Spring Celebration!

Yesterday we went to a Spring Celebration B-B-Q hosted at Dr. Nelson's...a physician who works at Aaron's hospital. Dr. Nelson has a lovely home, situated on a large plot of land, and it is just perfect for hosting large outdoor family events.

While at the party Johnathan participated in his first egg hunt, and also was able to play with some of his new friends that he has made over the last several months. He loves being outside, so yesterday was the perfect day for him. It was nice to be able to hang out with a lot of the residents and their families. It's always nice when Aaron and the other residents get a chance to relax!

Here are a few of the photos that capture the fun evening that we all had:

Johnathan enjoying his snack on the way to the party...don't you love his chubbiness?!!
Hanging out with his friend, Valeria. She is a little doll!
Saying hello to his friend Brandon!
Getting ready for the big egg hunt!
Look what he got all on his own! Yay for Johnathan!
Johnathan and Valeria had fun at the egg hunt, and even more fun discovering what was in the eggs!

My Little Brown Bear!

Johnathan received this super cute towel from Aunt Jennifer and family for his birthday. Tonight was his first night to use it, and since it was another "first", I had to document it with some pictures! I will sometimes call Johnathan "my little brown bear", so this towel is perfect for him! He does look like a cute little bear cub with it on, doesn't he?! Thank you, Aunt Jennifer and all the Whitehursts for this super cute gift! I'm sure we'll be using it for many years---and many kids!---to come! :)

He started out sort of serious...
...okay, really serious...
...but then he started to warm up to the camera...
...okay, starting to show his fun-loving side...
...and now bursting into all-out giggles!!!

Big Boy Pajamas!

In the last couple of weeks it had become apparent that Johnathan was outgrowing his "baby" footie pajamas. Plus the weather here was getting a tad too warm to wear them anyways. So, A week or so ago we made a trip to Kohl's---they were having a sale...it seems as if Kohl's is always having a "sale"...probably to trick people like me into coming in to shop...well, it worked! We came home with some really cute "big boy" pajamas!

Here is Johnathan after his bath this evening, watching his movie before bed so that I could go clean the kitchen. Doesn't he look adorable in his new jammies?!! They even glow in the dark! Pretty cool, huh?!! He is growing up way too fast, and although at times I wish I could pause time, I am enjoying watching him grow. Each day brings new discoveries, and it's so much fun when I'm able to watch him do something for the first time. Being a mommy is just awesome!!!

Hanging onto the side of his pack'n'play watching Shark Tale!
I'm a Star!!!
Sweetest little face in the world!

Happy Birthday, Johnathan!!!

What a day to celebrate! Johnathan's 1 year anniversary of life on this earth...not including the womb time! At 11:59 pm yesterday I went into his bedroom, and I watched him as he slept, so calm and peaceful looking. I wanted to be there when March gave way to April, and as the clock struck midnight, I was there with my sweet boy. Praying for him, thanking God for giving us such a wonderful gift, and praying for Johnathan's future. Praying that he comes to love the Creator who made him, and that he lives a life serving the Lord who gave him life...the Lord who is LIFE itself! It was such a precious moment to be able to pray over him exactly as his birthday arrived. Awesome! (I sense a tradition being formed!)

This morning, before any of the festivities started, Johnathan actually gave me a gift...he slept in, so I got to sleep in too!!! Oh, it felt so good to not have to climb out of bed until 8:45! As soon as we were up we did present time with Daddy. Aaron's working the night shift, so we had to fit in our birthday celebrating around his sleep schedule. Johnathan got after his presents "like a wolvorine" as Aaron says, and although he was surrounded with presents he still preferred to play with the boxes that they came in...isn't that just like a baby?!! After a while he realized that the gifts were cool too, but it's hard to beat those boxes, they're pretty neat!

While Aaron was home catching a few zzz's, Johnathan and I headed over to my Aunt Jennifer's home for a little preview of what was to come later on in the day. Since my aunt's family is such a huge part of our lives here, I figured that they would enjoy getting to see Johnathan eat his first bites of cake, so I made him some cupcakes especially for that reason. He sure did enjoy eating the cupcake, and my aunt, uncle and cousins had fun watching Johnathan make a mess of himself.

After having lots of fun at Aunt Jen's we came home. And after nap time, and once Aaron was up and at 'em, we started round two of the cake destroying...and this time Johnathan really did the 1st year birthday cake eating justice. He was covered, head to toe in icing, cake and coconut! He was quite a sight (as you will see in his pictures) and I had a blast watching him enjoy his first sugar overload! Yay for Sugar!!! Haha! I think I have a little sweet-tooth in the making!

Once Johnathan had sufficiently covered himself (and the floors) in yummy green goo, it was off to the bathtub...where even the water turned green! Yeah, I used a lot of green food coloring in his cake...so, um, I wouldn't be surprised if I see more green a little later on from Johnathan, if you know what I mean---and if you don't, well I'm not going to explain that here! Hehe!

After bath time we had to say good-bye to Daddy, who was off to work for another night. We are so grateful to him for all his hard work and dedication, but we do miss him when he's gone. He is a wonderful father and husband, and we're so thankful that he cares so well for our family.

Johnathan ended his birthday extravaganza by attending Kenny's baseball game. Johnathan loves being outside, and likes to clap when he sees everyone else clapping at the ball game. It's pretty cute. Kenny had a great game, and his team creamed the other team, 12-3!!! Kenny made several really good plays, had some great hits, and was all around fun to watch. Thanks Kenny for helping to make Johnathan's birthday fun!

As I write this, it is 9:15 pm. Exactly 1 year, 12 hours and 6 minutes after Johnathan's birth. Each and every second that has gone by since 9:09 am, April 1, 2008 has been filled with such joy and marvel at the wonderful gift God has blessed us with. Johnathan is the light of our world, and is a perfect depiction of God's love for us. Thank you Jesus for our sweet boy, and always keep him in Your care. We love you Johnathan! Happy 1st Birthday!!!

About to start ripping open his gifts...thank you everyone for my cool presents!
This card is funny! I'm a happy birthday boy!
Opening a gift from Grammy and Grandpa...thank you!!!
Hanging out with Dada, and opening some cool stuff!
Enjoying his birthday breakfast...no "special" plate yet, but that will come!
Taking a bite of my birthday cupcake. I like sugar!
Johnathan is turning into the Incredible Hulk!
Oooh! Yummy!!!
My attempt at a birthday cake...it's a caterpillar, just in case you couldn't tell! :)
Family birthday picture---one of those traditions I grew up with!
Now the real cake destroying is about to begin!
It's squishy! And goo-ey! And oh, so yummy!!!
It's better when you shove it in with your whole fist!
I didn't know you could eat grass!!! Sure is tasty!
Look at that mess!!!
What color is my tongue?!!
I love his green icing mustache and beard!
Happy Baby!
Yay!
He's all worn out from so much cake destroying...or maybe he's just coming down from the sugar high! Haha!

Continuing the Tradition!

In my family birthdays were kind of a big deal...let me rephrase that...they were a HUGE deal! Whoever the birthday boy or girl was got to pick out a special breakfast and dinner meal, and got to eat off of the "special" plate...a plate that was almost solely used for birthday occasions or other special days. A cake (or pie for Grant) was always made and decorated beautifully. We almost always had a big dinner celebration with our immediate family and grandparents. Oh, how I loved our birthday dinners...time spent with family is precious! We got presents too, but I mostly just remember the togetherness, and the love felt from family. And that's the best gift of all.

Well, tomorrow is Johnathan's 1st birthday! Not only is it his first b-day, it's my first time continuing the tradition of meaningful birthday celebrations! I just wrapped his gifts, and they are sitting on the living room floor just waiting to be torn open. I'm about to go make his "cake"...it is going to be unique, that's for sure. Unlike my sister, Gwen, cakes aren't exactly my forte! I'm going to give it my best shot though, so we'll see how that turns out!

I know that Johnathan won't really understand what tomorrow is, but as the years go by I hope that he knows how much the anniversary of his birth means. Birthdays really are a wonderful thing to celebrate, and I'm so very excited to be able to continue what my mother started...birthdays to remember for years to come.

We love you, Johnathan! Happy almost birthday!!!

Uh, oh...we're in trouble!

It seems that our little Johnathan has his daddy's big appetite. That boy can eat! I don't know where he puts it all, and I'm constantly amazed at how much he can chow down. For example, tonight he had 1) a whole turkey sandwich...two pieces of meat between two slices of wheat bread...with mustard!...2) a baby banana...3) about 1/4 cup of peas...and 4) two cubes of spinach/chicken...homemade by me! And then afterward, while I was trying to recreate his meal for a picture, he was still making his hungry fuss so he had some banana Puffs! Can you imagine an almost 1 year old eating all of that?!! Maybe it's normal, but it sure seems like a lot to me. Here are the pictures of his "meal" and some pics of him as he enjoyed his food.

Of course I didn't feed him the veggies still frozen, like here in the pic, but I just wanted you to have an idea of the amount of food. It's a lot, right?!!
Finishing up a yummy meal!
Chubby-bubby!
Ooh, getting frustrated...give me more food!
All done!
Sweetest smile...gotta love those cute little teeth!
I love this crooked little smile!
He was really starting to ham it up for the camera!
Adorable!
I'm happy when my belly's full!!!

Going for a swim...sort of!

Yesterday, after getting up early to continue our painting headache, I decided that it would be a perfect afternoon for a "swim." Johnathan had a little baby pool that he got last year (thanks Nana & Papi) and I've been wanting to try it out. So, after blowing it up, putting our suits on and getting the towels, we were all ready to fill up the pool and go swimming! Of course the pool is only meant for one baby, so Aaron and I were just going to lay in the sun and watch Johnathan enjoy the water.

As with most endeavors that you're excited about, things never quite go as planned. First off, it took a while to get the hose into the backyard since we had been using it to water the front. Then, once we did get the water in the pool it was freezing! So, I boiled a kettle of water to warm it up a bit---and then I boiled some more because it really was quite cold! No wonder Johnathan cried when we first tried to put him in the pool! Pobrecito!

Once we got things all set, Johnathan did enjoy playing in his little mushroom pool for about 10 minutes or so. All in all it was an okay "swimming" experience for us, and I was able to take some cute pictures of Johnathan before the big swim started. Aah, I just love looking at him in pictures. He is so incredibly cute!

I love his serious face here, so precious!
This picture could be titled "ha!" That is the sound he makes when his little face looks like that.
Sweet smile!
Checking something out...is Daddy coming with the water???
Oh yeah, looking cool and relaxed at the pool. Anybody wanna join me?!!
Look at that big ol' noggin! It's still sort of big looking, but a perfect place for kisses!!!
Oh, this one just makes me melt! Isn't he so sweet looking?!!
Cute little buddy!
I just love his little legs! So squeezable!!!

Discouraged

As some of you may have read in a post I wrote a week or so ago, we found out that our house contains a lot of lead paint! All the windows, every door, the mantle around the fire place, the step down into the sun room...pretty much everything that's painted contains lead, except for the kitchen, thank goodness. After contacting our land lady we have a plan to enclose all the lead painted areas, and yesterday I started that process. I taped around several door frames and around the mantle. I am so thankful that most of our home is wood---the walls, floors, and molding---but there is still a lot of work to be done. As I began the process of making our house a safer place for Johnathan (and us) to be, I started to really get discouraged.

I actually started this post yesterday, and had titled it Procrastination because I was seriously delaying the process of enclosing the poisonous paint. If you read online how to fix a lead paint problem, the information that is out there will scare your socks off. I guess that is the reason that I was procrastinating so much. I didn't want to do anything wrong that would make our dilemma even worse. Anyways, I procrastinated so much (and read way too much on the internet before beginning) that by the time I actually started taping and painting yesterday I was really discouraged. Thus the new post title.

As I taped, which took FOREVER, and as I started to primer the mantle, all I could think was "oh, what if the painting is not enough---what if Johnathan's doctor tells us to move to get away from the paint---where could we afford to move---it would have to be a house so that we could keep Bo---will we have to get rid of Bo so we can move into an apartment?" I thought these and other similar negative thoughts. I was really getting bogged down with all the discouragement, and by the time that Aaron got home I was one big ball of negativity. Ugh!!!

This is where having someone with his head on straight really comes in handy. Aaron told me just to pray about it...seemed so simple, why hadn't I thought of that??? So, as I started our dinner prep, I prayed. Prayed that God would show us what to do. Prayed that He would protect our little boy from the "unseen danger" in our house. Prayed that I would be able to relax and to trust that He would take care of everything. I just prayed!

After spending a little time talking to God, I did start to feel a little less discouraged. Amazing how that works! So for now, we will keep doing what we can to protect our little one, and pray to see if God wants us to stay here or if we should move if the painting is not enough. And, if we have to move, I know that God will provide for us in our new place just like He has in our current home. He is good like that!

Mac 'n Cheese Disaster!

Yesterday while Johnathan was taking his morning nap I was trying to decide on what I was going to feed him for lunch. Now that he's getting older he is able to add a wider variety of foods to his diet, and since we had been stuck on turkey sandwiches for a while I wanted to try something new. So, looking in the pantry I picked out a box of Mac 'n' Cheese that I had purchased several weeks earlier...and not just any Mac 'n' Cheese mind you, Annie's Organic!

As it neared the time for him to wake up, I started to prepare his lunch and by the time that he finally made his first little I'm awake noises, I had his lunch all ready. I sat him down in his high chair and plopped some yummy Mac 'n' Cheese with Sweet Peas on his tray. He went after it, let me tell you, and he really seemed to be enjoying it. After a couple minutes I noticed that his face looked a little red around his mouth. I was actually looking to see if he would have any type of reaction since it was a new food, and I just wanted to make sure he did okay with it. Well, he did not! A few minutes more and he started rubbing his little chubby hands all over his face, especially around his eyes, and right after that the hives popped out all over his poor little face. His eyes started to get really swollen looking around them, and I was getting really scared! I called up Aaron really quick to find out the correct dosage of Benadryl to give Johnathan, and after administering that I rushed him to the tub to wash off any of the food that might have been on his skin.

Aaron told me to watch him and if the medicine didn't take effect in a couple minutes to take him to the ER...except that he had the car seat in his car! Oh, great! He was scheduled to get off around the time that I called him, and by the time I got Johnathan out of the bath he had made it home. Boy, was I glad to see him walking up to the house. The Benadryl started to work fairly soon after I gave it to Johnathan, and after about 30 minutes he looked pretty much back to normal...then he got another little flare up! So, more Benadryl and watching to see how Baby J. did with that, and two very anxious parents hoping that he was going to be okay. We didn't end up having to go to the ER, thankfully, and now I guess we might have to get Johnathan tested for allergies. I'll talk with his doctor about it when he goes for his 1 year check-up, and in the meantime I won't be trying any new foods. So much for trying to be all healthy and organic!

6 Years and Counting!

It's hard to believe that so much time has gone by since Aaron and I tied the knot. But, today, March 22nd, 2009 does indeed mark the 6 year anniversary of our marriage! This is one of those times where there is so much to say that trying to pin (or pen) some of the highlights down is actually kind of hard. How do you recapture 6 years worth of life together?

I've been watching our wedding DVD, and it is bittersweet to look back and see the girl I used to be. Oh how naive I was to the sorrow that life can bring...I'm not talking about being married here, but for those of you who know us, you know that our first years of marriage were overshadowed by losing our boys and our "angel babies." So, watching that happy, life-is-always-going-to-be-wonderful girl that I used to be is sort of painful. In other respects though it is wonderful to see that I am in some ways still that happy girl. More in love with her beloved groom than ever, and well aware of the unbreakable bonds that have forged between us because of what we've conquered together.

I feel like this past year of marriage has been our best ever. I'm sure that it is largely due to the birth of our sweet son, Johnathan. It is such a joy to see "proof" of our love in human form, and having him to love has taken our love for each other to a new level. I love seeing Aaron being a daddy, a role that he has craved since we first learned of the life growing inside me when we found out that our love had created a child in our first year of marriage! Now that he is able to live out that role, and now that I am able to live out my dream of being a mommy, we are both in a place where our love for each other has grown by leaps and bounds because we now know joy in addition to sorrow. Having a child just does something for you, and each of our children is a blessing from our Creator.

So here's to us! Happy Anniversary! 6 years down and counting...and counting...and counting...yep, we want to make it to at least 75!!!

- - - - - - -

To my beloved,

Thank you for picking me to be your life's partner. To share in your joy, to help carry you through sorrow, and to be the one you turn to for love. I pray that each year I have with you allows me to give you the respect you deserve as my husband, and the honor that you've earned by being the father of my children. I love you more than life, as your love is life itself. I am so grateful for the 6 years we've had together as husband a wife. I'm thankful for the trials and triumphs that have bonded us together, and I am so blessed to be the recipient of the deep love that you have to give. May each year bring us closer together, and also may it bring us closer to the One who made us for each other. It is only through Him that we are sustained. I love you, my Favorite! You are the love of my life!

With all my heart and all the love I have to give,
Your Grace

Crazy, Wonderful Mess!

It's no secret that babies are messy. It just can't be helped, and no matter how hard I try to keep things in order throughout the day, well, it just doesn't happen. When Johnathan first started to roam beyond his infant play mat, we set up an area in our living room that would be just for him. A place that would be the home for all his little toys and treasures. At first he kept his things relatively close to their designated area, but that's all history now. Once he starts to play, our living room begins to look as if a tornado has hit!

When I first thought of having so many baby toys in the living room I wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of things being out of order. I like things neat, everything in it's place, and when things aren't that way I sometimes get a little stressed---yep, I really do! While I was struggling with the thought of messiness, I had a conversation with my sister Gwen about a time when our Mema had come to visit her apartment. Miles (my nephew) was down for a nap when Mema had arrived, and so Gwen's home looked neat and orderly. As soon as Miles woke up he started playing and of course things got messy really quick. As Miles enjoyed playing with his things, Mema said something to Gwen like " Now everything looks good. It looks like a baby lives here."

After hearing that, it really changed my perspective on messiness. Who wants a home that looks like a picture in a magazine all the time? Okay, I admit it, sometimes I do, but I'd much rather have a house that is a happy home for a child. A place where it's okay to just be a kid...and like I said at the beginning, kids are messy, so it's all part of the package! Of course when Johnathan is older we'll teach him how to clean up too, but for now we will just enjoy his crazy, wonderful mess!

A sample of what our living room looks like during a normal day!

When Johnathan is down for the night, the No-Mess Mommy comes out in me, and I get things all ready for another day! With the mess put back in order, at least I can sleep good at night!

Walkin' the Talk!

A few posts ago, I wrote about giving our elders the respect and time of day that they deserve. I didn't want my words to be that only, I wanted to put into action what I was talking about. There is a phrase that comes to mind which I'm sure we all know that goes something like "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?" Meaning that words are meaningless if you don't act on them. So, Wednesday, I was walkin' the talk, and was able to spend some time at an assisted living home passing out home made cookies to the residents there. The story of how this all came about was actually due to my two Bright Lights girls, who I am very proud of!

Several weeks ago at one of our Bright Lights (Bible study) meetings, we had a lesson on ministering to others and also one on sharing the Good News. After going through the lessons, my girls, Arden and Mikaela, wanted to do something for some nursing home residents. There is an assisted living home really close to our house, so I called it up and spoke with a Sister Barbara there and asked if we could make some cookies to bring to the residents. She was more than pleased to let us, and it worked out for us to be able to go Wednesday afternoon.

After making about 6 dozen cookies around lunch-time, we wrapped them up and took them along with some Bible verse cards we'd made to give out to the ladies and gentlemen at the home. When we got there we spoke with Sister Barbara, and she sent us to the dining room where a lot of the residents had gathered for a guitarist who was playing for them. As soon as we showed up we had their full attention! I doubt they get home made, still warm from the oven cookies that often, so they were ready to enjoy a treat!

We handed the cookies and a Bible verse card out to each person, and I it was refreshing to hear a sincere thank-you from every one. You could tell that they really meant it. Afterwards, we mingled a bit, and showed off little mister Johnathan! Of course he was a huge attraction, and I heard "oh, I have some great-grand babies almost his age" and "I used to have a little one like him...and know he's 60!" Everyone, especially the ladies, thought that our lil' man was adorable and just the best baby ever!

We didn't stay quite as long as I thought we would since everyone sort of shuffled out right after they were done. A couple of ladies did seem to be craving some talk, and we were able to spend a little extra time with them. Arden and Mikaela really shined, and were so gracious to each person. We all want to go back again soon, and we're already planning our next visit. We're thinking maybe something for Easter!

I encourage each of you to walk the talk the next time the opportunity presents itself to you. It is amazing how it makes you feel, especially knowing that you were a bright spot, or should I say Bright Light, in someone's day.

Blessings!