The Polar Express

We just took our first trip to the North Pole.....and boy was it chilly (for this AZ native.)

Unfortunately, it was a little too loud for John but his face lit up when he saw Santa and he hasn't stopped talking about since.....AND, we've listened to the Polar Express audio tape 1, 567 times in the past week.  Sooooooooo, despite the noisy train, I'd call it a success.

Lovin this Holiday season!!!!

Happy Holidays!

My brother, sis-n-law and adorable niece have been in town for the past two weeks.....and boy have we been having fun!!!  

So, a family photo shoot was a must:)  Not too bad for a couple sick, napless kiddos.  

My 5 Year Old

My little man had a wonderful birthday.....despite being hit with a week long stomach bug:(  However, you'd never know he was sick looking at these pictures....I guess a drum set and HUGE dress up tub with hats, capes and wigs (Oh, and Uncle Craig)...will cure you:)

I still CANNOT believe 5 years have past.  

5 Years Ago

I cannot believe that in just a few short hours my little man is going to turn 5 years old!  Seriously, how did that happen?  

And even though the years fly by (much too quickly) I still remember EVERY little detail about the day John was born.

November 30, 2005

November 30, 2006

November 30, 2007

November 30, 2008

November 30, 2009

I love you big guy and hope you have a fantastic 5th birthday!!!

My Energizer Bunny

My sweet little girl is a bundle of energy!  She started walking at 15 months and went from a couple of steps to running.....in a matter of days.  She had her first goose egg a few weeks ago when she slipped in the bathroom and went head first into the corner of the travertine tub.  Ouch!  And, her first fat lip occurred on Thanksgiving morning....again, went face first into my parents coffee table.

You can find her at any time on top of ANYTHING.  She definitely keeps us on our toes......and we love (almost) every minute of it...hahaha!

Love you sooooooooooo much Hopie girl!

Thankful

I am so thankful for everything in  my life...

For my amazing family and friends who go above and beyond for us.

For my wonderful husband who drags out the Christmas tree well before Thanksgiving because he knows how happy it makes me!

For my two kids who light up my life and make me smile every day.

And...

For a Neurosurgeon who spent an hour and a half talking with us about John's surgery and giving me 110% confidence in moving forward with it in February (more on that later!)

Surgeon Number 2

We are off to Cardons Children's Hospital (a new children's hospital here) this afternoon to meet/interview a second surgeon.  I'll try to update this evening.

And how sweet is my little boy?  He was at the grocery the other day with Daddy and he insisted he buy me flowers!  He is such a sweet boy.  I'm one lucky Momma......with the two best kids in the world!!!!!!