2013: Better luck next year!

Wow, what an ending we had to 2013! Since I last posted, we finished up harvesting and celebrated the holidays.... sort of. Our November was pretty rough. The kids both had strep, and Landry had a double ear infection, too, which set her back in her weight gain progress. By Thanksgiving, we all had the stomach bug. On top of that, my new nephew, Gray, got RSV and stayed in the hospital the whole week of Thanksgiving. We didn't even celebrate with Heath's family because Londyn and Gray were cruddy and contagious for a while. Thankfully, we all recovered and were well for Christmas!

Heath and I had a trip planned to Lajitas with a big group during December, but it was cancelled due to weather. I didn't mind all that much that it was cancelled because I was having a lot of anxiety about leaving Landry after her regression from being sick. We ended up going the next weekend to Dallas and meeting up with family to tour the Gaylord ICE exhibit again. It was SO crowded!!! When we went last year, it wasn't bad at all. We thought it could've been worse this year because we went the weekend after Dallas had the snow/ice storm. It was shoulder-to-shoulder the whole way through, and I felt like I couldn't get out of there fast enough! Coming home, we were pulling our camper and trying to get back in time for our church's Christmas program when we ran over a ladder in the middle of the road. The car in front of us swerved around it really quick, and there wasn't any way for us to miss it. When we got home, Heath's new truck had to go into the shop to repair everything the ladder tore up. 

The next weekend, we took our camper out to my parents' house and stayed out there while Jordan and Rachel were in town. It was nice to be able to stay out there and spend good time with them! We had Christmas with my family a few days early since they were in town, and then we had Christmas with Heath's family on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day, we had our own family Christmas, and then we stopped by Ben and Keelee's for brunch with all of their family on our way to Kerrville for some time away. (We have a new camper, so we are taking advantage of using it while work is slow for Heath!) We pulled the camper down there in Heath's old truck since the new truck is still in the shop with the parts on national back order. Yay. When we were 2 miles from Kerrville on the evening of Christmas Day, we lost a wheel off the pickup. I've not had an adrenaline rush like that in a long time! We were on the interstate, and it was dark, and just not a good situation! I've praised Heath over and over for handling everything so well. We were all over the road trying to get stopped, and before we even got off the road, he was assuring me that we were okay. He jumped out and started making phone calls, and I got the kids out of their car seats and held them and cried! Heath's grandparents live at the RV park we were headed to, so they came out and brought a guy to haul the camper to the park. A wrecker came and took the pickup to the shop. Everything worked out that day in the end, but we were both shaken up over it for a while. 

We had friends help us out, too, making things so much easier! A guy coming in to Kerrville from Levelland brought us a set of tires and wheels Heath had at the barn, and Heath had them put on while we were down there. Heath's friend Russ and his family came down and followed us home just to make sure everything was okay. Low and behold, Heath's pickup started messing up, acting like the turbo was going out, so we left the camper in Junction. Heath and Russ went back the next day to bring it home with Russ's truck. 

So, yes! We are glad to have 2013 behind us. I heard someone refer to this year of farming as having three years of weeds in one. I thought that phrase nailed it for us, too. Heath worked so hard and ran himself ragged trying to beat the weeds. I see the drive he has to provide for us, and I admire him for how tirelessly he works while staying devoted to being a good daddy and husband. I've been reading Job this week and was reminded that the Lord doesn't always reward faithfulness in the ways we think He should. This year, the crop wasn't an honest reflection of the work Heath put into it. We are still grateful for how He provided for us. He always does! 

I am, of course, thankful for the progress Landry made in the past year. When I think about how helpless I felt this time last year with her, I can see how the baby steps with her have added up. She is still far from a typical eater, but I have had so much support from friends and family. We still consider our family "normal and healthy", and for this, we are truly blessed.

I never posted Halloween pictures. Here are a few!

Luke's Thanksgiving Feast at school

A few of Elfie's highlights (Can you guess which one Heath did?!) ;)

Luke's Christmas program and party at school -

Here is a YouTube link to a video at his Christmas program http://youtu.be/3tVi951yvIs

Christmas weekend with cousins at my parents' house... Heath has most of the pictures on his phone.

Christmas Eve at Heath's parents' house.

Kerrville -

And a few of my favorites through the holidays!

Holy catch up!

Goodness... I have lots of catching up to do! Sometimes when I go a few months without posting, I debate about quitting altogether, but then I read back on things I would've forgotten had I not written it down. I'm always glad in the end that I take the time to make note of our special memories.

First of all, Luke started preschool and is really enjoying it. He's going to Levelland Christian School, and it's for half a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. It was fun to shop for school clothes and shoes with him and get him all pumped about going. Since he's our oldest, I was proud of him for choosing to be brave about going. Luke was very unadventurous in his infant and toddler years, to say the least! ;) He walked in on the first day of school without hesitation, and he hasn't skipped a beat since! I love picking him up and hearing about his day at school. He's memorized two verses so far. Makes me one proud Mama!

Luke has also started soccer this year. We managed to get on a team with his cousins, Miley and Jaxon. He's one of the youngest on the team, but he didn't mind it! He was happy to be out there with his friends and cousins. It was fun to watch them all play together! At one of his practices, a little feisty boy on his team was punching him in the stomach. Fighting is foreign to Luke, so he was shocked that someone would be mean like that. Since the little boy's parents weren't doing anything about it, I told Luke after practice he should hit him back next time. The look on Luke's face was priceless! I mean, I'm all about being nice, but at some point, he's gonna have to defend himself! On the way to the next practice, he double checked with me... "Babe (as he still calls me), if that boy hits me, I just punch him, right?" Ha! - So, he got a trophy at the end of the season and was one proud dude for it.

And Landry.. our Nanny girl! She turned two! We had a Minnie Mouse party for her here at the house the day before her birthday since her actual birthday was going to fall on Labor Day weekend. We had mainly family here, and a few close friends, too. She got all things Minnie Mouse for her birthday, and quite a few baby things, too. She loved all of her new gifts! We were lacking in girl toys around here before her birthday. We filled her closet up after that, and she has loved having her own "big girl" toys. We finished off her birthday night with her first hair cut/trim. We took more video than pictures at her birthday party.

So, at 2 years old, she is sleeping 10-12 hours at night. She goes to bed after a book and a few minutes of rocking, praying, and singing. She LOVES reading books, playing with babies, and bothering Bubba. As I type this, he's sitting in the recliner begging her not to turn the lever to raise the foot rest up! She loves going to church, and is already begging to go to school, too... "Me cool, too, Mama?" She's still pretty fond of oatmeal, fruit, pizza, and yogurt. She loves playing peek-a-boo. She'll cover up her face and say, "Mama, Nanny doe?" (Mama, where'd Landry go?) I'll ask, "I don't know!? Where DID Landry go?!" And she'll pull the blanket off and say, "Ight deah!" (Right there!) She loves to chew gum, and she'll put her charm on from the back seat to ask for a piece... "Mama (or Daddy), bum pee peeeeas??" (Mama, gum pretty please?)

As far as her eating progress goes, we have good days and bad days. I'm a lot more familiar with "sensory processing" and how to manage it, so we are no longer doing the clinical therapy. She's still doing hippotherapy, but I have actually been able to catch up on things around the house! I'll never forget how terrible it felt pulling up in the parking lot to Covenant Neurosciences for the first time, and leaving there this last time, it was very bittersweet! Since January, her therapist, Alison, has been the bad guy, and I've gotten to be her "savior". It's taken the strain off of Landry and me because Alison can push her beyond her limits, and I get to "rescue" Landry. I was afraid that I would turn into the food monster I was to her before therapy once we quit going. Alison is very reassuring and is willing to see her again if she ever regresses. I am so thankful for "Allie"!! -- We are still taking her to the chirpractor, too. I swear this has had as much of an impact on Landry as the occupational therapy has. Landry has been more willing to try new foods since we've been going, and she voiced being hungry for the first time after seeing Dr. Hillman. She, too, is a God sent to us!

We managed to squeeze in a little fun before harvest hit in full force, too.

- We spent several days camping in Grapevine with Heath's parents. Keetha tore her ACL early this summer and had surgery in August. Hence, the the sleeve on her leg!

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- The kids got to swim a few times before fall, at least! To say everyone has been "busy" is an understatement. Keelee battled pretty severe pre-elampsia throughout her last trimester, but she took it like a champ, and I got a new healthy, sweet nephew, "Baby Gray". It's been a tough year for the Greshams... one we'll always remember, I'm sure!

- We celebrated my mom's 50th (Fiddy!!) birthday.

- We also went to Georgetown to watch Hank play football and went on to the Northcutt's ranch in Mason.

A few more... :)