Glass Half-Full

January came & went and left our blog a little neglected. January was hard. 2012 started out hard. But, February is here and looking back I'm choosing to only focus on the GOOD things that occurred in January - that's one thing that cancer cannot take from me. In fact, while in the hospital, I spent a lot of time looking at our blog to see pics of the boys & it occurred to me that from our blog's standpoint; life is simply good. Which, it is...but don't get me wrong, we have our day-to-day moments where it's not all sunshine & lollipops. Parenting is trying and tiring. But in every single day there are so many positives that we can choose to focus our energies on and it makes this crazy ride more than worth it. Those are the moments that this blog is about...so I never forget the witty things that Nolan says or does to make me so incredibly happy. Or, I never forget the new things that Parker is beginning to do & the way he changes weekly that reminds me how fast the little ones grow. Here's a brief recap of some of the things January brought to us (I didn't carry my camera around much, so these are cell phone pics, some are not so clear).

While Brian was driving to the hospital on January 3rd, I caught a beautiful glimpse of the Arch. I mentioned to Brian how much excitement the Arch used to bring me...how every single time we came to St. Louis it was always such a contest to see who saw it first how it captivated me. Living in this area for 12 years now has somewhat deprived me of this wonderment. It's funny to see Nolan's enthusiasm each time he sees it and wonder if it's on the same level that mine was even though he's growing up closer to it and seeing it more often. It's just crazy how most of the time when we cross the river that I rarely even notice it anymore.


Shortly after I got out of the hospital, Nolan was feeling a bit uneasy. He just wasn't acting himself and was having a hard time understanding that doctors & nurses are not mean, that they were simply helping to make Mommy better & not intending to keep her away. So, we decided he needed some "Nolan" time with just Mommy & Daddy. Meemaw & Papa kept Parker, and we headed to see our first 3D Movie Beauty & the Beast. Unfortunately only a few minutes into the movie he told us he didn't feel so well & proceeded to throw up everywhere. Great. Not even an hour later, Brian started, too. When I put Parker to bed that night, he started, also. They continued on the path all through the night. By morning, Nolan was better & Brian was slowly getting better, but it had reached me in another way! Luckily the bug didn't last too long, but unfortunately, it did pass on to Meemaw & Papa, too. Thanks for being champs about it Mom & Dad! :)



On MLK, Jr. day it was usual out for the Midwest. This is what our car read:


So, we figured we'd better get out & take advantage of it. Nolan hadn't been to the zoo since right after his birthday and honestly, Mommy was wiped after not being there too long (I was 37 weeks pregnant). This January day was Parker's first trip! It was probably the very best time I've ever had there. It wasn't too crowded and we saw so many animals that we rarely get a good look at. The weather was just right.

















We ended the month with a trip to Mt. Vernon to celebrate our nephew, Brennan's, 2nd Birthday. Nolan loves spending time with TJ & Brennan and it's great to see them forming friendships with people that they will always be able to count on. From personal experience, cousins are definitely some of life's best gifts & friends.

Happy Birthday, Brennan!

Today is our 6th anniversary. The boys will be left with a babysitter and Mommy & Daddy are heading to the Melting Pot. I'm SO looking forward to time with just Brian. Aside from the hospital, we haven't had any alone time since prior to Parker being born. The funny thing is...as soon as we're out a little bit, I miss my crazy boys!

"Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us.

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful...

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful."

"Never Once" by Matt Redman