grandma's home! and a scan.

We met my Mom and Dad at the airport last night.  They've been in Alaska for two weeks and we have been missing them!  Elise fell asleep on the way there...sweetheart.

Yesterday I had my first post-chemo/radiation CT scan.  Hard to believe it's been three months since I finished radiation.  I had to drink a couple of lovely Barium Sulfate 'berry smoothies" and the CT technician totally botched my IV for the contrast dye - so now I have a lovely green bruise on my arm.  It was very weird going back to Lemmen-Holten - I never think about cancer so when I'm laying there on the table it kind of all comes back to me - no fun.  We'll get the results when we meet with my doctor next week.  

we have a swimmer!

Today was our last day of swimming! ISR has been so great.  Mr. Michael came out to the lake today to swim with Elise, Ava, and Vivian.  Ava & Vivi are the neighbors who introduced us to ISR.  And a disclaimer - Elise cries the whole time -- but she always talks about "Miiiiiike" and how "niiiisch" he is.  

Elise now has the skills she needs to swim and survive should she accidentally fall off the dock or in a pool or something.  It is really amazing.  All it takes is daily lessons for seven weeks -- sheesh I hardly know what I will do with my afternoons now!

We recorded the whole lesson today because my Mom and Dad are still on vacation in Alaska.  They were sad they couldn't be here to see it but have been having tons of fun hiking, four-wheeling, and white water rafting.  I'm not kidding...Terri has done all of those things in the last two weeks.  You may now pick up your jaw from the floor.  I'm requesting photo documentation.

 We caught a little turtle at the lake today.  Ava named him "Scratchy".

He lives under the dock.  We made Nick get him.

And Elise got a new hat.  She is so cute and I want to kiss her sweet face all the time. 

random update for lauren

Lauren called and asked me for some new pictures "because you haven't updated since Tuesday and I check every couple of hours..."   I promise I am not interesting.  But here are a few I've taken recently anyways.   I love you and Elise does too.  She just won't say your name. 

This was our last week of swimming and I'll be so happy to be done!  She is such a good little floater now.  She is always so pooped when we get home around 5, so I usually will put Elmo on and she won't move for the whole show while I make dinner. 

This week Elise and I went to Nick's work and took a little tour and out for lunch.  I took advantage of Gentex's close proximity to Holland's [super crappy] outlet mall and stopped at Gap and Carter's.  Literally the only two stores in the entire place.    They are right next to Dutch Village - a tiny little dutch amusement park.  Are there any Hungry Dutchmen out there??

That's a dutch baby if I ever saw one.

We called our friend Nicolynn who lives really close and she came to feed some ducks with us.  I brought some stale bread and everything...but these ducks have no fear and are huge - I think everyone brings them bread.  I was totally freaked out and I might have screamed a little.  They were literally pecking at our girl's shoes while Krissy and I panicked because we thought their little toes were goners. 

This duck had a 'fro.

I found a huge piece of paper today that I taped to the top of her table.  She thought it was pretty awesome and she's getting really good at coloring scribbling!

juicy.

She is loving oranges lately.

And juice boxes on a hot day.

seriously. it's hot out.

Okay now that that's out of the way... 

We've been spending a lot of time at the lake the last few days.  Nick had almost all of last week off of work so we've been having lots of fun.   Although our trip to the zoo had to be rescheduled because the thought of that in 100 degree weather made me want to barf up my raspberry baked oatmeal.  (Seriously it's so good - recipe here.)

Nick's mom and dad came out to play for the day.  They were totally trespassing on that sad excuse for a dock.  They are rebels.

We are stuck inside these days so Daddy made cupcakes.  From scratch.  It's true.  Elise got to lick the beaters.  And the cupcakes were awesome.