Prayers Needed

I know I haven't updated recently, and I will try to on Sunday (I just got back in town) but I need everyone to pray for Ethan and his family. Ethan was due just 3 weeks after Jake and has the same heart condition. Heidi (his mom) and I went through our emotional pregnancies together. He has had quite the struggles recently-he is stable now-and they are trying to decide the best course of action over the next couple of days. He could use all the prayers he can get!! Thank you!!

Amazing Friends!!

I know I am always bragging about my friends, but they truly are amazing!! So, here is another post about them!! About a month after Jake passed away I got a big envelope in the mail from Disneyland. Upon opening it I found this:

Along with a letter saying I had been given a gift of a brick at Disneyland from my friends! I sat and cried! I couldn't believe it! Everyone that knows us knows that we LOVE Disneyland and now Jake will be a part of it and we can go visit it anytime we are there!

Then, last week I got a package in the mail with this:

It is a replica of what Jakey's brick will look like!! Of course, his will be the red brick, but, I LOVE it!! It will be put in around August, so we will be able to see it in October when we go again! Any of you can see it too, when you go!!

Tyler and the kids loved it too! This just brings tears to my eyes even now!

Thank you to ALL of my friends that put this together! I love it. It was so thoughtful and meaningful to us. I truly am blessed with so many friends that genuinely love and care for me and my family! Thank you, ALL!! I love, love, love you!

Dancing Girl!

Maddie had her dance recital on May 30th. She LOVES to dance and smiles the whole time! It is really cute! This year the tap dance was to Hannah Montana and the Jazz was to High School Musical. I love her cute outfit, so does Lexi! Maddie loves performing and wearing the costumes and the fun make-up and all the SPARKLES!!!

Here are her good dancing buddies; Kaeli, Maddie, Emma and Brylee

Her BFF Kaeli

What a cute Daddy's girl! Daddy got her flowers for performing so well!

The proud Mom!

Her biggest fans!

I am still alive!! Haha!

I know I haven't posted in a while, and I am probably going to be kind of sporatic, so don't expect too much!! Haha! I am really enjoying my kiddos being home from school and I have told people that I have pretty much checked out for the summer. I will be back and forth from our cabin as needed for my sisters wedding, but I want to spend as much time as I can up in the mountains in the cool weather and letting my kids have TONS of fun outside getting dirty!

So, what have I been up to the past 3 weeks? Well, here are a couple things and I will post more as I get them! :)

My sister, Heather, is engaged!! YEAHH!!! She is marrying Brandon and he is a GREAT guy! They are getting married July 31st! I love weddings!

Lexi and I went dress shopping with her and Lexi LOVED the veil and the flowers! WHOA!! Slow down! You can't grow up that fast!

I have a photo of the beautiful bride, but I can't post it cause it's a suprise for her fiance! You will all have to wait!

Lexi finished swim lessons! She is much better and hopefully will be pretty drownproof by the end of summer!

The kids finished school! Yeah!! They both passed (with flying colors) and they are now officially 2nd graders! Here they are with their teachers the last day!

Payton and his teacher, Mrs. Carpenter

(don't ask what is on his head, I don't know, something like a fruit by the foot headband?)
Maddie and her teacher, Ms. Thomas

My baby sister, Katie, graduated from Westwood High School! She is the baby of 10 of us and we have ALL graduated from Westwood! As she says, she is the "Last the best of all the gang!" Congrats, Katie!

I delivered Jakey's Blankies. All 80 of them!! The staff fell in love with how soft and cuddly they were and how many there were! This was the letter I sent with them. Aren't they adorable! I even got to take some into some of the families. That was very bitter/sweet and I shed some tears with some of the parents. Wow, it's amazing how the heart connects people!

For Mother's Day the kids wanted to get me trip to Disneyland and Seaworld, so the day after school got out we drove over the SanDiego! About 15 minutes from Sea World Tyler says, "Oh Crap, I think I left the camera at home charging!" Yes, we left the video and digital camera at home! Then about 10 minutes later he said, "Oh no! I forgot the stroller!" Wow, we wondered how we had packed so light for a week long trip! We did ok at Sea World without the stroller, but we knew we would want it at Disneyland, and we go to both of these places a lot, so we didn't need a lot of pictures, but we wanted SOME, so we bought both of these:

We debated getting a real digital camera, but we just bought a new one 6 months ago and couldn't justify spending the money, so a $25 stroller and a $5 35mm camera was what we settled on! I have developed the pictures, but have yet to scan them, so I don't have any photos! At least we didnt' forget any of the kiddos or our passes!! HAHA! We had lots of fun!

Well, that is all for now, but I will post a couple more times of other things that have gone on! Enjoy your summer! I'm enjoying mine!

Baby Ellery

Just an FYI, I have a heart friend, baby Ellery, that really needs some support! They are doing a benefit for her THIS SATURDAY. Read about the info here: They are using this benefit to pay for her meds (around $200/month), and she now needs a helmet (around $3600)to help re-shape her cute head because of all the time she has spent in a hospital bed on her back.
Check out this benefit blog. Also, you can donate at any Bank of America by just telling them it is for the Ellery K. Mcbride Benefit Account. If you can help, that would be GREAT!! If nothing else, just check out this adorable little girls blog!!
http://www.babyellerybenefit.blogspot.com/