Life as of Lately...

A couple of weekends ago we headed to Calvin with Lucas' and Konings for our 5 Year Reunion. It was actually tons of classes reunions including graduating classes 00-09 and then every 5 years before that. I don't know why they do it that way that they include 00-09?? Anyway, it wasn't quite the turn out we had expected. I think we saw 3 other people from our class and hardly any that would have fallen into the 00-09 range! We saw online ahead of time that you could sign up for the pizza dinner ahead of time, but we weren't sure if we wanted to stay for that anyway so we decided to not sign up figuring that we could just sign up when we got there. We arrived about a half an hour early, hardly anyone was there, and they told us that the tickets were all sold out. They must not have sold any tickets that night--only ahead of time--I don't know how else they would have "run out". We probably could have stuck around and they wouldn't have noticed that we were missing name tags to eat, but we decided to get better food anyway at BW3's:-). Brought back good college memories as it's within walking distance of where the guys used to live--but it really wasn't quite the same being pregnant and having toddlers with us!! :-) At least we got to see the new field house--that was one my main reasons for wanting to out there. And we were able to show the kids where they'll be attending college:-). Only kidding, I won't be THAT parent! Well, maybe a little...:-).

The guys and the kids...

Our family...no, I did NOT try to make Layla and me match!! I realized it as we were leaving and with limited maternity clothes I didn't feel like changing!

Konings...

This was from a few Fridays ago at Kohls. It's a weird format b/c I took it with my phone, but it's a rare occation that these two fall asleep in their strollers! I thought it was too cute to not quick send to daddy:-). Em and I went to Woodland and had met Mike and Joe at the food court for lunch and then continued to shop--I guess we really wore the kids out!

This was before church yesterday morning. Layla got a booboo on her head early last week and it's finally starting to go away. I think she just hit a wall or something--her and Gavin were playing together when it happened.

On Wednesday my Grandma Raak (my mom's mom) had a very bad stroke. All day Thursday and Friday she didn't really even open her eyes or say anything. Friday night shortly before I got to the hospital she started "talking" and opening her eyes a bit, but we weren't sure what she was saying or even if she knew what she was trying to say. She also hadn't moved her left side at all. The doctor said that we needed to make a decision about whether to put a feeding tube in or not. If not, it would be time to move her to hospice care as it would be a matter of days before she would pass and if we chose to do the feeding tube, she'd then move to a nursing home, but even in the nursing home she would not improve from her current state. Em, Mandi (my cousin) and I decided to meet my aunt (my mom's sister) again Saturday night to discuss how we were all feeling about what to do in order to help my aunt and uncle make the decision. Unfortunately my dad and Joyce were on a Mediterranean cruise--my family seems to often have bad timing with crisis like this (my grandpa on the other side died during spring break--thankfully we knew ahead of time and cancelled our trip to Disney, when my mom passed away last December 22 it was such a bad snow storm we were worried about making it to Spectrum and back successfully, and when Em had Gavin at 31 weeks pregnant my parents were in Alaska and Joe and I were in Canada on a mission trip. I feel like there was something else too, but maybe that's all--just goes to show that it's not in OUR timing, but somehow it does all work out okay). Saturday showed no signs of improvement for my grandma--worse really--so on Sunday she was moved to hospice care. We talked to a lot of different people about what to do and many have actually been in the same situation and all chose to not do the feeding tube. I will miss my grandma, but I know that this was the right decision for her and it's what she would have wanted--laying in a bed not being able to move/talk/think is not how anyone would want to live--and if you know her you know how much she enjoyed talking:-). I am excited for her that in the coming days she will get to see Jesus and will also be reunited with my grandpa and my mom!! How awesome for her!!

Saturday night before I left to go to the hospital we celebrated Joe's sister's 23rd birthday! We had dinner at the Butler and then went back to their house for cake and presents.

Layla has begun to love Elmo (or Momo as she says which often sounds more like Mama:D). Gavin started to like him so of course now Layla does too! She enjoyed reading her Elmo book with Uncle Steve and Aunt Heidi.

Apparently whatever Layla is laughing about in this picture, no one else thought was funny:-).

I bought Layla a Halloween costume awhile back, but then a guy from Joe's work gave us this cute ladybug costume. I HATE real ladybugs--especially lately, yuck!!!--but I've always thought she'd make a cute Laylabug:-). And I even found Elv a matching costume:-). It's a little to big on her so we're going with the original costume I bought her, but maybe for next year. Elvis has another costume to wear too so I guess we'll just save his ladybug costume for next year too:-).

He's not a big fan of costumes, yet every year he cooperates and wears them:-). If anyone has a small dog that ever needs to borrow a costume, just let me know, he's accumulated quite the closet full:-).

I have my 25 week appointment today (and the gluclose test), so hopefully all is still well with RV! I was supposed to have it shortly, but they pushed it back to this afternoon:-(. I pray that everything is still okay--3 more weeks puts me at where I went on bedrest with Layla for being dilated early and effacing due to contractions! Recently I've had quite a few braxton hicks contractions, but not as often as last time or as painful--so hopefully that is all they are--fake contractions!! They might be annoying, but if RV is safe and cozy in me, then that's all that matters!