Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As we are getting ready to pack up the boys and go see Christmas lights I am reminded of last Christmas in Charleston and all of the ways God has blessed me in this last year. Last Christmas we were very fortunate to spend Christmas with our dear friends the Kinney's, because of Jesse's unpredictable schedule we haven't gone home to Colorado for Christmas in some time so having unbelievable friends around us has been such a blessing at this time of year. This year we are spending Christmas with some new friends and with a new member of our family, Asher James. I cannot believe that God has found me worthy to be the mother of not one, but two amazing little boys. I am really looking forward to teaching them about an amazing God who has blessed our family, with not only love, but eternal life through His son Jesus Christ. Which is really what we are celebrating on Thursday, the birth of Jesus. I pray for all of you, that we remember the reason for Christmas, and remember the amazing things that God has blessed you with this year. We love and miss our friends in Charleston this time of year, so we hope you a ll are doing wonderfully and celebrating with one another. We miss our family and friends in Colorado too, but here is some good news... Jesse will be going to training for 5 weeks starting at the beginning of January; so the boys and I will be spending the month in Colorado! YEA! We will see you there! We love you all and thanks for keeping up with us! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Asher James

Born November 6th 2008 at 2:44pm Weighing in at 7lbs 8oz and 20 inches long We added a healthy and beautiful boy to our family! We started pitosin at 12:05pm and broke my water around 1:00pm, then the contractions really got going and I soon asked for an epidural but before the anestigiologist could get there I felt the need to push. I was told I was only 7cm and I sat up for the epidural and when I lay back down I again said I had to push and low and behold Asher was crowning. No time to get a doctor just my nurse and the anastegiologist and about 8 students delivered Asher into the world at 2:44pm and my epidural took effect at around 2:50pm. We are so thankful to God for another healthy baby and we cannot wait to see what great things He has in store for our boys!

Life Continued...

Now that we live in Altus OK we have embraced what it means to really have a fun Saturday night, last Saturday we went to a monster truck show at the local track after which there where trailer races! Apparently locals enter their very junky cars into trailer races once a year. Your junk car pulls a trailer carrying whatever you like (one guy had a junk boat, another guy had a recliner and a bucket of water) then you race around the track trying to knock the trailers off of one another's cars, the last car with a trailer attached wins. It was literally the greatest most absurd thing I have ever seen and I plan on going every year! We are also very excited about upcoming Halloween/fall festival coming up and DJ and his daddy are going to dress up together. DJ will be a lion and Daddy will be a lion tamer, it should be very cute. Asher and I couldn't wait to dress up, I decided we should be a pumpkin...

Life Life Life

SO, we are back from Colorado and we had an amazing time visiting our family and friends and we wore ourselves out! Asher is still in the oven cooking away and I am feeling torn between keeping him safe and sound in there and being DONE with being pregnant. DJ has been terribly sick with a virus this past week and we have taken more pictures of him because we have never seen anything so pathetic in our lives.

GUESS WHAT!!!

Things that DJ LOVES

Having a one year old is proving to be the most enjoyable/challenging thing I have ever done! DJ is constantly challenging my authority and doing things he knows he is not supposed to do, just so he can see how I react. I have been so challenged I am reading "The Strong Willed Child" because I have a feeling if I don't handle this right DJ could grow up to be a real handful!! But at the same time he is more loving and fun than ever before. DJ gives hugs and kisses and high fives. He will tickle me and laugh hysterically, and he will give my big baby belly zerberts. I am blown away by the progress he makes each and every day (even if he is still not walking!) So here are some videos of my amazing kid. And P.S. if anyone knows of a secret way I can get this kid on his feet and walking please tell me! I am way too pregnant to carry him around.

I seriously live in Oklahoma

So to kick off the rodeo festivities starting this weekend Altus Oklahoma had, what else, but a cattle drive through the base!!! No joke cowboys and whips and long horn steer making their way through Altus Air Force Base. It was great! I took DJ to the "staging" area where the cows and the cowboys were waiting for the round up and he got to pet some of the horses (my friend Shannon has that picture) and we were really close to the cows too as you can see by my stellar photography. Later that night we went to the rodeo which was great as well, but I forgot my camera. Anyhow, I guess we are truly in cowboy country now!

P.S. There were even men in flight suits on horseback, now that is something you do not see every day!

DJ's first day of School

So today I sent my Buhbuh off to his first day of school, and it was sad! While I fully acknowledge that this is the best for both of us, it is the first time we have spent so many hours apart in a long time! I decided to sign DJ up for mothers morning out not only because baby Asher is coming but because I noticed that we were not really getting along, being together all day every day. Now you are probably thinking how hard is it to get along with a one year old, and if you never had one you were with 24/7 I don't think I can explain it. I was starting to talk to DJ as if he were my peer and my peers as if they were my children. I felt like all I was ever saying was NO, and my rebellious little son has perfected the kind of mean little look that can kill. Let me tell you a nasty look from a one year old can really sting. However, whenever we could spend just a little time apart, maybe an hour or two, my sweet boy would come back to me. He sees me and smiles and laughs, hugs me and gives me kisses and this is the kind of relationship I want with my boy. SO mothers morning out it is, two days a week from 9-2:30 and while DJ had the time of his life I missed him like crazy, but picking him up and seeing that smiling face and getting all of those hugs and kisses made it well worth it. DJ is oficially becoming a big boy now, not walking yet, but I will be sure to let you know as soon as that happens!!

Pictures

So, here is the picture of DJ stuck underneath a stool that I promised. Very funny, and we could hardly get him out! And this is DJ with his Poppie in Colorado

DJ and his Crazy Aunt T, they had so much fun together!!!

DJ with his Oma and Mike!

DJ driving his Grandpa's Buick Grand National, Jesse and his Dad will turn my baby into a car guy yet!

Pictures

I know I haven't posted for awhile, but for some reason I feel this pressure that every time I post I should have pics. Unfortunately since life isn't really all that exciting here in the OK I haven't taken many. So this will be a picture less post! My original intent was to post pictures of my new kitchen that we are working on, but the progress is slower than expected so those pics should come in about a month or so. I was going to post the ultrasound picture of new baby Asher but, much like his big brother DJ, Asher refused to cooperate and his ultrasound has him looking like a dinosaur fossil and not a sweet baby. Just once I would like a perfect profile shot of a baby in my womb. I know that pictures of my belly would be nice but Jesse is working his hiney off so there isn't really anyone around to take belly shots for me. We did however just have some professional family/maternity/one year old pictures taken that I can hopefully post some time soon. I do have a great picture of DJ stuck underneath a stool that is fairly amusing and I would post now except that I can't seem to find my camera anywhere and if I did not use this time I have right now to post it probably would have taken me another week. We have found a good church home here in Altus, it is about as big as the chapel at Seacoast but the people are lovely and they have really made an effort to make our family feel welcome and at home with them. I have done nothing with Jesse's new squadron, but I am planning on it soon. DJ is starting a mothers morning out program next Thursday for 2 days a week 9-2:30 and I promise to post pics of his first day of school! This weekend we are heading to CO for a few days to attend Jesse's 10 year high school reunion which should be great fun and I promise to post those pictures too! Have a blessed day, We miss you!!!

The Tail of 2 Puppies

So here is what has been happening in the Household! A few weeks ago when Jesse got home from his run he noticed something was going on in the backyard, upon further investigation he discovered that a puppy had made its way under our fence and was hiding in the corner of the yard. This poor guy was scared to death and covered in fleas and ticks, so we made the decision to take him to the vet immediately. When we picked him up later that afternoon we were told he was a border collie mix about 9 weeks old and had been outside for several days based on the 200+ ticks they had removed from him and the soars that covered his legs. We decided to call the new puppy Winglet (a part of the C-17), and even though Jesse told me I couldn't keep him, I knew that we probably would. We spent a week checking the paper and the Internet for someone looking for a lost dog and found nothing. About a week after Winglet arrived we were getting ready for church when a less than thrilled Jesse called me into the backyard and there we found ANOTHER PUPPY! We watched him wriggle his way under our fence run right up to Winglet, and they immediately began to lick and play with each other. New puppy was black and white like Winglet and a bit shorter and we are pretty certain they are brothers. New puppy was wearing a flea collar and didn't seem to be in such bad shape, so he didn't get a trip to the vet, we just put him in the garage and decided to deal with it after church. New puppy was even sweeter than Winglet (hard to do), and man did they love DJ they couldn't get enough of him, it was adorable. At this point though I knew Jesse would certainly not let me keep 2 puppies, and the thought of separating the two of them was unthinkable to me, after all, new puppy had traveled all the way to our backyard to find his brother! We stepped up our efforts to find their owners to no avail, and I thought maybe, just maybe, I had 2 puppies to add to my ever expanding family. Then the neighbor came over, she knew right away the puppies would be perfect for her son who just lost 2 dogs and was heart broken. The son, and his wife and kids, came over and fell in love (just as we had), and decided to take both puppies. They now live on a big ranch just outside of town and we can visit whenever we want. I miss the puppies terribly and basically bawled like a baby for days when they left (that may have something to do with the fact that I am pregnant and my maternal nature is on overload) but we prayed over them and we know that these puppies are blessing the lives of a new family, after they blessed ours.

Back from Sedona

Well we made it back from Sedona! Jesse was unable to go with us so DJ and I made the trek by ourselves! Let me just tell you that 12 hours in the car 5 months pregnant with a 1 year old is not as much fun as you might think it is. But we did have a good time once we got there, a little family reunion for my mom's side of the family and a chance to see my oma who has ALS and pobably won't be going to many more reunions. It was beautiful and hot so DJ and I spent alot of time at the pool and one day we actually ventured out hiking. I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. This week Jesse's parents are in town hanging out in Altus should be a blast I will let you know how it goes! Until then may God Bless you!

Getting Ready!

We are gearing up for a big road trip this week! I will blog when we get back and tell you all about it!!!

Our House

I took these pics today.

We Made it to the OK

Let me start by appologizing for my lack of bloging, we just found our computers got the internet hooked up and cleared a place for me to sit. So where to begin... the last month has brought about so many changes for our family I think my head is still spinning. We had a wonderful going away party with our Charleston family and we had some AMAZING friends come and help us to clean and pack up right before we left.

We took DJ for his first trip to the beach which he thuroughly enjoyed for about an hour then he was done! Then we celebrated mothers day and our last Seacoast service with the Stuckeys and the Pamily with a lot of kids and a lot of fun! And finally the day before we left we had dinner with the Kinney's and the Stuckeys in a tearful goodbye to Charleston. Leaving for OK took a little bit longer then we thought and my plan of DJ sleeping for 4 of the 6 hours on the road was a JOKE! The child did not sleep!! My Dad who came along for the road trip was priceless, especially with this kid! Arriving in OK we stayed in a dorm room on base until we could get water and electricity and gas to our new house. And ever since then we have been spending every day unpacking and chasing after the very quick crawling David Jospeh! DJ's first Birthday was Tuesday and though he did not have a big party we did get his first haircut (WAY too short for mommy's taste) and we took him to Applebees for a big Birthday dinner out. Thank you to everyone who called, who is remembering us in their prayers and who is just loving us from afar!! We miss you all more than you could know and we can't wait to see you again! P.S. I felt new baby moving for the first time last night and I just found out that the OB I have been sent to is my next door neighbor, interesting. Will try to write again soon!!

Life as a 10 month old

The Family's Last Visit to the SC

Hey Kids! Sorry there hasn't been any posts in awhile, sick with baby, getting ready to move, and parent's in town equal NO POSTS! But here are some pics of the last week. Jesse's parents and my mom and her husband came for one last visit to the SC before we move and we all had a blast! We went to the firefighter museum which was a blast because Jesse's dad is a retired firefighter. We took everyone to Cypress Gardens where you can take a boat through the swamp and see live alligators, walk through a butterfly pavilion, an alligator sanctuary, and a mini aquarium. We had a great time and my mom's husband, Mike, got some great pics I can post later since I forgot my camera. The next day was the airshow which was great and LOUD, and Sunday we hit church and then down town where we of course took a carriage tour. All in all it was a fantastic and busy trip that we truly enjoyed and are still recovering from!

Selling The House!

SO! We are moving to Oklahoma which means that we must sell our house here in South Carolina, easier said than done! True our house has not been staged to the quality you might see on HGTV but we have definitely cleaned up our clutter, and spruced the place up a bit. We have had exactly 3 showings since we put it on the market in February (and yes we have lowered our price) so its a little hard to be motivated to keep up on the cleaning and straightening up that showing your house requires. Especially since I have a 10 month old and I am in the "sick as a dog" stage of pregnancy. At this point I think I have let it go to far however so I made an attempt this weekend to clean, I attempted to clean a bathroom. I made it as far as half of one tub and then I lost my cookies. The smell of the cleaning product, the bending over, NOT GOOD! I am seriously thinking of asking some girls I know if they want to make some extra cash and having them come clean some bathrooms for me. Where is my loving husband during all of this you ask? He has been working 12 hour shifts for the past 3 months and is currently on a trip, needless to say he has been little help. We did put our house on the market for rent this weekend so perhaps we can get someone living in this house that way. It is a great little town house, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, right on the water (deep water access), near the Air Force Base in a good part of North Charleston if you know anyone who is looking! Have a Blessed day!!

Highlights of a Nine Month Old

10 months and 9 weeks

So today is the day that my first baby turns 10 months and my second baby is 9 weeks into development. Very exciting!! I am starting to feel a little better, so sorry there havent been any posts lately. Hoping this picture can make up for it! Jesse is working hard and he can't wait to get to OK, although we will miss our friends here in SC, the family time in OK should be awesome!! Hope you have a great night!

Sick Sick Sick!

As many of you now know I am in fact pregnant with #2! I know that many of you think that I am CRAZY, but this is actually a great thing for my family. We are soon to move to Altus OK where there will be nothing to do and my husband will, for probably the only time in his career, be working regular hours and coming home every night. We are taking full atvantage of the OK as family time. Meanwhile we are still in South Carolina I had my last day of work on Easter Sunday and I have spent every day this week lying on the couch with a bowl next to my head. The morning sickness, or rather all day sickness, has stormed in like a wrecking ball and I am still trying to catch my breath! Today is the first day I have felt like getting out of the house and was actually hungry, hungry for a big juicy hamburger
and my sweet sweet husband got me one! I am feeling happy and full!
Please keep us in your prayers as we know of several couples who have had miscarriages lately. We know that everything is in God's hands and we trust in Him completely, the power of prayer is amazing and God can do great things with it! Have a great night!

Happy Easter

Hope that you all had an Excellent Easter! Of course Easter being my busiest time of year and Jesse having to work a 12 hour shift meant that DJ had to spend 12 hours Easter Sunday at church!! Thank goodness he loves it there! The children's ministry staff got together for a potluck Easter Lunch in between services while DJ got a good long nap in the nursery. We had an amazing turn out of nearly 1500 children learining about the ressurection of Jesus at Seacoast Church, what an incredible blessing to be a part of something so BIG for the kingdom of God. Easter was not all work, we also had a good time hunting for Easter eggs with our playgroup on Tuesday! I think DJ might one day really get on me that I put him in blue bunny ears, but have you ever seen a cuter bunny?

Goodbye South Carolina

Well as the family gets ready to pack up and leave South Carolina we decided to start a blog so that we can keep in touch with the AMAZING friends that we have made out here. Seacoast Church has blessed us with more than friends we have found family there. I found the passion in my life, children's ministry, there. And our first child was dedicated to the Lord there. And the wives! I have found friends that I can share life with for the next 20 years! No matter where we go or what we do an Air Force wife will always understand what I am going through! Thank you so much to all of you that have taken care of me when I was sick, for taking care of DJ when I needed a break, for coming to the hospital every time I had a pregnant scare, for babysitting and refusing to take payment, for inviting me and my family to your houses for every single holiday, for running random errands for me when I was unable, for loving my son like he was your own, for celebrating my husbands return from a long deployment like he was your brother. Thank you for the prayers, the encouraging words, the compliments, the smiles, and the incredible love that we have felt here in South Carolina!! This is such a special place to us, we will always come back here to remember that this is where we got engaged, where we had our first house, our first baby, my first real "big girl" job, and our first opportunity to know what it is like to have a family made up of people who aren't even related to you. Goodbye South Carolina we will miss you terribly but we promise to come back to visit!!