Cruel, Cruel Summer

Somehow, a summer cold has hit the Powell home.  Well, part of us anyway- Mama and Huddie.  Huddie started it!  Poor baby has been feeling miserable with a constant runny nose and cough.  Plus, he's getting another tooth so that has just made things worse.  Hudson is always such a good baby.  I mean, like REALLY good.  Near perfect.  But, oh boy, has he been cranky for the past two days.  Poor guy. And a mom who feels like crud is never a good thing.

Brian and Wes went to visit some good friends of ours tonight, and Hudson and I stayed home so we wouldn't infect anyone.  Hud is asleep now and I'm alone so I decided to post some pictures of my family from this summer that I actually haven't posted on Facebook!  Shocking, huh? Since I post EVERYTHING on Facebook! Ha.

Brian had his end-of-the-season pool party with his Cubs.  Hudson enjoyed swimming, too. And Dad.  I honestly didn't know a grown man could have so much fun.  He was like an honorary Cub that day in the pool. And he threw so many kids into the water, he couldn't move the next morning.  No joke.

 Brian getting his trophy from Coach Nickell

 

 

 So proud!!

 

 The Cubs!

 

 

 Having a blast!

 

One of my favorite pics of all time!

 

 

 

Brian LOVED his first season of playing t-ball and so did we!  We can't wait for fall ball to start.  I know I may be a little biased, but this may just be the cutest baseball player EVER....

 

 

 

And the cutest team EVER...

 

 

And the cutest Cubs fan EVER.

 

 

 

And last, but certainly not least, what I like to fondly call my boys' "model-looks."  They are pretty good, don't you think?  They definitely have the poses down :)

 

 

 

Believe it or not, Wes has a senior pic with this EXACT SAME POSE.  Except he is standing in front of a fake bookcase and looks a little ridiculous. 

 

 

 

And Brian?  Well, psh.  He's been doing this for years already. Absolute pro.

 

 

See?  Already knows how to work a prop :)





The Blog Is Back

If we are friends on Facebook, then you probably already know that we got a new computer!  And by "new" I don't mean an upgrade.  I mean got a new computer, period.  I haven't had a home computer in about 4 years.  When I was still working, I had access to one all day and didn't feel the need to have one at home, too.  But now that I am at home, doing everything online that you need to by way of your iPhone just isn't that easy or practical.  I am excited that my poor neglected blog will be able to be reborn.  I miss blogging but it is just too difficult to blog on my phone when you are as long-winded as I am.  Not to mention the plethora of typos...

Even though I doubt I'll be able to blog as frequently as I used to, I can still keep everyone updated on the happenings here at our house.  When I pulled up my blog tonight, I noticed that the pictures I have on here are so outdated it's pathetic.  Wes and my pics are from our wedding day in 2011.  Brian's too.  And Hudson was like 2 months old in his.  So to kick off this little re-launch, I will change my photos if I can remember how to :))

What's Been Going On-

Since my last blog (which was difficult because I had just lost my Lady Girl) we traveled by car to California for our very first trip to Disneyland!  Wes and I were like 2 large kids at the most magical place on earth.  It was kinda sad how excited we were.  The boys loved it too.  We also got the idea to tour some famous places in LA.  I had never felt so scared in my whole life.  Talk about a fish out of water.  I felt like my life was in danger about every 2 seconds.  It was a blast. 

We have all been pretty busy the last few months.  Here is a little of what each of us has been doing:

Wes-  This guy is just climbing the ladder at work.  He got another raise and is just being a rockstar at his new position.  You shouldn't be surprised if the next time I blog, I tell you that he's running the whole company.  He also volunteered to take over as head coach for Brian's t-ball team this fall. What a brave, brave soul.

Brian-  This kid is getting taller by the second.  He is reading (really well) and just finished his first season of t-ball which he loves.  He is a few weeks away from turning the big 6 and will be starting kindergarten next month.  This means he will be at school all day instead of just 2 hours.  I know it will be great for him and he will love it, but it is going to be hard for this mama to get used to not having him around as much.  He is still loving being a big brother although he's become quite bossy towards the little bro ;)  Oh, and he's in the process of riding a bike with no training wheels.  But that has been a disaster and will need an entire blog entry dedicated to THAT debacle.

Hudson- Our little baby just turned 1! Time has literally flown.  I love watching him grow and his personality develop, but I sure hate how fast it is happening. He is walking and talking up a storm.  His language skills baffle me.  Even his pediatrician said that it is very uncommon for babies to be saying as much as Hudson is at his age (TRANSLATION:  HE IS A GENIUS).  He is becoming a lot like his mom in some ways, like being scared of silly things and liking books.  And he is becoming a lot like his daddy too, like being ornery and stubborn :)  He says "yeah" "mama" da-da" "bubba" "bye bye" "hi" "baby" "ninny" "uh-oh" "Shhh" and "Pa-pa" and learning more each day.   He is really such a joy to all of us.  And as for that blood disorder...yeah, God totally took care of that!

Me-  I am having a blast staying home with my babies.  There are days I watch the clock until Wes gets home, lock myself in the bathroom for 30 seconds to just get a little peace, and watch Alvin and the "Chicknuts" (Brian) until I want to scream.  But I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love it.  These are precious times and even if I sometimes want to purposely get amnesia, I truly am grateful for them.  And when you are chasing around 2 boys all day, you rarely have time to eat out of boredom so it makes it easier to lose weight :)

So there's the update so far.  Hopefully, this little blog will finally have some life in it again.

My Little Girl

Oh, this post is hard to write but I want to get it all out because I need to...

I have been an animal lover my whole life. Dressed my cats up like baby dolls when I was little, took in every stray I could- you get the picture. After I moved to the city when I was 13, I didn't have any animals for several years. Then one day while my was working downtown, she called and said "There is a beautiful cocker spaniel down here that needs a home. Get down here."

When I first saw Lady, she was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. Cocker Spaniels are my favorite dogs because my very first dog was one. I fell in love with her immediately. She had a heavy chain for a collar and was cowered down acing so timid. Her name was "GiGi" but she never came when I called it. So I named her "Lady" because she looked just like Lady from "Lady and the Tramp" but he was silky black.

I took that chain off immediately and she was a pampered pooch from that moment on. She followed me everywhere. Got all worked up if another dog even dared approach me. She would sleep next to me in bed with her head on the pillow. I took her everywhere I went.

We went through a lifetime of events together. When I started teaching, I had framed pictures of her in my classroom and all my students knew all about her. She made her way into lots of math lessons and English sentences. I got married and later divorced and then remarried with her by my side. She always knew when I was upset and she would never leave me and would always lick my tears away. We survived a tornado together- seriously. I held her on my lap as our house was destroyed and she peed all over my lap (and I probably did too!). She was there the first time I lost someone close to me- my beloved Granny Perkins. She was there for me when my Papa followed a few years later. She made it through me bringing two baby boys home. I remember when Brian was a newborn and she would race to his crib every single time he whimpered. I could type all night about my memories of her. Bless her heart, she endured so many doggie sweaters and bandanas before I had human babies to dress. But she loved it and let me do whatever I wanted.

My heart hurts so bad. I hate when people say things like "it's just a dog" because it is so much more than that. She taught me to be a mama before I became a real one. This afternoon, when she was so close to the end, she still managed a tail wag when she heard my voice. When I called to tell my dad the news, he said "she wasn't just a dog. She was a gift" and he was exactly right. A gift that I am so thankful that God gave me to treasure for almost 14 years.
As bad as it hurts, the joy is greater than the pain. God gave man the joy of animals as just another way to show love. And I can't wait to see her again someday. My beautiful, Lady Girl. Thank you for your faithfulness and love to me.

Here's What's Happening at the Ranch...

Okay, I stole that title from the Pioneer Woman. But that's okay, because she is our hero. She has never let me down with a single recipe. And because of that, she is the only other woman that I would allow my husband to spend time with. But only in hopes that she would make us something to eat. Anyway....

I haven't posted in such a long time that I thought I would bring everyone up-to-date on what's going on with our family.

Wes- Back in November, my super smart, super motivated husband got promoted at his job that he has only been at for less than 6 months. And got a pretty nice raise. Not only has this been a financial blessing to our family, but this job is providing some really great opportunities for him in the future with this company.

Me- Not much to report here. I'm enjoying my new line of work staying home and taking care of my two boys. Let me tell you, working full time was easier but not nearly as fun and fulfilling. I can think of no better way that I'd like to be exhausted. I have been feeding my addiction to Pinterest on the side and as a result have been making some delicious food and have a majorly organized house. I have a problem. I really do.

Brian- I cannot say enough about my firstborn, beautiful boy. Excelling at school like you wouldn't believe. Always making friends and will befriend anyone. We make a pretty good team too. I've been teaching him to read here at home and he is just amazing me. He has read 3 books by himself so far. We have about 4 sentences we work on each day which all include the sight word of the week. I love it because I get to be a teacher and who better to have as your star student than your son?

Hudson- Growing. Like. A. Weed. I would be totally fine with him staying this age for a couple of years. He is crawling all over the place, eating like a pig, and about to pop a couple of teeth. I am convinced he is a baby genius because even his pediatrician comments on how early he is doing everything. He babbles and babbles but distinctly can refer to his Ma-ma, Da-da, Bu-ba (Bubba), and his personal favorite, his Bah-bah (bottle). We haven't had a blood check since right after thanksgiving when his number was still a 9 (hallelujah!) and he doesn't go for another appointment until the 25th of February. I am expecting nothing but another good number. He is just my little miracle baby. I am so thankful he is doing so well. I'm hoping that the worst is behind us and his case will end up being mild. I even found a support group on Facebook and although most of the members are from other countries (spherocytosis is most common in people of European descent) it has really been a blessing to me to give and receive encouragement from others dealing with this disorder.

My mom is taking us on a special trip to Disneyland on spring break so Brian can see the new Cars Land. None of us have ever been and so we are so excited! We would never be able to do something like this without my mom's giving heart. Wes and I are planning on acting more like children than our actual children. And I am excited because I am planning on not doing a thing to my hair and wearing a hat all week. Because I can. Because Disneyland is the "happiest place on earth" and that, to me, means a place where you don't have to fix your hair. We are also driving, so please pray for us. Not only for our safety, but also our sanity. Two kids plus Wes and his energy drinks could be a little crazy. We are stopping at the Grand Canyon on the way out to CA and I can't wait to finally see it. Plus, Brian and Hudson get to have their first trip to the beach. I will definitely have a million page blog about his trip, I'm sure...dun, dun, dun... :)

Jessica

Something to Be Thankful For

This year has come and gone in a blur
of happiness and trials for me. And through each thing that has happened, I have learned how to let go of the things I can't control and trust God more. I can say that this year has brought some of the greatest blessings I never dreamed possible. I have really tried to keep up with my daily thankfulness posts on Facebook but have sadly failed the past week. Not because I don't have anything to be thankful for though! It would take a million blog posts to be able to list everything and even then I'm sure I wouldn't be able to list them all.

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband to lead our family. After making the decision that I would stay at home full time once Hudson was born, our income changed pretty drastically less than a month before Hudson was due to arrive. And not in a positive way. But knowing God wanted me home with the boys, Wes refused to let me bear the burden of how to make up the lost income. He looked for a second job, filled out applications and prayed. Literally as we drove home from the hospital with our 5 day old son, he got a call that would change everything for us. God blessed him with a new job and just 3 short months later, promoted him at his new company. We have never been late on a bill or gone without one single time. Even with a gazillion medical bills that we never expected. But God knew. And I believe he honored my husband's faithfulness to our children by his determination to give them their mommy everyday.

I am so thankful for my firstborn. He has blessed me with how much he has grown this year in so many ways. He is excelling at school, growing more compassionate and helpful and is the best big brother. He has been through a lot of big changes in his sweet 5 years on this earth and has just taken them all in stride. One of my greatest joys this year has been watching him nurture his baby brother. "it's okay, Hudson. Big brudder is here. Don't cry." Being away from your mommy for an unexpected week when your brother was born and bring dragged to hospitals and doctor offices all summer isn't much fun but he never once complained. Just always enjoyed being with mom and brother.

I am so thankful for my second and last child I will ever physically bear myself. He has surpassed my expectations as to what having another child would be like. He is the happiest baby in the world. Beautiful in every way. For 9 months I waited impatiently for him to arrive, never ever dreaming that within 24 hours of his birth, I would be praying for his healing. I remember standing with Wes over Hudson's incubator, unable to even hold our son except to feed him, and just laying my hands on him and crying out to God to take care of him. God gave us the most amazing pediatrician who has always taken such good care of Brian and would not stop until she discovered what was wrong with Hudson. She cried when we did and we will always be thankful for her as well as the many other doctors and nurses who have walked with us through Hudson's disorder. God has given Hudson 4 months without a transfusion and that to me is a testimony that I feel honored to be able to share.

I am so thankful for my mom. You can be 31 years old and a mother of two and still never stop needing your mom. I remember a few days after Hudson's birth when he was still pretty critical with the jaundice caused by his disorder. I woke up and just had a hard day. Emotions got the best of me and I couldn't eat or sleep. Just cry. I couldn't even stand without feeling like my legs couldn't hold me up. My mom had been taking care of Brian and hadn't left his side. But she knew I needed her and the hospital door opened and there she was. Just to sit with me. I love that woman so much. I hope I can be half the mother she is to my boys.

These are just a few of the many, many things I have been thankful for this year. Sometimes it is the hardest, most intense times that truly remind us just how blessed we are.

I Got A Miracle Today

As many of you know by my Facebook post today, I had to take Hudson to Children's Hospital a week earlier than scheduled to have his hemoglobin checked. One of the signs we have been told to watch for is lethargy that is not normal for Hudson.
That is usually never a problem for my baby. He has been sleeping through the night since he was about 7 weeks old- from about 9pm to 7:30 am (hello! Thank you swaddle blanket!) And because of that long stretch of sleep he is usually wide awake all day long with an occasional cat nap. He usually never naps for more than about 2 hours TOTAL throughout the day. So when he started sleeping a lot during the night and day yesterday, I started to watch him. He slept for about 6 hours during the day yesterday and did his normal nightly stretch of sleep. And then this morning, after only being up about an hour, he fell asleep in the middle of playtime on the floor. That really bothered me. They told us anytime we felt concerned all we had to do was call and schedule a blood check. So when I called and explained to the nurse what he'd been doing, she told me to come in to check. I felt about 99.9% sure that he was going to be transfused. I even packed accordingly. There were 2 main reasons why I felt this way 1)His count had dropped last week and 2) It has been well over a month since his last one, which is the longest we've gone. I was worried about how he was acting because I was afraid we might have let it get too low because he has never shown those symptoms before. But I was not worried about the outcome. I knew what would happen to make him better. I even prayed and thanked God that we were blessed enough to have access to blood transfusions when he needed them and that He had given us great doctors who would let me come by and get a blood test anytime I had concerns.
From the second we got to the office, it was completely packed with patients. It took a while to even be called back to draw blood (which, by the way, marks the 3rd time Hudson has not cried at all. Yay!). So then Hudson and I went back to the waiting area and I waited while Hudson was being nosy looking around and drooling all over my shirt. A nurse came out and called us back to give us the results which in my mind is never a good sign. I was even thinking to myself how it was too late in the day to start the 6-8 hour transfusion process and that we would probably have to come back tomorrow.
We sat down and what came out of her mouth shocked me- but in the best way possible. HUDSONS BLOOD COUNT HAD ACTUALLY GONE UP. On its own WITHOUT a transfusion. From an 8.2 to an 8.7! I knew it could hold steady at a number because that is what the doctor said we were hoping for but they never said it could actually go up without a transfusion! The nurse explained that his body is starting to do what it is supposed to do and that it can actually fluctuate like that. She said that his fatigue was probably just a normal growth spurt (he was probably trying to reach 14 pounds before his next visit). She also said they do so many blood checks to get a baseline of what is going to be normal for him. So it may or may not go down again by next week when we go back. In my opinion, what happened today was a miracle. And I am fully expecting to go back on Monday and have the number just the same or even higher. God is healing our baby's body by letting him maintain the blood which is difficult for him to hold onto! Even if the doctors say that can happen, in my book it is a miracle. I have a feeling in my heart that maybe just maybe the transfusion we received on July 31 just might be the last one we will need for a while unless he catches something and gets sick (common childhood illnesses can make his blood count drop. So I will continue being the germophobe mom that I have been!). I can't wait to share with Hudson the story of how God worked a miracle in his life on the day he turned 3 months old (and all the little miracles and victories in between!).

A Perfect Match

Sometimes I can't help but sit and think about my life now and the way it used to be. I have always been very blessed, even through my hardest times I have always had so much more than some people do. But my life has now genuinely become the "fairy tale" I've always dreamed for. Is my life perfect? No way. Do I have everything I need and more? Yes. Do I have tons of money and not a care in the world? Definitely no. But now even more than ever in my life I have realized that less is sometimes more. We are a one income family now with a whopping pile of medical bills that will probably not be ending for quite a while. But we pay our bills every month and have even somehow managed to start chipping away at those bills because God has provided for us. My nearly 3 month old baby has already faced some giant challenge in his short life so far and God is blessing us with his continual improvement. I have always known I was super-blessed in the area of family but everyday just confirms to me that the amazing family I have is rare and greatly treasured. I have a mom who is my biggest fan and my closest friend. I have two beautiful sons that I have the honor and privilege to stay home with now and make the kind of impact on their lives that I prayed I would have the opportunity for. And I have a husband who has proved far beyond my wildest dreams of the perfect man for me.

Let me tell you, God truly does know who will be our perfect match. We can spend our lives searching for that "perfect person" that meets every requirement we have set for ourselves and we can even try to force the issue if we falsely think we've found that person but find that they actually need a little help in actually becoming that right person. I can remember so many days of feeling sorry for myself because I was alone while watching so many people around me so happy with their own families. Those days would produce the "oh, I will never find anyone. I have a kid and no man will want a part of that." Blah, blah, blah. How much time did I waste focusing on the wrong things? It was only when I stopped trying to control my own destiny that God was able to take my mess and make it into something beautiful. At that time, even though I didn't know, he was getting my perfect match ready. Just like he was working on me, weeding out the things that we needed to let go of or get rid of so that we would be ready when He decided that the timing was right. Being the eternal optimist that I am- yeah, right- I never really believed that I would ever truly get what I had always hoped and prayed for. I wrongly believed from my past experiences that I would end up having to compromise on something. But God doesn't work that way. If you really just submit to His plan, He will give you the very best He has for you.

My husband is exceptional. He is unlike anyone I have ever known. He is be funniest person I have ever been around. Seriously. His sense of humor matches up so perfectly with mine. I genuinely laugh at him and trust me, they are never sympathy laughs. He is so sensitive and nurturing to me. Even if he doesn't understand the way I am sometimes, he supports me and shows genuine concern for my feelings. He is obsessed with the Food Network just like me and is the only person I can think of who I can sit and watch hours of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and be completely entertained while at the same time plan every single one of our future vacations together based on where we can eat the best food. We can spend hours shopping. Yes, I said shopping. I REALLY feel like I hit the jackpot on that one. And we talk. Really talk. All the time. About anything an everything. He is my best friend and I can't stand spending one night away from him.

But above all of those wonderful things and a million more that I could write about, He loves me with the love of Christ. The other morning I thought I was dreaming that he was standing next to our bed talking to me with his hand on me. But I wasn't dreaming and he wasn't just talking. He was praying over me before he left for work for he day. He would not hesitate one second to lay down his life for me our our children. He is not just standing by watching me raise Brian because he is "mine" but he
is actually investing in my son's life. He doesn't always get the credit at being Brian's dad from everyone else but he is a father in every sense of the word. He wants him to be successful and change the world someday. Brian isn't just mine anymore, he is ours. He works hard at his job, wanting to advance and make the most l every situation so that he can provide the best life for us and allow me to stay home. He never complains about why He has to do; he does it joyfully. And at the end of the day he is never too tired to get on the floor and play trains with Brian or do the dishes for me after dinner to give me a break. I love that man and he is my dream come true. Our marriage isn't perfect, but we love each other deeply and strive to put God first. And because of that, He has blessed us with a pretty perfect life in my opinion.

So my life has changed in a way that makes me want to tell everyone of God's goodness and faithfulness. Trust me, my life has been so much better in His hands than in my own.