I humbly accept this award as the World's Worst Blogger for 2009. While it has not been pleasant accepting this title, it is nice to know enough people keep up with us enough to bestow it upon me! However, I cannot take all the credit. My title would not have been possible without the following:

1. My OI family that we met up with in Gatlinburg in early July. We spent a long weekend in one HUGE house on top of a mountain. We had great fun meeting some for the first time and seeing some again. There were 9 families total there with children ranging from 3 months to 9 years old (I think Halle is 9). It was great to see older kids being wild and crazy and doing normal kid things, and it was great to see baby Ethan, who reminded us of how far Rhae has come. I didn't get on the internet too much while there, so blogging was impossible!

Rhae and Alexi (who Rhae ADORES!)

The OI babies!

(front: Merrick and dad, Sudda; Riley and mom, Cassie;

back: Autumn and dad, Russ; Ethan and mom, Debbie, me and Rhae)

Dana and Rhae at the Aquarium

Dana, Aidan, and Rhae

Aidan and Rhae

Aidan at The Track--first time riding a go-kart!

Sweet Riley! Seriously, she's adorable!

Rhae and Riley just chillin'

2. My mom, stepdad, sister, neice, Jay, and kids. Mandy and I, along with our stepdad, planned a surprise visit to Texas for my mom. We started planning in April, and didn't go until middle of July...and she never found out until we showed up! This was the girls' first trip to Texas and our first in 3 years! We had so much fun, visiting with mom, Rodney, and their neighbors, getting to see Mandy's best friend from Brazoria who we haven't seen in 12 years, going to Kemah and hanging out (a boardwalk), and just being together. We had so much fun and stayed so busy, there was no time for blogging!

Halle and Rhae taking one of MANY wagon rides up and down the driveway!

Jay and Rhae at Kemah

Aidan in the water at Kemah (it shoots up randomly out of the TX star)

3. Aidan again...can you believe he started FIRST GRADE this year? It's unbelieveable how much my baby is growing. He will be 7 in December and is already almost as tall as I am and can eat like Jay!! He brings such joy to my life. I have really watched him grow up over the last 2 years. I can only hope we are grooming a young man as responsible as he is kind. He has a heart of gold and LOVES his sister unconditionally. He is probably the one person in this world that I can say she is infatuated (sp) with! However, he is all boy, and is as hard headed as his momma is! First grade brings a lot of homework with it, so for this reason, I have not had a ton of time to blog!

Aidan's 1st day of 1st grade

4. My busy work. Where would I be without all my busy work? I'm still doing a little work for a doctor friend, and have started making bows. On occasion, I do find other things to do, like recovering a chair, covering things with vinyl cut-outs (let me know if you need anything!), going to Wal-Mart, trying to keep the house somewhat picked up. With all this busy work, who has time for blogging?

Bows...

Bows...

and more bow! These I made for Anna Coleman!

Initial clipboards

The chair I recovered. It's at Aidan's computer desk, and fits well with all his Alabama stuff, including his red walls!!

5. And last but not least, I have to give a lot of credit to Rhae. She keeps me busy 24-7. We play, we fuss, we fight over napping and going to bed at night. She learned to stand up...and then fell and broke another arm. Then she got the flu. But best of all, we have surgery! Rhae, Mom, and I went to Omaha on 9/30 to prepare for Rhae's leg rodding surgery. Jay came the next day. Rhae went in for surgery on 10/2 and had telescoping rods placed in her femurs (thigh bone) and tibias (big bone in the shin) on both legs! It was about a 6 hour surgery and she looks so good! Her legs are so straight, and she is now about 2 inches longer than before! We have had a rough time since surgery, most of it expected, and I believe she has finally turned a corner! I also have to give a little credit to some of our best friends, Christiane, Matt, and Trinity Stine (they also have a son, Tysen, but he didn't make the trip), who were in Omaha at the same time as we were! Trini broke her right femur 2 weeks before Rhae's surgery and had her rods put in the week before Rhae. They are so wonderful, they hung around to be there when Rhae had her surgery. Many of you know how much Christiane and I talk (several times a week for hours at a time, for those of you who don't know!) so it was REALLY nice to finally meet in person! We also had some other friends, the Wittman-Lammie's there as well (remember sweet Riley?)! So with all that distraction going on, who really has time for blogging?

Rhae beginning to stand

Rhae just being Rhae!

Rhae's new toy, courtesy of Ethan! She loved it so much, she broke her arm trying to play with it a few hours later! This was her first time seeing it, though! Can you see the excitement?

Rhae with the flu

Mom, Rhae, me, and Lance Winn, president of the Arkansas chapter of Pilots for Christ, and one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet!

Rhae, Dana, Trinity, and Christiane

Trinity

Rhae and Riley

How can I tell they're going to be BFFs? How many people would let you mess with their hair and never say a word?

Waking up from surgery

A priceless picture! Trini and Rhae both have "boo boo legs!"

Always be ready for game day, no matter how far away you are!

Cruisin' the ward in a wagon! (notice she's holding hands with her love, Elmo)

Me and Rhae

SO glad to be home!

Again, I am honored to have this title bestowed upon me, and though I appreciate it, I will try my hardest not to live up to it anymore! However, if I continue, please forgive me now and then...I'm only human!

Thank you....(wipes a tear, and exits the stage!)

P.S. I just HAD to include these pics! These are Rhae and Dash. His oldest sister, Ella, thinks they should get married when they grow up. They do make an adorable couple, so we took some embarrassing baby pics for the after rehearsal dinner...just incase! :)