Writing Her Name

Phoebe can write her own name!  She started doing this about two weeks ago... I give her verbal cues and sometimes show her what the letters look like... but she can hold the crayon or pencil and write all of the letters in her name unassisted! 

The top PHOEBE I wrote.  The bottom PHOEBE she wrote!

Moving Together

I am captaining our "Go For Gloria" Walk Ms team again this year in honor of my Mom, Gloria Hastings.  She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis about three years ago.  Since being diagnosed my mom has taken medicine to help keep the MS symptoms controlled.  Currently, she is taking Copaxone nightly by injections.  She also takes other medications which help manage her symptoms of MS.

Stacee, Sarah, Phoebe, and Gloria before Walk MS 2012

The Emporia MS Walk will be held on April 20th this year.  We have had several people register online and join our team already.  I welcome anyone else who would like to show your support for my mom to join our team.  Help us promote MS awareness by participating with us!  Click on the following link and you will be directed to our "Go For Gloria" team page.  Once there click on the orange tab on the right side of your screen that says "JOIN OUR TEAM".    "GO FOR GLORIA" TEAM PAGE link

MS interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms vary from person to person. One person may experience fatigue and numbness, while another may experience dizziness and have loss of balance.  Local Walk MS events are connecting communities to end MS forever. This event raises critical funds to support local programs and cutting-edge research. Your participation puts us closer to realizing our promise to STOP MS in its tracks, RESTORE lost function and END MS forever. Ending MS means no one will receive an MS diagnosis again. Every step counts. Every dollar helps. Every connection matters.

If you cannot join us the day of the walk, please make a donation! Any amount, great or small, helps make a difference in the lives of people living with MS.  Click on the following link and you will be directed to our "Go For Gloria" team page.  Once there click on the orange tab on the right side of your screen that says "DONATE TO GO FOR GLORIA"  "GO FOR GLORIA" TEAM PAGE link

Not only does your donation bring our team closer to our fundraising goal, it supports critical funds to support local programs and cutting-edge research. Your donation puts us closer to realizing our promise to STOP MS in its tracks, RESTORE lost function and END MS forever. Ending MS means no one will receive an MS diagnosis again. Every step counts. Every dollar helps. Every connection matters

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or contact the National MS Society at nationalmssociety.org.  On behalf of my Mom, my family, and all those affected by Multiple Sclerosis, THANK YOU!  We appreciate your support.

Our Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Dear Sarah!  Wow, this cutie is 6!  Time has sure gone by fast these past 6 years....  What a blessing this little girl has been to me and everyone around her from day one.  She smiled at one month and hasn't stopped since.  She was God's blessing to Eric and I when we needed happiness the most.  Thank you, God, for this ray of sunshine in our lives!

I made the kids pose for a few birthday pictures....

Opening presents from us... She was excited to get a couple more Brave presents from us and Silas, and a Rapunzel ~ Tangled present from Phoebe.

New Spring shirts.  She likes frogs and butterflies so these were perfect for her.

And, here it is... Her new BIG bike!  She was so excited to get this and to take it outside and try it out!!!  She wanted to ride it around the basement, but Eric thought that was not such a good idea.

She took right off on it, going fast, and... riding it like she had been riding it for years... with minimal wobbling.

That night Eric made some ice cream sundae cookie supremes for a treat and she blew out the candle!  We hope you had a fantastic 6th birthday sweet Sarah Jo.  We love you so so much!

Brave Birthday Party

On Sunday we had Sarah's 6th birthday party.  She requested a Disney "Brave" theme.

Uncle Matt helped us out again by making us a large poster for a game.  This time we played "Place the Arrow on the Bow", held by Merida....  We made a lot of little arrows so each kid got to go twice if they wanted to.

Sarah got some nice gifts from family and friends.

She had no problems blowing out all six of her candles.

Everyone enjoyed cake, ice cream, rainbow twizzlers, and pink lemonade.

Child Party Guests: left to right - (back row) Drew, Camryn, (middle row) Kaylynn, Savannah, Sarah, Lydia, Jackson, and Austin, (front row) Anna, Hayley, Phoebe, and Elizabeth

Silas slept through most of the party.  He woke up toward the end, and with a little help from Popee and our friend Nancy, showed off his almost crawling skills.

We went to Burger King for dinner.  Sarah wanted to play there.  The girls had fun climbing and sliding...

and Silas liked looking through the plastic and yelling loudly at his sisters!

That evening Sarah opened some presents from Popee and Nanee, Lindsee and EP, and two she got in the mail from Grandma Sharon, and Bret, Andrea, Aydin, and Kallin.

She was SUPER EXCITED about this new big Brave bow and arrow from Lindsee and EP!  She couldn't wait to try it out.  Popee, being the old archery instructor gave her some pointers...

Look out Merida and Katniss Everdeen... Here comes Sarah Jo!

Opening the gifts she got in the mail from Texas...

Not to be left out, there was a Horton the Elephant for Silas and a couple things for Phoebe too.  Good thinking Popee, Nanee, and Lindsee!

What a fun and full day!  All three kids went to bed tired and happy.