We have somehow managed to spread the 9th birthday festivities over several days. Harrison opened his gifts from Grandpa and Grandma on Easter Sunday. We had birthday cake last night and his birthday dinner tonight. His actual birthday is tomorrow! His birthday dinner request - salmon, shrimp, couscous and broccoli. Cranberry juice to drink. I love this smile!
Last night was a family night to see the Real Salt Lake season opening at home. The team received their 2009 MLS Championship rings in a ceremony before the game started. 
David Archuletta made a surprise appearance at the Half. He had spent the previous day with this little boy for Make A Wish - hanging out with the Real team and touring the facility and then surprised him at the game to sing together. I went to school with this little boy's mom. Seeing his excitement and hearing him sing with his idol brought me to tears.
There were a few anxious days at our house last week. Maddie has been battling her ankle injury for the past year. We had seen an orthopedist last September who had pointed out a spot in her x-ray, saying it was just a cyst or tumor in the bone where it hadn't calcified in-utero and it was nothing to worry about. We went back last month when her physical therapy had failed to solve the nagging ankle problem. The orthopedist sent us to have an MRI done. Upon receiving those results, we were referred to a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist at TOSH. I took Maddie to see him and he had new x-rays done, saying his office does a different type of x-ray and he wanted to see her ankle from a different angle.
I knew something was up as soon as I saw his face when he came back in the room. He pulled up the new x-ray and the MRI films to show me what concerned him - he thought the tumor looked different from the previous x-ray. We were referred to a Musculoskeletal Oncologist who got
It's difficult to comprehend, but our little guy really is almost 9 years old! He was thrilled to celebrate his birthday with the extended family a few days early.
Aunt Sara knows just what Harrison likes! He got a Pokemon birthday card with a gift card to buy the new Pokemon game for his Nintendo DS. The card had stickers that he used to decorate his DS case.
Harrison is a voracious reader but it has been a struggle to get him interested in anything other than non-fiction science books. He reads about space, dinosaurs, plants, animals, geography, etc. which is great but I had to point out to him that when he's in the 4th grade, they have to do book reports for all different genres. He enjoyed reading "How To Train Your Dragon" so we looked for some other options. He wanted the Fablehaven series and Grandma and Grandpa delivered! He was so excited. His birthday is only 4 days away. Where has the time gone?!
It was a fun, chaotic, slightly chilly Easter Sunday but the enthusiasm of excited kids looking for a sugar high could not be dampened. We had the entire gang over to our house to celebrate Easter, search for goodies and celebrate birthdays. Here they are, lined up youngest to oldest, ready to go outside!
Ed rescued a Krispie treat that had been stashed on the roof.
Cute curlie girlies ... Olivia and Keira
Creighton wouldn't pose for a photo until I told him to do a silly face. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of silly with our family!
Madeleine and Keira
