Wood Family

Where to begin???

2011-07-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

Mini-Marc

Mother's Day!

Ok, when you go this long without posting, how do you know where to begin? I've been somewhat busy, but that is really no excuse at all. I check my blog all the time to read everyone elses, but just haven't taken the time to actually write anything on mine. Every time I open it and see the pics in my last blog, I am just amazed at how much my kids have grown in the past 10 months. Jace doesn't even resemble the baby in those pics. So, this blog is just a quick update on the Wood clan.

We are now living Clovis. We moved here in April from Roswell. When we moved to Roswell in August, our ultimate goal was always to get back to Lubbock. There was a job opening in Lubbock. Marc wasn't completely qualified for it, but we were hoping that since he has started coursework towards that degree, they would just love him and offer him a job. They decided to go with someone that already had experience, but he received a lot of positive feedback on future posibilities. He is working towards the degree in hopes of someday being able to move up in the company. Anyway, that job didn't work out, but I believe it was for the best. A short time later, a guy from Clovis took a job in Roswell, which opened up a spot here. We jumped at the oportunity to get closer to family (Marc's mom lives here), friends (Marc is from Portales (20 minutes away) and one of my best friends lives there), and Lubbock (only 90 miles away). It wasn't fun moving for the 2nd time in a year and with two rugrats around, but it is SO much better for our family. Roswell wasn't too bad, but it just never felt like home. We bought a house here in Clovis, have found a church that we really love, and we are starting a life here. Things are great!!!

Now for the kiddos. Jarrett will be 4 on August 2nd and is just so big. (Praise the Lord! I'm pretty ready for the 3's to be over. Whoever decided the 2's were terrible must have named them that before reaching the 3's. I can't completely blame him for this. He's had quite a bit of upheaval in this past year. It's got to be tougher on them than on us and it's been pretty tough on me. :-) ) He's going to start preschool in August and is so excited about it. He took swim lessons for the first time this summer. He loved it!!! He's all about doing everything that his daddy does. He and Marc have been to several rodeos since we've moved here, so he now wants to be a cowboy and wears his boots and jeans as often as possible. I've tried to talk him out of them because it's so stinkin' hot, but he always replies, "Daddy is wearing his." How do you argue with that?

Jace will be 1 on August 10th. I can't believe it. This year has flown by. He is in to everything! I forgot how quick they get into stuff. He has been such a sweet baby. Now that he's more mobile, his little personality is starting to shine. He can be pretty stubborn, but if you get on to him, it really hurts his feelings and then it hurts mama's too. He loves his big brother and loves playing with him. He's all boy and I can already tell he's going to be tough and rough. Jarrett better watch out because I have a feeling that Jace is going to be bigger than he is. He started crawling in May and has already moved to pulling up and walking along side everying. He's eating table food and loves it. He's still nursing, but seems to be starting to be less interested in it. He sleeps through the night occasionally, but most nights wakes up to find his passy. I feed him around 6 and then he goes back to be until 7 or 8. I can't complain too much.

Staying home with Jace and Jarrett has been such a blessing. It is a time that I have cherished and will never forget. I didn't get to do this when Jarrett was a baby, but getting to be here for his last year before he starts school has been so great. We definitely have our "days", but I wouldn't even trade those for anything. I thank God for letting me be their Mom.

Next week, Marc and I will celebrate our 5th anniversary. I can't believe it's been 5 years already. In these 5 years, we have been so blessed and I look forward to the next 50 + years to come. I love him more every day. I love him for the amazing father he is to our boys and a great husband he is to me. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Now, that my short catch-up blog has become a novel, I'll end here. Hopefully, it won't be that long before another post. Next, I'll post pics of our new home. :-)

Better Late than Never

2010-09-20T17:17:00.001-07:00

Ok, I know this post is a little overdue, but we've been a little busy. I will do an actual post a little bit later, but I thought that the pictures would work for now. Jace turns 6 weeks old tomorrow. It has gone by so quickly. He's changing so much and I'm loving every minute of it. Jarrett is a great big brother. He's definitely ready for Jace to be able to play with him and we have to remind him often that he's too little to play, but I can already tell they are going to be great buddies. I have lots more to blog about this little guy's journey, but that will have to wait. Until then.....

Random

2010-04-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, first things first, I am now 6 months pregnant!!! I went to the doctor this morning and hearing that little heartbeat still is so amazing to me. Even though I feel the little guy moving like crazy, it does this mama good to hear the heartbeat too. He didn't care for it too much though. As soon as Dr. Burke started moving it around, he kicked or something, at the spot where the doppler thingy was. It was funny. I have to wait until June 4th to see him again. I can't wait.

Second thing. We took Jarrett to his first movie this weekend. We went to see How to Train Your Dragon in 3D. I don't know if kids these days realize how cool 3D is, but Marc and I were pretty impressed. Jarrett did so good at the movie. The previews were soooo long and I was a little worried that he would lose interest or fall asleep. He didn't do either. I kept telling Marc to check behind the 3D glasses to see if he was dozing and he wasn't. When we left there, all he wanted to do was to fly on a dragon or watch the movie again. He's not grasping that we can't do either right now.

Last thing. We are still in limbo with Marc's job and our status as to if we are Texans or Aliens, I mean New Mexicans. Ha! Last week, we had decided to rent a house here in Lubbock and see what happens. Well, now, being the wishy washy people that we are, we've decided to put EVERYTHING into storage and stay at my parents in Brownfield until we know one way or the other where we are going to live. All this being up in the air is driving me crazy, but God has a plan. I just wish He'd show it to us sooner, rather than later.

My Plate is Full!

2010-04-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, you know the saying "God will not give you more than you can handle." I believe this with all my heart and it has gotten me through some really tough times, but right now, I feel like I'm definitely being tested here. This blog is for me to vent a little and for me to be able to look back later when all is back to "normal", whatever that might be, and think "See, that wasn't near as bad as I thought."

As I've mentioned before, Marc's job has moved him to Roswell, NM. Yes, he is now an alien. :) He's been there since February. I can't believe that he's been over there that long. It really has gone by quickly, which I am thankful for. Even though it is going fast, I still have my complete meltdowns about the whole situation. I'm going to be poor pitiful me for a moment, so indulge me. I'm coaching track right now at school. This wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the current situation of single parenting. By the time I pick Jarrett up, I am exhausted, and I'm sure I'm not always in the best of moods. Well, he feeds off of that and then he's not in the best of moods. I feel like all I do is discipline him and all he does is talk back. I'm sure part of this is being 2, but alot of it is my attitude as well. I'm hormonal and grouchy, to say the least. This increases our chances of going round and round in the morning before school, around bedtime, or both. There are nights that I'm ready to pull my hair out. Last night was one of those. Poor Marc. He gets the brunt of my frustrations over the phone. I told him last night that I hated this crap and was tired of it. He hates it too, because even with the bad moods, he'd rather be here with us. So, it's really just a waiting game. There' no way for us to rectify the situation until I'm out of school and can move over there, which leads me to stress numero DOS.

Our house is in contract and hopefully closing on May 21st. We haven't wanted to look for houses anywhere yet because of the contract falling through before. This one is looking much more promising, I think. Another reason that we haven't started looking is because we were unsure about where to look. We were holding out hope that something was going to open up back here in Lubbock and we'd get to stay. That hope is not looking so good. If it happens, it's not going to be any time in the near future, so we've decided that we are going to Roswell and we are going to make the best of it. Now, we have to decide if we want to rent or to buy. My feelings on the matter are that if we rent and are always waiting to come back to Lubbock, Roswell will never feel like home. We can make it home and make the best of it, if we try. So, I've been looking at houses that a realtor sent me, but we haven't actually gone to see any yet. Working around crazy schedules of family and work is becoming quite the challenge. Time is flying by, which in the case of getting to be a family again is great, but in the case of being homeless in a month and a half, isn't so great. We would never actually be homeless, but I don't want to move all of our stuff into storage and then to a house later. I want to move into a house so that we can start building our lives in Roswell as soon as I'm out of school. So, we have all of these worries on our plate right now. I know, in the big scheme of things, it's really not that big a deal, but right now it feels huge. I told Marc the other day that sometimes I wish we weren't adults and there was someone to make these decisions for us. No one is offering at the present time. We just don't want to make the wrong choices and have regrets later on. I just need to trust in the Lord that he won't give us more than we can handle and we will be back to "normal" soon.

On a side note, over Spring Break, we tackled the task of potty training. I was kinda dreading it, but really didn't want to wait until summer. We used a 3-day plan that a friend from daycare had given me. It's an all or nothing approach to potty training, which is a little daunting. We threw out all the diapers. All we had were big boy undies. The first three-four days were very trying on this mama. I seriously had moments where I wondered if he was getting it or not. I had some very encouraging friends tell me that it was normal and I really didn't want to turn back after spending that much of our Spring Break on it. So, we stuck it out and I'm happy to announce that I truly believe we are POTTY TRAINED!!!! (He's probably teeteeing all over the floor as I type.) This might be a little TMI, but he now tells us when he needs to teetee AND poop. He did have a teetee accident the other day outside because we didn't get to him fast enough, but I'm sure those will happen. This week has been the first week that I haven't woken him up and he hasn't woken me up, in the middle of the night, to go to the bathroom. His big boy undies have remained dry every morning this week. I couldn't be more proud of him. God gave me a break on this one and I am so thankful. I guess He knew I had a lot going on. :) I'm attaching some pics of the cutest little undies you'll ever see. I took them with my phone, so they are a little fuzzy.

A Friend

2010-03-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, over the past couple of years, in my bible studies, quiet times, and at church, one theme has stood out to me. I'm sure it's always been there and I've just been too dense to really comprehend it or maybe God has really just spoken to me about this because he knows it's what I need. Anyway, it is the idea that Jesus is a "friend". Why has this been such a difficult concept for me to grasp over the years? Why hasn't it hit me in the face the way it has in the past couple of years? I have no idea. Like I said, it's probably been told to me over and over for my entire life,(Ex. hymn: "What a Friend we Have in Jesus" DUH!) but just lately it seems that every where I turn, there is something there about it. Today, I was looking at this website and it had Christian jewelry. There was a necklace and the title was "Friend". I clicked on it thinking it might be something that you would give to a friend that is in a bible study with you or shares your beliefs. Who knows? Anyway, it is a necklace that is an ancient Greek monogram of "Jesus". It comes with this poem/scripture attached.

'I rule the heavens,

I made the earth

yet I stopped in wonder

to dance at your birth

I hung the stars

I placed the moon

yet I look forward

to long talks with you

I am your Healer

comfort I send

Redeemer,

Messiah,

yet...I call You Friend.

'John 15:13-15, Proverbs 18:24

And BAM, here it is again. I love thinking of Jesus as a "friend". Who better, right? I love thinking of Jesus "dancing at my birth". What a crazy-wonderful image. I know that, as children, we are taught this, but it hasn't been until I had this epiphany, at a Beth Moore bible study, that he really is a friend and that I should talk to him that way. This has changed me and has changed the way I pray and seriously the way I think of him. I've always prayed and loved Jesus, but when you stop and think of him and talk to him as a friend, it completely changes your relationship with him. How elementary, I know. This just proves how much room for growth exists in my world. I might have to order myself this necklaces. Here's a pic.

A Journey for the Wood Family

2010-03-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since my last post. I think I say that at the beginning of each one, but lately, I haven't been able to find the time to post. There's definitely been quite a bit going on that I think is worthy of a blog to document for myself. I'm warning that it's going to be long and most of it isn't that interesting. I just want to look back later on and remember all of it. Let me start out with a couple months ago and work my way to the current.
As many of you know, we had a miscarriage in August. We were told that we needed to wait 4 months before trying again. Four months sounded like 4 years to a person that longed to have another baby growing in her. So, being the good listeners that we are, we were good for 2 months. I was so anxious to get pregnant and am not a very patient person to start with. Also, things with Marc's job were kinda up in the air. We could possibly be moving, which meant he was going to have to go somewhere and Jarrett and I would have to stay in Lubbock until the end of the school year. Of course, the first thing that I thought was..."how in the world will we get pregnant with us living in two different places?" I was definitely not wanting to wait until summer. Remember the lack of patience mentioned before??? So, we decided not to prevent, but not to necessarily try either. Well, on December 9th, I was late, but hadn't "felt" pregnant, but thought what the heck. My pregnant friend, Micha, actually told me that she had a test left over and brought it to me so that I didn't have to "waste" money. (Waste was my word because I was sure that I wasn't pregnant.) I took the test. I tried to stay busy for those long 3 minutes. When I went back in, there was only one line. :( I wasn't too upset because I didn't think that I was pregnant. For some reason, I didn't throw the thing away. (Hmmm...God is so good.) I just left it on the counter. About 30 minutes later, I walked back past it and something caught my eye. It was a very faint second line. I thought I was imagining things. You know when you look at something for so long and your eyes start playing tricks on you? Of course, I had to rush to the drugstore to get a digital one just to make sure. It wasn't even a minute and the stick flashed PREGNANT. I was still in disbelief. I ended up getting a blood test the next day to make sure. We were still very cautious as to telling people. It wasn't that I didn't want to shout it from the rooftop. I just felt very protective of the baby and myself. I know the more people praying, the better, but I knew that if something went wrong, there would be less people to have to tell. This thinking is probably crazy, but it was my thought process at the time. After letting myself believe that I was actually pregnant, the waiting began. I had to make it to my first sonogram at 9 weeks, and then I could relax is what I kept telling myself. So, we went to that sonogram and everything looked great. It was a huge relief. I began telling more people, which was a good thing because I was already showing a little. By my 12 week appointment, I had let the doubts and worries start creeping in again. When I heard that little heart beat, I burst in to tears. I bet Dr. Burke thought I was crazy. It was music to my ears. To further alleviate my worries, she did a quick sonogram and said everything looked great. Around this time, the nausea went away and I felt human again. I felt so great that I really didn't feel "pregnant" until I started feeling the baby move. With Jarrett, I felt him move around 18 weeks, but once you know what it feels like, it comes so much earlier. I started wondering if I was really feeling it at 14-15 weeks. It was such a great feeling. I think God knew that I needed that reassurance. I've had my moments of freaking out since then, but I am doing much better these days. Today, March, 26th, we found out that I have a healthy baby boy growing inside me again. I couldn't have received better news. I was starting to think that it might be a girl, but my main concern was that it was healthy. Marc, on the other hand, knew that it was a boy and was completely pulling for it to be one. He was grinning from ear to ear when we found out. We are thrilled and can't wait to welcome another little boy into our crazy world. Marc says that we are keeping this name a secret, just like we did with Jarrett. This is so hard for me. I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut. I guess I'll have to be for 5 more months though. I am due August 14th. I must like being pregnant during the hottest time possible.

As for the crazy world I mentioned earlier, Marc's job has been a little crazy, to say the least, lately. Marc has been transferred to Roswell, NM. He moved over there at the beginning of February. It hasn't been fun at all. He comes home every Friday and leaves with me crying on Sunday. I thought it might get easier, but it hasn't yet. We have had our house on the market for the past couple of months. We went into contract on it a couple of weeks ago and then that fell through. We are currently under contract now and I'm praying that everything works out the way it's supposed to. I don't care when it sells, just as long as Jarrett and I get to live back with Marc full time come summer. We are still in limbo because there have been rumors of openings in Lubbock. We'd love to stay here, close to family and friends. If that door closes, then we will know that God wants us in Roswell and that's where we will go. I'm just ready to know one way or another. Also, with this move (whether we stay or go), I'm hoping to get to stay home next year with my boys. I'm looking so forward to it. Now that I have it in my mind that that is going to happen, I will be completely heart broken if it doesn't work out. I think I would give up anything to make it work. We'll see. I'm definitely praying hard about all of it. I know God is going to take care of us and we just need to trust His timing in everything.

His timing is perfect, no matter what we think the perfect time is for something. I should know. I just now thought of the perfect example. The baby we lost in August was due right around this time. This could've been a really sad time for us, but instead, we find out what we are having with this pregnancy and that everything is looking great. Not that I don't still ache for the baby I lost, but we are so excited, and finding out that this one is going so well eases that ache. I will never forget that precious baby and one day will get to hold her (I'm just guessing) in my arms. And on that note, I'm out. If you're still reading. Love you all!

Mother of the Year! Yeah right!!!

2009-10-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

I just logged on at school! Could this just be a fluke thing? Maybe I will actually get to occasionally blog on my conference. Y'all might get to hear from me more often, unless they tear it away from us again. Just thought I would share how excited this makes me.

I do have something funny to tell about this morning. This all happened after we got to daycare. I have gotten into the habit of undoing his seat before I get out. That way, he can get out of his seat and be waiting on the real seat when I get to that door. (We are usually running late.) Then I grab him and we go. TODAY, I unbuckled him but when I got out, I hit the lock button out of habit. (I do have keyless remote, but I normally drop them into my purse, so I manually lock the doors too.) So, I got around to his side and the doors were locked and my keys were in the ignition. It wasn't running, thank goodness, but they were in there. So, I go back to my side and yell for him to get into mama's seat to "drive". He loves doing this, so he starts climbing up there. In the process, he has found a bowl of cereal and spills it climbing over the seat. He then proceeds to pick up each piece individually. I'm sure he was worried that he would be in trouble for spilling and not picking them up. Finally, he gets to my seat and I tell him to push the buttons. He knows how to push the lock side down, but he doesn't realize the other side does something as well. I'm trying to get him to do it when he just happens to reach up on the door and slides the lock over to unlock it and I yank the door open. SUCCESS!!! Luckily, it was only about a 5 minute ordeal. It could've been a whole lot worse. I'm so glad that I had unbuckled him before I got out. I can't imagine the trauma (to both of us) that that would've caused. Note to self, take keys with you even if you are just running in AND teach him how to push the unlock button too. OR, just be more careful. Hmmm...what a concept.

I Know, I know...

2009-09-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we'll start with the pictures because I'm too blogtarded to get them to move. Any assistance would be appreciated for next time. Thanks!

This was the first time that it was cool out and I got to put him in some of the fall clothes that I bought a month ago and have been dying to put him in them.

I guess he's Peter Parker here, since there's no mask. Check out the muscles!!! Caleb and Jarrett at Lake Amistad.

My little red raider.

Is he seriously sleeping like that? Mean ol' mom wouldn't take the life jacket off and he couldn't stay awake. Maybe it isn't as uncomfortable as it looks. :) It really does fit when he's standing up.

My handsome hubby at the cabin in Ruidoso.

So, it's been way too long since the last post. I just never can find the time to blog. I probably shouldn't admit this, but we used to be able to blog at school and now we can't, so there's no time at home. Anyway, I had planned on blogging all summer long about the different things going on and traveling, but I never got around to it. Then, I decided that I would post at the end of August about the entire summer and post pics from all of it and I didn't get around to that either. So, here I am posting now and don't have much to say. We had a great summer. Marc and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary in July. We took and "anniversary" trip to Ruidoso in June for a weekend of "us" time and then we spent most other weekends at a lake or just hanging out. We went several times to Lake Allen Henry with Marc's fam and to Lake Amistad (sp??) with mine. Jarrett turned 2 in August. Where has the time gone? I can't believe he's no longer a baby and now becoming a little boy.

As most of you know, we found out this summer that we were expecting and couldn't have been more excited. At the end of August, I miscarried. This is probably part of the reason, ok all of the reason, for my delay in posting. It has been one of the toughest things that I have ever been through, but I feel like we are probably stonger because of it. That "probably" didn't sound too convincing, did it? Anyway, I am making it day by day. I definitely have my days that aren't so good, but that is to be expected. I am staying super busy and that is helping a great deal. This summer, when I got the call asking me to coach again, I was worried but excited. I didn't know everything that was going to happen, but God has a reason for everything and He knew that I would need this this year to help me through all of this. I am loving coaching and didn't really realize how much I missed it. Who know's how long I'll stick it out, but I'm having a great time right now. I work with such wonderful people and am blessed by them.

Ok, now I'm just going to post a whole bunch of pics because it has been so long. There is even one of Jarrett in his Halloween costume. He doesn't have on the mask, so you'll just have to wait until the real deal to get the full effect. I don't know how many pics the blog will hold, so I might have to have a 2nd one of just pics. We'll see.

Such a Fun Day!

2009-06-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been FOR-EV-ER (is that from The Sandlot???) since my last post. I just haven't had much to say lately. But today, was a really fun day and I thought I would talk about it. Some of my fabulous co-worker friends, their children, and Jarrett and I all headed to Roaring Springs for a fun day in the sun. I know you are asking, "Roaring Springs??? Where's that?" I thought the same thing. I'm not completely certain where it is because of the mock speeds that were taken to get there. (JK, Kristen) Anyway, it's about an hour and a half to get there and you would not believe how gorgeous a place this is. It doesn't look like west Texas at all. It is a natural spring and pool from that spring. There is a beautiful waterfall and trees everywhere. Who woulda thunk it? Only an hour and half from here and there it is. Jarrett and I had so much fun with the girls and their kiddos and can't wait to get together again. Pictures will follow soon. I didn't take lots, but some of the others did and as soon as I get my hands on them, they will be here. Thanks again, girls for a super fun day.

Will you marry me?

2009-04-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, today, Marc asked me to marry him. It's kinda a funny story. His birthday is on April 22nd and he was planning on asking me then, with our friends and family in town to celebrate his birthday. Who would have thought he would choose his b-day to do it? Not me. I had been waiting for every holiday, birthday, valentines day, etc... for the previous 4 years and nothing ever happened. (Yes, I did say 4 years.) So, we had friends and family coming in to town. Marc's house was a mess and I was there cleaning it. Well, he chose to be out with his friends because Wednesdays, back then, were his boys nights. I'm sure you can imagine the thoughts going through my head because I was cleaning HIS house (a wifely duty) while he was out and about. The longer he was gone, the more irritated I got. When he got home, through tears, I let him know how I felt. I didn't think that I should be acting like his wife without being his wife. If he wasn't going to ever do this, then we need to talk, etc.... I'm sure I probably said a lot more that you can use your imagination. I had no idea what he had planned. Well, in an effort to get me to quit freaking out and in fear that I was going to break up with him, he left the room while I was bawling. I figured he was getting Kleenex. He comes back with Kleenex and a box. He says, "Well, you kinda messed up my plans for Friday, but I guess its ok." I couldn't believe it. He then proceeds to get on one knee and says, "Mika (maybe Breck, don't remember???) Decker, will you marry me?" I began crying harder, if that was possible, and said, "Are you serious?" and "YES!!!!!" It really is a sweet story to me, but still makes me laugh. I always asked him what he was going to do the next time to make me stop crying? He couldn't really top that one. Even though he was a little slow getting there, I wouldn't change a thing. God has blessed me way more than I deserve with this man that is such a wonderful husband and best friend. Marc, I love you now, more than ever.

Here are our engagement pics. They are black and white from the newspaper. Man, we look like babies to me.

Whew! What a morning!

2009-04-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, it is days like today that I really stop and appreciate Marc, my husband. He went out of town yesterday for a hunting trip. Last night wasn't a big deal because Jarrett and I just hung out and did the usual night time routine. BUT, we didn't have to be anywhere on time either, unlike this morning. Ahhhh!!! We even got up a little earlier this morning, but for some reason we piddled. We rocked for a little while, I had to take a shower, we ate breakfast, and then we had to get both of us ready. I don't think that I realize how much Marc helps me in the morning. Even if it is just getting Jarrett dressed or shoes on his feet. Every little thing helps. I need to stop more often to tell him that I appreciate how much he does for me. Alot of the time, I think I dwell on the times when I need help and he's not there. I need to quit taking him for granted because I know that he helps me a lot more than other dads and I need the thank the Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful husband and daddy for Jarrett.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Three day weekends are GREAT! I think we should have them a lot more. We were busy, busy the entire time, but it was so much fun. Marc's family came in to town on Friday. We took the kids to eat at the 50th Street Caboose and then swimming at their hotel. I was a little worried about Jarrett still enjoying the water like he did last summer, but he loved it.

On Saturday, everyone came to the house and then we all went to Sear's to get the kids' pictures taken. That's where the new pic at the top came from. They turned out great. The group ones turned out good too, but of course I'm pretty partial to my little guy. He did so good and his turned out great. This creates such a dillema for me to decide on which ones to choose.

After the pictures, we were back at the house getting ready for our "Easter" dinner. We did it on Saturday because some of the family had to leave that night. The food was great and the kids had a blast hunting eggs, even if it was sprinkling.

The family that was still here went to church with us yesterday and then headed out. Marc, Jarrett, and I went on to Brownfield to eat lunch with my family. It all worked out so well and we got to see everyone. It was a perfect weekend!

March 08-09

2009-03-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

I was just looking through my pics that I have on my computer. I have pics from March 08 and now from March 09. I can't believe how much he has changed. I wish I had better ones on this computer, but the ones I have are from my cell phone. So, they aren't that great of quality and for some reason, with my cell, I am forever chopping the top of his head off. I don't know why. I am posting another boots pic from this year because it really shows how "grown up" he looks. It's kinda sad to me that he has already changed so much. But on the other hand, he is so much fun right now. He makes us laugh all the time and keeps us on our toes.

Spring Break!!!

2009-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Doesn't he look so big in his Wranglers and boots?

Jarrett and Benjamin

Wow, I can't believe that Spring Break has already come and gone. It was definitely great to be off, but there wasn't a lot of down time the entire week. I will have pics coming soon. I have to get them off my camera, but I had a minute to blog so I thought I should do it when I could.
FIRST HALF:
My break began with my Grandmother passing away. She was 85 and has had alzheimers for many many years now. She had come down with pneumonia and it just went downhill from there. We have been waiting for this for many years because she hasn't been "Grandmother" for a long time. It was a blessing in a sense because she is now with her Savior and with my Pap. I can't imagine how sweet a reunion that must have been. We have joked that he probably got on to her for taking so long.

My brother and his family came from Arkansas, so we had some great family time with them. The kids, Evyn and Elijah, are great with Jarrett.

Even though we were gathering for a funeral, it was great to spend time with our family. All 7 of the grandkids were home and got to visit and let our kids spend time together. My cousin, Tory, has a little boy name Gideon. My cousin, Gina, was here from Virginia, and has Benjamin who will be a year old in May. Jarrett got to play with Benjamin for the first time and Gideon too. They've seen each other, but not when they were all mobile. It was great to see them, even if it was only for the day. My Grandmother is smiling down on us all and finally getting to see our babies. I would have loved for her to have gotten to meet Jarrett, Benjamin, and Gideon and to see us all being mommies. I think she would be so proud.
SECOND HALF:
Details of our First and Second Flights
Jarrett and I went to Dallas to stay with one of my best friends, Kasey, her husband, Scott, and their son, Tye. It was Jarrett's first time to fly. Since, I was taking him by myself, I was a nervous wreck. I packed everything that I could think of and then some. Marc dropped us off at the airport and got us checked in. From security on, we were on our own. I let him play and eat while waiting for the plane. Once we boarded, I just prayed that everything was going to go ok. I didn't want to have "that kid" that everyone dreads seeing on the plane. Luckily, we sat by this wonderful lady that happened to be a grandma. She was great! Jarrett would hand his stuff to her and she didn't even seem to mind. I worried that he was bothering her, but she didn't let on that he was. We weren't quite as lucky on the way home. We had to get up before 6 to make our 8 o'clock flight. The plane was late. By the time we got on, he was screaming because he wanted down. One guy sat beside us and then was relieved to find out that he was in the wrong seat. I'm sure the girl sitting there was oh so happy to take his seat. Jarrett wanted down so bad. He was bowing(sp???) his back, pushing me, and throwing his passy down the aisle. I am sweating profusely. This is all before we have even left the gate. I contemplate crying in hopes of gaining sympathy from the people around us. Finally, I just stopped and prayed that this situation would get better. Before we were in the air, Jarrett was asleep and slept until we pulled up at the next gate. It just goes to show you that no matter how insignificant we think a prayer might be, God is ALWAYS listening.

Waiting for the plane.

Our time in Dallas

I played volleyball with Kasey at UTPB, in Odessa. Ever since then, she has been one of my most trusted and valued friends. I haven't gotten to see her since her baby shower and Tye turns two in a couple of weeks. It had been way too long. So, my Jarrett and her Tye got to meet finally. They had so much fun together. They got along better than we expected. We had our moments, but for the most part, they were great little buddies. We went to this amazingly huge play ground that was a little boys dream. Then, we took them to the Fort Worth Zoo. I am sure that Jarrett will enjoy the zoo a little more when he is older, but we had fun anyway. It was just fun to get to spend time with them. Kasey and I have always been close and getting to see our boys playing together meant so much. We also got to have dinner with Vel, another friend from college, and her husband Michael. I hope our kids didn't scare them off from wanting children of their own. They were definitely a handful that night, but it had been a long couple of days and was our last night there. We were pooped when we got home, but it was such a great trip with wonderful memories.

Checkin' out the elephants!

Feeding the ducks!

Mr. Independent

The Sean Decker Band

2009-03-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

My younger brother, Sean, has a Christian band. They have been playing together for a couple of years. I've gotten to hear them a couple of time. Once, at a church up here for Saw You At the Pole. The other time was last Saturday night in Brownfield. One of the churches brought Seventh Day Slumber to perform a concert. Sean's band got to open for them. It was amazing. They did such a good job and I couldn't have been prouder of him. I didn't tell anyone else around me this, but I got a little teary eyed when they started because they were great and the crowd's response was CRAZY. Sean is such a strong Christian and is doing wonderful things with this amazing talent God has given him. I'm sure many, including myself, were touched by their performance. They sing some popular songs, but they have 3 (I think) original ones that are so powerful. I wish I could somehow post them on here. Maybe, they will have them recorded someday and I will. For now, I'm posting some pics from the concert. The one of us three groupies is me, Mom, and Amber (Sean's wife). The rest are of Sean, the best little brother EVER.

Long time, no blog!

2009-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been. I just haven't had anything blogworthy to talk about lately. I don't know why. Everytime that I thought about something, then i figured it would be more of me whining than blogging. So, until I'm out of my rut, here are a couple of recent pics of Jarrett. There are a couple of him in Marc's hunting gear with a couple of different calling devices. Then there are just a couple of random ones of him.

TAG!

2009-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, here goes nothing. I really don't think that I can think of 25 "Interesting" things about me. SO, I'm starting this post on Monday. We'll see how long until it actually gets posted on here and FB.

1. I love rainy days. If I wake up, see clouds outside, I get up in a much better mood. I even don't mind being at school on these days. Yes, I would prefer to be at home, all warm and cozy, but I don't mind being at work either.

2. My favorite childhood memories are from vacations spent in Ruidoso. We would go there with my entire family, at least once a year. I miss that time so much.

3. I, like Monica, am terrible about leaving cabinet doors open. That was one pet peeve (sp???) that Marc had after we first got married. It's been a pet peeve of my dad's for my entire life, but now I'm finally working on it. The other day, Jarrett walked into the kitchen and shut one of the lower cabinet doors behind me. Marc thought that was the greatest thing ever.

4. Also, I'm forever leaving on lights. My dad used to say that he knew when I was home. Every cabinet door was open and all the lights were on. It couldn't be all me. I promise.

5. One of my favorite things to do is to take a HOT bath, while reading a book, and possibly sipping some wine. Ahhhh, that's the best!

6. I have to sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees and the blankets or Marc's pillow (if he's not in bed yet) under my arm. I grew up sleeping with a stuffed animal. (One of them is now in Jarrett's room and if Marc would let me, I probably would still sleep with it every night.) It's just so comforting.

7. So many people don't know this about me, or so many people just don't ask. But, I got the end of my ring finger cut off when I was 13. I was babysitting this 6 year old and told him to clean his room. I was leading him in there by the hand and he slammed the door. I didn't get my hand out quick enough and it chopped off the end. I later had to have surgery on it and to this day, that's the only surgery that I have ever had. Yes, I've heard all the jokes about it. "Mika can only count to 9 1/2." Marc has told me, "You'll get a long great with Shaun's dad. He cut his finger off too." Like this would make me bond with someone???

8. I decided to teach English because I didn't want to teach anything else. I loved Math growing up, but when I went to college and told them that I was majoring in Math. They said that I would have to take the Calculus placement exam. I had only had trig. and analyt. back then and it scared me to death. Sometimes I wish that I would have sucked it up and gone that route.

9. I have road rage! I hate stupid drivers and I typically say that out loud. "Move stupid!" That will probably be Jarrett's first full sentence.

10. I have been in a total of 5 rear end collisions. One totaled my car. You know the law where the person that does the rear-ending gets the ticket? I probably should have been the one getting the ticket in a couple of them because I wasn't paying attention and slammed on my breaks and got lucky enough not to hit the person in front of me. Hey, it's not my fault I have quick reflexes and the people behind me don't. Monica, I'm cringing right now thinking about karma.

11. I love food. I get so excited about it or the anticipation of it. Marc has always made fun of me for getting excited about food. He has also pointed out that I always talk about food when we are eating. Most of the time it is about other food, not what I'm currently eating. Since then, I have noticed that I am not the only one that does this. A lot of people do.

12. I have a phobia of speaking in public. I don't mind doing it in front of my class, but in front of my peers is a completely different story. My voice shakes, my heart races, and I nearly have an anxiety attack over it. I would rather do anything than speak in public. I guess its good that God didn't bless me with the ability to sing, like he did the rest of my family. I can't even imagine how bad that would be.

13. I miss coaching volleyball a lot. I feel guilty that I miss it. I wouldn't give up the time that I get to spend with Jarrett, but I do miss it. I've considered trying to get back into it, but then I think twice and remember having to coach everything else and stop myself.

14. I have three nicknames that I will answer to. My mom has always called me Gert. (I know it came from Gertrude, but don't know any more than that.) My brother, Blake, has always called me stretch. (I'm tall and used to be a bean pole.) Tatum calls me M.J. (Her husband, Allen, used to call me Mika Jene (that doesn't look right, I think it should be Gene, but it's not.)even though my middle name is Breck. Then it got shortened to M.J. and it has stuck. I have a clock, that Tatum gave me as a maid of honor gift, that is engraved M.J. :)

15. I have a hard time driving without talking on my phone. It is automatic. I get in the car and start dialing. I will go through my friends until I find someone. I think it's an addiction.

16. I am in bed by 9 almost every night. I would go to bed at 8 or 8:30 (sometimes do) if I didn't feel like such a bum. I used to blame it on that I had to get up so early with Jarrett. Now, he sleeps in much better and I get to sleep until 6:15, so I don't have an excuse.

17. I remember things by the way they smell. The first time that I went to Las Vegas, we stayed at the Mirage. I still remember the way it smelled. I have smelled a candle before that brought back Vegas memories. I associate fireplace smells (especially pinon wood) to smelling like Ruidoso. My family has always said, "Ahhh, it smells like Ruidoso." When we would pull in to Ruidoso, we would roll the windows down to smell the air. Weird? Yes.

18. I am the world's worst procrastinator. I will put things off. I can't do things, like clean my house, unless I'm under pressure. In college, I put every single paper off until midnight before it was due.

19. I love to read, but didn't start loving it until after I was out of college and no one was making me read. It sure would have helped in all of my Lit classes if I would have enjoyed reading a little more. I worked at a gift shop for 8 hours a day and we didn't have a tv or a lot of business. I would go through 3 or 4 books a week.

20. Thanks to my girls at lunch, I have a new love for yogurt with blackberries and granola. I crave it. Over the weekend, I ate it at least 5 times.

21.I love to shop and if I find a great deal, like on a pair of shoes, I can't resist. Marc doesn't understand this. "Even though I didn't NEED another pair of black shoes, I couldn't pass up this wonderful deal. And they are so darn cute!"

22. My favorite outfit is jeans and a sweatshirt or long sleeve t-shirt. I like for the weather to be just right so that these are comfy and there is no need for a jacket.

23. I really like to be tan, but don't like taking the time out of my day to go tan. I've done the tan in a bottle, mystic tan, and air brush tan. The air brush tan is probably the most successful, but it too turned a little orangy on me after a while. Any suggestions? I refuse to show my legs when they are the pasty white color they currently are. Even in the summer, I don't wear shorts in public, unless I have a little color to them. Laying out isn't exactly an option either when you have a baby around.

24. I would like to have at least 3 children. Marc would be happy with the one we have. I loved being pregnant, but apparently I wasn't too nice to be around when I was pregnant. I can't imagine doing everything that comes along with being pregnant and having a new baby only one more time, so I'm going to hold out for at least 3. We'll see.

25. I peel things. This, I believe could be OCD. I wish I had that OCD where I had to have everything neat and clean, but I don't. It doesn't matter if it is a medicine bottle, the address label on a magazine, or even paint. If it is a little bit lifted, I can't help myself. If someone is sunburned and then starts peeling, I love to peel their skin. This is so gross to admit. I'm a little embarrassed to type it.

My pics are finally up!

2009-01-22T13:53:00.001-08:00

Ok, here is a short explanation of some of the pics. The pics in the red jammies were from either The Polar Express (You can see him listening to his bell he got from Santa and laughing at his Daddy.) or from Christmas at my parents. The other ones are just random pics. The dryer (please don't call cps) is his new favorite place to climb. He was hillarious when he discovered he could get in there. The bundled up pic, I just lvoe because he can hardly move I have him so bundled. And, the boots. They were a Christmas present and he loved them. I didn't think we'd get him out of them, but they are still a little big, so we have to wait a while.

TAG

2009-01-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, Kristen tagged me, so here goes. This is a picture of Jarrett at my aunt and uncles house. It was his first time up close and personal with their horse, Smokey. (I think that's her name.)

Well, I am one step closer to having pics posted from the holidays. They are now off my camera and on my computer at home. I just never have time at home to sit at the computer. I will try this week.

I can't remember who Kristen tagged, so I am tagging Kelsey, Colby, and Monica. Go to you pictures file on your computer. Go to the fourth folder and pick the fourth picture. Post it and explain it.

Frustration!

2009-01-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am a complete loser when it comes to this blogging bit. I haven't blogged in forever because every time that I do get on here, all of my focus goes to changing the dang background. I can't seem to figure it out. I have done everything that it has asked me to do. Surely, it's not me, it must be this crazy computer. We'll see. I will keep trying. Thank you all for your attempt to help me. I might be helpless.

On to more important topics. I will soon have updated pics of Jarrett from the holidays. There are some really cute ones in his new boots, which I bought a little too big and they make him walk pigeon toed, so I'm not letting him wear them until he's bigger. I would hate to ruin his gait for life just because he loves his boots and they are too cute. Anyway, I will have pics soon.

Last night, when I was holding Jarrett, I had a revelation. Why has no one invented some way of recording smells? We can record everything else. I love the way he smells and I don't want to forget it. The best is after bath and he's all lotioned up, but last night, he hadn't had a bath. He just smelled like Jarrett. I can't explain it. I actually got teary eyed worrying about forgetting his smell. Or, it changing to a different smell. Am I weird or do others worry about these things.

Jarrett is doing so many fun things these days. It's amazing to me how much he actually comprehends what we're saying. This morning, he was going through the drawer in my bathroom while I was getting ready. (If he stands on the scale, he can actually see in it. This is sad because he's growing way too fast.) Anyway, he got one of my rings out of the drawer. He put it on top of his head. I said, "No silly, it goes on your finger." So, he gets it and puts his finger through it. It's little things like that that just make me smile. He's growing and learning right before my eyes. I love watching him discover and figure things out too. We got a Wii for Christmas. After taking it out of the box, Jarrett used the box to climb into the recliner or on the couch. He will push it all over the living room to whichever object he would like to crawl on. It's so much fun. I can't wait for those of you with smaller babies to get to experience all of this. It's great!

Ok, Monica, I've now blogged. I promise pics will follow, but this will have to do for now.

Christmas Tag!

2008-12-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure that Kelsey tagged anyone, but I felt kinda bloggy(is that a word?) and it gave me something to blog about.
1. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
2. What is your favorite Christmas album? This year, it has been George Strait, but I'm going to a David Phelps concert on Sunday and I am sure it will be wonderful
3. What is your favorite Christmas gift you have ever received? Cabbage Patch Doll
4. What is your favorite gift that you are giving this year? Well, Jarrett is getting a power wheels four wheeler from Santa. Shhhh.... I can't wait to see him when he first sees it.
5. Favorite place/location to look at Christmas lights? Ransom Canyon- It is so breathtaking. I love taking people out there for the first time and when you come down that first hill that looks over the water, they get the full effect. It's beautiful.
6. Favorite Christmas treat/candy? Fudge
7. What is your funniest Christmas memory? In our stockings, at my parents house, we always get a movie from my mom. Even though we have gobs of gifts under the tree, this has become one our favorite traditions. You know it's there, but don't know which movie it is or what everyone else got. So, it's always exciting to open these. Well, a couple of years ago, Sean (my youngest brother) opened his movie. It was one of the Spider Mans, I think. After looking at it closer, he realized that it was the spanish version of the movie. We all got a pretty big laugh, at my mom's expense and haven't let her live it down yet. I'm sure there are many other funny memories, but that is the first that comes to mind.

I'm tagging everyone else.

Pics

2008-12-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, I finally uploaded pics from my camera. So, I am just posting several of them. Kind of random, I know, but I thought I would share. As you can see, he is never still so it makes it kinda difficult to get good pictures.

Relaxing Weekend, Right!

2008-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Typically, if you get to stay home from work for a 3-day weekend, you would be relaxed and ready to go. Well, the reason we got a three day weekend was because on Friday Jarrett came down with the stomach bug. We were ready to walk out the door (why does it always happen then?) and I had just finished my hair when Jarrett comes in the bathroom. He was whiny and lifted his arms to be picked up. So, I picked him up and he threw up all over me and him. Luckily, we were in the bathroom on the tile floor. I yelled for Marc to come help. Needless to say, we took baths and got back in our jammies. I was hoping it was just a fluke puke, but it wasn't we continued for hours and hours about every 30 minutes. Poor guy, I felt so bad for him. He didn't recover really until Sunday. So, it was really a LONG weekend.

I did finally get my Christmas tree up. Since we were home bound, all weekend, I decided Sunday would be the day. I did it when Jarrett was asleep for a nap and when he got up, he was so surprised. I put all the non-breakable ornaments at the bottom, but he is still not allowed to touch. After a couple thumps,(I know, I'm terrible) he now KINDA stays away from it. We'll see how long it lasts. So far, not ornament casualties. I'll keep you posted. Here is one pic that I took with my phone. I have more on my camera of Jarrett in front of the tree. I will post them later.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I typed this entire thing about what we did for Thanksgiving and it was too boring to even post. So, I am shortening it down so when I look back next year, I will know what went on. We spent the weekend before in Portales with Marc's mom and family. Then, we went to Brownfield on Wednesday and spent Thanksgiving day with my family. It is so much fun to spend time with everyone. We don't get together near enough. Not everyone got to be there, but I'm hoping to get to see them in the next couple of weeks or at Christmas.

Now, for what I am thankful for. I am thankful that God is in my life and that He is a forgiving God. I am thankful for my wonderful husband who does so much for me and puts up with me even when I'm sick and grumpy. I'm thankful for my precious son, Jarrett, who is by far my best accomplishment and can make my day with one of his sweet smiles. I'm thankful for mine and Marc's families. They are so special and I don't know what we would do without them. I'm thankful for our warm house, food, clothes, and shoes. I'm thankful for our dogs, Daisy and Pepper, even though they drive me nuts sometimes, I do love them. And finally, I'm thankful for my great friends and coworkers. I wouldn't be able to make it day to day without having you as friends. I love reading your blogs and hearing about your lives. Mine seems kinda boring sometimes, so I like reading about other's.

Tag, I'm it!!!

2008-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Eight T.V. Shows I Watch:
Grey's Anatomy
Dancing with the Stars
Private Practice
Friday Night Lights
Las Vegas
House Hunters
As the World Turns
Bold and the Beautiful

Eight Favorite Restaurants:
Las Brisas
Cagle's
Olive Garden
Durango's
Thai Pepper
Outback
Chillis
Market Street

Eight Fun Things That Happened This Week:(This one was tough for me. Some of them are reaching a little. I have concluded that I'm pretty boring.)

I got a new 3-ring hole punch today! (I know, that's nerdy, but its fun.)
Jarrett has gotten really good at signing milk and thank you
I bought and started reading book 2 of the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury
I went shopping with my mother-in-law
I went to Barnes and Noble for one book (see above), didn't find it, but bought 3 others
I am now 3 Christmas presents down, a bagillion to go.
Visited Calvary Baptist with a friend of the family
Kaly, my new hair girl, fixed my cut that was driving me nuts.

Fun to come:
I get to spend 5 straight days with Jarrett and Marc next week.
We are doing T-giving this weekend in Portales with the inlaws
SHOPPING
I am decorating the house for Christmas
We are spending Thanksgiving day and the days around it in Brownfield with my family.
NO SCHOOL!
I plan to take many many naps.
Maybe, I will have time to read a little in between naps and playing with Jarrett and shopping and family time.

Eight Things I Look Forward To:
My Mamaw's 80th b-day
Jarrett's second Christmas (he'll be much more involved this year)
Holiday food
Twilight Movie
Resting over the holidays
summer (is it too early to be looking forward to this)
Two of my friends are pregnant and having babies in May! Fun times!
Shopping

Eight Things On My Wish List:
A healthy family (I hate cold season. Currently we are healthy, I just hope we stay this way.)
To sell our house
A new house
Another baby
clothes
shoes
to lose weight
Safe travels through the holidays

I tag Colby and Kristen

Brrrr!!!

2008-11-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, it is finally cold. I've been wishing it would be cold and now that it is, I am wishing it wasn't. Actually, I really just wish the wind didn't have to blow. Anyway, I might have gone a little overboard this morning when getting Jarrett ready to go. He had on a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and then his coat with the hood pulled up. He looked like the little kid on a Christmas story. In his carseat, he couldn't move his head from side to side, only his eyes were moving. I couldn't help but take a picture.

Am I terrible or what?

2008-11-18T06:43:00.001-08:00

Well, I have witnessed many times children who go through separation anxiety when their parents drop them off. Even at Jarrett's sitter's house, there is one little boy that cries every time. I was beginning to wonder about Jarrett. He has cried when we have left him in the nursery at church, but never at Debby's. I know this is a good thing because he loves her and she takes great care of him, BUT, I was kinda (selfishly) wondering if he would ever prefer me over staying there. Well, it sort of happened yesterday morning and so I thought it was just a fluke. Then this morning, I sat him down and he went to play. When I said "Bye" he came running to me with his arms up and didn't want me to put him down. That was enough for me. I don't want him to get super upset or anything. It would make me sad to leave him there crying, but just to know that he would like to stay with me made me feel better. I can't believe that I am admitting that, but it's true. I want him to love being with me more than love being at daycare. Is that too much to ask? Am I a terrible mom to want my baby a little upset when I leave him? Yes, I'm sure I am. But, I can't help it. I guess that is the human selfish side coming out.

Owy!

2008-11-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

My sweet Jarrett got his first owy at daycare yesterday. He fell and scratched his face on a table. She said that he was really tough and barely cried. I think it hurt my feelings a whole lot more than it did him.

I am sure I have a long road of owys ahead of me. This kid is fearless. We like to call him Evel Knievel. He will step off of a big step without even thinking twice. When he sits on the couch, we really have to work on getting down right, otherwise he just bails off. Last night, Marc was laying on the floor playing with him and he decided it would be fun to not just sit on Marc's back, but to stand on it. This, of course, ended in him falling backwards on the floor because there was nothing Marc could do once he realized what Jarrett was doing. This morning, while he was in the bathroom with me getting ready, I turned around and he was in the bathtub. He hasn't been able to do that until today. We have all new baby proofing to do! Any suggestions???

Oh my goodness!

2008-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I just finished watching Tech beat Texas. I'm too excited to go to sleep, so I decided to post pics from our weekend. I see that some of you are ahead of me on Halloween, so I better get busy. These pics are from my mother-in-law's camera. I haven't downloaded mine yet.

My baby's not a baby anymore!

2008-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, warning!!!! This blog is a little boring. I am writing it more for me so that I can remember this the next time around. This is kind of bitter sweet. You want your kids to grow and do more things, but when they do, you want them to stop and stay little. Or, at least I do. Also, I am such a worrier. I always worry about if I am doing what's right for Jarrett. Being a new mom and not having a clue, I didn't know when Jarrett should no longer take a bottle. So, the week before he turned one, when my sitter said that he wouldn't be taking bottles over there anymore, I freaked out. I said, "I don't know if he's ready for that." Well, come to find out, he was. He never even skipped a beat and did fine. We continued to do a bottle at night and in the morning. Well, I was visiting with a friend that got "in trouble" by her doctor because her twins were still taking bottles and they are about 8 months older than Jarrett. So, of course I start planning on how to ween him from the two bottles that he still takes. I have done research and read about kids that cry and cry and want the bottle. Some parents are still giving their 3 year old a bottle. What do I do??? I am sure that I was thinking about this a little more than a normal person should. Well, last week, one morning, he woke up and refused to take his bottle. I tried several times and he kept pushing it away and shaking his head no. So, I finally figured it out. He was done with the morning bottle. Now, I switched to being worried about the night bottle. We go to the doctor in a couple of weeks. Me, being the people pleaser that I am, did not want Dr. Klepper to "get on to me." :) I am thinking this is going to be something traumatic for Jarrett because that is what the internet said. (I've got to quit believing everything I read.) Well, we decided to wait on Friday night to see when he would wake up to take his bottle. Guess what! He didn't. He slept until 7, which is way late for him. And he has done that the two nights since. So, apparently, those bottles were more for me than him. Now, I am glad that I don't have to wash bottles anymore, but sad that he is too big for a bottle. What's next, driving??? No, I think we should tackle the passy first. Any suggestions???

We took the kids to take the silly old timey pics in the mall the other day. Here are a couple of them.

My Dad!

2008-10-17T06:55:00.001-07:00

Today, my dad turned 60. I can't believe it. He, by no means, seems that old to me. But, I also don't feel 30 either, so I don't know. The older I get, 40, 50, and 60 don't seem that old. Yesterday, my mom told me that this one has been pretty tough on him. My dad isn't one of those people that really gets bothered by things like birthdays, so I have really been thinking a lot about him this morning. I have two brothers, so it is safe to say that I am a Daddy's girl. I have always been and always will be. All of the pics are from my wedding. I need to take more pictures with him more often.

Ever since Marc and I got married, there have been times when I have said, "I think I married my father." The similarities go on and on. I am normally joking, but seriously, that really isn't a bad thing. My dad is the best man that I know. I am lucky to have found one that has some of the same attributes that he does. He LOVES his kids and LOVES his grandkids even more. You wouldn't believe how he turns to mush when it comes to Jarrett. He talks about how Jarrett's laugh makes his day and seeing pics of him makes him smile. I love this. You don't always get to see this side of your parents. He is Jarrett's only grandpa (Papaw) and so their relationship is so important and going to be one that Jarrett cherishes for the rest of his life. I can't wait to watch them bond over the years. I love him more than he will ever know! He is the best dad, grandfather, and now as an adult, friend. He is one of the strongest Christians that I know.

So, I said all of that to say this: Sometimes, I think I take him for granted and I don't want to do that anymore. It is so important to tell the one's that we love, how much we love them. That should NEVER go unsaid and we never know what tomorrow holds.

Whew!

2008-10-13T07:45:00.001-07:00

All four grandkids, Evyn, Jarrett, Caleb, and Elijah

Hayride
Jarrett eating Fruit Loops

Here several pics from this weekend. We had such a good time. Like I said before, my fam was in town from Arkansas. So, we spent a lot of time with them since we don't get to see them often enough. This was my weekend.

FRIDAY: We got out of school early, so I met them for lunch. From there, we went SHOPPING! I don't get to do this very often because it is a little difficult with a 15 month in tow. I was the bad mom and left him at the sitter because it was right in the middle of his nap. Anyway, after shopping in the mall we went to the Peddler Show at the Civic Center. Growing up, my mom and I always went to this. My favorite thing is to sample the dips and soups. YUMMO! Anyway, it was great to walk around and look at all of the stuff. I did a little Christmas shopping. I actually got Marc's big gift. I normally wait until the last minute on his so I am super excited!!!! It isn't anything that he has asked for, so I hope he's not dissappointed. We'll see. We finished the day by going to eat with Marc's mom and then we crashed.

Saturday: I was out and about by 9:30 Sat. morning getting fall decorations for my house. I love fall!!! We then went out to Idalou for Pumpkin Fest. These are the pics that I can't wait to post. They are on my mom's camera and she hasn't sent them to me. Jarrett loves being outside, so he had so much fun. He got to go on his first hayride. We drove down to Brownfield and spent the night with my parents. Jarrett and I slept on an air mattress together, which we don't do very often, but he refused to sleep in the pack n play. My hiney (sp?) ended up on the ground with Jarrett smushed into me. No matter where I put him, he would roll to the middle. Not a lot of sleeping accomplished.

Sunday: We had an another open house to get ready for and go to Brownfield. There were a couple of positive prospects, so we will see. Keep your fingers crossed. Marc did mention the possibility of renting out our house, but that worries me a bit. If anyone has any experiences, good or bad, with this, please let me know. I have started praying about all of it and know God is going to lead us to do the right thing. It is just all very scary!

Ok, Ok, I know I'm behind.

2008-10-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

Well, as Monica pointed out, I am slacking on my blogging duties. I just don't know exactly what I should blog about all the time. I think of things and then I think, "No one would find that interesting, at all." So, I am going to ramble on a little and you can read on or stop when you get tired of it.
#1. My sis-in-law and niece and nephew got in to town last Saturday from Arkansas. She homeschools and my brother is out of town all week on business. Anyway, my neice, Evyn is precious and always has been. My nephew, on the other hand is quite the character. He loves movies and cartoons and when he finds one he likes, he takes on that persona and pretty much becomes that character. His current thing is Ben Ten (sp??). He has this huge watch that allows him to "transform" in to alien type things. My sister-in-law watched an episode with him the other day and no longer lets him watch the show, but he still uses his watch thingy. Anyway, I said all that to say this. Jarrett and I spent time with them on Sunday. We went down for church and a b-day party. The kids love Jarrett like crazy. I walked in while Elijah was doing patty cake with Jarrett. His version is a little different. It goes like this: Patty cake, patty cake, bakers man, bake me a stinkin cake as fast as you stinkin can. Stinkin is his new word. I couldn't figure out what he was saying at first, but when I did, it made me laugh really hard. Not real sure where he picked that up. It's so funny how they repeat things they hear adults say.

#2 At church on Sunday, the preacher talked about the new movie Fire Proof. I know several people who have seen in and have loved it. They all say that you and your spouse need to see it together. So, at some point, I am going to get Marc to go with me. Also, they had the book The Love Dare for couples to read together. Has anyone else heard about this? I would love to start some sort of Bible study at work with you girls and maybe we could use this book to start us off. I am not completely sure what you do, but I just scanned through it. Every day, it gives you a dare, which might be "call you spouse and tell them you were just thinking of them." It is to teach you how to love. I know that I love Marc, but i know that I could do it a whole lot better. I am not completely sure how it works if you are reading it together. Won't you think that they are just calling because the book says to? Or, will it still make you feel good, even if it is because of the book. I guess it could get you in the habit of doing it and then later on, when it happens, it is for real. I don't know, but I think it sounds good. I really want Marc and I to do this together. Any suggestions on how to encourage him to do this? My husband is not a man of many words, but I really really want us to do this. So, give me some advice if you can.

#3 Last night, we were watching Dancing with... Jarrett loves music and will dance to anything. So of course, when watching this, he goes crazy. His new move is to turn in circles. (He doesn't actually spin, it's more like walking in a circle.) Well, this obviously makes him a little dizzy and he falls down. We laugh and he claps for himself. Laughter encourages him, you know. Then, he was walking carrying his blanket. He puts it over his head (like we play peek-a-boo) and just takes off. At first we thought it was kinda funny. Then as he is fixing to run right in the table, we realize what's going to happen. Marc saves him from injury. Yea for dad's quick thinking. Well, he heard us laugh, so now that is his new thing. If he sees a blanket or towel or whatever, it immediately goes over his head and off he goes! It is amazing to watch him change and learn new things. I never thought parenthood would be this great. I knew I would love it, but nothing like this.

Ok, I am done for now. I will try to do better for you blog stalkers. :) Love y'all! I am going to upload some pics sometime to post some more.

My Heart Smiles

2008-09-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

Of course Jarrett does a lot of things that I think are fabulous, but I have a favorite one right now. When I pick him up out of his bed or when I walk in the door and pick him up, he starts patting me on my back. Sometimes he even lays his head on my shoulder (its not the normal I'm sleepy shoulder thing, its I love you Mommy shoulder thing.) I know, this doesn't sound like a big something, but I really think its like he is giving a hug but he doesn't understand hugs yet. It's like he is so excited to see me and so that's what he does. It doesn't matter what is going on with me or my life, I melt and it makes my heart smile. Can you imagine what I will do when he really does hug me? He already gives kisses and they are wonderful, but a big hug is great too.

My First Blog

2008-09-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, here goes nothing. I am very new to this thing called blogging. I have several friends with blogs and am now joining the world of blogging. I already have a MySpace and Facebook, but haven't felt comfortable blogging and posting all of my pics for everyone to see. This seems a little more private and I am sure that I will soon be as addicted as I was to the other sites in the beginning. So, I may need some help from you veteran bloggers, so be patient with me.

Jarrett's Birth

2007-08-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just read one of my friend's story of the birth of her son. I was not blogging then, but would really like to have some record of what went on that day. I still remember it like it was yesterday. And, I'm afraid that later on, I will forget things. So, I back dated this post, but don't know if it will actually do that. We'll see.

We got to the hospital before 6 am, on August, 2nd, 2007. I was already dilated a 2 or 3. The nurse did a lot of paperwork, got me set up and ready to monitor everything. We started the pitocin at 8. It started working fairly quickly, so here came the contractions. Up until this point, I thought that what I had experienced were contractions, but I was WRONG. This wasn't like anything that I had ever experienced. I was on the list to get an epidural, but I was 4th in line. Who would have thought that being 4th would take hours. They gave me some pain meds to knock the edge off. They worked a little, but it wasn't until around 11, and dilation of a 6, that I was able to get the epidural. Marc was wonderful through this entire time. He stayed right there by me, rubbing my back, and never left my side. Back to the epidural. Oh man, that was the best thing EVER! I was able to sleep through contractions and completely relax. At about 3, they decided that I was ready to push. I was so scared at what was about to happen. I started pushing a couple of times before the doctor came in. It wasn't too bad. When the doctor got there, she decided that we might need the little suction cup to just help him out a little. We did that for a couple of pushes and out he came. I still can't believe how blessed we were and still are. he weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. He was born at 3:32. The first words out of the doctor's mouth were. Wow, look at those lashes. He got his Daddy's eye lashes and still to this day have them. He was perfect and of course the most beautiful baby in the whole world. He had a little cone head, but by the next morning, it was gone. The rest of the day was sort of a blur. I got to my room and then they brought Jarrett back to me. My brother, Blake, and his family surprised me by coming in from Arkansas. This just added to our perfect day. I had been secretly sad that they wouldn't be there when I birthed my first baby. Anyway, when they walked in, and Elijah came around the corner, I just burst in to sobbing. Poor thing, it scared him to death. He didn't understand that they were tears of joy. I'm sure hormones had something to do with it.

We stayed two nights in the hospital. I didn't know that it was possible to be that tired. I wasn't in near the pain that I thought I would be in. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful nurses that helped us with everything from nursing to walking around. Our night nurse's name was Lauren. She was fabulous. We have been back at the hospital to show her pictures.

We went home on Saturday and started our real life as a family. The rest has kinda been a blur. I can't believe that he is now 18 months old. It is crazy how fast time flies by. I fall more in love with him every day, if that is possible.