Lisa has done an awesome job with the blog this week while I was working night shifts. Also awesome is how many donations we got the last 3 days!! Suddenly, we have raised over $6000 and still going! Today, my brother came through for us with another donation.
Excellent excuse to share photos from today's bike day at preschool. The girls only have one more day at preschool...hard to believe. Tons of fun to watch the chaos unfold.
bikes lined up ready to go
all the kids had to walk the course first
"this is the direction that everybody will go!!"
...and GO!!
Katy had her head down and tongue out!
she meant business
favorite from the day
picture I took with the iphone
Hard to get an idea with the pictures how fast the girls were going. Check this out!
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that fact that we are now sitting at $6,045 for our current March of Dimes fundraising total. Thank you to everyone who purchased items from our online Longaberger show, Andy's parents (aka Honey & Pawpaw), Sam Shea's parents, and Nikole!!!!
What an amazing day! I woke up to flowers, cards, and a balloon. And not just any balloon, a minion from Despicable Me...I couldn't stop laughing. Well played Andy Brown! After breakfast the girls insisted that I open their gifts that they made me at preschool. Precious and hilarious is all I have to say...you'll know why when you see the picture. Then, Alyssa, Katy, and I spent a quiet day snuggling, giggling, watching movies, and playing games. It was...perfect.
Happy Mother's Day!
"Assemble the minions!"
Alyssa and Katy's gifts...a recipe card holder complete with an original recipe!
THEN
NOW
And I'll leave you with a few images of the girls arriving home on my very first Mother's Day, May 13, 2007
Well, you guys have done it again...I'm speechless!!! EVERY YEAR I am humbled by everyone's generosity and support. This year is no exception! Andy and I cannot thank all of you enough for opening your hearts to our family and allowing us the opportunity to give back to an amazing organization that champions the health and well being of mothers and infants across the nation. If I can spare just one mother the fear and stress of what I experienced, then all that we have been through and have done is completely worth it. Sometimes when you face adversity you don't know what the end result or change in yourself will be. For me, it forced me to re-evaluate everything...my priorities, my faith, my career, my expectations as a mother, and so on. It allowed me to honestly see what a miracle my twins are and how precious life is. It continues to remind me to be thankful every single day...even the TOUGH ones!
Thank you Kelly Hirano, The Pekala Family, Aunt Christin & Fam, The Wise Family, and Jeanee for helping to give me the SECOND best Mother's Day gift ever! What a day!
For tonight's post I thought I would share pictures from the preschool art show. Once again, New Horizons outdid themselves and put on another great event for the parents to enjoy. It was so much fun to wander around the room and look at all of the wonderful creations made by the children. Just plain gorgeous and heartwarming...
The walls were just COVERED with beautiful artwork!
Katy and Alyssa's dinosaurs
Hugs for sister...the girls were so excited to be able to sit next to each other at the performance
Telling secrets...as usual!
Alyssa cracked me up with her outfit choice for the day..."Mom, I want to be ALL white!"
New Horizons Preschool Class of 2012
Singing and Signing
A&K just loving being on-stage
Katy posing with her dinosaur titled "MissNancyasaurus"
Alyssa with her dinosaur
Alyssa pointing out her parade pony...I helped that day in the art room! So much fun!
Katy with hers
Katy's pig painting!
Katy showing us her portrait of ME! Alyssa's is the one right next to it!
Mommy Fail! Got called out by Katy...can you guess which statement is hers? Well, now that we have met our goal I guess I won't be on the computer as much! ; )
The girls standing next to their BEAUTIFUL sunflowers
Alyssa giving the thumbs up for her Whale
Refreshments with Miss Stephanie and her daughter, Madeline
More artwork to add to the BOX...planning to photograph everything and create a nice little coffee table book
Well, we're down to the wire! Only $900 left and 2 days to do it in. We have our work cut out for us!
Thank you so much to Cara, Donna, Louise and Terri C. who all made donations today!!!! As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm amazed by how many people in my life, both family and friends, that have experienced premature deliveries and the challenges that go along with it. I want you to know that I walk and make this push for donations for ALL OF YOU!!!! I'm tearing up as I type this...and great, now my nose is running. What, TMI? Andy can attest that I have shed a tear or two at the beginning of every March for Babies that we have attended. All of the emotions of our pregnancy and NICU time come flooding back full force...and I remember those who were not as fortunate as us. It's overwhelming. So I want all of you to know...and each of you know who you are...that I love you and I thank you for sharing your stories, both trials and successes, with us and allowing us to represent you year after year.
So here's a little treat from today...New Horizons Preschool performing "Each of Us is a Flower" (And yes Alyssa is wearing Katy's Cinderella gloves for the performance!)
So many of you have asked when are we going to have our 4th Annual March of Dimes Luncheon. I'm sorry to say that we have received word that we will no longer be able to host this event at Andy's office. While this news comes as a tremendous blow, we must move on, continue the good fight, and show our children that helping those in need is always the right thing to do.
A special "thank you" goes out tonight to Dan P, Kim, Nate, Becky, Aimee F, and our anonymous contributors. If you have been on the fence about donating, please reconsider. Just click on the March of Dimes - March for Babies link on the right of the page and it will take you to our fundraising page. Like I said on Facebook today, I am passionate about this cause because we have "walked in the shoes" of the women and children who directly benefit from research, information, education, and support that the March of Dimes funds. I know the fear of having premature twins. I know what it's like to have to leave the hospital without your child. I see it in the faces of the parents I visit with in the NICU and in the words of those at our support groups. Not a day goes by that Andy and I aren't reminded that things could have gone very differently for us...and that is WHY we do what we do.
With that being said...on with the post.
So today I was looking at old dance class pictures of the girls and it was another reminder of how much they are growing up and coming into their own. See what I mean???
Then (age 2.5) and...
Now (age 5)
The girls are pretty BUMMED that they will not be able to be in this year's dance recital, but they are SUPER excited about their upcoming flower girl gig! So I guess it balances out. Although, they did ask Miss Theresa if she would ask Uncle Keith to move the date of the wedding so they could perform. We all got a good laugh out of that one! While we won't have a recital video to share this year, I thought you might enjoy a look at past performances (forgive the terrible video work...it's hard to film, laugh and cry all at the same time) and each of the girls practicing their tap routine.
MONKEY DANCE 2010
**Check out Katy trying to steal the show...she kept creeping closer and closer to center stage in front of everyone (1:04) and then both girls take a great bow at the end (2:17)!
RAINBOW DANCE 2011
**Be sure to listen carefully on this one...you can hear Katy singing pretty much the whole time. If you can't pick them out Alyssa does her little solo at 1:11 and Katy does hers at 1:16!
We may be down, but we are NOT out! I know...a little ambiguous, but that's all we can be right now.
So let's focus on the positive! Thank you Ingrid Hemesath and the Dixon Family for your March of Dimes donations today and helping us give back to those MOMS and BABIES in need!!!!
For their birthday, Alyssa and Katy received a gift certificate for a manicure from one of their super-sweet preschool friends. So on Tuesday, Alyssa, Katy, my friend Kendra, and I had an all girls SPA DAY afternoon. What a blast! Pedicures for the moms and manicures for the little girls...ahhhhhh!!!!
Alyssa going first
A&K were SO excited, but they did a GREAT job holding still and being patient!
Any guesses on the color????
Fooled you! Alyssa picked a lovely shade of yellow...???
Katy's turn
Katy stuck with her "signature color"
FUN with the GIRLS!
Katy showing off her nails...
But we weren't done yet! The NICE ladies at the salon went overboard...flowers and sparkles soon followed!
I think we're in trouble...too cute!
Alyssa wasn't too sure she wanted the "extras"...until she saw Katy's!
Pink Flowers for Alyssa
THANKS AGAIN to all of you who have donated now and over the years! In our time of need, I would have been LOST without the support of my family, friends, and fellow NICU moms. My passion for this cause can only be explained by what I experienced. NOTHING can ever prepare you for having to place the life of your child (or in our case children) into the hands of someone else. If I can find any small way to spare someone that feeling/experience or bring comfort to those I can't, I will. Thanks for helping me!
