the thurman nest

Jett's First Fishing Trip

2012-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

We recently discovered this beautiful area near our house that is filled with trails that take you to down to Lake Houston. Patrick and Jett have taken a few bike rides down to the lake, so today we decided to take Jett fishing. We let him choose his very own fishing pole this morning, and after nap time we took off on our first fishing trip as a family. This boy probably walked/ran over a mile all the way to the lake. He had a blast and did a great job casting his rubber fish in the water and then reeling the little fish in, until the fish unfortunately fell off on his last cast.

Jett said the fish was with his family now. :)

My Girl

2012-01-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Finger Painting with Jett

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

One Month!

2012-01-02T19:05:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T18:11:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Love.

2011-10-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Life With A Boy

2011-09-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Jett Turns TWO!

2011-09-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

We had the PERFECT day celebrating Jett with our family. I am beyond blessed with the family that God has given me, and so grateful for these past two years with Jett. He brings so much joy to our life. What was life like without him?!

Happy 2nd Birthday sweet boy!

We love you SO much!

Trip to Dallas - August 2011

2011-08-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Jett 23 mths; Eleanor 17 mths

This is how I found Jett...

Lyla, Eleanor, & Jett

26 Weeks Preggo!

2011-08-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

8-19-11

Jettster

2011-08-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

I originally said my next post would most likely be pics of our trip to Vegas, but it seems that this preggo brain of my got in the way and I realized on night one as we were trying to get a picture in front of the Bellagio Fountains, that there was not a SD card in our camera...which means zero pics of our trip to Vegas.

But there is always something to blog about when you've got an almost two year running around. Yes, Jett is almost two and I CANNOT believe it or wrap my mind around it. Here are some pics of what we've been up too, or what he's been up too.

I could kiss this head all day long if he'd let me.

I'll post pics of Jett's baby sister later this week.

Stay tuned!

3.5 Months...

2011-07-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

3.5 months: the longest I've gone without blogging since I started blogging...so per the special request to update my blog...here's a glimpse into the most recent Thurman happenings.

Since my last blog, we found out we were pregnant, I started a new job, we have moved, we ended our 2 year commitment as a CARES team, and found out we are having a GIRL...these could be some pretty legit reasons why I haven't taken or found the time to blog.

Anywhoo! Here is the latest and greatest of our precious and soon to be BIG brother.

Loving the 4th of July parade

That parade was HOT!! (I wonder where he gets that red face from??)

Me, of course!

Daddy was protecting him from the loud noises in the sky.

And of course, I have to start including our little girl!

There ya go...is that better mom? :)

OH and my one and only and I are leaving for Vegas Monday for 5 days!

Maybe just maybe, I'll blog about that in the days to come.

Eleanor Is One!

2011-03-20T19:58:00.001-07:00

Eleanor had an incredible birthday party this weekend.

Her mommy did a great job.

I'll post the link with pics very soon!

birthday girl & her mommy

so adorable.

such a doll.

he loved loved loved the bubbles.

lyla (15 months), eleanor (1 year), & jett (18 months)

so great to see grandma millie!

jett was missing at one point, and i found him by the gifts of course.

sweet, sweet cousin love.

Jett Lately

2011-02-24T18:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday!

AHHH...Sweep that Broom!

2011-02-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

If only you could actually hear this tune the tiger sings as Jett "sweeps that broom."

It may be annoying to me, but seeing Jett's face when he hears the song makes it bearable.

So not only does he carry this broom around the house, he also has discovered the drawer below the stove...not good. Everything that was in this drawer, now resides on top of our fridge. Tacky...yes, but I have a toddler. The displacement of everything that once was is worth it.

Cute face...dirty stove.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

What's Your Mission?

2011-01-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

"As believers, we are called to live a life of submission-submission to God. Submission simply involves taking your mission in life and putting it under the Lord. You take what you want to do and put it under what God wants you to do. God has a mission for your life, but you have to put your life under His control to fulfill that mission. And when you do, He blesses you to be able to fulfil what He has call you to do."

-Robert Morris

Have you surrendered your mission to God, so that he can truly bless you?

Grandma & Grandpa Come to Town

2011-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

My parents came in town for a very fun and relaxing weekend! Our main goal today, actually all week, was to go to the Houston Zoo. Great idea, right? After all, we purchased a Zoo Pass last May and have yet to actually get our money's worth. Well, it turns out everyone and their dog, literally, had the exact same idea that we had. So after searching aggressively for a parking spot for about uhhh...30 minutes, not to mention the restless toddler who was not in his car seat for 29 of these minutes, we got the heck out of dodge. After escaping the mad chaos, we finally made our way to an empty parking garage. We paid 1 buck to park, and made our way to Discovery Green. It ended up being the prefect afternoon, and it was a great way to wrap up the day. Not to mention, Jett LOVED the freedom!

LIFE

2011-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

The boy LOVES LOVES LOVES his LIFE cereal. He started eating this over Christmas at his Grandparents house, and ever since, he doesn't care for the usual oatmeal in the mornings. (I'd be sick of it too if I ate that everyday for almost a year.) So this is Jett's breakfast of choice everyday. Yes, he makes choices. Despite being unable to understand what he says, he makes LOTS of choices these days....very, very independent, or so he thinks.

Sewing Lately

2011-01-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Remember this?

Well, that turned into this for miss Macie Grace. My first "Rollie Pollie."

I bought this pattern from made, one of my favorite sewing blogs.

This was no easy task, but it was SO much fun.

I learned A LOT from this project.

I also made this for miss Eleanor Claire...this is also from made.

If you are interested in making these, you can buy the Rollie Pollie

pattern here, and you can find the FREE skirt tutorial here.

A Goofy Little Boy

2010-12-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday!

I love him...ALOT!

2010-12-04T21:13:00.000-08:00

Destin Day 5-7

2010-12-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

A little late, but none the less...the last few days of our vacation flew by. We left for Dothan, AL Thursday morning for the day/night. We spent Thanksgiving at Patrick's Momo and Papa's and then we were blessed to stay at Patrick's Great Aunt and Uncle, Pat and Allen Thursday night. Here are a few pics from our last days of vacation!

View the rest here.

Destin: Day 3

2010-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

Another GREAT day! Here are some highlights....tomorrow will be our last full day of the beach. We are heading to Dothan, AL Thursday morning for Thanksgiving with family, and then we will be back at the beach on Friday. Enjoy the rest of the pics here.

Destin: Day 2

2010-11-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I am thoroughly enjoying this vacation even more than I thought I would. With as busy as we have been prior to this week, it has been SO refreshing not having an agenda or any type of "responsibility". Thank you Lord for rest. Here are some highlights from day 2.

You can find more pics from day 2 right here.

Destin: Day 1

2010-11-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

Day one has been a success despite the minimal sleep from last night. The 15 passenger van loaded with Patrick, Jett and I, Tim (Patrick's brother), Katie, Macie, LT and Dee left Houston around 4:00 PM last night. After a couple stops, one of which was a sit down dinner at Cracker Barrel, we finally pulled into our Condo around 3:45 AM. Macie slept about 80 percent of the way, Jett slept about 5 percent of the way. All that to say, we were very, very, very tired, and woke up tired, of course. BUT that is okay...because we are on vacation, and our agenda for the week is full of R&R. Here are few pics of day one! You can find more here.

HAPPY SUNDAY!!

Spitting Image

2010-11-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, people say Jett looks just like me...yes, this flatters me, but I don't really see it. However, I do see Patrick in Jett a little bit every now in then, but ESPECIALLY in this video. I cannot believe how much this little boy in this video reminds me of all the home videos I've watched of Patrick when he was this age. I'll try and get a copy of one of those videos for you, but in the mean time, this is Patrick 23 years ago...

Canton, How I Love Thee

2010-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

somehow...i managed to live an hour away from canton

for 19 years of my life,

and never experienced this AMAZING place until now.

i will definitely be making another trip here soon!

here's a glimpse of what i found.

originally going to be my sewing desk,

but it is too small...

writing desk instead, i still love it.

this is my prayer for our home.

boxers. yes, jett is wearing boxers.

so cute, i might add.

his name is monogrammed on the rear.

my new sewing project: boxers...they look super easy.

there is one more special item to come,

that i can't wait to blog about.

stay tuned!

Cute, You Are

2010-11-01T20:13:00.001-07:00

my little yoda thoroughly enjoyed his 2nd halloween...

despite the fever and nasty cold he has been fighting.

he was able to stretch his energy for all the excitement,

and finally crash around 10:30 PM in my arms.

what a great day.

may the force be with you.

Some of My Favorites

2010-10-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

eleanor and jett elijah

precious eleanor and me

i'm speechless...

the photographer aka "aunt lele"

macie and jett

daddy showing jett that the cake was delicious

the beloved grandma's

silly boy

jett with grandpa boree

here are the rest of the pictures.

enjoy!

The Birthday Boree

2010-10-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick sidenote before I begin...you have probably seen my reference to Jett as a "boree." Weird, yeah I know, but special. It's something that my dad and I say when talking about Jett, and we've called him this since we found out I was pregnant. It was originally apart of a silly saying, "Little boree," that came out of my mouth more often than not growing up. To most people it was annoying, but to my dad, he loved it. And he is crazy about Jett. I'm crazy about my dad and Jett, so there you go, I love my borees.

ANYWHOOO...Jett did turn one! Over two weeks ago. Can someone please explain to me why time seems to literally fly once kids come into the picture?? Being a mom has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I'm sure all you moms can relate when I say I can't express the love that I have for Jett, and every single day this love for him grows. I'm crazy in love with my little one year old...

We battled the first ear infection the week leading up to his party. Glad that's behind us, but we did have a great birthday party. We had our close family and friends come out to the pavilions at our church to celebrate. He toddled around, cried when I forced him to eat cake, and opened presents...well, I opened presents. We then finished off the weekend with my family. I was so grateful they were all able to come down. It's great being only 4 hours from home. Thank you everyone who helped celebrate Jett's one year!

Currently, we are battling an unexplained fever with no other symptoms?? I find it strange that he even has a fever (going on 3 days now) considering he hasn't been around other children in a week. Anyways, I would appreciate prayers for our boree...pictures of the party will be up soon.

Be blessed!

Our Little Explorer

2010-10-10T07:04:00.001-07:00

i.love.this.weather.

2010-09-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

Look Who's Walking!

2010-08-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Happy 11 months Jett Elijah!

Time is FLyiNg

2010-07-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak of our almost ten month old!!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 , NINE Months!

2010-06-24T19:52:00.001-07:00

Happy 9 months big boy!!

Stats from the doc:

19 lbs 9 oz (45th%)

30.5 inches (above 95th%)

doc says he's the size of a 14 mth old.

We love you Jumbo Jett!

Sew I need some help...

2010-06-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Patrick got me a sewing machine for Mother's Day...and there are so many projects that I want to get started on, but there is a problem. I really don't know what I'm doing. I earned my sewing badge in Girl Scout's, and I took Apparel in high school, but apparently that's not enough. I need some help. If you happen to sew, or know of any good classes, websites, books that could help a beginner like me out, let me know! I'm ready to sew away!

Thurman Happenings

2010-06-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Wow...I've been busy. That's the story of my life though. I don't think life will ever be calm, quiet, still ever again. But for the most part I kind of enjoy it. Let's start with my new job. I started the first of June as a nanny to a 6 month old little girl named Evelyn. The great things about this job is I am able to bring Jett, and I am able to get homework/CARES stuff done while they sleep. (Yes, they do sleep at the same time which is AMAZING!) The bad things about this job is that it takes me an hour to get to their house, an hour at the LEAST to get home, it can get pretty boring, I work everyday...honestly, I would prefer to be doing something else. I'm grateful that I have it, but I'm not going to say that I'm not looking for something else. ; )

Apartment Life is going great. It really is a blessing that we are able to do this right now. I finally feel comfortable with how things are going, and for the most part, the residents appreciate and love some of the events we put on.

School...well, school is school. I'm ready to be done. I'm close, but just a day closer. I still have a good solid two years in front of me. I am finishing up my last 5 classes this summer at HCC online, one of which is Spanish. Not too sure what I was thinking when I chose that class as an elective. Only 9 more weeks of that...blah!

I've lost my train of thought...I was just interrupted by a fowl smell that led to Jett's bottom. It ended being probably one of the biggest blowouts he's ever had. Since Evelyn is sleeping in her room (with the changing table) I had to tackle this blowout on the living room floor. Yuck! I still smell like poop. However, I did realize that it is ALWAYS important to have these on hand. Even if I have only used them one other time in the last 9 months!

Hope this faces brightens your day!

8 months...Already!

2010-05-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

Jett Elijah is 8 months old! Unfortunately it has been a tough week. He is welcoming his top two teeth which has been a killer for all of us! I can't imagine the pain he has to go through. He is still sleeping through the night, although he did wake up screaming around 5:30 this morning (probably his teeth) So for the first time EVER, he came to bed with Patrick and I...I loved it. Here's a pic from his nap today (the nap he felt wasn't necessary)

I love you so much Jett. Happy 8 months!

Labor Story

2010-05-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

So I know it has been 8 months, but this is something I have been meaning to do. Mainly for me, so I can document this, remember details, and compare the next time around. So here goes...

Let's start with Tuesday night. The night where sleeping didn't happen. For the first time my contractions were actually painful. So between contractions and having to use the restroom every 30 minutes or so, sleep was not taking place.

Wednesday came. Patrick and I went to the doctor for my 39 week appointment. I was about 70 percent effaced, and 1 1/2 cm. The doc said I would probably last through the weekend, and the baby would come during the week sometime. (Not what I wanted to hear.) My contractions were still strong but not frequent. I just kept monitoring them just in case they decided to escalate.

Patrick went off to work, and I laid around the house trying to get some rest. Wednesday night, I made my way up to church for Overdrive. My contractions were definitely starting to strengthen, and as we went to Wendy's afterwards, I was becoming more and more convinced that I was starting to go in to labor. Patrick and I went home about 9:00. I took a shower. After my shower, I laid on the couch with a notepad, pen, and my phone. I started timing my contractions and they were every 2 - 7 minutes. After doing this for an hour, I called the doctor, and she said to come on in.

We got to the hospital around 11:00 PM. The nurse checked me and said I was still about 1 1/2 cm, and 90% effaced. We then began the 2 hour walk in circles to determine if I was actually in labor. After about an hour, I told the nurse that I would really like to stop because the pain was starting to increase. She checked me again, and said I was progressing so they admitted me.

We made it to our room around 12:15 AM. I wanted to hold off on the epidural as long as I could. They started me on a drip of pain medicine which mainly minimized the pain. Patrick and I tried getting sleep, but between nurses coming in and out, and my contractions, I enjoyed night two of no sleeping. (Who knew that would last 8 months) At 5:45 AM, I finally got my epidural which was AMAZING! From this point on, it was a breeze...well almost.

Patrick's parents came around 6:00 AM, and my parents and sister arrived around 8:30 AM. In the midst of all the visiting, the nurses would come in and out monitoring, and everything was moving right along. I was given pitocin around 11:00 AM, and I was progressed to a 5. Around 12:00, I fell asleep for 10 minutes, and the nurse came in to check me, and I was a 10 and fully effaced. TIME TO PUSH!

This is where the breeze turned into a storm. At first, I was thinking this isn't so bad. This will be a piece of cake. But after 3 pushes, 4 pushes, 5 pushes, I eventually lost count, it wasn't so breezy anymore. After an hour and half of pushing, our almost 10 pound bundle of joy popped out.

It was such an incredible experience that I really do want to hold on to for the rest of my life. I can't believe it has been 8 months!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears...OH MY!

2010-04-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Despite the rainy, groggy, humid, nasty, unbearable weather...

we had a nice trip to the zoo.

Patrick, Jett, & the prairie dogs

Jett and I with the lions.

One of the few moments he actually stayed in the stroller.

Sleep Training...HELP!

2010-04-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

We are about to start sleep training...it is way past time for

Jett to be sleeping through the night. Any advice??

No Infection!

2010-04-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

We went to the urologist today and there's NO INFECTION! Grateful for a healthy little guy! Thanks again for all your prayers!

(I spy two teeth!)

Our Little Trooper

2010-04-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's been quite the week! Jett's surgery has finally passed, and I am SO glad it's over. We arrived Monday morning at Texas Children's at 5:30 AM for his surgery that was scheduled for 7:30 AM. Jett was great as far as the whole not eating thing. I fed him the night before at 11:30, and he started to get fussy about 30 minutes before surgery. After arriving, and waiting in the wrong waiting area for 45 minutes, they finally checked us in at 6:15. They took his weight and checked all his vitals, and all that good stuff. From there, they moved us to pre-op. We changed Jett into his hospital gown (I didn't know they made these for babies). During this time, we met with the anathesialogist, nurses, residents, and doctors, signed forms, and spent our last few moments with our sweet boy before surgery. This was the hardest part for me. Knowing that I had to pass him off to complete strangers, and trust that they would take care of our baby, and trust God that nothing would go wrong. Probably one of the scariest moments of my life.

Jett went into surgery 7:25. We waited about 2 hours before we met with the doctor. Doctor said everything went great. The surgery was a little more extensive than they thought. It turns out Jett had a hernia on one side, and hydrociles on the other. After meeting with the doctor, they FINALLY took us to see Jett who looked exhausted, but he was happy as can be. What a trooper. We were in recovery for maybe 20 minutes until they sent us home. Despite everything, we had a great experience.

Well...the medicine had to wear off at some point. Monday Jett was in a lot of pain, but we made it through. He slept great Monday night and Tuesday night. However, he started running fever on Monday and has kept it all week. Fever can be attributed to an infection which we DO NOT want. So his doctor put him on an antibiotic to prevent any infection. We go back tomorrow hopefully to see that there is still no infection. He woke up today for the first time without a fever. : )

Here are some pictures of this week.

Jett in pre-op sporting his hospital gown.

Jett in recovery.

Playing with his new favorite toy...his oxygen mask which they let us keep.

About to go home

Getting some fresh air by the pool

Playing with his first baseball daddy bought him

Patrick and I greatly appreciate all your prayers. We have had so much support from all our family and friends which means so much! Please continue to pray that his fever does not return, and that he doesn't have an infection!

He's napping...

2010-04-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ahh...I finally have a moment to blog. It has been a busy few weeks. I feel like I haven't been able to come up for air. I've been substituting at Yellowstone three days a week, and have two more weeks left of that. My sister finally had Eleanor on March 15th. :) She is precious. So I was in Dallas for a week. We have been hosting events for Apartment Life. We both have been busy with school. And of course, what consumes most of my time is Mr. Jett who by the way is already 6 months old! I know I say this every month, but I can't believe it! He is SOO much fun. I think, actually, I know I am obsessed with him. I cannot get enough of that sweet boy. I am taking advantage of the freedom I have to kiss him a million times a day because I do know that one day, hopefully later rather than sooner, those kisses will be limited.

Jett had his six month check up last Tuesday. He's still a healthy little boy. He's 17 pounds, and 28 inches long, or 2 feet 4 inches. We call him our little 2 by 4. He is in the 95th percentile for height, and 40th for weight. His surgery is less than two weeks away. It is scheduled for April 19th. We are glad we are able to get this taken care of, but we will be so relieved when this is over, and he is completely healed.

Patrick is kicking butt in school! We just found out he is graduating next May. It is so nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I am so proud of him. He has worked so hard to get his degree taking 18 hours a semester. I don't know how he does it all while working at the church and also being an incredible husband and dad. I just applied to the University of Houston. My goal is to transfer there in the fall, and finish up my teaching degree...

Well, my moment of silence is over. Jett has decided nap time is over. I will try and post pictures soon!

Jett's Surgery

2010-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Jett will be having surgery. We went to the Urologist last Wednesday, and they aren't 100 percent sure if it is a hernia or hydrociles. It is one or both of those. The doctor says if they are just hydrociles then they are not getting better on their own, and we would have to do the surgery anyway before he is one. So they are going to go in and drain any fluid in his scrotum, and if there is a hernia (which I think there is) then they will repair the hernia. After that's taken care of, then they will recircumsize the little guy. I'm so grateful that we are able to get this taken care of. Of course, I don't want to see Jett go through any of this, but it's not TOO big of a deal. I will be so glad when this is all behind us, and he is 100 percent again. So your prayers over Jett and Patrick and I are GREATLY appreciated and welcomed. : )

Quick Update

2010-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

My NEW excuse for not blogging is due to the fact that my not so good ole Dell crashed. No bueno. Still hoping to get it fixed, but as for now it's worthless.

I have a few seconds to give an update since Jett is napping. He has been asleep for over an hour which is a record breaker! Basically, he is extremely unpredictable when it comes to sleeping. Sometimes he will nap 45 minutes (which is pretty normal for him), sometimes longer (which I GREATLY appreciate). Some nights he wakes up once, and others he feels it is appropriate to wake up 7 times! Whatever he prefers! Although last night was pure bliss. I woke up at 4:30 to silence which obviously caused me to worry for a split second. I went and checked on him and he was soundly sleeping. Beautiful. I went back to bed and he finally woke up at 6:00, ate, and then back to bed until 8:30. I really haven't had uninterrupted sleep since before I was pregnant! I'm praying those days will be here soon.

Jett is almost 5 months old already. It sad to me how fast time goes by, but I absolutely love every minute of this, even if I am awake at night. He is still measuring in the 95 percentile for height, and 50 for weight. He is a healthy baby, but we do need prayers for the little guy. When he was born, he was born with hydrociles. Basically, he was born with fluid in his scrotum which causes them to be extremely swollen. Hyrdociles typically go down before 1 year, and if not they can be drained. We have seen the urologist a few times regarding this and our next appointment was scheduled for April. When we went to Jett's 4 month appointment, our pediatrician was now convinced that he has a hernia. These can be repaired through surgery. We will see the urologist this coming Wednesday. Obviously, we would LOVE and are praying that it's not a hernia, but if it is we ask you to pray for Jett and Patrick and I as we take the next steps needed to get our little guy back to "normal."

I will keep you posted and update you on Wednesday. Thanks for all your prayers!

Jett Laughs

2010-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Jett Laughs

2010-01-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

We're Almost Rolling Over...

2010-01-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

My Little Talker

2010-01-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

Jumbo Jett

2010-01-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

Jett's trying out his chair. He finally has enough control of his head to use this thing every now and then...he is also showing off his size TWO diaper. Such a big boy!

The Sweet Life

2010-01-13T11:44:00.001-08:00

Last night, I had the privledge of sitting under an incredible message from Chrissie Dunham at a women's event at our church. It was such a refeshing experience, but also very challenging. I've been asking God to teach me something new. Something that will really challenge me, and He did. He taught me probably the most important thing that I needed to hear and know right now, which was how to have a "Sweet Life."

Here are the 4 ingredients to have a Sweet Life:

1. Be aware that God is good! Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
2. Trust God "Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."
3. Fear the Lord "Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing."
4. Seek the Lord "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

I want to have the Sweet Life. I pray that you can experience the Sweet Life as well!

I'm an Unfaithful Blogger

2010-01-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

It has been over a month since I've blogged last. SO much has happened since then. We've been to Dallas several times. We've moved. And of course, being a mommy requires a little bit of my attention.

We moved the week before Christmas, and we love love love our new place. God has been so faithful to Patrick and I. As some of you know, we are apart of the CARES ministry. We basically live in an apartment, serve the community we live in, and are able to minister to our neighbors while doing it. The last community we served at canceled the program in the middle of our 2 year commitment. We were relocated to a new community to serve as the CARES Team. So far everything is going great. Patrick and I really feel like this is home for us, and are praying that we will be able to complete our 2 year commitment here.

Jett is changing so much! He is smiling more than ever. He is active, and very LOUD. He has definitely discovered his voice. He discovered it a few days ago, and yes it is cute, but not in the middle of the night. Speaking of the middle of the night...he loves waking up SEVERAL times at night which is a new thing. For the most part, Jett has been a great sleeper, but lately that's all changed. Some nights he wakes up once or twice...other nights he decides to wake up every 45 minutes which is so exhausting. It's kind of hard to imagine that one day he will sleep through the night consecutively. Oh how I hope that day is near...Here are a few recent pics of the growing boy.

Hopefully, I will become a faithful blogger...but let's just say blogging more wasn't one of my New Year's resolutions. : )

Meet My Niece

2009-12-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to talk about my sweet niece, but have been a little preoccupied! My beautiful sister is expecting a baby girl on March 20th. She is currently 23 1/2 weeks (I think...maybe 24). And she looks AMAZING!! Here are some pictures from the 3D sono last Friday. Currently, she is breeched, but it is not a major concern until week 32...so in the mean time, pray that this sweet little girl will flip around SOON!

We are so excited and anxious to meet her! Jett is ready for another cousin!

2 months - 11.24.09

2009-12-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Jett Elijah,

I cannot believe another month has come and gone.

You are changing SO much!

Your smiles are becoming more frequent...and the occasional laughs bring me joy.
You have discovered your hands.

You are very intrigued with them.

When you look at them you study them hard.

Sometimes you make fists and swing them around...it looks like you're boxing.

You love laying on your back while playing in your gym.

You took your first road trip this month.

We went to Dallas for Thanksgiving.

You did great...only made one stop for you.

You still start off on your side when you sleep...

but you are usually on your back when you wake up.

You love laying in our bed and watching the ceiling fan.

You also find that the sound of the hair drying is soothing...just like me. : )

I cannot imagine my life without you.

We love you so much Jett!

Moving...again.

2009-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Since the day Patrick and I said "I do," God has blessed us immensly. We were blessed with a position on staff here in Houston at Second Baptist, moved here 2 days after our honeymoon. Ministered to students in Pearland for a year and a half, and then transitioned to the student ministry at Second's North campus this past January...which meant we had to move to Kingwood. So we packed up our things 6 months later and moved to Kingwood this past June. In June, Patrick and I started a 2 year commitment with Apartment Life. Basically, we work for our apartment community planning events and we are given the opportunity to minister to our neighbors. Well, our 2 year commitment is coming to an end 17 months early...in January. Our apartments have decided to cancel our services due to the economy. With that said, we are packing up again and moving. Where? Good question. We have no idea. Our area director is confident she will be able to place us in another community in Kingwood.

I am finding it to become pretty regular in our lives that our trust and faith in God is tested time and time again. I feel like we have gone through several seasons in our 2 1/2 years of marriage, where we truly have to get down on our knees and give it all to God. As much as we would like to stay exactly where we are for the next 17 months, God has something else planned. I'm so grateful that in times like these when we come across the unexpected we can immediately turn to God because His hand is on whatever the situation may be. So in the mean time, I will cling to Philippians 4:6-7 and we will continue to pray for guidance and wisdom. We know His direction will be given to us over the next couple of weeks as we figure out where we are going to live.

And of course, I can't blog without mentioning this little guy...

As you can see, he is smiling. Warms our hearts. I'll give a more lengthy Jett update soon.

stay tuned.

one month!

2009-10-24T16:25:00.001-07:00

dear jett elijah,
i can't believe you have been with us for a month now!
what a blessing you have been to your dad and i.

i cannot tell you how much we love you.
every single day you warm our hearts.
it's been an incredible journey getting to know you.
without fail you always make me smile even if we've had a hard day.
i love when you are drifting off to sleep and your big blue eyes begin to flutter.
i love when you are drifting off to sleep and you crack a smile and sometimes even chuckle.
i love how when we pick you up you are like a teddy bear that just melts into our arms.
i love that when i feed you you've got your hand wrapped around my finger.
i love that this past week you looked me in the eye and smiled.

i love that when you are upset we can hold you in front of us and within seconds you have calmed down with the sweetest look on your face.
i love that you have given your dad and i something exciting to do each night
(we sneak into your room and just stare at you because we cannot get over
how adorable you look when you are sleeping).
i love the moments you and i spend together in the late hours of the night.
i love that you have given us so much joy in our lives.
i love that you are my son.
we love you jett!

it's been awhile

2009-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

all i can say right now is i am more in love with God.

i'm more in love with my husband.

and i'm so in love with jett.

meet jett

2009-10-04T08:43:00.001-07:00

jett elijah thurman

born September 24, 2009

@ 1:54pm
9lbs. 12oz

22 inches long

we're making progress!

2009-09-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

we went to our 39 week appointment, and finally progress has been made. i am currently 1 cm dialated (or 1 inch as patrick would say) and 75% effaced. although i was hoping they would just roll me over to the hospital and deliver this baby, that wasn't the case. the doctor did say he would be here soon (obviously), and don't be surprised if he comes a few days after my due date.

the only problem with all this, is the fact that last night can be recorded as my worst night during this pregnancy. i noticed my contractions starting to hurt yesterday evening, and as the night went on they became even more painful. so i was pretty much up all night laying in the deep pit that my body has formed in our bed. oh well...hopefully labor is close. if not, i can stick it out one more week...i think.

still pregnant

2009-09-19T20:08:00.001-07:00

just wanted everyone to know that i am still with child...

i feel like each day just drags on and on.

i'm trying to stay as busy as i can by:

cleaning

shopping

homework : /

going to church

sleeping (a lot)

but, it's not helping.

i'm so anxious, and guess whose still inside my tummy?

jett...happy as can be.

i can't wait to hold him in my arms...

one more week until my due date.

here is a picture of me at 38 weeks 6 days prego.

i'm not posing, but the belly is there.

i'm an aunt!

2009-09-19T08:29:00.001-07:00

i am finally an aunt!

Macie Grace Thurman
Born on September 17, 2009
5:08pm
7lbs 9 ozs.
21 inches long

uncle patrick and macie

so beautiful!!

looking into uncle patrick's eyes.

Meet Brayden

2009-09-16T19:44:00.001-07:00

Brayden is our friend's little boy (also known as: the world's happiest baby).
He recently learned how to drink out of a straw and it is the cutest thing!

i'm going to be an aunt in 2 days!!

2009-09-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

my sweet sister-in-law, katie, who is married to patrick's brother, is having a baby on thursday morning! our little niece is a stinker, and has been standing right side up for the past few months. so thursday, katie is having a c-section. we are so excited to meet our niece!!

please be praying for tim, katie, and baby girl thurman. her surgery is scheduled for early thursday morning.

38 weeks, 2 days, and nothing...

2009-09-14T12:07:00.001-07:00

well, jett seems to be pretty comfortable inside my womb. : / i'm glad he's comfortable, but i am so ready for him to make his debut! i went to the doctor this morning and i am not dilated or effaced AT ALL! i was so dissapointed. but patrick reminded me that he isn't due until next saturday, he's fine where he is for now, and i just need to be patient. which i do. i've made it 38 weeks, and i can make it 2 more if i have too.

my doctor did say that she wouldn't not let me go past my due date. she is going out of town this thursday and will not be back until the 27th. so hopefully the 28th or 29th we will induce if jett has not arrived.

other than that, i can't complain too much. overall, i feel pretty good which i am so grateful for...

stay tuned for more jett updates. hopefully, the next post will be pictures of him!

the bob

2009-09-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend jessie and her mom gave us the bob jogging stroller as a gift for jett.

the bob can be used as a jogging stroller (now i don't have an excuse not to run after jett is born)

but it can also be used as an everyday stroller.

we debated for a few weeks if we should use the bob as just our jogging stroller....

or if we should by the car seat adapter and use it as our everyday stroller.

we decided to buy the adapter.

so me being the handywoman that i am, installed the car seat adapter.

the car seat fits great.

all we need now is a baby.

hamilton helped as well.

tagliarini picchi pacchiu

2009-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

so i mentioned in a post the other day about this special meal at carrabba's that has the potential to induce labor. well, today patrick and i went to carrabba's for lunch to see if this dish really existed. we asked the waitor if they had a dish that is notorious for inducing labor (knowing it was a ridiculous question), and he said he'd never heard of anything like that, but went and asked the manager...turns out the tagliarini picchi pacchiu is the famous dish. so i ordered it. supposively the oils and spices are the elements that cause labor to start. for all i know the waitor could have pointed at any item on the menu and had me convinced...but either way i did enjoy this dish and definitely recommend it even if you are not trying to induce labor.

so far i am still pregnant, and there are no signs of labor in the near future.

36 weeks, 6 days and nothing...

2009-09-04T13:09:00.001-07:00

we had our 36 week appointment this morning, and i was extremely confident that we would go in, and i would definitely be dialated or effaced....WRONG! nothing. absolutely nothing. this isn't a big deal at all, but i wanted something to be going on. i am 37 weeks tomorrow, and i am so ready to meet this little boy and have my body back. (or something close to my previous body) but oh well. we have to wait another week, and hopefully i will have made some progress. next appointment is monday september 14. i'll keep you posted.

my friend kimy told me that carabbas has this "pregnant meal" that you can order, and it will help induce labor. she said two of her friends ate this and two days later they both had their babies...so in the mean time, i will be eating carabbas, walking, eating jalapenos, and whatever else i can do to meet this baby sooner rather than later. : )

here i am at 36 weeks...brother hamilton wanted to be in the picture.

35 weeks

2009-08-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

i am officially in my 9 month of pregnancy.
i can't believe it.
i will be 36 weeks tomorrow.
time is flying!

doctor's apoointment went well today.
she did the group b strep test...blah.
jett weighs probably 7 pounds right now.
most likely will be an 8 lb baby.
she said he probably won't be chubby.
just long. (not surprising...considering)
and most importantly, he has dropped. : )

my big round ball of a baby.

my apologies

2009-08-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

my apologies for not blogging as i should have been. it feels like i have been non stop the past few weeks (which i have) and now i am just trying to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy.

since my latest post...i have been showered and blessed by some of the sweetest people. i had a shower in dallas that was given by my mom and sister two weeks ago, and this past weekend i had a shower that was given by erin, michelle, sonya, julie, leslianne, erika, and lyndsey...some of my dear friends from second.

dallas shower photos:

me with mi hermana

me: 34 weeks katie: 33 weeks, lindsey d: 24 weeks, lindsey f: 9 weeks

sweet riley

jessie marie

houston shower photos:

mom and linz

we also have FINALLY completed the baby furniture...you may remember that we were given all the baby furniture, and decided to have it antiqued. we were not too pleased with the outcome of the furniture. so the past few weeks my amazing mother in law spent all of her free time fixing it. it looks sooo much better. i'll post some nursery pics soon.

we also have officially decided on a name. patrick and i have tossed around several names, but we came back to the one that we had picked out long before we were even pregnant.

Jett Elijah Thurman

we wanted a biblical middle name. so i gave that job to patrick. after nights of studying, praying, and looking at the geneologies, patrick finally chose Elijah. he also, intently, gave him the initials JET. i felt like for the longest time that we would never have a name for this sweet boy. i'm so grateful that we both have a peace about this name, and now we are just ready to meet him!

update on pregnancy and Jett:

i am 35 1/2 weeks pregnant. i have definitely had my share of braxton hicks. i am going to the doctor weekly now. so each friday i can give you an update on where we stand, and hopefully he will be here sooner rather than later!

i'm counting on labor day. : )

beyond exhaustion

2009-08-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

a little of what my sunday looked like...

woke up at 8:00am

went to kingwood bagels

went to starbucks

attended youth bible study

attended elevate

went to the leaders meeting (went for the food) : )

used steel wool on...the crib, armoire, rocking chair,

ottoman, nightstand, trash can, and changing table...then,

did minimal sanding to these pieces.

my wonderful mother-in-law did the deep sanding.

bagged cookies for the new residents

did some more sanding

ate dinner at chuys

i feel like i ran a marathon today...

baby t, patrick, and i are hitting the sack pretty early tonight.

tomorrow is patrick's day off :)

we are going to put a white wash on all the furniture.

should be fun...pictures will be up soon.

Baby T News

2009-08-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

today i went to my 32 week appointment. i can't believe i will be 33 weeks tomorrow, and i can't believe i will most LIKELY have a baby within the next 7 weeks! it blows me away!

doctor says that he is very low right now which is good. not sure why it's a good thing...i think it has something to do with his position for delivery, i don't know. he also weighs about 5 pounds. she thinks that he will probably end up being a 7 pounder when i reach term. she did say there was a possibility he could be bigger, but she doubts it. thank you Lord. i weighed 8.3 and pt weighed 9.5. so a 7 pounder would be wonderful!

next appointment is on the 21st and during this visit we will talk about labor...so crazy!

the hiccuping baby and i are going to get some rest now...stay tuned.

operation cat and dog: unsuccessful

2009-07-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

it has been 5 days since nina joined us, and my goal was for nina and hamilton to be best friends...it's not working out like i planned at all. we got nina on saturday, and by saturday night it was over. nina, although a very sweet dog, would not leave hamilton alone. so we had to come up with a plan for the week for each animal. while we are home, hamilton stays in our room, and nina gets free reign of the apartment, and while we are gone, nina is in the bathroom, and hamilton gets free reign. it is definitely so much easier having the two split up. i guess we won't be introducing a puppy into our home anytime soon.

meet nina

2009-07-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

nina is our black furry hyper and sweet friend that we are babysitting for the week.

patrick's parents are on vacation so we offered to watch nina. there is just one problem. we have one of these...

although, hamilton is a very sweet cat, he is not sure what to think about this black thing that is his height and barks really loud. so what does hamilton do??

hisses, swats, and growls at the dog (did you know cats can growl???) so right now, nina chases hamilton and hamilton just growls and then swats when he gets the chance. my goal by the end of the week is for the two to be friends and cuddle with each other...i'm not sure if it will actually happen, but i will definitely keep you posted.

time away

2009-07-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

last sunday, patrick and i went to dallas for a much needed break from the norm. this was patrick's first time back since christmas. where has time gone...?

we both had such a great time. our quick trip did begin with some VERY exciting news!! when we arrived at my parents there was already a houseful of people, and then my sister and blake came in shortly after. we celebrated blake's 30th, and just spent time together...HOWEVER, shortly after lindsey and blake arrived, lindsey brought out a box of cupcakes from sprinkles (so delicious). on top of these 6 cupcakes were baby bottles. we all immedietaly thought since i am prego that they were "in honor of me." but i was wrong...they were trying to tell us something, and no one caught on...basically i am going to be an aunt AGAIN this year!! my big sister is pregnant! i am sooo extremely excited and happy for she and blake. she is 6 weeks today, and her estimated due date is sometime in march. so our kiddos will be the same age which is exciting. what's also exciting is my sister-in-law katie is due 5 days after me, and lindsey's sister-in-law is due in december. so there are going to be a lot of babies this year.

anyways...patrick really wanted to go to the rangers game while we were in dallas. so my dad made a few phone calls and was able to get patrick and his buddy aaron tickets for the rangers vs. boston game on monday night right behind home plate. he had so much fun. while he spent his monday with aaron, i was enjoying some very much needed time with my mom and sister. tuesday we went to seven which is the young adults service at gateway church. preston delivered an incredible message, and then we went out to dinner with preston, holly, brooke, and the kiddos. anytime we are able to meet with preston, we always leave feeling so encouraged and refreshed. he and is family are such a blessing to us in so many ways.

well, it's time to do some homework...stay tuned for some pictures of our little house guest this week. : )

28 weeks

2009-07-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I just completed my 28th week of pregnancy. I literally cannot believe how fast time has gone by...even though I do feel like I have been pregnant forever! We had our 28 week appointment this past week. Everything is great. Baby Boy Thurman weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and should be about 15 inches long. My doctor did tell me to lay off the carbs : / and the nurse told me my cheeks were chubby. I've attempted to lay off the carbs, but it is hard! Everything has carbs, and I have no idea what are considered to be "good carbs" and what are "bad carbs." So I guess in the mean time I'll try, but I'll probably just continue to put the weight on. Oh well...

I am going to the doctor every two weeks which is exciting. This baby of ours is EXTREMELY active. I love love love to feel him move. 90 perecent of the time my hand is on my stomach chasing him around. Such an incredible feeling! I can't imagine what it will be like to hold him in my arms...only 11 more weeks!

stay tuned!

83 days to go...

2009-07-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

i have officially entered the third trimester, and like clockwork i can already feel it. i am 2 days into it, and i am becoming more and more easily exhausted as the days pass.

some of my third trimester symptoms are: due to the heat (and drought) here in houston, i am banning myself from leaving our apartment during the hours of 7am and 8pm...(like that will happen). but this heat is absolutely miserable!! i USUALLY am one to withstand heat so well, but not this year. carrying baby boy thurman has made a huge difference on how i handle the heat...and it's not even august yet. : / 3rd trimester symptom # 2: the longer i am on my feet, the larger they become. they really are not too swollen yet, but i can feel it slowly coming on. i find myself most comfortable sitting in the rocking chair with my feet up. so that means...all the cleaning, cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping is up to patrick, right... 3rd trimester symptom # 3: there is not any room left for my bladder. during the day, i have to pee at least once an hour if not twice an hour. and at night i am up about every 2 hours making more room for baby t. (sorry for TMI) i don't even remember what it was like to sleep through the entire night. 3rd trimester symptom # 4: my body temperature is wayyy up. we sleep with an ocilating fan in our bedroom that practically blows on me, and i am still hot. poor patrick, on the other hand, is curled up in a ball as close to me as possisble absorbing all my heat because he is freezing.

i must say though that all of these symptoms that i have experienced and will continue to experience will be SO worth it...

only 83 more days...28 weeks

grandpa gary and grandma come to town...

2009-06-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

saturday morning mom and pop came to houston with a uhaul full of baby furniture...some of our friends in dallas graciously gave us all their baby furniture so now we are set! now all we need are the essentials and baby T!

anywho...mom and pop arrived and we unloaded everything relaxed for a bit then went to New York Pizzeria for a belated Father's Day lunch. yummm...pineapple and cheese pizza (one of my favs).

later on...pt and gd did man stuff around the apartment while my mom and i hung all of our pictures/mirrors. so now our apartment is finally complete.

thanks mom and deddy for all your help! wish you could have stayed longer!

hope everyone has had a cool weekend!!

the whirlwind of june

2009-06-25T18:14:00.001-07:00

what a month it has been. my lack of blogging has been due to the lack of internet, being out of town, moving, and life in general. june has been such a crazy month, and even though it's been somewhat enjoyable...i am extremely ready for july.

june consisted of several memorable events...starting with our 2 year anniversary, me completing 2 years at yellowstone academy (sad to say i won't be going back), an incredible, yet very exhausting, week at high school beach retreat (in which the child inside of my grew significantly during this week), moving 3 days later to kingwood, tx (finally), starting our two year commitment as a CARES team in kingwood, patrick having 5 consecutive days of a fever that ranged from 101 - 103.6 (possibly the swine flu), me realizing how strong my immune system is (praise God i did not get sick), attending our 26 week appointment only to find out i am now anemic and potentially could have gestational diabetes, went back to the doctor for the 3 hour gestational diabetes test today (find out the results tomorrow), and there are still 6 more days left in june...what a whirlwind it has been.

the last 6 days still have some excitement in them...patrick's grandma flew in today and will be here until sunday...and my beloved parents are coming down saturday (for one night : ( ) to bring all the furniture for baby t (which was so graciously given to us by the morrisons...such a blessing).

so i apologize for not being tedious in my blogging and maintaining a more consistant blogger life. i will try and do better in july.

back to unpacking...

two years...happy anniversary patrick thurman

2009-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

today we celebrated our two year anniversary...it is kind of scary how fast time goes by. i feel like i was just walking down the aisle yesterday. but what an amazing two years it has been...patrick has continued to amaze me and impress me day after day making me fall more and more in love with him. as we begin year number three tomorrow, i get excited about all the excitement that will take place especially in the next few months, and as our child grows, and as we figure out how to be the best parents possible for our son....to patrick, thank you so much for these past two years of my life! i would never trade them for anything...you will be such an amazing father, and i am so proud of you! i love you!!

it's only $20,000...

2009-05-26T17:13:00.001-07:00

as i was browsing baby websites this afternoon, i came across this ridiculous crib. here are some pictures...i hope no one has ever purchased this item.

i would rather buy a car!

funfilled weekend

2009-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i was finally able to make a trip to dallas to visit my family. it was very needed. i have missed them so much especially since i'm pregnant. i wish we all lived closer. but since dallas isn't too far...i hopped in the car with my in laws and they graciously took me to my parents. it was such a great weekend. my mom, lindsey, and i went out saturday and got pedicures, ate a good lunch at mi cocina...sooo good. (no mi cocinas in houston : / ), and then went shopping...it was fun to do something like that considering its rare when the three of us are all together. i'm so grateful for this weekend and the time i was able to spend with them. i was able to spend time with some of my extended family that i haven't seen in awhile, and i was even able to spend time with one of my closest friends, jessie.

since i was around my sister the photographer this past weekend...she was able to snap one of many photos of my pregnant belly. i haven't been very good about keeping updated belly pics up...here is one from this past weekend at 20 weeks along.

it's a boy!!

2009-05-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

well we found out today that we are having a boy! my instinct was right! it was so awesome sitting there watching our sweet baby boy move around for 30 minutes. he was all over the place...just like his dad : )

everything is perfect. no concerns what so ever which is reassuring. what a blessing. we tried filming it, but the ultrasound lady was not friendly at all, and would not allow the camera in the room. we were able to get several free 4D pictures which are incredible!

here are some pictures...

Boy or Girl?

2009-05-12T06:13:00.001-07:00

today is the BIG day!! patrick and i are going to the doctor at 3:30 for our anatomy ultrasound...and they WILL tell us the sex of baby thurman. i'm pretty convinced it's a boy... : )

check back tonight for an update!

Update

2009-05-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Baby Update:

We had our 4 month ultrasound appointment yesterday.
Our little baby has a heart that beats 160 bpm.
Our baby is moving like crazy. Such an awesome feeling.
Patrick felt the baby kick for the first time yesterday. : )
On TUESDAY we will know the sex of baby T! We can't wait!!

Patrick Update:

Patrick has the coxsackie virus...
Hand, foot, and mouth disease...without the hand and foot.
It is very common in children.
Doctor says to drink water and get plenty of rest.

Meredith Update:
I feel really good...except for my back.
I'm extremely worn out from my job.
The kids are really bad right now...3 more weeks...I will make it.
I am going to Dallas this weekend, and I can't wait to see my family.

Stay tuned for the sex of our sweet baby.

Mrs. Barbara Bush comes to Yellowstone

2009-04-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of having Mrs. Barbara Bush come out to Yellowstone today. It was such a neat experience. Mrs. Bush wrote a letter to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders a few weeks ago challenging each one of them to write an essay with the topic "The Sky's the Limit." Each student wrote an essay writing about what they wanted to be when they grew up, and the sky was the limit. It was so neat seeing what each of the kids came up with. Our third graders worked so hard on their essays. After they were all completed, Mrs. Bush read each one and then chose a winner from each grade. Today she came and not only presented these 3 winners with an award, but also brought along a children's theater group that performed parts from "The Beauty and the Beast"

Finally, she presented the three awards. She began with the 3rd grade winner, and we had no idea which student had won. She began reading a little bit from the essay, and said that this child wanted to be an artist, and then said his name. Torrean Washington, one of our students who has come so far since he has been at Yellowstone Academy. He walked up on stage, and Mrs. Bush hugged him as their picture was snapped.

Torrean was the perfect student to have received this award. While Torry was in the womb, his mother abused alcohol and drugs (including cocaine). Torry first came to Yellowstone as a 2nd grader last year and that is when our journey began with him. This was his 3rd time to be in the 2nd grade, and you can imagine the challenges he faced with this reality. Torry does not know who is father is, he is one of 7 children, and his mom, who has been sober and clean for a year this May, has been in a out of jail several times. Torry has faced so many trials that no one should ever experience, and he has been through the worst of the worst at his young age of 10. Torrean was blessed with the gift of art. He is an incredible artist, and it comes so naturally for him. When he is in the midst of a meltdown, he will escape with a pencil and a piece of paper. He is such a special student who has been brought from such a low place to a place of confidence and self worth, which is so important for our children to experience. He deserved this award more than any other student, and I am so proud of the progress he has made over the past 2 years.

Here are some pictures from today. I had to use my phone so I apologize for the lack of quality...

weekend of the year

2009-04-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

ahhh what a great weekend! i think i could handle my job so much more if we always had friday off. it was so relaxing. i was able to workout, layout, knock out all the laundry, clean, drove the golf cart around while patrick and his dad played golf, grilled out with pt's parents, then came home and concluded our evening with the newest office episode on hulu. saturday we were able to sleep in, work out, patrick went on a bike ride, i made breakfast, packed and headed to the woodlands, ate an amazing hibachi lunch at benihanas for katie's birthday, went to church, went back to tim and katies, had a slumber party with all the the thurmans, watched bedtime stories, woke up sunday and went to church for all 3 services, played in the nursery with 3 year olds, drove home in the monsoon, made white chicken chili, fell asleep on the couch with patrick, woke up, showered, and now it's chili time...

it's not a girl or a boy...yet

2009-04-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

we had our 3rd ob appointment yesterday. i asked my doctor if we could find out what we were having and she said, "yeah you can...at your next appointment." blah, not what we wanted to hear. oh well. four more weeks until the big day. other than that, the appointment went well. i had to drink this sunkist drink that tasted just like my favorite orange medicine that i used to take as a kid. patrick kept saying, "chug chug chug chug..." to get the show on the road. after drinking that we were able to hear the heartbeat through the dopplar which was really special. 172 beats per minute...then we had to wait in the waiting room for an hour before the magic orange liquid did what it was suppose to do (it was a test for diabetes...since we have a couple cases of diabetes in our family, they wanted to do it earlier than usual). patrick got in a good nap during this waiting period. then they took my blood and we were outta there.

our next appointment will be with a different doctor at a different facility. i think this is the "big sonogram" where they do all the measuring and so on...supposedly it is about 45 minutes long. we'll see.

back to work...more later : )

seasons of adversity

2009-04-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

yesterday i talked to my mom on the phone and she read me this passage from a devotional. it was really encouraging.

"perhaps you are in a season of adversity right now. do you trust the Lord with your thorns, or are you trying to pull them out on your own strength? God is up to something big in your life when He allows suffering to remain, but gives grace to supersede it. cooperate with Him, and exalt in His loving wisdom and sufficiency."

this is very relative to our life right now. we are and have been in the midst of trial for a few months now. everything in our life has been a transition from patrick's new job, the baby, moving, my job that i don't have yet, and more. i have been so confident that the Lord has a plan in all this. i'm grateful that i have been able to hold on to that during this season of the unknown. although i have been holding on to God's promise in james 1:2-4, it seems that i still find myself defeated and discouraged. i have to remind myself that i can't pull each of these painful thorns out on my own. i need God's help.

sitting in the unknown is an uncomfortable place to be, but thats when God can really move in your life if you depend on Him and let Him. he will continue to guide our steps one step at a time. God's grace has been so sufficient during this time, and the renewed strength and provision He has given us has been so sufficient just like His word promises.

thanks mom for that extra boost yesterday...i needed it. : )

it's been awhile...

2009-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

my blogging skills are still not as consistant as i would like for them to be. lets see...since the last time i've blogged i have been to biloxi, mississippi for a mission trip, made a quick trip to dallas and surprised mom, met my dad in georgia to surprise grandma betty (she was shocked), completed another 4 weeks of school, another 4 weeks of pregnancy, and much much more...

my georgia trip was so relaxing. i flew in on a thursday and came home on sunday. i met my dad at the atlanta airport, chose a rental car (he said i could pick, but already made a decision before i could say anything...oh deddy), and then we made our way to woodville, georgia for the grand surprise. GMB (grandma betty) knew that my dad was coming, but had no idea that i would be with him. so after flight cancelations, delays, bad weather, and traffic we made it to the 200 year old house that GMB lives in. deddy dropped me off on the porch, and he made his way inside. after they said their hellos, GMB went back to the kitchen and my dad made his way back out and told me to come on in. i went to the door and rang the doorbell. the first thing i hear is, "don't tell me i locked you out." and then she realized it was me. she was shocked. (i think she thought she was seeing things) that was the beginning of such a relaxing and enjoyable weekend with GMB and my dad. i was also able to see the tingles (my distant cousins), and grandpa woody and grandma jane made their way to woodville which was great.

tomorrow patrick and i will be going to our 3rd OB visit. obviousy we are excited. we are hoping that they will be able to tell us what we are having. we'll see...i will give an update tomorrow on our sweet baby.

Doctors Appointment #2!

2009-03-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Patrick and I went to the 11 week appointment today! It went really well. We were expecting to hear the heartbeat through the dopplar, but we couldn't find it, which is okay. The doctor did another ultrasound, and we were able to see the baby again and the fast little heart beating. His/her heartrate was 162 bpm. Twice as fast as ours. Technology is amazing...they were able to measure the baby, and the baby is exactly where it needs to be for how far along it is. So it went really well. Our next appointment will be on April 7th. Another 4 weeks of anxiously waiting. Anyways...I have gained a little pooch. Most of my pants are pretty tight, I just leave them unbuttoned : ).

Stay tuned...
The Thurmans

Rodeo!

2009-03-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well...another week has come and gone. The biggest field trip of each year at Yellowstone is going to the Houston Livestock Show at the Rodeo. Pre K through 3rd graders go each year, and even though it is one of the best field trips of the year...it is also the most exhausting field trip of the year. I only had two kids in my group, but they wore me out. Each child is given 12 dollars and they can only use this money for food, which the kids love. They are in awe at all the food that the rodeo offers. It's the first thing they all want to do...even if it is 10:00 in the morning and we just got there. Some ate nachos, hamburgers, cinnamon rolls, and of course, alligator on a stick...yuck!! Then to top it all off, the largest order of Dip N' Dots. We saw chicks hatching, pigs and cows in labor, pigs racing for oreos, and more and more food. Here are some pictures of our day at the rodeo!

It's Finally Time...to Blog

2009-02-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've given in...I know so many people who have blogs, and I keep up with my friends who blog, but I on the other hand struggle to keep up with these things. I have started several of these and each time I have failed to keep it up so I end up deleting them. So at my last attempt to blog, I told myself that when Patrick and I got pregant, I would start a blog. Now it's time.

As most of you know, Patrick and I found out that we are expecting a sweet baby on September 26th. We found out that I was pregnant on January 21st and it was a moment you dream of...yet it was still so incredibly surreal. I wish I could have bottled up those emotions that were racing through my body and kept them. Poor Patrick, on the other hand, had different feelings. I woke him up at 5:45 AM and yelled, "I'm pregnant!" His first response was, "What? No your not." Then the excitement kicked in....

My pregnancy so far has been a bit yucky...but thanks to the sweet gift of medicine that my doctor prescribed me I have had a great week. My first great week in awhile, which I am so grateful for. Anyways...Patrick and I are so excited about this new journey that we have begun, I will do my best to keep this updated about the pregnancy and our lives!