Hectic.

Things have been hectic around here. So, this will probably be a short update.

Kinnison is doing great in kindergarten. She loves going. She lost her 2nd tooth on Saturday. The tooth fairy brought her $5. She has two more loose teeth.

Kimber misses Kinnison when she is gone, but is loving the extra attention. The pediatrician only saw one tube this week. Hopefully she was correct! We are so ready for her tubes to be out. She got them last April!

Kanyon got immunizations Monday. He had 3 huge blowouts that day. At the end of the day he was naked because he pooped through 3 outfits. Luke was riding around Fayetteville in his undies because Kanyon pooped all over him. And, I had poop on my shorts. It was a wild day. Kanyon weighed 11lbs and 13oz . He gained weight last week even though he had a cold. He is 9 weeks old this week. I can't believe how fast the time is going by.

Saturday would have been our angel's 4th birthday. I was very busy that day which helped. It hit me hard lastnight though. Fran and I watched The Help and one of the characters had 4 miscarriages. It was heartbreaking and brought back a lot of emotions.

I am so blessed to have Kinnison, Kimber and Kanyon in my life. They are miracles!

Happy Heavenly Birthday, baby!

Big Week.

This post won't get the attention it deserves, but we have been going non-stop since vacation. I am exhausted! Vacationing with 3 kids isn't what I would call "relaxing". I had a terrible toothache the first few days we were gone, but it got better. All of our stuff got washed out with the tide. (umbrella, chairs, boogie boards, ect.) Luke got a cold on the last day at the beach. I got it when we got home. Kanyon has it now. Luke took the girls deep sea fishing and they puked the entire trip. SIX HOURS. There were some positives. We had some great weather and our condo was beautiful. The girls had a blast and Kanyon was terrific. We wanted them to have fun and they did. That is all that matters. I have a slide show with some of my favorite pictures. I couldn't upload them all.

I took Kanyon to the doctor today. He weighed 11lbs 9oz!

The day I was dreading finally arrived. My baby girl started Kindergarten on Monday. She has been wanting to go to kindergarten for years. She was so excited she literally jumped out of the bed at about 6:30 a.m. Luke, Kanyon, Kimber and I all walked her into her classroom. I took my camera, but forgot my SD card! I left it in my computer after uploading my vacation pictures! So, I only have a few pictures from my camera and they aren't great.

Thanks for the outfit Gammy!

She has been such a big girl. I am so glad that she is independent. I wouldn't be able to take her if she got upset when I dropped her off. Beth and Melissa both sent me a picture of her on her first day. I was very grateful. And, I am pretty proud of myself for not crying on her first day! That is huge for me.

Growing up you always hear people say, "They grow up too fast!" and "Where does the time go?:

I think I say one of those daily. I CANNOT believe that I have a kindergartner. I wish I could stop time because it is going by too quickly.

Devastated....

Lolly survived the night. I didn't think it was possible. Mom said she had been in bad shape since Saturday. She couldn't walk and was vomiting and pooping blood. She would take deep breaths and pull her back legs in. She wouldn't eat or drink anything. I don't know if she was in pain or not, but I decided that I couldn't watch her suffer anymore. I prayed that I wouldn't have to make the decision to put her to sleep, but I did. It was a very difficult decision. I realized that I was holding back because it was easier for me. I had to do what was best for her. Luke works tomorrow and the vet's office is closed on Sunday. So, it was either do it today or wait until Monday. I didn't want her to suffer any longer. So, we decided it was time to let her go.

Luke bought Lolly when he and I were just friends. She was a very mischievous puppy. She got lots of spankings. She liked to poop on the floor, eat sweets off the counter, dig through the trash. She once ate Luke's wallet and some of the bathroom wall. She chewed a bottle of wood glue on the carpet and even got the lid off a can of paint in the garage. She was the smartest dog ever. She new every trick in the book. I even taught her some in Spanish. She even climbed a ladder and got on the roof with Luke. She didn't like to lay on hard surfaces so she would drag out towels and blankets to lay on. She pooped in the weirdest spots. She pooped on Luke's truck seat while he was driving, the back of the truck going down the interstate, in the water at the creek, background of my maternity photos, ect. She loved to hunt. She would hunt anything...mice, lizards, snakes, and squirrels. She was a great hunter. If I was having a bad day or sad she would come over and put her face right in my face. She would lay her ears back and nudge me with her nose. She would snuggle with me and lick me. She always new how to cheer me up. When Luke would travel or work nights he would tell her to protect me. She did. She would get in bed with me. If she heard a noise she would literally sit on top of my chest and bark and growl. She was just as kind and protective of Kinnison and Kimber. Even when she felt bad she would let them hit her and climb on her. She never once growled at them. She was smart, compassionate, protective, funny and loyal. She was my best friend. We never considered her a dog. She was part of the family. She was one of the kids.

In May of 2010 Lolly started losing her eye sight. I took her to one vet and wasn't happy with "she's old". So, I took her to another vet. I knew something was going on because she had developed cataracts over night. They did bloodwork and diagnosed her with diabetes. I was devastated. I knew that it would be a commitment and that her days were numbered. It was hard and it was expensive, but we got to love Lolly for another 15 months. Some of those days were good. Some of them were bad. But, even on her bad days she would wag her tail when we talked to her. She lived in the garage. She had her very own spot next to the woodstove during the winter and had a fan just for her during the summer. I wish we could have spent more time with her, but I know that she lived a good life.

I want to say THANK YOU to my mom, dad and sister for taking terrific care of her while we were gone. She went downhill as soon as we left and I know that she was well taken care of while we were gone.

We love you Lolly! We are going to miss you so much. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our lives!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Lolly.

So Hard To Say Goodbye...

We made it home from vacation. Mom and dad warned me that Lolly wasn't doing well. I had no idea how bad it was. It is likely she won't make it through the night. We all said our goodbyes. It was so hard. She has been a wonderful part of our family. She was more than a pet. More than a dog. She was one of my best friends. Things haven't been great since she was diagnosed with diabetes last year. But, we did everything we could for her and that is comforting. I'll post an update tomorrow. Please pray that she is comfortable and pain free. I have prayed that we wouldn't have to euthanize her. I want her to go on her own, but I don't want her to suffer. She means so much to us. We love her very much. Thanks

Another Year.

I can't believe it is time for school to start back already. I didn't even try to get a job this year. And, that is probably a good thing. Many of my NTL Classmates still don't have a job. When I got pregnant we decided it would be best if I stayed home. I might try to teach again when Kanyon goes to school, but right now I am focusing on the family. I took Kinnison to Cheer Camp today and then dropped her school supplies off at the primary. I saw some old friends. There are things I don't miss about working there, but I loved my job. I miss the kids more than anything. I do get a little sad at the beginning of the school year. It was my favorite time of year. I love fall. And, I am sad that I won't be there to watch over Kinnison. But, I have some good friends there that will watch over her for me. I CAN NOT believe that Kinnison starts Kindergarten in less than 2 weeks. Where has the time gone? I know that she will do great. She is a good girl. She is smart and independent. I know she will love it. And, they will be lucky to have her.

Even if I got a teaching job the new would wear off. Every teacher I know dreads the end of summer. Once school starts they count down t he days until they get a break...Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break and Summer Break are the big ones. Some even count down until professional development days when they won't have students!

I loved working at the school, but I love staying home even more. I am so lucky I will get to be home to watch my kiddos grow.

Happy Birthday Luke!

I'm only 5 days late posting this...things have been very hectic around here!

Luke's birthday was on the 22nd. I wanted to do something special since he was turning 30! So, I threw him a surprise party. I planned it out months in advance. I even had mom and dad buy his gift and hide it at their house. We got him a Stihl Weedeater! I bought groceries and supplies a little at a time and hid them at their house as well. I thought he knew about the party and the gift, but he didn't. He was totally surprised!

THANK YOU to everyone who came to the party. Luke was very surprised and said it was the best birthday party he has ever had. I also want to say THANK YOU to my mom. She helped me shop with 3 kids, hauled stuff to my house when Kanyon wouldn't let me put him down, and cooked some amazing food. I couldn't have done it without her. Thanks to everyone for making his night special. We love you!

Luke-

I can't believe you are 30! It is crazy how fast the time goes by. I am so glad you had fun at your party. I wanted to do something special for you because you do so much for our family. Happy Birthday! We love you!

Knothead.

I noticed this morning that Kanyon had a knot on his head. My mom and I took him to the pediatric clinic. Dr. Ball checked him over really well and said he doesn't think anything bad is going on. More than likely it is a spot where two bones in his skull meet and it is growing. There could be other knots show up in the future. This one could go away or it could be that way forever. He wasn't concerned, but wants us to keep an eye on it. He wants us to follow up at our 2 month appointment. He was 9lbs 7oz and otherwise perfect. I was so relieved he didn't think there was anything bad going on. Gammy decided to call Kanyon "knothead".

Gammy and Pappy took me, Charity and all the grandkids to Oklahoma for the weekend. We left on Friday and drove to Oklahoma City. We got to swim at the hotel, eat at Trappers and visit the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.

Saturday we drove to Woodward Oklahoma to visit the Hopper Family. Dad and Jamie Hopper have been friends since they went to college together. We have always called Jamie"Hopper". Hopper is a farmer. Hopper's wife, Terri, is a teacher. They have three beautiful daughters. The girls were so sweet to our kiddos. They played with them and entertained them the whole night. We used to go visit them and go prairie dog hunting. Mom and dad have went a few times over the past couple of years. I haven't gotten to go in about 10 years. I am ready to go back. It is a lot of fun!

We made a lot of pit stops (mostly Emmy). But, the kids were all great considering the amount of time we spent driving. We had a great weekend!

Some Crafties...

I have been buried in burlap lately. I love burlap. However, I despise working with burlap. It is very, very messy.

It all started when I saw a super cute banner made of burlap at one of our local flea markets. I wanted to make on for my Grandparent's Anniversary Party. It turned out really cute!

(Photo Courtesy of Snaplight Photography)

Then, I decided I wanted to make a burlap wreath. I couldn't make the one like I found online, but loved how mine turned out. My wreath was too wide for the wreath hanger, so I used one of the sticky hooks.

Please ignore my door. It needs painted badly. My Christmas Wreath scratched it.

My mom saw my wreath and told me she wanted one for the party and one for her house. You can see the one I made for the party hanging on the door in the picture with the banner.

Here is my mom's.

I'll make the bow after we hang it up. Now, I have to make one for my sister. :)

I also decorated mason jars to hold our flowers.

(Photo courtesy of Snaplight Photography)

Luke and I made a new wall decoration. We have had it for a while, but I am just now getting around to posting a picture. It is probably one of my favorite things in the house! I just need to add some photos of Kanyon!

And, today I made this!

A dry erase to do list! I am so excited!

Update.

We have adjusted well to being a family of five! Having three kids hasn't slowed us down. We went to the drive in movies, watched fire works, went shopping ect. Kanyon is such a good natured baby. He is content most of the time. The girls have been a huge help. They love him so much. A lot of times Luke and I take the *Divide and Conquer* approach! Luke takes the girls and I take care of Kanyon. Luke has been taking them fishing and to the aquatic park. He lets them play in the garage while he works on mowers and takes them with him when he needs to go pick one up. I hate that I am missing out on fun stuff with the girls, but it is easier this way since I am breastfeeding Kanyon. And, it won't be long until Kanyon and I will be able to join them! (no one wants to see me in a swimsuit right now anyway!)

I haven't posted any pictures! Here is a little slide show of some of my favorites!

Saturday night we celebrated my Grandma and Grandpa's 60th Wedding Anniversary. We had a huge party at the farm. My mom worked really hard to give my grandparents everything they wanted. She did a fantastic job. The party was amazing and everyone had a wonderful time!

Blessed.

Kanyon has been such a good boy. He literally eat, sleeps and poops. Yesterday we went on our first outing as a family of five. We were gone from 10:30-4:00. He slept most of the time. I nursed him and changed him in the car twice. We had his first checkup. He weighed 7lbs 7.5oz. She said he was perfect. His cord and circumcision are healing nicely. The pediatrician confirmed that he was "larger than normal". LOL He peed all over her, me and the floor. Kinnison and Kimber were also fantastic. They were well behaved and were very patient while we ran around all over the place. They have been wonderful big sisters. They help us a lot. And, they love Kanyon so much. He is lucky to have such wonderful big sisters!

Luke goes back to work tomorrow. I cried when he went back to work after I had Kimber. Kinnison was two and potty training and Kimber had colic. I dreaded being alone. I have no worries about being alone with them tomorrow. Kanyon is such a good boy and I know I will have a lot of help! I am so incredibly blessed!