Family Zoo Day!!!

Blake on the big lion

Blake feeling a tortoise shell

Seeing what the face of the Leopard looks like

I think Blake forgot there was glass between him and the bird

Best picture of a silly Blake face!!!

Cool dude, taking a snack break

These kids sure love each other!

Who is taller?

Angry Gorilla!

Playing in the mist!

I think some of these pictures really capture Blake's personality!  He is a very lively boy with a very wonderful sense of humor!  He is always cracking jokes and making silly faces!  He takes after both of us with his silly personality!!!

Blake had a great time at the zoo!  He loved learning about the tortoise that used to live in the shell and feeling the shell.  He loved feeling the skin of a leopard.  We all really enjoy our family days together and wish mommy and daddy didn't ever have to work, so we could be with the kiddos all the time, but unfortunately in this day and age there is no way for us both to stay home with them.  They do really well with our arrangement and always have either mommy or daddy around.  There is only one day a week someone besides us cares for them and on that day they get to spend the day with Mama Corinne and Papa Mark!!!  They love their routine and we love it as well!!! 

Family Zoo Day!!!

Alexia watching the fish

Blake and Lex with the Lions

Petting a Leopard skin

Playing with the Tufted Puffin

Tall kids!!

Watching all the cool fish

Such a happy girl!

Siblings getting along!

Lex loves Daddy

We all love our family days off together!!!!  We spend the late morning/early afternoon at the zoo and had such a great time!  The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold!  We got to spend a lot of time observing the animals and finding certain animals in the animal exhibits.  There were lots of volunteers around with cool things and information and Alexia just soaked up all the information and loved learning new things! 

It was such a nice relaxing day, we sure love having such a wonderful zoo nearby!!!! 

Labor Day Fun!!!

Lex with Mama Corinne and Blake

Eating with the family

Lex with her favorite Mama Corinne

Lex showing us the gardens

Lex with the butterfly on the flower

Alexia had a great day with her Grandmas today!!!  We went to Mama Donna's house and played outside a lot.  We all enjoyed a picnic and had a great time and a very relaxing day.  Lex had fun showing us all the flowers, butterflies and bugs.  She is a little explorer. 

She sure loves spending time with her Mama Corinne and her Great-Mama Donna!  She is such an imaginative little girl and amazes us every day!  We can't wait for the rest of fall!  We have lots of fun family activities planned!!!! 

Happy Labor Day!!!

Blake with Lex and Mama Corinne

Blake with his very first backpack!!

Eating a Labor Day picnic with the family!!! (mommy is taking the picture)

Looking at the gardens

He found a pretty butterfly on a flower!

What beautiful weather we had for Labor Day!  It was a little bit chilly, perfect light jacket weather.  These are the kinds of days that we love!!!  Fall is really our favorite season as a family.  The weather is not to hot, not to cold and there are tons of things to do!  This coming month we are going to the Apple Orchard with our Church Play Group friends!!!  We are all really excited to go pick apples and to make lots of yummy goodies with the apples we pick!!! 

Blake is learning so much and according to learning tests he is already ahead of most kids his age who are in kindergarten!  That is so exciting for us to hear since one of the major side effects of chemo is possible learning disabilities!!!  He is doing great and we will continue to work with him at home until he starts Montessori in Fall of 2012!!! 

Blake got a few really fun presents from Mama Donna Wilson.  We spent the day with her and even had a picnic lunch!  What a wonderful day it was!  Blake just loves his new backpack and his dinosaur book!!!

Happy 5th Birthday Blake!!!!

Blake with his Captain America Mask and Sheild

Blake and Lex with Blake's friend at our Wednesday Play Group

Blake playing in the infusion center waiting for his chemo

All the awesome nurses in the Infusion Center surprised Blake and gave him a balloon!!

Blake had a great Birthday (August 30th).  He spent the day with Mommy, Daddy and Alexia.  We ran a few errands together and had Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at home as a family.  It was very low key and relaxing and Blake was really excited to be 5!!!! 

Today (August 31st) we went to our usual Wednesday morning Church Play Group!!  Blake and Alexia enjoyed digging in the sand and building things with their friends.  They really love Wednesdays!!! 

After we were done at play group and our bellies were full of food, we headed to the Hematology/Oncology Clinic to see Blake's Dr and get Blake's routine chemo, counts and anti-fungal breathing treatment.  Blake and Alexia both did great at the clinic.  I was a little worried because the appointment was during the kids' usual nap time, but the kids were wonderful and got along great.  Blake had his best port access to date.  He did not struggle or put up a fuss at all!!!  I guess from here on out he should watch Johnny Test when he has his port accessed!  Once he was done in the Hem/Onc clinic we headed to the Infusion Center for his chemo.  He did great with the chemo and also had a surprise "Birthday Party" from the Infusion Center nurses (especially his favorite nurse Ashley, who we haven't seen in a while)!!!  They gave him a balloon and sang Happy Birthday to him!  He loved it!!!

His ANC was a little high (about 6000), which is no cause for alarm, we go back in 2 weeks to make sure it has gone back down, otherwise they will increase his chemo dosage (not a huge deal).  Otherwise everything went absolutely wonderfully!  Blake really enjoyed telling everyone that he is 5 years old now!  He also enjoyed showing the nurse his counting skills by helping her count to 15!!!! 

We are so proud of our 5-year-old boy!  He is so big and strong and has been such a blessing to us and to our families!!!  We can't imagine life without him and we thank God for allowing him to spend more time with us here on earth!!!!  Happy 5th Birthday Blake!  Can't believe it has already been 5 years!!!!

Alexia's brother's 5th birthday party

Alexia before the party started

Lex and her life long friend!

Playing while Blake opens his presents

Playing at the playground after eating cake and ice cream

Alexia really enjoyed Blake's birthay party!  She had a few friends there as well and really enjoyed some girl time with a few friends she has known since birth!  The park is the perfect place for a kids' birthday party they all had such a great time!!!!  Lex was very excited for Blake to open the gift she got him and he really liked it!!!  It was such a beautiful day and we all really enjoyed it!!!!

Blake's 5th Birthday Party

Blake right before everyone got to his party

The Cupcakes made by Black Market Cupcakes (so amazing)

The cake

Singing happy birthday to Blake

Blake had a Captain America theme!!! 

This was the first year Blake really wanted to be involved in planning his birthday party.  He picked the theme, which was Captain America, and he also picked all of the gifts on his registry himself!!!  We had his party at the same park we did last year, he loves the park and it works really well to have the kids play on the playground while waiting for everyone to arrive and after the cake and ice cream and gifts as well!!! 

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day!!!  It was a beautiful 83 degrees, sunny with very low humidity!  It was just perfect!  We appreciate everyone who was able to make it!  Blake had so much fun with his friends and family celebrating his 5th birthday!!!!  He was VERY excited for today and it definitely more than lived up to his expectations!!!  So a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who was able to make it!!!!  We missed the few people who missed the party due to illness and injury, but we know (thankfully) there is always next year and we always love to see all of you!!!