Single Mom for the Summer...

The last couple weeks have been CRAZY! I was in AZ last weekend for a wedding and I was suppose to head back to SD like Tuesday-Wednesday...yeah, didn't happen. My sister was still feeling bad after surgery and I was just being lazy. So my sister Jenn said "why don't you just wait til Friday, and we can go together?!?" so, that's what we are doing. My girls and I, and sister Jenn and her 3 kids are taking off for SD today. We're going to stay in a hotel tonight and go the 2nd half tomorrow. Should be fun. Makes my stay at home shorter (one week instead of two) but that's ok, it will be worth it. Then back to Denver for our 6th anniversary and on to Moses Lake with the girls for a couple weeks to have some "Earl time". Back to Co for July 4th and then finally back to SD for the rest of July. It's gonna be CRAZY, and I am gonna be exhausted, but it will be an adventure. Collin started his BAR class this week and will be totally consumed with it until the end of July. Wish me luck as a "single mom" for the summer....

I'll post some pics when I get home.

Good News!

This morning was Makenna's appointment with the pediatric Orthopedist. He was very nice and things went well. He looked at her X-Rays and his exact words were "Well, she definitely has it"...thanks DOC! But in all seriousness, he said that her range of motion is really quite good and that he thinks it would be crazy to do surgery at this point. HALLELUJAH! He said that her joint is actually in the socket right now, she just has a really shallow socket making it a lot easier for it to shift (which is bad, obviously). Anyway, he wants to keep with the PT here, and he thinks that by 18-19 months she will be walking like any other kid her age (fingers crossed!). He wants her to get more X-Rays in 9 months to make sure it hasn't moved, but thinks she will have a normal childhood and he thinks the odds of her having to have surgery in the future were somewhere around 1 in 100. I can BREATH! Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed/fasted and sent good thoughts our way. I truly believe that is what made the difference with this.

I feel SO relieved...now I can enjoy my trip!

Side Note: I lost my phone (actually, I think one of my daughters helped me) but I did replace it today. However, that means I am missing ALL of my phone numbers. So, if you are someone I talk to on the phone or text leave your number on here, email it to me, or text it to me and don't forget to tell me who you are. The number is the same. Thanks!

Preschool Graduation

Today was Marlee's preschool "graduation". Is it just my husband, or does every husband think that is ridiculous!? I thought it was darling. She did so good sitting up in front and singing the songs. They got their certificates and then we all had lunch together. When we got home, we had a little party out back for all the "graduation girls". They got cupcakes, edible jewelry, some lip gloss, and even silly string. They were pretty proud. Just one more reason I will miss this place. Once again, I took a TON of pictures today sorry...it is SO hard for me to choose just a few of all of the CUTE ones I get of the kids around here (just try to keep in mind all of our families are out of state, and hang in there!).Elena, Marlee and Ava Marlee and Ava The whole gang, of coarse Kenna wanted in on the action A quick wardrobe change for Marlee and we were ready for the party (don't you know, you have to wear a different dress to the party!?) Kenna, enjoying the party from her favorite swing, and cuddling a puppy...life is good!
Oh, and don't forget the cupcake! I just love this one because of the colors, and her gorgeous curls..I wonder if they will always be there...And some of my FAVORITE pics of the day....

Olivia and Marlee were pretending to be "Kittens, and kiss like cats do!" It was SO cute! They would "kiss" and then just giiiiiggle... such sweeties...

This video is terrible because it is from my phone. Marlee is the second from the right in the blue dress, but really you need to listen more than watch. They were singing a song about a dog who goes to school, but if he goes to school he has to learn. Anyways, when they "bark" the loud "oooooowwwww", that would be Marlee. I was in tears I was laughing so hard (and so were all the parents around me!). She definitely doesn't have a stage fright issue like her mommy!

Sweet and Sour

Within the last few months my sweet little Kenna has gone from the quiet, shy, always happy baby to a tantrum throwing, loud babbling, silly face making toddler. Don't get me wrong, she is still REALLY sweet, she just knows what she wants now, and doesn't like when she doesn't get it. She is continuing to work on the walking thing and is doing pretty well, considering. She is such a funny little thing and still no one makes her laugh like her sissy. This little girl makes me smile each and every day. She has her appointment with the Pediatric Orthopedist on Monday up in Sioux Falls, so we'll see what he says! I snapped these pictures of her over graduation weekend and thought they were too hilarious not to post!

We Did It, We did It, We Did It, HOORAY!

******************Picture overload to Follow******************

It has been a CRAZY couple of weeks here. We had our good friends Todd and Lara and their kids come out to visit us last weekend, they left Tuesday and our families came into town on Thursday for graduation. The hooding was Friday afternoon, and a graduation party for Collin on Saturday. It turned out perfect, couldn't have planned it any better (the only thing to make it better would have been all the siblings being able to come!).
As I sat there in the hooding Friday night and listened to the dean and a Supreme Court Judge talk about the challenges Collin has faced and the difficulty of this achievement, I was completely overcome with pride for my husband and what he has been able to accomplish in the last three years. I also appreciated to recognition they gave to the spouses and families of the students and said that we too, deserve a diploma...AMEN!

One Happy man...

With Todd and Paris after the hooding

Another future Earl Lawyer?

The proud parents, all 4 of them
We went to Sioux City for some Famous Dave's, and gave Collin his graduation gift. He got a new IPOD. Collin can't live without an IPOD and his broke about a month ago. Horrible timing. Anyway, the fam pitched in and he was THRILLED! Saturday was the luncheon with family and our Vermillion friends. It was fun to sit and chat with everyone. (I am lame, and didn't even get any pictures of Collin and his friends!)
We stopped by the campus on the way home to get some pictures on "the sign" that I wanted right outside the law school,in all our USD gear. It is truly beautiful here right now.

I am happy to be at the end of this exciting weekend. I am exhausted and looking forward to spending a stress-free week with my hubby before he heads off to Colorado to study for the BAR...

And as promised... Jenn, this is for you! Not the best video, it is from my cell but it is proof that Makenna took more than one step! That's right. My baby is a ROCK STAR! Take THIS Hip Dysplasia!

Happy Mothers Day to all my Mamas, hope your day was as great as mine!

WHAT A DAY!

No, I don't have any pictures yet, but today was a BIG day for us. I had to write this all down for future reference.

At 4:00 this afternoon was the USD Law School hooding. Collin is officially a Law School Graduate! It was an amazing and surreal experience. I am so proud. We will post pictures tomorrow.

We went to dinner in Sioux City and got home past the girls bed time. I went to get Kenna in her PJ's and set her down for a minute. As those of you who live around here know, we usually can't even get her to stand on her own for more than 2 seconds. Well, I saw her standing there and said "Collin, look at how well she is standing there", right then and there, she WALKED ACROSS THE ROOM! WHAT!?!?!? She walked, and walked, and walked til we put her to bed. OH MY GOSH! I know that for most of you, a 16 month old walking is no big deal. For me, and Kenna, it is. After all we've been through with her these last few weeks and wondering if she would be able to walk at all without the help of surgery this is HUGE! I ran around the house screaming and clapping for about a half an hour and then let her go to bed. Hope she doesn't forget all about it tomorrow...