A New Look

I have updated my blog's look, finally!

Office Christmas party

I am so blessed to work at a wonderful facility that assist school districts in educating students. I have the best people in the world to work with. Today is the office potluck and our department exchanges gifts.

Here is the necklace that we gave to Tracy because she is so amazing and takes care of all of us. She is such a Godly woman and we just love her to pieces.

Here is a picture of my fellow co-workers. Tracy (our wonderful administrative assistant), Me, Lesa Rogers (My mentor and fellow supervisor), and Lesa Barksdale (fellow supervisor). These ladies have made my job transition a wonderful and blessed experience. Thanks ladies!! Oh these cookies are from one of the Psychological Examiners (Dr. Nichols, thanks).

This is my wonderful boss. He always has an open door and is ready to help when we need him. I am also so thankful that this man seen fit for me to be in this position.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite people, Christy. She makes certain that I get my paychecks and so much more.

Well that is all for now, I just want to express how thankful I am to work with such wonderful people who obviously put Christ in Christmas. Thank you Lord for your son and for a wonderful job.

Christmas is Almost Here!

Here at the Benton House, we are ready for Christmas. Here is a finished picture of our tree. This is also only a small portion of the gifts that I have been able to wrap. I think that God has really blessed our family this year and we have obviously been very good.





















Here is precious Luke. He is about to be three and he is so excited for Christmas...
















Here is Evan and he is 7 months now. He simply loves tearing up all the gifts and taking the tags off of them. So I just want to apologize if Granny ends up with a toy!!














And finally, this is the story of our lives....two kids fighting over the presents. I am looking forward to many years of this!
















I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and remember the reason for this holiday (The birth of our Lord and Saviour). God Bless!

Short update

Well it has been a long time since my last blog and there is so much to update on. I only have a short time so let me be brief. Luke is one month shy of 3 years old. I honestly can't believe how he is growing. He is so excited about Christmas and has started working on his list for Santa(boots, belt, and a BB gun)! He will have to wait on the BB gun!! He is in the why stage and has learned how to throw a fit. So we are having a good time with this stage. We did make a big step this week, he has started watching TV! Praise the Lord for something that does not require me to entertain him 24/7.

As far as Evan goes, he is about to be 7 months old and I am going to attempt to put a video on here to update you on what he has been up to. I have a little trouble getting pictures/ videos to show up where I want them so I apologize. As you can hopefully see, he is crawling and has started pulling up on everything. He now has three words in his vocab: dada, mama, and bub-bub. He weighs 19.12 lbs(68%) and is 28 1/2 inches long (88%). He is growing like crazy and has two teeth. He has decided that sleep should not occur for 8hours straight which is starting to wear on us but he is so precious, we forgive him.

Well that is all for now. Hope to get things caught up so I can blog more but life is crazy. One last note, since having Evan and starting a new job, have managed to drop 16lbs. I still have a ways to go but I am very excited at my progress and very thankful for Jeff holding me accountable.

Well so much for video. I will update later with video! With any luck, I have figured out how to add a video. Hope everyone enjoys.

GOD is Great

It's been a little while since I posted last. Life has been quite interesting. I am starting to settle into my new job but with that new job has come many challenges. As a young woman in an administrative position, i have found that respect is not necessary given but rather, it must be earned. I am working very hard and learning that concept and relying on God to guide my steps so that I make wise decisions that reflect well on the schools I represent and the Co-op that I work for. This job, even though I love it, has been one of the most challenging experiences in my life. Everyday, I am given a new challenge and I have learned more than anything, that I must rely on God and always do what is right in His eyes. Thank you God for giving me this wonderful challenge and helping me to grow as a person.

On another note, the kiddos are doing well. They both have a little cough but I am hoping that they are on the mend. Evan has been sleeping very well and I am starting to feel like I am catching up on sleep. It's kind of funny that the more sleep you get, the more you seem to need. Luke has been really learning a lot at church and at Killion's. The other day he told me that "it rained for 40 days.". He is starting to prayer for people when they are sick or in need and it just warms my heart. He has finally started to count and can do so to 6. He has also been saying a lot of his ABC's. I know most kids his age are already doing this and as a teacher I am a little embarrassed but Luke has just not been that interested and I want him to love to learn not demand that he do so. Luke loves the farm and tools and I really think if pa needed him to, he could run that tractor all by himself and probably will be before long. Evan now has two teeth and is drooling everywhere. Let me tell you, those teeth are sharp! I love these angels so much and I am so blessed that God trusted me enough to be their mom.

Jeff has finally finished photo shoots for the most part. We are so thankful to have him home more often. Jeff truly is a good hearted man and I am so thankful for him. We recently went to watch the movie "courageous.". I highly recommend that all fathers watch this movie. It is very inspiring and really tugs at the heartstrings. Jeff watched so intently while I attempted to fight back the tears. I know that he is committed to our family and raising these gifts from God in a manner that would be pleasing to the Lord. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

God bless and I hope each ofnyou have a great week filled with his blessings. Let your light shine for Him.

Evan

Today you are 4 months and 23 days old. You went for your 4 month shots and check up today. You only cried for a few seconds after getting your shots and Killion said you acted great today. I am so thankful that your shots don't seem to bother you. I remember Luke being pretty grouchy when he would get his. Here are you stats from your appointment:

Length: 28 inches- 98%
Weight: 17 lbs- 71%
head: 17 1/2 inches -88%

Things you are doing:

You can roll over from both directions but occasionally get stuck on your belly. You smile all the time. You chatter all the time and it sounds a lot like you are saying dada dada. Every morning when I drop you off at Killion's, you get so excited to see her. You occasionally sleep through the night but you like your food so you usually wake up long enough to eat. You just got your first tooth and I think you are working on another. You like to play with toys and you like to play music on mommys I-pad. You find it so funny when your bubba is getting in trouble lol.

We all love you so much and we are so thankful for you.


PS. I wish that in had this blog when Luke was little so that I could compare their stats but oh well.

Just a few Pics of Evan!

"Jesus is in my heart"

I know that everyone thinks that their child is the smartest, most amazing child on Earth, but Luke really is!!!!! This post is mainly so I never forget some of the things Luke has been saying lately. First, let just say that luke's Sunday school teacher have certainly been teaching my boy about Jesus!!! On our way home Sunday night after church and after dinner with the Huskey's, Luke Said to me, "mom Jesus is in my heart". I said, " yes son he is!". He then asked, " why is Jesus in my heart?". I just told him that if we loved Jesus, he was in our hearts. I also told him that Jesus loves us. He then said, "I love Jesus and I want to see him!". I told him that Jesus was in heaven. It was at that point that my little baby boy started crying and screaming, " I want to go to heaven, I want ti see Jesus!". He said this over and over again till we got home. By the time we got to the house, I was nearly in tears. Part of me was amazed at the conversation and the level of understand he could have of these sometimes difficult topics but the other part of me kept thinking " I hope this is not God preparing me for something.".

Since this time, we have continued to say our morning prayers on the way to the sitters, at meals, and at night before bed. Each time, he has said, "I love Jesus and/or he is in my heart". I just melt each time. He has a lot to learn about the love of Jesus and what it truly means to have Jesus in your heart but I know without a doubt that the kiddo loves Jesus as much as a two year can love anyone.

Luke tries my patiences sometimes and has become quite a smarty pants but I love him so much and I know that he will grow into a wonderful man, husband and big brother. God has blessed this family in so many ways, but one of the best ways was when he gave us Luke.

Oh my!!!!

Sorry, still no pictures but this is because life has been so busy!! Since starting my new job, I have been traveling between schools which cover a span of 6 counties. I have also started my college classes which consist of 4 assignments per week. And let me say, life has been a bit of a whirlwind. The kiddos are doing great and growing so quickly. Evan is so much bigger than Luke when he was this age.

Luke seems smarter everyday. His favorite thing right now is to ask everyone (me, Jeff, nana, pa, grandma, and Killion) to tell him stories. He gives us a topic and then we make up a story. He usually adds to the story as we go along. I think this is a great teaching tool for him; however, I hope it isn't teaching him to lie, lol! He also had his first slumber party (1kid lol) last night.

Evan is starting to mimic us when we make sounds. He is eating fruits and veggies now! He loves to eat which is obvious given his size. He laughs often and is so much calmer than Luke was. He will just lay on the couch or sit in the swing and watch tv. He likes to watch me cook, of course I am crazy while I cook.

Both boys love their babysitter and we are so lucky to have her. She is amazing and she thinks my kids are so well behaved. God has been good to us in finding her.

Jeff is still busy at work but that is getting close to slowing down, thank the good Lord.

Also, our childrens program starts again on September 14th. If you want fun and learning for the whole family, join us at 7:00 on Wednesday nights.

Hope everyone is doing well and God bless you all!

My fitness

I am so excited about using the app "my fitness!" There is a bunch of us at work that are doing this together. It really makes you accountable for what you eat. For example, I was having a rough day so I ate a candy bar. Our administrative assistant made me log it. She is a stickler but I love it. I am going to certainly drop weight when I know everyone is watching. The best part, is that no one knows what I weigh, they just know how much I have lost, if I have logged in, and if I over or under ate. It is so awesome. Anyhow, if anyone adds this app, you can add me by using my email address: gbenton@oursc.k12.ar.us. I would love to have more accountablility partners.

It's about to get crazy

Well I am taking a few minutes to relax (via pedicure) before life gets crazy again. Things are going great with the new job but it is really busy. I have been doing school visits and trying to learn the ropes. Monday I am going out if town for a few days therefore, I have been trying to get things done around the house this weekend. So far I have managed to do about five loads of laundry, empty dishwasher, and wash all the bed clothes. With school starting there is a lot that I have to get done at work and my first class starts. I think that for the next two months I am going to live off of caffeine. Jeff is about to start more photo shoots so he is going to be super busy as well. It's a busy life but I love it and God is good.

On to the kiddos: Luke is still growing so much. He has had fun the last two weeks playing with the Huskeys while I was at work. He got to go fishing last weekend with Bert and Jeff. He loved it so much and I hear he even caught a fish. He has a major attitude lately and it has honestly been a struggle at times. I read this blog about our preachers daughter and her family. She is always talking about how head strong her daughter is. I read her stories and I think that her and Luke are two of a kind. I love the kid but his fits could make the most patient person scream, lol. His fits remind me of when he was in the hospital. When he was in pain and they were working on him, we would tell him that they were almost done and he would scream, " they are done, they are all done!". Poor baby, I love him so much!!!
Evan had his two month check up, a month late. He was 12 1/2 pounds and 25 inches long. He is such a big baby compared to Luke. He has started smiling a lot and loves to watch tv (nothing like his brother in that manner). He likes to sit up and look around and can hold his neck up very well. He has slept through the night twice. He has been crying a lot less now and I think we may finally have the right formula.

Good news for friends and family this week. Congrats to our good friends Matt and Becky on their engagement. Congrats to my baby brother and his wife, they are expecting. Congrats to another one of our friends too on their baby news.

In close, I ask that you please remember one of my fellow teaching friends. Her precious new baby, Garrett went to be with the Lord. I am sure they would appreciate your prayers.

Have a good weekend!

Suyl kellyskornr

This week on kellyskorner, it is all about how you told people you were expecting. With Luke, we had only tried for one month. I didn't tell jeff that I suspected that I was pregnant. I went to walmart and bought test just to keep around in case we needed them and I thought I would just see if I were pregnant or not. It was really too early for me to have to many signs of pregnancy but I thought I would take a test anyhow. Much to my surprise, it said the word pregnant. I ran out of the bathroom and pretty much shoved it in jeff's face. His response was " what is that?". I suppose he had never seen one before and honestly didn't have a clue. Once I explained, he was excited but didn't trust the test so I took another. Here's where the story get interesting. I took this test on a Saturday. That night, Lindsay and lance, our best friends came over. They told us their big news, they were pregnant. I knew I was too but jeff did not want to tell anyone until after we went to the doctor. She then told me her due date, jan 5th and it took everything I had not to scream bc that is what the computer said was my due date! After we finally went to doc, we called my parents. Then, we went to dinner with my fil and mil. We met dan and steph in Harrison. We told bert and Karen on the way and then told everyone else from there. Oh and lindsay and lance had their precious Landon just a few short hours before Luke was born. Oh yes, they have the same birthday!!!

With evan, I was standing in church during song service when I looked over at jeff and told him I was pregnant. It wasn't until about three weeks later that I was able to take a test and sure enough it was positive. I had taken about three test before I got a positive one. Jeff was working a photo shoot so I sent him a text with the picture of the test. I then went for a girls day with my mom, sister, and sil. As usual, jeff would not let me tell anyone till we went to the doc. So I ate and shopped with my fam and couldn't even tell them the news lol! After my doc appointment, we went and told bert and Karen who were watching Luke and then I went to razorback ribs with my family for dinner and I told everyone. They were so surprised.

I am so lucky to have two amazing boys and I love them so much!

Life back to normal!

Luke is home, Evan seems better since the discovery of something called gripe water ( the bottle says " mother's bliss" ), and I started my new job! What a week it has been. This is always jeff's most busy time of year and my least favorite time of year. Summers use to be my favorite but since we have had children, it just messes with the routine. We are a very routine family!!!

Luke's boo-boos look so much better but the poor baby is gonna have a few scars. I guess for a guy, that just adds character! He had a great week once he got out of the hospital because hisvpa came back home after being on a mission trip. I had to go out of town so the boys went to grandma and pa's. Thanks guys for all your help!

Karen did some research while she had the boys and we are both convinced evan has colic. The poor baby cries all the time and very few things make him feel better. I just love him so much but this momma hasn't slept much since his arrival. We have started putting cereal in his bottle at night and have been doing the gripe water. He hasn't been crying as much but he hasn't slept for longer than 3 hours at a time at night.

This was my first week of work at my new job. I love how fast paced it is. The day just flies by and I love it. I also love my office and the decor that I bought. I am learning alot but mainly, I am doing prep work and getting ready for the next few weeks of serious learning.

Anyhow, that is a little update on our family. I am going to work on getting some pics posted soon. One more note, I am about to head to my bff's wedding and I am so excited or them. Congrats penny and James!

He never gives us more than we can handle but it is close sometimes!

I have always been taught that The Lord won't give you more than you can handle. Well, all I can say is that we are getting close. The only thing that is helping me get through this is knowing God is holding us close and then I think of so many people who have lost their children or can't have kiddos or those who have children with cancer. When I think of these things, I realize how lucky we have been. If you have been reading my post, you know that Evan was sick with RSV about 3 weeks ago and we had to spend 4 nights in the hospital. Well since then, we have been so worried about keeping him healthy. Now, it is Luke's turn. On Tuesday I took him to walmart clinic to have a rash checked. He had some type of yeast rash and he had some other spots that looked like bug bites. On Thursday, I took him to Dr. Robinson because the bug bites looked a lot like the staph pics my friend had sent from when he son had them a while ago. He confirmed that he thought they were in fact staph so we began treating them with antibiotics, cream and baths. None of which he liked much. On Friday, I went to my first day of my new job. When I went to pick boys up after work, one of his sores had doubled in size. I took pictures of the worst two places and sent them to the doc. After texting back and forth, we decided he needed to be admitted for some IV antibiotics. That was the beginning of the nightmare.
Once we got to hospital at 6:15, we sat in the room. Seriously, try entertaining a active two year old in a small hospital room!! At about 8, they decided to bring us something to eat. Finally around 8:30, they started trying to do the IV. He was so strong. He did not even cry when they put the IV in. They got it in and tried to get blood out of the IV. They got the blood out of it and one nurse started transferring it to tubes while The other nurse taped IV down. Well needless to say the one nurse messed up the blood transfer. So they had to try to get more blood out of the IV and that caused it to blow. Amazing but he did not cry that whole time. Then they tried to get the IV in somewhere else and he started crying, they got it in and tried ringer blood from it and it blew. Then, they tried again but could not get the vein. So we took a break. Poor kid!!!! While we were taking a break and they were getting a different nurse, the lab came in and said they had to draw blood bc all the blood from the IV attempts was not good. So they stuck him for the fourth time. Finally, the nurse from ER Came in to put IV in. She tried once and could not get it. Finally, on her second attempt and the hospitals fifth attempt, they got the IV going. It was 10:50 by this time.
Since getting the IV, Luke has been chilling out, going for wagon rides, he had some visitors ( jacquie, Maddie, and Daisy) and he has snacked around a little. This morning, (Sunday) the doctor came in and decided that Luke would need his spots drained. He has four places and the doc drained all of them with Luke awake and with out and pain meds or numbing. It was pretty tough to see. Now, Luke is playing in bed. The doc said we would get to go home in the morning. Tomorrow is also my first contract day of work. Praise God for a wonderful support system that helps us in these tough times. Now we are just praying that Luke heals up without any problems and that none of the rest of the family contracts this. Oh by the way, "this" has been identified as MRSA. Wonderful i know!!!! Thanks for all the prayers!!!

Evan is 2 months old

Wow how time flies! Evan is already two months old. You are cooing more and more each day. You still sleep more than you are awake. You are becoming so aware of your environment and Are constantly looking around at the world. Your brother adores you and talks to you all the time. You now weigh 11 lbs and you wear 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. In your short two months of life, you have experienced a lot: first hospital stay, first helicopter ride, and first time to stay with nana and pop pop! You are sleeping about 3 hours at a time during the night. You usually sleep the first 3 hours in your crib but then you cry when put back in there. For now, we let you have your way because we don't want you to cry too much and struggles to breath; but, that will change soon and you will have to cry it out. You eat every three hours like clockwork and you eat 4 ounces each time ( you little piggy)! You hate for your diapers to be the slightest bit of wet and so your mom and dad are gonna have to take out a loan to pay for diapers lol! We love you more than you may ever know and we could not imagine our lives without you. You are truly a gift from God.

Unofficial joy

What a great few days we have had!!! On Thursday, jeff, Luke, and I all went to BrAnson. We stayed At the Grand Country Inn. Luke loved it because it has a splash park. We played for quite a while there And then we went to eat and shop. We ate at red lobster and let me tell you how amazed I was with Luke. He sat so good and we had several people tell us how precious he is. We already knew that, but it is sweet when complete strangers come up to us. After dinner and shopping, it was back to the room. Luke has never stayed in a hotel so he was a little excited and it was tough to get him to calm down and sleep. It was also very weird to go to bed without Evan. Jeff and I both kept waking up because we are use to getting up in the middle of the night. In the morning, we got up and ate at IHOP. Yummy is all I can say. After breakfast, it was back to the splash park. It was there that I received some wonderful news. I had recently applied for a Special Education Supervisor position. This posititon was what I wanted to be when I grow up, lol. I never honestly thought I would have a chance to get this job but hated to let an opportunity go by without trying. There are so few of these positions around this area and they don't come available often. So I applied and while Evan was in the hospital, I had my first interview. I have to tell you that was the toughest interview in my life. My brain and emotions were on overload dealing with my baby being so sick but we decided it was important for our family for me to proceed and go to the interview. I prayed hard for God to give me calmness and comfort in leaving my baby for a few hours. After the interview, I thought I had pretty much blown my chance at the job. It was tough and I didn't always know the answers. But, after I walked out, I called jeff and he said they were being discharged from the hospital. I just praised God that evan was coming home and regardless of how the interview went, my baby was okay!!! The next day, I received a phone call and was asked to come in the next day for another interview. That interview went really well and I felt great after it was over. I felt certain that I did the very best I could and that no matter the outcome, God's will would be done. So, back to the trip!!! While At the splash park, I received a phone call notifying me that I would be recommended for the job on July 8th. So I got the job unofficially, at least until board approved. I start work on Friday and I can't hardly wait. I will miss my students but fortunately, bp will still be one of my schools that I supervise so I wont be away from them completely. This job opportunity is a dream come true and our family is so blessed. Anyhow, after getting off the phone, I notified as many friends and family as I could before jeff reminded me that we were on vacation, lol!!! After the splash park, we went shopping again and then it was off the the Dixie Stampede. Let me just say that if you have kiddos, this is the show to see. The only time in Luke's life that he sits still is whe he is sleeping and even then, he moves around lol. The kiddo was so amazed by the show, he barely moved and I had to feed him because he didn't want to look down at his plate. It was so precious to watch. Jeff and I just kept looking at each other and I knew we were both thinking the same thing, "God has blessed us so much and we have two amazing children.". After the show, we asked Luke what his favorite part of the show was and he responded, "the piggies!". Well then, we headed home to pick up evan. We sure had an amazing time but we missed our little brother. A huge thanks goes out to my mom and dad who kept evan so we could spend some time with Luke! By the way, think we realized that a two hour travel is about Luke's max so if we take a trip in the future that requires more travel time, it will be at night!!!

A day in our lives!

So I got this idea from Kelly's korner but thought it would be awesome to try. This is day 1 of a week in our lives and sorry there won't be pics bc I still can't figure it out.

12:30 am Evan woes up. I feed him and try to put him down in his crib, but no such luck. He cries and I am afraid he will start cough then struggle to breath so off to the recliner we go. We fall asleep.

5:00 am. Wow evan went a long time without eating; however, it has been a struggle to keep him asleep this whole time, so I did not sleep much.

6:30 am Luke joins us in the recliner. He is so cute bc he is carrying his plastic dog with him.

7:00 am evan starts crying and it has become a fight for space and my attention in the recliner. After diaper change, evan is happy so we rest a little longer and Luke watches Mickey mouse clubhouse.

8:15. I get up and get Luke breakfast, powdered donuts ( I know it is terrible but he loves them) and milk. He eats while I feed evan.

9:00 am we are off to grandma and pa's. They watched the kiddos while I ran o walmart! ( I am still not brave enough to take them with me).

10:30 I head back to pick up e boys. When I get there Luke wants me to hold him. I have to be honest, this melted my heart bc he usually starts crying when I come to pick him up.

11:00 am we put up groceries and then I feed evan. While I am feeding evan, Luke decides to help himself to the fridge. He pullsvoutbthe yogurt I bought ( which are six stuck together). He begins opening them all and eating the like candy.

12:00 fnally, Luke quits eating yogurt and I lay evan down for some mat time. Luke and I begin cleaning bathrooms. When I started cleaning yesterday, I realized that I did not have sufficient cleaning solutions, so today I am deep cleaning.

12:45 pm. The fight begins to get naps underway.

1:30 pm I begin folding the endless loads of laundry. I am not kidding, there are five loads here.

2:00 pm I give up, naps just aren't gonna happen today. Luke has ran all over the place and thinks it is fun to jump on clean laundry that has been folded. Time to feed evan again!

2:15. Decided to leave laundry for a bit and I just booked a mini vaca for jeff, Luke and me.

2:30 back to laundry. You see I have a bad habitbof cleaning laundry but never getting it put up. Every time I get it all put away, I swear I will never let it get like this again! Yeah right!

Since 2:30, I have put evan to sleep three times and his precious brother has woken him each time. Therefore, I am going to chill out in the recliner for bit. Luke just came in and I am wondering how a 2 year old learns to smart off. Every time I have said, "I said no!" he looks at me and replies with, " I said no!". Nice huh!

It is 4:30 and I have prepped supper so as soon as jeff gets home, I will cook it up. I usually try to have supper done before he gets here but then he needs to wind down from work so we end up eating without him. I am trying to time this better. On a side note, this evening should be interesting given that neither of my kiddos have slept much today.

5:00 well I started cooking even though jeff wasn't home. I ot supper cooking with the help of Luke and then fed evan.

6:00 we all it own to eat and jeff begins asking the blessing and both kiddos are crying, lol. Wouldn't trade our lives for anything. Jeff and Luke ended up eating together while I put evan down for a nap. Wow, it's only 6:30!

7:00 evan and I are just relaxing! It's almost bath time. I finally ate and cleaned up kitchen as well as dusted in living room. I am trying to dust one room a day, ugh. Luke has been begging for a bath all day bc i bought him some new bubble bath. The kid has totally unclothed himself five times today trying to get to his bubbles, lol. He is just so funny. As I sit here with Evan, I can hear the sweet sounds as Luke explains in great detail everything he is doing. They are in his room. Luke has started reallynplaying with the blocks his aunt steph got him. He builds them up as high as he can and then he wants Evan to come knock them over. It is so precious. I am realizing right now how much I wish i could attach photos tonthe events of the day.

7:45. Bath time! Luke is so good at washing himself. It is really impressive.

8:10 pm both kids are asleep with me in the recliner.

8:55 pm, jeff puts Luke in his bed and we finally sit down to watch "the voice". Of course it is recorded so hopefully we can get it all watched by 10 then feed evan and off o bed.

Luke doesn't normally go o bed thus early but I guess without a nap, he was worn out. Wow what a day! I knew our lives were busy but this seems crazy when you actually pay attention to all that goes on! Thank God for another day of life.

Thank you

We are home, praise God!!! There are a few people we would like to say thank you to.

First, thanks to Bert and Karen for being amazing grandparents. Karen went with me when we found out evan was being put in hospital. She sat by my side while the nurses attempted three times to get an IV started. She also later made my favorite cookies and brought them to us at Children's. You are amazing mom!!! Bert surprised us by showing up after 10 while we were in ICU. He tried to get us to rest while he stood vigil over Evan ( I am certain he was praying over our little angel)!! He comforted us when they told us evan would be airlifted to children's and even made the trip that night/ morning. Additionally, bert kept Luke while Karen was with me and then Karen kept Luke through Sunday while bert was with us. Karen also took all of our laundry home and washed it. Amazing!!!

Secondly, my mom made a quick visit to mt home on Friday, in between preparing for a wedding. After the wedding was over, her and daddy drove down to little rock to visit and came back the next morning. Then, they went home to take over watching Luke. I think the honeymooners also helped out so thanks Adam and Cheryl.

While at mt home, Bro. Steve and Mrs. Judy came by to visit and pray for us. That meant so much to us. They also left with a souvenir!!!! While at children's, Bill and Carrie Butcher and Amy Stalls came by. It was so nice to see familiar faces.

Also, we would like to think our wonderful doctors here at home who knew what was best for our baby. Thanks Dr. Robinson and Dr. Lawrence. We also want to thank the amazing staff at children's.

A big thank you goes out to our wonderful brother, Dan, who came over and mowed our very large yard. It was such a relief to come home and not have to worry about this. Your amazing and we love you!

Thanks goes out to Charlie treece, who contacted a friend at children's and she brought us an amazing hogs quilt. We love it!!!!

Finally and most importantly, we want to say thanks be to God for His healing power. Our God is an amazing God. Also, thanks to all our friends and family who have been praying. God heard your prayers.

I hope we have not missed someone but there were just so many who reached out in our time of need and we are so thankful.

Update on Evan:

Evan is doing well. He is on an antibiotic and an inhaler. We can't be around too many people for a bit and he is not allowed to be around other babies for at least two weeks.

God's Amazing Power

Evan is doing so much better!! When we came to children's, he was on 30% vapor oxygen at a 4 liter flow. Now they have him on regular oxygen (21%) and they are trying him at 1 liter flow. The feeding tube is out and his color is better too. We are getting to hold him now and our joy is beyond words. The power of prayer has been so apparent the last few days. Thank you everyone for your continued prayers, hopefully we'll be home in a few days.

EVan rode a helicopter

Well bad got worse last night and Evan got to have his first helicopter ride and hopefully is last! At about 2:00 last night, they called the doc in and they did blood gas test. The doctor came and prepared us for the worse. He said once we got the test back we would determine a treatment plan but that we might have to be transferred to children's. After the test was done, evan was very upset so they let me hold him and sure enough he tore out his IV that took three tries to get. From that point on things just got worse. They determined it was the best option to send Evan to children's. The doctor said that evan was struggling to breath so much that at some point he would tucker out and they were not equipped to treat him if and when that happened. So between the time he pulled IV out and the helicopter came, they tried 5 or 6 more times to get IV back in. It was horrible!!!!!!! Finally, the pilot said they were five minutes out so the nurses gave up and just let nurses from children's do the IV once they arrived. Fortunately, they were able to get it in one try (praise the Lord)!!!

They loaded Evan up and we headed out. Let me tell you that our drive was the longest drive of my life. We are glad that evan is in such good hands and we know that God is an amazing healer. He is still continuing to labor as he breathes. He will get better and then worse, which is what they said would or could occur. At this point they are running more test because they aren't sure about the validity of the RSV test. They said nit would be at least 24 hours but regardless, his treatment is the same. We have no idea how long we will be here but we will be here as long as necessary to get our baby well. It continues to be hard to be away from Luke but I know he is in good hands. Karen is keeping him and my mom is going to take over tomorrow evening as Bert and Karen prepared to say goodbye to a wonderful, most Godly family member, Edith Williams. Please keep Glena Cruz, Linda Lane, and family in your prayers.

I will update again tomorrow or tonight depending on changes. Please continue to life Evan up in prayers and know that we are truly grateful and blessed by all your love, prayers, and support.

Evan

What a day!!!! Yesterday I took evan to the doctor because he had a little cough and while in the office, he started to get worse and went down hill quickly. By the time we saw the doc, he had a fever and wasnt breathing too great. The doc considered putting him in the hospital then but his X-rays looked okay so he figured we could take care of him at home. He scheduled us to come back in first thing this morning and evan had gotten worse so he admitted us to the hospital. Once we got here they did breathing treatments and checked vitals then we went for more X-rays. Once we got back to the room, the did a RSV test. Then began the horror of getting an IV started. After his nurse attempted to get it in each of his hands, she decided to call her boss. They gave evan a break and I got him calmed down. Then, they came back in and the head nurse was able to get it in his head. It is possible one the worst things I have ever seen (besides my brother after his brain surgery). They weren't able to get blood from the iv so they had to do that also. It took two tries to get a vein but they finally were successful. Needless to say, that is just the beginning of the story and our poor boy has been through a lot.
Finally, the doc came to visit and confirmed the evan had RSV and also had a touch of pneumonia. He also said we would probably be here till Monday (nice considering my brother gets married tomorrow and jeff and I are both in the wedding). I will get to that subject later. Anyhow, after several breathing treatments and antibiotics, his breathing seemed to be getting worse or at least more labored. So they put us in ICU. ICU is both good and bad...good because he has his own nurse that sits outside his room all the time, but bad because we don't have a bathroom in the room and they won't let us hold him. They are doing some type of vapor treatments through his oxygen and that seems to be helping a lot. Evan is finally asleep!!
Now to the wedding bit. I have really been struggling as to whether I stay with my baby or go to wedding. I know that Karen would stay with him and he would be fine but it is hard to imagine being away from him when he is like this. I still have not made my decision but regardless, I know that Adam and cheryl are going to have the most amazing day and I am so excited to have another sister. I am hoping that God will reveal to us whether or not we should go or stay.
Finally, I ask that you all please keep evan in your prayers and remember Luke also as I am sure he is sad thatch has to be away from his brother.
Speaking of Luke, I heard thatbhe had a big day with pa. They went to the dive shop, fed fish ( till pa ran out of money, so Luke said), and went to walmart. Thanks again to mynwonderful in-laws for taking care of our boy.

Dieting

Ever since I graduated high-school, I have been a yo-yo dieter. I would weigh myself at least twice a day just hoping I had not gained any weight. I realize that this behavior was completely crazy! It seems that in our lives, the most important thing is how we look which is all wrong. The only reason our physical appearance should be a concern is if we are unhealthy and that's because we should be caring for the temple of God. We were beautifully made for his purpose and therefore we should care for our bodies; however, society has put so much pressure on us to look a certain way. Anyhow, I say all of this to say that for the first time in my life, I don't have a scale in my house. I am trying to eat more healthy and eat less and I have no clue whether or not the number on the scale is going down. I went to walmart the other day to buy a new battery for my scales and I guess it wasn't in God'S plans for me to know my weight. I feel like my clothes are starting to fit better and I am starting to slowly feel better about my outward appearance. I would like to know how much I have lost but i am thinking this new approach may work great. In life does it really matter what our number on a scale is? The answer is certainly NO!!!

SUYL special need children

As a special education teacher, I currently have 17 students who I love as my own. They have a wide range of disabilities but I refuse to let those disabilities become who they are. Each of these children have names and a purpose. I am determined to help each of them reach their full potential and goals in life. My purpose for posting on this issue is to offer my services to those with questions or problems in regards to education and your child's rights. If I can help you or your family in any way, please feel free to contact me. My God bless your children and families as I know the struggles you must endure each day. Seek comfort in THE ONE who loves us most!!

Sorry no pictures

I have been trying for a few weeks to get pictures to post to my blog but I have not had any luck so hopefully words will be enough for now!!!

Since my last post, we welcomed Evan Ross Benton into our lives. He was 7 lbs 1oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He looks so much like his brother, it is a bit scary!!!! He is now 5 weeks old and he is sleeping in his own crib and last night slept for 4 1/2 hours before waking up to eat. You have been a little crabby lately but overall, you enjoy sitting in you C pillow and relaxing. You are a pig and want to eat all the time. You still aren't sure about your brother and I am certain that you are gonna have to be a really tough boy bc your big bro is pretty tough on you. you like to sleep against my chest which is my most favorite way to hold you! Our family now feels so complete since your arrival!! You amaze me by your ability to hold your neck up so well! At you one week appointment, you weighed 7 lbs 5 ounces and you were 21 niches long! My scale is broke so I sadly have no idea how much you weigh.

Luke has been adjusting to having a little brother around. He has been pretty good about it so far and loves his bubba so much. You are about to be 2 1/2 years old and I am so amazed by your vocabulary and language skills. I hear from time to time repeating things younhave hard mom or dad say. Today, you were in Evan's room and I heard you talk to God and ask him to help you like you have heard me do when I get strewed out! You talk to Evan like you expect a response and it just makes my heart melt. You are an amazing big brother and I know you willnalways take good care of your bubba!!!

Since having Evan, I have been very busy! Jeff had to go right back to work after we got out of hospital so it has been very crazy. Thankfully, I have an amazing set if in-laws who have been there to help anytime I needed them. I have been trying hard to be a good mom but it is a struggle at times and can be a little stressful but I am starting to adjust to having two boys who need my attention all the time. I even managed to bake an apple pie today. I finally feel like I am catching up on sleep and now I can take advantage of nap time to get some things done! I honestly had a pretty hard recovery after Evan's birth and his birth (via c-sexton) was pretty rough on me. Poor kiddo did not want to come out so I was anlittle beaten up!!, praise God that I had a wonderful doctor who was able to get evan out safely!!! The last few weeks have been busy trying to put on wedding shower and help my future sil get the wedding details worked out!!! I have also been on a major mission to drop enough weight to get into my bridesmaid dress. It almost zipped up today so hopefully in the next 10 days I will make it!!!!!

Jeff has been very busy at work which is normal this time of year. It is always a little rough because I get my vacation time when he is too busy for vacation. I am confident that one day we will be able ti take a vacation together but we have many years, God willing, to take vacations. Jeff recently had to be our of town for six days and Let me tell you that I now understand why God created ADAM AND EVE!!!! I do not envy single mothers and they must be strong women!!! I spent as much time as I could with my inlaws and my parents which helped make the week go by much more quickly!

Well there is much more that I need to update on but I am gonna save that for another day! Thank you Lord for my wonderful family and all your blessings!!!

1 week

Wow it is hard to believe how quickly this pregnancy has went by....not that it has been easy, but has been quick!!! One week from today, we will be sitting in our hospital room holding our new precious baby, Luke's brother, Evan Ross Benton!!!!! I want to take this week to cherish the last time we will be a family of three and Luke will be an only child. This past weekend, I took Luke on what he calls " a hot date!" We had so much fun!!!!

Luke, I know you are so excited to meet your brother!! I don't think you realize how much our lives are about to change and how in a week you are going to have a new buddy!! Right now, you always refer to daddy as your best buddy but I am certain that will change very soon. I knew there might be so issues we would have to deal with after Evan arrives, based on all the warnings I have received; but, I did not realize some of those may start before Evan arrived!!! You want me to hold you like a baby and feed you, which I probably should not do but I figure that in a week you will have to grow some so I am going to spoil you a little this week!!! You are an amazing kid and we love you so much!!!! You are already an amazing big brother and love to take care of Evan. You want to lay on him, which we hope will stop once he is actually here, lol!! You try to feed him you snacks and milk, which is so nice of you; however, we hope that too will stop until Evan is much older!!! This morning we talked and you were so excited that you get to go to Nana and PopPops on Monday night and that they are gonna bring you to see Evan!!!

I am so amazed by all the blessings God has provided our family! I have an amazing husband, who can't stand when I write about him...but I want to remember how thankful I have been for his understand, love, and support through our lives thus far!!! I am so glad you will be by my side holding my hand between picture taking as Evan enters this world!!!! i love you!!!!!!!!

To any friends or family out there that may read this blog, I will do my best to update with pictures as quickly as I can after Evan arrives, we would appreciate your prayers for the doctor, Evan and our family next Tuesday!!!

Wow what a week!!

Well simply stated, this week has been crazy!!! My boys were sick over the weekend and we missed church!!! Then on Tuesday, we started state-wide testing. For all of you teachers out there, you know how fun and stressful these test are for the kiddie and for us!!! Once testing was over for the day, I got a call from my mom saying she was being sent by her doctor to the hospital because she was having heart issues. So i left school and headed up there. We sat there until about 7:45 pm before the heart doc came to visit. He did nothing that night but set up stress test for her the next day. Well mom ended up in so much pain that she finally asked for something to ease it so they waited till mid day to do stress test. Everything came back good which is great news but we still don't know why she is having trouble with her breathing, why she feels pain in her chest and why she is so tired!!! Then, to add to my family excitement, I left my mom's hospital room Tuesday night to head home and had the joy of feeling the worst pain of my life. Yes, I thought I must be in labor and if I wasn't, I certainly never wanted to experience real labor!!! So I did not sleep at all Tuesday night and nor did jeff!!! The next morning (suppose to be day two of testing at school), I called doctor and the nurse told me I need to go to hospital to be monitored. Fortunately, I was not in labor!!! I have a UT infection and I was very dehydrated from being sick the night before...all resulting in contractions. So when I finally get home that evening, I found out that my grandpa is very sick, so please be praying for him and his wife who has also been ill!

Well on to a much better topic, bert and Karen took Luke to Awanas last night and he had so much fun. A little funny story for me to always remember is that potty truing is going great and Luke is only wearing pull ups at night. Anyhow, guess he needed to pee while on playground last night so the little angel just let's it rip out in front of God and everyone! Man I love this kid!! Today he asked where evan was...I think he is ready for his bubba to arrive...Just a few more weeks

34 days and counting

Wow it is hard to imagine that in 34 days our lives will change forever! Our precious little Evan will be placed in our hands for the first time. God has truly blesses our family and we are just so excited for Evans arrival. I cant wait to see Luke's reaction the first time he gets to see Evan. Luke is a pretty smart boy and seems to understand more about Evan's arrival than he probably should. The other day he asked me if he was going to get to go to the doctor when Evan comes out. He is starting to get a bit more clinging when i leave the house and I think he may be nervous that he will miss something or that we will go to see Doctor Robins, as Luke calls him, without him. I guess it is getting close enough, that I should make some plans on how this will all work. Does anyone have suggestions on whether I should have Luke brought to hospital with us or later in the day? I am having a scheduled C-section so We could do this either way.

Speaking of Luke, he is going to be so disappointed because I am keeping him home from puggles tonight. He was sick last night and none of us really got much sleep! He seems to be feeling better now according to his Grandma, which I am so thankful for. Before Luke started getting sick, he helpednme put up all of Evans clothes, then he proceeded to dig out all of the toys I have hidden under the crib. Luke loves to go sit in Evans room and often times, we find Luke sitting in the rocker or in Evans little bouncer. I can just imagine Luke sitting there watching over his baby brother.

Well anyhow, my break is about over so I suppose I will get back to the joys of special Ed. Paperwork and look forward to the arrival of my next group of angels who will be more than eager to learn. By the way, please pray for all the student and teachers for next few weeks as testing begins. It is a stressful time for all those involved.

Random pic

Luke on his slide, sporting his cardinal wear!

















Jeff and His father roofing the house. It looks amazing now!!!

Luke "working on things." He is my
personal handy man!





















Luke thinking he is so big!!

Luke loves to work with his Pa!!

These kiddos are gonna hate pictures like this when they grow up. They are so precious and have so many fun times ahead of them, together!

Luke letting a girl drive him around. The kid is girl crazy already!!

I know it is from Christmas but these two boys are too cute in their bibs!!

Here's a pic of my little armadillo hunter on Christmas morning!!

An Amazing Shower

Wow I had an amazing shower. My sister-in-law ordered an awesome cake that was honestly nicer than my wedding cake. And then to top it off, she also made the cutest diaper cake ever. I got so many wonderful things and I cant wait to see Evan in all of the precious little outfits he received. Just as I had anticipated, the shower made me more excited to hold my precious little baby. Luke had so much fun going through all of the things Evan got. He actually took over the rubber duck that Matt and Becky got Evan. I guess that is okay, Evan will have to learn to share also (lol)! I go back to the doctor on Wednesday and I start spring break that day as well. Luke and I have alot of work to do to get ready for Evan. Thanks again to everyone who made the shower and for all the wonderful gifts and a special thanks to Steph for all your hard work and planning!!!

Just a little scare

Well what a day yesterday turned out to be!!! I am 31 weeks pregnant and being the worry wart that I am, my poor doctor may regret that he gave me his cell number. No really, I have tried very hard to just relax about all the weird things that happen to you when you are pregnant and so yesterday morning, when I started having some issues, I tried to relax and thought "hey I will call the doctor at the office and just let him know whats going on and he will tell me that everything is fine!" Well instead, his nurse scared the tar out of me. She told me to go to hospital and have some blood work done to " make sure my pregnancy was still a healthy one!" Of course, I got a bit emotional about this but my good senses provailed. I knew that Evan had been moving all morning so he must be okay. To make certain, I used that handy little cell phone number the doc gave me. He as I planned on hearing in the first place, assured me everything was fine. He had me come in and he exammed me and Evan was doing great. He had a good heart rate and I had not progressed toward any signs of labor. Thank God!!!!!!!!

So, after a quick lunch with my wonderful husband and brother-in-law, I went back to work. I realized when I got back to work and began doing some paperwork in between teaching my classes, that I am so forgetful this pregancy. I am almost embarrased to say it but I want to remember just how silly pregancy makes me....I honestly could not remember if I dreamed up something about a student or if my boss really did talk to me yesterday. I know that is horrible, but it was just one of those days. After a busy day at work, I went back to MT. Home again for an eye appointment. Let me just say that every since Kindergarten, I have had the same eye doctor and now, at the age of 29 I had to see someone new. I always feel nervous and pressured at the eye doctor like I am taking a test that I know I can not pass. It is truely horrible!! Anyhow, I am getting new glasses and contacts.

After the eye doctor, it was off to to pick up supper and head to the house to feed my family before Luke and I had to go to Puggles. I was so tired by the time I got home and I knew that I probably should just stay at home and rest after such a crazy day; however, Luke loves Puggles. He knows exactly what days are church days and all he could say when I got home is that he wanted his jeans and puggle's shirt on. How can you resist such devotion to God and learning about him? Well, I couldn't...so Luke ate quickly (partially on the way to church and back) and we packed up and went. It cracks me up how Luke acts so different in Puggles (with me there) and how he acts on Sundays (when I am not in class with him). He is so wild in Puggles and I spend most of my time trying to get him to calm down but I know he is learning because on the way to church I ask him about God. He told me that God made him and Maddie. Then, he went through all his friends at church. I told him that Ms. Lindsay would be there and his response was "and Landon?" I told him that Landon wasnt coming tonight and he was so concerned. He said, "Landon sick?" I told him that he was getting better. Then Luke said, "He with Mr. Wance?" I am amazed how he knows who belongs to what family. Anyhow, back to how Luke behaves...When I pick him up on Sundays, everyone always tells me how good he was and how polite he is (guess we are doing something right).

Well, I must close. My little angels are here and read to learn how to read some new words. I love teaching this group of kiddos because you can always see so much imporvement in them. God Bless!!!

Armadillos

Just wanted to share something funny that Luke has been doing lately. A few weeks ago, jeff and Luke went to the farm and I am not sure whether they actually shot armadillos or just pretended but ever since, Luke has been pretending to do so. This weekend, he was riding his wheeler and stopped suddenly, got off, picked up a stick, then got back on. He began driving again and pretending to shoot armadillos all over the yard. A few minutes ago, he just told me he needed to shoot an armadillo in our house. I love this kiddo and I am amazed at how he can so easily put me in a good mood after a rough day at work!

Show us Your Families

This is a first for me. I am going to participate in Kelly's Show Us your Life.

My Dad is an amazing man! He was born in Canada and as a child his family moved to California. After graduating college, my dad had to decide whether to wait to be drafted or pick an armed force, so he joined the Navy. He spent his required time in the Navy and when he got out and came home, he found that his family had moved to Arkansas. So he too, made his way to Arkansas. His family built a beautiful home in which my grandparents lived in until my grandmother passed away. Dad met my mom a little over 30 years ago (They hated each other, LOL). Anyhow, somehow through all the dislike for one another they fell in love and got married. Since that time my dad has spent his life working as much as possible so that he could provide for his family. My dad did not want my mom to work while us kiddos were growing up so he worked extra hard and we made alot of sacrifices. Even though my father was not a Christian while I was growing up, he always encouraged me to go to church and demanded that I act in a Christian manner. He may not have had the fear of God in himself but he certainly made sure us kiddos did. I remember asking my dad most Sunday's if he wanted to go to church this week and his response was always the same, "not yet, or maybe next week." Well about two years ago my mom and dad starting going to a little church (Bruno Baptist) and my dad found Christ. I am not sure most kids get to see their dad be baptized but I would say that it ranks up there with meeting my husband and giving birth as the best day of my life.

My mom grew up in a military family and they moved everywhere. To be honest, I know very little about her father other than he went to church and loved his recliner. Her mother; however, put up with my grandfather and pretty much raised 5 children on her own. My mom always grew up in church. As a mother, she struggled hard to ensure that us kiddos had everything we needed to go to school, play ball, etc (even if that meant being late on a bill or two). My best childhood memories of her would be when I would come home from school and she would be in the kitchen making homemade tortilla shells. I did not even know you could by shells in a store until I was well into my teen years. She never missed one of our ballgames and I remember her checking herself out of the hospital after having surgery so that she could make it to my ballgame. This women was crazy about being in attendance to every activity at school or in my life. (Let me tell you that I could not get away with anything, even if I would have tried!!) It is probably her active involvement in my life and her high expectations of me that drove me to stay on track and avoid most teenage troubles.

I have three siblings: An older brother, a younger sister and a younger brother.

My oldest brother was born from my mother's first marriage. He lived with us off and on throughout my life. I always thought he was the coolest person in the world and I just looked forward to every time he would come home. As I grew older, I started to realize the struggles he was enduring coming from a split home. He struggled to know where he fit in, where he wanted to live, and how he should live. I remember as a teen talking with my older brother and trying to answer his questions about God. I am pretty certain that my answers were not sufficient based on many of the choices he has made. He has three girls, one of which my wonderful parents are attempting to raise. Please keep my brother in your prayers!!

My younger sister has always been the shy child. I have kinda secretly looked up to her because she has never worried about what the outside world thought of her looks, attitude, success, or anything else. She just lives for her family and God. She has always been very smart and it made me so mad in school that she never had to try. When she was 18, she married her one and only boyfriend. He is an amazing man and serves as a youth minister at Bruno Baptist. They have two children: a boy named Ethan and a girl named Maci.

My younger brother is very adventurous to say the least. As child, we were always heading to the hospital to get him sowed up or casted up. I honestly dont think it was that he was accident prone, he just pushed everything to limit (lOl). He was probably the most athletic of us all! I guess it is coming up on two years since we nearly lost him. My brother was going on with his normal adventurous life. Right out of high-school, he went straight to work with my dad. My brother loves to make money and was not willing to wait on college to pan out (lol). He met a wonderful girl named Cheryl. They found out they were expecting a child and we were so excited (you see my sister and I were both pregnant also). Then it was like the world came to a stop!!!!!!!! I remember that I was on my way to drop Luke off at the sitters (funny that I cant remember were I was going). My mom called and said that I needed to get to the house now and that Adam had a dirt bike wreck and they were airlifting him out. I dont remember much about my drive only that it was quick and panicked. When I got there, Adam was already in the ambulance and they were about to take him to meet the helicopter. Once Jeff got tot he house, we went and picked up my sister and took off for Springfield. When we got to St. Johns, Adam was sleeping and honestly looked fine. We took turns sitting with him and were later told they were going to move him up to ICU just for observation but everything looked good (sweet relief, right?) Jeff and I decided we would go get food for everyone (especially Cheryl who was like 8 months pregnant at this point). While sitting in the drive through, I received a panicked phone call from my sister (remember she is the shy one). All she said is get here now, mom passed out and they are rushing Adam to surgery. Wow!!!!!! Anyhow, to make this story as short as possible, the amazing doctors at St. John's saved my brothers life. They told us that they almost lost him and for two to three days it would be touch and go. From that point on, we were warned that it may take a long while (6 months or more) for Adam to talk, walk, or do much of anything normal. We were told that he might have to be in the hospital for months, a rehabilitation center for a year (I suppose it is their job to prepare us for the worst). Well I am glad to report that Adam amazed all of his doctors and was moved from St.JOhns after about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks. He was then moved to Mt. Home to their rehabilitation floor. He spent about a week there and was ready to go home. He was walking and talking (not always saying what he should). It was not an easy road once he got home. He struggled with his memory, with not being allowed to work, with understanding and dealing with his child being born. I am so happy to say that he has come a long way since his accident. He and Cheryl are getting married on June 18th (after a long road), Adam is back to work, and their wonderful, beautiful baby girl is amazing!!! Adam was saved as a young boy and I am certain that his accident and the things he experienced being so close to death will continue to remind him daily of God's amazing power!!

Well that is my family!! As Kelly stated, my husband's family is amazing and I am so blessed to have them in my life!!!

I will try to attach a picture of my family tonight!

Restful Weekend

I will start off by saying that I failed to get any pictures this weekend. Anyhow, when Jeff got home from work on Friday night, he took Luke and I on a "hot date." Luke calls going out to eat, "going on a hot date!" I taught him this last Wednesday when I was trying to convince him to leave the babysitters and come home with me. As usual, Luke was quite wild on our outing. Jeff and I always ask ourselves why we insist on trying to eat out, when we know exactly what will happen. We both know that we will eat as fast as possible and then rush out the door without ever relaxing or enjoying our meal. Luke is not much on staying in his seat and rarely makes it past the chips and salsa before he is trying to play in the floor or jump from his chair. I am sure he really entertains the people around us.
Then on Saturday, we woke up and I cooked breakfast (pancakes, sausage, and eggs). Jeff and Luke played for a while and then I went to buy groceries while the men did manly things (sweep garage, take trash off, and buy brake pads). Then, I picked up lunch and eventually Luke took a nap. As always, by the time Jeff and I start thinking that we might take a nap too, Luke decides to wake up. He woke up in such a good mood and was so eager to play with his daddy. I just love watching them two together.
On Sunday, we went to church and then came home and I cooked a quick and easy lunch. After Lunch, Luke and I both took a nap. I love race season because I can always count on watching the two best parts, the beginning and the end with a nap in between. After nap time, Luke and Jeff went out and played. This is when I planned on getting some great photos but Jeff said not to bother because the wind was blowing (see how I just blamed him for my lack of photo capturing). Last night, came a big storm and as usual I was afraid. I hate how the wind sounds at our house. I always think the roof is about to come off, which is quite funny given that when I left the house this morning, our yard was littered with shingles. You know it was a pretty rough storm when you get a call at 6:45 am from the neighbor saying that we are welcome to come over and get in their basement any time we need to (LOL).
On another note, I am so proud of Luke. He has been doing so well with this potty training business. He is wearing big boy underwear and has been accident free for about 7 days now. He wears a pull-up at nap but that too has been dry the last few days. We still haven't mastered the night time and so he wears a diaper then. And to be honest, I am not really excited about him waking me up to go to the bathroom (Evan already does that enough as it is, LOL).
So as you know, Jeff had been gone a lot for the past few weeks. During that time, Luke turned back into a Mommy's boy and became a bit whinny. Well it has only taken a few days but, Luke no longer wants mommy to do everything for him. Everything is about daddy now!!!!!!! Honestly, you would think that this might make me a little sad but it is nice to just sit back and rest especially given the fact that Evan is causing me hip issues and there are just times where I cant seem to get up and walk to the bathroom by myself. Speaking of, Luke was so precious yesterday. I was having a difficult time walking and he was so helpful. He would hold my hand and walk me down the hall every time I needed to get up. I just love that little angel and I know he is going to be such a wonderful big brother to Evan Woss (ross)!

Jeff

Well it has been a crazy two weeks but I think that has all come to an end. Jeff left last Tuesday to go to Louisiana for work. He had to be gone till Monday night. Sadly, while he was there, one of our friends got notice that his mom was not doing well and he needed to get home. Him mother, Lisa Raynor (an amazing women), passed away early Sunday morning. Lisa was an amazing lady with an amazing voice and heart for God. She loved our boy and so looked forward to getting any cards with pictures that we sent her way. Our family will cherish the time that we were able to spend with her. Please continue to pray for Matt and his family. I have never had to experience anything like this so it is hard for me to even comprehend the pain a child goes through when their parent goes on to be with the Lord. Ms. Lisa is up in Heaven singing in the choir of angels and we can all look forward to hearing her singing upon our arrival into the pearly gates.

Anyhow, Jeff got home Monday night and then he left again Wednesday morning so that he could go to Indiana to be with Matt and his family for the funeral. Luke was so sweet about his daddy leaving. We prayed all week for his daddy to be safe and for Matt and his family. I told him that Jeff was going to see Matt and Becky and left it at that....but leave it to my child to add his own story to things. Luke kept saying that Jeff went to see Matt and Becky and the baby!!! I think he may be predicting the future or it could be that he just stays very confused about our baby coming.

Well, Jeff made it home last night and we tried hard to stay up for him but Luke just could not make it. He was very excited (once he got past his mommy stage in the morning) to see Jeff this morning. He got to get back to his morning routine: go to the bathroom, brush teeth, chap stick, floss, and spray deodorant....in that order, lol. Its hard to keep Luke on his routine when Jeff is gone because I am doing good just to get shoes on him and me!!!

We are so glad to be back together as a family and are really looking forward to a wonderful weekend. Lots of pictures to come with the weekend post.

Beautiful Day!

God has certainly blessed our family with a wonderful home and an amazingly large yard for our children to play in. When Luke and I got home today, we decided to go play outside for a bit and enjoy the wonderful weather God has been giving us. Luke is all boy and it is very hard to get the kiddo to come inside once he is allowed out those doors.



This is just one of the wonderful views from our house. I know that we look forward to having some land and a lot more space for our family but it is really hard to beat 2 open acres in a wonderful neighborhood.

As always, Mr. Independent wanted to slide. Before he reached the bottom, he was saying, "I do it again." I am pretty certain he would have slid till it was dark if I would have let him.

Most of the time, it is difficult to catch Luke for a photo. He is always moving and I never can get him to pose for me. Jeff is out of town so I told Luke he needed to smile for his daddy so I could send him this picture. Luke said, "Smile for daddy!" He is just so cute!

The little guy loves rocks. I kept telling him not to throw the rocks in the grass but he just wouldn't listen. He said, "Mommy, mine get one more rock!" Sorry Jeff in advance for all the rocks you will be mowing over. We love you!!

I don't usually take too many pictures of myself (especially pregnant) but thought I would try to snap one. Obviously, I am looking at the camera and Luke is saying something like, "take the picture mom...is that a doggy?" So much for a cute pic together!!

As always, we had to ride Luke's 4 wheeler. So we went to the garage and got it out. He took off through the yard and got just far enough away that it would be a task for ol' prego to get it back to the house. He stopped, looked at me and said, "oh, mommy ride bike!!" It was like he suddenly remembered this wonderful bike his pa and grandma got him for his birthday. So as he ran to the garage to get his bike, I pushed that stinking wheeler back to the garage. As you can tell from the picture, Luke is not quite long-legged enough to reach both pedals at the same time, so I pushed him around a bit.

We really had a great time!! We are certainly looking forward to Jeff being back home so he can enjoy this wonderful weather with us. With any luck, Luke and I may get to go to the park after I get off work tomorrow.

As a side note, I sometimes forget how amazing God is and how he will always take care of us. I am a bit of a worry-wart (even voted so in high-school). Jeff is one of the most laid back guys I have ever met so hopefully we balance each other out, but he often has to remind me just to give all my concerns to God. This week, God has answered prayers and has taken care of two concerns that had been pressing on me pretty hard. How quickly we forget all the aspects of pregnancy but I certainly am remembering that anxiety comes toward the end and it comes with a vengeance. Praise God for his comfort and answered prayers.

Finally, (just so I can document and not forget) I went to the doctor yesterday. I passed my sugar test and fortunately did much better on my weight gain. Everything seems to be going great with Evan and we are looking forward to his arrival. I start going to the doctor every two weeks now which really makes time fly. One 10 and 1/2 more weeks till he is here.

Good night!!