Arizona Trip 2011

Well, we had our first "family vacation" to somewhere other than to visit family.  It was actually a conference that G had to go to for work, but Jake and I got to tag along.  I have to be honest.... I was dreading it.  I wasn't looking forward to staying in a hotel room with a 16 month old boy. How would naps go?? How would night time go?? How would we be able to keep him on a schedule?? Would we all be miserably exhausted?? Well, it all worked out and we had a BLAST!! 
We flew out of Lubbock Sat morning laying over in Albuquerque. Jake did great on both flights. When we got to Phoenix he was one sleepy boy. By the time we got to the terminal to catch the bus to get to the rental car place, Jake-Man was out. So we were in no hurry and let him take a little cat-nap before heading out. 
The hotel we stayed at was AMAZING! The grounds were beautiful and we had a wonderful balcony to sit out on.  There were bunnies and quail running around everywhere you went.  We had humming birds off our balcony, and Jake's favorite, we were close enough to a small airport that there were always airplanes and helicopters for him to watch. We were a little sad because the two days that G had available for us to go to the zoo, it was TOO COLD... in ARIZONA! How often does that happen? Instead we went to the Phoenix Children's museum.  Jake had so much fun, he could climb and run all he wanted.  There was a lot for him to see and do. He was ready for a good nap after that day. His naps were taken in his crib... in the bathroom. He didn't seem to mind.  We would also put him down for the night in there and when G and I were ready for bed we would roll him out into the room.  He would snooze right through the transfer.  He was waking up a little early for AZ time, but not too bad if we stayed on TX time. Everyday was filled with running up and down the halls, running the grounds, playing with the rocks in the courtyard, playing on the balcony, and watching airplanes and helicopters. We had some YUMMY food and gelato.  We went to the mall a few times to play in their play area and that's where Jake got to ride a carousel for the first time. He didn't look thrilled, but enjoyed it b/c he asked to go again as soon as it was done.
Our last full day we went to The McCormick Train Park.  There was a huge playground to play on, a train to ride, another carousal, birds to chase and ICE CREAM! Jake had a great time running around. We always have so much fun just letting him run and explore.  It's impossible for him to run without smiling and laughing. It brings us such joy. All the fun we had made up for the lack of rest and sleep.  WORTH EVERY MINUTE!
Now the trip home was a little rough.  We were flying out of Phoenix at 9:40.  So we were up and at'em that morning thanks to J-Man who was up at 5:30.  We left the hotel at 7:30... PLENTY of time to drive to the rental car place, catch the bus to the airport, check bags, get through security and let Jake get in a quick nap in the stroller at the gate.  HA! Didn't quite go as we had planned. We made it to the airport and to the counter to check our bags by 8:20.  So far, so good. Well, little did we know we were sharing a kiosk with a family with four kids and 8 bags. The guy behind the counter had printed out 8 baggage claim tickets and kept telling the dad next to us that he was missing two bags b/c he had two claim tickets left.  The Dad kept explaining, "you put four on the conveyor belt already, there are two behind you, and two right here.. that's eight!" The guy continued to argue.. sir, you are missing 2 bags... on and on.  Meanwhile our kiosk keeps timing out, Jake is ready to be out of his stroller and we're all hungry. So finally the dad just says, you have checked our bags, we're done. Once he walks off the guy behind the counter realizes that he had put OUR two baggage claim tickets on two of his bags and that's why he had two left over.  Thank goodness they were two bags he hadn't put on the conveyor belt yet.  So FINALLY we got our bags checked and headed to security where we were placed in the family line that runs slower than the others b/c everyone in that line has kids.  So we get through security and they have to test J's milk, which by that time I kept telling them, just throw it out! But the lady was insistent on letting us keep it.  THEN I had forgotten to take a teething ring out of the diaper bag so they had to dig for that b/c it was filled with liquid.  I HAD the diaper bag packed so nicely.  So while I'm waiting for them to find the teether and check the milk Gerald has J who desperately wants out of the stroller, trying to get their shoes back on, the bags organized, then J OUT of the stroller, keep his eye on J so he can put the stroller in the gate check bag and keep up with the boarding passes.  Soooo by the time we make it to the gate they are already boarding and no time for breakfast or a nap for Jake.  So this flight is going from Phoenix to Austin, to Dallas, then to Lubbock.  LUCKILY this flight is pretty empty so we had a row to ourselves.  Jake did okay but was SOOOO tired and would NOT sleep. We tried every trick in the book to get him to sleep. So we land in Austin which was supposed to be a QUICK turn around.  We don't even have to get off the plane. HA! So we land, they get a count of the through passengers and then we hear the engine turn off.  "Sorry for the delay folks, but there is a ding on the door that's not suppose to be there.  They are on their way to check it out.  It shouldn't take long." By this time Jake is hungry for lunch and BEYOND exhausted. Fussy, squirmy, cranky OH MY! So we get up and let him run up and down the aisle, the flight attendant gave him a coloring page to color. About 25 mins. pass and they finally come back on and say, "folks, if you will, look out the windows to your left...there you will see your plane." UGH! So we gather up all our stuff and deboard. Of course this is the opportune time for Jake to poop.  So once off the plane we split up, Jake and I to the bathroom and Gerald to find us some lunch. This was the WORST baby changing station ever.  It was a counter with the sink at one end.  Barely room for Jake to fit.  What made it so bad was the ELECTRICAL OUTLET right at his head along with the motion sensored paper towel dispenser.  Needless to say, Jake still had the pencil that came with his coloring page that he continued to try and put in the outlet then discovered the paper towel dispenser.  All while I'm trying to keep him from sliding into the sink or rolling off the counter.  Have I mentioned we are ALL exhausted??  So we get back to the plane and this one is FULL!! The poor guy that sat with us was so nice and had 4 kids of his own, so he understood how it was traveling with kids.  LUCKILY, Jake DID fall asleep as soon as we took off and slept the entire flight to Dallas. YAY!! Once to Dallas, we stuck around to make sure G got another flight to Lubbock, he had missed his original flight thanks to the delay in Austin. Jake and I stayed in Dallas a few days to visit while G flew onto Lubbock to work Thurs. and Fri.  He then drove back to Dallas Sat morning to meet up with us and his family for his sister's birthday.  It was GREAT being with everyone, even if for just a short while.  We then got in the car Sun morning and started the 6 hr journey home.  Jake did great and we were ALL  soooo glad to be home again.  Though it was exhausting, and at times challenging, we really did have a GREAT time.  This definitely gave us the bug to want to take more family trips.  We made many memories that we will cherish for years to come.  (By the way, Jake is now SEVENTEEN MONTHS OLD... He's running everywhere, eating everything, climbing like a monkey, playing in dirt, throwing whatever he gets in his hands (not a fun stage),  starting to talk more and in constant motion.  I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Thanks for reading about our journey, hope you enjoy the pictures!!

GOT DIRT??

So I have officially decided that BOYS are BEST!!... okay, so I'm probably a little partial, but I just have so much fun with Jake these days.  One of his ABSOLUTE FAVORITE things is to play in the dirt! We don't have a sandbox...yet... so he has to settle with our "flower"bed (it's actually just a dirt bed) out front and some dirt filled pots.  He has A BLAST every time we go outside.  He comes in completely FILTHY and tracks dirt in on my freshly cleaned entry way floor, trails it through my freshly vacuumed living area, and continues distributing his filth through my freshly mopped kitchen.

I have come to the conclusion that I DON'T CARE!! I would so much rather have a filthy dirt-filled house and a sweaty, excited, happy boy than a spic and span clean house with a bored little boy looking longingly outside. Oh... don't get me wrong, sometimes it's hard to let it go b/c I do work hard at getting my house clean.  But when I see the joy that fills my little boys heart when he is outside playing (and thus learning soooo much) a clean house doesn't seem that big of a deal.  So when you visit our house, and it smells of sweat and dirt... that is also the smell of a happy, love-filled, joyful house!! I LOVE MY "JOB"!!

Our Big Helper

Jake has become such a good helper around the house.  I think I talked a little about that in his 16 month post.  Just thought I would share some pics of him doing what he loves!  He has such a servant's heart, like his Daddy. 

Helping Daddy Fix the fence.

Helping Mommy Vacuum...

Helping Mommy cook dinner

Time to feed Joey!!

16 Months

Wow... it's been busy around here. Let's see, around Jan 21st Jake came down with a little cold, nothing major, just a fever and a slight runny nose. He got better and Mommy came down with a stomach bug the week of the 31st. (Luckily this was the week that we received snow and G was home from work. That worked in my favor!) I finally recovered by Fri and we all went out on Sat Feb. 5th when Jake started to have a little cough. We didn't think much of it until his fever spiked to 102 Sat. night. By Sunday morning he was in pretty yucky shape. He wouldn't eat or drink ANYTHING (which if you know him is VERY rare), the cough was getting worse and his fever wasn't going down. We caved and took him to a clinic Sun afternoon (much to our disliking) but we were worried that it was either a clinic in the afternoon or the ER that night b/c he was getting worse. They tested him for the flu and RSV, both came back negative. They told us it was just a bug he was going to have to work through. He kind of went up and down the following days. He would have moments when he seemed to feel better and then he would crumble. The nights were AWFUL to say the least. Finally Tues night was our breaking point. He still had a high fever, was restless and with every breath he moaned. It was horrible!! We ALMOST took him to the ER that night, but decided if we could get him to sleep we would hold out until our appointment with our pediatrician the next morning. Thank God we did get a little sleep that night and headed to the Dr. Wed. morning. Well, at first glance she could see he was in pretty bad shape. His temp was back up to 102.3 and he was coughing, moaning and his sweet little eyes had lost their sparkle. We got another RSV test, blood work and a chest X-Ray. PRAISE GOD the blood work up and X-Ray came back fine, but the RSV test was now positive. So the next few days were in hover mode. Doing whatever we could to push the liquids to avoid dehydration from the fever, round the clock Tylenol and Motrin, breathing treatments and as much rest as he could get. By Friday, though still coughing, we saw sparks of our fun energetic boy. Today he has FINALLY been fever free for 24 hours and is mostly back to his old self. Of course the cough still sounds awful, he's still doing breathing treatments, and still not eating like he usually does, but he is FINALLY drinking again!! We are definitely out of the woods as far as pneumonia and dehydration scares go!!


So other than germs running crazy through our house (our house that now smells of Lysol) Jake is also running crazy through our house. The boy is in CONSTANT MOTION!! He doesn't walk much anymore, he runs, he jumps, he walks on his toes, he climbs, he dances, he spins, you name it, he's doing it. He still LOVES to be outside and go on walks and he still collects rocks along the way.
These weeks of him and Mommy being sick (unfortunately) has also sparked an interest in DVD's and movies. He has become a huge fan of Mickey Mouse club house... the same 4 episodes b/c they are on DVD and we don't have cable, and his baby Einstein movies. He usually gets to watch one a day in the afternoon while Mommy is getting dinner ready. When he's not sick he is still our big eater. There hasn't been much that he's turned down.
He still loves his books and now has a puzzle that he enjoys doing several times a day. He also loves to play with balls. He has learned to throw pretty well. Unfortunately that is leading to the lesson of what we throw and what we don't throw. He'll get it, he learns quick. I'm sure I'm partial, but our boy is smart ;o) He already does "chores" around the house. He loves to feed Joey in the morning and night and he puts his clothes in the dirty cloths hamper at night. He is sooo good at following directions. He even surprises me at times. When I was sick and G wasn't home I told Jake it was time to clean up his toys and by golly, he did. He put all his toys away, put the balls in the ball basket in his room, the cars in the car basket in his room, books on the shelves, and he even went and put his cloths in the dirty clothes hamper, along with his shoes... but we'll work on that. He puts away his bath toys when bath time is over, he knows that his sippy cup doesn't belong on the floor and will go put it on the table when asked where it goes. When we say it's nap time he willingly goes to his room to get his bear, blankie and paci. He still grows a little impatient when waiting for a meal to be made, but he's getting better at that. He is all about feeding himself and gets a little better everyday. He will even "fly" the food into his mouth at times, it's pretty cute though sometimes messy.
He's still not talking (which is driving Mommy crazy) but everyone says 1. he's a boy! 2. he's VERY active and really doesn't care to concentrate on talking 3. he's only 16 months, 4. He's a boy... I'm trying to be patient and not push him. He can say Dada, BaBa (that's Mama),Ball and his most recent and favorite, Uh-Oh!! Sooooo cute when he says that. I need to get it on video. Now when he's playing he has a few more words, I hear Mama and some other individual consonant sounds. He is VERY good at communicating his needs. He still does the sign language, so that is helpful as well.
He is still taking 2 naps a day, but I'm sure we'll be working on that transition down to 1 pretty soon. We tried it once and he WAS NOT ready. He starts his day each morning between 7:15/7:30, he takes a short nap from about 10-11, another nap from 1:30/2:00-3:30-4:00, then bedtime at 7:30. He's still our great sleeper, though we are having to do a little re-training after he's been sick.
Jake really is a great boy! He is so much fun and keeps me laughing throughout the day. He has a great smile and an even better laugh.
So since everyone was sick this month we don't have enough pictures for a slide show... I know... you're sad. But I put together a few collages because I couldn't let his 16 month post go without sharing his cuteness with everyone!!

Silly, Sick Boy.....

So our boy has been sick the past few days. I think it's always harder on Mom and Dad than it is on Jake-Man. He's had a fever around 101, but no other symptoms. It hasn't slowed him down one bit though. Since we couldn't really go anywhere, we were both getting a little cabin fever and STIR CRAZY! So Mommy busted out the crayons and brown rice... yep, brown rice.

Christmas 2010

Okay, Okay... I know I'm a little late on the posts.  Since it's almost time for his 16 month post, I'm just going to focus on Christmas, since I've posted NOTHING about it thus far.  We had a GREAT Christmas.  Jake and I left Lubbock on the 21st and headed to DFW and then onto Charlotte, NC.  Jake did AMAZING once again on the flights.  He was an active booger, but behaved himself.  We read books, played with toys, ate LOTS of snacks, looked out the window at all the clouds, flirted with the girls behind us (well, Jake did) and climbed all over Mommy.  He was able to get in a little catnap in the stroller between flights.  That was a nice break for me :o)  So then we boarded our next flight to NC.  This aircraft was MUCH bigger and I think we had the ONE empty seat on the entire plane next to us.  I was GLAD for that.  Jake still mostly wanted to crawl on me, but was convinced to sit in that empty seat now and then for a little snack.  On this flight Mommy had to bust out the videos on her phone and the candy cane.  He still did WONDERFUL, but was just getting ansie... so was Mommy.  Traveling can be exhausting. 
Jake was so excited to see his cousins.  He was quite curious about baby Erin.  He went strait to her when we walked in the door.  He soon discovered the circle from the kitchen, to the dining room, to the living area and back to the kitchen.  He walked and walked and walked.  Then he discovered the stairs.  He was a PRO at going up, not so much at going down.  He practiced mostly going up and down the step to and from the landing.  He got pretty good and only had a few good tumbles.  It was fun to see J and Ella together.  They are just one year apart and had fun playing together.  It was crazy to look at Jake play with Ella and realized he was baby Erin's size, just one year ago.  WOW... how fast they grow up.  We pretty much just hung around the house and played during the days.  Grammie and Granddad arrived on the 22nd and G arrived on the 23rd.  It's always sooooo great when we can ALL be together.  It doesn't get to happen very often.  Aunt Kelly (one of Donnie's sisters) also got to be with us this year.  It was really a lot of fun. 
We went to Elevation church Christmas Eve for their amazing service of music, dance, video, and amazing effects with lights, sparklers and of course a challenging message by Pastor Furtick.  We always enjoy getting to visit their church.
Christmas day was laid back as always.  A day spent in our jammies and relaxing.  The kids had a fun time opening gifts.  Jake really got into unwrapping gifts this year and it was fun to watch him tear through the paper and then look for the next one.  We were all so very blessed beyond what we deserve. 
The day after Christmas the fun really began b/c we got about 4 inches of SNOW!!  Jake wasn't sure what to think at first, but quickly learned to enjoy it.  He followed his cousins around and ran up and down the driveway.  A snowman was started, but never finished.  I think Jake would have stayed out there all day if we would have let him. 
Other than the snow we just had a lot of fun hanging out together, playing Wii, taking care of 5 kiddos, and eating WAY too much. Time really went fast, but I think as much fun as we had, everyone was ready to be back in their own bed.. even my sister and Donnie.  They gave up their bed to G and I.  The sleeping arrangement was fruit basket turnover for all.  G, J and I headed back on the 29th with Grammie and Granddad in their RV.  The trip home went well, but was LOOOOONG.  (I think it just seemed so long b/c we were all so ready to get home).  Once we made it back to the DFW area we had one quick day to spend with G's family before getting back in the car and heading home to Lubbock.  (Unfortunately we left our camera battery in NC so we weren't able to take any pics with his family) :o(  It was a good quick trip and we made it back to Lbk with no problems... soooo glad to be home.  Jake was a trooper being away from home for 12 days/11 nights.  He had reached his pack-n-play limit though.  There was one night that he was up from 10:30-2:45a.m. and was still up at 6:40 that morning.. and that's NC time UGH!  Have I mentioned that as much fun as we had... we were glad to be home!?! 
So there is our Christmas in a (wal)nut shell.  I'm sure I've forgotten a lot, but I know that we came back with our cups overflowing with love and blessings from family.  We truly are blessed beyond measure.  Enjoy the pics.

All BOY Oh BOY!!

Yep, that's Jake, ALL BOY!! He has become a rock collector, a ball thrower, a soccer player, and a stunt man. I think I've already mentioned his fascination with rocks and how we can't go on a walk without coming home with one... or two. It seems the bigger he gets, the bigger his rocks get. We've been able to take a lot of walks since it's still 70 degrees here (Winter..what??)

Next, his kicking skills.  This is what he will look like when he's 4 yrs old playing on his soccer team.....

Now his balancing skills.  Such a little daredevil!!



Mr. Independent.... he still LOVES to eat and now prefers if we let him do it himself...  Mom and Dad have to take over and speed things up at times. 



How much do you love Mommy???

Finally just some great Christmas pictures....
An amazing family from church fix their backyard up like the Griswold's every year for kiddos to visit.  It's inflatable decorations complete with fun Christmas music and peppermint sticks.  Jake LOVED his first peppermint stick! He had SO much fun.  Though it's 70 degrees during the day the nights are still cold.  It didn't phase our J-Man ONE BIT! He could have stayed out there all night.  Isn't he a cutie!!

Catching Up.....

Sooooooo.... it's been a while, sorry!!  I'm not sure where the time has gone.  I can't believe I totally missed his 13 month post.  I kept thinking I'll get it done tomorrow.. tomorrow.. tomorrow.. Well, the next thing I know it's time for his 14 month post.  So here I am.

I want to start with just a quick update on Jake's Long Q-T diagnosis.  He just had another cardiologist check up and his EKG was COMPLETELY NORMAL!!  Dr said if he had just walked in the office with no previous diagnosis that LQTS would be no where on the radar.  THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN!!  You don't "get better" from LQTS, it's a genetic disorder.  Of course that's according to the "worlds" standards.  We are believing with our whole hearts that our boy has been healed and we continue to wait on the day when the Lord tells us to get his genetic testing redone.  PRAISE GOD!!!!!!  What a way to start a blog huh??  You know that was TOTALLY worth the wait!  :oD 

Now in other news, where to begin??  Jake is constantly on the move!  Dancing, kicking/throwing a ball around, jumping in his crib, pushing a car, (container lid, phone or whatever else he can push), or looking at a book... yes, he even does that one the move, yet will lay down in the middle of the floor at times for a short rest.  He is such a funny little man.  He likes to "crash" Mommy and Daddy and LAUGH so hard.  He loves to play peek-a-boo, patt-a-cake, wheels on the bus, Happy and You Know It, Twinkle Twinkle, and the ABC song. 
He is such a cooperative little boy.  Yes, he has his moments of fits, but all in all he'll do what we ask him to do.  He's really good at cleaning up his toys at night before bed, bringing us something if we ask him for it, he ALWAYS says/signs Thank You when someone gives something to him, I LOVE that he doesn't have to be prompted anymore!  He has left the Christmas tree alone, but sometimes asks if I'll take an ornament off so it can take a ride in the train around the tree.  When we say it's nap time he will walk into his room to get his blankie and paci.  (The boy LOVES his sleep). 
We're still working on having patience when he asks for something.  He's pretty sure if he says "Cheerios, Please" then they should INSTANTLY appear in front of him.  He's also pretty sure if he just says "________, Please"  we'll give him say his 5th banana of the day after we've said no.  Still not a fan of getting his diaper changed, but has gotten better about it the last few days.  We're also working on breaking a bad habit that MOMMY started.  I realized the other day that any time we're in the car I've handed him a snack trap of cheerios.  Well, now EVERYtime we're in the car whether going 1 min down the street or 20 min across town, he expects to have that cups of cheerios.  He gets VERY mad when he doesn't get them, but even that has gotten better in the last day or so.  He seems to pick up on things pretty quick.  Don't get me wrong, he tests his boundries now and then like all kiddos, but not very often.  I'm bragging huh???.... Well, he makes it easy to do!!  It just amazes me that we have crystal down on his level along with picture frames, electronics, DVD players etc, and he knows to leave them alone.  We are SO very blessed with a SWEET HEART!! 
He is an observant little booger too... He's always watching.  (Sometimes that can be a bad thing)  He learns  routine and how things work after about one take.  It took him no time at all to see how to turn the Christmas train on and off, let the water out of the tub, bring Mommy her (thankfully empty) coffee mug, open/close the blinds (though he can't reach the pulls to do it himself), turn toys on and off and open and close the DVD drive on the computer (he knows now that that's not a choice though)  He seems to pick up cause and effect really fast too.  He's a quick learner.
Of course his FAVORITE thing is still being OUTSIDE!!  As much as I enjoy winter, the fact that it hasn't shown up in Lubbock has worked in our favor.  We still spend a lot of time outside each day.  ROCKS... ROCKS.. AND MORE ROCKS.... the boy LOVES ROCKS!!!  He WILL NOT go out without QUICKLY finding a rock to carry around.  He'll carry that rock until he finds another that he likes better.  On rare occassions he'll have a rock in each hand or give one to Mom or Dad to carry for him.  He's so funny b/c he just lights up when he finds that perfect rock... so funny!  He loves it when airplanes or the canadian geese fly over when we're outside.  He watches the birds from the windows in the mornings when it's still too cold to go out... or Mom is still in her PJ's. 
The Boy is ALL BOY when it comes to eating.  He eats ALL DAY!  He's a little bottomless pit.  There are very few foods that he won't eat.  He always eats a BIG breakfast, usually oatmeal and an english muffin topped off with a banana and milk.  Lunch is often left overs from the night before, a bean and cheese quesadilla or just a simple PB&J.  Always followed by fruit of some sort.  Dinner.. well, dinner is whatever Mom makes.  In between meals there are snacks of cheerios, teddy grams, goldfish, grapes, kiwi (when we have it) crackers and cheese, yogurt, muffins.... you name it.  We TRY and keep it as healthy as we can.
**other things I don't have time to write about**
He's doing better with "stranger danger"  He did GREAT in the nursery this past Sunday
He LOVES his books!!
He enjoys watching other kids play and loves it when his friends come over to play
He knows more signs that I can remember at one time
He LOVES music
He's interacting more with Joey.  Likes to play ball with him... as well as you can play ball with a blind dog..
Dinks mostly water, no juice... he's just not a fan
No more nursing... :o(
He has 8 teeth (4 on top, 2 on bottom and his 2 left molars) He has 3 more teeth coming in... poor guy...
Still takes 2 naps 9:30-11:00 and 2:00-3:45/4:00
Bedtime is 7:30 Wake-up around 7/7:15

Guess that's it for now.  I really am going to TRY and do better and blog more than once a month.  There is A TON more I want to write in detail about, but I'm thinking this entry is long enough and I'm thankful you've stuck with it.  Enjoy the pics!!  You should be proud, it's not NEARLY as long as it could have been being as it's covering 2 months instead of just one.

My Conviction

I received the following email today that got me thinking.

Subject: When do I quit worrying about my kids??
Answer: Until I hear God say to me, "Welcome home".

WORRY
Is there an imaginary cutoff period when
offspring become accountable
for their own actions?
Is there some wonderful moment when
parents can become detached spectators in
the lives of their children and shrug,
'It's Their life,' and feel nothing?


When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor
waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my daughter's
head and I asked, 'When do you stop worrying?'
The nurse said, 'When they get out of the accident stage..'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.


When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a
classroom and heard how one of my children talked
incessantly, disrupted the class,and was headed for a
career making license plates.
As if to read my mind, a teacher said, 'Don't worry,
they all go through this stage and then you can sit back,
relax and enjoy them.'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.


When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting
for the phone to ring, the cars to come home,
the front door to open. A friend said,
'They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry!
In a few years, they'll be adults. They'll be off on their own
they'll be out of your hair' My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing.


By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable.
I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle..
Even though they were on their own I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments..and there was nothing I could do about it.
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.


My friends said that when my kids got married
I could stop worrying and lead my own life.
I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my parent's
warm smiles and their occasional, 'You look pale. Are you
all right' ?'Call me the minute you get home'. 'Are you
depressed about something?'


My friends said that when I became a grandparent
that I would get to enjoy the happy little voices yelling
Grandma! Papa!
But now I find that I worry just as much about the little kids
as the big ones. How can anyone cope with all this Worry?


Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry?
Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to
blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown?
Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us
to the highest form of earthly creation?


Recently, one of my own children became quite irritable,
saying to me,'Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days,
and no one answered I was worried.'
I smiled a warm smile.
The torch has been passed.


PASS IT ON TO OTHER WONDERFUL PARENTS
(And also to your children... That's the fun part)

First of all, my intention is not at all meant to disrespect the author of this email. I understand the sentiment of it as I’m sure all parents would. I just became deeply convicted about the subject of worry and how it can affect my life and the life of my family.

Is the torch of worry really something I want to pass onto my children? Is that a habit that I want to model? In looking through the scriptures I found several verses that REALLY spoke to me. The first is one I know we’ve all heard time and time again….

Matthew 6:33-34 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

I remember reading this verse over and over again growing up. Do not worry… do not worry… do not worry… Easier said than done, I always said!! Of course I’m going to worry! I live in this world don’t I? Have you read the newspaper? Read the news? Lived my life?? Especially now; Just like the email said, I’m a Mom, I TEND TO WORRY MORE!...but the scriptures say “DO NOT WORRY”. That’s hard to do. I have a son that has Long QT Syndrome. A condition that has NO symptoms, yet could potentially take his life at any moment. So do I worry?? YES!! But what kind of life is that for me or Jake if my days are filled with worry, stress and fear? I can’t live my life in fear and worry.

2 Timothy 1:6-8 tells us: 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.


Okay, so God doesn’t want me to walk in fear. He wants me to walk in complete peace, love and a sound mind. HOW do I do that? The ONLY way I can do that is THROUGH HIM. I have to draw all my strength through KNOWING Christ (reading/studying scripture, going to church, surrounding myself with other believers). I can’t trust someone I don’t first know. Because I KNOW my God and I KNOW His ways are higher than mine, I can have peace in that. Does that mean it’s all peachy all the time? No! The scriptures also tell us that we will face trials of many kinds… and even then we’re supposed to be joyful!!

James 1: 2-3 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Testing of my faith. I walk that day in and day out. I have to have faith that God has a plan for Jake. (We believe it is complete healing of his heart) Through this daily “testing” my faith grows as does my relationship with the Lord. I want to persevere, not just survive or go through the motions. I want to live with joy and peace! Through Christ I can do that!

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now THAT is that kind of peace I want to have. The peace that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING!! How do I live day to day knowing that the slightest scare or the wrong cold medicine could send my son into cardiac arrest? BY PRAYER AND PETITION & WITH THANKSGIVING. Thanksgiving that I have another day with my son. Thanksgiving that I HAVE a son. Thanksgiving that I have a savior that LOVES ME and calls me His own. Thankful that I have assurance of my salvation. Thankful that I’m raising my son in a way that he too will know the love of our Savior and will go to live with Him one day in eternity. It’s a DAILY act to take my thoughts captive and cast my cares on HIM. Only GOD can give me that kind of peace.

Here is the way it’s put in The Message Bible
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
There is the answer. Only CHRIST can displace worry at the center of your life!! ONLY CHRIST!!

1 Peter 5:6-8
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

For so many of us, including me, that “lion” is worry. Worry can devour us soooooo easily. It can consume us!! So we must always stay alert and close with our Savior, Our Shepherd. The sheep know their shepherd by His voice. I can’t follow the lead of my Shepherd if I don’t know the sound of His voice. And I can’t know His voice if I don’t spend time with Him daily, in His word and in prayer. I must humble myself daily under My Father’s Mighty Hand. I KNOW that He cares for me and that He cares for Jake. I know that He has mighty plans for my son! They are plans to prosper Him and NOT to harm him. (Jer. 29:11) Does that promise a long and prosperous life for him (or any of us) and a life of ease?? Absolutely Not, but it does promise us a life FULL of HIM!!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to pretend to understand it all. No one does. I will never understand why “bad things happen to good people”. I’ll never understand why some prayers are answered on this side of heaven while others are not. I will not pretend to understand why there are children and families that suffer even after begging and pleading with God; Families that are serving God with their lives. All I do know is that His ways are higher than mine. That he works ALL things together for the Good of those who love Him.
So…. Do I worry?? ABSOLUTELY!!! Do I want to lead a life of worry?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I want to teach Jake that beyond Mommy and Daddy there is a Heavenly Father that holds his precious life. A Father that knows him better than we do. A Father that cherishes him more than we ever can imagine. A Father that DOES have a plan for him and a Father he can TRUST. THAT is the torch I want to pass on. I want Jake to see that when Mommy starts to worry about something, she prays and asks God to help her take those thoughts captive and place the life/situation/person in His hands.

This is a cute email, and yes it has some “truth” in it about the difficulties of being a parent. It’s not easy. You want the best for your child. You don’t want them to hurt, or go hungry, or make bad decisions. You want to always know that they are okay. You want to know that they are tucked in safe and warm at night. BUT these thoughts cannot consume you!! When they do, the enemy is getting a foothold in your life and will TORMENT you as long as you allow it. Deceit is his FAVORITE weapon. He will allow us to take our thoughts and RUN. He doesn’t even have to do anything. We will do all his work for him when we let worry run amuck within us. “What if… What if… What if… Suddenly we are allowing those what if’s to become absolutes. We now have convinced ourselves (while the enemy sits by and applauds our efforts) that our husband is in a ditch on the side of the road when he’s not home when we expect him to be. When really he got held up unexpectedly at the office and had forgotten to turn his ringer back on after an important meeting with the boss. When we worry we create these false “realities” that the enemy uses against us. You see, satan doesn’t want us to live with a peace that passes all understanding. He wants us to live a life of torment, of worry and of fear.
Praise God that through the atoning blood of our Savior Jesus Christ that is NOT the life we have to live. I’ve read the end of the book and SATAN LOOSES. CHRIST IS VICTORIOUS. Through Christ we can have victory over our thoughts, worries and fears. THANK YOU JESUS!!
What I plan to do is, Train him (Jake) up in the way he should go and when he is older he will not depart from it…. Prov. 22:6.
THAT is the torch I intend to pass along to my children!! I hope you are encouraged and will pass THIS along to others. Let’s raise up the next generation under the nurture and admonition of THE LORD…… not worry and fear.

12 Months Part II

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY........ There you have it!!  That is our life!!  Mr. Jake-Man is in CONSTANT motion these days and keeps us moving.  Sorry it took so long to get Part II up and posted.  Hope you enjoy the pics.  13 months will be here before we know it!!