Happy 16th Birthday Abby

It is really hard to believe that Abby is 16 and we have another official driver in the house. She has been driving on a school permit since sophomore year started but now she gets to drive to all the fun places like Target and the mall. 

From the very beginning, you’ve been a pretty laid-back baby. You’re easy to get along with and typically very sweet. You’re always up for having fun and are so giggly—your laughter is contagious. You can be easily distracted and are a bit forgetful, but we’ve lovingly started calling you the tiny tornado.

You’re also incredibly responsible, and I’ve been so proud to see how much you’ve enjoyed babysitting this year. You’ve earned the love and trust of so many families, and I’ve heard nothing but compliments about how clean you leave their houses—so we know you have the potential to clean up after yourself at home too! You’re usually easy to get along with and kind to your sister, though we all know that mood swings can sometimes get the best of you. When that happens, we get a whole different version of you, but hey, it happens to the best of us.

You’re so creative and love to work on projects in your craft room, always perfecting the new craft machines your grandparents buy you. You’re a thoughtful friend, and while you consider Kaylee your closest friend, you have a wonderful group of friends who love spending time with you. You always strive for the best, stressing yourself out over anything less than an A. I have to laugh when I look at your homework notes that are all color coded—just like I used to do!

You enjoy having the latest and greatest when it comes to skincare, makeup, and nails, but you're also pretty low-maintenance on most days. You’ve always had a knack for shopping and are still a blast to shop with. You and I could wander around Marshalls and HomeGoods for hours without getting bored.

Right now, you're thinking about pursuing a career as a pediatric occupational therapist, and I truly believe you would be phenomenal at that—or anything that involves working with kids. You have the patience of a saint, especially on the days when it’s needed most. So far, you’ve been the easiest child to teach to drive, and you’ve been a really good driver. I’m confident that this will continue, and that you’ll make safe, responsible decisions on the road.

Happy 16th, Abby! I’m so proud of the amazing person you’ve become, and I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you’ll do in the years to come.

Love you 
Ab Doggy

For your birthday, we went to Lazlo’s to eat. Ever since you discovered they have gluten-free fries, you’ve been loving this place, especially with the creamy garlic dipping sauce. We went at a normal time, around 6:30, but they seated us in the back room with the older crowd. The kids couldn’t stop laughing because it felt like we were eating at a nursing home! We all got the giggles so bad that it was hard to keep our composure.

Favorite Show: Outer Banks 

Favorite Movie: No idea

Favorite Food: Chick fil A, Grilled Chicken with Gluten free bun, fries and Chick fil A sauce

Favorite Dessert: Cherry on Top Cake batter yogurt, Cheesecake yogurt and all the popping bobas 

Favorite Drink: Dr. Pepper

Best Friend: Kaylee

Favorite Subject: Math (I don't like it but it is the easiest)

Favorite Season: Summer

 

Chiefs Game

Robb was gifted four tickets to the Chiefs game for Christmas, and he was excited to go. Caleb felt like it was a gift for him as well. Bryce, however, was bummed that he didn’t get to go. He had a show choir performance that day, and now that he's in the more competitive Gold show choir, it's harder to miss a performance.

It was a cold day, but the next day turned out to be even colder and snowier, so I guess it worked out that the game fell on a Saturday. Grammy heard they were at an outdoor game and said, “Those boys don’t have a brain in their heads.”

Of course, when you go to Kansas City, you have to eat barbecue at the gas station—that’s what I’m told, anyway. They found this place and always want to go there. Bryce was sad they didn’t bring him back any food. The Chiefs played the Texans and won, making it a great game to attend.

 

Emmy Feels Awful

I take care of kids post-tonsillectomy all the time, so I know the recovery is tough, but I guess I didn’t realize just how tough it really is. About five years ago, they stopped giving kids narcotic pain medications for this surgery, and for most surgeries outside of the hospital, due to too many accidents with accidental overdoses. Poor communication from parents, accidents, or kids getting into the medications were big concerns. I understand why they only give kids Tylenol and Ibuprofen, but it still makes for a rough recovery.

In the beginning, the first two days weren’t too bad. She was doing a good job eating, drinking, and taking her meds. But as the week went on, especially between days 5 and 7 (which we know are the hardest), it got worse. One day, I came home from work and collapsed on the couch. Emmy came and laid on top of me, crying, saying, “Please take me to the doctor. This is not okay. I need to go to the doctor.” It broke my heart because she truly thought we weren’t doing enough to take care of her.

The next day, I called a nurse I used to work with in GI, who is now the PA for Dr. Robinson (who did her surgery). She saved the day by ordering steroids and tetracaine lollipops. The steroid dosage was too much to put in liquid form, so we went with pills. Emmy can’t swallow pills on a good day, so I had to crush them and try to dissolve them in something she’d take. Steroids are incredibly bitter, so it was tough to get her to take them. It turned into an hour-long discussion and begging session, trying to convince her they would help while she cried that she couldn’t do it. Finally, she took it. The good news is, we only have three more days of this.

When Caleb came home and saw wax paper with white powder crushed into it, I think he was questioning if we were now dealing drugs out of the house! As for the tetracaine lollipops, I was hopeful they’d work. We had to pick them up at the compounding pharmacy, where they make them according to her weight and the prescribed dosage. I went to pick them up, and we got two lollipops for $40. To make it even better, when I tried to give one to her, she said they looked gross and refused to try it.

Great. Perfect. We’re all ready for her to start feeling better!

Now every time I take care of a kid that is having their tonsils out, I want to say, "Run run away and don't do this"!

We Need Out of the House

This tonsillectomy recovery has been brutal! We’ve been giving Emmy Tylenol and Ibuprofen around the clock and encouraging her to drink, but some days she’s just miserable. She hasn’t really eaten much, just a few bites of mashed potatoes and popsicles. She’s starving for real food, but her throat hurts too much to eat it. She’s also restless and bored—and honestly, so are we!

She and I just needed to get out of the house for the day, so I looked up places to do crafts and we ended up at this adorable craft place near the UNL campus. They had walk-in hours where you could pick a craft, and they’d provide all the supplies, instructions, and a place to work. The day we went, it was snowing and freezing cold, so we were the only ones there for a while. Then, a couple of college girls came in later.

We chose to make a tote bag. I was worried it would only take about 15 minutes and cost $40, but they actually had us do a lot of steps, which turned out to be the perfect distraction for Emmy. She picked her design, weeded the stencil they made, used Mod Podge to seal the edges so the paint wouldn’t bleed through, and then she got to paint it. In total, it probably took about two hours.

I told the lady why we were there, and they really doted on Emmy, complimenting her artistic talent. She decided to do an ombre effect for the butterfly, and it turned out super cute! It was the perfect distraction from how much her throat hurt.

 

Happy New Year

As we kick off this new year, there's so much to look forward to! 2025 is shaping up to be a year of big milestones and exciting changes. Bryce and Caleb are preparing to graduate, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It's bittersweet to see them take this next step, but we're incredibly proud of everything they've accomplished.

Meanwhile, Abby is gearing up to hit a huge milestone herself—she’s about to start driving! Watching her become more independent has been such a joy, and I can't wait to see where her newfound freedom takes her.

As a family, we have so much to celebrate and even more to look forward to. I’m excited to see what the next few months bring. Here's to a year full of new adventures, big moments, and making memories together!

Happy New Year! Robb, Emmy and I rang in the New Year by watching a dog movie. Shocking I know. Dog movies are our thing. Abby spent the night at Kaylee's and the boys stayed at Bree's house with a group of friends to celebrate!