Samantha's 6!!

 I really can't believe it's been 6 years!  

Samantha is:

creative

patient

loving

kind to everyone

always willing to try something new

good with babies

an animal lover

and an overall great kid!

She wanted to have her party at Grandma and Papa's house, again, so we did.  She had a great time! Thanks for all of you that came, froze, brought gifts, and played.

She got lots of new clothes.  She has been literally growing like a weed.  She puts on a pair of pants in the morning and I have to have her change 2-3 times because they don't fit!  Her and Nellie are wearing the same size now.  Her are some fun pix of her party :)

I love this girls so much!  I can't imagine our family without her.  I love watching her grow and learn everyday.  

Owen

Tue morning, just a few spots

I should have known that something else was going to happen.  We were all almost better and then it hit!  6 days into the amoxicillin for his ear infection the rash came.  He was fine Monday all day and then Tuesday he woke up with small spots that looked like he had been bitten in a few places.  I called the doc and they said he might have chicken pox.  We had to go in through a back door and get special treatment.  They decided that it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin.  By lunch time he was covered, head to toe, with the small spots.  The doc said it would get worse before it got better.  Little did we know how much worse!  Tuesday night was not fun :(  He was up most of the night fussing and very uncomfortable.  So that meant I was up with him.  It was dark all night so I really couldn't see how bad he was getting.  Wed morning I saw him and just about lost it.  His whole face was covered and the spots had gotten bigger and redder.  I called the doc again and they said that this should be the worst of it but to watch for breathing issues or if he starts acting funny.  He's been pretty miserable all day and hasn't wanted to be in clothes...understandable.  He cries when I change him and freaks out in the bath.  Samantha and I are both allergic to amoxicillin but never got the rash this bad.  We'll see how he does tonight and hopefully he won't get worse.  Here are the pictures so far.  

Tue evening

Wed morning

Wed evening

Wed night.  It's been a very long 2 days.  Hope we get some sleep tonight.

Our life...

I don't really know what our problem is this year, but we can't seem to stay well.  Between the kids and I we have been sick almost this whole year!!  At this point I'm starting to go a little stir crazy because we haven't gotten out much.  I can't wait for the sun to come out and everyone to get better so we can get out of here!  In the mean time we try to keep busy in our little apartment.  Some days are easier than others but we make it.  Here are some pictures to show you what we do ;)
By the way, I've started watching a friends' 14 month old daughter.  Her and Owen play all day while the girls are at school.  She's such an easy going girl.  There are some pictures of her too.  Enjoy! You'll have to turn the volume way up for the movies.

Go to the end and you'll see a video of this.  Patrick was DEAD by the end but the kids loved it!  So funny :)

He's getting so big!

Owen doesn't like it when dad sleeps on the couch, so he tries to wake him up.

My "other" daughter

The other video at the end is of this.  I was dying laughing!!  Nellie was so tired but Owen kept saying "GO! GO!" (He weighs only a little less than her)

When everyone is sick...this is what we do :(

Cousins on Easter

St. Patrick's Day Party :)

Part of my "lovely" decorations

The other part of the "lovely" decorations...and Patrick :)

Had to make everything high enough so Owen wouldn't take it all down

I think they made this one just for him!!

Sporting his new, green, glasses

We have some very talented, awesome friends!! This cake was made by one of them! Thanks so much!

The inside

One of the 3 breakfast club guys

Casey and the balloons

FRIENDS!

So here is the story:
Patrick works 10-12 hour day 5-6 days a week.  Planning something for his 30th was VERY difficult!  I convinced him to get his actually birthday off so that he and I could do something.  We did get to go out to lunch and spend some time together.  He thought that we were just doing that and then having a couple over for games later.  We had dinner at my parents' house when I "forgot" my wallet.  So around 7:15 my mom calls and said that I left my wallet and that dad needed help moving something.  Patrick said sure he would go.  Right when he left I/we got to work!  I had told everyone ahead of time what the plan was and to be there at a specific time.  They were all GREAT at getting the timing right too!  15 min later he came in like this.  Totally surprised and mad that he was carrying all this stuff...lol.  Thanks to all our friend who made this possible!  It was a blast!

The Breakfast Club

Evil Patrick

Beautiful green cake with lots of green food coloring!!

MORE FRIENDS!

EVEN MORE FRIENDS!

Patrick said to me later that night after everyone left that he didn't know how he was going to top that next year for my 30th. He says he's not that creative and can't keep secrets.  So now you all know and maybe someone can help him next year...not that I really want anything anyway ;)

Thinking...

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.  There are 2 things in my life right now that are pretty big and I kind of want them now!  I've been praying about them and doing research on them and...nothing.  The only thing that keeps coming up is patience.  Now for me, normally, this is not a hard thing.  Just about everything I've had to wait for.  But these 2 things I've been waiting a long time for.  I don't know if I've just been waiting long enough that "I" feel like it's time or that other people around me are getting them and I'm not and I just think it's not fair. I don't know.  I'm sure it will all make sense in the end but for now it's driving me NUTS!! The kids got their CD from church a little while ago and it's the only CD I play in the car now.  Maybe I need to put what I want in the Lords hands and know that whatever is suppose to happen will happen.  I guess this is a big test of faith, patience, trust and endurance.  I haven't ever wrote anything like this before but it's such a big part of my life right now that I have to vent to someone...or something, even if no one reads this.  It feels good to put it out there.

PS...I'm not going to say what the things are until they happen, so don't ask. :)