Goodbye 2008

 

So, now that 2008 is over, it's time to reflect on the big events of the past year.

We've all had our ups and downs and here is our top things for each member of the family:

 

Danny:

• New Job
• New house
• Lost 35 pounds

Stephanie:

• Finished my first book
• Had weight loss surgery and lost 60 pounds in 9 months
• Saved up and bought my new snazzy Sony Dslr!!

Allie:

• Moved to a new gym and absolutely loves it!!
• Broke her elbow which opened up a whole new set of firsts:

1. First ride in an ambulance
2. First surgery
3. First one in the family to have hardware put in their body.

• Started a new Charter school. 

Addison:

• Started preschool
• Addie became fully potty trained!

Andrew:

• Started a school type setting and is now being introduced to mainstream preschool!!
• Had tubes put in
• Has a solid vocabulary - still hard to understand him but more often than not, he can communicate his needs and wants! HUGE SUCCESS.
• Can attend the childcare at the gym!

Playing Around

Ohh, I got a new toy....here are some pics from my super duper new camera.  At this point I know how to push the button to take a picture and how to look at pictures I have already taken.  Yeah, I have a loooong way to go...

My favorite subject:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Awwww, aren't they cute??  Now, before you even ask, NO!  I could NOT get one single picture where all three kids were looking at the camera at the same time.  It just wasn't happening because one pint size child was ALREADY bouncing off the walls and would not, could not, sit still.  At all.  Here's how some of the other pics turned out:

Ahh, yes, she thought the whole point of me asking them to stand on the landing was so that she could jump off the last two stairs to where I stood.

And here...well here, they've switched places and she's trying to sneak UP the stairs and is almost out of the picture.  Also, if you look real close, the smiles are quite forced.  This is because I've already threatened their lives...stand together, stand still and smile, dang it. 

Last, we have just two kids because the other one has been kicked out of the picture.  But what you don't see is that she's off to the side, practicing her spider princess tantrum and Andrew is watching mesmerized, too enthralled to bother looking at the camera.

The other five or six pictures I'm not bothering to post are combinations of the above pictures and stories.  At some point, I knew when to consider myself defeated by the thralls of obtaining unlimited candy.  I didn't stand a chance!! 

Really, quite the memories!

Ewww

This is why parents get gray hair:

Another view, you say.  Okay:

Ahh, yes, there SHOULD be an elbow somewhere in there, but at the time of this picture, it was in two separate pieces. 

One more pic:

Most of you know that my lovely gymnast came crashing off the high bars at gym and not only dislocated her elbow, she broke it as well.  Since then, she's had surgery and will be getting her cast on Monday.  This child has to go all out....blaaaah!

My Junior Assistant

Addie want to become my new baking assistant.  For a three year old, she's a pretty darn good helper too:

Our cherry cupcakes turned out really well!

Okay...it's hot up here in Folsom...even our cat can't handle the heat sometimes:

This is how I feel a LOT of the time up here...it's HOT...ALWAYS HOT!  BLAH....even with air conditioning it's hot.  We are right on the golf course and the crazy part is that there are ALWAYS golfers out there, even when it's 105...no thank you.  Nope, not me.  Ever.   Our neighbors, who are very nice, are always outside too!  I mean, it's HOT out people, really hot out.  We just peak out from our windows at them.  I bet they think we're a bunch of recluses.  I miss the fog...a lot.

This is Addie just being cute...couldn't resist :)