Thankful Thursday

~As promised my #1 thankful for the week is being cancer free! All my tests came back awesome, with no trace of cancer. The results were SO good that my doctor even mentioned the "c" word (cured but she doesn't really say that out loud =)! I won't have to have full body scans in the future probably just neck ultrasounds every few years to make sure all is still good. (Thank you for all your prayers!)


~Antibiotics...Aidan, Alayna & I all came down with strep throat last weekend! But, thanks to those great meds we are all back to the land of the living.


~Closed mouth kisses (finally) from one adorable toddler with a sweet little "pah" afterward to mimic the kissing sound.


~Alayna keeps amazing us with her speech development, she is making more attempts at words (she says "pen" while signing open) and using the first sounds of things to ask for things like beh for bear.

~Today is the final day of summer therapy for Alayna. Thankful that we get to enjoy the last 2 weeks of summer before Aidan starts back to school. Also, thankful that all her therapies in the fall are scheduled in the mornings instead of the afternoons like they are now. That does my momma heart good as I won't have to wake up a sleeping toddler to go to therapy...something feels so wrong when I have to wake her up for therapy.

I could go on and on about thankfuls like...air conditioning (it is crazy hot and humid here), safe travels for Jason last weekend as he traveled to New Jersey to watch his favorite English football club play, and family from England coming in today to meet Alayna for the very first time.
BUT, I will stop and turn it over to you for a thankful or two from your week...

Skinny dippin'

What do you do when the heat indices reach 110°-115 ° for several days in a row?


Skinny dippin' of course!

Alayna loved splashing around in the backyard pool for a couple seconds until her big brother was indignant and wouldn't get in because he was sure she would pee in the pool. After an added swimmer they both had a great time cooling off.


When she was finished swimming she came in and took her bath and got on her new, big girl, princess pj's. I nearly cried just seeing them on her.

Is it me or does she look SO BIG?

Thankful Thursday

~Vacation week...having Jason home each day!

~Jason taking care of everything this week (house, kids, Alayna's therapies, VBS, shopping etc. while I rest as I am having my complete body scan tomorrow to ensure that I am still cancer free - That will be at the top of the thankful list next week! Stay tuned.)

~Dinner with friends - Great food, great times, great laughter...does it get any better?

~Days out with the family but getting to sleep in my own bed each night.

~Silly little girls who love kissing themselves in the mirror.Your turn, what are you thankful for this week?

Monday museum tour

Jason is on vacation this week. We are staying home & going to enjoy family time taking in a few sites here in the city that we haven't experienced.

Today while us girls went off to play at baby class the boys went to the money museum.

Aidan thought it was pretty cool that he got to be made into money. Go ahead check your wallet that is Aidan on that $100K note! =)

They even both came home with a bag of money around $165 in each bag. That will make for some fun spending money....well ok maybe not it was old, retired bills that were shredded but they had fun and enjoyed the museum all the same.

They also went to the airline history museum and had fun looking at all the planes. Aidan enjoyed checking out all the cockpits and comparing the planes. Pop Pop you should have been here to go with them, Aidan said you would have loved it.

The boys are off to VBS every night this week and Alayna and I are going to enjoy some quiet girl time while they are gone.

Step up for Down Syndrome

What a fantastic year it has been for us, Are you ready to Step Up for Down Syndrome?

We hope that you are able to come out and join us in celebrating Alayna, LC and the newest addition to the Heigele clan, Jace! Hence the name change from BoomBoom Cannonball to 3 Musketeers: Alayna, LC & Jace. For some reason Jace was protesting wearing a tutu!

On Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9am-1pm at Arrowhead stadium we are celebrating all those with down syndrome.

All money raised goes to the Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City. This terrific organization supports not only our family but over 1,100 other families here in the area that have a loved one with a little extra something. When you join the team you get a t shirt with the 3 Musketeers name on it, lunch, food, fun etc.

We would love it if you can come walk with us (click on the picture to register). The day is one GIANT celebration (warning: be prepared to have fun!), but even if you can't be here in person you can still support us by clicking on the picture and donating or by holding up our team in prayer.

Hurry, check your calendars, pencils us in as August 27th is the last day to register to walk with our team name on the back of your t shirt (you can still register even at the walk but, your t shirt won't have our name on it.)

Can't wait to share the day with you.

Happy Anniversary...thankful Thursday

I couldn't be more thankful than the blessing of Jason in my life.

Nine years ago today we committed our lives to each other on that beautiful gazebo overlooking the beach at Destin, Florida.

Who knew from that vacation to England I took with a friend in June 2000 that 10 years later I would be able to look back in awe of how God brought us together.

Jason, I not only love you for the sweet man I met a decade ago but for the God centered, family man that you have grown into over the years.

You make me laugh and help me not take life so serious. As I watch you play and laugh with the kids I fall in love with you all over again. I am proud to call you my husband.

There have been so many wonderful memories already. I look forward to celebrating many more years together.

Happy anniversary, I love you no end!

Back to school blues...

We started back to Alayna's therapies yesterday after our 2 week break. I think I need another 2 week break just to recover. If Alayna wasn't sound asleep 2 minutes after leaving school I would have let her drive home and I would have taken a nap. We must have been slackers on our vacation time because we were both extremely worn out.

Jason & I painted our master bedroom and bath over the weekend. So hours standing on a ladder did me in...here is Alayna modeling the new color with our new shower tile job. (If you never saw our bedroom before it was a bright pink...think pepto bismol on steroids). So happy to have a new shade that we both love.

Today I noticed Alayna singing the yummy thumby song which means she has more teeth coming in...After further inspection she has another molar working it's way in.

She is loving using all her teeth though. Yesterday we found out that she loves granny smith apples whole. She was chomping and crunching and loving every minute of it. I have always given her applesauce hadn't even considered regular apples but, Aidan was eating one and she was determined too also.

She enjoyed some playtime at the pool today but, definitely wasn't her happy go lucky self all the time, those molars hurt!


Since we spent all afternoon at the pool we had to hurriedly make something for dinner. Thankfully my little helper pulled out all stops (& everything else in the cabinets) and had something whipped up in no time.

Thanks Alayna you are a great sous-chef!

Thankful Thursday

~ Alayna is starting to use two words together in spoken language, today she said "hi daddy" when I was talking to Jason on the phone and when he walked in from work she plainly stated, "Hi dad". She also says Hi Ellie/Champ to our dogs.

~Two weeks of therapy free down time!

~Fabulous family time! Some people have hobbies like movies, reading books, shopping, travelling etc. I would have to say my favorite hobby is spending time with my family. I LOVE my family and would rather be with them doing something than doing anything else in the world.

This week we have had fun fishing, bike riding, playing ball, tickle time, laughing endlessly, eating fabulous caramel, banana milkshakes compliments of Jason, enjoying some great BBQ (Alayna would say the ribs top her thankfuls this week, she seriously ate more than I did both times we have had them.)

~Aidan vacuuming out my van and cleaning his room...spotless, without being asked.

~Finally I am thankful that Aidan & Alayna were able to spend so much quality time with Grandma and Pop Pop while they were in town. Both kids are VERY attached to them. Happy travels, we will see you in the fall.

Here is a little clip of Papa bear and his little cubs, they followed him all over the house, up the stairs and up and down the hallway before I grabbed the camera.

We love hearing your thankfuls so throw some at us....

4th of July weekend...

Freedom, Family time, friends, food, fishing, fun,

...Fourth of July !!!

We are so thankful for all we have here in America and for those who protect our freedom. Above all we thank our God in Heaven who created this magnificent place for us to enjoy.

It truly is America the Beautiful!

Even the handsome British guy in our house enjoys time off to indulge in some quality family time. We had a great afternoon fishing on Saturday, except Aidan couldn't catch a fish to save his life. Jason literally put the worm on for him and dropped the line in and before he could hand off the fishing pole there was a fish on...albeit the tiny, fun to catch ones. Can you say fish sticks?

It sprinkled a bit while we were there but, was a great time together.

I love watching the ripples on the water so I sat and enjoyed the peaceful stream as the three adventurers walked upstream and waded around.

Sunday we enjoyed the day with our regular church service, a long napping afternoon for Alayna then we were off to Uncle Ed & Aunt Jane's for a bar b que and some fireworks.

Alayna enjoyed being the center of attention. She was passed around like a hot firecracker and loved every minute of it. Here she is playing peek a boo with her cousin, Kara.




We all enjoyed the fireworks and had a great evening. Thankfully the rain held off and just as we finished our fireworks it started to rain!

We are looking forward to a lazy family day tomorrow.

We hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

Thankful Thursday

~A super successful family picture session last Saturday with Sophia Theodore

~A good hearing test and ENT appointment for Alayna

~A beautiful week with a slight break in the summer heat

~Tea parties with my two cuties (even though one 7 year old wasn't really interested until he found out you really got frosted animal crackers at this party!)

~Alayna has added so many things lately: using just her pointer finger to point to objects in books (it looks so adorable with all those little fingers tucked away and that cute little pointer all by itself), many animal sounds to go with the signs (oo for moo, bak, bak for chicken, rrr for lion, raspberry for an elephant), she laps me when we are in a crawling race and is SO motivated to get up and walk to keep up with Aidan but isn't quite there yet.

~My last thankful is that bond that Aidan & Alayna have.

Don't get me wrong sometimes he would rather not have her constantly following him as any sibling (but he does LOVE the attention). That boy truly LOVES his baby sister.

In the past few weeks when she has gotten hurt he always comes to comfort her, at the ENT's office when they were cleaning her ears out he was compelled to get up and come over to pat her as she squirmed on the exam table (the doctor was quick to let him know she wasn't hurting Alayna =), he can motivate her to do almost anything...she can crawl up the stairs at lightening speed to jump into the bath and play with him or push the push toy around the house or even push him on her tricycle.

I sit in awe and watch them grow bonded and thank God for the blessing that these two are not only to me but also to each other.

Have a safe & fantastic holiday weekend...