Friends

I have been feeling really thankful for friends lately. So I want to tell my friends thank you! Thank you for calling and chatting and letting my kids come over to your house (without notice sometimes). Thank you for coming to my house and hanging out and bringing us food and treats just because. I don't know how I would get through this part of my life without you. You know who you are!! I love you guys!
I also am so glad my kids are good friends. I have tried to stress that A LOT with them. I tell Liam he's the big brother, so he has to be nice and protective of the other two and that they watch him to see how they should act. I didn't know if it was really sinking in, but the other day, Liam had a friend over and the friend called Erin a "bad girl". It made Erin sad and I heard Liam say "Hey, don't say that to my sister!" YAY!!! I'm glad he has that feeling of love and protectiveness toward her.
Erin is naturally thoughtful. If she's getting anything, a treat, a vitamin, a toy, whatever, she always makes sure she gets one for Liam too. I really want all of them to stay close and know they have a friend in their sibling.

The other day I found Liam and Erin in the corner, talking and eating Cheez-its. It was a fun moment for me as a mom.

Yay for siblings and the good friends they can be!!

Happier Note

On a happier note, Rachel is doing better. She is still in the ICU, but is off the ventilator and some of her medication pumps. They are thinking she may be able to go home this weekend. We are so glad and thankful!!



On another happier note, it was Cameron's birthday on the 12th. He had to go to school in the morning, then work, then school again that night so it was kind of a bummer birthday for him, but I let the kids stay up until he got home so they could sing to him and eat some cake together. Since he turned 33 and I have seen this on other blogs, I thought I would try it out...

33 things about Cameron
1. His first name is not Cameron
2. He is an avid Denver Broncos fan.
3. He has been going to college for an insane almost 12 years!!
4. He changed his major
5. He speaks French
6. One of his fondest wishes is to be able to walk to work...no commute.
7. He loves loves loves anything electronic.
8. He is a computer whiz.
9. He had never been around kids when we got married, but now he has a soft spot for kids.
10. He has this weird ability to sleep on problems or decisions and wake up with the right answer.
11. Being an avid Broncos fan, he took me to a Broncos game for our honeymoon.
12. He can name any city by it's skyline.
13. He's a great dad. He'll play hide and seek over and over and over and over and has tea parties with Erin.
14. He likes metal music...I don't even know if you would describe it that way. I call it "screaming music".
15. He's got a really dry sense of humor. Some people don't know he's joking, but he's quite hilarious.
16. He's a very well rounded, smart person. Taking all those college classes didn't hurt!
17. He hates winter and could live forever without snow.
18. He's a collector of movies.
19. He can get along with anyone. He had lots of companions on his mission because his president would send him those missionaries who couldn't get along with anyone else but knew Cameron could make it work.
20. He's really good at putting people at ease.
21. He's the most confident guy I know.
22. He is a great artist. He can draw and paint. His favorite is watercolor.
23. He hates Barney but will watch it with his kids because they like it.
24. He had braces up until the day before we got married.
25. He hates dancing
26. He gets motion sickness really easy (see #25.)
27. He lived in lots of houses growing up and so has the best memory ever! He remembers things by the house he lived in, so he remembers years and events really well.
28. He can eat the same thing for lunch forever and not get sick of it.
29. He reads lots of books by listening to them on CD.
30. He's a good explainer. He can take complex ideas and break them down so the kids (or even me) can understand them.
31. He works really hard to provide for his family and make a better life for us.
32. He had his hand stiched up by a drunk French doctor.
33. He's the best person I know.
Love you Cam!!

Prayers

My niece Rachel is in the hospital. She went in for an appendectomy, but the doctor nicked a vein and now she's in the ICU. She's on a respirator and has a blood clot in her leg. They tried to take her off the respirator, but her lung collapsed, so she's back on it. It's been almost a week and she's still in the ICU. We've been praying for her because what do you do when there's nothing else TO do? We love you guys! Lots of loves for Rach!

Happy Birthday to Owen

Happy Birthday to my teeny guy. This year has really gone by quickly. Mr. Owen is now one year old. He has started walking all over the place, so I guess he's officially a toddler, not my baby anymore.
So, one year ago last week, I was scheduled to be induced. Great! I love being induced, I was induced with Erin and it was fine. I was scheduled for 7:30 in the morning, but about 3:15 that morning, I was having really bad dreams about this really bad stomachache I kept getting over and over. I woke up and it was no dream, it was contractions. They were about five minutes apart and I sat for a while, timing them and finally decided we had better go to the hospital. We called Cam's mom and she came over to watch the kids. While I was getting dressed to go, my water broke, so back into my pajamas I went. Now, my babies come fast and the hospital was 20 minutes away, so I was getting a little worried. Cameron ran a few red lights and my contractions were such that I couldn't walk by the time we got to the hospital. They brought a wheelchair out and took me directly into the delivery room and I said "My babies come really fast so I need an epidural now if I'm going to get one." The well-meaning nurse just said, "well, we'll see. We'll just check you and see what's going on." I love the nurses, just some of them think you don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, she checked and I was all ready to go, but no doctor. She said "Just don't push!" Whatever! Anyway, the doctor just barely showed up in time, one push and here was Owen! It was an hour and a half from start of contractions to Owen showing up. Cameron says when we have another one, we have to live closer to the hospital. I agree. I thought I was safe having the induction all scheduled, but Owen had his own ideas I guess. He wanted to come on his own terms.

All three of my kids had squished noses when they were born.

The proud brother and very indifferent sister.

You don't remember how small they come...

Happy First Birthday Owen!!

Excited to be one.

Look at my cute little man growing up.


We love you Owen! Thank you for coming to our family and being such a good and happy boy!