Our 2nd Blessing

Yes, it's true!! Our family of 3 will soon be a family of 4!! Darin and I found out about 2 weeks ago that we are pregnant. At this point, we aren't exactly sure how far along we are. When I went for my pregnancy test and they were asking about my last period, they decided that I am probably further along than I thought I was. When I took the pregnancy test, I had just missed my first period so I was assuming that I would have been 5 weeks the following Sunday. But when I told them that my last period was not even a full day long (where it is usually 3-4 days long), they decided that the last one was just a spotting and I was about a month further along than I originally thought; so that put me at 9 weeks instead of 5. I said, "I'll take it!!" It makes for such a llooooonng pregnancy when you find out at 4 weeks!! I have an appointment for the 28th of September. I know I will get my physical that day and I am hoping for an ultrasound to find out EXACTLY how far along I am. As of now, my due date is April 10, 2010. Darin and I both are VERY excited about this new addition. We both know that people are going to look down on us and talk about us because of our living situation and the fact that this child has been concieved out of wedlock. It's not going to bring us down though!! In less than 7 months, we are going to have another baby and Ethan is going to have a little brother or sister!! A baby that we are already falling deeply in love with!!! :-)

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!"

Yesterday was Daddy's birthday and to celebrate we all went out to Casa Grande. While we were there, one of the boys filled one the waiters in on why we were there. The video at the end of this post is of all the waiters singing "Happy Birthday" to him. It was too funny not to share. After Casa Grande we all ran down to Sam's Club to pick up a few things and then all headed back home for some cake. Daddy loves the ice cream cakes so Darin and I picked one up while we were doing our birthday shopping earlier. He had no clue that we got him a cake and I think it was a pleasant surprise for him! Of course, we couldn't go easy on him...we loaded that cake down with 44 candles and made him blow out every one of them!!! LOL.

Hope you had a GREAT birthday, Daddy!! You deserved it!! You're the best and I love you with all my heart!! Love, Shan

"Yue Yights"

I just had to share this with everyone!! Because of Darin working for the Rowan County Sherriff's Dept and being Chief of the East Spencer Fire Dept, Ethan has become FASCINATED with "Cop Cars" and "Fire Trucks". He loves to explore the "cop car" and if Darin is going to the Fire Dept you can bet Ethan won't be far behind him. LoL. Every day that Darin has to work, Ethan is right on his tail, following him around the house while he gets ready. (He can't get over the fact that "Ewin" wears the same clothes to "Wurk" as Pee-Paw.) We've kinda started a little tradition and I've been wanting to take a little video clip of it to share with everyone. I didn't get as good of a clip as I would have liked, but I think you'll get the idea. Ethan walks Darin to his car every day that he works night shift & before Darin leaves, he will always turn the "Yue Yights" on for him. Ethan gets so excited that he can hardly contain himself. Usually, he gets really bouncy and those little arms get to swingin'!! He turns to me and hollars "Yue Yights!! Yue Yights!!". He walks up the grill of the car everytime and tries to stick his little fingers through to touch the lights, then he'll go to the corners and stick his little nose up to the flashing light. Today, he got so excited, he climbed on his little park bench in the flower bed. I had to cut the clip short cause he got so excited about the lights that he took off around the car to inform Darin that the "yue yights" were on and he fell down. Needless to say, it didn't stop him for long. He jumped right back up and took off to Darin..."Yue Yights, Yue Yights!!" I managed to get a couple of pics of the two of them after he climbed in on Darin's lap. Ethan has fallen in love with Darin and quite honestly, I think he's getting to where he prefers Darin over mommy the majority of the time!! I have so enjoyed watching the two of them bond and I hope that the bond that is forming will last many many years!!

(For some reason, my pictures and the video were downloaded backwards. I worked on this for about an hour and couldn't figure out how to reverse it. I'm sure you get the idea though. LoL)

"Splish-Splash"

Within the last week or so, Ethan has figured out how to turn the water in the tub on and off. I have really had to keep my "ears" open for that little "boom" (which would be Ethan falling headfirst into the tub). This morning, I was folding laundry and heard the boom and then the water started running. When I walked around the corner, the bathroom was completely dark and this is what I found. Of course, I had to grab my camera!! He had so much fun!! He was "swimming" all around that tub!! By the time he decided to get out, his diaper was, needless to say, OVERLOADED!! When I went to take his onesie off to get him dried off, the absorbant gel was oozing out of the top of his diaper!! I had a good laugh watching him "swim" around the tub and couldn't resist sharing some of the pics!!

"As Long As I Have You..."

Wow!! Alot has happened since my last post....Father's Day, Birthdays, Ethan's 1st haircut, July Fourth!! But one thing most of you may not know is that I am dating again!! As of May 23rd, I have the best boyfriend a girl could ask for!! Darin and I have known each other since I was about 5 years old, but life lead us both in different directions. We reconnected on Facebook and it's been downhill from there!! And not only did I fall head over heels in love with him, but Ethan has fallen in love with him as well. I couldn't ask for a better relationship between the two of them at this point!! Today he had to run to the Fire Deptartment and to get his haircut; and when he got home he had a dozen roses and one of the sweetest cards I've ever seen!! It's been so long since I've been with someone that cared enough to do something like that for me and I just couldn't resist sharing a few pictures of my beautiful roses!!! ;-)

Darin, Thank you so much for the beautiful roses and for changing mine and Ethan's lives so much over the past 2 months!! I love you more than words can express and as the card said, "As long as I have you" I truly feel like we will be able to get through anything!! I can't wait to see where this path will lead us!! I love you!! XOXO!!!

"Before I Was A Mom..."

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on.

Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body..

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a Mom ...

"Animal Sounds" by Ethan Williams

I love the Saturdays that I don't have to babysit because it gives Ethan and I time together. We never rush out of bed on these mornings and can almost always be found either wrestling around, talking, or cuddling. This past Saturday morning, I was working with him with his animal sounds. He has been doing a doggie since about a year old and we just keep adding on. He can now do a Dog, a Duck, a Monkey, a Frog, and a Cat. At first he was getting the Frog and the Duck confused and would Quack when he would see the Frog. He has a set of Frog bath tub toys so I started using bath time to teach him the difference. I would say, "Ethan, what does a froggy say? Ribbit, Ribbit." He came up with his own version..."Goop, Goop, Goop" He says this anytime he even sees a frog now. He knows what he is saying and he knows what animal it goes with so I haven't pushed the issue. I say "Ribbit, Ribbit" and he repeats "Goop, Goop". Quite frankly, I think it's adorable and when he's older he will get it "right". LOL. Anyways, since we have done this little video, he can now tell you what a Moo Cow says, what a Birdy says, and can show you want a Fishy does. He's a very smart little boy...sometimes too smart for his own good..LOL.

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Til Death Do Us Part

Today would have been David and I's 2nd Wedding anniversary.
David and I met in 2004, but didn't go on our first date until October 7, 2006. I knew that night that I would marry him. I remember going home from our first date, and mom was in the laundry room. I walked in the room and she said, "How did it go?" My response was, "I'm gonna marry him. He doesn't know it yet, but I WILL end married to that boy." I don't think my mom really knew how to reply to that so it was a simple, "Well, we'll see." I didn't know it, but 10 minutes down the road, at his house; David was telling his mom the exact same thing. We were engaged 2 1/2 months later on December 25, 2006; and decided to set the date for 4 months later on the 7th of April.
As a stood at the altar saying my vows to the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, it never occured to me that less than 6 months later, that "til death do us part" part of the vows could come true. I think we all enter our marriages taking for granted that we will be able to celebrate our first anniversary...I know I did. We had already made plans for an anniversary trip and all!! We were going to go back to the Biltimore House, which is where we went for our honeymon. We were going to have little Ethan then and it was going to be our first "family trip". We never got to take that trip...we never got to celebrate our first anniversary.
David and I may have only been married for 3 days shy of 6 months, but it was the best 6 months of my life. We had our ups and downs, just like any other couple, but I loved him with all my heart. The day I said "I Do" had been the happiest day of my life and the day I laid him to rest, the saddest. I learned a lot of things in those 6 months...things I need to change and things I need to keep the same. I do know one thing...if I ever get the chance to be married again, I will take time to "smell the roses". Let me just say from experience that we all tend to get so wrapped up in our lives and what needs to be done from day to day, that we never take the time to slow down and appreciate the people in our lives. Today, why don't you stop and take a minute to tell your significant other how much you love them and how much they mean to you? I had to learn the hard way that there may not be a tomorrow......

"Beep, Beep"

I have been wanting to get Ethan a "car" for quite some time now. Both of our neighbors have one for their children and Ethan just absolutely loves them. The little girl that I keep has one that actually has a little radio and all in it; and everytime she brings it over, they end up fighting over it all day. Tonight I got a knock on my door from one of our neighbors, and when I answered it, she informed me that she had a car for me. I just looked at her and thought...."Why would you be giving me a car?". She must have thought it was funny because she started to laugh and said, "It's for Ethan." Then I knew what she was talking about. I got really excited!! She said that one of the neighbors of the lady she works for was getting rid of a bunch of toys and stuff and she saw this in his trash pile. She quickly retrieved it and brought it to Ethan. Of course, it needed a little cleaning up, but when Ethan woke up from his nap and saw his car sitting in the kitchen, his little eyes lit up and he quickly climbed inside. He has played with his "new" car all evening, saying "beep, beep" as he pushes the horn. I can't believe that someone was just going to throw this car away!! Thanks so much for thinking of Ethan, Megan. It really made his day!!

All Tuckered Out...

These were just too cute not to share. I should have posted them before the corndog pics, but I didn't think about it until I had already posted that last post. Ethan and I were trying to get ready to leave Sunday afternoon to meet family for lunch. He was so sleepy and wanted me to sit down with him so bad. He was pulling on my legs and crying ( you know how they do when they want your attention ); so I decided I would sit down with him for a minute. About the time I got sat down with him and he got comfortable, I thought of something that needed to be done before we left, so I sat him down in the rocker and said, "Hang on, baby. Mommy be right back." I went to do whatever it was that needed to be done and when I came back around the corner to sit down with him, this is what I found....PRICELESS!!

For The Love Of A Corndog!!

Yesterday was such a BEAUTIFUL day!! Ethan and I got up and met his Grandma Jane, Aunt Alysha, Uncle Adam, and Cousin Abriana for lunch. After we had lunch we decided to run to Wal-Mart and then go back to their house. Well, Grandpa Chuck had different plans and we all ended up and Dan Nicholas Park!! It was so much fun. We let the kids ride the "horsey's", visited the Petting Zoo, and then the other Zoo. Finally, we were all tuckered out and headed to the concession stand to grab a little snack and something to drink. I got a corndog, a large water, and a bag of duck food; and off to the lake we went. When we got down to the lake, I sat Ethan up on the brick wall while I got everything situated. When I looked at him, I just couldn't resist taking a few pictures of him. His grandpa had bought him a Conductor's Hat at the Train Station, but it was much too big for his head, so he was wearing it sideways. And his clothes are mismatched because he decided to take a head first dive into a mud puddle at the bottom of a slide. He was a mess!! But still the cutest little thing!!

David's Birthday

Today would have been David's 23rd birthday and I just wanted to share a few photos of him in his younger years. He was only about a month old in the first one and I'm not 100% sure about ages in the others, but I'm sure you can put a round about age to them. Today has really been a struggle for me and I think that I've been struggling more for Jane than for myself. You don't truly understand a mother's love until you have been a mother yourself. I cannot imagine carrying a child under my heart 9 months, feeling every little kick or hiccup, then being in labor for hours to give birth that child. Then spending the next 21 years loving him and caring for him. Nursing him when he is sick, singing him to sleep, making so many memories with him, just to have him ripped away within a moment's time. I could never fully understand why my mom had such a hard time on Andrew's birthday after he passed, but now I know exactly what she meant. They say that there is no love like a Mother's love and that is so true. But you don't realize it until you are a Mother yourself. Please keep Jane in your prayers. I called her at work this morning to check on her and she seemed to be holding up well, but you could hear the hurt and emptiness in her voice. I have only had Ethan for 14 months, but just the thought of losing him right now literally makes me sick to my stomach. I just can't fathom being in her shoes. I didn't give birth to David and only had him for one of his birthdays, she did give birth to him and had him for 21.... There is no comparison.

Mommy's Cookie Monster

I got in the mood yesterday afternoon to make some sugar cookies. I managed to get the dough mixed and cut before Ethan decided that he wanted to be right there with me. I sat him up in the booster seat at the table and set my wire cooling racks on the table in front of him (if you've ever been in my apartment, you know I have absolutely NO counter space, so normally I end up having to use the table as well as all of my counter space.) As I pulled the cookies out of the oven and placed them on the racks to cool, I was saying to Ethan, "Hot. Don't touch, Ethan. Hot." He leaned up and started blowing them to cool them off. I kept repeating myself as I turned to go to the closet and grab something to clean off my counters. I didn't think he would touch them since I had told him they were hot, but when I got back around the corner, he was sticking his little fingers in them. As the crumbs would hit the table and cool, he would shove them in his mouth. I thought it was so cute and decided I would share these pics with you. The first pic is of him blowing on the cookies to cool them. I just love the way he puckers his little lips...LOL.

Ethan's Boo-Boo

This is probably an odd post, but I just couldn't resist sharing these pictures with you. Early yesterday afternoon, Ethan was in my room waiting on me to get ready to leave. He bent over to pick something up and hit his little head on a corner on my desk. Of course mommy freaked out worse than he did, but quickly came to the rescue. I just had to thank God!! ...Just another half an inch or so and it could have been his little eye, and not his head, that got the damage. After a cold rag and an ice pack combined with a little bit of mommy's love, he was back to his old self. After his bath last night, I decided to put a little bit of children't neosporin plus pain and a band-aid on it to help with the healing process. I have seen neosporin advertised to help with scars as well as healing so I decided to try it out. I really didn't think that he would leave it on for long, but decided to give it a shot. He actually did very well with it!! I had to change the band-aid once and that was because I decided to be nosey and took the first one off to check it out. Anyways, about 1:15 a.m. I was finally able to get a few pictures of him with his band-aid on. Yes, he was still up and right on my heels at 1:15 a.m.!!! He has gotten to where he won't go to bed without mommy, so he was following me around the apartment while I got all my cleaning done. He was laying on the bed watching me get my room cleaned up when I took these. I just recently figured out that I have a black & white setting on my camera and I LOVE IT!! I just had to take some in black & white. I just love all the little faces that he makes and he decided to make a few for me while I was taking these pictures. Hope ya'll enjoy them!!

"God's Mouth Is On The Trumpet"

My mom just called about 15-20 minutes ago to inform of something that happened today. Allen's girlfriend called and shared this story with him. It is a true story that just happened today to a friend of Allen's girlfriend and I wanted to share it with you.
She said she was driving down Dale Earnhardt Blvd when she passed a homeless man walking down the side of the road. She said that as she passed him, she felt very strongly that she needed to turn around and go get him. So that's exactly what she did-she turned around and went back to pick him up. She said he climbed in the backseat and was extremely quiet. She asked him if everything was alright and he simply stated, "God's Mouth Is On The Trumpet". She said, "What?" and he repeated, "God's Mouth Is On The Trumpet". She turned to look at him and he was gone. She said she was so shaken up by the experience that she pulled over on the side of the road. Not too long after, a police pulled in behind her and approached her window. He asked her if everything was alright. She told him "no" and then told him about what had just happened. The police then told her that this was the SEVENTH time in the past week that this had happened and to sit there as long as she needed to.
When my mom called, I was sitting on the couch with Ethan on my lap. I was flipping through the TV channels and he was drinking his bottle, dozing off for the night. I quickly turned off the TV and sat there for about 10 minutes just thinking about things. I have been having very strong feelings lately and this story just confirmed things for me.
It was about 6 months ago, I had gotten Ethan ready for bed and was getting ready to make his bottle when I realized that I had left the formula in the car. I simply put on my coat and slipped out the door thinking that Ethan was in the living room and would be okay until I got back in. When I came back in, I made his bottle and went to get him. He was gone. I couldn't find him anywhere!! Now you have to remember that I live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen, and living room apartment. You can actually stand in my living room and see into every room in the apartment. I looked EVERYWHERE and could not find him. I went from room to room and back to room to room. I was in a panic and the only thing I could think was that the rapture had taken place and I had been left behind. That threw me into even more of a panic. I did eventually find him. He was sitting in a corner in his room with his basket of books laid on its side. It was hiding him perfectly.
Then just a couple months ago, my mom and I had to run to LOWE's. She was there to pick up something that had been left earlier and also to purchase something else. She asked me to run to the service desk and take care of one thing while she went to the self-checkout to take care of the second thing. I finished up before she did and headed towards the register where she was checking out. I saw her bend down to pick something up, but she never stood back up. She just disappeared. My walk quickened as I headed towards where she just was at. She wasn't there so I began to scan the crowd. Finally I saw her. She had finished her purchase and was headed toward the service desk to catch up with me. Once again, the first thing that hit me was that the rapture had taken place and it sent me into a panic.
Ever since those two incidents, I have been feeling more and more that the end is getting closer. I wake up MULTIPLE times during the night in a complete panic because I reach for Ethan and he isn't in the spot that I thought he was. Throughout the day, I catch myself hollaring for Ethan because I can't seem to find him, all the while he is right under my feet. The fear of the rapture taking place and me getting left behind has been almost overwhelming lately. I haven't talked to anyone about it, but decided tonight to ask you all to pray for me. I have struggled for many years with Church and God. I was doing better around the time that David and I met and he actually told me that one of the things that attracted him to me was the fact that I was different. He could tell just by talking to me and being around me that there was something different about me-something that he wanted a part of. David did a lot of changing in the months that we were together. He told me at one point that he had never had a Bible and he really wanted one. The next day, I went out and got him a Bible and had his name engraved on it. He loved that Bible and after we were married, I would come home from work at night and he would be laying in the living room floor reading it. In fact, I opened it up today and it is still marked at Genesis 18-19. That's as far as he got, but he had such a hunger. He just couldn't get enough. I remember going to Church one Sunday and the preacher talked about Adam and Eve. He leaned over and wanted to know who Adam and Eve were. I told him to wait until after Church and I would explain. He got angry with me because he didn't want to wait. He wanted me to tell him right then and there. He did wait though and after Church, I told him the story of Adam and Eve. Another night, he wanted to know where to find the 10 Commandments. I told him I didn't know for sure, but I would find it for him, so I sat down that night and using the Concordance in the back of his Bible, I found it for him. I remember him taking the Bible from me and reading the 10 Commandments. He was in awe that it was there and he was able to read it for himself. He told me later that he had wanted to ask where to find it for a long time, but felt stupid because he didn't know much about the Bible. I told him to never feel stupid to ask me questions about the Bible, that if I didn't know where to find it, we would find someone that did. David didn't like to talk about death, but a couple weeks before he passed, he made the comment to me and one of his long-time friends "I don't want to die, but when I do, I know where I'm going!" He was so sure of where he would spend eternity. Here was a guy that didn't even know about Adam and Eve when we met, but less than a year later knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where he would spend eternity. I feel deep in my heart that David DID make it to Heaven and the only reason he did was because he saw something different in the girl that worked at Mr. Pocket's Deli in Rockwell.
Since David's death, I have become so bitter and angry. I am bitter and angry because God took the man that I loved more than life itself. He took my baby's daddy and it doesn't seem like I will ever have my whole life back. I don't want to go to church anymore and 9 times out of 10, I don't. I am so ashamed of myself for letting myself get to this point. I don't want to miss Heaven and I surely don't want to be the reason that someone else misses it. My desire to walk with the Lord and make it to Heaven is strong. There are lots of things that I am confused about, but want to do the best I can in my walk in this life. I want to be that mother (if the Lord does decide to wait years and years to return) whose kids will look back and admire me for my walk with the Lord. I want to be that mommy that when my kids need prayer, they have the faith to come to me because they know my prayers will go higher than the ceiling. I am asking that all of you please say a prayer for me. Pray that I can completely let go of my bitterness and anger. Pray that I am able to find answers within myself. Pray that I am able to find peace with what has happened in my life. And please don't pray only for me...Pray for my Dad, and my brothers. My dad has struggled with similar problems as me for years. Please pray that his eyes will be opened before it is too late. Thank you everyone in advance for your prayers. I know that many of you are prayer warriors and I need all the prayer I can get to keep me on the straight and narrow. May God Bless You All.

Snowy Fun

I'm a little late posting this, but figured I would go ahead and post it anyways. Monday, when we had all that snow, Ethan and I got in the car and went over to his Grandparents to play in the snow. They really don't have any hills to sled on, but Grandpa Chuck got up early that morning and went and got a sled anyways. He would put each one of the grandkids in and pull them around the yard. Abriana didn't seem to mind it, but Ethan was having no part of it!! Towards the end of our play time, someone got the idea to sled down the embankment by the road, so that's what we did. Adam (David's brother) went first with his little girl, Abriana; and then Grandpa Chuck took Ethan down. He wasn't happy at all about it!! Later in the day, I took Ethan back out and gave the sled ride another try. This was the only way I could ge him to ride-to lay him down in the sled. Grandma Jane and Aunt Alysha was watching us from the window and when we got back in the house, Aunt Alysha was laughing so hard, she was almost crying!! Hope you enjoy the little video. If you listen REALLY close, you can hear him start crying again once the ride is over. LoL!!!

Frustrated!!!

Well, it has been a few days over a week since I told all of you that I was getting ready to start my "new year's resolution" a few months late; and needless to say, I am very frustrated!!! The first week went really well and when I weighed on Monday, the scales showed me losing 10 pounds!! I was very excited, but wasn't quite sure if I trusted my scales. I mean, 10 pounds is a little much for just one week, right? Well, I guess you're probably trying to figure out what I'm so frustrated over, huh? You're probably thinking, "Man, if I could loose 10 pounds you wouldn't be hearing ME complain!!" I'm frustrated because food has been "calling my name" all week and I've been giving in!!! If I'm not careful I'm going to have everything I've lost regained!!! Please say a prayer for me when you think about it!!! This week has been a realy struggle for me and I need all the prayers I can get. Thanks so much all my fellow bloggers!!

Starting My New Year's Resolution Almost 3 Months Late!!!

Well, New Year's has come and gone; and if you're anything like me, you haven't even started what you said you wanted to accomplish!! My New Year's resolution was to loss at least 20 pounds. I am still carrying around the extra burden of baby weight and desperately need to do something about it. I figured if I decided to tell you all about it, then I might be a little more movitated to start and actually stick to it!! So tomorrow will be day number one in my weight loss journey. I don't really have a certain time frame in which I want to loss it, I just want to get rid of the extra baggage. If you think about me from time to time, please say a little "encouragement" prayer for me--I tend to give in to temptation when I hear food calling my name!!!
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!

Home At Last!!

Well, I'm a little late updating everyone. We have been home since about 4 p.m. Saturday.



We left New York around 9:15 a.m. Friday morning and headed to Dingsman Ferry, P.A. Jane has a sister and brother-in-law there that were begging us to stay one night!! We did a little sight-seeing on the way, so didn't arrive at their house until around noon. Jane ran out with Ann while Ethan and I took a much needed nap, and then headed outside to play in the snow!! Ann was able to borrow a snow suit and little sled for Ethan; so he tolerated it a little better this time. After supper, we all headed out for Dan's (Ann and Mike's son) basketball game. Not too long after returning home, Ethan and I fell asleep for the night on the couch.



We were up bright and early on Saturday morning-5 a.m. and were on the road by a quater to 6. Traffic was a lot heavier than it was on the way up so it took quite a bit longer than we thought it would to get home....of course, getting pulled over by the P.A. Police didn't exactly speed things up for us!! We arrived safe and sound around 4 p.m. and in the words of Dorothy on the Wizard of Oz....."There's no place like home!!"

P.S. I was hoping to post a few pics from the trip, but I seem to have lost the USB cable that I need to download them. Look for pictures in the near future.

We've arrived...

Just a quick update to let everyone know that we made it to New York safe and sound. I picked Jane up at 4:00 yesterday morning and after stopping to fill up the gas tank, we were on our way. We got here around 3:00 yesterday afternoon. I only slept for about an hour Sunday night so, needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED by the time we got here. Jane drove for about an hour while I tried to take a quick nap, but Ethan wasn't having any of it!! I think I probably only got to sleep for maybe 15-20 minutes. There was lots of family in and out all night, but that didn't stop Ethan and I from climbing up into the love seat and going to sleep!! I think we fell asleep around 7 p.m. and SLEPT ALL NIGHT LONG!! And just in case your wondering, yes, someone did grab the camera!!!

It has been snowing non-stop since about 5 o'clock last night. There is probably a good 6 six inches of freshly fallen snow this morning (and it's still coming down), that's not counting the foot of snow that was already on the ground when we got here. Jane and I bundled Ethan up after we got here yesterday and took him out for just a few minutes. He wasn't too impressed, but did tolerate it long enough for mommy to get some pictures of him in the snow for the first time.

Please continue to pray for the family. Everyone is holding up fairly well, but there are times when they break down. Just a few minutes ago, while I was sitting here typing this blog entry; Jane was in the bathroom blow drying her hair. I could hear her sobbing. I went in a wrapped my arm around her and just let her cry. I can't imagine losing my mom!! The pain must be close to unbearable to lose the person that gave you life, that nurtured you, and loved you for all those years!! My mom is my best friend. She has been there for me through thick and thin; and I don't even want to think about having to say good-bye forever.

The service will be tomorrow night. The viewing will be from 6 p.m.-8p.m.; and afterwards will be the "funeral service". It was Grandma Montanye's wish to be cremated, and that wish will be fulfilled. There will be a luncheon on Thursday morning in her memory and after the sprinkling of her ashes, all services will be concluded. I think sometime Friday, we will be heading over to her house to help get things cleaned out. I ask that you pray for them that day. I'm sure that day will be very overwhelming for them.

Well, I'm going to go. My child is into everything around here, and has disappeared. He has lots of willing and capable baby-sitters, but I don't want to leave him for too long. I will let everyone know when we are home!! And Thank You in adance for all of your prayers!!

Please Pray...

Jane (David' mom, my mother-in-law) called around 10:30 this morning to tell me that her mother (David's grandma and Ethan's great-grandma) had a brain anuryism burst yesterday and had been in the hospital all night on life-support. According to what we have been told, she was in the kitchen sometime yesterday baking and dropped her glasses. As she bent over to pick them up, the anurysim burst. Her husband found her and quickly called 911. They were told late last night that there was no brain activity and there was nothing more they could do for her. They turned the machines off this afternoon around 1:00 p.m. and we received the call around 1:20 that she had passed. Needless to say, Jane is very upset. She has lost her son and now her mother, in less than a year and a half. Ethan and I will be picking her up around 4 a.m. and heading to Newark, New York to attend the viewing and funeral. We will be returning either Saturday or Sunday. Please keep us in your prayers as we make this trip. I am hoping that since we are leaving so early in the morning, that Ethan will sleep most of the way. A 12-13 hour trip can be extremely exhausting for a 1 year old. We made a trip to Michigan about 6-7 months ago and he did extremely well, but he's a little older now with the knowledge that he can move around!! Anyways, please say a prayer for us from time to time when you think about it. And please remember the family during this difficult time.

New To Blogging!!

Well, I've been debating starting a blog for some time now. Mom has a blog and it seems like she has a lot of fun with it. She has told me several times that I need to open an account and start blogging, so I'm gonna try it out for a while!! I actually created my account about 6 months ago so I could leave comments on my aunts blog as she travelled to China to bring home the newest addition to the family; but I never did anymore with it. I couldn't sleep tonight, so I decided that I would try to get it started. I'm still trying to figure it all out though, so PLEASE BE PATIENT!!!