Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Bradley Birthday at Papa Jim and Nana's house. Bradley chose to have Papa Jim's Steak, Nana's Mashed Potatoes and Papa Jim's gravy for his birthday dinner. Following our delicious dinner we also had birthday cake. Emmalee really enjoyed the frosting... I think she is begining to really like sweets!!! Bradley received a new cell phone and a fully decked out skateboard. I think he really enjoyed his 14th birthday! Happy Birthday Beezo, we Love you!!

Love, Jill, Dad, Emmalee and Josh!

Happy 14th Birthday Bradley Paul

Today is Bradley Paul's 14th birthday! We want him to know that we love him very much and we are proud of him. He is a very intellegent young man with a great sense of humor! I have watched him grow into a very handsome young man! We love you Beezo! Love Dad, Jill, Josh, and Emmalee

Thirteen Months and 10 days.

Emmalee and I spent the whole day together. We had a lot of fun playing. She really enjoyed her doll today and sat on my lap hugging and kissing her and wanting me to do the same. Following Emmalee's nap we went shopping with Nana. We had fun running errands and buying dinner for Bradley's birthday! When we came home Emmalee wanted to do a little exploring.... she decided she wanted to try and climb into the lazy Susan. Here are the photo's. After figuring out she could climb behind it she decided to get out and try and empty it!!! She is a true blessing!!!

Long Weekend.

We had a very eventful weekend. On Saturday sometime Nalla (our Lab mix) got out of Papa Jim and Nana's backyard. We were not sure she was missing until Sunday morning. We all searched the neighborhood and came up empty handed. . Nana, Emmalee and I even went to the pound where I thought a dog was Nalla, the dog looked just like Nalla did when she was younger (without the graying muzzle). Disappointed we came home and printed up signs and hung them all over the neighborhood. We even listed her missing on several "lost dog" sites on the internet and on Craig's list (a want ads on line). Mom and Justin (Kelly's husband) searched more on Monday. It wasn't until 11:30 p.m. I rec'd a phone call on my cell phone that a gentleman had found her on Saturday around 5 p.m. and he just happened to see the ad on Craig's list. He was planning on taking her to the pound on Tuesday (Monday was Veterans Day). She had ran about 1 1/2 miles North and he saw her crossing a very busy street, when he opened his car door and said "come here girl" she jumped in willingly. I am very grateful to this kind gentleman who took her in. Nalla is now safe and sound at home and very glad to be there. Emmalee walked around both houses calling "Nalla"....."Nalla". I am very glad we found her.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We were not sure what we were going to dress Emmalee up as for Halloween. Daddy (Rob) and Nana got into a discussion as to which team was better. Daddy for LSU and Nana for Mississippi State. Nana brought Emmalee home a Mississippi State Bulldog stuffed animal from one of her earlier trips to Mississippi. Daddy called Grandma Rosemary and told her about the Bulldog..... we received a package in the early part of October which included LSU t-shirts for Rob, Josh, Brad and myself and an LSU cheerleading outfit for Emmalee. So, thanks to Grandma Rosemary we now had the perfect Halloween costume. Emmalee was not really sure of what all was going on but I know she enjoyed being out and seeing everyone. We went and saw people in the neighborhood we knew. Grandma Diane and Grandpa Tom were out on their front porch so Emmalee got to play with Katie and I can't remember the new puppies name because they keep calling it Dumb dog. We had fun and enjoyed the night, we did not have very many trick or treaters though. It definatly has slowed down in our neighborhood since we were young. We hope you all enjoyed your night!! Love Rob, Jill, Josh, Brad and Emmalee

Mother Natures Farm

Sarah, Hunter, Joshua, Bradley, Emmalee and I went to Mother Natures Farm the weekend before Halloween. Emmalee and Bradley decorated a pumpkin while Hunter decorated his pumpkin. The farm has an area where you can go and play and pick your own pumpkin. I think it is the only place I know of that the cost of admission for children is more than it is for adults. (If you are going to decorate a pumpkin it is $7) After the kids decorated their pumpkins the boys and Emmalee played in a little fort. Then the boys took Emmalee into the bouncer. Josh and Brad bounced Emmalee back and forth. It was rather funny to see. Hunter bounced with her. We then went and saw the pigs. You were not allowed near them but you could look at them. We then headed out and Bradley picked a pumpkin from the Pumpkin patch so that he could turn it into a Jack-o-lantern. It was a very fun day!! I really enjoyed having Josh and Brad join us and I know Emmalee enjoyed it too!

Catching up! Our trip to Louisiana/Mississippi

I am not sure where the time goes but it has been a couple weeks since I have updated the blog. Rob, Emmalee and I flew to New Orleans on October 22 so we could attend my Uncle Jimmy's funeral. Rob's Mom and Step Dad picked us up from the airport, there was a bad storm in the South so we were a little late getting in. My Dad flew to Gulfport, MS and was also late getting in. Rob, Emmalee and I got up early on the 23rd and drove to Biloxi, we met the family at the funeral home. It was a very bittersweet time. It was the first time Mamaw, Papaw, Kelly, Justin and Aunt Margie would meet Emmalee and we were there for such a sad occasion. Emmalee looked beautiful and played and smiled with everyone. It was wonderful to see the friends and family who came to show their love and support. Uncle Jimmy touched many peoples lives. The Masonic Lodge perfomed a beautiful graveside service. I know it was not easy for them to do but it was incredible. The three of us returned to New Orleans that night and came back to spend more time with my side of the family on the 24th. Mom, Dad, Mamaw, Papaw, Rob, Emmalee and I went to a restaurant called "The Orleans Cafe" to have sea food. Emmalee had her first taste of Gumbo, shrimp, oysters and redbeans and rice. She really enjoyed the gumbo. We spent most the day at Mamaw and Papaw's it is amazing the changes that are taking place with the building of the school. The land looks so small now that you can see Big John Road from the backyard. In the afternoon we decided to go to Pascagoula to see if we could find Rob's Dad. After about 45 minutes of driving around we found the house. Rob's Dad was home so we stopped and said hello. We had a very nice visit with him and we went down to the "Annex" where his Dad was meeting some of his family for dinner. We saw Rob's Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and a Great Aunt. We went back to Rob's Dad's house and he should us the garage he built on the back of the lot. I now know where Rob gets his tool fettish.

We spent the 25th in Mandeville. Rosemary, Al, Patty, Rob, Emmalee and I had lunch at a neat restaurant on the shore of Lake Ponchetrain. Then Rob drove Emmalee and me around and showed us some of the hangouts and I finally got to meet Burt and Virginia. It was nice to be able to put places and faces too where I have heard so many stories. That evening Rosemary cooked a wonderful dinner and had family over so we could see everyone before we returned home to Phoenix. It was really nice to see everyone, I just wish we had had more time. We had the pleasure of meeting our Great Neice Mia. She is a beautiful little girl, Emmalee was a little jealous when I held her. Here are some pictures from My Uncle Jimmy's grave. My camera jammed and I was not able to take any pictures of Rob and his Dad. We used Rosemary's camera (Al's camera) and took some pictures of the family on our last night. We are working on getting those so I will add those when I can.

- - IN LOVING MEMORY - - JAMES VERNON LYNAM JR. 8/23/1947 - 10/21/2007

This is a very difficult post for me to write. We lost a very special person in our lives today. My Uncle Jimmy passed away early this morning after a very long battle with Cancer. Uncle Jimmy was diagnosed in early 2006 with Mesothelioma Lung Cancer. Mesothelioma is associated with asbestos. My Uncle Jimmy put up a very good fight, I know he gave it everything he had. Uncle Jimmy was always a fighter. When Jodie and I were little he use to rough house with us and teach us how to defend ourselves. I remember him doing the same things with his daughter - Kelly. I remember the day Kelly came home from the hospital and Uncle Jimmy called us to tell us she was home, he was so excited he kept telling Jodie she was an Aunt, he finally realized she was our cousin. He was so excited and so Happy! I have a lot of wonderful memories of my Uncle Jimmy that I will always cherish. I will never forget seeing the picture of me under the Organ at my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Margie's wedding... I was only about 3 weeks old. When I was installed as Honored Queen of Bethel 13 of Job's Daughters he came out here to be apart of my ceremony. He was Worshiful Master of his Masonic Lodge in Mississippi. It really meant alot to me that he came to celebrate with me and our family. I really could go on and on.... Uncle Jimmy you will be greatly missed by everyone! I Love you now and forever!

Pumpkin Patch Video

I hope this works! This is from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch last week. Let me know what you think. If you like it I will try and put more pictures on the blog! Love to all! Jill and family

Pumpkin Patch

On Wednesday Aunt Sarah, Hunter, Aunt Sylvia, Mommy and I went to the Pumpkin Patch. It was really neat to walk around the pumpkins. I was not too sure about what they were but Hunter was having fun playing with them so I tried it. I played for awhile but then I was done!!! I did not like the feel of the hay Mommy sat me on, I know she wanted a good picture but it really scratched my bottom. After the Pumpkin Patch, we all went out to lunch. I really liked eating at a restaurant, Hunter even shared his french fries with me, Thanks Hunter! It was a really cool day! We will have to do it again sometime soon. The weather here was supposed to be cooling off but it was pretty warm today. We will write more soon.

Love, Emmalee and Mommy

There are not going to be any pictures on this post because the Blogger is down, we have tried to put a video of Emmalee walking in the Pumpkin Patch and pictures and we receive an error both times, we will continue to try and put the info on. Love ya!

Happy Birthday to Our Beautiful Baby Girl!!!!

Today, October 6th is Emmalee's 1st birthday. It has been a year of new things and wonderful memories. I remember laying in the hospital a year ago anxious to see what she looked like! I beleive she is a good mix of her Daddy and I. She has similar characteristics of both of her brothers. She has a wonderful personality and has brought complete joy into our lives. Emmalee is a very curious little girl and if she sees Josh or Brad do something she wants to show everyone that she can do it too. She is not yet walking all over the place but that is sure to be very soon. It has been a wonderful year and I am so excited to see what each new days brings! Emmalee I hope you know how special you are and how much happiness you have brought into many peoples lives. We love you and hope your first birthday is half as special as you are! Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Love Mommy, Daddy, Joshie, Brad, Papa Jim and Nana

11 Months, 3 Weeks and a couple of days.

It is almost Emmalee's 1st birthday, we had her pictures taken and I will share them with you when I can. I am in California learning more Aquatic Bodywork and Nana Phyllis was wonderful enough to let me borrow her laptop so that I could work on things while I was here. Emmalee took 4 steps for me before I left... She is quite the character, she loves her brothers and will play, peekaboo, you can't get me - all night long with her brothers!!! Rob, Nana and Papa Jim have their hands full. Rob is working on a very large job right now so he is gone before 6 every morning. Josh is then on duty until Nana gets there to get Emmalee up and ready to go to the sitters. Bradley is staying with us this week because the boys Mom is going to Chicago for a marathon. So Nana will be getting Emmalee and Bradley and take Emmalee to her sitters and then drop Bradley off at school. I know they are doing well with out me but I miss them and I miss all the little things that are going on all the time. I will write more soon and I am still working on uploading pictures. Love to all!

Another tooth and two steps!!!

It has been a very busy week, Emmalee now has "Chipper", "Chopper", "Cutter" and the newest tooth is "Slicer". Her upper left tooth decided to join the family. She won't smile and let you see it so I don't have any pictures of it. I was brushing her teeth tonight and I think she is trying to cut some more teeth in the back on the left.. she did not like me brushing back there at all.

The other big news!!! She took 2 steps unassisted. She has done it a couple of times for Rob and I but still holds on when other people are watching. She actually did try to take a couple for Papa Jim and Nana last night.

This picture is of her dancing, there was music on the TV and she started wiggling her finger and dancing to the music... it was very comical.

It was a very busy week for me... it was what I call my hell week. It was National Rehabilitation Awareness Week and that meant a lot of wonderful activities put on by the Recreation Therapy Dept. (Lori, Su, Sarah and I were pretty tired).

I will write more soon. We love you all!

Jill and family!

September 11, 2007 - the 6th Anniversary

Today is the 6th Anniversary of 9-11, a day that many of us will never forget.

A very nice tribute called the Healing Field is being displayed at Tempe Town Lakes. Sarah, Hunter, Emmalee and I went and walked through the flags.

They also displayed the National Unity Flag which was designed by an Arizona gentleman. The Unity Flag includes flags of the fifty United States and six U.S. Districts. The Flag also includes a panel bearing the names of over 3,000 victims of 9/11. The center panel includes an image of our Statue of Liberty looking proudly toward the heavens. The border of the National Unity Flag is red, white and blue and reads: "3046 LOST.....290,000,000 UNITED". The flag is signed by all one hundred of our U.S. Senators.

Each American Flag has a yellow ribbon tied to it and on each yellow ribbon the name of someone who died on 9/11 is written. It is an incredible tribute to those who lost their life on that terrible day.

Thank you Sarah and Hunter for allowing us to join you!

Love always, Jill and family

11 Months and growing like a WEED!

It is really hard to beleive that Emmalee is almost a year old. She turned 11 months on the 6th of September. It has been a time for a lot of changes. Emmalee's babysitter has had a family situation, that she had to take care of, so Emmalee has a temporary baby sitter named Wendy. Emmalee seems to really like Wendy and the other kids Wendy watches. Emmalee thought it would be fun to see the "Green Chicken" in Papa Jim and Nana's kitchen... needless to say this is as close as we would let her get. Papagaya is very interested in seeing how Emmalee tastes!! I know Mom, Emmalee will have to get bit by Papagaya to learn....

Emmalee is really enjoying eating fresh fruit, and other "real" food items. Her upper right tooth finally decided to come through... we have named it "Cutter". We are all waiting for "Slicer" to break through so we can move past the "Teething diapers" Man do they smell!!!! (like Roses - right Papa Jim") She loves to get Ice from Papa Jim and she does whatever it takes to get the ice, even it if means sticking her hand in Papa Jim's mouth and pulling the ice out. Emmalee is crawling all over the place and she continues to pull herself up on items and walks furniture. She is challenging her balance and I know she is going to take her first step any day now. She crawls to the middle of the floor and just stands up, looks around and then sits down and crawls. She loves the cabinets in the kitchen, it is time for Daddy to put the safety latches on all of the cabinets. She enjoys any toy that sings or makes noise - she loves music and will dance if she hears music playing. She went to Peter Piper Pizza with us to celebrate Coby's birthday and she loved all of the lights and bells and whistles. She went down a slide with her big brother Bradley (BBB). She rode the helicopter and in the ice cream truck. She also played a very fun game where she had to step on the alligators. Her Daddy said he knew she was part "Coon Ass" She playes with her walking toys and moves them all over the house. She chases Nashoba all over the house. She will go down to her room and play with her toys and then she comes looking for her DaDa or MaMa - of course hollering DaDa or MaMa the whole time. She still sleeps very well. She is a true blessing and we Thank God for her every second!!!!! She loves her brothers and attacks them when she sees them. Papa Jim and Nana got her a doll names "Baby Emma" she will not let anyone hold it because that means they are not holding or loving her. She hugs the doll and kisses the doll and plays with the doll like her brothers play with her. Thank you Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Margie for the wonderful toys.. she has found the giraffe and bird but we have not let her open the bag since it is not her birthday yet! We love you all and I promise to write more - More often.

Love always, Jill and family

Happy Birthday OME JAN!!!! AKA Brotherinlaw!!!!

Today is my Brother in laws and Emmalee's Ome Jan's birthday! We hope you have/had a wonderful birthday!!!! It is 9 hours a head in Holland so he will not get this wish until tomorrow. We miss you and wish we could have helped you celebrate your birthday but just know we love and miss you and hope your birthday is as special as you are! Here's to many, many, many more birthdays! We are very happy to have you as a part of our family! You are more like a brother than an in-law!!!! We love you, Jill, Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Dad and Mom

Happy Birthday Coby James!

Papa Jim, Nana Phyllis, Uncle Rob, Uncle Jill, Bradley and Emmalee joined Coby James and a whole bunch of people at Peter Piper Pizza to celebrate Coby James 7th birthday! Coby turned 7 on September 4th. Thank you for letting us share in your special day! We love you! Happy Birthday buddy! You are a very special guy and we are proud to have you as part of our family.

Happy 7th Birthday Hunter!!!

August 31, 2007
Okay, I am a bad Aunt.... and Godmother... I did not get online and write Hunter a Happy Birthday message on Emmalee's blog. I did however make sure Hunter had a birthday party with Aunt Jodie, Uncle Jan, Uncle Rob, Big Mudd, Nana, Josh, James, Brad, Jenna, Emmalee and me before the van Arkels went back to Holland. I also called him on the morning of his birthday and wished him a very Happy Birthday before he went off to school.... so I guess I am not that bad of an Aunt.

Hunter, I hope your birthday was 1/2 as special as you are to me and to my family. Your are a very sweet young man and we love you. Thank you for always making us laugh and for allowing us to be a part of your life!!! Thank you for letting us celebrate your Birthday with you! Here's to many more birthdays!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Love, Aunt Jill, Uncle Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Big Mudd and Nana Phyllis!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Jimmy

My Uncle Jimmy turned 60 Years old on August 23. My Mom was able to fly to Mississippi and spend a week with Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Margie, Mamaw and Papaw. She has a wonderful trip and enjoyed seeing her family. I have some wonderful memories of speding summers in Mississippi. My Uncle Jimmy taught my sister and I how to defend ourselves for strangers...we were to stomp on their foot, bend over in to them so we could elbow them in the stomach/chest and then hit them in the face and run like "hell". He always enjoyed rough housing with my sister and I. Uncle Jimmy, I am sorry I did not write this sooner but I hope you had a very Happy Birthday and here's to Many, Many more. I love you! We love you!

Love, Jill, Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Phyllis and Jim.

A Busy Month

It has been a very busy month for all of us. I have really picked up on the number of WATSU's (Water Massages) that I have been doing. The boys have been busy with school, homework and shhh don't tell them I am telling you but GIRLS!!!! I am not sure if they have anyone steady but I know they are text messaging up a storm as well as using their cell phones a lot. Emmalee has just amazed me by all of the things she now does.....but first I am going to start with birthdays, then Emmalee so to the next entry we go!