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What started out as a site to update on our daughter's cancer has thankfully grown into a site to update on our beautiful family of four. Enjoy our journey...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

pretty neat!

Finally, pictures!

Charli had a rough week last week! Monday night she started to feel warm and sure enough was spiking a fever, so we stayed home on Tuesday. I wanted to get her ears checked so we manged to get a doctors appointment on Tuesday morning. Her ears looked great, but her throat was as red as can be Dr. Anderson said. When she opened up she sounded confident that she had strep - but the test came back negative, which is a good thing. So we went home in hopes of resting it off! She did well as the day went on and woke up ready to go to Lynn's! Thursday morning she woke up with blisters on her...you guessed it - hands, feet, and mouth!! AHHHH!! WHAT - she hadn't had a fever since Tuesday, where did these come from?! After getting the doctors okay, we went to daycare. We were told that as long as the fever wasn't present, she was safe to be around other kids. I feel just terrible - I had NO idea!!!!!!!! One a cute side note, she had a blister on her finger - so of course she was telling me that her head hurt, her arm hurt, etc...because she was touching them with her SORE finger!! ADORABLE!

Here we are a week later and she has come down with a cold! I hope it is a short lived one, but we will see. She didn't sleep well last night, but we hope tonight is better - we are all ready for a GREAT nights sleep!!

Charli and I got to have a shopping day with Aunt Amanda on Saturday which we thought was fun! Charli did great, and Amanda got to enjoy the life of shopping with a toddler!

We went to the Lindsay Holy Family Bazaar on Sunday, there are pictures from that below! If you have a few extra minutes check out the posting from August 2007 and see how much Charli has changed since last year!!! Hard to remember...

Later that night I was asked to speak at the Separated, Widowed, and Divorced Group in Columbus about Charli and her journey. I hadn't done that for so long...it was nice! I took two of her scrapbooks and her 2-year photos. Everyone seemed to enjoy her smile page after page!

I know your here for the pictures...so I will get to them now!

PS. Charli started saying "pretty neat" and "pretty cute" this weekend...and you guessed it, it's 'pretty cute'!!!!




beep-beep

Amanda's pretty car!


Brad's cool car!


Charli is learning about cows at Grandma and Grandpa Borg's house!


hmmm...where is Charli?!


here ducky-ducky-ducky

high-five daddy!


high-five Amanda!


HI DAD!!

*sweet*

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

"happy to you"

I haven't downloaded any pictures yet this week, sorry!!

I just wanted to share a few cute quick stories about Charli!!

Since her birthday she has been big into singing happy birthday! I think having Chad's birthday the next week and having several birthday parties at daycare very close together she got to hear the song a lot. So each night before bed she wants to sing "happy to daddy"! But, since it is her cousin Macey's birthday coming up we have been singing "Happy to Macey" so we can be all practiced up!!

She has been doing a great job with potty training I think. She is still waking up wet in the morning but is doing great at nap time and during the day! She is getting very good at telling us when she needs to go, so we are moving along here! She LOVES to get her stickers after she goes, and has started sneaking into the bathroom to steal them! She loves "elmo" and "nemo" the most!

She had a sick day yesterday from daycare! She had a rough night Monday night and we went to the doctor Tuesday morning...the doctor thought she had strep but the test was negative! We can tell she is feeling better tonight because she is actually eating and drinking! Last week she had her 2 year check up and got a great report...she is still tall for her age, around the 95% mark at just under 3'. Someone told my mom a few weeks ago that (in his theory) kids are 2x as tall as an adult as they are at their 2nd birthday. If that is true, Charli will be marking in around 5'10"...a great size to be a volleyball player, and to keep a lot of boys away - tall girls are intimidating!! :-)

We hope everyone is having a great week and looking forward to a nice weekend :-)

Saturday, August 16, 2008

update

I know so many of you only come here for the pictures, so I thought I better throw some up pretty soon before we loose some faithful followers!!
I have to say that yesterday I attended the funeral of a great women, Stella. She is not only the mother of my very great friend Gina, but also the grandma of her little guy Gavin. You can visit their site which is linked to the right. The service was beautiful, full of emotion and love with beautiful music. I was honored to be a part of the many loved ones who came to show their support for the family. Gina is being so strong, but she needs everyone prayers as she continues to be the rock for her family.
Last weekend we attended some of the Columbus Days events - there is a picture below of Chad taking Charli down to see the "baby horsies"! (yes, I know horsies isn't a word!!) Last night we went to the horse races, and Charli is all about horses now! Last night they were "fast horsies"!!
Charli is really loving on her babies now and likes to take them everywhere she goes in the house! She even tries to take them to go potty, but then says "no baby potty, baby dirty" and sets it down! I WONDER where she gets the cleanliness and over-the-top organization from ?!!
You will notice some very amazing artists that were working on a mural in my driveway earlier this week! This was done in honor of the first day of school and all the kids who would be coming down the street! What you don't see is that on the sidewalk going past our house a hopscotch spot was even drawn!! Oh the detail that went into that project! There were several "funny" looks given by walkers that night!!
Enjoy the pictures - come back soon :-)
look at that long pretty hair!

new PJ's!


the beautiful work of art!!

reading her "Elmo uses the potty" book to her bear!


eating lunch with her baby! (who later had applesauce all over her head!!)


big girl!

This picture cracks me up! In Charli's left hand is a big goldfish cracker...and she has to walk with her hands up in the air so Kasper won't steal it from her! As you can see, he actively still tries to take her food no matter what she does to keep it from him! Kasper is in full jump-mode here ready to take it right out of her tight little grasp!! This is what she has to go throw every day...poor girl!!

playing with her new horsie from Uncle Brad! (and I am pretty sure Aunt Amanda too!)

I call this the "double-chin point" at the parade! She really enjoyed it and was so well behaved!


Charli and Daddy looking at the "baby horsies"!


I thought the red tractor and the green tractor were going to have a side-walk chalk pull off...


...but later found out that there were NO RED TRACTORS ALLOWED :-)


Monday, August 11, 2008

Please say your prayers….

Please say extra prayers tonight for my friend Gina (you can visit her site listed under “Gavin” to the right), she lost her beautiful, strong, and amazing mother on Sunday morning. Stella fought her battle against cancer with her family by her side cheering her on for some time. Cancer is a terrible beast, and this is no exception to the rule. This mom raised amazing children who are going on to raise their own amazing kids of their own.

So tonight while all of us go to bed and say our prayers, thanking God for all that we have been a part of today – please ask Him to keep Gina (and her entire family) in special care over the days to come. No matter your relationship with your mother, I hope that you say an extra prayer for her tonight. Actually…I hope you call her and tell her that you love her and how immensely important she is to you and your world. All that we are, we owe to our mothers.

Stella…you were amazing, you will be missed and you will be treasured forever. Your smile will live on, on Gina’s face and your memory will never fade.

Gina – we love you and wish you comfort in your days to come.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Let's have some lemonade!

We took part in the neatest thing ever today!! A co-worker and her family went to Applebee's a few weeks ago and their daughter, who is about 5 or 6, read about Alex's Lemonade Stand and wanted to do something like that for little Charli Ann! So, a few days past and I was told that it was a done deal!

This little girl and her "babysitter" for the summer worked on posters (one said "cancer stinks"!!) and food for the event too! The lemonade stand took place tonight. We stopped by around 6:00 and they had a cup full of dollars and a cup full of change! They were so excited and proud - it was truly amazing to see! They are donating their money to Charli, who is then sending it on their behalf to Alex's Lemonade stand.

What they are doing is truly amazing, I hope everyone can see that. These are just children, who saw a great cause and jumped on it. They didn't sit and ponder if they had the time, wanted to make the effort, or thought it was worth it. These are kids who heard that there are sick kids out there who need help, and really stepped up to the plate to help in a way that they knew they could. They even went down to their church to advertise their event! Whether they turn in $5 or $5,000 - I hope they remember the lemonade stand and continue to be amazing cheerleaders in the war against childhood cancer. When the help comes from the heart the amount of money turned in is really irrelevant, it goes beyond that. So, if you are reading this - THANK YOU from so many people who will never be able to thank you for themselves!



Charli paying for her lemonade and cookie!

Alli and Madeline at their stand! HOW CUTE!!


the girls!! (Charli and the little sister Lilly added!!)

Lilly and Charli playing on the playset! Looks like Charli is eating some step here!! ha ha

she really enjoyed the new playset, and the winding slide! Thanks for the fun Hudnall's!!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Sorry it has been so long!! We went to Colorado this weekend, and had a great time visiting Chad's oldest sister and family. Their little guy, Conner, turned one while we were there! Seems like a lifetime ago that Charli had her 1st birthday.

Charli traveled really well on the way out there, and did great while we were there. On our way home I think she got the hint that it was going to be a long ride and had a little harder time on the last 3 hours or so. But, we all made it home safely...which is what matters!

Chad will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow! I have celebrated 11 birthdays with him - that seems strange to me! I hope he has a great day! He works so hard for our family - and deserves to have a GREAT day!




I love this shot...so carefree!


sitting with mom :-)


M-O-N-K-E-Y



the best looking "dirty" sidewalk on the block!

Charli in her tent from her birthday!


picture by Charli!


I love this picture!

" ring-around-the-rosey" with Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma and Aunt Amanda!

just the three of us at Sesame Street Live!


"I'll take all three please"!

Charli had a BLAST at the show!

playing with play dough!!


naughty grin!

Charli and Conner taking a bath!


she was throwing cups of water on Conner...and he didn't mind!

Jen and Charli!

when "we" (charli) go potty we get a sticker...when we get a sticker, we put it on our nose!! :-)