15 months

I meant to do a 15 month post for Bryn on the 10th...but alas I forgot  kept moving it to the next day's to-do list!  Brynlee, Bryn, Bryn-a-b, Bryna...she answers to them all!  At this stage in the game Bryn is on the move big time.  She literally went from pitching a fit when I tried to get her to walk...to now walking everywhere...literally she just walks around the house all day...it is like she just wants to walk for fun!

 Bryn is of course talking a lot...like her mom sisters!  She loves to say Mommy...but draws it out Mooommmy.  She says Daddy, Hadley (Hadaley), Reese, Ellie, Bailey (Bayee), Please (cheese), More, Ball, Banana, Nose, Eye and her favorite...NO...which she uses to mean yes and no.

She did not really catch on the sign language as early as her sisters...but now she does it while she says the word.  My favorite is that her version of please is rubbing her hands together...Jason and I call her Mr. Miagee.  

 Bryn loves her sisters and literally tries to do everything they do.  When they dance, she dances, when they are doing gymnastics...she put her hands and head down on the ground and rolls to the side trying to do her version.  When they watch something on TV she laughs if they laugh!  She is also feisty like her sisters and if they try to take things from her...WATCH OUT!

 Bryn loves Ellie and Bailey and when we are outside all she cares about if finding them.  She does not really like walking on the grass with her bare feet so we will see how the beach goes with her!  She does love water though!

Bryn loves to go to the park and play because she is not afraid to do anything.  At 13 months she started climbing up the stairs to the top of the slide in our neighborhood...would lay on her tummy and turn around so her feet went first and slide down laughing!  It scared me to death the first time...but now it is all she wants to do.  I think it alarms other people at the parks too...I am pretty sure they think I am a horrible mother...oh well...you can't please them all!

And we love our Brynlee...and yes I do know that she might have a baby mullet...I am just not sure what to do about it! :)

Moments

We all have them...moments in life that you will remember forever...some good ones some not.  The day you were married, a first date, an incredible sight, birth of a child, etc...the list goes on and on.  I, like you, have many moments that I will never forget...there are lots of those that are covered in tears...but those are moments that make up who I am.  This past weekend I got to experience another moment that I will not soon forget.  I headed to Dallas, TX to watch my incredible brother walk across the stage and get his Masters of Theology Degree!  It is not the degree that created the moment...it was the fact that I watched this man (who I used to just call my younger brother) accomplish something he has been working so hard at...and that life and health have made so difficult to do.

The Graduate himself

Many of you know his journey and his struggles...and through this 17 year process God has shown himself over and over...as I continue to watch my brother take on each challenge with a "why not me" attitude instead of the human "why me"?

The real moment actually came on Friday evening as my brother, Caitlin (his wife), my mother, my dad Caitlin's mother and myself sat in their apartment.  Jonathan had missed a call from his doctor (the head of transplant at Baylor), so he proceeded to call him back.  He put his phone on speaker, and using his own words, "we were either going to rejoice together or cry together", and we waited to hear what the Dr. would say.  His words...the board approved Caitlin as the donor...all we have to do now is set the Transplant Date!  Screams, cheers, tears filled the room...and gratitude...gratitude for a God that preforms miracles and for one who asks us to not worry but to trust.

Jonathan flanked by his two biggest cheerleaders...and by one who he shares a kidney with and one he soon will...that is CRAZY!

Caitlin's kidney was rescanned last week and they said it was all clear so they just had to wait for the transplant board to approve it....and it still seems surreal.  To be told by man (many men that is) that there will be no match for him...to be given little hope...but to hold onto the everlasting hope that says God is in every little thing...and to see that God had a match all along!

Proud sister with her amazing brother

The journey is not over...the road for recovery and for Jonathan's body to accept the kidney will be ongoing...but we rest in the hope that God gives all of us.  Continued prayers are most welcomed...here is their site for updates and other things.

Mothers...

My Mother's Day started early this year!  I was out of town for a few days and had the best present ever...Jason and the girls picked me up at the airport last night...they were all waiting for me when I got off the plane and they had flowers!  I had missed all of them so much!  Reese insisted that I go ahead and open my presents last night...so I did...and then the fun continued this morning.

Jason and the girls brought me breakfast in bed (I got up early and got ready to go help at church) and then jumped back in bed so they could bring breakfast!  Yogurt parfaits and grits...my favorites!

 All the Beckner girls

A look back at last year Mother's Day...things are for sure easier now

 that Bryn and Hads are a little older!

 Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother who has made me the mother I am...I have learned so much from her in how she handles trial after trial and continues to trust the Lord faithfully...there is no better lesson I could have, thank you for the way to have changed me for the better without even knowing it!

 Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Grandmother Myrl, she made my mother the amazing woman she is and also has been an example of a woman who walks with the Lord daily and has love me unconditionally.

 Happy Mother's Day to Grandma Shirla, my mother-in-law, who shaped the wonderful man I married and who loves my girls with all of her heart.

 Happy Mother's Day to Great Grandma Beckner who loved on Jason and made him the man he is as well, and loves her great-granddaughters so much too.

 Happy Mother's Day to Barb who has given me such a great example in how she has raised her two wonderful children and how much she loves on our girls!

 In loving memory of Great Grandma Baker who loved Jason with all of her heart and who loved on me and the girls with all she had.  She is missed this Mother's Day!

SO, to all the mothers in our lives...family and friends alike...Happy Mother's Day...we LOVE YOU!

Wordless Wednesday

Fashion Alert

SUMMER FASHION ALERT!

For all of you looking for the latest trend...it is wearing your tall hot pink boots with your swimsuit! 

 Don't start your summer without this look!

Programs, Recitals and new tricks

Ok, so these pictures are not in order...and there are a lot...but they are cute!

Reese had her performance at school...it was a circus and Reese was a white dancing horse!  She loved her little tail!  I did not get many pictures...but here are a few.

 The three cutest redheads at the ballet recital!

 I don't have a picture of the action...but Bryn has finally decided to start walking.  She is still a little wobbly, but she is cute!

 These three can finally all sit at the craft table together...Bryn can get in the chair... and 

stand up in it (unfortunately) and get back out!

Reese's dance recital was this weekend, the whole recital was the production of Noah's ark.  Every group was a different animal or theme of the story...the last group were the rainbows!  The whole thing was really cute...but the bunnies were the cutest in my unbiased opinion.

Little Miss Ballerina herself...wow can't believe how much she has grown since last year.

 Concentrating hard during the dance

 Bebe came to watch the big show

 Hadley had her performance at school this week as well!  This picture sums up how darn cute and excited she was to do hers.  She danced and smiled like the wild little monkey she is.

 Hadley and mommy...I could eat her up!

Something Great about Eight

Exactly eight years ago these young ones got married!  Seriously is it possible to think we look sooo much older in a mere 8 years!  Regardless of looks...I am still in love with this guy and I feel incredibly blessed to have him as my husband.  Our lives look much different than they did 8 years ago...

We used to have a house with tons of storage space...now we have the same house with tons of little feet and no storage space.
We used to plan our weekends around fun things going on...we still do fun things but we for sure plan our weekends around our little ones...2 year old birthday parties are fun!
We used to go to the movies quite a bit...we now have a family movie night about once a week...in our living room...with popcorn and a great Disney treat!
We used to stay up late....we now crash after the girls go down...seriously we crash.
We both used to workout at the gym quite a bit...now we workout running around the front yard playing freeze tag and chase with the littles!
We used to have way to much time to focus on ourselves...thank the Lord our children have given us so much including a perspective that is not just looking in the mirror.

I recently came across a quote that I love and that I think is so fitting for us:

"Someday someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else..." - anonymous.  Thank you Lord that Jason walked into to my life!