Capturing the Miracles in Everyday Life

2 Weeks Post Surgery!

2011-10-12T10:35:00.006-05:00

Well we made it to 2 weeks Post surgery and we are doing well! Yesterday we had an appointment with the surgeon! First Braden got his stinky, colorful cast cut off!

He actually did really well with the cast saw, we thought he would really freak out,

but the first freak out came when he looked down to see 8 staples in his leg - that was not fun! He could not believe that they had stapled him! And it hurt to take them out since they had been in for 2 weeks and pretty stuck in there, but he did ok.

Then it was time for a new cast - so Daddy helped hold his mummified leg up so they could reapply!

He picked white again because he wanted a clean canvas for all the pretty markers! He is a kid who is all about color! Also they lowered it about 1/2 and inch so hopefully that will be a little more comfortable for him! They also took the large bump off the back! He complained a lot about how tight it was compared to his last one - ha - he was able to almost get his whole arm down the other one - so it was needed! I guess he was pretty dang swollen after surgery because you couldn't get a fingernail under the cast then!

Then we went for x-rays! This is the BEFORE! OUCH! I had seen it once before, but it still makes me cringe! See how much overlap there was?! This is why they had to torture him with the traction to pull it back in place before surgery!

And this is what it looked like yesterday! It is a little hard to see the pins/nails but they are the white lines at the top and bottom of his bone and they go the whole length and criss/cross in the middle. It isn't perfectly aligned, that would have been pretty tough with that break - but they are confident that the bone will just start filling itself in! So now we have an appointment in 4 weeks to see about getting the cast off!

And today was the big day! He got to go back to school! We weren't sure if he was going to make it in time as we woke up to Thunder and Rain and I wasn't sure how I was going to get him in the school without getting it wet! But the rain let up and we were able to go! I stayed with him in the classroom as we figured a few things out. He was excited but a little nervous! He really really wanted to try the whole day so he could go to Art class this afternoon, so we will see if he can make it! Sitting at a 90 degree angle all day is going to be tough for him! So we are crossing our fingers! Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes! Ya'll are amazing :)

Fast Forward

2011-10-06T11:35:00.006-05:00

So I slacked a little in the updating - but wanted to share what is going on RIGHT NOW in our lives! Ha!
Last Tuesday I got a call from Braden's school nurse. I thought that the cough he had left with that morning must have turned in to a fever or something...not quite! She told me something had happened on the playground and she thought he needed an x-ray of his leg. I pretty much left my lunch on the stove, all the lights on, dropped Blake off at my awesome neighbor's house and was at the school in 3 minutes.
One look at him and I knew there was no way I would be transporting him anywhere. So the ambulance was called and all the kids out at lunch recess got a treat when the fire truck and ambulance showed up. It was a first for both of us - and hopefully our last ambulance ride. Chris met us at the hospital where x-rays quickly showed that not only was his femur broken (large thigh bone!) but the bones were over lapping and pretty jagged. A plan was quickly put in to place to get him up to a room, put his leg in traction and surgery at 7:30am the next morning.
Putting him in traction has got to be one of the worst experiences I have had as a mother. All you can do is hold his hands and hug him while they tortured his little body to pull his leg straight. It was horrible. But once they got it done, he was a little more comfortable (especially with all the happy meds he was receiving!).
It was a rough night, but we were the first surgery of the day and things went as smoothly as planned. Thank God for sweet friends who work at the hospital and make sure we were taken care of!! He now has 2 flexible nails or pins that are the length of his femur holding it together! On top of that he has a full length cast up to his hip. He had a rough time after surgery with some lung issues and kept everyone on the their toes all day Wednesday - it was not too fun! But he finally got off oxygen around 9pm that night and started turning the corner.
Thursday found us with his first appointment with Physical Therapy and to say it was torture would be an understatement. He screamed and screamed and walked 4 feet with his walker, it was horrible. The next time was a little better, but still horrible. It was a mixture of pain and fear and it sucked. As the day wore on, we saw our happy, feisty 7 year old really start to get depressed and angry. They had told us to expect that he would probably go through the steps of 'grief' that are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance - and he did. He was so angry and depressed - it was hard to take, but we did the best we could.
We finally came home on Friday afternoon - even though I wasn't sure we could handle it all at home. After a car ride where he had to lay down and be strapped to the seat with a vest that looked like he was going to go bungee jumping, we were met with the whole neighborhood waiting for him! They crowded the car and couldn't wait to see him! They had made welcome home signs and brought gifts - but more important, that brought smiles to his face! I don't know if I have said this enough - but we live in an AMAZING neighborhood! Seriously, to be able to live next to friends who don't think twice when you have to drop off your 2 year old in the blink of an eye, or rearrange their schedules to watch him all the next day, or make your life and your kids lives better just by being so caring and kind - there aren't enough Thank yous to cover what they have done for us over the years!
The first few days at home were ROUGH! Thankfully Blake had gone to Nebraska so we could solely focus on Braden. It was hard, he was so angry and we got the brunt of it. I was praying for acceptance at every corner. Finally Tuesday, things started looking better. He started complaining less and trying more. He smiled and laughed a few times with his friends and even made it outside using his walker. Chris and I could both tell that the 'acceptance' switch was being flipped. It has still been up and down the last 2 days, but no where what the days were.
Right now he is confined to the basement because I can not carry him up and down the stairs (stupid 4 level split home!) Thankfully we have a pull out sectional couch and he is pretty comfy and I can sleep next to him on the couch. Little things are getting easier and we are figuring out others.
The next step is getting him ready to go back to school. We are going to go visit his classmates tomorrow and then plan on getting him back there next Wednesday hopefully. He sees the surgeon on Tuesday where we believe they will be cutting this cast off to check the surgery wounds and putting a new one on. We will also get a copy of his before and after x-rays which I will share!
Sorry for rambling on, but I think I needed to get it out too :) We are doing ok - we just try to put things in perspective - things could be so much worse :) So we take it one day at a time and try to keep him occupied. Anyone who knows B, knows he doesn't sit still for long, so this is pretty tough on him! Thank you to everyone helping us with Braden in any way, with watching Blake, bring us meals and just being awesome friends! We are blessed!!! Here are a few pics of the past week! Thanks for listening to all this rambling :):):)

And yes - Haley broke her arm...one week exactly after B broke his leg. Still can't believe it - they are break buddies for life :)

Chillin' in the Northeast

2011-08-31T16:09:00.004-05:00

Well - while we were in Maine - Chris and I went to prom :) Ha! Actually the adults got to go out to lunch in Portland and then the boys headed down to a Red Sox game (before Chris flew home :( and the girls got to stay and have a few drinks by the water and get our toes done - it was a very relaxing, nice day with some awesome people!

Our Amazing hosts! Thank you Kate and Mark for opening your house, your family and your lives to us!

My girls!

Blake loved riding around in Kyle's jeep!

One of the nights - Mark so nicely took the big boys to a baseball game and they had a blast!

While the girls and Blake got to stay home and get their toes done :)

The boys had fun kicking around the soccer ball!

And we lounged by the pool a lot :)

Beach Day

2011-08-30T10:34:00.006-05:00

It was pretty much a PERFECT day at the beach! All 7 kiddos got along and played the day away! The weather was perfect and the adults just got to lay around and relax - it was glorious :)

I kind of *heart* these girls!

Yep - a stop at the ice cream shop to finish off the beautiful day - perfect!

Father's Day in Maine

2011-08-30T10:15:00.006-05:00

The day started off with homemade Blueberry pancakes made by all the kiddos!

Then some daddy love!

Braden, Chris and Mark headed down to the docks to get our Father's day lunch :)

Braden touching his first Maine lobster!

Helping cook lunch!

Such a yummy sight!

Chris's first official Maine Lobster!

Not my first, but definitely not my last :)

um, just so you are jealous - these were the LEFTOVERS after we had thoroughly stuffed ourselves to the gills! (We snacked on leftover lobster all week long!)

Lunch was followed up by an exciting game of baseball in the yard - it really was an all-american kind of day!

Playing outfield :)

Nice swing bubby!

Kyle - rounding the bases!

MVP

Everyone got involved!

And the best Father's day was capped off with S'mores around the fire! Jaclyn got the most perfectly roasted marshmallow award :)

Maine Part 1 :)

2011-08-30T09:50:00.006-05:00

As you will be able to tell - we spent a lot of the time lounging by the pool! This trip was the epitome of relaxation - and that is the kind of vacations we love! All the kids got a long great - and most of the time we had 7 of them :)

Mr. Jack - love him!

Kate and me - such a great friend and wonderful hostess - maybe she'll invite us back :)

Jack is a sports nut and Blake loved playing hockey and baseball with him!

Alex is just about the sweetest girl you could meet!

Trying to get mommy wet!

Mr. Kyle - pretty amazing big man

and although he might look sweet and innocent, he is just as ornery as the rest of them :)

And of course Blake had to copy him too - thanks Chris for being such a good sport!

More June Happenings - Wedding in New Hampshire

2011-08-30T09:34:00.005-05:00

Our big family vacation this year was 10 days in New England! It was by a huge coincidence that Chris's buddy Jon got married an hour away from my BFF Kate and her family in Maine! So we combined the whole trip and had such an amazing family vacation! Kate, so graciously, offered to watch the boys for two full nights so we could go to the wedding in New Hampshire by ourselves! It was such a fun get-away in a cute little coastal town! What a fun weekend of meeting new friends and reconnecting with old! Congrats Jon and Mary - wishing you many, many years together!

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Rehearsal Dinner - Great view!

Football buddies back together after 10 years!

The wives!

Our little Harbor Seal friend that came on to shore and stayed around for about 6 hours entertaining everyone!

Aw, he cleans up pretty well :)

On the trolley to the reception - this trolley picked up all the guests from the hotel and drove us around all night - what a great idea!

The first dance!

A beautiful memorial to sailors lost at sea right in front of our hotel!

Fun on the beach before heading back to the boys!

What happened in June...Part 1

2011-08-26T15:26:00.006-05:00

June started off with some sweet corn eating :) But big brother was not happy because he had a very wiggly tooth and it hurt too much to eat the corn...

Until the very next day when he took a bite of pizza - and out it came!! This is his first 'official' tooth that he has lost. We aren't counting the 2 bottom teeth that he knocked out right before his first birthday :)

Then we hit the park with friends and CeCe and Blake enjoyed a break and a rice krispee treat - they are way too cute together!

Blake decided he was tired of sitting on the sidelines and wanted to be just like the big kids!

Then the boys and I met Meena C and Keegan at the Omaha Zoo and had an awesome day!
The aquarium was our favorite spot! Braden is very into ocean animals at the moment - so we went through it twice!

The boys loved the moving globe with water flowing over it!

We looked at monkeys

and traipsed through the jungle

and really just had an excellent day!

The boys and I hit a few more parks in June and got to feed the ducks all our left over bread! The boys really do love them a good park :)

Highlights in May

2011-08-23T13:45:00.003-05:00

The rest of the Month of May went something like this...

Chris and I got to go to Kansas City to watch the Cardinals beat the Royals!

These crazy kids were also there - a good time was had by all :)

Then Chris and I got to celebrate 9 years of marriage with a dinner out - can't believe it has been 9 years - Love ya babe

Then our big guy graduated from Kindergarten. He had such a great teacher this year and had a great time. He learned so much and can't wait to be a big 1st grader.

Then to celebrate the beginning of Summer we hit the park and had a great time.

Oh me Oh my...

2011-08-22T16:00:00.010-05:00

Oh wow - um, it's been 4 months since I've blogged. Bad, bad Carissa. There has been so much going on and we have had a super fun filled summer - so much to update on! I won't even try to go back and update on everything - BUT there are a few key points that I will go over the next few days!

To begin with we ROCKED as the AMBASSADOR FAMILY for the March of Dimes March for Babies this year (if I do say so myself)! We CRUSHED our team goal of $8000 and raised OVER $11,500 to help all babies get a healthy start! I think we would all agree that it was one of the best walks in the last 7 years! They weather was perfect, the site was great, the turnout was amazing - just an overall wonderful day! I even got through talking to the the crowd of almost 3000 people without goofing up too much or bawling my eyes out :) We had a HUGE team this year and was ecstatic to have each and every one of them walk with us! We had veterans and first timers - including my Grandma who surprised me!!!

I will let the pictures do the talking...(Totally out of order, but you get the picture :)

"The Family with the AWESOME cake my cousin Terri made - so cool"

"Blake being crazy at the walk"

Some of our biggest supporters - Aunt KT and Meena K

PopPop Joe, Josh and Baby Cole figuring out how to make next year this awesome

Chris and former college football buddy Ethan catching up

Best Cousins

Our favorite NICU Neonatologist Dr. W, Shonda and me

Angie and Baby Cole - long time walkers :)

Blake really enjoyed the ice cream

Good looking bunch

Cutting the ribbon to start the walk - what an honor

A few of the kids that joined us this year

Jill is holding our youngest member of the Team - Baby Elin was 10 days old I believe

NICU buddies from way back - Braden and Sally

Can't believe Grandma surprised me this year - was so great having her with us

Good buddies

What an AMAZING team - so so cool

Braden's teachers who came out to support him

Braden and the Pork Queen - hee hee

Me and my Momma

Haley sporting the awesome paint facing that they were doing

Blake couldn't quite figure out why he was looking at himself

Loving the red shirts

Talking in front of almost 3000 supporters

Charming the crowd

Ashley and Haley with the "Princesses"

I guess we started this whole thing :)

He had a little to do with it too

Blake being Blake...

2011-04-15T16:48:00.003-05:00

Here are just a few snapshots over the last 2 weeks of Blake being Blake...

He LOVES to wear this March of Dimes bucket as a hat!

Practicing being a Big Boy - first thing he asked for was his book!

We got two pairs of sunglasses for him this year! His eyes are SO sensitive to the sun and tear up immediately when he goes outside. He loves his sunglasses and will usually leave them on the whole time he is outside!

Running away from Mommy on Opening Day for the Cardinals! He was very excited that the outfit that Uncle John got him for his 1ST Birthday FINALLY fit him :)

See...there's the bucket again! And yes his whole leg is in the macaroni box - he looks like a pirate!

Rocking out with his 'wee wee wee' (or guitar in Blake speak) he LOVES music!

T-shirts for sale!!!

2011-04-12T08:21:00.004-05:00

I know, I know - I need to get some new pictures up - and I will before we head off to New York at the end of the week - I promise :) But I just wanted to let you all know that we are selling our 2011 Team Miracle Monsters t-shirts to raise money for our March of Dimes, March for Babies team this year! They can be yours for a $15 (or more :) donation to our team! They are going to be RED with white print and we have sizes ranging from 6 months to Adult XXL. Braden picked out the RED this year because he wanted to stand out as the Ambassador Family at the walk :)

If you would like to order a shirt - either leave a comment or email me at cmsauer@gmail.com and I will get you hooked up!! I need orders in by Thursday night! If t-shirts aren't your thing but you still want to help us reach our goal - please visit our website at www.marchforbabies.org/miraclemonster (our 2011 video is also on our page if you haven't seen it already!)
THANK YOU!!!

Spring Break Part 3

2011-04-01T18:55:00.003-05:00

We headed on over to Lindsay and Glenn's house on Saturday...and yes there was another baby, so yes I had to take pictures :)
Meet Mr. Brendan - I've waited 2 months to meet him!Blake - telling him how it is in this crazy bunch!

Cole wanted in on the picture action again!

And to think - 13 years ago, we were just a couple of college girls sharing a tiny apartment! We all have 2 kids now (Gracie did NOT want her picture taken, maybe she isn't comfortable being the only girl :) And we are blessed to still be in eachother's lives!

And after leaving Lindsay's house we headed to Meena K and PopPop Dirk's house - and there was a party at Mimi's, and Mark made pizza, and Aunt KT and Uncle John drove up to see us - but somehow my camera didn't make it out for any of it - boo hiss! KT if you have any to share, please do :)

Spring Break Part 2

2011-04-01T18:48:00.005-05:00

The boys and I made our way to Missouri for the second half of our Spring Break! My good friends Angie and Lindsay only live an hour away from eachother and had baby boys just a month apart, so we've been waiting for a time to go and meet them both!

Well since I can't be near a baby and NOT take pictures...here are a few of the first full day with Mr. Cole! I have waited 3 months to meet him!

Both Blake and Cole crashed on the couch while the big boys played! Aw, what a life!

After the rain and hail this morning we thought we'd let the boys go play in the mud...they liked it, just a little bit - HA!

Blake discovered his LOVE for mud puddles!

Pretty sure he could be the GAP model in this shot :)

Before I forget...

2011-04-01T17:17:00.002-05:00

I just want to put this video out there and document it that at just over 2 years old, Blake knows all of his letters. I find this strange, since we had no hand in helping him learn them, it came as a shock to us??!?! He hasn't just memorized them in one game or toy, he can pick them out of any sign, book, magazine, t-shirt, toy etc. He knows many in both lower case and upper case. And the awesome part is HE LOVES to look for letters. He will sit and flip through a magazine and just point them all out, he kind of amazes me.

This video is almost a month old - he is much quicker now!

Spring Break Part 1

2011-03-30T15:13:00.007-05:00

Our first part of Spring Break the boys and I headed off to Nebraska with a little downtime with the family! We got to see a lot of this Big guy! Oh how he has grown!

Being silly with Auntie Em!

Jackson was learning the ins and outs of being a Michigan fan like his uncle and daddy!

Blake LOVED the swing!

Braden loved monkeying around on the very old, very rusted jungle gym at my childhood home. He kept telling Meena that she needed to get a new one :)

The big hit of the week was PopPop's unplanted garden! Boys+Dirt=Love

Blake even jumped right into the hole and started filling it in! That is until the worm crawled out into his hand, then he was done with that game!

We also got to celebrate my Grandma's 88th birthday with a little get-together and party for her! Happy Birthday Grandma!

Blake liked the chocolate cake!

Outside and a little mud!

2011-03-10T08:40:00.005-06:00

Last week we got out for a day when it was in the 50s and beautiful! Of course then the cold returned and the snow...but tomorrow is supposed to be 60 so we are really looking forward to the day when the warm weather is here to stay!

Blake was ecstatic to say the least about being able to play outside! He played in the mud for hours and went directly to the bathtub when we went inside :)

Wow - Starting over

2011-03-09T08:22:00.003-06:00

Um - I'm a little embarrassed at how long it has been since I posted here. I mean really?? I guess I needed a little break after 3 straight years of blogging our memories, but still that is no excuse!

I really do love taking pictures and photography. I am disappointed in myself for the lack of pictures I have been taking lately - it makes me sad. So as Lent begins, besides giving up a few things, I am going to try to make a point to start 'Capturing the Miracles in Everyday Life' again! Please come back and rejoin me if anyone is still out there!

Hugs
Carissa

Just a few shots from our Mardi Gras party at our Church last night!
Blake dancing with all his 'pretties'

Braden got his face painted for the very first time EVER! He said he actually liked it and would do it again! He is a red/white striped tiger with blue whiskers (at his request) I told him I loved it because he looked like a Nebraska Tiger :):)

Braden and his girlfriend E - these two keep us laughing!

Day One - New York Adventure

2010-10-19T08:31:00.001-05:00

Our hotel this time was close to Times Square and Hell's Kitchen. On Saturday we had some time to grab lunch and walk around before our room was ready so we found the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market! It was fun to walk around on the beautiful day!

Then later at night we hit Times Square - WOW - it was PACKED! Saturday night on a beautiful October night, guess it was the place to be! We didn't stay long since it was hard to manuever the stroller through the crowd but I did wear my buddy Kyle's t-shirt so I could 'take' him to Times Square with us! We love you buddy!

And Blake decided he wanted to be goofy and jump on the bed awhile before falling asleep! What a goofball!

Creepy Crawlers

2010-10-19T08:29:00.000-05:00

We found this big guy hanging out in our driveway after school today - they kind of freak me out!

9 Month PhotoShoot!

2010-10-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

Oh those eyes...

My Bubby!

2010-10-05T09:57:00.001-05:00

Oh how I hate thee...

2010-10-05T09:57:00.000-05:00

Anyone have a good way to get rid of these guys - they are ALL OVER my flower garden and front yard!

It's Soccer time again!!

2010-10-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

NICU Renuion

2010-10-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

Every year our NICU throws a "NICU Reunion" where the families that 'lived' it the NICU can get together and visit with each other and the nurses and doctors that took care of our babies! It was a fun time had by all and a great turn out!

NICU Buddies from day one! Braden and Sally!!

Husker Party!

2010-10-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

It's good to be back in Nebraska for the weekend :)

The Big Day!!

2010-10-05T09:27:00.005-05:00

The beautiful Bride!

Sisters
Cousins
Studly Ringbearer

Trying to convince Great Meena to let him outside!
Freedom
3 Generations
Grandkids
My Baby
Mother and SonIt's official!!

First Dance as Husband and WifeWatching the Dollar Dance is hard work

My only Niece :)
We just keep getting bigger and bigger...
Rivalries (not really, Eric is a Nebraska fan too - but should be interesting next year when Nebraska enters the Big 10!)Married!
Welcome to the family Meghan and Kaitlyn! We love all 3 of you! It was a beautiful day!

Rehearsal Time!

2010-10-05T09:17:00.004-05:00

Can't believe the Big day has finally come! Eric and Meghan are getting married :)

Messy

2010-10-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

If he could only live on spaghettios and macaroni!

First NEBRASKA gear!

2010-10-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

He told me he just didn't feel comfortable in the Mizzou shirt last weekend - so we had to find him some RED :) Sorry Daddy!

Talkin' Fire Time!

2010-10-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

A little bit of a tradition around here! We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and had a very relaxing night!

Spending the day at Mimi & Bapaw's

2010-10-05T09:02:00.003-05:00

Today the boys, Meena K and I hung out at Mimi and Bapaw's house for most of the day while Daddy, PopPop and Uncle John were down in St.Louis taking in the Mizzou game and a Cardinals game! We had a very full, fun day :)

Helping Sissy with the Sawdust Trail

A little pool time (or at least hanging out by the pool time!)

Oh how his brother loved this fountain too! Poor Mimi has to fish out so many pebbles when the boys finally leave :)
Sweet Sugar. Seriously, she is such a great dog and Blake LOVES puppies and she let him pet her and hang out with her and he was in heaven!

Missouri Trip!

2010-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

On our way into town we stopped at the high school football game where Chris's cousin was playing! The boys even got team shirts to wear! It was a beautiful night for football!

After the game when we were waiting for Mark to come out of the locker room the boys got to run on the field - they loved it!!

6 week photoshoot with Mr. A

2010-10-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

Giggles...

2010-10-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

Pretty much the best sound around!

Mama's first homemade pie!

2010-10-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

Colorado Peach Pie
Thanks Mom for helping me - it was delish!

Great Team

2010-10-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

These are two of Blake's therapist. Miss Mindy and Miss Jodi. Mindy has done WONDERS for his eating skills - when we look back at where he was 6 months ago, his progress is amazing! They are a great team and he loves when they come to play!!

Out for a jog with Dad

2010-10-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

Chris went for a late jog tonight and Braden said he really wanted to go with him. So after Chris finished his long run he picked B up for his cooldown - it was pretty cute seeing them run off together...Chris said he made it about 2 blocks before he declared that he ran all of his energy out :)

Monkey

2010-10-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

Mommy Made my curls go away...

2010-10-05T08:49:00.000-05:00

at least for an hour :)

First Day of Kindergarten!!!

2010-10-05T08:42:00.002-05:00

I honestly can't believe this day is already here...so crazy. Where did my little tiny baby go? He is very excited to start Kindergarten and reminds me daily that I will be ok and he will see me after school :) I am really looking forward to seeing how much he grows this year!

All the neighborhood kids walking to school together!

No Fear...

2010-10-05T08:33:00.001-05:00

Our last day!

2010-08-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

So we were supposed to be on the road today - but we just couldn't leave on a gorgeous day like today - so we decided we would stay for one more day and head back tomorrow!
An early morning boat ride before the lake got crowded!

Once again it was sad to say good-bye to Torch Lake. It is so relaxing and peaceful up there - just what we needed!
To see more pictures of our trip - Click HERE.

Day 7

2010-08-17T10:06:00.000-05:00

Today was a little too cool for a beach day so we headed into Traverse City for a little shopping (this is how the boys entertained themselves while we shopped!) Then the big kids went and did a little wine tasting - love mesome Black Star Farms

We figured it was a perfect night for a fire on the beach - the boys really enjoyed it and we even had s'mores!

To see more pictures from our trip - Click HERE.

Day 6 - Windy Day

2010-08-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Headed to the Dockside for drinks and appetizers. Always a good time and a great view!

Blake enjoyed all the activity of the boats coming and going!

Gorgeous sunset

Awww...

Day 5

2010-08-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

To see more pictures from our trip - Click HERE.

Michigan Day 4 - Darn, another beach day :)

2010-08-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

Chris has all he need to enjoy the day!

Braden even found some friends to play with - I don't know why I'm worried about him not making friends at school!

To see more pictures from our trip - Click HERE.

Michigan Day 3

2010-08-17T09:54:00.001-05:00

To see more pictures from our trip - Click HERE.

Michigan Day 2

2010-08-17T09:46:00.001-05:00

Such beautiful calm water in the morning - so peaceful!

John's birthday present to Braden was a big hit! A remote control boat! I think it kept the older boys occupied too :)

Brothers on the boat!

To see more pictures from our trip - Click HERE.

Torch Lake Michigan - Day 1

2010-08-17T09:40:00.002-05:00

After driving 10.5 hours through the night we arrived at Torch Lake at around 8:30am! It was a little dreary on our first day, but the boys still couldn't resist getting in the water!

Then of course we had to head to Higgin's - the BEST ice cream shop around!

To see all pictures from our trip - click HERE.

Summer Park Tour #9

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Car Wash

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Not quite sure how this came to be - but our neighbor Tom was a trooper and let the neighborhood kids help him wash the car. The had a blast...thanks Tom ;)

At the park with Meean C & PopPop Joe

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I guess we just keep wearing him out...

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His new love...

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Salt and Vinegar Pringles! You may be thinking - wow that would be really salty and really sour...but his therapists have told us that he will likely want foods with LOTS of flavor because many of his tastebuds probably died with his lack of food and just his boring formula in the last months - so he does enjoy things with lots of taste! Yeah!

Summer Park Tour #8

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Monkey Boy

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This is what I found when I looked up from working on the computer - what a monkey!

Summer Park Tour #7

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Slip-n-sliding Fun

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Finally - some fireworks!

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Since we didn't get to see any on the 4th of July, the boys were ready to see some the next weekend when our town does a display to end our Summerfest celebration! Braden's best buddy Gavin has a perfect view from his house so we headed over there for a little party with their neighbors!

Look how impressed Blake was :)

Summer Park Tour #6

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Summer Park Tour #5

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Photoshoot with my Boys

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Florida Sunrise

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Finally...

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My vacation can finally begin :) The ocean!!! This is truly what Florida is to me! I was in heaven from the time we crossed the bridge to Daytona Beach and those blue waters came into view. I really breathe easier here - it is so relaxing and calming for me -and I think my boys absolutely agree with me! All 3 had a fantabulous time!!!

A rainy 4th of July

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It rained most of the day on the 4th - but we tried to keep the kiddos occupied! We ran around outside under the covered driveway of the hotel.

We made them pose for silly pictures! Some of Great Meena's Great-Grandkids! L-R: Riley (the youngest), Kayla (3), Braden (the oldest), Blake (the second youngest), and Keegan (2.5)

And big cousin Aaron pulled up some fireworks on the Ipad so the kids could watch :) We weren't able to see any real fireworks, but caught a couple different shows on tv - ha!

The real reason we went to Florida :)

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So...although we really just needed to get away and have an awesome family vacation - we did have a reason for traveling to Florida! My cousin Kristina finally convinced Skip to marry her :) It was a beautiful wedding and I think everyone had a great time! Congrats to you both and thank you for letting us share in your beautiful day!

Meena and PopPop with all their grandchildren (at least until November!)

Beautiful!

Braden loved the 'sparkling cider' toast!

Great Meena with Kayla and Riley

Braden and Keegan still all smiles after a long day!

Pool Time with Shamu :)

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DisneyWorld!!!

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DisneyWorld
Oh how fun this day was! We left Blake with Meena, PopPop and Keegan for the day and enjoyed some one-on-one time with Braden! (along with others in the family!!) It was very hot and humid, but the lines were not long at all and everyone had a great time - until we 'lost' Braden for 15 minutes. It truly was the worst 15 minutes of my life - but it all turned out well. Thank you Disney for your amazing security and quick system! I am very thankful that a few weeks ago Braden attended SafetyTown in our town which is a program they put on for soon-to-be Kindergartners - he did the right thing and I was very proud of him! Pretty sure someone had a hand on him at all times after that and I honestly thought about purchasing a 'leash harness' thingy for him ;) But other than that it was a LONG fun day! Love making memories like that!

Kayla was all ready to go!

Braden picked Space Mountain as his VERY FIRST ride ever. He made the height requirement by just a smidge (and they measured him 3 times at different spots before he could ride!) Here he is with Kaitlyn before getting on - he said it was really fun, but a little scary!

Crazy Driver!

Enjoying "It's a Small World"

Hitching a ride from Daddy!

Cold ice cream on a HOT day! He ate Mickey's ears off first!

Loving the Tea Cups - these were the 4 brave enough to do it - and they really got it going fast!

After we left DisneyWorld we headed to Downtown Disney to see 'LegoLand' (as Braden called it) otherwise known as the Lego Store. Every since my parents and brothers went here a few years ago and he saw pictures of the legos - this is what he wanted to do in Florida. So after a very long day (thank you everyone for making my son happy) we went to see it and it made the day complete for him! The legos were pretty amazing!
And there was a princess store so Kaitlyn finally got her picture taken with a princess :)
All tuckered out on the ride home! Over 12 hours on the go! Notice the tight grip on his new legos that he scored at the store!

Summer Park Tour

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The boys and I took a break from packing for Florida and hit Park #4!

KidFree Weekend in KC!

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The annual Weekend of fun in Kansas City! What a great time! It was H-O-T and I'm pretty sure we got 3rd degree burns on our legs from the stadium seats, but all in all it was a great day! Thanks again Megan and Ben for hosting us! Go Cardinals!!!!

Chris had this idea to 'make' our hats this year! $10 cowboy hats at Wal-mart + Hot Glue Gun + some Cardinal logos = the most talked about hats in KC :) We did get a lot of people coming up and asking us where we had bought them at!

Kahala and Andy joined in some fun after traveling from Iowa too! So glad they could come have a little fun with us!

After the HEAT Kale was so nice to let the 'grown-ups' run through his sprinkler! I don't think anything ever felt so good!!

Braden Turns 6!!!!

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I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around this...how he can be 6?!?!?! My teeny tiny first born...WOW! Happy Birthday bubby - We love you so much!!

Very excited about his new electric scooter!

His choice for birthday breakfast was pancakes at McDonald's!

Birthday Party with the neighbors! This also counts as Park #3 in our summer tour :) Sunrise Park!

The crew!
and a pic with Sally who got there a little late - we were so happy they could join us since they had just gotten home from Chicago! Miss Sally will always hold a special place in our hearts - because she was the first baby in the NICU that I focused on when Braden was born. At that time she was 7 weeks old and doing pretty well and I saw HOPE when I looked at her! And then her mommy and I started talking and it was all history from there :)

Cutie Patootie!

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Practicing his RingBearer skills for Eric and Meghan's wedding in September!

Braden's Nebraska Birthday Party

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The whole family came over to Meena's house tonight to celebrate Braden's Birthday! He requested hamburgers and hot dogs - so PopPop grilled them up for him! A good time was had by all :)

Good Buddies!

Blake just couldn't handle all the excitement!

Then the boys went outside to try out the new water blaster that Braden got...not sure who had more fun, the big boys or the little boys...

Swimmin' Cousins

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Enjoying the first Watermelon of the season!

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Fun at the Cabin

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The boys and I snuck off to Nebraska for a little fun (really it was the only open time in our summer it looks like we might get back!) And Uncle Matt and Aunt Katie happened to be staying at the cabin and invited us up for a Beautiful Day on the lake!! The boys had a blast!

You can usually count on the fact that there will be water balloons wherever Matt is!

Matt and Braden showing off their skills

Blake was happy...either in the sand or a bucket ;)

Blake's Messes

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The only good thing about this mess is that he actually WANTED to eat the crackers, so that's always a good thing! We got to put our new vacuum to work though - and I am happy to say, it did the job good!

6 Month Photoshoot!

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Baby 'B' is getting so big - so we decided to take some 6 month shots and Big Brother Gavin came along for the ride! It was a fun morning!

Last day of Swimming Lessons - Fun Day!!

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Mud, Ducks and Volleyball

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Chris and our neighbor Tom were in a Bags tournament at the park today! After huge storms in the morning, it got hot and muggy so we took the kids out to watch. Needless to say there was lots of mud and wet sand...and the kids had a blast!

Look at those skills :)

Meena C came to visit!

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Poor Braden - swimming lessons were freezing this morning! Hopefully they'll have a few nice days soon! He finally got to be 'Mr. Shark' so he was happy!

Playing on the Bridge

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Wicked Beautiful

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All of these are straight out of the camera - no editing what-so-ever!

Hiding from Mommy

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He found the one cabinet door that doesn't lock...I swear when he figures out what 'hiding' really is all about, we are in trouble!

Playing in the rain

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Cozy Coupe for all Ages

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Jump Jump

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Tee-Ball

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Haley's Dance Recital

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Since I will never have the 'pleasure' of having a daughter in dance :) Lisa asked me to photograph Haley on her big dance recital day! She was quite the cutie!!

Home but still exhausted!

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Asleep on the kitchen floor...

No fun

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Blake was admitted to the hospital on May 28th for what we thought might be for some quick IV fluids...but instead the dehydration had just wiped him out so much and we got to stay for 5 days. It was not very fun at all but we are thankful that he finally bounced back to his normal self!

always acting like a doggy :)

Big brother brought a smile to his face when he got to visit before the big boys headed off to Missouri for our Memorial day plans! We were very sad to miss them!

Since Daddy and Braden were out of town, Lisa saved the day many times by bringing mommy food, cuddling with Blake and allowing mommy a quick trip home on Sunday night for a shower and change of clothes!!
catching up on his reading!

Tough guy band-aid!

Love for our Buddy Kyle

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Please join us by praying for our good friend Kyle - he is in the hospital after major surgery and is having a rough time! Follow his story HERE! We love you buddy!!!

Watering the Grass!

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2010 Summer Park Tour

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Backyard fun!

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Loving his new pool!

Yelling at the big kids!

2010 Summer Park Tour

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Helping Dad wash the car

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Who needs a swimming pool? Just fill up a styrofoam cooler with water and it will keep them occupied for hours!

Pre-K Graduation

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So hard to believe that Braden will be leaving his school after 3 years. We really do love all the staff and families there. Not sure if mommy is ready for him to be in a BIG school and go ALL day long, but he thinks he is ready and he told me he 'has to grow up'. So I guess we have to let him!

He might hate me someday...

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but I just can't resist...