Happy 4th Birthday!

Guest post by Mommy and Daddy:

HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY, SIENA!!!

What can we even say about you today? As all children do, you constantly amaze us. Just yesterday, you tried rock climbing for the first time and asked to be pulled in from swimming in the lake by the rope so that one day 'you could be big and surf'. And we didn't prompt you...you just begged! You have gone from being such a cautious little bugger to a little bit of a wild woman. You have truly rounded the corner on that whole "big girl thing."

Things that are awesome about 4 year old Siena:

-Loves to run...no like really run- around the track at the gym and begged for running shorts for her birthday (which she got!)

-When she swims, she does the front crawl (you know freestyle) to look just like her Daddy.

-Can't wait to learn how to ride her brand new two wheeler (Can you say future triathlon champion?)

-Not a shy girl anymore- will run right up at the front for church and proudly say her name loud and clear

-Loves to dance when the music is playing (and is really good at following any of the Just Dance games on the Wii)

-Is learning to write her name: we're still at S-i-e

-Very good at pre school time at day care and LOVES to work on her letters

-Likes to draw but is more of an "abstract expressionist" although when pressed she will do actual figures

-Loves to dress up (what little girl doesn't?)

-Pretty good at sharing with her little sister and will sing at night to Cara if she is crying

-Remembers the tiniest details about movies or conversations you've had with her and will repeat them back to you almost "Rain Man" style.

-Still loves to cuddle up in bed with Mommy in the mornings

-Pretty polite...

-Really she is still very tender hearted and is a gentle soul...will not ever be the person pushing her way in a line, she just waits out the storm with other kids

-Continues to love to learn and review sign language (she's working on counting to 20 on just one hand!)

-And can we say, skirt or go home? Mommy has to be tricky if we're wearing shorts of any kind.

-Favorite movie is Rio (at least for the next five minutes)

-Favorite color is purple

-Favorite food is cake (according to her...really her favorite food is cereal or frozen go-gurts)

-Silly phrases include: What the heck? (Thanks Toy Story 3) Inside, outside, inside, outside (said while running, thanks Rio), What's your favorite? (Said ALL the time, without a qualifier on the end so you just kind of pick something to have a favorite of)

-Getting good at dressing herself and brushing her teeth

Mommy and Daddy Get Away!

Well that's what Mommy kept shouting on Friday...I wasn't sure what it meant but it turns out that it meant that I got to have a sleepover at Grandma's house for TWO nights and play and make cookies and go to Grandma's church and meet new friends! I don't think Mommy and Daddy had nearly as much fun as Cara and I. (Quick side note: I went to the lake with Aunt Angie and Grandpa WITHOUT my parents AND I jumped into the lake to swim with Aunt Angie. Big accomplishment for me!)

Mom and Dad went somewhere called "Las Vegas" and stayed at a "Palazzo". Apparently they had so much fun there last year, they had to do it again but this time for TWO nights. They did a lot of eating and sleeping (they giggle every time they say that) and they even enjoyed watching a hypnotist at his show, whatever that is. Do they even look like they had a good time and stayed somewhere gorgeous? Yeah...they were totally jealous of Cara and me.

Halloween..a bit early I guess...

We've started pulling out our fall decorations which means Mommy has also let us get in to some of the Halloween decorations! It's been so much fun going to all the stores and seeing all their fun scary stuff! (Cara and I like to cackle like little witches all through those aisles...you know "hee hee hee hee") We also got to dive into Grandma's boxes of costumes. I think I'm going to be a witch this year and Cara too maybe....although she really likes her new "skeleton baby"!



And here we are at what might be one of our last times at the lake. (Grandpa's boat is in the repair shop for now and we probably won't make it to Powell over UEA!)

The Kokopelli Tri

Well...it was a BIG day for my Daddy and my Grandpa. They both competed in the Kokopelli Triathlon! Grandpa did the sprint distance and this was his second time doing the Kokopelli. Daddy has never done it before and he did the OLYMPIC length...crazy man.

Grandpa's race consisted of a 750 m swim, 10.25 mi bike ride, and a 5k run. He did awesome. And he definitely ended with a smile on his face.



Daddy's race was double that. 1500 m swim, 20.5 mi bike ride, and a 10k run. He did AMAZING. And ended with a smile on his face. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THEM BOTH!



And this is what we did. We waited a lot and then stole our Daddy's food because he was a little too dizzy to actually eat.

My totally awesome Grandma

So check out how tough my Grandma is:





That's right. My grandma just taught her first ever Group Power class and ROCKED IT. She even did most of the push ups on her toes (and there were A LOT of push ups...my Mommy can't even do more than two on her toes.) She was amazing. Group Power is a strength training class that has great music and shows off your muscles. In fact, my Mommy says that right now as she's trying to type this while kneeling next to the desk, her "glutes" are starting "charly horse". Whatever that means.

We're proud of you, Grandma!

A Day In Zion

Today, Mommy and Daddy took us over for a quick jaunt into Zion! We went and hiked to some green pools and then over to the crying rock. I LOVED it. I hiked most of the way. Cara rode most of the way. Except at the crying rock. Both of us ran up to where it dripped on us and then we RAN back down. So much fun. We were even lucky to get sprinkled on by actual rain. It was such a beautiful day.

And check out the pictures Mommy took on her sweet new Iphone. That's right. My mommy is finally in the club. She's had it for just under a week and LOVES IT!

Heart

Guest post by Mommy:

I kind of don't know where to begin or how to properly organize my thoughts. To say my heart is full would be somewhat of an understatement. Yesterday was a GREAT day. I bought fabulous new shoes that were supposed to be for my mom but look too good on my feet! My little girls shrieked and giggled and said "Again! Again!" with huge grins on their faces and I felt like I didn't stop smiling. We had a wonderful day at the pool and finished it off with dinner at my favorite restaurant with my littlest er youngest brother, Eric, who can be an amazingly engaging teenage boy. Simply terrific.

And yet, that's not exactly why my heart is full. My heart is full because of all the emotions I have been experiencing lately. Happiness was a big one yesterday. And gratitude. But also sorrow and heartache. If you'll notice on my so aptly titled "Blogs we stalk" links we had to add a blog. Together For Taleah. Taleah is my high school friends' little 2 and a half year old. She was just diagnosed with cancer a week ago. Her mom was my sister Angie's best friend through high school and I grew up down the street from her dad. They have another little boy who is not even a year old yet and life just handed them this card. My heart broke for them. She has cancer with a very high cure rate (ALL which is a form of leukemia) but their lives have been forever altered. They have to be germaphobic and overly cautious and endure watching their daughter handle poison being forced into her body. My worst nightmare.

And that's not all. I also recently found out that one of my very best friends from middle school has her only son battling his own tumors in his brain. He hasn't even hit his 2nd birthday! He's been undergoing chemo just to keep from going blind from the two NF1 (neurofibromatosis) tumors on his optic nerves and has already had one debulking procedure done on the main tumor which doesn't have a treatment that makes it so he almost can't open his eye! GAAAA! This isn't supposed to be happening to MY friends. And I mean that in I don't feel old enough to have to deal with very real issues of this magnitude.

I have been on dozens of blogs in the last week of families with little cancer cuties as they call them. All young families who's lives have been flipped upside down. Some have lost their little fighters. Others have had to endure unimaginable setbacks over and over but do eventually come out on top. Some have no answers and no way of knowing which treatment will work. And yet all of them speak so optimistically and have plenty of good to say.

So since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month I thought I would take the time to post about my new found sense of gratitude for my healthy girls and give a shout out to all those little families of fighters. My girls try my patience daily and sometimes I am just so dang excited for bedtime and I don't say the nicest things to them or in the kindest tone. But right now, I am acutely aware of how that can change in an instant. (As I sit here typing, I can hear Siena singing "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly" to Cara and has now moved on to singing "I Am A Child of God". They are supposed to be sleeping. Heart melting.)

Girls, I love you and your healthy little bodies. May you continue to squirm and wiggle your way onto my lap for a long time.