Links...

Here is a link to the family that I blogged about previously...this little girl is precious...check out her pictures, but I'll warn you...you may cry...she's just too cute.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/Missmaddie


Here's another link to our pastor's blog from First Baptist Smyrna...I just read his July 4th--Happy Birthday America post and it's great...take a look at it. It's eye opening to just how good we have it even when things aren't so "good" in American's terms.

www.pathood.org

Thanks ya'll!!

The first step...

Well, I think I've come up with a name for "this"...instead of calling it "this" all the time...

It's going to be called The Common Bond. That's what "this" is all about...we have a common bond, we're mothers, sisters, friends, grandmothers that can relate in the valleys of life. I will be launching a blog with an email address specifically for 'The Common Bond' hopefully this next week. I've contacted a lawyer to see what is involved with starting a non-profit organization. as well, so I'll update on a timeline once I get that information back.

A large part of 'The Common Bond' (aka TCB) will be praying for these families that we come in contact with. And with that I would like to share this story...one of my friends from Washington emailed me on Friday and told me about her friend's 9 month old daughter. When she was 2 months old she was diagnosed with leukemia, and has been undergoing treatment since that time. At this point, the treatments are not helping...and they are starting a "last resort" experimental treatment. Please lift this family up. They are from the Tri-Cities, and have been in Spokane, WA since Christmas...they are now being transferred to Portland, OR. Pray, pray pray for this precious baby and this family.

Faith, Hope and Love...

Regarding my post yesterday, thank you for the response I've gotten in people wanting to be apart of this...I don't even know what to call it yet...I've been thinking about it and thought I'd blog about my "ideas" so far...of course, nothing set in stone... For now--my goal is to sell enough Faith, Hope and Love bracelets to be able to give them to mothers who really just need encouragement while faced with fear, pain, sorrow...etc. As mothers, nothing is more precious to us than our children and that's a common bond between moms.

Here's where I'm coming from on all of this...when we thought we were going to lose Hayden, I wanted something tangible...something that marked that he was real and his life mattered. I had a friend who had brought me a little bear with the July birthstone (Ruby) which was the month Hayden was due to be born. It was something so small...but it was something that signified him because of it. I want to give that to mothers who are in the same position we were in...or to those who didn't get the outcome we got and actually had to say goodbye...something they can wear everyday that is tangible and yet reminds them that there is faith, hope and love in the midst of such incredible sorrow.

The second part of this "dream" stems from my my neice's story. When she was born a premie and in the hospital for 2 months I thought about how difficult it must be for Kristin and Al because they were away from home, and yet life doesn't stop even though you want it to...you want the bills, your job, etc to be put on hold...but it can't and many families that have children in the hospital are faced with having to leave their child in order to stay afloat. Then I thought of how many premie families were in the NICU, and children battling cancer, etc. How would James and I cope in that situation? Hayden was only in the NICU for 10 days when he was born, but that still created a financial burden we struggled with for years. What about the families that faced months in the hospital? I know we can't help everyone...but if we could help one...wouldn't it be worth it?
Let me say this really quick...there are wonderful organizations out there like March of Dimes, Ronald McDonald House, etc and they provide greatly for these families...I'm just hoping to add to what they are able to do. If it means a parent could take an extra day off from work because there's a little bit of extra funds in order to be near their child then I'd call it a success...if it means a mom could hire someone to come clean her house or cook dinner for a week--just to help return to some sense of normalcy, then we've succeeded...

Above all else...what I invision from all of this is simple...I just want these families to know there are others walking alongside of them on this dreaded road they are faced with. If we never make it as BIG as I am dreaming, but we send a bracelet to a mom that's just barely hanging on and it helps her get thru the day...to love them like Jesus...then we've succeeded.

Okay, enough rambling...check out my iMage Jewelry blog (link on the top right side) to see the bracelet....Faith, Hope and Love. Tell your friends...and buy some bracelets (they make great gifts!!!)

The Kids Are Home!!

We met Nana on Saturday to get the kids in a little town called Carlise, Arkansas--exit 183, ate at a place called Nick's BBQ-I'm mentioning all of this because it had the best bbq--and fried pies!! I can't tell you how excited I was to see them...now, 5 days later...I'm ready for another break! Okay, just kidding. I really missed the kids while they were gone...but they had a great time. Hayden's birthday is coming up this weekend...he will be 7...can you believe it??? We can't. He's having a buddy spend the night on Saturday night and I think the game plan is to go play putt putt...eat pizza...then go see the movie Wall-E...I've heard it's good...we'll let you know.
School also starts in less than a month. (Abby "phases" in so she won't start until August 19th...and at that its short days for the first couple then they throw them in full force) We're excited for school to start...can I just say I wish we had year round school...it would be so much better for us and the kids!!! I still can't get over that I will have TWO school age kids...I'm not old enough to have TWO school age kids...let me emphasize that one more time TWO SCHOOL AGE KIDS!!! Wow...doesn't seem possible. :)

So...I'd posted awhile back about what God was leading me to do with "our" miracle...I think I'm getting closer to a game plan on that. It's in the sketchy stages right now, but it's going to tie in my Faith, Hope and Love bracelet...and it's going to involve giving them to mothers who have had to endure saying goodbye to their child or have children that are in the hospital--whether it be preemies, terminally ill children, injured children, etc...but eventually I would really like to take it a step farther and create a foundation/organization/etc. (something--not for sure what yet) to provide money for families who have children in the hospital to help cover living expenses while they may need to take time off from work, etc. I've looked into this in the past, but I think my ideas were too far fetched, so I'm coming down to earth and looking realistically at what we can do. I'm not saying having a BIG DREAM is bad...I'm all for it...and I believe God can do the impossible...but I don't want my ideas to get so BIG that I don't actually START and I really more than anything want it to be God's plan not mine, that seems to be a dilemma with me. Anyway, keep praying for direction and if you're interested in being apart of whatever it is that this is going to be...let me know. I'd love to have others to brainstorm and create this with...I think the more people that get involved the more fun it will be to see it come to life...in fact I need the help...so pray for others to step forward or pray about God using you in this area. Again, I'm so excited to see where God will take this...it will be interesting. Have I mentioned I need the help?!

Anyway, enough blog rambling. Nana took some great pics and will be sending them soon (which could relate to 6 months) JUST KIDDING, NANA!! But I'll post pics of the kids at 'Camp Nana' once I get them. :)

TEXAS!!

**Updated 07/09/08--In response to your question in the comment section, Keith...Round Rock Express (the bad team as my kids put it) won the game. Although, Nashville Sounds had beat them in the previous two games**


Okay, I'm from Texas...born and raised (mostly) there...and let me just take a minute to say--I don't understand why TEXANS are so proud of their state??!! I'm sorry...I just don't get it. Tennesseans should be hanging there state shape all over the place because it is soooo much prettier...okay, now that I've got that out of the way and upset most of my in-laws... :)



We had a great time on our vacation...it was so much fun seeing our family and watching the kids (who are still in the great state of TX as I type) play with their cousins. Here are some pictures of our trip...

Crazy kids...they had so much fun together!!





This is Round Rock Donuts...which has been featured on the Travel Channel and I must say it is the best donut place (even better than Krispy Kreme) The plain hot ones are the best...





Nana has a great pool in her little community...it was perfect especially since Texas gets HOT!!

Round Rock Express is the local farm baseball team...so we went to a game and guess who they played? Nashville Sounds!! It was so much fun. We sat on the grass, but they had a swimming pool at this park, a rock climbing thing--play ground--funnel cakes...what more can you ask for??

One rule of Nana's is that if you don't work you don't eat...so the kids dug tree holes so they could eat dinner every night. They worked really hard and even found some treasure (dollar bills, no less!) that Hayden is sure pirates buried in Nana's backyard a long time ago! He's just sure of it. I'm wondering what kind of work Nana's having them do this week, they really have to pick up the slack since Mom and Dad aren't there to help them out!! :) Okay, just kidding...the kids were just having fun planting trees...but they did find treasures! Nana, can we tear up the rest of your yard looking for money???

I just think this picture is hilarious so I posted it! All the kids eating ice cream...and Madi with no clothes on!! She's going to love that we took this picture of her when she's a teenager. :) Sorry, Madi Patti!!

We had the best view in the house for fireworks and we were in Nana and Grandad's backyard. It was amazing...and the kids loved it!

After fireworks we made smores...or you could say we made a MESS!!!

This is what we did most of the time at the family reunion...played croquet and swam in the lake water (YUCK--not me, though)

As soon as I get more pictures from our familia I'll post them on here...I know I took quite a few using Nana's camera so I should have more fun shots of the kids to come. :)

We made it!!

Well, the trip went really well. (Melissa, the gameboy and DS was a lifesaver...they played the whole trip...thank you-thank you-thank you!!)

We got to Austin on Friday around 5:30pm...it really wasn't near as bad of a drive as I thought it would be.

I have pictures to post, but can't find my adapter (what's new??)...the kids are having a great time. They love Nana and Grandad's house (Hayden said he needed a map to find where he was going in the house) and they want to move next door to them. I told them that we had to work really hard and save up our money to get a house like Nana and Grandads...Hayden said, "Okay, I want ya'll to do that...work really hard." Abby said she just wants to live with Nana forever and ever! We've gone swimming, shopping, to the movies, dug holes...planted trees...found treasures in the ground (Texas rock)...it's been an eventful first couple of days.

I will post again as soon as I find my adapter.

Vince and Madi...aren't they cute?!

I was showing the gals I work with this picture of Vince and Madison and they were commenting how neat it was to actually see her growing up after following her story from before she was born. I figured the rest of you might want to see it too...

If you don't know the story, then here's the cliff notes version...Kristin (James' sister) had complications during her pregnancy and Madison was born at 27 weeks. She was in the NICU for 2 months...but look at her now...she'll be 2 in October...I don't know how people can doubt whether God is real when you look at Hayden and Madi...they're living breathing miracles...and we are a very blessed family to have not just one but two miracle babies. To see God's hand at work doing the impossible...well, there are no words for it, we're just thankful. Okay, enough preaching...reminiscing, etc.

Here's what's going on in our life the next few days...

We're heading out to TX tomorrow to see James' parents--(14 hour drive with two children, ask me if I'm excited...DRAMAMINE...that's all I have to say)
Kristin, Al and the kids will be coming in on Tuesday. Bryant (James' brother) and Shalea will be there on Wednesday...then off to a camp in Oklahoma for a full fledge family reunion with aunts/uncles, cousins, extended family--the whole works!! It's going to be a fun week for the kids hanging out with their cousins. Since everyone is spread out across the country we don't get together too often so we're pretty excited. We'll get to play some 42 (dominoes, for those of you who don't know what 42 is)--that will probably be the highlight for James and I. :)

James and I will be coming home next Sunday, but the kids are staying an extra week at Nana's. I'm a little nervous to be that far away from them...but I'm sure they will have a great time. They get home and the next weekend we'll be having Hayden's 7th birthday...time is sure flying by.

I have pictures from Hayden's baseball party (he's so proud of his trophy) but I forgot my adapter to download the pics to the computer. I'll try to update when we get back from TX.

If you don't mind, remember to say a prayer for all of us these next few days...pray for safety while traveling and sanity during the vacation... :)
Thanks ya'll!!