Summer is beginning

There used to be this thing where the seasons would change gradually. 

Winter melts into Spring.

Spring jumps into Summer.

Then there is Oklahoma....

We don't really have Spring and Fall. Which is a shame!! Those two are my favorite. 

With Summer having quickly approached here are a few little updates thus far:

As I mentioned before in a previous post, Hadley is a reader. She loves to be read to or read to herself. She quickly memorizes books as well. You can read it to her once, twice, (at most) three times. By that point she will be finishing your sentences. Naturally, she calls this "reading by herself." (If you should know anything about Hadley it is that she can do anything and everything by herself!!) About a month ago, I began talking to her about the library. She instantly wanted to go right then and there. We couldn't at that time so we went the next day. I got her all signed up to have her library card. I showed her the section of books she could pick from. Her first trip she checked out eight books!! Read them all repeatedly. And was ready to go back.

Bubbles at cousin Shelby's house because the park was filled with the entire 4th grade of Bixby elementary.

Tea party in her Ariel mermaid dress

Hadley and Uncle Lucas at Aunt Leslie's college graduation. She did really well considering everyone hates graduations to begin with :)

Aunt Leslie and her nieces and nephew

Hadley playing with Aunt Cindy while everyone else takes pictures with Leslie

Hadley sitting outside at Aunt Leslie's graduation party. She found this little bench by herself and just sat there by herself. She was just happy to be outside in her favorite dress.

Daddy has been working a night shift for the last several months. It really isn't too bad, but recently I've started letting Hadley sleep in bed with me only if I know we have to get up early the next day. Lee insists I'm the only parent on the planet that actually likes to sleep with their child. That will come to an end as Lee's schedule is changing back to a day shift.

This is what happens when a two year old refuses to take a nap. She falls asleep in the chair while I work on the computer. This lasted a solid 45 minutes, at least!

Hadley has been asking for "pink cow boots" for the better part of a YEAR now! "Cow boots" are quite expensive. I don't even mean real ones that are intended for riding horses or the farm life. I mean just cheap, pretending cow girl boots. The cheapest I found was at Target for $27.99 - NO THANKS! Well, one day we were at Wal-Mart with Aunt Cindy looking at sandals. We went to another aisle and Cindy just so happened to find these "cow boots" on sale for $5! And wouldn't you know, they came in Hadley's size. What's funny is right before we found these, Hadley was just telling us about how she wanted "pink cow boots" for her birthday. When we found these and she tried them on she said, "I not wait 'til my birthday now. I want these!" LOL. For $5 you better believe I snatched them up. Of course, she insisted on wearing them to church in a full cow girl get up the next day.

Hadley found this wig at Nammy's house the other night. She put it on and began taking pictures of herself. She kept shaking her head back and forth. She has never felt so much hair before. It was hilarious!

Well that is Summer thus far...
I'm sure the rest of the summer will have a lot to offer.
It will also bring a time of change as we prepare for baby brother coming in the beginning of Fall
...or whatever we have of Fall.

The Sickies

Because this blog is for me to remember stuff as Hadley grows older -- I'm playing catch up with some things that have happened around here, recently. Let's go back to May. 

 

In the middle of May (I believe the 17th?) Hadley girl began to run a slight fever. She was acting fussy, wasn't eating much, and was overall acting funny. I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. It was already five o'clock at night so I knew that there was no way I could get her in to see her personal doctor.

I slightly panicked. 

I've never taken Hadley to an Urgent Care before. Mostly because she really likes her doctor. She always has and still seems to now. I have never wanted to confuse her by taking her to anyone else. 

I had no choice. Like I said, "gut feeling." 

I took her to the Pediatric Urgent Care here in town. I was very impressed with them. Hadley thought it was a fun place because it was so colorful and "playful" for kids. 

When we were taken back to the examination room, we talked to the nurse and we decided that to go ahead and run a Strep test would be best. 

The doctor came in and she told me that the test came back "negative."

Say WHHHHAAAATTTTT? I thought for sure this is what she had. Luckily, so did the doctor. She decided that despite the test saying "negative," she was going to go ahead and treat it as if it was Strep.

Since Hadley had a fever she was obviously considered contagious. I took off work the rest of the week so we could stay home and rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and Hadley playing while she was recovering from "Strep."

 

 

 

 

 

Two days after Hadley started her antibiotic she seemed to be feeling so much better. Thank God! She was still running a slight fever, but we knew she was also teething (all four, 2 yr old molars coming in!!). We didn't think much of it. 

Saturday morning Hadley got up and around. She was extra cuddly. She wasn't feeling 100% yet, but acting much better. I was gone for most of the morning with Zumba. When I got home I put her down for a nap. She took a decent nap, but woke up incredibly hot. She had a fever of 102.3. 

Something was absolutely not right. Something was very wrong. 

...again, gut feeling. 

Lee kept insisting it was just her teething, but said we could take her back to Urgent Care if I felt necessary. 

I couldn't kick the feeling of something was wrong so we took her in, again. 

The doctor look in her throat and jumped back. She looked at me and asked "Did you see that?!!!" I said no so she showed me. Hadley's tonsils were literally so swollen they were touching. They were completely cover in white pus with infection. 

They ran a Strep test again. Negative, again!!

They ran even tested for mono. Negative! 

Lee holding Hadley while waiting at the Urgent Care. She was so sick she couldn't even sit up.

After being there for hours (literally! We were there from 6 - 10 pm) they just chalked it up as "exacerbated tonsillitis." They changed her antibiotic. We hunted down a 24 hr. Walgreens Pharmacy. Got her medicine and put her to bed. 

She woke up in the morning fever free. 

This different medication cured her sickness and she was fully better within about three days. Hadley's personal doctor contacted me for a follow up. He said that children under 3 yrs old generally do not have tonsil issues. He said that since this has happened that we will need to keep an eye on her tonsils.

Speaking of check ups... I think I need to schedule Hadley's 24 month check up. 

...I'll get on that tomorrow.

Anniversary trip

{This post is in relation to stuff that happened a month ago. Still wanted to update} 

A few months ago Lee got a new work schedule. This means that every other week he has 5 days in a row off work. 

During one of his 5 day weekends, we decided to go on a little anniversary trip to Moore/Norman. I know that doesn't seem exciting, but we went to college in Moore. All of our best friends live in Norman so we were excited to go. 

Then May 20, 2013 happened. 2 1/2 miles wide and about 17 miles on the ground happened. An EF-5 tornado happened. 

My heart broke and time stood still. As we sat in the living room and watched this happened, on tv, we panicked. We both have family that live in Moore. Our friends are in the area. 

After much debating, we decided to still go to Moore. When we got there we met up with our friend, Karen, and went into Moore to try and find her husband who was helping serve the city with their church. 

We eventually found him. And as we were leaving we stumbled upon ground zero and the Plaza Tours Elementary school. This is the school where most of the children were lost in the storm. 

 Ground zero - everything was gone

This was Plaza Towers. Someone placed 7 little crosses in memorial to the children lost there.

That night we met up with all of our friends for dinner. We had a great time, but naturally I didn't get a single picture :( 

change is hard

Things have changed.

I started working again. Three days a week. For four and a half hours each time. Nothing major.

Lee's schedule changed again. He now works Tuesday through Friday. He is off Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Hallelujah! 

Hadley got her first real "bug." And by "bug" I don't mean a creepy crawling one. 

...Then Momma got Hadley's friendly little bug. Still not the creepy crawling one.

We lost a dear, precious, family friend. 

We've spent many hours crying, praying, planning. More crying. 

We celebrated the joining of a new man and wife today.

We spent more time crying over the loss of a friend. 

It's been a whirlwind these last few weeks. These last four days, in particular, are a blur.

Right now it's just hard. 

We've had changes in our personal life with me working and Lee shift change. Then changes in our friend's lives that affect us so deeply, as well. 

Tomorrow will begin with rejoicing of a life and remembering sweet promises God offers to His people.

The next few days will be emotional. 

My heart is so broken for this family. My friends. More like my own family. 

Give me Jesus.

I'm not a political person. Sometimes I'm not even politically correct. But as we move into election season the more I get worried.

I'm not worried about who is going to be President.

I'm not a registered voter. (Yes, cringe. You now think I'm a terrible American. Moving on...)
I do not vote. I, also, do not complain. Really, I don't.
Mostly because I'm not "up-to-date" on the Presidential candidates and their given platforms.
Irregardless...! (Mean Girls, anyone?)

I'm worried about the people, of this country.
People are mean.
People are opinionated.
Yet, people are, also, intolerant.

August 1, 2012: CFA - Appreciation Day.
POINT AND CASE.
People are nasty.


Someone explain this to me:

There was no controversy or uproar from the Christian community about this advertisement.
No one "boycotted" Target.

Then this quote: 

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."  And then later saying, “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say ‘we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about” -Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-a corporation. 

Got turned into: Dan Cathy, his family, and anyone that supports Chick-fil-a are homophobic and hate the gay community.

I'm baffled. Completely mind-blown. 

Yes, there is the argument of our first amendment rights to freedom of speech. 

But that "free speech" is apparently only tolerated when you're going with the secular world view. Forget it, if you have your own religious views and values. Then it's hate speech. 

Honestly, I don't know that gay marriage is such a "bad" thing. 

Do I agree with it? No.

Do I think it is biblical? Of course not.

But are they really hurting anyone if they are allowed to get a piece of paper saying they are married? Not really. 

It's no different (for the sake of the argument) than polygamy.

Polygamy is illegal.

Polygamy is not biblical.

Polygamists get married and "hid" their marriages and are not harming anyone. 

(I'm talking about Sisterwives kind of polygamy. Not the creepy "married to a 12 year old, against her will" polygamy.)

Does anyone else see my point? 

Again, I don't agree with gay marriage or polygamy. But I also don't see that they are truly harming others. 

(...WOW! I got way off topic than where I was originally headed!! So all that to say...)

I don't want to chose a "right" or "wrong." 

I don't want to support a company based on my personal beliefs and be labeled as something I'm not. 

I don't want to decide anything that is not up to me. 

And I most certainly do not want to judge anyone because that was not intended for me. 

We need to chose Jesus and trust and believe He controls this world, even though sometimes we think we do. 

The song "Give Me Jesus" was on repeat in my head all day, on August 1st. So simple, so true.

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, 
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone, 
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, 
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, 
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, 
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world, 
You can have all this world, 
Just give me Jesus.

Prayer for Rosalie

{I need to update about Hadley's first birthday, her party, and the events as of lately, 

but I will get to those later. This is post is needed now.}

**All photos have been copied from the "Please Pray for Rosalie" Facebook page**

You may or may not have heard about the little 2 1/2 year old girl in Owasso who nearly drown last week. Her mother, Tiffany, is a year older than me and we attended the same high school. I did not personally know her, but we had mutual friends. 

My heart breaks for this family and what they are going through, right now. Little sweet Rosalie has already done better than doctors expected her too. Her mother posted yesterday that the doctors have, now, said that there is nothing else they can medically do for her. She is still fighting. 

Most importantly God is still God who is a Healer and doing miracles today!

She has been on my mind all day and the song "Wonderful, Merciful, Savior" keeps coming to mind. Specific verses of that song seem so powerful and fitting right now.

"All Mighty, Infinite, Father, faithfully loving Your own. Here in our weakness You find us, falling before Your thrown."

"You are the one that we praise! You are the one we adore! You give the healing and grace our, hearts always hunger for." 

Goodwin family

Sweet Rosalie

Remember this family and PRAY!

This was not a surprise to God. Nothing is a surprise to Him. That is so hard for me to wrap my Earthly mind around. It's natural for us to question things. It's so hard to accept sometimes that things are part of His perfect plan. Even the bad and ugly. We have to trust this is His plan. 

If you haven't already: go LIKE "Please Pray for Rosalie" Facebook page. Read her story. Pray for this sweet baby girl. 

Obsessed

Has anyone ever watched the show "My Mom is Obsessed?" This show is nuts.

Each episode there are different women with different "obsession." I caught one episode of a woman obsessed with weight. A woman being obsessed with her weight (especially in today's society) is completely normal. BUT this woman's obsession was on another level: 

*She weighed her self every-single-morning.

*Works about every-single-day for at least two - three hours. 

She also obsesses about her daughters weight in fear that she will gain weight when she gets older. Everyone gains weight as they get older. This lady "blames" her weight issues on when she had her first pregnancy she gained 50 lbs. Totally normal. Maybe 50 lbs. was more than her doctor suggested, but still normal. She is so paranoid about her daughters potential weight gain that she: 

*Makes her daughter call her at lunch every-single-day so she can tell her the options the school is providing so she can tell her what she is allowed to eat and what she is not allowed. 

*Lectures her daughter when she eats anything that she does not give her permission to eat.

*Grounds her daughter if she goes out for pizza (or any other place that involves food) with her friends. 

*On occasion weighs her daughter if she feels like she has eaten things behind her back or hasn't felt comfortable with her meal choices that week. 

I'm serious - this show is nuts!...impartially this lady!

I just don't understand how this lady really thought she was "helping" her daughter prevent future "weight issues" by being so critical of her. It was more like she was preparing her for her future eating disorder and self-conscious body images. 

Our job as parents - especially mother's to young girls - are to empower them. 

To brush their hair, when they are 4 years old, and them how beautiful they are just the way they are...

To remind them, when they are 13 years old, that all girls go through that weird phase when we gain weight, change shapes, and feel awkward...

To set an example, when they are 17 years old, and teach them to dress modestly. (Cor. 6:19-20)

...so on and so forth.

You see where I'm going here.

"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith"

1 Timothy 1:5 NIV 

Hadley's First Easter

Thanksgiving was the first time Hadley ate Sweet Potatoes.

Christmas was the first time she was given and opened gifts. 

We didn't get her anything for Valentine's Day because Valentine's Day is all about the candy. She had just turned eight months old and only had four teeth. Honestly, Hadley has never had candy. So with all that being said, we didn't feel the need to "celebrate" Valentine's Day with her. But then there was Easter...

Religiously, Easter is about the resurrection of our Savior. We got up and went to church that morning. Of course, Hadley does not understand any of that now so I don't have much to say about her experience in that way. So lets talk about the "secular" side of Easter. Every little kid hopes to wake up to an Easter basket full of candy and goodies the Easter Bunny has prepared and left for them. 

We the Easter Bunny decided to make Hadley an Easter basket. I browsed the $1 aisles at Target and Walmart and complied what I thought to be a suitable basket for a nine month old. The most I spent on any item was $5 for new bath toys. I'd been eyeing them for awhile anyway ;) Hadley's Easter basket included: bendable flower, purple bunny ears, purple bunny, two soft plastic Elmo books, bath toys, two necklaces, and one elmo bowl.

Hadley's first Easter basket. I was so excited I could barely sleep. It was almost like Christmas :)

Showing Had her basket

Trying on her bunny ears

Wearing her purple necklace and looking at her bath toys

So excited about her necklaces that she couldn't put them down for a picture. She was smiling behind that fist full of beads :)

Happy with Daddy

After de-assembling her basket we hurried around and changed into our Sunday's Easter best. Hadley had a new poofy purple dress to wear for Easter. She wasn't such a big fan of it! Haha! Luckily, Lee got a few good pictures of her in her dress while we were at church. Then after church we got a couple pictures as a family and with cousins. 

Pretty pretty Princess!
(Note: she isn't wearing a bow. She wasn't having it and ripped it off in the car.)

cousins Easter morning 2012
Tatum, Hadley, and Titus

Our little family

After church we went out to my in-laws house for lunch and the kids Easter egg hunt. I decided to change Hadley into a bunny costume :) You see -- My aunt gave me this costume before I was pregnant. I was supposed to give the costume to someone else. Of course, I forgot and I forever stashed the cute bunny suit away. Then when I was pregnant and found out we were having a girl I remembered the costume. Then I ran into a slight problem. Hadley was only four months old when Halloween rolled around. The bunny costume is a twelve month size. Easter seemed like the logical solution ;) 

She held so still while I put the makeup on her face.

She wasn't too sure about the outfit at first.

Then she started showing off. I think she realized the outfit was cute because
she started walking and showing off!

Then it was time for the kids Easter egg hunt. Cousin Shelby helped and took Hadley around while I snapped some pictures.  

Hadley grabbing the egg off the car.

She had no clue what the eggs were, but she really liked them. 

After a long day Hadley was sleepy and ready for her bottle.
Tatum and Brylie got to feed her.
Such little helpers.

It was such a fun weekend and I think Hadley enjoyed all her gifts and festivities :)

new meaning

I'm a music person. I feel there are so many times in life when I'm feeling a certain way, but I cannot find the words to express myself. Then a song magically plays and that's exactly how I'm feeling. 

I've also found that there are songs that take on a new meaning throughout different stages of life. The song "Thoughts of You" by Barlow Girl is one of those multi-purpose-stage-of-life songs. The song is written as to be sung to God. At a time in my life, that was, and will always be, completely relevant. 

As I got older, went to college, met a boy who changed my life... The song took on a new meaning. This song was played at our wedding.

"...I love you. My heart is yours, only yours..."

After two years of being married we welcomed a little baby girl into the world and into our lives. And again... The song took on a new meaning. I play this song to Hadley every single night as she is falling asleep. 

"Thoughts of you and how you've changed me, fill my mind."

But the foundation and the truth of the song has always been the same:

"God I never could repay You. You gave everything." 

"Thoughts Of You"

Thoughts of You and how You changed me
Fill my mind
Without You where would I be

So even though I've tried to express my thanks
It never comes out how I hoped
I want to say so much more so with these simple words
I'll try

[Chorus:]
I love You
My heart is Yours, only Yours
I long to give You all of me
My everything, my everything

God I never could repay You
You gave everything
Without You where would I be

You still loved me even when I
Pushed You away
You stood there and waited
Till the day I'd return

the brokenhearted

Life has been quite a whirlwind these last couple of weeks/weekends. Not necessarily in a good way either.

About three weeks ago I was sent news from a college friend/classmate that one of our teachers from college had passed away. She was my favorite teacher. One of my favorite people in life. She taught 95% of my Psychology classes while I was earning my degree. I would have her classes back to back for four to five hours every two or three days. I spent nearly all of my college days and hours in her class. The majority of my Psychology degree was under her instruction.

The reason I believe the crazy things I do, are because of that woman. She was a mentor, listener, counselor, and a woman of great faith. She was never shy to say that I was her favorite and in her eyes I could almost do no wrong. The most "wrong" I ever did was text message too much in class. We held the same views, opinions, beliefs in certain theories and theorist. My friend (and fellow Psych. classmate) Kelly, always laughed and said that the reason I liked Dr. Simmons so well is because we were like the same person. This may or may not be true ;)

Of all the hours that I spent in her classroom, under Dr. Simmons instruction, one thing so vividly sticks out in my mind. One thing she always said was, "Hate the sin. Love the sinner. Until we can learn to separate the sin from the sinner, we will never reach people for Christ." She taught us so much, yet what I remember is that she most importantly wanted us to learn to love people. All people.

That was all three weeks ago. Then two weekends ago, Labor Day weekend, my husband's cousin passed away tragically. We will never know exactly what happened to Ja, but what we do know is that as the preacher said at Ja's funeral, "Can you really think of anyone more ready to go?" I only met Ja one time. He was a nice, polite, young man. From what I know, he was a wonderful husband who loved his wife more than he loved himself. He was an outstanding father to his beautiful little girl. But most importantly he was a child of God who he passionately loved and lived for. Oh how my heart aches, for his wife and daughter. My heart aches for his little girls future of never getting the chance to really know her daddy.  His death has left so many questions and so many broken hearts. No one has the right thing to say. No one knows the right thing to do because nothing that is said or done will make his wife, parents, and brothers feel any better. I can't even imagine how any of them feel. Yet, I pray I will never have to know. Situations like this make you want to squeeze your child a little tighter at night and never forget to tell your spouse how much you love them.

I found this quote and I've scowered the internet trying to find who said it or if it is written in a book or poem somewhere. I can't find who said this, but I love it nontheless:
"Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes He lets the storm rage and He calms His child"

This quote reminds me that in all things and in all situations, God is there. We may think we are all alone. We may wonder why something is happening. We may question his plan for our life.
But in all things God will be glorified.

As the days, weeks, months, and years pass & we lose loved ones - Heaven seems to get a little bit sweeter every day.

(her eyes were closed- it was very bright outside!!)

"The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

- Psalms 34: 17 & 18

With these crazy last 3 weeks I'll leave you with this crazy picture of me and Hadge: