Sock Monkey Huddle

This must have been the best Christmas for Jesse and I to date. In the past few years, our joy, our flame has just been....well....out. Walker & Ellie's age this year brought so much excitement to the table that even Jesse pulled the box of outdoor lights and decor out of the attic. That box hasn't seen daylight since we packed it up in 2008, before our world crashed. This year, it was rejuvenated. And the babies loved it.

Walker helped me put ornaments on the tree, with each ornament being just as thrilling as the next one. He was stoked with each sock monkey ornament he pulled out of the box and on to the tree. Most of these sock monkeys are ones that our family and friends would give us over the years to let us know they were thinking about us, and mostly from Nurse Laura. She's very weak to sock monkeys.

That night, I was rounding the house and turning off all of the lights after putting the babies to bed. I turned the corner and as I was admiring the glow of the finished and lit tree, something caught my eye: Walker had made a sock monkey brigade out of one section of the tree. One of the best moments of my life. I'm not certain why. But I think it may be because it dawned on me that he understands and those monkeys brought him great joy.

I live to make that little boy as happy as certainly possible. I dream that he will look back and say that he had a wonderfully fulfilling childhood. And that he is happy. Walker Daniel, you just made mommy very happy when you dog-piled these monkeys on the tree. Something so simple reassured her that its ok to sit back and enjoy these moments. So in that corny momma fashion, I took a picture from my iPhone....I know, I am weak. This really set the tone for what would be our first fulfilling Christmas since Eli passed.

I've never been so thankful for sock monkeys...

Ambassador Family Moments

Describe the March of Dimes Signature Chef Dinner? It was a momento we'll hold on to forever, much like our Eli's box (now beginning to get a little full), except this momento only comes with the memories of getting fancied up and remembering how I felt being able to talk about you, my sweet boy. All eyes and ears were on you and Walker. That night is only how I can imagine feeling proud at your ballgame or recital, except this wasn't your ballgame. It was the state championship. Well played, my son. Could not be prouder of your works!

March of Dimes Signature Chef Dinner Oct. 25th

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Like any normal couple, we dreamed of starting our family. We would have never imagined what was in store for us. Although our outcome was not ideal, we are very proud of Eli's gift of life donation. Somewhere out there, a family will not have to go through what we did. And thanks to the March of Dimes dedication to research and infant mortality prevention, fewer and fewer familes are having to endure the pain of losing their babies too. The March of Dimes is dedicated to babies and our family is dedicated to the March of Dimes." ... Jodie McGinley, Central Arkansas Signature Chef Auction Ambassador Mom

We're Backkkkk!!

I feel like I've completely abandoned the one thing that kept me organized: my blog. Not done purposely, but to tell you the truth, I have had no desire what so ever to get on here and update. From the I Can! Arts & Resource Center ground breaking back in January, things just began to get somewhat....um...chaotic? The contractors were right: once the building was framed, it would go quickly and they were 100% right. Alot has happened since Ellie's 1st birthday in April and I'll try to make this as painless as possible. But blog, I promise I will not abandon you for that long again.......

• God's surprise turned 1 April 8th of this year. It was fantastic. She had a "Pink Piggy" birthday party.

(Eli's bronze monument arrived! Walker checking it out-)

• We began buckling down for the Launch of Eli's Garden the I Can! Arts & Resource Center immediately following Ellie's birthday. It went smoothly. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held with the state of Arkansas on July 6th, on a very hot Friday evening. A storm rolled up around all 300+ guests and then strangely went away, leaving us a cool, breezy evening to enjoy the festivities. Here is the picture of us in front of Eli's monument that the Democrat Gazette took: 



• After 2 months of negotiation and a lot of soul searching, Jesse took an engineering position in a different state. Never would we have dreamed of leaving our families. Ever. But there's one thing that we have struggled with since the birth of Eli & Walker and it was our marriage. We never took time to grieve together. We immediately threw our grief into our projects and the work within the disabled communities and failed to work on 'us'. We felt this move may be a good chance to take a break from all that surrounded us and work on what started this all. All this being said, he accepted the position after layoff rumors were circulating again at his current job. We are about 6 weeks in and I must say, my heart is extremely heavy. I do miss our families, but especially my Momma. And I miss being in control of my days. Here, I don't have much to be in control over, unless you count potty training, laundry, and making sure Walker & Ellie don't kill each other.
 
• Oh, have I mentioned Ellie is a biter?  
 
• We celebrated Walker (& Eli's) 3rd birthday back in Arkansas on the weekend of August 3rd surrounded by our friends and families. This year, we let Eli's balloons go around his monument in his garden. His party theme? Ga-ta's. 

 

 

I think that's enough updating before I lose my audience for now. Nothing loses my attention faster than blog overload.

 

:) 

In One Year

In one year, you brought us hope again that joy would over come our sorrows. This one year has brought us joy that Satan said we would never have again. You brought us trust, you brought us faith, and you brought us more love than we thought we could ever have.

This week, we celebrate you, Ellie Reese, and your life.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate your 1st birthday! Easter is the celebration of Christ's life as he died for us. Easter is the promise that he will come again and the joy He brings within us. Ellie, you are a gift as you bought joy within us too. We know you were sent from Heaven for us. And we have no doubt God knew our hearts and what we needed. We needed you!

Every good and perfect gift is from the Father above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting wind.                   James 1:17

Eli, Walker, & Ellie- you are our good and perfect gifts. Holy is His name, Christ Jesus. Thank you for your promises!

1/5 Preschooler, 4/5 Momma's Boy

With the upcoming I Can! Arts & Resource Center (where Eli's Memorial Courtyard will be located. A center designed for special needs children to take dance, art, and music classes)groundbreaking coming up, I knew it was time. Walker D, my sweet baby boy, is just not small and meak enough to go with me to meetings anymore. He requires constant entertainment, as well as he loves being the constant entertainer. Meetings were beginning to be alot more in the fall and I knew this day was coming...afterall, his Papa was probably getting tired of daddy calling him the night before to see if he could watch this bubby 2 year old while momma had to be gone to a meeting that next day. His Papa has graciously agreed to keep him nearly once a week or so when these meetings came up. But we just knew things were about to pick up.

And they did.... Quickly.

I've sheltered this little boy and raised him the past 2 years in effort to protect him and cherish every.single.minute with him. Time is so precious. We know this all too well.

January 25th, we will be breaking ground on this new innovative center on live Arkansas television. It's time that momma gets busy and Walker D go to 'school' (actually a Mothers Day Out program that is a christian-based pre-school setting).

 

There is a special place that I knew he would go when it was time. And luckily they had a spot for him. So we are testing the waters and he will go one day a week to 'school'. This week, he kept talking about going to 'school' and riding 'de-bus'.

Weeeelllllllll, there's no bus Walker D. But he didn't understand. School = school bus.

He did well at 'school' that day. His new teacher would text us pictures of him through out the day. She said he ate 'most' of his lunch and napped during nap time well. Said he was the socializer (which did not surprise us at all). Said he was sweet to a crying little boy. Walker apparently took him a stuffed giraffe and asked him if he was 'ok'. Sweet huh?

When Momma and Daddy went to pick him up from his first day of 'school', what did Walker D do? He turned around, said "hi mom!" and went back to the kitchen station he was playing with.

Well, then. Hi to you too, Walker D.

Getting him to leave and convincing him that he would be back next week was a challenge because he wanted to stay and play. I guess this is a good sign. In follow up with a promise, we took him to go see his cousins get off 'de-bus' on our way home. The child is in love with a school bus.

So we both win. Momma gets one day a week to plan for her meetings to get this center up and rolling. Walker D gets to 'socialize'.



Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the life of this happy, healthy, and smart precious little boy. He truly gives us the meaning of life and a reason to live in your name. I cannot give you enough praise or enough thank yous for this little life. How did we deserve such a gift? I hope we do not let you down. I pray that we do not let our precious Eli down. I pray that this I Can! Arts & Resource Center be done in your time, your reasons, your will. Thank you for making ends meet to allow us to be a part of this project. One day at a time. Amen.

Tell them Eli's Parents Sent You!

Our dear friend Crystal at Ness has launched the Eli bag! And people are beginning to receive their own Eli bag they ordered. We are LOVING the emails and texts that we've received when one of our friends or family received their bag. You can tell they are proud! And I must say, Jesse and I are thrilled for Crystal in producing her dream-come-true! She has made 2 incredibly beautiful bags which from what I can tell, are doing well! The colors are fabulous and the meaning behind the bag, Ness meaning "miracle" in Hebrew, tells the story of 2 little babies who are doing wonderful things - Eli & Mamie.

www.nessbags.com

The Eli Bag

Here is the link to the information on the Eli bag:

http://www.nessbags.com/index.html#/eli/



Please note that when you purchase an Eli bag or a Mamie bag from Ness, you are supporting 2 organizations who are commited to educating families in birth defects (Project E.L.I.) and preserving memories (Mamie's Poppy Plates). A portion of all bag sales goes towards that organization! That means when you purchase an Eli bag, Ness will turn around and support Project E.L.I.!

Really, what does that mean?

It means we are able to distribute more copies of the Project E.L.I. documentary to families in need, families who are questioning the little life growing in side of them. It means getting these copies into the hands of OB/GYNs in hopes of understanding that these lives are very special!

One baby saved or one parent given hope- our job is done!

Via Ness Website:

- Three interior & three exterior pockets
- Adjustable straps allow you to carry the bag
  three different ways
- Available in black, red, dark brown, and light
   brown

Please visit Ness today at www.nessbags.com or on their facebook page www.facebook.com/nessbags

(Tell them Eli's parents sent you!)