Weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

To say that we are weary of this journey would be an understatement.  I especially feel weary tonight.  We are back at St. Jude after just being here last Sunday through Wednesday.  So we were home for 3 full days before we had to leave again.  I am weary of being away from home, I am weary of packing, I am weary of the 6 hour drive to Memphis, I am weary of leaving Wyatt behind, but most of all I am weary of the fact that my baby has been through so much.  I am sick of him being poked and prodded and put to sleep every other day. (literally)

We came here one week ago for him to have radiation simulation.  It is a procedure that they do to prepare for the actual radiation.  Most children have radiation for 6 weeks.  Reid is having something called brachytherapy.  If there is a silver lining, he will only have radiation for one week; however he will have it twice a day.  We received our schedule for tomorrow when we got here tonight.  We have to be at the hospital at 8:15 in the morning.  We are scheduled to get back to our hotel at 5:00 p.m.  Reid will be sedated twice a day for this whole week, and the kicker is that he can't eat until after the sedation.  This week is the week for him 2 weeks after chemo when his appetite comes back full swing.  So, now he won't get to eat until around 3:00 every afternoon.  I cannot imagine how this is going to work out.  Most of his sedations have been early morning, so we just tell him that he can eat or drink "in a little while".  But tomorrow when he wakes up from the first sedation, he will not be able to eat.  Please pray for this situation.  Pray that he will be okay, and that he won't be a total GRUMP and horrible to deal with between the first and second sedations.  Like I said, I am weary, and at times my patience is growing very thin.  Please pray for me to be patient.

Once the second sedation is complete on Friday, we will be admitted to the hospital for chemo #5!  It seems as if we just had chemo.  UGGH!  Weary once again at the thought of sleeping in the hospital for 3 nights.  Weary of Reid being hooked up to an IV for 4 full days.  Weary of the aftermath of chemo....no appetite, being in isolation at home for fear of others' germs, being anxious about him getting a fever and going into the hospital YET AGAIN.  Reid had his first chemo induced fever when we were here last Sunday night.  We went to the "medicine room" at St. Jude, and we were promptly admitted into the hospital.  We stayed there until Tuesday night.  We spent our Tuesday night back at the Grizzlies House, and then we left here on Wednesday morning at around 10:00. 

Here's a funny story about the Grizzlies House.  Memphis Grizzlies House is located on St. Jude's campus.  It is a short-term housing facility for St. Jude patients and their families who are undergoing treatment from one to seven days.  We have stayed here each and every time.  They have never moved us to the Ronald McDonald House except after Reid's surgery and only for 2 nights.  I was not a fan.  I just like it HERE at the Grizzlies House.  It is more like a hotel.  Ronald McDonald House reminds me of a dorm.  Anyway.....when you get here as a first-time patient you stay in a suite.  The suites have 2 separate rooms, a couch and 2 tvs.  We can be watching two separate tv shows at the same time, and we can be separated:)  SOMEHOW, we have gotten a suite two other times as well:  during the surgery stay, and TONIGHT we got another suite.  I don't know how it keeps happening, but I am so thankful!  It's the little things when you are WEARY, right?  (I have met a friend in Patient Services.  They set up patient families with rooms depending on the length of your stay.  Last week she told me we were going to Ronald McDonald House for this week's stay.  I begged her to let us stay here.  She called me later and told me we could stay at Grizzlies.  I then proceeded to buy her a gift card which I will be giving to her TOMORROW.  Maybe she is the little elf that keeps getting us the suites?!?!)

#6 chemo is scheduled to begin at OLOL on December 28.  There is another blessing in the fact that Reid will be feeling great for Christmas.  He is so excited about Christmas this year.  Friday night, he and Wyatt went to my mother-in-law's house for supper.  I came back home and decorated the tree with my friend.  Lance hid in our bedroom...LOL!  Lance went to go pick them up at around 9:00 p.m.  When they walked in the door and saw the tree they both had big smiles on their faces!  Saturday morning, another friend arranged for me to bring the boys to Parkview's Alumni breakfast with Santa before everyone else arrived.  My boys and I entered through the side door, and they took their pictures.  Then we left before the breakfast started.  I am so grateful that she thought of this for us.  God has blessed me with amazing friends!

Reid helped put on the final ornaments. He hung them all on the same branch!  LOL!

Because Reid went for 8 weeks with no chemo, his hair has started to grow back.  It looks like a VERY short buzz cut.  But it's there, and this momma knows how much she misses his hair now that I see it coming back.  But it is going to fall out again.  It took 2 1/2 weeks after the first chemo for it to fall out.  We are right at the 2 1/2 week mark after the last chemo.  So, I look for it to start falling out again any day.  Also, his eyelashes and eyebrows have fully grown back in.  Those will be falling out too.  Pray that I can deal with it again knowing that it will be back sooner rather than later.  His LAST chemo is scheduled for January 18th.  I don't know if that will be at home at OLOL or here at St. Jude. 

Please be in prayer for us this week:

1. Pray that FIRST AND FOREMOST Reid will live the rest of his days CANCER FREE.  Pray that this surgery, radiation and chemo will do what it is meant to do.  Pray that from this day forward, Reid will live a long and healthy life with no thought of CANCER every entering his mind again.
2. Pray that all three of us maintain our sanity with the twice a day sedations and no eating. 
3. Pray that the radiation goes well.
4. Pray that this weekend's chemo goes well and that Reid has minimal or no side effects (i.e. nausea/vomiting).
5. Pray for Reid's anxiety.  I have noticed he is getting more anxious as the months go by.  I contribute it to the fact that he is getting older and more aware of what is going on.  Pray that God will still his little heart with the peace that passes all understanding.
6. Pray that Reid DOES NOT get another fever after this chemo.  Pray we are able to stay at our house, in our beds from the time we get home this time until we go for the next chemo on December 28.

18 Years

18 years ago at this time, I had just met the man who would become my husband. We met at church in the College Sunday School Class at Parkview Baptist Church.  I knew Lance's roommate Charlie.  Charlie had invited Lance to Sunday School which was a HUGE class at the time.  I didn't meet him during Sunday School the first day he was there.  That afternoon my sister and I went to CORTANA mall (LOL), and he, Charlie and another guy from church were there.  We ran into them, and Charlie introduced my sister and me to Lance Kiger.  We walked away and I thought, "he's a cutie"!  I hadn't dated anyone for a LONG time, so I was FREE!  A couple of weeks later, Parkview had a retreat for the College group.  Lance was there, and we did a lot of talking and getting to know each other that weekend.  His version of the story is that I chased after him, but he (FOR REAL) chased after me.  He was riding bikes through the trails, and asked me to ride back with him.  I told him NO!  It cracks me up when I think of it.  I don't even know how he got that other bike back to the cabins.  I was going to graduate school at Tulane at the time.  He got my number (along with a lot of other peoples' numbers according to him), and he called me several times during the next weeks.  He said they were just "friendly" phone calls, but I beg to differ. I went on a cruise with my brother, sister-in-law, 2 nieces, Will and Kathy Rogers, and Kami Rogers Lambe the week of Thanksgiving.  I MISSED Lance so much.  These were the days before the hi tech cell phones we have now.  So, it was a whole week before I talked to him.  Right after I returned from the cruise we made it official.  We have been together ever since!  We started dating November 29, 1994.

 

I graduated from Tulane in May of 1996.  I was living at home with my parents and working full time.  Lance was also working and going back to LSU.  We bought a house in Gonzales in November 1998.  Lance moved in until we were FINALLY married on February 12, 1999.  I had just turned 27 and Lance was 28 (almost 29). We still live in the same house 14 years later.  We thought we would live here for 5 years!!!  We are blessed to have a $700/month house note which is hard to leave behind:)  But we are ready to move.  Hopefully it will happen in the next 6 months.

 

Lance started his own business in 2004 right around the same time that I quit my job at BCBSLA to stay home with Wyatt.  God has blessed us with steady business through these last 8 years.  Lance is such a hard worker.  He said he never really knew what he wanted to do until he started this business.  His dad also owned his own business, so I guess it was in Lance's blood.

 

Lance has had more than his share of heartache.  His dad passed away in August 2006.  His two cousins were killed in a traffic accident in April 2010.  We never anticipated anymore heartache.  I guess you think once you have been through a few tragic circumstances perhaps you are exempt.  But the greatest heartache came in July when our precious boy was diagnosed with cancer.  I have never loved Lance more than I have loved him during this crisis in our family.  He has been a rock for me when I can barely stand up.  And I have been that for him as well.  It seems when he is up I am down and vice versa.  The love and care that he has shown to Reid during the last almost 4 months has been so TREMENDOUS.  The tears that we have both shed must have filled up several bottles.  I won't lie and say it hasn't caused stress to our marriage.  It has caused great stress.  But he has loved me through the ROUGHEST TIMES I have ever faced.  And I have loved him even though it has been hard for me to do anything except focus on Reid.  They say that "that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger", so our marriage should be as strong as possible after this trial.

 

 

I pray that we never take our focus off of the One who brought us together.  This trial with Reid, and the other trials that Lance has endured have caused us to question God.  I think that any normal person would have a TREMENDOUS amount of questions as to why these bad things happen to good people.  But we know that God is in Heaven.  We know that we will see his dad again in Heaven one day.  We know that he has loved on our 2 babies that we lost through miscarriage. I always picture Mr. Pat rocking them up in Heaven--he loved little babies.  I can't wait until we all meet again.  God didn't promise us that we would live an easy life on this Earth.  For some reason our years together have contained more trials than some people ever endure.  But I pray that we glorify God in our hurting.  I pray that God heals our boy wholly and completely and that our family will tell of His great works until we all go to our eternal home in Heaven.

 

I don't tell him often enough how much I love him.  I always assume he knows.  So, this is my attempt to write it down for him and for our kids to have in black and white.  I love Lance more than life itself.  He and I go together like peas and carrots.  He makes me laugh on a daily basis, and I aggravate the snot out of him because I am not a neat-freak like he is.  But he knows he loves me despite my imperfections.  And I love all of his imperfections as well.  I am so happy that 18 years ago I realized that I was in love with Lance Kiger.  I have loved him every day since.  Through the ups and downs of this crazy life, he is the "one whom my soul loves".

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy and Sorrow

This picture was taken about 2 weeks before Reid's eye started swelling.
PURE JOY!!!

Reid was born to us after 6 years of trying to have a second child.  No doctor could ever find anything wrong with me or Lance.  So, it was "unexplained infertility".  We did a couple of things to try to help the process along, but finally I decided that if God wanted us to have another baby, then it would happen.  5 months later I was pregnant with Reid.  I also had 2 miscarriages while waiting for our miracle.

I was so joyful when Reid was born.  I knew that he was the promise of God to us fulfilled--in the flesh--to hold onto and love.  I NEVER thought that ANYTHING would ever happen to Reid.  If God answered so many people's prayers, then surely he was the PROMISED CHILD.  There hasn't been a day since he was born on March 23, 2009 that I have NOT been filled with PURE joy at the sight of his face.  He is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen...other than Wyatt of course.  (Doesn't every parent say that about their kids?) He is also so sweet.  Even when March rolled around, and I started dreading the "trying 3's", he really never changed.  He is still the sweetest kid around.  And he is thoughtful and has impeccable manners for a 3 year old.  He was definitely God's gift to us in our "old age".

Reid also had some kind of little "swagger" about him that Wyatt never has had.  I guess because he has been around Wyatt who is 8 years old and all of Wyatt's friends, he just thought he was big and bad like them.  There has never been anything he didn't want to do with Wyatt and his buddies.  He loved going to all of Wyatt's soccer, flag football and baseball games, and he thought he could PLAY too.

Reid has a love for life and all things in it.  I sent him to Mother's Day Out when he was 18 months old.  I cried when I dropped him off because he still seemed like such a baby.  They called me a couple of hours later and said, "Reid acts like he has been here FOREVER!  He is having the best time." So for the last 2 years he has gone to "school" 2 days a week at Crosspoint, and he has loved every second.  In August, when Wyatt started back to school, he asked me when he was going to school.  LITERALLY BROKE MY HEART.

As I said earlier, I NEVER thought anything would happen to Reid.  I constantly worried about Wyatt.  Wyatt had ear infections galore as a baby up until about 2 1/2.  He had his tonsils out at 4 due to strep throat that enlarged his tonsils until they were touching.  Then at 5 or 6 he started having MIGRAINES!  What child has migraines?  So, of course, I thought he had a brain tumor.  Thankfully, the migraines have subsided. Reid was my healthy baby.  He has had 2 ear infections in 3 1/2 years.  He has had strep throat once.  NEVER SICK!  So, when we found out that he had what every parent dreads the most to hear, I SIMPLY COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!  Not Reid. No way, no how.  He is a baby.  He is only 3.

Our original diagnosis would have involved chemo and radiation only.  The "new" diagnosis of spindle cell sarcoma involves surgery, chemo and radiation.  I have told so many people that knowing what I know now, if we only had to do chemo and radiation, I would be shouting Hallelujah!

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m., my precious boy will have a surgery which will remove his eye and everything in its orbit.  They will be removing all muscles, all tissue, and his beautiful eye.  Everything that could possibly harbor one of these HORRIBLE cells has to be removed.  Believe me when I say that we have STORMED Heaven for a different answer.  We even got a second opinion from Sloan Kettering in New York City.

I have never felt such SORROW in my whole life as I have felt over these last 3 months.  It's something that cannot be described.  I know that God knit him together in my womb, and that he is "fearfully and wonderfully" made.  I can't tell you how many times I prayed for health for Reid even before he was conceived.  Because of my "advanced maternal age", I knew that the risks of Down's and other things increased after 35.  I begged God to give us a healthy baby.  Because I was 36, my OB/GYN sent me to Maternal/Fetal Medicine at Woman's to have a very detailed ultrasound.  When the doctor told us that he was PERFECT, I was filled with JOY like no other.  I was so thankful to God for answering our prayers for another baby and a perfectly healthy one at that.  I have often talked with people about how thankful I am to have healthy kids.  I never took the gift of my kids or their health for granted.  So, God's plan was to bless us with a healthy baby.  I know that God does not give kids cancer.  The Bible says that Satan is the prince of this world. (John 12:31)  John 10:10 says that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."  When we are at St. Jude, and I see all of these kids with cancer, it seems like Satan is winning.  But God has a plan that we can't see.  I won't lie and say that I haven't been FURIOUS at God!  I AM FURIOUS!!!  I can't believe that my beautiful, innocent baby will lose part of himself tomorrow that can never be replaced.  I know that he will always be beautiful to Lance and me.  But my heart breaks for him for the world that we live in and how critical people are of "differences".  I pray that somehow, someway God will get the glory in all of this. We can't see it now.  All we can see is our beautiful boy who will forever be changed tomorrow because of this dreaded disease. And we have asked a thousand Why's.

We have been blessed beyond measure with our friends.  When we came home from St. Jude 2 months ago, there were gift cards totalling in the $1,000's that had been collected from our church Sunday School class as well as others.  We have had countless meals prepared and brought to us.  And finally this week 2 of my precious friends organized a prayer calendar that was filled up in less than 24 hours.  People are praying for us around the clock.  Even in the middle of the night.  I am in awe of this!  It has held us up this week.

Today has been a good day.  Reid has been so happy.  It breaks my heart to know what tomorrow holds.  A mom that I have met here told me that she always thinks of the hymn Because He Lives when she is feeling down.  So, "because He lives, I can face tomorrow....because He lives, all fear is gone....because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives."

Somehow I truly believe we will get through tomorrow and many other hard days to come.  My prayer is that this will not change my precious boy's self-confidence or sweet spirit.  Please pray that along with me.  My sister sent me a verse that her friend sent to her today.  I told my sister that she wouldn't believe how many people have sent me the same verse.  "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you in terror, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.  I will hold you up with My victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10  May God get the glory through Reid and his story!  We thank you for your prayers for us tomorrow and in the many long days to come!

Living Life Upside Down

To say that our lives have been turned upside down would be an understatement.  On Friday, August 3rd, late in the afternoon, we met with the oncologist at St. Jude who told us that the diagnosis had been changed.  Reid has spindle cell sarcoma which is worse than Rhabdomyosarcoma.  The oncologist also said that Reid's eye (not just eyeball) and everything in the orbit will have to be removed in order to give him the best chance for survival.  Then, he told us that we were going to be admitted right then to start chemo.  This journey is a roller coaster ride for sure.

We were admitted and Reid began his first round of chemotherapy late Friday night.  He handled his chemo like a champ.  We were released to come home to Baton Rouge on Tuesday, August 7th.  We drove in the driveway, and I immediately pulled out to take Wyatt to his open house at school. School started on Wednesday.  To say that we missed Wyatt over the 12 days that we were in Memphis would be a vast understatement.  We are very thankful for the friends and family who kept him busy and loved on him while we were gone.

On Saturday, August 11th, we noticed that Reid was breathing more rapidly than normal.  We called Memphis that night, and they told us to watch him to see if anything else (like a fever) developed.  On Sunday morning, we called the St. Jude Clinic in Baton Rouge.  Dr. Jones (the oncologist) told us to bring him to the ER.  We spent Sunday through Thursday in the hospital at OLOL.  Reid had viral pneumonia the best that they could tell.  He had to be on a nasal cannula for oxygen.  It was scary and sad to be home yet have to be in the hospital.  We knew that because of chemo his immune system would be suppressed, but we did not expect a 5 day hospital visit.

We leave on Wednesday to go back to St. Jude.  Reid is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday morning to see how the tumor has responded to the first round of chemo.  We will then meet with the ocular oncologist who is supposed to perform the surgery.  WE NEED A MIRACLE!  I cannot bear the thought of Reid losing his eye.  We can SEE a noticeable difference in his eye just from the first round of chemo.  We are praying that God has healed the tumor to such a GREAT EXTENT that the doctors will be blown away.  PLEASE PRAY FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR REID'S EYE TO BE SPARED!  

We will be admitted for the second round of chemo on Friday evening again.  We actually liked being in the hospital over the weekend.  It was quiet, and the nurses were very nice.

Please pray for me.  I am having a very hard time with all of this.  Pray for me to have peace that passes all understanding.  Pray for me to have strength to put one foot in front of the other and do what has to be done.

Pray for God to unfold something miraculous through this journey.

Memphis

We arrived in Memphis at about 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.  Lance and I HATE the word SURREAL, but there was no other word to use to describe walking into the front door of St. Jude's for the first time.  I have discovered that this is a roller coaster ride.  One day you feel good....the next day you feel terrible.  Today has been a good day, and I have no doubt it's because so many had us in their hearts, minds and prayers today at church.  We have not been to church in 3 weeks.  That's the longest we have missed church except when Wyatt and Reid were born.  I miss it!

Thursday we met with the oncologist here.  Friday we had an eye doctor appointment.  This week coming up will be filled with scans and tests.  Some will be repeated that were done in Baton Rouge, and some will be new.  Lance and I are growing impatient.  We are ready to start down the treatment path.  Please pray that we will be patient this week.

We went to the Children's Museum yesterday, and today we went to the Memphis Zoo.  Both of these places were very nice.  Reid is not "sick", so to think he has this terrible problem is hard to comprehend.

Many have asked what they can do to help us.  If you can afford it, I would ask you to make a donation to St. Jude.  Do you realize that EVERY SINGLE thing here is paid for?  All medical expenses AND all housing, food and gas/airline tickets.  Even our admission to the museum and the zoo were paid for.  And because Baton Rouge has an affiliate clinic, all expenses incurred there will be paid for as well.

Please pray for the following things this week:
1) First and foremost, for all scans to be clear.
2) For Reid's eye.  Pray that throughout this process his eyesight is not damaged.
2) For minimal pain for Reid this week.
3) For abundant strength and patience for Lance and me.
4) For us to be able to come home for chemo treatments. 
5) For Wyatt to have perfect peace.  School starts in 1 1/2 weeks, and I am here.  It hurts my heart to be so far away from him.
6) For our parents.  Their hearts are hurting as well. 
7) For Reid to live a long and healthy life once we have journeyed down this road. 

We are blessed with our families and friends.  We so appreciate that you are all praying for us!  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

"For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD."  Jeremiah 30:17

Life Changes In An Instant

Now is the time for the post I have been thinking of in my mind.  The post of how do I tell people such horribly bad news.  I can start by saying that this is a place I never dreamed I would be.  A place that made me cry on the inside for others.  I have always prayed for God to bless us with nothing but health.  I can't pretend to understand why this has happened.  A family that I used to go to church with years ago had a family member in Colorado during the shooting at the movie theater.  Thankfully she wasn't shot, but her friend Bonnie Kate was.  The mom put a quote on Facebook.  It says, "In every situation God is doing a thousand things that we cannot see and do not know."  I can't imagine why this path was chosen for us.  I would give anything in my power to change places with my baby.  If all he had to endure was what he endured last week at the hospital, that would be too much.  But to think of what lies ahead is suffocating.  I must trust that God has gone before us.  He knows the plan.  I must trust in His Sovereignty. It's the hardest thing I have ever done.

On Tuesday, June 26, I noticed Reid's eye was slightly swollen.  No one else in the world would have noticed.  The next day I was going to call his pediatrician's office, but decided to give him Benadryl and wait another day.  Reid and I went to our local library because Wyatt was at camp at Istrouma.  We actually ran into our pediatrician at the library.  She said it looked like an allergy and to keep giving him the Benadryl.  So I did that for the remainder of the week and weekend.  The next Monday I called the ped's office because it had not gotten any better.  We had an appointment for Tuesday morning, July 3.  I took him in, and I could tell she was slightly concerned.  She wanted us to go to an ophthalmologist.  We went to the ophthalmologist Tuesday afternoon.  She gave us some cream and told us to come back in 3 weeks.  Fast forward to Tuesday, July 17.  I took him back to the pediatrician because there had been no improvement, and it was actually getting worse.  She wanted an MRI done immediately.  We landed in OLOL at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday night.  The MRI was scheduled for first thing Wednesday morning.  A few hours later on Wednesday, we had a doctor in our room telling us that Reid had a 2 cm tumor over his eye.  Then an oncologist came in next telling us that she suspected Rhabdomyosarcoma.  A friend from high school has a son who was just diagnosed with this same thing in February.  How in the world is this happening?

A biopsy was scheduled for Thursday morning.  The surgeon told us that it would be a 30 minute procedure.  That turned into 1 1/2 hours.  It turns out that he was able to easily removed 50% of the tumor.  THANK YOU GOD!  He was not able to remove the whole thing because it would have been an extensive surgery.  The oncologist had already told us that he would not remove the whole thing.  After the surgery we were told we may know something by the next day.

Friday afternoon the oncologist came in to tell us that indeed it was Rhabdomyosarcoma.  She scheduled a CT scan and blood work for Saturday morning.  We had those tests done, and praise God they were both clear.  We were finally able to leave the hospital Saturday at around 1:00 p.m.

Today we found out that we will travel to St. Jude on Thursday, and we will have more appointments on Friday.  We are not exactly sure of all of the details.

A beacon of light in our stay in the hospital was our nurse Rikki.  She was an angel among us.  She contacted me yesterday via Facebook to say that she had been thinking of Reid and our family.  She asked me to keep in touch with her.  I was looking at her pictures because she said that she had a little girl that just turned 3.  On one of her little girl's pictures, there was the following Scripture.  "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 5:9  I am claiming these wonders and miracles for Reid.  He was never supposed to be born.  We were told we had a less than 1% chance of having another baby "naturally".  He has beaten the odds once.  We are waiting to see his second miracle!  God must have BIG, BIG things in store for him.

Please fall down on your face, and pray for my baby's healing.  Pray for miracles to unfold every single day.  Pray for peace and wisdom for Lance and for me.  Pray for comfort and peace for both Reid and Wyatt.  We are so thankful to our friends who have brought us food the last few nights, and for ALL of the gifts that Reid received in the hospital.  We are blessed BEYOND MEASURE with wonderful friends and family!

"But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."  Psalm 3:3  Pray for a shield around Reid.  Pray that he will be shielded from Satan's arrows.  Pray for a straight path from here on out.  Pray for minimal pain for Reid.  Pray that he would be healed!

Monster Mash

I have needed to write this post for, oh, 2 months or so.  But I just kept putting it off.  Reid's 3rd birthday was March 23.  A while back I got the idea of a monster themed birthday party.  It was meant to be because I kept finding things that fit the party theme.  And my friend, the master baker, kept sending me monster cakes and cupcake ideas.  Let's just say when I grow up, I want to be my friend Michelle!!!

We had the party on Saturday, March 24 in the evening.  The weather was PERFECT! Here is the birthday boy trying to figure out what he can get into next!

My very artistic husband made this cardboard "photo booth" the morning of the party.  The kids ABSOLUTELY loved it!

Reid and his buddy Brinkley!

My older monster!

And now to the moment we all have been waiting for.....the absolutely fabulous CAKE!  It is beyond words!!!  The kids fought over the cake ball eyes!

And the precious cupcakes were the "icing on the cake".  Ha!  

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Reid!  Happy Birthday to you!

Reid and his buddy Luke

Our little family

The party was so much fun.  For once, I actually was able to sit back and take it all in!  I think all of the little kiddos (and big kiddos) had a lot of fun! I had a table set up with Monster Mash.  It was like a make your own trail mix table.  Towards the end of the party the kids started making their monster mash.  It was a hit!  I think I will incorporate that into parties from now on.

I can't believe our baby is 3.  Time is flying by!  Makes me OLD and SAD!  Soon he'll be asking girls out on dates.  Kinda like this...

 "Hey Melia, wanna go out with me sometime?"  Too cute!

Our friends have quadruplets.  These are the 3 boys with Reid.  Their names are Madden, Jagger and Rocco.  I laugh with their mom all of the time because Reid only ever says Jagger.  He talks about Jagger ALL OF THE TIME!  We think that he thinks they are ALL Jagger!  It cracks me up!

And because she is just TOO pretty to leave out, here is the completion of the quads, Miss Sloan!  Love her....want to take her home with me.....but I think her momma would notice.  Well, on second thought, maybe she wouldn't;)

Reid's party was a great success!  I'm already brainstorming ideas for next year!  Our beautiful blessing is growing up!  And he never stops moving!!!

One Duck Stuck

When Wyatt was little he loved a book called One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root.  It rained here A LOT over the weekend.  Reid was dying to play outside on Monday, so I finally let him.  He put on his rain boots and went to town.  Until he got stuck!  One little boy stuck...

March is Here!

March is here which means someone has a birthday soon!  I can't believe that 3 years have passed so quickly.  3 years ago at this time, I was BIG and pregnant, and waiting for our second precious boy!  The infertility chapter was finally closing, and new life was coming!  He has been FULL of life since March 23, 2009 at 4:15 p.m. when he was born!  And we wouldn't have it any other way!

February Challenge 29-Something You're Listening To

Can't think of a time in recent history where I have loved someone's voice this much!

February Challenge 28-Money

Wyatt's piggy bank.  Cold hard cash!  LOL!

February Challenge 27-Something You Are Watching

I finally stepped onto the Downton Abbey train thanks to my mom and my aunt talking about it constantly!  I watched the whole first season in a week.  Now I am trying to watch Season 2.  I am half way through the first episode.  I love it!

February Challenge 26-Night

February Challenge 25-Green

Last year, I bought this cute plant at Walmart in a little tin bucket. It was so pretty, but then when all of the flowers died, I had no idea what to do with it.  I came very close to throwing it away.  I finally decided to plant it behind some other things that I had on the porch for the winter.  Look how beautifully it has come back!  I love it!

Our winter here in South Louisiana has been virtually non-existent.  We have had some really warm weather lately, which means the clovers are in full bloom.  It also means that it is time to cut the grass!

February Challenge 24-Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet

Yes, that is funky green wallpaper behind the cabinet.  We have lived here for 13 years, and my bathroom is the ONLY room in the house which has not been changed one iota.  We stripped wallpaper out of the other bathroom, and we swore off EVER doing that AGAIN!  The next owners can have that privilege!!!

Oh, and that bottle of prenatal vitamins is cracking me up!  Reid is almost 3, and I haven't taken one since he was born!  I think I need to throw those away!!!

February Challenge 23-Your Shoes

My newest pair of shoes.  I love them!  But they hurt!  Boo Hiss!!!

February Challenge 22-Where You Work

I am a stay at home mom.  So, I work at home.  I have many duties including chief dish washer.

It's ironic that this picture is actually of dishes that Lance washed! Among my other duties are laundry washer, sheet changer, homework helper, clothes dresser, vacuumer, duster, mopper, and bathroom cleaner.  I don't get paid for any of these duties.  Oh, and I almost forget, I am the grocery shopper and chef;)

Additionally, I am the secretary/bookkeeper for our business.  I don't get paid for that job either.  I am the monthly/quarterly tax payer,  income tax preparer, paycheck writer, mail opener, filer, and bill payer.

I very OFTEN think that I real job would be much more fulfilling in the fact that I would ACTUALLY get paid for all of my hard work!!!

February Challenge 21-A Fave Picture of You

I don't really have any favorite pictures of me.  But for some reason I like this one when I see it.  I think it's because my hair looks half way decent in it, and because I look tan.  Anyway....here it is.

February Challenge 20-Something You Ate

I made cake balls for Wyatt and Reid's teachers for Valentine's Day.  They were red velvet cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles.  They were super delicious.  We saved a FEW for us!

February Challenge 19-Something You Hate To Do

There are lots of things I hate to do.  Dusting and Mopping are probably two of the biggest things I hate to do. But right behind dusting and mopping, are opening the mail, paying bills, and filing the paperwork.  I have to do it for our personal life and for our business.  So, we get DOUBLE the mail through our door!  Good Times!!!

February Challenge 18-Drink

Lance got to pick our lunch choice.  WHATABURGER!  Yuck!

February Challenge 17-Time

It is 2:47 p.m. while I am typing this post.

February Challenge 15 & 16-Phone & Something New

My iPhone is new.  And it is my phone:)  So, this is a two for one post:)  I WAS one of the last people on planet Earth to get an iPhone.  And since I am the only girl in this house, I had to have a pink case.  I hate to admit how much I love my phone....

February Challenge 14-Heart

Homemade Valentine's Day cards from my two boys.  I think these were both from 2 years ago.  Wyatt made the top one for me at school.  Reid made the tiny little chubby hand print at church.  I have kept them on the refrigerator since then.

Reid brought this card home from his Valentine's Day party at school yesterday.  The inside says, "Your hand holds my heart!"

Sidewalk Chalk surprise for Daddy for when he gets home.  We wrote it in his parking spot in the garage:)

February Challenge 13-Blue

We went to a birthday party on Saturday with a Mardi Gras theme.  I took Reid with me for a quick trip to Walmart, and when we were getting out of the car he put on these Mardi Gras beads from the party!

February Challenge 12-Inside Your Closet

Inside my closet will NEVER happen.  At least not while I live in this house!  February 12 was our 13th anniversary!  So, I will post a picture of us instead:)

Our anniversary was on Sunday, so we dropped the kids off at my parents after church.  We went to eat lunch at Coyote Blues.  We hardly ever go out to eat just the two of us!  It was freezing cold on Sunday...just like the day we got married.

February Challenge 11-Makes You Happy

My boys are 8 years apart, so I often wonder how they will get along the older they get.  Will they be close, or will they not have anything in common?  At ages 2 and 10, they do not have very much common ground.  But once in a while, they have the best time together.  That makes my heart very happy:)

February Challenge 10-Self Portrait

This "portrait" was taken on February 1.  The day I turned the BIG 4-0!  We were eating at Outback, and Lance was taking pictures of me.  We were laughing so hard because they were all terrible.  So, I tried one.  It's terrible too!  But it reminds me of how dorky we are...especially now that we are old:)

February Challenge 09-Front Door

Similar to how I don't take very many pictures of the sun, I don't take many of my front door.  I guess this will have to do.  Look how dirty the front porch is.  My husband would be mortified!

February Challenge 08-Sun

Since I don't make it a habit to take pictures of the sun, I was at a lost for what to do for this picture.  I was going through my iPhone pictures, and I found this one of Reid.  We were leaving Hollywood Studios at WDW.  Lance and Wyatt had left us to go to EPCOT.  Reid was eating a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar, and making a total mess (and loving it)!  The sun was beaming down on us!

February Challenge 07-Button

I was about to skip over day 7.  I was looking at my iPhone pictures, and I saw this picture!  PERFECT!

February Challenge 06-Dinner

Monday night we ate dinner at Izzo's with my parents.  Monday nights are Kids Eat For 99 cents night.  Bubbles the Clown was there doing face painting.  We have done this only one other time, and Reid loved Bubbles!

Reid asked for a monkey face, and he got a monkey balloon as well.

Wyatt got a dragon on the side of his face.  (The boy with the dragon tattoo)

February Challenge 04-Stranger(s)

Last night we went to eat with friends for what was SUPPOSED to be a SURPRISE 40th birthday party for me. Except for the fact that my friend is a terrible liar, and I totally busted her! So, here is a picture of a table full of strangers behind us. When Lance and I walked into the room, all of these people clapped for me! And they kept clapping all night. It was really funny!

What WAS a surprise was the cake with the most HORRIBLE picture of me EVER from 3rd grade! It was really, really the highlight of the night!