Getting better

Thanks to all you guys for your sweet words about Zoey. She is doing much better and is not fighting the inhaler anymore, yipee! Now for those of you who know our family really well, you know that nothing is every easy going. We probably have the worst luck in the history of the world, so here goes. I have shingles. Yeah! Let me tell you, it's not fun and I don't think it will ever go away. I had always heard from patients (that are over 70) that it was very painful, etc. Well they weren't kidding. It feels like someone kicked me really hard. I thought I had a bite and when it didn't get better after a few days and other spots developed I went to my doctor Friday, one look and she said, "Shingles". I was like you are joking me! Anyway I hope you all had a great weekend and aren't floating away from Fay and the rain she is bringing us. We needed it!

My Best Friend's New Baby Boy

Introducing: Luke Richard Morris

I just love baby feet!!!!

Last weekend Madison and I took a girls trip to Brentwood, TN to see my best friend Tricia and her family. They just had their second baby, a little boy, Luke. We had a great time just getting to catch up. Madison loved getting to hold the baby and did a really good job. Tricia and Jon live in a beautiful house and I just had to post pictures of this fabulous room that Madison and I got to stay in. Madison said she felt like we were stars sleeping in this bed. Tricia and Jon's little girl is Ella, will be three in December and she is such a beautiful little girl and so sweet. I sat for about 5 minutes while Luke slept trying to get this smiling picture. It's so sweet when babies make such precious faces when they sleep! We had really great visit!

My Brother's 10 Year Reunion-Geez I'm Old

My whole family actually together for a picture moment!
Several weeks ago my brother Joseph and his wife Summer came to Huntsville for his 10 year high school reunion. My brother is in the Coast Guard and they live in Valdez, Alaska, so needless to say we don't get to see them very often. My dad and Joseph are forever goofballs!

The last time we saw them was around Thanksgiving last year so they hadn't even seen Zoey before. We all went up to my parents for the weekend so we could get to spend some time with them. Zoey took to them really well. She is still timid around strangers, but took to Summer first and was taking her toys and even drinking her bottle next to her. By the end of the weekend she was doing the same with Joseph too. It was a really fun weekend for all of us. Madison LOVES her Aunt Lee and cousins!

Saturday afternoon we drove over to Guntersville to eat lunch at Wentzels (I think that's how you spell it), which was delicious! It's an oyster house and seafood restaurant that originated in Mobile I think and Joseph and Summer used to live in Mobile before moving to Valdez. It's right on the water, so you can walk down to the pier. Saturday night was the formal event for his reunion so we all took these great pictures of them. Me and Lee love to see our "little brother" in his dress uniform. He's so handsome! And Summer is so beautiful!

Aren't they sweet!

Me and my sweet babies!

Cousins are great to have around to keep me out of trouble! We always have fun when we are all together. We miss Joseph and Summer all the time. Next year they will be getting transferred somewhere else, we are hoping somewhere tropical! The weekend after that I had to go to a conference in New Orleans and Vince was cleaning house while I was gone. He had put the dog out on the deck and Zoey decided to go out and join her. That's when Vince took these cute pictures of them. Zoey loves Gow (Scout) as she calls her. It's so sweet! This funny picture is from when we were trying to capture a family picture of ourselves and Zoey gave us the "one eye"! I had to post it because she looks to hilarious!

My sick baby....

So Zoey has had a cold (I thought) for over a week. I had the pediatrician call in some cough syrup last week to help her to sleep, but she is in daycare and teething. Well over the last two days she has coughed so hard that she has thrown up so I decided yesterday it was time to go to the doctor. Well guess what, she has pneumonia. I felt so awful when the doctor told me that after her chest xray, but she said since she hasn't run any fever or acted like she felt bad that most people wouldn't have brought the child in either. Well she has an albuterol inhaler (which is soooo fun to try to do with her) and antibiotics for the sinus infection. Anyway, just keep her in your prayers for a fast recovery. We go back in two weeks for a repeat chest x-ray. She slept so much better last night after using the inhaler, so I think she will feel much better soon.

Another family update

I am so behind on blogging it's not even funny. I even had to look and see the date of when I last posted. In the last few weeks there hasn't been a whole lot of new and exciting things going on. I have tons of pictures to post and will try my best to do that this week. Madison started school last Thursday and it looks like it is going to be a great school year. Thanks to all of you who have kept her in your prayers. So far we are off to a great start. Her teacher is AWESOME, her room looks like a boutique, too cute for words! We've already had a project to do, which was helpful for me too because I learned how to burn a CD of pictures, so I finally put my China pictures on a CD, YEA ME! Zoey is babbling more and running, yes running. She makes some animal sounds (not quite the right ones but she's trying) and it's too cute. She is so fun, but also has her moments. She has to stay on her sleep schedule or you better watch out because she will be ill! I had to go to a conference a few weeks ago and Vince kept the girls for two nights by himself and of course did great. He had no problems whatsoever, which I knew he wouldn't. The weekend before last we went to Huntsville to visit my parents and to see my brother and sister-in-law who had flown in from Alaska for a week. We only get to see them about once a year so they haven't gotten to see Zoey. We had such a great time getting to visit and she had fun with them too. Joseph's 10 year high school reunion was last weekend so they had a really great time getting to visit with his old friends too. Friday night we gathered around the TV to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. How amazing! I don't if you all watched it, but if not it was breathtaking! It was so interesting to watch because of all the cultural things that China included, we loved watching it and are hoping to keep it for Zoey in the future. It was kind of weird to me that I was just as excited when the Chinese came into the stadium as I was when the USA made their entrance. I guess I should've expected it as China will always have a place in my heart now. Madison even said that she wished we could adopt the boy that came in with Yao Ming. It was really great to watch. This past weekend Vince and I celebrated our 11 wedding anniversary on August 9. We went with some friends to see Journey in concert at the amphitheater, which was great. We had just as much fun people watching as listening to the concert. It had been a long time since we had been to a concert, it was really fun! Madison and I are going to Nashville this weekend to see my friend Tricia and her new baby, Luke. I can't wait! I always look forward to seeing her and getting to see the baby is a bonus! Hope everyone is having a great start to the school year. I can't believe summer vacation is already over. I'll try to get all these new pictures posted soon!