Changes

So, I obviously haven't been very good about posting about our family for the past several months.  2014 has been full of changes for our family.  In February, Coley signed a contract for a position in Lubbock, Texas.  After seven years in Rochester, we moved across the country.  While we are excited to be closer to family, we miss our friends in New York.  

We moved to Texas in June and are getting settled in.  We haven't found a house yet, so we are renting.  It looks like we will be building a house.  We have identified a lot and are moving forward in its purchase.

Abby has one week left of summer vacation and will then start second grade at her new school.  Michael will start preschool the following week and is very excited.

Emma is growing up so much and just wants to do whatever her big sister and big brother are doing!

Michael's Baked Egg Challenge- December 2013

Michael's baked egg challenge at the allergist's office in December didn't go as well as we had hoped. This little guy went through the entire process without a problem, was given the okay to eat baked egg, and left the office before having an allergic reaction.  Back at the office, he was given epinephrine, benadryl, and prednisone, followed by a lengthy observation. No eggs for this little one yet! The chances of having a reaction so long after the initial exposure to egg is less than 1%. Here is my extraordinary guy not feeling so extraordinary. We are still hopeful that he will eventually outgrow all of his allergies! Baby steps…..

Still Catching Up from 2013….Preparing for Christmas

All right…. now that it's already FEBRUARY and I still haven't posted anything from December, I need to get my act in gear and get caught up.  December was a fun, busy month at our house.  Abby, Michael, and Emma were all excited about Christmas.  Here are a few pictures leading up to the big day.

Michael, Abby, and Emma "help" decorate the tree.  I'm not sure where Michael found his swim vest, but he wanted to wear it for several days in a row.  I guess he was missing the nice warm summer weather! :) 

Abby, Michael, and Emma get their picture taken with Santa.  Emma didn't cry, but you can sense her uneasiness with the situation as she pulls on her hair.

Michael loved "The Grinch" stuffed animal so much he took it with him to bed.

Catching up… Thanksgiving 2013

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to North Carolina to see Coley sister, Kay.  Coley's mom flew in from Louisiana for the holiday also.  It was a long drive, but everyone did really well.  We had lots of time to relax and enjoy each other's company.  We also went to the movie theatre to see "Frozen."  We had a great time.

Abby loved the tire swing in Kay's backyard. 

Sweet little Emma enjoys being outside. 

Abby had a great time with Kay's dog, Coco.  Here she is feeding him pepperoni.  He was one happy dog. 

We took a quick picture of the family with Coley's mom before loading everyone in the car for the drive home.

Abigail Rose

I don't even know if I can find the words to express how much I love this picture!  When I showed it to Coley this evening, he said, "It looks like she is looking at angels."

I love this sweet child of God so much and am so grateful to be her mother.

Thank you, Chet Scerra, for capturing such a beautiful moment that we will cherish!

Catching up…. Halloween 2013

I didn't realize how long it had been since I had actually posted pictures here.  Now that it's almost Christmas, here are some of our Halloween pictures.  Abby was Dorothy, Michael was a green dinosaur, and Emma was a ladybug.  We attended the Halloween party at church and did Trick-or-Treating in the Village of Webster in addition to trick-or-treating on Halloween night.  The kids had a blast!  They are already talking about what they want to be next year… :)

Here are Abby and Emma while getting ready for their costumes…. Abby was all white and Emma was all black.  Halloween in upstate NY requires layers of clothing.

Ride and Seek

Every fall, one of the doctors at the hospital hosts quite the event at his house called, "Ride and Seek."  There are many activities.... a petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses, pirate ship, tractor ride, pumpkins, food, games, face painting.... among many others.   

Michael wasn't scared at all to pet the chicken. 

Abby and Michael check out the goat. 

Michael and Abby with Dora and Minnie 

Michael was so excited for his pony ride. 

Michael wanted to hold the girl's hand during his pony ride when the ride got a little bumpy.  Once he got used to the motion and was perfectly fine, he STILL wouldn't let go of her hand.  I love the mischievous smile. 

Emma even took a little turn on the pony. 

Abby was a natural on the horse. 

Abby tells the horse goodbye. 

There really was fun for all ages.  Emma loved playing in the swing while Abby and Michael played on the pirate ship.

On the way back to the car, each child was able to pick a big pumpkin to keep.

It was a great afternoon.  The toughest part was convincing the children that it really was time to go home!