Cassidy's birthday

Well, I've got some blog catching up to do. This week has been spring break and I've had a busy last 2 weeks that I haven't got a chance to post about Cassidy's birthday or even easter. Easter will be in the next update. Today is all about Cassidy. She had a great birthday and got skates and a bike from us. She really wanted the skates, seriously. She got to skate once at a birthday party we went to for one of Brenden's friends and she loved it. So she has a Dora bike, Dora skates, and the boys got her a bathtub for her babies and we also got her Rocket and the Little Einsteins toy. She loves them all. My dad did a great job with a barbie phone and dress up outfit with shoes, purse and crown. My mom got her a dancing ballerina jewelry box, puppy slippers which she loves to wear, and a barbie guitar. My brother sent an outfit and a sleeping Dora doll and Josh and Jenny got her a care bear and a barbie tea set. Pam was out of town and couldn't make it. So, the party went well and her balloons are still inflated too. Can't believe she's 2 already. She speaks in sentences. Just yesterday she was sitting beside me playing on the floor singing "Scooby dooby doo, where are you, we've got some work to do now". She said all of that. And she speaks so clearly too. She can also count to 10 already. She just does these things on her own. Picks them up from listening to all of us and from learning time with Spencer. Time to get flash cards for her too. Ok, I may show some more pictures of her on skates next time. I've got to them all loaded.

My mom UPDATE

My mom's surgery went well and the pathologist said the tumor did not look cancerous. Great News!!! She also did well after the surgery this time too. Last time she stopped breathing so they found out she's allergic to morphine. So this time she was cognitive after surgery and knew what was going on. I spent the night at the hospital with her Friday night and she came home on Sunday. She's doing fine and now looking forward to the move over here. Thanks for the prayyers. Richard loved staying home all day with the kids. He was amazed at how uncrowded places are during the day and he said Cassidy and Spencer were just so good everywhere they went and at home. They all watched a movie Friday night and got to stay up late. Cassidy did however wake up from her nap crying and saying where's my mommy at. That made me cry and feel good all at the same time to be missed. He said the boys said they missed me too. AAHHH!

Cassidy's birthday party was yesterday. I've got a lot to do today so I'll give party details tomorrow.

My Mom

My mom is having surgery tomorrow to have a thyroid gland removed. She stopped breathing after her last surgery in Dec. so I am concerned and worried. They are removing the thyroid gland to determine if it is cancerous, the biopsy was inconclusive. I need some prayers for my mom Pat please. We may have had our differences in the past, but she's still my mom and I love her. I talk to her on the phone every day. She's moving to Lancaster next month and getting herself a PT Cruiser that she's excited to have. So she has a lot going for her right now and it's just not her time to go. I am worried that they may say it is cancer and also that she may not come out of surgery this time. I've spent some time crying about it this morning after talking to her on the phone. She's worried too. Please remember her in your prayers today and tomorrow. Thanks for your support and concern.

No Way!

ARGH! I just spent an hour and a half uploading pictures to Snapfish who said 9 cents per print. Great for me since I had 300 pictures to develop. I'm a little late on getting my Christmas pictures developed so sue me. At least they are on the computer already. Anyway, back to snapfish, turned out that then it was 15 dollars for shipping so total came to @ $45 after shipping and taxes. No thanks. So I picked to pick them up instead of shipping. Well then they take away the 9 cents per print and my price went from $45 including shipping to $77 no shipping, picking them up at Meijer. I'm so frustrated. I spent all of Cassidy and Spencer's naptime doing this and I'm so not paying that much so I'll do it all over again tomorrow to Walmart's website. Good times. I have to do red-eye removal and all that fun stuff. Good Grief!!!

Blizzard of 2008

Thank you blizzard of 2008 for cancelling Cassidy's birthday party! I had to move it to next Sunday and my mom has surgery on Friday so she'll still be in the hospital and won't be able to come. As of this morning, we are now downgraded to a level 2 snow emergency. Still can't see the pavement on the roads though so I'm not sure how that qualifies us to be downgraded when we are still driving through thick snow on the road. Whatever. Back to Cassidy....we let her open up 1 present since yesterday was her birthday and original party day. I put up a the happy 2nd birthday banner and dressed her in her birthday party outfit and took pictures. She opened her Little Einsteins Rocket with the people in it and loves it! To quote her as she opened it she said "Awesome". The boys say that all the time so she's picked it up too. We still made it a fun day for her even if she couldn't have her party. We are planning on going sledding and building a fort today. Ok, it seems like a lot of my blogs lately have been about snow. Who would have ever thought we'd get this much snow this year though. We couldn't go out yesterday because it was blowing too much and Cassidy can't walk out there unless Richard clears a path for her. Brenden went around the corner to his friend Micah's house and the snow was up to his knees. That was funny seeing him get there. I'm happy that it didn't hit during the week so Brenden doesn't miss more school that he has to make up at the end of the year because we leave right after the last day of school for vacation. We won't be home for the makeup days and the principal has to approve a vacation if it is during school time. Well, it wasn't supposed to be, but now it is and they said it must be approved. Again I say, Whatever! No reason to not be approved unless he's missed a lot from being sick and he hasn't. More to come this week.......

Snow postpones party...boo hoo

So I wonder how much snow we'll really get. All three news stations reported different amounts for us. The high amount is 8-12" and the lowest amount is 4-6". Both are alot! I decided to postpone Cassidy's birthday party til Sunday. Her party was scheduled for Saturday but neither of my parents would be able to come due to the snow. So we figure that by Sunday the roads should at least be cleared and driveable. Cassidy's birthday is tomorrow, March 8. She'll be 2! She's moving right along with potty training. She's telling me when she has to go and when she doesn't but still wants to go try so she can get M&M's. I'm really excited for her birthday. I've been buying for boys for 8 1/2 yrs now and girl stuff is still relatively new to me. Cassidy loves to dress up in dress up clothes and wear her dress up heels. She has 4 pair of dress up shoes. They are quite loud on our hardwood floors! She's a little mommy to her baby dolls. It's so cute to see her feeding and hugging and rocking her baby dolls. She's going to have so much fun at her party. I can't wait.

As I look outside right now, at 8:30am, it has started snowing. Just blowing in the wind really right now. Richard took the Uplander to work. He learned his lesson a few weeks ago why you don't drive Camaro's in the snow and listen to your wives and take the minivan on bad days. He bottomed out in a pothole and we had to replace the tire....for $167!!! So even at the mention of snow he'll be taking the van! It's also safer than the camaro. The camaro slides all over the place. At least this snow is coming later today and on a weekend so Brenden doesn't miss any more school. They have to make up 2 days already. I know I said in an earlier blog entry that I like the snow and it's fun to play in. This is still true but in MODERATION! This was also before the few spring teaser days we've had the past few weeks. Now, I'm ready for spring. Be safe and enjoy you weekend everyone.

Update: 11:50 am Snow is coming down! I said early it was just blowing in the wind. Turns out it wasn't! It just didn't look like it was sticking to the ground for the first 1/2 hr. It sure is now! It's been coming down all morning and school is being dismissed 2 hrs early. This may be the big one of the year...and it had to happen for her birthday. Gee, Thanks!

Random info

My mom is moving to Lancaster in April. I'm happy to have her moving near me since she has been pretty sick these last few years and in and out of the hospital. She has a surgery on March 14 to remove a lymph node to see if it is cancerous. The biopsy was uncertain to the doctors so they've decided to take it out and test it that way. Please pray that she is fine. She'll be living only 5 minutes away from me. The kids will get to see her more often and that will be good for her and them both. I grew up seeing my grandparents twice a month (when I was at my dad's) and I lvoed going to their house. Now maybe Richard and I can get out a little more often alone too. I can count on both hands (just once) how many times we've been out alone since the kids were born.....not kidding! Josh and Jenny have babysat before but as their family grew too we just feel guilty asking them to take our kids and their kids which would be 6 all together! But other than them, My mom has only babysat a few times in 8 yrs. Her life has changed a lot in the past few years so I think she's settled down and that's why I'm happy to have her over here and away from her past. If she's happier and has positive influences around her then she'll get healthier too.

More randomness.....WalMart opens tomorrow! I literally have to drive across the highway to get to it. 2 minutes if the light is green. I'm happy to not have to drive a 1/2 hr to get there anymore. A lot of their groceries are cheaper than Meijer and Kroger and I'm a bargain shopper! I also like their home stuff better than Meijer too.

We are preparing our house to sell later this spring after we can re-mulch and plant flowers. Gotta wait so the curb appeal is good. Our backyard is pretty when the flowers in the flower garden bloom too. Richard went HGTV on the backyard a few years ago and it looks nice.

Cassidy turns 2 on Saturday. You know I'll be posting about that next week. She's getting excited when we talk about presents.

Yesterday was such spring tease day....67 degrees and playing outside alot. Today is freezing again and 34 degrees.