Happy 14th Birthday LiNDsEY !!

Happy Birthday to my youngest Daughter. I love seeing you grow and mature. I am so excited for you to start High School this year. I love your enthusiasm for life, and your strong spirit. I can't wait to see how your time in High School turns out. My wish for you this year is happiness, friendship, fun times cheering, good grades, close family ties and a strong testimony. We love you Lindsey!!!!!!

Happy 17th Birthday SARAH!!!

It is hard to believe that another Birthday has come for you. It just seems like yesterday in my eyes that I was bringing you home from the hospital. And it was really only last week that we celebrated your sweet 16. You are growing and progressing and I love what I see. This year you will be a senior. I wish for you, the funnest year ever filled with laughter, friends, boys, a new job, fun calling and the prospects of going away to college. I am so excited that you will be driving to school each day, and hope this year is the best year you have ever had. I LOVE YOU!!

EFY...Inspired program... NO DOUBT ABOUT IT

Ok, so I have fallen off the blog bandwagon. It just seems like it is a busy summer. But we are doing lots of things and having lots of fun. My girls just got home from spending a week at EFY. Lindsey was lucky because her birthday wasn't until August but the group allows 13 year olds if their birthday's are in the summer. So Both of my girls had the opportunity to enjoy 5 days with 400 other LDS kids. I am so happy and thankful that BYU started this program. It is such an inspired program and so good for the youth of today to get a spiritual shot in the arm to help them get through their teen years. It is amazing that youth literally would pay anything to enjoy in the experiances and even keep all the standards and clothing rules. (You have no idea what I went through to purchase 4 dresses that go to the KNEE on 2 long legged girls.)

One of the things that both Sarah and Lindsey HATE is when people ask them if they are twins. Now, I guess if I were Sarah, it would be an insult for people to think she looks like a 13 year old. But Lindsey doesn't like it either. She hates to always feel like she is in her big sister's shadow. Her entire life she is told by teachers that they know exactly who she is because they taught or knew her sister.... those are big shoes to fill when you want to be your own person.

One of the things that I found to be the most heart warming is that there were 3...yes 3 photos of my girls TOGETHER !!!!! Maybe some of you aren't familiar with my girls, but it is almost unheard of for them to voluntarily WANT to be together, let along pose for pictures without their mom urging them. This is what they CHOSE to do without my insistance at all. I almost cried when I saw the pictures on Sarah's camera. Just seeing these pictures made me realize that these 2 will eventually be friends on their own. They don't need me to push and force, just let it come naturally and it will.

How Fun! To be the center of attention among all those guys!

Sarah with her cousin Ethan

Lindsey with cousin Parker. It was great that the girls went the same week as their cousins.

Lindsey and Londyn with their gang of guys!

Home From Hawaii

We are home from Hawaii...sunburned, tired, broke and fulfilled! Now comes the time for wedding planning. Time to get busy

Heartache.....

Mitral valve prolapse

It has been a long day.
Saturday at a routine physical that Lindsey took at school for Cheerleading, the team doctor heard a heart murmur. He told me it sounded like a mouse had taken up residence in her heart. He described a loud high pitched whistle that he heard. He insisted that we have her checked before she continues to cheer. (wow? A doctor that actually cares?)
So we make an appointment with our long term Pediatrician Dr. Zamon. I love Dr. Zamon and would gladly drive for 1 hour just to see her. She has been Lindsey's doctor since literally DAY 1. She gave Lindsey her first check up in the hospital after birth. I trust her with my children and they have gotten wonderful care.
So Dr. Zamon listens to Lindsey's heart today, and only hears an extra glub glub. She begins to tell me that it is most likely only a sinus arythmia and not to worry...but she decides to have Lindsey do a few jumping jacks. Apparently this arythmia goes away right after cardio exercise. She begins to listen again. Only to hear the wonderful mouse that has once again taken a hold of Lindsey's heart. So the basic Sinus Arythmia is ruled out and she determines that we need to see a cardiologist. She calls a pediatric cardiologist and within 30 minutes Lindsey is hooked up to an echocardiogram for a look at things.
The dianosis could have been worse. He said that most of the time, people with this condition (mitral valve prolapse) live normal healthy lives with little or no problems. However there can be complications and so she must be monitored closely. She was in afib today. (abnormal heart rhythms) She is wearing a monitor for 24 hours to determine the severity of the afib. Basically a valve in her heart does not close properly and leaks blood back into an area it shouldn't be.
Please keep my little Lindsey in your prayers!

DANCE...Dance... DANCE !!!

How do you divide your time when your 13 year old has 8th Grade dance...and then your 16 year old gets invited at the last minute to a different high school prom??? It makes for a crazy evening, but I am actually glad it was the same night. Now I have pictures of my girls together.

Easter Must Go On With Out.......

I am feeling a bit blue. It just doesn't feel like Easter. Scott is in Switzerland (tough life huh?) We sent Sarah out to Utah to be with Meagan. So we are missing half of our family. I haven't really wanted to do the usual traditions but I knew I needed to for Mitchell and Lindsey's sake.
So this afternoon we dyed our Easter Eggs. The kids are getting older and they really don't get the same thrill that they once did. I remember the first time that I dyed Easter Eggs with Meagan when she was 6. I bought a "sparkly" kit and was very disappointed. I wound up going to the store for more eggs and a tradtional dye kit. That is what I stick with now...traditional! There is nothing more soothing that the smell of vinegar at Easter.

Meagan and Garrett are Engaged!

Details to come later!

They are thinking the end of July or early August
in the Nashville Temple. The Atlanta temple will be closed for renovations.
A Reception in August in Atlanta after the Honeymoon