Photo Recap

Megan's 6th Grade Graduation
June 10, 2011

Summer Swim Team











Enthusiastic Supporter at Swim Meets (Okay he really just wanted to get in the pool with them.)

A couple of cute ones

I can't believe this boy is 4. How did that happen?

Easter Sunday - Cute wardrobe provided by Grandma

9 sounds too old

So somehow Cara's 9th birthday is here. I know it's cliche and every mom feels it, but it goes way too fast. I am not ready to have my girls be so big. Nine somehow seems way older than eight. I don't know why; it just does. I am very excited for my sweet girls to grow into Godly young ladies; I would be more excited if they would grow slower. Sometimes I don't think I'm mature enough to handle the kinds of questions they are already asking. I think I still think of myself as just out of college. Jason and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary this July, so clearly I'm fooling myself with that idea. :) Anyway, I'm very grateful for my precious kiddos. And, I love parties. So, we threw Cara her first sleepover party. She wanted it to be a baking party, so we had a great time making pizzas and fruit kabobs, and baking and decorating cookies. It was a great time to celebrate with her. What a treasure she is. My heart melts every time I see her smile (and hear the joke that is surely coming.) Happy 9th Birthday, Cara. Oh, how we love you!

Cara chose neon colors for her party, so we made neon colored chef hats too.

Ty LOVES his chef hat. He wears it almost every day.





The girls were very creative with their cookie decorating. Note the fun neon candies and neon frosting.



Little party favor boxes full of the cute cookies the girls made.

Snow Day

Like the rest of Southern California, my kids were super excited when it started snowing on January 2nd. We sent them all out in their jammies to check it out because we didn't think it would last more than a few minutes.

But, amazingly enough, the snow just kept on coming. We couldn't believe how much stuck. The girls made snowballs and miniature snowmen. It was crazy fun for them. They've been to the snow before, but never have they had it in their backyard.

What a great way to spend the day!

A fun little change for Southern California. I loved it for the day, though I must admit I loved it even better today when the thermometer in my car read 82. :)

Ty Ty

I am so grateful for the way God grows us and teaches us. The past few months I have had a sad heart as I have been wrestling through how to be a good mommy to my son. I often feel like I fall short in numerous areas. I love my little boy more than words can say, but often it is beyond challenging to be the mommy of a little guy with special needs. His school schedule is full, his therapy schedule is intense, and the number of "assignments" I get from his therapists each week could keep 10 people busy. Aside from the physical busyness, it can be very emotionally draining. Ty cries at some point during most of his therapies, sometimes for the majority of his therapy. Most sessions involve me practically standing on my head, trying to keep him engaged in what he's supposed to be doing, sometimes they involve me laying on top of him so the therapists can work out the knots in his muscles. It's quite remarkable how strong a 3 year old can be. This usually leads to us both crying. It's exhausting (for both of us). Then there are the daily reports from his teachers. I love Ty's teacher and aides, but they almost always have a suggestion of something new I should be working on. Then there's church. Ty has to have a shadow who stays with him each week to ensure the safety of the other kids in his class. (Serve up the humble pie here.) It's not that he's generally trying to be mean to the other kids, it is just that he gets so excited to see them that he can't help but overwhelm them with affection (sometimes disguised as 3 or 4 slaps on the head.) Turns out most 2 and 3 year old's don't really like that. (Of course Ty has his own sin issues with self control, but usually he reserves those behaviors for his sisters. :) ) Because of Ty's CP, he NEEDS sensory input. But for him to get the same feedback as an average kid, he has to apply about 5 times the pressure. So while it may feel like you've just been smacked on the head, for him it feels like he's rubbing your hair. It's impossible to explain that to little kiddos, not to mention his "gentle" pats really hurt. So we're working on teaching him the difference and what it means to be gentle, but he's 3 and a boy and the learning is a gradual process.

So in the last couple of months, I've been rolling this all together in my mind as I try to understand what God is trying to accomplish in me. Honestly there are days that it overwhelms me and I am tempted to despair, but my desire and my heart is that I would be overwhelmed by the faithfulness of my God. In His infinite goodness, He gave us this precious boy, and He promised to give me (and Ty) everything that we need for life and Godliness. This is an amazing promise from a perfect God. I am grateful for the way God is teaching me to rely on Him for everything - especially the life of this little one.

She cracks me up

This past week was fall break, and we were able to get away for a few days. We spent 3 days in San Diego and took the kids to Sea World. It was a really fun time to enjoy my kids. On the way down, the kids were watching a movie . . . which led to this exchange:
Nicole: Mom, why do they call it TV?
Me: TV is an abbreviation for television.
Nicole: But why do they call it television?
Cara: Tella - vision, it's like the people on the news are telling you something. (Excellent - 3rd grade is really paying off.)
Megan: (In her infinite 6th grade wisdom) No, Cara. Coley, tele comes from the root word . . .
Nicole interrupts: Actually, I don't really care that much. What's for lunch, mom?

The end of summer . . .

View from the dock at the Bames' place. We love it!


My sweet little niece, Emma. Check out those beautiful curls!


Ty loved feeding Opa's cows. He cracked up every time that long, old tongue came out to grab the apple. It was hilarious!


Coley learned how to ride a bike without training wheels while we were gone. Thanks, Stephen, for showing her how to do it!


Coley and her buddy, Stephen. Thanks, Wrights, for a great summer vacation!

A little campfire in the backyard . . . something we could never do in California. Megan and Danica have developed such a sweet friendship over the years.

Cara and her buddy, Ellie. Love those girls!


Ty and his buddy, Maggie. He must have thrown that ball for her 50 times. Thanks, Maggie, for keeping Ty entertained for so long. :)


Ty had a great time hanging with Oma and Opa. Love you!

We stopped in Monterey for a few days on our way home and checked out the aquarium and the pier. The girls were amazed by the number of sea lions on the beach. We probably saw (and smelled) about 200 of them.