Kickin my butt into gear!
As far as New Years Resolutions go, I cannot keep them for the life of me! So, instead, I set a couple of realistic goals and I am determined to meet them and set new ones. My first goal, to be the best wife and mom possible. As John Maxwell has said in many of his books, do your best each day by living for today. Don't look back and dwell on what you should have done or don't put things off if you can do it today. I used to be a big procrastinator, but now I thrive off of getting things done right away so I can enjoy my time a lot better. I also have stopped dwelling on my past and I no longer live with regrets. Life is so much better when I am less stressed due to worrying about the past or future. My faith in God has grown so much! I know He will take care of my family and me and He will get us through everything that happens in our lives. How great it is to be under God's control!! When Jackson was born, I gave it all up to God! Our health, our finances, our lives, completely. Of course there are days that I slip up and try to do things my own way, but God quickly opens my eyes to my ways and brings me back in again! I love living my life for God! I strive to be my best at all times and I always know that God will take care of us at all times! Thank you God for kickin my butt into gear and getting me back on track!
Two new teeth for Little Man
Jackson is currently staying with my mom during the day while I work FT. Thankfully they only live a few miles from where I work, so I can visit during the day. When I get there at lunch, my mom glows and she can't stop talking about all that she does with Jackson. She takes him swimming(gives him a bath), lets him scoot about (rides with him on her scooter), and tells him all about the Big Bad Wolf (their black cat)! He loves to hear about the Big Bad Wolf! His entire body whips around when he hears her start that phrase.
My mom has promised me that if Jackson does anything new, she won't tell us about it, she'll let me find out for ourselves. Well... Yesterday I received a voicemail, from my mom, that said I needed to call her. She said it in such an urgent voice, like always, but since I have been away from Jackson all week, I felt that maybe she was serious and it was urgent. When I called her, she said that Jackson has gone through a growth spurt and when I get home, I should watch him closer. And then she said it was oral! I'm not stupid mom!! Obviously Jackson had some teeth coming in?!
When I got to their house, I picked him up and loved on him, and then he smiled and I saw his teeth/gums. He has two teeth coming in on the bottom. They haven't broken through yet, but they will within a couple of days. Jared and I got him baby Tylenol and today... I rushed out at lunch and got Baby Orajel. He doesn't really like the taste of it, but he is SO much happier when it numbs his gums.
My little man is growing so quickly!! But man! He is so amazing and such a blessing!! I hope you will all get a chance to meet him! There are no words to explain what kind of joy Jackson is to this world! Just look at his smile and you will see what I mean!!
My mom has promised me that if Jackson does anything new, she won't tell us about it, she'll let me find out for ourselves. Well... Yesterday I received a voicemail, from my mom, that said I needed to call her. She said it in such an urgent voice, like always, but since I have been away from Jackson all week, I felt that maybe she was serious and it was urgent. When I called her, she said that Jackson has gone through a growth spurt and when I get home, I should watch him closer. And then she said it was oral! I'm not stupid mom!! Obviously Jackson had some teeth coming in?!
When I got to their house, I picked him up and loved on him, and then he smiled and I saw his teeth/gums. He has two teeth coming in on the bottom. They haven't broken through yet, but they will within a couple of days. Jared and I got him baby Tylenol and today... I rushed out at lunch and got Baby Orajel. He doesn't really like the taste of it, but he is SO much happier when it numbs his gums.
My little man is growing so quickly!! But man! He is so amazing and such a blessing!! I hope you will all get a chance to meet him! There are no words to explain what kind of joy Jackson is to this world! Just look at his smile and you will see what I mean!!
PPB Families of Faith
Over the past year, since the last PPB Family weekend, I have had the privilege to get to know many wonderful families and kids with PPB. Quick Catch up: PPB=Pleuropulmonaryblastoma
This is the type of cancer I had, Adam had, and Peter and David almost had... Yeah. That's a whole other blog.
Anyway, many of these families have been keeping us updated through Caringbridge and I have grown very close to all of them. I am SO excited to see them all at the PPB weekend on 8-8-08!
Recently, one of our dearest little guys has gone home to Jesus! David Michael Plattner passed away on 1-6-08 from PPB. He fought hard and gave his all! Plattner family, we want you to know that we are here for you, we pray for you, and you will forever be in our prayers and in our hearts!!
One thing we all must realize when death happens in a family: Never forget them! And never let them be forgotten!! Within the family, that is always the case - we never forget them and try hard to never let them be forgotten. But in many cases, when we try to talk about our loved ones that have passed, many people get uncomfortable and we tend to not talk about them as much. My brother, Adam, passed away 20 years ago and I love to talk about him, but the second I mention that he died, people turn the conversation and it ends within a couple of seconds. I know death is perceived to be sad and negative, but the life of that person should be celebrated! A friend of mine once said, at his daughter's funeral, "I am jealous that I cannot spend time with my Nicole, here on Earth, but my princess has gone home to her King!" Yes, we would love to grow old with our loved ones, but that may not be God's plan. His purpose for our lives may be shorter or longer, hard or easy, fast or slow... Whatever God's plan is for us, we need to accept His will for our lives and be gracious for all that we are blessed with. Easier said than done, but if we live by what we speak and what we know in our hearts, then God will provide the strength and endurance for us to get through it. Many of the PPB moms, as they have grown to be known as, have really shown me the true meaning of Faith and grace in God. They have endured some of life's most horrible battles, watched their children go through some of life's biggest challenges, and yet they still have faith in God and know that His will be done and that His purpose for us will shine-maybe not in front of us, but maybe His purpose is for our struggles and heartaches to bring others to know Him as their Personal Lord and Savior. I guess because God is so much bigger than us, we may never know. But having Faith in God will allow Him to do as He pleases and to bring others to know His love!
This is the type of cancer I had, Adam had, and Peter and David almost had... Yeah. That's a whole other blog.
Anyway, many of these families have been keeping us updated through Caringbridge and I have grown very close to all of them. I am SO excited to see them all at the PPB weekend on 8-8-08!
Recently, one of our dearest little guys has gone home to Jesus! David Michael Plattner passed away on 1-6-08 from PPB. He fought hard and gave his all! Plattner family, we want you to know that we are here for you, we pray for you, and you will forever be in our prayers and in our hearts!!
One thing we all must realize when death happens in a family: Never forget them! And never let them be forgotten!! Within the family, that is always the case - we never forget them and try hard to never let them be forgotten. But in many cases, when we try to talk about our loved ones that have passed, many people get uncomfortable and we tend to not talk about them as much. My brother, Adam, passed away 20 years ago and I love to talk about him, but the second I mention that he died, people turn the conversation and it ends within a couple of seconds. I know death is perceived to be sad and negative, but the life of that person should be celebrated! A friend of mine once said, at his daughter's funeral, "I am jealous that I cannot spend time with my Nicole, here on Earth, but my princess has gone home to her King!" Yes, we would love to grow old with our loved ones, but that may not be God's plan. His purpose for our lives may be shorter or longer, hard or easy, fast or slow... Whatever God's plan is for us, we need to accept His will for our lives and be gracious for all that we are blessed with. Easier said than done, but if we live by what we speak and what we know in our hearts, then God will provide the strength and endurance for us to get through it. Many of the PPB moms, as they have grown to be known as, have really shown me the true meaning of Faith and grace in God. They have endured some of life's most horrible battles, watched their children go through some of life's biggest challenges, and yet they still have faith in God and know that His will be done and that His purpose for us will shine-maybe not in front of us, but maybe His purpose is for our struggles and heartaches to bring others to know Him as their Personal Lord and Savior. I guess because God is so much bigger than us, we may never know. But having Faith in God will allow Him to do as He pleases and to bring others to know His love!
Moving Day
Hooray Hooray! It is officially moving day!! I know, I know- cheesy! But in all seriousness!! IT'S MOVING DAY!! We are moving to our own place! Just Jared, Jackson and I!!!
Don't get me wrong - We are very thankful to Paul and Julie for allowing us to live here as long as we have, but it is going to be so nice to have our own place. And I know Paul is going to be thankful to get his office back and Julie is going to be thankful to get her rooms back. - We have taken 3 of the 4 extra rooms!
I just can't wait to be able to do things the way I want them done. I appreciate all that Julie does for us, but it is hard as a new mom, and with my OCD, not to do things the way I want them done. I am just ridiculous that way and I get very anxious if something is done differently. I also notice because I don't have control over how things have been done, that my OCD is worse in some areas. I have actually gone to the ridiculous lengths of organizing my bathroom shelf with all the labels pointing outward and it is organized in the order that I use it... I also have a certain way that Jackson's bottles need to be washed and if they aren't washed that way, I redo them and then sterilize them. I am also a big germ freak and HATE bugs, and being on a farm has really challenged me. I love the farm and all the history that it brings, but I can't stand the infestation of those lady bug/asian beatles and the boxelder bugs! Ugh! I get grossed out just thinking about them. I also have issues with spiders and spiders LOVE the farm! Julie could sweep and vacuum three times a day and they would still be all over the place! I know those beatle things and spiders will be around at our new place, but hopefully not in such large quantities.
Besides the OCD and bugs, it will just be nice to have privacy again! Our marriage can get back on track!
So, beginning tomorrow at 9am when my dad arrives, at the farm to help us move, we will be moving the essentials to grama's house in LC, where we will live until we find a new house we want to buy. Grama's house is huge and has plenty of room for us. We can set up Jackson's crib in his own room without boxes towering over him-see the pic! Those are our boxes by the way, but there is no other place to put them. We can also set up our new big screen tv and Wii it up without having to worry about interfering with Amazing Race or Dancing with the Stars (paul and julie's favorite shows) :)
I am sure Jared will miss his mom's cooking, but I have learned a few new great recipes and in no time, they will be his favorites!
Once we get all moved in, we will be having a party to celebrate our independence and to show thanks to our parents for all they have done for us while we took over their homes. Make sure you watch the blog for the details!!
Christmas Day
It is finally here! Christmas Morning! I made a Russian Tea mix the day before so I sat and enjoyed a cup of tea while Jared helped his dad in the barns.
Today we celebrated with the Spencer Family-Julie's side. Everyone began arriving after noon and the men went out back to prepare the fish and smoke cigars. I sat with the kids, like usual, and played with Jackson or watched a Dora movie. Domo made his usual tackle on to my lap and told me all about his toys from Ho Ho, Nanna and Pappa, and his mom and daddy Rob. We were blessed to see Scottie and Erin's new little guy, Isaac. Avery is a very good big sister and made sure people stayed quiet around him. Addisson graced us with her beautiful smile and kept us busy with her walking and large appetite. For such a small princess, she sure can eat!
After lunch, we all broke off into different areas of the house. The guys played Pheffer, some of us played Wii and others played Shawna's new game-Apples to Apples. Around 6pm, we did our traditional White Elephant gift exchange. With the Spencers, you are always surprised by something odd and unique as a gift. Unfortunately, none of the usual gifts were passed on from last year. One year there was a uniquely crocheted owl can, another year there was a large stuffed bass that went around. This year, Jared stole Tony's knife set and with good Spencer tradition, Brandie stole it back and Jared ended up with a used shower head and Christmas lights. Super!
People began leaving shortly after the White Elephant exchange and we ended the night with a traditional viewing of It's a Wonderful Life!
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day filled with lots of love and laughter!
Christmas Eve
What a glorious day it is! Christmas morning!! The day that we celebrate the birth of our Saviour! Merry Christmas!!
Last night we spent Christmas Eve with my family and what a night it was! David and Shannon came down late because David is dealing with some health problems and had to make a run to the hospital before he drove 2 hours. He is healing, but slowly and painfully. Please pray for fast healing and strength as he gets better.
Katie, Kipp and Doran came down from the cities also! It is so nice to see Katie with someone so great like Kipp! He is a good man to Katie and Doran - and I know he hears it a lot, but I truly do hope that Katie and Kipp get married. He has a lot to offer Doran and watching him interact with Doran through his fits and fun... Kipp will make a great husband and father!!
Dad made his usual-an amazing meal! Mom sat and took everything in since she can't really move around a whole lot with her cast.
Pete and Jake did their usual goofing back and forth until someone yells at them. A few times! Jake talked a lot about a gift he ordered online - a pair of Nike shoes. We are all eager to see them as he talked them up so well!! Peter mentioned Maria quite a few times and then had mom read a card from her. Maria gave us all a gift- I got earrings, pink earrings. Good choice Maria!! Jackson got these great plush blocks- GREAT gift! I know he will love them. Jared received a nice dress shirt from her. He always love a good dress shirt!
Doran and I told the true Christmas Story of Jesus' birth. Dad taped it on his new digital camcorder!! Doran did a great job!
Shannon and David gave mom and dad a fabulous gift! Her dad does amazing wood carvings and carved them a bear and welcome sign. Mom's face lit up and she didn't stop smiling for the rest of the night! Good job guys! I would love to have her dad make us one of them-they are amazing and the detail is unreal!!
It was nice to have uncle Larry with us also! Dad really loves to have his siblings come over and it means a lot ot us that we can all get together. My aunt Margaret with Becky and uncle Larry are going to be there today for Christmas.
I love to spend time with my family like that! We all get along, no drama, just lots of love and laughter!
I hope you all were able to have a fabulous and joyous Christmas Eve! I pray that God's love with fill your lives and guide you in all that you do!
Merry Christmas!
Last night we spent Christmas Eve with my family and what a night it was! David and Shannon came down late because David is dealing with some health problems and had to make a run to the hospital before he drove 2 hours. He is healing, but slowly and painfully. Please pray for fast healing and strength as he gets better.
Katie, Kipp and Doran came down from the cities also! It is so nice to see Katie with someone so great like Kipp! He is a good man to Katie and Doran - and I know he hears it a lot, but I truly do hope that Katie and Kipp get married. He has a lot to offer Doran and watching him interact with Doran through his fits and fun... Kipp will make a great husband and father!!
Dad made his usual-an amazing meal! Mom sat and took everything in since she can't really move around a whole lot with her cast.
Pete and Jake did their usual goofing back and forth until someone yells at them. A few times! Jake talked a lot about a gift he ordered online - a pair of Nike shoes. We are all eager to see them as he talked them up so well!! Peter mentioned Maria quite a few times and then had mom read a card from her. Maria gave us all a gift- I got earrings, pink earrings. Good choice Maria!! Jackson got these great plush blocks- GREAT gift! I know he will love them. Jared received a nice dress shirt from her. He always love a good dress shirt!
Doran and I told the true Christmas Story of Jesus' birth. Dad taped it on his new digital camcorder!! Doran did a great job!
Shannon and David gave mom and dad a fabulous gift! Her dad does amazing wood carvings and carved them a bear and welcome sign. Mom's face lit up and she didn't stop smiling for the rest of the night! Good job guys! I would love to have her dad make us one of them-they are amazing and the detail is unreal!!
It was nice to have uncle Larry with us also! Dad really loves to have his siblings come over and it means a lot ot us that we can all get together. My aunt Margaret with Becky and uncle Larry are going to be there today for Christmas.
I love to spend time with my family like that! We all get along, no drama, just lots of love and laughter!
I hope you all were able to have a fabulous and joyous Christmas Eve! I pray that God's love with fill your lives and guide you in all that you do!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas
It is the eve of Christmas Eve. The night before the celebration truly begins.
Jared is hard at work to ensure his workload is lighter tomorrow and Jackson is upstairs sleeping. I have a few minutes before I become too exhausted to walk upstairs to bed. I have had an exciting weekend with lots of shopping and family time.
I have a couple of Christmas cards to finish and send out, but those will obviously go out after Christmas with a short note about my procrastination. I have tried diligently to complete tasks right away because I know as soon as Jackson needs me, I drop everything to pick him up and tend to his needs.
This Christmas will no doubt be a special one. With Jackson around, everything is special and new. He gives life a new twist. He makes you think about the simplicity and awe of life. He is giggling, rolling all over the place, and just loving life. My favorite thing about him is when he just watches what is going on. He seems to just be taking in as much as he can and loving every bit of life. He loves to put his hand on your face as you feed him-as if to take in the details of who you are. He is pure and so full of love. He reminds me to take life in and enjoy each part of it. He makes me appreciate quality time. I love to watch Jared interact with Jackson. It is a completely different kind of interaction than what Jackson has with other people. He seems to know that Jared is his dad and just loves to give him kisses and just spend time with him. Jared is definitely the best dad! He tunes everything else out and just loves on Jackson.
God has definitely blessed us with an amazing gift. We have our work cut out for us as parents of Jackson-God has given us a great responsibility to raise Jackson as a strong Christian and we plan to do our best at guiding him in God's ways. I truly believe that God has something HUGE in store for our family and I can't wait to watch it all unfold throughout the coming days and years.
May God bless each and everyone of you with a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous new year!!
Jared is hard at work to ensure his workload is lighter tomorrow and Jackson is upstairs sleeping. I have a few minutes before I become too exhausted to walk upstairs to bed. I have had an exciting weekend with lots of shopping and family time.
I have a couple of Christmas cards to finish and send out, but those will obviously go out after Christmas with a short note about my procrastination. I have tried diligently to complete tasks right away because I know as soon as Jackson needs me, I drop everything to pick him up and tend to his needs.
This Christmas will no doubt be a special one. With Jackson around, everything is special and new. He gives life a new twist. He makes you think about the simplicity and awe of life. He is giggling, rolling all over the place, and just loving life. My favorite thing about him is when he just watches what is going on. He seems to just be taking in as much as he can and loving every bit of life. He loves to put his hand on your face as you feed him-as if to take in the details of who you are. He is pure and so full of love. He reminds me to take life in and enjoy each part of it. He makes me appreciate quality time. I love to watch Jared interact with Jackson. It is a completely different kind of interaction than what Jackson has with other people. He seems to know that Jared is his dad and just loves to give him kisses and just spend time with him. Jared is definitely the best dad! He tunes everything else out and just loves on Jackson.
God has definitely blessed us with an amazing gift. We have our work cut out for us as parents of Jackson-God has given us a great responsibility to raise Jackson as a strong Christian and we plan to do our best at guiding him in God's ways. I truly believe that God has something HUGE in store for our family and I can't wait to watch it all unfold throughout the coming days and years.
May God bless each and everyone of you with a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous new year!!
Christmas Season is upon us!
What a wonderful time of the year! This is our favorite season and Holiday! Christmas! A time when family and friends join together and make memories! A time when we can rejoice in the birth of our Saviour!
I am currently working hard to get out all of our Christmas cards, but having a very busy five month old has proven that tasks take longer than expected. Jackson has been battling a cold since Friday and although it is getting better, he still has a bad cough and plugged nose that keep him up all night and day. He still masters his smile and good attitude though. Jackson has taught Jared and I that even when things are tough, a smile goes a long way. Since having Jackson, we laugh and smile a lot more and just enjoy each and every minute we are blessed with. He is a true blessing to this world and I know he is going to do huge things for God.
We recently spent Thanksgiving with all of Jared's family! Everyone made it here in MN! Rob and Betsy and the kids were here along with Caleb and Sharon. It was so great to see everyone and Julie was in heaven to have all the grandkids together! My family had our Thanksgiving on Sunday and everyone was there too! Katie and Kipp came from the cities and met Doran at my parents. David and Shannon came down and then left around 6pm so they could get their first Christmas tree together. It was nice to see David's excitement when he talked about it.
Doran had a blast creating his Wii character. It looks nothing like him, but he LAUGHED so hard as we added large sunglasses and a big beard to it.
Jared and I did the whole rush on the day after Thanksgiving. We got up at 4am, put Jackson (still sleeping) in his carseat and braved the Target rush to get our new tv. Quite the experience. Not sure we will ever do that again-at least not with Jackson, but it was fun to spend time together. We got coffees and waited in line-Jackson stayed sleeping the whole time. We met my parents for breakfast and then went to their house to take a nap. What a day!
We are going for Santa pics this weekend for Jackson. Hopefully he cooperates and it turns out okay. The pics are so expensive and you only get a couple chances.
This Holiday will definitely prove to be a big one for us. We want to make the best of it for Jackson so we are planning on taking it all in. We will take pics so he remembers or at least can look back and know that we went all out for him.
Have a great week!
I am currently working hard to get out all of our Christmas cards, but having a very busy five month old has proven that tasks take longer than expected. Jackson has been battling a cold since Friday and although it is getting better, he still has a bad cough and plugged nose that keep him up all night and day. He still masters his smile and good attitude though. Jackson has taught Jared and I that even when things are tough, a smile goes a long way. Since having Jackson, we laugh and smile a lot more and just enjoy each and every minute we are blessed with. He is a true blessing to this world and I know he is going to do huge things for God.
We recently spent Thanksgiving with all of Jared's family! Everyone made it here in MN! Rob and Betsy and the kids were here along with Caleb and Sharon. It was so great to see everyone and Julie was in heaven to have all the grandkids together! My family had our Thanksgiving on Sunday and everyone was there too! Katie and Kipp came from the cities and met Doran at my parents. David and Shannon came down and then left around 6pm so they could get their first Christmas tree together. It was nice to see David's excitement when he talked about it.
Doran had a blast creating his Wii character. It looks nothing like him, but he LAUGHED so hard as we added large sunglasses and a big beard to it.
Jared and I did the whole rush on the day after Thanksgiving. We got up at 4am, put Jackson (still sleeping) in his carseat and braved the Target rush to get our new tv. Quite the experience. Not sure we will ever do that again-at least not with Jackson, but it was fun to spend time together. We got coffees and waited in line-Jackson stayed sleeping the whole time. We met my parents for breakfast and then went to their house to take a nap. What a day!
We are going for Santa pics this weekend for Jackson. Hopefully he cooperates and it turns out okay. The pics are so expensive and you only get a couple chances.
This Holiday will definitely prove to be a big one for us. We want to make the best of it for Jackson so we are planning on taking it all in. We will take pics so he remembers or at least can look back and know that we went all out for him.
Have a great week!
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