Merry Christmas!

Santa visits Holy Cross!

Holy Cross had a special visitor last week: SANTA! I was lucky enough to be working at the school on this special day and was able to see the action and the priceless look on the kids faces!

The big arrival!

Mason getting his goody bag

Santa with the teachers!

Grandpa Visits

This year, I received the best birthday present! ~a visit from my father!! We had a wonderful couple of days together and the kids did not leave grandpa's side the entire time he was here!

We brought daddy to see the amazing Doyle House! It is tradition that we go see this amazing light display each year (in sync to Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Music!)

Visit to Santa

WOW, it has been a few weeks since I updated the blog! Sorry about that! A lot has gone on in the past few weeks ~ starting with our visit to Santa!

Our Christmas Tree!

Thanksgiving Parade

Last year we missed the Thanksgiving Parade at Mason's preschool while we were in PA on vacation. This year, we had the pleasure of watching all the kids come out and parade around the preschool in their adorable hand-painted costumes! So precious!

Here they come...

Thumbs up!

The Fort!

Last year, we bought a wooden swing set for the kids. There was a big open space under the "fort" for a sand box. However, we already had a sandbox, and it was larger than this space! So, for a whole year, that space just grew weeds and begged for some TLC.

Recently, Wayne (Mr. Handyman) decided to close it in and make a little house out of it: complete with a door, windows AND tile floor!!!! We painted the outside the same color of the trim on our house and then let the kids go to town with some other colors. They had a blast making hand prints and smearing paint on their new house!!!

Daddy even put some "kids graffiti" on it: Danger, Members Only, Keep Out....all spelled wrong, with backwards letters! Very Cute Touch!

Yes, even Tasha likes it!

Pumpkin Patch Cuties

The other day was our annual Pumpkin Patch outing with Mason's playgroup. Nothing like picking out pumpkins in 90 degree heat!! The kids had a great time though and we got some great photos!

My two Tinker Bells and the Clone Trooper!

Mason looks a little worn out!!How Cute are they?!The group shot...kind of
We were missing a bunch!

Love on the soccer feild?

Well, it is no secret that Mason is a little stud with the ladies...
No matter where we go, we have mommies telling us "oh, my daughter talks about Mason all the time!" My friend Aileen's daughter, Soleil, is convinced that she is going to marry Mason! He is such a ham and just eats the attention up!

The other day at soccer practice, a mommy came up to Wayne and I and said "my daughter has been checking out your son all night!" Her name is Emma and she is so cute!! Kind of reminds me of Lexi! Anyway, Mason looked at her and said "Hi Emma, I'm Mason!" She got all shy and hid behind her father! It was adorable!!

Emma is sitting on the bottom row, two over from Mason.

Healthy and Happy!

WOW, has it really been over two weeks since I last posted? Well, a lot has gone on in two weeks....
In a brief nutshell, I had to have some surgery....a tumor was removed from my abdomen and for a week, I sat in horror, waiting for the results: was it benign or malignant?

The first three days I spent more time in pain then worrying. The incision was much larger than I had expected or planned for. Of course, the kids didn't understand why mommy wasn't picking them up and why I was not getting out of bed! A week later, I still don't think they "get" why I am guarding my stomach!

After a LONG week, the dreaded day of my appointment arrived. Unfortunately, the appt. was scheduled for 4:45, so I had to wait all day for the results! I spent most of the day crying, wondering what would happen to my family if I wasn't here? How would they survive? Who would do what I do and more importantly, who COULD do what I do? I prayed harder than I ever have before. I believe that God blessed us with these children because he knew we could raise them to be loving, Christian children who do what they can to help others and make the world a little brighter. I believe he trusted Wayne and I to raise his children and knew that we would do whatever we could to keep them safe and healthy and always let them know how much we love them!! Why would God give me these children after 7 years of trying to conceive, only to take me away from them? It didn't make sense! I think I knew in my heart that the tumor was benign, but the mind is an evil thing! There was that fear of "what if?"

Praise the Lord that my doctor walked in the room with a smile on his face delivering the great news. The tumor was not only benign but there was no sign of ANY malignancy. The biggest weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I can continue living my life, doing what I love to do: be a wife and a mommy!!!

Thank you God, for answered prayers!!

Now THAT is a Peanut Butter Cup!

Last week, Wayne had to have surgery on his wrist. He had a cyst in addition to a torn ligament, which ended up to be a very bad tear. He is out of week for 8 weeks! We LOVE having him home, though I am sure he is secretly wishing he was at the station getting a break from the chaos!!

The other night, after his surgery, I was going to pharmacy to get his scripts and he asked me to get him "something sweet". While I was waiting for the scripts to be filled, I walked around the store looking for the perfect "something" to satisfy my patients sweet tooth. I walked down the Halloween Candy aisle and was stunned at what I saw on the top shelf. It was titled "The World's Largest Reese's Peanut Butter Cup". This thing cost $9.99 and weighed 1 pound!!!! Expensive, yes! But I had to buy it! If I came home and told Wayne that I saw a HUGE peanut butter cup, he would never believe just how big it was!

This is Wayne's hand (with a cast) next to the peanut butter cup. It was SOOO good. (yes, I stole a bite of it!)

Surprise!!!!

Last night was April's 40th Surprise Party. Ok, so she is already 40...and her birthday isn't until next month! BUT, her beautiful mother wanted to throw her a party while she was still 40 and not expecting it (since she had hoped someone would have given her a party last year!)

She was 100% surprised, showing up in her brand new dress to what she thought was her mothers engagement party!

April and her mother, Ginny
We were laughing and saying "Mac & Cheese!"
(April LOVES Wayne's Mac & Cheese)

I was not only lucky enough to be involved in the planning of the party, but I was also trusted to make the cake! I planned for weeks and came up with a beautiful daisy themed cake. Here is the cake in the making and final result. I am quite pleased with how it turned out!

Putting on the gum paste flowers

Front View of the finished cake

Side View
Other Side
Happy 40th Birthday, April....again! :)