Forget breakfast in bed...

Corey had the girls have breakfast in the pool!

Ashlyn's First Day of School!

First, Daddy woke her up...
Than she got in touch with her peeps...
She's pretty important around these parts!
A BIG smile for her first day...
The teacher told her to take a seat anywhere and that big smile started to look a little scared!

When mom and Aunt Mary came to get her...
She let us know that she liked it but she got tired because they didn't give her a break!
Good Job, Ashlyn! We're so proud of you!!!

Feeling good!!!!

I know I've been bad at blogging lately (sorry!) but I thought I'd hop on and give Corey a break from his new duties. Doesn't he do a good job? Speaking of jobs, a week before my surgery I got laid off! This turned out to be actually pretty good because I had no pressure to return back to work and could heal on my own time. Well, when one door closes... I'm going to start working for a friend as a "virtual assistant" meaning I'll do all the office work for her child therapy office. It's mostly from home and the insurance billing work will be very similar to what I'll be doing as a physical therapy assistant. Plus, my friend is a super smart, super great lady and I'm happy I'll get to spend more time with her! I've been LOVING having Corey's mom, Cheri, staying with us to help me recover. She is a whirlwind and can give my kids attention, clean my entire house from top to bottom, cook dinner, wait on and entertain me, walk 3.55+ miles every morning AND read that vampire book that everyone is talking about! She leaves tomorrow to go take care of Erica, Corey's sister, who just had a handsome baby boy (Congrats Erica and Ryan!). Isn't she amazing? Thanks everyone for the get well wishes, they worked!! I'm feeling so great! Everyone has been so helpful, so thank you! Ashlyn starts school on Monday. She was orginally going to a school right by Mary's, that Mary did all the leg work getting info on the different options in Mesa (thanks so much Mary!). Well, I picked a school and enrolled her but failed to notice it was an afternoon program that wouldn't work. For about a day, it looked like Ashlyn wasn't going to do young learners kindergarden, but Becky called every number she could for Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert schools until she found an opening at a school 3 miles away! She was so amazing to put aside that kind of phone time while she's got a household of kids and daycare kids, so Thank you so much, Becky! Ashlyn got to meet her teacher and see her school and seems excited. Little does she know that she's starting a VERY long career as a student! Ava has been LOVING being a princess (see pict below!) and is so sweet to me. I wake up in the morning to the sweetest kiss from her. Isn't that the best alarm clock ever? Before I open my eye's, I feel her sweet little lips! It's the BEST! I hope everyone is doing great. How many parents are secretly a little glad it's that back to school time of year?






My dad and his family ( and Meiko!!) came by to visit after I got home from the hospital. What?


These are three luckiest ladies around to have Cheri taking care of us! Thanks, Cheri! My little princess! She LOVES the wedding dress. I've decided she should be a bride for Halloween.




We took this picture of Ashlyn at her new school at her orientation. Think she'll stay that excited?

Back from the brink

I've received orders from Sally to send out the good news that everything is going well! Surgery day was a bit scary, and turned out to be longer than planned, but Sally has come through like the champ that she is. The nurses kept commenting on her low heartbeat, especially under stress. Nurses would say things like, "that's the runner in her doing that." Everyone should be proud of your friend/family/loved-one that Sally is. She is so incredibly strong and she is an inspiration to me and those around her I'm sure.

What Sally chose to do was a complicated decision. It made me very happy and proud of her seeing her resolve leading up to surgery. But what is even better than being with her through her research, decision making, and planning phases, is seeing the point of view she now has after going through the biggest hurdle. She 100% feels that she made the right decision. Even though she knew what she was getting into, there is no way to really know how you'll feel after going through something like that. I could not have married a stronger woman and mother for the girls.

So without further adieu, here's some tangible proof of the current state of Sally. Looking good, huh?!? On behalf of everyone who knows and loves Sally, thank you for being such a good friends and family to her right now.

Just before going in.

Ashlyn wanted to rest with Mom.



Who's the ugly guy messing up the picture?

Plenty of love to go around at this house!

Time for hospital discharge!

We love you Sally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dog days of summer

Summer is always so much work!

Here's Ava navigating on her own terms.










Floating on your back?!?











We're going to have to be a dog family. We babysat Meiko for a weekend and it was a big hit. We kept asking Ava if we should get a dog. Her answer: "We already have one." It was disappointing for her when Meiko disappeared.












Mmmmmm! Cold cereal in the morning.

A work in progress.

Hijacked!!!

Sally got a job and has given up on blogging... so the creative responsibility torch has been hijacked! Just a quick update. We went to the zoo. Ashlyn got her hair cut and couldn't hold in her pride. Remember hole in the rock? Ashlyn doesn't grasp the concept yet of a slippery slope and the effects said slope has on a stressed out Dad. Dangerous times..... Ava loves snow cones, but Mom loves them more!

I got a job!

I start working at Countrywide on Monday! I'll be on the opening team, which means I help start the loan process. It's supposed to be very repetitive and boring and I'll be in a cubicle. I'm actually pretty excited. I'll have to dress up a little for work! I think Corey's more excited about that than me! That means I won't be wearing a ponytail EVERY day! At least not at first! The girls will be going to Mary's house, which Ashlyn is practically fainting over! She'd move in with them, if she could! It's part-time, so it hopefully won't be too upsetting for the girls.

I had my 10 year high school reunion last weekend and went with my good friend, Valerie. It was fun, although I think the 20 year reunion will be more interesting (Tom will have to let me know if this is true, I think his is this summer). After ten years, people don't seem all that different. It was fun to visit with Valerie and I can't wait until she gets married! They are in the process of looking at buying a house and they are looking far, like Peoria! I tried to tell her my neighbor's house is for sale, but no dice! That's all fun stuff coming up for her! I'll be so excited when it's her turn to have babies! She's going to be an awesome mom, and it won't be all too long before she's at that point!

Corey has been working a little more, which is a good thing for him. That means there is enough work to keep them in business! I haven't gotten to a football game in a few weeks so I'm glad I get to go to tomorrows game. He's devastated over the Sun's playoffs performance, so please don't bring it up! Hope everyone is doing better than our basketball team is!

*The pictures are from my reunion, painting with Ava, Madilyn and Trace, the splash park at the Zoo, and Me, Mary and Tami celebrating Mary's birthday (Happy Birthday, Mary!).