Michael Update

Michael is waiting for Basketball season to start. Team tryouts with our city league are in October and games start in November. He is really excited this year because he can play basketball for his school in the spring. (I do have a t-shirt that has a basketball on it and says “Michael’s Mom” in rhinestones also.) Anyway, he has had some challenges in school this year. Seems that 3rd grade is when they start packing it on! And it didn’t help that he missed most of the first two weeks! BUT, last night he was working on his math with Mark. Since school started he has been saying “I can’t,” “I’m not good at math,” etc., but last night he was kicking butt. Really, he was coming up with answers faster than Mark. It was great to see. Mark is really good with him like that.

Tonight, after we finished reviewing spelling words, Michael and Major took a few minutes to watch Elmo together.

Mavrick Update

Mavrick’s baseball has started again. “Fall Ball” is more like training camp for the spring season. Mav is doing great! They have had three games and got beat BAD the first week, the next week was still bad, but last week they lost 8 to 5. Two of the runs batted in (RBI’s) were Mav’s! This picture was taken before his first game. This is our usual game attire. I have a Red t-shirt that says Baseball in rhinestones across the front. I am a “Baseball Mom!”

His golf starts again on Sunday. He seems to enjoy it, but gets tired of it easily. He really likes Tiger Woods and has us in the process of creating a golf themed bedroom. This is him in the green shrit and blue shorts practicing his putting.

Baby Update

Let me bring you all up to date on my baby…
Major is rolling over. On Monday night I put him down on a blanket in the living room and he grabbed his feet and threw himself to the side and next thing you know he is on his belly. It was so funny. What beats that is on Tuesday morning and this morning I tried to get him to do it for my dad. That child would have nothing to do with it. It was like he was telling me “you just want me to show off, and I am not going to do it.” All I have is this video from Monday night…

Last week we gave “food” a second try. It was all I could do to not cry from laughing so hard. It was so funny…

Finally, tonight I couldn’t resist taking this picture. This would be considered a true Baseball Butt!

Let's Rodeo

Last night I took Michael and Mavrick to the World Famous Mesquite Rodeo. It was their first rodeo and they had a blast. Mavrick signed up for the sheep riding contest, but unfortunately, was not called out of the 500 kids to be one of the 8 who got to ride a sheep. Then they both went out to chase the calf with the ribbon tied to its tail, with those other 500 kids. They really enjoyed the rodeo clowns. On the way home, Michael, the one who I feel certain will create a flying car, announced that he also wants to be a rodeo clown. OJC! He is afraid of everything… I assured him that is a rough life and that he really should be an engineer and doing the flying car thing. He said that he wanted to be a clown and work his way through college then be an engineer. OK then…

Life goes on...

Alright. I have made it to a new week, and new beginning. We started the week off right this morning and went to church. It was only the second time we have been since Major was born. It felt good. Mark had to get up during the sermon with Major and stood in the back. During the closing prayer he came to get me. He proceeded to laugh at me because I didn’t look back to see where he was the entire time. I was listening! Anyway, Mark says that Major stinks and I have the diaper bag, and Major has been pooping since they got up. So I am laughing my tail off. I took Major into the “nursing mom’s room” to change this big stinky and it was empty. Obviously, Mark has not changed enough big stinky’s! We took the boys go get haircuts then came home and dropped Mark off and went to Christy’s.
When we got out of the car Christy said “wow! Look how big he is! Is my baby that big?” And I said “Yes, he is even bigger.” These pictures are of the “twins” today:

Cluttered...

That is the way my pretty little head feels! I just have so much whirling around in there. Everything is on my nerves. The house is a wreck, laundry needs to be done, cars need to be washed and there are tons of projects that need to be completed. So what do I do? Withdraw! Well, the best a mother of three children can.

I have been to Yoga three times this week and I have made a quilt. It seems like those are the only two things I can do to escape. I think I will become addicted to Yoga. I am in love with it. And the quilting… love it too! It keeps my mind so busy. I start on it and the next thing I know three hours have passed. It has been good to create and get consumed in something. It has been therapeutic and I think this quilt will forever be my favorite because it got me through Angela’s last days.

Yesterday and Today

Well, we went to the memorial service for Angela and it was so sweet. It was very “small town” and her sister spoke, then Corley spoke and then a minister who didn’t know her very well. It was difficult and surreal. Like being in a different world or a dream. They had a slide show and showed several pictures of her. She had a beautiful smile. She graduated high school the same year I did, and looking at the pictures of her during her senior year, it struck me that we would have been friends if we had been at the same school. That thought led me to “Wow, I didn’t have enough time with her.”

I sat with mom and cried some, and it felt good to let it go. She just held me and cried too. I know her heart was broken for Lilly, because she has been there. I said to her “I promise I won’t leave you here.” She started crying and said “you came way to close in April.” It was weird to realize that we don’t talk about it. I think it is still way too scary and painful. But I have been there a lot during Angela’s last days. I get into this real dark place thinking of what could have happened. I have to jerk my head out of that place very quickly. My insides are getting upset right now as I type this thinking about it.

Today was tough. I thought about Angela, Andrew and the kids all day. I have a sad heart. I called Mark just to tell him I love him, and told him that I was giving myself until 4:00 pm on Friday to be sad. After that I have to be happy for Angela in her new body, in her new home, with those who have gone before. But that is tomorrow.

Tonight when I was putting Major to bed my mind was everywhere! And twice it hit me, I mean physically hit me that she was gone. Took my breath away! She is gone. My dear, amazing friend is gone. She is not in Oklahoma setting up her new house. She is not just working a lot and I will see her when things settle down. They aren’t on vacation. She is in heaven, and I am not. I will not see her again – until heaven at least. That brings me back to “Wow, I didn’t have enough time with her.”

Tomorrow at 2:00 there is another memorial service for her at our church in Flower Mound. I am taking the boys out of school to go, and Mark is leaving work early. I thought I would be able to take Major, but after yesterday, I know that I can’t handle him. He will stay with mom and dad… I think God for them. My parents are amazing.

An Early Bird

It is 6:22 am and I am sitting here on the sidewalk in front of my house. Kelly called about five minutes ago to say that her alarm didn’t go off and she would be out in ten. So, seeing how we were supposed to leave at 6:00, and my mom is not here yet, I decided to call her. She was asleep and did know what time it was. She said she would be here in five… I told her she had ten, Kelly just called. So, I am sitting here, on the sidewalk, where I have been since 5:55 am, listening to the birds and the dogs wake up. Did you know that you can see the stars this early? Because it is STILL DARK OUT!

Today we are going to OKC for Angela’s memorial service. We went Sunday before last and I am glad we did. It was pretty hard to see her like that. This is the woman who would work the clean up crew at birthday parties, who worked 60+ hours a week at Chili’s, who was at all the kids ball games, church, neighborhood events, bible studies… she was a woman who went all the time, and always helped out. She had a true servant’s heart. . She was there in the hospital bed, mostly sleeping. She had lost a considerable amount of weight in the six weeks they had been gone. Her abdomen was swollen from where the tumor lay. Her bright eyes and beautiful smile were gone. Her eyes were dark and sunk in. And her voice seemed very different.

I have never said goodbye to someone “knowing” it would be the last time. I wanted to make sure that I got in everything that I wanted her to know. It was difficult. I held her hands and I cried. She looked at me in a way that was different than anything I had ever seen before. I was afraid that I had scared her. Kelly says she noticed the change, but thought that it was more that she understood what I was saying and knew that I truly love her. I pray that is what it was.

Michael didn’t talk to her or go close to the bed. It all really scared him. Mavrick came over to the bed and cried with me, and she called him by name and told him that it was going to be ok. He was afraid to touch her because he didn’t want to “get what she had.” That became a whole different conversation in itself…

We took the kids with us to go eat lunch. Andrew wouldn’t go. There was no one to stay with Angela at that time, and he wouldn’t leave her alone. It was fine though, we stuck all eight kids in the car and went to Chili’s. If Andrew would have gone we would have looked like a Mormon family; one husband, two wives and eight kids! Boy! That is a lot of kids!

When we got back, Lilly, Angela’s mom was there. She, too, is amazing. She has lost two children in nine months to cancer. Can you imagine how angry she could be? Yet, she is not. In the midst of this obvious pain, she seems to be able to find peace in knowing that her oldest, Tony, and her baby, Angela, are in the arms of our savior. Thinking about it breaks my heart for her. It’s not right for the kids to go before the parent – no matter what their age.

Angela Dawn Laub entered the presence of our Lord at 10:30 am on Friday, September 12th.

LOL Funny!

I needed this laugh today!

Charlie was fixing a door and found that he needed a new hinge, so he sent his wife Bev to Home Depot. At Home Depot, Bev saw a beautiful Bathroom faucet while she was waiting for Walt, the manager, to finish waiting on a customer. When Walt was finished, Bev asked 'How much for that faucet?' Walt replied, 'That's pewter and it costs $300.' 'My goodness, that sure is a lot of money!' Bev exclaimed. Then she proceeded to describe the hinge that Charlie had sent her to buy, and Walt went to the back room to find it.

From the back room Walt yelled, 'Bev, you wanna screw for that hinge?' Bev replied, 'No, but I will for the faucet.' This is why you can't send a woman to Home Depot.

Funny little guy

Here we are at 10 o’clock . I have been trying to get Major to sleep since 8:30 and he just keeps squirming. He threw up on me about 30 minutes ago, so I figure he has a sour stomach. The boys are at my mom and dad’s, and Mark isn’t home from work yet, so I have brought Major down to my bed. He is very spitty these days, so we keep a burp clothe handy. These pictures are of him just now. Between each pic I would move the clothe down to his waist, but still within his reach.

Mark sleeps with a mask on his face, so I guess he will be like his dad. Note to self... never put him in his crib with a burp clothe or blanket.

Major has been lying on my bed sucking his thumb and singing the entire time I have been making this post. He may end up singing me to sleep tonight!

Michael is so funny!

Michael Funnies ( See August 12th post) – Michael was at home a few days last week still sick with what I feel certain was the Crypto Crap. This is what I found on my camera over the weekend… He looks pretty sick, huh? I am just thankful he wasn't at home with a sinus infection!

Saying Goodbye

Many of you know my neighbor, Angela L., and her family has recently moved back to OKC. Angela has cancer. It started in her liver and she has had numerous surgeries to remove numerous HUGE tumors. I found out today that she now has a tumor the size of a football blocking her bowels and that her kidneys are shutting down. Hospice is there and they do not believe she will be with us too much longer. I know she is tired and I know she loves the Lord like few people in her situation would or could. She is probably ready to go. I know I will see her in heaven. She has been amazing through this ordeal and truly touched my heart forever. Her faith is greater than anyone I have ever personally known. I love her for the influence she has had on me, my kids, my neighborhood, my church. She has touched so many. I love her, and I will miss this amazing woman and friend.

My heart does break for the kids. They have a daughter who is about 12 and a son who just turned 9. When my kids heard me talking about it today they both fell apart. Mavrick cried for well over an hour that he would miss her and that he was sad that Major would never get to know her and that she was like a mom to him… it went on and on. I was truly thankful for my Prozac today. Kelly spoke to Andrew (the husband) today, who told their daughter last night and said that she was ok and said that she knows she will “see mommy in heaven.”

Kelly and I are planning to go up on Sunday and see her, for what may be the last time. If you pray, please keep this precious family in your prayers!

Major's 4 Month Check-up

Major had his 4 month check up last Thursday. He weighed in at 14.13 pounds and was 25 inches long. He got 4 shots and did one of those screams that he lost his breath and just had a red face with a wide open mouth and it was silent. That has got to be the worst part of having an infant. And you just want to slap the nurse. Our poor nurse, she came in the door apologizing. I thought she might cry herself. The Dr looked him over and said he was perfect in every way. I told her that I have started letting him sleep on his stomach and she said that some babies just sleep better on their stomach. BUT “they still recommend putting baby down on their backs until they are able to roll over on their own. He has slept on his stomach every night and naps since last Tuesday and is sleeping sooo much better. I will admit, when I wake up and realize that I haven’t heard from him in 4 or 5 hours I do freak out a little. I just have to trust that God’s hands are on him and He is in control.

Labor Day Weekend

So, for Labor Day weekend we headed to Austin to see my sister-in-law(s). We picked up Mavrick from school about 4:00 in Lewisville and hit the road. Traveling with a baby always seems to take FOREVER! We got to Austin a little after 11:00. We did stop in Hillsboro for about an hour. But traffic was heavy – Labor Day, UT’s first season game, Batfest… seemed like everyone one was headed south. Let’s just say that Major is not much of a traveler at this age. We had a great weekend, and the boys had a blast with Gode’ and Marla, so all in all, the trip was well worth the visit.

15 Years Together!

August 28th was our 15th wedding anniversary. I must say, this has been the best 14 years of my life. Mark really is my best friend and the true love of my life. I look at other couples and see that I would have never made it 15 years with anyone else. It really is true, unconditional love, and I am so blessed to have found it my first time around.

Now, you probably noticed we have been married 15 years, but 14 best years. The other year was not a year, but just a day here and there. Those days that we all have… I’m in a bad mood and take what he says wrong, or take what he says right and get mad about it. Those days where we take each other for granted or maybe disagree on an issue that neither of us is willing to budge on. And I tell you, I love that man, because there have been days that I wasn’t sure that we were going to make it to the next…but we always seem to. And for that I am so truly blessed.