Carlile Crew

Semester Wrap Up....Yes I am still alive

2011-12-04T21:04:00.003-06:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in months. I could give you hundreds of excuses but who really cares about all that. So instead I will just update you...

1. We have had a really good fall semester at school. I have had a student teacher and she has been a God send. She is wonderful and I know when she has her own class her students will be blessed. This week is her last and I am really going to miss her. I feel like I am losing a great friend and it makes me sad. I guess I have really grown accustomed to talking, visiting, laughing and discussing things together everyday. I know it sounds silly and how can you really build a relationship in just a few months but working side by side such an inspirational young lady has been a blessing to me. In fact, she may have taught me more than I did for her. Also, I wrote a grant to get 2 iPads for my classroom and I got it. This is the second year in a row I have written a grant and got it. I feel lucky to be a part of a school district that has a community that actively supports their schools. God is good.

2. We sold our house. We began renivating the lake house in a hurry and we are almost done. There is a small amount of painting left and two areas left to put tile down. Needless to say we already moved there and we are not quite situated as we are working around the areas still being updated. Some projects will take longer like updating appliances but all in all it looks really good and my husband is exstatic about being here. I love how quiet and peaceful it is and every morning I eat my breakfast while watching the wildlife on the lake. It really is a nice change. Trey has been amazing. I know the whole process getting out to the lake has been stressful. There have been numerous challenges, hurdles, and countless hours of work but he has done it all with a smile on his face. I am so thankful God has given me a husband that is willing and selfless. He has worked so hard and I am so proud of him.

3. Mollie has had a relapse per say...during the week of Thanksgiving the areas on her neck suddenly started to swell and bubble. They filled with puss and became very red and irritated. We took her into the pediatrician and he drained them to get a culture. However, I took the intitative to just call her infectious disease doctor back in Dallas because I knew something was wrong. It was a very emotional day for me...translating into tears being shed the majority of the day. God blessed us with a cancelled appointment that we were able to fill. We were able to go on Friday to our specialist. She was disappointed to tell us that it appeared to be the same infection (nontuberculosis mycobacterium) back. She couldn't believe it but she was glad that we caught it early. So Mollie is back on medication. Our doctor believes that she probably has a genetic condition where here body is unable to rid itself of this type of infection. She was born this way and there is no cure. She was tested for the genetic mutation back in March but it takes 1-2 years for the results to come back. Being that this the third outbreak with in 2 years our doctor feels that this is possibly the best explanation. It isn't for sure yet we still have to wait for results from the test. However, she will have to more than likely take medication for a very long time and it will act as preventative by keeping the infection at bay. If the results come back positive then we will seek help at an immunologist. We will deal with that if we have to when the time comes. Luckily, it will not shorten her life. It has been hard to swallow beacuse as a parent you always want the best and you hate to hear that anything bad is happening to your child. God has been good though by helping us find a great doctor, providing amazing insurance, holding our hands through this all, and allowing this test to take place. Please pray that there would be no adverse side affects from the medication and that Mollie would continue to blossom, grow, talk, and make up for lost time.

4. We are going to Disney...it has been in the works for a year and I must say I can't wait. After all the craziness and business it will be a welcome event for our family and it can't come any sooner. Being at Disney World during the Christmas holidays will be priceless. I can't wait!

I know some pictures would be nice but lets be honest...its a miracle I am even posting!

The best present ever!

2011-08-09T09:31:00.004-05:00

I can hardly believe that three years has gone by so quickly. On the 29th of July we celebrated Mollie's 3rd Birthday. It was a great day with lots of fun and family and we had a small family birthday party on Saturday out at the lake. However we had to wait one week for the best birthday present ever...

We went to Children's Hospital and the doctors cleared her from treatment. What does that mean? Well, first of all it means NO MORE MEDICATION! Mollie has been dealing with this disease for 18 months and has basically been on at least one and up to three heavy antibiotics at a time since the onset. She hates taking it and it has been a battle. These medicines have been from the texture of sandpaper, to looking like kethcup, and tasting like metal. She even went through one that was a pill. Giving a pill to a two year old is not exactly easy but all in all something must have done the trick. After surgery, blood work, ct scans, more doctor appointment than ever imaginable I give the glory to God that this chapter in our lives is closed. The optimist in me says that at least it all happened during a time in her life that she won't remember however part of me feels that we got robbed of those precious memories. Nonethesless, we are making up for lost time. Mollie is blossoming and becoming such a different little girl. She is filled with laughter and smiles and she now she talks like crazy. Sometimes it is hard to understand but I don't care she is talking. God has given us such a testimony through her and we are very thankful that he has kept his hand on her through this journey. Thank you God for this miracle!

Mollie is such a sweet cuddle bug. She loves to hop in bed with us in the morning and snuggle up to us. She has a special handshake we do every night before bed. She is learning about sharing and doing really well. I love hearing her and seeing her grow everyday. Her fascination with princesses and girly things is endearing and her imagination is endless. I never would have thought we would have two little girls but I wouldn't trade it for anything I love you Mollie and I am so proud of your determination.

30

2011-08-03T21:04:00.002-05:00

It finally happened...I am 30. I officially joined the club about two weeks ago. I guess that I haven't really been looking forward to it and felt that it was relatively anticlimatic because the majority of my friends are already 30 and have been for sometime. However, it is still a milestone that has taken some time to get used to and frankly I haven't fully embraced it yet either. Nonetheless, I was able to celebrate with lots of family and friends.

We took a special trip to San Antonio with another couple for a long weekend trip. We stayed at the beautiful Resort and Spa of Westin's La Cantera. The boys enjoyed several rounds of golf while us girls indulged in some quality spa treatments. I must admit it felt heavenly to lounge around, sleep late, eat at random times, and have no responsibilties whatsoever. We enjoyed some wonderful foods, the river walk, lots of shopping, and some great company. God really reminded me just how blessed I am to have strong God fearing friends, and a self-less husband. It was a refreshing get away and overall just the rejuvenation I needed especially since school will be starting up in just a few weeks. There was one small hiccup during our trip that I can't leave out. As we embarked on the trip it quickly became a joke that this was "Jennifer's Birthday Extravaganza" and I was therefore expected to make all decisions in terms of plans, eating, ect. Anyone that knows me very well knows that I do not enjoy making those type of decisions. So all in all it was fairly comical. Nonetheless, half way through our trip, Trey and I decided to spend some time laying out at the pool. When we found some lounge chairs and got situated I felt a sting on my foot. I looked down and saw a tiny little ant biting me. I quickly brushed it off and thought little about it. I have always swelled more than typical when bitten by an ant but it is something that I am used to. I have had a mild allergy to ants as long as I can remember but nothing that has ever caused me to worry. However, about five minutes later my hands began itching relentlessly. I couldn't figure out why they were itching but it was very uncomfortable. As the itching continued I also started experiencing intense stomach cramping. Not like your typical tummy ache but more like it was twisted into knots. It was so bizarre and I really didn't know what was going on. I hopped in the pool thinking maybe I was getting over heated even though we had only been outside for a short while. Trey came over to check on me and he said I didn't look so good. I finally admitted that I felt terrible. Upon further conversation Trey noticed my lips were swelling. He suggested we find a doctor or nurse to have a look at me. We did not even make it out of the pool area before I was laid out on some chairs. I had hives up my arms, all over my neck and ears, my stomach pain was INTENSE, I had begun vomitting, and my chest was getting tight. Too make a long story a little shorter, the ambulance was called and I was shipped off to the hospital for anaphylactic shock. About half way to the hospital the symptoms started to tone down and eventually everything stopped. They pumped me full of benedryl, pepcid, and steroids. I was released about an hour later to go back to the hotel. All from that silly little ant bite. When I looked at my foot. I had a track from the bite traveling up my foot to my ankle that was red and swollen. It was basically the path that the toxin from the ant bite had traveled up my foot. It was bizarre and totally different from any other ant bite I had experienced. So now I have the joy of carrying an Epi-Pen with me and I am instructed to administer this if I get bitten by another ant and any symptoms begin to appear. It is very concerning to me but my PCP has assured me that it is not something to mess around with. Luckily, Trey stood by my side and took the best care of me. Our friends who traveled with us where also very supportive. From that point on "Jennifer's Birthday Extravaganza" took on a whole new meaning.

I wish I had pictures to share but I didn't even bother with taking a camera on our trip. As you can tell the start to being 30 has been an adventure already. The past 30 years have been wonderful and I am looking forward to what the next 30 years have instore for me. I look forward to the blessing and revelations that God will show me as I continue to walk with Him. I am already so thankful for all that He has bestowed on me and my family.

Maddie

2011-06-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

So it is time to update again. This time lets talk about Maddie. This has been a whirlwind of a year. Maddie has successfully completed her first year of public school. She finished Kindergarten and she really loved it. We were so blessed to have a great teacher. She is reading fairly well and starting to gain some confidence in her ability. She is even better at writing. She amazes me with some of her sentences. I can't wait to see where she is going to go with all of this and what she will really excel at as school continues next year. We are going to keep working on reading in hopes that we don't lose any ground during the summer. Don't worry though we will be spending the majority of the time in or around water to stay cool.
We have been so busy with activities the last few weeks of school that we haven't hardly had time to do anything. Maddie played her first full season of Tyler Soccer Association. She was on the Mustang Sallies and they were so cute. They didn't win every game but they did have a lot of fun. Maddie scored 5 goals during the season and I must brag for a minute because she scored a hat trick in one game (3 goals). It seemed like once she got the hang of it she did really good. She was even a little scrapper out there. After getting run over a few times she did admit not liking getting hurt but she kept at it.
We also completed another year of gymnastics. Maddie is really excelling at gymnastics and I am very proud of her. The coach has recommended that she join the pre-team group. This would entail that she go twice a week to practice and they would begin coaching them for competition. We are thinking about whether to do this or not. We want her to still have fun and not be pressured too much so we shall see. However, her coach did pay her a compliment that she was one of the top gymnast in her class. She looks so cute out there and she has learned so much over the last two years. I am really glad she has pursued this sport.
Maddie is so sweet and really a blessing to our family. She is growing so fast and sometimes I wish I could just put a brick on her head to slow it all down. I can't believe she will be a first grader next fall. I don't have pictures to post at this moment because I haven't uploaded them from my camera but I will very soon. Maddie is such a joy in our lives. We love you baby!

Mollie

2011-05-16T20:51:00.003-05:00

Okay so look at me...can you believe it two posts in two days!!! Crazy I know! Anyways I thought I would post an update on Mollie. Anyone who reads this knows that we have been through some serious medical issues with Mollie over the last 18 months...which is crazy to me because that is basically half her life. We have been to more doctor appointments than I would care to mention, so many blood tests, xrays, scans, surgery, ect. Well, we are currently receiving treatment from the Infectious Disease doctors at Children's Hospital. They are really great and truely care about Mollie. It is such a refreshing experience every time we go. Now...each visit usually involves lots of screaming on Mollie's end becasue as you can imagine with so much poking and proding happening over these last 18 months she has developed a pretty good case of doctor visit adversions. However, the staff at Children's is so patient and understanding to her. In March our doctor wrote a letter to The National Health Institute (NHI) asking permission for them to take Mollie's case to run an analysis of her immune system. Our doctor explained the details of Mollie's case and they accepted it. It was really a great thing. They are basically the only facility in the world that will run the extensive immune test that our doctor was looking for. Therefore, Mollie and I made the trip to Dallas for the blook draw. They had to take A LOT of blood to send overnight to the NHI. Our doctor also submitted her blood as the control comparison. Needless to say, it was an aweful day for us. Mollie cried so hard and so long. It took the lab techs over six times to get the amount of blood necessary for the test. They stuck her and stuck her and stuck her. Her little veins would roll and bust making it near impossible. Her little arms were black and blue all over. I cried more than I have in a long time. It was excruciating pinning her down so they could use her as a pin cushion. Even our doctor felt terrible about the ordeal. She felt so bad she walked us to our car apologizing and trying to confort us. She also called us the next day to check on Mollie to make sure she wasn't too tramatized. The NHI will be analyzing her immune system by looking for a specific defect in one of the specific cells that is suppose to clear infection from the inside of the cell. If the cell is not emmitting the chemicals that treat the cell from the inside it could be the reason why she has had multiple cases of the this NTM (nontuberculosis mycobacterium). However, the test can take up to 1 year before results are found. We aren't in a hurry and it won't change the treatment it will just provide valuable information for her future. Meanwhile we are still taking two heavy duty antibiotics with check ups every 6-8 weeks. Just about a month ago the second nodule burst through the skin and drained. It happened in the middle of the night. Although, it periodically continues to drain. All of this is good and it means the disease is progressing through the proper stages so that the body will eradicate it. Even though it is gross it continues to look better with each passing day. We are encouraged by the progress and hope that in a few more months we will be able to stop the medication. Our doctor is very hopeful too. God has provided us with the strength to get through this. The biggest draw back to all of this is that Mollie's development has been delayed. She barely talks, is somewhat withdrawn from social settings, and struggles to communicate. Being that she will be three in July we worry about her communication deficiencies but we continue to try to be patient. As she improves in her overall health and wellness feelings we notice that she is coming out of her shell more and picking things up. I know that we are going to have to play catch up for quite a while with the hopes of eventually getting to a place where she speaks clearly and communicates with others appropriately. It is trying at times and makes my heart break for her because I know she must be so frustrated as well. I just love her so much and would do anything to take all of this away from her. For any one who knows her, Mollie is such a sweet and loving little girl whose temper can get the best of her when she just can't express what it is that she needs or wants. She is smart, funny, loving, energetic, and wonderful. I look forward to when she shows all of that to people other than just us. On a positive note friends and family are noticing the changes in her as she continues to feel better. Please pray for her...pray for her continued speech development, improvement in health, and social ability. All prayers are so appreciated and I know that God is listening. He is already interceded for Mollie multiple times.

Also, Mollie took on potty training at Christmas. She learned in about two days what to do and has been doing great. We have a few ups and downs every now and then but we couldn't be happier with how quickly she grasped the concept and ran with it. Once she put panties on she hasn't touched a diaper since or even a pull up. She sleeps in panties at night and nap time...and keeps them dry. We just love that she acts like a big girl. We have had a few accidents every now and then but I am impressed considering all that she has been through that she mastered this potty thing so quickly. I must admit not having to change diapers has been great.

She is doing gymnastics once a week and loves it so much. She has learned a lot over this year and really seems to thrive. We are working hard to place her in situations that give her structure but also provide a fun outlet to develop social skills as well as gross and fine motor skills. I have been so pleased with how well she is doing. She has her "recital" performace this week where she gets to show off all she has learned and I am so excited. I know it will be wonderful.

God gave us a special blessing when he place Mollie in our family. Even though she is nothing like her sister and does everything in her own way, God has used Mollie to stretch me, increase my faith, and learn a deeper and greater understanding of love. Our family is honored to have Mollie as a member of our family. God is our provider and healer and as he continues to work in Mollie I look forward to see just what and how he will use her to further His kingdom. We love you Mollie and are so proud of your determination!

House for Sale!

2011-05-15T20:32:00.002-05:00

I know it has been forever. I have so much to get caught up on but it just seems I don't have time or I am exhausted. So I will start by stating this...our house is for sale. About 18 months ago we thought we would try to sell our house and see what happened. We didn't have a plan but we just thought we would test the waters. Well after about 3 months on the market we decided to go ahead and stay put. It was perfect because I ended up going back to work and lots of changes and adjustments took place and it was truly better that we were here. God really guided us through that and protected us from a potential bad decision. He also provided us with a great opportunity to buy a lakehouse. So now we own two homes. Needless to say taking care of two homes is really hard. Two yards, two sets of bills, two places to clean is hard work. We love going to the lake whenever we feel like it and we have done some serious praying. We have decided to permenately move out to the lake. The lakehouse needs some work and some tlc but in all honesty we really want to raise our children on the lake. So we feel like it is just one step closer to meeting our goals. With all that said, our house was listed just a little over a week ago. We are really trusting God that he will provide the right buyer. We have done so much work to make our current house our home and we hope that someone else will want to make it their home. I believe God is going to bless this move and provide us with an opportunity to build beautiful family memories on the lake. Please join me in praying that God would put together this puzzle for us and send us a buyer at the right time. Please pray that we would be able to make all the adjustments when we move that would make it easy for all members of our family. Please just pray that God would be completely entwined in this process.

I don't have any pictures to post but I promise on upcoming posts with more updates I will post pictures! Hope to be back soon especially since we only have 10 more school days left.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T09:09:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

1,2,3...All together smile! OR CRY!

2010-12-24T15:57:00.002-06:00

Our visit to Santa that I described in the previous post. Well here was the outcome. I can't help but laugh. My two girls are just polar opposites. Maddie has always loved Santa...I am sure next year we will have two smiles instead (at least I hope).

Potty training and a nativity scene

2010-12-23T13:10:00.004-06:00

Christmas is almost here! I am so thrilled to be celebrating Christmas time with my family. The time off of work has been great. We have really relaxed and been pretty lazy. We have shared some dinner dates, light watching, and other festive activities with friends and family. I have done zero picture taking as of right now but I will pull it out for the big day. I think I needed the break from work more than I realized. It has been a gift in itself.

Maddie had the flu last week but she is all better and enjoying the holidays as well. We have been trying to keep reading books and doing some school type stuff occasionally but really we have just enjoyed dressing up, dancing, and Wii playing. It has been wonderful.

Mollie is doing great. We have decided to get committeed to potty training. We started Monday and she has done really well. She has had a few accidents here and there but I am so proud of her. She doesn't get the poop in the potty part yet so any suggestions at this point would be great. The rest of it is wonderful. We have totally focused on the positive and have been super patient. She amazes me. She can hold it for a long time though! I am talking hours on end. We ask her often to let us know if she needs to potty but she usually responds with a no. She comes running at us when she is ready so I guess she just likes to do it in her own way. I am proud of her.
On another note, Mollie will be going back to Children's Hospital on Dec. 31st We will meet with their infectious disease doctor to discuss options besides surgery. We will see if there is anything else we could do. The affected area actually looks terrible. There are three large bumps and two of them are turning purple and causing the skin to peel and appear irritated. The doctors told us they could probably rupture through the skin and drain by themselves. As gross as that will be it could have the end outcome of completely going away after draining. We will just have to find some type of way to keep her little fingers from messing with it. I have one picture where you can kind of see what it is doing but it isn't that great. It was taken with my phone.
She has acted pretty good and started to enjoy the holidays as well. I think her favorite part is the advent calendar. Every morning we open the window and she gets a piece of chocolate. She and Maddie have shared this tradition so sweetly. It has been fun.

I have so much to be thankful for. I can't wait to see the girls faces light up, tear into presents, and sing happy birthday to our savior. On of my favorite highlights this season is that fact that Maddie asked Santa for a Nativity Scene. I think he was even surprised. He told her that it caught his attention when she said that and then he asked her what it was all about and she gladly told him "Jesus' Birthday" I was so proud I even had tears in my eyes! God works in mysterious ways because I had bought a wooden nativity scene for her earlier in December and about two days after the purchase out of no where she told me she was going to ask for one from Santa.

Merry Christmas to all!

catching up...

2010-12-14T08:49:00.005-06:00

We are home today sick...more poor Maddie has had a fever for the last three days. It seems to be some type of virus. She doesn't act like she feels bad but can't go to school when you have fever.

I am so excited about Christmas. I love this time of year and having kids makes it so much more fun. I enjoy seeing them light up when we put the tree up, look at gifts, talk about Santa, write letters to Santa, and so much more. We got a new tree this year. It was about time. When we first got married my parents gave us their old tree that was almost thirty years old. It has been fine to use over time but lets face it after 30 years it was time for a new one. We got a nine footer that was pre-lit. It was a Christmas present in itself. I went out and got some new ornaments too. I would like to get some more but we will just have to add some new ones each year till we get it just right. Don't worry though the old tree is still getting some use. We put it up out at the lakehouse. We wanted to decorate both houses since we will be spending time in both locations during Christmas.

Just like everyone else, we have been busy lately. It seems like birthday parties, Christmas parties, family gatherings, litter our calendar every week. Sometimes I wonder if life will slow down but if I am realistic it probably won't.

Enough talking here are some random pictures. I need to upload the camera to the computer but I just haven't done it in awhile.

Disney, Cat Scan, Revelation

2010-11-19T14:27:00.003-06:00

So much has happened in the last month I hardly know where to begin. We had the opportunity to go to Florida over Halloween and go to Disney World for one day, which by the way was awesome! However, that is a whole other post in itself.

After we arrived back from or trip we received a phone call from our infectious disease doctor that he felt like we needed to go ahead and see the ENT again so that he could remove the lymph nodes. This was a surprise to us because we thought he wanted to wait a few more weeks to make that decision. Nonetheless we got into the ENT a few days later as a priority appointment. After a good examination and a lot of questions the dr. told us he felt it necessary to remove them. However, he was concerned that there could be permanent paralysis to her lower lip as a result of surgery. He therefore wanted us to get a cat scan done so that he would have enough information to prepare for the surgery. I was floored that this was even a risk but thankful that he wasn't just willing to cut her open. The dr. also said that he had two doctor friends at Children's hospital in Dallas that he was going to review her case with and seek their opinions as well. I loved that idea! So today we had the cat scan. Needless to say I have been pretty nervous about the whole thing because they would be using anesthsia so that she would be still and because she would have to have and IV. There were a few hiccups during the day and most of us ended up with throw up on us but I must admit it went really well. I know that sounds crazy, but God had His hand completely on us. My 2 year old laid in a hospital bed for an hour and a half with an IV in her hand. She cried a little but remained still for the majority of the time. She allowed BP cuffs, thermometers, poking, and even the removal of her IV without hardly putting up a fight. I was so proud of her and knew that God was rocking us in His lap during the entire day. We won't know the results for several days but next week we should find out when the surgery will be to remove these lymph nodes.

I can't end this update like this because I would be leaving out the most vital information. Over the last few months all of these health issues have been a heavy burden and a lot to deal with. After so many internal conversations, questions, and tears I still felt completely overwhelmed. As a parent you do anything in your power to take care of your children and seeing them suffer and go through so much is difficult to say the least. A little over a week ago before Mollie's ENT appointment our Sunday school class prayed over her. It was so emotional and so powerful to me. I felt God's presence and moving in my heart. That day was also the kick off to our revival. Being able to experience God in a different way was something I won't forget. I finally realized I was still trying to handle all of this myself. God was telling me I was placing my children first instead of putting him first. I am not saying that God was punishing me because I don't believe that is true but I am saying I realized I had lost sight of what I needed to be placing my love in first and making my first priority. It happened so easily and I am ashamed but I see that now. I laid my baby at Jesus feet and totally gave it to Him. I felt peace and reassurance right away and even though there are things that are scarey I know I have the Creator with me. He loves her more than I do and I find so much peace knowing that. I believe that he provides everything and that I don't have to endure this alone but that He will develop in me greater Faith and character, and my prayer is that Mollie herself will see that faith one day and love the Lord back. I have the opportunity to continue to be His light and reflection during this time. So all praise goes to God for the blessings he poured on us today and the ones he continues to rain down.

Wordy Update!

2010-10-10T20:38:00.005-05:00

Being that it has been almost a month since my last blog, I thought I should go ahead and update. I am going to use the excuse that we have been really busy but honestly who isn't busy? Well, be prepared this may end up being a long post...

Trey: He is doing really good. Work has been busy and keeping him running all over the place. Don't think I am complaining because I am not. Busy-ness beats the alternative. He has been so helpful with school, doctor appointments, and all the other day to day stuff. He had a college alumni game back in September which is always something he looks forward to. Even though they didn't win they had fun trying to be young again! Haha! He has also been really involved with hunting this year. He has joined up with his brother to be on a deer lease, added feeders and cameras out on a friends land and made many a trips to multiple locations to check game cameras, ect. He hasn't shot any deer yet, especially since it is only bow season right now, but he has shot quite a few hogs. In East Texas hogs are really a problem and Trey takes pride in doing his "Civic duty" or so he refers to it as this and one by one riding the area of them. It is all fun and I myself enjoy hearing his stories and seeing him light up as he talks about it. In fact about a week ago, we got a sitter for the girls and headed out to a friend's land. We climbed up about 15 feet in a tree and sat in the dark for 2.5 hours waiting for the hogs to come in. It was quality time together and I enjoyed being outside in the woods as well.

Maddie: I must start with saying that she loves, loves, loves school. She has something to tell me everyday. She has started buying her lunch on occassion as well. She says her favorite part of the day is riding the bus over to my school which is less than 0.25 miles away. She has started bringing home books to read and she is doing really well. I am so proud of her. She even wants to do math workbook pages. I am so glad she has a love for school. They had a fundraiser recently and she was one of the top three sellers for the school. The top sellers got to ride in a limo to the local burger place in town for lunch. Then they had a dance contest, which she won for all the girls in the school. Finally they had a money wheel to spin. She won $10. Needless to say, she had an AWESOME day at school. Last week she also brought home her first report card. She did wonderful in everything and didn't have any negative marks. It made Mommy and Daddy so proud of her! She is also still doing gymnastics. She is doing so well. She is very agile and learns really quickly. She will be testing for level three pretty soon. Level 3 is when they start competing in gymnastics. I am not sure if I am ready for that but we are happy that she loves it so much. Last week, she even asked if she could start taking private lessons with a coach! This girl is dedicated! Everywhere we go she is cartwheeling all over the place. We are so lucky to have a her as a sweet daughter. She loves Jesus and is even telling other kids at school about him.

Mollie: Mollie is adjusting well to all the new things going on. She loves staying with Mrs. Shannon and playing at her house. I think she does pretty well or at least Mrs. Shannon makes me feel like she is doing ok! Mollie is definitely in the terrible two's. We didn't experience too much of that with Maddie but Mollie is making up for that. We are trying our best to stay consistant and take it one day at a time. Things get better and then she tests us again. At times it is very difficult but then she will cuddle up on our laps and just love on us like nothing else and all my worries fade away. She is starting to talk more. I think being with another 2 year old is helping her. Not all of her words are very clear but we are just happy to hear her starting to try! YEAH Mollie! The lack of communication is very trying and often makes the fits harder but God is carrying us through and we are working through it all. Mollie is also in gymnastics. Not every week is great but she is doing well and learning lots of things. She does like it and is really good at forward rolls. It is her favorite skill. Many times she runs past everything else, cuts in line, and rolls down the mat...getting in trouble the whole time. Trey and I just laugh all though I know her coaches are probably frustrated. It is just too cute how much she likes it. Every week she gets better and better. Last week we went back to the infectious disease doctor. She is right now on two incredibly strong antibiotics. They make her tee tee and poop orange as well as her tears. They are very hard on her liver too. Therefore, she has to have her blood taken every two weeks to ensure there is no damage being done to her liver. All of this has been difficult to swallow. They believe that it is still Non-tuberculosis mycobacterium but they aren't 100% sure without a biopsy. The doctor feels like as long as the lymph nodes being affected don't increase in size or change texture then we are making progress. We will be on this medicine for at least another month. The meds are the same things they treat patients with full blown tuberculosis so you can imagine how a little toddler body handles them. God is good though, because we could be dealing with lymphoma or something worse. We are praying that he will keep his hand of protection on her and help the doctors to discern and diagonose correctly. Mollie is my little angel. Even though her temper is strong it just shows me that she is a fighter. I am so proud of her because she has gone through so much at such a young age. I know that as she grows up she will know how to persever through trials great and small. It is strange how your heart can break and be inspired at the same time.

Me: Well, school is well underway and I think I am finally getting my feet under me. I have a great class and I feel a unique opportunity with the kids I have. I have had a few break downs as I too have had to adjust to going back to work but I don't think things could be going better. We have had some amazing friends help us through all of this. Even friends bring us dinner on the first day of school and invite us over when times are tough to make it a little easier. We are lucky to have people like the Prewitt's in our lives. They are the definition of "church" and friends. They minister to our family and our hearts all the time. I was so routinely working out before I went back to school and I haven't been able to go as much as I would like. I had lost 25 lbs before school started and even though I haven't been able to go to the gym as often as before I haven't gained it back. I was afraid I might. I think I underestimate how much exercise I actually get at school. I also participated in a Women's ministry event at our church. I was in charge of decorating a table for a dinner event with a guest speaker. My Mom came for the event and it was lots of fun. Right now I am looking forward to Halloween. We will be going to Florida to spend four days in Tampa to visit Trey's dad as well as go to Disney World for one day. It is a special treat. The last year we got to trick or treat in Maryland and this year we will do it in Florida. We might just have to make this a yearly tradition.

There you have it a major Carlile Crew update! I told you it would be long.

Maddie's Baptism

2010-09-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

Last week Maddie got baptized. I can't tell you the words that express the emotions that I felt. Here are a few pictures. I haven't downloaded all of them just yet. We had family and friends present to celebrate the occassion. I was so glad that our pastor baptized Maddie because he has known Maddie her enitre life. It was such a beautiful thing. It is so exciting to have Maddie make this decision and I pray that one day Mollie too will also make this decision.

A Day of Firsts...

2010-09-01T12:45:00.004-05:00

I have to be honest I probably would not be posting this if it wasn't for our surprise day off of school. This morning I got a text from my principal that school was cancelled for the day because there was a water main break. So I am trying to make the most of our day off and catch up on some blogging.

Last week was our first week back at school. Maddie started Kindergarten and is doing wonderful. She loves going to school, loves her teacher, and loves seeing friends everyday. She is doing so well. She even was disappointed when I told her we didn't have to go to school today. I would say the only thing she has trouble with is the fact that we have to wake up early. Let's be honest though...I have trouble with that part too! Anyways, she has a great teacher that really cares about her and is just right for her personality. I prayed for a long time that she would get just the right teacher and God totally answered that prayer. I am looking forward to see all the different ways that she is going to grow this year. In fact she is coming home and already asking about spelling words and reading more. She is just a little sponge!

My first week went really well too. I can't complain. I think it will take me a few weeks to find my groove and get the rhythm of our room down but all in all it is going well.

Mollie is doing so much better than I thought she would. She only cried one day when we dropped her off and she is being so big about it all. She is even starting to talk more...just like the doctor said she might. She is around a little guy that is close to her age and I think it is actually helping her language development. I love when I get there to pick her up and she comes running into my arms full of smiles and hugs. God has blessed us in our situation!

2 Year Well-Check

2010-08-20T20:46:00.002-05:00

I have been terrible at keeping up with my blog lately but we have just been on a fast track lately. With our vacation to San Diego then getting back and having just a few days before going back to work there hasn't been much extra time to sit down and write. Hope to have more time to write after we get settled into a routine. There is definitely plenty to write about:
Maddie starting Kindergarten
My Classroom
Trey's Sweet Gesture
The Lakehouse

I will eventually get caught up!

Mollie had her 2 year well check today and it went very well. Luckily she only had to get one shot and she did great. She cried for about a minute and then was over it. She is passing all the proper milestones except for speech but I knew that was going to happen. I talked to the doctor about if the six months of illness that she experienced with non tuberculosis mycobacterium could be the reason for the delay in speech? She thought that it was more than likely that case. With our life fixing to completely turn upside down in the next couple of days the doctor said that all the change and having her in a different setting every day could be good for her speech. She just asked us to keep a close eye on it for the next three months and if it didn't get better by then we would probably see a speech therapist to try to help jump start it. I am perfectly fine with this and feel that after all the other stuff we have gone through a little speech set back is something we can deal with. I am just glad to have her happy and healthy! Her stats are:
height - 34 inches
weight - 26 lbs.

It was cool to see these stats because at her last well check it was during all the sickness stuff and her growth curve was actually going down. Now it is all back on track and she is making up for lost time. She actually grew 2 whole inches and gained over 4 pounds! I was so impressed. It is amazing to look back at everything she went through for such a young age and how it affected every part of her. I am thankful to Jesus for protecting her and guiding us through it. It is only by His grace.

Shared photo book from Jennifer

2010-08-14T21:45:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Announcement!

2010-08-11T13:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know I left yall in suspense from the last post but I wanted to be positive before I told you what was going on. So the exciting news is......................

We are buying a lakehouse! I know most of you were thinking we were pregnant but I am sorry to disappoint you.

Trey's late Grandmother lived on Lake Palestine for a number of years and we have the opportunity to buy her house. It has beautiful waterfront, tons of space, and it is in a great location. We are so excited. There is some work to be done like painting and such but we are thrilled to have the opportunity to raise our kids on the lake. It is only about 15 minutes away from where we live so we can just spend weekends out there or run out for the evening. It is going to be so fun. Not to mention we can have parties, get togethers, reunions, ect. because now we have a place for people to stay when they come visit. It is 3/2.5/2 with an office and two living areas. I don't have any pictures right now but as we begin the face lift on this baby I will post them. Our official closing date is Sept. 8 but we are hoping we will close a little earlier we will just see. Now we just have to see about furnishing another house. Fun times ahead!

Oh how we love the lake!

2010-08-01T21:02:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we got to go out to the lake for some good ol' relaxing. It was so nice even though the water was more like bath water. As the temperature around here keeps rising it is a great way to beat the heat. Trey's Aunt and Uncle have a great place on the lake that is very kid friendly and they recently got a new jet ski that seats 5 adults. Isn't that crazy I have honestly never seen a jet ski that is so big. Well of course we loaded it up with kids and I think at one time there were 6 kids and Trey all on it at once. Let me tell you even with all the people on there it goes really fast. It was lots of fun and the kids loved it. Mollie loves jet skis as long as you don't stop. She starts hollering as soon as you stop because she wants to keep going and she likes to go fast too. I think she might be our adrenaline junkie. However, this past weekend she didn't get her nap and when she rode the jet ski with Trey she fell straight asleep in like three minutes. It was hilarious seeing her slumped over passed out. He drove by the dock and dropped her off. You can kind of see it from the pictures. We really had a great time with family and being out in the water. I left my camera up at the house and go up to get it until the end of the day so I don't have many pictures.

We also have some exciting news to share soon so stay tuned.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Mollie!

2010-07-30T13:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Mollie's 2nd Birthday. I can hardly believe that she is two. It seems like the time has truely flown by. This year has been full of lots of changes and growth. I am glad we were able to celebrate her birthday with a clean bill of health which by far is the greatest blessing being that this year has been filled with health challenges.

We started the day off at 4:30am...I guess she was just so excited she couldn't sleep. Oh well! It did make for a long day but we all slept great last night. We got her a Kid Kraft table. It has a train track, roads, building, people, cars, all kinds of things to manipulate and move around. She loves it. She plays with it a little and then leaves it. She goes back and forth. I think the size of it is a little overwhelming to her but she is enjoying it nonetheless. We then spent the morning playing at home and having fun singing the birthday song. After a three hour nap. We decorated, welcomed family and ate pizza. Then we had a huge birthday party. We had an ice cream themed party so Marble Slab catered the event, we pulled out the bounce house, had a baby pool, swung at a pinata, and ate lots of cake. It was so wonderful. The weather was great, there was lots of laughter and fun. I had a great time watching all the smiles and happiness. Mollie really enjoyed it as well. She even took some swings at the pinata too. We had so much fun we didn't even open birthday presents until today. I am so glad everyone was able to come and celebrate with us.

Dear Mollie,
I must tell you first and foremost that I love you so much. Before you were born I was worried about were I would get more love for another baby. I love Maddie so much and I didn't know how that would work. However, the moment they layed you on me my heart grew so much and the love I was afraid of not having enough of was pouring out all over you. You brought a completeness to our family that I did not even know was missing. You are very different from your sister and you have your own personality. I am so glad that you are your own person and know what you want. We do have a temper and sometimes we clash in personalities but I know as you grow older you will be able to stand strong on your two feet and have opinions and leadership skills that will be rock solid. You are a child of few words right now, but I am sure that will change soon. Your laugh is the deepest belly laugh and I just love it when you get tickled. One thing that is my favorite is the amount of love you show us. You love to crawl up in our laps and wrap those arms around us. When you hug us the love you radiate is so pure and precious it penetrates right to my soul. It is a reminder to me of God's love and that every affection I show should be like yours. Your little kisses are so sweet. They are numerous and I also love that! You are the best at sharing hugs and kisses with us and I just love you cuddle bug! Thank you for being our daughter, a little sister, and God's child. We love you and look forward to what this next year will bring. Happy Birthday, Mollie!

Love,
Mommy

Being early DOES payoff!

2010-07-06T20:39:00.006-05:00

The other day we were on our way to birthday party at a neighborhood swimming pool. We ended up being a few minutes early so we decided to drive around the neighborhood. As we were cruising the streets we noticed an estate sale. We weren't really interested until we noticed a set of bunkbeds in the driveway. Maddie has been begging us to get bunkbeds so that she and her baby sister can share a room. It is so sweet to see her try and talk us into this. We have looked at every bunkbed imaginable and I just haven't seen one that I like that we want to spend the money on. All of them are either not good construction or not quality type of wood or they are too expensive. So I proceeded to inquire about this set of bunkbeds in the driveway. After looking over them and determining they are made of solid wood, sturdy, and had lots of storage I then asked about the price. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me they were only $175. This same style we priced at the store brand new for $800. I felt like it was a steal...so we bought them right there on the spot. Needless to say, Trey and I had not planned on getting bunkbeds or letting them share a room anytime soon, but when you find this good of a deal you just got to go with it. We slapped some paint on them and did some rearranging of Maddie's room. Now don't worry Mollie is not sleeping in the bunkbed yet but when she is old enough she has the option and the beauty of it is that if she decides she doesn't want to share a room the bottom bed is on wheels and we can just move it into her pre-existing room. There are a few little things left to do but you get the general idea. I have to find a new rug and I have to re-hang a few things on the walls too. They both love playing in there on the beds and climbing in general. It has been lots of fun and I am very thankful for being early to a birthday party and estate sales!!!

Bathroom Makeover

2010-07-01T20:31:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks we have taken on a few projects around here. Some have been planned for and others were somewhat spontaneous. I made a big dent in my big summer to-do list which is a huge deal.

First, when we bought our house over three years ago there were three rooms with wallpaper in them. I have never liked the wall paper but it has just been one of those things that we will get rid of it as we can. We covered up the wallpaper in the kitchen almost as soon as we moved in. Then, about a year ago I did out master bathroom. Now, the hall bath has just been sitting around untouched. I guess you could say that it was the least obnoxious of all the wallpaper rooms but nonetheless it was still wallpaper. Feeling adventurous and ready to tackle a project Maddie and I got busy tearing down wallpaper one day. Needless to say, we did not forewarn Trey that we were going to be doing this so he walked into a bombshell when he got home. Luckily, for me he was very supportive offering words of encouragement like "well, I guess it needed to be done sooner or later." I assured him that he would have minimual labor involvement in the project and I would take care of as much as possible.

I wish I had a before picture but I can't seem to find one. Oh well! After we ripped out all the wallpaper, I decided to mud the walls with joint compound. This is the same thing we did to our kitchen three years ago. I really like the texture that it provides on the wall and you can do as little or as much as you want. We let the mud dry for 24 hours and then I sealed it with Kilz. Finally, I was able to slap two coats of paint onto the walls. I decided to use a natural color and it is the same color we have in about 80% of our house. I love the tan color with the napery baseboards. I figure that it matches just about everything and if we ever decide to change color schemes more than likely it will match. The painting was finished in aabout 3 hours. We bought a new light fixture and hardware as well. This was the only area Trey had to help with. Being I have no business or idea what electrical componets are I left that up to him. I ordered a new shower curtain, bathmat, and towels as well. Sadly, the pictures don't include the bath mat or towels because they have been on backorder for three weeks but I did receive news that they finally shipped today. Yeah! They follow the same scheme as the curtain though so you can get the idea. I still have a few things to get to put on the counter and such but you can get the basic idea. I wanted something fun for the girls but not to juvenile so that they could grow with it and not out of it. It was a fun makeover but I am glad now that it is over!

Non-tuberculosis Mycobacterium

2010-06-25T14:04:00.004-05:00

Last week we went back to the doctor for Mollie's follow-up visit. Remember we have been taking antibiotics for six weeks with the hopes that this would get rid of whatever it is that she has. I am happy to say that during these last weeks one of the lymph nodes has completely gone back to normal and the other one is not completely normal but it has shrunk in size. The doctor was very happy to see the progress. He showed me the pathology reports from the cultures taken during the surgery as well. The lab has been keeping an eye on the cultures for the last 3 months and they even had to send it to a larger lab in Austin because of what was growing. They had faxed the results to the doctor the day before our visit so we finally had some answers as to what all of this was. The offical result even though it took three months to grow in the lab is..... nontuberculosis mycobacterium. Basically it is a cousin to tuberculosis. This disease is found in dirt...which by the way my kids play in the dirt all the time in the backyard. The doctor said he says that he sees something like this about once every 4 years. He told me not to keep my kids from playing in the dirt and that they should be playing out there and having fun. He said that Mollie's body fought the disease like it should have but it then just got clogged up in the lymph nodes and couldn't finish the job. He said she should be just fine. We are going to keep giving the antibiotic for awhile to try to get rid of the rest of the swelling. He said as long as it doesn't start to swell or turn red we won't worry about it. I am so glad that we will be able to close this chapter and hopefully be on a healthy and happy road. Thanks to all the prayer and the power of the Lord we have endured this trial. Mollie is so much happier and it is very apparent that she feels better. We owe all the glory to God!

Summer List goes on and on

2010-06-06T20:44:00.003-05:00

Summertime is here and there are a lot of things that I want to do / get done. My mind has been filling up and overloading with all the things that I would like to do. Since we have decided to stay in our house for awhile longer it only adds to the list of to-do's. Here I am, finally going to make a legitimate list so my mind can take a break. Hopefully I can get most if not all of it done while of course spending some serious time at the pool, with family, and doing good ol' summer time stuff i.e. going to the movies, the lake, roadtrips to Nana's, VBS, shopping and vacation. Wish me luck as I am diving in head first.

-remove the wallpaper, texture and paint the hall bath
-clean out the girls closets
-move all our stuff from storage home
-go through closets throughout the house
-organize the master closet
-have a garage sale with all the stuff pulled out of closets, ect.
-move my classroom stuff back to the school
-get my classroom set up
-buy a bunkbed and move the girls in together ***This is a big maybe. We are contemplating letting them share rooms and turning the extra room into an office/playroom/guest room. They already spend most of their time in Maddie's room playing and Maddie really wants them to share a room. We just haven't decided and don't know if we really want to do that. This maybe more of a Fall project if we decide to go ahead with it.
-clean out the garage and get it organized
-get a birthday party planned for Mollie
-school supply/cloth shopping for Maddie ***I can't believe she will be in Kindergarten and we even have to do that but we are.
-a special day I am planning in July which I will elaborate on later but it requires a lot of planning so it definitely makes the list.
-sell the Scout (this is Trey's toy...it is an older car that he likes to play with and drive around but we really don't need it and it just takes up space)

I am sure I will be adding things to this list as summer progresses but I know that it is always an ongoing list when it comes to having a family, working, taking care of a house, ect. I love projects and making things nicer in our house so I think it will all be worth it. Just a little everyday and slowly but surely we will be checking stuff off of our list. Hopefully, that is!

Ode to Trey

2010-06-01T13:37:00.003-05:00

Dear Trey,

Eight years ago today I walked down the isle looking at my best friend and ready to say I do. Here I stand today knowing that I married the perfect person for me and just whom God wanted me to be with. Truely you are my best friend. Anytime something happens no matter what it may be you are the first person I want to call to share it with. If I have extra time on my hands I want to spend it with you verses anyone else. When I need someone to talk to or ask for advice you are the first person I turn to. You are my best friend.

God knew exactly what he was doing when he made you. He filled you with generousity. You are the type of person to who gives the shirt off your back. Your willingness to always try to do anything that helps is refreshing. If there were more people like you out there I believe this world would be very different. You are still funny and make me laugh so much. You still tell wonderful stories that captivate me. God also gave you qualities that make you an amazing father, which make me love you more. You are able to make the girls laugh and giggle, make them light up as soon as they see you. They trust you and know that their daddy hung the moon.

Thank you for working hard to provide a happy house for your family. Thank you for spending time with us as often as you can. Thank you for loving Jesus and doing your best to follow him and His example. Thank you for being patient with me and encouraging me in whatever venture I am exploring. Thank you for your sacrifices.

I love you very much and as often as we get caught up in our business of day to day stuff please know that I think about you all day and look forward to seeing you at the end of the work day. I also am very proud of the man that your are, the honesty that you portray, and the affection that you show.

Happy Anniversary to my best friend, my soul mate, my babies daddy, my love!
Love always and for countless years to come,
Jennifer

Grease Recital

2010-05-27T12:34:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks has been busy and I have done a terrible job of keeping up with blogging. I will try better.

Maddie had her dance recital last weekend. They did such a sweet little job and she thought she was such a movie star. We went to dinner afterwards and all the hostesses and waiters all treated her like she was a super star. She ate that up and adored it. They did the musical Grease, as an entire studio. Her class had a few dances involved so that everyone was a part of it. She did her best and looked so sweet and cute. She still is the shortest one in her clase by far but she has learned so much in the last three years. I don't know if we will end up doing dance next year. I have asked her to pick one extracurricular activity and she is leaning towards gymnastics. I may let her just take ballet because she really is good at it but I just don't know. For now though, dance has increased her flexibility, coordination, rhythm, appreciation of music, understanding of structure in a classroom. It has been great. I love seeing her look up to the big girls and watch them dance with her chin on the floor, amazed at what they can do.

Backyard + bounce house + water = SUPER FUN!

2010-05-16T20:39:00.005-05:00

Well, we finally broke out the bounce house with the water combo. It was a recipe for lots of fun. We have been playing in the bounce house all winter and spring but we haven't hooked up the water for obvious reasons. Well, now that we have hit some fairly warm days around here I felt it was necessary to let the craziness commense. It was like Christmas all over again. They always love playing in it even without the water but it was just more than they could imagine when the water got turned on. They did not even care that the water was freezing and they played their little hearts out. I think Maddie's lips turned blue but she didn't mind. Mollie didn't even seem to notice the water was so cold she was having tons of fun splashing and sliding down the slide. It was pure joy. I must say this has been one of the best toy purchases we have ever made. We have already logged countless hours of playing on it, not to mention, how much it has helped increase balance and coordination for Mollie. She is actually starting to get a little air under her when she jumps. It is just too cute. I love these girls so much and to see them laughing it up in the sun just brings so much happiness to me.

More meds

2010-05-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

This picture you can get a better idea of the new swollen lymph node under the incision.

My sweet girl despite the numerous doctor appointments, medications, and surgery!

We went back to the doctor today for Mollie's recheck. Remember she grew another lymph node and they placed her on her 6th antibiotic. Well, the doctor thinks that there has been some shrinkage in the size of the lymph nodes which is a step in the right direction. He went ahead and called Children's Hospital in Dallas to talk to them about seeing her and their first available appointment isn't until September! Can you believe that! I am shocked...I guess the good in it is that they aren't considering her a priority but in my mind she is a priority. So our doctor also contacted Cook's in Ft. Worth but they don't have an ENT department. Instead he tracked down an Infectious Disease doctor and filled him in on the details. He thinks that we should continue with an antibiotic for six weeks to see if it will clear the rest of this stuff up. He then said that if they are still swollen they will have to remove them. The other good news is that the cultures have started growing something. They aren't sure what it is but at least something is starting to happen and we will have some answers. He said that he thinks it is either cat scratch growing or NMB (nontuberculosis mycobacterium) which is a cousin to TB. I am honestly sick of all of this stuff and really ready to wash my hands of this. I guess God still has something in store for us to learn. We are hanging in there. Mollie is acting more and more like she feels better. We did break her of her pacifier a little over a month ago. The first three days were pretty tough but after that it got better. Occasionally she will mention something about it but all in all it is good. I must admit it is nice to not have to keep up with it. The only trick to doing this for us was NOT giving in even when the fits were over the top.

It is official...

2010-05-05T12:55:00.002-05:00

It is offical... I got a job!!!! The principal at the Elementary School called yesterday to inform me that I need to come by and sign a contract and get my info and stuff for my room. I am so relieved and excited all at once. I love this school and didn't apply anywhere else. I knew that if I was going to go back to teaching it would have to be here. I have the same team to work with and just feel so lucky. My girls are even going to get to go to the school I wanted them in all along! Thank you Lord for providing for us once again, especially since we don't deserve your blessings. I know next year will be full of transitions and adjustments but our hope will remain in you and our faith will as well!

Dirty Playdate!

2010-04-24T21:33:00.003-05:00

The other day we got to spend time with our very dear friends. It is funny how we became friends with them. Whe I was teaching Maddie was taken care of by a lady named Julie. She was a former teacher who wanted to stay at home with her kiddos for a few years. She was wonderful. She watched Maddie and a couple of other sweet children. One of those kids was a little boy named Mason. The age difference between Maddie and Mason at the time was about 7 months which was enough for them to not play together a lot but they at least knew each other and were sweet. Well, over time we eventually found a home church and come to find out it was the same place Mason and his family went to church. Nonetheless, over the last three years we have become such great friends. Mason's mommy is one of my closest friends and many times I feel like we share a brain. She is so thoughtful and generous. I feel blessed to be friends with her and she is someone I can always call, understands me, and is encouraging to me. Mason's daddy is just as good of a friend to Trey. He is caring and kind. He loves his children and is a God fearing man and leader of his family. We love having this family as our friends. They even have another sweet child now whom we are getting to love on more and more as she grows.

We got to go to a special place with a big mound of wonderful dirt to play in the other day. It was out in the country, the wind was just right, the sun was warming, and the birds were playing the perfect melody. It was a wonderful day. The kids played in the dirt, ate lunch and had an overall blast. It is funny that we can make an afternoon out of playing with dirt but that is what good friends can do! Mollie even took her nap in the tree swing because it was such a beautiful day! God is so good to provide us with friends like these. I am so thankful!

Sisterly Love

2010-04-19T15:43:00.002-05:00

The pictures say it all! Lately they have really developed such a sweet love for each other. I know the pictures are all very much a like but I just couldn't pick so I downloaded them all. I couldn't help but just get all mushy inside when seeing those sweet faces together.

Garden Overhaul

2010-04-12T14:45:00.007-05:00

I have always wanted to grow a garden. I admit though that I don't have a very big green thumb if I even have one at all. Maddie has showed a lot of enthusiasm in starting a garden too so I decided what the heck. We have a huge back yard so why not tear some of it up and give it a shot. We have an awesome tiller that a good friend GAVE to us so we decided to put it to work. We picked the spot in our yard that gets the most sun. It was hard finding a spot because our yard is shaded almost 100% of the day. If you have never seen my yard we are blessed and cursed with lots of trees. While the shade is wonderful it can make it hard to grow grass. We have an assortment of trees, pine, cedar, magnolia, dogwood, bradford pear, tulip, and maple trees in our backyard alone.

This is our pink Dogwood. It is so pretty and the picture doesn't quite do it justice.

While we have spent some time working in the flower beds this year already, they are shaping up nicely, this whole gardening thing is very new to me. After we tilled up our spot we edged it with some garden bricks to discourage grass from growing back and also I am OCD and like borders around things. We all played in the dirt picking out the grass roots and rocks. I think that was my favorite part. It was so soft and actually felt good on my hands and feet. We planned out our garden on paper first in terms of where to put things. First we planted two rows of corn seeds. I do know that when you plant a garden you have to know if the plants self pollenate or need multiple plants to help pollenate. That is why we planted two rows of corn. This was the only type of veggie/fruit that we planted with seeds the rest we bought as sprouted plants already. Happily after about 10 days this is what we started seeing.

We also planted two types of tomatoes needing trellasis', strawberries, cucumbers, blackberries, blueberries, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, and bell peppers. Some things are doing better than others but they are all still alive right now. I decided to use organic soil when planting and luckily it really wasn't that much more expensive. I also used organic fertilizer. I feel like if it is more natural it will be better for us to eat. Maddie had so much fun helping, and one of my goals was to really get her invovled so that she might try some of our fruits and vegetables when they start growing. Well, it paid off. The other day our first starwberry was ripe enough to pick. So we did and guess what Maddie wanted to eat it. She even said she liked it. If that is all we get from this garden it will have been worth it.

We have been watering everyday and watching the plants get taller. Our garden isn't really big but it is a start and it is a lot of work. We pick weeds out almost everyday and inspect the plants to make sure there are no bugs or pests harming the plants. It is fun!

Maddie's class at school even planted individual gardens. It is so cute how they did it. They planted six different types of vegetables in cups and stapled them together. They are actually growing too. I think we are going to have to transplant them into the garden as soon as possible. It is a great way to do it for little kids.

Here are a few other pictures from around the backyard of various plants and flowers that are in bloom. We have a lot of azaleas in the front and only one in the back, we also have a Rose of Sharon bush but it hasn't bloomed yet along with our Gardenia bush.

I love spring time and hopefully as time passes I will get better at the gardening thing and learn from our mistakes. The one true thing I have seen through all of this is that God has given us so much beauty all around us. It is refreshing to see beauty right in out backyard. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to grow plants and see a glimpse or your majesty in spring and the newness of life.

Job Hunting it is!

2010-04-09T21:27:00.002-05:00

Since you all are pretty indecisive...hahaha! Job hunting seemed to peak the most interest so here is the scoop. After a lot of thought and some pretty serious prayer. I am going to try and go back to teaching next year. We live in the Tyler school district and we would really like for our girls to go to Bullard instead. If I go back to teaching in Bullard they will be allowed to go to school there. That was always our original intention when me moved to this house. Also, when we put our house up for sale it was partly so that we could move into the Bullard district so we could garauntee Bullard schools. Well, now that we have taken our house off the market it is important to go back to work. I went back to work when Maddie was two and that will be the same age that Mollie will be if I can get a job. All of my experience is in 2nd grade and I recently found out that they are going to have an opening in 2nd grade. I am keeping my fingers crossed. All of my teacher friends have put in a good word for me which I am very thankful for. I love Bullard and I had the best teaching experience there prior to Mollie. I would be so thankful to be able to go back to such a wonderful district. I have been praying that if the Lord desires me to go back to work that he will open the door and make the opportunity avaliable. I am doing my best to trust him. What is Mollie going to do? Well it is pretty cool. A wonderful lady at church that has children the same age as ours is wanting to stay home next year due to just having a newborn. We are in the process of nailing down the details so that she could take care of Mollie too. It would really be perfect because she has a son the same age as Mollie and they could play together. Being in a Christian home environment is just what I want. We are placing everything in the Lord's hands. I hope to get an offical interview soon! Please pray that God will make it very clear just what he wants us to do.

You pick

2010-04-06T14:23:00.003-05:00

I know it has been a while since I have blogged but we have had a lot of stuff going on lately. I got a new camera last weekend and I love it. In fact I took 400 pictures in 24 hours. Crazy!!!! Anyways, I am still learning a lot about the camera and slowly making my way through the manuel.

Here is a list of some of the stuff I need to blog about. Let's vote on what you want to read about first...(I am pretending that I have a lot of readers that will actually comment back to let me know, just amuse me if you will).

Ditching the binky
Sisterly Love
Easter 2010
Who is this child and what have you done with my Mollie
Garden Overhaul
Job Hunting
To Potty or Not to Potty

Let me know what sounds interesting to you and I will get started! Here are a few of my favorite pictures I have taken lately with the new camera.

Glory to God...everything is benin

2010-03-26T10:20:00.004-05:00

The doctor called this morning and gave us wonderful news. He said that everything came back as non malignant! Meaning NO CANCER!!!! He sounded excited and of course we are thrilled. He told us that the cultures for exactly what it is has not come back yet but that by the time we go in for our follow up appointment on Monday he should know more. He also said that based on what he saw and from some of the reports he thought that it was Cat Scratch Disease. I was surprised to hear that because we had already been down that road and everything came back as negative on those tests. He continued to say that he should definitely know by Monday and that if it is CSD then he is not going to treat her with any other medicine. That is also good news because the first round of medicine we took for CSD was awful and it made her little body so sick. He said that as long as she wasn't complaining or that the other lymph node didn't get any bigger that he would just leave it alone to see if her body could take care of it on its own. Remember, this is all preliminary and we should have more definite answers Monday. The best news is that it is not Lymphoma!!!

We have been so overwhelmed by all the love and support. Thank you for praying for our family. God has answered, provided, taught, and strengthened us all the way! I don't know how we would have gotten through this without Him. All the glory is to God.

God is continuing to provide. I am so pleased with our doctor and what a good job he has done. He really seems to care about Mollie. I know that he is doing his best and making sure she is taken care of. I am excited about Monday and the possibility that we will be able to turn the page of this chapter in our life. We have the opportunity to encourage others through scary times of health and to show the peace that Christ provides.

Post-Op

2010-03-23T15:21:00.004-05:00

Jesus, Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus! This is all I can think of. Literally, so much stress and burdens have been lifted off our shoulders today. We had a sleepless night because Maddie has the flu and was throwing up all night and Mollie just didn't sleep good. We got to the hospital as scheduled and Mollie was visibly uncomfortable. The most difficult part for her was that she couldn't eat or drink anything this morning. We have had an overwhelming support system through this ordeal and it was no different this morning. Friends and family were there praying and caring the entire time. Mollie went back for surgery at 10:15...I must say it was very emotional to hand her off to strangers but they did take very good care of her. Promptly at 11:00 they called us back to visit with the doctor about the procedure. He walked in with a smile and I felt some relief already. He said that he was almost certain it wasn't lymphoma. Sing prasies to Jesus. What a relief. He said that the node was very large (more than he was expecting but that he was able to get it all out). He said that when he pulled it out some puss came with it which may seem gross but it is a good sign because it signifies that it is infecious and not cancerous. He said that he thought it is Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria....long name but treatable with a different type of antibiotics or possibly just by leaving it alone. The doctors said that the official results would come back on Thursday. We are beyond happy about the way it all went. She has been sleeping all day since we left the hospital....I hope that she sleeps tonight but she has been through the ringer and deserves some rest. I haven't been able to look at the incision yet because it is covered up. The doctor said he did the best he could to make it as small as possible so I am sure it will be just fine.
Thank you for all the prayers, comments, calls, texts, and presence at the hospital. God has provided so much for us and just as I knew he would he was with us 100% of the way. We have to give him all the glory for the amazing outcome today. I am continuing to pray that the lab results will come back with what the doctor told us today and that no other surprises will be presented. Thank you again. We are one happy family glorifiying God for his blessings.

Also, Maddie is feeling better today. No more throw up and her fever has been gone for almost 12 hours now. Isn't God just wonderful. The weather outside is symbolic of the hope he gives after a trial. Sunday we saw snow and winter weather and here we are today with sunshine warm rays and songs from birds. I love you, Jesus!

This picture is from last week when we went to the Daffodil farm. Look at all the wonderful things God has already done through her life. I can't wait to see what he is going to continue to do.

and the ENT said...

2010-03-22T13:40:00.002-05:00

The whole morning has been crazy. Mollie was in a terrible mood this morning, crying, whining, throughing fits. I prayed with Maddie that she would calm down and be receptive to the doctor's exam. God answered and as soon as the doctor walked in she chilled out and let him check her out. He checked ears, throat, measured the node all without crying. God is wonderful. He was really able to look at her without having to fight her. He expressed concern over size and the way it feels. He said that he would like to do a biopsy to determine the underlying cause but with her age it was impossible to get enough cells to really run tests. He wants to test her for lymphoma. He feels like things should come back as non cancerous but he wants to make sure and be very thurough. I appreciate that because at this point I don't want to take chances. So in order to be able to run tests on the lymph nodes he scheduled us for surgery to remove one lymph node. Surgery is set for TOMORROW! He said there is no reason to wait any longer and that he wanted to get this ball rolling to figure this all out. He was a great doctor and we just felt he had her best interest at heart. So we are gearing up for surgery and all that it entails.

Please pray for good results ( no lymphoma) wisdom for the doctor, peace, and rest. We are continuing to praise God because he has been so faithful. He has provided a wonderful doctor who is really taking steps to figuring this out without the big waiting game.

Also, please pray for Maddie. She fell to pieces twice at the doctor's office all because she was so worried for her sister. It was the kindest and most gentle heartedness emotions. Maddie has also come down with fever today, runny nose and sore throat. She is complaining of headaches too. We are worried about her too and just want her to feel well and not worry.

God has given us two wonderful gifts and I am trying to show them God's love through all of this. I am trying to be the example of turning to Him to find strength and I pray that they will see that he is the way to get through any trial.

God is so good

2010-03-20T20:16:00.003-05:00

God is soooo good. After I posted about Mollie's update Trey's aunt heard about our situation and it turns out that she actually works at that office. She found out about a recent cancellation and got us in the spot. So now Mollie goes to the ENT on Monday morning at 8am. Isn't it wonderful how God works! It is so refreshing and reassuring in every aspect. He is keeping his hand on our family. He has given me peace beyond understanding. I know that we are taking steps closer to solving this problem. I am so thankful for His love...as he has wrapped our family in His love we have also felt the prayers and love of so many others. Thank you. I know that through all of this we will be brought closer to Him and be given the opportunity to spread His love to others. Please pray for the doctors to have wisdom as to what to do for Mollie, please pray that Mollie can tolerate all of this and even though she doesn't understand it all that she will be able to relax and cooperate.

The next step...

2010-03-18T10:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we went back to the doctor for Mollie because her Cat Scratch Fever test results were negative. They immediately put her on a different antibiotic on Friday to try to fight what they thought was an infection. Well, the antibiotic has not done any good. The lumps are still the same size. The doctor checked her out again and then told us he felt like it was beyond him at this point and that we needed to go to an ENT. He reviewed the blood work again and confirmed again that he did not believe it to be cancer, Praises to our Savior for that wonderful news. The doctor felt like it was probably some type of cysts growing on or around her lymph nodes. Due to their size he said that he thought the ENT would probably do biopsy's and then remove them surgically. This all seems so scarey but God has granted me an amazing peace about it...I didn't even cry when he told us! I had already decided to get a second opinion at this point and so it was conformation to me when he decided to refer us. God has protected her all this time I have no reason to believe that he would ever stop. I am scared to see her go through surgery but if this will help her get better then we can get through it. Not to mention this is just what our pedi said he THOUGHT would happen but he didn't know for sure. Actually it could all turn into something maybe even easier. We are making steps closer to resolution and that is reassuring. I called the ENT today to get in and they won't see us for three weeks. I am hoping for a cancellation so we can get in earlier. This has been ongoing for 6 weeks already and I don't like the idea of waiting longer. Nonetheless, God is in control. Please continue to pray for Mollie, the doctor's, our family, Maddie, and most of all that God's glory would be shown to all involved.

Signing off with a sweet smile from Mollie...

A lot of words and no pictures but straight from my heart.

2010-03-15T10:32:00.004-05:00

***This is not ment to say who is or isn't a friend to me it is just what I have been thinking about and what I am thankful for. Please don't take it as more than that. I think everyone can relate in some type of way to what I am trying to say.***

What is a friend? No, really think about it for a few minutes. What is a friend? I have always considered myself to have lots of friends. I am not trying to sound egotistical or toot my own horn but just plainly that I have lots of friends. Facebook says I have hundreds of friends, literally hundreds. Nonetheless, I ask myself a lot of times what is a friend. So as I have grown I think my definition of a friend has changed over time. In elementary school everyone is your friend. Even the teacher says, "Okay, friends now it is time to line up." "Please be nice to our friends in line." You get the picture. Basically if they aren't a stranger they are a friend. So maybe the first ammendment to the friend definition comes along with early adolscence. As I began to spend time with limited people and we would venture to each other's houses, go to the mall, more or less share similar passions or have commonalities in life like sports. Which I think is a true statement about friendships and even spouses for that matter. It is usually things your share in common that bring you together. I wouldn't say that you could put a definition to friendship through the teen years. As all the hormones rage through your system friendship seems to be a rollercoaster ride. Friends with someone one week and then not the next. Not that I didn't have any friends through this time in my life but it seems like the groups of friends changed so often. I did have some very important friends in my life whom I share precious memories with. I think this time is when friends truely influence and shape you. You know the ones that your parents want you to spend more time with because they are "good" friends. My mom always told me that you don't always maintain the friendships of your HS days and that is somewhat true in my life. I have a small cluster of friends from that time in my life that I hold close to my heart but the majority has moved on as well. Then onto a college definition of friendship. As your idea is completely rocked upon moving, figuring out so many things for yourself, determining careers, dating (seriously) and entering the real world. I discovered a lot about real friendship...some friends you just can't live with which is a big strain, some friends only are friends when they want something, some friends just want to be friends when they don't have a significant other. Can you relate to any of these? I know I can and there are so many more. For example, there are those friends that you can sit up with all night and watch movies and laugh for hours, those friends that you cannot of spoken to for so long but you just pick up right where you left off, or the type that seems to just be on the same page as you about beliefs, desires, and wants. I don't think that I have nailed down a definition for friends or even friendship yet because I think as I keep growing or maybe aging is a better word it will continue to change. However, I do believe that friends are hard to find. Sure I know lots of people and hang out with countless people on a regular basis as I am sure most do, but when it comes down to a true friend there is only a few that I would bestow that title to. The ones that will speak the truth to you even when it is hard to hear, that come to your side in tough hard times and don't even have to say anything but just be there with you, laugh about all the silly things we think and do, pray with you and for you, understand, love your children as their own. God has placed several people in my life that do this and so much more. They are so important to me. I try to be the friend to them that they have been to me and I can't think of any other people that I would rather spend time with. As I ponder and am thankful for their friendship I must admit who the true friend is, whose friendship never fails, who always listens, would drop anything to be there for me, understands me completely and is the perfect example of a friend, even died for me because they loved me so much. I am the luckiest person to have a friend like Jesus. He sets the standard for friendship. He established what a real friend is and does. No one can meet the same standards and that is why my relationship with him is unparralleled. My friendship with him is number one and as much as friends matter none matter as much as him. Thank you Jesus for also giving us friends here on Earth as we pass through. They help us so much and are a reminder of your love.
Tell your friends what they mean to you today and be thankful for those valuable relationships. You may have lots that are near and dear to you or just a few that hold that special place in your heart. I know in my life it is just a few.

Results are in...

2010-03-12T11:05:00.006-06:00

The doctor called this morning and when I saw that it was them my heart stopped. I have been so nervous waiting for this call. I have been praying that the results would be positive and that she would have Cat Scratch Fever and we would be well on our way to recovery. Well, God decided to take us in a different direction. They said the results were negative. I was floored. They initially told us to wait 6-8 weeks and we would see what would happen. Remember though we have already waited 5 weeks with nothing positive happening in terms of health. I told the nurse that the doctor informed me he would want to see us right away if the results were negative. So she graciously made an appointment for next Wednesday. Yes, I have cried so much because I am so worried about my little baby. No one knows what is wrong. I am finding peace in Jesus though. I called Trey to let him know and he could sense my anxiety. He took it upon himself to call the doctor because they are personal friends. He wasn't working today so he was easy to reach. He confirmed that we wanted to see her again and that we was going to put her on a different antibiotic. He also told us that after reviewing her blood work the positive thing is that her white blood cell count wasn't all out of whack so they don't think that it is any blood born problem like cancer. Praises to Jesus! He is already answering my prayers. Even though we still don't know what is wrong there is some relief with that news. I love you Jesus! Please keep praying for our family as we face this trial. Please pray that Jesus name would be glorified and his light would be seen through all of this.

Cat Scratch...what?

2010-03-08T09:56:00.001-06:00

It has been beautiful around here lately and we have been enjoying so much time outside. I have two sweet girls and seeing them swing, slide, drive the car around the yard, dance and glow in the sunshine has been so much fun. We are definitely glad that spring is right around the corner. God has been revealing a lot to me lately and right now leaning on him as been the main topic of choice. About a month ago my little baby, Mollie who is 19 months old, woke up with a swollen lymph node. I thought it was strange because she didn't have fever or any other symptoms. I kept an eye on it all day and pointed it out to my husband. We decided to go ahead and call the doctor to see what they thought. They told us as long as there was no fever she was fine but that she would probably eventually get sick. Needless to say, four weeks went by and she never got sick but the lymph node has been getting bigger and bigger. Yes, I definitely called several times again to see if we should be worried. They kept telling us no. Well last week we finally decided it was time for them to actually look at it instead of us describing it to them on the phone. As soon as the doctor saw her he looked concerned. He gave her a thurough examine and then decided that she should have some blood work. You can imagine how that went. Trying to get blood out of a 19 month old was not so easy. The sweetest thing about the ordeal was that my eldest, Maddie who is 5, expressed concern about them taking sisters blood. We decided we would pray for her right then. It was such a sweet, innocent, and beautiful prayer. Once the drawing of blood commensed Mollie was bawling, I was fighting tears back, and the nurse was fishing with a needle in her little arm. It was aweful!!! Then, I heard my big girl hiding in the corner crying her eyes out for her little sister who was in pain. So there we were all three of us girls crying in the doctor's office. I am sure they thought we were all pathetic but I didn't care I wanted my babies to be okay. God wrapped is loving arms around us and just held us all so close to his heart.

The doctor thinks that this swollen lymph node which by the way is the size of a golf ball on her neck is the result of Cat Scratch Fever. However, he won't know until 2 weeks. We are treating it like it is and then we will be two weeks ahead of the game if the results come back positive. I am praying that it is positive because the treatment is simple and there will be no lasting effects. The doctor told me that if it wasn't Cat Scratch Fever she would have to come back in to be re-examined and then further evaluated to decide what the next course of action. My mind can sometimes jump to the worst but I am trying hard to stay positive. I am leaning on God as he is my absolute strong hold and foundation. I know that no matter what happens he will carry us through. It has made me feel stressed seeing her like this but the good is that it doesn't hurt her. The meds have caused her not to want to eat and to have severe runny poop, and not to mention she is getting three teeth at the same time. She is having a hard go but she is trying so hard to be in a good mood. She is just so cuddly and cute. Please pray for Mollie to find comfort, rest, and for her tests to be positive. Nothing is too big for my God and I know that he is all powerful.

Snow!

2010-02-16T08:30:00.002-06:00

Well if you haven't had enough snow pictures I thought I would give you a few more...the first day we had about 1/2 inch of snow and I was ecstatic. Needless to say I had no idea we would get about 5 more the next night. It truely was beautiful. It was a blessing to see God's peace and experience his tranquility through scenery. It was refreshing. I love the snow and we had lots of fun playing in it but I will also admit that I am glad I don't live in a place where it does that all the time. We did have a lot of limbs come down and we still have a big clean up project to do. Trey loves burning things so I am sure that he will have the best time burning up all the branches. Several hit the house and our fence but luckily no damage was done. We were very concerned that we would have damage because our pine trees are huge and they are so close to the house. God took care of us though and spared us from having to deal with home repairs.

Tradition for Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T10:19:00.003-06:00

Trey and I started a little tradition not too long ago that on Valentine's Day we could only spend the amount of money equal to the number of years we have been married and that you had to make your gift. For example, we have been married 7 years so you could only spend $7. I love homemade gifts and there is just something heart felt when you open up something that someone made for you. This year I had a great idea. I emailed, texted, and FB all of our family and close friends and asked them to write a few sentences about what Trey meant to them and then attach a picture of themselves to it. I took all the contributions and turned them into iron-ons, sewed together a quilt and voila he had a blanket of love. It was so much fun and I was so excited to give it to him. He told me that he thought it might be one of the best presents he has ever received. It wasn't the easiest project I have ever done especially because our power went out on Thursday night and didn't come back on till Saturday afternoon. I had to go to my sister-in-law's house for 5 hours on Saturday so that I could finish it. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have been able to get it done...also thanks to Trey for being so willing to watch the girls so I could finish it. I told him I didn't even care if he gave me anything because I was just pumped to see his reaction when I gave it to him. It was AWESOME. I don't think I will be able to top this next year but I guess I better get to brainstorming since I will only have $8 next year.

18 months old

2010-01-29T10:30:00.003-06:00

I will admit I haven't done a very good job of blogging lately but I just haven't had things that I wanted to share. Anyways, there are a lot of very positive things going on in the Carlile Crew. The first of which is that Mollie is 18 months old today. I can't believe how big she is getting. I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital yesterday. It is so bittersweet how fast they grow. When Maddie was little I would catch myself saying, "when she gets a little bigger..." all the time. Not that I was wishing away time but we were always looking forward to more things. Now I know just how fast it does pass us by and I am trying to take in every moment, good and bad. I told Trey a few days ago that I understand why it is people have 10 or so kids...not that I want that but just that I understand it. I am sad when I think that I will never be pregnant again or hold our own newborn baby again and realize just how blessed we are to have been able to do that and to have done it twice for that matter. Every step of the way has been a priviledge and I am trying so hard to savor each moment. We will blink and they will be all grown up. Mollie is so different from Maddie...I feel like she has broken the mold of babies but what I hear is that lots of second babies tend to do that. I don't know but I guess you just assume they will all be similar in most apsects and they surprise you by not being that way but by doing it all their own way which is different. She is full of personality and spunk. She makes crazy faces sometimes out of frustration and anger and sometimes just to be contrary...they always make us laugh though. Mollie doesn't talk much but she understands everything we tell her. Maddie was talking sentences by now but Mollie just isn't interested. It is okay because we have found other ways to communicate. She does pretty good at sign language and she nods REALLY well. She doesn't take an afternoon nap but rather a morning nap, she likes to eat. She only has 7 teeth (the two front top, two front, bottom, and 3 molars....nothing in between), she loves being around Maddie and playing with her toys. She loves our dogs and cat. Mollie is so cute...we just stare at her all the time and enjoy her blooming personality. I know without a doubt that God designed her just for our family and she is just what we needed to be complete. I never knew anything was missing till she got here and I held her in my arms, but at that moment there was such clarity.

On another note about Mollie...every night we put the girls in the bath before bed. We have our little routine that works great. I say the word bath and Mollie goes running toward the bathroom. They both shed their clothes and hop in for some fun in the water. Maddie always makes a pit stop at the potty before she gets in the tub. Well, the other day while I was getting Mollie undressed at the tub she points to the potty. I was joking around and asked her if she needed to go teetee. I sat her up on the potty just being silly and sure enough she went. I could hardly believe it. We hooted and hollared and sang praises to her. Maddie was so impressed too. Maddie even gave Mollie the coveted pink dolphin (a bath toy) to play with while she was in the tub. I thought for sure that it was a fluke, but then she did it again the next night. Like I said earlier she understands so much she just isn't interested in talking back. I guess I don't give her enough credit when it comes to language but I will go out on a limb and say that just because she isn't talking a lot doesn't mean she isn't comprehending. We aren't going to jump into potty training anytime soon but just let her go at her own pace and we will se where it takes us. Needless to say we are excited about it and about the prospect of being out of diapers before too too long.

Not the best picture but it is fairly current. I haven't been doing that great of getting the camera out either. Hope to have some better pictures before too long.

Rejuvenated

2010-01-18T11:03:00.003-06:00

I may just have the best husband ever. I know I have said stuff about him before but I just want to reiterate that he knows just what I need when I don't even know sometimes. For Christmas, he and two other husbands of some very close friends of mine got together and planned a special trip for us. As stay at home mommies they figured we probably needed a little girl time away from the everyday stuff. They planned a weekend get away at a beautiful hotel, reserved us a suite, and gave us spending money and an entire weekend of freedom. I must say it is one of the best gifts I have received in a long time. We, us girls, took off Friday evening and drove to Dallas, we stayed up late and slept in on Saturday. We did some serious shopping buying shoes, coats, jeans, and a whole lot of stuff in between. It was so refreshing to not be in a hurry, to look at whatever we wanted, and really relax. We ate some amazing food, and even saw a movie. One of my favorite parts was the adult conversation. I sometimes forget what that is all about....don't misunderstand I love talking to my little girls but speaking to other mom's or adults, for that matter, is a welcomed time. We wore ourselves all out but in a totally different way from being a mom. I took my camera but forgot to take pictures so I don't have any to share. I have to say thank you again for the selfless gift and willingness to take care of the girls so I could have a break. Trey, you are fantastic and I totally appreciate all you did. I think the girls even enjoyed their special alone time with Daddy. I love my family and truly feel their is no greater joy than being a Mom. With all of its hard work there are priceless moments and memories that make it worth every minute. At times I start to take it for granted or sometimes even get tired of it but then I look at those sweet faces and I would do anything for them. Having no true words to describe my love for them and as much as I try to teach them and help them grow I strongly believe that they teach me and help me grow just as much if not more. I love you Trey, I love you Madeline, and I love you Mollie. Thank you for being a part of my life.

Mollie Health Update

2010-01-14T14:39:00.003-06:00

As many of you know Mollie has been sick a lot lately. We have been to the doctor so many times, tried one med after another, had numerous sleepless nights, and so much more. I was really beginning to feel so helpless. Maddie has had such great health and I have never really had to deal with a lot of sickness. Last week we went back to the doctor because I was sure that she was wheezing. Well, I was right and they wanted her to go on breathing treatments 3 times a day with two types of meds one being a steriod and the other with side effects that make her very hyper. She has been on both of these meds before but never in conjunction. I was so upset and depressed about the whole issue. I cried so much and then forked over $225 for this stuff. After talking to a friend, she advised me not to do it. I was amazed at how strongly she disagreed with this stuff and told me her daughter had all the same symptoms that Mollie had. She said she knew of someone who could help and it wouldn't be as invasive. I asked her if I should give her one breathing treatment that night and then try to get her into this new doctor the next day? She said she wouldn't give her that medicine at all. Needless to say, I took her advice, prayed very hard and after a serious coughing fit, God performed a miracle in our house. He provided rest for her from 9:30 to 6 am with zero coughing. I began to think that it was impossible for her to sleep all night without having a coughing fit. I am so thankful for his miracles and I completely give God all the glory. Now it was just a matter of getting her into this other doctor. After a few phone calls we had an appointment for the next day. We continued to withold medicine and surprisingly she seemed almost better without it. The doctor appointment finally arrived. He did such a great job...I would have never thought that a chiropractor could have providied us with so much help. Yes, that is right we went to a CHIROPRACTOR. He used a strange but very uninvasive technique called muscle testing. He adjusted several vetabrae in her neck, discovered she had an allergy to lettuce and egg whites, adjusted her ilocequeal valvue (connects large and small intestine) all without a single tear or struggle. He suggested a few all natural supplements that would help her. He believes that the body initially has the ability to heal on its own sometimes it just needs a little kick start. I was amazed at all he could tell by a few muscle tests. It was a unique experience. In one day her drainage turned clear and in three days she was back to her healthy self. I am exstatic about this. Luckily, the pharmacy took back the meds and I was able to get my money back and the supplements only cost $30. The people who make the supplements are the same that make the teething tablets that you buy at walmart. So we don't have a huge battle with her taking them. She pretty much thinks it is candy and willingly takes them. God has placed his healing hand on our Mollie and I am hoping we are on the upward swing now. I am thankful to a good friend for standing her ground and sharing this great doctor. She was right! To all of those who have been praying for Mollie, thank you as well.

Maddie turns 5

2010-01-11T09:43:00.005-06:00

The past month has been very crazy around here and I have done a terrible job of blogging and/or keeping up with anything else.

Maddie turned 5 on Decemeber 30th. I can't believe that my little girl is getting so big. It seems like just yesterday she was a newborn and we were watching her do all those "1st" things. She is so grown up and it is hard to let go as she discovers her independence and freedom. She is such a creative and imaginiative little girl. I love her smile and her curiosity even if it does include 20 thousand questions a day. We still do experience "1st" things in our house but I must say they are not quite the same. Last week she got grounded for the 1st time, didn't need any help taking a shower, sat with a friend at church in their own row, reading words, and so many more things on a regular basis. Some of the 1st things are blog posts in themselves. Anyway, on her birthday we opened presents and spent some time together in the morning, Mollie was sick so I had to run her to the doctor, but Maddie and daddy spent the morning together. Then, Nana and Pappa came over and we opened more presents. We then went to Build-a-Bear and she made a special birthday bear. After that we headed to Maddie's favorite place ever...Chuck E. Cheese. We spent the rest of the evening playing and eating pizza. We had a great time together. Mommy even won 500 tickets playing a game....so we got a good prize at the end of the night to say the least. Finally when we got home we ate cake and sang Happy Birthday. Maddie told me when we tucked her in, "this was the best birthday ever, Mom." She made my day with that said. We had to wait a week to have her party because of all the holidays. It really worked out well though because more of her friends were able to come. She choose to have a princess party at a little place where you paint pottery. They each got to choose a pottery piece to paint, we ate pizza and cake, then opened gifts. Maddie asked me to make her cake this year which I have no experience in but told her that I would try. It took me two days but it turned out great. Check out the picture at the bottom. She loved it and asked for the top part all to herself. It was such a good time and the girls got to be super girly. They dressed up in costumes and sat around a table just talking up a storm while they painted. I can only imagine what in 10 years they will all be doing...probably the same thing. It was a joyful time.

Dear Maddie,
You are an amazing little girl. You are so smart and make me smile everyday. I know that you are going to do wonderful things when you grow up. You tell us all the time that you will stay home with us forever and even if you get married that you will stay living with us. You are welcome to stay in our house as long as you want. I anticipate as you get older that will change but we love your infectious laughter and kind heart. I know that whatever you decide to be when you grow up that you will be very good at it. I am proud of your never give up attitude. Sometimes being a big sister is hard. Mommy and Daddy have to take care of little sister at times and all of our attention isn't always on you, but you are so good about understanding and learning about sharing. We don't think that their could be a better big sister. Mollie has a great roll model to look up to. Thank you for being a part of this family. God has blessed us with you and you are truely special and hand made by God. Never forget how much I love you.

Love,
Mommy

Christmas and updates

2010-01-01T20:34:00.004-06:00

It has been a fun filled Christmas season around here. It has been more and more fun every year as Maddie has grown older and understood more and more of the Christmas season. I am looking forward to watching Mollie go through the same process of understanding Christmas. We started off Christmas morning here doing our family Christmas. It was great watching Maddie light up and Mollie was completely overwhelmed by the wrapping paper and the entire production. She wondered around and would check stuff out periodically but by the time all of the Christmas present openings were over she finally was able to unwrap something. We played all morning and even got a visit in with Grandy. Later, we headed over to Trey's Aunt's house for some Christmas gift exchange. We watched 9 cousins play and glow as they exchanged gifts. After that we headed to my parent's house. We arrived just in time to eat dinner and then we opened some more gifts. It was a great day and also very exhausting. We had promised Maddie we would take her ice skating so the next day we headed over to the Ice at the Parks and took on the endeavor head on. She did really good and learned very fast. She fell a lot but she was a great sport. My Mom took a bunch of pictures and we got some really good ones. It was a lot of fun spending that time with just us three and I look forward to when Mollie is old enough to strap on some skates too. Between the gifts, dinners, music, decorations, friends, and family...we have felt so blessed this year. I am thankful for the experience and memories we have all made.

Mollie has been such a trooper. She hasn't really known what to make of all of the festivities but she has done her best to keep up. On the 20th she woke up in the middle of the night with a 105.6 fever. It was very scarey and I was moments from going to the ER. Luckily, she responded to medicine quickly and she was able to eventually settle down. The next morning I took her to Urgent Care to see what was wrong. They diagnosed her with an ear infection probably caused by Strep. She was put on antibiotics for 10 days. Thus, I have been pretty over protective of letting her go outside or just in general doing too much. She hasn't liked that one bit but I didn't want her to be sick on Christmas. It seemed like the medicine helped at first but then the last few days she has started running fever again, coughing, not sleeping and feeling bad all over again. I took her into the doctor again on the 30th after being up with her most of the night again and this time they are saying she has Croup. I feel like we are in a never ending battle. Needless to say there has been a lot of sleepless nights around here, terrible coughing fights, and tonight when I layed her down for bed I started noticing she is weezing. I don't want this to turn into breathing treatments again because it is so difficult but I do want her to get better. I just wish we could kick all of this sickness. Please pray that she will get better soon and that the doctors will have wisdom to figure out what we need to do to help her get better and stay better.

Among all of the dealings with Mollie being sick I have somehow hurt my back. On a scale of 1-10 for pain with 10 being the highest amount of pain I am at about an 8 on a daily basis. I thought maybe a pulled muscle or something like that but after a week of intense pain nothing has got any better. I can barely pick up Mollie, lean over the crib, or sit on the ground. I have had some major back issues over the past few years and I am hoping that this is not turn into something serious. After an injury playing soccer when I herniated a disc, fractured my sacrum, and displaced my tail bone I was told I could continue to have back problems. I suffered from a lot of pain during pregnancy but it went away after the delivery. I was also informed that I had a fractured L5 that was several years old and that it would never heal at this point. The doctor's said that it could cause pain and problems too. Right now I am just hoping that it can quit hurting so that I can do the day to day stuff. Luckily, Trey has really stepped up and helped me so much. He let me lay in bed all afternoon today with the heating pad on it and took care of the girls. He has been such a help. Please add me to your prayer list please that this will get better with minimual treatment.

So now that I have celebrated, complained, and thrown a pity party on here I have more posts for later....like Maddie turned 5 this week and we had some fun celebrating with her. I will post all about her later.

At work in me

2009-12-15T13:23:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago we had a revival at church. It was small and intimate but it was really good and I enjoyed every night that we went. Since then I have been praying a lot and asking God to work on my "Joy." I know that sounds wierd but as an individual I have felt not myself and been unhappy a lot lately. I know that with a lot of time on my knee's and an open heart that God would be faithful to me and answer my prayers. The best way to describe me would probably be the word, calloused. I almost feel numb to life sometimes. Depressing, huh? Well imagine how my family felt living with me. Thank you to them for loving me anyways and putting up with my moodiness. With all of this said, God answered part of my prayers last week. On Monday, I sat down to read a book with Mollie entitled, "A Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck. She didn't make it all the way through but I read on for myself. It made me cry and was so touching. It is not a religious story by any means but it was just a touching story. It is about a young boy who really wants a new bike for Christmas. He learns that instead of a bike he is getting a hand made Christmas sweater that his Mother knit for him. He is not excited about it at all. In the end he learns that hand made gifts are filled with love because whomever made them poured their love into it while doing it. He ends up getting a bike too but he is more over joyed about the sweather. I later read the story to Maddie and cried again. We got to talk about how sweet the story is and that God gave us Jesus as a gift on Christmas and that is why we celebrate. It was a great time together and I enjoyed it. Nonetheless, the story stuck with me and I kept thinking about it. I just loved it. Well, a few days later while walking through a parking lot...God struck me with his answer to my prayers over joy. He flashed the story in my mind and then proceeded to tell me...
Jennifer, you are hand made. I made you and I poured all my love into you.

It was like a ton of bricks and it was such an experience like non-other and very eye opening. God made us all and we are hand crafted. Our parents, our friends, our children...if that doesn't bring joy to your life what about the part about all of his love being poured into us? Thus, why he gave us the greatest gift of all, Jesus.

Joy has been an issue for me but now I can say that I find joy everyday when I think about this and I give all glory to God. Thank you for revealing this truth to me in an unexpected place, a children's book.

Coaster anyone?

2009-12-11T10:57:00.004-06:00

At MOPS last week they taught us how to make some cute little magnets. I used what I learned and decided to make some coasters for various friends and family as Christmas presents. It was really easy and lots of fun. I think they turned out really good and I may have just found another little hobby to add to my list. Anyways, the pictures aren't great but you can get an idea. We always have a lot of people that we want to get something for but our budget doesn't always allow for it. This so afordable and at least we can give a token to them to show how much they mean to us. This is how you do it.

Supplies:
small bathroom tiles from home depot
stazon ink from hobby lobby
any type of stamp
embossing powder, clear, thick from hobby lobby
felt
glue

Steps:
taking your tiles, stamp and ink make the design you desire. Sprinkle embossing powder over the design before it dries and then put it in the oven at 350F until all the powder is gone. It looks like it will be wet but that is the shinyness of the design and sign that it is done. Be careful to let them cool for a long time. Then glue on felt to the bottom. Viola!

Snowing Gingerbread houses

2009-12-10T10:39:00.005-06:00

Wouldn't that be cool if it really did snow gingerbread houses? Well, I am sorry to inform you that it didn't do both but we did!

As most people now it snowed last week here in East Texas. Even though it didn't stick it was so great. Everyone had smiles on their faces from ear to ear. Who would have thought that some snow flurries could change the spirits of an entire town in moments. It was really something. This is the first snow Mollie has ever seen and she was AMAZED. Maddie was at school during the majority of the flurries so I didn't get any pictures of her but she did get to play and enjoy it. We talked about for the whole ride home and then played a few more minutes outside. The only down side was that it more or less was a tease to them...it just made them want lots more to play in. We are thankful for what we got and glad that it didn't make driving or anything else crazy for us. You can't even see the snow in the pictures but I promise it was snowing!

A couple of days ago Maddie and I decorated a gingerbread house. This has turned into a tradition in the Carlile house. We buy a little kit and put it together. It is good time together and we enjoy eating the candy and talking about how to make it look cute. Maddie is such a good little cook...she loves helping in the kitchen and I really enjoy her help. She is so delightful and I know most parents think this about their own children but I am going to say it anyway. Maddie is so smart. She amazes me with her logic and vocabulary. She even said the other day, "transparent." She used in the correct context and everything. I was floored. Anyways, here is the outcome of our gingerbread house decorating tradition.

Merry Christmas to me!

2009-12-09T11:14:00.005-06:00

I have been looking for a new table and chairs for a long time. I knew what I wanted I just couldn't find it without compromising. Well, Sunday I went to Sam's to get some diapers and low and behold I found just what I wanted. I came home and told Trey all about it. Needless to say, he was not nearly as excited about it as I was. Our old table and chairs was still nice but whenever we had anyone over we didn't have enough room and it was kind of worn out on the table top...finish wearing off, markers, paint, glitter...you know kid stuff. Anyways, I really wanted to get it but Trey wasn't on the band wagon yet. Finally yesterday I convinced him and asked if it could be my Christmas present. He agreed and we went to Sam's so he could see it. The only bad part was that it required assembly. Trey graciously put it together for me. It is great. I think we all love it and we have plenty of room when friends and family come over. There are two more chairs that go with it but we put them at our breakfast bar until we need them. I am so thrilled and love using it. It looks great in the house and even though the wood is a different stain than the rest of the kitchen cabinets I don't care. Plus, I am thinking I will put a table cloth on it to protect it so that it doesn't turn out like the last table.

Crashed

2009-12-08T11:27:00.003-06:00

Mollie takes naps in her bed but sometimes when she wakes up she will fall back to sleep while you are holding her....by the way I love it when she does. She is my cuddler. Maddie never was a big cuddler as a little baby. She cuddles now but is still wiggly. Mollie on the other hand will sometimes just lay against you for hours. It is bliss. Anyways, the other day when she got up from her nap she fell back asleep on me while we were sitting on the couch. She ended up being there for two hours. I thought it was hilarious that she crashed out with her blanket over her face...I guess she needed it to be a little darker. It worked out good for me because then I could take a picture without bothering her. I just wish I could do the same on the couch and no one would bother me. Hahaha.

To craft or not to craft?

2009-12-03T10:13:00.002-06:00

I got a little crafty and tried something new the other night. It turned out well enough but took way more supplies than I had anticipated. Luckily I followed advice and bought my supplies at a dollar store so it wasn't too expensive. What do you think?

I had a MOPS meeting yesterday and got some more ideas for crafts for the holiday season. It was tons of fun and super easy. I think I will be going to get supplies later today and try some more out. Check back for more pictures on how it turns out.

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree...

2009-11-30T10:49:00.001-06:00

Maddie had her annual performance at the local Miseltoe and Magic a few weeks ago. Her dance studio performed the Nutcracker and the little girls had a part in the big show so that is what they performed at M&M. They did such a wonderful job and in my opinion they stole the show....I am just a little bias. Anyways, it was fun to kick off the Christmas season with lights, shopping, music, and dancing. Maddie had a big fan club too. Several people came from church, work, and friends just to see her dance. It was great.

Selling our house....oh my!

2009-11-23T09:37:00.002-06:00

After a lot of praying, thinking, working, and talking we have listed our house to sell. We moved here three years ago and I can't believe how fast time as flown by. We have lately been feeling like we have outgrown our house since we have added another family member. We love our house so much but are thinking we might need some more room. We have busted it around here to get everything looking nice and ready to show. It has actually made me like our house all over again. Trey and I both agree that either way if we stay or move we deserve all this hard work as well so it is a win win situation. We are trying not to get our hopes up and just be patient for the right thing to come our way. Our hope is to sell this house and just move to the next town south of here. I worked in Bullard teaching school and eventually hope to go back to work there but ideally I would prefer that Maddie goes to Kindergarten there. We are excited but praying to stay in God's will. Please pray for us as we proceed through this chapter in our life. If you or anyone you know is interested in our house let us know too please. It is a three bedroom, two bath, brand new flooring, fresh paint, new roof, a huge shop in the back with counters and cabinets, gigantic back yard with lots of trees, double oven in kitchen, big master bath, split floor plan, big closets, and so much more. Look at me I sound like a realtor...hahaha! Anyways, it is a big step for us as a family and we are thrilled, nervouse, and full of anticipation.

Ham

2009-11-13T10:43:00.003-06:00

Lately, Mollie has started making this really cheesy grin everytime we get the camera or video camera out. It is so fake and so funny you just can't help but crack up. She opens her mouth and squints her eyes. I think that she even thinks it is funny. She has become our little "class clown" if you will. She tries to do things to make you laugh and if she sees that she has suceeded she will keep doing it. Mollie is such a little ham. I love it and it always makes my day bright.

On a side note while we are talking about class clowns...this is the conversation I had with Maddie the other day.

Maddie: Mom, sometimes I fall out of my chair at school.

Me: Oh no, are you okay?

Maddie: I am fine, I do it on purpose.

Me: Why do you do that, you might get hurt.

Maddie: Everyone thinks it is funny and they laugh.

Me: Oh

Maddie: Don't worry though Mom, I don't do it when my teacher is looking.

What a relief, right I have the little one doing the goofy stuff behind the teacher's back...we might be in for it.

15 Months

2009-11-04T20:30:00.004-06:00

Mollie turned 15 months old last week but since we were in Maryland we didn't go to the doctor until today. She did really good and is hitting all of her milestones just like she should. I was thinking back to when Maddie was this age and it seemed like she talked so much more but I guess that is because she is the first born. Mollie has Maddie to talk for her. She is talking some but she just isn't that interested in learning new words. I can tell though that she understands what we say to her and she does mind fairely well for the most part. My two girls are just totally different from each other. Some of the things Mollie likes to do right now are:

feed herself
play in the bath
climb up chairs, on the bed, and on the couch
dance to music
play in the leaves outside
make people laugh
wave to everyone
scream
nod her head
throw a fit

words she says:
dada
book
look
cat
ball
bye
mama
that
na (no)

Her stats:

weight: 21 lbs 13 oz. she only gained 7 oz. from her 12 month visit
height: 31 inches she grew over an inch

The doctor was pleased with her progress and I was proud of her. She didn't cry too much during her shots and she even laughed and had fun with the doctor when he examined her.

I am thankful for a good doctor who takes his time to interact and really cares about the kids. He always asks about Maddie and he gives good suggestions and answers to all my questions.

Sweet little blue eyes.

Mollie and Aunt Annie at the Aquarium in Maryland. She loved the aquarium and enjoyed all the fish and the dolphin show.

Trick or Treat in Maryland

2009-11-02T11:34:00.006-06:00

Last week we got to go up to Maryland to visit some of Trey's family. It was such a great trip and we really loved being up north. The leaves were beautiful. Even though it rained and was dreary a lot we had a great time together. We went to the aquarium, saw a dolphin show, got to go to Trey's cousins' football game, watched the Navy parachute team jump out of a plan and land on the field, hung out together, went trick or treating and so much more. It was a great time. The family we stayed with live in a great neighborhood and so many of the neighbors actually gave out full sized candy bars...it was crazy. I have never seen anything like it. Both the girls had a great time and they were fun to watch. Maddie went dressed up as Tinkerbell and Mollie was her pixie dust. The pictures are good but you can't see all the glitter that was on both of them so it doesn't do it justice

Cruise

2009-10-28T11:53:00.004-05:00

Trey bought me a cruise for my birthday back in July and the sailing date has finally arrived. We were so excited to get to take a break from all the busy-ness that we go through from week to week. We left on Friday and caught a plan to New Orleans where we spent the night and hung out the next morning with one of Trey's good friends. They showed us some neat sight seeing places and answered all our questions. We then headed to the port to catch our boat. The last cruise we had been on was 7 years ago for our honeymoon so we didn't know what to expect except that we were going to relax and have fun.

****You are going to see lots of pics of just the two of us so be prepared.****

Here we are getting ready to get on the boat...we took this same picture 7 years ago so we thought it would be appropriate to make it a cruise tradition.

Saturday was a sailing day where the entire day was at sea. We decided to spend it poolside. We lounged by the pool, read books, listened to music, napped, ate and were pretty much bumps on a log. We were thrilled about doing nothing and we did it very well.

The next day we were at port in Progreso, Mexico. This place is not that great of a place but I did get a good picture of the boat. We decided to go to the Mayan Ruins at Dzibilchaltun.

I am standing at the opening of one of the ruins that is pivitol in their ancient calendar. This building was built so that on the two solistice days of the year the sun shines perfectly through the opening I am standing in. It was very cool to climb on the stuff and hear all the information. I would recommend it to anyone that has the chance. The Dzibilchaltun ruins are the only Mayan ruins that you can actually climb on and explore other ruins you just have to look at from a distance. We had fun exploring and taking pictures as well as climbing to the top to see the views.

Here we are at the top of one of their stadium seating areas. This was believed to be the center of town because the temple was across the meadow so that the mayans could sit and watch. Also you can see a church like looking building that was built later after chrisitians came and tried to convert the Mayans.

That night was formal night at dinner. You can tell we really went all out on our formal wear...hahaha. We did dress up some but we weren't in it for fancy.

Another couple picture we took when we went to the art auction on board. Neither of us had done that before so we thought, "what the heck." It was interesting and we did like looking at the art but the one piece we thought was cool they wanted over $500 for and that was out of our budget.

The next day we went to Cozumel, Mexico where we went on a rock climbing, rappeling, ziplinging and snorkeling adventure. It was all right on the beach and we had a great time. You can see Trey climbing one of the towers with ease. He is so good at that stuff. I managed to do okay and enjoyed the zip lining a lot. At the top of the ropes towers there was a breathtaking view of the ocean.

Fun times doing new things together. After snorkeling we took a cab to downtown to do so shopping. We wanted to get the girls a few things. We shopped and walked forever and stumbled onto a hole in the wall spa. They offered a massage for 30 min for only $20. We decided to live on the edge and got a couples massage. It ended up being great and just what we needed. We didn't even get mugged or molested.

This was the view of our ship at port in Cozumel.

The last day of the cruise was at sea all day and we enjoyed more pool side laziness. We did experience so sea sickness due to high waves but we saw dolphins out in the middle of the ocean just having a great time. We went to lots of shows, played bingo, ate food, played trivia games and took more naps. All in all it was a great time and I am so glad we got the chance to take a break. I have almost 200 pictures and I am hoping to put together a scrapebook at sometime.

Thanks to Trey for a great idea and a wonderful birthday present.

We tried.....

2009-10-26T20:19:00.002-05:00

Maddie is tinkerbell this year so we tried to carve a tinkerbell pumpkin. It was SUPER hard. If you look close enough maybe you can see her.

We tamed it down and went for something easier with this one.

Pumpkin Patch Tradition

2009-10-24T14:15:00.003-05:00

It has been a busy month and the time to blog has been non-existent. We have been doing so much stuff. Trey and I just returned from a cruise the other day which I will post about later and then we went to the Pumpkin Patch today. Ever since we moved here we have made a tradition to go to the pumpkin patch. This was the third time for Maddie and Mollie's second time. We rode on the hayride out to the pumpkin field and then picked out three pumpkins. It was the perfect day and we all enjoyed being outside. I will try to get caught back up on blogging soon.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

2009-10-07T09:29:00.003-05:00

Why are people so mean sometimes? This question has been on my mind lately because I have had several encounters with strangers lately and they have been extrememly mean to me for no reason at all. I know it is hard to believe but I didn't do anything and these people were just blatanly rude. It has made me realize one thing for sure...when I am rude to someone it can stick with them and really hurt them, and probably more than I realize. Even strangers have feelings too. Please don't misunderstand I know this and this is not like a first time revolution but my encounters last week have just made me ponder this more than before. Sometimes I catch myself making a wierd face at a homeless person, or steering clear of someone that seems dirty and gross but the truth is that God made that person too and he loves them just like he loves me. He doesn't love me more because I showered today or put on clean clothes. His love is equal for everyone. Admittingly some people don't choose God but it doesn't change the fact that he still loves them. I am not saying that we should all go out and hug strangers and make best friends with the destitute but there is a way to act and treat people of all types to mirror God's love. Our actions stick with others longer than we may realize. What mirror image are you leaving with others?

"I like your Christ but I don't like your christians." -Mahatma Gandhi

Heard this the other day and it really hit home. I am trying to change my mirror image to be more like Christ which is a lot harder said than done. Nonetheless, I want Jesus to be proud of who I am and what I do. I want my children to see Christ in me through my actions and my heart. I am working to try to be a better reflection of Christ.

New word

2009-09-29T08:06:00.002-05:00

Mollie's new word for this weekend is.................

MINE.

It has begun.

Enough said.

before my very eyes

2009-09-25T10:09:00.005-05:00

The other day we got ready for school and I looked at Maddie and couldn't believe how big she was. She is looking so grown up lately...I can hardly take my eyes off of her because it seems like she is changing everyday. She got her ears pierced last week and did an amazing job. She barely cried and was so brave. The earrings make her look older too. Trey and I had decided awhile back that when she said she wanted them it would be okay but we weren't going to push the issue it was going to be completely up to her. Well, us girls were at the mall just piddling around and she said, "Mom, before we leave I think I will get my ears pierced." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So I went and let her check it out and she was completely ready. It was great. Now the cleaning part is no fun because she doens't like doing it three times a day but whatever. She also asks me everyday if she can change them out. She doesn't even have any other earrings right now but I guess she is just excited. I am proud of her and the young lady she is growing up to be.

I had to include this little picture of the munchkin. She is getting bigger too and full of personality.

For Mature Eyes ONLY!

2009-09-23T10:49:00.003-05:00

*****GRAPHIC PICTURES INCLUDED IN THIS POST*******

*************READ WITH CAUTION**********************

Okay so if you read the 100 things about me you learned so much more about me than ever imaginable in just a few short minutes. However, I am going to be open one last time (okay maybe not one LAST time but again). The other day I was folding laundry and Mollie decided to help me. The only thing she kept picking up was my underware. She posed for these all by herself. I didn't put these on she did it all. In fact, I was laughing so hard I woke Maddie up from a nap. For the record, those are cheetah print!

100 things about me in honor of my 100th post

2009-09-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

In honor of my 100th post I think I will write 100 things about me you may or may not know about me. I got this idea from a good friend, Leslie, who always comes up with interesting things to write about. So let's get this thing going.

1. I hate green beans. I always have and I always will. The only green beans I have ever enjoyed are Cathy Carters. They didn't even taste like green beans and I think I even ate seconds.

2. When I was in pre-school I fell so hard I bit through my tongue and almost had to get stitches to put it back together. It was literally hanging on by just the sides. Yes, I have a scar too and if you ask me I will show you.

3. I think it is super rude to not say "bless you" after someone sneezes however I forget to say it a lot.

4. I don't like it when other people's feet touch me. Heck, I don't even like my own feet.

5. The best moments in my life to date are when I gave birth to my two girls. There is no feeling to describe motherhood but as soon as they lay your baby on you it is a flood of emotions. Ask any mom and they will tell you the same.

6. I love to sleep. I don't get to do enough of it but if I could have a hobby that is what I would choose.

7. If I could be anything when I grow up it would be a prim a ballerina. I know it sounds silly but I have a lot of respect for what they do and wish I could do that too.

8. I am very good at being lazy.

9. I like to bake...not always very good at it but I like to do it.

10. I think I suffer from OCD...I like to have things neat and organized all the time and I can't got to bed when the house is a mess.

11. Love garage sales.

12. I played soccer for over 16 years and now I haven't harldy touched a ball in over a year.

13. Hopes to one day publish a children's book.

14. Used to want to be a veterinarian but then I couldn't imagine having to perform surgery on an animal so I changed my mind.

15. Watched my Dad go through cancer and learned so much about him during that time.

16. My best friend is Trey but my best girl friend is my Mom. We talk almost everyday.

17. I am addicted to the computer at times.

18. I have had three knee surgeries all of which where on my left leg.

19. In college I broke my wrist and it went misdiagonosed for three months. Then I wore a cast for 8 weeks and a wierd machine called a bone stimulator every night for 10 hours.

20. My L5 in my back is broken and I have no idea how I did that but it will never heal or so the chiropractor seems to think.

21. I don't know what I would do if I ever had a boy. I am clueless when it comes to little guys. They are sure cute but we would be in desparate need of help. Luckily, we are done with having babies.

22. Doesn't love to read but if I find a book that is good then I can't put it down.

23. I enjoy bubble baths but I usually don't have the energy to take one at the end of the day.

24. I love having a clean house and part of me actually likes doing the cleaning.

25. I drive a suburban and I love being in a big car. I never thought I would have a big family car but now I don't think I will ever drive a small car again.

26. I once saw a guy sitting outside of our HS waiting in his car. When we walked by on our way back in after lunch we noticed he had a gun. We went to our campus officer to let him know but the dude disappeared. It was really scarey.

27. I have de-ja-vu all the time.

28. My favorite dessert of all time is the Cookie Monster from Cheddar's. I even used to order it take out and go pick one up at 11pm to bring home.

29. I wouldn't have survived my first pregnancy with out Chocolate Lasagna from Olive Garden. Now they don't even make that dessert and it is such a tragedy.

30. My longest relationship before being married was in 7th grade for 6 months to a guy named Jason. My husbands longest relationship was right before we met and it was for 5 years. Needless to say we passed his record after being married for three years.

31. Trey is the first person I ever told that I loved.

32. I love dancing and I still do it my room.

33. Used to go camping with the family and enjoyed every moment of it. I look forward to when the girls get bigger and we can take them camping too.

34. I like to wear a dress and get dolled up.

35. Sometimes I have a really low self esteem.

36. Loves being in Indiana during the Fall season.

37. One day I hope to do lots of traveling all over the world.

38. My favorite family vacation was in third grade when we went to Hawaii. I hope to take Trey someday.

39. Went to Disney and could go every year...it was so much fun.

40. Is addicted to cruises. They are so relaxing and possibly the perfect thing for a stay at home mom.

41. When I get really mad I don't say anything. I bottle it up. I usually break down and fall apart. It is a big mess.

42. Sometimes I like to pick a fight. Watch out!

43. I don't understand other people very well and don't make friends very well.

44. I can't stand it if my toenails are not painted and I can't stand it if my fingernails are painted.

45. I like to mow the yard.

46. I enjoy spending time at the beach but I don't really like swimming in the ocean.

47. I used to be really good at Halo on X Box.

48. I had a cat growing up named Zeke and I miss him so much. He was the best cat and I love him even though he is gone now.

49. Has a major fear of sharks. Once when we were on vacation in Aruba, my mom and I went in a kayak in the ocean. We weren't suppose to pass a certain buoy and before we knew it we were way out there in the middle of the ocean. I was convinced we were goners. We eventually made it back to shore while I sang "Jesus loves me" the whole way back.

50. I am super scared of bugs.

51. I really like reading blogs and wish that sometimes had more important or profound things to say but I usually don't.

52. I loved our wedding and it was everything I planned it to be. However, now looking back and knowing all the things I know now I think we should have just gone to the beach with our family and done the wedding small. Don't misunderstand I have no regrets I just think I am different now than I use to be.

53. I love Jesus and want in my heart to be a better person for him. I am trying daily to honor him in all I do. Some days are better than others. Luckily, he forgives me and still loves me.

54. I have expereinced depression before and learned a lot about myself during that time. I used to be very ashamed of myself but now it is not near as sensitive of a subject and hope that I can just help other who may experience it too.

55. My first date was a blind date.

56. I will always remember Lindsey and Brad for coming to visit me after my knee surgery in HS. They were some of the only people who made me feel like they cared. That has always stuck with me.

57. Going along with 56, small things that others do for me or people in my family touch my heart so deeply. Those things I treasure and reflect on.

58. I like to do things for other people as surprises and random acts of kindness...I just wish I could do them more often.

59. I love it when the wind blows.

60. My sister and I used to fight so bad when my parents would leave us alone at our house. Sometimes I would even lock myself in the bathroom...hahaha!

61. I never thought I would get married.

62. I can't imagine my parents as kids. I know they were it is just hard for me to see them in any other role besides being a parent.

63. Was a member of the 1998 state soccer team...I didn't get to play in the game though because I had ACL surgery and I wasn't out of rehab. It was so hard to watch the whole game. I just wanted to play as well. The team didn't need me, obviously, they won with out my help. It was a life lesson though and I am thankful for being along for the ride.

64. Enjoys a worship session lead by a praise team.

65. Wants to be an amazing Mom but I am always second guessing myself. I try hard but I know I fall short many times.

66. Loves Trey more and more every year that passes by.

67. Started a tradition with Valentine's Day. We can each only use the amount of money equal to the years we have been married to make a gift for our spouse. For example, this year we have been married 7 years so I have $7 to make a gift for Trey. It is lots of fun and we get really creative around here.

68. We have had so many dogs as a family. Some might say that our house can be the Carlile Zoo.

69. I am really from Indiana. My whole family was born there. Even though the majority of my life has been in Texas I will always claim Indiana.

70. Lots of people tell me I have a funny accent. They say that it is partly Texas but something else too...they can never put their finger on it but they say it is different. Don't know what to say about that but so many people tell me that all the time. Wierd!

71. I don't like to talk on the phone.

72. I used to earn extra money as a kid by ironing clothes for my parents. They would pay me by the article. I would spend an entire day ironing and watching TV. It was great spending money.

73. Sometimes I tend to over-analyze stuff.

74. I have really small nail beds. They are abnormally small.

75. I have an elf ear. Don't believe me...ask me and I will show you.

76. My favorite teachers growing up where Ms. Ross 4th grade, Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Cooper 8th grade.

77. I don't have a favorite color because I change my mind all the time. I like to wear black a lot. I pick out lots of pink things, our room is orange and brown , but I have a red kitchen. See what I mean...I am all over the place.

78. I still miss my Pappa. He died in a car crash shortly after I got married. I think about him all the time and I keep a picture of him around. He is missed in my heart.

79. I got my wisdom teeth pulled and had a horrible experience. Most of the time I try to convince others to not do it unless they have to.

80. I had a college roommate that had quintuplets. (5 kids)

81. My favorite game growing up as a kid was hide and seek. I loved playing it anywhere we went. We even played it at our house with a big group of friends a few years ago. The power went out during a get together so we thought it would be fun. It was great and we had the best time even as adults.

82. When I cry my whole face turns bright red and takes like an hour to go back to normal. Needless to say I am not a "pretty" crier.

83. Thinks My Dad, Me, and Maddie all have the same ears.

84. I like spending time by myself. Not that I like to do it all the time, but there is nothing better than taking a quiet drive by yourself with the windows down or laying in the grass to day dream. Alone time is refreshing to me.

85. I tend to get into reality TV more than anything else on TV. Most of the time there is nothing good to watch and end up just watching a soccer game or some kind of Discovery channel show with Trey.

86. I know most of the Disney Princess songs by heart...thanks to Maddie.

87. My sister-in-law and I both have the same name, both are teachers by trade, both live in Tyler and people always get us mixed up.

88. I really like to fish but I don't like to eat fish.

89. I have been told that I am very intimidating. I don't see how because I am usually shy and if anyone could enlighten me as to how I am intimidating that would be great. Maybe I am too opinionated.

90. My first kiss was when I was in 10th grade.

91. I really enjoy driving around and looking at houses and going down roads I have never been down. Which is ironic because my parents used to make us ride around on Sunday afternoons and I hated it...now I make my kids do it.

92. I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was seven. I prayed on the side of my bed and remember my Mom was standing in my closet cleaning and crying.

93. Sometimes I eat applesauce straight from the jar.

94. I don't like feet and really don't like it when other people's feet touch me.

95. Have a tendency to overreact about some things sometime.

96. I once tried out for the mascot at my junior high and I didn't even have a routine. I just danced around and probably looked like a complete idiot. It cracks me up that I thought I stood a chance.

97. Most of the time I think that I am so funny and I crack myself up laughing all the time.

98. The funniest story ever is in HS a group of friends were driving down the highway and we poured car wash concentrate out the window at our other friends. Their windshield turned instantly white with bubbles and they had to drive their car with their head out the window to see. We are lucky we didn't kill them. Nonetheless everytime I tell that story I laugh so hard I cry.

99. Bought a golf cart for $1500 and drove it for 6 months at college and then sold it for $2200.

100. Won the cutest Valentine's box decorating contest in 5th grade.

Now that I have shared some random, maybe to personal, nonsense and silly things about me, you probably wish I would have skipped this post and may know too much about me now. Oh well! Just something fun. Might I add that it is hard to think of 100 things to tell about yourself. I am much more boring than I thought.

19 hour days

2009-09-12T23:48:00.003-05:00

We had a really busy day today...it was extremely long but good in all. Started my day off early at 5 am to be exact. Mollie thought it was a good idea and took a lot of convincing which eventually she did win. It worked out fine though because everything was set for our big garage sale. We did our last few pricing and organizng things and opened the doors for sale at 7. With the constant drizzle the morning crowd was slow but it picked up and became constant unitl noon. We got rid of everything except one box of stuff. I was very thrilled with the result and I can park my car in the garage again. We ended up making $425 and some odd change. The sad part is that we have now had two garage sales in the last 8 months and both have grossed $400. Why is that sad, you ask. It is sad because we have enough junk to have two sales in less than a year and enough to make $400+ both times. What can I say...we may have a problem with collecting stuff.

Anyways, we then had a function at church that was fun and informative. Got to visit with the Prewitt's which by the way are so much fun to be around. I love spending time with them and hope that our friendship continues to grow. Afterwards we then proceeded to our dear friend, Stu's house for his house warming party. It was a blast. He served amazing food, had a sweet DJ, lots of friends, and just on overall great time. We really enjoyed ourselves and we stayed way to long. I am sure our babysitter was wondering where in the world we were. It was nice having some adult time...I am not going to lie. Now that I have been up 19 hours straight I think I am going to sleep like a brick and hopefully my kiddos will too!

Once again....more boring words and no fun pics. I have been unmotivated with the camera lately but I will find photo ops soon. I promise.

Just need to say...

2009-09-09T16:23:00.003-05:00

I just needed to say how much I love my family. They are so incredible in so many ways. God has blessed me by giving me just what I need. In the times when I feel like I just can't do it any longer my sweet girls or my loving husband do something incredible that just make it all better.

Trey: If you know him very well you know that he likes to talk and is very social. He is also probably the most generous person I have ever met. He would litterally give the shirt off his back to a stranger. He is very much the opposite of me in many ways. His love for our family amazes me. He is an incredible Dad to our girls and they light up the moment he walks in the room. He knows how to get on the floor and just have fun with him. I love this man with all my heart. He always has our best interest at heart and not his own. We are lucky to have a God loving man as the head of our house. I love him.

Maddie: Full of energy and spunk she is always flitting around the house ready for whatever life can deal her. She has such a sensitive heart and it makes me so proud how truely caring she is towards most things. She is my girly girl to the core, loves to help me, and is always ready to laugh. I think we are lucky to have someone who is flexible, sweet, and spunky as our first born. I love her.

Mollie: Having a second child has been a trial at times but it has been the completion of our family. She is such a cuddly and loving girl. She is always on the go and into everything but her hugs and kisses are priceless. She has taught me that no two children are alike and she is going to do everything different from Maddie. Even when times are hard she is such a blessing and miracle to me. I love her.

No pictures...just mushy stuff from my heart.

Fist day of Pre-K

2009-09-02T21:21:00.004-05:00

Maddie had her first day of Pre-K on Monday. She is still going to Kids' Kaliedoscope in Tyler. Last year she went two days a week and her teacher was really great. She went to our church so we already knew her, which made going to her class a breeze. I was a little worried it would not go as well this year because we would have a new teacher that we had never met and she is going three days a week. Well, it turns out that she is great too. She is a former Kindergarten teacher and is really focusing on some important academic aspects. I think this year is going to be great. Maddie did great and wasn't too concerned about us leaving. She is so grown up. I held it together until I got in the hall and then I fell apart. Tears and all! I know I am so lame but it is hard to grasp that my baby is not a baby anymore. When I picked her up she couldn't stop talking about what a great day she had. I am so happy that it is going well. I know that when she starts Kindergarten next year I will be a basket case.

On a side note...Mollie has been sick for about a week. She had some severe high fever episodes last week. Please say a prayer that she can get over this and get back to normal. She is a little fireball so there is never a dull moment but you can just tell she is not herself. She cut her two top teeth on top of being sick. Needless to say, it has been somewhat of a rough week for her. We need some extra grace around here.

Gymnastics

2009-08-31T10:56:00.003-05:00

Maddie started gymnastics last week. She has always wanted to do gymnastics and we thought it would be a good time to start. She was more excited about wearing the leotard I think but she really did good. They got to tumble, work on balance beam, do the bar. She really did great. She even learned how to perfect her front roll by doing it without putting her hands down. The pictures I have at gymnastics aren't great because we had to sit far away but she is the short one in the middle, front row. It was fun and I think she is looking forward to the weeks to come.

Ode to Sam

2009-08-17T09:51:00.002-05:00

When we first moved back to Tyler 2 1/2 years ago I began the quest of finding somewhere for Maddie while I was teaching. We tried two different daycares and I hated them both. God opened a door that has been a blessing ever since. He brought the Cook family into our lives. Julie was a former teacher who was staying at home with her son and watching a few other children to help pay the bills. I had talked to her before we moved but she didn't feel like she could take care of another child adequtely. However, a random day she called me and asked how we were doing. I told her how bad things were and she said that she wanted to try and take Maddie but she wasn't sure how it was going to work. I was immediately exstatic We visited them and found out all the details which by the way everything she did was incredible. Thus began Maddie staying at Julie's for the year and half that I went back to work. Julie has two sons now but her eldest is a handsome young fella named Sam. Sam is five and such a delight to be around. Maddie was the only girl in the group but honestly I think it helped toughen her up and realize that there is more to life than just dolls and dress up clothes. We began hearing stories of how Sam and her got married and what their wedding was all about. It was really cute and funny at the same time. They were all play and pretend but there was a sweet sencerity to it as well. Nonetheless, Julie ended up going back to work and I started staying at home after Mollie was born. Our visit's with Sam became rare but Maddie continued to talk about when "Sam and I get married." It has been over a year since Maddie has stayed at Sam's house, we do keep in touch and get together when we came but the two of them just pick up right where they left off when we get to see them. They crack us up. Please don't think it is just Maddie's idea to get married because Sam wants to just as much.

Last week Sam got to come over and play. When I told Maddie of his impending visit she said, "I am so excited for the opportunity to hang out with my boyfriend!"

Oh, man.....I guess it is all beginning but it is just a little too early for me. However, it does make me crack up. Honestly if 30 years later they really did decide to get married I would be perfectly content with Sam being her husband becasue he is caring, loving, sincere, and an all around sweet boy. We all think Sam is great. Maddie talks about when they buy a house, have kids, come to visit, and so much more. She literally has it all planned out. Too funny! Yesterday, she even asked me "after Sam and I buy our house, will you come over to help us plant some trees?"

Sam, you definitely have an admirer. No matter what we are glad to have your friendship.

Here and there

2009-08-14T09:31:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of Mollie...you can almost see the wheels in her head turning. She is definitely contemplating something. We were playing outside and she had been playing with the hose. She is a total water baby.

Maddie got a beautiful butterfly painted on her face at the Bass Pro shop. It was super cool I almost got one too and it was only $3.

Trey and the girls...he was the only one ready for the picture

Maddie has been into wearing a t-shirt and panties lately...she would be so embarressed if she knew I was putting this on here but it is too funny. I let her do it around the house

So I know I haven't posted in awhile but I just haven't really wanted to write much lately. More or less it is like being in a funk. I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately...which may be a good or bad thing. Doing a lot of thinking sometimes gets me in trouble because I over think things. Anyways, we have been really busy lately...

- had a birthday party that was a complete disaster due to Mother Nature.

- take a family outing to Shreveport

- went to the splash park with our cousins

- had Maddie's "boyfriend" and family over to play...this is a whole post in itself which I will get to eventually.

- went to Jumping Jacks

-Went to lunch and shopping with my Mom in Terrell

I am enjoying all this time doing stuff but I am ready to get back into the routine of the school year. Maddie is going to a preschool three days a week...she is very excited about it and is also ready. She is going back to dance and going to try gymnastics as well. We are going to be busy just trying to keep up with her. Mollie is a walking machine. She is in to everything as well as cutting teeth. The teeth have been giving her fits and I feel terrible for her because she is hurting so much. I just hope they hurry up and come in. She is understanding so much when we talk to her and it is making communication a little easier.

Birthday in pictures!

2009-07-29T20:06:00.004-05:00

Mollie starting the day off in a great mood and getting ready to open presents.

Mollie's big present from Momma and Dada...it is so cool. This is what we are doing at the birthday party. It has a ball pit, bounce house and water slide. She was so excited as soon as she saw it.

We had to test it out inside first. We thought it was going to rain and it is no fun if you can't play with your new toy on your birthday. As you can tell Maddie loved it too.
The ball pit...yes, we have more balls to put in it.

Giving it a go outside.

She did wonderful on it and thought it was so funny when she got under the fountain.

Her trying her birthday cake for the first time. Not too sure what to do, but she got the hang of it really quickly.

She had to get her second hand in there too. NOTE*** pink icing stains your skin.

LOVING IT!

Watermelon birthday grin...

She loves the hat...when I took it off she just wanted to put it back on!

Happy Birthday, Mollie!

2009-07-29T13:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mollie!

My Sweet little baby turns 1 today. I can't believe that she is already one. She has been such a blessing to our family and we love her so much. Her sweetness and personality overflows from her. It took me so long to consider having another baby but after Mollie arrived I knew deep in my heart that something had been missing from our family all this time and now we were complete. Mollie, I love you so much and I am so proud to be your mom.

Mollie status update:
21 lbs. 6 oz. - weight
29.75 inches - height
Walking really well...sometimes even trying to go too fast
Eating all table food
Words - Momma, Dada, ball, bye, hi
It is cool because she understand so much more than she can tell you especially NO!
Loves being outside, playing with the dogs, playing with a ball, swimming,
Dances...I will have to get it on video sometime soon because it is too cute.
Cuddles and gives kisses and hugs

Pictures of the activities to come later...

Tea Party

2009-07-28T16:32:00.004-05:00

Last week we had a big tea party in the family room on the floor. It started while Mollie was napping and when she woke up she really wanted to join in on the festivities. It was so cute to see her playing and to watch Maddie interact with her as well. They are really discovering each other now that Mollie is understanding more....I am looking forward to them being able to play together.

Maddie pouring the tea.

Big cheese!

Mollie was listening so intently on what she was being told about tea parties

Inspecting the dishes

Joining in on the fun.

Getting everything set just right....the other guests of the tea party aren't in this picture but it included a unicorn and a bear.

Sheepish grin.

Whoa! What a weekend.

2009-07-28T06:35:00.005-05:00

A weekend we have been looking forward to for awhile finally arrived. Friday my parents came to pick up the girls and Trey and I headed off for Jasper for a good friends wedding that we were both in. After some stops for Trey's work we finally made it for the rehearsal. It was so great being there. We got to reunite with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time and make some great new friends. We definitely got to be kids again and not have any responsibilities looming over us for a weekend. It was so nice. The wedding was great as well. We enjoyed good music, a beautiful bride, food, laughing, rock band, and plenty more.

The guys doing som serious rocking out on Rock Band

Trey and I after the wedding...he alread took his jacket and tie off but he looked great.

Leslie and I before the wedding...doesn't she look great.

All the girls minus her sister.

Sunday morning it was time to make the long drive back to Burleson to pick up the girls. We left the hotel around 10:30 with everything going just fine. At about 1:30 we pulled into get some gas and my car made a strange sound...note it has been very reliable and never made any crazy sounds before so I played it off as unimportant. We continued our trip and 5 miles later the sounds became very loud and pronounced. I must say I began to white knuckle in my passenger seat because the whole car was shuttering while going 70mph down the highway. We pulled over again while Trey called our mechanic. He went through some stuff with him on the phone and we made it too an auto store. After some pricey stuff was added to some orophus of the car we continued on thinking, "oh, it is definitely getting better." More or less I think this was wishful thinking. Now we are 60 miles from my parents and all we can think of is how close we are and if we can just make it there. Well my car's illness decided to throw us another symptom and the noises became louder and very jerky. Forcing us to pull over in the sholder on I-20 in Dallas. Frustration along with 108 degree heat filled the cabin of the car. I proceeded to call a tow truck and we sat and waited. While waiting and stranger in the distance was walking toward us. Upon his arrival he flashed a gold tooth and informed us he was a mechanic....yeah right! He wanted us to go up to the gas station so he could look at it. It was scary and I was very aprehensive. He made his idiotic diagnosis and wanted us to give him a ride and $20. We settled on the later but refused to give him a ride and luckily the tow truck pulled up at that time. Which by the way did you know that tow trucks charge $5 per mile they tow you. Holy Cow! that is expensive. So my Dad meets us and picks us up after a long tow ride to the shop and we are offically stranded in Arlington with no car stuck at my mom and dad's. If I had to be stranded anywhere that is definitely a top choice. So we wait for a real diagnosis. After a lot of searching they finally figure it out and make some costly repairs and we are on our way back home with our babies Monday evening. We get all the way back home just 2 miles shy of our house. We are so thankful no one got hurt, we have our babies, the car is fixed and we are home then guess what? The check engine light comes on! AGHHH! So frustrating. Now we are going to be taking it back to the shop for what I am sure is going to be expensive again. I am at least glad that we all got home safe.

Whoa what a weekend!

Walking

2009-07-20T10:05:00.003-05:00

My camera bit the dust last week so I have no pictures to show you but I do have some exciting news....Mollie is walking. She had been taking one or two steps for a week or so but last week she just took off. It was like the light bulb went on and she just did it. Now she is doing soo good. She doesn't need anything to help her stand up and she is so determined. When she falls she just gets right back up. It is too cute. Her little face lights up and she gets so proud of herself. Maddie is so excited that her sister is walking too. She knows that she will be able to keep up with her soon and be running around the house together playing. Last night we got out Maddie's old toddler slide and put it in the back yard. The two of them played on it forever having so much fun together. It was picture perfect...even if I don't have my camera right now. I will hopefully get a replacement soon so I can get some new pictures soon.

We have an incredibly busy week ahead so I will have lots to post about. The next 10 days are filled with birthday celebrations, a wedding trip, grandparents, spray parks, and who knows what else right now. We also got a new floor in the whole house and I will have put up some pictures of that too. Even though I don't have a job anymore I still can't believe how fast the summer is going by and that school will be starting so soon. Maddie is excited for her preschool to get started so she can see some of her friends more often. Anyways, I have rambled long enough. Hope everyone is doing good. Have a great week.

Oh so sick!

2009-07-15T10:29:00.002-05:00

Please pray for my brother-in-law he is very sick. Monday night my sister took him to the ER because he had been having blinding headaches all day. After some serious medication he finally fell asleep. While he was asleep they gave him a lumbar puncture. He snored the whole way through it which to me is amazing in itself. After all tests came back he was diagnosed with viral meningitis. They said it has come from either Lyme's Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They won't know which one for 5 days. He is on heavy medication with antibiotics and pain killers. He said it is the worst pain he has ever felt before. The doctor's think that he should make a full recovery it is just going to take about 2 to 3 weeks. They also said that by bringing him in when they did probably saved his life. WOW! My Mom went up to get both of their girls to help take the load off and she already has Maddie with her. So she has three little girls to spend time with and she probably needs some prayer as well. Chad, we are thinking about you and praying for you. Get lots of rest and feel better soon.

We love water.

2009-07-13T10:30:00.004-05:00

We went to a birthday party the other day for a dear friend of Maddie's and the girls had such a great time playing. I got a few good pictures so I thought I would share. We didn't know there was going to be water activities involved so that is why their attire is so strange for the setting.

4th of July

2009-07-09T21:34:00.002-05:00

Gotta get some 4th of July kisses

Trey and all the older girls.

Yes, we are total rednecks because we forgot to bring extra lawn chairs to sit in to watch the fireworks so we took the backseats out of the suburbans and sat in those instead. This is my sister, Elena, Maddie, and Gianna, who is my sister's middle child. Oh and Sugar is our dog and she decided to be shy for the picutre.

Maddie is the oldest of 5 grandchildren. This is Elena who is second oldest. They are only 3 1/2 months apart. They were big buddies.

Maddie giving the sparklers a try. It was scarey to her at first but then she really liked it.

We spent the weekend at my parent's house with all of my family in town. We usually do a college reunion with all the gang but this year we decided to do something different. It was great. My sister and her three kids, our family, and my parents spent the weekend hanging out at the pool, eating good summertime food, and watching fireworks from the driveway. We didn't have to leave the house once. We did one time though but that was only because we ran out of sunscreen. I am telling you we did some serious swimming. The kids did so much swimming they were truely water-logged. It was so much fun watching them play and get along so well. We really enjoyed ourselves as much as the kids did.

Garden bounty

2009-07-07T09:35:00.003-05:00

We got a topsy turvy around Easter time from some family. We planted it and have been waiting for the bounty. Well we had 4 tomatoes on the vine and we were finally able to pick one. The dogs got one of them and we still have two growing they just aren't ripe enough to pick. We have it right in front of our back window so we can watch it everyday. I don't know who has enjoyed it more but I think that it is probably me. I hope more keep growing and that they taste good. Guess we will find out the later part of that statement tonight.

Boring

2009-06-30T09:59:00.004-05:00

Well we have been really busy lately but right now I just can't think of much to say so I am just posting pictures of a few things that have been going on around here. Hope all is well out there in Blogger world.

bought this dress and hat with a matching one for mollie because I just couldn't resist...they were too cute. I will have to get a picture of both of them together soon.

Mollie is 11 months old now and getting close to walking...she is teething a lot lately. Even though she is fussy she is still a cutie.

My bestie and her sweet baby.

We spent some time at my parents and the day after we got back I was doing stuff around the house and found Maddie l ike this on the couch. I guess she was just all worn out from the fun at nana and papa's . She doesn't EVER take a nap all by herself without me soliciting it first so I was amazed.

My good friend Leslie is getting married and we had a shower for her in Jasper. It was lots of fun. We are looking forward to her wedding in July so more pictures to come after that event.

Finally

2009-06-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

I finally took the girls to get some pictures done. It was kind of for Father's Day and kinda just because we needed to do it. They did a great job and I was so happy to give the to Trey. I did not get any of just Maddie this time because she just had a her dance pictures taken so I really need mainly just Mollie and the two of them together.

Tater tots and fries!

2009-06-11T20:47:00.002-05:00

Meet Tater. He is our new yellow lab puppy. I got him for Trey for our 7 year anniversary / Father's Day present. He has wanted a lab for quite awhile and so I was so excited to get him this fella. He is a good puppy as fas as puppies go. He is very white right now but I am sure he will yellow up as he gets older and he has beautiful blue eyes. Trey was so excited when I give sat the puppy in his lap. He had no idea what I was going to give him and the look on his face was priceless. I guess I should have gotten a picture but it didn't even cross my mind.

Maddie right before her recital. She danced so good and I was so proud of her. She has practiced those dances so many times and always just kind of puts an effort into it and I have been worried that she wouldn't do her best at the recital but she put all my worries to bed. She did the best ever and danced every dance really well. I was a proud momma.

Mollie is just being cute here. As you can see she is pulling up on everything and walking around things as long as she holds on. She lets go for a few seconds here and there but no true walking without assistance yet. Thank goodness I am not ready for her to be walking yet. She finally got some teeth. She has her two bottom teeth now...it only took 10 months! She is waving to everyone these days and it is too cute for words. She has been showing us a little temper lately too. I think we are really going to have our hands full with this little girl. We consider ourselves blessed to have two amazing little sweeties.

Teaching me

2009-05-22T19:54:00.004-05:00

A friend of my wrote about the things her children have taught her it brought tears to my eyes and made me search my own heart as well. I often get caught up in all that I want to teach my girls that I forget how much they have helped me grow and changed my life. As we recently celebrated Mother's Day I have been pondering all that comes with being a Mom and how a Mom's job is never done. I even wonder what I taught my parent's as a child, teen, and young adult. I know it is only the beginning of lessons good and bad to be learned. Our pastor shared a great message on Mother's Day but the one point that touched my soul was "As a Mother you have the greatest influence on your children more than anyone else." I can't get this out of my mind. I am their example for....everything, when I get mad, when someone cuts me off driving, when I experience pain, joy, sorrow, when I am crazy, when I am silly, when I am .....everything. Wow! what a big responsibility. I am trying, praying, and trying everyday to be the influence that I want my children to witness. They are holding me accountable because what they turn into will be a direct relation to me and what I showed them. Pray for me as I continue to be a mom and all the other mom's you know. God has given us the gift of children now it is a job that we can't do alone so we must give our gift back to God and not rely on ourselves but on God for his wisdom. With all of this said my children amaze me even when they are so small yet so fearless.

Maddie - teaches me about true honesty. She reminds me how innocent and fresh a young mind can be. Her unconditional love is soul piercing for she loves me when I don't deserve it especially after I have been upset or overreacted. She teaches me that a mind can never know too much. Even though I get sick of "why?" she always reminds me that "Moms are suppose to answer questions and that is why we have mom's." She is tough, soft, tender, and courageous and I hope I am leaving an impression of God's love on her.

I love you, Maddie and I will forever.

Mollie - her smile lights up a room as well as her blue eyes. She has taught me that no two are ever the same and that I am not an expert. She loves laughter and it is infectious to everyone around her. Even though times sometimes get tough and everything doesn't always go smoothly the peace and completeness she brings to our family makes everything worthwhile.

I love you, Mollie and I always will.

Mother's Day / dedication

2009-05-12T11:50:00.004-05:00

Trey and my silly little girls! What an armful.

Momma and Mollie

The whole gang - Maddie didn't know we were getting our picture so she had no idea to look, but the sweet little girl with precious curls posed for our camera.

Bro. Scott dedicating Mollie

The Carlile Crew Girls

Mother's Day was a great day. We got to dedicate Mollie at church. Maddie just got dedicated last year because the previous church we were members at never had a dedication service we could attend. It worked out really well because our pastor is a long time friend and he has now dedicated both of our girls. It was a sweet and short ceremony but I will always treasure that memory. Mollie did really good which I was a little worried because she was so tired when it was time to get up in front of everyone. Trey, took such good care of me all day. He let me sleep in late, then cooked lunch for me, helped out tons with the girls, and just made me feel special. It was a great day. Not to mention, when Maddie crawled into the bed in the morning she wispered to me, "Happy Mother's Day, Mom!" It was so sweet and then she cuddled with me for awhile. I am blessed.

San Antonio: Soccer vs. Swine Flu

2009-05-08T11:32:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we took a little trip to San Antonio despite the Swine Flu. Trey and some of his buddies play in a Cinco de Mayo tournament as old farts. We decided to leave the kiddos with Nana and Pappa so they wouldn't be miserable in the heat and they would get more attention. Well the team had a lot to live up to since they won the tournament last year so they were all looking for a repeat and they did actually win the whole thing again. They were great and lots of fun too watch. They played 5 games in two days. It would have killed me but there wasn't really any injuries to speak of unless you count sunburn. We had lots of fun and it was a whirlwind trip. It was Mollie's first time to be away from us and she did okay, and as usual Maddie did great. Nana and Pappa's house is one of Maddie's favorite places to go. We were so thankful for Nana and Pappa to help us out. Luckily, no one caught the swine flu, but they did catch a giant trophy to bring home!

Trey and I at la Fogata's ***great Mexican food resturant...kinda like Joe T's

All the wives / girlfriends of the guys playing.

The winning team two years in a row....guess that means they are going to try for a three-peat next year.

Stu and Trey cheesing.

Scott and Trey strategizing before the first game. Most of the guys were from a&m and then there was a group from etbu. It was a good team being that they only play together once a year...I was impressed.

Dancing Queen

2009-05-06T20:30:00.002-05:00

Maddie has a big dance recital coming up and she had pictures on Monday. We got her all dolled up and she loved every moment of it. Isn't the costume the cutest little thing ever? She is doing so good at dance and she loves it when she is there but she did tell me the other day that she was tired of dance. We agreed that if she would keep going until her recital and then if she didn't want to go anymore then she didn't have to. She said that was a good deal. I think the summer break will do us all some good. She really is good at it though and I hate to see her give it up but I don't want to be one of those parents that force their kids to do something if they don't want to. So we will just reevaluate next fall I guess. As for now I am enjoying her little tap and ballet moments while they last.

9 Months

2009-05-06T15:34:00.004-05:00

Mollie had her 9 month birthday last week...we celebrated with a well child check-up...jk! She did really well though especially since it didn't require any shots just a little stick in the thumb for some blood work. She is reaching all of her milestones on time it seems and growing like a weed.

weight: 20lbs. 0 oz.
height: 27.25 inches

Some of the things she does right now:
claps when there is good things happening or when she gets mad
claps when you say the word clap
starting to wave and say ba-ba (bye-bye)
still has no teeth but mashes with her gums. She loves bananas, crackers, pickles, cheerioes
crawls to the windows and bangs on them
pulls up on everything
always has a bruise on her forehead because when she falls she leads with the noggin
smiles at sister
starting to hold a sippy cup
cuddles really well
feeds herself small foods
loves baths and hates it when I get her out
likes music, outdoors, water, being tickled

Okay, so that is about it for now. This is the most recent picture I have of Mollie and I just thought it looked she was saying, "I didn't do it."

Matching dresses

2009-04-27T15:40:00.003-05:00

Got the girls these matching dresses a few weeks ago and they finally wore them to church yesterday! I love letting them match and believe it or not Maddie loves it when they match. I know I should take advantage of it when I can because I bet they won't want to before too long. I know everyone out there in blog world is busy with it being spring and almost summer but I hope you are all well and getting to enjoy all the little things that make spring time so great.

Bathing Babies

2009-04-22T10:51:00.002-05:00

Aren't they just too cute! of course I am bias but I just love these girls.

Sweet Faces

2009-04-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

While Trey worked in the yard the other day we kept him company playing in the grass. It was the perfect day...now if only I had some good photography skills. I got a few of the girls in all their glory. These are my sweet little angels...I am so lucky. I love you Maddie and Mollie.

Bucket Swing?

2009-04-09T10:22:00.003-05:00

The other day Maddie insisted that we get a rope so she could attach it to a tree to do some swinging. I know she has seen tire swings and other things similar to that but I didn't know what she really had in mind. However, Trey got some rope and tied it to a tree in the backyard. He added some knots so she could climb it if she wanted to and also a PVC piece of pipe if she wanted to sit on it to swing. This lasted all of about 2 hours and then she said something wasn't right. We really didn't know what else she wanted until the next day. She spent a lot of time playing outside in the morning and then she came to me and said she needed her bucket tied to the string. Having absolutely no knot knowledge I informed her she needed to wait till dad got home. When he graced us with his presence that evening she asked for his assistance and he obliged. Now we had a rope hanging from a tree with a huge bucket at the end of it. Maddie proceeded to get into the bucket and then she asked for us to spin her. She wanted it to be spun as fast as it could go and then pushed back in forth. WoW! What an invention...she loves her new bucket swing and everyday she wants someone to spin her or push her. In my opinion, I love watching her do this but at the same time I think I would throw up if I were in the bucket doing this. She put her kitten in the bucket with her the other day and I got some cute pics of them spending some quality time swinging.

Hats Off....errrr I mean on!

2009-04-08T07:57:00.002-05:00

Double trouble.

I think I might have surprised Molle in this picture...she kinda looks like a deer in headlights.
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Funny thing about these pictures is that the hat that Mollie is wearing was bought for Maddie to wear but if you know the Carlile Crew at all you will know that our head size runs above average. The girls always measure in the 95% or above for circumference...they get this from their Dad or so I say. So we told Pops when he bought the hat that it wouldn't fit Maddie and he didn't believe us but we were right. So instead this "toddler" size hat fits our baby. What can I say she has lots of brains in that melon.

Oh the good ol' days!

2009-04-06T14:15:00.005-05:00

Back in the day my husband and his college buddies used to play video games non-stop. In fact, I think some of them might have majored in 007. Anyways, a few weeks ago a couple of their good friends were in town for a visit and they must have had the fever. Everyone came over for some good lunch on Sunday and then after taking care of the girls this is what I found when I walked in the living room.

I also found my friend Stu doing my favorite thing, sleeping in the recliner, since there were only 4 controllers. I thought I got a good picture of him fast asleep but I guess I didn't. You can tell he was definitely on his way to studying the backs of his eyelids.

Now don't get me wrong...I love to play video games too. In fact when we had only been married for a year we lived with a really good friend and we had people over everyday to play Halo. I spent at least a year of my life playing Halo everynight after work. We had three t.v.'s hooked up in our family room and at least 12 people over playing. We were serious gamers and now that I think about it probably dorks too. I actually got good at the game. When my student's at school would ask what I did I was embarrassed to tell them I spent the whole night playing video games. You might think that I am exaggerating about playing every day or even until 2am but I am not we were really that into it. Oh well back in the days when we were young and our bodies let us stay up that late. If I did that now I would seriously pay for it the next day.

Hooray!

2009-04-03T09:55:00.002-05:00

So I have some exciting news...remember about a month ago when I wrote about a local church that had put up some posters that were not very appropriate in terms of curb appeal? Well after a few emails and then just being ignored. I emailed some others too and guess what...the posters have been down for two weeks now. I am so excited! Praise be to God and he deserves all the glory. Now I don't have to speed past hoping Maddie doesn't see them. Thank you Jesus for taking care of this issue.

In loving memory

2009-03-22T21:18:00.004-05:00

So it was a sad weekend for the Carlile Crew. I woke up Saturday morning after Trey let me sleep in...did I mention that he is a sweet guy to take care of the girls so I could get some extra rest...and started doing a few things around the house. I knew the dogs had been out to go potty and most everything was taken care of. Earlier in the week we went out to some friends land to let the dogs play and to go on a "safari" with the kids in the woods. We had a great time but the dogs were super tired. When we got home Gus, the golden retriever, didn't move for 2.5 hours. I knew he was tired but I had no idea he was that exhausted. So the rest of the week he laid low and didn't do much. I kinda started to worry and we even called the vet to make sure everything was fine. They assured us it was going to be okay and he was probably just worn out. So back to Saturday morning, after noticing that Gus wasn't in the house and I didn't see him at the back door I went outside to look for him thinking maybe he was behind the shop digging again. When I couldn't find him outside I came back to the door to ask Trey if maybe he was inside and I just didn't see him. While standing in the doorway I noticed my buddy laying in the flower bed which he never lays in. I stopped in mid sentence and knew right then he was gone. Trey saw it all over my face and I went running over to him calling his name and hoping his sweet little eyes would meet mine. It was picturesque because we have one azalea plant in the backyard and Saturday was the first day it opened in all its glory. Gus choose to lay underneath this beautiful creation for his last moments. It looked like he just laid down and went to sleep. Trey tried to wake him while I bawled like a baby. I rubbed my buddy for a few strokes to comfort him and my heart and said goodbye. Hoping there was no pain in his passing I tried to pull myself together so I could tell Maddie her best buddy was now in heaven. After she got the news she really didn't seem affected by it which made me relieved. We had a make shift funeral for our friend out on our friends land where we had been earlier in the week. We made a cross headstone and put Gus' collar around it and also laid flowers out for him. Everything was so sweet and nice and we all said something nice about Gus. After about 5 minutes after we left Maddie finally understood what it all meant and broke down in the car. We pulled over so we could all just cry together and love on one another. It may have been the hardest thing as a Mom I have had to experience with Maddie. She was so brokenhearted and there was just not that much I could do but just hold her. We loved on each other which seemed to make it better and then spent some time telling about all the funny and cute things Gus had done while we had him. I know we are all still missing him and I keep thinking he is just going to come walking through the door. It is a little quiet too around here but I am hanging on to good times with our Gussy. We miss you boy and we love you.

One of the best things about Gus was that he just followed Maddie everywhere. He could care less that she would dress him up. He wagged his tail with happiness and just enjoyed her presence. There is just not that many dogs that are so kind and gentle with little kids and Gus was truely one of a kind. He is going to be missed so much.

Gus finally got his curls back and in this pictue he just got a shower so he was nice and clean.

He was massive almost 85 lbs. all love and licks from this big guy.

I definitely didn't know I was getting my picture taken but look how sweet my little buddy was.

First day when we got Gus...his hair was shaved because of the hot summer weather but you can tell he was a cutie.

Applause please!

2009-03-12T17:31:00.001-05:00

Mollie started clapping today. She does it like a pro and she smiles super big when she does. Isn't it funny how proud you get of silly little milestones your babies make even if it is my second.

Title goes here

2009-03-10T14:34:00.003-05:00

I snapped these pics of Mollie the other day and I just thought they were so sweet. I actually took like 15 but these two were some of my favorites. In my opinion, she has the prettiest blue eyes and she smiles with her eyes. She is growing so fast and I can hardly believe she is already 7 months old.

This is Maddie doing what she loves, helping and cooking. At our house we have what I like to call a "one butt" kitchen. This means really there is only enough room for one person (hence butt) to move around freely. We manage to squeeze more in but to be effective it is best if just one person does the cooking at a time. Needless to say Maddie helps cook a lot at home but it is not like Nana's kitchen. They have a massive kitchen maybe something like a 10 butt kitchen so she gets to get right in and help. Here she is cleaning potatoes. Doesn't she look so big and grown up. By the way we were at a birthday party earlier and that is face painting on her cheek.