A quick update for January 2020

Another Sunday and finally another post. We have had a busy few weeks since New Year's but as always there are a few important highlights. 

We did absolutely nothing for New Year's Eve and it could not have been more perfect. We expected the big kids to want nothing to do with us so we planned nothing and instead we ended up with the 7 of us eating Chinese food, playing games, watching the ball drop and in bed by 12:10! I could not have asked for a more perfect start to the New Year. When I dreamed of my life it was this beautiful picture I dreamed of - smiling, healthy, happy kids who want to (or pretend to want to) spend time with me on a regular basis. I just can't stop smiling when I look at this picture. 

KK passed down Graham's big boy bed to Sierra so she can finally stop sleeping in her pack and play when she stays over on Friday nights. I'm not sure if she was more excited about the bed being Grahams or being like her big cousins and sleeping in their room right in the middle of them. She slept for a solid 12 hours so I think it must be comfortable. 

Molly and a few of her dance friends and their moms had a great lunch at hibachi on New Year's Day. We ate, caught up and celebrated the new year together. It was a blast and a tradition that I hope continues long after Molly stops dancing. I still can't believe that it is her senior year and the last Griffith Ceili and dance recital for our girl. 

This little munchkin has had headaches and nosebleeds for a long time now and we finally decided to go see a neurologist. She got to put on some cool doctor clothes for her MRI and was a real trooper. She had to get an IV for the procedure and sit in a loud tube for over an hour. She was amazing - all she talked about was the movie they let her watch on the screen above her head. Her head MRI was perfect with no concerns at all so now we move on to the next phase of the diagnosis which is a sleep deprived EEG. The doctor believes she saw some kind of minimal seizure activity on the original EEG so is opting for a more sophisticated one so that we can make sure that we are only treating what we need to and nothing more. Seizure medications can be pretty heavy on the side effects so if we can get away without them they would prefer to do that but we also want to avoid potential issues with safety as she grows older. We cleared the first hurdle which was the MRI so now we just have to do a few more tests and trust the doctor to help us make good decisions for Ellie. 

January also brought the annual football banquet where Lizzie was praised for her passion, drive and independence as the only female on the team this year. She already has 2 other girls in her class who want to join next year so she obviously made a good impression. 

Just a girl and her trophy. We are going to have to get Lizzie a whole wall for all of her trophies but this one is really special since she worked so hard and had to overcome her fear of not knowing the plays and not ever having played before. It is hard for me to see Lizzie in such an aggressive sport but I also have seen a change in her confidence and her love of football so, for right now, we are going to continue playing and see where it takes her. 

Annie and her friend Juliana had their first middle school concert. I was in Detroit working so I got some great videos of the singing but was very unhappy to miss it. I can't wait for the end of the year concert so I can see my girl shine. 

The most popular person in our house when Sierra comes is Papa. She gets so excited to see him and can't stop with the hugs and kisses. Papa looks pretty happy - don't you think?

The best thing about living in the same town as your family is impromptu meetings with cousins. Lizzie was finishing up her game and Katie was coming in to her practice so we got to hang out for a short time before all of the adults headed out to Kyra and Justin's wedding. 

Kyrsten has been our babysitter since the big kids were little kids and everyone just adores her so we took advantage of the fact that she is finishing up school and studying for her tests in OT. We got a room at a hotel in RH and asked Kyrsten to spend a girls night with the littles while we went to the wedding. They could not have been happier to hang out with their favorite babysitter and to spend some time in the pool and playing games. 

Happiness is being at a wedding and getting this picture from your babysitter! They had already played four board games, watched a movie and were on their fourth swim of the night at this point. It made my heart so happy to see how mush fun they were having and to know they were not missing us at all. 

And the wedding was, of course, perfect. The bride and groom took care of every single detail which allowed us all to relax and have fun. Spending time with some of my favorite people, eating, dancing and starting to talk about the next big wedding coming up on March 13th - Brendan and Kim's was the BEST! I am so looking forward to March 13th - especially since I have been asked to perform the ceremony for Kim and Brendan. I could not be more honored. 

I love family weddings because I get to have at least one dance with my dad and hang out with my parents without the kids around. Let's get real - when the grandkids are around I am practically invisible. My parents are also kind of cool to party with. 

The best thing about having Kyrsten at the hotel with the girls was that Bob and I got to wake up early and meet them at the hotel for breakfast (free breakfast - no less). Then we had a few more hours to swim and have fun. 

And this is a picture of the seven minute coffee date that Bob and I managed to squeeze in to celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss. Our life is rarely what we plan or expect but I genuinely can't imagine going through it with anyone but Bob. I am so blessed to have him.