In Love with Leaves

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credits: Shabby Miss Jenn's Autumn Flea Market, Vol. 2 ,
and Jessica Sprague template and alpha (word leaves)

Well, let me clarify--I'm not in love with too many leaves just covering our yard that we have to rake. Neither is Rob--he mulched them all up by mowing the lawn last weekend. Hooray! I did notice that many more have now blown in again in front, though....

But--this is a new layout I just finished with some favorite fall pictures...and the girls were in love with "jumping" in the leaves! It was fun to rake them all up, just to jump in them! They had a BLAST!

Happy Halloween to all--I will post our "Scooby Doo gang" Halloween get-ups tomorrow or Sunday!

Getting My Spine In-Line...and I feel Fine!

So, I'm watching "Grey's Anatomy" and ironically the main storyline is about a guy's spine....hmmm...how fitting--because the spinal xray above is none other than little old mine!

Why am I showing xrays of my neck you may ask? Well, I decided that now was the perfect time to blog about my spine...and the good news I just received yesterday!

Above, is my neck in July when I visited Dr. Sarah at a specialized chiropractic office and she showed me that my neck curve was starting to go the wrong way. The curve was a loss of 109.5 percent...

Dr. Sarah specializes in CBP technique-(chiro biophysics)...which consists of regular chiropractic adjustments and tractioning. So, 3 times a week--I sit in her office looking a bit like this:

I really can't believe I'm showing everyone this attractive picture...but--I just turn on my ipod and take 15 minutes to sit in a chair and relax with this tractioning unit on my head! It doesn't hurt at all ....and it is slowly moving my neck in the right position...so that it will keep me healthy for years down the line. If I didn't repair the curve..it could get worse I get older and could cause healthy problems, and I will have none of that... ;)

So three months later....look below and here is my neck! I know...it doesn't look a lot different, until you look closer... the forward kink is now gone and the spine is now straight up and down...now, we just have to restore the curve. So my loss is now 100 percent and the percentage will continue to go down...Dr. Sarah says it is an awesome improvement. I am really excited! Obviously--if I am taking photos of my xrays, I guess I am a little pumped about my progress. :)


Here is the before on the left and the new on the right...side by side...
So--Dr. Sarah's office is my lunchtime stop three times each week..for a 1/2 hour for another 9 months. All of her staff is great, and I feel really lucky that I found them--thanks to my first chiropractor, Dr. Amy...she researched and found the office--and it only 10 minutes from my work...

Well enough of my xrays- I am just so excited to have my spine getting put back in line!

Catie's Hawaiian Halloween Birthday Party!

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Catie had a fantastic time on Saturday for her first-ever kids party!!! Ten kids were her guests for an afternoon of swimming and fun games in a giant gym in our town...they even run the party! Our hostess Chrissy turns out is a grad student at the college studen where I work--she did a great job! (made me feel good too when she said it was the best party she ever ran)

Then we had a fun evening at home when we babysat Baby Olivia and Great Gramma and Aunt Carrie came to our house, along with Gramma Gabbey--for a little birthday party eve pizza party! (and leftover birthday cake!)

Happy Birthday Catie!

Catie woke up this morning...and came downstairs to open her presents with us before school! She had no idea that she was getting a new Nintendo DSi! She was very excited...saying after the shock wore off : "I can't believe you got me a DSi--I love you guys!" worth every cent to hear that! :)


She got "Cooking Mama" from Anna to play on her new DSi and "Carnival" from her Aunt John, Uncle Tina, and cousins--who picked out the game they thought she'd like! Here she is posing with her cute card which says it all!


Then it was off to school....and I got to head into class to pass out cookie cake-which thrilled her friends! Catie wore her birthday visor and got serenaded by the class! She even read them a book herself! WOW..so awesome Catie...you did a fantastic job. The kids loved it.

Our Baby is 7!?!

It was just about this time (10 p.m.) on Oct. 21, 2002 that I thought my dinner wasn't agreeing with me...little did I know that I was in the early stages of labor with Catie! I was already 10 days overdue, and was scheduled to be induced the next morning...but I think that spurred Catie into action...she decided to come out on her own! Look how young Rob and I look that morning at 7:32 a.m. as Catie came into the world on October 22, 2002! wow--it seems like yesterday!
So do each of these pictures, as I looked through them tonight...I can't believe 7 years have gone by!
I think the last one is hilarious...giving us her 6 year old "cool" look!

And seeing her dressed as 2 princesses...reminds me as we walked out the door to go walking at the school..Catie said "I think Anna can have all my princess barbies, because I really don't play them anymore." The changing of the guard...sniffle. My baby has outgrown the princess phase!

Tonight I came home from work and Rob had made "sloppy joes and corn"--the meal he and I ate on this night 7 years ago! Catie is so excited for her birthday tomorrow! I'm heading into her class, and she'll read a story and I'll help deliver cookie cake to her friends. (Rob and I are also going to Anna's pumpkin patch field trip tomorrow too!) We're going out to dinner at Catie's choice of restaurant and I have to go make carrot cake cupcakes now! Luckily Rob is off this week--it is great! Then we have her big friends party this Saturday!

Scooby Dooby Doo...where are you?

The Scooby gang...a well-loved bunch in our household for quite some time! Anna and Catie have me DVR the old episodes each night on Cartoon Network, and they watch them whenever they can! Today, after dance class...Anna wanted to watch episodes on my iphone from YouTube! (she discovered it when I showed her while we waited for Catie's dance earlier in the week. oops!) She even wanted to hold my iphone and watch it as we shopped in the supermarket before lunch! Talk about a mobile world....couldn't even imagine thinking of that when I was little! And while in the store, we bought "Scooby snacks" for Anna's snack time at her nursery school this week!

So...why not take this Scooby craze to the next level? Yes, we are going as the Scooby gang for Halloween this year! Rob actually took the night off--I am so excited. I am always going trick or treating by myself with the girls--and this will be so much fun! I even broke down and ordered the costumes...I usually like to make them or have some creativity...but these were just perfect (and so easy)!

"Shaggy" aka Rob

"Daphne" aka Anna

"Scooby" aka Catie!

"Velma"--me!

Halloween should be a lot of fun!


Tomorrow is the baptism of our beautiful niece Olivia Brynne-Leigh Gabbey! or as Anna calls her "Baby Awesome!" :)

We are all excited--and the girls are thrilled that they get to watch before they leave for Sunday School. I have a lasagna in the fridge all ready to pop in the church oven for a gathering after church.

Last minute trip today to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!" Mom went with us...and we had fun. The movie was a good length at 1:21...but it really had nothing in common with Catie's fav book except for the food that falls from the sky. The girls still loved it, and I thought it was pretty entertaining. The cast was impressive with Bill Hader and Andy Sanberg from SNL, Anna Faris, James Caan etc...

My favorite quote from the movie: "we've got carpe to diem!"

Uh-Oh...it's Only October!

great.....it is only October 1st and Anna is sick. She woke up multiple times last night, and wouldn't eat mucn for Rob today. She slept the entire time at Kathy's this afternoon, which is unheard of!

She actually perked up tonight...but she had a tough time going to sleep...thank goodness we don't have school for her again until next Tuesday. Of course she went today--and felt fine --it was one of those up and down rollercoaster days of feeling ok, then crashing. Poor sweetpea.

Kathy told me that after Anna woke up from her nap today...she and her friend "M" had a great little funny exchange:

M: " 'E' had a crack on her butt!" (M's sister)
Anna: "How did she get it?"
M: I think she fell and broke it!" :)

from the mouths of 3 and 4 year old girls!