Very Hectic

I figured I would take the time tonight - instead of getting ahead on homework :), to update everyone on my new job. Several have asked how it is going and I have not had time to reply. Two weeks ago, I started a new job and my new courses of school work. This was a little bit of an overload for me. One of my courses this block is an algebra course that has put me over my limit, but I am surviving as of now.

Work is going great. Just in the two weeks working at Commerce, I have tons of interesting stories to share. I am absolutely loving the job. Jayce is enjoying his sitters so that is nice as well. One day a week he goes to a house that has a little girl who is two years older than him. The other four days he has one on one attention with a friend of ours.

The biggest adjustment for me was learning to balance my time between work, Jayce, and school. So far, I have worked well over my part-time limit for the simple fact that there are two positions open. This is all great but it is not putting me home until close to 5:00. We immediately eat dinner, play with Jayce, bath and put him to bed. I then have to hop on the computer to work on my homework until 11:00. I do my ultimate best to be in bed by this time as I am up by 6:00 in the mornings.

Most of you know, that my biggest prayer right now is that an opening will come up in six months for me to go full-time. I have to be full-time in a year in order to receive the benefits that I will need this time next year. Please keep praying about that, but a little update: one of my co-workers, whom I really enjoy working with, found out this week that she is pregnant. She will be quitting her job right around the time that I would like to go full-time. I am praying that this will all work out.

Anyways, I had better stop for tonight as I really do have homework I have to get done.

So Thankful

So many of you have been praying and the easiest way to share the wonderful news is to simply write a note.

About three months ago I applied for a job at Commerce Bank and heard nothing for a long time. However, I knew one of the ladies who worked there and she continued to tell me not to give up my hopes but just wait. A month later I finally got a call for the interview and had a two and a half hour interview with Commerce. Again, the wait began. Three weeks after the interview I finally got a call from the Downtown division of HR for the interview.

I went downtown had an interview with HR and then took the teller test. I was told that I would get a call within a week. A week later and I had not received a call, so I called them. They asked me to immediately go and take the drug test which meant another three business days of waiting. I took the drug test last Thursday at 5:00 - closing time. So I had to wait until today, Tuesday to hear anything.Well, this afternoon I received a phone call from my HR lady at Commerce wanting to know when I would like to start the job -PRAISE THE LORD. Orientation is only done on Wednesdays and they asked me if I wanted to start tomorrow, but I told them I needed to wait till next Wednesday simply because I needed to make sure everything was in order regarding Jayce.

It is amazing to see the Lord's timing. We found out this week that General Motors did indeed change the cut-off date for dependents insurance from 25 to 24. This gives me slightly over a year to establish a job with insurance benefits for Jayce and I. With Commerce I will start part-time for six months and then after that six months I can go full time and receive benefits.

Raking Leaves

On Saturday, Jayce and I enjoyed raking some of the leaves. We have a very large backyard with several trees so we have plenty of leaves to rake. The main goal was to rake a couple of piles so that Jayce could run through them and enjoy jumping in the piles. In all reality, we don't rake our leaves until the spring. Right before it gets rather cold my dad mows the grass so the leaves get crunched up and we let them sit all winter long. In the spring we have greener grass because of this.
Jayce had a fun time helping me rake the leaves and jumping in the piles.

Cleaning the rake out.

Trying to figure out how to get the leaves just like mommy did.

His nose was itching and his hands were dirty so his face got dirty. Part of being a boy :)

An Awefully Round Easel

Jayce has really enjoyed learning to color and draw with everything imaginable. He learned very early on that the only thing he can color on is paper that we provide for him. For this reason the crayons, markers, and pens are not easily accessible to him. Whenever I am sitting at the computer working Jayce will sit in my lap and draw with a pen. Well, one night this past week I allowed him to sit in Papaw's chair and color on a pad of paper. I finished typing up the project I was working on and turned around to find him with his shirt up drawing on his stomach. We had a little talk as to how we are not suppose to draw on our skin, but I could not refuse taking a picture for keepsakes. He was completely embarrassed once I grabbed the camera so getting a good picture of the stomach was hard but here are a few for kicks.

Sleeping in a Big Bed

At the risk of jinxing a good thing I have to say that Jayce has officially slept in his twin bed for three nights now. A little over a month ago we had set up the twin bed and he slept in it for half a night before joining me in my bed. After that night a bad habit of joining mommy in bed started. I usually go to bed around 11:00 and get a couple hours of sleep before Jayce is up and moving into bed with me. On Thursday night of this past week I was at Bible study and when I came home I had a note that Jayce was in his big bed voluntarily. He managed to sleep all night - till 5:30 in the bed. The next night he did the same thing only sleeping until 6:30. Now we are at it again with him in his bed sleeping soundly. This is exciting for me simply because I am now getting a full nights sleep without waking up every two hours to a kid kicking me in the stomach or someone falling off the bed. We have both received a good nights sleep these last several nights.

My Lil' Pumpkin

Halloween this year seemed to be rather busy just like every other day of our life. Since Halloween was on a Wednesday my only obligation for the day was to clean the one house I clean each Wednesday. However, we were unable to get to that house until 11:00 which meant we got home around roughly 12:30. After cleaning up our own house and getting lunch it was close to 2:00 and we were going to Uncle Jonathan's house at 3:30. So Jayce got dressed in his pumpkin suit - which he went completely nuts over once he saw it and we took off. We delivered goodie bags for Uncle Jonathan, Trevor, Fred, and Zoe and spent some time with Uncle Jonathan before leaving. That night we went to a carnival at First Baptist of Raytown and had a blast. Jayce was a little unsure of all the costumes but once he warmed up he was completely fine.

Jayce and Uncle Jonathan


Great- Grandpa and Grandma and cousins - we made a quick stop to see them before going to the carnival.


Aunt Linda and Jayce at the Carnival


Right before the puppet show - while enjoying a sucker

Two Years Old

Jayce turned two this year and we had a Blue's Clues Party with plenty of family and friends. Jayce does not enjoy having large amounts of people in small spaces so he was rather quiet on his birthday sticking pretty close to the four constant, familiar people: Papa, Mama, Mommy, and Uncle Dondadan (Jonathan). In all it was a fun day - even though it rained all day long.

I simply can't believe where the time has gone. Each year his birthday rolls around and I just reflect all that has happened in these two short but long years. I can't believe that two years ago my little guy was breathing through an oxygen mask in the NICU of MCI. So much has happened since that time. Then to see how far we have come and the fact that he has overcome just about all difficulties preemies have. The only other struggle we have is the fact that he gets colds rather easily which quickly lead to RSV. So I simply am very cautious of where we go during the winter months.

The Lord has definitely been good to us!


Trying to open the presents with so many kids surrounding us!



Eating the yummy cake!


He was given a "soft" ball set and loves it!


Enjoying the "laptop" that he got!


My little stud-muffin!! So Handsome!!