The Abney Miracle

Our Family at Christmas

2012-01-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

Our daddy's two favorite girls giving him big kisses and loves!

Christmas was a very exciting memory and feels like went by so very fast. We had a HUGE Christmas surprise that I will share very soon. But one of our prayers was answered in December. We bought our house!! It is a huge prayer that God answered and it was TOTALLY God that made it happen along with the owners of the home. We are truly blessed to own this home. Never imagined that we could own this home and in this neighborhood where I grew up, so we are very thankful and blessed.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Whew!! It seems like every year,Christmas is a whirlwind. We always enjoy being with family and celebrating the real reason for the season- Jesus!

Wendy and Robert

2012-01-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

Wendy is married!!! It was a beautiful wedding and I got to be the photographer. We welcome Robert and his family to the Wilbanks' family. Wendy and Robert were married December the 1st.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Ever since we moved to Waco, we have gone to this pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin. We love being a part of raising money for the youth group and always have a great time. This year, Clara Beth is going through a very "SHY stage" and so she timidly walked through the pumpkin patch to pick out her pumpkin. Jeff candidly took these picture of Clara Beth and me. I'm not crazy about her or anything!!

American Heart Association Walk

2011-11-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

We did the AHA walk this year. Lots of fun and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Vegas for my Birthday!!

2011-11-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

So, we won a trip to Las Vegas last spring and it just so happened to work out that we could go for my birthday. We had a good time. Sleep was on the schedule for me and Jeff was all about seeing everything!!!! Lots of walking and lots of hotels. We aren't big gamblers so we just enjoyed each other and TIME to just relax! We have both been VERY VERY VERY busy this Fall so this was very nice for just the TWO of us. We missed our Clarabear very much but we are better parents when we get mommy and daddy time. Needless to say, I had a great birthday! I am so old!!!

Clara Beth and Maddox

2011-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Shelley and I took Maddox and Clara Beth to the Lion King 3D. They looked like they were on their first date. So cute! We all had a great time. It's so much fun to take these cuties to a movie theater!!

Car Show

2011-11-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

We went to the car show with Maddox, Mason, Shelley, and Pepaw. Clara Beth LOVES "Maddox's Car" haha!! That's what she called it!

Zoo Day for Clara Beth and Aalyrah

2011-11-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

I took Clara Beth and Aalyrah to the zoo one beautiful Monday morning. The girls had a blast at the zoo and really enjoyed being together. They sure do love each other. What sweet friends!!

Poppy's 60th Birthday!

2011-11-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Poppy turned 60 this September!!! The Abney,Goza and Little Families came to Waco and had a fun weekend at the Baylor Game and the Dr. Pepper Museum. Happy Birthday, Poppy!! Wishing many many many more to come!!!

Summer Flew By and Hello Fall

2011-11-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth started school (MDO) at Highland this year and SHE LOVES IT!! WE LOVE Ms. Stacey and Ms. Deanna! We so prayed for God to put Clara Beth in a class with sweet friends and amazing teachers and our prayers were answered. She is writing her name and putting alphabet letters in sequence. Of course Clarabear is singing lots of songs and as usual, making up songs. HAHA! We just love this girl!!!

Ending Summer

2011-11-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

Last day of swimming with her sweet friend Aalyrah and then we took Clara Beth bowling for the first time with our sweet friends, The Melines! We had a great time. The kids were the best part of the night.

Summer Trip to Baffin Bay

2011-11-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

We went on a trip with some sweet friends to Baffin Bay in August. We enjoyed time together as a family and with friends and lots of FISHING!! Yes, I got just a little sunburned!!! Jarred caught a shark and Jeff helped him cut it up. We all ate yummy shark for dinner.

Arkansas with The Abney/Goza Family

2011-11-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

We went on an Abney/Goza Family trip this summer to Arkansas. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed family time. Clara Beth loved playing with Lily and her Aunt, Uncle, Nonnie and Poppy.

2011-11-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Summer Fun Continued

2011-11-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Lots of family and friend time!!

Summer Fun

2011-11-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

This summer was full of fun but very busy. I was in Austin for most of July at Scottish Rite Dyslexia Training. This was one of the biggest challenges in my life. Both missing Clara Beth, Jeff and my family along with the challenging program. This has been my dream to do this program so I feel blessed that I could do it AND that the first part of the program training is over. But I also feel so accomplished and LOVE what I am doing. Dyslexic Therapy is where my heart is as long as I am working. Clara Beth is amazing!! She is growing up so fast. This summer was wonderful for her. She did get A LOT of time with my mom and Jeff and also some time with Nonnie.

Photo Book

2011-09-19T23:01:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Clara Beth's last day of her 1st year of school (Mother's Day Out)

2011-05-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth's last day of school was a water day. She had so much fun.

Utah Trip May 2011

2011-05-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Papa, Yaya, Jeff, Clara Beth and I took a trip to Utah to see Bart, Holin and Hayden. This was Clara Beth's 1st long trip. It was so much fun spending time with family and just enjoying the scenery. Snow in May was very surprising to all of us but oh so beautiful and refreshing. Clara Beth absolutely LOVES the snow. It was so much fun seeing Bart, Holin and Hayden and loved spending some time with them in Utah. Jeff, Clara Beth and I flew home. It was Clara Beth's first time to fly. She constantly surprises me because she LOVES flying!! She loves turbulence, taking off and landing. She's our little fireball. We had a great time and really enjoyed some family time.

The Mayborn Museum with Nonnie & Poppy

2011-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth enjoyed the museum with her Nonnie and Poppy. I think her daddy did too! Jeff and Nonnie looked at the diagram of the heart and we are all so VERY THANKFUL for our Clara Beth and her special heart.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a very busy few days!! We enjoyed spending time with family and friends and just relaxing with our Clara Beth. Jeff's parents came to spend the weekend with us and we LOVED having them here. Clara Beth took pictures with both grandparents and then spent lots of time playing with them. The best of everything was when we were about to say our prayers tonight and put her to bed, Clara said, "I love Jesus". WOW, Jeff and I both looked at each other and smiled so big. Then she said her prayers and told us that she loved Easter. God is so good and we continue to rejoice and thank Him for forgiving us for our sins.

Clara Beth's Big Girl Bed

2011-04-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Clara Beth is 3 1/2 years old and finally getting her big girl bed! We were so blessed to have a special bed made for her by Jeff's cabinet guy. We LOVE Jose!! He does an amazing job and I am truly thankful that he was so patient with us in building Clara's perfect heart bed. She LOVES it! I have to say, I was so scared because she's never been a good sleeper or handled ANY change well. We prayed so hard that this would be a smooth transition. God is so faithful and hears our prayers. She LOVES her big girl bed and so does mommy!! Clara loves going to bed and is doing amazingly well sleeping in her big girl bed. Thank you Jesus that we are sleeping through the night! I was just getting used to finally having a few months of sleeping through the night.
Next hurdle.......drinking milk on her own. Yes, this has been something Clara has had such a hard time from the beginning! Eating all together is really hard! We know we are blessed that she doesn't have a feeding tube, so we are taking it slow. We have tried a few times with her drinking milk in a sippy cup, but have resulted in almost dehydration. Next prayer request: drinking milk in the sippy cup! One day at a time!!

Clara Beth Heart Update

2011-03-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 7th, Clara Beth had the usual tests done and an appointment with Dr. Ayers at Texas Children's to discuss how her heart is doing. It was a very long day and little overwhelming to our precious girl. She handled being stuck in the hospital probably better than Jeff and me, but by the time we got out of there, she was READY!! Dr. Ayers was thrilled with how well Clara Beth was doing and how grown up she was acting. Crazy how big she is acting!! Overall, the appointment went well. They are happy with the tunnel and overall how well her heart is doing. The bad news is that her mitral valve is worse. This came as no surprise to Dr. Ayers but disapointing to us. We have realy been praying for God to heal our Clara Beth's heart and it is just so hard to hear that it will need to be replaced. Thinking of more surgeries makes me feel extreemly sick to my stomach, but we have a mighty God that is taking care of Clara Beth and we trust in Him. It's taken me a few days to be able to say that, but I know God can handle my struggles and disapointments. Where we go from here is to watch Clara Beth and look for signs that her mitral valve is failing. Dr. Ayers couldn't give us a time frame, but probably no surgery this year. She was also not happy with Clara Beth's growth, which was a little surprising to us because she seemed to have accepted Clara Beth being so tiny as she has voiced before that her heart babies remain tiny throughout their lives. We left TCH with some encouraging yet discouraging comments from Dr. Ayers. We truly respect her and are so thankful to have Dr. Ayers as Clara Beth's cardiologist but the appointments are very much dreaded.
Here are some prayer requests for our family:
1. God would give us a peace as we seek and trust Him with some decisions we need to make for our family.
2. Healing for our Clara Beth's heart.....mitral valve!!
3. Continue to strengthen our family as we have had so much stress in our lives in the last 3 1/2 years. Jeff and I have really felt overwhelmed by so much stress, so we are praying for God to relieve some of the stress and that WE will NOT try to carry the stress but GIVE it to God.
We are so thankful for all of our friends and family! How blessed we are that Clara is doing so well. We are reminded of how precious life is and how grateful we are to be together as a family. God has carried us through so much and we continue to seek Him for our strength. Please let Clara Beth's story be a way you bring other's to see that we serve a MIGHTY GOD and to NEVER underestimate what prayer can do!

2011 It's My Heart Walk

2011-03-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

The 2011 It's My Heart walk was amazing!! We feel so blessed by all the family and friends that supported our Clara Beth this year. What a special event to get together and celebrate our precious girl's life. We are so blessed to have each moment with her and we really enjoyed this year's heart walk.

2011-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Nonnie's 60th Birthday Surprise!

2011-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

We all surprised Nonnie for her 60th Birthday! It was a fun filled weekend with lots of surprises!!

2011 Heart Walk

2011-01-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

2011 Heart Walk
Clara Beth is growing up so fast! She loves playing hide and seek, reading books, watching Team Umizoomi, drawing and playing with her dolls. Clara still loves snuggling with mommy and daddy which we cherish to the fullest. On November 15th, Clara Beth turned 3 years old. Clara is still tiny but the doctors are accepting that she will make her own progress on the growth chart. Her little personality is very independent and quite the little survivor. We definitely have our hands full!! This last year has been very busy for our family. We began our own business in Waco building custom homes and remodeling homes. It has also been an amazing year without surgeries for our sweet girl. We meet with Dr. Ayers (cardiologist) in March for Clara Beth's appointment and will have more updates to give you on how her heart is doing.
Our family has been a part of the It’s My Heart Walk in Houston for the past two years. It has been an amazing experience for our family to raise money for this organization for many reasons. As you may know, our daughter, Clara Beth Abney was born with a very serious heart defect. Two surgeries later and surgeries in the future, we understand how serious it is to support awareness of Congenital Heart Defects. Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect in America. Nearly 1 out of 100 babies are born with CHD, and twice as many children die from CHD in the United States each year as from ALL forms of childhood cancers combined.

It’s My Heart provides support, spreads awareness, educates and advocates for those affected by Congenital Heart Defects by creating alliances with fellow families, hospitals, support groups and the community by:

1.Providing information through literature, newsletter and up-to-date articles for families with information on CHD.

2.Offering comfort bags, care packages, legacy boxes and backpack buddies for families spending extended periods of time in hospital setting.

3.Supporting public through monthly support group/information meetings.

If you would like to participate in this year’s heart walk, we would love for you to join our team.

Date:
Saturday, February 19, 2011

Location:
Sam Houston Park: Allen Parkway
1100 Bagby Street
Houston, TX 77002

Time:
On-Site Registration/T-shirt Pick-Up 8:30-10:00 AM
Walk Begins 10:00-11:00 AM
Post Walk Party & Family Fun Day 11:00-noon

*****Please register online at http://www.itsmyheart.org/ *****
1. Click on CHD WALKS

2. Click on REGISTER ONLINE NOW! (make sure it’s the HOUSTON WALK at Sam Houston Park)

3. Click on REGISTER HERE

4. Click on JOIN A TEAM and then a box will appear that says, Join an existing team: Use the following list to find an existing Team to join: CHOOSE: Clara’s Crew

5. The last thing that you need to do is all personal info.

Participant Level:
All participants that raise at least $50 receive an IMH T-shirt for registering.

All children that participate in the Family Walk/Fun Run will receive a medal.

Clara’s Crew Shirts:
Some of our family and friends wore a “Clara’s Crew” shirt last year and it was lots of fun seeing all of her supporters walking with us. You are welcome to order this shirt through us but do not have to order the shirt to walk with us. The shirts are $10.00. If you would like a shirt please let me know by February 1st by emailing me at: kristinabney1@hotmail.com

We were amazed by the enormous support from our friends and family last year and look forward to this year’s walk also.

God bless you and your family and thank you so much for all of your love and support.

Love always,
Jeff, Kristin and Clara Beth Abney

Snow Day 2011

2011-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Snow day was so much fun! We got together with our neighbors and had a snowball fight and then Jeff drove us around on the four wheeler as we all tubed. Lots of fun and Clara Beth had a blast!!!

New Year's Eve 2010

2011-01-01T19:56:00.001-08:00

WOW, 2010 is over!! It's been such a crazy year! As I have reflected 2010, I think about two major changes. Clara Beth started Mother's Day Out (what we call, school), and we have started our own business. I won't say that it's been an easy year. In fact, it's been a really tough year, but we are continually trusting in God to guide us through each and every day. Clara Beth has been healthy and MOST importantly NO SURGERIES!! We are just incredibly thankful for the many blessings and it's truely amazing as we see God in the small things. We are very thankful for our family and friends for all of your love and support. We wish you a very Happy New Year and may you be blessed abundantly in 2011!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

We feel truly blessed to have been with most of our family for Christmas this year!! Jeff and I both took the week of Christmas off which was so nice and spent several days in Houston for The Abney Family Christmas. Then, we came back to Waco on Christmas Eve and went to candlelight service with The Wilbanks Family to celebrate Christmas with them on Christmas day. Clara Beth had the best time celebrating Jesus' birthday and opening presents. She loved being with family and especially loved playing baby dolls. The week of New Year's Eve, just Clara Beth and I returned to Houston to spend some time with The Lutes' Family. We enjoyed hanging out with them and celebrating Christmas one more time. It's fun watching Clara Beth grow up and getting excited about holidays because it makes them even more fun for us. She is such a joy in our lives and we treasure each and every moment with her.

Clara Beth's 1st Christmas Program

2010-12-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth had her first Christmas program. It was precious! Of course she wouldn't put the baby down during the program, but I could hear her voice so the baby didn't seem to keep her from singing. It's so much fun watching my sweet girl grow up! I can't believe she's old enough to be in a program!!!!

Clara Beth's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-11-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

The monkey birthday party finally arrived! It was hard for a three year old to wait for her birthday party. She was SUPER excited about her cake! It was a perfect day and we had a ton of fun. From the hay ride, playing games and eating fun snacks, Clara Beth just loved being with her friends and family. Thank you all for making it so special!

Clara Beth's 3rd Birthday Pics

2010-11-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth is growing up so fast! We are so thankful on how well she is doing and are loving every minute with our sweet girl. She loves playing with dolls, playing hide and seek, and LOVES mexican food! Dr. Kemper (pediatrician) says that Clara Beth is doing well. Still a VERY SLOW progress on the growth chart but at least its a progression. It's crazy how we have a conversation with our sweet little girl. Snuggle time and singing is still very much in our daily routine. We treasure our precious moments and look forward to many many more!!

Lily's 1st Birthday Party

2010-10-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

Little Lily is one!! Happy Birthday, Lily!! We went to Dallas for the "BIG ONE" birthday party!! LOTS of fun at the park for our little pumpkin!!

Pumpkin Carving Contest at the Pahmiyers' House

2010-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at the Pahmiyers' Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest! The kids all enjoyed playing and showing off their pumpkins!!

Aalyrah's 2nd Birthday Party

2010-10-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth's friend, Aalyrah had her 2nd birthday party!! We were going to go to the party and then to the Baylor game, but the game had a delay due to lightning. We ended up staying at the party because Clara Beth was having so much fun playing with Aalyrah. Happy Birthday to our sweet friend, Aalyrah!! You are such a precious beautiful sweet girl!!

Baylor Homecoming Parade!

2010-10-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Baylor Homecoming!! We had so much fun and really enjoyed seeing our Baylor march with pride. Clara Beth was adored by everyone in the parade and it was such a big surprise to see that Megan (the Song Leader that we know) was the Homecoming Queen. It was also so fun to see Melissa Jones on the court too. What a fun day!! Go bears!!!

2010-10-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth has a Baylor Buddy, Ashton! Clara LOVES Ashton!! Ashton is one of her teachers at gymnastics and recently, we met her at the Mayborn Museum and had so much fun playing with her and then going to lunch. We love ya Ashton!!!

DOGS!!!!

2010-10-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

I think this is one of the funniest stories ever!!!!!

So my parents, YaYa and PaPa, have a toy chihuahua named Bean. Randomly, a Great Pyrenees just walked over to my parent's house. My mom and Clara Beth walked up to it and started petting it and were loving on it while Bean continuously barked at the big dog. The Great Pyrenees, all of a sudden, picked up Bean in it's mouth and started walking off with it!!!!!! Seriously, the dog wasn't hurting Bean, but acted as if it wanted to take it home to play with it. Needless to say, after my mom and Clara Beth were in shock, my mom yelled for my dad and he luckily came running out and called the Great Pyrenees to bring his dog back and it did!!!

Of course, last night Chloe ran down the end of my parent's driveway as we were just tossing the football and playing with Clara's car, and got sprayed by a skunk. So, we spent the rest of the night bathing her in tomato sauce and trying to get her all cleaned up. Needless to say, after these two dog stories, I am hoping that the "doggie stories" slow down!!!!

Pumpkin Patch Fall 2010

2010-10-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at The Kaska's Family Pumpkin Patch. After being home for several days with my baby being very sick, it was nice to get out. She isn't feeling top notch, but did enjoy getting out and playing. It was lots of fun and one of the coolest pumpkin patches I have ever been to. Perfect for us! We are VERY ready for Clara Beth to feel normal and ACT normal. She is wanting MOMMY ALL the time!!

Clara Beth's New Car

2010-10-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Uncle Josh for Clara Beth's new car!!! She LOVES it!!! All we heard about tonight was, "Mommy, I want to ride my new car!!"

Josh and Lauren

2010-09-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of our family! All of our nieces and nephews are growing up very fast. Lauren and Josh are in HIGH SCHOOL!!! Not only are they in high school, but they are at China Spring where I graduated from. Josh is playing varsity football and Lauren is in varsity band. They are both very talented!! We have really enjoyed going to the China Spring High School games and watching both of them play. Clara Beth REALLY admires and loves them both!!

Mommy and Clara Beth- Date Night

2010-09-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth and I ended up going to date night without daddy. We went to Kiddyland (her new fave) and road the train along with some fun rides. It was lots of fun!! Missed our daddy!!

Hayden Laire Wilbanks

2010-09-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm an AUNT again!!! YAY!! Hayden is so beautiful and we are so proud of Bart and of course, Holin!! She did do all the work!! We cannot WAIT to meet her!!!! Tell her that we love her so much and can't wait to hug and love on her. Love you guys!!!

Mother's Day Out

2010-08-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

This was a BIG STEP for us all! Very hard for mommy and Clara Beth but the best decision. Jeff and I both took her to her first day at school (that's what we call MDO) and she seemed ok. I would have fallen apart, but luckily Jeff was there and he made it better by talking me through it. He actually drove me to work so that I would not be by myself and then picked me up on the way to pick up Clara Beth. I am so thankful for Jeff!! He has been so awesome handling me and all my emotions with this stuff. We have been through so much that he helps me cope with everything. Clara Beth had a good first day of school!! YAY!!! We all survived!!!

Rangers Game August 2010

2010-08-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to get incredible tickets to the Rangers game from Uncle Bob! They were right behind the Ranger's dugout. We got there early and they gave Clara Beth one of the practice balls. We had so much fun!

YaYa, Clara Beth and Mommy Date

2010-08-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

YaYa and I took Clara Beth to Kiddyland! Scary as this sounds, I went to Kiddyland when I was Clara's age. I loved it and she does too!! We had a great night! She has just recently fallen in love with trains (must be the age) and wanted to ride a train. So, this is the place to ride trains and all kinds of fun rides. Clara Beth and I both love spending time with our YaYa.

Clara Beth the Little Mommy

2010-07-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

Our little girl has recently become such a little mommy! She loves playing mommy to her dolls. Clara Beth pats them, feeds them, changes their diapers and rocks them. Puts them in bed and says, "night night baby". So cute!

Astros Game

2010-07-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

Galveston July 2010

2010-07-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual Galveston trip with the Abney Family for the 4th of July holiday. It was beautiful and lots of fun with family. While the boys went fishing, the girls went to get pedicures. Aunt Linsie treated us all to our toes being loved on. Thank you so much, Aunt Linsie. Clara Beth LOVED being with her cousin, Lily and of course Nonnie, Poppy, Aunt Linsie and Uncle Jason. We also had some time just the three of us. We took Clara Beth to the beach and she LOVED the "big water". Every time we drove by or went to the beach, Clara Beth called the ocean, "big water". We loved it! We had a fun date night and ate seafood and then ice cream. Last but certainly not least, we went to the Astros game. Our tickets were given to us by Lance Berkman (my mother-in-law has taught one of his daughters) and we had an awesome time. Sadly, it ended up being one of his last games for the Astros. It was a great end to our fun trip to Galveston.

July 4th with the Wilbanks Family

2010-07-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

We finally got to go to the Gummelt Family 4th of July Party. WOW, it was lots of fun and very organized! Very nice job Jan and Morgan!! Clara Beth had a fabulous time playing with all the kids and loved being in the parade holding the American flag. I especially loved the performance before the fireworks done by the Gummelt men and my brother....very cute! Then, we had some Wilbanks' family time! We don't get to see Bart and Holin often so it is always exciting to see them. We love you guys!!!

LaLa's House

2010-06-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

We finally got to spend some time with LaLa. Clara Beth and I went to Houston to spend time with just LaLa (aka Tracy Lynn), Joe and Austin. We were so excited about just relaxing and enjoying spending time with our LaLa. The first day was lots of fun swimming and playing in the pool. Clara Beth jumped right in and acted like it was nothing. She swam for the first time with floaties all by herself! I am in awe of how much fun this girl has in the pool. It was going to be such a fun weekend at the Lutes' house. Of course it couldn't be that easy. The first night Clara Beth was up all night whimpering and running a fever. I took her to our old pediatrician in Houston only to find out that she had Walking Pneumonia. REALLY!!!! I felt so bad that I never realized she was even sick until the night before. It just comes down to the fact that Clara Beth is a strong child. She never shows that she feels bad. This girl is such a fighter and survivor. What an amazing girl!! The rest of the weekend was fun even though we had a sickly. LaLa surprised Clara Beth with an ice cream trip and we took her to ride the train which are her two favorite things to do. We love time with The Lutes and look forward to many more memories to come.

Mommy, Daddy and Clara Beth Date

2010-06-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

So, dates are a big deal now. Clara Beth is always asking, "mommy, daddy and Clara go on a date"? It's precious!! So, this was one of our "dates". This was also the night that Clara ate hot sauce and loved it! My little mexican food girl! She is just like her mommy.

First Snow Cone

2010-06-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

After Jeff and I went on our Anniversary date, Clara Beth wanted to go on a date. So, I took her to get her first snow cone. She LOVED it!!! Clara loves ice, therefor add some flavor (sugar) and its all good!! First snow cone went very well!

7 YEARS!!!!!

2010-06-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

On June 7, 2003, we said, "I do" SEVEN YEARS AGO!!! I can't believe we are old enough to be married that long!! For our seven year anniversary, Jeff took me on a very special date to Cheeves Brothers. It was devine and lots of fun to get all dressed up and feel sexy for once. May we have many more to come!!!

2010-05-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

We took Clara Beth to the circus in Waco! She loved it and we had a fabulous time!

THE TOOTSIES!

2010-05-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

So, Clara Beth is growing up SO FAST!! It's crazy how it seems like everyday she is changing and becoming a little girl instead of a baby. She LOVES getting her tootsies painted and now playing in the mud. My precious girl is so much fun!

Chloe had a make over by her mommy!

2010-05-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

So, I decided I could cut Chloe's hair and save money. HAHA!! It was fun and Chloe did a great job. Not sure it's the best hair cut and possibly a little lop sided, but she looks beautiful to us!! We love our Chloe so much!!

Reflection

2010-05-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

So, Jeff, Clara Beth, Chloe and I took a trip to see Granny in Winnsboro this weekend. On the way, Jeff and I had some quiet time as Clara Beth was watching Dora in the car. We started talking about how amazing it is to be parents and that its even more than we ever expected. It's such an incredible feeling that we are both overwhelmed with God's precious gift. As we began talking about the past 1 1/2, we realized why we are both exhausted. Now, we didn't even go as far back as when Clara was born because that just makes me want to pass out, but we did discuss since December of 2008. Before Christmas of that year, I had radiation on my thyroid and had to be isolated for three days. That was torture!!! Then we sold our house in January and had ONE WEEK to move out and sign the papers!! We moved in with my best friend Tracy and her family and then two weeks later, Clara Beth had cleft palate surgery and tubes put in her ears at the same time. That was TERRIBLE!! I will NEVER FORGET THAT DAY of my child in pain the entire day and then struggling to get nutrition for two weeks through a syringe let alone living with the Lutes (they were incredible, but I felt bad for them). Then, Jeff got a job in Waco, so we moved in with my parents last year on mother's day weekend. On July 1st, Clara Beth had open heart surgery. Praise God that is over! Jeff had an opportunity to go hunting with his best friend, Jed at his families ranch for the first weekend of hunting season. Tucker (our beloved dog) got to go too and was very happy to be there with Jeff. Someone was driving down a farm road where Tucker had walked over to while Jeff and Jed were making the campfire. Tucker was killed instantly and we were left heart broken. He was the best chocolate lab and we were blessed to have him in our lives. It was devastating to me because I had dreams of Clara Beth growing up with Tucker. In November, we moved EVERYTHING from our storage in Houston, Jeff's parent's house, the Lute's house to the house we are living in now. It was a very overwhelming move because we had our stuff EVERYWHERE and we got everything in one weekend that was in too many different locations but once again, our family and friends were amazing and really pulled through by helping us. I have gone back to work part time which has been an adjustment for Clara Beth and I. My mom is amazing and is watching Clara Beth while I work, but it's still very hard for me to leave her. There is such a bond that I just can't explain. Being in the hospital with her so much and waiting for her to come out of surgery so that I can touch her again is something I can't even get close to explaining. I am not writing this note for anyone to feel sorry for us, but only to say that we are just emotionally and physically tired. So as Jeff asked me today how I felt about being a mother, I told him that it is truly unmeasurable. Words cannot explain how blessed I feel and how God continues to show us that when I feel weak, He truly is strong. The last couple of weeks have been really hard. Clara is not wanting to go to sleep, which sleep has been a problem for her entire life but we aren't sure what this is about. It's been really hard on all of us but of course I struggle with what is wrong with my sweet girl. She isn't taking a nap unless I hold her and at night she screams herself to sleep. We've tried EVERYTHING and it's just exhausting! That's my word, exhausting. So, as I am writing this way too late and realizing I need to sleep, please pray for our Clara Beth to sleep and for a year of peace. We are excited to have a year with no surgeries and God willing no serious moves. This is going to be a year of celebrating and just enjoying what God has given us!

Clara Beth's two favorite things to do in a day....jumping and sliding!

2010-04-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Baby Horse

2010-04-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors horse just had a baby! It is absolutely beautiful and we love going to see it. Clara Beth LOVES the baby horse.

Clara Beth with Bluebonnets, Indian Paint Brushes and MUD!

2010-04-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed the bluebonnets this year because they are right outside our door. They smell incredibly sweet and its been so much fun to look at them every morning. It was muddy when we took these pictures and the grass was tall from all the rain, but Clara Beth was still beautiful and we had a good time. AND YES, Clara Beth ATE MUD!! I couldn't believe that I turned around for a second and Clara Beth started eating mud. NICE!!

Doctor Appointments at Texas Children's Hospital

2010-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well today was a long day, but a very good day! Clara Beth had a FULL DAY AT TCH! We started our appointments with Dr. Wilson (speech pathologist) and she was very happy with Clara's speech and said to continue going to speech and working on constant beginning, medial and final sounds. Next was Dr. Stal (cleft palate surgeon) and it was rough for Clara Beth. She screamed louder than I think I have heard her ever scream, but he was thrilled with her cleft palate and said that it was going to be bumpy and it will continually change and grow. There was a delay with Dr. Ayres (cardiologist), so we went to the TCH playground outside and Clara had the best time for about an hour. Then Clara had an echo on her heart which was scary at first, but then she settled down and let mommy rub her arm and of course, watched Dora and was fine the rest of the time. Shocker for a two year old to sit still that long.........such a blessing!! Last, we waited for Dr. Ayres for a while and then finally got to hear the results. It was good to see Dr. Ayres! We love her and feel a connection with her since we have been through so much with her. CLARA IS DOING GREAT!! Her heart is the same and really not any change. They will continue to monitor her heart for mitral valve failure and blood flow through the tunnel, but we DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK FOR HEART FOR 10-12 MONTHS!!!!!!!!! They need her to grow. She just isn't growing like average children and Dr. Ayres says she probably won't. She's tiny and is going to always be tiny! Thank you Lord someone understands!! We are shocked and so happy with todays results and are praising God for His wonderful works! He is the ultimate healer and physician and we couldn't feel any more thankful and blessed. God is so good!! We love you all and thank you so much for your continual support and prayers.

Celebrate Jesus!!

2010-04-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth, Chloe and I took some time today to celebrate Jesus!! We laughed and played outside and praised God for giving up His son for us. I can't even imagine the sacrifice and the pain!! We praise God for giving us joy and our miracle!!!!

Zoo with Daddy and Mommy

2010-03-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize that Jeff had not been to the Waco Zoo with us. We frequent the zoo and Clara Beth LOVES to go, so we took our daddy today and had a wonderful time together as a family. The weather was perfect and we had such a relaxing time together. Clara Beth as usual, was going up and down the slide. Jeff just loved watching her faces and hearing her say, "WEEEE" all the way down the slide every single time. She is such a joy and pleasure to be her mommy.

Camping March 2010 at Ink's Lake

2010-03-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth's first camping trip was lots of fun but lots of work with a two year old! It was also Chloe's first camping trip and she did great. Camping with the two girls was busy and lots of fun. They kept us on our toes and laughing a lot. Ink's Lake was absolutely beautiful and lots of fun things to do as a family. I am so glad that we went and look forward to our next camping trip.

The Possum

2010-03-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

So, we have been feeding this cat that we have no idea where it came from. We think it's a neighbors cat, but who knows. Anyway, we call it the "Meow Meow" because that's what Clara calls it and she LOVES the cat. So, we keep on feeding it. Well, I've been going through some SERIOUS cat food lately and it's getting too expensive to feed this cat. Seriously, the cat has been cleaning us out of the house!! On St. Patrick's Day night, I walked outside to close the garage door and found this HUGE possum. Yes, the possum found a sucker and the poor Meow Meow was crying below the freezer hoping the possum would run away.

St Patrick's Day

2010-03-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Tracy Lynn was here for St Patrick's Day. We went to the park and then to Ninfas for dinner. Such a fun day!!

Sick and Busy

2010-03-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we have either been REALLY sick or busy! Jeff and Clara Beth have had walking pneumonia. It was not fun and poor little Clara Beth is just having such a hard time gaining weight. She is not wanting much to eat, but when she does eat, she stocks up. She is still drinking lots of Pediasure which makes mommy feel better. I ended up with a terrible sinus infection and still fighting it. My whole head feels like it is going to explode and as you know, when mommy is sick, the home does not function. Sorry if we have been out of the loop.

As I have been in medication land, I have been doing some serious thinking. Several people have asked me to talk with a friend or two of theirs to help them cope with something they are going through with their child. It has been hard to hear and emotionally deal with, but God has put me in a position of prayer and a heart that has compassion for these families. As I have recently shared with the American Heart Association luncheon Clara's story, I have had moments of remembering the "hard times" and I remembered back to a story. It describes some of the feelings for a new mommy and daddy that have had a baby with a disability.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reservedI am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

So, as you may have friends with have had a baby with something special, please remember that they are shocked and stunned by this different world. It's hard enough having a healthy baby with all the changes it brings, but it's even more hard to face the reality of life, but yet have the joy you see in your child. God bless you sweet friends and family. We love you!

The Loss of My Grandmother

2010-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

The loss of Lucy Broman, my grandmother is hard. She was my mother's mother and my last grandparent. Jeff has two grandmothers, but I do not have any left. Sadly, Clara Beth never got to meet her. Lucy was a different grandmother. She did not allow us to call her a "grandmother" name. We called her by her nickname, Kelly. My whole life I was somewhat scared to call her and talk with her. She always corrected me and anyone else in the room (except my husband- she just loved him, but she only met him once!!!) and I didn't get to see her much. I always wanted that "grandmother" love with her, but it didn't come naturally for her. No matter what kind of relationship that I had with her, I loved her just as if I had the best relationship with her! I always told her that I loved her and that I missed her dearly. This is sad to lose a grandmother that I always desired to have a close relationship with and I so dearly wanted her to meet our little miracle so that her heart would not be hardened to God. It's pretty difficult to look at Clara Beth and not know that God created her and that he is holding our hands through it all. God's beauty shines and radiates in her and the joy that she brings all of us is incredible. I wanted Kelly to see that because I didn't know if she knew the Lord, but it's not because we haven't shared with her. God bless you sweet Kelly! We miss you and love you so much! I am going to believe that I will see you in heaven and that you and Grandpa will meet our Clara Beth some day!

Our Snow Day

2010-02-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

What a FUN day! Our day started with a blizzard and the snow continued throughout the day. We had to take a break to dry our clothes so that we could go back outside to play again. Clara Beth and I worked really hard on our snowman, but I didn't have gloves, so serious sacrifice went into that snowman for my Clara Beth. Papa and Yaya came over to help put our snowman back together after it fell apart. We decided that it looked silly, but most importantly, it has a heart. Clara Beth got a warm bath and then fell asleep with Chloe on the couch. They were best friends today playing in the snow and it has been so cool watching Clara Beth and Chloe become best friends. God gave us the perfect dog for Clara Beth.

2010 Heart Walk- Clara's Crew

2010-02-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

The It's My Heart Walk 2010- Clara's Crew

This was only part of Clara's Crew. Sorry for those of you that we couldn't find to take the picture. We are incredibly blessed by our friends and family that supported Clara in the heart walk. It was a huge surprise to see Dr. and Mrs Fraser (Clara's heart surgeon and wife) and they gave Clara Beth a red fish and she was so excited! Clara also got to meet Dora, Diego and Boots. It was such a fun day and we enjoyed our family and friends so much! Thank you so much!!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth, Jeff and I baked Valentine cookies and danced in the kitchen for Valentines. We had so much fun, but most importantly, we are grateful for God's love and compassion!!

Chloe, OUR PUPPY

2010-02-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

The very next day after we returned Cole to his foster family, we went to talk with Fuzzy Friends and they brought Chloe out to meet Clara. It seems silly, but this has been REALLY emotional for me. I miss our sweet Tucker so much and have had a really hard time looking for another dog, but I want a puppy for Clara. I think dogs are so good for us and they bring joy to our lives. Clara was SOOOO excited. She jumped up and down and said YAY, puppy. I knew that this puppy was it because Clara didn't do that for any dogs but Cole. When we arrived at the rescue today, one of our sweet friends there gave us a HUGE bag for Chloe with lots of outfits (this will be new for us), jewelry, toys and a special collar and leash so that Clara Beth can walk Chloe. They are so precious at Fuzzy Friends and they all love our Clara Beth. There are two sweet ladies at the rescue that were heart babies and we have such a connection with them. We brought Chloe home today and we love her. She is so sweet and really loves Clara. Yes, she is potty trained too. God is really looking out for me.....thank you, Lord!!! Clara Beth is absolutely crazy about her and Chloe is crazy about Clara Beth. So, we are welcoming Chloe into our little family and can't wait for everyone to meet her.

Our new puppy

2010-02-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, we adopted a puppy from Fuzzy Friends (an animal rescue in Waco) and he was PRECIOUS!! His name was already Cole and we loved it. He was so sweet and loved riding in Clara Beth's grocery cart and playing ball with her. Best part about it was that he was POTTY TRAINED already. We found out on the second night that we had him that the family that had fostered him was missing him terribly and was really having a hard time without him. I talked with Jeff and we decided that we couldn't keep him knowing how miserable they were. I called them and we gave him back to them. It was really emotional for me, but God gave me such a peace that he had something else for us. We loved Cole for the weekend and now we know that he is in the best home and is right where God wants him. What an amazing place!

Clara loves the guitar

2010-02-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

Clara loves the guitar just like her daddy! Nonnie brought Clara Beth a guitar when they were here for Nonnie's birthday and Clara is LOVING the guitar. She plays it everyday and her daddy is helping her learn how to play. I have never seen a two year old love a guitar so much! Thank you Nonnie!

Nonnie's Birthday Weekend

2010-02-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

Linsie, Jason, Mimi, Lily, Nonnie, and Poppy all came to our house to celebrate Nonnie's birthday. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed every moment with our family. We rode the four wheeler and loved on the babies. Clara Beth had so much fun loving on Lily. She is such a good cousin. Thank you all for coming to our house. We enjoyed celebrating Nonnie's birthday. Happy Birthday, Nonnie! We love you!

Clara's New Year's Resolution

2010-02-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I were amazed by Clara Beth. It seemed like she decided that her New Year's Resolution was going to be going potty in the big girl's potty. She pulled down her pants and said, "potty". Fun times!!! Our smart little two year old!!

New Year's Eve

2010-01-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

Mom and dad kissing before midnight!

Kari being attacked by Ben and Lily!

Clara Beth giving Lily kisses!

We had a great New Year's Eve! The Cains, McKowns, my parents, and Tracy Lynn came for the party. Tracy Lynn had actually been in Waco hanging out with us since Tuesday, which was sooo much fun. The kids did a fabulous job staying up and having fun playing. Maci and Clara Beth ended up ringing in the New Year with us adults. They had a great time and so did the adults!! It was a very relaxing evening.

The Abney Family Christmas

2010-01-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

Nonnie and Poppy

Clara Beth eating olives with Nonnie!

Mimi holding Lily

Clara Beth holding Lily!

Clara Beth opening TCH presents.

After our family Christmas with just the three of us, we headed to Houston for the Abney Family Christmas. Mimi, Linsie, Jason, Lily, Smalls, Nonnie and Poppy were all there. We were so excited and looking forward to a new family member this year for Christmas. Lily was born on Halloween and is just growing so fast. We don't want to miss out on growing up with her. As soon as we saw Lily, Clara Beth was ready to give her a big kiss. She was also pretty determined to hold her new cousin. It was absolutely precious and sweet Linsie and Jason were so patient with Clara. She is very protective of Lily and doesn't like it when she cries. Welcome to the family sweet Lily. Christmas with the Abney family was lots of fun. On Christmas night, Clara Beth, Jeff and I opened presents from Texas Children's Hospital. TCH called us sometime in November and requested for us to give them our Christmas list. We told them that we are so blessed and would prefer for them to give to another family, but they insisted. So, we had a very special Christmas this year from our family at TCH. What an amazing group of people that we truly love!! The day after Christmas was the Abney Family Christmas and it was so much fun and of course the food was fabulous! WE HAD THE FAMOUS FAMILY RAVIOLIS and therefor everyone was HAPPY!!

The Abney Christmas

2010-01-04T20:16:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Day, Jeff, Clara Beth and I had our family Christmas together. We woke up to snow on the ground and then slowly opened our presents. We enjoyed being together before we hit the road again for the Abney Family Christmas. It was fun explaining to Clara Beth how it was Jesus' birthday and the true meaning of Christmas. We are so blessed!!!

Christmas with The Wilbanks' Family

2009-12-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

Lauren and Clara Beth in the snow.

Mom, Wendy and Lauren in Mom's new rocking chair.

The fam at breakfast.

We had a wonderful time at The Wilbanks' Family Christmas. Clara Beth was at an age that she could enjoy opening presents and playing with her cousins that she is CRAZY about. It SNOWED like crazy right after we finished opening presents. We all had a fabulous time!

The weekend before Christmas!

2009-12-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Whew!! This holiday season has been extra busy, but we have LOVED hanging out with our family and friends. The weekend before Christmas, we celebrated with Jason on his graduation from DBU. We are very proud of him and had a super time watching him cross the stage and then a fabulous dinner. After dinner, we headed to East Texas to spend the weekend with Granny. Clara Beth LOVED playing at Granny's house with Ziggy (Granny's dog) and loving on her Great-Grandmother.

Clara Beth's first tea party with mommy

2009-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Daddy was out with Grandy at the BU game and that means it was GIRL NIGHT!! I had been keeping Clara Beth's tea party set (that Miss Ronda gave her for her birthday) for a very special day. I have been working A LOT and Clara has seemed to be sad and missing mommy. So, after work today, I popped popcorn and got the tea set down and we sipped apple juice (tea) and ate our popcorn. Clara is amazing!! She LOVED it and had so much fun! She was so excited and was going crazy with lots of giggles. I LOVE THIS GIRL!!! Such a fun time.

Clara and Miss Ronda

2009-12-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth has the bestest Speech Therapist in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!! WE LOVE HER! Well, Clara Beth wasn't having the best day but I chose to take the picture of Miss Ronda and Clara Beth on that day. We needed to have a picture of one of our favorite people. Ronda has helped Clara with way more than just speech. We are so blessed by you, Miss Ronda and we LOVE YOU!!! God bless you this holiday season!

Clara's Beth American Heart Association Photo Shoot

2009-12-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

Clara Beth was asked to be a part of the American Heart Association in Waco. Last week, they took a professional picture in formal red dresses. It was incredible the bond that the ladies have formed over the years. I am very excited for Clara Beth to be a part of this group. These are my pictures and hopefully I will be able to share the professional pictures when we get them. This dog in the last picture is from a rescue. The rescue asked for the dog, Diamond, to be in the picture because she was a survivor from heart surgery (not sure the heart story). Anyway, she was very sweet and Clara had fun petting her. We are excited that these pictures are going to be on about 20 or so billboards around Waco and they want us to share Clara Beth's story. In February, we will have a dinner that is a big fund raiser for the American Heart Association, so I am looking forward to helping with that.

Our Home =)

2009-12-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

The view out the front of the house.

Clara LOVES the rock wall.

Clara Beth checking on her daddy doing the yard work. Sorry, I will have to take more pictures. These are all that I have right now.

Clara Beth's 2nd Birthday Weekend!

2009-11-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all that made Clara Beth's 2nd Birthday so special!

The beginning of the party!
The end of the party!

Our sweet friend, Maci Kate came a little later. She had been partying all weekend!

All of Clara Beth's friends helped her open her presents. So much fun!

Caleb was curious about Clara Beth mixer.

The birthday girl not quite wanting to eat her cupcake. She is too much like her mommy....social butterfly!!

Caleb and Clara Beth's speech therapist, Ronda are playing outside.

One of Clara Beth's first friends in Waco, Christian learning to ride her tricycle.

Clara pushing her friends in her car. What a big girl!

Poppy was ready to catch Clara Beth!

Sweet Molly! We have been so excited to spend time with her.

Nonnie and Clara Beth having fun on Clara Beth's birthday!

Clara Beth loves to slide and loves balls! What else could be better at her 2 year birthday party!

Learned that cupcakes aren't that easy to decorate!!

The day before Clara Beth's birthday, we went to the BU game. It was warm and Clara Beth was SOOO tired, but we had a great time. Thank you LaLa for coming to spend the weekend with us and to celebrate Clara's life!

Clara Beth is turning TWO!

2009-11-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been so hard without Tucker. I keep on trying to go get him or feed him or just looking for him to be there when we walk outside. All of our hearts ache because we miss him, but we have to get ready for a very special little girl's 2nd birthday! It's time to celebrate! This is her birthday week and Tucker would want to a part of every second of the celebration for our Clara Beth. So, we celebrate! We celebrate the life of Tucker and Clara Beth. Today, Clara Beth and I took her birthday pictures. I so wish Tucker was here to take them with her and he would have wagged his tail and smiled right along with Clara, but we did our best. Clara Beth had the best time sitting on the brick wall like humpty dumpty.

In Memory of our Tucker

2009-11-06T19:55:00.001-08:00

Tonight has been a very tough night! Jeff and Tucker were hunting with Jed and Moose (Jeff's best friend and his dog) when Jeff called me and told me that Tucker had been run over. The devastation, loss of a family member to us, and total shock has struck me. Many of you know that since Clara Beth was born, the tears are hard to come by. God has given me some much needed strength, but when I do cry, IT'S SERIOUS! The tears won't stop! Tucker has been in our lives since the first year we got married. He was our first baby and he was a precious dog that just LOVED EVERYONE! Even when he was a BIG BOY ( I mean 75 lbs) he thought he could still sit in my lap and snuggle. Think of the perfect dog and that's my Tucker! The worst part is that Clara Beth LOVES HIM and he's her buddy. I had so hoped that she would have him to grow up with and have to protect her. Please pray for our family and especially Clara Beth because she is not going to understand and we will all truly miss him. Jeff is really struggling with it and is coming home. I know that I will see him again someday in my mansion in heaven! God bless our Tucker Charles!!

Cameron Park

2009-11-05T21:33:00.000-08:00

We met some friends at the park for a picnic lunch on Thursday and it was so much fun. Jennifer, Jeremy, Lily and Ben Cain are some of our new sweet friends and Jennifer invited Clara Beth and I along with Kari and Maci to the park for a picnic. It was so much fun and we had a great time.

Cameron Park Zoo

2009-11-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Last week was a fun filled week. We went to the zoo with Kari and Maci and had the best time. Kari is a very sweet friend and I know God brought the McKown Family into our lives for so many reasons. Kari's little girl, Maci is precious and Clara Beth LOVES her and gives her LOTS of kisses and hugs. Clara's favorite thing to do at the zoo is to slide down the slides. She LOVES sliding!!!

Lily Ashlyn Goza

2009-10-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we did have plans for Clara Beth to go trick or treating with some friends, but God had a surprise for us. Lily was born on Halloween. She is beautiful and absolutely precious. So fun to have another baby in the family. Jeff and I are a very proud Aunt and Uncle. Clara Beth has only gotten to kiss Lily's picture and tell her that she loves her because she had to stay in the waiting room. We are looking forward to Clara getting to see Lily for the first time at Thanksgiving. Congrats to Linsie and Jason and welcome to our family sweet Lily!! God bless you!!!

Clara Beth in the waiting room with Poppy.

Baylor Parade

2009-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Baylor Parade was a blast. We met our new friends, Jeremy, Jennifer, Lily and Ben Cain. Clara Beth had a great time waving and collecting candy and of course, playing with the kids.

The 4 Wheeler

2009-10-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth and I rode the 4 wheeler with our daddy tonight and it was COLD, but we had so much fun! Clara hasn't always been so sure about the 4 wheeler, but tonight she seemed to love it because Tucker was running along side of us and we were waving at the cows and horses.

Getting Some Good Lovin' After Nap

2009-10-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

When Clara Beth wakes up either in the morning or after naptime, she is a snuggler. It's a special time that I cherish especially since we have been a little grumpy lately. Our Clarabear is growing and learning so fast that I feel like I can't get enough pictures....OK, so I do take a lot of pictures and I know Poppy is laughing at that comment, but I feel incredibly blessed that it's my way of showing everyone what God is doing in our lives. The love that God has given us for our Clara Beth is so precious. I think about the incredible love that God has for us and it overwhelms me. Before Clara Beth goes to bed, we pray together and it has been such a special time. I will thank God or pray for someone and Clara will say, "yeah" and then I will go on with our prayer and she will agree by saying, "yeah". This will go on throughout the entire prayer. It's so much fun that she is praying with me. This evening Clara Beth got to talk on the phone with her Nonnie and watch Dora before she went to bed. She was so excited to go up to bed and pray. After we prayed together she said, "AMEN". This brought so much joy to my heart! I know that God is smiling down at her and listening to our prayers. That's an awesome feeling!! I definitely needed that encouragement today! Thank you, Lord!

Snuggling with Grandy after nap.
Kissing Gammy
Mommy loving on Clarabear

Grandy at work, but put the phone down for a second to get a kiss from Clara.

Playing Outside

2009-10-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Clara Beth's FAVORITE thing to do is to play OUTSIDE. The girl is actually saying, "outside" now. It's just really out of control. =) We love it! We feed the fish in pond, water the plants, play with the kitty cats and ride around in either the red car or in her stroller. We can stay busy all day outside. Anyway, this morning we went outside and took some fun pictures.

Clara was pointing to a BIG bird.
This picture is so sweet. She loves flowers.

Our Day At Home

2009-10-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Clara Beth hasn't been feeling the best this week. She has been grumpy and very snuggly, which is bitter sweet. I love snuggling but the grumpiness isn't fun. We stayed home from music and the museum today because I wanted Clara to get some rest and have a mommy/Clara Beth day. We did have a good day at home and I SOOO much cherish my time with her. I just got a new camera that was a birthday/early christmas gift. I'm super excited, so we played with it today.

Poor Clara Beth! We can't seem to get her PJ's to fit!! My mom is probably getting tired of all the alterations.
This is called, BED HEAD!!!! Good morning, sunshine!

Tucker was missing!

2009-10-18T20:44:00.001-07:00

Well, Tucker was missing and we finally decided to look upstairs. Look who was hiding in our bed. I guess he was ready to go to bed, but somehow forgot that he wasn't allowed in our bed. We have the sweetest dog in the whole world! He recently learned how to bring us the newspaper from the end of the driveway. He is so proud of himself that he must have "tuckered" out!

p.s. If your one of our neighbors, sorry if your missing your newspaper!! Tucker can't seem to realize that he is only supposed to pick up our newspaper!!!