Guess Who Moved??!?!?!

Our wonderful pastor, Dr. Howard K. Batson, shared this story in evening worship yesterday! We are currently going thru the book of James...always steps on my toes and I should have every verse memorized...my Dad and I read it before bed during my high school days...but I always learn more EVERY time and am always in need of repentence! Love you Dad!

An elderly couple who married back in the 1940's were driving in their big Buick down the road when they noticed a strange sight in the car ahead of them. Low and behold, it was a young couple sitting so close together that they appeared as one person. The old couple continued down the street in silence until the wife looked over at her husband and said, "we used to sit that close together all the time. Why don't we do that anymore? What changed?" The husband responded calmly, "I haven't moved," and continued down the road. (If that were me, I would move my rear on over to my hubby).

The whole point of the story is this: if you aren't close to Jesus, guess who moved??!?!? Jesus never leaves us; He is always near...embrace Him...respond to Him!

Last few days of summer...

First "boys bath"...I'm sure there are many more in our future!

Tate is sitting up (even without the boppie!)and loves to play with NOISY toys!

Parker playing with his Cars cars. They generally all race around the racetrack shown in the background...and every car has a different sound!

The last few days of summer find us with the "big kids" back in school, evening walks, calm weekdays at the house, a few play dates with our friends, mommy back to working out 4 times a week, meeting Daddy for lunch, and just sitting on the floor playing! It's been great. Parker is SO ready to start preschool. Since he was tiny, routine defined his life...so, without the routine, he isn't sure what to think or do! We still have a routine, but not get up, get out the door kinda routine...that all starts a week from tomorrow after we return home from our trip to Central Texas!!

Cowboy Doctor

Today was Parker's three month follow-up appt with Dr. Nolan...or as we call him...the cowboy doctor. He is an EXCELLENT doctor but one might not think so upon first sight! After a thorough exam by the respiratory therapist, the medical student, and finally Dr. Nolan, the conclusion was that Parker was doing great and no adjustment to his medicines was necessary. I always dream of his oxygen level being 100% but in reality I know that it won't be...97% it was! He was 38 pounds and 40.5 inches tall. Growing taller but not gaining any weight for some time now. Parker has the hardest time with asthma/allergies from Sept-Nov so the upcoming months will tell us a lot! Parker is still his happy, loving every minute of life self! I'm proud of you Parker and how you tackle this asthma with a great attitude! 4 meds every day is a lot for a little guy but you do a fabulous job! Thank you, Lord, for great doctors and for my precious Parkerman! I am so thankful to have medicines that help Parker and pray for those who suffer and die because medical care isn't available.

OKC Get-away!

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Parker's first jump off the diving board!

Marci and Emily...miss you girl!

ALL the boys

Saying goodbye

Visiting with Cooper and Landri Klair at the farm!

Parker LOVES tigers and lions!

Waking up on Friday morning...the great part of this picture is the time on the clock...9am! It was fabulous!!

My boys!

Daddy and Parker on the Bricktown Ferry

Waiting for the ferry

Trying hard to shoot the cow

Fishy face!

Momma, how much are these things???
I quickly told him that would be a great questions for Pops!

Parker at Bass Pro Shop

Hud, Parker and Dave

Merideth (and baby Ferris) with Tate

Hud and Parker

I l.o.v.e. family vacation! We drove to Oklahoma City, met up with the Ferris' for dinner at 1492 right outside of Bricktown, walked around Bricktown, road the ferry, ate ice cream, went to the zoo, and met up with the Bean family! It was so, so, much fun! Parker spent the night with Cooper and Landri and had a great time! It was sad to leave, but we will see them again soon! Once we were back to Amarillo it was time to mow and get ready for SNAC on Sunday night. It was a blast and the snowball fight was awesome...no pics to prove though!

the birds and the bees

tonight was a date night for us! we caught a movie (the proposal...pretty funny!), went to medi park for a picnic and then went by the seals' house to congratulate them on ridge's arrival!

the theater and park is very close to our first apartment, our first home in amarillo! ahhh...that life seems so simple to us now...no yard, no kids, no mortgage, sunday afternoon naps, staying up really late and sleeping in...but also a very quiet life. that old apartment was a good place for me. i broke away from always depending on my parents for things and clung to my bradley and most importantly, my jesus! the quietness of that apartment was were i studied VERY hard and passed my CPA exam while bradley also began his master's program at WBU. it was were i cooked my first meal as a married woman and the place where i truly thought i survived a tornado and it was really only hail (see picture below). it was a place where both bliss and forgiveness existed and we're still building on that! as we drove past that apartment tonight, the tree outside our window actually provided some shade but all the rest appeared very much the same. the difference, we weren't there and that chapter in our lives is closed! we don't drive out that way very often so it was kinda fun to think back on such things!

once we walked in the door to our house, we heard the pitter patter of little feet and upon first glance of tater he laughed out loud! i now hear "mmmmoooommmmaaaaa" at 10pm...parker wants me to "sleep for a minute" which totally warms my heart. ahhh...life! it's wonderful right where we are and while i'm thankful for where we've been, i am also glad God has placed us in this very spot for such a time as this...there's no other place i'd rather be!

on a really funny note...for some reason we drove by that old apartment while my parents were here for graduation. parker stated very bluntly to my parents..."that's where mommy and daddy lived before they were making me". the birds and the bees discussion has already begun....yikes!

our front porch...pictures of the apartment were taken with 35 mm film...gotta dig that stuff out!

the hail that destroyed that apartment (windows, furniture, carpet, etc)...thank goodness we were already building our house!

Rhonda's Surprise Party

Alex Kate

Parker and Momma

Trey, Parker and YOU Shawn

The whole crew--dressing crazy in Rhonda's favorite colors GREEN AND PINK

Hurry up Rhonda and get here already!

Hope your birthday was extra special, Rhonda!

Cha-Cha-Cha!

Wish we could enjoy a cup of coffee (decaf!) with you today. Have a wonderful, relaxing, SURPRISING birthday! We miss you but will be with you very soon!

Today is also Taterbug's five month birthday! He is fast asleep at the moment but is currently bored with lying down, loves to be sitting up in the bumbo, on the floor (almost by himself!) and in his bouncer toy! We weighed him this morning and he is just almost 18 pounds. He is eating cereal in the evenings when we sit down for dinner....wherever that might be. He is sleeping pretty much 12 hours each night and has two good naps with a little zzzz in the evening. Most of all, I love to hear him belly laugh and be a "smiley boy" as Parker calls him! He is so cuddley with all of us and he sure misses brother when he is off doing "big boy" stuff!

Snowcones!

Serious talk, ehh??

We enjoyed a nice dinner at home with Mrs. Linda as our guest and then headed out for snowcones! Parker wanted red, of course, and I chose "Big Red" for mine. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it didn't meet my expectations...probably just needed a little dose of those Belton Tigers and my "growing up" years! I trashed mine and helped Parker with his! Tate enjoyed the outing but was super ready for bed once we left! (We are not terrible parents...yes his car seat is too little...we have ordered Parker's booster seat so Tate can have Parker's old car seats...should arrive in the "brown truck" any day!)

It's a Fantasy!

I am holding Colt here...he is 7 months and doing all sorts of fun things...looking forward to Tate's next milestones!

Fantasy football...need I say more?? Clear out the furniture, empty the walls and get a bunch of stinky boys together! Parker, Tate and I joined in on the fun with Carlee and Colt for a while...then on to bed we went!

Thinking back...

I was just thinking this afternoon...while mopping, dusting, etc...what I've learned about life, love and most of all, Jesus, over the past week or so. I came to realize that it's not something new, just something I need to work on. Here it is folks:

If you keep up with our blog, you know that Parker has asthma, but you also know that we have it very controlled for right now. Well, on Wednesday he started coughing...seeing the veins pop in his neck coughing. So, I started immediately with the Ventolin inhaler every 4 hours and began praying that this "attack" didn't get any worse. We were leaving the next morning at 6am for the annual student trip to Arlington. Ok, so we didn't have to go to Arlington but Parker was SO excited about going, riding in the bus, and everything else (see earlier post with pics). If his attack got worse during the night, I figured we would stay in Amarillo and skip the trip this year (humidity makes asthma worse!). Disappointment would be experienced well into the weekend if I told Parker we were unpacking and staying put! That would totally crush me! Parker is a go-getter...nothing stops him...generally is always happy, laughing, talking REALLY loudly, and entertaining the crowd...even when asthma attacks! So...where are you going with this you might ask??

How many times...everyday...do I disappoint Jesus. The one who created me and to whom I owe all my efforts and focus! So this, my friends, is what I am striving for. I know perfection will not be reached but in the end, may He say, well done emily, my good and faithful servant!

PS: He had a cough-free night and completely quit coughing about 2 hours into the trip and had a BLAST!! Thank you Lord for healing!

Food!

At 1 week shy of 5 months, Tate was ready for rice cereal! He is doing great with it! Parker was so interested in this new addition to our schedule and routine. Tate sits with us at dinner AND eats with us! We showed Parker pictures in his scrapbook of his first tastes of "food"...he just laughed at the mess he made! Fun memories with my boys!