Hey there!

Want some chocolate cake? A friend showed up w/ the stuff to make the mug chocolate cakes. It's amazing how much it grew while it was cooking. :)


Sweet boy!


Chip hanging out w/ Flat Stanley.

Just a quick note to say thanks for all of your suggestions about salvaging the chalk writing in the playhouse. It sounds like there may be a spray that we can use to preserve it. :) I haven't made it to Lowe's or Home Depot yet, but hope to soon. You guys had some good ideas! :) Thank you!!

6 Years Old

Happy Birthday sweet Catie Bug! On Friday, she would have been 6. Six! That sounds so grown. I didn't think days like that were going to be too bad when we first lost her b/c I know she was never meant to live to be 6 or 8 or 20. But in my mind... she was always meant to live that long. The anticipation of the day is usually worse than the day and this year was no different. Friday was just kind of a melancholy day. The day was eased by phone calls, texts and e-mails from dear friends and family. One friend brought a "chicknen biscuit w/ chicknen on it" by school for me... Had Catie been here, I have no doubt the day would have involved Chick-fil-A in some shape, form, or fashion. On the way from Chick-fil-A to the school, my friend saw a huge rainbow... Way to go Catie (and Hayley -- I'm betting the 2 of you were in on that together). This makes us 2 for 2 as far as rainbows and celebrating Catie's birthday without her. I know it won't happen every year, but it's been pretty special thus far.

We also decided to start a new tradition w/ Iz of letting balloons go at the cemetary on Catie's birthday. I think this will be something that will allow our other kiddos to be a part of her day in years to come. This year though, let's just say it was a good thing we had tucked an extra balloon in the car. Letting balloons fly to the sky with no chance of recovering them can be a bit traumatic for a 20 month old! :)

I think one of the things that struck me as harder this year was the fact that I didn't know what Catie would have wanted for her birthday this year or what kind of party she would have wanted... Last year, I still had an idea... it hadn't been that long since we had lost her and I kind of figured she would still like similar things. This year though, if she had been here, she would have started school, met new people, liked new things... I have no idea what she would have been into or what her new interests would have been. That was harder this year.

In the last couple of weeks, Iz has really taken to watching Catie's video from her Celebration of Life. She loves it. She'll run over to the computer and say, "Cakie, Cakie." She names all the people she knows in the video, sometimes imitates what's Catie is doing in the pictures, and laughs hysterically at the picture of Catie in the Groucho Marx glasses and the section where Catie is opening her little chair at her 2nd birthday party. You can almost see her little brain trying to figure out... who exactly is this little person named Catie that's in all these pictures with people I know and love...

BIRTHDAY PICTURES!!

Oh, aren't birthdays fun? We definitely savored this one, Izzy's first, and who are we kidding, birthdays will always, always be savored at our house. Catie missed out on her first birthday party (her first surgery was on her birthday), so this day with Izzy was extra sweet for many reasons.

Now on to the pictures!!

The menu was chili and hot dogs -- Izzy's first taste of a hot dog -- she thought it was good stuff!


Iz with Aunt Nik Nik


Not so sure about lots of people singing Happy Birthday! Remind anyone of a certain big sister? This surprised me so much. I thought she was going to eat it up. She didn't cry (though I thought she was about to), and was fine once the cake was in front of her (though she did think it was weird that everyone was standing around watching her eat).


Izzy's smash cake (the big cake had Elmo on it)


Mmmmm... this isn't bad.


Yes, she shared w/ Joey. (I can FEEL you cancer moms out there cringing :).


Now we're talking!


The traditional Aunt NikNik and the messy nose picture. If you've followed us for very long, you know that NikNik is always putting stuff on the noses of my kids! This is actually Iz's first experience, but trust me, there will be pics in the future w/ paint and cookie dough and play dough... you name it on her nose from Aunt Nik. Iz reciprocated and painted Nikki's nose too. It's only fair, right?


Look at her fingers!


My work here is done!

1st Birthdays are good stuff! It was quite fun watching Izzy enjoy her big day.

One last picture. Izzy has this new face that she likes to make where she scrunches her face up and her lips pooch out. She breathes in and out through her nose quickly and it's so funny! We can do it to her and she'll do it back to us.

Silly Girl


UPDATE ON MY DAD
Thanks for your concern for my dad. He has made marked improvement. He is breathing well and was moved to a regular room the middle of last week. He continued to receive dialysis through Saturday. Since then, he has not needed it. His kidney numbers are not normal, but are finally improving ON THEIR OWN!! He still has a ways to go, but we are very optimistic that he will recover full kidney function. We are very grateful for this as he was in a very scary place two weeks ago!

Sweet Izzy B

Oh Sweet Girl! One whole year! I don't think I will ever be able to explain to you how much joy and laughter you have brought us this year. You have lifted our spirits and given a new purpose to our days. We are so grateful for the incredible blessing you have been in our lives and the blessing we know that you will continue to be in the years to come.

You have grown and changed so much this year. From a tiny baby stretching just 20 and 3/4 inches to the "big girl" you are now at nearly 32 inches and 26 1/2 pounds! From that tiny baby who liked to "growl" to your big girl babble (we still love to hear you say "giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle" -- it's been your favorite funny sound for a while now) we love all your sounds. You are talking and understanding more every single day -- you're up to at least 15 words (my personal favorite word to hear you say is cracker -- you just sound cute when you say it). You know that a duck says "quack quack" and a cow says "moo" (though I don't think you could point out a duck or a cow in a book yet). You are becoming quite the daddy's girl (much to your daddy's delight) and you love to be sung to and to read books. You like to "get" us and you just grin and grin when you do. Your favorite game is chase and you still think peekaboo is pretty fun. Elmo is a favorite as well and you like to "love" your babies.

The first year is so amazing to me because it really is unbelievable how many things are learned. We have had so much fun watching you grow and learn and we love you more each and every day. One of my favorite gifts that you got for your birthday was a fancy knife (w/ your name and birthdate engraved on it) to cut your birthday cake w/ this year, and next year, and the next year, and the next year, and the next year, and the next year... and every year until you get married. We'll engrave your married name and wedding date on the opposite side and you will use it to cut your wedding cake. Oh how I so look forward to watching you grow each year and seeing the little girl, and teenager, and woman you will grow into. We will take none of it for granted, and your daddy and I will be there every step of the way, loving you through good times and growing times... We love you so very much sweet Izzy Claire and we are so glad that God entrusted you to our care...

Love,
Momma and Daddy

Happy 1st Birthday Izzy Claire

We can hardly believe that Izzy will be 1 tomorrow!! What a year! We're looking forward to celebrating tomorrow... We promise to share pictures, especially fun ones of her digging in to her cake. We are so grateful for each and every one of the last 365 days that we've been blessed with Izzy's presence and we look forward to celebrating many, many, many more birthdays with her. For starters though, we're going to show her what a birthday is all about!

We'll update tomorrow at the close of her big day.

We're Still Here

Wow! What a busy week! Where to start?

Friday night we threw our Catie party at the home of good friends. We had a great turnout, and though the one we were celebrating wasn't with us, I think she would have approved. We decorated w/ table runners that had both frogs and butterflies and Gerber Daisies in Coke bottles (Catie loved to drink Coke out of a glass bottle).

We served all of her favorites... boiled peanuts, chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A, olives, caramel popcorn, brownies... she wouldn't have known what to eat with all of her favorites out like that. We ate well and collected a good bit of stuff for the Ronald McDonald House here in Savannah.

It really was a great way to celebrate what would have been her 5th birthday.

We've also gotten several notes about other folks honoring Catie with donations and in kind donations to their local Ronald McDonald Houses. A little girl in Marietta, Clara, turned one on Sunday. Her parents asked for donations to the Atlanta Houses and ended up with a trunk full of stuff and $1000 dollars that they're donating in Catie's name!!! Kristin in Mobile and her family threw a Catie party complete with butterfly cupcakes. Another family from the Atlanta area placed flowers in their church in honor of Catie's birthday. And our dear friends the Hangers went shopping and took stuff to our Ronald McDonald House at Scottish Rite.

This pic is of Lisa and Anna (medulloblastoma survivor and hero of Anna's Angel Fund) and Cari (our favorite house manager and dear friend) when the took the stuff by the House.

So... our girl was celebrated! Thanks to all of you who sent notes and cards, who called and prayed. We made it through...

I was hoping to update you on the luncheon in Atlanta this weekend as well, but Ms. Iz just woke up, so I'll do that later. I'll end with a pic of her sleeping (as I had to take one to remind myself that she really does sleep on occasion). She's a great napper, just not at night!! =)


Ok, I know I'm totally breaking all kinds of rules in this picture! She's sleeping on her belly (can't make her stay on her back), she's in bed w/ a bottle and a blanket... oh well, I'm busted!! =)

One other thing before I close.... this is the hard part. We've just learned of two dear friends who have relapsed. Abby and Chayton... both are medullo patients. It's such a cruel disease and our hearts are breaking for their families. We know there are good options for them, but we hurt that their families are going to have to reenter the battle... one time should be enough. So please check on the at the links below... let them know you're praying for them.

Abby is on Care Pages. When you go to this link, click the tab that says Care Pages, then click visit. Enter AbbySmith12 as the page name and it should take you there.

Here is Chayton's link.

Another first down.

Well we made it through her birthday... I did better than I thought I would. Ended up eating Longhorn's for lunch instead of going out for breakfast (though a dear friend brought a "chicknen biscuit w/ chicknen on it" by to the house -- very appropriate). Longhorn was another favorite of Catie's. I had chicken fingers in honor of Catie (she really was a chicken girl) and Tre', Izzy, and I all 3 enjoyed some bread with our butter.

Yesterday the sky was beautiful all day. It would go from bright blue with a few puffy clouds to cloudy w/ some rain back to bright blue and with just a few clouds. I walked outside around 4:00 yesterday and would you believe that there was a HUGE double rainbow. I'm thinking Catie and Hayley had been busy painting the sky... Thanks for the reminder girls... God keeps his promises and our families will one day be complete again.

Thank you so very much for all the e-mails and calls, cards and posts. It meant so much to know that you all remembered Catie and thought of us. I've got some fun pics of a couple of friends going by the Atlanta RMcD House with a delivery. I'll share those soon. For now, I wanted to share an e-mail that a friend sent yesterday. It comforted me so... I've taken the names out to protect the innocent. Thanks again for caring for our family... We love you. Tre', Jenny, and Izzy


E-MAIL
Ring……Ring….. Ring……



“Hello”



“Oh, hey God! It’s me again. I was calling to wish Catie Wilkins a Happy Birthday”



“She’s out with her friends counting all of the hermit crabs in my oceans right now….. may I take a message for her?”



“Will you let her know that I miss her? It’s been a lonely year down here without her.”



“I know”



“Tell, Catie that Izzy cut her first tooth last week! She is so much fun! I love to hear her laugh”



“I know”



“Tell her that her Mom and Dad miss her terribly but….they really are doing well!”



“I know”



“Tell her they are planning a huge party to celebrate her life here on earth. And people will bring gifts to the RMH in her honor on Friday. She would love that!”



“That’s awesome but…. I know”



“Well…. I know that you ‘know’, GOD but……. How IS Catie?”



“How many trees are on the mountains?”



“Ummmmm, I don’t know.”



“And how do I make the sun rise each morning?”



“Ummmm, couldn’t tell you that one either!”



“Exactly! Let me tell you exactly what YOU need to ‘know’ ……Catie is PERFECT! On this day when you will celebrate her EARTHLY birth……. She will continue to celebrate here in Heaven – absolutely perfect! I sent her to earth to complete a mission and she completed it – perfectly! Now…. She is enjoying the rewards that I promised so long ago.”



“ummmmm….. I know. Sometimes, when I’m sad, it’s just hard to remember that”



“I know. That’s why I give you the trees on the mountainside…… and I give you a beautiful sunrise every morning – just to remind you. And have you NOTICED how many butterflies I’ve sent your way lately???” (ADDED BY JENNY -- "DID YOU SEE THAT DOUBLE RAINBOW I SENT RIGHT TO HER MOMMA TODAY?")



“Thank you for loving me so much. Please be close to Jenny and Tre’ today as they remember, too. I love them and I’d take the pain away if I could! But, I guess that isn’t my job – that one belongs to you, too. Just let them feel a special touch from you today”



“No problem….. I’ve had several of those requests today!”



“God, thank you for listening”



“Thank YOU for calling! Now…. Have a good day! I have things covered up here!”



“God, that is one thing that I DO know!”

Happy Birthday Catie!

Happy birthday Sweet Girl!! We can hardly believe that you would have been five years old today. We will think of you so much today (but then, we do every day). We know the celebration that you have every single day in Heaven is better than any old measly thing we could pull off here... Celebrate for us today! We love you so much!!
Momma and Daddy

Happy 8 month birthday to Izzy today too!! It's hard to believe you're already 8 months old!!

Pictures from Catie's birthday last year


Catie and pals at her dressup party last year... Bailee and I love to laugh about what a mess her room was at the end of the party... Catie thought it was pretty funny last year too!


She hated having a big group sing Happy Birthday to her... but she didn't mind if it was just Tre' and I. This was after her bath on her birthday last year.


Bailee's (w/ Hello Kitty) birthday is the day before Catie's. This is last year on her birthday. Catie really had a good time that night!


The ever famous "laughing at Joey's card" photo

Hope the resizing of pics I did worked... it's hard to fit them into the blog if they're wide pics.