Summer of Surgeries

All "gowned up" and ready to go!!

A little pre-surgery rough-housing...

Preston in recovery (I forgot to take my camera back there for Parker but he looked the same...)

Katie playing doctor with her new baby doll

Katie in recovery with her nurse Audrey, who also took care of the boys the week before!!

Although we kept busy this summer with vacation, swim lessons, and church activities, we also had many trips to the doctor's office for strep, ear infections, and the like. The boys also were circumcised in the middle of July, and then ten days later, Katie had surgery for bilaterial inguinal hernias. In fact, some of the same nurses took care of both the boys and Katie! The staff at the Children's Hospital at St. Francis in Tulsa are fabulous! We are glad these surgeries are over and everyone has healed nicely. You know, if you are going to meet your health insurance deductible, you might as well meet it in a big way!!!

Summer Fun

We spent our summer vacation at our favorite spot, Big Cedar Lodge, which is 10 miles south of Branson on Table Rock Lake. The kids had a blast swimming, fishing, and doing activities at the resort. They even went to a "dive-in movie"--a large movie screen was set up at one of the outdoor pools after dark and the kids swam/floated in the water while watching the movie. So much fun!! (The third picture shows Katie sitting on a lounge chair with Preston during the movie while they took a "popcorn break.") One morning the girls wanted to eat breakfast on our balcony, and when Lauren left her muffin on the table, a friendly little squirrel helped himself to it! We made a lot of fun memories on our trip...and we'll be going back in December!!

End of the Year...AWANA & Preschool

The girls finished another fun year of AWANA (Cubbies for Lauren, Sparks for Katie) in May. They were both proud that they received awards for finishing their books. I think the parents deserve an award, too! Ha!! Lauren also completed her first year of preschool at our church. She has grown and matured a lot in the past year!

Back to the Blog...

Where has the last month gone? I can't believe I haven't posted anything for over a month now. So here I go...my promise to myself...is that I will do a much better job of posting. So here is a snazzy little picture of our family on Mother's Day!

Wedding Fun

On Saturday, April 24th, my cousin Julie got married to her sweetie, John. Julie had asked Katie and Lauren to be the guest book attendants and hand out the wedding programs. The girls took their jobs VERY seriously and were so excited to be wedding "helpers." I was supposed to stand with them and make sure that everything went smoothly, but, really, I was not needed! Those little girls had things under control! :)

A Beautiful Easter Day

We celebrated Easter at our house this year, and it was such a beautiful day! The weather was warm and sunny (so different from recent years when the kids wore coats to hunt Easter eggs), and all of our children were here to celebrate! (Last year, the boys were still in the hospital on Easter, but they did get to come home two days later.) The grandparents Ross and Shoesmith were here as well. After church, we had a big lunch, and then the kids hunted eggs. Really, just the perfect day!

Happy 1st Birthday, Preston & Parker!!

The boys celebrated their 1st birthday on March 18th. Wow!! I can't believe they are already 1! The past year has flown by. It's amazing to watch the boys grow, learn, and discover new things every day. It has also been very special to see the bond between the two of them. We celebrated their birthday with a party at our house. They were such little troopers...first eating dinner, then opening presents, then eating A LOT of cake! Both boys enjoyed eating their cake, but Parker did make more of a mess...I was up very late cleaning high chairs and the kitchen floor. But it was worth it! Love you, Preston and Parker so, so much!!