Where has the 2008 year gone?

Where has this year gone? This is the question I asked myself this morning while glancing at my calendar. It has certainly been an amazing year. The first week of 2008 is somewhat of a blur with anxiety regarding Gabby's surgery, but on January 8th her little baby heart was repaired and the rest of the year has been full of excitement and adventure.

For Gavin it was a year of new beginnings.... Kindergarten, soccer, and Taekwondo. For Zach 2008 was a year of growth and maturity. It's amazing the difference a year can make at his age! Finally, for Gabby, 2008 has been a year of healing and persistence. She's meeting (and exceeding) her milestones and healthy as can be! As a side note the results of her recent procedure to assess her pulmonary arteries were within reasonable limits.

We have some fun plans to ring in the new year and we're looking forward to the year ahead. We wish you all a blessed 2009!

Since a post really isn't a post without at least a few pictures, here are a few pictures from recent weeks. I hope to add a Christmas post soon.

Gabby has now taken claim to the motorcycle.

The boys having a sack race through the house....

burning off some energy after a rainy day stuck inside.

Zachary showing off Mommy's new rain boots.

My little artists....

Not to be left out.... Gabby always has to pull up a chair.

A test of my patience and other recent happenings...

This is one of several attempts yesterday to capture all three kids smiling simultaneously for a Christmas Card.

Let's just say it never happened, but the tourists on the beach were likely very entertained by my efforts.

Fortunately we managed to capture a few "so-so" photos and a few sweet moments, but I think it took every ounce of patience I had.

(These aren't the pictures, but I'll be mailing my cards out in the next few days. I'm still deciding whether I have the energy to throw together a Christmas letter.)

This past weekend Gavin earned his Orange belt in Tae Kwon Do.

We also attended the local Christmas parade this year.

For the last few years we've been on a float with my MOPS group, but now that the kids have seen it from the sidelines, they've decided they would rather have candy and beads thrown their way instead.

Gavin fell asleep in the van on the way home and Zachary had so much fun waking him up.

We took a trip to Jacksonville for a baby shower a week ago. We enjoyed time with Dad and with Jason's family and tried to see as many friends as possible, but it was such a quick trip.

The kids loved playing with Sophia and Simona's toys.

and I'm pretty certain what Santa will be bringing Gabby for Christmas!

Gabby had her 15 month check up last Tuesday and the following day we went to her early learning program. Gabby came across this stethescope and put it right around her neck then continued playing.

We thought it was pretty funny that she knew exactly where to put it, but then again she's seen more than her share of people wearing them.

Her outpatient procedure to assess her pumonary arteries is scheduled for December 22nd.

It's just a minor diagnostic procedure, but please pray for perfect results.

She's becoming such a big girl.....

Painting

Waiting for her brother to get off the bus....

and climbing up onto everything.

It's going to be a busy few weeks so I probably won't be updating as often.

However, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas season!

A Surprise Birthday Party

Amanda's husband, Joe managed to pull off a surprise birthday dinner for her.

I was quite impressed by his planning and we all had such a great time.

It was a great way to celebrate Amanda.

She is such an amazing friend and she (and her family) have gone out of their way on many occasions to make my life easier.

Here's the Birthday Girl...

I know she suspected something was up, but I don't think she realized the amount of people involved.

I think we managed to fill up half of the restaurant in her honor.

Amanda, Kim, and Jen

Clarissa, Amanda, and Jen

Even the boys had a great time. Zach and I had just left the Nutcracker so he was full of energy after sitting quietly for so long.

I always seem to catch these two in a cozy little pose.

and finally the Kindergartener's Group Hug!

Way to go, Joe for your awesome planning!

My Date to the Nutcracker....

When I heard the tickets to the Nutcracker were for sale, my first thought was that Gabby wasn't old enough to enjoy it. It didn't even dawn on me to take one of the boys until we were invited to go with a few friends. As it turned out, he had a wonderful time. At one point he even reached over and held my hand. It was so sweet. He's my cuddly little teddy bear these days and really enjoys spending time with me. I hope these days never end.

Here's a picture of him with his friends Vivi and Bella before the show.

Pre-Thanksgiving Recap

I haven't been blogging as much as usual.
Over the past few weeks the boys have both had minor colds and Gabby has molars coming in.
She's also on antibiotics for an ear infection, but is feeling much better.
Needless to say, it's been a busy few weeks with a few sleepless nights to add to the adventure.

However everyone is well at the moment. Despite the craziness, we've still managed to capture some good photos and they all have their own mini-story to tell.

Zachary made this lovely "fall leaf bouquet" for his teacher and he's told me over and over how much she loved it.


The boys have recently discovered that playing Hotwheels in the bathtub is a lot of fun...(especially on rainy days)


This picture is entitled:
Ice cream for breakfast!
Last year Amanda, Kim and I started going to breakfast to celebrate each of our birthdays.
When the waitress discovered it was Amanda's birthday breakfast, she brought her some ice cream.


I guess we could label this one "Gabby's shoe fetish."
While I wasn't looking Gabby reached out and grabbed a few pairs right out of their boxes.
When I took them away she cried hysterically.
Once I explained how hideous they were, she settled down a bit.


Since she hasn't been feeling well lately, she's had quite a few challenging moments.
Somehow a phone call to daddy always works.
In this picture Gabby is holding the phone on speaker and Sam is talking to her.
Just moments earlier she was screaming.

She's also really enjoying her mornings with Zachary.
He is quite entertaining and loves to play with her (mostly when Gavin isn't around).

A few days last week, Gavin came home with different hats from costumes that they made at school. He proudly stepped off the bus wearing the hats and he looked absolutely adorable.

Zachary also had a chance to shine.
He performed in his first preschool Thanksgiving Program.


After the program he enjoyed lunch (Sharing Stew) with his Daddy.
Here's a picture of him with his teacher.

Gabby's Cardiology Appointment

Today Gabby had a cardiology appointment. Although she's doing exceptionally well, at each appointment I still dread the possibility of getting less than perfect news.

At her last appointment her echo brought about concerns regarding her pulmonary arteries. Today he ordered further testing and since the test requires an IV, it has to be done at a hospital. Fortunately it's not emergent and can wait until after Thanksgiving.

She's otherwise doing very well. She's not having any problem putting on weight... (obviously an inherited trait!) She's full of energy and her incison is healing beautifully.

As long as this test goes well, she won't have to be seen by cardiology for 6 months! That would be great news for Gabby because despite all they've done for her, she's not very fond of doctors.

A movie and visit with Santa

Thanks to Amanda's planning we went to see Madagascar 2.

The movie was cute and it was nice getting together with friends.

After the movie, we planned to let the kids go to the play area, but when the kids realized Santa was there they wanted to let their wishes be known.

It was beautiful seeing all the fountains running despite it being too cold to play in them.

After seeing Santa we decided to go to Bass Pro Shops to see the fish.

Leah and Gavin sure looked cute and cozy in front of the aquarium.

Gabby was happier to see the fish than she was to see Santa. Funny how she adores the Disney characters, but won't have anything to do with an old man in a red suit.

Zachary really enjoyed watching the train.

I was quite impressed with Bass Pro Shops. They really put together a cute setup for the Christmas season.

Zachary was so cute talking to Santa. He has a habit of crawling up on my lap and twirling my hair. I thought it was so cute that he was doing the same thing with Santa's beard.


The Christmas decor was complete with it's very own "shooting range."

Check out my boys impressing the girls.

It was fun evening. We managed to keep 7 kids entertained and they were all very well behaved.

Thanks Amanda for helping me pull Sam away from Saturday college football!