Sunday, March 15, 2015

Happy Spring!!!

As most of you know, it's been quite the busy winter and spring. In the end of July, an amazing opportunity arose at Carolinas Hospital System, wherein my previous Director of Case Management resigned. With my Bachelors prep and military leadership experience, I was selected among the group of applicants to move into the Interim Director role. Although it was quite rocky and very challenging for the first several months, I finally began to gain footing around December and it's been a smoother past several months.


We had an outstanding Christmas and managed to see all the family over the weeks of December. Elijah and Noah had a fun filled Christmas season, with the kick off of our Elf on a Shelf tradition. Snack, as Elijah named him, arrived during the first week of December and the mischief began almost immediately. Snack got into the Christmas cookies, the stockings and even tamed Elijah's big dinosaur one night. The boys loved running down each morning and searching for Snack and the note he almost always left. It was sad to see him go on Christmas Eve, but he must have given a great report to Santa, because the boys received a plethora of awesome gifts!


Christmas morning!!!! Elijah insisted on wearing his Snack PJs




Sharing a brotherly moment with their Polar Express train from Papa Choo-Choo

Noah LOVES to dress up, especially as a fireman



So some of you MAY not know, the Bowerman Boys received an extra special gift this Christmas as well. Although a surprise, we were overjoyed to announce to our entire family on Christmas morning that we are expecting in August! As I write this, we are 16 weeks and looking forward to meeting the 3rd Bowerman Boy!!!!!!

Less than a month after learning of our new addition, I accepted the position of full-time Director of Case Management! As I said, it's been a really busy and exciting winter! The boys and I have missed our Monday and Fridays together, but the position was just too good to pass up at this point in my career. We've been making due ever since and getting along great with the time we have together. We try to make the most out of every weekend, all while managing the first trimester of this third pregnancy. 

We took a long weekend to visit our good friends from Fort Sill, OK, the Palkas. They recently relocated to Camp Legune, in North Carolina. Julie and David have two girls, Ellie and Kate, and a new little boy, Luke. They're a wonderful family, great friends and we really enjoyed our time together! 



It only took 20 pictures to get 1 of all the kids looking!




Elijah and Mommy
 The months of January and February were a bit of a blur, so bear with the random assortment of photos. We stayed very busy, between work, the kids school being delayed/cancelled for coldness...without precipitation and Noah's multiple minor procedures. Noah underwent a lacrimal duct probe and was found to have a very blocked duct in his left eye. It's been great since the procedure and no more goopy eye in the mornings. Unfortunately, in the pre-op visit, the doctor found that one of his ear tubes had dislodged and he had an ear infection. After 3 rounds of antibiotics, without resolve, we went back to the ENT and were scheduled to have his tubes removed and replaced with T-tube (they stay in place longer than the regular short-term tubes kids normally have placed).


Playing at their sand table, hand built by Caitlyn and her Grandfather

"Test-driving" the tractor at the tractor store, where Matt's new chainsaw was started up for the first time!


Pre-op tear duct probe


With the weather gradually warming up here (78 degrees today), we've been spending every minute possible outside. Noah has really taken to golfing and sweeping. You may have noticed a stick in Noah's hands in just about every outdoor picture.....it's a broom or golf club. He's pretty good at swinging and he may have a future in it! We will have to enroll him in the Bill Bowerman Golf School for Future Professional Athletes. I'm sure he'll do well!






Daddy rides!!!! The boys certainly love their Daddy

The newest way of super cleaning


Dino hunting


Cleaning at school!

I couldn't resist the Top Gun shirts! Matt added the aviator glasses and the pictures speak for themselves

"Iceman"


Big brother behind the wheel, surely driving Noah to his next sweeping duty assignment

Nap attack!



Caitlyn was working on her Anatomy assignment, which entailed performing a digital surgery. Elijah quickly donned his physician jacket and jumped into action! The next Dougie Howser!

Pre-op tubes




I continue to do my Reserve duties, despite the time commitment and overall inconvenience. Fortunately, the pros of military health care cost and the big picture of retirement is well worth the annoyance. While I'm away, Matt runs the house and keeps the boys alive, but he certainly has amazed me with his ability to not only keep the boys alive, but complete chores and tasks, go on adventures (i.e. book store trip and the parks too), but Matt does it with ease and pictures/videos galore! He's amazing and can truly do it all. I'm so grateful to have such a supportive husband and great father for our boys.....all 3!





Happy Sunday/St. Patty's Day!!!!!
Hope to update you all very soon with some more archive photos from Matt's collection. And of course, I'll try to throw in some bump pictures :)

Happy Spring!!!!!!