Time Flies When You're Having Fun

"Time flies when you're having fun."  I agree.  I also agree that time flies when you're busy and we have certainly been busy around here.  Zack and I are both in full swing teaching our summer courses and are finishing our basement as well.  We've contracted out a lot of the work but Zack has been doing a ton of work with throwing away scraps of left over material, mopping the concrete floor after the sheet rock was finished, and now we are in the thick of priming and painting.  It will all be worth it in the end but lots of work in the meantime.

Other than that, we are squeezing in all the fun with the girls that we can.  Here is a photo and video update of what we've been up to...

Playing in the water table.
 

 

 

Enjoying most foods...yummy yogurt for breakfast!


 

 

Having SO much fun at Monkey Business for our friend Tate's birthday!

 

 

 

Going to Wonderscope Children's Museum and playing in the "NICU" room. (If you couldn't tell Ava has a stethoscope and is listening to the baby.)

Singing our favorite songs.  "Jesus Love Me"..."They are weak but He is strong..." 

Reese is quite the chatterbox, always talking or singing.

Today, June 26th, is Pepaw's birthday so we had a special ice cream treat for snack.  We talked about how Pepaw is with Jesus and how much he loves us.

Our Trip to Illinois

Last Friday we headed back to Illinois to spend time with family.  Before we left we got to spend some time with our neighbors (the Southards) who had been gone for three weeks to Florida.  As you can see from the pictures, the kiddos enjoyed the sidewalk chalk.  Our trip to Illinois was great.  We were able to see all of our family and some family friends as well.  Even though we only get back a couple times a year (thanks to Ava and Reese's retired grandparents), it is always wonderful to get back.  The only down points about the trip were Reese's vomitting episodes in her carseat, her face plant on my mom's deck, and the flash flooding our hometown experienced leaving water in my mom's basement.  Luckily all of that is being taken care of...Reese is showing no signs of sickness and really never did, her face boo-boos are scabbing over, and the carpet in my mom's basement is being replaced!

Anyway, here are the pictures to give you a glimpse of our last couple weeks...

 

 I know this is a bathtub video but everything is covered...bathtime is so much fun around here!

Photo shoot with Nana...

Learning how to use an iPod from cousin Bubba (Brandon)...

Reese just waking up and hanging with Bubba...

After jumping on Luci and Evie's, Grammy thought the girls needed one too...

Final (Foreseen) Departure

Yesterday Ava had her post-op appointments for her trach and g-tube site closures.  Everything checked out well and as we left the hospital it dawned on me that this was it.  Our last foreseen visit to Children's Mercy Hospital.  Two and a half years filled with hospitalizations and doctors appointments and now we were at the end.  We have two beautiful, healthy 2 1/2 year olds that we couldn't be more thankful for.  I've said it before but the desire for every family we have met along this journey who has experienced health difficulties with their children to have as happy of an ending as we have is stronger than ever.  It hurts to know that not every family will have as happy of an ending and we know that God has a plan for everyone but it makes us empathize for those families.  Our prayers will always be with all these families. 

In the meantime we will cherish all the time we have with the girls.  The things they say, their contagious smiles, the belly-laughs, and the development of their little minds...what fun to watch.

Here are a couple of my favorites from the last few days....

On the Mend

I know it's been a while but I wanted to make an update after Ava's procedures on April 11th.  She had her trach site revised to make sure it was completely closed and that it healed in a way that would make a cleaner looking scar as opposed to still looking like a hole.  They cut the skin to allow fresh skin to heal with fresh skin, and everything went as planned.  Her g-tube site was also completely closed and scar tissue was removed.  All went there too.  The ENT surgeon wanted to observe her overnight so a sleepover at Children's Mercy is just what we did.  So, now she's on the mend and we will go back for post-op appointments next week. 

Before...

Before...

 

 

During...

 

After...

After...

Other updates...

We got to make a trip to Omaha to spend time with our friends the Proctors and Seastedts!  We had a great time hanging out, eating, and watching Luci play soccer.  She's quite the little player!

It got a little cold while Luci was playing soccer...So Ava, Evie, and Reese watched a DVD!

Luci and Ava...poor lighting in the restaurant!

Luci and Reese

Luci and Evie also have this really fun personal trampoline!

 

 



We went to the March for Babies event yesterday and it was a gorgeous day.  In addition to great weather, we got to see lots of familiar faces from OPR NICU.  We can't say enough about the fabulous nurses and staff who work in the OPR NICU!  Overall, it was a great event for a very meaningful cause.

Need a laugh?...Listen to this!

Every time I watch this video clip it makes me laugh.  While enjoying a frozen yogurt bar for snack, Reese thinks Ava's facial expressions to the frozen treat are hilarious.  This may be one of those videos that you will want to rewatch when you are having a bad day!  The only bummer is that since I took it with my phone it is showing up sideways and I can't figure out how to rotate it.  Oh well!

Enjoy!

Easter...A Day of New Beginnings

We may think of Easter as a day for new beginnings.  God sent his son Jesus to not only die for us but to rise again.  He wiped the slate clean for us and then presented us with the amazing miracle of raising Jesus from the dead on the third day.  Easter comes with spring...the green grass, blooming flowers, and new beginnings.  Our family also experienced an amazing beginning on Easter.  For the first time in over two years we attended church as a family for the first time.  Ever since Ava and Reese were born Zack and I took turns going to the 9:00 and 10:45 services.  The girls' immune systems were too fragile to take the risk of playing with sick kiddos in the nursery.  However, now that they have made it through two full winters and flu/RSV season has minimized, we will be taking them to church with us so that Zack and I can finally worship together again.  I didn't really anticipate being too emotional about it but as soon as I dropped the girls off in the nursery and someone asked me how it felt, I shed some tears and said it felt really good.  God is good.  We are truly blessed.

(I think our camera had something on the lens...bummer!)

Other than that, the girls got the hang of Easter better this year.  They actually knew that the eggs went in the basket and that there were things in the eggs.  Rice chex and goldfish though.  We'll save the candy for when they really know what they are missing!  Of course the girls were all dolled up in the dresses that Grammy and Nana bought them.  Too cute. 

In the evening we went over to our great friends next door, the Southards, and had a nice meal with some other families.  The kiddos got to have another little egg hunt and we had a wonderful time spending it with others. 

On a side note, Ava is scheduled to have a procedure on Thursday, April 11th to have her trach site fully closed (if it isn't already) and some scar revision in this area.  She was also supposed to have her G-tube (mickey button) removed from her belly and surgically closed this day but when we got her out of bed last week she had decided to pull it out herself.  Since the site was too small to put back in we have just kept it clean and covered with gauze.  I guess she decided it was time to do away with it.  However, there will still most likely be some scar revision on this site on the 11th as well.  Any prayers for this procedure would be greatly appreciated.  This is hopefully the last procedure Ava has to have due to her premature birth.  Pretty exciting!

P.S.  Ava and Reese got new trikes with Christmas money that we've been saving.  They are loving them!

Who had more fun?...You be the judge!

Well, for the first time since Ava and Reese were born mommy and daddy got to take a get-away.  Yep, we went to Scottsdale and Sedona while Ava and Reese got to stay at home with Grammy, Nana, and Pappy.  The tough question is...who had more fun?  I'll let you decide.

Mommy and Daddy got to...


look at this from out patio in Sedona.

go on a gorgeous hike in Sedona.

appreciate what God has done for us.

meet some interesting people.

do some more hiking in Scottsdale.

see and hear a real live rattlesnake in the wild.

eat at a wonderful breakfast joint.

catch a Cubs spring training game with some friends who also happened to be there.

 

 

 

Ava and Reese on the otherhand got to...

 

 

have snacktime outside.

go on walks.

go to the mall and go on rides.  (Yep, they found out that they actually move if you put money in them.)

go to Peacewave for frozen yogurt.

 

play on our new helper towers that Pappy built (with St. Patrick's glasses).

play with real cell phones. 

 

 

Needless to say, Ava and Reese had some re-training when mommy and daddy got home!!!  That's what grandparents are for.  We couldn't be more thankful for our parents allowing up this luxury of getting away.