In Memory Of….
23 May 2012 8 Comments
in Chris/Andrea, Grant, Merideth Tags: A Different Drummer Tattoo Shop, Grief, Miscarriage, mother's bracelet, Share Organization, tattoos, tulip tattoos
Today I did something that I never though I would do in my entire lifetime! I got a tattoo… I haven’t gone off of the deep end or anything, I just wanted to do something to remember my two babies that I lost. I have a mother’s bracelet that I wear that has birthstones for all four of my kids, but I wanted something more. I began looking at ideas online about a month or so ago. My favorite flower is the tulip, and initially I was just going to do two tulips with closed bulbs to represent my babies that I lost. After thinking about it and talking to my niece, Aunna I decided to do two open and two closed tulips to represent all of my children. Yesterday, my cousin Kristen came over and drew the sketch of what I wanted. She just graduated from college with an art degree. She did a great job and sketched exactly what I wanted. Aunna came and went with me for moral support! HA We had lunch and then headed to the tattoo shop. I chose A Different Drummer tattoo shop and was very pleased. Chris Rose is the owner and that is who I chose to do my tattoo. I would highly recommend him, he was funny and did a wonderful job of taking the sketch that I took in and giving me exactly what I wanted.
Before he started….
I love that the orange one is Grant’s tulip. It is opened up more and totally represents his bigger than life personality and just the way he lives life in general. Mer is my sweet purple tulip on the end.
I’ve been thinking about my babies a lot this past year. I carried my first child for 11.5 weeks before I lost him/her. At the time we were living in St. Louis and I had my D&C at a hospital that is home of the Share organization. Share is a wonderful organization. They take babies who have died and bury them for the parents if the baby is not far enough along for a funeral to take place. I wasn’t ready to go to the cemetery where our baby was buried when we lived in St. Louis. After having Grant and realizing that I hadn’t really dealt with my losses I decided it was time to go visit the burial-place of my first baby. Because Share buries several babies at once, there is no headstone, but they keep excellent records and were able to tell me exactly where my baby was buried.
Our first baby is buried along this tree line….
Grant wanted to give the baby his stuffed animal the day that we visited the cemetery, so we let him.
I remember getting back in the van that day with tears streaming down my face. I knew even more what I had lost because now I had two precious children! My arms longed to hold the two that I couldn’t hold. By the time we went to visit the cemetery I had lost a second baby. That baby would have been my sweet Grant’s twin. At 6 weeks the baby was still in my tummy and I have an ultrasound pictures of both babies. By the time I was 13 weeks along I had lost Grant’s twin. When someone says, can you imagine having twins? I want to shout YES, but I will never know this side of heaven what it feels like to have twins. When I lost the second baby it hit me hard, but I chose at the time to hold it all in and try to be ok for everyone around me. I wanted to make everyone else feel comfortable so I acted like I was ok. Truth was, I wasn’t ok at all. It hurt so bad on the inside that sometimes I felt like my heart would explode! There are days that I still feel that way. I miss my other two babies. After awhile, we decided to name the babies. We didn’t know what either of them were. When I was pregnant with Grant we had the boy name Dillon picked out. When I had Grant, it didn’t feel right to use Dillon. When I had Grant we had the girl name Delaney picked out, but when I had Merideth it didn’t feel right to use that name for her. So, after talking those are the names we gave our two babies that are waiting for us in heaven. Dillon and Delaney…. Oh how I long for the day that I will get to meet them. I always said that I wanted 4 or 5 kids. I got my wish, two of them are in heaven, and two of them I have privilege of hearing them call me mom each day. I would much rather hear 4 little voices everyday. The pain that is felt when a baby is lost is deep. I wish I had taken the time to grieve when I was actually going through the pain, not years later. Life would have been so much easier.
Why I blog….
20 May 2012 2 Comments
in Chris/Andrea Tags: blogging versus scrapbooking, Reasons to blog
There are many people who blog for many different reasons. I started my blog as a way to journal our family life. I tried scrapbooking whenever the kids were little, and really didn’t enjoy it very much, nor could I keep up with it. I also am a much more detailed and wordy person than scrapbooking allows for in descriptions of pictures. I want to remember the details, not just one sentence blurbs. There are many people who think blogging takes too much time and it could if you allow it to rule your life or consume you. I could also see why it would be a problem if you had the goal of acquiring a large reader base or making money from it. Neither of these things are or have ever been my goal. I am simply journaling our life adventures as a family. I also love doing weekly wrap-ups each week during the school year as a way to document what we are learning and wrapping up with other homeschool moms to see what others are doing in their homeschools. Sharing ideas with others is so much fun, but again that is not the main goal of my blog. I think problems begin when bloggers start feeling like they have to blog this many posts a month, or trying to please everyone with every blog post that they write. I am so happy not to have those pressures. I was really happy in March when my first blog book arrived in the mail. To be able to look back over 2011 and see the pictures and stories of how our family lived life has been amazing and fun for our family. I love the ease of sitting down at the computer after we’ve done something, writing the story and uploading the pictures and having those memories forever written down for my children. I have found if I do new posts as events happen then I am not ever behind and never feel overwhelmed with blogging. I usually work on my blog at night after the kids are in bed. I don’t watch much television, so while Chris watches television I blog away. Chris enjoys being able to read about things that happen while he is at work during the day. I also like how easy it is to share our lives with my parents who live about an hour a way from us. They are able to still feel connected with what is going on in their grandchildren’s lives by reading blog updates. Blogging has been a great thing for me and I am so glad that I started documenting both the little and big things that happen to us!
Andrea’s Summer Goals….
20 May 2012 1 Comment
in Chris/Andrea, Summer 2012 Tags: Cannon Camera, excercise, homemade bread, James Bible study, Summer goals
I made a list of summer things that the kids and I want to do together, but I’ve been thinking about what I want to do this summer while we are not in full school mode. Here is what I’ve come up with so far:
1. Learn how to properly use our Cannon Camera
2. Start making bread again every week
3. Put together a meal rotation list of things that we eat regularly
4. Research some new meal ideas
5. Read, read, read
6. Work on memorizing the book of James for a Bible study that I’m doing with friends
7. Try to exercise 2 times a week
8. Finish planning for next school year
9. Be more diligent about my 1000 gifts list
10. Work on remembering that as the mom, my mood sets the mood for our entire household
Vacation 2012: Final Day….
19 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Chris/Andrea, Grant, Merideth, Vacation
Today was a sad day for us. It was our final day of our vacation. I think this has been our best vacation ever. This week has been so relaxing and we’ve just enjoyed being together as a family. We started the day at the pool, then headed to the beach, and then back to the pool. We noticed that we were all getting a little pink and then realized that we had been out for almost 4 hours in the middle of the day. We came in to rest a little while before Chris and Grant went fishing at the Pier. Merideth and I watched some television and then got ready to head out for pictures on the beach. I am so glad that I broke my vacation posts into days instead of trying to do one big post at the end of the week. We have taken so many pictures this week that I really like and I want them all in our family book from this year.
Racing in the pool….
Headed out to ”the shallows”….
Swimming in ”the shallows”….
Brady and Grant…. This little boy only lives 2 hours from us. The boys became quick friends!
Vacation 2012: Day 6
18 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Chris/Andrea, Family, Grant, Merideth, Vacation Tags: Crab Hunting, Dolphins, FL, Navarre Beach, seashells, Waffle House
On Thursday I was wide awake after I heard Grant come in and tell Chris that is was 6:00. That is what time he is allowed to get up. I still ask, how in the world I ended up with not one but two children that are morning people? Chris and the kids had been getting up and watching the dolphins in the ocean from our patio each morning, but because I had been sleeping until about 8:30 everyday I was missing it. I decided to surprise Grant and get up with him to watch for dolphins. We went out on the patio and ended up seeing 4 different dolphins. One of them was so close it was in the waves that Grant had been playing in the day before and I saw its entire body, not just the dorsal fin. We decided to walk down to the beach to see if we could get a picture of any that might be close to the beach. We walked right down there in our jammies. I can’t believe I convinced Grant to do that, he is really funny about things like that. Of course we didn’t see anymore when we got to the beach, but it was a special time for the two of us. Here are a few pictures that we did take:
We had decided Thursday night that we would go to Waffle House around 10:00 for “brunch”. I know my friend Becca will laugh that we had “brunch” at Waffle House, but our family loves the sweet, greasy goodness that Waffle House serves up! I really can’t believe that we made it until Thursday before going there. That is usually one of the first places we go to when we are at the beach.
This is about the only thing he can have now at Waffle House, but he sure liked his chocolate chip waffles….
After coming home from Waffle House Merideth and I went shopping for the afternoon and Chris and Grant went to the beach. That night we decided we would go eat at Stinky’s Fish Camp one more time for dinner. After eating dinner, the kids swam at the pool for a while before hunting for crabs at dark.
Dinner at Stinky’s Fish Camp….
Vacation 2012: Days 4 & 5
17 May 2012 1 Comment
in Family, Grant, Merideth, Vacation Tags: Blue Angel Practice, Navarre Beach FL, Pensacola FL, The Pier Navarre Beach
Tuesday was just calm and relaxing. We didn’t leave the condo, pool, or beach at all that day. We alternated between inside and outside until it was time to cook dinner. When we were out on Sunday we bought fresh fish from the seafood market. Chris cooked this for dinner and it was delicious. We finished off the day with Mer and I in my bed watching Judy Moody and Chris and Grant in the living room watching Star Wars. Merideth slept with us that night because she didn’t feel good at all and let’s just say no one slept much. Even in a king size bed that child flipped, flopped, and turned all night long. She was happy the next morning though, to wake up next to her mama ;o Chris and Grant left before Merideth and I got up on Wednesday to head over to Pensacola to watch the Blue Angels practice. We had planned this ahead of time because Merideth did not want to go watch them. She does not like how loud the planes are. She and I went to the pool for about an hour before she started feeling bad again, so before 9:30 we were back in the condo watching television. Our plan for the day was to walk down to the pier for lunch and to watch for dolphins. So, about 10:30 we headed that way. I just have to say it doesn’t seem like it is nearly as far away as it really is when you are driving by it in a car. By the time we got there I was having to carry her because she felt so bad. Not a big deal when you are 3 or 4, but when you are 7 and a solid little muscle from gymnastics it is much harder for this momma to tote you around. When we finally got there, the restaurant hadn’t opened yet so we bought our tickets and walked out on the pier. There were benches that you could sit on so that is what we did. There was also a great breeze, so we sat and watched the fish swim around underneath us while we rested and cooled down. We didn’t see any dolphins, but both of us still enjoyed this a lot. After lunch we made the trek back to the condo and rested before heading back out on the beach for a while. Merideth seemed to perk up and felt a lot better for a couple of hours. We had a great time searching for tiny little seashells and the kids dug big holes to climb in on the beach.
I was so happy that Mer perked up so we could go to the beach Wednesday afternoon. These sweet smiles were few and far between this vacation!
Chris and Grant had a great time at the Blue Angels. Grant went to see them the first time when he was 10 months old and even at that young age was not scared of the noise. He loves planes! After watching the Blue Angels, Grant insisted on buying a new Blue Angel plane before they headed to Grant’s favorite place “Chick-Fil-A” for lunch. They ate lunch and headed back over to the museum to look around. Grant has so many interests and loves right now it will be interesting to see what path he takes for a career when he is older.
Standing beside the S3 which was the first plane that his daddy flew on in the Navy….
Apparently Grant took Chris for a wild ride on this simulator of a plane…. When they got back Grant said “dad, tell mom about the escalator that we rode on!”
Vacation 2012: Days 1,2 & 3
17 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Chris/Andrea, Family, Grant, Merideth, Vacation Tags: boogie boards, Destin FL, Fudpuckers, Navarre Beach FL, Stinky's Fish House, The Shrimp Basket
This year we decided to go to Navarre Beach, FL instead of Destin. I think we made a good choice, although there are a few things that I miss about Destin. Navarre Beach is much less busy and we pretty much have our own private beach. There are probably about 5 other couples/families in our area at one time and sometimes not even that many. I just miss the shopping, and some of our favorite restaurants are in Destin. So far we found a place to eat here called Stinkys that we liked even better than our favorite Pompano Joes in Destin. We have spent almost all day everyday at the pool or beach, with the exception of about 5 hours on Sunday when we went to Destin to shop and eat dinner. The kids are having a blast. Merideth didn’t feel so well on Monday, so we took naps in the afternoon. I took so many fun pictures Monday at the beach that I decided to break my posts up into a few instead of one big one. Here’s the scoop so far.
Mother’s Day dinner in Destin, at Fudpucker’s Restaurant. The kids love to go here to eat because of the alligators.
Watching the alligator show….
Grant learned to boogie board in the ocean for the first time. Usually he just plays by the edge of the water in the waves that are coming in, but this year he went out with Chris and rode the waves all the way in. I wish I had a video so you could hear him laugh the first time he came flying in.
Poor Mer just laid on her board at the edge so that she wouldn’t hurt her tummy….
Ready for dinner at The Shrimp Basket…
Grant made us laugh, while he took his time taking our picture….
Grant has been in hog heaven with all of the seafood. He has eaten oysters, crab legs, shrimp, and clams…
Pink Bear
17 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Merideth Tags: Pink Care Bear
When Merideth was 4 months old we headed to the beach with her for the first time. After she was born my mother-in-law decided that she wanted us to go with her to the beach for a week. We were very excited about taking the kids for the first time together. We had taken Grant for the first time when he was only 10 months old. While we were driving to the beach we stopped off at a Wal-Mart in Mississippi to pick up some things for the trip. Grant got some kind of toy (we can’t remember now what it was) and Merideth got one of her greatest treasures, PINK BEAR! When my mother-in-law got this for her we had no idea the place of favor that it would have in Merideth’s life. She has slept with pink bear every night except when she was mis-placed and when we took it away from her while she was learning not to suck her thumb. This year Chris stopped off at the MS Wal-mart that was Pink Bear’s first home for a picture of Mer with pink bear. Mer wasn’t real happy about this and let us know that she thought people were going to think we were stupid for taking her picture in front of Wal-mart, but her daddy didn’t care. He said “we are not asking them to be in the picture.” Here is Mer at different ages and stages with Pink Bear.
Notice Pink Bear used to have a ring on her… This was just days after getting her!
She also used to be a much brighter pink….
Pink Bear went on the train with us to Chicago….
She also went with Merideth into her eye surgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital….
Pink Bear’s first home…. Notice she is not as bright and pink anymore. She is well-loved and has been everywhere from Texas, to Oklahoma, to Disney World, to Destin, Ft. Walton and Navarre Beaches, to Chicago, to Branson, and to St. Louis. Wherever Merideth is, that is where Pink Bear is as well.
New Madrid Field Trip….
15 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Field Trips, Grant, Homeschool, Merideth Tags: Higgerson School, Hunter Dawson Home, New Madrid, New Madrid Historical Museum
Last Friday we went with our homeschool group on a field trip to New Madrid. I am originally from New Madrid so I was excited to go and see the things that we had planned for the kids. We started at The museum. Chris’ aunt is the director there and we went through it with her one time, but I didn’t remember much about it. There are some artifacts in the museum that Chris’ gpa found, and there is a newspaper article hanging up with pictures of Papaw when he worked for the sawmill by riding on logs down the river from St. Louis to New Madrid. Grant really enjoyed seeing these! Here are some other fun things that were in the museum.
Checking out the display of a sample of mounds built by the Mounds Builder Indians….
This is a mace. It is an artifact that was found that would have belonged to a chief.
I had to take a picture of this sign. I remember getting out of school when this man predicted the big earthquake that didn’t happen.
Papaw Moon
An old dentist chair…
This is the very first sewing machine. It was invented by someone from New Madrid, but Mrs. Howe was the one who got the patent….
After leaving the museum, we went across the street to the Higgerson School House. It is an old one room school-house. The neat part about this is the lady that did our program for us, was a student in the school for her entire school career, and then was a teacher in the school for 13 years before the school was shut down and all of the children were sent to the school in town. I’ve known this lady my entire life, she went to the church that I grew up in. After being there with her for the hour, I understood how she was able to keep control over 8 grades at once. She ruled with a firm hand 
She shared with the kids about what it was like to both attend school there and teach there. Bless her heart, she did not understand homeschooling at all, and kept asking the kids questions like “Do you have a bell at your school?” When she asked what kinds of things that the parents have to buy for their kids at the start of each school year and my friend’s little girl said, books she looked at her like why in the world would you say that! It was pretty funny to us parents, and we just went along with her. For a lady in her early 80′s she is still very sharp and had a very vivid memory of what school was like in the old one room schoolhouse.
After the schoolhouse we went for a picnic at the Hunter Dawson Park and gave the kids some time to run off some energy. Our last stop of the day was at The Hunter Dawson Home. I was most excited about this tour. I had been there a couple of times when I was younger, but really didn’t remember much about it. We ended our school year by talking a little bit about slavery, and this home was built right before the Civil War started. It was built by William and Amanda Hunter, but William died of yellow fever right before they were able to move in. They moved into it in 1960-61 and almost all of the furniture (something like 85%) is the original furnishings that Amanda herself bought for her home. During the war General Pope from the Union Army stayed in the home and used it for a staging area. While the Union soldiers were in New Madrid, they fought the Battle of Island #10. While there they told all of the slaves that they could go free. All of the Hunter’s slaves went free except one. Her name was Phylis and she was Amanda’s personal slave. By looking at old census records they are able to tell that she remained. There are many rooms that you are not allowed to step on the carpet, because it is the original carpet. When we went to the parlor, and our tour guide told me to play the piano I was almost afraid to. After being told not to touch anything all day, it was a little intimidating to play a piano that was that old. That was another neat thing that day. Our tour guide for my group was a lady named Liz. Her daughter was my first room-mate in college. We were told that the information given when you come for a tour as a family is a little bit different because the guides are not as rushed as they are on school trips. I want to go back with my family at Christmas time when things are decorated for Christmas. Each time we take our group on a field trip, the people who are giving us tours always, always talk about how well-behaved our group is and how wonderful their questions are. I am always so proud of the kids.
The children’s room….
Mrs. Liz was sharing about all of the undergarments that ladies had to wear….
Celery was a sign of wealth, and apparently harder to get than it is now. We were told that the family tried to have it for holidays…
Checking out the fake cake…. He couldn’t believe it wasn’t real….
Amanda Hunter with one of her children…
William Hunter….
The very old piano that I had to play
We also walked up on the River Observation Deck for a few minutes. It is hard to believe that this whole area was covered in water last year.
