Cole, Oct. 2, 2003- Oct. 7, 2013

Relaxing during a cold winter day...his favorite time of year.

Protecting his buddies while they play.

 

Our baby, only about 12 weeks old.

 

Our precious Cole passed away on October 7, 2013.  I have been trying to get myself to write this blog for months, but couldn't bring myself to do it, knowing that it would stir up all these sad feelings, but I'm trying to focus on the happy memories instead.  The day he passed away I posted this on my facebook,

"Today we lost our sweet Cole. He was the most loyal companion, guardian of our family, and had a heart of gold. He was known to many in our neighborhood as a singer, as he howled at everyone who came by...I will miss that precious sound. ... He has been with us since a week after we got married, so it feels like part of us is missing. We are all so heart broken, and walking Isaac through this has been the worst. There are no words to express how much we'll miss him." 

Every word of this still holds true, gosh I miss him.  He was with us for 10 years, he slept by our beside for a good majority of those days (until he tore his ACL in 2012 and couldn't safely walk the stairs any more).  Cole was our protector, he stood guard when a stranger came to the door, and many grown men were afraid of him...even though he never hurt a single person.  He always stayed with us while outside, especially near the kids.  Where ever the kids went in the yard, Cole went, too.  Even though there were times they drove him crazy, he loved them so much, and was sure to watch out for them.  This began the day we brought Isaac home from the hospital.  Any time Isaac cried Cole had to check on him, and during the middle of the night feedings I always had Cole by my side...this was the case for all three kids.  He was the most loyal and loving dog anyone could ask for.  Sometimes he'd howl and bark while the kids were napping, and I'd get so mad, sometimes he'd paw at my leg to get my attention and it hurt so bad, and anytime it thundered or there were fireworks Cole would pace and pant and break open the stair gate to climb those stairs he shouldn't climb.  Oh those things drove me nuts sometimes, but now I miss all of those so much!  I can't help but think of Cole during every storm and every firework, and out of habit I still look down to pet and love on him, but he's not here.  Cole was the smartest dog I've ever met, a friend once commented that Cole was smart enough to drive, that boy was loved by many.  He had an adorable head tilt as he listened to us talking to him and he tried to understand what we were saying, oh I loved that.  Cole's favorite things were going for a walk, riding in the truck with Carl, hunting squirrels, and being pet as much as possible.  Cole was my first baby, my first dog, and taught me so much about love and loyalty.  I'm thankful for every day we had with him, I am thankful that the boys will remember him, and even though his sudden passing was so hard, I'm thankful his last days were happy and he didn't suffer.

 

His passing was hard on us all, but Isaac struggled with it most of all.  This happened on October 10, 2013...
"This evening while I was getting the kids to bed I asked the kids to settle down, so we could pray. Isaac immediately asked me to pray for Cole, which he has requested all week. So I responded, "Of course." Then he looked at me so sadly and said, "No mama, please ask God to give Cole back." It took everything in me to keep it together...I wish I could make that happen for my sweet boy...he misses his buddy so much."

 

Winter fun!

This winter has been COLD!  Okay, I know winter is supposed to be cold, but it's been colder longer than usual and it's been much colder!  The past two weeks gave us a some winter fun, first an ice day and then the next week a SNOW day!  Brrrr, it was cold, so we didn't get to play outside too long, but we couldn't sit inside during these fun times.

 

 

The race car was stuck in the ice on the patio table.  The boys thought this was so cool!

 

The slide was covered in ice...had the kids been a little older I probably would have let them slide down it.  :)

 

Hannah and I all bundled up for this icy day!

 

Buddies!

 

Later in the day the ice melted and the roads were clear, so we headed over to a near by friend's house to play.  It was so fun, as it's a friend Isaac doesn't get to see often any more.  The kids all had a blast playing with sweet friends, and I enjoyed catching up with my friend!

 

 

On January 28, we had a snow day!  It started out as just sleet, but in our world of south Texas that is pretty fun.  So we bundled up and headed out.

 

After being out there a few minutes the sleet started to change into snow!  The kids and I were so excited!  It quickly began collecting on the table, chairs, slide, and trampoline!

 

My gang!

 

Their first ever snow man!!!  Can you see it on the table behind them?  We had to use the snow from the table to make it.  I had to teach them how to make a snow man, they did not know to make three separate balls and then stack them.  It was fun!

 

Isaac was the most excited about our snow man.

 

 

The trampoline ended up being where the real fun was...it had a good layer of snow on it, so the boys were on cloud 9!

 

Snow angels!!!

 

Jumping in the snow, look at those smiles!!!  They also had a snow ball fight, which ended quickly when Isaac hit Luke in the face.  Ouch!  Luke was not happy, but after a minute or two of crying, and me getting all the icy snow off of him and out of his jacket, he was all ready to go again.

 

I'm so thankful the memories we made on these special days off.  The kids enjoyed snow for the first time, and we had some lazy time in the house.  We made crafts, read books, drank hot chocolate, and played a lot!  I'm grateful for these days with my kids, as they are growing way too fast!

 

Picture Update

So many fun things happen around here on a daily basis, things I want to remember.  I capture so many of these precious moments on my phone, so here are a few of my favorite from the last few weeks.

 

 

Hannah praying before going to bed...this night we had just finished praying for Gumby.

Isaac had to have footie pjs, and the first night he wore them I had to capture a picture of all three in their footie pjs.  Hee hee, they're so cute!

 

 

This has been a cold winter, and the bus stop is a very cold place!  This was us one morning before he headed off to school...love him!

 

 

Celebrating with donuts after his first basketball game!

 

Girly girl to the max!  She found all of these fun treasures in a box in the garage, a neighbor had given them to us, but I had not yet gone through it...she was in heaven!

 

 

One of my favorite things about being a stay at home mom during this season of our lives is that I can go eat lunch with my kindergarten boy...Hannah loves it, too!

 

These two, my little ones, are sweet buddies!  Luke is really maturing, he pushes her in her swing, and they play really well together.  Of course they have their fights, pretty loud ones, but they also play so well and really enjoy each other.  One of their favorite activities is jumping on the trampoline together (Luke enjoys making her fall and tumble.).

 

Tiny besties!  Hannah and Brooke are the best of friends, I love watching their friendship blossom as they begin talking and playing together.  This was at the park the other day, they are so sweet together!

 

During our park playdate with Brooke, Hannah learned to slide "by self!"  She now does it at home, and boy does she fly on this slide!

 

Hannah wants to do EVERYTHING her brothers do, including wearing Isaac's basketball shoes and practicing her basketball skills.  Although she calls it soccer, not basketball.

 

 

This past weekend the boys got a new bed...a bunk bed!  It's actually a mid height loft bed, and we just put Luke's mattress underneath on the floor.  They LOVE it!

 

Tuesdays are a busy day for us, we head down south to play with Oma and Opa, then head over to Luke's gymnastics class, and then race back up north to pick up Isaac from school.  Hannah almost always falls asleep in the car on the way to get Isaac, but today Luke did, too!  This is extremely unusual, and worried me a little, but he seemed okay afterwards.  I enjoyed a few minutes of quiet while waiting in carline.

A New Challenge

Isaac has taken on a new challenge, I mean sport, basketball.  His skill have improved tremendously in the first few weeks already, but after two games he still has a lot to learn about the game.  Basketball is a tough game, so many rules and things to remember, plus just getting the ball in the hoop (which is nearly impossible when you're five and not very aggressive).  Overall he's having a great time, making new friends, and learning a new game.  I'm so proud of him, he gets so nervous on game day, but he pushes through and gives it his all!  I'm excited to see what the rest of the season holds!

First Semester Update

Tonight marks the night before the first day of Isaac's second semester of school.  So I feel like I need to write a little about the first semester.  It flew by, I mean really how is it already January?  He had a fantastic first semester!  He did really well, adjusted so quickly, and really seemed to enjoy it!  He bonded so quickly with his teacher, which made such a difference for both of us.  She is amazing...loving, kind, compassionate, but firm and has appropriate expectations for each student.  She is everything I had prayed for in Isaac's teacher.  She sees his heart and understands his needs; she makes me feel like he is safe and well loved while away from me.  I learned something about Isaac through his teacher.  She pointed out that he is a perfectionist, he doesn't want to do something that he knows he might not be able to do right.  I hadn't noticed that too much with him, but once she mentioned it and I thought about it, I could really see it.  I don't think that's necessarily a good or a bad thing, but I've been trying to teach him that it is okay to make mistakes. 

Isaac was a bit nervous at the beginning of the year, but that faded so quickly as he got into the routine.  He is a social boy, loves to be surrounded by others, and is so interested in learning new things.  He has really enjoyed his music class, he comes home singing new songs all the time.  He has really grasped reading and seems to be reading better each day.  He has always had an interest in numbers, and this is something his teacher quickly picked up on...she says he has great number sense.  He seems to like PE a lot, they've learned a variety of sports.  Art is definitely not his favorite, but he does enjoy when they get to paint.  He has had some struggles with kids bothering/picking on him a little.  I don't think they are being mean, just playing with him, but it bothers him and he is too kind/shy to say anything.  After me telling him how to handle it over and over, his teacher had a talk with him, and he seemed to grasp it.  The next time it happened and the child didn't stop after Isaac asking him to, he told the teacher, and the teacher moved the child.  I think once he saw that the teacher would help he felt much better and realized it was okay to ask for help.  He absolutely LOVES to ride the bus, he gets very upset with me when I take him to school in the mornings (which I've only done twice).  Isaac tells us a lot about the other kids, not just how they act, but about who they really are.  He seems to be very interested in people, why they are the way they are, and how they feel.  One day toward the end of the semester I sent him with a new pack of markers for himself, and one to give to his teacher to give to a student that needed them.  I e-mailed his teacher that afternoon to let her know that I sent them.  She said that Isaac had already given them to a classmate that did not have any markers.  This student was new to his class, didn't sit at his table, but he noticed that she didn't have them and so sweetly gave them to her.  My heart filled with joy when I heard this, as teaching him to love and care for others is so important to us. 

Isaac has grown so much this semester; he learned how to be independent and I think learned more about himself.  We are so proud of him, this was a huge step for him, and he has done so well!  I cannot wait to see what this second semester has in store for him!

Christmas 2013

The month of December has continued to be, different, but we still had a great Christmas.  We spent a lot of time leading up to Christmas talking about why we celebrate Christmas, trying to be sure that our hearts were focused on Christ.  One thing we did was read through their Storybook Bible, we read from the beginning of creation all the way through the birth of Christ.  They boys love reading their bibles, and are remembering so much of the things they've learned.  I tried to read only one story a day, but they always wanted to keep going...I'm thankful the Lord has started to stir their hearts and minds to learn more.

We did talk more about Santa this year as well, since the boys are starting to understand that more and of course hear about it from friends.  It was fun to see their excitement build as they believe in the magic of Christmas.  Of course, being the curious and logical boys that they are, they did have a lot of questions, especially Isaac...and some of those questions were tough.

 

Christmas Eve was a quiet day around here, as Hannah was struggling with her RSV.  We had plans to celebrate Christmas at Emmy and Gumby's house that evening, but since Hannah was sick we knew she could not go.  So Hannah and I stayed home, but the guys all headed over there for dinner and fun.  The boys were so excited to start the Christmas celebrations!!!  Unfortunately, Gumby was not feeling well either, so it was definitely a more mellow celebration than normal, but the time with family is cherished.  Hannah had a rough evening, her fever went up and she was very congested, so I gave her a bath, medicine, and lots of love.

 

 

The boys were worn out after the party, but I managed to snap a quick picture before they went to bed.

 

Christmas morning the boys slept in, until 7:15...ha!  I did manage to keep them in their room until 8:00, so Carl and I could get ready, start breakfast, etc.  Once they got up they were full of joy and excitement!  Hannah did sleep in, until almost 9:00 (which is unheard of), so the poor boys had to be very patient!  They were really good though, and thankfully we had new toys from Emmy and Gumby to play with while we waited.  This picture is them with their marble tower, Luke has been wanting this for months after playing with it at a friend's house.  They couldn't wait to get it set up! They played with this for quite some time while waiting for their little sis.

 

Hannah finally made it up!  The boys couldn't wait one more second, so they immediately started with their stockings.

 

Even Tex had a present in his stocking...he was more excited than he appears to be here.  Ha!

 

It was a wonderful morning with our family, the kids enjoyed everything about it, and so did I!  I love seeing their joy as they tear into a present and find something they love! 

We spent the day hanging out and playing with all their new things.  Hannah was still not 100%, but was not running a fever, so that was a blessing!  She took a long nap in the afternoon, and once she woke up we headed to Oma and Opa's house to celebrate with everyone!  Unfortunately I did not take any pictures there, I'm not really sure why not, but it was a fabulous evening with family.  The kids were given some great gifts, all of which they love, and they had a blast playing with their cousins.  I'm so thankful for the time they get to spend with their cousins (on both sides), it's a blessing to see them grow up together.

 

As far as the kids, it was a fantastic Christmas, one I will not soon forget!  There's something so special about experiencing Christmas with little ones.  As I mentioned early, Tom was not doing well on Christmas Eve, so on Christmas Day Aaron took him to Dallas to be evaluated at the hospital.  They admitted him into ICU, which is where he still is today.  It's so hard to be so far away, but he is constantly in our thoughts and prayers.  So although it was not a typical Christmas, and our hearts are heavy, we are thankful for so much...and we know that God is still King, and none of this surprises Him.  We are keeping our eyes on Him, and praying for His strength to carry us through these rough days.

NOT a normal December

This month of December has been an unusual one for us.  It's been full of flu, RSV, lots of coughing, and lots of snotty noses.  It all started just before Thanksgiving when Hannah had a cough, that brought us to the pediatricians office.  It was nothing to worry about, so a little cough medicine was all she needed.  Then the fun began on Thanksgiving when I got sick with what seemed like the flu (probably picked up from the pediatricians office), but I tested negative...I was sick for a few days.  After I got well Carl started to feel bad, but fought it off well...although he was not 100% for about a week.  Once we cleared we thought it was all fine, until Luke started to run a fever.  After a day of that I took him to the doctor, and it was confirmed as flu.  Ugh, not what we wanted.  Thankfully, Tamiflu is amazing medicine, and he was fever free the next day!  It took him a few days to get his energy and stamina back to normal, but overall it was manageable.  The week before Christmas Luke's gymnastics class had a special Christmas day, and he was all alone!  So he had the run of the gym, and he loved every minute of it!

 

 

Luke was well for about a week, and we thought it was all done, so we were able to have a little fun.  We headed to a Christmas Nativity at a friend's church, which was just what we all needed to get our hearts and minds focused on Christ and His birth.

 

That next week, the week before Christmas, Isaac started to complain of a head ache.  He was acting normal, but I started to worry.  The next day he woke up with a fever, and I just knew it was his turn.  As the day wore on his fever and mood got worse, so I took him to the doctor...flu.  No!  Another trip to the pharmacy, another Tamiflu prescription filled and we were on our way.  Again, that stuff is amazing, and Isaac bounced back quickly.  He missed two days of school, but was well enough to go back for the Polar Express pajama day.  His teacher is amazing  and promised to text me if he seemed to not be doing well, so I felt okay sending him.  He told me she asked him a hundred times if he was okay, he was annoyed, but I was so grateful!  What a blessing to have a teacher that truly cares about my boy!

Later that week Luke started coughing a ton and his congestion got worse, then a fever started.  My only thought was, this cannot be happening!  Thankfully, the fever stayed low, and we were able to manage his symptoms at home with some Mucinex.  Unfortunately, we were not able to keep it from spreading...

 

This is Luke's Christmas program at school...he did awesome!!!  Luke sang and did the motions for every song, I was so impressed!  It was a sweet time for us during what had already been a tough month.

 

Me and Luke after his program...love him!!!

 

Since we had weeks of sickness we spent a lot of time at home, and the boys have started to play a lot of trains again!  They worked together to set up tracks, played really well together, in between fights.  ;-)

 

Isaac was well enough to enjoy the last part of the week at school, and it ended with a Christmas party.  Carl was able to keep Hannah for me, so I could go enjoy the time with my big guy.  They had a pizza lunch, decorated a cookie, and made some crafts.  It was a great time!

 

The Sunday before Christmas we celebrated Opa's birthday!  Thankfully we were all well enough to attend, and it was a great day!  These kids LOVE their Opa to the moon and back!

 

Now as I said, Luke's mild sickness that struck before Christmas was not kept to just him...Hannah started coughing and getting congested on Sunday.  By Monday night she was running a fever and not doing well.  Thank goodness her doctor was open on Christmas Eve, so back to the doctor I went.  They did a flu and RSV test, and determined it was RSV.  Ugh!  What luck!  So Hannah and I had a low key Christmas Eve, doing what we could to keep her happy and feeling okay.

 

Like I said, this was not a normal December...we did not get to do many of the Christmas activities we normally enjoy, but we did get a lot of family time, and a great reminder of what really matters.  I'm praying that the new year will bring with it good health and many fun times!