In blue like his sister below, he is a future basketball player.

Now playing basketball, and loving it.

Bought my first box today. Just finished two cakes......and as you may recall, there are only five in the box. Mmmmmm.......they're just OH so good! Am I right to say that the love of Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes is somehow inherited in the Lunn family gene? I'm pretty sure we all love them. I know Travis is bringing expensive cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for Christmas----so do you think it's unfair if I bring several boxes of Christmas Tree Cakes? :) Tell me, has anyone else started eating these delicious treats yet this season?

Missa reminded me to put up some pics of Halloween. Since I was sick this year, Isabel's cowgirl outfit was thrown together--and Jake, well, a football player was the only thing Brandon approved of. I leave for surgery at 4:30 am tomorrow. I'm really hoping it works this time. I started round two of Levaquin today (just as you predicted, Patti). The fevers would just not go away and I was feeling so sick that it was hard to take care of the kids. I'm also trying Ditropan for the stent. Hoping it will work better than Urelle, which is what I've been taking for the past week. Wish me luck!

Okay, when I previewed my blog and saw that huge picture of those evil stones staring at me---I thought even I don't want that to be the first thing I look at when I go to my blog---so I threw this old pic up of Isabel so I don't scare everyone off.

It's been one month since my last post. Some of you know what's been going on.....others may not. Yesterday I had a fever of 101.2 and I was sick in bed all day. Today I'm feeling better, so I thought I'd post and catch up. It's been 10 days since I had my lithotripsy shock wave surgery. That means it's been 10 days that I've been living with a ureteral stent (pic above showing plastic tube that goes from my kidney to my bladder, wire taped to side of my leg---feels like I'm walking around with a catheter in, I know, nice). My second surgery will be sometime this coming week. They think Thursday----we'll see. I'll have to keep the stent in for probably a week after that----so we're looking at three weeks with this thing---and that is of course, if I don't have to have a third surgery. Good news, well maybe not exactly good, but worth saying that after I talked to my doctor, he gave me a prescription to help me with the stent and I've been getting around better now. I can even lay on my side sometimes. I'll also be able to leave my house this week for the first time, now that I can walk a little better. That is, unless I get another high fever accompanied with excruciating pain in my lower back from the kidney stone. As you can see, I took the pleasure of posting a picture of kidney stones. Of course, I don't know what kind of stones I have now----but just look at those things. They look EVIL. Oh, and I also thought it would be fun to show everyone the picture of my sulfa-allergy rash----that covered EVERY inch, and I mean every inch of my body. It's good to look back so that you can remember how good life is when you're healthy. This year I took really good care of myself and got into shape training for a half-marathon. I never would have imagined that I would have had such a hard year with my health. BUT, like I said, if we never knew the bad, we would not know the good. In life, there is opposition in all things. And this too shall pass. In case this post needed some comic relief, I included some updated pics below of the kids.

I took these snapshots of Isabel & the ones below of Jake, sometime during this past month of October. They're the most recent photos I have of them. I thought it was funny to see how Isabel wasn't in the mood for pictures when I started---but by the last one she warmed up and posed like a 'fashion model', or so she likes to say. Let's see.....update on Isabel. She's been doing great in kindergarten. Next Saturday is her last soccer game. She'll be playing basketball next (Brittany will coach and Tyler will be on her team). To my surprise, we had to coax her into it. She wanted to do gymnastics----and only agreed to basketball if she could do gymnastics too. I don't like to overschedule children---so I believe in only one sport at a time---but I have to admit that Brandon & I wanted her to do basketball so much that we agreed! Right now Isabel is very excited for Christmas and her birthday. It's almost all she can talk about.

Jake is in his OshKosh overalls that Papa & Grandma gave him for his birthday. He's still wild---and has separation anxiety issues, but next time you are around him, ask him to give you a kiss. He almost always gives everyone a kiss.

Hmmm.......update on Jake. Let's see, he's 15 months old now. He's wild as ever. I have to pin him down to change his diaper or get him dressed. He thinks it's funny to do naughty things. He laughs when we say 'no'. He stands on the table. He loves to sweep and vacuum. He's good at brushing his teeth. He loves music and dances all the time. He is almost never seen without his hand down his pants (picture provided below). I do love that he actually sits still to read books. Isabel didn't do that at his age. I think it is possibly the only time he is still. I love it.

Alexa is in the 6th grade. She's been keeping me informed on the latest fashion in middle school. She said that all the girls wear long bangs and sweep them across their forehead, almost covering one eye. (Picture above taken on her imac at home.) The song on her myspace page right now is "Gimee More" by Brittney Spears. Brandon & I have caught ourselves walking around singing, "Gimee, Gimee"---it doesn't easily leave your head, trust me. She wants an iphone for Christmas. I'm sure she'll get it. (Last Christmas she got the expensive video ipod.) Yesterday at her tournament she had a migraine but she still managed to take first place and beat everyone. Last weekend we watched "The Ultimate Gift"---and she loved it. For now, it's her favorite movie. She loves to shop. She never leaves home without her 'knock-off' designer sunglasses. One last update on Lexa is that she is officially taller than me. Brandon measured us both this morning. I am 5'2 1/2" and Lexa is 5'3''. It's only just begun....

Check out my Slide Show!

Well, Isabel has been in kindergarten for almost one month. It was a big adjustment for her at first but she's settling in now. During the school week, we have "Isabel Time". When Jake goes down for his afternoon nap, Isabel & I read together & work on her homework (with a yummy treat, of course). When she gets home from school she'll say, "Mom, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Let's put Jake down for a nap!" As you can see from the pictures above in her brown (and glittery although you can't tell from the pictures) dress, she pretends she's a "fashion" model frequently. And although Brandon & I just started to seriously limit television time, when it is on, I often walk in on her watching the Food Network channel ALONE. She knows every show on Disney & Nickelodean---but another favorite channel she could probably watch FOREVER is Animal Planet. Brandon took her to the library this past Saturday and she checked out 15 books----ALL on animals. As a matter of fact, while we were reading today, there was an armadillo in the book and she said, "Mom, I wish I could have a pet armadillo."

Let's see.....she's also playing soccer right now and loves it. For the second year in a row, she is the ONLY girl on her team----and both years (at least so far) she has NEVER said a thing about it. Last practice I had to drag her away from wrestling on the field with the boys. Brandon is not working during her next practice so instead of chasing Jake around, I'll be able to bring the camera and snap some pictures that I'll post later. Before I close this Isabel update, I should point out (or you may have noticed from the pictures above) that Isabel got her ears pierced. She begged us for a few weeks---and really, Brandon & I were both fine with it, so we took her to the mall and she got tiny, sterling silver diamond studs. She thought she was so cool because she didn't cry. She's really growing up!

BTW, Lexa has a tournament this weekend at the Orleans Hotel so I'll post an update on her Saturday. Not much is new with Jake but I'll put some pics up of him soon, too!

Check it out:

1. Isabel in kindergarten

2. Dad's 60th Surprise Birthday Party

3. Updated shots of Tanner & Tyler

Tanner & Tyler came over to play.

Kassia had just taken them to get their haircut.

They looked so cute I just had to take some pictures to share with you all.

I turned the computer on today to go online for help in preparing a lesson for church. I then checked out the blogs and saw your new request Amy for pictures of Jake. We've been crazy busy here as usual, including recovering from an unexpected surgery. I'll have to fill you in next time we talk on the phone. Here is Mr. Jake at 14 months old. (You may notice the difference in hair when he wakes up with wild bed head (pics in his superman pajamas), when he gets out of the bath (pic in the sink) and when it dries (blue polo shirt pics). Brandon & I are thinking he needs another cut. This kid's hair grows so fast!

I uploaded these recent (from about two weeks ago or so) snapshots of Isabel just because you asked for them, Aim. :) Not only do I not get my camera out like I used to, but I don't even want to turn my computer on anymore either. I guess working in an office for eight years will do that. If I get any spare time at all, I want to read. I've got a ton of books on my nightstand that are just calling out my name. Have an awesome rest of the summer with your kids!