This is going to be a really quick post to brag for just a minute. And this one is not about Jerrett but the other guy in my life, my husband! I am so proud of TJ. Sunday at church, he was approached to be a trustee with the church! This is huge for him. He did not even know what to say. TJ has not been a strong christian for very many years. I mean he was baptised 5 years ago! But he has grown so much in his walk with the Lord and I am so proud that others have seen the leadership potential in my husband. The other amazing thing is that we have only been members of this church for about a year.
TJ is such an amazing christian man and I am proud to be able to call him my husband. He has grown and over come many obstacles and old hurts to get to where he is today. He has come so far and I could not be happier for him. Our prayer is that he can serve in this role and really help make a difference. Not only is TJ a strong christian with a firm grasp of right and wrong and the Word, but he also has an amazing gift as a business man.
So that is my bragging post on my amazing husband. I love him more than he will ever know and am so glad that the Lord saw fit to bless me with TJ as my husband.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thanksgiving
Here are just a few pictures from our Thanksgiving break. For us there was not much of a break but the fast trip we had was so full and fun that it was so worth it! The top pictures are on the day after Thanksgiving decorating our Christmas tree. Not sure why it showed up first but oh well. The other ones are at Grandma's house at lunch time. I regret not getting more pictures but was so busy that I forgot most of the time. The first one is of Jerrett sitting on Uncle Don's lap. My uncle Don and Aunt Tami have been some of our biggest supporters thru the whole adoption process and love our little boy to pieces. The feeling is mutual. J tells all of his friends about how his uncle Don is a hero because he is a fire fighter and he helps people. He also plays with Jerrett and takes him exploring up at the pond and in the woods at Grandma's. The girl in the picture is Madison. She is Jerrett's cousin I think. She is actually my cousin's daughter so I guess she is technically my cousin. But anyway, Jerrett had so much fun playing with her and her little brother Nolan. Nolan is 5 and those boys are so much fun together. You cannot get them to come inside and eat. They wanted to be outside playing and getting nasty. I am so glad that Jerrett gets to have that same experience with his cousins that I had growing up. Nolan and Madison's dad was my cousin Jerrid. He is my age exactly and holidays were so fun getting together and exploring Grandma's. We used to get into all sorts of trouble. It has been about 4 years since we lost Jerrid in a horrible car accident and holidays are the worst time. We miss him so much! Anyway, the last 2 pics are of what the guys in my family do. The first is of TJ skeet shooting. It was his first time to ever shoot skeet and he did so well! I was so proud of him and he had a blast. TJ loves getting to spend time with my dad, brothers, and my uncle, learning and just getting to spend guy time with them. The last picture is of our sweet little Jerrett in his ear protection just like the big boys. He was out there with them the whole time and even tried to beg them to let him shoot. He is not quite big enough yet but will be soon and I definitely see a bb gun in his future! After shooting skeet for a while, the guys decided to sight in TJ's shotgun and just mess around at the shooting range that is set up on part of the property. J and Nolan were distracted by that time and decided to play on the big dirt pile and get totally nasty before lunch. While the boys were out playing, the little ones and the big ones, us women, were in the house cooking. I love getting to spend the time with the women in my family in the kitchen. For as long as I can remember it has been a gathering place to learn not just how to cook but also life lessons and how to be a lady. I love the time spent learning and loving with them. Once the guys came in and got cleaned up we had lunch and then the guys all rested and the women cleaned up. About 3 or so we headed down to Granny's house.
By this time we had a pretty cranky little boy on our hands but thankfully he slept the whole way to Granny's house so by the time we got there he was good to go. Jerrett is the youngest at Granny's house too. But this time by about 10 years so he is spoiled rotten by all of my cousins and uncles who love to play with him. They wore that little boy out! He was so tired that he could barely eat his dinner. While we were there though I learned some great news! Mom, Dad, Uncle Kent and my Aunt Ginger have decided to build my granny a new house!! I am so excited for her and also a little sad. The house that she lives in now was built by my grandad for her and him as a wedding gift on the ranch that they own. It is just a small little farm house that is so full of love and memories not just of my childhood but also the childhood of my mom and her 3 brothers. But the house is close to 50 years old and since Grandad passed away, and the lovely OK weather, the house is falling into irrepair and is not a great place for my granny to be as she gets older. They are going to salvage as much as the stuff in the house now to put in the new house, including the cabinets that my grandad built in the kitchen. And all of the woodwork that he handcrafted. But I am so happy that she is going to be getting a new place that is safe and modern with central heat and air and a dish washer! The plan is to build the new house behind the current one. So hopefully next year we get to have Thanksgiving in Granny's brand new house! I am so happy and excited for her. I know that she is sad to leave the house that she has been in for so many years but this is what Grandad would have wanted.
Next blog I will tell you all about our Christmas decorating and my birthday but right now I need to get a certain cranky pants down for his nap!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thankfulness
Last year, I did a post a day for the month of November, but as you can tell that did not happen this year! I am a little busy chasing around a very active little boy! I would not change that for the world though. Anyway, back to thankfulness... I am actually just going to list a couple of the things that I am thankful for.
1. I am so thankful to be the daughter of a King! God is the center of our lives everyday. Without Him, I would have nothing. God has so richly blessed me with so much more than I deserve. My life did not turn out the way that I thought that it would, but God had bigger and better plans for me. I am so thankful that He loved me, a wretch, enough to send his Son to die on a cross for my sin. As a mother I can not even begin to understand how hard it must have been to watch your own Son die, and not really watch but to turn your back. I know that I take my salvation for granted at times but it is the most important thing in my life. I just forget the magnitude of the sacrifice made for me!
2. My husband is a real blessing and I am so thankful for him. TJ is my rock and my best friend. We have weathered many storms together that have only made us stronger as a couple and as Christians. I am so proud of TJ, he has grown so much in the past few years. He is really growing and flourishing in his role as the leader of this house and as a christian man. He is the first to remind me that we need to turn things over to God and that worrying doesn't accomplish anything. Lately, ?I have been even more thankful for him. When we found out we were expecting this baby, we knew we were not in for an easy trip. The doctors had told us before that with my history of miscarriages, our chances of losing another baby were even higher than normal. But TJ and I immediately dropped to our knees and really believed God and His word and knew that everything would be fine. Anyway, we found out that I would need to take medication in order to sustain the pregnancy. We did that. TJ held my hand after draw after draw of my blood. Twice weekly visits to the dr 30 minutes away for the first 6 weeks. Then weekly visits after that. One horrifying trip to the dr when I started spotting. And being on such severe restriction that I could barely do more than get up from the bed and move to the couch. TJ was there for it all never accepting anything less from me or from God than the best. His faith was unshakable. He picked up the slack where I could no longer do my normal activities. He did the laundry, took on more responsibility with Jerrett, swept the floors and cooked our dinners. He did all of this without complaining except that I was trying to do too much. I love TJ so much and just thank him for all that he has done these past few months and years. I thank God daily that He chose TJ to be my husband. You hear people say that they love their spouse just as much today as the day that they married them. I cannot say that. The truth is that I love TJ so much more now than I did all of those years before. That was a childish love that has grown into a life sustaining everlasting love. He is my best friend and my husband. I cannot imagine my life with out him.
3. Got to add Jerrett to my list! He is my little man and the answer to so many prayers. I cannot imagine what our lives would be like without him either! He has filled a hole that we did not even know was there! The process to bring him home was not a short one or an easy one but we are so thankful that God led us down that road. Jerrett has the biggest heart of any little boy I know. Don't get me wrong, he is ALL BOY, but he is also very tender hearted. He knows when I am sad or something is bothering me without me having to tell him. As much as he loved going to rodeos, he hates seeing the bull dogging and team roping because he is afraid that it hurts the calves. His biggest fear is making me or TJ not happy with him. I hope that he always remains tender hearted. Our prayer for him is that he grows up to be a manly man of God but to remain gentle and tender in spirit. That is something that is so unique to him and I love getting to see him develop into that man everyday. I know that he is only 4, but you can catch glimpses of what is to come. I love that little boy with all my heart and know that God has big plans for him. I am also so thankful for how far Jerrett has come in 9 short months. We still have a long ways to go as far as attachment and true bonding, but he is doing so well! He definitely knows who his mommy and daddy are and we are working on the stranger danger part and appropriate interactions with others. You can see the attachments that form in his small world and it is such a blessing! I thank God daily for Jerrett and bringing him into our lives.
There are many other things that I could list as things that I am thankful for but I am not sure if there would ever be enough time for me to list them all. So to sum it up, I am thankful for the life that God has blessed and trusted me with. There is nothing that I would change. I know that my life is not perfect by many standards but we are made perfect in our imperfections. I am happy with my life and I am one blessed momma!
1. I am so thankful to be the daughter of a King! God is the center of our lives everyday. Without Him, I would have nothing. God has so richly blessed me with so much more than I deserve. My life did not turn out the way that I thought that it would, but God had bigger and better plans for me. I am so thankful that He loved me, a wretch, enough to send his Son to die on a cross for my sin. As a mother I can not even begin to understand how hard it must have been to watch your own Son die, and not really watch but to turn your back. I know that I take my salvation for granted at times but it is the most important thing in my life. I just forget the magnitude of the sacrifice made for me!
2. My husband is a real blessing and I am so thankful for him. TJ is my rock and my best friend. We have weathered many storms together that have only made us stronger as a couple and as Christians. I am so proud of TJ, he has grown so much in the past few years. He is really growing and flourishing in his role as the leader of this house and as a christian man. He is the first to remind me that we need to turn things over to God and that worrying doesn't accomplish anything. Lately, ?I have been even more thankful for him. When we found out we were expecting this baby, we knew we were not in for an easy trip. The doctors had told us before that with my history of miscarriages, our chances of losing another baby were even higher than normal. But TJ and I immediately dropped to our knees and really believed God and His word and knew that everything would be fine. Anyway, we found out that I would need to take medication in order to sustain the pregnancy. We did that. TJ held my hand after draw after draw of my blood. Twice weekly visits to the dr 30 minutes away for the first 6 weeks. Then weekly visits after that. One horrifying trip to the dr when I started spotting. And being on such severe restriction that I could barely do more than get up from the bed and move to the couch. TJ was there for it all never accepting anything less from me or from God than the best. His faith was unshakable. He picked up the slack where I could no longer do my normal activities. He did the laundry, took on more responsibility with Jerrett, swept the floors and cooked our dinners. He did all of this without complaining except that I was trying to do too much. I love TJ so much and just thank him for all that he has done these past few months and years. I thank God daily that He chose TJ to be my husband. You hear people say that they love their spouse just as much today as the day that they married them. I cannot say that. The truth is that I love TJ so much more now than I did all of those years before. That was a childish love that has grown into a life sustaining everlasting love. He is my best friend and my husband. I cannot imagine my life with out him.
3. Got to add Jerrett to my list! He is my little man and the answer to so many prayers. I cannot imagine what our lives would be like without him either! He has filled a hole that we did not even know was there! The process to bring him home was not a short one or an easy one but we are so thankful that God led us down that road. Jerrett has the biggest heart of any little boy I know. Don't get me wrong, he is ALL BOY, but he is also very tender hearted. He knows when I am sad or something is bothering me without me having to tell him. As much as he loved going to rodeos, he hates seeing the bull dogging and team roping because he is afraid that it hurts the calves. His biggest fear is making me or TJ not happy with him. I hope that he always remains tender hearted. Our prayer for him is that he grows up to be a manly man of God but to remain gentle and tender in spirit. That is something that is so unique to him and I love getting to see him develop into that man everyday. I know that he is only 4, but you can catch glimpses of what is to come. I love that little boy with all my heart and know that God has big plans for him. I am also so thankful for how far Jerrett has come in 9 short months. We still have a long ways to go as far as attachment and true bonding, but he is doing so well! He definitely knows who his mommy and daddy are and we are working on the stranger danger part and appropriate interactions with others. You can see the attachments that form in his small world and it is such a blessing! I thank God daily for Jerrett and bringing him into our lives.
There are many other things that I could list as things that I am thankful for but I am not sure if there would ever be enough time for me to list them all. So to sum it up, I am thankful for the life that God has blessed and trusted me with. There is nothing that I would change. I know that my life is not perfect by many standards but we are made perfect in our imperfections. I am happy with my life and I am one blessed momma!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Long day and random thoughts
I love getting to spend time with my guys. Knowing that tonight I would get to do that is what helped get through a rotten day! Have you ever had one of those that you just wish that you could go back to bed and start all over? That was today for me. J woke up at the crack of dawn and was understandably cranky. Then as we were in my and TJ's bedroom making the bed and getting laundry put up, the door bell rings and the dog goes nut. Seriously who rings the doorbell at 7:00 in the morning. Scared the crap out of me! So I didn't answer the door, what added to me being a big old scaredy cat was Capone running from the front of the house to the back of the house barking and growling like crazy. Anyone who has been around our dog knows that he very rarely makes any noise at all. But the running back and forth freaked me and J out. Come to find out it was just our lawn guy coming to poison the yard for winter weeds. Seriously dude? 7:00 in the morning? Anyway, after I got the kid and the dog calmed down we began our day. Cooked breakfast all the fun morning chores that I do every day. The plan for the day was to go and finish the Caring and Sharing shopping that we didn't get done last night. TJ and I look forward to this every year. His area at work always gets several kids and we get to go shopping for them. Well this year there were many more kids. TJ alone got 5 kids! And we get $100 to spend on each one. Getting things that were on their needs list and getting as much as we can on their wants list makes for quite a bit of chaotic shopping! But Jerrett was a trooper and handled it really well. He helped me pick out clothes and toys for several of the kids. He knows that all of this stuff is going to kids whose families cannot afford to get them Christmas gifts and winter clothes. He is such a sweet little guy and was sad to know that there was a little boy his age who did not have warm clothes or any toys to play with. I hope that his heart is never hardened. I thank God daily for our little man and for the blessing that He has trusted us with.
So that trip went well. When we got home though, that was a different story. I was getting J ready to go down for his nap when I look out his window into the butterfly garden. There laying on top of our flowers in our Dish. Yep this lovely wind that we have been having totally broke the pole that our dish was on in half! A metal pole! So after talking to the Dish Network people, they let me know that a guy would be out to the house after 3 to fix it. That was great because it would give Jerrett about an hour and a half nap that he really needed. 45 minutes later the phone rang and the repair man was on his way! Normally I would love that kind of prompt response but on top of Jerrett needing a nap, this pregnant momma needed one too! I am blessed to have not been sick at all but do get tired a lot. I am sure it has nothing at all to do with trying to keep up with an active 4 year old! So no nap for me! I met the guy outside so that he would not ring the doorbell and start the same barking frenzy that I had to deal with earlier in the day. That seemed to work ok until Jerrett woke up screaming. Thinking that there was something seriously wrong, I run in there to see what is wrong. "Momma there is a man outside my window!" So my hope that the repair man wouldn't wake J didn't work. Oh well. So now J did not get the nap that he needed nor did his momma!
But I knew that we had plans for the evening. TJ, J and I met some of our friends for dinner and then to go out and get ice cream. Alison is my best friend. we have been friends since high school and I love having her so close. She is like an aunt to Jerrett and he loves her to pieces. Alison and Scott's girls are Jerrett's best friends and they play so well together. They were and are such a support for us through the adoption and since as they have been through it. After we got our ice cream we went and did a little birthday shopping for me. I love having birthday month instead of just one day to celebrate!
My friends and I decided long ago that instead of just getting one wish on your birthday, you should get one wish for every year of your age. This year I don't have 30 wishes but just a couple that I would wish over and over. I am so blessed in my life and have everything that I could ever want. There is no material thing that I can even think of wanting. All of my wishes from when I was younger have come true. I have my very own Prince Charming who I love more than he will ever know, I have an amazing smart and sweet little boy who is everything to me, my family is healthy and closer than ever, my mom and dad are moving closer to us, and we have a baby on the way. My life is amazing. A few of my wishes would be, a continued healthy pregnancy, this is a high risk pregnancy and I have been on severe restriction through the whole thing, but if I have to do nothing for the whole 9 months in order for this baby to be born at term then I will do it! I wish that Jerrett will keep adjusting and attaching as he has been. It has been an amazing 9 months with him but has not been without challenges! I wish that I could be a duck, let things just roll off of my back instead of internalizing everything. I get my feelings hurt way to easy. I do not hold grudges or get upset with people but instead turn everything back on myself. That is no healthy for my well being and the stress that it causes is not good for the baby either. I am actually supposed to be totally stress free this whole pregnancy and so far that has not happened at all! Thank goodness that I am healthy and have low blood pressure to start with! Anyway, as I sit here snuggled on the couch with my Prince Charming watching some football, I wish that everyone could be as happy and as loved as I am. I am blessed and know it.
So that trip went well. When we got home though, that was a different story. I was getting J ready to go down for his nap when I look out his window into the butterfly garden. There laying on top of our flowers in our Dish. Yep this lovely wind that we have been having totally broke the pole that our dish was on in half! A metal pole! So after talking to the Dish Network people, they let me know that a guy would be out to the house after 3 to fix it. That was great because it would give Jerrett about an hour and a half nap that he really needed. 45 minutes later the phone rang and the repair man was on his way! Normally I would love that kind of prompt response but on top of Jerrett needing a nap, this pregnant momma needed one too! I am blessed to have not been sick at all but do get tired a lot. I am sure it has nothing at all to do with trying to keep up with an active 4 year old! So no nap for me! I met the guy outside so that he would not ring the doorbell and start the same barking frenzy that I had to deal with earlier in the day. That seemed to work ok until Jerrett woke up screaming. Thinking that there was something seriously wrong, I run in there to see what is wrong. "Momma there is a man outside my window!" So my hope that the repair man wouldn't wake J didn't work. Oh well. So now J did not get the nap that he needed nor did his momma!
But I knew that we had plans for the evening. TJ, J and I met some of our friends for dinner and then to go out and get ice cream. Alison is my best friend. we have been friends since high school and I love having her so close. She is like an aunt to Jerrett and he loves her to pieces. Alison and Scott's girls are Jerrett's best friends and they play so well together. They were and are such a support for us through the adoption and since as they have been through it. After we got our ice cream we went and did a little birthday shopping for me. I love having birthday month instead of just one day to celebrate!
My friends and I decided long ago that instead of just getting one wish on your birthday, you should get one wish for every year of your age. This year I don't have 30 wishes but just a couple that I would wish over and over. I am so blessed in my life and have everything that I could ever want. There is no material thing that I can even think of wanting. All of my wishes from when I was younger have come true. I have my very own Prince Charming who I love more than he will ever know, I have an amazing smart and sweet little boy who is everything to me, my family is healthy and closer than ever, my mom and dad are moving closer to us, and we have a baby on the way. My life is amazing. A few of my wishes would be, a continued healthy pregnancy, this is a high risk pregnancy and I have been on severe restriction through the whole thing, but if I have to do nothing for the whole 9 months in order for this baby to be born at term then I will do it! I wish that Jerrett will keep adjusting and attaching as he has been. It has been an amazing 9 months with him but has not been without challenges! I wish that I could be a duck, let things just roll off of my back instead of internalizing everything. I get my feelings hurt way to easy. I do not hold grudges or get upset with people but instead turn everything back on myself. That is no healthy for my well being and the stress that it causes is not good for the baby either. I am actually supposed to be totally stress free this whole pregnancy and so far that has not happened at all! Thank goodness that I am healthy and have low blood pressure to start with! Anyway, as I sit here snuggled on the couch with my Prince Charming watching some football, I wish that everyone could be as happy and as loved as I am. I am blessed and know it.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Holidays!
So it has been a month since my last post. There has been some issues going on in our lives that have sort of hindered me from writing as much as I should. There are some things that I have posted that have hurt the feelings of someone and so I had to re evaluate what this blog was about and whether or not I should continue with it. My intention was never to hurt anyone or to leave anyone out but apparently it happened and that is the last thing that I would ever want to do. To that person I am sorry if you felt that you were left out of the blog. It was not intentional. I post about what is going on in our daily lives and didnt really think about those that are not a part of it every day getting upset that they were not mentioned. I was really considering not writing anymore as I dont want to step on toes or make people mad, but TJ convinced me that this blog is not really for other people but it is for us and for Jerrett and for those that are going through the same long journey that we went through. So... I am back. I will continue to post about the daily going ons of our small family and on adoption issues and news. Those are things that I am passionate about. And if there is ever a chance that we can help another person through the process than we will. As well as raise awareness of the issues that come with adoption. I think that there is a great misunderstanding with what goes on after the child is placed and the expectations of how that child should behave. But that is another post for another day. Today I am just going to focus on what is going on right now.
Well in one week it is Thanksgiving. This year has flown by in so many ways! We are approaching the one year anniversary of our placement call! That is crazy! But as Thanksgiving draws near, I am reminded of all the things that I have to be thankful for that I totally take for granted at times. This will be the first year that TJ and I get to spend a holiday with our son. We are so excited to share family traditions with Jerrett this year. It is going to be so special with him there this year. He is definitely the thing that we will be most thankful for this year. We have a healthy, loving little boy. What could be better than that? The plans are for us to leave on Wednesday afternoon when TJ gets off of work and head to my Grandma's house. I am sure that she will have us a wonderful dinner planned for that night. She is really excited because she will get to spend some one on one time with Jerrett. He sure loves his Grandma M and she loves getting to see and play with him too. The next morning we will all get up and watch the Macy's Day parade in our jammies as we begin cooking our Thanksgiving lunch. My parents, brothers, Aunt, Uncle and cousin should all be arriving around 10 or so to help cook and celebrate. Since my family is Italian on this side, our Thanksgiving dinner is not quite as traditional as most people. The majority of our food will be Italian. But it is awesome and plentiful. I never thought of this as odd growing up, it is just what we did. I can promise you though, TJ looks forward to going every year that we are able! He talks about it for weeks in advance and then for weeks afterwards! After we stuff our self on food, it is time for birthday cake and pumpkin pie! This year my birthday is a couple days after thanksgiving but we will celebrate on Thanksgiving like always. After that we will sit around and talk and then my parents, brothers, and my little family will all load up and head to my Granny's house. This one is loud, chaotic and lots of fun. I have lots of aunts, uncles and cousins running all over the place and tons more food to be eaten. Granny's house is small and so we all cram in nice and tight and have a great time. The kids are all shuttled outside at some point to go and play. This used to be my favorite part as a kid. Since Granny and Grandad have a ranch, there was always so much to do and get into. Jerrett loves it there as well. He can run and play and get as nasty as he wants and no one really cares. There is nothing really off limits there since you are so far out in the country. There are always cousins and animals to play with.
We will leave Granny's house Thursday night sometime and drive all the way home because TJ has to work on Friday. We don't expect that he will be there all day so the plan for Friday is decorating for Christmas! I love going and picking out a fresh tree to decorate. This year, we will have J with us. And so it will be even more fun!
The next weekend we are kicking off with even more holiday traditions. We are heading off to the Christmas Train with Mom and Dad. I am so excited to share this with Jerrett. He loves trains and anything western, so he will love this place. TJ and I have been going every year for a long time now. It is a very special place to us. Last year we went with our nieces and nephews and had a blast so I know that this year with J will be even better. Plus this is the first year that my parents are getting to go.
On to my parents. They have amazing news! Dad was hired on to a new bank much closer to where we live! Dad has already moved but Mom will wait until school is over or close to it before she can come. But having them only about 1.5 to 2 hours away will be so awesome! We are all very excited to be close again. It just means that J will get to see them even more. He LOVES my parents and speaks to them almost every day so getting to see them more than once a month will be huge for him. Jerrett and my dad are especially close. I love that they have such a great relationship.
One more bit of news for you before I have to get off and go finish the laundry... Jerrett is going to be a big brother! Yep we found out on Labor Day weekend that we are expecting a baby in May! We are pretty excited and were very nervous for a long time and didn't tell anyone until the first trimester was over due to our past miscarriages. But everything is fine now. God is good. Jerrett is going to be an amazing big brother. We were and are a little nervous as to how he will respond to having to share us and everything but we have faith that God is in control in this situation. There is no difference in the love that we have for Jerrett and the love that we will have for this baby. Jerrett is always going to be our first child and just because he was adopted doesn't make him any different in our eyes. He is our silly monkey and our little man. God had a plan to bring him into our lives because we needed each other. Just as God has a plan for this baby.
Anyway, off to do my chores! Have a safe and fun holiday season and just remember what these holidays are all about, it is not the gifts and the glittery lights, but about a Savior who was born so that we may all have life. Love you and God speed.
Well in one week it is Thanksgiving. This year has flown by in so many ways! We are approaching the one year anniversary of our placement call! That is crazy! But as Thanksgiving draws near, I am reminded of all the things that I have to be thankful for that I totally take for granted at times. This will be the first year that TJ and I get to spend a holiday with our son. We are so excited to share family traditions with Jerrett this year. It is going to be so special with him there this year. He is definitely the thing that we will be most thankful for this year. We have a healthy, loving little boy. What could be better than that? The plans are for us to leave on Wednesday afternoon when TJ gets off of work and head to my Grandma's house. I am sure that she will have us a wonderful dinner planned for that night. She is really excited because she will get to spend some one on one time with Jerrett. He sure loves his Grandma M and she loves getting to see and play with him too. The next morning we will all get up and watch the Macy's Day parade in our jammies as we begin cooking our Thanksgiving lunch. My parents, brothers, Aunt, Uncle and cousin should all be arriving around 10 or so to help cook and celebrate. Since my family is Italian on this side, our Thanksgiving dinner is not quite as traditional as most people. The majority of our food will be Italian. But it is awesome and plentiful. I never thought of this as odd growing up, it is just what we did. I can promise you though, TJ looks forward to going every year that we are able! He talks about it for weeks in advance and then for weeks afterwards! After we stuff our self on food, it is time for birthday cake and pumpkin pie! This year my birthday is a couple days after thanksgiving but we will celebrate on Thanksgiving like always. After that we will sit around and talk and then my parents, brothers, and my little family will all load up and head to my Granny's house. This one is loud, chaotic and lots of fun. I have lots of aunts, uncles and cousins running all over the place and tons more food to be eaten. Granny's house is small and so we all cram in nice and tight and have a great time. The kids are all shuttled outside at some point to go and play. This used to be my favorite part as a kid. Since Granny and Grandad have a ranch, there was always so much to do and get into. Jerrett loves it there as well. He can run and play and get as nasty as he wants and no one really cares. There is nothing really off limits there since you are so far out in the country. There are always cousins and animals to play with.
We will leave Granny's house Thursday night sometime and drive all the way home because TJ has to work on Friday. We don't expect that he will be there all day so the plan for Friday is decorating for Christmas! I love going and picking out a fresh tree to decorate. This year, we will have J with us. And so it will be even more fun!
The next weekend we are kicking off with even more holiday traditions. We are heading off to the Christmas Train with Mom and Dad. I am so excited to share this with Jerrett. He loves trains and anything western, so he will love this place. TJ and I have been going every year for a long time now. It is a very special place to us. Last year we went with our nieces and nephews and had a blast so I know that this year with J will be even better. Plus this is the first year that my parents are getting to go.
On to my parents. They have amazing news! Dad was hired on to a new bank much closer to where we live! Dad has already moved but Mom will wait until school is over or close to it before she can come. But having them only about 1.5 to 2 hours away will be so awesome! We are all very excited to be close again. It just means that J will get to see them even more. He LOVES my parents and speaks to them almost every day so getting to see them more than once a month will be huge for him. Jerrett and my dad are especially close. I love that they have such a great relationship.
One more bit of news for you before I have to get off and go finish the laundry... Jerrett is going to be a big brother! Yep we found out on Labor Day weekend that we are expecting a baby in May! We are pretty excited and were very nervous for a long time and didn't tell anyone until the first trimester was over due to our past miscarriages. But everything is fine now. God is good. Jerrett is going to be an amazing big brother. We were and are a little nervous as to how he will respond to having to share us and everything but we have faith that God is in control in this situation. There is no difference in the love that we have for Jerrett and the love that we will have for this baby. Jerrett is always going to be our first child and just because he was adopted doesn't make him any different in our eyes. He is our silly monkey and our little man. God had a plan to bring him into our lives because we needed each other. Just as God has a plan for this baby.
Anyway, off to do my chores! Have a safe and fun holiday season and just remember what these holidays are all about, it is not the gifts and the glittery lights, but about a Savior who was born so that we may all have life. Love you and God speed.
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