Summer has begun!

Summer has begun, but before it gets any further, I thought I'd update you on what we've all been up to in May! It's been a busy month!

BEN: Ben turned NINE this month! Where has the time gone? Brandon and I temporarily lost our minds and allowed him to have four friends over to spend the night. Wow. Nine-year-old boys have a lot of energy. They played the Wii and Nintendo, chased each other around the yard, and ate nearly everything we had on hand. Other than that, we survived. Since the theme of the party was "video games", Megan made an awesome cake that said "Happy Birthday to Mii" and featured Ben's very own mii.

GRACE: Grace had her end-of-year Dazzler dance recital last night. She danced the following routines: Stormy Weather, Wizard of Oz, Hip-Hop Hokey Pokey, and the finale, Who Am I.
After the show, she exclaimed "I love being on stage! Can we do it again?" Needless to say, her dream of being on American Idol might actually be attainable! Go Grace!

MOLLY: Molly has been very busy chattering away. Although she appears to have her own language, she has some great "real" words as well. She says "hi, bye, hot, pup, kitty, drink, more, mama, dada, and most importantly, hawk (Jayhawk)." I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones she uses consistently! She's walking all over the place in the new shoes that Aunt Stacey and Uncle Clinton bought her.

BRANDON: Brandon turned 33 this month! We celebrated with friends last Monday. We played baseball, barbecued, and of course, played a little Guitar Hero. It was a blast. Happy Birthday Brandon.

ME: I'm done with school! Enough said!

Where did April go?

So much happened in April. Here are the top ten, even if they weren't the "best" ten!

10. Molly visited the ER after falling on the driveway and hitting the back of her head. Thankfully, all is well.
9. Brandon is out of softball for at least two weeks after tearing his meniscus...that little thing that keeps the bones from touching in your knee joint.
8. Ben, too, has injured his knee and has been fighting through it on the soccer field.
7. Bert Nash no longer takes my insurance so I am left without a therapist until I find another, or a secondary insurance!
6. Ben mowed the lawn for the first time - all of it for only ten bucks commission.
5. Gracie is getting ready for her dance performance on May 28th. She's a munchkin in the land of Oz.
4. Stacey and Clinton were married on April 16th. I sang at the wedding and Brandon spoke of resounding gongs. Ben was an usher and Grace was the flower girl. Molly was the honorary flower girl.
3. Grace won first prize in the science fair for her Nail Polish Palooza project. Always go with Sally Hansen if you have a choice. It lasts the longest.
2. Ben's team did well in the Challenger's Tournament and Ben even scored a goal with his left foot!
1. Molly turned one and began walking.

That's April! Welcome May! 16 days of school left!

Molly turns ONE!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Last weekend, Molly celebrated her first birthday. It's hard to believe it's already been a year. We had several friends and family members over for a party and an Easter egg hunt in our backyard. There were over 300 eggs, but it only took minutes for them to be found! Meanwhile, Molly dabbled in her cake. Megan made her her own special ladybug cake and she was actually quite dainty with it! The other kids and adults? Well, we managed to eat nearly the entire cake - YUM YUM. Here are a few pictures from the party. Thank you to everyone who celebrated her special day with us!

Tea parties and soccer games

Madame Hatter's Tea Room

Grace, Laura, and Emma...three peas in a pod....in the Hatter's Boutique.

Ben getting in the game to "win the ball".


This weekend, Gracie and I had the opportunity to go to Madame Hatter's Tea Room in Bonner Springs, KS. As some of you know, it used to be in Eudora...so it was a bit more of a drive but so worth the extra time! We went with two of Grace's friends and their mothers. The girls enjoyed pouring their own "tea" and trying on all of the hats, furs, and other accessories in the boutique area.

Ben is still playing with the Kansas Soccer Academy HEAT team, and so far they've won 2/2 games and had one "snowed" out. Ben is doing well and transforming into a pretty good player. He has learned so much in so little time.

Molly turns one on Friday. Seriously. ONE. More to come on that this weekend!

Update from the Urbans

Well, Spring Break is coming to an end, and with that, I am headed back to work on Monday. Just wanted to put a shout out there and let you all know how appreciative we've been of your thoughts, prayers, cards, and support since I've been sick. Thank you for the dinners you have brought over and all of the other goodies to make me feel better. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. Things are all back on the right track. I am still really fatigued, especially by mid-afternoon, but the rash is disappearing, the appetite is back (although strange - I no longer like cadbury eggs or sweet tea! AHHHH!!), and the neurological side effects are gone. I am walking and driving again on my own! :)

Speaking of walking, Molly has been taking more and more steps at a time, sometimes so much as 8 steps. We have a few videos but nothing will download to the blog effective enough for you to experience the wonder of it all! We will be sure to post as soon as we capture that on video. :)

Thanks again to our wonderful family and friends. We love you!

I'm starting with super cute pictures of our children, because I'll be ending on some not so cute pictures of me. So here is Molly in her new hat (spit that binky out!). I can't believe she'll be ONE in a few weeks. She's almost walking but chooses to sit down and stand up like she's dancing but won't take a step.

There is a picture of Ben in his suit for Stacey and Clinton's wedding next month. He is working on a science project with the help of Brandon. They are seeing what effects coca-cola has on various things. He has also mailed his "Flat Stanley" to Carrie and Rob in Phoenix so we'll see what they come up with. (oh, the sites to see in AZ! I wish I was there)

Dazzlers, Dazzlers, Dazzlers! Whooo! That's Gracie's chant at her dance competition last month. Believe it or not, they won several trophies! She is now working on being a Munchkin in an OZ dance routine. She is also working on her science project that involves trying out different nail polishes and seeing how long they last before they chip - her idea, no kidding.

And now...what you've all been waiting for, what you're all wondering I'm sure....WHAT IS STEVENS-JOHNSON SYNDROME and why does Julie have it when the chances are 1 in 1000?

For those who are faint of heart, do not read on, because I have included pictures to show you my case is NOT as bad as the ones you see on websites. So here is my brief synopsis so you do not go to those websites.

(my leg)

S-J Syndrome is a serious and sometimes fatal medical condition commonly caused by an allergic reaction to drugs, in my case, the increase in Lamictal, which most of you know is my mood stabilizer. (I was just feeling better too when it was yanked away from me cold turkey!) The disease process for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome typically begins with a nonspecific upper respiratory tract infection. (had that!) Early symptoms occur in the first 1- to 14-day period during which fever, sore throat, chills, headaches and malaise may be present. (had that too!)Vomiting is sometimes noted in the early symptoms. Skin and mucous membrane lesions can develop abruptly with clusters of outbreaks lasting from 2 to 4 weeks.

(my arm)


In my case, I have several lesions, big and small, on my legs, back, chest, arms, and feet. They feel very much like burns and I HATE taking showers! I am unable to eat because it has entered my GI tract and I throw up every time I eat. I slur my speech because my tongue is enlarged. I've been to several doctors to confirm what I have, and spent nearly a whole day in the ER getting extra fluids through an IV and an MRI because my gait was off and I was having trouble seeing. (all due to SJS) So, here are the pictures if some of you are interested. If not, turn off your computer! The leg is the worst -that's what doctor's are watching the most. The others we're hoping will fade!

(my stomach)

(my leg lesion) OUCH! (my stomach)

It's been ten months!

It is hard to believe that it has already been 10 months since Molly came into our lives. Some days it doesn't seem like that long, and in some ways it seems like it's been forever! Either way you look at it, we are truly blessed to have this wonderful family of five.