I admit it!! I'm addicted!!

Ok, I have to admit I am addicted to cute hairbows and flowers for my little girls' hair! Having three girls makes it easy to justify having matching bows for everything cause all three will use them. Plus the bows I get to match Megan's outfits will get used 3 times over cause Kenna and Ashlee will use them too! (I know Andy will just love this justification.) I love making bows, but I don't have access to all the cutsie ribbons, especially when I need that bow RIGHT AWAY!! (I am not a patient person.) So I have turned to all the creative girls out there that have found the cute bows and the time to share their talent. I have to tell you that right now my ultimate favorite "bow maker" is Erica from Lil Cutie Hair Bows (lilcutiehairbows.blogspot.com)! She is just getting her business going, and they are the most adorable bows!! I can't wait to place an order with her. I just need to take 5 minutes and go through the girls' outfits to see what I need matching stuff too. Megan was looking at her blog with me and was so excited. She wanted one of EVERYTHING!! Her corker flower bows are just the cutest ever!! Now that I am so excited to go through the girls' clothes, I need to get on making Ashlee's bow board. The one I made for Kenna and Megan is completely full and bows are sitting on the dresser waiting for Ashlee's bow board to be done. I may even have to make a third to hang in the bathroom! But hairbows are just so cute!!!

The "C" Word

Today brought the best news I have heard in the last 7 months. My CT scan and blood work came back clean!! Hurray!! The cancer is still gone! I can say I am now 6 months cancer free. I really don't think it will ever come back, but it was a huge relief to have that appointment out of the way. Dr. Purcell, my oncologist at Billings Clinic, was very pleased with the progress I have made and couldn't believe I was back to running 4 miles. I feel so blessed for all the help I have received along the way from so many different people and sources. I feel blessed to have been in the best hands of the best surgeon and oncologist. I feel so blessed to be able to watch my children grow and be here to be their mother and spend time with my best friend in the world, Andy! So for the next 6 months we continue on with the chaotic life we live and enjoy it to the fullest. I go back again the end of February for repeat tests, and I look forward to hearing the same news!!

The rest of the story

We had so many happenings in June I thought I would split up my journalings. While the boys did baseball in the evenings, Megan had gymnastics in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She absolutely loves gymanstics. Because she had done the preschool level several times, her teacher Ms. Starla (Craig) asked if she would move up to the Beginner class. She was ready to be challenged a bit more. The last day of gymnastics they have a program. I've posted a few pics from that program. Megan is always sad on the last day cause she hates for it to end. She can't wait for the fall session to begin after school starts.

Flipping off the bars for her dismount!!

Everyone loves the balance beam

Somersault on the narrow beam - What a star!!

I didn't get pictures of all the summer sporting events. It was nice to be able to just drop kids and not have to torture the little girls with sitting through everything. Aaron and Aidan did team tennis on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings through June. They both had so much fun and loved going with Derrick and Aidan's buddy Dylan Preator. Megan also did recreation tennis the last half of June. Hers was held at the courts across the street from our house, and she was very excited to get to walk to and from tennis "by herself." She wants to be as big as the boys. I love it cause I can watch her do it without her knowing. She was excited to have Ashley Akin as her teacher cause Ashley's little sister Chelsea is one of Darcee's really good friends. Ashley was so good with the kids, and Megan was sad to have her last day of tennis. Summer brings so many fun activities!!


Non-sporting NEWS

Aidan lost his third tooth! He now has a cute toothless grin! He is so funny when he gets a loose tooth. He is a very persistent child and tries all sorts of methods to get his teeth to come out. He has even resorted to using tweezers to yank and dig and jerk them out. With this front tooth, he let his dad pull it out with pliers. He has always wanted to do it his self, but he relented and let Andy do it this time. He is a tough little boy!

June 26 was a day for celebrating. Aunt Darcee turned 18! It was so fun to celebrate with her. Aunt Kimberly and cousins Hailey and Kennedy got to be there with us to celebrate. I didn't end up with any pictures of Megan and Hailey together but I have a few of sweet Kenna and Kennedy together. They are only 6 weeks apart in age (no, we didn't purposely name them that close), and they are turning into good buddies. Kennedy is such a little sweetheart with a smile that just melts me and gives the best loves. It is so fun to see the girls run and hug when they see each other. I hope their friendship continues to grow as they get older and that they can be best buddies! How fun to have a cousin so close in age!


Cousin loves!

Where did June go?

It is time I got things updated. It seems that our life was consumed with baseball during the month of June. Aaron played on Mondays and Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays, and Aidan played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When they didn't have a game, they usually had practice, so we spent a lot of time juggling boys between practices and games. The girls spent a lot of time in the car and sitting at the baseball field. It was fun to watch the boys having fun and learning. They both had awesome coaches that were very generous in volunteering their time. Aidan was in pitching machine/coach pitch this year. His team was the Padres. He had some of his buddies on his team - Nate and Jesse Brown, Kaiden Brown, and Ben Jackson. Aidan is our little lefty or should we say righty. He plays sports left handed but writes right handed. His coaches had him bat right handed but he can do either. It is so much fun watching him learn and grow.

Waiting for the hit!

Nice hit! (Love the cheeks!)

Taking time out to give Mom a cheeser! So happy to be safe at 1st base.

Aaron was in his first year of Minors this year. It was the first year for the kids to actually do the pitching. He was on the Dodgers. His good friends Braden and James were on his team as their dads were his coaches. They go to a different elementary school, so it was fun for Aaron to get to spend a lot of time with them this summer doing what they love to do - play baseball. Aaron got the chance to even pitch during a few games. Boy did that make Mom a wreck!! But he was calm, cool, and collected! I am now experiencing what my mom went through for so many years as I played sports (and is still going through while my younger siblings play). It was so much fun watching him learn and grow!

Waiting for the pitch

Two of my favorite boys!! (Andy helped out during one of the few games he was able to make it to.)

1st time pitching!

Getting some advice from Coach Schiller

During all the hustle and bustle of baseball, Ashlee turned 6 months old!! Where has the time gone? She is such a sweet little girl that brings so much joy to our home. At her 6 month check up she was 14 lb. 14 oz. and 25 1/4 inches long. She had just started scooting/crawling before her appointment. She wasn't sitting completely yet, but she didn't like to be stationary. She wanted to just be on the go!! I always thought she might be my relaxed baby being the last and having so many siblings to dote on her, but I was so wrong! She wants to keep up with them. She is a very social little girl and likes to be right where the action is. She didn't do so well starting solid foods. Most of it came back up, so that is something we starting working on more after she turned 6 months. She loves to be laid down by herself to drink her bottle. She is not much into cuddling anymore, which makes me very sad!! I just wish I could stop time and keep her little for a while longer. I feel like I kind of missed out on her being a little baby, so I was hoping for her to stay one longer than the others did, but that is not happening. I am so grateful for each day to enjoy being home with my kids to see them grow and change! They are only little for such a short time!

Ashlee loves to play with the Little People toys, especially when one of her siblings plays with her.

My bright blue eyed, sweet bald headed baby!

Such a sweet little (life-saving) angel!!