Ornery

Just wanted to post some pics of my little man, he has been kicking my butt lately. Now I know why they say boys are so different than girls!

This has been kicking my behind as well (take a look at the shirt!!!)

We are excited to announce that we have another Zimmerman on the way!

May 18th is the due date and we couldn't feel more blessed!

He Passed!!!

Fantastic news...

We found out last week that Kyle passed his boards test that he took in August!!!!

There were many months of studying dedicated to this test and many stressful moments of me trying not to bother him. He did it and I have never been more proud of him!

Now he is all geared up and has his application process for yet another Fellowship underway.

He is applying for an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship, which is just even more specialized in his field. This is a one year Fellowship that will lead him to exactly what he hopes to be someday, a Interventional Cardiologist.

Each application process that I have gone through with Kyle has just wrecked havoc on my nerves. With Med School it was just hopes that he get accepted somewhere, with Residency it was hopes that we got to stay in KC, with Cardiology Fellowship it was hopes that he would just get one, with this one I am totally leaving it up to God. My motto: Go with the flow! He is applying to many different cities and most of these teaching hospitals only accept one Interventional Fellow, that is slim pickens! Just say lots of prayers for him as he begins yet another journey in his career.

R.I.P Pippi

Sad news...

Miss Isabella's fish Pippi has been laid to rest.

He was a beautiful blue Beta fish whom we purchased for her a month before Walter was born. That's right folks, he almost lasted a year-and-a-half old!

Towards the end of his life his lovely blue scales became a drab shade of gray and each morning as she went to feed him I was lurking nearby assuming he would be floating belly up. Much to my surprise he would greet her many mornings with flapping fins.

Luckily I am the one that discovered him.

He had a proper burial and everyone is doing fine:)

In fact, poor Pippi, she is already trying to decide what color fish she wants next.

What!!!

So yesterday I volunteered my time in Isabella's Pre-K classroom.

I had a wonderful time helping the kids make really cute spider hats and just enjoying watching how they all interact, until...

We have to start at the beginning.

About two weeks ago Isabella started talking obsessively about a couple of little boys in her class, K and N. She kept talking about how they are her new bestest friends and that she wanted to have them over some day for a playdate. Now Isabella has a lot of friends who are boys and a lot who are girls so this idea really didn't bother me. Last week as they were lining up on the playground I noticed that the boy standing behind her was playing with her hair. I thought this was kind of odd so I asked her who that was and sure enough it was her newest best friend K.

Yesterday Isabella was the snack helper so as she was with her teacher getting snack prepared the rest of the class was reading books on the carpet. At the beginning of the year Isabella and I had to make a page about her filled with pictures of her and family and all of her favorites. The teacher compiled this into a class book. I noticed that K and N were looking at this book and I was interested in it so without them knowing I was focusing on them I watched as they looked at each page of the book. When they got to Isabella's page they both got really excited and started kissing all over her and her pictures! I was appalled! Not really, but this is my little girl! Back off boys!

Do crushes really start at this age? I had two older brothers so I NEVER went through this phase because to me boys were gross until I was about sixteen because they were always around at my house.

I quizzed Isabella after class and she still insists that they are best friends but K likes to touch her hair sometimes. I never use the word "boyfriend" around her because I don't want her to turn into one of those crazy "boy crazy" little girls that I think are just ridiculous (remember I used to teach 7th and 8th grade girls). I know this is normal and cute but it somehow changes when it is you little girl. Am I crazy to worry about things like this already?

Plumply Dumply Pumpkins!

Okay, a little crazy with the photos but we had so much fun at the pumpkin patch I just couldn't decided on my favorites!

We took the kiddos to the same patch we go to every year and it just amazes me because they never get tired of it. In fact Isabella loves being able to show the other two around the place.

This was the first year Kyle mentioned how going to the pumpkin patch is just getting a little expensive. I agree, it is a little pricey for a hayrack ride, a pumpkin, and some fun halloween games but after thinking about it I will pay this every year until my kids refuse to go with me. There will be a day when I don't have anyone to go to the pumpkin patch with me anymore so I am going to savor these years as long as I can!

She Did It!!!

Two weekends ago Isabella was a flower girl in my cousin's wedding.  When they asked her last January, I of course said yes and was very hopeful that she would walk down that aisle all by herself like a big girl and SHE DID IT:)  She didn't even bat an eye.  She got to throw the petals as she walked and even went up on the alter with all of the wedding party for the ceremony.  I was very impressed and very happy to see that my once little shy gal is feeling comfortable just being herself.  It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful evening with family.

Isabella with Grandma Jones

Look at little man out on the dance floor showing all of his wedding moves!

We have been to so many weddings in the last two months my kids aren't going to know what to do with themselves on the weekends without them.  I think they think it is normal to eat cake and spend hours on the dance floor every Saturday night:)

So Sweet...So Brave

As if the last few weeks weren't busy enough I scheduled Margaret to have her tonsils taken out last Thursday.  This was something that Kyle and I put a lot of thought into given that she is so young.  She had tubes in ears and adenoids out last February and we were told then that tonsils needed to go too because they were completely touching when she was out for her surgery.  She had never had infected sore throats but has been a snorer from birth and these massive tonsils were obviously obstructing her breathing.  Kyle, always being medically cautious, wanted to wait it out to see if by removing the adenoids we would possibly remove the problem.  Well, it didn't so the little one had to go back in and get them removed.  

I didn't make too much of a fuss about it beforehand.  We read a couple of books to her about it and talked some but since she really has no timeline it wasn't something I wanted her to worry about.  On the day of surgery she was ready to go, actually kind of excited...must have been all of the icecream we told her about!  I was reassured that we were doing the right thing that morning when every nurse or physician that looked in her mouth kind of gasped and many mentioned that they were really the size you might see in a five to six -year-old.  

She was such a big girl about it all, no tears as I left her to be wheeled off by nurses.  She breathed in her bubblegum "air" beautifully and within an hour she was already being wheeled out to me from recovery.  She looked so small in that little bed it was hard for me to believe that she could be so brave.  

Her ENT wanted her to spend the night in the hospital based on her age and just to be cautious.  Two slurpies, one icecream, three jello's, and one chocolate pudding later they sent us packing because she was doing so well.  We were home by 1:30 that day!  She has done great since she has been home.  Getting her to eat well has been our only challenge but I am sure this will come as she heals more.  

All I can say is that this little stinker is a tough one!

We are so proud of your bravery Margaret, we love you!

God's Country

Last week we were able to take the kids to one of my favorite places on earth... Beaver Creek, Colorado.  

Beaver Creek holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons.  Eight and a half years ago Kyle and I went here for what I thought was just another ski vacation (this is when we used to do this sort of thing!).  I had never been and I was captured by how beautiful it was, not kidding I think that this is one of the most beautiful, most peaceful places I have ever been.  After a long day of skiing and a cold beer by a warm fire we went outside to watch a fireworks display on the mountain.  As the night skiers came down and "Jessie's Girl" played in the background my man got down on one knee and proposed.  We hadn't been back until this weekend and it was even more beautiful than I remembered and I loved getting to share it with my kids.  We took them to the exact spot and ate at many of the same places.  We snuck in some amazing runs that were almost overwhelming because of the mountains all around us. Many times we asked ourselves why we lived in Kansas.  

We were in town to celebrate Kyle's cousin's wedding, which was a blast.  My little man Walter was the ring bearer and he did a fantastic job.  He made it down the aisle solo (the flower girl didn't make it) right into my arms.  At the reception all of my kids busted a move until their little bodies just couldn't do it any longer.  Walter actually fell asleep in my arms, on the dance floor, grooving to a fast song!

Love this picture of my family:)

The next day Walter and Kyle were near this trail and actually saw a bear!  Of course Walter was roaring at it.

Such a handsome boy! 

Gearing up for the big day.

Even if we never live in this beautiful part of the country we have decided that it is a place where we want to be at least a couple of times a year just to enjoy all of the beautifulness that God created.