The Summers Family

Christmas Cards

2011-12-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love to receive Christmas cards! Thank you to everyone that has sent us one. December is truly the only time of year I look forward to getting mail. It seems I can tolerate receiving all those bills as long as they are nestled in my mailbox with those beautiful cards. They truly make my heat smile. We display them and the children love to look at them as much as I do. One year we left them up until well after Valentine's Day. That was a bit crazy and probably more laziness than anything else. Oh well, it was still nice to look at, or so I thought at the time.

I sent out Christmas cards this year but didn't get a letter written. I know people have mixed thoughts on family newsletters but I enjoy them. I like sending them and I enjoy receiving them ~ although I seem to get less and less each year. Which is completely understandable because we are all so busy. Branden said this blog serves as our family newsletter and I guess that's true, expect I've been horrible at updating this as well.

In typical me (Nicole) fashion I was a bit fugal and didn't order enough cards - sorry to those I was unable to send to. I also didn't love our cards this year because we didn't have a very good family photo to use. I ended up making several different versions and sent them all out. It's hard to get 5 people to all smile at the same time so this is the best I could come up with. Again, I'm sorry to anyone that I missed this year.

I'm hoping we will get professional family photos taken for next year's Christmas card. I never seem to think of it in time or budget for it. It's silly because we have several good friends who are photographers and take super great pictures. If you are local to Southern CA and needs pictures taken I highly recommend: Miranda, Sarah or Cielo. They are all personal friends, but are also really great photographers. It will be hard to decide who, but it's on my 2012 "to do" list to have one of these awesome ladies take our family pictures.

We hope that your Christmas was filled with lots of love and laughter and that you made memories that will last a lifetime!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween for the Summers Family was once again super fun. The kids each had dress up events at school which I was very thankful to be able to attend. Branden who doesn't really enjoy dressing up decided at the last minute to dress up with the family. We attended a fun party and got to reconnect with some dear friends. It was a fun holiday filled with friends, family and eating way too much candy and treats!

It helps me

2011-09-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Blogging helps me to see and reflect upon my life and how great it really is.
I really am so thankful for my many blessings - these 3 in particular.

I miss blogging

First Grade

2011-09-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sadly, summer has come to an end and the school year has started. It was a great summer and I could have definitely enjoyed another month of playing in the pool and having beach days with my kiddos. But, the time has come so Jack and I hit the mall for a little school clothes shopping and one on one time together. We grabbed some lunch and talked about all the great things that the first grade had in store for him.

He was understandably a mixture of nervous and excited. He is such a brave boy who continues to impress me as he openly shares what's in his heart and in his head. I am so thankful for our relationship that continues to grow deeper and deeper. I love to remind him that HE is who made me a mom. I sure will miss not having him around the house as much each day.

Today was the big day. Today was Jack's first day of the first grade.

Is there anything sweeter?
They couldn't be more different, but they sure do love each other.

He has a desk!
This is a BIG deal. Gone are the long tables and shared supplies. He has his own desk now and his own supplies. My boy has entered the big time!

When I left him I had some mixed emotions. I'm sure that's no surprise to those that know me. I am not easily pleased when it comes to issues affecting my children. This isn't always a bad thing. I am not a complainer (at least I try not to be), but I do want the best for them.

The classroom was packed - 30 kids, 1 teacher! YIKES!!
You hear so many stories about kids having their BFF in class, that wasn't the case for Jack.
His teacher is new to our school so although she is a qualified 1st grade teacher she will have a bit of a learning curve to get to know the school.
None of these things are deal breakers, just some things that weighed heavy on my mind throughout the morning.

I'm happy to report that when I picked Jack up from school he was happy and smiling and said he had a great day.
He never mentioned how crowded the classroom was. Apparently It didn't affect him they way it did me.
He said he found his BFF at recess and they made a "meeting spot" for lunch PLUS he made friends with the boy sitting next to him.

Although, there are some "things" that aren't exactly perfect I have to admit that day one seems to have gone pretty well. I am hopeful that each day will continue to get better and better and that he will have the awesome year of learning that he deserves!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2011-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Indeed it was!

On Sunday afternoon Jack and I had a great opportunity to see the play Mary Poppins at the Segrestrom Center for the Arts in Orange County. It was WONDERFUL! Mary flew and Bert walked on the ceiling just to mention a few amazing highlights. We couldn't stop smiling and clapping. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Here's Jack before the show started. Check out those awesome seats of ours!

I had been wanting to take Jack ever since I saw the first commercial back in June but couldn't comfortably justify the cost. Then I heard about the student rush tickets that sometimes come available so this morning I got spontaneous. I called the box office to confirm if they would have the discounted tickets available and the lady gave me all the details. The box office opens 1 hour before show time and the tickets are $20 each (cash only). So we took our chances and it paid off. We had AWESOME seats - orchestra level (oh yea baby!), row L, seats 23 & 24. If I remember correctly those were normally like $60. Pretty cool! I will definitely be open to getting student rush tickets in the future. Such a great deal!

It was a super great afternoon with Jack and I'm so grateful for the special time we had together. My sweet boy will be starting 1st grade in a month and I will be missing his beautiful face around the house all day.

I've been neglectful

2011-07-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been a bad blogger. Somehow I've let the weeks slip by without blogging about the family. The truth is that I take way too many darn pictures at family events that it is almost overwhelming for me to narrow it down and then actually blog about it after our day. However, we have had so many great days, so many special moments that I don't want to forget. So, please bare with me as I do a little catch up blogging.

I was inspired by simple as that, a blog I enjoy reading to blog in collage as a quick but cute way to get caught up on the month of May. She actually does a beautiful monthly collage capturing the highlights of her month. There was no way I was going to be able to narrow my many photos down into one collage so I opted for one collage per event. Thanks for still "following" along with us.

Mother's Day

My brother Michael and his wife Frances had their first baby. My first niece - what a blessing! She's just beautiful and we hope to spend more time with her soon.

Home school day with mom! Jack's class was going on a field trip to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, a nice but very small aquarium. Because I always attend the field trips as a chaperone, I opted to not send Jack to school that day but to take both Jack and Benjamin to the "big" aquarium. I arranged for my mom to watch Annabelle (thanks mom!) and the boys and I spent the day at the Aquarium of the Pacific here in Long Beach. We had a great time! It felt like the old days - the day's before kindergarten, preschool and therapy schedules. We were so carefree! It was a lot of fun. We spent as much time inside the aquarium as we did outside. The boys rolled down the grassy hill about 25 times and we got ice cream. Something I guarantee you Jack would not have been able to do had he gone with his class.

I am CONFIDENT they both learned a lot that day. Jack actually did a "book report" as he called it for his teacher to tell her what he learned. Learning to get along with one another was also a big part of the day. By the way, I didn't dress them - they choose to be "twins". I love my boys dearly!

The kids and I attended our first rally to let the leaders of California know that enough is enough. It was called Wake Up California. We were all there to sign petitions and to increase awareness about the crisis facing California public schools and the need for our legislatures to take action now! There were a couple of hundred people there as well as the press. It felt good to show our support.

We ended our month celebrating my sister and I. Mingie turned 41 and I turned 38 this past May. Wow, were does the time go. Doesn't seem like that long ago (according to our parents) that she and I were running around together like Jack and Ben. Our birthday celebration was great! Casual atmosphere (thank you Mingie), good company and great food - exactly what I wanted! The weather was perfect and the boys even got to do a little gardening with their Uncle Ed.

Jack finished up another great month of beginning art at Averyboo Arts.

We are so very thankful to my Dad who graciously offered to pay for an additional month of class. He saw how great Jack was doing and how much he enjoyed it and wanted him to be able to continue. I love that my parents never put me in that uncomfortable position of having to ask for help. They watch, they listen and they unselfishly give what they can. They have both in the last few years (since life got more expensive) offered to help out with different expenses for the kids - be it art class for Jack, karate class for Ben or money toward the thousands we owe to the hospital and not to mention the babysitting they both do. They are both so generous and giving of their time. I have no idea what Braden and I would do without them. We are blessed to have such wonderful parents as role models. We always talk about the love they shower us with and how my grandparents (both sides) were the same way. We hope that we can continue the "generosity and love" with our children throughout their lives as my parents and grandparents have done for us.

Check him out!

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's our Benjamin on page 8 of the new Toys to Grow On catalog! This photo shoot was just a a few months ago but he looks so little (in my opinion). I was super proud of how well he listened and followed all of the directions given to him that day. He behaved like such a big boy for only being just barely 4 years old!

T-Ball and sibling bonding

2011-05-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's 1st official T-Ball season has ended. What a fun experience that was.
He had a game every Wednesday and Saturday - no practices (silly, I know) - just games. He didn't really improve much all season, but he had a lot of fun and looked super cute in his uniform. Isn't that what really matters anyway?

Annabelle was his biggest fan!

She LOVED wearing his hat!

She LOVED hanging out with her big brothers when the game was over.
This was not my proudest Mom moment but it was super cute to see how she copies everything they do. Oh man, help me now!

pictures taken on May 11th

Twins!

2011-05-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of these two. They seriously crack me up! They really are so funny together.

Belle had woken up early and there was still about an ounce and a half left in the pump from her night time feeding. So I put her in her rocking chair to let it finish out while I picked up her room a bit. When Ben realized that they were wearing the same pajama pants he climbed right up next to her and started reading to her and hugging on her. She immediately pulled up her shirt to show her brother her "button". She is very proud of it and shows it off where ever we go.

pictures taken on May 12th

Love, love, love them!

2011-04-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Easter Saturday at Papa's

2011-04-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

We are blessed to be able to spend the Saturday of Easter weekend celebrating at my Dad's house. The food is always super great and the company is even better. Nothing beats being with my brother and sister and their families.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

Here's our attempt at a family photo toward the end of the night.
We clearly kept the kids out way past their bedtime and the crazies started to set in. They were all really good though. Benjamin was sound asleep before we even got out of my Dad's neighborhood.

Thank you Dad and Alex (not pictured) for always being such wonderful hosts - we LOVE you both!

Just because

2011-04-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's not a great picture but something about it I really liked. Any day that my kids can play together is a great day!

Good days make for a blissful treat

2011-04-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to report that we have been having some truly good days over here at the Summers place. When everyone is healthy life is GOOD!

After a super great weekend of house and backyard projects, family bike rides, Easter craft and mommy getting to go out (at night!) to see friends I couldn't have been happier that our Monday was just as great. It seems that having warmer weather really helps our moods.

After picking up Jack from school (he gets out at 1) I put Annabelle down for nap and Jack started his homework. Ben decided to do a little water play and then proceeded to read one of his favorite books, Ghost Ship while drying off in the sun. He looked like such a big boy.

Once Jack was finished it was his turn with the hose. Sorry local friends I know it's "illegal" to have running water from a hose here in Long Beach - please don't report me. We don't do it that often. Jack was making rainbows - they were beautiful and so was the smile on his face!

I went inside to start figuring out what to make for dinner and when I looked back outside this is what I saw. Now you should have seen the smile on my face! I love watching my boys together being kind to one another. I slowly opened the back slider to snap this picture. It was so great to hear Jack reading to his brother.

Since they were being so good I probably should have started the laundry or the dishes or continued with dinner but I was in such a happy mood I just couldn't do those boring things. So, I decided to make them (and me) a treat. Not just any old treat but a pineapple blissful treat I had seen earlier in the day and had been on my mind ever since. Click HERE if you are interested in a super yummy and amazingly easy treat. It was the perfect two ingredient (three if you count the coolwhip toping) treat to whip up during nap time on school night. Don't look if you are against using a box cake mix. I know you guys are out there and that's okay.

Once they realized I was gone they came looking for me - they always do! Then of course they wanted to bake with me. I was practically done considering it's a two ingredient cupcake. So they each got to help with filling the cupcake liners.

Ben loves to cook or bake any chance he gets

Jack enjoys anything he can do one on one with me. He can be such a sweetie

Annabelle missed all the baking but was awake in time to eat it. She seemed to like the cool whip a little better than the cupcake.

It was truly the perfect start to our week. We have lots of appointments this week - Eye Dr. follow up, Pediatrician well check (Jack) and a consultation with a new specialist for Annabelle so we probably won't have another day as fun and carefree like that again until at least the weekend. I am so very thankful for great days with my children.

Take part in ART

2011-04-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Jack started a new art class tonight at Averyboo Arts, a local creativity center for kids. It was a "big guy" class (as he called it) since it was for kids ages 6 - 9. He did super awesome!

The class is Beginning Art and the students learn about elements & principles of design, art history, enhance skills, and use a variety of mediums & techniques while making a new piece of art each week. He was really excited when I told him I had signed him up.

He was a little nervous at first because he didn't know anyone but he jumped right in answering questions and being part of the group. There are only 8 students in the class so that helped a lot with his comfort level as well.

Tonight's lesson and art project was inspired by Sonia Delaunay. The teacher (Ms. Natalie) showed them a few of her paintings and then explained their assignment. They were drawing circles using templates, then using a ruler to draw a few lines. Then they colored each shape a different color using oil pastels.

Although he was very focused and a bit reserved during the class we feel pretty sure that he enjoyed himself and was quite proud of his finished product. We were very proud of him and are super excited to see what he creates during the next 3 classes.

Memorable Moments in March

2011-04-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that March is over! Where did the month go? Our days get so busy that sometimes I fear that I'm not stopping long enough to really cherish each moment as well as I should be. I also have a bad habit of letting the bad overshadow the good. I have SO much good in my daily life - sometimes it's just the little things that make me smile. Maybe it's something one of the boys says when I pick them up from school or a special picture they drew for me. These are very special moments but sadly they can easily be overshadowed by arguing siblings or vomiting little girls. I feel that sometimes I talk more about those things here on this blog or on Annabelle's and way too much to Branden when he gets home than about ALL of the wonderful things that happen throughout my day. Being able to stay home with our 3 little little ones is a blessing and I know this. There is bound to be lots of great and not so great moments every day - there's a lot of hours in each day :-)

So, in an effort to not let another month slip away without remembering it I've visually highlighted as a reminder for me some of the more memorable moments that happened this past month. There were lots more moments I'm sure but sometimes I just don't have a free hand to take a picture.

Taking my boys to the movies for the first time. It was just the three of us and we saw Gnomeo & Juliet

Celebrating Jack's 6th birthday with the family

Disneyland for Jack's birthday on his birthday!

Grammy & Auntie Mingie joined us! It was so much fun and we even stayed to see World of Color for the first time. Such a GREAT day (and night!)

Playdoh with the littles

Surprise swim days after school - me and all 3 kids!
Although it was nap time for Annabelle she is so great about being flexible when necessary and she really had so much fun splashing and kicking in the water.

Jack going out to lunch and the movies to see Tangled with his best friend for his birthday! (Her mom and I were there too)

Wearing super cute St. Patty's Day hair bows and hanging out with a super cool big brother

Jack's 1st Jog-a-thon. Thank you everyone who so generously sponsored him.

Playing in the backyard together!

Benjamin playing T-Ball - soooo cute!

Reading with Daddy early in the morning

Big brothers teaching their little sister karate before bed

Making homemade vanilla ice cream with dad

We have returned to doing weekday crafts during Annabelle's nap - yeah! The boys were "writing" their name with glue and Cheerios. We also did marshmellow rainbows earlier in the month.

Annabelle becoming more comfortable using her walker at home

Reading together with Daddy before bed

Jack made me this beautiful cross last Sunday because he knew I was sad that we missed church. I love his kind heart.

The kids happily building together (yeah - together!)

My brother and my sister in laws baby shower. They are having their first baby - a girl!

It was a "family shower" and the boys were SO excited to go to their first baby shower - it was so cute. Check out how great this picture came out! What I'd give to get a great family picture like this.

What a GREAT month! Thanks for taking the time to relive some of the more MEMORABLE MOMENTS of MARCH with me!!!

Hoping that April is super great for each of you. Feel free to leave a comment if you wish, to let me know you stopped by. I'd love to hear about any special plans you all have planned for April and how you try to cherish the moments with your families in our very busy world.

So lucky

2011-02-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

to have spent my Sunday night with these guys!

It was an awesome night of Bob Books, charades and Yahtzee!
Thank you Sirignano Family for a great dinner and a night filled with lots of love and lots of laughs. You guys are the best! We love you tons and can't wait to do it again soon.

A Message from Borders CEO Mike Edwards

2011-02-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it - I got a letter from the CEO of Borders. He must have saw my very unhappy blog post from yesterday. Oh wait a minute, it was an e-mail he sent out to all rewards members to let us know that they filed bankruptcy today. What are the odds that one day after I "announce" that I will not shop there again they file bankruptcy - CRAZY! Not really, but it is an odd coincidence.

I really do hate to hear of any company going under. It's sad for the employees and bad for the economy. However, as upset as I was at Borders yesterday all is better. Not because of anything Borders did - the Manager didn't even call me back like he said he would (guessing he's a bit busy or just totally disgruntled now). All is better because of FedEx.

Yes people, FedEx ROCKS!! So you see good customer does not go unnoticed in my book (or blog).

We will return to our regular scheduled programming right after this post. Thanks for baring with me during this slight post detour.

Borders.com is the WORST

2011-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

I think I might post this every day for a month. I am SO frustrated and disappointed with their LACK of customer service. I have wasted way to much time on the phone with them over the last week.

SUPER POOR SERVICE!

I will NOT be shopping Borders anymore! I hope someone at their corporate office hears about the absolute incompetent "service" I received. It's clear no one at their "customer service" center cares!

Give Love - Guest post by Joanna

2011-02-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

One of my dear friends and fellow Spina Bifida mom Joanna put this post together and I asked if she would be willing to share it here on our site. It's just beautiful. We are all still praying for little Shea (the sweet four year old boy living in an orphanage in Ukraine who also has Spina Bifida) to get home soon! However, international adoption is costly and his current situation is not ideal. We have learned that he has been scheduled to transfer to an orphanage in the next few weeks. Thankfully, the adoption is still scheduled to go through but this is not what's best for Shea. Please pray that this doesn't happen. Please pray for Shea's protection and that his forever family will stay strong and have peace. We can all help to save Shea this Valentine's Day. We can help by giving the gift of love. The kind of lave that lasts. Love that can change a little boy's life forever.

Because it's February.

Because I just decorated my house in pink and red hearts.

Because Valentines are not just for couples...but friends, mommies, daddies, siblings, classmates and neighbors.

Because everybody needs love. And not the romantic comedy, butterflies in your stomach, plucking petals off daisies kind of love.

They need the "I'm yours forever" kind of love.

The "we can do this together" kind of love.

The "can't stop starring at you" kind of love.

The "I'm always there for you" kind of love.

The "I can't keep myself from smiling around you" kind of love.

The "I promise to make time to laugh with you" kind of love.

The "everything you say is so important to me" kind of love.

The " I couldn't be prouder of you in this moment" kind of love.

The love that lifts you up....

Squeezes you tight...

Makes even hard times feel alright..

The love that teaches you all that you need to know...

And gives you support you need to grow...

The undeniable you were made for me...

And together we make a family...

What's mine is yours...

I treasure each kiss...

And everyone deserves to feel like this...

Kind of Love.

Because real love is something that cannot be bought - only shared. We need it from the time we are born - and those of us who having loving families know that NOTHING could have replaced that. The love of family - the love I was given as a child - made me who I am today. It teaches us how to love the rest of our lives. It can never be truly expressed in the form of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. Those sweet tokens and gestures give momentary happiness - it's the feeling love behind them that really means anything at all. So with that in mind, and in the spirit of this holiday of love - I would like to propose the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Give the gift of Love itself.

Give Love.

You can bring joy and love not only to those who hold your heart -

but to child who needs your help.

Give Love.

By helping one little boy come home to the family who is waiting to give him this kind of love. The kind of love every single one of these children pictured above are given every day.

The kind of love so many of us are blessed to have.

The kind of love he deserves.

Give Love.

Shea's story is a remarkable one - and it is only just beginning. He now has a family ready for him - and Shea is WAITING to come home. His family is actively completing the adoption process - eager to give Shea the love, support and care only a family can give. The only thing wecan do to help them bring Shea home as soon as possible is to GIVE.

Give what you have.

$5, $25, $50

It's not the size of the gift, but the size of the heart behind it.

GIVE LOVE.

It is so costly to adopt internationally - so much so that many people say "we can't afford that" or "it's just not possible for us". But this family has given everything they have not once, not twice, but 3 TIMES (read their blog - they are an amazing family)and is making that leap of faith to make Shea a part of their family - but they need help raising the last bits.

(And in adoption language, "bits" = $9,000!)

They need our HELP!

As a friend so honestly reminded me " Let's face it ... we all spend/waste $$$ on this every year. The chocolate is gone...the flowers die... and all you have is a distant memory of the token(s) you invested in."

How much more meaningful - how much more noble - how much more true to what love is all about - to give that money instead to this family - to this little boy -

to bring him home - to give him Love.

So help share the love...with Shea. :)

Isn't that the most adorable Valentine ever?!

It's message is simple - it's purpose sincere.

Make a donation (even just $5!) in the name of a friend or loved one - to Shea's Adoption Grant (through the chipin on the right hand margin of this page) or visit his family's blog and donate through their chipin (it all goes to his account.) Then print out these adorable Shea Valentines(see Donation Gift Cards for the printable link) and give them to your sweetie, your sister, your mother, your friend - and see their faces light up at the sweet face on the card.

I can't think of a sweeter, kinder, more beautiful way to Give Love.

Can you?

(visit www.savingshea.blogspot.com to read about Shea's story

as well as view and print these Valentines)

Thank you. With Love ~ Joanna

Read to me

2011-02-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I took the kids to the library - not for story time, but for quite time. It was really great. We spent well over an hour there just pouring through different books. All three of my little loves seemed to really enjoy themselves.

The best part about a trip to the library with mom in the afternoon is getting to read with dad at night! It's amazing how he and all his funny character voices can captivate the children the way he does. They were so engrossed in the story they didn't even know I was taking their picture.
I love, love, love family time!

Read to me riddles and read to me rhymes
Read to me stories of magical times
Read to me tales about castles and kings
Read to me stories of fabulous things
Read to me pirates and read to me knights
Read to me dragons and dragon-book fights
Read to me spaceships and cowboys and then
When you are finished- please read them again.

Read to me
by Jane Yolen

Rocket Science

2011-01-25T21:43:00.001-08:00

Jack has developed an exciting new interest in science. This weekend it was all about rockets!

I was so excited when I heard Jack ask his dad if he would help him build a real rocket that could fly. Branden could have easily said no, not today son, but instead he said sure! It was Saturday morning and Branden had planned to work on one or two if we were lucky of the many, many unfinished projects we have around the house. But instead, he and his boys built real rockets that could fly!

Such excited little men!

Changing the design and adding fins for aerodynamics

So proud of their soda bottle rockets

adding the water before the launch

Check out Jack's rocket go!

Benjamin's 1st attempt

Benjamin's Rocket - shooting for the stars

Here's where it landed!

Fun stuff!

Long over due update

2011-01-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

As we are approaching the one year anniversary (February 6, 2010) of my nephew Brent's horrible car accident I realized it's been quite awhile since I posted an update about him. I Feel bad that I haven't updated in so long and wanted to take a moment to update those that have been following his story and praying for him. For those that don't know the details feel free to clink on the "myfamily" link below or read some of my past post with the label Brent Sirignano.

Brent has made amazing progress these past 11 months. We are all so proud of him - well, actually we are all extremely proud of the whole family. The way they have come together through this scary situation and have pulled through a stronger, more connected family. They are an inspiration to us all. We feel so blessed to have spent some very special time with them this past Thanksgiving, at my Dad's birthday and Christmas and again for Benjamin's 4th birthday. These were really great moments that we won't ever forget!

*Keith, their oldest son, our oldest nephew is not pictured. He is engaged to be married and was unable to celebrate with us this year.

Here's the latest update on the "myfamily.com site" posted by my sister Mingie and brother in law Ed.

Hello to ALL,

Well 2011 is under way and Brent is off to a great start. Home tutoring and therapies are going well and Brent continues to heal and show improvements. We attended the ETHS varsity game last night and several of Brents friends came over to say hi and grab a hug. Then we watched the team pull out an amazing win in the last seconds of the game. Yes, we still Love this game and always will. Such an intense finish. Brent handled the excitement, the noise and even balanced himself on the unstable bleachers for the whole game. Good therapy for him! It was our first time being in the gym since the accident and of course being at the gym was a little bitter sweet.

On another note Eddies life seems to be getting back on track and he is showing improvement at school and just in general is a happier person and has regained the security in his life these days. Since Brents accident he has been and continues to be very protective of his brother and for most of last year he was Brents younger, but big brother. It was a very emotional year for Eddie, but as Brent continues to improve, we are seeing positive signs with Eddie too. Brent, however has now reaffirmed his big brother status and sometimes even acts like Eddies second Dad these days, questioning Eddie about his plans , when he will be home, who is driving etc. They certainly have formed quite a bond during this last year.

Keith and Amanda's wedding is approaching fast and we are finally at a place in our lives where we can really be happy for them and our family is getting very excited as the big day gets nearer. We Love you both and are very very happy for you.

May God bless ALL of you in 2011.

Love Always,

The Sirignano Family

Here are some pictures from Christmas of our AWESOME nephews with our boys.

The boys are so thankful to have their playful, happy cousin Brent back. Watching them interact was the BEST Christmas gift I could have asked for.

Whenever the boys and Eddie are together it's a constant giggle fest. He is such a fun and patient cousin. He is REALLY good with them. What a blessing he is. I only wish they lived closer (boo hoo)

Here's Keith and Amanda being as adorable as ever! Amanda is just a doll and we are so excited to have her as our niece and the kids cousin. Here she is being Jack's assistant for his magic tricks he was performing for the family. He was so happy to have her helping him!

WE HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR THEM ALL!!

We would like to send a big thank you to everyone who prayed for Brent and the whole family these past 11 months. We would be honored if you would please continue to pray for Brent as he continues on his journey of healing and regaining what was so quickly taken from him last year. Also, please let his experience serve as a reminder how quickly your life can change - in an instant everything can change.

Be safe when you drive, make wise choices and always, always, always let your your family know how much you love them!!

Family Friday!

2011-01-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share these two new family snapshots we got last week when celebrating Benjamin's 4th birthday. Can you even believe my baby boy is 4?

It's been a LONG week and I'm looking forward to some family time this weekend. Hope you are able to enjoy some yourself!

A series of unfortunate events

2011-01-05T02:02:00.000-08:00

**This post is from last night (1/4/11). I'm only posting it because it's kind of comical now and I want it as a reminder that things always get better

Unfortunately, this is going to be a downer of a post with me complaining about all the crappy things that have been happening to me (us) lately. Sorry about that, but it has been a really bad day that seems to be getting worse by the minute. As we speak, Branden is at The Home Depot or Lowes – who even knows or cares to be honest. But, he’s there buying a snake (I think) to unclog our bathroom toilet which is now backing up into our bathtub. For those of you that remember, this is our one and only working bathroom. Our front bathroom sprang a leak, what now seems like an eternity ago and that bathroom has been completely out of commission since then. Of course these things never happen at a good time, but this is truly the worst time. Poor Branden is trying to prepare for a big presentation he needs to give on Thursday. He has SO much work to do and does not need this added stress. He was up until after 3am last working on it and I’m sure will do the same tonight.

I know you are probably thinking "come on Nicole, a clogged toilet and tub is an inconvenience but clearly not the end of the world, you of all people should know this”. I do know this, really I do. I know that our health - the health of our children and family are all that truly matter in life. However, after the string of bad luck and stresses we have had the last two weeks I am just really struggling to keep focus and perspective. I am frustrated and angry and am really just trying to hold it all together.

Here’s just a quick list of our series of unfortunate events:

On the 20th our dryer broke and we had to buy a new one (although clearly not a budgeted expense) because ours was super old and had been repaired twice before.

That same night Jack has an asthma attack and is sick with asthma/croup issues for the next few days. Asthma stuff ALWAYS scares me.

On the 21st, while driving to Children’s Hospital LA in the rain we discover that the brakes are going bad. We take the car in and yes, they need to be replaced – more unbudgeted expenses.

On the 27^th as I’m running out the door to take Annabelle to PT we realize that my car battery is dead. We charge it but it dies immediately. We take it in and they say it’s dead – you need a new one. Great, yet another unbudgeted expense!

During these next few days we start to notice that Annabelle is getting sick. Obviously, this is so disappointing since we have been working so hard to keep her healthy. By the 31st she has a high fever and is vomiting ~ we assume it’s another UTI. Of course we have to cancel our New Year’s Eve plans. This was not a huge deal to cancel, but was a big disappointment as we were all looking forward to celebrating with friends. At the doctors they tell me she has an ear infection, I think huh, okay, that’s sort of good in a typical kid illness kind of way. They decide to take a urine sample to be safe. Fast forward to January 2nd when the Dr. calls to tell us that not only does Annabelle have an ear infection but she has another UTI and not just any old UTI but the kind that can only be treated with Cipro - that really strong antibiotic that we really don't like to use. GREAT!

Do you want to know what the saddest part about the whole Dr.’s visit on New Year's Eve was? It was that the whole time there I was so happy that it was 12/31 ant not 1/1 because starting 1/1 ALL deductibles and out of pocket maximum go back to zero! So that $10 office visit would have been a $50+ office visit the very next day. Yep, the beginning of a new year is always dreaded for financial reasons.

So now here we are again January 4, 2011, still with a backed up toilet and bathtub. I forgot to mention that our internet is down – it's been down all day (ugh!). So, I’m actually typing this in MS Word with the intention of copying it into my blog as soon as I have a connection and clearly I can’t ask Branden to see what's going on (double ugh!) So, in the time I’ve been typing this (and trying to nurse my little girl who does not want to go to sleep tonight) things haven’t gotten much better. Branden has returned home with the rented snake from The Home Depot, he has changed into his coveralls and has been doing something loud outside for the last 30+ minutes. He’s now on the phone with the aforementioned Home store because the snake he rented from them seems to be missing a part! He looks furious and has now just run out the door, which I am assuming to go down there because they probably close in 15 minutes (it’s 8:45pm). I’ve got a sink full of dishes I’m afraid to do just in case it starts to back up there and I have a little girl who is determined to not go to sleep anytime soon!

Okay, so I’m “supposed” to feel better now that I have typed this all out, right? It really does still suck and it has been extremely expensive but honestly I do feel better now that I have gotten all off my chest, because really what can you do when crappy stuff happens do. I guess just focus on all the good in our lives, all the people that have been so generous and have helped our family. Just recently my brother in law so generously gave of his time and his business’s time to help start putting our front bathroom together. He installed a new bathtub and has a new toilet and shower fixtures waiting to be installed once Branden gets the drywall and floors done, my Dad who so graciously helped to pay for my brakes and wouldn’t take no for an answer, The Epstein-Levine family who has given (YES, I SAID GIVEN!) us a one week vacation in their time share in San Diego to be used at the end of next month, and I don’t want to forget last months “Christmas miracle” where Dr. Javahery’s office wrote off a very large bill we owed him.

We are so blessed to have these angels in our life and although it’s sometimes hard for me to keep perspective when we’ve had what seems like really, really bad luck. However, I am able to clearly see it now! I’m glad I took the time to complain and then reflect - it was well worth it to help me move past this yucky feeling I’ve had in my belly all day.

Quick bathroom update: It’s 9:52 and he snaked out the culprit (looks like one of those tushie wipes) and the drain is once again clear. Now to clean the bathroom and wash all the towels he dirtied.

Quick Internet update: It’s ~~11:35~~ no, now it's 12:15 and we are STILL on hold with Verizon trying to get someone to help us get reconnected to the internet. We have been on hold for almost 2 hours (not feeling so blessed at the moment!) After 1 hour and 57 minutes on hold with Verizon the internet suddenly started working on it's own. They never answered but it works now - go figure! Oh but it's 1:30 in the morning and Branden has passed out asleep :-o

Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day!

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

2010-12-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry to everyone who didn't get a Christmas / New Years card from us. I wasn't able to get as many of them out this year. Please know that we are so grateful for all the love and support that we receive from you.
May God continue to bless you in 2011 ~ xoxo

Christmas Eve - 2010

2010-12-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

JACK, BENJAMIN & ANNABELLE WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

So does their Mom and Dad!

Sweet dreams family and friends.
We hope your holiday was filled with many wonderful moments.

Baking with the boys

2010-12-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, who am I trying to kid. I didn't "bake" the cookies, we just decorated them. We sure had fun though.

Jack - takes his time and is always so proud of his final product

Benjamin - plops it on and goes straight to eating part

"First Friday" Fun - Christmas Edition

2010-12-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

The family (minus me - boo) in front of the Christmas tree on Atlantic Ave. here in Long Beach.

We were all bundled up. You know those chilly California nights (he he)

Such cuteness!

If I can be real honest for a moment - I want to put it out there that the ONLY Christmas gift I want this year is for my boys to be like this picture above - kind and loving to one another. Sadly, there has been WAY too much sibling rivalry dampening my Christmas cheer and saddening my heart lately.

We weren't expecting to run into Santa but were sure happy to snap a cute (and free) picture with him. Annabelle was quite intrigued with him. By the time we got her to look at us, the boys were pretty much over the whole smiling thing. Oh well, what can you do.

We ended our night with a Jamba Juice and our usual ride on the BIG RED BUS!!

Another fun family night. I sure cherish these super great times.

Christmas Parade at Disneyland

2010-12-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

Although the parade really wasn't that great it was SUPER GREAT to see the kids eyes light up as the parade went by. This was our first time going to Disneyland during the Christmas season. The park is beautifully decorated and the big pumpkin that was there just weeks before has been replaced with a really big Christmas tree.

Annabelle LOVED everything about the parade - the music and the dancing seemed to be her favorite. It was great to see her smile and waive back at all the characters.

We also got in a few rides before heading home

It was another fun family day at Disneyland!

Fabulous FALL

2010-11-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have been following our family for a while know that after last year's disappointing visit to the pumpkin patch (which you can read about HERE) I was really looking for something new to do with the family during the Fall Season.

Well, I am happy to report that we did it! On Saturday, October 9th we packed up the car and headed to the city of Oak Glen which is about an hour and a half away to do some apple and pumpkin picking. It was GREAT! We had such a wonderful fun-filled day and I am excited to finally share the pictures. We took SO many pictures it has taken me forever to sort through them. SO here they, are thanks for stopping by.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING my friends!!

Yep, I put her in a basket. I thought it would be cute. I guess the jury is still out on that one but they did actually have fun filling her basket with apples. Honestly, she really didn't mind!

Check out this city boy's reaction after finding some corn.

Sure do love this sweet boy!

This was our attempt at getting all 3 kids to smile and look in the same direction - yikes, that was difficult!

Such love between them. I am so glad to have captured it on camera

It quickly just became a pumpkin free for all after that!

Getting a little crazy with the pumpkins

So many fun new things to see and explore

After picking all the apples and pumpkins we could carry we had a little picnic of fresh apple pie and cider. It was a great way to finish out the Oak Glen experience.

Of course no one was ready to do the 1 1/2 hour drive back home so we decided to have some more fun. Just around the way was an old school house and a fun little park. The kids ALL had a lot of fun and even made some friends to play with.

Annabelle was a bit tentative at first, but then started to really enjoy herself on the playground equipment

She also had a lot of fun standing and walking around the playground

After playing in the park we walked over to the firehouse where the auxiliary ladies (love that small town feel) were having a bake sale. The fire chief was so very kind to the kids and they all had a blast sitting in and on the truck. Benjamin went so far as to try and start the truck - crazy kid. Thankfully, the keys were hidden.

We ended our night getting a little Mexican food at a restaurant. For those that really know me know that it a major treat for my family. We were all pretty wiped out but all agreed it was a great night.

Oh and for the record, on the drive home Jack asked if we could still go to the pumpkin patch with the rides and bounce house - ugh!!! I guess that should have been expected.

Yes, the month is over

2010-11-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

but that isn't stopping these two cuties from spreading the word.

My heart was so happy on Tuesday because they both proudly wore their new shirts (without being asked) just 24 hours after they arrived in the mail. This is one very proud Daddy and a Big Brother who is so in love with his baby sister.

I want to add that my Dad, aka Papa wore his shirt the same day but I didn't get his picture and Jack was at school and didn't get the opportunity to wear it because he had to wear his uniform. The shirt is in his drawer and I will gladly take his picture when he chooses to wear it.

For us, spreading awareness about Spina Bifida will not just be in October, it will be forever!

More fun in the sun

2010-10-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

So it seems that I am turning my family blog into an online photo album. Not so sure how I feel about that. Not sure how any of my followers feel about that. Not very exciting, but sure to make you smile a little :-) I am hopeful to get current soon but for now I am just enjoying the reminders of these special days past.

These pictures were from a super fun afternoon at Mother's Beach. It was August 31st and the reality that Kindergarten was about to start was really hitting me. I knew our days/schedule was going to be changing so I figured we should have a few care free hours at the beach - our favorite place!

Still wrapping up summer

2010-10-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

When you have weather like we had here in CA yesterday and today (almost 80 degrees) it's hard to believe that summer is actually over. So, since I am so behind on my blogging I decided to look back at some of our end of the summer moments worth remembering.

These pictures were from an after dinner walk we took on August 22nd. It was a nice family night - definitely worth documenting.

Just a silly video of the kids

I know these are 2 month old pictures but for those of you that don't see us very often I hope you enjoyed them.

I miss blogging!

2010-10-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I just can't get it together. I have lots to share, but my brain is mush by the end of the night.

I have so many cute picture of my littles - so many great memories to document.

At least I am happy to share that we are doing well. We are busy, but we are doing good.

Thanks for stopping by. Lets see what I can put together before I fall asleep sitting up :-o

Here's a short little video from a fun family visit to Disneyland (almost 2 months ago on 8-29). Branden and the boys have been going about twice a month but seem to rarely take pictures. This video is nothing special, but I liked it. This was the first time I didn't nurse Annabelle on It's A Small World so she was really able to take it all in - she loved it. I also love watching how the boys interact with her. They love her SO much and they love making her smile. What a blessing that is.

Here are the rest of the pictures from the day - it really was a great day!

I guess I could be sad that I don't document our great days as quickly as I would like or I can just accept it and be happy we are having GREAT days!!

Guess who's coming tonight

2010-10-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

The TOOTH FAIRY!!

Yep! Our Jack lost his first tooth tonight.

He's been wiggling it, playing with it and talking about it since Sunday afternoon and now it's finally under his pillow.

We weren't prepared with one of those cute tooth fairy pillows (which my mom actually makes) so we improvised with a hand written envelope to keep it in.

If you couldn't tell, he is VERY excited about this big milestone.

Branden and I are pretty excited as well

Who are these masked men (boys)

2010-10-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Annabelle checking out "The Riddler" and "Robin"

Goodness I love these kids!

"First" Friday Fun this summer

2010-09-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Another fun thing we did this summer was going to First Friday events. As you may have guessed, First Friday is an event that takes place in my neighborhood on the first Friday of every month. The stores stay open late, there's usually entertainment or art on display and sometimes free food - like desserts, appetizers and kid drinks. It's very family friendly and a great opportunity to meet up with neighbors, support the local stores and restaurants and just do a little something different with the family.

MAY First Friday was so much fun! We started out at Eat, Play, Grow, a fun childrens play area and cafe but the boys quickly heard the music thumping a few doors down. Even though their friends were there playing they wanted to leave and check out what was happening with the music. We walked a few doors down to find a youth dance group rocking out. The boys LOVED it to say the least. Annabelle just loved being held by her Daddy.

After standing on the sidelines watching for a bit they couldn't help but start grooving themselves. Our boys have got some moves - check them out!

Not sure about this dance stance but they had some serious moves going on.

After dancing in the circle they ended up getting some private dance lessons. They boys were such good students!

Check out this guy. He was one of the main dancers. He had some CRAZY moves and then of course the boys couldn't just watch - they had to join in.

We finally pried them away from dancing to get some fresh air. Those boys would have danced the night away had we let them. Thankfully, the big red bus was a pretty good trade for them.

JUNE was much more low key. We casually walked along the street popping into a few art exhibits and we even got to see the Long Beach Roller Derby girls do a couple of spins. We ended the evening riding the big red bus. We had the whole back section to ourselves and as you can see, the boys made themselves quite comfortable. They really enjoyed just quietly looking out the windows. It seems that everything looks different after your bed time.

The boys were so sweet, just watching the world they rarely see at the hour. It was only 8ish but we are never out that late with the kids.

SEPTEMBER was completely dedicated to the kids. We spent our evening at Eat, Play, Grow watching and listening to a special performance by Birdies Playhouse. There was barely anyone there so the kids there got all her attention while the parents got to sit back and relax a bit. We opted to make it an early night and not ride the bus this month. It was still a fun night out.

Annabelle and Ben were super cute playing together

If you live in the local Long Beach area and haven't checked out a First Friday yet, I encourage you to try and come next month. It's a fun, relatively free family night out.

Our summer garden

2010-09-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer is officially over and I have completely neglected our family blog I wanted to try and get a bit caught up on some of the great things that happened over the summer.

One fun new thing this summer was our garden. It all started back in May when we were gifted these super cool watering cans from our good friend Mary. Thank you again Mary!

Of course the boys wanted to use them right away and somehow watering turned into "gardening" and before I knew it my three boys were planting our summer garden. It consisted of cucumber and tomatoes. Not sure exactly how those two were chosen but the boys were VERY excited about their project.

*FYI - Branden had been cleaning out the garage - see all the "stuff" being sorted in the background but was quickly recruited to garden with the boys.

There was lots of great concentration and team work going on

and then of course - the watering!! Watering became a fun daily ritual.

Doesn't everyone garden in their cowboy boots?

And after only a few weeks, the pots looked like this! The seed packets took off like wild fire

The Topsy turvey was doing pretty well too.

The first strawberry! This was a very proud moment.

They were pretty small, but they were juicy. Each morning the boys would go out and look for newly ripened strawberries to eat. They loved being able to eat them right off of the plant without mommy having to wash them.

The tomatoes before they ripened

So many cherry tomatoes! These have been great for snacking and for salads each day.

Picking the first cucumbers

We put together a nice little cucumber salad

Although it wasn't a huge harvest it was a great start. We have all enjoyed having fresh fruits and veggies each day to snack on. The cherry tomatoes are still ripening daily and Benjamin LOVES going out and picking them for the nights salad.

We now have Brussel sprouts, squash and green beans growing in a Topsy turvey. I look forward to see what they will produce.

Pictures full of love

2010-09-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Being away from our boys when Annabelle is in the hospital is very difficult. Clearly it's not that "break" we sometimes want or need. However, knowing they are with my Mom makes it so much easier. Thank you Mom!

We received these picture texts from the boys yesterday when we were at the hospital.

Jack's picture

Benjamin's picture

Those boys sure know how to make us smile!

Pillow case reminder!

2010-09-10T00:14:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that I will need to get the pillow cases from anyone who wanted to donate to this super awesome cause. PLEASE contact me so we can make arrangements to get any completed pillow cases you have by end of day Monday, September 13th.

Here's a link to my original post with the craft donation details and a basic pillow case pattern. This is about this great opportunity for you to make a difference in the life of a critically ill child. Please consider helping out if you can.

http://summerspartyof4.blogspot.com/2010/07/will-you-join-me-in-helping-to-make.html

27 fun pillowcases have been hand made with love so far and will be donated to Miller Children's Hospital next week. Can you help me reach my goal 35 pillow cases?

Wow, 27 pillow cases your thinking - yep, and they were ALL made by my children's Grammy, my Mom Joyce. What an awesome Grandmother you are. Thank you for being so generous and loving. We are so proud of you and are so excited to donate these really great pillow cases to these children. I am confident that your had work will put a smile on their faces.

Ok, friends, if one grandma can make 27 pillow cases can you make just one? I challenge you to make one pillow case this weekend and we can arrange to meet up on Monday to get it. Think how proud you will be of yourself. Can you help me meet or exceed my goal of 35 pillow cases?

Last (last) weekend's happenings!

2010-08-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

*It took me so long to actually post this that I had to amend the title.

On Friday, August 13th we celebrated Branden's 38th birthday. It was a casual but fun family night. The kids and I grabbed some Super Mex take out and headed up to the pool to swim and cool off. Branden met us there after work.

Then we came home for some peach pie (he's not a cake guy) and a few presents.

Singing Happy Birthday to Branden - watch Annabelle's hand at the end of the video. so sweet.

Another Happy birthday try with a few extra wishes from Jack

On Saturday night we had date night!!!
Yea for us, because we never go out. Thanks to my Mom who was willing to watch the kids and because she knows how to catheterize Annabelle we were actually able to leave BEFORE the kids went to bed - whoo hoo! She said everything went smoothly - what a blessing.

We met up with this fun couple at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy perform. Branden and I saw them years ago (pre kids) so it was great to see them again.
Thanks Rand & Allison for planning a fun night out and for being such gracious hosts.
We enjoyed your company and of course the tasty sangria and yummy cupcakes!

Check out this awesome balloon ride they have available. We didn't ride it but it sure was cool to look at.

On Sunday we spent the afternoon with the Sirignano's. Great afternoon of eating and laughing. pending time with family

It was wonderful to spend some quality time with Brent before he went in for his surgery on Tuesday (8/17). I am pleased to report that his surgery appears to have gone very well according to the doctor. The Dr. said that his new bone flap seems to be fitting well and he was already released from the hospital to recover at home and he went without a pic line (yeah!).
This was super GREAT news to get!

Not our best day

2010-08-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

These four people have been arguing way to much today and it makes me sad. Hoping for a better tomorrow.

When I took this picture earlier in the year on Father's Day, I certainly didn't think I would be posting it after a day like today. However, looking at it now reminds me of the togetherness we shared that day and how happy some days are. Although, I literally longed to be in someone else's "shoes" today, I truly know that these are the "shoes" God intended for me and how very blessed I am.

Tomorrow WILL be a better day. It's Branden's birthday by the way!

Will you join me in helping to make a child smile?

2010-07-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Please consider joining me in making handmade pillow cases to be delivered to terminally ill children here in Long Beach. I (we) will be partnering with Craft Hope and ConKerr Cancer for this great project. Please click on the organization names above to learn more about how each are making a difference in the lives of others.

I will be accepting pillowcases until Sunday, September 12th and will be delivering them to Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach before the deadline of September 15th.

SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Click HERE to see how you can help make a difference in the life of a child.

Click HERE to link to an easy pillow case pattern.

Here's a little about ConKerr and how it was started:

“ConKerr Cancer: A Case for Smiles” was started when Ryan Kerr was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the age of twelve. Despite his illness - and many, many trips to the hospital - Ryan lived a full life of school, sports and friends. To make his hospital room cheerier, his mom Cindy began making fun, whimsical pillowcases to brighten up his day and put a smile on his face. Ryan liked them so much that Cindy started making pillowcases for the other children in the Oncology Unit. In a short time, the pillowcase project grew in amazing ways and has provided more than 210,000 pillowcases to sick children. Thousands of volunteers from across North America and South Africa have joined in so that ConKerr has more than 117 chapters serving over 170 hospitals.

ConKerr Cancer volunteers also visit oncology units and outpatient clinics in order to guide young patients as they learn to sew pillowcases for themselves, their family and their friends. Volunteers bring all that is required for the children to design and create the perfect masterpiece. Girls and boys, mothers, fathers and siblings, all join in for this fun distraction during one of the most stressful experiences of life. But the benefits go far beyond distraction. The activity boosts the children’s self esteem, confidence and sense of mastery. They are so proud of themselves when they see what they’ve made that they flash giant smiles of satisfaction!

ConKerr Cancer has been able to make wonderful progress towards fulfilling our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents. Simultaneously the pillowcase project has fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service in communities across North America. Unfortunately the number of sick children never ends, and we must continue to expand our efforts to help brighten sick children’s lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer.

We hope you will join us – we guarantee it will put a smile on your face too!

Please e-mail me (Nicole) directly at: summersfamily09@gmail.com with questions or to get additional information regarding dropping off your pillow case.

There's nothing better than a day at the beach enjoying the simple things

2010-07-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

like the smell of the ocean

or discovering something moving in the sand

or the feel of the water on your hands and feet

or getting a little dirtier than you had planned

or working together to build something special

or eating tuna sandwiches in the sun

or flying your towel in the wind

or just chewing on some keys

It was a beautiful day filled with lots of love, kisses and cuddling

I blogged about this special day awhile back on Annabelle's blog. Click HERE if you would like to see that post.

Seal Beach, CA - May 22, 2010

Our little skater dudes

2010-07-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Watch Benjamin in action

Check out Jack

These cool skateboards were bid on and won at Brent's fundraiser at Peppino's Italian restaurant in Foothill Ranch, CA on May 18th.

(yes that means these pictures are from May 19th - better late than never!)

A Mother Remembers

2010-07-14T00:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this youtube video tonight of a mother retelling her son's birth story as a tribute to him on his birthday. I enjoyed watching it and thought I'd share. It's an emotional video but also uplifting.

Here is the link to her blog:

A bump in the road for my nephew Brent - please pray

2010-07-11T22:13:00.001-07:00

I write this once again asking for prayers and positive thoughts for my nephew Brent. Pasted below is the latest update as of today (7-11-10).

Here's a picture of Brent with the boys this past 4th of July.

Hello All,

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the results of the most recent CT scan. Fluid continues to increase near the right side of Brents brain. The doctor is concerned and wants to be pro-active and has recommended surgery to remove the fluid. Surgery is scheduled for this Monday at 11:10 at Mission Hospital.

Thank you for the prayers for our son and may God continue to watch over us ALL and give us strength in our lives.

Love Always,

The Sirignano Family

____________________________________________________________________

Brent asked that his surgery not be publicized as he didn't want to make a big deal about it :-( but it seems he had a change of heart and let his parents post about it on the "official update blog". He is making such progress and is understandably disappointed to have to be going back in for surgery which will require a few days to a week hospital stay and missed therapy appointments. We were with him on Saturday night and he was in good spirits and positive as always.

I am asking that you PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY that his surgery will go smoothly and that he will recover quickly. Thank you all so much for holding him and my sister & Ed close in your hearts tomorrow morning. I know my SB mommy friends know exactly what my sister is going through right now. The pain of sending your child into surgery is just horrible - my heart aches for her right now but my head knows that everything will be alright. I believe in God's healing power, the power of prayer and the strength of our family.

The beauty of family

My two wonderful nephews - Brent with his younger brother Eddie
July 4, 2010

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

From our family to yours!

Gymnastics Class (May 5th - 26th)

2010-06-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last month our little monkey's took an intro. to gymnastics class through the local parks and recreation. It was four fun Wednesday's where they got to tumble around and burn a bit of energy. This was their first non-parent participation class so it was a bit different sitting in the hallway verses helping them tumble like I have in past gymnastics classes. It was satisfying however to watch them take direction from someone other than myself. I have to say I was very impressed with how well they listened and behaved during that 45 minute class. I read somewhere that it's how your children behave out of your presence that you should be most concerned with.
They made me proud!

Jack's Preschool Open House (May 6th)

2010-06-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

Jack had an immediate connection with his teacher, Mrs. Lance when he joined his new school earlier this year. She's been great with Jack and we are so thankful for how wonderfully she embraced him and our family.

His classroom was decorated in an ocean theme and was filled with seahorses, mermaids, scuba divers, fish of all colors, and many other sea life and treasures.

It was obvious that the kids had worked very hard decorating the room and Jack was very proud of himself and his classmates.

and away they go!

2010-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Benjamin finally got his own scooter - yeah!! Thank you Dad, a.k.a. Papa.

He's a natural and figured it out right away with very little instruction. These pictures and video were taken they day he got it (April 28th). You should see how good they both ride now - 2 months later. It's amazing the difference a little bit of practice makes.

Some Serious Kite Flying (April 5th)

2010-06-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Dad

2010-06-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

WE LOVE YOU!

List of books worth checking out

2010-06-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

List of books where people with disabilities are shown in a positive light

Here is a list of books for elementary school that have at least one character with a disability. All of the characters with disabilities are portrayed in a positive light.

There are characters who have autism, down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, speech delays, dyslexia, spina bifida, synesthesia and who use a wheelchair. The list was created using the winners of the Dolly Gray Award and the Schneider Family Book Award and lists compiled by Sandy Lahmann, Cherl Pesto at Disaboom and Mary Anne Prater & Tina Taylor Dyches from Teaching Exceptional Children.

* Very Special Critter, Mercer Mayer–Little Critter discovers that the new boy in class is really not so different from anyone else, even though he is in a wheelchair.

* My Friend Isabelle, Eliza Woloson–A young boy the activities he shares with his friend Isabelle, a girl with Down Syndrome.

* Susan Laughs, Jeanne Willis /Tony Ross–Rhyming couplets describe a wide range of common emotions and activities experienced by a girl who uses a wheelchair.

* Harry and Willy and Carrothead, Judith Casely–Three boys overcome prejudicial ideas about appearances and become friends.

* Hooway for Wodney Wat, Helen Lester /Lynn Munsinger–Classmates make fun of Rodney because he can’t pronounce his name, but it is Rodney’s speech impediment that drives away the class bully.

* Dad and Me in the Morning, Patricia Lakin–A deaf boy and his father share a special time as they watch the sun rise at the beach.

* Best Friend on Wheels, Debra Shirley–The narrator meets Sarah, a girl in a wheelchair, and they become fast friends.

* Kami and the Yaks, Andrea Stenn Stryer–Kami, a young Sherpa boy who is deaf, rescues his family?s yaks and livelihood during a violent storm.

* The Deaf Musicians, Pete Seeger /Paul Dubois Jacobs–After losing his hearing, jazzman Lee learns to make music in a new way.

* Looking out for Sarah, Glenna Lang–Describes a day in the life of a seeing eye dog, from going with his owner to the grocery store and post office, to visiting a class of school children, and playing ball

* Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum, Robert A. Parker–Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, his passion for the piano and his acute memory for any sound drove him to become a virtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz pianists.

* Alphabet War, Diane Burton Robb–Learning to read is a great struggle for Adam, but with expert help, hard work, and belief in himself, he wins “The Alphabet War.

* See the Ocean, Estelle Condra–Driving through mountain fog to the beach, two young brothers compete to see who will first see the ocean, but it is their blind sister Nellie who senses it first.

* Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr./John Archambault–A grandfather and his blind grandson reminisce about the young boy’s birth, his first horse, and an exciting horse race.

* Thank You, Mr. Falker, Patricia Polacco–Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha’s dyslexia.

* Mama Zooms, Jane Cowen-Fletcher–A boy’s wonderful mama takes him zooming everywhere with her, because her wheelchair is a zooming machine.

* My Pal, Victor / Mi amigo V?or by Diane Gonzales Bertrand –Two boys enjoy the summer doing all of the things that boys do despite one boy’sdisability.

* Two Tracks in the Snow, Louella Bryant–Ari, a boy who uses a wheelchair, uses his monoski to teach Will how to snowboard.

* Silent Lotus, Jeanne M. Lee–Although she cannot speak or hear, Lotus trains as a Khmer court dancer and becomes eloquent in dancing out the legends of the gods.

* Crow Boy, Taro Yashima–A lonely boy in a village school in Japan learned all the calls of the crows as he left his home at dawn and arrived home at sunset on school day.

* Ian’s Walk, Laurie Lear–A young girl realizes how much she cares for her autistic brother Ian when he gets lost at the park.

* Featherless (Desplumado), Juan Felipe Herrera–Although Tomasito’s spina bifida keeps him in a wheelchair, where he often feels as confined as his flightless and featherless pet bird, he discovers that he can feel free when he is on the soccer field.

* Keeping Up with Roo, Dan Andresen/Sharlee Glenn –Gracie has always had a special bond with her Aunt Roo, who is mentally disabled, but that relationship starts to change when Gracie beginsschool.

* Dad, Jackie, and Me, Myron Uhlberg-A young boy shares the excitement of Jackie Robinson’s rookie season with his deaf father.

Click HERE for the link to the original article

Defining Moments

2010-06-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

There are moments in life that really make you realize how much your children are changing and how quickly they are growing up. I had one of "those" moments last month when Jack and I went to the dentist together. I hadn't realized when I booked the appointments that he and I would be seen simultaneously verses one right after another like we always had before. This time he and I sat in separate rooms both getting our teeth cleaned and x-rayed at the same time. I could hear him talking with and answering the hygienists questions. He sounded like such a big boy. It was an odd feeling not to be sitting right there with him, assuring him that everything would be fine. At times, I felt the urge to help him answer questions directed toward him, but I didn't and ultimately he didn't need my help. He was very polite and respectful and I was truly proud of how he handled himself.

My first born, my Jack, my sweet 5 year old boy is growing up.

The following day (May 11th), I took Benjamin to his very first dentist appointment. At this appointment Benjamin and I had a few defining moments together as well. Benjamin is 3, but most days acts older, more like his 5 year old brother. Not that he doesn't throw typical 3 year old tantrums - he does (trust me). However, Benjamin is athletic, well spoken and a relatively good eater so I sometimes forget the age difference between the boys.

As we were waiting in the lobby to be called, Benjamin looked at me and said "mommy, I want to leave. I"m scared and don't want to see the dentist" His face told me that he was genuinely scared and REALLY did not want to do this. At that moment he looked very much the 3 year old that he is and my heart hurt for him. I was disappointed in myself for not preparing him more or even realizing that he might be afraid. I held him on my lap and assured him that it would all be ok - and it was. Look at this scared little face.

Benjamin did an awesome job!
He opened up wide, he didn't bite her (thank goodness) and was just super polite.
I was very proud of him for sharing with me about his fears and for facing them so gracefully. I treated both boys to ice cream later in the day to show them how proud I was.

See you in 6 months Dr. Wathen!

Benjamin the Bus Driver

2010-06-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

If you get the chance to visit the Children's Museum at La Habra don't forget to pick up one of their brochures - you might just see someone you know.

Someone from their corporate office saw this picture of Benjamin on our blog and asked if they could use it in some museum literature. Of course I said yes, but had no idea he would be on the cover of their main brochure. It was pretty exciting to walk in to the museum and see his adorable picture staring right at us. Jack kept saying "Benjamin you are famous!" Benjamin felt super special.

Father's Day Fun!

2010-06-09T16:17:00.001-07:00

This ad is currently running on the Lakeshore website

Photo shoots at Lakeshore are always so much fun! This little (big) guy sure loves promoting his Dad's work. Yes, if you were wondering that is Branden's hat, tie and sweater. He even had on Branden's shoes but they were cropped out. Speaking of being cropped out - Benjamin was actually in the shot as well but was cut out. It's an adorable picture and I will post it after the Father's Day promotion is over. We have chosen to NOT tell Benjamin he didn't make the ad :-) DIdn't really see a need to make him sad. Let's just see how long Jack can keep it to himself.

I hope you did too

2010-06-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

New family photo

2010-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Did you see it at the top of the page? What do you think? Who's the photographer you ask?

Well, it's our good friend Cielo Roth. Cielo is currently in the process of updating her photography website after taking some time off to be a full time mom to her two beautiful daughters. So can you guess how excited I was when she asked if we might be interested in a complementary photo session. It took me about a half of a second to answer - YES!

We met up with her at Wardlow park in Long Beach on May 1st and she snapped away. The boys were being super crazy and how she managed to keep her sense of humor was beyond me. She was a true professional and made it really fun for all of us. This was our first official family picture since Annabelle was born and I am very thankful for it. Here are a few of our favorites. Outside of the fact that I am almost 20 lbs over weight (ugh!) and have some seriously flat hair I think they came out really good.

Thank you again Cielo for capturing our families smiles!

*Can you believe that we have been together almost 21 years - wow!!

Chapel

2010-05-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Jack's preschool has a monthly chapel visit where the school director leads the kids through a few bible verses, they sing some songs and then get an opportunity to participate. Jack's class was going to be singing a song so I arranged to attend. It was short but sweet.

Jack was invited to come up and help light the candle. He was very proud.

Mrs. Tuscany read to them about Jesus and why we celebrate Easter.

She then proceeded to explain Easter by using a felt board and making sure to use words the children could really understand. *sadly, my camera was really struggling in the low light of the chapel.

Here is Jack's class singing their Easter song.

April 3rd

Jelly Beans

2010-05-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

I like to leave "things" i.e. worksheets, coloring sheets, etc. on the kitchen table at night so that the boys have something new and fun to do when they wake up in the morning. I left this jelly bean number/coloring match worksheet a few weeks ago (well, actually in March) and I was so impressed with how well Jack did with absolutely no adult instruction. That night we colored around the word with the corresponding color which was next to the number inside the jelly bean (does that make sense?). This was the first time I had given him one like this and well as you can see he had no trouble at all. It was actually complete by the time I got out of the shower. He was VERY proud of himself.

It really wouldn't have been any big deal at all if he wasn't able to figure it out, but I have to admit that I was pretty happy that he was able to. Jack is starting kindergarten in a few months and with the proposed shortened day (8-11:20) and the increased class size (from 20 to 30 kids) we worry a bit about the learning environment. We know that we as parents will need to fill in where his school is falling short and thankfully I am confident that I/we can do it. However, it does ease my heart knowing that he is entering school with some good skills.

Okay, I'm done bragging, but what's a family blog for if not to brag about your kids a little :-)

I just realized

2010-05-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

that the last official family post with pictures was from St. Patrick's Day. What in the world? That was mid-March. How do I let myself get so behind?

The kids are doing so well and getting so big. I've got great video of the boys riding scooters and their new skaetboards. Adorable video of Annabelle playing peek-a-boo.

I so wish there were more hours each day to get things done. Oh well, at least we are having great moments and that I am capturing some of it with the camera. Especially since this memory of mine is starting to fade.

Can you believe it's almost June? Where did the year go?

2010-05-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

National Health Reform Delivers New Protections for Individuals with Spina Bifida

On Tuesday, March 23, President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, Public Law 111-148), a massive overhaul of the country’s health insurance system that will extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans and dramatically affect how health insurers and plans treat the people to whom they provide coverage. Spina Bifida Association (SBA), collaborating with its partners in the National Health Council, worked for years to ensure that national health reform specifically addressed the needs of individuals living with disabling, chronic, and/or life-threatening conditions, including the estimated 166,000 individuals across the country who live with Spina Bifida. SBA is thrilled that the final bill contains numerous provisions that we have long-advocated have become the law-of-the-land, including specific protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

By the end of this June, high-risk insurance pools will be created to make insurance available to individuals with pre-existing health conditions. By mid-September of this year, insurers will no longer be able to exclude children with pre-existing conditions from coverage under their parents’ insurance, children will be able to stay covered under their parents’ insurance plan through age 26, and lifetime limits on insurance benefits will be prohibited. By the time the law is fully in effect in 2014, health insurers will no longer be able to refuse to sell or renew policies because of an individual's health status – including current medical conditions or health history, genetic information, disability, or other health information – or to exclude coverage for an individual of any age with a pre-existing condition. Insurers will not be able to charge higher rates because of an individual’s heath status or gender, and they will be prohibited from imposing any annual limits on coverage. To learn more about specific patient protections for people with disabilities and chronic conditions please read Health Care Reform: Twelve Key Changes for Americans with Chronic Diseases (PDF)

The health reform bill also contains new programs and funding to support individuals living with disabilities and chronic conditions and makes critical new investments through a Prevention and Public Health Investment Fund focused on improving and protecting the nation’s health through community-based efforts. Also, a new interagency council will be formed to establish a national prevention and health promotion strategy. In addition, the new law increases Medicaid payments for primary care physicians (pediatricians, family physicians, and internists) starting in 2013, raising rates to Medicare levels by 2014; this change should help increase access to health care providers for individuals in the Medicaid program.

These critical changes are cause for celebration, as they should improve the lives of people with Spina Bifida and help promote and protect the public health. However, these new protections do not mark the end of our advocacy efforts; enactment of this law is just the first step in what will be a very long implementation process. Federal agencies will be tasked with putting the provisions of this law into action, and Congress likely will make adjustments in the months and years ahead. SBA will be closely monitoring the law’s implementation and tracking the development of the new programs to ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities are addressed, and that folic acid awareness and education efforts are incorporated wherever appropriate and necessary. Moreover, SBA will continue to seek annual increased funding for the National Spina Bifida Program continues; the need for advocacy in Congress remains, as each year federal elected officials determine funding levels for Spina Bifida-related initiatives such as research, quality of life programs, and the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry. To learn more about SBA’s advocacy efforts, visit SBA's Advocacy and Public Policy Priorities section.

Here's a link to this article online

Latest update on Brent (Saturday)

2010-05-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

After you read Ed's update below you will see why I am SO very proud of my sister. We are so glad that Brent is once again home with his family to continue his recovery. Thank you for all of the prayers and well wishes for him - it means so much to us.

Hello everyone

It is our hope that this update finds you all doing well in your lives. Our family is doing much better now that our Brent is home again. The doctors confirmed and identified the infection that caused his headache and sickness on Mothers day.

A nurse came to the house today to teach Mingie and I how to give Brent his meds. The antibiotics are given through a PIC line in Brents arm, one medication is given as a shot twice a day and others by mouth. He will be evaluated each week concerning the infection. Brent is happy to be home and continues to have a very positive attitude about everything. He will continue therapy starting next week and is determined to work hard and do well. Its so good to have him home!

Please pray for my sweet Mingie as the new plan for home care is pretty over whelming, but as ALWAYS she is and will again rise to the occasion and do what she has to do to care for our children. I was afraid she was going to pass out today when she had to give B his first shot, but she handled it very well! I am very proud of her!

Thank you to ALL of you planning the fundraiser at Peppinos. It is shaping up to be a terrific evening. We are very grateful to you ALL. Are there any rules against our Family bidding on the silent auction? LOL The items are VERY COOL. Mingie and I will plan on attending and Keith and Amanda will care for Brent. Hope everyone has a nice weekend and hope to see you ALL soon.

God Bless you ALL

Love always,

The Sirignano Family

An evening of learning

2010-05-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy that I was able to make it to the Staying Present with your child seminar tonight. It was such an uplifting and encouraging evening. It really is such a pleasure to be with like-minded mothers sharing stories and supporting one another.

Thank you Branden for bathing and putting all 3 kids to bed - I love you!

This poem was printed on the back of our handout and it touched my heart so I thought I would share it here. Wishing each of you a wonderful weekend with your families.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again
by Diane Loomans

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd fingerpaint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd model less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

What a blessing my babies are! Tomorrow is going to be a great day!

My nephew is back in the hospital

2010-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest update on Brent.

On Sunday morning Brent was taken to Mission hospital after complaining of a headache and then vomiting several times. He was admitted immediately and during the course of the day was cared for and had several tests, a CT scan and later an MRI. Through these images, doctors detected fluid on the right side of the brain and yesterday Brent had surgery to evacuate this fluid. The surgery went well, however the fluid turns out to be an infection and now Brent will be treated with antibiotics for about 6 weeks and will remain in the hosp probably for about a week, The doctors will analyze the infectious materials and determine the best medication to treat Brent. He is once again in the care of the amazing team at CHOC in Mission hospital,

Please pray for God to guide Brents doctors in determining the best medicine to treat Brent and that he can be free of infection. Please pray for Brent to remain strong in his faith and to continue his positive attitude towards recovery. Thank you so much for your prayers!!

God Bless ALL of you

Love Always

Ed and Mingie oxox

Thank you

2010-05-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those that prayed for me and my family during this past week.

Thank you to those that sent me personal e-mails or notes through my blog and Facebook.
Thank you to those that encouraged me when I started to get crazy nervous about reading at the funeral.
You are all wonderful and thoughtful people and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such kindness.

The rosary and funeral service for my Grandmother a.k.a. Wella to many was beautiful.
Thank you to those that came and to those that helped and offered to help.
Our boys were wonderful. Just like little men - strong and loving.

I am thankful for the many wonderful years I had with her and all that she taught me.
My sadness has subsided and has been replaced with peace in my heart.

If you are able, I encourage you to give your Grandmothers an extra hug and kiss this Mother's Day.

You will be missed

2010-05-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a week now since my Wella went to be with the Lord.
I know she is resting comfortably now and I am thankful for that, but I"m still sad.
I'm sad that I no longer have her with me.
I am sad that I can't share stories with her or hold her hand anymore.
I am sad that she will not get to know and love my sweet Annabelle.

She was a good woman with a strong love for her family.
She absolutely adored the boys. She loved all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Family was important to her.

She taught me so much and shared so much of herself with me without ever asking for anything in return.
I will cherish every memory I have of her.

My dear Wella, I know that you are dancing in heaven with Papa.
Please know that you will be forever missed but never forgotten.

I love you very much!

Brent's Home Visit yesterday (4/25/10)

2010-04-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE AND ED

Hello everyone,

What a beautiful day it was today! We were allowed to bring Brent home today for a trial run. We picked him up from St. Jude hospital after breakfast and were to have him back promptly no later than 8:00pm. We returned to the hospital at 7:59 pm. LOL Exactly one minute to spare!

It was so great having Brent home today with his family and we are now looking forward to Friday, because he will be coming home to stay.

Brent no longer has restrictions regarding his diet and really enjoyed Mingies spaghetti dinner tonight. Her sauce is the best!! Brent continues to work extremely hard during his therapy sessions at St.Jude as part of their in patient rehab program. We have a meeting with the doctors on Wednesday, at which time we will discuss the best options for Brents out patient therapy following his return home.

Brent continues to improve daily, but the doctors tell us that he suffers from a condition known as Aphasia. The doctors say that with continued rehabilitation a person can improve to the best of their ability. Brent is walking at times, with the aid of a walker and a guide person, but we are told now by the doctors, that his difficulty walking is not a physical issue, but rather is a result of the injury to his brain. His right side is still improving, but he does have issues with motor skills and has impaired vision in his right eye. When he returns home he will require 24 hour care.

Despite these challenges that lie ahead we feel extremely blessed to have our beautiful son with us and are so excited that he is coming home. Upon his return home our Family will request that friends who would like to visit Brent please call first. We know he is very excited to see ALL of you.

We wanted to thank you ALL for eating at Baja Fresh on Tuesday and for continuing to Love, Pray for and support our Family in so many ways. We also are hearing of so many things people are doing behind the scenes and we THANK YOU from the the bottom of our hearts. Your efforts of kindness and generosity to our Family are greatly appreciated. We truly hope this message finds you ALL in good spirits. May God Bless ALL of you!

Love Always

Ed and Mingie oxox

Brent's AMAZING progress

2010-04-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for the wonderful visit I had with my nephew Brent today. He is truly amazing! There is no question that God has truly blessed our family. I honestly, do not have the words to express how blown away I am by his tremendous progress. His beautiful smile, the sparkle in his eyes and the happiness in his heart today moved me to tears. I could barely drive home I was so emotion filled. I will be forever humbled and amazed by his miraculous road to recovery. What an inspiration!

Brent was transferred a week and a half ago to St. Judes in Fullerton where he is being treated at their Regional Brain Injury Center. Here is the post from Ed on Brent's 2nd day at St. Judes.

UPDATE ON BRENT - 4/15/2010

Hello everyone,

The transition to St. Judes was a very smooth one for Brent. I think we were more nervous about leaving the care of CHOC than he was, at least I know I was. The team at CHOC is our Family now and leaving our new friends was not easy, however it was time for Brent and our Family to move on to next phase of recovery. We will certainly keep in touch with our new friends and update them on Brents progress.

The team at St.Judes is working with Brent daily and he continues to improve. His verbalization is improving and he is able to use his right side more each day and is getting stronger. He has even walked with the aid of a walker, during Physical therapy. Day by day Brents determination is very evident as he regains his independency and he continues to work very hard towards his goal of coming home. We do not know yet when that will be, but we will expect that after Brent comes home, he will then participate in an outpatient rehab program for many months and a educational program designed for brain injury patients. where he will continue to improve his reading, writing, understanding and problem solving skills. We are very encouraged with his progress and THANK YOU ALL for your prayers and SUPPORT during this time and we Thank God that Brent is here with us.

Whatever Gods plan is for Brent and our Family, we will continue to follow His lead and let Him guide us in our lives. May God Bless ALL of you and yours, as he has done and continues to do for our Family.

All our Love

Ed and Mingie

Excited and Inspired

2010-04-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

That's what I am right now! I love it and it makes me not able to sleep - not that I ever go to sleep before midnight. I attended a meeting tonight that was essentially establishing the frame work for a new parenting forum that will be run by four super amazing teachers/mentors. It's going to be on Thursday nights (whoo hoo - a night out!) and it will be a specific topic each week.

Here's the mission of the new group:

The mission of the Long Beach Parenting Forum is to create a supportive and educational community for parents to discuss and share the joys and trials of parenting, based on weekly topics and guided by parent educators.

It may sound silly to be so excited about it but I really am. I was lucky enough to attend a parenting class on a regular basis with Benjamin before I was pregnant with Annabelle. It was a weekly parent & child class. The first part of the class was observation then group discussion and it always ended with outdoor and sometimes water play. It was great! I found it so helpful - it helped me to see (find) the daily joy in parenting. Each week I would leave renewed and excited to try out a new parenting techniques or just get back on track to becoming the parent I wanted to be. That's actually (sort of ) the title to the book we used. It's a great book and I highly recommend it.

This class Benjamin and I took was taught by one of the ladies that will be facilitating these Thursday parenting forum. She is really great and it was wonderful to see her tonight. I hadn't seen her since I left her class right after Thanksgiving 2008 (when I got pregnant with Annabelle). It was great to reconnect. It's also nice to be part of a community of mother's who care so much about one another that I didn't have to explain where I had been or why I had sort of dropped out of society for a while. She knew a lot about Annabelle and the journey we have been on this past year. She's excited to meet her and is happy that I will be attending the parenting forum.

Another of the facilitators was Jack's former preschool teachers at LBCC. I absolutely adore her and am super excited to be able to see and learn from her on a regular basis. She is a good friend, great listener and mentor.

It was a good night tonight. I love really being a mother. I am so blessed to be a stay at home mom and although some days can be really challenging I wouldn't trade them for anything. I am so thankful that I get to wake up each day with my beautiful babies and snuggle them. I am so thankful that I get to play with them each day - all day! I am so thankful that they love me the way that they do. I am so thankful for each of my children and their uniqueness!

For me, I know this parenting forum will help me in many ways, one being to slow down and focus on my parenting style - what it is and what I want it to be. It will help remind me that my Jack & Ben are typical, happy, "wild" little boys. It will help me to parent each of them individually based on their individual personalities and needs. It will bring me back to that community of mom's who I share the same parenting values with.

Well, I am still excited and inspired but it's almost 12:30 am now and my "typical, happy & wild" little boys will be up early looking to play with their mommy so I better get to bed.

I wish you all a wonderful day with your children tomorrow. I was reminded of the Glad game (from Pollyanna) from an online friend this week - we played it today and it was fun! If you read this post (and have an extra moment) I'd love to hear from you - What are you glad about today? What do you love about being a mother?

It was a fun GREEN day!

2010-04-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

We started off the morning with some St. Patrick's Day themed breakfast

Jack thought breakfast was pretty cool!

Although, I was unable to turn Annabelle's milk green (mommy's milk only comes in one color). I did give her a GREEN sippy cup to try. The cup is literally twice the size of her whole hand so she isn't doing very well with it yet, but, she likes to play with it.

Jack really enjoys doing any art project that involves glue. Seriously, who doesn't?

The boys had fun gathering their "supplies" from the backyard. They actually cut he grass with their scissors - so cute!

Benjamin was VERY proud of his pile of greenness! Here is the finished product ~ a super cute shamrock made of natural materials (grass, leaves, dirt and I think a bug or two)

Annabelle was having a blast playing on the floor

Looking oh so cute!

After a fun morning at home Jack went onto school from 12:30 - 3:30. When Ben, Annabelle and I picked him up he was super excited to learn that we were headed over to our friend Miss Cathy's house to play. FYI - she doesn't go by Miss Cathy, Miss and Mr. is how we encourage (strongly) the children to address adults.

A little splashing in the water to stay cool

Click HERE if you want to see what Annabelle got to do after her fun, GREEN day in the sun.

So behind!

2010-04-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on posting that I think I might just start posting pictures. I have no idea how people stay on top of this. I LOVE reading other blogs and am so impressed by their timeliness.

I am just going to start posting our family "moments" and the pictures and hopefully I will add more details about them later (dreaming!!!) This is what I would do with scrapbooking. I'd leave spots for journaling, but never would go back. So sad, because sometimes you really need those details. My memory sure isn't what it once was (ha ha). I'm getting old!

I just want to get up to date!!! I want to live in the moment and I can't if I'm always blogging about last month.

Ok, blog rant is over.

Update on Brent - 4/8 & 4/13 (emotional & exciting!)

2010-04-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest on our nephew Brent. He is such a fighter and an inspiration!

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE & ED - April 8, 2010

Hello everyone,

The days go by faster than ever before! God continues to answer our prayers and Brent is progressing daily. He is very determined during his therapy sessions with the wonderful staff of CHOC and Mission hospital. Mingie and I would like to thank our parents for spending so much of their lives the past two months supporting Brent and counseling and caring for Mingie, Eddie and myself. Keith and Amanda have also been amazing! Papa Sirignano tells Brent that he is his hero. Papa continues to encourage Brent to use his right hand and Brent continues to work hard to please his Papa. Its very touching to witness this special bond. We are very blessed to have such caring and loving parents/grandparents in our lives.

It is clear to see that Brents conditioning and competitive spirit prior to the accident is playing a huge role during his rehabilitation sessions. Being part of the ET basketball program and years as an athlete are certain to help Brent with the challenges that lie ahead.

A HUGE THANK YOU to ALL who have supported our Family with prayers, meals, fundraisers and very touching messages and more! Your Love and support of our Family touches our hearts and though we may not have contacted you personally, or replied to a message, we know who you are and we will see you again and cant wait to give you ALL a big hug.

May God bless you and yours with good health and happiness.always!

Love Ed and Mingie, Eddie

___________________________________________________________

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE & ED - April 13, 2010

Hello to ALL of you Brent supporters,

Mingie and I and our Family are extremely happy to report that Brent is continuing to make progress. After Brent passed his swallowing test and got a taste of real food It didn't take him him long to remember how to eat. He is now transferring from the bed to a wheelchair and eating real food. The G tube has been removed. He remains in the care of an amazing team of individuals at CHOC, at Mission hospital.

Brent is also talking now. He had mouthed the word mom prior to speaking, but his first vocalization happened when I mentioned Mariahs name and he responded by saying "Mariah". "I said yes, Mariah thats right" and then he held his hand up to his ear simulating a phone call and said " call her". I about fell out of my chair scrambling to get my phone. We called Mingie first and when she answered Brent said in a very quiet voice "hello this is Brent" and of course Mingie was overcome with happiness. To hear his beautiful voice again was the sweetest blessing ever. Mariah called when she heard of Brents request and spoke to Brent. It was quite a night. Thank you for returning our call Mariah! You always were and always will have a special place in our hearts and of course in Brents.

We transport him from his room in the hospital, in a wheelchair to therapy and he is working very hard to regain his strength and motor skills. His right side is improving, but is still much weaker than his left side, but he is working hard daily to improve. Please pray for his right side to continue to heal and for him to walk again on his own.

The doctors have told us that even bigger challenges lie ahead with many months and or years of therapy that Brent will require to relearn many skills, however, we feel VERY BLESSED right now that Brent is back with us and would like to THANK ALL of YOU from the bottom of our hearts, for your MANY MANY.....prayers and especially THANK GOD for answering our prayers!

Love Always,

Ed and Mingie and Family

Two Peas in a Pod

2010-04-09T19:59:00.001-07:00

I love that Benjamin and Belle love each other as much as they do.
He's really quite gentle with her for a 3 year old.
He loves to show her how things work.
He enjoys laying on the floor and talking with her.
She thinks he's super funny and of course she loves the one on one attention from him.

March 13, 2010

March 25, 2010

I was cooking dinner and I walked around the corner to find the two of them like this. He was actually trying to teach her how to use his video game - so cute!

April 1, 2010

Their bond grows stronger every day and I couldn't be happier about it.

Update on Brent from last week

2010-04-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brent continues to amaze us with his strength and determination. We had a wonderful visit with him last Sunday (3/28) but because Jack has been sick and there are some new restrictions we haven't been back to the hospital. However, we continue to get good daily reports from my sister and Ed as well as from my parents. Here is an update the Ed wrote last week.

A message about Brent from Ed and Mingie

Hello everyone

Since our last update Brent has now passed the swallowing test and has been introduced to more soft foods. A true blessing!! Thank you for your prayers!

On Sunday afternoon Mingie and I stopped by the fund raiser to say hi and boy what a joy it was to see EVERYONE. Thank you so much for taking the time to come out and support our Family.

We then headed back to the hospital to be with Brent and he got a visit from his cousins Jack, Benjamin and Annabelle. Brent has a special bond with his cousins and they made Brent very happy. It was very special to have them there and we all felt the Love between them.

Well thats it for now. Have a good week, God bless you ALL and please continue to pray for Brent's speech, the recovery of his right side and for our Family to stay strong!

Thank you ALL so very much for EVERYTHING!!

Love Ed and Mingie

Dyeing Easter Eggs

2010-04-04T22:51:00.001-07:00

The boys and I were really excited to get started. Dyeing the eggs is always so much fun. I unfortunately got busy with Annabelle and didn't get to do any, but the boys and Branden had a lot of fun.

I'm tempted to get another package and dye some just for fun.
Maybe Branden and I will dye them after the kids go to bed. Shh...don't tell the boys.

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T23:26:00.000-07:00

May the beauty of the season
surround you...

The miracle of Easter
inspire you...

And the joy of the Lord
dwell in your hearts all year.

Little boys love hats

2010-04-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

Especially if they are their daddy's hats

togetherness - March 13th

2010-04-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

After a fun morning, what's better than spending the afternoon hanging out on the couch with your brother and sister.

.

Yes, as if you couldn't tell - they are watching TV in the picture above. It's amazing how they turn into little zombies when the TV comes on. This particular show was Go Diego Go. I actually think Annabelle liked it.

Family time

2010-03-29T00:24:00.001-07:00

There's really nothing better! Today had it's challenges but also had some great moments to. Time outside as a family was one of them. Thank you for the fun kites Samantha and Delaney.

I am SO behind (once again) on blogging and I have so many great moments and pictures from the month to share. I hope to work on it a bit this week. Thanks for not giving up on me and continuing to check in on us from time to time.

Now that's some poor communication!

2010-03-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

I think it's really sad that this (click on the word this) is how my mom found out today that she was loosing her job. A job that she has had for over 10 years.

Very disappointing. She really enjoyed working there with all of her friends surrounded by fabric.

My Crafty Friends are having a Craft Fair Today!

2010-03-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

A few of my super crafty good friends are hosting a Spring Craft Fair today. If you are local to the Long Beach / Los Alamitos area you should definitely stop by and do a little shopping.

You can check out two of their blogs to get a sneak peek at some of what they are selling.

Here's Andrea's blog from Baby Taylored

Here's Laura's Blog from Crooked Moon

Oh no, I could be a stage mom!

2010-03-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

Ok, not really but it is super fun when the boys get to do photo shoots at Lakeshore. Branden works there so it's a whole fun experience for them. They get to dress up and take pictures, see their dad during the day, see their dad's office and all his friends. They "earn" a gift certificate to the store and usually walk away with some small toy from Branden or one of his co-workers office.

So the boys went down this past Tuesday to do a photo shoot together. This was their first one together and it was ADORABLE!! It's so hard because I can't ever show the pictures (although I have seen them) until a decision has been made and they have been published on the web or in the catalog. This weeks shoot was for the web and was a Father's Day advertisement (so cute!). So, if their pictures are chosen I will post the link when it's up on the web in June or if they aren't chose I will post the pictures after Father's Day.

I remembered that Jack did a photo shoot last April that I was so excited about. It was a cover for a special holiday catalog. He wasn't chosen but I think it was super cute! We had to wait until after Christmas to share it and honestly I forgot until this week.

So, here it is - Jack's first (almost) magazine Cover!

I can't believe how little he looks. Would his cute face make you want to buy those dinosaurs?

Latest update on Brent

2010-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest update from my sister and Ed regarding Brent's condition. I am pleased to be passing along such a great update. I also feel super lucky to have had a wonderful visit with him last Friday (3/19). Although, I know he has a long way to go in his recovery I believe it would be wrong of us not to celebrate his accomplishments and how hard he is working. He amazed me on Friday with his strength and determination. I felt that he and I connected and communicated (non verbally) with one another - my heart was filled with joy when I was with him.

We were blessed to have been told that Jack and Ben could go to the waiting room up on Brent's floor. We were eventually told by the head nurse that was incorrect and that they would need to go back down to the main lobby but before they were sent down stairs Brent was able to come out of his room for a little wheel chair ride. Yep - the boys got to see their cousin! It was AWESOME!!! I am confident that Brent was happy to see them and of course the boys were so excited to see Brent. It was a wonderful, tear filled visit. The three of them shared several special moments together. There is no question in my mind that Brent worked very hard to connect with his cousins. Although he was unable to speak to them he still made them feel special. They haven't stopped talking about seeing their "Brenty". I drove home from the hospital that day on cloud 9!!

Brent continues to make great progress - check out what Ed and Mingie have shared below. Thank you for caring about our family. Your love and prayers are working.

New Update from Mom and Dad - Wednesday, March 24th

Hi Everyone,

After 6 weeks Brent has now been moved out of the critical care unit to a room on the same floor in pediatrics. YEAH!!! Today, during speech therapy, he successfully ate a bowl of peaches and drank some apple juice and water. For now his main source of nutrition will continue to be through the G tube, but over time of course the goal is to lessen the G tube feeding and return to a normal diet Brent is improving daily with this process.

The Physical and occupational therapy is going well also. He is now moving his right leg more each day. His right hand and arm are now moving a little more and with assistance he is standing up next to his bed. His legs are doing a little better each day with supporting his weight while standing,

Brent seems to recognize his Family and on occasion, in this last week, has even chosen to give us each a brief, yet very satisfying hug. WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING!!!!

God has listened to ALL of our prayers and is providing Brent and our Family with the strength to recover and be able to move forward, one hour and one day at a time. Please God give this same strength to EVERYONE in their daily lives and especially to ALL of YOU, who have prayed for Brent and our Family. In Jesus name AMEN

We will update the site this weekend to share Brent's newest accomplishments.

Love Ed and Mingie and Family

This week so far

2010-03-17T21:58:00.001-07:00

I have so much to blog about (good and not so good) but I am so tired. It's only Wednesday but it's been a long week already. It's been mostly good and I am so thankful for that.

The weather has been beautiful and we are all adjusting nicely to the time change :-) I plan to write more details and post pictures soon, but I wanted to just write a short update, especially for those waiting details about SB Clinic.

Monday was a beautiful beach day with all 3 kids. It was hard, but GREAT!! We were there 4 hours and really enjoyed ourselves.

Tuesday, Annabelle has her first developmental assessment and it went GREAT! Pictures and more details to be posted on Annabelle's blog soon. Annabelle also had SB Clinic where she met with the Urologist. It went well and amazingly we WON'T be starting cathing this month. Possibly in three months, but will explain in more detail soon. The boys spent the day with their Grammy at the LB Towne Center splash pad, had Super Mex for lunch & ice cream - lucky boys!

Wednesday (today) was a HAPPY St. Patrick's Day for us. Lots of fun stuff with the kids and then water play with friends in the afternoon. It was a HOT, HOT day!!

I feel blessed to have had these beautiful days with my children this week. I am still deeply worried about my God Son Brent who was seriously injured in a car accident the first week of February. He has whats called a global brain injury and although he is making progress it is going to be a very long road ahead of him. He is a fighter and I know that he is fighting hard. My sister and her husband are having challenges securing an appropriate place for Brent to go for his rehabilitation due to restrictions on their health insurance policy. This is very frustrating! Once again money and insurance bureaucracies stand in the way of someone getting the care they need. I believe they will be posting an update date tomorrow so I will post that once I get it. I haven't been to the hospital in 2 weeks and it's breaking my heart.

Lastly, my dear sweet Wella (my grand mother), she has been in a sub acute hospital for almost 2 years now. I don't even have the words right now to explain how I feel. I love her and I am sad for her. I miss her, my boys miss her and I wish she could meet my sweet Annabelle. She is not the wonderful, vibrant lady she once was. Her body is failing her more and more each day and she deserves better than what these last two years have given her. I hope she knows how very much she means to me and how much I love and admire her love and dedication to her family.

Good night friends. Thanks for caring enough to check in on us and read my little family blog.

Nicole

The beach makes everything better

2010-03-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

February 22, 2010

It had been one of those mornings and I knew something needed to change to make it a better day. I told the kids to pack up their sand toys we were going to the beach! You should have seen their faces, you would have thought I told them there was an elephant in the front room. They were excited and shocked at the same time. I take the kids a lot of places, really I do, but I have never taken all 3 to the beach - ON MY OWN!!!

I did it and it was GREAT! We had a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again.

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun."- Unknown

Check out our set up. I brought it all - rolled the stroller right down on the sand, had the Bumbo seat (which she didn't even use) and the pop up tent (which was a total life saver!)

I nursed Annabelle right when we got there and she took a nice 45 minute nap in the tent

Benjamin enjoyed digging and building sand castles. Yes, he has started wearing his shirts backwards again. What can you do? Thank goodness he's cute.

My sweeties pie Jack, wearing his favorite shirt that he got at the Jana Alayra concert

Getting ready to get their toes wet

The boys trying so hard to pull in the buoys. I loved watching them work together.

Jack writing his name in the sand.

Finally in the water! Once they were in they didn't want to get out

Yes, Benjamin got soaked and had to ride home in his undies - he didn't mind

After Annabelle woke, she enjoyed snuggling with me in the Ergo

It was a beautiful day! We were there for about 3 hours, but could have stayed much longer. Unfortunately I ran out of change to pay the meter. Next time I will plan better. Although, one of the cool things about the day was that it wasn't planned, we just did it. When I sent Branden a text and picture of us at the beach he was so happy (I'm sure a bit jealous too) and excited that we made the most of the beautiful day.

Latest two updates on Brent

2010-03-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

UPDATE ON BRENT.........Saturday 3/6 (Monday's update below)

Hi everyone

Brent went in for surgery early this morning. The doctor said the reason for the surgery was to remove excess fluids and dried blood from the left side of his brain. The doctor said the surgery went well and said that if Brent does well over the weekend that he will perform surgery on Monday and surgically reinstall the bone flap on the right side of Brents skull. He hopes that this will further help Brent in his recovery. Thanks be to God!!!

Brent is recovering from this mornings surgery and the doctors expect him to rest today. He will remain in the care of the PICU during this time. Our Family thanks you for your continued prayers and support. You are ALL amazing and wonderful people and we remain strong in our Faith that God has a plan for Brent.

We wanted to acknowledge ALL of you that have donated your hard earned money to Brent and our Family. There are way too many of you to thank right now, but in time we will cross paths again and we can thank you personally. Please know that we sincerely appreciate your kindness and generosity and you have ALL helped our Family through this experience both emotionally and financially. A special THANK YOU to Brents friends who have collected monies from local business and delivered to Mingie at the hospital. You guys are awesome!!! When Brent is recovered we will certainly have a celebration and even though Brent may not agree on the location, it WILL be at our house. lol

Anyway have a terrific and safe weekend and we will plan on an update following Brents surgery on Monday. Just a reminder to the kids that the streets may be wet today and your vehicles should be a no cell phone zone. The call or the text can wait until you are safely parked. When your phone rings or you want to shoot a text to your friends, just think of your friend Brent and it will help you to remember. Will talk to you all on Monday. God bless you

Our Love to you ALL

Ed and Mingie

_________________________________________________________

Brents Surgery....Monday 3/8

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had a good Monday! Mingie and I wanted to let you all know that Brents surgery went well today. We just left him at the hospital and the nurses are doing their very best to keep Brent comfortable, following surgery today. He is using his strength and giving the nurses, us and his Grandparents all we can handle during his wakeful times. These are definite signs of the Brent we all know and Love.This strength will be helpful during his rehabilitation, but for tonight we are praying for him to get a good nights rest.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our son and the wonderful meals. We remain positive and hopeful that this week and the weeks to follow, Brents condition will continue to improve. Sleep well and we will keep you posted on Brents progress.

Love

The Sirignano Family

Moments I want to remember - January 2010

2010-03-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

I used to be a scrapboooker and I loved it, but unfortunately I just don't find the time to drag out all of the supplies and actually get anything done anymore. However, I still want to document all the moments in our lives. Some are big and some are small but they all make up who we are and I want to make sure that somehow we remember them.

So now I blog. I am not a very timely blogger or the most creative, but I'm doing it. I love my family and I love the special moments we share together. I hope this blog will help us never forget the "moments" that make up our life. Through all the craziness of having two preschoolers and an infant with special needs we do have a lot of fun. We are blessed in so many ways (I admit, I get overwhelmed and don't always see it). I am thankful for these moments with my children and always want to remember them.

Here's Jack coloring his boy picture that he got in his backpack at Kindergarten Fest. I can't even believe that my baby boy will be heading off to Kindergarten in just a few months. It really went by so fast - he's ready though and I know he will do GREAT!

Here's my creative little man in his self-made Nutcracker costume. Jack LOVES playing dress up and he's so creative. Whenever he gets inspired to dress up he typically will ask us to buy or make him a new costume. We rarely buy him one and we always encourage him to use his own creativity to make the costume. It's amazing what he comes up with. I'm sure his creativity will play a big part of his life when he's older.

January 17th

We didn't let this rainy day get us down. We jumped in the car and drove down PCH all the way to the Wedge. The waves weren't as big as we had hoped but it was still fun. The boys loved being at the beach when it was cold and rainy (actually only sprinkling). They climb a few tress and played in the sand. We got in the car just in time - right before it started pouring!

January 18th - making puppets

January 22nd - making necklaces out of Cheerios

I had to snap the picture quickly because they ate them up right away

Loving the cowboy boots and jammies / jacket look

Ugh..the bathroom project.
We had a toilet leak which resulted in us tearing up the toilet, then the tile to see the sub floor underneath then ultimately realizing that the bathroom was a wreck and needed serious help. This was on January 24th. Sadly, he has not found any time to get back to this project which means we only have 1 bathroom for all of us :-( and the one we do have is in our bedroom - ugh again! Oh well, it will be done one day.

These two pictures of Branden were taken by Benjamin. I have to tell you that kid is pretty good with the camera.

He begged to help

Here's video of my Mr. Incredible helping out in the bathroom