Happy birthday, Pete!

Happy birthday, old man! Tell Angie to push you over the hill for us! Love ya.

Fun with the Gator

After months of driving the Gator around and around the cul-de-sac, Jack has discovered the great fun of using it "off-road."

Start Your Engines!

Rick took Jack and Noah to pole night for the Coca-Cola 600. This was the first NASCAR experience for all three of them, and unfortunately they didn't bring earplugs. The boys found an alternative, Rick just sacrificed some of his hearing. Apparently, earplugs are standard-issue equipment for normal race fans--something we did not know.

Despite the unbelievable noise, Jack didn't want to leave!

Birthday Season

Birthday season is upon us! May and June seem to be one big celebration, and here's Jack celebrating away at friend Colin's birthday party at Pump It Up. Our goal: to get all the birthday cards delivered on time. In reality: we're operating at about 75%. :) Maybe next year. The good news: I'm now a platinum member at Hallmark--seriously! And do you think they sent me a card to congratulate me??? Nope, just an email!

Happy Birthday, Jaida (11) and Baylee (6)!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, sweet neices, happy birthday to you! (And if you're around the Wilcox family, please imagine that this song is all harmonized and stretched out at the end:)) Have a great day!

Happy 12th Birthday, Tristen!

Happy Birthday, Shweetie! Love and miss you! See you in June.

Happy 12th Birthday, Jacob!

Happy birthday! Stop breaking bones! Love you, Rick, Christi, Jack and Sam

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Moms in our lives--we love and appreciate you! We feel blessed that we are surrounded by such awesome examples of motherhood. Jack made this Mother's Day artwork at school, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. Hope you have a great day!

Sam's Hospital Video

Sam's doctor ordered a video EEG for him after the regular EEG came back normal. The video EEG required a hospital stay, so we checked in on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Twenty-eight hours of video surveillance later, we were released. The pediatric neurologist reviewed the data and concluded that Sam is not having seizures--thank God! The next--and last--step is the MRI, which is yet to be scheduled.
In this picture and video, Sam has sixteen electrodes (wires) connected to his scalp. The electrodes are bunched and contained by a hairnet. The netting bundles the wires that lead to a backpack. One large cord connects the backpack to the monitor. Sam could move around the room pretty well, and he managed to stay in fairly good spirits. Now, we're happy to be home, and thankful to know that he's not experiencing seizures. The doctor is calling his erratic movements "infantile spasms." We're blessed to have a happy, growing, and otherwise healthy little Sam-Sam. Please keep us in your prayers.

Kids In Motion

Every year the Junior League (Junya League, here in the South), puts on Kids in Motion as a fundraiser. This year, they had a helicopter, two fire trucks (one that left in a hurry--lights flashing/horns blaring!), an ambulance, a semi-truck, the fun bus, a train, a race car, and much more! The fun part is that the kids have free reign; they can crawl all through the vehicles, honking horns, trying on uniforms, and playing with gadgets. The weather was great, so we enjoyed a little picnic lunch after wearing ourselves out climbing in and out of all things that go!

Sam's EEG Appointment

Sam's been going to a lot of doctors lately for tests. We're trying to find out if he's experiencing seizures, possibly related to a fall. He has generally been very happy and healthy throughout these last couple of weeks, and has even learned to walk (finally, choosing to walk more than crawl!). His development has continued normally, and the fact that he has hit such a big milestone--walking--encouraged us and our pediatric neurologist to think that we're probably not dealing with anything too serious. Currently, we're waiting--and praying--as the EEG results are read by the doctor, and an MRI is being scheduled. This is Sam during his EEG earlier today, sleeping away with 18 electrodes pasted to his head and chest!

Always Room for a Friend

Jack and Noah have really enjoyed riding their Radio Flyers together in the cul-de-sac. They even took them for a bike ride with their dads a few nights ago--it was too cute to see the four of them pedaling around (wish I had a picture). I think on this day, Noah got a little tired and hitched a ride; Jack seemed happy to oblige.

NC Transportation Museum

Rick took a week off work recently, and we took advantage of it to do something other than home improvement projects...at least for one day. We took the boys up to Spencer to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. We checked out all the old firetrucks, airplanes, and cars, as well as the roundhouse. We ate lunch out of the back of the Tahoe, and then we caught the passenger train for a tour of the station and yard. We all had a great time; it was a long day, but a very quiet ride home:)

Golfing at Nanee's and Papa's

Nanee's and Papa's backyard is unlike any other. Half of it is covered in that green-grass carpet used by miniature golf courses. The other half is a play area and garden. There is not one blade of real grass back there. Needless to say, the kids think it's really cool to break out the golf clubs and hit balls. Here they are working on their swings.

Big Truck!

The dump truck that brought mulch to our neighbor's driveway mesmerized all four kids seen here for several minutes. From left, Austin, Katherine, Colin, and Jack thoroughly enjoyed watching the delivery of the mulch we ordered. Afterward, the driver gave the kids some candy. Apparently, he's a big draw among the pre-school crowd, and he comes prepared with treats.