Bluebonnets

My lil Texas angels in the Bluebonnets today.
Don't tell anyone but Riley picked the protected wildflower (she could be fined!) Keagan fell asleep on the way there and was supper happy to be taking pictures. And by the end of trying to get two three year olds to look at the camera and smile, I was sweaty! Good times all around. But in Texas this is like a right of passage. And the pictures are priceless.








She was upset that her shoes were getting wet and the bugs might get her! That's my sleepy girl!


The best!

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3 going on 30

This darling little girl has been hanging out with teenagers a little too much lately. I think her cousins may have let her watch one too many episodes of "iCarly" and "Victorious" when she was staying with them last week.

The evidence? When I picked up the toodler from Preschool today and asked her about her day, her response was "Landon was checking me out! It was freaky!" Say what?!?!
She didn't totally understand what it meant but it sure made for a great conversation on the ride home!

Later on the three of us were playing in the toy room. Keagan was "working" on her little Barbie lap top. Riley really wanted a turn and Keagan said to her: "No Riyee you can't play with my iPad! It's charging because the battery is dead. And you don't even know the password!" Seriously she's THREE! Man am I in trouble in 10 years!

But for now, despite knowing and saying things that a three year old shouldn't, she's still my baby girl! And always will be!

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Home Sweet Home!

After five very long days we were able to come home from the hospital last night! Miss Riley was actually even happier then I was! I don't know if I have ever seen that smiley girl smile as big as she did all night and all day today! To be all together under one roof and have Riley be healthy enough to come home is just perfect!

We all got a great night sleep in our own beds and then just had a very normal day at home getting laundry done, things organized, catching up on tv and playing ALL together. Normal is fabulous now! I didn't even mind sweeping the floor a billion times today cause it was my floor at home! Riley is on alot of meds and breathing treatments and she shouldn't be in public for at least five days. But we are home!

I was making breakfast this morning and the girls were in the other room when I heard the most darling exchange! In her sweet voice Keagan said to Riley: "Riyee are you so happy? Are you so happy you not at the Hospal? I'm so happy Riley!" That just made my heart swell! I couldn't have said it better myself!




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Movin In the Right Direction

Yesterday was a hard, hard day. I had really hoped Riley would turn a corner, but she didn't have any improvement. Instead she vomited and her heart rate kept dipping low. There was talk of sending her down to Texas Children's and even though I LOVE that place, the idea was almost sending me to my breaking point.

And then there was my Keags. The girl is thankfully being so well taken care of by the Fosters. But she is so thrown off her routine and confused and scared. So she wouldn't come with Gramas to see me at the hospital as planned. But Nana was here with Riley so I actually left here, drove to Sa's house, and spent a great 45 mins hugging, kissing and playing with my princess. It was such amazing therapy but when it was time for me to leave it broke my heart. I don't think I'll ever forget her little face standing outside telling me not to go to the "hospal" through her tears. That opened my flood gates for a serious drive back here.

It was a very long night with a revolving door again. And things didn't look great this morning. We are on day four here, but it feels like day 25! But Sa brought Kellie, Addie and Keagan up here and that did SO much for both Riley and I. Then after a good bath for my baby, she went off oxygen on to room air and a chest x-ray confirmed things are getting better. Dr Matthews brought the great news that though she is still pretty sick, we have turned a corner! It feels so wonderful to finally be headed in the right direction.

This week has reminded me of 3 things...One is what doesn't kill ya makes you stronger. So cliche, but so true!

Two, I am SO thankful for the village I have helping me raise my two girls alone!! Nana and Grama Linda have been here everyday to cuddle with Riley and let me leave the room a little bit. And I'm so thankful Keagan has the Fosters to adopt her for all this time!

And third, prayer works! There is an incredible amount of people sending us their love, support and especially prayers. I can feel those prayers and note they are the reason I'm holding it all together just fine! (well that and Coke!)

Im hoping Riley starts eating or drinking soon as it has been days. And that she can maintain her oxygen all night. That will bring us closer to going home with Keags. I can't wait to return to our normal and I don't know if I will ever take normal for granted again!











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Pneumonia

I am sitting in a quite hospital room holding my sick baby and missing her sister. I have done this more then once or twice before, but it doesn't seem to get any easier.

Riley was admitted to St Luke's in The Woodlands yesterday after vomitting blood at Keagans school led to an ER visit that confirmed pneumonia. This is our first stay at this particular hospital and we love the Texas Children's doctors, nice rooms, closer location and room service. But I don't love being here. Despite all the staff providing good and necessary treatment, the constant in and out of our room with meds, vital checks and breathing treatments has left us both a little fried! And unfortunately our room door was a revolving one all night, so even the 2 Cokes aren't helping much.

With a very pale but still gorgeous face, Riley looks about as good as the bad stormy weather outside. She has just over 57 tubes attached to her body keeping her pretty stationary on my lap. In reality she just has a nasal canula, pulse oximetry and her IV. But if she were to wake up and get any energy today she wouldn't be able to go very far.

She is using all of her energy just to breath and is only successful at that with oxygen help and double breathing treatments every 2 hours. Hopefully the double IV antibiotics and all the steroids they are juicing her up with will fight this beast hard and fast! Pneumonia is no joke!!!

While I am missing Keagan I think she is doing just fine without us. She was excited to have a slumber party with her cousins last night and when I talked to her this morning she was having popcorn for breakfast! Like my dad would have said "beggars cant be choosers" and I'm just so thankful she has Sa's house to stay at! Hopefully we can beat this sickness and all be back at home together very soon! I might be so happy to be under our roof together that I serve everyone popcorn for breakfast too!

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Back to Reality

Spring Break is officially over. I guess that means our new schedule of sleeping in til 8 is over too. I knew it was temporary and really only because Riley was sick. But man it was great!

Tomorrow we will return back to the busy schedules. And I will be adding a whole new element to the weekly line up as well. Today I started my new calling as the 2nd Counselor in Young Women's. I am SO excited to get to know the girls and work with them and the other amazing leaders. Just a little anxious about working out the Wednesday night activities as far as getting someone to help me with my girls and getting them to bed. But the Bishop said it was very clear this is where the Lord wanted me to be serving. So the Lord will help me make it work! Today I taught the Beehives and I'm excited for what this opportunity holds!

But I wasn't half as stylish as Miss Keagan at church today. I peeked in on her in Primary and during sharing time she was wearing her pink sunglasses! She later moved them to the top of her head and even pulled her cell phone out of her purse to make a quick call! That girl is somethin else!!

Miss Riley stayed home from church with Nana to try to rest and kick this nasty cough. When Keagan and I got home, Riley was having one heck of a lunch! I seriously considered just rolling her high chair outside and spraying her down with the hose!





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Motto

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We like em Crazy!

If I ever sit still for a second and take a good look around I realize our little family is a little crazy. The good kind of crazy of course!

The last two nights I have been woken up by a strange sound. I'm usually sleeping with one eye open as I'm terrified of Riley having a seizure in her sleep. Well she's not seizing but she is making a racket in her bed at 2 am just practicing her new trick! She has finally figured out her own way to get from a laying position to a sitting position this week. Which is SO great. She tucks her knees under her chest and uses her right arm to push up. For her, this is a huge accomplishment! She must realize how this one move can really impact her self reliance because she is literally just doing it over and over in her crib in the middle of the night! And I can clearly see the big smile on her face on the little video monitor. Cracks me up!

Keagan reminded me of another of her crazy little intricacies today when she was crying desperately for her waffle. She was playing with her friend Sean the other day and he was confused by her insistence in holding and cuddling this "waffle". She didn't respond well to his corrections that her stuffed animal was actually a "whale!" Shamu in fact. Only Keagan would call him a waffle and be stubborn enough to insist on it.

And we all know I'm crazy. But this blog just isn't big enough to discuss that!

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Spring What?

It's Spring Break and we are all sick. I know! It's almost embarrassing at this point! Our immune systems should be ashamed of themselves! Keagan has an ear infection and a nasty cough. I have pneumonia, and poor Riley has got a cold with a really high fever. The one good thing is we are free to sleep in with no school. I'm just hoping Spring Break doesn't break us!


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Rodeo Wear

Have you ever in your life seen a more stylish vest? I mean all vests made out of brown paper sacks just scream fashionista! But add the cut outs of boots, cows, pigs, chickens and a big longhorn on the back, and you've got some seriously stylish cowgirl Rodeo wear! And check out that pose! Could she be any cuter?!

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Quite a Player

Today I crossed Professional Basketball Player off the long list of what Rileys future may hold. This girl has a funny startle response and it was in full effect today while trying to squat to get bean bags and then dunk them in a hoop during physical therapy today. Usually it's loud noises and things coming close to her face that make her eyes flutter, lips purse and head fling back. But today it was the game. It was just too cute and too much like Riley not to document it!











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Day With My Keags

In her eyes it was an amazing day! Wish everything was so easy and simple!

As usual I took Riley to therapy and then school. So today Keags got to play for 2 hours with a bunch of boys from church. She loves playing with the boys! Afterwards we ran some errands that made her SO happy. Who knew errands could be so exciting?




We washed the car. For this she gets to actually sit in the front seat while we drive through the wash. And then she takes her job of directing my vacuuming efforts very seriously.




Tutti Frutti. Her fav!




In her own words..."I did the grocery shopping all by myself! It was berry hard."

And finally, a nap




Before she fell asleep she said "thanks for having fun with me mom!"

Oh my sweet girl!!

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I Hear You!

This afternoon Riley brought me to tears. It's not what you are thinking. They were happy tears. Very happy! Ones straight from a very full and thankful heart.

It was after school and Keagan was watching tv. I was sitting on the floor chatting it up with Riley. The little Miss has been very vocal lately. Which I absolutely love. I was holding her hands for balance as she stood and faced me. So we were having a little face to face conversation. As she sometimes does, she was coughing at me as her form of communication. When I told her for the third time "I love you" thats when she did it!

She looked me straight in the eyes and gave three very distinct coughs. She then leaned in and gave me one of her special kisses. I have absolutely no doubt that she was saying "I love you." My heart heard it as clear as my ears hear Keagan say those words. It was an incredible moment for me! Her love is never something I have ever questioned. But for her to express it to me was remarkable! Incredible! And unforgettable!

There is no question that one heart can speak to another. I see it all the time in my nonverbal miracle. I feel so blessed to be this little girls momma and to receive her love. And it's even better that today I heard it straight from her heart!

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Occupational Hazards

Being a sister comes with occupational hazards. When I was growing up as the baby of four, I had more of my fair share! My sister convinced me I was going to hell because I killed 3 fish and made me eat dog food! Tyler had a song entitled "hey, hey beached whale!" that he would sing whenever he saw me (and those were my skinny days). And Kirk would literally pick me up and throw me across the room. This was all done in love of course, because it's funny how I have never doubted my siblings love for me. It just comes with hazards.

Well Keags and Ris have been sharing alot of that kind of love lately. Thursday morning I came out of the laundry room and Keagan was picking Rileys nose- again! That is something Riley hates. But Keags explained to me she was just very concerned that Riley couldn't breath. After school, possibly in retaliation, Ris head butted Keagan so hard that I heard it in the other room!

This morning was even more amazing. The girls were playing outside when Riley picked up a small metal gardening rake and whacked Keagan on the top of the head! When I was checking for blood, Keagan got her revenge by using the same weapon to nail Riley smack dab in the middle of the forehead! Awesome, huh?! I guess I'm lucky no one has had serious damage lately. And thank heavens they weren't boys! I can't imagine the hazards there!

But like me, I'm sure they never doubt their love for one another. Today it's just measured in bruises.






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One and Only

Today was the birthday of the one and only Dr Suess! Both girls classes celebrated today with Green Eggs and Ham! Riley had green scrambled eggs and bacon for lunch and Miss Keagan was SUPPOSED to paint the cut out of eggs and ham on a paper plate the color green. But, Miss Connie informed me that Keagan absolutely insisted on painting hers red. She took me to the art wall and sure enough their were eleven green paintings and one red one! Miss Connie said to me "She's as sweet as can be but when she sets her mind on somethin, it sure is difficult to change it!" Oh man! I'm so nervous for when this girl is 15!

My favorite Dr Suess quote...


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