What a weekend!

First of all...Happy Birthday, Dad!  We love you and hope you had a wonderful day!

Secondly, I'd like to share a urological update on Molly:  I took her to Scottish Rite for a follow-up ultrasound on Thursday and then Ryan met us at her doctor's office to have the results read.  Dr. Smith assured us that everything looked just as it should!  He wants to see her back in a YEAR!!!!  Praise the Lord!  He said that she may continue to have some UTI's (she's already had 3 since surgery in January-boo) but they will not be a threat to her kidneys as before.  He said her susceptibility will lessen as she gets older.  The only issue foreseen is possible urinary incontinence but he doesn't even think she'll have that! We were thrilled with the news and look forward to receiving a similar report from her orthopedist this Thursday when we go for a hip x-ray and follow-up with Dr. Fabregas!

Finally, we enjoyed a visit with MiMi and Pop this weekend.  Oh, and Sadie.  Let's not forget Sadie!  Molly won't allow it!  Last time they were here of course was moving weekend.  Well this time was just as relaxing! They donned paint clothes and spent two days priming the cavernous hole that is our family room.  And then we graciously put them up on a luxurious new bed air mattresses.  Baby steps.

Anyway, remember that deep, dark wood paneling? (didn't take befores with furniture:( too bad.)

It's now a light, bright, primer-white:

Sorry the befores aren't the same angles as the afters in-progresses, but isn't the improvement vast?!!!    It's truly mood changing!  Ryan and his dad even got the TV mounted on the wall and that's been quite the treat as well!  There's still lots to do, like paint for starters (although, given the choice between living with the before or just primer I'd choose primer!) but this was a HUGE start!  Priming is my least favorite task and for this room it was monumental--so much molding, trim, shelves, doors, ugh--thanks to MiMi and Pop that part is done!

Here's how it went down:

I wanted to take down the molding over the fireplace (we wanted to mount the TV and the parameters were off) so Pop obliged:

 The walls just soaked that primer right up and MiMi tirelessly chased it with more!:

 Molly stayed out of the way, mostly:

 Here are MiMi and Molly setting up a recent IKEA acquisition and the one-coat wall in the foreground:

 And here they are this morning in the primed and ready-for-paint room:

MiMi and Pop brought something with them (besides Sadie of course) for Molly:

 The Learning Tower!!!  Best thing ever!!!  See, Ryan's cousin Belinda's girls, Julia and Jessica, outgrew it and we are it's super lucky hand-me-down recipients!  Molly woke up Friday morning and saw it in the kitchen and went right over like she knew it was for her.  This was the first task she helped with at her tower:

And boy was she proud!  Thanks for sharing your tower Jessica and Julia!  It's a hit with Molly and with me!