Another August Birthday

I have decided August should officially be named Tucker birthday month. We have so many birthdays this month that we kind of get caked out...Ben requested lemon meringue pie for his Birthday yesterday.

I made 2 to make sure we had enough to go around, and a chocolate pie because the littles like it better. We are having the official birthday dinner Wed. evening so that Andrew and Kyle can both be here. I really hate Kyles' work schedule, between work and college, and Timmi, I never see him. He is looking for an apartment in the town he goes to school, and as he works and attends college there, it would make so much sense, but I still don't like it.

Ben has requested roast turkey, baked beans, pasta salad, corn on the cob, and homemade bread for his dinner, I think we will have ice cream sundaes for dessert, as we have already had 4 different cakes this month plus pie....It would be so much easier to just declare a birthday month and call it over.

I have 2 whole weeks until Connors' birthday, I just can't imagine how crazy birthdays must be for a family like the Duggars, when we seem to go from one to another all the time. We have a one in Jan., 1 in Feb. , 1 in Mar. , 2 in April, 4 in August, 1 in Sept. , 1 in Nov. , 2 in Dec. I may never send Christmas cards again, as we go from Thanksgiving to 3 birthdays, and then Christmas.....My Mother accused me of having really bad timing, is that what you call it....

Ben enjoyed his low-key dinner, we are supposed to go out to dinner, and to the movies this week as a treat for him, he is really looking forward to our date, and so am I...

Happy Birthday Honey, I can't quite believe you are 47, it doesn't seem possible that we met 30 years ago. How did it happen, where did 30 years go???? He gets a little annoyed that he looks his age and i don't, but i asked him would you rather i looked older than you, I mean look at Barbara and George Bush, she has looked like his mother for 30 years or so, now that would be bad....

I love you birthday boy, and you still rock my world...and you look good , even if you look your age, i think that salt and pepper hair is very sexy on you....

Ashley

Today is Ashleys' 17th Birthday, and I am just not sure how she got to be 17. It doesn't seem that long ago, that i spent a month with pre-term labor, and after many trips to the hosptital, was induced a week early.

The shock and joy of my life, after 2 boys to have a beautiful healthy daughter. Of course we called her him for 2 weeks, trying to adjust to life with pink, and bows and ribbons. I tried everything in my power to turn her into a girlie girl, but somethings aren't meant to be. She got her first pair of cowboy boots at 2, and has been wearing them ever since. She wears her boots with skirts, dresses, capris, jeans, shorts, and yes pajamas. To say Ashley has her own sense of style is like saying the sun rises in the east.

She is definitely my fathers' granddaughter. I call her sense of fashion cowgirl chic. She pulls it off very well, and the cowboys, well when she goes to town, they are whooping it up, yelling out their windows at her.

She is such a tom-boy, that i had to start sending her to school with shorts under her dresses, because she always hung upside down on the monkey bars....her first love was in kindergarten Rowdy Roulston, one of Kyles' best friends, they still are good friends.

Ashley told me in the 2nd grade, mom, i am the only girl at school that wears dresses and bows in their hair, i want to wear what i want now...okay...just keep it decent.

She has had many serious challenges in her life, severe, chronic asthma, that put her in the hospital every year with bronchiitis or pneumonia. Last year was the first in her life to not spend 3-4 weeks down with that. She has been under the care of a pulmonologist for years.

Memorial weekend when Ashley was 12, she slipped and fell, and broke her hip. This was directly related to the years of asthma medication affecting her bones. She had surgery to pin her hip, then spent the next 4 years in and out of a wheelchair.

She had 4 hour surgery last Nov. to remove the pin in her hip. She has a condition from the injury known as avascular necrosis. Her bone is dead, and at some point she will face hip replacement surgery. The fact she is walking at all is a miracle, her Dr. said there is no way she should be able to walk on that hip, but praise God, she is walking, and everyday she is out of that wheelchair and walking around is a gift.

Ashley is a great big sister, and loves to play silly games, and sing silly songs with her little brothers and sisters. She plays the piano, and guitar, and according to her vocal teacher and the judges she has the voice of an angel.

It's a good thing too, she is quite sassy and ornery. It broke her heart, and mine when we were told, she could never ride horses again, or play softball and basketball. She loved to play and was excellent. She has focused her talents on music ever since.

It makes me think of my Grannys saying, when God closes a door, he opens a window....and you ought to see her fly, she has been a joy and an inspiration to me. I am so blessed to have this wonderful young woman in my life, and to call her daughter.

Happy Birthday Ashley Catherine Julieanne, I love you!!!!!!

1 down 2 to go

Sunday, November 1 was so many things. The feast day of St. Andrew my eldest sons name saint. The first Sunday of Advent, and like most devout Catholic mothers of 9, I can't find the blinking wreath anywhere. I got in the closet for a game of hide and go peek, but nothing doing.

I may claim I lost it ,and just make a new one. That would probably be the easiest, and quickest solution.

The most momentous event at our house anyway, was Christian Josephs' third birthday. We celebrated with a circus themed party, the family, close friends, and of course his godparents. Indiana calls them jinginifngg and gingidndkd its in portuguese for anyone who thought I just couldn't spell it. I can't even say it.

Andrew decorated his cake with a spiderman on it. He did a great job. Dad steamed hot dogs in the roaster, it turned out really well. We played silly party games, because it was so darn(oops) cold out there. There were snow flurries south of town,and the wind was blowing like it only can in Oklahoma. All in all my sweet prince was most satisfied with his party, and all his gifts. He did miss Kyle though. Kyle works at Walmart and we won't be seeing much of him for a while.

You thought I was just rambling, that I forgot the whole point of this posting, well your'e wrong.

I often accuse myself, just like in confession of having completely lost my mind because no one but an insane person would have 3 children between Thanksgiving and Christmas, cook both Holiday dinners, plus Christmas Eve Repast and have 3 birthday parties too. Yep, you have found one crazy Mama. We have Christian 11/30, Alexandra 12/13, and Nicole 12/21. Pray for me she wants a slumber party with teenagers and everything. I keep saying stay strong say No. If I survive this year , I may never drink champagne again. i think that is how I got in this predicament in the first place.