A few minutes of fun

This. Is. Avery. Grace. Warf.

My sweet Silas.

I must give props to the Hubs for the camera work.  He is much better than I in trying to capture the scene (and he can center the frame and focus at the same time.).  Oh, and Silas is still riding that pink Power Wheels.  I choose my battles. We'll make sure the next ride is boy-specific. 

Hidden Cameras

Pretty much sums up life these days.  Enjoy.  Guess which one is Silas and which one is Avery...

Cute Funny Ferrets - The best bloopers are a click away

Monkey See, Monkey Do... Silas and Avery have turned TWO!

These two short years have come and gone faster than I could have ever imagined.  I can't put into words how much richer or more full our lives are with these two BIG blessings!  There is truly nothing better in this world.

Here's the birthday girl...

She can't hide her excitement.  Or infatuation with cousin Eleanor.

And here's the birthday boy!

"Now Eleanor, Mimi-mouse (that's Minnie Mouse) would want your bow perfectly straight for this important event."  Oh, and somebody's walking now!!! Welcome to the biped club, E!

"Excuse me while I get these dancing feet some rest before the party starts."

Look at this adorable cake that Emily made for us!!  Cutest thing I've ever seen.  You're so talented Em!

Family photo.  (It goes without saying, but Mimi is blowing two party honkers at the same time while jumping up and down behind the camera.  See, you don't even need a picture to visualize)

Possibly the first picture we've taken with just the two of us in 2 years... ha.

So sweet!  I love every second of those hugs...

Because they only last a second!  And they're off running again...

So sweet.

Silly girl.

The set-up before....

Dancing with my main squeeze.

Sweetness.

Avery was so excited to see her great friend, Maggie.

Somebody even bosses her toys around.

I'm pretty sure these two have a "crush" on each other.  Sweet Taft Brister lives next door and just turned three.  This picture cracks me up.

Look at her walking!!

Cute Jojo!

Taking a break after all that BBQ.  Trying to find room for cake.

Cute Addison and Hayden Culpepper. Seems like yesterday Silas and Avery were in those car seats...

Okay, you're gonna die.  I almost did.

Oh lawd... heaven help us.

Miss Elizabeth.  Couldn't do it without her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

"My name is Silas and there's nothing I like more than... cake."

Totally pooped.

"Catch ya on the flip side".  Until then...  I'll eat more cake.

A Few Pictures

Catching up on pictures here... Bruce celebrated his 33rd birthday July 31!  (I love that his birthday was Mamaw's (my Dad's mom) birthday!).  He had two special helpers to blow out ALL those candles!

I found these cute stools at the Commissary - they are perfect for brushing teeth, washing hands, and assisting in all sorts of mischief.

The day Avery slammed her thumb in a door, she would not leave my side.  Bless her heart.  Traumatic day for all of us.  I had bunko that night (thankfully right across the street from our house) and broke the rules and brought her with me.  All it took was a few minutes of "girl time" and she was back to her normal silly self!

Silas has been going with me early to church every Sunday for band sound check.  (Avery has to wait to go with Bruce - otherwise she is trying to "fly" off those choir chairs...). He loves listening and watching how everything is set up to work.  He even helps Tommy play bass...

Silas and Avery still love walks around the lake!  

There's nothing sweeter. 

Good Reports

Check-up appointments with my surgeon and oncologist in Houston went well - everything is right on track with my treatments and there is no evidence of any recurrence!  It actually feels better to hear all 8 doctors who inspected every inch of me in Houston say everything is fine.  I also had a PET scan here this week in Jackson (my first one, so I was really nervous)... which wasn't bad at all... easier than contrasted CTs no doubt... the PET was negative, praise God!  No more scans until November 14th in Houston.  So we continue praying and scanning and believing all is gone forever.

I'm still shooting myself up with interferon three times a week - hoping my puny blood counts hold on for another 4 or 5 months.  On this chemo drug, the effects really start wearing down the body after several months (i.e. white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, hematocrit drop to more dangerous levels and liver enzymes begin to get a little too high).  My oncologist in Jackson wants me to have my counts checked every 4 weeks to make sure we're okay.  I'm going to be mad if we can't finish the full dosage!  Ridiculous, I know... but that's the athlete in me.  And maybe a little stubbornness too.  

On the home front, Silas and Avery are great!  I can't put into words how FUN these little people are to share a house with.  I can't think about all the kids starting school this week without being a little sad that my babies are growing up too... thankfully for this momma they'll be home for a few more years ;)  They each do new things every day to demonstrate their polar opposite personalities.  Silas is obsessed with music - no, I know all kids love music - but this child is literally fixated with music... and cords.  Phone chargers, headphones, you name it.  Give him a cord and he'll sit for upward of 30 minutes. It's really comical. 

Meanwhile, Avery is more of a live wire (pun intended) than ever before.  This child would put the Energizer bunny to sleep.  She truly is one of the happiest people I've ever met in my life...I pray she stays that way!  The little ferret (as Papaw has coined her) smashed her thumb pretty badly this week and had her first x-ray (thankfully mom works at an orthopedic clinic with kind, patient doctors that don't laugh in paranoid mom's faces).  She didn't break her thumb but she might lose a nail - and I'm sure it hurts like the dickens.  She was NOT leaving her mom's side, so I violated Bunko rules and took her with me.  All it took was 5 minutes of 'girl time' and she was miraculously healed and began rolling the dice and yelling "Bunko!" with both arms in the air.  That girl.  

I'll update with more pictures soon.