Last High School Baseball Game of the Year

Friday night was the last Jay M. Robinson High School game of the season. Christian played JV this year and even got to practice some with the varsity as a freshman - not too shabby.  He played third base and short stop.  Third is his favorite.  He even got to pitch a little.  It was a great season. We closed the season out with a win away at Hickory Ridge. Great way to go out.  Here are some of Christians favorite shots from the game.

Girls Make Their Own Beds - I Like!!!!

I would say Olivia is a very good influence.  A few weeks ago I was happily surprised to find not only were they awake but they had made their beds!  They even get up and dressed all by themselves. Grace of course has to keep up so this works real well. I make a big deal of it and they are so proud so the result is history repeats itself.  This morning I grabbed some shots.

Some Individuals...

So the last of the pictures I am posting are some individuals they do tell so much of their personality. Let's start with Olivia. She is my photogenic one and would be any photographers dream to shoot.  Not only is she photogenic she loves her picture taken so she was easy.

 gorgeous right?

 So sweet, look at me ...she says that a lot

 I love this little girl

 Now Liam was a tough one..he was either on the move or not looking at the camera but this shot makes up for all that, it only takes one and this one is perfect...such a cutie!

 Grace on the other hand less photogenic and really doesn't care about having her photo taken so she is a tougher one to photograph...well take a peak...

 not to bad - sweet smile

 love this one, her hair blowing in the breeze

 okay now she is done with the photos and starts to get silly...i say come on Grace and she gives me the stare down...

 then she does this look - just thinking she is just too cute....(well she is!)

 Now she sees we can't help but laugh, we've lost her now, but have to keep shooting because she is so silly

 and she finds this kind of photo taking kind of fun herself

 A quick candid before we left

 Now when Lily (otherwise known as Thing 2) saw Grace's photo poses she could not wait to get behind the camera and forget us getting a normal smile she wanted to be silly too...

 Kelly and I could do nothing then laugh

 She's a trip

So funny

It was a fun trip to the gardens...less flowers then we would have liked but fun none the less

Siblings...

Here are a couple more shots....of each of the siblings so so cute.....

Olivia and Grace

Lily and Liam

Cousins....

 So today Kelly and I took the kids to take their pictures in the gardens.  They changed them up this year so instead of seeing gorgeous tulips in bloom we saw planting of flowers. We still got some cute shots.  First I am going to post the group shots tonight, more to come later. I had to start with some candids.  This one above shows you what we went through to get Liam still long enough and paying attention for a photo.  You will be able to see this little guy is doing his own thing, good thing he is so cute.  Here Grace has him by the neck as you can see.  We are taking a picture Liam, now stand still, notice Olivia's face watching him and Lily not even phased.

 Love this one, the girls just loving on each other - these girls are so close

 Check out Liam's face, oh wait they aren't paying attention, time for me to make my escape.

 I don't think so bro...its all good I got em

 3 musketeers

 So their personalities, Olivia all posing check out her hands are even in position - she loves her photo taken. Grace and Lily just cracking themselves up and Liam...well need a say more who knows where he is and what has caught his eye , it sure isn't us behind the camera

At least they are all looking right....

Olivia's Visit to the Neuro Surgeon...

I wanted to let each of you know an update on Olivia. As you know she has done so remarkably well at adjusting to life as a “Fisher”. She has also kept up with us and unless you ever read her medical file you would never know she is a little girl with post operative spina bifida and hydrocephalus. (I love what her pediatrician said “we will look at Olivia not her lab results because they do not define who she is, she is Olivia, she is not her lab work she has shown us that”-we are blessed with an amazing pediatrician who sees “Olivia”) She has seen her fair share of doctors though over the past 2 months from dentist, to pediatrician visits (which included checkups, blood work, lab work and immunizations) as well as a full MRI of her brain and spine. This girl has been a trooper and we have had great reports back. Today was the big one, her appointment with the pediatric neuro surgeon. The results shocked us a bit so I ask for your prayers. To some extent I felt like I was listening to Greek because the terms used by the doctor were well over my head, but her is my interpretation in the short of what lies ahead.




1. Olivia has a tethered spinal cord. We did not anticipate this (although we know this can be something children with spina bifida have, we did not have anything in the medical report from China stating she had it). Basically this means tissue has attached itself limiting the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column. The cord is attached at the area where her spina bifida repair was done. The good news is she is not having any of the symptoms of a tethered cord yet, but we want to get ahead of any symptoms emerging. The reality is that children between 5 and 9 grow very fast and this can trigger the onsite of these symptoms. But right now there is not a great strain being placed on her spinal cord but over time this would occur as she gets older if left untreated.

So what does this mean? Surgery. Olivia is scheduled right now (waiting for confirmation on the date) for surgery on June 25 at CMC-Main. As I understand it she will be there 3-4 days. She should have about a 3-4 week period until full recovery.

2. Olivia has hydrocephalus. This we knew. However, anticipated that although some of the ventricles are large since she again was having no symptoms they would want to monitor and see if maybe in 6 months they had gotten any larger. Doctor said honestly right now if asked pediatric neurosurgeons around the world what they would do with her on this you would get a 50-50 split. Some would wait since no symptoms. Others would say let’s do something to prevent what they believe any future symptoms. There is one area as he looked at the MRI that appears to have a blockage but he could not tell from the MRI. So he wants to get her through and recovered from the first surgery and then reorder another more detailed MRI of that area of the brain. The results of that will determine our approach here. He is thinking if that area is blocked as he suspects that he wants to go in to her same scar from the draining done in China in 2007 and run this tube down into that area to open it up so that things would drain (this would be in lieu of a shunt). More to come on this…

For now, how are Guy and I? Still a little shocked. Guy a little more emotional than me as would be expected with some negative history with spina bifida with his brother Jeff. I am not “feeling” the hit of it emotionally “yet” standing strong and just doing what you have to do you know? I think more of that will come later. I need to stay strong. Pray that I can do that for I will only be able to stand if I stand in HIM!

I covet your prayers for our family the boys especially Jonathon was very concerned when we told them tonight. Guy and I just to be strong for Olivia and walk by faith. And for Olivia, pray for God’s hand to rest upon her for I know he has great plans for her. God has been clear from the very beginning when we accepted Olivia as our daughter that she was our “eagle” and we hold on to the scripture God gave us for her life from Isaiah 40:31 “ Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagle; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” . So with that said we will hope in the Lord. Please join us in claiming this for Olivia especially in this season. Pray that the surgery goes smoothly and she comes through it well along with the recovery. Pray for no complications or side effects. Pray for God to guide the hands of the surgeon. Thank you all!

It's Just About Over...

It is hard to believe that we are only one week away from the end of Christian's first year of high school baseball.  Its been a lot of fun.

Outside of baseball this was a crazy busy week as I headed back to work. I am still blessed to only go in the office once a week and have flexibility to work from home the rest of the time but as I work to strike work life balance (always a struggle) it makes for late nights in this season.  I also decided to get back to the gym this week its been since well....before China!  Olivia and Grace did so well with the playhouse and that was a blessing in itself. These two have such comfort in each other.  Now if I can just keep from putting everything in my mouth, I might get this 8 pounds off I have put on - someone please stop the madness.

We also celebrated my youngest son's 11th birthday!  I can't believe my baby boy is growing up so fast and will be off to middle school in the fall...gulp!

And let me just say it is absolutely no fun helping your 17 year old son write his Honors English paper!  I could think of many other things I would like to do....that has consumed us this past week and am afraid this week looks like much of the same....this momma is ready for summer break!

Logan's 11th Birthday Party!

This year Logan decided to do a High Ropes Course and Zip Line for his birthday party.  It was a blast for the boys.  We have great friends who do this very thing and were excited to do the party for us (thanks Lenny and Bobby)!  Enjoy some great photos of the boys. Above is Logan with his cousin Mason on his right and two of his best friends from the neighborhood on his left, Christian and Issaic (they really did have a great time although these two weren't exactly smiling for this picture)

Happy Birthday Logan!

Logan's choice - Tarheels cake

Mason doing - Superman as he comes down the zip line at 30 mph

and Issaic posing

Logan zip line - oh yeah!

Logan on high ropes course

Christian dancing - yes dancing up on the high ropes course

Logan on another part of the high ropes course, yes those logs move!

One of Logan's friends trying to conquer his fear of heights

Logan chillin

Logan starting the accent on the high ropes course

Logan is loving it!

Big brother Jonathon playing it cool

The gang receiving their training

The girls had a lot of fun too since there was a lot of land for them to explore - Grace thought she owned the place

and Olivia found a helmet and thought she was something

It was a great day, Happy Birthday Logan!