Hank Rolled Over!!

Lovely image right!
Thats right! Last night with my mom he rolled over then again today with me! I love these sweet milestones! Way to go Hank!!!

Kansas City bound!!!

Here are my cousins kids and my kids on Grams back porch eating a Kansas City favorite - Winsteads!

Gram, she is just as sweet as she looks!

Lucy conducting a dance class in Gram's Irish room

Ty and Lola hanging out in the bag of Jans car - I am sure this is safe

Gram and Hank meeting for the first time - they were both happy as could be to be hanging out together.

Lola rocking away in a very special rocking chair. This car was made by Lola's great-great uncle John.

The dance party begins

These students listened so well - Jan (my moms youngest sister and Gram)

Once in Tulsa Adam and I decided we wanted to make a trip to Kansas City to visit my Gram (who is 93) and all my aunts & cousins! It was a trip I will never forget. My Gram got to meet Hank and spend time with the girls. It was so priceless. Gram is so dear to me as I used to live with her the year before Adam and I got married. Lately she hasn't been feeling well, but once we got there she stepped up her game and by the end of the night was participating in a dance class taught by Lucy and Lola (imagine that!)

A day at the zoo

While in Tulsa we took the kids to the zoo. It was beautiful weather, the animals were active and the kids had a blast!

Lucy and Lola checking out the monkeys

Train ride!

Hank's first visit to the zoo

Pose!

We smell smoke

We made it to my parents house on Thursday and when we were putting the kids to bed on Friday night my dad yells at Adam and I saying "GET THE GIRLS AND GO OUTSIDE!" I was freaked out immediately because typically my dad DOES NOT overreact so I grabbed Lucy met Adam and Lola in the hallway and we ran outside. My dad said "the house is on fire, get outside". I saw my mom holding Hank in the yard looking back at our house. I got emotional and ran to my mom. I just knew when I looked back I would see flames coming out of my parents house that they have lived in for 32 years, so before I looked at the house I said to my mom "Everything will be okay" she said in a calm casual voice - "I know honey I just smelled smoke". LONG STORY SHORT - no smoke, no flames, no fire....we were smelling someone elses backyard fire pit. My mom and dad both smelled it and then as our AC kicked on it brought the smell into the house, there was a light haze over one light in the living room and my parents were having a little trouble with one of the lights in their bedroom. My dad called 911 and 4 huge fire trucks arrived, my kids freaked a little bit but know Lucy tells the story everyday. She now knows rescue is 911 and Lucy and Lola can yell rescue really LOUD! It is pretty funny now!

Let's drive to Tulsa!

Here is the car all packed. We left our house at 4 am.

Girls were bright eyed this early and only slept for 30 minutes the entire 11 hour drive

Hank was even halfway smiling when we took him out to the car

Here is a picture of the girls asleep

Pulling over to potty

Lola had to give it a try too!

Adam and I took all 3 kids on the 11 hour drive to Tulsa. Ask us how long it took - 11 Hours! Thats right just what google told us it would take and we managed. Tears - only for the last 10 minutes from Hank...he was ready to eat. I prepared in my brain for weeks for this trip and the entire week of I was re-situating the car, packing a bag at a time and planning activities to keep the kids entertained. Yeah it worked!!! We had a potty chair in the car so Lucy could go when she needed, my pump so I was ready to jump out and feed Hank and a nifty changing area in the car for Lola and Hanks diapers - who says mini vans aren't cool?

A Monkey & Giraffe - Rainbows Open House

I picked out Lola's clothes for her first day....and Lucy picked out hers - it was a battle that on this day I didn't want to fight

Tonight we had open house for the girls Mothers day out program. Boy do I love this sweet little school. Lucy will be in the Monkey class and Lola in the Giraffe class this year. We got to meet the teachers and the children in the classroom. Lola gets to be in the class that Lucy was last year and I am so happy. Ms. Ruth and Ms. Naomi were great with Lucy and in Lucy's own words "Lola, I learned so much in there". Lucy has Ms. Jeannie & Ms. Olivia - I have heard so much about both of these ladies I am anxious to watch Lucy grow and learn. Lola will have many new friends in her class and just the little time she spent in the classroom tonight she played her little heart out. Many of the children that Lucy was with last year were in another classroom so we will get to meet many new friends!! Class starts on Tuesday and the girls are so excited!

Lola - I just can't believe it!

Every 3 months Lola has to have her blood drawn to monitor her thyroid. Since birth her thyroid has been irregular and so the doctors have kept a close eye on it. I dread more than anything going to the lab to have them drawn blood from my sweet baby. I start planning about a week before I have to have it done because I "change" my plans so much and end up leaving this task to the last minute. This month was the same, Megan was in town so I found every excuse not the take her, then asked Adam to take her, but then decided I wanted to be there, back and forth, back and forth. So I took her yesterday and when they called our name my heart sank. We got up in the chair she put her arm out, and the nurse says "1,2,3". Nothing happens, Lola is chattering to me looking at my phone. I said to the nurse, "did that not work" she told me "It sure did, I am almost finished". WHAT?? Lola is not squirming, crying and really vaguely aware the are pricking the heck out of her. Lola looks over at the tubes of blood and says "Oh pretty". I am still in shock. The man told her she did a great job, she replied with a kind "thank you" and he let her choose her sticker and we were on our way. I am still just in awe over this. What a girl! So proud of my tough Lola. Wish I could have been so tough with all the poking I have gotten throughout pregnancy.

Look at this happy playful face - who would have thought?