Another Favorite Pastime...

Anna loves to throw the ball for Maggie the dog, who faithfully brings it back....they both can do this endlessly.

Two Favorites....

A couple of Anna's favorite things to play are dress up (princess or "puffy" dresses) and fixing hair.....

What a Difference a Week Makes

A week ago today, I was having surgery to remove a tennis ball sized mass from my abdomen (and accompanying hysterectomy due to other factors). I quite frankly was frightened about the surgery, and frightened about how my dear daughter would react to it all. What a difference a week makes. I am home from the hospital (only two nights!), the mass was not cancerous, and the doctors were able to remove everything using laparoscopic surgery (several very small incisions rather than one big one) that shortens the healing time by about a month. As a bonus, I will never have appendicitis because my appendix came out too (it was stuck to the mass). Although it still does not feel good to cough or sneeze and I am not yet driving or working, things are so much better than a week ago. I look forward to being able to pick up my sweet Anna again soon and to getting one of her big hugs around the belly. I am grateful for the prayers of family and friends.

New Year Portraits

Anna and I finally got some new portraits made. It's been a little over a year since the last ones that were made to commemorate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I have been thinking of doing it ever since Anna turned 5 (back in September) but the time seemed to get away. In the rush to select from the assortment they showed me at the studio, I actually got home and liked some poses that were different from the main selections I purchased prints of. I never like having pictures taken of myself, but I am glad that there will be some pictures of Anna and me together. I may get a reprint or two later on... ;-)

Happy New Year!

Jenna's mom came up with a great way to begin the new year....she supplied paint and paper and calendar pages for the girls to make hand print pictures, poems, and bind the whole thing into calendars. Thanks, Julie! After the paint dried overnight, the group came to our house to play (lots of dress up and squealing) while Anna's grandparents punched holes and bound the calendars. The hand print art is REALLY cute. Click here for examples...