Tales of August

It seems as if the whole summer has been a whirl wind, but August has really flown by. We have been super busy with Dr. Appointments, play dates, preparing for school, and all the exciting construction going on at church. This post is about a few of our activities thus far in August.

Aby wanted to have some friends over for a play date. So, we invited about 4 girls over. They started out with a tea party.

Then moved onto makeup. I was actually impressed with the application of each girls makeup.

Then they moved on to dress up and a fashion show. They each had a song and dance they performed. These girls are so sweet.

We have another sweet friend whose mom knows how to put feathers in hair. We've been trying to get with her for most of the summer in order to get our feathers. It finally worked out a few weeks ago. All three of us had some put in, but Mac was asleep when I took this picture.

Chris has been working some looooooong hours these past few weeks. And because of his hard work the new addition to our church is looking amazing. We did manage to squeeze in a date night this past Saturday night. It was MUCH needed, and I really enjoyed just hanging out with him and having him all to myself (also wondering if it's the last true date night we'll have before Caedy is born). We started off the evening by going and buying him a new wedding ring. In July he somehow got poison ivy between his ring finger and middle finger. So, I told him to take his ring off, which he did, and he put it in his pocket. That was the last time we saw his wedding ring. So, the poison ivy finally healed and we went shopping. He picked out a completely different style then the original. His original compliments my ring well. It was platinum with a row of diamonds. This one is bulky and beefier looking and made out of Tungsten. He can basically beat it up and nothing will happen to it. It's a very cool ring, and while I am a tad sad about the original being lost, this new one is very Chris as well. We then went to eat dinner at a local Italian restaurant. It was wonderful to be able to complete a thought and just focus on what was going on between Chris and I. With how busy Chris has been it was more like a catch up conversation. But I enjoyed every minute of it. After supper we went to the Yogo Bowl for frozen yogurt, then off to see Planet of the Apes. I wasn't sure if I'd like this movie, but I Loved it. They made me fall in LOVE with the monkeys. I definitely recommend it. I also am very thankful for Chris' parents. They came down and took the girls to the park and then to supper and got the girls all ready for bed for us. Our girls are so lucky to have 4 grandparents who cherish them and love spending time with them.

Tonight Aby had the opportunity to go to a sleepover with the same girls from above. So, I had Miss Mac all to myself. It was definitely a fun night. She wanted to watch a Tinkerbell movie and eat popcorn. So, we did that and I happen to look out the window and noticed it was raining. We both got really excited and went to the front porch to watch it. It rained and thundered for maybe 10-15 minutes, but it was very nice to sit and enjoy. Mac got out the umbrella and played in the rain. When it stopped and Mac was all cold and wet, we came inside to finish the movie. I definitely enjoyed my night with McKinley. And it also made me think about the fact that I'm not going to have many, if any, more nights where I get to hang out with just her. Aby will have lots more opportunities to spend the night places while pretty soon we will always have another sweet little girl hanging around too.

It's been a wonderful summer. It's hard to believe that this coming week we'll be going to Meet the Teacher Night for 1st grade, starting weekly dr. appointments, and anticipating the opening of the new children's rooms at church and using the brand new stage. I'm sure the next few posts will be mostly about the beginning of school and the birth of our third child, but for now I want to relish and take in every last moment of summer.

A Little bitterSweetness

This time 2 years ago was extremely stressful for our family. There was so much uncertainty around us. It all started with Chris' mom going into the hospital for a surgery, and ending up in the ICU. This was not supposed to happen. She was in the hospital for some time in Bryan. Chris and his sisters were traveling back and forth from Temple/Georgetown at least every other day. My Father-in-Law, Don was pretty much living in Bryan. I was pregnant with McKinley and of course was already dilated (still had more than a month left), therefore could not accompany them. I was relying on Chris and everyone else to give me updates on Jackie's condition. It was slow going for awhile. Chris was coming home from work one day and was going to be heading to Bryan, when he called to tell me that we needed to grab some clothes for me and Aby and that we were going to Temple. I was a tad confused, but jumped up to do so. As I was standing in the bathroom getting some things together my water broke. Only I didn't know it did. All I remember doing is freezing, then hearing Aby say, "Mommy!!! Did you pee on yourself?" =) I of course said "NO!!" I know you are wondering how I didn't know my water broke. My water had to be broken by a doctor when I had Aby. So, this was new territory for me. Anyway, I had a doctors appointment then next day, so I decided that I would wait to talk with her about it. Then Chris busted through the door and told me that his Grandfather passed away. I was in shock. He was pretty much hysterical. We both finally calmed down and made a plan. We would go to Temple to see Mamaw Dell, then I would stay with my parents while he went to Bryan to see his mom and to relieve his dad. I can remember standing there in Mamaw's living room giving her a hug, and she told me that now it was time for some good news, so I could have McKinley. I of course laughed and said not yet!!
The next morning I got up and got ready for my Dr. appointment. I remember getting ready to put my shoes on and bending down to pick them up. I knew something wasn't right. I could BEND OVER!!! I was a little alarmed at this point. I couldn't get to the doctor fast enough. Of course my doctor was in a delivery, so I had to wait. I ended up seeing a nurse who did some litmus test to check to see if my water had indeed broken. She told me to stay calm, and then I saw her face. She immediately told me to get on the phone to Chris and tell him that he needed to come home. 5 hours later I was holding our beautiful McKinley Rhaye. I was 36 weeks. I had held on to this pregnancy for two extra weeks. I considered that victory =) McKinley was perfect and was deemed perfectly healthy from the NICU team.
We were in emotional overload. We were grieving and in a state of sheer joy, amazement, and shock at the same time. I had a hard time feeling joyful, because I felt that I was betraying the mourning process. And it was hard because I really wanted Jackie to be there when McKinley was born. While we were in the hospital McKinley had a hard time keeping her temperature high enough on her own. I constantly had her swaddled in 2 blankets and had to use the technique kangaroo care often. We ended up being discharged, only to wind up going back to have her admitted into the NICU. She went in for jaundice and ended up in an incubator. We were devastated. It took Aby forever to get out of the incubator. So, I was nervous we were going to have a long stint in the NICU. Praise God she was only in for three or four days. This time around it was less serious, BUT was more difficult running to the hospital every 3 hours while having a toddler at home that I had to spend time with too. Thank goodness for my sister-in-law Andrea. Aby really buddied up with her and she took Abigayle under her wing for several days. McKinley and Jackie came home on the same day. By that time Jackie had been caught up on what had gone on around her while she was in ICU.
Here we are 2 years later. Still mourning our beloved Papa Don, and still rejoicing for a full recovery of Jackie, and still celebrating a life greatly anticipated. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past two years.

One proud Daddy

One overjoyed Big Sister

One tired and blessed Momma

One teeny tiny baby



One big yawn

One smiley little girl

One curious 6 month old

One "big" 12 month old

This is our sweet McKinley Rhaye. From the beginning she has been a fighter. Like her big sister, she was way too ready to come into this world and take it on. I find it amazing how anyone can fall in love with just one glance, and know that nothing that person does can EVER take that love away. It's fun to watch how alike she is to her sister, but at the same time so different. She is sweet, but fiery tough. There is almost always a smile on her face. She is our blonde, blue eyed, fair skinned princess. I am looking forward to seeing the gifts that God has bestowed upon her, and how she will use them for His glory. How she will excel, and what will be her weaknesses. I cannot wait to see this little girl grow into the young lady that God will be proud of and happy to call His own. We love you sweet Mac!! Happy 2nd Birthday