Happy Birthday Courtney, Beth, and I

On Saturday Beth and I had our birthday. Courtney's was on the 19th of August. We got together the previous Wednesday night, had dinner, and caught up. Cade was the main entertainment of the evening. He is the happiest child I have EVER seen. He laughed and smiled the whole night. My stomach hurt the next day from laughing so hard the night before.

The mini cakes I had made for us. Of course a cupcake for Cade too!

He LOVED the carrots and corn we had for dinner. He kept eating and eating! He was playing "Where's Cade?"
Look at that smile!!!!
Hmmmm.... "What should I do?"
He pulled Tinley's tail (barely!) and Tinley hissed and took off!! Little Kitty liked Cade though. He would walk up to him and lay down a couple inches in front of him. I think Cade needs a kitten Beth and Ryan!
That would be a candle in Cade's hand. It was apart of Beth's gift and Cade decided he liked it more. He carried it around all night and pretended it was a car. Voorrrummm.....

So we tried to take this picture 5 times! Beth would say "Cade, Cade, look at mommy." He would laugh and it would make me laugh and then he would in turn look up at the crazy laughing lady and not at the camera.

The Foot and Football

So many people are asking us, "How is Ryan's foot doing?" Sorry I never posted the final update. Ryan had his port removed in his chest and went to oral antibiotics. Not too long ago he had the stitches taken out. In true Ryan fashion, he has improved his golf game significantly, and has consistantly won matches to place him closer to the Presidents match. All while the stitches were still IN I might add!

This weekend starts the Fantasy Football Madness. Ryan has been so excited about football starting that in some instances I have seen tears in his eyes. I know for the next several months I will hear the phrase "Da Bears", "Bears", "Ditka" chanting around this house like his own personal mantra. Fantasy football to me is like us girl playing Barbie dolls. We all fight about which one we wanted to be and then tell eachother how much prettier and better our dolls were than the other ones. Basically fantasy football is like that. They all gather in groups and "draft" (fight) about which player they want (tonight actually) and then they trash talk eachother the whole season about how the other teams are "Going Down!" For those who aren't up on the lingo that means, your going to lose sucker. Hey guys FYI the key word is "fantasy". Basically you're are all just playing Barbies. Only your Barbies are much uglier than the ones I used to play with!!

Pool Party!

Tonight we enjoyed Falan's parents pool. The kids loved it! We cooked out, ate too much, and of course took A LOT of photos! All the kids are getting so big this summer. Sophia is starting to talk in full sentences, Caden is going to Pre-K, Vance is trying to talk and Merrett is also going to school!

He is getting so big! Sophia and VanceShe LOVED Vance's Bumbo seat. She sat in it all night!Rockin the night away!Best Friends!Muscle time!!!!

Going Private

Alright, so I joined the bandwagon! Everyone else was going private with their blogs so I decided to also. Just to be on the safe side. There are a lot of weirdos out there!! So go ahead and bookmark the address or mark it as a favorite so you can have quick access to the link. I hope everyone is enjoying our last bit of summer! If I have left anyone out, and I know I have, please email me their address and I will add them! melisj1@hotmail.com

Evan's Concert

Last night was the big concert. We had a great turnout! I couldn't believe how many people would just walk up to our COTA table and just write a check to donate! I met so many wonderful people last night who have huge hearts and love this family! I even met a few who didn't know them at all but just saw the sign and wanted to come! I want to say a huge thanks to the COTA team, my wonderful parents (who were ushers), my wonderful husband (who was a kick but camera guy) and my wonderful friends who came to support! I know several friends who although weren't there have been there emotionally & even financially throughout this whole process! You know who you are! Thank You!The Merchandise TableHis Photo CollageMy Parents!

Falan, Tobey and I. Their husbands were there too!

Me and the camera guy. I think I look like a horse face in this photo, but I had to include it because I was so proud of my husband!

OH DEER!!!

We have had so many mornings when we wake up and there are deer just roaming our yard. It seems to be the same family. Because the two little baby deer are always with them. That was a first for me to see deer up that close. Well except for those evening when you come face to face with them because you are about to hit them with your car!!!! This experience was much more peaceful!

Happy Birthday Katie

We went out last weekend for Katie's pre-birthday. It actually fell on Monday. Happy Birthday Katie! Have a fun weekend in St. Louis you two.

The Windy City

I was in Chicago this week for work. Of course without a doubt I had to see Wicked! We had fabulous seats!!!! I had Sendi my trusty partner come along so I could once again create another Wicked addict. It's coming to St. Louis in December!! I can't wait to go again with about 15 other ladies!
Sendi and I. We both wore dresses that made us look about 8 months pregnant. The dresses lie!!!

Thursday night we went to Hugo's Frog Bar. It was the best steak I have ever had. This is Deena, one of our Bowling Green, KY reps. She couldn't look more like a Kentucky girl if she tried.
My partners and I
Friday afternoon. We were about to perform our Area "Skit". We were the best of course out of our whole district. Pig tails and make shift freckles from my ever trusty eyeliner I always have on hand!
Sendi and I Kevin and I. My partner in crime and comedy. Close up of my freckles. Not too sure what we were doing at this moment. I was just impressed with the freckle job I did on myself without a mirror!!

My boss Kelli brought each of us one of these little elephants from Africa. She just got back from a mission trip. She bought them from a little road side stand where the man hand carved all of them. It was a wonderful thoughtful gift!

He's Home!

To all of you that have been following Ryan's foot nightmare, he's home!! Today he came in the house hobbling on crutches sat down and lil' kitty jumped in his arms snuggled up and went to sleep. He missed Ryan like crazy. Ryan had a home health nurse come in tonight to show us how to hook him up to the I.V. He has to take his antibiotic 3 times a day. It's amazing. Actually it's horrible. I can't believe that he has to do this for 6 weeks.

Thanks for everything everyone!!!!

Litty Kitty was happy he was homeThe ordeal to hook him up for the first time. It took his dad, the home health nurse, and of course him mom and I to supervise.

Tilt your head to the right. This is his port at his neck. This goes into his juggular all the way down to his heart. He could have done it in the arm but in his words "In the name of golf, I took it in the juggular". (he wouldn't be able to swing the club if it was in his arm)

Hospitals

Ryan has been in 3 hospitals within a week. Monday Ryan visted Dr. Oestmann and he told him that he needed to be admitted into the hosptial. He was at Herrin Hospital for three days! On Wednesday he was released and Friday he had a follow up with his foot doctor. He said that the foot looked like it was getting worse and that he needed to go straight to the hospital. Right now Ryan in at the Carbondale hospital in the pediatric unit. No adult rooms were available! I am off again for another fun filled day at the hospital. But I can't complain! The deMello's have been in the hospital for over a month! I'm knitting a scarf to pass the time. Herrin Hospital
The football foot
You can't really tell by the photo but it looked like his toes were going to explode! Yuck!
The first 5 mins after he was home, Little Kitty wanted to use the crutches

Current River

About 13 of us went to Current River last weekend. The cabin we stayed in was wonderful. We had a lot of fun until Saturday afternoon. Ryan thought he would be funny to flip Miranda's tube over and as he jumped back onto his tube his foot was impaled by a metal object. We still don't know what went through his water shoe and up in his foot!!! About an hour later after the float, his foot swelled up to the size of a football. It took a while to get Ryan to let me take him to the hospital. So around 8:30 p.m. we drove to the Poplar Bluff hospital. On a Saturday night in Poplar Bluff it was pretty interesting. He was released with 3 shots, some antibiotics, and crutches. Sunday morning we went to Lamberts. It was my first time. It was a lot of fun and food!!!! The guys right outside our cabin. Right after Ryan threw Tobey into the water!!!
Amanda, Falan, Miranda
The view from our cabin. The cabin was on stilts.
The foot. Before it looked horrible!
Poplar Bluff emergency room

Lamberts. Minus 4 of our group members

His Eyes Are Open!!!

Last night I went to visit Evan. Natalie said that on Tuesday he was much more alert and would try to answer questions with the blinking of his eyes. Wednesday he was on a different type of medicine and it made him a little more sedated. He had his eyes open most of the time I was there. He would shut them from time to time. You could tell he was so sleepy. But I think he was so calmed by the sight of Natalie and the Thomas movie they had playing over and over he fought to keep his eyes open. He looks so good. He finally is starting to look like Evan. I told him that I was so happy to see his beautiful blue eyes again. We all are! I just had to snap a few shots because I know that so many people will be so thankful to see a healthier looking Evan on the outside. He held our hands, played "this little piggy", counted fingers and toes, sang a couple of songs to him, and just mainly talked and told him what a strong and brave big boy he was being. I told him that he had a huge fan club and that everyone was so proud of him. The nurses up there are amazing with him. I could have stayed there all night just talking to him or just holding that little hand. I didn't want to leave. Natalie gave him Nana yesterday. He held Nana's hand.

Evan and Nana watching the Thomas movie

He was on the verge of taken a short nap.

He's out, only for a moment. When he would hear Thomas or Mom he would open his eyes again.

Evan lifted his hand up when Natalie was leaning down. She said, "Do you want to touch mommy's face?" He would rest his little hand on her cheek. It was such a soul filling moment. There is nothing like a mommy to reasure you that everything is going to be alright.