One Year

It's been one year. One year since Matthew started down the spiral path of Asthma. This week we are celebrating all week with cakes, parties, and homemade "survival" T-shirts for my dear Matty! 


Asthma is serious. A serious disease that can kill. We are so blessed to have wonderful doctors, working medicine, and a wonderful God, all working to keep Matty alive and healthy. It's been a battle, this past year, to fight for Matty's life. He's had his ups and downs, and we aren't done yet--- BUT--- he is alive and he is breathing. I am thankful to everyone who have helped us this past year, who have guided us, and who have loved us! We appreciate everything. 


Looking at the picture above is so hard. It was so hard. So hard to see him suffer and struggle. Tears fill my eyes, as I type this, realizing how close we came...how close. I am thankful to have more time with my boy, and I can't wait to see what he does with his life. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this mighty fighter. 


We love you Matty! Keep fighting buddy; we are all fighting with you!

Breathe WELL. Breathe STRONG. Breathe FREE! 

9 Month Chloe

What can I say? She truly is our little princess. I couldn't have imagined, in a million years, the impact my daughter would make in my life, in just 9 short months.

Nine! nine. NINE!

Actually, I can't believe it's been nine months. Where have these months gone? How is it possible that her little life is THREE short months away from being...being....ugh...I can't even say it. You know what I mean.

But really. Nine months ago, Chloe Danielle entered our lives and changed us....our whole family.... for the better. I am so blessed to be her Mama. So honored that God trusted ME to be her Mom. Mommy. Mama.

I can't wait to see Chloe grow, learn, and become a girl and a woman. She already has quite the personality, and it is only getting stronger and stronger as days go on.

Chloe is feisty, but laid back.

She is excitable, but tame.

She is giggly, but quiet.

She is curious, but content.

She is wide eyed.

She is huggable.

Loveable.

Adorable.

And she is the best thing to happen to us, in the past nine months.

Chloe D, Chlo, Princess Girl, Miss C, Missy, Sissy, Sister, Sister Bear.... you make our family complete. We all love you!

Happy NINE Months, Princess!

Summer's End

It's that time of year again: APPLE picking time! For the 5th year in a row, we've picked apples with Blueberry and her family! And over the years we've kept adding kiddos to the trip... We started with two little babes, 5 years ago, and this year we had FIVE kids between the two of us. It was a good time, making fun memories, and spending time with GREAT friends! :) Here are some of our fun photos:

And just to show how far we've come..... (2007)

A Camping We Will Go

For labor day weekend we went trekking through the woods and camped with our kiddies. It was quite the adventure. We saw many (creepy) bugs--I even showered with a wasp (seriously)-- and many cool bugs, too!  We hiked. We made fires. We sat (and relaxed!). We climbed. We biked. We visited an abandoned town and a haunted rail tunnel (separate post to come, on that) We enjoyed being a family! It was the first time, in a long time, that we were able to relax as a family (of FIVE!), without distractions, with little technology, and just US. It was amazing!


Here are some of my favorite photos, from the trip (I took over 200!):

This is "Sherman" the giant caterpillar

My girl smiled the WHOLE time! She loved being outside!

I love this photo! :)

(This is our second ever family of 5 picture!)

Matty and Daddy! Matty loved climbing the rocks-- alllll of them!

Adam and the sign. He had to sit with the sign! 

I can't believe how big my babies are getting! These pictures are just proof that they really are growing up!

Dooby-Dooby-Doo an Update or Two.

Since I've been MIA for so long, I figured I should catch ya'll up on what's been going on in our house. Is that ok? Ok, good. And I am going to do it in a list-kinda-sorta-way. Why? Because it's my blog, and I wanna. :) 


Here we go: 


1) The house is off the market. It just wasn't selling. My nerves couldn't handle it. And I needed to know where Adam was going to go to school this year. So, it will be back on the market at the end of winter. yay-hoo!


2) I am entering my last TWO semesters of school. E V E R. I can't wait to be done! Sadly, these are going to be two very rough semesters. 


3) Adam starts Pre-Kindergarten in just a few days. I can't wait. Am I terrible or what? I can't wait to have a little downtime... a little time with just TWO kids... quiet. nice. and. quiet. 


4) Matty is NOT starting pre-school this year, as he could. His asthma has just been too bad lately. We are on all new meds. Besides them turning him into a steroid-raging maniac, he's doing GREAT! ;) (Seriously... roid-rage is a real thing, people! And in a THREE year old, it's like watching the Exorcism, in real life)


5) We're going on vacation at the end of this week! I cannot wait. Camping here we come! :)


6) The husband and I are addicted to Rock Band, for the Wii. I am not a game person. Not at all. And well...this...this is stellar! I kinda get into it, too... dancing and all. It's awesome. 


there has to be more.... hmmm.... 


7) Oh. yes. Chloe has two nice bottom teeth, now! :) She's been cutting them both (at once) all week. It's been a drooly, snotty, and fevery week! Not fun. And she's kinda dramatic about it. The boys were never this dramatic. GIRLS are dramatic. but not me. 


8) I just realized that I really can't stand it when two people put their hands into a bag of chips/pretzels (whatever) at the same exact time. It's uncomfortable. 


9) So, I have to get a job once I graduate. You know, those student loans don't pay themselves. I think they should. But alas, they don't... so I have to... boo. Anyone need PR? Anyone? Anyone at all? A communicator? Marketer? Anything? :) 


10) Little sister Ashley went back to college. Junior- in college. Is that possible? She turns 20 in less than a week. Is that possible? Little sister Emily is 17. She is a Junior in High School. And the youngest...Trevor... a Sophomore in High School. How does this happen? Who said they could grow?! :(


Well, I think that's all. I have no new photos. Shame on me. I will get on that, for this week. I promise! :)

Just Some Photos :)

It's feeling like fall around here.... I kinda want summer to stick around. I am not a fan of cold weather...or the dreaded "S" word... snnoo..... I can't even say it. And I won't. Maybe it will miss us this year? Maybe? :)


We are gearing up for Adam to return to school next week! A new school! :) We can't wait, and we feel very blessed that we were able to find him such a wonderful school. 


Want to see some pictures, like I promised? Of course you do! :)


Here are my babes (if you're my FB friend...you've seen these...so... just pretend you haven't!): 

8 Months

As you can see, having three kiddies has made it impossible for me to keep up with blogging. I am hoping once Adam starts school, things will calm down a little and I will have more time to blog. 


But...


It's a big day!


Chloe is EIGHT months OLD! :) 


Can you believe it? 


Me neither. 


She does so much:


* Crawls


* Cruises (will she be walking by 9 months, like Adam? Maybe?!)


* Talks


* Eats everything in sight!


* Signs "more" when she's hungry


* Loves her brothers


* Loves her "mama" and "dada" 


* Plays with toys


* Likes watching the boys rough house


* and has PERFECTED being CUTE! :)

I love my girl! :)