Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas everyone! Here are some pictures from Christmas in VA. Enjoy!!

Crystal & her basket!

Lambournes

Dowdys

Lambournes

Adam's gift to me!

Lynnea playing with Grandpa's Christmas train.

Lynnea's "Baby's first Christmas" ornament.

Adam says he feels like a man now.

Yay for Cheerios!

Robo-Rod

These are Rods' new contraptions on his arms. They help him do lots of stuff that he can't do otherwise. He even did a little driving! They look pretty cool. He's constantly telling me improvements they should have, like an l.e.d. light on the end of his bar, or pellet guns on them. You know, just practical stuff. My sister suggested they should be remote controlled so I could make him wash dishes, or do whatever.

We got a little dressed up and went to Rod's work party Saturday night. It was so nice- we wouldn't have been able to go if mom hadn't come out!! She helped us so much this week! I think we wore her out- so everyone make sure she rests (at least after the big dinner this weekend) and give her foot rubs and massages!!

Thanksgiving pics

These are some photos from our Thanksgiving here. My family (except my oldest sister and her family) came to our house for Thanksgiving. It was really nice, not only for all the help with the kids but it was a real booster for myself and Rod.

Here's our "Princess Party" picture. We popped popcorn and watched a Barbie movie! (Caitlin's idea of a perfect evening)

Grandma C. helping Caitlin spell her name (she's getting pretty good!)

Just a cute messy-hair Lizzie picture

These headresses were my sister Kate's idea. We chose an Indian name (note Lizzie's "laughing bear" on hers) and on the feathers wrote things we're grateful for. Then we wore them and read them as we ate our Thanksgiving meal! Rod's name was "Broken Arm", obviously...

Also, note Lizzie's plethora of animals and babies in her arms. This is her 24 hours a day. She has a HUGE entourage of stuffed animals, babies, and blankets that need to accompany her around the house. The number keeps growing, too. She can't carry them all so now it takes several trips of her filling her arms and going back and forth to move them from room to room.

Here's some food for thought. We recently got Rod's medical bills in the mail. Well, they weren't bills, they were statements on what our insurance has paid for (which has been 100%, thank goodness). So I thought I'd demonstrate how important good medical insurance is!

Rod's week in the hospital, including 2 surgeries: $97,812.12
Rod's outpatient surgery on his wrist (this was in in the morning, out at night, no hospital stay): $75,696.31
Our 3-hour stint at the ER after a doctor appt, to make sure he didn't have blood clots in his legs: $1,486.00

Keep in mind this doesn't include the ambulance ride (which was about $800, also paid for by insurance), or the custom-made prostetics Rod's gotten for his arm (there were 2), or the many doctor appointments, X-rays, etc., he's received at his almost-weekly doctor appointments, or his physical therapy that he goes to 4 times a week. Wow. The bills detail how much everything was. $1200 per night in the hospital. Plate in wrist: $1,049.00. Incredible. Good medical insurance is essential!! And to think we were grumbling about our measly $10 copay every doctor or physical therapist visit!!!