It's that time of year again......

Are you thinking what I am thinking....yup it is FANTASY FOOTBALL TIME!!!!!

This is very exciting to both Don and I. We have a keeper league that has been going for 3 or 4 years now!!! Don is the reigning champ from last year. I won the year before, but my main player was out with injuries all of last year...so I am hoping this year proves to be different. We have our online draft tonight....so we are getting ready!!! It's so fun to have this league...we have some family in it and some close friends and "yes, I am the only girl!!". But, I hold my own just fine don't worry!!! So, don't call our house tonight.....it will be an all out war!!!...and we can't wait to get this thing started!!!!!!!!

Hard day and long side effects

Hi!! I thought I would take time to update you on how Don is feeling after the tests today. Don had a pulminary function test ...basically a lot of breathing exercises and measurements. This took A LOT out of Don and he felt the side effects almost immediately. He is now very fatigued today and his chest is very sore. I hope he sleeps ok tonight and feels better tomorrow. He did have to go into the office for one interview, but came home early feeling yucky. The second test we did was the bone density scan...this was actually relaxing for him after the hard work of the first test!! After today I can honestly say we are NOT looking forward to Tuesday...and having three tests to do in one day. I guess we just will pray for Don's body to survive these crazy tests. I don't quite know how to say this next part...it is just hard watching someone going through the pain and inconvience of all this testing...its hard to find a balance of being aware of some medical concerns...but not paranoid. Neither Don nor I want our lives to turn into a big medical saga....but if there are things that can be done to help him...we want to be open to that. Anyways, I am rambling....pray for guidance, strength for Don and patience for me. Thanks.

Prayer Request and Ballet Experience

Hi everyone!!! What did you do tonight?? Well, we escorted our two little ballerina's to their first class. They were mighty cute and they loved EVERY minute of it!! The class is at the church and is really informal. It is for 3 and 4 year olds. The kids thought it was so wonderful to wear their "dress up" clothes to church...i just hope they don't ask to wear dress up clothes on Sunday, but they probably will!! Miss Lindsey is their teacher...she is an 18 year old who is just teaching them some basic ballet movements. So, we asked Taylor what she learned...."I learned how to warm up like this Daddy....". Stretching is very important. We weren't sure how Maddie would do, but she just did what Taylor was doing so it was really funny. My favorite part of the class was when they were supposed to glide gracefully over three blocks in the middle of the floor. Most kids trotted...some missed the blocks completely some actually made it over. Then there was Maddie. The very last one to go.....she RAN....all the way to the blocks...STOPPED abruptly and then did a two foot JUMP over them. Not so graceful...but she was SO PROUD of herself. "Mommy, I jump over the blocks."....yes you did my darling!!! It was great....I think they are going to LOVE this!!

Now, for a prayer request for my hubby. Don is going in tomorrow for five major medical exams in order for our new neuroligist to create a baseline for future care. Since Don's exact disorder is so rare...doctor's are wanting to stay on top of changes and concerns or needs. The tests will include pulminary, ekg, and mri. These will be done tomorrow morning at the hospital. We are glad that these tests will get done, but at the same time I guess a little apprehensive about what the results will be and mean and how that will affect where we go from here. We have a friend of ours from YFC coming over tomorrow morning to watch the girls, so I can go and help Don get through all of this. On Tuesday we will be doing the same thing...with a new batch of tests and all day testing. Please pray for Don's body, the doctors, our nerves, and our little ones during this time!! We will keep everyone posted on what goes on from here. Thanks!!

Enjoy all these pics...sorry some of them are just of heads...my kids seriously can't hold still two seconds for a picture!!!!!!!!

Taylor trying to "fake" sleeping!!

What did your name look like the first time you wrote it??

Ok...so this may not be the funnest thing in the world...but I am glad that I got the picture of it. The other night we decided to start teaching Taylor how to write her name. We had her trace it a few times and then we asked her if she could do it by herself. So, this is what she came up with!!! I took a picture of it and then hung it on my fridge. I love it when I can actually get my children's "firsts" on the camera...this is def. a cool one. She is still loving school...next week will be her first full week of school. Maddie is doing great too!!! She did #2 on the potty the other day...maybe a sign of things to come:) we hope at least! Good night all!

First Day of School

Well, we had the first day of preschool yesterday...it was the orientation day so I went with. It was also just half of the class....normally there will be 15 kids in the class, but yesterday there were just 7 kids (still seemed very full!!). The funny thing about yesterday is that out of the 7 kids...our little Taylor was only GIRL....and she held her own just fine!! One of Taylor's teachers goes to our church and works with me in the nursery, so it was fun to see a familiar face and fun knowing she will help teach my little one this year.



When she got home and we went to pick Daddy up at the airport...Daddy was asking her all about her day at school....her response " there were a lot of boys at school". It was funny. She had a great day. They drew portraits of themselves and made a name tag and then we helped them trace themselves. The parents then went to a meeting and the kids went outside and then had a snack time and a story. All in all it was a pretty great day and we know Taylor will do just fine. She is really ready for this and we are excited to see how thrilled she is about going to school. I was able to meet a mom who lives in our neighborhood. We hit it off so I know this will be a fun place to meet new friends! So, now the times of school and schedules are upon us and we are excited about this. We pray every day for our children and the people our children will touch! This will be a great beginning.

Frogs....in the basement....

Well, we had a couple of surprises today. After "quiet time" today the girls went to play in the basement. It was about 10 minutes later when Taylor came running upstairs saying "mommy, there is a frog on the window." So, being the "frog lover" I am I went down dreading to have to catch a frog in the basement. But, to my delight....the frog was OUTSIDE the window...that is my kind of frog!!

So, the girls were loving watching and talking to the frogs...it turned out there was a "mommy frog" and a "baby frog" in the window well. At one point the bigger frog was jumping high onto the window....to much delight of the squealing toddlers on the inside of the window!!! I think they stayed there for about 45 minutes talking to the frogs and watching them!! They were quite upset that when they lost interest and forgot and then went back to the window....we couldn't find the frogs anymore! I took some pics...the little frog is hard to see...I like the Taylor and Maddie frogs:) I also like the pics where Madison has her face pressed against the glass watching the frogs!!! Funny girls. We are all doing ok otherwise....waiting for Daddy to get home!! We had a great playdate with some friends today and another with our MOPS friends tomorrow. Other than that...nothing too much going on.

The "MOMMY FROG"

Milestones

Ok...first the "big" news around here....i say "big" because what I think is BIG Don laughs:) I guess when you become a mother of toddlers....just about anything can become BIG in your mind;) Onto the news....the girls like to go down to the basement and ride their bikes (our basement isn't finished for those that don't know, so it is great for those kinds of things). Up until two days ago they would ride their Dora big wheel bikes....Taylor can use the pedals and ride FAST....Maddie didn't know how to pedal so she would just use her feet and go fast...well, two days ago Taylor came running upstairs saying "Mommy, she's doing it...she is a big girl now." I went down to see and sure enough she can pedal...she is so proud. Taylor doesn't think Maddie pedals fast enough...so she puts her bike against that back of Maddie's so she can go fast:) Big News right!! I thought so!!



The girls also got cute new haircuts...see pics below.....the bangs are still growing out but at least their hair is shorter. I signed the girls up for a ballet class they are doing at the church...i think it is going to be fun for them.....it is for 3-6 year olds and they will teach some ballet moves and then have a devotional. It is priced VERY reasonablly, so we thought the girls would have fun with that. Pics with the kids in tutus...coming soon:) class starts the end of august...and if we are allowed to drop them off and we don't have to stay there every week...my husband and i might just get a date night out of this too!!



Don leaves tomorrow for Florida for a YFC regional conference. He flys from Florida to Sacramento for another conference and then gets home on the 13th of August. We did get to order Don a Power Wheelchair that will break down and fit into cars when he travels...we'll have it in a month...we are both pretty excited about the independence this will give him at home and when he travels. He has never owned a power wheelchair before so this will all be new to us. I am sure there will be at least two toddlers asking for rides on the wheelchair. That is it for now...enjoy this pics...I finally got the camera out!!!