First post on new site. 

Here goes.

How are things?

Well. BUSY!  In such a good way!  Us, like the rest of you, are taking in as much sunshine as we can!  I never bring my camera.  But I will try more often!  We have been swimming up a storm!  Going to parades, watching fireworks, and weddings!

But, before I post the few pictures that I have, an update on Ike.

Well, he is doing amazing!  He still won't eat, but he will drink that ensure!  Since then, he has packed on almost 10 pounds!  He LOOKS awesome!  He has strong calf muscles like his dad!  Ike runs, jumps, and leaps onto everything in sight!  Today, in particular, was a happy day for me.  We filled up our little pool with hose water.  Which meant it was FREEZING!  Normally Ike would have avoided this seeing as he had no body fat.  But not today!  Today he jumped right in!  We put the slide in the pool to make a water slide, and that kid was going down on his stomach face first!  Such a different kid from 3 months ago!  These moments never get old to me!  They are normal.  This is what a NORMAL 3 year old boy should be doing.  Now we just struggle with him being 3.  I swear he must have held out from his two's!  Ike is a pistol!  The most annoying little brother you can imagine!  And fighting and testing me every spare second he gets!  I get frustrated, but deep down, my heart is singing.  I can do this.  Crying from pain that I can't find the source, that I can't do.  

People ask how he is doing, and in short, he has a great prognosis.  A  98% chance of a normal life after this.  A week and half every month is ruined with clinic and some other meds he has to be on.  But the other two and half weeks?  Normal.  The treatment is just very long.  Just over 3 years.  November will be two years.  So, a long ways to go.

And enough about Ike.

Some of the FEW pictures that I have is the weekend before the fourth!  The family went up to spend the night at my dad's trailer in Newaygo.  He decorated the boat for the fourth.  Ike and Laney went sort of tubing with Mom, and Gabs enjoyed getting into everything and trying to drive the boat!

I could not pick which one I liked most, so you get all three!

One day last week, I was burnt out on swimming.  All the laundry, packing , and wet clothes were getting to me!  So, we went to the mall!  I let Laney dress as a princess.  We ate Panera, played at the tree, and of course, the carousel!

Laney has turned into an amazing little person!  I really enjoy being around her.  She always wants her hair like mine, and is really into putting on make-up!  I totally indulge her because I love it!

Gabby.  Oh Gabby.  SO independent!  She learned to put her own shoes on!  And do you know why?  Well, because I put the yellow ones on her, and she didn't like them!  So, she took them off and put on the princess ones!  She sure showed me!  She has also taken to taking off clothes that she doesn't like as well.  We are also working on her speech.  Ike had the same problem.  She can say a few words.  But, really, she screams a lot.  So come September, if it doesn't improve, off to Ken-O-Sha again.

Our next clinic visit is the 16th.  Ike WILL be getting his spinal.  And I WILL be hiding his juice cups better!  So, that my friends, is an update!

Adios!