Celebrate!

Last Saturday we celebrated Ryan's birthday at Jump-N-Place! 

We had such a fun time...so did the kids!  Ha!

That place is GREAT too because they do ALL the work!  They set up the party room for me while all the kids were playing and jumping.  All I did was give the thumbs up! 

It was so laid back and easy!

The Birthday Boy!

Aidan had baseball pictures before the party!

Cole was all smiles :)

Cole's friend he found - he liked talking to this guy!

Going in...

Aidan and Cousin Bella (both had games after - it was also Opening Day for baseball!  We had a busy day!)

Ryan and Landon

Cousin Robert

Uncle Raymond and Cole

Fatty Maddy!  Love those thighs Maddox!

Roy was trapped with all the boys jumping on him!

Making our way to the party room...

This is the new way Ryan takes pictures...

A little shy while being sung too :)

You're busted, Cole!  It's not your birthday!!!

Thank you to all who came and celebrated with us!!!

Today...

Today was the day that my life was forever changed 5 years ago...

Today was the day that I least look forward to every year...

Today was the day that I last saw that sweet face...

Today was the day our precious boy was born and went to be with Jesus...



Today was the day...

5 years...I can't believe it's been 5 years.

I remember every detail of that day...

Sweet Alex,

You have forever changed me.  You have made me who I am today.  This is such a hard month for me, but knowing the grace of GOD gets me thru.  You are still so whole in my heart.  You live there everyday.  I can only imagine the big boy you would be today.  Being silly and sweaty and crazy!  We sent you balloons today for your birthday.  The sky was beautiful seeing them all float up to the Heavens :)  Ryan sent you two of his balloons from his party today.  He said he wanted to send them to Heaven :)  He loves you so much and tells everyone about you.  He just stares at your picture and loves on it.  He's so proud of you!  My heart aches for you, Sweet Boy.  Heaven will be sensational when we see you again...

Guess Who's 4?!?!

Today is Ryan's 4th Birthday!!!

We celebrated by waking him up singing "Happy Birthday" to him!  Then we all got ready and went to have breakfast at one of our favorite little places Papa Bear's.  It was yummy as always!  We let Aidan skip a few classes this morning so he could join us for breakfast.  I totally forgot my camera when we left the house, so no pictures of breakfast. :(

After we took Aidan to school, we went to the park and played and then went to Target so Ryan could pick out a Transformer cartoon movie.  His fave, of course!  And you can't leave Target without their popcorn!

We came home afterwards to let Cole take a nap and Ryan got some Transformer movie action. 

Ryan had an appointment to get his haircut, so that was next on the agenda.  He has to look spiffy for his party on Saturday, ya know!

Our family met us at Chili's for dinner and we all had a great time!

My handsome birthday boy!

Little brother, Cole :)

Big brother, Aidan :)

Cole thinks Mimi hung the moon!

There's that SMILE!

We had cupcakes for dessert!

The servers came and sang to Ryan and he was so embarrased!  It was so funny!!!

Daddy and Ryan had fun "icing" each other's noses!

Pretty sure Cole liked his cupcake ;)

Goofy boy!

Our family of 5! 

I think this might be the first picture of all 5 of us together?

WOW.  That's sad...I need to do better :(



We had such a fun day and Ryan really enjoyed it!  This was the first year that he really understood and it made it so much more fun!  His party is Saturday, so I can't wait to celebrate again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN ALEX!

Bittersweet

This month is really weighing heavy on my heart. We are quickly approaching Ryan's 4th birthday and the 5 year anniversary of Alex's birth and death. 

I am so excited planning Ryan's party, but sad thinking of how silly Alex would be and how big he would be getting.  He would be able to play t-ball this year and he would be getting ready to start Kindergarten in the fall. 

This is such a bittersweet month for me.  The emotions and the grief start to flood my heart, and then I try to think about how lucky we are to have had Ryan.  Without the loss of Alex, there would be no Ryan.  GOD had the perfect plan.  We get to spend eternity with both of them :)

Roy and I were in Killeen the other day, and on our way home we stopped in Temple at Scott & White Hospital to visit the Healing Garden and see the brick dedicated to our sweet boy.  It was so peaceful and calming there, and so pretty.  It felt good to know that all who visit there get to see our baby's name :)

Here are just some random silly pictures I found on my phone!  Crazy boys!

Aidan and Ryan with their 3-D glasses - minus the lenses!

My handsome almost 4 year old!

And this sweet baby boy!

Snow Days...or Day...

On Thursday night we got a big snowfall!  It snowed for a couple of hours and when it was done we had about 3 inches or so.  The boys were so excited when they woke up Friday morning to see everything covered in a blanket of SNOW!  Schools were closed, so we bundled up and headed out to play :)

Cole was not thrilled by the snow...

Aidan was ready to fire off a snowball at somebody!

Ryan thought it was "AWESOME!"

Poor Cole :(

Aidan and Ryan starting their snowball fight!

Cole stayed snuggled with me on the front porch :)

Ryan starting to build a snowman...

That's about as far as the snowman making got.  They were cold and over it!  Haha!  Can you tell we are true Texans?!

It was so pretty to see the snow everywhere, but I am sure glad it only happens maybe once a year!  

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan...

I just wanted to jot down a few things that Ryan has said over the past few weeks.  He just totally cracks me up everyday and I do not want to forget one bit of it!

Here are some of the funny things he has told me...

"You're my favorite Mommy!"

"When I be a Mommy I can cook!"

"You need to get a new Ryan."  I said "Why?"  Then he said, "Cause this one doesn't listen!"

The other night he was taking pictures of me with my phone and he said, "I'm gonna put these pictures on Facebook!"

Those are just a few of the hilarious things he says on a daily basis!  He just brings so much joy to my heart and makes me smile :)  I am so blessed!

 I love this boy so much!



It's a New Year...2011

WOW!  Here we are again entering into a whole, new year.  The time sure is flying...  As I enter into this new year ahead of me, I have had a lot on my mind.  I normally share the same resolution as most - the eat healthier and exercise more and shed this weight, but this year I feel different.

I want to enter into a newfound relationship with Christ.  I have been longing for Him to be ever present in my daily life, not just Someone I think about when I have time.

We found a church home a few months ago, and now I feel I am ready to get active, along with my boys.

I plan to spend a portion of each day still...learning, reading, and sumberging myself in His word.

I had one of those moments...Oprah calls them "Ah-ha moments" :) where I was reading a prayer request on another blog for a young lady named Brie Gomez.  She was injurjed in a car accident the day after Christmas while traveling as a passenger with her husband and two daughters.  She was also 7 months pregnant with a baby boy.  She was life flighted to a hospital where, upon arrival, an emergency c-section was performed to safe the life of her unborn son.  At last report he was in NICU fighting for his life, 10 weeks premature.  Brie was taken off life support the next morning, and was able to have organs donated to save the lives of others.  She was 30.  She has left behind a husband, two daughters, and a newborn son.  She has also left behind a legacy of a life lived for Jesus and every report and speech that has been written about her speaks of her love for Jesus and her faith and what an inspirational and giving and loving woman she was.  What an amazing legacy to leave behind.  No one has commented on how wealthy she was or how amazing her educational background was.  They have all been witnesses to a woman who loved Jesus and let her love for Him shine through her daily life.  I asked Roy and Aidan after I read her story what they think people would say about me when I die.  It wasn't near as inspiring.  They both said that people would say that I am an amazing mother and a great friend.  I asked them, "What about being a Christian and my love for Jesus?"  They both shook their heads and said, "No.  I don't think that's the first thing that would come to mind."  Wow.  Then Aidan said, "You don't act like a Christian all the time.  You don't do things that Christians do, like go to church every week and stuff like that."  Wow, again.  That was my "Ah-ha moment".  

I am not where I want to be in my walk with Jesus.  Neither are my boys.  I want that to change.  

That is my New Year's resolution for 2011, and for the rest of my life here on Earth.

"For I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11