The Lindsey Family

Fall, Football & our busy lives...

2011-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

So fall is here!!!!! I could not be more excited for this beautiful season! The weather is definitely making its changes! We are in the 4th week of school! It's going great and the morning groans about getting up & the nightly homework battles are in full swing! Sam started his 2nd year in preschool and is loving it! He get so excited to go to school every morning! He goes three days a week! Jacob's 2nd season of football has started. His first game is this coming Saturday!! He is on the Volunteers!! His skills have improved even more and we are looking forward to sitting on the side lines and cheering him and his team on! Martial Arts is going great as well! They go about twice a week! Jacob has his first belt test tomorrow and will move up to a yellow belt upon completion of this belt test! He is SO excited about this! Dylan should have his first belt test in the next few weeks! Church activities on Wednesday evenings are also back in swing! Jacob's annual Fall campout with Daddy is in a few short weeks. This time last year left Dylan pretty heart broken that he couldn't participate, so this year Daddy is taking a weekend before their camping trip to take just Dylan camping! This will be Dylan's first time actually camping and he is thrilled!!! They are going to Red Top Mountain in two weeks! College football has started and my phone goes crazy every Saturday telling me scores and highlights of the games! That is about how I get to watch games these days because even if we are home on a Saturday my house is so crazy, busy & loud I can't really focus or watch any games! One of my other favorite things about fall is also right around the corner..... the FAIR!!!!!!! We love the fair... everything about it!! The crazy people, the rides.... the FOOD!!! We typically go several times, even just to walk around! To me nothing screams fall time more than the local fair!! Sam is at such a fun age and will really get to enjoy it this year!! Summer is now over 2 months old!!! I can't even believe it has been 10 weeks since she entered this world! She is such a blessing and wonderful addition to the family! As to be expected she is SO easy going and is down for anything! She just glides along with everything we have going on and is always a pretty happy baby! She sleeps 12+ hours a night now and takes great naps during the day! She is smiling and cooing and filling my day with sunshine! She is now fully bottle fed as she struggled too much with nursing! This was a huge struggle for me as I love to nurse my babies and did the boys for a year! I was devastated at first but have now learned how much easier bottle feeding is especially with our busy days! We are on the go a lot! She is weighing in at 12 lbs and is 23 1/2 inches tall! Big girl! She had her first belly laugh the other day that was just so cute!!! And today she woke with her first fever and took her first trip to the Urgent Care :-( All is ok though! We stay on the go a lot with our weekly activities but we love it! I have a hard time finding time for the simple things like laundry & grocery shopping but as long as were together who needs clean clothes and food right?!! HA! Until next time..... Enjoy pictures from the last few weeks!!

Sam's first day of 2 year preschool!

Football Kickoff Day! Go Bucks!!!

9 weeks!

Summer at the cardiologist getting her EKG!

Summer's first belly laugh!

My boys!

They look a lot alike here!

Summer sick at the urgent care!

"Ay Ya"!

2011-08-23T04:24:00.000-07:00

The boys recently signed up for Martial Arts! They love it! We hope it helps in our constant efforts to teach them respect, patience and self confidence! They love it so far and it is so cute to watch! Sam enjoys trying to copy there moves while shouting "Ay Ya"! Pretty darn cute!

Back to School!

2011-08-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

So school is back in and the best part of it all..... ROUTINE!!! Bed at 7:30 and up at 6:00! We have a pretty big year this year. Dylan started Kindergarten and Jacob took the big step to 3rd grade!!! We went the week before and met teachers and saw classrooms! They both have awesome teachers and were so excited for the first day! Dylan being a Kindergartener got to take a practice ride on the bus the Friday before when the buses do the practice runs! He loved it and was even more excited for the first day!! Monday morning came bright and early! The bus came at 7:07am! Noni and PaPaw came to see them off and we all stood outside and waved as they rode off for their first day! Dylan knew exactly where to go because he has been to their school many times to see Jacob. Jacob is now in the further end of the school... the "upper class" section of the school. 3rd grade is definitely a big step up from 2nd! A lot more work and a lot more responsibility! A week has come and gone and we are now moving into the 2nd week! They are both doing great and are very tired come 7:00 at night! We have been very proud of them both but especially proud of Dylan because he has had fantastic behavior! He has received two red tickets which are special and are only handed out when a teacher or someone notices exceptionally good behavior!! God has blessed them both so far and I pray He continues to do so in their adventures, learning and behavior!!! See pictures below!

2011-08-21T14:37:00.001-07:00

Summer Grace's Birthday!

2011-08-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

Our Summer Grace was born on Tuesday July 5th..as of tomorrow 6 weeks ago!!!! We celebrated the weekend before her birth at the lake for the 4th of July! We had the best family weekend of swimming, boating and fireworks on the boat! It was a great end to our little family of 5! Jeremy and I stayed late Monday night to go on the boat with the boys & my parents to watch fireworks. We left afterwards and got home around midnight! We were up bright and early to be at the hospital at 9:00am! My c-section was scheduled for 10:30am. When we got there we were put in traige for pre-op bc the actual pre-op rooms were full! I got gowned up and ready. They monitored Summer for a few and attempted SIX.... yes SIX times to get an IV in me! Can you say painful! The nurses tried 3x and the first IV team nurse tried twice and finally the 2nd IV team nurse got it in. This of courser resulted in us being late to the OR. After walking back to the OR, getting my spinal and starting the surgery, Summer Grace was born at 11:16am! I was a nervous wreck after my last two being in the NICU so I prayed and prayed and listened very carefully to her cry! She was perfect and healthy... all 7 lbs 15 ounces and 19 inches of her! Instantly in love! Daddy had to leave the OR with her before Mommy because it was so cold in the OR and Mommy's surgery was taking longer than usual because of my tubal and tummy tuck! I arrived in the post-op room greeted by my husband and new beautiful daughter!! We nursed and bonded for the next hour! It was amazing! After that we got moved to our post partum room to be greeted by big brothers and family!! The boys were SO excited to see her and of course instantly wanted to hold her! The stayed and visited anxiously for her to have her first bath! For the next three days we loved and kissed and loved and kissed on our sweet Summer! We had visitors and of course may more visits from big brothers! On Friday morning we got discharged and were off to our house to become our family of 6! The last 6 weeks have been great! The first couple of weeks were an adjustment naturally but with the help of our amazing family we survived!! Summer had "issues" with gaining weight in the beginning but has definitely caught up. At her one month she was 75% in her height and weight at 9 lbs 14oz and 21.5 inches. She is growing and eating like crazy now and is starting to smile and stay awake a lot more! Below are several pictures from pre-birth, hospital and home since! God has blessed us beyond measure and we could not be more grateful for our FOUR beautifully amazing creations!!

“From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another” - John 1:16

Getting ready!

Headed home!!

Our first big outing at the Tellus Museum with Grammy!

Another big outing at Stone Mountain with family from Ohio!

Summer's first train ride @ SM!

Blog slacker!

2011-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yes I have been a blog slacker but I DO have an excuse.... Try FOUR kids!!! I need to blog Summer's birth story and the days/weeks surrounding her arrival but for now with as usual short time... Here are some pictures of her and a video from today! She will be 4 weeks old already this coming week!

Blog feature!!!!!

2011-06-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I am SO proud to share that Sam's 2nd birthday party that I worked so hard on was featured on a popular party blog!!!! I had way too much fun planning and setting up his party! It took many deep thoughts, research and late nights but turned out great!! I made most of the stuff myself but did have a little help from Etsy! We chose Under the Sea because Sam had been so in love with the movie Finding Nemo! I didn't really want to do the whole Disney/character theme so chose something more generic yet close enough!! Turned out great if I must say so myself! Check it out here!!!!!

http://www.chickabug.com/blog/2011/06/under-the-sea-party-sam-is-2.html

Dyl-Bug!

2011-06-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

So it took me long enough but if I want to get in done anytime soon I need to do it now! The recent and upcoming for our second son, Dylan! Like with Jacob's post I don't really remember when or what the last post was with any updates on him so I will go back a little. First off last November he turned FIVE!!! He had a Halloween/costume party at our Stevi B's and had friends from school come eat and play wih him in their costumes! This past school year Dylan completed Pre-K! He loved it and learned SO much! He has grown so much over this past school year! He was also involved in church but wasn't quite old enough for RA's like Jacob so he did Choir and Mission Friends! He had a couple concerts and and a Hymn sing! A couple months ago he had minor surgery as a follow up from a surgery following birth! Everything went well with that and he has fully healed and doing great! He recently graduated from Pre-k in a small ceremony at his school! He was so proud as were Jeremy and I! He is really excited about Kindergarten and riding the school bus starting in August! Also recently we took Dylan to the Rheumatologist (bone dr.) to have his legs checked out. He complains a lot about leg pain after any walking or strenuous activity. He is very flat footed and pronated (knock kneed) so we figured this could be the culprit but wanted to confirm it wasn't more and to find out a solution! As we thought he is severely pronated and will be getting inserts into his shoes to help lift the inner foot and straighten his knees! We also found out that he has Hyper Mobility. Nothing major and sounds fancier than it actually is... basically meaning he is super flexible! HAHA! He over extends his joints which can cause injury and pain! He loves to swim and being outdoors! Dylan has a very strong personality and is the loudest in the family! He has been the "middle" child for the last two years and has made his voice heard and his presence known! He is so bright, imaginative, creative and loving! He is so affectionate and expressive! He fills our days with laughter and also some frustration. He has Mommy's patience or lack there of :) He loves being a playmate and brother to Jake. He looks up to him so much and loves him dearly. He also loves being a big brother to Sam and is really looking forward to Summer. Everyday for the last few days he has asked me "Is Summer coming out today? I am SO excited". Below are some recent pics of Dylan!

Re-bloging another blog!

2011-06-05T14:11:00.001-07:00

Read this on a fellow blog and wanted to share..... So true!

Parents. It’s not cool to put down your kids. It’s not funny. And it certainly doesn’t improve your relationship with your kids or change any issues that are bothering you.

Yup. Parenting can be hard sometimes. It can be annoying to find an unflushed toilet for the umpteenth time or smelly socks left in the living room. Kids can be dirty and stinky. They can be sassy and irritable and challenging and ungrateful. It’s true.

And you know what? So can we!

Do you want someone to publicly complain about you?

Tell me what it accomplishes to get into mom groups and complain about our kids?

What does it accomplish to devote full blog posts that get published on popular mom sites that rant about the myriad of things that you detest about your kids? The token, “But I still love them and wouldn’t change a thing” thrown in at the end does not suddenly make it all OK that you just publicly ripped apart your kids.

Gotta be great to be a kid who has parents who talk about “surviving” parenthood and the hardships of raising kids. You think they laugh it off like you do believing deep down, “Mom and Dad love me and wouldn’t change a thing?”

I’ll admit that I’ve jokingly said to my husband, “These kids are crampin’ our style,” as we realize that our plans are complicated because of the kids.

I’ve talked about how my kids can drive me bonkers. I even wrote a post on how my 6-yr-old was possibly possessed by Zuul, servant of Gozer the Gozerian.

I’m not suggesting that we don’t share our struggles. We don’t need to pretend that we’re never bothered or irritated or tired.

We can laugh together and commiserate on occasion.

But let’s be honest. All the whining about our kids is really, ultimately, about us and our own selfishness.

Because they did this, I have to do that.

I can’t do such and such because of them.

They aren’t listening to me.

I’m disrespected by them.

They make life difficult for me.

Yeah, we can feel better about ourselves when we put down our kids to other parents. We can justify it as venting. We bond with each other sharing our perceived horror stories.

And then we wonder why we don’t experience the family bliss some purport is possible. When we focus on the negative the positive gets lost even if it’s there. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that children won’t be affected by what you say about them even if you try not to say those things when they’re around.

So cut it out!

I’m tired of reading blogs and tweets and Facebook posts about how terrible your kids are (ha ha) and thinking it funny and entertaining. Fix the things that aren’t working in your home. Get parenting help if you need it. Stop complaining and take action. Then acknowledge that a large part of the issue is actually YOU, not your kids. Let’s address that.

Instead, lets rave about our kids and how amazing they are. Let’s share with each other how to become better parents. Let’s support each other as we try to get over ourselves and learn to put others before us because I didn’t see the clause in the verse (Romans 12:10 if you’re interested) that said the words applied to everyone except our children.

And then don’t tolerate less from others. Including those people who think they’re giving you a secret handshake when they see you with your kids and say, “You’ve got your hands full.”

If we want kids to respect us and others, let’s show them some respect. Will you join me?

Family scare....

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

So before I move on to posting about Dylan & Sam I want to share an experience we had last night in our home! It was pretty scary and by sharing I hope to convince those who don't have a detector in their home to get one asap! A Carbon Monoxide detector that is.... Last night at about 3:30am our carbon monoxide detector alarm went off in the upstairs hallway. After of course waking us up Jeremy got up to check our what it was. After discovering it was the CO alarm we suspected it being faulty. We changed the batteries and it was still telling us the levels were too high in the house. We followed the instructions to place the detector outside in fresh air to see if it still alarms... obviously if it still alarms in fresh air its probably faulty. Well, it didn't. The levels dropped to 0% and it stopped alarming. Once brought back indoors the levels quickly rose again. After this we called 911 and had the fire department out to check the levels with their machine. About 10 minutes later they arrived and started scanning the house. The scary part-YES we had a CO leak. The levels were 20's-30's up where we were sleeping and were only getting higher all the way down to the garage where the levels reached the highest topping in the 70's. High enough down there that the firemen told Jacob and I we couldn't even stand in the room. They suspected the hot water tank. They told me to get the kids out of the house asap and for Jeremy to completely open the house- all windows and to get all the fans we had and run them inside to air out the house! By 5:00am the boys and I were at my parents while Jeremy stayed back to air out the house! Needless to say if it were not for the alarm on our CO detector we may not have woken up in the morning. Carbon monoxide poison is fatal and the thought of that is out right scary! The Lord had His watch and protection over us and our home and we are forever grateful to Him! And as of today are purchasing more than one more detector to spread through out the house! I of course HIGHLY recommend if you do not have a carbon monoxide detector in your home you get on right away! It could mean life or death!

Jakers!!!

2011-05-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

So i figured I would start my post with the latest on the oldest & biggest brother, Jacob! I don't even remember the last time I posted anything going on with him so I will start with things that have going on lately. This past year he really enjoyed 2nd grade and was very active in church & RA's! RA's, aka Royal Ambassadors (for Christ), was a class at church on Wednesday nights. He learned a lot about discipline, loyalty, & spreading the word about Christ. Much like Cub Scouts they take two camping trips, have a Racer Derby and lots of other fun activities through the year! As like the school year RA's recently ended with a rewards dinner! Jacob received a Lad patch, pin and two bars with stars! He was so proud! As for school, another year has come and gone and Jake is now considered a big 3rd grader! Can't believe it!!!!!! Another recent event for Jake, very recent... literally happened last night, he lost his THIRD tooth! The first one he got out on his own! The first two he lost were to two front bottom that he had to get pulled at the dentist bc his adult teeth came in behind them. We worked and worked for 45 minutes on the already loose tooth and it finally came out!!! We were all pretty excited!!! The summer should bring lots of fun and challenges as Jacob will again be a big brother but to a sister! He will EIGHT in a couple weeks and is having a fun party at Mountasia with some friends from his class at school!!!! Below are some pictures of some of the events from the last few months! I will post about his birthday and party after it happens!

Baby Shower & Nursery!

2011-05-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

I promise a post about my other children-my sweet boys is coming next... can you blame me for being excited about a girl finally?!!! But while I am on the subject... Summer's baby shower was a couple weekends ago! And WOW was it amazing!! It was hosted my 4 amazingly wonderful blessings in my life, my three friends Kelly Trimble, Kheli Fallon, Jennifer Mills & also my loving Mom!! We had a great turn out with over 20 people there to show their love! I was spoiled rotten with LOTS of pink and adorable outfits! We enjoyed yummy food and an adorable cake! I could not have asked for a better day surrounded by those I love & cherish! The good Lord knows exactly who I need in my life and has blessed me with exactly that! Thank you to all who came!!! Pictures below :)

And one more thing..... Pictures of Summer's completed nursery...

Updates on Mommy & Summer....

2011-05-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well I have a couple posts to make about our family and things going on but I am going to break it up into a couple of posts over the next coupe days! First I will update from my last post about mine and Summer's health since I have recently found some more information out. I went to the cardiologist, my OB and the Perinatologist (High Risk Dr's) in the last two days! First stop the cardiologist. Back a few weeks I went to her about the results from the heart monitor I wore for a month. She actually said it showed some abnormalities; showing what we already knew-several palpitations but also some SVT's (Supraventricular Tackycardia) and she originally wanted to change my medication. At the time I had been feeling 100% better and was not at the time experiencing any of the same symptoms or even a palpitation so she trusted my judgement and left all be for the time being. I left that appt a few weeks back with high hopes and instructions to call asap if I started feeling those symptoms again. Well......not two weeks passed and I started slowly feeling bad again. Feeling the same bothersome heart symptoms! Fearful of changing my medicine due to the possibility of my blood pressure rising again since I have responded so well to the current lebatolol I got put on after my admission to the hospital at 19 weeks I waited a week or so before calling but the symptoms were only getting worse and my bp at home was actually kinda rising... so I had to call her back and went back in yesterday. At that appt we discussed my feelings and thankfully she instead of changing my medication, agreed with me on the bp rising fear and just upped my current medication dosage- actually over doubled it. So I went from 400mg a day to 1200mg a day. Another scary subject that was brought up was a possible blood clot in my leg. I have had some bad swelling in just my right leg and some severe calf cramping at night that is very painful and wakes me suddenly from sleep that is also only happening in my right leg. As soon as she heard of this she started talking about hospitalization, blood thinners, delivering early... yikes! She did an EKG of my heart and then rushed me back for an ultrasound of my leg to rule that out. THANKFULLY it came back negative for any clots! Thank the LORD!!!! So all went well and I just left with an increased med dosage. Immediately following that appt I had my OB appt for a bp check which also went great!!! Even though this post is already extremely long I have to add in here that these two appts were pretty early Monday morning and involved a little almost two year old tag along! I must say I had already prepared mentally for lots of needed patience and understanding but was amazed at the absolute DREAM that Sam was for the whole three hours both appts took! Even through the unexpected EKG and 20 minute ultrasound they popped up on me! We had to sit in a tiny dark room for 20 minutes while they scanned my leg and Sam literally sat in the corner quiet as a mouse and watched! He was such a blessing! I have also had so many people helping and offering to help me with the kids and appts- it has been a tremendous blessing and I could not be more grateful for all of it! So moving on to today's appt with the perinatologist. I had a 32 weeks ultrasound of sweet Summer... and as of today she checked out great!!! She is weighing in a t a whopping 4 pounds 10 ounces.. up almost two whole pounds from just 4 weeks ago! The dr didn't seem too thrilled about how high of a dosage the cardiologist has upped me too and is a little weary and fearful of how it may make me feel, how low in might actually make my blood pressure and the fact that the blood flow to Summer may be compromised. Basically he just stressed to me how important it is that I monitor her activity very closely and if I notice any drop in movement from my current VERY active baby girl to check in with them asap! As for me my bp today was only 100/60 which for me is LOW... considering my high was 178/102. He said I will (which I already am) feel very weak, sluggish, faint lightheaded and dizzy! On another note... I mean really how much more right?!.... The "Coxsackie Virus" ! For those who don't know the boys all came down with Hand Foot Mouth aka Coxsackie Virus a couple weeks ago (causes blisters in throat and high fevers). I heard, of course after sleeping nose to nose with all three of them at some point or another for a week that this virus can have a bad effect on pregnant women. Ugh! Figures! SO I mentioned it to my OB and he did some blood work. Sure enough and to no surprise to me my results came back positive for the virus. I don't have an active version as I am not actually sick from it but it is in my system. According to the OB and the Peri drs they are not too concerned since I contracted it so far along in my pregnancy and are not worried about it getting passed to Summer and her being born with it. With the time that will pass between my exposure and delivery my body will have developed immunity and antibodies to the virus and those will get passed to Summer! So......... Thats my story and I'm stickin' to it! No really... all this is good news to me. Yes I have to be more cautious than your average pregnant woman but all of this for me means the possibility of no bed rest in the end which will be such a blessing! I mean it is all in the Lords hands and all at His will but I pray and pray that Summer and I can make it to our scheduled 39 week c-seciton without any major problems!!!!!! Please continue to pray for us and for a healthy and safe last few weeks! Much love-

Today face picture of Summer!

Summer Grace...

2011-04-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

So we are moving right along in this pregnancy! Summer is growing and is healthy! We go to the perinatologist every 4 weeks for sonograms to check several things with her because of the blood pressure medicine I am on. Our last one was yesterday. I am 28 weeks and she was measuring exactly that! She was measuring 2.13 lbs! Up a whole pound from just 4 weeks ago! She is very active and always proves it during every sonogram I have. My health is doing well too. I wore a heart monitor for a month and got the results last week. Not ideal and the cardiologist actually wants to change my medicine but I have been feeling great so I convinced her not to in fear that changing my meds will only result in my bp going back up!! We scheduled my c-section so Lord willing Summer should arrive shortly after 10:30 am on July 5th!!!!!!! We have a 3D/4D sonogram to see her beautiful face next week and then have my shower next weekend!! I am so excited to be showered all pink!!!!!! Her nursery is actually almost all done...haha! I will post pics soon! Please continue to pray for our health and a safe and happy delivery when the time comes! See her recent pictures below!

Her profile and arm! She always has her arms/hands by her face!

Her face... her left eye & mouth are open and you can see her sweet nose!

The things I do...

2011-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its hard to remember why we I do the things I do. One of my favorite things in life is to give to those around me- the ones I love and sometimes even the ones I barely know! Sometimes I notice myself feeling a little burnt out-feeling a little over drawn. And I notice myself drifting away from the most important reasons behind WHY I do what I do for others. Its not for recognition or praise or applause or approval- its to honor and glorify Christ. Its to be His hands and His feet in the world. To be His mouth when I speak and to use His will & way in what I do everyday. I don't need anyone else's thanks for my giving or deeds I need my obedience in Him. I notice as Sam gets older he seeks my praise and approval for many things he does. He will ask me where his juice is and I will tell him I don't know or to go find it and when he does he has to come just to show me that he found it all by himself. If he is being sweet to his brother or the dog he will call to me so that I see him doing these things. He wants my approval, my praise, my applause! Sometimes this is exactly what I catch myself feeling when I have done something or many things for others. And this is NOT what I want or need. I follow God's word and God's way to be His hands and His feet by doing for others and by giving to others in any way possible.

" Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
2Corinthians 9:6-8

2011-02-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

So Jacob and Dylan left for "our" Florida trip on Sunday! I say "our" because it was supposed to be me with all three boys but with my recent health issues we decided it best I stay home with Sam! So they flew with Noni to be with Great-Grandma and Aunt Tess for the week! I must say I am pretty jealous! They are riding around in Grandma's convertible with the top down and are staying at the Hard Rock hotel swimming in the awesome pool! I am happy they are getting some good bonding time with family and I am SO grateful that God has blessed them with safety and a great Noni! Me and Sam so far have just enjoyed each other's company. I had my high risk appt this morning and had Summer's anatomy scan! All looks great!!!!! She is measuring at 13 oz and right on track! We discussed my medicine and what the second half of this pregnancy will most likely bring. He pretty much told me to prepare for bedrest in the end as usual! He did assure me that girls are much different than boys in that they aren't typically born with as many breathing issues as boys and that she could be born as early as 35 weeks and be ok and not in the NICU. But we will see. No reason to stress over it now! I did finally hire a maid and am looking into a part time Nanny/Mommy's Helper so I will be fully prepared if I do get put on bedrest again! For the next 20 weeks were just taking it day by day and relying on God to get us through. He is our power, our strength, our force and our shield! Below are some of Summer's 20 weeks pictures!

Side shot of profile and her knee bent with her foot pressed up against the side.

Her beautiful profile

She definitely a GIRL!

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

2011-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

WOW... what a troubling last couple of days it has been. A most of you know blood pressure has always been an issue for me in pregnancy... but not usually until around 34 weeks or so. With al three boys I was on bed rest and with all three I delivered early bc of this issue. Well with Summer it started A LOT sooner! At around 14 weeks it started creeping up there. At my last appointment 2 weeks ago they referred me to a high risk dr and wanted to see my back in two weeks to monitor it. It has been running steadily high but not high enough for them to really worry I guess. They did tell me if the bottom # got above 100 to call them right away. Well..... Monday all day I didn't feel right. I kept feeling flustered like all the blood was rushing to my face, I was lightheaded and just plain wore our for no apparent reason other than the child I was carrying. After an exhausting trip to the grocery store where I also felt terrible I got home to feel worse. My arms and hands were tingling which was frightening. I took my bp on an electronic machine I have at home and yup it was HIGH! I called the drs immediately and like I assumed they sent me to the hospital. It was still high when I got there-167/102. Long story short I was given blood pressure lowering medicine in an IV which helped pretty quick and they checked Summer via sonogram and she looked perfect. Now they were only worried about my heart. I have a pretty common condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse which causes palpitations which worsen during pregnancy...I also had similar problems with Sam! Well, I was was having PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) of my heart every third beat which was following a pattern called Trigeminy something. It was apparently showing a pattern that concerned them. They ended up admitting me for the night to monitor my heart and my bp. By Tuesday around lunch I was headed home with a prescription for the medicine for me my heart and bp and have an echocardiogram scheduled for Friday. The meds should now make things better and more balanced... hopefully!!! I will still see the high risk drs bc the medicine I am on can cause low weight in the baby so they will monitor her more closely!!! Let me just say pregnancy doesn't agree with my body for sure! We are both doing ok now but would greatly appreciate any prayers for wellness, strength, healing and guidance that you can give! I know God will help us through this and with our AMAZING, loving and helpful family all will be OK!!!!!!!!

Who's Boss...

2011-02-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

Man oh man this girl is really showing me who is boss already!!! This has been a tough pregnancy!! I try my hardest not to complain because God truly has blessed me again with one of the greatest gifts ever and it does take a toll on a woman's body to build and grow a baby from scratch! I prayed and prayed that it would be God's will for us to have a daughter and I know He wouldn't give me something I can't handle or that He didn't have planned for me! I had another doc appt today! Baby girl sounded great but Mommy on the other hand already has high blood pressure! As most of you know I always battled hypertension in all my pregnancies and have ended up on bedrest with all three of the boys BUT never this early and never till atleast 34 weeks along! I am only 17 weeks and am truly scared to death what this means for the rest of my pregnancy! The doctor didn't seem too terribly stressed over it and didn't limit my activities or anything but does want to see me in 2 weeks instead of 4 to check it again and he is sending me to the high risk doctors for the pregnancy! I will keep everyone updated but what matters most is the baby seems healthy and is growing great! Like I said whatever challenges lay ahead for us and for our family and this pregnancy we can handle! God is by our side and will guide us through this with love, strength and confidence! Please pray for us though!!! Oh and last but not least... we decided to name her Summer Grace!

Amazing surroundings....

2011-01-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Let me start this post with news that most of you probably already know... we are having a GIRL!!!! We are so thrilled and couldn't be more thankful for this incredible blessing! A daughter... WOW! A word I have always wanted to say! We will be bringing her into a world where we are as a family surrounded by the most amazing people! We have such an incredible family, thoughtful & caring friends, a wonderful & supportive church group and just all around glorious people surrounding our lives! We have family who always help us when needed, support us when we need it and love us unconditionally! Friends you are there for us and are first in line to jump in and give to us! God knew exactly who and what we would need in our lives and He has blessed us with exactly that! We are so grateful for each and everyone one of you!!!!!

Our baby at 13 weeks!

2011-01-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

Long time no blog....

2011-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ok guilty again! I have once again waited way too long to update this blog... well not fully true. I haven't slacked on updating the background and the pictures but the actual meaning of the blog-the stories-yes! Me. Slacker. Anyway, Happy New Year!!!! It is crazy to think it is 2011 already! We have officially past the first decade of the 21st century! So many things have happened in our lives and so much more is to come! This will be a big year for us! As most of you already know we are now expecting #4!!! Can you say SURPRISE!!! Unexpected but happy to be expanding our family! We find out January 22 wether its a B or G! Think PINK! I mean ofcourse we would be just as thrilled to have another boy but I mean come on we need a little more estrogen in our house! We are due July 10th! This year will also bring the boys another year closer to puberty...ahhh!! Not really there only going to be 8-6-2 but WOW... what happened to my babies?!! Anyway, we as a family have grown in our relationship with the Lord and can't wait to continue our journey on His path! He has great plans for us and we are excited to adventure through all the blessings He has in store for us!

Moving along...

2010-09-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

So it is officially September!!! My favorite time of the year is right around the corner! I am so ready for FALL and everything that comes with it! Football, fairs, the beautiful changes in the weather and scenery, decorations, food and oh yeah... school and routines are back!! Jacob started back to public school about a month ago but Dylan and Sam just went back this past week! Dylan is in Pre-K 4 days a week and Sam is in Mother's Morning Out at the same school for 2 days a week! I would say what an awesome break for Mommy but those are my work days! I am doing all of the "office" stuff for our business which keeps me busy! Its been a little over three weeks since we opened and I am playing catch up! Once I get caught up and get into a routine with the kids and the house then the work will get easier! Its crazy to look back to last school year and to see how much our routine has changed since then! Now I just have to fit in the gym time that I used to get in everyday! Yikes! I am also trying to find balance! Trying to balance the work, kids, the house, the laundry, two sports for two different kids and church functions and volunteering... yikes! But I love every minute of it! I just have to get a routine going and it will all fall into place!

The store is doing great! Jeremy is working hard and going through the same thing.... finding balance.

Life versus...

2010-08-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

I posted before about our family dedication back in June... well for that dedication Jeremy & I picked life versus for each one of our boys. Versus that we will raise them by, that hey will grow to learn and know and live by! Here they are...

Sam
Psalm 54:4
"Behold, God is my helper, the Lord is the upholder of my life."

Jacob
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Dylan
Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Lots of change.....

2010-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Wow a lot has happened since my last post from around Mother's Day... I guess I will start with May since thats where I left off. Right after Mother's Day we celebrated Sam's first birthday!!! I can't believe its been a whole year since my baby was brought into this world! All the excitement and anticipation of his arrival and then the glorious and wonderful first few weeks of his life and now BAM he's a toddler! It goes by so fast! We had a low key party with family and a few close friends. He had a great cake, lots of balloons, great gifts & LOTS of love!! Around the same time school ended and the start of what would be a very hot summer began!! The pool was now open and ready for my boys! Jacob had finished 1st grade and Dylan was done with "preschool" and would be a big "Pre-K"-er the next school year!

June- The second week of June my Mom, me and the boys went to Ohio for the first time in nearly a year to visit with family! Ohio is one of Jacob and Dylan's favorite places to be! They LOVE their cousins and visiting with all of the family. They love staying at Aunt Mary's house and hanging out with Chase and Shane. It was a quick & short (er than usual) but FUN and busy as usual! We flew this time around too which was quite the adventure with three kids! When we got home our crazy busy summer took off! We celebrated Jacob's 7th birthday on the 13th. He had a pool party with family & lots of his friends from school & baseball! It was Star Wars themed, imagine that right?! I can't believe my first born is now SEVEN and starting 2nd grade!! Towards the end of June Jeremy and I committed our family to the church. We dedicated our boys to the Lord in front of our entire congregation. Our friends and family came to witness and celebrate with us afterwards with a brunch which we are truly thankful for!

We kicked off July with none other than Independence Day! This year we went to the lake! We used to celebrate the 4th on the lake all the time and this year came back! We started the day in Marietta walking to the square from my parents new home. We watched the parade and then enjoyed lunch and all the festivities for the day! We left from there and headed to good ole' LaGrange to relax on the lake! Once home the next couple of weeks of July flew past which led us to our next big family vacation to Hilton Head Island! We love it there! We have been going there for years. It was Jacob's very first beach trip at six weeks old & he has been back a few time since! It's a quiet, non-commercialized & very green place to relax! Biking everywhere is the thing to do! Usually we rent a condo but this year we rented a house-a large house! Big enough to house 7 adults and 5 kiddos! We had a blast! We had our own private pool in the backyard and a private path to the beach across the street! We spent everyday going back and forth and taking many awesome bike rides! HH's beach is great for a baby at Sam's age because the beach s mostly hard sand! He was able to crawl and walk around all over without getting a bunch of sand on him. He loved the ocean. He would crawl head first right into the water- far enough that I would have to stop him before the waves took him down! He was fearless! The boys had a blast boogie boarding in the huge waves! We ate in most nights and enjoyed each others company. Half way through the week we split the group- one went deep sea fishing and we went blue crab fishing. We took a boat out saw dolphins and caught blue crabs! It was neat and the boys loved it! We actually won the contest for catching the most crabs and won a t-shirt! We celebrated Mom & Dad's wedding anniversary on our last night there and went to a nice dinner away from the "vacationers" at a place none by mostly locals!

In early August- in the past week or so we celebrated Jeremy and I's 6th anniversary and my 29th birthday! Yowsers! TWENTY-NINE! I am actually not freaking out at all. I am really looking forward to my thirties! I can't wait to continue into another chapter of my life- my life with my wonderful husband and beautiful kids! The Lord has been so good to us! He has blessed us beyond measure and we are so grateful for what we have been given by HIM.

Which leads me to a whole nother ball game.... whats been happening in between all of these other happenings! Our new business adventure! Jeremy and I are opening a Stevi B's Pizza! We have spent our summer with lots of change! Jeremy left his other job with my parents Wendy's and is now changing his career to business owner. He spent many weeks training, testing, meeting, preparing and watching over construction! My Dad has walked beside him in these happenings and has guided him through it all! Thanks Dad!!!! The construction started early June and has made great progress!!! It looks amazing!! I have also had to adjust, as well as the boys, to working! I will maintain the home office and will be doing all of the administrative duties from that office. I have learned quite a bit in the past couple months and am getting used to being a part time working Mom. The hardest part to being a working Mom for me is trying to do it with three kids, one being a toddler and into everything!!! In the beginning of summer we met (& interviewed) about 5 girls for babysitting! We loved them all but in the end started using our angel, Kimberly! She is such a blessing! I truly believe God placed her with us! She is a great addition to our family!!! She is great with the boys and they truly love her! We have used her a lot too which is a major adjustment for us all considering the boys have never really been with a sitter outside of family! Our Stevi B's is opening this coming week, August 12th! We have been so busy getting everything ready for the Grand Opening! We our having a huge VIP event and giving all the proceeds to a local charity that I connected with! It is A Fresh Hope and it a great cause- helping children in need in our local community! We are so excited for the opportunity to help them and to get connected with such great people! We are located in Smyrna which is about 20 minutes from our home. Smyrna is a great community and we are really looking forward to getting involved with everything we can!

This adventure has brought a lot of change to our family. A change God placed in our hands & in our hearts! He knew we could handle it and knew we could do good things with this opportunity! We have met some GREAT people! People we have established great relationships with and will have in our lives forever! We have made new friends and are so excited to be surrounding ourselves with strong, loving and kind beings! The Lord has really guided us and lead us to what was meant for us! We look forward to continuing in this adventure and growing our business further in the surrounding communities! We graciously accept all the God has in store for us and know we are strong enough for His plans for us! He walks with us, in us and all around us! We are so THANKFUL for our family with their helping ways and loving hearts! For my parents and their guidance, their strength, their kindness, their faith in us and their giving hearts! We ask for your prayers in our walk through the next fews weeks, for our health and good will! I pray for you all and thank you all for everything!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

Being a Mom!

2010-05-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

With Mother's Day around the corner I have been reflecting on what it really means to be a Mom... what being a Mom has done to for me....how mothering and raising our three boys makes me feel! First of all there is no greater joy in life than being a Mom. I am so thankful to God for choosing me to be a Mom. And for blessing me with the three unique and beautiful boys that He did. They bring so much happiness, joy, adventure, sunshine, tears & love to my life. I love being responsible for everything they do, everything they are and everything they are becoming. Although God is in charge, I know we do have a large part in shaping their every being! We try our best to be sure that they know God, trust God and love God! We know one day we will watch over them in their lives and be proud of every decision we made. We have faith that they will allow God to lead their lives as well and will be strong in their faith and relationship with Christ. And just when I think my heart can't grow anymore one of them smiles, or laughs or gives me a sweet hug and it grows! It grows and it fills with love. Just today Dylan tells me... "Mom, I like that shirt (it was a dress but still...) and it just melted my heart! It is the small everyday things that make being a Mom so great! I think I was meant to be a Mom and I am thankful God trusted in me to shape His little beings into one day strong, independent Christian men!

The boys as I was writing this....

Recent pictures!

2010-04-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

So there is this famous building in Dallas, GA that has beautiful doors! It is well known in the photography world! My BF and I decided to take our kids over there and check it out! Heres what I got!

We made magic!!!

2010-04-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

SO our Disney trip has come and gone!! What an amazing and memorable trip it was!! We had a blast! We went Saturday to Saturday and still could have used a few more days to really do everything we wanted! We arrived Sunday to an awesome two bedroom place at an awesome resort! The first night we even enjoyed the fireworks over the castle at MK right from our balcony! That made for a great start to the week!! The next morning was Easter Sunday! CHRIST had risen! The Easter Bunny came and left their baskets full of goodies and some eggs hidden in our room! That day we started our trip by chilling a little more; we spent some time at the pool and leisurely went back and forth to Magic Kingdom! Well...we learned our lesson quick! If you want to really see and do at Magic Kingdom or any of the parks really you have to be the early bird to "get the worm" or fast pass I should say!! So after Sunday and Monday half days at Magic Kingdom and a half day at Epcot we hit it hard after that! We did a full day at Hollywood Studios on Wednesday and what a great day! We had breakfast with the characters from Playhouse Disney- JoJo and Goliath from JoJo's Circus & Leo and June from Little Einsteins! We all really enjoyed that! That day also involved Star Wars Jedi training for Jacob and Dylan which was a huge highlight for them, Toy Story Mania ride which was cool, lots of Disney's Pixar movie characters and lots of pictures and autographs from Mickey, Mr. Incredible, the characters from Up and many more!! Thursday we decided we needed another "early" full day at Magic Kingdom to finish off the park! And boy did we ever finish the park! By Friday when we hit our last stop, The Animal Kingdom, we were exhausted!! By this point Ryan and Dad had gotten a virus and were at the hotel sick while the rest of us dragged through Animal Kingdom. The highlight of that day were the animal safari which we did twice in a row and the Lion King show!! We were so tired we were happy to be leaving there by 3:00 or so! The rest of our last day we spent swimming, having a final dinner with Mickey, Minnie and their friends and a movie, Finding Nemo, on the lawn of the resort under the stars! One other highlight from our trip was Tuesday night seeing the night time parade with the fireworks show in front of the castle which was AWESOME!! And Another huge highlight of our trip was a two night visit from Aunt Tess and Grandma!!!!! They drove two hours to come and spend time with us!! Grandma was a trooper and made it through Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We rented her a cart which helped her (and the boys :)) from lots of walking...as well as getting us into a few rides quicker!! LOL!! Sam was also a trooper and spent many long hours in his stroller without ever a complaint! He did a lot of snoozing in the stroller and not so much in the pack and play! The enitre week was such a wonderful experience that we are all so grateful for!! God blessed us tremendously the entire week with beautiful weather and wonderful adventures! It was a trip I know we will all always remember! We plan to go again in the future and can't wait to make some more family memories in the most magical place on earth!!

It was hard to pick and choose which pictures to post so here are a few that show some things I referenced in my post!

Easter Morning!

Chip & Dale were at our resort Easter Morning!

Waiting for the parade and fireworks show!

The boys with Grandma and her cart!

At our breakfast @ Hollywood Studios!

The boys in their Jedi Training!

On the animal safari at Animal Kingdom!

The boys waiting for the monorail that we rode everyday to get around!

The view of the monorail and the castle from our room!

To see the rest of the pictures from our trip go to...

http://gallery.mac.com/rachellindsey#101147

I mean really?!!

2010-04-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

So we are due to leave for Disney the day after tomorrow!!! So exciting!! Whats not exciting is that we are all, or almost all getting sick!! I had a horrible stomach bug with fever all day yesterday! I was SO sick! And today (Thursday) Sam and Dylan are running fevers!! If it is what I had then it is only a 24 hour thing so they should be good by tomorrow but what about Jacob and Jeremy and even my Mom who was over today helping!! Yikes!! I really hope they all don't get it on our departure day or there even!!!!!!!! Please pray for us all-that we all get well for the trip and that no on else gets sick on or before our trip!!!!! And of course I will post pics and an update after our trip! Thanks! -R

Does is get any better than this??

2010-03-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

I have taken this beautiful day and really reflected on my life! It is WONDERFUL!! I wonder sometimes does it, can it or will it get any better than this?!! I am SO blessed and thankful for all that I have. I have the best, most caring, giving, loving, adventurous and kind parents on the planet! They are SO good to us and are all around full of awesomeness! I also have the BEST in-laws anyone could ask for! They are also very caring, giving, kind and loving! They supply us with so much love and affection! The Lord blesses us daily with good health, safety & love in our hearts and I know it is because we live and devote our lives to Him and His glory! After much thought today, I just felt the need to express how thankful and grateful I am for this life! I hope to express and show the love I am given everyday with all of you! God Bless!

Full Swing!

2010-03-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

Well, baseball is in full swing along with Sam's wheezing again!! I really don't think that baby will ever be well for longer than two weeks at a time! His just wasn't blessed with the best lungs! Jacob and Dylan had their baseball opening day parade, festivities and games this past Saturday! They had a blast and from what I hear played awesome and hit well! Unfortunately Sam and I were unable to make it. Sam started with his high fevers Friday night so Saturday morning at the same time as the parade we were at Urgent Care. His temps got up to 104-SCARY!! I was worried, sad and happy all at the same time. Worried for Sam, sad to be missing on such an exciting event with the other two and happy for J & D to be experiencing and enjoying the parade and baseball period! They are both so good at this sport! Jacob takes a little extra push at the beginning of the season not because he doesn't like it but because he for some reason doesn't want to play. But once it starts he has a blast and loves it! This season Dylan is still in T-ball and Jake's team is actually "playing" baseball.. this will be his first time actually playing by the rules. Actually keeping score, getting outs and all that stuff. It will be so much fun to watch! Jeremy is also coaching & managing both teams which is quite the hand full with there being 11 players on Jake's team and 12 on Dylan's!! I am once again Team Mom for both as well which is an even bigger job, I think anyway! I have to keep up with all the paper work, emails, snack schedules, team issues and of course the Spring fundraising!!! The hardest part so far is learning everyone and keeping up with who is on what team! It is a lot f fun to be so involved!! This will be a special season for all the boys because it will be Jeremy's last season coaching... we will be starting our new adventure soon which will be taking most of Jeremy's time.

On another note...spring is hopefully right around the corner and we are all SO ready!!! Two hours at a ball field in 30 degree weather is not fun! The boys are anxious to get outdoors and we are anxious to start enjoying our picnics!! We are going to Disney in like 28 days!!! We can't wait!!!!!

"This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

Kitchen pictures!!!

2010-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Our God is SO good!

2010-03-01T10:57:00.000-08:00

Today I am feeling very thankful and blessed! I just love our God and am SO thankful for the life He has chosen for me! Jeremy and I are so wonderfully lead by Him. We hear Him talking to us in so many ways. It is amazing how I can go from being so overwhelmed and crazy to being completely content, calm and happy just by praying! It is amazing the ways God works and the ways He shows us he is there! I just wanted to express my love for Him and thank Him for what He does for me and my family.

On another note...... the kitchen is ALMOST COMPLETE!!!! Today- or right now as I type I should say- they are grouting the tile backsplash and putting the final touches on it! Pictures to come soon!!!!!!!!

Bleh...

2010-02-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

So Sam has been sick again! The poor baby can't seem to catch a break! It started with a severe ear infection and now the wheezing is back! He just got over double pneumonia! He is worse now then back in December when he got diagnosed with possible RSV. We are once again giving him many breathing treatments and he had oral steroids at urgent care on Sunday. We are occasionally having to put him in a hot steamy bathroom to help it loosen up and clear up! Please pray for his recovery! He needs it!!

Quote

2010-02-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends sent me this quote today and I love it! She knows whats been going on with me lately and this seems to fit perfectly. Just thought I would share! Thanks K!

"Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work, it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

Heart Strings....

2010-02-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

So I have had some troubles weighing on my heart lately. Nothing family related but stuff that has me personally re-evaluating certain situations. I feel like I allow God to lead my life and I feel as if I follow His lead. But sometimes I really just wish He could just give me the answers instead of me working and listening so hard and trying to figure it out on my own. I can pray and pray and pray about a situation and ask the Lord to guide me in His way and in His will but sometimes I wish it could just be as easy as 1, 2, 3. I know He gives us full control of our lives in trust and confidence that we will make the right decisions- decisions that will in result glorify Him but how do we know that we are doing the right thing. I mean how do we REALLY know whats right?!! I ask God to speak to me, to guide me, to lead me and to trust me so all I can do is to do my best to honor, worship and glorify Him in all that I do!!

Pledge Update....

2010-02-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let all of you know that I am sticking to my pledge to stay away from distracted driving! I have not even been talking while driving. I do admit to maybe once or twice but it has always been on speaker with the phone not in my hand! I am proud to still say my car is a NO PHONE ZONE!!!

This, that and the other....

2010-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

So has anyone seen Food, Inc.? It is a documentary about the food in our stores and how bad things have gotten. I saw another Oprah show recently, Food 101, and it once again helped me realize how unhealthy I am and how unhealthy we eat! Apparently back in the 60's families spent around 18% on food and about 7-9% on healthcare and now its reversed...about 18% on healthcare and 7-9% on food! Thats ridiculous! I have such a strong desire to be a health nut but I don't have the know how to achieve this! I wish I could eat all organic or I should say I wish I could afford all organic! My biggest problem..... FOOD!! I am seriously addicted to crap food!!! It is so convenient and did I mention good?!! I am really thinking of taking a cooking class. I mean I know how to cook; I can follow any recipe but as far as knowing whats good for me and whats not or getting creative- I am not good!! There are some small changes I am definitely going to make asap... I am going to start buying all organic meats or "grass fed"! I am going to buy/eat more fresh veggies. And I am going to TRY TRY TRY to stop eating fast food or as much :) Habits are hard to break but I can at least try right?!!

On another note.. Our kitchen is moving right along! We are in the process of demo/ removal of the old cabinets. The new ones will be installed on the 22nd!!! I must say it is so stressful to be without a kitchen! I literally feel like I spend 75% of my day in the kitchen! But it will all be worth it in the end! I am still thanking GOD everyday for supplying us with this opportunity!! I will post before and after pictures when we are done!

As far as what else is going on with us... Valentines Day is around the corner! The boys and I are making Valentines for school and Jacob got to order Lolligrams to hand out to people at school. He was being shy but I pryed a few names out of him for them! Jacob and Dylan will be going to the lake with my parents that weekend so Jeremy, me and Sam will be going on a much needed date night at Maggiano's with the Mills! We can't wait!! I am finally back in the gym full time and it feels great!! It was hard adding it back into my routine but I did it! It is also hard to not be right back at my previous/pre-pregnancy fitness level but I am working my way up there and once I get this leftover baby weight off and this insane amount of milk out of my body I will be kicking it even harder!! I am trying not to be discouraged that it is not just falling off but am in return adding what little frustration I have into working out harder!!

Dylan has his 2nd horse riding lesson tomorrow, Tuesday 2/9. He is once again super excited!! He still loves and enjoys horses so for now our goal is a private lesson every other week. Baseball season is also right around the corner. Both older boys are registered and ready!! It starts in March. Jeremy will again be Head Coach for Jacob's team and Asst.Coach for Dylan's team!

Sam is already 8 1/2 months old and is such a chunker! He is almost 23 pounds and his thighs show every bit of it! He is all over the place! He rolls like crazy. He is not quite crawling yet but will be soon enough. He gets to one knee and then plops to his belly and rolls to what he wants! He is getting very vocal as well and LOVES his brothers!!! He is eating more and more table/solid foods which is probably where the monster thighs are coming from too! He has his two bottom front teeth and is unfortunately to me and my sleep is working on the top front four!

Jeremy is working hard at his job as usual and has much excitement for whats to come in the future for us! He is also in the process of getting his scuba certification!! He is taking classes once a week and will be leaving for Florida to get fully certified on his first official dive in two weeks!

We are also very happy and proud that we are taking the steps to become official members at our very large church! We are SO happy to finally be a part of such a wonderful church and to have a place to call our "church home". We will be joining a weekly Bible Study and the boys will continue to go further in theirs! We all really enjoy it and can't wait to see what God has in store for us there. We plan to grow stronger spiritually together as a family! We plan to come closer to God and learn all we can about the word of the Lord-the Bible!

And last but definitely not least... we are still super excited that our family Disney Trip is only 2 months away!!!!!!!! We leave April 3rd which will be here before we know it! Operation Disney countdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tata for now! Love to you all! And as always.....GOD IS GREAT!!!!! We thank Him everyday for our many blessings!

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah

The Pledge...

2010-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

So I talked with my best friend the other day and she mentioned the issue of talking and texting while driving. We talked a little about it and of course Oprah was mentioned. I tivo Oprah everyday but usually just delete the show because I don't have a lot of time to watch tv and when I do I don't usually indulge in Oprah unless it is an interesting topic. Thanks to Jenn, I chose to watch this specific episode about texting & talking while driving. It changed my total outlook on distracted driving. I felt like this show was talking to me. I mean I wasn't as bad as some of the people on the show but I am definitely guilty of texting occasionally and definitely talking while driving. It is a horrible habit of mine to make my daily phone calls while I am driving. And I have to say I do not pay as much attention. I will get in the car, start a conversation and talk during my entire trip to where I am going and sometimes I realize once there and off the phone that I don't remember a thing about my drive. I don't remember changing lanes or looking around me. It is so horrible!! What kind of example am I setting for my kids?! When they see me on my phone while driving they are going to grow up thinking its ok and do it too. I mean really...my life, my kids lives, my husband's life and the lives of the others around me are not worth that conversation. I have decided NO MORE talking or doing anything on my phone while I am driving My car is officially a NO PHONE ZONE!! I am taking the pledge (go to Oprah.com), making the commitment, taking a stand & making a change! "Don't tempt fate, that text can wait" Oprah and Jennifer inspired me and I hope to inspire you to do the same!!!!!!!!!

http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4

2010-01-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

The boys and their horses...

2010-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

So as some of you may know Dylan has a love for horses!! He has shown this passion since he was two, maybe even sooner. We have pursued this passion a couple times-first a ride around a ring at a friend's stable, 2nd a beautiful trail ride in Colorado and third an individual private lesson last July. This last one in July was his first real time riding by himself. He was taught several things about horses and caring for them. How to balance and ride properly. Since he enjoyed the lesson so much and being the age of only 3 we decided since that maybe he could continue maybe like 2-3 times a year. Well, its been six months and that passion, interest and love for horses is still strong. Today we are going for his second lesson and for Jacob's first. Jacob likes horses as well but does not have as much interest in it as Dyl-bug so this lesson is for Jake to try it out. If today goes as well as we are hoping and if it is in God's will then we may pursue this even further for Dylan. We may consider giving him private lessons once a week or every other week. You never know... he may show horses in a year :) Either way, please pray for them today as they ride and learn about one of God's beautiful creatures. Thanks!!!

Goals...

2010-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

So I have been thinking lately about some goals I want to set for me personally and for our family for this coming year. Most people have resolutions and I know goals are the same thing but I am going to treat them as goals and not resolutions. Our family life can get sorta chaotic at times and I would have to say it is not good for us. We need and enjoy our time at home together and sometimes I feel like we could use more of it. The boys are home-boddies and would probably be happy to stay home all the time. Everyday, several times a day sometimes, Jacob asks me... "Where are we going today?" and then gets happy when I say nowhere! One of my goals is to have more at home quiet family time. ANd when I say quiet, I want more time without NOISE...meaning TV, computer, video games, phones and other distracting things! The boys are already limited on video game time but I feel like we need to turn the TV off more. We started a family game night a while back but we don't always stick to it...and Jacob loves movie nights where we all get in our jammies, pop some popcorn, turn the lights out and just watch a movie. We always have dinner at the dinner table together and that is something I cherish. Something I plan to continue until the boys are grown and gone! It is important to Jeremy and I that we take that time to talk and share stories about our days! I am not going to lie, sometimes with three boys even that time can get chaotic & loud especially when everyone is really hungry which is why we are early eaters!! HAHA!! Another goal of mine is to have some more family devotion time together! We always pray at night together and talk about some things they learned in Bible Study on Sundays but I want God as a priority in our house. I want us to listen and learn what God has planned for our family this coming year. I want the boys to learn all they can and who better to teach them then us.

I also have some things I personally want to change and grow in. I want to try and keep my head clear and focused. I want to be stronger-inside and out. I want to become a Christian leader not a follower. I find it easy to speak about God and express my feelings on here but not always verbally. I personally want to speak to God in ways I never have before and learn what he has planned for me. I want to stand straighter, in two ways, in a literal sense I want to have better posture and in another I want to stand straight in the path of the Lord! I want to eat to live longer and live to eat better! I want to devote more time to just my husband. Our love & marriage is the foundation for our family and home and the stronger it is the better our home with be centered! I want to have more patience and better listening ears! I have been blessed with an amazing life And I want to make the best of it! Thank you Lord for all you have given me and for the plans you have for me and my family!

Thoughts....

2010-01-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

What a great God we have... He has His ways of making any and every situation better. Wether it is just better in ways no one else will understand, wether it is just by drying tears through listening, by giving the strength and guidance I need in certain situations or even by me just knowing that He leads my life and He will lead it in His direction whether its the way I want or not. He has his ways of eliminating situations and certain people He knows are not right for me. I trust my every being in Him. I feel closer to God more today than ever in my life! I have recently come to realize who God wants in my life and who He doesn't and I thank Him for leading me in the right direction, for taking the hurt and frustrations away! I know who I love and who loves me! Just a thought before bed! AMEN!

House changes!!

2010-01-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

So we are currently getting our house painted!! I feel so thankful and blessed to be able to hire someone else to do the dirty work for me! I hate painting and feel as if my husband, the handy man, has enough on his "fixer upper" plate to have to even bother with it! We got the wallpaper in our bathroom stripped (which apparently was quite an event since the old owners wallpapered under ours directly to the sheetrock) and then the room painted. We are also getting all the trim in the main part of the house painted and the kitchen done! We are hoping to not only paint the kitchen but to totally remodel it! If God answers my prayers we will be getting new cabinets and countertops soon!! I am SO excited!!!! Our kitchen is so outdated and in much need of a new dew!! I will post pics afterwards!!

On another note...we are expecting SNOW today!!! If the predictions are correct, which when are the ever??, then we may have 1-2 inches through out the day! The schools are already closing and letting out early. Crazy Ga folks don't know what real snow is. The boys are very excited and are hoping to at least build a snowman even if it is out of half snow half mudd :) Well, duties are calling me! I will post pics soon!!

What's to come...

2010-01-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

So it's officially two thousand and ten!! So crazy! This new year will bring so many exciting things for our family!! I cannot wait to take the adventure! I look forward to what God has in store for us! Some great things that will happen this year... Jeremy and I will have been together for TEN years in March, we have a GREAT family trip planned with my parents and brother to Disney World in April, the boys will turn 7, 5 and ONE and I will celebrate my 10 year reunion from high school!! I can't believe the first and the last of those things!! The last 10 years with Jeremy have been amazing!! We are great together and I could not have asked God to bless me with a better man. He is strong, encouraging, funny, entertaining and loving! He has blessed me with three beautiful children and (don't freak out) maybe one more in the future!! I LOVE him more than words can express and cannot wait to spend many many many more years with him!! And 10 years since high school.... ahhhhh... I mean am I getting old or what?!! I can't wait to see everyone at the reunion, although we keep up a lot on facebook!

In this coming year I have a lot planned for myself! Things I plan to continue, to change, to grow in, to grow with, to avoid, to endure, to sacrifice and to love with all that my heart and my God will allow!!!! I plan to show those I love how much they mean to me. I plan to grow in my faith... to follow, to worship, to praise and to love Christ! I plan to make Him a priority and to let Him lead my life; to follow His lead because we all know it is all in His will and in His time. I plan to seek guidance and learn more. I plan to have more patience, to enjoy the small moments and not to sweat the small stuff. I plan to keep a journal... a way to write my thoughts, my words to Christ and my prayers. I plan to live my life overjoyed, NOT overwhelmed(~J)!

I pray that you all find faith this coming year and that you all have a blessed and happy 2010!!!!

With Love~R

Sickness!!!!!!!!

2009-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

Poor little Sam has been sick for over 3 weeks now. He started with a bad cough with wheezing. They told us originally it was probably RSV and/or Bronchialitus!! I mean YUCK right?!! RSV is a scary thing for babies! His O2 stats were lower in the beginning but came up with breathing treatments to Thanks the Lord he did not have to be hospitalized!! We have been doing the breathing treatments since and he is still on and off wheezing and still coughing a lot! He also recently has had an ear infection! He started an antibiotic over 6 days ago and it didn't work so we started round #2 of a stronger antibiotic yesterday!! He has really been struggling off and on lately and has not been feeling, sleeping or eating well!! PLease Please Please pray my little man! They said that the RSV/Bronch can take up to 8 weeks to go away! Hopefully the ear ache will be on its way out the door soon!! Please pray for better health and wellness for my little Sam!!

Ready for 2010!!

2009-12-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas is done, Santa is gone and the presents all unwrapped!! Our Christmas was wonderful!! We were SO blessed!! The boys were spoiled by Santa, us and our loving family!! The boys got a trampoline from us, frogs... yes real live frogs (they are sooo cute!), new ipods, movies, lots of toys and Jake was super excited to have gotten a skateboard!! Jeremy and I were also very spoiled and we are so grateful!!

So now that the holiday season is pretty much over we have 2010 to look forward too!! I already miss the Christmas music, the shopping, the wrapping, the excitement and anticipation and even the chaos! I am a little sad and can't believe 2009 has come and gone!! It was a wonderful year! I sit here and reflect on this past year and think of all the ways God blessed me and my family! We are all a full year older, we had many fun family adventures and outings, my Dad was officially declared CURED from Cancer and we welcomed sweet baby Sam into our family!! The only unfortunate and sad thing that happened this past July was losing my Grandmother. She was such a loving and kind woman and an awesome Grandma! She made the best food and always knew how to make me laugh! I miss her terribly but know now that she is with the Lord and is finally walking hand in hand with my Grandpa!!

2010 is going to be an even greater year! I plan to make the best of everyday and to enjoy each and every second of my growing, thriving and entertaining boys! I look forward to growing closer to God and even closer with my husband! He is truly amazing and I THANK God so much for him! He is gracious, kind, helpful, loving, supportive and all around GREAT! We make a great team and I can't wait to see what this next ear will bring for us! I hope all of you had an amazing Christmas as well and I wish you all a very Happy, Safe and Blessed New Year!! May the Lord bless you all and Keep you! Until next time....

Dear God,
Thank you so much for all of the blessing you pour over me everyday! For my family, my friends, the roof over our head, for our health and well being! I thank you for the love you give me and for the love you supply me to give to others. I pray that You will continue to bless me, my friends and family and I pray that You will watch over us and keep us safe! And most importantly, I thank You for your son, Jesus Christ. For giving Him life and for sacrificing Him for us! I praise, love and worship you. Amen.

Link to view our pictures from Christmas....

http://gallery.mac.com/rachellindsey#101131

Oblivious to Christ...

2009-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

So this time of year is my absolute favorite time of year!!! The season, the festivities, the music, the shopping...yes the shopping, the special time with family and friends, the lights, Christmas trees, decorations...EVERYTHING! But the one thing I appreciate and love the most is Jesus! We get so wrapped up in some many things this time of year I think we tend to forget what this time of year is really about... The birth of Christ! The Lord has blessed me and my family beyond belief this year and we are so THANKFUL!! So tonight I want to take the time to say THANK YOU LORD for everything you have given me. For giving us your son, Jesus Christ; for his birth and his death. All for us!!

With the New Year ~2010~ right around the corner I have many many many things to look forward too! I plan to grow in my faith, my commitment, my love and in worship! I plan to appreciate more and complain a little less! I plan to show my husband how much he really means to me, how much I really appreciate him and how much I truly love him! I plan to be a stronger mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and christian! I plan to have more confidence and less fear!! I plan to live this next year by the minute and for the minute! To spend as much time with the ones I love and truly cherish that time!!

Dear God,
Thank you for all you give me! Thank you for my family, for our health and safety and for your Son, Jesus Christ! I praise, love and worship you. In Jesus name I pray~Amen

~R

WOW!!

2009-12-18T11:55:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been a LONG time since I blogged and I have no excuses...except since my last blog I had a baby, went through a summer home with three kids..... wait I said NO excuses! Hahaha! What is funny about the fact that I haven't blogged in over 7 months is that I think it is so annoying when people do this exact same thing! Start a blog and never update it. I mean whats the point really... well the more I think about it, what really is the point in a family blog period?!! Does anyone really care enough about us to listen to me rant and rave about us and our little life?!! So I thought...delete the blog or keep going with it and really TRY and keep up with it. I mean things have slowed down a little since Sam is older and the other boys are in school! So here it goes... I am going to keep it. Even if it just gives me a chance to jot down my thoughts or things i just want to share with you (whoever you may be :))!

So blog #1 in my blog revolution...

It is officially December! The 18th to be exact... 7 days until CHRISTMAS!!! The last time I blogged was April-posting my maternity pictures and talking about spring break and the excitement and anticipation of little Sam! Well, it is now Winter/Christmas break and Sam is here and is almost SEVEN months old!!!!! He came into the world Wednesday May 20th! He was born full term but did stay in the NICU for 9 days! Let me just tell you- living through the NICU once was hard (with Dylan) but twice....OUCH!!! It was the hardest thing I had to do!! As soon as he was born and I saw the O2 get pulled over his little face I just closed my eyes and prayed.... prayed and cried...prayed and cried!!!! I really didn't want to have yet another baby in the NICU but it was God's will. He had other plans for sweet Sam and other plans for me! He knew we were strong enough as husband and wife, strong enough as parents and strong enough in our faith and trust in Him to handle it so he gave us the challenge! Sam did well and came home on the 9th day of his little life! While there I prayed over him every minute I was with him. We would rock and sing and pray and just talk to God. I will never forget on the 7th day when I sat with him, rocked and fed him a bird flew up the his 3rd floor window and sat on the tiny ledge and just watched us. I knew that was a sign. Even the nurse said she had never seen this happen before. When I left the NICU for that night I put my hand on his little body and just prayed to God and asked Him to please give Sam the air & oxygen he needed to breathe well and to keep his O2 stats up! Needless to say when I came in first thing in the morning the tubes were gone!!! He was breathing all on his own! He kept it up and came home the next morning!!!!!!!

Since then Sam has been perfect!! He fits perfectly into our family. Jacob and Dylan love him so much and are such good big brothers! They play with him and love to make him laugh. When he is upset they tend to him and try to make him feel better! These days they are the three amigos! Sam watches them play and wants so badly to go after them... which will happen soon enough!

On another note... since my last blog the older boys have both had birthdays. Jacob turned 6 and Dylan 4! We have also gone through another baseball season! This was Dylan's first season at T-ball and he loved it! We plan on playing again in the Spring!!! Jacob is now in first grade and is learning more everyday! He is so smart! He loves Math and is very good at it! Dylan is in 4 day 3 year old class! He has lots of friends and talks about his "girlfriend" Hailey a lot!

Well, that will be it for now!! God continues to bless us everyday and we continue to thank, love, worship and praise Him! I will update SOON I promise!!! Here are some pictures from the last few months!! Love you all! ~R

Jake's 6th Birthday

Spring Break '09

2009-04-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

So this past week was Jacob's first "official" Spring Break! We chose to spend the week at the lake at my parent's lake property and house! We all had fun but no one had as much fun as the boys!!! They spent 90% of there time outside! The first couple of days were pretty cold and yucky but that didn't keep them inside! They spent their days on their 4 wheelers around the property and on trail walks, feeding the horses, walking the shore, playing in the sandbox, playing on the new playground Noni & PaPaw got, fishing, and just doing what boys do best- playing with sticks!! We did wake up one morning to about 4 or 5 deer in the backyard, which excited them! On Thursday they even got to go fishing with "Captain Joey" which is a good friend of my Dad's and who is a professional fishing guide! The weather did get better and was very warm and sunny the rest of the week! We are looking forward to spending lots of time there this summer- boating, jet skiing, tubing, swimming, canoeing, fishing and relaxing!! Summer here we come!!!!

Spring Break

2009-04-11T09:53:00.001-07:00

Sam's 3D/4D sonogram!!

2009-03-30T06:26:00.001-07:00

So we had our sonogram yesterday (Sunday) and it went great!!!! We got some great shots of Sam's sweet face, his hands, feet, a major confirmation that he was a boy & she even showed us most of his major internal organs which was way cool and reassuring!! He did start moving a lot about half way through which then gave the sonographer quite the adventure chasing him around! He ended up (at the end thank goodness) turning towards my spine which then made it nearly impossible for her to get any shots! I do have to say it was so neat to feel him squirming like always but then to see it happen with my own eyes on a screen!! It was definitely a blessing to use the technology of today to put a face to a name and a feeling :) Below are some of the best pics we got! And I will post a couple from my camera in a bit!

Sam's 3D sonogram pics!

2009-03-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

2009-03-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

What's going on with us...

2009-03-28T06:22:00.001-07:00

So just a little blog to tell you what we are all up to...

As most of you probably know I am 30 weeks pregnant with our third boy, Sam. I went to the Dr. yesterday for my usual check up which went well. I now go every two weeks for the next 3 appt.'s and then weekly! I have scheduled my c-section for May 26th which is only 8 weeks away!!! We are all getting very excited but at the same time I am trying to remember to really enjoy my pregnancy! I don't want to be too excited to get him out because this may be the last time I get to enjoy feeling a new life inside me, the last time I may get to shield another from any other outside things! It is all so exciting yet sad at the same time. Everyone keeps asking.. "So, are you done yet" and to be totally honest... I don't think either of us know yet! We originally said YES we are done but we are both still young and have a few years of birthing (for me) and parenting ahead if us. But at the same time we have been blessed with three (well two born so far) healthy blessings from God- do we really need anymore. And yes we would LOVE to add a little girl to our family but we are not guaranteed that. And as happy as I would be to have a fourth boy- we have three already! I just don't know! I guess what is God's will will happen for us. We leave it in his hands! I have a 3D/4D sonogram scheduled for tomorrow so look for pics to be posted!!

On another note- we just celebrated a wonderful moment in our lives! My Dad is officially cured from cancer! It has been 5 years since he was diagnosed and finished his treatments. He got the official word from the Dr. on the 19th! They said he has a less than 7% chance of tonsil cancer recurring!! We celebrated this with a party with our friends and family on Saturday the 21st! See pics...

For the boys- Jake has started another season of baseball and is still loving it! He is getting really good. Jeremy is his Head Coach and I am team Mom so we all make a great team!! Dylan really enjoys playing as well. He helps Daddy with the practices and can play really well too! He will start in the Fall! We have a couple fun family day fundraisers coming up which should be fun! We have Braves Day on May 3rd where the boys will get to walk the field before the game with the team. And Family Fun Day is a carnival at the park with lots of fun activities! Another fun things the boys enjoy is choir at church! They have been in it for almost a year now and have a spring concert coming up in April! We go every Wednesday night and enjoy a fellowship meal and while the boys enjoy choir we (or I) enjoy some quiet time reading the bible or reflecting. We look forward to the warm weather ahead and of course many days and events outdoors!!

"I'm Thankful Each Day!" -P. K. Hallinan

2009-03-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

So I have a favorite children's book that I wanted to share... It is "I's Thankful Each Day!" by P. K. Hallinan. It is short but so sweet and true! How we should all live our lives...

"I'm thankful each day for the blessings I see,

And for all of the gifts that God's given to me.

And counting the stars at the edge of the sea,

I can't help but feel they put there for me.

I'm thankful for summers and warm golden days.

I'm thankful for autumns of orange pumpkin haze.

I'm thankful for meadows and bright colored flowers.

I'm thankful for raindrops and soft sumer showers.

Each sunset is special... Each sunrise is new.

Each breeze in the trees is a promise come true.

Each evening's a wonder where beauty abounds.

Each morning's a harvest of new sights and sounds.

And it's nice just to know that beneath winter's snow,

the blossoms of springtime are beginning to grow.

I'm thankful for friends, for laughing and sharing...

I'm thankful for family, for loving and caring.

I'm thankful for all the kindness I see.

I'm thankful for peace and for pure harmony.

My body's a present of perfect design...

My mind is a power as endless as time.

And if I ever worry that trouble is near,

I always remember I've nothing to fear...

For each hour is laden with God's perfect love.

Each second brings comfort and joy from above.

And I guess in the end the best thing to say is...

I'm thankful for living...

I'm THANKFUL each day!

Welcome

2009-03-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

So I originally started with an entire family website that I created about a year ago on my Mac but needless to say I didn't keep it up! Doing an entire website versus a simple family blog is way too intense and crazy! So here we go...I am joining the many of you who have already done this and creating a blog to keep everyone up to date on our family life! I really enjoy checking other friends blogs and thought others may enjoy mine! As you all may know we are soon expecting another addition to our family. His name is Samuel John Albert "Sam". His name has a lot of meaning behind it- it represents two very important people in our lives. Samuel was Jeremy's "PawPaw" who he was very close to and who passed away in June of '04 and John Albert was my Grandfather who I lost at a younger age but will always remember. Sam is due to arrive my scheduled c-section on Tuesday, May 26th. We are all very excited and have decided with all these boys to tackle we might as well work on an entire baseball team :)!! HAHAHA!! More about the fam to come.... Stay Tuned!