Snuggie girls!

Coziness is monogrammed snuggies after bath time!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Visit with Santa 2010

Mary Austin (7) & Jane Harris (5)

Every year we go to see the same Santa with Jane's godparents.  I have known Chris Anne since we were in diapers.  Her mother and my mother have been friends since the 6th grade.  She is basically a sister to me and she is family.  She is married to Brian and they are waiting to be blessed with a baby of their own.  They are adopting domestically and I know they are going to be FANTASTIC parents!  I had the honor of writing one of their reference letters.  It took me a good while to write because how do you covey in words how wonderful someone is?  Next Christmas, my prayer is for there to be one more little one with us when we visit Santa!

Hard Work

does indeed pay off! 

In January, Mary Austin was placed on the Level 3 Compulsory team for her gym.  I was hesitant to say the least since she had just turned 6 but she really wanted to "win some medals" so we let her do it.  Since then she has spent 4 hours a week in the gym working hard to learn her routines.  We have spent lots of time on the road to and from practice and traveling to meets around the state. 

Today was the state meet and she rocked!

First in bars and vault & second in floor and beam making her the

Level 3 state all around champion

 in her age group!

Mae, we are so proud of your hard work and you are always a champion to us!

Thankful

Happy Haunting

This year the princesses were very excited about Halloween. 

Why?

Well for Jane it was all about the candy and for Mae it was all about the costume!

Ohhh.. the costumes.  They are gorgeous as well they should be.  I would usually never order one from Wishcraft and this year was to be no exception until Ambien.

Right after Tripp was diagnosed, I could not sleep so I was started on a low dose of Ambien. 

I had no problems like those that you hear about until one night in late July/early August.  I took my pill and just thought I would check something on Facebook before going to sleep.  the next morning I had an order confirmation from Wishcraft.  Whoops!  fortunately, Mary Austin can wear hers next year!

I will say that they are exceptional quality and will last for a lifetime.

Happy Halloween from the Primrose Princesses!

Princess of India and Rose Flower Fairy

Even Tripp and I dressed up this year.

He was a Rasta Man and I was a glamour witch.

Excuses?!??!

OK...so no real excuse for not posting from November to June except that I was busy busy busy with Mae in K5.  Plus, I took 2 AMAZING trips!  Not vacations but mission trips!  One to Ecuador and one to Haiti - post earthquake!  More on those later.

I had full intentions of catching up this summer along with painting my house until June 8, 2010.  Tripp, the bestest hubs and dad, a wife and mother could ask for was diagnosed with colon cancer.  Stage 4 - all over his liver and possibly a few places in his lungs.  Ummm... yeah, he turned 40 in March.  And unlike in my 20s when I thought 40 was so old, it is SO NOT.  Forty is the new twenty!  Too young.  So this summer has been spent at the hospital and keeping a "normal" routine for the princesses.  I will slowly update the princesses because this is their scrapbook. 

For now we need prayers! 

Love to the 1 or 3 of you out there who still check in on a whim!

Jules

Slipping through my fingers....

Mary Austin started first grade today.  It seems like just yesterday that we were here..

She was so tiny.  Just 12 pounds at 7 months.  I remember being terrified that I would not know what to do.

Now I feel like this..

She will be 7 in just a few months.  So grown up but still needing me and I plan to cherish every moment.  I have learned so much since Tripp was diagnosed in June.  I used to go through each day on autopilot and not savoring each and every minute.  Now that has all changed.  We have not asked about a prognosis because stats are just that stats.  I have seen them and I refuse to believe the numbers however I now seize every moment with my family to make a memory. 

Walking hand in hand to school!
Next year is your year Jane - 5K!

The traditional picture by the school sign!

Even though you started first grade today you will always be my baby mine. 

You are our first born and so special because you made us parents.

We love you!

Even when you are thirty I will still sing you our special song!