A Major Boo-Boo

Whew, it hurts my heart just to post these pictures!  James got a major boo-boo last night.  We had a pretty long day...and that just ended it up YUCK.  We drove to Roswell yesterday morning so that I could go to lunch with my co-workers.  I brought James along.  As you can imagine, it was a challenge.  James was great - thanks to us bringing the ipad, but let me tell you, keeping a 2 year old in his seat for an hour and a half is quite challenging - and unfair to James - like asking him to do something impossible.  He was great though, under the circumstances, and I so enjoyed getting to visit (sort of) face to face with the awesome people I work with.  James and I drove back home after lunch, and James too a nap.  When he woke up we went outside.  We ate sandwiches and chips and peaches on a blanket on the deck outside and then headed outside to play.  We played and played!  We went for a walk with the wagon to the neighborhood across the street, raced a bunch of times (James is big into "on your mark, get set, go"), and played with toys.  We had been out almost two hours when we were playing on the driveway with a little tractor - James was letting him race down our sloped driveway and then running down, getting him and bringing him back up to us to roll him down again.  Well, you guessed it.  He fell.  HARD.  It's like time just stops when something like that happens.  He was face down at the bottom of the driveway, and it felt like slow motion as I was running down there to him.  Why did I let him play on the driveway???  I must've said a million times, "Slow down!  Be careful!  Remember you have to go slow!"  Yuck.  I just scooped him up and held him so tight in my arms - wasn't sure what his injuries were but I meant I was holding him!!  First I checked his teeth, and unbelievably, they all were there and not knocked out.  But, his face was pretty skinned up.  He cried and cried and then cried some more.  We came inside and wiped his face with a wet towel, got some ibuprofen, some sweet tea, and some chocolate candy and sat on the couch to watch Monsters Inc.  Bless his heart!! 

 

 

This is his worst injury to date.  I was thinking about how I just scooped him and my heart was breaking, and then I was thinking, "Is this how the Father feels about me when I get hurt?"  I know it is.  He is weeping with me, His heart is breaking when I am hurting.  I just have to be close enough to Him to realize it.  Thankful He is close to me and that He reminded me of this last night.

 

After that driveway crisis, we got James out of the tub and he started flailing around on the floor - yelling something at us, but we could not understand what.  Then, all of a sudden, he went tee-tee on the floor.  And then he started crying because he was upset about going to the bathroom on the floor.  OH MY HEAVENS.  I had held it together until then, but I just started crying.  It was so crappy!  I should have realized he was saying he had to go to the bathroom!!!!!  It was a rough end to the day for all of us.  But, it could have been worse.  We could have ended the day in the ER, so I'm thankful for that :)  Praying for a boo-boo free day!

Just to Laugh and Breathe

Man, adult world is pretty difficult most days.  You are thinking about bills, responsibilities, what's coming next week...what's coming in 20 years, relationships, etc.  (and trust me, I could go on).  We had seen Jake Gulledge at Timothy Barnabas (a pastors and wives conference we went to that Pastor Johnny and Ms. Janet lead) this past year.  We booked him to come to Bethabra and help us just have a night off - a night to just laugh and be who we are.  It was fantastic.  We had several guests and a great crowd.  It felt great to just sit back and laugh and laugh and laugh...and hear how God has changed Jake's life.  Afterward, I loved getting to chat and get to know some families better that I feel like I don't know all that well yet.  So thankful for sweet newer families like the Gebhard's, the Hurst's, the Seamon's...

 

I have been trying to write this post while James is "working" on his laptop.  He keeps pushing the music button and getting in my face asking, "What's that song???"  "What's that song?"  Over and over.  Not sure if what I've said above makes any sense or not.

 

It's Sunday morning as I write this, and we will get ready for church (James and me...Lan is already gone) in just a few minutes.  I pray, pray, pray that something crazy awesome will happen this morning.  Oh, my heart just pours out before the Lord to change me today - and to do such a great work that my jaw drops in amazement and I can't believe it.  Even just last night I felt like He did a work in me about someone my heart had been kind of hardened about.  There's no where else I want to be today!!  Gotta go sing some more songs...

Day at Home

We had the best day this past Friday.  At first I told Landon that I HATE days we just stay at home.  I like to GO places, and I do not like to stay home - even all day long one day!  But then, we went outside and started playing/working and the day got much better.  I used to HATE - like HATE with a passion - working in the yard when I was a kid.  I mean, serious business.  Something about having your own house, working in your own yard, I don't know, but I just know that I really enjoy working outside now in the yard.  James had a great time playing and working in his new CARS gloves and with his new CARS trowel from Grammie and GatorPa.  He was so cute! 

 

After lunch we headed inside before naptime.  James was upset about something (cannot remember now), and I decided to pull out a present from Aunt Wendy from James' b'day in June.  I was saving it for "just a time as this".  This was the absolute coolest thing EVER.  Oh my heavens.  We made a heart, a figure eight, a robot - you push the gear in the middle with James' face and it starts to turn and makes all the others turn.  Thank you Aunt Wendy and everyone!! What an awesome gift!

Organized Chaos = A Playdate

I'll tell you one neat thing about Bethabra.  God had some young families there when we arrived, and He has continued to bring more young families in the 2.5 years we have been here.  Our newest sweet family is from Alabama and I so enjoyed getting know Liz and Zeke a little better this past week at our house.  Thankful for the Lord surrounding me with Godly women to challenge and walk with me through this stage of life.  

 

Our sweet babies eating lunch...

Jeanette and Kelli

Sweet Baby Addelyn

Loved spending time with these ladies and their sweet babies the other day - even in the midst of organized chaos.  Thinking of other ladies who might be able to join us next time!

Fast Forward 3 months

Why in the world is it so hard to follow through? I really like blogging. I really like it because I feel like later I’ll be able to look back and what random days were like in our life and smile at the memories or cry at the memories...or whatever. I get on a blogging kick and do great for a while, and then life gets overwhelming and I just drop it for months. So, I’m going to attempt to get back on the blogging wagon. I think things went into the overwhelming overdrive after James had to have a little procedure, summer started, and we started traveling some – Southern Baptist Convention, home for a couple of weeks, James’ b’day, mine and Landon’s b’days, our anniversary, and so on and so on...more stuff I can’t remember. So, I’m throwing up some pictures of James’ b’day, some 2 year old pics Joy took of James and our family, and we’re picking it back up and moving right along.

James is growing like a weed. He has been quite challenging lately just trying to figure out how to discipline him – his will is STRONG. Serious business. Many toddler bed struggles have been happening in the last month or so, and it has been very interesting around here. Some waking up in the night (by James) yelling strange stuff...some throwing himself on the floor in many temper tantrums, still a little biting. AND, many good things.  Learning his ABC song (a little bit!), counting from 1 to 14, starting to sing (Scooby Doo Where are You and Jesus Loves Me), and talking up a storm! What a sweet blessing he is!

Landon has been working HARD this summer. I think he is in a season where he is really hearing God’s voice and direction very clearly. It’s fascinating to watch as he makes decisions and grows by leaps and bounds in the Lord. There have definitely been some challenges – no question about that – but I’m just saying that I’m thankful for him, thankful for his leadership, and thankful he is my pastor...and my husband.

I am still working part time for RB&Co. and still love my job. Because of the little bit of work that I’m doing, James will start preschool 2 mornings a week at the beginning of September. He will go to Bethlehem Christian Academy on Tues. and Thurs. mornings. I think this will be GREAT for him – to interact with other kids and get to do fun activities, and to give me a focused time to work and help my family financially – then maybe I won’t have to work quite so late at night sometimes.

 

Synopsis of pictures...

 

James 2nd B'day party...

 A few pics from our time with Joy...

 Such sweet shirts Grammie had made for James and GatorPa...

 And the girls and James eating breakfast on the beach.

 

Alright.  I'm going to pretend like I've caught up on every single thing the last 3 months.  Now, for my millionth try on the blogging wagon.  :)