We Just Keep On Going!

MMMMM... Orange juice and twizzlers. Heartburn surely on it's way, it still tasted goooooooood.

We have continued our busy streak the last few weeks. Well, as much as we have been able to.....

Friday a week ago, the Babies and I went to ZTejas on 6th and had a wonderful lunch with four of my oldest and dearest friends. I guess we got so rowdy at one point that Michelle Valles (KXAN News) switched tables! I guess she just couldn't hang with us (and my kids.....) I digress. These are several friends that shaped my childhood and teenage years, and I have very few memories from the last 30 years that does not involve at least one of them. I think we all dug way back in the recesses of our minds, and found tales of our younger years that we all could connect to. Oh, the stories that were told..... We reminisced about old times and laughed and laughed. It was so invigorating to see friends that I saw everyday for so many years, and how their lives have developed and changed and how they have each grown. Sure, I have seen each of them since we graduated high school , but not all under the same roof at exactly the same time. We are already working on our next get together. Get ready, here we come.....

From there, the Babies and headed down to the beach to spend one night and to enjoy the company of sunshine and cousins. We made a special trip to my Grandma Marshall's house to eat lunch and visit. It was wonderful to get to visit with her. She was in good spirits (as always) and felt really good. She truly enjoyed having some of the grand kids there to fill her house with chaos for a short while.

We had a great time basking in the sunshine and playing in the sand. Kaylen must have thought it tasted alright because she kept a mouth full most of the time. We also found shells in her mouth. The child is a piglet and obviously has underdeveloped taste buds. At one point, my nephew somehow lost contact with his raft and there it went, out to sea. We watched it drift out further, and further, and further, until the argument was complete. He refused to retrieve it, but was lost on how to get it back. Brandie and I looked at each other and without words, decided to go for it. WOW! What a swim. We swam with all of our might for about forty yards. By the time we reached the boat, we were spent. It was all we could do to climb aboard to row it back. After the embarrassing "climb in," we rested for a little while, just drifting.....

It was on the way home from the beach, Saturday afternoon, that Hayden began to speak of feeling ill. I simply though he didn't want to endure the car seat for several hours. Boy, I was wrong. Twice on the journey home, he proved his sickness. Ladies and gentleman, this lasted nearly a week. Even now, we are still feeling some of the affects of WHATEVER -IT-IS. We are talking about 103 fever, only eating 1/2 an animal cracker from Friday until the following Thursday, doctors appointments, and a child who zombied his way to skin and bones. We literally had a comatose baby on our hands. There is nothing scarier than having your child sick, not knowing what is wrong, and simply waiting for that moment when you have to call 911. You talk about taking a toll. I usually keep diaper bags packed at all times for safety, but they were fully loaded in the car all week, just in case and honestly, I wore shoes all week long, just in case. After a negative strep test, more results were sent to a "second opinion" lab, again, negative. Before the second round were tested, we had to wait three whole days without knowing a thing. TOUGH for any parent. It was finally determined that he must have had a horrible virus that is floating around. We were told that there is a nasty strain in the air at this present time. He could have picked it up anywhere, at any time. No telling. Now, even thought he is somewhat beginning to feel better, we still have to take it slow. Occasionally, he still gets low. When this happens, you can see him melt into wherever he is sitting. It is so hard to explain to a two year old why he can't go to church, or the store or why he can't go play next door. I know he felt confined, and I felt for him. It is amazing how a terrible event like this takes its toll on us as parents as well. He is not quite in the clear, but he seems to be feeling better day by day. I wish that we could keep our kids in a "bubble" away from all forms of nastiness, but I guess it truly does strengthen our systems. Thank you to all who called with well wishes and prayers, It's people like you that make the world a wonderful place.

On Saturday, the Sweetie & I traveled to Austin to attend his annual SYSCO banquet. They put us up in the Hilton downtown (very posh.) Have I mentioned to you how proud I am of my Man? He received a very honorable award because if his years of hard work. They stated some very funny tidbits about him that many people in the crowd did not know. I have to brag for a moment. I can tell that Jared is a hit with his coworkers. I don't guess he even knows it, but it seems that when he walks in the room, people cheer! I am so proud of him! YOU GO, LOVER!

Downtown Austin before dawn

Around here, we have been braving the heat and enjoying our days at home together.

Oh, my little Dude! I just have to say that I have the perfect son (so far!) He is so sweet and cuddly, yet so independent! he even throws away his own trash and puts his dinner dishes away without being asked! Every second with him is spectacular! Hayden is really beginning to put his words together and his communication is blossoming quickly. He is getting really tall (which makes him look even skinnier) and lanky. We have been working on his bike riding skills. A sweet friend of ours loaned us a bike for kiddos his size (Thanks so much, Thompson's!) for him to try out. He does alright, he just thinks its cool to peddle backwards. A two year old doesn't understand that you will only get where you've already been. Right? Sounds awkward. Hopefully, it will all come together in his smart little noggin.

This.....

Turned into this.....

He adores his baby sister and loves to decide when nap time is over. He enjoys feeding her and singing to her. She loves it! He is so into animals and he can tell you the names of all of them, even the endangered and rare creatures that we don't hear of often. Maybe he will be a zoo keeper. Kaylen, Kaylen, Kaylen. What can I say? She melts my heart! She is so beautiful, yet such a mess! I can't get enough of her! She is eating "big girl" food now. The mess is a big as her grin during dinner. She loves food and can't get enough. This is a nice change after having another child who doesn't eat ANYTHING! She pulls up on everything accessible (even your pants. so watch out!) She is beginning to have emotions and feelings and it's interesting to see the things that now, suddenly, frighten her, or excite her! She absolutely loves her brother and beams when she sees him!



Thank you so much for enduring such a long and drawn out blog. I guess there was just a lot going on, therefore, a lot to write about!

Good Night.

So Much Going On

Hello Friends!

OK, so I am officially addicted to Lincoln Logs. Hayden and I pulled out the box yesterday and had a blast! I had forgotten how fun, yet intriguing they were. Is it wrong to get them out again after the Babies are in bed so that I can get ALL of the pieces that I want?

What an exciting, and busy, several weeks it has been. Hayden completed his second year of swim lessons and did an outstanding job. Since he ended up being the only one that signed up for that certain class, he only had to go for one week instead of two, and received one on one, private instructions. Some of the time, I was able to swim on my own while the sweet instructor passed her skills onto him. My thought, simply because several have asked, is that no matter where my children go in life, and no matter what they do, water will ALWAYS be around in some form or fashion. I long for my children to have fun in the water, with much respect and an ounce of fear.

WAY TO GO HAYDEN!

A gigantic "Thank You" so much to all of you that helped with Jared's little birthday surprise last Saturday! I honestly think that he was completely and totally surprised, which is great since NOTHING gets past him. We had a wonderful time honoring Jared and his incredible 30 years. He has made such an impact on so many people and on so many lives, and I just thought that he deserved something special. It was wonderful to be able to have family and a few close friends come together for such a special occasion. We were excited to have his Mom and Dad, as well as Luke and Amy here for the weekend. Good Times! Thank you, all, for your help.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVER!

Last week, we made a fun filled trip to the San Antonio Zoo with my Mother, Sisters, nieces and nephews, as well as several friends. HUMMM, Three adults to eleven children (yes, I said 11.) I'm not sure if we were crazy or brave. None-the-less, we had a wonderful time having a picnic, riding the train (or the "do-do frain" as Hayden calls it) and seeing all of the animals. The children were all really well behaved and each of them made the day exciting in their own way.
Despite the ratio, I would do it again given the chance.

This past weekend, we attended a birthday party for a friend of ours. The kids really enjoyed getting to play on the play scape and getting to hit the pinata (we so need to work on Hayden's batting skills.....) The theme was Thomas the Train, so immediately, Hayden was thrilled!



During the last several weeks, our house has been full of some exciting and surprising changes! Kaylen has begun pulling up on everything that she sees, stable or not, and she is so close to walking. I'm thinking that any minute now, she is going to take off! She has decided that #2 baby food is her enemy. Occasionally, she will tolerate a few bites of #3, but truly, she just wants to feed herself. She now eats what we eat, plus a few more heaping helpings of her size. There is nothing that she won't eat. She has begun to wave bye, bye and likes to say, "MaMaMa and DaDaDa." She also gets a thrill out of her big brother. She grins ear to ear every time he comes around. Which leads us to him....

He has become so excited about "Baby," that he takes it upon himself to wake her up from her naps when HE deems ready. I caught him in there today grunting, and trying to lift her out of the crib from the outside. It's true. If we are carrying her, he wants her down, so that he can play with her. He loves to sing to her, and she loves to listen. It is absolutely amazing to watch them interact like they do.

Hayden has recently taken an interest in dressing and undressing himself. He does a pretty amazing job at this life long task that he will endure forever. Occasionally, the shirt is inside out and backwards, or the underwear is backward, but we don't make any comments, we just high five and go on our way. I am so proud of him. The other afternoon in the car, I was telling him all about Tuesday school in the Fall. We have been talking about it for months, so I guess he understands in his own way. I was explaining to him that I was having second thoughts, because I like him at home with me (OK, it's only two mornings a week, but I am already sad.) I told him that he could just not go, that they could give his tuition to charity, and that he could stay home with myself and Baby forever. As I turned around to look at him, he looked at me and waved while saying,"Bye-Bye Mom." Alright, the tears were already on the verge just discussing it, but here they fell. I know, I am absolutely pathetic and pitiful. Any other Mother's having these thoughts or am I nuts?

They are both growing up so fast, and Jared and I are so proud of them equally. I could not ask for better children. Thank you to all of you that love them so much and treat them with such kindness and respect.

I pray that everyone has a wonderful rest of the week. Stay safe and enjoy the possibly of rain. We are off to the beach in several days!

Good Night.