Archive for February, 2010

^ Eleven ^

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

There are a great many events that happened in the year 1999. Some of them good and some bad. 1999 brought us a world population of 6 billion, a U.S. woman’s soccer team that won the World Cup, Columbine, Michael Jordan retiring… Again. Personally though for us, all of these events paled in comparison to one MAJOR event that year. The birth of our girl Ashlea Rae! What a wonderful year! She was a BEAUTIFUL baby. Since then, she has been an enormous blessing to everyone who has crossed her path. She is an incredibly special girl! Her eyes light up any room, her smile is contagious and this year has blossomed into a beautiful young lady. BOYS beware! She is a soccer fanatic and is really good at it. She does great in school and we couldn’t  have asked for a better sister for Josh and Sarah. She is so amazing!

There is one problem that Tim does have with her though that MUST be brought up. It’s a promise that she made to him a long time ago and has since broken. He made her promise [and fully expected her to keep it] to NEVER grow up. We know she has tried her best, but this year she turned 11 and is well on her way to womanhood. It is such a bitter sweet thing to watch our kids grow. On one hand we want them to forever be those little babies that came to us with every care in the world, whether good or bad. In one instance we could make it better with a kiss or a hug. And on the other we create independence in them where they can do anything they put their minds to. With each passing day we thank God for the woman that she is becoming and along with that we long for that little baby girl that made every care in the world pass away. We love you Ash so very much!

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Our Fourth Child

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Actually before I start. It’s Nancy’s Fourth child. For those of you that don’t know him, or what I’m talking about, we call him Tux, short for Tuxedo. He just turned 2 years old. The youngest of the kids… After our first try with an over zealous Labrador Retriever named Noir. [Now named Ping and lives with my brother Ed] We [Tim] didn’t think that I would like or even think about having another animal in the house, let alone another dog. But the powers that be [Nancy and her 3 cronies] talked and conspired against me to seek out another dog. Now the cool thing is that Nancy has grown up with some type of shepherd dog in her family and loved them. When Josh and Ashlea were growing up, she had an Shetland Sheepdog named Sage. She tragically passed away. So after Sage and Ping, I didn’t think that Nancy was up for another pup, but she was and always is. Well for those that don’t know, this is Tux. He is an emotionally unstable dog [I joke] he is awesome with all of the kids, especially Sarah. Even when she bosses him around and pulls his hair or drags him with a leash. [in the house] I have to admit, he is a really good and smart dog, like all shepherds. But don’t tell my family I said this…

(ps. – If Sarah had her way to name the pup it would have been something like Pickles or Shmarshmellow.)

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Beauty Sleep

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

You know sometimes there are some decisions in life that you think to yourself, “should I have allowed that to happen?”. At the beginning of last year, when the girls bunk beds fell apart, we search for beds. While shopping we asked the girls what kind of bunk bed we should replace it with. To that Ashlea replied that she liked it when, in the middle of the night, Sarah would some how end up in her bed. We thought it was cute as well, but didn’t know how it would pan out if we encouraged it. We redesigned their room around their new bed [singular] they picked out. One new “double” bed. Fresh color on the walls, new Jonas Brothers posters, new sheets, new comforters the works. The first night went off without a hitch, then the second and the following. But then something happened… Ashlea was invited to sleep at a friends house! What was the snuggle bunny to do? Well have a sleep over with her mom and dad. GREAT IDEA on the ONE bed! Huh! NO it wasn’t a good idea. Well not entirely bad. We get great pictures like this…

Snuggle bunnies are the best at what they do. Snuggle. These two have become so close. Like sisters. Oh wait they are. Yes they have their momentary light fight now and again, but when that time comes. Bed time. It all goes away. And all is well. We find that in the middle of the night when one of us goes to check on them that there is some kind of contact. Initiated by either girl. Its that comfort that they both seek. Their husbands are gonna hate us… But back to that nagging question. Should we have allowed it to happen? Well for right now, we think it is wonderful. You have to remind yourself, those that know, that Sarah at the age of 3 [in the middle of that year] learned how to sleep for the first time in her life “through the entire night”. She suffered, or should I say Nancy and Tim [more Nancy than Tim] as a Colicky baby and was unable to sleep through the night without waking any where from 2 to 4 times a night. It was exhausting. Ashlea also suffered from sharing a room with her. We know this is gonna end soon due to the fact that the older is gonna want her privacy, but for now it works for all those that are involved. Especially for the cuddle bunnies.

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