Gabriel

Gabriel turned 9 on March 31st. I can't believe how big he is getting. I wanted to take a minute to sing his praises. You guys know me and the struggle I have with this kid but he couldn't be any sweeter. I wish I could bottle up his energy (I think I could supply my entire neighborhood with it.) I have never known someone more considerate of others. If you pay him a compliment he will ALWAYS have something nice to say in return. I tell him he is the best 9 year old I know (even if I don't mean it) and without fail he will tell me I'm the best mom. If I ever say something negative about myself like my hair looks like crap he will say, "I think it looks good, Mom." He is also so much fun to give gifts to because he is so grateful for anything he is given. No matter what it is he thinks it is the best gift ever. He is also a good example to our family because he is so quick to say "I'm sorry."








These are pictures of his various birthday parties!!!

Not for the squeemish!

Let me set the scene...it's Friday night and I'm just leaving the Mirage in Las Vegas with Jason. We had watched Danny Gans and had just finished a relaxing dinner with several of Jason's coworkers and the owners of his company. We retrieved our car from the valet and were on our way to check in to the Monte Carlo where we were staying when we got the call. My phone rings and I check to see who it is thinking it is probably one of our friends that are with us and they were going to let us know our next party location but...alas, it said "Home." I check the time...11:48...I know instantly that this isn't going to be good. Ryan is on the other end of the line and he says, "Mom, guess what just happened to Gabe!" I hear Gabe in the background sobbing and of course Gabe being Gabe I have no idea what could have just happened. There are so many possibilities. Ryan tells me that Gabe just cut his face on a light bulb and that Jason and Malinda Whipple are on there way down to assess the situation. I told Ryan to have Malinda call me when she gets there. I wait about two minutes and call back. Malinda gets on the phone and says, "He is going to need a plastic surgeon." The Whipples take him to the ER for us and of course we come flying home. We called in a plastic surgeon and it took 35 stitches to close his little cheek. He is going to have a great scar. I told him he would have to tell everyone he saved his family from knife yielding robbers.

We later found out that Gabe was climbing out of a pop up tent that he was sleeping in in our living room and he bumped a lamp he was using to read with. It didn't have a shade on it and it had a compact flourescent light bulb in it. When he bumped it it bounced off of our DVD stand and bounced back and cut him in the face.