Clara's Birthday Extravaganza!!

Clara was so excited for her birthday...Thursday night she had a hard time falling asleep in anticipation for the big F-I-V-E! Friday morning she woke up and opened her presents from us...a jewelry box with her name on it. She was very excited, as the ballerina turns with music. Then off to school with treats! That afternoon was early pick up due to snow. Luckily it did not spoil our dinner plans! We met the family at Red Robin. Clara asked for money for an American Girl doll and she got enough! Gram and Papa got her a ring necklace since she is a big five year old!

The next day was Chuck E Cheese's!  Clara had 26 friends help her celebrate her birthday!  WOW is all I can say!  Chuck E. Cheese's is the place to be...and thankfully I did not have to host that many in my house!  Thanks to Nana for being the party photographer.   Clara got a bracelet to add to her jewelry box from Nana. 

Sunday was the finale.  Clara received enough cash to pick out a doll and a horse.  She choose a Look Like Me doll and named  her Sara.  Nora got to pick something as well.  She picked a mini-doll named Julie.  The girls have had so much fun playing with them!  After the doll picking out, we went to dinner with Papa and Gram at The Counter since they have chairs for the American Girl doll to sit in.   Fun afternoon (before Gram and Clara fell while running in the rain to the car...I hear Dad does a great reinactment!!  Luckily all are okay!)   

Clara and Sara have matcing PJ's!  So sweet!

Clara's Birth Story

On Thursday April 21, 2005, Brian and I went to the doctor for an ultrasound to just check to see if my placenta had moved up since my 20 week ultrasound. I was 33 weeks and due in June. The placenta had moved, but the tech found something else alarming. The amniotic fluid was very low. The doctor came in and said that we had to go straight to labor and delivery. I remember it was like the world spinning. I had just left school, had a pile of papers to be graded on my desk and all sorts of things to do. I did not have a bag packed and was very worried about the little baby girl who should not be born for six more weeks! I was hooked up to a monitor and IV's. My doctors plan was to wait unitl Sunday to deliver. The next morning I was taken for a amneo to see how the baby's lungs were and injected with a blue dye to see if I was still leaking fluid. The lungs were good and the fluid was still leaking. As the day went along, the nurses noticed that everytime I stood, the baby was in distress, so I was to stay flat. In the mean time, I could not eat and I was uncomfortable and just worried. That night was one of the worst. I had so much back pain and could barely sleep. The one time I did fall asleep I was wokend to nurses rolling me on my side and putting oxygen on my face. The next morning, Saturday, Brian and I were woken up to two nurses popping in saying "We have good news for you!" I said "I can eat something???" "No, you get to have a baby today!" Two hours later, I was wheeled into an OR and welcomed Clara JoAnn Lynch at 9:16 AM. Our lives were forever changed as we fell in love with our little angel!!

Happiest 5th Birthday to our sweet girls! We could not be more proud of her!

Spring Musical

Clara and Nora sang in the Spring Musical this week!  The theme was CLC Sings Around the World.  The program starts with all the children singing Hello to all the Children of the World and Jesus Loves the Little Children.  Then each class does a couple of their own.  Nora's class, the Ducks representing The Netherlands, sang Alle Eendjes with bells and Jesus Loves Me (which she sang the rest of the day!)  Clara's class, the Lions representing Australia, sang Walking About in the Bush and Kookaburra (a family fav!)  All the kids ended the program singing Kumbaya and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands!  They did a great job!

The Bartuska Test

There is one true test to determine if you have Bartuska blood flowing through your veins...and it has to do with a deep love of ketchup.  Lila had her first sample last weekend.  She passed.  She ate it as a side dish, with her fingers.  We are three for three.

Clara

The other night, Clara told Brian, "Daddy, I don't want to grow up!"  When Brian asked her why she replied "Because I want to stay little so I can play all day and always live with you, Mommy and my sisters!"  We could not agree more Clara! 

WHEW!!

What a Saturday!  We were busy...even along the day, my friend Michele checked my forehead to see if I was running a fever, we planned so much stuff.  The day was perfect, but this mama was tired!!

10:30 - 12:30  We had pictures taken by our neighbor, Sharon.  This is one of eight that we have got to peek at!  Clara did really good, Nora and Lila took turns being little stinkers, but  you would not know by this picture!  She did a great job!  She was so patient with the three girls! 

1:00 - 2:00 Earlier in the morning, I was on craigslist. We have been wanting a little pop-up for about a year now. I finally e-mailed on a couple. One was showing on Saturday and was in Highlands Ranch. We decided to just go look. This is our new 10 foot pop up camper! 

Really should be no surprise that we bought it... if you know us, we very rarely just go look. We also went to "just look" at our first condo, Brian's 4-runner, a dog (a.k.a. Lucy), our house...see what I mean! 

2:30 - 4:30 -Off to Mackenzie's birthday party! We have know Mackenzie since she was born and her and Clara have been friends ever since!  We had fun bouncing at her party! 

4:30 - 7:30 - A quick change of clothes (again) and off to the Rockies game.  We go to opening day every year, but this year the tickets were so pricy and Brian had a bid, so we decided "Opening Weekend" was good enough!  The game was fun...we stayed for about three innings...enough time for the playground, chips and cheese and dipin' dots.  Brian and I had to stop and get dinner on the way home. Not enough hands to hold anything extra, not even a hot dog!  We got one picture...just too hectic to pull out the camera!  Good thing it was a good one!!  Go Rockies!

                                           

Rainbows of Fun!

I love spring!  New rainbow dresses, a new walking baby and trips to get ice cream!  Lila has really been working on her walking!  She is so proud of herself and so motivated!  I have a feeling she will be running to keep up with the girls in no time!  Last Friday, we had our first ice cream trip in a while!  Guess who loved it...all three!! 

Joe

Joe came to town and we got to spend some time with him in Watkins.  Here we are with Tracy, Beau, Joe and Uncle Ken! 

Happy Easter!

The night before Easter, we set the girls baskets out in hopes the Easter bunny would fill them up!  He did and then he hid them around the house!  No egg hiding, as Lucy and Linus would have had them all found before the girls with their hungry little noses!  Clara was up several times in the night, so excited about the bunny!  After sorting through all the goods, we got ready for church.  Good service, so I hear.  I got to hear about half the sermon as Lila really need a nap.  Back home after church to whip up some deviled eggs for dinner at Grandma Vera and Grandpa Charlies!  More Easter baskets for this bunch!  Lunch was so good.  After we ate, the kids got to find some more eggs.  This was one fun and busy Easter! 

Easter Eve

The day before Easter was a busy one!  We started the day with a trip the the Wildlife Experience for their Srping Eggstravaganza.  Fun!  The girls did a few crafts, games and played in the butterfly exhibit.  Nora was still a bit leary of the inflatable bunny!  Then, in the afternoon, we participated in the annual Riverbrook Egg Hunt.  So much fun!!  The number of kids of crazy and now that many are old enough to really get it, it was fun.  The wind was crazy, but it did not stop anyone!  That evening, we dyed our eggs.  The girls really loved making one for everyone in the family! 

At the Wildlife Experience wtih Daddy!

Clara is on the hunt...

Nora found some eggs!

So sweet....Clara made sure Nora had eggs.  She would put one in her basket and then pick one up and say, "Nora, here is one for you!"  Such a great big sister!!

Lila had fun playing with the eggs!

The babes!

The gang! I don't even see Clara, I think she was sitting down in the crowd!

Lyndi and I made the shirts...little Easter eggs! 

Hello, Easter Bunny!

The Thursday before Easter, in keeping with tradition, we visited the Easter Bunny with Mackenzie and Jake.  This year inlcuded Presley as well!  As you can see, Nora is still not a big fan of the "going to the mall and sitting on some strangers lap" tradition.  After the bunny, we tossed some coins in the fountain, had lunch and then visited the American Girl Store.  The girls were a bit overwhelmed as it was super crowded and had so much to see! 

I Gotta A Feeling!

Last weekend, we got a much needed fun night out with our friends to the Black Eyed Peas concert!  Kevin, Lyndi, John, Leslie, Debbie, Scott, Brian and I  headed down in the "Lynch Limo" since it seats eight for dinner at Tamayo.  The girls then took one of those bicycle taxis to the Pepsi Center.  Good thing it was all down hill!  The concert was so much fun!!  We headed back to the Larimer square area, in another bike taxik, only it was uphill this time.  Poor guy, we thought he may just pass out!  It really was a good, good night!!