tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92012670260456784492024-03-13T01:23:09.900-04:00Team JoellaOur sweet baby girl was born with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa. On the day she was born our lives changed forever. Through her life God has shown us his power, comfort and healing hand. We are blessed to be Ella's parents and can't wait to see what God has in store for her life.Curby Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09869886724369878916noreply@blogger.comBlogger479125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-28389330814736758042020-08-01T15:14:00.000-04:002020-08-01T15:14:47.088-04:00AJ's Bike and Yes Day<br /><p style="text-align: left;">Hello everyone! In the last week, we have completed two Summer Bucket List items! Last weekend, AJ took off the training wheels on his bike. Also, yesterday was Yes Day.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">There is not a lot of detail in the day the training wheels were taken off. AJ and my dad where about to go on a bike ride when AJ barged in the house and shouted "Dad is taking off my training wheels!" It was late afternoon when they started practicing. Overall, AJ did well. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53JoO_V_K2G0HzrpUVFJU1uSXt84O_Pk6xyWCGPou0g-lCYT-6jwP0KqjakzqhbeFVq-QNWWwLU1fBZghQHe0k65ZFysqX1TZqK_qmLKvwUXXATmZmv9T25oEhCYvoOCVdUJ5MkLfK9E/s2016/IMG_7894.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53JoO_V_K2G0HzrpUVFJU1uSXt84O_Pk6xyWCGPou0g-lCYT-6jwP0KqjakzqhbeFVq-QNWWwLU1fBZghQHe0k65ZFysqX1TZqK_qmLKvwUXXATmZmv9T25oEhCYvoOCVdUJ5MkLfK9E/w384-h512/IMG_7894.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHCbsYkR2zzelTMyvCco43YNcymH8ogcGWWpGFAOlQFJbhqfkDoO4OhLJ5INlX6J3IOJg0pPx2xWCWhONFV_54saGcTwW0e-N7QodBpmr9gVzXORe71KzETUNsU8RKMEQmWJNd136cqc/s2016/IMG_7901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHCbsYkR2zzelTMyvCco43YNcymH8ogcGWWpGFAOlQFJbhqfkDoO4OhLJ5INlX6J3IOJg0pPx2xWCWhONFV_54saGcTwW0e-N7QodBpmr9gVzXORe71KzETUNsU8RKMEQmWJNd136cqc/w384-h513/IMG_7901.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">On the other hand, Yes Day did have A LOT in it. Here is the history behind Yes Day first. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">AJ, being a six year old boy. Loves Youtube. I mean he loves it A LOT. Some days, all he will ever watch on TV, is Youtube. (His favorite channel is Ryan's Toy Review. He has 26 Million Subscribers, has his own merch, toys, etc, and was the highest paid youtuber of 2019, bringing home 26 Million dollars. He also has a show on Nickelodeon. Yeah, I know)<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">A popular trend on Youtube is that someone will say Yes to a person or a group of people for an entire day. (Ryan did it too) AJ begged and begged to do it. Finally, we added it to this years bucket list. Here is how Yes Day went.</p><p style="text-align: left;">There were rules though. 1. It had to be reasonable. We could not ask to go to Disney World, not ask to buy a car, not ask for money, etc... 2. Each kid (except for Maggie cause she did not really participate) got 20 dollars to spend throughout the day. No more than that. Those were the only rules! We did not go out anywhere obviously.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Yes Day started out as my mom reading a book called Yes Day. It was about a kid who had his parents say Yes for the whole day. My mom asked AJ why he thinks my mom was reading it. He got the clue that it was because it was Yes Day. (My mom told me ahead of time when I woke up.)</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLizn2MlsVEYuVfqa07SCxzfoVMJ54RrQ0UX2a_kFIHu4AyjCq3lX22qiQTBq2_KlmwfcHHGANlb6Z9zL7AUVMAGFL74sHUMUPm4GAltPpesFlKmEyzouZSlqnP3wQzJx4mdeNyD9m-N0/s640/IMG_7936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLizn2MlsVEYuVfqa07SCxzfoVMJ54RrQ0UX2a_kFIHu4AyjCq3lX22qiQTBq2_KlmwfcHHGANlb6Z9zL7AUVMAGFL74sHUMUPm4GAltPpesFlKmEyzouZSlqnP3wQzJx4mdeNyD9m-N0/w384-h512/IMG_7936.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">First, AJ asked if he could have 22 hours of IPad time. "Yes" After I got dressed, I asked if I could play on my IPad. "Yes" Then, I decided to spend 2 out of my 20 dollars on a game called Roblox. On Roblox you have pets and you can make them fly or ride. So I decided to make one of my pets ride. I asked for my IPad however much I wanted for the whole day. "Yes" AJ asked to watch Youtube "Yes" I asked to make chocolate covered bananas. "Yes" (A chocolate covered banana because we only had one banana left) I asked for my mom to make a drink I like. "Yes" I think you get the point now. We got to pick out a movie and eat pizza, (which AJ paid for with his money) and after that, I picked out the last thing I wanted to spend all my money on. It was a baby yoda. For all of you who know the Mandalorian, know who I am talking about. I have wanted one for SUCH a long time and yesterday, my dream came true. Then AJ watched Spiderman while I played on my IPad and later, went to bed. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Yes Day was really great!<br /></p>Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-88956813754612391102020-07-18T15:53:00.000-04:002020-07-19T12:42:35.615-04:00Our Tennessee Trip<br />
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Hello everyone! Last week my family and I came back from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! The trip was so fun. Along the way, our friends the Gray's joined us on our adventures! So if you are reading this Gray's, I had so much fun with ya'll, and I thank ya'll for joining us.<br />
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We left on July 5th. The 7 hour drive was boring and normal. It consisted of IPads (for me) Kindles (for AJ and Maggie Jo) and movies. We eventually got to our condo at about 7 or 8ish, and my dad got takeout for dinner.<br />
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The next day was a relaxing, looking around kind of day. After breakfast, and swimming for AJ, Maggie Jo, and my dad, we got in the car and just started driving around the area. We went to a kiddie theme park and rode some rides. Even though many (if not all) of the rides I could not fit in, it was still fun. After that we got lunch, and headed back for the condo. It was hot outside, so the rest of the day, we just stayed there. That night, AJ and my dad went swimming again.<br />
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The next dad was more activity. After breakfast, AJ and my dad swimming, and getting ready, We went to lunch with the Gray's! (Notice: AJ and my dad swam every day while we were there.) We went to lunch at a restaurant. Before that we fed the ducks, (the pigeons more than the ducks) and went to a little shop. We were so happy to see the Gray's. They moved to Georgia a few months ago. After lunch, we went to the Titanic museum! To me, it was fascinating.There is a room where you can feel the 28 degree water that hundreds of people froze to death in. (Literally) They have a real iceberg too! There is also a room where you can walk on the slants as the Titanic was sinking. There is a 12 degree slant, a 30 degree slant, and a 45 degree slant. By the 45 degree slant, the people were holding on for dear life. (Also literally) There was also a replica of a lifeboat, and a Lego Titanic made by a 10 year old!<br />
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After that, we went to the Dixie Stampede! It is a dinner show with horse riding. After a busy day, we went back to the condo. The Gray's also joined us for the Titanic and the Stampede.<br />
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The next day was the last day. That day we went to a Pirate Dinner Show with the Gray's for lunch. I liked that one better than the Stampede. After that, we went gem mining with the Gray's too. Not much happened after that. We visited the Gray's cabin, went out to dinner with them, and they came back to our place to swim.<br />
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The next day, we left Pigeon Forge. We had to stay the night a friends house because we had bumper to bumper 5 hour traffic. If we had drove the 3 more hour drive, we would have gotten home at 1:00 am. Maggie Jo was done too. She was having a meltdown. The next day was great! No traffic at all. It did not even feel like 3 hours!<br />
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We were glad to get home to our house. It was a great trip!<br />
<br />Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-1760217932350497712020-07-02T17:07:00.003-04:002020-07-02T18:39:46.248-04:00Sorry<br />
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Sorry everyone. I could not upload the video. It says it is too large. I don't know what that means, but it is not letting me upload it. Sorry.đđElla Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-87496117422052377502020-07-02T16:57:00.000-04:002020-07-02T18:37:38.241-04:00Maggie Jo turned 3!<br />
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My little sister Maggie Jo is now 3 years old! She turned 3 on June 30th. Not a lot happened on her birthday.<br />
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First, she woke up to her Frozen decorations. Her reaction to them was priceless!<br />
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Then, we had breakfast, opened presents, and later that night, we had cake.<br />
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3 years ago she was born. I remember I wanted a little sister SOOOO bad! Being 10 at the time, my mom decided I was old enough to come to the hospital with everyone. So I did. I was only 6 when AJ was born, so I could not go. AJ was obviously left with a baby sitter. When my mom said "meet your baby sister" I was speechless. I loved holding her.<br />
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Happy Birthday Maggie Jo! You are the best little sister I could ever ask for.<br />
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<br />Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-64834665560990736082020-06-22T12:49:00.001-04:002020-06-22T14:29:44.623-04:00I am a teenager!<br />
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Yes, you did read the title right. I turned 13 yesterday! I think yesterday was the best birthday ever!<br />
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First, my mom made DELICIOUS biscuits with sausage gravy. Next, I opened birthday presents (and my dad opened Father's Day presents) Last, later that day, my friends came over and had cookies with me. I think that yesterday was the best 13th birthday ever!<br />
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Here is a picture and video!<br />
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<br />Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-19427908454509153632020-06-20T19:47:00.000-04:002020-06-20T19:47:15.044-04:00Ella Day<br />
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Today was another bucket list item! Today was Ella Day. A few weeks ago we had AJ Day on June 9th. You might ask "Ella, why are you not doing Ella Day tomorrow on your birthday?" Well, that is because Father's Day is also tomorrow. We had AJ Day on June 9th because it was AJ's half birthday, and we will be having Maggie Jo Day on her birthday. (June 30th)<br />
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So, when each kid gets a day, this is what it means. They get to chose breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they get to chose what the activity is for the day. They also get to chose the TV. So, this is how Ella Day went.<br />
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First, my dad got donuts for breakfast. Next, we played with kinetic sand. Then, my dad and I got Sonic for lunch. Then, my mom and I made my birthday cookies. Then, my mom and I went shopping for pet stuff and stuff for dinner. (Don't worry, we had masks.) Recently, some friends that I invited over just left. Last, my mom is making artichokes for dinner. That was Ella Day.<br />
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I think my day was COMPLETELY different from AJ Day. Breakfast was the usual microwaved chocolate chip pancakes. Next, his TV all day. Last, Hot Dogs for dinner. That was AJ Day.<br />
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I will post tomorrow on my birthday!Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-7714367792234232352020-06-19T17:44:00.003-04:002020-06-19T17:44:56.957-04:00Hello!
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hi everyone!
It is me, Ella! I know is has been a few years since the last post, but now I
am going to run the blog! I will update on what has happened over the years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My little
brother AJ is now 6 years old. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We also have a new family member, Maggie Jo, who
is almost 3!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am going to be 13 in 2 days. Sunday, the 21<sup>st</sup> of
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have a new hobby that I have been doing. That
hobby is air rifle. My coach Tom made a new trigger for me. It is an extension that
goes on the trigger, so all I have to do is pull the extension, and it fires!</span></div>
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I
went to the Junior Olympics last year and won two silver medals! I was supposed
to go this year too, but it is delayed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Now I am homeschooled. I go to an
online school called Freedom Project Academy. (FPA). We have also started this
yearâs 2020 Summer Bucket List! We already completed some items.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> We also just moved! We moved to Centreville, Virgina. I love our new house!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Glad to
start this blog again!</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Ella Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14732679250327497752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-52164496040939623482016-08-24T09:18:00.001-04:002016-08-24T09:18:41.510-04:00Summer Bucket List 2016<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">I donât think Iâve given much info on our summer bucket list for this year. Itâs shorter than last summer, which is probably good considering that the entire month of July was jam packed with activities. We did manage to cross 4 items off the list during that time. So August has been spent trying to finish up the rest of the activities.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7DJONfxqr4whKnO70jc8oOC27hCtBCeO3gzvjWIkVUlJ0QeBwVQFZLJHVQpFKjknI7wz9ygF7JMcqYM20irNbiTmsIOLc1gPR2_3MLWul11nr7XvgPt4xlBfUYN8d1-8hnDWPbB1Wqw/s1600/summer+bucket+list+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7DJONfxqr4whKnO70jc8oOC27hCtBCeO3gzvjWIkVUlJ0QeBwVQFZLJHVQpFKjknI7wz9ygF7JMcqYM20irNbiTmsIOLc1gPR2_3MLWul11nr7XvgPt4xlBfUYN8d1-8hnDWPbB1Wqw/s400/summer+bucket+list+2016.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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The first item Ella wanted to check off the list was Learn to play Battleship. For her birthday she had gotten not just regular Battleship, but Star Wars Battleship! She was determined to learn how to play. She has now mastered the game and is getting better each time we play.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aDJxRFFZV2sUtf0ayhGAhqnNbwbV5FFeFD7lfNRhkYdQ4FPjBkbtM8uOQm04O9ltCtJwcHgMeu0Ewm6kXBB_Pj05q2QR2_3GGu2VTsEknYepbDdkJ9KVfKjO085_8uHAziL5qYPBRMU/s1600/battleship.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aDJxRFFZV2sUtf0ayhGAhqnNbwbV5FFeFD7lfNRhkYdQ4FPjBkbtM8uOQm04O9ltCtJwcHgMeu0Ewm6kXBB_Pj05q2QR2_3GGu2VTsEknYepbDdkJ9KVfKjO085_8uHAziL5qYPBRMU/s400/battleship.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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As you can see, there were several dessert items listed on our list. Ella still loves to cook and desserts are among her favorite.</div>
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She made homemade S'mores. These are not your traditional S'mores (as you can see). These are S'mores from the Pioneer Woman. Basically it's graham crackers with marshmallow cream in the middle, then dipped in chocolate and topped with whatever toppings you want. They turned out delicious...although they were pretty messy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubM1b6B0SKwpzbj15ZuYS8Dqct7y6NX0M04mt4ZwR4Qggh8qzuxs1Ju5KzvxZFPnSjdY6GSZuTc2cD4TCRKEVR2NDou0Q3C2jZS8bGhVi6p9bj2OwiPpiKA6o9RyhXLDYk5Pln9RDCHM/s1600/smores.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubM1b6B0SKwpzbj15ZuYS8Dqct7y6NX0M04mt4ZwR4Qggh8qzuxs1Ju5KzvxZFPnSjdY6GSZuTc2cD4TCRKEVR2NDou0Q3C2jZS8bGhVi6p9bj2OwiPpiKA6o9RyhXLDYk5Pln9RDCHM/s400/smores.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The heart cakes were also delicious! Ella's Grammy gave her a heart cake pan for her birthday, so we got chocolate fudge cake mix and made little cakes. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the final product.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbSguQiK9E6RoRzfZ4hjJop8hoTSEFizlGLy8_Tc1_yKL7FAoAZd9HqhKgP7l8LzeLFXucxdzWNVnGHeqlw-QdKQmsvpau_Tvr2_HL87bK_bt9zC9WWGuLjz1CBgzZUrOUTc468cuEBU/s1600/heart+cakes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbSguQiK9E6RoRzfZ4hjJop8hoTSEFizlGLy8_Tc1_yKL7FAoAZd9HqhKgP7l8LzeLFXucxdzWNVnGHeqlw-QdKQmsvpau_Tvr2_HL87bK_bt9zC9WWGuLjz1CBgzZUrOUTc468cuEBU/s400/heart+cakes.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The homemade ice cream we also ventured into new territory. Instead of traditional ice cream, I found this no churn ice cream. Basically you whip heavy cream, add sweetened condensed milk, and freeze. Ella decided to add food coloring and turn it into the dye ice cream.</div>
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The kids also completed a movie marathon. We went back and forth about which series to watch. Originally Ella wanted to watch all 7 Star Wars in a row, but once I explained to her that we would have to sit in the basement for approximately 16 hours straight, she changed her mind. Instead we opted for one of my old favorites, Back to the Future! I was really excited about this since I hadn't seen the movies since I was a kid. The movies were great and Ella actually got a lot of the 80's jokes because I'm such an 80's fan. BUT, I had forgotten how terrible the language is! I kept praying Ella wouldn't know what they were saying or repeat any of the words. I did explain to her that there were a lot of words in the movie that I don't want her to say. So far we're good.</div>
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As her book marathon Ella read the Addy American Girl series. She has read almost the entire AG series and this was one of the few she had left to read. Ella prefers the older AG books because they focus on girls in history. She's read a few of the newer ones, but they tend to focus more on dancing or specific activities the girl likes to do. Not really Ella's style.</div>
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We completed our 10 chapter books. Ella read 6 on her own, and I read 4 with her. The only reason I read a few with her is because I wanted to read them too! We read How to Eat Fried Worms, which I thought was hilarious when I was a kid. Ella's favorite was a book called The Mystery of Meerkat Hill. We finally finished the 2nd book in the Little House on the Prairie series, and we read a Kate DiCamillo book (she's our favorite children's author) that Ella had actually read before and wanted to read it again with me, The Tiger Rising. Now we are reading Harry Potter together...well, the first book. Ella has never shown much interest in reading Harry Potter, and I've never read any of them, but she was asked by a cousin to give it a try. We agreed to read the first book together, then she can decide if it's a series she wants to continue.</div>
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The only items we have left on our list are Make an Ice Cream Cake, Katie and Hal's wedding, and a Train Trip. We look forward to checking those items off in the next few weeks!</div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-29861354387511933942016-07-12T21:43:00.002-04:002016-07-12T21:43:22.847-04:00Happy 9th Birthday, Ella!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">On June 18th Ella had her 9th birthday party. I know I say it every year, but I canât believe sheâs 9! Sheâs such an awesome kid and so much fun to be around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This year Ella decided that she wanted a Star Wars birthday party, and instead of activities, she wanted her friends to come over and watch Episode VII: The Force Awakens. She picked out decorations and BB8 Birthday Invitations, and preparations were made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The girls came over and we started the party with light saber building and a Padawan training class lead by Master Jedi Joe. Even AJ joined in on the fun. He was, by far, the most enthusiastic Padawan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After their training class, the girls headed into the basement for food and the movie. If I had to guess, they watched a total of 25 minutes of the movie before they decided to just play. They played âmom and baby,â checked out all of the toys (which were mostly AJâs since Ellaâs big kid toys are in her room), and had a fashion show. I just sat upstairs in the living room and listened to all of the activity. It was hysterical! And once again, I was beyond thankful for Ellaâs friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The party ended with a giant birthday donut and presents. This years party was simple and easy to plan, but the kids had a great time and Ella loved every minute of it. She has decided that when she turns 10 it should be her last birthday party. Weâll see how she feels about that decision as it gets closer. In the meantime, I love having parties for her. The parties remind me how far weâve come and how, 9 years ago, we were told that we would be lucky to celebrate 1 birthday with her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As a birthday bonus, our family friend, Ali, came to Ellaâs school to read a special book to Ellaâs class and talk about what itâs like to be an author.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ali grew up in Casper. Sheâs the same age as my brother. In fact, she and my brother went to prom together. After prom, Ali quickly became an honorary member of our family. Ali has always been a fantastic singer and dancer, but recently she added author to her list of skills. Ali is called The Story Lady and she often performs at birthday parties, local book stores and schools. She tells stories, sings songs and gets the kids excited about reading. Recently Ali wrote a very special book, âButterflies Keep Flying.â This book was inspired by Ella. We are so honored that Ali wrote this book and are excited to share it with everyone. If youâd like to order your own copy, you can get one here: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Butterflies-Keep-Flying-Ali-Pfautz/dp/0991652738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468373474&sr=8-1&keywords=Butterflies+keep+flying">Butterflies Keep Flying</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ellaâs birthday week ended on a high note with the beginning of summer vacation! Weâve got our summer bucket list made and have started marking things off. So far summer is off to a great start!</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-8977271401875516162016-06-21T09:53:00.001-04:002016-06-21T09:54:08.425-04:00Memorial Day Camping Trip<div style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Growing up in WY meant that my family went camping on a regular basis. And because my dad likes to think he could be a modern day Mountain Man, we didnât go camping in a tent in a camp ground like most people do. We camped in a tee pee out in the middle of nowhere. No bathroom, no sink, definitely no shower. We brushed our teeth in the creek, we washed dishes in the creek, and we bathed in the creek. Cooking was done over an open fire. No camp stoves for us. And we would go out for 4-5 days at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Joe grew up on the beach, but always loved the idea of camping and would do it whenever possible. As a kid he read the book âMy Side of the Mountainâ and claims that it changed his life. From that moment on he was going to be a camping and hunting guide in the wilderness. He even went as far as to go to a hunting guide training camp one year. Needless to say, that career path didnât pan out. His love of the outdoors, however, is still strong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we got married we knew that we would go camping and take our kids camping. Our wedding registry consisted of all of the items needed to make a camping trip successfulâŚtent, mess kits, sleeping bags, lanterns, travel egg carrier, grilling tools, marshmallow skewers, etc. We went a few times before Ella was born, but once she made her way on the scene life got in the way and the camping equipment started gathering dust. We rented cabins a couple of times, and did some backyard camping trips (and basement camping trips), but nothing major. No REAL camping trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It wasnât her EB that kept us from going camping. It was just life and logistics. Where would we go? When? What time of year is best? Then the next thing we knew, nearly 9 years had passed and Ella had never been on a real camping trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">WellâŚthat all changed this Memorial Day weekend. Several weeks ago a friend had mentioned that a group of people from our church were going camping and they had some extra spots available on their campsite. We jumped at the opportunity and cleared our calendar for a weekend of fun and camping!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I spent all day Thursday and Friday morning getting things ready and going shopping. I did get pretty embarrassed when Ella and I were at the grocery store on Thursday afternoon stocking up on good camping snacks and junk food. Suddenly I heard someone say, âHi Ella.â When I looked up it was Ellaâs teacher. I was immediately mortified! Here we were with a shopping cart overflowing with more junk food than should be in any house, and I was so afraid Ellaâs teacher would think this was how we really eat at our house. Of course I started explaining the situation and she just laughed and said, âI think I see some fruit in there.â Phew, so glad I threw in those strawberries, apples and grapes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We loaded the car up on Friday morning and took Ella out of school early to get on the road. As is usual in our area, traffic was terrible. A trip that should have taken 2 hours ended up taking over 3. Oh well. We got there safe and sound and had plenty of time to get things set up before nightfall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we registered for our tent back in 2005 we chose one that, at the time, was a bit lavish for just 2 people. It claims to be a 6 person tent with extra space for a âwallâ if needed. With air mattresses and clothing bags itâs not quite that big, but it was just the right size for our family of 4. It held a queen size air mattress for Joe and me, a twin size for Ella, and even fit AJâs pack-n-play. We had just enough room to squeeze in our duffle bags and had a little strip of space to walk. It was perfect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The camping trip was a blast! There were around 50 people including kids of all ages (AJ was the youngest). Joe and I had a ton of fun chatting with all of the adults, and the kids had a good time being outside. AJ was completely in his element! He ran around and played in the dirt the entire weekend. Fortunately I brought our little travel playpen, so I was able to confine him if needed, but most of his time was spent running around the campsite and exploring all things nature. I was worried how AJ was going to sleep in this new environment with all sorts of sounds, but he was so tired from playing all day that he went to sleep each night without a problem and slept all night until the sun came up (5:30 am is REALLY EARLY).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There were only 2 downsides to the trip. 1) The heat! The morning was perfect, when the sun went down it was fine, and sleeping was no problem. But during the middle of the day with the sun blazing down, the heat was terrible. It was so bad the first day that Ella sat in our van with the engine running and the AC blowing on her face. The second day we took the hot part of the day as our opportunity to drive around and see some sights in the area. Joe and Ella went exploring and took a stroll through the visitors center, we went strawberry picking (which was still hot, but at least we got a iced strawberry lemonade in the end), and Joe took AJ swimming which gave Ella and I the change to get some ice cream! And 2) the ticks! Ticks donât usually bother me. Iâm cautiously aware of them and what damage they can do, but generally they donât freak me out. That said, this camping trip had ticks everywhere! The first day Joe found one on himself, and I found one on Ella. I have never been more thankful for bandages than when I saw a tick on her and knew that it hadnât been able to get through the layers to actually get to her skin. After that I put this thing called a Bug Band on Ella and didnât find anymore ticks on her. AJ got a complete tick check every time he got a new diaper. Fortunately I never found any on him. Every night we would take our clothes from that day and shove them all into a grocery bag and tie it shut in hopes that any ticks on our clothes would be contained. When we got home all of our camping gear went into the living room on the hardwood floor where ticks were least likely to travel. I spent the first 3 days home washing every single item that was on the trip with us. And if I couldnât wash it, it was put in the dryer long enough for the heat to kill any hitchhiking bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had such a great time camping and are looking forward to going again. We learned a lot and while there are some thing we would modify, it was a great experience and Iâm so glad we went!</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-82388134971660244642016-06-04T11:25:00.001-04:002016-06-04T11:25:55.930-04:00Jesus, Only YouMy aunt tells the story of when everyone discovered that my dad could sing. He was probably in the 3rd or 4th grade and she said that they were in their church children's choir and the director asked if anyone wanted to sing a solo. Ronnie (dad) raised his hand. According to my aunt, everyone kind of looked around at each other confused because no one knew if he could actually sing. She said that when he opened his mouth the most beautiful sound came out. Not only could Ronnie sing...he was really good!<br />
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Fast forward 70 years. Every year Ella attends music camp at church, and every year she tells me that she can't wait until she's old enough to try out for a solo (they are usually reserved for kids who have completed the 4th grade). She sings in the church choir for kids in 1st-3rd grades and every so often they will have a solo slot. Well, a few weeks ago Ella came out of choir carrying some sheet music. She explained that there was going to be some solos for their end of the year concert and she told Mrs. Beth that she wanted to audition for one.<br />
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This is where it's hard being a parent. I love hearing Ella sing! I think she has the sweetest voice on the planet! BUT...the world is full of people who can't carry a tune, yet their mothers think they have the most amazing voice that has ever been heard. Various TV shows are full of people who have spent their entire lives being told they are fantastic singers, only to have expert judges tell them that they can't carry a tune in a bucket! And so my struggle began. Encourage Ella to audition and help her practice as much as possible, yet keep her grounded enough that she doesn't get too upset if she doesn't get the solo. I knew her competition...they were good...they were REAL good.<br />
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She practiced daily for 2 weeks. I would peck out the tune on the piano and she would sing along. She practiced in the car. She practiced in the bath tub. She practiced sitting on the couch. She practiced while she was helping me cook dinner. The girl seriously practiced!<br />
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The week came for her audition and I gave her a little pep talk beforehand. We talked about how she had practiced as much as she could and as long as she felt good that she had done all she could, the results didn't matter. And I emphasized that it was very important for her to be a good friend and if another kid gets the solo and she doesn't then she needs to be happy for them. It's ok to cry and be sad, but it's important to not be mean and to support them. She agreed.<br />
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Secretly, I prayed. I prayed so hard that she would get the solo! I prayed so hard that if she didn't get the solo that she would feel good about her audition. I prayed the entire time she was in that choir room.<br />
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I picked her up after GA's (which meets after choir) and she came trotting out of the room without saying a word. I anxiously waited for her to give me some sign. ANY SIGN! Nothing. We just walked down the hall in silence. KID!!! You're tearing me up! Finally, I asked, "How did choir go." "Good." she responded. Good? GOOD??? That's all I get? Just a plain, old 'good?' Finally she said, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I didn't get the solo I auditioned for. The good news is that I got another solo and I'll be singing it in front of the entire church on Sunday morning!" She went on to tell me the details about how Mrs. Beth announced that there was another solo opportunity to sing on Sunday morning with the big kids choir (4th-6th grades) and she asked kids to raise their hand if they were interested in auditioning for that solo. Ella raised her hand, auditioned, and got it! I was floored and so proud of her! What courage!<br />
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Now if I'm being honest, I already knew she got the solo. I direct the 4 year old choir at church, and afterward I usually just sit in the hall and talk with other moms until GA's is over. This week as I was sitting in the hall, Mrs. Beth came up to me and handed me some music. "Here," she said, "Ella got a solo. She'll be singing on Sunday, May 22 in both Sunday morning worship services." My heart was beating out of my chest! Apparently, when she asked who wanted to audition, Ella's hand was the first one in the air. I was so excited for Ella, but I wanted to hear it from her mouth, so I didn't tell her that I already knew.<br />
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Meanwhile, Joe was sitting and talking to some other dads in another area of the church. Turner, a kid Ella's age, came out looking for his mom. He was so excited because he had gotten a solo! Joe's heart sank. If Turner got the solo, that means Ella didn't. He was happy for Turner, but already planning on how he was going to cheer Ella up from this disappointment. Then, out of the blue, Turner said, "Ella got a solo too."<br />
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So here it is, without further ado. Ella's solo debut.<br />
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<br />Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-82308348788946581152016-05-19T21:52:00.003-04:002016-05-19T21:53:19.693-04:002015-16 Update<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
In the dictionary, under the word slacker, there is a picture of me along with the title of this blog. Iâm a slacker on updating. Iâm sorry.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Hereâs a bullet update of what we have been up to this past year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">August:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*We spent 2 weeks in WY!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Joe and I went to Las Vegas for our 10 year anniversary! While there we had our vows renewed by Elvis. A dream come true for me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">September:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Ella started 3rd gradeâŚhow is this even possible?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*AJ started attending preschool and I (Katie) started teaching 3 year old preschool. I never would have even considered sending Ella to preschool at 1 year old. AJ, on the other hand, is such a social butterfly that he is simply not satisfied with moms company all day every day. He needs to be around other kids his age. Going to preschool has been really good for him and he really enjoys it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">October:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Halloween!!! Ella was Princess Leia and AJ was Luke Skywalker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*AJ broke his foot. Seriously, this kid is all over the place with activity, so I canât say we were really surprised. Maybe we were surprised that it happened when he was only 1, but in all honesty, I donât think this will be his last broken bone. His favorite activity is to climb onto the arm of the couch and yell, â3-2-1 Blast Off!!!â then he jumps off of the couch arm and onto the seat. This kids guardian angels are working overtime!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">November:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Election Day - For the past 9 months Joe had been running for the Virginia State Senate. Unfortunately he lost his race, but it was a fantastic experience and we are so glad he ran. We learned so much through the process and had a lot of fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">December:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*AJ turned 2 years old! We had a great baseball themed birthday party with all of his friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*AJ had his first preschool Christmas concert. Before hand I was informed that he would either sit there like a deer in headlights, or stand up and throw his baby doll on the floor. Fortunately he did the former. He looked so cute in his red suspenders and bow tie!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*For Christmas we went to Texas and spent the holiday with my brother and his family, and my parents. It was great to be together!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*While in Texas we went to see Star Wars Episode VII. Ella was instantly hooked and canât wait to get the DVD.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*It was at this time that Ella declared that she will no longer wear smocked dresses. She thinks sheâs too old for them. I told her that she had to wear smocking one more time because she had a Christmas dress that perfectly matched AJâs bow tie. After that she never had to wear smocking again. Iâm a sad mom that this phase has passed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">January:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Back to School!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*I celebrated Elvisâ birthday by going out to lunch with some friends who are also Elvis fans. This is becoming a tradition that I really enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">February:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*I took a trip to Georgia to celebrate Joeâs little sister who was about to have her first baby. It was a great girls weekend away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">March:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Spring Break! Ella declared that we are âlameâ because we never go anywhere for Spring Break. We tried to do one fun activity every day, so we werenât stuck in the house. But we didnât do any exciting travel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Happy Easter! It was another great celebration at First Baptist Church in Alexandria. The Easter Bunny came to our house and brought special treats for the kids. Notably, AJ got a Mickey Mouse lego train, and Ella got a Minions Fart Gun (what was the Easter Bunny thinking?).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">April:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*Star Wars VII DVD came out, so I surprised Ella by buying it without her knowing. Within 5 minutes of bringing the DVD home and showing it to Ella, AJ broke our one and only DVD player. Such is life with a very active 2 year old.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*We took our annual visit to Cincinnati. Ella had surgery on her throat while we were there. It was her first surgery with a new doctor, so we were all a bit nervous. Iâm happy to report that everything went well and she has recovered nicely. She also had her yearly visit with the EB clinic. She has had great weight gain (for the first time in several years) and her skin has been really stable. Everyone was really pleased with where she is right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">May:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*I turned 39âŚhow did this happen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">*The preschool year ended for AJ and me. AJ will continue going to preschool summer camp for the next month while I stay home and take care of some home projects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ok, that should bring you up to speed. Ella has about a month left in school, so weâll start planning our summer bucket list soon. We already have a lot of fun activities planned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Both kids are doing really well. AJ has started talking more and more. He is constantly moving! The only time he is still is when heâs eating or sleeping. Ella is reading just as much as ever and is doing really well in school. She struggles with math, but works really hard and is improving. She is a fun kid to be around. Joe and I are just doing what we do. Life is busy but a lot of fun.</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-2308844521109032952015-07-29T09:58:00.001-04:002015-07-29T09:58:50.667-04:008 years old<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You
read that right, Ella is officially 8 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday June 21st, Fatherâs Day, was her
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How fitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Saturday we had her birthday party at
Paint This, a paint your own pottery place in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella loved having all of her friends
celebrate with her, and this was the first time many of them were able to go to
Paint This, so it was extra special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Typically we wait to open birthday presents after all of her friends
leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, however, there was a
lot of begging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella wanted to open her
presents and her friends wanted her to open her presents so âthey could see her
face.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, I caved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right in the middle of Paint This, among
dozens of strangers, Ella opened all of her presents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With each present I learned something very
valuableâŚEllaâs friends know her and listen to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every present was an obvious reflection of
conversations they have had and activities they know she enjoys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She received multiple dog items, several
books, a Disney board game and Frozen things, and even a few Star Wars
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those presents did my heart
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These arenât just girls that Ella
goes to school and church withâŚthey are her friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real friends who know enough about her that
when they go to buy her a birthday present they are able to get her something
that they know she will truly love.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzQ_KXGwk1Q/VbjNxojbOwI/AAAAAAAAbPk/UQwgdbbpnSI/s1600/DSCN9175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzQ_KXGwk1Q/VbjNxojbOwI/AAAAAAAAbPk/UQwgdbbpnSI/s320/DSCN9175.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Each girl chose one of these items to paint. The dog was a big hit. Apparently there are a lot of almost 3rd graders who want a dog.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1KXocHECFnc/VbjN50vi9RI/AAAAAAAAbP0/qsF4MDiuvgM/s1600/DSCN9176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1KXocHECFnc/VbjN50vi9RI/AAAAAAAAbP0/qsF4MDiuvgM/s320/DSCN9176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ella isn't a big fan of cake, so this year she chose a big chocolate chip cookie. The girls loved it!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bxz5aKCE-Y/VbjN0F4EUMI/AAAAAAAAbPs/zRtDv0AM_rY/s1600/DSCN9198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0bxz5aKCE-Y/VbjN0F4EUMI/AAAAAAAAbPs/zRtDv0AM_rY/s320/DSCN9198.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The finished products!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTgLVa2iB4o/VbjOBElSnOI/AAAAAAAAbP8/_orMZ8wzRA8/s1600/DSCN9200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTgLVa2iB4o/VbjOBElSnOI/AAAAAAAAbP8/_orMZ8wzRA8/s320/DSCN9200.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>Sunday
we got to celebrate both Ella and the best dad in America!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They chose which restaurant we went to
for lunch (Lone Star SteakhouseâŚof course) and in the afternoon they had an
Ella and daddy date to a movie (checked that item off the bucket list).</div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
week after Ellaâs birthday was the first week of summer vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a lot of time checking things off of
our Summer Bucket List and getting caught up on sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks
to AJ, Ella got a Madeleine pan for her birthday, so we were able to make
homemade Madeleines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
delicious!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgLQdFbUVnE/VbjOwxsRc0I/AAAAAAAAbQE/uX_pTuucMIk/s1600/DSCN9212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgLQdFbUVnE/VbjOwxsRc0I/AAAAAAAAbQE/uX_pTuucMIk/s320/DSCN9212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
made root beer floats, which were divine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Itâs funny because a lot of our friends commented on how much they love
root beer floats, yet they havenât had them in years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess it takes a kid to remind you of how
awesome something is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wVpHnpZOExo/VbjPUNBEv5I/AAAAAAAAbQM/iYk9mcUfgKw/s1600/11224877_10152985646974639_8776149332593815051_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wVpHnpZOExo/VbjPUNBEv5I/AAAAAAAAbQM/iYk9mcUfgKw/s320/11224877_10152985646974639_8776149332593815051_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
started the puzzle, but havenât finished it yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had to get taken off the table, which
means it has been put on the back burner for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we can take it to Wyoming this summer
and Ella and GiGi can work on it together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
even had a Silly String War!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much
fun!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAPVBEV0S64/VbjPcbNpK0I/AAAAAAAAbQU/1gtHl_2u3UU/s1600/11057941_10152995312824639_6026844615669206117_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAPVBEV0S64/VbjPcbNpK0I/AAAAAAAAbQU/1gtHl_2u3UU/s320/11057941_10152995312824639_6026844615669206117_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For
July 4<sup>th</sup> we headed to Club Mac (check that off the bucket list) to
visit my cousin and her kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always
have a great time while weâre there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ella got to sew for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She made Sabrina a cute quilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tuck (my cousins dog) tried to lay on it and Sabrina kicked her
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knows that it was made with
love especially for her.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
also had another Silly String war.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
we came home we checked another item off the list by going to Letâs Dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you donât have one near you, itâs a place
where you go and prepare meals to freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have step by step directions on what to put in bags, then you stick
a label on it that tells you how to cook it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you get home you pile it all into the freezer and wait for
dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella had so much fun! </span></div>
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Between preparing meals they offer warm scones, fresh lemonade, cookies and hot tea or coffee. I think the snack counter was Ella's favorite part.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
women there heard about our bucket list and decided to help Ella check
something else offâŚthey helped her make homemade lemonade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I donât think Ella was prepared for how tart
it was going to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She added a lot of
sugar, but it was still pretty tart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
enjoyed it though, so thatâs all that matters.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella, AJ and I all attended VBS (Vacation Bible School) which is always a great time! This was AJ's first year. He had fun, but each day he was completely exhausted. All of that playing wears a kid out! In fact, one day I went to pick him up and he was sound asleep on the floor in the middle of the room. The rest of the kids were running and screaming all around him, yet he slept through it all.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">During the week of VBS Grammy Janet came for as visit, as well as my cousins, Kit and Cameron. We were all crammed into our little townhouse, but we had a great time! It was a very special week with someone (Joe) turning 40, so there was a lot to celebrate.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Friday night, on Joe's actual birthday, he was able to fulfill a lifelong dream and throw out the first pitch at a baseball game. For a kid who was convinced he was going to be a professional baseball player, and has a son whose room is decorated in baseball (not sports in general...just baseball...in fact, just the Mets), nothing could be better than doing this on your 40th birthday.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe's mom was here, along with 3 of his siblings. It was a great night out and everyone enjoyed the game.</span></div>
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While Grammy was in town she helped Ella check another item off of her bucket list. They made homemade Creme Brulee. I am so glad that Grammy was able to come help with this item because I can guarantee Creme Brulee is way beyond my cooking ability.<br />
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On Saturday night we had to celebrate Joe's 40th with a party and a 65 pound pig.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Last week Ella participated in her second Music Camp. This year the theme was In the Big Inning...baseball. Of course both Ella and Joe were ecstatic.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This week has been a much needed break after 2 weeks of constant activity. We have pretty much stayed home and relaxed. We did make time to check another item off of our bucket list. Dinner at The Sugar Shack...a doughnut place that specializes in out of the ordinary creations. Ella had a maple bacon doughnut, I had a butterfinger doughnut, and Joe had a chocolate berry doughnut (or something like that). AJ just stuck with glazed.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It
has been a great summer so far, and weâre looking forward to many more
adventures!</span></div>
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Joe Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043505535426956043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-39896855465079005912015-06-18T10:07:00.000-04:002015-06-18T10:08:19.903-04:00Summer Bucket List<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have a friend with 7 kids (yes, feel free to gasp) and every year her family
does a summer bucket list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Year after
year I think, âWe really need to do something like that,â and year after year
we donât do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this year I decided
it was time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weâre going to do our own
summer bucket list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella and I sat down
and talked about several activities that she wanted to do and things I thought
would be a lot of fun for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We created a list, colored, cut and taped it
to the wall, and here we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow
is Ellaâs last day of school and summer break officially begins!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
suggested that for the last day of school we hit up Sugar Shack for dinner (itâs
an awesome doughnut place).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella, being
the logical one, said that they are having doughnuts at school so she thinks it
would be a better idea to eat something else for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 doughnuts in 1 day is a lot for a kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her exact words, âIt would be crazy town
in our house!â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weâve decided to order
Chinese food instead.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As
you can see, most of the activities involve learning how to cook something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since cooking is Ellaâs latest passion, she
has a lot of items she wants to learn to cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The problem is that most of these items are beyond my cooking
level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crème BruleeâŚreally?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MadeleinesâŚyou want me to cook a French cake?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homemade lemonadeâŚsounds easy,
but is it? Don't worry, I've got Root Beer Floats covered.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wfk1orYuZzHOCXN-S5h7H2eeZksoJuFmYLE9gr_Q8wYwIOCGPkVNcHFYPu1qPUOf0KwX4LMVSq4cflXAhhHxziNfQGiA9mS6WWjDtEjs-fHvn-2plg-ig51JMBrpodLQ78hwE99GVYg/s1600/DSCN9140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wfk1orYuZzHOCXN-S5h7H2eeZksoJuFmYLE9gr_Q8wYwIOCGPkVNcHFYPu1qPUOf0KwX4LMVSq4cflXAhhHxziNfQGiA9mS6WWjDtEjs-fHvn-2plg-ig51JMBrpodLQ78hwE99GVYg/s400/DSCN9140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The Butterfinger Pie was my
addition. I had one at a restaurant in Maryland and it was heaven on a
plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This first week of break will be spent at home. I'm sure we'll check a couple of things off the list and it will get the summer started on the right track. Today we're heading to Target to pick out a 500 piece puzzle and some Silly String.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GYhK5b_YF4ihx36ZPjasmvYYs1OEds6ymojsQZocIp4q-IxZiA23A2PTCvyYNkQ075Ffz7IVhjTNduU9ph7cLow9GuR0wgiIe_KyKK8JrH4_Yd3gbGlFJ4-11XCzCxHLdLwrv0m5NrA/s1600/DSCN9138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GYhK5b_YF4ihx36ZPjasmvYYs1OEds6ymojsQZocIp4q-IxZiA23A2PTCvyYNkQ075Ffz7IVhjTNduU9ph7cLow9GuR0wgiIe_KyKK8JrH4_Yd3gbGlFJ4-11XCzCxHLdLwrv0m5NrA/s400/DSCN9138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-35321902604460704872015-06-08T17:09:00.001-04:002015-06-08T17:11:17.812-04:00The Power of words<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I learned at an early age that words have power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom was a communication professor and my
dad was a vocal music professor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
made their living with words and the power and emotion that comes from
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So itâs no surprise that early on
I learned to use words and inflection in my speech.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Iâm not sure what has happened, but somewhere in the past
several years, this skill seems to have gone by the wayside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bullying has become stronger than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either the kids donât see the implications of
their words, or they simply donât care.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will be the first to admit that there are times I have
diarrhea of the mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words start
pouring out of me before my brain can comprehend what Iâm saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as it registers what Iâm saying, I try
to shut up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead I often just keep
talking as I try to cover up and make excuses for what I just said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Itâs a vicious cycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Age has played into my favor and I feel I am
getting better as I get older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
getting a grip on managing my mouth and am learning the importance of thinking
before I speak.</div>
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<br /></div>
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That said, I can say with certainty that I have never been a
bully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was never known as someone who
said unkind things to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People
have feelings, and I have tried very hard to be nice to everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other day Ella and I were having a conversation about
the importance of her always telling me and daddy the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted her to know that she can come to us
with anything and when we ask a question itâs important for her to tell us the
truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I emphasized that she always
needs to tell us if someone makes her feel uncomfortable or acts in a way she
thinks is inappropriate toward either her or her brother, and I especially
emphasized how important it is for her to tell us if someone says something
unkind or is mean.<br />
<br />
After I said my little speech I could see the wheels
turning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally she said, âMommy,
something happened awhile ago that I forgot to tell you about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to tell you, but I forgot and
just now remembered.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I braced
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could either be something
really big that needed action, or something really minor that was only
important in her 7 year old mindâŚeither way, how I responded to this was going
to set the tone for the future.</div>
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<br />
Ella: âA few weeks ago a kid called me a name.â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Me: âWhat did he call you?â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Ella: âHe called me a monster.â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Insert complete heartbreak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I choked back the tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
could someone say something so cruel to my beautiful, sweet, kind daughter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella would never hurt a flyâŚI know she wouldnât
do anything to prompt such a harsh word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And where were his parents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why didnât they correct this behavior?</div>
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<br />
I stopped and looked Ella directly in the eye.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Me: âYou are not a monster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You are my beautiful, sweet girl who is kind and loving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monsters are in movies and are ugly and mean
and scary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are NOT a monster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know that, right?â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Ella: âYes, I know.â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We talked about the situation a bit more, then I thanked her
profusely for telling me and told her how proud I am of her and what an amazing
and loving girl she is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I realize that this boy is someone we donât know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella didnât know his name and says she hasnât
seen him since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We donât know his
parents and the likelihood that they read this blog is slim to none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I wanted to write this for one main
reasonâŚto ask all of you to please talk to your kids and grandkids (and anyone
else who will listen) about the power of words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This incident happened several weeks ago, yet the power of that wordâŚ<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">monster</i>âŚhas remained with Ella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been buried deep in her heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she hears the word in a book or sees a
monster in a movie, she goes back to that interaction and sees herself on the
same level as the horrible creature being displayed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
They say that it takes 10 positive words to cancel out 1
negative word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach your children to
focus on the positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show them how to
be one of the 10 positives because you never know how many negatives a child is
hearing.</div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-27766436354692010842015-05-21T08:02:00.003-04:002015-05-21T08:02:34.675-04:00Iâm a Virginian<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
little over 12 years ago I moved to Northern Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been living and working in the Boston
area when an opportunity opened up to move here and work for a Senator from
Wyoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan was to move down here
and stay for a year or 2, then get a good job in Colorado and move back out
west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way I could marry a good
western man, have western kids, and live a western life.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">1 ½
years after moving here my colleague asked if she could set me up on a blind
date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agreed, and 2 weeks later I was
introduced to Joe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a whirlwind
romance we were engaged and planning a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Choosing where to have the wedding was a no-brainer for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to get married here, in Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so it was.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Fast
forward 12 years and we have established roots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Virginia is not only where we were married, it is where both of our
children were born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is where we
bought our first home (or rather, where the bank owns our first home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is where we have built a life
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there are days that I
get annoyed with the traffic, or get frustrated with the high cost of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i>âŚat the end of the day, living
in Northern Virginia just feels right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
lot of people donât understand it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
of my own family members donât understand it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it all comes down to one thingâŚafter 12 years, Virginia is home.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Recently
there have been 2 events that happened that proved to me that it is officialâŚI
am a Virginian.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">1) A
woman and I were talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the
conversation she asked me, âWhereâs home?â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My first thoughtâŚHERE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
responded she looked confused, âSo you grew up in Virginia?â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My response, âI grew up in Wyoming, but Virginia
is my home.â</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">2) I
was talking to a family that is living here temporarily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our conversation they mentioned that they
havenât really enjoyed living in Northern Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to be understanding and hear where
they were coming from, but inside I was completely offended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could you NOT love it here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatâs not to love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at all the awesome things around
you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I didnât say any of that,
those were just the thoughts in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was another sign that Virginia is where my heart is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course a piece of me will always love the
west, but I know that Virginia is where we are supposed to be.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">12
years is a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our townhouse is
exactly 2 miles from the apartment I lived in when I first moved to the
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are 1 mile from the apartment
we lived in when we got married and 2 blocks from the townhouse we rented when
Ella was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything I need is
within a 3 mile radius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can get to the
mall, grocery store, favorite restaurants, doctor and church all in under 10
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella attends the neighborhood
school just 3 blocks from our house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
love our street and know all of our neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can tell you the best place for Mexican food, Hibachi, Chinese food,
Italian food and hamburgers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know the
quickest route to the movie theatre and can tell you where to avoid during rush
hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Virginia.</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-32169019395821481202015-05-08T10:23:00.001-04:002015-05-08T10:23:03.338-04:00CAKE!!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There is something
you need to know about meâŚI love cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
pretty much have a sweet tooth in general (Iâve never met a dessert that I
didnât like), but for me, cake is taken to a whole new level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I definitely have my favorite flavors (strawberry, red velvet,
plain white, and this awesome coconut cake that my friend makes), I will pretty
much eat any cake set in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you ever think something is a bit off and you wonder if my body has been overtaken
by aliens, set a piece of cake in front of me and see how I respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If itâs eaten within 3 minutes, you know
everything is ok.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My love isn't just with the cake, though. I love...I mean LOVE frosting. Joe's mom has this fantastic frosting recipe and she used to always bring me a big container of it whenever she would come visit. Finally she just gave me the recipe, so now I always keep a container of it in the freezer. If I'm having a rough day and need a little pick-me-up I scoop some frosting into a bowl and <strike>eat it with a spoon</strike> spread it on graham crackers. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Several
months ago, long before our Christmas trip to Disney World, I read an article
about must have foods in Disney World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the list was a Cake Cup from the Cheshire Cat CafĂŠ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second I saw the picture I knew I had to
have this cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus began my questâŚeat
this, and any other cake I happen to find while visiting the Disney World Theme
parks.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
list begins with our first cake in Magic KingdomâŚThe Be Our Guest Restaurant
cupcake topped with âthe gray stuff.â</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTzy3UZmKuhWdjKCn1B62yumzUx32rSSyjX2N16ImcIevg0Z4GTnx9FR2qfGuooNYRl4EnCoaqrj5tY8nb5qCQcShgJD3Wd34zasBZ5Ss9MSSabxSHb3uyAd2_zRdVEItBPqwqITMZ8c/s1600/DSCN8995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTzy3UZmKuhWdjKCn1B62yumzUx32rSSyjX2N16ImcIevg0Z4GTnx9FR2qfGuooNYRl4EnCoaqrj5tY8nb5qCQcShgJD3Wd34zasBZ5Ss9MSSabxSHb3uyAd2_zRdVEItBPqwqITMZ8c/s320/DSCN8995.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
planning our trip, lunch at this restaurant was at the top of Ellaâs list of
âmust-doâs.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited in line for
nearly 2 hours to finally get in for lunch, so we were definitely going to make
the most of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate in the Castle
Gallery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cupcake was divine and as Ella says, "Mom, the gray stuff really IS delicious!"</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Next
we hit up the Cheshire Cat CafĂŠ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want
to be very clear about something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is NOT a cupcake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a cake cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large plastic cup filled with alternating
layers of cake and icing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make this
cake cup even betterâŚit had strawberry icing and strawberry gel filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <i>Please note that strawberry is my absolute favorite kind of cake.</i> </span>Heaven. In. A. Cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave Ella a couple of bites, but other than
that I ate the entire thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the
fondant rose on top. Sometimes I find myself dreaming of this cake cup. I will definitely hit up this Cafe the next time we head to Magic Kingdom. And next time I'll get the chocolate flavor too, just for good measure.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWfOP0Ky9WEzvhlESvk7TmssW9Md6-PE33AAYksId5gGHAy6ZRbaQlTMYv3Lq_uBpFqg5rWWP-HedAxi3HU1CaV7oAzoVE9mvMgWFoa-NXDAjHAgRxkaNivIQQ4tHHPY67Igsb3iAUUg/s1600/DSCN8997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWfOP0Ky9WEzvhlESvk7TmssW9Md6-PE33AAYksId5gGHAy6ZRbaQlTMYv3Lq_uBpFqg5rWWP-HedAxi3HU1CaV7oAzoVE9mvMgWFoa-NXDAjHAgRxkaNivIQQ4tHHPY67Igsb3iAUUg/s320/DSCN8997.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
spent our 3<sup>rd</sup> day at Hollywood Studios and ate lunch at the Backlot
Express Restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there I
spotted a sign advertising 2 special cupcakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A carrot cake cupcake topped with Olaf, and a gingerbread cupcake topped
with Mickey ears and a Santa hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldnât decide which one I wanted, so I did the only logical thingâŚI ordered
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These cupcakes were huge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with 3 of us eating them we still
werenât able to finish. While I enjoyed the gingerbread cupcake, I was really partial to the carrot cake. It took me back to my Boston days when I had this awesome roommate who made amazing cakes. She made a carrot cake that was beyond delicious.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxGmVjP7ofOlPmg0Q8W-uxdbATgRUrCbdryVpsr253naFag5SaL6TwN1UTZ9rXshXLjZZd7POreo4nmoSBG07CScm6bze8KJ1wzhPN9Bh879YgAfgij5o6RtIc1CdtT00RNI-hazv3t8/s1600/DSCN9044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxGmVjP7ofOlPmg0Q8W-uxdbATgRUrCbdryVpsr253naFag5SaL6TwN1UTZ9rXshXLjZZd7POreo4nmoSBG07CScm6bze8KJ1wzhPN9Bh879YgAfgij5o6RtIc1CdtT00RNI-hazv3t8/s320/DSCN9044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR42uIWiVw5l2K1OegbsFHm-6AqwpZPwxNY9NkEwlTDMPLNPgkxyhrh9NIENKMZne6EutX4nVBAmfgByhXaX7e3KZtI-lTUrMihCxyYvMpAeldkusVJ67wvSJAUGQ5fCJvf_O2GJh0y4/s1600/DSCN9046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR42uIWiVw5l2K1OegbsFHm-6AqwpZPwxNY9NkEwlTDMPLNPgkxyhrh9NIENKMZne6EutX4nVBAmfgByhXaX7e3KZtI-lTUrMihCxyYvMpAeldkusVJ67wvSJAUGQ5fCJvf_O2GJh0y4/s320/DSCN9046.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
you have it, my Disney vacation in cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Iâm sure there is more cake out there that I didnât get to try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next time we go I will make it my mission
to try every kind of cake in the parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Itâs my commitment to you to keep you informed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâm a giver like that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I realize that I did not
mention any cake from Epcot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either I
didnât visit the right places in Epcot, or they do not offer the delectable
cake options the other two parks offered. Also, I have recently seen a commercial that features a Darth Vader cupcake that will be offered during Star Wars week at Disney World. I am jealous that I don't get to try this cake. Chocolate and peanut butter...YUMMY! Our next visit must be during Star Wars week.</span></i></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-80244426807029131982015-05-03T19:29:00.002-04:002015-05-03T19:29:24.489-04:00Boys will be boys<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are 3 main differences between my days with AJ at 16 months old, and my days
when Ella was 16 months old.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1) <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella has EB and AJ doesnât.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, this is obvious, but the physical
limitations of Ella definitely made things different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sheâs more cautious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ has no fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this day Ella refuses to go down the slide
at the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ goes down the slide,
climbs up the slide, jumps off the slide, whatever he can get away with.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">2) </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella is a girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite what a lot of people want to believe,
there is a big difference between boys and girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is a big difference between the
first born and the second born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella has
always listened and followed the rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
now, if I tell her not to do something, she wonât do itâŚever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In kindergarten her teacher said that Ella
never talked in class and she really wanted her to open up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I asked Ella why she wouldnât talk she
said, âBecause the teacher tells us not to.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had a long discussion about how there are times when itâs ok to talk
in class, and there are times when itâs not ok to talk in class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ, on the other hand, thinks that the word ânoâ
means to laugh and do it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rules
are optional and getting in trouble is no big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Ella we had 1 baby gate that we rarely
used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With AJ we have 4 baby gatesâŚso
far.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 3) When Ella was 16 months old
I was still working full time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
meant that she spent her days at home with a nanny, and much of that time was
spent either in the basement (a confined area) or outside playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am home with AJ all day every day, and
while I absolutely love it, I also have stuff to do around the house during the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I want to, we canât
spend all day in the basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
I need to wash the dishes, or do the laundry, or take a shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that AJ canât be confined to the
basement and has much more reign of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This leads to toysâŚeverywhere.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AJ
is definitely keeping me on my toes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
other day he and Ella were in the living room and I had to run upstairs really
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately I hear Ella yelling
in a panic for me to come quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
raced downstairs to find AJ in the middle of the dining table and Ella
desperately holding on to his ankle to keep him from falling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had taken it upon himself to push out one
of the chairs, climb up on the chair, then climb up on the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought it was awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella and IâŚnot so much.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He
also enjoys throwing his food on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several months ago I decided that the best way to stop this behavior was
to grab his hand and give it a little smack and firmly say âNo!â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I could tell you that it worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon AJ was going up to everyone (including
our sweet Sabrina who wouldnât hurt a fly) and hitting them and yelling âNO!!!â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he would laugh and smile as though it
was some sort of game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâve tried *redirecting*
and that doesnât work at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâve tried
changing my wordage and instead saying âStop!â or âThat is not ok!â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâve even tried grabbing his hand and using a
soft petting motion and saying the word âgentle.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently that isnât as fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am open to suggestions on how to curb this hitting
behavior.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
Ella was 16 months old she was easily speaking in 2-3 word sentences and could
sing numerous songs without a hitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJâŚI
think he maybe has 10 words in his vocabulary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He loves to read books and listen to music, but the words arenât sinking
in as much as they did with Ella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heâs
much more focused on his physical development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although he does have the word âballâ down pat!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All
in all heâs a sweet boy and thereâs nothing better than when he stops playing
and comes over to wrap his sweet arms around my neck for a hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> He loves his sister so much and smiles the biggest when she walks in the room. </span>We are SO thankful to have him in our family.</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-57947596632668305732015-04-28T14:17:00.002-04:002015-04-28T14:17:49.659-04:00Fun visit and Haircut<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had an entire blog post written about the awesome visit we
had with GiGi and Paw Paw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I filled in
every detail about our trips to Bass Pro Shops and the Naval Academy in
Annapolis, MD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told all about how GiGi
and Paw Paw went to choir with Ella and the choir did a special performance
just for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shared details about my
cousins wedding that we were able to attend and how much fun we had with
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list goes onâŚI shared and
typed, and shared some more and typed some more.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ThenâŚI deleted.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I canât blame it on the computer, because the computer didnât
do anything wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our internet started acting up so I needed to
shut down the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without thinking
I clicked âturn off computerâ and started closing any and all documents that
were openâŚincluding my lengthy and detailed blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only after the computer was turned off and
the screen was dark, did it finally dawn on me what I had done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that workâŚgone.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so instead, this is what you get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just know that GiGi and Paw Paw came into
town for a week and we had a great time and did a lot of fun stuff.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will leave you with some pretty cute pictures of AJ
getting his first haircut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to a
place in the mall that specializes in kids haircuts. The second AJ sat in the chair (and I strapped him down) the barber handed him a train toy and put Mickey Mouse on the TV. That was all it took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did awesome and sat in the chair without a
problem. No tears. No whining. No trying to be Evil Knievel and jump off the chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He moved a little, but he is
only 16 months afterall. And his hair looks great! We will definitely go back for his next haircut. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0dDeODyvRSiQWt-CCbpehszOHK6h52yzOUoQV5ILwM8ncgdRLjenGWwxFosGLNlTAYPjEAdDO_QwvGj6D_EofWn2SI0g6RZXQyF6Rr1Cutv2uMb4UGa-xqbEm57bAsJIdVkxCCwLIs0/s1600/DSCN9123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0dDeODyvRSiQWt-CCbpehszOHK6h52yzOUoQV5ILwM8ncgdRLjenGWwxFosGLNlTAYPjEAdDO_QwvGj6D_EofWn2SI0g6RZXQyF6Rr1Cutv2uMb4UGa-xqbEm57bAsJIdVkxCCwLIs0/s1600/DSCN9123.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
He looks so handsome and very grown up with his new haircut. Where did my little boy go?<br />
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<br /></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-74703504693908208092015-04-02T09:10:00.002-04:002015-04-02T09:10:32.176-04:00Spring Break 2015<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Some people spend Spring Break at the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others head to Disney World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And others head off to visit family, or even
send their kids off with the grandparents for the week and spend the week
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not hereâŚwe spend the week at
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I donât even feel like this week
deserves to be called a Staycation because we havenât even done anything
exciting.</div>
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Monday we stayed home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joe took the car to work and the kids and I stayed in the basement and
played all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella did start reading a book about Louis
Armstrong, so she and I had a good conversation about jazz music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GiGi told her all about Ella Fitzgerald, so
we ended up watching several videos of both singers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told Ella all about scat singing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has been trying to scat ever since.</div>
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Tuesday we went to the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had grand plans to take them to this
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loose, so I wasnât going to take 2 kids out of my little comfort zone that is
our neighborhood.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Wednesday was probably the most exciting day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed to Capitol Hill and had a special
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was very excited about this!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea of
going to a place that has so many food choices that you can eat pretty much whatever you
want was thrilling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even promised her
dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She ended up getting pretzel
crusted fish and macaroni and cheese, with red velvet cake for dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we got to go on a tour of the
capitol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought Ella would really
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Today weâre going to the mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure I can take the kids shoe shopping
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<br /></div>
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I guess the most exciting thing weâve done this week is
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her cookbooks and we went through each recipe and marked the ones she wanted to
try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monday we had ârealâ macaroni and
cheese (not from a box) with broccoli and chicken, with chocolate fudge cookies
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and peach turnovers for dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
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dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I canât remember whatâs on the
agenda for tonight, but I assure you it will be delicious.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I also promised Ella that if she read 4 chapter books this
week I would take her to Sweet Frog (frozen yogurt) and she could get anything
she wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far sheâs read 2 books
and is half way through her 3<sup>rd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sheâs a good reader and loves books that capture her attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She especially loves the Magic Tree House
series, but sheâs quickly passing that reading level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâve tried to steer her toward other books,
but she always comes back to the MTH.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Thatâs it on our end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Daddy has tomorrow off, so it will be a fun family day spending time
together.</div>
Joe Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043505535426956043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-33411101635026603352015-03-23T13:52:00.002-04:002015-03-23T14:19:14.964-04:00I havenât posted since October?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where
has the time gone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hereâs an update.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will try to be concise, but a lot has
happened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">October:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trip
to the pumpkin patch.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HzNQFna3ZjY6gj1sdyG0TzMDii0o6OT6X2-XbaNAQ09EfhJ6XOGZxa1ePh2feNV1ecxdtBB2yIlD9JSCrqcKEQszp8OqNXAUzThg4f8Wf6SgpxJ82e8EZgoD6bH484rbChyphenhyphenv4_MyYek/s1600/unnamed17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HzNQFna3ZjY6gj1sdyG0TzMDii0o6OT6X2-XbaNAQ09EfhJ6XOGZxa1ePh2feNV1ecxdtBB2yIlD9JSCrqcKEQszp8OqNXAUzThg4f8Wf6SgpxJ82e8EZgoD6bH484rbChyphenhyphenv4_MyYek/s1600/unnamed17.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Happy
Halloween!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elsa and Olaf had a great
time and raked in lots of candy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi255dpP9EGCPkbPYNp54zBlEiNwCny9oO7fr-pAuulBznmeCg2gLh6HoPXXeE4OHd0mIWYhiuflm5bvRMua-tAf0jRVIqviCiHBLLY1qkXChFrQ1NO5Gn6W9HIm8LoB8XWOVeDrcOAjac/s1600/DSCN8835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi255dpP9EGCPkbPYNp54zBlEiNwCny9oO7fr-pAuulBznmeCg2gLh6HoPXXeE4OHd0mIWYhiuflm5bvRMua-tAf0jRVIqviCiHBLLY1qkXChFrQ1NO5Gn6W9HIm8LoB8XWOVeDrcOAjac/s1600/DSCN8835.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">November:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Happy
Thanksgiving!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ and I got to go to Ellaâs
school for a special Thanksgiving lunch!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GyL7AVgs2K0K2MNKzC4dFMGVGBn1MhbJ4kJ7FOneAM70pxgvG01Sb_ymXjlULSJMk6LbjpMOBXXBZ_68_rvra0v5YaUbppCugkaTxBIHS7qZ30VMzskpbN1aCZG6MVc1EDOPgtPY4Qw/s1600/10731057_10205255919498632_4729747203629424787_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GyL7AVgs2K0K2MNKzC4dFMGVGBn1MhbJ4kJ7FOneAM70pxgvG01Sb_ymXjlULSJMk6LbjpMOBXXBZ_68_rvra0v5YaUbppCugkaTxBIHS7qZ30VMzskpbN1aCZG6MVc1EDOPgtPY4Qw/s1600/10731057_10205255919498632_4729747203629424787_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">December:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
fantastic news about December is that on December 9<sup>th</sup> our precious
boy turned the big 1 year old!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
day, on December 10<sup>th</sup>, he took his first steps.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97zNf71UMcuZ9OKQM-ZEm-4Kk_YDUvb1N1VXv7pTTnxjD5IZ8P7p38-mb4KSw4ZlVrETIadR_afZ5_Q_4ilSLjgmZPaDHWFzlJnshryMVaQIubjVikOKnJMxrudqTdBjFMpmReP2MXeE/s1600/10169260_10152495281024639_5667860943866246822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97zNf71UMcuZ9OKQM-ZEm-4Kk_YDUvb1N1VXv7pTTnxjD5IZ8P7p38-mb4KSw4ZlVrETIadR_afZ5_Q_4ilSLjgmZPaDHWFzlJnshryMVaQIubjVikOKnJMxrudqTdBjFMpmReP2MXeE/s1600/10169260_10152495281024639_5667860943866246822_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately
in December Ella had to be hospitalized for 4 days due to an infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a really crummy way to start the
Christmas season, but we are thankful it wasnât more serious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For
several days she had a wound on top of her middle finger of her left hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In wrapping the finger (since itâs
contracted) the wraps accidentally released the bottom of her finger and
created a new, deeper wound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top
wound healed completely fine, but the bottom wound was being more
stubborn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I knew it her entire
finger was red and swollen and very sore (she even asked her aide to do her
writing at school).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided it was
time to call her pediatrician to get some oral antibioticsâŚor so I
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took her in and our
pediatrician took one look at her finger and sent us to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to talk our way out of it (no one
wants to be in the hospital 2 weeks before Christmas and we had 3 very exciting
events coming up that week), but our ped told me that it was time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
were all disappointed that this had to happen, but the truth is that itâs
pretty amazing that Ella has made it 7 ½ years without a hospitalization due to
infection (other than when she was born and surgeries).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is, we have been preparing for this
for 7 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew that it was just a
matter of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question was never <u>IF</u>
Ella would be hospitalized due to infectionâŚthe question was <u>WHEN</u> it
would happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a complete IV kit
in my car taped to her car seat with step by step directions on how to place an
IV with little damage to her skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have bags of emergency bandage change kits, so that when this happens I can
just grab a couple and know that everything I need to change her bandages is in
that bag.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
went to a new hospital that has never treated Ella before, so that made us even
more nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our awesome ped called
ahead of time and prepared them for our arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She pretty much told them to do whatever I
sayâŚand they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didnât lay a
finger on Ella without listening to every single word I had to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In placing her IV they followed my step by
step instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were
admitted they immediately came to me and got phone numbers for the EB nurse,
Ellaâs EB doctors, and the Cincinnati Childrenâs Hospital EB clinic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella
was a trooper through it all (as though we would expect anything less).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most annoying part for Ella was that she
felt completely fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her mind, you
only go to the hospital if youâre really sick, having surgery, or having a
baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was none of those things, so
she had a hard time understanding why she had to be in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was quarantined, which meant she wasnât
allowed to leave her hospital room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was bored out of her mind, but several friends and family sent her
games, books and crafts to keep her busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A special organization called The Butterfly Fund had sent Ella an iPod
Touch for Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a special treat
we let her have it early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It definitely
helped pass the hours in the hospital.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvk7ThJ4JyOl8m1Ml0Y-A65OD7IZCdd9H66BdedoOzvw1717Rv33uHZbpzfLzJ0rSRN-y8qbT1hhr_txpQkic5YVFSdWowIXyni8f9q3U8cfBFlwuq3yr5tqjbipvsevztsQiQ4hflD8/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvk7ThJ4JyOl8m1Ml0Y-A65OD7IZCdd9H66BdedoOzvw1717Rv33uHZbpzfLzJ0rSRN-y8qbT1hhr_txpQkic5YVFSdWowIXyni8f9q3U8cfBFlwuq3yr5tqjbipvsevztsQiQ4hflD8/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span>Unfortunately
her hospitalization meant that we had to cancel AJâs first birthday party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promised him that he would get a big
birthday party when heâs older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least
at 1 he doesnât really know what he was missing out on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, mommy guilt has definitely kicked
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poor kid didnât even get to have
his first cupcake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâm debating on
whether or not to throw him a half-birthday party.</div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While
we were admitted, our friends made sure we were ok and that everything was
taken care of at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several of our
amazing friends from church watched AJ until Grammy Janet could get down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One friend even came over to our house and
picked up Janet when she arrived, and drove her to our other friends who were
watching AJ so that Grammy wouldnât have to drive to a new place alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several people came to the hospital with
toys, games, food, coffee (good coffeeâŚnot hospital coffee), and just kept us
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the most incredible
church full of the most incredible people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joe and I are constantly in awe of how they show Godâs love to us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella
was in the hospital for 4 days and finally released at 11 pm on Saturday
December 13<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hospital
stay also meant that we missed our tickets for our favorite event of the
Christmas seasonâŚThe Living Christmas Tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ella was devastated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 2
more performances for Sunday December 14<sup>th</sup>, so I called in a favor
and thankfully we were able to go see the last performance.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On
Tuesday December 16<sup>th</sup> Ella and I headed to McLean, VA to see her
favorite singers in concert, Keith and Kristyn Getty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A special friend hooked us up with FRONT ROW
tickets!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella loved seeing them in concert again, and at
the end Kristyn even looked at Ella and waved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She obviously remembered her from when we met them at Easter.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On
December 13<sup>th</sup> at 2:30 am I lost my last living grandparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maw Maw (my paternal grandmother) passed away
peacefully with my parents by her side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At 97 years old she had lived a long and fruitful life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We miss her greatly, but know that she was
ready to pass on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to fly to
Shreveport, LA the weekend of December 19-21 and spend the weekend with my
family as we said our goodbyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
spent Christmas day at home in the morning and had Christmas dinner with
friends in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great
day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella got the main thing she had
been begging forâŚa Cotton Candy Machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We made 2 batches that morning and both were delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately the machine didnât coat my house
in spun sugar, as I had feared. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the 26<sup>th</sup> we packed up the car and headed south to Disney World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent the night with my cousin then
started our 9 hour trek on the morning of the 27<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it seemed as though everyone
on the east coast was heading to Orlando.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A trip that was supposed to take 9 hours ended up taking 15 ½.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us 3 ½ hours to drive 90 miles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, we have decided that we are
NOT fans of South Carolina and their 2 lane highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second we hit the Georgia border, the
highway turned into 3 lanes and the traffic started flowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point both kids were in complete
meltdown mode, and Joe and I were in desperate need of a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we pulled over to the first place we sawâŚa
Kroger grocery store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got out, went
to the bathroom (changed AJ) and walked around the grocery store for a good 30
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked out whatever we
wanted for dinner before heading back to the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were back in the car we started
chowing down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting some food in
our bellies, we were all much happier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soon the kids were fast asleep. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>We
finally pulled into the resort at 12:30 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boy, were we glad to finally be there!</div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite
our fatigue, we woke up bright and early the next morning and headed to Epcot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadnât been to Epcot since I was in 7<sup>th</sup>
grade, so it was all a blur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
thing I really remember is that my dad wanted to eat lunch in Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe and the kids had never been before.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ella
had heard all about the ride Soarinâ and was insistent that we ride that ride
first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just as awesome as
expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all loved it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Epcot was a great day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasnât too crowded so we were able to make
our way around the park easily and see all that we wanted to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night we headed back to the house to
meet up with the rest of the Murray clan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dinner was a great time of catching up and letting the cousins play.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Monday
was spent at Magic Kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last 2
times we have been to MK was during the week of ChristmasâŚarguably the busiest
week of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year was just as
crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella had 1 wish in visiting MKâŚeat
dinner at the Be Out Guest Restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reservations were completely booked, but they have open seating for
lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stood in line for over an
hour, but were finally able to go in and eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ella enjoyed her cupcake topped with âthe gray stuff.â</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tuesday
was our relaxing day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family photos were
taken and we just hung out around the pool.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Wednesday
we headed over to Hollywood Studios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know people go to Orlando mainly for Magic Kingdom, but I have to say that both
times we have gone to Orlando we have had the most fun at Hollywood Studios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SO MUCH FUN!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If youâre ever planning a trip to Orlando, you have to spend a day at
Hollywood Studios!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to see the
Frozen Sing-Along show, which was something Ella had been looking forward to
for months!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the highlight of the day
(week) was when Ella got to go to Padawan Training Academy and was able to
fight the REAL Darth Vader!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost
think Joe was more excited about this than Ella was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so proud of herself and said that she
knew she could beat him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part
was that the Master Jedi who was leading the training academy, was a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella was thrilled to see that girls can be
Master Jediâs too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward she went to
the gift shop and built a special light saber for AJ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Ella already had 2 at home, she knew
she didnât need another one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she
also knew that young Luke (as she likes to call him) would definitely need one
for when he gets older.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
headed home Friday afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
such a great week hanging out with all of the Murray family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always leave wishing everyone lived closer
to each other.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">January:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
January we flew to Texas for a quick trip to surprise my maternal side of the
family during their annual Christmas party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They hadnât met AJ yet, or seen Ella in several years, so it was a fun
trip. I think Ella's favorite part was getting to meet her new cousin, Ava.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
canât neglect to mention that on January 8<sup>th</sup> (Elvisâ Birthday) AJ
and I, and some other Elvis loving friends, went to Chuyâs Restaurant for
lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had heard that if you come
dressed up like Elvis then you will get a free meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Letâs just say that AJ got a free lunch.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Also
in January Ella got to participate in her first Pinewood Derby with the GAâs
and RAâs at church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lot of
fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her car came in 2<sup>nd</sup> in
both heats it participated in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next year
weâll have to do more planning on how to make her car faster.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">During
January and February Ella participated in her school Chess Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great activity for her that she
really enjoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Itâs often hard to find
extra-curricular activities appropriate for Ella, so we were really excited to
see this on the list of after school clubs.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">February:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Not
much happened in February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent most
of the month recovering from our busy December and beginning of January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get to go on our church Womenâs
Retreat, which was a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didnât
think I was going to get to go, so it was awesome that God unexpectedly opened
that door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">March:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So
far March has been off to a good start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joe got to go on the Menâs Retreat, which I know was a good time for
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella and I got to attend the GA Tea
and have a special girls night out to go see Cinderella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were leaving the theatre Ella said, âMom,
that is definitely a movie we have to have for home!â</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ok,
so I think youâre caught up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
honestly try to do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my
days are spent either running around town, or chasing AJ around the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nap time is when I get to catch up on little
things like taking a shower or washing the dishes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Both
kids are doing fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ is quite
the pistol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heâs walking all over the
place and he recently learned how to flush the toilet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to be proactive and put locks on
the toilets before we have to spend $1000 paying a plumber to come get whatever
AJ decided to flush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella is doing
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lost a lot of weight between
her hospital stay and a nasty stomach bug that went around our house, but weâve
finally started getting some meat back on her bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves to read and is becoming a very good
story teller on her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Math is a
struggle, but weâre working on it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Spring Break is coming up, so hopefully we'll have some fun activities to share during that week.</span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-57623039695999164852014-10-21T10:22:00.001-04:002014-10-21T10:22:34.802-04:00The Non-EB Child<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Before I delve too deep into this, let me make one thing very clearâŚElla is not difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, sheâs
really pretty easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She follows
directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I tell her not to do
something she rarely does it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
doesnât fight with other kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She doesn't demand a whole lot. </span>Sheâs
just really easy as far as typical kid things go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as her bandages, of course itâs not
ideal, but they have been a part of our lives as long as weâve been parents, so
even doing her bandages isnât really an inconvenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other families plan 15 minutes for a bath, we
plan 2 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Itâs just the way it
isâŚitâs the way it has always been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
you donât know any different, itâs not that big of a deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And her g-tube is much easier than people think it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of eating with her mouth, her food
goes directly into her tummy, no big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With all of that said, I donât want this post to sound like kids with EB
are a burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I donât know any EB parent
hat would tell you their kid is burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Itâs simply not true.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We have several friends who have had a typical child after
having a child with EB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The consensus
among them all is that, comparatively speaking, a typical child is a piece of
cake compared to a child with EB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember shortly after Ella was born, I would be talking to some other moms
about typical parenting things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
times they would complain about various items of parentingâŚhaving diaper
explosions, babies only wanting one type of pacifier, no sleep (obviously a big
one), the pain of nursing, and the list goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I would sit in silence and think
to myself, âSo this is what parents of typical kids worry about?â</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before AJ was born, I couldnât help but wonder how parenting
was going to be different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it
like to not medicate your child before a bath?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is it like to just put the kid in a bath without worrying about
wounds, bandages, pain, etc?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it
like to have your kid actually PLAY during a bath and not just sit there and
cry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it like to feed a kid and
not have to count their calories?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
will it be like to just feed him and not have to use a special bottle to
prevent blisters in his mouth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will
it be like to not stress about diaper brand and just be able to change his
diaper without making sure I have a stack of bandages nearby?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will it be like to be able to leave him
in the church nursery and not stay with him the entire time to ensure another
baby doesnât hurt him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will it be
like to not have to specifically train a babysitter prior to coming over?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Itâs weird to think of things like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was always awkward for me to hold a baby
that didnât have EB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iâm so used to
being extra gentle that itâs odd to not think that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a part of me always cringes inside when I
see a baby rub his eyes because heâs tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ella slept with soft socks on her hands until she was nearly 2 because
we wanted so badly to protect her face.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ella was nervous too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She constantly asked questions like, âWhat if he doesnât like me because
I have boo boos?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will he think I look
weird because I have EB?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you teach
him not to be wild and rough when we play?â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, before AJ was born Ella had a meeting with a child psychologist
who helped her talk about some of her fears about having a âtypicalâ baby
brother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of that said, parenting a non-EB child is completely
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything he does is
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Partly because heâs a
different child, but partly because we donât have to be as cautious, so we give
AJ a lot more freedom than we did Ella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heâs much more open to other people because we donât hesitate to hand
him off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it is not uncommon for
me to pass someone in the hall at church and say to them, âCan I hand you my
son?â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is left in the nursery every
Sunday while Joe and I head to bible study and church, every Wednesday while we
are in class, and every Thursday while I am at bible study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started feeding him babyfood sooner, started testing him out on baby biscuits sooner, and I started trying to let him
sit up sooner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let him explore more,
and I let him get hurt more. He has fallen off furniture, pulled the baby gate down on his head, and climbed the stairs. Ella never fell off furniture and never pulled the baby gate on her head mainly because wherever she went someone was always right by her side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the other hand, poor AJ doesnât get nearly as much one on
one attention as Ella did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has to
cry more while heâs waiting for me to finish up with Ella or Sabrina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spends more time in his exersaucer or door
bouncer so that I can finish cooking dinner or washing dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I donât read to him nearly as often and we don't practice our shapes and letters as much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to make matters worse, as the poor second
child, he has to use his sisters pink baby spoons, play with his sisters pink
baby toys, and has even worn his sisters pink pajamas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for Ella, she has adapted to sisterhood incredibly, and
is ok with her brother not having boo boos like she does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has even said that she is happy he doesnât
have to have EB too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ loves her so
much and she knows that he doesnât care if she has boo boos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he sees her, he smiles from ear to ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she kisses him, he grabs her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she says âHi,â he giggles and coos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has even started saying âLaLaâ when she
enters the room.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the older he gets
the more we have to watch his actions around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He likes to grab her arms and legs and doesnât
understand that it hurts her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we are
cautious and when he does grab we simply remove his hand and remind him to be
gentle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A simple gesture that we want
him to use on anyone, not just his sister.</div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-90199099653782585542014-10-15T11:14:00.002-04:002014-10-15T11:14:28.996-04:00Elsa Selfie<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Last
year Ella decided that she wanted to be Princess Leia for Halloween this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had been through a lot of snow
days, and on one of those days Joe and I couldnât take âkid showsâ anymore, so
we introduced her to Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
hooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She even went to Target and
spent her saved birthday money on light sabers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
Christmas cameâŚand so did Frozen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Ella was mesmerized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She bought the CD,
got the DVD, and memorized all of the songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whenever we would want to watch a movie as a family, Ella had only 1
suggestionâŚFrozen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And
with that, Princess Leia was thrown out the window and Elsa entered the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella called her GiGi and explained in detail
exactly what she wanted to be for Halloween and exactly how the dress needed to
look.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well,
the much anticipated dress arrived last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wish I had captured Ellaâs face when she first laid eyes on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was beyond thrilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course she immediately put the dress on,
then grabbed my phone and started playing âLet It Goâ on repeat while she
danced around the living room and acted out the movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I'm still holding out hope that she'll want to be Princess Leia next year, but for now, I am happy that this dress makes her feel so beautiful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately
I havenât gotten a picture of her fully in the Elsa dress yet, but here is a
selfie Ella took in her Elsa wig.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_g3KiU9lQXqw05Vgk6OtZ_GysfNSNK737bUt_9O9ZUYw_QQ6Lhnblxq9rYKu60a54wi_qAB3F-drZLzCOpvKmm1RHZvfi4pDweCbVcdPbZl9tIK3WX_Bzbjnm0A-LpquBMNjJ2sqeiu0/s1600/Elsa+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_g3KiU9lQXqw05Vgk6OtZ_GysfNSNK737bUt_9O9ZUYw_QQ6Lhnblxq9rYKu60a54wi_qAB3F-drZLzCOpvKmm1RHZvfi4pDweCbVcdPbZl9tIK3WX_Bzbjnm0A-LpquBMNjJ2sqeiu0/s1600/Elsa+selfie.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And
just because I know you all are itching to knowâŚyes, AJ is going to be
Olaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thereâs only 1 problemâŚhe screams
every time we put his Olaf hat on. </span></div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-47446641233196344532014-09-29T11:13:00.001-04:002014-09-29T11:13:21.729-04:00Sleep<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There are singles and DINKS (Double Income No Kids) all
across the country who take sleep for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They know that they will be able to go to bed whenever they want, sleep
an entire night without being interrupted, and wake up in the morning refreshed
and ready to start the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day,
maybe in the near future, maybe several years from now, they will have a
baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A precious, cuddly, sweet smelling
baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this baby will decide that
sleep is not cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when these people
come to me and complain about how hard life is with a newborn, I will simply
smile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ella was a terrible sleeper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the day she got home at 1 month old until 3 years old the child
didnât sleep through the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we
had 3 or 4 flukes in there, but not enough to boldly state that she âslept
through the night.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say it was
torture would be an understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were nights I would lay in bed sobbing out of nothing but sheer
exhaustion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were nights where I
would literally scream to God, begging Him to give us just 1 night of
uninterrupted sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even had a few
family vacations where I burst into tears in front of family members because
Ella wouldnât sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year for our
anniversary, Joe hired an overnight babysitter to come stay with Ella and we
rented a hotel room where we could actually sleep all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was heavenly!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Ella, I was working full-time, Joe was in law school,
and she needed a bottle to get back to sleep (that had to be warmed to the
perfect temperature).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about
sleep training, but never actually tried it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The risk of injury was too great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We took turns each night alternating who would get up with her and
prayed constantly that at some point she would outgrow this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 3 years old I had lost hope and my body
had grown accustomed to functioning on little sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then September 30, 2010 happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my last day of work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every morning Ella would ask me if I had to
go to work, then I would explain to her that mommy worked at home now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within 1 week she was sleeping through the
night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should say that now, Ella is a rock-star sleeper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kid can sleep anywhere and be fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She isnât fazed by hotel rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She will sleep as soundly on a blanket on the
floor as she would in a nice, soft bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She goes to bed without a problem (canât say the same for waking up) and
sleeps all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While those first 3
years were horrible, I would gladly go through them again to have the awesome
sleeper I have today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then comes AJ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were preparing for the worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
situation was completely different than before, so we had a plan of action all
ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With AJ, Joe is working and I
stay home, so even though I have to be up the next morning, my need to be
productive isnât as great as Joeâs need to be productive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, AJ doesnât take a bottle, so when he
gets up I am the only one that can provide what he wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As fate would have it, by 6 weeks AJ was
sleeping 6 hours or longer each night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By 12 weeks he was easily sleeping 9-10 hours without a hitch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then summer started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ahhh summerâŚwhere any sort of schedule you might possibly think you have
is completely thrown out the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ella was home all day and when we werenât going to a movie or running
errands, I was dropping her off at camp or running to pick her up from
camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we went on a lot of trips, and
stayed in a lot of different homes and hotels and slept in a lot of different
beds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the teeth decided it was the
right time to poke through, and they hurt and caused a lot of drool and snot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this combined completely ruined AJâs
sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a hotel you canât just let a
baby cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is in one big room
together, and there are neighbors and people in the hall, so rather than let
him just cry I would immediately scoop him up and do all within my power to get
him back to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AJ liked this
attention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now, here we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>School is back in session and we are back on his regular schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is back to sleeping most of the night and
only wakes up once around 4 am, then goes back to bed fairly quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am confident that by his first birthday Joe
and I will be back to sleeping all night.</div>
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<![endif]--><br />Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9201267026045678449.post-81871659989196657302014-09-17T13:11:00.003-04:002014-09-17T13:11:40.497-04:002nd Grade<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Here we are, on our 3<sup>rd</sup> week of 2<sup>nd</sup>
grade!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Ella was nervous about this year because she was really
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the person meant that she just needs to pay attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Itâs ok to have a question if you donât
understand something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ella wasnât
convinced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didnât help that we were
in Cincinnati during the school open house, so we didnât get to meet her
teacher until the first day. I tried to reassure her by telling her that her teachers first name is Katie and I have never met a Katie I didn't like.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Joe and I broke the rules and walked her to class on the
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teacher was incredibly nice and Ella already had several friends in the class
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<br /></div>
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At the end of the day when I picked Ella up and asked how
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</span>What a relief!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day she has
responded that it has been a good day. Some days she even says, "AWESOME!"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
far her favorite activity is when they get a âBrain Breakâ and get to listen to
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have heard nothing but glowing
remarks about her teacher (who just got married this summer), so we are very
relieved with how the school year is shaping up to be.</div>
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Last night was the school Open House, so I actually got to
visit Ellaâs classroom and talk with her teacher for a few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has some good ideas about things to do
for Ella, which Iâm excited about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
favorite was seeing Ellaâs self portrait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She even included little pictures of Sabrina and AJ.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP8gbjN05woVe4TZMh5zyCbroAAVRubU8I6dV3tdWlrdUzu5Kl-_2pmkgM72w93ipdgdew021ecnnviFjIlqXBTxtlsfAOkpB7RkLv4yJjJRc7gvtKXnY-Xj-2TuM0NfYmM95kJsd550/s1600/Ella+self+portrait+2nd+grade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP8gbjN05woVe4TZMh5zyCbroAAVRubU8I6dV3tdWlrdUzu5Kl-_2pmkgM72w93ipdgdew021ecnnviFjIlqXBTxtlsfAOkpB7RkLv4yJjJRc7gvtKXnY-Xj-2TuM0NfYmM95kJsd550/s1600/Ella+self+portrait+2nd+grade.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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So far 2<sup>nd</sup> grade is going great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all excited to see what the year
holds.</div>
Katie Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103701628951580351noreply@blogger.com2