photo darling-header_zpswtwkdcas.png
 photo home_zpshvywoptq.png  photo about_zpsydmjl24b.png  photo faqs_zpsuv8jjpbe.png  photo videos_zps0mddtpry.png  photo sledhockey_zpsli4gq33r.png

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Welcome Baby E!!

Hello!

Just taking a few seconds to get on here and post to let all of you know that we have a healthy baby boy with us now!! 


Welcome Easton James!
10.31.16
Eeeeeek! 
8 pounds 2 ounces
21 3/4" 


We're beyond in love.
We're so incredibly happy.
Thrilled.
Exhausted.

He's already almost 5.5 weeks! 

CRAZY! 

I definitely have more to post and will post...soonish. 

Babies take over life. 

Just saying. 

To help you feel a little more a part of it all-ya know, birth. ha. Here is a video that our photographer put together. I love it. I love some of the moments she captured that maybe you won't even get but I love so much that she included them. 

I also love that she took actual video and included it! That was a surprise to me...and I love it so so so much. 

Now you can enjoy :)


I have a zillion pictures to share as well as emotions and updates...all for another day! 



Monday, October 24, 2016

Thank you for praying!!!

Thank you SO much for your prayers for Cale's foot. 

This weekend was hard. 

Haaaaaard. 

Especially last night.

BUT...

Today we went to the orthopedic appointment. I was praying for some kind of good plan...a plan that would work for Cale. A plan that would work with him forgetting he couldn't walk on it. A plan that would work to make life a little easier than it has been...

We went. 

The doc checked it out and said we were in luck. The break is in the perfect spot for healing. He said that Cale will need to take it easy and not overuse it BUT he could wear his normal shoes and walk as long as its not hurting. It'll take time to heal but should heal perfectly. 

WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!

Are you kidding me???

No cast. 
No splint.
No special boot.

WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!

We were both so happy. 

I was so happy I almost started crying in the office. 

This was the BEST news. 


Our HAPPY faces!!! :)





Friday, October 21, 2016

As We Wait...

We're here. 
Here waiting for this little babe.

We've been enjoying our time with just one. 
One little girl who is the life of the party-always.  

It's crazy to even try to imagine what he will be like. 
It's too crazy to think and dream up and idea of what life is about to be like with a number two-ha. 




I was able to spend a day out with this sweet friend! 





Our town had a special evening with EMT's, police officers, and firemen. Nora had a blast! 



We went and stood in line very early in the morning for a Luke's experience from Gilmore Girls. Cale was even willing to brave the madness! Ha. 


This was Nora after her Luke's experience! 


Since about February-ish Cale has been getting dizzy and having really bad headaches. We've worked through some different possibilities...still no answers. Please be praying for him when you think of it. It's just an added frustration for him.
We do know now it is not caused by something in his brain dramatically changing. We're so thankful for this but we still need to figure out why!



Nora is LOVING preschool. LOVES it. 


This little guys was in our yard one morning. Fun for us to find!



Hurricane Matthew came and went. He flooded our yard and tore down part of one of our trees. We know there was a lot more damage caused all over and still think about how many people are picking up the pieces...


She played so sweetly. I took a little video that I could have taken the time to load but didn't. She sang the its bitsy spider as her fingers gently touched the keys and towards the end even messed up and she had to stop and play again to fix it. So cute. so so so cute. 


When your name is Nora...



We're ready for the little guy! He's sharing a room with his big sis. We'll see how that goes...!



We love our friends!! 


Nora's first field trip! We crossed the street and went to the little pumpkin patch! 




We also went to the State Fair! I couldn't get on a single ride so E and I just hung out together :)


I did however eat a deep fried Milky Way. I. am. NOT. sorry.





We also went to the big pumpkin patch. There was pony riding, bounce house jumping, slide riding and the entire time we were there, we didn't look at the pumpkins. Ha! 


She's just growing. Growing. Growing. Growing.



I had a sweet picnic with my growing girl. Everything was calm. We were ladies.

...and then Nora happened.



This is complimentary mouth wash in the women's bathroom at the theater. Is it to rinse off the sugar after the movie? Or is it to prepare for a make out session during? I just don't know. 


We went on one last date together before E arrives! We went to see the movie Storks! It was fun to watch it and we both agreed having a stork deliver us a baby to our door would be a lot easier and less messy. 


Nora is loving ballet! 


Sweet family puzzle time. Everything was calm. We were happy.


....and then Nora happened. 

That's a pretty good run down of our life in October. I had hoped to get one more post in before introducing our newest member of the family to you! I'm 39 weeks today-YIKES. He could come at any time. Literally. 

Last Wednesday Cale fell again. This time it was in our garage. He was trying to be helpful again. Goodness I love his heart. 

This time he hurt his foot. I didn't think it was that bad. I really didn't. Saturday night I noticed it was swollen and bruised but he had still been walking on it. Monday I was going to get him in but he said he thought it was getting better. Well...

Finally after it being a full week and it was STILL swollen, painful and bruised, I took him in and we found out it's broken. Apparently its a pretty bad break...

He's not able to walk with crutches because he can't balance with them. At this point they have a boot on him but repeatedly told us that he absolutely can't put weight on it. 

Cale forgets. 

We're currently using his old walker which he props his knee on and then does a hop scoot kind of thing. 

Wednesday night after Mama and I managed to get him upstairs, I cried to her. I was feeling so overwhelmed because listen guys, I'm already exhausted! 

I did wake up Thursday morning with several people covering us in prayer and felt like we could actually tackle this. 

The timing seems horrible but I reminded myself that God is not surprised. He knows. He sees us. He loves us. 

Cale has an orthopedic appointment Monday and hopefully we can get a solid plan to help him heal. 

Will you be praying for us about this as well?

Thanks friends. 


Alrighty, I'm off. Hoping the NEXT post is a picture of this tiny little boy that I already love. 

....EEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!


Sunday, October 16, 2016

we need YOUR HELP!!!!

Hello!!!

Many of you have asked over the last few years what you can help with. You've expressed wanting to be a part of Cale's life and haven't quite been sure how to help, whether that was somehow financially or physically in his life. 

Other than saying he just wants friends to hang out with him, I haven't known what else to share...until today!

Remember me talking about Cale doing sled hockey?!




We have prayed and prayed over the last several years for something that Cale could invest himself into that would help give him more purpose, something that he would enjoy and something that would give him goals to work towards. 

Last August I found out about sled hockey here and although it was a crazy idea, we moved across the country to pursue this for Cale knowing that he could try being on the team and hate it. 

Guess what?!

Cale looooooooooves it. 

Not only does he love it, he also loves getting to meet the other guys on the team, he loves the idea of getting better and hopefully getting to the point he can be on the advance team and he really REALLY loved having his daughter come cheer him on saying, "good job Daddy!" 

We are so so so thankful for this opportunity for him. I can't even describe how thankful! This is a huge blessing in our lives and such an exciting part of Cale's life. 

With all that said, this program is funded by donations. The donations they receive cover the cost of the ice time, travel for the advance team, gear and other random needs. None of the workers get paid-they all come every Saturday morning and give of their time so these men and women can play hockey the only way possible! 

There's a fundraiser taking place November 4 if you're local and would like a fun night out. There will be a silent auction and other enjoyable happenings going on. 

Tickets for Casino Night are $75 and include:
Drink tickets
1,000 gaming chips to use in the "Vegas style" casino
and opportunities to bid on silent auction items and raffle tickets
There will be plenty of great food, music and drinks provided by Big Boss Brewing


If you're not local or have no desire for attending casino night, would you consider clicking on the link above and "purchase" tickets or select an amount to donate OR by clicking the link below, scrolling to the bottom and clicking donate to the program??


Thank you in advance! I know many of you will be able to donate and I know some of you wished you were able...either way, you're reading this post which means you're still on this journey with us and we're thankful for you! 

Also, feel free to email me with any additional questions! :)

darlingkathleen@ymail.com


aaaaaaaand, feel free to pass along and share the need with friends and family!! 

Monday, October 3, 2016

A belly...and love...and beautiful gifts.

I hate brain injury. 
I hate what it has stolen from us. 
I hate how it makes itself known daily. 
I hate that we fight against it consuming us constantly. 
I hate what it's done to our marriage.
I hate the way it has changed our life. 
BUT
I love Jesus.
I love all the sweet sweet gifts He's given us. 
I love that He makes himself known daily.
I love the true joy that comes when He consumes us. 
I love how He gives us the ability to love in our marriage. 
I love that He is changing our life to be more like Him. 

There is beauty in our life that would  not be if we didn't have Jesus. We have two little ones that are the sweetest of gifts and we are so thankful! 
























































“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” -C.S. Lewis

Marriage happened for us. For two young kids, love came. We had no idea what we were doing. We had no idea what being married and reflecting Christ in our marriage actually meant but we knew we wanted it. We wanted the whole package. 

We adventured in the military. We prayed often together and a part that God would use us. He brought lonely wives into my life that I was able to open up my home and heart to and be Jesus to them. He gave Cale many opportunities to be an example of what a godly man looked like. 

We dove into life ready. 

We were ready for whatever God had in store. We felt as if we had everything ready to make it through whatever battles came because we had God. We had each other. 

There were a lot of hard moments that caused growth in us that we didn't desire. Looking back, it was preparing us for a storm that would come in so quick there would be no time to take cover. 


A storm so big it would rock us to our cores.

Cale and I have been reflecting a lot lately in our bedtime discussions about how crazy it is that we're about to welcome another little baby into this world. 

Are we sure we can do this?

Is God sure we can do this?

Can we be the very best mommy and daddy to this little boy?

How did we get here?

How did we make it to this place?

We are not out of the hard stuff. We never will be. Often this is one of the biggest pains I experience. There is no "other side." There is no grieving and then moving on. We wake up everyday and there is brain injury in our life. It will always be in our life. 

At times, I feel like I could be better used by God if there was a way to be out of the storm. Like, if we were in the "rebuilding" stage. I feel like it would make more sense for us to have babies and our growing family if we were on the other side of all the hard junk we walk through. Ya know?

But that's not what God has planned for us. And as time goes on, the more I'm ok with that. 

When I pause and look at the gifts He's given. The way that He is so faithful even when I fail Him over and over and over again- I know that He makes it all beautiful. 

Maybe not to everyone. I know that. I know many people look at our life and think we're bonkers (the secret is that we are!) but I know God sees so much beauty...and so do I. 

My sweet Nora is starting to really learn the very simple and basic truths of Jesus. She prays in the car  while we drive down the road, thanking God for everything and anything. She names whatever she sees. Shouldn't we all be like that?! 

Through loving Cale, even through all of the pain my heart has experienced and many days still feels as though all of it is so raw; I experience Jesus. 

Through every day that Cale battles for life. A life of somewhat normalcy; He is met by Jesus. 

One day, we'll walk on the other side and have victory. We know this. Most of the time its a distant truth...but it's a promise we wait for. And until then, we want to live every day seeing and being oh so aware of the beauty He's flooded our life with. 

There is so so so much beauty. 

-------


We are SO thankful for someone who really has become a friend and not just a lady that has taken our pictures. Ann has been AMAZING and worked so well with my crazy family in getting these beautiful shots. I have NO clue how she was able to capture us while we were drenched with sweat, Nora was chewing candy and Cale's eyes were bothering him...but she did and you can't tell that any of the messy parts happened! 

She'll be taking pictures at E's birth and I know she'll do an incredible job with that as well! 

If you're local and need someone who is INCREDIBLE snag her up soon! She's also growing with a sweet baby and will be on maternity leave before too long! 





Blogging tips