Softball Closing Ceremonies 2011

Softball season with the Orange Crush and Coach Cody is officially over.  The girls did great and Coach Cody had a blast.  Alexis finally got her trophy and Cody got his Coaches plaque.   Can't wait for next season!

Mother's Day 2011

Mother's Day this was was fabulous as usual!  My girls let me sleep in, made me breakfast in bed, got me a beautiful gold heart necklace and homemade cards.  Then I took the girl responsible for making me a mother in the first place to get a pedicure with me.  She loved it!  I take Avery with me all the time to get pedis while Alexis is at school, so this was a special treat for her!  We got matching toes.  :)  Then...dinner.  A few weeks ago they built a new Taco Bell right down the street from our house.  Not a huge fan of Taco Bell, but oh well right?  Well, Avery had watched the thing be built since we drive by it every single day.  She wanted to go there so bad, but the chance just never came.  So a few days before Mother's Day, Miss Ree got so excited and told me and Cody that she had a great idea.  She wanted to take mommy to the new Taco Bell for dinner on Mothers Day.  She was sooooo excited, who was I to crush her dreams?  So, we had dinner at Taco Bell.  And it was wonderful (even though it was Taco Bell).  I love my babies and am so glad that I get the opportunity to be their mother.   

My flowers from my honey and my cards

My card from Avery (love the 4 year old writing)

My card from Lexie

Me and Lexie off to get pedis

Our matching toes

Gourmet dinner at Taco Bell :)

Visit with Mark

Uncle Mark lives far away.  We only get to see Uncle Mark about every 2 years.  My girls LOVE Uncle Mark.  He is so much fun for them to play with.  He came out for my mom's graduation and was able to stay with us for a few days after.  He taught Alexis to play her guitar while he was here.  The girls decided to make a band with Uncle Mark.  They called their band "Kids Rock".  They jammed in the kitchen for a very long time and had a blast with Uncle Mark.  Hopefully Uncle Mark will come visit again sooner than 2 years from now!

Mom's NAU Graduation :)

On May 14 (my birthday), my mama got her Masters in Early Childhood Education from NAU.  She loves school and has been going FOREVER!  So this was an amazing accomplishment for her.  It was a fun filled weekend spent in Flagstaff with tons of family and friends (including my little bro Mark who we haven't seen in 2 years!).  Lots of pics to follow since we had to take pics of all the fabulous people who attended to support my mom!

 Me and my brothers :)

My brothers and dad

My grandparents with their great granddaughters

My fam at the graduation waiting for the graduate

Alexis and her uncle Matt causing trouble as always

Me and my niece Kodie Brooke

The graduate with my girls

Me, my girls and my mom

My mom and her friends Karla and Meg

My mom and her granddaughters

My mom and brother Matt's family

My mom and all her kids!

My parents with their kids and grand kids

My mom and her Aunt Yvonne and Uncle Norman

Mom and her cousins Dottie and Jackie

Mom and Dad

Mom, and her mom and Joey

My mom and her childhood friend and her daughter

My parents and my dad's parents

Congratulations mom on your wonderful accomplishment!  We are all so proud of you and all you have achieved!

Cancer

Cancer.  My least favorite word I think.  So 3 years ago when I had Thyroid cancer I thought it was horrible.  I got surgery and did pretty well without that cancerous thyroid.  Every year I celebrated being cancer free.  Happy and cancer free.  I always said that I got my cancer young so I would never get it again.  Cancer should only happen to people once right?  Wrong.  30 years old, and cancer again.  This time it was Dermatofibrosarcoma Protrubrans, or DFSP.  Just a little bump on my left shoulder blade that looked suspicious.  One in a million they tell me.  Well isn't that nice.  I always knew I was one in a million!  So again, under the knife.  Twice actually.  Now I have a lovely 3.5 inch scar on my left shoulder.  They tell me that they got it all, but there is awaly a chance it could come back.  Great.  Now I have to follow up at the dermatologist office every 3 month, the endocrinologist office every year, etc.  I'm really freaking tired of going to doctors.  How many people do you know that have had 2 different kinds of cancer by 30 years old?!  Probably none, except me.  Guess I'm just the lucky one right?  I am of course extremely grateful that both of these cancers were found and treated in a timely manner.  But still, pissed that I have even had to deal with this cancer s*%! TWICE.  Let's hope the second time is for sure the last, and I pray for many more cancer free years to celebrate.

My favorite girls

Have I ever mentioned how much I love these 4 girls?  I love, love, love that I have 2 perfect nieces to go with my 2 perfect daughters.  Cody's parents have 3 grandaughters, my parents have 3 granddaughters.  Cody's parents have two 7 year olds and a 4 year old, and my parents have a 7 year old and two 4 year olds.  It really could not have worked out any better.  Alexis and Trista a closer than any cousins I have ever seen.  I am starting to see the same thing in Avery and Kodie.  I love that both of my girls have a best friend in their cousins, and I love that I have these 2 nieces to love with the other half of my heart.

(Alexis is a week older than Trista and Avery is 3 months older than Kodie.  Could never tell by the sizes though!  :))

Movies in my eyes

The other night I was putting Avey to bed.  She seemed super excited to be going to bed.  I asked her why she was so excited.  She said she couldn't wait to see the "movies in her eyes".  It took me a minute to get it, but I thought it was the cutest thing she has ever said.  She has dreams and remembers them!  She calls them movies.  I asked her what they were about.  She named off a ton of fun stuff, and names of people.  She said her movies are always happy movies.  I love that my little girls have pleasant things to dream of and are excited to experience these sweet "movies".