December - April is officially birthday season over here! Between all the birthdays and Christmas (three b-days falling right before and after Christmas!), I don't really think clearly during those months. I got over trying to have everything perfect years ago and focus on doing the best we can. It helps that the kids are older too...the huge (have-to-be-perfect) birthday parties aren't a priority like they used to be!
It's hard to believe that this baby girl is nine years old now!! I really can't wrap my head around that, but the inevitable is happening...all of my babies are so not babies anymore. I'm realizing all of the big milestones that technically turn them into 'big kids' have already happened! In fact, we've moved on to milestones that make them big-BIG kids. With that comes new challenges as we learn to parent different kinds of 'big-BIG kid' decisions/issues/problems. On the flip side, it also brings more joy, more smiles, more love....more everything. Alexie is the sweetest, most sensitive person I have ever come across in my lifetime. She believes in everyone, trusts everyone and truly thinks the best in everything. Sometimes I have to remind her that those are amazing characteristics to have(!!!), but she can't let people run over her because she is genuinely that sweet. She's learning to find balance. I couldn't be more proud of the young lady she is becoming! ♥
Three days later was Christmas!!
I love this shot of Kylie! She was 'patiently' waiting her turn to open gifts at Poppy & Gabby's!
Alexie & Baby Ally...these two could be twins (notice the matching dimples on the left checks?)!
Our whirlwind trip to Texas included seeing both sides of our family and The Gonser's! Kole & Kaiden have been best friends since they met in the Spring of 2006. LOVE these two boys!!!
Oh, it just dawned on me! Since I've done such a fabulous job of keeping this blog updated (bwahahah!), unless you follow me on Facebook, you wouldn't know that Kole got glasses! He's such a handsome dude (biased, I know)!
After the new year, I had a birthday and 5 days later it was this baby's big day!! Those milestones I was talking about earlier are extra hard to swallow when it comes to the baby of our family. I'm pretty sure she will be walking down the isle and I will still be calling her my baby. But Kylie's not a baby....she's a big 6 year old now (I'm not sure I've come to terms with this reality). This is definitely our little firecracker! She knows exactly what she likes and rolls with it. She embraces being different. She has a confidence that I've never seen in someone so young. She's comfortable in her own skin and encourages others to branch out. All of the above mentioned, is also why I'm pretty sure she will be the one to give me the most gray hairs, ha! Wouldn't change a thing...so proud to be your Mama, Ky! ♥
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WARNING!
READ BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ANY FURTHER!!
If you get queazy and do not like the sight of blood, you may not want to see the next few pictures (second picture is more graphic)! You've been warned!!
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Kole and Husband took one last hunting trip last Wednesday. Their final hunting trip also turned into a very first for one of the Anderson kids - stitches. Yep, it took 10 years and 330 days for one of my babes to end up in the hospital for stitches. I'm actually shocked it took that long! Kole spotted a deer, got ready to take his shot and then the deer moved. Between the adrenaline and rushing to adjust to the deers movement, when he took the shot, the gun fell under his arm causing the scope to kick back right in the middle of his forehead.
Husband's, don't ever call your wife and start the conversation like this....
"Before I say anything....{pause}....he's going to be fine.........{insert HUGE pause here}..........Kole needs to go to the hospital...........................{insert LONGEST pause I've ever heard here}..................................he'll be fine....".
I mean, I was freaking out just because he couldn't spit out what happened....of course, I'm thinking the worst.....he got shot. If he would've just said right off the bat, 'he needs a few stitches', I wouldn't of been yelling into the phone like a maniac! Needless to say, now he knows - ha!
The most popular question asked by everyone at the hospital was, 'Well, did you get the deer?' Every time asked, Kole responded, 'Ohhh yeaaaaaaa' with a big smile on his face!
Husband asked Kole if he wanted to go get stitched up and then come back and get his deer or get the deer first. Well, the next picture kind of sums up the answer to that one....he wanted to see what he got!
The picture on the left (that tear!!) just breaks this Mama's heart!! But, I'm pretty sure that was the only tear shed. The girls and I met them at the hospital and you should've seen this dude get out of the truck. Umm, his dad might've told him that chicks dig scars......so by the time I saw him, he was working that 'tough guy' look! He got out of the truck with his hands in his sweatshirt pocket being all calm and cool with the biggest grin across his face. He was so proud.
Although I had a smile on my face, inside I was dying. All I see walking towards me is my almost 11 year old's face covered in dry blood and it literally looks like he got hit with a sniper in the middle of his forehead, like something you'd see in a video game or movie. I'm aware it was just a few stitches.....it's just an image no Mom wants to see! Once I saw that he really was OK, I was able to laugh, shake my head side-to-side and remember BOYS WILL BE BOYS!
He was such a trooper and LOVED telling everyone in the ER that asked what happened. He proudly told them the most important detail - he got the deer!
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I also wanted to remind you how to keep up with JACKSON OUR SPIDERMAN as he continues to kick Leukemia booty! I've added a link at the top of my website - Pray for Jackson. This is linked to a facebook page I created to post prayer requests, updates, etc. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your prayers and support!!
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Lastly, just because I LOVE sharing things that I LOVE! A friend of mine posted the below sweatshirt on fb and when I saw it, I was determined to get my hands on one. After some help from sweet Amy, I was able to get in contact with the owner of the shop who makes this awesome sweatshirt. Samya from Firedaughter Clothing is amazing...you have to go check out her stuff! I ordered one sweatshirt and then contacted Samya again to see if I could add another one. She was pretty sure the one I ordered was the last one, but she was able to locate one more!! The second one went to Lindz....this verse is meant for her right now as she fights alongside Jackson every day!
Up next for birthday celebrations - Kole on ♥Valentine's Day♥
Monday, January 14, 2013
It's birthday season
Sunday, November 4, 2012
nothing like home
*Warning*
This post marks the 930th entry I've written since I started blogging over five years ago. How that is even possible is beyond me, but this post is by far the longest I've ever published (with major picture overload)! I wanted to document every detail of our trip back home, so consider yourself warned!
As you may have read here, my 3 year old nephew, Jackson was diagnosed with Leukemia on October 16th. It's been a crazy couple of weeks to say the least. This is by far the hardest thing our family has ever faced. The feeling of complete helplessness being hundreds and hundreds of miles away from them is indescribable. I'm so amazed at how well Kyle and Lindsey have handled this transition to their new normal (not because I EVER doubted that they would handle it amazingly, I just don't know how any parent begins to process such a thing). As they care for Jackson 24/7, their faith continues to shine through in the midst of this horrific storm. God has already used this terrible disease to impact lives....some of these stories we may never learn of until much, much later. But I'd like to share one story with you that has changed me personally.
Kole is the oldest grandchild on my side of the family and we've always done our very best to instill Godly character traits in him as his parents. One thing that stands out (definitely up there on the list) is to BE A LEADER. I cannot begin to tell you how many times the words, 'BE A LEADER, buddy' has come out of our mouths! :) This has never been up for discussion. There was no 'oh hey, be a leader if you feel like it today'. He was expected to be a leader even when nobody was looking. Kole became a big brother at 22 months and it wasn't going to be long before his sister wanted to do everything he was doing. Kole took his big brother/leader role very serious and is actually quite good at it! Now, sure he is your typical almost 11 year old boy and makes tons of mistakes as we all do, but he takes pride in leading by example around his sibling, cousins and anyone else for that matter.
The morning after J was diagnosed, I sat down with the kids as they ate breakfast and told them that we need to get on our knees and pray for their cousin. I didn't mention details or the 'c' word as that was just too much at this point. However, my son doesn't miss much. My thoughts and emotions were running at an all time high this particular morning and Kole kept asking me about some news piece they were reporting on TV, and he wouldn't stop asking about it. Finally, I just said, 'Kole! That doesn't even matter right now. I'm not concerned about that when my nephew has Leukemia!!''
Yep, definitely not my proudest in-the-moment mom response.
The girls continued eating their breakfast.
Kole did not. Because Kole....well, he gets it. He knows Leukemia is a type of cancer. But that precious boy, being the good leader he is, didn't make a big deal or say a word as he knew the girls didn't understand just how sick Jackson was.
Everyday on our way to school, the kids and I pray together. So of course, this morning in particular, the entire prayer was nothing but prayers for sweet Jackson. I wasn't sure how they were processing all of this, as I have never heard them so quiet. I was the only one that prayed on this day. The very next morning we got in the car and I began to pray again. My prayer was a lot like the prayer from the day before, only this time I could hear Kole in the back seat, just repeating over and over again, 'Amen!....Amen!....Amen!'.
When he got out of the car to go into school, he turned to me and said, 'Mom, I didn't want to talk about Jackson being sick to you or anyone yesterday, but that's changed. Today, every time I'm in the hallway, I'm going to stop a student or teacher and tell them "My cousin has Leukemia, but I'm not sad. I'm not sad because I have a BIG GOD and MY GOD is going to heal him."
This young boy just took being a leader to a whole new level. He was about to walk the walk as he shared just how BIG his God is...and his faith to people walking the halls that day.
All because of his 3 year old cousin, Jackson Houser.
All because HE is in complete control - GOD'S GOT THIS!
God is using Jackson (and his parents) to change lives and I can't wait to watch J use this terrible disease as a platform to give people HOPE!
Not only do I have a big God, but I also have a pretty amazing partner! I called Husband the next afternoon at 4:30 PM to see what his thoughts would be on me driving home to Texas.....the very next morning! Yes, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants like that! His response, 'You do whatever it is YOU need to do'. That's all I needed to hear....I finished making dinner and started packing. I just could not handle being away any longer. I needed to physically see/touch/talk to Kyle, Lindsey and Jack-Jack.
The kids and I were headed Southbound 35 by 4:30 AM the very next morning. The only person (outside of my immediate family) that knew we were coming was Annie, my sister (in-law)...I had to tell her!
Thursday, October 25th - Day 1
Quick side note - My kids ROCK when it comes to being in a vehicle for multiple hours at a time! When we went home over the summer we only stopped TWO TIMES, so I just planned to stop at those two same places. Well, this time we only stopped ONE STINKING TIME!! I'm still blown away when I think about it. We stopped at 9:30 AM and then we planned to stop again when we got into Texas, but nobody said a word. And they knew we crossed into Texas because we always do our happy dance as we enter the Lone Star State! They just kept watching their moving and reading...........SO I JUST KEPT ON DRIVING!
The entire road trip I was coming up with my master plan. I was planning on going straight to Kyle and Lindsey's, but I didn't want my kids to be around Jackson until I ran it by K & L (because of his high risk of infection, even though all three had been/were perfectly healthy). So, we dropped our bags off at my parents house, took a potty break (!!!) and then went to surprise my mom at her work.
It's funny because out of all the people we surprised (we had lots of surprises up our sleeves!) we got the same reaction EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. When the person we were surprising first glanced up, we got a sweet-happy-to-see-a-familiar-face smile. My mom literally looked up (remind you, I'm behind the camera so she can't really see me), looked at my kids and then turned back around to her computer.
{Insert 3-4 second delay here}
And then she realizes!
Needless to say, Mama left work a tad early that day! My precious friend, Stephanie (who also happens to be Kole's best friend's mom) met up with me and took ALL THREE KIDS home with them to play so I could go spend some quality time with K, L and J!
We made it to their house and again it happened.
Lindsey answered the door.
{Insert 3-4 second delay here}
Lindsey screamed when she realized it was me, so now here comes Kyle jogging around the corner because he thought someone was hurt.
{Insert 3-4 second delay here while jogging}
I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I had just from being in the same room as them. Yes, I realize I've got nothing. I've literally got nothing to offer them during this time, other than a whole bunch of love, lots of hugs and MASSIVE prayers! But just being in the presence of loved ones sure made my heart smile!
My first day there happened to be Jackson's worst day as far as not feeling well. That poor baby was just not happy and I'm not sure he was liking me busting in on his space on top of feeling crummy.
Let me sum it up for you....
Jackson feels like crap the majority of the time. Therefore, he doesn't want anybody but Mommy and/or Daddy - period. Even if he wants something really bad, only Mommy and/or Daddy can get it. If you try to help anyway, he will get irritated and mad...can you blame the poor guy?! I learned within the first 20 minutes of being around him that you just have to back off and let the little dude do his thing....HE FEELS CRAPPY!
What J didn't know is that I had a weapon stashed away in my bag of tricks, but I had to wait for the perfect moment. It stayed in my 'bag of tricks' for almost three days....but I wasn't giving up hope. Each day that passed, you could see that Jackson was possibly feeling a tad-bit better and was in better spirits.
The last time I saw Brynlee, she was not even 5 months old so she still spent most of her time eating and sleeping. I swear they switched their baby with another one! I'm not sure where this spunky thing came from...she was actually awake and ready to play with me - WOO HOO!! Homegirl has quite the personality! All you fellow cheerleaders out there, just imagine your face as you're performing your Nationals routine....that's Bryn, flashing her cheesy-wide-open-mouth smile. You'll see a picture of that smile further down in the post, here we were discussing important things like who she will call and how to say Ma-Ma!
NO telling what kind of conversation was taking place here, but this picture was too funny, I had to share. I definitely had a reaction to whatever was said.....now look at Bryn. She's making the same face! It's like she totally understood all the catching up we were doing!
Friday, October 26th - Day 2
My Dad got home from a business trip Thursday evening and he was already planning on taking Friday off, but I'm pretty sure he took off to go to the hunting lease - oops! :/ In the end, it worked out perfectly and that gave us one more day we were able to spend together.
Jackson was scheduled for a procedure, chemo treatment and some other medications first thing in the morning, so we all loaded up (my mom, dad, the kids and I), ran a couple of errands, picked up lunch and then headed to the hospital. J's chemo infusion takes several hours to complete so we were prepared for the comic relief that goes along with keeping a 3 year old content/happy. I'm pretty certain that by putting us 5 adults and 4 kiddos in a small space for several hours, we're bound to end up laughing at everything.
Talk about almost being comical. I couldn't help but laugh every time Jackson would eat - which is ALL. THE. TIME. I mean, I'm still trying to figure out where he's packing it all away! In this next picture, Jackson is on his SECOND BBQ sandwich. I couldn't even finish one and J was still going strong!
Awe, sweet boy must be full now...
Ha, just kidding!! Two seconds later, this bag of chips was destroyed...God love him!
Such a great Daddy!
Day 2 of us being there, Jackson still wasn't thrilled with the idea of letting me hold him, so I'll gladly sneak a picture with him while he's napping!
K, L & J headed home to recover after a long day of treatment and the kids and I had one last group of people to surprise! My father-in-law turned 70 this past Monday so all of the family got together to celebrate the Friday before. Obviously, we weren't going to be able to make the party, so we were going to Skype during the party so we could say hi to everyone. Well, what The Anderson's didn't know was that the kids and I were in Texas! I called Robbie when I was on their street and he connected on Skype with his dad. He told his dad that the kids were picking up the basement really quick and would be right up to wish him a happy birthday...........but instead, we walked through their front door.
I love this picture! Here is a perfect example of the 3-4 second delay I was referring to. Check out Annette's face (in the back right corner), I'm thinking she was on more of a 4-5 second delay, whereas Sheila (in the purple) realized in about 3. Now that I think about it, if someone lived states away and they unexpectedly walk through my door, it would take my brain a minute to process all of that.
Me and Annette (Robbie's sister)!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC!! We loved seeing every single one of you!!
Saturday, October 27th - Day 3
Kyle was so sweet to stay with Bryn and Jackson while they napped so the girls (Lindz, her mom Nancy, me, my mom and my girls) could get Lindz out of the house for a bit for a little pampering!
We got back home just in time for everyone to wake up from their naps, and then dad and Kole came to the rescue so Kyle could get out of the house for a bit as well...they headed to Cabelas.
My girls were in heaven with sweet B...LOVE THEM!
Jackson was in great spirits this day, you could tell he felt better. He was SUPER excited to see his 'tousins' (AKA cousins) and I couldn't believe how active he was! There were several times I looked at him on this day and the following day and for a split second forgot he was so sick. I loved seeing him run around like his old self.
He's also very protective of his baby sister! He's pointing at Kylie telling her not to touch B's toys, that those are only for Brynlee! And if he didn't think Kylie was paying attention, he would put his hand in between the toy and Kylie. Last time I saw Bryn and J together, Jackson wasn't too interested...Bryn didn't do much, so it was sweet to see him in that big brother role watching out for his sisters toys!
J wanted to throw this bouncy Spidey ball at Alexie. Lindsey reminded him that we don't want to hurt anyone and Alexie said, 'It's OK Lindz, he can do WHATEVER he wants, I'm just happy that he feels like playing!'
UGH, all of these babes melt my heart...our family is so very blessed.
Between those scrumptious checks and long eyelashes...that's one gorgeous baby.
That moment I talked about earlier....you know, where I had to wait for the perfect time to reach into my bag of tricks? Well, it arrived! All I wanted was a picture (or two) of Jack-Jack, but obviously he doesn't want to pose for a picture.
Weellllllllll, he wouldn't want to pose for a picture UNLESS I just happen to pull out the biggest lollipop he's ever seen (OK, so it's big for a 3 yr old). Anyhoo, I pulled it out of my bag and Jackson followed me right outside, spidey-man pajamas and all! I have no shame in bribing for pictures!
I snapped a few pictures while he went to town on his lollipop, but the best part was when he asked me to hold his sucker so we could play some baseball. Are you kidding me?? I will hold your sucker forever if it means we can play together! It didn't last too long as he started shaking pretty bad (a side effect from the meds he is receiving) and I didn't want him to get too cool outside. But it was just long enough for him to drill me with the ball a few times.....and I loved every second of it!
Sunday, October 28th - Day 4
Our last day to play arrived way too fast, but I'm forever grateful for every second, minute and hour spent in those 4 days. If this trip did anything for me, it was a huge reminder to hold your family tight.
We met Chris & Annie's family and my Uncle David and Aunt Carolyn for an early dinner. I know this post is long, but I want to document everything about this trip and I apologize if I keep repeating myself. It was just a trip filled with reminders of how incredibly blessed we are.
My brother's (and their spouses, of course) make some beautiful babies! Me & Ally before dinner!
Will was so over this picture taking thing!
Seriously? Stunning!
Oh, look at that! And all these years I thought I was Chris' only twin! :)
Will did not want in this picture but little did he know we got a great shot of him (that's his 'I'm done with pictures' face!!).
The kids and I headed back over to K & L's after dinner for one last visit before we left in the morning and this visit was just icing on the cake. Jackson was even MORE playful than the day before!! He was gathering up all kinds of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals and 'camping out' on Bryn's play mat. Are you ready for the crazy part?? He actually wanted me to participate....with NO bribing!
The Lord knew just what his Aunt needed before heading back to Iowa.
He laughed a lot!
And even smiled for the camera!!!!
I knew our time was up when that precious boy asked his Daddy if he could go to bed....he had used up every bit of energy he had.
As I type this, I can remember every detail of Jackson telling me goodnight and giving me a hug for the first time since arriving 4 days earlier. It was the best hug I have ever received and I'll hang on to that moment until I see that sweet boy again.
I ♥ THEM! The time I spent with Kyle and Lindz was precious and I just ask that you continue to pray for them and their sweet Jack-Jack!
One last picture before we go....that's just how we roll!
I have so many emotions from this trip home as He continues to show me what is TRULY important. My God is the same God today as He was yesterday and I will continue to praise Him for this reminder.
HE'S GOT THIS!
Isn't that an amazing feeling?!?!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Support Jackson
Want to know another way you can support Jackson and his family?!? Well, did you know that orange is the color for Leukemia (as pink is for breast cancer). In the next couple of days, we will be receiving our very first shipment of orange silicone wristbands to show our support, love and prayers for Jack-Jack. Each wristband reads 'JACKSON OUR SPIDERMAN'. As my daughter Lexie put it, 'Every time I see that bracelet, I will stop and pray for Jackson'.
So, let's show those Houser's just how much we are thinking about and praying for them! You can purchase your orange wristband for $3 now, and for every wristband that is sold, $1 of those proceeds will go towards Jackson's care. I am also about to place a second order that will include YOUTH sizes!! You can now pre-order these if you're interested. Below is a button that will direct you to paypal where you can place your order. Please feel free to share this via facebook, email, etc! If you have any questions at all, message me and I will get back to you as soon as I can! As always, thank you for your constant prayers!
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
Jackson's facebook page
I've started a fb page for Jackson so everyone can stay up to date on everything that is going on. Please share his page with ANY and everyone who will pray for this sweet family!
https://www.facebook.com/JacksonKyleHouser
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing in the gaps with prayer. God is hearing those prayers....Jack-Jack is already making so much progress! Keep 'em coming!! xoxo
Friday, October 19, 2012
Jackson's surgery
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
flood the gates
This will be short....there are no words.
Please flood the gates with prayers for my precious 3 year old nephew Jackson, his beautiful Mama, Lindsey and his Dad (my older brother), Kyle.
Their world has been turned upside down in the past 24 hours as Jackson has been diagnosed with ALL T-Cell leukemia (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). I started a Facebook page to keep everyone up to date on Jackson - CLICK HERE TO VIEW.
PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ALL OF THEM.
Tomorrow, Jackson will undergo three different procedures (spinal tap, bone marrow biopsy, and he's also having a port implanted for treatment), PLEASE pray for Jackson's comfort/pain level, pray for all the doctors, nurses and staff that will be treating Jackson, pray for a good night sleep for mom & dad.....JUST PLEASE, KEEP PRAYING!!!!
God is the same God as He was one week ago....HE IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. He will be glorified in all of this.
Our family is forever grateful for your non-stop prayers!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Iowa State Fair 2012
Right before school started we headed out to the state fair! Last year and again this year we met our friends (along with their extended families) there. It's always a lot of fun! All of the kids are around the same ages, so they always have a blast....and the adults spend the entire day counting heads to make sure everyone is in tow. Last year, we only lost one child for a brief moment, so we do fairly well. :/ The magic number is 13. As long as we count 13 little heads, we are good to go!
If you haven't already figured it out, Kylie never looks AT the camera!
Our first stop was the butterfly tent. It was just the girls, all the boys waited outside (they were going to see snakes later)!
Just go ahead and see how many pictures you can find of Ky in this one post where she is looking at the camera (I haven't even checked to see if there is one).
OK, Alexie was freaked out with the butterflies. She loved looking at them, but she refused to hold any. She said the feel of their legs 'creeped' her out. I just happened to look over and caught her actually getting close to one like she was going to touch it....but she didn't (look at that serious face!).
She put up a fight, but Missy finally talked her into just touching it.
After a while of convincing, she finally did it!!!! I LOVE her face in the left picture. I was so proud of her......even if she did only hold it for about 8 seconds. :)
There was something about my shoes that these butterflies were drawn to. Every time someone looked down there was at least one landing on my feet...it was kind of funny to watch!
Oh look! Every single girl in this picture is looking straight ahead except for one. What am I going to do with her?!
We stopped by all the massive John Deere tractors....
Along the way, we found pieces of Texas, so of course we had to stop!!
Ummmm, we may have bought TWO of these buckets of cookies! Gabby LOVES these, so we took a picture of them and sent it to her. She was just getting back from London, but had a non-stop week of appearances she was about to make. We sure missed not having her smiling face with us this year!
About to watch the tigers!
Kylie was NOT a fan of the animals that were inside the building! I'm assuming you can tell from the picture that the smell was not all that pleasant!
The GIANT slide is always a hit....even for us adults!!
We caught these three comparing belly buttons....so incredibly sweet!
We had to attempt at least one picture of all the kiddos....
And a few seconds later it turned into this......
We were nearing the end of a long, fun-filled day!
Iowa State Fair 2012 - total success! AND, we even did better than last year....no kids were 'misplaced'! WOO HOO!
Happy Monday, y'all!!!
