The Meanest Mom

Last year, I threw Reese a huge 9th birthday party

(I admit, mostly out of guilt for all the short changed

birthdays she's had over the last seven years).

So this year, I told her I wasn't doing another party,

she could just have a few friends over to do something.

Big sister Greer and her friend Jaymie decided that

wasn't very nice.

They came up with a surprise party for Reese.

Here's the funniest part.

They went to all this work-- printed posters, made signs,

came up with theme foods and decorations and activities-- all based

around the theme of the Hunger Games.

But get this, Reese's friends hadn't seen the Hunger Games or get any of the games, food or signs.

Thankfully, that didn't put a damper on the party.

They still scarfed down all the food

and played and played in the pool.

I don't know how we'd throw a single birthday party

without Grandpa Bodily's (Gobily's) pool!

Whirlwind

Kean has done remarkably well in the healing department.

In fact, I only gave him pain meds for the first day

and he went to church yesterday and school today.

He's such a stud!

We've been busy.

I guess I should say, who isn't?  It is December, after all.

Greer and Reese joined three of our neighbor girls

to play elves at the nursing home.

Grandpa and Grandma Bodily (the Gobily's)

serve as Santa and Mrs. Claus each year.

 The girls were quite the talented elves.  Not only

did they pass out candy canes to all of the folks, they

serenaded them with several Christmas Carols.

 I just had to include this picture.

Aren't they the cutest?

I was asked to give a speech to about 150 women

at the Crane Creek County Club.

It was so much fun.  I didn't have to prepare a lick--

I was asked to share our Make A Wish trip.

At each of the table settings, they had a little card

telling the story of some of the Make A Wish kids--

including Kean.

 This was the group of ladies I sat with for the lunch

portion of the event.

It was so fun to get out and we raised enough

to grant two children their wishes!

 And finally, Greer had her school's holiday concert.

Remember, she goes to the Fine Arts school and is a 

"vocal major".  

She was selected to do a duet with another student--

and I have to say (and really, it is not because I am biased)

she and her friend were one of the very best.

 There were lots of great numbers but Greer and Nicci

sang their hearts out and had fabulous stage presence.

It was so great to see Greer 100 percent in her element.

The Show Off

Today was one of those jammed packed days.

Kean had Physical Therapy with Andrea this morning

and she tried to work him while I did a radio interview

on Baldapalooza over the phone.

He wasn't too cooperative.

 Which was kinda scary in that we had the Special Ed

teacher and the Speech Therapist from the school he will

attend next fall coming to the house to observe him.

Get this though, he was on fire for Maureen--

a total show off for the ladies.

 This afternoon, we dropped Kean off with my parents,

picked the girls up early from school and headed to the airport

to see Mark Moomey come home from serving a church mission

to Holland.  He's been gone for two years.

 Mark and Tim (in the middle) both worked for Byron

for a few years leading up to their missions.

So it was good to see "Slave Boy #1" and "Slave Boy #2"

reunited with their master!

 The girls and I had made posters to help welcome him home.

It was such fun to see him after all this time.

 Then it was "make sure the pool works" time at Grandpa

Bodily's house.

He's been getting it cleaned up and warmed up

for Greer's birthday party tomorrow night.

 Kean was a wild man.

I have a feeling we'll be living in this pool for much of the summer.

Steal, Shove and Bail

What a day.

Kean and I walked the girls down to the bus.

He couldn't wait for that big yellow contraption to come pick the girls up--

so off Kean went walking up Grandpa Bodily's long driveway

where he waited patiently for me to get to the house.

 He's so funny.

Once inside, it was a bee-line for the refrigerator, where he

had to take his jacket and

those pesky shoes off before he could decide what to eat.

Keep in mind, he'd already had a full plate of bacon, eggs and juice

before we left our house!

 He started this new thing where he stole Grandpa Bodily's toast,

took a bite, then went over and force fed Grandma Bodily.

 It was so much fun, he decided to give Grandpa Bodily

a bite of what was originally his toast anyway.

 You've never seen the kid so proud of himself.

 I thought with his good mood, he'd be a rock star in Speech Therapy.

Um, nope.  Try a total pill.

He was 96 percent uncooperative.

Sigh.

But we did get a pretty good run out of him for

horse therapy today.

 Meet Team Kean:

Candice is the horse therapist and Clark is helping

with everything from getting the horse ready to taking Kean

around the arena and for walks around the ranch.

 We all have to be on our tip toes-- Kean is into this suddenly bailing

off the horse and thinks it is quite funny.

Ha, ha, yeah right.

I'm getting to practice using those cat like reflexes.

Luckily, I have these two to help try to keep him upright!

Trust me, we have our work cut out for us.

p.s. heavy Chemo tomorrow.  I can't believe a month has passed

since the last round.  Feels like about two weeks.

Guess that's good that it is going so fast!!

Aglow

Those cute neighbors of ours, the Bodily's gave us our Christmas

gift tonight-- they took Kean for the evening and sent us

to the Winter Gardens Aglow-- the Botanical Gardens

decked out in their finest.

 And while it was a bit nippy,

the girls kept us oohing and awing.

 Really, the place is amazing...

stunning.

 It seemed everywhere we turned the girls were like

"Dad-- take a picture of us here".

 We are now officially caught up in the spirit of the holidays

and ready for the big day.