• Lincoln’s New Salem: a Step Back in Time

    Lincoln's New Salem
    Over the weekend, we spontaneously decided to go to Lincoln’s New Salem. This was always my favorite field trip when I was growing up, so it was fun to take a field trip with the kids. When we got there, we were told that it was Bicentennial weekend at the park. All but one of the cabins was open for the public to walk through. There were people dressed in period costumes to tell you about the former owners of the homes/stores/shops. There was live music and poetry readings. It was such a fun day, and I’m so thankful that we got to see so much more than we thought.
     
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    They love posing by statues. When we first got there, we went into the visitor’s center. There is a small museum inside where you can see different artifacts and learn more about New Salem. Next to the visitor’s center is a small cafe and gift shop. Then, you walk down the path in between a thick group of trees. It opens up, and you can see the homes.
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    (Harper was refusing to carry her hat, so Scott put it on top of his own. He doesn’t usually wear this hat. 😉 ) I loved getting to go inside and see how people used to live in the 1830s.  I’ll apologize now for the quality of some of these pictures. It’s hard to get good pictures in dark places.
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    Everything is so beautiful.
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    Harper really loved the beds. Most of these beds have a trundle bed underneath where the children’ would sleep– often 2-3 children on each.img_9114
    The girls were so fascinated by all of the candles everywhere. It was hard for them to imagine life without lights. img_9111
    The Cooper shop (building in the picture above) is the only structure that is original to the town. The rest have all been reconstructed. It was taken apart and moved to Petersburg where it stayed until 1922. Then, it was carefully taken apart and rebuilt in it’s original home of New Salem.
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    The beds and furniture are all so beautiful. I am so thankful for our modern-day mattresses though. I can’t imagine sleeping on straw.
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    Chloe and Addi loved seeing the spinning wheel. They were talking about Sleeping Beauty the whole time.
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    This is the inside of a wool mill. The technology of their day was really incredible. This machine was powered by two oxen walking on another machine outside. (see below picture)
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    That little high chair is so cute. Can you imagine having a baby in this time? Look at those floors.
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    We really wished they had a sign telling about this barn above. Most of the cabins have gardens in the yard. Some have the barns. img_9138
    This table is from the tavern. There was a huge fireplace with tons of cooking tools hanging from the mantle. I told Chloe and Addi about how they used to cook over the fire. This is where travelers would come for a meal. Through the doorway was a large room with several beds where they would sleep for the night. img_9119They all took turns pretending to lift buckets of water from the well.
     
     
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    It felt like the temperature was a million degrees outside. In reality, it was over 90 degrees. We were so hot, and I can’t imagine how the period costume “characters” felt. We had so much fun despite the heat. img_9134
    If you are ever looking for something to do in Illinois, I cannot recommend this place enough! Behind the visitor center is a campground. Across the road is a state park with a playground and hiking trails. It’s a quiet area, but It’s not far outside of Springfield. You can go into the town and there is a lot to see there also.
     
    If you want to check out more information about New Salem, you can go here to this interactive map.

  • Port Huron, Michigan

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    In our 7+ years of living in Michigan, Port Huron is my favorite place that we got to explore. The water is so beautiful and blue. You can see right down to the bottom. Just across the water is Canada. In fact, the Blue Water Bridge to/from Canada was over us when I took this picture.
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    The girls always call Lake Huron the ocean, which cracks me up. It’s bluer than the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s unsalted. It quite literally takes my breath away every time we pull up to the water and I catch a glimpse. I could sit and stare at it all day.
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    We sat and took it all in for a while before we headed to grab lunch. Our favorite place to go is the Raven Cafe. They have SUCH delicious food, and it’s in such a cool building. We used to go when we lived in Michigan, and have returned every time we visit the area. It’s that good. The people are that awesome.
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    There is art everywhere.. I love the whole vibe of the place. They have the best grilled reuben. Their chai tea chiller is so good. So, so good.
    Once we devoured lunch, we headed to the beach. One thing that you NEED to know about Port Huron beaches is that most of them are rocky. Water shoes are needed if you want to be able to move comfortably. I wore my Tevas in the water without problems. Scott ended up putting on socks to dull the pain. It seriously is SO painful if you aren’t prepared. ha!
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    Since the beach sits close to where the river begins, you get to see tons of huge barges coming and going.
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    This particular beach sits next to the Fort Gratiot lighthouse. We have yet to go up in it since we never remember that you have to wear close toed shoes. Who wears those to the beach?
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    We moved up the coast a little bit and found a tiny slice of beach that was practically empty. It is a public beach sandwiched between two sections of private beach. It’s not as rocky, and the water didn’t have the same current as the bigger beach.
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    Soak that in. The clear water. The beautiful rocks beneath. The blue.. so much blue. Every time we go, I fall more and more in love. I have seen three of the five great lakes, and Lake Huron is my favorite so far.
    I hope that if you are ever in Michigan, you can visit Port Huron. If you do, you must stop in at the Raven Cafe! Also, find this house and if it’s ever for sale let me know!
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    I will share more about our trip another day. For now, you can soak in the ten million pictures of this beautiful city with me.
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  • Thirty and Flirty and Thriving


    It’s official. I’m thirty; plus a few days.
    My  niece stayed with me for a few days last week. Her family traveled for a funeral, and she stayed behind so that she could do show choir try outs. It was so much fun having her here and getting to know her more. Because I was taking her to school, I had our van. Having the vehicle meant that I got to go to Starbucks to get my birthday drink! The angels were singing.
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    If you are ever wondering what my favorite coffee beverage is, that’s it. An iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot. I ALWAYS get an extra shot of espresso when it is free.
    I also woke up with a tiny box next to me. I text Scott asking him if I was supposed to open it, or if he was just being mean and torturing me. ha! He told me to open it.
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    Let’s just ignore that my skin looks like a desert and my mirror scar keeps getting bigger. He got me a hammered rose gold ring from Little Sycamore— something I’ve wanted for a long time. I love her shop, and Kelsey is just the sweetest person. I’m a huge fan of supporting mom-owned businesses. Werk. He said that he meant to get silver to match my set. I love rose gold right now, and think it is fun to add something different.
    Scott made an incredible raspberry “cheesecake’ that is completely AIP compliant. He even decorated it. Seriously, it’s so good! Eating REAL food doesn’t have to be gross. It is from this cookbook, which I highly recommend. Even if you aren’t eating this way, the recipes are all super delicious! He also grilled burgers and hot dogs and made a chocolate cake. It was really nice to spend my birthday celebrating.
    I had been begging Scott since last year to just ignore my birthday. Everyone stayed well. Disaster didn’t strike. And, I wasn’t in the hospital, so it was all good.
    After a busy week full of appointments and running from point A to B, I’m ready for this week of slow.
    I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. To those of you who are mothers– whatever that may look like for you– I hope that you had the best day possible.
     
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  • Reflecting

    May 8th brings a lot of memories. First, it is my high school BFFs birthday! I love remembering her on that special day. Harper and Meredith share the same middle name. Without Meredith, I would have never met my husband. Without Meredith, I wouldn’t have so many amazing and fun memories from Jr. High and High School. After all of these years, and all of these miles, we still pick up where we left off when we do get together. It is not lost on me how wonderful a friendship like this is. It’s rare. It’s a blessing.
    May 8th also brings memories because May 8, 2014 forever changed my life. It started off pretty normal. Our basement was under construction. I was 30 weeks pregnant with Harper. Harper’s room was being created. We were nearing the end of the road. The walls were up. The bathroom was nearing completion. I took the girls outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.
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    I remember that it was really warm. Scott came home and said he was going to mow. We had a pretty large “yard” since we were on the church property. I was standing down in the grass next to the kiddie slide. Addison was playing on it. I started to feel weird. This happened a lot for me. I just kept breathing through it like I always did. Usually it passed. Occasionally, I reached the point where I felt like I was going to die and would beg God to not take me yet. I really can’t explain the feeling and I know it sounds crazy. My ears would ring. My everything would start to go black. I would feel hot. This time, I didn’t come out of it. The last thing I remember thinking was “God, please. Please help me.” and feeling completely terrified.
    The next thing I know, a stranger was in my face. He was asking me if I knew where I was. I kept nodding. He said “Where are you?” and I stared blankly at him. I looked to the side of his face and saw my husband. He looked concerned, but didn’t say a word. Once again, “Do you know where you are?” Yes. “Where are you?” Blank stare. I think he finally asked me if I knew my name, and I told him that I was Ashley.
    The next memory I have is being lifted onto a gurney. I was wheeled in between our house and the neighbors house. I saw my little girls playing soccer with the Pastor’s son. They put me into an ambulance. I heard Scott say, “It’s gonna be ok, Ashley.” I had no idea WHAT was going to be ok. My response was “Call my parents.” (what?) They start driving away with me in the back. I tell the paramedic that no one can ever get the veins in my arm, so I ended up with an IV jammed into my hand. Suddenly, it hits me that I am in an ambulance being taken away from my family. WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!?!  “Well, it seems like you may have had a seizure.” Oh, ok. Carry on. “Do you feel the baby moving?” Harper gave me a good thump as the feeling of panic started rising. “Yes.”
    It amazes me how little I remembered or cared those first days. I would go from completely carefree, to afraid, to confused, to carefree again. I think the Lord really gave me a blessing in that. Had I realized that what had just happened could have killed Harper or myself, or that my two kids could have been left playing in our yard near the parking lot while their mother lay unconscious, I would have been terrified. Had Scott not just happened to be at home at that time, everything could have ended differently. God’s hand was in it all. It’s impossible to ignore that.
    May 9th was the day that all of the news was finally delivered. May 8th was full of a lot of tests. They weren’t sure that it was a seizure, since I didn’t have any known history. EVERYTHING was tested. As the tests results started rolling in, we started getting some answers. My ECHO revealed that I had a patent foramen ovale, which is just a fancy way of saying that there is a hole in between the upper chambers of my heart. There was also an aneurysm there, too. One side was bulging, but it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Just good to be aware of.
    The EEG revealed that I did have an epileptic seizure. All of those “spells” that I had been having over the years were partial seizures– auras. It is scary how many times I was DRIVING while those happened. Once, when Chloe was a baby, I had one while she was in the bathtub. I pulled the stopper so that she wouldn’t drown if I actually passed out.
    Because of the results of the EEG, I was no longer allowed to drive for at least 6 months (which turned into 9). I had to have non-stress tests done twice a week and see my OB every week. I had to follow up with a cardiologist and neurologist. I had to start taking two huge pills two times a day, every day, for the rest of my life.
    It is just amazing how one day can change the rest of your life. One morning, I was in a normal pregnancy feeling exhausted and ready to meet my baby. The next, I am told that I have a disease with no cure.
    Here I am FOUR years later. I haven’t had any problems. That day really rocked my world, and I still feel the effects of it. When I get dizzy, I start to feel panicked. Now that I know what can come from those spells, it is scary. But, I am so incredibly thankful. I am here. Harper is here and healthy. So many people with epilepsy never get the chance to even drive. Many people die from epilepsy, or SUDEP. Every day is a gift. Never take it for granted.
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  • Weekending

    Happy Monday!!
    Scott had to work this weekend. I was really bummed because there were several fun activities going on around town on Saturday. When he works, I am without a car unless I want to wake our kids at 4 AM. Uh, nah. My brother-in-law was awesome and brought his truck over for Scott to borrow so I could have our car.
    I was so excited to be able to get out of the house. Then, Friday night came. I laid down in bed and I heard it. The bark. Just one. I let it go and laid down. I have insomnia, so I toss and turn FOREVER. After an hour or so, Harper started crying and “barking” a ton. I jumped up and threw my robe on. I turned the shower on as high as it goes and rushed into her room to bundle blankets around her. Outside into the cold air I went. No slippers or socks, in my bath robe. Thank goodness it was dark. I stood outside with her for about 10 minutes while she laid her head on my chest. Then, I took her into the bathroom so she could breathe in the steam. I put some eucalyptus rub on her, filled her diffuser with some RC and a little eucalyptus, and put her bag in bed. She  was really restless and took a long time to get back to sleep. She was up and down all night. I got maybe 2 hours of sleep total. I wanted to cry.
    If you don’t know what bark I am talking about, I’ll tell you. When kids get croup, their cough comes out like a seal barking. Their airways are constricted, so air coming out sounds super weird. Harper got bronchitis when she was three months old. We had to do steroids and breathing treatments. It was awful. They warned me that she was going to be susceptible to lung infections since she got that at such a young age. Thankfully, the only problem is that she gets croup frequently. I know how to treat it, and I know when I need to get her to a doctor or the ER. Only once have I told Scott we needed to call an ambulance. We lived close to the hospital and it was faster for him to drive. Most of the time, I’m able to treat it at home, and she only struggles for one night. No matter how many times you have been through it, it’s a terrifying sound.. hearing your child struggle to breathe.
    I always think of the parents of medically fragile babies. That is their every day.
    Anyway, I knew we shouldn’t go traipsing all over town. Harper was running a slight fever on Saturday morning. I decided that I would go for coffee, we could grab lunch and sit in the car by the lake and eat it.
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    Our Starbucks drive-thru is ridiculously busy every time. This was after 10 minutes of waiting..
    I took the girls to the little park where Scott proposed to me. We rolled the windows down while I finished my lunch. The big girls inhaled theirs on the way, and Harper didn’t have any appetite.
    I decided that since no one else was there, we would get out of the car and I would take them over the hill to see where Scott asked me to marry him. They are at an age where they love hearing these stories. I hope they remember them.
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    Even though we didn’t play much, it was still really nice to get some fresh air and sunshine.
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    I have been wanting to get my hair chopped for quite a while. I have been letting the platinum grow out for quite a while, and it was looking pretty trashy. I sent a message to a friend that cuts hair and asked what her schedule was like at the salon. She said she had some time that day! What?! She squeezed me in after Scott got off. I was able to donate my hair, and I feel so much lighter. My head doesn’t hurt. Ahh. I love a fresh cut.
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    That is the best picture you are getting. My skin is stressed out; adult acne is the worst. I have huge bags under my eyes. I’m working on self-love, y’all. But, I’ve self-hated for so long that its a hard thing to overcome.
    Harper slept really well on Saturday night. Scott went to morning service with the big girls at church. We did some yard work while it was warm out, which was really nice. We are working on removing a lot of the rock from our back yard. It is in random places, and gets drug all over the place. When we pull that out, we’ll put some now soil down and put grass seed out. I need to go out and take some “before” pictures. After a few hours of working outside, I went to choir practice and evening service. It’s nice that we can take turns right now when a kid is sick instead of me always having to be the one home.
    Unfortunately, Harper had a rough night again last night. It wasn’t as awful as Friday night. We actually got some sleep. I’m hoping it will be over soon. She’s not grumpy at least, but it’s really hard to hear your kid struggling so much at night. Croup is the pits.
    I hope your weekend was full of love and family.
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  • THIS is my Motherhood

    This is my Motherhood
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    I saw this picture on Facebook in October. It has really stuck with me. In fact, every time I read it, I feel like the breath has been knocked from my lungs. The days are long.. they are SOO long. The years just keep flying by. I just looked at baby pictures of my girls. How did they become 7, 6, and 3 so fast?
    I follow a lady named Ralphie on Instagram. GO FOLLOWER HER. She did an #Iamthiskindofmom hashtag where moms shared what their STRENGTHS are. Too often we focus on our shortcomings as mothers, which I believe robs us of a lot of the joy in motherhood. I often think about how I am not a patient enough mom. I’m not creative enough. I’m not fun enough. Her movement shifted my thinking. What kind of mom am I? That is the only way to not miss out on your children’s childhood; and your own motherhood. Focus on the good.
    It is absolutely insane to think that my motherhood only has approx. 11 years left for Chloe. In 11 years (or more) she could be moving out of our house and starting her own life. ELEVEN YEARS. Seven years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I know I have fallen short in SO MANY areas. I have messed up and have regrets. But there is a lot that I hope my kids remember.
    I AM the kind of mother who loves having my kids join me in the kitchen. I love baking with them and teaching them the life skills of preparing a meal. I am the kind of mother who tells my kids “the best chefs are the messiest chefs” so that they don’t feel bad about making a mess.. or me making a mess.
    I am the kind of mother whose kids ask for their vitamins and probiotics daily. I teach them the best ways to take care of their bodies; because they only get this one.
    I am the kind of mother who spreads paper, markers, stickers, etc. all over the table and lets her kids be creative. There is always a massive mess to clean up afterwards, but I love seeing what my girls create with some paper scraps.
    I am also the kind of mom who teaches her kids to clean up after themselves. It’s important that they learn they are not “cleaning up for mom”, but they are cleaning up for themselves. We are a family unit, and everyone needs to do their part in order for us to function.
    I am the kind of mom who lets her kids play in the tub until they look like raisins.
    I am the kind of mom who gets festive like crazy for all of the Holidays. Food must be festive. Decorations must be festive. Colors must be festive. I’m completely bananas about any holiday.
    I am the kind of mom who lets my kids get dirty. They can play in the dirt and throw leaves in their hair. The can jump in puddles and play hard. They learn best that way. Sensory play is my favorite.
     
    We, as mothers (and fathers also), need to slow down. We need to realize that this is our one shot with our kids. What kind of parent are you? Make a list of all of your good traits. Don’t focus on your shortcomings. Focus on ALL of the good that you do!
     

  • Harper Says


    This little stinker is so full of funny words, phrases, and actions. She’s always saying or doing something silly and fills our home with loads of laughter.. and frustration.
     
    The other day, Scott  had drawn a heart on me. I asked her who did it.
    H: “I dunno”
    Me: “Did Rocci do it?” (FYI: Rocci is our puppy)
    H: “No, him don’t have hands!”
    We are in the potty training trenches… candy is our bribery.
    H: *sits on potty* ” Me go pee and me get CANDY!!!
    She has been singing Elsa’s “Let it Go” at super speed.
    “Let it go let it go can’t hold anymoooore”
    Me: Harper, I love you.
    H: I like you.

    Again, potty training… She walks around with a bare booty most of the time. Rocci sniffs her rear with his cold, wet nose.
    H “EW YUCKY DOG!”
    After Mom had her knee surgery, Harper used her cane as a microphone singing “Sussa weens sussa weens” (super wings super wings)
    Pointing to my belly “Mommy, you big”
    Me “Yeah?”
    H “Yeah. And Daddy big.”
    Me “Is your belly big?”
    H “No. It wittwe.”
    As soon as she refuses allllll the food at any meal.
    “Me want chiiiiiips.”

    Good thing she is so snuggly and cute. 😉 She’s ornery as can be, but I am so thankful to have this girl in my life!

  • Thanksgiving Recap

    Isn’t Thanksgiving food just beautiful? I love making things from scratch. To me, it is really satisfying to see it all come together.
    The day before Thanksgiving, I made a giant cinnamon roll for breakfast. (100% a tube of cinnamon rolls) The girls freaked out. I achieved cool-mom status for the first time ever probably. I put frosting on it and cut it like a pie. Sprinkles had to be added, of course. They gobbled the whole thing up leaving their poor cool-mom to starve. 😉

    Cut to Thanksgiving, and all of its beautiful food. I didn’t get many pictures on that day. Scott and I really tried to soak in the goodness of having family around us… plus it was bananas. I took a few pictures while I was cooking. Cranberries are a beautiful color. They were frosted by the sugar and it looked like a Christmas decoration. They were SO tart, but yummy.
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    My mom came over the day before, and we made pies together. She also helped me get sweet potato casserole assembled since I had never made it by myself. Mom made a really pretty apple pie that was equally as delicious. I also baked the rolls and heated them up on Thanksgiving so the butter would melt on them. (Note: this WILL dry your rolls out, even if you cover them in foil. Bummer.)
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    This Thanksgiving was so bittersweet. It was our first big holiday without Jim. I think we all felt the hole where someone was missing. It was very sweet to be surrounded by all of our family that was in town. I really am thankful that God brought us back for this time. Everyone signed our Thanksgiving tablecloth with what they are thankful for this year. (Except Josh. Get your butt back here.) I think I will probably cry every year that I bring it out since it is so full of memories.
     
    I also have to share this. When my mom came to make pies, she also brought a little something for the big girls. She made a carseat poncho for Harper, which we love. Chloe and Addi were jealous that they couldn’t wear a poncho.. which made me laugh. My mom, being who she is, quickly whipped up two more ponchos for the big girls. They were so thrilled, and it’s really cute to see them running around in them.
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    Little stinkers.
     
    I hope that you had a really blessed Thanksgiving.

  • Glasses, Tissues, and a Wedding Dress

    A couple of days ago, Scott was encouraging me to go write. I told him that I had nothing to write about. For days, I have been trying to think of what to write. You know what I realized, I have nothing to give right now. Nothing at all. I have no encouraging words. No cool lists to share. Some of my favorite bloggers just tell stories of their daily family life. I have none of those. Seriously, I am so worn.
    For the last three months, we have been nothing more than a string of illnesses and various doctor’s appointments (and one awesome zoo trip). I have been to MAYBE 5 Sunday services since we moved here. We are still waiting for the ENT to call with Addi’s procedure appointment. I have called back and forth trying to get it set up. Mama bear is about to ROAR.
    Monday, we took Harper to the eye doctor. Because of the way her eye was described to me, I was expecting them to say she had a “lazy eye” and we would get glasses and patches and hope that was enough to fix it. If it’s bad enough, surgery is needed, but I was sure we wouldn’t have to go down that path. It turns out, she is just far-sighted. Her left eye is extremely far-sighted, and she has an astigmatism in both eyes. Thankfully, the doctor said that she will most likely grow out of the far-sightedness other than her left eye. He said it probably won’t fully correct itself because it is so bad.
    To me, that was awesome news. No possibility at all of surgery! Woohoo! We picked out some cute lavender glasses for her and are just waiting for them to come in. While I don’t want her to struggle with vision at all, I find baby glasses to be so darn adorable. The older girls are jealous because they want to wear glasses, too. haha!
    Tuesday, she had a VERY low fever, so I began to assume that she was just getting her 2 year molars a little early. We blew bubbles to liven things up. I am watching another little girl (Harper’s age) once a week for about an hour. She is such a sweetheart, and Harper was so excited to have a friend. That evening, Harper started to run a 102 fever again. The little girl started to run a fever while she was here also, so I am really glad to know that I did not share sickness with her.
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    Yesterday, her temperature was nearly 104 at one point. I should buy stock in the tissue companies with the amount that we have been going through here. Between allergies and illness, it is crazy!! We are feeling stir crazy. I dug out my wedding dress for the girls to see. They have been begging to see it in person because they’ve seen it in pictures for so long. Chloe was so excited! She is obsessed with pretty dresses. Addi didn’t really care too much, but Harper found it to be an awesome hiding place.
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    Scott went to church solo last night. He gets home around 4:45 from work, and has to leave again a little after 5 to get there in time for band practice. Addison asked me “Why does Daddy keep leaving again and again?” They were so sad when he wasn’t home to tell them goodnight…and I was so exhausted from doing it all alone. I collapsed on the couch when everyone was finally asleep and just sat in the dark watching Netflix. Scott got home after 9 and we finally ate dinner together, and then he fell asleep while I was talking to him. It was so romantic. 😉
    Today, I am out of coffee creamer. I am pretty sure that life will end. We live just a few doors down from Starbucks. But, I don’t want to take a really sick kid into the store.. or drag her into the car. The big girls would probably scream in protest that we only drove for 5 seconds to go right back home. So, instead I put some soy milk in my coffee..and it’s gross. Just in case you wondered.
    Chloe and I have still been working away through Homeschooling. It is tough to do with a sick baby crying at your feet or in your arms. I can hardly concentrate, and I feel terrible that Chloe has to work through it. (She WANTS to do school work.) Everyone keeps telling me “this, too, shall pass” and I may poke the next person to say it in the eye. You’ve been warned.
    Aren’t you glad that I am story telling? Don’t worry, I won’t blog again until I have something of substance to share.
     

  • Our Weekend

    Wow. We had such a great weekend.
    Thursday, I took Addison to the dermatologist to have a couple of moles checked out. One didn’t really concern me, but the other did. The doctor agreed. She has a large mole that he said tends to go down the road towards cancer. So, we will be scheduling a procedure to remove it. It’s on her face near her hairline and ear. They’ll send it off for a biopsy to see what is going on with it. If it’s abnormal, we’ll be going back to the dermatologist fairly often to have her checked out. It’s scary, but I know that God is in control
    After a long, exhausting week, our long weekend was so needed.
    We broke in our new van and took a trip down to Tulsa and visited the zoo. I don’t know who was more excited- the girls or me! I love getting to see so many beautiful animals. We have a zoo membership that is going to get a lot of use!
    It was warm and sunny- the perfect weather. The girls were smothered in sunscreen, and had big and floppy hats on. Safety first. It was a blast. Truly. Most of the animals were out. The river otters were playing and swimming, which is basically the most fun part. The girls said the penguins were stinky (they were) and the GIANT alligator snapping turtle was swimming like crazy. Chloe asked if she could get a turtle. Addi has decided that elephants are her favorite animal, which will make my Aunt Diane proud. 🙂 Harper wanted to take a piglet statue home, but just couldn’t get it up. Scott and I want a pet penguin, but I don’t see that happening.
    We packed tons of snacks and water. The zoo has a huge park inside. Scott, Harper, and I sat and ate while the big girls played. They had eaten a massive bag of popcorn and said they weren’t hungry anymore. haha!
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    Addi loved getting to go pet the goats! Chloe didn’t want to go in, so she hung out with Harper and I outside of the gate and ate some applesauce. In the petting zoo, they had brushes that you could get and brush the goats. Addi was too busy petting them all to brush any, but I thought it was a neat option.
    After we had walked the whole zoo, we headed back home. We got home just in time for me to cook up some chicken and eat dinner. A shaved ice place opened up in the shopping center near us. We walked over for some dessert; and the girls’ first shaved ice experience. I love that Harper can actually enjoy dessert with us here!
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    The girls shared a Ninja Turtle. They were big fans!!
    Saturday we spent at home playing our Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel game and grocery shopping. We had a picnic lunch in the living room.  It was a pretty low-key day. In the evening, Harper spiked a fever. Bummer.
    Sunday was also low-key. Harper and I stayed home from church so that she didn’t spread whatever germs she had. I made dairy free gyros for lunch. YUM. Harper enjoyed having the morning to carry Chloe’s bunny around the house. 😉
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    After our late lunch, we hung out around the house some more. I checked out a Kids Fitness DVD from the library, so you can guess what we were doing (it was a downpour outside). Chloe had such a blast while Addi protested on the couch.. Chloe said that she was tired after exercising. Addi said “That’s why I’m tired from watching.” Not quite how it works, hon. It is supposed to be stormy EVER DAY this week, so we will be doing lots of workout videos to burn off that energy!

    Today, is Harper’s eye doctor appointment. I am anxious to get some answers and be able to move on. Scott is taking the day off so that he can come to this appointment. Since it is down in Owasso, we are going to try to make a fun day of it! Indoors, of course, because they are calling for storms.

    How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?