Where has the time gone?

Yikes!  5 months since my last blog!  I'm sorry for the time delay.  I have no excuses except we've been too busy living life! 

Not too much to post, so I'll just add a few photos from that time period of "living life" along with captions from some of the selected photos.  Obviously there are "long stories" to go with the photos, but...they say a picture is worth a 1000 words right?

Also-please note that this will be my FINAL post for this blog.  I'll be combining our "personal" blog with the "school blog": http://schooldazeofoakvalleyacademy.blogspot.com/ and that will be the "NEW" blog to check out if you choose to keep up with what's going on in our lives.  I'll be updating that blog as well-so make sure to check it out.  If you are currently following this blog-make sure to "follow" the above blog for future updates.  Thanks everyone.

Leah's 8th birthday!  She LOVES horses now-so Mema's cake was "horse" themed.

One of my favorite photos from Christmas...

What our family spent doing on New Year's Day.  We were at Uncle Russ's house!  I think New Year's in Pollock Pines is becoming our new tradition.

Scott and the kids planned a 40th Birthday party for me with a few friends and family.

Scott, my sister & brother-in-law surprised me with a trip to Chicago!  I was able to celebrate with my sister being alive 40 years!  And as a bonus-I got too see the her new home!

Nolan and Dad helped out at the annual "Boot-Drive" for the Rescue firehouse.  The event raises money for the burn unit.  They received more money this year than any other year.  Could it have been because of the "little" firefighter?

My cowboy & cowgirl Leah was in "hog-heaven" visiting our friend Kendall and getting to ride one of her horses-Red.

Yes...that is Leah riding a horse-by HERSELF!

Nolan and his "fresh squeezed" orange juice stand.  He also was selling rocks and various other articles.

Leah had a lemonade stand and also sold rocks and various articles.  You can't see it-but she wrote out a name for her stand "Base Goods"

Dad & Uncle Russ have been teaching the kids archery.  They are loving it!

They dyed Easter Eggs with Mema this year-but both kids agreed they missed doing it with their cousins.  Perhaps Mia, Sophie & Grant can come next year.

They did enjoy their other cousins on Easter though-Marcus & Grace.

2012 is drawing to a close...

First off, I want to thank everyone that voted for my video in the Transplant Living contest!  Thanks for taking the time each day to vote for me & share the video with your friends.  You are all awesome!  I'll keep you posted on the results.

I've thrown in a  photo of my "super heros" as I promised from Halloween.

 

In early November, Scott had a training in South Lake Tahoe.  We went up a few days early to enjoy some vactation time with the kids.  My folks joined us for a couple nights before taking the kids home with them for a few days while I helped Scott with his training.  Here are a few photos from that Tahoe trip.

 

Scott taking some well deserved time off



Leah shocked to see Dad just sitting!

In a few short weeks Leah will be turning 8 years old!  I can hardly believe she's well on her way to being a young lady.  She's been learning to ride her bike for awhile, but lost confidence after taking a tumble early this summer.  We finally got her back on her "old bike" and she took off and loved it.  It became one of her favorite activities to do next to art.  We promised her a new bike once she had mastered the old one-and it only took her 6 weeks.  So as an early birthday gift, we took her shopping for her new bicycle.  This bike has gears and brakes on the handle bars, in addition to sitting a little taller than her old bike, so there is a learning curve with it.  She is doing great though and so excited!

There she goes

 Soon after this purchase we left on another trip.  We had a last minute change of plans for Thanksgiving and decided to travel down to San Diego to spend it with my little brother and his fiancee.  My folks were already going to be there.  The trip worked out well with one of Scott's projects, in addition to a training that he had the Monday after Thanksgiving.  So we took off on Monday before Thanksgiving and headed down Scott's project along Hwy 395.  We had a lovely time visiting family in San Diego and Huntington Beach (on our way home).  Below are some photos from the trip.

 

On the Job!



Thanksgiving Spread



Dakota wearing the kids out (or the kids wearing Dakota out?)





Tug of war

Leah lost

 

We chose our Christmas Tree on the way home for our 11 day trip and will be decorating the house for Christmas soon.  If I don't get a chance to jump on the blog again, our family wishes you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Back to the grind...

Well, we passed the 6 week mark & are now 8+ weeks post surgery for Nolan and all is REALLY well.

We've squeezed in alot of things in the last 8 weeks since surgery and here there are in brief summary:

1)  Visit from my sister & family from Chicago in late August.
2)  Oak Valley Academy started back to school after Labor Day.  Kindergarten for Nolan, 2nd grade for Leah.
3)  An early birthday celebration for Nolan's 5th birthday with family.  Very low-key.
4)  A quick trip for me to Chicago to see Madonna in concert with my sister in late Sept.
5)  A trip to Oregon to go crabbing with family and celebrate 12 years of wedded bliss :)
6)  A belated 5th birthday party for Nolan with all his "boys"-so he could go crazy, play and have fun like a 5 year old boy should do!

There are a few photo highlights from the above items to your right.  Sorry this is short & sweet.  I've lesson plans to finish and countless loads of laundry still from camping! 

Stay tuned for Halloween pictures of a couple of you favorite super heroes!!

August 23, 2012-We are Home!

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."  Psalm 91:14-16
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Today marks 1 week from the day we trudged our reluctant soon-to-be-Kindergartner , not to school, but to a hospital...to endure the open-heart surgery- that even up to being wheeled through the OR doors, he denied participation in!

Now here we are, settling back into the daily routines of home life.  Our biggest challenge now is trying to keep a 4-year old boy from doing 4-year old boy stuff.  And even simple stuff, like how he puts on a shirt, how he climbs into chairs and the car, how he plays with his cars :)

But we're managing and he's slowly adjusting.  I'll be completing his "count-down" calendar today to when he can start resuming his "normal" activities such as taking a bath, climbing into his bunk bed, etc.

I've added some pictures from our last 2 days in the hospital.  Thanks to all of our family and friends for the prayers, well-wishes, visits, cards, e-mails, offers of help, the outpouring of love & encouragement.  We are truly a richly blessed family.