And, we started!

Two weeks ago we started school for the new school year. I knew we needed to start early so we could allow for a 'baby break' for when this wee one comes in the winter. This mama is not gonna want to school and have a brand new baby in the house! We're gonna need a break. I'm gonna need to get some sleep under my belt before we start again. But I'm getting ahead of myself. *sigh* We started and now I'm just tired. But, good tired. Tired because we were very productive and got thru a whole two weeks of school without any tears! *cheer* I am so happy with my choices thus far (both the ones that are the same as last year and the ones that are different.). E. is really sailing right thru her independent work and A. is doing great with her first year of structured school (well, as structured as we get around here!). They are both happy to be back in a routine, as am I. I guess I really am a type A at heart and just wish I was the free spirit type....

   Every year I take school pictures in the same place, the same way (more to document growth and such.). And while I am posting them here, I think I'm gonna change it up and take some more exciting pictures soon. I (of course!) have seen some cute ideas floating around on pinterest and think they could just be an exciting way to document this year. This year has really been a year of change for us. Not noticeably to some, but change nonetheless. I even have an idea for incorporating the new baby into this year's school pictures... 

 

 I promise to post a  belly shot this week (I know! It's been too long!). But, keepin' it real- last week was a l.o.n.g. week for this mama! And, I just couldn't get it all done. Sorry that you (all?) had to suffer silence on my end, but I choose my family over my blog. And, I would hope you would do the same. 

Have you started school yet? What do you do to commemorate the start of a school year? Any great picture ideas???

My Journey Part 2

I've finished Part 2 in  My Journey (click here to read Part 1 &2)..... Enjoy the next installment!

Part 2: 

Jimmy carrying E. to the car in his helmet

Jimmy returned from his year long deployment in April 2004. E. and I were SO happy to have him home. 

We tried to returned to a ‘normal’ routine, although this time it included a Daddy. It was rocky at first. I am a I-can-do-it-myself kinda girl and I had just done life alone for a whole year. I wasn't sure how to let him in to the everyday again. We tried to discuss expectations and needs but really we just went on. I kept doing a lot more than I should have been doing and Jimmy let me. I was running things, and I liked it like that.

 A little more than a year later his unit deployed again and we were transitioning out of the Army under a medical discharge. We moved back to Texas, near family, and thought that our new road would now just be in our home state with a bigger house, in a bigger city. What we weren't doing was budgeting or living within our means. We were just living everyday independently, without forethought to tomorrow.  We were trying to prove ourselves to everyone but the One who really counts.

Within that next year we lost my great Grama, my Dad was in a major motor vehicle accident and my grandparents’ health was beginning to fail. We began to realize that life was fleeting and we needed to live it to the fullest. We needed to plan a little better.

We decided that we were then ready for another (read: last) child to come into our family. We were pregnant by August 2006. May 28, 2007 my grandfather passed. The next day, while I was helping to plan the funeral I went into labor and delivered our sweet baby A. She was beautiful and we knew we were complete. It was an odd feeling knowing that within 24 hours we had completed our family, and I would never hug my grandfather’s neck again. It was so surreal. 

So much had happened in such a short time. Marriage, deployment, birth, death. I didn't know how to collate all the life experiences. I was just beginning to hear the Lord whisper, pointing me to seek the Truth. To seek how He views life and death; to really examine my priorities in light of Scripture. But, I pushed Him away still not understanding how to make Him fit into my life.

Shortly after birth we started seeing so many differences between A. and E. as a baby. Really there were too many to name here (I will expound on her story later). But, what I can tell you is something wasn't right. She was constantly fussy, and not in a I’m-a-fussy-baby kind of way. We began searching for a Pediatrician that would take my concerns seriously. That search led us to doctor after doctor who wouldn't get past what they saw when they walked in the door- a content baby.

 By the time A. was a year old we knew we needed serious help. Not help that a Pediatrician could give but help from a Specialist. She wasn't sleeping, let alone through the night. She constantly had a rash of some form. She was itching ALL. THE. TIME. (to the point of bleeding and screaming and then itching more). We had been told she had allergies and had been diligent to avoid them, all to no avail. We were all miserable. We just didn't know which direction to go in first.  

Our church was too large to really be very hands on supportive. They all knew her and would smile and ask how she was, thinking that we would finally give them the answer so they could cross her off their prayer list (Man, did we pray for that ourselves!). But, the answers never came and her illness seemed to be around for the long haul. I started seeking out alternative treatments. We were desperate, alone in our journey with her and without any answers- only more questions. 


{to be continued.....}
    

Wordless Wednesday : Art class edition

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

I'm up to a little something ....

{A little side note.... I hit the 'publish' button while we we're on gone, but it didn't actually post! Argh.... Please forgive me for seemingly disappearing for so long! *wink* }


Well. We did it. We went on VACATION!!!! It's our first family vacation ....ever! And we are loving it! Here's a little picture to tide you over until I can get to a computer :)

Purging and a little something to share....

     I've been purging my whole house. So, when I sit down to the computer (which is not very often!) I have also been going through my pictures.... it's a mess. I'm trying really hard not to let it overwhelm me. Really though, I'm just wishing we were back when you took a picture and had to wait until the film was developed a week later to enjoy the excitement of looking at all your pictures and laugh at all the ones that didn't turn out! *laugh* But, I digress.....

    I made a Shutterfly book of all our favorite pictures from last year and I was really pleased with it. So, I'm attempting to stay up to date throughout this year with all my favorites so I'm not bogged down when I'm ready to put this year's favorites together in a book. So, today I'm sharing one of my favorites so far this year... Enjoy!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

             

 One picture. One memory to remember forever. No words needed.

http://www.skymariephotography.com/