Sunny June Days

We've been blessed with sunny weather and perfect temperatures these past couple of weeks. My pink peonies are finally blooming and I trimmed off several this week, enough to fill two vases. They are so lovely and make the house smell wonderful, they are definitely my favorite flower. 

We also have been thrilled to see our mini garden thriving. We potted three tomato plants and four pepper plants and will hopefully harvest in a few months and make some delicious salsa. 

Last weekend Jeff planted some arborvitaes along the fence line in our backyard and had to keep pulling out huge rocks from the soil. Most were large but not too big that he couldn't move them himself. This one below, however, is gigantic, probably over 300 lbs and Jeff used his truck wench to pull it out. When we rinsed it off with the garden hose we discovered an engraving on one side of the stone which reads: June. 3d. 1902.  We reasoned that it was probably a homestead marker for some settlers back at the start of the century. It such an amazing find and such a unique part of history. We plan to add it to our landscaping in the backyard near where it was discovered. 

Nicholas is over his two-week cold virus and is back to his normal, joyful self. A few days after his sixth birthday, his awesome high-low base and new seating system was delivered, but he wasn't feeling up to sitting in it. Finally, on Monday this week he felt up to relaxing it in for a couple of hours. 

It's such a nice chair for him. We were running out of seats on our small-ish sofa since Nicholas is so darn tall now, so it's wonderful for him to have his own place to sit that is comfortable and all his own. I also appreciate the convenience of raising and lowering the chair with ease. Nicholas likes to go low to the ground to play with Ella, watch his new cars spin around the race track, listen to books read aloud by mommy, and use his eye gaze system. When the chair is raised up he can join us for dinner, help me cook in the kitchen, watch movies, and talk with mommy and daddy and other adults that visit. 

Today Nicholas had his well-child check-up at the pediatrician's office and he weighed in at a whopping 41lbs! No wonder he feels so heavy to lift these days. His high-low chair will also be great for moving him around the house since it's on wheels. 

He also lost his third tooth this morning. I cannot believe that the tooth fairy is visiting our house for the THIRD time! I am always amazed at how quickly these two kids of ours grow and change and cherish so many of these milestones and magical moments. 

Ella loves to ride her bike all the time and constantly asks Jeff to take off the training wheels so she "can go really, really fast!" Jeff and I always chuckle when she asks and explain to her that she still needs some practice with them on the bike before her daddy will take them off. 

Sibling Love

The day after Nicholas' sixth birthday, he started coming down with a virus and was feeling pretty yucky. At one point I caught Ella laying beside him comforting him in her little way. It melted my heart to witness such love and compassion for her big brother. It's a treasured moment that I am happy I was able to capture on camera. 

Baby Cousins are the BEST

Nicholas and Ella LOVE their cousin, Vivien. 

She's super sweet to Nicholas and really loves to touch his face, which he doesn't mind (too much). 

Whenever Vivien visits our house, Ella likes to get the Jolly Jumper out for her to jump in, which Vivi loves as well. Ella also likes to "help" her jump higher.

A couple weekends ago we had dinner at my folks' house and Nicholas loved being on the floor so he could be close to his little cousin. 

The girls just happened to be wearing the same color shirt that day and Ella was thrilled that they were "matchies."

Vivi will celebrate her first birthday next week and it's only a matter of time before she's walking!

We love you, Vivi!

Nicholas' 6th Birthday

 Nicholas turned SIX on May 20th!! Seriously, I do not feel old enough to have a six-year-old! Once you have kids, time seems to move at warp speed. 

With every birthday Nicholas celebrates, we all celebrate the fact that he is thriving despite his Spinal Muscular Atrophy diagnosis. We celebrate the fact that he is still living, here with us, loving every minute of his life despite all his physical challenges and set-backs. 

I think these photos speak a thousand words. This child really loves life. He has such a zest and such a deep-rooted happiness that radiates through his smile. He is THE happiest, most joyful person I have ever encountered in all my years and he blessed us daily with his positive attitude and loving demeanor. 

For this birthday, I thought it would be nice to get out of the house for a bit and do something fun so I suggested a trip to the store so Nicholas could choose his own birthday gifts. He happily agreed so off we went to {what is probably my favorite store on this planet} Target. 

Upon arrival we headed for the toy aisle, but my sweet boy suggested we check out the books first. 

I pulled several books from the shelf and told him a little bit about each one until he settled on his pick: a sweet story about a monster who wants others not to be afraid of him, but to simply love him, called Love Monster. 

Then we headed to the toy aisle and Nicholas choose a Jake and the Neverland Pirates toy complete with a sword, gold doubloons, and a spyglass. 

Then as we were heading to the checkout, Nicholas spotted the rather large green bouncy ball you see pictured below and had to have that too. So we added it to our stash, let Ella choose a toy, and bought our goodies. 

Later in the afternoon, Nicholas received a balloon bouquet via special delivery from the Yeomans family which made his day even more special. 

That night before bed, we read Nicholas' new book (and many others) which was the perfect ending to his sixth birthday. 

Happy birthday Nicholas Alan! You amaze us everyday and we stand in awe of your constant happiness, your amazing courage, and your spirit of love and joy. We love you so very much and are so blessed to have you in our lives. xxoo

Celebrating My 6th Mother's Day

This past Mother's Day was by far one of my favorites. Maybe it's because the kids are old enough to get in on the surprises and fun or maybe it's because I was pampered and spoiled all day. At any rate, it was absolutely fabulous!

These two bright lights are the reason I am a mommy and I feel absolutely blessed every single day that God placed them in our care. They are two of the most loving, compassionate, silliest kiddos and they make us a family. I love them both with my whole heart. 

Nicholas' therapists and teachers are the absolute sweetest and they helped the kids create these adorable cards for me. They also let the kids choose flower seeds to plant in small pots which started to sprout by Mother's day. I cannot wait to see what pretty flowers will bloom! 

Jeff bought me another bouquet of flowers which I happily added to my birthday bouquet since the two days were only a week apart. 

My wonderful husband also made me a scrumptious breakfast complete with the best omelet I have ever tasted, hash browns, and bacon. Mmmm, bacon.

After breakfast we went to mass as a family, then we stopped by Home Depot on the way home and I used a gift card I got for my birthday to buy some new plants for the flowerbeds. 

 Later that afternoon the kids and I made a card for my mom, who joined us later for a yummy dinner: filet mignon, red potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts; and we dined al fresco since it was such a gorgeous evening. 

A special thank you to my husband and kids for making me feel so special on this wonderful day for moms!

Let's Play Outside!

As always, May weather in the Pacific Northwest changes as often as our toddler changes her outfit. We have many days of nothing but rain interspersed with days of hot, hot sunshine.On a few of the warmer days earlier in the month, Ella spent time cooling off by running through the sprinkler in our backyard. 

I also sprayed her with the hose one afternoon while watering some of my plants and flowers, which made her erupt into fits of giggles. 

We also sneak off to the park on the nicer days. I think Ella could play on the swings all day. She loves to be pushed by mommy and always asks to be pushed, "higher!!"

She is quite the monkey and loves to climb, hang, and jump too. It's a blessing to live in a community with so many parks for our girl to play. 

On sunny, warm days I tend to want to spend as much time outdoors as possible...mowing the grass, tending to the flowerbeds, potting new plants, pulling weeds, and trying to make our yard a little haven for our family of four. 

Just last Sunday I started running again with my sister-in-law. I absolutely love to run and even though I am reluctant to begin, once I start, I always end up feeling amazing, especially when this is my view:

I have decided to dedicate three days a week to running in the hopes of achieving some weight loss goals and a healthier lifestyle. 

My Birthday

On May 4th I celebrated another birthday. The day before my brithday, I went shopping in downtown Portland with my mom which was such a special treat since we hardly have time to shop together anymore. We also had dinner at a yummy little restaurant and shared a few appetizers and a glass of white wine. 

Jeff and the kids bought me a beautiful boquet of flowers for my birthday, we went to mass together, and then later that evening Jeff took me to a special birthday dinner at the Melting Pot which was chalk full of delicious melty goodness. Kris & Jami joined us too which was the icing on the cake. 

It was a perfect day and I couldn't asked for anything better! Cheers!