Walk For Babies!

Some of you know that I serve on the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) at Columbus Regional Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia. This is the hospital where Jax was for 6 weeks in the NICU. Well, Columbus Regional was the title sponsor for our region's March Of Dimes walk this year. The PAC was the host of the event. It was a huge sucess and everyone looked great in their bright blue shirts (designed by your's truly).
It was a special day for our family. We were able to see some of our favorite doctors and nurses from the NICU. You'll see a picture of Evin with Jax. She was our social worker while at Columbus Regional. She has turned into a great friend. In the middle are the members of the PAC with their families. There are only about 10-15 members of the PAC, so you can see that their families came to support us all. Then there is Ryan finishing up our walk. We walked today celebrating Jaxon's life and the progress he has made. You wouldn't even know by looking at him that he was two months early. He now weights 19 1/2 pounds and is 26 inches long! BIG BOY! His smile is infectious and his laugh will make your heart leap. So we walked with pride for 2 miles with other families that have similar stories to ours, but also for some of those whose babies didn't make it. The T-Shirt says: "Marching Together To Conquer Prematurity. Be a Hero to the Tiniest Babies."
There was someone else we walked for today. Laston Dennis. He is the son of our friends Ginger and Jon. Laston was born in January and still remains in the NICU in Atlanta. Even though he has gained plenty of weight it seems that the rest of him is having a hard time catching up. He is now the oldest baby in that NICU and I know that Ginger has come to her wits end time and time again. We are praying for Laston and the entire Dennis family...won't you do the same?

Sock Monkey Heaven

Here’s our boy with some of his sock monkeys. He loves nothing more than his monkeys (except for a little fox named Cesar). We did his room in sock monkeys and other vintage toys. He’s now starting to notice all the things on his shelves. It’s just a matter of time before he’ll want to pull everything down.

Things here are going well and we are still adjusting to parenthood…this is a lifelong process, I’m sure of it. Anywho…so we are super busy here at the moment. This weekend is our first fundraiser with the group that is going to Mexico City this summer. We are having a huge yard sale is the parking lot of the building and we are selling BBQ plates. A man at the congregation makes some of the best BBQ and he was kind enough to offer his services to our fundraising efforts. Everyone at NCC really stepped up and donated a lot of things for the yard sale…we know we will be successful! We also plan on having some other group fundraisings events, but everyone is also writing letters and doing something on their own to raise their funds. We already have our tickets reserved and the deposit has been paid. We are on our way! We can’t wait for this group to get a glimpse of what we love and are so passionate for.

So speaking of Mexico City and fundraising, here’s the scoop… After being back in the States now for 10 months we are beginning to make our plans to return back to Mexico City. It is home for us and we are homesick. The elders at NCC know this also and have stated that they do not wish to keep missionaries off the field. So, we are in the beginning stages of returning home. Our plans are to be back no later than the end of next summer, which is really just right around the corner. This is a final move for us, our hearts are there in Mexico and so we belong there as well.

Just to put a bug in all of your ears…if you have anyone whom you know that would LOVE to support us in prayer and/or finances, we are on the search. Let us know and we will get in touch with them. Even though it is a little over a year away, we can’t start too soon. Please pray for us. Pray for our journey here in Newnan as it continues. We are learning so much here that we will be able to carry into our next step in life.

"Life is like getting dropped off in the middle of the woods, and then year by year, gradulayy walking home." April Foiles

You Might Be A Redneck If...

You might be a redneck if your baby is teething and he looks like this. We took this picture earlier this week. My parents gave Jax this pacifier a while back and we thought it was perfect to show off. Jax is still going through the stage of teething but has yet to cut any teeth yet. So, we wait "patiently" through the fevers, pain, and screaming till his first tooth pops out. This past week Ryan's parents were here and we all took a trip to Savannah. I have only 2 words to say about this city...Absolutely Amazing! It is so beautiful and we had a great time. If you ever go, eat at Vic's on the river...great restaurant. So Jax has two new tricks...he's sitting on his own now and is also shaking his head no. I owe these two things to his Mimi. She really worked hard this past week with his sitting. Thank you so much Rita. Sometimes I know Jax gets bored with his mother and needs someone else, his Mimi is perfect. Jaxon will turn 9 months old this month...its hard to believe how fast he is growing. Just this morning Ryan and I were watching him jump in the living room and Ryan said..."He's the best thing we've ever done." There could be nothing more true!