Christmas 2008 Memories

There are only 2 more hours left of Christmas 2008.  Jason is in the living room watching a movie on his new Blu-Ray player, and Holden has just given us kisses and headed off to bed.  I am sitting at the kitchen table admiring my amazing family as we wind down for the evening.  The last two days have been a whirlwind of excitement.  

Christmas Eve began with a marathon of a last minute trip to Lowes and a day full of cooking and cleaning.  Holden and I worked together to make the house look nice for Jason's dad, Greg, and Angie's family.  And it looked fabulous!  Holden is such a great help around the house.  He is going to make a fabulous husband someday.  At one point during the day he said, "I'm so glad I have a mom."  I dropped what I was doing to give him a big hug and kiss.  I said, "Me too!"  What an angel!

Jason's dad was the first to arrive and filled our evening with stories.  We all ate too much food, the boys played video games, and the growns up sat around visiting.  As the family photographer, I spent my time snapping shots as often as possible.  This was our first Christmas in the house, so I jumped at the opportunity to be the hostess.  Even though it was hard work, it was worth every minute of it!  I loved having my family sitting in my living room laughing and talking.  

After everyone left, we promised Holden he could open one gift.  I gave him and Jason new pajama pants.  Holden's have Homer Simpson saying "I'M SO SMRT!"  Jason's have Dr. Pepper all over them.  I got some great pictures of them posing together, but I have been threatened with severe punishment if I post them anywhere online.  So just use your imagination.  Here is Holden with them pulled way up...they were too long!  

After we put Holden to bed, Jason and I did a few last minute things and crashed.  Before I fell asleep, I had a little talk with God.  The last few weeks I have spent time being sad and angry about not having a baby, but last night I spent time thanking him for my amazing husband and beautiful son.  I will always want to a baby, and I know those sad and angry feelings will return at some point, but right now, today, I am so thankful for the family I do have.  

I woke up this morning at 5:30 a.m. to Casey, our beloved cat, leaving us gifts all around the living room.  Cat puke for Christmas...woohoo.  I tried to go back to sleep and had just started to doze off when my precious husband reached over to hold me.  He told me Merry Christmas and wrapped his big arms around me.  What a way to wake up on Christmas morning.  I told him how much I loved him and dropped a few tears of happiness.  

At 7:00 the madness began!  Holden dug into his stocking and opened the box containing his 26" flat screen television.  Big gift for a little man!  He was very excited!  He ripped open all the other gifts between exclamations of delight!  He definitely hit the jackpot this year!  I always seem to go a little overboard.  I had to force myself to stop when it came to Jason this year.  There were so many things I wanted him to have.  It's a good thing his birthday is less than two months away, so I can finish shopping.  

After breakfast, I was able to get in a much needed nap!  Then we got ready to go over to Jason's mom's.  It was so much fun.  Again too much food, but so yummy!  After eating and opening gifts, the adults sat down to a game of Trivial Pursuit.  Men vs. Women.  Oh man did they kick out butts!  It wasn't even close!  But is was so fun!  

Now we are home again, with evidence of the fun all over the house!  Jason is still watching his movie, and Holden is sound asleep.  Tomorrow we begin a new adventure of welcoming a dear friend of mine and her family from New Zealand.  I can't wait to see them.

I can't believe sometimes how much God loves us.  He has truly blessed this family.  I know there were many times today that we all got caught up in "Christmas" and forgot the true meaning behind this day.  So I write this as a reminder to myself that today we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus the Christ.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!!!!

My PRECIOUS GEM!!!!

Tonight at church, I was picking up Holden from the children's department, and I was talking to a lady that was in my summer bible study.  She works with the children on Wednesday nights.  She saw Holden wave to me and asked if he was mine.  When I told her yes.....her response was "Oh he is such a GEM."  

What a feeling!!!    

"He looks just like you!"

That is the statement I heard at least a half a dozen times last night!  

Last night, I took Holden with me to our Fall Carnival at my new school!  We spent the first hour playing games and winning candy!  As we walked around, all the new teachers in my life got to meet Holden for the first time.  Most of them don't know that Jason and I have only been married for a year and a half.    They just know I am married with a 10 year old son.  

It was awesome to hear these words over and over.  "He looks just like you!"  Holden would just look at me and smile, and I would get that warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy!  I just smiled at them and said, "Yes, he does, but he has his daddy's blue eyes."  

In the car on the way home, Holden and I were talking about it.  Holden said, "Even though it is politically impossible."  I just chuckled and said, "No it isn't impossible.  It was all part of God's perfect plan."  Holden just sat in the back seat and agreed with me.  Then he asked me what if he didn't look anything like me.  I told him that wouldn't matter "you're still my son".

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."    1 Samuel 1:27

The Last 48 Hours

It is October.  That means the weather will start to get cooler.  Candy will sell by the ton in the stores.  We will mow our yards for the last time until April.  Plants and trees will start to lose their many shades of green.  Pumpkins will decorate the entryway of every grocery store.  People who are fashion conscious will start to put away their pinks and blues and bring out the browns and oranges.  I even put away my yellow summer bag/purse.  And last but not least, I come down with a pretty severe case of bronchitis!!  

This year is no different from all the rest.  Two weeks ago I started feeling it in my throat.  It slowly turned into the cough that has become all too familiar this time of year.  Unfortunately it doesn't go away.  It usually lasts several months.  For the last two years my bronchitis has turned into pneumonia.  Two years ago it was the week before Christmas, and I spent my first Christmas with Holden and Jason sicker than a dog!  Last year I woke up on Thanksgiving morning with a 103+ fever.  I didn't even get to go to dinner with the family.  It was very scary because I don't remember ever being so sick.  

So Monday and Tuesday as my cough progressed to a painful, almost-wanting-to-cry kinda cough, I knew I needed to go to the doctor.  I wanted a chest x-ray early to make sure we caught any pneumonia early.  Well, the doctor came back into to the room and said, "There is no pneumonia, but we did see two nodules on your lungs."  Okay, at this point Holden was sitting in the room with me doing his Math homework.  So how do I react to that in front of him?  I wasn't instantly freaked out, but I didn't quite understand what that meant.  The doctor said she wanted to get a CT scan to have them looked at more carefully. 

As soon as I could talk to Jason, I told him.  It didn't even dawn on me that he would start to worry.  I was talking to Teresa when Jason called me back and told me he was going to take the day off to go with me.  At first I thought, it is just another x-ray, you don't need to go with me.  But Jason had already made up his mind.  I think this is when I started to realize that this could be something serious.

Ok let me preface this with, my husband is absolutely the BEST husband in the world, but for the last 48 hours he was Super Husband!!!  Yesterday he cooked breakfast AND dinner for me!  While we were watching TV he rubbed my back, and I actually fell asleep in my husband's arms!  Which I have to say, would be Jason's preference every night, but I am a don't-touch-me-while-I-sleep kinda girl.  

Last night, I did the thing you should NEVER do when you have a medical scare.  Read everything on the internet about the possibilities.  Of course, our biggest fear was the "C" word.  I have to honestly say, I  knew that no matter what it would be okay.  God gave me a peace that I didn't quite understand.   

Today the doctor called me today and it is not "C".    Just a couple of granulomas.  Something about a dust particle and a wall of tissue to prevent the dust from getting further into my lungs.  There is no need for any follow up treatments or anything.  

As I read everything that I just wrote...it doesn't do justice to the experience Jason and I have had the last two days, but ....what a roller coaster ride!   What did I learn?  That I have the most wonderful husband in the world!  I love this man more than I could possibly explain in words in a blog.  And even better...he loves me too!!!! 

Holden's First Baseball Clinic

Last Day/First Day

It is hard to believe that today was the LAST DAY of our summer vacation.  I spent the day at church, taking a nap, grocery shopping, and madly trying to make sure my lesson plans were in order for the FIRST DAY  of school.  

As I look back on our summer, I am thinking....Wow, that was so much better than last year!  We are in our home and it was so much more relaxed.  

I stepped out of my comfort zone this year by leading a women's Bible/book study at church.  We read A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George.  I met the most amazing women who encouraged each other as wives and  mothers.  Thank you to my new friends.

Holden learned to ride a Rip-Stick!  Nana and Papa bought him one early in the summer, and it is FUN!  Anytime the temperature  dropped below 90 degrees, Holden was outside riding it up and down the street.  He is really good at it!  I was so impressed!  

We also began a season of dealing with fertility treatments.  Jason and I have completed one unsuccessful attempt at intra-uterine insemination(IUI).  We are beginning our second attempt this week.  We know God has a plan for our family and adding a new addition.  It has been a roller coaster of emotions.  Especially for me.  My sweet husband is my strong rock that I can cling to when I have doubt.  He is hanging on to God's promises, so I hang on to him.  

Holden will begin 5th grade tomorrow, and I will begin teaching 5th grade.  We are both embarking on a new journey.  I am very excited about beginning my school year in a new district and a new school.  The team I will be working with has been fabulous!  I am blessed to know that I am exactly where God wants me.  

So as the LAST DAY  comes to a close, we are ready.  Holden's backpack is full, and my lesson plans have been emailed to my principal.  

God, we give this new school year to you.  You are in control!

The Tooth Fairy Must be Blonde

Holden is quickly losing his teeth!  Last week he lost two in one day.  Today he lost one more!  

We went to the dentist last week and saw the x-rays of his adult teeth quickly moving in to take over!  The tooth fairy is going to be tired of making trips to our house.

But I know you are wondering why I would call the tooth fairy "blonde".  Well last Wednesday we pulled a fast one on her, and she never saw it coming.  As Holden was rinsing his mouth out, after loosing his second tooth of the day, he dropped it down the drain!  He was so worried he wouldn't get his hard-earned money.  I told him not to worry about it that everything would work out.

I had to figure out a way to trick the Tooth Fairy!  What did I have around the house that looked like a tooth?  I thought maybe a kernel of popcorn, but it was too yellow.  Just as we were ready to tuck Holden in, I had an idea!!!  I went and got an almond and bit off the skin and shaped it into a small tooth!!  It was perfect!  

I took it in to Holden's room and told him I found his tooth!  He believed me!  When I told him it was an almond, he laughed and said she would know!!  I told him she was a "blonde" Tooth Fairy and wouldn't even know!!!  

When morning came, the "teeth" were gone, and Holden was $10 richer!