Thursday, January 29, 2009

Snow Day!

We finally had a snow day yesterday and the girls had a BLAST! This was especially nice since just a few days before, we had gone up to Grandma's house and had gone snow tubing while we were there. So the girls (Laci pup included) were glad to come home and have 11 inches of snow of their own to play in !


snow covered back yard early morning

Snowpup

Laci finds her ball

Laci playing "find it" and looking for her Frisbee

Almost there. . .

Got it!

Kiki laughs at her snow crazy puppy

Boo throwing snow

"Look, Mommy! I'm disappeared" (exact quote)

Who says you can't swing in the winter?

Or slide?

Kiki and her snow angel

Boo's snow angel

Kiki in her "snow bed' looking at clouds

Girls attempting to make a snow tunnel

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

One Special Day


Today is one special day. Not only is one of the most historical inaugurations about to take place, but it is also my Mom's birthday.

I find it very fitting that those two very important events are happening on the same day. My Mom is one of the people who taught me to accept people for who they are, and never to look at someone differently because of race, religion, etc. I wish that everyone would teach their children the same values my parents did; that who we are is what matters, not what we look like, what church we go to (or not go to), or how much money we make. Thanks to her, I am teaching these same values to my own children. When I see people teaching their children to hate instead of to love and accept, I am just heartbroken. We are all Americans and should learn to accept our differences for the better of our country. After all, this is the UNITED States of America.

Mom, it may be your birthday, but I want to thank you for teaching me these values. I am so very proud to be your daughter. Happy Birthday!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Eight is Enough. . . for now

Entertaining
Inquisitive
Generous
Honorable
Terrific

All of those words (and many more) describe the little girl who was born at 4:21 p.m., eight short years ago.

Kiki entertained us from the very beginning with her smile and laughter and hasn't stopped since. She still loves to perform and often dances for us, sings a song, or just tells us a funny story.

She is very inquisitive, and wants to know everything and anything. When asking questions she wants detailed answers, and will keep asking until she is satisfied she has learned all she can know for that time. Kiki recently asked me a question about life and while she came to her own conclusion, I know that is not the end of that conversation.

She is a generous person who truly cares about other people and is often the first one to help someone out, or give up something she wants, just to make someone else happy. She has given up her balloon for a crying child, and shared a treat with her sister, all without being asked.

Kiki is honorable, always wanting to do what is right, sometimes to please others but often because she feels that is the way a person should be. She takes pride in knowing that she is honest, kind, and respectful of everyone she meets.

Kiki is one special, terrific girl who captured our hearts right from the very beginning and continues to do so on a daily basis. We can't believe how fast these eight years have gone. We often joke with her to "stop growing already" because she has changed so quickly right before our eyes. While we know she won't stop growing and changing, we would like things to just slow down a bit to give us more time to savor it all. Happy Birthday, Kiki!


Kiki - just a few days old

Sweetheart (9 months)

1st birthday

Fun in the Sun (18 months)

Girls just wanna have fun (2 years)

Movie Star (2 years)

Silly Girl - (3 years)

Baking Queen (3 years)

I love my cousin (3 1/2 years)

Dr. Kiki (4 years)

Braid Twins (4 years)

Playing her "rockatang" (5 years)

"This is so cool!" (5 years)

Graduation Girl (5 years)

Chillin' in her new room (6 years)

Relaxing in North Carolina (6 1/2 years)

Pretty Pretty Princess (7 years)

Mixed Up/Mashed Up day (7 1/2 years)

Cowgirl (8 years)

8th Birthday Girl!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Life



Last night, when I was helping the girls get ready for bed, Kiki just looks at me, and out of the blue says "Sometimes I wonder why is there life? Why are there people? What if they never existed? What if there were never dinosaurs?" I thought for a moment and then said, "I don't know, maybe there would just be a bunch of planets floating around." Then she says "Maybe there wouldn't be any planets. Maybe just a bunch of rocks." Then she thought for a minute, wheels turning, and said "And the one person that knows is not even alive anymore. He's in Heaven." More silence and then, "Or I think that might be the one thing no one can answer."

Not bad for an almost eight year old girl. . .

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A Cause Worth Fighting For


I am having a really hard time lately with this whole kids with cancer thing. I have a friend whose three year old boy, Braeden, has stage three, high-risk Neuroblastoma cancer. This is his second bout with it, so to speak. He was first diagnosed when he was two, went into a remission of sorts, only to have the cancer return this past summer. He is only three and much of his life has been spent being sick and in an out of the hospital. Two other children I followed on Carepages died this week from cancer. One was five and the other just two. They died within just hours of each other. I didn't even know them and I was heartbroken when I heard the news. I can't imagine how their families are feeling right now.

I don't understand why sometimes children are afflicted with such a horrible disease, and other children are perfectly healthy. I know there are many other serious diseases out there, so I apologize for focusing on this one, but I guess this one bothers me the most because so little is being done to raise awareness of it. You hear so much about other diseases but not so much about cancer, at least not when it comes to children. Yet cancer is the number #1 killer of children (click here for more childhood cancer statistics)! So much awareness has been made about breast cancer, diabetes, AIDS and asthma, but you just don't see that many campaigns against childhood cancers. Don't get me wrong - those are all important causes, many of which I support (my own girls have asthma, a close friend has breast cancer and another friend has a daughter with juvenile diabetes) - I'd just like to see this disease get the attention it deserves. Sadly, childhood cancer research is under-funded.

I'd love to see a big name company donate profits to childhood cancer research, just as many do with breast cancer research or AIDS. Chili's is the only big name I am aware of that has done this by donating some of their profits in September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I was at Dick Sporting Goods yesterday and noticed they were selling stuff for the Livestrong Foundation and Susan G. Komen, but nothing specifically related to children. OK, so maybe that business is not specifically geared towards children, but how about companies like Toys R Us, Children's Place, Gymboree, or Build-A-Bear, which ARE child focused?

Meanwhile it will just be up to unknowns like me to raise awareness. Within the last year I became an advocate for childhood cancer and will continue to do all I can to raise awareness. I am debating starting a separate blog to do this, but for now I will use this blog on occasion to be a voice for all of the children stricken with this disease. I am researching the different types of childhood cancers and will likely give each of them their own post very soon. Several other "mommy bloggers" I read also are doing their part to help raise awareness. We've all got to stick together and spread the word in any way we can.

I Hope you will join me in my cause and help spread the word by sharing this with others. Even though cancer will be the main cause I support, don't be surprised if from time to time I preach about other causes important to me, as I have many. If you haven't yet, please check out the list of causes I support on my sidebar. And if you have a cause you'd like me to include, please just email me and let me know and I will add it to my list.

Here are a few ways you can help:

Donate to the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, otherwise known as Cursearch, or a more specific one such as the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation. There are many more similar foundations dedicated to raising funds for specific types of Childhood Cancers.

Another easy way to help is to use features such as Goodsearch, a search engine that donates 50 percent of its profits to the charity of your choice. All you have to do is use it as your web browser. Or there are sites such as Igive.com, which partners with big name retailers like Best Buy. When you buy gifts (or stuff for yourself!) a portion of the proceeds go to the charity you select.

Lastly, please, please sign the Cure Childood Cancer petition sponsored by Curesearch and the People Against Childhood Cancer. It only takes a minute and it is for a great cause!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Semi Wordless Wednesday - S'no Blizzard For You!

Last March , the forecast called for us to get this huge snow storm. Teachers sent home extra work in anticipation of a snow day or two. Everyone was stocking up on bread, milk and eggs, water, etc. Business were even closing in anticipation of this storm. Did it snow!? Heck no! All we got was a dusting. The blizzard missed us completely! The girls were so excited to finally go sledding and we didn't even get enough to do that. Meanwhile their cousins in Ohio were jumping for joy at their two feet of snow. : ( These are two of my favorite photos of 2008. Not too hard to figure out how the girls were feeling about this lack of snow.




Sunday, January 4, 2009

Six Years

At 1:21 am this morning, our baby turned SIX.

Not too long ago, she was a not so little 9lb, 2 0z baby. She came into this world 11 days late, and had a rough start to her life. After she was born, she fought hard to live, and even as a newborn, was as determined as can be. She still is. At only SIX years old, she stands up for herself and makes sure her voice is heard. Boo is stubborn, yet loving, with a great sense of humor. She makes everyone who has a chance to know her smile. Her laughter is infectious. She is smart and willing to try anything on her own. She has few fears (although she hates the dark and spiders). Boo loves to talk (hmm, can't imagine who that came from?) and won't shut up once you get her started. She tells great stories. And she's SIX.

Our baby. Our SIX year old little girl. Where did the time go? We have treasured everyone of her SIX short years and we know we will treasure each year to come.

We love you Boo! Happy Birthday!

Boo 2 days old in the NICU

six months old on July 4

"I'm one!"

1 year old - First haircut - "why does my Mommy torture me so?"


2 years old - "cheese!"

Valentine girls (2 years old)

Chef Boo - 3 years

Piano Girl (3 years)

Girl in curls (4 years)

Princesses (4 years)

Boo and friend JT (5 years)

I'm gonna be six!

"I'm six years old now!"
Boo with her "Baby Chloe"