Family time up North

Mmmm...chips and dip

Last Wednesday we drove to my parents cabin in Pickeral.   Its about a 3 1/2 hour drive and my brother is here from California visiting.   We arrived around 6:00 and Cass dove into the chips and dip my Mom laid out.  She was so happy to be there and to see Papa and Nana.  She hadn't seen Uncle Lee in close to 2 years.  The last time she saw him she was 1 year old and her g-tube was removed but the hole was not closing up.  She also had stranger anxiety still so it was a total nightmare.  This time around was great!

Trying out her own chair

Athena and Cassie

Making French Toast with Papa

My girl and me

Uncle Lee "flying" Cassie around the room

 Uncle Lee bought Cassie a Tinkerbell outfit so of course she wore it about every day and he would fly her around the living room.  In fact...Cassie may be a bit spoiled.  She got gifts from her Nana and Papa every day!!  A bug catcher, Safari animals, Clifford book and a big red stuffed Clifford.  

Uncle Lee and Cass

Ready to go on the boat

 On Thursday we stayed around the cabin.  We went for a boat ride which Cassie did very well on.  Last time she hated her life jacket but this time she loved it. She wasn't crazy when Papa went really really fast but she was a good sport about it.   However....she refused to go on the boat after that.   Later that evening we went to my Aunt Lola's for pizza and met her huge German Shepperd....Maggie.  Which of course Cassie loved...she is my animal lover.  Just like Mommy.

Matt and his fish

 The guys (Matt, my Dad and Lee) did a lot of fishing.  Matt also fished with Cassie.  She has the concept for dropping the bobber and waiting for the fish but she does not have the patients to wait for the fish. 

Maggie and Cassie

My brother and his fish

Uncle Lee and Cassie

 Cassie LOVED my brother.  The first night she gave him a kiss right on the lips.  I was shocked.   I wish he lived closer and so we could see him more often because Cassie loved him and....I miss my little brother.

Cassie and Athena

 Athena got tons of attention.  She spent most of her time in the lake but when she was up at the cabin Cassie was right at her side.

On Friday we spent all day at a nice beach.  We grilled out hot dogs, swam and the guys went on the boat.  Cassie did not want to go...she wanted to stay and play in the water.

My Dad and bro

Daddy, Cassie and Mommy

Brother and Sister

Swimming in her "Baby Whale"

Athena and Cassie tuckered out after a long day

Eating Taco Dip!

Mmmmmm!

View from the cabin

Loons

 We also went skiing.   I have not skied in 16 years and amazingly it all came back to me.  I don't have any pictures of me but I did ski and got up every single time without a problem.  I did have a pretty nasty fall because my Dad went over some pretty bad wake.  I knew it was coming and started to scream...before I knew it I was flying out of my skis and crashing face first into the water.  It was a great time!  Matt and Lee also skied.   My Dad did tried too.

Putting on his life vest (Too small?)

Yep.....too small

Ready Dad?

Trying to get up but a no go....Good try Dad!

Lee's turn

He was pretty good

Show off

And crash landing

 On Saturday afternoon a storm rolled in.  It was nasty.  The wind and rain were so strong that we ended up without power.   So the rest of the day/night and the next day were without power, running water, no flushing toilets...so we roughed it.   We ate dinner by candle and fortunately my Dad had a small generator that we grabbed from his other property so we had some light. 

Daddy and Cassie

Matt, Cassie and Papa

 We had a great time.  When we left Cassie said "Mom, that was fun"  That's all I needed to hear.   Family is so important and I want her to love hanging out with family and have great memories after all...family is what its all about.

Us

Ice-Cream

When ice-cream melts....drink it!!

Oh Lord....such a mess!

This reminded me of what my brother and I used to do when we were young.  Beware...its pretty gross.  We loved when our ice-cream melted.  Like LOVED it so much we would do anything to make it become liquid as fast as possible.  We would take big mouthfuls of ice-cream, swish it around in our mouths until it was liquid, spit the liquid/spit ice-cream back in our bowls.  Stir. Repeat.   Once it was all liquid - tip that bowl to your mouth like Cassie and drink away.   Mmmmmmm.....!!!!  

New friend born!!

Our friends Adelyn and Eugene had their new baby girl on Friday.  Adelyn is now a big sister.   When I told Cassie that the baby was coming out of Stacey's belly and Adelyn was going to have a baby sister she said "Where is my baby sister?"   Ouch.   Break my heart.  It brought tears to my eyes. I told her Mommy and Daddy were working on it and if it didn't work out would she like a cat?   She flipped her lid.  Said she wanted a baby cat and went on and on with how she will hug it, kiss it, sleep with it...... That made me smile.  It was like forget the sibling just give me a cat.   

We stopped at the hospital on Saturday to visit them.  It was funny because Stacy's nurse is one of our play date friends and the anesthesiologist is the Dad of one of the little guys we have play dates with.  So the one Mom helped deliver Stacey's baby...how cool is that.

 This little girls hair is getting so long!   There are days it is out of control and will not behave and there are others where it has just the perfect wave to it.  Yesterday was one of those good hair days.  I try so many products on her hair to figure out how to keep it in control.  Since it has wave I can NOT comb it.  That will just frizz it out.  I always have to finger comb.  I also only wash her hair once a week.  The rest of the days I just condition it.  Mommy has straight hair and so does Daddy.....where are the wave/curls from?  

Please doesn't always get you what you want....

Yesterday Cassie was naughty and threw a pudding.  An open pudding.   Yea.
She then told me she didn't like the pudding and wanted a cookie.  I told her "No" because she threw her pudding.

She then said "I'm sorry for throwing the pudding.  Can I please have a cookie?"   Well sure you sweet thing.  I mean she apologized for being naughty and then said "please"!   I gave her the cookie and it flew out of her hand onto the floor.  

She THEN asked for something else.  I told her "No" because she had thrown both her pudding and cookie.   She then apologized again and said "please" for the new item she wanted.   Sneaky little girl. 

I told her "No" again.   She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face and said "What in the world?"   It was the funniest thing.  It was like she couldn't beleive her pleading wasn't working this time around.  

Cassie and her BFF

The above picture was taken today.  I watched Adelyn because her Mom had a doctor appointment.  She is scheduled for a c-section on Friday.   I took Adelyn and Cassie to the park.  They thought it was the greatest thing to be riding in the car together.  They are so great together.  

Weekend in Iowa

This past weekend we drove to Iowa for a wedding.   It took us about 6 hours to get there and it went pretty smoothly.  The first 2 hours we constantly heard "Where are we going?"  I think that could be used as a torture technique because it was seriously driving me nutty after 2 hours. 

But....we made it to Iowa.  I didn't take Cassie to the ceremony on Saturday.   It was during nap time and I did not want to skip a nap and pay the price during the reception.   Plus....I knew she wouldn't sit quietly in church during the ceremony.   Matt told me other people brought their toddlers and they had to leave the ceremony because they wouldn't be quite so I was happy with my decision.

View from our window

Cassie's room

Our Room

Cassie loved the reception.  I was stressed out until dinner was over.  Cassie was with her 2nd cousin Sarah and I was on the opposite side of the table.  I was trying to get over by her but people filing in were blocking my way.   Then I heard her high pitched scream wayyyyy  up at the front of the hall.  My little girl was trying to get to me also and freaked out because she couldn't find me. 

There was so much glass ware and stuff on the tables for dinner it was crazy.  Glass and Toddlers is not a good combo.  There wasn't any room to put anything.   We started eating and she gagged on some lettuce.   Good way to give me a heart attack.  Her eyes were watering and she just was looking at me funny.  I quickly picked her up and stood her on the chair and a bunch of chewed up lettuce came out.  I think she has a habit of taking too big of bites and it gets to the back of her throat before she is ready.  She gags (which looks alot like choking to me) and gets it out.  But really....5 seconds seems like forever when it is happening.  Choking is my biggest fair.....always has been.

Once dinner was over I was able to relax.   We spent the rest of the night on the dance floor.  Cassie and I were the first ones out and danced with the bride.  Cassie was all about the bride.  She though she was Cinderella.   Her eyes just lit up whenever she came by.  The photographer was taking a bunch of pics of Cassie and she rocked her moves on the dance floor.   At 9:30 she was worn out.  She said good-bye to Cinderella and we went off to bed.  

Ready for the wedding

Sunday we came home and it was NOT a fun ride.   The first few hours were fine.  She fell asleep for only 30 min and woke up not a happy camper.  She was so tired and wanted to sleep but couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep in the car.  We stopped at McDonald's and took a potty break.   People must have thought I was beating her in the bathroom.  She had THE WORST tantrum.  Screamed at the top of her lungs.  She was just so tired.   She screamed so bad she almost made herself vomit in the car.  Poor girl was so wiped out.   She finally settled down and we got moving.   Then she had to poop.   And she only wanted to poop in her potty at home.....which was still a couple hours away.   So then she tried holding it which made matters worse.   Near the end she was in pain.   OH NOT FUN!!   It took us 7 hours to get home.  7 hours is a long time in a car for a little gal.....and for Mommy.  Glad were home.

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July weekend.   Everything that I remember as a kid.  Warm sunny days, grill outs with friends and family, the beach and catching fireflys at night.

I love seeing everything thru Cassie's eyes.  It brings me back to being a child and enjoying the simple things in life.   Such a blessing.

Today we went to the pool with our friends Stacey and Adelyn.  We stayed for 3 1/2 hours.  Cassie had such a good time but she did start to melt down when it was time to go.  The girl is now out like a light after a long fun day in the sun and sand.

While at the pool I saw an old friend whos sister is going thru IVF.   We  talked about the emotional and costly side of it and how her sister was doing.   My friend Stacey (who was with us at the pool) is pregnant and the new little baby could come any day.  My old friend asked me if it bothered me to see her pregnant and I said "no".  I told her when she first told me I felt those old sad feelings creep up but they didn't stick around and it doesn't bother me at all.  I told her its WAY harder to be childless and have empty arms....I at least have my one blessing.

Yesterday I made an appointment for a consult with a different IVF clinic.  Its scheduled for next month.   I feel kinda torn.  I SO want another baby and want Cassie to have a sibling but on the other hand I don't look forward to doing IVF again, the cost and the emotional toll it all takes.   I am so happy right now with the life God has given me.   To start this emotional journey again doesn't exactly trip my trigger.  If only it were easy to do it the old fashioned way we would have 5 kids by now....

A few more pics of my drama queen....the drama has been in high gear the past few weeks.  Every day this princess is pretty much sent to the corner.  

Me...a drama queen?? 

Ready for the 4th

Adelyn, Cassie and their Dads

Mmmmm...ice-cream sandwiches