob of kids scooting closer and closer until some of them decided to help her tear into a few at the end.

There was a food spread fit for a King (or Queen).  Pinata, lots of fun games and joy on every face that helped us celebrate our Littlest Princess.  Even with the drama of loosing the photos from the party, it really was a fun little celebration that Lillie truly enjoyed. 

Photos courtesy of Amber  :)

Five!

I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that it was FIVE years ago on this very day, that I heard the words I think my heart had been secretly hoping for...

"It's a girl!" 

Since that day Lillie, you have added so much joy to this family.  I honestly have a hard time remembering life before you were a part of it.

You are so full of personality and have a way of winning over every person you meet.

You are sweet, fun loving, and a little sassy from time to time.

You're beautiful strawberry hair, sparkling blue eyes and scatter of freckles is always a conversation starter with adults.  A true beauty is what I'm often stopped and told.

The amount of joy that penetrates from you is unbelievable!

I thought that as you got older your personality might start to differ from mine taking on it's own little shape.  Instead, you seem to be more like me everyday.  My mini me is what so many others often refer to you as.  Sorry, for that.   

You love dressing yourself, sneaking into my makeup, and adding lots of bows and headbands to your hair.  Your way of thinking... the more color the better!

You are independent, strong willed and a free spirit.

You are everything I imagined you would be.  Being your mom Lillie girl, is pure bliss!!

Here's just a little run through as to how your 5th birthday went down...

After bee-bopping from mine and dads bedroom (which you snuck into in the middle of the night) around 8:30am, we sang Happy Birthday to you while you grinned from ear to ear.

We feasted on Birthday cake pancakes and then being the thoughtful girl you are, you gifted each dad and I with one of your special books.  On your birthday you thought to give us a gift.  I love your sweet heart!

After you gave us gifts we decided to give you yours.  A brand new bike and helmet...

 And you were over the moon.  No more hand-me down bikes for you!

Dad was able to take most of the day off, but did have to work just a few hours.  While he was working we loaded up your new bike and headed to the Orting trail and bike park to try it out.

You had a little difficulty getting up some of the smaller dirt hills, but no worries.  You're amazing big brother who loves you tons made sure you conquered the course a few times over. 

After getting used to your new little bike we met up with dad for some ice cream cones and drinks before heading home to get ready for your very first high school football game.  JK was really wanting to watch the Bethel team and you were super excited to watch the "crimson cheerleaders" as you refer to them.  You, dad and JK made several trips to the concession stands bringing back dinner consisting of stadium hot dogs, pizza and lots of snack food.  You cheered along with the cheerleaders the entire night and seemed to have loads of fun!

You stated over and over how much you loved your birthday day, but I know the real fun for you will be next weekend when we're able to celebrate with family and friends. 

We love you Lillie!  Happy 5th Birthday Princess girl!!

Molly's the Big One-O

Today we spent the day at Ruston Way searching for seashells, snacking on ice cream cones, examining the shallow waters for starfish, watching fishermen pulling in their crab pots on the pier and enjoying Molly on her 10th birthday.   

I asked her when she woke up if she felt any different and after thinking about it for a minute she shrugged her shoulders and answered, "not really". I think she was secretly a little disappointed, hoping she would have woke up a just little taller on this special day of hers. 

While she may not have grown overnight, she's certainly gone through quite a growth spurt over the past couple of months.  It's a good thing she got lots of cute new clothes for her birthday because we were starting to run low on items that actually still fit her.

So while Molly is excited she's finally starting to grow after what she says was a year of staying the exact same size, here are a few random things she likes in this 10th year of her life.

1.  Ice cream over Cake
2.  Purple over pink
3.  Vanilla over Chocolate
4.  Reading over T.V. & Movies (no surprise here!)
5.  Fiction over Non-Fiction
6.  Summers over Winters
7.  Fruit over Veggies
8.  Ladybugs over Butterfly's
9.  Camping over Hotels
10. Fried eggs over Scrambled 
  
Here are just a few others from today, Molly's friend party and our extended family dinner party.

Happy 10th Birthday, Molly!  We love you!!

Thirty Four Candles!

{I just love Clint and Lillie's goofy faces!}

Last Friday, April 20th was Clint's 34th birthday.  We celebrated through out the weekend starting with a fun handmade banner, a few gifts, a delicious homemade dinner and a little store bought ice cream cake adorned with 34 brightly burning candles.  It was relaxing, low key and quiet.  Just what this little family needed after a loud crazy weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge.  

While the celebrations were small, the love we have for this man in our lives is not. We are so proud of this daddy/husband of ours!  He's a hard worker; who's done a fabulous job as a new business owner.  He loves his family and does a great job at making us feel loved, even with all the extra time he's having to spend away from the house working right now.  He's handsome and smart and a great example of a man who loves Jesus. 

We love you Clint!

Happy 34th Birthday!!