ABC Frye

finally.....

2011-11-06T01:21:00.000-04:00

It was my goal to write something after we moved in August....and then September....and then I promised a fellow blogger that I would write something in October....and now FINALLY here we are in November and I am going to take advantage of the day-light-savings-extra-hour-of sleep and work on the blog tonight.

Since I last wrote, we took a mini-vacation to Chincoteague Island shortly before we left Pennsylvania and we really enjoyed some down time before the craziness of moving half-way across the country. If you've never been there, it is really cool and right next to Assateague Island, VA (where the infamous wild ponies are). We got to see the ponies, dolphins, swim in the ocean and we left with some new Hermit Crab friends. Camden's 7th birthday was celebrated on our way there and he enjoyed the special birthday vacation.

Camden, Adalynn, and Broderick really enjoyed the ocean. They weren't as fond of the sand sticking to everything or even the salt water. But they loved it nonetheless!

The infamous wild ponies that inhabit the island.

We tried to take this photo ourselves by propping the camera on a table, but a good Samaritan saw us struggling and offered to take a few pics of us all together.

It didn't turn out exactly as we planned....but I still love this photo of the kids jumping on the beach!

Camden inspecting his Hermit Crab.

Broderick was very excited about his!

And here is Adalynn after she realized that her Hermit Crab was more than just an Elmo shell....she did NOT like it when it started crawling.

Our previous bout of bad luck continued when we were on our way to Wisconsin initially. We stopped in Indiana to visit family and see friends before they went to Abu Dhabi and Afghanistan and John fell about 15 feet from a rope type swing onto the bank of a lake....it kind of put a damper on our moving plans. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he was very sore and in a lot of pain. And then once he felt a bit better and we left Indiana for Wisconsin we found out about 2 hours from our final destination that the house we had signed a lease for, here in Wisconsin, had been sold and we needed to find somewhere else to live. What a crazy beginning to our new start back in the mid-west.

And here are the kids in Bloomington, IN with our best friends, Heather and Jesse, before they left for Abu Dhabi and Afghanistan.

I do have to say the bad luck has pretty much ended there. We did have some furniture replacement/insurance/Pottery Barn issues but finally have that all settled and we are really settling into our new home (at least our temporary home). We have replaced a lot of the furniture that was lost in the flood and we finally have a couch, loveseat, and chair as well as a dining room set (which I think was what we missed the most).

The boys have started their new school (an inquiry-based charter school) and they are loving it. Adalynn enjoys going to school every day with mommy and is enjoying 4K. I am adjusting to my job and John is really enjoying his. The boys just finished playing football and Adalynn has been having a great time at gymnastics. Broderick, John, and I all celebrated birthdays during the month of October. We've enjoyed trips to both Madison and Milwaukee and are discovering all that Wisconsin has to offer.

At the U.S.'s largest vendor-only farmer's market in Madison. Honey Crisp apples are AMAZING and cheese curds are pretty cool!

I can't believe we have a fourth grader, a second grader, as well as a pre-kindergartner! And yes, Camden got a major hair cut!!

Adalynn loves gymnastics and the boys had a great time being on the same team this year. They also enjoyed rotating and playing multiple positions throughout the year.

Happy 10th birthday to my >100 lbs., >5' little man! I can't believe that you really are becoming a little man!

We had a blast spending the weekend in Milwaukee and seeing the Admiral's play! The boys love watching hockey games and it was extra special that they got to be on the big screen several times throughout the game!

It is so nice to be within 5 1/2 hours of family. Adalynn and I flew from Milwaukee to Indy in a brief 45 minute flight for my sister's baby shower and we all just made a trip back (driving) to see to the baby. We are planning on a trip back for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. It has been forever since we have been able to do either. I am definitely looking forward to it.

Here's Adalynn and my niece with my sister during her shower.

Seeing the baby was fantastic!! Waylen is adorable and the kids are excited to have a new cousin.

We had tons of fun while in Indiana to see the baby. We were able to see other family, watch my nephew march in semi-state band competition, as well as go to the orchard that John and I went to growing up. Broderick and Camden loved carrying the hay bales around and building this structure.

Other interesting/exciting news since we've been in Wisconsin is Adalynn finally had another team visit with the craniofacial team at UW-Madison Children's Hospital. She was seen by the speech and language pathologists, audiology, ENT, dentists, geneticist, as well as the plastic surgeon. We saw a total of 7 specialists in 4 1/2 hours!! We are expecting her next surgery to be this coming spring or early summer. It is hard to believe it is that time again. They will do some work on her nose and her lip and possibly close one of the fistulas (holes) in her palate. She is also continuing speech therapy here through the University and we are currently battling with the school district to get her additional therapy through them. She does have some nasal emissions and is struggling with some specific sounds. It is sad to see her teachers as well as her peers not be able to understand her. Hopefully with some strong prodding we will get the school district on board. Her initial evaluation through them says she does not qualify. I am hoping the information from her clinic visit as well as my background in special education will help as we begin the first of many battles regarding her needs. Wish us luck!

That leads us to the end of October with Homecoming parades and Halloween: I think we created the best Halloween costumes ever this year! We used cardboard boxes, plastic food storage containers, hot glue, and spray paint and made LEGOS!!! We've never gotten so many comments on their costumes as we did this year and they were so easy and cheap to make. The kids really liked them as well!!!!

We also have enjoyed the yard that this rental house has and I think it might be our favorite part! It is so great to have somewhere for the kids to run and play as well as a driveway long enough that they can ride their bikes in. I think this is the first house we have ever lived in where more than 2 cars could fit into the driveway. We (well I should say John) spent several hours today raking leaves in this massive yard and for the first time ever my kiddos got to jump in leaves. What a great afternoon!!!

Crazy crazy

2011-07-14T00:38:00.001-04:00

Why does it seem like life gets crazier and crazier every minute?? Maybe it's because through chaos we can truly see beauty? The craziness is actually full of blessings....crazy, crazy.

Back in April things seemed to be finally settling down after such a tough fall. We even planned a trip to Washington DC over Easter weekend and surprised the kids with visits from their godparents. We had a great time!

We even went to a sunrise Easter service at the Lincoln Memorial.

It was pretty amazing!

But you can imagine our shock and disgust to return home after 4 days to discover that our water line on our refrigerator had malfunctioned and flooded the main level as well as the basement of our rented town-home. Approximately 13,000 gallons of water....needless to say we had a huge mess!! Collapsed ceilings, ruined furniture and of course after sitting for days waiting for an adjuster to come----black mold.

We ended up living in a hotel for 8 1/2 weeks while they cleaned up and remodeled our home. Yes, three kids and a dog in a hotel for a very long time. It could have been a nightmare.

We adjusted quickly, learned to live in very close quarters and discovered we still had what was important....each other. We were lucky enough to stay at a Homewood Suites so we had two bedrooms, a small living area, as well as a kitchen area. It wasn't as bad as it seemed. Actually a blessing in disguise. Crazy, right? It slowed us down....well it tried to. Did I mention the three kids and a dog?

While we were there the boys finished their baseball seasons and Adalynn had her first ever dance recital.

Adalynn graduated from 3 year old preschool and the boys moved to Wolf and Webelos ranking in Scouts.

I was also able to go on field trips with Camden's class to the zoo and Crayola factory and we took a trip to Baltimore as a family to see the Orioles play at Camden Yards (how Camden got his name). And of course we had to try crab cakes while we were there.

And we can't forget that during all of this crazy time I graduated with my masters and we finalIzed our decision to move to Wisconsin! John has accepted a position there.
Here is Adalynn at my graduation. Sorry, no pics of me they are on the camera (these are all from my phone).

Speaking of Adalynn, we can't forget that during our extended hotel stay she had a birthday. I can't believe my baby is 4!!! (Will I ever stop calling her baby?) So we had a hotel pool party! She (and the friends that came) didn't seem to mind

Then school finally ended (not until the 21st of June) and we took a trip to Gettysburg with friends. We camped for a few days while they were finishing up our house. No photos of Gettysburg are on my phone since we had a ban on electronic devices. ;-) there are some on the camera though (so I may be able to post some later).

After our trip to Gettysburg, we briefly (3 days) returned to our very empty home. We lost most of our living room furniture, our dining room furniture and almost everything in the basement (except some toys that were spared damage).

We did gain hardwood floors which are nice, but sad since we will only be here for a short time.

We most recently returned from a trip to WI to find somewhere to live, then on to IN to visit family and John's sister's wedding. We had a blast boating with my mom, brother, and sister and the kids were beyond adorable at the wedding. Throw a trip to Build-a-Bear in there and we had a pretty nice time.

Now we are home again. Or at least our home for the next few weeks. We are packing but still trying to enjoy what little summer we will have.

Life can be crazy sometimes-well all the time, but by turning those crazy things into blessings we are able to see the bigger picture. Thank you God for helping us see that.

And thanks to all of you for being a part of our crazy lives.

Blessings,

The FRYE'S

It's Been Awhile

2011-04-10T11:47:00.001-04:00

I am really excited about the new app I just downloaded to my iPhone!! It will allow me to update the blog as well as add photos and videos straight from my phone (which is convenient seeing as though the majority of my photo-taking occurs on my phone).

So, the last time I posted was just after Christmas. It's hard to believe we are well into April already. The kids have been busy with basketball, scouts, dance, and baseball just started.

I took my written comps in February and have officially finished my Masters. I will be walking in graduation in May.

John has been busy traveling all over. With interviews in numerous places and an upcoming trip to Seattle, I am very jealous. I'd be fine going anywhere and taking a few days off of mommy duty.

So here are some photos from the past few months. I hope this works!!!! If so, you my be finally seeing more of me.

We had TONS of snow this year. I don't even know how many total days of school we missed, but I know it was a crazy amount. We added several days into the existing calendar and even more at the end. We are in school until June 20th. Ugh!!!!

Snow angels

Snow ball fights

Sledding

Dance

Scouts

Crazy hair day....I cant beleive how long his hair is getting

Basketball pics

-------------------------------------------
And Happy First Day of Spring at Ritas!!!

Daddy was the Mystery Reader

Chase 'got little' according to Adalynn. Amazing what a difference a haircut makes.

Too bad we can't talk this one into a haircut....though the long hair is growing on me and I do have to admit, it is kind if cute. His great grandpa wouldn't have agreed though!!!

YouTube Video

And I leave you with a video of my little "tap dancing elephant" She is growing up way too fast!!!!! I can't believe her first dance recital is coming up so quickly and then birthday number 4 will quickly follow.

Blessings,

Shannon

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Another update....this time WITH photos!!!!!

2011-01-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

So much for getting photos updated during Christmas break. It is amazing how quickly a week flies by...but a long MLK weekend with an additional snow day thrown in along with no more grad work (YAY) and healthy kids gave me a few extra minutes.

I carefully narrowed the 300+ photos down to the following to sum up our last few months.

Way back in September...first day of school....

Broderick-annoyed that we still want first day of school photos

Camden-SUPER excited about his first day of first grade!

The boys outside of their school

Adalynn's first day of preschool

Adalynn outside of her school

SCOUTS

Broderick helping the new Wolves get their neckerchiefs.


Camden so excited to finally be a TIGER (and daddy is his leader)

FOOTBALL

John helps out at one of Broderick's games

Adalynn joins in before one of Camden's games

Broderick takes football VERY seriously

BRODERICK turns 9
and has a sleep-over party at a local hotel

Broderick attempts to wiggle an football Oreo into his mouth without using his hands

Oreo game

Blowing out the pretend candles (since I forgot to bring them to the hotel)


Added bonus....buffet breakfast!

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

Found the perfect pumpkin on a perfect fall day.


Don't you love their ~~uniforms~~ costumes?

Busted Eyes....
Camden falls at school and busts his eye/head on a bench.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Adalynn helping me decorate the tree

Adalynn was terrified at the thought that Santa would soon be at her house.


They loved their sleeping bags.

Enjoying the Play-Doh cake making set that Adalynn picked with her Christmas money. And yes, Camden is growing his hair.

SPEAKING OF HAIR...


This is what happens when we don't put anything in Adalynn's hair.....it is LONG and CRAZY CURLY!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR (a few weeks late)....

hoping my next update isn't 5 months late like this one. Blessings to all of you....

We Didn't Fall....(just toured the edge extensively)

2010-12-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

We have not fallen off the face of the planet....we have just been touring really close to the edge over the past few months and internet access/availability is minimal over here.

Seriously though, things have been pretty rough here in the Frye house for the past several months. So much so, the blog has been neglected.

Lack of time and wondering where to start is the biggest reason.

Hundreds of photos are on the camera and have not been uploaded since the summer. I think the first day of school is still on there.

Life has been chaotic, to say the least....but I wanted to fill you all in.

A few posts ago, I mentioned me being in the hospital. My optic nerve was swollen at the beginning of September which resulted in a hospital admission as well a lot of tests.... A LOT (CT scans, dye tests, extensive blood work, and even a spinal tap)!!!! When you combine the optic neuritis with my chronic uveitis, and an additional autoimmune disease (psoriasis) along with me being a female and in my early 30s, the doctors start worrying about scary things-like Multiple Sclerosis.

I was in Washington D.C. this week meeting with a team of doctors at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to see if they could shed any light on my situation. I was called "intriguing". I don't think it is a good sign to be called "intriguing" by the top researchers in the country. I still have no answers besides I have uveitis and psoriasis. The swelling in my optic nerve has diminished, but MS is still a possibility as well as other autoimmune related syndromes.

This is where the tour of the edge of the planet began.

Shortly after that, school started for the kids-All three! Broderick started 3rd grade, Camden 1st, and Adalynn is in preschool. They are loving it. The boys were also busy with football (pictures of them are on the last post) and Adalynn is in dance! SOOO CUTE!

Dance was on Monday. Football was Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And the boys are both in Cub Scouts and yes, you guessed it....Friday night! CRAZY BUSY! Combine that with doctors visits and tests, trips to Philadelphia to Will's Eye Hospital, John's class schedule, and me finishing my Master's and we knew our tour of the edge was being extended.

And then, my grandpa died. He was not even 70. The summer had been rough on him, and we were kind of expecting it, but it was still very sad. A very quick trip to Indiana for the funeral just added to the emotional mess we were all already in.

Shortly after returning to Pennsylvania, John's parents came to visit us. During their visit, our entire (finished) basement flooded. We had an extensive amount of rain during a very short time period and our basement filled with several inches of water. It is and has been a mess. We lost a good amount of toys, some electronics, and lots and lots of stuffed animals. The stuffed animals were the hardest to throw away (imagine that....the item that drives me nuts was the hardest to part with. Seemed they all had some sort of memory attached to them). Add another trip to Philadelphia, some more eye testing, and now cleaning up the basement and you can begin to understand why we have been on "vacation".

But that is only the tip of the iceberg. John, Broderick, and I all had birthdays during October. We decided to have Broderick's party at a hotel in a suite with a group of 10 boys and had a blast (the pictures are still on the camera). We continued with dance, football, and scouts as well as school work for everyone and were busy all of the time. And then the bottom fell out at the end of October and we knew we were not coming back anytime soon.

Broderick got sick. I mean vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, lethargy....literally, got sick. Over and over.
Again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again! Eleven times over the course of the past few months. As I write this he is at the hospital getting sick again. No known reason....already had a lot of tests and many more scheduled. We have taken him back and forth to the doctor, to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia (CHOP), he even had an upper GI, and right now they are doing an ultrasound and a CT to see if they can figure out why he continues to vomit as well as more bloodwork and IVs. He is miserable to say the least and devastated. Today's vomiting episode came after having a 3 week break in episodes (the longest so far-thought it might be over) but also came on the day we were supposed to be in New York City as a special Christmas trip.

I would much rather be in New York City....

This place we are in now is NO FUN!!! I am physcially, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. There have been a few positives and I am trying REALLY hard to look at our blessings, but as you can imagine, we are struggling right now.

Oh, and we can't leave out the dentist visits. Adalynn is getting a tooth smack dab in the middle of her palate and my wisdom teeth have really been bothering me and will be removed in March. It looks like we will continue our stay in this awful place for a few more months at least. We are waiting and looking for a break.....hoping it will come!

We have not fallen off the face of the planet. We have just had an extended stay, really close to the edge. We are trying to get out of here....but every time we move forward, something sets us back and we are right where we started. Prayers during this time would be appreciated....patience as I get back into blogging as well. I REALLY hope to get pictured put on here sometime over Christmas break (which is BARELY a week for the kids this year).

So much to do.....so little time!

Praying and looking at blessings is our only answer. First blessing on the list....completion of coursework for my Masters!

Time, time, time

2010-10-24T22:48:00.000-04:00

I seem to have no time lately, but had to share these photos that were taken by John Pittman photography at the boys' homecoming football games a few weeks ago.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094155&id=1487943720&l=9ccac20245

Hopefully you all can check them out there!!! My intentions are to get this really updated sometime this week. Until then,

Shannon

It never fails-

2010-08-31T23:16:00.000-04:00

I love the fact that I can waste time messing around on my iPhone, playing games, browsing facebook, reading everyone's blogs, and of course updating my own. As I write this I am sitting in a hospital bed waiting to be admitted. Yes, you read correctly .... admitted. I have been dealing with uveitis for awhile now as you already know. Then yesterday I noticed that I had a grey spot in the middle of my vision in my right eye. I scheduled an appointment with my opthamologist this afternoon and she sent me here, to the ER after noticing that my optic nerve was swollen. I have already had a CT of my head and orbits (eyes) that came back normal. My bloodwork has come back a little off, but nothing too alarming.

Now I am just waiting for a room upstairs. I am supposed to see a neurologist in the morning as well as have some more tests run. All I know so far is that my optic nerve is swelling.

Where did it go?

2010-08-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Oh my....I can't believe next week is our last week of summer. Where in the world did it go??

School is just around the corner and I don't feel as though I accomplished anything over the summer. But when it comes down to it, our summer was busy. Between swim team, swim team and more swim team, Adalynn turning 3, a trip to Georgia, Camden turning 6, a trip to Indiana, farm trips every week, moving to a new house, and August being filled with football practice 5 nights a week, I guess you can say we were busy.

Add all of that to Adalynn being very sick last week (loosing about 10% of her body weight--a whopping 3 lbs), Camden ending up with croup, my eyes still being a mess (there is talk of me going to the NIH-National Institute of Health), and Broderick getting a hearing aid and I hope you will forgive my lack of blogging.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, here are the promised pictures......

First off, the boys LOVED swim team...Broderick liked it a bit more than Camden. Camden liked the concept of spending 5 mornings a week in the pool, but didn't care too much for the idea of jumping off at the end of the pool and racing down the lane against other kids. Neither of them could swim when they joined swim team and by the end of the season they both could. Camden attempted to compete a few times, but his nerves got the best of him and he never did-notice the picture of him in tears at the end of the lane with his coach. Broderick ended up swimming competitively in freestyle, breast-stroke, and back-stroke. He even swam in a few relay races towards the end of the season. Adalynn did a great job watching her brothers swim. She was upset at the beginning and didn't understand why she couldn't swim, but by the end of the season she was just as happy digging in the dirt, catching bugs, and getting pedicures from one of the other swim team moms.

At the end of the season the boys both got certificates and ribbons as well as a pair of sweat/pajama pants with the swim team's name and mascot on them. Adalynn loved the end of season party because everyone was allowed to swim. Too bad it was super cold and by the time the awards were over and the sun went down, she was only able to stay in the water for a few minutes. When you have no body fat, you get cold REALLY fast and within a few minutes she was shivering and her lips were turning blue. I let John get in the water with the kids and I took the pictures. Brrrrr!!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------

We also spent a lot of time this summer (once each week) at the farm. We enjoyed picking our own organic produce and getting our share of the crop. Some of the items were already harvested and we just had to go into the barn and pick up our share, some of the items had to be picked each week. The kids enjoyed picking their own raspberries, tomatoes, beans, peas, peppers, herbs, and flowers. We were very pleased with the variety of produce we got each week and even more excited to try new things we wouldn't have otherwise. We even canned tomatoes, salsa, pepper jelly, and pickles using some of the items we got at the farm. Thank you to HouseParty for choosing me to host a Ball Fresh Taste canning party, supplying me with a water bath canner, jars, and lots of pectin and the opportunity to invite my friends over to enjoy canning with me! I LOVE HouseParty !!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------

And once again, Camden got lucky and had his birthday party somewhere other than home. Two years ago we were in the process of packing and moving from GA to PA so he got to have his party at the zoo, last year we were busy taking care of John's parents and going to way too many funerals so he had his birthday party at an Iron Pigs game, and finally this year we were in the process of moving and packing (again) and he had his birthday party at the pool. A pirate-pool party, complete with my attempt at a pirate ship cake and lots of time in the water. Even Aunt Jessica from Indiana came and had some fun with us! And, yes I know I still haven't sent thank you notes (for Adalynn's or Camden's party) but they are coming, I PROMISE!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And as I was dumping all the photos off of the camera I realized that we haven't used the camera since we have moved. No pictures of football practice, no pictures of the new house, and no random summer pictures except for the ones taken with our phones (by the way, we both got iPhones and LOVE THEM!!!!) Hopefully I will soon figure out how to quickly and easily upload pictures from our phones to the blog, until then you can see them on facebook.

I hope you all had a great summer. I look forward to all of your comments telling me it is about time I updated....please let me know you were here.....we really enjoy knowing who reads our blog!

House Party Party The Frye Boys' Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™ Season 3 House Party

2010-08-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

coming soon to the Frye household.....

House Party Party The Frye Boys' Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™ Season 3 House Party

and coming soon to the abcfrye blog.....

PHOTOS!!!! (I promise!!!! I just dumped the camera card tonight onto the computer, but homework was my first priority and now.....well, now it is almost 11:00 and the morning comes too early).

Summer Fun!!!!

2010-07-17T19:10:00.000-04:00

LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL

Camden and Adalynn June 2010

September 2009

(what a difference a year makes)

the boys on the first day of school (above)

and on the last day of school (below)

SCOUT GRADUATION

Broderick playing BASEBALL and Camden playing T-Ball

ADALYNN TURNS 3

PICNICS

GEORGIA TRIP and FOURTH of JULY

NATURAL BRIDGE and CAVERNS in NATURAL BRIDGE VIRGINIA

SWIM TEAM 2010

(more swim team pictures to come as well as Camden's 6th birthday party)

Just Breathe....

2010-07-01T23:33:00.000-04:00

Breathe.....

I honestly feel like I haven't been able to do that during the past few months. Our days have been filled with school for the boys, school for me (taking 2 classes), work for both John and I, doctor's appointments, eye appointments (uveitis is at it again), baseball, t-ball, birthday parties, finalizing our housing situation for July, and now swim practice and meets.

No wonder I haven't had time to blog.

I do try to stay up with everyone's blog, though I do admit I have been quite a slacker on commenting and you know how we LOVE comments!! So please forgive me. Maybe now that the summer has started I will have a bit more time to breathe, and blog, and comment, and....oh yeah and you can't forget pack, since we are moving in 3 weeks!

Maybe breathing can wait.

So here's the update.....

Things have been pretty normal for John. He continues to teach at the University and even taught a summer class. He had a blast coaching Camden's t-ball team and helping out as much as we could with Broderick's team. He is excited to finally be done for the summer, but is continuing his research this summer with NASA and soil moisture (or something like that). He enjoys our weekly trips to the organic farm to pick up our share of the crop. It is called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and we love it. I will definitely be posting about that with pictures of the kids picking their own produce. So far we have gotten tons of greens, fresh herbs, peas, strawberries, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, skapes (which are the tops of garlic), beets, radishes, and turnips. I am sure I have forgotten something....but all I can say is YUMMY!!!! I just made a batch of harvard beets that were delicious, if I do say so myself.

Broderick has just finished 2nd grade with a fantastic teacher. I can't believe how much he has grown and changed this year. He got a loaner hearing aide last week and we pick the real one up tomorrow. He is amazed at how much he can hear and how loud Adalynn screams and squeals. He has more than once asked me to make her be quiet. Broderick is swimming on the swim team this summer and a month ago, when practice started, he had no clue how to swim. Now he is swimming the 25 m. freestyle and backstroke at the meets and doing fairly well. I am very impressed with how quickly he has picked it up and how good he is getting. He also enjoyed baseball and thought wearing a cup was the coolest thing in the world.

Camden is so excited to finally be finished with kindergarten and now he gets to go to school with Broderick. I can't believe how much he has learned this year!!! He is also doing swim team and really coming along in his swimming, though not ready for meets yet. He loved having his daddy as his t-ball coach and is quite the baseball player. He really enjoyed the end of the season when it became coach pitch and he didn't have to use the tee anymore. It is hard to believe that he will be turning 6 in less than a month. Where has the time gone?

Adalynn, simply said, is a little princess!!! She just turned three and thinks she is the coolest thing around, carrying her little Vera Bradley purse and wearing her sparkly flip-flops. It is amazing how friendly, outgoing, and personable she is. My grandpa calls her "infectious" and it is soooo true. I don't quite know what it is about her, but she gets smiles everywhere she goes. She loves cheering her brothers on at the various sporting events and does great watching from the sidelines. It is hard to believe how far she has come in three short years. I do have to admit, that we have been cleft slackers. She has not seen a cleft team since we left GA in 2008. That will hopefully be happening soon. We just have to decide where we are going to take her. I am debating on staying local for now, and then re-evaluating when it is time for another surgery (which, according to our plastic surgeon in GA, will be in the next year or two).

As for me, I have just finished one class and another will be done in a few weeks. I have 2 left towards my masters and a few towards some director's credential that I have to get for work. And then I will be done. Maybe not forever though, I am (shhhh, don't tell John) contemplating my Ph.D. I really want to get a "real" teaching job before I go that far, but I have thought about it. Hmmmm??? Dr. and Dr. Frye....now that's a thought! My uveitis has flared up, so I have been back and forth to the eye doctor several times. I do have some permanent damage now, so my vision is pretty bad in one eye, especially in low light situations (my pupil will not dilate). It is frustrating and I really want answers, but I don't think there are any.

As you can see, we have been staying busy. I have a mere 400 photos to sort through, but promise to add them to this post when we get back from our mini-vacation. I promised an update, so I am giving you an update. Once we get back, I will add the photos, so be sure to check back for them....those are my favorite part!

Robot Man

2010-06-22T11:05:00.000-04:00

The last day of school is finally here and I am soooo happy. I only have a few minutes before I have to be back at work, but wanted to let you all know that an update is coming soon!!! I promise! Until then, hopefully this will make you smile and forgive me for slacking.

3 years ago.....

2010-06-11T06:54:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to spend some time writing an awesome post for Adalynn's 3rd birthday, but considering I have to be at work in about 20 minutes and that over the next 3 days we have 3 baseball games, a House Party, an end of season baseball party, the spring carnival at school, as well as a special little girl's Princess party, that probably won't happen.

So to all of my cleft friends out there right now....you know exactly what is going through my mind. To all of the friends and family that follow our journey.....you know exactly how much this Perfect Beauty has taught you in just 3 short years. And to everyone else that happens upon our blog.....I wouldn't change a thing about our special little lady. Happy 3rd Birthday Adalynn!!!!

Many Blessings,

At last!!!!!

2010-05-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

YAY!!!! It was just the monitor. Definitely a prayer answered and you'd better believe those photos are on the external hard drive now....and hopefully I will get all my papers on a flash drive before the end of the weekend.

So here are the photos from the past few months.....

I know this was a massive amount of photos to share, but I guess that is what happens when you go months between posts. You think this is a lot of photos, then should have seen the amount that I had to go through to narrow it down to just these.

Leave me a comment with your favorite photo!!!!

Many Blessings,

well, maybe......

2010-05-12T21:20:00.001-04:00

I was REALLY intending on posting a major update. I mean MAJOR. Complete with pictures, lots of pictures, some explanation of these pictures, and yes-a few more pictures.

Well, that was until our desktop computer, where all of these pictures are stored, decided to die. I don't think it is completely dead. It is just semi-dead. It will still turn on, but the screen looks like a huge multi-colored rainbow. Of course this happened before I was able to copy the last 2 years of photos onto the external hard-drive that we purchased for just this reason. Yet, it happened after I downloaded the last two months worth of pictures off of the camera and onto said computer. Frustration doesn't even begin to describe what I feel.

So that I don't leave you all hanging in the balance, I will tell you about some of the pictures that were going to be posted.

First off there were pictures of the ice skating event with Cub Scouts. Adalynn was adorable in her skates and Camden was WAY more coordinated than Broderick. We all were very sore (all, except Adalynn who never fell) but we had tons of fun.

Then there were pictures from our trip to Indiana for Easter. I drove BY MYSELF with all three kids to Indiana to visit family. 27 hours in the car and we survived!!!! We had a great time....got lots of awesome egg hunting photos, some pictures of the kids looking adorable in their Easter gear and a few others of them sitting on the front porch of my grandparents house opening Christmas (yes, Christmas) presents since this was the first time we have been back in Indiana since last summer.

And I can't forget all of the great pictures that we took during our Washington D.C. trip. We had a blast and can't believe it is so close to where we are. John had a conference in D.C. so we all went. We only had four days, so we were limited in what we were able to see, but made it to most of the monuments, the National Zoo and even did three of the Smithsonian Museums in the same day. It was crazy, but we had tons of fun!!!!

I am not sure what else was on there, but I am sure I am missing something. HOPEFULLY we will recover them soon as well as all the other stuff we had on the computer. I am going to be really sad if I have lost all the papers that I have written for my Masters.......sigh........

Since then we have still been busy. Adalynn got her first ear infection and a nasty stomach bug within the same week and also in that week Broderick found out he would be getting a hearing aide because of moderate conductive hearing loss. We had conferences with the boys' teachers and found out both are doing fantastic in their respective classrooms.

Oh, and last but not least-I just got back from a trip to GA. I went and surprised my best friend by showing up for her graduation. It was great trip, but went way to fast. I was also able to visit with her husband who is leaving for Afghanistan in a few weeks. Jesse was in Iraq last year as a fire fighter on a military base and decided to go back again. This time in Afghanistan and as a Fire Protection Specialist or as he says "just a fancy term for Fire Inspector". Check out his blog here.

Hopefully the next time I post I will have LOTS of pictures to share.....until then, prayers and well wishes to all who are sharing in our journey. By the way, Adalynn will be three is less than a month. Can you believe it???

Many Blessings,

update and photos

2010-05-05T11:10:00.002-04:00

are coming.....I promise!!!!

Many Blessings,

normal

2010-03-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

Surprisingly life has been fairly normal around here. The snow is finally (well mostly) gone. The sun has begun to shine and signs of spring (including allergies) are all around us. We've really not been up to much, but here is a little picture of normal....

We've been making funny faces.....

We've been napping......

(well at least Adalynn has been napping). The boys had both given up naps by this age, but she still needs them. Night time with her has still been quite a chore. She starts out in her bed (and goes to sleep by herself after we read), but ends up in our bed in the middle of the night 3-4 nights a week. She comes walking over carrying all of her things (ie. blanket, stuffed animal(s), pillow(s), and water ... and sometimes I think whatever else she finds along the way) and climbs into bed with us. Some nights she goes right back to sleep and it doesn't affect anyone, other nights she tosses and turns, kicks us, pats my back, and takes awhile to settle back down.
She naps on the couch downstairs during the day. This is how John found her the other day!

We've been reading....

Now that Adalynn is older, she loves listening to books with her brothers. We used to split up and one of us would take the boys and the other would read to Adalynn. Now, we usually do all 3 of them together. Most nights it works out okay. Some nights, well let's just say it isn't as pretty as this picture below!

We've been staying clean.....

And we can't forget bath time. Last year, I was on the phone with a friend and she overheard me tell the boys "no, you can't take baths-you are too dirty". She began laughing and when I asked what was so funny, she said it is a good thing that she knows that my kids take showers. I HATE the thought of them bathing in their own dirt, so they all started taking showers at a very young age....I mean INFANT, young age!!! Now, baths still do happen at our house, but they are only on rare occasions and when they do happen, they LOVE them!!!

We've been celebrating.....

Broderick had his Cub Scout Blue and Gold ceremony celebrating some of the older boys moving from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. We, of course, didn't get any great pictures of Broderick during the ceremony, but did get these of John and I while we were waiting. Sorry Broderick!

We've been enjoying the sun....

And last, but definitely not least...the SUNSHINE! We have definitely enjoyed the warm weather and gorgeous sunshine. You know it is bad when Adalynn says in a surprised voice "the sky is blue!!!!" It really was hilarious!!!

I know, I know...I need to teach her the dangers of cell-phone use while operating a motor vehicle :)

And the boys are getting SUPER excited about playing baseball this spring. They had the option of soccer or baseball and both chose baseball. I can't wait to get some great pictures! Here is Broderick playing catch with John.

And finally PLEASE make sure you check out HouseParty.com It is a great website that features different companies offering "house parties". What is a house party you ask.....well straight from the website....

"A House Party^™ is thousands of parties across the country, hosted by people like you. Each event is sponsored by a leading brand and focuses on something cool that the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends.

I have been to a Betty Crocker party, and hosted a Wii Your Shape/Jello Mousse Temptations party and we just had a Digiorno Pizza Party. It was so much fun to have our friends and neighbors over and share some great pizza (that I had FREE coupons for from houseparty.com ) and then send them home with great coupons!

Here are the kids.....

and some of the pizza.....

and some of the need basketball themed decorations that came with the kit I received.....

It was tons of fun and now I have signed up for a McDonald's party and a Hasbro Game Night party. I hope I get selected again!!!! You will ALL be invited!

Many Blessings,

Life.....

2010-02-24T10:10:00.026-05:00

It has been a busy month and sorry for the long overdue update! Here are some exciting highlights over the past month.....

First off....the SNOW!!! And lots of it.

We are finally starting to thaw out after the 2+ feet of snow we had over the past few weeks. The kids LOVED it, but John and I didn't have the most fun shoveling the massive piles of snow, especially since it seemed like the kids would knock it right back into where we had just shoveled. I think we are all getting used to the snow though-it isn't so new and exciting! This proved true when the kids were getting excited to see grass starting to peak through! Not for long though-there is more on its way as I write this.

The kids were out of school for two days-add that to the two days that were already scheduled and that made for almost a week off of school. We had originally planned to head to Indiana during this time, but two feet of snow kind of canceled that trip.We have had snow on the ground for over a month now and the end isn't in sight.

This is a picture of the first big snowfall we had this year. There was about 10 inches on the ground and we were excited, but had no clue what was to come. Take special notice of the rocks behind the boys.

This picture was taken in the same spot less than a week later when we got an additional 2 feet on top of the 7-10 inches we already had. You can no long see the rocks! There was SOOO MUCH SNOW!!!

Check out these pictures below of us walking down the middle of the road in our neighborhood in it. The road had already been plowed a few times, but as you can tell, nobody was going anywhere and the snow was falling faster than we had ever seen before. John shoveled the driveway about 4 times throughout the day, and within a few hours there was 4-6 more inches on top of it....multiply that by 4 and you get the 24 inches that actually fell.... It was CRAZY!!!

And this is the tunnel/shelter that John and the boys dug in one of the massive piles of snow that surrounded our house. And no, Adalynn was not happy to be standing there for the picture...she really wanted to shovel snow and was mad that we made her stop and stand with the boys.

And it was a good thing that the trip to Indiana got canceled, because Adalynn ended up with pneumonia...not much fun and it was a long week or so, but she is much better now. Camden's asthma has also flared up-probably the same bug, so between the two of them someone is hooked up the nebulizer all day long! I love how much they love each other though and hey play so well together (most days)! Guess it is only fitting that they get sick together too! Their favorite activities include dressing up and pretending to be mommy and daddy.

Camden celebrated his 100th day of school. He had a blast and was so excited to go to school that day and loved making his t-shirt to celebrate the 100th day. I forgot to take a picture of him in his shirt, but will be sure to do so soon! If I do say so myself, it was pretty adorable!

In other 100 news, Broderick turned 100 months old (or 4 months after his 8th birthday) and since his original birthday party was canceled, we surprised him with a 100 month birthday party. We had a blast at his party and he was beyond excited. He had NO CLUE that when he got back from running errands with daddy (which included a trip to Toys-R-Us to spend the last of Christmas gift cards) that his best buddies would be waiting for him!

Walking in to the surprise party!!!

Some of the boys making a 100 piece snack mix.

Mask-making (note to self, NEVER try this again at a birthday party)!

Ever seen a kid so excited about books? He LOVES to read and does an amazing job at it!

I can't believe 100 months has passed so quickly! Our baby boy is slowly, but surely becoming a young man (as much as I don't want to admit it)!! Life is flying, but we are sure having tons of fun!!!!!

Many Blessings,

Pinewood Derby

2010-02-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

Broderick and Camden both made cars for this years Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. Camden isn't actually in Scouts this year, but Broderick's pack has a separate siblings race, so Camden gets to participate. The Pinewood Derby is an all day event and every boy gets to race every other boy and every boy gets to race in every lane of the 4 lane track---this took quite awhile considering there were 41 boys and only 4 can race at a time..

Broderick named his car Dragonfire and it came in second in his Wolf ranking and he got a plaque. He also got "Best Driver in the Car" with a Lego guy hot glued to the top.

Camden's car didn't do as well, but "Hockey Slapshot" still made it down the track in about 5 seconds. He will be more than ready for the Derby next year with two years practice under his belt.

Adalynn desperately needed a nap, and we tried to keep her busy. She loved watching her brothers race their cars, but could care less about all the other boys who raced. Next year, she will be able to make her own car, so hopefully that will keep her more interested. This year was definitely a lot different than last year. She has grown and changed so much!

Camden loved being the center of attention and getting high fives from all of Broderick's Scout buddies!

It is SOOOOOO hard to wait for your turn. Especially with there are 41 boys who get to go before you!

Had to share this photo of Adalynn. She still doesn't weigh much (about 25 lbs at 2 1/2 years old), but she is getting SOOOO tall. Check out where the door knob is!

and since I rarely post pictures of me.....thought I would share this photo that Camden took!

Many Blessings,

When Did it Happen???

2010-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

How in the world did life pass us by so fast? I know everyday we are given is a blessing and no one is guaranteed tomorrow, but at what point did I become my parents age? The other day someone posted a picture on facebook of the marching band. It was from the year John and I met....1991. I can't believe that was almost 20 years ago! 20 years!!!! How did it happen?

And just last night I discovered that I am the same age that my mom was when John and I met. I wonder if my kids think I am as old as I used to think she was? As uncool? As annoying? Yes, I was a bit older than my own kids then....but still! So, is that why Broderick REFUSES to let me hug him in the hallway at school? He will barely say hello to me when he walks by when I am with the after school program. Am I that embarrassing??? Is it that horrible to see your mom at school?? I know I did the exact same thing! So, mom....I am sorry!!!

John and I will celebrate our 14th year of marriage this year, and our 19th year of knowing each other/being a couple! That is over half of our lives! OVER HALF OF OUR LIVES!!! And through all the those years, some better than others, we have loved each other. And this love has spilled over into our children, who love each other so much.....though sometimes they don't show it. Some years of marraige were better than others. Some years fly by and some seem to drag on forever. 2009 was a rough year for our family...way too many deaths, illnesses, and sadness.Yet, we made it through...you love each other and you make it. The blessings are always there, but sometimes they get overlooked. Although they may be right in front of your face, life blurs your vision and they get ignored.

This week marks the last week of January 2010...we didn't really make any New Year's Resolutions- I think they are way too over rated, but John and I have started working out, trying to eat healthier (more fruits and vegetables) and I have really tried to make an effort to see all of my blessings. After the frightening realizations this week that life is quickly passing by, I really know I need to cherish every minute. Just this week a 34 year old teacher in the school system I work in passed away. It was very sudden and although I didn't know him, it has still affected me. I need to make sure life doesn't blur my vision. I vow to live well, laugh often, and love much and urge you to do the same thing. Cause I know, someday my little girl and little boys are going to come to same realization....they have become their parents and life is too precious to spend worrying, arguing, and wasting time!!! And the blessings are too numerous to be blurred out of our line of sight.

I love this man more today than yesterday (though I don't tell him often enough)... .and these kiddos are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!!

(Adalynn took this picture....wish it weren't cut off on the bottom, but thought it was worth sharing nonetheless).

Thank you for being a blessing in our life. May love surround you this year, may you always be able to see your blessings without life passing you by too fast!

Many Blessings,

Christmas Re-cap

2010-01-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

The month of December seemed to fly by. It started out with Camden loosing his first tooth! He was very nervous about it falling out and it seemed to hang on by a thread for about a week, but finally after a dinner including corn on the cob-out it came! Once it was out he was so excited!!! And even more excited at 6:00 the next morning when he discovered that the Tooth Fairy had visited him and left him "one dollar with a five on it!"

The month continued on going faster than ever. I really thought that not traveling this year would help us slow down and enjoy the holiday a bit more than usual, but it seemed like we still never slowed down. I think it is called "having three kids". We did get to visit a few more churches (still haven't found "the one") and we went to a great Christmas play called "The Journey". The kids loved it-as did John and I-especially the live animals and fire outside complete with Mary and Joseph actors.

We enjoyed our traditional steak Christmas Eve dinner and even invited Broderick's first grade teacher and her boyfriend over to join us (since they were not going anywhere for the holidays). We also continued our PA tradition of going out for ice cream, driving around looking at Christmas lights, and finishing the evening with a trip to the Ski Resort. One of these days we will do more than just sit in the parking lot and watch the skiers. Camden REALLY wants to go snowboarding....if it weren't just so expensive and SOOO dangerous I might share his enthusiasm.

We learned throughout the month of December that FedEx and UPS deliver at all times of the day (and into the LATE evening). And that they are super fast!!! I am convinced that the drivers drop the box, ring the doorbell, and see if they can run away and drive off before the occupants of the house figure out what hit them. With us not traveling, we received A LOT of packages full of presents waiting to be opened. And do you know how hard it is to have to spend weeks just LOOKING at the growing pile of gifts underneath the tree? It is nearly impossible!!! Especially for Camden. I think he shook every single package under the tree.

And finally, it was Christmas morning. Adalynn didn't want Santa to come to her house. In fact she INSISTED that Santa not come to her house. Well, he didn't listen very well and Broderick and Camden knew he would come anyway. The boys were up before 7 and although Adalynn would have preferred to sleep a little longer they wouldn't let her and downstairs we went.

They were very pleased to find Wii games, Wii light sabers, and Wii pajama pants (Santa got a good deal on Wii stuff). Adalynn was excited to see a dollhouse, jewelry box, and her first Barbie! Santa only leaves three gifts per child and we stress the significance of these three gifts relating to the three gifts that Jesus received. And although not everyone agrees with teaching of the true meaning of Christmas as well as still allowing Santa visit, we happily do both. John participated in a very lengthy facebook debate about Santa being Satan....UGH SOME PEOPLE!!!! Santa visits our house AND we believe in the birth of Jesus Christ! I don't think we are alone!

I do think the most popular gifts were the Nerf Basketball Hoop and the deck of magic cards Broderick got in his stocking. The boys really like Adalynn's doll house and love pretending that it is Jaba the Hut's palace and fill the house with Star Wars guys (much to Adalynn's dislike).

And here they are....in all their unwrapping, tossing aside, oohing and awing glory.

CHRISTMAS MORNING 2009

so excited to get not one Indiana Jones....but two!!!!

isn't this the best shirt ever? Broderick LOVES it!!!!

I wish I had video of Camden opening this package. He was so excited to unwrap it and see Pancake and Sausage on a stick. He LOVES them....he was a little disappointed to open the box and see that I had just used the it to put clothes into. He would have been much happier if it was really the sausage things!

thanking daddy for the presents!

happily hugging Wii Resorts!

Broderick says "You fake boxed me Camden" as he discovers Night at the Museum II at the bottom of this box. Camden gets big hugs for getting Broderick this movie!

and the aftermath....look at this mess!!!!

And no Christmas is complete without Star Wars characters making an appearance in the Veggie Tales nativity scene.

And of course, you have to include pictures of new clothes and playing with their new toys!

And here is Adalynn using her new cooking set wearing her ballerina pajamas. These pictures were just too cute not to share.

Adalynn on New Year's Eve.....

And best wishes from us for a Happy New Year and may 2010 be filled with many blessings!!!!

Many Blessings,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2009-12-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hee Hee!!! Be sure to Elf yourself at JibJab.com....it is HILARIOUS!!!

Will she ever like him?

2009-12-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

We ventured to the mall a few weekends ago for the obligatory Santa picture. My dad (aka Papa Hairface) thinks it is pure torture to make a child sit on a lap of a strange hairy man, especially since this particular child-Adalynn, is still unsure of him and he only has the hairy part going on....but as I said, we ventured to the mall for the OBLIGATORY Santa picture and this is what we got.

Isn't this hilarious???? The boys were so excited and she still didn't want anything to do with him. The entire time in line she kept saying that she was going to ask him for a Barbie, but when it came to be our turn, she had other plans....to get off of this strange hairy man's lap. So the boys spoke for her and let Santa know what she wanted while she just cried.

And in case you don't get a real card from me in the mail, here are the Christmas cards we sent out this year. I made them on seehere.com and got 100 for less than $7.00 (which was the s&h charges)! I love free codes!!!!! Next time I will get myself in gear enough to post it on the blog. I made two cards, because I couldn't decide which one I liked better and got prints of both. If you want a real one and don't think I have your address, feel free to email me at abcfryeblog-at-gmail-dot-com and I will mail you one!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and many blessings for the new year!

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Many Blessings,

Welcome to the party!

2009-12-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the party!

You have to check out HouseParty.com!!! I just went to a Betty Crocker party over the weekend and then I was chosen for a Wii Your Shape (featuring Jenny McCarthy) party at my house. They send me the game and Jello Mousse Temptations goodies and I invite my friends for a fun night! SOOO EXCITED!!!!!!

And finally....what you've been waiting for (soccer awards, football banquet, Thanksgiving, Christmas decorating and the best of all....SNOW!!!!!)

2009-12-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

and the stockings are hung.....

Many Blessings,

can this sound really come from this sweet girl???

2009-12-04T09:29:00.002-05:00

Still haven't had time to upload the pictures from the camera....but hopefully I will be able to this weekend. I did have time to record these videos of Adalynn on my phone over the past few days. (Maybe Santa will see the quality of these videos and get me one of those flip cameras....oh nevermind he found a great deal on one at Kohl's on Black Friday. I just have to wait until Christmas to get it-UGH).

She and I are both fighting slight colds so the video below is what she sounds like when she sleeps. The snoring has been really bad and she hasn't slept well for the past few nights. I really think the drainage is getting to her. She goes to the ENT next week, but I really hope it stays out of her ears and she steers clear of an ear infection.The snoring is NOT normal for her and it has been quite awhile since she has snored like this. Almost 2 years to be exact!!! She sounded this bad right after they closed her palate and she couldn't figure out how to breathe out of her nose. Wow, I can't believe 2 years has past already!

and here she is singing her ABC's...The older she gets the more nasally I think she sounds but I guess that comes with the cleft territory. Anyone have experience with p-flap surgery? Still very cute nonetheless! Oh, and that is Camden in the background asking me to make him an 8!

And finally, as I finish up my Christmas shopping, I was wondering what are you getting your kiddos for Christmas? How much do you spend? I want to get my babies LOTS of things, but still trying to stay within our budget and be reasonable. What are your thoughts?

Many Blessings,

Working Mom....that's me!!!

2009-11-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

I don't have a lot of time, Adalynn is napping, dishes are calling, eye appointment at 1:30, followed by work at 3:00....yes, you read correctly, work at 3:00

After 17 months of staying home, I went back to work a few weeks ago. We had been toying with the idea and financially something had to give-so off I went. Well, I wasn't really looking, but just happened to see that Broderick's school was in need of a director for their before and after-school program. So I work a few hours in the morning and then go back for a few in the afternoon (more specifically 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.). My neighbor is watching them on the days John is not home and the best part is that I get to be home ALL DAY LONG---well, for the most part....

We are slowly, VERY SLOWLY adjusting, With me working so late in the afternoon, dinner has been moved back by an hour (and John is fixing it every weeknight). We also have to wake the kids up about an hour earlier than before, so things are sometimes a little crazy at 6:30 a.m. in the Frye house with 5 people getting ready, attempting to eat breakfast, and get to work/school/babysitter's house and not be late. Some mornings are better than others.

I have pictures to post of Camden's final soccer game and award's party, Broderick's HUGE (500+ people) football banquet, and a few random photos of our princess (who is slowly realizing her role), but that will have to wait. The dishes are now shouting, Adalynn won't be sleeping much longer, and my eye appointment-yes, still for the Uveitis looms ever closer.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to NO TRAVELING and John's sister and nephew visiting. Until then,

Many Blessings,

There is NO WAY it is November already! I mean, REALLY????

2009-11-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

Growing up, time seemed to stand still. It took forever for Christmas to get here after the Halloween festivities. And then forever for Spring Break to come and even longer for the much anticipated summer vacation. But now, as an adult, I am quickly realizing what my parents warned me of so long ago. Time really does fly. I can't believe that the lazy days of summer (or traveling days in our case) are long gone, and fall is in full swing. John's, Broderick's, and even my own birthdays flew by and we are each a year older. Halloween has come and gone and the costumes have already made their way to the dress-up basket downstairs. Thanksgiving plans are in the works and the kids have already circled every single item in the Toys-R-us "Biggest Toy Book Ever". Can it really be November already? Can John and I really be in our mid-30's (he, more so than me)? Do we really have three kids? And is it even possible that I have 8 year old and 5 year old sons and an almost 2 1/2 year old daughter?

Now, don't get me wrong....there are days that really seem to stand still. Days that I can't wait for their bedtimes to come. Days that I feel I yell more than I don't. But, there are also days that I don't want to end. Moments that are all too often too fleeting. Phases in their lives that I know I will look back on and miss. Just last night I gave Adalynn a bath in the sink (yes, even at 28 1/2 months she STILL fits) and I looked at my 75lb football playing, size 6 shoe wearing, second grader and I wondered how in the world did he use to fit in the sink? But then again, wasn't it just yesterday? Where has the time gone?

Well, football season is over. Halloween has past. And my babies are growing up way too fast. What used to take forever is now happening right before my eyes and I am fearful that if I blink I am going to miss something. I can't be alone. I know you all are sharing the same thoughts, fears, and awful realizations that time goes by way too fast and your baby's are growing up even faster. I am happy, sad, fearful, and full of love all at the same time. Just look at them!

MARIO, LUIGI, and PRINCESS PEACH

No not just any princess, but Princess Peach....why didn't anyone get it? Everyone caught onto the boys' costumes right away, but nobody could tell who she was. Everyone just assumed "a princess". Aren't they cute? And can't you tell Broderick is WAY into it!!! By the way....if you ever dye white hats with Rit dye, be sure to wash them before going out in the rain. I was a bad mommy and didn't and I had two little boys with colored heads and necks from the dye running.

-------------------------------------------------------

And here are some great shots John took at Broderick's last two football games. Doesn't he look WAY TOO OLD?!?!? I can't believe this was once my little baby who took baths in the sink just like his sister (though definitely not when he was 28 1/2 months old). My baby is growing up too fast and I am not sure I am ready!

Be sure to notice the other little boy having to reach and jump to get his flag back and how tall Broderick is in the picture below. The other two boys are the same age and in his 2nd grade classroom. No they are not on a hill....the difference is that great!

Happy November. Yes, it is really here!

Let's add some fun to the mix

2009-10-20T19:30:00.000-04:00

As you read in my last post, my Uveitis has flared up. I found out today that it is in both eyes and pretty bad this time. UGH! We also found out on Friday that Camden's allergies are almost as severe as Broderick's and that he has asthma on top of that. He felt pretty yucky over the weekend so after taking him to the doctor yesterday morning, we found out yesterday afternoon that Camden has tested positive for Type A Influenze (which 95% of the cases are H1N1) and we found out this morning that he also has pertussis (aka whooping cough) on top of that. Talk about one miserable man!!!!

(by the way he WAS vaccinated for that via the DTaP over the summer.....go figure)

Needless to say.....prayers for his continued recovery and for the rest of the family's health!

Thanks and God bless!!!!!

Many Blessings,

Virginia Beach, VA

2009-10-18T23:01:00.002-04:00

am feeling pretty crappy right now with another flare-up of Uveitis, so I will make this quick since I can't see and working on the computer really hurts my eyes.

We went to Virginia Beach, VA over Columbus Day weekend. We had a fantastic time, relaxed, swam, and played on the beach. The kids enjoyed every minute....well, for the most part. Adalynn was SCARED to death of the ocean and would not go close to it at all.

The first few pictures are from when John's parents visited us....and then a few of Adalynn taken a few weeks ago. I saw this and I couldn't beleive how big she is getting.....definitely not a baby anymore....I can't believe I have a little girl who plays with her baby dolls, loves princess EVERYTHING, and wants mommy to have tea parties. I blinked and it happened, my baby grew up!! I am a bit overwhelmed and very scared!

So here are the pictures.....and the last two are a sneak peak at our beach photo shoot.....gotta love the tripod (we actually got some great shots of all of us together using it). Can't wait to get started on Christmas cards using these photos.

Spillin' the Beans

2009-10-08T21:53:00.000-04:00

First things, first....NO I AM NOT PREGNANT (nor are we trying). But the beans still must be spilled. So here it goes....

I found a lump. I had been calling it a spot, but nobody understood me when I said spot....so lump it was. I didn't even want to admit it to myself, but when talking to my mother-in-law about it (who has/had breast cancer) she said-yelled-screamed GO TO THE DOCTOR... Yes, it was SCARY to admit that a lump was what I had!!!

It was a long wait (a whole 4 days) before I was able to get into the doctor, and then another week before I got a mammogram/ultrasound scheduled. But finally this week I got the news I needed to hear. I AM FINE!!!! The lump that I was feeling was just an enlarged lymph node and the two additional lumps that the nurse found were normal. YAY! Praise the Lord.

It was very intense few weeks and I was scared to death, but am so glad that my lumps are "unremarkable"-as the doctor said. Guess being "unremarkable" is a good thing! The mammogram was an experience in and of itself....and that is all I have to say about that. Hopefully the story ends there!

Now onto more exciting news....We are going away this weekend. It is a much needed break. I have an idea on where we are going, but John won't spill the beans and tell me anything for sure....just away, in a hotel, and on the beach!!! I can't wait to have a relaxing mini-vacation and hopefully get some great photos while we are gone!

Pray for good weather, healthy kids, and safe travels!

Thanks for checking in on us....

Many Blessings,

For my students.....

2009-10-05T15:28:00.001-04:00

To my students:
Many of you come on here to check and see how I am doing and I really wish I could see how you are doing. Don't get me wrong, I love the little blurbs you leave in the TagWorld link...you've moved, you love 5th grade, you miss me.....but today I was sad to read that one of you lost your dad. I am not sure what is going on and I can't imagine the pain you are going through right now, but wanted to let you know I think of you all often. And since you requested it ....here you go!

the song we sang on the last day of school.....means so much to me every time I hear it! I hope you find comfort in it during this sad time!

Adalynn Update & Lesson Learned: Don't run with a toothbrush in your mouth....well, at least don't fall!

2009-09-21T21:14:00.003-04:00

Before you all come knocking down my door for an update on Adalynn, I figured that I'd better post something....so here is the story

play by play

doctor visit to doctor visit

ER visits #1, #2, and #3

and ending with a 3 day hospital stay.

UGH!!!!!!

----------------------------------------------------
Monday, September 14
8 a.m.
The boys were sent to the bathroom to brush their teeth while I was getting socks and sweatshirts for them to go to school. Camden thought he would be helpful and gave Adalynn her toothbrush so she could brush her teeth as well. I straighten up their beds and then hear her scream. She was laying on the hallway floor holding her mouth and the toothbrush was next to her. Camden is saying "sorry, sorry, sorry" and blood is starting to drip down her chin. She fell with the toothbrush in her mouth while she was running away from Camden.

I get her cleaned up and she calms down. The neighbor takes Broderick to school and Camden, Adalynn, and I do some work in the yard. She was acting fine! I wasn't too worried.

9 a.m.
She starts screaming out of the blue. At first I thought she had been stung by a bee again, but then she started holding her neck and saying "owie mouth". I called the doctor, explained to them what had happened and they scheduled an appointment for 10:15.

10:15 a.m.
Doctor looks in her mouth and says he sees the bruised spot....nothing to worry about and to give her Tylenol and Motrin and she should be fine.

11:15 a.m.
She won't eat or drink anything for lunch. She really wants to and keeps taking drinks and tries to take some bites, but then either spits it out or lets it drip down her chin. We take Camden to the bus stop and then come home and she takes a nap

3:15 p.m.
I wake her up to go get the boys from the bus stop. She is super fussy, even despite being on meds. I notice that she drooled a lot while napping and by the time I got to the bus stop her shirt was soaked. She still won't eat or drink and now she is not even swallowing her own saliva. I called the doctor back and they said to take her to the ER.

4 p.m.
We head to the ER. They take some X-rays, look in her mouth (and don't see anything) and send us home with instructions to alternate Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours.

Tuesday, September 15
It was a fairly uneventful day. She is on meds continuously and still eating very little. She did drink slightly better, but definitely NOT NORMAL!!! We can't let up on the meds or she is miserable and will not drink at all. If she is medicated, at least she is getting some fluids in her.

Wednesday, September 16
8 a.m.
She is still super fussy. Still taking the meds around the clock-even waking up in the middle of the night in pain.She ate about 2 bites of pancake and drank about an ounce of juice for breakfast.

11:30 a.m.
She doesn't eat lunch at all. She was restless for nap and would barely let me lay her down. When she did wake up from nap, I noticed that she was now running a fever. I called our doctor's office back and they scheduled her an appointment for around 4. They called back a little bit later and said to just take her back to the ER and that more testing probably needed to be done.

3:30 p.m.
I give her more meds and wait for John to get home so I can take back to the ER. She now has a visibly swollen neck and you can feel a golf ball sized knot in her neck (around the spot where you would typically take your pulse). We get to the ER and they don't do anything besides take a urine sample. They look in her mouth and do not see anything. When I asked about a CT, they said it was too dangerous to do on someone her age and it would subject her to too much radiation. They sent us home with a script for Amoxicillan and said she had lymphadenopathy (or swollen lymph nodes).

Thursday, September 17
7:00 a.m.
Adalynn wakes up with a slight amount of dried blood on her lips. I honestly didn't think anything of it. She ate a little more than previously and as long as we stayed on top of the meds she acted okay.

9:00 a.m.
We go to my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting. She goes into her classroom and does great. Still acting slighly fussy, but I thought we were on the mend. Didn't think that she truly had swollen lymph nodes, but was hoping that the antibiotics would do the trick.

11:30 a.m.
Lunch at McDonalds. She ate about 3 bites of a cheeseburger and then played. I didn't take meds with me, so she didn't have her usual next dose. Seemed to be acting okay, so I came to the conclusion, that maybe the doctors were right. They are doctors! Speaking of doctors, her regular pediatrician calls and schedules an appointment for that afternoon.

12:30 p.m.
We drop Camden off at kindergarten and she falls asleep on the way home. I still don't give her more meds, since she was feeling well enough without them to go to sleep. She is restless and fights going back to sleep when I move her inside from the van, but eventually does fall asleep.

2:45 p.m.
Adalynn wakes from nap crying. I go into the room and am shocked to see blood pouring out of her mouth. It is all over her shirt, the couch, and running down her chin. I race her to the car and head to back to the ER for the third time.

7:30 p.m.
We are sent home again. They aren't sure where the bleeding is coming from, but suspect she just opened up her old wound. We leave without any additional testing and are told to follow up with our ENT on Friday with the idea of possibly doing a scope to see what is going on in her mouth.

Friday, September 18
8:30 a.m.
I call the ENT's office as soon as they opened, yet can't get an appointment until 2 in the afternoon. We take it easy at home. She is still obviously in pain and the swelling in her neck has not subsided (despite being on antibiotics).

2:00 p.m.
We meet with our ENT. I explain the whole above story. He looks in her mouth and like everyone else, still does not see anything. I tell him about her being diagnosed with the swollen lymph nodes, but how I am concerned that it might not be. He is surprised to hear that we were sent home after the bleeding incident without any additional testing. He then feels her neck. Immediately I see the expression on his face change. He says for me to go home, pack a bag, and go back to the ER. He wants Adalynn to be admitted this time and for a CT to be done.

2:30 p.m.
I guess the ENT noticed my hesitation about going back to the ER because he called me on my way home and told me to just go straight to the Ped's Floor-they were expecting me.

3:45 p.m.
We arrive at the hospital and as promised, they were waiting for me. Within minutes we were in our room and not long after that they were putting an IV in (well, attempting to put an IV in. Adalynn has very small veins and it was quite difficult). Three sticks, two nurses, and one doctor later she finally had her IV.

5:15 p.m.
We go for a CT. They attempted to do it with her awake and she was great until the bed moved. They ended up calling the doctor down and sedated her with Versed. I was able to stay with her the entire time and I even held her hand during the CT.

6:30 p.m.
We are back in our room where Daddy and Camden are waiting (Broderick went to Cub Scouts with a friend). Adalynn is still very out of it and had a slight allergic reaction (hives and red eyes) to either the Versed or the contrast dye that was given for the CT. She stays hooked up to her monitors and slowly wakes up. John stays with her and Camden and I go downstairs so I can eat some dinner.

8:00 p.m.
The boys leave to get Broderick and we finally get an answer. The swelling in Adalynn's neck is not a swollen lymph node, but a hematoma. A FREAKING hematoma.....yes, at this point I am MAD!!!! A hematoma!!! Go ahead and google "hematoma of the neck" and you will see why I am so mad. This is a potentially life threatening condition. A hematoma can cause swelling in the neck severe enough to compromise her airway. And we waiting 5 days before finding out that is what her swelling was. By now, the swelling had pretty much stopped, so we were fairly safe, but what if it wouldn't have stopped? We were scared to death, nonetheless. She was placed on IV antibiotics and monitored throughout the night. Poor thing had cords coming from her arm, her chest, and her foot. She kept saying "untangle me, mommy". It was a rough night and they did give her some pain meds, but her stats were fine.

Saturday, September 19
Adalynn wakes up with dried blood on her lips and a large spot on the bed. The nurse seemed slightly alarmed, and let the doctor know. They come in and still can't figure out where the bleeding is coming from.

We continue to be monitored, she is seen by the ENT on call, and continues to get her IV meds. Mid afternoon, she starts acting like she feels better and is much harder to contain in the hospital room. We make several laps around the floor pulling her IV pole with her.
She unhooks her IV twice throughout the day. The doctors decide that another few doses of IV antibiotics would be best and we stay another night (as long as her IV holds up). She doesn't like sleeping in "the doctor's bed", but doesn't fight it. I think she is enjoying the special attention, the presents given to her, her own laptop, and the HUGE Elmo balloon that one of the nurses gave her. She sleeps much better throughout the night and wakes up without any evidence of bleeding.

Sunday, September 20
HOME.....we made it home right before lunch. She was sent home with a script for more antibiotics (stronger and different than what she was originally on). She was so happy to see her doggie and really seems to continue to feel better. She does find the stethoscope and starts pretending to be the doctor telling Broderick to take a deep breath. She also chases the dog around with the flashlight telling him to "open wide". It was too cute! But we could also tell how much better she was feeling.We were shocked to find TONS of blood on her pillow and on her sheets when it was time for bed. Guess that was from Thursday morning, but we will never know.

TODAY......Monday, September 21
She is back! I can't believe how much better she is feeling today. I called the ENT and we go back to see him on Friday. The swelling has subsided, but you can still feel the knot (which I am assuming is the hematoma) in her neck.

We are praising God that she is happy and healthy. Hopefully this is where the story ends.

All of this from falling with a toothbrush in her mouth. I feel like I need to lock them up in the medicine cabinet.

Thank you for all of the prayers. We really appreciate it. Just knowing that there are people all over the country who care about a little girl they have never met is amazing! We are so truly blessed!

And don't you just love the ~~AWESOME~~ quality of the photos? ....they were all from our cell phone.

Many Blessings,

2 years already....9-17-09

2009-09-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

This is not going to be the post that I was hoping for to celebrate Adalynn's two year anniversary of her first surgery. Which might or might not have to do with the fact that two out of the last three nights were spent in the ER. To make a VERY long story short....Adalynn tripped with her toothbrush in her mouth (big brother thought he was helping by giving her the toothbrush) and she hurt her mouth pretty bad.....if it weren't already late and I didn't have to prepare to lead my first MOPS discussion group tomorrow, then I would give more details ... but for now. this is it!

---------------------------------------------------------

ANYWAYS.....2 years ago Adalynn's first face, which we still miss, was changed forever. I think I will always miss that first wide smile, but feel blessed we live in a country where it is possible to have this type of birth defect repaired at such a young age. If you haven't watched Smile Pinki it is definitely worth trying to find it!!!!
Here is the trailer....

And here is our baby girl.....

2 years ago ... she looked like this....

but within a few hours, she looked like this!

And once again, I have to say

... wow, time flies!

Many Blessings,

Back to School

2009-09-13T21:57:00.005-04:00

Well, the first day of school has officially come and gone and the only one who cried was Adalynn....not mommy or daddy, not Camden, and definitely not Broderick (who has been asking for quite some time if it was time to go back to school).

Just Adalynn!

And not just a little fussing....but great big alligator tears. She DID NOT want Camden to get on that bus and leave her behind. She was fine saying good-bye to Broderick when he got onto the bus that morning, but later that day when it was time to put Camden on the bus, she was a mess.

Even I was okay with my baby boy going to school for the first time. Maybe because I have already done it once. Now, I will admit that I was a little bit sad, but definitely not as sad as the lady who walked by me with tears running down her face and went back to her car sobbing and not as sad as Adalynn....but I was sad.

They both had a fantastic first day and love their new teachers. We are excited for a great school year and are looking forward to seeing what is in store this year!

Our first day of school was definitely not an ordinary day. We had to wake up super early to take John to campus since his car decided to quit on him...no warning, no flashing lights...nothing! It just died (as he was going about 55 mph on his way home). UGH!!! And so I wouldn't be stranded at home carless on the first day of school, we drove him to his office. (Though Camden asked several times once learning we had to be out of the house super early, why daddy couldn't just ride his bike)....

So we were all up and out of the house by 7ish to drop John off. We came home with a few minutes to spare before Broderick had to go to school. Quick hair and teeth brushing and we were ready for pictures outside. Broderick had gotten so big over the past few months; it has been a little frightening. When I look at these pictures I realize just how fast he is growing up....

and at the bus stop with our neighbor (and his "best friend") Wyatt.

Camden, Adalynn, and I walked back home. We played for a bit, cleaned a little, and ate some lunch. Then it was time for Camden to go to school. He was so excited!!! And Adalynn was too!!! She still didn't understand what was going on.

Waiting for a late bus on your first day of school is NOT easy....he was soooo excited and the bus was sooooo late (like 20 minutes late).

I couldn't even get him to slow down long enough for me to get a good picture of him getting onto the bus. But here he is waiting for the bus with our other neighbor and his "best friend" Reesie and another of him sitting with her roaring to go!

And it was then Adalynn realized Camden was leaving on the bus and the bus was leaving without her. She was so sad.

We walked the half-mile back to our house and Adalynn was very quiet. I thought she might be on the verge of going to sleep-since it was about her nap-time-but I think she was processing everything. The minute we stepped inside the door and she was alone she really let loose. Such a sad little girl!

She took a great nap (amazing how good you sleep when there aren't two screaming brothers to wake you up). And before long it was time to get the boys off the bus. Broderick was first around 3:45 and then Camden got off about 4:25.

I got a better picture of him getting off of the bus, but you can tell how excited he still was.

Then some quick shots of the boys together (Camden was still in pajamas when Broderick left that morning). Here they are sporting their new school clothes, backpacks, and matching tennis shoes.

And then we were back off to Kutztown, to pick John up from campus. We ate a fantastic corndog dinner in the car since we then had to go straight to football practice. Needless to say, we were running ragged by that evening. I tried to get a picture of Camden wearing his "I Survived My First Day of Kindergarten" hat-but this was the best I could get. I think everyone felt like this!

We took John to campus that next day and then he drove himself on Thursday (since he would be home early). Thank goodness we heard from the shop and we were able to pick his car up on Thursday night and life has returned somewhat to normal.

For those of you who were wondering....the fuel pump went out in his car and dropping a gas tank and trying to repair it yourself pretty much sucks . We did it at home (yes, WE.... I was under the car and helped too!!!) Our neighbor came out and helped....I think his wife felt sorry for me laying on the ground and attempting to help. John ended up spending about 5 hours doing changing both the fuel pump and the fuel filter, got everything hooked back up and the stinkin' car still wouldn't start. So off to the shop it went. I guess one of the prongs on some cord of the pump was bent...so we did the bulk of the work and the shop bent a prong back. And they're the ones who get paid.

The weekend was busy as well. Friday and Saturday with both yucky with lots of rain and Camden's first soccer game was canceled. Broderick's Saturday game was moved to Sunday. So we went to Rodale Organic Farm and picked apples. Wish we would have gotten some pictures, but because of all the rain, we thought it best not to get the camera wet.

Sunday was beautiful, so we definitely took the camera to football and although we didn't get many good pictures of Broderick playing (HAVE to get a longer lens) I did get a few great ones of our sweet little girl in her Colt's jersey and a hair bow that I made almost 2 years ago.

and about two years ago....when she first wore this bow....

wow.....time really does fly!!!!

Many Blessings,

Summer's End

2009-09-06T21:00:00.004-04:00

Is it that time already??

Even with school just around the corner, the much cooler weather, and signs of fall all around us, I still hate to admit that summer is over. The kids go back to school on Tuesday, John started last week, and my classes started 2 weeks ago...but we are still not ready for summer to end.

Obviously we have had an eventful summer...some good, some not so good, and some really bad things have happened. Throughout all of these things though, the kids kept growing and changing. Here are some highlights that I may have forgotten over the past month or so....

Adalynn has been changed to a "monitoring" status through the Early Intervention Speech Program. As exciting as this sounds and as little speech services she actually received (once a quarter or every 3 months), I am very nervous about this.

She is definitely talking. Her favorite things to say are "oh yeah, baby" and "no mommy, I do'd it" and there is "I dunno" and you can't forget my favorite..."shake your booty". She has some nasality, but nothing too alarming and some of her pressure sounds (especially /t/) still sound a little off. But all in all, she is doing fantastic and it was decided that she no longer needed services. They will call me every month or so and check up on her and see if I have any new concerns.

Oh, and another exciting occurrence over the past few months is that WE HAVE HAIR!!!! Adalynn is slowly, but surely growing hair. It is still really curly and because it is thin, it doesn't look that long---but when you pull it up, the length is definitely there (especially on the crown). Break out the hair bows, barrettes, and pony-tails!!!

She is also well on her way to being potty trained. She has worn panties the past several days and only had a handful of accidents. Today she stayed dry until about 15 minutes before bed time. She did have two 'dirty' accidents, but did not tinkle in her panties until about 7:30 p.m. We even played outside for awhile (and she got stung) and she still did great! YAY ADALYNN!!!!

--------------------------
Some other big news in our house is that Broderick had his first "official" football game. We had a few scrimmages (the pictures are from those), but his first real game of the season was on Saturday afternoon. He was so excited and his 1st grade teacher came. Even more exciting was that his team tied with the other team, so he counts that as winning (they don't play overtime). He is getting better every practice and he is even playing with the possiblity of tackle football next fall. For those of you who were wondering, he is playing the line-that's what being the tallest kid gets you- left guard and right tackle. He loves it!

--------------------------------------
And the biggest news of all.....one baby boy is going to kindergarten and the other into second grade. We had a tour of the kindergarten center, met both of their teachers, and the boys are more than ready to go. Their clothes are already laid out and the new shoes have been calling their names for awhile. I can't believe these adorable little boys have turned into such a big kids! Watch out kindergarten----here comes Camden!!!!And second grade----are you ready for Broderick?

Many Blessings,

Camping Pics and a Medical Update

2009-08-21T19:05:00.005-04:00

Despite the horrible rainstorms (times 3), a ridiculous amount of mud, a messed up dining canopy, and a slightly damp tent we ---eventually--- had a blast camping. We seriously considered packing up and going home after the first 10 hours of rain and not being able to get our dining canopy up. But the rain let up (briefly) and we discovered the wonders of duct tape in order to help with our dining canopy predicament so we decided to stick it out. I am so glad we did. The kids had a blast with only a few meltdowns, a couple mosquito bites, and lots of memories. Here are the photos of our amazing trip in a scrapblog. By the way, if you haven't tried it, it is tons of fun!!! One of these days I will actually get one printed!

(By the way, once we got home John looked up the rainfall amounts for where we went and over the course of our three day trip there was over 2 inches of rain! No wonder everything was wet!!!)

As far as the medical update, things have continued to stay interesting around here. I have been struggling with cloudy vision for the past week or so. Finally, I made an appointment with the ophthalmologist and found out that I have Uveitis again. This time in both eyes. I have probably had it for awhile, but because it presented itself differently I wasn't aware of it. Both eyes have developed keratic precipitates or little deposits of white blood cells all over (which is what is causing my vision to be cloudy). One of my pupils is also sticking and not dilating completely (so instead of being round, it is roughly heart shaped) so I am on a dilating drop 3 times a day in that eye. The steroid drops aren't bad, but the dilating drop makes my already cloudy vision extremely blurry (anyone who has had their eyes dilated knows exactly what I am talking about). I also just found out today that the pulmonary nodules on my lungs have not done anything since my first CT about 2 years ago. Because of this, there is nothing to worry about at this time and I don't have to have another CT! YAY!!!

I haven't been the only one to go to the doctor over the past week or so. Both Adalynn and Camden had their well checks. Adalynn's weight and height were 24.2 lbs and 36 inches and Camden weighed 42.4 lbs, but I forget how tall he was....I think it was 46 inches. She was in the 15% for weight and 75% for height and he was around the 50% for weight and 75% for height. Camden got 4 shots in preparation for kindergarten and didn't cry until shot #4 and Adalynn got one and didn't even whimper. She even asked for another "pokey" the next time we went back to the doctor (for Broderick-see below). Everything looks great for both of them and they both got a clean bill of health.

Broderick, on the other hand, hasn't been so lucky. He is battling a major infection on his bottom and is now on antibiotic #2. It is a staph infection (not MRSA) on top of a yeast infection (a.k.a. jock itch). He has been pretty miserable. He also had additional allergy testing (the actual under the skin tests) and found out that along with his severe pollen allergies, he is also allergic to dogs and dust mites. He had to be held down for these injections. We knew right away that both tests were positive when his arms began to welt and got very itchy. I thought he was going to lose it. He was really nervous about having to get rid of our dog. I assured him that we would not to do that. He is going to continue to take his 3 different allergy meds and we will be starting allergy therapy or immunotherapy (allergy shots) in the next few weeks. Hopefully it is successful! Camden will probably be on the same road considering he also has major allergies and is on the exact same meds as Broderick.

I think John has been the only one that has not been to the doctor over the past month. His turn is next though. He has to go for some blood work and then back to the doctor to check his cholesterol levels. He isn't completely out of the woods. Thanks for checking in on us and keeping our family in your continued prayers. At least the craziness that has been going on recently has been at home!

Here We Go

2009-08-05T21:45:00.006-04:00

So I narrowed the 364 pictures down to 24. Enjoy!!!!

IN PENNSYLVANIA
(before the massive amount of traveling.)

Adalynn got her toenails painted for the first time shortly after her second birthday. She also got her first nightgown....doesn't she look so cute?

Broderick on his last day of first grade (in the brown t-shirt). I also had to include a photo of him on his first day of first grade as well-WOW!! What a difference a year makes.

IN INDIANA
(June 21st-July 6th)

In Indiana at "Papaw Hair-Face's" pool....we didn't spend the whole time taking care of John's parents, just part of it. :)

Sharing a sandwich with "Papaw Hair-Face"....you see the reason why the kids call their grandpa what they do, but the story behind it---well, it all started when we were trying to differentiate to Broderick (when he was a toddler) which grandpa was which. So there was Papaw and there was the Papaw with hair on his face. Broderick slowly just turned that into "Papaw Hair-Face" and it stuck. My grandma doesn't really like it, but hey that's what the kids call him and he doesn't complain.

Adalynn enjoying a ride on Papaw's tractor with daddy.

Camden's turn to ride! Can't you just see the excitement on his face as he runs across the field?!?!?

Loving every minute of it.

Broderick got to drive Papaw's tractor-such a little man already!

We stayed in Indiana long enough for my niece's 1st birthday. Isn't she adorable?

Adalynn with my mom at Maddy's party.

Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July with Mamaw, Papaw, and Aunt Michelle. No it isn't cold-Papaw had just had heart surgery and Mamaw had just had a mastectomy---both were recovering!

The fireworks didn't start until 10:30, so Adalynn could have cared less. She was more interested in snuggling and resting on daddy's shoulder. She was EXHAUSTED!!!

BACK IN PENNSYLVANA
(July 7th-July 14th)
Not much went on during this week besides lots of doctor's appointments, aspeech therapy visit-which went fine, and Broderick getting his 3rd set of tubes. Sorry, no pictures!!!

IN GEORGIA
(July 15th-July 18th)

Spending time with the Tadda's during our very brief trip to Georgia for Ryan and Missy's funerals.

We also got to meet Aidan (our good friend's Allison and Michael's beautiful baby boy). Camden was in love. He constantly wanted to hold him and feed him-well, when he wasn't playing their Wii. Adalynn could have cared less about the baby, she was a lot more interested in Mr. Michael (which the kids originally called "Ms. Allison's tall man). Now that they're married, he gets called "Mr. Michael". Remember when we tried to go to their wedding shortly after Adalynn was born? If you don't click here.....it was quite a story!

BRIEFLY BACK IN PENNSYLVANIA
(July 19th and July 20th)

Camden watching the pitchers in the bull-pen at his Iron Pigs birthday party. I can't believe my baby boy is already 5 years old!!!!

He loved seeing his name on the big screen!!! Such an excited moment. I think 5 of the 364 photos are of this! Guess, I didn't want to miss it

He was so anxious to open presents and see what he got.

The boys (and Adalynn) at the game.

And per his request (and the fact that there was no way I would have time to make him a cake) we stopped at Cold Stone Creamery and got him an Oreo ice cream cake. YUMMY!!!!

BACK IN INDIANA, AGAIN
(July 21st-July 24th)

Us with John's parent-looking so pretty for John's grandma's funeral.

The kids with their cousin Brandon, who, at 14, is taller than his Uncle John and his Papaw...over 6 feet tall!!! But, this also shows just how tall Broderick is at 7.

AND FINALLY, BACK IN PENNSYLVANIA
(July 25th-present)

resting and not planning to go anywhere big for quite some time (though we do have a camping trip planned for this weekend). Can't wait to share the pics!!!!

Guess the Song

2009-08-03T21:47:00.002-04:00

I am embedding a video from facebook, so I hope it works! Adalynn has discovered the love of music. She sings everywhere we go. The quality isn't great because it is my cell phone, but I am sure that you will enjoy!!!!

and no, still haven't done the photos.....but will soon! Broderick started football tonight and practices from 6-8p.m. five days a week-so please be patient!!!

Resting At Last

2009-07-31T13:09:00.003-04:00

Well, sort of....at least resting every night in our own bed and that is HUGE! We are finally home and have been for about a week. I keep meaning to update the blog, but have felt too exhausted to do so. I think we are finally caught up on laundry, the suitcases have been unpacked and put away. We have been able to enjoy the pool a few days and a camping trip with our neighbors is in the works.

Some big news within the past month is that I think it is time for me to bite the bullet and put Adalynn into big girl panties. She has not had a poopie diaper in over a month and wakes up most mornings completely dry. She tells us if she has to potty at least 2-3 times a day. We put panties on her the other night, but very briefly before bed and she stayed dry for about 3 hours...telling me twice she had to potty...then she wet herself. She thought it was funny and just started laughing. Broderick was easy to potty train and the first time he wet his pants he said "no, Bro-Bro (which is what he called himself) like potty down my leg" and told him "then put potties in the toilet" and he said "o-tay, mommy" and that was that....potty trained and never looked back. Camden, on the otherhand was a little harder, but still not bad. Potty trained mostly by 2 1/2, but he still can not make it through the night at 5 years old! I am wondering if I will ever be able to stop buying pull-ups. Hopefully Adalynn is as easy as they were. I just need to realize that the time has come and that my baby girl is turning into a big girl!

I still have yet to upload the photos from the camera....all 400 of them!!! Crazy to think we have taken that many pictures since my last upload. I do want to share this one, which was taken at John's parents house during our first trip to Indiana. We uploaded it just to make prints to give to all the family members and friends we saw while we were on our travels. I hope to get the other ones on here soon! But this one for sure makes me smile and wonder how in the world did we end up with such cute kids?

One of these days

2009-07-17T23:29:00.002-04:00

One of these days life will slow down. It just has to. I don't think we can keep going like we have been. I know it is wearing us down and the kids are really suffering. I am short on patience and even John and I have been bickering more than normal. Things have been way too crazy. We really wanted to be able to enjoy summer vacation---but so far it has been go, go, and go again!

We are currently in Georgia. Ryan and Missy's funerals are tomorrow-I am sad just thinking about it. We will be back in Pennsylvania on Sunday (planning on driving all night long). Camden turns 5 on Sunday and is having his birthday party at a local minor league baseball game (he is sooo excited)with 10 other kids. And then on Monday or Tuesday we will be heading to Indiana for John's grandma's funeral. Right after the funeral we will have to head back home because I have to retake my PRAXIS Foundations of Knowledge teaching test that I took back in 2001 (simply because in order to get your PA teaching certificate the test can only be taken within the last 5 years). Either we need to add wings to the van or John needs to work on getting his pilot's license. We have been traveling way too much! Thank goodness for IPods, Leapsters, portable DVD players, and anything that will keep their attention during the long car rides.

After that we pray life slows down. We hope that August allows us to use the tent we just bought. We really want to be able to go camping! We pray that everyone stays healthy and life eases up a bit. You know it is bad when another blogger comments that we always have crazy stuff going on. One of these days it has to slow down. I really don't think we can keep going on at the speed we have been. I know several months ago I posted that busy is a blessing, but right now I am definitely not feeling it. One of these days....

I have tons of photos to post-will get to it one of these days!

Ryan and Missy: on the news

2009-07-13T20:40:00.003-04:00

I hope to update with pictures of our trip to Indiana soon, but we will be leaving for GA in the next few days to celebrate Missy and Ryan's life and to be with their family and numerous friends. We will probably also end up back in IN soon as John's grandma isn't doing well and her days are numbered. All of the travel, along with trying to catch up and get ahead in my coursework, means blogging time is limited. Please be patient with us! :)

We are looking forward to the day when summer vacation feels like summer vacation. We haven't had time to breathe, rest, or just relax and can't wait for that to happen. Driving, driving, driving, too many deaths, hospitalizations, and illnesses, along with way to much fast food (and spending way too much money on gas) seem to be the only things our summer entails so far. We hope that we get to utilize the pool membership we paid for, we really want to go camping, and we definitely can't wait for the lazy days of summer.

Until then, I leave you with a news story from the 11 Alive News out of Atlanta. I feel forever blessed that God allowed me to be Ryan's third grade teacher and that I was able to call Missy a friend. They will forever be missed!!!

In His Mommy's Arms

2009-07-10T15:06:00.003-04:00

Ryan went to be with his mommy today. No longer in pain, no longer hurting, and finally cancer free.

Please pray for the Morgan family and all of their friends as we mourn the loss of two amazing people.

And here is
SUPERRYAN the summer Adalynn was born (and yes, he WAS that funny....notice the cigarette, mustache, and leather jacket! This was right before he took off on his dirt bike!)

and then with the boys at Broderick's birthday party. He was dressed up as a "Mad Doctor".

I told him that he was the best looking bald man I ever loved!!

And finally....here he is with Adalynn.

I Do Not Understand

2009-07-08T21:54:00.002-04:00

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

I do not understand and I know I never will.

How can such an amazing woman fight for so long and hard for her son's life and then her own, yet still die?

Tonight, Missy's battle with cancer ended and she is now with the Lord.

Just this evening I had the following conversation with Broderick during bedtime prayers....he was praying "God, please help Missy and Ryan feel better". I explained to him that Missy and Ryan would probably not feel better until they get to heaven. And he responded with "why aren't the scientists working harder to find a cure so they can be better here?" I wish I had an answer for him.

I am at peace knowing that Missy is finally pain free and know I that I am blessed that the Lord brought her and her beautiful son into my life. She touched so many lives and is the strongest woman I know.

Please pray for the Morgan family as they go through the tough days ahead as well as continuing to pray for Ryan as he continues his battle and mourns the loss of the most amazing mother a little boy could ever have.

In Indiana....prayers needed!

2009-06-25T16:32:00.002-04:00

Well, here we are....back again at the Heart Hospital. This time with John's dad. He has undergone two surgeries in the past week and his heart is finally looking better. Lots of prayers needed as he is on the road to recovery.

We arrived on Sunday evening and will be here for about two weeks. We will be taking care of both of his parents as they recover at home. John's mom is having a mastectomy next week. Hopefully this gets rid of all the cancer in her body and she won't have to undergo chemo. Radiation is still a strong possibility, but right now things are still unknown. Please keep her in your prayers as well.

Also, continue to pray for Ryan and Missy. They are both fighting so hard and hurting more than any one person should. This is definitely a lot for any person to endure, let alone a mommy and a sweet little boy. Please take a minute to let them know that you are praying for them: Superryan.blogspot.com and his mom's site is caringbridge.org/visit/missymorgan

On a more positive note, my dad is doing great!!!! He is still not drinking or smoking. It was awesome to spend most of the day with him a few days ago and to witness this! The kids loved his pool and I hope to get some pictures of them swimming on here in a few days....so be sure to check back.

Thanks again for all your support and prayers. They are definitely needed!!!

I won.....(and Herpangina)

2009-06-14T20:55:00.005-04:00

No, I didn't win Herpangina.
Yes, this is what Adalynn was diagnosed with- on her birthday of all days!
FYI-Herpangina is just a fancy doctor word for blisters in her mouth. A real definition can be found here. But just know it is "super owie" and she is just now eating better 4 days later.

But, I really did win!!! I did! I did!!!!!
What, you ask?
I won a whole loot of stuff (a Pediped gift certificate, gardening gloves, Crystal Light, the coveted dental floss Aidan's mom raves about, and much, much more).
Who's Aidan?
Well, he is an adorable little man, born with a cleft lip, whose mommy also blogs (and is a teacher like I was in my past life). She found us shortly after he was born (he just turned one a few months ago).
And how did I win?
She did a blog contest/raffle/random generator thing....I left her comments on her blog and a program randomly chose me to win. Click HERE to read all about it.
Yes, we bloggers LOVE comments and will even give stuff away to get them. I may do it myself....

What do you think?
What do you want?
I am getting ready to have a garage sale....I am sure I can find something that I know you can't live without! :)

No, seriously. I KNOW that I have 'lurkers'.
I KNOW that there are people that read about Adalynn, her journey, and our family that I don't know.
Yes, it is a bit weird.
Yes, I wonder about weirdos!
But in all reality, I do know that I found several blogs before she was born that gave me peace and assurance that everything was going to be okay.
Thank you Rachel and Abby and Emily and Jaron and Zoe and.... well, I think that is it, but I am probably forgetting someone (leave me a comment ;0 and let me know if I forgot you).

So blog, I do. Mostly because I am forever grateful that the Lord led me to the above people,then led so many others to Adalynn, and most of all because our little "cleft-blogging club" was formed (with way too many people to list, but Aidan's mommy, Heather fits in there).

And by that, I won....in more ways than one!
One of these days I will meet you all and thank you for real.

.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

and because no post is complete with out a picture-what better picture than one of Adalynn two years ago....on her birth-day meeting her brothers for the first time!

oh, and don't forget to comment and let me know you were here! :)

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Big Girl

2009-06-11T08:39:00.003-04:00

Adalynn's birthday invitation (edited for the blog)

beautiful ~~baby~~ big girl!!!

Happy Birthday Adalynn!!!!!

Hard to believe that two years has gone by so quickly.
Hard to believe that it was only 2 years ago that we were blessed with the birth of our sweet baby girl.
Hard to believe that she has touched so many lives already through her story and this blog.
Hard to believe that she has had more surgeries than John and I combined.
Hard to believe that there are many more still left to go.
Hard to believe that she is not a baby anymore.
And is it hardest to believe that two years ago, I was worrying about what this face would look like.
This beautiful, perfect face.
Touched by God.
Given to us to teach us so much!
So, so, so hard to believe!

As I write this, she is laying in my arms. Most of the time she is way too busy and doesn't like being held like this unless she is sleepy or sick. Right now, she is definitely sick. Pretty crappy way to spend your birthday. She just isn't feeling good and we will probably be off to the doctor sometime this morning....gotta hate sore throats! Not eating/drinking makes for a very worried mommy and a very miserable little girl.

She did feel fantastic last week when Heather and Jesse visited. We had so much fun with them. We didn't really do anything special, just relaxed and enjoyed each others company. We were sad to see them go on Saturday evening and the visit went way to quick. It made us realize how much we miss both of them and can't wait to see them again!

me and Heather-who knew my afternoon classroom assistant would become my best friend

The whole gang

Jesse helped put Adalynn's big girl bed together...a great find off of Craigslist!

Adalynn yelling at (and kicking) Camden to get off of her new bed! And yes, she does have one shoe (boot) off and one boot on! Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, my ~~son John~~ daughter Adalynn!

We were able to celebrate Adalynn's birthday this past weekend before Heather and Jesse left for Georgia. Jesse missed her first birthday while he was in Iraq, so we were very excited that he was able to spend this one with her.

Adalynn loves Elmo, so an Elmo party it was! She had so much fun and was super cute in her party dress. We had tons of fun making pizzas and eating Elmo cupcakes. We were also able to enjoy the sunshine and spend some time outside playing with new gifts--she LOVES sidewalk chalk and Camden picked out some for them to "share for her birthday".

And the best part.....we took lots of photos!!! Lots and lots of photos. It was hard to narrow it down, so I apologize for having so many-but I couldn't pick

the Elmo cupcakes!

all the kids making their own pizzas---Elmo's favorite food is pizza, ya know?

looking so sweet with her brothers!

love, love LOVE this photo I took of her walking in our back yard! Such a beautiful little lady!!!

Oh yeah, Broderick FINALLY learned how to ride his bike. We were so excited for him. He is still working on the braking part, though!

Adalynn enjoying the sidewalk chalk Camden picked out for her "so they could share"! He was just too busy riding bikes with his big brother to slow down and draw with Adalynn.

It was also a great weekend to be at the soccer fields....

Check out the girly dress and sunglasses with the skinned up knees!!!

looking so sweet at the soccer field!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and the best one......

her movie star pose! Happy Birthday to our precious blessing!

life-- as normal as it can be

2009-05-28T09:44:00.007-04:00

I have been home for a few weeks now and things are slowly returning to normal. Soccer games, Cub Scouts, homework for me and Broderick, field trips, doctors appointments, cleaning, grocery shopping, and lots and lots and LOTS of laundry...yes life has officially returned to normal!

My dad is making great gains and is getting stronger every day. He is starting to make sense of some of the things that happened to him while he was in the hospital and I am proud to say that he has remained sober since being out. No drinking and no smoking! I hate that it took a heart attack and then intense alcohol withdrawal, but I guess that is just what God has to do sometimes.

John's dad is doing well and awaiting surgery on his heart. He will have valve replacement surgery in the next few months as well as a bypass (or two or three) and pacemaker wiring put in. We will probably be back in Indiana for his surgery-hopefully it is after the middle of June (Broderick's last day of school is the 17th and John's is the 18th). John's mom's lumpectomy was last week and she found out this week that they didn't get all the cancer. She is now supposed to have a mastectomy. Right now it is still unsure whether or not she will have to have chemo and radiation, but she meets with an oncologist in the next few weeks and we should have more answers. Please keep both of them in your prayers during this very difficult chapter in their life. God never said it would be easy, but He did let us know He would never leave our sides. Hold fast to your faith!!!!

Adalynn had an appointment with an audiologist at the hospital early last week. She has conductive hearing loss in one of her ears. . She did fantastic with the testing and did not have to have the BAER test. They were able to use speech recognition tests as well as the "look at the monkey" test (not the official name of the test, but I think you know what I mean). We also found out that both of her tubes are either out or just not working. We go back to her regular ENT tomorrow for some more answers and to see where we go from here.

Classes are going well for me and I am officially over a quarter of the way finished with my master's. It was tough trying to keep up with my work while I was in Indiana and at the hospital with my dad, but thanks to WiFi at the hospital and my mom's laptop, I did what I could. I finally caught up over the weekend and I am back on track.

We are excited that our best friends Heather and Jesse are coming to visit next week. I am even more excited that the guys got together and got Heather and me gift certificates to the spa. YEA!!!! I think I deserve a little bit of relaxation. Jesse just got back from Camp Liberty in Iraq after spending the last year as a fire fighter over there. I know he is going to be shocked at how big the kids have gotten in the past year, but I also know that I have two little boys that have been praying every night for Jesse's safe return and who are going to be SUPER excited to see him (and Heather too).

We are finishing up the school year and trying to decide if we are going to renew our lease and live in this house another year or try to find somewhere cheaper. Housing prices here are so ridiculously crazy compared to what we were used to in Indiana and in Georgia. Please keep us in your prayers as we make decisions about where we are going to live. We most likely will be staying in the same area so Broderick can have another year at the same school. He has already been in 3 different school systems....we really don't want to go for a fourth. Camden starts kindergarten in the fall and is all set on going to the kindergarten center, so we really don't want to make a lot of changes.

And here are some photos taken over the past month or so....

john is more than enjoying our view of storms coming in and dreaming about really storm chasing again...(yes, he took this photo from our deck) Pretty cool, eh?

The kids have enjoyed playing in our yard and the warmer weather....

Broderick with his teacher, Ms. Gossai. She's the best and has come to several of the boys' soccer games.

The kids with Jaden and Bailey. Our friends, the Tadda's (from GA) came to visit the week before I left for Indiana. Jaden is just a little younger than Broderick and Bailey is finishing 3rd grade. We had so much fun with them!

Broderick graduated from Tiger Scouts last Friday night and is now a Wolf. He really enjoyed Cub Scouts this year. Doesn't he look so grown up in his uniform? He had a pretty cool graduation ceremony with Indian face painting, songs, and a huge campfire!!

Camden loved finding wiggly worms at Camp Serranova, where Broderick's Cub Scout graduation was. It was such a beautiful evening!

Daddy with Adalynn and Camden. I am so greatly blessed!!!!!

22 Days Later....7 lbs. Lighter....

2009-05-20T08:44:00.004-04:00

So here's the thing---my dad had a heart attack. Seems simple enough...longtime smoker, beer drinker, and not always the healthiest eater (take for example: he LOVES raw hamburger). YUCK!! Needless to say, his heart attack was well earned. I guess he had some pain awhile ago and even joked around to some of the guys at work that if he didn't know better, then he would have thought he was having heart attack....well, I guess he didn't know better. He WAS in fact having a heart attack. About a week later, when his chest was still bothering him, he decided to schedule a routine doctor's appointment. Well, low and behold, the doctor sent him to the ER and then the ER transported him via ambulance to the nearest heart center. Adalynn and I flew in the next day and plan to stay until Tuesday (a short 4 day trip).

Close monitoring over the next few days revealed elevated enzyme levels which seemed to indicate that he had most likely had several smaller heart attacks. On Monday, April 27 he was to undergo a routine heart cath where they would shoot some dye into his veins and see if they could see blockage and either clean it out (angioplasty) or place a stint in it to clear it. They found 90-95% blockage in the right coronary artery and were able to place 2 stints to clear it out. The surgery was a success and all went well.

The problems began as he was coming out of the anesthesia (which was just what they consider 'conscience sedation'-not even full anesthesia). At this time he began exhibiting signs of alcohol withdrawal. He began having Delirium Tremens (DTs). The main symptoms are confusion, disorientation and agitation as well as other signs of instability (especially with the cardiac and respiratory systems). They began administering medicines to sedate him but it was not working. 6 nurses, 2 security guards, physical restraints, and finally after some serious doses of Ativan he was sedated. Because of all of this his body went into respiratory failure and he was placed on a ventilator....all because he drank beer. I finally admitted that my dad was an alcoholic. It was hard to say and even harder to see the ramifications of it....but it was true. My siblings were furious at me for saying it, but it was true. My dad was/is an alcoholic!

Seeing my dad on a ventilator was very overwhelming. Adalynn and I spent day after day at the hospital. She was a trooper during the whole situation, but it began to wear on both of us. We weren't eating on a regular schedule and we were eating lots of junk. I was surprised that I actually lost weight, I figured I would have gained based on what I was eating. John drove in with the boys the following Sunday. They were a welcome distraction and boy was I glad to see them. My 4 day trip had already been extended. Thank goodness this all took place during finals week for John and then his two week break between spring and summer session. John and the boys stayed for a few days, but since my dad was still not showing any signs of waking up, he decided it would be best to head home with the kids. Yes, John drove from central IN to Eastern PA with 3 kids and a dog. They all did great. I was so sad when they left, but knew it would be easier to be at the hospital without Adalynn (although it was nice to have her there and she definitely kept me occupied). I am so blessed to have an amazing husband that was willing to let me be with my dad for such an extended time. The house was even somewhat clean once I made it home.

Well, 17 days after he went to the hospital and 15 days after he was sedated and placed on a ventilator one of the nurses decided to stop his sedation and see what would happen. They continued to keep him on pain meds. After a few hours he still was showing signs of Delirium Tremens and was agitated and not responding. My brother and I began to research the pain medicine he was on and found that it can cause similar symptoms. After speaking to the nurse about it, he completely stopped the medicine. Within a few hours my dad responded to my voice by blinking and winking at me and a few hours after that he was shaking his head yes and no. By the next morning he was taken off the ventilator and a day after that he was moved out of critical care. By the next afternoon they had him up out of bed and eating.

It was a long three weeks. Several times they thought they could wean the sedation and possibly take him off the vent. At one point they just risked it and took him off. Within 24 hours he was back on. I am forever grateful for the nurse that decided to take a chance and listen to us. What a blessing that we were able to find that information and that we had a nurse who was willing to listen. Dad stayed a few more days at the hospital and then was transferred to a rehabilitation center/nursing home. Less than a week later he finally made it home.

It was a very crazy few weeks. While all of this was going on, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, one of my best friend's husband lost his job, and my little buddy Ryan was given some pretty crappy news. I know God never gives you more than you can handle, but sometimes I really think he pushes you to the limit. I definitely felt pushed during this time.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers during this crazy time. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. It has been beautiful here, so hopefully we'll get some great pictures of the kids enjoying the sunshine.

God Bless you all!!!!

What's better than Mother's Day?

2009-05-11T17:51:00.003-04:00

THE DAY AFTER (at least it is this year for Shannon)!!!

Shannon's dad is now off all sedation and pain meds as of 1 pm this afternoon. He is slowly starting to become more aware of his surroundings. Shannon called about 30 minutes ago in tears and rejoicing that he winked at her on command 4 times in a row. He is still intubated but breathing on his own as well. The doctor's want him to build up his strength until tomorrow before they remove the tube. Continue to pray that all remains well.

Happy Mother's Day from 600 miles away

2009-05-09T23:11:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to wish Shannon a Happy Mother's Day from 600 miles away. We all miss you so much and wish you could be here. Have a good day and know there is a nice relaxing time at the spa (as well as us) waiting back in PA for you. Love you lots, ABC and J Frye.

Just to update everyone...Shannon is still in Indiana and the kids and I are back in PA. Shannon's dad is still in an induced coma but did show some positive signs the last couple of days; no neurological damage, no meningitis and a little eye movement/tracking. It will be two weeks on Monday that he has been in the induced coma and we hope and pray that these signs mean he is on the track to have the doctors bring him out of the induced coma. Please also keep my parents in your thoughts and prayers after my mom has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and my dad will be undergoing open heart surgery in the next two months to repair a leaky valve. Finally, keep our friends Missy and Ryan in your prayers two as they continue to battle cancer.

On a closing note HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms out there; may you have a day of pampering by your kids and spouses!

In Indiana....

2009-04-29T15:19:00.002-04:00

Quick update to let you all know that I am in Indiana with Adalynn. My dad had a heart attack last week and after a routine heart cath for stints, there have been some complications. He is currently sedated and on a ventilator and will be until at least Friday. I will update with more information later, but I am asking for prayers for everyone right now. Obvioiusly for my dad, for all of us kids (I have 3 siblings), for his girlfriend (who is also very sick), for John's dad (who is also still having heart complications), and for John (who is at home with the boys). And did I forget?????....Adalynn (who has been a very patient girl who has been at the hospital with Papa Hair Face everyday since Saturday, up to 10 hours a day! Crazy!!!

Thanks and may God bless you all!

Update and Need Advice...

2009-04-14T20:51:00.009-04:00

Life never seems to slow down! I know I should enjoy it, and I do treasure every minute-but at the same time, I really wish I had more time to sit and rest, to read (something other than statistics-blah), to update the blog and to check on all of our online friends--I've "missed" you.

But the thing is, 3 kids means busy days and at times busier nights!

Soccer was a blast and the boys did great. From Camden's actions, you wouldn't believe this was his first time. He was right up with the ball the entire time. It was so different than Broderick's first time. But, now that Broderick has been playing for the past 3 years, he is getting good. He was so excited to find that there are goalies in his age group. He was even more excited that his teacher came to watch him. She is great! Broderick's game was at 12 and Camden's was at 3...so this was our first (and definitely not last) day of all day soccer! We had fun! Too bad it was cold, but at least it was sunny! Great photo lighting!!!

We enjoyed celebrating the Easter holiday this weekend. Broderick even had a mini-spring break (Thursday, Friday, Monday off). The Easter festivities started with a flashlight Easter egg hunt with the Cub Scouts. It was soooo cold and it even snowed a bit that morning. (I remember this clearly as the kids and I spent part of the morning outside waiting for the fire fighters to tell us there was no carbon monoxide in our house...just a faulty detector that scared me to death).

flashlight Easter Egg Hunt with the boy scouts (it was FREEZING)!!

As most of you know, Broderick was baptized last summer, so he now "really" gets Easter. It is pretty awesome. Even when shopping for Easter outfits, he wanted to choose a red shirt "for Jesus' blood" he said. We compromised with a shirt that had a red (pinkinsh) stripe. He was okay with that. The boys loved their pre-Easter gift of a Wii from us and all of the Wii games and goodies that the Easter bunny brought Easter morning. Although we still haven't found a new church, we did make it to service Sunday morning at the church where my MOPS meetings are held and then to an egg hunt in our community (with REAL hard boiled eggs).

---------------------------------------------------

Other things that have gone one this week...

SPEECH THERAPY: Adalynn's therapist has been coming once every 3 months, but because she is testing above her age as far as her speech development, she is considering discontinuing service. Believe me, I am beyond excited that Adalynn is talking so much and so well. It just scares me to stop services. What do I do? It is only once every 3 months, so she really isn't doing anything with her except monitoring her. I just have this overwhelming fear that if we discontinue services, she will develop a delay. I think I have in mind "she had a cleft palate, she is SUPPOSED to have speech issues" but since she doesn't, I am confused. The therapist, doesn't mind continuing to come (and I'm leaning that way) but need your advice!

ENT: Adalynn and Broderick both had recheck's on their ears this week. Both failed their hearing tests, again! Broderick's hearing continues to decline and his tubes are gone (his second set that were put in July 2007). He is now scheduled to have his 3rd set put in on May 7. Adalynn continues to fail in her left ear, despite the tubes still being and appearing to function correctly. The ENT scheduled her for a more extensive BAER test (a hearing test known as the brainstem auditory evoked response). I called the hospital to get detailed instructions about this procedure since the what the doctor's office told us pertained to infant testing (ie. bring her in her car seat, sleepy, but not asleep, hungry-but bring a bottle so she will eat and sleep during the test---definitely not instructions for a nearly 2 year-old). The person I spoke with said they will NOT be doing the BAER, but instead some other testing so I am to ignore the instructions. Her appointment is on May 18. All of this is a little overwhelming. I hate that Broderick is having so many problems with his ears, but I am grateful that his academics aren't suffering because of it. And I hate that Adalynn's left ear isn't functioning how it is supposed to, but at the same time I am grateful that it really doesn't seem to be affecting her. But I wonder, if the doctor requested the BAER, shouldn't the hospital do that test? Anyone else heard of this test?

TEAM VISIT: And now for the BIG question....What do we do about finding a new cleft team? We've been in PA for 8 months and still haven't found (or even visited) a new cranio facial team. We had an appointment at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), but it had to be canceled. It was only an appointment with a plastic surgeon and not "a team"-although they do have a team. I have since contacted the team in our area twice, which is operated by Easter Seals, and still have not gotten a response. We have done (a little) research on Children's Hospital in Boston. UGH!! What do I do? I feel like a horrible mom for just ignoring this for so long. It has been almost a year since she has seen anybody concerning her cleft lip and palate. We are taking her to an ENT and a dentist in our area, but feel like someone who specializes in issues such as hers would be so much more beneficial. And some of my speech concerns could be addressed and we would be able to have a professional opinion as to whether to continue speech services she is already getting. I feel like I have ignored her cleft care since we have moved. I know many of you have said that once you get through the first year, it is a breeze and it has been....but I don't know if that is because I haven't done anything concerning her cleft lip and palate.

So the questions are...CHOP, Local Team, or Boston? Speech or no speech? BAER test or no? Have I completely ignored it, or is it okay since she has been getting dental care, meeting with an ENT, and evaluated by a speech pathologist? Would team visits be easier? What about her next surgery?

What do I do? Any insight? And advice?

and I leave you with a picture of Adalynn enjoying a blue peep sporting knee high socks, a turtleneck, and diaper (all of which are white). Too cute!

Las Vegas Recap

2009-04-05T20:33:00.008-04:00

Wow! We have been back a week already and I am just now getting a free moment to post. It has been a busy week!!!!

We got back late Saturday night after a very long day of flying and layovers but boy did we have fun. John had an AAG conference and had to go to several presentations. He even had to present, but I enjoyed the uninterrupted homework time while we was gone. Statistics is really kicking my butt! We really didn't gamble, unless you count losing $20 in slots, but we spent some time in the casino-just to say we did. We had an amazing hotel room at the MGM Signature! It is attached to the MGM Grand which has 5,044 rooms in four 30-story towers. The Signature only has about 1700 rooms (576 in each of its 3 towers). We were in a non-gaming and non-smoking hotel which we loved!

Just being in Vegas was an experience in and of itself. It was weird being alone with my husband...walking at the pace we wanted to without carrying or pushing a kid in a stroller....eating what and when we wanted to....sleeping ALL night long....It was terrific and I really think we really needed it! We didn't have a lot of time since it was a short trip, but we did make it to a Cirque show, ate at Emeril's, went to the 4-story M&M's store, and watched the fountain outside of the Bellagio. Before we knew it, it was time to come home.

the lion outside of the MGM. To give you an idea of how massive this lion is--100,000-pounds, 45-feet-tall and perched atop a 25-foot pedestal---everything is Vegas is HUGE!

our "penthouse junior suite" at the MGM Signature...complete with a TV in the bathroom!

the view from our balcony during the day

and the view at night. Amazing, huh?

staying at the MGM had its perks...including being able to see lions (and they weren't sleeping)

the fountain outside of the Bellagio Hotel

outside the Bellagio waiting for the fountain show to begin

4-story M&M's store

the wall of M&M's was impressive-and here you are only seeing about half!

me taking a break...we had to stop at CVS to get blister bandages, and even then I ended up still buying new shoes. Who knew that we would be walking as much as we did? When we calculated it, it was almost 6/10 of a mile just to get from our room to the outside (on the strip side). Once we added everything together, we logged almost 25 miles over the course of 2 days.

Paris Las Vegas

the strip at night from the walkway between the MGM and New York, New York

us before dinner at Emeril's...notice John politely covering up my broken finger :)

another of just us....both of these were taken in our hotel room with the camera on automatic.

My mom had fun with the kids while we were gone and didn't spoil them too badly! Broderick ended up getting sick and she had to take him to the doctor (thank goodness for the permission to seek medical attention I left her). He had another ear infection-I think that is #3 or 4 over the past few months. Will he ever grow out of it? Both he and Adalynn have ENT appointments this week. I am anxious to see what they decide to do.

excited for mommy and daddy to be home

the best in our attempt to get a picture of the three kids with Mamaw. Camden bumped his head right before this and Adalynn did not want to get her picture taken. Oh well, at least I got individual's with her---mom, I am mailing those to you :)

On Sunday night when we got home we had a horrible storm---lots of hail, lots of wind, lots of lightning, and lots of praying :) Broderick flipped out!!! He was scared to death. There was some rotation in the clouds and John (being the meteorologist/climatologist that he is) knew that we were close to having a tornado. At one point as John and I are trying to explain to Broderick that we will be fine and that we have a basement to go down to, he told us to "be quiet" so he could pray. I have never seen him so scared. It brought tears to my eyes as I listened to him plead to God to not let the tornado hit our house.

I was also supposed to get all four of my wisdom teeth pulled on Tuesday of this week, but Adalynn woke up running a fever. I wasn't sad to have to call and cancel it. Believe me!!! Especially since John was not going to be able to stay at home with me and help after the surgery. I have rescheduled it for May when John can be home. Yes, I know....and my dentist already let me know....this would have been a lot easier when I was 17. Too bad no one told me this earlier. Please let me know what your experience was like...I really want to be prepared!

Camden had kindergarten registration this week as well. I can not believe my baby boy is going to be in kindergarten. He was nervous, but warmed up quickly and did great with the registration process. He only missed the letter V and the number 9. Other than that, he did awesome. Now, we just have to wait and see if he gets AM or PM kindergarten.

The boys also had their first soccer practices/games today. I will post pictures of that sometime soon. We got some great shots.

Thanks for checking on us!

and we're off ...

2009-03-25T12:10:00.003-04:00

As I write this, I am sitting in the airport with John in North Carolina waiting for our connecting flight to Las Vegas. John has a conference and I decided to tag along...can't have him going to Vegas alone :) The kids are with my mom back in Pennsylvania and I have only called home 4 times since we left this morning around 7. The last time John and I went away without kids was when Broderick was about 19 months old. Needless to say, I am a little worried.

This has been planned for awhile, but I guess I just forgot to mention it. I can't wait to be there (neither of us have ever been), but I am very nervous about leaving the kids. We will be back on Saturday, so it is a short trip. I will update with photos when we get back.

We fly out around 1 today, but we just found out that it is overbooked by 20 people, so it may end up being later than that, but we plan on being in Vegas sometime early this evening. I plan on updating facebook (love it!!!) with mobile photos, so if you have access to that-check me out there....it not, here we are:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=272156&l=81f86ad695&id=1487943720

Thanks for checking in on us.

always late.....always something....

2009-03-18T09:12:00.006-04:00

Well, I was going to submit one of these photos for this week's I heart faces contest, but because of an unexpected incident yesterday, I am too late and can't enter. UGH!!!!

The theme this week was "green" and the photo had to have some sort of green in it. Click on the link to see more "green" photos!!!

Well, here they are anyways! I guess since I was having trouble deciding and I can't really enter I will show you all the pictures. Next week is no flash week...these might work for that too. John actually took these--although I usually do most of the picture taking :)

(Thanks to our neighbor, Danielle, for the yummy St. Patrick's Day cupcakes).

And about the unexpected incident....I found out the hard way that you can actually break your finger if you slam it in the door of a van. Ouch!!! I am in a splint for the next 4 weeks and in a lot of pain. No fun!!! But, honestly, I can't blame anyone but myself. Stupid me shut my own finger in the car door. Like I said....always late....always something.

SnowMudball fight

2009-03-13T09:34:00.005-04:00

Yes, you read correctly....the boys had a ~~snow~~mudball fight!

We sent them outside last Saturday morning to play. We knew it was muddy from all the snow that melted and made sure that they had on old clothes and shoes. They were supposed to be enjoying the 70° weather.Maybe playing football, soccer, riding their bikes or just running around the yard. They had other plans though :)

John and I were inside and he happened to glance out the window just in time to see a huge ball of mud flying through the air. Of course, as mom, my initial thought was to run outside and start yelling. John said at least let him have time to get a picture first. Once the camera came out and I really saw how much fun they were having, I couldn't be mad anymore!

Camden truly thought he was in trouble though-hence all the very sad face pictures and even tears. He also realized (once we got outside) how dirty he was. Adalynn watched for a little bit and even stepped out into the yard for a few seconds, but quickly retreated to the safety of the deck. She was NOT interested in participating in their ~~snow~~mudball fight! Such a little lady already!

They had fun and continued to throw mud at each other for quite awhile. They made a huge mess and Broderick's white t-shirt was ruined, but they had a blast and that is all that matters. I have the photos to prove it!

boys will be boys!

just a week late....

2009-03-07T21:34:00.005-05:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post a Pinewood Derby update...so much for getting it done that same weekend. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part.

The Pinewood Derby has been on our minds since Mid-January when Broderick began to work on his car. For those of you who don't know, each boy is given a block of wood, 4 nails, and 4 wheels, and is to design a car of their choice. After a trip to the Scout store, Sears for some tools, the craft store for decals, along with countless hours of sawing, sanding, painting, and accessorizing we finally had a completed car.

Cars had to be turned in the week before the race and were officially weighed and measured. The car could only weigh 5 ounces and there were also requirements for length, width, and height, as well as spacing of the wheels and axles. Broderick's car was 4.99 ounces and although it was a little too long, he passed his inspection and his car was determined to be 'ready to race'. The den leaders held the cars in the "garage" until race day.

Race day started out with each boy receiving their pit pass, refueling tickets (for hot dogs, chips, and soda), and being taken to the pit area (where only Scouts with pit passes were allowed). The boys then went on a parade lap around the building waving flags before the race began. Broderick was a little overwhelmed and wasn't sure what to think, but very quickly warmed up to the excitement of it all.

Broderick was so excited during his first chance to race on the track. His car was neck and neck all the way down the track and was the second to finish his first race. He was elated and came straight over to us to tell us he got second-we assured him that we saw the whole thing. Even Camden was so excited for him!!

The track was 40 feet long and all computerized. That was a good thing, since many times you couldn't really tell whose car won. Everything was projected on a screen (from boys name, rank, and car's name---Broderick's car was "Dragon", to the finishing times and places for each race). Throughout the day each boy was able to race on every lane of the track and everyone had a chance to press the starting button. All of their times were then averaged to determine final winners. This was time consuming, but the fairest way that it could have been done.

Broderick's overall time was 5th in the Tiger den, and 11th in the pack. We were very proud of how he reacted and how he cheered on the other scouts. He was most proud of getting the "Best Driver in the Car" award (he glued R2D2 and a Lego guy on his car). His car wasn't the prettiest out there, but you could definitely tell that he did it. John and I did very little in the building of his car.

They even let the siblings who had made cars (which Camden did) have their own race. Camden had a little more help on his (which may be why his car was a bit faster than Broderick's). Camden's overall time beat Broderick's by about a 1/2 second. Camden came very close to winning his race. His car was only 0.001 second slower than the winning car (in the sibling race). Great thing it was computerized! His race was definitely too close to call!

The event lasted for about 3 1/2 hours and even Adalynn did great. As long as we continued to feed her and let her roll around on the dirty floor, she was happy. It was a great day and we all had a lot of fun!