Blogging from Oklahoma!

What a week we've had! Between end-of-the year school parties and cupcakes and summer temps and Ava's kindergarten graduation I was definitely busier than usual. And usual is generally busy all its own! Extra-busy is good though- even kind of wonderful this time around!
Chip and I are away together in Tulsa taking in the activities and supporting his boss and friend, Dan Rooney, as he hosts the inaugural Patriot Cup event at his brand new golf course, The Patriot. We have already enjoyed the spectactular views of the course and tomorrow we are excited to attend the gala evening with Vince Gill honoring of families of disabled and fallen heros and supporting the Fallen Heros Foundation. Such a worthy cause! We are honored to be invited to such an event and to not only be able to get away for this amazing weekend, but also to know that our kids are getting great care and enjoying their time with some wonderful family friends too. To top it off, my sister and her husband joined us here in Tulsa as our guests for the event, so I'm getting sister/family time as well! {My sister/husband live in Las Vegas and it's rare that we ever get to see each other...so that's an extra special treat for me!}
I also just kicked off the third trimester of pregnancy and I'm feeling good- getting kicked often! =) My feet swelled up in the heat and humidity yesterday when we landed in OK and spent most of the day outdoors. But they seem to be better after a full, quiet night of sleep. Hopefully I will fit back into my strappy sandals by tonight. =)
I have to say I have enjoyed reading your thoughts and comments on baby names. It will be fun to finally have a face and name for Baby #7 as we call him in not so many weeks! Ava thought Chip and I were going away for the weekend to have the baby already. She wondered why I was packing sparkly black shoes just to go to the hospital! I had to laugh and actually think maybe I should take my black heels along with me for the big event. It's sure to be a special occasion.
I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. It is an honor for Chip and me to be upclose and supporting some of our nation's hero's of the day as we reflect on the true cost of the freedom we enjoy in this great country every single day.
I am feeling truly blessed. I trust you are too!

Hot topic.

The last time I posted a list of baby names that Chip and I were considering while we were expecting Crew there were quite a few opinions and comments posted in response. Since you all have your own opinions, I am guessing this time around won't be any different.
Now, we haven't even determined whether or not this is the final list of possibilities, and I have a strong feeling that it's not. But for your fun and interest I decided to post the names on our list as of right now. Some of the names are my selections, some are Chip's. They are in random order. Feel free to leave your comments...just don't be so rude that you take all the fun out of this process. Afterall, pregnancy has its own aches and pains and I don't really need to add to those at this point! =)
Here's our current list of baby boy names:
Austin
Campbell
Cajetan (a distant name in Chip's family lineage... pronounced KAJ-uh-tan)
Dain
Eamon
Easton
Gannon
Grady
Jock
Maguire
Okello
Pierce
Preston
Reid
Ryder
Seamus
Tait
Teague
Wilson

The best part of waking up...

I had a coupon for a free Starbuck's coffee {free always tastes best!} and Chip was kind enough to pick it up and drop it off for me this morning. It was a tall half-caf coffee of the day and I added a generous splash of coconut creamer. My favorite creamer flavor. =)

I then poured half of it into my mug and headed out to the deck to enoy the morning sun- as the heat will be kicking up later in the day. Gotta enjoy the sun and mild humidity while we can! As I took my first sips of coffee, Crew came over and said, "mmmmmm" over and over. He loves coffee. With lots of cream too. I gave him a few sips and then he pointed to the rest of the leftover cup. We enjoyed our coffee together. He read his favorite "Good Dog, Carl" books... and I flipped through "30,0o1 Baby Names" book. It was the perfect way to start the day.

Hope you enjoy your day too!

Yum...springtime!

I have fresh, organic Rhubarb Cream Cake baking in my oven right now. {Click here for recipe.} I have all the windows open. I have flowers planted by Chip along the border of our landscape and blossoming in containers by my door. I have a couple of kids playing outside with the neighbor kids in their sprinkler.
Spring is a wonderful time of year!
What do you love about spring?
Feel free to share {and leave links to recipes too!} =)

More than I imagined.

I never dreamed my lap and arms would be this full of kids and life and energy. I never dreamed that becoming a mom would change me as much as it has- since the first moment a baby was placed in my arms. The highs have been higher; the lows, lower. From great joy to deep sorrow and everything in between, I have experienced it and felt it over the past 13+ years. I had no idea I would change diapers non-stop for this long. I had no idea I would be asked to donate organs of one who had captured my heart. I had no idea I would lose so much sleep or shed so many tears. On the flipside...
I never knew that kids could whisper, "I love you" or "You're the best mom ever" and turn my mood around in an instant. My kids have asked more of me that I thought I could ever give some days, yet not a day goes by that demands too much of me. I always have more love to give. More kisses and hugs to share. More pinky-promises to swear to them of my undying love, and more hope in my heart for what they will become. I couldn't imagine ever having kids at one time in my life, and now I can't imagine what it will be like to hold my seventh child.
It is overwhelming to be a mom- on so many different levels- and yet it's the most natural, wonderful thing I know how to do. Love and wish and expect and dream and always be there for them no matter what. This is what motherhood means to me. I can only hope that I am living up to my expectations, if even in small part.
Being a mom has changed me. I wouldn't want it any other way.
I love you, Teagan, Brock, Wyndham, Bella, Ava, Crew and Baby who kicked me in the side through the whole church service this morning. =) You are undeserving gifts in my life. Forever and always. Thanks for helping me become the mom I am lucky enough to be. I love you!!

Peace and quiet.

I picked up Bella from school today with just Wyndham in the car with me. Brock is away with his classmates at camp and Crew and Ava were home with Chip while Wyndham was at therapy and I had a baby check-up at the doctor.
Bella climbs into the car and after about 1 minute she said, "It sure is peaceful in here!" Then a moment later she added, "I'm talking about the peace and quiet. It's just so quiet!"
I had to agree with her.
It WAS nice and peaceful. And quiet.
But we both agreed.
It didn't "feel" quite right.
There's something wonderful about peace and quiet at times. But as we drove on I couldn't help think about how many times I missed Teagan's voice. It's something you never quite get used to. I'd take the noise over the quiet anyday. We already miss Brock in just one day. He'll be home by tomorrow though.
And we quickly got our dose of noise from Ava and Crew. We were barely inside the door when their noise started up. Crew always comes running and has something to "say".
I would take more of the peace part of the equation around here though. It seems kids my kids go from being best friends to worst enemies at the drop of a hat. Peace all the time would be a good thing. But in the meantime, the noise does have it's charming qualities.
I was happy to be reminded today of just how much I really do like the noise afterall. =)

One less thing to worry about!

I am happy to share a couple of pictures of Wyndham along with the news that her EEG results came back normal yesterday after her scan. We are thrilled to know that after two years of medication everything appears to be normal and we no longer need to be concerned for seizures. We haven't been overly concerned about the idea of her having seizures for awhile now, but it is certainly reassuring that we can keep her off meds for now and have no further concerns. That means she is now off of ALL medication (including growth hormone shots too!) until further notice from her doctors. After all the procedures and treatments she has been through it is nothing short of miraculous, if you ask me.

Maybe it is just a brief calm before the storm we have as we anticipate her major surgery this fall, but either way it is nice to enjoy the "now" just the same. I think we may see a bit more burst of her personality as her body adjusts to her just being "her" again. That is a special treat all in itself. And I'm not going to even worry about what lies ahead for fear that it will take away the wonder of our present now. Now is a very good thing!