whew! where to start?!
7 years ago
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
River Oaks Elementary
We took Andrew to the River Oaks Elementary Park this evening. We had driven past it a million times, but never remembered to go there for some reason. There are three different playgrounds so there was plenty to do. Andrew had so much fun especially going down the fireman pole!! We will definitely be adding this to our list of parks to visit! I can't believe it took us this long to try it out.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Boys will be Boys
This evening, we went over to the Armstrongs' house since we haven't gotten together in a while. The boys had a great time playing with one another riding around in the backyard and wrestling. And of course, it was great to get to catch up with Linda and Ryan. We don't get to near do it enough.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Day Out With Thomas 2011
A few weeks ago, Andrew kept bringing up that he wanted to go back to Thomas Day Out. He always mentions it sporadically, but he's been saying it a lot more lately. Originally, we hadn't planned on going since it would be soon after having Matthew and told him that we probably wouldn't go. In secret, we had talked about James possibly taking Andrew by himself while I stayed at home with Matthew. But with the circumstances changed now, we started up the conversation again and thought it might a good idea to take him especially since he has been so wonderful the last few months.
Since we had our soccer game yesterday morning, we decided to just drive up to Austin after the game and hang out. We wanted to go first thing in the morning today so we could beat some of the crowd. It was a much nicer day in terms of weather compared to two years ago when it was rainy and ugly out. It was perfectly sunny and not too hot.
Having done this before, James and I planned to be better this time about being more efficient. James would take him around if I needed to wait in line. So, once we got there, we got our tickets for the first available train ride. But while we waited for our designated time to depart, we went to story time.
We saw the line was short for Sir Topham Hatt so we jumped in and had a short wait. Andrew was very cute about standing there with him giving us his fake "cheese" smile.
Andrew loved riding Thomas again. I think he loves riding any train, but it was a little more special that it was Thomas. He just looked outside the whole time and would tell us what he saw.
We took Andrew to Imagination Station where he got a Thomas tattoo, colored, and then enjoyed playing trains. They also had an inflatable bouncy house in the shape of a train and Andrew ran through that a few times. After, Andrew said he wanted to play with more trains in Imagination Station so we took him back for a little while before we left to head back to Austin.
It was a fun morning. I am glad we got to take Andrew and he had a really nice time so it was definitely worth the trip.
Since we had our soccer game yesterday morning, we decided to just drive up to Austin after the game and hang out. We wanted to go first thing in the morning today so we could beat some of the crowd. It was a much nicer day in terms of weather compared to two years ago when it was rainy and ugly out. It was perfectly sunny and not too hot.
Having done this before, James and I planned to be better this time about being more efficient. James would take him around if I needed to wait in line. So, once we got there, we got our tickets for the first available train ride. But while we waited for our designated time to depart, we went to story time.
We saw the line was short for Sir Topham Hatt so we jumped in and had a short wait. Andrew was very cute about standing there with him giving us his fake "cheese" smile.
Andrew loved riding Thomas again. I think he loves riding any train, but it was a little more special that it was Thomas. He just looked outside the whole time and would tell us what he saw.
We took Andrew to Imagination Station where he got a Thomas tattoo, colored, and then enjoyed playing trains. They also had an inflatable bouncy house in the shape of a train and Andrew ran through that a few times. After, Andrew said he wanted to play with more trains in Imagination Station so we took him back for a little while before we left to head back to Austin.
It was a fun morning. I am glad we got to take Andrew and he had a really nice time so it was definitely worth the trip.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Happy 43rd Month Birthday
Happy 43rd Month Birthday to Andrew!!
Andrew's sentences get better and even funnier. Sometimes at naps, he'll yell from his room, "I sleep upstairs. You wait for me to come back down." Quite a bit, he says "I don't have this one before" or "I don't have this for a really long time" especially when it comes to toys. Drew is also getting a little more attitude and will tell us very firmly "I do it myself" or "No, I don't!" He also likes to say "next time" a lot like we should do something or eat something "next time". He will also give us the responses "yup" and "nope", but we keep reiterating "yes, please", "yes, ma'am/sir", or "yes, Mommy/Daddy". He is getting really good when asking for something and asking "May I...?" Drew is also been saying "I sorry" more and more espcially before I can reprimand for something he did wrong.
And we must watch too much weather news on TV because Andrew once said "I watch rain storms" when they were talking about Hurricane Irene. Additionally, Andrew has been adding the "-y" to words like "I go poopy" or "I want my blankey". He will also tell us "my tummy hurt", "I'm sick", or "I'm not feeling good."
Andrew also likes to tell us "I don't want to go to school", but doesn't give us too much trouble when we tell him he has to go. And then, he will end up having a great time and want to do it again. It was the same with gymnastics! Punk!
Drew has always been a big fan of Jesus Loves Me and This is the Day, but lately, I hear him singing it all the time. It really does fill my heart with joy that he is learning to love God and Jesus. On the other side of it, he still likes Last Friday Night. He also loves the Fireman Sam theme and likes all four versions I have found on youtube.
Andrew is more into my smartphone playing Angry Birds and a train game where you draw tracks with your fingers as well as coloring in an app called Zebra Paint. He has also been playing Moron Test which I downloaded for Cara and Emma and memorizes the answers. His favorite part is building the snowman. He also likes to watch me play Words with Friends and will try to put letters on the board and proceed to tell me it's a word.
He loves to eat oranges. But he is quickly becoming more of a carnivore. Andrew will still eat his fruits and vegetables, but meat usually makes up most of his meals with maybe the exception of noodles. He loves to interject that meat will make him "grow big and strong". For breakfast, he usually asks for Eggo waffles and Toaster Strudel.
Our resident outdoorsman constantly asks to go to the park and in particular, ones with fireman poles. He'll even ask for some by name such as Fire Truck Park, Pumpkin Park, Cherryhurst Park and the Civic Center. Since it's not as hot anymore, we've been trying to oblige him. Andrew continues to enjoy soccer and talks about how many goal he has scored. We try to tell him it's not just about scoring goals, but just that he try his best.
He's really into his body lately telling us things like "I need to brush my teeth" or how his boo boos are "healing and getting better".
Andrew is becoming more and more independent. He has gotten better at dressing himself. Also, he is able to open the car doors from both the inside and outside. He has also learned to unbuckle the buckle that goes across his chest in his car seat. And gratefully, he is getting much better at telling us when he has to go to the potty; and we are having much less accidents.
Drew talks a lot about the holidays mainly about they are going to be. The ones he talks about the most are Halloween, Christmas, and his birthday. He will want to talk about what costume he wants for Halloween (firefighter is the front runner), what theme/decorations he wants for the Christmas tree (train, Longhorns, Disney, and fire trucks), and what theme he wants for his birthday party (fire trucks pirates, and airplanes).
Our LEGO maniac still enjoys building things over and over again. I think he actually plays with LEGOs more than trains now, but probably not as much as fire trucks. Andrew is still working on putting them together per the instructions. Usually we do one side and tell him to do the same to the other side basically mirroring what we do. But is getting better and better about free building things like trains, cars, and trucks. He usually will ask us "you help me?" like if he is having problems snapping the pieces together.
One of his favorite things to play is firefighters. Andrew will put on his fireman uniform and I will wear the helmet. Then, we will pretend the couches are the fire trucks or ambulances and answer an emergency call. We will run to the coffee table or other couch and pretend to put out the fire or rescue stuffed animals that are trapped in the fire. Then, we will take them to the hospital.
The artist in him has been drawing airports with control towers, fuel tankers, luggage carts. He will draw trains along with train stations, signals, and tracks. He learned how to draw flowers after I showed him to draw them for Ngoai's birthday card. Drew draws fire stations with fire trucks and can write out "fire" as I spell it out for him. He is also drawing beaches, houses with garages (usually ours), and sometimes his school (with a cross on top). We have been working on his letters either on blank paper, worksheets from the internet, or a workbook we brought; and he is doing really good with writing them.
Andrew has been asking to take more trips. He will tell us who he wants to go visit and where they live. He knows that Anh Thu lives in Vegas, Nonna in San Antonio, and Granddad, Uncle John and Uncle Foo live in Austin. Then, Drew will ask why they live far away and usually tell him it's where they work to keep it simple for him.
Drew is getting acclimated to the new school year and seems to be loving it. He tells me that he plays on the playground and in the sandbox. And he seems to be learning the names of his classmates. Usually every morning, he will ask if it's a short day (Monday) or a long day (the rest of the week). He likes Mondays because he doesn't have to sleep at school.
Andrew still is fighting sleep especially naps now. He will even tell us "No take nap. I go to bed early." But when we do try to put him down for bed no matter what time it is, he will always try to stall. He is getting pretty bad about yelling "I love you!" and telling us that he is either hungry or thirsty. And he will say that he is "really hungry" and "really thirsty". When he finally settles down, he makes sure he has Matty Bear.
My sweet boy has been saying "I love you" a lot more and on his own too, especially when we are dropping him off at school and of course, at night before bed. I don't like when he does it at night as a stall tactic, but usually he is just being sweet and I love it.
Andrew still misses his little brother as we all do. He mainly asks us "When Matthew come back?" We just tell him that Matthew is in Heaven and he won't be able to come back. He will also say that "Matthew in Heaven with Jesus." He is still asking questions and trying to understand, but we know it will take time. We have been so proud of him in how he is handling everything. It really amazes me how resilient he is.
Anyways, Happy 43rd Birthday, Andrew! We love you so much!! Thank you for all the joy and love you bring to our lives!
Here are some more shots from this morning's soccer game.
Andrew's sentences get better and even funnier. Sometimes at naps, he'll yell from his room, "I sleep upstairs. You wait for me to come back down." Quite a bit, he says "I don't have this one before" or "I don't have this for a really long time" especially when it comes to toys. Drew is also getting a little more attitude and will tell us very firmly "I do it myself" or "No, I don't!" He also likes to say "next time" a lot like we should do something or eat something "next time". He will also give us the responses "yup" and "nope", but we keep reiterating "yes, please", "yes, ma'am/sir", or "yes, Mommy/Daddy". He is getting really good when asking for something and asking "May I...?" Drew is also been saying "I sorry" more and more espcially before I can reprimand for something he did wrong.
And we must watch too much weather news on TV because Andrew once said "I watch rain storms" when they were talking about Hurricane Irene. Additionally, Andrew has been adding the "-y" to words like "I go poopy" or "I want my blankey". He will also tell us "my tummy hurt", "I'm sick", or "I'm not feeling good."
Andrew also likes to tell us "I don't want to go to school", but doesn't give us too much trouble when we tell him he has to go. And then, he will end up having a great time and want to do it again. It was the same with gymnastics! Punk!
Drew has always been a big fan of Jesus Loves Me and This is the Day, but lately, I hear him singing it all the time. It really does fill my heart with joy that he is learning to love God and Jesus. On the other side of it, he still likes Last Friday Night. He also loves the Fireman Sam theme and likes all four versions I have found on youtube.
Andrew is more into my smartphone playing Angry Birds and a train game where you draw tracks with your fingers as well as coloring in an app called Zebra Paint. He has also been playing Moron Test which I downloaded for Cara and Emma and memorizes the answers. His favorite part is building the snowman. He also likes to watch me play Words with Friends and will try to put letters on the board and proceed to tell me it's a word.
He loves to eat oranges. But he is quickly becoming more of a carnivore. Andrew will still eat his fruits and vegetables, but meat usually makes up most of his meals with maybe the exception of noodles. He loves to interject that meat will make him "grow big and strong". For breakfast, he usually asks for Eggo waffles and Toaster Strudel.
Our resident outdoorsman constantly asks to go to the park and in particular, ones with fireman poles. He'll even ask for some by name such as Fire Truck Park, Pumpkin Park, Cherryhurst Park and the Civic Center. Since it's not as hot anymore, we've been trying to oblige him. Andrew continues to enjoy soccer and talks about how many goal he has scored. We try to tell him it's not just about scoring goals, but just that he try his best.
He's really into his body lately telling us things like "I need to brush my teeth" or how his boo boos are "healing and getting better".
Andrew is becoming more and more independent. He has gotten better at dressing himself. Also, he is able to open the car doors from both the inside and outside. He has also learned to unbuckle the buckle that goes across his chest in his car seat. And gratefully, he is getting much better at telling us when he has to go to the potty; and we are having much less accidents.
Drew talks a lot about the holidays mainly about they are going to be. The ones he talks about the most are Halloween, Christmas, and his birthday. He will want to talk about what costume he wants for Halloween (firefighter is the front runner), what theme/decorations he wants for the Christmas tree (train, Longhorns, Disney, and fire trucks), and what theme he wants for his birthday party (fire trucks pirates, and airplanes).
Our LEGO maniac still enjoys building things over and over again. I think he actually plays with LEGOs more than trains now, but probably not as much as fire trucks. Andrew is still working on putting them together per the instructions. Usually we do one side and tell him to do the same to the other side basically mirroring what we do. But is getting better and better about free building things like trains, cars, and trucks. He usually will ask us "you help me?" like if he is having problems snapping the pieces together.
One of his favorite things to play is firefighters. Andrew will put on his fireman uniform and I will wear the helmet. Then, we will pretend the couches are the fire trucks or ambulances and answer an emergency call. We will run to the coffee table or other couch and pretend to put out the fire or rescue stuffed animals that are trapped in the fire. Then, we will take them to the hospital.
The artist in him has been drawing airports with control towers, fuel tankers, luggage carts. He will draw trains along with train stations, signals, and tracks. He learned how to draw flowers after I showed him to draw them for Ngoai's birthday card. Drew draws fire stations with fire trucks and can write out "fire" as I spell it out for him. He is also drawing beaches, houses with garages (usually ours), and sometimes his school (with a cross on top). We have been working on his letters either on blank paper, worksheets from the internet, or a workbook we brought; and he is doing really good with writing them.
Andrew has been asking to take more trips. He will tell us who he wants to go visit and where they live. He knows that Anh Thu lives in Vegas, Nonna in San Antonio, and Granddad, Uncle John and Uncle Foo live in Austin. Then, Drew will ask why they live far away and usually tell him it's where they work to keep it simple for him.
Drew is getting acclimated to the new school year and seems to be loving it. He tells me that he plays on the playground and in the sandbox. And he seems to be learning the names of his classmates. Usually every morning, he will ask if it's a short day (Monday) or a long day (the rest of the week). He likes Mondays because he doesn't have to sleep at school.
Andrew still is fighting sleep especially naps now. He will even tell us "No take nap. I go to bed early." But when we do try to put him down for bed no matter what time it is, he will always try to stall. He is getting pretty bad about yelling "I love you!" and telling us that he is either hungry or thirsty. And he will say that he is "really hungry" and "really thirsty". When he finally settles down, he makes sure he has Matty Bear.
My sweet boy has been saying "I love you" a lot more and on his own too, especially when we are dropping him off at school and of course, at night before bed. I don't like when he does it at night as a stall tactic, but usually he is just being sweet and I love it.
Andrew still misses his little brother as we all do. He mainly asks us "When Matthew come back?" We just tell him that Matthew is in Heaven and he won't be able to come back. He will also say that "Matthew in Heaven with Jesus." He is still asking questions and trying to understand, but we know it will take time. We have been so proud of him in how he is handling everything. It really amazes me how resilient he is.
Anyways, Happy 43rd Birthday, Andrew! We love you so much!! Thank you for all the joy and love you bring to our lives!
Here are some more shots from this morning's soccer game.
Time with the Cousins
Immediately after the soccer game, we drove straight to Uncle John's house in Austin to spend the rest of the afternoon with them before going to Uncle Foo's.
The cousins had a great time. Kathryn and Andrew played a lot in the backyard on the swing set. Later, all of them played some soccer and hung out in the front yard going for rides on the scooters and wagon.
It was a great time had by all. We had a nice time too catching with the family. Peter and Kathryn are so good to Andrew. And he idolizes both of them and loves them dearly. Makes my heart melt.
The cousins had a great time. Kathryn and Andrew played a lot in the backyard on the swing set. Later, all of them played some soccer and hung out in the front yard going for rides on the scooters and wagon.
It was a great time had by all. We had a nice time too catching with the family. Peter and Kathryn are so good to Andrew. And he idolizes both of them and loves them dearly. Makes my heart melt.
YMCA Fall 2012 Soccer Week 2: Team Seattle @ New England
This morning was our second week of soccer. Daddy and Coach Gray started off with drills like the kids pretending they were trains and the Hokey Pokey.
Ngoai and Papa spent the night so they could come watch the game too. It was Ngoai's first game since she usually has to work Saturday mornings. She and Papa did have to leave early so she could make an appointment with her customer.
At the start of the game, Andrew said he was tired and didn't want to play. So, we asked him to play goalie thinking he wouldn't have to run very much. Then, he said he was tired and didn't want to play anymore. But we were short players so we told him to keep playing and he did! Sure enough, he ended up scoring!! But later one, he scored an own goal too. At the last minute though, he scored another goal.
We joked that there was a total of six goals scored by both teams and Andrew scored half of them!!
Ngoai and Papa spent the night so they could come watch the game too. It was Ngoai's first game since she usually has to work Saturday mornings. She and Papa did have to leave early so she could make an appointment with her customer.
At the start of the game, Andrew said he was tired and didn't want to play. So, we asked him to play goalie thinking he wouldn't have to run very much. Then, he said he was tired and didn't want to play anymore. But we were short players so we told him to keep playing and he did! Sure enough, he ended up scoring!! But later one, he scored an own goal too. At the last minute though, he scored another goal.
We joked that there was a total of six goals scored by both teams and Andrew scored half of them!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Tom's 3rd Birthday Party
We had been invited to Tom's 3rd birthday party this afternoon. Mrs. Rose had created an airplane theme, which was really awesome and Andrew was totally into it.
Andrew played with Tom's toys mainly the cars and trains. And Tom has a ride on train too so Andrew wanted to go for a few rides on that. He was great about waiting his turn--with a little assistance from me though.
We had speech therapy at 5pm so we had to leave early, but we had a fun time and met some new friends. I am so bummed I didn't take more photos including one of the birthday boy.
Happy Birthday, Tom!! We are so glad we could be there at your party!
Andrew played with Tom's toys mainly the cars and trains. And Tom has a ride on train too so Andrew wanted to go for a few rides on that. He was great about waiting his turn--with a little assistance from me though.
We had speech therapy at 5pm so we had to leave early, but we had a fun time and met some new friends. I am so bummed I didn't take more photos including one of the birthday boy.
Happy Birthday, Tom!! We are so glad we could be there at your party!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Airport Artwork
Check out Andrew's drawing of an airport and some airplanes. Not too shabby even if I do have a biased opinion.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Houston Gymnastics Academy
This afternoon, we had our first class at Houston Gymnastics Academy. We had previously came by the facility to check out the classes; and I was pretty impressed with it. I really liked how they try to keep the kids active. They have a few smaller things for the kids to do at every rotation so they aren't waiting for their turn on the major apparatus too much. We are in Coach Gabby's class; and she seems very sweet.
Andrew was once again hesitant to join the class and even cried that he didn't want to do it. But I reminded him that he was scared the first time he tried out gymnastics and he ended up having a good time. And Coach Gabby said I could sit right inside the gym inside of the lobby if that helped. Andrew seemed to be okay with that idea so he joined the class. After that, he was great and participated very well.
Hope he likes it the remaining weeks of class!!
Andrew was once again hesitant to join the class and even cried that he didn't want to do it. But I reminded him that he was scared the first time he tried out gymnastics and he ended up having a good time. And Coach Gabby said I could sit right inside the gym inside of the lobby if that helped. Andrew seemed to be okay with that idea so he joined the class. After that, he was great and participated very well.
Hope he likes it the remaining weeks of class!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Granddad
Granddad drove into Houston this weekend for a quick visit. Yesterday, we just chilled and relaxed mainly letting Daddy and Granddad catch up.
Originally, Granddad had planned on driving back this morning, but he decided to stay a little while longer and went with us to drop Andrew off at school. Andrew adores having people go to school with him. It makes him feel so special!
Originally, Granddad had planned on driving back this morning, but he decided to stay a little while longer and went with us to drop Andrew off at school. Andrew adores having people go to school with him. It makes him feel so special!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Ngoai's and Aunt Hong's Birthday Celebration
Tonight, we celebrated Ngoai's and Aunt Hong's birthdays, which were on the 15th. David and Dina had flown in from Albuquerque. MaryAnn and Scott also joined us for the festivities. We began with a delicious dinner of seafood hot pot. Andrew ate mostly shrimp.
Of course, after dinner, it was time for cake. And who had to blow out the candles even though it wasn't HIS birthday?! Yup, Andrew of course!! He had a hard time blowing them out, but he kept blowing and blowing until he got them all.
Of course, after dinner, it was time for cake. And who had to blow out the candles even though it wasn't HIS birthday?! Yup, Andrew of course!! He had a hard time blowing them out, but he kept blowing and blowing until he got them all.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
YMCA Fall 2011 Soccer Week 1: Seattle @ Dallas
This morning was the start of the soccer season. Andrew was so excited and with fairly good reason. We organized a team with some of his friends like Palmer, Ben and Sebastian from his class at SLDS this past year, and Mac, one of his little buddies from Team Toronto last Spring. And the best news is that Daddy is the coach!! He loved telling people that! We were also really lucky that Mac's dad, Gray,also agreed to serve as Assistant Coach for the team.
Uncle Footon is here this weekend and came to the game to watch his nephew in action. Uncle, Daddy, and Drew headed to the YMCA first while I went to Academy to buy some shin guards because we couldn't find his as well as some ice for the team snacks. So, I showed up as practice was ending.
Just before the game, the opposing coach said they weren't going to play goalie. We still wanted to play a goalie so that the kids could learn the position.
Andrew sat out the first part of the game, but his friends did great. Palmer scored three goals...and this was his first game EVER!!! And Mac scored too! When Andrew got into the game, he didn't waste any time and scored three goals himself!! He ran hard the whole time he was in chasing after the ball. He was proud of himself too. After his second goal, he walked up to Daddy/Coach and he excitedly said "I scored two times!"
Drew was also a good teammate. He saw one of our new friends, Walker, crying because he was scared to play and hugged him. After the game, Andrew also was very gracious in handing out snacks to his friends. After the game, we went to Chick Fil A with Coach Gray, Mac, and his family.
It was fun watching all our friends play on our team and meet some new friends too. Coach James was very with our first outing. We are really looking forward to a great season!!
Uncle Footon is here this weekend and came to the game to watch his nephew in action. Uncle, Daddy, and Drew headed to the YMCA first while I went to Academy to buy some shin guards because we couldn't find his as well as some ice for the team snacks. So, I showed up as practice was ending.
Just before the game, the opposing coach said they weren't going to play goalie. We still wanted to play a goalie so that the kids could learn the position.
Andrew sat out the first part of the game, but his friends did great. Palmer scored three goals...and this was his first game EVER!!! And Mac scored too! When Andrew got into the game, he didn't waste any time and scored three goals himself!! He ran hard the whole time he was in chasing after the ball. He was proud of himself too. After his second goal, he walked up to Daddy/Coach and he excitedly said "I scored two times!"
Drew was also a good teammate. He saw one of our new friends, Walker, crying because he was scared to play and hugged him. After the game, Andrew also was very gracious in handing out snacks to his friends. After the game, we went to Chick Fil A with Coach Gray, Mac, and his family.
It was fun watching all our friends play on our team and meet some new friends too. Coach James was very with our first outing. We are really looking forward to a great season!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
D-Day
I have been dreading this day since we lost Matthew. Today would be the day we would have been welcoming our son to the world. But instead, he left us eight weeks tomorrow. For the last eight weeks, I keep thinking "I should still be pregnant...he should still be in my belly." But today, if I hadn't gone into labor already, my c-section was scheduled for this morning. I thought about it last night at the baseball game...if things were different, we would have been at home getting things ready for today. I thought about it this morning...if things were different, we would be heading to the hospital.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Matthew and miss him beyond words. The emptiness I feel is still ever present and to say we are grieving doesn't even begin to do our feelings justice. Life goes on, yes, we know. We still have Andrew and we have to be parents to him. We have to go on with our everyday lives, but my world is shattered. My heart is broken. I have never felt so lost. I miss him so much it hurts.
Below is a song that I have been listening to more times than I care to admit. It is sung by a group called Selah. One of their members, Todd, and his wife, Angie, lost their fourth daughter, Audrey shortly after her birth after learning that the baby would most likely not survive, but choosing not to terminate the pregnancy. I remember reading their story a few years ago and later, her book as well. And both moved me to tears back then. I couldn't imagine their loss, pain, and grief. Now, we live it too; and what she writes really resonates with me now. She truly is an inspiration and an amazing writer; and the song is so beautiful.
Selah - I Will Carry You
There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies
Wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
There's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this
Chorus:
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One
Who's chosen me
To carry you
Bridge:
Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He said,"I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted sea
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?
Chorus:
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One
Who's chosen me
To carry you
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Matthew and miss him beyond words. The emptiness I feel is still ever present and to say we are grieving doesn't even begin to do our feelings justice. Life goes on, yes, we know. We still have Andrew and we have to be parents to him. We have to go on with our everyday lives, but my world is shattered. My heart is broken. I have never felt so lost. I miss him so much it hurts.
Below is a song that I have been listening to more times than I care to admit. It is sung by a group called Selah. One of their members, Todd, and his wife, Angie, lost their fourth daughter, Audrey shortly after her birth after learning that the baby would most likely not survive, but choosing not to terminate the pregnancy. I remember reading their story a few years ago and later, her book as well. And both moved me to tears back then. I couldn't imagine their loss, pain, and grief. Now, we live it too; and what she writes really resonates with me now. She truly is an inspiration and an amazing writer; and the song is so beautiful.
Selah - I Will Carry You
There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies
Wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
There's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this
Chorus:
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One
Who's chosen me
To carry you
Bridge:
Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He said,"I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted sea
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?
Chorus:
I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One
Who's chosen me
To carry you
A Day with Animals
This afternoon, Andrew and I went to the zoo to see the corpse flower that had bloom. Sadly, we had missed the actual bloom, but you could still smell the remnants of it. Whoo wheee! Did that thing stink!?
Since we were already at the zoo, we decided to have some more fun there. We went to visit the chimps as we were already in the African Forest. Boy, did they put on a show for us!? Another family was there before us and they were playing with a chimp through the glass. One of the family members would put their lips against the glass as if to kiss the chimp. The chimp in return would sometimes kiss the glass, but would also tap the glass right at the person's lips. It was hysterical!! Andrew was brave enough to try it and the first time, he got the swat, but he finally got a kiss too. So much fun!
I had wanted to take Drew to the 4D Dora and Diego show that the zoo is showing right now. Andrew wasn't too sure about it since he doesn't like getting wet from the other times he has watched 4D shows, but I told him we could sit in the back so he agreed to go.We didn't get too wet at all and I kind of played it up for him too telling him that I liked getting wet because it was a way to cool off from the heat. He totally bought into it and was fine with the few drops we got.
After we got home, we went to walk Tanner, the Bolton's dog who were are dog sitting for a couple of days. It's been great for Andrew since he loves dogs so much and Tanner is really easy too. Drew has been really into the dog walking and feedings. Hopefully, he will be that way still if we ever decide to get a dog in the future.
Since we were already at the zoo, we decided to have some more fun there. We went to visit the chimps as we were already in the African Forest. Boy, did they put on a show for us!? Another family was there before us and they were playing with a chimp through the glass. One of the family members would put their lips against the glass as if to kiss the chimp. The chimp in return would sometimes kiss the glass, but would also tap the glass right at the person's lips. It was hysterical!! Andrew was brave enough to try it and the first time, he got the swat, but he finally got a kiss too. So much fun!
I had wanted to take Drew to the 4D Dora and Diego show that the zoo is showing right now. Andrew wasn't too sure about it since he doesn't like getting wet from the other times he has watched 4D shows, but I told him we could sit in the back so he agreed to go.We didn't get too wet at all and I kind of played it up for him too telling him that I liked getting wet because it was a way to cool off from the heat. He totally bought into it and was fine with the few drops we got.
After we got home, we went to walk Tanner, the Bolton's dog who were are dog sitting for a couple of days. It's been great for Andrew since he loves dogs so much and Tanner is really easy too. Drew has been really into the dog walking and feedings. Hopefully, he will be that way still if we ever decide to get a dog in the future.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Astros v. Philly
Tonight, Daddy wanted to take us to the Astros game at Minute Maid Park. Since, the Astros aren't fairing that well, we figured tickets wouldn't be hard to get. We ended up doing this HEB deal where we got tickets in the upper deck, a hot dog, a bag of chips, and a drink for $10. Such a bargain!
We got to our seats and started to eat our food. Andrew ate the hot dog and chips well. He watched the game and even added "It really a good game!" So cute!! He also kept asking "When the train going to go?"
Then, we decided to take him to go play in Squeeze Play. Andrew went in and started going around. But he ended up getting scared because he fell and couldn't find his way around. Luckily, a sweet little girl said she would take Andrew up to the play train and he wasn't scare after that. He even went around a little more by himself.
After, we got some ice cream and found some empty seats (there were lots). We continued to watch the game and surely enough, a home run was hit in the 5th inning and Andrew was happy to see the train go finally.
It was getting late so we left after the 7th inning stretch. It was a fun evening! We definitely like going to at least one game a season! And Andrew is doing better every time we go. Maybe sooner than later, he'll be able to stay the whole game!
We got to our seats and started to eat our food. Andrew ate the hot dog and chips well. He watched the game and even added "It really a good game!" So cute!! He also kept asking "When the train going to go?"
Then, we decided to take him to go play in Squeeze Play. Andrew went in and started going around. But he ended up getting scared because he fell and couldn't find his way around. Luckily, a sweet little girl said she would take Andrew up to the play train and he wasn't scare after that. He even went around a little more by himself.
After, we got some ice cream and found some empty seats (there were lots). We continued to watch the game and surely enough, a home run was hit in the 5th inning and Andrew was happy to see the train go finally.
It was getting late so we left after the 7th inning stretch. It was a fun evening! We definitely like going to at least one game a season! And Andrew is doing better every time we go. Maybe sooner than later, he'll be able to stay the whole game!
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