the Barlow Girl's Valentine's Day Adventure...

I have to hand it to our twins for courageously journeying through another surgery on their feet last week! Each girl has a left foot abnormality, that many never notice, since it's hidden pretty well beneath the cover of their shoes. 

They've had surgery before, but it's been quite awhile, so it was a new experience for them. This was also the first time they were able to go through surgery together! 

Though they may have had second thoughts when it came to the day of their grand ordeal, they rolled into pre-op like pro's! Emma was the entertainment for the day in the OR, on her standard dose of Versed! She doesn't remember it, but gave me permission to impersonate her funny antics while waiting to begin, with most of her visitors afterward. Olivia's the lightweight we've found out with meds, so she just got very sleepy.

Afterward was not such a fun day for either, but things slowly got better and they were discharged after a couple of days. 

Here are our teenaged "little grannies" ready to leave with walkers, wheelchairs and even a shower chair in tow!!:

What was their first wheelchair bound outing?? 

Dinner for their sister's 21st Birthday...,then Joining our friends Tuesday night at a big LOCAL event to support their favorite AI contestant: JASON CASTRO of course!! 

And they were'nt disappointed! His television performance debut "Daydream"(click here to see it on YouTube)---got fantastic comments from the judges--ESPECIALLY Simon--amazing!! Way to go!!!! 

Their message to you--"Pleeaase VOTE for Jason, so we can watch him some more!!!!! oh yeah, and say a prayer for him, he's got the flu this week, has to be well by tomorrow for taping, and TUNE IN on Tuesday night for his 70's week performance!! "

Another unfortunate event

IN MEMORY OF...

Tolkein ("little bear") Barlow

April 2007-February 2008

"Lord, you have embraced a good friend and loving companion.
While we mourn what we have lost, we do celebrate what we had...and in saying goodbye, we renew our pledge to love and care 
for any creature you entrust to us for its time of life.


Thank you, Lord,  for the joy this loved one gave us and for making it
 possible for us to have made this friend's life a good one."

At 4 months old this little guy was sickly and malnourished, weighing in at less than a pound. 

No matter what we did, he didn't seem to gain weight.

Finally after months of tender care, he turned the corner!
From then on he grew, and grew, and grew, and grew, and grew...

These photos were taken in September, to celebrate how he was finally catching up with the others.

He ended up being the healthiest, friendliest, cuddliest, chubbiest teddy-bear of a cat, with a deliciously plush, silky fur coat replacing his old, thin, straggly one.

Tolkien seemed to greet each day with an attitude of confidence and joy in life. We'll miss him dearly! Having shared in the miracle of his life,we only wish it wasn't such a short one.

His loss has taught us how important it is to bring joy into each other's lives on a daily basis, the way he always did into ours!