OK, when I checked to see when I last blogged and realized it has been over a year, I decided I better get busy and do a "year in review" post. It has been quite a year, full of ups and downs, but through it all God is good!
MAY
Isaac turned 5 years old.
(He will turn 6 tomorrow!)
(He will turn 6 tomorrow!)
I spent his birthday in the ER with a kidney stone.
We celebrated quietly that evening and he was
content to be home with family and eat cake.
Isaac got a tent for his birthday and all three
played in it...in the playroom.
JUNE
A visit to the eye doctor, good reports
and cool sunglasses.
JULY
July was full of surprises for the kids.
Guille's surprise was a trip to PA
(with the whole family)
and going to an amusement park
with Elizabeth and Michelle.
Boat rides for all.
Choo-choooo!
I think Guillermo was doing MOST of the work!
Guille and Isaac enjoyed the Frog Hopper.
Isaac's first roller coaster ride.
Does it look like he's having fun?
Fun times together as a family.
Isaac's surprise came the next day.
We traveled to Niagara Falls to meet
the family who had adopted his best friend
from the orphanage in China.
The look on his face when he realized that it
REALLY WAS HIS FRIEND
was priceless!
The weather was cold and rainy, but we enjoyed a picnic together and letting the boys play.
After Micah's family left,
Michelle, Elizabeth, Guille and I
walked to Canada...in the rain, the cold, cold rain!
Guille and Elizabeth were already soaked
but we bought them rain ponchos anyway,
hoping that would keep them a
LITTLE warmer.
Guille in Canada while I was still in the US.
Hmmm.
Jennai practiced her ballerina spins
and gymnastic moves.
Guille helped Isaac learn to ride his bike
without training wheels.
AUGUST
We made a couple of trips to the state fair.
Michelle and Elizabeth came to visit
from PA and went to the fair with us.
We THOUGHT this was a little exhibit truck
so the kids were playing around in it.
THEN, to our surprise, a UPS lady came out,
got in the truck and drove off!
Yikes!
(Jennai's pained look is due to the
incredibly loud music coming from the
exhibit next to us.)
Someone was exhausted!
Todd & Cindy
(one of my college roommates)
came to visit for a couple of days.
First day of 2nd grade, Kindergarten and K-4.
Camping in the back yard.
OCTOBER
We traveled to Iowa to spend time with
Gramma & Grampa.
It's always a fun time when the cousins
get together.
Gramma wasn't feeling well, but she put on her best smile and enjoyed watching the grandchildren play together.
Time for a train ride.
Showing off her legs and balancing abilities.
The last day at Gramma & Grampa's house
Isaac fell down the steps and broke his arm.
Jennai turned 4 years old and
LOVES playing princess.
Well, she doesn't have to play princess--
she IS one!
NOVEMBER
We were blessed to have Gramma and Grampa come for a visit and to be able to be with us
for the baptism and communion.
Still loves legos.
DECEMBER
For Isaac and Jennai's "Gotcha Days"
we let ChuckECheese celebrate with them.
Shopping for
Christmas decorations was
extra fun this year.
Tinsel makes a
lovely hair piece!
A family picture at home before heading south.
Playing in the sand/dirt at Abuela's house.
 |
| Christmas Eve at the beach. |
Just to add some excitement to our FL trip, we took a wheelchair for Guillermo. Well, not JUST for the excitement of it all, but because he slipped on the ice on Dec. 2 and broke his leg right where it meets up with the ankle. He wasn't supposed to put any pressure on it for a couple of weeks so the wheelchair came in handy.
Thankfully, his leg healed nicely and surgery was not needed.
The day after Christmas we spent the day
in the Everglades.
Alligators and airboats.
FRESH doughnuts!
Spending time with Abuela and Juani.
On our way home from FL,
we stopped in GA to see my nephew and his family.
We finally got to meet
"baby Abigator" (Abigail)
who was born on Jennai's birthday!
JANUARY
Back to the freezer!
Jennai wanted to go outside to play,
so Guille took her.
I watched from the window and was
touched by the sweetness between them.
Snow fort.
FEBRUARY
Finally!!! KNEES!
We made a quick trip to KY to get Jennai's
new legs--with knees--then headed to Iowa
to celebrate my Mom & Dad's 60th
wedding anniversary.
Mom had been fighting cancer and was quite
weak, but when I draped her wedding dress over her
and said, "Grampa, your bride!", her eyes twinkled
as they looked at one another.
Little did we know, on that day, that her fight with cancer
would be over in three short days.
All of my brothers and sisters,
with their spouses, and many of my parents'
grandchildren and great-grandchildren
were there to celebrate their marriage, their lives together.
We sat around my mom and sang to her,
read to her, talked to her, loved on her
as she grew weaker by the moment.
On Monday morning, Feb. 9, my Momma
ran to Jesus, who was waiting for her with open arms.
She was a lovely lady who showed Jesus' love
to all she met. She set an example for us
and prayed for us daily.
I miss my Mom, but I KNOW she is rejoicing
at the feet of her Savior, with no more pain,
no more sickness, no more sadness.
Just pure rejoicing!
This is from July, 2013, when Jennai and Isaac
first met Gramma & Grampa.
We will long remember her cinnamon rolls
and how she would make them whenever
anyone would come.
Even when she was fighting her cancer,
when she was able,
she would bake cinnamon rolls.
When she wasn't able, she would comment on
how she wished she could do it.
The kids and I were able to stay with Grampa
for an extra week after the funeral.
One night Guille climbed up on Grampa's
lap and just chatted with him and snuggled
with him until late in the night.
They were good for each other.
Hide & Seek
(Where's Jennai?)
MARCH
Another college roommate,
who I actually lived with her family,
also lost her mom. I was able to attend the
memorial service and share memories and
tears with the Conway family.
While in KY for the memorial service,
we checked out Colonel Sanders'
house and his wife's restaurant.
Now whenever we drive past a KFC
someone comments on the man's face.
Guille got an expander placed in his
mouth to stretch his gumline
where his cleft was.
This is the starting point of working
toward a bone graft to close the remaining
hole between his mouth and nose.
We spent a few days in Washington DC
with friends.
Ellie accompanied us to the Air & Space museum,
and Ginny played tour guide
at the National Mall.
We all enjoyed just spending time
with the Richards'.
After a few days with the Richards, we headed to
West Virginia.
We drove around
Antietam National Battlefield
and Harper's Ferry;
learning a bit about the
Civil War as we went.
Grampa was able to spend the day driving through the battlefields and surrounding area. We loved spending that time with him.
Had it not been for Adam & Katie's wedding,
we probably wouldn't have made the trip to DC
and WV this year.
But, we are so thankful for my nephew and his
bride and pray that they will have a long
and happy marriage like my parents did.
APRIL
Easter.
Why can't we get a picture with
EVERYONE smiling at the same time?
Learning to use the new legs
and knees.
Soccer season is upon us.
Guille is on a U8 team
and likes getting in on the action.
My boy turned 8 this year.
He wanted pumpkin pie
instead of a cake, so he got
pumpkin pie.
This is Isaac's first time to play soccer.
He seems to like it,
as long as the other kids
play nice.
Not sure where he came up with the
idea that he had to put his dukes up
before going after the ball.
I guess it was a "ready, set, go" thing. (?)
And finally, one day after a very good
day at physical therapy,
we went out for lunch and
Jennai discovered that the fries
looked a bit like letters. So we dug
through the fries and spelled out her name.
Cool, huh?
I guess I won't make any promises as
to when the next blog post will be.
Hopefully not another year,
but......
until then!
