Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Mother Nature Calling

I grew up in a small Delta town in Mississippi. Clarksdale, in it's prime, was an awesome place to live. Everyone knew each other, and you had small-town shopping, plus farming and hunting. My parents were raised there, and I lived there until my 9th grade year of high school.

On our street, the neighbors were close. I spent most of my time outside playing and be-bopping around to everybody's homes. Our next door neighbors were hilarious. Everyone knew Hal Hubbard. He was tall, loud, funny, and would snap you in an instant if you were doing something wrong. We actually had somewhat of a domestic dispute in a rental house down the street from us. He marched down there, stood in the middle, and took control. When the woman yelled, "Call the law!", Hal yelled, "I am the law, woman!" A silence fell over the neighborhood, and we never had trouble from them again. Well, Hal was afraid of storms. He always said he could control just about everything, but he couldn't control mother nature. I can remember one time, specifically, when we had a tornado pretty much go over our house. My mom, who was not afraid of these things, went outside to watch. I can remember Hal screaming and calling out to God, because he saw a tree swirling. I'll never forget feeling so small when a man who was so "big" and called himself the law was afraid of a storm.

Yesterday, my prediction of spending much time in the basement was correct. We put Jack and Anabelle downstairs around 7:00. They watched TV on the couch until Anabelle fell asleep. We were still under a watch, so there was no need to panic. Russell was upstairs in his crib. Jack tends to wander aimlessly until someone pretty much forces him to go to bed. I managed to convince him to snuggle with me on the couch in the living room until he was out. Well, so was I. I woke up to tornado sirens and an eery atmosphere. I yelled down to Josh (who I am convinced was sleeping on the couch downstairs with Anabelle) and told him we needed to get everyone down. I woke Russell up (who at this point thought it was morning and was trying to play), gave him a bottle, and stuck him in the pack-n-play in Josh's office downstairs. Jack and Anabelle were moved to the floor in the corner of the basement. Our stinky, blind basset hound was down AND I managed to get Puddles down as well. At this point, we had about 30 minutes before it was expected to go over us. What did I forget? ...to put on my tennis shoes!! After being stranded on the interstate in the snow with nothing but flats and no socks, you would think I would have learned my lesson. In fact, my brother sent me a text to make sure I had shoes:)

Knowing you are in the path of a tornado is scary, but at the moment they say your subdivision and hang their head because it is a densely populated area, fear takes on a whole new level. I actually thought of Hal at this point standing on his back porch. Some things you can't control, and you end up being a sitting duck. We were fortunate that the 2 tornadoes went over us and just North of us. When they came to the town I teach in, they just sort of stopped. I was so concerned, because a good bit of my students live in apartments. I finally went to bed at the end of this at 1:00. My alarm went off at 5:45 to start Tuesday and guess what?? Round 2 starting at 2:00 this afternoon.

I am exhausted, but glad that I had a house to wake up in, a car to drive in, and clothes to put on. I treated myself to a drive thru breakfast, and I am powering through the day. I have been giggling a little at the things I brought down last night. The cat's carrier- like she was getting in there. Formula- in the event that everything was blown away, I was conviced I could hold on to the new tub of formula we had bought. Diapers- I mean, I should have grabbed my folder of "important papers," like our birth certifictes, social security cards, car title, deed. But no, I chose diapers and formula.

I am hoping we will let out early so I can go back to the comforts of my basement. We have always lived in a house with a basement, which makes me feel better about bad storms. I am hoping today is not a repeat, and everyone stays safe.
Sleeping in the Basement Floor (Gran's Quilt is our comfort blanket:)

Monday, April 28, 2014

Pictures and Some Lyrics

I don't have much to report about the weekend. Saturday, we had soccer. Anabelle played a little bit. They kept asking her if she wanted to go in. She was very content to guard the cooler. In fact, she told us on Friday night that she was over soccer and ready to try ballet. After soccer, I did some yard work. At some point, Josh, Russell, and I hung out on the trampoline while the big kids napped. Sunday, I drove to Nashville and back for a baby shower for my best friend from high school. She is due in June. She looked beautiful. It is always weird, though, to see your high school friends grown up and pregnant:) Before I left for Nashville, I found Jack in the bathroom surrounded by heaps of toilet paper. His excuse for taking it all off of the roll was that he needed a telescope. I understood and let it slide:)

I have some pictures from Easter and of the cat. Puddles grows on me everyday. People usually compare cats and dogs. After having Puddles, I feel like that comparison is about like comparing apples and oranges. I love dogs. I now love cats. They are very different... just depends on what you are going for. Oh! I almost forgot! We have a ton of foxes in the woods behind our house. Saturday night, 3 of them played with each other around the kids' jungle gym. One took off running up the road. It was really cool to see them. 

I am also putting some lyrics from one of my favorite songs. I listened to the song yesterday while traveling, and the words seemed to fit with my last blog post about plans.

We are supposed to get crazy weather today. I expect to be in the basement for most of the evening and tomorrow morning.

Happy Monday!
Lori
Hunting Eggs

Hunting Eggs

Jack losing it because I asked that the minion not be in the picture.

Post-Meltdown. I am losing it at this point.

I am happy, but everyone else is miserable:)

Russell has now busted out of the bottom of his outfit. John John has strategically placed his hand over the mishap for the picture.

Probably the best one they took. Russell is not looking, but we will call it a dramatic pose.


The minion has officially made his presence known.

Puddles this morning looking for action off of the deck.

Striking a pose.

She was trying to figure out the camera. I was kinda scared the flash would throw her off balance resulting in a fall off of the deck...

My morning partner

Silly face



These are the days, the time is now
There is no past, there's only future
There's only here, there's only now
These are the days by the sparkling river
His timely grace and our treasured find
This is the love of the one magician
Turned the water into wine
These are the days now that we must savour
And we must enjoy as we can
These are the days that will last forever
You've got to hold them in your heart.
--Van Morrison
 
 

Friday, April 25, 2014

Plans

Making plans has turned into somewhat of a comical thing for me. I think I first realized this when my parents died. As much as anyone wants to plan, there are some things that you can't plan for. These things usually wreck whatever you did have planned, and well, usually you are left to live in the moment and just survive day to day.

I was leaving Publix yesterday when I sort of laughed out loud in the parking lot. I am sure someone probably saw me and thought I was kooky. Thinking about it now, I really don't care much about what people think anymore. I have 3 kids, a full-time job, and enough family extracurricular activities to send somebody to the loony bin. Add about 9 loads of laundry a week to that, and you pretty much can understand why other people's opinions can be pointless. Back to the laughing... Jack had to be picked up early from school yesterday. He complained about not feeling well and kept saying he was going to throw up. The biggest red flag was when he wouldn't eat his lunch. Josh called me very upset. NOT because he was having to pick up Jack, (poor guy couldn't help it) but because of all days/weekends, he had plans. One of our best friends, Keith, was coming to stay a few nights with us then fly home to the Bahamas. (Yes- the Bahamas... as if you need something to be jealous of:) Jack's sick episode was really cramping our plans. The thought of all of these plans we had made that were about to come crashing down due to a 3 year old's tummy ache just made me laugh. At what point am I ever going to realize that trying to make plans is ultimately pointless?

I had a flashback to when Russ was born. We had been there 2 times before... it was going to be like clock-work. Get induced, have the baby,stay for a night or two, then come home. Somewhere in there, we would probably send out the standard text/email stating that Russell is here! Mom and baby are doing great! I envisioned taking him for walks once we were home and wandering aimlessly around Target with a giant Starbucks just to see what it felt like to be "that" mom. (Nothing against "those moms"... I just can't imagine that being my life everyday. Seems kinda empty.) Just the opposite happened. My amniotic fluid was low, baby's lips were turning blue, people rushing in and out, NICU, machines, tests, hole in lung, de-sats, breaths per minute, no touching, 17 days of looking and praying, IVs... these were things I didn't plan on. In the end, everything was okay. But the plans I made were essentially a joke. Instead of strolling around Target, I had a little boy fighting for his life.

In the middle of all of that, I also had a husband suffering from an MS attack. Hazy eyes, tingling, weakness, eye doctor, eye specialist, glasses, fatigue, depression, scared. At the time, we weren't sure what was going on, and frankly, we didn't really have time for it. We had PLANS... plans to get Russell out of the NICU, sell our house, get back into a routine. Just another example of how making plans can turn out to be a pointless effort.

Well, we had plans to attend our family reunion during Memorial Day weekend. It is really no secret to anyone close to us that I have been having some issues. Kidney infection in September, tummy pain, scans, and gallbladder issues in November, still having tummy pains/tush issues- colonoscopy in March, cramping and tummy pain now. My doctor thinks I have endometriosis. If you read about it, if I do have it, a lot of what I have been going through can be a result of endometriosis. As a result, I have to have laparoscopic surgery to determine the extent and to also do a procedure to help stop it. 1. This means I can't have anymore children. No big deal for us- we are "done" anyway. Being blessed with 3 little angels makes this easy to digest. I even told someone the other day that the newborn smell doesn't get to me anymore. Newborn babies have a smell that is intoxicating. Really, if you still want to have children, it is like a drug. I experienced that smell the other day, and I wasn't even phased. I was surprised and kinda pumped that I was able to walk away and not want another baby. Really, if you are a woman and can do this, I think it is somewhat of an accomplishment. 2. I am going to have to make time for myself to have surgery and recover. I gave them several dates that would work for surgery. Only one of them worked with the doctor and the hospital. Guess what? Memorial Day plans are busted. Am I surprised. Nope. After all the plans I have tried to make, I am not surprised. I will be having outpatient surgery the last day of school. I will work in the morning, then head over to the hospital. We are paying someone to pick up the kids from school and take care of them until we get home that night. The only time for my surgery is 12:00 noon, and I probably won't be home until dark. They will be fine, I will be fine. It will take a few days for me to recover, but hopefully I can get some relief.

As for plans... to heck with them. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't. Josh didn't plan to have MS, I didn't plan to have surgery. Heck, we didn't plan to have Russell, and look how great that turned out:)

TGIF!
Lori

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Normal? What is Normal?

MS has changed "normal" for us. We now deal with an autoimmune disease every day of our life. It could be worse, it could be better, but either way, we have accepted it, and we are trying to be "normal."

After the diagnosis, the first few weeks were pretty bleak for me. I would catch myself watching Josh and thinking about the worst scenarios. How long will he be able to run? Do flips on the trampoline? Will he "walk" Anabelle down the aisle? Will he have a cane? Looking back to those weeks, it was tough, dark, depressing, and I really felt alone. I really missed my mom, too. She would know the right things to say, but unfortunately that phone-a-mom option wasn't available. Taking on MS and looking to the journey ahead was really one of the first major adult things I have had to do. I really wished at the time I could call my parents, they could be the adults and handle it, and I could just be a child again. Those were the days... Making adult decisions are hard and not fun. Dealing with adult things are hard and not fun. MS can be hard and not fun. The psychological aspect of MS has changed our normal. It makes me made as heck, but I have dealt with it, I am still dealing with it, and so far I we have survived.

Josh had an appointment this morning with Dr. Riser. We were told he would get a scan at this appointment to check for any new activity and to see how the medicine is working. After the first few weeks of the diagnosis, I sucked it up, and I began to not think about MS 24-7. We began to fall back into a  routine and our conversation were not centered around treatment and outcomes and what ifs and how's and whys. When Josh reminded me last week of his appointment, I had a wave of panic. I basically became obsessed with the appointment. I started to question the meds, the eye issues, the medicine denials, symptoms, daily observations of Josh... really I became in a sense "paralyzed" by the unknown of the appointment. Josh kept asking me what I thought about the appointment, what might happen, etc. I assured him not to be nervous and that everything would be fine. Who am I kidding? Before I have tests done, I have all but called the funeral home to set up arrangements, because I am convinced they are going to tell me I am dying soon. Finally, last night, when he asked me again about the appointment, I flat out said, "You should be nervous." I am not sure if he wanted to punch me or hug me. (Just a side note- he would never punch me- I have him wrapped around my pinky:) I mean, who wouldn't be nervous? We are dealing with a disease that 99% of the time you can't see or feel!!! Most of the time, MS in our case has been a silent attacker. Maybe saying what I really feel is truly what he wants and needs to hear. It is okay to be nervous about the unknown. In fact, I think it is totally normal to be nervous about scans and appointments.

Overall, the appointment went well. Josh was referred to a neuro ophthalmologist to get some baselines and evaluate his eyes. The insurance has flat out denied the gel infusions, so this will be a great way to keep an "eye" on things. (Geez, that was cheesy.) He didn't have a scan; the scan will be done on August 26th. Dr. Riser assured him he would not go without the Tecfidera. We received a letter in the mail yesterday denying the prior authorization for the Tecfidera. I am pretty sure she and her legal team will make sure the medicine is approved. Seriously, if I have to get a 2nd and 3rd job, he will get his medicine. But, all in all, the appointment went great.

I have decided today that my new normal will not be to expect the worst, but predict the best. I spent so much time worrying about the worst possible outcomes, that I didn't even give good news a fighting chance. I am too busy being relieved by no bad news, that I can't celebrate the good news.

As I have mentioned before, a teacher friend of mine is running the Chicago marathon and chose MS as his charity to raise money for. He specifically chose MS because of Josh and our "new normal." Here is a link to his page. If you feel like donating, that is great. If not, just say a prayer for the runners' safety and that a cure is found soon- specifically for the love of my life and the father to 3 amazing kiddos who think their Daddy hung the moon.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=13192397&pg=personal&fr_id=23674&et=P9jwxh7b-qb5VEp52gwd8Q

In closing this post, guess what? Something totally normal happened to us today. Our clothes dryer quit. I guess this is just part of being normal:)

Happy Tuesday!
Lori

Friday, April 18, 2014

Kickball and Money...

I am so excited!! Everyone seems on board with the kickball tournament idea to raise money for MS. In fact, our school raises money every spring for cancer (relay for life), and now we might focus our fundraising efforts and time on raising money for MS in the fall! I am so pumped about this. We are starting to layout plans and put some things on paper in order to hopefully make this official.
Lately, I have been brainstorming ideas to raise money and educate the students on MS in general. I literally can't wait until this event happens!

This weekend is Easter. We get to play Easter Bunny... it is so much fun! Anabelle always remarks on how the Easter Bunny and Santa brings them way better things than mommy and daddy.
Easter means a lot more than just the bunny. I am amazed that someone would send their son to die for me. I am amazed that someone would die so that I can have the opportunity to go to Heaven. When you put yourself in those shoes, I just can't imagine...

Jack has decided he wants to wear a tie for Easter. He is so stinking cute in it, but he looks way too grown up. This will probably the last year for smocked dresses, too. Anabelle is really over the smocking and "little girl" dresses. I will keep trying until she puts up a fight, though:) Russell, well Russell is so big he struggles to fit into the cute, smocked bubbles and Easter outfits. Big kid problems...

Happy Friday! Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Minions, Minions, Minions

I am always amazed at how children can become hooked on a certain movie. They have no problem watching it over and over and over and over...

Jack is hooked on Minions. If you have never seen one, search for them on the internet. They are incredibly cute and funny. We literally watch Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 everyday. In fact, we often talk in minion language. No, you really can't understand it, but for some reason it works.

I have been thinking about how Jack now says things like... I don't take baths...minions don't take baths, and I am a minion. Minions don't eat that, or minions don't do that. It is kinda funny how he gets out of things by being a "minion."

Lately, I really wish I could say I am a minion and get out of doing things. Yesterday, I convinced myself that if I burned my planner my life would be much more happy. We could be free to do whatever, whenever. This week, our kids have dental appointments, appointments for shots, soccer, gymnastics, and the list goes on... I had several things after work, and Josh is super busy with his work. I know, I know- this is just the beginning. When Russell gets old enough to be "involved," we will be in a heap of trouble. I need to schedule a small procedure for myself that will require me to miss work for about 2 days. I can't even find a Thursday/Friday that will work. It is really ridiculous!


We are still going through the appeals process for Josh's medicine. We will also start a new appeal in probably the next 3 months for another med he is currently taking. (Tecfidera- originally denied by our insurance, but we were able to get it through MS Active Source.) The verdict is still out on the gel infusions. The good thing is... he feels great! I am really excited that for the most part he has felt great and had all of his energy.

I have two colleagues who are running the Chicago Marathon. The marathon raises money for MS research and funding. I have come up with the idea of a kickball tournament for the students at our school to help them fundraise for their race and donations. Another local school did this to raise money for MS. They brought in a whopping 10k! I am hoping to work on this durning the summer in order to do this at the beginning of school. I am hoping to get lots of people involved to make it a great event. The students seem excited. I am excited. Just hoping we can pull it off. One of the students said they would rather play dodgeball. It would be oh so fun but a nightmare!  The liability for events is crazy enough... You can't even play dodgeball in PE anymore!

Maybe one day I will not be a minion. My life will not be dictated by a schedule, and I will be free to enjoy whatever, whenever with Josh and the kiddos. Did you know we plan to buy an RV when we are older? I am hoping we buy a camper soon. I would love it. We could pull it behind the minivan... oh the memories we would make!

 That there's an RV:)

Monday, April 14, 2014

Sunshine and Soccer

Vitamin D... We need vitamin D and our family was able to soak it up this weekend! Saturday was super busy. It is amazing how our lives are dictated by a 5 year old's schedule. I volunteered at our church Saturday morning. When I came home, we checked out the neighborhood yard sale. Anabelle shopped our friends' stuff, and I inherited some of their goods. Anabelle was so sad they were selling some things, so Stephanie decided to give them to her. She is so proud of them. They don't really go with our decor, but oh well. :)

The kiddos' preschool held a spring fling on Saturday. They had bounce houses, games, and food. Anabelle and Jack really enjoyed themselves. One thing I have picked up on is the need for Easter Bunny costumes that aren't creepy enough for a scary movie. There has to be more legit costumes out there...

We came home after spring fling to change and load up for soccer. Poor Russ- everytime he tried to sleep, we had to load up to go somewhere else. I'll admit that I was skeptical about soccer. The last time Anabelle played she was great a practice but sat on the field and cried the whole time during the games. For her first game...she actually played! We were so proud. She did stop every minute and a half to grab ice from the cooler and put it on her face. At one point she dribbled the ball down the field in the wrong direction, but at least she showed good ball control:) At several points during the game, Jack decided to run on the field. I am pretty sure we spent more time entertaining him than we did watching soccer. I poured water on him to cool him down, and by the end, he looked like a mess.
After soccer, Jack crashed, but Anabelle and Russ held on strong. We were exhausted, but had a ton of fun.

The cat (Puddles) managed to get locked in the van for about an hour. I left the door open, and Josh came behind me a little while later and shut it. When we came out to go to the store, she shot out. Seriously could have been a disaster. She is crazy!! She tried to get in when we were heading to church, but Anabelle chased her out.

We finished Saturday with a concert from Anabelle. Tom and Steph came down, and Anabelle sang every song she knew. It was so funny, but we had to try to hide our laughing, because she was so serious.

Josh felt great this weekend. His eye is still bothering him a little in bright light, but sunglasses help that tremendously. We are still waiting on the appeal process for the gel infusions. Since it is being handled, I try not to worry about it. It is really out of our hands.

We will be attending a dinner for MS research and fundraising with our friends. David has been asked to be on the board of the Birmingham Chapter of the MS Society. We will be going in May. I am interested in what they have to say. Josh and I cracked up when David asked us to be their guests. I think the conversation went something like- hate to ask you to this, but well, it is for MS. It is really funny how some things can be a little awkward when it comes to talking about and dealing with someone's "illness."

Josh and I have also noticed that when talking to others about things that are going on with them, after talking about their problems they usually follow up with-" But why am I complaining? Look what you are going through." It kinda drives me crazy. EVERYONE has their own set of issues/problems/things they are dealing with, AND they are just as important and pressing as us dealing with MS. I always think it is kind of a low thing to pull the "MS card" on people when they are going through something. Everyone has their own battles to fight. One of our's is MS. It doesn't make their battle any more or any less.


I took some pictures this weekend. I have decided that if I get a serious, good picture... then great. If not, I will take the goofy pictures and just be fine with them:)

Ready for Soccer



He wanted me to take a picture of his sandwich (2 hamburger buns) and yes- he finished them all. Yuck!




Two peas in a pod.


Anabelle wants to be a nurse.

Taking care of Meredith




Hang Loose


Puddles- seriously crazy...



Friday, April 11, 2014

Marathon

I am about to leave school. I am so glad it is Friday and the weekend is here!

A sweet co-worker just stopped by my room to tell me that she and another co-worker are running the Chicago Marathon. They picked that particular marathon because the money raised goes to MS research!! Both of them have friends with MS and another teacher and I have spouses with MS. So... what an awesome way to show support!!

They will both be raising money over the next few months. I am already trying to think up some ideas to raise money for their run. Have any ideas??? :)

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Way back When

I don't have much to post today. We the nurses are still working through the appeals process for the gel. (So nice to have them help us.) Josh is in his busy season at work. He has a ton of food shows around the area and on the coast. He came home yesterday from Montgomery and really felt great. After being on his feet all day, he didn't experience any fatigue. His eye is about the same. Still hazy in the sun, but other than that, it is normal.

Anabelle is meeting the k-5 teachers at her school today. We will go next week to officially register her. She told Josh last night that she just wanted to take a day off from school today. We both laughed, because she sounded so serious. He is going to keep her with him today. They always end up doing fun things. I am actually a little jealous that I can't be a part of it.

Jack is busy. He is also developing his own sense of style. He is dedicated to screen printed minion shirts (Despicable Me) and a batman beanie hat. I swore I would never let my kids wear "tacky" shirts, but oh man- he loves them! Seeing him happy makes the tacky go away.

Russell is crawling. Well, kinda. For every crawl forward, he takes 3 crawls back. I know it is frustrating... He literally will pitch a fit when he is trying to get something in front of him. He is 8 months and wearing 18-24 month clothes. He is definitely a bruiser. Anabelle said last night that she wished he could always be a baby. I really wanted to tell her I wished the same thing about her...

Since it is "Throw Back Thursday," I am going to post some pictures from "Way Back When."





JACK

RUSSELL

JOSH AND RUSSELL

ANABELLE


RUSSELL'S FIRST DAY HOME

BROTHERS

JACK WITH HIS CHRISTMAS LOOT


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Insurance and Gel

Josh was sitting on the deck Saturday after the MS walk. He had gotten the mail and was thumbing through the envelopes. I had already checked the mail the day before, but because it was mostly bills, I stuck it back in the mailbox and decided to check on it Monday. Have you ever done that? I am guilty. I usually just stick them back in there to deal with them later. I saw a Med Impact envelope, but I assumed it was about the prior authorization approval for the gel infusions. We received a Fed-ex package on Thursday with all of the medicine information and packing information. It is amazing the amount of marketing these meds have. In fact, you can really tell a lot about the cost of the medicine if you examine the marketing and packaging. Anyways, back to the deck. I watched Josh open the envelope and knew immediately the gel infusions were denied by insurance. I sometimes have this weird 6th sense about things. I knocked on the kitchen window and mouthed, "Is everything okay?" I got the smile that means no, but oh well. I went and got the letter and read for myself that the gel was denied. Ugh...

In my head I just said, "Let's just start the appeal process." Josh and I both agreed to keep it quiet. We had just returned from a fun time raising money and making progress toward a cure. What was the point in bringing this up? In a way, it really felt like post-vacation blues.

We contacted the neurologist Monday, and our nurse had already started the appeal process. WHAT? In the past, we have had to do the appeal and handling the insurance. I am SO thankful that this is taken care of for us. We have also heard that our doctor will personally get on the phone and really work hard to get all of the medicine her patients need. Oh how nice!!

I think all of this just proves that life goes on. March is MS awareness month. There is a ton of buzz about MS and after the month is over, it is almost like Poof! The awareness and buzz disappears. Our company went home on Sunday, and we are back to our routine. School, soccer, gymnastics, show and tell, and the list could go on and on. It would be so easy to sit back and be bummed...to be frustrated...to be fed-up, but what good would it do? Really, it would only make us a victim. I have said from the start that our family will not be victims of this. People always say-well bless your heart. Geez. That is the Southern way of basically saying- well, you're screwed. Really, though, Josh and I pretty much have it made. Just look at all of our blessings and you really wouldn't be able to argue.

As I was loading pictures of the walk, I found this one. Do you know how hard it is to get 3 kids looking at a camera like they want to????


 I mean, how could anyone be down when you have these 3 kiddos? They really make life awesome!



Monday, April 7, 2014

Who Do You Walk For?

Who Do You Walk For? I walk for THIS GUY!
 
Saturday, the MS walk was a little overwhelming. We had about 30 people that walked in honor of Josh. I am pretty sure we were the team with the most strollers, too. The support we received from friends and family was amazing.
Of course, we forgot some things for the lunch afterward, but oh well. We still had a great time with the fellowship of our friends and family.


 
I have decided that Jack is a ninja. Every time I looked up, he was gone. I am very thankful for our cousin, Kristyn. She made it her mission to keep up with him. He was perfectly fine with because she is his favorite:)

I am going to dump some pictures on here from the walk.

Happy Monday! We had a late start to school today due to area flooding. This prompted a story about Noah and the flood from Anabelle this morning. A great reminder that when it rains, it pours, but it eventually stops and the sun shines on!

 My sticker- (Boo in honor of what my students would call their man:)


Uncle Smug's Sticker (Jon Douglas)
KK and Anabelle

 Babies! Babies! Babies!


Jack's transportation- "The Shoulders"

The Team Walking

Jeff and Stella Bogart

 Elizabeth and Stephen Wright Bogart
Jack had to take a detour to potty.


 KK and Jack
 
Grand John's Sticker


 Lining Up to Start Walking
 
 Jeff Bogart (The Bogarts are quite possibly the sweetest, most fun family on the planet)
 
 Katie Grace and I
 

Grand John and Robin (a.k.a. Uncle Bushy)
 

Uncle Bushy's Sticker

Layla


Anabelle's Sticker
Anabelle (My mini me:)

KK

William

Russell and William

Stephen Wright

Jack's Sticker

Josh and Uncle Bushy

Sylvia

Anabelle and Brooklyn hanging out at the tent




Bea's Sticker
 

AND.... This is our Team!!

(Please note my friend Megan holding on to Jack. Seriously- he is a ninja:)