Spring!

WOW, I can't believe our last post was around Christmas time, but I guess that just gives you a little inkling of just how busy we've been this spring! :) 
... So, let's see if I can catch you up! The Punchers & Cowgirls finished up their basketball seasons with both teams making it to the Regional Tournament! Michael then started coaching baseball, & I got started with girls track! It was so awesome to be coaching what I LOVE & to get out there with the girls as a coach again. Our kids worked hard in track. We had 10 of our girls make it to the Regional meet in several events, but we didn't have any cowgirls make it to the State Meet. Our boys though, advanced the 4x400m relay to State & placed 3rd! We were proud of them ALL; boys & girls! The Punchers' baseball team is going strong; they are a part of the 'sweet 16' right now & play their next game on Thursday, where hopefully they'll make it to the 'elite 8!' ... We only have a few more short days of this school year left, & wow it's flown by! It's been an awesome one, but we are both ready for summer, to have some down time, & to just have a break!
... As for our family life, things are going well now. We added a sweet, energetic puppy to our family - Jagger! He's a miniature Austrailian Shepperd & he's full of life! He's been great for us to have something here on Earth to love on, & for a while, we actually called him Maddex by accident. He's helped to take our mind off of things. -& That seemed to work, but after a bit of a rocky start to a pregnancy in April, we found out a few weeks later that we'd had a miscarriage. We were so hopeful & happy about the opportunity of adding to our family, but also cautious & realistic about the things that weren't panning out like a 'textbook pregnancy.' It was hard time for us, once again, but just another part of God's plan for us that we trust will lead us to many more blessings. It's been a little difficult lately as we're approaching the 1 year mark for our sweet angel's unexpected arrival. Our friends that had children at the same time we had Maddex, are planning to celebrate their babies 1 year birthday parties, while we're trying to think of special things to do to celebrate the memory of ours'. My family reunion (which is awesome) is coming up as well, & at this time last year we were so excited about having baby Maddex to share with our family at this year's reunion. My family is all about family (which I love & makes our family so special), so it will be tough to go back this year without him. -We know he'll be watching over us though. Some more bittersweet reminders, but we know God is holding us & will comfort us as these sometimes tough times approach. I'm so thankful for the love & comfort of an amazing husband & family! We appreciate your continued prayers!
... God IS good, all the time! ...

The past few busy weeks ...

WOW, we've had a busy Christmas season!

To start it all off, the Mason Punchers won the football State Championship just a few weeks ago! We are all so very proud of the boys, coaches, & community! It's such an amazing accomplishment & they put in lots of time and work to get there, so CONGRATS!!! ... Michael is now in basketball season, coaching the boys JV team & helping with varsity. He's already busy with that, and of course, I definitley understand all about that. I'm just hanging out enjoying the break this year! ... A few days before Christmas, Michael surprised me with my present, for everything, of a beautiful cedar bed! I LOVE IT & I do have the MOST AMAZING husband I could've ever prayed for. He has been 'secretly' working on it for the past 1 1/2 yrs and had lots of help, so thanks to those of you who did help & who kept the secret!

Christmas time! -Bittersweet this year for us; we missed our sweet Maddex SO MUCH this holiday season, because it would've been our first with him. We know that he did have the best Christmas ever though, because he spent it with Christ! It has been a little hard sometimes to see friends & family getting to spend those precious moments with their blessings, especially the new babies, but we know that we've been blessed too in our own special way. Maddex did get some Christmas goodies though; mom & dad got us some ornaments that say: Mom, Dad, & my 1st Christmas. Michael and I decided to get Maddex some books that we can share with his little brothers & sisters, the Lord willing, one day soon. We wanted to get a book about an angel so that they will be able to share a story about an angel watching over people, just like Maddex will watch over them. -And of course, we got him a "First Christmas" book. (We still had to shop a little for him, even though he's in Heaven!)

The New Year! - ... is soon approaching. We pray this year that you will alll be blessed in 2012, and we also pray very special prayers that in this coming year, we will be blessed with a growing family here on Earth! We can't wait to see what this New Year holds!

Love to you all this holiday season, & cherish every moment with the ones you love! :)

Thanksgiving & the Holiday Season

Well, sorry I haven't updated our blog lately. I feel like we get so busy with football, school, and all the other things that I just sometimes forgot about this wonderful way of expressing all that's been going on.
... Our Mason Punchers are having a great football season. We just won a HUGE game against Ganado the 3rd round into the play-offs. (7-0, one of the best High School football games I've ever seen!) I couldn't be more proud of Michael and the amazing job he does, and I know our son Maddex is so very proud of his daddy too!
... I have been spending LOTS of time with family, which is ALWAYS good! I've gotten to watch Shaylee & Linsey play bball already this year, so that's more than I used to get to see. It's nice having bball season free to do those kinds of things, but I do miss those Wall Lady Hawks & the fun times we had working our tails off this time of year. Most weekends I stop by the cemetary and spend some time there changing out Mdx's decorations! I know he LOVES seeing them from Heaven, so I've definitely taken that on as my "mommy duty" & work on stuff for him any chance I get! ... His headstone has been placed, right next to "uncle t-dubs" (tanner's) & it is a beautiful representation of our little angel!
... This holiday season has already proven to be a little tough on us, me especially. Michael is always at football it seems, (which I'm SO GLAD they're winning & still going!) but it does leave me home alone, or even at family gatherings, quite a bit without him. That's very hard considering, at least in my opinion, that HoLiDaYs are/should be the most fun time of the year w/your children! I love holding, playing with, and loving on all my little cousins, but I think Maddex tugs a little at my heart each time I do. How we'd LOVE more than anything to have HIM here with us this holiday season, but God has a wonderful plan for our family that requires & allows him to be patiently awaiting us in Heaven. I know it's got to be the most amazing place to be, but we sure do miss him here on earth! ...
... We continue to pray that God will soon bless our family, again, with children here on Earth to share Mdx's story with. We appreciate your love, support, and continued prayers & we always pray that God blesses each of you in return! Happy holidays to you all & remember, we all have so much to be thankful for! ... God is good, all the time!

Life As We Know It

The past few weeks and months have seemed to go by faster and faster. As more time goes by, I believe that we are starting to think less about how long it's been since we've had Maddex here with us, and more about how much closer we are everyday to seeing him in Heaven. Our lives are getting busier all the time with football, school, UIL activities, and afterschool programs, and I think that has been a big help in our healing. It's so easy to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves and think about what we don't have, but it is so much better to stay busy and think about what great blessings are to come and to think of how wonderful it is that we got to hold an angel in our arms, and now in our hearts forever. As many of our friends and families' newborns are growing, having their babies, or getting farther along in their pregnancies, we're doing better and trusting that God will bless us with a growing family as well, in His time, and on His terms. We're working lots on patience and praying for His will to be done, and I really believe that in itself has given us a more optimistic perspective and is making it easier to handle. God is always good and will do great things for us all, we just have to keep the faith and know that He knows what's best for us!

Maddex's due date

Well september 23 has finally arrived! It's the day we had been looking forward to since our first doctors visit and sonogram when we found out Maddex was on his way! Now it has become the day we've anticipated to be one of the hardest on us. As we exist here on earth this September 23, with our dream and hope of Maddex physically gone after holding him for only hours months ago, we have great hope and inspiration to live a life worthy of being reunited with him in Heaven one blessed day. ... Meanwhile, it is incredibly difficult not to think what we would be doing with him at this exact moment in time, how much different our lives would be, and all the "might have beens". Please continue praying for our strength and comfort as your loving prayers will mean more than any of us know in the next few days. ... I've begun to realize that it's not why did this happen, or how did we get here, but how we respond and what we do for God as we endure this challenge.

Maddex, mommy and daddy love you more than you'll ever know!

September is a month of joy, and sadness. First of all, September happens to be the month that we lost my brother Tanner, 12 years ago on the 2nd. We miss you, love you, and will always remember you.
... But, this month also brings about football season, cooler weather, and getting closer to the holidays. We thought that it would be bringing us a baby, but as we sit here without him, it gets a little harder as we see friends and family member having their precious blessings, who were going to be just weeks and days apart from our Maddex. You'd think the beginning would be the hardest part; leaving the hospital without him, and knowing we weren't ever going to get to play with him, change his diapers, or stay up all night with him. But at that point, Michael had decided to become a christian, and that's what we focused on because Maddex helped to make that happen. But now, it's starting to seem that the hard part begins when everyone else is getting to enjoy those things with their September babies, as we have no physical sign left of ours. We are so, so thankful and happy for all of those babies and for all of those blessed mommy's and daddy's, but it's also hard to wonder why we aren't there too. We know, without a doubt, that we are blessed by God putting Maddex in our lives and he has changed us forever, we just really start to feel like we're missing out on all the beautiful amazing moments that we see in others' lives. We have our own precious memories with our son, that lots of people don't get to experience and we cherish those. We just trust, hope, and pray that God will soon bless us again with more children that we get to raise, teach, and grow old with here on Earth. September 23 was Mdx's due date, so with that coming up and and this being a tough month, prayers for our strength & hope, mine especially, are welcomed.
Thanks so much for your support, and give your babies, no matter how big or small, old or young, a special hug and kiss from their mommy/daddy, because there are some mommies and daddies who would love to do the same.

First day of Coaching/Teaching in Mason!

As most of you know, Michael and I both have new jobs where we are learning right along with the kids. Our teaching assignments are a little different than they were at Wall, but they are also great opportunities for us both to try something new and different! I had some GT planning and 8th grade technology today, while Michael got to try and tame some Pre-Kers in PE! :) He had several other grades too, but the Pre-K was the highlight, or challenge!
Being a coach's wife instead of being a coach myself, at least until the spring when I help with track, is different. It's good and I am not as busy, but I do miss athletics and being in and out of the gym and going outside to run. Now I spend lots of time just waiting around on Michael to be done. -Which is okay, because he loves what he's doing, and I'm all for that! ... Just seems strange because this time last year, I was telling Michael how I just couldn't wait to have kids so I would have some babies to keep me company & busy during football season while he was gone so much. We found out we were expecting Maddex and I was so excited that was coming true this year. I would be about to have Maddex, and then taking him to games to watch daddy coach. -Crazy how life changes! So, even though I've ironically found myself sitting at home alone again this year while the hubby's at football, I also have found the simple truth that we WERE BLESSED with a baby and I AM a mommy, and that has to serve as a comfort. I would love to have Maddex here to take to games, play with, or even change his dirty diapers, but God had another plan for us and we will just believe that plan will take us wherever God wills! -Plus, we know Maddex will be watching daddy every Friday night until we get to see him again! (& that's LOTS of football for him to learn about, & critique!) :)