Updates

Happy Update!!! Jason just called to tell me that Baby Jack just breathed on his own without the respirator for the first time tonight!! This is HUGE exciting news!!!!

Other, less significant news than the above, is that we have an official offer on our house (with lots of other details) pending inspection which will take place later this week. Bunches of prayers appreciated for this process as well. God is in control.

In the meantime, me and the boys have been playing and of course taking pictures...I can't help it. :)

Prayers Please

Baby Jack

As I mentioned in my last post, Baby Jack (our latest little nephew) was born Thursday morning...beautiful, bright and healthy! All seemed to be going perfect and Erica, Andy, and Baby Jack were set to go home Saturday.
However, Saturday morning some things started to not appear right...sweet little Jack started showing some symptoms that his digestive system was not working properly, and within a short time he was in the NICU being prepped for exploratory surgery!
Our eyes filled with tears upon receiving this news and we all immediately began praying for this precious boy.
The surgery went as expected, only the doctors are still unsure as to what is causing his digestive issues. There are a few possibilities, all ranging in severity, but they might not know for sure for a few weeks.

The big issue currently has been his pain management, The doctors think he is in quite a bit of pain and are trying to help him manage it. The update today was that the doctors are working on the pain and a lung issue (I have no details about what that is).

Jason has just left to go be with his brother for a few days. I so badly wish we could all go and be there with them and Baby Jack, but I think 2 toddlers in the mix would not be the best idea right now. We'll keep saying our prayers from home for our sweet nephew and cousin!! Please keep baby Jack in your prayers!!!

Spring Break Happenings

Some big things have taken place these past few days.

1. We kept Baby Tucker overnight for the first time! It was the first of many cousin sleepovers. We wanted to give Amy and Nathan a break and spend some time with the little booger. It went great and he was a sweetheart but I will say 3 in diapers would not be an easy feat!! I get giddy excited though thinking of the upcoming sleepovers when all the little boys are bundled in their make-shift tent and sleeping bags with popcorn/movies and farting contests. :) I told Amy we should pre-plan to just switch off every other Friday night when they get older to whose house the sleep over will be at. Seriously, how fun does that sound??!! Love me some boys.

2. I am now an aunt of 2 little boys!! Erica, my sister-in-law had her baby (almost 3 weeks early!) Thursday morning!! Baby Jack.

3. Thursday we had an already-planned day at the Tulsa Aquarium with my whole family. We all thought Lincoln would love it (which he did) but Noah's joy was unexpected and super cute! We've wondered if Noah will share Lincoln's fearless passion for water this summer in our community pool and after seeing that little sucker at the aquarium (he seriously was diving into the open tanks - hilarious!) I'm pretty sure we'll have 2 waterlogs on our hands this summer. My parents, sisters, and their families all went and then we finished the afternoon off with Cheesecake Factory.

4. After the Aquarium, Jason and Lincoln continued on to OKC to see Baby Jack. I am one of the hosts for Bethany's shower Saturday and had quite a few things to finish up before the shower, so Noah and I headed back home. So last night + today (Jason and Lincoln will be home late) was just Mommy and Noah time and I LOVED it. We went to the park, took some naps, sang lots of songs, and spent a lot of time getting that little guy to walk more! I think Noah J. is going to be able to sing. :) I know it might seem like my dream since that's my thing, but he is so different about music than Lincoln was at this age...I'm just saying. We'll see. :) Noah, here in the past month or so, has really come alive in his personality. I've pretty much decided age 1-2 are some of the most fun times (so far). We have discussed having another kid soon, but I'll be honest - I'm just loving this stage right now where both boys are at, and I kind of just want to sit and relish in it for a bit.

 5. In housing updates, the couple interested called today wanting our mailing address to mail (what we can best presume) an official offer on our house! Now, we're trying not to get too excited because we also understand that it could be an offer we can't do. I've said a handful of prayers today and had to relinquish some worry over the matter. You can bet I'll be checking that mailbox for the next few days like a hawk.

6. And tomorrow is Bethany's shower!!! So excited!!!!

Now off to finish up some things for the shower and clean the house a bit before the older boys get home tonight.

Joy

Sunshine

I've never been one for summer until I had kids...now I LOVE it. Jason's home more, there's more things to do, vacations just keep getting better the larger our family becomes, and somehow the sunshine always makes my lack of patience subside a little more. :) Some other loves...

1. My dad LOVES to grill out...we're talking borderline obsession. And they love having us over when they do (which is at least once a week in the summer), and I've come to love our little family times more and more. There's something incredibly special about watching them with our kids and seeing the joy and love they have for them!!!

 
 
 (Lincoln just saw this picture as I was writing this and goes "Noah's happy!!")

Time at Mimi's and Papa's also means yummy desserts. :)
 2. Lots of yard time. Last night we got Lincoln his first kite. It was a hit for sure (even though it never really flied all that great).

 3. Ice Cream. And lucky for us a Sonic is at the corner of our neighborhood. Last night we walked down there with our neighbors to indulge.

 
4. Getting Out the Clothes. This afternoon I spent the majority of the kid's naptime pulling down summer clothes from the attic and washing them. The most fantastic news??? Hardley any of them fit last summer (thanks to stubborn pregnancy weight) but I tried them all on as I got them out today (yes - almost ALL of them from boxes and boxes full) and they ALL fit! So yeah for having a summer wardrobe again!!!!

5. I mentioned my parents cooking out, but I also love us cooking out (which means easy/healthy dinners and Jason getting to cook some). Last night we grilled out a huge assortment of fresh veggies (asparagus, broccoli, zucinni, sweet onions, and mushrooms), grilled shrimp, and made some burgers (for Jason - he doesn't do shrimp). But happy to report my husband has discovered now ONE vegetable that he really likes - asparagus. :)

Happy Sunshine.

Goin' On 5

Today is our anniversary...our FOUR year anniversary. One of my favorite stories is hearing Jason tell me (his perspective, of course!) how we first met, how he fell in love with me, and why he chose me. This past year of our marriage was probably the best in my opinion. We've experienced some tough things together, but both of us have grown in our relationship with both each other and the Lord - again my opinion here - more than any other 12 months in our marriage. I'm so lucky to have such a Godly man leading our house. :)

And now for some pictures of our trip...more to come, but these will do for now.

I must clarify that some big changes in the coaching world (not for us directly, though, thank goodness!) were on the horizon throughout our trip. Therefore, the phone rang a lot but I was a nosey wife and made him answer it so I could be in the loop of it all. :)

Here's one such call when I decided to break out my camera in the amazing national park in the downtown area.

 Then Jason took the camera for a bit and wanted to experiment...I forgot to give him a "focus lesson"...but the tree is in focus at least!! :)

 
 
 
 Then there was the Hall of Fame night...my only "duty" on the trip (though I've never considered singing a duty).

 
 Then the series of automatic pictures. Notice Jason never changes poses. And I edited these weird cause the lighting was weird already. I still haven't discovered how to make the self-timer mode take fabulous pictures.

 

 

 

What a fun time with my hot man!!! Loved this trip and look forward to more!!!

Coming to an End

What an awesome trip this has been...it was needed, appreciated, and now is coming to its close.

Hot Springs: We never left the downtown area except once last night. Each day we were here we enjoyed the numerous FANTASTIC restaurants lining the historic downtown strip (Porterhouse was our favorite). The first 2 days, the weather was amazing, so we literally walked all over the entire downtown both throughout the day and into the night. The national park here (which is right off the main drag) is absolutely gorgeous. I love cities where you can walk everywhere. It was great never having to use our car while we were here!

My Days Without Kids: They were cherished. Every morning I woke up, ate breakfast with Jason, workout out in the fitness center here, then swam in the pool before getting a shower and meeting Jason for lunch. Some afternoons we watched basketball...some we walked the downtown area...others we walked through park and explored...and the days where he had conferences, I just relaxed.

On Singing: That part was fun last night. Getting all dressed up was super fun (I loved my dress!!!).

On Changing Plans: The original plan was to have one more night alone here and go back tomorrow morning after meeting up to get the kids. But since we have to be back earlier than expected tomorrow for our dear friend's funeral, I am leaving in a few hours to get the kids and they will spend the night with us tonight in the hotel. I must say I'm excited b/c I miss those rascals like crazy and I think they'll LOVE the indoor pool, the awesome glass elevators, the breakfast in the morning (it's fabulous) and most of seeing us. :)

On Jason: Man I love that guy to pieces. This has been so fun just hanging out - the 2 of us. A perfect way to end a crazy season.

On Lincoln: Apparently, his Gran-Gran has been potty training him the whole week and he has been wearing underwear every day!!! Is this exciting, or what??!

On My Neighbor: My amazing friend, Amanda has taken "dog control" duties for us while we have been gone (saving us from having to expensively board them) and has been amazingly helpful!!! What a great gift for us!

**Now I'm excited to come home becuase our pool will open in a few months, sun will shine brighter, jogger will get more use, and the parks will become part of our daily routines. And the countdown to Destin can begin. :)