Trampoline

Thanks to our neighbor, Donnie, the trampoline poles were fixed ready to put back on. Michael painted them and we refastened the net back on, on Sunday. While we were fixing it, Kaylee kept saying "Oh thank you Daddy for fixing our trampoline."

Cole Talks

Today Cole added another word to his vocabulary. It was "he" or "Heath" but it is now "ee-yuh". It is too funny!

Steven Curtis Chapman

Over Valentine's weekend, we were flippin through channels and saw Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife on Mike Huckabee show. It is interesting to watch them talk, now 9 months after the death of their young daughter. The tears now sting their eyes instead of run down their face. Click to view the three videos.

Video 1

Video 2 - With wife Mary Beth

Video 3 - Song Cinderella

Growing Like Weeds

Several weeks ago, we realized that Cole could drink from a straw. A week ago he started using a sippy cup. He had another "standing" spell this weekend but Mommy missed it!

Today he learned to stand in his crib after a nap. We knew this was coming as he is pulling up and cruising around everything.

Cole's favorite word is "he" or "hey". Not really sure which it is. A lot of times it sounds like he is saying "Heath"! Of course Uncle Heath thinks this is cool. When he gets excited he says it pretty loudly.

Kaylee is more independent than ever. Pretty scary to think about what she will be like as a teenager. Her big statement now is "thank you so much."

On Sunday morning, the kids woke up earlier than Mommy and Daddy wished. To make a long story short, the children were locked out of our bedroom. A few minutes later, we heard: Kaylee, do you have the key? We need a key. Where is the key?

Not in Vain

If you haven't been able to tell, the cancer that Brandon and Windy are going through right now has really rocked my world. Because this couple is close to our age, has children close to ours...it hits home and really proves for some reevaluation of ones life.

I have had the honor and huge blessing of helping this family last week in a small way. The question was asked, how did I know what they needed?

1st and foremost - The Holy Spirit lead me to know what to do.
2nd - I have walked through the valley more than once. You learn really quickly what is helpful and what is not helpful. The comment "let me know if you need something"...not so helpful.
3rd - I will not let Tara's death be in vain. I will use her life and death to glorify God.

Ever person who is blessed because of what I learned through the valleys, PRAISE GOD!! It was NOT IN VAIN!!!!

Dear Lord, lead me to know where I can further help Brandon and Windy. Let me see with Your eyes where I can ease their burden.

It's All Yours, God

There are times that God uses songs to remind you of His power, love, and forgiveness. In the past six months, God has used the songs Yours by Steven Curtis Chapman to remind me that everything and everyone in my life is his.
Throughout this morning, Chad and Kaylee have been singing the chorus to this song.

And it's all Yours, God
Yours, God
Everything is Yours.
From the stars in the sky
To the depth of the ocean floor.

How perfect...

Prayer

My sweet friends - Windy and Brandon - went for the cancer tests today. Brandon found out that he has stage 4 cancer but it has a 90% cure rate. He will begin chemo tomorrow. Please continue to pray for them and their sweet family. They have a tough road ahead.

It is times like these that you step back and start evaluating a few things. Looking at life differently. Praise God that my salvation is firm in Him.

Prayer

Until Tara died, I felt like we were immune to "bad things". I think most people have the attitude that "it won't happen to us". Well, a sweet family that I know just had "it happen to them".

I was in Women's Ministry with Windy for 3 years. Windy and her husband Brandon, just found out that Brandon has Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. Windy and Brandon are our age and have children in preschool and Kingergarten. Please send up a prayer for this family. They have a tough road ahead of them. If you would like to follow their blog, email me or leave and comment and I will send you the link.

Cole Stands

Newsflash: Cole stood by himself for a few seconds today. He was leaning on Michael and then just slowly let go and stood there. He would have probably have stood longer if his Mommy wouldn't have cheered so loud!

Clean Up #4

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Yesterday we started at 8:00 with the temperature 33 degrees - 1 chainsaw and 4 workers. We finished at 11:00 with 6 workers and 2 chainsaws. I never imagined that it would take that short of time but we did it. The trees are all cut up, wood in the barn, and limbs into the brush pile! Praise the Lord!!

Our neighbor came down and helped which added another chainsaw and pair of hands. What a blessing!!! Chad and Kaylee came out for a while but it was pretty cold so they spent most of the time looking out the window at the progress. The Bradford pear turned out to be a chair; at least until the plants and rocks are moved.

Dear Lord, please bless Papa, Grams, Heath, Jen, and Donnie for all that they did to help us. We love them and praise You for their willingness to help. In Jesus' name - Amen

Kaylee

Kaylee didn't want to cooperate when we did our last photoshoot. I got her to look at the camera this time because she knew that Papa would want to see how pretty she looked.
After Kaylee gets her hair done and dresses, she walked into her Daddy and says "I pretty, Daddy." Sometimes she just smiles at him and expects him to tell her she is pretty! Daddy calls her "Beautiful."

There it Goes

Michael and I were tired so we turned lights off and were both out at 9:30. At, 10:00 we woke up with a start. We knew the storms were coming but had watched the weather and were prepared for them later on in the night. Michael said “here it is”. I said “There is goes.” I watched Chad’s trampoline go flying up in the air, over the pool, and land upside down near a tree. I don’t know how strong the wind was but it picked up the trampoline like it was nothing. Chad is still asleep so we will see how he reacts. We are also going to have to see how much damage it has.

Kaylee didn’t like the thunder. We think the icestorm has scarred her. She came into our room twice. We let her stay with us until she fell asleep. The last time she just sat by our door in the hallway. With the thunder continuing, I went and got her napmat and let her sleep on our floor.

We are very thankful that we didn't have any real damage though. We pray for those in Oklahoma with the tornadoes.

8 Months

All weekend, I remembered that I needed to take Cole's 8 month pictures on Tuesday. Then Tuesday came and I almost forgot. I remembered at 2:00. Cole was still sleeping, needed to eat, and I had piano lessons starting in 1 1/2 hours.

But we got it done and I was thrilled with the outcome. I told Michael that we might not be able to remove the tree in the back yard because it makes for some really good photoshoots!!

Find a Lady?

This morning during breakfast, I was listening to my children count.

Chad: After I am six, I will be seven.
Mommy: Then you will be in the 1st grade.
Chad: Is that when I will find a lady?
Mommy: Find a lady?
Chad: Find a lady to marry.

The New Cole

We are seeing a new side of Cole. Not sure if we are ready of this side but just goes to show that time is quickly passing by.

During the past couple of days Cole has starting to react a little differently when he is told "no". Before, Cole just shared a huge smile when we told him no and proceeded on. A few times now he has stopped and backed up. Today though, he stopped, looked at me without a smile, and proceeded on! Of course his little mommy and little daddy were all over him. Chad and Kaylee take their job very seriously!

While in the bathtub tonight, Cole was playing with a plastic toy. I drained the water and took the toy. Cole informed me that he did not appreciate me taking his toy.

Cole has decided that he has been silent long enough. Today he turned on the voicebox and is talking up a storm. I think it is the saying "if you can't beat them, join them!"

Here we go!!!

Weekend

The weather is beautiful out but we haven't been able to enjoy it because Michael is sick. This is the first time in our 10 1/2 years of marriage that I can remember him being sick this long. With him out of commission, I have taken the opportunity to scrapbook. I hadn't done anything since June! Definitely made progress. The sad thing is that I am going to pay for setting everything else aside to scrap! Oh well.

Big Girl

Lately, Kaylee has added two phrases. When she wants to do something is it "I big girl". When she doesn't want to do something, she says "I not big girl."

Questions

We always knew the questions would arise. We didn't know when or what would cause them. Chad has been asking a lot of questions about his first month lately. Questions about the ambulance and helicopter ride. Questions about his surgery.

Today, he was playing with the buttons on his shirt. I was just excited to see him buttoning! Then he asked me, "Where was my surgery, Mommy?". So, I took off his shirt and Michael took him into the bathroom to look at his scar.

When he came back, I asked him what he thought. He told me it really hurt when he had his surgery. He also wanted to know why we had his surgery.

We know more questions will follow. We also know that someday he will realize that other kids do not have a scar. Until then, we pray that God will give us the answers to his questions.

Clean Up #2

We worked last night again on the limbs. I worked 2 hours and Michael worked after he got home from work. Although it doesn't look like it, we have moved almost all that we can move. Michael still has a little more work moving the branches from across the fence to the brush pile. But, there is very little that we can still move that isn't too heavy/big or stuck in a tree. Now we will wait for the chainsaw crew to come and help us!

February Begins

It feels like we are spending the first of February recovering from January. Michael even commented that people at work are tired. We are trying to catch up on sleep and breath a little easier. Tonight we will resume the tree clean up process. We had to put it on hold for three nights due to Michael helping our sister-in-law and piano lessons. The weather is supposed to be very nice but extremely windy. Hopefully we can make a bigger dent!

Cole Update

Cole is moving right along. Cole finally got his 2nd tooth tonight!! It just broke through. Hopefully he will have relief as he has been a fussy baby and Cole is anything but fussy.

In movement, he can now take a few steps while walking behind his push toy. Sometimes he forgets to move his feet though and crashes! He continues to cruise along the furniture a little as well. He also is bending down to pick up things while standing and holding on to the coffee table or toys. The problem is that Cole thinks he can do a lot more then his balance will actually let him. He thinks he can stand without holding on. Probably the reason for the bruise on his cheek!

Clean Up #1

One of the great things about going to church on Saturday nights is that you have your Sunday mornings for family time. This morning family time was spent outside dragging limbs. I carried the limbs to the fence and threw over the majority of them while Michael then drug them over to our neighbor's brush pile. Mr. Wayne was so kind to let us add to his brush pile in his pasture. Michael and I worked for 1 1/2 hours and made a big dent in the mess but we still have lots more to go. Especially with the trees that are too big to drag. We are just thankful for the warm weather that we had to work in!