The Billups Family

Recipes

2011-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

This chick has a fantastic website for G-Free recipes that are anything but boring and blah!! They are very easy and tasty too!!!

Delish Sweet Potato Fries!
Yummy Chicken Tacos!

Hope you girlies enjoy!!!

Happenings...

2011-01-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

This happened.

This is gonna happen.

All Glory to Your Name, Lord!

Moments

2011-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile but I must say other things have come up :)

Here's a brief rundown of our family...

-Girls are doing AWESOME! We are keeping our discipline books on hand :)

-We have changed our nutrition BIG TIME. We have cut out most gluten, processed food, etc. We aren't weird just feeling good!!

-J and I celebrated 5 years of marriage in December :)

-We are having a new sweet baby in June of 2011!

So many WONDERFUL things have happened in our lives since my last post. The Lord has walked us through a valley and back again. We couldn't be more grateful for this valley. Our hearts have turned, softened and been humbled toward His glory and away from our humanity.

Miss you girls :)

Faithful

2010-09-08T11:49:00.001-07:00

Sweet thing.

I can tell you that our God made Himself known this morning. We saw His grace all around us from the moment we woke up. Thank you ladies for holding us up today.

We had a really positive appt. I have been super impressed with this Dr and his office staff. They are incredibly knowledgeable, professional yet super friendly and warm. They are careful and gentle with their words knowing that most parents that see them are possibly at their breaking point. I very much appreciate that.

Dr. M's helper did all 2.5 hours of intake both with us and KG. She was kind and listened intently while taking vigorous notes. She played with KG alot doing really random tasks that made no sense to me but gave her alot of insight into our sweet one.

I asked a million questions and made a million comments during the evaluation. She always nodded, smiled and wrote a note while saying,"Dr. M will be able to give you an answer to that."

KG was herself to a t. Always a good thing. They really got to see her as she is for the most part. She fell asleep on the way home.

Dr. M came at the end just to chat for a minute. He gave a quick look at the eval and played with KG. Then, he gave us a super quick thought on what he thought she definitely didn't have and a possibility that she does.

My heart is torn at the moment between whether today was a blessing or not. Sometimes ignorance is bliss yet knowledge is power. I sound like a commercial or something weird, don't I?

Pray for us to not freak out during this week before we know more concrete information. Even then. We are in need of discernment as we take a step toward equipping our little one to do whatever the Lord has for her.

Sorry to be so vague. We have our next appt with him on Tuesday at 3pm-5pm to discuss everything that he sees and figure out a game plan. He will review all of our past testing, present testing, hearing tests, etc. Let's just call him the "puzzle man".

Thank you again sweet friends! I treasure you thoughts, wisdom and prayer...

I'll leave you with this sweet picture of me and KG.

Hello again

2010-09-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile, huh?

I cannot seem to find time during the day to blog with my new little monkeys roaming around the house. You understand right?

In order to avoid blog vomiting on all of you guys, I am going to simply state a few things...

-Would you girls pray for us in the am at 10? We have a very important appt for KG with a developmental pediatric doctor to hopefully shed some light on some of our struggles these days.

My physical is anxious and weary but my spirit is at peace with whatever comes of tomorrow.

Thank you ladies in advance.

Lord, Let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart...Galatians 6:9

Amen

2010-06-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

This gets an AMEN in my book!

A new addition

2010-06-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mamaw thinks we are too skinny around the Billups home. I think that's why she sent me a gift.
I think these shall be the first product of her goodness.

TMI

2010-06-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

Holiday week for us girls has come and gone. We were out visiting my grandparents this week while J was camping with some friends from college. I just need to confess all the foods I have delighted in...

Wednesday.
-McDonalds, homemade chicken tortilla casserole, 2 chocolate milkshakes, 1 milky way, 1 small bag of doritos, sweet tea

Thursday.
-Chick fil A, Burger King, 2 chocolate milkshakes, more casserole, 1 bag of Mister Salty Chocolate Pretzels, sweet tea

Friday.
-Cinnamon Toast, Catfish King, Peanut Butter/Brown Sugar Sandwich, Puffed Cheetos, sweet tea

Saturday.
-Waffles with Peanut Butter, McDonalds, Dominos Pizza, 1 milky way, 1 vanilla shake, 1 root beer float, 2 bags of Mister Salty Chocolate Pretzels, sweet tea

I am sure that I forgot a couple of yummy treats here and there but you get the jist of it all. :)

A few things you should know...

1. My stomach is REALLY mad at me.
2. My grandmother has a severely infected tooth and can't get to the dentist until Monday.
3. I am in need of some WATER!

Busy Hands

2010-06-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

My hands are learning alot these days. If you had told me last year that I would be signing all day every days to my children, I would have giggled. It's amazing how the Lord transforms our hearts to His. Klaire is now signing almost everything she wants. She is also trying to verbalize everything as well. Some words come out clear as day and some come out looking more muddy. But she's trying and that's the key!

We discovered "Signing Time" with Rachel Coleman. Fabulous!

I am trying to find a playgroup for us to join that uses sign language. No luck so far. If you have any thoughts, please pass them my way. :)

I need to tell you something else too. I need to tell you what an INCREDIBLE job my husband is doing with sign. I have been so proud of him! I get tickled sometimes because he signs something totally different than what he says. It's hilarious! He is the greatest Dad in the world!

We met with the new Speech Path this last week. Can I just tell you what a relief she was to my heart?! She was open and listened to everything that was going on. She just sat and took it all in with me. I think she may be a believer too, based on her comments to my responses.

According to KG's new test (that included her signs), her receptive language was approx. 40 months and her expressive speech was approx. 12 months. These were both give or take a few months but I felt fairly accurate of her abilities. The SP thought that it was strange that KG could do more of the complex descriptions, categorizing and such with a limited vocabulary. She is a fabulous problem solver. Hence, the new door locks at our house. :) Some of the multiple word phrases, were actually made into one word. IE..."I did it" was really "ididit". We are going to have to slow her down and start breaking up the words.

We also went and visited the "3's and 4's" at the Regional Day School for the Deaf. I was very nervous to say the least. We wanted to see how they use sign as a educational method. It's so different than just teaching. There are defiantly methods to teaching kids with a hearing impairment. We went in knowing that KG would not attend for one reason...1)She is not profoundly deaf. So, we met the director of the school and began our observation. We started in the 3's. How precious were they!! I was very impressed with their oral skills as well as their signs. As the director was telling about the children, she came to one little boy who did not have hearing aids. I inquired as to why. It was like a light bulb went off in her head. She said that he was actually very similar to KG. When he turned 3 and left ECI, the district was only going to offer him a small amount of language and she felt it wasn't enough so the deaf school took him in. When he finishes pre-k, he will go to his regular school and continue with speech. All this to say, the school actually had 2 or 3 kids just like KG! It warmed me to know that this might actually be a possibility. We won't know what will happened until then but it was amazing to see the Lord shine light in a dark spot for me.

As of now, we are planning to home school Kindergarten and begin the University Model school in 1st grade. I am trying to keep my eyes open to what the Lord has for our family. I don't want to pray for what I want or what will be best for them in my eyes. I am asking the Lord to soften our hearts toward all methods of school and show us which route will bring Him glory.

Thank you sweet blog friends for your kind comments...our hearts are encouraged to say the least.

Our hearts are being stirred toward great things that are going to strip our pride. Pray with us as we explore what He has in store for the Billups family.

Until then :)

Welcome to Holland

2010-05-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Klaire Grace's teacher read this to me today during our meeting. I wanted to share it with you because I think it will impact you too. So many of us in one way or another are in our own Holland. Let us celebrate together in her beauty and grace. Here's to Holland!

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip -to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

" Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ...about Holland.

KG's AI (Auditory Impairment) teacher began discussing the "grieving process" with me today. I immediately told her that I was not grieving. I, in fact, was fine. Well, she began to discuss it anyways and before I knew it, my heart was broken open in front of a stranger because I was actually grieving. I had no idea!!! Why didn't anyone tell me that had a loss and now I was grieving it?!?? I totally was under the impression that we had hit a communication barrier and we diligently working to overcome it.

A new reality once again.

Free Download

2010-05-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on this book!

Everyone has blog friends that you just love. She is one of them! Her authenticity will leave you loving Jesus even more than ever! Enjoy her words of life as she unpacks her story of grief and joy. Don't start without a tissue!!

Homemade Attire

2010-05-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is now taking up all my time :)

May...

2010-05-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

May...

-We have 5 days of school left before summer. :)

-A new teacher from the day school for the deaf is seeing us twice a month. She is going to be educating us on KG's hearing issues. Her developmental therapist is now coming 3X a month. We are having a new speech eval soon. If that goes through, we will be having someone in our home at least 7X a month. That kinda stresses me out a bit. I want more results with so much help but I know that slow and steady wins the race.

-I am hoping to find a small group for me and the girls to build our signing skills.

-We are having to replace the pad in our carpet due to the ridiculous amount of dog pee in our carpet. :( If this doesn't work, we will have to replace all the carpet completely.

-I am addicted to "wedding cake with cream" sno cones!

-The girls and I are still working on refinishing the "breakfast booth" and a new armoire for their room. I love working as a team with them toward a goal. They are so proud of their work and it is a great opportunity for conversation and laughs.

Have a great May!

Karoline's Birthday

2010-04-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Karoline requested a Little Mermaid Party with painting. So...we did! The kids had a great time painting ocean scenes with Robin then enjoying blue cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Karoline Jewel!!

Snow Day

2010-04-21T22:44:00.001-07:00

We had a great time when all the snow hit Dallas! Although the power was out for a few days, we stayed warm with friends and then headed to the grandparents!

YMCA Soccer

2010-04-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Karoline is now playing soccer for the YMCA every Saturday! It's been so fun to watch her be on the field and enjoy the game! Jared was excited because K is wearing his number. :) Did I mention that J got roped into being the coach too? It has also been a great way for us to get to know people in the community. Sweet Klaire doesn't quite understand why she can't play. We let her be an honorary team member though. Karoline cried most of the first game but has slowly progressed to at least staying on the field alone without crying. She is pretty cute out there!! It's neat to see her shine when we talk about it! Go Green Tigers!

Klaire's Birthday

2010-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned Klaire's 2nd bday to be in the backyard. The rain squashed that idea though. We ended up tweeking a few things and brought the fun inside. Happy Birthday Klaire Grace!!!

Life

2010-04-21T22:12:00.001-07:00

Valentine's Day

2010-04-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

The girls and I made chocolate dipped treats for Daddy on Valentine's Day. He LOVED them!!

Friends

2010-04-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

We had a triple date with dear friends around Christmas time with dinner at Bob's Steak and Chop then the musical "A Christmas Story". Super fun night!

Grandma Billups House

2010-04-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

We love getting to see Grandma!!

Easter

2010-04-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

More Wedding Pics

2010-04-21T21:46:00.001-07:00

A few more pictures from Brigette and Brandon's Wedding.

Grandad's Birthday

2010-04-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Grandad! We began a new tradition of letting the girls have $5 to spend at Dollar Tree for birthdays. It's fun to see what they think everyone needs for their birthday!

Guilty

2010-04-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

...of so many things.

ECI Christmas Party

2010-04-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

The ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) program that Klaire is apart of has a Christmas Party every year for the kids they serve. A highlight was seeing Santa! This was the first Santa we have ever seen too! Klaire was glad to see her teacher, Ms. Chelsea, too!!

Loving this...

2010-04-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sweet little things.

Wanna make this of the girlies.

Here's a thought.

Spice for the sofa.

Enjoy!

Easter Eggs

2010-03-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

My friend Jana made these super cute eggs for her table to get her house ready for Easter. They look easy and totally kid friendly.

The girls and I are going to make a trip to the thrift store and pick up a couple of silk ties this weekend and surprise dad with a cute display. :)

Happy Easter!

Update from Surgery

2010-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Big K did great today!

We arrived at the hospital this morning about 7:15am. (Ashley took little K to school for us. Thanks A!) J went to get breakfast for us while K and I settled in. We did our paperwork, convinced the lady not to make us pay today but instead wait to be billed :), have a physical and change into some really fancy pj's. K informed the nurse that she and little K already had some of those at home. J came back just in time to keep big K distracted for the "silly juice". She downed it like a champ and made a few phone calls while waiting for it to kick in. We got to talk to Aunt Brigette and Uncle Brandon (and Champ! K loves them!

The meds never really kicked in so the nurse had to take her away from us still crying. Never a good moment :( Her surgery was maybe 15 mins at most. When they came to get us, we thought something was wrong and both of our hearts just dropped. All was well though. They brought her to us, she was awake and eating a Popsicle. She was having pain in her right ear with a headache until about 2:45pm. After we got home, I tried from 9:45-12:45 to get her to sleep. No luck...those meds had her WIRED!! But she was still loopy and off balance so we had to stay in the bed and watch Sleeping Beauty a few times! She calls it Sleepin Booty...love her!

I can't tell a difference yet. Hoping to see full restoration of hearing, balance, speech and sleep.

The best part of the day...J ate the Popsicle off the floor in the recovery room when K dropped it IN FRONT OF THE NURSE after TRYING TO FEED IT TO KAROLINE! I almost passed out from embarrassment. Oh my! He kept saying, "What?, I blew it off!"

Well...

2010-02-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Nope I'm not pregnant! :)

Just passing the time on a Friday night. The ladies went to bed at 6:30p due to lack of sleep all week (thank you snot, coughing and tummy bugs) and lack of naps at school today (thank you sweet teachers for trying despite the attitudes of my children).

I've been searching through part time jobs to keep my feet wet in education, asking the Lord to guide my thoughts and fingers. He has shown me how much I love teaching children older than my own kids (though I really thought I hated it after the last five years of doing in ALL the time). Who knows what my Maker has up His sleeve for us? I am just keeping my heart open to the possibilities of using me for more than I am doing now.

I've been reading two books that have my mind in deep thoughts. If you know me at all, you know that I despise reading anything more than a magazine article or blog snippet. Well, these two books have taken me by storm. The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage by S. Omartian (l.o.v.e. her) and Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas (knock you off your high horse good!)

Krystal loves Jared. Just sayin :)

Not really too thrilled about TV right now. A lot is on but not much is going on. Still I am hooked :(

I cut Klaire's bangs, giving up on the side sweep for now :) At least she can see when to duck now.

Oh yeah, I cut me some bangs too. Haven't figured out how to style them yet so it's been a headband/scarf kinda week.

Karoline has discovered something that is two fold. A blood curdling scream when I barely pop her in Target=a extremely embarrassed mom that is no longer afraid to drop the cart and head out of the store :)

Question for the moment...Is it the year to give in the tankini or can I get by with one more year in the ever so forgiving bikini?

J is headed home from a conference he is teaching at this weekend so I'm gonna go and ready the house. Aren't I a good wife? :)

New TOMS

2010-02-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

Aren't these cute?

There is an even cuter picture and write up in Real Simple magazine this month!

BBB Wedding

2010-02-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

We had a blast at Brigette and Brandon's Wedding! Here are some other random shots I gathered. I still haven't gotten any of mine to load so....maybe I can get those later. Enjoy!

Pictures

2010-02-14T13:02:00.001-08:00

Soon

2010-02-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Still alive. We are still out of power from the snow but staying warm in Denton. I have TONS of pics to post soon.

Pressing Through

2010-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Update.

Klaire had her re-eval. She did not qualify for speech. The speech path told me that Klaire has the ability to do everything she should be able to do at her age. She doesn't measure how well she does it or to what extent she can do it....just that fact that she can. I am thrilled that KG has caught up a 1.5 year delay in less than 5 months, don't get me wrong. But I feel the same way I did after her hearing test. Just unsettled. The dr. said that she thought KG's behavior was the problem not her speech anymore. Awesome. Exactly what I want to hear.

The dr. we are seeing next week is suppose to look at KG as a whole person. I guess like a puzzle person. Seeing how all of this we are going through and have been through fits together.

I am asking the Lord calm my spirit. I find myself so stinkin angry most days and when I'm not, I still fly off the handle really easy. I am really have a difficult time with the girls. They have entered this stage where they are upset, angry, screaming, hitting, spitting and just being down right disrespectful to us. I am so tired of this that I am in tears. I have asked a few people if their kids have done this and they look at me like I am crazy and of course their child would never do that. I desparatly need a woman who has been where I am to give me guidance and wisdom. If you know her, please send her my way.

Thank you for walking motherhood with me sweet ones.

Coming up...

2010-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts a busy semester for our family. I am so excited to be back in my Revelation class under Jen Durham and Kay Arthur. It rocks my world every semester but never fails to leave me desiring my God even more...this really stuck out to me as I did my homework.
"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed."
-Kay Arthur (Revelation 4)

Next Monday starts my 2nd semester of Sign Class. I really love it! I can see what joy it has brought to Klaire being able to talk with him. I hope the Lord continues to use this. It has opened doors that we never would have walked through before.

Over the next few months, we have four different weddings that we are involved in. Some more than others but all require a lot of attendance. I always love weddings but always really glad it's not me. One time was good for me! :) I think J and I would go to Mexico if we could do it again. :)

Klaire has re-eval tomorrow. Please be in prayer for her to be in a good mood, rested, cooperative and talkative. We need her true colors to shine forth. We also need the drs. to be ready to interpret her. We are asking for them to think outside the box. The Lord has given us an opportunity with another Dr. who specializes in kids like Klaire. We will meet with her on the 25th of January for a very very thorough array of testing. My heart is excited for a fresh breath of air with my Klaire.

PS...KJ is sitting on top on the couch and not moving because there is a lizard in the playroom next to her milk. She won't get off the couch and neither will I. Klaire will have to get it when she wakes up from her nap. :)

Gotta jet...

Happy Birthday KJB!

2010-01-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Karoline Jewel Billups! It has not hit me that you are three years old yet. I can still see you as a little bitty 6 1/2 lb peanut! You have brought joy to me that I have never known and challenged me to be more than I was. I have learned what it means to humble myself, sacrifice and laugh really hard! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you this year. You, sweet one, are a treasure to your Dad and I. We are honored and forever grateful that God chose us to be your parents. Our prayer is that He would continue to draw you to Himself and that we could continue to point you to Him.

We love you sweetheart!

Menu Monday....on Tuesday :)

2010-01-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Monday: Southwestern Enchiladas with Rice
Tuesday: McDonalds for K's bday!
Wednesday: Church
Thursday: Chicken Rollups
Friday: Leftovers :)

Crazy week and not many dinners due to the bday girl!

Psalm 107

2010-01-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

This has been my heart's meditation over the last few months.Psalm 107

I cannot wrap my mind around our God. He is so good amist the chaos. I see hurt, pain, death, confusion and so forth all around me yet there is hope. There is joy, laughter, peace. People who are struggling are giving the most to others. My heart is encouraged.

When I quit my job to stay at home with the girls and minister here I knew it would be hard financially. I have been going over all the numbers this week and they just don't line up. Everything I try to cut out can't be. I know that we could always sell our home and buy less food, etc. But then we would be disobediant to serve those around us who need shelter, food, water, a washing machine, a friendly couch to hang out on...ya know? There is too much joy in obeying the Lord. You just can't put an amount on that!

Pastor John is doing a series on Wednesday Nights called, The Escorted Bride...it's Church history at its' best! I was left with such a sense of purpose and quickness in my spirit.(If I remember right :)) He said that during this age (70AD-312AD) Christianity spread like wildfire because of these five things...1)The Gospel was presented as a personal testimony and witness of how great our God is. 2) Christians were loving believers and non believers alike...

"(Christianity) has been specifically advanced through the loving treatment render to complete strangers and the way they care for the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well." -Julian the Apostate

WOW! Surely we can provide for those around us. We may not have strangers coming in and out but we can for sure love on those as they prepare to go out and share the Word! I want to be apart of a wildfire of the gospel. Isn't it wonderful that God has called us into His story of bringing the world to Himself. Let us not be shy because of money or time to invest in the Kingdom!

Back to John...3) Anyone was able to come to Jesus...men, women and slaves! No one was shunned from the love of Christ...that's a message! 4)Christianity gave answers to people who were searching. It's only answer to what we should do with our sin? We give it to him with gratitude and He takes it with no conditions. 5)Lastly, Christianity spread because Christians died with peace. They were not afraid. They knew why they lived and why they were asked to die. No shame, no reservations. They were in 100%.

All this to say...Let's spread the gospel this year like wildfire...Let's love on another differently than the world....Let's speak boldly out of a fearless heart!

My heart is busy these days in preperation for something. God is getting me ready for this year. Let's join together and loose the "fluff" and dig in deep!

Excited about 2010 :)

What's on the menu Mondays?!

2010-01-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Amber has restarted this Monday blog so I thought I would jump on board.

Here's the stats...
-We budget $400.00 a month.
-We eat at home 4 nights a week.
-One night we eat at church and the others are filled in with leftovers, night out with friends or something random.
-We eat cereal, biscuits, waffles, eggs, etc for breakfast.
-We eat soup, ravoili, sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, etc for lunch.

This week we have...

Monday: Spicy Chicken Alfredo with Bowtie Pasta & Garden Veggies
Tuesday: Tator Tot Casserole with Corn
Wednesday: Church
Thursday: Chicken Tetrazinni with Steamed Broccoli
Friday: Hamburgers with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Dessert this week...

Funfetti Cake with Chocolate Icing
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have a great week!!

Reflections 09

2010-01-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

I came across this list of reflection questions and thought I would share...I would love to know your thoughts on 09 too!

Reflection Questions for 2009

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Having the opportunity to stay at home with the girls.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Learning to keep up the house on a daily basis.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Getting a mini van.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
Finding out about lil K's delays.

5. Pick three words to describe 2009.
Rewarding, Lonely, Revealing

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
Faithful, Stressful, Better

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking).
Busy, Exciting, Better

8. What were the best books you read this year?
The Power of Prayer to change your Marriage by Stormie Omartian

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
J

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
Trying to retrain my life from a working mom to a stay at home mom.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
It has been really difficult to be alone most of the day with just the kids. I have gone through a season of loneliness. At first, it was hard to be alone and a little uncomfortable but now I almost like myself again. I don't need others to fulfill me.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
The Lord has drawn me into a season of loneliness to draw me to Him. When I was constantly surrounded with others, they are who I shared my life with first not Him. He has changed that! I find myself talking to Him all day long about the dumbest things. My relationship has more depth than I have had in quite some time. He is teaching me to walk slowly with Him, moment by moment. Not getting ahead of what He is showing me. I am learning what it means to be a mom/wife, how to create a home. My job is now to love my family, cook, clean, etc all for the glory of serving the Lord through serving them. I need to do it with joy and excellence. It's a work in progress!

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
I'm still around 105lbs. A lot of heart issues this year along with a few deficiencies. Working them out and waiting for the Lord to give guidance.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
Listening and be able to relate to others moms in my transition.

15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
I don't think I have one yet.

16. What was your most challenging area of home management?
Laundry.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
TV...I like it too much.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Making extra time to spend with J...he's my favorite!

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
How important it is that J and I stay on top of our girls...especially discipline. We can't give them an inch :)

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you.

Christmas

2009-12-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

We are loving being at home after a busy holiday season. I wish I had some pictures to show you but my camera is still MIA after the wedding. :(

Coming up...

Klaire has a re-eval on the 9th of Jan.

The girls start back to school on the 4th of Jan.

Waiting for the Lord to press a direction/answer on our hearts for several different decisions.

A delish month of new recipes.

A fresh organized house :)

Thanks for reading and keeping up with us. I have so much to say and just no time to say it. The Lord is teaching me priorities and this just doesn't fit in my day as much these days.

One last tidbit...

Karoline pondered on what to get J for Christmas. She finally rested on a blue beta fish in a bowl with a bridge to go in his office. She said he would keep Daddy company while he is at work. So stinkin sweet. That's just her.

Keep blogging! I still love to read ya'lls!!!

Hi!

2009-12-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

I'm still here.

The wedding extravaganza of Brandon and Brigette (J's brother) begins tonight! Can't wait to see the girls in their super sweet dresses!!

I am finishing up sewing the girls' Christmas gifts today.

Klaire now says "mama!!" ALL THE TIME! Love that.

I miss blogging. One day soon I'll be back!

Till then...Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

2009-11-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Just a few items on my list of wishes...

This cookbook.

This do-it-yourself book.

These boots in this or that.

Too small but these are really cute.

This would be cute on my wrist.

Here's to wishing...

Outdoors

2009-11-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

It took us about 20 minutes to get ready to go outside and play. But we made it. The kids have now been outside in the backyard for an hour and a half! I am sitting in the playroom watching them through the windows. I have heard nothing but joy for an hour and a half when usually they would be abusing one another by this point in the day. But no! They are so happy!!

Who knew the outdoors was so amazing!! Thanks Lord for a lovely day and for children who desire to embrace it!

Well...

2009-11-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

A million things to say...not much time.

1. Dr. went well...more tests are coming.
2. Dr. Dobson has a front row seat next to my Bible.
3. Painting is so not worth the pain.
4. Christmas decorations are up.

Peace out.

Truth

2009-11-05T07:53:00.001-08:00

Watch this.

Ketchup Anyone?

2009-11-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

We are still here. The girls are growing fast and we are trying to keep up.

Excuse the randomness...Here's our life...

I am loving this site! It has great quick reference for scripture and helping your kids memorize it :) Thanks Lauren!

We have been playing the waiting game with the girls coughs and colds. We took big K a few weeks ago and ended up with an ear infection. All the symptoms kept growing and we ended up back at the dr this week. She was hysterical after her nap on Monday so we took her right away. She has an even nastier double ear infection. Poor thing. The dr. asked to look at lil K just to check and her ears were worse than big k. what?!? I guess one has a bit more tolerance for pain than the other. Sounds like J and I :)

J just left to go to the dr for a sore throat..well it's way past sore...he has the pain tolerance of a superhero, so this morning when we was wallowing, we knew something was up...we will find out by lunch what's up with him.

I'm headed to the doctor on Friday to have some tests run...pray for me not to be anxious...j is going with me

After much thought, good intentions and homemade ideas on our Halloween costumes, we ended up at Target at the last minute :) We took some baby hot dog costumes and took the hem out of the bottom. They were precious. J and I went as Texas Rangers baseball fans. I'll try to load pictures as soon as the Mac cooperates with the Canon. They are not agreeing at the moment.

Karoline just woke up and walked in the living room covered in PURPLE marker! What?!? What does she do in her sleep?

Lil K is making great progress with her therapist. We are really proud of her and pleased with what she's accomplishing. She can say...nu (no), da (dad), i di i (i did it), t-an tu (thank you), do(dog). She is actually sitting down and taking her turn while playing with us. Signing has become more frequent with her without prompting. Her problem solving is increasing too.

I have been making the girls hair clips out of felt for the fall/winter. The other day, I was experimenting with green and I cut out a tree. Big K came running over and said, "Mommy, hurry put it on a clip so I can wear it!" "I love Christmas trees!" She is so funny. She wants everything put on a clip these days!

Little fact: I have over 50 blogs that I read on a daily basis...or whenever ya'll update! I check them every morning and enjoy keeping up with you girls and guys after my time with the Lord. Ya'll are my portal to the outside world now that I live in Mommy Land :) I rarely comment because I read them through my bloglines and not actually through your site. Just FYI.
Keep writing friends. I'm reading and love hearing and seeing your sweet families!

Hope this catches you up a bit!

Lots of :)

2009-10-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night and I am a happy girl. We are at the in laws house tonight, his parents not mine ;) Can I just say that I love being here! I know it's strange for most to love their in laws but I really do. I love love love just being with them. They actually aren't even here at the moment. They ran to a bday party for a friend and guess what? It was a dress up party. Gdad was Elvis (shocking, I know! :)) and Mimi was a cute 50's girl! They looked precious!

Here a snapshot of the world around me tonight...
Karoline is naked (ofcourse!) and walking around with two spatulas (aka spankers) and disciplining her sister, the dogs, her imaginary friends and everything she comes in contact with. Can you guess what we are dealing with in her life right now? :) It's ok, she is going to understand obedience! I believe! And until then, we shall WIN!

Klaire is half clothed and half eyeing the Backyardigans. I looked over a minute ago and she was on the kitchen table watching TV with Mimi's diet coke in hand. Love her. Klaire officially speaks an unknown language. We don't know what it is but we are confident that one day she will meet someone who will. Until then, we just sign. :)

Oh my, she just tackled Karoline for well no reason really. Sisters. Big K is now crying :) Little K looks guilty :)

Ryan and Jared are off putting Brandon's extra stuff in storage so Mimi can park in the garage and get out of the cold. Kalah is upstairs taking pictures of the geckos so they can sell the new ones on Ebay.

Karoline just bit Klaire because Klaire hit her first...it never ends...Girl fights are vicious!! :)

We miss Brandon and Brigette. It's not the same!

:)

Happy Girls

2009-10-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just posting some pictures for the family to catch up on...Miss you guys!

Pics from Karoline's Surgery

2009-10-15T21:15:00.001-07:00

Still remembering...

2009-10-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here's my sweet second born, Miss Klaire!

Remember...

2009-10-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

This morning at MOPS there were two sweet ladies beside me. Each one had just had their fourth child. They held those sweet babies, rocked, nursed, burped and loved on them. I miss that. I miss that age. I know I would probably not say that if I had one of my own again but still.

Just remembering Karoline at that sweet age.

I'll remember Klaire when J gets home. He has all her pictures on his laptop. :)

Cheers to baby fever...May it remain just a fever for now.

New Boots

2009-10-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

What a fun day today!

J, the girls and I went down to the fair today with J's parents. We indulged in Fletchers' Corny Dogs, funnel cakes, caramel apples w/ chocolate and nuts, chocolate dipped strawberries, fried ice cream and some other yummies. We saw the Backyard Circus, Auto Show, Childrens' Barnyard, Little Hands on the Farm, Dog Trick Show, Pirates of the Carribean Dive Show and even some local music acts on the lawn. We had a blast!! The girls did really well too. This shocked me a bit but in a good way. :) They were troopers through the mud, people and long lines.

Then, we ventured to the Grapevine Mills Mall to get the girls' some fall/winter shoes. Sadly, each girl has one pair of shoes that fit. They are growing like weeds! Plus, Klaire has a different size/shape/fatness foot so she can't wear Karoline's old shoes. Stink. Karoline found some super cute tall boots at Stride Rite Outlet. She loves them! We also have run into a dilemna with clothes. Big K wears a 2T but needs a 3T for length so she can't wear anything from last year and Klaire is still too little to fit in Big K's stuff from last year. Stink again.

We are praying for some sweet mimi, mema, and mamaw to help us out. :) They are the best!

We ended the day with some Chili's and a Great American cookie!

Thank you Columbus for another fabulous day!

Home

2009-10-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jared is home. :)

Order has been restored.

Remember When...

2009-10-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Going to Braum's to get milk took all of 10 mins. You just hop in the car, drive over, be-bop out, get the milk, check out, head home

Then, you had kids.

Going to Braum's to get milk takes 45 mins. You pack up, buckle in, forget your purse, get everyone out, get the purse, get everyone back in, drive to Braums, undo the carseats, carry one child while the other (hopefully!) walks beside you, Praise the Lord for automatic doors on the van and at Braum's, steer everyone over to the milk, catch the milk as big K pulls it out of the fridge, juggle milk/baby/purse/kid back to the checkout stand, put the small child down so you can get your wallet and pay, oh wait they are running out the automatic doors, re-evaluating the praise for the doors, run out to catch the girls, go back in and get the change, try to ignore the rude lady who didn't even try to help, put lil k back on the hip, grab big k's hand, load back up in the van, drive home while the ladies holler to drink the milk they just witnessed being purchased, get everyone back in the car, drive home and unload in the dark ( 2 kids, milk, purse, phone, old juice cups, Chick fil A trash from earlier, 2 dandys and a package of crackers big K couldn't leave behind), manuever through the messy garage and laundry room and we are home!

Here's to hoping Dad is home soon! I miss shopping alone :)

Drs. Appt

2009-10-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

Today, the kids and I went to the doctor for lil K's well baby 18 month appt. Since it's Tuesday, I have Bear here too. (Bear is my sweet friend Melissa's son. He rocks!) All four of us loaded up and headed out. We got there about 11 minutes late but they had mercy on us and let us keep our appt. I was glad that there were very very few kids in the waiting area. Apparently, the are keeping everyone separate with all this flu going around.

Klaire is healthy and growing like a weed! Dr. Conoley always takes her time with us and it is greatly appreciated. We are now in the 25th % for height and weight. She is a bit smaller than Karoline was. We are going to take her to a developmental pediatrician just to make sure we are doing everything we can to catch her up developmentally.

Karoline got her flu shot first. It was so sad. I was holding her and she was talking to the nurse, Kelly, and then all of a sudden BAM there was the shot. It totally rocked her over! Then, Klaire got all five of hers. I had her arms and Kelly held her legs. What was strange was that Karoline had stopped crying by this point but when she saw Kelly pull out that first needle and poke Klaire, she lost it...I mean fell on the floor crying out over Klaire. This has never happened before. Sweet girls have developed such a compassion for one another.

6 suckers, 3 stickers, 6 shots, 25 dollars and 3 diapers later...We are home again!

New Favs...

2009-10-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Super Cute Handmade Goodies

Scarf Making 101...Anthropologie style (Thanks Melissa!)

Perfect Personalized Gifts for Kiddos

Pattern for a cute dress

Some fun and simple hair clips for the girls

Fresh Jewerly

I have had so much fun being creative and artsy around the house. I'm finding that it's way more fun to attempt to make something cute for the girls than to just buy it.

The girls and I made some little blankets to keep in the car the other day like these. Big K tells everyone that "Mommy made this just for me!" and takes it everywhere. I can't believe that is means so much to her! It makes my heart smile!

Enjoy the sites!

Elderberries

2009-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Billups have been not feeling up to par for a couple of months now. We have been in that weird circle of "not sick enough to stay home" but "too sick for school/nursery". Well, the Lord opened a door today for me to look into elderberries.

Any thoughts? Anyone used them before?

**After writing this, Klaire came over and stole Karoline drink AGAIN. She takes it, runs and just laughs in the wind. Well, under my breath I said, "Give it back you big bellied booger!" Her belly was bulging because we just ate. Karoline fell over laughing. How does she even know it was funny...Goodnight!

Tides have changed...

2009-10-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that J has gone on a mission trip and I have been at home...IT'S AMAZING! I have had no stress about his departure or the time he will be away. Usually, we would be bouncing between sitters and friends so that I could teach school. This year we have been so at peace. We dropped him off at the airport while A stayed with the girls, came home slept till 8a, got the girls up, gave baths, got dressed, made lunches, took girls to school, headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up some fun stuff, grabbed some Panda Express, came home and watched tv while working on some hair clips for the girls, then went to pick up the girls, came home and now I am about to pack and head to the ladies retreat with my friends. A is so sweet to keep the girls for me tonight! Thanks A!

Anyways, just saying that life is so different when you priorities change. I think this is the first time in 3 years that my family has come before my job. Sad but true. I am loving every second of being home with the girls!

Right now big K is naked (surprised?) straddling the couch with a head full of "practice" clips from today's art extravaganza! Lil K is full clothed squatting in front of the tv watching Backyardigans. She hasn't blinked in awhile. Oh wait, there's a blink!

J will be home before I know it...can't wait to hear what God is going to do down there! They are building homes for the pastors of two villages. The pastors have been "commuting" if you will using canoes and such. These homes will allow the pastors to live in the village with their families...exciting stuff!

Well, A just got home, gotta run! More on the retreat later!!

Love.

September Memory Verse: KDO style

2009-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22

Just wanted to share with ya'll!

I love that Shanon (Our Kids Day Out Director) gives us goodies for memorizing our monthly scripture at KDO! This is my 1st month as a sub and it's awesome! I got a book by Stormie Omartian, The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage. Can't wait to read it!

This verse has been a rock this month as we have walked through a valley. Thanks Shanon for seeking the Lord!

La.ti.da.

2009-09-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am bored today. Not because I have nothing to do but because I'm being lazy. Playing with the blog is way more fun than laundry or toilet cleaning. Right?

Gotta jett...klaire's about to be playing in the dirty toilet!

Results

2009-09-25T11:24:00.001-07:00

Wednesday: I cleaned house most of the day to take out some stress of the upcoming test. My grandparents came in after church to stay with us and watch Karoline during the test at our house. Sleep and I did not see eye to eye until about 3am. 2 hours of sleep did me well though.

Thursday:
We got up at 5 and headed up to the hospital around 6:30am. Klaire was in good spirits and enjoyed her last clear liquids. We met J's parents at the hospital. They were so sweet to stay with us for the day and keep our nerves at bay. After checking in, we headed down to the room.

Klaire got to change in her cute little hospital jammies and did her vitals. Then came the loopy juice. It knocked Klaire out. She was hilarous! She was so cute too!

They took her back while J and I had some breakfast with his parents.

We came back at 10 and met with the Audiologist.

She said that Klaire has PERFECT HEARING! What???!?!?!? I think I fell out of the chair. That was not an expected sentence for me. Praise the Lord and still What?!?!?! Also, the ENT said there was no fluid so no procedures were done.

I had so many emotions. I felt weird, confused, disappointed and stupid. How does she have perfect hearing? Could she be really just IGNORING us??? Did they do the test wrong? I felt like an idiot.

I have many more thoughts that I'll save for myself. All to say...WHAT?!?! I just don't get it.

We talked over some options and thoughts with the dr. She said a few things that could be options for Klaire.

1. We could look at the possiblity of Autisim.

2. We could look at it as possible processing issue. For example, she hears the word dog just fine but her brain tells her it is cat.

3. We look at more behavior therapy.

4. We wait.

The Lord has not prompted us to do more than the ABR. I feel lost at the moment. Until He speaks a direction to us, we are going to wait.

I am going to praise Him while we wait, knowing and believing that He has a plan that is good and prosperus for our family.

My heart is in constant motion. I have such peace amongst SO many questions. Strange. Only God.

We are going to continue our Sign Language classes. He has not asked us to stop those. Klaire is signing and understanding the signs. Communication is good!

Sorry for the rambling of words.

We are so grateful for your support and prayers. God is pouring His love on us and we are soaking it up!

Big Day

2009-09-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a big day in the life of Klaire Grace Billups.

It's going to be a great day!
My heart is anxious. I'm not scared or even afraid just ready to move forward. We are excited to see God move!

Klaire has really progressed over the last month. She is starting to makes some sounds. Nu=No is a big one. She has started signing to us using more, give me, kiss, bite. I have really been encouraged with how fast she is picking up these signs. J and I started sign classes at the school district this month. It's been overwhelming but very good. We are picking it up too.

We will arrive at 6:30a, procedure is scheduled for 8:45a...

Let's rise up around her, believing that God will reveal His good and perfect will to us so that we may continue to equip her to fulfill what He has called her to do!

Circus Fun!

2009-09-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

We had a WONDERFUL time at the circus with some of our dear friends the McCoys! Hop on over to Trish's blog to catch some cute pictures!

Thanks Dylan! Karoline always has a blast when your around!

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

2009-08-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins courtesy of Deceptively Delicious
(variation by Krystal)

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup sugar (she uses brown sugar)
1/2 cup peanut butter (she uses natural pb)
1 cup "hand squished" banana (she uses 1/2 c. banana puree & 1/2 c. carrot or cauliflower puree)
1 large egg (she uses 1 egg white)
1 cup flour (she uses whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat your 12 cup muffin tin with spray and/or liners.

Mix 1/2 of the sugar with pb, banana and egg with a spoon.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bag. Add to pb mixture. (The dough is thick ) Add the other half of sugar. Just stir into the dough. Don't over mix.

Divide mix into tins and bake. Bake for about 15-20 mins. Use a toothpick to check for readiness.

Put them on a cooling rack and ENJOY!

J and the girls ate them right away!! It was a great way to use up some pantry items as well as some really ripe bananas that no one wanted to eat. :)

ABR

2009-08-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Klaire's appt went well. I won't define well. We now know that she has no fluid therefore she has no need for tubes. Route A = cancelled.

She did end up failing her hearing test. The audiologist said that her "failure" was in part thanks to her mini meltdown and lack of attention to the test.

The Lord was sweet to me on the day of the test. He pressed us to pray specifically for two things...a)the doctor would be quick to test her today and if there was need for another test and not make us wait 3 more months to see him...b)the audiologist would be patient with Klaire and not quick/impatient/too busy to test her. (*Karoline had a great lady the 1st time and a lady the 2nd time that was too busy to test her.)

Well, the Lord answered both of those prayers...a)the doctor scheduled Klaire 2 months sooner at a different surgery center than the usual because he didn't want to lose anymore time with her...b)Klaire had the 2nd audiologist that Karoline had. I was nervous, but she was amazing and spoke such truth into us and over Klaire.

The Lord is so good.

My quiet time that morning was about continuing to pray for what the Lord has pressed into us even when we don't get answers. Spurgeon asked (in my words),"Do you want the Lord's timing or your own???" The Lord and I were not seeing eye to eye at first. Quiet time was longer than usual that day. :)

So...

We are going to put Klaire through an ABR test on Sept. 24th. They will have to put her under sedation. I don't know exactly how long the test will take but any amount of time is too much for a mommy in the waiting room.

They will be able to tell if she has a hearing loss and how much it is. If it's not a hearing loss, we'll go from there. If it is, we'll go from there too.

The doctor will tell us immediate results from the test. Pray for us in that moment. My emotions are a bit "off" these days. :)

Blue Decorations

2009-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Karoline went down for her nap today really well. I must say I was proud of her. :)

Well, about 30 mins later, my friend B went upstairs to get the laptop from A's room and noticed big blue circles all over the door. She went in the room and saw big blue circles EVERYWHERE!

She came down and asked if I knew they were there. I told her that I hadn't seen them and to describe them. She told me to just come look.

I went upstairs and saw the AWFUL blue circles all over my beautiful white doors. I looked to see if K was in bed but as I got closer it was just her covers with no little girls inside.

B pointed inside my office. There she was! In the corner of my office with blue marker covering her hands and feet. What a mess!

Sly that one.

Quick Change

2009-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night, J and I took the girls to Target after dinner to just pick up a few things.

We are in the toddler section looking at jammies. Well, I was looking at jammies, J was watching little K in the buggy and big K following him by foot. He turns to tell little K to sit down and when he turns back around big K is stripped down to her panties in the middle of Target!

She had a Hello Kitty t-shirt half over her head before he could say my name. What is up with her love of trying on clothes?? Is it a girl thing?

Anyways, J yelled at me across the dept. All I hear is..."Babe!! Karoline!!!" Well, I immediatly thing, "OH GEEZ!, She's peeing on the floor!"

Praise the Lord! There was no pee! Just nakedness.

Long story short. It was really funny. We laughed all night. :)

Happy Tuesday!

PS. I just discovered Klaire hiding in the bathroom covered in toothpaste. :)

Overwhelmed

2009-08-10T11:58:00.001-07:00

I know this word can have a bad connotation but in our case right now it's running both ways.

Since last November I have been reading through a little book called Outrageous Love by Sheila Walsh. Let's just say it's my "potty book". I usually only have enough time between girls to read maybe a sentence or two at a time. Moms understand what I mean...we are just never alone :)Well, it has spurred me on to think about God's love for me...how does he express it to me outside of the obvious giving of His son Jesus.

When the Lord spoke to us about me staying home with the kids, we struggled. It really made no sense but He continued to work at our hearts. The day we submitted to His desire for us was hard. I was excited yet nervous yet unprepared yet excited so more. What a range of emotions! I was even at the eye doctor about three weeks ago and had to write down my occupation on the paperwork...I sat there with tears in my eyes before I wrote none. I felt like such a failure yet knowing "Mom" is a great full time job. I didn't realize how much of my identity was in my career. That's another post though.

This has continued literally until this last week.

The Lord began to show me since summer began that Klaire was not doing alot of the developmental cues that her age should be doing. I really try hard not to compare but moms just notice stuff. :) I began to just sit on my knees by her bed when she would sleep and ask the Lord to show me what to do differently...to forgive me for not giving her enough attention...to give me a reason for the delay and I would change it. People have told me a million times that it's all because she's the second one...it's normal for them not to talk, it's normal for parents to not spend as much time with them, reading and such...or because they are just so close together. Talk about a passive aggressive guilt trip. No one means harm but the heart is like a sponge these days with opinions. That's a whole different post.

We also have noticed for awhile now that Klaire doesn't respond to most sounds. We have done our own array of testing at home from banging pots to hollering to loud music. No of which gave me any hope that she could hear me.

We took Karoline to see her ENT for a post op visit and hearing test with her Audiologist. While there, the Lord prompted me to ask about Klaire. He said it was never to early to do a hearing test and results under the age of 3 are life changing.

Klaire has pulled on her ears since day one. I used to take her all the time and the doctor always would tell me that she didn't have an ear infection but just fluid. That diagnosis really doesn't help me. Anyways, she was still pulling that day so I felt the Lord prompt me to take her in.

They immediately referred me to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) and the ENT for a full hearing evaluation.

Literally, the next week...we had our initial visit, evaluations, and enrollment...bang, bang, bang.

The news we got was not what was expected. To be brief, she is about a year delayed in her communication, social, emotional and cognitive skills. She is above her age in all gross and fine motor skills.

It really does explain so many things. I was kind of hoping that would say that I am just crazy and over analyzing but they didn't. I was at most thinking they would agree that she was a little behind but would naturally catch up but they didn't.

They said that we need to be patient with her and be prepared for the road ahead. What does that mean????

At first, they wanted to begin teaching her signs to relieve frustrations but after looking at her outside of the testing, they don't think she is ready for it yet.

Defeat again.

We are scheduled for the ENT on the 25th of August. I have called everyday for cancellations. No luck yet.

The therapists say that almost all delays with communication come from the ears. Those worlds of hearing, communication, emotions, socialization, and cognitive thinking run so closely intertwined.

I really feel like the ENT will shed light on her. Either she has a hearing impairment and we will take Road A or she needs has too much fluid, needs tubes and we will take Road B or the Lord is going to create Road C.

All Roads are going to continue to build our faith and glorify Him!

All this to say...God loves us. I wish I was a better writer to articulate the beauty of the truth He is teaching me! God loves me so much that He waited until I was at home and able to get Klaire the help she needs. I am home to work with her and to equip her. He is not cruel. His timing is perfect. Though the trials that build our faith may come, He brings them at the moment that we need them. He equips us to handle our trials, not giving us anymore than we can handle.

I am overwhelmed with how much He loves us.

Klaire's Appt

2009-08-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Klaire has an evaluation today with her speech therapist and ECI (early childhood intervention) specialist at our house. It is at 3pm. Should take between 45-90 minutes. We are evaluating the reasons behind her speech and communication delays.

Pray for...
-Klaire to be in a great mood. She has been kinda yucky due to teething, head cold, etc. Can't get her to nap today.
-Klaire to show her true colors. You know kids never do what the norm is when it counts. They need to see the real Klaire.
-Jared and I would understand what they tell us about her.
-Karoline would be occupied and not in the middle of the testing.
-The therapist/specialist to be warm and willing to work with Klaire on her level. Patience with her.
-Jesus would be honored and glorified through Klaire and us.

Thank you for lifting us up today...

A First

2009-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Klaire waved back to me today for the first time ever in her 16 months of life!

She does love me!!!

Cows!

2009-07-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

This evening we headed out to Joe D and Janice's house to see their longhorns. Joe D is my Aunt Gene and Uncle Joe's son from Texarkana. He has the longhorns as a hobby out behind their home in the country. We love getting to see them and wish we could see them more often!

Karoline has been talking about these cows for the last two weeks! Aunt Gene has been telling her all about calves and how they get their milk. I guess she is old enough for that talk?! Ha! Karoline was very proud of the fact that she identified the calves nursing. :)

Klaire let Joe D hold her from the moment we arrived. She was taken by his sweetness I think! He just loved on her. She even let him hold her while he fed the cows some dog biscuits.

Karoline wanted to be held most of the time. She talked big about wanting to touch and ride the cows but when the offer came she passed. Klaire was not afraid at all. In fact, the only time she fussed was when one of the cows "moo-ed" unexpectedly at her. Just a little startle!

The girls snacked on yummy crackers while they roamed the yard! Who knew my girls loved saltines? We played with their three puppies in the grass. Klaire played on the stairs to the deck more times than I could count. Karoline was shy and really didn't get too rowdy.

Thanks for letting us come out to visit! We love ya'll!

Update

2009-07-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have been so faithful to take pictures for posts and even start the post itself but I for some reason cannot get them downloaded and completed. All in time I guess...

Here's the down low...

-Karoline surgery went well. She never made a sound that it even hurt. The burn marks looked gross but fell out without a hitch. K has been eating and drinking everything in sight. From the moment she came out of surgery, she has NOT drooled once...she has slept with her mouth closed and breathed through her nose...sleeps great...we can understand her words! It's like she learned 500+ new words in surgery. Her little voice is alot higher pitch though.

-We had a FANTASTIC time in Mexico! I got a tan! First one in 4 years! This trip is deserving of several posts...so when I get back home I will have to really designate a few posts...Our friend Greg Whaley, posted the pictures on Facebook if you want to see them now...
Let's just say that I totally fell in love with Jared all over again!

-We had a youth of the 90's reunion from church in Tyler. It was really fun to see some faces that we hadn't seen in quite awhile.

-We are spending a couple of weeks with my grandparents in Texarkana while J is travelling for Jesus. I never sleep when J is away. I try. Just doesn't happen.

-Karoline is a permanent fixture in bed with me now. Don't know how well this will pan out.

-Klaire, oh Klaire. She is the cutest thing EVER! She still doesn't say anything we can understand but she talks constantly. We are battling a horrible diaper rash right now. Her tummy doesn't like the traveling apparently.

-I get my wisdom teeth out when we return from Texarkana.

-School is getting ready to be back in session and I feel out of place that I am not going. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that I will be at home. It's just doesn't feel like me yet. The Lord is working on me here.

-J is starting a new position at the church starting in August. He will be doing all worship and no youth. This has been one of those decisions that I have felt the Lord's hand on without question. I have really loved watching J walk with Him during this transistion. I will be moving into preschool ministry. I have never done preschool, really nervous.

I really hope to update with pictures when I get home.

xoxo

Kate

2009-07-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

The McRae family is asking for prayers across the world for their sweet daughter Kate. This video describes some of what they are going through.

Let's bow down low for her...

Karoline

2009-06-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Surgery.

That word just makes me cringe.

Karoline is having her tonsils and adnoids removed in the morning by Dr. Johnson. We go in for pre-op at 6:30am.

This is the first decision I have made for someone else. Knowing that she will be in pain because of the decision that I made for her, yet it will benefit her in the long run. It just yanks at my heart.

The Lord finally gave us peace yesterday about the decision to not have tubes put in. We have battled this choice for months waiting for a hand delivered message from Him. Yesterday it came through a strange vessel. Dr. Clark was chatting with me yesterday during my annual. :) He gave me great wisdom over the situation and confirmed our thoughts.

We are headed after dinner to Target. Karoline needs some "button down the front" jammies for the hospital. She has requested some princess, Dora or Elmo pj's.

Karoline chose her Dora popsicles and Jello pudding pops for when we return from the hospital on Thursday. She is super excited to get to eat them. I hope she remembers this when we get home!

When you think of this grin over the next couple of days pray for her...

Full Plate

2009-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

So much has happened, is happening and will happen soon...

Be prayerfully patient with me as our lives are in transition.

Good things are coming...

XOXO.

Cute Dresses

2009-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the girls from Sarah's wedding the other night. Our friends Greg and Magean were helping me out during the reception while Jared was in a meeting. Thanks guys! When we got home, I took the girls in the backyard to snap some pictures when Karoline ran over to the swing. She pulled it back and dumped a pile of water and dirty sticks on her head. Oh well. Later that night, I came into the living room and found Karoline chilled on the couch with a bag of chips watching Backyardigans...When did she turn 16?
Thanks Mamaw for the dresses! They are super cute!

Alabama

2009-05-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

I went to my cousin Nick's graduation from high school a couple of weeks ago. This was my first trip alone in a long time. I flew out on Friday night and came back to Dallas on Tuesday morning. It was so nice to be with family, although I really missed my hubs and girls!
Here's some highlights...

Friday. I threw up before the plane and on the plane both (thank you Dad for my "motion sick" genes, screamed as the planes descended (thank you nasty ear infection) while curled up in a ball shaking. I just love flying!
Cindy picked me up. I always LOVE seeing her! We headed home and picked up Kaitlin a little later. Nick was out and about as most seniors are. K and I enjoyed some fries and grilled cheese for a late night snack.

Saturday. Slept ALOT while trying to get over the sinus infection. Mamaw and Poppy arrived in time for dinner. We watched Gladiator! LOVE THAT!

Sunday. Church at FBC Tillman's Corner. AWESOME! We watched Nick be presented to the church and then had a lunch at the church to celebrate.
I just need to put a plug here. Nick is a one of a kind guy. He loves the Lord like I have never seen in a kid. Nick is an encourager to those around him. I loved watching the other kids flock around him. His personality is contagious! He is hilarious! He is loving and kind. He also is an awesome worship leader! You know when you watch someone lead, you can just see the Spirit in them. That's Nick. Jesus is bursting from within him. Ok, I'll stop for now. :)
Sunday night. We got to watch Kaitlin perform in her end of year choir musical! She rocks!!! She has the greatest sense of humor EVER! I love that is a quiet force. K is gentle yet strong. She is the ultimate friend! I hope my girls learn a thing or two from her! She is the definition of leading by action not just by words!

Monday. Oh Monday. We took K to school for a couple of exams. Then, C and I did some grocery shopping. We ate lunch and then got ready for graduation. Nick had left about 30 mins before us for graduation. As were about to leave, he called. He had been in a wreck. Can I just say how proud I was of Cindy, John and Nick! They were all so calm. Nick was ok but the Xterra was no more. Another kid had pulled out in front him and Nick did the best to avoid him but just couldn't. I want to give glory to the Lord. This could have been a really nasty accident but the Lord orchestrated his will and we could not be more grateful! Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding Nick's hand. Thank you that he walks with you!

Me, Cindy, John, Aunt Sue, Kaitlin, Mamaw and Poppy, and of course Nick. We all stood at the wreck until the officers let Nick go. K and I cleaned out his car and saved the beautiful graduation cap and gown. :)

We made it 3 mins before N had to walk in. God is good!

I was SO proud for him to walk across the stage!!!! What a mess am I? I blame all the emotions on motherhood. It's made me a tear factory!!

We had a lovely dinner afterwards at Friday's with some of his friends. K and I got to share a table, some artichoke dip and chicken fingers...YUM!

Tuesday...C took me to the airport at the crack of dawn. We both cried. Nothing new there with us. :)

Tuesday am...J picked me up and drove me straight to work.

The End.
Enjoy some pictures...

17

2009-05-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

It's 5:15pm and I am about to head home. I feel like I have a million things to do still at school but I need to go home and feed the family.
17 days people,17 stinkin days!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T08:17:00.001-07:00

Excuse the randomness of the post.

Over the last few months, the Lord has been pulling me through a transition of the heart. I have always wanted to be home but I have never been so broken over that longing. My heart is ready. It has hit me that I have no idea what to do when I stay at home.
I know how to go to work every day. I know how to teach school with excellence and prepare a group of children to read and write. I know how to be a working mom and balance life.

I have no idea how to be a stay at home mom. How do I maintain my home, maintain my children, maintain my husband. Is there like a manual or something?
I believe fully that the Lord will equip me for what He has called me to. Just some fears coming out.

A couple of weeks ago, our friend Chuck Pope was showing us some pictures of his trip to Israel. I was admiring this gorgeous shot he got of the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem. After hearing this, Jared took this information, had it blown up and framed in this beautiful piece for our living room. This was my gift for Mother's Day from the girls. I will try to put it up here soon.

We got some friends together for a Mother's Day art night. So fun! We sat around the kitchen table at our house, painted and shared a meal. The kids painted the canvas, the moms wrote the verses and the kids signed their names and added their hand prints. Hopefully, I can put some pictures of it up too! We chose Proverbs 31:28. Her children arise and call her blessed.

I have a post for my Mom coming later...:)

All in all. I love this day.

Do It Yourself

2009-05-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

I am a do-it-yourself-er. If there is a job to be done, I more than likely will attempt to do it myself. This mainly streams from my desire to be "budget friendly", but sometimes it turns to bit me in the tail.

I have always cut Jared and the girls' hair myself and done a fairly good job if I can say so. Well, the day before Easter, Jared was complaining that he needed a trim, so I obliged. I trimmed his hair and then both girls, then I got brave. I decided to give myself a little trim too. Can I just say that trying to cut hair that you cannot see is not the brightest idea. It wasn't awful but it was definitely not even. For the next couple of weeks, I just wore it anyway but down.

I ended up going to the salon and getting it cut by a lady who I will kindly call "cat woman" for now. She trimmed up the ends as she scolded me for trying to do her job. Then, she proceeded to give me five different "cut, dry & fix" looks. I was finally satisfied with the outcome.

The hair is now about 7 inches shorter and back to the original "Katie Holmes" bob that I so love.

On another note, last night I decided that the dog needed a hair cut too. I got Jared electric razor from the cabinet (Sorry J, love you.) and began to cut away. I first tried the #6 then #4, then we just moved to no guard at all. After the first strip of thick, matted, dirty, bug invested hair was on my lap, I realized this job was much bigger than I had assumed.

1.5 hours later...dog is shaved to the bone. Except the neck/face and 1/2 the legs. I just couldn't get those for some reason. Anyways, Lily feels great and also like a Suave Watermelon flavored treat!

Jared was bit taken back to find the "new" dog asleep in the pack n play with me in the house. I just couldn't put her back outside after the shave and shower.

All this to say, I totally recommend do it yourself haircuts, maybe just not on yourself.

Happy May Day!

Craig

2009-04-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me these pictures today of her husband Craig. He is a fighter pilot kinda guy for the Air Force. He is currently still deployed.

Just wanted to share a face for you to pray for...

Have a great Thursday!

New Outfits

2009-04-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Aunt Cindy and the kids brought the girls these super cute outfits during their visit last week. We wish they were closer!

Easter

2009-04-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Stipes Park

2009-04-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Klaire's Birthday

2009-04-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Family Weekend @ the McWhorter's

2009-04-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

My sister came home from England while Craig (her husband) is away at war. We all met at my parents lake house in Tyler for a weekend of fun!
My Sister Staci and her kids.
All the grandkids
Just the girls
Thomas and Andrew (Staci's twin boys) wrestling with Jared.
Bathtime with Staci and the girls.
Klaire LOVES spagetti!

Brett, Mom, Chad
My Family

Just the four of us!

Jessica's Baby Shower

2009-04-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Gaithers!!!

2009-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

We went with Jared's parents and their friends!
DAVID!!! I was beside myself to say the least.
The New Vocal Band
Jared's dad with Ernie Haus

Ft. Worth Zoo

2009-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Youth Camp 09

2009-04-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Klaire's Dedication

2009-04-16T10:44:00.001-07:00

The Man

2009-04-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Update: This is a great article from Dr. Dobson about where he is now.

Last night as we were going to bed, I over heard Jared yell, "Dr. Dobson retired!" I ran into the bedroom only to hear Dr. Dobson himself correct the news anchor and say that he is merely on sabbatical while finishing up Bringing up Girls. Wheww! This morning I googled his site and found this article. I'll be on pins and needles until then!

On another note, Jared and I so love this book by Dr. Dobson. We have always thought of Karoline as a strong willed child but the more I read, I tend to think differently. She is not a sheep by any means and definitely not a wolf. She is not a hateful or defiant child at all. She just wants to check us to see who is in charge. She will weigh out the choices to see if the candy is worth the spanking. Usually though, once we say no, she gets it. We do have our days though :)

We are trying to spank less, discipline more. Dobson is helping me understand this concept. I'll let you know when I get it. :) Maybe, Bringing up Girls will help!

***I have alot of posts coming with pictures archiving January-Now...be ready!

Amazing

2009-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Amber posted this video of the interview from the wife of the pastor who was shot in Illinois. She gives a testimony to how great our God is. You will be glad you took the time to watch.

2009-03-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Klaire's first birthday was on Saturday while we were at youth camp. I was not happy about it. I so wanted the day to be all about her. Everyone to be focused on my baby girl. But that was not what happened. I sound so bitter don't I? We had a great day and tons of people gave her lots of birthday wishes and love. I know we need to have a party for her to do all the cake stuff but I feel like we missed out by not doing it on that day. Does that totally sound dumb?
I think I was expecting the same as it was for Karoline. Her day was HER DAY!
All this to say, I am having a hard time with this all.

I find myself wanting and TRYING so hard to keep them on the same page. I want them to walk at the same age, talk at the same age, get equal parts of dinner, etc. I don't want to leave room for one to make fun of the other or leave room for, well I hope you understand what I am saying.

I know that they are two different people and the Lord has given them different gifts and I want them to be excellent at them.

I am realizing while I write this that I am not talking about gifts but material things.

Well there it is...blah

Again.

2009-03-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

This is the third time I have gotten on here today and can't write a thing.

Geez! Maybe tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Brigette!

2009-03-24T07:44:00.001-07:00

Brigette,
I look forward to many years ahead with you as my SIL! You are such a sweet woman of Lord and will be a wonderful partner to Brandon! Enjoy your last birthday as a single woman!
XOXO!

Oh yes!

2009-03-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Check out The Barnards!

A Page is Turned

2009-03-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Three monumental steps...

1. Klaire is walking around everywhere!

2. Karoline is wearing pull ups and some big girl panties!

3. Krystal is going to be a stay at home mom!

I can just hear the Hallelujah chorus resounding around me now!