The Kayaks

We got some Kayak's this summer which was fun for a couple of months - we didn't use them as much as we wanted to but when we got out to Belews Lake, we had a blast.  The water is warm and clear and thankfully not many fish.  In fact it is so warm that it makes it fun to fall out of the kayak. All of the girls got out - even Mom!  Brian and I went to Lake Higgins one day and we paddled around a bit - it was a fun time too but evidently to do any boating on the lakes in Greensboro, you have to be certified by a professional boater and pay a fee for the privilege and every time you want to boat it costs 5$ / boat.  That sealed that deal - We'll go out to Belews.  It's a 20 minute drive and the water is clear and warm.

Strawberry Picking and the Town Fair

Carleigh was the only child this year who was able to go strawberry picking - This is a family tradition yearly and this was the first year that we broke it.  Robin often makes strawberry jelly every year which is home made, canned and enjoyed all year long.  Looks like Carleigh was enjoying the spoils prior to check out - naughty naughty.

The Town Fair comes to Summerfield every year and they really have a big set up - there is a ferris wheel, roller coasters, the swinging swings, rock climbing wall and the tall slides - my favorite part was the funnel cakes surprise surprise - we even ate them while the kids where at the top of the ferris wheel so they didn't share!  Of course we got another when they came down and then when it got rained out and they were packing up we were able to get some leftover pizza for super cheap!  The best part for me was that it was only a 2 minute drive from the house - it was 10$ / kid for all day rides and the kids loved it

Major Updating Needed!

Well since the last post we have had many Birthdays.  Just in January we had 3!  Brian turned 36 this year, man we are getting old.  He enjoys getting older but not me!  Brian started a diet on his Birthday which is the 1st, so he told me he did not want a cake.  Who starts a diet on there Birthday?  Well I made a cake anyway but he did not eat any.  We took everyone to the Olive Garden to eat and Brian had to leave right from there and go to work.  He took cake with him to share with all the nurses.  We had a good day.  The kids always love to give gifts and help open them.

A few days later was Carleigh's Birthday, she turned 4!  What a sweet little thing she is.   Her Birthday fell on a Sunday this year so when ask what she wanted to eat of course she said Poblanos Mexican Restaurant, her favorite place in the world to eat.  We then told her we would have to go on Saturday because her Birthday was on Sunday and we do not eat out on Sunday.  At first she just did not get it but once we told her we would have a party at home as well on her Birthday she was ok.  So the people at Poblanos love Carleigh so they put a hat on her sang and brought out a couple of dessert for her, it was a blast.  Then on her Birthday we had a few friends over to Ooma and Papa's house to cookout and have cake and ice cream.  Her one request was that she had a pinata.  So we got one but had no where to hang it so Brian held it and let the kids swing at it.  To be funny he would move it around once they would swing and once the 4 or 5 child swing the bat missed the pinata and hit the side of my parents house and put a whole in there siding.  Stuff like this always seems to happen when it is not your house.  Luckily it was a cheap and easy fix so no harm done.  The kids loved it when all the candy fell, especially Carleigh.  I think that was her favorite part about her Birthday.  I just can't believe my baby is 4, this makes me sad.  I only have one more year (after this school year) of her being at home with me before she starts kindergarten.  That will be one sad day around here for me.  I have sent my others with one or more still at home so it has never been that bad but this is going to tear me up.  I will have to make sure I enjoy the next year as much as I can.

Our last Birthday for the month is Caty-lynne's.  Her Birthday fell just a few days before our move into the new house.  So we decided to have her birthday party a few weeks later once we were settled into the house.  So for

Tiny Dancer

The girls have all had dance class at one time or another.  Right now, Lizzy and Carleigh are participating and liking it.  they love their teacher Miss Jennifer and Carleigh loves the costumes.  This was also an opportunity for Carleigh to explore the world of make-up - I was not very excited about that!.  Though dance has been more expensive than I would have liked, at least we can use the costumes for halloween costumes…  more to come on that.

Nana was here for the grand production!

Perfect Form!

The Fundraiser

Somehow, I was the beneficiary of a pie throwing contest this year.  One of my colleagues - Chad Sheldon - who I trained in residency with developed Bone Marrow Cancer this year and the nurses and staff at Annie Penn hospital in Reidsville decided to do a fundraiser for cancer in his memory - this was accomplished with a variety of state fair like games and fun including a flag football game, carnival games, face painting and pie throwing which was my kind of face painting evidently.  I was on a diet when this occurred so the sugary sweet whipped cream pies to the face were what I blame for making me come off my diet and gain 40 pounds this year.  Here are some pics from that day - the kids all loved throwing the pies and really rubbing it in.

I think its fair to say that they thoroughly enjoyed this moment.

It would be wrong to say that I didn't either!

Dallas in the almost Spring

We had the opportunity to get out to Dallas for Spring break with the kids this year.  It was a great time - we had a lot of family there.  Jenny Newby live there and Libby and Sean moved there last year for Sean to do his Orthopedic fellowship - Mom and Dad built a home there in the last 6 months and we were able to get out to visit with them this March.  We had 2 rooms for the majority of us.  Robin and I had a guest room which shared a bathroom with a second bedroom - there was no furniture in that room so we inflated a mattress for the 3 girls.  Bri, Drew and Brayden shared the loft - a big open area with a couch and unfortunately a TV.

Lizzy Crashing and Burning after a long day in the pool!

You can't say he isn't excited - I don't know if it is the fire or the cake but something peaked his interest here!

The Heated Pool - this was the highlight of the trip - they had the pool heated to at least 80 degrees or more - it was like bath water - that was probably a good thing since if it was any cooler no one would have gotten in.  The kids ate it up and no serious injuries, drownings all week long.  Carleigh didn't even need that much help with her floaty bathing suit.

This is also the weekend that Bri turned 12.  This marked a special weekend for him as he was all ready to receive the Priesthood.  We have been talking to Brian about this for some time trying to prepare him of this important responsibility.  He was ready and excited and it was a blessing to be able to do this at Granddads house in Dallas.  It was also exciting to have this ordinance performed with all family members in the circle - I was able to perform the ordinance with dad, and my 2 brother in - laws Sean and newbie in the circle.  Tom and Bonnie had also come into town from Wisconsin to stay a few days and celebrate with us as well.

This was such a special day - We are so proud of our little Bri - he has been steadily growing into a handsome and wonderful young man!  Classic Bri Smile!

Nana and Granddad were so proud as well.  

Easter Time 2013 at Preschool

Carleigh loves her preschool - she has been there for 2 years and still calls it her "new school".  She is as cute as can be.

Springtime at Natural Science Center

The Greensboro Natural Science Center has a great little Zoo area with a variety of beasts from Tigers to river otters to ant eaters, tigers and Meerkats.  The kids love going down and messing with the animals.  The homes near the zoo area are only about 1/2 a block from the tiger enclosure.  thankfully the fences are 30 feet high and the tigers are lazy.  Any time I go to the zoo they're always sleeping.  They probably have an iPod hidden in the tall grass and are spending all their time playing video games like all children today!

Over the Shoulder!

It seemed like an innocent enough start to the day but ended with with mayhem.  Brian Jr and I were throwing the football in the street out front of Mike and Cathy's house when Mike came out to throw it with us.  This has happened a hundred times in the past but today was catastrophically different.  He was in his PJ's and bedroom slippers (also not out of the norm).  I threw a pass to Mike which required him to take a few steps back and catch over his shoulder - he lost his footing when his slippers got tripped up and fell onto his buttock.  Initially he hopped up and walked it off a little sore but several hours later he had a buttock the size of a cantaloupe and the next day the size of a watermelon.  He eventually went to the hospital to get checked out and one of my partners found that he was in kidney failure and wanted to admit him because his blood counts (red cells) had dropped and his white blood cell count was very high (normal for mike).  He didn't want to be admitted and made quite a fuss at the hospital but in the end it was the right thing to do.  He ended up staying in the hospital for a week.  The reason his buttock and leg swelled so much was because he had caused a significant amount of bleeding in the buttock which spread down the leg, then because of immobility he developed a blood clot in his leg which eventually went to his lung.  He left the hospital on blood thinners ironically.

While in the hospital we were able to visit him a couple of times and one of those times the Oncologist doctor came to see him.  He sat at the bedside and asked mike a series of questions about his fall and about his medical history.  mike was in such a daze from being given Morphine that he didn't answer any of his questions but instead asked repeatedly for enemas.  He was given multiple enemas in the hospital and the strange part of it all is that he has no recollection of asking or being given any of them. For his birthday this summer he got an enema bag from our family!

Robin had her 35th birthday during this time.  We celebrated at the bedside of Captain Enema.  Oh the memories!

Happy 10th Birthday Caty

Again, the Cookie Bouquet, the presents and a happy Caty Lynne who we love so much.  Hard to believe she is 10 years old though often we see maturity of a 16 year old and sometimes the maturity of a 2 year old.  Pretty normal for the age though.

Bri found a soft seat and stuck with it.  Perfect height for a 4 year old or a 12 year old...

Lizzy's beautiful smile - always happy even on other people's birthdays

Winter Wonderland...

Well not the most magical place on earth.  If you can't get the hint at this point, we are exhausted with the small rental house.  But we had some rare and awesome snow and took advantage of the event with some snowman action.

Working Hard

Those are cotton balls for the buttons and the face and wiffle ball bats for the arms.  Yes it is still very green grass under the "once yearly" snow!

Ear Piercings and Birthdays

4 YEARS OLD!

Carleigh turning 4 was a big deal and as with most other things the younger children are able to do things at younger ages than their siblings.  Caty got her ears pierced at 6, Lizzy and 5 and Carleigh at 4 years old.  She was super excited and only cried for a second!

These earrings did well for a couple months until they became infected and we played the ear squeezing game for the next 6 months until the infections went away.  Now she is coming up on 5 years old and no longer has nor does she want earrings.

As with all birthdays for girls in the family, Carleigh go her flowers from me and cookie flowers from Nana.  At this time we are within a month of getting out of the rental house.  It couldn't come fast enough.

While in the rental house, I had to sleep during daytime up in the girls room.  all 3 girls shared a bedroom above the master bedroom.  3 beds and one dresser.  Meanwhile, Brian had all the other dressers in his room.  I would sleep in Caty Lynne's bed on top of Lizzy's bed.  It was about 4 feet off the ground and very soft.  I would drape sheets and blankets over the window in the room to get some darkness.  It didn't help to have the fire station right next door as the sirens would wake me up frequently.