WILD CHILD

PUMPKIN PATCH

The gang's all here!

"I'm holdin' on real tight, Daddy!"

Noah has fun feeding the goats.

"The pumpkins are pretty, but the GRASS tastes really good!"

Yeah, we're stylin' at the Pumpkin Patch. Ohhh yeah.

Damian shares his feed with Aaron.

A little snack before we get on the train.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. Or, in Bella's case, just squint!

PRESENTING.....QUEEN BELLA

Me, Nicole, and Twilight

Nicole and I had our first sleepover this weekend and we had a great time! Friday night, we watched Twilight (NOT for the first time) and Saturday, we went around to all the local places where it was filmed. Truth be told, I'm not a huge Twilight fan, but I AM a Nicole fan! She rocks! She so fun and funny. She's also a real fashionista. I just love hanging out with her. (plug for Big Brothers/Big Sisters: check it out!)

7 MONTH SWEETNESS!

FRIENDS - THEY'RE THE BEST!

What a weekend! These pics are in reverse chronilogical order. Let's put it this way - in 3 days, we hit 3 outlet malls, cheated death twice (once with a near miss with a semi going the wrong way on a one way street and once with a bomb scare at the Rose Garden Arena), stayed at an awesome hotel with a swanky bar and 24-hour pool, and laughed soooo much! I love these women! And I'm so thankful for all 3 of our husbands who stayed home with the children so that we could be revived, rejuvenated, and refreshed.

Above: Kell and TJ show off the loot we scored at the North Bend outlet mall! We also hit Troutdale and Chehalis outlet malls!
Above: Nadeen, Kelly's mom-in-law, was gracious enough to let us stay at her house in Olympia. Here we are at Applebee's. Is that a martini glass in front of me? Nahhhh.....

Ok. So I admit. I missed my baby. On our way up north, I called Alanna (Greg's sister, who Bella was with on Saturday) and she was so sweet. She and her daughter, Savannah, drove and met us, literally, on the side of the road so that I could have a few minutes of snuggle time.

TJ and Kell enjoy the suite at the Rose Garden Arena where we participated in the Women of Faith conference. It was truly amazing, inspiring. It felt like a hug from God. This is the awesome hotel we stayed at Friday night. HIGHLY recommend it!

SUCCESS!

The Lasik went very well today! I'm simply amazed at the technology available. I'm equally amazed with the staff at EyeHealth NW. The doctor's assistants were incredible. They even gave me a teddy bear to hold (more like "put a death grip on") during the surgery. The laser part only lasted, literally, 10 seconds. Amazing. I came home and slept. Well, I went to TCBY first. Gotta have recovery food! :-) Anyway, I came home and slept for a few hours. Kell brought me cookies and "The Notebook" to watch, or NOT watch since I had to keep my eyes closed for 5 hours. But those 5 hours have now passed and I'm feeling good. Thanks for your encouragement! Oh yeah - did I mention I have to wear goggles until tomorrow morning?? Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

BACK UNDER THE KNIFE

Well, not REALLY. But I AM going back under the laser. Last March, I had laser eye surgery. It IS as good as everyone told me it would be. I don't even hardly remember my life with glasses. And I wore them for 27 years!

After the Lasik, my vision was great. As time went by, I noticed that my right eye wasn't quite up to snuff. If I close my left eye, I can certainly SEE out of the right eye, but it's not as crisp as I want it. The doctor agrees that it could be better so come Monday, I'm going back under for an enhancement on the right eye. The hardest part is not the lasering or the smell of the laser as it tic tic tics away at my exposed eyeball. It's AFTER the surgery when I have to keep my eyes closed for 5 hours. Aw man! Oh well, it'll be worth it!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Greg and I just started a Bible study entitled "One Month to Live." The basic premise is to think about what we would do with our lives, what decisions we would make if we had one month to live. What would YOU do? How would your daily life change? Is the thought of having only one month to live freeing to you or scary or sad or......