An update

So somehow it's already November. Who knew life could move so fast? I love the fall, with it's cooler weather, leaves falling, and a slower paced job. I wasn't sure Mitch's job would ever slow down, but we've had a few weekends here in a row that have been free. Mitch also has the ability to come home early and hang out with the teens on Xbox. He's truly enjoying his job, and I am enjoying being here in Canyon. I've started cooking for Monday lunch, where we feed high schoolers at church, and I'm going to our Ladies class on Wednesday mornings. I'm finding my place outside of just being a YM's wife, and it's been very good for both Mitch and me.

We were able to go to Harding's homecoming this year, which was a blast. We hadn't taken Jacey yet, so it was great to show her off to all of our friends and teachers. She was such a little trooper too. She only fussed about 45 minutes of the 20 hour round-trip drive. Brandon and Joy were awesome hosts. Claira is just adorable.

We had a fun Halloween. Last year at trunk-or-treat Jacey's costume wasn't as warm, and of course it was freezing. So this year, like the good mom that I am, I got her this adorable, warm pig costume. It was basically a sleeper with ears. And it was 80 degrees. Go figure. We all had fun anyway. Halloween night Mitch headed to a Canyon football game while Jacey and I handed out candy. At first she didn't understand why she couldn't have the candy, but eventually enjoyed saying hi to everyone.

Jacey is really growing up fast. She's definitely not a little baby anymore. She started walking more than a month ago, and now is walking and climbing on everything. She's also talking a lot. We haven't moved past single words, but she can say about 20 words and is trying to say more. It's nice to sort of understand what she wants.

Here are some recent pictures for your enjoyment:

It's Thursday

I will have to say that September has been one roller coaster of a month. Thanks to everyone who is keeping my family in your prayers. I know they are working to get us through.

This past weekend Mitch and I were free from any major commitments (who hoo!) and decided to get out the paint we bought for our kitchen and go. We painted all day Friday and Saturday and part of Sunday afternoon. We had to paint over wallpaper in our dining area, which added a lot of time to the process. (I know that is a no-no, but after peeling off one layer and then discovering that second layer was GLUED to the drywall, we decided to stop peeling and start painting.) We got out all of the loosely attached paper, mudded, sanded, primed, and then painted. And after one coat some of the wallpaper decided it really wanted to come down. So Mitch went back and took off all of the bubbles, mudded, sanded, primed, and then painted again. I have to say that all of our hard work paid off. It looks so amazing! For those of you who have never seen our house, we bought it from a sweet old lady who raised her family in this house. And they never updated any of the paint colors, so most of the house had dirty white paint everywhere. By adding some color to the walls (in almost every room now!) this house has come back to life.

Jacey has experience her first sore throat this week. Monday afternoon she woke up from her nap with a 101 degree fever. I decided to wait and see if this was just a 24 hour thing or part of teething, but on Tuesday it went up to 102. The doctor was able to get her in that afternoon and said her throat was red with little blisters. Poor thing. Apparently this virus is going around right now. She's finally starting to feel better, I think, but still has a little bit of the fever. Thank goodness for Motrin and Tylenol.

This weekend is going to be busy but super fun. It's Homecoming here and with that comes a powder-puff football game tonight, high school football game tomorrow, Fair on the Square, parade, and college football on Saturday. I'm hoping Jacey feels good enough by Saturday to really enjoy the crowds at the fair and the parade. I just wish I had enough money to buy everything and the fair! Our downtown square is decked out in booths full of crafts and goodies. It's a lot of fun to see everything and everyone. It's definitely one of the exciting things about living in a small(ish) town.

Life

Life has been...a challenge. We've travelled to Nashville, around Texas, and to Camp Blue Haven. Family is good, and horrible, and frustrating, and comforting. I guess that is the way life works. Thanks to you who have been there with yor prayers and encouragement. I'm going to need them for a while.

The job here has gotten better. It's very nice to be in a routine. We had a good retreat this past weekend. I'm thoroughly enjoying going to church for the first time in a while. Not that I've hated church or anything, but it's hard to separate ministry/job and church sometimes. I'm working with the Monday lunches and loving the girl time there. Also I'm able to go to Ladies Bible class on Wednesday since Jacey dropped her morning nap. It has been comforting, especially recently. Overall things here are great.

Mitch and I had an awesome weekend. I think it was the first weekend in a long time that Mitch was home. We had Friday Night Live here with over 10 Jr. High kids (craziness) and enjoyed the fellowship. The past few days we had been painting stripes in the youth room, so we continued on Saturday morning. Mitch, by interior designer, has done a great job at decorating the youth room so far. We're trying to create a "coffee shop" feel, with mood lighting, comfy seats, etc. That evening we enjoyed going out looking for cool decor and eating at Red Robin. (Burgers are alway awesome in my family). Sunday was full of more craziness, and included church, class, fellowship lunch, parent meeting, church, dinner and girls' devo. Needless to say I was wiped out.

Random things that I've learned this week:

1. Off-brand cream of mushroom soup is not the same.
2. Jacey loves meatloaf.
3. I need girlfriends, and desperately miss all of you who fulfill that for me!
4. Where the disposable tablecloths are at Walmart. This took me 6 months. They just aren't where they're supposed to be.
5. It's ok to discover different possibilities that life may hold.
6. The Olympics are truly fun to watch...with DVR.
7. I'm so glad school has started!

Commitment

Mitch and I have worked this summer on creating an exciting environment for the teens in the youth group, mainly to encourage them to grow in their desire and commitment to the Lord. So often we get in the habit of going through motions and thinking that church is boring. It's just another place to go, something to take up our precious time. We have a small handful of teens who have realized they want to be a church. They aren't there because their parents made them, or because they just want to socialize. They want to worship. Honestly though, that's rare, for the teens and even in my own life. We have graduated more than a few teens who've grown up in the church but haven't commited their lives to Christ. They know all the songs, some memory verses, and have done all the "big" things, like mission trips and such. They're the really "good" people and nothing bad should happen to them. Right? I wonder about their parents. Mitch and I can tell when parents truly emphasize Christianity. They have talked about God frequently at different times and value attending church. I know growing up that skipping church just wasn't a option. It wasn't even discussed. Were there times when my parents were tired and barely had time to get dinner on the table before we had to leave? Yep. I know how easy it is to make excuses and not show up. I'm the one who makes sure Jacey is fed, bathed, and ready to go. Due to the nature of Mitch's job, he isn't always able to help. I can't help but wonder sometimes is the reason our teens don't see the need to commit fully to God is because they saw the lack off desire in their own parents. The excuses of being tired, busy, having family time, etc. probably taught them that God can be put off until we feel like we're ready. I'm truly frustrated at times when we have twice the number of people on Sunday morning as we do on Sunday nights. Who cares if it's the same thing we've already done that day? We get to worship God. We are now making sure there are planned activities on Sunday nights after church every week so that the teens might be interested in coming. It's sad to me that we have to resort to that. As a parent know I am amazed by my responsibility. This rather lengthy post is for me as much as anyone else. I just hope Jacey can see my desire and commitment, even when I'm tired from everything life holds.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

This has been a very crazy, very busy week. Monday Mitch and I headed to Amarillo to do some birthday shopping for Jacey. We went to Toys R Us and were promptly overwhelmed by the huge selection. (I can't imagine what we would've done in a bigger city.) After an hour and a half, we left with a good selection. We decided that Christmas will come soon and we didn't have to buy everything on this trip.

Tuesday was filled with cooking, cleaning, and a fabulous party. Mitch's parents came in early and helped us get ready. We were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate with friends who have loved on Jacey so much this past year. The whole evening just went smoothly. The food turned out good, the cake looked and tasted great, and everyone seemed to enjoy each other's company. We host so many youth get-togethers that I forget what an party with maturity is like. The evening was very special to me, and I'll remember it forever. I think Jacey had a great time too.

Here are a few pictures of the evening:

It's had to believe that it's been a year since Jacey came into our lives. She's grown so much (and we have too!) I can't wait to see what our future holds.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Jacey:

1. Her quick smile.

2. The way she dances to any type of music. It's definitely in her genes.

3. Her expressiveness. If the house is too quiet she'll fix the problem.

4. The way she eats anything put in front of her.

5. Her wet kisses.

6. The look on her face when she's proud of herself.

7. Her giggle. She's not easy to get ot laugh, but when she does, it's priceless.

Yesterday Mitch and I enjoyed a quiet evening. We were thinking about getting out of town and heading to Lubbock just for the fun of it, but after everything we had done this past week we changed out minds. We watched August Rush and the Olympics. The Olympics are special to us because on our honeymoon we watched them a lot. I ended up with a bad cold on our wedding and didn't feel like doing much sight-seeing. Mitch told me he wants to hide out for a week or so every 4 years during the Olympics for our anniversary. We'll see. :)

Changes

Recently I've realized just how much my little girl has grown. She's wearing clothing that actually matches her age (a first), forgoing her morning nap, eating like crazy, and generally acting more independent. She loves whole milk and doesn't mind the weaning process. In less than a week she'll be able to ride in a new car seat. There are lots of changes happening, and I'm both excited and sad.

We've had a very busy, yet fun, week. Since this is Adam's (our intern) last week, we decided to paint the youth room. Finally! It took most of the day Tuesday to get the the base coat on. We still have the stripes and a 2nd coat to do in the hallway. So far I think it looks fantastic. It's much better than the awful beat-up white. Wednesday we had a funeral, church, and volleyball. Today we bought more paint, took Adam for awesome pizza at Basil Doc's, and got supplies for the camp-out retreat this weekend. Mitch and the youth group are going to camp out in the canyon on one of our elder's land. 3 days and 2 nights without bathrooms. Jacey and I have decided to stay home and watch the Olympics. I'm sure everyone will have fun though.

Baby Kisses

This past week we spent at Camp Blue Haven with a bunch of our kids. Jacey (and Mitch and I) loved seeing new people, and especially her grandparents. Camp is usually like vacation for us, since we're able to stay with Mitch's parents. It was definitely a much needed break from the normal routine. While we were there, Jacey blossomed a little more. She loved talking to anyone who would listen, and since she is totally adorable, she had many admiring listeners. As a result she learned 2 more words - Papa and bye bye - and both are amazingly clear. She also loved Grandma's cooking and ate more table food than she has yet. (As a side note, Grandma made cinnamon rolls for the whole camp...yumm!)

Grandma was the lucky recipient of Jacey's first kiss. It was small and quick, but a kiss nevertheless. Neither Mitch nor I had seen her interested in doing it again until tonight. We were just relaxing on our bed while she crawled and tumbled around when she looked at me with her tongue out and leaned towards my mouth. I politely kissed her and she smiled. She then did it again, but this time she made the smacking sound. Unfortunately she only knows how to make this sound with her tongue out. And as a result she kisses with her tongue. (Unless you don't know, Jacey has inheirited her father's amazingly long tongue.) It's totally precious, and she is so proud of herself. It'll be a moment I won't forget.

And the rest of my update...

So to all those who were out there wondering, the reason we may not have a computer room is that eventually Jacey will move in there when she's old enough for a big girl bed. Not any time soon. At least that's the plan. :)


We had a great 4th of July this year. Canyon always has a parade and a crafts fair on the square, which is always hot and crowded, just like the 4th should be. We usually go to Hil's restaurant to get breakfast burritos with the Hacketts, but since they were at camp, we went by ourselves. We then headed home to let Jacey get a quick morning nap in, and then ventured out to the square to see all of the people and the parade. After an hour or so Mom and Jacey were hot and tired, so we all went home to nap and cool off. That evening we ate with many of our friends from church at the Bradshaw's. There was lots of brisket and sausage - a good West Texas barbeque. Unfortunately Jacey is too little to stay up to 10 pm to enjoy and appreciate the fireworks. Mitch and I decided to go up on our roof to watch them from our house. They usually shoot them off at the park 1/2 mile from our house, so we were hoping to get a good view. As it turned out, it was one of the best shows we've seen since watching them in Nashville. We were able to hear some of the music that they were playing, and we had a perfect, unobstructed view of the fireworks. We also enjoyed talking to each other without distractions, since there is nothing to do up on a roof except talk and sight-see.

Last weekend we went to Ft. Worth to help move the Hacketts in. I really needed to get out of town and see something new for a few days. The summer craziness can wear on me a lot if I let it, and I was definitely getting a little burned out. We were able to help move in a bunch of stuff. We also were able to go to a Rangers game, where we had box seats. Totally awesome! I didn't watch much of the game, but it still was an amazing experience. Jacey loved all of the cheering and clapping. Her eyes would light up every time the crowd started cheering and clap and smile along with them. It was priceless. Sunday we came home and enjoyed sleeping in a bed again. The weekend was a lot of work but also very fun. I definitely came back recharged and ready to finish the summer.

Next week we head to Blue Haven for camp. I love camp. My duties this year are to bring the grandchild and help around the kitchen as needed. What a great way to spend a week! Mitch and I are looking forward to some parental TLC. Hopefully Jacey enjoys the experience as well.

Mitch and I have decided that Jacey needs more words. The child has inherited her father's desire for conversation. She has about 4 or 5 words besides "Mama" and "Dada" that she's trying to master, such as "duck," "dog," "ball," "bird," and "bye-bye." She mainly just gets the first part of the word out (kind of like Bambi does when he first says bird). The rest of the time she just jabbers away about things that Mitch and I don't understand. It's very sweet.

Jacey also has gotten her first tooth this week. She's been a real trouper. She hasn't fussed or cried too much. Her appetite and sleeping are just a little bit out of wack. I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to get teeth since she's 11 months old. But as always, never fear...things take care of themselves in time.

New Computer

My wonderful dad worked out a deal with Mitch to get us a new computer. It finally arrived this afternoon and its amazing. We decided we needed a laptop for the future when we don't have a computer/study room. This thing is entirely too smart for its own good. Mitch discovered the speech recognition program and we have had a blast opening programs and ordering it around. It's quite fun. I'll try to compose a blog completely by voice soon. (Not that you'll know any difference.)

We are doing great here. Sorry for the long absence, but it's summer. And it's crazy. We just got back from moving our friends Bryan and Susan to Ft. Worth for their new job. I'm already missing them terribly. But I know they are where they're supposed to be, and I think the congregation there will take good care of them.

More to come later...movie night awaits!

Visits and other random things

So yes, I did survive last week without Mitch here. Jacey and I had a good time together. I realized that having a kid to take care of and keep me busy helps to pass the time. Thursday night my parents arrived to visit for a long weekend. It was great to see them, and Jacey especially loved all the attention. Dad hadn't seen her since January, when she wasn't doing anything other than the newborn duties - eating, sleeping, and pooping. He was able to get in the floor and play with her. They also brought some of my old toys which were really fun to see again. Jacey was glad to have some new things to play with. (We're too cheap to buy new toys.) Mitch arrived Saturday night, tired but happy to be home. And very tan. We went to the pool Monday and Mom and Dad loved watching Jacey splash and generally wear herself out. They headed home Tuesday after we had a great time together. (Pictures to come later.)

Mitch and I have recently been on an enivronmentally-friendly kick. We've started recycling more, using canvas grocery bags, and buying all-natural cleaners. I have to say that so far I've been surprised at how easy it's been. We bought 3 canvas bags from Walmart to cut down on the plastic bags we were using. They're amazing! Our groceries using can fit in all three, with maybe one or two extra bags needed. It make my life easier because I don't have to go through 15 bags to empty my groceries. I also bought the Green Works cleaner, and it is great. It cleans better than most products, and it smells like limes. Yum. Anyway, so there's my plug for the enivronment. Whoo hoo!

On a completely different subject, Jacey loves macaroni and cheese. For lunch today she ate a banana and some of a tuna fish sandwich. But when she saw that we had made mac and cheese, she refused to eat anything else. I think she ate about 1/3 of my macaroni. It was amazing. She can really put down the food when she wants to.

Summer is here

Sorry it's been awhile since my last update. We have definitely started summer, both in terms of the weather and work load. Last week we all headed to 6 Flags with 40 Jr. High kids and sponsors for 3 days of fun. It was a great, uneventful trip. Jacey loved the pool, the 3 rides she could go on a 6 Flags, and the awesome waterpark. She played hard until she just about fell asleep sitting in the water. It was cute.

This week Mitch is in Houston, sweating, with our high school kids. They work with little kids from the inner city at a camp about an hour out of Houston. It's very rewarding, and also very exhausting. While he's away Jacey and I have just hung out together. Monday I got a fever/virus and was pretty miserable with no one to take care of me. But I survived, of course, and now we're getting things ready for Grammy and Gramps (my parents) to come a visit for a long weekend. It's been a very long time since we've seen both of them, so we're looking forward to a good time. Jacey is getting a little tired of seeing just me, so they will definitely brighten her day.

My Little Fish

Today we took Jacey to the WTAMU pool with our friends the Hacketts. I really had no idea what to expect. I knew Jacey liked the water, but pools can be completely different, with all the people and craziness. However, she loved every minute! She was practically swimming already. She also loved to splash everywhere. It was so fun to share something new with her. Her friend Colton enjoyed it too, especially when he got to stand on the steps. They both were adorable. Needless to say, Jacey wore herself out and crashed hard for the evening.

Here are a few pictures of our day.

Stomach Bug

Need I say more? Mitch woke up yesterday with it, and he actually stayed home all day. This meant he did not go to church. I know. It's amazing. I got it last night and didn't get much sleep at all. We've decided that Jacey had it first and that's why she's been fussy. She never showed signs of stomach sickness, so that's why we thought it was teething. Luckily it's only a 24 hour-ish thing.

I'm now feeling better at least.

9 Months

Jacey has now reached the 9 month mark. She weighs in at a whopping 15 lbs, 13 oz and is 26 3/4 inches tall. The doctor wasn't concerned about her weight - she just said she's going to look like a model when she's older and that Mitch is in trouble. We now must venture into the world of table food. I have a feeling it's going to be a hard transition. Especially with a grumpy, teething baby. But I know we'll make it through like always.

Here is a story that was in our bulletin Sunday, and I thought it was amazing. I almost teared up. Almost. :) Enjoy!

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The baby further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, "You will simply call her, 'Mom.'"

Busy

I knew these next few weeks were going to be crazy, and I was right. We've finally had a half a day to relax and just enjoy being together. Yesterday Mitch headed out to the canyon to go camping with some of our teen guys and other men in the congregation. They apparently played hard and have marks to prove it. Mitch came home exhausted but said they had a great time. I then asked him to turn over my garden so we could plant some tomatoes and peppers. Obviously I have a fantastic husband, because he did just that. And without complaining. (In case you're wondering, I'm updating for him since he hasn't done it for himself. ;)

Yesterday I had a good workout at physical therapy and also walked around Walmart for a while. My knee is definitely getting stronger, but I have a ways to go still. At least I can walk around and get things done.

Jacey has run a mild fever for the past few days. It hasn't gone above 99.8, and since she has no other symptoms, I'm pretty sure she's cutting teeth. She seems to chew on things and rub her gums with her tongue a lot (which is very cute). I'm kind of surprised it's taken a while, but I knew that's fairly normal. She did play hard today and was less fussy tonight. Hopefully we'll wake up with a new tooth tomorrow.

I hope that all of the moms out there have a great Mother's Day tomorrow! I want to wish my mom a happy, relaxing, and non-stressful day. I love you!

Dada!

Jacey has become quite a little talker this week. She's been saying "Dada" for a couple of weeks, but now she'll look at Mitch, wave, and clearly say "Dada!" It's so precious. Unfortunately, I only get "Mama" when shes really mad. Sunday we sat her down on the floor, and apparently she didn't want to be there. She yelled "mama!" and started screaming. Still precious though. Her next word will be "dog." Right now it sounds like"da."

It was good that we had a quiet weekend last week. This week has been pretty insane, with PT, pre-admitting for my surgery Monday, a newsletter to put out, senior banquet to plan, sermon to prepare, and all of the other normal activities we both have to do. Luckily I'm getting back to normal. I actually did all the laundry, dusted, and vacuumed yesterday. I don't think I've vacuumed the house in 2 months (not that I really missed doing it.) It's just nice not to have to ask Mitch to do housework on the weekends.

I decided this week to start a scrapbook for Jacey's first year. My pictures came in yesterday, and I can't wait to start. It's been a while since I even wanted to scrapbook, since my last one ended up being a behemoth. At my baby shower in Nashville, I received a huge box full of paper, stickers, ribbons, and quotes all about babies. So I have all the supplies I need (maybe). Hopefully this one won't take 2 1/2 years to finish.

Walking and Crawling

We are now in motion around our house. Jacey can army-crawl anywhere she wants to go and is loving every minute. I made a deal with her when I got hurt. I told her that she could crawl when I could walk. Well, Thursday my PT said that I could walk around the house without crutches. Whoo-hoo!! Needless to say I'm quite sore and tired, but mobile nonetheless! You can see Jacey in action here and here.

Mitch and I hadn't had a free evening together in at least 2 weeks, so yesterday we headed to Amarillo to spend some birthday money. I found a new outfit at the mall and got Mitch's birthday gift as well. Afterwards we tried out a new Japanese restaurant for dinner. Who knew we liked Oriental food so much? Our last stop was Walmart, where we seem to have to visit at least once a week. (And I still forget to get something I needed every time!) I secretly love driving the scooters around Walmart. Jacey enjoys the ride as well. After we walked/scooted around the store 3 times, we decided we had what we came for and went home. Where Jacey and I promptly crashed.

Today is filled with absolutely nothing. Hope everyone can have such a good Saturday!

The lame can walk again...

Well, sort of. I can now put pressure on my knee, and so Wednesday I started to try getting around with just one crutch. Mitch thinks it's the funniest thing he's ever seen, but it works! It's nice to be able to move around the house with Jacey and not have to go through the ordeal of strapping her in the Bjorn. My knee was admittedly sore yesterday, but my physical therapist said that was normal, and as long as I took it easy I wouldn't reinjure anything. Physical therapy is going well. I'm making very slow progress. Very slow. Apparently that is ok, and I will be back to normal eventually.

Jacey woke up Wednesday morning with a slight fever and an upset stomach. I was hoping she was getting her new tooth in, but so far nothing. And since she is feeling better now, I'm guessing it still has a while. Poor thing. She is just about to crawl, and she will imitate you when you say "Da Da." It's very cute. Unfortunately she only says "m" syllables when she's really mad. I'm not sure how to take that...

Mitch and I have a semi-empty weekend, so we're going to enjoy actually seeing each other and just hanging out. Hope everyone has a good weekend as well!

The light at the end...

I had a doctor's visit on Tuesday and I actually heard the words "that looks really good!" Finally! Apparently everything is on track and healing just fine. I got my stitches out (that was not as fun as I'd hoped), got the ok to bend my knee as much as I want, and am now going to physical therapy. Monday I can start putting pressure on my knee as well, and hopefully soon after I can make it around on one crutch. So I am definitely seeing the light at the end of this very long tunnel.

We are also now alone. Mitch's mom headed on home yesterday, and I have to say a big thank-you to her and my mom. We couldn't have managed without either of them. And now I have to stop being lazy and actually do stuff. :) It'll be great though.

Mitch and Jacey are doing well too. He's had a crazy time at work since mid-December, and I really don't expect it to get much better anytime soon. The good thing is that he is still having a blast working with these teens, and I am too. In less than 2 months we'll be headed to Six Flags and Houston to kick off the summer excitements. Jacey has really blossomed in the last few weeks. She is trying so hard to crawl, but hasn't figured out how to get up on her knees yet. It won't be long though. She's eating chicken now, along with Cheerios and just about anything else I will give her. It's truly amazing how much a little person can put down!

Hope everyone else out there is doing well. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Keep 'em coming!

Easter and other things

With all of the other craziness that is going on in our lives, I've forgotten to update everyone on my little girl. She has loved her Grammy being here and spoiling her. She even will reach for her while I'm holding her. Mom just loves it! Jacey has done a ton of new things recently. She's now eating Cheerios and drinking from a sippy cup. She also sits in a high chair at restaurants. She thinks she's pretty cool stuff and has this adorable proud look on her face. Sunday at church she waved bye-bye for the first time. I was the proud one this time! Grammy has been working on "patty-cake" and Jacey now claps all the time trying to do it herself. She has grown so much in a very short time.

Easter was fun, even though Mitch had to be out of town. We dressed Jacey up with a new dress and new shoes, which she loved. After church we were able to go out to eat with Bryan and Susan. That's always a fun adventure, because their son Colton is 1 month older than Jacey. At the end of the meal there were cheerios, toys, crackers, and throw-up all over the floor. Our poor waitress.

I had surgery on Monday, and they were able to save my ACL. I have two wires holding it down on the bone, and my knee is locked in my brace at 30 degrees. Hopefully when I go back in two weeks I'll be able to start moving it, and then putting pressure on it soon after. I will have to go back in to get the wires removed, but that should be no big deal. My doctor said that recovery will be longer this way, but my knee will be stronger after it's healed. I've just decided that God is teaching me patience, because it feels like its taking forever. Luckily I have great family and friends to take care of me!

Here are a few pictures of Easter and Mom's visit:

Jacey's new sun hat

Jacey and Grammy

Her shoes are covered in glitter, and she was enthralled!

Update #2

Sorry it's been awhile. It takes time to make it to the computer, so I often just don't. I had my doctor's visit yesterday, and it turns out that when I do something, I do it well! The diagnosis is that I partially tore my MCL (which will fix itself), have some soft tissue damage, have a bone chip, have a fracture on the outside of my tibia, and my ACL, while still intact, is completely torn off of the bone. The doc said that I almost dislocated my knee. Cool, huh?

Monday at 3 is my surgery. My doc said that he hopes to be able to reattach my ACL to the bone with screws. If he can't, he'll have to reconstruct my ACL with part of my hamstring (from my other leg). Sounds quite scary, but he said he does it every day, and it wasn't a big deal. Obviously I'm just ready for the healing process to begin. I won't be able to walk on my leg for about 2 weeks after the surgery because of the fracture. But after that hopefully I'll be getting back to normal.

The good thing is that I'm not in any pain, other than my arms (from the crutches). My mom is planning to stay until next Thursday or Friday. She's been a big blessing. Mitch is home and has also been really great.

How's everyone else doing?

An Update

Thank you to everyone who has mentioned they're thinking of me. I told Mom a few days ago that you really know if you're liked when you get hurt or sick. So many people have offered help, food, and prayers. It's wonderful.

I went to the doctor on Tuesday. Mitch and I were very impressed with everything they did. We had a ton of questions, and they actually answered them in a kind, understandable way. We felt a lot better. The doc examined my knee, but he couldn't really tell exactly what was messed up. His guess was that I for sure hurt my MCL (on the inside of your leg) my miniscus (the cartilage that cushions your knee), and possibly my ACL. We had the MRI done that evening, but we won't know the results for a few days. He also drained some of the fluid out of my knee (which was totally cool btw), and said that I definitely had more than a sprain. Duh. Worst case scenario is that I fractured my tibia and can't put weight on it for a long time. Best case is that I can put pressure on it (no crutches!) and wear my knee brace around until surgery. Hopefully we'll know something by next Tuesday. They typically don't do surgery for a couple of weeks so that the swelling can go down and they have better visibility while repairing things. I'll keep everyone informed as soon as we know something more.

In the meantime I'm feeling better every day. The crutches have given me some sore muscles, but nothing terrible. I'm ready to be back to normal, but I'm making myself enjoy the down time. And the pampering. Pray for my Mom too, because she's working her tail off. She probably hasn't done this much laundry and cooked this much in a long time. She's wonderful.

Mitch is gearing up to go on the ski retreat this weekend. Hopefully all the kids that are going still want to go, and they will make it safely to Wolf Creek with no problems (like freak blizzards.) Mom and I will probably do a lot of scrapbooking and talking. It'll be fun.

Ski Trip

This weekend Mitch and I went up to Blue Haven to go skiing with his parents. This trip was practice for the ski retreat we have coming up next weekend. We wanted to be sure Jacey would handle everything ok. (She was absolutely wonderful.) The snow was amazing. I have usually had to ski on some ice, but this weekend there was just packed powder. I actually made it the whole morning without falling - a miracle in itself. For the first time I was enjoying myself, not tense or struggling. Then we decided to go to the top of the mountain. On a ski lift.

I hate ski lifts. I always have. It's so hard to get on and off of them. And this lift had my number. As we reached the very top of the mountain, my skis got tangled up somehow and I twisted my knee. As a result I ended up going down the mountain with the ski patrol (it would've been more fun if I weren't hurt) and heading to a local clinic. At the clinic they took X-rays and apparently I pulled my MCL so hard it chipped the bone. They couldn't tell what else had happened, but gave me a semi-cast and told me to call a doctor on Monday.

Results of my injury:
I cannot walk w/o crutches, take a shower without my husband helping, change my clothes, or carry or pick up Jacey (this includes putting her in bed from my rocker, which is maybe 5 feet away from the crib).
My mom came as soon as she could and has now done 3 loads of laundry, washed the dishes, run the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, changed her sheets, made dinner, and given Jacey a bath. She got here about 6 hours ago.
I have to stay on the couch while everyone gets me anything I want.

Some positives, some negatives. We go to the doctor tomorrow hopefully, and then I'll know for sure what needs to happen. I know I'll need surgery, but I don't know how extensive. I'm concerned about my ability to continue nursing, so prayers for that would be appreciated. I'm in less pain today, which I hope is a good sign. I don't even need m prescripton pain meds, just good ole advil. Your prayers for me this week would be appreciated. :)

And for everyone who is wondering, Mitch is a very excellent nurse.

Since the past few weeks have been very busy, with basketball games, devos, and other misc events, Mitch and I decided to spend a day at home on the couch. We started off the day with a movie, went online and watched the Harding/Henderson b-ball game (close to actually being there), and watched another movie. Jacey then woke up and I realized that I hadn't left the house since Wednesday evening. Needless to say I was a little stir crazy. So we called up Newton and Laura and met them for an enjoyable dinner at Abuelo's. We hadn't see them since Christmas and it was really nice to catch up.

My sister is coming next Saturday to spend her Spring Break with us. I'm really excited to have her here. We don't have many big plans - just some quality time together. It'll be fun!

Valentine's Day

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day this year. I can always count on my hubby to bring me flowers of some sort, and this year was no exception. He also got his little girl something to remember the day. We had a nice, quiet evening at home, and a good dinner. We decided not to go out, since everyone else would be doing the same thing. Mitch got some cute pictures of the day for everyone to enjoy.

We also had Jacey's 6 month pictures taken. It's amazing what a difference 3 months can make. She sat up and smiled at the camera and looked like she was enjoying every minute of it. I can't wait to get the pictures back.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

6 Months

Jacey is now officially half a year old. I can't believe she's here already, and I know I'm just going to keep saying that. She now is a chubby 14 pounds, loves food and her daddy, and wants to talk to everyone. I can't wait to see what the next few months bring.

Last night we had a great time watching the Happy Cowboys/girls basketball team play. The guys are ranked around #1, and the girls are doing well too. I really know nothing about basketball (one of the few sports that I never watched often), but it's fun to sit with excited/nervous parents and cheer their kids on. It's also fun to watch Mitch turn into a kid again.

For some reason this year Mitch and I are really interested in the political scene. We actually find ourselves watching CNN as the latest results come in. (Who knew CNN could be interesting?) I like the competition that is going on. I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Last night we had a great Super Bowl party with the teens. There was a ton of food (2 lb of sausage balls and a 24 inch pizza for starters), lots of people, and lots of fun. About 25-30 people came and went throughout the evening. And most of them were rooting for the Giants, so it was an especially good night.

Sundays are typically very difficult days on Jacey, and thus on Mom and Dad as well. She now wants to be a part of things and is always looking around at what's going on. And as a result she doesn't sleep as much during church, lunch, etc. Luckily 30 kids in the house made her too distracted to be grumpy last night.

Part of her grumpiness is from a change the way she goes to sleep. For the past 5 months I've put her to bed with her legs swaddled, mainly because she slept better. However on Saturday she figured out how to roll from her tummy to her back. When I put her to bed that night, she proceeded to flip herself 180 degrees in the other direction. While being swaddled. So I promptly decided the blanket in the crib with her was probably not the best idea. Strike #1. Strike #2 came because she only can roll to the right. And the crib is only so big. She didn't like having something stop her progress. Fortunately she did go to sleep. Eventually.

It's very fun to watch her roll across the room. I'm still terrified of having a mobile child, mainly because I don't know what to expect. But I've made it this far, I'm sure I can survive. :)

New Couch

Kelly reminded me that I haven't posted pictures of our new couches. We are really loving them. I now enjoy sitting in the living room, when I used to dread it after a while. I don't know if the pictures are clear enough, but the fabric is olive green-ish and the pillows have a lot of nice muted colors in them. Mitch actually slept on the couch a few nights ago because his legs were bothering him, and he loved it. (I don't know if that's a good thing or not.) So (drumroll) here they are:

They make our end tables and coffee table look very small, but it's ok for now. And our carpet even looks good. Who knew?

Roll Over, Beethoven!

Ok, maybe not Beethoven, but definitely Jacey. That's right, she finally rolled over (from back to tummy)! She worked for about two weeks arching her back and looking behind her. She could even do it when she held on to our fingers for a few days. Two nights ago she looked at me, swung her hips over, and tucked those arms in. And ended up on her tummy. I've been worried about going to the doctor for her 6 month check-up and having to tell the doctor she hadn't rolled over yet. But no worries! Now whenever I lay her on her back she'll roll over in a few minutes. It's really quite adorable. The only problem now is that she doesn't like being on her tummy for very long.

She's also loving food. I have to admit I am too. It's so much fun to feed her. I'm also making her baby food right now, and it's a blast. I also thought that baby food was disgusting, but now that I know what's in it, it's not that bad. Personally, I actually think I make really good applesauce. I have a wonderful cookbook that makes it easy to know how to make the food as well. And it's cheaper. So everyone is happy.

Here's a few pictures for everyone:

Jacey usually takes an evening power nap, and it's prime-time cuddling for Mom and Dad.

Yum!

My musical child? She loves listening when we play the piano. She sometimes even dances in my lap.

She loves reading now and looking at the pretty pictures.

Rumbly Tummy

Jacey has now officially had her first taste of food. Yesterday I decided to pull out the carrots and make her some carrot cereal (carrots with rice cereal, yum!). As I was trying to puree the carrots, I realized our blender wasn't going to work, since it was made for larger quantities. So Mitch and I headed to Amarillo last night to shop a little bit, and we came home with a Magic Bullet, which is supposed to change your life (at least in the kitchen). Today I successfully made Jacey carrot cereal, and she loved it. She almost ate 2 servings full.

On our shopping adventure we also stumbled across two new frying pans in our set on sale for $49. Now, we knew we were needing new ones, but we didn't really plan on spending the money for them. However, those pans are usually $129. So we splurged. I figure $25 a piece really couldn't be beat.

We also went to Best Buy, Mitch's all-time favorite store. And we came home with 2 movies (off of a gift card) and a new sound system for the youth room. It's the first purchase of many for the youth room. Someday soon the kids are going to go up to the room and wonder what has happened. Hopefully that'll be a good thing.

An update

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. We've had a busy holiday, and I just didn't have the energy to blog. But now we're home and enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon, so here's what's been happening with us.

We spent a great Christmas day here at home. It was the first Christmas we've spent in our own home since we've gotten married, and we had fun spending it together. Jacey helped me open her presents, since she can grab things very well now. After lunch we started packing up things for our trip to Nashville. Mitch was so ready for the vacation. I was a little worried about how Jacey was going to do traveling in the car for a day and a half, but she was such a good trooper. Mitch and I decided to just take it easy, and however long it took was ok. We arrived there at about 2 on Thursday.

The last visit to Nashville back in October was very hectic. We all wanted to just take things easy and relax. I didn't see everyone that I wanted to this time, but the family time was priceless. Mitch and I even went on our first date in four months! We definitely did ourselves a disservice by not going on a date earlier, and have resolved to go on one at least once a month now. Christmas with my family was great too. We were spoiled and loved it. Mom and I now have webcams so that she and Jacey can get to know each other even though they're apart. Charlotte got an Xbox 360 for Christmas, so she and Mitch played Guitar Hero III and Halo 3 most of the week. They were a blast to watch. No one plays Xbox with Mitch so well, not even me.

For New Year's Eve Charlotte invited all of her college friends to dinner and a sleepover. They wanted an excuse to dress up (mainly the girls did, I'm sure) and to see each other over the break. She cooked a really good batch of lasagna and peppermint ice cream cake. She also looked great, I might add, thanks to some help from her big sister. We got her a complete outfit in about and hour and a half (jewelry and shoes included!). The next morning we figured out that about 15 people slept over that night, including ourselves.

On Wednesday we headed to Atlanta for the National Conference on Youth Ministries (NCYM) and hooked up with Shawn and Katie Frazier for lunch. It's so nice to be able to see them now that they live in the Nashville area. Mitch and I both miss all of our Harding friends, and look for any opportunity to get together. They are both doing a wonderful job as teachers at Middle Tennessee Christian. That evening we arrived in Atlanta and really enjoyed the next three days. Mitch got some good ideas, but also connected with a lot of people he hadn't talked to in awhile. I love watching him and knowing what a good job he's doing. Jacey's schedule (and her learning that she has a voice) didn't allow me to do a lot of things, but I was able to go to one class on "preparing your daughter for every woman's battle." Basically it was how to prepare your daughter to be sexually pure. Sometimes having a little baby makes you forget about the lessons you as a parent are going to have to teach later on. I learned many valuable things that will hopefully help Jacey and our future children.

By Saturday we were ready to start towards home, so we returned to Nashville to do some laundry and rest up for traveling. We made it home on Tuesday and were so glad to see our beds. Right now we're mainly caught up with rest and taking care of things, but Jacey's having difficulty taking her afternoon nap. She cried for an hour or so both Wednesday and Thursday. She did ok yesterday but today reverted back. She's just not able to put herself back to sleep without a lot of help. I'm not suprised, since she had a stressful two weeks. It's just hard to know what to do and when to pick her up and not create bad habits. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Our big Christmas present arrived on Wednesday...our new couch and loveseat! We are now finally grownups. At least that's what it feels like. They're very pretty and very big. We are loving them. Anything is better than a worn-out old futon.

Well, that's what's been happening these past few weeks with us. Hopefully I'll have some pictures for you soon.