MEMORIAL DAY.............

There is so much to share when we have a long weekend and extra time spent together.  However, I think the most important thing is to acknowledge a day like today.  I cannot tell you how important I think it is for each of us to stop and really think about all of those who sacrificed their lives just so that I can have freedoms like keeping a blog!  It is truly amazing what our soldiers do and have done, thank you!  I also think it is such an important day to remember those who are no longer with us and I am trying hard to teach my children the same.  Yesterday we visited Terry's Mom's grave and Raelynn was so excited to go see Nanny at her grave.  It makes me so proud at watch her at the cemetery as she does not fear death at all but rather embraces it, talks about it and seems to understand it better than most.  Our visit with Nanny was good and visiting her keeps her memory alive which is what I want most for Raelynn and Cooper.

I will post again tomorrow with the many, many funny stories I have to share!

A WEEK OF LASTS...........

Saturday was Raelynn's last soccer game for the season.  She did so much better this season than last and loved it.  It doesn't hurt that she has this great coach and her best little friend plays too.  They ended up winning their last game which made it even sweeter (although we don't keep score of course :) )  Tuesday night their coach took them out for Orange Leaf and because of meetings neither Terry or I could go.  Raelynn let us know we were the only parents not there.  I felt horrible but I think it is the first thing neither Terry or I didn't make so I think we are doing ok. 

Coach Beard and the Deerfield Dash!
(The kids nicknamed Greg, Coach Beard, last season and it's stuck!)

With soccer over we now move on to T-Ball.  This is our first experience with T-Ball and at the first practice they "reminded" us that the kids would need a bat, ball, mitt, helmet, bat bag, team shirt and maybe even consider ball pants!  What? Really?  Do they remember she is 5 and it is T-Ball?!  But of course we visited Target afterwards and she is set up minus the ball pants because neither Raelynn nor I thought they were very cute or stylish, hahaha!

Tuesday was Raelynn's last day of Kindergarten!  This was so hard to accept because just yesterday was her first day of Kindergarten.  As I look back over the year, it has been amazing.  Raelynn has grown and matured so much and I love our relationship.  I hope I can look back over each year and feel this way.  She is an amazing daughter and I am soooo fortunate to have her.  She makes me a better person and gives me so much to look forward to each and everyday as does Coop too. 



Raelynn and her teacher, Mrs. Moring and her best friend, Hayden




Raelynn's 1st Day of School August 2010





Raelynn's Last Day of School May 2011





Saturday night we went to our friend, Jana's, graduation party.  She just graduated nursing school and we are all so proud of her!!!  The party was so much fun and as you can see, Coop loved it.  Not only did he find himself some girlfriends, he also ate 5 hot dogs!  Tom was the cook so I told him he was going to have to come and grill for us every night.  At the rate of 5 hot dogs a night, Coop should fatten up quickly!!!

Yesterday we took Coop in for his check up with Dr. Kaine, his cardiologist.  While we were there they had a Code Grey (Tornado Threat)  We spent well over an hour on the lowest floor in a stair well.  It kept things interesting :)  However, Coop is doing amazing.  He weighs over 27Lbs now and is 3" 1" tall.  We do not even have to go back for a check up for an entire year!  I don't think Terry and I nor his doctors thought we would ever get to this point.  Just to think, a little less than a year ago Coop was taking 6 medications, not very active and did not eat solid food let alone the way he was 2 years ago with feeding tubes and over 13 medications!   We have an amazingly strong boy and I am so thankful for him each and every day.  He adds so much laughter to our home and I can't help but hug him and tell him how much I love him often!  God gave us the best children ever!!!

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE...............

Summer is so quickly approaching and it is shaping up to be a fun one!!!!  Last weekend we went out West again for my niece, Cassidy's, 8th Grade Promotion and Kali's High School Graduation.  I am so proud of both of them and they looked beautiful.  Friday was Cassidy's and then they had a nice gathering at the house afterwards. 

Saturday was Karli's and then a reception at the house.  It was a lot of fun and although I am so proud of Karli and the person she has become, it only reminded me how quickly time goes by.  When I graduated from HS Karli was only about 6 months old.  It was so hard going off to college and leaving both Karli and Steph.  I missed them so much.  Now all I can think about is in 12 short years it will be Raelynn going off to college.  I have no idea how I will ever adjust.  When I look at my Mom with a proud smile on her face I know inside she is doing everything she can to fight back the tears.  I know you have to let your kids go and deep down we know this is their next step and it is wonderful who they have become but really, how do you ever let them go.  I think about my Mom who has had kids in the house for over 38 years and how do you ever adjust to the quiet after that!  I know she will be fine and I am glad Sherri and the girls live back there now too, but just knowing how I feel thinking about it 12 years from now, I really feel for her.  As for Karli, she is both scared and excited which is the perfect combination.  I have no worries about her as she is the most level headed and responsible one out of us all.  I am super excited to have her closer as she is attending Washburn University.  It will be nice having her just a few minutes away right in between Steph and I.  I know we will see more of her now and probably more of Mom too :)



Shanea and Karli



This week seems to be the start of summer plans.  Raelynn had her first T-Ball practice last night which was interestingly fun.  Before practice she told me she thought she might not like T-Ball because she is "kind of a soccer type of girl".  Then after some thought she rationalized that in T-Ball there is not much running, much less than in soccer, and therefore she might be a TBall kind of girl after all!  She had a blast at T-Ball.  The schedule will be a little hectic with practice 2X per week and games on Wednesday and Thursday Nights.  As I cringed at the schedule thinking about the fact that we have Swim Team practice and Horse Riding and Shows in there too, my friend (who has older kids already in sports) laughed and said "Welcome to sports my friend!"  I had to laugh too, this is the craziness I have been hearing about for the past 5 years and I thought things were already crazy!!!  As it was pointed out, Coop hasn't even started! We love it and are having fun but I also want to make sure the kids have some down time and family time together which I know will just get harder and harder to do but very important.  School is winding down too, just 3 more days left.  Raelynn has really enjoyed school this year but is always a little nervous for what's ahead.  This summer, for the first time, Coop and Raelynn will be at different places all day.  Coop of course is still at Mary Beth's but Raelynn will start at Boys and Girls Club.  She is super excited but always mentions that she hopes Coop will be ok without her.  I don't know if Coop fully understands because he does not seemed bothered by it at all.  My Mom, Karli and Steph all want to take Coop and Raelynn for a week this summer.  When I asked Coop if he wanted to go by himself or with Sissy he said, " I go by myself, I be ok."  Then when I asked Raelynn later she says, "I think we better go together because you know Coop has never really been away from us by himself."  The real question is whether I can handle them being away a week at a time!!!  The house always seems way too quiet and I always feel like I am forgetting something or something is missing.....it's horrible!  We will see what we get worked out. 

Today they sent home a picture of Terry and Raelynn when Terry was at her school during the Watch Dog Program.  I love this picture!

 

Today was a very special day!  After I got off work I picked Raelynn up and we met with the Pastor of Children's Ministries at our church.  This summer they are holding a Lake Baptism and last week Raelynn expressed some interest to me about being baptised.  I firmly believe that kids should be baptised only when they understand what it symbolizes so I called Pastor Carolyn and set up a meeting.  Raelynn was very nervous at first but Carolyn was amazing with her and there was no question she understood and was ready to be baptised.  The surprise though was that I had told Carolyn that if Raelynn did choose to be baptised and was ready I would like to get baptised with her as I never was.  So once it was confirmed that Raelynn was going to be baptised I let her know I was going to do it with her.  It was really cool and she was super excited as was I.  It is amazing to experience such an important thing with her and it be the first time for us both.  We are truly looking forward to it!!!

Well I guess I better move on to some work and then bed. Tomorrow starts another exciting and busy day. I can't wait!!!

ROLLING OF THE EYES HAS BEGAN..............

Me: Did you just roll your eyes at me?

Raelynn: No I was just pretending to be a Cheetah and looking all around me to see my surroundings and looking out for danger.

Me: Well if you roll your eyes at me again there will be no need to look around for danger as I am right here!

Raelynn: Ok but I am not, just pretending to be a Cheetah.



Oh and this is just the beginning!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Today is Mother's Day and I am not really even sure where to begin with that.  Mother's Day has taken on a whole new meaning as the years have past.  As most of you know, being a Mother is the best thing I do every day!  It is the one thing that I never wish I didn't have to do.  I love everything about being a Mother and more so every day.  It is the most challenging and changing "job" I have ever had. There are no words that can describe how it feels to be a Mother; if you are not one you simply cannot understand it.  However, if you are a Mother, I truly hope you do understand and feel "it" because "it "does not get any better.  I often thank God not for making me a Mother but rather for giving me the ability to enjoy it and embrace it. My love for Motherhood is undescribably wonderful!  Equally magnificent is having a Mother.  I have a wonderful Mother who taught me so much about being a Mother myself.  Some of her teaching was through what she did do and some was through what she did not do, each of which were equally important.  She taught me to love and laugh and to be strong.  She taught me to be supportive and encouraging.  I learned to be open and honest.  Recently my Mom went through more than a trying and stressful time at work and to listen to her describe what was going on and how she handled it left me in awe.  She held her head high, she smiled and she continued being the best person she could be and accepted that the outcome would be what it was meant to be whether at the time it was what she wanted it to be.  What a true testomony to putting your life in God's hands.  This morning in church we discussed how God is the Light and if you focus on the light/the good then you will "be in the light" with God and darkness will not be a concern.  Focus on the light, the postive not the darkness and you shall always walk on the side of good.  I love this and it just makes "doing the right things" seem so much easier!  There is no need to worry about what you shouldn't do as long as you focus on what you should.  Ths is exactlty what my Mom did and taught me, or reminded me, through her actions how to live.  Being a Mother never ends as my Mother has shown, she is still teaching me.  I love you Mom, and thank you for teaching me lifes most valuable lessons and continue to remind me through your actions!  You are extraordinary!

A Week in Review

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week which is a great celebration.  Our school does a wonderful job of celebrating teachers and we had the opportunity to take Raelynn's teachers flowers and bake goodies for them throughout the week.  It was a lot of fun.  In addition I visited the school library with Raelynn.  They have this wonderful program where for a small donation you can purchase a book for the library from a selection they have in honor of your child's birthday.  The book is put on display and a sticker goes on the inside of the book stating who dedicated it and in honor of what.  So Raelynn got to pick out a book and we bought it in honor of her 6th Birthday in July.  She thought it was awesome!  Raelynn also had Transition Day which is a day they get to go to the next grade and spend some time.  Raelynn thought it was pretty fun and already knows which teacher she hopes to get.  Tuesday she had her final Daisy meeting for the year which was a family picnic.  It was a lot of fun.  Daisy's has turned out to be a wonderful thing and we will definitely participate again next year. 

Friday night Raelynn says at dinner, "Mom do you think next summer the Daisy's could plant some vegetables in a garden and donate them to the Food Pantry?"  I commended her on a wonderful idea and told her we would try to get that worked out.  Luckily Lawrence has some public gardens so we should be able to make it work without digging up any of our lawn :).  I was just proud that she is understanding the desire to help others.  Friday Raelynn had her schoold field trip to the Topeka Zoo.  Terry got to take the trip with her and they had so much fun! 

Coop had kind of a long week.  First there is his new terror of something crawling on him.  We have no idea what is going on but occasionally he will completely freak out that something is crawling on him.  The first time it happened we stripped him down naked looking for something but found nothing.  It has happened several times since and he is uncontrollable terrified.  We have considered the idea that he is having tingling in his arms and legs but are hopefully that this is not the case as that would be an indicator that he has some circulation issues which would relate back to his heart.  Anyway, for now we are just watching him closely.  We have also cut back his nap time as he was not sleeping at night well at all.  It has helped so much but now we just have a winy tired boy after work.  We will find a happy medium soon.  Today however was a big day for Coop.  He now has a big boy bed!  Terry worked so hard this weekend to get his room painted and furniture put together.  It looks good but we are desparately in need of some decorations. 

My Mother's Day was filled with working working working as we cleaned and got Coop's room put together.  It was busy being a Mom so it was perfect!  The kids made me some cute gifts as well!

A WHOLE WEEK OF FIRSTS..............

This week has been quite the adventure.  Early this week I got a text from our neighbor that in her decorative wreath on her door a bird had made a nest and there were 4 eggs inside.  Throughout the week we checked on them and there are now 4 little birds in the nest.  It was fun watching them hatch.  It went right along with the eggs Raelynn has in her classroom that are also hatching.  It is such a wonderful thing for the kids to watch!  Both Raelynn and Cooper loved to watch them and Raelynn learned so much about the process at school! 

Both Raelynn and Coop had dentist appointments on Monday.  This was Coop's first appointment but Sissy made sure he knew how much fun it was.  By the time we got there I think Cooper was expecting a kids play land from the way Raelynn made it sound.  They both had glowing reports which was a relief in regards to Cooper.  With all the medicine, throwing up and milk that have crossed over his gums we were not sure what it would be like.  Luckily it does not appear it all has caused any damage. 

The funniest part of the whole visit was when the assistant said to Cooper "Ok, we are going to go take some pictures of your teeth." As they walk to the x-ray room Coop says, "Oh you take x-rays of my teeth, do you have tat ting that you put over me so the x-rays don't get in my body?"  I thought the assistant was going to crack up.  Obviously my son has had a few x-rays. :)

Thursday we started horse riding lessons back up for the summer.  Raelynn and Cooper were both so excited to ride.  Raelynn is getting much more responsibility in regards to the horse which she loves.  She will be doing lead line, showmanship and another class where she will walk and trot the horse (I can't remember what it is called :) )  Cooper will still just do lead line but he seems perfectly happy with that!



Coop got to help feed the horses too!

 On Friday morning the kids were getting dressed.  Raelynn was doing her hair and "putting on make up" (this consists of some brushes being swept across the face and a very pale pink eye shadow but makes her feel a little special once in awhile).  It was one of those days Raelynn was acting 14 and we were chatting away as if she were.  Then Coop walks into the bathroom; underwear on his head and t shirt around his waist as if they were pants.  With a little grin he announces he is dressed and ready to go.  Our little "class clown"!  I looked at the two of them and was reminded how very different they are but how much I loved them both.  We laughed and sent Coop back to try again. Then Raelynn says, "Mom, I think I am going to walk into school by myself today."  Although it killed me I let her know I thought that was a great idea.  It makes me so proud to watch her grow and mature but it also tears at my heart to know she is becoming less and less dependant on me.  We got to school and she walked in alone.  I gave her a hug and a kiss and she was off with a proud smile on her face.  I wonder everyday what tomorrow will bring but secretly wish I could just hold every day still in time and never forget a single minute of it!

This weekend Mom, Karli and Chandler were up for the March for Babies.  We had a lot of fun and managed to get flowers planted and rock beds refreshed thanks to all their help.  Coop helped Granny plant the flowers and loved being outside!