Birmingham fun

We had a great time in Alabama last weekend. It was great to see family, look at old pictures, recall the "old" days, and laugh...a lot! Our family gatherings are a bit different now...4 generations - 22 people - and now the grandkids have kids of their own. I think the "elders" enjoy watching us deal with parenting and being able to walk away.

Here is a picture of my grandmother with her 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.














We attempted to take a picture of "Mom" with her great-grandchildren, but it's hard to get 5 kids (ages: 5, almost 2, 1, 1, and almost 3 months) to cooperate! Of course our little one quickly tired of having his personal space invaded and that led to the littlest one chiming in...but at least we have them all in a picture!
















Our adventure was fun...a 3 car caravan with 4 children under the age of 5. A good friend and her daughter joined us on the trek so she could see her family for the weekend. The trip is normally 10 hours on the same interstate, but we made it in 12!!! The trip home became even more adventurous with the addition of a blown tire about 120 miles from home. After changing the tire, we learned a man had hijacked an 18-wheeler and was leading the police on a slow-speed chase around the metroplex. Needless to say, I-20 was shut down! We made it up to a highway that runs parallel to I-20 and worked our way home amidst the traffic with one car on a spare tire. We thought we were home free, but then ran in to construction! YEAH, RAH, improving the city!!! A mere 15 hours after leaving my aunt and uncle's, we finally arrived home. The children really fared well for the long drive.

We have been going to bed early and napping...and we are slowly recovering from this month of adventure. It is nice to know we will be home for a while. Now, it's back to the day-in/day-out of life. We welcome that simplicity after such a busy, but wonderful month.

Note on updates

I updated the blog with several posts today so make sure you catch all of them...and due to the number of pictures I wanted to post, they are all small. If you would like a closer look at any one of them, simply double click on that picture!

Continue to check back...we head out this coming Thursday to visit with my family in AL!

The birthday party

The Saturday after his actual birthday, we threw a party for those who have walked the long road with us while we waited for Jbird's arrival and celebrated his life this first year. Everyone seemed to have a great time - except the birthday boy! He was pretty disturbed for the first 45 minutes or so...he had an entire pool to play in, but he preferred playing in the sink...





Here are some pictures of the unhappy birthday boy...and the fun others were having. It was great to be surrounded by friends and family.

The cake

Here is the cake for the adults...and Jbird's cake. I had a great time thinking of how to make the frog look like he was coming out of water...do you see the fly he caught with his tongue?



Due to his mood, I chose for us not to sing...and even sitting down with the cake was a bit too much at first. He did finally get interested in the icing and he LOVED the marshmellows. Again, something upset him and he put his legs in the cake.



















After all the festivities, he finally got in a good mood and began to enjoy the pool! We had a great time celebrating his first birthday with friends who walked a long road with us. God is SO good...the blessing of a son, family and friends.

The actual birthday - part 1

On Jbird's actual birthday, we had a family dinner with my parents, sister and her family. It was a relaxed time to celebrate the first year of his life. He didn't much care for being sung to, but he soon got interested in the cake with the help of his dad!

The actual birthday - part 2

Cake eating was fun...he really enjoyed the icing, but not the cake part so much. We aren't sure what set him off, but at one point he wasn't happy anymore and he almost face-planted in his cake...but at the last minute he turned to the side.




Then it was time for presents...my mother couldn't wrap her gift so I had to cover his eyes! He was quite amused with this.





Then came clean up - a birthday bath!



What a great way to celebrate a year of life! It was a wonderful day.

The Skipper reunion

Well, I will finally take a moment to try to catch you up on all the happenings in our world over the last several weeks. We knew July was going to be crazy, but it is much more taxing than we ever expected and it is only half over! Don't get us wrong - we are having a lot of fun and great memories are being made, but we'll be glad for a bit of "normalcy" come August!

We began the month in Philadelphia, MS for the every-3-year Skipper family reunion. I think it is technically the Duncan reunion...but we refer to it as the Skipper reunion. It is always good to see family we don't see often and visit the southeast. Once again, I was amazed at how still it is there...and muggy. I have definitely acclimated to the southwest! We always laugh a lot and get some good entertainment from distant family members. Jbird was the youngest one in attendance, and he was a real trooper.

This was his first trip in almost 6 months and only his third in his lifetime. He did get to face forward this time - which made it a lot easier on all of us. The reunion didn't start until Saturday so we were able to have some QT with Clay's parents and sister on Friday...and Jbird enjoyed a few early birthday presents.



Here is a priceless picture of Jbird and his father "in conversation"! I can't believe I caught them both this way!








Saturday night there was a dance...and Jonathan got a bit groovy with just about everyone! He had so much fun, loved the grass skirts (Hawaiian theme)...and lasted much past his bedtime. Once he did sack out, the noise didn't phase him one bit as you can tell by this first picture...he is simply off in the corner of the main room where all the festivities took place!















Here are a few pictures of family...the man with the beard isn't Santa Claus... it is simply Uncle Fidelis. Jonathan got a kick out of all that facial hair!

Solitude

I am experiencing the most solitude I have had in over a year... my other half is gone for the weekend, my son is at his grandparents for the night... I am in my house, all alone (minus the dog) for about the next 15 hours. AMAZING!!!! I am in need of a good night's sleep with no possibility of interruption and the availability to sleep until I choose to get up. I have an endless list of things I could do, but the hard part is figuring out how I want to spend these hours... sappy movie so I get out a good cry? long, hot bath with a good book? early to bed and late to rise? playing games on the internet? watching mindless TV? So many choices... and a silent house to allow me to think and refresh and rejuvenate. Every woman needs time alone with herself... and that is just what tonight is for! What an amazing gift tonight is!!!!

Just hope I'm not sick of myself come the morning!

A bit sentimental

So, why is it that when my other half leaves town I become a bit sentimental? Guess absence does make the heart grow fonder in my case. How often I have thanked him for having a "normal" job that allows him to be home every night. I think he has traveled a total of 2 weeks in the 5+ years he has been at this job. Perhaps I get sentimental because I finally get a chance to watch sappy, girly movies... perhaps it is because I realize how quiet it is at night when I know he isn't coming home... the bed, which often seems too small suddenly becomes large... the noises of the house become louder... and in times like this, I realize what an amazing man he is (because sometimes that is easy to forget in the humdrum of every day life).

He and 6 others left tonight headed to New Orleans to gut houses for victims of Katrina. Our LifeGroup has desired to do a mission trip for about 5 years now, but one has yet to materialize. However, my precious man felt called to go to New Orleans. Having attended school in the southeast and having friends and family who felt the effects of Katrina, our hearts have desired to do something... and money and prayers just didn't seem enough. We had the honor of having a Katrina evacuee as part of our LifeGroup during his displacement. He is now back serving his church and the community organizing groups for manual labor and such. Clay got in touch with him and began working on the details of this trip... and they finally left today.

This trip seemed like a great idea, but it seemed like people weren't able to go. However, doors opened and there was a group of 10-11. Then things began happening (hmm, wonder if someone didn't want this trip to happen), and the group dwindled... but with another addition today, 7 people left tonight headed to serve people they have never met.

I am so proud of my husband. He is not one to initiate such things as this... he is a great supporter... works hard behind the scenes. He isn't much for details (except in his job) or being looked to as the coordinator of something. However, he felt called to New Orleans and he got busy. Yes, I did a lot of phone calling, emailing and such and some other people helped with other details, but he picked up the reins, started the entire thing, and kept us on track.

Maybe that's why I am a bit sentimental tonight... replaying various moments in our lives like a movie reel... dancing at Classix and him pulling me a bit closer, when he grabbed my hand under the blanket on the couch at his apartment, the first kiss, skiing at Winter Park, sitting in a park in Indianapolis with our feet in the sand talking about getting married, him down on one knee at Eckie's Pond, on the beach at Paradise Island, water skiing, being in the hospital room as our son was born, standing in our kitchen this evening before he left... there are so many precious moments.

While the bed will seem much too big tonight, I will fall asleep with a smile on my face as I bask in the blessing of my husband and our marriage. I feel so blessed to have him and the relationship we have... it hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't trade a moment because of the intimacy and oneness we have now.

Thank you, God, for these things and more I do not deserve.

Lots of happenings

There has been a lot of activity in our family over the last week and half...and I have been trying to recover and continue with life! I thought I could take at least a few moments to share some photos of the last week and a half...commentary to come later!

This is the boy and his friend "enjoying" the playgroup pool party yesterday!


Two cousins enjoying playing together!



Now on to birthday fun...playing with toys...enjoying his cakes (one on the actual birthday and one at his party)...and not so much enjoying the pool!

A whole year

It's hard to grasp that it has been a whole year since our little one entered the world - almost to the minute now! I watched him sleep for a bit last night recalling various moments and memories. This year has flown by, he has grown so much, learned so many things, brought much laughter, some frustration, and unspeakable emotions. It is difficult to find the words to capture what this year of motherhood has meant...maybe another time...but I just wanted to acknowledge today - because I now understand why birthdays are just as special for the mom as they are for the kid...and to thank God for His blessings... because this little boy is more than I deserve.