Busy as bees

Well, God led plenty our way to keep us busy this weekend. He's a good man.

Scott and Will ventured off to Aquarena Springs, down in San Marcos, for the 2nd grade class field trip. As Will said when he returned home, "It was pretty much the most awesome field trip, Mom." Guess it was fun. Scott was in heaven. He may be a fundraiser now, but his heart has always been at home when he's around wildlife. Maybe that's why we have 4 kids? At any rate, they came home super happy.

Saturday evening, one of the mom's in Will's class organized a going away party for the six families that are leaving St. T's. It was bittersweet, but for us, we're not moving THAT far away, so playdates are still on our horizon. I loved the company, the good food that I didn't have to cook and the 4 very tired kids that we brought home. Darn it all if I didn't take any pictures. Totally spaced that I brought the camera until it was time to go home. Sometimes, though, I think it's just nice to visit and enjoy the company. You know, live in the present. That we did.

Today has been all about the banging. Yes, the roofers are still here. If you're looking for a good one, I can tell you who not to hire :-) Poor guys, they drew the short straw with the pregnant lady who's on the edge. I've been all over them like white on rice.

So, tomorrow is coming whether we're ready or not. Deep breath. The pathway gets its start tomorrow...

QOTW: May 30, 2009

I know I'm a day late on these - sue me :-) But, I hope you enjoy.

"When we come to the end of the light we know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, of this we can be sure...either God will provide something solid to stand on or...we will be taught to fly." -Anonymous
A dear friend sent that to me this week and I just loved it. Had to share.

"Mommy, when will that banging stop?"
John Paul, asking when the roofers will be done. Yep, as always God has amazingly humorous timing. The roofers showed up Thursday morning and have been banging away putting on our new roof. Nothing like constant nailing to make you snap out of feeling sorry for yourself.

"Kathryn, did you take the navigation system out of the van?"
Scott, as he drove away in the van to take Will to his field trip. Lovely. Reason #54 to move. Someone stole it out of our van. At least they didn't take the 101 Dalmation DVD - my kids would've freaked.

"I love you baby!"
John Paul, just after my amnio. He bent down, put his face right in front of my belly and shouted it out. Kids. Love 'em.

This weekend is a busy one, thank goodness. Will had his field trip yesterday and Scott drove. I'll post pics soon. Tonight we have our going away party with some other families at Will's school and final preparations for the move. So, we're hoping Monday morning will be here before we know it. That's when our first round of results come back. Until then, make it a great weekend.

Now for some good news

I thought sharing some fun pics from ALG's 4th birthday might brighten the blog this week - and my day :-)

Because of the pending move, we weren't sure what state the house (and we!) would be in come Anna-Laura's birthday. This one was all my mom's idea and it was brilliant. Nana, Aunt Amanda, ALG and I met for a morning of shopping and pampering. It was awesome. Clearly, the birthday girl felt treated right.

If you live in Austin, you must visit Polkadots, a cupcake factory. Shannon, thanks for getting us addicted. We wanted to find a cute cake and we stumbled upon this one...I'd go so far to say it's the cutest stinkin' cake I've ever seen. But, then again, you haven't seen what else this bakery can do. Anna-Laura lu-uved it.

This photo just cracks me up. She was waiting at the table, not so patiently, for all of us to gather 'round and start the singing. I mean, cake IS why one has a birthday party, is it not?

My brother, the photojournalist, took most of these. He's our official birthday photographer. Par usual, he's not in any of them. Daniel, at Clare's birthday, I'm taking one of you, deal? And, you get payback when it's your kiddo's turn at the candles!

Notice the festive "Merry Christmas" plates? Yes, this is what happens when you spend more time hunting the perfect cake and totally space on the plates and napkins. 4 kids. Pregnancy brain. Whatever.

It was a low-key, family birthday, and the birthday girl felt like a princess. Birthday party a success!

Update 5.28.09

I hope I don't get in trouble by Dr. Whitaker. I was told to take it easy today...updating the blog counts as easy, doesn't it?

The procedure went well - very well, according to our doctor. I do have to share that just before he inserted the needle (we finally had calmed down the baby and found a great pocket of amniotic fluid), that little stinker shoved its hand right in the way. The doctor just chuckled, looked at me and said, "Did you see that?" Guess this one is already going to be trouble :-) At any rate, it was much less painful than I envisioned and quicker too, about a minute. I'm feeling fine, physically anyway. Before the procedure we met with a genetic counselor. She was very kind, compassionate and knowledgable. I'll be talking to her in the coming days and am glad we have a face with a name.

We won't have complete results for about a week and a half. Ugh. The waiting game has begun. We will get some initial results on Monday, so our plan is to stay busy this weekend and give it to God. HA. I'll let you know how that goes.

I have to say, the prayers were felt - honestly. I didn't even feel like I was going to throw up this morning :-) Scott and I are overwhelmed, truly, by so many of you. We love you and can't wait to share the news in the coming days. Whatever it turns out to be, we know it is of God. Sometimes He gives us more credit than we give ourselves. But, as Mother Teresa once said, "God never gives you more than you can handle. Sometimes, I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

On that note, I'll get back to the couch before I get in trouble.

Amnio Day

We're off to the amniocentesis. So, so, so, so thankful for all your prayers, emails and kinds messages. They really are giving us strength. Today we take the first step in uncovering the journey we will take and I am thankful to have you with us...

Call Waiting

Ever on the phone with a friend and the call waiting beeps, you look at the caller ID and get excited because it's someone you love? You quickly click over to start chatting and then they deliver some upsetting news...and you get the wind knocked out of you.

That's how we felt yesterday. We happily bounded up to the perinatologist's office for my advanced maternal age ultrasound expecting to see our beautiful, healthy baby swimming along in my belly. Then we answered the caller ID.

In a nutshell, the doctor saw some abnormal things going on. It was a blur of "bad implantation of the placenta", "echogenic bowel" and "measuring more than 2 weeks small". All in all, we learned that there are three likely explanations for what we witnessed yesterday: a chromosomal abnormality (like Down's or Trisomy 18), a viral infection or a placenta problem. As I told my family yesterday, those are all crappy explanations if you ask me. Each has it's own set of very scary risks, fears and complications. At one point, I wanted to look at the doctor and say, "Oh, I think you meant to deliver this news to the Wilson's, they're next door. We're the Whitaker's." Then I answered the caller ID.

So, we got all that laid on us in about 10 minutes, the doctor left the room and Scott and I just sat there in disbelief. Quite honestly, I think it was just shock. We left the office, asked the perinatologist to call my OB to explain his findings and we hopped up to Dr. Orth's office to discuss our options with her. Man, I love her. It was a reminder that God gives you amazing counselors to turn to in difficult times.

After some discussion of our options, we decided to have an amniocentesis. It's tomorrow morning at 8:30. Folks, I was/am scared out of my wits. I've always been anti-testing. I figure it doesn't matter in the end anyway, because we're going to take and love this baby for however long God gives him/her to us. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. But, when we learned that one of the possible scenarios, the viral infection, could be treated in utero and that the baby could start growing again, we opted for the test. Either way, we'll get some answers. Granted, they may not be what we want to hear, but we'll be able to deal with the outcome.

So, to reality. We know the options. We've been scouring WebMD for some medical answers, I made a few phone calls to some sweet friends and my college roommate who's an OB. Scott and I chatted last night and gained some more perspective. I was feeling ok, feeling some peace. Then, last night before I went to bed, I turned to the side, looked in the mirror at my little belly and just completely lost it. I guess I knew that was going to come, the reality of it all finally sunk in. I'm betting there will be more tears, but I'm also betting that God and I are going to spend some serious time together.

At first I thought I'd post all this and say, 'hey, offer up some prayers for good news on the amnio, we'll keep you posted' - that's the selfish part of me. Yesterday taught me something else. I can't pray that it will all go away. God doesn't work that way.

Instead, I'm asking you to pray for strength for Scott and I, wisdom for our doctor as he guides that needle into my belly tomorrow morning and for peace with the outcome. Sweet peace. Because this I know. We already have a little life to love. It might be in a different package, under different circumstances than our perfect world envisioned, but it's life that was fearfully and wonderfully crafted by God himself just for Scott and I and the kids. How awesome is that?

Feel good story

We all need these at some point. Today, I needed to hear it. I'll put the top 10 on hold this week to share some news with you tomorrow. In the meantime, check out this story in today's Statesman. Another reason to respect my spine surgeon.

Freedom Isn't Free

We've all heard that at one time or another. It's probably even trite to say it again. But it's true. A number of great men in our family, on both sides, have served/are serving in the military. As a family member we see a tiny slice of their sacrifice.

I am in awe of their courage.

This weekend, especially today, take 5 minutes to say a prayer of thanksgiving for that sacrifice. I know I will.

My dad just sent me this photo of the girls. While Scott and I packed the house this weekend, the girls went to Nana and Papa's and the boys to Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda's. Relatives...another reason to be thankful!! We got the house nearly packed - we lack about 3 boxes. Seeing this nearly made me cry this morning.

Posts may be intermittent the next few weeks, so hang with me. I'll be back on my meds and posting regularly soon :-)

Top Ten: Real Estate Tips

Most importantly, WE FOUND A HOUSE! Oh, yeah, and we close in 2 weeks. Let's all sing a chorus of, "You're crazy, man." As a good friend of mine used to say at FFA about our national convention...50,000 people are coming whether we're ready or not. So it is with the house. The movers and carpet layers will be there whether the boxes are taped shut and labeled or not. Crazy, here we come.

A quick dish on the house. The yard. Need I say more? As Scott says, it's a blank slate. This is when those semi-minors in Horticulture at the Texas A&M shall come in handy.

I think it's accurate to say that the house sale and hunt have been high drama. A buyer's market is fun...for real estate agents. I'm just glad we plan to stay put for a few years. In an effort to share the real estate knowledge, here's a few "fun" things we learned along the way...

TOP TEN: REAL ESTATE TIPS

1. Your house might sell faster than you imagined.

2. Even though your real estate agent makes a suggestion, doesn't mean you have to hold it as the gospel truth. This is, quite honestly, your money and your decision.

3. Never say, "Oh, the home inspection is tomorrow and I'm not expecting any major repairs."

4. When you have to re-roof a house prior to close, stay on people - your insurance company, the roofers, and the buyer's agent.

5. Don't be afraid to fire a roofer.

6. Hire a good - wait strike that - hire a GREAT home inspector on the house you buy. It is money well spent. Everytime.

7. Choose the things that are most important to you in a new home and don't be willing to compromise. The house we found was the last one we looked at, on a whim, and it turned out to be fabulous.

8. Internet photos of houses aren't always accurate.

9. When people offer to help, let them.

10. Embrace the chaos.

Tooth Fairy...finally!

At the rate we were going, I figured my kids would still have baby teeth at high school graduation. The last time we visited the dentist, she had this to say about Will's baby teeth, "Well...it's not unusual to have baby teeth stay in so long, but...he is one of my oldest patients to still have them all."

Yeah, that doesn't make you worry. Nope.

Last Friday, Scott picked Will up from school and Master Will was BEAMING, minus a tooth, of course! Oh happy day. He lost it in art - "My favorite class, Mom. Can you believe it?" and proudly popped it under his pillow that night.

By my account, the Tooth Fairy had better start saving. He's on the horn for about $60/kid x 5 kids. Inflation stinks.

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of House Hunt '09. We have a house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

My, oh my, four years how gone by just that quickly. When the OB yelled out "It's a girl!" in the delivery room, my first response was, "Show me!"

What a total joy to realize that all the fun stuff my mom and I did growing up (and all those "fun" arguments we had, too) could be in our future. I started thinking bows and pink dresses and baby dolls. I'm fairly certainly Scott started thinking teenage boys he'd have to scare off and wedding bills...

Anna-Laura (or Sisty to our clan) is such a bundle of energy. She and her great-grandmother (my dad's mom) share a birthday. My grandmother's nickname, compliments of my grandpa, was Sisty, hence Anna-Laura has inherited that precious name.

Anna-Laura has no balance, hence the many bruises on her head and legs. She has one speed, fast. She has two obsessions, her baby and blanket. And, she'll eat just about anything (potato salad, olives, calamari and blue cheese). Told ya.

She's also a singer. Loves to belt out any made up tune in the backseat of the van. A drawer. A dancer. And a giggler.

Man, can they stay little forever? 4 is a fun age. They talk (with a wee bit of sass), they tell jokes, they're mostly independent, yet still very much need momma.

ALGie (another nickname) we love you. More than baby dolls, blankets, weird foods and funny songs all rolled into one. You are the light of our household.

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY SISTY!!

Top Ten: By the Numbers

If I had a nickel for everytime...

Yes, I get the question, "How do you do it?" - alot.

I fear my answer isn't anything ground-breaking nor is it usually want people want to hear. One day at a time. And, somedays, not very well. Folks seem to think that if you have a big family (and may I please add I don't think 4 is terribly huge?) you must be uuber-organized, a drill sergeant and regularly brainwash your kids so you don't go insane. Oh, if it were really all that easy. Someday I'll write more about being a mom in a big family. Today is not that day. Rather, you get a "by the numbers" dish on what the reality is of our house every week. Just how many times do things happen around here in a given week? Let's see...

TOP TEN: BY THE NUMBERS

12 loads of laundry

63 fights to break up, give or take

6 loads of dishes in the dishwasher, i.e. the one appliance I would NEVER give up

4 glasses of spilled something (usually the stickier and messier, the more likely it is to tip)

215 times my kids hear "Please, let's treat each other with r-e-s-p-e-c-t"

9 sack lunches

3,001 legos to pick up

2 gallons of milk, 2 loaves of bread, 2 lbs. strawberries, 5 apples, 3 oranges, 2 bunches of bananas and the supersize box of goldfish

7 showers, 21 baths

1 bubble bath on Fridays for yours truly

And, that my friends, is how we roll.

Happy Momma's Day!

Hello there blog stalkers. As you can imagine, today is a great day for all Mom's. Just to clear your minds, Kathryn is not writing her own post today. I hijacked the blog again for the day. Hopefully, you will see how much I love my wife and the great mother that she has become.

Just a little over 8 years ago, we were graced with one master William. As K mentioned in an earlier post, our time as parents has certainly grown over the years. It must be the Holy Spirit because we certainly couldn't do this on our own!

What a special vocation - Motherhood. I can't begin to understand what it is like to be pregnant and carry a life in your belly for 9 months, but I was there for the birth for all four of our children and boy was it special. What an awesome experience to see your baby enter this world. Even better is seeing that baby go to mommy for the first time. Kathryn has become the mother that I always thought she would become. I know Mary has been a great guide for her and me during our time as parents.

Sure, we all struggle now and then with making the best choices as parents, but Kathryn continues to amaze me with her gentle spirit, wisdom and guidance. I am so happy we made the decision 8 years ago for her to stay home with our children. It has made all the difference in the world. I love you!

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the one that started it all - Mom/Granny. Here's to you Mom for all that you did for me and continue to do. I am so glad you are in my life and that you are a part of my children's lives. I love you and happy Mother's Day.

QOTW: May 8, 2009

Yeah, so I bet you thought I forgot this was even a "regular" on the blog. Nope, just lazy.

"Did she just stick a tater tot up her nose?"
Scott, asking me if Clare did indeed do the said crazy act. That would be a yes. This should be filed under my top ten from Wednesday. Did we take her to the ER like we would've done 8 years ago? Nah, we just pulled out the saline, a bulb sucker and some tweezers. Voila. Problem solved.

"Mom, I'm already missing La."
Anna-Laura on Monday morning after Will's Godmother, Carla, left to head back to Indiana.

"Mom, do you want to play hang man?"
Will to me this morning. I was hesitant because we were running late, but I did it anyway. The message? "I love you Mom!" Sometimes God makes you stop the rat race and it makes your day.

"The buyer has agreed to your terms. Final paperwork on the house will be in your hands tomorrow."
Sweet words from our agent last night. The house is really, truly, o-fficially sold. In 3 weeks and 3 days, we're outta here!!

It should be a fantastic weekend...and I say that because it BETTER be a fantastic weekend. It's Mother's Day! Yea for no cooking! Yea for no cleaning! Yea for bubble baths! Ok, let's not get crazy. But, I already feel loved, so it can't get much better, unless of course we found THE house this weekend :-) Stay tuned!

Top Ten: The Mom I Used to Be

In honor of said homage to moms this weekend, I thought it might be fun to reflect on the Mom I was 8 years ago and the Mom I am today. I'm pretty sure I laughed out loud. Here's hoping you do, too.

TOP TEN: MOTHERHOOD, THEN AND NOW

1. Out and about. THEN: I used to plan the night before when I'd nurse Will, how long I'd be gone, how many diapers and outfits I should take...one must be prepared. NOW: We decide 5 minutes before and hit the road without a thought to diapers, wipes, food or outfits. That can all be bought at Wal-Mart, right?

2. Diaper bag. THEN: With Will I had this HUGE backpack. Seriously, you could pack an overnight bag in there and we had ONE child. A fellow mom of 4 once commented, "Wow, Kathryn, are you going somewhere with that thing?" NOW: We're lucky to have wipes and diapers stashed in the van. I do, however, have a healthy supply of Tylenol, Starbucks napkins and crushed goldfish smeared all over the floor.

3. Germs. THEN/NOW: I can honestly say this is one that hasn't changed much. We venture out well before the 6-week mark, but we're smart about covering up the baby and leaving them in the carseat so people can't put their germy hands on my newborn. I'm pretty sure I offended one of my parent's friends when she asked to hold Clare and I insisted she wash her hands. Bah. My baby, my rules.

4. Doctor visits. THEN: I'm fairly certain I called Dr. Cumming every week during his morning call hours. I freaked out about everything. Will's poop was green, did he need antibiotics? He was sniffling, was it a cold? He wouldn't eat green beans, was he allergic? My Lord, the nurses must tag every new mom file and sigh when we call. NOW: I rely on life experience, a phone call to a fellow mom to compare symptoms or a quick flip through my American Academy of Pediatrics Bible (!) before I ever call the nurse. I'll qualify this by saying, the gut instinct is still intact. Sometimes you just know something is wrong and you're usually right. That hasn't changed one bit. Oh, that and I'm always the first one at the doctor's office for a well check. Any visit after 10 and you'll be waiting at least half an hour.

5. Other moms. THEN: I scoffed at moms who couldn't control their toddlers in a store and swore mine would never throw a fit like that. I judged a mom who exhaled heavily and thought to myself, 'sheez, she has no patience.' I glared (yes, I said that outloud) at moms who didn't take their fussy baby/toddler/child out of Mass. NOW: I know better. I am that mom I once berated. Can I see a show of hands for all of us who have been the other mom? Yep, just what I thought, full house.

6. Nursing. THEN: My face turned beet red if I ever had to nurse in public. One Sunday morning Mass I even nursed Will in the bathroom because I was too afraid to nurse him in the pew. When the lady in the stall next to us flushed, I thought Will was going to come unglued. I'm pretty sure I started crying. I would go to the car, another room, anywhere where there weren't people around. NOW: It's not like I'm giving everyone a show, but a bathroom is no place to feed a baby. I've heard every comment you could imagine and I usually just smile and say how much I love nursing. I figure I've had about 10,000 (give or take) nursing sessions between the four bambinos. One does learn a few things about being discreet :-)

7. Naptime routine. THEN: We had like a 20-minute ritual we went through with Will, nurse, watch part of a Veggie Tales movie, rock and then nap. Seriously? I cannot believe we went through all that. NOW: I had a V8. Now it's a kiss, a hug, turn on the white noise and lights out. Sweet dreams. It doesn't matter the ritual as long as it's the same everytime.

8. Discipline. THEN: We thought our little Will was perfect and wondered what all the fuss was about parenthood being hard (the physical part and sleep deprivation we totally got, but the discipline thing was a little tougher). It wasn't until he turned 3. It is the new 2. We started out spanking and I cried everytime we did it. Newsflash, it didn't work. NOW: Timeouts and a stern "no" work quite nicely. Kids know when you're serious. We save the spankings for serious offenses.

9. Gifts. THEN: We lovingly accepted every gift and kept them all. It was a gift and you shouldn't give those away. NOW: We have 4 kids people. And, even if we didn't, this rule would still apply. My kids have roomfuls of toys, even if we gave half away, they would never notice. Our policy for birthdays and Christmas is this: for every one toy that comes in, two have to go out. And we enforce it. We are equally opportunity giver awayers. The reality is we want our kids to appreciate the gesture, play with the toy and then pass it along to another child who will love and play with it just as much.

10. Sensitivity. THEN: We got really annoyed by veteran parents who smiled politely when we did said crazy things. I thought they were being insensitive. NOW: I just know that they are reminded of who they once were and how far they have come.

I think I could've listed another 10! Being a mom to 1 and now to 4 has most definitely changed my perspective on the world. I cry at TV shows that abuse children, I can't read about children that are missing or hurt. It freaks me out. I obsess about some things and don't give others a second thought. But, I know this. I prayed for patience as a young mom and God gave me 4 (+ 1) blessings. He's taught me to pray - even for the small stuff - and learn to appreciate that we all mother our children differently. If it works for you, then it's right. Period.

Raise a glass of milk to the amazing mother figures in your life this weekend. I've got a full one ready for my own mom. Cheers!

Hip, Hip Hooray!

Another baby is on the way!!! Clearly, we are not the culprits this time (you've already heard our fantastic news), but another little Farnum IS on the way. My brother, Daniel, and his lovely wife, Amanda, are expecting bambino number one December 13. Can you say excited?!

Their news came a couple of weeks ago and I think my brother's feet finally hit the ground this weekend. He and Amanda have permanent grins on their faces. Love that.

Scott's brother and his wife broke us into being "Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Scott," but this time around it's a little different. It's my little brother who is about to be a dad, okay my younger brother. He is 6' tall.

These two babies Amanda and I are carrying will share a special bond, I hope - being nearly the same age and growing up near one another. I wish I could bottle up all the amazing things that Scott and I have experienced and hand the package with gleeful excitement over to them, but I can't. Some things in life you just have to experience. Parenthood is at the top of that list.

So, to Daniel and Amanda, here's to your great new adventure...the best one you'll ever take.

First Communion!

Is that the face of a proud little boy, or what? Saturday evening, we journeyed up to the parish for Will's First Communion. Now, as a convert, I had my first communion, along with confirmation, about an hour before my wedding. My fancy white dress with a veil, proud parents and nervous energy were for a totally different sacrament! To be on the other end, the convert Mom whose son was making his First Communion, was a rush of emotions. It's difficult to eloquently express the pride, the love, the joy and the twinge of sadness Scott and I experienced on Saturday. But, I'm gonna give 'er a whirl.

The family arrived early for pictures and a very special Godmom joined the bunch. La, it was an HONOR having you here. Thank you for bringing your sweet spirit and Fr. Kevin's joy along with you. We certainly felt his presence and we are thankful you both are a permanent part of our family. Granny, we hope the day brought back some sweet memories for you as you reflected on Scott's First Communion. Mom and Dad, thank you for being such supportive grandparents, being truly present - physically and spiritually - for all these moments. Cory and Jennifer, we know an illness with Master Alex kept you from being here in person, but we felt the prayers. Daniel and Amanda, you have no idea how happy we were to see both of you there. I know life was meant to take you to Louisiana on Saturday, Aunt Amanda, but having you here meant more than you know. Daniel, thanks for the squeeze when I saw Will step up on that altar...

As happy as these three were to see Will on his big day, I think they might've been more motivated by the promise of cake at the reception if they made good choices. Hey, we're not above bribery.

Will and his buddes, Evan and Connor.

Is it me or do these guys look like they're 80 and discussing last night's game?

So sweet, so innocent and a wee bit mischevious. Love that.

The whole gang.

I know, stop with the cuteness, right?

One very happy second grader.

The tie. Always the tie. Dad had to do some straightening.

I think Dad was a little jealous Clare got the first sip and not him.

Clare was the hug bunny at the party afterwards.

Will, it is my prayer that you will someday know the happiness we experienced on your special day. First Communion is more than the sharp blazer, dashing tie, big smile and praying hands. It's about something much more - the beginning of a beautiful relationship with God. When I joined the Catholic church 13 years ago (wow, has it been that long?), the Eucharist is what drew me to consider the conversion. Experiencing Jesus himself, not merely a symbol, in that bread of life has brought me peace. Peace in knowing that everyday we make mistakes, but there is always forgiveness and always love.

When your Dad and I watched you make those steps confidently up the altar to receive the Eucharist, we were overwhelmed with God's presence. I think I gasped for a breath because it was so beautiful. YOU were beautiful. HE was beautiful. That moment will forever be etched in my mind.

I'm so proud to be your mom.

The Godmother has arrived!

Carla ("La") along with lots of friends and family are heading into town today and tomorrow to help Will celebrate a BIG milestone - his First Holy Communion. So excited I can hardly stand it. Short post today, but be prepared for some good ones this weekend.

Still no word on our house hunt. The one we liked, we unliked :-) but ours is still sold. So, the hunt continues. We promise to keep you posted.

Make it a great weekend!