April Showers...

It was a good weekend. Lot of rain means lots of PUDDLES! Thank goodness for Brigg and Nalani's frog boots...now we just need to get water resistant jeans! They came across and 8 inch deep mud puddle while shopping for some new plants at the local nursery. 10 minutes and several dirty looks from other "good" parents later, I had successfully found all the plants I needed and the kids were stripped down to their underwear in the warm car. They were soaked to the bone. It was fun and made it easy for me to shop! :) We'll be without dad for most of the week, so it will be interesting. We're trying to get in some last minute quality time together before we are separated.

on a sidenote....Lyn is amazing! She is doing incredibly well. I'm not sure what the game plan is, but her swelling has been significantly reduced and she is up and around the house today. UNREAL. She never ceases to amaze me. Continue to pray for her! 

We Tried

Bode climbing through the tunnel that nana pulled out of her bag of goodies over the weekend. The kids had a ball with it!

I tried and tried to get a good shot of Lani and Bode together Saturday morning, but no luck. Lani looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket and Bode just looks a bit scared. Can't imagine why...Lani NEVER invades his personal space! :)

The photo shoot with Brigg and Bode was even worse. Not a single perfect photo of them together. This one was the best I could do. Oh well...it was just fun to spend some time together! He is growing like a weed and I think he'll be passing up Nalani in no time at all. Possibly Brigg, too!

A Problem

I sat down at my computer to post a blog. My little computer chair dropped down about 8 inches and I heard the air in the pressurized support bar give a little gasp. I think I should get off the computer and on the treadmill. That's all I got tonight. Oh yeah, I bought soy burgers at the store to start me on the right path...

52 Things

Just for fun--
1. FIRST NAME? cassica
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? yes, this cute little girl that was passing through town with her hippy parents in a VW van when mom was prego (this may explain a few things!)
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? earlier today when I read Jody's blog...just a few tears really
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? don't really care about it
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Boars Head Cajun Chicken (they sell it in Florida)
6. KIDS? 1 boy, 1 girl...PERFECT!
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Off and on...but I think this blog counts, right?
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Never!
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yep
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I think if it were over water....like a cement parking lot may turn me off though
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? you're going to think I'm gross and I don't eat them often, but Coco Pebbles...Frosted mini wheats are a close 2nd
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? nope
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Bunny Tracks
16. SHOE SIZE? 7.5
17. RED OR PINK? red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My need to be in control and I speak before I think and end up with my foot in my mouth
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my grandmas
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? post it on your own blog if you want.
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? Black capri work-out pants that never get used for working out...I only wear them because they have an elastic waist that is comfy while at the same time looking somewhat cute and no shoes
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? Cheez Its with Spicy 3 pepper hummus
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Paul brushing his teeth
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? periwinkle of course! what a great name for a color!
25. FAVORITE SMELL? my kids after bath time
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? dad
27. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their eyes
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? i found it on Jody's blog and she is kind of annoying (KIDDING!)
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Sun tea, Limon and sprite
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Hawkeye football
31. HAIR COLOR? brown
32. EYE COLOR? hazel
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Sushi
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? happy
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Walk the Line...loved it!
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? black...it's supposed to be slimming...i think i can disprove that!
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer
39. HUGS OR KISSES? both
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? about anything mom makes. i really like cheesecake though!
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?heather
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? everyone else
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, The DaVinci Code
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Lutheran Services Logo
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? American Idol
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? my babies laughing
47. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? both...i like the stones, but the beatles remind of me of Leah
48. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? yokosuka, Japan
49. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? i wish!
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? january 7, Harlan, IA
51. WHAT CONDITION ARE YOUR HANDS AND FEET IN? dry and i need to paint my toes again...it's chipping
52. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? don't have one
There ya go!

Week-long Processing

Ok, it is Wednesday and I am still processing Sunday's church service. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am giving myself an A for effort! The quote from Larry Krabb's Shattered Dreams on our big screens SCREAMED at me:
We assume we are here for one fundatmental reason: to have a good time--if not good circumstances, then at least good feelings. We long to feel alive, to sense passion and romance and freedom. We want the good time of enjoying godly kids, of making difference in people's lives, of involvement with close friends, of experiencing God's peace...But when we uncover the deepest motives that drive our actions, we discover a determination to feel now what no one will feel until heaven.
Now this is so true in my life...always chasing the good time. What is so interesting to me is that I am also reading another book entitled Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. Nathan Bierma says:
Heaven is an odd element of the Christian faith. We profess it to be eternally important and then live as though it doesn't exist. We are runners who fear the finish line. We go through life with little sense of what heaven will be like, and less sense of why we would want to live there. We carry on with out daily lives, fixated on the here and now, oblivious to the there and then.
In recent weeks my thoughts have beening drifting to heaven often. Maybe it's the book I'm reading or the message at church or the fact that Lyn seems to be so close to that finish line...I don't know. But whatever it is, I am finding this disconnect between my life here on earth and my eternal life in heaven. It's a moment by moment EFFORT to remember what this life is all about. It is not all about ME! As much as I want it to be, it is not. The tidal wave of daily life often gets the best of me and I find myself praying for things that I think will make me happy here, but in reality know that I will never find that perfect happiness here on earth. I need to think more on this, but as for this morning...Lani is yelling for me.

Date Night!

Paul and I got out of the house alone this weekend! AMAZING! After finishing up some yard work, we were able to get out for dinner. We had a 1.5 hour wait (which means we were able to have a couple drinks and an appetizer). When we finally got seated it was a LONG wait until we (more like I) got our food. Finally, as I was inhaling my last piece of lettuce, the waitress came and told us Paul's sandwich had gotten lost and they were just making it. He took it to go and the waitress said, "Hope your experience is better next time!" HA! oh well, we were able to chat and have absolutely NO interruptions. We could look on at the family next to us chasing their kids around and smile...very contently. It was heavenly.... 

Spaghetti and Pull-ups

I got a call at 11:15 at work...Brigg had a fever. I should have known from the get go that this was a sign of what was ahead. I was struggling today anyway, so I avoided the issue of trying to figure out how to get someone to care for my children while I stayed at work. So after a 3 1/2 hour work day, I headed home. Brigg's fever is still hanging on, I walked in on Lani flushing her spaghetti down the toilet, Brigg screamed SEVERAL times today "MOOOMMMMMYYYYY, Lani is picking her nose again", Lani "dribbled" in her pants 4 times today and started walking like she had just gotten off a horse while saying "I peed my pants again", all the while smiling with that adorable dimple popping out and to finish it all off I just went downstairs to try and finish up one more load of laundry only to find that I had washed a pull-up...NOT good. You know those little crystally thingys? Yeah, they were all over everything. UGH. Ok, so today was not perfect. I am thinking things can only improve from here, but I guess you never know....

Lyn is Home

Lyn came home today. Greg came over and let us know she was home but needed rest and wasn't up for visitors. Just the thought of knowing she was on the other side of that wall gave me a sense of calm. I kept finding myself looking over there and thinking that I really wanted to go visit. I saw her in the window, sitting in her chair and I was hoping I'd catch her eye, but I didn't. She called at 7:45 and asked me to come over after I put the kids down. For some reason my whole perspective has changed now. She is swollen and can barely walk. She said it is just so painful to come back from being almost gone. She is at peace...which is what my prayer has been. It is so selfish of me to want her to stay. She is miserable. She wants to go to her eternal home. She has prayed for God to take her when He is ready. She said she can't talk to Greg because he just doesn't want to hear it. He only wants to talk about how she is going to get better. She will not get better. She just needs someone to acknowledge that this is the end. I offered to write letters for her if she wanted me to. She said she already has everything down on paper that needs to be. She was unable to express how deeply she just wants Jorden to be ok with things (her 5 year old grandson who practically lives there and here). She told me she knows it's a big responsiblilty, but she wants me to talk to him about her death and let him know that she is with God in heaven. He is her main concern right now. She said if Greg would just let her go, she would. As I sit here and write this all down I cannot stop crying but I know that in her near future she will have this perfect place and no more pain and she will be DANCING for joy! This worldly body of hers is all but gone. She has a spirit like I have never seen. Tonight I am just praying for her happiness. I want her to have joy again. She is not scared. I pray that I can be the kind of friend to her that she has been to me. I want to be "that kind of friend". I will be forever grateful that I was given the chance to talk to her again...tonight was a gift. Please be praying for her comfort and peace in the days to come. Pray for the whole family...for her daughter Stacy, who has so much on her plate right now going through a divorce and becoming a single mother of 2 boys, for Greg and his strength during this time when he is watching his wife go through all this pain and suffering and for her grandkids that they know how loved they are by their grandma. I'll keep everyone posted.

Brigg Stories

I know most of you have heard these, but I really need to get them down on paper (or computer) so I don't forget. I print off my blogs and put them in a binder as a form of journaling. So anyway, sorry if you've already hear these good ones....
Golf
Brigg was so excited to go golfing today with Papa. He was outside waiting impatiently for dad to come pick him up. Paul tried to distract him by playing some frisbee. Brigg threw a wild one and Paul said "Geeeeeezzzz Brigg". Brigg said, "THAT is why golfers don't play frisbee!"

Boobies
Last night I was talking to Paul and I said, "I think Nalani needs to go to B-E-D." I actually did spell it. Brigg said, "I know what that spells....BOOBIES!"

9-1-1
Brigg and Nalani shared a room when we had company over the Easter weekend. Brigg came out several times complaining that he could not go to sleep because Lani was talking too much. I finally went in there very frustrated to take care of it once and for all! Brigg said, "I told her to stop talking or I was going to call 9-1-1, but she wouldn't!"

20 and 30
On the way to daycare on Thursday...
Brigg: Mommy, do you know I love you more than I can cout?
Cassie: You DO?
Brigg: Yeah, I love you more than 20 and 30...you know, THOSE numbers!
Cassie: Wow Brigg, that's a lot!
Brigg: I know. Can you believe I love you that much??

Too cute!

10 Things

After a rude and unneccesary post on Jody's blog, she has insisted that I post my top 10 things I am loving right now. Consequences stink....
1. My Yard (all of my flowers are popping up and opening)
2. Paul's work "uniforms" (they consist of 11 pairs of jeans and 11 polo shirts. He brings them in to work once a week to be taken in, washed and folded and returned to him...for FREE! Result: laundry cut in half!)
3. My porch rocking chairs (in this weather the porch is just another room in our house)
4. BBQ (No mess in my kitchen!)
5. My short-term blood pressure meds (no more headaches...drugs rock!)
6. The weather (Sara and I are walking outdoors over our lunch hour)
7. American Idol and Grey's Anatomy
8. Blogs (an easy way to stay in touch and be involved in a book club)
9. Aldi (I swear I cut my grocery bill in half)
10. Croc for kids (generic Wal-Mart brand. slip on and run out the door!)

Thanks Jody, life is looking more positive today...

Tonight

We were supposed to watch Jorden and Jaeden tonight while Stacy went to visit her mom. Just as Stacy was leaving, Greg got home. So we had a BBQ with everyone. We just came indoors...it was a beautiful night. They boys played football and I just attached that photo of Lani because I thought it was cute!! :) Greg said that Lyn had been moved out of ICU to the regular oncology floor. He still doesn't think she'll be coming home though. She is very confused from all the morphine. So sad. I did send a vase of fresh cut tulips up with Stacy and a letter. I'm hoping she gets something out of it. I may be able to go visit her this weekend, too. That would be nice. I'm sure I'll keep an update going here on my blog. Hope everyone has been able to enjoy the weather at some point today. In the midst of all this craziness with Lyn I have been reading a book called Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Nathan Bierma. He quotes Madeline L'Engle:
"When I think of the incredible, incomprehensible sweep of creation above me, I have the strange reaction of being fully alive. Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my life has meaning. Perhaps I should feel insignificant, but instead I feel a soaring in my heart that the God who could create all this can still count the hairs on my head."
Praying that Lyn feels just a twinge of this same strange reaction.... 

That Kind of Friend

Have you ever had that kind of friend who is such an integral part of your life that you take it for granted? Someone who you almost instantly had a bond with? For me, Lyn is that kind of friend. She has been there from almost the first day we moved into our house...she showed up with warm chocolate chip cookies for the guys who were working so hard. She cared about us from day one. What I didn't know that first day was that she was battling cancer and had been for 6 years. She would have never just come out and told me this because that is not what her life is about. I think because she knows her time here on earth is limited, she somehow lives "quicker", if that's possible. It didn't take us long to connect. I believe that we were meant to be not only neighbors, but friends. Late last summer, after starting yet another round of chemo, Lyn and her husband spent three full weeks at mom and dad's house in Florida. They had lots of different family member come and go and Lyn enjoyed every second of it. In her world, the hotter, the better. I have never heard Lyn complain once. She thoroughly enjoys every single day. She has gone through chemo, radiation and a bone marrow transplant. Since recovering from her bone marrow transplant, she has welcomed FOUR grandchilren into this world (her most recent being last month...a little girl with a GREAT name-Kassie!!). Last week Lyn went to the ER and they immediately sent her to the ER at the University. She has been in the ICU every since. High fevers, kidney issues, tumors on her spine are just a few of the issues. I am sad. I miss her. I cannot express in words how deeply I feel this sadness. Although I have only known her for a mere 21 months, I feel like she is part of my family. She has been waiting for my orange and yellow tulips to open and just Sunday they did. She may never get to see them again. I may never get to see HER again. I want to say goodbye. I want her to know what she has meant to me...what an inspiration she has been. I want her to know how important she has become to my kids and my husband. I will miss her knocking once and walking in saying, "I just wanted to catch up, I miss you!" I'll miss her asking me "Cassie, how do you do it?" while she is fighting this daily battle against this awful disease. I will miss seeing her mow the lawn in the summer in her do rag. I will miss looking out the window on a 100 degree day and seeing her laying on this blanket that looks like a piece of FOIL so she can get a good tan on both sides. I will miss her laugh. I will miss her unbelievable TACOS!! I will miss sitting by the baby pool with her in our backyard, filling up water balloons. I will miss sitting on the back step with her telling Brigg, Nalani, Jorden and Jaedon stories. I will miss so many things about her that I think I could fill my whole blog with a list. I just felt like I needed to get this down on paper. I am not giving up. Lyn is the biggest fighter I know. If anyone can get through this and make it back home, she can. I am SO hoping she gets home to see her beautiful tulips coming up. I am hoping she gets out of ICU and I get a chance to see her one more time. It still won't be enough to tell her what she means to me. Take a minute and let those kinds of friends in your life know what they mean to you. You never know when you might come home on a Tuesday with the news that you might not see them ever again in this world.

"Hey, were you in prison?"

Paul worked late tonight with this guy who was in prison for 8 years at Ft. Madison. Paul's been talking about him all night. He thinks he's a funny guy. Anyway, they were sitting there and he looked at Paul and out of the blue said, "Hey, were you in prison?" Paul laughed and said, "Nope, I was never in prison." He said, "Oh, you look like this guys I knew there."
Got a kick out of that...

Spring Day Dreams

I was sitting at work yesterday and wishing so badly that I was at home playing with my kids on this beautiful spring day. I imagined them running and playing together...laughing and hugging and telling me they loved me. I pictured us all playing a game of baseball in our shorts and tank tops. I think there may have even been some classical music in the backgroung. Anyway within 10 minutes of me rushing to pick them up from daycare so we could have just and HOUR of the kind of fun, I had to throw Nalani's urine soaked pants in the wash and clean up Brigg's vomit off of my couch. What happened to lazy spring days?? Brigg was covered in puke and Lani was trying to hug him and comfort him. I was yelling "Stay away from him, he'll give you the flu!" Brigg was wimpering while chunks of hot dog dropped from his shirt to my freshly vacuumed floor. It was a sight. So much for my joy-filled spring day. Oh well, it is still a privelege to clean up puke and pee and at the end of the day hear those little voices say "I lub you mommy!"

My Babies...

I think Nalani may be a tomboy. Brigg asked if he could go play outside while I was making supper. I said yes and a few minutes later I see Nalani running around out there with no shoes, no pants and an old pair of Brigg's Thomas tighty whities on....racing Brigg. Ok, I know she likes pink, but I think we have a problem! She tackles Brigg on a regular basis and I think a cousin or two of hers is scared of her! She has this little sweet, innocent cover, but the true Lani is beginning to come out more and more as she gets older. Sigh....we have a long road ahead of us!
As for Brigg, he is sleeping in his top bunk tonight for the first time! Nana B is coming this weekend and we thought he would give her his bed and he could sleep up top. He was so excited! Pull-ups and the top bunk...one step forward, 2 steps back. I'll take it!
Paul...has been busy. FINALLY we are going to have doors upstairs. At least I hope so. He's been working hard to try and get them painted and new knobs and hinges put on so he can get them up by the time company arrives this weekend. This is the goal at least. It's good to have goals, right?!? He amazes me everyday with his ability to multi-task. Somehow he finds a way to work a 10 hour day, put in a few hours with the kids and still make some sort of progress on one of his many "projects". One of the many reasons why I love this man!
I really am going to accomplish something yet tonight if it is the LAST thing I do. I have 3 baskets of laundry to fold and put away and I'm still hoping to get in 45 minutes on the treadmill. uh-oh....it's 9:45...I better get to it. I have a feeling the laundry will end up waiting til tomorrow.... 

Insanity!

It was a crazy weekend around here. A baby shower, a neighborhood bbq, church, 5 dozen monster cookies prepared, baseball, soccer, football and golf played, 5 loads of laundry done, two spaghetti pies, salsa, guacamole and 16 devilled eggs made, every cushion and pillow in the house put into a pile and then put back into its place, sheets stripped, washed and put back on, a trip to washington to visit a friend's new baby, a visit with the neighbors and their new granddaughter (named Kassie, by the way!), and easter egg hunt, and chocolate chip pancakes eaten are just a few of our activities. I need to go to bed. Again, it went too fast and I cannot believe I will be spending the next 5 days at work again. Although they call Monday-Friday 8-5 work, I think it's much more work Friday 5pm-Monday 8am. Although more work, it is much more rewarding. I am tired and over-worked today, but completely at peace. Thank you Lord for giving me these children, neighbors, family members and friends to keep me busy and moving. What a blessing they all are to me.
On a sidenote, I want to share the news that Brigg is moving out. That's right. He has decided he will be moving in with Nana B. He was very upset with me and proclaimed, "I'm leaving! I'm moving out and moving in with Nana B!" Then tonight I was explaining to Paul that we would need to rent a moving truck to get Brigg and all his things across the state to Nana B's and Paul said, "When will you be moving?" Brigg replies, "In 28 years." Uh-oh...our problems are bigger than we expected!

Anyone for a Pee Party???

Ok, that is NOT a typo, I really mean PEE. My doctor put me on a water pill for blood pressure and I have been spending a good portion of the day in the bathroom. I wish that were our only pee problems around here. I need HELP! Ok, Brigg has wet the bed probably the last 5 out of 7 nights. I do not know what to do....but I don't think I can continue getting up and washing sheets in the middle of the night. Sooooo, we put a pull up on him tonight. Is that terrible?!? He is going to be 5 in July. I tried to make it no big deal. But I may have gone overboard because when I finally ended up putting it on him he started dancing around and singing some song about wearing a pull up. Then he said, "Mommy, can I go potty in pull ups?" Oh great. He's going to be 16 and wearing a pull up! I don't know the answer. Icing on the cake...Nalani wet her pants THREE times today. Humorous, just humorous....

Easter Egg Hunt

It was a VERY brisk morning around here, but we were still able to bundle up and head over to the park for an easter egg hunt. It truly was torture for these kids. They sit there (on the edge of the yellow line) and wait and wait and wait for the ok to cross the line and fight for these little eggs the contain cheap toys and yucky candy. It's insanity! They seemed to have fun and we hooked up with Jorden who ended up spending the rest of the day at our house, so they were happy little campers. So ready for permanant warmth! 

Idea #376 for today: Give In

It's almost a daily battle. The one favorite activity for my children is to gather EVERY SINGLE pillow and cushion in the entire house and turn our living room into a cushion mountain. They BEG to do it. So after an Easter Egg Hunt at the park, lunch and some Power Ranger time, I did it. I just gave in. "Sure! I think it would be a GREAT idea to get every single pillow in the house and jump off the couch onto them! Why not?!?" Turned into a grand idea! Mommy got the kitchen cleaned and the kids had an hour of pure fun. Now who's going to clean them up?? 

Another Week Goes By...

It's Friday! 2 sunshine-filled days ahead with my THREE babies! So anxious to enjoy the weekend. Not much to say today. It's been up and down. A friend's mother's death, another friend celebrating the birth of her first baby, the world continues to go round faster than we can keep up. Trying to slow down and enjoy, support and love today. Reminding myself once again to Be Still.

The Night of the Child

It is an annual event at the Environmental Learning Center. There are several booths set up for the kids with all kinds of activities. It was one hour of controlled chaos in a room that was about 150 degrees. We are hoping this is the one and only time Brigg or Lani has to get fingerprinted!! Lani ate an edible owl pellet after totally demolishing it. Brigg spent the majority of the time playing with a turtle, snake and lizard. A good time was had by all! I'm just afraid Nalani will be going through the fingerprinting again sometime in the future....she did try to steal the donation box at the learning center! She was pulling on it and yelling "money! money!" Oh no.... 

Not Much To Boast About...

BUT, I passed my commercial lines insurance exam today....FINALLY! After 3 times, you can't ask for too much praise, but I am still ecstatic! I'm going to BURN that book!! Now I can finally start working a real job!

Farmer Paul

Yesterday Brigg and Paul were cleaning out the basement so Paul could set up all the weights he got from Kent. We have a closet down there that has some junk in it and a few things hanging up. Paul has a pair of Carhartt bib overalls down there that he wears when shoveling, etc. Anyway, Brigg was putting some things away in there and he looked up at the bib overalls and said in a very confused voice, "Daddy, when were you a farmer?"

Content Tonight

Ahhh...feeling especially blessed tonight. For some reason Lani did not nap for even a minute today. I sat and listened to her on the moniter play and chat and sing in her room for over an hour. Finally, I went in and got her and she was happy as a clam for the rest of the afternoon. We played for a bit outside before the storm rolled in and ended our day all snuggled in together. Due to the lack of sleep, Lani crashed in my lap around 7:20, which is virtually unheard of in her little world. She she slept on me while I snuggled into Paul and just felt completely at peace. Paul literally woke up in the middle of the night to travel across the state for me to pick up a piano from Grandpa's house. He wanted to get there and get back home before he missed a whole day with his family. Seriously, "he LOVES me!" :) Who does that?!?! He is amazing and my kids are amazing and I am one happy women! Ok, now if I could just pass this dang test.... 

Kids Fun Run

Today was the kids fun run at the Y. We signed up Brigg and Nalani and met the Landers there for the big race. It was very fun and as you can imagine, Brigg was very serious. He said, "I was a little nervous toward the end when the girl beat me." He is telling everyone that she came from behind and beat him at the last minute, but as you can see from the final photo, it was NOT a photo finish! Typical boy...acting like it's a fluke that the girl beat him! He got a medal (as did every other child that ran in the race), but HIS medal was a 2nd place medal in his mind! Hey, I think he would have been happy with a last place medal! Dad talked to him from Florida and Brigg told him all about it. Dad said, "Make sure you keep it shined up so I can see it when I get home." Brigg replied with, "Oh Papa, I'm going to keep this medal shined up for a LONG time!" Too funny. I think Lane enjoyed the race between she, Brigg and I back to the car as much as anything. 

Brigg

Oh my baby is growing up! He is really getting into the guitar playing thing in these pics and it cracked me up. The sad part is that Paul and I have no idea how to even begin to help him. We did get him to switch and hold the guitar right-handed though. He is so funny. I could blog for days about how this kid cracks me up! The other night we made a super quick trip to the mall. We happened to see the easter bunny while we were there. Brigg ran up and gave him a hug just to get the free candy he was handing out. Lani was a little more leary. So on the way home Brigg says, "Mommy, is there REALLY a real easter bunny?" duh, uh, hmmm, huh? "What do you mean?", I asked. (Like he could mean more than one thing.) So he repeated, "Is there really an Easter bunny?" He is so matter-of-fact. So of course I told him no. Easter really isn't about the easter bunny! He just said, "Ok." That was it. He is only FOUR AND A HALF! How did this happen? He is supposed to be my baby forever and believe in these magical cute fuzzy things his whole life! So anyone out there who doesn't want their child to know there really isn't a giant real-life bunny running around hiding candy on Easter, my want to keep their child away from mine! Where does time go? We've moved from Easter bunnies to rock and roll!