2011 December, Month of Change

 Normally I blog with a lot of pictures. But this one won't have any. I just don't have a picute for this.

December was great and hard at the same time. Rick quit KMPG at the end of Nov. and spent the last week of Nov. and first 2 weeks of Dec. at home. I loved it, Clare loved it and Tommy loved it. I wish he could do that every year. Then he started a new job with Manhattan Associates. It's a great job.

Durring his downtime we did some serious house hunting. Our favorite is at Heathland Ct and our 1st backup is Wexford Club while our second backup is... Oh I don't remember.

We also spent time getting Clare's digestive system checked out. I've been watch her grow skinnier and more skeletal for too long and Rick feels the same way. She needs help gaining wieght. We thought we were ready. We had a feeding tube placed the second week in Dec. This was the hardest hospital stay so far. Also the most difficult medical decision we've had to make for Clare so far. Rick did really well. Clare did really well. I had a break down. I couldn't even stay in the room long enough to talk to the nurses and learn how to care for her. It was terrible. I couldn't stop crying. And I won´t even begin to describe how horrible the nursing staff was. Lets just say I'm not likley to EVER let anyone admit Clare to that hospital again if I have any other option. Never again!

Green and Blue Cookies

In support of National Orgna Donation awarness I made these very good and very beautiful cookies. They turned out better than I thought they would.

Of course I forgot to submit the picture to the right site and enter the contest for the best looking green and blue. No big deal. I'll do something even cooler and tastier next year and of course win 1st place.

What Happened in September

Some months come and go like a sigh. In then out with so little realization that it has passed. These first couple of photots are August.

Now we get into September...

Hilton Head Island

The Last of August

Clare is a big fan of Temples. She just loves to see their pictures and ask about them. She was asking about the Salt Lake Temple where Mommy and Daddy got married and asked if we could go there. I told her we could when we're in Utah again. But we have a temple here in Atlanta we could go to today.

So we went over to the Atlanta Temple which is not far from us. We took pictures and walked around. It was really an enjoyable afternoon. It was hot too but we had a good time.

Clare likes to take picture too. So I told her the rules of holding our camera and let her snap a few. Here's one she took of Tommy and myself. I think she's go a good eye.

We've also been back to the park. Yay! I love taking her to the park where she can run around and climb and swing and slide.

I think for me the playground at the park represents care-free life returned to. For some it may just be a hot sweaty dirty lot of fun but for me it's a happy comfortable place that pulls you back time and again.

She Swimms!

Clare swam several times from the stairs in the deep end of the pool to Rick! Hurray. We've been working towards this all summer. At the begining of the summer seh was so nervous about the pool and the water I couldn't get her off the steps without her crying. A little peer pressure fixed that but she still had a long way to go.

We bought 4 weeks of swimming lessons. She never advanced to the next level. She still needed to jump in by herself and bob under the water. Of course in three days Grandma got her jumping in by herself and going underwater. Two goals of her swim class that she never reached in class.

After Grandma left Rick has been working with her every weekend and sometimes after work. and now she is starting to swim. She's excited and feels good about it and Rick and I couldn't be more proud of her. Good work Clare!