Happy 4th!

I LOVE our annual 4th of July party in Alabama.  I knew this year though, would be tough.  Going to "Mimmie's" without Mimmie being there was hard.  Trace informed me the day before we left that we aren't going to call it "Mimmie's house" anymore because she's in heaven with Jesus, we are now going to call it the "Alabama house."  I just assumed that Sylvia had told him that so it wasn't so sad and confusing.  But then tonight, she told me it was all his idea and he came up with the Alabama house all on his own.  You never really know what is going on in their little heads, but I think he's been thinking about it a lot more than we realized.

Anyway, we picked him up from school on Tuesday and hit the road.  My friend Kipp had sweetly given me a new batch of DVD's to try out for Keatyn along with a full bag of vanilla cupcake flavored Goldfish... oh my, heavenly!  I texted her this pic of a very content Special K munching away on her goldfish while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Thank you Kipp!!!

We hit the pool only moments after walking in the door...

After dinner, we went to the Marriott and got settled in time for the fireworks.  Somebody took a little catnap in the car... big mistake, BIG!

She woke up right at the end of the fireworks (after having slept for almost an hour) and was ready to PaRtAy.  We had adjoining rooms with Granddaddy and Sisty, so Trace slept in there with them and Jimmy and I took turns wrestling with Keatyn until 2 a.m.  Yawn.

He NEVER took his fingers out of his ears.  Jimmy asked for a high five in the middle of the fireworks, and he got an elbow.  ha!

The next morning, Trace and Granddaddy hit the pool at 8 a.m.  I'm glad to see someone got some sleep!  The family decided to come over for a little while to play at the pool and on the water slide. 

I just knew Keatyn would love the zero entry pool, but it was SO cold, she won't get near it.  Maybe next year.  Kinda makes for a grumpy girl when you only sleep for 6 hours...

I earned major cool points with my boy for this one...

Around lunchtime, we headed back to Mimmie's and swam some more and ate no less than 3 dozen ice pops.

Oh... I was tempted.

Then Sisty and the kids decorated Fourth of July cupcakes...

Many attempts were made to get this exhausted baby to sleep...

I sat back in Mimmie's room (where no one could bring themselves to sleep in yet) and rocked her until she finally gave it up.  I loved looking at the wall of pictures in her bedroom that go back 40+ years.  She was all about family and was no doubt smiling down on us all that day!

Rick and Sheila bought a cotton candy machine.  I'll have to say, that was one of the coolest things I've seen and Trace was spellbound.  One of those might turn up at his next b-day party!

She could fight sleep no longer.  We made a palate in the living room for her and Jimmy laid in there with her.

I was very, very tempted to just climb in the car, wet bathing suits and all when it was time to leave.  But I really wanted some pictures in our red, white, and blue duds.  So amongst the grumbles, I made everybody change... and smile for the camera.

I LOVE these of Jimmy with Mallory and Keatyn.  She was not happy that another lady was in her daddy's lap!!

By this point, Trace had logged more than 12 hours in the water over 2 days.  He had no voice, his nose was full of pool water and exhaustion had set in.  Probably should have done the family pictures a little earlier. :)

And she was over it too...  Time to head home!

As always, everyone gathered in the driveway to see us off.  I've never pulled out of that house without a crowd there to wave goodbye.  It is truly something special to see!  That's when I felt Mimmie's loss the most.  No matter her state of health, she always managed to get to the front porch to kiss us and she didn't stop waving until we'd honked the horn and were out of sight.  I love that her tradition continues!!

Unbelievably, they both stayed awake the entire car ride and traveled really well.  It was after 10 when we pulled into the driveway so we got to see and hear some fireworks on the way home. (hardly a spectacular display while peeking through trees, traveling at 70 miles per hour, but enough to keep a 5 year old entertained anyway) 

I DON'T know how children traveled before random roadside firework displays, built-in DVD systems, and vanilla cupcake goldfish!!
 

Airplane room... coming soon

After 5 1/2 years of the "All American Blue" room, it was time for a change.  We've modified Trace's room over the years, taking down some of the baby stuff and getting a double bed, but the paint, window treatment, and overall look has stayed the same.  Not any more.

 I really thought he'd roll about 4 times and then be over it, but he worked SO hard!  I was really impressed.  Jimmy cut in, I rolled and Sisty managed Trace (yes, that was a full time job.)  Surprisingly, Keatyn napped next door through the entire first coat!  We got lucky.

If you'd told me at noon that day, that his room would be sleepable by that night, I would have said you were high (on paint fumes no doubt.)  But, by bedtime the place was painted, vacuumed, dusted, put back together and ready for this fella. Now the decorating begins!  To be continued...

Bowling and Balldium and Bumper Cars... oh my!

Remember Karate Kid???  I watched that hundreds of times as a kid and always wondered if a place really existed like the one Ralph Macchio took Elizabeth Shue to on their first date.  Well, Pinstrikes is pretty darn close. It's a one stop shop in the kid fun department, and you may need to refinance your house once you're done... so enjoy! 

 We bowled without bumpers this time and Trace got a strike!  A REAL strike!!  He was so proud.  Keatyn was not about to be left in that stroller this time.  She made herself very clear early on...

  This is Jimmy saying, "She just picked up that ball!!!"  She's freakishly strong.

 Then the boys played some Balladium.  Very cool...

 And Trace and I bumped cars.   You've heard of "spinning on a dime?"  When they first turn those cars on, they literally do that.  They need to post a sign about that for us old folks.

 Mine are still at the age where they require no quarters. :)

 Before we got there, I had to run in Krispy Kreme to get hats for VBS.  The girl that waited on me was one of my Kindergarten students at Woodmore.  Then when we got to Pinstrikes, the girl that took our dinner order was another one.  They both just graduated from Brainerd High School!!!  I can't believe I'm that old!  Wow... makes me want to cherish everyone of these memories with my babies.  They are growing so fast!

Father's Day 2012

I'm way behind.  That's what a 2 week fever and tubes will do to a mom.  It's funny how neither of those things actually happened to me, yet they SO directly impacted my life.  I hate it when my babies are sick!!

So Father's Day was kind of a mess.  Jimmy stayed home with both kids while I did nursery duty at church... (Happy Father's Day dear!!!) and that night we doped Trace up on Tylentol and went to my parents to watch the U.S. Open and eat with my brother.

I don't think Trace ever got off the couch, but was perfectly content with a DVR full of kiddy movies Nana had taped for him.  I lost count as to how many ice cream cones she brought him over the course of the evening.  "But he has a fever..."

Playing pee-pie with Papaw...

Sadly, the only pictures we managed to take with daddy were when we got home.  Trace mustered a smile. (Tylentol is a wonderful thing)  Note Keatyn's hair...

She looks like Curly, Larry or Moe (I don't know which ones are which) of the 3 Stooges when her hair comes down from pig tails.

Daddy, we don't tell you nearly enough, but we appreciate all you do so much!!!  You are truly the best father I could have ever prayed for!  WE LOVE YOU!  Happy Father's Day

Tubey or not tubey

Well...we decided Tubey.

After numerous ear infections that have gotten our sweet Sassy down, we agreed with Dr. Fowler, that she needed tubes.  We took her to the ENT last Tuesday, and let's just say... they didn't make friends.  In fact, her pig tails didn't make it through the appointment.  By the time Dr. Fowler left the room, she had screamed so much and writhed around on me, that she looked like she could play the lead in an 80's hair band.  They couldn't even do her hearing test because she was so hysterical.  (I think it was that light thingy he wore on his head.)   I was a little worried about how she would do today, but luckily all was well!  Thanks, no doubt, to some "happy juice."

Before the juice...

After the juice...

(Please pardon my pitiful appearance in these pictures, as I told my friend Christy...5 a.m. is not my friend.)

Oh Daddy, I feel so weird...

but I kinda like it.

Yep, yep, I like it!

I've hit the wall.

Yes, we were "those" parents taking pictures and videos of our drunk toddler.  It was a little creepy to watch, but very entertaining.
Amazingly, we were home by 9:00 in time for breakfast.  Even after happy juice, she is truly "happiest" of all when she's eating!

I pray these help my girl and keep the ear infections to a minimum.  Everyone at T.C. Thompson was wonderful with her and made us so comfortable. God truly puts pediatric people in the right places!!


**  Just want to record this for my own memory sake...

This has been a rough week.  We knew she couldn't have this done if she had any fever or congestion, and Trace has been sick for 2 weeks.  It started with him last Monday night.  He ran a fever and complained a little of a sore throat.  After 2 negative strep tests and 1 negative mono test, the fever was still there 8 days later.  So Dr. May (LOVE HIM!!!) at Highland wanted to do some blood work because I had mentioned to him that he had had a "bullseye" looking place on his arm on Mother's Day.  His immediate reaction was a tick bite... Lyme disease.  I was terrified.  The only 2 people I know with Lyme disease, have suffered tremendously with it.  But I knew God was in control and I had to give it all to Him.

So we took him to T.C. Thompson's on Monday (yes, I've had both of my children there this week. I don't care to do that again.) and they took a ton of blood.  Everything came back normal (Praise God!!) which eliminated some of the really scary things Jimmy and I were thinking but afraid to say out loud.  We just found out today that the Lyme test was also negative!!  So... since they started him on a 14 day round of antibiotics on Monday in case it was Lyme, we will probably never know if it was truly viral or in fact a (less serious) tick bite disease called Ehrlichioses.  Either way, his fever is finally gone, hopefully for good, and there is color and life back in my sweet boy's face!

The sheer look of relief in Jimmy's eyes when I told him this afternoon, made me realize how afraid he really was.  You're mind goes to terrible places when your kids are sick and you have no answers.  My babies have the best daddy!!  It's been a week full of prayer and thankfulness...hopefully nothing but good health will follow!!!