Another Conversation with Alana:

On the way to school on Thursday, I was telling Alana that I would be picking her up with Auntie Ingrid and we would get on a plane and go see daddy. This is what happened after that:

Alana: (with her hand near her ear) Mommy do you hear that??

Mommy: Hear what Alana?

Alana: I hear Carter crying in his bed!!!

Mommy: Really, why is he crying?

Alana: because he needs me, hurry turn the car around. We better go get him!

Alana loves her Carter. She told me today that Carter was her best friend. They are going to miss each together so much over the next few months!!

Alana wants to be an Astronaut!

Yesterday, I was telling Alana that I loved her to the moon and back. Here is our conversation after that:

Mommy: I love you to the moon and back Alana

Alana: I want to go the moon mommy….

Mommy: You have to be an Astronaut

Alana: I want to be an Astronaut and fly on Rocket to the moon with Caillou!

Mommy: Really, when you grow up, you want to be Astronaut?

Alana: Yep, when I get big like Daddy, I want to be Astronaut.

Mommy: You mean big like mommy and daddy

Alana: No silly mommy you’re not big like daddy!

So, I guess I’m not big like Daddy! Alana is so much fun to be around these days, she is always making me laugh.

Alana First Roller Coaster!

Yesterday, some girlfriends and I took our kids to Western Play Land a local amusement park. We had a blast the kids run around the park wanting to ride everything even the biggest Roller Coaster they had. For some reason I was the adult who took the kids on the FUN rides. I love Roller Coaster so, in the end I think I had more fun than the kids did.

They had a kiddy Roller Coaster Carter, Cade, Lexi, Madison, Parker and Hunter jumped on so of course my little I do everything they do had to ride it.

Alana and I before the ride

Me telling her one more time!

After the ride!

At the end everyone was clapping for Alana. Alana looked at me and said “I NOT DO THAT AGAIN, IT SCARED ME”. She couldn’t wait to tell Daddy about her roller coaster ride though. I still can’t believe my 2 year old went on a roller coaster. She has to do what everyone else is doing let’s hope she becomes the leader of the pack before long.

Here are some more pictures of the kids. Alana loves hanging out with her friends, she ask me everyday “Are we going to see my friend’s today mommy?” One Friday she cried when we saw Jenn, because Jenn told her that her kids where in school. She was so upset, we tried to tell her that she would see them later that day but Alana wanted them right then! Of course, when she saw them a few hours later she was so excited, jumping up and down.


The Mom's

Alana loving the Car Ride

Alana and Carter

Hunter

Alana and Madison

Lexi and Carter

Carter, Cade and Parker

Madison and I

Parker and Jenn getting Hunter

Amber, Cade and Lexi

Us before the BIG roller coaster!

6 long months away from Home!

Tomorrow afternoon John is heading to Houston to start six months of away rotations. The first rotation is the most important (to John at least) Pediatric Surgery in Houston. Last December, he came home after his first day with the local Pediatric Surgery here and told me he had changed his mind from Transplant to Pediatric Surgery. I had been praying about his decision for months and knew he was making the right choice. John is an amazing surgeon. He can do some much good for young children. He can walk into the OR and not see the child there but a patient that needs an operation. When he tells me about his young patients I find myself so upset for their parents. He just smiles and says “Babe, you can’t think that way”. We made a deal that he won’t tell me about the really sad ones. I tend to wear emotions for the child and their family’s. He is going to have a blast over the next two months. Long hours, yes but John loves being in OR helping children. In December we will go to San Antonio for him to due a Burn rotation, then we are off to Denver CO in January until April 1st! Good thing we love to travel!

Alana and I will stay here in El Paso for the next 2 weeks and then we will join him in Houston for a long weekend come home for four days and then off to Washington DC for me to ran the Marine Corps Marathon on October 26th! After, that we are going to join him in Houston for good, with a few trips planned over the next few months. Most of you know that I am running 2 marathons in 3 weeks! I know, I am crazy but hey… When your husband works close to a 100 hours a week a girl has to find something to do!!

In December we will find out if John has been released from the Army to apply for a Pediatric Surgery Fellowship. We have been told that the first few years of applying are a long shot, but there is always a chance. I have been praying for months about God’s plan for us for the coming year. So, much is happening applying for fellowship, away rotation, and in an about 14 months we will rank the city’s we want to move to after Residency. I can’t find peace in any of the places we could move. It puzzles me on why, we could pick Fort Hood and live close to family, (close meaning 3 hours away) but for some reason Fort Hood isn’t sitting right with me. I know we have 14 months to make this decision but the last four and half years have flown by and I know the next 14 months will also. OMG, we are the downhill side of residency! What a wonderful feeling, to think 19 months from now I will have dinner with my husband every night, he will be here on Saturday morning to watch Alana while I run. I long for that life, I know he will still be busy, he is a surgeon after all but nothing like it is now!

So, I ask that you keep us in your prayers of the next few months as we travel around Texas and then up to Denver as well as our future. I will keep everyone update on are happenings. I know there is BIG changes coming to the HORTON Household!

Alana’s new Hair Cut!

Yesterday, I had 3 inches cut off Alana’s hair. Call it peer pressure, two of my close friends have been telling me for months how cute her hair would look short but I just didn’t have the heart to cut it that and John would kill me. When I would tell him that Amber and Jenn think I should cut her hair short he would say “What, they should cut their hair off”. Well, it got the best of me and I did it. It looks super cute and she LOVES it. Alana was such a big girl she sat in the chair and did what Mrs. Mary asked of her. What two year old has enough hair to have 3 inches cut off, and still has a head full?!? She has my hair, poor baby. John hasn’t seen it yet, but I am sure he will love it.


These pictures are of Alana and her new winter hat. Since we are going to be in Denver for the winter, she needs a new warm but cute hat. She loves it. We are having pictures done with Jessica in a few weeks I’m going to have her take a few pictures of Alana in her new hat.

John’s 32nd Birthday!!

Yesterday was John 32nd birthday! He was on-call Friday night and again today so, he slept most of his birthday away yesterday. Since, it was a power weekend for him this weekend. We had a party for him on Monday he was born on Labor Day, so it's all the same. We had a great time celebrating it with close friends. We did have a family party for him last night, Alana baked his favorite cake. Since, we celebrated it couple of days early a girlfriend and I ran a German 5 mile Fun Run, and then we all went out to dinner. Here are some pictures from both parties. Alana loves cake!! she thought it was so cool to have two cakes for daddy!

Alana loving Daddy's Cake!
Alana helping daddy with the Candles!
Alana and Daddy!!

Apple Picking

We went apple picking this weekend with our favorite Hansen’s Family. Alana was SO excited to pick apples with Cade, Carter and Lexi. It was about to rain so the kids where picking as fast as they could. Uel climbed up the tree to throw apples down at us, the kids had a ball. By, the time we where done the rain was coming down super hard, which Alana loved. She kept telling us she was all wet and needed a towel. After, we got back in the car Alana was smiling from ear to ear telling us how Amber and Daddy had to help because the apples where too high. John told her that one day she would big and tall Alana said “first I have to have my water to get big daddy, like the trees”. So, we started talking again about how everything needs food and water to grow. Then she told us that Apple starts with an “A”, I tell her that all the time, I’m so glad she has been listening. At dinner later that night, apple picking is all she could talk about, to be two again life is so simple and prefect.

Alana and Carter
Alana having a blast!
The rain was really coming down


Cade hanging out the in the Tree
Uel picking the good ones for us!
Amber and Lexi

Alana all wet in the car! Carter looking so CUTE!!