The Domrese Family Blog: March 2013

Family Photos

Our good friend agreed to take our pictures for a little family session. Aren't these amazing?!?!

This was Thomas' first time every trying basketball. The kid's a natural. And it's sooooo fun to watch. I will be the first to admit, I am the parent I swore I would never be. I yell, I coach from the bench, and I'm a nuisance. But he's amazing.

EWU Alumni Game

Every year we try to go to the EWU Alumni Basketball Game. It's a fun way to run into old friends. The kids actually enjoyed the game more this year than in years past. Can't tell by Joshua's face though!

Katie and I had a mini-photo session while waiting for the others. She's quite the ham!

Sometimes Winter is so Long You Start to Act Like It's Spring No Matter What!

Winter in Spo.kane can sometimes be long. So any inkling of the snow melting sends us frantically and hopefully to the park looking for signs of spring. This particular day was freezing. There were no signs of spring but there was plenty of personality!

Snowy Hiking Days

We always go visit Dan on his Guard days. It makes it so we don't miss him so much! On our way home, I decided to show the kids where the trail was that I rode my bike during the summer. In our typical impromptu fashion, we then decided to take a quick hike. And even though we were not dressed altogether properly we had a great time!

Oh, You Didn't Gain Weight, You Had A Mass In Your Neck!

We didn't really notice the difference in Dan's neck. It was a slow progression (although looking back at pictures, we start to see a change). But suddenly, he wasn't able to eat well, he was choking in his sleep, and eventually he couldn't even drink water! Upon a doctor's visit, it was thought to be a swollen gland, but it was quickly apparent that antibiotics would not help. He was scheduled for surgery right away.

Here's a before picture:

He went in for surgery and they found a large mass in his neck. Larger than any they had removed from an adult. It was quite impressive. In fact, shield your eyes, here's some pictures!

I can happily report that after a week he was back at work and doing well. The lab results came back as something that he likely had had since birth just chose to present now. There was no cancer or any risk of it returning. Phew!

Christmas 2012

The blog froze on me, for several months! I am back with a new computer and trying to play catch-up! Ack! Christmas 2012 was busy and fun. The kids are finally at an age where they are really excited to celebrate not just Christmas, but they get the meaning behind it too!

1) My hubby's family has a yearly gathering of all the cousins and while the party use to include skits, it has now evolved into a party of games and great conversation. Here is a shot of a favorite moment. Cuncle (cousin/uncle) Corey grows a mustache through November to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Joshua won a mustache at Bingo and was so excited to look like Cuncle Corey!

2) My family gathered at Christmas time as well. Our four kids have so much fun with my brother's and all their kids. Overall, at family gatherings, there are 11 cousins all born within 8 years of each other.

Here are all the cousins in their new hat/mitten sets on the couch (matching pajamas are a tradition)

Here are all the cousins on the stairs. They are holding a number to show their birth order.

Christmas morning is always at our house. We let the kids wake up on their own schedule and give them time to enjoy their presents. Gifts of the year? The boys received an air hockey table, the girls received an easel. There were dolls, Angry Birds, and more!