Emergency Room Visit

James and his blue bear

Up close shot of James' foot

It was just a matter of time before it happened again......and today was the day! We are leaving for vacation Saturday, so I was working a full day today to get caught up before we leave. Todd called me around noon and said that he was leaving work to take the boys out on the lake for the afternoon. All was good and they had a wonderful time at the lake. While Todd was pulling the boat out of the water, Trevor and James were messing around by the boat ramps. James had his shoes on and he was jumping around. He jumped off the concrete onto the grass (kicking his shoe off in mid-air) and landed on some broken glass. He sliced the bottom of his foot where the big toe connects to the foot. Todd called to warn me of the accident on his way home and told me to be ready to take him to the hospital. He had wrapped his shirt around it while trying to get it to stop bleeding. When they got home, Todd cleaned it out and we were able to tell that it wasn't that deep. There was something in it though. We decided to not take any chances and go ahead and take him to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital, James was a little anxious. The nurse and doctor looked at it and took us back to a room. They ordered an x-ray to be sure that there was no glass that was stuck in it. The x-ray came back clean. Since the cut was more wide than it was deep, stitches were not needed. The doctor cleaned it out really well, put some antibiotic medicine on it, and wrapped it in a gauze. He is to keep the wrap on it for a few days.

James did so well. I am so proud of him for his courage. While we were there, he was a little nervous. The nurse gave him a soft, blue bear to hold. Since he was such a good patient and a big boy, he was able to bring his bear home. He is proud of his bear. He said that he is going to sleep with it tonight!

Another day in the Gann house, another stressful injury. Sometimes I feel so saddened by the way my children are always getting hurt. I guess that they are just active children and these things happen. There is nothing that we could have done to prevent this injury. I just hate to see my children in pain and hurting. I would trade places with them and take away the pain if I could.

Playdate with Lillie

Lilly in her "kini"

Lilly and Lillie enjoy

a snack break

We had another playdate with Lillie today. Since it was so hot, we decided to go to the Aquatics Center for some outdoor fun in the splash pool. We packed us a picnic lunch including some peanut butter sandwiches, goldfish, and blueberries. Trevor and James tagged along...because who doesn't like waterslides and spray fountains? After the pool, Lillie joined us at our house for some more indoor fun. The girls played dress up and cooked in Lilly's little kitchen. After all was said and done, we dropped Lillie off at her house around 6. My Lilly was out like a light before we even pulled out of her neighborhood!

Space Chimps!

We went to see Space Chimps this morning. The kids have been wanting to see it after seeing the previews on TV. I was a little hesitant, as it didn't look too promising. With a little persuastion, I agreed to take them. To my suprise, it wasn't that bad. There were actually some pretty funny parts. After the movie, we ate lunch at Brixx Birkdale (a local pizza joint). It was nice day of us all being together!

Happy Birthday, James!

James Richard Gann

July 21, 2004

Four years ago today, my baby boy was born. God knows, I thought Trevor was going to be an only child. I am so thankful and blessed that James was brought to me on July 21, 2004. After he was born, he was very sick and was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis. At five weeks old, he weighed only 5 pounds and under went surgery to correct his condition. His surgery was a huge success and he hasn't had any other problems. I am so grateful that he is a strong, healthy, loving child. It brings me to tears when I think about my love for him (and my others). Happy 4th Birthday, James! May you have many more wonderful years and may they be filled with as much happiness as you bring to me!

Good-bye, Jake and Melanie

Jake and Melanie left this afternoon. Rick and Wanda gave them a ride back home. They were both excited to see their Mom, but I think that Melanie was missing her. We had a wonderful time while they were here. I am always excited to have the opportunity to open my home and my heart to them. Jake has been coming to visit us every summer since we moved. I really enjoy the time that we share with him, as does Trevor. Before we moved, Jake spent a lot of time with us. Now, we see him several times a year. But, it just isn't enough. I wish that we could see him more. I am thankful that we are only 4 hours away and Jena is willing to let him (and Melanie) come up and visit. I am also grateful to Rick and Wanda that are willing to help out with transportation! I hate to see them go, but I am ready to relax a little. You wouldn't think that 2 more kids would be all that much more work when you already have 3...but let me tell you...it is! Having 5 kids for the past 2 weeks has been a lot of work. I don't know how many loads of laundry I washed, how many clothes that I folded, how much food I have cooked, or how many times I said the words "stop, no, leave her alone, keep your hands to yourself, quit........etc, etc, etc!" I wouldn't trade it for the world! I am looking forward to their next and wondering when I can get it on my calender.

Family Birthday Party

Rick and Wanda came up this weekend to celebrate James' birthday. They arrived around lunch and were quickly settled in. we went to the pool for a while so James and Lilly could show off their swimming skills. After we had enough of that, we came back and cooked out and had another birthday party for James. He was anxious to open his gifts. After dinner, we let them beat the pinata and once the candy fell, it was a free for all. There was plenty of candy to go around, but you would have thought it was a million dollars the way they were scrapping for it! After all was said and done, we had some cake and sang Happy Birthday to James. He has been waiting forever (since Lilly's birthday) for his birthday to arrive. He has mentioned it almost everyday for months! He was so happy to have us celebrate him!

Girls Day out

We have had enough of the boys, so this afternoon I took Lilly and Melanie to Toy R Us and Chick-fil-a and we had us a girls day! I needed to go get James' birthday presents and I didn't want him to come with me. Mom suggested that she would take the boys to the Army Navy store and I could take the girls with me. We had a pleasant afternoon, with no bickering between brothers and sisters! And, I was able to get my shopping done!

James' 4th Birthday Party

Me, Dad, and the Birthday Boy

(even though he isn't looking!)

We had James' 4th birthday party this afternoon at (you guessed it!) Monkey Joe's! His birthday is next week (the 21st), but we wanted to have the party while Jake and Melanie are still here. It turned out great. There were 13 kids that attended so James had plenty of people to run around and play with. He got lots of wonderful presents including a new backpack with a flashlight and a camo sleeping bag, an Indiana Jones whip (it is a soft toy!), some motorcycles with guys riding on them, hot wheels, and a baseball bat and ball. He had a great time hanging out, opening presents, and eating cake!

Carowinds

James and his Dad

Me and Lilly

Trevor, James, and Jake
at the waterpark

James, Melanie, and Lilly pose

with Scooby and the gang

James and Melanie

meet Spongebob

Today, we visited the Carowinds Amusement Park (http://www.carowinds.com/). We had a long, fun day of wild rides and water park action! Carowinds is a huge park that is 2 in 1 fun. They have lots of rides (for my Georgia folk...aka Six Flags) and they have a water park (aka White Water) all inside the same park. The boys wore their swim shorts and just put a t-shirt with it and the girls just wore their swim suit under their clothes. Once we got hot (and it didn't take long!), we headed to Bondi Beach where we were swimming in a huge pool with waves just like the ocean! Trevor and Jake tried out every waterslide they had! We spent the morning riding rides then we met at Chick-fil-a for lunch. After lunch, we headed to the water park and spent most of the afternoon there. Around 5, we split up again for more rides. The boys (except James) went straight for the big roller coasters. The girls (and James) went to the "kiddie" section and rode everything there. We stayed from 10:30-8:30. By the time we got home, we were drop dead tired. Lilly didn't even make it that far. She was alseep before we got out of the parking lot. I called and ordered us a pizza for dinner. It arrived about 10 minutes after we got home. We all ate and everyone was out like a light!

Nascar Speedpark

Riding the Frogger

From the left: Melanie, Lilly, Trevor,

James and Jake

Lilly, Melanie, and James

wait for the ride

Everyone who knows anything about Charlotte, North Carolina, knows that this is Nascar country. Nascar was invented here and has a huge presence in Charlotte and the surrounding suburbs. I, personally, am not a fan of Nascar. However, that didn't stop of from enjoying a day at the Nascar Speedpark amusement center (http://www.nascarspeedpark.com/). We loaded up the car and headed over around noon. They have about 6 race tracks there to ride go-karts, bumper boats, mini-golf, a huge arcade, cafe, and a few amusement rides for the smaller children. Once again, the tokens went in about 15 minuites, but I bought the wristbands for the kids to ride the rides and drive the go-karts. All in all, we stayed there over 7 hours! I was exhausted by the time I made it home! They all had a great time. I can't wait to hit the bed!

****I forgot to mention that James had to wear his dirt bike outift, complete with the Fox racing pants. Once he found out that we were going to ride go-karts, it was on!

Chuck E. Cheese

We went to Chuck E. Cheese today for a little lunch and lots of fun. Every time the Chuck E. Cheese commercial comes on TV, James and Lilly say "I want to go there!" I have been promising them that we would go, but it is never really high on my priority list. When I was think about things we could do while Jake and Melanie are here, Chuck E. Cheese came up as an option. I'm glad that we went. The kids blew through a hundred tokens in about 15 minutes. I had no idea that they would go so quick! Oh well, at least they all had fun!

A day at the Pool

Everyday is pool day. No joking, I think that we have been to the pool everyday since Jake and Melanie have been here. My kids always love to go to the pool. It gets us out of the house and into the cool water. James and Lilly swim like little fish. They swim in the pool without their lifejackets on, underwater, like pros. It is awesome!

A day of Boating

Melanie and James

Jake and Trevor

We took the kids and headed to the lake this morning. I packed us lots of snacks, some sandwiches, and sunscreen and we were prepared to stay for most of the day. The lake was pretty crowded but we got there early enough for Todd and Trevor to get some wakeboarding in. Jake and Melanie tried it, too. Most of the day, the kids swam and rode the tube. It was a beautiful day and nice to be out on the water!

Ice Cream Night!

Our neighborhood had a swim party for the middle school children tonight. There was swimming, pizza, ice cream, slushies, and games. Trevor and Jake attended the party. We decided to take the others to Brusters for some ice cream. We had a party of our own!

Training wheels off

With James quickly approaching 4, Todd has been talking about taking his training wheels off of his bike and teaching him to ride without them. Today was the day. He did very well actually riding. He was having a hard time getting started and stopping. He rode up and down the sidewalks for a while and then Todd decided to take him to the school so that he would have a big, open space. He hasn't quite mastered it yet, but will soon!

Camping in the Yard

Trevor, James, and Jake set up Trevor's tent in the backyard. They say that they are going to camp out there tonight (yeah, right!). The tent is a big hit and all of the kids are playing in it. James, Lilly, and Melanie even ate their afternoon snack out there. They have put the camping chairs around it and set up shop. I looked out there earlier and they were all inside. I didn't know that it could hold so many people!

Ray's Splash Planet

Ray's Splash Planet is an indoor waterpark in Charlotte that is part of the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department. I have been wanting to take the kids there, but never seem to make it a priority. With Jake and Melanie here, I am trying to keep us busy. I thought this was perfect opportunity to visit and check it out.

There is a baby pool with lots of fountains, sprinklers, and slides. There is also a regular pool, a big waterslide, a lazy river, and a vortex pool. We stayed there for about 4 hours and the kids just played and played. Everyone had a wonderful time! It was well worth the trip!

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Aquatics/Rays+Splash+Planet/Waterpark.htm

Monkey Joe's

Melanie and Monkey Joe

We headed to Monkey Joe's today for some indoor playtime! It has been so hot outside these past few weeks, so we decided to take a break from the heat. Everyone loves going to Monkey Joe's. The kids can run, bounce, and scream all of their energy away. There was even a special guest there today to meet the kids....it was Monkey Joe himself! Of course, Melanie was the one who wanted to get her picture taken with him. She never misses out on a photo op!!!

Lazy 5 Ranch

Trevor, James, Melanie, and Jake

Everyone loves the Lazy 5 Ranch! We loaded up and headed to Mooresville, NC to visit the ranch this afternoon. The kids get such a kick out of the animals that come up to the car and eat out of our buckets! There were lots of babies there today including several fawn, piglets, and baby ostrichs.

http://www.lazy5ranch.com

Happy Birthday, Todd!

Todd around 18-24 months old

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Todd

Happy Birthday to You!

We love you more than anything!

The ride home........

The ride home wasn't too bad! Lilly passed out shortly after leaving Rick and Wanda's house. The kids watched Star Wars and Toy Story. By the time those were over, we were home!

Back to North Carolina

James, Tonya, Lilly, Jake, Grandma Phipps,

and Melanie

We are headed back to North carolina this evening. On our way home, we are carrying more cargo! Jake and Melanie (my nephew and niece) are coming back home with us and will be staying for a couple of weeks. Jake has been visiting us every summer since we moved, so for the past 5 years. Melanie has not ever visited by herself. But, she IS 9 now...and that means she is big enough to start visiting in the summer, too (those are her words!) We have lots of fun stuff planned to do. I am going to keep them busy so they can't fight with one another! Wish me luck, as I will have 5 kids for the next few weeks! We can't wait!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great day today! We hung out on the boat and the lake most of the day. Once evening came, we headed down toward the marina and dam. There is a boat parade on the lake just before dark where boats get decorated and there is a contest to which one is the best. We watched the parade until dark and then we watched the fireworks. The lake was lit up! There were fireworks everywhere. It was fun to see everyone competing with each other on who had the best fireworks. The kids had a blast watching all of the fireworks and seeing all of the other boats. They also enjoyed watching the boat parade and all of the excitement that it created!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

Lilly and her Uncle Jeremy

Jeremy, Todd's youngest brother, is having a birthday today! Happy Birthday and Best wishes for the New Year!

We made it!

We made it to Rick and Wanda's late this afternoon. We were in no hurry, as we stopped in South Carolina at Abbott's Farm to pick up a bushel of peaches, some blackberry jam and loads of explosives! Todd was like a kid in a candy store. He had a couple of fireworks in his hands and was ready to go. On the way to the register to pay, he was picking up items along the way. By the time we actually paid, he had two armful of fireworks! We bought so much stuff that the man actually gave us more fireworks free! We will be setting off explosives all week!

Georgia Bound

We are leaving in the morning and going to Todd's parents for the week to spend the 4th of July. We haven't all been home together since Thanksgiving, so it will be nice to visit as a family. Todd's parents live on Lake Jackson and we are taking our boat with us. We are looking forward to a little R&R and doing nothing but visiting with family, swimming, and boating for a few days!