Happy Birthday Morgan (yesterday)

Yesterday Morgan turned 8! I was emotional the whole week leading up to the "big day." I get like that every year before the girls turn another year older. I start to think about the day I first laid eyes on them and how small they were. I think about the miracles God had to perform so it would be just the right baby at just the right time in our lives.
I think about their birth parents and the sacrifice they made for us so that the dream of parenting could become a reality. How really our kids are on loan to us and just for the shortest time God entrusts us to raise them up to honor him and then they are grown.

I think about how through my kids God has taught me that he is enough. They are not here to fill a void or gap in my heart but to teach me to love God fearlessly and with complete joy. To sing louder, dance longer, roll down the grassy hill one more time. Lick the bowl, make up secret hand shakes (shhh..........don't tell Morgan) play in the rain and stay up late telling secrets.

Things I love about you Morgan;

1. It still takes you 20 minutes to tuck all your "babies" in at night.

2. You could care less about your hair or to much else but your earrings ALWAYS match your outfit.

3. You LOVE praying for people and want to know who loves the Lord and who still needs to accept him as their savior.

4. You run everywhere and sing all the time.

5. Your super tough when it comes to getting hurt and rarely cry but if you get in trouble and I look at you wrong you cry for half an hour cause, "you hurt my heart mommy."

6. You have this deep belly laugh that when something tickles you it just rolls out and everyone around you has to laugh to.

7. You have your wedding planned, who you are going to marry, where you want to live, how many kids you want and your career picked but insist learning to wash out your own curls is just to hard.

8. I LOVE that I prayed for you for two years and the thing I prayed for most was a child that was full of Gods joy and his love for others and in you he gave me my hearts desire.

9. That you always tell me how cool it will be when Jesus returns.

You Morgan are by far one of my favorite people and you are a light in this dark world. I adore you sweet girl and know you were put here to not only change our world but to be a world changer for Christ. Happy 8th Birthday!

On This Day....................

On this day 12 years ago Dan was brave enough to marry little ol' scrappy, sometimes sassy, always on the go me. Thanks honey for making them by far the MOST interesting 12 years of my life! :) I promise to keep you on your toes for another 12 and I'll try to give you less grey hair this run around. Love you!

Another Trip To The Aquarium........

We got an email a few weeks ago asking if we wanted to participate in an mural project the Aquarium of the pacific was doing and of course we jumped at the chance to spend another day doing what we love best, looking and touching ocean life. Since it appears that science is one of Morgans favorite subjects I jump at the chance to spend a whole day doing anything that falls into that category. :) The girls and myself (with my grandma as co-pilot) headed out about 7am on Tuesday morning for Long Beach. We met this little fellow there, CREEPY!!!This tank is in the tropical area. So pretty and bright that they don't even seem real.

The girls got to add their creative flare to the murals that were being worked on all over the aquarium. They loved it.

Morgan found a tree to play in. It was like 75 degrees and crystal clear on the water. When we were done petting the sharks and painting the murals we walked across the street and had lunch outside. It really was the perfect day. Minus the fact that Dan had to work. ;) We took lots of pictures and Morgan has lots to write about for her science work for the rest of the school year.

I love this one of the girls and the seal. I think the seals are just as curious about them as the girls are about the seals. This little guy played at the window for a long time and the girls fell in love. If you ever get a chance when you are in Long Beach stop in at the aquarium. The people could not be nicer, the place is spotless and even with all the school trips there it is laid out so you don't feel crowded. Lots of grass to sit and eat picnic lunches on and you can walk for miles along the waterfront when you are done. Its a great place to take really little ones to cause they can wander around with you and many things are at their eye level. We plan on going back this summer and taking a lunch to spend the entire day.

All Clear

Thanks to everyone who prayed, called, text or emailed about Ryanne. She go checked yesterday and she got the thumbs up from the Dr. No fever, no fluid in the lungs and although her oxygen only came back at 96 she is on the road to recovery. She goes back in 3 weeks to get her physical and check her one more time. I am going to attmept to send her back to school tomorrow although I hesitate because everytime I get her well and send her back she gets another chest cold. So if you think about it pray that God puts a bubble around her for the rest of the school year!! :) I am SO over her being sick with chest colds. UGH!! Morgan has had the same story except everytime I send her to the pool for practice she is sick like two days later. And she NEVER gets sick so I know its a rough year for everybody. I decided to keep Morgan out of swimming this month so she could fully recover and plus we are going to Disneyland next week for a couple of days for her birthday so I would like her to be well enough to enjoy it. :) Have a good day.

*Update*

Ryanne's doctor called me this morning to inform me that yesterday she was just uneasy about Ryanne's chest x-rays and so she had a specialist look at them first thing this morning and she DOES in fact have pneumonia! UGH! Poor thing. She has been wheezing off and on all day and though the inhaler is working I can tell she is struggling. Her little chest rattles when you put your hand on her back and she isn't eating, which if you know Ryanne at all she eats non stop 24 hours a day. The doctor wants her to drink tons of fluid, take the meds and come in first thing Monday to re examine her. Please pray that she starts to feel better soon. She is NOT at all happy about missing more school next week but the doctor said,"NO WAY! No school or any other high energy activity." Ryanne IS a high energy activity. I was up all night checking her breathing every hour or so. I slept on the couch and woke to her starring at me at 6am. :) "Good morning mama!" he,hee. kids are so tough. So stinkin' tough! Have a good weekend. I am planning on catching up on some sleep when Dan gets home and hopefully enjoying the super bowl since my husbands team is playing. Go Steelers! (not really, I am a Cowboys fan, but to keep the peace I will cheer for his team! ;)

My Week At A Glance (I know it's only Thursday but I officially quit!)

Ok, I don't officially quit but only because I am told as a mother we are not allowed. I sure wish I had quit more jobs before this one to get my share of what it would feel like to just stomp on out with your hands in the air when you were through with the whole mess of the week. :) Huh, kind of a fun visual don't ya' think. I swear there was a few times growing up when my mom stomped out of the room and yelled,"I quit!" If you know my mom she is reading this saying,"I NEVER did that! ;)

Sunday Jan. 25th-wake up VERY sick. Morgan is Very sick as well. We both have miserable colds and don't even get much passed our pillows let alone get dressed that day.

Monday Jan. 26th- Still pretty sick and on top of that it's my day to get my treatment at the hospital. Do you know what's worse than walking into a chemo room hacking up a lung when everyone in there pretty much has no immune system? Nothing really. I was so sick I barely drove myself but went ahead on the off chance they would let me actually get the treatment. I guess since they are pumping you full of poison anyway they don't stop you very often from getting your dose. hhmmm......good to know.

Tuesday Jan. 27th- Morgan and I still pretty sick and it turns out Ryanne wants to join in so she is a bear and also sounds like a fog horn. I am pumping everyone full of vitamin C, airborne and as much sleep as possible. My hats off to teachers cause I was way to sick to do all of our school work each day and Morgan laying on her desk wasn't all that helpful either.

Wednesday Jan. 28th- I am starting to feel human and can almost swallow all the way. Morgan is cheering up a bit and we both showered. Whew-hew! Dropped Ryanne off at school cause nothing green was coming out of her nose and she ate breakfast. Sounds like a ticket back to school to me. 3:00pm- off to ultra sound appointment (long story and when I know if its a good one I will fill you in.) get there with 32 oz. of water in my bladder to find they are running 30 minutes late but I am not allowed to pee. Ever tried to let a little out? It Doesn't work. I am standing with my legs crossed when the nurse comes out and says why did you drink all that water, its an internal ultra sound? UUummmmmmmmm, excuse me while I relieve myself on your exam floor will you? But now imagine this, I was right and the nurses were wrong and I did need the water for the NORMAL ultra sound. Whew! Glad only a little leaked on the floor.

Thursday Jan. 29th- disinfect Morgan and shove her into piano lessons. After piano the girls and I have an hour to kill before Ryannes Dr. appointment for school next year. Yes I know its early but I want to make sure I get everything done so we have a spot with this home school program we are with. She needs all her 5 year/school check up stuff done and mailed off. Trying to be efficient here people. So we stop to eat lunch and I think to myself,"self, Ryannes cheeks look a little red or puffy or something." But we eat and head over to the Dr. anyway stopping to say hi to Dan who is on a 72. We get put in a room and mind you I have prepped this baby for shots, blood draw whatever and she IS ready. She has talked herself into bravery. ;) We wait for the Dr. and wait and wait and as we are waiting I look up and see that Ryanne is breaking out in some form of bumpy rash all over her body and they come and take her temp. and yes you guessed it she is running one. The Doctor comes in and listens to her and realizes she is starting to wheeze, sends us to x-ray to rule out pneumonia and then brings us back. Her lungs were clear but she did put her on meds and give her an inhaler. So 6 hours later from leaving my house I am home, exhausted, worried about my kiddos who by the way are fast asleep and here I am oh so happy its Friday tomorrow and that my husband comes home on Sat. one more day, I CAN do this!!! :)

Look what we lost, What did I eat to dream this, and living in the dark ages..............

Morgan's lost like three teeth in the last month AND she has another really loose one. I told her she better start growing some or we could be in trouble. Secretly, I LOVE it because it makes her look really young and I am near tears every time I think about the fact that she is going to be 8 in like 13 days. (don't worry, I go through the whole "get emotional thing" every year right before my kids turn a year older)Another cute thing with Morgan this week and it went something like this;

Morgan: "Mom, I bet it was SOOOOO fun being a kid back when you were little."

Me: "Why do you say that?"

Morgan: "Cause growing up in the OLD DAYS you got to buy candy for like 25 cents!"

Me: "You know I am not that old Morgan."

Morgan: "Oh I know, I didn't mean your as old as bible times or anything mom. I mean your not that old right?"

(disclaimer for all you smart mouths out there I am only 34! Ok 35 in April but stiiillllll!!!)

Just a cute picture of Ryanne on her way to school.

Oh and my last random thing. I think I am either spending waaaay to much time learning Spanish with Morgan or I ate something weird before bed the other night. I had a dream that this Mariachi band came to our door and when we let them in to play they decided to rob us. Weeelllll, (stay with me here people) In all my weeks of Rosetta Stone knowledge I knew enough to ask them politely if we could see something by the front door and they were fooled so we ran to our neighbors house. Then after Corey (my friends husband) ignored our cries for help (MEN!) We ran inside to dial 911 but every time I dialed 911 it rang my friend Susie up in Oregon! (sorry Susie) It was so random and if you like you can comment on what you think my dream meant. Maybe eat less beans before bed???? Have a good week!