Happy Birthday Andy

The birthday boy's wish was to have a poker party. Kids were left at home and us big kids went to have some fun! Lisa was the hostess with the mostes - using her margarita machine for the first time.








Don't know who the heck invited Goose but clearly he took the chip lead and all of our money!! This was a huge upset because Daddy is usually the big winner. Psssst.....next time don't invite Goose please!

Just Hanging Out

Christmas Holiday 2008

Every holiday season we look forward to the annual neighborhood Christmas party. The kids get a present from Santa and us big kids participate in an alchohol exchange. Daddy always where his cowboy hat, so the kids wanted a turn this time. Too cute!

Nothing like friends, martini's and wine! Thanks girls!

We were all so sick with the stomach flu over the holiday in California that we didn't really get to spend time with our friends and families. Daddy and I were in bed all of Christmas day and the little ones were just recovering, so there weren't a lot of picture opportunities! :(

Holiday Family Photos

I am thankful for the wonderful, healthy, blessed family I have.
Lil' Pickle will be 13 in April! What a handsome young sweet boy he is!

Pie Pie will be 4 in March. My how the time flies. Thank the Lord for such a beautiful, loving little girl (and for giving me a girl finally). I had so much fun curling her hair!

BooBoo just turned 5! This little one has the funniest expressions and personality. He is also too smart for his own good.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

BooBoo turns 5!

We had such a good time. The kids decorated their bikes and we had a parade. Even baby Hannah made itz! Panda and LJ were here from Cali too! Lil Pickle was such a big help and was his wonderfully silly self. The biggest hit of the party however was the "Make a Bouncy Ball" craft. Should've had more of that one!

Halloween

Halloween was fun this year. The little ones could process the end result of trick-or-treating. Tucker wore a dinosaur costume that was my brother wore when he was 5. Matthew decided to throw a bit of his sense of humor into his costume, and Reese decided to be a Sparky cheerleader. The little ones love ASU.

Mrs. Alysa had a carving/painting party a couple of days before Halloween and Mrs. Kim hosted the Halloween neighborhood party. After all the kids finished trick-or-treating they all sat down in a circle to start bartering. It was hilarious!

Ladies English Tea

Thank you Debbie for a wonderful day! The food was amazingly delicious, the company amazing, and a hostess with the mostest. Oh yeah.......the mimosas weren't bad either. It was so nice to get together with friends to relax and enjoy the day, with an English twist. Thank you Mama for the scrumptious cakes and participating in the silly photo!
Cheers!

Pie Pie gets her Sparkly Princess Cast

Pie Pie was thrilled to get a pretty sparkly purple cast. She was so overwhelmed by all the color options, but stuck with her initial pick.

Daddy and Mommy had promised to make whatever color she chose pretty and sparkly. The orthopedics office was well ahead of us, she must not be the only girly girl to have this reasonable request.

We return to the ortho on Halloween, hopefully to remove the pins and cast permanently. This may be wishful thinking on Mommy's part, but one can hope. Depending on her healing process depends on what they do or don't do.

LifeLock family picnic at the Phoenix Zoo

Every October LifeLock has a family picinc day at the Phoenix Zoo. The kids love it!! The hightlight of their day was riding the Endangered Species Carousel. Of course, a carousel, something we could ride virtually anywhere. Who are we to deny them this pleasure??

They also loved the giraffe's, bobcat and as always the flamingos. Sting Ray Bay was still closed, the sting ray's arrived at 3:00 am the night before. They had to adapt to their new environment before the exhibit could open. The kids were a bit disappointed, but it gave us an excuse to go back.

We didn't stay too long because we didn't want Pie Pie to get to worn out since she had just been discharged from the hospital. She did great and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Thank you LifeLock!

Pie Pie broke her arm!

So far I had made it through Lil Pickle and BooBoo with no broken bones, nor stitches. Leave it to my little girly girl to have accomplished both a year apart and within 3 years of life!

On the evening of September 25th, Pie Pie and BooBoo were supposed to be lying down watching toons before going to sleep. I was in bed and Lonny was out of town in Cali. All of a sudden, she let out a "hurt" cry, you all know that cry. To my dismay when I arrived into BooBoo's room she was holding her left arm and crying. I don't know why but I could just tell from the look in her eyes that she was seriously hurt. I removed her arm from her jammies to discover her elbow purple, swollen and unable to move. Immediately I knew it was broken, but just how bad? I called my neighbor to come sit with Pickle and BooBoo and sped to the ER. To my surprise Pie Pie was very calm and tear free. We went through x-rays and a 4 hour wait, to find out she had broken "chipped" one of the corners of her humurous bone at the elbow. Fortunately it was just above the growth plate.


The ER doc consulted with the Ortho, we were to visit his office the next day, Friday. Sadly, he confirmed my worst fear, Pie Pie needed to have surgery. Out-patient surgery was scheduled for the following Wednesday.

Off we went early Wednesday morning, we patiently waited in the lobby but anticipating the great news from the doc. "She did great! She is in recovery, it should be just a bit before you can see her." Within an hour, nurses called to bring us back. When we reached her bedside I instantly was uneasy with how "asleep" she was. Something just didn't seem right, 3 1/2 hours later she woke up, not completely however. During this time I was watching the monitors at her oxygen saturation, temperature, heart rate and respirations. I did not like what I was seeing. I was trying to recall what the normal heart rate was for children, to my recollection it was 80-90 resting. Her heart rate was ranging from 156-170, her oxygen levels would plummet if the oxygen mask was taken away. Her respirations were shallow and excelerated. Just about the time I was going to ask for a doc, the nurse came and said, "Doc wants to admit her."

Our stay through Friday afternoon did not seem to upset Pie Pie too much. She enjoyed being waited on hand and foot and playing in the play room. There was even a therapy dog named Tiger who came to play. We had conquered the temperature, oxygen levels and respiration rate, just the heart rate was remaining, and it had hit as high as 182. They had no real answers for me, it might be a reaction to the surgery or maybe the morphine. In the wee hours of Friday morning her heart rate finally returned to normal, we got to go home.


Now on the horizon is a follow-up with her normal doctor Monday morning and back to the ortho on Wednesday. Hopefully her arm has healed as it should by the ortho appointment so they can remove the wires (3) and hard cast it.


Thank you all who sent encouraging words and said countless prayers, you have no idea how much it meant to us. Prayers are a powerful thing. She is doing great, climbing, playing and being the Queen of the house!

Disneyland Adventure with Mamaw

So far September has been an exciting month....Mamaw, Pie Pie, BooBoo Bear and I went to Disneyland and California Adventures. It was the two little ones first time - a bit overwhelming for them I think.

Their first experience of 3-D was Toy Story in California Adventures. Pie Pie was reaching out to grab things.

They were all smiles until it came time for the princess lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Pie Pie was so excited when the princess' were introduced but when they got to the table she froze. I know she will regret it, in each picture she looked upset...if she was even looking at the camera.

Pie Pie's favorite part was the catepillar ride in Heimlich's Chew Chew Train in A Bug's Land. She liked that you got sprayed when he ate the juicy watermelon. BooBoo Bear's favorite part was the dancing "rhinorosaurus" in the Lion King Float - Dreams Come True Parade. Then all of a sudden they grew ears on the merry go round.

Cutie Pie

Pie Pie was enjoying her time at our neighbor's daughter's 2nd birthday party! So cute!!! BooBoo wouldn't stand still long enough for me to take a picture.

Visit with Pookie

My brother was flying in to pick up Pookie, so her mommy dropped her off with me. Before we went to the airport the kids had a blash dressing up and running around like crazy kids. It had been so long since they had seen her, the time went by far too quick.

After Tinkerbell, Giselle and Captain Hook were done dancing at the ball, we went to the mall for lunch and playtime at the play area.