For Hope

Is this perspective better? It's a blessing dress, the round cake was to give it more demension.

I've been MIA

Sorry for all of you holding your breath waiting to find out what we've been doing here..

...waiting for the laughter to die down....

So anyway, I decided after chasing Megan around the house, pinning her down and fighting to change her diaper that it was time for potty training (again) and this time I was serious (and I mean it) we WERE going to be successfull (if it killed one or both of us). The good news is that she only refused to sit on the potty and continually peed her pants for two days, then I won the battle of the wills. We're still fighting the war- but if it kills me she won't go to college in diapers. She's actually doing really, really well. She's napping in panties (yes I said panties- if you have issues with that get over it) and staying dry, we've gone places and she's stayed dry ect. We're still working on the poop thing (and if you have ideas I'd love to hear them). But overall Megan is wearing panties all day every day (but not for bed) and is doing well. YAY!!

Annika really, really, really, wants to wear panties too. We tried for a week with her but she's just not physically ready yet. In the meantime we let her practice as much as she wants- but she has to wear pull-ups.

Other things we've been doing.. I've done a couple of cakes-
This one for a friend's baby blessing:

and this one for a little girls tea party birthday. Everything is made out of fondant. (Homemade fondant that is super yummy).

Corinne seems to be getting sick. She's had lots of clear drainage the last couple of days nd I was pretty sure that she was working on some teeth or something, but she just woke up from her nap with a fever. Poor baby!

Ashley is good. She's doing well at school and has made a couple friends in the neighborhood. She asks everyday to ride her bike to school- but the sidewalks aren't completed surrounding the schol so she'd have to ride in the street- so for now it's a no go. I wrote the mayor and my councilman about the issue yesterday- but I still haven't recieved a response. Hopefully (for their sake) I get a response by the end of the week- otherwise I may need to get more parents from the school involved. The peices that aren't completed are handicap ramps and a few random squares from the middle of the sidewalk- makes it impossible to push the stroller on the sidewalk- I have to brave traffic instead. The forms are all there- being held into place by 110 peices of rebar- which I pointed out in my letter. It's just a safety hazzard in general. Anyway...

Last week we saw Lacey and her girls (who look like their daddy) one afternoon which was really nice. Lilah was a bit scared of Megan and Annika- with good reason. We had a good time playing at the park though.

So apparently you need to see me too...

At least Grandma does. Here we are at the ward trunk-or-treat. I was a hippie...
this picture doesn't do my hair justice though...
my costume also looked better with my denim jacket ect...

Happy Halloween!

Ashley the princess
Corinne the sweet pea and Annika the frog (no idea where the frog costume came from- so if it's yours and you want it back speak up...)
Annika saying 'wibbet, wibbet'
Megan the cowgirl and her horse (she refused to wear the hat and boots and scarf- whatever)
All four with Steve
Corinne is 5 months old today!! This is her newest trick- sitting up unasissted!

What's new?? Random things and pictures

First of all we have furniture!! YAY! Our living room couches and the chaise chair that's going in our bedroom arrived on Tuesday. WAHOO!! Here are the pictures:


















Ashley can now ride her bike without training wheels. She's enjoying her newfound freedom. I'm enjoying the cul-de-sac...
Here's a cute picture of Megan and Annika riding bikes too. They like to start at the top of the driveway and ride down as fast as they can and wait for Steve or I to stop them at the bottom before they go into the street. You'll notice Megan's feet aren't even down so she can attempt to stop herself. No fear I'm telling you!














I made cupcakes for the trunk-or-treat cake walk and for Ashley's school Halloween party this week too. Here's the pictures:
my graveyard (these were so fun!)

The great pumpkin:

Happy Halloween!

Hmmm

So that last post I wrote a while ago and it apparently didn't post but saved it as a draft.... interesting. Here is an email from my mom regarding the MRI:

Everyone,
Just to let you know what is going on here. Bob had another MRI this week. The results are not so good. It shows two tumors growing again. One is size 17x18x18mm, and the other is 2.4x1.7x2.2 cm.
The radiologist compared this MRI to one taken in Aug 2002( they typed 2005) so I called to correct that since he didn't have one this year. He'll do another report comparing this one to the last one which was Nov. 2004. We'll see what that report says, but I'm sure the two new tumors will still be there on the report.
Please remember us in your prayers He is taking some herbal nutrition now that is making him feel wonderful. He's stopped using a walker altogether, and has a lot more energy. He walks back and forth in the house 20-30 times for exercise daily, and we work at the Humanitarian Center at DI 3 times a week for 2 hours each time. He couldn't do that a few months ago.

These are the days of our lives...

I'm boring. Really. My family (mom, dad, Becca and Angela) came to visit for UEA (long weekend) this weekend. I have nothing 'fun' to do. At all. My idea of a good time is shopping by myself, or going to the EQ social (um, yeah, we did that). I guess a good time involves good food (just ask my hips) so we are BBQing ribs and chicken tonight. But other then that life just goes on around here. Kids still have to eat and nap on time or we're in trouble- which severely cuts into 'play' time. So how are we living it up? They just got back from the park- while I stayed home with Megan who got put down for a nap because she was to beastly to have fun. We may hit Fallas Paradas (cheap mexican clothing store) for the rest of our fun afternoon. Of course Dad wants to go look for some obscure item at Walmart- which is his idea of a good time. Now we don't live close enough to walk anymore- which is a good thing since that means he won't try.

Anyway, people frequently ask how he's doing- so here's an update. He's doing great. Really, really great actually. This time last year we were told that the tumor (he has brain cancer if you didn't know) was growing and there was nothing more that they could do, that we'd have a few weeks up to a few months left. Honestly I was relieved. He was in such pain and was miserable, seemed like it'd be kinder to let go and let him die and have peace. But once again (well, I think this is the third or fourth time) he's surprised us all. Last Thanksgiving he could hardly walk, was in a wheelchair most of the time. He didn't make much sense when he talked and slept a lot. He was also grumpy. He couldn't sleep in a bed because his back hurt too much and when they came to see us they'd even bring the chair for him to sleep in.

Now he's not even using the walker. He's on almost no steriods, no pain pills (I think) and is awake most of the day. He's still struggling with words. It seems that if he just talks he's fine, but the harder he trys to think of a name for an object the more the word eludes him. His mood is terrific. He's not lost his sense of humor and there are times when humor-wise I can catch a glimpse of the 'old' Dad. Story: Hannah told me the other day when she was down for dinner they were having egg rolls. Dad was trying to convince Hannah that egg rolls were really made of cat. Hannah (going along with it) says, 'really? So do you like them?' Dad just looks at her deadpan and says, 'meow'. That is 'old dad'.

Of course there are lots of physical changes, but the mental changes are probably harder now. He's convinced that he's grown 4 new teeth and that those teeth have messed up his mouth. (He's always had an overbite, but apparently now it's bothering him). His best friend is a denstist. He's told him it's impossible, but Dad insists that these are new teeth and they need to be pulled. Of course the dentist refuses. But don't try and tell him that it didn't happen, he'll get very offended and upset.

Anyway, Dad is good. It'll be interesting to see what the future has in store for him. He's going for another MRI on Monday. I don't think that he's had one for a year now.

My Mom is amazing. She is the definition of unconditional love.