A Perk!

The kids love that Justin works from home! When he is able to take some breaks, their favorite thing is to have rides on his work chair. It is a good time for all of us because they bust up and it cracks us up to see them laughing so hard. Secretly, we love watching them when they are almost done because they always look like they are about to puke yet ready for another go!

The Squish!

I wanted to take a minute and jot some "Kendall" things down for journaling purposes:
At one year he weighs: 24lbs 14oz
He is 30 3/4 inches tall
He still falls asleep in my arms 1-3 times a day
He loves a good walk
He has a ridiculous attachment to his Mammy
He goes crazy when he sees horses, even a merry-go-round or carousel he flaps his arms uncontrollably
He loves to wake Nathan with a kiss and a snuggle
He loves bar-b-que chicken
He can sit in a swing for hours
He still prefers a good hip to the floor
He loves a good bubble bath and prefers it with Nathan
After 1084 graham crackers, he finally got sick of them
He melts my heart when he says mommy
He prefers to do his stink bug crawl even though he knows how to walk
I can't help but kiss his "cry" face because 9 times out of 10 he is faking

*These pictures are from my same friend that took him eating his birthday cake.

Master Kendall turns 1!!!

My friend took these pictures of Kendall for me at her house and I love how they turned out! He reminds me of a little 50's baby. He loved eating his birthday cake, even when he choked on a sprinkle and threw up!

Prayer Warriors Needed!

I just received news from the Doctor that one of the nodules may be malignant. Therefore, the left side of my thyroid has to be removed for further testing.

I feel very hopeful that everything is going to be okay, it's just a little scary.

Pending....

Well the Hillan Family has hit a bit of a rough patch these last couple of weeks. Both boys have been sick, Justin stressed to the max, and Alisa dabbling into the medical field more than she would like.

It started about a month ago. I was having these terrible headaches that would tingle up my shoulders and into my head. After massages, several chiropractor visits, and visits to the doctor, they decided to run some tests. Blood work, 2 MRI's, and an ultrasound led to this: I have three nodules on my thyroid. Not at all what they were speculating.

Yes, I'm the girl who likes to take worrying to a whole new level. Not proud of the fact but true it is. They ended up having to do a biopsy on each of the nodules and at this time we are awaiting the results. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared but through this experience I have learned that we are never alone! My testimony of the Savior has been strengthened more than I could ever imagine! I feel so humble to have such great family members and friends and appreciate you letting me lean on you. I love you all!

Tomorrow.... the results!

Nathanism

While on a walk we passed an Audi parked on the side of the street. Nathan got so excited and said, "Look guys, it's the Olympics!"

100 Days Till Christmas!

Dashing through the snow..... Our friends do the cutest tradition and being obsessed with traditions I had to do it too! It was 100 days till Christmas so we had a full blown Christmas dinner, listened to Christmas music, read Christmas books, watched a Christmas movie, played a white elephant exchange game, and ate Christmas treats.

One of my favorite things to do is to get organized especially during one of the busiest seasons of all. This night is the perfect time to start. After the kids went to bed, Justin and I made a list of all the things we needed to do for Christmas. It was so fun! That way when Christmas rolls around, we will have time to do lots of fun things and not have to worry about last minute shopping.

Papa's Secret Tunnels!

I'm in a huge state of denial when I think that summer is coming to an end. I'm just clinging on to the few days left and trying to savor every thing that has to do with warm, long summery days spent outside.

Earlier this spring Papa made some tunnels for the grandkids. Mammy planted beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, raspberries and peas so that they could twist and swirl around the the wires to make special "hideouts".

Needless to say, they were a huge hit and we each have been known to go and sit in them for a delicious snack!

Saturday Morning

Nathan's little buddy Frankie, had a party at the zoo and our family was invited to attend. There is noting better than a cool, breezy September morning, watching Elephants give each other a shower, a sea lion show, a picnic by the hippos, animal bingo, a tiger goodie bag, rides on the carousel, and great afternoon naps had by all!

Toadally Unexpected

One late afternoon we were getting ready to cook dinner when we heard a knock at the door. It was Luke. We love our visits with Luke and never know what we are going to get; a show, his snake, a burger from Fudruckers, a funny story, a peek at his new red leather seat covers, a listen to one of his CD's, etc....

Well this particular evening, he had been out on a quest. A quest to save frogs. From the Asian Market. He saw that hundreds of frogs in a tank were about to meet their destiny and their legs about to be a delicious meal for hundreds of Americans.

For $4.99 Luke, figured he could start "saving" them a couple at a time whenever he was in the area. So while heaving a large bucket into my kitchen, he pulls out two enormously HUGE black frogs and lets them flop around on my kitchen floor.

It was no surprise that Nathan thought they were the neatest things and began to beg me for one he could call his own. Wow, this begins at three? Nice!