Some new developments

We decided to dress up Noel in this outfit since it cooled down last week. He looks a little like a mini Larry the Cable guy. Noel will be six months on Wednesday. I can't believe how fast he is growing up!

I took Claire to her "Music Makers" class. She has a blast learning songs and the names of her little buddies. It is a group of about a dozen two year olds and the moms take turns leading them in songs and helping them learn about rhythym and movement. Claire's favorite things to do are to hold an instrument while marching in a parade and play Row Row Your Boat with Mommy. I'm so grateful to the Sheens for opening up their home to us.

After music time... it's snack time. It is so cute seeing all the two year olds sitting around this table. They can hardly reach the table - all their little noses barely come up to it.

I didn't have my camera the first week so my friend Jessica took some pictures of Claire playing afterwards.

She caught Claire getting into this car with this stranger!

But it turns out she was just carjacking her friend Chase.

Chase learned a valuable lesson about women, I guess... They are not to be trusted!

And Claire commits her first felony...

Outside

Things have cooled down a bit and we've finally been able to turn off the air conditioning and open some windows. I thought it would be nice to get out and get some exercise. I took the kids walking the other day and finally remembered to bring the camera. This trail is my favorite because of all the trees and the shade that they provide from the hot Texas sun.

For some reason, Claire loves to play with wood chips. Loves putting them on things - the slide and the swings especially. No amount of chiding will sway her. She is very determined that all the playground equipment must have wood chips.

Noel was happy to nap in the stoller.

Claire and I decided that it would be fun to play "telephone".

Me: Brring... Brrriing!

Claire: Hello?

Me: Hello? Is this the pizza man?

Claire: No, it's Claire!

Me: Oh, Claire! How are you?

Claire: I'm two!

Noel 5 months old

We took these pictures last Sunday after church. When Claire was 5 months old we had some professional pictures taken of her that were just so cute. This time around we don't really have the money so we will have to wait until Christmas. I know that there are deals all of the time... but it's so hard to say no to pictures of your child when they show them to you after your sitting. Like a coupon for $9.99 for a few wallets and an 8x10- turns into $100+ worth of pictures because I have to buy all of the poses and all of the different backdrops.

For anyone who has wondered but was too shy to ask...

I got an e-mail the other day from a friend from college and she asked in it:

" I have a question for you. When you sent some new baby pictures, I noticed a scar on your neck. Do you mind me asking what it’s from? "

I don't mind, so I replied:

"To answer your question about the scar: When I was pregnant with Claire, my thyroid became enlarged... and more enlarged... and more enlarged.... I had ultrasounds, and biopsies, but nothing would give doctor's a clue as to whether it was cancer or not. So they had to go in and do what is called a frozen section biopsy. They open you up take out a piece of tissue and freeze it and the test is supposed to tell you right away if the tissue has a malignancy or not. So... my thyroid nodules were benign. They took out half of my thyroid. I was seven months pregnant with Claire at the time and it was a real blessing that it was benign. I was having trouble breathing regularly at night too because of the size of my thyroid and the pressure on my wind pipe. So I appreciated the new lightness in my neck afterwards... even though the scar is a nasty one. But, if there would have been cancer, they would have had to induce labor early and I would have had to go through radiation therapy... even though prognosis for thyroid cancer is almost always positive, I'm glad that I didn't have it. Turns out my thyroid still works fine too, no need for pills. Sometimes I look at myself and think I would like to get some thyroid enhancers... but every time I get my blood work back - it's normal... :) I guess I have to lose weight the regular old way though eating right and exercise."

This is me (pre-scar) about 15 weeks pregnant with Claire at my sister's wedding. Notice the size of that neck?!

This is me about 8 months pregnant with Claire - post scar - notice the size of those feet? ...ouch... That didn't have anything to do with the thyroid, just swelling from summer humidity and pregnancy.

There is my fresh scar. And Lillian... what a cutie!

Me, My scar, and Claire at about 6 months old all bundled up and ready for bed - Ah, those Michigan winters.... Notice the indentation right above the scar. That is how women's necks are supposed to look. Mine didn't look that way - it just had big lump there.

My scar with newborn Noel.

This is about how it looks now. I'm hoping someday it will lighten up. I hear there is always laser surgery, but for now I'm stuck with it. I really am thankful that it wasn't cancer and that I was able to have two successful, relatively healthy pregnancies. And especiallythat I was able to delivery two practically perfect children, of course! We were also extremely blessed by the job I had at the time that paid all of my really good health insurance premiums. We paid nothing even after I had stayed overnight in the hospital for monitoring because of the pregnancy. The staff of the branch of the credit union I was working at even brought us meals for a week after my surgery. This was a scary experience, but we made it through it. We are so grateful to our heavenly father for helping us through it and that we didn't have more complications arise from it. We are also so thankful to our friends and family for their prayers and help.

So, there you have it...

The last of our vacation

I realize that I have been drawing this out, but we've only gone on one vacation in the past two years... bear with me here:

Playing the piano with mommy (NO, I don't play well enough to be called as a pianist at church)

"FRRROOGGYY!" Book - Claire was introduced to these by her Grandma and she couldn't get enough

We got to visit to the Oklahoma City Temple. My mom was nice enough to watch the kids. We left right after they went down for naps. The temple was only a 15 minute drive from their home. When we got back the kids were fine. I was worried about being away from Noel, but he did great and the kids slept most of the time we were gone anyway. I was so glad that we had the opportunity to go. This was the first time since we moved to Texas. We miss the Lansing Ward temple days and their way of organizing the babysitting right there at the Bloomfield Hills Stake Center next to the Detroit Temple. I wish they would do something similar here. Our ward was just too big was what I was told.

One of the nice temple ladies got choked up as she told me that she was feeling the spirit so strong that it was either emanating from me or the person I was going for. I felt it too. I remember the clean feeling after my baptism when I was eight years old. I felt the same feeling come back when I went to the temple the first time right before my mission. I felt it again this time. I know I should be able to get that in sacrament every week, but with the distractions from my sweet children, I admit that hasn't happened. I'm just so glad that we were able to make it back to the temple and that things went so smoothly with the kids. I've been praying for weeks that we would be able to make it work and it did!

Hanging out after the trip to the temple

Noel being cute as usual on the "doggie" pillow - don't worry no doggies had or will ever use it. It was a nice sitting area for Claire to watch her favorite movie "Monster Baby" aka. Monster's Inc.

Pigtails and bananas for breakfast

On the way home, it rained. It cooled things off a ton and we actually needed to put on some hoodies. But by the time we got home things were back into the upper 90's. We knew what to expect a little better on the way home, so it only took us 7 hours to get home rather than the 8 to get there... Claire was happy as long as she had her blanket and her baby. Claire was especially sad to leave Grandma and Grandpa and has been asking to go back to "gamma's" house ever since. I can't blame her, I can't wait to go back too.

OKC Zoo - Biker Boy!

We went to the Oklahoma City Zoo on Labor Day. I forgot to bring Noel's hat and we stopped at the store on the way. I asked a lady where baby sun hats were and she said that they were all out and that she was getting winter stuff now. I just don't understand why season stocking has to happen earlier and earlier every year, especially in the south where its hot until November! What is up with that? Anyway, after walking all over the store we found these do-rags... remember those? Well, it was only a buck so we bought one and we tied it around Noel's head. We all got such a kick out of it. It didn't really protect his face from the sun but it was better than nothing and it was pretty cute. It was so hot and humid! The zoo was huge and after a couple hours we were all pretty miserable. It was worth the trip and we had fun, but next time we go in the summer - have to ride the tram.

Nemo!

The family feeling the heat

Grandpa Daniels and Claire

Daddy and son in front of Rhino

Lion Cub and some random people

memorial

During our trip to Oklahoma, we had the opportunity to go to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. My dad works for the government and actually works in the new Federal building kiddie corner to the old building/memorial. It was a sobering experience. But I'm glad that we went. I will never understand why people destroy innocent people and think that they are proving a point.

"And Jesus Wept" statue was built by the local Catholic church whose cathedral suffered significant damages from the blast.

Wall left alone to show damage

The wall of this building -now the museum shows damage to roof and fire escape.

Children's Area. These are ceramic tiles made from letters sent from children across America after the bombing. There are slate areas on the ground and sidewalk chalk for children to draw pictures or leave messages of hope.

Aaron and Claire walking by reflection pool and Gates of Time

The field of empty chairs. It was sad especially because of the 19 small chairs.

Me, Noel (in stroller), Aaron, Claire, and my mom in front of reflection pool.

The Memorial Fence: These are items brought from all over to remember the people and children who lost their lives. There were some pretty sad things, toys and pictures of children who had died, who would be old enough to start college now. Interestingly, my eyes went right to a little picture of the Savior with the 13 Articles of Faith on the back and I thought about #13 "We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things".

This is the survivor tree. Interestingly enough the inscription on the wall built around it says, "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us".

Horsey's Mommy!

In the morning, about six horses came by my parent's backyard. There is a walking trail right next to a horse field right behind their house. My dad cut up some apples and we went out to feed them.

Claire was excited, but she kept her distance.

She decided to show them her horsey dance.

View from the back patio.

I brought Noel out to see the horses. I don't really know what was going on in his baby head, but he sure was watching intently. His eyes got very big. Though the horses didn't produce any giggles from him. Feeding horsey's is very serious business apparently.

Over the River and Through the Woods

We decided to leave Friday morning for our trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Labor Day week-end. Aaron got the day off and we left that morning. Here is Noel, practicing for the trip in his swing. He has no idea what he is in for in a few minutes... It is almost 400 miles to my parents house from Austin. The kids did pretty well, once we got going. After about 3 stops in the first 2 hours...

Our second stop in Waco to try to feed Noel. We stopped in a church parking lot (because it had shade) off the freeway and Daddy and Claire ran around a little bit. Noel wouldn't eat, he was just so happy to be out of his car seat he couldn't concentrate on food.

"Claire, do you smell that skunk? Ew...Stinky!"

Another stop at a rest area on the trip. Pointing at the tractor.

We stopped and had snacks along the way. Noel didn't seem to want to eat much on the trip, but he was a good boy. When we got to Oklahoma City, the kids were pretty tired of being in their carseats. We had to call my mom for directions to their house and both kids were screaming. We could hardly hear each other. It was very sad. But we got there quickly after and all were very happy to had finally made it.

This is Grandma and Grandpa's house in Oklahoma. I should have gotten some pictures of it. This is one from back when they first made an offer on it... Anyway more pictures of our trip to come soon.