Anna Kate is LOVING dance this spring!  I am so happy she has her own thing!  She’s so small to be so big.  She really wants to play soccer, but she’s not old enough, and the girls are really supposed to be 3 to take dance, but I told the teacher she took this summer with her big sissy and she said she could do a trial class and see if she could follow instructions enough to be in the class, and lo and behold, she was right there in the mix trying new things, so they said she could join the class!  So here we are, smiling, and giddy for dance!  Every day she begs me to go and asks me if it’s dance day yet…

*Just for the record, I hate white tap shoes but that’s what they have to have for the recital this year, so I didn’t see a point in buying two pairs!

I wear a splint to bed every night.  No exception.  I had two reconstructive orthognathic jaw surgeries in 2001 and 2003.  My head is so full of screws, when my skull popped up on the screen after xrays at the hospital, the lab technician gasped, did a double take of me sitting right there in front of him and said, “I’m so sorry!” because you’d never guess what I’ve been through just looking at me.  I just laughed and said, “Crazy, isn’t it?”  All that is to say, the pain in my jaw joints is intense, but I have been able to manage my pain through splint therapy with an amazing TMJ pain specialist in Dallas.  That is, until last night, when we heard something weird in the garbage disposal.  I told Mike I thought there was something in there, and he reached in a pulled out half of my splint.  He saw it first and all he could say was, “Oh Melissa!” as he held it up for me to see.  It was as if my lifeline had been cut in that moment.  We were in shock.

I was an emergency patient in his office today.  I was there from 2:30-8:00… long long day, but I was thankful every minute I was in that chair because he has given me my quality of life back… the ability to take care of my children and love my husband when my future looked grim, and I had never been so sick.  I don’t talk about this very often, because when I’m being social or on the blog, it is my escape from all of this.  All this is to say that everyone struggles in their own ways, we all have pain, and we all have hope… sometimes we just have to wait for it. 

Dr. Riggs built me a temporary splint so that I could sleep tonight, and my new splint will be ready in a couple of weeks.  I am so thankful this was an accident that could be repaired… something fixable.  It’s a good reminder to count my blessings and hold them in my heart, and I hope it is for you too.  Unfortunately, accidents just happen.  Hug your loved ones, treasure them and thank God for giving you life.   At church when I was a little girl, an old man used to come up to us kids and say, “You know why today is called the present?  Because it is a gift!”  I’ve never forgotten that!

* Tons of Rose’s first birthday pics coming soon… and much more!

Rose was 10 months old when she started walking… she was our earliest walker! 

Rose turned one today!  We had a family birthday party for her this year!  We are wiped out but had the time of our lives!  Celebrating life is what it’s all about!!! 

Rose, you are PRECIOUS, and we love you with ALL of our hearts!!!  You brighten every single day.  We are so thankful God gave you to our family and the world!  Happy Birthday, baby Rose!

Pitiful Pearl was my Aunt Joe’s favorite doll growing up.  Noelle found her while playing at Poppa and Rara’s house and during her visits to Jacksonville, she would hide Pitiful Pearl in different places around their house because she feared someone might throw her away because of how pitiful she looked (she really told us that).  Last visit, she asked Rara if she could bring Pitiful Pearl home for a “make-over.”  Here’s the finished product, with her fresh strand of pearls and make-up.  I wish I had done a before picture, because Pitiful arrived in rags.  Aunt Joe said there is a whole trunk of dress-up clothes for her, but Rara has to find them first. 

Noelle is always so creative in her play.  She drew a picture of Gargamel and put on a play for us with him and Smurfette.  It was so funny!  She’s great.

“I’ve got my party hat ready!!!”

We had so much fun at the Cunningham’s on Sunday night!  I only took a couple of pictures, but we had a blast!

Mike wore red/blue and enjoyed the game (poor baby Rose is teething so badly right now), but the only bowl the girls watched was the one on Anna Kate’s head (perfectly fitting for our middle child)!

Julia was SO happy to have all of her friends over… she got on her piano and sang, “This is the best day ever!”  What an awesome way to end the night!

I had no idea there was such a celebration over the 100th day of school, but I do now!  The kids made trail mix using 10 pieces of 10 ingredients, strung 100 fruit loops to make a necklace, decorated crowns, and each brought 100 items to share with the class (Noelle brought pennies).  She was SO excited about this day and had a blast celebrating another fun day of school! 

We’re getting excited!!!

Anna Kate is so crazy guys!  She is totally awesome in the silliest ways, and we love her so much for it…

She keeps telling me my favorite color is yellow (has been for days).  Honestly, I think that’s my least favorite color, next to brown and gray.  I keep telling her it’s not.  And she argues with me that it is.  She told me again this morning, “Your favorite color is yellow.”  I just looked at her and said, “It’s really not, Anna Kate.”  And, defeated, she said, “Well then, I’m going to call you Vernon.” 

And there you have it… that’s my Anna Kate!