Happy Birthday Hadley, Part 2

We had a family get together for Hadley's birthday at my Mom and Dad's house.  We went to a fall festival before the party so that explains all the face paint :)

When looking at these next two pictures... I can reassure you that Ryker was not injured!  Brooke and Ellie were just giving him some wrestling tips!

Thank you everyone (near and far) for making Hadley's golden birthday so special.  I still can't believe she's five!  Five years of being a mommy.  Five years of learning.  Five years of fun.  Five years of learning what it means to love so much it hurts.  Being a mom is the one thing I always knew I wanted to be.  Thank you Hadley for being my daughter.  I'm so glad you're mine :)

p.s.  Happy Anniversary Bill and Patti, too!  :)  Hadley was born on their anniversary and will tell everyone that she is "their special gift!"  Thank you for everything you do for our family.  We appreciate you both so much.  We love you!

Happy 5th Birthday, Hadley!!

This year, we had Hadley's birthday party at the Christian County YMCA.  We had gone to a party there this summer and the kids had a blast.  They have a an indoor pool with a play area for kids, a bigger slide for bigger kids (or adults) and a lap pool.  It really is a fun place to have a birthday party.  We are already thinking about heading over there for a day of swimming this winter.

Happy Birthday, Sunshine Bear.  You bring joy to our lives every single day.  We are so proud of you.  Thank you for being our daughter.

Swimming laps with Daddy

The play area for smaller children.

Papa Clark and Kami swimming laps.

Ellie going down the slide...I was too slow with the camera.

 Fun jumping in the water!

We love you, Hadley!

Aaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh!

This blog is driving me CRAZY!! I am trying to update with pictures from Hadley's birthday party and the pictures are taking forever to upload.  I can't sit here all day -- well, it would be nice to sit here all day and wait for them to upload (while I catch up on my DVR) but I have a list of things I need to do today :)  I will keep trying...

Girl Fun In St. Louis

Brooke recently had a follow-up appointment with the Vent Clinic in St. Louis.  During "vent clinic" we meet with her pulmonologist, the ENT doctor, and the ENT nurse.  It's always kind of nice to go back and see the doctors that you don't see very often, especially when some of them haven't seen her for almost two years.  During our appointment, we decided to keep Brooke in the current trach she is using.  We also increased her asthma medicine to twice a day instead of just one.  We were told that most kids with chronic lung disease (which Brooke does have because of being on the ventilator) end up with asthma.  Her pulmonologist also gave us an inhaler to use before she exercises or as needed.  Our next appointment is Feb. 8th with our Nurse Practitioner, Jodi, and we will see how Brooke is doing during the winter months.  Brooke also got her flu shot and was very brave!  She lifted up her dress to show us her band-aid -- and even did a little dance when she did so. :)

After we left her appointment, we went down to the cafeteria for lunch (a must for the girls) and headed to the zoo for an afternoon of fun.  Normally we are so rushed and go home right after we finish with the doctors, but this day we decided to have a little fun. 

Grandma Patti and Nana with their girls.

We started out at the Children's Zoo, which we had never been to before.  They have a petting zoo area, a building with games and activities and a playground.  The girls had a great time with their Nana and Grandma. 

Go Rockets!!

Kami couldn't get enough of the guinea pigs and bunnies!  Grandma had to make sure she didn't fall in!

Brooke petting a SNAKE!! Hadley wanted nothing to do with it -- and neither did I! She is so funny about animals and bugs.  She will be the first one to pick up bugs, frogs, butterflies etc...

In the goat petting area, you can't feed the goats, but you can brush them.  I don't like goats.  I don't like feeding them and I don't like being around them.  I'm always afraid they are going to kick me or one of the girls.  Kami, on the other hand loved petting the goats.  Brooke and I eventually left the area and watched from above.  After one of the goats ate something out of one lady's purse, I decided I was done!

Thanks for the girls day of fun, Nana and Grandma!  Thanks for always going with us and making these days special for the girls. 

Annual Trip to the Applebarn

Hadley's class took a field trip to the Applebarn again this year.  I had planned on it being an interesting trip, because I had all three girls by myself.  I decided that I would take our wagon instead of the stroller.  I thought that it might be easier to use in the tall grass while touring the orchard.  Well, it would have been a good idea, if Kami would have stayed in it.  I even bought her a donut and an apple cider before the tour hoping to keep her occupied.  That idea didn't work either, it just made her really sticky :) 

I worked at the Applebarn during high school and college, so these tours are nothing new.  Here the kids are getting their little pre-tour talk.  Brooke joins right in with the class like she belongs. 

 

Here is Gayle, owner of the Applebarn, teaching the kids about apples.

The kids were able to pick a blackberry from the blackberry bushes.  It was pretty close to the end of the berry season, so the pickins' were pretty slim.  She did manage to find one or two...

Here she is trying to pretend that she likes them.

Brooke tried one too and had a purple smile for the rest of the morning.

For whatever reason, Kami kept kissing this pumpkin.  I have no idea why, but she probably kissed it twenty times.  She keeps me entertained, that's for sure!