One more thing: Gymnastics!

Tegan has been, nearly from birth, one of the bravest toddlers I've ever seen. He has no fear of heights, always lands on his feet, and was doing somersaults by his first birthday. So I always thought I would involve him in gymnastics. So, two weeks ago, we started! He is doing fantastic and he LOVES it! I'll post more pictures and videos as they come!

The video was shot by my eight year old, so be forgiving!

Bowling!

It occurred to me some time ago that we have never taken our

kids bowling! I mean, what kind of parent are we?? So we remedied that tonight! While it was a little more expensive than I would have liked (around $25 for the four of us to play 1 game), we did have a blast! I think that the expressions on both Payton and Tegan's faces were PRICELESS!

Of course, no photo session would be complete without my oldest making a crazy face.

Fast-forward a year.

So, apparently it has been 1 whole year since I last posted a blog. Woah. I find that crazy.

Anyhow, I guess I've decided to pick it up again. So here's my 2011 recapped:

My kids are a year older. Payton turned 8 and Tegan turned 2!

Richie and I celebrated our 11th anniversary! Yay us!

I took up photography a little more seriously. Aimee D. Photography. That's the name of the "business." I love it! But not so much that I want to try to earn a living from it.

We took our first "big time" vacation! We went to Mexico for a friend's wedding. One thing I learned from Playa del Carmen...I want to live by the ocean.

We did some camping and canoeing! We have become outdoor people!

We tentatively decided to become foster parents, though that is sort of on hold. We are taking very cautious steps toward this decision as we don't want to make any mistake about exactly what we're supposed to be doing.

I, once again, have decided to go back to school. Ugh, even saying it gives me a headache. Anyhow, I'll be doing some pre-reqs at OCCC and then applying to the RN program and with any luck, I'll get in the first time I apply.

I fell more in love with God, Richie, and my children! And this is the biggest blessing of all!

2011 was great. 2012 is going to be even better!

Past and Future

This post is a little slow on the up-take considering we're over a week into the new year, but I'm posting it anyway.

With every new year, I like to reflect on the previous year and plan for the one to come. So without further ado....

What I Learned in 2010:

-God is all-powerful and when I trust in Him, miraculous things happen. For years now, my husband's brother has been an addict. He was arrested several times this year and as we approached the year's end, things were not looking promising for him. But Richie and I continued to pray. And by the power of Christ, he is now in rehab! Which leads me to my next learned lesson...

-Don't give up on those you love. Keep loving them the way Christ loves. Continue to pray. Expect God to show up. He will. And He will not disappoint.

-God does not answer prayers the way that I expect. I prayed for a generous heart, but God did not give it. Instead, he gave me several situations in which to be generous. It was hard (very hard), but the most fulfilling thing so far I've done as a Christian.

-God will remove excess from your life in order to give you in abundance. This year was hard for me in the friendship department. But in hindsight, God was simply removing what was not necessary at the time in order to bring even more and greater friendships. (To whom it may concern in this area: I love you! I have forgiven you and would love to be friends again whenever you are ready. I am here with open arms!)

My Plans for 2011:

-Seek God first: I commit to reading my Bible and spending time with God daily. And so far so good.

-Continue to be generous.

-CONSISTENTLY workout: My body is a temple, the only one I'll get here on Earth. I want to live a long and healthy life. I want to see my grandchildren.

-Pay off my car: November of this year is the goal!

-Learn photography: I love art. We'll see if I'm any good at it.

-Take a vacation with my family: MEXICO! Can't wait to see two of my favorite people start their lives together!

-Relish everyday: My kid are growing so fast and I don't want to let a single moment slip by. Life is much too short and I refuse to chase after the wind. It's meaningless!

God is good. LIfe is good. It's going to a great 2011!

MRI

After much discussion and prayer, my son's pediatrician and I decided to move forward with Tegan's MRI.

I'm was not sure why I had such a difficult time with the idea. For a while I thought it was because it involved sedation. But he get sedated everytime he has a laser treatment, so that couldn't have been it. Then I thought that it was because the procedure was going to be done at the OU Medical Center, and our last experience there was a complete disaster. However, while the EEG was done on the adult side of OU, I knew that the MRI would take place in the Children's Center and would result in a completely different experience. Why was scheduling the MRI such a challenge for me? After much thought and evaluation, I honestly think it was because I truly didn't want to know. I didn't want him to be labeled. If there was any sign of birthmark on his brain, regardless of whether or not it affected him, he would be diagnosed with Sturge-Weber.

But we did it anyway.

The MRI was surprisingly pain-free, even for Richie and I. We arrived and were immediately taken to our pre-op room. Vitals were taken and we got the run-down of how the procedure would go. Then, when everyone was prepped and ready to go, Richie and I carried him to the MRI room and held him while they put him to sleep. :( For us, this was the hardest part of the whole procedure. We waited in the cafeteria for what seemed like forever and after about an hour and a half, we were called back to his room where he was recovering from the anesthesia. After a short amount of time, we were released to go home and we were glad to have the procedure behind us.

We haven't received the result as of today, but the results are just about the furthest thing from my mind. All I can think about is what a perfectly healthy and handsome little boy God has blessed me with.

DIY Child's Chair

Since my photographer up and moved to Missouri (kidding! Love you Melissa!!), I have been on the hunt for photo props to use with my kids. I found this little $3 treasure at Goodwill.

Obviously the seat had to go.

I bought some simple pieces of wood and used my son's tools!

My youngest helped me paint.

We painted the base an avocado green. Love it!

I applied a cracked ivory finish.

I can't wait to use this for taking some very amateur shots of my kiddos!

Pryor and Spavinaw

A few weeks ago we traveled to Pryor to visit my last remaining grandmother (Ma as she is called affectionately).




While we were there, we decided to venture up to the Spavinaw Creek, a place that my sister and I loved to swim growing up. My kids loved it just as much as we did.

We had a great time and look forward to visiting again this fall!

Pulse-dye laser treatment #2

A few weeks ago we made our trip to Little Rock for Tegan's second laser treatments. For those of you who don't know us well or are not familiar with my son's birthmark, here is a bit of background. Tegan was born with a vascular birthmark called a port-wine stain, a malformations of tiny blood vessels that connect the veins to the arteries (capillaries) located in the upper levels of the skin.

Our trip was fairly uneventful (besides getting my nails filled in a VERY scary part of Little Rock) and Tegan did great! He loved the Children's Hospital; there were so many things for him to play with. He woke up from anesthesia much better this time around and even wanted to run around and play in the recover area only minutes after waking up. His "purple dots" have healed already and Richie and I can already see a slight difference in the "before" and "after" shots. Here are some pictures:

Before: waiting to be taken into surgery

Only minutes after leaving the recovery room

Healing: one week in

Week 2: almost gone!

Week three!

With any luck, we'll be heading back for another round during fall break. We'll continue treatment indefinitely. These types of birthmarks never fully go away with laser treatment, but the goal is to fade it as much as possible.

Until next time.

Baptism

Since Payton accepted Jesus into his heart last year, he has been begging to be baptized. So when LifeChurch announced that they were having a "Baptism Bash" at Frontier City, I knew this was our opportunity. Here are some pictures of the event.

What a proud moment for a parent! God is good...all the time!

Let Go

Today's sermon was one of those sermon's where you're sitting there thinking, "Man, I'm glad I made it to church today."

Today's message was on living an Unstoppable Life and how so many of us want to give up or lie down and die when the circumstances around us change. And, ahhhh, I was the perfect example for today's sermon. I mean, they could have just brought me up on stage and said, "See this girl. Yeah, this is what we're talking about." I am the perfect definition of my church's message today. I dwell. I wallow. I beat myself to death over things that have changed, ended, or died. For example, I nearly ruined my marriage a few years ago. To this day, I chastise myself for the mistakes I made. I unexpectedly lost a good friend a few months ago....and for the life of me I just can't seem to get past it. I quit school when I was so sure that my goals were completely God-given and God-directed. I have been struggling with my purpose in life and hating myself for not being able to clearly see my path. These are just a few things that I struggle with, oh, at least once a day.

The pastor explained, though, that things do end. Things change. Some things die. But that "the end of an era is not the completion of your destiny." Situations are destined to change. Relationships always have a possibility of ending. But just because things change does not mean that we are to lie down and die with them. We are to rise up and look forward. It is not the end. In fact, the best is yet to come!

Instead of chastising myself about my mistakes, I must live and learn and love. I must forgive myself and Christ has already forgiven me. I must cling to the strength of the Holy Spirit who will enable me to be the wife and mother I strive to be.

Instead of mourning over the friendship lost, I will move on and realize the end of our relationship had nothing to do with me. And I won't be afraid to make new friendships for fear this will happen again. And I will continue to love her despite the hurt.

Instead of dwelling on my lack of direction, I will rejoice in the things I know. I know that I'm a child of the one true God. I know that I am a wife to the most amazing husband. I know God has trusted me to be the mother of two incredible little boys. I have been blessed so far beyond what I am worth. And from today on, I will look forward to the future and what God has planned for me.

Easter at Red Rock

We spend Easter day at Red Rock Canyon...and what a beautiful day it was! We spent quite a few Easters at this State Park so it was pretty nostalgic for my entire family. I just had to share a few pictures I took while we were there (and hopefully this isn't seen as "narcissistic." Haha!)

Happy Easter Hayden!

Best Buds

Tegan James his Aunt Barb


Look at those teeth comin' in!

Hayden Lee

Finally got the egg open to find JELLY BEANS!

Linds and her goofball fiance, Andy (you fit in perfect with this family!)

My sis and her beautiful family

Teg loves his Uncle Billy

Though we all went home slightly pink from our day in the sun, we had a great time enjoying great company. It was the best time we've had in a long time and we all agreed that it should happen more often.

A Brother's Indiscretion

Something happened a week ago today that may change the dynamic of my husband's family from here on.

For anyone reading this (especially those would be offended), please be advised that I blog as a therapy. I have been very careful in my selection of words and have left out the true names of those involved.

As many of you know, Richie and I own a food service business that has several different locations, kind of like LifeChurch ;). Richie also has a brother that has been in and out of trouble for as long Richie and I have been married. For confidentiality, let's say this brother's name is "Alex." So Alex has an addictive personality and has been arrest multiple times for drug possession, usage, and driving under the influence. He has also overdosed at least once to my knowledge and wound up in the emergency room. Alex has a VERY difficult time with gainful employment due to showing up late and, in most cases, not showing up at all. One could only attribute this to the lifestyle he lives. Even Richie has hired and fired him multiple times due to his inconsistent work ethic.

Back in November I believe, Alex met a woman named "Liz." I was introduced to Liz when Alex brought her over to my home. I remember distinctly pulling her asside and pleading with her to not fall into Alex's lifestyle. I begged, "Liz, don't let Alex pull you down to his level. Be strong and be the example he needs." She responded, "Oh, there is no way that will happen. I have a son; I have too much to lose."

Through the month of December, I noticed that everytime Alex brought Liz around, she was nodding off during conversations and interactions. I knew...but I didn't want to admit it to myself.

They were both arrested at the beginning of February with possession and under the influence of hydrocodone.

Clearly needing help, Alex and Liz have moved in with Richie's mother and step-father, which we were not opposed to. Alex has gotten a job at a restaurant. Richie and I were both under the impression that they were both improving. Then they showed up at my son's 7th birthday party. Again, Liz was nodding off in the midst of the party and couldn't hold a conversation to save her life. She wished my nephew a happy birthday, clearly too high to tell one from the other. My heart sunk.

To this, Richie contacted his mother to advise her of their current state. Our thinking was if Alex and Liz were living with us, we would want to know if the drugs had begun to take over again. We would not to be oblivious. However, Richie's mother defended them both and was adement that they were clean. Saddened, Richie threw up his hands.

Then, last Friday, there was money missing from our register and the John Conrad Golf Course. Richie's nephew, "Scott," manages this facility for us and reported the missing money. The next morning, in shock and horror, both Richie and Scott reviewed the tapes with revealed Liz nearly emptying the register. It was only days later that, upon further review of the footage, Alex was also collecting more cash only five minutes after Liz.

This weekend has been one of anger, resentment, hurt, disappointment, and saddness. When confronted immediately after the the incident, Liz claimed she had been in the register "paying for hot dogs." Scott had given them free hot dogs that were going to be thrown out at the end of the night. Not to mention, the video shows Liz clearly pulling money out a total of 5 times and never once putting money in. After the denial, the attack began. Richie received multiple threatening text messages and I received a very hurtful email from his brother. Finally came the admissions. The first excuse, in a desperate attempt to protect his girlfriend, was that Alex had told Liz that Richie was loaning them $60 and to go ahead and grab it from the register and that "she had no idea she had done anything wrong. Unfortunately, this excuse fell flat at the video shows both of them completely emptying the draw. The next excuse came in a last resort. They had both grown desperate and had not further explaination for themselves. They admitted to taking around $150 (which the video clearly shows them taking more than that) and that this was not the first time that they had helped themselves to our money.

Richie's heart is broken. But not because his younger brother stole from him. He is heartbroken because his mother and step-father have turned their back toward the entire family for taking our side. His mother will not speak to him, nor any of the other family members, due to the fact that we are pressing charges. He had no idea that doing the right thing would ultimately lead to his mother disowning him.

From here, we move forward, regardless of his mother's decisions. We press on knowing not only have we have done right by our family, our business, and by the law we all adhere to, but we also have done right by "Alex" and "Liz." We know, regardless of the opinion of Richie's mother and step-father, these two need serious help. I only hope they get it before it is too late.

Payton's Birthday

Payton's 7th Birthday was a huge success! Over 20 kids came to enjoy the entertainment of the Mad Scientists of Oklahoma. For those of you who were unable to make it, here are some pictures of the event!

This amazing cake was created by my sister!!

Some extra cupcakes made in case we had more people that expected (which we did!).

Some of the "crowd" enjoying the Mad Scientist's experiments.

Making "goo."

The birthday boy getting to set stuff on fire! :)

Getting instruction on how to ride the hovercraft (and visibly a little panicked).

Payton and the Mad Scientist

Opening gifts surrounded by great friends.

Such a sweet moment between Payton and a classroom friend.

The birthday boy and the end of a great day!

Such a great party! A HUGE thanks to Amanda...the cake was better than amazing! To the Mad Scientists...only you could have held the attention of 20+ children! And to all the family and friends who made it to celebrate my oldest's 7th birthday...thank you so very much for making his day!!