Our Precious Katelyn

Today our precious Katelyn turns 6.

I spent most of the day either in bed with the stomach virus or taking care of Parker who also had the virus. Not fun. Last night, in the middle of the night, while I was laying next to a sick little boy, I relived the night she was born. That was a tough night six years ago. Our whole lives turned upside down in the matter of a few hours.

And now here we are, three beautiful kids later, and I still miss her as much as I did six years ago. Things definitely are easier. The initial sting of losing a child has subsided, but it is something that you never get over completely.

The past couple of months have been particularly hard for me. Katelyn would have started kindergarten this year. As I watched all the parents at drop off on the first day, I couldn't help but be a little sad thinking that we should be there too. I wonder what she would have worn, what color backpack she would have picked out, who her teacher would have been. Memories that will never be made with our sweet girl.
And while we will not be celebrating with our daughter today, there is another little girl celebrating her 6th birthday with her family today. A little girl in Nicaragua who shares a birthday with our sweet Katelyn. A little girl that we support through Compassion International every month. A little girl, who without even knowing it, has touched my life and given me a reason to smile on a day that is filled with a lot of sadness. Happy Birthday Mayorling!

And Happy Birthday Katelyn! We still love you so much! May you have a wonderful day celebrating with the angels!

What Happens in Vegas...

Cory and I got back yesterday from a weekend trip to Las Vegas with Cleburne Eye Clinic. There were 15 of us who went for an annual optometry convention and we had a great time. Cory spent all day Friday at the convention while I went shopping. Doesn't it look like Cory and Dr. Wedel had a rough day at the exhibits?!?!
Saturday night we got to go to dinner with Hilaire, one of Cory's optometry school classmates who lives in Las Vegas. It is always good to see her and catch up with her.
The rest of our time was spent relaxing, eating really good food and gambling just a little bit. It was great to get away for a few days but were very ready to see our kiddos on Sunday!

Shopping at the M&M's store

Rocky

One week ago today, we had to say goodbye to our dog, Rocky. We got Rocky just a couple of months after we got married 13 years ago. He was such a great dog, especially before we had kids, and I have many wonderful memories of him. It has been a tough week without him. I still find myself thinking that I need to take him outside before we leave the house and looking for him when I get home from work. I also really miss him laying beside my feet as I watch TV at night. He was my first "baby" and I will always have a special place in my heart for him.

R.I.P Rocky
May 1998- September 2011

Eleven Months Old

Lily- You turn 11 months old today! How on earth did that happen? I am in complete denial that you are turning 1 in just a few short weeks. You have been such a sweet baby and I just don't want this year to end. I am looking forward to watching you grow into a toddler but there are so many things that I will miss about you at this age. Here are some of the highlights from this past month:

- You are still wearing size 5 diapers and are moving into 18 month clothes.

- You have 6 teeth but have been chewing on your fingers a lot this week, so I am wondering if you have another tooth trying to break through.

-You are cruising everywhere- along the couch, bed, fireplace- and you have stood on your own for 1-2 seconds a couple of times, so I think walking is just around the corner. I wonder if you will walk before your first birthday like Eden or after your birthday like Parker.

- We have pretty much phased out baby food from your diet. Some of your current favorites are cheese slices, mandarin oranges, grilled cheese sandwiches, Cheerios, macaroni and cheese, bananas, and carrots.

-I know that it is still too early to tell, but if I had to guess right now, I would predict that you are going to be left handed. When you play, I don't notice you having a dominant preference, but when you eat, you only use your left hand to pick up your food. It will be interesting to see if my prediction comes true.

-You are going through a phase where you are extremely attached to me. You want me to be holding you most of your waking hours. When I put you down or leave you, there are always many tears shed. Last week at church, I was forced to volunteer in the nursery because you were screaming so loud. None of the other workers could calm you down and, as a result, you got all of the other babies upset.
-Your favorite thing to do right now is play with Parker and Eden. You are usually very happy when you are right in the middle of their activities, whether it be playing outside in the rain or building with blocks in the playroom. They are usually very sweet to include you, which makes me very happy!
You are such a beautiful, happy, smiley, precious little girl and I'm so glad God chose you to complete our family. Thank you for allowing me to be your mommy the past 11 months! I love you so much and can't wait to celebrate your first year of life at the end of this month!

Jackson's Birthday Party

This weekend we also had the privilege of celebrating our friend Jackson's 4th birthday with him and his family. The kids had a great time jumping in the bounce house, but only for a few minutes due to an approaching thunderstorm. After pizza and nachos (two of Parker and Eden's favorites!), the kids had fun playing with a bean bag toss. Cake and ice cream were next, which is something my kids never turn down. Their favorite part of the party, however, was the pinata. Parker gave it several hard whacks but Eden wanted no part in hitting it. She was more interested in making sure she got a lot of candy after the pinata was busted! We had a great time helping Jackson celebrate his birthday and hope that he has a wonderful year ahead of him.

Happy 4th Birthday Addison

This past Sunday, our precious niece/cousin Addison turned 4 years old! We were so excited to get to go celebrate with her on her special day!
This year, she had her birthday party at McDonald's and many of her family and friends were able to come. The kids had a great time playing and eating cake and ice cream.

Addison and Aubrey were so excited when we got to the party. They had to have a big cousin hug to say "hello"!
After playtime, the kids devoured their cake and ice cream before heading out to play some more.
Lily took advantage while the big kids were eating cake and got a little play time of her own!
Next it was time to open presents! My sister had a great idea to let the person who brought the gift come sit next to Addison while she was opening it! The reason Eden is not in the picture is because she spent the entire gift opening time finishing her ice cream. She was the only one left at the table but she didn't care! She wasn't going to let one little bite of cake and ice cream go to waste! Baby Ryan spent the party (and his one month birthday!) snoozing in his car seat and being passed around from one person to the next. Such a sweet boy!
It was such a wonderful day filled with lots of family and fun! It was great to see everyone celebrating such a beautiful little girl!

Happy 4th Birthday, Addison! We love you so much and hope you had a very special day!

Playing in the Rain

Parker and Eden are both unadventurous when it comes to trying new things. They are never the kids that will jump right into new situations without a little encouragement from me or Cory. (Remember the first snow this past year? Disaster. Lots of crying and not a lot of playing in the snow!)

Imagine our surprise last night after dinner when they both started asking to go outside to play in the rain. Cory and I never thought they would really go, so of course we said yes. We were both shocked when they actually walked right out into the pouring rain and started running around like wild animals!

Parker kept asking me for his raincoat and when I told him he did not have a raincoat, he decided that his winter fleece hat and mittens would work just as well for both him and Eden!

They ran all over the yard, slid down the slide and splashed in the puddles. They were completely drenched by the time they got cold and decided to come in.


Don't think for a second that Lily didn't get to enjoy the fun! She was the first one outside after I opened the back door and she stayed out until I made her come in and warm up.

Eden's hair was just as crazy as ever after she came in! I know she'll hate it one day, but I just love her hair!We were so thankful for the much needed rain and the fun times that came along with it!

Hello, Cooler Weather!

After a taste of cooler weather over Labor Day, the temperatures climbed back into the 100+ degrees for a few more days. Thankfully, another cold front came through and I think we are finally finished with summer. I am so ready for fall weather and playing outside again. We spent most of the afternoon in the backyard yesterday and I had to drag the kids in at bedtime.

Eden apparently thought the 80 degree temps were pretty chilly and decided that she needed to wear her fleece hat to stay warm!
The kids played and played and played in their sandbox. Even Lily enjoyed some playtime with the bigger kids and I only caught her eating the sand a few times.
It had been a while since we'd reviewed our sandbox rules, and unfortunately Eden needed several reminders that we don't throw dirt at each other or pour sand on Lily's head!
The kids got a special treat when Uncle Steven stopped by after dinner and they had a great time playing soccer with him.
It has been so nice to see the kids enjoying being outside again and I hope the cooler temperatures are here to stay!