Annie

Annie is doing better at adjusting to living in California. At first, it was alot like a vacation-no schedules, etc...but then, she started school and we've finally gotten into a routine. NOW, it's more like home for her--Home is Where the Rules Are! This is a picture of the girls with Mia on (I think) the last Sunday Mia went to church before she went into hibernation. Everyone looked so nice and everyone was ready on time, so I had to take a picture of it!

This is Annie with the girls on her first day of school. Annie was very excited about starting at a new school..but she misses her friends in Reedsburg and her class. But, she's slowly making a few friends here and there. No one was excited about posing for this picture but Oh Well!!

Annie being a goof, like she usually is, while we were waiting for the girls to march in a parade...

Where We Live(d)

Well, Sarah was nice enough to take some pictures of our house in Wisconsin and send them to me (Thanks, Sarah!!). In the mad dash to move, I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the house completely finished! Scott removed the railing and gingerbread-ey accents from the front porch and painted the entire house! It looks amazing.......and can be yours for the low, low price of $108,900 (but, ALL offers are accepted and seriously considered ;-) )! He did such a great job! Isn't it always the way life is that you get everything just like you want it and then move.......

and this is where we live now. Not, HERE, but this is where our place will be in a few months. Right now, the contractor is waiting for final approval and then the work begins. We've tried to convince Annie that we'll just be living in a big pile of dirt, but she's not buying it! We are so blessed that my sister and Tony have opened up their home to us......

Happy Thanksgiving! (Late, like usual!)

Well, it was a very different Thanksgiving from last year! Last year, we stayed the night at the Ronald McDonald House so we could see Mia on Thanksgiving morning. And Annie got to hold her last year for awhile while she was on an oxygen cannula and then feed her through her G-Tube.....

and this is Miss Mia this year...with her turkey and ham and green beans. There was so much to be thankful for this year, the list is very long! God is Good!!

Nana and Mia on Turkey Day!!

The guys watching Mia.....well, actually football, but Mia's becoming pretty self-sufficient! :-)

This is the back of Mia's Turkey Day outfit!! She really is a Turkey-Butt!!

Well, this is how Mia drinks from her cup half the time.....but she's getting the hang of it.....

And sometimes she's a pretty messy eater....

but she's still cutey!

Well, Mia finally got to go in the spa (the pool is still too cold). Uncle Tony volunteered to take her in and I said, "Go for it!" But, first I was able to get a picture of my sister, Cathy, with Mia. It's a rare thing to actually get a picture of my sister, but, really, she'll do anything for her nieces!

These are absolutely my favorite pictures of Mia from today. In the above picture, I could not get over how much she looks like my niece, Taylor, who lives in Colorado. And below, FINALLY! a smile!! It's very difficult to get a picture of Mia looking into the camera with a smile. This is as close as we got!!

Motorboat, Motorboat, go so slow....Motorboat, Motorboat, go so fast....Motorboat, Motorboat, step on the GAS!!!!!

As soon as Tony got in the spa, the girls swarmed him! They were very excited to have Mia in the spa with them!

Yah, Uncle Tony!!

We let each of the girls hold Mia in the spa so I could get pictures (and yes, Uncle Tony was just barely out of the frame!). The first one is Samantha. It's a great picture of Sami, even if Mia was blinking!

I am very glad we put Annie in swin classes when she was 5 because it's really paid off! She's fish, now! And she loves her little sister very much!

And this is Christina with Mia. By this point, I think Mia had figured out the water tastes good. Sis and Tony have a salt treatment system so the water tastes a little salty, which she seemed to love!

Yes, I made her wear a hat even though we were mostly in the shade. Most of you know how I am about sunscreen! Mia tried on several occasions to take off her hat...that's why I tie it on!! But, at this point I gave in a let Uncle Tony take it off!

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

Last November, when Mia was in the hospital, I read about Prematurity Awareness Month (everything has its own month... :-) ). Well, after the year we've had, I can now see the benefit of a month dedicated to this issue. Famous Footwear is a national sponsor of the March of Dimes. This month, whenever you buy shoes at Famous Footwear (in-store or online), you can donate to the March of Dimes. Now, I know what it's like to have to decide, " Do I or don't I?" Believe me, I feel compelled to donate to everyone-I have the mail requests to prove it! And when those kids want me to buy $10 candy bars so they can go to Washington DC, I do it!! But, this, for us, is different. In the spring (if Mia is in good health), we'll be walking in the March of Dimes Walk America. We are now a part of the "Preemie Community" and are very blessed with a daughter who is a testimony to the power of our Lord. Also, since it is the season of giving, Ronald McDonald Houses everywhere accept new stuffed animals to give away to children who stay there. Now, I know my daughter and nieces love to buy stuffed animals, but they have a tendency to take over our house! So, we'll let them buy them and then take them to RMcD House to donate! It's a win-win situation! Also, if there are any youth groups looking for a community service project, RMcD House has volunteer groups come in to make/provide dinners for the families that are staying at the house. We were able to eat dinner once with a church group from Madison and it was very nice (they all stayed to talk and visit, etc..). God laid this on my heart awile ago--He told us to go and we need to. I can't imagine going through anything in life without Him and there are people who are trying to. We need to go to them-just like Jesus did-and tell them (and show them) about the love of God. OK, I'm done..... :-)

Mia has always loved Libby. Now, she has 2 dogs to poke at. Kona and Libby are sure to be BFF and Mia will probably be riding them likes ponies very soon!

Mia's been practicing her waving. She's doing pretty well, too. But, then her waves were turning into pointing. Now, when she sees someone, she might wave and then point at them, or just point! Here, she's pointing to Uncle Tony....

When we were in CA in July, my sister told us about Red Shirt Fridays. She gave us all red shirts that say "Support our Troops" on the front and then have a poem on the back. She was able to get one for Mia, too! So, every Friday we show our support for all our troops by wearing our Red Shirts. I've never been able to wear my shirt the entire day....Mia inevitably barfs all over it!! ;-)

YAH for my new toys!! Mia loves her new bathbook--except we haven't used it in the bath! But, she likes it anyway!

And, yep, she's really crawling....kinda. Mia will get up on all fours and scooch a little, but mostly Army crawls. But, that's OK--she still gets where she wants to go!!

SPAGHETTI!!!!

Well, the past few days, Mia has begun a serios boycott of her baby food. She's been eating Stage 3 foods and doing great, what with her 5 teeth (and another on the way!). But, then she decided that she'd rather have whatever is on our plates. So, Monday night, we had spaghetti and she was not eating her yummy turkey/vegetable dinner (blah!). So, igave her my plate.......

and she totally went to town.....

She even sucked the sauce off the noodles!

The Harley

Many of you may know that my Uncle Scott recently turned 50 and he has always wanted a Harley Davidson. So, friends and family chipped in a he was able to buy his dream harley. I have no idea of the specifics (I think it's a FatBoy...?), but he loves it and I think it has quelled the onslaught of mid-life crisis.... Well, Annie has been wanting to sit on it (although I have hesitated--I don't even like to walk next to it for fear of accidentally knocking it over!). So, Uncle Scott said sure, but it seemed that Sonny (our pastor and friend) had beat her to it!

Well, Annie and Caitlyn were up next. Uncle Scott asnd Aunt Liz helped complete the experience with sunglasses and do-rags....

And then Camryn wanted a turn. Thanks again, Uncle Scott and Aunt Liz!