Brave Boy

So today I had to take Cayden into the dentist for his first filling. I don't typically get nervous about things too much anymore because A. I don't really have time in my day to worry(which is a good thing) B. over the last few years I've learned that no amount of worry is going to help or change the outcome C. I've learned to rely more on God. All these things said...I was in bed reading last night & started to really worry about Cayden's appointment today.

Cayden doesn't typically do very well with change or the unknown. It is always a struggle to get him to try something new & unknown...but once he is used to the routine of it he loves it...it's just getting him over that initial mental hurdle. Same goes for anything medical or dental. Taking him into the dentist is never too much fun. A few weeks ago I took both Cayden & Addyson in for their 6 month cleanings. Cayden went first & had tears streaming down his face when they had to do his x-rays, fluoride treatment, sealants, & cleaning. He did wonderfully considering the last time he wouldn't even open his mouth for the lady. :) Addyson on the other hand is the complete opposite...she will brave anything out without a single tear or objection. The hygienist told me after her x-rays(which was the first time she's ever had that done) that she is quite a tough little cookie. She was done in 2 minutes with a proud little smile on her face.

Same thing happened when we took all 3 kids in for their flu shots this year. Cayden got up on the table to go first & then started losing it once the shot came out. The nurse gave him 2 choices: to sit still & get the shot in his arm or to get it in his leg. Of course he chose to get it in his arm...but his actions showed otherwise. He was already crying & thrashing all around, and after 3-4 chances finally Eric pulled down his pants, held him down, while the nurse gave him the shot. All the while he's saying "I'm going to scream!!!!". I don't even really think he felt the needle go in...it's just a fear of what's coming for him. Addyson, however, got right up on the table, took the needle in her arm, never shed a tear, and jumped down with a smug little smile. The first thing she said was "Mommy, I was brave, now do I get a prize at Playworld?" Meanwhile Cayden is sitting on a chair still crying. Did I mention that they are complete polar opposite children????

Another not so fun time was about a month ago when we had to take Cayden in for allergy testing. After 90 scratches on his back(poor thing) which he hysterically screamed through every minute of it, 13 needles in one arm, and 6 in the other...we were all mentally drained. I was almost relieved(and not surprised at all) that the testing concluded that he was allergic to just about everything. That way I didn't feel as bad putting him through all the testing. On top of that he also has asthma as well. Poor guy.

Anyways...all these previous reactions led me to believe that today was not going to go too smoothly. I didn't mention a word about going to the dentist until this morning. Already we had tears before he even knew what he was going in for. I finally told him he had to get a cavity filled. I tried talking to him the entire way to the dentist telling him that it's okay to be scared...but that when he's scared he needs to tell Mommy his feelings instead of crying & carrying on. We had to arrive there an hour early so he could take a medicine that makes him sleepy(thank goodness for that stuff!). They brought him back into the room to watch cartoons...and he actually was kind of funny from the medicine. When the dentist came in Cayden's tears started rolling down his cheeks, but he remained calm. I had to go back into the waiting room because being pregnant I couldn't be exposed to the laughing gas they were going to give him. I absolutely hated leaving my boy behind...but I promised that I would be back soon. The nurse & dentist were absolutely wonderful & caring...I'm so thankful for that. The nurse held his hand while the dentist explained everything he was going to do. I read my book in the waiting room for about 20 minutes & before you know it they were completely done. They said he did wonderfully & never even shed a tear!!! Thank you Lord!!! And the dentist said he wasn't even aware that he got a shot in his mouth...amazing!!! He was soo brave. Unfortuneately we have to go through this again because he has another cavity that needs to be filled. But at least I know that this went smoothly. He is super sleepy now so we rented a couple movies to fill up our day.

Great job my brave little boy!!

Relief

So...on Wednesday I began my first official day of "vacation" from work. Monday & Tuesday I spent all day/evening editing, finalizing, & ordering 5 orders before going on vacation. I was so busy that I didn't shower for either of those days! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have 3 weeks to spend with my family without having any work hanging over my head. Don't get me wrong...I absolutely my photography business & it has been so fulfilling & fun. But...since this summer I have not had a break from it at all.

I am looking forward to spending time with my kids, just hanging out, & not touching my computer for awhile(well, except to catch up on some blogging of course). I am excited to take some much needed pictures of my own kids too!!!

Hooray!! I'm on vacation!!!

1st Big Snow

Yesterday we sent Cayden to school with the usual recess attire...jacket, mittens, & a hat...thinking that he would be okay. By the time I left at 8:45 am to bring Addyson to school it was starting to snow a little bit. And by the time I brought Kamryn to her preschool at 10:00 am it was heavily snowing. So much in fact that I had to put the 4 wheel drive on in our truck because the roads were getting slippery. Did I mention that I love 4 wheel drive!! When I picked Addyson up from preschool at 11:15 am there was quite a bit of snow on the ground! I ran inside the school to drop off some boots & snowpants to Cayden so he could play outside for recess.

Our first "real" snow was absolutely beautiful! The heavy snow clung onto the trees making it look like a winter wonderland. After picking Kamryn up from preschool & eating lunch...all 3 of us girls got into our winter gear & headed outside to play in the first snow. It really wasn't all that cold outside...so I didn't mind it too much. Kamryn looked like a marshmallow in all of her snow gear, & every time she fell down she needed help getting back up. This is really her first year to actually play in the snow along with the kids. All of her snow gear, except for the snow pants, were hand me downs from Addyson(thank goodness). Addyson was in dire need of new snowpants this year, as last year she didn't fit in her old ones, & we waited way too long to buy new ones. We checked every store possible to no avail...poor thing was stuck the rest of the winter wearing way too short pants that let all the snow in. This year she fits perfectly into her brother's old snow pants! She did get a new coat at Gap though...I got it for an awesome deal when they were having their Family & Friends 30% off sale!! We bought it big too, so it will hopefully last into next year as well.

Getting back onto track...we had fun playing in the snow, making snow angels, throwing snowballs, & venturing into the backyard to play on the swingset. Addyson found out that you go really, really fast down the slide in your snow gear! And she had so much fun swinging and jumping off...also a great thing to do with all the extra padding!

After Cayden arrived home from school a bunch of the neighborhood kids played outside together in our yard. Cayden came inside to ask for some crackers & carrot for their snowman's nose. Sure enough...I went outside & they had all made a snowman & dressed it all up. It was wonderful packing snow!!

So...the start of another Michigan winter began with a beautiful winter wonderland...and today it is raining & slushy. Yuck!!

1/2 Way There...

So...this week marks my 20th week of pregnancy...I am 1/2 way to the end. These weeks are just flying by. This is the first pregnancy where I actually feel like the days just come & go, and then before I know it I have my monthly dr. appn't.

Today I had a dr. appn't and everything is looking great! It's so wonderful to hear my baby's heartbeat and know that he is growing well. Because I literally don't write anything down anymore to remember this pregnancy...I was so good with the first 2, still pretty good with Kamryn, and now it's virtually impossible...I am going to try to record the last couple months on my blog. This way I can someday look back & remember how I felt during my last pregnancy...both good & bad.

*my nausea & vomiting started at about 6 weeks. I think with each pregnancy I've learned how to control my vomiting a little better. Most of the times if I feel like I'm going to throw up I stick a peppermint or gum in my mouth & I can stop it. Sometimes not. With me there is no such thing as "morning sickness"...it is all day long. I pretty much feel nauseated the entire day...and gag quite often. Even though this pregnancy has been better than the others in this regard...it is still very difficult to manage & depressing at times. On the other hand...it is also a blessing to know that my being nauseated means my baby is still doing well inside of me. :)

*I am still extremely tired. I'm pretty sure though that this is not going to go away anytime soon...as I've come to the realization that chasing 3 kids while pregnant will do this to you.

*the last couple weeks I've struggled with extreme neckaches & migraines. I have never had migraines before...and they are very debilitating. My dr. recently prescribed massage therapy for this...which sounds kind of nice. If only I could find enough time to make it to the appn'ts! The last week and half I haven't had any pain though...so that's great.

*with all of my other pregnancies I have been done with the nausea at exactly 16 weeks. Not so much on this one. I still struggle to eat...nothing really sounds good to me. Yet I know I have to fill up my stomach or I feel sicker. Last Saturday night I threw up my entire dinner. I think a big part of it was that I was overly tired.

*I am still in the 120's for my weight. I have gained approximately 8 lbs. so far. Today I asked my dr. where I was at 20 weeks with Kamryn. She was surprised that I was 143 lbs. then and only 127 now. I was shocked!! I had gained about the same amount of weight, but I started out a lot lower this pregnancy. Before I got pregnant I was down to 116, which was the weight I was when I got married 10 years ago!! That's what 2 major sicknesses in a week will do to you I guess.

*last week Eric's mom was out & we went shopping for the some boy clothes for the first time. It was great fun! We picked out some really cute things for our little boy!

*the kids are getting more & more excited as they watch my belly grow. Kamryn asks me about 3-4 times a day if I still have the baby in my tummy. When we're reading books Cayden & Addyson love to pat my belly or lay their head on it.

Well... 20 more weeks to go!!

An Update to my election day post...

So...tonight Cayden informed us that he was given the chance to vote today at school...which I think is actually pretty cool. And he informed us that he voted for Obama. Hmmmm...this is interesting. :) But at least it's showing that he doesn't just go with the flow of our family...he made up his own mind & he's sticking to it. :) Good for you, buddy!

I'm guessing that he's going to be a happy little man when he wakes up in the morning & finds out the results of the election...

although Mommy & Daddy may not have that same feeling. :)

Happy Halloween

This Halloween was a ton of fun! I have to admit that I had a little bit of a bad attitude going into Halloween this year. We had a week that was filled with something to do every single morning & evening as well. Kamryn had to dress up on Monday for her playgroup & Wednesday evening was the costume carnival at our church. So...by the time Halloween rolled around I was really tired, & honestly just wanted to curl up in bed.

I got the kids all ready, Daddy arrived home, when we realized that Cayden didn't have his Peter Pan hat. The kids were all playing with it the night before...so it had to be in our house somewhere...one would think. :) We all searched the house up & down to no avail. So of course there were some tears from our boy...which explains his red eyes in the pictures. After wiping the tears we were on to the neighbors garage to eat pizza & go trick or treating!

The kids had so much fun this year! The weather was absolutely beautiful & warm...so they didn't have to wear layers over their costumes. They enjoyed pizza with the neighbors & then the Dad's were off with the whole crew for some trick or treating. They were all soooo excited!! It was fun to watch them all go off with huge smiles on their cute little faces. The ladies stayed back to hand out the candy outside & chat...it was really a relaxing evening for us. :)

This year was the first time that they all made it around the entire neighborhood & all the way around the block. This was also the first year that our shy little Addyson ran up to each door with the kids to get candy, instead of needing prodding from Daddy. We were so proud of her. Cayden of course had no problems running ahead with Natalie. And little Miss Kamryn didn't miss a beat!! Eric said she marched up to all of the houses and said "trick or treat" to about 50% of them. She was sooo excited to be a part of the big kids group. I think she came home with even more candy than Cayden & Addyson! She was a little trooper!

After trick or treating the kids had fun just running around in the front yard and burning off some more energy. Grandma & Grandpa D. stopped by to see the kids in their costumes, & Grandpa ended up swinging the kids around & getting tackled by each & every one of them. The kids had a riot! Then it was inside the Marzolino house for some adult talk & kids running around the house.

Needless to say by the time we arrived home that night the kids were all out immediately. Cayden slept in the next morning until 8 am & the girls until 9 am. That almost never, ever happens...and boy was it nice.

Summing up the evening...I had a great time just watching the kids just being kids & lovin' it. Was I tired at the end of the night, yes, but it was great fun for all. The kids had a blast & the best thing in the world is to watch your kids being happy.

Enjoy our little ladybug, Tinkerbell, & Peter Pan!!

Election Day Funny

I thought this was a funny one on election day. Last night our family went to Applebee's for supper(mostly b/c I had finally cleaned the kitchen floor & wanted it to stay that way for at least a couple hours). Out of the blue Cayden asked us if we knew that we were voting for a new president on Tuesday. We responded "yes" and I asked him if he knew who was running for president. He responded immediately "yes, Barack Obama & John McCain". Okay...so I asked him who he would vote for. He replies "Barack Obama". Okay...interesting. :) With an open mind :) I ask Cayden why he wouldn't vote for McCain. With a straight face he replies "Because Mom, he's bald". I had to do everything in my power not to laugh...he was just so cute & innocent. I replied by reminding him that Grandpa is bald too. He says "Yeah, but John McCain has just hair on the sides & none on top!" So funny! When I asked him when he can vote he immediately replied "Mom, you have to be 18 to vote!". Like, duh Mom, I learn all this in school, don't you know!!!

I am constantly amazed at the amount of information they learn in only 1st grade. Cayden has an extremely good memory & retains information he learns at school amazingly. Every week Cayden's teacher posts the kids individual prayer requests on a note home to the parents. This way we as parents can know the prayer requests of the kids in the class. Cayden's last week was to thank God that his Mom is having a baby & to keep him safe. I am so very thankful that our family has been blessed enough to be able to send our kids to a christian school. At times when we wonder where the money is going to come from, God reminds us to be faithful & to trust in Him. When our children come home with true excitement in what they have learned about God in school & church we can only thank God for this.

We are having...

On Friday we had our 20 week(well, actually 18 1/2 week) ultrasound to check the baby. I can honestly hardly believe that I am already that far along. Eric and I went into the room first without the kids while Gma B. waited outside in the waiting room. The first thing that the dr. did was to ask what our votes were for the sex of the baby...since we knew that we wanted to find out this time. Eric's vote was for a girl & mine for a boy. He right away went to that area & asked us if we knew what we were looking at. I of course couldn't tell. :) Then he showed us the anatomy & it is a boy!!! I exclaimed "Yes!!" The dr. responded with "now that's a reaction I love to hear!".

Right after that the kids were able to come into the room to see the baby on the tv screen. When the dr. told the kids that it was a boy Cayden was soooo excited!!! He wanted so badly to have another boy in the house to even it out. It was fun to see the kids pointing out the different parts on the baby. Cayden especially was amazed at seeing the heart beating, hands, fingers, feet, spine, etc. He was really in awe of it all and kept exclaiming "cool!". Kamryn was even able to pick out the baby's eyes & hands on the screen.

Even though this is our fourth child and we've been through this 20 week ultrasound check 4 times now...Eric and I were discussing afterwords how absolutely amazing it is each and every time. To be able to see our baby moving all around inside of me is awesome & amazing. With every one of my children I have cried as soon as the dr. puts the baby's pictures up on the screen. I thank God for this precious little baby growing inside of me and know that he has created another miracle.

Throughout the ultrasound the dr. kept chuckling softly because he was having a hard time measuring everything on the baby because he was moving around so much. He asked if any of our other kids were this active. I do remember Kamryn being very active inside of me...and that has continued to this day as a matter of fact!!

So...we are all so very excited to have another boy in our family in a couple months!!

Here are a couple pictures of our baby boy. Just for reference...the first picture shows that it is really a boy in the middle section, :) and the long part is his leg. That's just in case anyone would get the 2 confused. Although in my defense...the dr. did say several times that there is no mistaking that this is a boy!! :) :)

The kids have something to tell you...

Suprise!!

Yes...this is for real...for all those of you who haven't heard the news yet. We are expecting baby #4 in March!!! We are all very excited to have a new baby in our house in 5 months. But yes...to all of you who are wondering...it was a major, major shock to Eric & I. In fact, we waited for quite awhile to tell people b/c we needed to adjust to the news ourselves first.

We had considered ourselves done having kids...meaning we got rid of all of our baby clothes, baby toys, baby items, maternity clothes, in between size clothing...everything!!! But I guess God decided that we were not to be done...He clearly had different plans than we did! Although I'm not sure it's completely sunk in with Eric & I yet...we are truly blessed to have another precious baby enter our family.

Please pray for all of us in the upcoming months. I have very difficult pregnancies...from sickness for the first 4 months(which thankfully I am almost done with), to no stomach muscles which makes for a very difficult last couple months, to big babies. But most importantly we hope & pray for a healthy little baby to enter our lives in March.

When we told the kids Cayden exclaimed "oh my word!!" and the girls just sat there with big, giant smiles on their faces. They are all so very excited!!

No More Tears...

The last couple weeks have truly been an adjustment period in our family. Cayden went to school wonderfully the first week...but then on Monday of the second week he missed the bus in the morning which I think set his schedule all off. Eric then tried to drop him off to school on his way to work & basically had to pry Cayden off of his leg & force him crying hysterically into the classroom. Thankfully all of the kids were still outside on the playground and didn't see all of this. This actually happened the rest of the week in the morning...lots of big, crocodile tears and saying he didn't want to go to school. Then I started getting calls from his teacher in the afternoon saying he was crying and didn't want to get on the bus to ride home.

Since Cayden is a typical boy and therefore we have to really, really try hard to pry information from him...it took us awhile to get to the actual problem. We wondered...is he not making friends at school, are there mean kids on the bus, we thought of just about everything. The only answer we ever got out of him was that he just missed Mommy. But the Mom in me just had to have a more concrete answer than that!!! :)

After lots of conversations with Cayden and also with his wonderful teacher...we finally came to the conclusion that he was just having trouble adjusting to being at school all day long...from 7:45am until 4pm when he arrived home. He missed being at home with me and missed having down time at home to not think. Eric talked with Cayden before bed one night and asked him if it would help to take a picture of Mommy to school with him. Cayden responded "Dad, that's just wierd!" But the more Eric talked with him about it the more Cayden liked the idea. So late that night Eric had to scour the house for a picture of me for Cayden to take to school. When he got off the bus that day he seemed happier...and said he kept my picture in his pocket so he could look at it when he missed me...but that sometimes he would get tears when he looked at it.

I also said that if he didn't cry in the morning I would pick him up from school and he wouldn't have to ride the bus for a little while. He shocked me with saying "no, Mom, that's okay, I don't mind riding the bus". Okay buddy...I'm clueless!!! :) We did agree that once a week I would surprise him in the afternoon by picking him up in the afternoon...and he wouldn't know which day. I've done that twice so far and he gets so excited when he sees me at the end of the day!!

So...it's almost the end of another week of school and we made it almost 2 full weeks without any tears!!! He gets right on the bus in the morning and comes off the bus at the end of the day with lots of smiles!!! I am sooo very thankful!! In fact, last friday he came home and asked what day it is tomorrow. I told him it was Saturday and that he didn't have any school. He responded "Awww man" really disapointed that he couldn't go to school! I think this boy is going to keep us guessing right up into the teenage years and beyond!!!!

I'm so proud of you big boy!!!

A Quick Funny

I haven't been very good at writing down the funnies that my kids have said lately...but this one was too good to pass up!

This morning I was making breakfast & Kamryn was coloring at the table. She says to me from the other room..."mommy, I colored the ball...I excited!" To which I asked "you're excited??". She's responds with a big laugh "yeah, I excited!" She comes up with the funniest things!! And she surprises us everyday with her big vocabulary and some of the grownup words that she uses. She is always very vocal about her feelings that is for sure. Sometimes when she wakes up from her nap in the afternoon I'll let her cry for a little bit to make sure she's truly ready to be up. Once in awhile she'll let out a big scream to let me know she's really serious. I'll go in to get her and she says "I scream...Kamryn sad" and I'll ask her why she's sad, to which she'll respond "mommy come get Kamryn". She is definitely all girl and a lot like her big sister!!

Kitty Cat, lady bug, ballerina Girl

So I know these aren't really pictures from Kamryn's birthday...but she was just too cute today...I just had to quick record these. Every friday Cousin Lisa comes over to babysit the kids while I do my business work. Now that Cayden is in school all day the girls are really loving doing girlie stuff with Cousin Lisa. Painting nails, playing dolls & dressup, to artwork...they are both in all of their glory! Today Addyson went to a girlfriend's house after preschool...so Kamryn had Cousin Lisa all to herself for the whole day. She loved it!! Kamryn loves to play dressup & always has to come show Mommy when she's all pretty. Today she came into the kitchen all smiles, with Lisa giggling behind her...and this is what I found:

Isn't she adorable??

1st day of Preschool

Last week Wednesday Addyson had an open house for her preschool. Daddy met us at her new classroom where we all got to meet her teacher, Mrs. V., and look around her classroom. Part of the time the class spent outside on the playground with the preschool helper while Mrs. V talked inside to the parents. When we came outside to get Addyson she had already made a new friend, Lily, and was sooo very excited!

This year is Addyson's first year at Legacy Christian. She is so proud to be going to preschool at the same school as her big brother! She is usually pretty shy...but she had no problems going right into school the first day. Her first real day was last Friday...and when I picked her up she was so excited to tell me all about her day. She told me every last detail down to how many times she had blown her nose that morning. :) She was very proud to be playing on the same playground that Cayden goes on every day, taking her own projects home, playing with her new friend, Lily, and the fact that her teacher puts her in the car and buckles her up on the way home. I must say that as a Mom with 3 kids I really, really like that I just pull up in the turnaround at school, have Addyson's nametag in our car window, and the teachers come out and bring the kids right to their cars. And buckle them in as well! That will be awesome in the wintertime I must say. When Cayden was in preschool at Byron Center I had to lug all 3 kids inside for both dropoff and pickup...in every kind of weather. That was definitely a rough winter.

On Friday afternoon after school Cayden informed us that he had peeked in on Addyson while she was in her classroom and told us she was in reading time. When Addyson found out that Cayden had checked on her she was beaming from ear to ear. He has done that every day that she's been in preschool so far. That reassures me that he really does look out after his little sister...what a cutie.

Here are some pictures of my blondie on her first preschool open house and then on her very first day at Legacy Christian school. She is growing up so fast & loves to learn.

Open House Day


1st Day of School

Missing In Action

Where have I been you ask?? This pretty much sums up my life in the last month or so...

...12 photo shoots in a 1 month span

...hours & hours & hours of editing on my computer

...camping 2 times with 3 kids...1 time for a week without my hubby...enough said :)

...2 kids starting school

...lots of Dr. visits(I think at one point the kids Dr. said he sees our family more than his own...not what a Mom wants to hear)

...many, many school functions

...a crying 6 year old who is missing his Mommy while at school

...a husband who is also very busy at work & works mostly OUT of Grand Rapids

...did I mention lots & lots of editing on my computer??

...keeping up with a 2 year old who is very adorable but also very opinionated & let's just say outspoken :)

...sleeping very, very well at night, which is a very big blessing

Well...I'm sure that there is much, much more that I could add...but I would like to add some pictures as well before I go to bed. I can't say that I will be blogging often in the next couple weeks...but I will try to do my best.

Happy Birthday to my baby Kamryn who turned 2 years old today!! I will include pictures soon!! I love you baby girl!!

1st day of 1st Grade

So...my boy is officially a 1st grader!! I can hardly even believe that I have 1 child in school full time. I have mixed emotions about it all...knowing for the last couple weeks that he is definitely ready to be back into a school routine again & away from his sisters :) to also feeling like the last couple years have gone by way too quickly. I'm ready to have some time alone to spend with the girls, but it's also a little too quiet around here without all of the boy energy in the house!

Yesterday was the 1st day of school at Legacy Christian. Eric is unfortuneately out of town from Sunday through Friday and so will miss out on a lot of the 1st week of school activities. I know he's really sad to miss Cayden's first days of 1st grade...so has called him quite a bit to see how he's doing. Cayden always loves talking on the phone with Dad. Monday morning we were all up & out the door by 7:45 am to meet Cayden's new teacher, Mrs. Jansen, and to see his new classroom. He was really excited & walked right in the room without reservation. After seeing his classroom he went right on the playground to play with some old friends.

We decided that he would ride the bus home yesterday since there was only a 1/2 day of school. He got out at 11:30 and didn't get home until 12:30!! The girls & I came outside at a little after 12:00...so we were all getting a little antsy awaiting his arrival home!! As soon as they saw the bus Kamryn started to yell "Cayden home, there it is, bus!!!" over & over. We were all happy to see him home. He didn't seem to mind the bus ride but did say that his bus driver told them that it would be a 1 hour bus ride everyday. I guess I don't mind a long ride in the afternoon since he's the last one to be picked up before school in the morning!

This morning was Cayden's 1st day of school all day. It was definitely odd to pack a lunch & enough snacks for him for a whole day of school & a long bus ride home!! Since he's never gone to daycare this will be a little bit of an adjustment for me. This morning he popped right across the street to wait for the bus...so excited about his new backpack & lunch bag!! He was too cute!!

I am awaiting his arrival home in about an hour and look forward to hearing about his day!!

I love you big boy!!

3 Boys & a Baseball Game

So last night Eric & I took Cayden & 2 of his buddies to a Whitecaps Game for his birthday. It was such a riot watching these 3 boys just be boys! The boys jumped in the bouncy trampoline, took turns throwing pitches, eating lots of great food, a little bit of watching the game, roughhousing, eating some more, & watching fireworks at the end.

They spent most of the game belching in each other's faces, jumping on top of one another, seeing who could hurt who the most, & eating lots & lots of food. I enjoyed just watching them all have a great time together. It's so much fun to see the interaction that boys have together versus girls...it is like night & day. While they were belching & punching & eating they were giggling the whole entire time. Eric & I just enjoyed soaking it all in & once in awhile had to tell them all to chill. I think people thought they were all our boys...as 1 guy behind us said our boys were so fun to watch. And the teenage couple behind us were rolling on the ground with laughter when the boys were having a belching contest. They were too much fun!

The favorite for all 3 boys was watching the grand finale fireworks at the end...they all loved it. Today is Cayden's birthday party...so I'm off to finish everything up before it starts...but I just had to post my favorite picture from last night.

Cayden, Jacob, & Josiah

4th of July Slideshow

Since I had so many pictures from the 4th of July I created a slideshow to view them all. When I find the time more slideshows will be coming of Denver & Florida. Emphasis on when I find the time!!

Back to tradition...

For as long as I can remember my family has celebrated the 4th of July & my birthday all in one. In fact, most years I forget that I was actually born the day after the 4th of July. And since we grew up near the shores of Lake Michigan...we almost always celebrated the 4th with a trip to the beach or watching fireworks at the beach. I honestly believe that you cannot watch fireworks on the 4th without being near a beach...it's just not the same!

After I moved to Grand Rapids & away from my beloved Lake Michigan...we celebrated pretty much every 4th of July at Aunt Joyce & Uncle Jack's condo in Grand Haven with the whole Dykstra family. It became a tradition that I looked forward to every year. Going to the beach, catching up with family, hanging with the cousins, eating lots of good food, walking to the pier, & watching fireworks from their deck. They have a wonderful direct view of the water fountain & fireworks right from the comfort of their deck!

Last year was the first time that we didn't celebrate the 4th of July at Lake Michigan. I have to tell you that it was really hard for me...it honestly wasn't the same not celebrating my birthday & the 4th at the beach!!

So this year we were back to old traditions...with a celebration in Grand Haven! Cayden woke up in the morning so excited that it was the 4th of July(man is he so much like his Mom). He even told Addyson that she could absolutely NOT be tired on the 4th of July!! The kids had so much fun running around with all of the kids. Cayden & Addyson especially loved hanging out with Caleb, Ashley, & Kristin. And Kamryn had such fun taking turns sitting on Kristin & Ashley's laps during fireworks. They got such a kick out of her talking during the fireworks...saying "boom" & "another one" over & over!! Unfortuneately Kamryn spent yet another 4th of July being sick. She did really well throughout the day...but spent a lot of it with her thumb in her mouth to sooth her sore throat. The poor thing has literally been sick for the past month.

All 3 kids made it through to the end of fireworks & all fell asleep around 11:30 in the car on the drive home. Eric & I had quite a trip home. Eric had been awake since 5:30 am that morning because he played golf with all of the neighbor guys...so needless to say he wasn't doing too well on the way home. He literally kept slapping his own face to try to keep himself awake...and clearly I wasn't doing the job by talking either. :) So I volunteered to drive the rest of the way home. Now...to most people this wouldn't be a big deal...but I have absolutely horrible night vision. So here we are on the highway...Eric falling asleep in the passenger seat & me going 45 mph on the highway because I can't see the lines on the road & am convinced that I'm going to drive our family car right off the highway. Not good, folks!

All in all it was a wonderful day of celebration & fun, & we were so glad to be at the beach!!

Our family...this is always a challenge with 3 kids...but not 1/2 bad!
The 3 kids together...such cuties!!
My precious blondie.

On the road again...

This is the scene in our bedroom the last couple days...


Piles, piles, & more piles. That is what it takes to pack up 3 children 5 and under, 1 husband, & oh yeah, myself. And the surprising thing is that I don't have one single thing down on paper...it's all stored up in the old noggin. Seems like we're getting this vacation thing down pat. I hope so at least!!

Our plane leaves at 7:00 am tomorrow morning...that's a departure time of 5:45 am in the morning for our family. Anyone making bets on us getting to the airport on time??

We are sooo excited for this trip!!! We're looking forward to lots of sunshine, water, & relaxation.

Florida here we come!

Oh...and p.s....in the mere 3 days since we've been home I've had Cayden, Addyson, & Kamryn into the dr. Cayden still has a cough which has now lasted for 2 months...we've gone through countless meds that haven't worked, and are now trying an inhaler, & 2 other pills for allergies/asthma. Hope this works! Addyson was complaining of her left ear hurting so I took her in today...and sure enough, the girl is good, she has an infection in her left ear. So, more meds coming down to Florida for her too. Kamryn is looking great after being sick the entire time in Denver...she is NOT allowed to get sick in Florida...NOT allowed!!

Shout out some prayers for our family...no med centers or hospitals this Florida trip, please!!! :)

Home from Denver...

On Tuesday evening at about 1:00 am our black Toyota Camry rolled into the garage with 3 sleeping children in jammies & a very tired Mom & Dad. It was good to be home again...I don't remember the last time I slept so soundly...boy was it nice. And I had to actually wake the kids up at 9:15 the next morning...I definitely know that has never happened!! I guess that's what happens when we eat a McDonald's dinner at 9:30 pm & the kids don't fall asleep in the car until 11:00 pm.

As always we had a very fun & eventful vacation. Some of the highlights of our trip were:

*arriving to Denver with a sick 21 month old

*taking a tour of the candy factory with Gma & the kids (actually, the highlight was the candy store at the end, where the kids all picked out lollipops & candy....Yum)

*going to the train store where Cayden ran down the store aisle, fell flat on his face, & ended up with 2 really nasty rug burns on his elbow & knee. I'm pretty sure the owner thought we would sue her...as she was really, really nice & brought out lots of neosporin & bandaids. Poor kid.

*going to the Garden of the Gods with the kids on Father's Day. Cayden actually loved it & wanted to climb on the rocks. Daddy decided it was a fabulous idea to take Mom (well equipped with heeled flip flops, a camera, & a heavy 21 month old child), a 4 year old girl in crocs who, lets be honest here, is pretty much in la la land most of the time, & a 5 year old who bounces across the rocks with no fear. We got a little way up the mountain, along with 30 other people, when a park ranger came along to tell us that we were not allowed to climb in this spot. To be honest, I was quite thankful that he came along!! I'm sure we looked like a sight, and definitely like tourists!! A kind Grandma offered to hold Kamryn while Eric helped me & the kids get down...which I'm sure wasn't too pretty!! It was a beautiful sight with all of the red rocks...& it was cool to see climbers way on top of the mountains. On our hike back the kids got really tired...so Eric ended up carrying both Cayden & Addyson. And they are not light children by any means. I really thought Eric was going to pass out!! The funny part was that while we were all heave hoing up the hill Kamryn was chilling out in her stroller, sucking her thumb, with her legs crossed like a little lady. Several passersby got quite a chuckle out of seeing her!

*catching up with family & friends that we haven't seen in a long time

*eating s'mores & playing baseball with Grandma & Grandpa

*Cayden & Addyson spending hours playing with Daddy's old lego sets. They had sooo much fun playing with Daddy's old toys!

*attempting to drive to the mountains to see Uncle Don & Auntie Carol...Addyson all of a sudden started projectile vomiting in the back seat of the car 1/2 way there. Good times I tell ya. We had to get off the highway, pull her out of the car & strip her down, clean up the car seat as best we could...meanwhile Cayden is exclaiming in the back seat "It reaks back here!", like he's going to die!! We ended up going back home & never made it to Don & Carol's house. Eric did get to clean the entire car when we got back though...fun stuff! She must have gotten car sick...which I don't really blame her, as we were in the car pretty much nonstop the whole week!

*enjoying a family wedding & Great Grandma & Grandpa's 60th wedding anniversary party

*enjoying the cousins playing together. Cayden & Addyson had so much fun with their cousins, especially Sydney. Whenever we were together they just ran off and played the whole time together. It was so great to see them having fun together! And Kamryn loved her little cousin, Gavin, too!!

*visiting the Cheyenne Zoo in Colorado Springs. This zoo was in the mountains & so cool...the view was amazing!! We got to feed the giraffes, ride a little train, pet bunnies, & so much more! We all had a wonderful day there!

*ride on a chair lift into the mountains. Cayden & Addyson wanted to do this so badly...I not so much. My 2 choices were to watch my husband take my 2 kids up on the chair lift & watch from below or suck it up & go on the chair lift with everybody. I chose going on the chair lift. I'm not so sure Eric enjoyed me going up with him...as 1/2 way up the mountain Eric told me that I was actually starting to make him nervous!! Not good! The kids were chanting "Mommy's a scaredy cat, Mommy's a scaredy cat" the whole way up. Neither of the kids were afraid at all...which I guess is a good thing...but a healthy little fear of plunging down a mountain wouldn't be 1/2 bad either. Needless to say, I was glad that the kids had so much fun, and that we eventually were safely on the ground.

*swimming at the hotel pool. Cayden & Addyson were pretty proud that they can both swim in the deep end by themselves now.

*breakfast with the Hommes family

*Cayden counting the number of trains he saw in Colorado

*and finally...we ended our vacation with a long & eventful trip back home. Grandma dropped us off at the airport where we said our goodbyes & checked in our bags, only to find out that our plane was delayed by a couple hourse. So...we called Grandma back & she took us all to the closest mall to play & eat. Apparently we misjudged the timing at which we needed to be back to the airport, b/c by the time she dropped us off again we were cutting it pretty close. When we arrived to security the lines were horrendous!! Not good. By the time we make it through security, jumped on the tram, we were about 5 minutes from our flight leaving. We told the kids that Mommy would be running up ahead to check in at the gate & that they would have to run with Daddy. So I ran ahead, tripping up the escalator in my hurry, & ran to the gate that Eric told me. He did tell me that I should check the monitors to make sure the gate was still the same, but in my rushing, I scanned the monitors & decided to go to the original gate anyways. After finding out that this was no longer our gate I turned around & there was Eric with the kids 2 gates down. I run over to them to hear Eric proclaim "Where did you go, didn't you check the monitors??" Not..."Hi honey, I'm so glad we found each other" or "that was close" or even "thanks for running ahead". Needless to say we didn't really speak until we got on the airplane & cooled off(literally!). Men...you gotta love them!!! :) So...we made it onto the airplane, drove home from Chicago, and were sleeping soundly by 1:30 am!!

It was great seeing everyone in Colorado...we miss you all!! I will send more pictures soon of our Denver trip.

10 years...

I can hardly even believe that Eric & I are celebrating 10 years of marriage today! On this day, June 19, 1998, exactly 10 years ago, we promised to love each other forever. And what a beautiful day it was! It seems like we were just young kids then, 22 & 23 years old & so in love. We have been through so much during these last 10 years...both the good times & the tough ones. We have been blessed with 3 wonderful children who fill our lives with love. But most of all, God has blessed us with each other, & has promised to get us through whatever may come our way.



Eric, I am so very blessed to have you as my husband...I pray that God may strengthen our love each & every day, and that we may have many more happy years together! I love you very much!


Happy 10 Year Anniversary!!!

We were lucky to be able to celebrate our 10 year Anniversary on a trip to Florida in early May. The kids were well taken care of by their grandparents & we had a wonderful, relaxing week together. This was a much needed trip for both of us!!

Highlights of our week together include:

* spending a day at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure...we had such a blast!

*walking on the CityWalk Boardwalk at night

*eating, drinking(too much, Eric???), & eating some more

*laying by the pool & finally getting the peace & quiet to read some good books

*playing lots of shuffleboard & having some great ping pong competitions(I think I wound up with the ping pong championship...what do you think, Eric??)

*relaxing in the hot tub

*catching up on some great movies

*going to a Hawaiian Luau at our hotel. This was so much fun, and since we didn't go to one on our honeymoon in Hawaii, we thought it would be fitting to go for our 10 year Anniversary.

*eating lots of ice cream

*Eric buying me a beautiful, new wedding ring...I love it no matter how much it cost!! :) :) Hee Hee Hee!

Thanks for the great trip, babe!! How about same time next year???!!!!

So much like his Mom...

Cayden is so much like me in lots of ways. But the main one is that he thrives in hot, sunshiny, summer weather. The hotter the better. The less rain the better. In the summertime the first thing we do in the morning is check what degrees it is outside....and the hotter the better. We both get excited if the temperature is going to reach 90 degrees.



This past week it's been hot & sunny, and the first thing Cayden asks in the morning is to get out the pool. As long as it's hot & sunny out he will go, go, go from morning until night...until he drops into bed at the end of the day...just like his Mom. We just made out our summer calendar that he checks off every single day. He knows that our summer will consist of lots of fun...Denver, Florida, 4th of July & fireworks(his favorite!), his 6 year old birthday, lots of campfires& s'mores, & camping 2 times.



So I had to laugh the other day when he made a comment that is so like his Mom... "This is the WORST day of my whole entire life!!!" I asked him why & he responded "because it's rained like 5 times today!". He was soo emphatic!! And so serious!! After I explained to him that we need rain for the grass, trees, & flowers to grow...



I wholeheartedly agreed with him! Come on Summer...bring on the hot weather!!



Cayden enjoying the weather with his next door neighbor, Natalie. Two peas in a pod!

Being Miss K.

Our Kamryn is quite a character! She will be 21 months old this week & I can hardly believe it. She is so full of drama...from huge boisterous laughter to screaming a high pitched scream. Oh my...this girl is not even 2 years old yet & keeps us on our toes every minute of the day!

She is constantly talking very, very loudly...unless we tell her to be quiet, to which she responds by putting her finger to her mouth & says "shhh...quiet...baby sleepin'". Every time she yells we tell her she's going to wake up all of the babies...so now she just shushes herself!

The other night Cayden & Addyson were in bed & Eric & I were just playing with Kamryn. We have so much fun spending some time alone at night with just her. She keeps us laughing every night! One thing for certain is that she speaks her mind. We were laying on the floor & she wanted Daddy to come over by her. Well, apparently he wasn't coming over fast enough, because she got a pillow out, sat on it, patted the spot on the pillow next to her, & said(or should I say yelled) "Daddy!!! Sit!!! Butt!!". All the while patting the spot where she wanted her Daddy to sit! Man is she cute!!

For the last couple months she has been asking "why??" to everything we say. And it's always in the right context too, which is a little bit unusual at this early of an age. She is so curious about everything...& always has to know why we said what we did. Another thing she has started the last few weeks is asking "what??!!". And this is a very emphatic "what??!!!. If Eric & I are talking quietly about something she'll hear it & yell from the other room..."what???". Or if anyone in the family is laughing about something she yells "what??!!". Today we took her into church with us for awhile & Eric whispered something to me, to which she yelled out quite loudly "what??!!". And the funny thing is that she doesn't stop yelling it until you answer her. Oh man is it funny!

Every time one of us sneezes, which is a lot in our house, she immediately says "bless YOU!!" with an emphasis on the YOU!! And every single time someone in the house toots or burps she yells "scuse YOU!!". Even when she toots or burps she says the same & giggles! A couple of times one of the kids has smelled something stinky & will go around asking who did it, and Kamryn will shout out "ME!!!". Since we live in a house with a little boy who is ALL BOY...the burping & tooting happens quite often! I'm sure she's going to grow up into quite the little lady.

When we change her poopy diaper she makes a comment every time. Usually it's "oh gross", "ewwww", or "stinky"...and she's been overheard saying "skusting"(disgusting) as well.

She will definitely hold her own & will not let herself be bullied, in fact, a lot of the times she herself is doing the bullying. The last couple months she has had a little bit of an issue with just walking up to Addyson & pulling out a huge clump of her hair. This ALWAYS causes Addyson to let out a huge scream. And there's Kamryn standing there with a huge clump of Addyson's hair. Poor thing! I make her go over to Addyson & give her a hug & then she says "sossy"(sorry) very nicely. I have actually tried everything to get her to stop...from timeouts, slapping her gently on the hand, talkings, to finally last week I actually pulled Kamryn's hair back. I really have always been against this type of punishment...until I had Kamryn. :) The first time I pulled her hair she kind of looked at me like, "hey, why did you do that?", the second time I pulled pretty hard & she looked at me & laughed. Got any suggestions, anyone???

Okay...so I need to go upstairs & pack for the trip we're leaving on tomorrow. I'll leave you with 2 cute pictures of our baby. They are both from the night of Cayden's Kindergarten program...when she decided to jump in our pool with all of her clothes on...right before we were about to leave. Can't you just see the stinker written all over her face!!!

Telling on myself again...

This happened quite a few weeks ago...I tell ya, being a Mom of 3 children makes you do some really silly & absentminded things!

So we were all getting ready to leave for dinner at Applebee's, & I was running around getting the kids ready, the diaper bag packed, & myself ready as well. Apparently the whole "myself" thing takes a backseat when you have kids. :) I make it into the car, breathe a huge sigh of relief, & we drive over to Applebee's. As we are getting out of the car I look down to see that I still have my slippers on!! The thought actually did occur to me back at the house that I needed to put my sandals on, but apparently the thought didn't turn into an action!

Oh did my family have a big belly laugh about this one!! Eric finally convinced me that nobody would notice the slippers on my feet( yeah right, I think that was his way of saying that we weren't driving back home to get shoes). Cayden kept laughing all the way into the restaurant & teasing me about my slippers.

Oh my...it is never, ever dull around our house!! But at least we are all laughing!!

And since I can't post without adding a picture, here's one of Addyson after swimming in the pool on a hot day!!

Ballerina Girl

This past weekend Addyson was in her very first dance recital. Oh my word it was so much fun!!! I enrolled her in a dance class this past fall just for fun & she has loved each & every minute of it!! She is quite shy around other people, so when her dance teacher told us that there would be a recital in the spring... I have to say that I was certain that she wouldn't want to be part of it. The parents were given the choice to purchase the dance outfit...but the decision had to be made months in advance of the recital for ordering. I finally decided that because Addyson was quite shy, I wouldn't purchase the outfit. A week later I was having second thoughts...was I actually hindering her instead of encouraging her that she could do it???? So I called up her dance teacher & was able to still order her outfit along with the other girls. I was soooo relieved!!

And I am so glad that I changed my mind!!! Never once did Addyson even say that she didn't want to be a part of the dance recital...in fact she was excited for weeks in advance!!


It was so much fun to do her makeup & hair...we had so much fun being excited for this together!! I think I took 200 pictures of her that day...oh my word was she beautiful!!! And the best part of all was that she was soooo excited & proud of herself too! When we finished getting her ready Cayden came to look at her and said "Addyson, you look just like a princess!!!". She was just beaming!! And I had tears rolling down my cheeks. It made me so proud that my kids can be happy for each other & encouraging of each other in their own unique talents.


Before Addyson went on stage I said a little prayer that God would guide her out on that stage & give her confidence. I know that sounds a little silly to some...but I myself know how overwhelming it is for so many people to be looking at you. I didn't even have to worry...Addyson got right out there & danced away! I was so very proud of her!! By the end of the night I think she was tired of Eric & I telling her how proud we were.


After the recital we went home & I was helping her take her dress off & get her ready for bed. I told her that now she could keep her "princess dress". She was sooo excited and then told me that she wanted to wear her dress & dance her recital everyday.


I am soooo proud of you little princess girl!!!!

Addyson is the dancer 3rd from the right. Aren't they all sooo adorable!! I hope to send a slideshow soon of the rest of the pictures too.

Growing Up

My little boy is officially growing up. I think I've been ignoring the signs that my boy is getting older...but now that he has lost 2 of his bottom teeth...

It's Official. He's growing up.

Cayden has grown up so much in the last year. He is the greatest helper...always willing to help me clean up the house & put things in their correct places. He cracks me up with how precise he is folding his clothes & towels(like father like son).

And he is a great big brother! He shows his love for both of his little sisters in different ways. It's so sweet to see him grin from ear to ear when Kamryn gives him a big hug after school, or how excited he gets when she learns a new word. And each & every day we are seeing the love he also has for Addyson. We see him protecting & watching over her in little ways that aren't always noticeable to everyone else. Sometimes they'll just go into the bedroom & play together for hours. Of course he is also the typical older brother as well....teasing her relentlessly & making her scream just because he can. Growing up I always wished I had an older brother...now I'm not always so sure about that!!!

I am so blessed to have such a sweet little boy. He has the best laugh that you will ever hear. It is sooo loud & so very contagious!! You can't help but laugh along with him. And he is sooo ticklish...every little part of that boy is ticklish!! Sometimes we play a game with the kids where they lay on their backs with their arms up above their heads. The object is to try NOT to laugh first. It never ever fails that Cayden starts giggling as soon as he sees my fingers coming to tickle him...and I haven't even touched him yet!!!

I hope that when he gets older he will never get sick of giving his Mom a big hug & kiss. Sometimes when I put him to bed I say "I love you, baby". He always giggles & says "I'm not a baby anymore, Mom". And I tell him that he will always be my baby, no matter how old he is.

So here are some grown up pictures of my toothless big boy. Man is he cute!!!!

It's been awhile...

a long while as a matter of fact. I'm sorry to say that my poor little blog has been neglected lately. I have been a busy little lady! My goal is to post daily until we leave for vacation next Monday.

That is my goal & I'm sticking to it!!!

Bummed

So yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from my insurance company that my appeal for surgery had been denied. I'm bummed because I have sooo much documentation since Cayden's birth of my continual problems relating to my stomach diastasis. It's hard for me even now to do daily tasks as simple as picking up my kids to getting out of bed. I fear that if I'm already having back problems now that it will only get worse as I get older.

I'm mostly disappointed because I just want this to be over...so I don't have to worry about it anymore. It's taken up a lot of my time & energy in the last couple months. I do have one more appeal...but it's the final one that I have. If this one comes back a no then I have no more options. That makes me really nervous. I'm not sure if I'm even ready to hear that yet.

So...please keep me in your prayers as I await this final decision. They sent it in today & will get back with me in the next 7 days. Hopefully it will be a good answer before I leave on vacation...but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. So we will see.

My Boy on his Bike

Cayden is officially riding a 2 wheeler! Last year at the end of the summer we took off his training wheels & he did wonderfully...until he fell. And the training wheels went right back on. So on Sunday we took the kids to the park down the street & took Cayden's training wheels off again...but this time we told him that there was no going back...they were off for good. Eric took him in the big parking lot to run beside him a couple times & from there on he was good to go! We were sooo very proud of him! He circled around the school about 5-6 times by himself, rode through the grass & ball field, all the while beaming with pride!! That night Eric took the kids around the block & Cayden is officially a pro. It's like he's been riding like that for ages. I think he just needed the confidence to do it. It is a little difficult for me to take the kids on a "walk" by myself now though...Cayden is usually out of sight now & Addyson, Kamryn, & I are trying to play catch up the whole way. I think we are definitely going to need some bikes for Eric & I!!

So here are some pictures of my boy...

beaming with pride as he should be.

When it rains...it pours

That's a little bit how I've been feeling lately. Sometimes it feels like we go from getting over 1 problem to starting the next. The same day that we found the kittens we also came downstairs to find that there was water all over our laundry room floor as well as our family room(which has new carpet). While Eric tried to figure out the source of the water problem, more & more water was seeping from the ground up into our carpet. We had to move everything out so it didn't get water damaged. We figured out that our sump pump was broken, so a guy came right out to fix it. But then we were left with all the cleanup as well as drying out the carpet. And this happened the day before Addyson's birthday party...so not ideal.

And have I mentioned that Eric's busy season is not really over??? In the last 2 weeks he has actually been more busy & more stressed out than he was during busy season. Working until 2 am some nights is more than tiring.

And that's not the end. :) The last 2 mornings Sadie has pooped in the laundry room. Yesterday am I went downstairs to let her out & found 2 big piles of juicy(sorry) poop on the cement. I took the girls downstairs with me, put the gate at the bottom of the stairs so Kamryn couldn't go up, & closed the door to the laundry room to clean up poop. I think I gagged no less than 15 times...it was smearing all over the cement & the smell was awful! I will take baby poop anyday over dog poop!!! Not fun! I come out of the laundry gagging to find Kamryn on top of my desk playing with my computer & writing all over everything. Uggghhh!!!

Now last night Eric had an E&Y work function to go to & called me afterwords to say that his car won't start. His buddy tried to jump the car but it absolutely wouldn't start. So Eric left his car in the parking lot & got a ride home. Now we have to deal with that too.

Oh my word!!! I am soooo ready to go on a vacation!!! This vacation is coming at the absolute right time in our lives. I pray that Eric & I can both just relax & have some fun together! I will miss my kids dearly, but I am more than ready for a break. Florida here we come!!!

To our surprise...

one morning Eric was walking out the front door & saw a little furry face peeking out of our bushes! There under our bay window were 5 little kittens! They were sooo cute! 2 tabby cats, 1 bright white, 1 gray, & 1 black...such a beautiful mixture.

Now I have to admit, neither Eric or I are cat lovers. I am allergic to them, and we've both had a couple experiences with not so loving cats over the years that tainted our feelings towards cats. So needless to say we were both a little leary about the Momma cat that was laying under our window along with the kittens. Eric likes to mock me about this, but the first day I told the kids(& the neighbor kids who were over) that if the Momma cat comes out and attacks you, to cover up your face and run screaming into the house. I can attest though that I said this very calmly. :)

The day of Addyson's birthday party, my brother-n-law, Jason, was over and befriended the Momma cat. He is wonderful with animals and had a cat growing up, so we were more than happy to let him take over for us. Once he befriended the Momma cat the kids all had so much fun taking each of the kittens inside & petting them.

Cayden is such an animal lover, and he has always had a special love for cats since he was little. Even though Eric & I aren't especially fond of cats, we have always held our thoughts & feelings inside so that our kids can decide on their own what they like or don't like. We didn't want to put our feelings towards cats onto our kids. Cayden especially was so very gentle & loving with all of the kittens. He too befriended the Momma cat, and one day I saw him out there petting the Momma cat & then every time one of the kittens would venture too far from the Momma, he would gently pick it up & put it back by it's Momma. He would tell the kittens when they cried "it's okay, it's okay". And every day he told us that we were going to keep ALL of the kittens.

We knew that eventually we would have to get rid of the kittens, but we didn't think it would be as soon as it was. Last Sunday evening we arrived home and both the kids ran to go pet the kittens. I came to look out the front door to see Cayden holding his head screaming, & running to the back door. I have to admit that I panicked. I completely thought the worst thing possible. We got him calmed down enough to finally hear that the Momma cat had bitten him on the head. We looked and sure enough, there were 2 puncture wounds on the top of his head. We decided that I would take him to the med center right away.

When we finally saw the dr. she told us that he would have to go on antibiotics for the bite and that the cat would have to be picked up by animal control. They needed to watch the cat for 10 days after the bite to make sure that the cat wasn't infected with rabies...and consequently passed it to Cayden. When the dr. left, Cayden asked if they would have to pick up the kittens too, and I had to tell him that yes, they probably would. He laid on my shoulder & just started sobbing & sobbing, saying "no, they can't take the kitties". I sobbed along with him & all I could tell him was that I was so sorry. I know that this won't be the last time that my heart will break for one of my kids...but my heart hurt so badly for Cayden. He had grown to love these kitties so very much.

Throughout the night I tried to communicate everything with Cayden about the reasons why they had to take the cats, and also to make sure that he knew it wasn't his fault. I don't think the bite actually hurt him that badly, I think it was more the fact that he didn't understand why the Momma cat had bitten him. I tried to make sure that he knew that she wasn't bad, but that she was probably protecting her kittens.

The next day we called the animal control to come pick up the cats. We told Cayden to say his goodbyes to the kittens and we let him hold a couple before he left for school. He seemed to be handling it pretty well. Well...when he got home the animal shelter still hadn't come by to pick up the cats. So...because I was a little leary of the Momma cat now, we fed her some food by the garage & managed to get some of the kittens inside to pet. The longer the day went on the more the kids & I got attached to the kittens. We made a box up in the house with a blanket & let a couple of the kittens sleep there. And the kids were noticing the different personalities of each one...as well as naming each & every one of them. Blacky, whitey, tiger, & shy(for the gray one).

After several phone calls to the animal control, they finally arrived at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The Momma cat wouldn't even come near the guy, so he ended up setting a cage with food inside that would close when the cat got inside. He told me to call him when we caught the cat. Not 20 minutes later the cat was caught inside the cage, so I called the guy to come back. Cayden & Addyson gathered up all the kittens & put them inside our house in a box. Eric ran to get supper with the girls & soon after the animal control guy showed up. I told Cayden to start saying his goodbyes & ran into the living room crying. I then told him that I needed his help taking care of the kittens while I went outside to talk with the guy. That seemed to help him a lot.

Here is where my emotions got the best of me. I was really thinking hard about keeping a couple of the kittens & then later finding homes for them. I was just so upset that Eric was gone & that I had to make this decision by myself. I just wanted him home to make the decision for me...because I knew that I was just making an emotional decision. I asked the guy to stay until Eric got home with Addyson, because I knew she would be upset if she didn't get to say goodbye. When Eric showed up neither of us could decide what to do & were very close to keeping all of them. So I told him that I just needed him to decide what was best for our whole family...and that was easy, we couldn't keep any of them. I knew in my head that this was the right decision, my heart just wasn't there yet.

So the kids said goodbye & Cayden helped put the kittens in the cage. When the guy left Addyson & I went into the living room & she just started sobbing in my arms. I really didn't think that this was going to affect her as much as it did Cayden, but I think she had really gotten attached to the kittens that day too. Eric & Cayden came into the house & there Addyson & I were on the chair just sobbing. We actually couldn't get Addyson calmed down for about 45 minutes, she was so upset. But we finally got her to eat supper. That night before bed we didn't dare mention anything to Addyson about the kittens for fear of her getting upset again. But right before Eric got to her door she started crying again. No matter what we did or said she couldn't stop crying...I felt so bad for her. Eric finally got her to sleep by him and when he came out into the living room he said he was "emotionally exhausted".

We all miss our little kittens. For 4 short days they were a wonderful & fun part of our lives. But we talk a lot about how much fun we all had with them & what great memories we will have. About once a day Addyson will start crying out of the blue & say that she misses the kitties. And Cayden says he misses them too & wishes he could hold them again. And he is still holding out hope one day that we will get a kitten, and who knows, maybe that day will come.

But the most important part is that we got to see how much love our kids have in their hearts for animals. And that is the good that came out of the hurt. So here are a couple pictures of our adorable 5 kittens.