We Will Start with the Adults

Well, I guess we will move from oldest to youngest on our family update.

James is still working hard at Conroe Machine.  He is constantly trying to improve is skills and increase his knowledge.  He is an amazingly hard worker and has been told that he is an asset to the company.  At church he is flourishing as the Gospel Principles teacher.  He is completely in his element and has spent a lot of time studying and praying on each topic he is assigned to teach.  James loves spending time with the boys and teaching them new things.  He celebrated his 28th birthday in February and enjoys his birthday present very much.  He finally got a riding lawn mower, and has used it a lot already.  James has been busy helping me get the baby's room ready and anxiously anticipating baby girl's arrival.

I have been working at the preschool still and really enjoy it.  In fact, today is my first day not working and I am missing my kids terribly!  I am still the Primary Chorister, and as I have said in the past, there is really no better calling in the church!  The boys keep me busy with activities and being their room mom, and everything else being a Mommy entails (which is pretty much everything, right?).  I am 38 weeks pregnant and anxiously waiting for baby girl to arrive.  I spent a good chunk of time nesting.  I even mopped a clean floor!  Those who know me and my housekeeping skills know that will probably never happen again.  I feel tremendously blessed with wonderful friends that love me and are watching out for me.  Oh, I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I am now a mini-van mom.  We bought our van in late November and I don't know why people are so against them!  I love my van and can't imagine driving anything else!

Well, that is all I can think of for "the adults" in the house and what is going on with us.  Maybe there is more, but right this minute it doesn't seem too important.  Now to move on the update about the best parts of our family.

Again, It Got Away From Me

Well, it happened again.  My blog got away from me!  This time I can say that I think it is because I have been crazy busy and life moves faster than I do these days.  I was trying to decide how to update everything, but I really can't go back and summarize everything from December until now, so I guess I will post about each of us and you can fill in the blanks.  Hopefully things will start to calm down and I will be able to post more.  Life is changing for us as a family, but then again, it feels like at times it is the same story, just a different day.  Oh well, life is a learning experience and some lessons are learned easier than others.  Well, now to update about everyone...

Playing Catch Up

How did I let this thing slip so far from me!?!  I can't believe that I haven't posted in so long.  Things have been so busy, this just happened to get put at the end of the list.  So, here is a quick update/ run down of the Wardell's life.

Okay, so since August things really have changed a bit for us.  In the month of August we went to visit GiGi for a few days.  We went to Galveston to see dolphins and took the boys to La Kings on the Strand.  We enjoyed a quiet long weekend there and were enjoying wrapping up our summer break.  When we returned home there was a MESS.  A water line to our refrigerator burst and we came home to a flooded living room and kitchen.  I can look back now and say it was definitely a learning experience and I love our new floors and paint, but getting there was no fun at all.  We finally finished it mid-September as we had a few bumps in the road before all was said and done.

Riding in the boat at La Kings

James and the boys ready to see dolphins

Look! Dolphins!

Playing Chess on the Strand

At the end of August Alex started kindergarten!  I can't believe my baby is in kindergarten!  Alex was very excited to start school.  Things were a little rocky in the beginning, but now he is completely settled in and loving it.  His teacher constantly tells me how sweet he is and what a great helper he is.  I love that Alex gives everything 100%.

Alex on his first day of Kindergarten!

September definitely came with a BANG!  Eric was supposed to start preschool right after Labor Day, but Mother Nature had other plans.  Labor Day weekend was very stressful as most of Magnolia and Waller were evacuated due to a HUGE wildfire.  The Tri-County fire ripped through our area.  My parents came to stay with us for 10 days as the fire burned.  We were very blessed to be out of harms way, but the stress was unimaginable.  School was cancelled because they were being used as command posts, and everything was out of whack.  At this point our house was nothing but sub floors.  Our refrigerator was in the living room, we had no furniture in the living room or kitchen, and lets just say we live in a single family home, and it made things a little tight.  Everyone tried to be good sports about the situation.  We made it through, again, with lessons learned.  Finally Eric started school and he was very happy to go.  Alex was able to start his Fall Season of T-Ball and we also found out that we are expecting baby number 3 and morning sickness definitely won many battles.

Alex got the "Game Ball"!

Alex was so proud!

Alex plays catcher at the game

Eric ready for his first day of preschool!

He is such a ham!

October rolled around and I started working at Eric's school as the Pre-K teacher.  This is definitely work, but tons of fun at the same time.  Eric really likes me being at the school and I like the kids and something to keep me busy.  Halloween came and the boys were very excited.  I let them pick their costumes this year.  Alex was a Jedi and Eric was Super Why.  They had lots of fun at our church trunk-or-treat and then trick-or-treating on Halloween.  Eric loves to play dress-up, so we went and bought a few costumes on clearance after Halloween.  He has enjoyed being many different super heroes.

Alex the Jedi

Eric as Super Why

After the Trunk-or-Treat

After the Trunk-or-Treat

November came very quickly.  I celebrated my 26th birthday and then then Thanksgiving break came.  We were very blessed to have James home the entire week of Thanksgiving.  On Monday we all went to my doctor's appointment as we were supposed to find out if baby #3 is a boy or a girl.  Well, while Alex and Eric argues over what it was going to be, the technician kept trying, but baby is VERY modest and wouldn't let us see...so we still don't know.  Then we took the boys to the zoo for a fun filled day.  The rest of the week was spent enjoying our time.  GiGi came to see us for a little bit, that is always fun.  On Thursday we went to James' parents and had an amazing Thanksgiving meal.  Friday we did some relaxing and I did a tiny bit of shopping.  Saturday we put up all of our Christmas decorations and then James and I went to the temple.  All in all the week was amazing!  I felt refreshed and ready to start back to our everyday lives.

This chimp came and sat by James and then did everything James did.

I love my boys

Now it is the last day in November.  Half of the Christmas shopping is done.  I got the housework caught up (mostly), Eric is napping after spending hours playing with a box, the sun is shining and the air is crisp.  I feel so blessed and can't imagine things getting much better.  I promise I won't let my blog go this long again.  So until next time...

A Summer Update

It has been too long since I have blogged, but my life has been a bit crazy busy.  This summer has been great, but I am starting to understand how much parents want their kids to start school and how crazy summer can be.  I could never have fathomed being sick of entertaining kids, but I am reaching that point.  My kids are great at entertaining themselves, but I want them to enjoy social activities and experience new things.  We want to build memories.  Well, this summer has been packed with activities and memories.  We have play group every week which I think may be more for me instead of them as I enjoy the adult interaction as much as they enjoy wherever we are at and their friends.  We have gone to the lake, playgrounds, splash pads, movies, zoo, museums, pools, and numerous other things.  This summer has been super hot and dry, but we are making the best of it.  James and I have realized that once school starts, there will be no more avoiding crowds by going fun places during the week and that vacations have to be scheduled during vacation times...this is a new thing for us as we always try to go when things are quiet.  I am very much looking forward to Alex going to kindergarten (even though I can't believe he is already old enough to go) and for Eric to start preschool two days a week.  The boys are growing and learning so much and I am excited to see what this year will bring.  Here is a brief update on everyone and hopefully I will have some time to sit and upload pictures and more summer posts soon, right now i have an extra kid in the house during the week and it makes things a bit more hectic...

James is still working at Conroe Machine and working his rear-end off.  He is working a minimum of 12 hours a day and I know at times work is very stressful as they are taking on some new projects and improving the company's quality control.  He has been noticed at work for taking the initiative and always working hard and willing to help out wherever it is needed.  He gets every other Saturday off and he tries to make sure that stuff around the house gets don as well as spending time with me and the boys.  He is such an amazing man and I don't know where I would be without him.  He also teaches Gospel Essentials every other Sunday and everyone loves his lessons.

I am trying to keep up.  I am staying home with the kids and caring for the house.  I still have a cake business, but it gets pretty slow in the summer.  I have been working on new recipes and some new ideas.  Life has been hectic and I wear many hats, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Alex is definitely maturing quite a bit!  His feet are huge and we are sure that he will be having a growth spurt very soon.  He is very excited for school to start.  He has quite a sense of humor and is very quick on the comebacks.  He is 100% ambidextrous and is extremely bright...I have to admit, sometimes this gives me a run for my money.  He is having surgery on his thumb on the 18th so hopefully he will have an easier time with his handwriting and he will not have to worry about the pain in it anymore.  He is the epitome of a 5 year old boy!

Eric is such a little goober sometimes.  he gets into things, but has that smile that melts your heart.  We finally got some pictures taken of him and he is a total goof ball!  He has been having some health problems and we are hoping to get some answers soon.  We have an appointment with a Nephrologist in November (that is a long way away). but I have been able to help him a lot by drastically changing his diet.  We have a lot better days now and I think he is feeling better.  Eric likes Nursery once he is in there, but getting him in there is a bit of a task.  He loves doing EVERYTHING Alex does and at times that really irritates Alex.  Eric is learning more of his colors and a few letters.  His language skills are great, he is very articulate.  He likes to pick out his own clothes and is very opinionated.

Our pets are doing great too.  Moroni is very good at scaring the delivery man, so much that the UPS guy throws our packages onto the porch.  Mason is showing his age more and more.  He is such a great dog and is still very patient with the kids and loving.  He is having a harder time getting onto the couch, laying down, and sometimes getting in the dog door, but he doesn't complain and always wants to have his ears scratched.  Tonka is a typical cat...moody, cuddly when he wants to be, demanding at times and playful, but we love him.

Alright, this is the update.  Hopefully I can get on again soon.  So, until next time...

My Little Ball of Sunshine

Perfect depiction of Eric!

This blog post is dedicated to my little ball of Sunshine, Eric.  Last week my baby boy turned three years old! ( I start to tear up as I type this)  He has gotten SO big and he has matured SO much!  Eric is 100% boy.  He is constantly moving and if it involves dirt, even better.  He loves to run and jump constantly.  Eric has always been a kid that keeps me on my toes.  When Eric was born, things went very smoothly and he loved to be hugged!  He loved having his head covered and he HATED being swaddled (that should have been a sign).

My favorite boys!

 When we brought Eric home I quickly contemplated taking him back to the hospital (don't judge me, things were tough).  He was a cryer...a screamer..whichever you would like to call it.  He cried CONSTANTLY (I am NOT exaggerating).  The only time he didn't cry was when he would eat (10 minutes every 3 hours) and sleep (he was the king of 10 minute power naps and 2 hours was his stretch at night).  I cried with him and prayed that Heavenly Father would help me understand this baby, who was apparently not a happy camper.

He frequently slept in the sling, he would fall asleep and I would slip it off for a few minutes ...Once he was asleep I would KILL anyone who woke him up.  He looks so sweet asleep!

 I can remember that I read an article about colic and stuff and in they talked about babies having a "separation anxiety) from the womb.  I thought about this and prayed about this and concluded that Eric had separation anxiety from our Heavenly Father, the veil was just too thin and he could still remember what he left.  He was not happy to be here and he was terrible frustrated with this little body he was placed in.  One night, after a particularly LONG day, I asked James to give him a blessing.  In that blessing I asked James to ask Heavenly Father to let Eric know that it was okay to be here and that we loved him and that we would take care of him.  James gave Eric the sweetest blessing (which he screamed through) and then at the  end, he stopped long enough to give us a quick little grin, and then proceeded to scream.

As close as we ever got to a smile in he first 3 months of life :)

The next day was spent with family at a local pumpkin patch (Eric was 4 1/2 months old).  I was not looking forward to dragging grumpy pants around while everyone was having fun.  My grandma offered to keep an eye on him while we enjoyed some of the festivities and she sat and read her book.  Later she told me that this made her a nervous wreck and she was sure he would start screaming any moment.  That day, a day I will never forget, he stopped crying.  He actually smiled and even giggled a bit!  That day was truly an answer to our prayers.  Eric finally started feeling comfortable in his own skin and he knew we loved him.  After that we started to understand Eric's personality better.

What a sly little smile, like he has a secret!  This was taken the  evening he stopped crying

I LOVE this smile!  This was taken about a week after "The Miracle"

He gives everything 100%.  If he can't do something on his own he gets very frustrated and mad.  He wants it all and he wants it now.  He wants to do everything Alex can do and even more.  Right now he is sure that he is turning 5 any moment.

I can't describe how much I LOVE this picture

His latest accomplishment

Eric has gone through times of crying and frustration, and we have come to understand that it is an indicator that Eric is going to hit a milestone soon.  He did this before he crawled, walked, ran, jumped, talked, and pretty much anything else.  He recently went through a phase and we were sure something big was coming and we kinda cringed at the thought, but all of the sudden, he became very aware of things and people around him.  It is hard to explain this to anyone who doesn't know him, but he is definitely maturing into a little boy.  I literally cried the day he looked at me (after I called him my "baby boy") and said, "Mommy I am not a baby anymore, I am a big boy".

I love him so much.  He has a way of lighting up a room when he smiles and is laugh is truly contagious.  He hates to see you sad and always wants to share.  He LOVES going to Tumbling Class with Mr. Vincent and after every class I am told, "He keeps me busy, but I love him."  Eric is a bright kid, he is my sunshine when I am down and he is always complimenting me.  There is nothing sweeter than hearing him say, "Mommy, you're beautiful" every single day after I get dressed, no matter what I am wearing.  His favorite thing to say to people lately is, "Guess what!" after the person replies, "What?"  he says with the biggest smile on his face, "I LOVE YOU!"  I love my little guy and I am excited to continue to watch him grow into a boy and a young man.  I cannot express how grateful I am for him and how much I love him.  I better stop now because I am bawling my eyes out and my eyes get all puffy when I cry.  So until next time...

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Eric

My Little Fireman (5 months old)

Easter (9 months old)

Showing Daddy some love!

Everything Alex does, Eric does!  I love my little guys!

Alex's Achievements!

I haven't written in a while because I have been so darn busy!  There have been a whole lot of fun things going on in our home and it has all happened in a whirlwind.  I will start with my sweet Alex's Pre-K graduation!  I cannot believe my sweet boy is moving on to Kindergarten!  He was so cute in his little cap and gown and took the whole thing very seriously.  He always takes these types of things seriously, sometimes we have to remind him to smile.  He then participated in his school's end of the year program that was super cute!  Hopefully I can figure out how to load video onto my blog soon.  Alex said that he wanted to become a firefighter, because he wanted to save the world!  He is such a sweet boy!

Pre-K Graduation 2011

That Sunday, he gave a talk in Primary about the Book of Mormon!  He did a great job and wrote most of the talk on his own.  He kept reminding me of things to write down for him to say.  He cracks me up at how well he remembers things, even the tiniest details.  He was so proud of himself and he really enjoys when we read the scriptures in the morning.  He is starting to see patterns and really understanding what is going on as I read.

On Monday Alex had his T-Ball awards ceremony and end-of-the-season party.  These kids are too funny!  I loved having Alex in T-ball this season and I am sad to see that it is already over.  My son will probably never be the 'star player" but he always tries his hardest and he is learning what it means to be on a team.  He was so proud of his trophy!  I had to tell him to put it up and quit dragging it through the house (I was afraid it was going to break).

T-Ball 2011
Athletics

I love my sweet Alex and he is such a bright kid.  I don't know how I got so lucky to be blessed with such a great boy!  I have enjoyed watching Alex grow up so much this year.  He has made goals and achieved them.  He has struggled and pressed forward.  Alex may not be the smartest, most athletic, or most anything kid, but I pray that he will continue to grow and understand that he is a child of God and that he can be anything that he puts his mind too.  I also hope that the feelings he has had this past week, the feelings of pride and independence stick with him.  I feel that personal pride and satisfaction carries a person very far.  There is no point in doing something if it doesn't make you proud of yourself.  Through Pre-K and T-ball Alex learned how to work as a team, batting, running, his letters, reading, and writing...but most of all he hs learned what it means to work hard and do your best.  I am eternally grateful for wonderful teachers and coaches that helped him along the way and loves him for who he is.

We have a busy week ahead as we get ready for our vacation, so until next time...

I Got Put in Time Out!

Oh my goodness it is a beautiful day outside!  The sun is shining and the windows are open.  Very rarely are there days in the low seventies in May here is Texas.  Life has been a bit..."not ideal" lately, but it has definitely been a time for growth.

This last weekend changed my life more than I could have ever imagined.  On Friday I packed my bags and went on a trip to San Antonio with some amazing friends.  We headed off to Time Out for Women.  I was excited to go and felt very privileged to go, especially since it was last minute that I was offered a ticket and a seat in the carpool.  Friday we arrived at our hotel and rested for a few minutes before making our way to the convention center.  This was the start of something amazing.  I must admit that my heart was feeling a bit cold and hard.  I was still very upset about the "health issues" I am having to deal with, and not a very happy camper when it came to my relationship with my Heavenly Father (to put it lightly).  We sat together and the program began.  The music was by Dallyn Vail Bayles and the speaker was Sheri Dew.  I was not particularly amped up to listen to Sheri Dew.  I had read a few of her books (well, I tried to) and sound them very dry and "perfect" rather than realistic.  However, the music was so powerful that it softened my heart and Sheri Dew spoke on some things that I really needed to hear.  Looking back on all of it, Friday night prepared my heart for Saturday. My testimony grew so much in those three hours!  I was able to look at my trials and where my heart was and instead of feeling guilty for being mad and angry, I felt loved and understanding.  I was able to come up with this analysis of my feelings and behavior.  I shared this with my hotel-mates when we returned for the night.

I am a toddler!  I am just like my boys after they hear something they don't want to hear.  When I tell my boys "No" for one reason or another, I am often times met with replies of "I don't like you!" and "I'm not talking to you!"  Even though I know they still love me and they know that I love them, they are mad.  I am the same way. My Heavenly Father had to tell me "No" and I didn't like it and I think it is still unfair!  I stomped my feet and crossed my arms and said "I'm mad at you!" and "I am not talking to you right now!"  I knew I still loved my Heavenly Father and He still loved me, but I was mad!  Then I realized that just as my children come to me for a hug after they are done being mad, my Heavenly Father was waiting to hold me tight and tell me that He loved me.  I love holding my boys and trying to make things right in their world, even when they don't understand why something they didn't like had to happen, they understand that I won't lead them astray.  The same thing goes for me.  My Heavenly Father took me in His arms and told me that He was sorry that He had to tell me "No" and that he was sorry that my heart hurts, but He loves me and He knows I still love Him.  My relationship with my Heavenly Father changed so much!  I understand him so much better now, as I realize that He truly is a parent, as I am, and I am learning to parent my children every day and through that, I understand my Heavenly Father more and more.  I felt like I had found myself again.  I felt so much strength and empowerment that I was ready to be held and ready to be comforted and taught what I needed to learn.

After such an amazing night, I was truly ready for an amazing Saturday.  Early on Saturday I received a text message from James that told me that Eric had been bit by something and it looked really ad and he was taking Eric to the doctor.  After my Mommy panic washed away, I realized that James had things under control and that Eric would be fine.  I went on to the conference center bright and early, ready to learn.  I learned so much!  I learned about the importance of friendship and relationships with others and myself form the hysterical Amanda Dickson.  Jericho Road shared some beautiful testimony through music.  I really enjoyed their song "I'm in Over My Head" a lot.  Emily Watts made me giggle as I learned more about my children and how I can be a better mother to them, as well as to allow myself to "LET my heart rejoice".  John Hilton and Matt Baldwin taught me about not comparing myself to others and to have reasonable expectations of myself.  The final speaker was Kris Belcher and I LOVED HER TALK!!!!  She is an amazing woman and I encourage everyone to look her up and read her story.  I learned about "Vertical Living", the idea that we should look up, and look to God and live and not focus on what is right in front of our face.  I felt I could relate to her as she reminded all of us to "Look for the humor in life".  I am constantly looking fir the humor, and I think that is what keeps me going.  She also made a very profound statement that I am reminding myself of regularly.  She said that those people who tell you "God won't give you more than you can handle" are wrong!  If that were true, we would not need a Savior and we would not need His grace.  This really rang true with me.  I had a friend tell me that it is not about "God giving us only what we can handle, but that we can't handle it without God."  I have gained such insight from the amazing people in my life lately.

As you can see, I have grown so much.  I feel like this conference literally saved my life.  I feel as though I was given the opportunity to go by divine intervention.  I feel so eternally blessed that I was able to rub shoulders with amazing women and that I was able to grow so much in less than 48 hours.  I was so excited to bear my testimony on Sunday, but that wasn't able to happen as I took Eric to the hospital and he was admitted for that bite that got so infected that it went all the way up his leg.  He is home now (thank goodness) and running around as he always does.  I am going in for my D&C on Wednesday and I am nervous, but I go in with my heart in a much better place.  I feel more at peace and I don't feel near as alone this time.  I feel loved.  I have absolutely no idea what the future holds, but I will try to go forward with my eyes set high and my heart ready to learn.  So until next time...