KC, KK Birthday and H's 1st swim!

Hadlea and I left out on Friday afternoon for Kansas City, MO. The trip up there was questionable! I left around 2PM because she normally takes a nap around then. She slept until Joplin, which is about 2 hours, but we had 2 hours left to drive!! :) We had to stop 3 times, which isn't too bad, but I knew then, we would be leaving bright and early Monday morning to drive home when she was still sleeping!

Friday evening, we just laid around the house and the girls played with Hadlea. She wasn't in a great mood, but I think it was from the drive. She just wasn't happy! :) Saturday, we got up to a sweet girl's birthday! Kennedy turned 6 years old! I met Shannan, Mike and KK when KK was 2 years old. It just does not seem possible! When Justin and I moved into the house we are in now, they were our neighbors, right next door. Justin and Mike talked right away, but I didn't meet Shannan for a couple of months. Since meeting them, they have become lifelong friends. Not very often do you get friends where the husbands and wives are friends, and it is something very special. I wish there were words to describe what good people they are, but there is not...but it is why I made Shannan Hadlea's Godmother. She has one of the biggest hearts you will ever see. She would literally give you the shirt off of her back, if you needed it. But on to the weekend...Saturday when we woke up, Shannan made pink Mickey Mouse pancakes and Kennedy opened the gift from us...

We got her a purse from the Justice for Girls store. Justice happens to be their last name and KK loves all of her stuff to say Justice! Ha! KK is the girliest girl I have ever met in my life! She LOVES anything that sparkles and prefers dresses! We also got her this K necklace, a wallet that Justin put money in and some other fun jewelry!

Candles in her pancakes! :) They are having her cake and official birthday party next weekend. Mike is doing a 2 month round at a hospital in TN, and he will be home for good next weekend. The party is going to be SO cute. Shannan always goes way out for the birthdays!

And Brynlee said it was her birthday too! She will be 3 in June so 3 candles it is...

Brynlee later wanted to try out the bumbo!

After breakfast we got ready and headed to the mall. The girls are always so good!

After the mall, Shannan had made an appointment at Sugar and Spice for KK and B. This is a children's salon where you can get mani's, pedi's, haircuts, up do's, etc. You can have party's there for your girls. They have it all...dress up clothes, even robes for spas! It was too adorable! And something I cannot wait to do with Hadlea one day!

This little thing was so good! She played with her Aunt Shan, hung out in a chair and later fell asleep!

After getting all fixed up, we headed out to eat!

 When we got home, Shannan had a scavenger hunt for Kennedy for her birthday presents. She was only getting a couple of them since she will get the rest at her party next weekend! This was so fun! The girls just ran around the house laughing. This brought back so many memories as this is what my parents did for me when I turned 16 and got my car! They sent me on a hunt for my keys...and I didn't even know what I was looking for, more or less, for car keys!  

Sunday morning we woke up and spent the day playing! We were lazy all day and it was great just to spend time with the girls! H loved this jumper!

They even sang songs to Hadlea!

Later in the afternoon, we got around and went swimming! Shannan had said something before about going so I had to search for the cutest first swimsuit for Hadlea! But first, every girl needs a cute cover-up!

And the sweet girls first swimsuit! She actually has two, but the other one is still too big! It is a bikini! Ha!

It was a great weekend and always goes too fast! We are never there or together long enough! Hadlea, Berk and I got up at 6am and left to head home on Monday. Hadlea slept until we got into Tulsa, which was AWESOME! Made for a fast trip! Justin came home a little early too. I think he missed the 3 of us! And boy did she miss her daddy! It just melted my heart! She would NOT take her eyes off of him all night long!

behind and catching up...

I am so far behind on blogging and catching up with the rest of your blogs! I cannot even remember the last time I set down to read blogs! And I am SO missing them! :) Since Cody's accident, I think I have changed my perspectives a little bit...I used to blog at night after Hadlea went to bed, but lately, I have been hanging out with Justin. We always try to watch a show or something on TV before we go to bed. We also talk and catch up on the day. Justin and I have the 'strangest' relationship. We LOVE to give each other a hard time. If anyone is at our house, they normally think we are being serious or arguing, but I truly think that is why we get along so well. We don't take each other too serious! Justin is just so funny, and I love to spend time with him. I am so glad I am going back to spending more time with him at night. I know some blogs don't take but a couple of minutes to write, but I always go through the photos and maybe photoshop some of them so it can always take a while to post. There will be some nights when I do post at night, but more than anything, I want to spend more time with him.

Anyway, Hadlea and I went to Kansas City for the weekend while Justin fished his tournament. They caught a limit of fish, but no placing! Boo! I am so ready for him to bring home that winning check! Ha! The weekend was SO busy. I will post about it tomorrow, but now...I am off to catch up with others! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Oh...and we started feeding H sweet potatoes mixed in with her cereal! I was about to go out of my mind feeding her cereal as she wanted nothing to do with it. The doctor said not to feed her fruits or vegetables until she was closer to 6 months, but I took it upon myself to try! A week or so ago I gave her a bite of green beans, nope! then a couple days later, peas, nope! then a couple days later, peaches, nope! and then sweet potatoes, PLEASE! She is eating a little more than a tablespoon of sweet potatoes mixed with a tablespoon of cereal and finishing every last bite! We even got out her high chair! At first we didn't put on the tray, but that changed FAST! She was trying to stick her toes in her mouth between bites! Ha! Justin and I were cracking up at her and then she would laugh back at us! Oh the simple memories we make daily with Hadlea! She melts my little heart with each new thing she does in life! I am so proud to be her mommy! :)

wife of the year?!

I sure think so, and so does my husband!

Sorry...long post! :)

When Justin bought his first fishing boat a few years ago, he wanted to start tournament fishing. I had no problem with it, but it turns out that people make a living doing just that, fishing tournaments. I had no idea the money you could make, but I also had no idea the time people put into getting ready for a tournament. Justin is fishing a tour this year, the American Rodsmith Tour. He has a tournament every month through September. And then atleast one other weekend a month, he goes and pre-fishes whatever lake they will be going to that month. Each month they fish a different lake. So...to sum it all up, two weekends a month are devoted to fishing right now. I, at first, thought he was crazy and I told him no way was he doing all of that. But fishing is his passion. He works hard to make a living for our family. He has given up other things or sold things to pay for his gas or equipment so it doesn't come out of our personal account. He has also been asked to fish other tournaments or go fish with friends on other days that he has turned down to be with Hadlea and I. And I never once asked him to do it. Justin is my very best friend and I have no doubt that he is my soul mate. God definitely knew what he was doing when he put us together. Justin makes me smile and laugh every day. He helps around the house...cleans, does laundry, gets up in the middle of the night with H. I know not all girls are as lucky as I am. It is such a good feeling to know someone loves you unconditionally. And the feelings are SO mutual! So...I thought and thought about what I could do for Justin. I wanted it to be special and something he would remember or have forever. So I did what any other crazy fisherman's wife would do, I emailed his favorite fisherman from the Bassmasters, Fred Roumbanis. Now remember, to him, these guys are like my Troy Aikman. I will one day meet Troy Aikman and probably be the stupid little fan that passes out or cries. These guys make millions...fishing tournaments! I googled his name one day and found his website. He has a place where you can write and ask fishing questions. But not this wife! Nope, I asked him if he would take Justin on a guided day fish or just a day on the lake. I did however, tell him what a wonderful husband/father he was and how much he had given up to be with Hadlea and I. I even said something along the lines that I know how busy they are traveling 10 months out of the year and if the email never got answered, it was fine. But you never know without taking the chance! And oh did I ever get a response!! Not only did I get a response, I got it from the guy's wife....

Heather,

I am Fred's wife, Julie. I was checking emails for Fred since he is out on the water. The "Blue Ridge Brawl" starts tomorrow here in Moneta, VA at Smith Mtn Lake for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

First, let me say that as a devoted fisherman's wife and mother of a young son, I was truly touched by your email. It actually brough tears to my eyes... the fact that you want to contribute to his passion, instead of letting it be a burden (which is easy to do with a new baby.) We are fortunate to be able to travel full time with Fred, and have done so since Jackson was 3 weeks old. People ask me all the time if it is hard to stay supportive when Fred is always, always on the water fishing. And my answer is this: So many people live their lives without a true passion. God has blessed Fred with one that he was able to build a life around, and I am blessed just to be a part of it.

Fred would definately be interested in a personal fishing trip with your husband. It would have to be sometime after our season ends mid June. After this tournament, I will talk to Fred about it and see if we can get something scheduled.

We'll be in touch!

I really cannot believe that I got an email back, but actually, I cannot believe I even read it. It happened to go into my junk mail and I NEVER read my junk mail, but for some reason, I opened it yesterday and seen the email. It just kind of made me laugh! I would share the email I sent, but I am pretty sure you all would think I was nuts! I tried not to sound all crazy! Ha!

Anyway, Justin and I went to Arkansas to watch the Bassmasters weigh-in last year and we met Fred and his family. Here are Berk and I with Fred and his son, Jackson.

I was going to try to keep this a secret until May 13, his birthday, but seeing how I am not any good at secrets with him, I told him last night. If I could have bottled up that smile as I read both emails, I would have...and I would have looked it at every day for the rest of my life! I know he was very surprised. Seeing how I have no interest in fishing, he said he didn't ever think I would do anything like that. I told him I would hold this over his head until it happened and that he better do exactly what I say or I will not make it happen! Ha! But, of course, I am only kidding! I cannot wait for the day it happens...and you will hear all about it here!

On another note:

If you haven't checked on Cody Joe lately, go here. Cody is walking, wispering, smiling, hugging...Cody is a miracle! He has a long road ahead of him. These small steps are milestones on his way to a full recovery! Thank you for your prayers and praise to Him. God is so good...in so many different ways!

high maintenance ...

My cousin, Michele, got Hadlea this shirt at Christmas that says, "Warning: High Maintenance". I am pretty sure truer words have never been spoken! Ha! This girl LOVES attention!

And if you give it to her, you will get the biggest smile.

Or maybe just a cute little grin...even with a little finger in the mouth! :)

Don't mind if I do...

prayers, praise and a wedding reception!

The last week has been filled with more emotions than I ever thought possible! Sometimes I think I would cry not knowing if they were tears of happiness or sadness. It could possibly be because I haven't had more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep in a night in the last few weeks, but as I go to bed every night and prayer, I end up thinking so much that I can never just rest! But I am completely okay with that. I know one of these days Cody will be healed and get to come home. We will continue to pray for him, for others, and praise Him for His miracles, but right now, all I can do is pray. Even if that means losing sleep!

I took off of work on Friday and went to Oklahoma City to see Jennifer. My parents met me at the hospital so they could watch Hadlea. I think I cried half-way to OKC, which is about an hour and a half. I think I expected to walk in the waiting room and see pain, see sad faces, see much more than I was ready to face. I was COMPLETELY wrong! I know Jennifer and her family are experiencing more pain than they ever imagined they could possibly face, but because of their faith, they are in the best of spirits. I got to see Cody. It was hard. But it let me know what I needed to pray for. He looked so much better than I had imagined. It let me know that Cody was there. God is not taking him anywhere. It will just be with His time that Cody will be healed. As my parents were leaving, Cody's mom said that there was only one person that she would let take Cody and that was God. She made a statement about fighting for him and holding onto the bed sheets and wasn't ready to let go, but if he needed to go, then she knew God was the right person to take him. I think I stopped breathing. This family is a true testament and an example of what faith and prayer can do. They are definitely the strongest people I have ever met, and I feel blessed to be a part of this journey. Before I left on Friday evening, they got the news that Cody's heart was healthy. Again...I think I stopped breathing. There were hugs and LOTS of happy tears. We praised God for answering our prayers. Alicia, Cody's mom, again gave the most encouraging words. But....wasn't I supposed to be there to give them encouragement?! Wasn't I supposed to be the one there to keep reminding them of Him?! And how they should stay strong?! And how He can perform miracles and not to worry?! I think I have learned more from Cody's journey than I have in my other 28 years of life. I will never forget what they are going through and I know Cody's story is changing people's lives everywhere. I know people will find Jesus because of this. I know I will continue to look at my faith for Him in a different light now! And I hope you do too!

Friday evening I went onto my parents, which is another hour and half drive. I was driving alone and thinking about my family and friends. I also thought about others that do not have a great support system and how hard it is to fight battles alone. Or I assume it is. I am so blessed that I truly do not know what it is like to be alone. I have an amazing husband that loves me. I have the best family in the world. And some close friends that I can rely on at anytime. My life is so good. There really are not enough words to describe it!

On Saturday Hadlea and I hung out at my moms. We had a wedding reception to go to that evening. My mom was trying to pick out an outfit for Hadlea to wear so we had a little mini dressup session. She HATES to be changed. She HATES anything over her head. Thankfully she was in a good mood! I bought this sweet dress the other day on our little shopping spree! It is SO adorable!

Doug and Cat were married last month in Vegas. I wasn't able to go because of work. Cat is one of my very best friends from high school. Their daughter, Katelyn, is my Goddaughter. I was so happy we made it to the reception. Justin was supposed to go with us, but since I took off on Friday and left for OKC, he wasn't able to make it. He went fishing instead, what else!? :) Here is the sweet couple cutting their cake!

And my sweet baby girl and me! My fav pic of us to date!

Grammie and Hadlea

Grammie, Grampie and Hadlea

Grampie, Me and Hadlea

My cousin Amanda, her son, Jake and Hadlea and I

(Amanda and I think Jake and H looked alike when they were born. I need to get some pictures up to compare. Amanda's mom, Paula, and my dad are brother and sister. Everyone at family reunions thought I was Paul's daughter growing up...so needles to say, everyone always thought Amanda and I were sisters.)

Amanda, Jake, Catherine, Kate, Hadlea and I

Amanda, Jake, Mikki, Alea, Cat, Hadlea and I

We had went to church Saturday evening so Sunday, we woke up and played with Hadlea. We went to visit my dad's parents and then headed home to daddy. Hadlea was so happy to see her daddy, but I think she missed Berkley more! Ha! She just lit up when she seen him and wouldn't take her eyes off of him. I missed them both so much too...maybe a little equally! :) J/K! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Please continue to pray for Cody Joe. He has a healthy heart. We need healthy lungs, brain, eyes and for him to breath on his own!

We have a busy week planned and then Hadlea and I leave for Kansas City on Friday. I am in no way looking forward to a 4 hour drive with H and B, but it must be done for a sweet little birthday! :)