Girls' jog-a-thon

While I was in Springfield, Kyle manned the home front. That meant carting the older kids around to school and cheering at the girls' jog-a-thon fundraiser. We love to do photo thank-you cards every year for the kids' fundraiser sponsors, so this put the added pressure on him to take PICTURES on top of it all. The picture taking was tricky because of the thunderstorm that brought Marin's leg inside the dark gym, so in the words of our family "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit". (I like to throw fits about missed photo ops, it's my involuntary hobby, I am learning to let it go).

Both girls ran their faces off, and raised $100 each for their elementary school!!

Weekend in Springfield

One of my old college besties, Lanie, got married in Springfield, MO last weekend. I don't even know why I am so blessed, but I somehow found myself with free airplane tickets (Lindsay), and a giving husband willing to take vacation time and be on 4-kid duty for three entire days - all of which gave me the chance to see my friend marry the love of her life, after a long year of battling stage 4 cancer. I cannot even explain how meaningful the entire time was, because we were celebrating a marriage and a life. Lanie is alive, and she is kicking! It is a miracle, a testament to "God's not done with her yet on this earth", and a gift to all who love her. I am a lucky girl, getting to celebrate and laugh my entire weekend away, surrounded by several old college friends who make me remember those golden years of college, UCU, etc...

Oh baby girl...

Marin is such a tough cookie... Not only is she active, hearty, not afraid to get dirty or injured, but she has a sweet little heart of gold and does all of this wearing flip flops and dresses. I do not know what is in her water, but she is on some kind of streak with injuries.

First, two weeks ago, I got a call from school saying she was in the nurse's room because she had bonked heads with another boy during music class. They tell me her eye is swollen, but when I talked to her on the phone she chirps "it's fine mom! i can go back to class!" - then she arrives home on the bus and WOAH NELLY, her eye is almost totally swollen shut and already completely blackened. I literally stumbled backwards from shock when I went to greet her at the front door. Straight to the doc to check her eyeball, and all was well. They said it will just look bad, but she was okay. On the mend :)

Then a week later, the school calls me again to say she is in the nurse's office with a hurt wrist, she was playing at recess and a soccer ball hit her in the hand. Again, I talk to her on the phone, but this time there is no chirpy voice, instead it's a tiny sad voice: "owie mom, my wrist hurts super bad", so I head up there and decide to bring her home. But by dinner time, she is running around again and having no issue.

Then three days later, ANOTHER call from the office (you are kidding me here, I am like the most called person at this school for health issues this month) - another mishap on the playground, this time a fall from the monkey bars, another crash to the same wrist, and this time it is NO JOKE - she re-told me the story later, and recreated the screaming and howling after this fall (it was loud) - straight back to the nurse and another call to Mom. Trekked back to school, and again the teeny tiny voice of a little girl in lots of pain. So we came home, and I called my doctor. They got us right in for an x-ray, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW - the girl has a broken wrist :( Baby doll, seriously!!!! They got her in a nice little splint, only lasting 4 weeks.

But wait, The Splint is not aware of what an active, wild child she is. Next day is Saturday, where she attends a birthday party (activities: doing hair, painting nails, eating cake, how could this be dangerous), but away she goes running across the grass and trips - falling square on her newly fractured wrist. The Splint did not plan for this. Birthday mom calls with the bad news. I rush over, and call my doctor. She advises me to take her to the ER to get another x-ray (because by this time it is 8pm on a Saturday night, and nobody else is open for this sort of tomfoolery). We spend the next three hours at the Childrens ER (with kids movies in the exam rooms), where they find there are no more breaks, but they agree to put a LARGER splint on. Exhausted baby girl is finally understanding the situation here, after the ER doc tells her if things get much worse, she will be in a cast longer than 4 weeks (and that means no FISHING CAMP, AAAAAAH!!!!) - now we are speaking her language :)

Over the next two days (Sunday, Monday), Beefy Splint does not really handle the frequent spills, and I finally heard "owie! i totally just hurt my wrist again!" for the last time. I called my doctor and hysterically demanded a REAL cast. Actually I was cool... Really...

So... Tuesday we get the Purple Majesty, which they tell me NOTHING can conquer. My doctor even told me "you can drive over this puppy". Please, don't give her any more crazy ideas.

This whole ordeal puts her upcoming, much anticipated piano recital in danger. I am mega-praying for her to recover enough to still participate.

She will be fine :) But let's just say, I am starting to see how mothers have heart problems from all the FREAKING OUT that goes on when you have an accident prone kid! I love her through and through.

Science

Marin loves science :) She has the best teacher who is always introducing fun concepts - she ALSO has the best Dad who is always introducing new concepts. Marin's interest in all of this has kicked off a science experiment extravaganza in our household. I need to take more pictures, but here is one with magnets Marin created after school one day :) Note the air between the paperclip and the magnet! It's like magic :)

Max's bike-a-thon for St Jude Children's Hospital

Max has been waiting 4.5 long years to finally be able to participate in some kind of fundraiser :) He has watched his girls do two bike-a-thons in preschool, and two jog-a-thons in elementary school! This year was his year, his red tricycle and red flame helmet were all ready to go...... He raised $105 for St Jude Childrens Hospital! Love that sweet boy.

I also love this first face - he was very upset about me taking pictures. He wanted me to knock that off so he wouldn't fall behind in "the race". He really thought it was a thing where you try to win :)

College friends

It sure is special to have friends that go way back. We recently had dinner with the Schmierers, and in addition to the warmth of their home & family, their gift for hosting, they joyful/positive personalities, the very best part is just enjoying how our families mesh. Their two girls are the same age as a couple of our kids, and they just have tons of fun together. The funniest thing for me to realize was listening to their 8 year old daughter talk, and feeling tickled by the similarities in expressions and phrasing to Marin. They are, like, SO CUTE!!!!!

Happy Easter!

I love Easter so much. For the last 4 years, I have especially loved the memory of Max being healed of his severe illness. Now that he is a little older, I've been able to share more with him about his healing. It is amazing the impact it has on him to know he has been preserved in this life. He is here for a reason, and God has His hand on him. I was able to share his story with a dear friend whose twins were facing serious health issues, including risky surgery. It was forefront in my mind the months I prayed for her girls, what God had done in Max's life. I am no fool. I know for all the cases of "healing", there are many that do not end well. My lasting impression though, is one where God sees and He hears. He loves his children, He is with us. It is a continuing gift to me to have this testimony to share with others, and to remind me of God's goodness and faithfulness.

This Easter we had the Bury's over to celebrate with us! Loved every minute. Church, family pictures, the wildest easter egg hunt of your life, a yummy shared meal, and the peace in our hearts knowing that Jesus paid it all for us.