A Tribute to Mom/Grandma

This entry is dedicated to our Mom and Grandma, who passed away this past Monday.  Her heart overflowed with love for her children and she was so very proud to be a grandma.  Mom/Grandma: we love you and you will be deeply missed.

Pictures of our girls!

"I'll be sitting on my own soon..."

It's warm enough to wear dresses now!

"Watching basketball with my daddy"

"I'm having a turn with this puzzle while Stella takes a nap!"

Toby came over to watch a movie and Stella was soooo excited!

Hanging out in the garage

"It's hot out - I need to rest with mom and have a drink!"

"I'm a big girl and don't need your help dad!"

Passing Days

We so very much look forward to weekends when we get to spend quality time with our girls.  If only they didn't pass so quickly...

Thank you to Michelle White for helping us expose Stella to the world of Art - she really enjoys painting!

Stella has practically transformed into a little lady right before our eyes and it feels like we somehow missed it!  We simply can't believe some of the things she does and says.  At gymnastics this weekend she fully participated in all of the activities for the first time and it was as if she's always been doing that.  She's taken a liking to (and seems to prefer over Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) Little Einstein's and pats and sings along.  She tries to have conversations with Claire-Bear regularly.  As her pediatrician has said 'she's a character'!

Claire brings a smile to everyone around her.  She is generally in a happy mood and has such a big smile.  She's almost 13 lbs. and is starting to sleep longer stretches at night which is nice for us!

Saturday was such a fun day for us.  After Gymnastics we spent the afternoon at Grammie & Pa's house.  Grammie watched the girls so we could watch Larries basketball, and afterward we all headed to the Spicy Iguana for dinner.  It was a good day!  Sunday was nice too, we relaxed around the house, took naps, and played outside a bit.  It seems like warm weather is headed our way which we are excited about!

Happy Girls

Both our girls are growing so quickly!  Claire is doing a great job learning how to hold toys and bring them to her mouth, and Stella has become such a big girl.  Stella is feeling much better but has to take an inhaled steroid twice per day for the next month.  We are sad to see her requiring this kind of care but trust that her pediatrician hasn't decided this lightly.  We want to make sure she stays strong and healthy!

Stella looking pretty in her new hat from Katy, Joey, & Toby!

Claire-Bear holding on!

Our family is passionate about many charities, one being the American Cancer Society.  We will be participating in SUNY Potsdam's Relay For Life event in a few weeks.  This year we are celebrating Randy, our #1 Survivor - his survival story is an incredible testament to modern medicine!  We will also be remembering Ryan Reardon, a special kid we met at the Ronald McDonald House who also suffered from Neuroblastoma.  Ryan's journey ended this past September but he lives on through the love of his wonderful family and all of the people he impacted through his cheerful attitude and optimistic smile.  For just $5 you can honor or remember a loved one too through a luminaria. On the evening of Relay the glow from these special bags will brighten the walking track.  We hope you can join us in supporting this worthy cause.  Feel free to visit our Relay page:

Todd's 2012 Relay For Life Page