Date with Mama

On Saturday, Jesse went to College Station with his dad for the A&M verse Army football game. So, Ryleigh and I had the day to ourselves, and we wanted to make the most of the nice weather. She was pretty wild all morning, so I figured perhaps she had some energy to run off. We waited until a bit later in the afternoon, after her nap, then headed up to the neighborhood park.

Of course, Ryleigh ran straight to the swings. That girl loves to swing!


After awhile, she thought it would be fun to explore the rest of the park equipment. I still cannot believe my baby is big enough to do this yet- venture off and play on park equipment. Up high. Off the ground.

Naturally, I followed her up.

While trying to cross over the little bridge, sure enough, Mama slipped. Haha- good thing there was no one else around! I totally splintered my arm up on the wooden playground, but I kept my baby from falling.

Ryleigh loved the slide- didn't matter if she was going down it (with me), or attempting to climb up it. Slides are fun!
At one point, she took off across the playground toward the picnic table, and I thought I heard her murmur "ju." Sure enough, she came back carrying her sippy cup. Must have been time for a juice break!
It was a fun afternoon, watching my little toddler run, climb, swing, and play at the park. Who knew she would grow so quickly?! I'm so glad that she loves to play outside. What a fun time in her life!

She gets that from ME!!

I get the hiccups a lot...and often...pretty much every time I laugh...or even think about laughing!!

Ryleigh looks just like her daddy: same hair, eyes, nose, build. She acts like her daddy: independent and headstrong, but loves to love and needs approval. She is basically a mini-Jesse, according to everyone we know and even strangers on the street.

But guess what?! Ryleigh hiccups! A lot! LIKE ME! I'm not sure that it is a quality or trait to be excited about passing on, but I like it. It reminds me that there is a little bit of me in her too. =)

And lo and behold- it is the FUN side of me! Wahoo!

Always be my baby

What is it about "nigh nigh" time that always reminds me that my baby is still a baby? Perhaps the button-down footie pajamas? Ryleigh clutching her teddy bear? The pacifier we still have not taken from her? The wet, shampoo-smelling hair? The brief cuddles I get before bed?

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but sure enough, at least at bedtime, Ryleigh will always be my baby.

Appreciation

We received power late Tuesday night, and man, I have not been that excited in a long time. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, eagerly packing all our belongings as quickly as I could...while trying to not look too eager about leaving my sister-in-law's house...so excited to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Since we have been home, my power has flickered on and off more times than I can count, and every single time, panic sets in, wondering if we are about to lose it again.

I have realized how much I take for granted in my life. Having my own home and having my "space" when I need it, running water that you don't think twice about before you drink, light that reaches to all corners of the house, a refrigerator with food and cold drinks, ice, a fence that provides privacy from the neighbors, a clean neighborhood where homes are kept neat, nearby restaurants with a variety of food...

As much as I complain about our "struggles" in life and how we have to work so hard to be able to buy the things we want, I now realize (as corny as it sounds) what really matters. What we need in life, and what we must do when those needs have been compromised.

Since Hurricane Ike, we have spent more time outside. Talking and working alongside our neighbors. Fixing meals that feed a lot of people at one time, not just two of us. Enjoying the silence of no background TV. Reading. Not wearing makeup or fixing my hair. Paying special attention to the PEOPLE in our lives and not the THINGS. I appreciate the people and the generous and encouraging spirits that fill my life. Without the generosity of others, I don't know how anyone could get through this. But we are all here- going through it together- and I think we will come out stronger on the other side, by simply appreciating one another a little more.

I know this post is scattered. I'm not exactly writing in a clear and concise manner, as my thoughts are slightly sporadic about this. A lot has happened, and I'm trying to soak it all in and make sense of all my thoughts. I think the main point I am trying to get across is that I am thankful.
Thankful for the family who let us crash at their place while we had no power.
Thankful for the neighbor's help taking apart the fence and cutting down the tree.
Thankful for the laughter provided by my daughter to keep the situation light.
Thankful for the prayers and sweet comments sent from people who do not live here.
Thankful for my company's emergency relief funds.
Thankful for the work ethic and protective nature of my husband.

And especially thankful for the men and women who have left their families and homes to work around the clock, trying to restore power and bring some normalcy to our city again. Thank you for your sacrifice.

We're okay

Wow. Ike hit us pretty hard-- I think we all underestimated the power of that storm! We're pretty lucky it was only a category 2 storm, or we would have been wiped out.

I'm sure you have all seen pictures of the devastation, and heard stories of destruction.

I think I assumed that Galveston would be destroyed, and that even South Houston would have a lot of destruction...I never fathomed how far inland the damage would be.

Luckily, we were prepared for the worst. We lost a tree in the backyard, our fence, had some high water (sloshy, sloshy backyard), and have a huge pine tree limb still hanging from the tree in the front yard. No telling when that will fall.

All in all, we were very fortunate. Our street probably had a tornado come through, based on the distinct lines of damage...our house was right along the line, but definitely not the worst-case scenario. Let me put it this way. Once the worst of the hurricane had passed, we headed back to check our house, and had to detour about 15 times and ended up hopping a curb to make it through our last option. When we finally made it to our street, we turned to find two fire trucks with lights on. Talk about panic! Luckily, they were just cutting down several of the huge pines that had crossed over the street.

We are without power, and there is honestly no telling when we will get it back. There are power lines down everywhere, with multiple pine trees laying on top. I think the power companies have turned on as much as they can...the leftover ones still off have damage done, and will take more time.

In the meantime, we are staying with Jesse's brother and sister-in-law. The situation is not ideal, but we know we are fortunate to have somewhere to go.

My work has been calling and calling, already pushing deadlines, and trying to make sure I will be calling into meetings....ERRRR. Our office does not even have power, and yet they want everyone working "consistently."

Anyway, I'm here. Not all together, but certainly could be MUCH worse.

We need to be praying for the people who lost everything. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must be like. Where do you start? How do you begin to piece your life back together? Where do you go? We are fortunate, and if nothing else, we will have a greater appreciation for our power, our home, and our life.

Thanks for the sweet thoughts and prayers. I'll be in touch soon!

It's coming...!! Or should I say, IKE's coming!

We are as ready as we can be...the checklist is complete.

• Gas a
• Boarded windows a
• Cut up low-hanging branches a
• Sand bags a
• Bottled water a
• Extra ice a
• Flashlight a
• Batteries a
• Battery-operated fans a
• Pictures off the wall a
• Bath tubs full of water a
• Cash a

Goodness gracious, we better stinkin' be ready!

At least Jesse had some fun with his preparations.

For everyone out there, please be safe! We'll catch up once Ike has passed- I'm sure we'll all have good stories. =)

Update on Jesse

Thank you all for your kind words, encouragement and support, and prayers these past few days.

The surgery Thursday went very well. Once they gave him the relaxer, he immediately chilled out and does not remember anything afterwards. We stayed in recovery for a few hours; long enough to make sure he was tolerating the medication okay, had no complications from the procedure, and was able to drink juice on his own. He was pretty out-of-it during that time, which allowed me some time to make a few phone calls, fill his prescription, and get everything ready. Once the doctor released him, they removed his IV, got him in the wheelchair, and helped me load him into the car. Honestly, he could have done it himself (he was awake by that point), but I guess it is standard procedure to help.

We stopped on the way home and bought a large smoothie from Smoothie King, which Jesse feasted on for the next two days.

He slept on and off that first afternoon, but overall, felt really good. Friday and Saturday was more of the same. He was talking, attempted eating some soft foods, and was surprised at how good he felt.

Sunday morning, he began to feel some discomfort. His throat was tight and dry, and he had a harder time swallowing. So Ryleigh and I headed to church for the morning, and he stayed home and got some more rest. By the time we got home, he met us in the driveway, smiling and feeling good again.

This whole time, I was thinking, this has got to be too good to be true...there is no way everyone warned us for nothing...

Sure enough, Monday rolled around. And Jesse was hurting. Badly. And he was almost out of his pain medication. I started calling at 8:30 am trying to get it refilled....we finally got it refilled at 5:30 pm. Needless to say, we had a miserable man! Then to top off our night, when we got home from getting it refilled (about 45 minutes from our house...UGH...another story, I wont get in to), he was hungry and nauseous. I went to get him some Wonton Soup, that he has enjoyed since surgery. My car died. I had to call him and ask him to come jump me. He came, we tried to jump it, to no avail. Then Ryleigh started having a major breakdown, and Jesse sent me home with her, while I called my dad to meet Jesse up there. Poor guy.

Today has been the worst yet. He is not talking at all, barely drinking anything, and certainly not eating anything. He has been sleeping or sitting in the bath tub- very unlike Jesse.

His post-op visit is tomorrow morning, so we will see what she says. I think he is doing awesome, and I'm sure this is to be expected, as the wounds scab over and come off. (Sorry for the TMI.) All in all, it could be a lot worse, and we are thankful for all the good that has come thus far.

Please continue to pray for his recovery. Thanks!

Surgery tomorrow

For those who don't know, Jesse is going in tomorrow to get his tonsils removed. Yes, it is a standard procedure and is considered out-patient surgery, but as an adult, the surgery is much more difficult than if he had it done as a child. The recovery time is much longer and the nurses have all warned us that this might be the most painful surgery he could ever have.

Please pray for him tomorrow, as he is under anesthesia, and for the surgeon's hands to be quick and efficient. Pray for his recovery: for his pain tolerance, peace of mind, and my ability to deal with a "miserable" husband.

I'll let you know you how it goes!

My Superman!

Jesse decided a few months back (with the urging of his friend, Hayden), to try a sprint triathlon. This weekend all the training paid off, as he not only completed, but dominated his first triathlon! I was so proud of him!!!



Hayden and Jesse woke up extra early and headed to the race so they could set up their transition zone, make sure their bikes were adjusted with full tires, etc. Lauren and the girls and I planned to meet them before the race, and then stay and watch. Well, we left on time, but it took us much longer to get there than we anticipated. Not only that, but once we got downtown due to all the road closures everywhere. I pulled into the first parking garage we saw, which was valet parking for some hotel, we paid them, got the girls out of their car seats, and took off running! It was literally 5-minutes before the boys started! We caught up with them as they were lining up to start the triathlon and managed to snap a "before" picture of the two of them.

On your mark...
Get set...

(Jesse is the 2nd from the left, looking back, and Hayden is the 3rd from the left adjusting his goggles)

GO!!

They had to tread water for a bit, making sure that their entire heat was in the water. I don't think Jesse had expected that, but he said it was not that bad.

The boys had told us they expected to take 20-minutes on the 800-m swim. Lauren stood at one point of the swim finish and I stood at another, hoping to catch different angles as the exited the lake.



Hayden came out first, and I caught him mid-breath. Haha. Hayden is a strong swimmer, and we knew to watch for him first.

Jesse was a few people behind Hayden, but came out of the lake ready to take on the bike!
We ran a little bit, trying to make it to the bike start line. Again, we split, hoping to catch the boys at different views. We totally missed Hayden, expecting him to take a bit longer in the transition. Actually, he saw us in the crowd and yelled "hey!" as he rode past, or we would have missed him all together. Jesse was shortly behind him, and I managed to get a video of him riding by (at the bottom of the post).

After the bike, I waited at the transition area, hoping to catch them transition, and Lauren went to the start of the run.

Jesse made it to the transition first. you can see him here, changing from his bike clip in shoes into his running shoes. He never slowed down...popped those running shoes on and took off!

Hayden came into the transition zone about 10 minutes after Jesse. You can barely see him in the background here, wearing a navy and white shirt, ready to run!
I totally missed Jesse during the run. Lauren said she got a few good pictures of him running, but I missed them.

I did catch Hayden running though!

After realizing how long I had been waiting, hoping to see Jesse run, I decided I better high-tail it to the finish line, or I would miss him finish.
I got there, and within a few minutes, Jesse came running into the finish! His goal was to be under 2 hours, and his finish time was actually 1 hour and 40 minutes...20 minutes under his goal! He ran 8.5 minute miles, which is pretty awesome, having completed a swim and a bike ride by that point!
Hayden came in close behind Jesse, also beating the 2 hour goal, finishing in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Again, pretty stinkin' awesome!
By the time the race was over, both girls were pretty over it...as were Lauren and I. It was insanely hot and the sun and heat were wearing on us. Not to mention Lauren had forgotten her stroller, and Hayley only wanted Mommy to carry her.



So, Jesse wanted a picture with Ryleigh, and she was not exactly cooperating, but oh well. Both girls calmed down once we got them in the car with air conditioning, juice, and Elmo!

It was a fun day, and I was so incredibly proud of Jesse. It has only been 2 days, and he is not sore at all. The triathlon was definitely not as hard on his body as the marathons have been, so hopefully he will continue down this path for awhile and give his feet/legs a break! He wants to try an Olympic-distance marathon next, which is essentially twice as much as the sprint triathlon. I think he can do it for sure, especially if he continues his training.

If you want to see him on his bike, take a look at the video. He is the one who flies by, passing on the outside, (number 1551). Go Jesse!