Memorial Monday 2010

Today we remember William Douglas "Doug" Richardson who served as a Staff Sgt. in the Marine Corp. Doug served two tours to Iraq, one in 2004 for 8 months, the other in 2005. He was killed on duty during his second tour to Iraq. Doug had just turned 30 when he died, he had been married for two and a half years to Catherine, one of my very best friends. Catherine is currently serving our country in Afghanistan as a marine. She is a captain in the Marine Corp and her job is an adjutant. She is on a year long tour currently.
I am so thankful to have known Doug personally through Catherine. You can read more about Doug here. I am so in awe of those who serve for the rest of us. Catherine has a daughter, Adeline, who will be two in July. Adeline is currently living with her grandparents while Catherine is deployed. Our military men and women sacrifice precious time away from their children, spouses, families and friends so we can do what we do everyday. I am at a lack of words to describe my admiration and gratitude for what they do each day for our country. They are STRONG! Thank you to all of you who have served and are currently serving in our military.

Kaden & I started off our Memorial day with a swift bike ride. Six miles of pumping 50 extra pounds for me, and a nice relaxing layed back stroll for Kaden. We got rained on for about two minutes of our hour ride, and it felt good. Then, it stopped. I had hoped it would continue to rain on our garden, but no such luck! Our garden is growing like crazy and if it continues at this rate we will be covered in fresh produce very soon. I can't wait.
I got the entryway of our house painted a color today, kicking off my list of summer to-do's. I also started painting in the laundry room but didn't get far before Kaden lost his cool with my painting! Ha! He needed my attention badly! :)
That's pretty much our exciting, relaxing, memorial day holiday.

Here's a picture of Kaden with his J.J., and cousins Chandler and Chandra at the zoo!



On our way to the zoo, we were very happy with our mini van capacity!

























My little boy definitely likes the ladies, what can I say??




Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done. Psalms 105: 4 & 5

Happy Sunday!

We just left church. Our youth group did the whole service today because our pastor is at the annual conference. It was great! I love having praise and worship music in the service, and wish we did it more at our church.

Kaden is napping. We have a big afternoon planned. We have a luncheon at J.J & Granddaddy Mabe's for our nephew Chance, who is graduating high school this next Friday. We are so proud of him. He is Valedictorian of his class and a very good young man. Then tonight we will be attending his Baccalaureate Service. Funny that I've never been to one of these. I didn't go to mine even because I had to work.

I am trying to get caught up on this blog. Kaden & I attended a first birthday party for Mason Lee about a month ago now.














Kaden and Mason had the best time in Mason's new wagon.











They were looking at the 'Quack, Quacks!'





Hope you all are having a happy Sunday!


"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." John 6:51

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:11

Two years of BABY!

Two years ago today we found out that we were going to have our first baby. It is a day I will never forget, my excitement was indescribable. Wow! I could have never imagined that day having this precious red headed little boy who is so full of life and energy. He is so funny and silly! He has changed our life forever. I can already barely remember what it was like before I had Kaden to care for. Now my life is just that, to take care of Kaden.

This little boy LOVES GRAVY!!! These pics are of him dunkin some fries in gravy! Who wouldn't love that? Ha!








Kaden had fresh strawberries ( a favorite which he could easily eat a pint a day alone) cheerios, and yogurt bites and some applesauce for breakfast. Ha also drank some orange, strawberry, banana juice! He just might turn into a strawberry! He downs 6 ozs of strawberry flavored whole milk eat morning when he wakes up. This little boy likes to eat! He is used to his J.J. cooking him breakfast each morning. She cooks him an egg, biscuits, and sometimes sausage.
I am sitting here writing this as Kaden self feeds himself his snack. It is SO nice to have a little independence! I can now eat while he eats! What a concept! (It's the small things in mommyhood that make us happy.)

This is Kaden helping Granddaddy feed...




There are a couple families of people I went to high school with that really need to be lifted in prayer. The first is Keith Williams. He is on hospice and not expected to be with us much longer. He is married and has two very small children. Keith is a strong christian and is witnessing his faith to everyone he comes in contact with. My prayers are for his sweet wife and babies, to help them through this horrible time in their lives. Please pray for their comfort during this most difficult time. The second, is Miss Sophie. She is fighting a tumor in her brain. She is bright eyed and so strong! You can read more about her here. I graduated high school with her mommy.

This is Kaden showing me his nose. "Nose," he says.


I am so thankful for my healthy baby and my healthy family. It's the little things we take most for granted, like our good health, when so many suffer.



Kaden & I are off to play in the front yard (swing, wagon, bug car) in the shade before it gets TOO hot! Which won't be long! Ya'll have a great Saturday!

This is what Daddy and Kaden are doing right now!



P.S. I love Summer! Iced Tea and swinging on the porch swing with my sweeties!


"In My father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2&3

"but lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means proceed those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18

Summer Time has arrived!

At last! I can't believe it, but my summer vacation from teaching has officially kicked off! Today was my first day at home with my little man. Wow! I still can't believe I do not have to work on Monday! I can not remember being so excited or needing a break as much as I do this year. I am so thankful to be done with my current school district I have taught in the past two years, and moving on to bigger and better things next year. God has taugt me (or better yet IS TEACHING ME) one key lesson right now. PATIENCE. Things work in HIS time, not in mine. I know he has a great plan for me, and I have to trust him with my career. I know that it will all work out, in His time, not mine. So, my job is to wait, relax, praise God through the uncertain times, and enjoy each day as it comes.
I have still been taking plenty of pictures and spending lots of time with my Kaden. I just haven't had time to blog about it. This little boy is my SUNSHINE!



Literally, he keeps me laughing and chasing him all day long, every day!



This little boy is ready for summer!






Kaden was just as tired of the school year as I am!!!



Hope all your summers are off to a good start, we'll be in touch soon!

Kaden Angus is 15 Months Old!

Our little red head turned 15 months on May 2, 2010. He is quite the center of attention in our family right now. The things that boy can do and say to make us laugh are limitless. He is ALWAYS doing something new and something cute and funny.
Kaden, you are growing so FAST! There are so many things Mommy and Daddy want to remember about you at this age. You laugh out loud and imitate anyone who is laughing, it's so cute! You blow kisses, and make the sweetest "Mauh!" sound while doing this. You tell everyone Bye, Bye when we leave somewhere, and you blow them kisses. You LOVE to play outside and get VERY angry when Mommy has to take you inside the house from playing. You love your little red bug car, your slide, your swing, and just running as fast as you can around the yard. You can say your colors, red, blue and yellow. You love bananas and ask for one EVERY TIME you see one! You like helping Mommy clean, (yay right!) but you do love the broom and vacuum cleaner. Your Aunt Vicki and Nana even bought you your own broom, vacuum, and rake. You get so tickled and just giggle anytime I use the fly swatter, so Nana bought you your own!

You also LOVE opening the drawers in the bathroom and getting out whatever treasure you can find. You like to unroll the roll of toilet paper when Mommy forgets and leaves it available to you. (Actually, mommy had picked EVERYTHING up in these pictures that she thought you could get into while she took a quick shower, obviously, I forgot the t.p.!!!! Ha!) Never a dull moment at our house.






You LOVE your cousin Chandra, you call her "Nay, Nay!" You follow her around like a puppy dog and always want her to pick you up and hug you. You and Chandra have your own secret language. You scream little sweet screams at each other, and you both sound exactly alike. You LOVE Chandra! These pics are from Chandra's Birthday party.






Speaking of Birthdays, we went to this super cute little boys first birthday a couple weeks ago...







You love your Daddy and can't ever seem to get enough time with him. Daddy sees you off in the mornings to J.J. and Granddaddy's house, and he sees you for a few minutes when we get home from work before he goes to work. You cry everyday when Daddy leaves for work, you love your Daddy and want him home with you! You go to our bed and call for Daddy because you are used to waking Daddy up for work, so when you start missing him when he is gone you go to the bedroom door and beat on it and call "Da Da!" or you go to the bed and call him! Poor little guy!

This is Kaden's pediatrician. We LOVE her, she is So good with Kaden, and says things to me like, "Thank you for sharing him with me." How sweet is that for a doctor to say? She has a son a couple months older than Kaden, but he is smaller, imagine that?



At our 15 month well visit yesterday, you weighed in at 29.1 pounds. Your weight is in the 95 percentile. Your height,32 1/2 inches , the 95 percentile, and your head, 19 1/4 inches, 90 percentile. You are the size of most two year olds already! You wear a size 5 diaper, and can still wear some of your 24 month clothes, but they are snug as a bug. Mommy just bought you some 2T and 3T's!!! Can't believe my baby is in TODDLER clothes and not baby clothes anymore! You wear a 6-7 shoe, I guess you'll have big feet like Mommy!

Your hair is So RED, and your eyes are SO BLUE! I could just look at you for hours, your eyes are beautiful! People just go on and on about your red hair and eyes everywhere we go. I think people are attracted to red headed babies! And, you are SO friendly to people. You wave and say 'Hi' to every one you meet, you also put your hand over your mouth like you are shy or flirting for a moment until they talk to you! You are a HAM!

Yesterday, while at Costco, you sampled a new yogurt drink. You LOVED it! Here's your yogurt mustache to prove it!




This last Sunday we walked all around outside at J.J. and Granddaddy's, you had the best time exploring! You love being outside! You help Granddaddy get the feed ready for the horses each day. When he pours the feed into cans, you take handfuls at a time and move it from bucket to bucket. This entertains you for quite a long time.

You like to get in and out of your toddler rocking chair, only sometimes you forget just how to get in and out. Here's some pics of your attempt to get in your rocker!










Kaden, you couldn't be any sweeter or cuter! Mommy is in love with your personality! (Except those fits you can CERTAINLY through! Ha!) You are very head strong and determined to do whatever it is you are attempting. You do not forget about anything, you remember how everything works or what it says. You are learning so fast. Just last night you started saying, "Angus!" It is SO cute!!!

You watch Harry the Bunny and Shushybye Baby each night before bed, and Mommy or Daddy reads a story to you and we rock still every night. You sleep in your bed most of the time, or at least start out in your bed, but sometimes you end up with Mommy & Daddy. I think you love your MaMa too! Because you sure do call for me a lot! "Ma Ma, Ma Ma!" I hear this all the time, and I say, "Kaden! Kaden!" You smile!

Kaden, these first 15 months have been increadible! Your Daddy & I have been forever changed by your little life. We love you so much buddy!!!