August 14:
(Click on link to watch video!) ----> Laugh and Pray!
This girl likes to laugh and I like to interrogate. Today we took a video of both. If you're going through a tough one, take her advice and laugh and pray. Mine would be to draw up knees to fetal position and rock in a corner. Thank God she's an optimist like her daddy! We need more of those.
#dontgiveup #laughandpray
August 14:
Happy birthday to Ava! We are at clinic today for her weekly checkup. Thank you God that we are here. It means she is still fighting and going strong.
While watching Lion King from the hospital bed, there was a scene of a mama giraffe and baby giraffe. Gwen tells Ava, "You can pretend that's Mama and you...because it's your birthday." So smooth, Gwen! 😆
#generousgwen #gwensgift
Chick-fil-A and Chipotle are the only restaurants Ava can eat at due to her food allergies. For a birthday treat, we woke up early (this was an act of love) and whisked her away to Chick-fil-A Deer Park drive-through to pick up breakfast. We were pressed for time because we needed to get on our way to clinic and had to take our time with the order so that we could explain the precautions needed for Ava and Gwen's allergies. Of course that is when we realized we both forgot to bring our wallets. So we, awkwardly and apologetically, said into the intercom, "I'm so sorry, we forgot our wallets. We will have to come back." The next words we heard were, "We would love to serve you."
Mike and I thought he didn't hear us and so we pulled up to let him know that we would be coming back for our order. And he repeated, "We would love to serve you. Don't worry about it. It's on us today."
This is why we love Chick-Fil-A and will be loyal fans forever. They didn't know that we were celebrating the very precious life of our little girl who had been battling cancer these past few years. They didn't know that the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a Chick-Fil-A date with mommy and daddy. They didn't know that today was a dream come true for us because just last year we feared there would be no more birthdays to celebrate...and here we were ushering in her 7th year of life.
Nope, they didn't know any of that. They were just doing that thing they do: taking care of their customers with a generous dose of God's love.
#loyalfans #chickfilacrush #ethanistheman
Continuing the celebration with a cake that Auntie Patty made. Who would have ever thought wheat free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and soy free could taste so good? Thankful for every good and perfect gift from above!
#allergyfriendly #swimmingpoolcake #happyava
Look at those bags under his eyes. Sleep training has not been going well. People say babies don't remember anything. But, I think Jude is holding a grudge.
#scarybaby #justsleep
August 19:
My heart sinks a bit that I am not sending my girls to school for the second year in a row because it is a sharp reminder that our lives are still reeling from the after affects of cancer. But, on the bright side, I can play "rabbit" with my girls and use all that teacher creativity to do productive things like make rabbit water bottles out of Jude's bottles. Clearly I didn't get a master's degree for nothin'.
#letsplaymama
August 20:(Click on link to watch video!) ---->Jude Sleep Training-Take 2
This is what sleep training sounds like at our house. There's no real crying. There's just regular intervals of yelling. I don't speak baby that well but I imagine he's saying something like, "Hey! Heeeeeeey! I can do this all night."
And all night he did.
#okyouwinjude
August 21:
(Click on link to watch video!) ---->Woot! Woot!
These kids keep me going when I would rather not.
#instantjoy #itwillonlygetworsejude
August 24:
(Click on link to watch video!) ---->Gwen singing
Okay. So here's the deal. Jack lost his sheep (or is it jeeps? 0:21 sec)...And Gwen is very concerned. I'm assuming she doesn't know where to find them. Has anyone see them? Keep in mind, we don't know who Jack is and how many sheep/jeeps are a part of this equation.
#itsmorefunifyousingaboutyourproblems #mixedupnurseryrhymes
August 24:
(Click on link to watch video!) ---->Use Expression-Bedtime story with Ava
Bedtime stories at my house are a little intense. Kate Cooper, is this your doing??
#useexpression #littlemissava
August 25:
Guess who is finally sleep trained?? Woot! It was not fun being at our house the past week or so. But the divine sleep we all encountered last night made it all good again.
#guuudlawd #justsleep #simmerdownchild
#guuudlawd #justsleep #simmerdownchild
August 30:
This girl has come a long way. At the tender age of 2, her sister was diagnosed with leukemia. What followed was a stressful time of many days apart from her family and everything she knew. Looking back at my pictures and videos, I saw that just 2 weeks prior to Ava's diagnosis the girls were in their rooms reading bedtime stories and giggling before bed. Who knew that a few short weeks later, she would not know the comfort of getting ready for bed with her sister for a long, long time.
Ava has gone through dark places and times fighting for her life. But, this girl, she was drowning too.
I'm so thankful for the brighter days that we see up ahead. But, most of all, my heart flutters at how she pushed past the pain and struggled for her right to live, laugh, and grow.
You WON, little girl! And we couldn't be more proud of you!
#boss #cancersiblings #aintnothinggoingtostopher
This girl has come a long way. At the tender age of 2, her sister was diagnosed with leukemia. What followed was a stressful time of many days apart from her family and everything she knew. Looking back at my pictures and videos, I saw that just 2 weeks prior to Ava's diagnosis the girls were in their rooms reading bedtime stories and giggling before bed. Who knew that a few short weeks later, she would not know the comfort of getting ready for bed with her sister for a long, long time.
Ava has gone through dark places and times fighting for her life. But, this girl, she was drowning too.
I'm so thankful for the brighter days that we see up ahead. But, most of all, my heart flutters at how she pushed past the pain and struggled for her right to live, laugh, and grow.
You WON, little girl! And we couldn't be more proud of you!
#boss #cancersiblings #aintnothinggoingtostopher
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