A, B, C, D,......K

A few words and pictures

2009-09-05T11:05:00.002-05:00

Austin on his first day of Kindergarten. This was finally a good smile. I had tried all morning to get him to smile at the camera, as you'll see from the other photos!
Derek's in 3rd grade and ready to go! Austin....not so much!

Why is it so hard to smile?

Brylee got her bangs cut by Mrs. Debbie. She was such a big girl! She LOVED the pink camo cape!

Don't pass out!!!

2009-08-29T11:02:00.002-05:00

I know, I know.....you thought I was dead. But no, I'm still alive a kickin', just not bloggin' ;) Quick update: I am now teaching full time at Northwest 2nd grade. Love it...I have a great class! Derek is in 3rd grade, Austin started K, and Brylee is being kept by aunt Julie! We are doing great! I really check facebook all the time when I get on the computer and the blog has taken a back burner. Not promising more frequent updates to this blog but I was just hanging out on the computer on this lovely Saturday and thought I do a quick post! :)

From the mouth of Austin

2009-03-02T14:21:00.002-06:00

Sara posted this with answers from her daughter, so I thought I would to it with Austin. He did pretty good but was wearing down toward the last few questions! :)

1.What is something mom always says to you? is it room time yet?
2. What makes mom happy? for me to clean my room
3. What makes mom sad? when I do bad things
4. How does your mom make you laugh? do silly things
5. What was your mom like as a child? I'm not sure cause I didn't know you!
6. How old is your mom?33
7. How tall is your mom?33
8. What is her favorite thing to do? going on a trip
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? play with Brylee
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? having a bunch of money (ha ha!!)
11. What is your mom really good at? typing
12. What is your mom not very good at? drawing a car
13. What does your mom do for a job? work at the church
14.What is your mom's favorite food? broccoli and salad (this memory must come from my skinny year)
15.What makes you proud of your mom?cause you do good things
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?Elmo
17. What do you and your mom do together?go to Wal-Mart
18. How are you and your mom the same?we have the same hands
19. How are you and your mom different?you have glasses and I don't
20. How do you know your mom loves you?oh that's easy....cause you hug me
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?having him in our family
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?Wal-Mart (I think I must go there too much...I know I go there too much!)

Update on Maddie

2009-02-19T22:58:00.002-06:00

Julie and I went to LR today to see Maddie and family. We stayed at the hospital for around 4 hours just talking, laughing, cuddling Maddie, and a few little tears. Maddie has been diagnosed with RSV. The mucus is so thick it just chokes her up and she throws up all of her feedings. They placed a feeding tube down into her intestines, bypassing her stomach, last night. She was "unplugged" from the feeding tube for a real bottle at 11 a.m. this morning and she kept that bottle down. When 2 o'clock rolled around, I was lucky enough to be holding her, so I got to feed her the 2 oz. She sucked that bottle down quick as lightening! We were all thinking positively when she had kept that bottle down for 45 minutes, when she started coughing and up came the milk and mucus! UGH! So, the nurse came in to hook the feeding tube up again for nourishment. Please pray that these feedings, whether through the tube or bottle, will stay in her system. She is almost back to birth weight!!! Pray for Misti and Michael. As you might imagine, Misti isn't getting the rest she needs. Thank you for lifting them up to our heavenly Father. He is the Great Physician!

Please pray for Maddie

2009-02-18T08:24:00.003-06:00

I talked to my mom yesterday and she told me that my cousin Misti's baby had been in the hospital since the weekend. After a few days baby Maddie was still not able to keep anything down and was not gaining any weight even with an IV, so yesterday Angel 1 from Children's Hospital flew to Jonesboro and picked her up. Please pray that the doctors and nurses will know just what to do to figure out what is wrong. Pray for Misti and Michael. They also have a son, Jacob who probably doesn't understand what's going on. Michael is the youth/family minister at Valley View church of Christ. They have a great support system and lots of prayer being offered up on their behalf. Will you join me in praying for them too. Thank You. This is Misti and Maddie on Christmas Day.

How is it possible...

2009-02-11T14:31:00.003-06:00

that my baby girl is one? I so didn't want this year to fly by, but against my wishes...it has! God truly blessed me with a precious daughter. Yes, I love my boys and I really thought I would be the mother of only boys, but now I know there is something special about a mother/daughter relationship. And I am so excited to see my relationship with Brylee develop.

She is so sweet and funny. If we are out shopping she will do anything to get fellow shoppers to look at her. She'll squeal, laugh, or most recently...yell "HHHHHIIIIII". She is a great sleeper. Most nights she goes down around 8:30 p.m. and doesn't get up until 7 a.m. She loves to eat and she loves her bottle. We will slowly be weaning off our morning and night bottles and exchanging the formula for whole milk. She is not walking yet but she gets anywhere she wants to go. She loves her "Dadda", "D" and "Bubby". They can make her laugh like no one else.

Today she faced the front in her new car seat for the first time in my van. She didn't know what to think of the view! She makes me smile everyday. I'm proud to be her momma. I love you Brylee. Happy 1st Birthday!!!!

A Fabulous Five Year Old

2009-02-09T16:48:00.003-06:00

My baby boy turned 5 today. My how the time goes. Austin was born in El Dorado at 10:02 a.m. by c-section on February 9, 2004. From that day on our lives have been forever changed. The spunk, intensity, and humor this child has daily amazes me. Kent and I've watched him grow over the years, but this last year he has truly matured into a great kid. Of course he is still learning how to control that pesky temper, and sometimes it still rears its ugly head, but he's really making progress. Austin loves sports like Derek, but he is a redneck deep down. He knows most, if not all, the NASCAR drivers, their number, and main sponsor. He has also enjoyed 2 monster jam shows this year. Austin now says he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. I can't think of a better job for him, my daredevil. We met with his pre-school teacher last week for our mid year conference. One thing I was happy to hear was that he is a leader. A "good" leader at that! He wants to do good, and most times he tries to do the right thing. His teacher also said he can do anything "if he wants to do it". We toured the elementary school Austin will be at in the fall. He was so cute walking around acting shy. Wow, I can't believe he will be in kindergarten.

One funny story to end with. At pre-school the other day there was a chair tipped back but not falling over because it was being held up by the table. Austin looked at it and said, "Well look at that, the chair thinks it's going to get baptized!" Maybe a firefighter/preacher!

Derek's famous!

2009-01-23T07:57:00.003-06:00

Derek said he was interviewed the other day at school. I thought it was for the news paper until I asked my friend "Ms. El Dorado" Magen Parker what it was about. The El Dorado Promise was revamping its web site and interviewed several children. I got on the computer this morning and went to Magen's blog and see a picture of my handsome son and the home page. Check it out! www.eldoradopromise.com

Playing catch up

2009-01-14T15:52:00.002-06:00

We did enjoy a wonderful Christmas with our families. It has just taken me awhile to get in the mood to blog about it, I guess. We went to Bismarck in mid December to celebrate with the Michigan Jobes. So good to see them! It was so fun watching Andrew and Brylee, who are only 8 days apart, play with each other.

We stayed in El Dorado for Christmas Day. This is only the second time we have done this. Charlie and Lesa drove down Christmas Eve to be with us, too. Usually we are either in Pocahontas or with Kent's parents. After a good breakfast on Christmas morning and some good play time with the new toys, we packed up and drove to Pocahontas to be with our family there.

Here is our favorite gift and the following pics are what Santa brought the kids. My parents got us a "family gift" this year. We have had SO much fun playing with our Wii. We bowl, play tennis, and golf mostly. Since we are a competitive bunch, this is right up our ally.
Santa got Derek a soccer goal. He loves it!

Santa gave Austin a Nascar race track. Lots of fun!

And Brylee bear was given this fun ride on toy from Santa. She mostly pushes it around instead of riding, but fun none the less.

I do have more to blog about. Basketball season has started and both boys have played their first games. I'll post videos soon!

Shout out!

2009-01-06T22:58:00.004-06:00

I know, I know I'm so behind on blogging about our holiday haul, but I can't sleep and so I'm doing a quick post about my AWESOME Razorbacks! We've beat 2 ranked teams in one week! If anyone had had a video camera recording in my living room an hour ago, we would have been on AFV. Derek and I were beside ourselves with excitement. And remarkably we didn't wake the 2 sleeping children. I promise to post soon about Christmas, New Year's yada, yada. Until then......WHOOOOOOOOO PIG SOOOOOOOOIE!

Baby's First Christmas

2008-12-24T13:47:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas friends! I hope you and your family are enjoying a special time of joy, love, and fellowship together.

Marathon day!

2008-12-18T22:09:00.009-06:00

Today was a CRAZY day! In fact, I had to list all the things on our "to do" list out so we wouldn't miss something. Here's how our day went on this wild Thursday. Austin's play was today at preschool. He played Joseph (see video). I really thought he was going to all out ball on stage. I tried not to make eye contact with him and just kept a huge smile on my face the whole time. He did wonderful and he was so relieved when it was finished. From there, Kent went to speak at the nursing home and I went to Wal-Mart with my fellow PTA mom, Tina, and we bought 45 cases of Capri Sun for "movie day" at school tomorrow. Left WM and went to Mcky D's to celebrate Austin's performance.

A and I came home and made the cutest reindeer cookies for his class party tomorrow. He was a big helper and decided that the reindeer are of course Rudolph, but the brown nosed one is Blitzen.

I had arranged with Derek's teacher earlier this month to come and do a craft with the class. Today was the day, and it fit in my schedule around 1:30. So from 1:30-2:15 Tina and I made cute little snowmen with 21 second graders. They were very well behaved and it went much smoother than I had anticipated. Left school and went back to WM to buy items to make a dessert for our staff party at church tomorrow. Now it was time to go back to school and pick up D. Back to the house we go. Both little ones are napping, but I have to wake them up for A's doc appointment. This was just a follow up from surgery. Took B with me so Kent could get D ready for his basketball practice at 4:30. I took A's bball clothes with me to change after the doc. Man, was his office crazy today. Perfect! We were there for an hour for him just to look in and say "looks good, I'm here if you ever need me again". Thanks, but no thanks! I hope we're done with the ENT for ever!!!! (wishful thinking...I know)

Went to the boys club for practice and walked back and forth between gyms to see both boys practice. B was such a trooper and the loud noises of the gyms kept her alert and happy even though she's suffering with a nasty cold.

Left bball in time to come home and change for a boy scout dinner/meeting. D got 2 new patches. Left meeting, looked at Christmas lights, and came home to bake a cake for tomorrow. It's not a very pretty cake, so I hope it tastes divine. I'll let you know.

Sorry this is so long and rambly. We had such a fast paced day that my mind is still racing, I guess. Tis the season! And now it's time for bed!

Christmas Cookies are yummy!

2008-12-08T19:49:00.002-06:00

We're home

2008-12-04T10:13:00.002-06:00

Thank you all for your prayers. We are home. Austin did so good. He was nervous, so we took coloring pages and the dot game to keep him occupied. They gave him a "happy drink" but took him away before we could see how it affected him. When the doc came in to talk to us he said it was harder to get than he thought. He had to try 4 or 5 different instruments to get it out. Once they rolled Austin back to us, he was still drowsy. He was confused and didn't understand that the rock wasn't in there anymore. He was disoriented, he saw 2 Diego's on the tv...strange! He cried and was a little combative. But a little time passed and he was more like himself. The anaesthesia did make him sick though. All in all, it was an experience I will never forget. I do have the rock as a souvenir, too. Again, thank you friends for praying. Our God is an AWESOME God!

Are you kidding me?

2008-12-03T17:05:00.002-06:00

Some of you may remember when Austin and I met Dr. Pillsbury in the spring of '06. That is the day Austin thought a small yellow flower would smell better in his nose than out of his nose. Well, we got to renew our acquaintance with the good doc today. When I picked Aus up from school at 1 he told me, "I fell on the playground and a rock jumped up and got stuck in my ear!"
Me: What!?! Let me see.
Sure enough, there it was, a bit out of my reach. Of course I tried shaking it out...ha, it didn't work. I called his doctor and the nurse said, just call the ENT doc. We head over to meet Dr. Pillsbury once again. Bless his heart, he really did try to get it out, but it slipped further down the ear canal. So, tomorrow we are scheduled to be at the hospital at 6:15 a.m. for Austin to undergo his first surgery. Poor baby! He's my first to be "put under". Please say a prayer for him tonight and tomorrow morning. I'll post when it's all over and let you know how he did. (And how I did :))

On a side note: We had pics taken yesterday. If you would like to take a look, go to
www.lairdphotography.smugmug.com
proofs
jobe
password: green

Not how I planned my week!

2008-11-23T09:52:00.002-06:00

Take a look at my new accessory. Here's how this came about: Julie and I, with our children, drove to Pocahontas on Friday afternoon. El Dorado played Jonesboro in the playoffs Friday night so we thought we would come up for the game and just stay here until Thanksgiving. Good plan, right? We won the game and are now in the semi-finals. Yay! Being that there aren't too many places to shop here in Pokey, we traveled back to Jonesboro yesterday. Target was calling my name!!! We arrived at the mall around 2:15 p.m. and waited on a parking space because apparently Target was calling all of Jonesboro's names. We got parked, placed the babies in their strollers and were off. (Side note: Mom had the boys and my niece Hailey with her in Jboro at the movies.) There was a lady who I thought had said something to us as we passed her. So I jog up to Julie and ask what she had said. As I'm jogging, just like 3 quick steps, my right foot caught the stroller wheel, my ankle popped, and down I went. I was hurt! Julie picked me up but I couldn't put any weight on my foot. Two nice women helped us get back to the van with the babies. Off to the ER we went. I called mom and she and the kids came to the ER, too. Two hours later we find out it's not broken (thank you God!) or the doc didn't think there was a fracture. It was so swollen he said if I was still having trouble in a week or so to go to an orthopedic dr. So now I have this lovely boot and crutches. Had a little break down last night. I cried in front of the boys and I probably shouldn't have, but I was so frustrated. It is HARD having everyone wait on you when you can do nothing yourself. Just getting up to go to the bathroom is a chore. I can't just hop up and fix Brylee a bottle or get the boys a drink. Julie and Jarett had to move to the downstairs bedroom and the boys brought all our bags upstairs. This is NOT how I thought my week would go. I wanted to shop, and play, and go to church and show off my kids. Mom took the kids to church this morning w/out me. I can't remember the last time I skipped church on Sunday. It feels strange. Hopefully I can begin putting some weight on my foot soon. Kent is coming up here on Tuesday and that will be a big help. Say a prayer that this severely sprained ankle heals quickly. Being out of commission is not fun. Now I'm just wondering what God has planned and why this was part of that plan :)

We LOVE Karen!

2008-11-20T08:16:00.003-06:00

November 7-8 I, along with 8 other ladies from church, mostly ministers and elders wives, went to Jackson, MS for a women's conference. So many of us are avid Karen Kingsbury readers and we were so excited to hear her speak and to meet her in person. My friend Tina was the MOST excited. In fact I thought she was going to tackle her when it was our turn to meet her. Karen was so sweet and not too overwhelmed with Tina's enthusiasm. She even gave her an autographed tote bag that read "to my BFF Tina"! We had a wonderful weekend together. Here's a picture of us squashing Karen. We have this enlarged to a 20x30 to place in our church library above all of her books.

Mary Claire is famous!

2008-11-19T15:48:00.002-06:00

Remember when I told you a while back if you needed a laugh to click on Magen's memoirs blog and watch Mary Claire sing her A,B,C's? If you watched it, you'll be happy to know that Magen did submit the video to America's Funniest Videos and Mary Claire is now on their web site. Magen has the link on her newest post. If you watch it make sure to give her 5 smiles for the rating. The AFV people will call Magen if they put the video on t.v. So cool! Yay, Mary Claire!

Home in my pj's at 8:10 a.m.

2008-11-17T08:10:00.002-06:00

How sweet it is to be at home in my pj's at 8:10 a.m. Yes, the extra money is nice and will make for a "stress free" Christmas. But there's nothing much better than sitting here with your baby and just hanging out, washing clothes, blogging and playing all at the same time! I did get 2 calls this morning to sub and I quickly told the sub lady to deactivate my status today. Derek is the only one that is sad about my 6 weeks being over. He enjoyed walking to my room after school, grabbing some change and getting a snack in the lounge. Austin is thrilled and can't wait to leave preschool at 11:30 this morning. Oh, the dryer just buzzed...time to get off the computer and do some work :)

Wooo-Hooo!!!!!!!

2008-11-12T16:34:00.003-06:00

We FINALLY got new hardwood laminate floors. Bye bye nasty ole' carpet with stains that never go away even with carpet cleaner! Hello my beautiful heritage pecan floor! We had wanted to do this oh about a year ago and you know how things go...cars mess up, heater needs fixing, babies are born, etc. So we finally bit the bullet and did it and boy am I glad. What do you think?

Mock elections

2008-11-04T16:34:00.002-06:00

Both boys had mock elections at school today. Derek told me he voted for the guy who looked like Poppa. And Austin said he voted for "The Rock" Obama! ha! I asked him why he voted for "the Rock" and he said that was the only name he knew. Apparently, you had to whisper the name of your candidate in the teacher's ear. I'm so ready for this election to be over. Either way it ends up, God is still in control.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-27T22:04:00.003-05:00

Ok...this picture isn't from trunk or treat. It's of Brylee's new dress made by an "old" friend from my elementary school years. I found her blog through my cousin Andria's site. I ordered this dress and a purple one with her initials smocked. I love them! I'll probably get B's 1 year picture made in the purple one. We had a great time at trunk or treat. Here are two of my favorite costumes: Here is Mr. UPS (Will). As he went around to the cars, people put the candy in his box. So cute and clever.

Oh and here is Sarah Palin (Loren). I love this girl. She is always so creative with her costumes.

Mickey and Minnie had a blast at their first trunk or treat. They didn't get any candy, but they got lots of attention!

All three kids ready to get some candy. Not sure if you will remember last year's costumes, but we are really similar this year. Austin stayed in the Nascar family...last year as Tony Stewart...this year, Jeff Gordon. Derek stayed with the baseball theme...Harding last year and Arkansas this year. Sorry for all of you who are so imaginative and hand make you children's outfits. Not this momma! I'll order from ebay or the nascar store anytime :)

Pumpkin Patch perfection

2008-10-19T13:20:00.003-05:00

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch yesterday. Usually we just go up the street to a church that does a small one on their property. But this year they didn't have it. :( So we took the kids about 2 hours away to Grady, AR. We had been to the Hardin Farm before with Derek but this was Austin and Brylee's first visit. We had a GREAT day! The weather could not have been more perfect. The kids did great in the car and were not ready to leave the farm when we said it was time to go. Here are some pictures from our fun day. Thumbs up for the hayride. Austin was so excited to go "pick" his pumpkin.
We didn't do the tire swings too much. My boys tend to get a queasy stomach after a few swings.
Petting the animals.
Playing in the sand.
This is a "take two" picture of me and Kent. Derek took one first, and with the magic of a digital camera I saw my wonderful double chin. So I quickly deleted it and took hold of the camera and snapped one myself. Notice me stretching out my neck. HA!
My sweet little farm animals!
We found the perfect pumpkins.
Brylee couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
Kent found this sign by the animals and wanted a "boys" picture. Sometimes the differences between boys and girls is so evident! Case in point.
Brylee really liked the animals. She wasn't afraid at all.

Derek's glasses

2008-10-15T17:21:00.001-05:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this sweet picture. Doesn't he look so smart and handsome!

Still here...just busy!

2008-10-11T08:35:00.003-05:00

I've started my 6 weeks at Derek's school filling in for a 1st grade teacher who had a baby. It's going good. I just don't have the time I'm used to to do the things I like to do...like blog! :) Just wanted you to know that we're doing good. Brylee is staying with Aunt Julie and is slowing adjusting to not having me during the day...SLOWING adjusting. Austin is doing great staying all day in aftercare when pre-school is over. He's actually more pleasant in the evenings b/c they have to take a nap. Derek got glasses last week and looks so cute. I'll post a picture later. Kent's busy working on grad papers and preaching. Hope you all have a great weekend. Oh, and if you need a quick laugh, check out Magen's blog. Mary Claire sings her ABC's. She's so precious!

Chatty Kathy

2008-10-02T08:19:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the sweet video of Brylee's babbles. Notice the cool book she got from a friend at church.

Sweet Soccer Stud!

2008-09-27T21:56:00.002-05:00

Where's Waldo...I mean Austin? Please don't judge me and my messy garage. I just wanted you to see where Austin fell asleep while waiting on bub and daddy to come home from work and school. He was so hyper about his first soccer game and couldn't wait to show them what he looked like in his uniform. I knew he was outside waiting and when Kent came in and asked where Austin was, it kinda worried me. I told him he was waiting outside for them to come home. So we went in the garage and found him wedged between the ball boxes, basketball goal and other random things that I can't tell what they are in the picture because of the horrible mess! Sweet, hyper but exhausted boy! Down and ready for the game to begin.
Bless his heart...he gets sweaty and red faced, just like me!
Yea Wildcats!
In celebration of Austin's first soccer game and his four goals scored, we let him pick where he wanted to eat dinner. To McDonald's we went! Kent and Austin got into a small ice cream fight. I think Austin was the loser.
Austin was so much fun to watch during his first game. He was so aggressive (don't know where that comes from :)) Of course he knows the rules and how to kick b/c of big bro. He loved every minute of it. In fact on the way to the car after the game he said, "Who cares about this week. I want it to hurry by so I can get to my next game!" I'll try to add a video soon.

Good weekend....well except for the hogs game!

2008-09-22T08:49:00.003-05:00

This picture is from last weekend at our Fall kick-off party at church. Our FLC was turned into a jump zone! We had over 100 people come for hours of fun.
This picture is a little dark and I took it with my camera that has 2 flashes, which means Brylee's eyes are closed! But I wanted you to see her hair. I've been putting it up with 2 bows into little pigtails! She just sits and lets me play with her hair! I LOVE it! Her hair is so fine that the bows don't stay long, but isn't it precious.
Derek passing during the punt, pass, and kick competition.
D getting his 2nd place award.

We had a fun, stress free weekend. Friday night EHS didn't have a home game, so we stayed in. Derek went to a sleepover. It's amazing how "loosing" one child can make a difference in the house. Derek doesn't usually cause too much commotion, but it was really different without him here. Probably because Austin had no one argue with :)

Saturday was pretty busy. Austin had a birthday party at 10 a.m. and Derek had one at 2. Between the parties we endured the torturous game. Poor hogs...I'm afraid it's going to be one long, painful season. But I'm not a fair weather fan. I'll still be sporting my hogs attire!

Saturday afternoon Derek participated in the pass, punt, and kick competition. He's been looking forward to this for 2 years. You have to be 8 to compete. He placed 2nd in 8/9 year old division. The boy that placed first was great. Derek and I both think he turned 10 yesterday :) It was a good learning experience for him. Now that we know what is expected, he's already looking forward to next year. If you place first in your division at the local level, you move on to Little Rock. And from there you go to a NFL game to compete. Our neighbor went all the way to the TN Titan game last year to compete. She got 2nd!

Church was great yesterday. We are having such a wonderful turnout to Bible classes. For so long we've tried to get kids pumped up about coming to class. But truthfully, you've got to provide good adult classes and get the parents excited about class in order to get the kids there. I guess we have a good line up of adult classes this quarter. Our children's classes are all full and we had over 50 in Kent's marriage class. Also, last week was our kick-off for our small groups. We had 80% retention from our Sunday morning attendance in our growth groups that night. AMAZING! God is working in this church. I can feel it. We are growing in number but also in purpose. What a blessing!

Soccer games begin tonight. Derek has a game tonight and Austin's is tomorrow. Pictures to come!

Quick update

2008-09-15T14:48:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick update on our family:

Kent: He went to Dallas to his grad class last weekend. He enjoyed it, but the drive back was a bit rough. Ike was in his way :)

Cara: We started back to our Tuesday Ladies class last week. It's going to be great to get back in a regular Bible study. The good Lord knows I need it :)

Derek: He's involved in a fundraiser at school. The last 2 years he has not cared at all about it. This year he's "Mr. Salesman". I'm not sure what kicked in this year, but I know his school will appreciate all the $.

Austin: Show and Tell at school began last week. This year is different b/c you have to bring in something that begins with the letter they are studying for the week. Last week "A" he took a cup with his name on it. Today "B" he took his "builder bear". Got any suggestions for "C"?

Brylee: She got 3 shots today, so she's a bit whiny. I would be too! She did great though. She has started clapping, which I love. You just say "YAY" and she'll clap for you.

We started our small groups at church last night. This is the first time Kent and I get to really participate. We have always been at church involved with the youth ministries. We're having it at our house and we had 11 last night. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year with this group!

We are really busy with soccer practice for both boys. Kent is coaching Austin's team. I can't believe he's old enough to play. I'm so curious to see how he acts in a game. Aggressive or stand offish. I'll let you know!

Happy Monday!

Random things

2008-09-08T07:24:00.003-05:00

Watch out HU freshman boys 2026. We took the boys to Magic Springs on Labor Day. This was Austin's favorite ride.
I wanted you all to see how much these two favor each other. Austin is 2 in this picture.
This is Avery and Serenity. I wanted you all to see how sweet this baby girl is. Karen and Jeremy go to court this Friday to get official temporary custody. The mama (Marie) is now in Morrillton, too. Please pray for God's will in this situation. I think Avery will make a great big brother.

Who knew getting hit in the chest with a ball could be SO entertaining.

Brylee's 6 month pictures

2008-09-05T07:42:00.002-05:00

If you would like to see my sweet Brylee's six month pictures go to
www.denisewaterfield.com
Click on gallery
click on client proofs
scroll down to Jobe and click
password: jobe

I thought they turned out really cute! There's one picture we have of Austin that looks so much like the first one of Brylee (minus the sailor hat). :)

Two little kids

2008-09-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

Two little kids are in a hospital, lying on stretchers next to each other outside the operating room. The first kid leans over and asks, 'What are you in here for?'
The second kid says, 'I'm in here to get my tonsils out and I'm a little nervous.'
The first kid says, 'You've got nothing to worry about. I had that done when I was four. They put you to sleep, and when you wake up they give you lots of Jello and ice cream. It's a breeze. 'The second kid then asks, 'What are you here for?'
The first kid says, 'A circumcision.' 'Whoa!' the second kid replies. 'Good luck buddy. I had that done when I was born. Couldn't walk for a year.'

Evacuees

2008-09-01T19:01:00.002-05:00

It's 2:35 a.m. on Sunday morning and our phone rings. My heart always skips a beat or two when we get a phone call in the middle of the night! Who's hurt, who's sick, who has died....these are the thoughts that run through my sleepy mind in a split second.

This time, none of the above had happened. It was the Red Cross lady telling Kent the evacuees were on their way to our church. Kent got up, got dressed and headed to the church. He did not sleep again until last night. What a trooper! We are housing over 80 people in our Family Life Center. So many sweet babies, too. One story I want to tell you about: My friend Karen has a sister who lives in New Orleans. She was leaving N.O. and stopped by a shelter where some of her friends worked before she left town. Somehow she ended up bringing a young mom from the shelter and her 5 month old baby with her here to El Dorado. On the way the mom expresses her desire to give her baby up for adoption. She says she can't give her a good life. She has no family, no job, nothing. She has been raising her in shelters the last 5 months! Long story short, this mom signs her rights (temporarily) over to Karen. Karen and her husband are house parents at the children's home in Morrilton. I went to the church to see Serenity today. She was absolutely precious. In fact, I wanted the young mom to sign her rights over to me! She is only 1 month younger than Brylee, but seems so little. She is long and skinny, with a smile that lights up the room. Pray for Serenity and her mom, Maria. Thankfully, Karen works for the children's home where there are men and women who deal with this situation often. I think Karen and Jeremy will adopt Serenity if possible. This whole ordeal got me thinking....one day I would really like to be a foster parent. We don't have the room right now for that to happen, but one day we would. Just a thought.........

Amazing Video...please watch

2008-08-25T21:14:00.004-05:00

This video is of the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. It's shows how one sinful decision can lead to a multitude of problems and destroy a family. It is powerful.

Looking for God

2008-08-24T20:15:00.003-05:00

Tonight at church, Kent was leading singing. He had already led a few songs when I noticed Austin looking up at the ceiling. I guess I gave him a puzzled look because he looked back at me and said matter of fact, "I'm looking for God."

I pray that I can have eyes like my child. That I can look for God anywhere, everywhere, and anytime.

On another note, I'm really going to miss the Olympics. I've been a junkie these last 2 weeks. My favorites have been gymnastics and swimming. But I would often catch myself getting really engulfed in a good sport I'm not accustomed to watching like... water polo. Never watched it before, but it really kept my attention while I was at the gym one day. Also, the women's triathlon. Wow, I would love to be able to do that. Swim, bike, then run. Amazing. So, I was wondering....if you could have your dream fulfilled and be in the Olympics (pretend your still in your late teens or early 20's) what sport would you be competing in? Me...remember this is a dream...I would love to be a gymnast.

I was also wondering if any of you teared up during a medal ceremony while the national anthem played. Just curious.

Have a great week dear friends. Keep your eyes open and look for God.

Great day!

2008-08-19T17:26:00.004-05:00

How can I have a 2nd grader and a pre-K4? I can't believe how old they are getting. I swear they both grew a foot over the summer. Rain, rain, go away.

Big blue eyes!

The boys both had a great day for their first day of school. Derek does NOT like change, so he teared up a bit this morning. He gets so nervous with anything out of the norm. Bless his heart, I'm not sure why he is this way and I must admit, it gets really frustrating. I walked him to where his class was sitting in the hallway, talked to a few of his classmates, and turned around to say bye and he's all teary. Being that he cried himself to sleep last night, I was in no mood to deal with it this morning. I told him I loved him, that I would not come pick him up if he threw up (something he can do on command) and I would be back at 3:15 to pick him up. I know no mother of the year awards are in my future, but Kent and I both feel we can't "give in" to him crying about so many things. Last night I reminded him of how smart he is and about how many friends he has. I told him he should be so confident, not so scared. Any advice from all you blogger friends on how to deal with him?

Of course this afternoon he was all smiles and said "You were right, mom. It was his best first
day ever!" So prayerfully, tomorrow will be much smoother than this morning.

Austin is a different bird all together. He was so excited and couldn't go to sleep fast enough last night. He walked in this morning like an old pro. All smiles when I picked him up, too. Yea!

As you can see from the pictures, I has rained ALL day. These are from our back yard. We haven't seen it this bad and we've lived in this house for 6 1/2 years. Rain is in the forecast for the whole week.

Last Day of Summer

2008-08-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

Really the actual last day of summer is September 21. But in my children's eyes, today's the day. School starts tomorrow at 7:55. Derek is having mixed emotions. He's excited but knows he's going to miss staying up late and sleeping in. Me too! I am not sure how Austin will act tomorrow. He begins 4 yr. old preschool. He gets dropped off at 8 and picked up at 11:30. I have missed the quite mornings with Brylee that we enjoyed at the end of last school year. It will be great to have those back. Also, it's going to be much easier to make it to the gym just getting Brylee ready. It has been a struggle to get all 4 of us up there these past few weeks.

The agenda today is to wash clothes and clean the boys room (with their help). We are going to take the boys bowling today, too. One more afternoon of fun before summer ends. : )

Pictures from our vacation

2008-08-11T19:20:00.003-05:00

Ok...once again, I know you all are used to this...these pictures are in the opposite order that I wanted them in. You'd think I would remember from time to time how to do that. Oh well! Here are some pics from our time in Branson and Lake Norfork.

The fam in front of Sight and Sound Theater.

Waiting patiently for the musical to begin.
This is inside Marvel Cave.
The wound before stitches.
Jason and Kent tubing.
Austin helping Jody drive.
Brylee and Jarett enjoying Fred's Catfish. Yum, Yum!
Sweet boy lovin' on his momma and daddy.
Beautiful sunset on the lake.

A nice time away!

2008-08-08T21:46:00.002-05:00

Our family just returned from a wonderful time away from our usual rut. We left town Sunday after morning services and headed to Lake Norfork. We spent two days with my immediate family playing on the lake and eating some delicious steak and catfish. I know...I'm headed back to the gym on Monday!

On Tuesday the five of us drove 2 hours north to Branson for some family fun. We went to see "Noah the Musical". It was really fantastic. The play lasted 2 1/2 hours and both boys stayed awake the entire time! That tells you how spellbinding it was. Brylee was entertained for the first hour and then fell fast asleep for the remainder of the time.

Wednesday was spent at Silver Dollar City. We were there when the doors opened and left 30 minutes before they closed. It was so fun and the boys had a blast and behaved so well! We explored Marvel Cave, too. Over 600 stairs and 550 feet below the Earth's surface. Really cool!

After we got back to the hotel the boys, though tired, were ready for some time at the pools (one indoor and one outdoor). We all put our suits on and headed out. One hour later we were in the Skaggs Community Hospital ER waiting for Austin to have 3 stitches put in his chin. He was having a great time in the hot tub and was changing sides, when he slipped and hit his chin on the outside of the tub. He was a real trooper. The Branson ER is an interesting place. Lots of tourists...grandparents and their grand kids, moms and dads with kids in tow (like us), etc. It doesn't take too much to fill a waiting room when you have to bring the whole family. We were there for 3 hours!!!!!!! But we made a memory!

Thursday was our departure day. We went to Playtime Pizza and spent over 3 hours before heading out. I'll post some pictures soon. I haven't even downloaded them yet. Today was spent washing clothes and putting things back where they belong. All in all, it was a wonderful time spent with my sweet family. Another great vacation in the books!

My life according to Google

2008-07-31T21:28:00.003-05:00

My friend Kristi had this on her blog, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Type in the following and choose the first choice that appears on the list (that goes along with the question).

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in Google search
Cara needs a condom.
OK....I just about fell off my seat laughing! I promise that's what it said, try it for yourself if you don't believe me. So, my friends, we know this isn't true. We have no need for protection since my tubes were tied after Brylee :)

2. Type in "[your name] looks like"
Cara looks like she had fun.
That's an ok one.

3. Type in "[your name] likes"
Cara likes muffins.
True...blueberry to be exact.

4. "[your name] says"
Cara says Torres is the best.
This apparently has something to do with European soccer, so I'm not sure if he really is the best.

5. "[your name] wants"
Cara wants steak.
So true....I've been eating a lot of chicken and turkey lately. Yum...a good steak sounds great!

6. "[your name] does" (I'm a little scared to do this one)
Cara does the leekspin.
No clue what this means.

7. "[your name] hates"
Cara hates Christmas.
NO WAY...it's my favorite holiday of all!

8. "[your name] can"
Cara can spell her name.
Funny cause I'm not known for my wonderful spelling ability. Actually I'm a horrible speller.

9. "[your name] goes"
Cara goes to the Accio Bodyguard shows in AL....
Nope, never seen a bodyguard show in my life. Sounds interesting ;0

10. "[your name] is"
Cara is a popular girl's name in the local area and in Scotland in general.
I did not know this fact about my name.

Hey, if you want to give this a try go ahead. It's kinda fun.

Fun Weekend

2008-07-28T21:58:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend. We left for Bentonville Friday morning. We stopped in Little Rock for a wholesome lunch at Chuck E. Cheese. What a blast! When we went through Fayetteville we stopped and let the boys see the stadium where the razorbacks played. Now they're ready to head up for a game in the fall.

The reunion was a lot of fun, too. We ate tons, so the weight loss didn't go so well this week :)

We all love our Krispy Kreme.
Austin and Brylee with their "builder bears" as Austin calls them.
Derek was awarded $1000 from Murphy Oil Co. for making advanced on his SAT test. He got a $500 check and Murphy puts the other $500 in a savings account to be withdrawn when he graduates high school. We are so proud of him!
Here's the group of first graders.
Derek and Ben. Ben goes to church with us.

Sorry these pics are out of order. This is back in Bentonville at Chick-fil-a.
Messy Brylee
We got to spend a couple of hours with Danielle and Ellie Balentine while in Bentonville. It was too fast a visit, but great to catch up. We miss you guys!
We attended a Northwest Arkansas Naturals game Saturday night. It was a lot of fun, but way too hot!
Here's the gang from the reunion.

Derek's 8th birthday party

2008-07-18T15:10:00.004-05:00

Derek opening presents. Tina, I think he was just as excited about the Dr. Pepper and candy as the money. What a GREAT water slide. Thank you Hammock family for letting us borrow it. The boys had a BLAST!
Black light bowling. Of course from this picture you can't tell we were in black light. It was so cool!
Such a sweet group of boys!
And I thought I'd throw in a pic of the babies. Doesn't Brylee look like she's in the middle of a nice conversation with Jarret?!? This cracks me up.

We had four great boys sleep over at the house last Friday night for Derek's party. They ate pizza, played on a water slide, went bowling, played Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2, went to sleep around 1:30 a.m. and woke up around 8 a.m. to play on the slide again. It was a great party. One I'm sure Derek will want to repeat for next year.

Enjoy the video of Kent and the boys sliding.

Lots to blog about

2008-07-12T22:21:00.004-05:00

Ok...these pictures are so out of order, not sure what happened there! So much has happened since I last updated. UpLift was good. Lots different since we weren't in charge. Brylee did great and the boys had a blast with nana and poppa. Also, I got to spend some time with one of my roommates from college. Sara, you have a beautiful family!

From HU Julie and I plus the 4 kids headed to Pocahontas for a Wilson family reunion. It was well attended. Mom and Dad you guys did a great job planning this event. Brylee and Jarett got to experience swimming for the first time. The water was COLD. Jarett loved it, Brylee did not!

We had been away from home for 9 days and I was longing for my own bed. We got home on Sunday afternoon and were greeting by Kent, Bryan, Emily, Amelia, and Andrew. We had a great visit with the Michigan Jobes. I wish y'all lived closer to us!

Kent and I also bit the bullet and bought a new van! YES!!!!!!!! I am so excited and would be out just driving for no reason if gas wasn't so expensive. It's a beige '07 Grand Caravan w/ 9800 miles and we got a great deal. I've never had a vehicle with a warranty and under 10K before. God is good!

Yesterday and today were spent celebrating Derek's 8th birthday. He invited 4 boys to sleepover. Pictures from that in the next post.

Amelia's not too sure what to think about her crazy cousins.

The 5 Jobe grand kids.
Just the girls
This is from the Wilson reunion. Derek, Hailey, Jody, and Austin singing karaoke.
Sweet smiles

UpLift babies....Mia Baker, Jarett, and Brylee
What a model!
My grandma (Mom Wilson). I love this because they have matching clips in their hair!
The Jobes (Austin..oh Austin!)

Oh, and we've also entered into a wager with the Michigan Jobes. Biggest Loser Couples! 20 weeks of healthy eating and working out. The couple with the biggest % lost wins $200. I'll keep you posted!

Yesterday

2008-06-27T08:20:00.002-05:00

Ya know those days that are just awful.....that was yesterday for me. The boys were at each other all day, Brylee had her shots so she didn't feel well and would not nap, and my "to do" list was long and did not get nearly completed. Finally after everyone was in bed I just sat at the table and cried. Kent knows me well enough now to not freak out when this happens. He just kissed me and went to bed himself. My pity party only lasted a few minutes. Brylee slept until 6:30 this morning in her bed. Thank you God! Your mercies are new every morning!

We leave for UpLift at Harding tomorrow. This will be our last time to go with the youth, at least for a while. Kent was still on the board and teaching a class. He said that this is the last youth ministry item on his calendar, so it's definitely a milestone. I love UpLift. I get to see many "old" friends, hang out on campus, watch my husband play racquetball, listen to some great classes and lessons, and the awesome singing. My parents take the boys to the lake for the week, which helps so much. Having Brylee with me this year will be different. Julie will have Jarett and Heather (Julie's sis-in-law) will have Mia, who is 4 weeks older than Brylee. So all of us moms and babies will be hanging out together.

After UpLift, Julie and I are heading to Pocahontas for a family reunion. It may be awhile until my next post. Enjoy the 4th.

Alarm

2008-06-22T21:50:00.002-05:00

For those of you who were worried about Derek's sleepwalking, rest easy. Kent installed door alarms tonight. What's going to be funny is when Kent goes to work in the morning (usually around 5 a.m.) and forgets they are there. He'll pee his pants then! ha

Yay El Dorado!

2008-06-17T09:23:00.002-05:00

El Dorado was in the news again last night. If you haven't heard about the El Dorado Promise, this news story will let you in on what's going on in our little town. A few months ago we get a letter from Derek's school telling us a news crew was coming to Northwest Elementary. It turned out to be CBS evening news. We weren't sure when the piece would air. I am so glad Julie happened to be watching CBS last night or we would have missed it. The news crew spent most of their time in Derek's class and his sweet face is seen a couple times. I tried to download the video, but I couldn't figure out exactly how to do it. So you'll have to copy and paste this address. There will be a commercial first and then the video.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4185537n

So, it's 1:15 in the morning and our doorbell rings...

2008-06-16T12:27:00.003-05:00

three times really fast. Of course I'm the only one awakened by the noise. My heart is beating fast as I start punching Kent and waking him up. He is dazed and confused! I explain that the doorbell rang and it's 1:15 a.m.. We walk down the hall (me behind him), he looks out the window of the front door while I shield myself in the hallway. He says there's no one there. I assure him the doorbell rang several times. My heart is still beating fast. In my head I'm thinking some escaped convict has made his way to our house wanting in, but that doesn't make sense because would they really ring the doorbell? So I'm trying to be rational. Kent makes his way to the kitchen/garage door, I'm still hiding in the hall. I hear him talking to someone. I can't quite make out what he's saying, and since he's calm, I get closer. Kent comes back into the kitchen from the garage and tells me that my dear oldest son was peeing on the freezer! WHAT! .... WHAT! I then go to the doorway as Derek is making his way in. He is carrying a sponge and a wet vac attachment. I asked, what do you have there? He said, my clothes. Bless his heart...he has no clue where he is or what he is doing. He's sleepwalking! We've caught him 2 times before. Once he walked in our room one night while Kent and I were still awake. He proceeds to walk to my vanity stool, turn it on it's side and get in the pee pose. NOOOOOOO, I scream and he "wakes up" and goes to the real toilet. The next time he walks in our room and goes in the closet. I follow him knowing he's about to use the bathroom on my shoes. I stop him of course before that happened. Why all these events have to do with urinating...I have no idea!

This time was different than the rest. He went to the garage and rang the doorbell, peed on the freezer and picked up "his clothes". What's scary is, will he go outside next? He had no recollection of last night's events when he woke up this morning. CRAZY!

Oh, Austin!

2008-06-06T21:34:00.002-05:00

Two funny stories to share about my interesting middle child:

1. The other weekend mom and dad were here and we were all going over to see Jason and Julie's new house. Three vehicles were in the caravan. Austin is a huge racing fan, so to him (but not to the other vehicles) this is a competition to beat the other 2 cars. He was riding with Jason, Julie, and Jarett and they were in the lead. Apparently he was screaming and hollering the whole way as Uncle Jason was driving. As they pull into the driveway as victors, Austin is yelling and clapping and proceeds to scream..."We won, that's the Holy Spirit if I've ever seen it!"

2. Tonight I was eavesdropping on the boy's conversation. Apparently, Derek called Austin sewage. Austin proceeds to say, "I'm not a fish that hasn't been cooked!". Derek looks completely puzzled and then tells him that sewage is poop. Austin then says, "NO, my teacher at school said sewage is fish that hasn't been cooked". I'm sitting at the computer trying to think this out. Fish that's not cooked.........SUSHI! Sushi not sewage, honey! Oh, Derek and I laughed and laughed. Austin did not find it as humorous as we did.

Quick post

2008-06-03T14:13:00.003-05:00

Kent's out at camp for two weeks. It's only a 20 minute drive, so we'll go out there alot. It stinks that gas is $3.89 here though. Julie is a Bible class teacher, so I get to keep Jarett during the mornings. I'll take some pictures of the cousins to post soon.

Kid's update:
Derek - He hit a grand slam at his last game! It was awesome.
Austin - His story telling is hilarious. He goes into so much detail and with hand motions (like his daddy)
Brylee - She rolled over last night in her crib. Yay, Brylee!

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-27T15:24:00.004-05:00

We left Friday afternoon to spend some time with Kent's parents in Bismarck, AR. We went to the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs on Saturday morning. The boys had so much fun!

Giant operation game

Huge static ball
Air flow experiment
Saturday evening we went out in the boat for some fishing on DeGray lake. Brylee wasn't too sure what to think of her life jacket! She fell asleep 5 min. into the boat ride. The boys enjoyed fishing and were very successful. However, when Brylee woke up she was NOT happy. She was hot, and mad, and was ready to go. The boys were not ready to leave, but Brylee was scaring all the fish away with her wailing! :)

Beautiful sunset on DeGray Lake.
We came home Sunday afternoon. Kent and I wanted to paint our kitchen cabinets on Monday, so I bought a slip-n-slide for the boys entertainment and so they'd stay out of our hair for awhile. They had a blast!
Here's Kent starting our project. As I'm typing this post (11:10 p.m. on Tuesday) he just finished hanging the last door! YAY...my cabinets went from a dark navy to white...what a change. I really like it. It brightens up the room so much. Thanks, honey for spending your day off painting to make me happy! I love you!

Smarty Pants!

2008-05-20T14:12:00.003-05:00

You are looking at the "1st grade Math Student of the Year"! We are so proud of Derek and all he has accomplished this year. He is so smart. We're not really sure where he gets his math knowledge, (Kent and I were not strong in math at all) but we're glad he has it! He received ribbons for perfect attendance and all A's. The certificates are for the math award and Writing. This was Derek's teacher, Mrs. Jodie Walker. We have loved having her this year.
Our pictures are online now. If you would like to see them go to www.denisewaterfield.com Go to gallery, client photos, click on our name, and our password is jobe. They turned out so good! The one below is my favorite of the 5 of us.
If you are ever near Magnolia, AR you should really check Denise out! Her prices can't be beat and she is so friendly and laid back.

Back in the day!

2008-05-16T23:48:00.002-05:00

My nostalgic husband was going through some old magazines and papers and found a manilla envelope with some old school things of mine. Can you pick out a fellow blogger and me in these two photos? The first is from 7th grade basketball and the second was softball, but I'm not sure of the year. If you can't figure it out, Elizabeth Harris Johnston and I went to school together from 7th-12th grade. She is #15 in the first and #19. I am #20 and then #18. Although we had LOTS of ups and downs all through school, it's all "water under the bridge" now! Isn't Christian friendship an amazing thing.
LOVE the glasses Elizabeth! :)

What a hit!

2008-05-11T15:39:00.003-05:00

Here's Derek's double from last week's game. Of course I wasn't taping when he hit his homerun. Maybe next time!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T22:00:00.002-05:00

My Mom

She is a godly Christian woman. She is a wonderful listener and advice giver. She loves my dad more every day and has been a great example of what a wife should be. She is a loving Nana. She is the most patient person. God taught her patience by having 3 daughters in 5 years, the last daughter born with special needs.

Thank you mother for all you have done and continue to do for me. I love you more than words can say! Happy Mother's Day! Wish I could be there with you today.

My crush....

2008-05-06T17:34:00.004-05:00

Do you recognize my crush? He's the star of the free credit report commercials...and I really like him! I especially like the car commercial, but the other two are funny, too. I don't know how to paste the video from youtube or I would have, but I did link all 3 commercials for your viewing pleasure. These songs get stuck in my head and I will sing them for hours. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HksXMVhxdxY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXv0__CYSU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FspHU8hOxhY

Twins, new best friend, and rice cereal....oh my!

2008-05-03T22:28:00.003-05:00

Well, we always knew Derek looked like Kent, but here's proof. Amazing, isn't it! Kent's picture is from 2nd grade and the one of Derek was a few months ago at school. I love Derek's picture because of his missing teeth! I bought the whole package. I know...I'm a sucker :) Brylee has a new best friend. Meet Froggy. Apparently he is the funniest animal in the world. She will stare and smile at him and even give out a little coo. What a great friend! He just hangs around and is always there to talk to.
We also ventured into the world of solids this week. She did great. She took to it so much easier than the boys. And was diving for the spoon before it was all said and done.
We drove to Magnolia for pictures today. I'll let you know when the proofs are online so you can see them. She said it would be about 2 weeks. I'm so impatient. I want to see them now! We took family, just kids, mom and daughter, and just Brylee pictures. That's a lot for only a 30 minute time slot! I really can't wait to see them.

We're all healthy and happy here. It's going to be a busy next couple of weeks. Derek's ending up his school year. He's got field trips and field day and Kent's leaving for a week in Abilene next week!!! Not looking forward to that one! Keep us in your prayers as things are getting pretty hectic.

Contentment

2008-05-01T15:47:00.003-05:00

Right now I'm struggling with contentment. Our small groups are discussing this topic on Sunday nights, and the good Lord knew I needed a few lessons on it! I want a bigger house, I want a new van, I want an updated kitchen (if I'm having to stay in this house), and the list goes on. I'm having trouble deciding which things are wants and actual needs. My van is 10 years old with 130,000 miles. Understand... she is my baby. So many things do not work, but she's paid for and runs ok. The air is tempermental, the TAPE PLAYER (no cd's here) doesn't work, only one window will roll down properly, and again the list goes on. We are planning on doing some traveling this summer...will this van make it? Who knows!

I love the verse in Philippians 4 where Paul says he knows what it is to be content. I'm trying to learn. It seems I have seasons of contentment, but I apparently am not in one of those at the moment. I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband, healthy children, and a stable income. I have to remind myself of my blessing daily. God is good and thankfully patient with me.

Jumpy thingy

2008-04-24T19:04:00.003-05:00

Ok...I know the instructions say you have to be 6 months old and sit unassisted, but look at this face! Sorry it's almost been a week without a post. I've continued to read blogs, but haven't had much to say on mine. Life continues here.

TAGGED again!

2008-04-18T11:23:00.003-05:00

Thanks Dani for the tag. I'm supposed to list 7 random or weird things about myself. I know this will be the most interesting post I've ever written......HA! Feel free to just skim over it friends!

1. I am extremely claustrophobic. This has gotten worse as I'm getting older. Also, along with that is a fear of confinement. I truly hate this and have even been on meds to help. Crazy, I know!

2. I can't wait to work out at the gym again. Brylee has to be 3 months old before she can be kept in the nursery there. I could go when Kent gets home from work, but that is usually the first time our family is together for the day and I hate to run out for a couple hours. I lost around 40 lbs. when I started a couple years ago, but sad to say it's all back on since the pregnancy!

3. I love reading the newspaper every morning. I also watch the 6 o'clock news every night.

4. I am a hair schizophrenic. I am currently blond with a cute short hair cut. But who knows, in a few months I may be back to red!

5. I am not a good housekeeper. I actually hired someone to clean my house before Brylee was born. I think it all stems from having a bedroom in the basement while growing up. I never cleaned it and no one knew. Julie, on the other hand, had a room in the main hallway of the house, so she had to keep it clean. And she keeps a neat house, too!

6. During my 8th grade year I was voted Ms. Pocahontas Middle School. Look at the initials people! Ms. PMS! That's right folks, I was Ms. PMS. Kent reminds of that fact quite often.

7. My senior year of high school I tore my ACL while celebrating a close win in basketball during the regional tournament. So embarrassing!

I'm not going to tag anyone else. Chances are you've already been tagged anyway! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

All about Derek!

2008-04-09T20:46:00.004-05:00

I finally got Derek still enough to ask him some questions. He didn't think it was near as fun as Austin did!

Derek Michael Jobe was born July 11, 2000 in Mobile, Alabama. He is the smartest seven year old I know. He is a perfectionist and puts way more pressure on himself than we do. In fact, we try to downplay most things so he won't get stressed. He is your typical first born. He is a great leader, but doesn't like to be the center of attention. He has a soft, caring heart and is a great big brother. Derek is very athletic and likes to be outside. I love this boy so much. I can't wait to see what God has planned for his life.

What is your favorite color? Blue

What is your favorite sport? Basketball

Who is your fav. team? Cardinals (baseball)

What is your fav. food? Pizza

What is your fav. subject? Math

Do you have a girl friend? yah

Who is she? Nobody.......who is she?.....Lacey (giggling)

What do you want to be when you grow up? A basketball player

Who is your fav. Bible character? Jesus

Why? He's in all the stories

Favorite place to go? Chuck E. Cheese

Is there anything else you would like to say? no

He is a man of few words!!!!!

All Smiles!

2008-04-04T14:58:00.002-05:00

I finally captured the smile we've been seeing for a week or so. Isn't she precious! Also, I was all smiles when we came home from spring break to see this in Brylee's room. Ann said she wanted to come over and paint while we were gone, and boy am I glad she did. I absolutely love it. She's going to put Brylee's initials in the heart. Thanks Ann!

Catching up on the pictures

2008-03-31T13:36:00.002-05:00

This is a picture from the Monroe zoo. Kent and I took the kids on Good Friday. They had a great time. In Austin's hand is the map of the zoo. He directed our path and was a great leader.....hmmmm, sometimes I wonder what that little boy will be when he grows up. Annual decorating of eggs.
Easter Sunday.
Brylee and cousin Jarett on Easter. They're holding hands...so sweet!
Trip to Pokey.... Annual grandkids picture. This one actually turned out great.
From left to right...Brylee 6 weeks, Hailey 12 yrs., Derek 7 yrs., Austin 4 yrs., Jody 14 yrs., Jarett 4 months

Flood 2008

2008-03-30T21:21:00.002-05:00

Julie and I took off with the kids to Pocahontas for spring break. If you watch Fox News, Good Morning America, or The Weather Channel you might have seen our small town. The Black River completely flooded east and north Pocahontas. It was like nothing I've ever seen. We couldn't go up hwy. 67 into town because it was closed. So, we went around through a different town and had no problems. By Wednesday the water had receded and was off the highway. Dad gave us a tour of the flooded areas and farmland. It was crazy! I tried to put some pictures on here, but I couldn't get them to work. I've got more pictures from the zoo, Easter, and in Pocahontas, too. I'll put them on here soon. Back to school tomorrow! The boys really fought a lot this week. I am going to have to come up with something for them to do to keep me sane during the summer. Any ideas?

All about Austin!

2008-03-18T14:16:00.002-05:00

When Austin entered the world on February 9, 2004 our lives have never been the same. This bundle of joy is a constant source of entertainment and sometimes frustration all wrapped into one! He is so funny, but always into something. We like to call him TAZ. Here is an interview with Austin about himself.

What is your favorite color? Red and Blue
What is your favorite tv show? Curious George (maybe this is where he gets his ideas)
What is your favorite sport? Racing
Who is your favorite racer? "Can I pick a bunch?" Sure - Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth
What is your favorite thing about school? going home :)
What is your favorite food? "That's a good question, Marshmellows"
What do you do at church? go to class, play with puzzles
Do you ever get in trouble? not really -----HA
What is your favorite thing in your bedroom? cars
What's the silliest thing you've ever done? laugh
Who loves you? Ellie
Who are you going to marry? Caroline
What do you want to be when you grow up? Drum player
Was this fun? "Yeah, of course"

From early on he's been a character!

I love this boy even when I feel like I'm loosing it with him!

Austin William Jobe - 4 years old

Great big brother, wonderful son, comedian, and all around mess!

Momma loves you!

33 years old and 1 month

2008-03-13T12:24:00.002-05:00

Brylee was officially one month old on Tuesday and I officially turned 33 yesterday. Julie and I tried to get the babies pictures taken the other day and it was awful! Brylee was asleep, but when I got her out of the car seat she started crying and didn't stop. Needless to say, we didn't get any good pictures of her. Julie order 2 good poses of Jarett though. On Tuesday Brylee had a long awake and in a good mood time, so I took some pictures myself. We finally lost the umbilical cord on Sunday. Brylee took her first real bath on Monday. She loved it. I was so thankful because she was not a big fan of the sponge bath.
She loved the bath but hated being taken out of it.
Also, she has thrush. YUCK! She's on a medicine that the doctor said to put 1 drop of between her cheek and gum. That is easier said than done. So, as long as it gets in her mouth I count it a success! It is already looking better after 2 days on the meds.
As I look back on my 32nd year of life, a lot has happened. Kent's new job and leaving youth ministry, me back in the schools for awhile, new baby, and big boys getting even bigger! God is faithful and He has blessed me abundantly. For that I am so thankful and I am looking forward to what He has in store for me this year.

New Pictures

2008-03-11T14:07:00.003-05:00

Mom and Dad came down for Jason and Julie's first Sunday. Here's a picture with the grandkids. I sure wish Jody and Hailey were here for this!Our first family picture (except for the one from the hospital)
Brylee's Bootie!
Sisters and their babies
Daddy and Brylee. Look how sweet she is (and Kent, too)!

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-08T09:34:00.002-06:00

Yay!!!!!!! We have snow! Yesterday it snowed for several hours giving us about 3 inches of snow. The boys were in heaven. Derek's school let out at noon, so they had a full afternoon of playing outside.
Julie and Jarett on their first day in El Dorado. I told her not to get used to this weather. The last time we had a few inches of snow was when Austin was 5 days old!!
Brylee was not too thrilled to be out in the snow, but she had no choice :) Look at that poor, precious baby.
This picture is from last Sunday. Pretty in pink!

Sleep!

2008-03-06T07:54:00.003-06:00

I actually got to dream last night! Brylee had her best night of her life (all 23 days of it). She went to bed around 10:30 and stayed in her bassinet until 3:30 a.m. YAY! I fed her and we were back asleep around 4:15 and she stayed in her bed until 6:45 a.m. It feels good to have slept for consecutive hours :) It seems that everyone of her 23 nights have been different. So, my hopes are not up for tonight. I think church last night might have worn her out, so now let's hope moving in Jason and Julie will make her tired for tonight.

The Bakers are on their way today. Please pray for safe travel. Jason's driving the moving truck and pulling their car. Julie's driving Jason's old truck with the motorcycle in the back and pulling a small trailer and with a 3 1/2 month old in the truck with her!!!!! Bless her heart!

I love Saturdays!

2008-03-01T20:56:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Kent saw in the Democrat-Gazette that Ryan Newman's car was going to be in Arkadelphia today. Seeing that we had nothing on the calendar planned, we picked up this morning and headed north. It was a 1 1/2 hour drive to see "the car". We met up with Kent's folks for lunch and some lovin' on the baby time. Here are a few pics from the day.

I'm also throwing in some sweet pictures of Brylee sleeping. I LOVE this girl!

Look at that...

2008-02-28T09:37:00.004-06:00

head of hair! This is what most people say the first time they see Brylee. And I must say that I agree with them. Neither boy had anywhere near this much hair and DARK hair at that! It has been fun though getting to put bows in her hair. She doesn't like hats, so bows it is! Brylee and Kent play the stick-your-tongue-out game. She's not too into interacting just yet, but this keeps Kent pacified until she starts to smile. The boys voiced their opinion of Brylee the other day........"she's boring!" I assured them they would think differently in a few months!
This is my doctor. I took Brylee with me to the appointment last week. I wanted to get a picture of them together.
Hope everyone is having a good week. I am slowly getting back in the swing of things. I took Brylee in for her 2 week check up yesterday. She is a 1/2 oz. over her birth weight. I don't know what she weighed when we left the hospital, but I'm glad to know she's getting enough to eat. She did great having a bright light in her eyes, ears, nose and throat. This little girl is so much more passive than the boys were. Don't get me wrong. She does her share of crying, but nothing like her siblings. I guess the third child just instinctively knows how to go with the flow!

Our Weekend

2008-02-24T22:37:00.004-06:00

We enjoyed a great weekend. Here's a recap of all that went on...

Derek lost his third tooth.

Kent took the boys to the Monster truck show in Monroe on Friday night. The boys have been so great adjusting to Brylee, so we thought a "boys night out" was the perfect thing for them. They had a blast! I only included one picture, but I think Derek took about 50.

Love this picture! Brylee and daddy caught a nap on Saturday afternoon.

And this morning Brylee and I ventured out to church for the first time. As you can see from her screaming face, she did not like the dress. I think she's saying..."What is going on? Where are my comfortable sleepers I'm used to? I hate this scratchy dress!" But look how beautiful she is. I kept her swaddled the whole church service, so no one really got to see the beautiful scratchy dress!

We did survive however. She started crying during communion so I spent the rest of the service in the "cry room" and walking around in the back. We were both worn out when we got home, so we took a good long nap together.

It felt good to get dressed, do my hair, and put on a little make-up. I can drive now, so we may be getting out more. However, there is something to be said for just staying in your comfortable sleepers and at home as long as possible!

Another new cousin!

2008-02-20T14:28:00.002-06:00

Introducing the newest member of the Jobe family.........Andrew Ryan Jobe. Proud parents are Bryan and Emily and big sister Amelia. Andrew was born yesterday morning. He weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 inches long. As far as I know everything went good. They live in Michigan, so we probably won't get to see him until this spring or summer. I can't wait for Brylee, Austin, and Derek to meet thier new cousin. Congratulations Bryan and Emily. He is precious!

Latest happenings...

2008-02-18T20:31:00.002-06:00

Well, everyone is gone. Tonight is the first night it's just the five of us. Charlie and Lesa left on Thursday. Dad and the Bakers left on Saturday and Mom flew home this morning. I was sad to see them all leave, but they'll be back soon. The Bakers move here on March 6th. Charlie and Lesa were so much help while I was in the hospital. They held down the fort and even kept sick Austin home on Wednesday. Mom was a HUGE help getting adjusted to having Brylee home. She kept the dishes and clothes clean and helped keep the boys in line (no easy task there!). Now it's back to the real world. I went to the doctor today and got my staples out. It didn't hurt near as bad as I thought it would. I can start driving as soon as I stop the pain pills. I think I only have 10 left, so it won't be long.

The boys are adjusting well to having a baby in the house. Austin is acting like a textbook middle child. Tantrums over nothing, not that he didn't do this before the baby :) He is really sweet with Brylee and loves holding her. Derek is so big. He picks her up if she's crying and soothes her like a pro. The picture below is of my brother in laws cows. The calf up front is special. From the time is was born he has had a mind of his own. Most calves stay close to mom, not this one. He runs and plays, not caring if mom is around. Guess what Joe named this precious little one......AUSTIN! Austin was so proud. He can't wait to go to Pocahontas and meet "Austin" face to face.
I don't know if you watch NASCAR, but we have a middle child who LOVES it. Two years ago I probably couldn't tell you 2 drivers. But now I can name numerous drivers and their sponsors and teammates......crazy! Last night Austin's favorite driver, Ryan Newman, won the Daytona 500. He has been his favorite for a year and a half or so and we have never seen him win. I was so excited when he crossed the finish line. The boys had already left for church, so I called Kent and told him the good news. He passed the information on to Austin. It makes me laugh at how excited our whole family was and still is over this race. YAY, RYAN NEWMAN!
Here's Nana and Poppa with thier two newest grandkids. We had so much fun playing with Jarett. He's 3 months old and loves to laugh. I'm so happy we'll get to see him grow up.
And last, mom the human bed. I'm just so soft and cuddly. Brylee on one side, Austin on the other. I was in heaven!

Mother of Three

2008-02-16T16:18:00.003-06:00

What a week! I'm so proud of Kent for posting on Tuesday. He did a great job! Yes, Monday night was terrible. The morphine was doing crazy things with my brain by around 4 a.m. For some reason the nurse could not get it through her head that I wanted off the pump and didn't want to be put back on. She kept saying that she could hook it back up and I kept saying NO, just give me pain pills. So she did. By late morning Tuesday I was feeling like my old self again and it's been all good since then. I'm still taking my painkillers every 3-4 hours though. I got out of the house yesterday to look at a house Jason and Julie were interested in. I'm not sure I posted it on here but, Jason is our new youth minister at church. He, Julie and Jarett will be moving to El Dorado in 3 weeks! Yay! Brylee and Jarett will be in bible class together, how fun! Now to Miss Brylee. She is precious and tiny! Even the newborn clothes are big. Here are a few of our latest pictures. Enjoy!

Brylee Rebecca

2008-02-12T07:57:00.000-06:00

We are pleased to announce that Brylee Rebecca was born yesterday morning (Monday, February 11th) at 12:45 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Cara is doing fine, but is having some pain with her incision as you might expect. She had a rough night, but hopes to have a better day.

Brylee on the other hand is a sleeper. She loves to be cuddled and has been pretty easy to please (so far). We really haven't figured out who she looks like yet, but she has features of all of us.

That's all the news I have right now. My parents are here watching the boys until Thursday and so I came home long enough this morning to take a shower and send pictures.

I'm sure that Cara will be blogging on Thurs. when we come home from the hospital. Continue to keep all of us in your prayers. We are truly blessed.

Kent

Brylee's shower and weekend plans

2008-02-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

My wonderful friends and hostesses...Jennifer and Loren Rhodes, Magen Parker, Tina and Lacey Newsom, and Robbie Newsom.
Look at all the goodies!!!!!!!

We had a GREAT shower given to us by our wonderful church family, especially since this is baby #3! I was overwhelmed with pink. I think everyone is just as excited as we are that this is a girl.

Our plans tonight are to order in pizza and just hang out. Tomorrow is Austin's 4th birthday. We are having his party at the bowling alley from 2-4. Sunday is our annual sweetheart banquet for our primetimers (retired members) at church and our camp reunion! With that busy of a weekend, I know it will go fast. Kent's parents are coming in for the party and then back on Monday morning. They only live 2 hrs. away. Mom and Dad are coming Sunday afternoon and staying the night to be here on Monday.

I am hoping that our hospital has wireless internet so I can post pictures soon of Miss Brylee. But if not, either you'll have to wait until I get home, or Kent can try his hand at blogging :) We'll have to wait and see!

by the way...my spell check is not working for some reason today, so forgive any misspelled words.
Love you all...........

Last Doctor's visit!

2008-02-07T11:07:00.000-06:00

Well, today was it. I'm really sad, too. I love my doctor and nurses and I'm going to miss seeing them so often. Today at the appointment we just talked about what is going to happen on Monday. I reminded her about my anxiety being tied down and the sheet over my face. She made a note of it on my paperwork. So hopefully all of that will go smoothly. She gave me different senarios if I do start to have a panic attack during the delivery. Pray that I don't. I go to the Women's Center at 10 am on Monday and we should have a baby soon after 12 noon. I'll keep you posted!

Pregnancy dreams

2008-02-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

For those of you that have been pregnant.......did you have the strangest dreams? The weirdest one so far with this precious being was the other night. I dreamt that my baby fell from my belly into my right thigh. I know......crazy! So, I'm walking around town with my baby inside my leg and it's no big deal. HA

Last night I dreamt that we had a boy! I was devestated! Crying........sobbing. I woke up and told Kent. He proceeds to say..."Ya know, we do need a plan B if she does turn out to be a he". So, we talked about a few names and didn't come with any. In reality, I would be shocked if this little one turns out to be a boy. But I don't think I would be as devestated as I was in my dream. We have given all the boys clothes away though, so we'd be starting from scratch with a pink room!

If you did have crazy dreams during pregnancy, what is your strangest one?

Good Grief!!!!!!!!

2008-01-31T14:51:00.000-06:00

I wanted to change my background and somehow deleted all my links! Give me a little while and I'll try to get them back up! Also, you all could make a comment and I could have your blog adddress easier, too!

Doctor's visit

2008-01-31T10:41:00.000-06:00

Well, we have a change of plans! We moved Brylee's birthday up to February 11. I've been feeling a lot of pressure and pain down lower on my belly lately. That's because she is SO LOW! I'm not dilated at all and my cervix is closed. But the doctor asked if I felt like I was sitting on her head! I measured at 36 weeks (which is what I am). The reason for the decrease from 2 weeks ago is because she has moved so far down in the pelvis. We are so excited that she'll be here in 11 days! I've got a lot to do during this week and a half. Austin's birthday is the 9th and we are having his party at the bowling ally on that Saturday.

I hope the weather is good where you are. We've just had a lot of rain today. But I know some of you are getting worse weather than that. Well, I'm off to change over the laundry. Until next time............

Update

2008-01-30T08:55:00.000-06:00

We had a great weekend! Jason and Julie came up for a visit and I got some great cuddle time with Jarett. I go to the doctor tomorrow. Not sure what she'll say when I measure full term :)
I am so uncomfortable, not sleeping, and extremely tired. Ya know......everything that comes with the last month of pregnancy. I am SO ready! If she moves up my date, that would be great! If not, I have 19 days left until we see her precious face. Either way I'll make it. Mom and Dad are coming for my shower this weekend. Mom sent some shirts my way.....thanks! It's nice to have a couple that actually fit! I'll post tomorrow about my appointment.

Progress!

2008-01-24T20:00:00.001-06:00

My friend Ann began painting today! I am so excited. She is so creative and has some really cute ideas for all around the room. She had 3 boys, so getting to do a girly room is so fun for her. I thought I'd give you a sneak-peak of what she did today. I saw some cute big brother shirts online the other day, but they were too expensive. I went to our local sports store and they had just what I wanted and cheaper. Here are 2 pictures of the boys shirts. The front has "Big Brother '08" and the back is just their name. The boys love them and I think Austin plans to wear his to school tomorrow :)

Tah-Dah!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-19T14:20:00.001-06:00

Here it is!!!!! Sorry my head is cut off, but the 7 year old photographer did the best he could :) All my shirts fit tight, as you can imagine. Not sure what I'll be wearing to church tomorrow! And I still have 4 weeks to go! God help me!

Doctor's appointment

2008-01-18T22:33:00.000-06:00

Kent and I went for my appointment yesterday. Everything is good and now I'm measuring 3 weeks farther along than I really am!!!!!!! She said Brylee isn't engaged yet and is making the most of her space in my belly. I have a feeling she's going to be BIG! Dr. Watson said if she was down farther in the pelvis it would be cause for concern, but since she's not...no big deal. I go back in 2 weeks and then every week following. I truly can't believe this pregnancy is coming to an end. I really have tried to enjoy it, but right now I just feel like a huge cow! :) So, I got my hair done today. I swear I'm a hair schizophrenic with cuts and color. In the past 14 months I've been a red head, brunette, and now I'm back to blonde! I've grown out my hair, layered my hair, and now it's short again. Maybe I'll post a pic of the big belly and new hair for you viewing pleasure.

Opinions please!

2008-01-14T22:19:00.000-06:00

Here's my top 6 picks for the scripture in Brylee's room. Which do you like best?

Numbers 6:24-25 (New Living Translation)
24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

Numbers 6:24-25 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
24 The LORD bless you and protect you; (A)
25 the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; (B)

Psalm 127:3 (New Living Translation)
3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him

Psalm 139:14 (English Standard Version)
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made

Psalm 106
1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 17:8 (New International Version)
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

Nursery Pictures

2008-01-12T20:54:00.001-06:00

Today was a marathon work day at the Jobe house. We painted and painted some more, went to Wal-Mart for supplies and then painted some more! Finally, we are pretty much finished with this little girl's nursery! The only thing left is for my friend Ann to come over and paint daisies and other cute things on the wall. I'm also going to paint a scripture (which one is yet to be determined) on the green stripe above the window. The crib we've used since Derek actually was used by my nephew and niece, too. Sorry, Jarett! The bench under the window was at my house in Pocahontas for years. I think Shanna's stuffed animals used to be on it. Then Hailey got it and now Brylee! The tall chest of drawers was mine when I was a little girl. So, this room is full of nostalgic furniture.

I got the crib bedding from Target. So cute and so affordable!
I need opinions here! Should I paint green polka dots on the letters to make it stand out better?

So now I can breathe a little easier knowing this is pretty much finished just in case she makes her arrival early.

Cotton Bowl, Painting, and Angelina????????

2008-01-08T16:43:00.000-06:00

Here's an update on what's going on around here. Kent and Derek went to the Cotton Bowl with the rest of my family. I was afraid to go and now I'm so glad I didn't! Plus, it was a great time for just Derek and Kent! We are finally getting around to painting Austin's old room for Brylee. The first thing to do was paint the walls. We had to get one more picture of Austin's train. He was so excited to help us paint, he wasn't near as sad as I thought he would be about painting over it. The boys wanted to paint so badly! It really tested our patience, but we got it finished, only after both boys had kilz (sp) head to toe (literally)! Austin stepped in the paint holder tin! What a mess! Now the room is pale pink. We are painting the trim and a light green stripe under the molding tonight. I'll post a picture of it soon.

ANGELINA????????? Nope, it's Derek! Derek came in the living room last night looking like this. My first thought was what has he had that is causing an allergic reaction? After freaking out for the first 5-10 seconds, he explained what happened. He was sucking on one of those plastic cheap toy holders that you get out of the 25 cent machines!!!!!!!! So then, Kent and I proceed to laugh so hard that we're crying, which then freaks Derek out and he starts crying! It's really amamzing how big lips change a person's face (Meg Ryan, for example). We put a cold pack on him and I promised him if they were still swollen this morning he wouldn't have to go to school. So, this morning he woke up to immediately look in the mirror. The swelling has mostly gone down, but now they hurt. I think he really bruised them good. He went to school reluctantly, but thankfully none of the kids said anything to him! I'm so glad I took a picture last night. This will be a memory we will laugh at for quite a while!!!!!!!

So happy!

2008-01-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

Can you see my glowing face from where you are? Today was the first day back to school. Kent took Derek at 7:45 a.m. and as I was drying my hair at 8:15 a.m. , I just smiled to myself! I'm not in the classroom! Hallelujah! I took Austin to school at 8:30, ran a few errands, went to Wal-Mart (by the way, it was not busy at all at 9:15), and went to the church to do some ladies ministry stuff. I had a doctor's visit at 10:20. Her first questions was, "Are you so happy to not be working?" I said, "Can you see my glow from outside the door?" She said she thought of me as she was getting her kids off to school this morning.

Everything baby wise is good. I am 32 weeks and 3 days along, but I'm measuring 34 weeks. She didn't seem concerned and didn't say anything about moving the date. I go back in 2 weeks and from there it will be every week.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. I can't believe it's 2008. I've been out of high school for 15 years!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-29T14:34:00.000-06:00

Razorback game at Alltel Arena.
Making cookies for Santa!
Digging through their stockings.
Four generations on both sides of the family! From L to R: Me, Austin, Mom, Nanny (Willodine Peterson), Mom Wilson (Ruby Wilson), Derek, and Dad
All the grandkids: Derek, Jody, Jarett, Austin, and Hailey. By the way, we'll need a new one of these in about 7 weeks!!!!!!!!

We got back yesterday from Pocahontas. We had an awesome week there! First, on our way up we stopped in Little Rock to watch the Hogs get beat by Appalachian State. Although we lost, we had great seats and I had so much fun watching the boys in that setting! Calling the hogs was a highlight for Derek. The band was the highlight for Austin. We spent Saturday night through Thursday night at mom and dad's. We had a great Christmas. Austin said, "Santa is a good man because he got me everything I wanted!". Derek got a PS2 and we didn't see much of him after it was plugged in in Dad's office. The office became affectionatley known as the "man cave" after that. If a man/boy was missing during the day, chances were they were in the "man cave" playing the PS2. We had over 30 for lunch on Christmas Day. Mom did a great job cooking. It's not often we get to stay so long for a visit, but I'm so glad it worked out this year. I truly love my family and wish I could see them more often!

Tagged!

2007-12-19T20:44:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Terry for the tag! Love you!

1. Wrapping or gift bags? wrap (no bows, they flatten as we travel.)
2. Real or artificial tree? Artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? right around Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? after new years
5. Do you like eggnog? No.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My African American cabbage patch doll
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of anythin
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail
10. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story
11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Day after Thanksgiving @ 5 a.m.
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge
13. Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear
14. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel
16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes
17. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? half and half.
19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? the crowds
20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? No, we use all the kids homemade oranments and the ones they pick out every year
21. What do you leave for Santa? milk and cookies.
22. Least favorite holiday song? not sure.
23. Favorite ornament? this year it's my "pregnant mom" ornament my friend Tina gave me as a gag gift

I don't plan on tagging anyone, but copy and paste if you would like to do it! We are leaving for Little Rock on Saturday to see the Hogs play and then we're off to Pocahontas until after Christmas! Yea!!!!!! Christmas break is finally here!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-11T19:25:00.001-06:00

We had our Christmas/Maternity pictures taken today by a friend at church. Austin wasn't too cooperative and I'm not sure what is up with Derek's new smile! She did capture some good ones that will work for the annual Christmas card and some for the baby's book. If you would like to see more go to lairdphotography.smugmug.com Then go to proofs Jobe
Our password is: baby

Update

2007-12-07T19:35:00.000-06:00

I went to the doctor yesterday. Everything was good. I had my sugar test, heard the heartbeat, and scheduled February 18th as Brylee's birthday (that is unless she wants to come earlier). Someone at school this week was asking about the nursery. When I said I hadn't even started, they couldn't believe it. So, I tried to explain that right now I'm just trying to survive until Christmas break. Then I'll have 8 1/2 weeks to get things just the way I want them! I am counting the days until break people! 8!

Quick trip to TX

2007-12-02T22:41:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the newest addition to the family. Jarett is SO sweet and Austin was great with him. We had a quick, but great visit with the fam!

Jarett Wilson Baker

2007-11-29T22:20:00.000-06:00

Baby Jarett entered the world around noon today. Julie and baby are doing great. There was some concern with Julie early on, but she's doing fine now. Austin and I are leaving for TX early in the morning. I'll post some pics when we return. Congratulations Jason and Julie!

Funny Prayer

2007-11-26T19:04:00.001-06:00

Derek prayed tonight at dinner. He first prayed for the food and then proceeded to pray for Houston Nutt! He prayed that he would find a good job, but that the Hogs would beat his team if we played them!!!!!! I kept my laugh inside.

Doctor's appointment

2007-11-15T21:43:00.000-06:00

I went to the doctor today. Everything is going fine. Her heartbeat sounded great. My veins hurt, but the support hose really help. I go back in 3 weeks and do the sugar test. YUCK! We talked about scheduling the date for the c-section. Nothing's set yet, but we're looking at February 18 (Monday) or the 20th (Wednesday). I'll schedule it for sure when I go back on Dec. 6th. By the way, we have settled on a name.........Brylee Rebecca Jobe! Mom had 3 girls and didn't name any of us after her. So here ya go Nana, Rebecca's just for you!

Things are good at work. But, man.....I'm ready for my extra 3 days off next week. Hopefully, we'll be heading to TX soon to see my new nephew. No pressure Julie! This is the first year ever that we don't have Thanksgiving plans. Kent and I talked about it tonight, and with gas over $3 and a trip to TX soon, we may stay put here in El Do. Who knows?!?

Frazzled!

2007-11-08T16:19:00.000-06:00

Do you ever feel like a frazzled female? Lately that's how I've been describing myself. Between full time teaching, being a mom (of sick kids) and wife, being 6 months pregnant, job change for Kent, and still having my own responsibilities at church..........I'm frazzled! Thank God for His unconditional love and grace. I can't imagine going through all of this not being a Christian!

Trunk or Treat

2007-10-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

My little Harding baseball player and Tony Stewart.
Dale and Tony together again!
Derek balloon popping.
Austin goal kicking.
Kent with 2 captain underpants, supergirl, batgirl, and cavewoman

We had our annual "trunk or treat" at church this afternoon. Kent and I disappointed several people by not dressing up. That has been our tradition the last few years, but we couldn't think of anything. Really, I thought a pregnant nun and a preist would be funny, but Kent didn't think that was appropriate...but it would have been stinkin' hillarious! The boys got so much candy, so it's back to the 2 pieces of candy a day rule.

Tomorrow I will be 23 weeks along. She is the calmest thing. Sometimes it concerns me that I don't feel her very often, but then she'll make her presence known with a little kick. I'm really curious to see how she will be as an infant outside my tummy. Kent and I have narrowed our list of names down. Well...Kent doesn't like all of these, just a few. Let me know what you think. Brylee, Julianne, Jenna, Chaney, and Kylie.

Hope everyone has a great week! I've only got 30 more days as a teacher. I'm ready to stay home and get things organized here for this little girl.

Weekend in Texas

2007-10-25T21:15:00.001-05:00

Julie and I posing "belly to belly" outside of her house.
Mom and Dad to be!
Momma and her two pregos!

Jason and Julie had the ladies vote on their favorite name. They have had the hardest time deciding on a name. Finally, tonight, I got the call! His name is Jarett Wilson Baker. Fine choice Jason and Julie!

What a day!

2007-10-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

It doesn't get much better than today! God is good! We are having a healthy baby GIRL, Derek played a great soccer game, I made the cutest scrapbook calendar at our ladies night, and Derek lost his first 2 teeth........yes 2!

As you can see the ultrasound pics aren't so good. I took them with my camera from the shiny, originals. First, is Derek's new smile. Then, the next 2 are of HER face. HER left hand is by HER head. The second one is a little better than the first one. You may be able to distinguish the face better. Next, two femurs and no wee wee :). And last, the arrow is pointing to the all important 3 lines that mean GIRL!

At the ultrasound, it was so funny. Derek has been saying girl for the longest and of course, Austin wanted a boy. So, when Dr. Watson said it was a girl, Austin hit the table with his fist and then was in a bad mood for several hours to follow. I don't think it was so much the girl part, but that Derek was right and he was wrong! I told him he could help me name her and that helped the attitude a little :)

I came home around 9:30 p.m. from our ladies night and Derek was awake and said his bottom teeth hurt. Now, I have tried at least 10 times to pull this stubborn tooth. I told him it needed to come out tonight! I tried 4 times and it finally came out!!!!!!! YAY! Then the tooth that was beside it scooted over to the middle immediately and became extremely loose. I told Derek I thought he could pull this one on his own.........and he did! So, right now, under his pillow, in a baggie, are 2 sweet little teeth. He also put 2 suckers in there for the Tooth Fairy!

It has been a great day! I'm going to TX tomorrow with mom to go to Julie's baby shower! I'll post pics of the two pregnant sisters soon!