Sand, Waves & Water Oh My!

 

Last week we met up with friends from NOLA for a beach vacation!  We had sooo much fun!  The water was beautiful and the kids LOVED playing in the sand!

We

The first day of the vacation I found out I was pregnant and just a few days later my sweet husband sent me these roses.  I was so surprised and touched! 

 

One evening we decided to give those cute beach pictures that everyone has a shot!  I’ll let you be the judge of how that went ;)

Last Call

If you read my blog regularly you'd know that the end of May and June were pretty rough months for me. The loss of my Dad had finally "hit" me...hard. I was losing control of my life, and finding myself with all the symptoms of depression. I sat next to Brad one night..."I think I'm depressed Brad." He responded, "Well I think so too, and if you weren't then at would be wierd." He was right, but me---depressed---no way.

That night I laid in my bed considering calling a counselor the next day. Then I started to pray. I prayed for God to help me, to give me strength to take care of myself and my family the way they deserved to be taken care of, to show me that I can do this, and that he had a plan for me and it was more than depression. I prayed that I could find peace in losing my Dad, that I could know that he was okay, and that God could help me to live my life as he wanted me to. I thanked him for my beautiful family and my amazing life...followed with the longest slowest Our Father I'd ever prayed.

Within a week...I started feeling renewed. I had more energy and felt like myself. I felt more motivated and even started talking about another baby, which had been out of the question for AWHILE.

Then the month of July we decided to give it a one month shot at having another baby. If we didn't get pregnant we'd have to wait about 6 months since next summer we'd be moving, which would be hard 9 months pregnant.

Through the power of prayer...God showed me he is indeed with me, reminded me he is the creator of LIFE and in complete control...and he has a plan for me...for my family.

We ARE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are thrilled, and I'm at complete peace. Our baby is due around March 22nd. What a blessing...an answer to my prayers.

I need help!

I want to do a few new things with my blog and I can't seem to figure it all out! I google...and google...read and think I get it, but don't...so I google and then quit because I get frustrated.

I want to create tabs at the top of my blog, so I can have a few different blogs happening at the same time...within mine. I also need to create a new header...anyone out there want to help me? I'll bake you a beautiful cake...watch your kids...bring you star bucks :)

I know there are some of you out there that can whip this up in no time for me...seriously.

Also...I want a new name for my blog...EVERYTHING I come up with is already taken, so if you know me...and have an idea that would fit my blog well...then do share!

Dallas

We are in Dallas for a week wiTh brad who is going to be here for a month!!! I won't be blogging as much since blogging on an iPad takes FOREVER!!! We are hoping to do some fun stuff like the sixth floor museum, the aquarium, the zoo, ft. Worth, and maybe legoland. Let me know if there's something I'm missing! After me and the kids leave we will be heading to lake Charles, then the beach, then back home. Keep us in your prayers with all this traveling!!!

Lately I've been feeling pretty...strong and happy. It's such a good feeling. It's amazing what GOD can do when you ask him...

The house that built me…

Every time I hear this song I think of the house that built me.

The memories flood my mind and overcome me.  This was the home where my parents built their dream…L’Atelier-A Child’s Way Preschool & Kindergarten…got engaged & fell deeper in love…started their family…and made thousands of beautiful memories.

If I close my eyes I can still feel the leaves beneath my feet, hear the wind blow through the trees, and I even remember the way it smelled. 

Along the side of the house I played countless days in my dad’s boat…made mud pies…kept my bicycle.

Further to the back I’d swing on our swing set, fill the baby pool each summer, and watch our cats scale the top of the fence in amazement.  I remember the cold grass on my feet while my sister & I danced around our Christmas tree each year singing “O Christmas Tree” as my Dad trimmed the bottom…

That back yard was the end of my long days of riding bikes, building clubhouses & many other adventures in the neighborhood.  That front yard was where I’d follow my Dad behind his lawn mower…the newly cut grass making a “track” for me to run through…It’s the grass I fell on learning to ride a bike…and where slip n slides were laid all summer long.

We lived upstairs & the preschool was downstairs. Upstairs was where we made a “rainbow path” of pillows and built sheet forts…made Barbie worlds…and where “Sin & Karen” was made up{an imaginary game of two moms and their babies Jennifer and I played} :) 

I dream about going back and walking through our old house.  Considering I can barely type this post right now, I’m not sure I could handle walking through it…although I’d love to.  

When I think about our old house I feel so loved.  It reminds me of what a priority we were for my parents…how much they sacrificed for us & how much they loved us.  They gave us a safe home full of opportunity to be the children we deserved to be…adventurous, creative, imaginative…

There are three things that remain---faith, hope, and love---and the greatest of these is love.

Corinthians 13:13

Jack’s 3rd Birthday

Yes…I know…Jack is 3 already!  I just can’t believe it!  His actual b-day is July 9th, but we had to celebrate a little early since Brad will be heading to Dallas this month. 

I showed Jack a few different options for his birthday theme, and he chose FIRETRUCKS!  We had a pool party & the fire department came out for the kids to check out their truck & gear!  It was so exciting when they pulled up.  All the kids ran out to see them & the firemen were so nice.  I couldn’t believe they took the time to come out to Jack’s party!  The kids got to climb all through the truck & look at everything.  It was so much fun!

I was so excited to have another reason to make another cake!  I made the decorations out of fondant, and I found these cute cupcake toppers at Williams Sonoma!

When the fire truck rolled up all the kids jumped out of the pool and ran out to meet the firemen!  It was priceless!!!

They were so nice to come out!  They even took out all their gear for the kids to look at!

Here is the crew!!!

Jack & his buddy Kyle running back to eat pizza!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Jack!  You make our lives so much fun and we LOVE you soooo much!!!

Jack totally gets birthdays now, and he was so excited all week looking forward to his special day!  I just want to thank all of our great friends who came out to celebrate with us.  Ya’ll made a birthday without family seem like one!  Jack was just tickled to know that all the kids had come to celebrate his birthday with him!  We are so lucky to have all of you in our lives!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

And…here is the princess!