July 4th, 2011

Some pics of our 4th of July Celebration. We usually don't do much... cook out with the family and then head to Brooklyn to watch the fireworks.

Here is Ellie...
..and here is TJ ... both waiting very patiently for the fireworks to start. We did a lot of sparklers and things while we waited.
Ellie also kept us entertained. Here she is showing everyone her new shoes! (Made by Soft & Sweet Boutique)

Ellie also had her first twizzler :P

Twizzlers are a Fox family tradition... can't watch fireworks without twizzlers! LOL
Once the fireworks started Ellie sat with Daddy and I got this shot of them...
...and this shot of Buddy...
..and of course...a shot of us :)

We had a great time just like we do every year only we missed a few people... the Clark Family (who were gone to NC for a visit) and Carri Clark my good friend who was away being a camp counselor. Hopefully next year they will be able to join us!

TJ's 6th Birthday

**So I finally made it back to blog about my son's birthday which happened almost 2 months ago..lol. Go me! And here we go....**

My baby boy turned 6 years old on June 11th. His birthday landed on a Saturday so we had a small get together with mostly family and a few friends of his choosing. He requested a Phineas and Ferb themed party, so I did my best to make his cake per his specifications.. this is how it turned out:

Here is the birthday boy ready for his party... wearing his phineas and ferb shirt. It took some work to get this photo. He was very much against pics of himself that day for some reason!

Here he is with one of his friends Kade and Kade's little sis Kaylee. :) They were one of the first to arrive at the party.
Silly faces!!
Great Grandma Fox came down to join in on the festivities. Here she is occupying Miss Ellie for a few minutes!
We all ate a yummy lunch of burgers and corn dogs ( which daddy cooked on his new infared grill) and enjoyed big slices of watermelon...yum!

Then it was time to open presents!! Here TJ is with his friends Corbin and Kade :)
Gift bags seemed to be a hit at this party! Kade put this one over his head which then started all of the kids putting them over their heads..lol.
He got quite a few water toys which worked out great because they all went swimming after the party!
He also got a video game, which now I think might have been a bad idea.. What is it with boys and video game obsession??
Here's a shot of everyone enjoying the present opening .....
....and walking gift bag display...:P
At the end of the party I had to get a quick shot of TJ with his sissy
My adorable babies :)
I also had to get a shot with the birthday boy! Mommy usually is so busy behind the scenes, I don't get any pics!
And I had to include this pic because the look on everyone's face is hilarious.. It was just a tad bit hot outside that day :D
TJ had a wonderful birthday with people who love him and care about him! He was missing a few great grandparents at his party because of distance, but to those grandparents TJ says thank you for the cards and gifts and he loves you lots!

Ellie's 1st Birthday

Ok so I know this is late but better late than never..lol

Last year on May 9th, 2010 I was sitting in a hospital spending my mother's day preparing to welcome my little girl into the world. This pregnancy was much different than with my son, and I had already been in the hospital for a about a week due to preeclampsia. I was anxious for her to come into the world but also nervous as I was being induced 3 weeks earlier than her due date.

I spent most of the day talking and watching tv with Titus and my mom, waiting for the doctor to come induce me after she was done with her mother's day lunch and time with her family. I kept thinking how cool it was to have a baby ON mother's day and also how much I wished I was out eating lunch somewhere rather than the low sodium nasty hospital food I was given...blech!

Finally the nurses and doctor came in and got things started. I walked, chatted and was handling the contractions well ... watching a movie with my mom and Titus... things were going great. When I couldn't take the pain anymore I had my epidural and relaxed a little more....but not for long! We were blessed with a beautiful little girl Mother's Day evening around 9:30.




She was tiny... only 5lbs 13 oz whereas her big brother had been 9lbs 3oz... and her first week of life was difficult but she was a strong one!


Only two days after her birth (and one day after we left the hospital!) we ended up in the ER with her because she was lethargic and not eating. She was poked and prodded by crazy people in the ER who had no NICU and no medical equiment for a baby her size. Mommy and Daddy were VERY upset and finally after much work we got her sent to Toledo Children's Hospital.

When the nurses from Toledo arrived in the ambulance and started taking charge of the situation, Titus and I breathed a sigh of relief... thankful for people who FINALLY knew what they were doing! We followed the ambulance to Toledo and stayed with here there for 3 days. She was severely jaundiced and dehydrated and it hurt us to see her hooked up to all those wires and have that IV in her little arm! But I knew she was getting the care she needed for that I was thankful!

The staff was wonderful to us and we were so blessed.

Ever since then she has grown in leaps and bounds...And now she is 1 year old!

Her birthday fell on a monday this year, so we had her party the saturday before. Her birthday party was a baby minnie theme and I made her her minnie cake and smash cake





And because I like to go all out for my kids birthday parties, I had to make her a dress (with the help of her great grandma Dee!) and a matching headband.

She started getting tired before she even opened presents as you can see here:

But as soon as we brought out the food she perked right up!

She is saying " you can put that food right....here mama!"
After lunch it was present time!! I think she got enough clothes to last her through the fall and beyond between great auntie joanna, uncle jeff and grandparents!
She also got a few cute toys which she adores...

....she especially loves the open and close eyes on her baby doll!

Then it was cake time!! She didn't quite get it and started to eat the plate.... yum?
Oh wait.. I am supposed to eat this round pink thing ON the plate...
ok... this is kind of yummy...

And then the hands were all in it!

Squishing it through her fingers and stuffing her face. She ate every last piece of that smash cake and did she ever enjoy it!
She had a great party with people who adore her. Then she was ready for a nap, but not before mommy could get one picture with the birthday girl!

We love you Ellie Boo! Happy 1st birthday!

Love, Daddy, Mommy, and Brother T.J.