Announcement about Pres...

It is official, She's a Toddler!!

Yup! The sweet, 'very delayed', little girl I brought home from the hospital a year ago, after her 7 month stay there, is finally 'catching up'!
She eats like a champ! The other evening, at a friends house for dinner, a couple other Mommies were amazed as she ate about as much of the chicken enchilada's as her Daddy! She drinks from a sippy cup, and I am tickled to say, as of last week, the only thing that goes through her g tube is 6 oz of water in the morning, come late spring (after cudie season) she will have her g tube pulled... just in time for summer and bikinis, lol!
She is getting around the house, and I mean ALL over, if the kids are in their bedrooms and Pres is in the living room, she will crawl the entire length of the house to join them. She isn't pulling up yet, but she is bearing weight on her legs when you help her stand... which is HUGE, for the longest time she would tuck her legs up any time you tried to stand her up. She says 'Mama' appropriately and jabbers up a storm, seriously, if this kid ends up talking as much as she jabbers, I will definitely go out of my mind one day!
She plays pat a cake, peek a boo, and is just generally playing like a toddler, all the rattles and chew toys were recently put away, making room for the puzzles and big girl toys that are replacing them.
And to make the 'toddler' announcement truly official and bona fide?? She gets into EVERYTHING, all the little knick knacks around the house, the wall plugs and, now, the Christmas ornaments on the tree, we are having to take out the baby gates that we haven't used in forever!
So it may have taken 21 months of age to get to some of the places typical children only take 9 months to a year to get to, but we don't count months or compare in this house, we just take it as it comes, and HERE.IT.COMES, sigh!

Big girl standing...
Sits so pretty and straight...
Feeding herself...



Big girl and her sippy cup...Playing with big brother...
Playing with sister and Chloe...
In trouble for getting into Mommy's antique books and pill boxes...
Can you see why she doesn't stay in trouble for long?
Just too stinkin' precious to scold!
As I look through these pictures I realize an admission is in order: Yup, we dont get out of our PJ's much around here! lol!

Silliness IN THE HOUSE...

What can I say, it's cold outside and we're trying to entertain ourselves!!

Princess Mikah, always ready for the camera!!



Here is where the true silliness begins...








JUMP...
STICK THE LANDING...
FINISH and applause...

Random pictures & post...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we spent it at Mike's parents home and my parents were able to join us there as well, so that made it all the better! The kids had fun and since being home we are just doing the Christmas decorating and lovin the cold weather we are finally getting around here!

Enjoying Cousin Case's new chocolate fountain at Nana's (I wonder who Aunt Mary can be mad at for getting him this messy, messy gift, he! he!)... Getting ready for HO! HO! HO! time!...
Mikah and Mamaw!...
Cousin Josh is so much FUN!!...

Daddy and Jett walking Aunt Mary and Uncle Casey's very cool property!!...
Hanging out by their creek...
My little Quarterback... where the heck was this picture when I was doing my Q thankfuls???...
Decorating the tree...





Catching ice...

Thankful from A - Z...

Yellow school bus! I am so thankful for them, as they make my J boy soooo very happy!
As you can see by a post from this past summer...




May 5, 2009
Jett is sooooo fascinated with school buses. It is a big deal everytime we get in the car to find a school bus, when we do, he and Mikah go crazy and J boy yells "YELLOW SCHOOL BUS MOMMY!! YELLOW SCHOOL BUS!"
Today, as we were parking at the zoo, we spotted about 20 buses, I drove to that part of the parking lot and saw two guys sitting under a tree by the buses. I asked if they were the drivers and would they mind if my kids walked on the bus. One of drivers was sooooo cool, he took Jett on his bus and let him push every button he could find, taught him how to open and shut the door and even turned the engine on. This may sound hokey, but I wanted to cry. Jett is IN love with school buses and to see him so happy and excited over something so simple, made me just down right sappy, in that sappy way only another Mommy could understand.
As we were leaving, I noticed a picture above the bus driver's window, it was a crayon drawing that read 'I love you Daddy!'. I guess I stand corrected, 'in that sappy way only another Mommy or DADDY, can understand!'
Thanks Mr. Cool Bus Driver, where ever you are!

I have had fun doing my Thankful Fest this month, sorry that, rather than going out with a BANG! I am going out with a sputter, but nothing rushes to mind for Z, forgive me.

Thanks all and stay tuned for our regular programing next month, LOL!

Thankful from A - Z

Winter! I can be thankful for it, because where we live, it doesn't stick around for too very long. But I do love it once it gets here. The smell of wood burning from the chimneys, hot coco, Christmas, and best of all? The footed PJ's the kids wear.
I mean seriously, is there anything more precious than seeing your little ones run around in these?!?!


One would think the letter x would actually be a difficult one.

Not around here! X-RAY! I am very thankful for all the x-ray's that our little butterfly endured, as they all managed to come back showing nothing too serious too overcome, for she is home flourishing, happy and healthy...

Thankful from A - Z...

Tahoe! South Lake Tahoe, that is!
Mike and I were blessed to live in that beeeeautiful part of the country for a couple of years. It was breath taking and I am so thankful to have witnessed such beauty. I am also thankful to have lived there, because I learned a huge life lesson in the interim. We basically lived in a cabin in the mountains, our surroundings were beyond gorgeous, the winter snow was lovely, the summer days were divine, but LIFE was still... just LIFE! Sometimes when things feel heavy, when life seems full of chaos, we often think if we could just change our surroundings, all would be better. We think, perhaps all would be better if we just lived in that beautiful house, with the porch all the way around it, in a part of the country where the change of season is so evident, or if we could reside in a lovely old house, by a creek with the sound of rippling water, or better yet, a cabin in the mountains surrounded by the beauty of nature... sounds plausible, but at the end of the day... our life is our life, where ever we are.
It is up to us to make it beautiful, not geography!



U as in U2. Thankful that one band of my era, is still around and still making some awesome sounds!

V I am very thankful for our Volkswagen Passat, the fact that it gets 30 miles to the gallon and is paid for, is a very good reason to be thankful for it!
Yes, Mike, I know... your dying to get out of it!! But seriously, you have to agree that it is something to be thankful for!!

Thankful from A - Z

Okay, I admire those out there who are giving this there all... but seeing as how I started this Thankful Fest a bit late in the month, I am going to blame it on time, LOL!

Seriously tho, there are just a few letters in which I GOTS NOTHIN'! Q being one of them! Sorry!






My Religious beliefs are something I have to give thanks for. The thought of walking this life without believing in the Lord, knowing He will always take care of me and hold me close, gives me a comfort and peace that I am thankful for, each and every day of my life!








S is just too easy to not go ahead and throw in here... Sushi!
Love, love, love it! Very, very thankful for it!
But the sushi will have to wait until another day... as today is Thanksgiving and the turkey that goes with it!
I hope all of you have a blessed holiday!!

Thankful from A - Z

Presley Ann, I am sooooo very thankful for you. You have brought more joy and meaning to my life than I ever thought possible. You are the compass that guides me and the reason I believe in Angels and Hero's!

Thankful from A - Z

I am so very thankful for my OBGYN!!
This man could of very well been mentioned in my 'Angel' post, he delivered all three of my babies and is a wonderful, Godly man. I was absolutely crazy about him long before Presley was even thought of being conceived, however, knowing the plan for her in my life, the Lord absolutely knew what He was doing when he made Dr. B my OB.
I have journaled much about the beginning days with Presley, from the moment I found out to the months after her birth, in doing so, I always knew I wanted to mention Dr. B, as he was such a huge beam of light for me during that time. To this day, I have never written anything about him, Who would of thought the letter O would be what finally prompted me to do so, LOL!
The week prior to Presley's unexpected, and very early arrival, I had an appointment with a specialist to determine why I was obtaining so much fluid. It was in this appointment that the words Down syndrome, were first said.
Containing myself while I dressed and tried to get out of that office was extremely difficult, I was on the brink of coming undone, seriously, I was on the verge of hysteria after that appointment.
I immediately drove to Dr. B's office, didn't call a single soul on the drive, I just drove to him. At the time I didn't realize why I didn't call anyone, why I had to see him and talk to him first, however, almost 2 years later, I am confident I now know.
When I arrived at Dr. B's office, I was so visibly upset, the nurses took me straight to his office where he was sitting at his desk. I was a mess, sobbing, shaking, he had me sit down and asked me what happened, what the specialist had said. As I reiterated the words I had just heard, I thought I was going to lose it. My head was spinning and this wonderful man held me so tight, and for so long, as I felt as if my world was falling apart. Because of my distraught nature, I don't remember much of our entire conversation, but I do remember this... Having known that Dr. B, himself, had a 19 year old daughter with a mental disability, I asked him...."If you had a magic wand, would you change her?" Without hesitation, he looked me in the eyes, and spoke as if it was about to speak the most important words that he would ever speak, and said, "Kele, That girl has made me the man that I am today, and she has grown me far more than I have ever grown her". To have a man, that I admired so much, literally adored, tell me that he gave his special needs daughter the majority of the credit, as to the person he had become in life, well, that spoke volumes. And as I said, what I didn't know then, I know now... that is why I reached out to no one on that drive to his office, not my sisters, not my Mom, not my best friend, or even Mike, because I wanted to ask someone first, someone who I knew would be equipped by experience, to answer the question in my head at that moment... "Will my life ever be wonderful again?" I held on to his words until a time when I was ready to believe them, and when I was, I realized he was the first of many people, who helped me to see what a blessing this child would ultimately be in my life. I don't need a magic wand to change who she is, SHE herself is all the magic I will ever need in this life, a life that is not just still wonderful, but more wonderful than ever before!

I thought this photo of Presley holding her wand was so perfect for this post!
The little Princess who is 'growing me'...

Thankful from A - Z...

Nancy... Who is that? My mother, and no I do not call her Nancy, I call her Mom, but Mikah got the "M" in this thankful fest, so Mom had to become Nancy!
Growing up I wouldn't describe my Mother and I as having a close relationship... I was a bit of a rebellious teen, one who took a liking to blaming all of my dysfunctions and disappointments on my Mother. However, there are many wonderful things I recall about my Mom growing up, like always being so proud of how beautiful our home was, or feeling lucky to have her so involved in our lives, whether it be as room mother, brownie leader, party planner, she wore all the hats. But once adolescence hit, I managed to forget those things and concentrate solely on the "No you cant's" that I heard later in life, as well as any and all mistakes she made as a Mother, that I so arrogantly felt I should hold her accountable for. This tainted my relationship with her well into my adult life. Then this amazing transformation took place at the ripe old age of 38, when I became a Mommy myself!! Seriously, it all changed for me internally when I had Mikah. I realized, at 38, how hard it was to be a Mommy and it wasn't long after wards that I found myself asking "How the hell did my Mom do this at 18???" All of a sudden, resentment turned to admiration. I look back and think of all that my Mom did and had to handle at the age of 18, and I KNOW there is no way I could of done half the job she did. I feel so very thankful that I was able to turn those feelings around in our lifetime together. Now she is the first person I want to call for a recipe, or when I feel the 'Mommy frustrations or blues' coming on! And when I see her with my children I am very thankful! My mom has wonderful memories of her childhood with her Grandmother and I see her emulate those times with my children. My Mom is the one who first taught Mikah to count to ten, using a deck of cards as flash cards, she is the first person to teach her how to use scissors, she cooks with her and reads with her, she is 'Noni' and my kids adore her! I am so thankful that I have been able to forgive my Mom for not being perfect, every day, as a Mother, and I certainly pray that my children will be able to do the same for me one day!!

Thankful from A-Z...

Mikah, how very, very thankful I am for you!
Prior to your coming into my life, what mattered most, changed each day.
However, since the moment I met you, the very second I laid eyes on you, what matters most, has never wavered!!
You, your brother and sister, have brought more clarity into my life, in the 'matters most' department, than I ever thought possible.
Perhaps, one of your sweetest childhood memories, will be hearing this song sung to you as a little one, then later singing it with me as you have gotten older. I love how you want to sing it with me over and over...

Mikah's song
"My sweet baby, my little girl...
You are my sunshine, you are my world.
Mikah Rae, your the reason I get up each day...
Yes indeed, thank God you finally came to me"

Thankful from A-Z...

I am so very thankful for life Lessons. These are ten of the lessons that stick with me the most, These are not quotes, per say, but real lessons that I have learned through my own experiences.

1. Today, the right now, very often ends up being "The good ole days" I speak about and often long for, so I try to live each day with that in mind.

2. Sometimes the very best reason to forgive someone, is simply because I want them in my life.

3. Working out is every bit as much for my mental well being, as my physical well being.

4. Most of the time, what I am envious of, isn't even real.

5. No matter how bad my heart is broken the world doesn't stop for my grief.

6. I need to have less expectations of people and greater acceptance of them.

7. Know when to let things go, in my head and in my heart... which often entails physically writing it on a piece of paper and putting it somewhere out of my reach, and into HIS.

8. Friendships should be the safest place to make mistakes and disagree, if a mistake or disagreement renders a friendship over, it probably wasn't a friendship worthy of much.

9. Time truly does heal.

10. God absolutely knows what He is doing.

Thankful from A-Z...

Kim and Kristy, my older and my baby sister! How very thankful I am for each of them. If there has ever been two people to 'be there' for me, to step up to the plate, in a time of need, it has been the two of them. I can honestly say, I don't know anyone more giving and generous, in all things, than each of them.
I am so proud they share my past, and feel so very blessed to know I can count on them in my future.

P.S. That 'K' is just for you Kim, lol!

Thankful from A-Z...

Jett, I certainly wish I knew how to tell you, how unbelievably thankful I am for you. There has been no poem or sermon, story or song, for me to refer to, that can help relay the joy and love you bring to my heart...

I love you whole world!

(Interpretation: When Mike was a child, he would tell his Mother he loved her "more than the whole wide western world", she laughs when telling this story, in that she isn't sure how she compared to the 'rest' of the world, but he certainly loved her more than the 'whole wide western world', lol! So, Mike and I started saying this in our house, for Jett it has turned into his version: "I love you whole world" Goodness, I am so thankful for this boy!)

Thankful from A - Z...

I am very thankful for my HUBBY! He is one awesome man and I feel pretty lucky to have him in my life, even luckier that he is the father of my children.
And, yes Mike... you are without a doubt, my Hero!Not that my amazing husband isn't worthy of a post all to himself, but seeing as how I am playing catch up with my 'Thankful fest', and my letter 'I' is something he can appreciate as well, I know he won't mind...


"It's always sunny in Philadelphia" I am very thankful for any thing that gives me 30 minutes of hysterical laughter!